Chapter 369: Taibai Returns Empty-Handed; The Monkey Requests to Become Sworn Brothers

"It truly lives up to its reputation!"

Taibai Jinxing could not help but tighten his grip on the whisk in his hand; the jade-colored light diffusing from the horsehair reflected upon his face, revealing the shock he could not hide in his eyes.

Under his Dharma eyes, in the void, purple and azure colors gathered like a canopy, stars shone brilliantly, and Heavenly Luck condensed into palm-leaf treasures and precious pearls, scattering about in a magnificent and awe-inspiring display.

Aside from that Shihou he had been secretly observing for a long time, among the younger generation today, there was truly no one whose Heavenly Luck was as grand and imposing as this Yuanlong.

He saw it clearly: this Yuanlong's internal luck was flourishing, his external luck was vast, and his Heavenly Luck was surging; it really gave one the impression that he could sweep away everything.

One could only say that this Yuanlong truly possessed great fortune! The legacy of Xihuang was upon him, and he had forged a karmic connection with Hongyun Daoren while he was still in his humble beginnings.

It was truly enviable!

I fear that only in such a glorious and magnificent age as the present could there be so many possibilities and opportunities.

Taibai Jinxing's thoughts raced; even for someone as eloquent and tactful as him, he was, for a moment, actually somewhat flustered.

"Star Lord Taibai, I have long admired your great name!"

Fang Longye cupped his hands and laughed heartily: "I do not know what wind blew you here, but it truly makes my humble dwelling shine!"

"Hehehe,"

Taibai Jinxing recovered from his fluster, his laughter tinged with a hint of awkwardness.

He stood straight, tightened his grip on his whisk, and carefully sized up the Yuanlong before him, unable to help but praise him inwardly—he truly had a magnificent appearance!

At the same time, he complimented him: "Young Lord is too modest. Many say that the Young Lord of the Dragon Clan is a rare and dashing figure in this world; seeing you today, I know the rumors are not false."

Fang Longye laughed heartily, waving his hand: "Too much! Too much! You flatter me, Star Lord!"

Subsequently, he smiled at Nezha:

"Third Prince, we meet again~"

Nezha lifted his small face and teased:

"It has been a while, Daoist friend, and you are looking more spirited than ever~ I even specially prepared some tonics for you on this trip, but it seems they are not needed now~"

As he spoke, he shook his head and feigned a sigh:

"It seems the Dragon Clan's vitality is truly good!"

The corner of Fang Longye's mouth twitched; especially looking at Nezha, who appeared as a half-grown youth, making such suggestive remarks, it really felt quite incongruous.

However, thinking of his age—he was older than himself by who knows how many Yuanhui, and if one considered his past life in Wa Palace, he was even older than many Daluo.

It was understandable.

Taibai Jinxing saw Fang Longye's expression, held his whisk, and smiled without a word.

Although this Third Prince had a childlike disposition, he had always mingled with the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals below. What had he not seen or heard? He had long since picked up the habits of a common soldier.

After some pleasantries and laughter, Fang Longye flicked his large sleeves, his voice resonant:

"Let us go into the Daoist temple to chat in detail!"

"Please~"

"Please!"

As the group moved, the sound of strings and pipes followed; the harp played melodiously, and golden stamens and silver flowers, from who knows where, fell in a colorful, chaotic shower.

They kept swirling in front of the group, and a pervasive, intoxicating fragrance lingered, refusing to dissipate.

On both sides, smoke and clouds rose into the sky from time to time, then transformed in mid-air into qilin, dragons, phoenixes, peacocks, mysterious turtles, and so on—all images of auspicious beasts.

Some held auspicious books in their mouths, some grasped precious characters in their claws, some trailed new rainbows with their tails, and so on—it was extremely spectacular.

Walking further inside, the group saw forests of precious trees, hanging lanterns and colorful decorations, the ground paved with colorful rugs, and all around were auspicious grasses and immortal mushrooms, with true immortal birds and spirit beasts roaming about.

Not to mention the pavilions, towers, and various buildings, which were crafted with extreme ingenuity and shone with gold and jade.

Throughout the entire Cangmang Mountain, every blade of grass, every tree, every flower, every bird, every stone, and every building was filled with joy and auspiciousness.

Clearly, it was still the time just after the new marriage.

Arriving at the entrance of Longying Cave, they saw the Third Holy Mother, combed in a matronly hairstyle, elegant and noble, with the Yuanlong's other two wives beside her, accompanied by a group of female officials waiting at the door.

The demeanor of a mistress of the house was fully revealed.

This Third Holy Mother had adapted truly quickly.

Taibai Jinxing sighed in his heart.

Just from the fact that she did not come to welcome him and Nezha, two old friends, one could see that the Third Holy Mother now fully adopted the stance of putting her husband first.

Was this still that little Demoness from before? "Third Holy Mother, long time no see!"

……

Inside Longying Cave.

A large lake was set around a small mountain.

The small mountain was not large, about a hundred zhang high; the frost moon was in the sky, the waves were sparkling, and the colors of the lotus flowers all around were reflected into the pavilions and towers built upon it.

The sound of metal, stone, silk, and bamboo instruments resonated incessantly.

Looking further inside,

In the water and among the mountains, the clear sky looked as if it had been washed, colorful clouds covered the ground, cinnabar towers and jade palaces stood, and the willows were bright and the flowers beautiful.

The attendants, Heavenly Soldiers and Generals who followed Taibai Jinxing, even the immortal boys and girls, were not neglected and were well settled here.

The maidservants carefully selected from the Cave Abode, with rainbow clothes and icy faces, moved among them, serving Qiongye Yuye, spirit fruits, and precious pills.

There were mountains, water, and wine,

Laughter, conversation, and freedom.

In the center of the small mountain, there was an octagonal pavilion with its windows open on all four sides, and the wind blew through the pines with a rustling sound; Fang Longye sat in the middle, and Taibai Jinxing, Nezha, and Yang Chan and the others were all inside.

The bright colors of the pines and bamboos all around could not be hidden as they entered, casting patterns onto the bronze Wine Cups before them; in the mottled light, there was an indescribable sense of composure.

Even the maidservants who came in from outside to pour wine were influenced by the atmosphere in the pavilion, subconsciously slowing their steps and moving lightly.

"Old Jinxing, my husband is carefree and at ease here in Cangmang Mountain, doing quite well, so there is no need for the Great Heavenly Venerable to worry!" Yang Chan glared at him, laughing coldly.

After the two sides met and exchanged pleasantries, Taibai Jinxing stated his purpose, even revealing the intentions of the Jade Emperor both explicitly and implicitly.

Yang Chan, who had already felt that the Jade Emperor was up to no good, immediately changed her expression upon hearing the Jade Emperor's true intent and began to curse roundly.

In her view, all that nonsense about cherishing old ties and being reluctant to let grudges persist between uncle and niece—when it came down to it, wasn't it just because her second brother was no longer what he used to be, and her own husband was a rare treasure in the Honghuang with limitless prospects? Otherwise, why hadn't she seen the Jade Emperor have a sudden change of heart about easing relations with her before?

"Third Holy Mother, we are all family, why must we make things so unpleasant?"

Taibai Jinxing said earnestly.

"Don't, you absolutely must not say that! What kind of person is the Great Heavenly Venerable? How could he be a relative of ours? We are not the type of people to climb the social ladder by fawning over the powerful!"

Seeing Yang Chan being sarcastic, Taibai Jinxing did not get angry; she had the qualifications to speak that way.

He used his hand to fiddle with the precious lamp in front of him—this lamp was crafted from gold and iron, with eight tiers of lanterns, dotted with purple water chestnuts, and the fragrance was like clouds and mist, blocking his expression. He cast a glance at Nezha beside him.

Nezha, who was to the side, thought to himself,

Why look at me? Just now, I, your young master, helped you, old man, by mentioning it, only to be cursed at until I was covered in blood. I am done with this matter! Therefore, no matter how Taibai Jinxing winked at Nezha, Nezha acted as if he didn't see it, eyes fixed on his nose, nose fixed on his heart, not saying a word.

Seeing this, Taibai Jinxing had no choice but to look at the other involved party, Dragon Lord Yuanlong.

Fang Longye saw Taibai Jinxing looking over and felt a wave of speechlessness toward the Jade Emperor in his heart. You know to find someone to mediate now, but what were you doing earlier? Do you only know to cry out in pain when a blade is at your throat? Do you only know it's troublesome when the child is born? Do you only know it's foul when excrement is smeared on your face? What were you doing earlier? Although the appearance of Yang Jian's whole family might involve others plotting against you, Haotian Shangdi, couldn't you have put in some effort to handle the aftermath properly? To reach this point, in the final analysis, it is still the arrogance in your bones! "Old Jinxing, you should stop talking! I will not overstep my bounds and make any decisions for Chan'er."

Fang Longye's thoughts were like lightning; naturally, it was impossible for him to go against Yang Chan's wishes to please Taibai Jinxing.

He paused, then continued: "Of course, if it were purely to invite me to heaven to be an official, I would be happy to accept. However, I am accustomed to being supreme and am not used to being an ordinary Heavenly Official."

"If it is not a position like Dijing or Great Heavenly Venerable, Jinxing Laoguan, you might as well stop talking! I am carefree and happy at Cangmang Mountain, which is also quite good."

If it were before, he would have been very interested in going to the Heavenly Court to be an official, but now, he had little interest. Of course, he would still be willing to go if it were to be a Dijing.

Dijing or Great Heavenly Venerable? You certainly dare to think!

After hearing Fang Longye's words, Taibai Jinxing's brows twitched, and the Whisk in his hand trembled.

In other factions, although there is also seniority, the bigger fist is the hard truth. It is very easy for a newcomer to occupy a high position.

As long as you have a great background and strong strength, that is enough.

But in the Heavenly Court,

With the Jade Emperor overseeing the overall situation, and the Four Royals suppressing the scene, each department performs its own duties, and a set of orderly rules has long been formed.

It is also under this strict set of rules that everyone works together to build a fire, and the Heavenly Court has countless elite soldiers and strong generals under its command, making things twice as effective with half the effort and smooth sailing.

But at the same time, precisely because of this strict set of rules, anyone who wants to climb up must follow seniority and go through a process.

How could it be so easy to break the rules? It is not enough just to have a background and roots; there are plenty of people with backgrounds and roots.

If it were just a position like a True Monarch or Marshal, that would be fine; everyone turns a blind eye, because there is no absolute fairness and justice in this world.

Although the Heavenly Court follows seniority, has an orderly hierarchy, and talks about justice and equality, in the end, this is a realistic world; no matter what, there are always some who are "more equal."

The key is the position of Dijing or Great Heavenly Venerable; a position that sounds like a feudal lord just by hearing the title is really not something that can be easily granted.

If you were a Taiyi Realm expert, with a fist big enough to that extent, then everything would be easy to discuss; the entire Heavenly Court would welcome you, and the Great Heavenly Venerable would even welcome you with open arms.

Otherwise, you are ultimately just a descendant of a noble family; how could you occupy such a high position right from the start? If that were really the case, wouldn't it be chaotic? It is not that there are no Taiyi Realm immortals and gods who have been granted the position of Dijing or Great Heavenly Venerable.

But who are those people?

They are either direct descendants who joined the Heavenly Court at the very beginning, or existences who climbed up step by step according to the rules of the Heavenly Court. Among these people, there are of course those with deep backgrounds, but the prerequisite for their rise is only one: long-standing seniority.

Each and every one of them has made great contributions to the Heavenly Court, and even if they have no merit, they have at least put in the hard work.

Regardless of whether the contributions were "brushed" or obtained through other channels, on the surface, everyone is glamorous and has an extraordinary resume.

Furthermore,

A certain degree of fairness and justice on the surface, and the equality of all living beings, is the lifeblood of the Jade Emperor to maintain the dignity of the Heavenly Court and consolidate his own rule. Whoever dares to destroy this point is his mortal enemy to the death. Therefore,

Facing Fang Longye's request,

Taibai Jinxing shook his head directly and said: "Young Lord, you are making things difficult for this old man!"

He was unwilling to give up just like that and advised:

"The Heavenly Court has the rules of the Heavenly Court. Young Lord, you can join the Heavenly Court first and follow the process step by step. With your background and strength, it won't take long to become a Dijing or Great Heavenly Venerable."

"I don't want any real power, just a nominal title; is the Great Heavenly Venerable not happy with that either?"

Taibai Jinxing still shook his head and said: "The Heavenly Court has its own circumstances."

Heh heh.

If it weren't for the living example of Sun Wukong later on, he might have almost believed it.

"Then we have nothing more to say!"

Fang Longye's expression did not change; he still wore a smile and personally poured a full cup of tea for Taibai Jinxing.

Then he waved his hand, making a gesture of not seeing him off, and ordered to the outside: "Qingli, see the guest out!"

No matter how Taibai Jinxing tried to persuade them, he could not move the couple Yang Chan and Fang Longye. After some tug-of-war, he had to return empty-handed.

As for Nezha, he was cursed by Yang Chan as a little ungrateful wolf, and she took out the Mountain and River Map to suppress him and gave him a good lesson. Of course, the relationship between the two was what it was.

Yang Chan was not really angry; she just used the Lotus Lantern to emit flames, burning Nezha until he cried for his father and mother, and then drove him out of Cangmang Mountain.

After this, Fang Longye and the three women, Yang Chan, Long Xuan, and Iron Fan Princess, discussed and planned to go to Nanzhan Buzhou together for a honeymoon trip.

Unexpectedly, just as they had packed up and were ready to set off, they welcomed another uninvited guest, and this honeymoon trip that had not yet begun was ruined.

Hmm, no, it's not really an uninvited guest, just didn't expect it to be so soon. "You say you want to swear brotherhood with us?"

In Longying Cave, in a magnificent treasure hall, green clouds covered the sky, smoke curled up, and paintings opened in mid-air, slowly unfolding, with faint sounds of bells and chimes.

As the voice fell, the sun and moon cast their shadows.

Fang Longye sat upright on the Cloud Couch, looking at the lively Monkey in front of him, his face stunned.

This Monkey was naturally Sun Wukong.

Now the Monkey was not as restrained in front of him as before. It was just that over the past half year, he had been wandering and socializing with this Monkey, and their relationship had become much more familiar.

That's right.

Although he had stayed on Cangmang Mountain ever since his marriage and had not gone out,

Sun Wukong had already gathered with Niu Mowang and the others, so he naturally would not let himself stay out of it.

Therefore, he had long ago sent out a thought incarnation to hang out with Sun Wukong, just like Niu Mowang and the others, traveling together across the Four Seas and Sizhou.

The eight of them traveled everywhere, charging and crashing about, back and forth. During this time, they also clashed and had conflicts with other forces.

But because each of them was more powerful than the last, they naturally beat their opponents to a pulp every time.

Even if there were those they could not defeat, most of them knew of Monkey and naturally did not hold it against them.

Even for those who were not clear about this, Niu Mowang and he, the young lord of the Dragon Clan, would step forward to exercise their "face-fruit" influence, and in the end, it would all be settled—the four great iron-clad bonds of men: having been classmates together, having carried guns together, having visited brothels together, and having shared spoils together.

With the camaraderie of fighting together, the relationship between the eight of them was naturally greatly enhanced on the surface.

After making a round,

some time ago, everyone "returned to their own homes to find their own mothers," and Fang Longye had originally thought they would have to accompany Monkey to wander around a few more times!

Unexpectedly, Monkey wanted to swear brotherhood with them so soon, and it was even proposed by Monkey himself.

It really was unexpected~

(End of this chapter)