Chapter 376: Water Origin Holy Lord Mansion: The Monkey's Birthday Banquet Approaches

The Heavenly Court, a corner in the southeast.

Just as Yang Chan was having an audience with Wangmu Niangniang, Fang Longye, accompanied by Taibai Jinxing, arrived at the mansion prepared for him by the Heavenly Court.

"How is it?"

Taibai Jinxing said with a chuckle, "Is the Water Origin Holy Lord satisfied with this mansion?"

Fang Longye's gaze shifted as he swept his eyes across the grounds, seeing cinnabar hills and emerald trees, new lotus ponds, frost-bamboo planted on cloud-mounds, and brocade cypresses before the pavilions.

Not far away, a stunning rainbow hung over dragon pines, their emerald hues shimmering with gold, while groups of three or five immortal cranes danced gracefully, occasionally pausing to preen their feathers, unafraid of strangers.

As for the tiered terraces and storied buildings, the high halls and grand palaces, they were all immersed in purple clouds and auspicious vapors, some towering, some imposing, some natural, some exquisite, all in varying styles.

Every single building had been crafted to be magnificent.

"Not bad, a good place~"

Fang Longye could not help but nod; he had to admit that the skilled craftsmen of the Heavenly Court truly possessed some level of Dharma.

Of course,

the matter of building his mansion had been personally ordered by the Jade Emperor, so those under the Heavenly Court would naturally ensure it was done to perfection~

This mansion, under the required specifications, was naturally built to be beyond reproach.

How could he be dissatisfied? "That is good."

Taibai Jinxing raised the whisk in his hand, stroked his beard, and said with a beaming smile, "Then I am relieved!"

Subsequently, he beckoned two people over, a man and a woman, who were the stewards of the mansion.

He then said to Fang Longye, "If there are any miscellaneous tasks in the mansion, just instruct them. Holy Lord, rest assured, all the servants in the mansion have been selected for their clean backgrounds~"

"Of course," he paused and added, "if the Holy Lord is not accustomed to using them, you may replace them yourself; there is no need for any reservations~"

Fang Longye nodded with a smile and said:

"Many thanks for your care, Jinxing Laoguan~"

Although he would certainly take the time to replace the people in this mansion later, doing is one thing, and saying is another; the reserve one ought to show on the surface must still be maintained.

"Since that is the case, this old man will not disturb the Holy Lord as you familiarize yourself with your own mansion~"

Taibai Jinxing, being tactful and knowing his place, offered a polite remark and immediately took his leave.

After Taibai Jinxing left, the two stewards, a man and a woman, immediately stepped forward and performed a deep bow, saying respectfully, "Meng Lingkuan and Jing Lixia pay our respects to the Mansion Master~"

The two were extremely cautious, fearing that if they did even the slightest thing wrong, they would leave a bad impression in front of this Mansion Master~

This was because they had been sternly warned by their previous superiors beforehand that they must obey this Water Origin Holy Lord in everything and show not the slightest disrespect.

If they failed to do so, their lives would be in jeopardy.

Neither of them were figures with any background; they had cultivated painstakingly and finally managed to ascend to the Heavenly Court, climbing to their current status and strength.

They did not want to die and have their souls scattered just like that~

"Let's go, show me around this mansion."

In dealing with these two stewards, Fang Longye was not at all polite, directly ordering them about.

Such lack of courtesy was almost imperious.

It was not that he was conceited about his status and looked down on these two stewards; after all, these two stewards were also at the Golden Immortal Realm.

If it were anyone else, he would have been more amiable and shown some goodwill.

Perhaps, after vetting them, he might even have taken them on as his own base of support in the Heavenly Court~

After all,

even for a Taiyi True Immortal like himself, subordinates at the Golden Immortal Realm were not exactly common cabbages.

But these two stewards were different; they were Divine Immortals who had received the Heavenly Record, which is to say, "names inscribed in the immortal register, ranks listed in the immortal class."

Hmm, the phrase "names inscribed in the immortal register, ranks listed in the immortal class" actually has two meanings.

One refers to achieving immortality and attaining the Dao, which has no drawbacks; the other is a euphemism for having one's name listed on the Conferring of the Gods list.

And these two stewards were the latter.

For Divine Immortals like them, regardless of their own thoughts, their primary object of loyalty would always be the Heavenly Court.

Or rather, the Jade Emperor who controls the Conferring of the Gods list.

In this case, no matter how amiable his attitude was, it would be meaningless; it was better to be stern and establish an image of being proud and decisive, so as to prevent them from being lazy or deceitful.

Fang Longye's thoughts moved like lightning, and his calculations, though they played out in reality, took only an instant; the two stewards, man and woman, reacted quickly.

The male steward, Meng Lingkuan, immediately went to the side of the carriage that had brought Fang Longye, standing respectfully on either side to wait for Fang Longye to board and sit.

After Fang Longye boarded, the female steward, Jing Lixia, also followed onto the carriage, serving at his side in the capacity of a maid.

Immediately following, the steward Meng Lingkuan acted as the coachman, sitting in front and driving this magnificent carriage.

They began to tour the mansion~

Thus, the steward Meng Lingkuan held the reins and moved slowly, while the female steward, Jing Lixia, whispered softly at his side, introducing the important layout of the mansion to Fang Longye.

Fang Longye sat upright on the carriage's precious couch, lowering his eyelids; he did not speak much, only listening while carefully observing the surroundings of the mansion.

The entire Shuiyuan Shengjun Mansion appeared to be a mansion, but in reality, it was similar to a Cave Heaven Blessed Land, entirely a separate realm of space.

It was just that the vast majority was folded into space-time, making it difficult to see from the outside.

The entire mansion was filled with dense, precious aura.

It seemed that, sensing the arrival of the true master of this mansion, mysterious sounds arose inexplicably from the depths of the mansion in the void~ sweet dew fell from the heavens, and sweet springs emerged from the earth.

Incredible mysterious patterns emerged, forming the image of a Yuanlong, as if congratulating Fang Longye on his arrival, or perhaps as a kind of mark~ branding this mansion thoroughly with his seal.

"So that is how it is~"

In an instant, Fang Longye discovered that wisps of purple-green luck were suddenly pouring down onto the auspicious clouds above his crown.

It was not as grand as when he had first been enfeoffed by the Jade Emperor as the Water Origin Holy Lord of Cave Mystery and Disaster Relief~ but it was continuous and unending.

Just as a Daoist temple influences the cultivator themselves, having a mansion territory in the Heavenly Court similarly had a unique influence on drawing in the luck of the Heavenly Court~

Or rather,

If he did not possess a mansion and territory in the Heavenly Court, even if he had received a personal conferment from the Jade Emperor, his position as Water Origin Holy Lord would be nothing more than an empty title.

It would be incomplete, deficient.

Only by possessing a mansion and territory in the Heavenly Court could his foundation be truly secured and an anchor point established; only then could he be the true Profound Mystery and Calamity-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord.

……

After a cursory inspection, Fang Longye immediately instructed the two stewards, Meng Lingkuan and Jing Lixia, to assemble everyone in the mansion.

Before long, everyone in the Shuiyuan Shengjun Mansion—those watering flowers, weeding, sweeping, serving, and so on—all arrived in the main hall.

Those who were familiar with each other exchanged greetings, while those who did not wish to speak simply found a spot to stand.

However, regardless of who they were, everyone stood stiffly and formally; once they had taken their places, they held their breath and remained silent.

Clearly, everyone was in great awe of their Mansion Master, who had yet to appear. Half a quarter of an hour passed this way.

Accompanied by bursts of rising heavenly music, the Water Origin Holy Lord, master of this mansion, appeared upon the precious couch in the center of the great hall as rainbow light descended. When the bell and chime music ceased and the lingering echoes faded, five-colored rainbow light descended and exploded with a 'Boom—', like thunder across the sky, with golden and cyan brilliance reflecting off each other, illuminating all directions.

From within it, a gaze swept across the entire hall, containing a domineering air from above; everyone in the hall who met this gaze was startled. Then, more and more rainbow light fell, permeating the entire high platform, swirling all around, surging and echoing like the rising and falling tide, with unparalleled momentum.

It radiated a power that shook time and space.

When all had passed, a canopy was held high, adorned with pearls and jade.

The master of the mansion, the Profound Mystery and Calamity-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord, sat calmly and securely on the central precious couch, a clear sky unfolding behind him, vast and boundless.

"Greetings, Mansion Master."

Seeing Fang Longye appear, everyone in the hall hurriedly performed a grand kowtow, none daring to be careless.

Unlike others, these people were effectively servants prepared for Fang Longye by the Heavenly Court, their very lives held in his hands. It was no exaggeration to say that a single word from him could decide their Life and Death.

Fang Longye looked down from his high position, sweeping his gaze across the hall. He did not speak, his eyes filled with deep, sunken light; everyone in the hall felt as though they were being seen through.

After sizing up these servants, Fang Longye casually distributed some treasures he had no use for as rewards.

"Many thanks for the reward, Mansion Master—"

After these people expressed their gratitude, Fang Longye waved his hand, signaling: "Work diligently, and there will be rewards for you in the future—"

"We are willing to follow the Mansion Master's lead."

After a round of discipline and bestowing of favors,

The crowd, led by the two stewards, withdrew one after another, then returned to their respective posts to work.

Not long after, just as Fang Longye had rested in the mansion for a short while, he awaited the return of Yang Chan from Yaochi.

Unexpectedly,

Accompanying Yang Chan upon her return was another person, dressed in a dress the color of sparse rain, her cloud-like sleeves waving and her skirt fluttering; as she walked, she was very classical and elegant.

However, the person appeared cautious and timid, her face looking obedient and lovely, following behind Yang Chan like a little maid—

It was none other than,

Yun Ting, who had a deep entanglement with Fang Longye.

"This is?"

Yang Chan wore a smile that was not quite a smile and said:

"What? You aren't satisfied with me finding you a chamber maid? Ting'er, pay your respects to the master—"

Fang Longye understood; it was likely that the Queen Mother of the West had done a favor by sending Yun Ting over directly—

"Miaojun,"

Yang Chan reached out to stop Fang Longye's words, shaking her head: "No need to say anything, I have long known your nature, who else is to blame but me for getting involved with you!"

"Hehe!"

Fang Longye pulled Yang Chan into his arms and said: "To have such a wife, what more could a husband ask for."

"Bah! You have no sense of propriety—"

……

Just like that, Fang Longye had established his foundation in the Heavenly Court. In the days that followed, he frequently traveled back and forth between his own dojo, Cangmang Mountain, and his Heavenly Court mansion.

However,

He did not make a big show of immediately replacing all the people in his mansion.

He only replaced some unimportant people with his own subordinates bit by bit.

He did not act too high-profile in other respects either—

After all, having suddenly attained a high position, it was better to remain still rather than move in the Heavenly Court; it was better to keep a low profile.

Moreover,

For the time being, it was not yet time to arrange his own people in the Heavenly Court. At least there was no need to be that urgent— On this day, in Cangmang Mountain,

Fang Longye was sitting in a pavilion in Longying Cave, laughing and talking with his wives, including Yang Chan, when Ao Ying suddenly arrived outside the pavilion and said: "Great King, the Internal Affairs Manager Luming requests an audience."

Although Fang Longye had already been granted the title of Heavenly Official and held the position of Profound Mystery and Calamity-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord in the Heavenly Court—

He did not act by this title in his own dojo; in front of his subordinates, he still maintained the demeanor of a half-demon king and Dragon Lord—

Of course, if he were in the Heavenly Court,

He would naturally present himself by the title of Holy Lord; no matter who it was, even the subordinates he transferred to the Heavenly Court addressed him as Holy Lord.

"Very well, let him in!"

Fang Longye knew that Luming would not disturb him without reason; since he requested an audience, there must be an important matter requiring his decision, so he spoke.

"Understood."

Ao Ying responded and withdrew.

A moment later, a handsome man dressed in scholar's robes arrived at the pavilion; it was none other than Luming, the Internal Affairs Manager personally appointed by Fang Longye.

"Greetings, Great King!"

"No need for formalities."

"Thank you, Great King!" Luming stood up as instructed.

"Speak, what is the matter?"

Fang Longye waved his hand, signaling for him not to be so reserved and to be more at ease.

"Just a moment ago, guards at the mountain gate reported that the Handsome Monkey King of Water Curtain Cave on Huaguo Mountain has sent someone to deliver an invitation."

Luming remained stiff and formal, bowing as he took a gilded invitation from his sleeve, held it above his head with both hands, and said to Fang Longye.

Fang Longye couldn't help but think to himself, what is that Monkey up to, actually learning to send invitations like a human?

However, seeing Luming's respectful posture, he couldn't help but shake his head. With a flick of his finger, the gilded invitation floated into the air and landed in his hand.

He was in no rush to read the contents of the invitation, instead raising his eyes to look at Luming, smiling: "Luming, you should know that I have now been enfeoffed by the Jade Emperor as the Water Origin Holy Lord, right?"

Luming nodded, looking at his Great King.

Fang Longye did not beat around the bush and said straightforwardly:

"My residence in the Heavenly Court needs someone to manage it. Prepare yourself, draw up a list of candidates who can take over your duties, and then go to serve at my residence!"

"Yes, I shall strictly obey the Great King's command!"

A touch of excitement appeared in Luming's eyes, and his voice even carried a tremor—not from fear, but from exhilaration—yet he still bowed respectfully.

Fang Longye thought nothing of it, simply waving his hand and saying: "Alright, prepare well, you may withdraw!"

"This subordinate takes his leave!"

Luming bowed in salute, took three steps backward, and only then turned to leave, though his steps were noticeably lighter as he walked.

Even though Luming would only be managing his residence upon arriving at the Heavenly Court, which could not compare to being the Chief Steward of Cangmang Mountain where he could manage all sorts of affairs with heavy authority.

But that is the Heavenly Court! Managing Fang Longye's residence in the Heavenly Court is equivalent to joining the Shuiyuan Shengjun Mansion; one can receive Heavenly Salary and hold a Heavenly post.

In terms of prospects, it is naturally vast.

People strive for higher positions, just as water flows to lower ground.

It is only human nature for Luming to react this way, and Fang Longye did not mind it.

Furthermore, Luming's loyalty was beyond doubt; it is a good thing for a subordinate to have ambition, as it could help him open up the situation and develop his influence in the Heavenly Court.

And he was well aware of Luming's capabilities.

Having him serve as his Chief Steward all this time was actually a waste of his talent. The complex and intricate Heavenly Court was the true place for him to display his skills. After some thought,

Fang Longye finally opened the invitation in his hand, his brows arching involuntarily, "The Monkey is holding a birthday banquet? A three-hundred-forty-two-year birthday banquet?"

"It's not even a milestone birthday, why hold a banquet?"

Fang Longye couldn't help but grumble.

Right.

He suddenly recalled that in the Journey to the West from his previous life, when the Monkey wreaked havoc in the underworld, the Life and Death Book recorded him as "a heaven-born Shihou, destined to live for three hundred forty-two years and die a natural death."

In other words,

Before long, Sun Wukong would wreak havoc in the underworld, and after that, this Monkey would ascend to heaven.

The future would be an eventful time. (End of chapter)