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

Chapter 165 Complaint

Upon hearing Chen Guangrui's words, Li Jing's arm stiffened slightly. He stared at Chen Guangrui, his eyes wide, as if he doubted that he had misheard.

"Ha!" A suppressed, cold laugh escaped Li Jing's throat.

"Chen Guangrui, how dare you! You, a mere stable boy, dare to presume to control this Heavenly King?"

He took half a step forward, his golden armor clanging loudly.

"I, the Heavenly King, have always acted uprightly and sat justly, commanding heavenly troops to guard the Heavenly Palace. For so many years, countless eyes have been watching me. If I had even the slightest flaw or weakness, how could a mere junior who has just ascended to heaven be allowed to bark and howl like this? My position today is earned through battle and hard-fought achievements, and bestowed upon me by the trust of His Majesty the Jade Emperor. How could your baseless slander possibly shake it in the slightest?"

Venus, standing to the side, remained as amiable as ever. He gently flicked his whisk, his voice calm and unhurried.
“What King Li said was sincere. As the commander of the heavenly army, he upholds the order of the Heavenly Court. His loyalty, diligence, character, and virtue are renowned both within and outside the Heavenly Court. I have served His Majesty the Jade Emperor for many years and know that King Li has always acted with integrity, never overstepping his bounds or making any mistakes, let alone having any faults against him. Guangrui,”

His gaze shifted to Chen Guangrui, his tone carrying a gentle, senior-to-junior tone of advice.
"It is commendable that young people are ambitious, but it is a big taboo to make baseless accusations and frame important officials of the Heavenly Court. It is easy to get burned. Please think twice."

The blue ox, who had been munching on a half-eaten orange, forgot to chew it and said in a muffled voice,

"If Li Jing were to be a man of integrity, how could he renege on his debts and refuse to hand over his seal after losing a bet? He pretends to be confused even when it's obvious what's right. What kind of integrity is that? Even I, Old Niu, understand the principle of accepting the consequences of a bet."

He took a half-step forward with his massive body, and spoke in a booming voice to support Chen Guangrui, his spittle flying everywhere.

After speaking, the green ox subconsciously turned its huge head slightly closer to Chen Guangrui, and began to hum in a sound that only the two of them could hear.

"Kid... what do you really think you're messing with him? That old guy's tough-hearted and shameless. Do you think you can just go head-to-head with him?"

He frowned and said gruffly, "Are you really sure? I've known him for so many years, and I've never seen him have any problems on the surface."

Chen Guangrui remained calm and gave the blue ox a very slight nod to reassure him.

Then his gaze met Li Jing's burning eyes again, and his voice was clear and steady, each word distinct and deliberate.
"Your Majesty, you always claim to be upright and honest. May I ask, what about the Earth-Emerging Lady of the Bottomless Cave in the Trapped Mountain of Xiniu Hezhou? What about the tablet of your revered father, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, that you enshrine on your altar? This woman steals incense, flowers, and precious candles from the sacred mountain, steals the lamp oil from the eight hundred Arhats, causes trouble in the area, and acts wildly. Could it be... that she is not using your banner as the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King?"

"A bottomless pit? Lady Earth Surge?"

"Utterly absurd! Utterly shameless!"

Li Jing's voice suddenly rose, his face filled with utter fury at being slandered.
"Chen Guangrui, how dare you spout such despicable lies! What bottomless pit, what earth-emerging lady? I, the Heavenly King, have never heard of them! I only have three sons, Jinzha, Muzha, and Nezha, all of whom are born with immortal roots and spirits, upright and honorable. How could I possibly have such a thieving and petty person hiding in the mortal realm as my daughter?"

"This is utter nonsense, a malicious frame-up by you, and a grave insult to the reputation I have built up over half a lifetime!"

He stared intently at Chen Guangrui, each word like a vow, "You must be colluding with that demon monkey, spreading heresy and misleading the public!"

Venus twirled the jade handle of his whisk forcefully, his voice becoming serious and solemn, carrying an authoritative tone of denial.

"Guangrui, this matter is no child's play. To slander a high-ranking official of the Heavenly Court and disrupt the Heavenly Court's discipline is a serious crime! Do you have any solid evidence? Without any basis or evidence, how can you convince anyone?"

He shook his head repeatedly, his tone resolute.

"Li Tianwang holds a revered divine position and possesses noble character. How could he possibly have such a sordid connection with demons and monsters in the mortal realm? Absolutely impossible! This matter... is truly inconceivable and absurd!"

His voice revealed undisguised disbelief.

The blue ox was so shocked that it opened its mouth wide enough to fit an entire orange, its eyes wide open, filled with astonishment that seemed to say, "Your joke is way too outrageous."

He glanced at Chen Guangrui's calm face, then at the furious Li Jing. The massive bull's head shook in confusion, then couldn't help but lean closer, uttering another low, muffled question, "Kid... are you sure about this?"

He found this news even more unbelievable than Chen Guangrui suddenly growing horns.

Chen Guangrui seemed completely unconcerned by the surprised or disbelieving looks he received from those around him.
"It's understandable that the Heavenly King doesn't believe it. Empty words are hard to believe. Whether it's true or false, we'll find out by capturing the demon in the mortal realm. Let's go to the Bottomless Cave of Trapped Sky Mountain now, capture that evil spirit, destroy its cave, and bring back the gilded tablet on her altar that reads 'Honored Father, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li,' and place it in the Lingxiao Palace. Let His Majesty the Jade Emperor and all the gods and Buddhas see it clearly and distinguish the truth from the falsehood. What do you say? The truth will come to light." His "invitation" was more like a calm challenge.

Li Jing gave a heavy, cold snort.
"Chen Guangrui, stop your nonsense. You want to go down to the mortal realm to catch demons? Hmph! I, the Heavenly King, command the heavenly soldiers. My duty is to fight and sweep away evil spirits for the Heavenly Court and maintain order in the Three Realms! How dare you, a mere steward of the Imperial Stables, order me around and play this game of investigating baseless accusations?"

"The deployment of troops requires a decree from His Majesty the Jade Emperor to investigate the cause and effect! You do not have such authority!"

The official's authority was like a mountain, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Chen Guangrui seemed to have anticipated this situation and immediately replied,

“What the Heavenly King says is quite right. In that case, I, Chen, will report the whole story in detail and ask His Majesty the Jade Emperor to make a wise judgment and order a thorough investigation. It would be reasonable to confront the Heavenly King about the ownership of this seal after it has been determined whether the demon of the Bottomless Cave is in cahoots with the Heavenly King.”

These words cleverly placed Li Jing in a dilemma. To forcibly stop him would inevitably seem like a blatant attempt to cover something up. Li Jing was like someone being roasted over a fire, forced to suppress his raging anger.

"Hmph!" Li Jing glared at Chen Guangrui. "This Heavenly King is waiting for you!"

Having said that, he abruptly waved the hand holding the pagoda, "Withdraw the troops!"

He turned and led his menacing celestial army, transforming into a cold, blinding golden light, and stormed off in a rage. He naturally wouldn't hand over the authority seal.

The tense atmosphere in the training ground did not dissipate immediately after Li Jing left.

Venus looked at Chen Guangrui.
"Guangrui, it is good that you have the intention to plead with His Majesty the Jade Emperor. His Majesty is discerning and will surely handle the matter fairly."

He paused, his voice becoming even gentler, like that of a wise and patient elder.

"However, meeting the Jade Emperor to present a memorial is a matter of great importance, and the matter at hand is no small thing. It must be supported by solid evidence. This evidence must be irrefutable, able to withstand scrutiny, and able to withstand questioning from all the gods. If ultimately no evidence is found,"

His gaze was like two invisible needles, piercing straight at Chen Guangrui.
"Even with the mercy and care of Laozi, it is probably difficult to guarantee your safety. You must be extremely cautious and think thrice before acting."

After speaking, he flicked his whisk, gave a polite nod to the blue ox beside him, his smile unchanged, and rode away on auspicious clouds.

The blue ox snorted heavily in dissatisfaction in the direction where Venus had disappeared, exhaling two puffs of white vapor. It then turned its massive head to look at Chen Guangrui.
"Kid, you'd better tell me the truth, is this... really true?"

His voice was low and filled with genuine worry.
"If you really go and tell the Jade Emperor, what if it's not true? The Heavenly King and that treacherous old official will definitely make your life miserable. I'm good at fighting, but I'm really bad at this kind of scheming and manipulative tactics. No, you wait here, I'll go back to the Tushita Palace first and see if I can find a way to mention it to Laozi, at least to get some fresh air. If Laozi is there, at least he can give you a chance to speak, right? So that no one else can take the blame. You absolutely mustn't act impulsively now."

The green ox was extremely anxious. Without waiting for Chen Guangrui's reply, it transformed into a streak of green light, carrying a strong smell of orange peel, and sped off towards the direction of the Tushita Palace.

The vast Imperial Horse Stables fell completely silent. The commotion just now seemed like an abrupt farce, leaving behind only chaos and a deathly stillness.

Chen Guangrui looked around and realized that Sun Wukong had quietly left without a trace.

He let out a soft breath. Dozens of Imperial Horse Administration officers remained in the arena, cowering in a corner like frightened quails, not daring to breathe, their eyes darting around, neither daring to leave nor daring to stay.

Now that the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses has clashed with Li Tianwang, will it implicate the Imperial Horse Administration?
They looked at Chen Guangrui, wondering if he would still be the stable boy in a few days.

Chen Guangrui's gaze calmly swept over their fearful and bewildered faces. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"You all saw what happened just now. You all know perfectly well what the situation is like at the Imperial Horse Stables right now."

"Those who are willing to stay can settle down and do their jobs well, taking care of the horses."

"If you feel this place is unsafe and don't want to get involved in trouble, then leave now. But once you leave, don't come back."

(End of this chapter)