Chapter 93: Exorcise Demons In Wuji Kingdom
It is said that the twenty-second day of the second lunar month in the mortal world is the Flower Festival. This festival was not created by mortals, but originated from the Heavenly Realm.
Today coincides with the Jade Pond Immortal Realm in the Heavenly Realm, where a hundred flowers are in full bloom. The Queen Mother invited the immortals to the Jade Pond for a gathering to admire the flowers.
Those invited included: Lao Jun, Old Mother Li Shan, Taishang Laojun, Great Emperor Zhenwu, Three Holy Maidens, Tian Zun of the Nine Heavens, True Lord of Pure Origin, Moon Star Lord, Emperor, Star Lord, Taibai Jinxing, Barefoot Immortal, Clear Source Wonderful Way True Lord, and so on.
Wukong, Nezha, and Ao Tu quietly sneaked to the outside of the Jade Pond and peered inside.
Nezha said: “Look, Taishang Laojun is over there. Let’s go in and call him!”
Wukong said: “Wait a moment.”
Nezha said: “What’s wrong?”
Wukong smiled and said: “Third Prince, all the gods are here. It’s not good to make a scene.”
Nezha said: “How is it not good to make a scene? His lion went to the mortal realm to become a monster and commit evil. Does he still have any justification?”
Wukong advised: “Third Prince, even if Taishang Laojun is at fault for not noticing, it’s not good for you and me to make a formal accusation in front of all the gods. If we do that, wouldn’t it make it impossible for the Heavenly Venerable to step down?”
Nezha thought about it, and what Wukong said made sense, so he asked:
“Then what do you say we should do?”
Wukong said: “In Old Sun’s view, we still need to trouble the Third Prince to go in, quietly tell him about the matter, without alarming the gods. Just have him come out alone, and then discuss the fault.”
Nezha said: “You monkey, you’re so clever. You make me do the offending task!”
Wukong smiled and said: “Sorry for the trouble! Sorry for the trouble! Old Sun has some old accounts and can’t meet the Queen Mother.”
Nezha snorted lightly and entered the Jade Pond.
After Nezha left, Wukong smiled and said to Ao Tu:
“Let’s transform and follow him in to see how the Third Prince acts.”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “Good!”
The two shook their bodies and transformed. Wukong became a butterfly in golden-patterned yellow clothes, Ao Tu became a brilliantly golden butterfly. The two flew into the Jade Pond together and landed in the cluster of flowers.
Wukong landed on a peony immortal flower, Ao Tu landed on a Crimson Pearl Immortal Grass. The two buried their heads, pretending to suck nectar, but actually secretly observing Nezha’s movements.
Tian Zun of the Nine Heavens said: “Strange! Strange! Where did these two butterflies come from?”
Old Mother Li Shan nearby saw them, covered her face and smiled, saying: “Heavenly Venerable, let me tell you, recently I got a son-in-law…”
Wukong heard this and couldn’t help looking at Ao Tu.
Ao Tu acted as if nothing had happened, standing on the Crimson Pearl Immortal Grass, with the immortal grass gently swaying.
On the other side, Nezha met the Queen Mother but did not mention Taishang Laojun, only saying he came to admire the flowers.
The Queen Mother naturally invited Nezha in.
As soon as Nezha entered the Jade Pond, before reaching Taishang Laojun, he was pulled by Clear Source Wonderful Way True Lord to drink three cups of immortal brew, making his little face flushed red. He kept saying “I have business” and escaped.
Wukong and Ao Tu watched and secretly laughed.
Nezha found Taishang Laojun.
At this time, Taishang Laojun was chatting idly with Barefoot Immortal.
Nezha tugged at Taishang Laojun’s robe and said: “Heavenly Venerable, I have business with you.”
Taishang Laojun said: “Third Prince, what business do you have with me?”
Nezha glanced at Barefoot Immortal and said nothing.
Barefoot Immortal smiled and said: “There is a wondrous sight over there. I’ll go admire it first.”
With that, he floated away.
Only Nezha and Taishang Laojun remained on the spot.
Nezha then quietly told Taishang Laojun about the matter in Wuji Kingdom.
Taishang Laojun smiled upon hearing this: “Third Prince, you have the wrong person.”
Nezha said: “Heavenly Venerable, at this point, are you still protecting that evil beast?”
Taishang Laojun smiled: “Third Prince, it’s not that I’m protecting it. You have the wrong master. That monster is not mine.”
Nezha naturally did not believe it and said: “We already went to your palace and saw it. It’s your lion beast!”
Taishang Laojun shook his head with a smile: “Third Prince, you must have gone to the wrong place. My lion beast absolutely could not go to the mortal realm. I think you should look elsewhere!”
With that, he waved his sleeve robe, cast a spell, and pushed Nezha out.
Wukong and Ao Tu saw this, flapped their wings, flew up, and went out to rendezvous with Nezha.
Outside the Jade Pond, the three gathered again.
Nezha angrily said: “That Taishang Laojun actually protects his mount that went to the mortal realm to become a monster. I spoke kindly to advise him, but he insists on protecting it and refuses to admit it!”
Wukong angrily said: “This is of the same origin as that monster. Old Sun originally planned to give him some face, but now that he acts like this, don’t blame Old Sun for not showing mercy.”
Nezha said: “Monkey, what do you plan to do?”
Wukong smiled, plucked a hair from his body, and transformed it into a stack of complaint documents, saying: “Watch Old Sun cast a spell.”
Wukong leaped into the air, inhaled from the southeast direction, then exhaled from his mouth, blowing out a great wind that sent the stack of complaint documents in his hand entirely into the Jade Pond.
In the Jade Pond, a strange wind suddenly arose, heaven and earth shook, the hundred flowers closed, and the gods covered their faces.
One by one, the complaint documents blew in with the wind, detailing the charges that Taishang Laojun allowed his mount to go to the mortal realm to become a monster, usurping the throne and occupying the kingdom.
The gods picked up the complaint documents, saw the content, and immediately couldn’t help looking at Taishang Laojun.
At this moment, Sun Wukong was heard jumping outside the Jade Pond and shouting: “Taishang Laojun, you protect your mount that went to the mortal realm to become a monster. Come with Old Sun to see the Jade Emperor for judgment! Come see the Jade Emperor for judgment!”
Taishang Laojun heard this and couldn’t help getting angry:
“This wild monkey frames and slanders me like this. How can I spare him?”
With that, he leaped outside the Jade Pond, took out the precious sword from his waist, and said:
“Wild monkey, how dare you talk nonsense! Take this sword!”
Taishang Laojun tossed the precious sword into the air, manifesting nine suns, and struck at Wukong.
All the gods came out of the Jade Pond to watch the fight.
Flower admiring at the Jade Pond happens every year, but fights do not.
Wukong wielded the Golden Cudgel to block the precious sword, retreating repeatedly under the blows, and couldn’t help saying: “You old official, how are you also skilled in martial arts?”
Taishang Laojun said: “Wild monkey, no more words! You ruined my reputation. Let me chop you with three swords first!”
With that, he added a burst of nine suns magic power, making the precious sword even more ferocious.
Wukong gradually found it hard to block and said: “This sword technique is really heavy! Third Prince, monk, come help me quickly!”
Ao Tu and Nezha heard this, flew over. Nezha used the Heaven and Earth Ring, Ao Tu used the alms bowl, and together they fought Taishang Laojun’s precious sword.
The gods on the side commented:
“The monkey’s martial arts have improved again.”
“The Third Prince is not bad either.”
“Who is that monk? We’ve never seen him before.”
Taishang Laojun used thirty-six sets of sword techniques, which the three barely blocked together.
Taishang Laojun saw this and smiled: “You monkey head, you have some skill to actually block my precious sword!”
Wukong shouted: “Old Sun has plenty of skills. Hurry and go with me before the Jade Emperor for judgment!”
Taishang Laojun smiled, raised his hand, and released a treasure banner.
The banner grew with the wind, covering the sun and moon, shrouding the Thirty-three Heavens, blocking the Nine Serenities Underworld, cutting off the overseas islands, and trapping Wukong, Nezha, and Ao Tu inside the banner.
Wukong somersaulted inside repeatedly but couldn’t get out up or down. He brandished the Golden Cudgel and struck left and right, but couldn’t damage the treasure banner at all. Instead, he accidentally hit Nezha once.
Nezha was so angry he cursed the monkey, endured the pain in his left arm, held Ao Tu with his right hand, rode the Wind Fire Wheels, flew around left and right, and threw the Heaven and Earth Ring to strike, but still couldn’t get out.
Nezha had no way out, sat down on his butt, and sighed: “It’s bad, monk. We’re trapped now.”
Ao Tu said: “Is your hand okay?”
Nezha said: “No big deal. That wild monkey hit me once. It’ll heal in a couple days.”
Ao Tu said: “Let me see.”
Ao Tu lifted Nezha’s arm, applied a drop of Three Lights Divine Water, rubbed the wound, and healed it.
Nezha happily said: “Monk, you have this skill too!”
Wukong leaped over at this time and said: “Third Prince, don’t underestimate him. He has many tricks!”
Ao Tu smiled: “Now you two have no way out. Only I can take you out.”
Nezha didn’t believe it: “Monk, do you have a way out?”
Ao Tu smiled, put his palms together, and golden light emanated from his body.
Outside, Taishang Laojun had already retrieved the treasure banner, with three little figures hanging on it—none other than Wukong, Nezha, and Ao Tu.
Taishang Laojun said: “This wild monkey bullies me too much. He should be properly punished!”
All the gods laughed.
At this moment, Ao Tu among the three little figures burst with brilliant golden light, broke free from the treasure banner, landed outside, and manifested a six-zhang golden body.
The golden body was radiant, illuminating the Jade Pond. Eight arms: one holding the alms bowl, one holding Nezha, one holding Wukong, and the remaining arms each forming mudras.
The gods seeing this couldn’t help being somewhat surprised.
Nezha happily said: “Monk, you have this skill too! Impressive! Impressive! But put me down first. This is too embarrassing!”
Ao Tu put Wukong and Nezha down and transformed back to his original form.
Taishang Laojun didn’t make another move and asked: “Who might you be?”
Ao Tu performed a Buddhist salute and said: “Heavenly Venerable, this monk is a disciple from Spirit Mountain, specially accompanying the Great Sage to investigate the wrongful case in Wuji Kingdom.”
Taishang Laojun said: “This matter truly was not caused by my mount.”
Wukong said: “Old official, we all went to your palace and saw it. You still won’t admit it!”
Taishang Laojun said: “You wild monkey, how dare you barge into my palace without permission!”
Wukong said: “You have a guilty conscience, that’s why you don’t let people in!”
Ao Tu said: “Great Sage, Heavenly Venerable, don’t argue. Hear this monk out. Now that all the gods are here, why not explain the whole story in detail? Who is right and who is wrong will naturally become clear.”
Wukong said: “Good! Old official, do you dare confront me?”
Taishang Laojun said: “Go ahead.”
Thereupon, Wukong in the Jade Pond, before all the gods, explained the matter of Wuji Kingdom from beginning to end clearly.
Wukong said: “That poor old king, a mere mortal soul, traveled through the Underworld, Ten Kings of Hell, three mountains, five sacred mountains, and Four Seas, yet found no place to appeal his grievance! Old official, do you still dare say you’re not protecting it?”
Taishang Laojun said: “Great Sage, if it’s really as you say, that monster is indeed protected by someone. But how can you be sure it’s my lion?”
Wukong said: “Old Sun went to your palace. In the lion house, the chains were on the ground, and the lion was long gone. The Third Prince and the monk can vouch for it. Do you still dare deny it?”
Taishang Laojun shook his head upon hearing this and said:
“Boy, bring my lion beast here to confront the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven!”
