#Uncle Erlang Shen

[splendentmoon]

Can you draw mk with erlang from your jade prince au

[lavaflowe]

A little comic from my very specific Jiankong AU: SEM arc edition

Shoutout to @relmint for helping me create about 50% of this AU

Inspo:

[samadhifired]

Wait, wait wait...

Some versions of Nuwa's origin story name her as a daughter of the Jade Emperor?!?

The Jade Emperor is MK's Grandpa!?!

[ryin-silverfish]

Ask/Writing Masterlist (irregularly updating)

Ryin(阿璎), 23. She/They. First Gen Chinese student. Ryin_Silverfish on AO3. Currently hyperfixating on old Chinese novels. casual Zhiguai tales and LMK enjoyer.

Investiture of the Gods/FSYY:

Why are the Daoist immortals fighting?

Did Yuanshi Tianzun manipulate Shen Gongbao?

Chan, Jie, and possible prejudice against yaoguai

Azure Lion and the other Bodhisattvas' steeds in FSYY

Daji's fox form in FSYY Pinghua

The historical Su Daji

Is Shen Gongbao a yaoguai?

Are all yaoguai irredeemable monsters in FSYY?

Ao Bing and the dragons Nezha fought

Does deification wipe your memory and personality?

Bi Gan and the Great Fox Massacre

More discussion about prejudice against yaoguai

How old was Su Daji the human when she died?

Differences between FSYY novel and Pinghua

Musing on FSYY's view of fate and its possible effects on Yang Jian

Master Yuding

The messy marriages of FSYY

Is Daji a goddess in the novel?

Names of immortal masters in FSYY

Just for fun: the FSYY drinking game

Nezha's age in FSYY

Nezha's death and resurrection in FSYY

What happened to the original Daji?

Lady Shiji aka the Rock Demoness

Chinese Fox Spirits:

Auspicious/Demonic Foxes

More on fox spirits

The inner core of foxes

Foxes and their association with Fire

Notable fox spirits

The foxes of 狐狸缘全传

Has Daji ever been worshipped as a goddess?

Fox masks

The foxes of Liaozhai

Weaknesses and abilities of fox spirits

Three resource collections on Chinese fox spirits: 1, 2, 3

Human-fox hybrids

Can foxes and their descendents magically know if someone's telling the truth?

The magical properties of fox saliva

Fox exams and Heavenly Foxes

Are male foxes more malicious?

More on fox exams

Offerings to fox spirits

The "Lady Fox Immortal"

Chinese Mythos in General:

The Precious Scroll of Erlang

Into the Erlang-verse: Li, Zhao, Yang

Can immortal masters romance their students?

Why we don't power-rank characters in God-Demon novels

A brief overview of Chang'e

On Chinese Religion and "Respect"

The 28 Lunar Mansions

Can the Heavenly Emperor be replaced + a primer on dynastic successions

A Guide to the Chinese Underworld (and what it isn't)

Is Nüwa JE's daughter?

Weaver Girl

Can yaoguais a/o their descendents enter the Celestial Bureaucracy?

Queen Mother of the West and her husband(s)

Bixia Yuanjun, Lady of Mt. Tai

Erlang's dad

The story that gives us the name "Yang Jian"

On the transformation of Erlang's image (and his relationship with JE in JTTW)

Erlang's mom, Lotus Lantern, and a neat little discovery

Erlang cameos in other stories and Zajus

Erlang's mom-saving story in Chinese operas

Child Manjushri, or: the absurdity of pinning a definitive age on gods

The strange modern ship of Mengpo/Yuelao, and Mengpo's myths

The half-beast form of QMoW

Does Erlang have a wife/love interest?

Nezha's mom

A overview of Gonggong and his mythos

Some introductory sources on the Chinese Underworld

A side-by-side comparison of Nezha's backstory in JTTW and FSYY

Mythos-inspired Worldbuilding:

Dragons of the Four Seas

LMK S5 and a possible "Celestial Council of Regents" AU

LMK S5 Fix-it: the Four Divine Beasts

Character/Story Analysis (JTTW + LMK)

Heart and Mind: Tripitaka

Local Lion Uncle enjoyer goes on a rant

On SWK and his fear of death

Why the Dead People Supreme Court?

No, seriously, why?

Chinese Underworld =/= Christian Hell

LMK S4, Havoc in Heaven, and revolutions

Why I dislike the "class warfare" reading of Havoc in Heaven

In Defence of Li Jing...ha, as fucking if

On Yin-Yang, Chaos/Order, and the Harbringer

JTTW's view on the Three Religions

Disjointed S5 Reactions

"Chaos doesn't work that way in traditional Chinese Cosmology"

Xiangliu, the Nine-headed Bird, and Jiutou Chong

Lotus Lantern: The Summaries

Part 1: Precious Scroll of Chenxiang

Part 2: The Epic of Prince Chenxiang

Part 3: Lotus Lantern 1.0 + 2.0

Part 4: Chenxiang and the Male-Female Swords

My Fanfics:

Climbing the Sky

The Wild Son

Bodhicitta

The Serpent and the Deluge

South Seas Sojourn

Journey of the Gods AU sideblog

[starsfic]

Summaries:

After learning about his parentage, Mikey sneaks inside an art auction of Hamato Yoshi's art, learning both about his father and Draxum.

After Iron Fan manipulates her son into a state of possessiveness over his mate, Red and her enter a civil war. DBK and Qi Xiaotian are watching on the sidelines. (Or, Ironbull and Spicynoodles keep fucking in each other's bed. Smut.)

Eros and Psyche AU: Lunar New Year this year is both tense and exciting- Xiaotian's pregnancy will soon be over and Red and DBK are rebuilding a rocky relationship. Both become issues when Spider Queen attacks.

There is a thirst account for Qi Xiaotian, the Monkie Kid, and there is a thirst account for Red Son. Both men run the other account secretly, admitting their dirtiest fantasies about their rival to Twitter. And then Xiaotian slips up. Smut.

After Marinette's horrible excuse of an expulsion, Sabine decides to call on her older sister for help. There is rot in this school, and it'll take a demon queen to root it out.

Chloe successfully crashes and saves a train, with the only casualty being Maribrat's leg. Lila is climbing up the social ladder with her lies, trampling Marinette underfoot. Both queen bees see an opportunity when the school announces its first prom and prom queen contest.

Long Xiaojiao and Qi Xiaotian do everything together. This includes being deflowered by Red Son. (Smut.)

Prince Red is cursed into the horrific form of a bull man, with the only cure being him learning true love. Unfortunately, Red likes his new form too much and scares away the suitors his parents send. He meets his match in the latest suitor, Qi Xiaotian. Smut.

In the wake of learning about Splinter’s real identity, Leo and Raph struggle with deciding on how to handle it. (Or, according to @stylishbutdefinitelyillegal, Hamato Saki earns the Worst Uncle award.)

The first part of Episode 1, when trying to leave their hometown of Crystal Cove to start their second year of college, the Mystery Gang finds themselves trapped in Crystal Cove.

@draw-of-the-moon's Chimera Parents: Pigsy just had to suggest that the kids come along to his grandmother's farmhouse with him and Tang. He just had to go to the store. Hopefully, Chimera will never learn that he let their kids get kidnapped. (Or, Tang opens a scroll labeling the locations of four golden weapons, only for him and Nya to get kidnapped by skeletons. Kai is recruited by a mysterious old man to learn spinjitzu, and Pigsy has child leashes for all three of them.)

LMK S5 theory fic: Erlang Shen is supposed to be on vacation. However, in an hour,he learns that his uncle is dead, someone is trying to do another coup, and Sun Wukong has been filleted again. The people who deliver this news, including mass criminal Master Subodhi, the duo of Ao Lie's descendant and Iron Fan's son, and the creation goddess Nuwa, make things... difficult.

[quitealotofsodapop]

And Azure WILL bring it up once he performs his coup. He tells the brothers his discovery, something that is shocking for both Yellow Tusk and Peng to imagine. In Peng's case, they had mixed feeling because, on the one hand, that is a brilliant idea, but this further proves Wukong's betrayal to Peng. Yellow Tusk is also extremely conflicted, but curious because if Wukong had this age in up his sleeve this entire time, why had he never mentioned it before!?

And the shocked and horrified look of disbelief on Wukong's face once they have the Emperor on his knees (a reverse of what happened in their first coup is that the Emperor chose to surrender to protect Wukong rather than Wukong surrendering to protect his brothers) and a sword to his neck with his baby dangling from Peng's claws prove to Yellow Tusk that this was NOT something Wukong ha known about

Prev.

Dramatic Irony!!

The Emperor that Wukong surrendered to in order to protect his brothers-in-arms, now kneels to said brothers to protect Wukong!

Worse part is that the only reason that Xiwangmu, PIF, Nezha, or Macaque, or even the Noodle Gang are fighting back is that Wukong and Xiaotian are in super-vulnerable positions. None want to risk losing their King or his baby to rashness. Also those not in the know are pretty shocked at the revelation that Wukong is technically the a lost Celestial Prince.

When the Brotherhood force the Emperor to step down and leave his own palace "for good", he and almost every single servant leave without question.

Nezha is mortified, are they truly giving up without a fight!?

Until his grandmother whispers in his ear; "Be patient."

Once away from the main imperial ground, the Queen Mother turns to address Tang and Iron Fan with the most random question;

Xiwangmu: "How heavy is the Ruyi Jingu Bang?" Tang, without hesitation: "About 17,550 pounds, or if we use traditional measurements; 13,500 catties." PIF: "Mother, you're not-" Xiwangmu: "I am. I did not approve of him before, but if he truly is the type to leap to protect my grandson, I will welcome him with open arms." Pigsy: "Wait, what's going on?" Tang, starting to fanboy: "She's going to release the Demon Bull King." Pigsy: "She can just do that!?" Nezha: "With enough strength behind them, anyone could theoretically lift the Staff. The only question is; who's strong enough to do so?" (*everyone turns to Macaque*) Macaque, sighs defeatedly: "I know a guy." Erlang Shen: (*chilling on his day off in the Plum Hill lads home above Sichuan. Still has one or two injuries from when Macaque mauled him after the Trial.*) Erlang Shen, middle eye glowing: "They want me to do what?! And my uncle-? Sun Wukong is-? I WAS ONLY GONE ONE DAY!!"

DBK about to get a confusing af wake up call. At least he's delighted to see his wife and calf there to soften the blow. That is until he hears why so many of his past allies and enemies have come together to awaken him...

[nerevarswritingstuff]

Trouble Is a Friend - Chapter 33: Ripples - Wukong/Reader, Macaque/Reader, Macaque/Wukong/Reader, Macaque/Wukong - LEGO Monkie Kid [Archive of Our Own]

Feelings unexpected, unwanted(?), bubble to the surface.

Chapter 33 of my fic Trouble Is a Friend is now up! Click on the link above to read the most recent chapter!

New reader? Start here!

If you’d like to support me, consider buying me a coffee!

Rating: Mature (for violence and language) Characters: Reader, Original Characters, Tang (Monkie Kid), Qi Xiaotian | MK, Zhu Bajie | Pigsy (Monkie Kid), Red Son (Monkie Kid), Tieshan Gongzhu | Princess Iron Fan, Demon Bull King (Monkie Kid), Long Xiaojiao | Mei, Sun Wukong | Monkey King, Liu Er Mihou | Six-eared Macaque, Spider Queen (Monkie Kid), Nezha (Monkie Kid), Erlang Shen (Monkie Kid) Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Canon-Typical Violence, Reader-Insert, Reader is gender neutral, Reader wears suits and dresses because clothing has no gender, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Trauma, Polyamory, What love triangle? They have two hands your honor, Emotional Baggage, Magic, Clairvoyance, Not Canon Compliant, I’ve seen canon and have elected to ignore almost all of it, Rated For Violence, I’m not kidding when I say this is a slow burn, We’re turning on the crock pot and letting this cook for the next week, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, //slaps roof of car This fic can fit SO MUCH TRAUMA IN IT, it’s about the hurt… it’s about the comfort AFTER the hurt… Fic Summary: “Hold on, firecracker. Have you heard this one yet?” You see a gentle sunrise of gold and red as Wukong’s eyes meet yours. His face softened, his other hand touching your arm, his thumb lightly tracing one of the scars. His voice was firm yet soft, grounding yet light as he spoke, “You’re safe.”

…

Oh.

He keeps going, “You’re safe here. You’re safe with Uncle. With MK. With Tang. With all of them. All these years being alone in the dark without a candle to light your way? I can see in the dark, and MK can too now! I’m sure Uncle’s got a match somewhere and all you gotta do is provide the candle.”

He scoots closer, taking both your hands now and keeping your gaze. “You. Are. Safe. Even if shit hits the fan, you will not be alone to pick up all these broken pieces anymore. I’m here. We all are.”

○○○

After years of running from your past and hiding your scars, you find relief in several wandering destinies that are intertwined with your own. And in return, you help two particularly stubborn stone monkeys find their own healing.

[antidotefortheawkward-art]

Lotus Lantern is a story about breaking the cycle

[ID: A three page comic done in white and shades of purple. Characters are uncolored, but have shading.

1. The first panel shows Liu Chenxiang with a determined expression from the shoulders up. Behind him is a shot of his torso and arms, gripping his axe. Text next to him reads, "Liu Chenxiang, son of son of Yang Chan and Liu Yanchan, came upon a mountain with axe in hand." The second panel shows Chenxiang, on the ground, facing his uncle as he approaches Mount Hua. There is somewhat skewed perspective, following the mountain as it reaches into the sky, accented by the clouds haloing it and Erlang Shen. Erlang Shen is on a cloud in front of the mountain, accompanied by XiaoTianQuan. Text on the mountain reads, "Intent to cleave open the cold stone." The perspective on the text matches that of the mountain. The third panel melts into the second panel- the grass beneath second panel Chenxiang's feet melting into the abstract background behind third panel Chenxiang. Here, Chenxiang is lifting up hi axe behind his head, preparing to strike. Text next to him reads, "As his uncle once did so many years ago."

2. A silhouette of two figures, a brother and sister with backs turned to one another. The lower parts of their body are obscured by clouds, which appear to be spilling out from a mountain which is separating the two. These clouds and this mountain serve as a backdrop to a young Erlang Shen crying and running into the arms of his smiling, teary-eyed mother as they reunite. His mother has her arms out to hug him. Text at the top of the page reads, "A tale told once before." Written on the silhouette of the brother reads, "A brother and a sister at odds." Written on the silhouette of the sister reads, "A mother imprisoned." Written on the mountain separating the two reads, "And a son, with love powerful enough to move mountains."

3. The first panel shows Erlang Shen from the shoulders up, looking down at Chenxiang with a disapproving gaze. Text on either side of him reads, "Erlang Shen had lived this tale once before" and "It had been his own story once upon a time." The second panel shows a skewed top-down perspective on Chenxiang as he stands atop a somersault cloud in the sky, glaring up at his uncle with an angry expression as he holds his axe. Text on either side of him reads, "So then why-" "-did the face looking back at him..." Third panel is dark and contains only text. It reads, "Remind him of someone else entirely?". Fourth panel shows a zoomed-in shot of Sun Wukong's face during the havoc in heaven, with an angry expression echoing Chenxiang's. There is a dark purple gradient from the bottom of the page to the top of the page.

End ID]

[the-monkey-ruler]

I recently got my friend to start watch Lego Monkie Kid and as we’ve been watching it I’ve been explain Journey To The West to him so he has more info and context for what’s happening in the show (even if everything is not jttw accurate) I’ve been trying to figure out how to explain Erlang to him but I don’t know enough about the guy to really do that could you share some info and cool facts about him?

I would not being doing the man justice even if I were to write him a 50-page essay going into his lore, history, impact, and overall importance to the Chinese mythos. But I shall try to sum it up in a tumble post.

Erlang Shen is one of, if not THE, greatest hero of Heaven and arguably the strongest god in the pantheon. His power and skill are only matched by his intelligence and merit. As such he is the perfect rival and sworn brother of Sun Wukong. An amazing foil to the character (I have talked about their foils here and here and here would even recommend looking at these posts if you want more information about him!)

He is a god with a wide range of responsibilities, including the god of water, the god of hunting, the god of national protection, the god of Cuju, the god of drama, the god of children's protection, the god of farming, etc. He has MANY legends that cover his origins (one being that he is the son of an engineer and helped create waterways) but his most popular legend is without a doubt the one highlighted in Lotus Lantern where he is the son of an unsanctioned marriage between a human Yang Tianyou and a goddess Yunhua Tiannu. This was the most popular version of his mythos, always spread in popularity because of FSYY and Xiyouji, thus further solidifying this as a most well-known and widely accepted background.

Sadly, when Heaven found out about the marriage they attacked in arrested his mother leading to his elder brother Yang Jiao and father being killed. Erlang and his younger sister Yang Chan were able to escape death or capture but his mother Yunhua was put under a mountain for her crimes of abandoning her post and hiding a family. His sister Chan and himself escaped and trained under an immortal master and in a short amount of time, while he was still in his youth as a young man, he became powerful enough to fight his Uncle the Jade Emporer (please keep this in mind that in a few years he fought WITH THE JADE EMPORER to save his mother). Details get fuzzy here as some legends have it that she was saved and others say she died in the crossfire but personally, I think that he freed his mother from her imprisonment.

It is because of this attack that he is known a bit as a rebel and follows his own sense of justice. He never involves himself in conflicts unless he is personally asked or he personally believes that the offender is in the wrong. He understands when Heaven must be questioned but also personally has experienced what it means to break Heaven's laws, seeing how his own mother broke Heaven's rules and this crime led to the death of his father and brother. He is always considered to be one of the most loyal and trustworthy heroes in myth as people worship him for such reasons.

It’s only really when the Lotus Lantern myth that was created far later in his mythos does he get to play the antagonist where his own sister Yang Chan commits the same crime as their mother by marrying a human, abandoning her post, having a child and hiding it. And Erlang has to be in the same role that his uncle was and face the issue of punishing his sister for the crime their mother committed. He leaves her husband and son alive while putting his sister under a mountain and guarding her and this really could show a greater depth of his character how he never really processed his father and brother's death and rather continues the cycle of abuse, which I think could be a very interesting conversation. It makes him really multifaceted in how he responds to seeing his sister repeating their mother's crimes and him resenting his own godhood and what trauma it has caused him. That is getting into my own personal interpretation of the character but in either case, he gets defeated by his nephew Liu Chenxiang (also known to be Wukong's disciple in later interpretations) and his sister freed.

But in regards to Erlang's connection in Xiyouji we see that Wukong is supposed to be in the wrong at the start of the novel. While yes he was being given a lower rank and not invited to the peach party he still trashed the party, ate all the peaches, ate all the immortal pills, drank most of the immortal wine, and waged war on heaven. You can have your own take on right or wrong in this case but Wukong was trying to do all this for his own needs, he wasn't trying to change an oppressive system, rather he was trying to be IN CHARGE of that oppressive system, claiming he wanted to be the new Jade Emporer. This was not a rebellion to put a new order in place, but Wukong forcefully tried to be the head of the same order that was 'oppressing' (I say that loosely) him. (please note that this has changed with modern media to show Wukong as a freedom fighter but this is a newer interpretation). Erlang was never put in charge of the fight against Wukong but rather it was a Hail Mary hope because Erlang Shen could have chosen to deny the order if he didn’t see that it was fair.

Erlang was not going to get involved until Guanyin herself had to convince the Jade Emporer to swallow his pride and ask his nephew. Erlang doesn't get involved in heaven's conflicts easily and must be addressed personally if he were to get involved, and even THEN he has the power to deny the Jade Emporer if he sees fit. But Erlang agrees to fight Wukong, not because he was paid to do so, but because it is believed that he does it out of his own sense of justice and believes Wukong is genuinely in the wrong in this war. They have a battle of equal strength, both pushing their 72 transformation abilities to the limits, the only two in all of heaven with such powers and such the only two in heaven that could fight each other. And while it is hard to say who would win, Laozi used the diamond snare in the middle of the battle to capture Wukong and Erlang and Wukong's battle came to an inconclusive draw.

It is the next time that Wukong and Erlang meet in Xiyouji during the Nine Heads Demons fight and Wukong calls Erlang his sworn brother, saying that he has a huge debt to him. It is believed that Wukong is thanking Erlang to sparing his family on Flower Fruit Mountain instead of following the Nine Generations Rule. This rule has it that any criminal's family was to be executed with the criminal as well and Wukong adopting all his subjects as his family would understand that all 47,000 of his monkeys would also sadly be killed when he was to be executed. The punishment for heavier crimes would not only kill your family, but also to destroy your home and salt the earth, your immediate neighbors would be punished, and even the ministers responsible for the region would be punished and demoted.

However, while Erlang Shen did burn Flower Fruit Mountain we saw that not all of Wukong's family died, meaning that Erlang went against Heaven's law and instead spared what family he could. While you can make your own judgments about the burning, Wukong seems to understand that his family was meant for complete annihilation but saw that rather many of his monkeys were spared and he still had a home to come back to. Whether this is because Erlang Shen knew what it was like to lose a family or that he thought that the Nine Generation Rule was too harsh is hard to say. But in any case, Wukong shows great thanks to Erlang to going against the order and calls him brother in their latest interaction. We rarely get to see gods being in an antagonist role and seeing how both Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen can play both hero and villain depending on what kind of story they are shows not only the complexity and depth of the characters but also shows that these are the most humane gods that are in the heavens, and also why I think they are some of the most iconic, and still beloved figures in media.

In short, Erlang Shen is to be seen as a great and just hero but also is allowed his own human flaws and is just as complex as Wukong if I can so say. He has gone through many changes but his most popular interpretations of him have him show his human side again and again, a god that is to be the most powerful but can never escape that he is a creation of an illegal union. That not matter how high he is in the heavens he never stops being one of the most human gods.

[sketching-shark]

You know it can be pretty fun and funny to compare and contrast Xiyouji retellings but it is genuinely wild just how different the stories of Sun Wukong’s tudis are.

Tudi #1: An unnamed prince of the Jade-Flower District in India that the pilgrim group passes through on the way west & who becomes an amazing martial artist under Sun Wukong’s tutelage. Is also endowed with “divine strength” by the Monkey King. He’s a minor character, but he clearly admires and respects his shifu

Tudi #2: Liu Chenxiang, the demigod hero of “The Magic Lotus Lantern” folk tale. Faced many hardships and traumatic events on account of his uncle Erlang Shen killing Liu Chenxiang’s father and imprisoning his mother Sansheng Mu underneath a mountain for the crime of falling in love with a mortal. Some versions of the story say that Sun Wukong was his shifu in the martial arts. The Monkey King is also often presented as the one who made a magical axe that allowed Liu Chenxiang to split open this mountain and be reunited with his mom. His relationship to Sun Wukong is a little more tense, but overall he’s presented as admiring and being very grateful to his shifu.

Tudi #3: Qi Xiaotian, the generally cheerful protagonist of the cartoon Monkie Kid who Cannot Catch A Break Ever. Mr. “Have-Some-More-Trauma-While-Everyone-Dunks-On-Your-Shifu-all-while-Sun-Wuking-frequently-makes-things-worse” himself. Seems to still at least love the Monkey King, but a part of him also seems to be wondering why. Oh no.

[lumi-anarchy]

LMK S5 gonna be like

Erlang Shen: That’s why your shoes are raggedy!

MK: THAT’S WHY YOUR UNCLE DEAD

[relmint-draws]

The calm before the storm.

[ID. A 4-panel comic between Erlang Shen and Sansheng Mu in my Divergence AU. They are both clad in armor and colored a monochromatic blue, with a few red and yellow accents. They both have their hair tied up in similar ponytails. Panel 1. Erlang Shen is walking away from his sister with a serious and determined expression. "You don't need to come with me," he says, "I'll finish this once and for all." Sansheng Mu is following behind him with a worried expression. Panel 2. Sansheng Mu grabs Erlang Shen by the arm. She smiles and says, "And let you have all the fun? No way." Panel 3. A head bust of Sansheng Mu is on the left side of the page. She is teasing her brother, saying, "Besides, someone's gotta make sure you don't stab yourself on the way to the throne room." On the right side of the page is a head bust of Erlang Shen. He has a soft smile on his face as Sansheng Mu continues to say, "It's me and you, always." Panel 4. Simple head doodles of Erlang Shen and Sansheng Mu. They are both smiling. "Now, let's go stab our uncle!" exclaims Sansheng Mu. Erlang Shen is rolling his eyes and responds, "Nice speech, sis." END ID]

[starsfic]

Erlang Shen is Supposed to Be on Vacation

S5 theory fic: Erlang Shen is supposed to be on vacation. However, in an hour, he learns that his uncle is dead, someone is trying to do another coup, and Sun Wukong has been filleted again. The people who deliver this news, including mass criminal Master Subodhi, the duo of Ao Lie's descendant and Iron Fan's son, and the creation goddess Nuwa, make things... difficult.

Erlang Shen was on vacation.

He honestly needed one after centuries of work, both doing whatever dirty work his uncle supposedly needed and the day-to-day running of his territory. The gods of fate had been merciful, creating a summer where Jian didn’t have anything important to do until autumn. Heaven could be handled by Li Nezha or any of the hundreds of other warriors (mostly by his student because he knew how the guards could be), the training of his personal guards and army could be handled by his head guards, and any paperwork could be handled by his staff. With all that, Jian found himself luxuriously stretching in his garden, soaking up the sun. Even Xiaotian Quan stretched out, making a happy little dog noise.

His private garden was his favorite place in his palace. Most of the plants grew naturally in the Sichuan province, but the air was sweet with the smell of blossoming Flower Fruit Mountain trees. The saplings had been a gift from Sun Wukong on his birthday, and Jian found no shame in enjoying the gift.

Hm…with the thought of Wukong floating around, Jian wondered if he could invite him over. Despite their rocky beginnings, Jian enjoyed the company of his sworn brother, both platonically and in a more romantic light. He had recently heard that Wukong had also taken up a student, so maybe they could talk about that?

The summer seemed full of possibilities. 

Right now, Jian just wanted to sunbathe.

So lost in his relaxation, he didn’t notice a magpie settle on the branches of one of the peach trees, staring down at him. Xiaotian raised his head, but the magpie fluttered away before the dog could notice anything. The large hound, after a quick scan around, settled back down into the grass.

The magpie poked its head out and, deciding it was safe, flew down from the branches.

“Ahem. Prince Erlang Shen.”

He shouldn’t have tempted the gods of fate.

Jian pushed up his sunglasses.

Silver robes and a long white beard met his eyes. If he didn’t recognize that distinctive style, the feeling of the old man’s power gave his identity away. “Master Subodhi,” Jian said, sitting up. “I thought I warned you to stay away from my property unless you wanted me to fulfill my promise of bringing you in.”

Was he risking his uncle’s ire by not fulfilling the bounty on the daoist’s head for gaining immortality in an illegal way? Yes. Did he care? Eh, not really. Wukong had racked up way more charges against him in his long life and he wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of his uncle.

“Are you aware of the state of the world?”

The question came so out of left field that Erlang Shen blinked. “Uh…it’s summer?” he said, gesturing to the perfect summer day with big white fluffy clouds drifting carelessly in a blue sky. “It’s a nice day? My uncle isn’t calling to bother me?”

Subodhi raised a brow. “I can see why, considering he’s dead.”

There was a long pause.

“...excuse me?”

He…didn’t know how to process that. 

“Have you not seen the kid? Did you not see reality start to tear apart?”

Oh. That. “That happens sometimes, especially as my uncle gets older. He must’ve slipped up to have everyone see.” Erlang sighed. Honestly, the dramatics of old men. “If he died, someone would’ve told me-”

THWACK!

“OW!”

“Are you telling me that communication in Heaven has so broken down-”

“My lord!” Before Subodhi could finish his yelling or Erlang could grab and throw that stupid ruler far away, several guards marched in. “We have captured two trespassers. They insisted on talking to you.”

“YEAH!” A female voice called from the center of the huddle. “We have some questions for you.”

Erlang blinked. She sounded young and probably better than the gaping immortal, who for once looked surprised. “Allow them forward,” he called. “Let me see them.”

The guards stepped aside, revealing a girl in a green jacket- her features were familiar, although Jian couldn’t put his finger on why- and…hm. He had heard stories and seen pictures of Princess Iron Fan’s son, although he had never met him in person. He had the same dark eyes and noble bearing his former sworn sister had.

“What are you doing here?” Subodhi said, interrupting his thoughts with his baffled words. “Did you follow me?”

“Master Subodhi? What are you doing here?” the girl said. “You-”

Before she could finish, Red Son grabbed her and forced her to bow at the waist. “Remember what we talked about,” he hissed quietly to his companion. “Manners or we aren’t gonna get anything.”

“Yeah, but-”

He stomped on her foot. “Erlang Shen, Illustrious Sage and True Lord of Sichuan, we are Hong Ha-eir, son of the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan, and Long Xiaojiao, descendant of Ao Jie-”

“Oh, that explains why you look familiar.” She looked strikingly like Ao Lie’s older sister…what had been her name again? Jian stood up with a sigh. “Rise, please, nephew.”

Red Son bristled at the address, but rose. Long Xiaojiao stepped forward. “Lord Erlang Shen, we came to plead for mercy for Sun Wukong, Liu’Er Mihou, and my best friend, Qi Xiaotian,” She got fully on her knees, pressing her forehead to the grass in a kowtow. “The charges leveled against them are false. None of them helped Azure Lion reach Heaven and kill the Jade Emperor. Any actions they did to help him were unwilling, done with manipulation-”

Several things stuck out at him. “Wait, what do you mean, kill the Jade Emperor?” Jian nodded to Subodhi, who’s shocked expression had been replaced by a strangely protective look. “He just told me my uncle died, but I have received no news about his death.”

“You…haven’t?” She rose up from her kowtow, looking confused. “But, you sent out a notice. He’s been dead for what, three weeks now?”

“A month,” Subodhi corrected. “I don’t know what you or your friends did. But it’s been over a month since the previous Jade Emperor was slain.”

“And two days since Heaven violated their agreement with me,” another female voice called. Jian felt himself stiffen, just in time for a hand to cup his face and lips to press against his cheek. “Shen, my dear.”

The pet name given by the goddess dressed in earthly tones only made his brow rise higher. While he had a few brief conversations with the ancient goddess at the few parties they both attended, she had never referred to him with fondness. Something was clearly up and Erlang Shen had a feeling he didn’t want to be part of it, but he would have to be.

“What brings you here, my lady?” he said, dipping into a deep bow. 

“Oh, I came here to help my son’s little friends and my son’s…master.” Nuwa’s pause on the last word felt mocking. Subodhi clearly noticed it as well, based on his snort. “I also came here for an explanation.”

Her smile was serene. Her aura was not. 

“An…explanation for what?”

“Wait, you’re Sun Wukong’s mother?”

“Wait, you’re XIAOTIAN’S MOTHER?!” Xiaotian raised his head at his name. “Sorry, puppy,” Long Xiaojiao cooed. “Not you.” The dog huffed and settled back down.

“It’s complicated and yes,” Nuwa said before turning to him. “And an explanation for the court’s recent actions. As you must be aware, when the Jade Emperor took the throne, he held up my agreement with his predecessors. Any issue with the stones of the universe must be handled by me directly.”

“...okay? Did something happen?”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, based on Nuwa’s darkening face. Jian was tempted to deflect, considering he just received the news of his uncle’s…unfortunate passing. But that was the coward’s way out. 

Nuwa stared at him. Then she snapped her fingers. “Girl, dearest one,” she called. “Bring him the announcement.”

Xiaojiao and Red Son exchanged looks, but she stepped forward, pulling a scroll out of her pocket. “Li Jing gave us this after he put a filet on Sun Wukong’s head and sucked my best friend into his pagoda,” she reported as he took it.

Jian was too busy studying the scroll to hear the shocked gasps from both Subodhi and Nuwa. 

Well, that was his seal.

Jian opened it.

That wasn’t his handwriting.

He scanned it over, reading it quickly. It was all very formal, claiming that the royal family, including the Queen Mother of the West, who was slated to rule until the next emperor would be chosen according to his uncle’s will last he checked, would be taking time to grieve at the sudden loss. Li Jing was to be put in charge for the next few months, supported by the ten kings of the Diyu. Someone had even put the Gold Star of Venus’s seal at the bottom, signifying it as legit.

Jian raised a brow. “Did any of you see the Gold Star of Venus?” he asked the Long girl. She stared blankly at him. He sighed. “Either a goddess in yellow with a cockscomb hat or an older man, about…” He put his hand to about his chin. “Yay high or so?”

She and Red Son exchanged looks. “No,” she finally said. “I don’t think so. Honestly, the only celestials we saw during the trial were Li Jing and Nezha and the ten kings. And I honestly expected to see a few peach maidens.”

Huh? “Why?”

She paused, as if realizing she wasn’t supposed to say that. “No reason,” she lied. “But, to answer your question, no.”

Something was afoot. Jian was tempted to ask if they were just pulling a prank on him, but Subodhi hated his guts, Nuwa was clearly furious, and he barely knew the younger two. Pranks didn’t seem to be in their skillset. Something popped out.

“Did you say that Wukong has the filet?”

“Yes! At least a filet! Li Jing said he wouldn’t take it off unless we got all the universal stones together and fixed the universe.”

“Which you cannot do without my help,” Nuwa said, crossing her arms with a hiss. “There was no quest needed in the first place. The holders would hand them over to me without a problem. Several Heavenly servants saw you attack Azure to defend the Jade Emperor. Nezha’s testimony alone should be evidence.”

Another thought popped into his mind.

“Where was Nezha when this was happening?”

Silence met him. Faintly, the girl sucked air through her teeth. The boy coughed into his fist. He could practically hear the words rise and fall.

A soft hand once again pressed against his shoulder.

“You know where,” Nuwa whispered. She sounded like she was laughing, even if it was silent.

Jian did.

“It seems someone or several someones have lied,” Erlang Shen dropped the scroll- he hadn’t even realized he was crumpling it- and turned. He was met with anger, but not at him. Good. It would fuel them all. “Now, let me go get changed and call my aunt.”

His vacation was over.

[quitealotofsodapop]

JTTW-era Stone Egg part 2:

referencing this previous post about the Pilgrims reacting to the knowledge that au!Wukong is having a baby and has a missing mate.

Ao Lie is a real bro; he figured out Wukong was a having a kid based on his dragon/horse nose, and decides to support him 100% no matter his choice at the end of the day. The fact that he suspects its an asexually-produced Stone Egg that could kill his new buddy is something Ao Lie is keeping quiet about until Wukong himself is comfortable sharing it.

Ao Lie, after Bajie accuses him of having a crush on Wukong: "Ew no! He most certainly has a mate awaiting his return - I wouldn't dare dishonor a married demon!" Wukong, brightly playing along: "Yeah, piglet! Plus, no one will ever measure up to my Mihou!" Ao Lie, confused whinny: "Excuse me, what?" Wukong, tail curling into a heart: "The strongest, most clever monkey on Flower Fruit Mountain - my equal in all including on the battlefield. <3"

The rest of the gang are pleasantly surprised... and outraged to learn that their pregnant companion has a mate that up and left him while he was pregnant. Whomever this "Macaque" figure is, the Pilgrims gonna have a stern talk with him when they find him.

Except maybe the two former-celestials;

Bajie is just like: "Wait, did you just say this Macaque guy was your equal in battle!?" Wukong, wistful sigh: "Yeah..." Zhu Bajie & Sha Wujing: *share equally terrified looks*

Maybe they'll need to devise an attack strategy before confronting this guy head on. Ao Lie loudly states that he's gonna kick the guy if he sees him first.

Tripitaka meanwhile has to mentally wrap his head around the idea of two men marrying before he can process that *Sun Wukong* is married. The Confuscist / Buddhist attitudes at the time said "Girls have Karma Cooties"; so it was considered normal for men to "prefer other men's company" but it was still super-illegal. Being raised in a sheltered, likely all-male, monastery also adds in extra confusion for the monk. Not to mention his own asexuality.

Tripitaka: "Is it... acceptable for a man to love another man like one would a woman?" Zhu Bajie: "Only if they're into it." Tripitaka: "Wha...?"

Eventually he ends up asking the boddhisattvas and different gods for their opinions;

Tripitaka: "Is it normal amongst those in the Celestial Realm for men to... have thoughts of romance for other men?" Erlang: "Oh diyu, yeah! It's totally normal! We even have Tu'er Shen - he's the rabbit god of homosexual love!" Tripitaka, pleasantly surprised: "Oh! That's interesting - but is it accepted?" Erlang & the Plum Hill Lads: *share a footballer's huddle, whispering intensely* Erlang: "Ehhh... just don't bring it up around my uncle. He's kinda weird about it." Triptiaka, a little heartbroken: "Oh..."

Best advice comes from Guanyin herself ofc;

Guanyin: "I'm am composed of multiple energies, Tang Monk. Although I do not experience romantic feelings like say, Chang'e and Hou Yi, I know for a fact that the buddha does not judge those for whom they love - even if their fellow man do so." Tripitaka: *delighted smile!* Tripitaka, remembering why he asked: *fatherly instincts activate* "I'm going to kill that Liu'er Mihou for breaking my student's heart!"

In the Jttw Stone Egged au where Macaque lives, Tripitaka is the only one to get a solid punch in before Wukong calls the gang off.

Angst and canonical death tw under Read More;

Zhu Bajie ultimately starts out as a huge a-hole, and the Journey makes him a little less of a jerk. One huge change Wukong noticed in his bro's behavior was around the time... he lost Macaque.

Especially in the Slow Boiled au.

Bajie would walk up to Wukong like he did many time when he tried stealing his snacks or to poke fun at him... only to sit down next to the monkey watches the moon together. Both longing.

Zhu Bajie: "You know... I wasn't lying when I said I was cursed to suffer many heartbreaks... I know what it looks like from a mile away." Wukong: *says nothing, hiding face in his arms and knees* Zhu Bajie: "You really loved that guy, huh?" Wukong: *nods, face still hidden* Zhu Bajie, confidently: "...you'll see him again. Maybe not in this lifetime, but you will." Wukong, uncharacteristically quiet: "Thanks..." Zhu Bajie: "No problem."

The pig is noticeably easier on Wukong after that day. And maybe a little more appriciative of the time he had with Culian... he's experienced enough bad love-lifes to figure out how to make things work. Maybe after the Journey is over, he'll give her a call?

He does really hope his Eldest Brother and his mate reunite in the future... even if it means in the Diyu.

[nerevarswritingstuff]

Trouble Is a Friend - Chapter 34: Deluge - Wukong/Reader, Macaque/Reader, Macaque/Wukong/Reader, Macaque/Wukong - LEGO Monkie Kid [Archive of Our Own]

Too many questions. Too many variables. Too little time.

Chapter 34 of my fic Trouble Is a Friend is now up! Click on the link above to read the most recent chapter!

New reader? Start here!

If you’d like to support me, consider buying me a coffee!

Rating: Mature (for violence and language) Characters: Reader, Original Characters, Tang (Monkie Kid), Qi Xiaotian | MK, Zhu Bajie | Pigsy (Monkie Kid), Red Son (Monkie Kid), Tieshan Gongzhu | Princess Iron Fan, Demon Bull King (Monkie Kid), Long Xiaojiao | Mei, Sun Wukong | Monkey King, Liu Er Mihou | Six-eared Macaque, Spider Queen (Monkie Kid), Nezha (Monkie Kid), Erlang Shen (Monkie Kid) Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Canon-Typical Violence, Reader-Insert, Reader is gender neutral, Reader wears suits and dresses because clothing has no gender, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Trauma, Polyamory, What love triangle? They have two hands your honor, Emotional Baggage, Magic, Clairvoyance, Not Canon Compliant, I’ve seen canon and have elected to ignore almost all of it, Rated For Violence, I’m not kidding when I say this is a slow burn, We’re turning on the crock pot and letting this cook for the next week, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, //slaps roof of car This fic can fit SO MUCH TRAUMA IN IT, it’s about the hurt… it’s about the comfort AFTER the hurt… Fic Summary: “Hold on, firecracker. Have you heard this one yet?” You see a gentle sunrise of gold and red as Wukong’s eyes meet yours. His face softened, his other hand touching your arm, his thumb lightly tracing one of the scars. His voice was firm yet soft, grounding yet light as he spoke, “You’re safe.”

…

Oh.

He keeps going, “You’re safe here. You’re safe with Uncle. With MK. With Tang. With all of them. All these years being alone in the dark without a candle to light your way? I can see in the dark, and MK can too now! I’m sure Uncle’s got a match somewhere and all you gotta do is provide the candle.”

He scoots closer, taking both your hands now and keeping your gaze. “You. Are. Safe. Even if shit hits the fan, you will not be alone to pick up all these broken pieces anymore. I’m here. We all are.”

○○○

After years of running from your past and hiding your scars, you find relief in several wandering destinies that are intertwined with your own. And in return, you help two particularly stubborn stone monkeys find their own healing.