Journey to the West (Black Myth)

When The Jade Emperor issued his golden decree, the South Sea Guanyin felt it and slightly shook her head. Buddha Tathagata in the Grand Hall of Mahavira at Vulture Peak also opened his eyes again, a slight smile on his solemn face. This time, Great Peacock Wisdom King Bodhisattva remained motionless, and among the Buddhas and Arhats in the Great Hall, only the Golden Cicada remained undisturbed. In Hell's Netherworld Blood Sea, manic laughter echoed once more, and Zhenyuan Daxian of Wuzhuang Temple briefly opened his eyes without speaking.

As the supreme ruler of the heavens, when The Jade Emperor utters his golden words, the world naturally reacts. It's akin to shooting oneself in the foot, and those with great powers or keen perception recognize that a great calamity is impending. They all start restraining their factions, keeping their doors shut to avoid misfortune.

After issuing his decree, Venus Tai Bai refrained from further speech, stepping back into the ranks, though he clearly felt The Jade Emperor’s gaze upon him, prompting a sigh. Yet, the emperor wasn’t through with him.

The Jade Emperor’s calm voice resonated, “Then let Venus Tai Bai proceed to summon Bimawen to court.”

Venus Tai Bai sighed internally once more and complied with the order, but without any fear this time.

Reaching the skies above Flower Fruit Mountain, he called out loud, “Great King Sun Wukong, Venus Tai Bai is here.”

Venus Tai Bai dared not enter Flower Fruit Mountain unannounced, so he identified himself from above. As soon as his voice fell, two figures shot up through the clouds: one was Sun Wukong, the other was another Great King of Flower Fruit Mountain, Six Paths.

Upon recognizing the Great King Six Paths, Venus Tai Bai was startled to see an unsettling third eye on his forehead, closed yet still making Venus Tai Bai’s heart race due to its ominous presence. Moreover, Six Paths exuded a more powerful and mysterious aura.

What surprised Venus Tai Bai even more was that Great King Shi Yue had not deigned to greet him in the sky, as though Shi Yue were the true leader of Flower Fruit Mountain. This perception baffled him; why was The Jade Emperor's focus on Sun Wukong when Shi Yue seemed more significant? Despite rumors that both were stoneborn spiritual monkeys, one was a Body of Pure Yang, and the other's nature remained unclear.

While Venus Tai Bai was deep in thought, Sun Wukong ascended and laughed heartily.

“Old Star, you actually came! Just as my brother Shi Yue predicted! Haha, are you really here to promote me?”

Hearing this, Venus Tai Bai was further astonished. How did Great King Shi Yue know? His shock was beyond words. Sun Wukong’s accurate foresight of the Bimawen announcement had already astounded him, involving none other than the supreme Jade Emperor. For Shi Yue to possess similar foresight was even more astonishing.

Great King Six Paths also smiled warmly and said, “Immortal Elder, welcome to Flower Fruit Mountain. We apologize for not greeting you sooner. Please come and join us at Flower Fruit Mountain, my brother Shi Yue is awaiting you in Water Curtain Cave.”

Their courtesy was overwhelming! Their warmth was striking! How could two Great Kings greeting him not be enough? Venus Tai Bai thought, surely Great King Shi Yue is the true pillar of Flower Fruit Mountain, suddenly feeling like he had entered a lion’s den. Out of place, he was left with no choice but to be escorted to Water Curtain Cave by the two, which only added to his discomfort.

Upon entering Water Curtain Cave, the imposing Great King Shi Yue rose with great enthusiasm, laughing and saying, “Immortal Elder, you must have brought good news. Previously, I was remiss in my hospitality. From here on, consider us family. Please, take a seat.”

Venus Tai Bai hurriedly replied, “Not at all, not at all. Previously, it was Tai Bai who intruded upon Flower Fruit Mountain’s domain. It is gracious of Great King Shi Yue not to hold it against me, and Tai Bai is deeply grateful.”

Venus Tai Bai didn’t deny Shi Yue's suggestion that they were like family, which made all three share a glance of mutual understanding and joy.

Sun Wukong waved a hand jovially, "Why so polite, Old Star? Are you telling me you've already resigned from that Jade Emperor’s service and plan to stay here at Flower Fruit Mountain? Or perhaps, as my brother suggested, you really bring us some good news?"

Venus Tai Bai felt slightly embarrassed. It seemed everything was within the grasp of the three Great Kings of Flower Fruit Mountain, and not even the supreme Jade Emperor nor he could escape their knowledge. They knew beforehand that he would be the one to come. Hearing that it was Shi Yue who foresaw all this increased his astonishment, prompting him to wonder, "How does Great King Shi Yue know the movements of The Heavenly Court so well? He entered the Hall of Miraculous Mist, now he seems aware of every move The Heavenly Court makes. Could the great tribulation truly be imminent?"

At the thought of a great tribulation that could even shift celestial positions, Venus Tai Bai felt a shiver of fear. In such a calamity, no one could be assured of survival. How would he safeguard his own life?

In a daze, Venus Tai Bai explained that The Jade Emperor had agreed to appoint Sun Wukong as The Great Sage Equal to Heaven based on his suggestion.

Sun Wukong curiously jumped up and asked, "Is there really a position called 'The Great Sage Equal to Heaven' in the heavens?"

Shi Yue chimed in with a laugh, "If you are to become The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, then even if that position doesn’t exist in heaven, they'll have to create it for you."

Sun Wukong scratched his head sheepishly, "And what if I want to be The Jade Emperor?"

Six Paths added with a laugh, "Then we brothers will storm the Hall of Miraculous Mist."

Shi Yue internally sweated a little, thinking that the position of The Great Sage Equal to Heaven was indeed created for Sun Wukong. As for overthrowing The Jade Emperor, they were ambitious! Even though Shi Yue had extensive knowledge of this era, he couldn’t be sure what the future held, unlike possibly Six Paths, who might see further than him due to his unique nature.

Venus Tai Bai listened, drenched in sweat, astonished by these three unruly brothers. However, knowing everything unfolds according to fate, he remained silent, waiting to see what they planned. The three seemed unconcerned with his presence, which made him feel touched by their trust.

Great King Shi Yue smiled mysteriously, "I bet The Jade Emperor hasn’t entirely good intentions with this proposal; this could well be a pitfall for us. But we’ll jump in, turning passivity into activity."

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, "How do you turn passivity to activity? Tell me, brother, what’s the plan?"

Shi Yue grinned mysteriously, glanced at the three, and then slowly uttered, "It’s the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Banquet!"

Venus Tai Bai trembled violently, nearly collapsing from shock. Six Paths' eyes sparkled with excitement, and Sun Wukong began scratching his head with enthusiasm as if the peaches were a monkey’s natural delight, feeling instinctively that they must be something extraordinary.

Shi Yue chuckled and looked at Sun Wukong, saying, "I bet that old Jade Emperor will assign you to the task of watching over the Peach Garden!"

"Oh?"

Sun Wukong's eyes started darting around with intrigue.

Shi Yue suddenly turned to Venus Tai Bai and asked, "Immortal Elder Tai Bai, do you dare to make a wager with me again?"

Venus Tai Bai, sweating profusely, quickly waved his hands, "I dare not, I dare not, little immortal would scarcely dare! I imagine Great King Shi Yue is unparalleled in strategy."

At this moment, Venus Tai Bai's astonishment was like a stormy sea. He knew well that the abode of The Great Sage Equal to Heaven was situated right next to the Peach Garden! With Shi Yue’s comment, everything became clear to him. It was to be the Peach Banquet; he hadn’t realized how deep The Jade Emperor’s scheming truly was. But what shocked him even more was the enigmatic Great King Shi Yue, whose intentions seemed unfathomable. Cautious of speaking further, he contemplated a swift return to The Heavenly Court but was curious to hear more of Shi Yue's insights.

Shi Yue, unconcerned if he listened in, continued with a slight smile, “It seems The Jade Emperor is targeting you specifically, Sun Wukong, with me only getting caught up in the action, and Six Paths not even in his sights. I believe his aim is to have you disrupt the Peach Banquet, providing an excuse to unleash heavenly wrath on Flower Fruit Mountain in earnest. Next time, it won’t be just a few minor skirmishes; it will be a real battle against the heavens.”

“Since there's no avoiding it, avoiding it this time means The Jade Emperor will come up with more devious plans later. We might as well take advantage of this. Since he offers the peaches, us brothers won’t let them go to waste, but take a solid bite out of his schemes. Only the Queen Mother…”

Before Shi Yue could finish, Venus Tai Bai couldn’t help but cough sharply, thinking to himself that calling the Queen Mother such a name, only Shi Yue would dare within the three realms.

The three brothers glanced at him, expecting him to speak, but Venus Tai Bai simply waved his hand, "Please continue, Great King Shi Yue."

Sun Wukong, with playful suspicion in his eyes, asked, "Old Star, you won’t report my brother’s words back to that Jade Emperor, will you?"

Venus Tai Bai shook his head with a sigh, "These are different times. I, Tai Bai, am already a disliked figure in His Majesty’s eyes, especially after advocating for your position as The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, which has made me a target of his resentment. I don’t know if I can preserve my life in the future, so how could I worry about anything else? Oh, I have no idea where I should go now."

The Six-Eared Macaque, Six Paths, warmly said, "No matter when, you are welcome at Flower Fruit Mountain, where my brother and I will ensure your safety."

Venus Tai Bai shook his head silently, while Shi Yue thought inwardly that coming here now might be his only chance at survival.

Shi Yue didn't elaborate further, advising Sun Wukong with just one line—follow your heart! He assured him that he and Six Paths would support him, urging him to proceed.

Since The Heavenly Court sought an excuse to attack Flower Fruit Mountain, he would provide them one.

Venus Tai Bai stood by, his heart racing at the implication that the three brothers might jointly ascend to heaven. Imagining the chaos they could cause at the Peach Banquet, he couldn't help but shiver.

Sun Wukong was indeed summoned to the heavens and temporarily given the title of The Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Meanwhile, news of the hundred thousand celestial soldiers descending with thunderous force, only to retreat back to The Heavenly Court and be compelled to bestow the title upon Sun Wukong, spread like wildfire across the three realms, becoming known by all.

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