When Yun Heng said he would come again the next day, the Jade Emperor and Taishang Laojun thought it was just childish whimsy—he had enjoyed himself so much today that he didn’t want to leave, but he might forget all about it by tomorrow.
Little did they know, the little one meant what he said. The next day, he woke up bright and early.
Coincidentally, the Hundred Flower Fairy came to deliver Hundred-Flower Nectar to the Queen Mother, and Yun Heng spotted her at once. The little one stared at her for a moment before running over in a few quick steps: “Hundred Flower Fairy, I want…”
“I know, I know…” The Hundred Flower Fairy smiled with breathtaking beauty, reaching out to tap the tip of his nose. “The Crown Prince has a sweet tooth again.”
She took a porcelain bottle from the flower basket she carried with her: “This is rose dew I distilled early this morning. Try it, Your Highness, and see if you like it.”
As she spoke, the Hundred Flower Fairy uncorked the bottle, and the refreshing fragrance of roses instantly filled the air.
The little one took the porcelain bottle, brought it to his lips, and gulped it down in one go. After finishing, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve: “So sweet! Thank you, Hundred Flower Fairy.”
“Such a good boy!” The Hundred Flower Fairy patted his head again. “Alright, I must go see the Queen Mother now. Play on your own, Your Highness.”
Just as she turned around, the silk shawl draped over her arm was suddenly tugged. Looking back, it was Yun Heng again, the little one looking up at her with a bright, sunny expression.
“Does Your Highness have something else?”
Yun Heng nodded: “Yes, just a little something.”
The Hundred Flower Fairy smiled gently: “What else does Your Highness need? Please tell me.”
Yun Heng smiled sweetly: “Actually, I didn’t want the rose dew. I wanted… I wanted… your basket.”
The Hundred Flower Fairy’s basket was woven from a hundred flowers and was her personal Magical Treasure. The little Crown Prince certainly wasn’t shy, asking for it outright.
“Oh, this…” The Hundred Flower Fairy laughed awkwardly. “What does Your Highness need the flower basket for?”
Yun Heng said: “To carry things.”
“This Flower Basket of All Fragrances cannot be given to you.”
The little one never forced others, simply lowering his head in disappointment: “Alright then, still, thank you, Hundred Flower Fairy.”
How could the Hundred Flower Fairy bear to see him so dejected? “These days are the blooming season for hibiscus flowers. How about I weave one for Your Highness using hibiscus?”
Whether it was hibiscus, roses, or jasmine, Yun Heng wasn’t picky. Clapping his hands, he laughed: “Great, great!”
But the Hundred Flower Fairy said: “However, I have a question. Your Highness must answer me truthfully, and only then will I weave the flower basket for you.”
Yun Heng nodded: “Ask away.”
The Hundred Flower Fairy glanced around and whispered: “Your Highness, who do you think is more beautiful—me or the Goddess of the Moon?”
Yun Heng answered honestly: “Both are beautiful.”
The Hundred Flower Fairy persisted: “I mean, who is more beautiful?”
Yun Heng thought carefully again and asked in return: “If I tell the truth, will you really weave the flower basket for me?”
“Of course!”
“Neither you nor the Goddess of the Moon is as beautiful as the Great Peacock.”
“!!!”
As the dignified Mistress of All Flowers, she couldn’t go back on her word in front of a child. The Hundred Flower Fairy waved her wide sleeve, and a basket woven from hibiscus flowers appeared in her hand: “Take it.”
“Thank you, Hundred Flower Fairy.”
Yun Heng grabbed the basket and ran toward the back of the Jasper Pool. He had asked Cai Ying to make many pastries, all his usual favorites. He also took sugar, glutinous rice, pine nuts, and dried fruits, placing them all into the basket.
Cai Ying was puzzled: “What is Your Highness doing?”
Yun Heng put away his things and dashed out with the basket in hand: "I'm going to do alchemy."
"Alchemy?"
That small figure had already rushed out of the hall: "Yes, alchemy!"
Yun Heng made his way to the Tushita Palace with familiar ease, where two Immortal Children were fanning the Eight Trigrams Furnace with Plantain Fans.
Yun Heng ran over with his basket and greeted them: "Little Gold, Little Silver, I'm here, I'm here!"
The two children turned and saw it was him, their feelings particularly complicated: "Your Highness, you've really come again?"
"Of course!" Yun Heng took it as if they were genuinely looking forward to his arrival. "I said I'd come again today, so I definitely would."
He shook the basket in his hand again: "Look, I even brought you some snacks."
A flicker of delight appeared in the children's eyes: "Snacks?"
"Yes, the snacks I told you about yesterday. There's mung bean cake, lotus puff pastry, and glutinous rice balls."
He brought out the snacks one by one: "Quick, try them."
"This…"
The two children hesitated, so Yun Heng simply grabbed one in each hand and stuffed them into their mouths: "Hurry, they're still warm. They won't taste as good once they cool down."
Torn between Yun Heng's insistence and the temptation of the snacks, yet worried about being punished by Lao Jun, the children reluctantly opened their mouths and ate the treats.
Yun Heng watched them with eager anticipation: "Are they good? Are they good?"
"This mung bean cake is refreshing and pleasant."
"The lotus puff pastry is exquisitely made with a unique flavor."
"And these glutinous rice balls are soft, chewy, and very sweet. Just as Your Highness said, they're the most delicious."
"Only…"
Yun Heng tilted his head: "Only what?"
The children glanced around nervously: "Only we absolutely must not let Lao Jun find out, or we'll be punished."
Yun Heng nodded seriously: "I won't tell, I definitely won't tell."
"Ahem…" Just then, two light coughs suddenly came from the palace entrance. The three turned to see Taishang Laojun standing there.
The two children were so startled their legs went weak, trembling as they knelt on the ground: "Disciples admit our wrongdoing. Please punish us, Lao Jun."
Yun Heng looked at the two children, then suddenly ran up to Taishang Laojun. With his little hands behind his back and an innocent smile on his face, he said: "Yun Heng greets Lao Jun."
Taishang Laojun and the other Immortal Children in the Tushita Palace were all taken aback. Everyone in the Celestial Realm knew that the little prince was mischievous and unruly, never bowing even to the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, let alone other Immortals.
Yet this little fellow actually knew to respect his elders, behaving quite obediently in front of Taishang Laojun.
Yun Heng kept one hand behind his back and waved the other toward Taishang Laojun.
Taishang Laojun looked at him with a chuckle, not understanding his meaning: "What is it, Your Highness?"
Yun Heng gestured for him to bend down, speaking mysteriously: "I have something to tell Lao Jun."
His expression was so pure and adorable that no one could bear to refuse his words.
So Taishang Laojun obligingly bent down, bringing his ear close to the little one: "Please speak, Your Highness."
Suddenly, Yun Heng brought the hand behind his back to Taishang Laojun's mouth, opening his palm to reveal a fragrant piece of cloud slice cake.
The little fellow looked at him with hopeful eyes: "This is fragrant and soft. Sister Cai Ying said it's suitable for older people to eat. I saved it especially for Lao Jun. Please eat it quickly."
"…"
His tone and demeanor were sincere. Taishang Laojun remained still, and so did he. The old and the young stared wide-eyed at each other, while the surrounding apprentices kept their eyes downcast, minding their own business.
The atmosphere grew slightly awkward, but Yun Heng nudged the cloud cake closer to Taishang Laojun’s mouth. “Try it quickly! If you don’t like it, next time I’ll ask Sister Cai Ying to make something else.”
With those words, Taishang Laojun willingly opened his mouth and ate the cloud cake.
Seeing him eat the treat, the little one was overjoyed. “Is it good? Do you want more? Do you like it?”
Taishang Laojun savored it carefully. “This old Daoist prefers lighter flavors. It would be even better with less sugar.”
Yun Heng nodded emphatically. “Alright, I’ll remember that.”
He then showed Taishang Laojun the other items in the basket. “I also brought white sugar, glutinous rice, pine nuts, and dried fruits. If we put these into the furnace, the golden elixir we refine will surely be delicious!”
“…” Taishang Laojun twitched his beard. “That… certainly wouldn’t taste bad.”
Receiving approval, Yun Heng grew even more pleased with himself. “Then I’ll put them in right away.”
“Your Highness, Your Highness…” Taishang Laojun quickly stopped him. “The Eight Trigrams Furnace is currently refining elixirs…”
Yun Heng said, “It’s fine, I’m not afraid of the heat.”
Taishang Laojun had a sudden inspiration and hurriedly asked a Daoist Apprentice to bring over a smaller alchemy furnace. “Your Highness, the Eight Trigrams Furnace is too large and inconvenient. Why not use this smaller one instead?”
Yun Heng looked and saw that the small alchemy furnace was about as tall as him, with openwork carved patterns on its body, making it easy to observe the inside. The furnace door was on the side and could be opened at any time.
The little one was quite satisfied. “Then let’s use this one.”
Since the child wasn’t afraid of fire, it was fine to let him play with a small alchemy furnace—as long as he didn’t cause mischief, anything was acceptable.
Yun Heng began rolling the materials he had brought into pill-sized balls. Taishang Laojun smiled and said, “Your Highness, please carry on. This old Daoist must soon give a lecture on scriptures at the Eight Scenes Hall, so I’ll take my leave.”
“A lecture on scriptures?” Yun Heng looked up curiously. “What’s that?”
“It means explaining Daoist scriptures to disciples, answering their questions, and helping them with their spiritual practice.”
Yun Heng asked, “Can I go listen?”
“Of course you can.”
The little one wanted to join in on any excitement, especially things he had never seen or heard before. “Then I’ll come over after I finish refining the elixir.”
Before long, Taishang Laojun’s disciples began arriving one after another. As they passed by the alchemy room, they saw a small figure sitting in front of the furnace, holding a Plantain Fan and earnestly fanning the alchemy furnace.
Those who knew recognized him as the Jade Emperor’s little prince. Those who didn’t might have thought Taishang Laojun had taken on a new apprentice to tend the furnace—though the child seemed a bit too young for the role.
For the elixirs in the Eight Trigrams Furnace to be fully refined, the longest process took eighty-one days, while the shortest still required forty-nine days.
Yun Heng’s elixir only needed the time it took for one stick of incense to burn. Any longer, and it would burn to a crisp.
But this duration was just right for Yun Heng. Any longer, and the little prince would have lost the patience to wait.
The moment he opened the furnace, the air was indeed filled with a rich, sweet aroma. The two apprentices nearby, having tasted the treats he had given them earlier, found themselves particularly unable to resist this earthly fragrance. While waving their Plantain Fans, they kept glancing in his direction.
Yun Heng gave them a few to taste. Remembering that Taishang Laojun was lecturing on scriptures in the Eight Scenes Hall, he quickly grabbed his basket and headed over.
When the little one arrived at the Eight Scenes Hall, the scripture lecture ceremony had not yet begun. He walked forward with a serious expression, and the gazes of Lao Jun’s disciples followed him all the way.
Taibai Jinxing chuckled, “What’s in the Crown Prince’s basket?”
Yun Heng proudly showed it to him, “It’s the golden elixirs I just refined.”
“Golden elixirs?” Iron-Crutch Li also curiously leaned over, “Is the Crown Prince studying alchemy under Lao Jun?”
At this, all the Immortals gathered around, surrounding the little one in the center. “Alchemy isn’t something just anyone can practice. It requires profound Spiritual Cultivation and spiritual power.”
Surrounded by so many Immortals, Yun Heng showed no sign of nervousness. Instead, he generously distributed the elixirs to them, “Try them, they’re delicious.”
The members of the Immortal Family didn’t stand on ceremony. They first took the elixirs, carefully examining the pills of varying shapes, sizes, and colors, then placed them in their mouths to savor slowly.
They were so sweet they made their throats ache. These were no golden elixirs—they were clearly sugar beans.
But since the little Crown Prince said they were golden elixirs, everyone had to show some respect. At this point, someone asked, “The golden elixirs refined by Lao Jun can greatly enhance an Immortal’s spiritual power, and mortals who take them can ascend to immortality immediately. I wonder, what effects do the Crown Prince’s golden elixirs have?”
Yun Heng hadn’t thought about this question before. Since an Immortal had asked, the little one pondered carefully.
Just then, Taishang Laojun arrived at the Eight Scenes Hall and sat cross-legged behind the foremost desk. The Mysterious Capital Grand Master beside him solemnly and reverently called out, “Silence.”
Immediately, the Immortals who had just been teasing the little Crown Prince fell quiet.
Yun Heng’s eyes lit up as he finally thought of an answer, “Whether Immortal or mortal, anyone who takes my elixir will feel very happy.”