Before Sun Wukong could fully process what had happened, the sun had already set completely below the Heavenly Court, leaving only a faint afterglow in the sky.
Yun Heng stood up, brushed off his robe, and picked up his crabapple flower basket. "It's getting dark, I have to go home."
He did this every day, very disciplined, always picking up his basket to head home as dusk approached.
"Hey…" Sun Wukong still wanted to ask just how powerful this formidable cousin of his was, and what kind of divine abilities he possessed. But the little milk baby had already left just like that?
Yun Heng hadn't gone far when he turned back, clenched his little fist, and shouted at Sun Wukong: "My cousin is really powerful, you know. He could fight eight little monkeys like you all by himself."
"!!!"
Monkey King slammed his rod into the ground, nearly poking a big hole through Cai Hong.
The more Sun Wukong thought about it after returning, the more something felt off. He had even drawn out his Golden-Hooped Rod, originally planning for a big fight all the way to the Southern Heavenly Gate before returning to Huaguo Mountain.
Who would have thought that Yun Heng, a little milk baby, would suddenly mention such a powerful cousin. He wondered if this cousin was even real, or just made up to keep him in the Heavenly Court.
Sun Wukong didn't sleep well that night. In the first half of the night, he kept pondering what divine abilities the little milk baby's cousin might have, how he should engage him in combat, and what strategies to employ.
As he thought about it, he began to suspect that Yun Heng was playing tricks on him, and he should come up with a way to tease the little milk baby in return.
Little milk babies are always greedy for snacks, and that crabapple flower basket he carried was constantly filled with various pastries and candies.
It was clear this little milk baby was accustomed to heavenly delicacies—he didn't even glance at the immortal fruits or Immortal Tea, preferring human pastries instead.
He probably had only ever tasted pastries and hadn't even heard of other human delicacies.
With this in mind, the Great Sage devised a plan, quietly waiting for the little boy to come looking for him at the Imperial Stables first thing in the morning.
But he still tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He recalled the banquet earlier that day, where the stable officials had said he was just a horse groom for the Jade Emperor, an insignificant minor official.
The little milk baby had been even angrier than him about it, climbing onto the table before he could and standing in front of him to defend him.
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Handsome Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain's Water Curtain Cave, Sun Wukong himself, had actually been protected by a three-year-old milk baby.
Admittedly, the moment he saw Yun Heng stand on the table and defend him, it felt surprisingly good.
Usually, it was him, the Great King, protecting the little ones under him, erasing their names from the King of Hell's register so they could live long lives.
He had gone to study at Fangcun Lingtai to become stronger and protect his monkey subjects. He never expected that one day, he would be protected by someone else—and by a little milk baby who wobbled when he walked and spoke with a lisp at that.
This little milk baby was just too interesting. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven would never admit that the reason he chose to stay wasn't because he wanted to fight some cousin, but because of Yun Heng, that little milk baby.
If he went back to Huaguo Mountain, he wouldn't be able to see him anymore. Maybe he should ask the Jade Emperor to give his son to Old Sun, and then the Jade Emperor could just have another one.
If the Jade Emperor refused, he could just carry the little milk baby off on his shoulder.
Thinking this, Sun Wukong actually laughed out loud. He stretched lazily and, before he knew it, fell asleep.
On the second day, Sun Wukong crouched at the entrance of the Imperial Stables early in the morning, waiting and waiting… He shielded his eyes with his hand, gazing into the distance until nightfall, but still the little milk baby did not come.
Usually, before the sky even darkened, Yun Heng would say he had to go home; he never came out to play at night.
Sun Wukong stood up and headed back. Some overseers and deputies called for him to take his turn feeding the horses at night. Sun Wukong swaggered toward the side rooms in the rear hall: "Whoever wants to feed them can go feed them. Old Sun is going to sleep. Anyone who dares disturb me will face the Golden-Hooped Rod!"
That iron rod of his, as thick as a bowl, frightened everyone who saw it. His tone was extremely impatient, and no one dared to stop him.
Everyone also knew that he was taking out his frustration on others because he hadn't waited for the Crown Prince, so they let him be.
By the third day, Yun Heng still hadn't come. Finally, Sun Wukong couldn't sit still any longer. He asked an overseer, "How do I get to the Jasper Pool?"
"Huh?"
"How do I get to the Queen Mother of the West's Jasper Pool?"
The overseer trembled as he replied, "That is the Queen Mother's private palace. Trespassing into the Jasper Pool is a grave offense. The lightest punishment is being banished to the mortal realm to undergo reincarnation; the worst is being sent to the Immortal-Execution Platform."
Sun Wukong grabbed the front of his robe, pulling him close: "Just tell me which direction it is. If the old Jade Emperor blames anyone, Old Sun will take the responsibility. It has nothing to do with you."
The overseer had no choice but to extend a trembling hand and point in a direction: "Over by the celestial bridge, past Tongming Hall and Ling Xiao Dian (Hall of Heaven), next to Taiwei Yuqing Palace is the Jasper Pool."
Sun Wukong tossed him aside and headed straight in the direction he had pointed.
As soon as he reached the entrance of the Jasper Pool, he was stopped by the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals stationed there: "The sacred grounds of the Jasper Pool are not a place a minor immortal like you can enter."
Sun Wukong, with his heaven-defying abilities, couldn't stand being looked down upon. Without another word, he took out his Golden-Hooped Rod, ready to teach these blind fools a lesson.
But before he could even strike, a fairy maiden dressed in a purple celestial gown approached from afar.
The fairy maiden looked Sun Wukong up and down: "Are you the new Keeper of the Heavenly Horses from the Imperial Stables?"
Sun Wukong slung the Golden-Hooped Rod over his shoulder: "That's Old Sun."
The fairy maiden continued, "You're here to see the Crown Prince, aren't you?"
For the past half month, Yun Heng would clamor to go to the Imperial Stables to find his little monkey as soon as he opened his eyes each day.
Although Ziyuan had never met Sun Wukong before, she had often heard Yun Heng talk about him—how the little monkey was all furry, had a long tail, twitching ears, and could even blush.
Besides, there were no other immortal monkeys in the Heavenly Court—only this one. Who else could it be but the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses?
Sun Wukong had also often heard the little milk baby mention a fairy maiden who served him closely, named Ziyuan. He figured this must be her.
Since she was the little milk baby's personal attendant, Sun Wukong temporarily held back his Golden-Hooped Rod and said patiently, "That's right. Go and call that little milk baby out. Old Sun has something to say to him."
But Ziyuan replied, "You should go back. The Crown Prince isn't at the Jasper Pool."
Sun Wukong asked again, "Where did he go?"
"I don't know. He runs off to play somewhere every day and doesn't come back until dark."
So, Sun Wukong indeed turned and left. He had no heart for tending to the horses and simply perched on a tree branch, lost in thought.
Finally, when night fell, he transformed into a butterfly, slipped past the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals on guard outside, and quietly infiltrated the Jasper Pool.
But the Jasper Pool was so vast, with several palaces alone. Where could he possibly find the little milk baby?
The Great Sage perched on a tree branch, scanning his surroundings. Not far away, he saw the purple-robed Fairy Maiden he had encountered during the day emerge from a palace, gently closing the door behind her. Two Fairy Maidens stood guard outside, seemingly with no intention of leaving.
Sun Wukong circled the palace once before flying in through a window. Sure enough, on the windowsill at the center of the palace, the little milk baby was fast asleep with his eyes closed.
The silver crown that had bound his hair was removed, and his soft, dark locks spilled across the pillow. A thin quilt was pulled up to his chest, his two small hands half-clenched into fists beside his ears, and his little feet occasionally kicked out, soon emerging from beneath the covers.
Sun Wukong, transformed into a small butterfly, flew over and landed beside his pillow, whispering softly into his ear, "Little milk baby, little milk baby!"
He was practically speaking right into Yun Heng's ear, yet he dared not raise his voice too much, fearing he might attract the Fairy Maidens outside. He could only call out in a low tone.
Yun Heng, disturbed in his sleep, furrowed his brow and turned over. The Great Sage flew to the other side and called again, "Little milk baby, little milk baby, Heng'er!"
Yun Heng raised his hand and swatted it through the air.
"…"
Fortunately, the Great Sage was agile. Otherwise, despite having defied the Dragon Palaces of the Four Seas and the Halls of the Underworld, he might have met his end on this little milk baby's pillow.
The swat missed, and Yun Heng finally stirred awake, still dazed. Before even opening his eyes, his lips began to pout—a sure sign he was about to cry.
Sun Wukong was frantic. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven had never encountered such a troublesome little milk baby. If it were one of his monkey subjects acting this way, he would have long since struck them down with his staff. Only this little milk baby left even the mighty Great Sage Equal to Heaven at a loss.
"Don't cry, little milk baby, it's me, Old Sun!"
Yun Heng rubbed his eyes and sat up, his dark hair cascading over his shoulders, making his small face appear even fairer. "It's the Little Monkey."
Half-asleep, his voice was soft and sweet as he spoke, "Where are you? I can't see you."
Sun Wukong flew right in front of him. "Can you see me now?"
Yun Heng tilted his head and extended a hand. The butterfly landed on his fingertip. "Wow! You can even turn into a little butterfly. That's amazing."
"Old Sun knows seventy-two transformations. A butterfly is nothing special."
Yun Heng glanced around. Outside, the sky had darkened, and only a faint palace lamp illuminated the bedchamber.
He asked Sun Wukong, "It's already dark. Why aren't you sleeping?"
Sun Wukong replied, "I'm taking you out to play."
"Let's go tomorrow. I need to sleep."
Sun Wukong tempted him, "Sleep? No, no, come on, let's go out. Old Sun will be your mount."
"Really?" The faint light of the palace lamp sparkled in Yun Heng's eyes like stars. "Really, let's go!"
Yun Heng shook his head. "I'm not going."
"???"
Sun Wukong was taken aback. The little milk baby had been pestering him every day to be his mount, and now that he was offering himself, the child wasn't interested.
"Why not?"
Yun Heng said, "It's dark, and I need to sleep. My mother said sleeping helps you grow tall."
"…"
Who would have thought that as a little prince of the Celestial Realm, he would have such concerns.
Sun Wukong waved a hand dismissively. "You're an Immortal. When you grow up, Old Sun will teach you a magic art called 'Emulating Heaven and Earth.' With a single transformation, you can become ten thousand zhang tall, as tall as you want."
"Really?"
"Really!"
Yun Heng lifted the quilt and stepped barefoot off the bed: "Then let's go."
Sun Wukong landed and transformed back into his original form, lifting him up onto his shoulder. Using his Somersault Cloud, he silently flew out through the window.
Yun Heng, still wearing his oversized sleeping robe and with hair loosely draped, sat on Sun Wukong's shoulder, his small hands gripping the monkey's ears: "Little Monkey, where are we going?"
"To see the stars."
Sitting on his shoulder, Yun Heng blinked as they passed through the Jasper Pool, soared over layers of palace halls and treasure pavilions, and arrived once more on that rainbow.
At night, the rainbow's seven colors faded into the darkness, no longer as dazzling, but the surrounding stars shimmered brightly, seemingly within reach.
"Little Monkey, Little Monkey," Yun Heng pointed nearby and said to Sun Wukong, "help me pick that star."
Sun Wukong half-squinted: "What star is that?"
Yun Heng giggled: "That's Taibai Jinxing's Changgeng Palace."
Sun Wukong laughed along with him: "If Old Sun picks that golden star for you, the old man Taibai won't have a place to sleep anymore."
Yun Heng pointed westward: "That's the White Tiger Seven Lodges."
"That's Water Virtue Star Lord, and there's Wood Virtue Star Lord…"
He pointed northward: "That's Wenqu Star Officer, and the other is Wuqu Star Officer."
Sun Wukong tilted his head and looked for a while: "It's a spoon."
"Yes, it's a spoon, hahaha."
Sun Wukong patted his head: "You're quite impressive, little one."
Yun Heng lifted his small head proudly: "Of course, I've visited all their palaces."
The two sat side by side on the rainbow watching the stars for a while, then Yun Heng asked again: "Little Monkey, why did you come to find me at night?"
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven wouldn't admit that after a few days apart, he missed this milk child dearly. But he couldn't find another reason, so he took the initiative: "You ask me? Old Sun wants to ask you, milk child, where have you been these days, not coming to the Imperial Stables to find Old Sun?"
Yun Heng tilted his head to look at him: "Little Monkey, did you miss me?"
"Miss you?" The Great Sage anxiously scratched his ears and cheeks, "If you don't bother me, Old Sun thanks heaven and earth, how could I miss you?"
Yun Heng smiled at him, clearly unconvinced.
Sun Wukong's eyes shifted from left to right, then right to left, racking his brains for an excuse: "Old Sun… Old Sun just wanted to know what powers your Cousin has, daring to compete with Old Sun."
Yun Heng counted on his fingers: "[Missing Characters] Profound Palace, Nine Revolutions Primordial Skill, and Little Heaven Fist, Three Swords Two People Way.".. impressive or not?"
"Hmph!" Sun Wukong waved his hand indignantly, "Impressive or not, only my Golden-Hooped Rod can decide."
Yun Heng said: "Then wait, until my birthday banquet next year."
Then Sun Wukong changed the topic again: "Milk child, you haven't said where you've been these days."
Yun Heng said: "I went to Dou Shuai Palace."
"Dou Shuai Palace?" Sun Wukong didn't know much about the Heavenly Court's vast celestial palaces, "What place is that?"
"That's where Taishang Laojun lives."
Sun Wukong asked again: "Why did you go there?"
"Ah!" The little dumpling sighed with great seriousness. "Lao Jun's Immortal Elixir will take five days to refine. I'll go keep watch. Once it's ready, I'll take it out of the furnace and give it to you."
Sun Wukong blinked, then blinked again. "Give it to me?"
"Yes, we agreed on it that day." Yun Heng rushed over and hugged Sun Wukong's arm. "Little Monkey takes good care of the Heavenly Horses, and you're my good friend. I want to reward you."
"Good friend?"
"Yes, good friend!" Yun Heng thought for a moment, remembering the term his cousin and Nezha had used before, so he added, "That is, good brother!"
"Ugh" Sun Wukong clutched his head, utterly distressed.
Yun Heng patted his head with concern. "Little Monkey, what's wrong? Don't cry. If something's bothering you, you can tell me. I'll give you some Immortal Elixir. Eat it, and you'll be happy."
Sun Wukong felt like crying but had no tears. "I thought I came to the Heavenly Court to take up a high-ranking position, but I ended up being tricked into working at the Imperial Stables as a horse keeper. Being a horse keeper is one thing, but now I'm even calling a three-year-old toddler my brother."
"This is utterly humiliating! If I return to Huaguo Mountain and the Water Curtain Cave, won't all my monkey subjects laugh me to death?"
Yun Heng "thumped" to his feet, but his oversized sleeping robe nearly tripped him, almost causing him to fall off Cai Hong.
The Great Sage, quick as lightning, swiftly scooped him back, feeling even more dejected. "Still a toddler who can't even walk steadily."
Yun Heng put his hands on his hips. "Hmph! I'm not even disliking you, and you're disliking me."
"I have six sworn brothers: the eldest, the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven, Bull Demon King; the second, the Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea, King Jiao Mo; the third, the Great Sage Who Stirs Up Heaven, Peng Demon King… each with extraordinary abilities. None of them are a milk-scented toddler like you."
Yun Heng said, "I also have many good friends: the Jade Rabbit from the Moon Palace, Erlang Shen's Xiaotian Quan, Ao Ling, the seventh prince of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, and even Mo Qilin from the Puhua Heavenly Lord!"
He sat back down and patted Sun Wukong's shoulder. "And now, there's also Little Monkey from the Imperial Stables. Tomorrow, I'll bring you some snacks and immortal fruit."
Sun Wukong scoffed. "You little toddler, you've only eaten the fruits of the heavens, never tasted the fine wine and dishes of our Huaguo Mountain."
Yun Heng said, "My mother said children can't drink Divine Wine, only flower dew."
"At Huaguo Mountain, we don't just have fine wine, but also delicious dishes. Crispy chicken, eight-treasure duck, steamed fish, braised shrimp… What do you think, little toddler? Just hearing about it makes your mouth water, doesn't it?"
He leaned closer to Yun Heng's ear. "Come with me down to the mortal realm, to Huaguo Mountain and the Water Curtain Cave. I'll let you drink and eat to your heart's content every day."
Yun Heng emphasized again, "My mother said…"
Sun Wukong waved his hand to interrupt him. "Children can't drink wine, I know, I know. But you can still eat meat, right? Delicious, fragrant drumsticks, all saved for you."
Yun Heng looked at him blankly. "What's so good about the things you mentioned?"
"Crispy chicken is crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside; eight-treasure duck is plump and juicy; steamed fish has fresh, tender meat; braised shrimp…"
Yun Heng had never eaten, seen, or even heard of these things… No matter how extravagantly Sun Wukong boasted, he remained unmoved.
"I'm not going. The Heavenly Court has so many fun places, and Sister Cai Ying makes me snacks every day. I'm not going anywhere."
"…"
Sun Wukong hadn’t expected that although Yun Heng was greedy for treats, things he hadn’t even heard of couldn’t tempt him at all.
“Old Sun’s Huaguo Mountain is also quite interesting. There’s a Water Curtain Cave inside, and within the cave…”
“No, I won’t go. If Father Emperor and Mother Empress can’t find me, they’ll worry.”
“Huaguo Mountain is in the Aolai Kingdom of the East Victory Divine Continent. The Aolai Kingdom has many milk babies like you, with all sorts of toys—rattle drums, puppets, clay carts…”
“Ha~~” Yun Heng yawned, tilted his head, and fell asleep leaning against his shoulder.
A strong sense of defeat surged in the Great Sage’s heart. Having lived for three hundred years, he couldn’t even outwit a three-year-old milk baby.
Others tricked him into staying in the Heavenly Court with just a few words and a cousin. He wanted to trick the milk baby into going to Huaguo Mountain, but the kid just said one thing—I won’t go, my mother empress said…
“Ah…” The Great Sage Equal to Heaven sighed resignedly, picked up the sleeping milk baby, and returned to the Jasper Pool along the same path.
Arriving at the Jasper Pool, he no longer climbed through windows but swaggered straight to Yun Heng’s bedchamber. Two Fairy Maidens on duty looked up, staring at him in astonishment: “How dare you! Which palace’s minor deity are you, daring to intrude into the Jasper Pool sacred grounds at night!”
“Hmph~” Sun Wukong impatiently snorted coldly, ignoring their obstruction and continuing forward.
Seeing the sleeping child in his arms, the two Fairy Maidens were even more shocked, unsure what to do: “The Crown Prince?! What have you done to the Crown Prince?”
At this moment, the surrounding Fairy Maidens reacted. Some gathered to check the situation, others went to notify the Queen Mother of the West.
Sun Wukong kicked open the bedchamber door, swaggered in carrying Yun Heng, gently placed the sleeping milk baby back on his bed, and covered him with a thin quilt.
After putting Yun Heng down, Sun Wukong turned and walked out. A Somersault Cloud vanished in an instant.
What place was the Jasper Pool, daring to come and leave so swaggeringly? The Fairy Maidens gathered their spiritual power to chase, but were stopped by the Queen Mother: “Enough, you won’t catch him.”
A red-clad Fairy Maiden said: “Your Majesty, he trespassed into the Jasper Pool!”
“He just brought Heng’er back, didn’t do anything else.”
Another yellow-clad Fairy Maiden wondered: “How did the Crown Prince end up with him?”
Ziyuan also said: “I coaxed the Crown Prince to sleep, watched him fall asleep before leaving.”
The Queen Mother waved her hand: “Alright, it’s not a big matter. Go inside and check on Heng’er.”
After letting Sun Wukong go, the Queen Mother still worried about her son. Entering the chamber, she sat by his bed. Seeing her son’s sleeping face, the old mother’s heart softened into a puddle of water, thinking this was the cutest little cub in the world.
First, she tentatively extended her index finger, lightly touching his nose tip. The little cub still slept sweetly. Then she pinched his chin, his plump cheeks and small round hands.
Finally, she leaned down, gently kissed his forehead, then reluctantly rose and left.
The next day, Yun Heng rose early again, dressed neatly, ate some snacks, and immediately carried his basket to the Imperial Stables.
Early morning at the Imperial Stables was restless. Several horses with fierce temperaments and some spiritual power had run out from the stables themselves; some had grown wings, ready to take flight.
The Stable Supervisor, Deputy Supervisor, Registrar, and Strongmen all mobilized, using their limited magical power to chase the horses everywhere.
This chaotic scene was truly amusing, making Yun Heng clap and stomp his feet, shouting encouragement from the sidelines: "Quick, quick, catch Little Red! Oh, Little White ran away again! Little Black, Little Black, run faster!"
Sun Wukong was overwhelmed with troubles, catching one only to see another escape, and to his dismay, there was someone dancing around and causing chaos beside him. He could no longer tolerate it, picking Yun Heng up and placing him on a stone lion nearby: "Which side are you actually on?"
Yun Heng was thrilled: "Heavenly Horses are so fun too, look, that Little White loves eating leaves from the Immortal Tree. And Little Black, look, he ran out and ate the peony among Hundred Flower Fairy's flowers."
The overseers were overwhelmed, busy running around in circles, hearing this, they quickly turned and ran out to catch the one stealing peonies.
Hundred Flower Fairy was the master of all flowers, commanding all flora in heaven and earth, and also a favorite of Queen Mother of the West, certainly not someone these minor immortal officials could offend.
Yun Heng looked toward the stable, inside were Little Black, Little White, Little Yellow, Little Red… even pink horses, varying in size and build. Some had wings, some carried lightning, some burned with flames, some had horns… each robust and strong, with glossy coats, looking majestic and imposing.
Yun Heng glanced over, liking this one, liking that one. He secretly gave them names in his heart.
Suddenly, he saw at the very back of the stable, a flash of brilliant red passing by, quickly disappearing among the thousands of horses.
Yun Heng climbed onto the head of the stone lion, standing and stretching his neck to look carefully. It turned out to be the tail of a horse, a pony probably not much taller than him.
That horse was so beautiful, its body hair was pure white without a single strand of impurity, but the mane on its head, tail, and four hooves were bright red. This horse's hair was long, and its stature was small, the hair under its belly already dragging on the ground.
It was truly too small, such a tiny one, being bumped and shoved by a group of tall horses, wobbling into a corner.
"Ah!" Yun Heng blinked, looking again at that pony, exclaimed, "How did its color change?"
That pony was just red and white matched, in the blink of an eye, the white parts remained white, but the other parts originally fiery red turned into dazzling purple.
Then, that pony was kicked by a tall horse beside it with its hoof, forcing it to shrink further into the corner.
This further stirred Yun Heng's curiosity and protective desire. He scrambled down from the stone lion, running straight toward the stable.
Other overseers including Sun Wukong were still catching those horses attempting to escape.
Yun Heng ran to the stable edge, opened the fence and rushed in, squeezing inward while pushing aside horses blocking his path.
But there were too many horses here, he was small, wanting to squeeze in was truly not easy.
These Heavenly Horses were spiritual, able to sense his special aura, even if pushed aside by him, dared not kick him with their hooves, instead sulkingly walked away, voluntarily giving way.
On the other side, Sun Wukong together with his subordinates, finally managed to chase back the escaped horses, leaving one that flew away, Great Sage Equal to Heaven also mounted Somersault Cloud, in a blink grabbing the reins, forcibly dragging it back.
But as soon as he returned, he was dumbfounded.
Yun Heng, that little milk baby, his tiny figure darted among thousands of horses, nearly swallowed up by the towering steeds around him. Just watching was enough to make one’s heart race with fear, worried that a single misstep from any horse might trample the little prince of the Celestial Realm underfoot.
Sun Wukong cared nothing about princes or titles; all he knew was that this was his milk baby, his good friend, his sworn brother. When others looked down on him, Yun Heng was the first to stand up in his defense. And when he promised a reward, he spent days running to Taishang Laojun to beg for Immortal Elixirs.
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven grabbed his Golden-Hooped Rod and charged into the stables. With a single swing of his staff, the surrounding horses scattered in terror, instantly clearing a path for him.
Yun Heng looked up and saw that the little pony had changed colors again—now its head was crowned with a vibrant green.
It lowered its head to eat the fodder but was shoved aside by a larger horse nearby, bullied and denied its meal.
Angered by the sight, Yun Heng quickened his pace, rushing toward the innermost part of the stables.
“Oh no!”
“Good heavens!”
“Why are so many running out again?”
“They’re all escaping, all of them!”
The overseers outside had been busy all morning, finally herding the horses back, ready for a break. But now, even more horses surged out of the stables, leaving them hopping with anxiety, clueless about what was happening.
Though Sun Wukong had shown restraint and not harmed the horses with his swings, the Heavenly Horses were terrified, scattering in every direction.
The stable gates were open, and soon, thousands of horses stampeded outward. The few overseers outside were powerless to stop them.
Yun Heng finally reached the little pony’s side. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here to save you!”
Just as he reached out to pat the pony’s head, he suddenly felt weightless—someone had lifted him from behind.
Yun Heng turned to look. “Little Monkey, put me down!”
“You little milk baby, don’t you value your life?”
Yun Heng pointed at the pony in the corner. “Little Monkey, look! That pony can change colors—now it’s turned yellow.”
The little one shook his head, suddenly remembering an Immortal. “Could it be a lost pony from Great Emperor Dongyue’s household?”
“Great Emperor Dongyue?” Sun Wukong hadn’t heard the name before. “Who’s that?”
“Huang… Huang…” Yun Heng thought hard before remembering. “Huang Feihu.”
Sun Wukong asked, “What does he have to do with it? How is this his horse?”
Yun Heng explained, “Because his mount is an ox with five colors, called the Five-Colored Divine Ox. Look, this little pony can change into many colors too.”
“…”
Behind them, the overseer cried out in panic, “Supervisor, supervisor! Come quick, the horses have all run off!”
Outside the Imperial Stables, Immortals passing by from all directions exclaimed, “Goodness! Where did all these horses come from?”
Nezha, on duty at the Southern Heavenly Gate, wondered, “Why have all the Heavenly Horses run here?”
In no time, thousands of Heavenly Horses had scattered across the Heavenly Court, appearing everywhere.
Yun Heng led the colorful little pony out of the stables and was stunned by the scene before him. “They’ve all run off, all of them!”
Sun Wukong bared his teeth at him. “And whose fault is that?”
Yun Heng stroked his little pony. “You can just go catch them again.”
A nearby overseer lamented in despair, “How could we possibly catch them all now?”
"If His Majesty blames us, what should we do?"
"It's over, it's over. Our immortal positions are definitely gone. Who knows where we'll be reincarnated in the next life, and whether we'll even have a chance to cultivate and ascend again."
Yun Heng looked at them. "Don't panic. I was the one who let the horses out. It has nothing to do with you."
The several stable officials exchanged glances, growing even more anxious.
Inside the Ling Xiao Dian (Hall of Heaven), the Jade Emperor was discussing matters with his Immortal Officials. Suddenly, a herd of flying horses came rushing in from outside, followed by Marshal Wang leading a group of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals in pursuit.
The Immortal Officials were stunned. "The Heavenly Horses actually ran into the Ling Xiao Dian!"
It wasn't just the Ling Xiao Dian. When the Jade Emperor and the officials stepped outside to look, they saw that the Heavenly Court was nearly overrun by these beasts.
The Jade Emperor was furious, but now was not the time for assigning blame. He quickly issued an edict, ordering Li Jing and other divine generals to immediately lead the Heavenly Soldiers and capture all the escaped Heavenly Horses and return them to the Imperial Stables without fail!
After nearly half a day of chaos, all the horses—those flying in the sky, running on the ground, those with hooves of flame, and those cloaked in lightning—were finally captured and brought back.
Once the horses were all led back, the Jade Emperor ascended his high seat in the Ling Xiao Dian and began the inquiry.
The Heavenly Soldiers and Generals brought forward not only the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses and his subordinates, but also a little child, who was still holding the reins of a pony.
The Jade Emperor's eyes widened. "Heng'er?"
The little child bit his lower lip, looking aggrieved. "Father Emperor…"
After such a farce, the original intention was to severely punish everyone in the Imperial Stables. No one expected the little Crown Prince to be involved. The Immortal Officials were somewhat surprised, but not shocked.
Their little Crown Prince was mischievous and troublemaking; causing trouble was a regular occurrence for him. He had been well-behaved for a few days prior, but it turned out he was saving up for a big stunt.
Marshal Wang sternly shouted at the Imperial Stables personnel, "Kneel!"
The other stable officials' legs went weak, and they knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly to the Jade Emperor. "Your servant deserves death ten thousand times over. We beg Your Majesty for mercy!"
But the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses remained standing where he was, not only refusing to kneel but also appearing extremely impatient.
Last time, the Jade Emperor had considered that he was a demon immortal from the lower realm, newly attaining human form and ignorant of etiquette, and had thus pardoned him.
This time was different. He had served as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses in the Heavenly Court for over half a month and had caused such a major incident. The Jade Emperor had summoned him to assign blame, not to confer an official title.
Marshal Wang stepped forward, holding a golden whip, his eyes blazing with anger. "You, Keeper of the Heavenly Horses! Why do you not bow and pay homage upon seeing His Majesty?"
Sun Wukong stood tall and straight, neither kneeling nor bowing. "I was the one who let the horses out. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Punish me if you will."
The Immortal Officials hadn't expected that a mere Keeper of the Heavenly Horses would be so bold, refusing to kneel, bow, or beg for mercy.
The Jade Emperor sat steadily on his high throne, silently pondering.
Sun Wukong took full responsibility, shouldering all the blame alone. The others knelt in a row beside him, trembling and pleading for the Jade Emperor's mercy—at the very least, not to be banished to the mortal realm to suffer. They begged to remain in the Heavenly Court, even if it meant becoming a fire-tending boy for Taishang Laojun or the lowest-ranking servant in some immortal palace.
Thus, the atmosphere became deadlocked.
Yun Heng glanced at his Father Emperor, then at Sun Wukong, and then at the Imperial Stables officials kneeling on the ground.
Just as everyone fell silent, it was Taibai Jinxing who stepped forward once again.
He was adept at reading the Jade Emperor's expressions and discerning his thoughts, and he was highly valued by the Jade Emperor.
Taibai Jinxing cleared his throat softly. "Punishment is certainly warranted. However, we must first clarify the sequence of events—how so many Heavenly Horses were released—before we can assign blame according to each of your offenses."
He then turned his gaze to Sun Wukong. "Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, as the chief overseer of the Imperial Stables, you cannot escape responsibility for such an incident."
Upon hearing the words "cannot escape responsibility," Yun Heng, who stood nearby, could no longer remain still. He suddenly stepped in front of Sun Wukong and, without even glancing at Taibai Jinxing, raised his small head to stare at the Jade Emperor. "It was me. I saw this little pony being bullied, so I went in to save it, and that’s how the other Heavenly Horses escaped."
"Father Emperor, if you must punish someone, punish me. Don’t blame Little Monkey."
Sun Wukong: "…"
Jade Emperor: "…"
The assembled Immortal Officials: "…"