Chapter Text
Tea Collection 1;
Demon Bull King
Assam (A strong black tea)
He could, if he were still so foolish and young, hold onto the anger and the rage such thoughts brought him. Hold on to the apparent betrayal that had driven him to attack the humans so long ago and brought this whole mess about in the first place. He could, if he were still blind to the truth of it all, blame it all upon Sun Wukong, The Monkey King, as his wife still did so easily in her fits of anger.
But he was no longer young and foolish, no longer seeking a vengeance he had wrongly pinned upon his once sworn brother. He was still angry, and likely would hold this anger for many more years, but now that he had been able to take time to properly think, to consider and question, to step back from it all in the quiet and calm. He’d found that in his youth, in his pain of apparent betrayal and anger, he had made many mistakes and his anger had been misplaced for so long that it felt wrong to be any other way.
Time to think was not the only thing that had allowed him this revelation. There had been a chain of events that had brought him here. First was because the Little- No. No, that was not the boy’s name, nor his respectful title. And none of this, nor anything else of late, was the boy’s fault. He would not be blind to the truths again. Taking a deep breath he began that train of thought again.
The first event was the Monkie Kid, Success to the Monkey King, after defeating Azure Lion and the aftermath of that battle, had come to visit his son with the Dragon Girl to explain everything in detail at his son’s request so that he coil better prepare their defences against such an attack ever happening again.
It was during that visit The Demon Bull King had witnessed the three of them together, sitting on his son’s bedroom floor, looking over pages and rolls of paper with complex images and drawings he couldn’t yet hope to understand while talking about ways to improve and prepare the current defences. He had realised, watching the three of them, that his son had so very few close friends, even fewer still who would so openly banter and tease him as these two did. They were quick to poke at his ego and pride, and in turn they laughed when he lashed out or threatened them with harm, even taking it as a challenge. And despite all of his son’s verbal displeasure, the Demon Bull King could see it in how his son allowed them close, how he listened and considered their ideas, how he suggested and offered advice as well. How he let them both lean on him and how they allowed him to lean on them.
It stung, deep in his heart, for such a scene and many others like it had once played out with very different people so long ago. It hurt to see it, but at the same time, he could not begrudge his son seeking comfort in those who brought him a sense of comradery. Not when he had been absent for so long, not when he had missed so much, lost so much time that should have been spent with his son and wife. All because he had let himself be blinded to truths that, had he just taken a moment to think and understand, made sense.
But he had been young then, young and foolish, and in his blinded state he had made choices and said things with the intent to hurt and harm. He had poisoned his wife and son against someone who had only ever wanted to help them…
He shook his head, cutting off that train of thoughts again, knowing it would only further hurt him. Instead focused on the second event that had brought him to this point.
Not long after the Monkie Kid and Dragon Girl had left, The Third Lotus Prince had stopped by, not to speak to his wife as he had thought, but to his son, offering him a few words and a small scroll his son had taken with a relieved smile. Before leaving, the Third Lotus Prince had offered him a heavy package on behalf of Yellow Tusk the Wise, stating that it contained documents that Yellow Tusk had insisted he must see, as well as a letter and the hollow glass ball that now seemed to weigh so much more than it should from Chang’e.
He sighed heavily and shifted in his chair, looking at the garden again. He needed a moment before he allowed himself to recount the rest to himself.
This was one of his son’s longest and oldest projects. A place where they as a family could come and just be. A tiny safe haven from the rest of the world that no one else could find, and a place where they could just be a family. His son must have spent hours here, pruning the beautiful flowers he had planted and tending the soil well so that everything grew well. Everything here, inside and out, was tailored to his parent’s needs first and then his own, the doors were tall and wide to accommodate him, the outdoors were free of obstacles that would obstruct the wind for his mother, their crest was above the door and arch ways, and their colours were prevalent in all but their son’s personal rooms and spaces, where the reds, golds were more present where purples were more highlights and trimming colours.
One might question why he was here, alone in this comfortable sitting room space in the early hours of the morning, watching the garden when he could be laid in the warmth of the bed with his wife, sleeping and enjoying the time to just be her husband. The answer was both the third and fourth events.
The glass ball he’d held in his hand, no bigger than his son had once been in the palm of his hand as a babe, was a memory orb. A unique item used by Chang’e to allow her to keep track of all her recipes and other important thoughts stored for later.
The letter from Chang’e had explained that the orb she’d sent was once used upon the Monkey King after the King had been named the Victorious Fighting Buddha. The Monkey King, and the other Pilgrims had allowed the moon goddess to use the orbs on them, so that she could review their memories of their travels and eventually had worked them into the now famous Journey to the West book. What Chang’e had never told anyone, was that the orb used on the Monkey King had not just taken memories from the journey, it had taken memories from further back as well. The letter detailed how Chang’e had never known just how cruel Heaven had been to the Monkey King until she’d witnessed it through the Monkey’s eyes thanks to the orb, nor had she ever dared speak of it to anyone. Only ever took care to write and send care packages to the Monkey King, giving him a person to talk to, should he wish it.
The Demon Bull King had, in a moment of pride, chosen not to heed the warning Chang’e had given in her letter for him to take time and prepare for what was to see within the orb.
He should have heeded that warning, for in his pride, he had forgotten that once one started viewing the contents of a Memory Orb, it was near impossible to stop until the memories were done playing. He had been given a front row seat into what had been done to the Monkey King in those early days and an inside look at how the one who had shouldered the blame for so many wrongs thought of those he called brothers…
He’d seen it all. The day Wukong went into the Ocean to seek a weapon worthy of his power, the exchange of words and actions that led to Wukong’s first trip into Heaven, the argument that led to his leaving, the trick of the gods to bring him back and their rudeness and cruelty towards him that led to the first battle against Heaven. The Brotherhood, their plan to take over, their capture and Wukong’s sacrifice to buy the Brotherhood time to escape when rescue did come.
The torture Heaven forced upon Wukong as a result, trying to force him to tell them where his brothers had gone and how Wukong had aid nothing of them. Not when they’d boasted about the burning of his mountain home, the slaughter of his people… Not even when they’d broken his bones over and over again, not when they’d locked him inside the furnace that had turned his fur brittle and sharp. The day of his escape and the way the Buddha had stepped in trapped Wukong with clever words and sly hands.
Still Wukong did not speak of them or their locations, not a word about their plans, their allies, nothing… Wukong had never once doubted that they would be fine without him… He’d taken every hit, every strike and every lash, confident that it was better to be him who suffered, him who was beaten and bloodied and broken, rather than any of his brothers…
And the fourth event… The contents of the documents Yellow Tusk had found and sent to him.
A plot of Heaven to try and seal away his still young son and wife, for fear that they would grow too powerful and threaten Heaven after he had been sealed away beneath the mountain. A plot that the Monkey King had stopped from happening by promising to all who dared try such an act upon his nephew, be they from the above, below or between would suffer a fate far worse than anything the Monkey King had done before, going so far as to make said threat in his War form in front of all the Gods, Immortals and the Buddhas.
The Jade Emperor and the Buddha himself had, according to the papers Yellow Tusk had found, together personally overseen the dissolution of this plot and since that time, the Immortals of Heaven, the Buddhas and Sun Wukong had been in a very tense, and very long cease fire. They would not cause trouble for those close to his sealed and lost brotherhood and in return he would not bother them.
So it had been, for so very long, until that fateful day when he had been freed.
The Demon Bull King sighed heavily and rubbed his face with his hands. It was a lot of information to take in… too much to take in without help, but who could he seek out to speak of this with? His wife would not hear it, not yet and he refused to try and force the matter on her.
The Third Lotus Prince? No, it was clear even at a distance that he and the Monkey did not get along. This would not be an appropriate conversation to have…
Yellow Tusk? No. The Demon Bull King was still very angry with the elephant, he would not risk an argument.
Then who…?
Suddenly he recalled, a long time ago when things had been good, a minor goddess of southern regions had passed Flower Fruit Mountain, traveling in pilgrimage as part of a discipleship. She was only a few decades old at the time, and still new to the world beyond her home, but was a kind soul who found awe and wonder in nearly everything.
Wukong had offered the goddess a place to stay for a few days, knowing that the travel to his mountain home was long and tiring. The Demon Bull King had made sure she had supplies to last her the coming weeks of travel and Macaque had offered to send one of his shadows with her to make sure she was not bothered by any unsavory folk. In return for their kindness the goddess had gifted each of them a unique teapot and cup. She’d told them that should they ever seek a conversation over a good cup of fresh tea, they needed only to set the tea pot onto a tea mat with the lid removed and wait.
He had seen that teapot and cup here, well cared for and clean as the day he had been given it so long ago. His son had found the cup in his early years and after being told the story of it, had decided that the tea set should be given a proper place in the kitchen. And so, with his mother’s help, had made the teapot its own special tea mat, a simple thing, deep purple in colour decorated with flame red and gold borders and tassels with banana leafs at each corner.
Minor gods and goddesses such as she had been were often easily killed off or driven out of their places to the point they died from lack of care… But the teapot had maintained its beautiful shine and the faintest traces of power, and his son had admitted to speaking to the goddess himself when it had been mentioned before. Right now, the Demon Bull King was willing to try, just to have someone to help him with his current problem.
So he went quietly into the kitchen, taking a moment to quickly leave a note on the counter so that his wife and son would not worry should he miss breakfast, and with careful hands, retrieved the set and mat from their place and brought them with him as he walked the garden. He found a place in the morning’s soft light, a small open space where one could sit and enjoy the view of a distant waterfall on a neighbouring mountain beneath the shade and comfort of a large plum tree.
Taking a breath to steady himself, the Demon Bull King settled down on the soft grass, and took a moment to sweep away the morning dew with his hand before neatly laying out the tea mat and setting the teapot on it with the cup. He sat the pot’s lid aside and waited.
It took a moment, but the Demon Bull King felt the smallest shift in the air, a power all gods and demons shared in but was unique to each and every one of them, a give away to their arrival and presence that could be so easily missed if one was not paying attention.
“It has been a long time, Demon Bull King.” The goddess said, her voice just as soft and quiet as it had been all those years ago, as she stepped into view, dressed in simple but still beautiful attire, and her hair in a simple high ponytail, decorated with a thin silk ribbon that was woven into the tail.
She had nothing grand or regal about her, unlike other minor goddesses she had forsaken the idea of grandeur and had instead focused upon her own small power and lived as she pleased. A life that, judging by her still healthy and youthful appearance as she offered him a respectful bow, was going very well.
“A very long time, Chi Yue.” The bull demon agreed, noting the teapot had filled with hot water, a brick of tea had appeared in his cup and the second that had appeared with her as she settled across from him, as if this was a planned meeting. “I am sorry to call upon you so suddenly, and at such an early hour.” he greeted, returning her bow though he remained knelt.
“Nonsense.” Chi Yue waved him off softly, pouring the hot water into his cup then her own. “I told you and all who have my tea sets how to call upon me with the knowledge that time is very different for all of us. Though I must admit, you seem deeply troubled by something, old friend.”
“I am.” He confessed, accepting the tea from her and taking a moment to sip from it. “Assam?” He asked after savouring the flavour.
“Your son often prefers this blend when we speak at such hours. A rich flavour to help ground the senses and give some energy for the coming day, even if the topic of discussion is heavy on the soul and draining to the heart.” She said an understanding smile upon her lips. “Tell me what troubles you so, old friend, and I shall try and help soothe those troubles while we drink.”
Taking a breath, The Demon Bull King began his story.
Chi Yue listened, taking the time to think and consider before offering small words of comfort, of assurance and understanding, gently pressing when the words became hard and softly coaxing the Demon Bull King to drink when he needed a moment to recollect himself. She refilled their cups as often as was needed, and by the time he was finished talking he felt tired, but also lighter than he had for a very, very long time.
“It is indeed a terrible realization you have come to, old friend, especially when one considers the history between you and the Monkey King. I can understand why you felt the need to speak of it.” Chi Yue said after taking time to consider all that had been shared. “But having spoken of it now, what will you do going forward, old friend?”
“I do not know.” He admitted, “I have spent so long angry at him, feeling like he turned his back on us so long ago and now I know the truths… I feel I have said and done too much to ever earn the chance to speak to him again.”
“Have you considered that he may also feel the same about you?” She questioned, taking a sip of her own tea. “Sealing you away, trapping you as he had been for so long, taking you from your son and wife- surely such things have weighed upon him heavily too. And yet, he did not stop his Successor freeing you, nor did he hinder the boy when he helped rid you of the Lady Bone Demon’s hold upon your body.”
“You speak the truth, but still… I feel conflicted.” the Demon Bull King admitted, setting his teacup down softly. “The boy… he has invited my son and us to a beach day in the coming weeks, when things have calmed more and everyone is freed from the Memory Scroll. The Monkey King will be there.”
“And you feel the tensions between you would be too great to allow even one day of calmness between you?” Chi Yue guessed, looking towards the horizon. “It is understandable. But at the same time, I feel I must remind you that for all your pride, you were the one who drove him to seal you in the first place.”
That stung. That stung a lot, but before he could speak to it, she looked at him with a sharpness not unlike the glance his wife used upon him often when he was about to say something he ought know better than to voice aloud.
“It is your own words that tell me this, old friend. You, The Demon Bull King, threatened the mortal village in your anger, and killed many innocents. When Wukong came to you, the first thing he did was try to reason with you, to speak to the clear headed and calm brother he knew you once were in hopes that you would see reason. And in your youthful anger and enraged state, you did not heed him, you challenged him, pushed him to the point he had no choice. In an act of mercy, he sealed you, rather than killing you, and then, while you were sealed, he laid down protection upon your son and wife, even though he no doubt knew they hated him for his actions against you. If she were to ever find out that he threatened all of Heaven again for your son’s sake, what would your wife think of her past actions and words towards him? Your son, the boy who had once considered discipleship under Guanyin herself because of his closeness to dear Nezha and the stories of Sun Wukong’s journey to his Buddhahood, what would he think of it all?” The little goddess asked, though he had no doubt she already knew the answers.
It would hurt his wife if she knew. For all that she had forsaken to be with him, she had never thought that Heaven would try and take away her child from her, not when she had made very clear she had no ill towards her former home and family unless they made the mistake of crossing her first. If she were to learn of this plot and the actions Sun Wukong had taken to end it before it could even come to pass, she would question everything she had ever believed about her former family and home and he had no doubt something within her would break.
And his son…
His son would want answers, and knowing how close his son and the Monkie Kid were, he’d seek them from the source himself. Even if it meant he had to chase the Monkey King across all of his mountain home for them, he’d do it, because he needed to understand why, after everything that had happened, the Monkey King, the one who had sealed away his father and ruined their family for centuries would then turn around and threatened Heaven and Buddha for them.
“I have to tell them myself.” He realised. “We all must see things from his eyes and reevaluate our standing.”
“Indeed.” Chi Yue said, filling his cup for the last time. “But you needn’t worry, old friend. A good cup of tea always helps with such important discussions.” She smiled. “Until next time.”
“You are leaving?” He asked.
“The Teapot only holds so much I’m afraid. But don’t worry, let it rest for a day, and should you need me again, you know what to do.” She assured, standing and offering him a respectful bow, before turning on her heel and walking away, gradually fading away with each step until she was gone.