Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

Upon meeting in the hall, a servant offered tea. After a few polite words, Tianyou tentatively began to speak:

"I was unaware of your arrival, Star Lord. What brings you here?"

Venus smiled and said slowly, "Marshal, do you really know how much commotion has been going on in the Heavenly Court these past few days?"

Tianyou feigned ignorance: "I've been staying home to rest and recuperate lately, so I know nothing about what's going on outside."

Venus's eyes turned cold, though his smile remained unchanged. Suddenly, a chilling killing intent descended from him—don't be fooled by his kind and gentle appearance; he is a star lord who wields power and is capable of wielding weapons and killings. His anger, once revealed, is suffocating.

"Don't pretend you don't know. Everyone knows that the King of Thailand has ascended to the throne. You still have old grudges with him, can you still pretend to be deaf and dumb? If you don't wake up, his first decree after his ascension to the throne may be your death day! I have already done more than enough for you by coming here today."

Tianyou trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale. He hurriedly rose from his seat and knelt on the ground: "Star Lord, please forgive me! I... I didn't mean to hide it! It's just... I was acting under orders, I had no choice! Please save my life!"

Venus slowly put down his teacup, his tone softening as he said, "If I weren't going to save you, why would I bother coming here? Get up, the way out is right in your ear—come closer."

"At the court assembly in two days, you only need to do this and that..."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, the Heavenly Court appeared to be busy as usual, but undercurrents were surging beneath the surface, and no one dared to make any rash moves.

The battle between Ye Feng and Gouchen directly razed the vast territory of the Western Heavenly Palace to the ground, turning Gouchen Palace into ruins, with broken walls scattered across the sky.

The Ministry of Works has been working on repairs for days, but so far only one-tenth or one-twelfth of the original structure has been restored.

Worse still, the Heavenly Court's barrier shattered, and the Four Heavenly Gates reappeared in the Nine Heavens. The Southern Heavenly Gate was still guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings, but the other three gates were left unattended, and the selection of the Star Lords and Heavenly Kings remained undecided, leading to ongoing controversy.

But all of these are insignificant compared to what is happening today.

The golden bell resounded before the Lingxiao Palace.

The morning assembly has begun.

Officials from all walks of life, dressed in court robes and holding jade tablets, rushed to the front of the palace.

Surprisingly, Ye Feng also got up early today, put on the Nine Suns Golden Crow robe, and stood outside the hall.

After all—he is the protagonist of today's story.

Not only him, but even the Monkey King donned the official robes of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and wore a seven-star crown, arriving at the Lingxiao Palace early in the morning.

Upon seeing Ye Feng, they immediately went up to greet him.

Strangely enough, the monkey had been in the Heavenly Court for quite some time, but this was the first time he had ever actually attended court in a proper manner, and he felt both excited and thrilled.

Ye Feng led him into the main hall. Before the Jade Emperor arrived, he went straight to the first seat on the right.

Seeing this, the monkey followed suit and obediently stood behind him.

With civil officials on the left and military officials on the right, the Heavenly Court's rules were strict and unambiguous.

Ye Feng's position should have been reserved for Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King—the head of the military generals. However, Li Jing has disappeared without a trace since his defeat and escape from the battle at Flower Fruit Mountain.

Is he fleeing to avoid punishment? Or is he hiding at home, afraid to show his face? Nobody can say for sure.

As the golden bell tolled three times, celestial officials from all walks of life ascended the throne.

The first to arrive were the Four Celestial Masters.

As soon as they entered the palace, they noticed that Ye Feng and the monkey had taken the place in front of the God of War. Their expressions changed immediately, their eyes narrowed slightly, but they didn't say anything. They simply returned to their places and waited for the Jade Emperor to arrive.

Subsequently, deities from all walks of life arrived one after another, all of them powerful figures well-known in the mortal world, and lined up in order of rank.

About fifteen minutes later, all the civil and military officials of the Heavenly Court had arrived.

"The Jade Emperor has arrived!"

A clear and loud shout came from behind the hall, followed by a figure stepping out, surrounded by auspicious light flowing like a galaxy falling down, and sitting upright on the imperial throne.

All the immortals bowed in respect.

"Greetings to the Jade Emperor, Your Majesty, may your life be long and prosperous."

The Heavenly Court's etiquette is simple and uncomplicated; there is no need to kneel and kowtow, only a slight bow is required.

Ye Feng was even more casual, merely nodding slightly and performing a standard Taoist greeting.

Seeing the officials' actions, the monkey followed suit and bowed its head in obeisance.

"My lords, you may dispense with the formalities."

The Jade Emperor's voice was calm and even, and the gods slowly straightened up.

Before the words were finished, Master Ge stepped forward from the crowd, holding the memorial aloft with both hands, his expression solemn:

"Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune, and I have a matter to report."

The official stepped forward, took the memorial, and presented it to the emperor.

The Jade Emperor gently raised his palm: "Read it."

The celestial official recited aloud:

"Your subject Ge Hong respectfully reports: The grace of Heaven is boundless and does not tolerate evil. Now, the Golden Crow Ye Feng and the Demon King Sun Wukong in the mortal realm have repeatedly defied the majesty of Heaven and openly acted against Heaven."

These vicious and unruly individuals should have been completely eradicated, but unexpectedly, their clever words and flattering manner deceived Heaven, and they even attempted to usurp the positions of the Four Emperors. This is truly an unprecedented calamity!

Furthermore, he became extremely ferocious, leading a horde of demons to launch a fierce attack on the Heavenly Court, slaughtering countless immortals and gods, including the Great Emperor Gouchen.

If such tyrannical and god-slaying villains were to seize heavenly power, how could the three realms find peace? How could the people submit? How could there be any justification for establishing a murderer as a worthy ruler?

After the memorial was read aloud, Master Xu followed closely behind, stepping out of the ranks:

"I also have a memorial to present."

Master Sa was not to be outdone: "I second that as well!"

Two memorials were presented one after another, with identical contents—both were aimed at preventing Ye Feng from succeeding to the position of Gouchen.

The three celestial masters took the lead in launching the attack, and the civil officials were immediately agitated, with nearly half of them responding, and the voices of opposition were gaining momentum.

Upon hearing this, the monkey flew into a rage and almost grabbed his golden cudgel to rush up and cause a ruckus, but Ye Feng quickly grabbed him.

He turned to look at Ye Feng with a puzzled expression, only to see the other man with a calm demeanor, a slight smile on his lips, and whispering:

"What's the rush? It's just a clown putting on a show. Just enjoy it."

The commotion in the hall continued, but the Jade Emperor remained silent, uttering not a word.

At this moment, Venus slowly stepped forward, first bowing to the Jade Emperor, then turning to face the assembled celestial masters with a composed expression.

He held a prestigious position, ranking third in the martial arts class, only behind Ye Feng and the vacant position of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

He then laughed loudly:

"What you Celestial Masters say is incorrect. Everyone says that the King of Thailand has rebelled against Heaven, but in my opinion, this matter is completely reversed."

Since the King of Thailand assumed the authority of the Three Realms, he has worked tirelessly day and night, fulfilling his duties without ever slacking off...

The so-called mistakes were nothing more than trivial matters, and most of them were done by the Monkey King. The Thai King was at most an accomplice.

Even though the Peach Banquet caused trouble and the elixir was stolen, it has already been redeemed by being struck by lightning and burned by fire, and refined in the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

As for the claim of "rebellion against Heaven"—may I ask you all, when has the King of Thailand ever declared rebellion? Raised a flag? Issued a manifesto?

On the contrary, the Heavenly Court repeatedly sent troops to press on the border, forcing Flower Fruit Mountain to have no way to retreat, which is why it fought back to protect itself!

In my humble opinion, it is not that the King has rebelled against Heaven, but rather that there are treacherous officials in the court who are abusing their power, seeking to eliminate loyal ministers and inciting rebellion! Today's storming of the Heavenly Court is merely a matter of purging the court of corrupt officials and executing the treacherous ministers!

His words were forceful and resounding, reversing right and wrong, so infuriating that Master Ge and the others almost burst out laughing:

"Lord Chang Geng! According to you, Ye Feng and Sun Wukong are not only innocent, but have become heroes who protect the heavens? Then tell me—who are the treacherous officials you're talking about? And who is the one who instigated this?"

Zhang Tianshi, the head of the Four Celestial Masters, frowned, his gaze fixed on Venus, his expression slightly tense.

Venus was a favorite of the Jade Emperor, and his personal intervention to exonerate Ye Feng spoke volumes.

In the past, Zhang Tianshi might have already waved his hand to signal his three colleagues to step back and settle the matter peacefully.

But now the positions of the Four Emperors are vacant, which involves a reshuffling of the power structure at the top of the Heavenly Court. Their lineage—to put it bluntly, the faction that relies on the Chan Sect for support—must not bow down at this critical juncture.

Venus smiled, already confident: "Why ask who that treacherous official is? Who else could it be but Li Tianwang, who deserted in the face of battle on Flower Fruit Mountain?"

"To fan the flames in His Majesty's ear, yet abandon 100,000 heavenly soldiers and flee before the battle even begins—what else can such behavior be but treachery?"

Before he could finish speaking, his face turned icy: "Guards! Take Li Jing to the palace!"

Footsteps thundered outside the hall, and the divine general appeared, his iron chains gleaming coldly—those were divine chains specifically for locking up immortals and gods; once placed on someone, all their magical power would be sealed.

The man who was dragged in was emaciated; it was Li Jing.

Previously, his physical body was destroyed by Ye Feng, but his primordial spirit managed to escape back to the Heavenly Court by chance with the help of the Demon-Revealing Mirror. He exhausted all the rare and precious materials in the mansion to barely reshape his body.

Before they could catch their breath, the great battle was over, and then they heard that Ye Feng had been bestowed the title of one of the Four Emperors, and their souls were instantly shattered.

Even more terrifying, just before the court assembly, the divine general launched a surprise attack on the mansion, and without saying a word, chained him up and dragged him directly to the Lingxiao Palace.

He still doesn't know what crime he has committed, only that the plan to abandon the battle at Huaguo Mountain has been exposed. As soon as he entered the palace, he knelt down with a thud, crying and sobbing, "Your Majesty! I am innocent!"

This shout was so fierce that Zhang Tianshi could no longer contain himself. He took a step forward, glaring angrily: "Venus! How dare you insult Li Tianwang like this?!"

He wasn't the only one.

In the God of War camp, led by Wu De Xing Jun and Shen Xiao Yuan Shuai, more than thirty divine generals stepped forward, their murderous aura fixed on Tai Bai Jin Xing.

The Wenxian lineage was not to be outdone. Wenchang Zhenjun, the Four Duty Officers, the Four Directions Gods, and the Five Directions Jiedi stepped forward one after another, engaging in heated debates and demanding to know their crimes.

Finally, even Bi Gan, the Lord of the Literary Star, and the Holy Emperor Chongen of the East rose up and launched an attack.

"Lord Chang Geng," Bi Qian said solemnly, "what crime has Heavenly King Li committed to deserve this punishment of shackles?"

Just by looking at this lineup, one can tell how deep Li Jing's influence is in the Heavenly Court.

Especially Bi Gan—the loyal prime minister during the Investiture of the Gods, who died after Daji ripped out his heart, a story that has been passed down through the ages. Although many people hold the position of Wenqu Xingjun (God of Literature), he is the true star lord, with a transcendent status. Even Zhang Tianshi (Celestial Master Zhang) has to speak with deference in front of him.

The Eastern Chongen Holy Emperor is ranked among the Five Elders of the Five Directions, with power second only to the Four Emperors, making him one of the true rulers of the Heavenly Court.

Why did they stand up for Li Jing?

The fundamental reason is that all three belonged to the same lineage of the Chan Sect.

The war of the Investiture of the Gods caused the heavens and earth to collapse and the primordial world to shatter. All 365 righteous gods returned to their positions and came under the control of the Jade Emperor.

However, most of these deities originated from the Jie Sect. Although they were bound by the Investiture of the Gods and had to obey the Heavenly Court, their sect's bloodline remained intact.

As the victorious sect, how could the Chan Sect not have a backup plan?

In terms of numbers, the Jie Sect might have the upper hand; but in terms of real power? They are far behind.

The disciples of the Chan Sect all occupy important positions—among the Four Emperors, the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole is in seclusion year-round, and even the Jade Emperor's decree cannot persuade him; he only recognizes the talisman of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

Yang Jian lived alone at the mouth of the Guan River, obeying orders but not summons, relying on the support of his master's sect.

The Great Emperor Taiyi Qinghua and the Lord of Mount Tai who governs the underworld are both direct descendants of the Chan Sect.

Even the immortals who ascended to heaven later, due to the decline of the Jie Sect, mostly considered themselves to be in a position of supreme authority by the Primordial Edict.

People like the Four Celestial Masters are all like this.

Therefore, if Li Jing is publicly humiliated today, it will not only hurt him personally, but also the face of the entire Chan Sect.

Moreover, Li Jing had already become a disciple of the ancient Buddha Dipankara, giving him a powerful background. Some pro-Western deities were also willing to speak on his behalf.

Seeing the commotion, Venus's eyelids twitched slightly.

He glanced at the Jade Emperor without changing his expression, and seeing that the Jade Emperor's expression remained unchanged, he immediately felt confident.

He sneered, his old face darkening: "What? Now you're all jumping out to speak? Where were you when the Heavenly Court was in chaos?"

"Hmph, His Majesty witnessed Li Jing's crimes firsthand; I'm not just spouting nonsense. If it weren't for his secret instigation, given the loyalty of the Emperor and Sun Wukong to the Heavenly Court, how could they have rebelled and attacked the Heavenly Court?"

Emperor Chongen was speechless. When Ye Feng attacked the Heavenly Palace earlier, the gods of the Chan Sect did indeed stand by and watch the spectacle, and none of them contributed anything.

Now, being questioned face-to-face by Venus, he opened his mouth but was speechless.

At that critical moment, Ye Feng flicked his toe and kicked Wukong in the buttocks with just the right amount of force. Caught off guard, the monkey stumbled and fell out of the line.

He flew into a rage and was about to turn around and curse when he saw Ye Feng winking at him. Although Wukong was impulsive, he wasn't stupid; a brilliant idea flashed through his mind, and he immediately shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Old Master Taibai is right! I, Old Sun, am utterly loyal to the Jade Emperor. How could I rebel against Heaven without cause? I—"

His eyes darted around; when it came to lying, he couldn't even come close to Ye Feng or Taibai Jinxing. Just as he was scratching his head in frustration, he suddenly noticed Li Jing standing to the side, his face ashen. Immediately, an idea struck him, and he shouted loudly:

"That's right! I, Old Sun, am not rebelling at all. I'm here to purge the court of corrupt officials and kill that traitor Li Jing! If it weren't for his spreading rumors, how could I have been framed with such a fabricated crime? It's all his fault!"

This statement was full of flaws, making Ye Feng roll his eyes. But who cared about logic at this moment? The key was that he had chosen the right side. As long as he was of one mind with Taibai Jinxing, the situation would be resolved.

Ultimately, this whole turmoil was started by Ye Feng, but the root of the problem lies in the position of the Four Emperors.

Although Emperor Gouchen was not a direct disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, he had a close relationship with the Chan Sect, and it would not be an exaggeration to call him an ally.

Today's events, ostensibly about interrogating Li Jing, are actually an excuse for the Chan Sect to make trouble, as they feel that Ye Feng has threatened their interests.

The chessboard is set up, and all that's left is to make a move—whether the East Wind prevails over the West Wind or the West Wind prevails over the East Wind depends entirely on who can seize the initiative.