, the immortal mountain spirit born from a magical stone, roamed freely between heaven and earth until one day, when the cries of a group of pandas caught his attention. It was from them that he learned the existence of death. While confused by this sudden revelation, he was mistaken by the pandas for the deity of the mountain. In particular, a small panda named Li Li became infatuated with and devoted his days to picking peaches for the Monkey King. But when a flash flood struck the panda village one day, Li Li was lost to the torrents while looking for peaches. arrived too late, and despite the pleas of the other pandas, he did not have the ability to bring his friend back from the dead. It was then that experienced loss for the first time. Unable to comprehend his grief, he fell into a deep slumber. Millennia passed, and many more would have passed by had not been awakened by a battle between dragons. After slaying the Black Dragon and unknowingly saving the Cadia Riverlands, he asked the Silver Dragon about immortality and finding one's purpose. Instead of the answer he sought, the dragon gave him the name and the task of being the guardian of the land. But what does that entail? was once again lost in thought...
An Immortal Existence
Before the cataclysmic upheaval awoke him, he had been slumbering for millennia.
In the depths of a long dream, he beheld majestic waterfalls in full splendor and hills adorned with blooming fauna. A small panda emerged from the verdant woods, calling out to him. Ultimately, all these visions converged into a single butterfly, soaring out of the confines of his slumbering reverie.
He awoke to his true self now, a being born from the spiritual energy of the mountain, forming inside the rocks and forged over millennia. His domain stretched across the limitless expanse of creation, heaven and earth yielding to his whim, and his alone. But at the apogee of his revelry, he at last discerned a profound and unfamiliar emotion seeping into his existence. Perched upon a solitary branch, he gazed upon moonlit nights for ages, perplexed by the faintly discernible melancholy that wove its way through the very core of his heart like a delicate thread.
"Great Monkey King! Look what I brought! I climbed to the highest peak and picked the most plump peaches!" He gazed down upon the bustling scene beneath the tree, and memories of that small figure, a small panda named Li Li, stirred within him. In the eternity of his existence, this moment marked a brief yet meaningful interlude.
In those times, he roamed freely amid the sprawling mountains between heaven and earth. The mysteries of both his origin and ultimate destination eluded him, yet an unparalleled sense of freedom enveloped him. It was only when a mournful lament fell upon his ears that he was drawn to the black and white creatures, who were grieving because of something they called "death". What was this "death"? Intrigued by this mysterious entity, he cast a single fleeting glance, and thus unwittingly entangled himself in their story. In the narrative spun before him, the very essence of the mountain's spirit had congealed inside a stone, forming an immortal being—none other than himself, the great Monkey King.
Initially, he dismissed the disturbance and moved to another mountain peak, where he continued to rise in the early dew-soaked mornings, reveling in the seclusion of the mountains. However, a small creature deep within the forest wept ceaselessly, invoking the name of the Monkey King with persistent cries that echoed through the canopy, disrupting his peaceful solitude. Annoyed, yet curious, he parted the thick veil of the forest and came upon the source of the commotion—its small limbs were marred and worn from relentless toil. At that moment, their gazes intertwined, and a radiant glimmer flickered within the creature's eyes.
Rescuing the creature and its kin from the rolling torrent was enough to virtually constitute an afterthought. These creatures were marked by an intractable stubbornness. Well aware of the merciless power of rivers flooding during the rainy season, they had nevertheless clung tenaciously to their meager homeland. The Monkey King had lived through eons and developed miraculous abilities that were akin to divinity. Amongst his many skills was the complete mastery of diverting rivers and building sanctuaries upon the cradling slopes. He imparted these skills not out of charity but solely out of a yearning for peace and quiet.
Yet one panda had a tenacity that peaked the Monkey King's vexation. Day after day, it would clumsily traverse the hills and dales just to present the Monkey King with what it considered to be the finest peaches. It was an unyielding devotion that the Monkey King could not avoid.
Despite the Monkey King's initial irritation, as days turned into seasons, he grew accustomed to the daily ritual of eating a perfectly plain peach, as well as the presence of the panda who had introduced himself as Li Li. The Monkey King even grew to be mildly fond of their banal conversations. Mortals possessed an overriding penchant for naming everything, and Li Li was no exception. He would prattle on endlessly, insisting that the Monkey King should have a name. The pandas had even named their village Spirit Creek. Invariably, Li Li would always pose the same question to him.
"Have you come up with a name today?"
"No. I have no need for such things."
"I know you are the great immortal Monkey King, but that's not your name, is it? Everything in this world still needs a name."
It was most vexing indeed. The Monkey King moved to a higher mountain, and as expected, the mornings grew serene again. Yet, a peculiar longing began to stir within him. He found himself yearning for the once-disruptive commotion, eagerly awaiting the arrival of that little panda who would defy all odds to traverse the mountain forests. As the days passed by in silence, his longing only intensified. He was suddenly seized by the urge to seek out Li Li and ask him why was it that everything in the world must bear a name. It had become a maddening discomfiture that had taken root within him.
However, upon his descent from the mountain, he once more heard those mournful wails. But this time, it was Li Li who had succumbed to what the pandas lamented as death. Three days earlier, the rain had caused another flood. The ferocious roar of the currents could not reach the far peaks, and when the river swept Li Li away, he was still clinging to a peach. In his final moments, he reassured his friends, unwavering in his conviction, that the Monkey King would surely come to his rescue, for there was nothing the Monkey King could not do.
"You must be able to save Li Li, right? He believed in you! Please use your divine powers! We implore you, great Monkey King, please save him!" The Monkey King stood fear-stricken at his helplessness. What was life? What was death? How could he save Li Li when he couldn't even comprehend those concepts? Question after question swirled through his mind like a tempest.
"I can't save him. I can't save anyone! I'm not a god, I'm... I'm..."
Who was he? He didn't even have a name.
"Leave me be!"
He sprinted forward, his mind consumed by the idea of death's permanence.
He fled to the north. But where was he going? Where does one go after death?
Then, a revelation struck him like a bolt of lightning—the path north pointed towards the very mountain of his birth. Did death mean that he would never see Li Li venture across the hills and rivers again?
One's birthplace, one's home, held the power to console even the most broken souls... Or so he once heard from the pandas.
At long last, he arrived at the place of his birth, where the shattered stones he was born from still lay atop the summit. He gathered them into a tight embrace, and in that moment, those cold, lifeless stones seemed to pulse with a palpable warmth. He let sleep come over him, and there he slumbered for millennia, until the world convulsed and roared, awakening him once more.
His consciousness plunged back into the upheaval that had awoken him. It turned out to be a black dragon, covered in blood and relentlessly crashing against a barrier that had inexplicably formed around him.
"Where'd this bothersome fly come from?"
He defeated the dragon only to see the arrival of another, identical in appearance but silver instead of black. However, this one was not here to fight. The silver dragon began to explain what had happened while the Monkey King was asleep, and how the land had changed greatly over the ages. Throngs of refugees had fled the ravages of war and sought sanctuary here. The silver dragon appeared to be a guardian entrusted with their safety. However, a schism had torn through him and his brethren. For the sake of these mortals, the silver dragon had no choice but to quell his own kin, a sorrowful duty that had inadvertently caused a cataclysmic vortex in the northern sea. In light of this calamity, the silver dragon had resolved to pacify the tempest with his own body.
The Monkey King, who was now fully awake, listened half-heartedly while collecting his own thoughts. What was the meaning of existence for an immortal like himself? He still had not discovered the answer in all his slumber. But before him stood the silver dragon, seemingly sharing the same fate.
Perhaps this creature could reveal the answers to the questions which had eluded him. "Since I helped you, answer this question for me. You're an immortal right? Do you ever get bored of just... existing?"
The dragon laughed. It had been ages since someone had posed such a question, and never this crudely. The last to inquire... well, that's a tale for another day. The story now dwelled on the monkey from the stone.
"Destiny weaves its tapestry for all living beings, guided by the hand of fate. Yet you and I, not bound by life and death, are exempt from their mortal sufferings. Thus, it is our sacred duty to protect the world, the cycle of life, and the fleeting moments in between. Keep your vigil here, and when the time is right, I shall reveal to you the truth that you seek."
"Wait, who are you? How do you know all this?"
The dragon had already vanished into the waves, leaving behind ripples that spiraled amongst the vortex. "Allow me to grant you a name," an echoing voice resonated, "One that embraces the cosmos of existence. As guardian of this realm, your name shall embrace it all. You shall be known as ''." As the sea began to settle after the dragon's descent, 's heart too found a sense of serenity. But then it dawned on him...
"What kind of answer was that? It's utter nonsense! I've just been fooled into standing guard here. Well, I have a name now, but how is it written? All this about the cosmos and whatnot... it's all gibberish to me."
After muttering to himself for a while, settled back on the same rock. This time, he gazed up at the sky, as if he could hear a familiar voice. How he longed to see Li Li once more so he could finally tell him his name.
Sometimes, would still get lost in thought, not realizing whether a few moments had slipped by, or ten millennia.
