Grandmaster White wiped the sweat from his brow once more, bowed his head, clasped his hands respectfully, and said, "I told him, I told him: 'You came before the Queen Mother clad in dragon-hide armor instead of your official robes—an offense in itself. With Her Majesty's status, it's only natural for her to admonish you a few words, isn't it? You, Monkey, really have been mountain king for too long; all that bandit air... But fortunately, Her Majesty is magnanimous and won't hold it against you. She called it a misunderstanding. Shouldn't you know when to quit?'"
After speaking, he furtively raised his eyelids, carefully watching the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother's face remained iron-grey, yet she did not spare Grandmaster White a single glance. She simply sat there, staring at the empty tabletop before her, as if her soul had fled.
The entire Jade Pool Hall was so quiet that not a sound could be heard. Everyone watched the Queen Mother's every move with anxious, fearful eyes.
Grandmaster White's words, though not exactly eloquent, were at least proper enough. Ordinarily, the surrounding immortals would have chimed in—some praising the Queen Mother's generosity, others cursing the Monkey's recklessness—but at this moment, no one dared utter a word.
After a long, silent pause, the Queen Mother slowly closed her eyes and, in a voice as soft as a mosquito's, said, "Leave."
"Huh?" All the immortals exchanged bewildered glances.
"All of you—get out of my sight!"
Her hysterical roar sent the immortals lining both sides of the hall scrambling out in a panic, tripping over themselves in their haste, terrified of being too slow.
Grandmaster White wanted to slip away too, but before he could take a step, he heard the Queen Mother bark at him, "You! Stay!"
Grandmaster White shivered violently, but could only stand there helplessly.
Once all the immortals had left the hall, the Queen Mother fixed Grandmaster White with a cold stare and, grinding her teeth, said, "I don't just want him stripped of office—I want him dead! Dead with no corpse left behind!"
At her words, Grandmaster White hurriedly bowed and cried, "Understood!"
"And another thing..." The Queen Mother hesitated briefly, breathing in sharp, agitated bursts, and bit out, "That Monkey—what level is his cultivation?"
"To answer Your Majesty, he... that demon Monkey is at the peak of the Celestial Sage realm, and cultivates the Traveler's Path."
"How many troops would it take to hold him off?"
"This..."
"You are to find a way, no matter what it takes. Within one day, assemble enough troops to hold off that demon Monkey, and station them at the Jade Pool! Do you understand?"
"This..." Grandmaster White's pale brows seemed to knot themselves together. He gritted his teeth and replied, "As you command!"
Does Grandmaster White have military command? Clearly not. But he dared not say 'I can't' to the Queen Mother at a time like this.
......
At this moment, Monkey had yet to finish walking the long white-jade corridors of the Jade Pool, but news of his uproar in the Jade Pool Hall had already reached his two subordinates.
When he first heard this unbelievable news, Warden Joel Chow spat his tea all over Captain Carl Chang's face.
Just moments before, the two had been lounging in their hovering ship, picturing Monkey returning in disgrace after a harsh scolding from the Queen Mother, and plotting what words to use to comfort him and win his trust. Now, all they could do was rush outside the ship, anxiously waiting for Monkey's return.
If he doesn't even fear the Queen Mother, what are they worth? If they're not careful, they might be executed before anyone reports it.
This Monkey is not someone they can afford to offend!
From afar, seeing Monkey and Belle, the two immediately rushed over, bowing and scraping, flattering him with 'Your Excellency is wise' and 'Your Excellency is mighty,' their fawning manner showing they'd long abandoned their original plans.
Monkey looked coldly at the two, who grinned like clowns while sweating nervously, and asked in a low voice, "You know already?"
"Your Excellency... referring to what?"
"The incident in the hall."
The two laughed awkwardly, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.
Step by step, they crossed the locked bridge and entered the ship. Monkey remarked casually, "I've just provoked that woman, so from now on, we need to be careful in everything. I trust you both understand that."
"Of course, of course," the two nodded repeatedly.
"Soon Grandmaster White will deliver my official seal and such. When the time comes, this handover must be handled with utmost care."
"Naturally, naturally. Your Excellency can rest assured—leave it to us. Please, this way."
"So, I intend to pull out all the Immortal Peach Orchard's ledgers from past years and audit every Peach of Immortality, every blossom, not just once but three times. Not a single one is to be missed. If there are any discrepancies, I'll deal with you before she deals with me."
At this, their smiles froze, and sweat poured down their faces.
"What's wrong?" Monkey asked.
"Nothing, Your Excellency. It's just... a bit hot today."
Now, they couldn't even force a smile.
The ship raised its sails and set off.
No sooner had they settled in the cabin than Warden Joel Chow excused himself, saying he needed to check on a malfunction with the hovering ship. Not long after, Captain Carl Chang claimed his stomach hurt and hurried off.
In the small cabin, only Belle and Monkey remained.
Belle opened the door and peered suspiciously down the corridor, whispering, "What's up with those two? They're acting so strange."
Monkey paced to the corner, pushed the porthole open a crack, and glanced outside. "Take a look."
"What's wrong?" Belle craned her neck, looking out for a long while but couldn't make sense of it.
"Didn't you notice the ship is moving unusually slow? Normally, the trip from the Jade Pool to the Immortal Peach Orchard should take less than half an hour, but at this rate it'll take three to five hours. It wasn't like this on the way here."
"Are you saying the ship really is broken?" Belle asked.
Monkey glanced at Belle, gave her a meaningful smile, and said, "Even if it isn't broken, they'll make sure it is."
Belle grew even more confused. "Are they planning to pull something on you here?"
"They don't have the guts."
"Then... I still don't get it."
"Do you remember what the herald told me that day?" Monkey walked over to the table, sat down, and sipped his tea thoughtfully. He sighed softly, "That trick for embezzlement? It's simple—just undercount. If you record fewer Peaches of Immortality from the moment they blossom, when they ripen, all the extras are yours. Before I took office, the Orchard Steward post was vacant, so all the power fell to those two. If even the herald could think of this, how could the two in charge not?"
"How long does it take for a Peach of Immortality to go from blossom to fruit?"
"During that time, the number of peaches and blossoms in the Immortal Peach Orchard will never match up. Not fewer, but more. With a new official in charge, they're bound to be wary. But even so, I bet they're tempted to keep those extra blossoms and fruits they've waited so long for. When I said I'd audit everything just now..."
Monkey paused, then smiled at Belle. "Now you know why they snuck off, right?"
Belle suddenly understood, exclaiming, "They're trying to contact the orchard staff to get rid of the extra blossoms and fruits?"
After a moment's thought, she muttered, "But those excuses are terrible. 'The ship's broken,' 'stomachache.' Even an idiot would know they're just excuses, yet they still used them."
"At a time like this, what else could they think of? They have to stall me somehow. If I set foot in the orchard, they're finished."
"But... doesn't this mean they'll get away with it?"
"They did get away with it, but I never planned to make an example of them anyway."
Belle thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Now I'm confused again."
Monkey took a deep breath and explained, "Think about it—even if I punish them, what would happen? The Queen Mother and Jade Emperor would just send two new people, and they'd be even harder to deal with. These two at least have a record of misdeeds, so they're easier to handle. All I want is for them to tidy up the Immortal Peach Orchard properly, without leaving me any hidden problems. Otherwise, if I take over and issues are found, even if I can prove I'm not responsible, I'd still be blamed for negligence. Who knows what trouble that could bring?"
"Monkey, you're so clever." After listening for a long time, Belle blinked and sighed, "You know so much and think of everything. When you first came to Crescent Star Cave, you knew less than I did and always had to ask me. But now, after all these years... it's me always asking you, and I still don't get it even after your hints."
"You don't need to understand all this, and I don't want you to." Monkey pinched Belle's cheek. "But since you complain that I never tell you anything, from now on I'll tell you everything I do. Someday, when I get the chance, I'll tell you about the past too. Satisfied?"
"Mm!" Belle nodded vigorously, smiling sweetly.
......
Though Monkey was still en route to the Immortal Peach Orchard, stories of the Jade Pool Hall incident had already spread throughout Heaven in several vivid versions—even the Jade Emperor's Hall of Supreme Harmony was no exception.
On hearing the news, the Jade Emperor was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "That Queen Mother is used to throwing her weight around. Who would have thought she'd meet her match one day? That demon monkey dared to shout in the Hall of Supreme Harmony on his very first day in Heaven—how could he be easily subdued? At the peak of the Grand Pure Golden Immortal stage, picking a fight with him is just asking for trouble."
"Now, the Queen Mother will probably be thinking about that demon monkey even in her dreams."
"That's just as well." The Jade Emperor chuckled. "The demon monkey's business can't be delayed any longer. If the Queen Mother doesn't give it her all, I'll have to worry even more myself."
From here on, all that's left is to sit in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and watch them put on a good show, the Jade Emperor mused.