"Luo Hao, would you like some wine? Perhaps some baijiu?" Phoenix asked.
In a private room at a high-end Chinese restaurant in Kyoto, Phoenix and Luo Hao had ordered a variety of small dishes. The owner and chef were both from China, ensuring the food would be authentic and to their liking.
The tantalizing aromas wafting from the meticulously crafted dishes, prepared with traditional techniques, promised an exceptional dining experience.
"Ah! Ordinary wine is hardly worthy of a sister of your stature. Allow me to offer you this exquisite brew I personally crafted during my cultivation on Mount Lu. You're likely the only person in the world who will ever taste this nectar!"
As if by magic, Luo Hao conjured a sealed clay jar of fine wine onto the table. She took an empty cup and poured a generous serving for Phoenix, placing it before her. Only then did she pour one for herself.
"Thank you," Phoenix said casually, accepting the cup.
"Sister, you're too kind. There's no need for thanks between us—it's only natural. Come, let me propose a toast to you, Sister, in gratitude for your guidance in my Martial Dao."
Luo Hao, whose beauty rivaled that of a celestial maiden from the Western Heaven Palace, now exuded the boisterous spirit of a jianghu swordsman from a television drama.
"Come, bottoms up!"
Seeing Luo Hao's spirited gesture, Phoenix naturally couldn't be outdone. She raised her wine cup, stood, and matched Luo Hao's toast.
"Hahaha... bottoms up!"
The two beautiful Eastern immortals abandoned all pretense of elegance as they each downed nearly two ounces of fine wine in a single gulp with unrestrained enthusiasm.
"Clear wine from golden goblets, ten thousand coins a jug; rare delicacies on jade platters, worth a hundred thousand strings."
"Truly worthy of Luo Hao's finest brew! Even the Jade Nectar of the heavens pales in comparison."
After finishing her drink, Phoenix seemed intoxicated by the exquisite nectar, unable to forget its sublime flavor.
"With kindred spirits, a thousand cups are not enough; with incompatible souls, half a sentence is too much. Though distant lakes may hold but a single cup, it can evoke memories of comrades across ten thousand miles."
"If you enjoyed it, Sister, once this matter is settled, why not return to Mount Lu with me? I have many rare vintages there that I would be delighted to share with you."
Luo Hao was delighted by Phoenix's praise, her beautiful eyes gazing at Phoenix with a gentle smile.
"Very well, then it's settled. Just don't regret it later, Luo Hao," Phoenix said, accepting the offer without hesitation.
"How could I possibly regret it? If Sister desires it, I will give it to her."
"Oh... Luo Hao, your words could easily be misunderstood. If I desire you, you'd simply give yourself to me?" Phoenix replied with a teasing glance, her voice laced with suggestive undertones.
"Of course!" Luo Hao affirmed, seemingly oblivious to the double entendre. She nodded emphatically, leaving Phoenix wondering if her own mind was too lewd.
"Let's save that discussion for later. Come, let's drink."
"Drink..."
They raised their glasses and clinked them once more.
This time, Luo Hao tilted her cup too sharply, causing wine to spill from her mouth and trickle down her neck into her robes. The alluring sight drew Phoenix's unconscious gaze, prompting her to steal a few extra glances.
Meanwhile, Higokumaru, who had been quietly enjoying her meal, grew visibly displeased.
After Phoenix, Higokumaru, and Luo Hao had their fill, they strolled through Kyoto once more. Only after representatives from the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains arrived did they finally set off for the Western Heaven Palace.
The Western Heaven Palace was nestled on a picturesque mountain outside Kyoto. Long ago, Susanoo cunningly lured the Heretic God Sun Wukong to this place. Using the mythical "Pilgrim's Curse" recorded in legend, he sealed Wukong within the palace, cursing him to become a "stable boy for heavenly horses." Afterward, Susanoo harnessed the monkey god's power to confront other Heretic Gods and safeguard the region's peace.
Susanoo, also known as Susanoo-no-Mikoto (recorded as Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto in the Kojiki), was one of the Three Noble Children born to Izanagi. The other two were the sun goddess Amaterasu and the moon god Tsukuyomi (also known as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto).
Though Susanoo was the younger brother of Japan's most revered deities, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, his power surpassed that of his elder sisters. His volatile nature earned him a reputation as a god of destruction, prone to both fierce violence and extraordinary valor.
His most renowned feat was slaying the legendary monster, the Yamata no Orochi. From the serpent's tail, he retrieved the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi (Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi), solidifying his status as a valiant hero.
Luo Hao harbored a deep resentment towards Susanoo, blaming him for the sealing of China's Heretic Gods in Japan. Given the opportunity, she would not hesitate to punish him.
Phoenix, carrying Higokumaru, and Luo Hao, accompanied by a young girl dressed as a Taoist nun, stood atop the Western Heaven Palace, gazing down at the magnificent shrine complex below. This was indeed the Western Heaven Palace itself.
Looking into the depths of the shrine's Inner Courtyard, they spotted a golden monkey, about eighty centimeters tall, reclining on a tree branch, several fruits nestled in its arms.
The monkey lazily closed its eyes, occasionally taking a bite of a fruit. After consuming about a third of one, it carelessly tossed the rest aside and picked up another.
The monkey's fur shone with a bright, orange-tinged golden hue, and its face was not particularly red.
This was Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, a Heretic God of this world, also known as the Monkey God-Lord.
His current state was due to the "Pi Mawen" Curse Technique cast upon him in this land, which had reduced him to this pathetic form.
In this world, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, is both an avatar of the Monkey King and a protector of the Dragon. Ancient legends have long revered him as a Steel Hero.
Yet, he is currently bound by the Tendai Curse Monks' most potent curse technique, a divine force drawn from sacred sites across Japan and transformed into the authority of the Great Incarnation of the Eastern Illumination.
Whenever a Heretic God descends, the Tendai Curse Monks release the curse, restoring Sun Wukong to his full power as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and he drives away the offending deity.
Once the Heretic God is vanquished, the "Pi Mawen" curse immediately reactivates, forcing him to return to this place and be sealed once more.
This cycle has repeated endlessly for countless years, treating Sun Wukong as nothing more than a tool.
No wonder Luo Hao feels that this monkey's existence is a disgrace to her and to China.
The palace shrine below, the entire Western Heaven Palace, was designed by the successors of the Yōsei inhabitants. Not even a Campione or a Heretic God can easily break its seals.