Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

Ao Guang walked along this avenue to heaven, which was more than ten miles wide and paved with the precious jade of heaven and earth, sparkling and shining. On both sides were lined up golden-armored generals, each holding a halberd and whip, with a solemn aura and combat power far exceeding that of the shrimp soldiers and crab generals of the Dragon Palace. Even those who had just achieved immortality would find it difficult to match them.

After traveling for about half an hour, they finally arrived outside the Lingxiao Palace. A celestial official entered to announce their arrival, and shortly afterward, a clear bell rang out. The official then led Ao Guang into the main hall.

The person seated on the high seat in the hall was the Supreme Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace of the Vast Heaven, whose face was hidden in the radiance and could not be seen, with a beaded curtain hanging down and a necklace covering his face.

On the left side below the steps, the four Celestial Masters, Zhang, Xu, Qiu, and Ge, stood solemnly, belonging to the civil class.

On the right stand the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Nezha the Third Prince, and Chang Geng Xingjun; one level below them are the four marshals Wang, Yang, Gao, and Li.

Ao Guang entered the main hall, bowed down and knelt on the ground, respectfully kowtowed, and shouted "Great Heavenly Venerable".

He had just bowed down when, in a short while, Yama also slowly approached and knelt down to pay his respects.

A celestial official beside the Jade Emperor announced in a loud voice: "Dragon God Ao Guang and King Yama of the Underworld, present your memorials."

The two men quickly presented the prepared memorial.

The celestial official took the book, and the Jade Emperor gently waved his hand. The celestial official then unfolded the book and read it aloud.

"Your subject Ao Guang respectfully reports: I humbly beseech the Supreme Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace to grant me your judgment: Ye Feng, the Demon King of Flower Fruit Mountain in the mortal realm, and Sun Wukong, the Demon Monkey King, have bullied the weak and broken into the Dragon Palace, forcibly taking the Sea-Stabilizing Needle and looting the treasures of the treasury. I am old and weak and unable to resist them. I can only look up to Heaven and pray that Your Majesty will punish them and send troops to conquer Flower Fruit Mountain, exterminate the demons, and restore peace and tranquility to the world."

This is Ao Guang's memorial.

"Hehe." As soon as the recitation was finished, a soft laugh suddenly came from below.

The immortals turned their heads, and Ao Guang also looked up to look in the direction of the voice—he saw a man with a face like jade, clear and handsome features, and a tall and straight figure, like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. He was wearing armor and holding a weapon. His appearance was delicate and almost feminine, yet he was also heroic and imposing. It was none other than Nezha, the Third Prince.

Upon hearing the memorial, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

In the past, during the Investiture of the Gods, Nezha killed Ao Guang's third son, which angered the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to file a complaint with the Heavenly Court. In the end, he was forced to return his bones to his father and his flesh to his mother. Later, his sect used the seven-colored lotus root to reshape his true form and restore his supernatural powers. He displayed great divine might in the Investiture of the Gods and was eventually granted the title of God by the Jade Void Decree. His whole family was granted the title of God and became prominent figures.

However, since then, Nezha has harbored deep resentment towards the Dragon Clan and has secretly hindered them for many years, never letting go of any point that could be ridiculed or satirized.

Today I heard that Ao Guang was bullied by an unknown demon king and a wild monkey. How could I not take the opportunity to mock him?

Just as he was about to speak, Li Jing, sitting in the front row, suddenly turned around, his gaze sharp as lightning, and shouted sternly, "How dare you make a scene in the Lingxiao Palace! Silence!"

Nezha raised an eyebrow, a chill rising within him, but when his gaze fell upon the pagoda in Li Jing's hand, his momentum faltered, and he could only remain silent.

Although this matter was minor, it reflected the true nature of human nature. The Jade Emperor did not pursue the matter further, but simply ignored it.

The other celestial officials looked at Ao Guang with varying expressions: some shook their heads slightly, some covered their sleeves and chuckled, and a few cast pitying glances their way.

However, everyone sighed inwardly: the Dragon Clan has indeed declined. Once the greatest clan in ancient times, ruling the four seas and shaking the eight wastelands, it has now fallen so low as to be bullied and humiliated by a mountain monkey. How utterly pathetic.

However, even a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Although the Dragon Clan has suffered countless calamities and its vitality has been greatly damaged, it would be a grave mistake to think that the Dragon Clan today is only supported by a few Dragon Kings at the Celestial Immortal level.

For example, the Azure Dragon among the Four Symbols and the Yinglong, a general under the ancient human emperor Xuanyuan, are both powerful figures among the dragon race who possess supreme magical power.

However, it must be clearly understood that the Dragon Clan is not the same as the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.

Long ago, when the Heavenly Court of Haotian was first established, the Dragon Clan was already in decline. Seeking protection, the Ao clan voluntarily submitted to the Heavenly Court.

This move sparked huge controversy at the time, with many powerful dragon warriors vehemently opposing it.

At that time, they said: The dragon is the chief of all scaled creatures. Even though Donghuang Taiyi once dominated the prehistoric world and suppressed us in every way, our race never knelt down. Until the war between the Lich King and the Demon King, when the heavens and earth collapsed and the Demon Court was destroyed, our race gritted its teeth and survived the calamity, winning a glimmer of hope. Why should we bow down and submit to a newly emerging Heavenly Court?

From this point on, the dragon race split. Some powerful figures left in anger, refusing to acknowledge the Four Seas Dragon Kings as the legitimate dragons, accusing them of losing their dragon pride and becoming mere vassals of the Heavenly Court.

In reality, only the Ao clan submitted to the Heavenly Court.

This is a secret within the Dragon Clan, so we'll leave it aside for now.

The celestial official beside the Jade Emperor put down Ao Guang's memorial, picked up the document presented by Yama, and read it aloud once more.

As the contents were revealed, the expressions of the gods in the hall gradually hardened, realizing that the situation was extraordinary.

It turns out that this was also a memorial to the emperor accusing the two demon kings of Flower Fruit Mountain.

According to King Yama, that audacious monkey demon from Flower Fruit Mountain dared to trespass into the underworld, disrupting the order of reincarnation and erasing the names of all monkeys from the Book of Life and Death.

Even worse, when Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva personally tried to capture him, he not only failed to subdue him, but also had his arm cut off by a demon king who came from Flower Fruit Mountain.

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent.

Even though the gods considered themselves extremely powerful, they knew very well what kind of person Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was—one of the four great Bodhisattvas of Buddhism, whose attainment was equivalent to that of a Buddha, and who had cultivated to become a Great Golden Immortal, a top master renowned throughout the Three Realms.

Even he suffered such a severe injury, which shows that the Demon King of Flower Fruit Mountain is no ordinary person.

The gods exchanged glances, each weighing the pros and cons in their hearts, but none of them spoke first, all waiting for the Jade Emperor's judgment.

The Jade Emperor closed his eyes slightly, remained silent for several breaths, and finally slowly opened his lips:

"What do you all think, my esteemed ministers?"

As the supreme ruler of the Three Realms, in this era where sages have retreated and the Great Dao is unfathomable, he is the undisputed master of heaven and earth.

Since ancient times, the will of Heaven has been lofty and unfathomable, difficult to fathom.

As the true "God of Heaven" in the eyes of the world, he could not make a statement first; he had to let his ministers discuss it before making a decision.

As soon as the question was uttered, the gods exchanged glances, their thoughts racing.

A celestial marshal stepped forward from the crowd and loudly proclaimed, "Your Excellency, the two demon kings of Flower Fruit Mountain have disregarded the heavenly rules, insulted the Dragon Lord, and disturbed the Underworld. Their crimes are blatant. We earnestly request Your Excellency to immediately dispatch troops to raze Flower Fruit Mountain to the ground and restore order to the universe."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ao Guang quietly cast a grateful glance at him.

Although this marshal was not among the four marshals of the Heavenly Court, he still held an important position and was quite influential.

Normally, the Dragon King would make many arrangements for various departments in the Heavenly Court in order to ensure everything goes smoothly, and he would give gifts during festivals. That is why someone has stepped forward to speak out today.

After withdrawing his gaze, Ao Guang glanced at Yama, the King of Hell, without showing any emotion, and thought to himself: Those two demon monkeys are indeed ruthless. I've only been in Heaven for a little over an hour, and the Underworld is already in turmoil. Fortunately, I restrained myself and didn't confront them directly—even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva suffered a loss; how many more moves could this old body of mine withstand?

After hearing this, the Jade Emperor did not express his opinion, but simply looked around at his ministers and waited for more opinions.

However, the behavior of the gods below the throne is quite intriguing.

For example, the twenty-four righteous gods of the Heavenly Court all lowered their brows and lowered their eyes, looking at their mouths and questioning their hearts, remaining as silent as stones.

They were originally disciples of the Jie Sect during the Investiture of the Gods war, listed on the Investiture of the Gods list, bound by their divine positions, and had long since ceased to concern themselves with worldly affairs.

The Dragon Palace was robbed? The Underworld was raided? What does that have to do with me!

As long as the monsters from Flower Fruit Mountain don't come to smash the South Heavenly Gate, even if they really fight, whether they take action or not depends on their mood.

Let whoever wants to manage it do so, don't drag me into it.

This is exactly what they truly think.

Among the civil officials, a few had their own thoughts, wanting to use this matter to demonstrate the might of Heaven, which would not only earn them merit but also curry favor with Yama and the Dragon King. Why not do it?

But as seasoned veterans of the court, they knew how to remain calm and wait for the right opportunity.

Of course, there are also those like Nezha, who have always disliked Ao Guang and secretly rejoice at seeing him suffer a setback, showing no interest in sending troops.

As a result, the deities in the hall fell into an unusual silence, and no one stepped forward to speak.

Just as the Jade Emperor was about to speak and make a decision, a person suddenly stepped out.

This man, dressed in official robes, possessed a dignified bearing and an aura of restrained authority. Standing at the forefront of the civil officials, he commanded respect without showing any anger.

He stepped forward, bowed, and said respectfully, "Great Heavenly Venerable is above."

Upon seeing this, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King's eyelids twitched suddenly, his heart trembled slightly, and a sense of apprehension arose within him.

The reason is simple: this person had repeatedly spoken out against him in court assemblies, making him lose face more than once. Not only him, but many high-ranking gods in the Heavenly Court had also been publicly criticized by him, leaving them red-faced and ashamed.

It may be due to some fault, but more often it is because of close ties with Western Buddhism.

This person was named Zhang Ziyang, known in Heaven as "Ziyang Zhenren" or "Ziyang Shenjun". He was in charge of the Surveillance Department, responsible for investigating the faults of all the gods. He was known for his ruthless methods and was called "Iron Face".

More importantly, he was an extreme protector of Taoism, deeply hated Buddhism, and was a notorious anti-Buddhist vanguard.

Sure enough, he went straight to the point as soon as he opened his mouth: "Great Heavenly Venerable, the Demon King of Flower Fruit Mountain has rebelled against the Heavenly Court and deserves to be executed; there is no doubt about that. What worries me is something else—the demon monkey has disrupted the cycle of reincarnation. According to the law, the Ten Kings of Hell should have reported to the Lord of Mount Tai and asked the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak to deal with it; if the Eastern Peak was not present, they should have reported to the Heavenly Court for a decision. Why did it take Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's unauthorized action?"

King Yama's expression changed slightly, then he breathed a sigh of relief, silently thinking: He really has come.

Having served in the Heavenly Court for a long time, he knew that the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism was irreconcilable and that the slightest mistake could lead to his destruction.

He immediately reported, "Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with the Ten Courts! We did not summon Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva; he descended on his own to subdue the demon."

Ah!

The gazes of the many deities in the hall suddenly focused.

Especially the gods of the Jie Sect, who had previously been observing indifferently, suddenly perked up.

The battle of the Investiture of the Gods stained the sky with blood. The disciples of the Tongtian Sect Master were almost wiped out. Some of them were enshrined as gods on the Investiture of the Gods list, some went to the West, and some became mounts or guardian deities of Buddhism.

In their eyes, the Chan Sect is hateful, and Buddhism is even more of a thief taking advantage of their misfortune. Now that there is a weakness, how could they let go of the opportunity to kick them while they are down?

Everyone's gaze quietly shifted to Lord Ziyang, and they sneered inwardly: Interfering in the affairs of the underworld without permission is a matter that can be taken lightly or seriously—but Zhang Ziyang's forte is to exaggerate trivial matters.

The Purple Sun Divine Lord's expression turned solemn, and he pressed further, "You dared to take action without seeking help?"

He then turned and bowed to the Jade Emperor, his voice as firm as metal and stone: "Great Heavenly Venerable! This is an act of arrogance by a Buddhist bodhisattva! The Underworld is the pivot of reincarnation, a vital place in the Three Realms, and is under the jurisdiction of my Heavenly Court. In the past, I allowed them to send bodhisattvas to guard it, solely to guide Buddhist disciples; this was already an act of boundless grace. Now, they have no sense of propriety and attempt to use this opportunity to interfere in the power of the Ten Courts; this is truly a grave crime of overstepping their bounds! Shakyamuni should be summoned to the Heavenly Court in person to be held accountable for this dereliction of duty!"

His words were forceful and resounding. His gaze slowly swept over Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and several other deities with close ties to Buddhism, a cold glint in his eyes.

His statement was not without basis. The Jade Emperor ruled over the Three Realms, and Mount Ling was also under his jurisdiction. According to etiquette, Shakyamuni was indeed nominally a subject of the Jade Emperor.

As the head of the Five Elders of the Five Directions, his position is highly respected and should not be underestimated.