Once upon a time. Long, long ago. Far from our world, there was a tiny coastal kingdom called Aolai. No bigger than a sesame seed on a map.
And although that tiny kingdom of Aolai doesn't really concern us today, it lies quite close to a certain patch of land we're about to visit. An island rising right in the middle of the ocean—a mountain hiding a mystery far too intriguing to ignore.
It was called Huāguǒ Shān: the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. It had stood for so long that even the clouds had forgotten the day it first appeared. From this ancient and towering mountain, the Three Legendary Islands were said to have been born, each with its own gift.
Those Three Magical Islands... oh, everyone had heard of them!
Penglai, the most famous, known for its herbs of immortality—plants said to heal every ailment in the world.
Fangzhang, the second island, was viewed as a place of wisdom, home to sages and learned immortals. Though sometimes, admittedly, a little full of themselves.
Yingzhou, the third island, was sometimes visible, sometimes hidden behind impenetrable mists. But more than that—it was an island that moved, drifting slowly across the waves as if it had a will of its own. Few mortals claimed to have seen it, for it slipped away from those who sought it by force.
But back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. At its very peak, there was a stone. But not just any stone! This one had been there for so long that even the nearby rocks gazed at it in reverence. It was large, very large—taller than a grown man.
This stone was unlike any other: each morning, it absorbed the sunlight; each night, it drank in the moon's glow; it breathed the winds and the energies of the earth. So, over the centuries, it became alive... so full of life that, on a day like any other, it began to tremble.
Then suddenly—CRACK!—a great fissure split it in two. And from that fissure emerged... an egg. A stone egg, as big as a balloon!
The egg was carried by the wind, like a leaf riding the breeze, until at last—POOF!—it burst open, and out sprang a little monkey. A monkey round as a ball of fluff, already fully formed, with arms, legs, and even a twitching little tail. A monkey with golden fur and bright brown eyes shimmering with intelligence.
He landed on his feet, fully aware, and bowed politely to the four corners of the world in thanks for his birth.
But the moment he lowered his head... two incandescent beams of light shot out from his eyes and streaked toward the sky. Higher, farther, until they reached the farthest stars…
All the way to the Palace of the Northern Star.
This light did not go unnoticed. High above, far beyond the clouds, someone saw it.
Not just anyone—it was the Jade Emperor, ruler of the Heavens, the one whom the immortals respectfully called the Great Benevolent Sage of the Sky.
Seated in his Palace of Clouded Arches, in a grand hall where mist hung like scented veils, the Emperor froze.
The wrinkled old man, with a long white beard braided down his chest, sat upon his throne. He wore multiple layers of wide imperial robes that looked rather heavy.
These robes were adorned with magnificent Asian dragons, embroidered in luxurious gold. Ribbons floated behind him, dancing with every movement. And to top it all, he wore a delicate golden crown.
His skin was pale as the moon, and his eyes shone like the sun.
Sitting ramrod straight, he frowned and turned to his ministers, those bearded old sages wearing pagoda-shaped hats:
"Tell me, gentlemen… did you see that light? Who dares shine all the way to the Palace of the Northern Star?"
He then summoned Sharp-Eye, who could see farther than anyone with his great eyes, and Big-Ear, who could hear even the softest whisper carried on the wind with his oversized ears.
"Go to the Southern Gate of Heaven, he commanded them, and tell me what's going on down there."
At his command, the two captains rushed to the gate, and after watching closely and listening carefully, they quickly returned and bowed before the Jade Emperor.
"Sire, we followed the beams of light to their source. They come from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, near the little kingdom of Aolai, on the eastern edge of the great continent."
The Emperor nodded and gestured for them to continue.
"There, explained Big-Ear, stands a very ancient stone. And believe it or not—that stone laid an egg!"
"An egg!? exclaimed one of the ministers, eyes wide."
"Yes, confirmed Sharp-Eye. A massive egg, round and smooth like a pebble, but as big as a balloon! And when it cracked open, a little monkey came out."
"And that little monkey, added Big-Ear, bowed to the four corners of the world, and from his eyes burst two great golden rays. That's the light that reached our palace."
"But after he tasted a few fruits and drank some water, continued Sharp-Eye, the light began to fade. It's not as bright now."
The Jade Emperor stroked his beard and smiled.
"Come now, don't look so alarmed! Heaven and Earth have birthed many wonders. It's no mystery that sometimes, even creatures below can cast their light up to us. Every now and then, one of them has to give us a little surprise!"
Abel Maria : Royal Road & Webnovel