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

The White Crane Fairy didn't ask much about the Dragon-Binding Rope. After all, it wasn't considered a particularly special magical artifact in the Immortal Realm. Of course, this only applied to immortals of her rank.

Afterwards, Fairy White Crane led Yun Chonghua to Yaochi to meet the Queen Mother, firstly to express her gratitude, and secondly because the Queen Mother wanted to thank him in person.

On his way to Yaochi, Yun Chonghua attracted the attention of many fairies.

Yun Chonghua asked the white crane fairy beside him, "Fairy, why are they all looking at me?"

The White Crane Fairy laughed and said, "Perhaps you're unfamiliar to us. This Jade Pool is a sacred place in Heaven, the sacred abode of the Goddess. Ordinary immortals are not qualified to enter."

Now that Yun Chonghua has acquired the Heavenly Dragon Body, his five senses have become even more acute.

Although he is now human, he still retains the unique senses of the dragon race. His hearing, eyesight, and sense of smell are much stronger than those of ordinary creatures.

Not only can you smell the otherworldly fragrance emanating from these fairies, but you can also hear their whispers.

"This deity is extremely handsome, but he looks completely unfamiliar; I've never seen him before."

"Indeed, outside of the Peach Banquet, ordinary male immortals cannot enter this Jade Pool without a guide. To be traveling with the Crane Fairy beside the Empress, could you be a guest of the Empress?"

"Perhaps it is a celestial being from some fairy island or cave who has come to pay a visit to Your Majesty."

Hearing their whispered conversation filled Yun Chonghua with joy.

From his transformation into a dragon until now, according to human time, it has only taken two or three months.

Before, he was a "wild dragon" who could be slaughtered at will, but now he has risen to become a "celestial being" in the mouths of these fairies.

I didn't feel anything else, but my vanity was greatly satisfied.

Although "a petty person achieving success" is not a good phrase, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be a petty person if you do achieve success. It's better than dying before your ambitions are fulfilled.

As we crossed the Nine-Bend Bridge, we saw lotus flowers blooming in pairs in the Heavenly Pool, bathed in rosy light and surrounded by swirling clouds—a truly beautiful sight.

The waters of Tianchi were reflected under the bridge. Yun Chonghua glanced at the reflection in the water and couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

He looked at his face with great satisfaction. When he first came to the Heavenly Palace, apart from some monsters and beasts who had become immortals but were not human, he had seen many other immortals.

And those celestial children and officials were all more beautiful than mortals. Even Pan An and Song Yu might not have been able to surpass them.

Yun Chonghua looked at himself and found himself even more handsome than the celestial officials he had ever seen. He was completely satisfied.

Seeing that he wasn't leaving, the White Crane Fairy stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"

Looking at his reflection in the water, Yun Chonghua said, "Is this really what I look like?"

The white crane fairy laughed upon hearing this, "Hehe, if it's not yours, then it's mine? Alright, your transformation isn't bad. If you want to show off, you'll have thousands of years to come. Now, let's go, don't keep the Empress waiting."

Hearing the White Crane Fairy's urging, Yun Chonghua continued to follow in her footsteps, walking deeper into the Jade Pool.

Before long, the two arrived at the Empress's bedchamber behind the Jade Pool.

The Queen Mother of the West sat regally on her chair, surrounded by fragrant mist. Two beautiful fairies stood beside her.

The White Crane Fairy stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Yun Chonghua has been brought here."

Then Yun Chonghua followed the example of the White Crane Fairy and stepped forward to greet the Empress.

"Little Dragon Yun Chonghua greets Your Majesty."

The Queen Mother of the West looked at this "benefactor" who had helped them solve a great problem and nodded with a smile.

The Empress said, "My lord, there's no need for such formalities. Someone, bring a seat and tea."

The White Crane Fairy winked at Yun Chonghua, signaling him to sit down. She then returned to stand beside the Empress.

After saying "Thank you, Your Majesty," Yun Chonghua sat down on a chair to the side.

Then a fairy maiden brought a cup of fine celestial tea to Yun Chonghua's side. Yun Chonghua rose to accept it and respectfully placed it on the tea table beside him.

Although he was new to the celestial realm, he had watched quite a few TV dramas beforehand and had learned some etiquette. The tea served as a greeting was not for drinking, but for viewing. One could only drink it when the host gave permission.

Despite the Queen Mother's high and mighty position, Yun Chonghua felt no nervousness whatsoever in her presence. It was as if he were a son meeting his mother.

The conversation between Chonghua and the Empress was quite ordinary. She first asked about Chonghua's background, such as whether he had any family in the mortal realm.

Chonghua also spoke frankly, telling the Empress everything about himself and the origin of his name "Yun Chonghua".

But his past conflicts with the Dragon King and the Seven Fairies were conspicuously omitted.

He concealed these things mainly because he was afraid of implicating Nezha and the two celestial officials who had released him without permission.

Although the two celestial officials did not save him completely, Yun Chonghua was still quite grateful to them for giving him a chance to live.

After a brief discussion, the Empress mainly expressed her gratitude to him. She highly praised Chonghua for sacrificing himself to uphold the dignity of the Heavenly Laws at minimal cost, for protecting her and the Jade Emperor's reputation, and for safeguarding the Seventh Princess's honor.

She then mentioned that she had heard from the White Crane Fairy that he had transformed from a fish-dragon into a golden-scaled celestial dragon, which she found astonishing.

Finally, the Empress changed the subject, saying, "Chonghua, you heard it yourself at the execution ground: His Majesty intends to cultivate you. Since your destiny is extraordinary, I think you should stay in Heaven as an official. My Jade Pool does not house male immortals, so I cannot keep you. But since you are a Heavenly Dragon, I can have Baihe find you a position in the Thunder Department or the Water Department."

After hearing the Empress's words, Yun Chonghua thought to himself, "Forget it. I'm already incredibly lucky to have escaped with my life this time. Besides, I've offended the Seventh Princess. Once she's released, that 'little fairy' will definitely retaliate against me, at the very least she'll make things difficult for me. They're all family, so it's obvious who they'll side with."

"Enough! Rather than let Shen Sheng die within, it's better for Chong'er to live peacefully outside. Heaven may be wonderful, but the waters are too deep for me to handle now. Besides, being an official in heaven would just mean being a subordinate to other gods. It's better to go down to the mortal realm and be the top dog myself. Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."

After some thought, Yun Chonghua stood up and said, "I thank Your Majesty for your kindness. However, most immortals have accumulated great merit. I have no merit, so it would be difficult to convince the people if I remained in heaven."

"Moreover, official ranks have always progressed from lowly to prestigious. If Your Majesty wishes to cultivate this little dragon, I am willing to go to the mortal realm of the Southern Continent, the land of China, to become a river god, a dragon lord. I will control the clouds and rain to protect the people of this land. If I achieve meritorious service in the future, Your Majesty and His Majesty can then promote and reward me."

Faced with Chonghua's request, the Queen Mother of the West liked this sensible little dragon even more.

The Empress smiled and nodded, saying, "Hehe, you little dragon are not greedy at all. Very well, since you are afraid of the criticism from the immortals, it is not a bad idea for you to go down to the mortal realm and become a Dragon King. If you achieve merit in the future, I will certainly not forget you."

Upon hearing that the Empress had agreed, Chonghua quickly bowed and thanked her, saying, "Xiaolong thanks the Empress for her grace."

The Empress looked at Bai He and said, "Bai He, please make the trip to the Lingxiao Palace and inform His Majesty so that Ke Han Si can check where there are any vacancies."

Having received the Empress's decree, the White Crane Fairy did not delay. She immediately mounted auspicious clouds and flew towards the Lingxiao Palace.