Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

"The Third Prince is most courteous. His Majesty the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother have sent me and others to comfort the great army. We are honored to be welcomed by the Third Prince, and Zi Lan is humbled!"

Zi Lan Fairy bowed to Nezha the Third Prince and gestured toward the supply convoy behind her, "These are the supplies for comforting the army. Please, Third Prince, check and accept them, and lead us to the barracks."

With the capabilities of the Heavenly Court, it would have been easy to use a Storage Magic Treasure to carry all the comfort supplies, but it was by the decree of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother that Zi Lan Fairy and the others had come to comfort the army; thus, it was necessary to display everything openly and not just use a Storage Magic Treasure casually.

It was proper for Nezha to check them before using a Storage Magic Treasure to store them away—that was the etiquette.

Nezha knew this well and, upon hearing this, smiled and nodded his head. Zi Lan Fairy's arrangement was exactly to his liking; he couldn't possibly run off with so many supplies! Storing them in the Storage Bag would be perfect!

After symbolically checking the supplies, Nezha waved his large hand, stuffing all the Spirit Valley herbs, Spirit Pills, Immortal Fruits, spirit meats, and so forth into a Storage Bag, which he tucked away in his embrace, then led Zi Lan Fairy and her group toward the barracks.

"You take the Heavenly Soldiers and tour the barracks to comfort the soldiers. Also, deliver this letter to the Marshal. Remember, all right?"

As soon as they entered the barracks, Nezha called the patrol team leader of the Heavenly Soldiers over and gave him his orders.

"What about you, Third Prince?"

The team leader of the Heavenly Soldiers was somewhat confused. It was Nezha himself who had requested from Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing the task of welcoming the comfort delegation; why did it seem like Nezha was now trying to slip away?

"Is it necessary for this Crown Prince to report everything to you?"

Nezha glared, "Just go where you're told. Why so much fuss?"

"Yes, yes, I misspoke! Rest assured, Third Prince, I'll take good care of the Heavenly Soldiers!"

"And the letter!"

"Right, right, I will definitely deliver the letter to the Marshal!"

"That's better! Alright, off you go!"

Nezha nodded in satisfaction, turned around, mounted his Wind-Fire Wheels, and flew out of the barracks.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Strange, why did Nezha fly away alone? He has all the comfort supplies with him!"

All the way, Zi Lan Fairy had been looking for an opportunity to inquire about Sun Wukong from Nezha, as among the thirty thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals sent to hunt the demon, Nezha was the strongest and most likely to have encountered Sun Wukong. Thus, she considered him the best source of information and had been keeping an eye on Nezha's movements.

Seeing him leaving the barracks alone, she grew suspicious and stealthily followed him on her cloud.

After leaving the barracks, Nezha flew straight toward the original location of the Heavenly Pillar at Mount Buzhou.

Although Goddess Nuwa's refining stone had mended the rifts between Heaven and the Mortal Realm, the environment around the Polar Realm of Heaven had already become a convergence point for spatial nodes between various realms, including between Heaven and the Netherworld where the two realms' nodes were located at the original site of the Mount Buzhou Heavenly Pillar, which had long since vanished, leaving only a Heavenly Lake in its place.

Nezha, riding on his Wind-Fire Wheels, approached the edge of Heavenly Lake and was about to land when suddenly his expression changed, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes. He turned and thrust the fire-tipped spear held in his hand towards the rear diagonally.

"Who's there?"

"Ahh!"

A woman's scream rang out as Nezha's fire-tipped spear stopped just in front of a woman's chest. The fire from the spear slightly reddened her tender skin, and her pretty face was filled with terror—it was Zi Lan Fairy, who had followed Nezha.

"It's Zi Lan Fairy! What are you sneakily following me for? If I hadn't withdrawn my hand quickly, you would have been wounded by my spear!"

Nezha furrowed his brows. If he hadn't recognized Zi Lan Fairy in time and withdrawn his hand, he might have really injured her. Zi Lan Fairy was supposed to be the official envoy offering comfort at the barracks, so why was she stealthily following him?

"You scared me to death!"

Zi Lan Fairy took a few deep breaths, her face showing utter shock. She had been truly frightened, with the spear point merely an inch from her body; its sharpness and heat had caused her skin to sting slightly. Had it actually pierced her, it definitely would have left a hole.

"You couldn't possibly be interested in me, could you?"

Seeing Zi Lan Fairy patting her chest and gasping for breath without responding, a thought flashed through Nezha's mind. During his entrance into the barracks, he had overheard whisperings among the fairies—could their words be true? Was Zi Lan Fairy going to all this effort to comfort the army just to get close to him?

"Though it's true that I, the Crown Prince, am as handsome as a sculpture and as elegant as the breeze, Zi Lan Fairy, I have no thoughts of marriage yet. And immortals mustn't fall in love freely, requiring both His Majesty the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother to bless the union. You understand this, don't you?"

Zi Lan Fairy, stunned by Nezha's barrage of questions, regained her senses, blushed, and scoffed quietly, "Pshaw! Who's interested in you? Don't talk nonsense, Third Prince. I was following you because I needed to inquire about something, not because I like you!"

"Inquire about something? What do you want to know?"

Nezha was taken aback, it wasn't that she liked him? That was strange! He, Nezha the Third Prince, was considered the ideal man by numerous fairies in the Heavenly Court, yet Zi Lan Fairy claimed she had no interest in him!

"That, um, do you know Sun Wukong's whereabouts? Has he really not come out of the Two Realms' node yet?"

Zi Lan Fairy fidgeted with the hem of her dress, hesitant, but still bit her lip and asked.

"Sun Wukong? Why are you inquiring about that Demon Monkey's whereabouts? Do you know him?" Nezha asked in surprise.

"Just tell me how he is already?"

Zi Lan Fairy lifted her head, suddenly shedding her previous shyness and hesitation, and stared into Nezha's eyes with a huff, "Don't think I can't see through you, you want to enter the node between Heaven Realm and Netherworld alone with all the consoling army supplies to escape from Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing's control and focus on your cultivation, right?"

"How did you know that?" Nezha opened his mouth wide, clearly astonished.

"Is it that hard to guess? Third Prince, your relationship with Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing has always been superficial, and that's no secret in the Heavenly Court. If not for what I said, what are you doing here alone with all the consoling army supplies?"

Zi Lan Fairy revealed a sly smile. Being favored by the Queen Mother wasn't just a stroke of luck; her greatest virtue was her intelligence and keen ability to analyze and deduce people's hearts. She had long sensed the envy of other fairies, but since her aim was never Nezha the Third Prince, she had never paid it much mind.

Having served the Queen Mother over the years, she was relatively aware of some secret news in the Heavenly Court. The discord between Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing and Nezha the Third Prince was no secret, so when Nezha left the camp and flew towards the Two Realms' node, Zi Lan Fairy immediately guessed Nezha's intention.

"What do you want, a ransom from this Crown Prince?"

Nezha's expression darkened, a cold glint flashing across his eyes. Killing someone here would likely go unnoticed, right?

"I wouldn't dare ransom the Third Prince!"

Zi Lan Fairy quickly sensed the murderous intent coming from Nezha and hurriedly waved her hands, "There are no grudges or conflicts of interest between you, the Third Prince, and me. I won't reveal your plans. I just want to ask for the Third Prince's help."

"Help? What help?" Nezha raised his eyebrows, his expression slightly easing.

"Third Prince, you are about to enter the Two Realms' node between Heaven Realm and Netherworld, could you take me along?"

"Take you along? You are the official envoy for the consoling army, why would you go to the Two Realms' node?"

Nezha's brows furrowed in confusion, then he suddenly realized, "You want to find that Demon Monkey Sun Wukong? What exactly is your relationship with him?"

"That's none of your concern, Third Prince! Just answer me, will you take me, or will you not?"

The Two Realms' node was not something anyone could traverse. Without the strength of Taiyi Scattered Immortal or higher, one couldn't break the barrier of the Two Realms' node. Zi Lan Fairy had only just reached the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and alone, she definitely couldn't enter; she needed Nezha the Third Prince as her guide.

"Zi Lan Fairy, the Two Realms' node is fraught with dangers; are you sure you want to go in? Don't expect me to save you once inside!"

"Just take me in, Third Prince. I accept my fate, my safety is not your concern!"

"Alright then, I will take you in, but you must also promise that you won't divulge anything about me!"

Nezha finally nodded, agreeing to her request. Zi Lan Fairy felt relieved, "Don't worry, Third Prince, revealing your plans would do me no good. I, Zi Lan, wouldn't engage in such a mutually detrimental act! Thank you for permitting this!"

The deal was made, and Nezha dived into Heavenly Lake with Zi Lan Fairy, with the Two Realms' node located at the bottom of the lake. This lake was home to many demonic creatures, but Nezha didn't concern himself with them—should any creature dare to provoke him, it would serve as a good vent for his resentment!

Inside the camp, in the grand tent of Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing.

"A letter from the Third Prince for me? Where is he?"

Li Jing received the letter from Nezha sent via the captain of the Heavenly Soldiers' patrol team, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes. What matter couldn't be addressed face-to-face, requiring instead a letter? Strange indeed!

"The Third Prince instructed me to bring the consoling army's angels to various parts of the camp and personally deliver this letter to the marshal. Beyond that, I do not know, nor dare I ask!"

"Alright, you may leave!"

Li Jing waved his hand, and as the captain of the Heavenly Soldiers left the tent, Li Jing casually placed the letter to one side but then felt there might be something unusual. He picked up the letter again and tore it open.

"Respected Father and Marshal, I have discovered the whereabouts of the Demon Monkey Sun Wukong, hiding within the Two Realms' node. There was no time to report to you and I have gone ahead to apprehend him!"