Rabbit Must Die
Chapter 234 - 231: Is the Peach Garden Short of People?_1

Chapter 234: Chapter 231: Is the Peach Garden Short of People?_1

Qin Shou was rendered speechless...

Taibai Star Monarch said, "Early this morning, the Sun Wandering God ran to lodge a complaint, first accusing you of designing a trap for him, and then of your unauthorized descent to the Lower Realm. Rabbit, do you realize that descending without permission is no small crime in the Heavenly Court?"

Qin Shou uttered a sound of acknowledgment.

Taibai Star Monarch said no more, presumably leaving the rest for Qin Shou to ponder on his own.

This was Qin Shou’s first time heading to Lingxiao Hall, and although his mind was filled with many things to consider, he was soon captivated by the sights before him.

After entering the heavenly palace, the first structure he encountered was a colossal high-rise, eighty-one stories tall. Although it didn’t have as many floors as the skyscrapers from his former life, which often boasted over a hundred floors, each floor of this building was over a dozen meters tall! The massive building stood before him like a fortress!

A large signboard hung above the main entrance—Pilgrimage Building!

"This is the Pilgrimage Building, the top floor is dedicated to various Saints as well as the Jade Emperor. Anyone who wants to enter Lingxiao Hall must pass through this building, paying their respects from afar before they can proceed," Taibai Star Monarch explained.

Qin Shou nodded slightly and followed Taibai Star Monarch in bowing towards the Pilgrimage Building...

Passing the Pilgrimage Building, they encountered the Tongming Hall, which was surrounded by four Dragon Fire Lamps. According to Taibai Star Monarch, these lamps were not just for illumination. Guarded by four True Dragons, anyone who dared to approach the Tongming Hall would be executed by them on the spot!

Qin Shou exclaimed in surprise, "What is the purpose of this Tongming Hall? Why guard it with four dragons?"

Taibai Star Monarch replied, "That is the Jade Emperor’s sleeping chamber. Although the Jade Emperor doesn’t reside there all year round, it’s not a place just anyone can approach. These four True Dragons are exceptionally powerful; do not get close to them."

Qin Shou glanced at the Dragon Fire Lamps and thought to himself, "I wonder if what ’Journey to the West’ says is true, if Sun Wukong and the havoc in the Heavenly Court really existed... according to the book, the Monkey fought his way past the Southern Gate, the Pilgrimage Building, and straight through Tongming Hall up to Lingxiao Hall. Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to break through..."

Having circumvented Tongming Hall, Qin Shou finally set eyes on Lingxiao Hall!

Lingxiao Hall gave off a very peculiar feeling. It was clearly right in front of him, yet it seemed as if it was at the distant horizon, ethereal and unfathomable.

Lingxiao Hall didn’t appear especially large, yet it felt overwhelmingly vast, embodying a collection of contradictory sensations that should have clashed, yet strangely didn’t.

In front of Lingxiao Hall were eighteen thousand white jade steps, but when Qin Shou touched them, he realized they weren’t made of white jade but of god jade marrow!

From a mine of white jade, one might obtain a thumb-sized piece of white jade marrow, from a mine of white jade marrow, a thumb-sized piece of god jade, and from a mine of god jade, a thumb-sized piece of marrow! By this calculation, to construct such an extensive flight of steps...

Qin Shou couldn’t help but drool... He thought to himself, "Such extravagance! Such waste! To use these not for eating but as steps, the Jade Emperor is too extravagant!"

Looking upward, at the end of the staircase stood a man in black gold armor, similar to Tianpeng’s, but a closer look revealed less gold and more black, adorned with dark, mysterious patterns!

The man stood still at the end of the stairway, at the entrance of the hall, his hands hanging low, his face obscured by a featureless mask, making his appearance indecipherable...

Beyond him, there was no one else!

As Qin Shou ascended the staircase, he asked Taibai Star Monarch in a low voice, "Tongming Hall is guarded by four True Dragons, so why is there only one person at Lingxiao Hall? I can’t see any heavenly soldiers or generals."

Taibai Star Monarch chuckled and said, "Official Wang alone is sufficient for this place."

Qin Shou was taken aback and, upon careful reflection of what was recorded in ’Journey to the West,’ he suddenly remembered something!

During the disturbance caused by Sun Wukong in the Heavenly Court, after he had fought his way from the Doushuai Palace through the Southern Gate over the Pilgrimage Building and breached the Tongming Hall, charging straight for Lingxiao Hall, he was halted by one person! The two exchanged countless blows, yet neither could prevail over the other!

That person was the Taoist Number One Protector, Heavenly Envoy Official Wang!

"Wow, this fellow could even hold off the Monkey, no wonder he’s so formidable..." Qin Shou murmured quietly.

"What Monkey?" asked Taibai Star Monarch.

Qin Shou shook his head and said, "Nothing... I was just rambling."

Taibai Star Monarch warned, "Rabbit, when you’re in Lingxiao Hall, refrain from any rambling to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Qin Shou bared his teeth in acknowledgment.

Upon reaching the entrance of the hall, Taibai Star Monarch presented the Token, and after Heavenly Envoy Official Wang glanced at it, he slightly nodded. Only then did Taibai Star Monarch lead Qin Shou through the gates of Lingxiao Hall.

The moment he entered the gates, Qin Shou was struck with amazement!

Qin Shou had imagined countless times what the inside of Lingxiao Hall might look like, whether it resembled the Forbidden City’s imperial palace... or perhaps the temples of Western deities.

But at that moment, he understood that poverty had indeed limited his imagination!

Lingxiao Hall was nothing but a steep staircase of clouds, where the stairway led upward, flanked by civil and military officers on both sides, with a colossal throne shimmering with divine light and draped in clouds and mists at the very top!

The throne was inlaid with some sort of stones that emitted a blinding brilliance; just one glance was enough for Qin Shou to feel an impulse to pry them out and take them home for his collection!

However, that was secondary; the most important thing was the background!

Behind this great hall was a vast expanse of stars!

Distantly, countless stars orbited, with a starry expanse beneath their feet as well!

Inside a great hall hid an entire universe!

This sensation... Qin Shou was truly stunned!

Qin Shou didn’t even know how Taibai Star Monarch had pulled him to the front, he only heard Taibai Star Monarch say with a salute, "Reporting to the Jade Emperor, the Moon Palace Rabbit, Qin Shou, has been brought here."

Qin Shou hurried to pay his respects to the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor said, "Rabbit, did you go down to the Lower Realm without permission yesterday?"

Qin Shou knew that he couldn’t hide the truth. If nobody had noticed, that would have been fine. But if it had been noticed, although divination and fortune-telling couldn’t reveal the events pertaining to him, what about Nezha? And Li Zhenying? If it really came down to it, a simple check with the army would do—none of the heavenly soldiers would dare to lie to the Jade Emperor.

Eventually, the truth would come out, and by then, the crime would be even greater.

Of course, Qin Shou wasn’t worried about the trouble for himself, but Li Zhenying and Nezha were...

Thus, Qin Shou said, "I did go down."

"How did you go down?" asked the Jade Emperor.

At these words, Nezha and Li Jing became noticeably nervous, especially Li Jing, who seemed to have the urge to throw a pagoda at the rabbit to kill and silence him...

Qin Shou said, "I just went down like that."

At these words, a wave of speechlessness swept through the assembly of immortals...

The Jade Emperor probably had never heard such a response before. After a brief silence, he asked further, "How exactly did you go down?"

Qin Shou said, "I walked down."

The assembly of immortals was speechless once again...

At that moment, the Sun Wandering God stepped forward and said, "Rabbit, stop playing with words. The Jade Emperor is asking for the details!"

Only then did Qin Shou realize that the Sun Wandering God was also among the immortals. However, this fellow looked truly pitiful, with a bruised nose and a swollen face, and it seemed like his arms and legs were not very nimble either...

After thinking for a moment, Qin Shou said, "Actually, it wasn’t that difficult. I just stole a piece of a heavenly soldier’s clothing and then mixed into Nezha’s army and followed them down, that’s all."

Upon hearing this, Nezha and Li Jing both sighed in relief. Nezha looked at Qin Shou with gratitude, while Li Jing remained silent without uttering a word.

The Sun Wandering God, skeptical, said, "Impossible! The armor of the heavenly soldiers is all accounted for, one piece per person. If you stole an armor, wouldn’t someone have noticed?"

Qin Shou spread his hands and said, "In fact, aren’t you all unaware?"

The Sun Wandering God was at a loss for words...

The Sun Wandering God stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Jade Emperor, this rabbit stole the heavenly soldiers’ armor and went down to the Lower Realm without permission, which is a serious crime!"

The Jade Emperor nodded slightly and said, "Taibai Star Monarch, what is your opinion on this matter?"

Taibai Star Monarch stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Jade Emperor, the rabbit is young and ignorant, playful and mischievous, and has committed a fault. Punishment is indeed necessary. I think, perhaps we should have him work in the Imperial Garden, tending to the flowers and plants to calm his spirit."

The Sun Wandering God, upon hearing this, immediately protested. Was this punishment? He had been beaten up while the rabbit was merely being sent to another place to continue playing?

The Sun Wandering God exclaimed, "Reporting to the Jade Emperor, I believe that the heavenly laws are absolute. If violated, one must be punished according to the statutes! He has committed a grave sin, at the very least, he should be stripped of his immortality, banished to the mortal world, and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation, to set an example!"

Upon hearing this, Taibai Star Monarch’s brow furrowed slightly... Clearly, Taibai Star Monarch was not in favor of this.

At this moment, Li Jing stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Jade Emperor, in my opinion, although the rabbit is at fault, the crime does not warrant a banishment to the mortal world. The laws and regulations of Heaven also consider human feelings. This rabbit has been trapped on the moon for so many years, he probably doesn’t even know what the heavenly laws entail. As they say, innocence lies in ignorance... Of course, having violated the heavenly laws, he must still be punished. Sending him to tend the Imperial Garden is, indeed, a good solution."

Li Jing suddenly speaking on behalf of the rabbit surprised many.

The Sun Wandering God was utterly incredulous, looking at Li Jing. Usually, it was this very person who was most critical of the rabbit, so why the sudden change of heart today?

Qin Shou was also full of astonishment. He looked at Li Jing, then at the rest of the gathered immortals, and finally at the Jade Emperor, feeling that everyone was calculating something...

Then, Nezha also stepped forward and said, "In my opinion, having the rabbit work in the Imperial Garden to cultivate his nature is indeed a good approach."

Before the Sun Wandering God could say anything else, the Jade Emperor lightly declared, "Approved!"

The Sun Wandering God immediately fell silent; with the Jade Emperor’s approval, anything further was futile.

Therefore, the Sun Wandering God, Qin Shou, and the others bowed deeply, accepting the punishment that was hardly a punishment.

Now that the punishment was in place, there was nothing more for Qin Shou to do there. Thus, Taibai Star Monarch escorted Qin Shou out of Lingxiao Hall. As they reached outside of Tongming Hall, Taibai Star Monarch said, "Rabbit, once you are in the Imperial Garden, don’t cause any more trouble. Tend to the flowers and plants diligently, and keep a low profile. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to secure a good position someday?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Shou’s eyes suddenly lit up, "Secure a good position? You mean I could even become an official?"

Taibai Star Monarch laughed and said, "What’s impossible about that? But you have to perform well for that to happen."

Qin Shou immediately said, "Then, is there a vacancy in the Peach Garden? I think my imposing and robust disposition as a rabbit with astonishing combat ability makes me the perfect candidate to guard the Peach Garden!"