Yaochi Holy Land, at the Queen Mother of the West's residence.
"What? You want me to dress as a woman and become Yaochi Holy Land's first Saintess? I refuse!" Wushi's face was black as ink, as though he had just emerged from a coal mine.
"You're the Holy Lord's own child, and we all watched you grow up. We can't think of anyone more suitable to be the Saintess right now. Just listen to Aunt Yuan, put on this dress, and take up the position!" Leaning on her old cane, the elderly Quasi-Emperor who had been the first to voice her approval in the great hall presented a white dress to Wushi.
Wushi remained adamantly opposed. "Aunt Yuan, it's not that I'm unwilling, but what you're doing is utterly absurd! If I were a woman, then of course I'd be duty-bound to become the Saintess. But I'm a man! How could you come up with such a rotten scheme to screw me over?"
Aunt Yuan sounded displeased. "What's wrong with being a man? Does being a man mean you can't share some of your mother's burdens, or those of us old folks?"
"This isn't about sharing burdens! It concerns my future reputation... I'm a full-grown, eight-foot-tall man! Making me dress as a woman and pretend to be one-I can't accept that!" Wushi wailed inwardly. In his previous life, he had never dressed as a woman, much less served as Yaochi's so-called first Saintess.
Aunt Yuan set the white dress beside her and leaned on her cane without a word, gazing deeply at him. At last, she said forlornly, "I understand. Your future reputation matters far more than us old folks with one foot in the grave. We asked too much of you. I won't force you. I'll go back and