180 Resolution

After I received this news, I was very surprised and quickly ran around all over the place to inquire before returning and the result was that he was filled with hate and so followed his son's example targetted the same person. Therefore, troops were dispatched to deal with him and he was captured and taken back to Heaven, chained and imprisoned to pray to the Buddha and devote himself to meditation to reflect on his errors. His concubine Jiao Jiao was also killed by Sha Seng.

***(Sha Seng, aka Sand monk/Sandy...he is also one of the people who joins the monkey king and the Tang monk on their expedition)***

The previously big and great Bull Devil who is such a proud demon. He was so high up on the ranking of demons, and numerous demons had to bow before him. Even the Dragon King of the East Sea also gave him face and had to yield to him to some degree, how can he tolerate being imprisoned like this today? Also, he is nevertheless still Sun Wukong's sworn younger brother, the one who was titled as the Great sage, Heaven's equal in the past.

I eagerly went to find Hai Yang, he seemed to be expecting that I would come. The soldiers who were at the door did not ask me anything and easily let me in. I found Hai Yang in the garden sitting on the bench in the pavilion. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was surrounded by a large stack of official documents, looking at him reminded me of the former Bi Qing Shen Jun --- His responsibility was heavy and troublesome, but he was the steady and powerful Bi Qing Shen Jun.

I softly walked over and greeted him, Hai Yang seemed to have noticed me and hurriedly dropped the document in his hand and revealed a smile with some difficulty, "You have come."

"Oh, I have come." I sat on the stone bench next to him and carefully asked, "What really happened with Bull devil? Did he really do something to the Tang monk?"

Hai Yang in a distressed manner said, "Whether he did something terrible or not is not important. What is important is that his power is too vast and he has a lot of influence in the demon world. Heaven has been wanting to get rid of him for a long time, but it's just that for the past few hundred years, he has kept a low profile and had not given Heaven any reason or excuse to use to get rid of him. But this time, no matter whether it is using Hong Hai'er's issue or that of his own actions, there is an excuse to strike."

"But ever since he was warned by Bi Qing Shen Jun...he does not do anything anymore. Hong Hai'er has already been arrested and is receiving his punishment." I tried to defend my older brother.

***(note: Miao Miao actually refers to Bull devil as "Bull devil gege (older brother)", as the past translations did not include the gege, I continued with just Bull devil)***

"Then it was Bi Qing Shen Jun who temporarily suppressed his actions from the past." Hai Yang shook his head and flatly said, "The old accounts will be turned over sooner or later. Can the Great sage, Heaven's equal of the past contend with the whole heaven today? Heaven wants to take advantage of this opportunity to show their determination of dealing with all powerful demons who are not behaving well. The only thing I am grateful for is that you have been keeping a low profile and never stirred up trouble."

I couldn't argue and so just pleaded, "Don't tell me there isn't any leeway to turn things around? In the end, how long is he going to be imprisoned? Sister-in-law Lou Sha cannot be without my brother?"

Hai Yang shook his head, "This is now out of my hands. Nothing has been said about how long he would be locked up for, maybe it would be 100 years or maybe 500 years or even a 1000 years...we'll see based on luck."

"Can I go and see him?" I knew that there was no room to turn things around and felt sadness in my heart."

"Miao Miao, don't cry. I will help you think about a method." Hai Yang touched my head, let out a long sigh and turned and left.

A few days later, he found me an opportunity. He had me dress up as a soldier and I snuck into the prison where Bull devil was held and secretly went to see him.

Bull devil was chained with heavy chains. The man who once laughed at the top of the demon world, at this moment, his eyes had lost their former glory. He leaned against the rock wall, blankly gazing at the blue sky from the narrow cliff, it seemed as if he couldn't hear or see anything around him. I had to call him a few times before he finally came to himself and asked with disbelief, "Is this Miao Miao?"

"It's Miao Miao...Miao Miao has come to see you." I tried to hold back the tears that were building up, cannot let them fall.

"Your elder brother is in a great mess now, it's funny." Bull devil smiled bitterly. He wanted to touch my face, but the iron chains made it difficult for him to move his hands and his movements became very clumsy.

I grabbed his big hand and put it on my face and spoke with a voice that sounded somewhat different, "Older brother, That Sun Wukong actually ignored your brotherhood. So for you...let Miao Miao go and avenge you and kill him, that crappy person."

"No!" Bull devil hurriedly shouted, his voice was loud and alarmed Hai Yang, who quickly looked over and told us to be careful. Bull devil then scolded me in a low voice, "You foolish girl, you absolutely must not do that. Don't talk about beating that monkey, you can't even beat me like this. Furthermore, you still have a husband and son and now you are finally together in peace, harmony, and happiness. You certainly must not get into trouble for my plight."

"But...I am sad!" I lowered my head and ears, "Miao Miao can't help you at all."

"It's enough that you came to see me. These past few days here, I have calmed down. Sun Wukong on Huagou mountain also has own difficulties." Bull devil suddenly laughed, "You don't bother about anything, you must not bother about this older brother who cannot be a good example..."

I desperately shook my head, "No, I don't want this."

"Miao Miao, don't cry. Do me a favor." Bull devil's eyes went red but no tears were falling. After thinking about it for a while, he finally said to me with difficulty, "Go tell Lou Sha for me...I have let her down in this life. Now I don't know what year or month I will be free. Let her go find a good family and remarry and must not find a shameful man like me."

"But..." I still wanted to protest.

Bull devil shook his head and stopped me, "Just tell it to her like this."

Hai Yang rushed in and beckoned to me to let me know that I cannot delay any longer and to hurry up. In my heart, I was extremely reluctant to leave this moment, but I could only turn to leave, and couldn't help turning to look back as I did to keep catching glimpses of him. Bull devil's had lowered his head, covering his face and never looked up at me.

Even strong men also have tears, I hurriedly rushed out of his cell and no longer looked at his vulnerability.

As I riding the hell hound, I spent a long time trying to adjust my expression, until I could cover the heartache and went to Houyan mountain to find Lou Sha, I didn't expect that she was not at home. After flying around searching for her, I found her on Lei mountain wearing white clothes standing in front of a new grave, burning paper money silently.

I lowered the hell hound down and left it at a distance and quietly approached her. The tombstone was made of precious marbles and there were many flowers around it and the name Jiao Jiao was written on it.

"You are here." Lou Sha said throwing some paper money into the fire without even looking back she knew I was there.

I responded in a low voice and then asked her, "Didn't you hate Jiao Jiao very much?"

"Death is death, the big hatred has also disappeared, also what is annoying is no longer annoying." Lou Sha lit up three incense sticks and put them in front of Jiao Jiao's grave and softly sighed, "Actually, she is a pitiful woman with no one to rely on and she is still my younger sister, so nevertheless, I should send her off and bury her."

***(younger sister as in, sister wives/younger relative sort of thing)***

I also helped and lit up three incense sticks and carefully passed on Bull devil's message.

Lou Sha listened with a straight face, there was no reaction, she simply asked, "Meimei, how many years did you wait for Xiang Qing?"

***(meimei means younger sister)***

"Five hundred years."

"Since you can wait, I can also wait. Let that wretched man take back all these irresponsible words." Lou Sha's reply was firm and resolute. "The Hell! Don't tell me he wants this old mother to go remarry and find a stepfather for his son? I won't do it."

"But we don't know when Hong Hai'er will be able to return from the purple bamboo forest."

"It doesn't matter, I can wait for the father and son, I have already been waiting so many years." A teardrop finally slowly slid down Lou Sha's face and fell on her clothes, showing her outstanding spirit and tremendous resolve. "I will wait until the seas run dry and the stones go soft, until dripping water penetrates the stone, for them to come back. You tell that bastard properly that someone is waiting for him to return home, eternally waiting."

***( idiom: "...until the seas run dry and the stones go soft", means to wait until the end of time.)***

***(idiom: "...dripping water penetrates the stone." means to keep trying and never give up until you achieve your aim; persistent effort overcomes any difficulty)***

The breeze gently blew the red spider lily flowers in front of the grave and they whirled around her waist, looking like blood and seemed like a testament, once again showing resolution to her vow, to wait until the dripping water penetrates the stone.

I really couldn't continue to stay and watch and hurriedly turned to leave, I got on the hell hound and quickly left this place and rushed back to Xiang Qing's arms to cry.

Xiang Qing patted me on the back and didn't say anything, just silently waiting for me to cry to my heart's content, went my tears had run out, he helped me wipe my tears and gently said, "His imprisonment punishment will end, there will always be a chance for him to return home. Me and you were separated by life and death and were still able to be reunited. Bull devil and Lou Sha can also be reunited."

I raised my swollen eyes and looked at him and asked, "Really?"

"Truly, when have I ever lied to you?" Xiang Qing smiled very gently at me, looking at his smile eased my heart and my sadness and so, I believed what he said and went to relay Lou Sha's message to Bull devil, after hearing it, he was surprised and asked, "Lou Sha...she really doesn't blame me? Is she really going to wait for me?"

"Truly." I earnestly nodded.

So, in his eyes that seemed to be dead, there was finally a renewed light of hope, it felt like it has been a long time since I have seen any joy on his face. He now has the confidence and hope onto to endure through however many years of suffering and wait until he can leave.

Until the day of their reunion arrives.

After waiting for my mood to calm down, Xiang Qing and I continued to walk our thousand-mile traveling journey at a relaxed pace, we went to all kinds of wonderful foreign countries overseas following Xiao Cha's suggestion and so, we did not return to our homeland for many years.

As we went further and further, we went to a place called Egypt following Xiao Cha's proposal. There were a lot of beautiful palaces and buildings that did not lose to those in the Central Plains. The River Nile was also full of large lotus flowers. In this mysterious country, I argued with Xiang Qing for the first time. Because it is a place where they revere cats, the handsome cat loving Egyptian Pharoah took a liking to my beauty and would always especially look for me to play. Furthermore, people were also presenting me with many gifts, saying that I am a cat god and coming to worship me every day. All these made me very proud of myself and also caused Xiang Qing to be very dissatisfied. I didn't expect that at this moment the Egyptian princess also took a liking to Xiang Qing and would use every possible means to look for him to find the chance to **. Therefore, the seeds of jealousy were sowed and growing in each other and we were both mutually annoyed with each other and so went off with them to amuse ourselves. Yin Zi and Xiao Cha also tried to advise us but we did not listen.

After two days, I was regretting it and covertly wanted to find a way to make up with him, but found him holding a lot of lotus flowers standing in front of my door and bashfully said, "Miao Miao, I was wrong."

I quickly shook my head, "It is me who was wrong."

The two of us awkwardly looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh and quickly left this beautiful country to gradually head to the next fun country on our travel schedule.

Yin Zi said that I am becoming more and more like a human being, and gradually shedding my cat nature, but from beginning to end, I am still not like a human being.

We spent a full 50 years on this journey, before we finally began to miss our homeland. At this time, Xiang Qing was already 70 years old, and his forehead had wrinkles. However, my appearance has not changed.

Strangers at first used to call me Xiang Qing's beautiful wife, and then it changed to Xiang Qing's beautiful daughter and now it is Xiang Qing's granddaughter...

Xiao Cha returned to Heaven at the age of forty and regained her immortal fairy body, but Xiang Qing's youth would never return. I was afraid he would be sad and tried to comfort Xiang Qing, but he just held me and said that few old men can marry a young wife and that it is his own good fortune.

I often gently stroke his forehead wrinkles and tell him with a smile, "They are very beautiful and make you look more handsome."

Xiang Qing would also heartily laugh and say, "Naturally." Then would bury my head in his chest and greedily hug me and refuse to let go, I did not mind and was happy to amuse him.

Yin Zi said that when people get old. Instead of becoming wiser, they become more and more like children and have more shortcomings.

I looked at Yin Zi with contempt, my family's Xiang Qing is not old, he is always handsome and charming.

After we returned to back to the hometown, my mother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law were no longer around. Their children could not recognize us and only asked where we visitors came from?

Xiang Qing just laughed for a long time and then did not explain and pulled me away and we went to the mountains, where there was a valley of hundred flowers and built our own house. Since then, we settled in the forest and rarely interacted with the world.

Time is like running water and never stops. When Xiang Qing was a hundred years old, his hair had turned completely white. His body was no longer as sturdy, and his memory was also a bit bad, some words need to be repeated several times for him to remember.

Xiao Cha was very sad about this and asked, "Since ancient times, it seems the beautiful endings of romantic novels are not true, is this how all love stories in the mortal world end?"

Yin Zi told her with certainty, "Yes."

I said, "It's not. After all, the two people growing old together slowly is also good."

No matter what we say, the days continued to move on like this. Yin Zi and Xiao Cha are becoming more and more like an old couple, they don't bicker as much. They often spend their time in the Hua manor, polishing the gems and from time to time go wandering around. Although my days are dull, I am perfectly happy.

When Xiang Qing was at the age of 110 years old, his memory was completely gone. He had forgotten all about Xiao Mao and even forgot some general knowledge on how to live. Only he would frequently remember me being in trouble and would immediately shout my name and then pull my hand and hold on tightly, refusing to go for a few hours.

On a sunny beautiful morning, Xiang Qing was lying in bed with his eyes slightly opened. He seemed to be his complete self today and remembered a lot. he remembered Xiao Mao and a lot about the past. He also talked to me about many things. Finally, he closed his eyes and said, "Miao Miao, can you help me open the window. I want to watch the sunset."

I hurriedly stood up and went to open the window, but his hand fell when the rays of the setting sun shone into the room. He was no longer raising the corners of lips, but his lips were still slightly raised and he looked as if he fell into a contented sleep, an eternal sleep.

I looked back at the red sunset and quietly sat next to Xiang Qing for a long time. I knew that he would not wake up again, but I didn't cry or show any trace of sadness.

Xiao Mao's has great ambition and studies hard in Heaven, Yin Zi and Xiao Cha rest and fly together, Wawa married Xiao Tian, Xiaolin still continued his work quietly and refused to leave Xuanqing Palace. Jin Wen and Molin gave birth to a third child, Jian Nan and LoLo are also very happy. Ao Yun hasn't come to see me for a long time, nevertheless, he is still loitering around the East Sea. Lou Sha confined herself in her manor and does not go out and concentrates on waiting for Bull devil to return home.

***(idiom: "rest and fly together" means they are inseparable, LOL this must be the origin of ride or die, I guess)***

It seems that all these matters have nothing to do with me. After thinking for a long time, I still did not know what to do next, what should I do in the future?

Thousands of years of energy seems to have been exhausted, this cat's soul seems to have been drained from living like a human these few decades. After my only point of support has disappeared, I suddenly feel very very tired.

Xiang Qing said he had nothing more he could wish for in this life, but I still have a wish that cannot be realized.

In the end, I stood up at dawn and brought out the three-colored flames I had obtained from Heaven and burned everything.

The house, the furniture, the yard, Xiang Qing's body, and my body were all consumed by the raging inferno. This is all for my greedy desire for my last wish:

"I hope to live at the same time and grow old together ."

As the sun set again and the clouds were tinged with sunset hues, my soul gradually floated to Heaven and entered the wheel of reincarnation to follow the person of my dream's disappearing figure.

As my last string of consciousness disappeared, I heard an incomparably sorrowful cry of a dragon sound through the Heavens.

***THE END***

MiraiSaesang's notes: Well, this chapter was long and had me flipping through a whole range of emotions...I was sad, happy and then dragged down a path of slow depression that culminated in death...I was not expecting it to go this way and up until the end of their journey I still held out hope that somehow he would be able to regain his immortal self...and that even if that failed, I still held out hope that Miao Miao could find him again and in that life, he would regain his immortal self (actually this was far off in the recesses of my mind, a last card if you will)...

...but I did not expect her to follow him in death, ending her immortal life...I can understand her though, waiting is hard, especially when the sliver of hope is so hard to hold on to...she doesn't even know when or where he will be reborn and would have to endlessly keep waiting and searching and now that she has seen how vast the world is, the task probably feels a lot more daunting...it is definitely different from Lou Sha's, who at least knows he is alive and can hold onto that...

...Speaking of Lou Sha, I applaud her handling Jiao Jiao's funeral and her conviction to wait, it is definitely not an easy choice, especially considering he has not been so good to her either, given the concubine issue and all...but losing a husband and son, waiting for their return and now confining herself to virtually suffer their punishments along with them is a hard choice to make...

...Xiao Mao will be heartbroken...I wonder if that dragon cry at the end was his (maybe making some breakthrough on power level) or Bi Qing Shen Jun's soul crying out...although some may question her choice because of Xiao Mao, but remember at heart she is not human, she is a cat and animals, at least most of them, do not have the same attachments and definitely not the same sense of responsibility humans feel for their children...

...This completely blindsided me, and this is the first time I can remember this happening to me in a story...I thought to put a disclaimer at the top, but then I thought it best to take you all down this emotional rollercoaster of a chapter with me...as you can probably tell from my rant, I am in shock ????????...

....*Sigh* There is still hope for the future, I was KIDDING...THIS IS NOT THE END, it is the end of Book 2 though, there are still about 30 CHAPTERS LEFT in Book 3...so there will be a future for them?...We are heading back to the modern world starting the next chapter, I guess it all comes full circle...Also, we will get to see grown up Xiao Mao too, living a modern life the future...