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

At this moment, Ao Guang's head was throbbing with pain.

Ao Luan is not yet an adult and is still a child among the dragons.

He usually taught her to be honest and keep her promises, but he had never told her about the wickedness of people's hearts and the complexities of the situation.

This isn't a question of "how powerful" or "how powerful" it is!

He took a deep breath, straightened up, stood in front of his daughter, and bowed deeply to Ye Feng.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Great Sage Ye, my daughter is young and ignorant, and her behavior has been impolite. Becoming a disciple is a major life event, how can it be done hastily? After the old dragon returns to the palace, we will prepare generous gifts, send out invitations widely, and choose an auspicious day for a grand ceremony, so as not to be unworthy of your status and reputation."

Ye Feng slowly turned around, a faint smile on his face, without saying a word.

Sure enough, this old dragon is slippery and cunning; he wouldn't genuinely agree.

Ao Guang continued, "However, this young lady's temperament is still unsettled, and she doesn't understand many things in this world. If she were to rashly enter the sect, it might tarnish the sect's reputation. How about letting the old dragon teach her for a few more years, until she comes of age, before she formally becomes an apprentice? What do you think?"

Ye Feng's eyes flickered slightly, and he already understood.

This is a classic example of the "delaying" tactic, used flawlessly.

He wanted to observe the Heavenly Court's movements before deciding which side to stand on.

If I were to refuse firmly now, this old dragon would probably have another excuse waiting for me.

Ye Feng glanced at Ao Luan silently, then used his fingers to deduce the secrets of heaven. After a moment, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"What the Dragon King says is absolutely right; it was I who was too impatient."

He said slowly, "In that case, let's make a pact—Ao Luan will come to become a disciple when he comes of age."

Ao Guang was taken aback, never expecting Ye Feng to agree so readily.

His carefully prepared arguments proved utterly useless.

But since the deal was done, he nodded in agreement: "That's right, that's right. In just two or three hundred years, the old dragon will surely bring my daughter to pay his respects."

After saying that, he pulled Ao Luan away, saying, "Luan'er, let's go back."

Ao Luan frowned slightly, her heart filled with confusion.

Didn't we agree to become disciples? Why is it being postponed for three hundred years?

But she was gentle by nature and dared not say much. She could only let Ao Guang take her hand and hurry towards the East Sea.

She kept turning back, her gaze fixed on Ye Feng. Though she was far away, the lingering power of that sword strike still haunted her. The Dragon King came hastily and left even faster, disappearing into the depths of the sea with Ao Luan and the aquatic creatures in the blink of an eye.

Sun Wukong strolled over to Ye Feng's side, a smile playing on his lips: "Senior brother, are you just going to let them go like that? That's not like you."

Ye Feng glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips: "What do you know, you little monkey? Even if we let them leave today, it won't be long before they come bowing their heads and begging me for mercy."

He paused, then pointed to the sky: "Stop discussing, look who's coming down from the sky."

Sun Wukong looked in the direction he pointed and saw a white cloud drifting down from the sky. On the cloud stood an old man with white hair and a white beard, holding a whisk, his robes fluttering in the wind, exuding an aura of immortality.

"Venus!" The monkey was startled and turned to run away.

Ye Feng reacted quickly, grabbing him and raising an eyebrow, asking, "Why are you running?"

The monkey looked distressed. "Brother, you don't know! This old immortal recommended us to the Heavenly Court last time, and he did his best—he made you an Emperor and gave me the title of Marshal. We should have lived peacefully, but in a moment of impulse, I killed the Martial Virtue Star Lord, which also caused you to rebel against the Heavenly Palace. As the recommender, he will surely be implicated and punished. Now that he has come here in person, he is probably here to hold me accountable. I, Old Sun, am too embarrassed to meet him."

Upon hearing this, Ye Feng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

That mischievous monkey, he's really gotten himself into this mess?

As they spoke, Venus, the planet of Venus, spotted them, turned its clouds around, and slowly descended, calling out from afar:

"Your Majesty! Marshal! This humble Taoist has come to visit again!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already landed on the ground.

The monkey was firmly held, with no way to escape, so it could only hang its head and awkwardly bow.

Venus was slightly surprised: "Marshal, why do you look so strange?"

The monkey's face flushed red and then turned pale, becoming increasingly embarrassed.

Ye Feng coughed lightly to help him out: "Star Lord, what brings you here from afar?"

Venus smiled gently: "Good news, good news! I have come by the Jade Emperor's decree to invite the two Great Sages back to Heaven."

Upon hearing this, the monkey waved its hands repeatedly, "No, no! I'm never going again!"

"Why is that?" Venus asked, his face full of confusion.

Ye Feng stood silently to the side, smiling. He knew perfectly well that the monkey wasn't truly unwilling to be an official, but rather that his past actions of killing Wude Xingjun and rebelling against the Southern Heavenly Gate had been exposed. He feared being ridiculed by his colleagues upon returning to Heaven and losing face, so he preferred to be a carefree demon king in the mortal realm.

Ye Feng then said, "Star Lord, you've worked hard. This matter isn't urgent. Why don't you come with me to the Water Curtain Cave for a cup of wine, and we can discuss it in detail later?"

"Drinking?" Venus's expression changed drastically, as if he instantly recalled the humiliating experience of being trapped in the Water Curtain Cave and forced to swear an oath. He shook his head like a leaf in the wind: "Absolutely not! Absolutely not! I have the imperial decree with me; how dare I delay!"

Seeing this, Ye Feng understood and didn't press the matter. Instead, he asked, "I am grateful for your visit, Star Lord. However, since Wukong and I have rebelled against the Heavenly Palace and repelled Li Jing's army, the Heavenly Court should have been furious and punished us long ago. Why are you offering us amnesty again?"

That's a clever question.

The monkey beside them perked up its ears, its eyes brimming with anticipation.

Ye Feng knew perfectly well that although the monkey said he wouldn't go, he was already itching to go.

Venus laughed and said, "The matter of the Martial Virtue Star Lord has now been investigated and found to be a misunderstanding. He was always arrogant and took the initiative to bully Marshal Golden Monkey, provoking him with his words, which led to his accidental death. Although it violated the Heavenly Laws, it was understandable. Now, the Great Heavenly Venerable has personally decided that this matter will be let go and not pursued further."

Upon hearing this, the monkey perked up immediately: "Is this really true?"

Venus, of course, knew his thoughts perfectly well. Smiling, he revealed half of a bright yellow imperial edict from his sleeve: "The Heavenly Emperor's decree is here; how could it be false?"

The monkey reached out to snatch it, but Venus gently pulled it back and hid it in her sleeve.

Jin Xing continued, "Not only that, His Majesty, after this battle, deeply felt the extraordinary abilities of the two of you. Emperor Ye Feng has already reached the highest rank of Heavenly Venerable, and there is no further title to bestow upon him, so he specially bestowed five thousand Heavenly Spirit Jade as a reward. As for you, Wukong—"

He paused deliberately, watching the monkey with a smile.

"How is it?" The monkey's voice trembled.

"His Majesty believes that the position of 'Grand Marshal Golden Monkey' is beneath you. Therefore, you are hereby specially promoted and given a higher position."

"A promotion?!" The monkey's eyes lit up, his mouth stretched to his ears, and he scratched his ears and cheeks, almost jumping for joy, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Then... what official position did you get this time?"

Ye Feng stood to the side, almost wanting to rub his forehead.

This monkey is so easily provoked.

A few kind words, a mere imperial edict, and he was utterly captivated.

No wonder he was so happy when he was tricked into raising horses in the original story.

But Ye Feng did not stop him.

Ultimately, he himself was one of those who fueled the flames.

His purpose in ascending to heaven was to obtain the peaches of immortality and the elixir of immortality.

Those are the truly rare treasures of heaven and earth.

Only by using the monkey as a pawn can one have a chance to succeed amidst the power struggle among all parties.

If you miss this chance, you'll never get another one.

No matter how eloquent Venus was, Ye Feng remained silent.

As expected, Venus smiled and said, "Great official, you are as high as the heavens."

He pointed to the summit of Flower Fruit Mountain, where the banner of "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven" was flying high.

The monkey looked in the direction he was pointing and froze on the spot.

He murmured softly, "Is...this really true?"

Venus stroked his beard and smiled: "How could there be falsehood?"

The monkey suddenly cheered, somersaulted several times, and laughed loudly: "I, Old Sun, am truly the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! The real Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"

His excitement was not unfounded.

The reason is simple: previously raising the banner and proclaiming oneself a saint was ultimately just self-proclaimed. Once outside Flower Fruit Mountain, no one would acknowledge it; it was merely an act of pleasure within the mountains.

But things are different now. The Jade Emperor himself bestowed the title, and his words became law, known to all under Heaven.

From then on, all the gods in the Three Realms had to address him as "Great Sage".

That's the fundamental difference.

Why are the seven great sages listed together in "Journey to the West," but only Sun Wukong is renowned throughout the world?

While it was certainly because he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace and shook the Three Realms, the more crucial reason was that his title of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" was appointed by the Heavenly Court and personally bestowed by the Jade Emperor.

The other six were merely heroes from humble backgrounds, never officially recognized, and ultimately remained as unofficial figures.

After tumbling several times, the monkey landed and grabbed Venus's sleeve: "Come on, come on, let's go to Heaven!"

He was so excited by the title that he forgot all about his own Flower Fruit Mountain.

Ye Feng, however, was clear-headed. He stopped the two and first summoned the Black Bear Spirit and the Four Monkey Generals to give them detailed instructions on what was to come.

With everything arranged, Ye Feng and his two companions rode the clouds and headed straight for the Heavenly Palace.

This route is already familiar to me.

After passing through the thunderclouds of the nine heavens, you will arrive at the South Heavenly Gate.

Ye Feng looked up and saw that the once dilapidated South Heaven Gate had been restored to its original state and was still magnificent.

The monkey, grinning, bowed to the Four Heavenly Kings and said, "King Virudhaka, King Wide-Eyed, I apologize for my previous offense. Now that I, Old Sun, have returned, we shall serve as your courtiers!"

The Four Heavenly Kings frowned slightly at his smugness but remained silent.

Upon seeing Ye Feng arrive, he felt a pang of anxiety, immediately lowered his eyes, and stood guard at the gate in a proper and respectful manner.

Last time, Ye Feng's sword shattered half of the South Heavenly Gate, nearly causing their souls to be scattered. Had they not escaped quickly, they would have already been returned to the Investiture of the Gods, undergoing reincarnation and rebirth.

Even if one could be resurrected, the pain of being branded and sealed as a god would be unbearable; moreover, at the beginning of resurrection, one's magical power would be weak, and one would be easily humiliated by others.

After passing through the South Heavenly Gate, the group headed straight for the Lingxiao Palace.

The Jade Emperor had already ascended his throne, with civil and military officials standing solemnly and silently on both sides.

This time, the monkey was quite sensible and followed the example of Venus, bowing respectfully to the Jade Emperor.

There is no system of kneeling in the Heavenly Palace—although the Jade Emperor is the supreme ruler of the Three Realms, his subjects only need to bow to show their respect.

Only Ye Feng lazily sang a "fat nun".

This time, however, no one dared to utter a sarcastic remark.

The Jade Emperor's voice rang out from the palace: "Sun Wukong, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven, your rank reaching the highest heavenly level. I urge you to behave yourself and refrain from causing further trouble. If anyone bullies you, bring them before me; you are not to execute them without my permission."

The monkey quickly cupped his hands and replied, "I understand, I understand! Thank you, Great Heavenly Venerable!"

The Jade Emperor said no more, and turned to Ye Feng: "Ye Feng, you were originally the Great Emperor Tai, in charge of the Great Sun. Now that you have been restored to your position, you should be loyal to your duties."

Ye Feng casually clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "No problem, no problem."

This court assembly was extremely brief.

Aside from bestowing the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven and restoring the throne of the Great Emperor Tai, there were no other proposals.

Moreover, after the battle at Flower Fruit Mountain, everyone in Heaven knew that the tide was irreversible.

Ye Feng's combat prowess is so great that it shakes the Three Realms—he has slain two Great Luo Golden Immortals, and in the Heavenly Court, there are very few who can fight against him.

After the court session, Ye Feng rode straight on a cloud and returned to the Thai Emperor's Palace.

Led by Venus, the monkey first went to the Ministry of Works to select building materials, and then chose a site near the Peach Garden to build its mansion.