Chapter 61: The Tide Cannot Be Changed: Su Chen Seeks to Ascend to Heaven

“Little brother, I’ve missed you so much, old Sun!”

Sun Wukong gripped Su Chen’s arm, his monkey face beaming with joy.

“You’ve been in seclusion for over three whole years!”

Su Chen looked at him and smiled as well.

He felt that Sun Wukong’s happiness was genuine.

This pure brotherly bond warmed his heart.

He patted Sun Wukong’s arm and turned his gaze to the white-bearded old man who had been left waiting, his face awkward.

“Big Brother Monkey, looks like I came at a bad time—interrupting your guest.”

Sun Wukong suddenly remembered there was still a celestial envoy in the cave.

His smile vanished; he pulled Su Chen aside and used mind-speech to tell him what had happened.

“Little brother, everything you said came true. This old man is the celestial court’s envoy sent to offer amnesty. The first time he came, I followed your advice and tested him—he stammered and couldn’t give a straight answer. I got angry and scolded him out.”

“But I never expected him to come back just a few days later! He claims the Jade Emperor has granted my demands and brought me incredible good news.”

Sun Wukong’s tone was filled with confusion and suspicion.

“Little brother, do you think there’s a scheme here? I’ve got a bad feeling about this. How could they possibly agree so easily to make me the Great Sage Equaling Heaven? Should I just kick him out now and spare myself the hassle?”

As Su Chen listened to Sun Wukong’s mind-speech, he exhaled in relief, silently thinking how fortunate it was that the celestial court hadn’t moved directly.

He knew this was the critical moment.

The celestial court had made concessions—this meant the “current” of the Great Journey’s tribulation was forcibly correcting the story’s course.

If I keep pushing Sun Wukong to stubbornly refuse, the result won’t be amnesty—it’ll be outright war.

Though Sun Wukong’s abilities could easily repel the first celestial army.

But that would completely burn bridges with the celestial court, leaving no room for compromise.

Then Sun Wukong wouldn’t die, but the monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain would surely be slaughtered.

That’s not the outcome Su Chen wanted.

His goal wasn’t to stop Sun Wukong from causing chaos in heaven—that was a scheme laid by the Saints, and a mere cultivator like him had no power to disrupt it.

His goal was to change the core of “Chaos in Heaven.”

In the original tale, Sun Wukong rebelled because he was humiliated by the lowly post of “Keeper of the Heavenly Horses,” feeling tricked by the celestial court.

Now, that episode was gone—only the Peach Banquet remained. This time, he would make Sun Wukong seize the initiative himself.

Thus, Sun Wukong’s mindset would shift from “passively humiliated” to “actively breaking the mold.”

Though a fight might still happen in the end, its nature would be entirely different.

As Su Chen rapidly weighed his options, the White Star Elder could no longer hold back.

He looked at the two men, cleared his throat, and forced a smile.

“Cough… Great Sage, may I continue speaking?”

Sun Wukong turned his head and waved irritably.

“Go on, go on.”

The White Star Elder was nearly enraged by his attitude, but remembering his mission, he swallowed his anger.

He plastered on a radiant smile and said, “Great Sage, upon returning to heaven, I presented your demands to the Jade Emperor. Hearing of your innate wisdom and immense divine powers, His Majesty was filled with admiration and has agreed to appoint you as the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, and to build you a Great Sage Equaling Heaven Palace in Tiangong.”

The White Star Elder’s words sent the simple monkeys in the cave into ecstatic excitement.

When he finished, the entire Water Curtain Cave erupted.

“Wow! Our King is truly the Great Sage Equaling Heaven!”

“Great Sage Equaling Heaven! Great Sage Equaling Heaven!”

The monkeys leapt and danced with joy; the cave overflowed with merriment.

Even Sun Wukong himself, upon hearing the news, widened his monkey eyes in shock.

“Really? They really appointed me?”

He instinctively glanced at Su Chen and asked via mind-speech: “Little brother, did you hear that? They really made me the Great Sage Equaling Heaven! Is this real or a trick? Could it still be a trap?”

Sun Wukong’s heart was thoroughly unsettled.

Su Chen watched his mixture of surprise, joy, and fear, and quickly replied via mind-speech: “Big Brother Monkey, our Master once said the celestial court’s offer might be a trap—but he didn’t say what kind.”

“Since they’ve shown such sincerity—even granting you the title of Great Sage Equaling Heaven—if we refuse now, we’ll appear ungrateful and openly defy the celestial court. Then, when their armies descend, we’ll have no moral high ground.”

Sun Wukong heard this and thought it made sense, yet still hesitated.

“So you mean I just accept? And go up with him?”

“Yes, you must go!” Su Chen said.

“But,” he shifted tone, “not like this. You must demand one more condition.”

“What condition?” Sun Wukong asked urgently.

“Big Brother Monkey, tell him you’re willing to serve in heaven.”

“But since you’re new to heaven, unfamiliar with its ways and rules, you fear making mistakes.”

“So you need someone you trust by your side—someone to constantly remind you and handle trivial matters. That person is me.”

“Tell them: if they agree to let me accompany you to heaven, you’ll leave immediately. If they refuse this small condition, you won’t go.”

Sun Wukong listened, puzzled.

“Take you along? Little brother, why?”

In his view, Su Chen’s cultivation was only Human Immortal realm—bringing him along might endanger him if danger arose.

Su Chen seemed to sense his thoughts and continued mind-speech: “Big Brother Monkey, you’re straightforward and impulsive. The immortals of heaven have lived for countless years—each one a master of deceit.”

“They’ll offer you high rank and wealth on the surface, but behind your back, they’re surely plotting to wait for you to slip up—then they can punish you with righteous justification.”

“I’m not going with you to fight. My cultivation is low, but I understand a bit about schemes and tricks. I’ll watch over you, analyze their moves. If they truly have ill intent, I’ll warn you first. We two brothers, working together, are far stronger than you going alone.”

Su Chen’s words were heartfelt.

Sun Wukong had to admit: Su Chen was right.

Though he was powerful, he truly wasn’t skilled in scheming.

Heaven, according to his little brother, was a complicated place.

Going alone, blind and clueless, if he fell into a trap, he’d have no one to call for help.

But if he brought his little brother, though his magic power was weak, his mind was sharp.

Since their meeting, every plan Su Chen proposed had succeeded.

With him by his side, Sun Wukong truly felt more at ease.

“Little brother, you think ahead better than I do. I’ll follow your advice. Even if it’s a trap, I’ll walk into it with you beside me.”

The two swiftly reached an agreement through mind-speech.