Pacification Recruitment Team? Kindergarten!

The Bull Demon King spoke with such feeling that his huge bovine eyes had actually grown a little moist. Tilting back his head, he drained another bowl of wine in one gulp.

Su Yuan sat beside him, drinking bowl after bowl in accompaniment. Old Bull kept talking to himself, leaving Su Yuan no chance to interrupt. He could only nod repeatedly, his face filled with sincere admiration.

He had originally thought the Bull Demon King's staunch opposition to recruitment was because he could not bear to part with the empty title of "Great Sage Pacifying Heaven," or because he wanted to become a model of resistance for demonkind everywhere.

Yet he had never imagined that beneath this seemingly rough and bold old bull's exterior lay such a weighty, simple, wholehearted love for his son.

Compared to that, all his own calculations now seemed somewhat lacking.

He could not help sighing to the Demon Kings beside him, who were currently competing over drinks.

"I truly underestimated Brother Bull before. I thought he refused to leave because he coveted a hollow reputation or could not swallow his pride. I never knew it was for such profound fatherly love. Brother Bull is truly a bull of temperament! A dignified Great Sage Pacifying Heaven, yet his heart is filled entirely with his wife and child's future. He is a truly devoted family bull! Such feelings are deeply moving. I admire you, truly!"

The other Demon Kings all wore exceedingly strange smiles when they heard this, leaving Su Yuan utterly baffled.

Just then, the Bull Demon King was completely overcome by drink. His emotions surged as he muttered,

"Gotta... gotta tell the family... this good news..."

while tremblingly rummaging through his robes and pulling out a communication talisman. His fingers fumbled clumsily over it as he muttered,

"Hello... hello, is that Jade Face? I... I miss you..."

The admiration on Su Yuan's face instantly froze.

The Flood Demon King, Roc Demon King, and the others reacted with astonishing speed. Their expressions changed drastically, and they pounced on him almost at the same time!

"Big Brother! You mustn't!!"

"You've had too much, Big Brother, you've had too much!!"

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law tampered with your talisman! Don't call her!"

Fortunately, the talisman had only just begun to glow and had not connected yet. The Demon Kings broke out in cold sweats as they frantically cut the call.

Su Yuan: "..."

This old bull certainly was "devoted to his family." It was just that he had a rather large family.

On the flying vessel returning to the Heavenly Court, the cabin was in utter chaos and exceedingly lively.

In one corner of the cabin, Sun Wukong sat cross-legged, baring his teeth as he stared at the exquisitely adorable toddler in his arms, who looked about two or three years old. Every so often, a tiny wisp of green smoke puffed from the child's nose, scalding Sun Wukong badly enough to make him grimace.

A water mirror floated before him, showing the anxious faces of the Bull Demon King and Rakshasa Lady.

"Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother! Are you holding him securely?"

Rakshasa Lady's eyes brimmed with tears, her voice slightly choked with emotion.

"My son is in your care from now on... Every three days, he must be fed a small amount of essence refined from Samadhi True Fire, or he will not sleep peacefully at night."

Sun Wukong awkwardly adjusted the way he held the child and nodded miserably.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, Sister-in-law."

"And water!"

Rakshasa Lady hurriedly added.

"Ordinary Ren-Gui Water will not do. It must be Rootless Water. If you can find Three Lights Divine Water that has been illuminated by sunlight, moonlight, and starlight together, that would be best!"

"And remember, remember this well: under no circumstances can he come into contact with anything of the Eastern Jia-Yi Wood attribute. His five elements are rich in fire, and wood nourishes fire. If he sees it, I fear he may lose control..."

The Bull Demon King's huge bull head squeezed into the water mirror as he instructed in a deep, rumbling voice,

"Seventh Brother! Did you hear what your sister-in-law said? Remember every word! You have a restless nature, and your mouth moves faster than your brain. Going to the Heavenly Court this time is no small matter. This is no longer a game between us brothers! Once you get there, rein yourself in. Listen to Little Su's arrangements in everything; his mind is quick! Don't offend those petty big shots just for the sake of winning an argument, understand?"

Sun Wukong's head felt as big as a bucket. He could only nod repeatedly, his gaze darting about everywhere.

When he spotted Su Yuan, who was equally overwhelmed, Sun Wukong seemed to have found a lifeline and immediately signaled him over with frantic winks and grimaces.

Su Yuan had been taking stock of the gains from the lower realm's recruitment. Seeing Sun Wukong begging for help, he hurriedly set down his jade slip.

He reached up, grabbed the several chirping Golden-Winged Little Peng birds standing on his head and yanking hard at his hair, tossed them aside, and hurried over at a trot.

Su Yuan deftly pulled out two Redfire Golden Elixirs from his sleeve and casually fed them into Red Boy's mouth. The child smacked his lips, and the fiery smoke from his nose immediately diminished considerably.

"Brother Bull! Sister-in-law! Put your minds at ease, put your minds at ease!"

Su Yuan leaned toward the water mirror, piling a smile onto his face.

"I've been working in the Heavenly Court for many years, and not to boast, I do have a few connections. I've long found a famous teacher for my grandnephew, and I've already smoothed out most of the arrangements! Never mind character and cultivation—the teacher I found for my grandnephew has an absolutely first-rate background and lineage!"

"A background is enough, a background is enough!"

Only then did Rakshasa Lady relax slightly. She continued chattering at Su Yuan for another half an incense stick's time, reminding him to put a cloud-silk bellyband on the child because it was breathable, then explaining how to soothe him when he cried in the middle of the night. At last, under the Bull Demon King's repeated consoling, she reluctantly ended the call.

The moment the water mirror vanished, Red Boy perhaps felt the medicine wearing off, or perhaps he was uncomfortable in the new environment. He suddenly burst into tears, flailing his little hands as sparks flew everywhere.

The noise made Sun Wukong feel as though one head had become two, and he fumbled about in a panic.

Su Yuan quickly said,

"Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong! Please trouble yourself to take the child outside for some air. Fly steadily and rock him to sleep. Once he falls asleep, everything will be easier!"

Sun Wukong looked at the hot potato in his arms, scratched at his ears and cheeks, then let out a long, resigned sigh.

"What a sin!"

With that, he cradled the wailing Red Boy and somersaulted out of the flying vessel.

After Wukong had been sent away, Venus Star Lord, who had been sitting in the corner with his head lowered as he handled documents, finally had the chance to look up. With a wry smile, he peeled a little white dragon off his arm; it had somehow wrapped itself around him and was trying to chew on his writing brush.

The old Star Lord watched the various little demon brats racing, shrieking, and rolling about wildly through the cabin. Rubbing his brow, he sighed at Su Yuan.

"Little Su, this is supposed to be a flying vessel returning to the Heavenly Court to report our mission. It is about to become a kindergarten."

Su Yuan also wore a bitter expression as he shook his sleeve, which was covered in drool.

"Master, I had no choice. You don't know this, but when those Demon Kings heard that I had agreed to secure a good future for Old Bull's child in the Heavenly Court and find him a good teacher, every one of them went red-eyed! They insisted that I bring along their own nephews and children too. They said that even sweeping floors in the Heavenly Court as little attendants would be fine. At least they would have an official post, which was better than being demons in the lower realm!"

Venus Star Lord laughed and scolded him.

"You are as monkey-minded as ever. I have never seen you suffer a loss. Go on, what scheme are you plotting this time?"