Chapter Ninety-Two: The Celestial Clan

At last, he had gotten away.

Hanging in the sky, Yuan Wuji shook his head.

Though he had ultimately patched things over with some flimsy excuse, the pretext was so feeble that only a little fairy could possibly have accepted it.

“Let’s go see how Sun Wukong is getting along.”

As for the place called the Horse-Pasturing Office, Yuan Wuji honestly had no idea where it was, but asking any immortal along the way should do the trick.

Even the minor stars in the heavens would know where it was, so Yuan Wuji simply approached one and asked for directions.

“My lord,” the star said at once when it saw him flying over.

“Do you know where the Horse-Pasturing Office is?” Yuan Wuji asked directly. With these minor stars, there was no need for much politeness.

“Fly straight in that direction and you will see it,” the star replied, pointing west, its tone respectfully unchanged.

After countless years of humble servitude, they had long since grown used to their lot.

Without another word, after learning the way, Yuan Wuji ignored the star beside him and flew straight toward the Horse-Pasturing Office.

What came into view was a mighty procession of celestial steeds, galloping in a grand and spectacular display. The only thing that seemed out of place was the monkey, awkward and unbecoming, seated astride the lead horse.

“Sun Wukong is actually giving this his all.”

Given Sun Wukong’s nature, this must have been driven by novelty; once the excitement wore off, he would not be as diligent as he was now.

Trailing behind Sun Wukong were the assistant officers of the Horse-Pasturing Office. By birth they were slaves of the Heavenly Court, and making it to their present positions was already no small achievement.

In the mansion of the little fairy, aside from the heavenly soldiers, the other servants were likewise slaves of the Heavenly Court. They were the race known as the Celestials.

From the moment they were born, their lives were already ordained. The highest realm they could attain in cultivation was only the level of Heavenly Blossom, and they could not even compare with some forces of the mortal world below.

All they could do was keep climbing upward. An unremarkable post like the Horse-Pasturing General was the goal of a lifetime.

Those less fortunate would only be able to serve as household slaves in a mansion. As for how high they could rise, cultivation might account for part of it, but for the Celestial race, it was by no means the most important thing.

Even if they spent their entire lives striving in cultivation, the highest they could reach was still no more than that. In that case, they might as well linger in the official ranks; at least then they could enjoy wealth and honor for a lifetime.

Where were they going?

Sun Wukong had taken the celestial steeds beyond the designated grounds and was galloping toward another place. He would surely trespass into another immortal’s territory. Especially the assistant officers and deputy officers following behind him—they were no Sun Wukong. If anything went wrong, not only might they lose their posts, they could even lose their lives.

But their speed was nowhere near Sun Wukong’s. He had already left them far behind, though they still chased after him.

Just as Yuan Wuji was preparing to leave, Sun Wukong unexpectedly collided with Marshal Tianpeng, which startled the assistant officer and deputy officer trailing behind him.

Marshal Tianpeng had been on his way home, only to be frightened by the herd of celestial horses Sun Wukong had brought. As a marshal, how could he allow himself to be alarmed by some mere Horse-Pasturing General? He ordered his subordinates to block Sun Wukong and the herd.

“How dare a Horse-Pasturing General behave so recklessly before me?”

“I am carrying out the Jade Sovereign’s command, tending the horses here. How dare you stop my celestial steeds?” Sun Wukong countered, bringing up the Jade Sovereign without hesitation.

Marshal Tianpeng was not very quick-witted either; the moment he heard those two words, he immediately softened, losing all trace of his earlier arrogance.

“So it is the Jade Sovereign’s command. Forgive me, forgive me.”

By then, the assistant officer and deputy officer in back had hurried up. Perhaps because they were too frightened, before even understanding the situation they rushed forward to apologize and beg pardon.

“Marshal, my lord here is tending horses for the first day and does not understand the rules, so he has offended you. Please forgive him.”

The assistant officer and deputy officer bowed together to Marshal Tianpeng, their manner extremely devout, though they failed to notice the black scowl that spread across his face after hearing them.

“Monkey, you dare use the Jade Sovereign to mock me?”

Marshal Tianpeng lifted his Nine-Toothed Rake and struck at Sun Wukong. The momentum was imposing enough, and quite impressive at that. As for Marshal Tianpeng’s cultivation, Yuan Wuji had already learned of it during his conversation with the little fairy: he had only recently entered the realm of Lesser Immortal of Great Unity. Yet now, from the aura he was releasing, this foundation seemed rather shallow; though he possessed the realm, his true strength was at most that of a Celestial Immortal.

Sun Wukong’s realm, however, was already above Marshal Tianpeng’s, and his battle power was beyond doubt genuine.

Before Marshal Tianpeng could even reach Sun Wukong, the latter had already seized the end of the Nine-Toothed Rake in his hand.

“Old Sun never mocked you. If you do not believe it, go ask that old geezer Taibai whether the Jade Sovereign himself invited me up here to be this Horse-Pasturing General.”

With that, Sun Wukong flung the rake aside, and Marshal Tianpeng was forced to retreat two steps.

Marshal Tianpeng might not have been bright, but he was not stupid. With just one exchange, he could see the gap between himself and Sun Wukong. Facing him head-on, he would gain no good outcome. Moreover, his subordinates were all still watching. To lose to a Horse-Pasturing General would indeed be embarrassing. In that case, it was better to make a concession and save face in passing.

“With Taibai Jinxing as witness, it cannot be false. Then this marshal will not disturb your tending of horses here.”

Marshal Tianpeng said this with an air of solemnity, as though he greatly admired the office of Horse-Pasturing General.

After putting on the show, Marshal Tianpeng also made as if to leave, leaving the assistant officer and deputy officer staring blankly behind him.

“Why did you beg for mercy from him just now? Would that not diminish old Sun’s prestige?”

Sun Wukong turned and said to the assistant officer and deputy officer.

After all, Sun Wukong had always lived in the mortal world, and the temper of a demon king still ran strong in him. For his subordinates to bow their heads and admit fault before another was, to him, nothing short of humiliation.

“From now on, none of you are allowed to do such a thing again. At worst, we fight—what of it?”

Having said that, Sun Wukong led the herd of celestial steeds away first.

Hearing his words, they had grievances they could not voice. Their identities had already bound every step they could take; all they could do was swallow their pride and endure.

After a bitter smile, they hurried closely after the herd of horses. Knowing Sun Wukong’s temperament, they feared even more that he might stir up some terrible trouble, and thus watched him all the more tightly.

In Yuan Wuji’s understanding, Sun Wukong’s first rebellion against the Heavenly Court should have come with the “help” of the Martial Curator Star, but there was still some time before the route from the Martial Curator Star to the Horse-Pasturing Office played out, so things might yet turn out differently.

“Forget it. Once the Peach Banquet arrives, that will be the moment when opportunity truly comes. For now, we will adapt as events unfold.”

Yuan Wuji watched the galloping herd and wondered: once Sun Wukong realized that everything before him was nothing more than a scheme, what would he do then?

“I seem to have forgotten one thing.”

Sun Wukong had entered through the South Heavenly Gate, and the gate’s current commander should be Fei Peng. If that was so, then Sun Wukong must have encountered Fei Peng already.

Fei Peng’s cultivation was certainly above Sun Wukong’s. Since Sun Wukong had already seen him, why would he still dare to act so recklessly after arriving in the Heavenly Court?