I am a fairy in Journey to the West

At Jingcang Ridge, Huan Xu led over a thousand men from Yuanqiao Cave to this place. Once they crossed this mountain, they would enter the territory of Guanling Prefecture.

But five figures blocked Huan Xu and his group's path. Huan Xu stood up and looked closely, and a sense of doubt immediately arose in his heart.

Huan Yu stepped forward and said, "Father, it seems to be Lord Zhao of Jinling Prefecture."

Huan Xu nodded and said to Huan Tan and Huan Yu, "Don't move around here. I'll go up and take a look."

Huan Tan and Huan Yu cupped their hands and said, "Yes."

Huan Xu then strode forward, approached Zhao Wuji, bowed, and said, "Lord Zhao, what brings you here?"

Zhao Wuji smiled and took out a golden invitation from his sleeve, saying, "I am here by order of Lord Huoling to host a celestial banquet at the Gushan Divine Palace to invite all the cave masters who came to Jinling Prefecture to quell the rebellion. I heard that Cave Master Huan has withdrawn his troops and intends to return to Guanling Prefecture, so I have come here to wait for him."

After saying that, Zhao Wuji handed over the invitation in his hand, "Please lead the people back to my Gushan Divine Palace for a banquet first, and then return to Guanling Prefecture."

Huan Xu smiled and said, "I see. Thank you for your kindness, Divine Lord. However, we have already reached the border. After crossing this mountain, we will reach Guanling Prefecture. We are all eager to return home and cannot go back. Please forgive us, Divine Lord."

At this point, Huan Xu added, "When I have time in the future, I will definitely come to Jinling Prefecture to visit the Divine Lord."

After speaking, Huan Xu did not accept the invitation, but looked at Zhao Wuji with a smile and a slight apology.

Zhao Wuji smiled slightly and did not retract the invitation. Instead, he continued, "Master Huan, if this celestial banquet were solely arranged by me, I would not mind whether you stay or leave. However, this banquet is arranged on the orders of Lord Fire Spirit, so please accept the invitation."

Huan Xu asked, "Who is this Lord Huoling?"

Zhao Wuji said, "Master Huan will know when he arrives; there's no need to ask further."

But the more Zhao Wuji said this, the less confident he felt. So he said, "My Lord, it's not that we don't want to go to the banquet, but we've been away for too long. Now that the rebellion in Jinling Prefecture has been quelled, it's time for me to take everyone home."

"Therefore, please forgive us, Divine Lord and Lord Fire Spirit, that we are truly unable to attend the banquet," Huan Xu said resolutely.

Zhao Wuji said, "The cave masters who came to provide support have all gone to the banquet at the Divine Palace of Gu Mountain. Only you, Cave Master Huan, are not going. This is probably not a good thing."

"There is really no other way. I can only ask the Divine Lord to inform Lord Fire Spirit that I will definitely pay him a visit in the future," Huan Xu said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji knew that Huan Xu was determined not to attend the banquet. So he turned around and glanced at Guanling Prefecture, where he noticed a hundred-zhang-high mountain peak on the border of Guanling Prefecture opposite Jingcang Ridge.

So Zhao Wuji pointed to the mountain peak and said, "Master Huan, will you need to cross that mountain peak again when you return?"

Huan Xu nodded and said, "That's right, that mountain is called 'Mount Buji'."

"Oh," Zhao Wuji said, "This mountain is blocking the border between the two states, which is indeed somewhat inauspicious. To avoid the trouble of climbing over the mountain, Master Huan, I will lend you a hand."

Upon hearing this, a look of confusion appeared on Huan Xu's face.

But soon he saw Zhao Wuji take out a bronze mirror from his sleeve, and then throw the bronze mirror into the sky. A flash of light appeared, and the bronze mirror flew into the air, reflecting a beam of light onto the 'Mount Buji'.

The mirror light shone on Mount Buji, followed by a loud 'boom,' and then the entire massive Mount Buji was shattered by the mirror light.

Yes, the entire mountain did not collapse or crumble; instead, it shattered and turned into a vast expanse of dust.

Watching the Bujishan Mountain vanish in an instant, and the Pinggu Valley that appeared in a flash covered in dust, Huan Xu's pupils shrank sharply, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Huan Tan, Huan Yu, and the more than one thousand disciples of Yuanqiao Cave behind them all swallowed hard, their faces twitching, their eyes filled with shock.

Zhao Wuji raised his hand and turned it around. The Kunlun Mirror in mid-air immediately pointed at Huan Tan, Huan Yu and the more than 1,000 disciples of Yuanqiao Cave below. Seeing this, everyone in Yuanqiao Cave turned pale and their bodies stiffened.

Huan Xu was even more shocked and hurriedly said, "My Lord, please wait!"

Zhao Wuji asked in surprise, "What's wrong?" Then he seemed to understand something and smiled, "Don't worry, Master Huan. It's getting late. I'll use this treasure to light your way home."

At this moment, General Fatan behind Zhao Wuji laughed and said, "Guanling Prefecture is just west of Jinling Prefecture, so you could say it's the road to the west."

“Yes.” The general of the dilapidated temple looked at Huan Xu and smiled, “My divine lord will personally light your way to the afterlife. What are you waiting for, Lord Huan? Hurry up and set off.”

Huan Xu quickly wiped the cold sweat from his face, hurriedly took the invitation from Zhao Wuji's hand, and then bowed and said, "We are deeply grateful for the invitation from the Divine Lord and Lord Fire Spirit. We and everyone in Yuanqiao Cave are extremely grateful. Going home is a small matter, attending the banquet is a big matter. We will now turn back to the Mountain God's Mansion."

"Hey," Zhao Wuji quickly said, "If Lord Huan wants to return, then let him return. How can I force him to?"

“Not difficult at all,” Huan Xu said with a smile. “What’s so difficult about it? Besides, it is my honor that the Divine Lord himself has come to invite me to the banquet.”

After saying that, Huan Xu immediately turned around and said, "Everyone, return to Jinling Prefecture immediately and go to the banquet at the Gushan Divine Palace."

Huan Tan and Huan Yu responded immediately without any hesitation: "Yes."

Only then did Zhao Wuji wave his hand to retrieve the Kunlun Mirror, and then smiled at Huan Xu, saying, "In that case, then, Master Huan, please."

Huan Xu quickly gestured, saying, "Please, Divine Lord."

Afterwards, Huan Xu led the people from Yuanqiao Cave, following Zhao Wuji all the way back to Gushan Divine Palace.

Upon arriving at the Gushan Divine Palace, everyone entered the palace's gate and arrived at the summit of a mountain peak to the east of the palace.

The summit is divided into two levels, with the western side being lower and the eastern side being higher. Therefore, the disciples of the six caves, including those of Yuanqiao Cave, were seated on the lower western platform.

As for the Gushan Divine Palace, the cave masters of each cave, and the direct descendants of each cave, they were all seated on the higher East Platform.

Meanwhile, the chief clerk, Ju Ya, had already prepared banquets on both the east and west platforms in accordance with the orders of the Fire Spirit Immortal.

The banquet at the West Terrace was simpler than that at the East Terrace, but it was still very lavish, with all kinds of spiritual fruits, fine wines, and delicacies.

As for Dongtai, it was very abundant, with spiritual fruits, fine wines, spiritual delicacies, and all kinds of rare and exotic foods. After Huan Xu, Huan Tan, Huan Yu, and the Huan clan members took their seats, the six cave masters around them bowed to Huan Xu in greeting or waved from afar.

Only Tao Mingzi and his son sat there with gloomy faces, staring at Huan Xu with hostile eyes, while Huan Xu pretended not to see them.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Langya Cave Master Wang Yizhi stood up and asked Zhao Wuji, "Lord Zhao, everyone has arrived, but where is Lord Huoling?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji smiled and said to Wang Yizhi, "Master of Langya Cave, don't worry, Your Excellency will be here soon."

No sooner had Zhao Wuji finished speaking than a clear voice rang out from the entrance of the mountain: "Your Excellency has arrived."

Everyone turned to look, and saw a five-colored divine light fly into the mountain peak, and then land directly on the East Platform with two servants from the Gushan Divine Palace.

Everyone immediately stood up and respectfully greeted him. As the five-colored divine light dissipated, the Fire Spirit True Immortal appeared before them in a fiery red immortal robe, exuding unparalleled elegance and divine might.

The next moment, Huan Xu heard a gasp of surprise from behind him.

"Fellow Daoist Huo Ling? It's you?"

Huan Xu turned around and saw that Wang Yizhi, An Shigong, Sun Cuo, Lingyun Fairy, Wen Taizhen, and Xi Hui all had astonished expressions on their faces. The words he had just heard were spoken by these six people.

At this moment, he saw Tao Mingzi again, and saw that he had the same expression as the Six Cave Master, looking at the Fire Spirit True Immortal in astonishment.

Huan Xu frowned, a sense of unease rising in his heart. It seemed that Tao Mingzi and the Six Cave Masters both knew this Fire Spirit Lord, but he himself did not.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji stepped forward and said to everyone, "Let me formally introduce you all. This is the Grand Master of Fate, the Chief Minister of the Human Realm, the Lord of Fire Spirit, who assists the True Lord of the Spirit Platform and oversees all affairs of the Grand Master of Fate."

Everyone was shocked once again. Since the incident with the Demon Lord Taichen, this was the first time that the beings of Beiju Luzhou had witnessed the power of the True Lord Lingtai and realized the authority of the Great Master of Fate who oversees the human world.

That was a divine authority far exceeding that of the Northern Mountain Divine Palace, and even the Northern Mountain Divine Palace was under the jurisdiction of the Human Realm's Great Fate Palace.

Therefore, Zhao Wuji didn't need to elaborate on the high status and great power of Huo Ling Zhen Xian, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; everyone naturally knew.

Without hesitation, everyone stepped forward to pay their respects to the Fire Spirit Immortal.

With a smile, the Fire Spirit Immortal reached out to help them up, saying, "Please rise and take your seats, everyone."

Everyone bowed in thanks, then stood up, but remained standing without taking a seat.

Fire Spirit Immortal smiled calmly, walked past everyone to the main seat and sat down, and then Zhao Wuji sat down.

Then, True Immortal Fire Spirit said again, "Everyone, please sit down."

At this moment, everyone took their seats. After everyone was seated, True Immortal Fire Spirit smiled at everyone and said, "Since I have invited you all to this banquet, then the feast is naturally the most important thing." As he spoke, True Immortal Fire Spirit raised his wine cup and said, "I toast you all with this cup to reward your merit in quelling the rebellion."

Everyone quickly stood up, raised their cups, and said, "Thank you, Your Excellency." Then they all drank it all in one gulp.

Fire Spirit Immortal took a small sip and then said, "Please be seated, everyone."

After everyone was seated again, True Immortal Fire Spirit picked up his chopsticks and said, "Alright, enough with the chit-chat, everyone, please enjoy your meal. Don't be shy, eat and drink as you please." He then picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and took a bite.

Upon hearing this, everyone readily accepted the order and began to eat.

The banquet was indeed very simple and straightforward. Within fifteen minutes of sitting down, everyone was eating and drinking heartily, without any of the usual formalities.

Half an hour later, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill. After putting down their chopsticks, they stood up again to thank the Fire Spirit Immortal.

Fire Spirit Immortal waved his hand and said, "There's no need for such formalities, everyone. Please sit down. I have something else to say."

Upon hearing that True Immortal Fire Spirit had more to say, everyone took their seats and listened attentively.

"Now that we've had our fill of food and drink, it's time to settle some scores." Fire Spirit Immortal sat upright and, after saying this, his gaze first fell on Huan Xu. "Cave Master Yuanqiao, Huan Xu."

Upon hearing this, Huan Xu quickly stood up and said, "This little demon is here."

The Fire Spirit Immortal asked with a smile, "How many demon beings did you kill during your trip to Jinling Prefecture?"

Huan Xu's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned visibly pale. Huan Tan, Huan Yu, and other members of the Huan clan beside him also changed color instantly.

Huan Xu remained silent for a long time, because he himself did not know how many demons he had killed in Jinling Prefecture. He could only say, "Reporting to Lord Ling, those demons were all former disciples of Hengtian Cave who followed He Yan in his rebellion."

Fire Spirit Immortal said, "It seems you don't know it yourself, but I do."

As he spoke, True Immortal Huo Ling took out a book and said, "This is the list of souls recently detained by the City God Temple of Jinling Prefecture. Excluding those demon cultivators who followed He Yan in causing trouble and your disciples from various caves, this list has a total of 142 pages. This is the sin you have committed!"

The last sentence struck Huan Xu like a thunderbolt.

Huan Xu trembled and immediately knelt down, saying, "My lord, I was also eliminating harm for the sake of the people. They are all relatives of those demonic cultivators who followed He Yan in causing chaos."

"The evidence is right here, and you still dare to argue! You're courting death!" Fire Spirit Immortal roared, then pointed at Huan Xu and said, "Where is the Spirit General? Execute this man on the spot!"

Upon receiving the order, Liu Ling immediately stepped forward and grabbed Huan Xu. Huan Xu was stunned. How could he have been fine just a moment ago, and now he was about to be beheaded?
But when he realized what was happening, he naturally wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die. He roared and tried to fight back, but at that moment, the Fire Spirit Immortal unleashed a beam of immortal light that landed directly on him.

Huan Xu suddenly felt a heaviness all over his body, and his magical power and strength were instantly sealed. Huan Xu was terrified and filled with regret. He could only shout, "My lord, spare my life!"

Then, the Demon-Catching General raised his knife and brought it down. With a 'thud,' Huan Xu's head rolled to the ground, blood gushing out. A jet of blood spurted more than ten feet from his neck. His body convulsed violently a few times before collapsing into a pool of blood with a 'thud.'

His head rolled to Tao Mingzi's feet, lying on his back with his eyes wide open, filled with deep terror and regret. Then, his pupils rapidly dilated, gradually turning grayish-white as he lost his life. (End of Chapter)