Journey to the West: Starting from the Imperial Horse Stable

The guardhouse inside the South Heavenly Gate was furnished much more simply than it appeared from the outside. But this simplicity revealed a casualness that only a powerful military officer could possess.

A large, dark wooden table with cloud patterns was placed in the center. The Heavenly King of Growth was leaning back in a wide, cushioned chair, with one foot resting on the edge of the table, the sole of his boot still covered in a little mud.

Several green and red fairy fruits were scattered casually on the table, their peels shiny, clearly having been delivered recently. He held one in his hand, taking bites here and there, occasionally spitting the pit directly onto the ground.

The entire duty room was filled with a faint fruity scent and the unique aroma of metal and leather that was characteristic of military officers.

He was quite content, or rather, he was trying hard to appear content.

Ever since that day when he was forcibly driven out of the Southern Heavenly Gate by that demon monkey, the Heavenly King of Growth had been harboring a raging fire in his heart, as well as an indescribable sense of frustration and apprehension.

For several days, he had barely left his duty room. He felt that whenever he went out, the eyes of the passing celestial officials were full of unspoken words, implying that he couldn't even stop a mere stable boy.

It makes me upset just thinking about it.

Just as he was thinking that it was about time to call General Fan, who was on duty today, to find a place to have a couple of drinks and relieve his frustration, a heavenly soldier hurriedly ran in from outside the door.

The soldier didn't approach him directly, but instead whispered something to General Fan, who was standing to the side.

As General Fan listened, the expression on his square face gradually changed. His brows furrowed, and a hint of seriousness and urgency flashed in his eyes.

The Heavenly King of Growth glanced at it, feeling somewhat impatient, but he still put his feet down from the table and sat up straighter. "General Fan, what is it?"

General Fan stepped forward, first waving for the heavenly soldiers to retreat, then whispered, "Your Majesty, that brat from the Imperial Stables outside hasn't left yet."

"Still not gone?" The Heavenly King of Growth's voice immediately rose, tinged with obvious annoyance.

"Will this Imperial Horse Stable ever stop? They come every day, like flies! Do they think my South Heavenly Gate is their backyard?"

He tossed the remaining half of the immortal fruit onto the table, splattering a small patch of juice across the surface. "He's been letting it sit all morning; that's considered giving the Heavenly Censorate a face-saving visit. What, he thinks he can just stay out until dark? That's outrageous!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. These days, the Imperial Stables would send people over every few days, their words implying that he should admit to dereliction of duty and provide proof that the demon monkey had been driven out.

Does this prove he's capable of issuing documents? If he does, wouldn't that be contradicting himself and confirming his incompetence? It's the same with Tianxian TV; they issue a lukewarm post, and these demons and monsters take it as gospel.

"Your Majesty," General Fan said, looking at him with a serious tone, "that kid is probably no pushover. The soldiers on duty just now reported that he..."

General Fan quickly recounted how Wang Chen had written the document and requested that Wang Chen sign and affix his seal.

At first, the Heavenly King of Growth listened with disdain, but as he continued, his expression gradually darkened. Although he was rough and uncouth, a Heavenly King who could guard a region's gate was no fool.

I understood the intricacies of the matter as soon as I heard it.

"Damn it!" the Heavenly King of Growth muttered under his breath, it was unclear whether he was cursing Wang Chen or the troublesome matter.

He glanced at General Fan's solemn expression, but didn't inquire further. He simply felt his anger flare up even more. He put his feet back on the table and waved his hand, as if trying to drive away some bad luck.

"Fine, fine, let him in! I want to see what kind of trouble a mere errand boy from the Imperial Stables can cause!"

After saying that, he felt frustrated again and added, "Now that we've met, it's time to go for a drink!"

Wang Chen held the freshly poured cup of hot tea in his hand, with wisps of steam rising from it.

He lowered his head, blew on the water's surface, and took a small sip. The tea was warm and smooth, with a sweet aftertaste. Although its spiritual energy wasn't particularly strong, it was worlds apart from the previous cup of cold, perfunctory tea.

Shortly after that soldier rushed off to report the news, another soldier silently approached, took the now-cold cup from his hand, and replaced it with a steaming cup of fresh tea. His attitude was still not particularly enthusiastic, but his actions showed less disdain and more caution.

Holding the cup, Wang Chen felt little pride, only a calm acceptance. Within the rules, everyone has their concerns; it's simply a matter of who knows how to best utilize those concerns.

Unfortunately, before he could even take a few sips of the tea, a celestial soldier hurried over, his tone much more respectful than before: "Celestial official, the Heavenly King requests your presence."

Wang Chen glanced at the emerald green tea in his cup, a few tender buds unfurling and floating, and thought to himself, "What a pity."

If this leaf were sold at the Hanging Pearl Market, it would probably be worth at least ten spirit stones a cup. He put down his teacup, straightened his unremarkable celestial official robes, and followed the heavenly soldiers toward the duty room.

Upon entering the duty room, Wang Chen immediately saw the renowned Growth King.

This divine general guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate was extremely imposing; even leaning back in his chair, he resembled a small mountain. His face was like a lively crab's, his beard like copper threads, and he wore a golden helmet and chainmail armor. The armor wasn't always gleaming new; it bore the marks of use and disuse. His eyes, opening and closing, faintly flashed with electric light, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

At this moment, however, his imposing demeanor was mixed with obvious restlessness and a hint of barely perceptible gloom.

The Heavenly King of Growth was also sizing up Wang Chen. His gaze swept over the lowest-ranking celestial official's robes Wang Chen wore, and the initial scrutiny in his eyes instantly transformed into undisguised disdain and contempt. So he was just a lowly errand boy.

"The Imperial Horse Administration?" the Heavenly King of Growth asked, his voice booming but carrying a hint of sarcasm. "When did your Imperial Horse Administration come under the direct jurisdiction of the Heavenly Censorate? You're so eager to get involved; anyone who didn't know better would think your Director had been promoted."

As he spoke, he remained leaning back in the wide chair, his posture unchanged, only tilting his head and glancing at Wang Chen out of the corner of his eye. That indifference was practically written all over his face.

Wang Chen stood with his hands at his sides, his gaze calm. He noticed that throughout the entire conversation, the Heavenly King of Growth had leaned his weight on one side of the chair, while the other side seemed somewhat unsteady. Especially when he was speaking just now, the ankle of the foot resting on the table tensed up almost imperceptibly for a moment.

A guess began to form in Wang Chen's mind. But he didn't say it aloud, and simply bowed slightly as a matter of etiquette.

"Your Majesty, I am indeed an official of the Imperial Stables. I have come here on the orders of the Heavenly Censorate to assist in the investigation of the case of Sun Wukong's rebellion against Heaven. I need to verify with Your Majesty the situation at the South Heavenly Gate at that time so that the Heavenly Censorate can finalize the case and file it."

Wang Chen spoke calmly, presenting the documents with both hands with a respectful attitude, yet his words were clear and unambiguous: "I am acting under orders, and there is evidence to prove it."

Upon hearing the words "Tianxiantai" and "final verdict and filing," the Heavenly King of Growth's face darkened visibly. This was exactly what he hated most. It was like having his embarrassing moment from that day brought up again and again.

He abruptly pulled his feet back from the table, straightened his upper body, and raised his hand as if he were about to slam it down on the table. He seemed ready to unleash his fury and blast this arrogant little official out of the way.

"The Heavenly Constitution Platform?" The Heavenly King of Growth's voice was laced with suppressed anger, his eyes sharp as knives, piercing directly at Wang Chen. "You're trying to intimidate me with the Heavenly Constitution Platform? You're courting death!"