The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 218 Growing Out of Shape
Why do you interpret it that way? Is that what I meant?

The Seven Fairies opened their eyes wide. She suddenly realized she was wrong. Apart from that one moment of eye contact, the stone monkey was nothing like her Little Gold and Little Silver. This strange way of thinking, the inexplicable and sudden obsession, the self-righteous cleverness, that rebellious "I'm not wrong, the world is wrong" attitude, the desire to be strong but unable to control the grievances, the stone monkey was clearly more like the teenage Er Gou from the neighbor's aunt's house.

Unlike Er Gou, Shi Hou is not a real teenager; he is a demon king, a terrifying demon king who has already cultivated to the level of a Golden Immortal.

"What's wrong with you now?" The Seventh Fairy sighed softly, softening her voice. "Did I say anything?"

“‘Not of my kind,’ thank you, for making me truly understand this principle,” the stone monkey said, a terrifying aura emanating from his body, dispelling the surrounding spiritual energy and creating a vacuum.

The Seven Fairy Maidens raised her right hand, bent her index finger, rubbed her brows to relieve her fatigue, and mentally prepared her words. She was not afraid of the stone monkey's unapproachable demeanor.

"Do you feel wronged? Does the saying 'Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs' accurately reflect your current state of mind?" asked the Seventh Fairy.

“You, a mere palace maid, actually know the words of a sage,” said the stone monkey.

"Although your realm is high, you've only just entered the Golden Immortal realm. There's still a vast distance between you and a Saint. Do you think you can understand it now? Don't you feel a sense of awe and wonder, yet it inexplicably resonates with your state of mind, making you feel somewhat ambitious and full of passion?" said the Seventh Fairy. Being good at guiding and enlightening is a skill every mother possesses.

The stone monkey glanced at the seven fairies and tacitly agreed, thinking that this palace maid was quite clever and could understand people's hearts.

"Actually, it's just an illusion. Although you are far superior to me, in the eyes of a sage, what difference is there between you and me? You have this feeling only because your emotions are stirred up for a moment, and you feel it yourself. It's just a kind of unfounded confidence."

"As I just said, I only analyzed the cause and effect with you, and you started to feel sorry for yourself without caring about anything else. Back then, you were just a lowly demon in the mortal world. As an outsider, you had no special abilities, so people naturally looked down on you and despised you. But now it's different. You have ascended to heaven and become a god, with supernatural powers and magic. Times have changed. It's not that you should forget your past, but now that you have escaped from that quagmire, you should no longer be confined to the past. And your present should naturally be different from the past because of your efforts."

"So... what do you mean?" The fierce aura emanating from the stone monkey dissipated slightly.

The Seven Fairies rubbed their heads in bewilderment. What was going on? She was the one who had suffered an undeserved calamity, yet now she had to come and advise the monkey who had started it all.

"Everything is in flux, and fate is like water. One must use oneself as a boat to avoid drowning. As times change and the world becomes ever-changing, one should go with the flow so that the boat will not sink. Do you understand what I'm saying?" said the Seventh Fairy.

The stone monkey remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

"Celestial officials are ranked in nine grades and eighteen levels, with titles above them. Looking across the heavens, how many are born as extraordinary beings like you? How do you see them doing it?" the Seventh Fairy asked.

"How did you do it?" the stone monkey recalled. "Towards subordinates... well, some were insincere, some would scold and berate them at the drop of a hat, some were attentive and caring. Towards peers, most were amiable and polite. Towards superiors, only a few were obsequious, but at the very least, they would all show respect..."

"Look at them," said the Seventh Fairy, "even when dealing with weaker subordinates, which one of them acts as recklessly as you? Heaven and earth have order, hierarchy, and distinctions between relatives, friends, and teachers. Different people should be treated differently, not arbitrarily and rigidly." "They seem to always fabricate a pretext before punishing disobedient subordinates," the Seventh Fairy continued. "That's called... having a legitimate reason. I punished them without warning..." The Stone Monkey's fierce aura vanished, and he jumped up joyfully, his eyes sparkling again. "Yes, that's right! I, Old Sun, was wrong!"

“Treat your peers as equals, and they should be friends. So, treat your superiors with respect and obedience. Isn’t that how you treat your elders? At least on the surface, that’s how it should be.” Stone Monkey learned very quickly.

So... after all this explanation, is this how it should be understood?
The seven fairies felt that the stone monkey seemed to be going further and further astray.

“That’s right, I’m now the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, a dignified celestial official,” the stone monkey straightened his clothes again, then turned his eyes to the Seven Fairies and said without being taught, “You are just a little palace maid, so… I should be your superior.” The stone monkey suddenly coughed twice and cleared his throat, “Then how you treated me before, wasn’t that disrespecting your superior?”

The stone monkey's eyes darted around, clearly just playing around.

The seven fairies originally wanted to correct the stone monkey, but after hearing these words, they didn't want to speak anymore. This monkey's annoying tricks were endless and he was beyond redemption.

"With your insight, you must serve a high-ranking official. It's common for a third-rank official to be arrogant and domineering towards those in power. But your discernment is remarkable," the stone monkey shook his head and waved his hand magnanimously, "Forget it, I don't think you're a bad person at heart. As a lowly stable boy, I won't bother with a little palace maid like you. It would be beneath my dignity."

The seven fairies remained expressionless.

"Oh dear, I was just teasing you. What's wrong? You look angry." Sure enough, the stone monkey broke down in the next moment and became playful again. "Although you are just a lowly palace maid, I feel a connection with you. How about this, I won't treat you as my subordinate, but as a friend?"

The seven fairies ignored her.

"Why are you really angry?" The stone monkey's hand flashed with light, and he took out a jade bottle. "Here, this golden pill is for you. It's my apology. Don't be angry anymore."

The stone monkey looks like it's being coaxed as a child.

The seven fairies looked up and saw the first golden pill, not the later five-turn soul-stabilizing pill.

The stone monkey was a little embarrassed. He noticed the Seven Fairies' eyes and said, "We're friends now. It's enough that you mean well. Besides, you're fine anyway, and you don't need the Soul-Stabilizing Pill. Forget it." The stone monkey gritted his teeth, as if he had made a big decision, and said with a pained expression, "If you really want it, I'll give you the Soul-Stabilizing Pill too."

"No need, this golden pill is enough as compensation." The Seventh Fairy reached out to accept it.

“I knew you weren’t the kind of person who would be greedy for money.” Stone Monkey smiled broadly and handed over the jade bottle containing the golden pill, but then he noticed something was wrong and became somewhat dissatisfied. “I treat you as a friend, so we should treat each other as equals. Why are you sitting down to take what I’m giving you?”

(End of this chapter)