The cheerful tunes of the river played in my ear. Chu Kong’s chest brought back some memories of warmth; I went back to that day on Fengxuashan manor and lay on bed with the only shifu in that lifetime. Dependent wholeheartedly on him, wholeheartedly trusted and loved him. Those not loving memories unknowingly slowly disappeared.

　　I reached out and was about to hold Chu Kong’s waist when a familiar figure with a sense of excitement came down from the road.

　　“Aiya, what am I seeing? Blindly beautiful, oh! Two enemies hugging each other, ah!”

　　Like someone reckless, I and Chu Kong pushed each other away. We looked with uncertainty.

　　Yanwang who just came back from heaven was wearing a complex robe. He touched his chin. His pair of bright eyes looked between me and Chu Kong. Yanwang came back to the netherworld and saw me and Chu Kongh, his mood turned happy.

　　“Don’t be nervous. I didn’t come to be the little third wheel. You two continue, ah. Just now I saw you two hugging each other. It seemed even your soul will merge together.”

　　“Who’s who’s soul is merging with her!”

　　Chu Kong’s roar drummed into my ear.

　　“Xiaoye……xiaoye just got the cramps! Just the cramps!”

　　I also roared: “Who wants to hug that thing here! I also just got the cramps!”

　　“I understand, I understand. I totally understand.”

　　Yanwang smiled cheaply and nodded.

　　“Youngsters, playing some push and pull is also good.”

　　This guy watching we playing with our heart’s feeling must feel happy, ah.

　　I gave him face and didn’t expose him. After all, I and Chu Kong didn’t live for twenty years in the mortal realm, we still need to receive punishment from him……

　　I didn’t finish thinking when Chu Kong suddenly pulled my shoulder. He stared and me seriously and asked: “Have you already kissed?”

　　I blinked and stayed quiet. Does…….does this mean he cares about me? Seeing general Kong through the mirror, I sometimes can’t understand his thoughts. Facing with feelings that were hidden in the shadows and now came to the surface, I couldn’t help but feel shy.

　　While I was still shy to answer, Yanwang touched his chin and smiled: “Already kissed, yo.”

　　The hand on my shoulder tightened. Chu Kong’s face darkened. Yanwnag continued to laugh: “Kissed fiercely.”

　　The hand pinching my shoulder tightened a little more. He gritted his teeth and said: “Couldn’t you wait for me……”

　　I……have been waiting for you. Of course, I couldn’t say that. So I only glared at Yanwang and asked coldly: “When have I kissed?”

　　Yanwang continued to laugh: “You miss the gentleman everyday in the netherworld. Not seeing the gentleman you became weak. Such feelings made you become thin. You’ve certainly become lighter¹. Am I wrong?”

　　I raised an eyebrow. The hand on my shoulder loosened. I was silent for a while and then I understood that he was playing with us. I clearly saw the veins on Chu Kong’s forehead pop.

　　“Yanwang, you actually dared……”

　　A red whip swept across Yanwang. Yanwang dodged and said: “Aiya, aiya, I was wrong. Celestial star Chu Kong really isn’t cute. Just a joke, a joke.”

　　Yanwang was forced to take a few steps back by Chu Kong’s whip. He then stood firmly and smiled: “However, Chu Kong you can see, you have deep feelings for Xiao Xiang Zi. Even your face is green.”

　　He was saying that so excitedly. Chu Kong’s face must’ve turned green because of him.

　　In order to prevent Chu Kong from running away, I stopped him and said: “Did you forget? We still have to receive punishment from him……”

　　Chu Kong stiffened, gritted his teeth and reluctantly hid his whip.

　　Yanwang scratched his head and put and unwilling expression: “You don’t need to worry about that……”

　　His words hardly left his mouth, when on the road to the netherworld abruptly came a white aura of an immortal. I’ve never been beside such an aura before in heaven. Even my soul is getting stronger with that aura.

　　At the road stood the three little ghosts who bumped into me. They smiled while walking beside the immortal.

　　“Great God, this way.”

　　“Great God, no hurry.”

　　Such smiles are totally different from when they bumped into me.

　　When they got nearer, I saw that in the white aura is great golden star, Taibai. Why isn’t he enjoying in heaven? Why did he come to the netherworld?

　　“Yanwang really walks too fast. I can’t keep up with you.”

　　Great golden star Taibai, walked to Yanwang and shook his head.

　　“This old bones of mine can’t move anymore. Your netherworld’s miasma is heavier. This old bone can’t inhale anymore. Are celestial star Chu Kong and that cloud fairy Xian Zi here? After saying his majesty’s will, I need to hurry back.”

　　Yanwang pointed at me: “They are all there.”

　　Great golden start Taibai is famous in heaven for being blind. He took a few steps towards us before he saw us clearly. He nodded: “That’s right, that’s right. En, his majesty’s decree is here.”

　　The old man searched in his sleeves for a long while. He scratched his head and said: “Huh…….where……where did his majesty decree go to? Aiya, I, this old bone; can it be that I lost it on the way here?”

　　My mouth twitched. Chu Kong’s mouth also twitched: “Isn’t it that thing in your sleeves?”

　　Taibai realized: “Ah, here, here. This old bone’s memory is not good. Wait, I’ll read it.”

　　Chu Kong said: “Don’t. You need to rest. We’ll read it ourself.”

　　While saying that, he took the decree from great golden star Taibai. He opened it. His eyebrows raised and his eyes narrowed slightly. He closed the decree and looked at Yanwang: “You’d better explain what is going on.”

　　I was curious and looked at the decree in Chu Kong’s hand. Chu Kong gave me a glare. That look said “adult is doing business, children need to wait”. I thought I was truly being despised.

　　Yanwang touched his nose: “Well, in general it’s like this. On the eighteenth level of the netherworld a hole has been created. That hole is connected to a mountain from the mortal realm. In order to prevent the evil aura from leaking into the mortal realm, you are hereby ordered to go with Xiao Xiang Zi to fill the hole. Considering that this a difficult task, so the Jade emperor decided to give you two a little reward.”

　　Hearing the word “reward”, my mind was stuffed with gold. Excitedly, I asked loudly: “What reward?!”

　　Yanwang touched his chin. He smiled secretly: “Originally, you still have three lifetimes left. But if you complete this task, you don’t need to experience those three lifetimes anymore. Besides heavenly emperor Lee is feeling bitter because there isn’t a lifetime where you follows the fate he has written. He doesn’t want to arrange a love fate for you anymore.”

　　Hearing this reward I and Chu Kong was blank for a moment. My heart felt inexplicable empty.

　　Honestly speaking, I always wanted to escape our lifetimes together. But suddenly hearing that I can get rid of Chu Kong in an honest way and go back to heaven to continue be an idle fairy, I actually didn’t feel happy.

　　Chu Kong beside me also went silent.

　　Yanwang continued: “Taking into account the order of the mortal realm, you still have to reincarnate to go into the mortal realm. In this lifetime you’ll use your own body and still have your powers. If you unfortunately died in the mortal realm, you’ll still need to come to the netherworld to reincarnate. In short, when you two close the hole, it’ll be when you turn back into an immortal and go back to heaven.”

　　I looked at Chu Kong and saw him frown. I asked Yanwang: “What stones need to use to fill that hole. Where are those stones?”

　　“In the west of Wu mountain, there’s white fluorite. This product has the power to eliminate the evil. Using these stones to fill up the hole is the most appropriate thing.”

　　I nodded. Chu Kong threw Jade’s emperor decree on the ground and said: “I won’t do it. Don’t think I don’t know. That place is guarded by an ancient beast. Who bothers him, will be roasted. I am not stupid enough to take this task.”

　　Great golden star Taibai picked up the decree and said: “Celestial star Chu Kong doesn’t want to go, ah? But his majesty has pointed you and cloud fairy Xian Zi to go do this task.”

　　“Are all the people in heaven dead? There are many who has greater ability than me. Why the hell would he let xiaoye and this thing go risk our lives.”

　　Yanwang said coolly: “Recently only you two committed a mistake. This way, you two can atone. Also you can say that there isn’t really a risk. When you accidentally died, it’ll just be a trip to the netherworld.

　　Chu Kong said furiously: “Do you think that every time we died it won’t hurt or what?!”

　　He was putting strong resistance, while I was silent. According to Yanwang, in fact going to get the stones and going through a love lifetime isn’t really that different. Only the purpose is different. Going through a love lifetime’s purpose is to torment me and Chu Kong. Going to get the stones is to block evil and at the same time torment me and Chu Kong.

　　Left and right is for tormenting us. But going to get the stones, we can openly not drink the soup of oblivion and also we’ll have our powers. This is a really convenient thing!

　　Going to the mortal realm with power is a great advantage!

　　I immediately dragged Chu Kong behind me, took the decree from great golden star Taibai and said: “I am a sensible fairy. The Jade emperor has given me such a great responsibility, I can’t say no!”

　　Chu Kong pulled my hair and said gloomily: “You want to get whipped?”

　　Great golden star Taibai nodded: “Good girl, good girl. Is responsible, is responsible.”

　　Yanwang continued to say coolly: “Well, in that case, let Xiao Xiang Zi go get the stone alone. Celestial star Chu Kong, you can go drink the soup of oblivion and go reincarnate. Ah, this is a really happy arrangement.”

　　Chu Kong gritted his teeth for a while and was silent. He pulled the decree from my hand fiercely and said: “Getting the stones, then let’s get the stones.”

　　He glared at me: “You stay far away from me. You’re not allowed to be in my way.”

　　The implication is “I go take the risk, you hide behind me.”

　　Ha……now I can slowly get the hidden meaning behind his words. This is clearly a sentence that can make people feel warm, why is this guy saying it in such a bad way……..really dishonest.

　　Yanwang smiled and said: “Aiya, I didn’t know that celestial star Chu Kong is a good man who cares about other people.”

　　“Who cares about who?!”

　　Chu Kong glared at Yanwang.

　　Yanwang shook his head and sighed: “Really not honest ah. So not cute.”

　　I also sighed: “That’s right, really not honest.”

　　Great golden star Taibai nodded: “Not honest, not honest.”

　　Chu Kong’s pressed his veins that were about to pop.

　　“If you want to go get the stone, be faster. Xiaoye doesn’t have the free time to dawdle with you.”

　　“Celestial star Chu Kong, wait! This old bone still has something to say.”

　　Great golden star Taibai’s eyes lit up and went to Chu Kong’s side. He said softly: “Does celestial star Chu Kong know that the heaven has put on a bet? Betting on if you and cloud fairy will end up together or not.”

　　I looked at great golden star Taibai. Chu Kong’s mouth twitched: “You people in heaven is really not busy. If you’re so free you can go finish that beast at Wu mountain. It’ll let me get the stones more easily!”

　　“Don’t be angry celestial star Chu Kong. It was difficult for heaven to get such a pair as yourself. Naturally, we’ll concern ourself with you a little more.”

　　He leaned to Chu Kong and whispered: “From what I’ve observed, I bet three golden taels that you won’t be together. Celestial star Chu Kong, don’t let me down, ah.”

　　Chu Kong pushed Taibai’s head: “Go back to your heaven.”

　　Then he turned and said: “Xiao Xiang Zi, let’s go.”

　　I searched on my body for a long while and finally dug out a ten copper coins. I stuffed them into great golden star Taibai’s hand and asked solemnly: “When you go back remember to help me make a bet. I bet we’ll not end up together. How much are the odds? How many people have already bet? When the bet is over, when can we get the money……”

　　My wrist felt tight. Chu Kong grabbed me. I looked at him and he said full of evilness: “You also have the time to pursuit things, ah.”

　　I opened my mouth, but didn’t get the time to speak. He turned. He seemed really furious. I immediately went silent and walked to the bridge.

　　Passing Yanwang, he looked at me smilingly and said: “I bet ten golden taels, you will be together.

　　I looked at Yanwang stunned. He waved at us and wished us a good journey.

　　Wait, wait! I struggled a bit. Chu Kong grabbed me tighter. What this Yanwang said still has some value! Wait, wait! I want to change my bet! Ten copper coins, betting we’ll be together! Great golden star, don’t go!

　　I couldn’t say what was in my heart. Chu Kong pulled me to the well of reincarnation. He didn’t say anything and kicked me into circle of reincarnation.

　　Wait, wait! That’s ten copper coins, ah! Ten copper coins, ah!

　　Comments:

　　I’m beginning to like Yanwang. He’s really a fox. He really knows how to get to Chu Kong XD.

　　

1. 轻 (qīng): lighter. Losing weight. 亲(qīn): kiss. They sound the same. Yanwang is playing with them.