I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor's expression changed slightly.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, I will trust you this once."

However, regarding Zhen Yuanzi, I can only do my best to mediate; whether it succeeds or not depends on his attitude.

Bodhi snorted in agreement, then turned into a streak of azure light and left the Lingxiao Palace.

Not long after, the Jade Emperor, riding in his imperial carriage and accompanied by a large entourage of celestial officials, headed in a grand procession toward the Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain.

As soon as the auspicious cloud landed in front of the Wuzhuang Temple, two young Taoist boys, Qingfeng and Mingyue, came out to greet them and respectfully bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Jade Emperor."

The Jade Emperor waved his hand and said in a gentle tone, "Two young disciples, announce that I have come to visit the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi."

Qingfeng responded and hurried inside.

Before long, Zhen Yuanzi, dressed in a black Taoist robe, wearing a purple-gold crown, and holding a whisk, slowly walked out.

He cupped his hands in greeting to the Jade Emperor, but his tone was neither warm nor cold: "What brings the Jade Emperor to my humble abode?"

The Jade Emperor smiled and got straight to the point: "Great Immortal, I have come here regarding the matter of Sun Wukong."

The Bodhi Patriarch told me that although the monkey was wrong, the Journey to the West is related to the Heavenly Way, and detaining him might be inappropriate.

"Perhaps the sage would be merciful and let him go?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi's face darkened, and he flicked his whisk lightly: "Jade Emperor, Sun Wukong stole my ginseng fruit and destroyed my spiritual root. This is a grave crime!"

"That old man Bodhi not only doesn't restrain his disciple, but also indulges his misbehavior. If he doesn't give me an explanation today, don't even think about taking that monkey away!"

The Jade Emperor frowned slightly and probed, "What explanation do you want, Great Immortal?"

Zhen Yuanzi sneered and held up two fingers: "First, Bodhi should apologize in person; second, he should compensate with ten drops of the Three Lights Divine Water."

Otherwise, there's no point in discussing it!

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor's expression changed slightly.

The Three Lights Divine Water is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth; how could Patriarch Bodhi be willing to give it up so easily?

But if they don't agree, Sun Wukong will be detained, and the Journey to the West will be put on hold.

He pondered for a moment, then sighed and said, "Very well, I will send a message to Bodhi and have him come to discuss this with the Great Immortal."

Before long, the figure of Patriarch Bodhi appeared outside Wuzhuang Temple.

His face was ashen, clearly indicating his extreme reluctance.

Zhen Yuanzi stood in front of the temple gate, a half-smile on his face: "Bodhi, it's been many years, and your temper has only gotten worse."

"What, have you come today to atone for your disciple's sins?"

Bodhi gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger, and cupped his hands, saying, "Zhen Yuanzi, my disciple is young and ignorant and offended you. I apologize to you on his behalf."

I also deeply regret the matter of the ginseng fruit tree.

"I've brought ten drops of the Three Lights Divine Water. Release him now."

As he spoke, a jade bottle flew out from his sleeve, with golden light flowing within it; it was the Three Lights Divine Water.

Zhen Yuanzi took the jade bottle, examined it, and after confirming that it was correct, nodded: "I have accepted the item and listened to the apology."

However, Bodhi, I never said I forgave you.

Take that monkey with you.

Upon hearing this, Bodhi's expression darkened further, but he ultimately refrained from retaliating. He turned and shouted into the temple, "Wukong, get out here now!"

Sun Wukong was brought out bound hand and foot. Upon seeing Bodhi, he grinned and said, "Master, you've finally arrived!"
"That Zhen Yuanzi is utterly unreasonable! I only ate a few fruits, and he wants to kill me!"

"Shut up!"

Bodhi glared at him, then with a flick of his sleeve, he untied the ropes binding him. "Hurry up and thank the Jade Emperor and the Great Immortal!"

Sun Wukong scratched his head and bowed to the Jade Emperor and Zhen Yuanzi, saying, "Thank you, Jade Emperor, thank you, Great Immortal."

Although his tone was respectful, his eyes held a hint of defiance.

Seeing this, the Jade Emperor smiled and said, "Wukong, since there is nothing else, come back to Heaven with me."

"I hereby appoint you as a celestial official, in charge of the Peach Garden. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, and he immediately patted his chest and said, "Of course, of course!"
"I, Old Sun, will definitely manage that peach orchard perfectly!"

Bodhi snorted coldly, said no more, and vanished in a flash of light.

The Jade Emperor then took Sun Wukong and returned to Heaven.

Meanwhile, on Flower Fruit Mountain, Jiang Wang hid behind a boulder and saw everything clearly.

He stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "Is the monkey going to take charge of the peach orchard?"

Wow, this is a great opportunity.

"System, I'll choose the first task: steal peaches!"

"Ding!

Task selection confirmed: Steal peaches and disrupt the Peach Banquet.

Please proceed to the Heavenly Peach Garden as soon as possible. The mission has a three-day time limit.

The system's voice sounded cold and impersonal.

Jiang Wang grinned, a sly glint in his eyes: "Stealing peaches?"
I, Old Jiang, am best at this!
"Monkey, I'm here to give you a hard time!"

He somersaulted and fled towards the Heavenly Court.

In the Heavenly Court, within the Peach Garden, celestial mist swirls, peach trees stretch as far as the eye can see, each peach a vibrant red, emitting an alluring fragrance.

As soon as Sun Wukong arrived, he was captivated by the sight.

He clapped his hands and chuckled, "Wow, these peaches are much better than those from Flower Fruit Mountain!"

"That old Jade Emperor is quite interesting."

When the fairy maidens guarding the garden saw him arrive, they all bowed and said, "Greetings, Great Sage Equal to Heaven."

Sun Wukong waved his hand and said smugly, "Don't be so polite!"
I, Old Sun, am here to be in charge of things for you!
"I'm in charge of this peach orchard!"

The fairies looked at each other, hesitant to speak.

Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside the garden.

Sun Wukong's ears twitched, and he frowned and shouted, "Who's lurking around there?"
Get out here right now!

Jiang Wang peeked out from behind a peach tree and chuckled, "Brother Monkey, don't get excited. I'm a brother from Flower Fruit Mountain, and I've come especially to support you!"

Upon seeing him, Sun Wukong frowned even more deeply: "Jiang Wang?"
What are you doing in Heaven, you baboon?
"Could it be that you're also eyeing my peaches?"

Jiang Wang quickly waved his hand, feigning innocence: "How could that be!"

I heard you became a high-ranking official, so I came to congratulate you!

By the way... hehe, look at the scenery of this peach orchard.

Sun Wukong looked him over suspiciously for a moment, then snorted, "Don't give me that!"
"Let me tell you, this peach orchard is my territory. Anyone who dares to touch my peaches, I'll beat them to a pulp!"

Jiang Wang nodded repeatedly, replying, "That's right, that's right!"
"The Monkey King is mighty; how dare I be disrespectful!"

He sneered inwardly, "Monkey, you can guard against others, but you can't guard against me, Old Jiang!"

I'm determined to steal these peaches!

As night fell, the Peach Garden was quiet.

Sun Wukong leaned against a peach tree, dozing off.

Taking advantage of the moonlight, Jiang Wang quietly crept up to the largest peach tree.

He looked up and saw a peach the size of a fist hanging on the tree, its golden light shimmering and its fragrance filling the air.

He swallowed hard and whispered, "Good heavens, these peaches are something else!"
"System, what are the benefits of eating this stuff?"

"Ding!

A 9,000-year-old peach has been detected. Eating it can increase one's lifespan by 9,000 years and improve one's cultivation level.

"If the host steals and eats this peach, the mission completion rate will be greatly increased." The system voice sounded.

Jiang Wang's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together: "Nine thousand years of lifespan?"

"Wow, worth it!"

He leaped up to the treetop, and just as his hand touched the peach, he heard an angry shout from behind: "You audacious baboon, how dare you steal my peaches!"

Jiang Wang was startled. He turned around and saw that Sun Wukong had woken up at some point and was staring at him with his fiery eyes, wielding his golden cudgel.

Jiang Wang cursed under his breath, grabbed a peach and stuffed it into his mouth: "Monkey, you're too late!"

"Give me back my peaches!"

Sun Wukong was furious and swung his staff, creating a gust of wind.

Jiang Wang dodged the attack with a quick movement, still chewing on a peach, and mumbled, "Brother Monkey, don't be so stingy!"
It's just a peach.

I'll pick another one for you!

"Take your head off!"

Sun Wukong was furious and yelled, then swung his staff and chased after him.

Chaos erupted in the peach orchard.

Jiang Wang dodged left and right, relying on his agility to dart among the peach trees.

Sun Wukong pursued relentlessly, wielding his golden cudgel with tremendous force, smashing peach tree branches and leaves into a frenzy.

The fairies guarding the garden rushed over upon hearing the commotion, and upon seeing the scene, they were terrified: "Great Sage, stop!"
"If this peach tree is damaged, what will happen to the Peach Banquet?"

Sun Wukong wouldn't listen to a word, gritting his teeth: "It's all the baboon's fault!"

I'm going to beat him to a pulp!

As Jiang Wang ran, he shouted to the fairies, "Don't just stand there, go and call the Jade Emperor!"

I was just joking around with Monkey King!

The fairies looked at each other in bewilderment and had no choice but to hurry off to report.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Jiang Wang sneaked to a peach tree, quickly picked two peaches, and stuffed them into his pocket.

He chuckled and challenged Sun Wukong, "Monkey, let's see if you can catch me first!"

"You baboon, you're driving me crazy!"

Sun Wukong was so angry that he was practically fuming. He somersaulted over to Jiang Wang and brought his golden cudgel down on his head.

Jiang Wang was so frightened that he almost jumped out of his skin. He rolled to the side with all his might and barely managed to avoid it.

He patted his chest, panting, and said, "Brother Monkey, I was wrong!"
I don't want this peach anymore, can you take it back?

"late!"

Sun Wukong sneered and was about to swing his staff again when a majestic voice suddenly came from the horizon: "Stop!"

The Jade Emperor arrived hastily, riding on auspicious clouds and accompanied by a group of celestial officials.

Seeing the Peach Garden in such a mess, his face immediately darkened: "Wukong, Jiang Wang, how dare you!"

This Peach Garden is a sacred place in Heaven; how dare you cause such trouble?

Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel, scratched his head, and said sheepishly, "Jade Emperor, this is not my fault!"

"It was this baboon that stole the peaches, that's why I took action!"

Jiang Wang quickly got up and bowed to the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty, I am a monkey from Flower Fruit Mountain. I admire the scenery of the Peach Garden and couldn't help but take a second look."

Who knew the Great Sage had misunderstood? I'm innocent!

The Jade Emperor snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over the two of them: "Injustice?"
Hmph, I see that neither of you is easy to deal with!

Wukong, since you are in charge of the Peach Garden, you should take good care of the peaches.

"Jiang Wang, since you are a demon monkey from Flower Fruit Mountain, how dare you trespass into the Heavenly Court?"

Jiang Wang rolled his eyes and put on a pitiful look: "Your Majesty, I really didn't steal any peaches!"
"If you don't believe me, search me!"

The Jade Emperor frowned, about to speak, when suddenly the system sounded in Jiang Wang's mind: "Ding!"

Mission accomplished: Steal peaches and disrupt the Peach Banquet.

Reward: A thousand-year increase in cultivation level, and one random divine ability.

Please continue your efforts, host, to postpone the journey to the West.

Jiang Wang was overjoyed inside, but kept a straight face.

Sun Wukong glared at him, wishing he could give him another blow with his staff.

The Jade Emperor pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Enough, let's not pursue this matter for now."

Wukong, you must guard the Peach Garden well. If anything goes wrong again, I will hold you responsible!
"Jiang Wang, you must leave the Heavenly Court immediately and never commit this offense again!"

Jiang Wang nodded quickly: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

I'm leaving right now!

He stuck his tongue out at Sun Wukong, turned around, and somersaulted away, disappearing without a trace.

Sun Wukong stomped his feet in anger: "That baboon, I'll deal with him sooner or later!"

The Jade Emperor sighed and turned to leave.

The Peach Garden has returned to peace, with only fallen peach branches and leaves scattered on the ground, telling the story of the chaos that had just occurred.

Jiang Wang returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, found a big tree, lay down on it, took out two peaches he had hidden in his pocket, and chuckled: "Monkey, I've really made a fortune this time!"
"System, when will the reward be sent out?"

"Ding!

The reward has been issued; please check it.

The system sounds.

Jiang Wang closed his eyes, feeling the increase in his cultivation level, and his grin widened even further: "Journey to the West?"
Take your time, old Jiang isn't done playing yet!

Jiang Wang stood outside the Peach Garden, with a misty, celestial land beneath his feet and the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms filling his nostrils. Yet, the cold, mechanical voice of the system rang in his ears: "Host, mission options have been generated. Please select."

Jiang Wang frowned, his gaze sweeping over the three light screens in the void, which displayed the mission details.

He rubbed his temples and muttered, "This damn system is messing with my mentality again."

On the first screen, Mission One was clearly displayed: Infiltrate the Peach Garden and steal all the nine-thousand-year-old peaches; the reward is a Peach Garden Teleportation Pass.

Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Eat all the peaches that have been around for nine thousand years?"

"Tsk, this job sounds pretty good. It can even improve your cultivation level, and the pass is nice too. I can come and visit this immortal paradise anytime. It's quite a good deal."

His gaze shifted to the second screen, where the second task was to cooperate with the Earth God to stop Sun Wukong from stealing peaches, with the reward being three six-thousand-year-old peaches.

Jiang Wang scoffed: "That old fellow, Tudi?"
Did they expect him to reverse the Jade Emperor's decree?

"Don't be ridiculous. The Jade Emperor letting the monkey into the garden to eat peaches is part of the main plot. How could a mere local deity have that kind of power? Pass!"

Finally, he looked at the third screen, and the content of Mission Three made his eyes light up: turn Sun Wukong into a peach and hide him on a nine-thousand-year-old peach tree. The reward is a nine-thousand-year-old peach tree, plus a mysterious scratch card, and it can also postpone the Journey to the West storyline by a hundred years.

Jiang Wang stroked his chin and clicked his tongue twice: "This reward is really tempting, a nine-thousand-year-old peach tree, a scratch card sounds tempting too, and delaying it by a hundred years will allow me to survive for a few more years... But the risk is too high, isn't it?"

He frowned in thought, the scene of Sun Wukong being rescued by Bodhi Patriarch after turning into a peach flashing through his mind. That old fellow Bodhi was incredibly powerful, and Sun Wukong was the protagonist destined by fate. If he was not careful, the mission would be ruined.

He pursed his lips and shook his head decisively: "No, no, it's too risky. That old monster Bodhi can find the monkey with a snap of his fingers. If the mission fails, I'll have nowhere to cry."

Let's just stick with the first one, it's the safest bet!

Jiang Wang waved his hand and selected Task One. The system voice immediately sounded: "Task confirmed. Please take action as soon as possible and steal the nine-thousand-year-old peach. You have three days."

Jiang Wang grinned, a sly glint in his eyes: "Three days?"
"It's just peaches, I can get you some in a day!"

He looked down at himself, dressed in a blue robe, his aura restrained, looking exactly like a low-key immortal.

He took a deep breath and murmured, "Peach Garden, Sun Wukong, hey, Brother Monkey, we meet again."

...(End of chapter)