Chapter 379: Venus Receives the Imperial Decree to Offer Amnesty; The Dragon King of Wansheng Wishes to Take a Son-in-Law

Time moves forward; when Fang Longye's true form set out from Beiju Luzhou toward Huaguo Mountain, inside the Golden Palace Cloud Palace and the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, golden lamps hung and shone, illuminating the surroundings with brilliant clarity.

Fang Longye's Divine Dao avatar followed the various civil and military immortal officials of the Heavenly Court, filing in one after another.

The Great Morning Assembly began; one could see the High Heaven Saint, the Great Merciful and Benevolent Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable, the High Emperor of the Profound Vault, sitting upright on the throne in the center, with strings of pearls hanging down and fine, shimmering light.

There was a look of deep concentration in his eyes; he spoke not a word.

After a round of salutations and obeisance,

Suddenly, the Perfected One Qiu Hongji stepped forward to report:

"Your Majesty, outside the Tongming Hall, the East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang has submitted a memorial and awaits the Heavenly Venerable's decree."

"Ao Guang?"

Upon hearing that the East Sea Dragon King had submitted a memorial,

The Jade Emperor's gaze immediately descended, like a frosty moon traversing the sky; for a moment, he pondered in silence, and the surroundings turned cold and still.

In the treasure hall, other immortals and deities were also lost in thought.

Many immortals and deities even turned their gazes toward Fang Longye for no apparent reason.

Whether it was his status as a young lord of the Dragon Clan or his position as the Water Origin Holy Lord of the Profound Cave and Disaster Relief, both were closely linked to the East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang.

Sensing the gazes of these immortals and deities,

Fang Longye's brow twitched; why look at me? This business with Ao Guang has nothing to do with me.

"Ao Guang is not guarding the East Sea; what is he doing coming to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall?" The Jade Emperor's expression was heavy, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Your Majesty,"

The Perfected One Qiu Hongji flicked his whisk and replied, "The East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang says he has a great grievance and requests that Your Majesty preside over the matter."

Hearing that Ao Guang had a great grievance, many immortals and deities could not help but turn their gazes toward Nezha.

They remembered that this scene had happened once before; the one who had made Ao Guang suffer a great loss that time was this very lord, and they wondered what kind of grievance had arisen this time. "Then let him come up."

The Jade Emperor did not care what those below were whispering; he gave an order immediately, signaling for Ao Guang to enter the hall.

A short while later,

The East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang entered the Lingxiao Treasure Hall with hurried steps; as soon as he entered, he shouted loudly: "I beg Your Majesty to preside over justice for my Four Seas Dragon Palace!"

The Jade Emperor signaled the attendant immortal boy to take the memorial.

He took it, unfolded it, and looked; the entire content of the memorial was an accusation against Sun Wukong of Huaguo Mountain for his lawless behavior and oppression of the Dragon Palace—it was truly written in words of blood.

"This old dragon's literary talent is not bad at all!"

The Jade Emperor put down the memorial and chuckled to himself.

Just from this memorial alone, after reading it, anyone would see the image of the arrogant demon monkey and the appearance of the oppressed Dragon King leaping off the page, vivid and lifelike.

The Jade Emperor's eyes were deep as he said:

"The Dragon God may return for now; I will dispatch Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to the lower realm to capture that demon monkey of Huaguo Mountain."

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"

The East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang kowtowed and departed.

Below, the Celestial Master Ge Xianweng stepped forward to report:

"Your Majesty, King Qin Guangwang of the Underworld has brought a memorial from the Youming Sect Leader, the Dizang Wang Pusa."

Hearing this from below, Fang Longye's heart stirred; he thought to himself that his father-in-law was truly "enthusiastic," actually participating so actively in the affairs of the Brahma Sect.

That's right, having been married to the Tie Shan for several years now, he naturally knew quite a bit about the specific foundations of his convenient father-in-law—for instance, he had learned of the relationship between the famous Dizang Wang Pusa and his convenient father-in-law, the Bojun Mozhu, during casual chats with the Tie Shan.

At first, he had been shocked and found it unbelievable, but later, upon reflection, he realized it was normal. Who doesn't have one or two alter egos that stand in opposition to themselves?

Even Yuanshi Tianzun has an incarnation in the Demon Realm called the Primordial Demon Lord! What of it? If the great figures of the Dao and Brahma sects are allowed to change their masks and infiltrate the enemy, why shouldn't the great lords of the Demon path play the same game? "What a wicked monkey!"

While Fang Longye was pondering, the Jade Emperor had already taken the memorial presented by the Dizang Wang Pusa; he was a good actor, appearing to be so angry he laughed as he said: "This demon monkey has such great audacity; not only is he rampant in the Four Seas, but he dares to commit evil and violence in the Youming, refusing to be summoned, destroying the Underworld, and causing chaos in Yin and Yang. His crimes are not small."

"Thousand-Mile Eye, Shunfenger!"

The Jade Emperor looked at the two immortal officials below and asked directly: "What is the origin of this demon monkey?"

Before the words were finished, Thousand-Mile Eye and Shunfenger flashed out from the ranks and replied respectfully:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this demon monkey is a stone monkey born of Heaven three hundred years ago. At the time, we thought nothing of it, but we do not know where he has cultivated into an immortal in these past few years, and he has forcibly erased his name from the register of the dead."

"The demon monkey of Huaguo Mountain~"

The Jade Emperor seemed to only then recall the scene of Sun Wukong's birth on Huaguo Mountain; his eyes shot out divine light, and he appeared to suddenly realize: "So it is this demon monkey."

"Fellow immortals,"

His expression became serious, his words filled with awe-inspiring majesty, and he said coldly:

"Which divine general is willing to descend to the lower realm to subdue this demon monkey?"

Before he had finished speaking,

Taibai Jinxing flashed out from the ranks and reported:

"In the Three Realms of the High Saint, all those with nine orifices can cultivate into immortals. Since this monkey is a body nurtured by Heaven and Earth, a form conceived by the sun and moon, he also stands between heaven and earth, drinking dew and eating clouds; now that he has cultivated the Immortal Dao and possesses the ability of Subduing Dragons and Tigers, how is he different from a human?"

He paused, ignoring the strange expressions of many immortals and deities in the hall, and continued: "I petition Your Majesty to consider the mercy of life and creation, and issue a decree of amnesty to summon him to the upper realm, grant him a rank, large or small, register his name on the rolls, and keep him under restraint here; if he accepts the heavenly mandate, he can be promoted and rewarded later; if he defies the heavenly mandate, then capture him. This way, there is no need to mobilize the masses or tire the troops, and it is also a way to recruit immortals."

"Taibai Jinxing's words are like gold and jade."

"Well said."

"Indeed, that is the logic."

"..."

In the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, several deities stepped out and loudly agreed.

Fang Longye looked; good heavens, their backgrounds were truly not small—there was Chijiao Daxian, the Fu Lu Shou stars, and even Tuota Li Tianwang.

And this was the same Li Tianwang who would later lead troops to suppress the monkey! They weren't even pretending anymore, were they? While Fang Longye was criticizing them inwardly, the other informed immortals and deities were also keeping their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts, letting the Jade Emperor, Taibai Jinxing, and the other immortals perform to their hearts' content.

"Good!" The Jade Emperor waved the Jade Ruyi he was toying with in his hand, and with a look of approval toward Taibai Jinxing, he said:

"What Taibai Jinxing says is reasonable; truly, you are a veteran statesman who can share the burden for Us. Very well, then let this matter be handled by you, Zhang Geng!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this subject will certainly give his all," Taibai Jinxing said, bowing to accept the order.

Following this, there was nothing of importance, and after a round of vapid memorials and bickering, the court was dismissed.

Taibai Jinxing took the imperial decree from the hands of Wenqu Xing, immediately exited the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and without taking a carriage or chariot, he steered his cloud head straight toward Huaguo Mountain.

Just as Taibai Jinxing received the decree and descended to the lower realm,

Over at Huaguo Mountain, Fang Longye and the other six, including Niu Mowang, had finished drinking and celebrating with Sun Wukong and were rising to bid the Monkey farewell~

"Big Brother, Second Brother,... Seventh Brother, why don't you all stay a while longer?"

Sun Wukong pulled at his seven sworn brothers to keep them.

"No need~"

Fang Longye shook his head and said, "I still have many matters in my Cave Abode that cannot be delayed~"

Niu Mowang also shook his head in refusal, "I have recently made a new friend, and I had already agreed to go drink at his place; I only squeezed out the time to come here to you."

Jiao Mowang, Peng Mowang, Shituo Wang, and Yuyong Wang likewise politely declined the Monkey's invitation. Mihou Wang had originally intended to stay a while longer with the Monkey, but just as he was about to agree, he saw his eyes blink, his ears twitch, and he changed his mind and refused.

Thus,

Sun Wukong naturally bid a reluctant farewell to his seven sworn brothers, seeing Fang Longye and the others all the way out of Huaguo Mountain before turning back to return to the Water Curtain Cave.

Outside Huaguo Mountain,

After Sun Wukong left, Shituo Wang asked with a smile, "Little Six, why did you change your mind?"

Mihou Wang gave a hehe laugh and said, "Hehe, Old Eight will soon have a distinguished guest arriving, so I won't disturb him~"

Jiao Mowang pointed his finger at a white streak of light descending from the highest heavens and signaled to the others, "Look, it's the Jinxing Laoguan of the Heavenly Court~"

Niu Mowang said in a deep voice:

"It is indeed Taibai Jinxing~ Since when has the Heavenly Court been so efficient? Has Taibai Jinxing rushed over so quickly to offer amnesty to Old Eight?"

Peng Mowang patted Mihou Wang on the shoulder and said, "Little Six, not bad! Your ability to 'catch the wind and grasp the shadows' is truly something~"

"What 'catch the wind and grasp the shadows'? Fourth Brother, do you know how to talk?" Mihou Wang said, displeased.

Peng Mowang laughed unreservedly, "I'm just asking if you identify the Aura by catching the wind to predict fortune or calamity? It's all the same thing~"

"How can that be the same?"

Mihou Wang rolled his eyes and said.

"Hey, tell me, do you think Old Seven will accept the amnesty?" Jiao Mowang, who was to the side, suddenly asked.

"That monkey has never been one to stay quiet; he stirred up the Longgong and broke into the underworld, he's long been thinking of going up to heaven to have some fun, he will definitely accept the amnesty~"

Shituo Wang said in a deep voice.

"That's right,"

Yuyong Wang smiled and chimed in:

"With all those big shots involved, even if the monkey didn't want the amnesty, I'm afraid he'd be made willing~"

Hearing these words from Yuyong Wang, the group all nodded in agreement.

The monkey, already trapped in various schemes, what right did he have to choose his own path? The seven of them chatted and laughed as they flew away, distancing themselves from Huaguo Mountain, and after exchanging pleasantries for a while, they prepared to part ways and return to their own homes.

"Right, almost forgot~"

Just after Niu Mowang finished saying goodbye to Fang Longye and the others, he suddenly remembered something, turned back around, and said to Fang Longye and the others:

"Brothers, stay your steps~"

After Fang Longye and the others turned back,

Niu Mowang apologized and then explained, "A friend I recently made has a daughter who has reached the age to be married, and he wants to invite young talents from everywhere to recruit a satisfactory husband,..."

Speaking to this point,

Mihou Wang interrupted, "Could it be that you, Second Brother, want to find us a wife?"

"Pah," Niu Mowang laughed and scolded, "You monkey are just like Old Eight, truly narcissistic enough; you only heard the words 'young talent', are you a young talent?"

"My little niece is of the Dragon Clan, and her fair age is only a little over five hundred; you monkey, how old are you yourself? Aren't you ashamed~"

Yuyong Wang also teased, "Old Six, you're trying to have the old ox eat the tender grass!"

Mihou Wang couldn't help but protest:

"I have cultivated until now without leaking my primordial yang, and I have never been fond of beauty; who cares about women? I was just mocking Second Brother."

"Alright, that's enough digression~"

Niu Mowang shook his head, looking helpless.

He added, "The monkey interrupted just now; I meant to say, if you have any young talents you are familiar with, please help introduce them."

"So you want us to be matchmakers!" Mihou Wang exclaimed, suddenly realizing and making a fuss.

"Second Brother, which Dragon King's daughter is it?" Shituo Wang asked, while looking at Fang Longye, as he was, after all, a young lord of the Dragon Clan.

The others also looked at Fang Longye,

And Mihou Wang said with a smile:

"Since she is of the Dragon Clan, the most suitable young talent should be asked of our Eldest Brother directly!"

Fang Longye's heart stirred; connecting this to Journey to the West, he felt he had probably already guessed who the friend Niu Mowang mentioned was~ Niu Mowang shook his head and explained with a smile, "This friend of mine resides in Bibo Tan of Xiniu Hezhou and holds the title of Wan Sheng Dragon King. Although he is not recognized by the Heavenly Court, he is a proper Dragon King. By rights, he shouldn't need to invite young talents from everywhere."

"But he encountered a great Calamity in his early years, and although he luckily survived, he has a deficiency in conceiving offspring. After all these years, he only has one daughter, so he wants to recruit a son-in-law to his residence."

"So, you understand~"

A son-in-law who marries into the wife's family has a very low status.

This is not Fang Longye's previous life, where one could eat soft rice hard or inherit a family's fortune; being a son-in-law who marries into the family is something everyone despises~ It is truly not that easy for him to find a satisfactory son-in-law within the Dragon Clan, after all, which male of the Dragon Clan is not a scumbag among scumbags? "Second Brother, this isn't kind of you; aren't you asking your brothers to pit others against a trap?"

Peng Mowang remarked upon hearing this.

"The fourth brother makes a reasonable point~"

Upon hearing this, Mihou Wang also shook his head repeatedly.

He paused, then continued: "Besides, I have heard that being a matrilocal son-in-law is very difficult; what talented young man would pass up a comfortable life to go and be some matrilocal son-in-law?"

Jiao Mowang also said in a deep voice: "The seventh brother is right; even if your friend, the Dragon King of Bibo Tan, has millions in assets, not many talented young men would become a matrilocal son-in-law."

"Even if there really were one, I fear it would be inviting a wolf into the house; be careful that the other party doesn't end up taking charge as the guest."

Niu Mowang shook his head and said with a smile: "Do you think my friend hasn't considered these things? I hadn't even finished speaking, and you all started talking over each other~"

"Alright, stop keeping us in suspense!"

Fang Longye waved his hand and said: "Finish quickly so we can head back, each to our own homes~"

Upon hearing this, Niu Mowang nodded.

Then, his expression became one of suppressed laughter as he said: "As the saying goes, a talented young man must not only be young, but also have talent and good looks~"

"It goes without saying that he needs to be handsome. As for talent, well, that is a matter of opinion."

He struggled to hold back his laughter and said slowly: "Perhaps, carrying a foot-washing basin or a chamber pot for one's wife is also a kind of talent!"

Damn! Mihou Wang could not help but curse:

"Damn it, if that's what a talented young man is, whoever wants to be one can have it! In any case, I am certainly no talented man!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Longye could not help but be stunned, thinking to himself that this Dragon King of Bibo Tan was truly interesting, specifically choosing silver-plated pewter spearheads to be his matrilocal sons-in-law.

Of course, he understood that the old dragon likely chose his matrilocal sons-in-law this way to avoid inviting a wolf into the house and attracting a strong person who would usurp his position.

He just didn't know how the old dragon of Bibo Tan had recruited the Nine-Headed Insect as his son-in-law.

That fellow was a strong person whose combat power was enough to contend with Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie; although he still couldn't defeat them, he managed to escape with his life.

He could be considered one of the few monsters on the road of Scripture Seeking who survived after encountering the Scripture Seeking group.

This did not fit the conditions for selecting a matrilocal son-in-law that the old dragon of Bibo Tan had mentioned through Niu Mowang.

"In any case, keep an eye on those around you and see if there are any such 'talented young men'; if it works out, that old dragon even has a matchmaker's fee to give!"

Niu Mowang said with a smile.

The group nodded to show they understood, immediately ended their chat, exchanged farewells, and went their separate ways, heading back to their respective homes.

(End of chapter)