[Journey to the West] I Am the Little White Dragon

My name is Ao Lie. My mother is Dragon King Ao Run of the West Sea. Even when I was still an egg, my mother had high hopes for me.

My dragon king mother hoped I would inherit her powers, beauty, and even her gender, since I already had two older brothers.

But when I hatched, she was disappointed once again. Still, my Dragon King mother was a good mother. Although I hadn't inherited her gender as she had wished, she didn't reject me for it.

I also did my best to fulfill two of her hopes: I inherited her powers and beauty. With my handsome, elegant appearance, everyone called me the Jade Dragon Third Prince.

"Parents plan far ahead for their children." To give me a bright future, my mother searched far and wide for renowned teachers to improve my abilities, while urging me to work hard for the Jade Emperor, hoping I would soon join the ranks of the immortals and bring honor to the dragon clan.

But the Jade Emperor was not a good boss. Our dragon clan paid a huge price to help him quell a great demon's rebellion, and all he gave each of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas was a single luminous pearl.

The Jade Emperor had heaps of these luminous pearls, as common as pebbles in the mortal world. They were hardly rare treasures. I felt deeply insulted and burned the pearl in a fit of rage.

When the Jade Emperor heard I had burned it, he suddenly started treating that worthless thing like a treasure. Without another word, he threatened to punish our entire dragon clan. To keep my family from suffering because of me, I stepped forward and admitted what I had done. The Jade Emperor didn't bother with a trial. He went straight to sentencing me to be executed.

At the crucial moment, someone saved my life at the Dragon Execution Platform. But as a condition for my rescue, I had to help her complete a task. She promised that once I finished it, I would have a bright future.

After what happened with the Jade Emperor, I was deeply suspicious of promises of a bright future. But to repay her for saving my life, I had no choice but to agree through gritted teeth. And so I carried a monk on my back, following a monkey, a pig, and a river demon on a grueling journey.

This time, though, I learned to slack off. I wouldn't lift a finger unless absolutely necessary...

1. The blurb is in first person, while the main story is in third person.

2. The setting draws on Journey to the West and Investiture of the Gods. If they conflict, Journey to the West takes precedence, except for familiar settings.

3. This is not based on the films (roughly speaking). The West Sea Dragon King and North Sea Dragon King are both women.

4. The bonus scenes are fun. Even if you don't read the main story, readers are welcome to check them out. (They're in the author's notes for paid chapters and in the main text for free chapters.)

Theme: If Heaven is unjust, then I refuse to acknowledge it