Chapter 40: The Miraculous Insecticide

No one could have imagined that the infamous criminal duo, notorious worldwide for their evil deeds, would end up sneaking into the farm only to be turned into fertilizer and buried beneath the orchard. After all, they were internationally renowned thieves—how could they simply vanish overnight without a trace? The whole affair was shrouded in mystery. Interpol, who had been tracking their every move, found themselves utterly stymied by the sudden disappearance of the two criminals known as the "Seven-Leaf Flower" and "Wang the Relentless." With no trail to follow, the case was ultimately left unresolved.

Meanwhile, after their visit to Monkey Sun's farm, they returned with quite a haul of "treasures." Most conspicuous among them was the large box of "Dichlorvos" insecticide that Chu Xiaoyu had ordered online. The Queen Mother's Peach Orchard was plagued by pests, but with just a light spray of this Dichlorvos, millions of insects could be wiped out in an instant. The method was simple—Chu Xiaoyu personally demonstrated it to the Monkey, and Sun Wukong grasped it immediately. Beaming with delight, Sun Wukong hoisted the box and made his way back to the Celestial Palace.

At that very moment, in the Queen Mother's Peach Orchard, Sun Wukong had already twisted open the cap of the Dichlorvos bottle. Without another word, he aimed at the pests infesting the peach trees and, with a single spray, unleashed the substance. Instantly, the insects began to drop from the trees, lifeless in a matter of moments.

The scene was astonishing beyond words! Sun Wukong's eyes widened in disbelief. Had he not witnessed it himself, he would never have believed such a miraculous sight. Though the celestial officials of Heaven wielded formidable magic, none could do anything about the pests ravaging the Queen Mother's orchard. Their most powerful arts were utterly ineffective. Yet now, with a mere bottle of this earthly insecticide, the pests—every last one of them—were dead in the blink of an eye.

Stunning! Shocking! Diabolical!

With a jubilant shout, Sun Wukong leapt high into the air, barely able to contain his excitement. "Venerable Patriarch, I love you to bits!" he exclaimed inwardly, brimming with gratitude for his teacher.

Soon, the entire peach orchard was in uproar, as if a flock of chickens and a pack of dogs had been let loose. Sun Wukong, riding on his somersault cloud, darted about in all manner of acrobatic poses, spraying each peach tree and eradicating the pests.

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In no time, the Peach Orchard, under Sun Wukong's playful yet diligent efforts as he rode his cloud, was completely cleansed of pests. As the box of Dichlorvos steadily emptied, not a single insect remained. The monumental task, once thought more difficult than ascending to Heaven, had been accomplished with nothing more than a bottle of insecticide.

When the celestial officials made their routine inspection of the orchard, they were utterly astounded by what they saw. What was going on? The pests that had troubled the Queen Mother for so long had vanished without a trace!

Such an overwhelming display of skill and power—it was nothing short of miraculous.

Extra! Extra! Unable to contain their excitement, several officials quickly spread the sensational news throughout Heaven, and soon everyone was talking about it.

What? That monkey actually wiped out every single pest in the Queen Mother’s Peach Orchard? Not a single insect left?

To them, this was truly explosive news. The Queen Mother had once pleaded for help from each and every celestial official—even the mighty Supreme Lord of the Dao had found himself helpless before the onslaught of pests. Their magic, no matter how great, could not keep up with the pests’ rate of reproduction—it was unbelievable.

The pests multiplied faster than the immortals could destroy them.

Thus, from the Jade Emperor down to every last official, not a single one had any solution to the havoc wrought by the pests in the Queen Mother’s orchard. Yet who could have imagined that a mere monkey would be the one to rid the entire orchard of them?

The officials were truly stunned.

What a wild monkey—what remarkable abilities!

The Jade Emperor turned to Venus Taibai and asked, “Old White, tell me—who would have thought that monkey, for all his rough manners, would possess such formidable skills? The Peach Orchard’s pest problem has plagued us for ages, and not a soul has found a remedy. Yet in the end, it was that uncouth monkey who solved it.”

Ah! What a turn of events.

All those proud celestial officials, who had been so high and mighty, found themselves bested by a monkey. It was a stinging humiliation.

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“Your Majesty, if I may… since the monkey has proven so capable and accomplished this great feat in exterminating the pests, perhaps his merits should offset his faults. As for the matter of the lost horses, what do you think…?” Venus Taibai ventured to plead on the monkey’s behalf.

The Jade Emperor pondered briefly, then said, “Very well. The monkey has indeed rendered a great service in exterminating the pests. As for the lost horses, let us consider the matter closed; I will not hold him accountable.”

“Your Majesty’s magnanimity is truly a blessing for your subjects,” Venus Taibai quickly flattered.

The Jade Emperor merely smiled, but inwardly he was full of disdain for the flatterer: Hmph, this Old White is a sycophant if ever there was one.

With a word from the Jade Emperor, Sun Wukong was spared from any punishment.

Venus Taibai wasted no time in bringing the news to Sun Wukong.

Upon hearing it, Sun Wukong seemed wholly indifferent.

Venus Taibai, perplexed by the monkey's dismissive attitude, asked, “What’s the matter? The Jade Emperor has decided not to pursue the matter of the lost horses. Shouldn’t we, as his subjects, be grateful for such kindness?”

“What? Thank him? And why should I thank him? Is that really necessary?” Sun Wukong replied, showing not the slightest gratitude.

Venus Taibai was momentarily embarrassed. “Ahem… Monkey—no, Wukong—look, now that the Jade Emperor has dropped the matter, you should focus on making amends by managing the Peach Orchard well. You’ve done a great deed exterminating the pests. Well done.”

“Heh! If I’ve performed such a great service, what reward does the old Jade Emperor have for me?” Sun Wukong asked bluntly, causing Venus Taibai’s embarrassment to deepen.

“Ahem… well, there was supposed to be a reward, but… seeing as your loss of the celestial steeds and this pest extermination cancel each other out, there won’t be any…”

“Fine! I get it. All my hard work for nothing, and in the end, I don’t even get a hair for my trouble.”

“All right, off you go then. I’m in no mood—don’t bother me,” Sun Wukong snapped, none too politely. “Or I might just take a swing at someone.”

He had never been known for his courtesy in showing guests the door.

Venus Taibai wanted to say more, but seeing Sun Wukong’s scowling face, he bit back his words and left. The monkey’s temper was not to be trifled with—best to let him be.