As the four landed, the atmosphere at the Jade Pool Banquet instantly grew lively, with the Immortals rising one after another, eagerly exchanging greetings with the Four Gods.
“Rizhi Divine General, it’s been many days since we last met, yet you still look vigorous and spirited!”
“You flatter me. But Star Lord, you are the one who has been tirelessly conveying the Jade Emperor’s decrees across the Heavenly Court.”
“The Fire Spirit General guards the Fire God Palace and protects the divine flame—such merit is immeasurable! General, if you have time, would you kindly offer us some guidance in cultivation?”
“Thank you for your recognition. If you have the time, feel free to visit the Fire God Palace anytime.”
“The General commands the Celestial River Navy, defending the Heavenly River…”
The crowd quickly formed a circle, each person eager to speak with the four, hoping to curry favor in their presence.
Su Fu watched the scene, thinking to herself that even among Immortals, worldly human relationships and etiquette still mattered.
At that moment, the Great Fairy spoke, dressed in red, a smile playing across her eyebrows and eyes: “Dear Immortal friends, welcome to the Jade Pool Banquet.”
“The Queen Mother of the West has pressing matters today and cannot attend personally. She has specially appointed me to host you all. If there are any shortcomings in my hospitality, please forgive me.”
“The Great Fairy has worked hard!”
“We have been looking forward to this Peach Banquet for a long time.”
After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, the Great Fairy looked toward the three generals and said, “The Queen Mother has specially arranged the upper seats; please follow me.”
The other Immortals stood aside, gazing at the three being led to the upper seats with envy in their eyes.
“When will we be able to sit in those seats?”
“What are you dreaming of? The Rizhi Divine General, Fire Spirit General, and Celestial River General are all upper-rank deities, powerful and commanding armies. We should just give up on that thought.”
“Besides, didn’t you see they were personally greeted by the Great Fairy?”
“Heh, I can dream, can’t I? But in the Jade Pool, it’s really the Great Fairy who holds sway—she manages the Peach Orchard. That’s the real power here. The peaches we eat today all pass through her hands.”
“True, true!”
Listening to their chatter, Su Fu thought the last comment was right—the best position in the Jade Pool was indeed the Great Fairy.
She had home court advantage, full authority delegated by the Queen Mother, and most importantly, custody of all the peaches.
She had both power and resources.
Just then, Su Fu caught a glimpse of Yuelun Yuan and his group moving about, each dispersing to follow their respective generals.
Yuelun Yuan trailed behind the Celestial River General, Zhou Tianhao followed the Rizhi Divine General, and Chu Mingyuan stuck close to the Fire Spirit General, each playing the role of attendants to their assigned palaces.
Although previously restricted by their respective palaces, now was the time to truly leverage their strengths—the banquet was where they could shine.
After all, even the smallest scraps from those above were enough for those below to feast.
Meanwhile, the Great Fairy had already led the Immortals to the upper seats.
This place was set on a jade platform at the highest point of the Jade Pool, surrounded by a veil of gentle clouds formed by gathered divine energy, creating a secluded sanctuary.
For the Immortals, it offered a full view of the entire banquet scene while blocking others from spying.
Four jade tables were arranged on the platform, laden with rare fruits and jade nectar.
At the center sat a small spiritual spring, its clear waters tinkling softly, suffusing the air with a refined aura.Â
The guests took their seats in order, and the Great Fairy, smiling brightly, sat in the central spot, lifting a cup of jade nectar.
“Three honorable guests have traveled far. I offer a toast to you all.”
The Fire Spirit General laughed heartily, “Refreshing! I toast the Great Fairy as well—for your hard work nurturing the peaches this year.”
“Yes,” the Rizhi Divine General smiled in agreement.
“The early ripening of the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach this year speaks to the Great Fairy’s dedication.”
The Celestial River General said, “With the Great Fairy managing the Peach Orchard, every year yields bountiful fruit, and this year is especially exciting.”
They all smiled at each other and drank in unison.
Once the first toast ended, the most impatient Fire Spirit General could no longer contain himself and bluntly asked, “Great Fairy, now that everyone is here, when will the banquet officially start?”
By this, he naturally meant when the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach would be presented.
The question silenced the crowd instantly; obviously, everyone was curious.
After all, they came to the Peach Banquet for this very reason.
The Great Fairy’s smile did not fade as she explained, “Following tradition, the Queen Mother’s opening speech will start the banquet. Then, the Immortals will present their treasures to show respect to the Queen Mother.”
“Next comes tasting the Three-Thousand-Year and Six-Thousand-Year Peaches, accompanied by displays of Immortal grace through song, dance, and poetry. When the banquet reaches its climax, the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach will be presented, accompanied by auspicious beasts.”
“Finally, we will all share in the supreme blessings.”
She smiled, “There’s no need to rush, friends.”
The crowd seemed thoughtful but remained surprisingly calm, with no one urging her on.
Instead, many expressed sympathy, saying, “This banquet will surely be hard work for the Great Fairy.”
“Yes, there’s quite a lot to do…”
Especially the Rizhi Divine General subtly exhaled in relief, which meant the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach was the finale—there was still some time left.
The Celestial River General, Gu Yan Feng, relaxed his brow further, thinking if he could seize this time, perhaps the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach…
Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed the Fire Spirit General looking at him with a teasing grin.
“General of the Celestial River, what has you so engrossed?”
Gu Yan Feng forced a smile in reply, “Tuohuo, whatever you’re thinking, I’m thinking the same.”
Tuohuo chuckled, “You’re quite good at reading minds. How do you know what I’m thinking?”
The two volleyed barbs, clearly arch-rivals.
The Rizhi Divine General was long accustomed to their antics and felt only mild annoyance, sipping the nectar quietly, thinking how fine the jade nectar was.
Finally, the Great Fairy tapped the jade table, her smile faint but sincere: “On such an auspicious day, let us set aside our usual grudges.”
She glanced at the attendants nearby; several maidens promptly served fresh jade nectar and refilled the cups of the two generals.
Then the Great Fairy shifted tone, “Since we have a prior agreement, my task is done. I hope everyone…”
She looked meaningfully at the three generals, “…will not ruin this grand banquet.”
Everyone clearly understood the hint—they had agreed to share the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach and this was a warning against greed.
The Rizhi Divine General responded first, with an air of certainty, “Naturally, Great Fairy, rest assured. Since it’s an agreement, I, Yuan Yang, shall keep my word and never break it.”
Gu Yan Feng nodded in agreement, “Correct, Great Fairy. With the Celestial River Navy here, nothing will go wrong at today’s banquet.”
Tuohuo was even more straightforward, slapping his chest to promise, “I’ll watch those two and make sure they don’t do anything shady.”
The Great Fairy raised her cup, laughing, “That’s best. Let us enjoy the jade nectar first. After the treasure presentation, we shall share the Peach Banquet.”
Everyone raised their cups in celebration, a scene of harmony and joy.
Outside, Yuelun Yuan and his group exchanged glances, each reading the other’s thoughts clearly.
“These old foxes are good actors—sweet words, but once the Great Fairy leaves, they’ll each use their tricks.”
“They had no choice in the Peach Orchard, but now is the perfect opportunity. Who wouldn’t want to monopolize the peaches?”
“Our chance has come. When they fight, we’ll muddy the waters and strike. Once the time is right, we’ll focus on the Celestial River General first.”
“Got it!”
“No problem at all.”
At that moment, the Great Fairy emerged, and they quickly withdrew their gazes, bowing respectfully and seeing her off.
Meanwhile, Su Fu watched the Great Fairy reach the center of the venue and sighed, finally moving to the main event.
The Great Fairy smiled at the crowd: “Dear Immortal guests, thank you for coming to the Queen Mother’s Peach Banquet. Today, the Jade Pool is filled with Immortals—a rare grand occasion across the Three Realms. The Peach of Immortality is the fruit of eternal life and a symbol of good fortune…”
“Today, we are fortunate that the Three-Thousand-Year Peach has ripened early. The Queen Mother specially hosts this banquet to share the heavenly grace with you all. Though the Queen Mother is not here in person, her blessings reach throughout the Heavenly Court…”
As she spoke, distant celestial music floated over, ethereal and exquisite, like pearls dropping on jade plates, or streams flowing over high mountains.
The Great Fairy’s voice seemed to gain beauty from the music, like the voice of heaven itself.
At the same time, song and dance rose, with fairies gracefully dancing in the Ninth Heaven.
Listening to this endless opening speech, Su Fu thought to herself that no matter the place, the big boss always had to say a few words before starting.
So it was in the mortal realm, so it was in the Heavenly Court.
She was too lazy to listen to such grandiose nonsense and instead asked Qingluan to check on the three generals.
Qingluan immediately understood, a gleam of blue light flashing in her eyes, piercing through the clouds to see the three clearly.
The protection could block ordinary birds, but Qingluan was a divine bird and unaffected.
After all, ahem, they often used such means to eavesdrop on gossip.
Su Fu smiled and patted Qingluan’s head, “Good girl.”
If she guessed right, these old foxes would try every means to get the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach while the Great Fairy was away.
Who wouldn’t want to become a true god?
Desire was never satisfied.
On the high platform, the Celestial River General waved his hand, and a water mirror appeared before them all.
He stood in the center of the banquet, finally ending the opening speech and moving to the treasure presentation.
“The first to present is the Coral Envoy from the Dragon Palace of the South Sea!”
An Immortal official in a jade-green robe stepped forward, holding a three-foot-tall blood-red coral.
“Wishing the Queen Mother eternal life and the Jade Pool peaches eternal fruitfulness! This is the rare blood coral from the South Sea, please accept it!”
The Great Fairy smiled and took it, “Thank you for the Dragon King’s generous gift. I will be sure to present it to the Queen Mother.”
The Immortals applauded.