Journey to the West: Starting by becoming an apprentice of Emperor Donghua

Fei Changfang pushed open the courtyard gate, and the two of them stepped into the courtyard together.

A fragrant aroma of porridge wafted over, and inside the kitchen, a beautiful woman was seen tending to the stove.

Steam was bubbling out of the earthenware pot on the stove.

The commotion they made also alerted the woman.

When she saw Ji Sheng, she was stunned for a moment, but then she didn't dare to hesitate for a second and tried to run away.

With a cold laugh, Ji Sheng unleashed a burst of green light from his fingertips, terrifying the woman to the point of utter panic.

But upon approaching the woman, the green light suddenly transformed into a long snake, wrapping around her three times and binding her tightly.

This green snake technique is a move from the Azure Dragon Swordplay, called Green Snake Leading, which can be both hard and soft. It can be gathered into a sword beam to attack the enemy, and it can also be a flexible and clever green snake to outmaneuver the enemy.

This is also a new skill that Ji Sheng has recently acquired through arduous practice.

The woman lay limp on the ground, revealing her true form: a fat fox with red fur and a white belly.

The fox was missing a patch of fur on its head, making it look bald, which was quite strange.

It was none other than the same fox from before.

"Immortal, spare me! Immortal, spare me!"

Fei Changfang was taken aback by the sight of the woman transforming into a fox. But what surprised him even more was that the fox spoke in a male voice.

Ji Sheng kept sneering:

"You audacious fox! How dare you ignore my warnings! It seems you won't learn your lesson until you're faced with death. This time, I'll send you to your next life!"

The fox immediately cried out:

"Injustice! Injustice! Immortal, please hear my explanation! You mustn't indiscriminately kill good people—no, good demons!"

Ji Sheng knew this fox was going to make excuses again, and laughed:

"Indiscriminately killing good demons? Tell me, what kind of good demon are you?"

The fox breathed a sigh of relief:

"Your Highness, the ropes are tied a bit too tightly. Could you loosen them a little?"

Ji Shengdao:

"How can I not tie you up tightly, you fox? One more word and I'll execute you without mercy!"

The fox sighed and could only say:

"Immortal, you have truly misunderstood me. It's not that I want to bother Zhao Daniu, but Zhao Daniu is on the verge of death."

If it weren't for my care, he and his mother would have been meeting their maker by now. Go and see for yourself!

Fei Changfang went inside and looked around for a moment, then came out and said:

"That's absolutely true. Several days ago, Zhao Daniu and his mother were already critically ill, and they're still clinging to life. This fox has certainly taken good care of them."

The fox was clearly quite pleased with itself, its exposed tail wagging incessantly.

"How about it? I'm a really good monster, I've never done anything bad, not even stolen a chicken. Immortal, please let me go."

Ji Shengdao:

"Didn't I tell you the other day to stop bothering them? You left and came back, saying you had no other intentions. Do you think I'd believe you?"

The fox demons are all incredibly cunning and shrewd. Ji Sheng didn't believe that he was only returning to take care of the two of them at the risk of his life.

"If the immortal doesn't believe me, there's nothing I can do... Alright, alright, I'll tell you the truth now, immortal, please don't act impulsively!"

As soon as the green snake tightened its grip, the fox immediately cried out in pain:

"My fox demon clan possesses a cultivation technique that allows one to draw upon the fortune of a person of great destiny to aid in their own cultivation. This Zhao Daniu is such a person, which is why I have come here..."

I see. Although the fox was full of lies, this explanation does make sense.

However, Ji Sheng didn't quite believe that Zhao Daniu was a person with great fortune.

Ji Sheng didn't know any aura reading techniques, so he couldn't see anything.

Since the fox hadn't harmed the other party, Ji Sheng had no reason to kill him. A little scare would suffice.

"Once is enough, twice is bad, but a third time is not. This is the second time. If there's a third, I'll make sure you're beheaded. Get out of here!"

The green snake on the fox's body disappeared, and he leaped over the wall in a few steps, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Ji Sheng entered the house, where Fei Changfang had already fed Zhao Daniu and his mother the elixir.

The two were now breathing steadily, and their complexions had returned to a rosy hue; it seemed they would be fully recovered by tomorrow.

After leaving the house, Ji Sheng and Fei Changfang spent most of the day distributing the pills to all the infected individuals.

On their way back, the two were stopped by villagers who offered them fruits as a token of their gratitude. Fei Changfang, clearly accustomed to such occasions, handled the situation calmly.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ji Sheng went to a secluded spot and summoned the Donghua Decree.

Sure enough, a new line of small characters appeared on the Donghua Token:

[Second merit in pacifying the epidemic and ensuring the safety of the people.]

[Merit Evaluation: Lower Grade B]

[Reward: Three strands of innate Eastern Qi; Jia-Yi Sword Forging Technique.]

In addition to the three strands of Donghua Qi, there was an extra reward this time: judging from the name, it should be a set of weapon-refining techniques.

Four streams of light flew out from the Donghua Decree. Three of them flew into Ji Sheng's Niwan Palace, where they intertwined with the two strands of Donghua Qi that were already there.

The last one, floating in mid-air, was the method of forging the sword. Ji Sheng didn't rush to absorb it, but instead concentrated his mind to examine it.

Several lines of small text appeared on the ball of light:

【Jia Yi Sword Forging Method (Gold Part 2): The sword forging technique passed down by the Donghua lineage, which can manipulate the wood energy of Jia and Yi to forge and nurture the sword blank, and refine it into a magical treasure.

When magical artifacts are crafted to a high level, they can freely change form, imbuing them with endless vitality. The wood element (甲乙木气) can also be used to repair damaged artifacts.

The Jia-Yi Sword Forging Method is a perfect match for the Wisteria Heart I obtained a few days ago!

It was like a perfect opportunity. Ji Sheng wondered if this sword-forging technique was a special gift from the Eastern Emperor.

Thinking of this, he bowed three times to the sky. After all, it's never wrong to be polite, and he figured that Emperor Donghua wouldn't mind if he bowed a few more times.

On Penglai Island, one of the three overseas islands, the Eastern Emperor is playing chess with the Old Man of the South Pole. The Gods of Fortune and Prosperity are watching the game from the sidelines.

"Birthday boy, where do you think you're going to run now? Quickly throw down your pieces and admit defeat!"

Emperor Donghua's brilliant move immediately caused the God of Longevity to frown deeply. He held the chess piece in his hand, pondering for a long time before finally placing it down.

"Your Majesty, I've heard that you've recently taken on another disciple. Is this true?"

The birthday celebrant raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked a question.

Emperor Donghua glanced at the chessboard, a smile playing on his lips:

"That's right, your information network is quite impressive. It was Manqian who told you, wasn't it? How about we make a bet? If I win, you'll grant my disciple the same opportunity, how about that?"

The old man stroked his beard and said:

"And if you lose? If you lose, how about you give me your disciple as your apprentice?"

The Emperor laughed heartily:

"You birthday boy! I only wanted a few favors from you, and you're trying to take everything away from me?"

As they spoke, the God of Longevity placed his piece, instantly capturing a large number of Emperor Donghua's pieces. He laughed loudly:

"Your Majesty, you are distracted."

Now it was Donghua Dijun's turn to frown:

"They're actually playing dirty tricks here. This game doesn't count, this game doesn't count!"

As he spoke, Emperor Donghua flicked his sleeve, scattering the chessboard. The other immortals laughed at his antics.

At this moment, Ji Sheng and Fei Changfang also returned to the courtyard.

Master Hu was already waiting in the courtyard:

"Thanks to the two of you today, there were so many disaster victims. If I were on my own, I probably would have had a hard time dealing with them."

Ji Sheng shook his head and smiled bitterly:

"Master Hu, please don't make fun of us. This is a great deed, and it is I who should benefit from your good deeds."

Master Hu said to Fei Changfang:

"My disciple, I am quite satisfied with your performance these days, but if you want to embark on the path of immortality, a compassionate heart for the world is the foundation."

In addition, there is a test of character; if you can pass it, you will become my formal disciple.

He then looked at Ji Sheng:

"If Master Ji has time, you are welcome to come and watch together."