"Is this... talking back to me?" The Queen Mother of the West leaned back slightly, her eyes wide as bronze bells, glaring down at Monkey. Grandmaster White, meanwhile, was still struggling to pry apart Monkey's two fingers, but they wouldn't budge.
Her lips parted, chin trembling, as she drew a shaky breath. Monkey kept smiling at the Queen Mother: "I'm asking you a question, Queen Mother. Tell me, is this a misunderstanding?"
It was the sign of a volcano about to erupt. The Queen Mother trembled, her gaze slowly avoiding Monkey's eyes and settling on the empty table, her voice barely a whisper: "Yes... it's a misunderstanding."
Everyone present instinctively lowered their heads a little further. "Oh? So it really was a misunderstanding," Monkey said with a laugh.
Who was she? "Exactly, exactly, I said it was a misunderstanding. Come on, Wukong, let go." Grandmaster White kept trying to pry Monkey's fingers apart.
She was the Queen Mother of the West! "So if it's a misunderstanding, you won't pursue it later?" Monkey pressed.
She commanded all the celestial maidens of Heaven, oversaw the imperial treasury, and held the throat of this vast Heavenly Court in her grip. Even the Jade Emperor was only half a rank above her. In Heaven, even the Jade Emperor had to yield to her. For countless millennia, who had ever dared defy her like this? The Queen Mother bit her lip in silence, but Grandmaster White quickly interjected, "No, of course not. You make it sound so serious—it's just a misunderstanding, why would anyone pursue it?"
Belle edged nervously behind Monkey, quietly tugging at his sleeve as if to restrain him. "And you won't make things difficult for me?" Monkey added.
Yet Monkey stood unmoving, his eyes just as wide as hers, staring back with equal intensity. "No! Absolutely not. I give you my word—never! You've known me for years, have I ever lied to you?" Grandmaster White swore.
The assembled immortals stole glances at Monkey, their gazes mixing mockery and pity—everyone was waiting for a spectacle. Grandmaster White rolled up his sleeve and whispered into Monkey's ear: "Hey, women, you know—they're all like this, even the Queen Mother. Every month, there's always a few days... you know what I mean."
Isn’t there a saying? Better offend a gentleman than a petty person. "Even immortals have that?" Monkey asked in surprise.
In Heaven, the person you must never offend isn’t the Three Pure Ones, nor the Jade Emperor—it’s the Queen Mother of the West. "They do," Grandmaster White answered solemnly.
Suddenly, a shrill, hysterical scream ripped through the Jade Pool Hall. Monkey burst out laughing, finally letting go of his grip.
"Insolent! You demon monkey, how dare you show such disrespect! Are you tired of living?" The Queen Mother sprang to her feet, her voice booming across the hall. The Heavenly General clutched his chest, gasping for breath as he collapsed to the floor; two Skyward Legionnaires quickly came to carry him away.
Monkey’s brow twitched. He bared his fangs in a slow grin, but kept his voice low: "‘Disrespecting your superior’? What kind of crime is that? I am the Jade Emperor’s personally appointed Chief of the Imperial Horse Bureau, Sun Wukong. However low my rank, it’s still an imperial commission. For you to call me ‘demon monkey’ in public—what does that mean? Are you planning a rebellion?" Only then did Grandmaster White breathe a sigh of relief, hurriedly wiping sweat from his brow and smiling apologetically to both sides.
His voice was soft, yet every word rang clear throughout the grand hall. Monkey straightened his staff and bowed: "Your Majesty, if there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Faces across the hall blanched; the Queen Mother’s face flushed red. Behind him, Belle yanked Monkey’s hand, trying to hold him back, but he caught her hand and held it tight. The Queen Mother bit her lip in silence, refusing to speak.
He kept glaring at the Queen Mother, and now his eyes held an even more murderous edge. Everyone in the hall looked at each other, unsure what to do.
"You brazen fool!" the Queen Mother shrieked again. "Guards! Seize him!" Seeing this, Grandmaster White quickly waved at Monkey: "Go on, go on, hurry to the Peach Orchard, there's plenty to do. I'll have someone deliver the seal to you later. Once you're on duty, don't neglect your responsibilities or let down the Emperor and the Queen Mother."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Monkey replied formally. "Thank you, Star Lord."