Chapter 56 "Aren't there many rules for immortals?"...
In the days that followed, Jiang Huaisu mostly lived on Huaguo Mountain, and occasionally she would go with Nezha to Yunlou Palace for a few days.
At Madam Yin's invitation, she also had a meal with the Li family. All family members were present, including Jinzha, who was far away in Lingshan, and Muzha, who was cultivating with Guanyin in the South China Sea. It was almost as if she was meeting the parents.
Although Nezha didn't care much about these formalities, Jiang Huaisu felt that at least the appearances had to be right, so she ate the meal with great tension and found it tasteless.
Fortunately, it really was just a simple meal. Madam Yin and Heavenly King Li didn't question or examine her. There wasn't even a toast or a blessing ceremony. The meal ended quickly, and Mu Zha, eager to return to the South Sea, exchanged names with Jiang Huaisu, scanned his face, and left the table early.
Jinzha didn't like meat, so he only ate a few bites. He spent the rest of the time pretending to chew his food with his chopsticks, but actually just spacing out. After the family banquet, he took his little sister out for a ride. As he passed Jiang Huaisu, he whispered, "That's just how Muzha is, Miss Jiang, don't mind him."
She knew this; Nezha had told her beforehand that Muzha was a staunch believer in Guanyin Bodhisattva, always by her side, and would not feel at ease even for a moment away from the South China Sea. It was already very rare for him to agree to come back to Yunlou Palace for a meal this time.
There were no heartwarming moments; everyone was quiet and reserved, and a subtle awkwardness lingered throughout the meal. Or perhaps only Jiang Huaisu felt this way, while the others were already used to it.
After the meal, she spoke a few extra words to Madam Yin and her husband, essentially saying, "Madam, Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely treat your son well..."
She had prepared her remarks beforehand, but when she was in front of the true god, Jiang Huaisu became nervous and started saying whatever came to mind, turning what should have been a polite conversation into a jumbled mess.
Fortunately, neither of the two great figures held it against her. Madam Yin always wore a faint and polite smile, nodding in response to whatever she said, while Li Jing had a tense face, making it unclear whether he was daydreaming or displaying the authority of the head of the family.
Nezha put his arm around her and led her back to Lianxin Residence. On the way, he whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, it's just a formality. There will almost never be another family banquet like this again, so you don't need to feel burdened."
Jiang Huaisu nodded. Okay, at least she doesn't have to worry about the relationship between her in-laws and daughter-in-law anymore, since they rarely even have a chance to meet.
Because of Nezha's flamboyant style, it didn't take long for most of the celestial beings in Heaven to hear the news that he had a lover, a young magpie spirit. This surprised many of the gods, as they hadn't expected Nezha to be involved in matters of love and sex.
The Old Man of the Moon was utterly astonished, marveling once again at the wonders of fate. After all, no one could have predicted that Nezha's incarnation would encounter Jiang Huaisu, leading to such a wondrous encounter.
Even though he was in charge of marriage, he dared not claim to have mastered the art of love. Now that he viewed Nezha with new respect, he felt that the Third Prince might have some insight into this matter. With a humble and eager-to-learn spirit, the Old Man of the Moon even took the initiative to come to Lotus Heart Residence to ask for advice on how the immortal and the demon had come to fall in love.
Faced with the Old Man of the Moon's eagerness to know, Jiang Huaisu and Nezha gave the same answer in unison: "Let nature take its course."
Jiang Huaisu had heard a lot of gossip about the Heavenly Court from Nezha, and had also heard about the Old Man of the Moon. This god mostly just followed the rules and regulations, prioritizing objective assessment over subjective judgment, because he simply didn't know how to approach things subjectively. He could only judge whether two people were destined for each other based on the formulas in the Book of Fate. Only occasionally, when he saw a partner who resembled himself and his ex-wife, could he truly judge from his heart: these are destined people.
But even couples matched by him aren't guaranteed to stay together. This often makes the God of Marriage reflect on whether he's been too arbitrary in judging the depth of a relationship, or whether his judgment is simply poor.
"Stop worrying about it," Nezha persisted in urging the Old Man of the Moon. "At worst, you can descend to the mortal realm again to find your past life's lover. She should have been reincarnated by now, right?"
The Matchmaker nodded: "This time it's a merchant's daughter." He paused, then added, "Since you've already experienced the joy of loving her, there's no need to repeat the same path in another life."
"Oh, oh," Nezha replied perfunctorily, resting his head on Jiang Huaisu's shoulder, too lazy to say anything more.
He was truly impressed. How could this person be so stubborn? So what if she went down the same old path? Did she never want to eat something delicious again after just one taste? She kept saying that she just wanted her life to be smooth sailing, but then she put on this regretful look. Did she love him or not?
But then I thought, maybe the God of Love is meant for people like this: an extreme dedication to research, and a barren heart for personal feelings. Dating is just one part of the job; the sole purpose is to learn from it and help more people find their destiny in the world.
If you're set up with someone like this, you can only "let nature take its course."
Jiang Huaisu listened intently from the side, not offering any further opinions. Her only thought was that love between immortals and mortals was indeed fraught with difficulties. For immortals, the lifespan of mortals was too short. After reincarnation and losing their memories, they would no longer be the same people they were before.
She couldn't help but recall that some time ago, when she and Nezha were strolling around a fishing village near Flower Fruit Mountain, they encountered a fishmonger who looked very much like Ling'er. For a moment, she almost mistook him for her. Then she realized that hundreds of years had passed in the mortal realm, and Ling'er had long since passed away.
The shop owner did give Jiang Huaisu a strong sense of déjà vu; he even complimented her on her kind face and gave her two pickled fish as a gift. Whether this was a business tactic to win her favor or not, Jiang Huaisu couldn't resist patronizing his little shop and buying a pile of seafood—more than she could carry in six hands, so she had to stuff it all into her Qiankun bag. On the way back, Nezha remarked that he also felt the shop owner looked familiar, perhaps the reincarnation of Ling'er.
Jiang Huaisu couldn't help but sigh, "How much does he love eating fish? Even in his reincarnation, he still stays in the fishing village. He really has a special connection with this sea area."
However, even if it really was Ling'er, she had no intention of getting to know her well. On this point, she shared the same view as the Old Man of the Moon, believing that the reincarnated and reborn individuals should not be considered the same person. But when she thought of Miaolian and Nezha, she became conflicted again. Hmm... situations cannot be generalized.
In short, the deeper one thinks, the easier it is to get stuck in a rut. In the end, the Old Man of the Moon did not get a satisfactory answer from her and Nezha, and left Lianxin Residence looking dejected.
Jiang Huaisu didn't stay in the Heavenly Palace for long and soon returned to Flower Fruit Mountain. As for her, she was more used to living in the mortal world. The changing of day and night, the cycle of the seasons, she wanted to experience them slowly.
Even so, for immortals and demons who live long enough, the passage of time is stretched out, and their perception of its flow inevitably becomes dulled. Unbeknownst to them, Sun Wukong had been imprisoned under the mountain for over five hundred years.
The situation finally took a turn for the better. The Bodhisattva instructed Sun Wukong to wait there until a pilgrim passed by, and then become his disciple. This would ensure that the pilgrim would go to the West to worship Buddha and convert to Buddhism.
Jiang Huaisu estimated that it would be a few more years before Tang Sanzang would lift the decree and help Monkey King regain his freedom.
Unexpectedly, a nearby demon overheard the news and said that Sun Wukong, who had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago, had gained good karma and would soon be released from the Five Elements Mountain. The news spread like wildfire, and although no one knew who the pilgrim was, it was almost a certainty that Sun Wukong's sentence was about to end.
Thus, the Water Curtain Cave, which had been keeping a low profile for a long time, also made some new moves. For several days in a row, it received visiting cards from various monster caves. It seems that they were preparing for a rainy day and wanted to establish a good relationship with Sun Wukong in advance.
For a time, Flower Fruit Mountain was bustling with demons coming and going, quite a lively scene. Jiang Huaisu reluctantly received several groups of visitors, but finally couldn't resist turning down all the remaining invitations.
Most of these demons didn't genuinely want to befriend the Water Curtain Cave. They only thought of expanding their demonic influence here because they saw Sun Wukong's connection with Buddhism and Jiang Huaisu's good relationship with the Heavenly Court. They hoped that if Flower Fruit Mountain benefited in the future, they could also get a share of the spoils.
The pilgrimage project hasn't even officially started yet, and it's already caused so much trouble. Jiang Huaisu is truly exhausted. It's one thing for these demons to have ulterior motives, but what's with coming here every day to eat and drink for free, without even bringing a small gift!
So she announced that from that day forward, the Water Curtain Cave would be closed to all visitors, and those who came to join in the fun could leave.
However, after only three days of peace and quiet in her cave, just as she was preparing to deepen her relationship with Nezha in her room, she heard a little monkey outside the door announce that a guest had arrived.
Nezha was already half-undressed, his outer garment and elaborate sashes hanging loosely in the crook of his arm. He pressed his lips to Jiang Huaisu's neck, and just as his hand was about to reach down, he heard that jarring shout from outside. The monkeys were yelling that their uninvited guest had arrived and was already sitting in the cave hall ahead, and they couldn't stop him and didn't know what to do.
Seeing that Jiang Huaisu's attention had indeed been diverted, he clicked his tongue in annoyance, lowered his head, and bit down, leaving a shallow tooth mark on her shoulder. Damn it, they had finally decided to take it to the next level, and who was the fool to ruin it now?
...At least for now, could there be only him and Jiang Huaisu left in the world?
Feeling the stinging pain in her shoulder, Jiang Huaisu hissed and nudged his chin with her knuckles to make the person in her arms stop his restless canines. But this only resulted in him sucking and biting even more fiercely, with red marks appearing on the teeth marks. He was clearly retaliating for her daring to be distracted at such a time.
While fighting Nezha, Jiang Huaisu also had to keep her voice steady as she responded to the little monkey, saying that she would be right there and would go pour tea for the guests first.
"Why should I care?" Nezha looked up, his eyes filled with resentment.
"I'm afraid they might have ill intentions, so I have to go check it out." Jiang Huaisu started getting dressed, and with her free hand, she gently touched his face reassuringly. "I'll be right back."
Nezha had no intention of waiting in the room. He glared at her, reluctantly picked up his belt, and slowly dressed himself. "I'll go with you."
They were all ready to slay the demon when they arrived at the cave hall, only to find the guest sitting calmly on a stone chair, sipping tea. His long red hair was dazzling and so distinctive that he was unforgettable after just one glance. Who else could it be but Red Boy?
There were several large boxes piled up next to him, filled with gold and silver jewelry, which were the gifts he brought when he came to visit.
Upon seeing the cave owner finally appear, he turned his light blue-gray eyes in this direction, stood up with a grin, and bowed to Jiang Huaisu. He said that he had been instructed by his father to visit his old friend in the Water Curtain Cave, and that this was just a small gift to express his respect.
His words and gestures were impeccable, but Nezha wasn't buying it and sneered, "Who's your old friend?"
“My father and Uncle Sun were sworn brothers, weren’t they? According to seniority, I should call Jiang Huaisu ‘little aunt’,” Red Boy said innocently. “I heard that Water Curtain Cave doesn’t receive outsiders anymore, but I shouldn’t be included, right? After all, our two families are so close.”
Jiang Huaisu's eyes were almost glued to the boxes of gold and silver jewelry, but she managed to look away with difficulty upon hearing this: "Huh?"
"Doesn't my aunt welcome me?"
"Uh..." She was caught in a dilemma when she thought of those boxes of treasure.
Sensing the xenophobic undertone in Jiang Huaisu's words, Nezha gloated and volunteered to translate: "See? Not welcome."
I thought Red Boy would leave in a huff, but he just looked at me with a dark look in his eyes and said, "I know I made some mistakes to my aunt in the past, but I have already repented and been taught a lesson by the Third Prince. If you are still not satisfied, it is okay to beat him up again."
Nezha loosened his wrist guards: "Okay."
Seeing that Nezha seemed to be serious, Jiang Huaisu finally stepped in to play the peacemaker, saying in a conciliatory tone, "Alright, alright, the room is cramped and it's not convenient to fight. Let's have a fight another time. He's a guest, Red Boy, please continue drinking your tea."
After saying these polite words, she turned to Nezha and whispered in his ear, "We just got a few boxes of treasure, don't send them back as medical expenses later."
Nezha: "I'm richer than him, I can give you more."
"How can this be the same!" Jiang Huaisu was shocked that he couldn't even do this kind of math. "When you give me money, it's just transferring money from one hand to the other. When he gives me money, we make a pure profit."
"......"
Having reluctantly accepted this explanation, Nezha resumed his noble and aloof demeanor, put his arm around Jiang Huaisu's shoulder, slightly raised his chin, and looked at Red Boy.
The other person met his gaze without flinching. Their eyes locked for so long that even Jiang Huaisu sensed something was off. They weren't on good terms, so why were they staring at each other like that? Was it a provocation?
Nezha smiled mysteriously: "Red Boy, is it? If we're really talking about our relationship, you can call me Uncle."
"Uncle!" Without hesitation, Red Boy raised his voice and called out the title, each word resounding and powerful.
This unexpected turn of events made Jiang Huaisu's lips twitch. Was the faint smell of gunpowder in the air just her imagination?
Nezha stopped laughing. Drawing out his words, he spoke with a cold expression, "Good nephew."
"Eh."
Red Boy sweetly agreed, sitting on the stone chair with his hands on his knees, looking every bit the obedient child. If Jiang Huaisu hadn't been chased by him for eight hundred miles with a spear in her younger days, she probably would have been completely fooled by the boy's appearance.
However, even then, there were already hints that this calf was very adaptable and had a strong learning ability. He not only inherited his father's pragmatism, but now he also showed some resemblance to Bai Yuan in his mannerisms.
Logically speaking, he should be someone who is good at seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, so why did he later have the audacity to kidnap Tang Sanzang?
“My aunt and uncle are truly…” he squinted his eyes and praised, “a perfect match.”
“Indeed.” Nezha accepted without hesitation.
The atmosphere was both eerie and harmonious. Jiang Huaisu turned to the little monkey and told him to put away the boxes of treasure. She then served Red Boy a plate of sweet cakes.
They devoured the sweet cakes one after another, and the teapot was soon empty. Red Boy, however, remained seated as steady as a mountain, showing no intention of getting up and leaving.
When Jiang Huaisu hinted for the third time that "it's getting late," he finally revealed his true intentions with restraint, saying that the journey back to Haoshan was long and he hoped to have a meal at the Water Curtain Cave before continuing his journey.
He made himself sound pitiful, and after a moment's thought, Jiang Huaisu agreed to the request. Adding a pair of chopsticks wasn't difficult; it wouldn't seem like they, the Water Curtain Cave, couldn't even afford a meal.
Although Nezha disliked Red Boy's clingy manner, he didn't mistreat the guest in terms of food. He served him a normal meal, even more lavish than usual, probably because he didn't want to lose face in terms of generosity and hoped that Red Boy would finish his meal and leave quickly.
Finally, after Hong Hai'er had finished eating and drinking, Jiang Huaisu got up to clear the dishes, but Hong Hai'er sensibly stopped her, saying, "I'll do it."
Red Boy pretended not to understand the implied meaning, calmly sat back down, and smiled at Jiang Huaisu: "Would you feel pressured interacting with someone like the Third Prince?"
Nezha didn't hear this because he was busy in the kitchen, and only Red Boy and Jiang Huaisu were left at the dining table for the time being.
When the three of them were present, it was fine; she didn't feel any pressure. But when she was alone with Red Boy, Jiang Huaisu felt a little uneasy. Although the question seemed harmless, their relationship wasn't actually close enough to discuss such things.
She wondered if this little bull was trying to trick his father into revealing information. Could it be that the Bull Demon King wanted to find out the Heavenly Court's attitude towards Flower Fruit Mountain?
“Aunt, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Red Boy seemed to sense her wariness and shrugged. “It was just casual conversation, no need to be on guard. Even if you say bad things about Uncle, I won’t tell him.”
She still didn't answer Red Boy's question, and changed the subject: "Don't call me aunt anymore, just call me by my name."
"Yes, Susu."
"......"
"What's wrong?" Red Boy asked in confusion. "I see that's what the monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain call you. As a junior, I can't just call you by your full name."
As a junior, is it really appropriate to call an elder by their nickname...? Jiang Huaisu said helplessly, "Just call her Auntie."
Back when he was chasing her, he called her a "young brat," but times have changed. Now he's actually putting on airs of seniority for her, so she has no choice but to oblige him.
Red Boy readily agreed: "Yes, Aunt."
Jiang Huaisu turned her head and started cracking sunflower seeds. Before she could have a moment's peace, her nephew started making small talk again.
"Gods have a lot of rules, don't they?" Red Boy said casually. "It's much more comfortable being a demon in the mortal realm. Uncle Sun ran into a wall in the Heavenly Palace, and I thought you would be very disgusted with gods."
Jiang Huaisu glanced at him but didn't say anything.
"Playing around is fine, but if it's about spending a lifetime together... shouldn't gods find gods and monsters find monsters? Isn't that right? Only those with similar character can go the distance." He lowered his voice, almost whispering.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Jiang Huaisu cracked a melon seed. "I think we're quite compatible. Your Uncle Sun doesn't dislike all the gods either; he even had a few friends back in Heaven."
Red Boy spoke up for his uncle: "Then why didn't they go to see him?"
"Your father also..."
Half a sentence left Red Boy speechless. After a long while, he smiled awkwardly: "It was indeed my father's oversight. How about I go to Five Elements Mountain on his behalf to visit Uncle Sun? To be honest, although I hold the title of nephew, I have never formally met Uncle Sun before."
Jiang Huaisu pondered, "If I let him get acquainted with Sun Wukong now, will the ordeal at Mount Hao be easier on the journey to the West? Anyway, the pilgrimage project has already been approved, so there's no need to worry about any butterfly effect. I'll just have to suffer less along the way."
"Okay," she finally agreed. "After your uncle finishes washing the dishes, the three of us will go together."
It had been a while since Jiang Huaisu had visited Sun Wukong, so she decided to send him some food. She packed a large package filled with various snacks and toys, as well as some dried rations that could be stored for a long time. He could also chew on dried fruit sticks to pass the time when he was bored.
Upon arriving at Five Elements Mountain, Sun Wukong was excited to see an extra person in the visiting group. He already knew he had a nephew, but this was the first time he had met him in person. Just as the old ox had said, he was a fair-skinned and handsome young man. Well, he wasn't very outgoing, though, which he inherited from his father.
"When you were little, you kept insisting on starting your own mountain and establishing your own mansion, which gave your father quite a headache." Sun Wukong recalled Red Boy's embarrassing incident back then and said with great nostalgia, "He even said he wanted to throw you to Flower Fruit Mountain to be disciplined by Jiang Huaisu, but unfortunately, that didn't work out in the end."
Nezha: "How come I didn't know about this?"
Red Boy: "...I don't know either."
“Oh, your dad just mentioned it in a letter, we didn’t take it seriously. You were already a big kid back then, so mischievous it was a real headache, how could Susu control you? I guess it was just your dad joking,” Sun Wukong explained.
"Maybe he really wants to do that. Anyway, he doesn't really care about me. He'd probably be happy if he could get rid of me and let someone else take care of me. The reason I went out to establish my own mountain and my family and caused trouble for him was just because I wanted to take away some of his demon soldiers. That upset him and we had a few arguments."
"Hmm? I thought your dad cared about you quite a bit. He always mentioned you when we drank together before." Sun Wukong scratched his head.
Red Boy scoffed lightly, but didn't refute. When he was a child, his father was always away from home, but every time he came home, he would still check on his cultivation progress as usual. It can't be said that he didn't care, but he didn't care as much.
His complaints about his father earlier were somewhat driven by personal emotions. The actual situation wasn't that serious. Most of the time, his relationship with the Bull Demon King was alright. They might argue, but when he harbored resentment towards his father, it usually flared up openly, and the Bull Demon King would generally give in to him in the end. Except for the Jade-Faced Fox incident.
“If we had entrusted you to Jiang Huaisu’s care when you were a baby, things might have been very different. Don’t let her gentle nature fool you; she’s very good at reasoning and educating children.” Sun Wukong spoke with a hint of pride. “Like the little monkeys of our Flower Fruit Mountain, they may be mischievous, but she has taught them very well, and they never do anything bad or harm anyone.”
"Of course I believe in my aunt's abilities. If I follow her, I guarantee I won't go astray."
It was hard to tell whether he was flattering or genuinely praising her. After saying this, he turned his head and smiled at Jiang Huaisu, a hint of smugness in his eyes, his arrogance barely concealed: "However, even if no one is watching me, I can still teach myself very well. After all, I learn things very quickly."
Nezha nodded: "I see. So, what have you learned in the past few hundred years?"
As if he had been waiting for these words, Red Boy turned to look at him.
"Samadhi Fire." He stared into Nezha's eyes. "I've mastered it."
Sun Wukong: "Hmm? Self-taught?"
"Yes, I have to thank Uncle Sun for this. Back then, he kicked over the alchemy furnace and gave me a chance to cultivate in the Flaming Mountains." Red Boy squatted down and pinned a small flower to Sun Wukong's temple.
"Flaming Mountain?"
“A few bricks with embers fell into the furnace and turned into the Flaming Mountain in the mortal realm.” He said absentmindedly, while Red Boy also tucked a flower branch into the other side of his temple.
Sun Wukong didn't find Red Boy's actions offensive. After all, over the years, the shepherd boy had worn countless things on his head—straw hats, flower wreaths, bamboo hats—using his monkey head as a display stand. However, regarding the Flaming Mountain incident, Sun Wukong felt some regret. He hadn't expected even a small ember to be so powerful; he should have been more cautious.
Red Boy focused on his flower arranging art for the time being and didn't say anything more.
Sun Wukong gestured forward with his lip and said, "I want the red one."
Red Boy clapped his hands and stood up: "Let Auntie take care of the rest. Uncle Sun, it's getting late, I have to hurry back to the mountain. I'll come see you again next time."
"......"
"Oh, by the way. Goodbye, Auntie; goodbye, Uncle!"
Having realized the child's wicked intentions, she left without a word, leaving him with a head full of wildflowers, and vanished in a flash.
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