They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 152 Being the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses is Not an Easy Job

"Sugar?"

Sun Wukong's fiery eyes blinked repeatedly, like two flowing golden lamps, carefully examining Tang Sheng's little face, the nine fresh ordination scars on his head, and even his tiny monk's robe. Golden light swirled in his eyes, seemingly trying to penetrate the child's very essence.

"What did you see?" Chen Guangrui couldn't help but ask when she saw him staring intently.

The monkey looked away, subconsciously scratched its cheek, and simply shook its head.
"I can't see through it, I can't see through it. But then again,"

He changed the subject, "This little kid's natural talent is among the best I've ever seen. He's a natural-born cultivator!"

He turned to Chen Guangrui and asked, "Have you taught him any cultivation methods?"

"Where have I learned any spiritual practices?"

Chen Guangrui looked at Tang Sheng and asked gently, "Has anyone taught you cultivation, like meditation, breathing exercises, and other techniques?"

Tang Sheng tilted her little face up, her big eyes filled with clear confusion, and asked in her childish voice, "What is cultivation?"

"Hahaha!" Looking at the little one's bewildered expression, Sun Wukong's earlier seriousness completely vanished, and he grinned again. He enthusiastically bent down, trying his best to look as intimidating as possible.

"Little one, I'll teach you a skill. Do you want to learn it? If you do, you can become an immortal!"

"Become an immortal?" Tang Sheng tilted his head, his big eyes blinking as he looked at Sun Wukong's golden fur. As if he had suddenly thought of something important, he asked timidly, "When you learn skills, will you grow fur? Like you?"

Chen Guangrui, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but cover his mouth with his sleeve. He shrugged slightly, but didn't laugh out loud. However, his eyes betrayed his amusement.

"Cough cough!" Sun Wukong choked, subconsciously looking down at his golden hairs. His expression was quite varied, as if he was somewhat embarrassed, yet also found the question utterly naive and adorable. In the end, he replied in an annoyed tone,

"You little brat, you're even talking about my old man's fur. Among monkeys, I'm quite handsome. As for you, why are you worrying about your fur? It's definitely not going to grow long."

Tang Sheng seemed relieved, and most of the doubt on her little face disappeared.

Sun Wukong's eyes darted around, and suddenly he transformed into a small, exquisite bird with colorful feathers. He fluttered his wings, circled Tang Sheng's head twice, and chirped a few times.

"Wow!" Tang Sheng's eyes widened instantly, her mouth agape. Her earlier timidity vanished, replaced by pure curiosity and excitement.

He pointed his short, chubby finger at the bird, "Bird, a bird that can change!"

He immediately turned to where Sun Wukong had turned back into a monkey, tilted his head back, his big, dark eyes filled with longing, and pointed vigorously at his bald head, "Learn, I want to learn this, turn into a bird!"

Seeing that the sugarcane had taken the bait, Sun Wukong chuckled and rubbed his hands together triumphantly.
"Want to learn transformation? That's easy. My seventy-two transformations are top-notch skills, but..."

He changed the subject, pointing to himself, "If you want to learn real skills from me, you have to stay in my Flower and Fruit Mountain Water Curtain Cave, eat the fruits of my Flower and Fruit Mountain, and sleep on the stone bed of my Flower and Fruit Mountain!"

"Stay here?" Upon hearing that he had to leave Chen Guangrui, Tang Sheng's face turned deathly pale, all his previous excitement vanishing in an instant. He twisted around and hugged Chen Guangrui's leg tightly, pressing his head against it. His voice immediately trembled with tears, and his big eyes welled up with them. "No, don't stay! I want Daddy! I want to stay with Daddy..."

The golden beans were about to fall.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't cry, don't cry!" Sun Wukong hated children crying the most; it was more troublesome for him than being surrounded by heavenly soldiers and generals. He quickly waved his hand.
"I'm doing this for your own good, you father," he said, pointing at Chen Guangrui.

"I just got the position of Bi Ma Wen (弼马温), I know that place well, it's full of gossips and there are plenty of bad guys. You're just a weak little baby right now, what if you go back to Heaven with him and get bullied? My Flower Fruit Mountain is peaceful and quiet, with me, Old Sun, protecting you, who would dare to touch a hair on your head?"

While Sun Wukong was talking to Tang Sheng, Chen Guangrui's gaze fell on Sun Wukong's face, which held a hint of reminiscence and resentment, and she subtly posed a question.
"Great Sage, what exactly happened when you were on duty at the Imperial Stables that made you leave in such anger?"

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm pond. The coaxing expression on Sun Wukong's face vanished instantly, a fleeting hint of awkwardness quickly replaced by an even stronger arrogance.

He instinctively wanted to reveal some secret, but the words caught in his throat. His arrogance surged, and he stiffened his neck, shouting loudly...
"What else could it be! That stingy Jade Emperor gave me, Old Sun, a lowly position as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, a tiny, insignificant post, like a beggar's job? I, Old Sun, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, can wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace and storm the Underworld, and you want me to tend horses? Isn't this just deliberately humiliating me? I quit! This worthless post, let whoever wants it take it!"

Seemingly feeling that words alone weren't enough, he puffed out his chest and pounded it forcefully, making loud thuds.
"But speaking of which, I, Old Sun, am also a master at raising horses. Those half-dead steeds that others raise to be skin and bones, will be plump and strong, shiny and glossy, and run with the wind under their hooves in less than a month in my hands, hey!"

After boasting triumphantly, his expression turned serious. He leaned closer to Chen Guangrui and lowered his voice, saying...
"Speaking of which, Chen Guangrui, I, Old Sun, think you're a good person, so I have to remind you. The Imperial Horse Administration hasn't had a proper manager for years. Those low-level officials who're just coasting along are all shrewd and slippery, and who knows what powerful figures they're currying favor with. What they say..."

He pointed a hairy finger at Chen Guangrui's chest and said, "Don't believe a single word you say!"

A hint of annoyance flashed across his face as he recalled the past. "Back then, I, Old Sun, was truly helpless. Those people, you could scold them, and they would grin; you could hit them, and they would still grin. They were impervious to reason, like a ball of cotton. It made me, Old Sun, furious but powerless. They were incredibly difficult to deal with. In particular, you had to be wary of one named Ding Chou and another named Ji Yong, both cunning and shrewd."

Seeing Sun Wukong's annoyance and helplessness as he recalled the past, Chen Guangrui showed no worry. Instead, a calm smile appeared on his face, and his tone was calm yet confident.
"Thank you for the reminder, Great Sage. However, in my opinion, dealing with these people is not a difficult task."

"What?" Sun Wukong was already feeling frustrated, but upon hearing this, his fiery eyes widened immediately, his golden fur seemed to stand on end, and his face clearly showed the words "Absolutely impossible."
"Even I, Old Sun, can't subdue someone like you. With your skinny arms and legs and no magic skills whatsoever, you think you can? Don't just spout nonsense!"

Chen Guangrui's smile remained unchanged as he calmly met Sun Wukong's skeptical, even slightly mocking, gaze.
"Don't believe me? How about we make a bet?"

"A bet?" Sun Wukong's monkey face immediately lit up; he loved this kind of thing. "What are we betting on? Tell me quickly!"

Chen Guangrui's gaze swept over Tang Sheng, who was still sobbing beside his legs, and he said slowly,
"I'm betting that I can keep those people under control at the Imperial Stables within a month. If I do it,"

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Great Sage, you must do something for me, something you can absolutely do. What do you say?"

Sun Wukong blinked, scratched his head, and spun around in place, seemingly weighing his options rapidly. Could he really believe that Chen Guangrui could accomplish something even he couldn't?

This was an absolute joke. But looking into the other person's calm yet unusually determined eyes, a strong sense of disbelief and a desire to see him make a fool of himself took over.

"Hey!" He suddenly jumped up, pointing his furry finger at Chen Guangrui, his monkey face full of the excitement of watching someone jump into a pit and waiting to see the excitement.

"I'm betting, I'm betting! If you really have that much ability, I'll do three things for you, let alone one!"

(End of this chapter)