Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 63: On Surrendering

After hearing the conversation between Wukong and Tai Bai Jin Xing, Fu Hai Jiao realized, even if he was slow to understand, that Wukong was far more strategic than he could ever be. He then apologized with a smile, saying, “I was just angry at the moment and spoke without thinking. Brother, please forgive me.”
The Bull Demon King said, “At a time when wisdom and courage are on the line, although Flower Fruit Mountain seems to have many soldiers and generals, it pales in comparison to the Heavenly Court. If we anger the Heavenly Court now, Flower Fruit Mountain will be in danger!”
Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng stepped forward to intercede, saying, “Brother Jiao bears a deep grudge, and it’s understandable that he couldn’t hold back. Let’s rule that this won’t happen again.”
Wukong also stepped in to reconcile, saying, “It’s no problem. By using a mix of truth and deception, we can show our sincerity and genuine intention to surrender. Brother Jiao hasn’t done anything wrong; in fact, he’s even done a good deed.”
Hearing Wukong’s praise, though knowing it was just polite words, Fu Hai Jiao felt much better. He smiled and said, “Even if there’s any merit, I dare not accept it. Since things are so unclear, why not kill a few Heavenly generals some other day?”
The Golden Winged Roc said, “Tai Bai Jin Xing is highly skilled. Indeed, the Heavenly Court is full of talented people.”
The Bull Demon King replied, “The Heavenly Court has a profound heritage. What we see is probably just the tip of the iceberg.”
Everyone sighed, feeling that the road ahead was long and full of obstacles.
※　※　※
Those who wish to ascend to heaven enter through the South Heavenly Gate, which is the proper path. Those who haven’t reached the level of immortals will be struck by heavenly thunder and perish.
Those who first enter the realm through the South Heavenly Gate will see countless rays of golden light, swirling red clouds, abundant auspicious energy, and purple mist, which will immediately fill them with fear. This is deliberately arranged by the Heavenly Court to convey its overwhelming power.
The South Heavenly Gate is exquisitely decorated and majestic. Its columns are made of deep-blue colored glaze, forming ninety-nine round jade pillars, symbolizing eternity. The two central pillars are the tallest, with a white jade plaque hanging high above, inscribed with the three gilded characters “South Heavenly Gate.” Next to these two pillars stand dozens of mighty generals, arranged in two rows. Each one is imposing, wearing bright armor, holding flags, and looking fierce.
Below the other pillars stand divine warriors in golden armor, each holding spears, whips, swords, and blades, staring angrily. These are the elite troops of the Heavenly Court, known as the Guardians of the South Heavenly Gate.

Taibai Jinxing, along with the two star deities Wenqu and Wuqu, moved with ease. Upon arriving at the South Heaven Gate, they were greeted with respectful bows. Taibai Jinxing’s expression was gloomy; it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say he gained nothing from his descent to the mortal world. Throughout history, even though the demons in the mortal world might be highly skilled, once they reached the rank of celestial beings, their wisdom still couldn’t compare to that of the heavenly officials. They often sowed discord, tried to win over others, or split factions, thereby neutralizing various threats.

The demons on Flower-Fruit Mountain had not only reached the realm of Taiyi Golden Immortals but also possessed rare intelligence and caution—this was their greatest threat. If not eliminated promptly, they would become a serious problem!

Taibai Jinxing entered the Lingxiao Palace and found it eerily quiet. The morning court session had long ended; a few fairy maidens were tending to the flowers and plants in the palace, while several celestial officials stood silently below. Sitting at the center of the palace was the Supreme Jade Emperor of the Heavens. He sat with closed eyes, seemingly in meditation.

Taibai Jinxing frowned and turned to the two star deities, saying, “Gentlemen, it’s crucial to subdue that demon monkey. It will take another hour before the Jade Emperor begins to handle affairs. One day in heaven equals one year on earth, so in that hour, half a year has passed on earth. Perhaps we should all go separately to gather the various emperors, kings, and celestial officials here in the Lingxiao Palace so we can discuss this together and come up with a plan.”

Thus, the three of them set out immediately, heading to different parts of the heavenly court to find those who had influence and could offer guidance.

Although the heavenly court seemed vast, the three were well-acquainted with the routes. Whenever they encountered heavenly soldiers, they would mobilize them to help search, and soon they had gathered most of the necessary figures.

The Four Great Celestial Masters were Zhang Daoling, Xu Xun, Qiu Hongji, and Ge Hong; the Nine Bright Stars were Ji Du, Luo Hu, Fire Virtue Star, Wood Virtue Star, Tai Yin Star, Earth Virtue Star, Sun Star, Metal Virtue Star, and Water Virtue Star; the Four Great Heavenly Kings were naturally the Eastern King of Holding the Country, the Southern King of Increasing Prosperity, the Western King of Broad Vision, and the Northern King of Great Hearing; the two imperial officials in the Ziwei Palace, the Left Assistant and Right Assistant, the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, Li Tianwang who carried a pagoda, Nezha the Third Prince with the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Listening Ear, along with many other celestial generals and marshals… They all gradually entered the Lingxiao Palace.

When the time came, a gentle chime sounded, and everyone sang in unison, “We humble subjects respectfully petition our Emperor, the Supreme Sovereign of the Heavenly Palace, the Most Exalted Jade Emperor, may he be safe and healthy! Long live our Emperor!”

The Jade Emperor slightly opened his eyes and said, “All officials, rise!”

A celestial official standing nearby stepped forward and declared loudly, “Is there any urgent matter today? Life for all beings is full of hardships; please present your matters promptly!”

Taibai Jinxing had already prepared his words and was about to step forward when suddenly a figure twelve feet tall stepped in front of him. It was none other than Li Jing, the Great Marshal Who Subdues Demons and the Heavenly King Who Wields a Pagoda. Li Jing bowed slightly and said, “Your Majesty, I humbly request three thousand heavenly soldiers to descend to the mortal world to capture this demon!” The Jade Emperor spoke in a calm tone, neither surprised nor pleased, and said lightly, “Where in the mortal world is there a demon now? Which family is this again?” Li Jing replied, “I have already investigated thoroughly. This demon resides on Flower-Fruit Mountain in Eastern Victory Continent. His surname is Sun and his name is Wukong. He has gathered monsters in the mountains and forests, amassing a force of fifty thousand. If he is not subdued soon, he may cause harm in the region. I earnestly request Your Majesty’s approval!” The Jade Emperor asked, “Flower-Fruit Mountain? Isn’t that the place where I ordered your subordinate Jinxing to go and invite surrender just the other day?” Li Jing answered, “Indeed! Inviting surrender the other day was out of Your Majesty’s kindness. But this time, this demon monkey has committed heinous crimes—killing six heavenly generals and hundreds of heavenly soldiers. Today is different from before. In my opinion, unless heavenly authority is shown, they will not repent!” The Jade Emperor was slightly surprised and said, “Minister Li, please tell me how the result of that invitation for surrender was.” Taibai Jinxing’s mind raced. How did Li Jing know about this? He saw that the two imperial lords in the Purple Micro Palace also looked surprised, so it was definitely not them who leaked the news. In that case, the Purple Micro Palace could not escape the crime of hiding information. Taibai Jinxing stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, what I saw and heard during my mission to invite surrender is slightly different from what the Heavenly King said. That Sun Wukong claims to have killed a few people, but he says those people pretended to be heavenly generals and committed evil deeds on earth. He asked me to go to heaven to… ask for rewards on his behalf. If the rewards seem fair, he will agree to surrender.” Li Jing snapped, “Utter nonsense!” The immortals below, unaware of the truth, began to discuss it fervently. The Jade Emperor was also stunned and laughed, saying, “This demon monkey is quite interesting. Whether it’s true or false can be found out with just one question. Heavenly King Li, do you know which heavenly generals that demon monkey killed?” Li Jing replied, “Your Majesty, please forgive me, but this matter should be asked of the two imperial lords in the Purple Micro Palace.” The right auxiliary imperial lord stepped forward and said, “I was just about to report this matter. Over ten days ago, the Purple Micro Palace sent the two stars Bi Yue Wu and Wei Tu Zhi to the mortal world to handle some affairs, but they were blocked by that demon monkey. When we checked in today, Bi Yue Wu, Wei Tu Zhi, and the four eastern stars were all missing. After some investigation, it turned out that those six of them… had died in the mortal world.” He briefly mentioned this, revealing the offense of the four eastern stars going to the mortal world without permission. The left auxiliary imperial lord was instantly shocked. The entire hall was in uproar—six stars had died! Such a major incident had not occurred in the heavenly court in tens of thousands of years.

The Jade Emperor’s expression showed slight displeasure. He had thought they were just a few ordinary heavenly generals, not realizing they were actually members of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. All members of the Twenty-Eight Mansions had already reached the realm of immortals, forming the core of the Heavenly Court’s combat force. Losing six of them was insignificant in terms of combat strength, but it would surely cause panic among the Heavenly Court’s officials.

Then the Right Assistant Emperor spoke up again, “However, we are isolated from news and still do not know who the culprit is. It was only after King Li explained that we learned the evil monkeys from Flower-Fruit Mountain are the main culprits. We earnestly request the Jade Emperor to send heavenly troops to seek justice for the Six Mansions and restore the dignity of our Heavenly Court!”

The Jade Emperor remained silent, gently stroking the black ice jade paperweight on his desk before saying calmly, “Taibai Jinxing, it seems you still have something to say.”

Taibai Jinxing felt a chill in his heart. Most of the time, the Jade Emperor addressed him as “Minister Li,” and occasionally, when angry, as “Li Changgeng.” But when he called him “Taibai Jinxing,” the Jade Emperor seemed to shed all emotions, becoming the supremely calm ruler of heaven and earth.

Whenever major events occurred, it was the Jade Emperor’s habit to stroke the black ice jade paperweight on his desk, as this jade had an excellent effect in sharpening the mind and enhancing alertness.