#yin muzha

[weaverpop]

In ancient and even modern China, white is the color of mourning, especially for family/spouses.

Trigger warning for angst and mentions of death

(Potential route)

The celestial guards wear yellow. Nezha wears pink. The Jade emperor wears green. Li Jing wears white.

Lady Yin is the reincarnation of the Jade emperors second daughter. She was also Li Jing’s wife for a very long time. She was one of his closest confidants, his best friend, and the mother of his children. It’s not something you just… let go of. So when the Jade Emperor enstates a mourning period for her post-death… Jing doesn’t protest.

But eventually, you have to move on. Centuries pass. Nezha, his brothers, the Jade family, everyone has stopped wearing white. Time has loved on.

But when Jing tries to do it… he is properly pulled aside by the Jade emperor and calmly informed that the mourning period for him as a Widower as not needed. This confuses him, but Jing chalks it up to celestial time differences.

But Centuries pass. Everytime Jing attempts to wear another color then white, he is rebuffed/criticized. Once, he had attempted to wear something black to keep warm on a cold day, and the Jade emperor emperor blew his casket.

Li Jing only brought up the prospects of re-marrying once in the company of an advisor. It was off handed, but when the advisor mentioned it to the emperor…

Li Jing was… informed that it would not be happening. As his wife had (technically) been a celestial princess, it would be inappropriate for him to remarry. That’s when Jing realizes that he would likely never have another intimate relationship like Yin again, married or not. If marriage was enough to set the JE off, then pre-marital intimacy was absolutely off the table.

And for a very long time, Jing adheres to that. He does not want to incur the JE’s wrath again. But… then he meets Azure, and suddenly everything goes ona. Tightrope. And during the peak of the war, when he finally breaks the rules… he has to be very careful.

But now the JE is dead, Azure is back, and Nezha is in charge. The world has nearly fallen apart, and held together only by a thread. It really put some things into perspective, and the conclusion Li Jing came too was… he was done.

He was done mourning for the wife and friend that’s been dead for thousands of years. He’s done being alone. He’s done following the rules. And It’s not overnight, He’s got a while to go. But the first thing Li Jing does to start?

He stops wearing white.

(This is maybe an excuse to change up Jing’s wardrobe going forward.)

[ep2nd]

Dear LMK fandom, who's the most wanted Non-Canon yet Canon character you want to see in Canon? (THis totally makes sense promise)

[journeytothe-legos]

My Dearest, Li Jing,

How are you and your wife doing? How are your sons?

I await your reply, my handsome king.

Your most loyal servant,

-🐺

Me and my wife are fine, not that it should be anyone's business.

Jinzha and Muzha are well last I saw them, they're very busy making something of themselves.

[mstrchu]

never not thinking about how the jie dao disciples on the shang side during fengshen were almost all old and already accomplished figures with well-established posts and reputations while a solid chunk of the chan dao disciples on the zhou/west qi side were like. a group of freshly traumatized kids and yang jian, who was also traumatized but just slightly older.

like pov: you're a shang general and your opponents are a group of middle/high schoolers and their exhausted college student TA.

[ejaysstuff]

Jinzha who puts together the most well-thought out, fashionable outfit vs Muzha who wears the first thing he sees even if it's a shirt he's had for 3 years

[the-monkey-ruler]

Nezha Fight Red Boy Three Times (1965) 哪吒三战红孩儿

Director: Kang Yi / Xiao Sheng Screenwriter: Xiao Sheng Country/Region of Production: Hong Kong, China Language: Cantonese Date: 1965-04-07 Also known as: The Adventures of Nazha / 哪宅三戲紅孩兒 Type: Retelling

Summary:

"Nezha Three Battles with Red Boy" is a movie directed by Xiao Sheng and starring Xiao Fangfang and Chen Baozhu.

Source: https://chinesemov.com/1965/The-Adventures-of-Nazha

Link: N/Ajttw

[lotus-duckies]

i kind of like that a lot of the major contributing characters in the legend of nezha are kiddos , i think it really adds to the story

since a good chunk of said story focuses on how these children function independently of adults while still under the jurisdiction of the adults in their lives. it is supposed to be, in one part, Investiture of the Gods but from Nezha's perspective, in my opinion

They get distracted, they act selfishly and petty, they don't understand some of the things the adults tell them and come to their own conclusions, they're still dependent on others, they have a lot of Big Feelings and don't know what to do with them, adults don't listen to them and tell them what to do, and it's this childish nature they display that also charts their growth and simultaneously reminds us that they're just kids in a war that's much bigger than them.

[ryin-silverfish]

Nezha the Demon Child: oh god not the discourse

…I promise, this isn't about Nezha's age. No, really, it isn't.

It's about this idea of pre-resurrection Nezha as a "Demon Child", and good lord that's just as discourse-worthy isn't it.

My short answer is "It's Nezha 2019 specific and doesn't quite work outside of that context, if you are using FSYY's version of Nezha's backstory."

My long answer is this entire post.

First, I must define what I mean by "Nezha as Demon Child". It's the popular fanon inspired by 2019! Nezha, who is the Demon Pearl incarnate as opposed to 2019! Ao Bing's Spirit Pearl, after 2019! Shen Gongbao switched the two around, and thus destined to be destroyed by divine thunderbolts in three years.

In the movie, Nezha's demonic birth and out-of-control powers makes him into an outcast, despised by the villagers, and he retaliated with some pretty mean pranks.

But whereas 2019! Nezha's parents still love him and try their best to give him a good childhood in those three years, in the "Demon Child" fanon of JTTW adjacent works, Li Jing is the one who despises Nezha and sees him as a demon from the moment of his birth, and sometimes Jinzha and Muzha too.

Now, I have made it pretty clear before that I'm not a big fan of Li Jing. However, if we are just looking at FSYY novel, how much support can we really find for the "Demon Child" idea?

Well, for starters: there is only the Spirit Pearl/Lingzhu Zi in FSYY proper, who reincarnated as Nezha, destined to become the Vanguard of the Zhou Army in the upcoming War of the Investiture.

When Lady Yin gives birth to a ball of flesh after 3 years of pregnancy, two servants report to Li Jing that she has given birth to a demon. Li Jing rushes into the room with a sword and cuts the ball open, and a little kid jumps out and starts running around, and this is Li Jing's reaction:

李靖骇异，上前一把抱将起来，分明是个好孩子，又不忍作为妖怪坏他性命。乃递与夫人看。彼此恩爱不舍，各各忧喜。

Rough translation: "Shocked, Li Jing stepped forth and lifted him up into his arms; such a fine child. He could not bring himself to harm the child as a demon. Then he passed him over to his wife, and the couple showered him with affection, despite their individual joys and worries."

The next day, Taiyi showed up to congratulate him, asked about the timing of his son's birth, and basically went "Ah, crap." See, because the child is born at the hour of Chou, he is destined to break 1700 prohibitions against killing. Right after dropping that bombshell, Taiyi named the child Nezha, took him as his disciple, and just…left.

Soon, Li Jing got a report that 400 vassals had rebelled all over the realms, because prior to this, King Zhou had summoned his four major dukes to the capital, killed two of them, imprisoned one, and only left Chong Houhu the asshole bootlicker untouched, at which point the two dead dukes' sons promptly rebelled.

As Nezha grew to the age of seven, Li Jing was still conducting drills in case of an attack by the new Duke of the East's rebel army.

So what does it all mean?

Well…it sure doesn't support the idea that Li Jing despised Nezha because he still thought the child was a demon after cutting open the meatball.

He could plausibly be unsettled by the whole "break 1700 prohibitions against killing" prophecy, but instead of being abusive, I think it's more likely that he just neglected Nezha due to his duties as a general, leaving it entirely to Lady Yin to raise the kid.

Which is still not the best parenting, but with different implications for Nezha's character. Like, FSYY's Nezha gives me the vibe of someone who just doesn't quite understand social norms, or human behavior in general, or what a healthy degree of fear even feels like, and being outright despised or abused as this "Demon Child" would have taught him to fear things very quickly.

If he was indeed feared by Li Jing, it's less "suffer not the yaoguai!" and more "let's keep our third kid happy and ignorant and never let him out of the house again."

To use a fucked-up analogy…Nezha is less this dangerous hound that must be chained to a wall and whipped into submission, but a fine, powerful weapon Taiyi had left to them for safekeeping purposes, much like the Qiankun Bow & Sky-shaking Arrows sitting in their backyard building.

Perhaps he still isn't seen as his own person or treated like a regular, flesh-and-blood kid, yet it won't make sense for Li Jing or his older brothers to do the equivalent of spitting on this precious weapon or kicking it off the stands.

(Since Nezha doesn't even recognize Muzha when they run into each other during the Attempted Patricide Arc, my HC is Jinzha and Muzha both left home to study under their masters at a pretty young age, and rarely came back for visits.)

Like, I can still see Li Jing being this stuck-up and emotionally distant guy who only interacts with his kids to "check on their homework", so to speak.

Or Lady Yin coddling Nezha, partially because she wants to make up for Li Jing's absence, and partially due to the vain hope that, by sheltering her youngest child from the world, she might be able to shelter him from his very destiny too.

...

Here's where I go off a tangent: on a meta level, Nezha isn't a demon or an aberration of the natural order (which yaoguais are often seen as) either. This is very much informed by a Chinese essay called 由哪吒看《封神演义》的天命世界 that analyzed the character in relation to FSYY's view of Fate.

It is very well written and has given me quite the emotional damage (/hj).

Specifically:Nezha is destined to violate 1700 prohibitions against killing, not because he is "evil" or demonic, but because he's born to be an executioner carrying out the Will of Heaven.

He is the very embodiment of the "Peril" that is the War of Investiture, and thus must suffer through his own perils, to be ritualistically remade in death into a demigod-like warrior.

Much like how the Chan 12's participation in the War of Investiture is, in and of itself, a Peril, something they must endure and survive as the consequences to their causes——failing to sever the Three Corpses and breaking prohibitions, Nezha's suicide served as his Peril, a death that shall cleanse him of his guilt and satisfy the karmic laws while also fulfilling his destiny.

Everyone he killed in battle follows the same logic: they have violated taboos (more true for the Jie Sect immortals), gone against the impersonal, ironclad Will of Heaven yet paradoxically playing straight into Fate's hands, as their deification through death has proven——a Peril as well as a consolation prize.

To folks that don't buy into FSYY's view of Fate and think it's bullshit, or don't understand the logics of deification: an alternate and more "modern" interpretation of Nezha's suicide may be an attempt at finding freedom.

After all, what's a weapon's biggest act of resistance, but breaking itself?

After this, I'll never owe anyone anything again. My debts are repaid. I'll never see my mother cry. I'll be no one's son, no one's disciple, a blade that will never be sheathed and left to gather dust in the attic, obstructed, then blamed for doing what it's made for.

It also isn't as simple as he thought. Death, as well as freedom.

Looking back centuries later, he'll probably cringe at his younger self too.

This? This is what you think your destiny, or freedom from it, looks like? Dishing out death indiscriminately without understanding what it means and lashing out in a fit of rage——it doesn't make you a good warrior, or even a good weapon, just a mad dog!

Like, I think Nezha can be rightfully pissed at Li Jing's Asshole Arc after his death, while also gradually coming to a more mature and nuanced understanding of violence and his purpose during WOI.

Namely, as ironclad and undeniable as Fate is in FSYY, attributing everything to it is just an easy way to avoid the difficult questions and personal responsibilities.

And I feel like there are a lot of interesting potential in exploring Nezha's post-war arc, of someone who is born to be a weapon, who finds comfort and certainty in that purpose, suddenly having to become something else.

Not necessarily in the "learning to be human again" sense, moreso the divine equivalent of a veteran adjusting to civilian life, exploring the boundary between executioner and protector, while dealing with both the funny and messed-up implications of working alongside everyone he sent into the Investiture.

[jedineedlove]

LMK VS Legend: Li Jing, Nezha, & Family

Finally thought I would do this with the debut of Li Jing and Nezha's more frequent appearances. These two needed their page.Li JIng I could not find much so I made it a family page.

Legend:

Li Jing is renowned throughout the Shang dynasty as a high-ranking commander officer of the Old Pond Pass. Throughout his past, Li Jing studied under Mount Kunlun and soon became a master of exceedingly fast underground travel. His wife is Lady Yin, and he has three sons.

His Wife:

Lady Yin: She played a prominent role in the nurture of Nezha. According to legend, she is said to be the incarnation of the second daughter of the Jade Emperor. Her full name is Yin Wuming in the Fengshen Yanyi, and it is called Lady Yin in the Ming dynasty religious book The Collection of Gods in Three Religions

His Sons:

Jinzha: A disciple of the superiorman Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun. Originally, Jinzha was one of the Five Great Wisdom Kings in Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Kuṇḍali or sometimes as the Ganlu Mingwang (甘露王), who was responsible for longevity, healing, purification, and exorcism. However, due to potential influences from folk literature, the name "軍吒" (Junzha or Junzhalili) was changed to "金吒" (Jinzha) to align with the character "木吒" (Muzha). In folk temple festivals, Jinzha is often referred to as the "Great Crown Prince of Tuotuo Tianwang" and is worshipped in temples along the southern coastal regions.

Muzha: He is a disciple of the Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Guanyin. Muzha is worshipped as a deity in Chinese folk religion, known as Muzha Tianzun.

Nezha: He is a protection deity in Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (中壇元帥). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" (蓮花三太子) after he became a deity.

Story:

Nezha's mother, Lady Yin, gave birth to a ball of flesh after gestating for three years and six months. Li Jing thought his wife had given birth to a demon and attacked the ball with his sword.

Li Jing and Nezha's relationship began as rocky because Nezha is disobedient and short-tempered. Nezha would cause untold chaos and trouble in the future, such as that with the Eastern Sea Dragon King Ao Guang. Nezha kills the Dragon King's son and gains his wrath.

When Nezha was seven years old, he became sick of the summer heat, and decided to take a bath in the nearby Jiuwan Stream, using his Red Armillary Sash (混天绫) as a towel. It sent tremors through the water, shaking the East Sea Dragon King, Ao Guang's undersea palace.

A Yaksha, Li Gen, was sent to investigate the disturbance. Nezha insulted him, causing him to attack Nezha and being killed by his Universal Ring (乾坤圈). The Dragon King's soldiers reported Li Gen's death to him, and Ao Bing, his third son, volunteered to deal with Nezha. Nezha slew him in combat, then pulled out his tendons to make a belt for Li Jing.

When Ao Guang learned of his son's death, he transformed into a human scholar and went to Li Jing's residence to protest. Nezha admitted to killing Ao Bing and returned his tendons to Ao Guang, who told Li Jing he would file a complaint to the Jade Emperor.

Facing his parents' wrath, Nezha went to Taiyi Zhenren for help. He drew an invisibility talisman on Nezha and told him to ambush Ao Guang under the Heavenly Gate.

Nezha beat the Dragon King forcing him to turn into a small snake and returned to Chentang Pass with him.

Upon arrival, Ao Guang transformed back into his human form, proclaiming he would gather the other Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and report the Li family to the Jade Emperor.

Lady Yin then sent Nezha into the back garden. He climbed up the barbican, where he came across the Universal Bow (乾坤弓) and Sky Shaking Arrows (震天箭) of the Yellow Emperor, sitting on a weapon rack. Eager for some archery practice, he lifted the bow and shot an arrow into the air, which flew all the way to White Bone Cave and killed the Verdant Cloud Boy (碧云童子), an acolyte of Lady Shiji (石矶娘娘). Because Li Jing had carved his name onto the arrow, Shiji went to Chentang Pass, seized him, and took him back to her abode.

Li Jing explained to her that no one had been strong enough to lift the Yellow Emperor's bow since it was placed in Chentang Pass, and she allowed him to return to the pass to find the real culprit. When he learned that Nezha was responsible, he took his son back to the White Bone Cave to answer to Shiji. Nezha attacked her other acolyte and tried to fight Shiji, but had both of his weapons taken away, forcing him to flee to his master's abode. Taiyi Zhenren killed Shiji with the flames of the Nine Dragon Divine Bell Cover (九龙神火罩), reducing her to her true form: a rock.

Nezha was then informed that the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, with the permission of the Jade Emperor, had come for his parents. Due to Nezha causing trouble in the Eastern Sea Dragon's Kingdom, Li Jing was required to give his life to Ao Guang if he did not sacrifice Nezha. But Nezha sacrificed himself, handing over his flesh to his parents.

Nezha then appeared in his mother's dream. In the dream, he asked her to build a temple for him, so that his soul would have a place to rest. His mother then secretly built a temple for Nezha, and this temple later flourished. This temple became well-known and grew vastly because Nezha granted miracle cures to the sick and the crippled.

Following the bitter luck attained with his third son, Li Jing burned the sacrificial temple, Lady Yin would be scolded by Li Jing profusely following this point.

However, due to the temple burning, this made Nezha wish to kill his father.

After Nezha was reincarnated, his body remade by his master Taiyi Zhenren, his father saw him and said, "You vermin! When you were my child, you caused untold calamities. Why do you reincarnate and disturb the peace?" Thus, a major conflict between Li Jing and Nezha began to unfold.

After battling Nezha, Li Jing soon realized that his mortal body did not match 1 to 100 compared to that of Nezha's. Thus, he ran as fast as he could underground in a state of incredible fear for his life.

Luckily, Li Jing happened to run into his second son, Muzha. Following Muzha's defeat by Nezha's hands, Li Jing tried to commit suicide. Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun ( a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun and one of the Three Great Immortals, holding the fifth position among the Twelve Golden Immortals.) saved Li Jing's life and containing Nezha. Nezha was then forced to submit to his father after being restrained by another superiorman by the name of Randeng Daoren (renowned as the Superiorman of Mount Condor, Intuition Cave.)

[In popular culture, Nezha's killing of Li Gen and Ao Bing is often seen as a result of Ao Guang demanding young boys and girls from Chentang Pass as sacrifices. When the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas threatened to flood Chentang Pass in retaliation, Nezha committed suicide to save his family and the people. That plot is only found in the 1979 Shanghai Animation Film Studio movie, Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, and not in the Fengshen Yanyi novel or Qing dynasty opera adaptations.]

JTTW:

In Journey to the West, Nezha was a general under his father, "Pagoda-wielding Heavenly King" Li Jing. He fought the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, when the latter rebelled against the Jade Emperor.

They later became friends. Nezha made some appearances in the novel to help the four protagonists defeat powerful demons including his adoptive sister, Lady Earth Flow.

His origin story is different from the other legends. After he caused havoc in the Eastern Ocean, the Heavenly King had been so worried about the disastrous consequences that he decided to kill Nezha. Thus Nezha returned his flesh and blood to his mother and bones to his father. Then Nezha's soul went to the Buddha, who resurrected him. After, he used his vast powers to subdue 96 caves of demons through dharma. After this Nezha wanted to kill his father because he had to remove every piece of flesh and every stain of blood to return his bones to his father. The heavenly king had no choice but to seek help from the Buddha. The Buddha gave him an intricately made golden pagoda, in each story of which were Buddhas radiant with splendor. The Buddha told Nezha to regard these Buddhas as his father, thus ending the hatred between the father and the son and Li Jing earned the title of Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

In the JTTW Li Jing and Nezha gain another family member Lady Earth Flow.

Lady Earth Flow (地涌夫人) is a yaoguai who is actually a Golden-Nosed Albino Rat Spirit (金鼻白毛老鼠精) who obtained her powers after practising Taoist arts for 300 years and secretly consuming sacred candles at Vulture Peak. After she was captured by Li Jing and Nezha, she was supposed to be executed but the Buddha told them to spare her life. She was so grateful that she acknowledged Li Jing as her godfather and Nezha as her godbrother. Later, she moved to the Bottomless Pit (無底洞) at Flaming Air Mountain (焰空山) and armed herself with a pair of swords. When the protagonists pass by Black Pines Forest (黑松林), she disguises herself as a damsel in distress to attract Tang Sanzang's attention. Tang Sanzang takes pity on her and lets her accompany them to a nearby temple, but Sun Wukong sees through her guise. She eats six monks in the temple and captures Tang Sanzang when Sun Wukong and the others are distracted. Sun Wukong finds out her true identity later and brings Li Jing and Nezha to subdue her and take her back

[According to The Journey to the West, Nezha was born with the word Ne written on the palm of his left hand and zha on his right, hence his name.]

[In Journey to the West, Muzha became a disciple of Guanyin in the heavenly court, with the legal name Hui An. When he was ordered to conquer the sand demon, and later Sun Wukong lost to the Red Boy, Hui An borrowed 36 Tian Gang swords from his father Li Jing to help the Guanyin Bodhisattva conquer the Red Boy, making him a good boy under the Guanyin.]

LMK:

Ji Ling:

After the Brotherhood, Li Jing was assigned the responsibility of overseeing the Celestial Realm with the Jade Emperor gone. The universe was teetering on the brink of destruction due to the damage caused to the Pillar of Heaven by the Jade Emperor's demise.

Li Jing harbored concerns that Monkey King's actions could exacerbate the impending destruction of the universe.Monkey King challenged Li Jing, asserting that he couldn't be stopped, not even by the Celestial Pagoda. While Li Jing acknowledged the truth in Monkey King's claim, he swiftly subdued him by placing a circlet on his head. Ne Zha tried to intervene on their behalf, but Li Jing swiftly silenced him, putting an end to any further discussion.

After breaking out of prison, MK, Monkey King, and Macaque returned Megapolis where Li Jing caught up to them. Li Jing swiftly closed in on Monkey King, tightening the circlet around his head. Macaque intervened by teleporting both MK and Monkey King to safety inside the Team Power Truck. As they made their escape, Macaque was eventually overpowered by Li Jing, who imprisoned him in the Celestial Pagoda.

In Harbinger; Li Jing and Ne Zha met up with the Monkie Kids and Monkey King, where Li Jing believed that the Pillar of Heaven was now irreparable, leading them all to confront the reality of the universe's impending destruction as the Great Cycle approached its end. As Li Jing looked at Ne Zha, he felt a mix of pride and regret for not having more time to share with him.

When the World was saved; After some time, Li Jing saw Ne Zha leading the Celestial Warriors in the rebuilding of the Celestial Realm, and made him smile in approval.

Nezha:

Ne Zha is a heavenly deity from the Celestial Realm, serving as both a member of the Celestial Court and a guardian. A stern and responsible celestial. He is occasionally short-tempered, mostly in regards to the Monkey King, though is shown to be understanding and kind to MK. He is often seen being understandably exasperated and annoyed.

During the Monkey Kings attempt to reforge the Samadhi Fire to defeat Lady Bone Demon,Ne Zha tried to stop him too late due to Macaque's interference. Ne Zha discovered that Mei held one of the four fragments of the Samadhi Fire and teamed up with MK to prevent Monkey King from reaching Lady Bone Demon, but Monkey King was corrupted by her and defeated Ne Zha by encasing him in crystal. Ne Zha was eventually freed during the final battle with Lady Bone Demon and aided the Monkie Kids in destroying her.

Later, Red Son warned Ne Zha about the Brotherhood's plan to attack the Celestial Realm. Despite his best efforts, Ne Zha was overpowered and injured by the Brotherhood, seeking refuge on Flower Fruit Mountain with the Monkie Kids. After the final standoff with the Brotherhood, Ne Zha safeguarded the Power of the Jade Emperor in a seal and vowed to protect it.

During Season 5, he was a silent character till the end when he stopped his father from interfering with the Monkie Kids Crew.

Images :

Overley Sarcastic Productions.

https://www.viewofchina.com/nezha/

LMK Screen Shots

[aroacenezhaanddainsleif]

so i was rewatching the end of lmk s4 with some friends today, and i noticed that in 4x10 peng says smth to nezha like "let the demon child come out and play!" and like. if i knew more about nezha lore thatd probably be quite concerning to me as a lorehead. and you seem knowledgeable. so. any thoughts?

oh boy. (cracks knuckles) it's late and i should be sleeping but I'm also sad so Nezha interest go BRRRRR

i will say for any accurate/culturally referenced info, go check out @ruibaozha - i am simply summing up as much as i can and some stuff is missing/not elaborated on

let me break down the basic elements of the Nezha myths.

Nezha is born his mom and his military dad, Li Jing, and his older brothers Muzha (second) and Jinzha (first). but Nezha is like fucking. superpower baby for some reason? Apparently the heavens decided to bless Li Jing with a powerful son for his military prowess, and Nezha's mom, Lady Yin(?), was pregnant for 3+ years. Then Nezha popped out as a goddamn ball of flesh. His dad attacked him because hey! Flesh ball! But then Nezha's ball split open and he jumped out as an already formed young child (ages often unclear- ppl say he's 7, or 12, and in some cases he died after only 3 days(?) alive.) either way, Taiyi Zhenren swoops in to be Nezha's master, and everything is fine for some time.

at least til Nezha kills Ao Bing. this part of the myth is really what defines Nezha as a "demon child" or not. in Fengsheng Yanyi/Investiture of the Gods, ONE of the older/more well-known written versions of his story, Nezha washes his sash in the East Sea and causes the dragon palace to quake. Ao Guang understandably gets pissed and sends up his general to ask him to stop, who Nezha kills. then Ao Guang's 3rd son, Ao Bing, who Nezha also kills (and rips out his tendon to wear as a belt)! sometimes Nezha also kills a demon, apprentice of Lady Earth Flow, miles away on accident because he randomly fired a bow. yet in another cases, Nezha is the hero- a demon came up to eat children at the shore, and Nezha obviously killed the dude, then Ao Bing, same thing. but in other other versions, Nezha was friends with Bing and accidentally killed him while playing due to being ultra powerful...

and then Ao Guang threatens Nezha's town, because the kid killed his son. (sometimes Nezha goes and strangles Guang before he can talk to the Jade Emperor, so...) Guang demands an apology and/or Nezha's life or he'll flood the whole mountain pass. and Nezha decides to slit his own goddamn throat to apologize to his parents and "return his body to them". Aka: he commits suicide at like, seven(?)

From here on, stuff differs: Li Jing is a shitty dad (like he REALLY really hates Nezha. calls him a curse and beats him), Nezha gets a temple and Jing burns it down, Nezha gets reborn in a lotus body by his master and/or Buddha, goes on a murder rampage against his dad and Muzha (beats up Muzha w/ a golden brick), is forced to submit to his dad through a Golden Pagoda, making Li Jing the Golden Pagoda Bearing Li Jing, sometimes Jinzha gets to flog his brother, and Nezha's basically a bitter fire god (child) put into the literal armies of heaven. he's also got his 6/8-armed and 3-headed war form in the myths...

now, this is a very long yet still EXTREMELY short explanation of the myth(s), and the "message" really boils down to what version you tell- the boy who started stuff by (unintentionally) murdering people, or the hero. but a lot of the main point of nezha's myth was originally about filial piety, and can be told as a story to remind kids that the parents are always superior, but in more modern myths and stories, Nezha has ended up shifting more into a symbol of rebellion. He's the protection deity of children: the outcasts and the demon children, the kids who question things and are loud and outspoken and aren't what people (especially their parents) want them to be. Nezha's story entirely depends on region, context and intent, which makes him a very versatile figure.

Now, put that into LMK?

I have a lot of hcs abt why LMK Nezha is the way he is, but my main one comes down to that "demon child" line. I like to think that Nezha was basically an uncontrolled force of war power and killed Ao Bing (regardless of the situation).

But then he got put into heaven and 1. realized how he acted and had to deal with crushing guilt and self-hatred and 2. got groomed into a (then) child soldier 👍

He was still a general, but learned to channel all that destructive power into being a protector and how to defend instead (ex: his shields, sealing power, etc). He takes his current job very seriously bc he sees it as his only reason to still be worth existing. he also dislikes Wukong bc he sees far too much of a younger him in Wukong; doomed for destructiveness and chaos. this is also why i put parallels to Nezha and MK because. yeah. (and imo, although i know Nezha paid it back w/ his suicide, I'm a bit surprised Mei wasn't taught to hate him, due to how much family matters to dragons...)

so aka, my hc of: "dude was literally always seen as a demon child/symbol of destruction, and therefore after being used as a literal war weapon and then being made to guard a map for ages (probably because he didn't want to harm anyone else), DUDE'S GOT ISSUES!"

[itsabouttimex2]

Heyo, Anon here! If you don't mind me asking (and you can ignore this seems to rude, I don't really do asks like this often but I just REALLY love the way you write/create your bots XD) I kinda noticed there isn't a definition in your LotusFam bot. Is it because you're still taking the time to write the definition or are you going to leave it as it is?

It’s not rude at all! In fact, it makes me happy when you guys reach out to me for things like this! I planned from the start to port this bit of Janitor.AI, so I made the definition much longer than usual! While I was writing it, I decided to release the bot early! Thank you for asking!

As always, link and example chats below!

Lotusfam Bot! (Mostly Li Jing and Ne Zha, but you can interact with Lady Yin, Muzha, and Jinzha to a lesser degree!)

[weaverpop]

The li family collectively has Workaholism

Jinzha and muzha unfortunately don't have partners to force them to take down days. (unless they're patrons or coworkers are doing it) you can't convince me either are able to do it themselves

Tis a curse, one Jing inherited from his own dear papa, and passed to his own children.

So yeah, the older Zha boys are single pringles with work issues. While they CAN have partners, it’s not really something either of them think about. Afterall, neither can be in line for the throne because of the whole Buddhists thing, so to them what’s the point? Though Jinzha has been becoming quite friendly with a certain pair of demon twins every time he visits.

Muzha on the other hand has no intrest whatsoever ever, especially after a Snake-headed demon starts creeping up.

[mangshadow]

i would like to think some fun idea about Jinzha and Muzha getting home and the whole family situation in movie 2:

-) When Lady Yin and Li Jing called them and said their homeland is kinda messy, they didnt expect it to be the whole hurricane

-) They gonna find out that they have 2 younger brothers (nezha & ao bing) instead

-) Ao Bing probably gonna sticking with Muzha more because he is reminds him of his real brother (Ao Yi)

-) Nezha is gonna get jealous because Ao Bing is getting along well with his brothers

-) Ao Bing is gonna get jealous and sad because Nezha's brothers still there with him meanwhile his brothers are nowhere to be found

-) Lady Yin is reminding Ao Bing so much about Ying Long (Ao Bing's mother)

-) Ao Bing wants to go home as soon as possible because he miss his father

-) If there is possible to transfer his pearl power, Ao Bing likely wants to give it to Nezha since he now knows that it was Nezha's in the first place and he will prefer to be an ordinary dragon and achieve the Heavenly Official with his own power.

-) Taiyi Zhenren would feel emotional because for the first time he got a nice student

-) The dragons are definitely causing more hurricane to the Li residence and got the Heaven noticed

-) Its gonna be dragonover

-) Ao Bing probably going to sacrifice himself so the heaven will forgive the dragon

-) another "dont let the fate got you" words from Nezha

[vegalocity]

Oblivion au question:

If they do put Li Jing in the parent mindset, and make Nezha a ‘kid’ again, that still leaves the question of Nezha’s mother and Li Jing’s wife. Lady Yin.

I never really got a clear answer to where the hell she is, or if she’s even alive?? So would Mk instead give Li Jing a new partner to give Nezha another parent/mother figure?

Like say, a certain lion?

(Yes I am a Li Jing/Azure Lion shipper)

I mean idk where Lady Yin would be in a purported bad end where Xiaotian somehow grabs the entire Li family (and i mean we're not even accounting for His brothers here like Nezha's the THIRD prince he's got older brothers, Jinzha and Muzha deserve to be in the story too if we're plotting out how the whole family gets got haha)

I will say though, Lady Yin would probably just be given the PIF treatment, allowed to just be Oblivion'd enough to not fight off and then just let her live in peace somewhere, she's always been doing her best bless her

But as for Azure he's actually already accounted for Sorry to say, if Xiaotian gets hold of Wukong he has it planned that he and Azure are gonna 'get back together' because Azure had had the wrong impression on his relationship with Wukong and had presumed they were sweethearts, so he had relayed that to Xiaotian whom thus said 'i ship it'

he has it planned that Azure would eventually 'get back' with Wukong. And our current plan with things where they are- Wukong currently set free from mind control and left on the mountain hidden away with Macaque, the Generals and Marshals, Sanzang, and Lady Ishtar of Sumer (there's some American Gods Mythology blending at this point) is, to Xiaotian, lost to lies, and will probably need his brain broken in a more 'wife'-like way like Red Son currently has and Azure should be prepared to take care of him

sorry rarepair enjoyer (whom i respect greatly like thats some deep cut shipping there, i very much respect it) Xiaotian ships Lionpeach

[incorrectjttw]

Nezha: You didn’t have to kick me!

Muzha, whom mistook Nezha for a random yaoguai: You’re right. It was an entirely voluntary act on my part.

He just might have kicked Nezha regardless. And then got scolded by Guan Yin for the act of violence.

[cora02245]

Nezha x fem!reader

A/N: Hopefully I proofread this.

You were walking down to a beautiful garden on a sunny day. "Y/n," someone calls you from the palace. "You know that dad is going to be mad if you go to the garden again and I am not going to-" "Calm down sis, I already finish my training with dad." "Who cares, besides, dad is going to get you a marriage proposal soon and I can not wait to meet your husband. " Y/n cringed at how her sister talked about the marriage proposal. Boy, you even got mad when your dad was talking about it at the dinner table. You wanted a normal day to be at peace, instead, you get yelled at. 'Great what a day.' The day was just you and your thoughts. You end the day by going to bed and thinking about who and why you will be married. 'I hope dad is making the right decision.' You fall asleep after that thought. 

The next morning, you wake up to see people, frantically running around. 'Weird, something must be wrong!' You see your sister, talking to the chef. "Hey, sis, what's with all the commotion?" "Lady Yin's family is coming," "You know, the one who met you last time?" You thought for a while until you made an answer. "Oh right, I know her," "Wait she has kids?" You replied with a confused look. "Yes, she does." 'I did not know that.'  Your sister explains that she has three kids. Jinzha is the oldest, Muzha is the middle child, and Nezha, is the youngest. Nezha is your age and you are getting married to the Third Lotus Prince. "WAIT, YOU MEAN THAT I'M GETTING MARRIED TO THE THIRD LOTUS-" Your sister interrupts you. "Yes, you are getting married to the Third Lotus Prince." 'Oh wow, the Third Lotus Prince.' You thought to yourself, with utter awe. Your sister helped you with the clothing and what need to wear.

This is what your wear: 

You look at yourself in a mirror and were in complete awe. You loved the outfit and thank your sister for help. "Come on Y/n, we have to go now before they come." "Okay, give me a sec." "Alright, come quick, kay." You went for a short walk and went to the throne room, you saw your sister and father. They gave a signal to come next to them and stand quiet for now. Once Lady Yin's family came, she introduced her sons. "Meet my three sons." "Jinzha, Muzha, and Nezha." Nezha stepped forward and saw you in your beautiful dress. He was speechless. You were in shock when you saw Nezha, the Third Lotus Prince. Both of you blushed for a bit when Nezha spoke, "Hello princess, it's um-lovely to see you." "You too." You looked away when you felt a peck on your hand. You saw Nezha kiss your hand as the family giggled and chuckled away. You led him to the garden leaving both of you alone. You talked with Nezha for hours. "You know you are beautiful, blossom." "Blossom?" You blushed at the nickname. "Yes umm-" Nezha almost fell when he realized that he called you by a nickname. "Sorry I-" "It's fine." Both of you looked away. You realized you fall in love with Nezha even though you just met him. It felt like you've known him for your whole life. 

A/N

Thank you for reading this. This is my first-ever oneshot.