Now, the twenty-second day of the second month in the mortal world was the Flower Festival. This festival was not a custom invented by mortals, but had been passed down from the Heavenly Realm.
Today, all the flowers were in bloom in the Heavenly Realm's Jade Pool Immortal Realm, and the Queen Mother had invited the immortals to a gathering at Yaochi to admire them.
Among those invited were Taishang Laojun, Old Mother Lishan, Taiyi Heavenly Lord of Great Mercy, Great Emperor of the South Pole of Longevity, the Three Holy Immortals, Eastern Holy Emperor of Venerable Grace, Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens, Great Emperor Zhenwu, Taiyin Star Lord, Emperor Wenchang, Kaiyang Star Lord, Great Kui Star Lord, Taibai Jinxing, Barefoot Immortal, True Lord Qingyuan Miaodao, and others.
Wukong, Nezha, and Ao Tu quietly slipped up outside Yaochi and peered inside.
Nezha said, "Look, Taiyi Heavenly Lord of Great Mercy is over there. Let's go in and call him!"
"Wait," Wukong said.
"What is it?" Nezha asked.
Wukong smiled. "Third Prince, all the gods are here. We shouldn't make a scene."
"Why shouldn't we make a scene?" Nezha said. "His lion descended to the mortal world to become a demon and commit evil. Does that somehow put him in the right?"
Wukong urged, "Third Prince, even if Taiyi Heavenly Lord of Great Mercy was at fault for failing to notice, we shouldn't demand an accounting before all the gods. Wouldn't that leave the Heavenly Lord unable to step down gracefully?"
Nezha thought it over. Wukong did have a point, so he asked:
"Then what do you suggest?"
Wukong said, "In Old Sun's opinion, we'll have to trouble you to go in, Third Prince, and quietly explain the matter to him.