Traveling Through Journey to the West: I Am the Dragon King

In the Lingxiao Palace, the Giant Spirit God presented his preface.

He recounted the entire story to His Majesty the Jade Emperor, including the collateral damage caused when the Seventh Princess was chasing Chonghua, down to the extent that farmland was flooded and how many people died.

As Yun Chonghua listened to the Giant Spirit God's truthful report, he saw the Jade Emperor's face gradually darken.

Although the empress beside him did not show anger on her face, her eyes revealed disappointment.

The way they looked at the Seven Fairies was one of utter disappointment and frustration.

Immediately, the Jade Emperor, with a stern face, praised the Kitchen God for "reporting" the Seventh Princess's desire to descend to the mortal realm.

Hearing this, Yun Chonghua understood the whole story.

"So it was the Kitchen God who betrayed us. No wonder the heavenly soldiers arrived so quickly. They arrived shortly after the Seven Fairies' aura was leaked; they had been watching this for a while."

Finally, the Giant Spirit God said, "The criminal Dong Yong has already been executed; it was this little dragon who struck him with lightning. Only then did the Seventh Princess, enraged, pursue and kill him, causing the river to overflow and countless lives to be lost."

After speaking, the Giant Spirit God added, "The Seventh Princess has committed adultery with a mortal, violating the Heavenly Laws. Although this little dragon had no intention of killing Dong Yong, this was a matter of upholding the dignity of the Heavenly Laws, and the overflowing of the river was not his fault. Your Majesty, I humbly request that you consider this matter."

His Majesty the Jade Emperor was furious. His eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

Although he went through 1,750 kalpas, each kalpa lasting 129,400 years, it took him 129,400 years to attain this boundless Dao.

He may remain calm and composed in the face of other situations.

But when it comes to one's closest relatives, even an elderly person, it is difficult to completely let go.

First it was his biological sister, and now it's his daughter.

These fairies, in a moment of impulsive passion, caused him a lot of trouble.

This not only concerns his reputation as the ruler of the Three Realms, but also the majesty of the Heavenly Laws.

Although he couldn't bear to punish his daughter.

But if we break the rule today, how will we restrain the selfish desires of the celestial beings in the Heavenly Court in the future?

The Jade Emperor glared at the assembled immortals, then angrily declared, "This concerns the majesty of the Heavenly Laws! This little dragon killed that wicked creature for the Heavenly Court; not only is he innocent, he has rendered meritorious service. Where are the Yellow Turban Warriors?! Take the Seventh Princess away and give her four hundred strokes of the cane. Imprison her in the Heavenly Jail for five thousand years! No! Ten thousand years!"

Then the Jade Emperor closed his dragon eyes in resignation.

He waved to signal the Yellow Turban Warriors to take the Seven Fairies away.

Even now, the Seven Fairies showed no sign of begging for mercy, still glaring fiercely at Yun Chonghua and the murderers who had killed her husband. They allowed the Yellow Turban Warriors to drag them away.

As the Jade Emperor watched his daughter being dragged away, he looked around at the assembled immortals. But none of them uttered a word.

Seeing the heartbroken and helpless expressions on the Jade Emperor and the Queen, Chonghua realized something was amiss.

"It seems this is a classic case of 'tears beating Ma Su' (a historical figure known for his tragic execution). The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother appear unwilling to punish the Seventh Princess, but are forced to do so due to the authority of the Heavenly Laws and their own reputation. This is indeed an opportunity..."

In fact, it wasn't just Yun Chonghua who noticed the clues; every immortal standing atop the Lingxiao Palace was a shrewd individual who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Apart from the simple-minded military officers, how could anyone else not see through His Majesty and Empress's little scheme?

No one dared to provoke them.

After all, the Heavenly Laws are related to the operation of the order of the Three Realms. This matter is of great importance.

If this precedent is set, it will be difficult to gain public support in the future. It could have endless consequences.

The fact that the Seventh Princess secretly married a mortal also damaged the royal family's reputation.

If the plea is made inappropriately, it will only tarnish the Emperor's and Empress's reputations and bring trouble upon themselves.

The network of relationships in the Heavenly Court is just as "intricate" as the officialdom in the mortal world. Each faction has its own demands, and although everyone stands in the same hall, they are not all of one mind.

For example, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Six Ding and Six Jia, have a good relationship with a group of demons and immortals who are also of animal origin.

Most of the human immortals also looked down on these beast-type immortals.

Moreover, among these immortals, it is unknown how many are disciples or grand-disciples of "that one" in the Thirty-Three Heavens.

The Heavenly Court even has Five Directional Protectors and Four Heavenly Kings, all immortals from Western religious sects, serving in the Heavenly Court.

Li Tianwang himself resided in the Heavenly Court, his eldest son served as a protector of Buddha on Mount Ling, and his second son was a disciple of Guanyin. Although his third son, Nezha, was at odds with him, he was a disciple of Taiyi and also a disciple of Yuqing Yuanshi.

This faction is so complex and intertwined, it's truly like a tangled mess.

If you're not careful, you might give others something to criticize and bring trouble upon yourself.

Therefore, everyone remained silent.

Even Venus, who is usually a "good guy," stood there obediently with his head down this time.

Yun Chonghua guessed what the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother were thinking, and a plan formed in his mind. He decided to take a gamble.

If this gamble pays off, it will be a case of fortune rising from the ashes, and I will rise to prominence. With the Jade Emperor as my backer, as long as I don't cause trouble, I can roam freely throughout the Three Realms.

If you make the wrong bet, then you've come all this way for nothing.

However, he felt confident that he could win this "high-stakes gamble".

Looking at the expressions of His Majesty and the Empress, Yun Chonghua, using his ability to read people from his previous life, was certain that His Majesty and the Empress needed a way to save face.

All I need to do is give them a way out that is plausible and convincing.

Just as the Seventh Princess was about to be dragged out of the palace, Yun Chonghua seized the opportunity and spoke up: "Your Majesty, please wait! Little Dragon has something to say!"

Upon hearing Yun Chonghua's words, His Majesty the Jade Emperor immediately exclaimed, "Wait! Let's hear what this little dragon has to say!"

Then the Yellow Turban warriors dragged the Seventh Princess back.

Seeing His Majesty's reaction, Yun Chonghua was overjoyed; he felt he had made the right bet.

Yun Chonghua then crawled forward a couple of steps and said to the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, "Your Majesty and Your Majesty, the reports made by the Giant Spirit God and the Kitchen God just now contain many inaccuracies. Although the Seventh Princess secretly fled to the mortal realm, she did not marry a mortal. Her killings were only due to a misunderstanding with the little dragon. I beg Your Majesty and Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and not to punish the innocent."

Upon hearing Yun Chonghua's words, the entire Lingxiao Palace fell into an unusually quiet silence.

It was as if time had stood still at that moment.

All the immortals present, including the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother on their high seats, looked at him with surprise.

The most surprised was the Seventh Fairy. She was completely stunned, her eyes, which had been filled with hatred, now brimming with doubt and confusion. She hadn't expected Yun Chonghua to spout such nonsense to exonerate her.

The Kitchen God was dumbfounded upon hearing this, never expecting that the little dragon could so easily distort the truth.

The Queen Mother was overjoyed after hearing this.

She knew that as the ruler of the Three Realms, His Majesty could not directly ask questions.

So the goddess immediately broke the silence, saying, "Little Dragon, you mustn't speak nonsense. The matters reported by the Kitchen God have all been investigated and the evidence is irrefutable. The fact that Qi'er's fight with you harmed the people is also witnessed by all the gods. How can there be any falsehood in this?"

Finally, the Empress emphasized, "Tell me slowly and in detail!"

Hearing the Empress's last words, Yun Chonghua breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that he had made the right bet this time, and that immense wealth seemed to be just around the corner.

Yun Chonghua turned to look at the Seventh Fairy, then chuckled self-deprecatingly to himself, "Heh heh, my suffering began with you, and my current wealth also began with you. Our fate is truly karmic entanglement!"