Chapter Text
As the sun was setting beyond the horizon—when the soft shades of blue turned dark to welcome the little stars that shall accompany the full moon to shine pathways for the lost travellers; a lone figure stood at the peak of the mountain surrounded by the luscious green mountains where a thousand souls spend their mortal years within, deeply in awe of the natural beauty he was presented with.
The mist covering the surface slowly made way for the sentient monkeys to join their elder in admiring the universe’s greatest creation, ignorant of what was contained in his heart. His consciousness was only retrieved once he felt a tiny palm tugging the tiger skin hanging around his waist. He looked down to see a cub, age no older than the equivalent of mortal human age of three, picking her up and tucking her by his waist. In a soft voice, the cub asked;
“Yéye, what brings you to stand here alone?”
The monkey chuckled at his granddaughter’s question. “It is simply a beautiful night, my granddaughter. After all, a special guest is to join us for the entirety of autumn, along with the True Sage and the Third Lotus Prince.” He said joyfully. “A special guest whom all of you know too well.”
The Bodhisattva of Victorious Strife fixed his eyes towards the many trails connecting the mountain to the scattering villages across the Haizhou district. From any of these trails he shall recognise the figure of a child with a lantern in his hand after spending weeks crossing the Yangtze River.
“Do come inside, Your Majesty. For I believe your son knows his paths to make his way here.” A voice called for him.
Sun Wukong chuckled at the request. “Good attempt at mimicking General Ma’s voice, Little Prince. Though I have to point out, her voice is slightly deeper than what you’d used.” He turned to look at the crimson cheeks of the Third Lotus Prince, groaning from embarrassment as the monkeys pointed and laughed at him, only to be scolded by their grandfather. “How is your father doing?”
“It… Well, he was dealing with the preparation of the feast.” Nezha shrugged in discomfort. Wukong’s face contorted into a frown, knowing the child deity had intentionally left a piece of information.
Had it not been an awaited evening, he’ll be darting the boy with more questions than what he could handle given the predicament they were in.
He’ll let this slide. Yang Jian already had a lot to deal with from the special guest’s arrival.
“Have him to rest, and clean himself up.” Sun Wukong ordered, smiling at the fellow deity. “I’ll join him later.”
“Yes, Bàba.” Nezha bowed affirmatively with a soft smile, leaving the monkey deity with his grandchildren to gaze over the evening view.
He made his way down the tiny, rocky stairway along the path, reaching an entrance to a cave buried within the mountain, where smoke was flowing out accompanied by the sweet scent of peaches being fermented into a beverage they all shall enjoy. The bustling monkeys moving around the now-cramped space greeted him and pointed towards therable. Amongst the chirping brown-furred creatures, sat by the table with his heads in his arms, was the True Sage in a state of distress.
“Diē,” Nezha softly called for his father’s attention. “Do clean yourself first. He shall arrive any moment.”
Erlang merely nodded, but made no effort to move from his place. The boy frowned at his father’s behavior, how lucky that man was the Great Sage chose to wait for the boy’s arrival than entertain his shenanigans.
“Diēdiē, we’ve been through this. Sooner or later, you need to meet Chenxiang whether you like it or not.” Nezha gently reminded Erlang.
“I know! I only don’t understand why it’s necessary. He made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me, going as far as denouncing relations.” Erlang recalled his last meeting with his nephew.
A clear memory of a crying boy with his mother in his arms leaving a mountain split into half appeared in his mind, as the True Sage knelt by the feet of the mountain watching the diminishing figure of the boy he called a nephew and the woman he called a sister as they disappeared into the fog.
He never knew from whom Chenxiang learnt such skill that had the potential to surpass him, only for him to find out during the rebellion towards the Eastern Heaven not long after, when he saw the fury and rage within Sun Wukong’s battling spirit as he launched towards him.
No words were muttered out, but it was enough for him to figure out.
“You know why, Diē. Chenxiang may not wish to see you as his uncle, but he is a son to Bàba.” Nezha said again. “As much as Bàba wants to marry you, he wouldn’t risk the comfort of his first son. After all, I, too, refuse to experience deep hatred between two family members once more, as I have experienced myself.”
Erlang cupped the chubby cheeks of his son, whose lips were trembling as water droplets reminiscing of that on the lotus petals started to well in his eyes. Nezha’s eyes reflected an anguish of the past, with bitterness of that dark memory still engraved within his mind. A past forever haunting the Lotus Boy, in spite of centuries leaving it all behind, even through the comfort of his new family.
He held the soft hands tight in his palm, the other hand lightly caressing his son’s hair, careful to not spoil the neatly styled hair. Nezha may be centuries old, but in Erlang’s eyes, he’ll always be his little boy—the same way Sun Wukong will always see Chenxiang as his cub.
“I’m sorry, Xiǎolían. I was overwhelmed by so many thoughts and emotions… I didn’t know what to feel.” Erlang said.
“I know, Diē. I truly do. But,” Nezha looked into the ebony eyes of his father. “Don’t do this for me or for Bàba. Please, do it for yourself. This is what Bába wants for you too. A closure for the both of you.”
“I understand, my boy.” Lies. Yang Jian couldn’t do it. He’ll commit self-immolation and cry for forgiveness, and Chenxiang still will never be at peace with him even after tying the knot with the stone monkey. But he already waited far too long for this moment, and he wasn’t going to upset Nezha and Wukong due to his own foolish mistakes.
He needed to do this—for his lover and his son.
The moon was a friend of his since the moment he came to the world, always shining the path to his destination as he ventured the alps. Occasionally let his eyes wander across his surroundings, to catch a glimpse of a certain monkey amongst the thick layers of forest where nocturnal predators were still hunting down their prey.
He wasn’t wary of the unknown shadows creeping behind him, for as long as he’d his lantern in his grasp, warding off whatever fiend that desired to devour him.
Right by the feet of the mountain was Chenxiang greeted by a possi of fireflies swarming him, guiding him up the rock stairways to a beautiful fountain by the water curtain cave where the elderly monkeys gathered for a peaceful evening, joyfully greeting him and urged him to join them for a deep in the water. Even at night when the moon’s reflection was visible on the water surface, the crystal clear water remained an alluring azure colour.
Taking his footwear off, Chenxiang dipped both of his feet into the fountain, letting out a relieved sigh after weeks of travelling. His moment of peace was disturbed when a familiar, loving voice called for him.
“Arrived home and the first thing you did was not to greet your old man?” Sun Wukong said in an offended voice. “I am deeply hurt, my child.”
“Bà!” Chenxiang looked up to see his former mentor and adoptive father, the monkey didn’t look a day older since Chenxiang last saw him years ago, still as beautiful and youthful as ever.
Without hasting a second, he got up and ran into the open arms of his father, tightly embracing the warm hug he missed since forever, the memories from their first encounterance to their tearful farewell right on this very mountain came flooding into both their minds.
Chenxiang was enjoying this moment.
Not until he felt another presence of another deity behind them. Chenxiang’s eyes widened to the man he once called uncle walking up to them, immediately wielding out his axe, causing the monkeys gathering the cave to panic.
“You! What’re you doing here?” Chenxiang furiously asked. Erlang immediately took a step back, rather appalled at his nephew’s reaction upon seeing him. “Bà, why is he here?” He asked, unaware of the conflicting emotions of his father.
Wukong slowly placed both his hands on Chenxiang’s shoulders, the boy melting into his father’s touch as he slowly turned to face the monkey. Wukong waited for a moment, till he felt the boy’s wrath had soothed down into mere confusion.
He asked, “You know I always wanted to build a family with the one I love, don’t you?”
Chenxiang nodded.
“I’m sorry you'll have to hear this, Chenxiang. But that one person is Yang Jian.”
...
The joyful, festive atmosphere in the air faded. The monkeys gathered their cubs as they made a clearing, for a rampaging boy to harshly grab their king’s hand up the stairs that lead to the mountain’s peak. Under the sheer moonlight of the night sky could Wukong see the colour of Chenxiang’s blood rushing through his veins as he broke down into tears. Once upon a time he’d seen the child in a vulnerable state upon his arrival to Mount Huaguo, vowing to avenge those who’d wronged him and his mother.
Guilt immediately gushed into Wukong’s heart. If centuries ago he vowed to protect this boy from Heaven’s cruelty with his dear life, then centuries later then for the boy to be pained, all because of him.
“Bà, why? Why him of all people? WHY?!” Chenxiang sobbed. “You knew what he did to me. You knew what he did to my mother. You knew what he did to you and your grandchildren. Why, Bà? Why?”
Chenxiang couldn’t bare to look at Wukong. He was in a turbulence of emotions. He was happy, as his mentor and father figure had found a person to share his golden heart with. He was betrayed, as that person had to be the same man who inflicted so many wounds on him and his mother. He was angry, as that man whom Chenxiang once called ‘Jiujiu’, could be such a hypocrite. He was confused, of why it had to be Yang Jian.
“Chenxiang.” The monkey knelt across Chenxiang. It killed him. It killed him to see the boy he raised in such agony, forever carrying the scars inflicted the sins of his own uncle, and Wukong knew he was responsible for the scars too. He waited till the boy’s trembling had stopped, then Wukong pulled Chenxiang into his arms, letting the boy to melt in his embrace as he slowly rocked him to calm him down.
Wukong waited, till the rhythm Chenxiang’s heartbeat returned to a steady pace, till his harsh breathing returned to that of a howling wind of the night, till his rushing river of tears steadied into tiny crystal droplets of the rain. Wukong waited, till all he could hear were sounds of a cooing owl, a clucking night heron and the rustling leaves of the many peach trees covering the valley. He cupped the boy’s face, whose eyes remained focusing on the ground rather than the golden eyes of his father, wiping away the remaining tears that was now staining his face.
“Please, Bà. I wish to be happy for you, but why him?” Chenxiang asked again.
Wukong smiled sadly, still caressing his cheeks. “I have my tale to tell, but now isn’t about the things between me and Jian, rather the two of you, son.”
“WHAT IS THERE FOR US TWO?” Chenxiang yelled. “He fucking killed my father for being a mortal. He fucking trapped my mother for marrying a mortal. He forced me to train and submit to that stupid court when I begged for his mercy to free my mother. All the while he treated another woman better than his own sister and cared for another boy better than his own nephew. Then he found his way into a love forbidden by the Heaven, just as what my mother have been through.” He cried again. “It isn’t fair, Bà. It isn’t fair.”
Wukong could only remain silent.
“I know, son. I know.”
By the table where laid a wide assortment of vegetarian-based dishes and the many sorts of fruit wine with silver plates, cutlery and cups did the True Sage cried. The Third Lotus Prince and the Heavenly Hound never left his side as he silently cried as the elderly monkeys chirped to comfort their monarch’s lover.
But they monkeys were ignorant of the anger Chenxiang have displayed, though Xiaotian Quan knew for he’d seen it before, a wrath birthed from the immense grudge Chenxiang cultivated when trained under the Great Sage; the same wrath Erlang had once displayed when he rescued his mother from the mountain his bastard of an uncle trapped her, only he could no longer recognise the young boy who went up against the court’s cruelty to protect his family.
How was he that boy?
“My love?” By the cave’s entrance was Sun Wukong, but no sight of Chenxiang. He must’ve chosen to leave, Erlang thought. But Wukong insisted their banquet was to be held in peach grove as a midnight picnic showed that the boy was still around, only wanting to avoid him without ruining the excitement of the other monkeys.
Under the light the moon goddess have shone towards the massive grove covering one fifth of Mount Huaguo’s geography, where the monkeys were dancing as some played the guzheng, the bianzhong and the pipa, while cubs riding Xiaotian Quan laughed as Nezha chased them around, giggling away. Under a peach tree the much younger baby monkeys gathered around Chenxiang as he tell them a tale of his encounterance with an eldritch-looking Yaoguai who was deeply saddened his hideous nature preventing him from making any friends. And amongst the festivity was Yang Jian lying on Wukong’s lap as the monkey caressed his soft long hair, while the elderly monkeys sitting around them were enjoying their meal.
Erlang had his eyes closed a majority of the time, letting Wukong’s touches comfort him. Once in a while the monkey peppered kisses on Erlang’s forehead, never missing the closed third eye. No words were said, only affection to lull the turmoil. No ‘It isn’t your fault’ nonsense or ‘You’ve changed’ bullshit. Sun Wukong fully understood that the things Erlang did in his past were his sins, and he shall live with it for the rest of his life.
“I was thinking, my love.” Erlang slowly opened his eyes to gaze at Wukong’s soft expression. “Maybe we should spend the autumn at the Bull family's place.”
“Why so sudden, dear?” Erlang asked, sitting up. “You’ve always been complaining of the autumn breeze there.”
“I miss my brother, that is all.” Wukong said. “After all, you and Chenxiang could use a change in environment after tonight.”
Of course, it was about them both.
‘I don’t see the point, love. Chenxiang hates me. What is the point?’ He wanted to say, but Erlang didn’t want Wukong to be upset, it would sound as if he gave up. “If that’s what you want, love. We shall make our move by sunrise.”