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Chapter 155 The Authority of the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses
Chen Guangrui's new residence was located in a quiet and secluded area of ​​the Heavenly Realm, not far from the Imperial Horse Stables. It was a small, detached courtyard house with stone walls and gray tiles, simple and peaceful.

He was no longer a resident of the Tushita Palace, so naturally he could no longer live there. Of course, he never actually lived there. This place was, according to the rules, the official residence assigned to the弼马温 (Bima Wen, a minor official in charge of horses) by the Heavenly Court.

After returning from the Tushita Palace, Chen Guangrui came here. But before he even pushed open the door, he saw two shadows cast diagonally below; Ding Chou and Ji Yong were still waiting.

"The master is back?"

Ding Chou immediately put on his usual smile and bowed slightly.
"Sir, you have just taken up a new post. Is there anything else you need me to do? We two can take care of it."

Ji Yong nodded in agreement, appearing very submissive.

"Yes, sir. The affairs in the prison are complicated. You are new here. If there is anything you don't understand, just let us know. We are old hands and we know the situation well."

The two of them were very proactive, afraid that Chen Guangrui might be unfamiliar with some places, and actually waited here for a long time.

Chen Guangrui waved his hand, "I'm sorry to have troubled you two to wait. I just took over the job and there are many things to do, but there's nothing urgent at the moment."

His tone carried a sense of bewilderment, as if he were still adjusting to his newfound promotion.

"The matter of the Imperial Horse Stable is neither a big deal nor a small matter, and I haven't come up with a plan yet. Since it has been running smoothly before, let's continue as before. If there is anything I need to ask for advice, I will be very grateful for your help."

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Ding Chou's eyes, but his smile remained unchanged.
"You're too kind, sir. Assisting you is our duty. Rest assured, everyone in the prison will do their utmost."

Ji Yong seized the opportunity to chime in, rubbing his hands together and laughing.
"Indeed, indeed. You must be tired today, sir. It's quite a coincidence that after I finished my post, Brother Dingchou and I were thinking about it and prepared some fine wine from the Heavenly Court. I wouldn't say it's the best, but it should be enough to help you relax. If you don't mind, sir, how about we prepare a small feast in our courtyard to welcome you back?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Guangrui seemed somewhat tempted, but quickly regained his composure, appearing lazy and sleepy. He rubbed his temples, showing signs of weariness.

"Oh? You two have good wine? How thoughtful. But we're really tired today, and have a lot on our minds, so this wine..."

He waved his hand, his tone gentle but clearly reluctant, "Let's talk about it another day, another day."

Seeing that he wasn't going, Ding Chou and Ji Yong didn't insist. Ji Yong chuckled.
"Yes, yes, sir, you've had a long day and deserve a good rest. We won't disturb you any longer. If you have any orders, we'll send someone to summon you at any time."

"Alright, you two should also go back and rest early." Chen Guangrui nodded politely and watched the two bow and leave.

The courtyard gate was closed, blocking the view from the outside. The somewhat bewildered and weary smile on Chen Guangrui's face vanished instantly.

If Monkey King hadn't given us a heads-up, we would have really been fooled by your performance.

He had just taken office, and the subordinates of these two leaders were already so proactive, which was truly endearing. However, with Monkey King's warning already in place, and Chen Guangrui already on guard, it remained to be seen how these two would behave in the future.

The most important thing now is spiritual practice.

He strolled into the house with apparent ease, even humming a couple of off-key country tunes, looking quite pleased with himself after his promotion.

To anyone observing in the shadows, his behavior made it seem as if he had gotten to his position through connections with Laozi.

The room was simply furnished with a table, a chair, and a stone bed. Chen Guangrui blew out the lamp, lay down on the cold stone bed in the dark, fully clothed, and let out a satisfied sigh, as if he could fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

However, once his divine sense confirmed that there were no more prying eyes around, his eyes suddenly opened in the darkness, clear and bright, without any sign of sleepiness.

He quietly sat up, carefully took out the warm jade gourd from his bosom, and poured out a pill the size of a longan, the Nine-Turn Golden Pill.

He took a deep breath and put it in his mouth. The golden elixir melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and a vast and pure heat flowed down like the Milky Way from the heavens, sweeping through his limbs and bones in an instant.

Chen Guangrui dared not delay. He immediately cleared his mind of all distractions, focused his spirit, and began to practice the method of strengthening his muscles and bones taught by Sun Wukong.

Although the monkey didn't say it, he knew that this was the method of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, and with the blessing of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, the effect was extremely good.

My internal organs felt as if they were enveloped in warm jade, my blood surged with a subtle roar like a rushing river, and my bones crackled as if an invisible hammer was refining me.

The medicine was too potent; although the method could guide it, it was difficult to fully absorb and digest it in a short time. A surge of immense power coursed through his body, searching for an outlet.

Suddenly, Chen Guangrui, who was sitting cross-legged, trembled almost imperceptibly, as if his spiritual energy had found a place to be released.

A dull cracking sound was particularly clear in the quiet room. The sturdy stone bed beneath him, centered on the point of contact with him, suddenly developed several deep cracks.

This!
Chen Guangrui was suddenly jolted awake from that mysterious and violent state. Looking down, he saw, by the faint starlight outside the window, the stone bed with cracks.

He was shocked and quickly stopped his cultivation. If he hadn't woken up in time, the force would have probably overturned him or even exploded him.

The power increased too rapidly and became somewhat out of control.

Chen Guangrui felt a chill run down his spine. The medicinal power of this Nine-Turn Golden Pill was indeed extraordinary, and the monkey's method was indeed domineering and exquisite. With his original foundation, it would be extremely dangerous to control it.

At the same time, a huge surprise welled up in his heart. After only a short while, he felt as if his body had been reborn, and his strength and vitality had increased several times over.

In the latter half of the night, he dared not exert himself at full power, but carefully guided the dissipating, gentle medicinal power to nourish his body and slowly accumulate this immense gain. A ray of dawn shone through the window and fell on the stone bed. Chen Guangrui slowly opened his eyes. What came into view was the shattered mess of the place where he had meditated the night before.

After a night of settling in and adjusting, his senses became incredibly sharp. He could clearly see the trails of dust particles slowly drifting in the air.

The grand echo of the Heavenly Morning Bell came from afar, and he could even discern its subtle layers. He took a deep breath and seemed to be able to capture the fresh air of the grass and trees, and even the faint spiritual energy surging from the depths of the soil.

More importantly, his body was now perfectly proportioned, exuding a powerful energy unimaginable in the past. The basic techniques taught to him by the monkey in his mind flowed effortlessly, as if they were his own limbs.

With the blessing of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir and the cultivation methods of Monkey King, Chen Guangrui has likely already entered a certain stage.

When Chen Guangrui saw the cracked stone bed, he thought of the supernatural powers that Monkey King had given him.

He did not get up immediately, but with a thought, he tried to circulate his magical power according to some rudimentary methods of using strength and nourishing and repairing.

A gentle, nourishing aura emanated from his palm, slowly brushing across the broken surface of the stone bed.

Under his own slightly surprised gaze, the rough cracks silently writhed and healed. In just a few breaths, the jagged cracks disappeared, leaving only a few slightly newer marks, as if the stone bed had never been broken.

"Indeed exquisite..." Chen Guangrui murmured, a genuine smile playing on his lips.

Although shattering the bed was an accident, it allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of this power and the formidable strength of the Monkey Method.

He had just gotten up and straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes, preparing to go to the Imperial Horse Stables for his roll call, when there was a knock on the gate.

"Knock knock knock".

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, and it conveyed a sense of propriety.

Upon opening the courtyard gate, standing outside was none other than the God of War, Wuqu.

He was still wearing the celestial robe that represented the majesty of the Heavenly Court, but the expression on his face was completely different from when he was conducting official business in the mansion yesterday. The implicit closeness he had shown when he left yesterday was still there, and there was even a hint of concern between his brows, making his smile appear exceptionally kind.

"Guangrui, did you sleep well last night?"

The God of War asked in a gentle tone, as if he were greeting his own nephew or niece, "Are you settling into your new place?"

Chen Guangrui quickly stepped aside and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Xingjun. The place is very nice, but it's a bit empty; it will take some time to get used to it."

Wuqu Xingjun strolled into the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the simple setting and Chen Guangrui's slightly worn clothes, still bearing the mark of a servant or Taoist priest from the Doushuai Palace. He nodded slightly.
"Yes, it's inevitable when you're new here. If you're missing anything, or if any of the servants at the Imperial Stables are being unreasonable and bullying you, please let me know."

This is a very clear statement of support.

"Thank you for your concern, Star Lord," Chen Guangrui said, a look of gratitude appearing on his face.

"Ding Chou and Ji Yong, the two officers in the prison, are both experienced and quite respectful to me, the new official. For the time being, there is nothing wrong with them."

"That's good." Wuqu Xingjun nodded, but his tone shifted slightly, his amiable expression softening somewhat, replaced by a well-placed reminder.

"However, Guangrui, you are, after all, someone personally recommended by Laozi. Your foundation is still shallow. Now that you have suddenly taken over such a practical government office, you are attracting a lot of attention."

He paced back and forth, his gaze fixed on the floating clouds in the sky outside the courtyard gate, as if stating a universal truth.

"After I returned to my residence yesterday, I heard that quite a few busybodies have been inquiring about your background as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses."

He emphasized the word "adult," with a hint of amusement and a subtle reminder.
"They're asking you how you rose from a mere fire-tending Taoist priest to this position in one fell swoop..."

Wuqu Xingjun turned around and looked at Chen Guangrui calmly, "You yourself should also be more careful."

Chen Guangrui then subtly placed a small gourd he had prepared into Wuqu Xingjun's hand. "Xingjun, I am from the Doushuai Palace. If anything happens to me, can the Doushuai Palace protect me?"

Wuqu Xingjun was surprised by Chen Guangrui's words and raised an eyebrow. "Of course someone will protect you, but don't do anything reckless. There are so many people in the Imperial Stables, and they all have connections. Do you know who is good and who is bad? If you mess around, Laozi will be the first to punish you."

Chen Guangrui nodded in agreement and thanked Wuqu Xingjun for the reminder.

The God of War gently shook the gourd to sense its contents, then he thought for a moment...

"By the way, Guangrui, have you completed all the handover procedures since you took office as the stable boy?"

Chen Guangrui nodded; this was the first thing he did yesterday.

At this moment, Wuqu Xingjun considered it for a moment,
“Normally, you have two seals for the position of Bi Ma Wen. The one you took yesterday is in my hands; it represents your status as Bi Ma Wen.”

"And the other one represents your authority and supernatural powers as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses."

(End of this chapter)