Chapter 377: Drunkenly Abducted by Soul-Snatchers, the Monkey King Causes Havoc in the Underworld

Half a month later,

Huaguo Mountain, Water Curtain Cave.

Lanterns and colorful streamers were hung everywhere, and the atmosphere was joyous; it was Sun Wukong's birthday, and from early in the morning, the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain were busy together.

Cleaning the Cave Abode, arranging the banquet...

The entire Huaguo Mountain was bustling with activity, and even the minor demons commanded by the Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings under Sun Wukong were being ordered around until their heads were spinning.

By midday,

Fang Longye, along with the also-invited Niu Mowang, Jiao Mowang, Peng Mowang, Shituo Wang, Mihou Wang, and Yurong Wang, arrived one after another.

Perhaps because it was his birthday,

The Monkey, Sun Wukong, was dressed quite festively today, wearing a Big Red Robe over his Golden Armor, standing in front of the Water Curtain Cave to welcome guests with a flashy look on his face.

He greeted everyone with a smiling face, his mouth stretched wide to his ears; Fang Longye suspected that this monkey was purely happy because he had received a mountain of birthday gifts.

He took a look, and the gifts were truly numerous.

The Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings of Huaguo Mountain alone had sent him many divine materials and precious medicines; judging by their quality, they were likely the treasures these Demon Kings had kept at the bottom of their chests.

Thinking of these Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings, they were quite unlucky to have ended up with a boss like the Monkey.

They were busy running around for him on weekdays, flattering the Monkey in every way, being extremely respectful, and always following orders, doing whatever he said.

And the result? In the Journey to the West of his past life,

After he stole the Flat Peaches and immortal pills and returned to the lower realm, the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals came to suppress him; after the Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings were captured by the Heavenly Court, the four generals and the monkey descendants even shed a few tears for them.

As for the Monkey,

He didn't care at all, "Since the leaders captured were tigers, leopards, wolves, insects, badgers, deer, foxes, and the like, not one of my own kind was harmed, so why worry?"

Of course,

Perhaps he said this to boost morale and comfort his own monkey descendants, but regardless, this coldness was evident.

"Big Brother, you've come!"

Sun Wukong was quite enthusiastic, hopping and skipping over to Fang Longye.

Fang Longye snapped out of it, stopped thinking about such matters, and said to the Monkey with a smile: "Old Eight, you are dressed very festively today!"

Immediately, he handed over a gift box.

"Many thanks, Big Brother!"

The Monkey was always impatient and hurriedly opened it to look, only to see several bright red Fairy Peaches with purple veins, suffused with Purple-Green Qi.

They illuminated the surroundings with a brilliant glow. "What is this?"

The fragrance of peaches permeated the air, filling the space above and below.

Just by smelling it, one felt refreshed and invigorated, with the power in their body stirring.

Sun Wukong couldn't help but salivate; he resisted his craving, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and looked up at Fang Longye to ask.

"Flat Peaches, these are actually Flat Peaches!"

Mihou Wang, who was to the side, couldn't help but twitch his nose, followed the scent to get a closer look, and said in surprise: "And they are the Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peaches that ripen every nine thousand years? Big Brother, you're something else; you were actually able to sneak into the Flat Peach Garden of Wangmu Niangniang to steal peaches!"

Fang Longye slapped away Mihou Wang's furry monkey paw that was sneaking over, rolled his eyes, and said:

"What stealing peaches? This was a gift from the Queen Mother of the West when I accompanied my wife to the Heavenly Court to visit her relatives."

"Old Eight, hurry up and put them away, be careful of some sneaky thief eyeing them and stealing them," Fang Longye turned to Sun Wukong and said, putting on an act.

Sun Wukong looked at Mihou Wang, realizing it only then, and hurriedly put the gift box away.

Mihou Wang gave a sheepish smile.

He argued forcefully: "I just wanted to help Old Eight see if these peaches were real or fake."

Fang Longye could only chuckle at this.

Sun Wukong, having put away the gift box, couldn't help but look at Mihou Wang and ask:

"Sixth Brother, I just heard you say that the Fairy Peaches Big Brother gave me are called Flat Peaches; are they very precious?"

"You're lucky to have such a treat!"

Mihou Wang knew how much attraction the Flat Peaches of the Queen Mother of the West had for the monkey species, and for him to ask for one from Old Eight was almost a pipe dream.

He couldn't help but look a bit dejected.

However, he still introduced them to Sun Wukong:

"These Flat Peaches come from the Flat Peach Garden of the Queen Mother of the West; they are a rare treasure of antiquity and are extremely precious."

"There are a total of three thousand six hundred Flat Peach trees."

"The first one thousand two hundred trees have small flowers and fruits, ripening every three thousand years; those who eat them become immortals, their bodies becoming healthy and light."

"The middle one thousand two hundred trees have layered flowers and sweet fruits, ripening every six thousand years; those who eat them ascend to the clouds and gain eternal life."

"The last one thousand two hundred trees have purple veins and fragrant kernels, ripening every nine thousand years; those who eat them live as long as Heaven and Earth, and as long as the sun and moon."

Speaking of this,

He couldn't help but smack his lips, looking nostalgic:

"The most important thing is that the taste of those Flat Peaches is truly incredibly delicious; it is truly something to reminisce about!"

He patted Sun Wukong on the shoulder and said: "Your Sixth Brother here was only lucky enough to taste a few; I have only ever eaten one of the Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peaches that ripen every nine thousand years."

"Big Brother really dotes on you, little brother; he gave you six or seven Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peaches directly. If I had known, I would have been the youngest one earlier!"

While speaking, Mihou Wang glanced at Fang Longye from time to time.

Seeing his wide-eyed look, Fang Longye couldn't help but laugh and scold:

"I'll hit you, you glutton! I gave Old Eight the Flat Peaches because they are helpful to his cultivation; what use would these Flat Peaches have for you?"

Although he said that,

Fang Longye still took out a few more Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peaches and distributed them to Mihou Wang and Yurong Wang, who had also come over upon hearing the news.

Seeing that the others were also casting their gazes over, Fang Longye waved a hand and shook his head, saying:

"None left, truly none left!"

Of course,

he still had some three or two pieces on him, but it wasn't enough to go around—it was better to just say there were none.

Niu Mowang said with regret:

"Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peach, this is a rare item; even I, old Niu, haven't eaten it many times!"

Jiao Mowang, Peng Mowang, and Shituo Wang, who were below him, all nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

"Big Brother, you are truly generous!"

Although they hadn't received a Pan Peach, Niu Mowang, Jiao Mowang, and the others still sighed with emotion.

One must know that such top-tier Pan Peaches, at the Pan Peach Banquet, were always supplied only to those with Great Divine Ability, such as figures at the level of Rulai or Guang Chengzi.

At the very least, they had to be top-tier figures among the Great Luo.

Those of a slightly lower level,

even if they went to the Pan Peach Banquet, would not be able to eat this kind of "great-stock peach" that ripens once every nine thousand years.

Like Niu Mowang, Jiao Mowang, and Peng Mowang, they had indeed eaten this kind of Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peach, but that was only thanks to the care of their elders that they were fortunate enough to taste it.

At the Pan Peach Banquet, it was not their turn.

As for Shituo Wang, his background was shallow; he hadn't even eaten a Pan Peach that ripens every three thousand years! In fact, it was quite ironic that those who could eat Pan Peaches at the Pan Peach Banquet were often those who no longer needed the effects of the Pan Peach.

To put it bluntly, what one eats with this thing is not its efficacy, but status and face.

Those who can enjoy Pan Peaches at the Pan Peach Banquet, regardless of which kind of Pan Peach it is, which one of them is not an existence that "lives as long as heaven and earth, and is of the same age as the sun and moon"?

Under the narration of the various Demon Kings, Sun Wukong finally understood the preciousness of the few Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peaches in his hands and couldn't help but be somewhat moved. He patted his chest and said: "Big Brother, sooner or later, I, old Sun, will return a gift even heavier than this."

Fang Longye smiled and said: "Then I shall wait and see!"

What he wanted was this very sentence from Sun Wukong.

Eighth Brother, I, your brother, have remembered these words of yours! When the time comes to steal Pan Peaches and immortal pills, remember to bring a share for your brother—Fang Longye thought to himself.

Mihou Wang didn't care about face or anything of the sort; he was purely greedy. Holding the two Purple-Veined Xiang-Kernel Pan Peaches he had been allotted, he couldn't help but beam with joy.

He smiled at everyone and said: "It seems there are benefits to being ranked low!"

Niu Mowang laughed and scolded:

"Enough, stop showing off!"

Sun Wukong also said with a grin:

"Sixth Brother, if you really think being the youngest is good, then shall we two swap rankings?"

"Go, go, go!"

After some banter, the eight brothers chatted and laughed as they arrived at Water Curtain Cave, where a banquet had already been prepared, with the Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings there to accompany them.

During this time, Sun Wukong couldn't wait to open the gifts sent by the other Demon Kings.

They were all rare items; if not wonders rarely seen in ten thousand years, they were Post-Heaven Spiritual Treasures that could be put to use or Array Flags used to set up defenses for a Cave Abode.

It made Monkey rejoice for a while—after the formalities, the demons took their seats.

With the important guests all present, Sun Wukong handed the task of welcoming guests to the two marshals, Ma and Liu, and the two generals, Beng and Ba, while he himself drank freely with his seven brothers in the cave.

"By the way,"

after drinking a few cups of wine, Yurong Wang asked Sun Wukong with a look of confusion:

"Eighth Brother, didn't you say you didn't remember your birthday? How is it that you are suddenly celebrating a grand birthday? And it's a three-hundred-and-forty-second birthday, down to the exact number..."

Fang Longye couldn't help but look at Sun Wukong as well.

He was just about to ask too; he remembered that when they swore brotherhood, this Monkey said he didn't know how to count, so how did he suddenly know how old he was—"Oh, this was said by the two marshals Ma and Liu and the two generals Beng and Ba. They said it has been three hundred and forty-two years since the stone on the top of Huaguo Mountain cracked—"

Sun Wukong put down his wine cup and said with wine-scented breath: "Little Brother here popped out of that stone on the day the stone cracked. I haven't celebrated a birthday all these years, so that's why I'm holding such a big celebration—"

He stroked the various gifts his seven elder brothers had given him and said with a grin: "And I have decided, from now on I will hold a birthday banquet every year to make up for all the birthdays I haven't celebrated before—"

Bah! Fang Longye and the others couldn't help but spit at him, and Mihou Wang even voiced their inner thoughts for them: "Eighth Brother, I'm afraid you've become addicted to receiving gifts!"

Sun Wukong smiled with a chuckle, his eyes blurry and drunken.

"Drink, drink!"

After much clinking of cups, Fang Longye and Niu Mowang and the other demons stood up as if by prior agreement to bid farewell to the Handsome Monkey King.

Just as Fang Longye had become a Heavenly Official a few years ago, in these past two years, Niu Mowang and the other demons all had their own opportunities and their own matters to attend to, so naturally, they could not stay at Huaguo Mountain too late to celebrate the Monkey's birthday—after repeatedly declining Sun Wukong's entreaties to stay, Fang Longye and Niu Mowang and the others left Water Curtain Cave under the escort of the already tipsy Monkey.

After some pleasantries, they each headed home.

And the Monkey at Huaguo Mountain,

after seeing off his seven elder brothers including Fang Longye, returned to Water Curtain Cave, bestowed rewards upon the various leaders under his command, and continued to drink and make merry.

He drank until he was dead drunk and leaned directly against the shade of the pines by the Iron Plank Bridge, falling asleep in an instant. The four generals led the crowd to guard him, not daring to speak loudly.

As Sun Wukong slept, he suddenly saw two black-faced men dressed in strange yamen-runner uniforms holding a warrant with the three characters "Sun Wukong" on it, walking toward him.

These two runners didn't speak; they took out a rope tied with white flowers and dragged Sun Wukong's primordial spirit out—

Because the wine had not yet worn off, Sun Wukong's primordial spirit was dizzy and stumbled along behind the two black-faced runners, walking unsteadily.

It wasn't until they reached a city that Sun Wukong began to sober up. He suddenly looked up and saw an iron plaque on the city gate tower with three large characters on it: "Nether Realm".

Looking again at the runners' uniforms, both had a large "Ghost" character printed on their chests.

Sun Wukong suddenly realized and asked loudly:

"The Nether Realm is the underworld of the prefecture, the residence of King Yama; why have I come here?"

One of the two ghost messengers said:

"Your lifespan in the world of the living has ended; we two have received the warrant to hook you and bring you to the Netherworld to report and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation."

"Go to hell with your mother's dog shit!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was instantly enraged and cursed: "Old Sun has long since transcended the Three Realms and is not within the Five Elements; I am no longer under the jurisdiction of the Netherworld. How are you so muddled that you dare to come and hook me?"

Those two ghost messengers did not care whether Sun Wukong had jumped out of the Three Realms or was not within the Five Elements; there was an order from above, and the two minor ghosts had no choice but to obey.

Therefore, no matter how the Monkey roared, they just tugged and pulled, determined to drag him inside.

The Monkey's temper was never good to begin with; after being tugged twice by the two ghost messengers, he grew angry, pulled out his Golden-Hooped Rod, and shook it until it was as thick as a bowl. With a slight lift of his hand, he beat the two ghost messengers into powder.

After beating the two ghost messengers to death, Sun Wukong untied the rope himself, went mad, swung his arms, whirled his rod, and fought his way directly into the city.

He was, after all, a Golden Immortal, and even if it were only his primordial spirit, combined with the Golden-Hooped Rod in his hand, there was no one who could match him for a time.

After all, although the Netherworld has many great powers, there are even more minor ghosts; those ghost messengers mostly rely on the Soul-Hooking Rope provided by the Netherworld to act, which does not mean these ghost messengers possess much strength.

Just like that, Sun Wukong, holding his Golden-Hooped Rod, fought all the way to the front of that imposing palace in the city.

"Senluo Hall?"

Sun Wukong arrived before the hall, looked up, and upon seeing the seal script on the plaque, could not help but feel a shock in his heart.

He was no longer a wild Monkey fresh out of the mountains.

Having followed Fang Longye and the others all these years, Sun Wukong had gained quite a bit of knowledge and naturally knew what kind of important place this Senluo Hall was. Just as he was hesitating, he saw these ten people dressed in imperial robes and wearing crowns, styled like emperors, walk out of the hall entrance. As soon as they met, they bowed and shouted:

"High Immortal, please state your name! High Immortal, please state your name!"

Sun Wukong had also heard of the reputation of the Ten Kings of Hell and knew they were not simple, but he was truly too angry about his encounter to let it go, so he shouted angrily: "Since you do not recognize me, why send people to hook me? Furthermore, Old Sun has cultivated the Dao, attained a lifespan equal to Heaven, transcended the Three Realms, and jumped out of the Five Elements; why send people to detain me?"

Qin Guangwang stepped forward and said:

"We dare not, we dare not! It must be that the messengers made a mistake."

King Chujiang also bowed and said:

"High Immortal, please calm your anger. There are many people in the world with the same name and surname; could it be that the death-hooking messengers went to the wrong place?"

Tempers are often spoiled by indulgence.

Seeing the Ten Kings' spineless, subservient appearance, Sun Wukong could not help but curl his lip, thinking to himself: "People often say, 'A great reputation is hard to live up to'; these Ten Kings of Hell are not much after all!"

Immediately, his tail went up, and he said: "Nonsense! The common saying goes: 'Official messengers or clerk messengers, the person who comes is never wrong.' Quickly, bring the Book of Life and Death for me to see!"

"Please, High Immortal, enter the hall to examine it!" Upon hearing this, the Ten Kings of Hell bowed and invited Sun Wukong into the hall to examine it.

Thus,

it was naturally the same as the original trajectory,

Sun Wukong crossed out his own name along with all other monkeys and the like that had names.

Afterwards, he fought his way out of the Netherworld.

(End of this chapter)