Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled Chapter 479: The Lord of the Earth
More importantly, the Yin-Yang Divine Ape returned with extraordinary skills, his cultivation unmatched in the world. It seemed that as long as they could find Buddha, all matters in this universe would be resolved!
Thinking of this, Wukong wondered if this was truly the end, yet he felt that many things remained unclear.
What did Buddha intend to do by leaving? What lay beyond the heavens to tempt him? What grudges existed between Pangu, the Kunpeng, and Buddha? Was there really anyone out there?
As he pondered, Xuan Nu said, “For now, let’s put this aside. Wukong, come with me to assist Yuan Shi in refining the Creation Furnace. The sooner it succeeds, the sooner we can destroy the Heavenly Court!”
“Really destroy it!” Qilin, Zhenwu, and Zhurong exclaimed together.
The Great Peng also shouted, “If the Jade Emperor and Empress can sit there, why can’t we?”
Xuan Nu glanced at everyone, then at Zi Wei and the Holy Mother of Lishan. All of them looked puzzled. Only Laojun and Lingbao shook their heads with bitter smiles. As elders of Taoism, they knew the origins of the Heavenly Court and understood that its existence harmed the creations of mortals. But with Wukong here, it was not their turn to explain. Another factor was that the Three Pure Ones ruled over three of the thirty-six heavens and had long benefited from the creations of mortals. Destroying the Heavenly Court would be unfamiliar to them, and they felt a sense of guilt.
At first, this feeling was mild, but as they interacted with the forces of creation, it grew stronger. Logically, the Three Pure Ones, as founders of Taoism, shouldn’t be easily changed by others. Yet in this universe, creation held supreme power—undoubtedly so.
Hearing the Great Peng speak of destroying the Heavenly Court, Wukong asked, “Why? Shouldn’t it be destroyed?”
Dayu stepped forward and said, “It must be destroyed!”
Wukong was surprised and asked Dayu with a smile, “Elder Dayu, why do you say so?”
Dayu replied, “I don’t know exactly why, but I simply feel that such a domineering entity shouldn’t exist in the world.”
Wukong silently praised him. Though Dayu didn’t understand creation, his compassion for all living beings and his ability to speak such words showed great virtue and wisdom.
Wukong then said, “Exactly! The Heavenly Court has always been oppressive, harming demons and trampling on the people. Just for that reason, it must be destroyed.”
With Laojun present, the Bull Demon King dared not say much. He secretly nudged the Great Peng, who understood and said, “The Heavenly Court is heartless. But now that the Jade Emperor and Empress no longer exist, if we take over, we will surely consider the common people. Wouldn’t it be a shame to destroy such a good place for cultivation?”
Wukong said, “All in all, you still crave the treasures of the Heavenly Court, don’t you? That’s not a problem. You all go back to Qitianling and bring all those with decent cultivation skills to the Heavenly Court. Take everything that can be moved—leave nothing behind, how about that?”
The Great Peng still didn’t understand and muttered, “Why go to the trouble of moving them? Just take them directly—then everything will be fine!”
Explaining matters related to the Heavenly Court’s demand for primordial energy, including the secrets of the Primordial Furnace and the mysteries of the netherworld, would take far too much time. As Wukong was thinking of an excuse, the Yin-Yang Divine Ape said coldly, “If Wukong says to tear it down, then tear it down!”
At those words, all noise ceased.
Everyone was stunned by the Yin-Yang Divine Ape. Just considering the incident at Zengcheng, not even the Qilin, Guanyin, Hou Yi, or even the Bodhisattva of Mud Plow returned empty-handed. Yet the Yin-Yang Divine Ape, as if strolling leisurely, silently brought out all thirty-six thousand-zhang jade pillars without leaving a single one behind. Such prowess was enough to intimidate the whole world. Even the unruly Great Peng fell silent at this point.
Wukong smiled at the Yin-Yang Divine Ape and then said to the Great Peng, “Third brother, there are many important tasks to handle now. Go back to Qitianling and gather our troops. I’ll explain the details later.”
The Qilin said, “I’m leaving. I’ll go with you!”
The Qilin, along with Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng, Fu Hai Jiao, and others, turned to leave when Ling Bao suddenly said, “Wait!”
The Qilin asked, “What’s the matter? Can’t we leave now?”
Ling Bao apologized with a smile, “Not at all. The Qilin is joking. I actually have a request.”
“Oh, go ahead and speak.”
Ling Bao said, “The Heavenly Court isn’t just made up of thirty-six heavens. Below the thirty-three heavens, each layer has many heavenly soldiers and demon tribes. I earnestly ask those at Qitianling to show mercy and not kill too many!”
Wukong added, “What Ling Bao Daozun says is absolutely true. The Heavenly Court can never rise again. Those heavenly soldiers and demon generals always act under orders and aren’t really at fault. It’s better to let them go.”
The Qilin said, “Alright. If they don’t attack, I certainly won’t cause trouble for them.”
Wukong smiled secretly, thinking that with all these people coming in such a fierce manner, anyone who was foolish enough to attack would truly be overconfident.
When Laojun saw the Qilin and others walking away, he suddenly said, “I just remembered something. The peaches in the Peach Garden can’t be touched casually. I’d better go and collect them first.”
Wukong asked, “Why can’t they be touched casually?”
Laojun replied, “If those peaches aren’t eaten within a day after being picked, they lose their color and fragrance, and much of their primordial energy is lost. They must be preserved using secret methods.”
Wukong said, “Alright, then I’ll leave it to you, Laojun.”
Xuan Nu sneered and said, “I’ll go with you and help keep track.”
Laojun was taken aback and said with a pained expression, “Okay, thank you, senior sister.”
Wukong couldn’t help but laugh. How could he not understand Laojun’s intentions? The peaches contained great magical power and were extremely useful for Laojun’s alchemy. It would be strange if Laojun hadn’t volunteered to pick them without any ulterior motives. But Laojun had put forward such a grand excuse—how could he refuse? Yet Wukong also knew the peaches were valuable. Even if Xuan Nu hadn’t mentioned it, he would have found a way to deal with Laojun. Now that Xuan Nu had spoken, it was even better.
Xuan Nu pulled Laojun along and said, “There are at least tens of thousands of peaches in the Peach Garden. How long will it take you to count them all by yourself? I also have a way to store peaches. Let’s see who can pick them faster.”
With a pained expression, Laojun was dragged up to heaven by Xuan Nu. He turned to Lingbao for help, but Lingbao pretended not to see him and returned alone to the Thirty-Four Heavens’ Mirogong.
Dayu said, “Wukong, the absence of the Heavenly Court today has a profound impact on the common people on earth. The Heavenly Court has ruled the four great continents for tens of thousands of years, and its authority cannot be erased in such a short time. The ordinary people on earth still don’t realize that those clay and wood idols they worship as gods have now become nothing but illusions.”
Hearing this, Wukong seemed half-understanding and asked, “What does Senior Dayu want to say?”
Dayu replied, “Since the formation of the Qi Tian Ling forces, the Heavenly Court has gradually stopped interfering in worldly affairs. Figures like the Wind God and Thunder Goddess, as well as the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, are now nothing but mere decorations. Matters related to weather across the world are mostly handled by Chi Songzi.”
Wukong nodded and said, “Senior Chi Songzi is indeed the busiest person in Qi Tian Ling. He’s been working hard these years.”
Dayu said, “Hard work isn’t a problem, but what was done before lacked organization. Coupled with a shortage of manpower and poor communication, even if Chi Songzi worked day and night, he couldn’t manage the four great continents.”
Wukong inwardly muttered, “Shameful.” Although he cared about all living beings, he always put his own goals first in everything he did. As for his actions related to Buddhism and hell, they were merely to uncover the secrets of the Buddha; everything else was just incidental. In other words, Wukong hadn’t really done anything intentional.
Hearing Dayu’s words, Wukong suddenly woke up. But seeing Dayu’s confident expression, he knew Dayu had thought it through carefully. So he asked, “What does Senior Dayu plan to do?”
Before Dayu could speak, Zhenwu stepped forward and said, “Everything within the four seas is at your disposal.”
Dayu showed surprise and delight. It seemed Zhenwu had already understood his intentions. After all, controlling weather across the world was originally the responsibility of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas. But in recent centuries, as the Jade Emperor neglected governance, the Dragon Kings had become idle.
There were countless dragons in the four seas, and they were extremely familiar with the four great continents. If the Dragon Kings could help Chi Songzi control the weather, this huge problem would be solved immediately.
Dayu bowed deeply to Zhenwu and said, “Thank you, Great Emperor Zhenwu, for your help!”
Zhenwu hurriedly helped her up, saying, “It’s a trivial matter—no need to worry about it!”
Wukong said, “I have an idea.”
Everyone turned their attention to Wukong. He continued, “The Heavenly Court has always revered the Six Imperial Ministers. Now, among them, only Sister Houtu and that old man from the South Pole remain, and the latter is certainly not a threat. Since the Heavenly Court is gone, how about I recommend Houtu as the ruler of the mortal world?”
Wukong’s idea was spontaneous, but he had few concerns. Dayu and Houtu were well-known for their integrity and high prestige, so this plan wasn’t entirely unfounded. There was also a deeper reason: the Heavenly Court had just been destroyed, and it would be difficult for the people to change their traditional beliefs over thousands of years. If Qitianling took over, it would be too sudden, and likely only the demons would accept it.
Houtu was originally one of the Six Imperial Ministers, second only to the Jade Emperor in status. It made sense for her to take charge, as no one would object.
As for faith, it couldn’t be forced—it had to be gradually instilled over time. With the passage of years, the statues of the Jade Emperor and other deities worshipped by the people might be replaced by those of Houtu and Chisongzi in just a few hundred years.
Houtu blushed and said, “Wukong, what are you talking about? How could I have such ability?”
Zhurong smiled and pushed Houtu forward, saying, “Sister, if you lack the ability, then who else is qualified?”
Wukong said, “Sister Houtu, now is not the time to underestimate yourself. You are one of the Six Imperial Ministers, kind-hearted, and compassionate toward all beings. If you take on this role, no one in the world will object. But if it’s someone else, it simply won’t work.”
Dayu also said, “Exactly. As the saying goes, appoint the worthy regardless of kinship. Houtu holds a high status in Taoism, second only to the Three Pure Ones. She also has a good relationship with Ksitigarbha in Buddhism, and she is the teacher of the Armored Ape. Needless to say, Qitianling has even less of a chance. Most importantly, you already hold a place in the hearts of ordinary people. That’s why you are the perfect ruler of the mortal world!”
Zhenwu nodded with a smile and said, “Lady Houtu, are you worried about the complexity of the tasks? There’s no need to worry. I’ve thought it through too. Although the Heavenly Court is gone, there are still many celestial officials. Besides, with my vast domains, can’t I find someone who knows how to write and calculate?”
Wukong added, “Indeed. To be honest, most of the time, we just use Houtu’s unique status to get her to step forward, so she doesn’t actually have to do anything.”
Houtu pretended to be angry and said, “What nonsense! I’m not afraid of these things. It’s just that I don’t really like the title of ruler of the mortal world. Who can I really rule?”