Chapter 24024 Why did you admit your mistake again?
"Ayu, come here."
A young man in red clothes and silver armor stepped out from the center of the vortex. He had a gloomy expression on his face, and the red silk in his hand was now wrapped around my wrist.
"Little, little Lotus..." I began, stunned, then fell silent. The moment I called out "Ayu," I knew he was my Little Lotus. Looking up at the other Nezha, my gaze naturally fell on his distinct chin. Looking further up, I couldn't make out his eyes. The strength radiating from his arms betrayed his displeasure.
I twisted my body, patted Nezha's arm, and pleaded, "I'm sorry, I recognized the wrong person. He is my little lotus. Please put me down."
They look exactly alike. I haven't seen Little Lotus in ages, so you can't blame me for mistaking them. After all, in my mind, Nezha always had two small buns, a Qiankun Ring around his neck, and wind-fire wheels on his feet. How could I have known there could be two Nezhas in this world? Isn't that more exciting than the real and fake Monkey King? At least both Nezhas are real.
King Sri Masai Lee, are you okay now?
I had no way of knowing whether Li Tianwang was in a good mood, but the little lotus across from me seemed a bit more cheerful, her expression less gloomy. He reminded me of me when I slew the dragon. Though not as violent, he still carried a menacing aura that was frightening.
But Nezha was not so easy to talk to. After hearing what I said, not only did he not let me go, but he said in a cold voice: "A fake, are you worthy?" The demon-slaying sword in his hand was wrapped in golden and red sparks and pointed at the small lotus.
"You dare to teach me a lesson, you fake? Return A Yu to me immediately, and I will spare your life!" The fire spear in his hand was spewing out blazing flames, ready to go.
I:……
Ahhhhh, why on earth did this happen?!
Seeing the two of them about to fight, I quickly thought, "There are mortals nearby. If you two start fighting, what if they accidentally get hurt?"
Time seemed to stand still. Little Lotus, holding the Fire Spear, frowned slightly, then relaxed. He put away the spear and looked at me with a hint of helplessness: "What does Ayu take me for? Am I such an unreasonable person? Well, let's not disturb them. Come back with me quickly. The lotus seeds are ready. I guarantee you'll eat them till you're full, and no one will look down on you."
After he finished speaking, he smiled, his face like a blooming lotus, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes as he looked at Nezha.
"Regardless of whether you are real or fake, you are so shameless as to covet other people's friends. Don't you have friends of your own?"
“…”
I felt the arm holding me tightening more and more, and I cried out pitifully, "It hurts!" He glanced at me and finally relaxed his grip. The moment he relaxed, the red silk on my wrist suddenly pulled me towards the little lotus, and then wrapped around my wrist a few more times, light and soft.
Before I could even touch the small lotus, he shielded me behind him. The Fire Spear in his hand, already swirling with blazing flames, clashed with the Demon-Slaying Sword like an arrow shot from a bow, its tip colliding with the Demon-Slaying Sword with uncanny precision, unleashing waves of heat. At the moment of impact, I swiftly raised my hand, stirring up the waters of the Cloud and Water River to form a curtain of water, isolating the mortals. Perhaps they too had restrained their power; I merely blocked it, and the curtain of water evaporated into a swirling mass of white vapor. Of course, this was also due to my lack of cultivation.
The two seemed to calm down and did not go any further.
At this moment, Sun Wukong stepped onto the clouds and first glanced at Nezha, then circled around the small lotus. He scratched his cheek, winked and said, "Exactly the same! Could it be that the Third Prince is a twin lotus?"
I can't help but give Sun Wukong a thumbs up, you are worthy of it!
Not surprisingly, he received four eye knives.
But he was not angry. Instead, he said in a gentle voice, "Two Third Princes, why don't you sit down and have a good talk? Look, this little fish demon is about to turn into steamed fish."
I:……
There's no need to say that about me.
I pulled the Hun Tian Ling, and Xiao Lianhua turned his head. Seeing me shake my head slightly, he put away his gun.
Pulling my wrist, Little Lotus brought Nezha directly to the shore without even looking at him. I looked back at Nezha and could only smile awkwardly.
I thought Xiao Lianhua would be surprised to see another version of herself, but the result was quite unexpected.
I've only been with Little Lotus in his physical form for a short time, let alone after he's resurrected. But Little Lotus is still Little Lotus, and he won't turn into either a white lotus or a black lotus, so I'll continue to treat him the same way I normally would.
As soon as my feet touched the ground, I asked him, "How did you get here? How did that vortex appear?"
The previous vortex had disappeared. Because Little Lotus and Nezha were locked in a fierce confrontation, I had no time to pay attention to the vortex in the air. Even if I had noticed it, I would probably have thought Little Lotus would have a way to deal with it.
But when I asked her about it, Xiao Lianhua looked guilty for the first time.
I have a bad feeling in my heart.
As expected, Little Lotus said, "I discovered the whirlpool by accident. I couldn't find you and He, and when I saw the whirlpool, I guessed that you would be taken away by it, so..."
"So you just stepped in?" I asked in disbelief.
"You're so reckless! You don't even know what it is, yet you're so reckless. What if that vortex leads to a dangerous place?"
Little Lotus didn't care about that. He crossed his arms and said, "The facts prove that I am right."
Sun Wukong covered his mouth and laughed, "Look at these twin lotus flowers, even their movements are exactly the same!"
My gaze shifted from the small lotus to Nezha, and just as Sun Wukong had said, even the way they hugged their arms was exactly the same.
Zhu Bajie whined miserably, "Brother Monkey, forget about the twin lotus flowers. Please help me untie them first. I'm about to be torn into eight pieces by this Hun Tian Ling..."
This time, Nezha took back the Hun Tian Ling without waiting for Sun Wukong to say anything.
Seeing this, I thanked him.
Little Lotus asked, "What did this pig do wrong? Why was it tied up by his Hun Tian Ling?"
Sun Wukong and I were just about to explain.
Nezha glanced at Zhu Bajie coldly and said, "You are a lustful person who wants to do something indecent."
I:……
Sun Wukong: ...
Zhu Bajie: ...
"You pig demon! You actually want to do something evil to A Yu!" The Fire Spear once again stabbed towards Zhu Bajie at lightning speed. Sun Wukong used one hand to point the stick, and the other end blocked the power of the Fire Spear.
He laughed and said, "Hey, Third Prince, my foolish junior brother has some minor flaws, but he's not a bad person by nature. Don't worry, when he returns from his journey to the West, you can punish him however you want. I, Sun Quan, will not interfere!"
Little Lotus had no friendship with Sun Wukong, and he sneered, "What does it have to do with me whether he obtains the scriptures or not? It's just that he bullied A Yu, and I must get revenge for her." The red silk shot out, and Zhu Bajie, who had just regained his freedom, was hit tightly again. Little Lotus frowned, and tied the red silk to the branch again, leaving Zhu Bajie hanging there.
Sun Wukong saw this and did not stop him, leaving only Zhu Bajie's wailing.
Maybe it was because of Zhu Bajie, but Little Lotus and Nezha were strangely in harmony with each other.
Xiao Lianhua asked me to wait here, he had something to talk to Nezha about.
After seeing them walk away, I couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about.
Sun Wukong raised his hand and patted Zhu Bajie, as if he were patting a ball. Then he rushed in front of me, pointed in the direction where the two people were going away, and asked me: "What do you think they will talk about?"
"I don't know."
I turned around to avoid his teasing look, but he rushed in front of me again.
"I think those two treat you differently."
I said as a matter of course: "Xiao Lianhua and I are friends, so naturally it's not ordinary."
"Friend? Only your little Lotus is your friend. What about the Third Prince? This is the first time he and you have met."
Why is this Monkey King so gossipy?
I rolled my eyes rudely: "You mean he fell in love with me at first sight?"
Sun Wukong jumped back with a smile, "I didn't say that."
Really? But you think so.
I'm too lazy to talk about it. People who watch the fun always just want to watch the fun.
Jinniang quietly poked her head out and called me "Mrs. Yunshui." Sun Wukong suddenly realized and said, "So you are the Mister Yunshui that the old Taoist mentioned!"
I didn't believe he only realized it now, but I nodded politely. "Yes, yes, that's me. I wonder if Sun Wukong has any advice for me?"
Sun Wukong said, "It's not really about giving me advice. It's just that I, Sun Wukong, also want to see the world."
I raised an eyebrow when he said this, I was surprised by what he said, considering how worldly he was.
Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Why don't I go and invite my master over so we can talk about this. I don't think the two Third Princes will be back for a while..."
Can't come back for now...
Wait, they're not going... I looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and observed a minute of silence for Li Tianwang.
"I think so." I said with a smile.
When Sun Wukong went to invite his master, I also asked Jinniang to put out the food.
Jinniang was a little absent-minded when she was arranging the food.
I asked her what she was worried about, and she pursed her lips and said, "Will the queen leave in the future?"
"That's from..."
I didn't utter the word "yes" because I was vaguely aware of something. After accidentally landing in the Yunshui River, I hadn't thought of returning to the lotus pond. Even then, I believed I had traveled through time. But now that I know I've traveled not only through time but also through the world, do I still need to return to my original world?
But the so-called original is just a lotus pond after being reincarnated as a carp. For a soul like me who came from another world, it seems that any world can be lived in.
"I don't know." That's all I could say.
The vortex is like a time-space machine, appearing and disappearing without a clear pattern. I don't know where it will appear next, or even if it will transport me to a different world. I can't promise Jinniang that I won't leave.
Jinniang seemed to have an idea in mind. After she arranged the food, Sun Wukong came with his horse.
"Master, look, this is the Goddess Yunshui from the Yunshui River." Sun Wukong said to Tang Monk who was wearing a cassock behind him.
Seeing Tang Sanzang coming, Zhu Bajie seemed to have found his backbone and shouted, "Hey, Master, you're finally here! Please put me down! I'm about to be roasted!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Seng sighed three times. Perhaps Sun Wukong had already explained the situation to him, so he did not speak for him.
Then he looked at me, his expression becoming increasingly solemn. He clasped his hands and bowed, "Amitabha, I am Xuanzang, a humble monk, coming from the Tang Dynasty in the East, intending to travel to the West to seek the true scriptures. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to see the immortal's true appearance today."
I looked at Sun Wukong, he was teasing Zhu Bajie, while Sha Seng looked left and right, seemed to be really struggling with how to put Zhu Bajie down.
I smiled and said, "I'm not worthy of the Saint Monk's call of a fairy. I was originally a carp from the Yunshui River. I was so kind to the people of Chengyun County that they built a temple for me. Saint Monk, you've come so far and worked so hard. My humble abode is simple, and I only have some simple food. Please don't be disgusted."
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands and said, "Every vegetable and meal is a token of my heartfelt gratitude. I am filled with gratitude."
He just looked at Zhu Bajie and sighed again: "This poor monk's disciple is ugly, greedy and lustful. It is right for the fairy to punish him."
Zhu Bajie burst into tears after hearing this: "Master, Master, I know I was wrong. Female Bodhisattva! Fairy Lady! Please let me go! I will never dare to do that again!"
I looked at Tang Seng in embarrassment, "It's not that I don't want to be the one, but this Hun Tian Ling..."
Sun Wukong came over again and said with a grin, "Why don't you give it a try, Fairy? Maybe... it will work?"
I always feel that he is just watching the fun.
But Zhu Bajie was on a mission to obtain Buddhist scriptures, so a little lesson would do. So he stood up, walked over there, and gently stroked the Hun Tian Ling. The Hun Tian Ling seemed to have intelligence, and in a flash, it wrapped around my wrist, and even tied a bow thoughtfully.
I:……
Without the Hun Tian Ling, Zhu Bajie fell to the ground with a thud. Sha Seng hurried over and said, "Second Brother! Second Brother!"
"Look, we are really good friends. Even the Hun Tian Ling listens to you!" Sun Wukong's eyes were filled with ridicule again.
I:……
I really can't accept this.
But then again, why haven't they come back yet?
Zhu Bajie moved over groaning, holding his butt, and Sha Seng followed behind him. The four masters and apprentices gathered around the simple meal. I called Jinniang over, so that I could show my face in front of Tang Seng.
I sighed, "Saint Monk, you don't know this Jinniang is a miserable person. In her lifetime, she was the young mistress of the Zhou family in Chengyun County. Her husband, Zhou Yaozong, hoping to marry someone more powerful, had her fall to her death in their garden. After that, Zhou Yaozong married Wuniang. Alas, Wuniang was also a miserable person. During childbirth, Zhou Yaozong ordered the mother and child to die in childbirth! His third marriage was to Yanniang, but he orchestrated her encounter with bandits on her way to burn incense... However, Zhou Yaozong kept his actions secret, and he only had a reputation in the county as a wife-killer. How ridiculous! Three deaths for just one reputation!"
Tang Sanzang's eyes sparkled with tears when he heard this. He clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha." But Zhu Bajie had already hidden his tears with his sleeves.
"Is he still a human being?! That's his wife!"
Sun Wukong bared his teeth and rolled up his sleeves: "Where is this man now? I want to see how dark his heart is." Monkeys can be very scary when they get angry.
I raised my hand to ask him to calm down, pointing to the Yunshui River:
"He's currently at the bottom of the river. It's a coincidence that Jinniang, Wuniang, and Yanniang reported this to me. I shouldn't have intervened, as I'm neither an official nor a ghost messenger from the underworld. It's just that they're so miserable. The thought of Zhou Yaozong marrying someone else for personal gain, of him harming others for personal gain, fills me with rage. And it just so happens that Zhou Yaozong actually had his sights set on me. He saw me bathing in the river and tried to take my clothes to force me to marry him. In a fit of rage, I dragged him into the river..."
I could have kept this a secret, but for Jinniang and the others, hiding it wasn't a good idea. Sun Wukong would know how Zhou Yaozong died the moment he got there, so it was better to be honest. There was no way these four masters and apprentices were going to kill me just because of a scumbag.
After I finished speaking, Sun Wukong sat down, looked at Zhu Bajie jokingly, pointed at him and said, "You idiot is still lucky." Zhu Bajie shook his sleeves and turned his face away angrily.
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and kept chanting "Amitabha... Amitabha..."
Jinniang covered her face and cried. Coincidentally, the old Taoist priest came with Wuniang and Yanniang.
"Empress Yunshui, thank goodness you have fulfilled your mission and resolved Madam Liu's issue!" said the old Taoist with a smile.
I asked, "What about Madam Liu?"
"She is still staying at home in Chengyun County and will consider her future plans after the baby is born."
The Taoist priest greeted Tang Sanzang and his group, and I realized they had come together. However, when they arrived in Chengyun County, the Taoist priest first went to Madam Liu's house and explained to her the whole story of the Duan family. Only then did he bring Wu Niang and Yan Niang to Yunshui River.
I asked him what had happened to the Duan family, and he slowly explained that the two Duan brothers' spirits had shifted places. Madam Liu's story was both true and false, meaning that the one who returned first was indeed his husband, but in his younger brother's body. He used this as an excuse to force Madam Liu to abort the unborn child, demote his wife to a concubine, and marry someone else. Unexpectedly, Madam Liu escaped, so he sent assassins... Later, the younger brother returned home as his brother's daughter, though with more serious injuries.
"That younger brother claimed that he had admired the eldest sister-in-law for many years. If it weren't for his elder brother stealing her away, Madam Liu would have been his wife."
I:……
Oh, a melodramatic novel come to life, huh? It's different from what I initially suspected, but it's still melodramatic all the same. I no longer want to understand what this love-stealing drama is all about.
"So... the soul has returned?" Jinniang said.
The old Taoist stroked his beard and said, "It is natural for the soul to return to its place. Besides, the elder brother's body is already beyond recovery. And the younger brother will inherit the family business in his place."
I asked, "Then why did the soul shift in the first place?"
The old Taoist asked, "Is that important? No, it's not important. At least for Madam Liu, it's a good thing, isn't it? Even if there is any cause and effect, it will be judged by the King of Hell in the underworld. Besides, Madam Liu herself agreed."
I can't imagine what would be the best outcome for Madam Liu. Since she agreed, it has to be this way. I can only imagine that Madam Liu must have loved my younger brother before she got married. Only by thinking that way can I feel better.
Zhu Bajie kept stuffing fruit into his mouth and said, "So far in our pilgrimage, we've only encountered monsters. We thought monsters were treacherous and cunning, but I never thought this man is even more vicious than a monster!"
"Second Brother, please slow down, alas..."
…
My previous plan to ask Tang Monk to help Jinniang and the other two to be reincarnated was delayed because Jinniang told me clearly that the three of them did not want to be reincarnated.
"After reincarnation, we are nothing more than someone's daughter or son, someone's wife or husband, and then someone's father or mother. No matter how good our family background is, we can't escape these rules. Compared to these, serving Lady Yunshui is the best outcome for us."
Since she said so, I naturally wouldn't object, so I invited Sun Wukong to come and resolve the matter.
I've never been involved in this, so I don't quite understand. Sun Wukong is a graduate, and he's been employed in the Heavenly Court, so he has experience. Regardless of how much he knows, he at least knows more than I do.
I told him about Jinniang's request. Sun Wukong scratched his head and thought for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up. He said, "Why not set up an altar in your Hexian Temple and offer incense every day? It would be nice to become an immortal servant in the future!"
When I heard it, I thought it made a lot of sense.
"Thank you, Sun Dasheng."
"Okay, okay. As long as your little Lotus doesn't cause us any trouble, that would be a great help!"
I:……
I suspect he is in yin and yang.
Suddenly, a loud thunder exploded in the sky. Zhu Bajie was startled and quickly fell to the ground, covering his ears. Sha Seng tried to persuade him, "Second Brother, it was just thunder..."
"What thunder? That's clearly a fight!"
Sun Wukong took a closer look and said, "Let me go up and take a look!" After that, he made a beautiful move and his body quickly curled up and spun in the air, turning into a golden light that was difficult to capture with the naked eye, and disappeared into the sky with a "whoosh".
The old Taoist sighed: "As expected of Sun Wukong!"
Zhu Bajie was so angry that he said, "I, an old pig, can do that, too!" He was about to fly to heaven when he suddenly thought of something and turned around, waving his sleeves, saying, "Hmph, let that monkey go. I, an old pig, won't go!"
Tang Seng said helplessly, "Bajie."
Jinniang guessed, "Could it be that the two Third Princes are fighting?"
The old Taoist priest, Wu Niang and Yan Niang didn't know what had just happened, so Jin Niang briefly told them about it. The two ghosts were all dumbfounded when they heard it.
The Third Prince, or two Third Princes, or two real Third Princes...
This is something I can't even imagine. It actually happened!
"So Lady Yunshui comes from another world?" the old Taoist asked in surprise.
I nodded. "I came here by accident. Now my friend is looking for me."
"Will Lady Yunshui leave?" Wuniang Yanniang asked worriedly.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure."
I'm really not sure.
"Big Brother! Third Prince! You're back!" Sha Seng suddenly shouted. Zhu Bajie took a look, shuddered again, and hid his face.
I looked up and saw Sun Wukong and Little Lotus had returned. Since Sha Seng had never seen Little Lotus before, he naturally mistook him for Nezha, so it wasn't surprising that he called him that.
Little Lotus landed in front of me and glanced at Zhu Bajie, "Why did you put him down?"
I smiled and said, "That's enough. After all, we are here to seek the scriptures. That's enough."
"What about you? What were you and the Third Prince doing? You weren't really going to fight Li Tianwang, were you?"
He didn't say anything, just kept staring at me, and I felt a little uncomfortable.
Then he snorted coldly: "Just to scare him."
I:……
Once again, let us observe a moment of silence for Li Tianwang in heaven.
But I don’t remember Xiao Lianhua hating Li Jing so deeply.
"Hey, what's wrong with your hand?" I grabbed his right hand and looked at it carefully.
There was a cut on the base of Little Lotus's right hand, but because it was a lotus root, no blood flowed out and it could not be seen unless you looked carefully.
"It's nothing, just an accidental scratch."
"Does it hurt?"
Oops, I forgot, lotus root cannot feel pain.
Suddenly, the Hun Tian Ling that was wrapped around my wrist attacked Xiao Lianhua, but he dodged it in an instant.
Sun Wukong suddenly slapped his thigh and laughed: "See, you can deceive her, but you can't deceive his Hun Tian Ling!"
In fact, Hun Tian Ling was also stunned for a few minutes.
"You are so good, Li Nezha, how dare you lie to me, Ayu!" Nezha, with two small buns on his head, descended from the sky and complained dissatisfiedly, "Ayu, why did you admit your mistake again?"
I:……
Haha, how would I know you two have this habit?
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Author's words: Chapter 1.
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