This made Yun Heng overjoyed. He never expected that the stone he had carefully selected and meticulously nurtured would actually hatch a monkey. It was worth finding this sunny spot and watering it daily with the Sacred Water from the Jasper Pool.
He held onto Sun Wukong, refusing to let go. "Sister Cai Ying was right after all—if you plant a seed in the soil, it grows into a radish!"
Sun Wukong was even more confused. "A radish?"
Yun Heng shook his head vigorously. "Not a radish, a monkey! It grows a monkey, like you!"
"Ahahahaha—hiss!" Sun Wukong laughed, then bared his teeth at him. "Old Sun is not a monkey you planted."
Yun Heng grabbed him tightly, as if afraid he might run away. Slowly and hesitantly, he said, "How can you not be?"
The little one pouted. "I picked the stone by the Jasper Pool. The spot next to the rainbow has the best sunlight, and I buried you here."
Hearing the words "I buried you here," Sun Wukong shook his head irritably. But Yun Heng didn't give him a chance to speak.
The little one continued, "Every day, I carried Sacred Water from the Jasper Pool all the way here and poured it over your head. You are the little monkey I planted!"
It was quite an effort for him to say so much in one breath. Though his words were a bit unclear, he remembered the sequence perfectly and spoke with absolute confidence, his tone utterly certain: the monkey before him was the fruit of his labor!
Yun Heng grabbed his arm, trying to climb onto him with both hands and feet. "My little monkey must listen to me obediently."
Sun Wukong asked him, "How should I listen to you?"
Yun Heng was too short, and the monkey was too thin. After climbing for a while, he only managed to swing from Sun Wukong's arm like a pendulum. By accident, he even pulled out a tuft of monkey hair.
Sun Wukong winced in pain, his arm trembling as he gathered his strength to shake him off.
But when he looked down, Yun Heng's little face was full of concern, his brows furrowed and his cheeks puffed out, looking both distressed and careful as he blew gently on his arm. "Oh no, oh no, I didn't mean to. Does it hurt? Let me blow on it. Blowing will make it better."
Sun Wukong: "…"
Though he had countless monkey offspring across the mountains and sworn brothers too many to count on both hands, no one had ever been so familiar with him.
Sun Wukong withdrew the strength he had gathered, picked up the little boy, and placed him on the ground. "Let me tell you…"
He had barely started when the little boy lunged at him again. "Little monkey, little monkey, can you run fast? Can you travel a thousand li in a day?"
"A thousand li?" The Monkey King felt deeply insulted. "Old Sun's Somersault Cloud covers one hundred and eight thousand li in a single somersault."
"Wow!" Yun Heng widened his eyes in admiration, putting on an exaggerated expression of amazement. "How far is one hundred and eight thousand li?"
"Um…" The little one hung from his arm, his legs kicking as he wrapped them around Sun Wukong's waist. Then, letting go of his arm, he climbed onto his shoulders, struggling to go higher.
Sun Wukong grabbed him by the back of his collar and set him down again. This time, before Yun Heng could lunge at him, he leaped onto a large rock nearby.
"Little boy, Old Sun is not a monkey you planted, and I certainly won't be your so-called mount."
Yun Heng could only look up at him: "If you weren't grown by me, then tell me, where did you come from?"
"Old Sun is the Handsome Monkey King of the Water Curtain Cave on Huaguo Mountain, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong…"
"Ah!" Yun Heng stared at him in a daze, "You… you… you're actually Sun… Wukong!"
"Oh!" Sun Wukong squatted on the rock, eyeing him with great interest, "You've heard of Old Sun's name?"
Yun Heng nodded: "I've heard of it."
Sun Wukong couldn't help but feel smug. He never expected that his renowned title as the Handsome Monkey King of the Water Curtain Cave on Huaguo Mountain would be known even to such a little milk-drinking child in the Heavenly Court. No wonder that old Jade Emperor specially sent someone to invite him to the Heavenly Court and gave him an official post.
Then he heard the little child say: "Huaguo Mountain, Water Curtain Cave, the demon monkey Sun Wukong!"
"Go away~" Sun Wukong closed his eyes fiercely, "What demon monkey? I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
Yun Heng clapped his hands and shouted loudly: "You're a little monkey!"
"I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
Yun Heng put his hands on his hips: "Little monkey!"
"Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
"Little monkey!"
"Great Sage…" Sun Wukong casually broke off a branch from the nearby Immortal Tree, "You're quite an interesting little milk-drinker. Whose child are you?"
"My name is Yun Heng."
Sun Wukong put the branch in his mouth and hopped over to Yun Heng's side, "Little milk-drinker, let me ask you, how do I get to the Imperial Stables?"
Yun Heng pointed casually: "It's right over there. I'll take you."
"Let's go!"
The monkey leaped forward, bounding far ahead. After walking a distance, shaking his head and swaying, he turned back and realized the little child hadn't followed at all.
"Come on!"
Yun Heng shook his head, looking at him thoughtfully.
Sun Wukong had no choice but to turn back: "What's the matter with you, little milk-drinker?"
Yun Heng sat down on the ground: "I can't walk anymore."
Sun Wukong looked at him incredulously: "Can't walk anymore?"
Yun Heng held up three fingers: "I'm only three years old. Sister Ziyuan said little babies shouldn't walk too much."
Sun Wukong suddenly felt uneasy but still squatted beside him and asked: "Then what should we do?"
Yun Heng suddenly pounced, wrapping his arms around Sun Wukong's neck: "You can be my mount for a while. Let me ride on your shoulders, and I'll take you there."
"Before Old Sun came to Heaven, I was the king of Huaguo Mountain, with seventy-one cave demon kings and forty-seven thousand monkeys under my command. How could I be a mount for a little milk-drinker like you? Absolutely not!"
Yun Heng picked up his little flower basket: "Then I'm going home."
"…"
Sun Wukong looked around. Besides this little child, there were no other Immortals in sight.
After all, it was just a little milk-drinking child, and the place was so remote that no one would see. Gritting his teeth, he stomped his foot, picked up the little one, and placed him on his shoulder.
Yun Heng rode on his neck, holding his head, and pointed excitedly in one direction: "Go, that way!"
Sun Wukong carried him, leaping and bounding all the way. One moment they were on the ground, the next they were on a treetop.
This delighted Yun Heng immensely. Amidst the misty clouds, his giggles echoed. He even casually plucked a begonia flower and tucked it behind Sun Wukong's ear: "Little monkey is so pretty!"
"I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
"Little monkey!"
"…"
Soon, the boy and the monkey arrived at the Imperial Stables. Yun Heng climbed down from Sun Wukong's shoulder, still not quite satisfied: "It's getting dark. I have to go back."
Sun Wukong exclaimed in surprise, "You can walk again now?"
"Mm!" Yun Heng nodded. "I can walk after I rest a bit."
Sun Wukong took a deep breath and waved him off. "Go on, go on…"
Yun Heng said, "I'll come play with you again tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow, Old Sun won't be your mount anymore."
"See you tomorrow, Little Monkey!"
The little one hopped away cheerfully. Sun Wukong went to assume his post at the Imperial Stables, where officials like the Stable Supervisor, Deputy Supervisor, Registrar, and strongmen had already been waiting for some time. After changing into his official robes, he had barely settled into his chair when the Stable Supervisor placed a ledger before him, asking him to familiarize himself with the stable's affairs.
Yun Heng skipped back to the Jasper Pool. The Fairy Maidens passing by could tell the Crown Prince was in high spirits. They greeted him while asking, "Where did Your Highness go to play today?"
"The Imperial Stables."
"What's fun about the Imperial Stables?"
"There's a little monkey there."
The Fairy Maidens covered their mouths and giggled. "Your Highness is talking nonsense again. We've only heard of fine steeds at the Imperial Stables. Where would a monkey come from?"
Yun Heng didn't argue with them. "I say there is, and I'll go again tomorrow."
The next day, he indeed woke up early. As Ziyuan was tying his hair and dressing him, hanging sachets and jade pendants on him, the little one even urged impatiently, "Hurry, hurry, Sister Ziyuan, be quicker!"
Ziyuan shot him a reproachful glance. "What's the rush? Naturally, I must dress you properly."
Yun Heng said, "I'm going to the Imperial Stables to play today."
The Imperial Stables wasn't a place they often mentioned. Ziyuan even had to think deliberately to remember where it was.
"What are you going to the Imperial Stables for?"
Yun Heng said, "To play!"
After accompanying the Jade Emperor on a Tour of the Three Realms, the little Crown Prince had developed a keen interest in two things: first, pastries—all kinds of mortal pastries; and second, mounts—he dreamed of having a mount of his own.
The key was that his standards were high. He looked down on ordinary ones and didn't care for Magical Treasure-type mounts, preferring animals instead.
The Imperial Stables had thousands of fine horses—swift as the wind, galloping like lightning. Perhaps the little Crown Prince had taken a liking to one of those fine steeds at the stables and planned to take a look.
Ziyuan didn't forget to remind him, "Those Heavenly Horses can be quite spirited. Your Highness must be careful."
Yun Heng said, "I'm not riding a horse."
"Not riding a horse?" Ziyuan was puzzled. "Then what are you riding?"
"A monkey."
"…"
Though Yun Heng was preoccupied with the little monkey, he hadn't forgotten his pastries. Today, Cai Ying had made him some milk cakes—soft, springy, and milky-sweet. The little one couldn't have been happier.
He ate three pieces in one go, but when he reached for a fourth, he pulled his hand back.
The Queen Mother was nearby, flipping through memorials sent by the Lunar Star Official. Seeing him clearly wanting to eat but hesitating, she found it quite amusing. "Full?"
Yun Heng shook his head.
The Queen Mother asked again, "Tired of it?"
Yun Heng shook his head once more.
"Then why aren't you eating?"
Yun Heng carefully packed the remaining pastries into a basket. "These are really delicious. I want to take them for the little monkey to try."
"Little monkey?" The Queen Mother set down the memorial. "Where did a little monkey come from?"
Yun Heng grinned at her. "I grew it."
"How did you grow it?"
Yun Heng said, "Just like growing a radish."
"Oh?" The Queen Mother exchanged a glance with Ziyuan beside her. "That's certainly new. I've never heard of a monkey growing from the earth. Tell us more, let's hear about it."
Yun Heng gestured with his hands. "I was watering the stone, and the monkey just popped out right next to me. He was about this tall, this big, and covered in fluffy fur."
He imitated Sun Wukong by scratching his ear. "Then he hopped right onto the stone."
The Queen Mother understood—the monkey had indeed emerged from a stone, but it certainly wasn't her son who had "grown" it. It was clearly the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, whom the Jade Emperor had recruited.
"Oh dear!" Yun Heng picked up his basket and started heading out. "Mother, I can't stay and talk. I have to go find Little Monkey."
Earlier, when the Jade Emperor had mentioned this matter to the Queen Mother at the Jasper Pool, Ziyuan had been attending them and naturally heard about this figure who had stirred up trouble at the Dragon Palace, taken the Ruyi Jingu Bang, wreaked havoc in the underworld, and forcibly erased his name from the registers. He certainly didn't sound like someone easy to deal with.
The Immortals in the Heavenly Court were all gentle and harmonious. Even though Yun Heng ran around playing every day, the Immortals treated him with a mix of reverence and affection.
But this monkey from the mortal realm was different. He sounded fierce and unreasonable. What if he harmed the Crown Prince?
Ziyuan quickly stepped forward to stop him. "Your Highness, perhaps we shouldn't go out today. Let's just play here at the Jasper Pool. It's been a long time since you rode the immortal cranes—they all miss you."
Yun Heng shook his head. "I don't want to ride the immortal cranes. I want to ride Little Monkey."
Ziyuan held his shoulders, refusing to let him run off. "I heard that monkey is quite fierce. He didn't even kneel before His Majesty in front of the Hall of Heaven. Your Highness, let's not go."
Yun Heng blinked. "Little Monkey isn't fierce at all. He's not fierce in the slightest—he's very cute. Yesterday, I rode on his shoulders."
Unable to stop him, Ziyuan turned back and looked to the Queen Mother for help with her eyes. "Your Majesty…"
The Queen Mother merely smiled noncommittally and pushed a plate of immortal fruit on the table toward him. "I think monkeys would prefer immortal fruit. Take these with you as well."
Hearing that Little Monkey would like them, Yun Heng quickly climbed onto the stool and packed all the fruit from the glazed plate into his crabapple flower basket.
As soon as Yun Heng stepped into the Imperial Stables with his basket, he immediately drew everyone's attention.
In the humble Imperial Stables, even receiving a divine general coming to select a horse required utmost respect. And now, it was the Crown Prince himself.
These minor Immortals, the lowest in the Heavenly Court, rarely had the chance to see the Crown Prince. Who would have thought the little Crown Prince would personally visit today?
The stable supervisor, deputy supervisor, registrar, strongmen… over a dozen minor Immortal Officials swarmed around him. "Your humble servant greets the Crown Prince. Your humble servant pays respects to the Crown Prince. Your Highness…"
Yun Heng was startled by their enthusiasm and slowly raised his hand to wave. "Hello, everyone. I'm here to find Little Monkey."
"Monkey?" One of the stable supervisors finally understood. "You mean our head steward?"
Yun Heng nodded. "Yes, him."
Hearing the commotion, Sun Wukong emerged from the side hall and saw the little one surrounded by a crowd of fawning minor Immortals, looking utterly bewildered.
The Great Sage snorted inwardly. "When Old Sun arrived yesterday, they weren't this enthusiastic. Why are they so eager to please a mere toddler? Could it be because this little brat is just too good-looking?"
Yun Heng spotted Sun Wukong at once and raised his little hand high, waving excitedly. "Little Monkey! Little Monkey!"
Sun Wukong pretended not to see him and made to head toward the Main Hall. The little one called out again, "I brought you something tasty! Wait for me!"
Taking advantage of his small size, Yun Heng darted between the grown-ups and soon broke free from the crowd, rushing straight toward Sun Wukong.
He ran too hastily, failing to watch his step, and stumbled on the stairs. The onlookers were terrified—if the Crown Prince were to fall at the Imperial Stables, no one could bear the blame once the Jade Emperor found out.
Yet these low-ranking Immortals of the celestial realm had limited spiritual power; even if they wished to save the Crown Prince and earn merit, they lacked the ability. Just as Yun Heng was about to tumble face-first onto the steps, he still clutched his basket tightly to his chest. Sun Wukong gritted his teeth in annoyance, then snapped to attention. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front, catching Yun Heng just before his face hit the ground.
The little one was badly frightened. Setting down the basket, he clung to Sun Wukong's arm. "Oh! I almost fell!"
Sun Wukong patted his back half-heartedly. "But you didn't, did you?"
The little one leaned against him as if boneless. "It was so close."
The surrounding supervisors, deputies, clerks, and strongmen crowded around, all chattering with concern over whether Yun Heng was hurt.
Sun Wukong snapped impatiently, "Noisy! So noisy!"
With that, he hoisted Yun Heng up, leaped into the air, and flew over several halls, landing by a pond at the rear.
He set the little one down, then sniffed the air and grinned. "You really are a milk-scented brat—you smell so strongly of milk."
Yun Heng picked something from the basket and held it up to Sun Wukong's mouth. "That's because I brought you milk cake."
Sun Wukong didn't stand on ceremony and took a bite.
Yun Heng then produced lotus puff pastry, chestnut cakes, bananas, apples, immortal pears… feeding each to his Little Monkey one by one.
Sun Wukong remained unfazed—whatever the little one handed him, he ate. Soon, the basket was completely emptied.
Once satiated, the Great Sage wiped his mouth. "Consider this your filial duty, milk-scented brat."
Yun Heng giggled. "I just like feeding little animals."
"…"
Yun Heng counted on his fingers. "Little bunnies, baby dragons, Xiaotian Quan, immortal cranes, red-crowned phoenixes, the great azure ox, and you—my Little Monkey!"
"Enough, enough!" The Great Sage Equal to Heaven possessed divine powers and wielded the Golden-Hooped Rod, capable of driving the Dragon King and the King of Hell under tables. Yet his verbal skills were truly lacking—he couldn't even outtalk a milk-scented brat whose teeth had only just grown in.
Annoyed, he waved a hand, rolled over, and lay down, yawning. "Quiet! I was up all night tending the horses and didn't sleep well. The sun is perfect now for a nap."
Propping his head on one hand, he closed his eyes and lay perfectly still, as if already asleep.
Yun Heng brought his face close. "Little Monkey, Little Monkey, Little Monkey…"
Sun Wukong continued feigning sleep.
Yun Heng shifted position, first stroking his furry ear, then grabbing and tugging it outward. "Lit-tle Mon-key!"
"Let go! Let go! Let go!" Sun Wukong sprang three feet into the air, his ears flushing from tip to root. "You unreasonable little brat! I've lived three hundred years, and even my master never pulled my ears."
Yun Heng asked him, "Is the milk cake tasty?"
"Uh…" the Great Sage Sun awkwardly scratched his ear, "It's passable."
"Are bananas tasty?"
"They're alright."
"Are grapes tasty?"
"Not bad."
Yun Heng said, "You ate my treats, can you be my mount again?"
"Don't even think about it…"
Yun Heng pounced and hugged his tail: "Just one ride, just one little ride."
For several days in a row, Yun Heng carried his basket to the Imperial Stables. The little prince came every day, and everyone knew he was looking for the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses.
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain's Water Curtain Cave, who feared nothing in heaven or earth, was uniquely afraid of this three-year-old toddler. Every time he heard his voice, he would avoid him at all costs.
The various supervisors, deputy supervisors, registrars, and strongmen, eager to please the prince, would point out Sun Wukong's hiding spot no matter which corner he was in.
Yun Heng didn't come empty-handed either; he brought delicious treats every day, each time something different. Even the minor immortals who gave him directions received some benefits. Especially the Immortal Elixirs refined by the little prince, which left them all with bitter expressions. Before Yun Heng even entered the door, they would sell out the head steward in the main hall.
It was nothing personal—they simply couldn't bear to eat any more of the prince's Immortal Elixirs. Another dose might force them to descend to the mortal realm and undergo another eight thousand years of cultivation before they could return to the Celestial Realm.
Yun Heng heard that Sun Wukong had a master and remembered that his Father Emperor had mentioned finding him a master as well, with a candidate already chosen. However, Celestial Master Zhang returned and said that the immortal lord was currently in seclusion for spiritual practice and would only emerge after some time.
Thus, the matter was temporarily set aside, and the little one could play freely for a while longer.
Yun Heng asked Sun Wukong, "Who is your master?"
"I can't say."
"Why can't you say?"
"My master forbids it."
Yun Heng didn't press the issue and asked another question instead: "Then what did your master teach you?"
"The Somersault Cloud, the Seventy-Two Transformations, the art of immortality…"
Yun Heng was most interested in the Seventy-Two Transformations: "Can you transform into anything?"
"Anything."
Yun Heng said, "Then show me."
Sun Wukong asked, "What should I transform into?"
Yun Heng thought for a moment: "Then transform into the Goddess of the Moon."
"???"
Back in the days at Fangcun Lingtai Mountain, his fellow disciples only asked him to transform into a tree. But this little child, as soon as he opened his mouth, asked him to transform into a goddess.
Yun Heng grinned at him: "The Goddess of the Moon is beautiful, and I just like pretty things."
"…"
Sun Wukong plucked a hair, blew on it, and transformed into a graceful goddess, complete with her immortal gown and hairpin: "See if it looks like her."
Yun Heng clapped and exclaimed, "It does, it really does!"
"Hahahahahaha!" Hearing Yun Heng's praise, Sun Wukong laughed heartily. Even when showing off his skills to the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain and being surrounded by an entire mountain of flattery, he never felt as delighted as he did hearing this toddler's praise.
A few days later, Yun Heng refined a new batch of Immortal Elixirs. This time, he added sesame seeds, dates, and red beans. The little one took a bite himself and was quite satisfied.
Then, carrying his basket, he set out to share his new creation with the various immortals.
However, everyone had already experienced the little prince's Immortal Elixirs. One was enough—they couldn't handle a second one. It was too cloying for the throat and required plenty of water to wash down.
Even so, when refusing him, everyone took great care to spare his feelings.
Hundred Flower Fairy: "Prince, I still have flower nectar brewing over there, I cannot delay."
Mu De Xing Jun (Wood Virtue Star Lord): "Spring has arrived in the mortal realm, I am busy with the growth of new plants. Prince, please entertain yourself for a while."
Marshal Wang said, "I must head to Tongming Hall immediately for the shift handover. Farewell!"
Taibai Jinxing remarked, "I fear my teeth might grow worms…"
Yun Heng pouted and ran to the Imperial Stables to find Sun Wukong. "Little Monkey, here, eat this."
He often brought a basket to feed him, and Sun Wukong had grown accustomed to it. He obediently ate whatever was offered.
Yun Heng looked at him expectantly. "Is it tasty?"
"Delicious."
The little one pouted, but other Immortals didn’t like it. "They have no taste. These sugar beans are sweet, and Old Sun loves sweets."
The little one’s lips were pursed so tightly they could hang an oil bottle. "These aren’t sugar beans; they’re Immortal Elixirs!"
"What?" Sun Wukong scratched his ear, thinking he’d misheard. "Immortal Elixirs?"
Yun Heng placed his hands on his hips. "I made these using Taishang Laojun’s furnace. They’re Immortal Elixirs!"
Sun Wukong asked casually, "So what do these Immortal Elixirs do? Can they make Immortals cuter?"
"…"
Sun Wukong had been in the Heavenly Court for over half a month. The horses in the Imperial Stables felt a deep affinity for him, each one perking up and stamping their hooves at his approach, growing plump and strong. It could be said that since taking office, his achievements had been quite remarkable.
On this particular day, having some leisure time, the officials of the Imperial Stables arranged a banquet to welcome Sun Wukong.
Hearing about the feast, Yun Heng also came to join the fun. He didn’t drink, focusing only on eating.
Suddenly, Sun Wukong asked, "What kind of official position is this Keeper of the Heavenly Horses?"
"The title is just that."
"What rank?"
"No rank."
Sun Wukong didn’t understand, and neither did Yun Heng, who kept eating. As he ate, he looked up and said, "No rank means the highest rank, as big as Celestial Master Zhang, as big as Taibai Jinxing!"
This provoked laughter from the various overseers, deputy overseers, clerks, and strongmen, who took turns explaining to him, "How dare we compare ourselves to Celestial Master Zhang or Taishang Laojun?"
"Your Highness, you don’t understand."
"No rank means the lowest, not even a proper grade."
"Small officials like us just raise horses for His Majesty. Even if the horses grow fat, we only earn a word of praise. If they’re not well cared for, His Majesty will hold us accountable and punish us."
These minor Immortals, having drunk a bit too much today, dared to voice their grievances.
Little did they know these words wounded Sun Wukong’s pride. He, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Handsome Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain’s Water Curtain Cave, with countless monkeys under his command, had been tricked into raising horses for the Jade Emperor.
Raising horses was one thing—he had been doing it for over ten days, living leisurely and amusing himself with the toddler Yun Heng, finding his own joy in it.
What humiliated him most was being mocked by these Immortals, who held even lower ranks and worked under him.
The more Sun Wukong thought about it, the angrier he became. He pulled his Golden-Hooped Rod from his ear, brandished it, and prepared for a fight.
But before he could act, there was a loud crash—the toddler Yun Heng had climbed onto the table.
Sun Wukong: "…"
The other Immortals: "…"
Yun Heng’s little face puffed up like a steamed bun, his round eyes wide as he kicked all the cups, plates, bowls, and chopsticks off the table. "You’re talking nonsense!"
"…"
The minor Immortals of the humble Imperial Stables dared not offend the Jade Emperor’s treasured darling. They had spent half a month flattering and catering to him, yet they had no idea which words had angered the little prince.
Several overseers and deputy overseers immediately knelt down, kowtowing to beg for forgiveness: "This humble immortal misspoke. Please forgive us, Your Highness. We beg for your mercy."
Yun Heng pointed at Sun Wukong: "He is not some low-ranking minor official. He is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven."
"Do you know who the Great Sage Equal to Heaven is?"
The overseers shook their heads: "This humble immortal does not know."
"The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is… is…"
He didn't actually know what the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was either. Turning to look at Sun Wukong, the other was holding his Golden-Hooped Rod, also watching him thoughtfully.
Yun Heng turned his head back and stomped his feet on the table again: "Anyway, he's really powerful. He's so powerful, his Somersault Cloud can travel… ten… ten thousand eight hundred li in one somersault."
Sun Wukong facepalmed, whispering to remind him: "One hundred and eight thousand li."
"Yes, one hundred and eight thousand li!"
Yun Heng glanced at the overseers kneeling below: "He can also do seventy-two transformations. He can even transform into the Goddess of the Moon. Do you know the Goddess of the Moon? She's so beautiful!"
The overseers and deputy overseers trembled with fear: "Our humble rank is too low. How could we have ever witnessed the beauty of the Goddess of the Moon?"
Yun Heng turned back to look at Sun Wukong again: "Transform for them."
Sun Wukong: "…"
He never wanted to hear the words "Goddess of the Moon" again in his life!
"If you won't transform now, that's fine. Transform next time!" Yun Heng continued, "Who said there's no reward for taking good care of the horses? This Crown Prince will reward him with a basket of Immortal Elixirs right now!"
An overseer asked: "Are they the Immortal Elixirs you refined, Your Highness?"
"Lao Jun refined them, the Nine-Cycle Golden Elixirs. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Tushita Palace and take all the Nine-Cycle Golden Elixirs from the Eight Trigrams Furnace and feed them all to Little Monkey!"
"I'll also have Father Emperor appoint him… appoint him…" The little one racked his brains for a long while but couldn't think of what official position his father still lacked. However, he himself was missing one, so he shouted, "Appoint him as this Crown Prince's mount!"
"…"
Sun Wukong couldn't bear to listen any longer. He grabbed the milk baby, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him out of the Imperial Stables.
Yun Heng had pestered him for several days, wanting to ride on his shoulders, but he had refused. Gradually, the little one had even forgotten about it.
Today, without him mentioning anything, Little Monkey had actually taken the initiative to lift him up and place him on his shoulders.
Yun Heng was overjoyed. Along the way, he hugged his furry head and rubbed it vigorously.
Sun Wukong took him, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at the rainbow where they had first met. It was just sunset, and the setting sun dyed the clouds near the rainbow golden.
Yun Heng pulled him to sit on the rainbow: "I love the sun the most."
"Why?"
"No reason, I just love it."
Sun Wukong clasped his hands behind his head: "Milk baby, Old Sun is going back to Huaguo Mountain."
"Why?"
Sun Wukong said: "On Huaguo Mountain, tending horses is work for young juniors, lowly servants. How can I, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, do such a thing? Old Sun won't do it anymore!"
Yun Heng said: "But it's not your first day tending horses. Haven't you been doing it for many days already?"
"…"
Sun Wukong waved his hand impatiently: "I'm not doing it now!"
Yun Heng shook his head: "Then that doesn't make sense."
Sun Wukong said in surprise: "You can reason?"
Yun Heng said: "You just arrived at the Heavenly Court and you're already managing so many Immortals in the Imperial Stables, dozens of them altogether, and thousands upon thousands of Heavenly Horses."
"Take another look at me, I've been the Crown Prince for three years, and I don't even have a mount."
Speaking of mounts, the little one felt sorrow welling up again. He lowered his eyes, pouted, looking pitiful and on the verge of tears.
Sun Wukong was about to comfort him when, unexpectedly, the little one burst into a loud "wah" and started crying: "Forget about a mount, I don't even have anyone to play with."
"Brother Nezha is either guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate, on duty at the Ling Xiao Dian, or off in the mortal realm slaying demons and monsters. He never has time for me."
"I like Ling'er and wanted to bring him to the Heavenly Court, but they said Ling'er is too young, hasn't yet learned to transform into human form, and can't leave the Dragon Palace."
At this point, Yun Heng suddenly remembered something: "Earlier, the Dragon King of the East Sea complained to my Father Emperor."
Hearing this, Sun Wukong flew into a rage: "That old dragon dares to lodge a complaint against me!" Yun Heng said, "He said you caused havoc in the Dragon Palace and injured the shrimp soldiers and crab generals."
"Of course! My powers are immense. A tiny Dragon Palace—I come and go as I please. How could that old dragon possibly stop me?"
Yun Heng then asked, "But did you hit Ling'er?"
"Who's Ling'er?"
Yun Heng gestured with his hands: "A little dragon cub about this big."
Sun Wukong snorted disdainfully: "I never bully the weak."
"That's good!"
Yun Heng looked at him again: "You always boast about your great powers, but I don't know if it's true—I've never seen them."
Sun Wukong pulled out his Golden-Hooped Rod and performed a set of staff techniques right there on the spot. The rod, which he retrieved from his ear, could grow or shrink at will. In the Great Sage's hands, it danced with such force that the air whistled around it.
Sun Wukong sat back down beside Yun Heng: "Little one, am I impressive or not?"
Yun Heng almost blurted out "impressive," but after a moment's hesitation, he changed his tune: "Impressive you are, but…"
Back at the Imperial Stables, Yun Heng had stood up for him and praised his prowess. Why was he hesitating now?
Sun Wukong asked, "But what?"
Yun Heng said, "But… you're not as impressive as my cousin."
The Great Sage was quite displeased: "Who is this cousin of yours? Call him out, and I'll spar with him."
Yun Heng said, "My cousin is True Lord Yilang, Yang Jian. He wields the San Jian Liang Ren Dao—he's incredibly powerful! Even if Brother Nezha and Brother Lei Zhenzi teamed up, they still couldn't defeat him."
The more he praised his cousin, the more irritated Sun Wukong became: "Little one, call your cousin out. I'll knock him flat with a single blow from my staff."
Yun Heng sized him up and down, hesitating before saying, "But… I think you can't beat him."
"How would we know without a fight?" Sun Wukong urged, "Quick, quick, call him out. I'll face him."
Yun Heng shook his head: "My cousin isn't in the Heavenly Court."
"Then where is he?"
"I don't know."
Yun Heng said, "I haven't seen my cousin in a long time either, but every year on my birthday, he returns to the Heavenly Court to attend my birthday banquet."
Sun Wukong asked again, "When is your birthday?"
Yun Heng still shook his head: "I don't know."
"You little one, you know nothing no matter what I ask."
Yun Heng said, "But I know my cousin is more powerful than you and could definitely defeat you."
The more he said this, the more Sun Wukong's competitive spirit stirred, and even his hands began to itch: "We'll only know after we fight!"
Yun Heng said, "Then we can only wait until he returns to the Heavenly Court to fight you."
Sun Wukong shrugged helplessly, "Let's wait for him then."
Yun Heng asked cheerfully, "So, are you still leaving?"
"Probably not."
"Hehe!" Yun Heng smoothed the fur beside his cheek, "Little Monkey is so obedient!"
"???"
Only then did the Great Sage realize something seemed off.
He seemed to have unwittingly fallen into this little child's trap.