In the celestial palace, the compassionate and benevolent Jade Emperor, the Supreme Heavenly Lord of the Profound Expanse, sat on his golden throne in the Cloud Palace of the Lingxiao Hall, gathering the immortal officials for the early morning court session.
Suddenly, Master Qiu Hongji stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, the East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang has submitted a memorial and wishes to hear the Heavenly Lord's decree."
The Jade Emperor commanded, "Summon him!"
Ao Guang entered the Lingxiao Hall, where he paid his respects. Nearby, an immortal attendant presented the memorial to the Jade Emperor, who read it carefully.
> “To the Holy Lord of the Profound Expanse, the Supreme Heavenly Deity, I, the humble servant Ao Guang, Dragon King of the East Sea of the Lower Realm, hereby submit this memorial.
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> Recently, a monster named Sun Wukong has emerged from Flower Fruit Mountain and taken residence in the Water Curtain Cave. He has been bullying and oppressing the dragons, forcibly occupying our aquatic domain, and demanding weapons and magical techniques. He acts with arrogance and tyranny, causing terror among the water beings and driving away the turtles and tortoises.
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> The South Sea Dragon trembles in fear, the West Sea Dragon is filled with sorrow, and the North Sea Dragon has surrendered in defeat. I, Ao Guang, kneel and offer the divine treasures of the iron rod and the golden crown, along with the chain mail and cloud-stepping shoes, as a gesture of submission. However, he just laughs and proclaims, 'Come on, make some noise!' He is truly invincible and difficult to control.
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> I humbly beseech for a heavenly decision. I implore the Heavenly Soldiers to capture this monster so that the sea and mountains may be peaceful and the mortal realm secure.
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> This is my humble memorial.”
After the Holy Emperor reviewed the situation, he commanded: "Release the dragon god back to the sea, and I will send warriors to capture the offender."
The old Dragon King bowed in gratitude and departed.
Next, Ge Xianweng, the celestial master, presented another petition: "Your Majesty, the Lord of the Netherworld, King Qin Guang, brings forth a memorial on behalf of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Master of the Underworld."
A messenger maiden handed over the memorial to the emperor, who examinedd it thoroughly.
> “The realm of the Netherworld is the domain of the Earth, where gods reside and spirits dwell, and the cycles of Yin and Yang interweave. There is life for creatures and death for beasts, with the rotation of males and females. Birth and transformation, from female to male, follow the laws of nature, unalterable.
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> Now, there is a mischievous monkey born in the Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain named Sun Wukong. He acts wickedly, defies restraint, flaunts supernatural powers, and defeats the Nine Ghosts of the Netherworld. Relying on his strength, he has even disturbed the Ten Generations of Kind Kings. He has created chaos in the celestial court and forcefully erased his own name, leaving creatures of the monkey species unbounded and their lives extended. He has disrupted the cycle of life and death, rendering them exempt from reincarnation.
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> Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
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> In humility, I present this memorial, risking defying heavenly authority. I earnestly implore the dispatch of divine soldiers to capture and subdue this demon, restore the balance of Yin and Yang, and secure eternal peace in the realm of the dead. This is my plea.”
Having read the memorial, the Jade Emperor issued his decree: "Command the Lord of the Netherworld to return to his domain, and I shall send forth my generals to capture and subdue this menace."
King Qin Guang also bowed in gratitude before taking his leave.
The Jade Emperor summoned all the immortal officials and asked, "How long has this monster monkey lived? From which generation does he originate that he possesses such extraordinary abilities?"
Before anyone could respond, Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear stepped forward and said, "This monkey was born three hundred years ago as a natural stone monkey. At that time, no one paid much attention. We don't know where he spent these years that he is able to cultivate to become an immortal, subdue dragons and tigers, and erase his death record."
The Jade Emperor then inquired, "Which celestial general will go down and subdue him?"
Without hesitation, Counselor Eveningstar appeared and bowed. "Your Majesty, in the Three Realms, anyone with nine apertures can cultivate as an immortal. However, this monkey is a unique being nurtured by heaven and earth, conceived by the sun and moon. He roams freely between heaven and earth, nourished by the elements. Now that he has achieved immortality and can subdue dragons and tigers, how is he any different from other immortals? Your Majesty, I propose to show him benevolence and issue an edict inviting him to the heavenly realm, grant him an official position, and have him registered, thereby confining him to this realm. If he accepts the heavenly decree, he shall be rewarded in the future; if he disobeys, he will be captured and punished accordingly. This way, we avoid the need to mobilize countless troops and also demonstrate the path of attaining immortality."
The Jade Emperor was pleased with this suggestion and said, "Follow your advice." He then instructed the Official of Literary Arts to draft the decree for Counselor Eveningstar to recruit the monkey.
Counselor Eveningstar received the decree and flew out of the Southern Heavenly Gate, riding on an auspicious cloud straight to the Flower Fruit Mountain. In front of the Water Curtain Cave, he addressed a gathering of small monkeys. "I am a celestial being sent by the heavens, bearing a divine decree. Please inform your King to ascend to the celestial realm. Quickly, let him know."
The news spread from the cave's entrance to its deepest chambers. The monkeys exclaimed, "Great King, there's an elderly man outside carrying an official document. He claims to be a celestial envoy, inviting you to the heavens!"
The Monkey King was overjoyed. "For the past few days, I've been contemplating a visit to the heavens, and now a celestial envoy has come to invite me." He then called, "Please, come in!"
The Monkey King hurriedly tidied his appearance and welcomed Counselor Eveningstar at the entrance.
The Counselor entered and stood facing south, saying, "I am Counselor Eveningstar from the Western Celestial Realm, bearing a divine decree from the Jade Emperor. I have come to invite you to ascend to the heavens and receive the gift of immortality."
Sun Wukong smiled and replied, "Thank you for descending here, Counselor Eveningstar." He instructed his followers to prepare a feast to entertain the guest, but Eveningstar declined.
"I mustn't linger as I bear the decree. Please come with me, and after your glorious promotion, we can take our time to chat."
"Thank you for your gracious invitation. I shall go immediately." Sun Wukong then called his Generals and instructed them, "Be diligent in training your descendants. I will go to the heavens to explore the way so that when I bring you up, we can live together in peace."
The four valiant Generals agreed to his request.
The Monkey King and Counselor Eveningstar soared up on their clouds, ascending to the high heavens. It was a sight to behold as they achieved the rank of a top-tier celestial being, their names now inscribed in the illustrious list of divine beings.
As for what official title Sun Wukong was to be granted, that remains to be revealed in the next chapter.