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

Only then did Yun Chonghua realize his mistake and quickly said, "Hehe, I am new to the path of immortality and not as accomplished as you, fairy. As for matters of love, I am still..."

Upon hearing this, the White Crane Fairy covered her face and chuckled, "Hehe, who told you that once you've received a heavenly duty and become a deity, you can't get married?"

Upon hearing the words of the White Crane Fairy, Yun Chonghua was taken aback.

Yun Chonghua said, "Ah? Immortals can get married? But just now the goddess said that immortals cannot fall in love, and cannot be in love with mortals, this..."

The White Crane Fairy looked at him with a smile and said, "Then what did the Empress just tell you?"

Then Yun Chonghua roughly repeated what the Empress had just said to Fairy Baihe.

The White Crane Fairy laughed and said, "What Your Majesty says is indeed true. But Your Majesty only said that one cannot fall in love with mortals, and that immortals cannot fall in love. You didn't say that you can't get married."

Listening to the White Crane Fairy's explanation, Yun Chonghua was even more confused. He asked, "What do you mean, Fairy? The more I listen, the less I understand."

Seeing Yun Chonghua's puzzled expression, Fairy White Crane patiently explained, "What Your Majesty said is certainly correct, but Your Majesty did not say that one cannot have desires, only that one cannot indulge in lust or act recklessly. Besides, not all 'immortals' are bound by the heavenly rule that one cannot have emotions."

"Within the heavens there are five immortals: Heaven, Earth, Man, God, and Ghost; and five insects: Snake, Scaled, Hairy, Feathered, and Insect. Of these ten categories, only the Heavenly Gods and the Five Immortals are not allowed to have emotions. Human Immortals, Ghost Immortals, Earth Immortals, and the Five Insects are not subject to this restriction as long as they do not hold positions in the Heavenly Court."

"Huh? Why is that?" Yun Chonghua asked, puzzled.

The White Crane Fairy patiently explained, "Celestial immortals cannot fall in love and marry because most of the great emperors, celestial venerables, and patriarchs who are celestial immortals possess immense power and long lifespans, ranging from tens of thousands of years to the same age as heaven and earth, and the same as the sun and moon. If they were to be moved by lust, harbor selfish desires, or lose their reason, the trouble they cause could escalate into a catastrophe for the entire Three Realms, affecting countless innocent lives."

"However, most of those who can cultivate to become celestial immortals have gone through countless hardships and tribulations in their cultivation, and have long since become pure of heart and free from worldly desires. Of course, this excludes those like the Seventh Princess who have lived in the immortal realm since childhood and were born as celestial immortals."

"The 'immortals' are mostly innate true spirits, and they control the stable operation of the Three Realms, some of whom are even irreplaceable. If they were to fall in love with mortal desires and marry, it would be a great disaster that disrupts the balance of the Three Realms."

"Take the Sun Star Lord and the Moon Star Lord for example. If the Sun Star Lord, the Three-Legged Crow, were to leave the ecliptic and go to the mortal realm, then with his innate true spirit of 'ten suns united as one,' he would turn the human world into a sea of ​​fire and scorched earth in an instant. If he were to conceal his spiritual power, then without the light and heat of the sun, the entire human world would be plunged into darkness, and then cold and hunger would sweep across the entire human world."

"The Moon Goddess, Taiyin, controls the tides of the earth by the movement of the moon palace in the Milky Way. If she neglects her duties, the earth will either be parched and barren for thousands of miles or flooded and devastated, and the living beings in the lower realm will immediately suffer."

Upon hearing the words "Lord of the Moon Palace," Yun Chonghua was taken aback. He asked, "Huh? Isn't the Lord of the Moon Palace the Fairy Chang'e? How come it's the Taiyin Star Lord?"

In response to Yun Chonghua's question, Fairy White Crane continued to explain: "The Moon Goddess is Chang'e, but Chang'e is not necessarily the Moon Goddess. Chang'e is just an honorific title for a celestial maiden. Besides the Moon Goddess Wangshu, there are also a number of celestial maidens, including the Chief Musician and Dancer of the Heavenly Court, Fairy Ni Chang."

Seeing Yun Chonghua's half-understanding expression, the White Crane Fairy gave him a more easily understood analogy.

The White Crane Fairy said, "Let me put it this way: when you go to the palace to receive your title, you will definitely be appointed as a Dragon King. And since you and the Dragon King of the East Sea are both Dragon Kings, are you the same person?"

Upon hearing this ominous name, Yun Chonghua quickly waved his hand and said, "Of course not. Thank you for clearing up my confusion, Fairy. I understand that two celestial immortals cannot marry, but why can I?"

The White Crane Fairy continued to explain, "Although you have received a heavenly duty, you serve in the mortal realm, as an earth immortal who governs the world. The River God and the Dragon King, while also maintaining the normal operation of the Three Realms, are merely auxiliary positions to the officials of the Rain and Thunder Departments. They are not indispensable."

"Even without you, there are other gods who can control clouds and rain. Besides, you are a dragon, a scaled creature, so you are naturally not bound by this heavenly rule."

"Besides, the old Dragon Kings in the lower realms also have a large number of dragon sons and grandsons. As a ghost immortal, the local earth god and city god are also always in pairs. So the heavenly rules cannot bind you."

Upon hearing this, Yun Chonghua suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. No wonder some immortals have wives and children, while others are all alone. I was wondering about that before, now I understand."

Seeing his expression, the White Crane Fairy shook her head and added, "Although Earth Immortals, Ghost Immortals, and Human Immortals are not subject to Heavenly Rules, they still cannot marry casually. First of all, regardless of which category of the Five Immortals they belong to, they are absolutely forbidden from marrying mortals. This is the bottom line."

"If one wishes to marry, one must report to the Marriage Bureau, and then have it approved by the Marriage Bureau Director and the Inspector of Spirits. It must be confirmed that the marriage partner is not a demon, but a virtuous and enlightened immortal with a pure background. Finally, the Marriage Bureau Director reports to His Majesty the Jade Emperor. After His Majesty the Jade Emperor approves it, one must go to the Marriage Bureau to see the Moon Flower True Lord to hang up the life-bound tablet and tie the red thread. Then one will be a divine couple recognized by Heaven and Earth."

"However, couples of ghost immortals, earth immortals, and human immortals cannot reside in heaven, but can live a carefree life as a couple in the mortal realm. If a celestial immortal has such thoughts, they will have their immortal bones removed and be banished to the mortal realm together, or be reincarnated."

Yun Chonghua nodded in agreement.

I was filled with emotion, realizing that the Heavenly Court didn't forbid marriage, only illegal affairs. Having received the Jade Emperor's approval, I went to the Marriage Bureau to obtain a "marriage certificate," which meant we were now "legally married," and everything would be fine.

He could understand why they wouldn't allow him to live in the heavens. After all, the flow of time is different in the heavens and on earth.

The White Crane Fairy murmured, "But if you were to get married, the bride would be a princess from the Four Seas. I've heard that the Jing River Dragon King in the mortal realm transformed from a wild dragon into the 'General Manager of the Eight Rivers and the Great Dragon God in Charge of Rain' because he married the Ao family princess. I've also heard that his sons all have promising futures. Jing Zhonglong, who guards the Sky-Supporting Column, is one of his sons."

But in the end, Fairy White Crane covered her face and laughed, saying, "However, if it were you, it wouldn't be the princess marrying down, but rather the old Dragon King marrying above his station."

Upon hearing this, Yun Chonghua quickly waved his hand and said, "Sister Baihe, you are joking. That Dragon King of the East Sea is sharp-tongued, petty, and extremely stingy. I dislike him too much to even think about becoming his son-in-law."

The White Crane Fairy said meaningfully, "However, sometimes, whether you do it or not is not up to you. Alright, let's hurry up and go, lest we delay your important appointment."

Seeing the hidden meaning in Baihe Fairy's words, Yun Chonghua didn't ask any further questions.

He wasn't afraid to "adjust" his life by marrying an ugly woman. After all, he was a deity and couldn't marry a mortal. And these fairies, no matter how ugly they were, were still more beautiful than mortal women. So what was there for him to choose?

A moment later, the two arrived outside the Lingxiao Palace.

The White Crane Fairy and Chonghua stood outside the hall, communicating with the spirit official.

The spirit official went to the palace to report, and the White Crane Fairy said to Yun Chonghua, "Alright. Having brought you here, my mission is complete. The rest of the journey is up to you."

The White Crane Fairy pressed Yun Chonghua's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "His Majesty and the Empress both value you highly. If you remain loyal to His Majesty and the Empress, your future will be limitless."

Yun Chonghua was a smart man, and he immediately understood why the White Crane Fairy was being so polite to him.

Yun Chonghua immediately replied, "Sister, rest assured. Her Majesty has enlightened me to become an immortal and bestowed upon me an immortal talisman. Chonghua will certainly be loyal to her."

The White Crane Fairy nodded and said, "Hmm! You are a promising young man. Then I will wait for you to achieve something and return to the Heavenly Court. At that time, I will invite you to taste the aged nectar." After saying that, the White Crane Fairy turned and floated away.