The Battle in Journey to the West-Chapter 54 - 0 VLOOKUP(A12831Sheet1AB20) Captures the

Wukong then laughed and said, “It seems even you, this horse, dislike being bound by the Heavenly Court. Now that you’re out, you seem truly joyful!”

The horse, full of spirit, snorted loudly in agreement, evidently very happy. Indeed, all beings dislike being bound, and freedom is what everyone yearns for the most. These spirited heavenly horses, who enjoy leisure and freedom, are kept in stables all day, only taken out when a high official needs a coach or a mount.

Wukong grabbed the horse’s mane to steer, and soon they reached Flower-Fruit Mountain, where he descended from the clouds and landed on the mountain.

A throng of little demons went inside to report: “The Great King is back! The Great King is back!”

The news spread in layers into the Water Curtain Cave, and the other six Demon Kings, quite pleased, had not expected Wukong to return from Heaven so soon. They hurried out of the Water Curtain Cave to greet him.

The Ox Demon King laughed heartily, “How did you come back so quickly? Could it be that the Jade Emperor is so stingy that you found an excuse already?”

Wukong snorted with laughter, “That old Jade Emperor summoned me up there but only assigned me to be the stable keeper, called Protector of the Horses, an office without even a rank! I was planning to rebel against the Heavenly Court in a couple of days, but today I went to the Heavenly River Bank, clashed with General Tianpeng, fought him, and also found a pretext to leave the Heavenly Court.”

The Jiao Demon King said, “I have long heard that General Tianpeng is the great marshal of the Heavenly River Naval Forces. I wonder how capable he is in battle?”

Wukong replied, “Nothing but a pus-filled sore. I beat him half to death, and he even began to beg for mercy.”

The brothers all burst into loud laughter. They most enjoyed defying rules yet still held some principles. Otherwise, it would lead to utter lawlessness with no moral boundaries. Such people could indeed become formidable tyrants but would certainly be condemned universally.

The Peng Demon King said, “Now that you’re back, let’s have a good drink first and see how the Heavenly Court plans to respond.”

Wukong said, “I fear it won’t be long before the Heavenly Court’s punitive army will come. Wait and see how Old Sun handles them!”

Wukong looked around, and a little demon approached, asking, “What would you like, Great King?”

Wukong smiled and said, “Go make me a banner with my title on it. Watch how I take care of those Heavenly Court troops!”

The little demon naturally dared not disobey and went off to prepare the banner, writing “Great Sage Equalling Heaven” in bold, awe-inspiring characters.

With no fear in his heart, Wukong resumed drinking with his six brothers, but let’s leave that aside for now and return to the situation above in the Celestial Palace.

The Jade Emperor set up court the next day and was soon approached by General Tianpeng, who presented a report. The report accused Sun Wukong of not knowing manners, frolicking on horseback in the heavily guarded area of the Heavenly River Bank, and even injuring hundreds of the Heavenly River Naval Forces—truly showing no respect for superiors. The Jade Emperor asked Tianpeng why the demon monkey had fled the Celestial Palace. Tianpeng replied that the demon monkey had asked him whether General Tianpeng or Protector of the Horses held the higher rank. Upon learning that the Protector of the Horses was a minor official, the demon monkey, enraged, grabbed his Jingu Bang and fought his way out through the Southern Sky Gate. Listening to this, the Jade Emperor was quite displeased, thinking, “You, the mighty General Tianpeng, couldn’t defeat a single demon monkey? What face do you have to speak of this?” He also grew even more resentful towards Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch—had it not been for that old man’s meddling, he might have already recruited this demon monkey as a loyal enforcer.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Then, the Heavenly King Who Upholds the Nation from the Southern Sky Gate also came to report, kneeling on the ground, he loudly said, “Your Majesty, for some unknown reason, the Protector of the Horses has fought his way out through the Southern Sky Gate!”

The Heavenly King was subdued by Wukong’s Divine Whip in a single strike, and with eighty-four talismans pressing down, he couldn’t move at all. After all, he wasn’t a nearly Daluo Golden Immortal expert like King Bodhisattva who could still escape from the Divine Whip; being just a Taiyi Golden Immortal of the First Heaven, he could only endure the beating.

Originally, these Four Heavenly Kings had been part of the Buddhist sect but were lured to the Heavenly Court by the Jade Emperor. The Buddhist sect thought little of these Four Generals of the Demon Clan and did not pursue the matter, allowing them to serve as officials in the Heavenly Court, while their vacated positions were replaced by other skilled masters. Now, the Four Heavenly Kings loyally served the Jade Emperor without any second thoughts, for they knew they had nowhere else to go if even the Jade Emperor abandoned them.

Hearing this, the Jade Emperor declared, “This rowdy monkey truly is incorrigible! I was initially merciful, yet unexpectedly he was so undiscerning, further harming hundreds of the Heavenly River Naval Forces and many soldiers guarding the Southern Sky Gate. What do my beloved courtiers think should be done?”

Wood Lord stood up and said, “The demon monkey is incorrigible, outrageously bold, and treats our Heavenly Court’s rules as nothing. Your Majesty must absolutely not indulge him! We should deploy our army to exterminate this demon monkey and uphold the supreme authority of our Heavenly Court, so as to set things right!”

The Jade Emperor nodded in agreement and said, “What my courtier says is true. This demon monkey treats our Heavenly Court’s laws as nothing, and deserves a harsh lesson. How else are we to set things right if we do not make him vanish in smoke and ash? But this demon monkey is highly capable and fortifies Flower-Fruit Mountain, giving him the advantage of home ground. I wonder which of my courtiers is willing to take on the task of punishing this demon monkey for me?”

From the ranks, Pagoda-bearing God Li Jing stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I am but a humble servant and wish to capture this demon! If a ruler is like a father to his subject, how can I stand by and watch my ruler be insulted?”

His words were both appropriate and pleasing, greatly delighting the Jade Emperor, who then proclaimed, “Good! Let everyone return to their duties for now. I will send the Heavenly Soldiers, led by King Li, to capture this fiend.” He then looked around at his ministers, “Do you see? Minister Li is truly a pillar of my court! I hope, Minister Li, that you achieve swift success.”

The Jade Emperor knew well what Li Jing was capable of—not particularly great, yet desiring limelight and somewhat rigid. Previously, the Jade Emperor didn’t care much for Li Jing, but his recent speech had lifted the Jade Emperor’s spirits, making him feel exceptionally pleased, as none of the officers in the court respected him as much as Li Jing did.

Immortals are not bound by the rites of Confucianism like those in the mortal world; they transcend the mundane, their abilities too mighty to merely obey the Jade Emperor’s commands. Only the Three Pure Ones are the true Patriarchs, whose words cannot be ignored!

“Your Majesty, it is not that your servants are unwilling to share your burden, but rather that we simply lack the strength and skills of King Li,” they said.

“King Li’s skills penetrate the heavens; the capable should bear more burdens. We are already old and feeble, no match for the demon monkey.”

The courtiers, of course, made their excuses, effectively blocking the Jade Emperor’s demands, and then no more was spoken as each kept quiet.

The Jade Emperor was so furious that he thundered with rage, and sternly said, “King Li, I will also dispatch the seven from the Azure Dragon of the East, the seven from the Vermilion Bird of the South, the seven from the Black Tortoise of the North, and the Water Monkey of the West—twenty-two individuals in total to join you in leveling Flower-Fruit Mountain!”

These were real flames of anger from the Jade Emperor—if King Li were to be defeated, it would be a great loss of face. He thought secretly that he might as well kill Sun Wukong this time, thwarting Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch’s plans to see what he could do!

As for being controlled, the Jade Emperor felt it intensely, being the supreme of the Three Realms, even Tathagata and the Three Pure Ones had to greet him properly, yet he was tightly restrained by Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch, forced to follow every command without deviation—this feeling was truly suffocating, inciting a desire to consume the bones and rest in the skin of Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch, whom he hated enough to wish flayed a thousand times!

The appointed star lords harbored great enmity towards Wukong, and their deployment by the Jade Emperor was surely a significant boost.

Nezha also stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I too wish to follow my father into battle and capture the demon monkey!”

Although Nezha and Li Jing were always at odds, he had to join his father now that a campaign was underfoot.

The Jade Emperor was overjoyed and promptly issued a royal decree, appointing Pagoda-bearing God Li Jing as Great Marshal of Exorcism and the Third Prince Nezha as Great God of the Three Altar Sea Assemblies, ordering them to immediately raise an army to attack the Lower Realm!

Li Jing and Nezha bowed in gratitude, then taking the royal decree, they went to the four directions to gather the various star lords, assembling the troops to descend to the mortal world and exterminate Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The twenty-two star lords had been planning which day to pick a fight with this Protector of the Horses, but unexpectedly, he had already rebelled and left the Celestial Palace, causing them much frustration. But now, with the Jade Emperor’s command to exterminate the demon monkey, they rejoiced immensely.

“This time, we will definitely make the demon monkey pay his blood debts in full!” Horned Water Jiao Dragon cried out loudly, inspiring his comrades to raise their arms and shout.

The Heavenly Court’s Army, a formidable force, advanced toward Flower-Fruit Mountain.

After all, as they left, it was uncertain whether fortune or doom awaited them—please listen to the next part to find out.