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

A moment later, Yun Chonghua, along with the Turtle Prime Minister and the Turtle Registrar, arrived at the East Sea Dragon Palace, before the palace gate.

When Yun Chonghua saw that the entire Dragon King of the East Sea had come out to greet him, he immediately landed.

After landing, Yun Chonghua dispelled his Heavenly Dragon form and transformed into human form. He walked with measured steps to the East Sea Dragon King and his family, then cupped his hands and said, "I am truly humbled and honored by the Dragon King's hospitality."

The Dragon King of the East Sea stepped forward to greet him and said, "Your Excellency's presence at my humble abode is an honor to our East Sea. If we are negligent, we fear we will lose our close relationship in the future. Please come inside and take a seat, Your Excellency."

As he spoke, the Dragon King of the East Sea led Yun Chonghua into the Dragon Palace.

The princes' meeting with Yun Chonghua was merely a formality, a chance to broaden their horizons. They didn't take it too seriously. After a few words of praise, they continued chatting and laughing.

However, when the princesses saw Yun Chonghua's true face, they all fell in love with him.

The Ninth Princess then said, "Sisters, this Dragon King of Sishui is truly a celestial being. He is so handsome."

The sixth princess said, "Yes, he is completely different from the four-clawed dragon from before. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes today, not only would Father not believe it, but even I wouldn't believe it's the same person."

The Fifth Princess said, "The way he bowed before this palace that day looked comical. I never imagined he was such a handsome man."

The Ninth Princess looked at her Fourth Sister and said, "Alas! Fourth Sister has such good judgment. You wanted to show him kindness and let him stay back then. Did Fourth Sister foresee his great potential back then?"

Meanwhile, the Fourth Princess was staring blankly at Yun Chonghua's back, lost in thought.

Seeing this, the Sixth Princess laughed and said, "Hehe, it seems that Fourth Sister has been bewitched by this Dragon Lord of Sishui."

The fourth princess, having regained her composure, said with a hint of shyness, "Hmph, what are you saying, girl? I just didn't expect him to be so different after not seeing him for so many days."

The sixth princess then said, "No matter what the fourth sister is thinking, I'm determined to have this ideal husband. My sisters, don't try to compete with me."

Upon hearing this, the Ninth Princess retorted, "Sister, what are you saying? Father has already said that this competition is about everyone using their own abilities to see who the Dragon King of Sishui prefers. It's not about us being able to marry whomever we want."

Hearing the sisters arguing, the Eighth Prince, who had been standing behind them, laughed and said, "Hahaha, so presumptuous! I really want to pretend I don't know you."

Upon hearing this, the Sixth Princess frowned and scolded, "Eighth Prince, what did you say?"

The Eighth Prince, arms crossed, laughed and said, "Let's not even talk about whether the Dragon King of Sishui has any intention of marrying us. Even if he does, in terms of talent and looks, how can the three of you compare to Fourth Sister? Whether it's based on seniority or anything else, it should be Fourth Sister who marries him. You three should just save your breath and not embarrass the East Sea."

Upon hearing this, the Sixth Princess stepped forward and grabbed the Eighth Prince's ear, saying, "You brat, you're really something else! If I, as your older sister, don't teach you a lesson today, you'll forget who you are!"

Seeing his younger siblings acting up on this most important occasion, the eldest prince, who was walking at the front, shouted, "Alright! Stop fooling around! What kind of behavior is this, arguing and bickering like this! Aren't you afraid the guests will laugh at you!"

Upon hearing their elder brother's reprimand, the Sixth Princess and the Eighth Prince immediately shut their mouths.

The Dragon King led Yun Chonghua to the main hall of the Dragon Palace.

However, the treatment he received this time was quite different from before.

Previously, he could only stand below the jade steps, waiting for the Dragon King and his family to finish enjoying the song and dance before going up to the palace.

This time, Yun Chonghua was directly given the chief seat.

After Yun Chonghua took his seat in the chief seat, the old Dragon King and the Dragon Granny returned to their seats, and then the princes took their seats.

The old woman waved to her four daughters, and the fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth daughters lined up and came out carrying wine, snacks, fruit platters, and other tableware.

The four sisters were placed in front of Yun Chonghua one by one.

When the other dragon maidens offered fruit to Yun Chonghua, he would only respond with a polite smile, even when the six dragon maidens winked at him in a flirtatious manner.

Although these dragon maidens were far more beautiful than mortal women, Yun Chonghua felt they were slightly less ethereal than the celestial beings of heaven.

But when the four dragon maidens approached to pour him wine, Yun Chonghua not only smiled, but even stood up and nodded to them in thanks.

The Fourth Princess was flattered by this, paused for a moment, and then smiled back at Yun Chonghua. Finally, she used the pill plate to hide her embarrassment and left with small, quick steps.

Upon seeing this scene, the other three dragon maidens frowned and looked at their fourth sister with reproach.

The Dragon King, the Dragon Queen, and all the princes felt that the princesses no longer needed to argue about who should marry, as the outcome was already quite obvious.

The Eighth Prince, in particular, looked at his Sixth Sister with a mocking expression.

Yun Chonghua stood up to greet the Fourth Princess with courtesy, not only because she was the most beautiful, like a fairy from heaven.

More importantly, back in the Dragon Palace, only this fourth princess genuinely wanted to save her. She even took out her treasured deep-sea pearl, intending to bribe the two celestial officials.

Regardless of her motives for wanting to save him, Yun Chonghua still appreciated her kindness.

Originally, the sixth dragon maiden was supposed to sit next to Yun Chonghua. However, because of Yun Chonghua's performance earlier, the Dragon Granny directly arranged for the fourth princess to sit next to Yun Chonghua.

After the princesses took their seats, the Dragon King first offered Yun Chonghua a cup of wine. Then he introduced his daughters and sons one by one.

He introduced each of them, starting with the eldest prince and continuing to the ninth princess.

The princes and princesses also took turns toasting Yun Chonghua. Their toasts were all welcoming him to the East Sea.

Only then did Yun Chonghua learn that the fourth princess beside him was named "Tingxin".

After a round of toasts, everyone had gotten to know each other.

Then, the Dragon King of the East Sea did not delay, and the grand banquet of the "Spring Dragon Festival" in the Dragon Palace began with the music played by the clam spirits and fish women.

The banquet wasn't anything particularly significant; it was just a simple affair of eating and drinking.

However, the food that the Old Dragon King served Yun Chonghua was quite good. In addition to all kinds of delicacies, he also specially opened a jar of aged coconut milk wine to entertain him.

Although it wasn't as good as the imperial wine from the Heavenly Palace, it was still quite to my liking.

The program prepared by the Dragon Palace was quite novel for Yun Chonghua.

Besides the clam spirits and the fish women's song and dance performances.

The rays and shrimp soldiers played around like a circus act.

There was even a weapon battle between Marshal Crab and General Shrimp.

He'd seen plenty of land-based animal performances, but this was the first time he'd seen an "aquatic" performance. This was far more hilarious than clowns.

The wonderful performance drew cheers from the princes and princesses.

Despite the noise from her younger siblings, the fourth princess displayed a ladylike composure.

The banquet, with its constant toasts and laughter, lasted for a full two hours. Everyone was thoroughly satisfied with the food and drinks.

After the meeting, the princes and princesses returned to their rooms. The Dragon King also invited Yun Chonghua to rest in a side hall for a while.

Yun Chonghua did not refuse. He knew that this old mudfish had invited him for more than just a meal. The real highlight of the day was the invitation that would follow the banquet.