Regardless of whether they cared for the face of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, they had to regard the stature of the Demon-Slaying Divine General, Xu Fang!

  Nearly every deity in the Heavenly Court knew that Xu Fang was favored by the Jade Emperor, who regarded him as a trusted aide. As the nominal ruler of the three realms, the Jade Emperor's influence meant that most deities, whether sincerely or merely out of obligation, attended Xu Fang's banquet after receiving his invitation.

  “Pagoda Bearer Devaraja Li Jing has arrived!”

  “Third Prince Nezha has arrived!”

  “The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions have arrived!”

  “Lord of the Breaking Army has arrived!”

  “…”

  One by one, the celestial beings arrived with gifts in hand. Xu Fang and Sun Wukong stood at the entrance of the Divine General's residence, smiles on their faces as they bowed and expressed their thanks.

  After all, each guest brought a gift, and while the contents of the boxes were unknown, being deities, it was unlikely they would present anything of low quality.

  “Immortal Master of Illustrious Sagacity Erlang has arrived!”

  “Goddess of Huashan has arrived!”

  Just then, the announcement from the heavenly soldier rang out, and Xu Fang immediately pulled Sun Wukong, saying, “Wukong, let's go greet him.”

  Xu Fang held a sense of gratitude towards Erlang Shen, Yang Jian. Although he had merely appeared to slay the Roc Demon King in Xu Fang’s previous encounter with the Bull Demon King and the Six Sages, he felt indebted for that favor.

  Fortunately, despite Sun Wukong’s ties to the Bull Demon King and others, he did not harbor bitterness toward Erlang Shen for his actions.

  “Thank you, Immortal Master, for taking the time to come here. It is truly an honor!” Xu Fang bowed and smiled.

  Erlang Shen nodded slightly, while the Goddess of Huashan, Yang Chan, spoke graciously, “A mere token of appreciation, but it is no formal gift.”

  As she spoke, Yang Chan personally handed the two gift boxes she was holding to Xu Fang.

  Xu Fang nodded and replied, “Thank you, please come in.”

  In front of the assembled crowd, Yang Chan didn't say anything further, and she followed Xu Fang into the Divine General's residence.

  With the arrival of the heavenly beings, the banquet began in earnest.

  Xu Fang stood at the head of the table, holding a wine cup, and called out loudly, “I would like to thank all my celestial friends for taking time out of your busy schedules to honor me today. Let us raise our cups!”

  “Xu General is too polite!”

  Since the guests had come, they naturally wanted to show Xu Fang their respect. They all raised their cups and drank heartily.

  Xu Fang laughed heartily and then called Sun Wukong to his side, continuing, “Dear friends, today we celebrate the promotion of my sworn brother, Sun Wukong, to the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven. As his elder brother, it is my duty to host this banquet for him. If there are any shortcomings in my hospitality, I hope you all will forgive me!”

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  His words stirred a significant ripple among the assembled deities.

  After all, only a few knew of the close relationship between Sun Wukong and Xu Fang, with Taibai Jinxing being one of them. Yet even he was unaware that Xu Fang and Sun Wukong had sworn brotherhood, and that Xu Fang would openly declare it in front of everyone!

  As someone who knew a bit about the situation, Taibai Jinxing instinctively sensed that Xu Fang's purpose in hosting this banquet was not as simple as it seemed.

  However, since this matter didn’t concern him directly, he wisely chose not to voice his thoughts at such a moment.

  As the banquet proceeded, the hosts and guests enjoyed themselves, with Xu Fang accompanying Sun Wukong from table to table, allowing the latter to become well-acquainted with the attendees.

  The feast ended with everyone in high spirits, and Sun Wukong, having indulged in too much wine, fell asleep in a drunken stupor.

  Xu Fang remained to see off the departing guests.

  As a group of deities bid farewell to Xu Fang, only Yang Chan appeared somewhat reluctant to leave, but she was swiftly taken away by Erlang Shen.

  Finally, Taibai Jinxing remained, and after some pleasantries, he spoke, “Xu General, your banquet was quite splendid, but it has unfortunately left me in a bit of a predicament.”

  “Ah? What do you mean, Star Lord?”

  Xu Fang was taken aback, not quite grasping Taibai Jinxing's implication.

  Taibai Jinxing smiled wryly and explained, “I’m just a lackey in the Heavenly Court, and I have little savings. With this banquet you’ve thrown, I’ve already brought a generous gift. However, in a month, it will be the birthday of the Lady Queen Mother, and I will have to present another gift, which might just empty my pockets!”

  “Lady Queen Mother’s birthday?”

  Xu Fang’s heart sank as he recalled something.

  In the original Journey to the West, after Sun Wukong was conferred the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven, he was sent to the Peach Garden to manage the immortal peaches, right before the Lady Queen Mother’s birthday celebration, which involved the Peach Banquet!

  Time was indeed tight!

  “What you say is too kind, Star Lord. It is already a great honor for you to give me face by attending. I shall cover the costs for your gift for the Lady Queen Mother’s birthday!”

  One gift wasn’t much, and Taibai Jinxing’s tone hinted that there was more to this matter than met the eye.

  Taibai Jinxing seemed to be subtly reminding Xu Fang of something important!

  It appeared that this old fellow knew a lot!

  After all, Xu Fang himself was not aware of the significance of the Lady Queen Mother’s birthday, but now that Taibai Jinxing had brought it up, it gave him time to prepare.

  One gift was certainly nothing to worry about.

  “Xu General, your generosity is much appreciated,” Taibai Jinxing said, seeing that his aim had been achieved. A hint of deeper meaning flickered in his gaze, and he smiled as he took his leave.

  ……

  The next morning, the bells rang nine times.

  In the Hall of Divine Mists, the celestial beings were divided into two ranks, and Xu Fang was among them.

  Today was the day of the grand court assembly in the Heavenly Court. With the commanding voice of the celestial attendants, the Jade Emperor and the Lady Queen Mother entered majestically!

  “Greetings, Your Majesty—”

  The celestial beings bowed deeply. The Jade Emperor sat upon the imperial throne and spoke lightly, “Are there any petitions today?”

  As his voice fell, a figure clad in armor stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I have a petition.”

  “Your Majesty, since the conferred title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven, no duties have been assigned to him. He has been idling at the residence of the Demon-Slaying General, and if this continues, he may cause trouble. I implore Your Majesty to assign a task for the Great Sage.”

  Hearing this, Xu Fang immediately turned to the speaker and recognized him as the Lord of the Breaking Army!

  “Your Majesty, the words of the Lord of the Breaking Army are misguided.”

  Xu Fang stepped forward and spoke, “I have already arranged a position for the Great Sage in the Divine Strategy Camp, so he is not idle.”

  “Xu General, your statement is mistaken.”

  However, the Lord of the Breaking Army firmly countered, “The position of the Demon-Slaying General is a second-rank divine position in the Heavenly Court, while the Great Sage is ranked first. How can you, Xu General, appoint him to a duty? Moreover, it is said that you and the Great Sage are sworn brothers. If he is placed in the Divine Strategy Camp, it could lead to rumors of favoritism. I am only looking out for you, Xu General.”

  As he finished, the Lord of the Breaking Army feigned a concerned demeanor.

  Xu Fang felt his heart sink, casting a scrutinizing gaze at the Lord of the Breaking Army.

  This Lord of the Breaking Army was undoubtedly acting on someone else's orders!

  The waters here were getting murky!