The Monkey King hastily straightened his clothes and went to greet him at the door. Venus entered directly and stood facing south, saying, "I am Venus of the West, sent down to the mortal realm by the Jade Emperor's decree to invite you to Heaven to receive my celestial blessings."
Wukong laughed and said, "Thank you for your descent, Elder Star." He then instructed, "Minions! Prepare a feast to entertain him."
Venus said, “I have the imperial decree with me and dare not linger. Please come with me, Your Majesty, and we can discuss this further after your promotion.”
Wukong said, "Thank you for your patronage. I'll leave now!" He then summoned his four generals and instructed them, "Carefully instruct your children and grandchildren. I will go to Heaven to scout the way, so I can take you all up there to live with me." The four generals acknowledged and agreed. The Monkey King and Venus then rose on clouds and ascended into the sky. They were thus promoted to the highest rank of Heavenly Immortal, their names now listed among the precious cloud ranks.
Venus and the Monkey King emerged from the depths of the cave and rode the clouds together.
It turned out that Wukong's somersault cloud was different from others, extremely fast, leaving Venus behind and arriving at the South Heavenly Gate first.
Just as they were about to advance through the clouds, the Heavenly King of Growth, along with Pang Liu Gou Bi, Deng Xin Zhang Tao, and a whole line of powerful heavenly soldiers armed with spears, swords, and halberds, blocked the Heavenly Gate and refused to let them in.
The Monkey King was furious and roared, "That old Venus is a treacherous scoundrel! He invited me, so why did he send people to draw their swords and block the gate?" Just then, Venus arrived, and Wukong confronted him fiercely, saying, "You old man, how dare you deceive me? You said you came to invite me on the Jade Emperor's orders to offer me amnesty, so why did you send these people to block the Heavenly Gate and not let me in?"
Venus laughed and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. You have never been to this paradise before, and you have no name. The heavenly soldiers are also complete strangers to you. How could they allow you to enter without permission? Now that you have met the Heavenly Venerable, been granted an immortal title, and received an official name, you will be able to come and go as you please. Who will stop you then?”
Wukong waved his hand, his temper flaring, and said angrily, "Fine, then I won't go in."
Originally, he came to recruit the monkey, so how could he let him leave? He even grabbed him with his hand and said, "You still have to come in with me." When they were close to the Heavenly Gate, Venus shouted, "Hey Heavenly Gate generals, officers and soldiers, clear the way! This is a celestial being from the mortal realm. I have been summoned here by the Jade Emperor's decree."
The Heavenly King of Growth and his celestial soldiers then withdrew their troops. The Monkey King finally believed their words. He and Venus slowly entered to observe. Truly, it was like entering paradise for the first time. Thousands of golden rays rolled like red rainbows, and a thousand auspicious wisps sprayed purple mist. There stood the Southern Heavenly Gate, crafted from deep blue-green glass and adorned with gleaming precious jade. On both sides stood dozens of Heavenly Marshals, each a pillar of strength, wielding halberds and banners; below them were dozens of golden-armored deities, each holding halberds, whips, swords, and knives. The outer chambers were passable, but the interior was astonishing: Inside, several large pillars were entwined with golden-scaled, sun-drenched, red-bearded dragons; several long bridges were adorned with colorful-feathered, red-crowned phoenixes soaring through the air. Bright clouds shimmered, reflecting the sky's light, and a misty blue haze veiled the entrance to the heavens. There are thirty-three heavenly palaces in the sky: the Cloud Palace, the Vaishravana Palace, the Five Bright Palace, the Sun Palace, the Joyful Transformation Palace… each palace's ridge is adorned with golden beasts; there are also seventy-two magnificent halls: the Hall of Court Assembly, the Hall of Soaring Void, the Hall of Precious Light, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of Spirit Officials… each hall's pillars are lined with jade unicorns. On the Longevity Star Platform, there are famous flowers that never wither for thousands of years; beside the alchemy furnace, there are auspicious herbs that remain evergreen for countless years. Then, before the Pilgrimage Tower, crimson robes gleam like stars, lotus crowns gleam with gold and jade. Jade hairpins and pearl shoes adorn them, purple ribbons and gold. The golden bell tolls, and the three realms of gods present their memorials on the crimson steps; when the heavenly drum sounds, all the saints pay homage to the Jade Emperor. Then, before the Lingxiao Palace, golden nails are clustered, and colorful phoenixes dance at the vermilion gates. Covered corridors and winding paths are exquisitely crafted; three eaves and four clusters, layer upon layer of dragons and phoenixes soar. Above, a magnificent, round, and gleaming golden gourd tops the towering purple palace; below, a celestial princess hangs a fan, and a jade maiden holds a celestial handkerchief. Fierce celestial generals wield their banners, and proud celestial officials guard the emperor. In the very center, on a crystal plate, lie countless layers of Taiyi pills; in an agate vase, several twisted coral branches are inserted. These are all wondrous objects of the celestial palace, none like them found on earth. Golden palaces and silver halls, purple mansions, rare flowers and jade herbs, and precious blossoms abound. The Jade Rabbit of the King passes by the altar, and the Golden Crow of the Sage flies beneath. The Monkey King is destined to come to the celestial realm, untouched by the filth of the mortal world.
Venus led the Monkey King to the Lingxiao Palace. Without waiting for the imperial edict, they went directly to the emperor and paid their respects.
Wukong was unruly and of high birth, and he was arrogant because of his supernatural powers. He was also ignorant of the etiquette of the Heavenly Realm. When he saw Venus bowing, he did not realize it. He stood aside without paying homage, but listened attentively to Venus's report. Venus reported: "Your subject has received the imperial decree and has summoned the demon immortal."
The Jade Emperor, looking behind his curtain, asked, "Which one is the demon immortal?"
Wukong bowed and replied, "It is I, Old Sun."
The celestial officials were all shocked and furious, saying, "This wild monkey! How dare he not bow and pay his respects, but instead answer 'I am Sun Wukong' like that? He deserves to die, he deserves to die!"
The Jade Emperor chuckled inwardly from behind the curtain, but then issued a decree: "That Sun Wukong is a demon immortal from the mortal realm who has just attained human form and is ignorant of court etiquette. Please forgive him for now."
The celestial officials cried out, "Thank you!"
Hearing the roars of the immortals, the Monkey King was displeased and was about to throw a tantrum when Venus whispered, "Quickly thank the Jade Emperor. He is the head of the Three Realms and cannot be neglected." The Monkey King thought that Venus had been polite to him, so he did not want to argue and just bowed deeply to the Jade Emperor.
The Jade Emperor, decreeing the selection of civil and military officials, inquired about the vacancies in various celestial positions and instructed Sun Wukong to fill them. The Martial Star Lord, standing nearby, reported, "The Heavenly Palace and its various halls and departments are in need of officials, but the Imperial Horse Stable lacks a head steward." The Jade Emperor decreed, "Let him be appointed as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses." The officials expressed their gratitude, but Sun Wukong merely bowed deeply. The Jade Emperor then dispatched the Wood Virtue Star Lord to escort him to his post at the Imperial Horse Stable.
The Monkey King was overjoyed and went to his post with the Wood Star Official. After completing his duties, Wood Star Official returned to his palace. In his prison, he gathered the prison's chief and deputy officials, clerks, strongmen, and all the other officials, and investigated the affairs of the prison. They found only a thousand celestial horses: Hua Liu and Qi Ji, Cong Qian Li; Long Mei and Zi Yan, Xie Yi; Yin Te and Mi Fei Huang; Lin Ma and Fan Yu, Chi Tu Chao Guang; Yu Hui Mi Jing, Teng Wu Sheng Huang; Zhui Feng Jue Di, Fei Xuan Xiao; Yi Piao Chi Dian, Tong Jue Fu Yun; Cong Long and Hu Ci, Jue Chen Zi Lin; Four Great Giants, Eight Steeds and Nine Gallopers, a thousand miles of unparalleled talent. These fine horses, each one neighing and chasing the wind with boundless spirit, treading through mist and ascending clouds with great strength.
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