Legend Management Bureau Chapter 4

[ … words ]

Du Yu felt complete darkness before his eyes, his entire body floating weightlessly in an unknown space.

“Du Yu, can you hear me?”

“Dong Qianqiu?”

“That’s right, it’s me. I am using Voice Transmission to reach you. I will be your primary contact for this operation.”

Dong Qianqiu’s voice echoed directly in his mind.

“Where am I right now?”

“You are currently undergoing transmission and reorganization within The Void. For this operation, you will descend as the traveler Pang Meng. To avoid disrupting the historical timeline, try your best not to reveal your real name. Also, multiple versions of the entire legend have been placed in your Transmigration Gift Package. Remember to review them carefully once you wake up.”

Du Yu finally understood. What was this?

This was a fully immersive, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree sensory role-playing game.

A blinding flash engulfed him. As his vision cleared, Du Yu found himself sprawled on the ground, the earth beneath him scorching hot.

Location: Dongsheng Shenzhou.

Era: Era of Emperor Yao.

Character: Pang Meng has descended.

“Wake up, brother.”

A hand was continuously shaking Du Yu’s shoulder.

Du Yu struggled to get up, his head still spinning from the sensation of weightlessness. Standing before him were a man and a young boy.

“Excellent, you’re awake!”

Du Yu stared at the man in front of him. It was unmistakably Da Yi, the same man he had just seen on the display screens toiling away with his back to the sky and face to the earth.

“Hou Yi?”

“Hou… Yi?” The man seemed a little surprised, yet equally confused. “My name is Da Yi, not Hou Yi. Are you looking for someone?”

For some reason, Du Yu felt that this man named Da Yi spoke with a slur, as if he were mumbling with something in his mouth.

Disoriented, Du Yu stood up and looked around. He had been lying at the entrance of a village, appearing as though he had traveled a long distance only to collapse right there.

He tilted his head back and glanced at the sky. A full ten suns hung above him.

It was hot, but strangely, not unbearably so.

If a single sun could bring the temperature to twenty degrees Celsius, wouldn’t ten suns make it two hundred degrees?

But that was not the case. Du Yu felt it was comparable to a southern summer. The temperature hovered around forty to fifty degrees Celsius. While it wouldn’t kill someone instantly, it was absolutely miserable.

“Is this guy stupid?” the little boy asked after staring at Du Yu for a long time.

“He probably fainted from the heat,” Da Yi replied. “Brother, come to my house. I still have a little water left, I can give you a drink.”

Du Yu patted himself down and noticed a coarse cloth waist bag slung across his body. A few crooked words were written on it: Transmigration Gift Package.

Honestly, judging by the poor quality of the bag, the contents inside couldn’t be much better.

‘Are these guys trying to screw me over…’ Du Yu cursed inwardly.

“Brother?” Da Yi called out again, but Du Yu still did not respond.

“Brother Da Yi, this guy really is stupid,” the little boy said, picking his nose.

“You’re the stupid one,” Du Yu glared at the kid. Then, a spark of doubt rose in his mind. ‘Wait, was there a kid in the myth of Yi Shoots Nine Suns?’

“You Qiong, don’t speak nonsense,” Da Yi gently patted the young boy’s shoulder, then turned back to Du Yu. “Brother, what might your name be?”

“My name is Du… Pang Meng.”

“Du Pang Meng?”

“No, no, just Pang Meng.”

Da Yi stared at Du Yu, his expression exactly like one looking at a fool.

“Really, I am Pang Meng. I haven’t forgotten my own name, so stop looking at me like that.”

Du Yu felt a complicated mix of emotions. He looked up at the ten suns in the sky, then touched the ragged Transmigration Gift Package on his waist, wondering if it was too late to back out now.

…

At the Legend Management Bureau, a group of people clustered around the display screens.

“Bureau Chief, are you sure he will be alright?” Dong Qianqiu watched Du Yu’s performance with deep concern.

“No matter what, doesn’t our current world still only have one sun?” He Suoyi reasoned. “This kid is clever. Let’s wait and see.”

After speaking, He Suoyi glanced toward the door and murmured, “Since you have arrived, don’t just stand outside. Come in and take a seat.”

Hearing this, the door was slowly pushed open, and three figures casually strolled in.

Looking closely, the leading two were none other than the Chief Judge Cui Jue and the White Impermanence, Seventh Lord Xie Bi’an. The third person possessed an exceptionally gloomy and cold countenance. He wore fitted black clothes, gripped a Soul Capturing Chain in his hand, and wore a tall black official hat inscribed with four large characters: Peace Under Heaven. The moment this person appeared, the temperature in the entire room sharply plummeted.

Xie Jin and Fan Xiaoguo instantly dropped to their knees in a respectful bow upon seeing the trio. However, the rest of the staff in the entire Bureau acted as if they were completely blind to their presence, each bustling about with their own tasks.

“Even the Eighth Lord came?”

The Eighth Lord, Black Impermanence, nodded in acknowledgment without saying a word.

“Old He, oh, Old He. If Da Yi fails to shoot down the nine suns, the workload for the three of us is going to be massive.” Xie Bi’an shook his head helplessly, then looked at the nearby display screens and asked, “What is the current situation?”

He Suoyi glanced at Dong Qianqiu. Dong Qianqiu nodded, flipping through the documents to brief the newcomers.

“Just as the Chief Judge predicted, this Du Yu can indeed act as an Operator and return to the legends. The problem now is that his very first assigned mission is already a super-grade task. For a mortal, this is tantamount to suicide. Furthermore, judging by his performance just now, he is rather reckless and clumsy. I fear it will be difficult for him to complete the mission.”

Cui Jue chuckled softly and asked, “Is that so? Will he die in the legend of Yi Shoots Nine Suns?”

“I can only say there is a very high probability of failure.”

“He won’t fail,” Cui Jue interrupted Dong Qianqiu. “Although I do not know how he, as a mere mortal, will manage to shoot down the suns, he definitely did not die here. I know this because I also met him in the 19th Year of Zhenguan.”

He Suoyi offered a half-smile. “Cause precedes effect, Chief Judge. If this kid dies here, you will lose your memories of the 19th Year of Zhenguan entirely.”

“Is that how it works?” Cui Jue suddenly looked a little disappointed. But only a moment later, he recovered his composure and declared, “The memories of that year are not important. If he makes it back alive, you must promise to let me meet with him.”

Having said his piece, Cui Jue flicked his sleeves and walked straight out the door.

“Bureau Chief, the Chief Judge…” Dong Qianqiu trailed off, watching Cui Jue’s retreating back thoughtfully.

“Indeed, despite being an Underworld Immortal, he still harbors lingering attachments.” He Suoyi turned back to look at the Seventh Lord and Eighth Lord, asking, “Well, do you two young kids have any business to settle here?”

“No,” the Black Impermanence replied coldly. “I merely came to see if an old man like you needed my help.”

“My, my, my!” The White Impermanence pointed a finger at the Black Impermanence, laughing as he spoke to He Suoyi. “Old He, this guy just has a stubborn mouth. The moment he heard we got an Operator, he insisted on coming over to take a look before he even changed his clothes.”

The Black Impermanence scoffed. “Weren’t you exactly the same?”

“Alright, alright, guests are guests. You two grab a seat wherever you please. This Old Man won’t stand on ceremony with you,” He Suoyi said mildly.

…

Du Yu sat inside the dilapidated little hut, staring at the wooden bowl in his hand. Rather than calling it water, it looked more like the murky dregs left behind after washing a bowl.

“Brother, drink up. We don’t have much water left either,” Da Yi encouraged, looking at Du Yu with concern, afraid he might find the portion too small.

Unable to refuse, Du Yu raised the wooden bowl and downed the tiny bit of water in one gulp.

Delicious. This water was incredibly delicious.

That was Du Yu’s immediate thought.

In fact, it wasn’t just the water. Du Yu felt that even the air in this world was exceptionally fragrant and sweet.

What was going on?

“Brother Pang Meng, are you feeling any better?”

“I feel much better, Brother Da Yi.”

“That’s wonderful.” Da Yi’s speech was still slurred, but it was obvious he was a good-natured man. “Brother Pang Meng, you aren’t from this village. Did you come here looking for someone?”

Du Yu thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes, I’m looking for someone.”

“Oh, hold on a moment then. I don’t know many people myself, so I’ll need to ask my wife.” After saying that, Da Yi turned toward the inner room and shouted, “Wife, come out and meet our guest!”

Du Yu peered curiously toward the inner room. He should have read the script in advance. So Da Yi actually had a wife?

In the blink of an eye, a delicate fragrance wafted through the air. Accompanied by the soft padding of footsteps, an incredibly beautiful woman lifted the door curtain and stepped out from the back room.

“I am Heng E. Greetings, brother.”

The woman bowed gracefully. In that brief instant, Du Yu was thoroughly spellbound. In an era without skincare products or cosmetics, could a woman this breathtakingly beautiful truly exist in the world?

Upon her flawless, pale complexion rested two delicate eyebrows. Below them were heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes, and her lustrous black hair cascaded down neatly. She was the very definition of a heart-stirring beauty who evoked an instinctive desire to cherish and protect her.

“Husband, for what matter did you call me?”

Da Yi chuckled and said, “Wife, this Brother Pang Meng seems to have traveled from far away to find someone. I don’t know many people, so I asked you to come out and help him.”

“I see. If you are looking for someone, please tell me, brother. I know everyone in this village.”

Du Yu finally snapped out of his daze, reluctantly dragging his gaze away from Heng E’s face. After steadying his nerves, he spoke slowly. “I… am looking for someone who can shoot down the suns.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions on the couple’s faces noticeably shifted.

Da Yi immediately stood up, strode over to the doorway, and pulled the wooden door shut. Then he returned, speaking respectfully to Du Yu. “Brother Pang Meng, for you to make such an astonishing claim, could it be that you are an immortal?”

Du Yu shook his head. “No, I am merely a mortal.”

After saying that, Du Yu felt a little puzzled. Why was their first reaction upon hearing about shooting down the suns to assume he was an immortal? Shouldn’t a normal person’s first reaction be, ‘This guy is an idiot’?

Hearing Du Yu’s response, Da Yi shook his head and sighed. “Ah, brother, you must be joking. You and I are both mortals. How could we possibly discuss such a thing as shooting down the suns?”

Du Yu looked at the husband and wife, pondering for a moment before answering. “Although I am not an immortal, I do possess certain methods. Furthermore, the person I am looking for is named Yi. Yi has the power to shoot down nine suns.”

“Me?”

Da Yi widened his eyes in horror, then cast a terrified glance at Heng E.

“Brother Pang Meng, please stop joking. Tell me, there are ten suns in the sky right now. How am I supposed to shoot them down? What am I supposed to shoot them down with?”

The phrase ‘Shoot them down with a bow and arrow’ was lodged in Du Yu’s throat. He simply couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. Yes, those were ten literal suns.

Da Yi had once shot down nine suns with a bow and arrow. If placed within the context of a legendary tale, it sounded entirely natural. But when ten suns were glaring nakedly right in front of him, those words became utterly impossible to utter.

“Sigh…” Du Yu exhaled heavily. He had no idea what to do either.

“Brother Pang Meng, you must be completely exhausted from your long journey. If you don’t mind, why don’t you rest on the bed for today?”

This was simply the worst possible start. Du Yu understood perfectly well that Da Yi still thought he was a lunatic.

But what else could he do?

Du Yu couldn’t leave Da Yi. His time was running out.

“If I could stay for the night… that would be wonderful,” Du Yu said, deciding to just be thick-skinned about it.

“Alright, don’t stand on ceremony.” Da Yi patted Du Yu on the shoulder and led him to a side room.

“You can rest here for today,” Da Yi said as he did a bit of light tidying up. However, the room was clearly kept immaculate on a daily basis, showing just how virtuous and capable the lady of the house was.

“By the way,” Du Yu looked at Heng E and asked, “Excuse me, aside from Da Yi, is there anyone else in this village named Hou Yi?”

Du Yu thought he might have made a preconceived assumption. Just because he saw this man on the display screens earlier didn’t definitively mean he was the male lead. Perhaps the real protagonist was someone else entirely.

Heng E bowed slightly and spoke in a gentle, measured tone, “My knowledge is shallow, but in the several neighboring villages, I do not know of any man by the name of Hou Yi.”

“Is that so… I understand then…”

Du Yu sat alone in the side room. With ten suns in the sky, he had no idea whether it was currently day or night.

Looking down, he grabbed the ragged little bag hanging at his waist.

“Heh, a Transmigration Gift Package,” he sneered, pulling open the so-called gift bag.

Inside were two jars. A piece of paper was pasted on each, with handwritten words reading: ‘Victorious Fighting Buddha Sun Wukong’ and ‘Han Chancellor Sleeping Dragon Zhuge Kongming.’

“To think they actually used such ordinary glass jars…”

The most ridiculous part was that when he flipped them over, he could read a label on the bottom of the jars:

“Please consume before the expiration date.”

Du Yu tossed the jars aside and noticed a stack of papers.

The pages detailed numerous variations of the myth of Yi Shoots Nine Suns. Du Yu was just about to study them when he realized there was still something else at the bottom of the torn bag.

“What is this?”

It was a stack of incredibly worn yellow paper, covered in intricate patterns drawn with red cinnabar.

“Those are Talismans.”

Dong Qianqiu’s voice abruptly echoed in his ears, giving Du Yu quite a fright.

“I say, Sister Qianqiu, could you try not to be so startling?”

“My job is to watch over you constantly and answer your questions.”

“But I hadn’t even started asking yet!” Du Yu shook his head, then inquired, “Are these Talismans the same ones frequently mentioned in cultivation stories?”

“More or less,” Dong Qianqiu explained. “However, since you don’t possess any Magical Power, these Talismans are of the most rudimentary level. They can only serve a supportive role.”

Du Yu flipped each Talisman over and was astounded to find that their functions and instruction manuals were actually printed on the back.

Two Teleportation Talismans, one Eavesdropping Talisman, one Loud Voice Talisman, and one Spring Recovery Talisman.

Out of these five Talismans, the most impressive was somehow the Teleportation Talisman. As for the rest, they were too pitiful to even look at. There was even a Loud Voice Talisman meant solely to amplify the user’s speaking volume.

“This is completely different from what they talk about in cultivation stories!”

Where were the ice spikes? The Fireballs? The roaring heavenly lightning?

Du Yu couldn’t find a single opening or breakthrough point right now. The difficulty of this mission was simply far too great for him.

He yanked at his own hair, staring at the useless props. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

“To hell with this!”

Du Yu fiercely slammed the five Talismans against the wall, but only four drifted down. One remained firmly stuck to the surface.

‘The Eavesdropping Talisman?’ Du Yu noticed the Talisman emitting a faint glow. Immediately after, the muffled sound of a conversation filtered through.

“Tell me, do you think that Brother Pang Meng might actually know something?”

“That shouldn’t be the case, husband. You have hidden it so perfectly all these years. If he wants to shoot down the suns, let him figure it out himself. It’s not like we can do it anyway.”

“Sigh, that’s true. I just hope this doesn’t cause any trouble.”