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

Ao Guang said, "So, does this mean that the Immortal will one day return to Heaven?"

Yun Chonghua nodded and said, "Yes. Water flows downhill, but people strive to rise higher. I am highly regarded by Her Majesty and Her Majesty, and should rightfully be given a position in Heaven. However, if I were to be granted a high-ranking official position without a proper reason, it would be difficult to convince the people. Therefore, to silence the gossip, Her Majesty sent me down to the mortal realm to gain experience, with my authority gradually increasing. After accumulating merit, I will be rewarded according to my achievements and promoted step by step. My diligence is so that I can accumulate enough merit to return to the Upper Realm as soon as possible. I also hope that the Dragon King can understand."

After hearing Yun Chonghua's answer, Ao Guang didn't try to persuade him further. He then said, "In that case, I wish you a speedy ascension, Immortal."

Now that Yun Chonghua has given a plausible explanation and has not incurred further enmity with him, Ao Guang can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The rat trapped in the bellows was truly suffering from being caught in the middle. Now he could finally go and appease the Little Yellow Dragon and the other dragon kings.

After all, Yun Chonghua didn't intend to block everyone's path to wealth, so everyone should be considerate and not block his path to officialdom.

Everyone is on the right path, each going their own way; there's always a plausible reason for that.

After discussing this matter, the Dragon King began to ramble on and on.

The two talked about many interesting things in the Three Realms.

Then he subtly implied that he lived a simple life and there was no need for him to wait.

Finally, they were all hoarse from talking. The Fourth Princess came personally to change the tea for Yun Chonghua and her father.

Yun Chonghua nodded in gratitude as usual. He also noticed that the Fourth Princess seemed to have changed her outfit, which was even more exquisite and beautiful than when she was at the banquet.

Ao Guang was overjoyed when he saw Yun Chonghua's reaction.

He then sighed as he watched the Fourth Princess leave.

Yun Chonghua asked, "What's wrong, Dragon King? Why are you sighing?"

Ao Guang replied, "Imperial Immortal, please forgive my rudeness. Of all my daughters, my fourth daughter, Tingxin, is the most outstanding. Not only is she beautiful and virtuous, but she is also well-educated, reasonable, and quite talented. She is even a close friend of the Jade Emperor's niece, the Third Holy Mother of the Western Mountain."

"Many dragon princes and dragon kings have come to the East Sea to propose marriage to my daughter, but she is very proud and arrogant, declaring that she must marry a peerless hero. As a result, she is still unmarried."

"What parents most desire to see is the happiness of their children and grandchildren. My daughter has not found a suitable husband for many years. As her father, I see this and am very anxious. Hence this sigh. Please do not laugh at me, Immortal."

After listening, Yun Chonghua understood the "meaning behind the song" of the old dragon king.

Now, the old Dragon King was praising his daughter so highly, even invoking his acquaintance with the Third Holy Mother to elevate her status. He concluded by mentioning that she was still unmarried. How could Yun Chonghua not understand the underlying meaning?

But when faced with something like this, the only thing to do is to see through it but not say anything.

Yun Chonghua feigned ignorance and said, "Hehe, fate is something that can't be forced. The Fourth Princess is of noble birth and has a beauty that surpasses even that of a celestial being. She will surely find a perfect husband in the future."

After hearing Yun Chonghua's words, Ao Guang felt a little anxious. He didn't know if Yun Chonghua was pretending to be confused or if he really hadn't understood.

Ao Guang and Yun Chonghua had been drinking tea here for so long that their mouths were dry from talking, and it was difficult for them to find anything more to say.

So he stopped beating around the bush and decided to get straight to the point.

Ao Guang smiled and said, "Hehe. What you say is very true, Immortal. Over the years, I have seen many handsome young men, but none of them have caught my eye. But today, at the Spring Dragon Festival banquet, I have unusually agreed to come out and serve wine and tea to you, Immortal."

"I have never seen my daughter like this in many years. It seems that she has some admiration for the immortal. However, young girls are shy, so it is up to us parents to mediate."

Finally, Ao Guang stood up with a smile and said, "Little Dragon, you know that my East Sea is not comparable to the Celestial Palace. My daughter's wish to marry an Immortal is an honor for my East Sea Dragon Palace. But if the Immortal is also interested in my daughter, I am willing to offer more dowry to fulfill her wish."

Ao Guang's words made Yun Chonghua laugh.

He never expected that the usually cunning Dragon King would lose his composure like this. He didn't even bother with concealment, revealing his true intentions directly.

First he sent money, then he hosted a banquet, and finally he wanted to arrange a marriage between his daughter and the government. He played these three cards very skillfully.

Although Yun Chonghua disliked the Dragon King of the East Sea, he did like the Fourth Princess, the Dragon Girl, quite a bit.

The Fourth Princess had once shown him some kindness, which gave him a slight sense of goodwill.

If Yun Chonghua were to find a wife in this world, he would feel that the Fourth Princess of the Dragon Girl in front of him would undoubtedly be the most suitable candidate at present.

First of all, her appearance is impeccable. Even if you took her to heaven, her appearance might not be as striking as that of a princess, but she would still be as beautiful as most of the celestial fairies.

Secondly, he can control his wife.

Yun Chonghua has been in the mortal realm for more than half a year. After receiving the money, he often goes to the mortal world to buy some wine and meat to take back with him.

The concept of family lineage was extremely important in this era.

He had also met sons-in-law who married into their wives' families during this era. Their lives were generally not easy.

While it's not fair to say that all women who "married down" were arrogant and petty, they still showed a touch of disdain towards their husbands who came from lower social classes, relying on their status.

In comparison, at least the Seventh Princess, with her "love-obsessed" nature and reckless actions, is troublesome, but not as harsh on her husband.

If the wife is like this, one can only imagine the attitude of the father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Even if her husband gets up earlier than the rooster and goes to bed later than the dog every day, works hard, and manages the household frugally, and wholeheartedly supports his parents-in-law's family, she will still receive the same treatment.

There was even an unlucky fellow who sent a letter to Yun Chonghua at the temple, hoping that his future would be better.

He could only lament that being a "son-in-law who lives with his wife's family" is not easy.

If things are like this in the mortal realm, the celestial realm is probably not much different.

This also served as a reminder to Yun Chonghua.

A woman's confidence in her husband's family after marriage basically comes from the support of her maternal family.

However, as the Dragon King of the East Sea said, if the Fourth Princess were to marry him, it would be a great honor for her.

By marrying the Fourth Princess, Yun Chonghua would at least no longer have to suffer at the hands of women.

After all, he can only marry someone from the celestial realm.

Women in the celestial realm live for anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of years.

He himself possessed the body of a true dragon, and was immortal.

If you marry an unvirtuous wife, you'll have to endure her mistreatment for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. You might even face the contempt of your father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Having to deal with a gossipy old woman for thousands, even tens of thousands of years seems worse than death.

Therefore, it is very necessary to marry a wife who is not so domineering.

Finally, he could also manipulate the Fourth Princess's dowry to squeeze that old mudfish out of a good sum. He'd make him compensate for his daughter first, then for the money.

Although this is a good opportunity, Yun Chonghua also has some concerns.

Firstly, he didn't want to let this old mudfish rest easy so easily. He had almost gotten himself eaten; it would be too much to forgive him so readily. Besides, Yun Chonghua wanted the Fourth Princess as his gentle and beautiful wife, but he didn't want the Dragon King of the East Sea as his father-in-law.

Secondly, this is what the White Crane Fairy said earlier.

Previously, outside the Jade Pool, the White Crane Fairy had spoken to him about the rules of marriage among immortals. But at the end, the White Crane Fairy's words had a hidden meaning.

It seems that his in-laws will have other arrangements in the future.

Although the fourth princess was the most suitable for him, it would be better to go to heaven first to sound her out.

What if the Empress has some plans, or arranges someone better for him?

For the sake of his future, he couldn't let himself be so blinded by lust and make such a decision.

Although Yun Chonghua had a fondness for beautiful women, he was not to the point of being "blinded by lust".

Moreover, he knew in his heart that his good luck with women was due to his "bright future".

If he didn't have this future, the old mudfish would be a completely different person. Not only would he not marry his beautiful daughter to him, but he would even try to kill him.

He's not like the Seventh Princess, a fool who would throw caution to the wind and act without considering the consequences for the sake of "love".

He wouldn't ruin his future for a woman.

Besides, without a future, women won't follow you anyway. After all, it's really hard to find a silly girl like the Seventh Princess who's beautiful and willing to throw herself at you.

Therefore, for now, future prospects and interests come first, and everything else is secondary.

Yun Chonghua neither wanted to make a decision so quickly, nor did he want such a beauty as the Fourth Princess to slip away from him.

He smiled and then said, "I appreciate the Dragon King's kindness."

Originally, the Dragon King was expecting Yun Chonghua to quickly step forward and pay his respects to his father-in-law after seeing him smile. But upon hearing the words "I appreciate it," Ao Guang's mood plummeted from bright sunshine to freezing point.