Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 597 If Heaven won't punish you, I will!
“My name is Ao Qiongzhi…”

Speaking of it.

The shepherdess's chest heaved violently, and beneath her coarse cloth clothes, her exquisite curves trembled slightly with the surging emotions within her.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, landing on the shepherdess's fair and smooth skin.

The shepherdess's cherry lips trembled slightly, her red lips parted as if she had a thousand words to say, yet could not express them all at once. After a brief pause, she continued softly:

"...Back then...my father, the Dragon King of Dongting Lake, was bound by the strict rules of the dragon clan, and forced by the powerful and influential Jing River Dragon King, he had no choice but to betroth me to..."

At this point, the shepherdess's voice trembled slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she finally continued:
"She was betrothed to the son of the Jing River Dragon King, who is now the ruler of the Ji River, the Ji River Dragon King."

When Lü Dongbin heard her reveal her identity—she was actually a dragon princess who had already married another man!

Lü Dongbin couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking to himself:

"Alas! What a pity! What a pity!"

“Since this woman is already married and has a lover, even if she is exceptionally beautiful, I must still uphold the virtues of a virtuous immortal and must not act rashly again.”

"This woman is wonderful, but we met too late, and our destiny is not meant to be."

"The immortals have their own code of conduct and morality; this path is blocked! Our fate has run its course!"

As the saying goes, "A married woman should not be deceived."

Although Lü Dongbin was naturally romantic, he was not vulgar.

The women who were close to him were all people who were mutually in love and willing to be with him.

Moreover, Lü Dongbin was quite responsible in his actions and never played with people's feelings and then left.

If he falls in love with a woman, he will either guide her to immortality, helping her escape the suffering of the mortal world and avoid the cycle of reincarnation.

Alternatively, one could simply find a courtesan, give her gold and silver, and settle the score afterward, with neither party owing the other anything.

……

At this point, the shepherdess bit her lip tightly, a surge of shame, indignation, and grievance welling up within her. Her voice grew lower and lower, filled with endless sorrow, as she slowly began to speak:

"On my wedding night, that cup of nuptial wine, filled with anticipation, became the beginning of this endless nightmare..."

"At first, the Dragon King of Ji River was somewhat gentle."

"But we can wait until my father, the Dragon King of Dongting, returns."

"The Dragon King of the Ji River became cold and indifferent to me, and gradually grew to dislike me."

The way he looked at me... was like that of a stranger.

"I inquired repeatedly, even disregarding my reputation, and secretly investigated. After many twists and turns, I finally learned about him from those gossipy aquatic maids..."

"Upon learning that he had completely reversed right and wrong, treating my wife, whom he had married with proper ceremony and respect, as nothing at all, discarding her like a worn-out shoe!"

"But since he does not follow the proper marital relationship, why did he marry me?"

"Won't this ruin my life?"

"I couldn't believe it at first, until I saw it with my own eyes!"

Having said that, she clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, and her voice suddenly rose, filled with shame, anger, and resentment:
"Until that night... through layers of silk curtains... I... I saw it with my own eyes! It was vivid and clear!"

"I witnessed him behaving in such an intimate manner with someone!"

The shepherdess closed her eyes in anguish, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam, soaking her clothes.

"Although it is a dragon, its behavior is just like that of a sea pig."

"When I caught him in his shameful state, he not only showed no remorse, but instead... he scolded me harshly... scolded me for defiling his reputation and ruining his honor!"

"She accused me of being a jealous woman!!!"

"They accused me...of being a witch!!!"

"Why are you so intolerant of male prostitutes?"

"So...I see..."

With Lü Dongbin's all-knowing and insightful eyes, he naturally noticed that the Dragon Girl of Dongting Lake possessed a pure and immaculate aura, her primordial yin energy intact, and she was still a virgin.

Otherwise, Lü Dongbin wouldn't have had the idea of ​​playing a trick on her.

"In that moment of utter despair and utter hopelessness, I mustered all my courage and poured out my endless suffering and torment to my parents-in-law, the sister of the Jing River Dragon King and the West Sea Dragon King..."

"...I knelt down, weeping, and recounted in detail all the neglect and humiliation I had suffered...and the despicable and vile habits of the Dragon King of Jishui...I pleaded with them, tears streaming down my face...I only hoped that they...for the sake of our shared dragon bloodline...for the sake of...for the sake of my father, the Dragon King of Dongting...would have mercy..."

"Give me a divorce agreement to dissolve this marriage that exists in name only, like a cage..."

"Give me back my freedom."

At this point, tears streamed down her face:
"Who would have thought... that as elders, they should have been able to distinguish right from wrong and uphold justice, but instead they did everything they could to protect him, turning black into white and confusing right and wrong!"
"They brutally and mercilessly shifted all the blame onto me!"

"They retorted that I was shameless and a troublemaker!"

She placed her hand on her chest, as if those hurtful words still pierced her heart like sharp blades.
"...They scolded me...for being shameless! They scolded me...for being inconsiderate and causing trouble! And...and they said..."

Her voice trembled with extreme shame and anger as she uttered those vicious and cruel words:
"...It's my fault! It's because I couldn't keep my husband's heart!"

"It's...it's my incompetence, my utter incompetence! It's my dull nature, my lack of understanding of romance!"

"It is...it is my fault for failing in my duties as a wife...it is...it is my incompetence."

"It is I who have disgraced the reputation of the Dragon King of Jishui, bringing a great shame upon the entire Dragon Palace of Jishui!"

She gave a bitter laugh, a laugh filled with boundless desolation and despair:

“After I pleaded and cried repeatedly, I not only received no pity, but also angered my parents-in-law… They were furious.”

"They...they forcibly shattered my Dragon Pearl Inner Core, which I had painstakingly cultivated for thousands of years!"

"They joined forces... to forcibly seal away the true essence and magical power of the dragon race that I had painstakingly cultivated for thousands of years!"

Her body trembled violently as painful memories of losing her foundation of power surged back:

"They stripped me of my splendid palace attire, dressed me in these coarse prison clothes, and banished me to this desolate marshland to do this endless...sheep-herding work!"

"Let me suffer day after day, year after year, from the howling winds, the scorching sun, the cold rain, and the biting mosquitoes..."

"From then on, every day of the year, I was relentlessly assailed by the wind and frost, like a withered leaf in the wind, drifting aimlessly."

"...What's even more hateful is..."

Ao Qiongzhi pointed bitterly to the flock of bewildered, bleating white sheep beside her, her eyes filled with pain and helplessness:
"...my loyal maids who came from Dongting Lake as part of my dowry..."

"...They were also...extracted their dragon marrow by that in-laws, their intelligence was stripped away, and their very essence of intelligence was ruthlessly obliterated! They were transformed into sheep! Bewildered and ignorant, just like these real cattle and sheep!"

"They were mixed in with the flock of sheep... They no longer knew their past, nor did they recognize their masters... They only knew how to eat grass all day long, and over time, they gradually became cattle and sheep livestock."

"...From this day forward...I am forever separated from my beloved Dongting Lake, a place of boundless beauty and endless longing...and from my loving, aged father and mother!"

"I am lonely every day, eating wind and sleeping in the open. This sea of ​​suffering is boundless. When will it end!"

By the end, the shepherdess was sobbing uncontrollably, lying on the cold blue stone, her shoulders heaving violently, her frail figure seemingly about to be completely crushed by the overwhelming sorrow.

"Baa, baa, baa..."

"Baa, baa, baa..."

The lambs beside her seemed to sense their owner's sadness, and huddled anxiously at her feet, gently nuzzling her.

Upon hearing all this, Lü Dongbin (Aries) felt a surge of evil fire rush to his head!
It turns out that it was that little evil dragon from the Jinghe Dragon King's family who reversed yin and yang, disregarded the proper order of husband and wife, and forcibly married an innocent dragon girl into his mansion in order to cover up the shame of his family or to seek some benefit, leaving her alone in her empty room, wasting her youth, and suffering cold looks and torment!
Such a beautiful and innocent woman has been so humiliated and defiled!
Their magical powers were sealed, their clothes were stripped off, and they were reduced to shepherds, suffering endless hardships and being treated like discarded trash!
...What is the ambition of Lü Zu?

There is a poem by Lü Zu that says:

"Thick eyebrows and a booming voice, he puts down his cup at the sound of injustice."

"With sword in hand, I journey a thousand miles across the sky; I bid farewell at the first watch and return at the second."

"With bushy eyebrows and a fierce spirit, he leaps into the air ten thousand miles away."

"Carry the three-foot sword in the box on your back, for the sky and to show that you are not fair!"

The Buddha has Guanyin, who is extremely compassionate, saves people from suffering, and universally saves all sentient beings.

There was a man named Lü Dongbin who roamed the world with his sword, righting wrongs and injustices.

Pu Songling, the author of *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*, also praised Lü Zu, saying:

"Among Buddhists and Taoists, there is only 'Guanzizai'; among Taoists, there is only 'Chunyangzi'... The power of their sacred vows is vast... They often mingle among people and are closest to them."

Lü Dongbin was a poet, a wine connoisseur, and a swordsman, all with a romantic spirit. He carried a three-foot sword in a scabbard on his back, and he stood up for the people who were wronged. What did he fear from the powerful? What did he dread from Heaven?

……

Lu Dongbin, disguised as a white ram, heard about the tragic fate of the Dragon Girl of Dongting Lake. His brows furrowed like mountains, and anger burned within him.

He thought to himself:

"That little dragon of the Jing River, who reversed yin and yang and followed a debauched path, feared that his shameful deeds would be exposed. In order to cover up his face and deceive people, he forcibly married an innocent girl into his mansion, thus ruining her prime years."

"You've wasted someone's promising future."

"Such a beautiful and innocent woman has been deceived, imprisoned, and abused in this way; it is truly a great tragedy for the world!"

"The dragon clan of the Jing River sealed her magical powers, making her like a bird with broken wings, unable to soar through the heavens again; they stripped her of her fine clothes, causing her to lose her former glory and dignity."

“They were demoted to shepherd slaves, imprisoned, and forced to endure inhuman suffering, spending their time in the wilderness with flocks of sheep, suffering from wind, sun, hunger, and cold.”

"Such an innocent and beautiful woman has suffered such humiliation."

"Isn't this the heinous crime of 'marriage fraud'?"

Lü Dongbin instantly recalled past events.

At that time, he traveled the world with his sword and saw that a wicked dragon was causing havoc in the Jianghuai region, making the people suffer unspeakably. So he angrily killed the wicked dragon, eliminating a great scourge for the people and restoring peace to the Jianghuai region.

However, in the Southern Continent, he was surrounded and attacked by the Jinghe aquatic creatures. Although he fought hard, he was ultimately outnumbered and nearly lost his life.

From then on, the people of the Jinghe Dragon King lineage pursued Lü Dongbin for many years, like a persistent, lingering affliction.

Now, the tragedy of the Dongting Dragon Girl being deceived into marriage and humiliated has reignited his anger towards the Jinghe Dragon King's lineage.

New and old grudges seemed to be poured into boiling oil, bursting into flames within his chest!

At this moment.

Lü Dongbin's personal emotions and his long-standing grudge against the Jing River lineage erupted together like a volcanic eruption, unstoppable!

"This is the Jing River Dragon King!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lü Dongbin's (Aries) eyes, his heart surging with turmoil, and he roared inwardly:
"What a powerful and influential 'General Manager of the Eight Rivers' and 'Great Dragon God of Rain' of the Heavenly Court!"

"As the Great Dragon God in charge of rain, a righteous deity of the Heavenly Court, how dare you allow your offspring to bully people like this!"

"First, his relatives were evil spirits in the Jianghuai region, causing chaos and suffering to the people, leaving countless lives displaced, families destroyed and people killed."

"Yet another son has committed this despicable act of fraudulent marriage!"

"Using their immense power, they trampled on the innocent life of my daughter!"

"How hateful! Utterly hateful!"

"You are the 'Great Dragon God of Rain' in Heaven, yet you do not uphold justice and trample on the lives of countless innocent beings. Such evil deeds are intolerable to Heaven."

"Since Heaven won't punish you, I will!"

That indomitable spirit of fighting for justice and the burning hatred for his nemesis surged and mingled fiercely in the heart of this Pure Yang Sword Immortal!
Meanwhile, the shepherdess was immersed in sorrow.

She looked around at the vast wilderness, her bright, autumn-water-like eyes filled with despair, and sobbed:

“Dongting Lake is vast and located south of many lakes. It is surrounded by mountains and passes, and both land and water routes are blocked, so communication is cut off from there.”

"The vast sky is like an invisible giant net, trapping me here with nowhere to escape."

"Even so, I wish to entrust the fish and birds to carry my letter to my parents and tell them my deep sorrow."

"But this place is separated from my hometown by thousands of mountains and rivers, and the vast sky is difficult to cross. Even the spirits of fish and geese cannot overcome these obstacles."

"I have been exiled and imprisoned on the banks of the Ji River... penniless... powerless... even the most basic skills of controlling the wind and maneuvering through water... have been completely sealed away..."

"I am like a cripple! I have the body of a dragon, but I can't even use trivial skills like controlling water and summoning wind and rain. I can only be bullied and suffer endless hardships."

The deepest tragedy is the unknown loss of loved ones.

The shepherdess cried out sadly again:
"My parents had no idea of ​​my miserable situation. They only knew that I was living a glamorous and respectable life in the Jishui Dragon Palace, but they did not know that I was imprisoned and suffering all kinds of torment."

"This ancient injustice weighs heavily on my heart like a boulder, making it hard for me to breathe."

"To whom can I pour out my sorrow and grief..."

After she finished speaking, the shepherdess burst into tears, her pitiful and helpless state even more heartbreaking.

A surge of indignation welled up in my chest.

A sharp glint flashed in Lü Dongbin's eyes, and his remaining carefree and playful spirit transformed into a chilling aura of chivalry:
"The evil spirits of the Jing River dare to commit such heinous acts, and even torture and humiliate innocent women who are also members of the dragon race..."

"Even the maids from Dongting Lake who accompanied her as part of her dowry were stripped of their marrow, their minds destroyed, and turned into sheep! The methods were cruel, ruthless, and utterly outrageous!"

"This is truly an outrage against all reason and law."

"Carry the three-foot sword in the box on your back, for the sky and to show that you are not fair!"

"Very well! Since I have stumbled upon this injustice today, it is only right that I intervene in it!"

"Jing River Dragon King, it's time to settle our score once and for all!"

Think about this.

Lü Dongbin (Aries) solemnly said:

"The master's tearful accusation is shocking! Such injustice is intolerable even by heaven and earth! Why not fully explain the intricacies and consequences?"

"Although the little lamb is dull-witted, it still understands the meaning of 'loyalty and righteousness'!"

"Perhaps we can devise a good plan for our master to escape this predicament?"

Upon hearing this, the shepherdess slowly raised her beautiful, tear-filled face, her eyes, as clear as autumn water, filled with sorrow and emotion.

Looking at the white sheep that could speak, a faint flame ignited in her heart, only to be extinguished by the cold reality.

I heard that this sheep wanted to save her.

The shepherdess couldn't help but laugh through her tears:
"Little sheep, little sheep, this world is treacherous, how difficult it is to live."

"You are nothing but a lamb that has just gained sentience."

"And how can you relieve my predicament?"

(End of this chapter)