Fables of Journey to the west

Chapter 7: From the Past to the Future

Finally preparations for the Banquet had started after the monkeys settled down properly in the mansion, which in itself was not an easy feat.
Even when the Money King volunteered to help sort things out it was still a very tiring process. While some quarrels were easily resolved with a few words, others turned into catastrophic brawls.
The monkeys involved in these brawls had to be put in time-outs and given extra chores to maintain order, a technique he learned from a few mothers in the troop. Thus, making it a really lengthy process and pushing the banquet ahead than expected.

Finally after the issues and a few grudges (a very tiring process) were resolved and everyone was well rested the preparations for the banquet had began.
The monkeys all divided the different tasks among themselves to work efficiently. Some took up the task of collecting fruits while a few volunteered for the task of procuring meat and cooking the food. As that was happening several monkeys arranged the utensils, tables and seats at the banquet hall, made from a rather large they found in the mansion, while others decorated the hall using  colourful clothes, flowers, leaves and various other items collected from around the mansion.

While everyone was helping around the mansion the monkey king was doing nothing, well nothing in relation to the banquet at the very least. The monkey king wasn't allowed to go anywhere near the banquet hall, let alone help with it.
Apparently his troop had decided that letting the monkey king help out in a banquet held to celebrate his own crowning wasn't ideal, which was a sentiment the monkey king didn't very much agree with.

Not that the monkey king did mind, was exhausted from the previous few days of resolving conflict, he needed some time off anyway. But it does become annoying when monkeys suspect you of sneaking in (in your own house, nonetheless) everytime you're spotted near the banquet hall, even if he was just wandering around and not sneaking in. Okay, maybe he was just going to take a peek, but nothing more
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As the monkey king roamed around very innocently, not seeing anyone guarding the entrance, he went near the door to the banquet hall to satisfy his curiosity, and would have if a certain monkey called Beng didn't came out nowhere stopping the monkey king before he could reach the door. Most monkeys including himself would've be startled by this, but the monkey king just felt annoyed at this point (there were many attempts).

"My king, do you need something?" Beng asked with a teasing tone, though it would sound more serious to anyone who hadn't known Beng.

"Just roaming around, but now that you do mention it, I was looking for for, um, a few jewels." the monkey king said, as a way to distract him and allow him passage through the door.

"Jewels?" Beng asked, a bit perplexed.

"Yeah, to um-to wear as a necklace, of course." okay, maybe not his strongest lie, but he could work with this.

"A necklace? Since when did you wear necklaces?"

"Uh, well I wanted to wear one for a while and I remembered that after I saw you." maybe he should've thought this through.

"Huh?"

"Huh, indeed. My mind just went 'Hey that's Beng! And now I have the sudden urge to own a necklace'. Just like that."

"If that's the case then I could help get you a few items for your necklace. Though I can't guarantee any jewels." Beng said after some thought.

"Yes. That'll do." His plan was working! Now Beng just needed to leave him alone.

"Very well. I know somewhere we can find the items."

"Yeah, Wait. We?"

"Of course. We're both going, unless you were planning to do something else, your majesty."