Chapter 82 - 082: Chaos in the Peach Orchard as the Great Saint Steals the Elixir
Wukong, when the Flat Peach Festival arrived and the peaches were ripe, enlisted Tao Yao’s help to pick all the peaches in the garden. Then, he cast a Freezing Spell on all the local deities, strongmen, and immortals, freezing them in place. After a day or two, they would be released from the spell.
He then rode the clouds straight to Yao Pond, intending to steal a feast. Along the way, he encountered the Barefoot Immortal and called out, "Where are you headed, old Immortal?"
The Barefoot Immortal performed a ritual salute and said, "I am on my way to Yao Pond, having been summoned by the Queen Mother to attend the grand event."
As if recalling a previous life, Wukong laughed and said, "You are unaware, old Immortal, that the Jade Emperor appointed me, Old Sun, to fast-track with my VLOOKUP (A1025, [1]Sheet1!$A:$B, 2, 0), so he tasked me with informing all the great immortals to first go to the Hall of Light to rehearse the rituals before attending the gathering."
The good-natured Barefoot Immortal was tricked by Wukong and promptly set off for the Hall of Light.
Wukong descended from the clouds and, with a flick of his body, transformed into the Barefoot Immortal and made his way into Yao Pond. No one had arrived yet; only some servants were busy working. Wukong made a hand gesture and cast a spell, turning into a swarm of sleepy insects. Landing on the faces of those people, the insects bit them, and suddenly they were overwhelmed by sleepiness. They collapsed and fell asleep, and soon the place was filled with loud snoring.
Wukong chuckled to himself, "I wonder if the Three Pure Ones are hiding up in the clouds watching me, trying not to let me notice them. I have no way to see them. The Three Pure Ones have been good to me, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if they saw the Swallowing Dragon Stele."
Then he approached the banquet, grabbed the Jadescent Nectar, and started gulping it down. After drinking several bottles, he felt a bit dizzy and quickly pulled out the Swallowing Dragon Stele. Pointing the dragon’s head at the table, he swept it over the fine dishes, delicacies, wine, and precious fruit, taking everything. With so many things gathered, he put the Swallowing Dragon Stele back into his Spiritual Platform, and staggered out of Yao Pond.
Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch was surprised, "The Swallowing Dragon Stele? This artifact is from the Nine Heavens, its inscriptions hide celestial secrets. Where did he get it from?"
Laozi replied, "Perhaps this monkey stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter. The Swallowing Dragon Stele cannot be mastered by anyone who lacks great destiny. When the Xia Dynasty was about to fall, it flew away on its own. It’s an object that suppresses destiny. We should not meddle with it to avoid incurring karmic consequences that are difficult to settle."
Divine retribution executes the checking and balancing of karmic forces in the world. For the Three Pure Ones, the inscriptions on the Swallowing Dragon Stele are not that remarkable because it’s not worth it to get involved with useless trinkets that have attracted heavy karmic consequences.