The country bumpkin demons were forcibly detained in King Nu’s palace, coerced into undergoing various rounds of evaluations and examinations.
Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing had no idea what was actually happening. They simply took the pale blue slips of paper handed to them by the Divine Envoys and scurried around the palace, reporting to various departments with convoluted names to be interrogated.
However, the country bumpkin demons found the whole ordeal quite interesting and were very cooperative. When the examinations stretched into the middle of the night, the Divine Envoys even distributed midnight snacks—a type of sweet steamed bun and a cup of milk. The bumpkins lined up along the base of the walls, munching on their buns and gulping down milk, before wiping their mouths and continuing with the review process.
Soon, Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing found themselves in the queue for the eye examination department. A Divine Envoy had placed a rectangular stone tablet at the front, carved with symbols pointing up, down, left, and right, and commanded the demons to identify them from a distance.
Some of the country bumpkins began to tremble, their legs turning to jelly; others were desperately trying to memorize the symbols on the tablet beforehand.
Finally, after a night of intense selection, the four Great Elemental Kings representing Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire were chosen. The country bumpkin demons were gathered in the central courtyard, waiting for the Divine Envoys to announce the results.
At this moment, everyone’s mood had become as tense as scholars waiting for the results of the imperial examinations.
The head Divine Envoy stood upon the highest point, cleared his throat, and read aloud: "The following are the results of the selection. The Earth Elemental King of the New Creation is—Xiong Xiazi. Eh? What kind of name is that?"
At that moment, Leng Qingqing’s drinking buddy, the Old Bear, let out a joyous roar. He raised a paw in excitement and shouted, "It’s me! It’s me! My name is Xiong Xiazi, the Blind Bear! Not 'Xiong Xiazi' the 'Brother-Under-Son'! Oh yeah! I’ve become an Elemental King! Now I can take bribes and drink all I want!"
The Divine Envoy curled his lip in a look of disdain and continued reading: "The Fire Elemental King is Bai-Diao; the Wind Elemental King is Leng Jing; the Water Elemental King is Leng Qingqing."
"It’s me! It’s me! I’m the White Marten!" The White Marten rushed to the front in a frenzy; it had finally made its mark in the world! With tears streaming down its face, it scrambled onto the high platform, clutching its large tail as it sobbed with joy. "I want to thank my parents, all my friends and relatives, and the Divine Envoys. Most of all, I want to thank my masters for their cultivation—Young Master Leng Jing and Master Leng Qingqing. It is they who transformed me from a mere pet marten following a pampered lady into a righteous marten filled with ideals, passion, and love! In my future post, I will surely carry forward this spirit of fearing neither death nor hardship, and further..." The White Marten began to ramble incessantly.
"I have an acceptance speech too!" Leng Qingqing raised his hand.
"How boring," Leng Jing remarked with an air of indifference.
Just as the demons were cheering in a chaotic huddle, the palace suddenly shook violently. The country bumpkin demons were so terrified they dared not move or speak, for the earthquake signified that King Nu was enraged!
A deep voice echoed from all directions:
"Bring those four to the Divine Main Hall!"
***
The Divine Main Hall was a vast chamber ten times more magnificent than the preceding palace.
Once the Old Bear, Leng Qingqing, Leng Jing, and the White Marten were led inside by the Divine Envoys, the heavy doors slammed shut with a thud, leaving them alone in the terrifyingly empty hall.
"You lowly spirits, come closer and let me look at you," said a tall, burly figure seated upon the innermost throne.
The four of them approached slowly, finally seeing clearly that the one seated upon the throne was a majestic elder dressed in blue robes. This elder had a peculiar appearance; his features did not resemble the Divine Race of the Central Heaven.
However, the elder’s attitude was quite blunt. Though his expression was stern, he spoke directly: "I was originally one of the God-Kings of the Western Heaven. Later, when the Central Heaven was clouded by Chaos, I closed my boundaries and established my own domain. But recently, the Central Heaven returned to normal and confiscated the Western Heaven I had painstakingly built. Therefore, I intend to start anew and establish another domain here. I have chosen you to discuss the great matter of creation!"
The four country bumpkins nodded dumbly, having heard but understood nothing.
"So, move faster! Come up now to receive your titles!" This God-King seemed to have a very foul temper and loathed procrastination.
He produced a divine staff and tapped the black bear on the head. "You! Earth Elemental King, Great Divine Envoy Xiong-Bailie!"
"Ugh..." The black bear rubbed the large bump on his head, not daring to make a sound.
Then he tapped the White Marten’s head: "You! Fire Elemental King, Great Divine Envoy Diao-Feier!"
"Eh..." The White Marten’s eyes turned into stars, utterly bewildered.
"You!" The God-King tapped Leng Qingqing’s head. "You! Water Elemental King, Great Divine Envoy She-Jiale."
"She-Jiale..." Leng Qingqing was very dissatisfied with the name.
Finally, the God-King pointed at Leng Jing. "You! Wind Elemental King, Great Divine Envoy Long-Xihua."
"..." Leng Jing’s face went dark.
The investiture was finally over. The God-King pointed his scepter toward the gates of light. "Children! Let us use these hands to create a new world!"
The four country bumpkins shook their heads in a daze.
Thus, in this paradise at the far western border, Leng Qingqing, Leng Jing, and the White Marten finally obtained the high-ranking status they had dreamed of, yet everything felt awkward and off. Regardless, after a day and a night of turmoil in King Nu’s palace, all the country bumpkin demons returned to their homes and resumed their harmonious daily lives.
Furthermore, upon their return, the other fellow demons actually hung lanterns and streamers, preparing to hold a real wedding ceremony for Leng Qingqing and Leng Jing.
***
That night, in the peaceful and serene forest, every great tree was hung with bright red lanterns, and the entire forest shimmered with a moving radiance.
Leng Qingqing stood by the Moon Lake, excited and shy, dressed in red wedding robes with a red veil atop his head. Many country bumpkin demons surrounded him, singing festive and peaceful songs.
From the first moment he saw the Ugly Little Snake’s egg, Leng Qingqing carefully recalled every bit of his time with his son, including those two stirring "unions." He realized that his fate and Leng Jing’s were already deeply entwined, impossible to separate.
Therefore, back in King Nu’s palace, he had agreed to Leng Jing’s request to hold a real wedding here, officially "marrying into" Leng Jing’s family.
Although he personally felt that whether they were married or not, he would still spend his life with his son, everyone—including himself—felt that getting married was just so much fun!
And so, he had recklessly agreed.
The country bumpkin villagers had meticulously adorned Leng Qingqing from head to toe, placing a phoenix crown and a veil on him, leaving him to wait by the Moon Lake, the widest and most beautiful spot in the forest.
When the crescent moon rose above the treetops, amidst the soft chanting of the country bumpkin demons, the groom, Leng Jing, finally made his elegant appearance.
Leng Jing rode upon the divine beast White Marten, wearing wedding robes of the same style as Leng Qingqing’s, arriving gallantly at his side.
When he leaped to the ground and pulled Leng Qingqing into an embrace, the country bumpkin demons all cheered, celebrating the fact that these two lovers, who had endured countless hardships, had finally come together.
Leng Jing lifted Leng Qingqing’s veil and kissed him affectionately in front of all the demons, triggering a burst of cheers. Everyone set off firecrackers and fireworks, sang joyful songs, and began their revelry.
For some reason, the White Marten, who had witnessed Leng Jing stealing kisses from Leng Qingqing countless times, felt its heart surge with emotion at this moment. It couldn't stop wiping away tears, feeling heartfelt joy for Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing.
The Ugly Little Snake was a monster that neither Heaven nor Earth could tolerate; yet, at the very least, there was one soul in the world who could embrace him and raise him, ensuring he did not stray onto a dark path—and that was Leng Qingqing.
Leng Qingqing was an unwanted, idiotic demon; yet, at the very least, there was one soul in the world who could trust and rely on him—and that was Leng Jing.
As long as they could be together, that was enough. There was no need for oaths of life and death, no need for the world to shatter. In short, they were together; whether they were father and son or lovers, they were each other’s family.
Family was better than anything. When they were begging for food, when they were wandering, when they were enjoying themselves, they had a home.
Leng Jing picked Leng Qingqing up and, amidst the cheers of the crowd, entered the exquisite treehouse bridal chamber the country bumpkin demons had prepared for them, beginning their truly sweet union.
After the door was closed, the country bumpkin demons continued their usual gossiping ways—
Mother Rabbit pointed at the bridal chamber and lectured her children: "See, this is the result of alcoholism. Not only will you give birth to a freak, but you’ll also end up in a mess of incestuous debauchery."
Inside the treehouse where the candlelight flickered, Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing’s bodies were entwined—from snake to human, from human to dragon—intense and voluptuous. They deeply experienced how the vortex of desire was so profound and bottomless.
As Leng Qingqing excitedly arched his body, letting Leng Jing support his waist while he let out cries of excitement, he suddenly remembered something after a long while. "Xiao Jing! That! That Qing Yue! What happened to him in the end? That Wanxiang monster!?"
"He..." Leng Jing lifted his head from where it was buried against him. "Not long after he entered the Chaos, he was eaten by an even larger Chaos monster. Reality was nothing like what he imagined—he thought he could find companions in the Chaos, but in truth, the Sea of Chaos is where the law of the jungle exists in its rawest form! It is strictly the strong devouring the weak!"
"Then is the boundary of our world repaired firmly? Those giant monsters won't come in again, will they?" Leng Qingqing asked.
"Probably not... who cares..." Leng Jing continued with his soul-stirring activities.
Meanwhile, in the distant great palace of King Nu, the King—the Western God-King—sat alone in a sealed room. Facing a floor-length black mirror, he began to laugh to himself in a bizarre, muttering fashion.
"Is that so... I have already followed your instructions... and begun the Creation Plan... hmph... hahahaha..." The God-King turned his head, revealing a secretive, mysterious smile.
But in the mirror, the God-King’s reflection... its face was gradually beginning to change...
Indeed, this is an open ending.
***
