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

That clerk walked away with an air of nonchalance, displaying the full arrogance of an official.

When he got closer and saw Yun Chonghua, who was full of immortal aura, and the imperial edict in his hand, he was so frightened that he stumbled and fell on the threshold.

Then the tortoise official scrambled to Yun Chonghua's side and immediately kowtowed, saying, "Immortal, you have graced us with your presence. This lowly tortoise has failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

Although the official's eyesight was poor and he didn't see him, Yun Chonghua's eyesight was excellent, and he immediately saw the official's arrogant demeanor.

Seeing the turtle's current state, Yun Chonghua couldn't help but shake his head. It seemed that bullying the weak and fearing the strong was a bad habit shared by everyone in the East Sea Dragon Palace.

Yun Chonghua looked at the tortoise's discarded official hat, then asked, "Are you in charge here?"

The Turtle Registrar replied, "Reporting to the Immortal, I am the Turtle Registrar under the Dragon King of the East Sea. Since there is currently no presiding deity in charge of this Sishui River, I was specially dispatched to oversee this area. May I ask if the Immortal has come to inspect it?"

Yun Chonghua shook his head and said, "No! I am the newly appointed Dragon Lord of Sishui, appointed by the Jade Emperor. I have come here to take up my post."

"Dragon Lord?" The tortoise clerk looked him up and down and shook his head.

Seeing the brat shake his head, Yun Chonghua laughed and said, "What? Don't you believe me?"

The Turtle Clerk replied, "Immortal, you misunderstand. It's not that I don't believe you. But upon closer inspection, you are clearly a 'human deity,' so why do you refer to me as the 'Dragon Lord'?"

Yun Chonghua didn't explain further to him, and then transformed into his true form as a Heavenly Dragon.

In an instant, the light of the Heavenly Dragon's golden scales flashed into the eyes of the shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

The Yaksha, the Turtle Clerk, the Shrimp Soldier, and the Crab Warrior were all greatly surprised upon seeing this.

Yun Chonghua then asked, "Do you believe me now?" After saying that, Yun Chonghua transformed back into human form.

The tortoise clerk hurriedly said, "Please forgive our poor eyesight. We did not expect that the Dragon Lord was a celestial dragon descended to earth, not an ordinary dragon. We are so sorry for our rudeness. It is because dragons cannot hide their scales and horns without transformation. We saw that the Dragon Lord had a human body and appearance, and did not have the fishy smell of us river fish and seafood. Instead, he had the unique fragrance of celestial officials from the upper realm. Therefore, we asked this question. Please forgive us, Dragon Lord."

Yun Chonghua laughed and said, "Ignorance is no excuse. Even celestial fairies would be surprised to see me like this, so you can't be blamed. Alright! I'll take over the Water Palace now. Quickly lead me inside."

After speaking, the tortoise clerk stepped forward and eagerly led Yun Chonghua into the water palace. He then began to introduce everything in the water palace to Yun Chonghua.

The Sishui River God's Mansion wasn't very large. It wasn't much different from an ordinary mansion. It had a living room, a side hall, several wing rooms, and bedrooms.

Yun Chonghua looked around and found the living environment here to be quite good.

Then Yun Chonghua pointed to the largest house in the water mansion and asked, "What is that place?"

The clerk replied, "Your Majesty, that is the River God's court. Your Majesty has no need for it, and I see no need to go there."

"Huh? The courtroom? Isn't the courtroom the most important place in a prefecture? Why isn't it used?" Yun Chonghua asked.

The clerk found it amusing that Yun Chonghua knew nothing.

But she dared not mock him, and then explained, "Your Majesty has long resided in the Heavenly Realm and is detached from worldly affairs. The governing system of the Lower Realm's Water Realm differs from that of the Upper Realm. If Your Majesty were merely a River God, then such a court would be necessary. But since Your Majesty is the Dragon Lord, it is unnecessary."

"The River God needs to oversee many affairs within his territory. In case of major events, he also needs to welcome and send off officials, and manage subordinates and superiors. When problems arise, he also needs the assistance of us, the chief clerks and yakshas, ​​to report to his superiors. Naturally, court proceedings are indispensable."

"But Your Majesty, you are the Dragon Lord, and the Dragon Clan's rule over the Lower Yuan Water Realm is an ancient rule. The authority over this river rests entirely with Your Majesty. Your Majesty only needs to greet them; there is no need to govern them. Naturally, there is no need for a court."

Finally, the Turtle Registrar used a very direct metaphor to explain the difference between the Dragon King and the River God.

The Dragon King is essentially a feudal lord who has been appointed to govern a single river. However, he has absolute authority over the river. As long as he is not promoted or dismissed, he can remain the sole ruler of that river, that pool, or even a well.

The River God, however, had far less power; he was merely a bureaucrat. He had little autonomy over many matters and could only submit them for approval. If the dragons above him refused to approve, there was nothing they could do.

The reason for this differential treatment between the Dragon King and the River God is the unique "racial talent" of the dragon race.

The Dragon Clan is the only race in the Three Realms that can bypass the various gods and immortals of the Heavenly Court and independently bring rain.

The task that requires a whole group of people, including the Wind Goddess, Rain Master, Thunder God, Lightning Goddess, Cloud-Pushing Boy, and Mist-Covering Gentleman, can be accomplished by a single, powerful dragon. It's just that it's easier than having everyone cast spells together.

River gods are mostly human immortals or earth immortals. Although they are in charge of the "favorable weather" in their jurisdiction, they do not have the ability to control rain.

If you want it to rain, you can only use the Five Thunder Method, send out a document, burn a proclamation, inform the Jade Emperor, and then have the Jade Emperor issue an edict to the "Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin Palace" to send divine officials and soldiers to bring rain.

Therefore, due to this difference in ability, the Dragon Clan received this special decree from the Heavenly Court.

Any member of the dragon race who receives an official decree from the Heavenly Court is a "king," no matter how small the region. The river god, on the other hand, can only be an "official."

That's why the registrar specifically inquired about Yun Chonghua's identity, since it was related to the extent of his power.

But after the clerk saw the purple smoke bell and jade tablet on Yun Chonghua, he felt that he had asked in vain.

Because if one possesses the Purple Smoke Bell, then that person is a deity directly under the jurisdiction of the Han Si. Although they are an earthly immortal, they hold a celestial duty.

Whether as a river god or a dragon lord, Yun Chonghua could make absolute decisions and was not subject to the jurisdiction of his direct superiors, the Four River Gods, or his top superior, the East Sea Dragon King.

Not only did he defy their authority, but with that white jade tablet in hand, he could directly reach the ears of the heavens. Even the dragon gods of the lower realms, though holding high positions, still had to show him respect.

During the final handover, the tortoise registrar handed the River God's seal to Yun Chonghua. Although it might not be needed, some official documents still required his seal.

Yun Chonghua also asked him about his future responsibilities, since he was new here and didn't really understand anything.

The tortoise clerk replied, "Your Majesty, the matters that the Dragon Kings of the four rivers and eight streams need to personally manage are quite simple: the control of clouds and rain on both banks of the river."

Yun Chonghua asked, "Then when should we summon clouds and rain?"

The Turtle Registrar replied, "This is due to the will of Heaven. After Your Majesty receives the imperial decree, the Wind Goddess, Xun Erlang, Cloud-Pushing Boy, Mist-Spreading Gentleman, Thunder God, and Lightning Goddess will all arrive in the sky. At that time, the Dragon King can bring down rain together with them. If it is a heavy rain that affects a wide area, other Dragon Kings from other divine palaces will also assist."

"However, this kind of rain only comes a few times a year. If there is no imperial decree, and it is not His Majesty the Jade Emperor who has ordered a disaster, then Your Majesty can also see if the local people have made offerings. If they have made enough offerings, Your Majesty can also send some light rain as appropriate."

After listening, Yun Chonghua finally understood why the Dragon Kings were so wealthy.

They demand offerings from the people for even the slightest rain. If they don't receive offerings, they won't let it rain. This power over rainfall is truly a lucrative position.

Yun Chonghua asked, "Then how would I know which places are off-limits to rain?"

The Turtle Registrar replied, "Your Majesty need not worry. If such a place truly exists, the Heavenly Court's Water Department will send an official document to the palace to inform you."