I start by accepting Sun Wukong as my disciple and reshape the Journey to the West

Chapter 136 There is still so much I need to learn.
"Greetings, Sage Xuantian!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The Ten Kings of Hell were waiting outside the Yama Palace, with countless ghost kings and ghost generals protecting them. The sight of them all surprised Li Shimin and Wei Zheng.

Having witnessed the awe-inspiring feat of conquering the heavens and the reverence shown by the King of Hell, the two felt less fear of immortals and gods.

"Master!" Dongfang Shuo also bowed before the Ten Kings of Hell.

"You did a great job!" Ye Xuantian nodded with a smile.

"Dongfang Shuo, the third disciple of Xuantian Sect, the adopted son of the Queen Mother, and the eldest disciple of Emperor Donghua, greets King Tang."

"You're too kind, Immortal Lord!" Li Shimin hurriedly said. Coming to his senses, Li Shimin then nodded to the Ten Kings of Hell: "You're too kind, gentlemen!"

King Chujiang stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the Dragon King of the Jing River is inside!"

"Your Majesty, the Buddhist sect in the Western Paradise wishes to spread its teachings to the East. Therefore, they have offered the life of the Dragon King of the Jing River and all the aquatic creatures of the Jing River as sacrifices, all to lure the Tang Emperor into their scheme. We now urge the Tang Emperor to discern the conspiracy within. Please!"

……

In the Yama King's Palace, Ye Xuantian sat in the main seat, with the Tang King to his right, Dongfang Shuo and Wei Zheng standing on either side, the Ten Kings of Hell seated on either side, and the Jing River Dragon King standing below.

“Jinghe Dragon King, you may speak freely about any grievances you may have. Now that the Sage of Xuantian and King Tang are here, they will surely be able to uphold justice for you!” Judge Cui said.

Without hesitation, the Dragon King of Jinghe knelt down: "Please, Sage, King Tang, do justice for this little dragon. Guanyin of the South Sea, for the sake of the Western Tribulation and the cause and effect of the West, did not hesitate to exterminate all the aquatic creatures of my Jinghe River, forcibly framed me for violating the Heavenly Laws, and sent me to the Dragon Execution Platform, not allowing me to seek justice! Heaven and earth can bear witness to this crime. Please, Sage, take action to restore my innocence."

Upon hearing this, all ten Kings of Hell closed their eyes and remained silent.

Li Shimin looked at Ye Xuantian. Although Ye Xuantian had given him a heads-up, the truth still shocked him. After all, the dragon race was a lofty and unattainable existence in the eyes of mortals, but now it seemed that they were nothing more than pawns.

"What does the Tang Emperor think?" Ye Xuantian posed the question to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin's lips twitched slightly as he sat and watched! He was merely a mortal emperor; how could he possibly manage such matters? The official pronouncements from the imperial palace, when applied to this place, lacked a certain tact and effectiveness.

Li Shimin now deeply understands the saying: "Without swift and decisive measures, do not harbor compassion."

"I wish to seek justice for the Jing River Dragon King. May I ask Your Majesty if you have any suggestions?" Li Shimin finally spoke, his bold words echoing in the palace. If he were to back down simply because of the difference between immortals and mortals, then he, as an emperor, would be somewhat demeaning.

“Guanyin Bodhisattva was right just now. The Tathagata Buddha is now trapped on Mount Ling and cannot move, and the Future Buddha is confined to Mount Lingjiu. He is indeed the one walking outside the Buddhist sect. As long as He is driving the Great Kalpa, no one can easily touch Him without actual evidence to prove what the Jinghe Dragon King said.”

Ye Xuantian's words silenced Li Shimin and stunned the Jinghe Dragon King.

"So, according to the sage, the lives of my entire clan and my son were all lost in vain?"

Ye Xuantian lowered his eyes: "Didn't the Jinghe Dragon King ever think that he would die too?"

The Jinghe Dragon King was stunned once again. He was the Jinghe Dragon King, the chief of the eight rivers, the dragon king of all the aquatic creatures, and the father of Tuojie, but he forgot himself, and even his own name was blurred.

"Little Dragon's crippled body is no longer afraid of life or death, but it is a pity for my people and my son! If the Sage can avenge my son, Little Dragon is willing to form a core with his remaining soul to help the Sage cultivate."

"To be honest, if you were one of the Four Dragon Kings, perhaps swallowing your soul pill would be of some use to me. But you underestimate me, the head of the Eight Rivers."

Ye Xuantian's words were too ruthless, but the Jinghe Dragon King showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever. Instead, he continued, "As long as the Sage can avenge my son, I, the little dragon, will be at the Sage's command."

"What does the Tang King think?" Ye Xuantian ignored the Jinghe Dragon King below and instead looked at Li Shimin to the side.

Li Shimin really wanted to say "I'll sit and watch" aloud, but he was ultimately bound by imperial dignity, and given the seriousness of the occasion, he refrained from complaining and instead slowly rose to greet Ye Xuantian.

"In recent years, emperors in the mortal world have claimed the Mandate of Heaven and received the blessing of the dragon vein to become emperors. The dragon race has a fatal attraction for mortals, so we ask the sage to take action for the aquatic creatures of the Jing River."

Li Shimin's words were sincere and heartfelt. The common people have regarded dragons and phoenixes as auspicious omens for many years, and his words are indeed reasonable.

"Forget it, there's no point in bringing ordinary dragons under my command. Although the Jinghe Dragon King is weak, he has finally entered the Great Tribulation. If he cultivates diligently under the Great Tribulation, he may achieve great things in the future. Furthermore, since the Tang King has spoken, it would be unreasonable for me not to take action."

"If I avenge your son, would you be willing to be my mount?"

Ye Xuantian's words brought tears to the eyes of the Jinghe Dragon King below. He knew what it meant when Ye Xuantian said that Guanyin Bodhisattva was the one who had accomplished the great feat of Buddhism entering the world. Even so, Ye Xuantian was still willing to help him. How could he refuse?
"Xiaolong is willing! Xiaolong is willing to serve the saint like a beast of burden."

"Good! Now that you have joined my ranks, you should have a name. You entered the Great Tribulation with your physical body and exited it with your soul, intending to return. At the moment of your death, you thought of the aquatic creatures and your son, forgetting yourself. So, I will call you Ao Hui. This time, you will return to your original soul and not be affected by external things!"

“Ao Hui greets his master!” Ao Hui immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed.

"The Dragon King of the Jing River, drawn by the great calamity and urged by Buddhism, violated the heavenly rules and entered the great calamity with his body. When his soul was about to perish, he was left with a grievance. Now, the upright and unyielding King Tang, unafraid of the difference between immortals and mortals, seeks justice for the Dragon King of the Jing River!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin blinked his large eyes at Ye Xuantian, looking completely innocent: Me? Unafraid of the difference between immortals and mortals? Upright and unyielding? Do I?
"Leading twenty-four ministers, they entered the underworld to suppress ghosts and demons, distinguish between loyalty and treachery, and force the ten Kings of Hell to bow their heads!"

Wei Zheng: Are our twenty-four ministers really that awesome?
Wei Zheng looked down at the Ten Kings of Hell, who were indeed all sitting with their eyes closed, not uttering a word. Wei Zheng's face turned even redder, but his thought was: I will definitely remember this sentence and tell them properly when I get back.

"I happened to be passing through the underworld and could not bear to see the Jing River lineage die out. Therefore, I took the Jing River Dragon King Ao Hui under my command and beg the Great Tang Dynasty to have mercy and restore the Jing River Dragon King's three souls and seven spirits!"

Dongfang Shuo: Master, you used the word "coincidentally" so well, there's no trace of coincidence at all!

Dongfang Shuo really learned something new this time. He realized that this was how official language was used. Every word was precious and full of righteous indignation, making the listeners' blood boil.

And look at the Tang Emperor; Wei Zheng's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom. You can tell how much these words pleased them. He orchestrated this whole affair, yet he kept his achievements hidden.

"Master, there is still so much I need to learn. Master is truly too comprehensive!"

Dongfang Shuo silently grumbled to himself, but as Ye Xuantian finished speaking, the Great Tang Imperial Palace fell, and the Great Cauldron of National Fortune above it emitted nine loud bangs, and a giant dragon flew out across the sky.

Roar!
The sound of dragons roaring could not be heard.

"Hmm?" Guanyin Bodhisattva frowned, her killing intent reaching its peak as she looked at the giant dragon.

"Insolence! Jinghe Dragon King, you still have your three souls and seven spirits hidden in the world!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva's voice successfully attracted Ao Hui's attention, and Ao Hui's huge dragon head looked at Guanyin Bodhisattva.

"You chant words of compassion, yet you act with utter despicable motives. Guanyin Bodhisattva, give me back my son's life!"

Ao Hui opened his mouth wide and let out a series of loud roars.

The sound waves seemed almost tangible, rushing straight towards Guanyin Bodhisattva.

"You were no match for me in life, and now you dare to dream of fighting me even in death?"

Within Guanyin Bodhisattva's vase, the willow branch grew wildly, transforming into a towering tree in the blink of an eye. Countless branches, resembling long snakes, completely bound Ao Hui's body in an instant.

"Evil dragon! Since your three souls and seven spirits are still intact, then I will refine this part of your soul into a golden core to aid my cultivation!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva placed a single palm on Ao Hui's brow, and a swastika appeared in her palm, surging with Buddhist essence, which caused Ao Hui's eyes to lose their luster.

But at that moment, a crisp sound was heard.

Click!

Immediately following was a series of loud noises. In the blink of an eye, all the willow branches shattered. Ao Hui regained his composure and was about to pounce on Guanyin Bodhisattva again, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"How dare you act so recklessly without the guidance of the law! Don't forget your current status. Ao Hui!"

It turned out that Li Shimin had appeared on Ao Hui's back at some unknown time, standing there with his hands clasped.

Ao Hui!

These two words finally stirred up the memories of the Jinghe Dragon King. Yes, after his remnant soul entered the underworld, he had sold himself to Ye Xuantian.

He is no longer the Dragon King of the Jing River, but Ye Xuantian's mount—Ao Hui!
Although Ye Xuantian did not appear, Ao Hui did not make a move again, after all, Li Shimin had been standing next to Ye Xuantian earlier.

"Bodhisattva Guanyin, how dare you harm the auspicious destiny of my Great Tang Dynasty!"

"Auspicious omen for the Tang Dynasty? Your Majesty, you must be confused. He is the Jing River Dragon King, who has violated the Heavenly Laws!" Guanyin Bodhisattva said coldly, "Does Your Majesty truly intend to become an enemy of the West for the sake of a wicked dragon?"

"Could it be that the Bodhisattva has been blinded by anger and cannot even see the power of the nation's destiny?"

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva looked closely at the Jinghe Dragon King. To her surprise, she saw strands of the nation's destiny within the Jinghe Dragon King's body.

"No wonder he was able to preserve his three souls and seven spirits. The Tang King is truly magnanimous, actually using the National Fortune Cauldron to help him cover up the karma. Does this mean that the Tang King is destined not to resolve the karma of my Western Paradise?"

"It's not that I can't choose the person to go on the pilgrimage, but a Bodhisattva always has to give something in return. Let's not talk about the Jing River Dragon King. Whether he died unjustly or not, the Bodhisattva knows better than I do. Handing over the brocade cassock and the nine-ringed staff can be considered the Bodhisattva's compensation for offending the fate of my Great Tang Dynasty. In return, I will grant you a karmic path to the West for the pilgrimage. What does the Bodhisattva think?"

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva's eyes turned cold, and her image slowly solidified behind her.

"Emperor Tang, do you want to die?"

"I return the same words to Guanyin Bodhisattva. In the past, I led twenty-four ministers to dare to challenge Heaven. Today, it is not impossible for me to fight against the Bodhisattva. Where are the twenty-four ministers of Lingyan Pavilion!"

"exist!"

With a reply, the illusory figures of the twenty-four ministers behind the Tang Emperor solidified once more.

(End of this chapter)