Yun Heng had been dreaming for so long, always yearning to have a mount of his own.
What he wanted was clearly a divine beast like the Mo Qilin or the great azure ox—majestic and imposing, capable of soaring through the heavens and plunging into the earth, traveling thousands of miles in a single day.
But fate had other plans. His mount was a color-changing pony, exceptionally beautiful but utterly useless. Forget traveling thousands of miles a day—if it walked just a few extra steps, it would stubbornly refuse to go any further.
Yun Heng couldn’t accept this reality. The more he thought about it, the sadder he became; the more he dwelled on it, the more aggrieved he felt. His crying grew increasingly heart-wrenching, his sobs especially pitiable.
The Queen Mother was nearly laughing herself to death at her son’s antics. As she changed his clothes, she said, “Your pony isn’t entirely useless, you know. At least it can change colors.”
Yun Heng obediently spread his arms, cooperating as his mother changed his clothes. “What’s the use of changing colors?”
The Queen Mother chuckled. “You said yourself it’s beautiful. Seeing something beautiful makes Heng’er happy, doesn’t it?”
The little one remained fixated on the earlier issue. “But it’s a fool. I’m the Crown Prince. How can my mount be a fool?”
The Queen Mother could hardly contain her laughter. “Who says the Crown Prince’s mount must be clever?”
“But… other Immortals’ mounts are all clever.”
“Perhaps your pony is clever too, and you just haven’t discovered its cleverness yet.”
Though Yun Heng’s crying had subsided, he still sniffled occasionally. “Really?”
“Really,” the Queen Mother replied, fastening his Jade Belt and adorning him with jade pendants and sachets. “When you spend more time with it, you’ll find that the pretty little fool isn’t entirely useless. It has its own strengths, just that others don’t know about them.”
Yun Heng truly couldn’t imagine what strengths a pony could have—unable to soar through the heavens or plunge into the seas, lacking even the most basic skill of running as a mount. What strengths could it possibly possess?
Yun Heng pouted. “It can’t do this, it can’t do that. I really don’t know how it has the nerve to call itself a Heavenly Horse.”
The Queen Mother asked him, “Since the pony can’t do this or that, will Heng’er still like it?”
Yun Heng thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I will.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s beautiful.”
All the Immortals knew that the Crown Prince had always been fond of beautiful things, often showing little principle in the presence of beauty.
The Queen Mother teased him. “Didn’t you say it’s a pretty fool?”
Yun Heng wiped the tear stains from his face and gave his mother a radiant smile. “I just like pretty fools.”
After washing his face and changing his clothes, the Queen Mother led him toward the table. But Yun Heng reminded her, “Mother, the pouch. You forgot to hang the pouch on me.”
“Oh, right, your little pouch.”
The Queen Mother picked up his everyday pouch and examined it. While other jade pendants and sachets were changed daily, this pouch was something the little one insisted on carrying with him every day. The gold thread of its embroidery was already worn. “Let’s replace it with a new one.”
Yun Heng said to himself, “The pouch has the feather the Great Peacock gave me. I must carry it with me.”
“We can take the feather out and put it in a new pouch.”
Yun Heng disagreed. He took the pouch and hung it on his waist himself. “I just like this one.”
“…”
He insisted he liked it just like this, so the Queen Mother couldn’t force him to take it off. She could only secretly use her magical power to make the pouch look brand new.
Cai Ying had prepared several new snacks for Yun Heng, including golden thread jujube cake, water chestnut cake, and fresh flower pastry.
When delivering them, Cai Ying specifically mentioned, “Your Highness, these flowers were freshly picked this morning from the Hundred Flower Fairy’s garden. You must try them.”
Coincidentally, the Barefoot Immortal had sent some jiao pear and fire jujube, along with the newly extracted Jasmine Dew from the Hundred Flower Fairy. The Queen Mother instructed the Fairy Maidens to bring them all to the table, hoping to cheer up the little one who had just cried so much.
Yun Heng held a fresh flower pastry in one hand and Jasmine Dew in the other. He looked up at the Queen Mother and said, “Mother!”
“What’s wrong?” The Queen Mother glanced up from her official documents. “Not to your taste?”
Yun Heng shook his head. “Like Cai Hong, I can’t do anything, and I’m also very pretty. Do you think I’m a beautiful idiot too?”
“How could that be?” The Queen Mother said seriously. “Who said you’re pretty? You’re just a little idiot.”
Yun Heng paused, blinked, and seemed to fall into deep thought.
The Queen Mother watched him with interest, curious about his reaction—whether he would argue that he wasn’t pretty or that he wasn’t an idiot.
However, Yun Heng pondered for a moment, then put down the fresh flower pastry and Jasmine Dew. He lowered his head and pitifully said, “You really dislike me. You don’t like me anymore. Are you going to have another little prince?”
The Queen Mother: “…”
Yun Heng stood up, walked to his mother’s side, pouted, and whispered, “But if you have another little prince, what if he’s also an ugly little idiot?”
The Queen Mother said, “That’s fine. I like little idiots.”
“But he’s ugly.”
“That’s also fine.”
Yun leaned against her. “Then why can’t you like me?”
The Queen Mother hugged him. “Who said I don’t like you?”
“If you like me, why would you want another little prince?”
The Queen Mother pinched his chin. “I never said I wanted another little prince. You said that.”
Yun Heng said, “You dislike me for being ugly and call me a little idiot.”
The Queen Mother kissed his little face. “Mother was teasing you. You are the prettiest and smartest little treasure in the Six Realms. One of the two people Mother loves most.”
Yun Heng asked again, “Who’s the other one? Father Emperor?”
The Queen Mother pinched his little face. “I won’t tell you.”
After eating and drinking, Yun Heng forgot about the pony.
Then, he remembered Sun Wukong. These past few days, he hadn’t gone to the Imperial Stables, and the Little Monkey hadn’t come to the Jasper Pool to find him. Yun Heng actually missed him a bit.
The Queen Mother was busy with celestial duties and couldn’t always stay with him. Just then, the little one put all the snacks and immortal fruits on the table into the crabapple flower basket, rode his pony, and trotted all the way to the Imperial Stables.
However, Sun Wukong wasn’t at the Imperial Stables. The stable supervisor said he had been very busy these days, wandering east and west, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. Today he was attending a banquet and drinking at one Immortal Family’s palace; tomorrow he was sparring martial arts at another star lord’s residence. Early this morning, he said he went to King Jin De’s place, as the star lord had newly forged several divine weapons and invited the Great Sage to appreciate them.
Upon hearing that Sun Wukong was at King Jin De’s palace, Yun Heng immediately rode his pony over there.
King Jin De, the son of the White Emperor, governs the gold and silver of the mortal realm and commands the solemn might of generals and soldiers. He also forges divine weapons, making him sound like a very wealthy Immortal.
Not only was he wealthy, but he was also handsome, witty, and charming. Though they both resided in the star palaces of the west, Yun Heng preferred this young Immortal over the old man, Taibai Jinxing.
When Yun Heng arrived at Taibai Jinxing's palace, Sun Wukong and King Jin De were sparring in the garden.
The Golden-Hooped Rod clashed with the Seven Stars Sword with a sharp "clang," gathering spiritual power around them. The Immortal Attendants retreated far away, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire of these two powerful deities.
"Wow!!!" Yun Heng, riding his pony, had just entered the garden when he saw the two locked in intense combat. He couldn't help but shout, "Little Monkey is amazing! Go, Little Monkey!"
While wielding the Seven Stars Sword and fending off Sun Wukong's fierce attacks, King Jin De still found a moment to tease Yun Heng from afar: "Your Highness is so biased, cheering only for the Great Sage and not encouraging me at all."
Yun Heng shouted again, "Go, King Jin De!"
In terms of martial prowess, King Jin De was far inferior to Sun Wukong. Even when fighting seriously, he could barely hold his own for a hundred rounds, let alone while distracted by teasing Yun Heng. In a moment of carelessness, the Golden-Hooped Rod knocked aside the Seven Stars Sword and pressed against his throat.
King Jin De wasn't angered and calmly accepted his defeat: "You win."
He hadn't been fighting seriously, so Sun Wukong's victory felt hollow. Retrieving the Golden-Hooped Rod and resting it on his shoulder, Sun Wukong said, "Boring. I won't come here again."
King Jin De laughed, "What about those two divine weapons of mine?"
"Also boring."
King Jin De burst into laughter, "You monkey… What about those two jugs of Divine Wine?"
Sun Wukong answered truthfully, "Now that's a bit interesting."
Yun Heng rode his pony, swaying gently as he approached them. "Little Monkey, why did you come here?"
Sun Wukong glanced at him and said disdainfully, "Old Sun goes wherever he pleases. Even your father doesn't interfere, yet you, a little milk-drinker, dare to question me?"
Yun Heng replied, "They say you've made many new friends these days and have already forgotten about me."
Sun Wukong nodded, "Long forgotten."
Yun Heng pouted, "Hmph!"
King Jin De leaned down to pat his head, "If Little Monkey won't play with you, I will."
He then looked at the pony beneath Yun Heng, "Is this divine beast Your Highness's mount?"
"Indeed."
King Jin De clicked his tongue twice, "He's truly beautiful."
Yun Heng generously introduced, "His name is Cai Hong. He's a beautiful fool."
The description "beautiful fool" amused King Jin De and the surrounding Immortal Attendants. Even Sun Wukong, who was still sulking nearby, turned his head away and couldn't help but chuckle.
King Jin De added, "This pony is truly adorable. In a few days, I have some business to attend to in the mortal realm. Would Your Highness be willing to lend me this pony?"
Yun Heng exclaimed in surprise, "Do you also like beautiful fools?"
"Yes, yes, I do," King Jin De leaned closer to him. "Look at me. Am I also a beautiful fool?"
Yun Heng asked, puzzled, "Does King Jin De also want to be a fool?"
King Jin De corrected him, "Your Highness, you mustn't leave out the word 'beautiful.'"
Yun Heng giggled, "We are all beautiful fools."
"Then let His Majesty bestow an official title—a pretty fool."
"Great, great!" Yun Heng clapped his hands and laughed. "I'll be the pretty one, and you can be the fool."
"…"
King Jin De pinched his little cheek. "You little rascal."
"Alright, alright," Sun Wukong interrupted impatiently, though in truth he didn't want to see the little milk baby playing so happily with someone else. "Old Sun is leaving."
With that, he hoisted his Golden-Hooped Rod onto his shoulder and turned to go. After a few steps, he noticed Yun Heng wasn't following and turned back to ask, "Aren't you coming, milk baby?"
Yun Heng nodded blankly. "Coming, coming, I'm coming right now."
Though he said he was coming, his pony remained rooted in place. Sun Wukong squinted at him. Yun Heng shook the reins in his hand.
Only then did the Great Sage Equal to Heaven understand his meaning. He turned back, took the reins from Yun Heng's hand, and led the horse away.
King Jin De called out loudly behind them, "Take care, you two. Come and play again sometime!"
"…"
A few days later, during the court assembly at Ling Xiao Dian, Master Xu Jingyang, the Heavenly Teacher, privately advised the Jade Emperor.
Ever since the Heavenly Horses had run amok throughout the Heavenly Court, many more hands had been assigned to the Imperial Stables. These days, the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses had found himself with plenty of leisure, wandering about everywhere, befriending all the immortal officials in the heavens, regardless of rank, addressing them all as friends. He had even paid visits to the Three Pure Ones, who usually remained aloof from worldly affairs.
Heavenly Teacher Xu said, "To prevent this demon monkey from causing trouble in his idleness, it would be best to assign him another task to keep him busy, so he won't have time for other matters."
After pondering for a moment, the Jade Emperor assigned him the job of guarding the peach trees in Pan Tao Yuan, requiring him to watch over them morning and night, thus leaving him no time to roam idly around the Heavenly Court.
Pan Tao Yuan was located just behind the Jasper Pool, making it even more convenient for Yun Heng to see Sun Wukong.
The little one rode his pony clip-clopping straight there.
Besides Sun Wukong, Pan Tao Yuan also had an earth god and various strongmen handling miscellaneous tasks. Everyone was busy with their duties—some watching the garden, some hoeing around the trees, some carrying water, some pruning the peaches, some sweeping… all occupied with their work. Only Sun Wukong had found a spot under a lush, leafy peach tree to lie down and nap.
There were three thousand six hundred peach trees in Pan Tao Yuan. If Yun Heng searched tree by tree, even three days and three nights might not be enough to find Sun Wukong.
So he opened his little throat and called out, "Little Monkey~ Little Monkey~ Little Monkey~"
"Stop shouting, I'm right here."
Sun Wukong's rather impatient voice came from not far away. Yun Heng followed the sound and saw the monkey lying on his side under a tree, facing inward.
The little one rode his pony forward in a circle. "Little Monkey, look! My mother said my pony is called a fruit horse. It's a small horse you can ride under fruit trees, very rare and very expensive in the mortal realm."
Sun Wukong turned his head, lifting an eyelid to glance at him. The tiny milk baby on the tiny pony looked utterly full of childish charm.
Only he could ride this horse; no one else could. It seemed as if it had ascended to the Celestial Realm just to one day serve as the little prince's mount.
Yun Heng dismounted, rushed under the tree, gave Sun Wukong's backside a pat, and pointed to the top of the peach tree. "Little Monkey, I want to eat the biggest one."
Sun Wukong squinted up at the tree. He was pointing to the highest one. "It's not ripe yet. Won't taste good."
Yun Heng asked, "Which ones are ripe?"
Sun Wukong squinted his eyes and scanned around, pointing out for him: "That one, that one, and that one—just these three."
Yun Heng slapped his butt again and immediately decided: "Alright! I want these ones. Can you pick them for me?"
"I won't pick them."
"Why?"
Sun Wukong sat up: "The Jade Emperor entrusted me with overseeing Pan Tao Yuan. How could I steal from my own post?"
Yun Heng said: "You just can't pick them."
"???"
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven's prowess was not something a mere milk-fed child could question. As soon as Yun Heng finished speaking, Sun Wukong flashed away, and those peaches fell from the treetops, dropping into Yun Heng's arms.
"Eat."
Yun Heng picked the largest one and handed it to Sun Wukong. The Great Sage felt a surge of delight—it seemed this milk-fed child still had some conscience, offering him the biggest, reddest, most plump and juicy-looking peach.
Yun Heng said: "Little Monkey, peel it for me."
"!!!"
Sun Wukong took a deep breath: "You milk-fed brat, you even peel peaches to eat."
Yun Heng blinked: "Yes, peel them. Not only peel them, but Ziyuan sister also cuts them into little pieces for me."
The pampered life of the Celestial Realm's sole little prince was something Huaguo Mountain's Monkey King could never imagine.
Sun Wukong sighed inwardly, then sat down and patiently peeled the peach for him.
Yun Heng sat opposite him and also picked a peach to peel. But he was small, his hands were tiny, and peeling peach skin was especially difficult for him.
Yet the little one wasn't impatient, peeling slowly bit by bit.
Sun Wukong handed over the peeled peach, but Yun Heng didn't reach out, only opened his mouth: "Ah~~"
Sun Wukong had to bring the peach to his mouth, feeding him bite by bite until he finished the entire peach.
Sun Wukong had picked those purple-veined yellow-core peaches that ripen every nine thousand years—eating them grants longevity equal to heaven and earth, aligning with the sun and moon. But Yun Heng ate it just like any ordinary immortal fruit, biting big chunks, juice flowing from his mouth down to his chin.
After finishing the peach, he had also peeled his own and held it up to examine, quite satisfied. Turning around, he asked Cai Hong: "Do you want to eat it?"
Cai Hong snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Yun Heng then brought the peach before Sun Wukong: "This is the one I peeled for Little Monkey."
Sun Wukong rolled his eyes: "Pitted and bumpy, like gnawed by a dog."
Though the Great Sage complained verbally, his body was honest—he took the peach and devoured it in two or three bites: "Actually, peeled ones do taste better than unpeeled ones."
The little prince usually wore light-colored immortal robes and was extremely fond of cleanliness. After eating the peach, he clamored to wash his face and hands.
Sun Wukong had no choice; the other strongmen in the garden were busy with their tasks, so he had to fetch water himself and come back to wash Yun Heng's face and hands.
Yun Heng visited Sun Wukong every few days. The two either played hide-and-seek in the garden or secretly ate peaches, having endless fun.
Soon after, the Queen Mother opened the treasure pavilion to hold the Peach Banquet at Jasper Pool.
Sun Wukong asked Yun Heng: "What is the Peach Banquet?"
Yun Heng thought for a moment and said: "My mother's birthday, inviting everyone to eat peaches."
Sun Wukong asked again: "Who is invited?"
"Many, many Immortals."
"Will I be invited?"
Yun Heng countered: "Then what birthday gift will you give my mother?"
"???"
Sun Wukong pinched his little face and rubbed it vigorously: "You little kid, you sure don’t let yourself get taken advantage of."
Yun Heng lay sprawled on the stone table beneath the pavilion, hands propping up his small face, worrying: "What should I give Mother as a birthday gift?"
Sun Wukong asked him: "What do others give?"
At the last Peach Banquet, Yun Heng was still young and didn’t remember much. He didn’t know what gifts the other Immortals had presented.
But he had heard the Queen Mother mention before: "Lord Wen Qu painted a scene of the mortal world and presented it to my mother, called… the Landscape Scroll. Later, the Landscape Scroll absorbed the spiritual essence of the Jasper Pool and became Mother’s carriage."
Yun Heng sighed: "But I don’t know how to paint."
Sun Wukong asked him: "Then what do you know?"
Yun Heng said: "I know alchemy."
Sun Wukong chuckled: "That’s just candy."
Yun Heng pouted: "Then I know nothing."
"Pretty little fool."
"…"
Yun Heng pondered left and right: "At my birthday banquet, other Immortals gave me many gifts too. I liked Cousin’s golden bow and silver pellets the most. I’ll give that to Mother as a gift."
Sun Wukong said: "Borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha."
"Buddha?" Yun Heng tilted his head, "I’ve seen that, at Lingshan, with lots of sesame balls on his head."
"I didn’t mean that Buddha…"
Yun Heng looked up, gazing at the orchard full of peach trees: "Maybe, Little Monkey, you pick the biggest and sweetest one, and I’ll give it to Mother as a birthday gift."
Sun Wukong said: "This Pan Tao Yuan is all your mother’s."
The earth god passing by suddenly popped out and interjected: "Your Highness, your mother is the Queen Mother of the West, the highest magical power and most esteemed female Immortal among the Six Realms. Ordinary things cannot catch her eye."
Yun Heng thought for several days about what birthday gift he should give Mother at the birthday banquet.
He dug out all the gifts others had given at his birthday banquet, along with his toys. Ziyuan said these things would be rare treasures in the mortal world, but Yun Heng didn’t like them, and he thought Mother wouldn’t like them either.
He asked himself what he liked most, and the answer was snacks.
So, the little one suddenly jumped up: "I know what to give!"
On this day, the Queen Mother of the West held a banquet, hosting the Peach Banquet at the Jasper Pool treasure pavilion, with various Immortals arriving to attend.
Yun Heng moved among the many Immortals, tilting his head to look at this one, glance at that one, and warmly greeting everyone.
Suddenly, he saw several Immortals. These Immortals hadn’t attended his birthday banquet, but he had seen them before.
Last time, following Father Emperor on the Tour of the Three Realms, he saw them at Lingshan.
It was Guanyin Bodhisattva and Tathagata’s two disciples, Venerable Kashyapa and Venerable Ananda.
"Prince, long time no see."
Greeting him was precisely Venerable Ananda. At Lingshan, besides Peacock Great King, Yun Heng had the best impression of him. He also smiled and nodded to him: "Venerable Ananda, hello."
At this moment, Guanyin Bodhisattva was led by the Jasper Pool Immortal Attendants to take her seat, with Venerable Kashyapa and Venerable Ananda following closely behind.
Yun Heng walked outside the treasure pavilion and suddenly saw Sun Wukong. The Great Sage sniffed: "This wine smells so fragrant."
Following the Immortal Attendants delivering the wine, he looked over and saw on the nearby long corridor that the Divine Wine had already been brewed. Wine Immortal turned away quite satisfied, leaving several immortal officials busy, filling the brewed Divine Wine into white jade wine pots and sending them into the treasure pavilion for the various Immortals to enjoy.
Sun Wukong couldn’t stop drooling: “It smells so good.”
“Cousin!!”
The Great Sage was barely restraining himself, wanting to sneak over and steal a jar to satisfy his craving, but suddenly Yun Heng’s childish voice called out from behind him.
He turned to look and saw the little milk baby running, the ornaments on his body jingling and clanging. He pushed aside the Immortals blocking the way and dashed straight toward a young man in white clothes.
That young man had a handsome appearance and a tall, upright posture. In terms of looks alone, among so many Immortals here, none could match him.
Yun Heng also said his Cousin was very powerful, able to fight eight opponents at once.
Looking at the extraordinary and heroic Erlang Shen, and smelling the Divine Wine wafting over from the corridor, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven hesitated indecisively. He wanted to grab a jar of fine wine to satisfy his craving, yet also wanted to pull out his Golden-Hooped Rod to spar with Yang Jian.
Yang Jian bent down and scooped Yun Heng up in his arms. Yun Heng lunged forward, wrapping both arms around his neck and giving him a "smack" kiss on the face: "Cousin, you finally came!"
Yang Jian smiled: "Were Heng'er waiting for me?"
Yun Heng nodded: "I haven't seen Cousin for a long time."
Yang Jian bounced the little baby in his arms: "Seems like you've grown a bit taller."
"Really?"
Yang Jian teased him: "But maybe not."
The little one blinked: "Then I'll eat more."
Yang Jian carried him toward the inner hall, and glancing sideways, suddenly saw a sneaky figure beside the wine jars.
Erlang Shen narrowed his gaze and shouted sternly: "Who's there?"
The Great Sage turned around holding a wine jar, and Yang Jian focused his eyes—it was actually a monkey.
As they spoke, Yang Jian's San Jian Liang Ren Dao (Three-Pointed Two-Edged Blade) was already in hand, while on the other side, Sun Wukong also pulled out his As-Willed Golden-Hooped Rod.
These two stood facing each other, one holding a child, the other holding a wine jar, the tense atmosphere exceptionally bizarre.
The Immortals passing by looked at one, then the other. Both were passionate characters who would grab their weapons at the slightest disagreement. Today was the annual Peach Banquet; the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother would arrive soon. If a disturbance erupted, it would be hard to settle.
Yet Yang Jian still held a little one in his arms who loved watching trouble without caring about the consequences.
Seeing both men pull out their weapons, Yun Heng immediately grew excited: "Little Monkey, this is my Cousin. He's really powerful."
He then turned back and said to Yang Jian: "Cousin, this is my Little Monkey. He's also very powerful; the Immortals of the Heavenly Court can't defeat him."
With him stirring up trouble so eagerly, Yang Jian and Sun Wukong's eyes met, nearly sparking fire, their fighting spirit surging outward, itching to battle each other for three hundred rounds right now.
Yang Jian stepped aside, intending to put Yun Heng down, when the peacemaker Taibai Jinxing stepped forward again: "All Immortal Family members and fellow practitioners, the auspicious time has arrived. The Peach Banquet will begin shortly; let's take our seats first."
Upon hearing this, Erlang Shen regained some rationality. Although his relationship with his maternal uncle, the Jade Emperor, was strained, during his youth he had been sent to the Jasper Pool and raised by the Queen Mother for a period, before later being sent to the Jade Void Palace to study under Yuding Zhenren.
Today was the Queen Mother's birthday; his aunt was also his foster mother, so he had to give her this respect.
In the distance, Guanyin Bodhisattva coldly observed everything. She had come to the Jasper Pool for this Peach Banquet today, originally instructed by Tathagata to watch the spectacle.
Tathagata deliberately did not attend, also waiting for the monkey to stir up trouble, so Guanyin could then recommend him to the Jade Emperor, and Tathagata would rush in to save the situation.
Who would have thought that after being recruited by the Jade Emperor, that demon monkey actually settled into a peaceful life in the Heavenly Court. Some time ago, it was said he released all the Heavenly Horses, causing chaos and disorder in the Heavenly Court. Because the little prince strongly defended him, the Jade Emperor did not pursue the matter further.
This monkey was a crucial part of Tathagata's plan. With this variable here, how would their plan proceed?
Just as Guanyin was distracted, the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother arrived. Immortal music played, and the Peach Banquet officially began.
The Rainbow Fairy led the group of Fairy Maidens in performing an opening dance. Afterwards, the Immortals gradually presented their birthday gifts to the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother looked at the rare treasures offered by the various Immortal Ministers. If placed in the mortal realm, each would be priceless. Yet in the Queen Mother's eyes, they lacked novelty and were nothing special.
Lord Wen Qu was the last to step forward, once again painting on the spot. He painted a pine tree from a famous mountain in the mortal realm—strong and upright, elegantly shaped, lush and verdant with dense foliage.
The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother were quite satisfied after seeing it, and the various Immortal Officials also praised Lord Wen Qu's exceptional painting skills.
But that wasn't all. After finishing the brushwork, Lord Wen Qu infused spiritual power into the painting. The pine tree suddenly transformed into a real object, transplanted beside the Jasper Pool. Amid the swirling immortal mist, it created quite an artistic atmosphere.
The Queen Mother nodded with considerable satisfaction: "Lord Wen Qu has put thought into this."
"Curtain-Rolling General!" The Jade Emperor was also quite pleased with this birthday gift and thus summoned the divine general beside him. "Grant these two jars of Divine Wine to Lord Wen Qu."
"Yes!" The Curtain-Rolling General carried a glazed plate and placed the two jars of wine on the multicolored gold-painted table before Lord Wen Qu.
The congratulatory gifts from the various Immortal Officials were nearly all presented. Next came the main event of the Peach Banquet, the purpose of the Immortals' attendance—the distribution of peaches.
"Wait!"
The Seven Fairies led a group of Immortal Attendants, holding peaches of varying sizes, already waiting in the outer corridor. Just as they were about to enter the treasure pavilion, Yun Heng, that little fellow, suddenly ran out.
Everyone's gaze fell upon Yun Heng, and they secretly began to anticipate. This little prince was accustomed to causing mischief; who knew what spectacle he would bring this time.
Today Yun Heng wore an apricot-colored immortal robe, with a five-clawed coiled dragon embroidered on the chest, an eight-treasure patterned jade belt tied at the waist, and gold-embroidered boots on his feet—the court attire worn by the prince only in formal occasions, appearing both dignified and beautiful. Especially the purple-gold crown on his head accentuated his delicate, porcelain-like features, with rosy lips and pearly teeth.
"I also have a gift to give to Mother."
The Queen Mother and Jade Emperor exchanged glances. Even before seeing what it was, hearing his words "have a gift to give to Mother," smiles already spread across their faces.
The Jade Emperor also looked at his son with interest: "Oh? The prince also has a gift. I am rather curious."
Not only he was curious, but everyone present was curious as well.
At this moment, a Fairy Maiden entered from outside the treasure pavilion—it was Cai Ying. She held a glazed plate with a lid covering it, quite mysterious.
Cai Ying walked to Yun Heng's side. The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, along with the surrounding Immortals, all stood up, their eyes fixed on the glazed plate.
Yun Heng lifted the lid: "Mother, look. This is pastry I made for you myself."
The curiosity of the various Immortals instantly vanished. Truly a congratulatory gift only a child could offer—just pastry.
Others might not take it seriously, but the Queen Mother was quite attentive, descending from the high platform specifically to take a closer look at the item on the glazed plate.
The pastry was almost as large as the entire glazed plate, with a pointed white top and a rounded pink bottom, unmistakably shaped like a peach. On the peach were painted two small figures, and the Queen Mother recognized them at once: the one with the golden hairpin was her, and beside her, with smiling eyes, was Yun Heng.
Around the pastry were arranged a circle of colorful balls. Yun Heng said with no small pride, "Mother, look, these are the Immortal Elixirs I specially refined for you. The yellow ones will make you happy when eaten, the green ones will make you beautiful, the blue ones will make you adorable, and the red ones mean Heng'er will always stay by your side."
To others, it seemed like child's play, mere innocent words unfit for grand occasions.
But to the Queen Mother, all the rare treasures sent by the Immortals combined could not compare to this pastry made by her son's own hands.
A sudden pang of envy welled up in the Jade Emperor's heart. He picked up his jade cup and drained it in one gulp, silently calculating how much longer until his own birthday, so he could ask Heng'er to make one for him too.
Yun Heng looked at the Queen Mother with hopeful eyes. "Mother, do you like it?"
The Queen Mother was deeply moved, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. "I do, I like it very much."
But Yun Heng added mysteriously, "There's more."
He reached out his small hand and, with a firm tug, split the pastry in two. Instantly, a rich, sweet fragrance filled the entire treasure pavilion.
Before the Immortal Officials could taste the Peaches of Immortality, they first caught their scent.
Yes, everyone was certain—this was indeed the Peach of Immortality. No other variety of peach in the world could possess such an intense aroma.
Yun Heng said with no small pride, "I had Little Monkey help me pick these—the biggest and reddest Peaches of Immortality from the tree. There were only ten in total, all made into jam and stuffed inside the pastry."
"!!!"
He broke off a piece and brought it to the Queen Mother's lips. "Mother, try it. It's very sweet."
Only ten in total, the biggest and reddest… Could those be the purple-veined yellow-core Peaches that ripen once every nine thousand years? Legend has it that consuming them grants longevity equal to heaven and earth, aligning one's years with the sun and moon. Ordinary Immortals had never even seen them in countless millennia, let alone tasted them.
The Peaches of Immortality were no ordinary fruit, and the Peach Banquet was not merely a celebration of the Queen Mother's birthday. It was the supreme Magical Treasure by which the Jade Emperor governed the gods of the Celestial Realm. Every Immortal needed them to safely pass through heavenly tribulations and extend their lives.
And this little Crown Prince had picked ten at once, crushed them all, and used them to make a pastry for the Queen Mother.
At this moment, no Immortal dared to look down upon his birthday gift. Compared to these ten Peaches of Immortality, their own offerings paled in significance.
There were still bits clinging to the glazed plate—they couldn't be wasted. Perhaps…
The Queen Mother oversaw the entire Pan Tao Yuan, with its three thousand six hundred fruit trees. Ten Peaches of Immortality were nothing compared to the heartfelt sentiment behind her son's gift.
She took Yun Heng's hand and returned to the high platform, seating herself beside the Jade Emperor. Cai Ying also placed the glazed plate on the desk before them.
At that moment, the Seven Fairies led the Immortal Attendants in serving the Peaches of Immortality.
The Jade Emperor glanced around, and his gaze suddenly fell upon Guanyin Bodhisattva. Frowning, he asked, "Why is Rulai Fozu not present?"
Guanyin gracefully rose and replied to the Jade Emperor, "Our master intended to come, but was delayed by urgent matters, so he sent the venerable Kasyapa and Ananda along with me."
This sounded like an excuse—what could be more important than the Peach Banquet? Though inwardly displeased, the Jade Emperor showed no sign on his face. Instead, he bestowed two jars of Divine Wine upon Guanyin, instructing her to take them back to Tathagata along with the peaches.
Following the Jade Emperor's orders, the Curtain-Rolling General carried a glazed plate bearing the two jars of Divine Wine to Guanyin's table. Guanyin stood to receive them.
At that moment, an accident occurred.
Whether the Curtain-Rolling General's hand slipped or Guanyin failed to grasp it, the two jars of Divine Wine, along with the glazed plate, fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
"…"
The scene unfolded so abruptly that the Immortals present could not react, merely watching in stunned silence. Instantly, the celestial music within the treasure pavilion ceased, and all around fell quiet.