I am a fairy in Journey to the West

Mount Sumeru stands majestically atop Jambudvipa, its peak reaching the heavens, its power dominating the continent.

Wuliangbao Temple is located at the top of Mount Sumeru, where the Buddha's light shines throughout the three realms and golden clouds cover the ten directions.

Although the Buddhist community's fortunes in the Western Continent of Niuhezhou have run out, its fortunes in the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa are extremely great, especially after Amitabha Buddha came from the East, when the Buddhist community's fortunes in the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa reached their peak.

Therefore, Zhuang Yan's favor was even more burdensome for the Buddhist community.

If it weren't for Zhuang Yan, even if Amitabha Buddha were incredibly powerful, he couldn't possibly fight against the four great enlightened beings—Mara, Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu—all by himself.

Even if Amitabha Buddha did not pass away in the end, he would at least be suppressed by Mara and others. At that time, Buddhist disciples would not only be unable to chant the Buddha's name, but they would also be unable to use the Buddha's light.

Amitabha Buddha holds an extraordinary position in Buddhism; he is the Buddha of Light, the Buddha of Guidance, and the master of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The twelve divine lights held by Amitabha Buddha are the various Buddha lights in Buddhism. Without him, the Pure Land of Amitabha would not exist. Without the Pure Land of Amitabha, how can sentient beings take refuge?
Therefore, although Zhuang Yan did not even ride in his own imperial carriage but arrived directly on a cloud, the Buddhist side greeted him with extremely high honors.

First, Maitreya Buddha was the leader, and all the existing Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist community came to the mountain gate to greet him.

Furthermore, there were celestial attendants, golden boys and jade maidens laying golden cushions and sprinkling celestial flowers, Vajra formations, Arhats chanting scriptures, fragrant flowers paving the way, and Bodhisattvas leading the way.

Huang Zhoujun and Huo Ling Zhenxian, who were following behind Zhuang Yan, exchanged a glance and saw deep surprise in each other's eyes. Even though they were just following behind Zhuang Yan, they felt honored.

"We, your humble monks, respectfully welcome His Majesty the Great Emperor of Shenxiao." Maitreya Buddha led the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas forward and bowed to Zhuang Yan with their palms together.

Zhuang Yan reached out and helped Maitreya Buddha up, saying, "Buddha from the East, your courtesy is too much; I truly cannot accept it."

After saying this, he turned to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas behind Maitreya Buddha and said, "Fellow practitioners, please rise. There is no need for such formalities."

"Thank you, Great Emperor Shenxiao." Only then did the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas rise from their bows in gratitude.

Subsequently, Maitreya Buddha led all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to welcome Zhuang Yan into Mount Sumeru. They first held a vegetarian banquet, with the Buddhas accompanying Zhuang Yan to welcome him, and then arranged a separate celestial palace for Zhuang Yan to stay in.

After Zhuang Yan moved into the celestial palace, Sun Wukong came to pay his respects again.

"Nephew greets Uncle." Sun Wukong was not wearing Buddhist robes, but only the robes of a celestial official bestowed by the Heavenly Court, as he kowtowed to Zhuang Yan in greeting.

According to Buddhist teachings, if one leaves home, one has no family; so where would one find relatives?
Therefore, it was inappropriate and unseemly for Sun Wukong to wear Buddhist robes when paying respects to Zhuang Yan, so he came wearing an official robe instead.

Zhuang Yan looked at Sun Wukong and laughed, "Now that you're free, why don't you spend as much time on Flower Fruit Mountain anymore?"

Sun Wukong sat there waving his hand and said, "It's different now, it's different now."

Zhuang Yan understood what he meant by "different". The current Sun Wukong was completely different in mindset and realm from the Sun Wukong who once wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Huaguo Mountain is his home and his training ground, but he is no longer the same 'monkey demon' he once was.

"Uncle, why didn't Sister Zhaoyan come?" Sun Wukong asked curiously.

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "She is traveling in Xiniu Hezhou, so I didn't bring her. Besides, it's better for her not to come to this kind of occasion. It's much better for her to travel around the world than to socialize in this kind of place."

“That’s true.” Sun Wukong nodded, then added, “By the way, Uncle, Patriarch Bodhi asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that all the Human Emperors have arrived and that a banquet will be held tomorrow for you and the Human Emperors to get to know each other in the Flowing Light Hall.”

Zhuang Yan nodded and smiled, "Okay."

Just then, the boy carrying a staff walked in from outside the hall and reported, "Master, the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi has come to visit and is waiting outside the hall."

"Oh?" Zhuang Yan immediately stood up and said, "Please come in quickly."

The boy holding the staff turned and left, and at this moment, Sun Wukong, Huang Zhoujun, and Huo Ling Zhenxian also stood up.

A moment later, a Taoist priest wearing a purple-gold crown and a cloud-crane cloak, with the appearance of a child and the face of a beauty, walked in with square steps.

Behind the Taoist priest was a young Taoist. Sun Wukong looked closely and recognized him as Zhi Du, the youngest disciple of Zhen Yuanzi.

Zhuang Yan descended the palace steps, and Zhen Yuanzi hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, saying, "How dare I allow the Great Emperor Shenxiao to descend the steps to welcome me? You have made me feel ashamed."

"Hahaha." Zhuang Yan laughed loudly, took Zhen Yuanzi's hand and said, "There is no Shenxiao Emperor here on Mount Sumeru, only like-minded friends."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi laughed heartily and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

After saying that, Zhen Yuanzi turned his gaze to Sun Wukong beside him and said, "My brother is here too?"

Sun Wukong chuckled and bowed, saying, "Younger brother greets elder brother."

Zhen Yuanzi reached out and patted Sun Wukong on the shoulder, saying, "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you today, brother."

Sun Wukong was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "What makes you say that, brother?"

Zhen Yuanzi turned around and pointed, and Zhi Du immediately came forward with the jade plate in his hand and presented it to Zhuang Yan.

Then Zhen Yuanzi reached out and lifted the cloud-patterned brocade covering the jade plate, revealing a row of small and adorable ginseng fruits filled with celestial energy.

Zhen Yuanzi cupped his hands and smiled, "This humble Taoist has nothing of value in my temple, so I can only offer this ginseng fruit to Your Majesty."

Zhuang Yan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your generous gift, Great Immortal Zhenyuan. Now, take me to my abode."

Xiuhuang Tongzi acknowledged the order, then stepped forward to take the jade plate from Zhidu's hands, turned around, and walked into the back hall.

Only then did Sun Wukong understand, and he said with a smile, "So that's what you meant, brother. Don't worry, don't worry, I, Old Sun, am greedy but not stingy."

Zhuang Yan smiled and invited Zhen Yuanzi to take a seat, but Zhen Yuanzi declined, saying, "Your Majesty, I have only been here a short time and came to pay my respects to Your Majesty as soon as possible. I still have a few friends to visit, so I must take my leave now."

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Alright, since that's the case, then I won't keep you any longer. We'll meet again when the Great Immortal has some free time."

Zhenyuan Daxian immediately bowed and said, "How dare I disobey your command?"

Not long after Zhenyuan Daxian left, Sun Wukong also bid farewell to Zhuang Yan and departed. Now that he was the Victorious Fighting Buddha and the host, he naturally had to go and take care of other distinguished guests.

Not long after, the Great Emperors of the Eastern Peak, Central Peak, Southern Peak, and Northern Peak also came to pay their respects to Zhuang Yan, each presenting him with treasures and rare items from their respective sacred mountains, which Zhuang Yan accepted one by one.

Then the Four Great Emperors specially invited Huang Zhoujun to a gathering. Since they were all invited by the Buddhist sect to attend the Dharma assembly, not on official business, and there was no hierarchy, Huang Zhoujun simply informed Zhuang Yan and went to meet with the Four Great Emperors. Zhuang Yan asked the Fire Spirit True Immortal, "Why aren't you going out to find someone to gather with?"

Fire Spirit Immortal said, "I will accompany Your Majesty."

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Look at how many people are coming to my place, I don't need you to accompany me."

Hearing this, Huo Ling Zhenxian felt a little embarrassed and said with unusual embarrassment, "I...I don't have any friends here, and I don't know many people."

"Wouldn't you make some acquaintances if you went out for a walk?" Zhuang Yan waved his hand and said, "Go, this time you must make a few friends on Mount Sumeru, this is an imperial decree."

Upon hearing this, True Immortal Huo Ling felt helpless and could only bow and say, "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey."

After the Fire Spirit Immortal left, Zhuang Yan summoned a Buddhist nun who was serving in the palace and asked, "Which deities were invited to this Dharma assembly?"

Upon hearing this, the nun replied, "Your Majesty, the ones invited this time are all virtuous and powerful deities from the mortal realm."

"Weren't the ones in the sky invited?" Zhuang Yan asked.

The nun shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, no."

Zhuang Yan nodded slightly. This was the pattern after the separation of heaven and earth, and the influence of the gods in heaven on the human world was greatly reduced.

“However, all the deities who have temples in the lower realms were invited, such as the Eastern King Duke of Zifu Continent and the Western Queen Mother of Kunlun,” the nun said.

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "The Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother have also come?"

“We’ve arrived. We arrived a few days ago,” the nun said, bowing.

But as soon as he finished speaking, another monk strode in and bowed to Zhuang Yan, saying, "Reporting to the Divine Emperor, the Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother have arrived together and are already outside the Immortal Palace."

The nun who had spoken earlier immediately withdrew silently, while Zhuang Yan rose again and descended the steps to personally greet them from the celestial palace.

Outside the celestial palace, the Eastern King Duke, dressed in a purple celestial robe and wearing a blue jade crown, with a long beard reaching his chest, possessed a handsome and elegant appearance.

The Queen Mother of the West was dressed in a fairy robe adorned with lotus blossoms amidst the clouds of Jiuhua Mountain, her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with tinkling ornaments, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.

Although Zhuang Yan is now of the same rank as them, he is still a junior, so he first greeted them, saying, "Greetings to the Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother."

Dongwanggong returned the greeting with a bow and said with a smile, "The Great Emperor Shenxiao fought against four Great Awakened Golden Immortals all by himself. His divine power and might shook the Three Realms. He is truly admirable."

"Not at all," Zhuang Yan said with a smile. "It's all thanks to the four fellow Daoists, including Bo Xun and Brahma, who gave me face."

The Queen Mother of the West asked with a smile, "Then surely Brahma himself went into the Thunder Marsh under Mount Buzhou?"

"Yes." Zhuang Yan nodded seriously in reply.

A smile flickered in the Queen Mother of the West's phoenix eyes as she asked, "And what is the meaning of the Six-Finger Mountain?"

Zhuang Yan said, "Six means smoothness. Fellow Daoist Brahma transformed into a six-fingered mountain peak, which is to bless all beings with great fortune and smoothness."

After hearing this, the Queen Mother of the West couldn't help but exclaim, "It seems that this fellow Daoist Brahma is very experienced in his actions, bestowing blessings upon all beings with six true words. He is truly admirable."

Zhuang Yan smiled and turned to invite the Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother into the palace, where they were seated and served tea.

The three entered the main hall and took their seats. The nun immediately served them spiritual tea. Since the three were of the same rank and did not have a deep personal relationship, the Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother were really just there to pay a visit.

"Divine Emperor Shenxiao, do you have a choice for the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain?" the Queen Mother of the West asked.

Zhuang Yan smiled and said, "I heard that the various human emperors have also come to Mount Sumeru. I will meet with them tomorrow."

The Queen Mother of the West said, "In my opinion, Suihuang is more suitable for the position of Emperor of the Western Mountain."

Zhuang Yan was somewhat surprised and asked the Queen Mother of the West, "Why does the Queen Mother of the West think so highly of Suiren?"

The Queen Mother of the West said, "Suirenshi transmitted fire to humankind, thus initiating human civilization. He was the first among all human emperors, but at the same time, he possessed the least amount of human essence."

"Humanity's original intention?" Zhuang Yan asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

Dongwang Gongdao said: "It is the idea that the human race is the foundation. Except for Suirenshi, all emperors have the idea of ​​'human race supremacy', which values ​​the human race and despises all other beings."

Zhuang Yan suddenly realized, "They don't practice equality for all beings?"

The Queen Mother of the West rolled her eyes and asked in return, "Great Emperor Shenxiao, guess why they are called 'Human Emperor'?"

Zhuang Yan chuckled and immediately understood what the Queen Mother of the West meant: "Didn't Suirenshi advocate the supremacy of the human race?"

"Not exactly," said the Queen Mother of the West. "He is just more peaceful than other human emperors. He believes that the human race is the leader of all spirits and should shoulder the responsibility of being a role model for all spirits, leading all living beings to promote education, build civilization, escape suffering, and achieve a prosperous age."

Zhuang Yan asked, "What about the other emperors? What are their ideas about the supremacy of humanity?"

The Queen Mother of the West said, "Apart from Suiren, all other human emperors regard the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan as their leader. They believe that the human race is supreme in the Three Realms and should rule the human world. All other spirits should be subjects if they obey and be conquered if they rebel. All directions are under the rule of humanity."

“That’s a bit extreme,” Zhuang Yan said. “If that’s the case, the Three Realms will be constantly at war and filled with endless killing.”

At this point, Zhuang Yan added, "Besides these emperors, can't we choose anyone else?"

The Queen Mother of the West and the King Father of the East exchanged a glance, then shook their heads and said, "The Great Heavenly Venerable has three conditions for selecting the Heavenly Emperor: first, one must have unparalleled merit; second, one must have magnificent fortune; and third, one must have the power to suppress the world. At least two of these three must be present."

Dongwanggong added, "Now, within the Three Realms, only these human emperors are qualified to be emperors of a region."

“I understand,” Zhuang Yan said. “These three conditions can actually be summarized as one condition: you must have merit, prestige, and the ability to keep people in check, right?”

The Queen Mother of the West nodded and said, "The greatest truths are the simplest; that is the principle."

Zhuang Yan nodded slightly and said solemnly to the Queen Mother of the West, "When I meet with the emperors tomorrow, I will focus on examining the issues raised by the two emperors."

Seeing that Zhuang Yan had accepted their suggestion, the Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother said no more, and nodded and smiled at Zhuang Yan. (End of this chapter)