"Prince…"
"No mischief!"
As soon as the Jade Emperor opened his mouth, Yun Heng knew what his Father Emperor was about to say. So, he arranged the latter half of the sentence for his Father Emperor.
All the Immortal Officials in the court wanted to laugh but dared not, burying their heads and holding back.
Only Sun Wukong had no inhibitions, laughing heartily when he wanted to. The Great Sage's unique, devilish laughter sounded particularly abrupt in the spacious Ling Xiao Dian (Hall of Heaven).
He then lifted Yun Heng again and placed him on the colorful pony beside him.
Yun Heng said, "I don't want to ride a horse now."
Sun Wukong glanced at him: "Stay put for me."
He turned around again, carrying the Golden-Hooped Rod on his shoulder: "I take responsibility for my own actions. The Imperial Stables are under Old Sun's charge, and the Heavenly Horses ran out because they were startled by Old Sun. It has nothing to do with that milk-fed child. If you want to punish someone, punish me, don't touch your son!"
"…"
The Jade Emperor looked at Sun Wukong, then at Yun Heng beside him. His son always liked small animals—whether Xiaotian Quan, Jade Rabbit, great azure ox, or even the Peacock Great King—none could escape the affection of the Celestial Realm's little prince, let alone this monkey.
Everyone in the Heavenly Court knew that Yun Heng was the treasure held in the palms of the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother. Even if he committed the greatest offense, he would only be verbally reprimanded a couple of times, never punished harshly.
If Yun Heng's earlier statements were all true, then the other officials of the Imperial Stables would receive lighter penalties. This matter would ultimately turn major issues into minor ones, and minor ones into nothing.
However, what all the Immortal Ministers did not expect was that even the Dragon King of the East Sea and Qin Guang Wang had come to the heavens to lodge complaints against this demon monkey, yet with Yun Heng protecting him, he could still stand up and voluntarily take responsibility for the offense.
The Jade Emperor pondered for a moment: "You few, tell us exactly what happened?"
Thus, Sun Wukong stood there without speaking, while the supervisors, deputy supervisors, recorders, and strongmen below spoke one after another, roughly recounting the events.
"Usually, one or two Heavenly Horses from the Imperial Stables also run out. This morning there were more, about five or six."
"We all hurried to retrieve the Heavenly Horses and tie them up. After finishing, we discovered the prince had opened the fence and entered the stable."
"Our supervisor worried the prince might be in danger, went in to find him, and while driving the horses away, the Heavenly Horses seized the chance to escape."
A supervisor bowed to the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty, please investigate clearly. Your humble official speaks without falsehood."
Yun Heng also chimed in beside him: "Yes, that's exactly it. To save the colorful pony, Little Monkey saved me."
The Jade Emperor glared at him: "You shut up."
The little one smiled at his Father Emperor, immediately covering his mouth with his hand, and glanced at Sun Wukong beside him.
The Jade Emperor asked again: "What do the Immortal Ministers think?"
Since it concerned the prince, how could the Immortal Ministers discern the Jade Emperor's thoughts? They looked at each other, not rushing to express opinions.
Some suggested banishing him to the mortal realm. Then they remembered Sun Wukong originally was a demon monkey from the mortal realm. When he wreaked havoc in the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas and the underworld halls, the Jade Emperor initially intended to dispatch divine generals to capture him, but Taibai Jinxing stepped forward proposing recruitment, bringing him to the Heavenly Court to receive a minor official post.
Thus, all the Immortal Officials eventually turned their gaze collectively toward Taibai Jinxing.
Taibai Jinxing originally thought he could avoid deploying troops and help the Jade Emperor recruit immortals with virtue. Who could have imagined such a big commotion today? When the Jade Emperor suddenly asked, he momentarily fell silent, unsure how to respond.
"I believe that the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses was also concerned about the Crown Prince's safety, which allowed the Heavenly Horse to seize the opportunity. This matter is understandable, and…"
"And deserves a great reward!" Yun Heng's childish voice echoed from the center of the hall. The Jade Emperor, Sun Wukong, and the Immortal Officials standing on both sides all turned their gaze toward him. As he spoke, Yun Heng slapped the colorful pony's butt: "Go, take me to Father Emperor."
The pony, confined daily in the stable and bullied by other tall horses, was particularly timid. Yun Heng's sudden slap startled it a bit, but it still obeyed Yun Heng's command, trotting forward with a clip-clop sound.
The horse was truly small; usually, Heavenly Soldiers and Generals didn't ride it, so it wasn't fitted with a saddle, bridle, or reins. Its hair was long, and Yun Heng sat atop it swaying precariously, seemingly at risk of falling off at any moment.
Soon, Yun Heng rode the pony to the steps before the throne. He tilted his little head upward and looked; for a pony of this size, climbing so many steps would surely be exhausting.
Thus, he hugged the horse's neck, slid his body sideways, and descended from the horse's back in a manner that made everyone watching tremble with fear.
Seeing him swaying unsteadily, the Jade Emperor's heart leaped into his throat, fearing he might accidentally fall. He secretly formed a spell in his hand; if his precious son truly fell, he could catch him immediately.
Though Yun Heng seemed about to fall, he ultimately didn't, rolling down like a round dumpling. After sliding off the horse's back, he swaggered up the steps and threw himself onto the Jade Emperor's lap: "Father Emperor, I opened the fence. Little Monkey just came to save me, so please don't punish him."
The Jade Emperor glared angrily at his son: "Not only will I punish him, I will punish you too!"
Taibai Jinxing continued from where he had left off: "Your Majesty, I believe it would be appropriate to penalize them with a year's suspension of their Immortal stipends, ordering them to return and redeem themselves through meritorious service. If they offend again, combine the penalties and punish them severely without leniency!"
The Jade Emperor nodded: "Follow the Immortal Minister's suggestion. Everyone, withdraw."
All the Immortal Officials knew that next would be the Jade Emperor's lecture to his son. Thus, they all voluntarily retreated outside the hall.
Only Sun Wukong remained standing in place, fearing the Jade Emperor intended to dismiss everyone and then beat Yun Heng.
Several overseers from the Imperial Stables felt as if they had survived a disaster; as they left, they even tugged Sun Wukong's sleeve: "Chief, let's go."
The overseer followed Sun Wukong's gaze and saw him staring intently at Yun Heng. These days, Yun Heng often visited the Imperial Stables; everyone witnessed their relationship and knew this unruly Great Sage Equal to Heaven was worried about Yun Heng. He softly reassured him: "That is His Majesty's cherished treasure, Chief. Please rest assured."
Sun Wukong then reluctantly followed them out of Ling Xiao Dian.
After all the Immortal Officials had departed, Ling Xiao Dian was empty except for: "And you, I've told you that as Crown Prince, you should behave like a Crown Prince. Constantly mischievous and unruly, what kind of example is that?"
Yun Heng pouted, raising his head to look pitifully at the Jade Emperor: "Father Emperor, Heng'er knows he was wrong."
Whenever he made a mistake, his attitude of admitting fault was particularly earnest. Consequently, whether sneaking onto the Nine-Dragon Imperial Carriage to follow the Tour of the Three Realms or running around in the underworld encountering Malevolent Ghosts, the Jade Emperor couldn't harden his heart to punish him severely, merely slapping his little butt a couple of times.
So, the next moment, Yun Heng indeed turned around, even lifting his immortal robe and sticking out his little butt: "Father Emperor, you can hit me."
The Jade Emperor gritted his teeth, truly unable to contain his anger, and slapped that little butt: "The stables have thousands of Heavenly Horses, many are fierce divine beasts that assist heavenly soldiers and generals in vanquishing demons and monsters, some even require spiritual power. What if they hurt you?"
The little one sniffled: "I really know I was wrong, I won't dare do it again next time."
"There's still a next time!"
"No next time, no next time!" Yun Heng mumbled, "As long as Father Emperor doesn't blame Little Monkey, hitting my butt a few more times isn't much."
"…"
He mentioned Sun Wukong again, and the Jade Emperor fell into deep thought. Initially, following Taibai Jinxing's suggestion, bringing that monkey to the Heavenly Court and granting him a minor official position was precisely to keep him quiet and prevent trouble.
After all, it's just a monkey; not only would he not be entrusted with important tasks, the Jade Emperor had long forgotten him, casting him aside beyond the clouds.
Today's incident revealed that Yun Heng, this little brat, cared about Sun Wukong almost as much as Nezha.
Earlier, that monkey stood in the center of Ling Xiao Dian (Hall of Heaven), his bold and responsible demeanor truly impressed.
Yun Heng stuck out his little butt and waited for a while, but his Father Emperor's slap didn't come down.
The little one blinked and turned around: "Father Emperor?"
The Jade Emperor sighed: "Today, I won't hit your butt. I'll punish you by facing the wall to reflect."
"What??"
The Jade Emperor called: "Marshal Wang!"
"I am here."
"Take the Crown Prince to Pixiang Hall for reflection, let him kneel for the duration of one incense stick, then return him to Jasper Pool."
Yun Heng was taken out of Ling Xiao Dian (Hall of Heaven) by Marshal Wang, looking back every few steps at the colorful pony: "I'm going to face the wall for reflection, what about it?"
The Jade Emperor was amused by his concern: "I ordered you to face the wall for reflection, yet you still have thoughts for other matters."
The little one pursed his lips: "It's the pony I rescued from the stables, I can't just abandon it."
The Jade Emperor sighed: "You indeed show considerable responsibility."
The little one shook his head, not without pride, saying: "That's right, this is all taught to me by Little Monkey."
Again, that demon monkey; this little brat, never three sentences without mentioning Little Monkey, the old father felt an inexplicable sourness rising in his heart.
"Father Emperor taught you so much, yet you heed none of it."
"I listened." The little one ran back to the Jade Emperor's side, climbed onto the throne, and wrapped his arms around Father Emperor's neck. Mimicking the Jade Emperor's tone, he said, "Father Emperor said 'Crown Prince, do not be rude!' 'Crown Prince, do not cause mischief!' I remember them all."
He imitated quite convincingly, with an innocent and lively expression, truly amusing. The Jade Emperor couldn't hold back and burst into laughter. After laughing, he lightly coughed, gently slapped the little one's butt, pretending to be stern as he lightly scolded: "Go, face the wall!"
He then waved towards the side, "Curtain-Rolling General!"
"I am here."
"Dispatch heavenly soldiers to return this horse to the Imperial Stables."
"I…"
"No, no…" Yun Heng quickly waved his hands, "Cannot return it to the Imperial Stables, those big horses will bully it."
The Jade Emperor sternly said: "Crown Prince, face the wall for reflection!"
Yun Heng had to obediently follow Marshal Wang towards the hall's exit, but then heard his Father Emperor instruct behind him: "Send it to Jasper Pool."
Yun Heng, having grown up, was punished by the Jade Emperor for the first time to face the wall for reflection. He thought that while facing the wall for reflection, there would be Immortal Attendants accompanying him nearby.
Little did he know that the Immortal Child had led him into Pixiang Hall, brought a prayer mat, and then a Jade Maiden came in to light the palace lanterns and incense burner before leaving, not forgetting to close the hall door behind her, leaving him alone inside.
Yun Heng: "…"
Pixiang Hall was where the Jade Emperor stored scriptures, surrounded by entire walls of large bookshelves filled with scrolls of sutras.
Yun Heng, a mere three-year-old toddler who couldn't recognize a single character, had no hope of understanding any scriptures. He had no choice but to obediently kneel on the prayer mat, staring at the stick of incense burning in the incense burner.
As he watched, the little one felt his eyelids grow heavy, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep on the prayer mat.
He had no idea how long he slept, but when Yun Heng slowly woke up, his first reaction was to check whether the incense had burned out.
Suddenly, the little one widened his eyes, blinked once, then blinked again, and rubbed them. Immediately after, he let out a loud cry: "Someone, come quickly! This incense is broken. I've already slept once, and it still hasn't moved."
The hall door did not open, but the voice of a serving Jade Maiden came from outside: "Your Highness, this incense has been enchanted with a magic art. It stops moving when you fall asleep or lose focus. It only continues burning when you kneel obediently."
"…"
When Sun Wukong left Ling Xiao Dian (Hall of Heaven), he did not rush to depart. Instead, he waited at the entrance for a while, hoping to see if Yun Heng would come out.
Little did he expect that as soon as he slowed his steps, groups of Immortals gathered around him, greeting him and striking up conversations.
Mu De Xing Jun (Wood Virtue Star Lord): "Great Sage, your courage to take responsibility is truly admirable."
Zengzhang Tianwang: "I've heard of the Great Sage's extraordinary powers. When we have time, let's spar."
Kui Mulang: "I haven't yet invited the Great Sage to my palace. Another day, I will definitely host a banquet to gather with the Great Sage."
Wuqu Xing Jun: "Great Sage, you truly looked majestic today."
"…"
At first, these Immortals had regarded him as nothing more than a small demon monkey from the mortal realm, lacking manners before the Jade Emperor, and they had all treated it as a joke.
Sun Wukong had served as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses at the Imperial Stables for nearly a month—an insignificant official whom the Immortals paid little attention to.
Yet today, such a major incident had occurred. In the past, the Jade Emperor would have been furious, banishing all involved to the mortal realm.
But Sun Wukong stood tall before Ling Xiao Dian, and even with the young crown prince's vigorous defense, he did not shirk responsibility, showing courage and accountability. The Jade Emperor also showed leniency, only penalizing him with a year's worth of celestial salary.
The Immortals now viewed the monkey in a new light, and as they left Ling Xiao Dian, they came over one after another to chat and laugh with him.
Back on Huaguo Mountain, Sun Wukong had always been a sociable and spirited monkey who enjoyed making friends. With the Immortals smiling and welcoming him, praising his courage and accountability, and even inviting him to drink and spar, he naturally delighted in befriending them, addressing them as brothers.
However, his mind was preoccupied with Yun Heng, and his conversations with them seemed absent-minded, merely agreeing to their offers.
When he saw Yun Heng being led out by Marshal Wang, turning a corner and heading toward the rear Taiwei Yuqing Palace, he confirmed where Yun Heng was. Quickly, he dealt with the Immortals who came to chat and also made his way toward Taiwei Yuqing Palace.
This was the Jade Emperor's private quarters, guarded inside and out by heavenly soldiers, along with serving Immortal Children and Fairy Maidens. Sun Wukong couldn't simply swagger in, so he plucked a strand of hair and transformed into a butterfly, flying inside to search for the little milk baby.
The Jade Purity Palace of the Grand Void was vast, containing dozens of halls large and small, along with treasure pavilions and covered corridors. Searching through them one by one would have taken considerable effort.
However, Yun Heng's location was not hard to find—he was in a side hall closest to the Main Hall.
"Huff~ huff~ huff~" Peering through the window, Sun Wukong saw the little milk bun kneeling on a cushion, leaning forward with his body prostrate on the ground. His small face was aimed at an incense burner on a low table, his cheeks puffing in and out as he blew repeatedly at the burning incense inside.
The Great Sage flew right before his eyes: "Little milk bun, what are you doing?"
Yun Heng raised a finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture: "Shh!" He then pricked up his ears to listen for any movement outside the hall, confirming he hadn't disturbed the jade maidens guarding the incense outside, before whispering softly: "Father Emperor ordered me to face the wall here and reflect on my mistakes. I can only get up after this stick of incense burns out."
As he spoke, the little one took a deep breath: "I want to make it burn faster."
Sun Wukong glanced at the incense stick: "Someone cast a magic art on the incense. Blowing on it won't make it burn any faster."
"Why is it always magic art?" Yun Heng knelt on the cushion, his brows furrowed in anger. "You all have magic arts, and you bully me because I don't." As he spoke, his eyes welled up with tears, as if by sleight of hand—he could cry at the drop of a hat.
The Great Sage quickly resumed his original form to comfort him: "Don't cry, little milk bun. Old Sun is here, and I'll think of a way for you."
The magic art on the incense was cast by Marshal Wang, whose spiritual power was not comparable to that of ordinary minor immortals.
Sun Wukong expended a great deal of effort, but the incense still burned at its original pace. Instead, he himself was left sweating profusely from exhaustion.
Yun Heng wiped his forehead with his sleeve: "Little Monkey, that… it seems like it's almost burned out."
"…"
Sun Wukong refused to believe this was beyond him. After trying repeatedly—who knows how many times—he finally not only dispelled Marshal Wang's magic art but also cast a spell to make the incense stick burn out in the blink of an eye.
He pulled Yun Heng up from the cushion: "Come on, little milk bun, I'll take you out."
As soon as Yun Heng stood up, he plopped back down with a thud: "My legs are numb."
"…"
Sun Wukong hoisted him up with one hand, carrying him while retracing their steps out the window.
Once outside, Yun Heng tugged at his fur, pointing toward the door and asking: "Why didn't we go through the door?"
Sun Wukong looked in the direction he pointed—the doorway was empty. The jade maidens guarding the incense who had been there earlier were nowhere to be seen.
"Uh…" Sun Wukong pondered for a moment. Whether it was from spending too much time with this little milk bun, he felt as though his three-hundred-year-old brain had regressed to the age of three.
Maybe even less than three!
The two of them avoided Immortal Attendants and heavenly soldiers along the way, passing through the garden and skirting the pond, intending to find an unmanned spot to leave the palace.
Suddenly, faint whispers came from behind a rockery. Sun Wukong, carrying Yun Heng, silently leaped onto the rockery, landing on a jagged stone.
Their two heads pressed together as they peered down. Behind the rockery, hidden among the bushes, an immortal official held a Fairy Maiden's hand, the two gazing at each other with deep affection, their eyes entwined.
"They…"
As soon as Yun Heng began to speak, Sun Wukong covered his mouth. But it was too late—the sound had already reached the ears of the two below.
The immortal official instinctively looked up, but the fairy maiden covered her face and ran away.
The three of them locked eyes, and Sun Wukong quickly waved his hand at the immortal official, flattering with a grin, "We didn't see anything, absolutely nothing."
Then, grabbing Yun Heng by the back of his collar, he summoned his Somersault Cloud and vanished with a "whoosh."
Yun Heng asked curiously, "What were they doing?"
Sun Wukong brushed it off, saying, "You didn't see anything; it was just an illusion."
But Yun Heng insisted, "I saw it. That was Kui Mulang and the Incense-Serving Jade Maiden."
Sun Wukong, of course, knew it was Kui Mulang—he had recently made plans to drink with him.
"Just pretend you didn’t see it."
Yun Heng bit his lower lip. "But my mother said children shouldn’t lie."
"I’m not asking you to lie, just not to tell anyone else."
Yun Heng thought it over and decided this didn’t violate his principles as the little prince of the Celestial Realm, so he happily agreed, "Alright then."
Sun Wukong sneered inwardly, "So easy to fool a little milk baby."
Thus, Yun Heng never mentioned the incident to anyone. Not long after, he noticed he never saw the Incense-Serving Jade Maiden from Pixiang Hall again. Later, even Kui Mulang disappeared.
Of course, that’s a story for later.
At this moment, Yun Heng had another matter weighing on his mind.
Sun Wukong carried him out of Taiwei Yuqing Palace and was about to head toward the Imperial Stables when Yun Heng began squirming in his arms. "Wrong way, wrong way! It’s not that direction."
Thinking Yun Heng simply didn’t want to go to the Imperial Stables, Sun Wukong turned around and prepared to carry him toward Cai Hong instead.
Yun Heng grew frantic, tugging at him and saying, "Wrong again! The Jasper Pool isn’t that way. Take this path; it’s not far ahead."
Sun Wukong glanced up at the sky. "It’s still early, not even dark yet. Are you heading home already?"
"Yes, I’m going home. My colorful pony is waiting for me at the Jasper Pool."
Sun Wukong: "…"
This little milk baby—just a few days ago, he was clinging to him all day, chattering about "Little Monkey this, Little Monkey that." Now that he has a pony, this Little Monkey isn’t so appealing anymore?
Sun Wukong shook his head in annoyance. He wasn’t a little monkey; he was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!
He set Yun Heng down on the ground and turned to leave. "I’m going back to the Imperial Stables."
He walked slowly, dragging his feet, hoping the little milk baby would run after him and stop him.
Instead, Yun Heng cheerfully called out from behind, "Then I’ll come find you to play another day!"
"!!!"
The Great Sage was so furious he shut himself in his room, skipping dinner altogether. He slept through the night and woke up the next morning.
Yun Heng never showed up, but other Immortals came instead. They drank and chatted freely, enjoying themselves immensely.
From that day on, many Immortals visited one after another, addressing Sun Wukong as a brother and engaging in lively conversations.
Meanwhile, Yun Heng returned to the Jasper Pool and immediately went to find his pony. The pony was tied to a tree by the pool. From afar, it saw Yun Heng running toward it, and its coat color shifted from blue to orange. It stomped its hooves and swished its tail, looking utterly delighted.
Yun Heng patted its head. "From today on, you’ll stay at the Jasper Pool. No other horses will bully you here."
The horse twitched its ears, appearing very obedient.
But a voice came from nearby, "Did I agree to this?"
"Huh?"
Yun Heng turned around and saw the Queen Mother sitting by the stone table, sipping tea and looking at him with a faint, knowing smile. "Crown Prince, I heard you caused another big trouble today and upset your Father Emperor."
"No, no," Yun Heng quickly ran over, leaning close to the Queen Mother. He extended his small, chubby hand, pinching his thumb and forefinger together to gesture a tiny amount. "Just a little mistake, and Father Emperor already punished me."
"What did he punish you with?"
"He made me reflect on my mistakes facing the wall in Pixiang Hall, for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
The Queen Mother pinched his little cheek. "That’s quite fast, isn’t it?"
"Hmm…" The little one's eyes darted around, shifting the topic, "Mother, let's keep the pony. Look how pitiful it is, bullied by those big Heavenly Horses, even unable to get grass to eat."
"If you like it, keep it." The Queen Mother patted her son's head. "Give it a name."
Yun Heng thought for a moment and said, "Great Emperor Dongyue's ox only has five colors, but the pony has seven colors, just like a rainbow. Shall we call it Cai Hong from now on?"
"Good, call it Cai Hong."
Yun Heng pointed at the pony, speaking with a serious expression, "You are a Heavenly Horse. Heavenly Horses are what heavenly soldiers and generals ride to slay demons and monsters. From now on, you will be my mount, and I will ride you to slay demons and monsters too."
The pony shrank its neck. Even when it served as a Heavenly Horse in the Imperial Stables, slaying demons and monsters was never its role.
Yun Heng tilted his head, pondering for a moment, "But you're too small now, unable to slay demons and monsters. You need to grow up quickly."
The Queen Mother beckoned, summoning a Fairy Maiden nearby, "Qing Yao, take some people to the Imperial Stables and fetch some fodder for the Crown Prince."
Yun Heng spread his arms, drawing a big circle, "Need lots and lots of fodder."
Soon, Qing Yao brought two Immortal Attendants from the Imperial Stables, carrying fodder.
Yun Heng began force-feeding the horse, regardless of whether it was full, stuffing fodder into its mouth incessantly, "Eat more, eat more. Only when you're full can you grow tall."
The Queen Mother remained seated at the stone table, accompanying him while handling celestial duties. Hearing this, she lifted her head, "Heng'er, it's already full."
Yun Heng encouraged his pony, "Come, open your mouth, eat one more bite. So good!"
The Nine Heaven Guardian Mother chuckled from the side: "In the mortal realm, mothers coax their children to eat just like the Crown Prince.""
She was the Supervising Immortal of the Nine Heaven Birth Monitoring Department, primarily responsible for managing the reproduction of all beings across the three realms. She spoke eloquently about mortal parenting experience, and the Queen Mother often sought her advice.
Yun Heng, as if encouraged, continued patiently coaxing the pony to eat a little more.
The Queen Mother couldn't bear to watch further and called her son to her side, "Even if you feed it more, it will only grow fat, not tall."
Yun Heng puzzled: "Why?""
Because it isn't an undergrown pony."
Yun Heng was even more puzzled, "But it's very small."
The Queen Mother patiently explained to him, "It's called a fruit horse, short and small in stature, can be ridden under fruit trees." Occasionally produced among horse breeds, rare and precious, thus highly valued in the mortal realm."
"This horse was left behind by Taishang Laojun during his travels, dropping an Immortal Elixir. The horse, after mistakenly ingesting, ascended to the heavenly realm, and its fur color also changed."
"But it can only grow up to three feet tall. Heavenly soldiers and generals can't use it for slaying demons and monsters, so it has been kept in the Imperial Stables."
Yun Heng interjected, "I'm also three feet tall."
The Queen Mother patted his head, amused, "It won't grow taller, but my Heng'er will grow tall in the future."
"Good, I want to grow tall!"
Yun Heng finally got his mount, though it was a pony at the very bottom of the Imperial Stables' hierarchy of contempt. But from now on, following the little Crown Prince, its days finally held promise. At least it no longer had to suffer bullying from those big horses with wings and lightning.
Yun Heng thought he had acquired a divine beast, one that had even consumed Taishang Laojun's Immortal Elixir, and surely possessed some hidden mystical powers. Cai Hong thought he was about to embark on a new life, where simply eating and drinking well, carrying the little prince around for strolls, would lead him to the pinnacle of equine existence.
However, a few days later, they discovered things weren't so simple.
Yun Heng had longed for this for so long. Though he couldn't obtain the Mo Qilin, the great azure ox, the Great Peacock, or Little Monkey, getting a pony still delighted him, and he placed high hopes on the little pony.
The Queen Mother even specially ordered someone to outfit his pony properly, so now he could ride Cai Hong out to play every day.
Yun Heng would lead Cai Hong to the edge of the Jasper Pool each day, first feeding it plenty of grass and water before climbing onto its back.
Yun Heng lightly slapped its buttocks and shouted crisply, "Gee-up!"
Cai Hong: "…"
"Go on!"
Cai Hong snorted and shook its head vigorously.
Directly ahead was the Jasper Pool, whose waters were unfathomably deep. The pony was only three feet tall; stepping into it would mean never coming out.
Yun Heng wondered, "You're a Heavenly Horse, aren't you? How can a Heavenly Horse fear water? Ao Bing's water-avoiding beast can move freely in water."
Cai Hong stomped a couple of times on the spot and retreated a few steps, indicating it had no affinity with water and certainly didn't know any water-avoiding spells—it couldn't go into the water. Yun Heng continued encouraging it: "Be brave, you can do it. Gee-up!"
Cai Hong simply turned around and walked back, heading under a tree to nibble on grass.
"…"
Yun Heng pouted disappointedly: "As a Heavenly Horse, you can't even go into water."
Cai Hong: "Neigh, neigh, neigh~~"
Since it wasn't adept with water, Yun Heng couldn't force it. So the next day, Yun Heng mounted Cai Hong and pointed to the waterfall atop the other side of the Jasper Pool: "Cai Hong, fly up there!"
Cai Hong: "…"
Can't fly, can't fly—it doesn't have wings, how could it fly?
So Cai Hong retreated a few steps again, its mane and tail hairs nearly turning black.
It was just an ordinary, unremarkable pony that had accidentally ascended to heaven after eating an Immortal Elixir Lao Jun dropped on the ground, unlike other divine beasts with special abilities.
Yun Heng seemed to understand its meaning and slapped its buttocks again: "The great azure ox, Mo Qilin, and Five-Colored Divine Ox don't have wings either, but they can fly. Why can't you fly?"
He stroked Cai Hong's neck: "Don't be afraid, just try it. Just give it a try."
Can't do it, really can't do it. Cai Hong turned its head, wanting to return under the tree again.
Yun Heng tugged the reins, preventing it from leaving: "Cai Hong, do you think this is too difficult?"
The little one began self-reflecting: "You've never flown before, and this waterfall is too high. Maybe we should try something simpler."
Cai Hong paused, unsure what "simpler" meant in his words.
Yun Heng held the reins, guiding Cai Hong to the other side: "Let's climb up from here, then fly down from above. That should be simpler, right?"
Cai Hong: "…"
The pony's legs went weak, carrying him back at full gallop.
The Queen Mother watched her son from afar. Previously, the little one always wanted to run off outside; now he was staying obediently at the Jasper Pool for days, but tormenting this pony all day. Every day he hoped his mount could be like other divine beasts, capable of soaring to heaven and diving into earth without limits.
The Nine Heaven Guardian Mother laughed, "The Crown Prince's earnestness in training horses every day is just like those parents in the mortal world who hope their children will succeed."
The Queen Mother gazed thoughtfully at her son: "Both his Father Emperor and I usually indulge him, letting him be mischievous and playful. I wonder who he learned this from."
The Nine Heaven Guardian Mother seized the opportunity to flatter the Queen Mother: "The Crown Prince is naturally intelligent, with an Immortal Bearing and Spiritual Bone. It's easy to see that in a few years, he will surely be the most handsome and distinguished young man in the three realms."
The Queen Mother naturally knew that when her son grew up, not only would his appearance be unparalleled in the world, but his innate talent and insight would also be unmatched. She could even envision her son's future appearance in her mind, yet she wished he could grow slower, even slower.
The little bundle now was so innocent and pure, so lively and adorable. She truly hoped he would never grow up, remaining for thousands of years the little Crown Prince cherished in the palms of his Father Emperor and Mother Empress, beloved by all the gods.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?" The Nine Heaven Guardian Mother didn't know which of her words had displeased the Queen Mother, causing her to fall into deep thought.
The Queen Mother snapped back to reality, glancing down at the report she had brought: "In this area, the number of newborn infants has decreased by nearly thirty percent over the past decade. Go and ask the local earth god what exactly is happening."
"Yes." The Nine Heaven Guardian Mother accepted the decree and departed.
After several days of effort, Yun Heng had to accept that his pony could neither ascend to the heavens nor dive into the waters; it could only run on the ground.
But the little one still refused to give up. He firmly believed his mount was a divine beast, and he had yet to uncover the pony's strengths. Since it couldn't ascend to the heavens nor dive into the waters, Yun Heng could only settle for the next best option: running on land, covering a thousand miles a day should be possible.
However, Yun Heng had no concrete concept of this "thousand miles." He only knew it meant very fast.
So, he patted Cai Hong's butt twice, being careful not to hurt his pony: "Gee up! Gee up!"
"Go, Cai Hong, let's go to the Imperial Stables to find Little Monkey."
"…"
"Clip-clop, clip-clop," Cai Hong carried him leisurely along the road. The pony's white fur blended with the pervasive mist, leaving only its constantly changing mane, tail, and hooves visible.
"Run faster, even faster!" Yun Heng patted its butt again.
"…"
Cai Hong still maintained its own pace, occasionally curiously sniffing the flowers and grass along the roadside, then nibbling a bite to taste.
Yun Heng grew impatient and patted its butt again: "Quick, quick, quick, faster!"
"…"
After being out for a long time, Yun Heng looked back and saw the Jasper Pool was still nearby.
The little one finally gave up. He didn't go to the Imperial Stables anymore and turned the horse back.
He was so disappointed that when dismounting, he accidentally stumbled and fell. His moon-white immortal robe was stained with dust, and the little one dashed into the Main Hall: "Mother Empress, Ziyuan sister, Qing Yao sister, I need to change clothes, I need to change clothes!"
The Queen Mother watched him run in from outside, clothes dirty and little face smudged. She instructed Qing Yao to fetch water while telling Ziyuan to bring clean clothes.
"What happened…" The Queen Mother crouched down, gently squeezing his little arms and legs, "Where did you fall? Does it hurt?"
Yun Heng's little mouth puckered, and tears began to patter down. He hurriedly wiped them away with his hands, but his hands were already dirty, and smearing them across his face only made it worse, leaving him looking like a little tabby cat.
His teary-eyed appearance was both pitiful and amusing. The Queen Mother wiped his face while asking him, "Did you fall on your own, or did the pony throw you off?"
Yun Heng sniffled twice, crying so sorrowfully: "It was me."
"Did it hurt?"
"No."
"If it didn't hurt, why are you crying so sadly?"
"Because…" Yun Heng hiccupped through his tears, "Cai Hong can't fly, can't swim, and can't even run fast."
"Wahhhh~~ It's just a pretty fool, good for nothing but looking nice."