The Nezha Chronicles: I’m Carefree in the Mortal World

I was crouched on a jade pillar in the Hall of Lingxiao, the tip of my tail curled around it three times, while all I could hear was Taibai Jinxing's annual “Heavenly Court Public Security Report.” The Fire-Tipped Spear in my hand was getting hot from my grip. If I weren't afraid of punching through the glazed roof tiles, I would have tossed the thing away ages ago. Who could stand listening to him read out, “Guard post thirty-seven at the Southern Heavenly Gate was late three times this month,” and “The Jade Rabbits of the Moon Palace were caught nibbling immortal herbs and sentenced to copy the rules”?

“Third Prince Nezha!” Taibai Jinxing suddenly looked up, his reading glasses slipping to the tip of his nose. “Tell us, how do you propose to deal with the fact that you fought Ao Bing at the Dragon King's Palace in the Eastern Sea last month and wrecked three of his coral reefs?”

My heart gave a thump. I hurriedly jumped down from the pillar, nearly slipping as I landed on my Wind-Fire Wheels. The main problem was that they hadn't gotten enough fire today. In the morning, I'd snuck off to the Peach Garden to steal peaches, but Zhen Yuanzi caught me and made me water his ginseng fruit tree for half an hour. That left me no time to recharge the wheels.

“That wasn't a fight. It was a friendly contest!” I said stubbornly, the Red Armillary Sash swaying behind me as I secretly scooped up a fallen immortal fruit. “Ao Bing was the one who suggested we see whose magic was stronger. He lost and then blamed me for wrecking the coral reefs. His dragon scales are even tougher than my sash. How else was I supposed to win?”