#lmk plum hill lads

[quitealotofsodapop]

So... Hidden Egg AU... Erlang and the Plum Hill lads definitely cried when they found out they captured Wukong just after giving birth and made it so he didn't meet his child for five hundred years.

Oh yes

Erlang: (*was separated from his mother by his Uncle sealing her inside Mount Tao/Peach*) Plum Hill Lads: (*hc demi-immortals with similarly tragic backstories*)

Every single one of them starts crying profusely once they learn - likely after the Rhino King or during the Nine-Headed Beast arc - that Sun Wukong had ultimately been a mother protecting his newborn son from the forces of Heaven.

They are also MEGA impressed! The Monkey King gave them the run for their money literally moments after bringing life into the world!

Erlang makes sure to sheath all weapons when he meets Xiaotian (by the pure ones, Wukong had named his beloved child "little heaven") for the first time. Xiaotian is nervous around the three-eyed god; all he's heard are horror stories of his mom's capture by his dad.

Luckily another Xiaotian draws the Prince's attention and makes the first meeting a lot smoother!

Erlang would literally fight his Uncle in direct combat to protect the Prince's innocence.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Imagine the Jade Emperor, after learning of Wukong's child, asking the celestials who've met the boy what they thought of him and Erlang, without any hesitance, jsut straight up tells him that the child is a blessing and he too would have fought Heaven itself for that Xiaotian's sake. Many other celestials simply nod along in agreement. The Emperor may not like it, but they can not lie in h8s presence, and many were similarly taken by Xiaotian's charm when they met the young demon cub

Prev.

Erlang straight up is that boy's Uncle now. So is the rest of the Plum Hill Lads.

It's was cemented when Xiaotian leapt to take a hit from the Wansheng Dragon King to protect Xiaotian Quan. When asked why he did that; Xiaotian happily responded: "Who wouldn't? Dogs are precious! Plus, I gotta look out for my Name Twin!" The celestial hound cried and wouldn't leave the boy's side until he was fully healed.

Not to mention; Erlang 100% takes this moment to roast the hell out of his Uncle for making him fight a new mother all those centuries ago! He even takes a potshot at the JE's powers, pointing out that he should have noticed! Him and the Queen Mother have so many daughters! How could he have missed the obvious signs of the Monkey King's condition?!

The Jade Emperor is a bit too miffed to respond in anger. Xiwangmu is glaring at him with a mixture of guilt and disgust - she herself feeling responsible for having not realised the demon's condition until well after she could intervene.

Though the ruler of the universe is a little concerned that an adorable monkey demon who wants to be a hero "like his mom"; has a better reputation than him.

[quitealotofsodapop]

So, I've been stuck thinking about the hunters and poachers on Flower Fruit Mountain again. How did they know there was anything on the mountain?

The island has been burning for centuries and protected by its ruler(s) for even longer. It's not easy to reach, either. This alone should have kept people away for a while, not to mention whatever legends and rumors there are. Yet, not long after the fire stops, entire hunting parties appear—not just one or two explorers or a single hunter investigating. This means they knew there was something of worth to them on the mountain despite everything. They were prepared to since (I'm not a hunter, so I could be wrong.) you don't hunt monkeys, especially demon monkeys, like a normal animal. Not to mention, some of these monkeys were trained fighters, including the marshals. Some monkeys knew human language, yet not a single poacher hesitated.

This suggests they were informed. Not only did the humans know how, when, and where, but they were unafraid of demons and legends. Plus, the type of apathy needed to kill something that looks and acts human the way Flower Fruit Monkeys do; whoever informed them knew who to give the information too.

If this was the Camel Ridge Trio, or other parts of the brotherhood for non-LMK AUs, that spread the word...

Found an older post discussing this too.

I feel part of it was that the attack from Heaven + possible Samadhi Fire caused by shoving Wukong in a Furnace for 49 days. An ember from the Furnace canonically created the ever-on-fire Flaming/Gaochang Mountains PIF has to keep and eye on).

My hc is that the damage from the war was so bad that the barrier protecting Flower Fruit Mountain/Huaguoshan from the outside world was broken.

I ended up checking out the banishment chapter again to try and wrap my head around the numbers and I discovered something interesting:

(above; screenshot from the Jenner translation.)

I misread from the wording of the Wu translation that the hunters descended two years after the fires, but it seems to actually mean that the kidnappings and hunting have only started within the last wo years of the story i.e the rough amount time Wukong has been freed from the Buddha's Mountian

The first wave of hunters were accidental. They saw what they thought was a new island explode out of the horizon, and thought it would be cool to check it out. They see a monkey desperately foraging for grass seeds and try hunting it. Justice was dealt swiftly, the injured Marshals and King's Warrior protecting their own fiercely.

Not to mention if Erlang and his Plum Hill Lads, feeling immense guilt for the fires, protected the island from invaders while it's King was detained. Hence why Wukong thanked him when they met up again.

The island is given a wide berth from humanity for some time, allowing the monkey population to slowly begin healing.

Most trespassers in Alolai's waters are chased off rather than killed outright. It is far easier to rip fish nets and send castaways on their way than to kill an unfamiliar face and face retribution.

Some of those saved from the waves were even so kind as to ferry yaoguai to the mainland in search of food and allies.

However, this very same mercy allowed tales of a scorched paradise to reach more unscrupulous ears...

The second wave of hunters come prepared to hunt for monkeys and other beasts of the ashen island.

But they were not prepared for demons.

Macaque is far more ruthless than any of the Marshals or surviving soldiers. Any human with a bow or net or knife is swallowed by the shadows before they can emit their death cry.

Those who do manage to get away spread tales of the horror of an island populated entirely by demonic monkey-like beings that fought from the darkness.

And when the Monkey King's pilgrimage becomes common knowledge among demon and celestial kind...

It's likely that both cruel humans and spirits alike took the King's confirmed absence as an easy way to make some money and/or attack the King non-directly. The subjects were caught off guard because they haven't been attacked continuously all those 500s years.

Though I doubt the Brotherhood themselves, for all their disgust at Wukong "betraying them for Heaven" (incorrect), wouldn't be so cruel as to attack FFM (thats Macaque's territory too, even if he's taken a sabbatical) or leak knowledge of it to outsiders.

However, other demons/celestials do not have the grace of having been the Monkey King's sworn kin all those years ago...

Not to mention of those "hunters" are even human to begin with!

It's very likely many of the hunters are in fact demons/celestials - taking advantage of the smallest gap in the island's defence to attack and attempt to conquer the legendary island for their own territory.

And ofc, it is only when the Island's rightful King returns and brings the pain does the attacks stop. No hunter or fiend would be stupid enough to try that again!

Not to mention the pain thats about to come to those who kidnapped, enslaved, and/or ate the Monkey King's subjects...

That is of course unless Macaque has gotten to them first. The Warrior's bond with his King may be fractured, but the monkeys are his subjects too. Using his connections in the entertainment world to seek out and free those stolen to be jesters for mortal and immortal courts.

As for the non-LMK aus it is even more unwise to attack the island!

Why?

Cus if it's in the Hero is Back verse - the Six Eared Macaque has been it's staunch protector this entire time! And the King is literally running home the moment Liuer frees him from the mountain/crystal!

In the Monkey King Reborn-verse it's also pretty stupid to attack the island, since "Smokey" is clearly the more bloodthirsty of the Wukongs and has no qualms crushing anyone who dares hurt his people.

Netflix? Even worse! He grew up with the troop being constantly harassed and hunted by the Havoc demon! Even if he doesn't care/know the monkeys personally, he would still jump to kick hunter butt in their name!

But again, some people really are that stupid to try. *shrugging emoji*

[violetjedisylveon]

yes! Xiaotian Quan! Bestest Dog!

So... Hidden Egg AU... Erlang and the Plum Hill lads definitely cried when they found out they captured Wukong just after giving birth and made it so he didn't meet his child for five hundred years.

Oh yes

Erlang: (*was separated from his mother by his Uncle sealing her inside Mount Tao/Peach*) Plum Hill Lads: (*hc demi-immortals with similarly tragic backstories*)

Every single one of them starts crying profusely once they learn - likely after the Rhino King or during the Nine-Headed Beast arc - that Sun Wukong had ultimately been a mother protecting his newborn son from the forces of Heaven.

They are also MEGA impressed! The Monkey King gave them the run for their money literally moments after bringing life into the world!

Erlang makes sure to sheath all weapons when he meets Xiaotian (by the pure ones, Wukong had named his beloved child "little heaven") for the first time. Xiaotian is nervous around the three-eyed god; all he's heard are horror stories of his mom's capture by his dad.

Luckily another Xiaotian draws the Prince's attention and makes the first meeting a lot smoother!

Erlang would literally fight his Uncle in direct combat to protect the Prince's innocence.