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

Chapter 164 You old bastard, have you no shame?
The constable peeking over the wall was teeth chattering. That sound, that hairy face and thunderous mouth…

There's no mistake, it's the one who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago!
Just as he was terrified, Sun Wukong inside finished feeding the grass and straightened up, his fiery eyes glancing intentionally or unintentionally toward the low wall.

The constable felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, his legs went weak, and with a "plop," he slid down the wall and fled in a panic, using both hands and feet.

Behind the bushes in the distance, the bailiffs who had asked for leave were waiting anxiously. When they saw the thin bailiff stumble and crawl back, pale-faced and trembling with unspoken words, they quickly surrounded him.

"So, what did you see? Did another horse die?" someone asked anxiously.

The thin constable felt like his throat was stuffed with cotton.
"It's the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! He's feeding the horses inside!"

He felt like he had encountered a ghost. How could he possibly see the King of Hell in this place?
"The Monkey King?"

"Sun Wukong?"

"Bimawen?"

The other constables didn't believe it either, but seeing their companion's expression, they couldn't help but believe it too. In any case, no one wanted to take another look.

Therefore, the story about seeing the monkey is most likely true.

Ding Chou's gaunt face turned deathly pale instantly, and Ji Yong's sturdy body swayed, his eyes filled with nothing but despair. The other constables were even more ashen-faced, some collapsing to the ground.

"It's over, it's all over..." an old groom muttered to himself, his voice filled with utter despair.

"That monkey's ability to raise horses goes without saying, with him around, why would we be needed?"

“Yes,” another constable was also confused. Wasn’t it agreed that Chen Guangrui would be begging us? How did he end up bringing in helpers?

“That guy is very skilled at raising horses. With his help, Chen Guangrui is completely useless.”

An atmosphere of utter despair, of being completely abandoned, permeated the crowd.

The previous illusion of "resting for a few days and waiting for him to come begging" was shattered by the six words "The Monkey King is feeding the horses".

The young constable felt increasingly hopeless about his future, so he simply got up, dejectedly walked towards the South Heavenly Gate, hoping to try his luck and see if he could get a different job so he wouldn't be banished to the mortal realm.

As soon as he arrived at the South Heavenly Gate, the heavenly soldiers on duty stopped him.

"Isn't this the brother from the Imperial Horse Administration? What are you doing here at this hour?"

A heavenly soldier recognized him and asked curiously,

"Isn't your new stable boy a newly appointed one? Hasn't he assigned you any tasks yet?"

The constable, seething with resentment, replied curtly.
"What work are we supposed to do? We're not needed at all. Guess what? The monkeys are in there with him, tending the horses!"

"Monkey? What monkey?"

"What other monkey could it be? Of course, it's the one who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace back then,"

After the constable finished speaking, he completely ignored the heavenly soldier's expression and gestured with his hands as if he had actually witnessed it.
"That horse, good heavens! It's only been a few days, but it's gotten so plump and strong, and its coat is as shiny as satin!"

"Plump and strong?" The heavenly soldier was stunned.

"You bet!" the young constable rolled his eyes. "He looks so energetic!"

After saying that, he hung his head and continued walking inside, going to try his luck with a minor leader he knew.

The heavenly soldiers guarding the gate exchanged bewildered glances, one of them suddenly changing his expression: "He just mentioned a monkey, which monkey? Could it be...?"

The other one also realized what was happening, his voice changing, "Sun Wukong, is he raising horses? And fattening them up? What's this monkey up to now? Is he going to wreak havoc in Heaven again after he's had enough rest?"

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and he ran towards the Heavenly General on duty.

"My lord, something terrible has happened!"

The heavenly soldiers rushed into the side hall and shouted anxiously to the heavenly general guarding the gate.

"What's the rush?" Tianjiang frowned unhappily.

"It's the Imperial Stables, that new Protector of the Horses, Chen Guangrui. He captured that monkey, Sun Wukong, and brought him to heaven! Now he's forcing the monkey to help him raise horses!"

"What?" Tianjiang jumped to his feet, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Chen Guangrui? He captured Sun Wukong?"

He felt a chill rise up his spine.
"This is outrageous! Sun Wukong is not one to be restrained! Isn't this forcing him to rebel again?"

He grabbed the command token beside him, not even bothering to straighten his armor, and shouted, "Quickly! Report this immediately!"

The news, like a flame blown askew by the wind, grew increasingly absurd. By the time it reached the Jade Emperor's ears in the Lingxiao Palace, it had become:
"Your Majesty, it is said that Chen Guangrui, the newly promoted stable boy from the lower realm, was whipping the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain in public, forcing them to raise horses for him."

The Jade Emperor leaned forward slightly behind his desk, a very strange expression appearing on his face.

He slightly opened his mouth, his eyes sweeping over the celestial official's face, a look that was neither a smile nor anger, his expression somewhat amused.
"Oh? He's whipping monkeys and tending horses?"

Upon hearing that the heavenly horse had been fattened up by the monkeys, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, flew into a rage.

"The celestial horses have been fattened up by that demon monkey? That's outrageous!"

Li Jing slammed his hand on the table, causing the base of the pagoda to vibrate. His face was ashen, his official demeanor imposing, and his eyes blazed with fury.

"That demonic monkey rebelled against the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago, committing heinous crimes. Now he dares to sneak back into the Heavenly Court, and even in the very heart of my Imperial Stables. Chen Guangrui is incredibly audacious, daring to collude with him? This is clearly a blatant disregard for the majesty of Heaven! This trend must not be allowed to continue!"

He waved his hand dramatically, his voice booming like a bell.

"Gather the troops! Follow me to the Imperial Stables to capture the demon monkey!"

In a short while, Li Jing mustered a squad of elite celestial soldiers, who rode on clouds straight towards the Imperial Horse Stables. Their golden armor gleamed, and their killing intent was palpable. In an instant, they surrounded the once-empty training ground of the Imperial Horse Stables.

Regardless of whether we can win or not, we must not lose in terms of momentum.

Moreover, Li Jing was certain that the monkey wouldn't dare cause trouble in the Heavenly Palace again, unless he wanted to go back to sleeping under the Five Elements Mountain.

The training ground was silent. In the stables, the celestial horses were full of energy, indeed plump and strong, with glossy coats.

The supervising officials Ding Chou and Ji Yong, along with some of the constables who had slipped back, all huddled in a corner, not daring to utter a sound. Chen Guangrui stood in the center of the field, facing the fierce onslaught of Li Jing and the heavenly soldiers, his expression calm and composed.

"King Li." He cupped his hands in greeting.

Li Jing's sharp gaze swept across the entire room, but he did not see the figure he expected.

"Hmph!" he sneered.
"You hid quite quickly, Chen Guangrui. Where is that demon monkey?"

Li Jing tightened his grip on the pagoda slightly. "Don't think you can fool me! Come on, bring out the treasure and shine it on that monkey!"

Chen Guangrui did not answer the question about the monkey's whereabouts. He met Li Jing's piercing gaze, his eyes calmly landing on the plump, strong horses, and then spoke, his voice low but each word clear.
"King Li, the Heavenly Horses of the Imperial Stables have all recovered their strength and vigor. Guangrui has fulfilled the conditions you mentioned that day. So..."

He paused slightly, raised his gaze, and looked directly into Li Jing's slightly surprised and uncertain eyes.

"When does the Heavenly King intend to return to me the seal of authority that I, the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, should rightfully possess?"

Li Jing stood holding the pagoda, his face ashen.

Chen Guangrui's calm words asking for the seal were like an invisible slap across his face.

"Insolence!" Li Jing's expression darkened, his official authority like a raging wave crashing against the shore.

"How can a few days of horse-raising prove your true ability to rule? Authority and seals of authority concern the Heavenly Court's conquests; how can someone with such shallow foundations possibly obtain them by chance with the help of external forces? You even need to rely on demons to raise horses..."

He forced himself to swallow the term "monkey," knowing that if he really angered the person, they might start making a scene without a care in the world.

Thinking of this, Li Jing became even angrier, "You are not qualified for this authority!"

He looked down at him with undisguised contempt in his eyes. Rank matters, and might makes right.

Just as tensions were rising, a wisp of auspicious cloud drifted leisurely across the sky.

The clouds parted, revealing Venus, the planet of Venus, with a warm smile. He held a whisk in his hand, his voice gentle and soothing, as if reassuring everyone.

"Don't be anxious, Heavenly King, please calm down. Guangrui, please also calm down."

He smiled at Chen Guangrui, but his eyes remained calm and unwavering, offering little warmth.

“Guangrui, I heard that Sun Wukong has appeared here? You brought him to the Heavenly Court, this matter... is quite inappropriate.”

While he appeared to be mediating, he had in fact already established the fault of "leading a demon into heaven" for Chen Guangrui.

Venus turned to Li Jing, "The Heavenly King is acting in the public interest. That monkey's trespassing into the Heavenly Realm is indeed a hidden danger, but I don't know what the situation is now..."

He left the rest of his sentence unsaid, meaning he was waiting for Li Jing to find the demon monkey, or for Chen Guangrui to find the monkey.

Suddenly, a deep, bull-mooing laugh rang out from another direction, shattering the delicate balance.

No sooner had Venus arrived than a beam of azure light touched the ground, revealing the robust figure of a blue ox. The ox nonchalantly brushed off imaginary dust, chewing on half a segment of orange, and mumbled something to Venus.
"Old man, why do you always meddle in everything?"

He strode over to Chen Guangrui, his massive body like a wall, and glared at Li Jing with his bull-like eyes.

"So it's you, you old codger! Why are you yelling so loudly? You said that monkey is here? Fine, go ahead and grab him if you dare, don't try to show off your power to people from our Tushita Palace!"

Venus's ever-present smile froze slightly, then returned to normal.

"Brother Niu's coming here to protect your old subordinates from the Tushita Palace is perfectly justifiable."

He seemed to realize something, but he didn't budge.
"However, the Heavenly Court has its own laws and regulations. That monkey is untamed and might cause trouble again..."

The green ox interrupted Taibai Jinxing directly, and a finger as thick as a carrot almost poked Li Jing right under the nose.
"Stop with the nonsense. You say there are monkeys? Catch them first, I don't know anything about them. I only know one thing, Li Tianwang, I heard you made a bet with that kid Chen, right? A bet on whether you could raise these horses well. Look at these horses now, they're all plump and strong, much better than the ones you raised before! A bet is a bet, so hurry up and hand over that damn seal of yours to my brother!"

Li Jing, holding the pagoda, did not directly answer the green ox. His gaze swept over the rows of celestial horses behind Chen Guangrui, finally settling on Chen Guangrui's calm face. His voice carried suppressed anger and obvious resentment.

"Hmph, well-raised? Very well! But Chen Guangrui, are these horses really yours? I don't believe it."

The blue ox became enraged upon hearing this. Its eyes glared, and it spat out the half-eaten orange peel it was chewing.
"What nonsense! Who raises horses without outside help? I, Old Niu, am helping my brother raise the horses for a few days, so what? Oxen and horses are family, is there a problem? Look at these horses, aren't they all shiny and healthy? I, Old Niu, personally cut the grass and mixed the feed, so what, is that a problem?"

He took a step forward, his massive body exuding a raw, untamed energy, almost pressing against Li Jing's golden armor.

"So, you're going back on your word? Don't you have any shame?"

The wicked creature from Laozi's household has started cursing!

Li Jing's face turned from pale to ashen. As a man of high status, he was always the one reprimanding others; never before had he been so aggressively questioned in person by a mounted horse. His official aura surged, and his golden armor appeared exceptionally cold and hard under the celestial light.
"I am the Heavenly King Li Jing, commander of the Heavenly Army. My authority is immense and cannot be taken lightly. Hand over the seal! What merit or ability does Chen Guangrui possess? Even with your secret assistance, and by some stroke of luck managing to improve the horses, it does not prove that he has the talent to command ten thousand cavalry and coordinate expeditions. This seal is of utmost importance; how can it be handed over so easily? I do not acknowledge this debt!"

"You won't admit it?" The green ox laughed in anger, its two huge bull eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. It suddenly raised one of its massive ox hoofs, pointing it at the exquisite pagoda radiating spiritual light in Li Jing's hand, its tone full of threat.

"Grandpa Niu is asking you one last time, are you going to hand it over or not? If you don't, don't blame me for taking your livelihood away first. What kind of tower will you be able to lift then? If your good son Nezha finds out, he'll kill you with his Fire-Tipped Spear, thinking you're a monster. Don't cry foul then."

"Insolence!" This blatant humiliation and threat completely ignited Li Jing's anger, and even the matter of Nezha became a sensitive topic.

He felt a surge of blood rush to his head, followed by a brilliant golden light. He abruptly raised the hand holding the pagoda, its light shimmering, accompanied by a thunderous roar.
"How dare this mere demon bull be so arrogant! Heavenly soldiers, seize this scoundrel!"

"Yes!" The golden-armored heavenly soldiers behind Li Jing responded in unison, their long halberds like a forest, gleaming coldly, instantly locking onto the green ox.

"Hey, you old codger, you dare to yell at me? You think I won't take you down right now?"

With a conflict on the verge of erupting, Chen Guangrui, standing on the edge of the storm, finally spoke up.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Senior Green Ox is straightforward and only cares about protecting me. As for resorting to arms, that's simply not the case."

He slowly walked forward, standing between the menacing blue ox and the heavenly soldiers who were about to attack.

“Your Majesty, let’s be frank. On that day at the training ground, in front of everyone, you personally promised that as long as I took good care of the Heavenly Horses of the Imperial Stables, you would return the seal of authority. Now, the facts are clearly before your eyes: these Heavenly Horses are stronger than ever before. I have fulfilled your request. And you have lost.”

His tone was neither agitated nor accusatory; he was simply stating a fact that both sides knew perfectly well:

"You, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, a high-ranking official of the Heavenly Court, now intend to renege on your promise. If you truly act in this way and break your promise, what will become of your reputation, Heavenly King? Are you truly not afraid of losing face?"

Chen Guangrui's gaze shifted slightly downwards, landing on Li Jing's hand, which was tightly gripping the base of the pagoda, his knuckles white:

"If you insist on using force to cover up the fact that you lost, regardless of dignity or consequences, then let's talk this over."

(End of this chapter)