The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 86 - 084: The Celestial Palace Gods Capture the Monster_2

Chapter 86: Chapter 084: The Celestial Palace Gods Capture the Monster_2

The Queen Mother of the West had long resided in Yao Pond, and was not too clear about these matters. After hearing the Jade Emperor’s explanation, she couldn’t help but feel indignant and said, "I never would’ve thought the Three Pures could be so despicable! If Old Master Hongjun were still here, how could he tolerate their arrogance?"

The Jade Emperor then said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. A decree from the Supreme Pure Ones is likely to arrive soon, and I must feign compliance. Yuan Shi, that upstart, wields the God-Beating Whip, and I fear the world’s karmic forces are already too great. If the Heavenly Dao sends a calamity to settle scores, that man might use the Divine Whip to re-establish the Three Pures."

The God-Beating Whip is a Heavenly Dao Divine Artifact granted to Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch by Hongjun Daozu. With this whip in hand, one can utilize the power of the Heavenly Dao during a great calamity to re-establish order in the Three Realms and re-arrange the heavenly ranks! Even the Jade Emperor himself could be called into account, as the whip’s power is truly formidable. Otherwise, with the Jade Emperor upholding the fortune of the Three Realms, why should he fear Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch? Should Yuan Shi dare to act against him, it would create significant karmic forces, and when the Heavenly Dao sends its calamity to settle accounts, even Yuan Shi would not be exempt! However, since Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch possesses the God-Beating Whip, the Jade Emperor is wary and cautious.

The Queen Mother said, "So, Your Majesty has secretly instructed Taiyi Heavenly Venerable to form an alliance with the Buddhist sect to plot against the Three Purities?"

Great Emperor Qinghua of the East Pole and Taiyi Salvation Heavenly Venerable are the Jade Emperor’s confidants. The Jade Emperor secretly ordered Taiyi Salvation Heavenly Venerable to align with the Buddhist sect, aiding them in spreading their teachings, using Buddhism to check the power of the Three Purities and then to seize even greater authority amid the ensuing chaos! This was the Jade Emperor’s plan.

The Jade Emperor commanded You Yi Ling Officer to step forward to investigate the disturbance caused by the Monkey King at the Flat Peach Festival and to prepare the troops to subdue Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The Queen Mother, in a burst of anger, said, "Please, Your Majesty, retrieve those peaches for me, or else the task of nurturing powerful warriors will end before it even starts!"

The Queen Mother also harbored resentment towards the Three Pures for scheming away so many of her Peaches of Immortality.

"Report! Your Majesty, Your Majesty. The Monkey Demon Sun Wukong has held a Flat Peach Festival at Flower-Fruit Mountain, gathering the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings and six great demons. The event is grand, claiming that since Your Majesty did not invite him to the Flat Peach Festival, he would host his own," reported the brothers Thousand-Mile Eyes and Ears that Reach Around the Corners.

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother of the West’s face paled, then flushed with suppressed rage, and suddenly she spat out a mouthful of blood, disregarding her appearance, she cursed, "This vile creature, truly infuriates me unto death!"

The Jade Emperor was also extremely angered in his heart, that Demon Monkey, how dare he so brazenly affront both him and the Queen Mother! His killing intent grew even stronger as he said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This insolent monkey must be shown our might!"

At this moment, You Yi Ling Officer returned with his report, confirming that the one who caused the disturbance in the Heavenly Court was indeed the Great Sage Equalling Heaven.

The Jade Emperor raged, "That so-called Great Sage Equalling Heaven, he is unworthy!"

Just then, a decree from Yuan Shi arrived. The Jade Emperor read the decree and trembled with rage. He commanded the celestial officers to lead the seal ribbon and assemble the troops to punish the Demon King of Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The Queen Mother asked, "What did Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch say?"

"Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch’s audacity knows no bounds! He oversteps his role and orders me to go subdue the Demon Monkey of Flower-Fruit Mountain immediately," the Jade Emperor said through gritted teeth.

"Doesn’t this situation suit Your Majesty’s desires?" the Queen Mother said.

"Nonsense! Most of the Immortal Officials in the Heavenly Court are disciples of the Three Purities. Even if they’re not, they regard the Three Purities as their Patriarch. Who among them truly respects me as the Great Heavenly Master? Even the True Martial Demon Conqueror should take action on this matter, yet he’s conveniently using meditation as an excuse to turn away my imperial decree," the Jade Emperor said indignantly, unable to hide the murderous intent in his heart.

The Great Emperor Zhenwu achieved his Dao at Wudang and considered the Three Purities his Patriarchs. Why would he listen to the Jade Emperor’s command? He is known as the "Demon Conqueror," so it’s his duty to subdue demons and ghosts that arise in the Lower Realm. Yet, to counterbalance the Jade Emperor, the Three Purities turn a blind eye to the growing demons in the Lower Realm, adopting an attitude of indifferent observation. Great Emperor Zhenwu is also insubordinate to the Jade Emperor, who, left unattended, allows these demons to act recklessly. Then there’s the Great Emperor Gouchen of the West Pole, a descendent of Dragon and Phoenix. He was saved by the Three Purities during the Dragon and Phoenix cataclysm, received their teachings, attained the Great Dao, and now leads a myriad of demons. But he, too, remains unconcerned about the burgeoning demon race!

The Jade Emperor’s authority is almost completely hollowed out by the Three Purities. How can he not be angry?

The Queen Mother then said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Feign compliance with the Three Purities for now, and let’s see how things unfold. This Demon Monkey has tarnished my reputation, stolen my Peaches of Immortality, and disrupted the grand assembly. Naturally, I will not stand idly by! When the time comes, we’ll summon the Plain Colored Cloud Boundary Flag and call forth the expert from Yao Pond guarding the Mother Peach Tree to capture the Demon Monkey together."

The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "Now that my power and authority are undermined by the Three Purities and many of my officials are insubordinate, there are few soldiers I can rely on! It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s mediation."

The Queen Mother of the West has known the Jade Emperor for a long time and they have served Hongjun for many years together. Naturally, they are in full agreement, and she cannot overlook the slight made by Wukong against her.

To find out what happens next, please tune in to the following episode.

PS: There are always some people who like to nitpick and bring up Pangu and Hongjun in their arguments. My setting is that Pangu opened the heavens and earth on the command of Hongjun. This seems to be the case in "Investiture of the Gods" as well. Hongjun is not a character in orthodox mythology but a figure of "Heavenly Dao" invented by Xu Zhonglin. If you wish to criticize my intellect by referencing orthodox mythology, then please leave Hongjun out of it, or would you go and lash Xu Zhonglin’s corpse? Harping on these pointless details all day long—after all, this is just a novel. In Jin Yong’s novels, Zhang Sanfeng is written as coming from the Shaolin Sect. Are you going to attack Jin Yong? Jin Yong revered Buddhism, hence he elevated Buddhism so highly. I have a preference for the Dao, so there’s nothing wrong with my portrayal, right? It seems that other settings also follow the narrative that Pangu opened the heavens and earth under Hongjun’s command, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches are also made-up. Are you going to attack those authors?

When it comes to orthodox mythology, if we set aside "Investiture of the Gods," then Pangu certainly opened the heavens and earth, and Hongjun doesn’t exist at all. Because the limitations of "Journey to the West" make it difficult to unfold the story, I incorporated elements from "Investiture of the Gods," which also resulted in "Journey to the West" being less pure. But I have also made some changes in my adaptation to make the foundations of the two books harmonize without being jarring. For instance, Emperor Chen should have been Leizhenzi, but I merged the tones of the two books. If I wrote it that way, the disciples of the Interpretation Sect would seem too powerful, and Yang Jian’s cultivation level would appear unreasonable, leading to potential blocks in the unfolding of the story.

China is vast and diverse, with as many versions of mythology as there are hairs on an ox. Stories need innovation and freshness; otherwise, by sticking rigidly within the confines set by predecessors without having one’s own convictions, how can I write? Besides, fiction is after all a fabrication. Many of the mythical immortals and Buddhas are actually humans who have been deified.

I warmly welcome readers to judge my novel’s quality and am open to suggestions, but to those who use Classic of Mountains and Seas to try and slap my face and show off their sophistication, isn’t that too trivial? As this issue keeps coming up and has become tiresome, I’m offering this explanation without directing it at anyone in particular. As long as you read my book, whether you like it or not, I am happy to accept any practical advice.

With respect.