Legend Management Bureau Chapter 8

[ … words ]

Hearing this, Du Yu looked back. Sure enough, dust was flying on the distant horizon, as if something was following them from afar. Judging by the sheer amount of dust kicked up, the pursuer was likely a massive creature.

“Brother Pang Meng, what is it?”

“No… no, it is nothing.” Du Yu knew that telling Da Yi about their pursuer right now would be useless. He turned back and said, “Big Brother Da Yi, I hope you will not worry about what others think and just follow your heart. Speak for yourself, do you want to shoot down the suns?”

Da Yi pondered for a moment, then nodded.

“I want to shoot down the suns, but I also want to grow old with Heng E.”

Du Yu thought about it for a second. This was not difficult.

If Da Yi had a Semi-Immortal Body, after ten years, his affection for Heng E would have faded. In that scenario, Heng E might indeed steal the elixir and consume it to become an immortal. But things were different now. Da Yi and Heng E were still deeply in love. If they could figure out a way to shoot down the suns in their current state, neither of them would swallow the elixir. Would that not achieve both goals—shooting down the suns and preserving their relationship?

Or, perhaps they could directly ask the Western Queen Mother for two elixirs…?

Neither option was actually that hard. The real difficulty lay in how to shoot down the suns in the first place.

Although he still felt a lingering sense of dread, there was no way Du Yu was going to actively seek the creature out. He and Da Yi simply continued their journey.

For some unknown reason, despite walking under the scorching sunlight for quite a long time, Du Yu did not feel tired at all. Had this been the real world, he would have been drenched in sweat by now.

‘Is it because I am already dead?’ he wondered.

Throughout the entire day, Du Yu looked back countless times but never caught sight of the creature. He even had Dong Qianqiu check for him a few times. Only after confirming that nothing was trailing them did Du Yu finally relax.

“Brother Pang Meng, we have arrived at the Aolai Kingdom. We must be incredibly careful,” Da Yi warned.

“Um…” Du Yu started. “Could you give me the exact shipping address for our current location?”

“Shipping address?”

“I mean our exact coordinates,” Du Yu clarified. “I feel like I have heard the name Aolai Kingdom somewhere before.”

“We are currently located in Dongsheng Shenzhou, Aolai Kingdom, near the Fierce River in the Beidi Region.”

“No, Dongsheng Shenzhou, Aolai Kingdom… why does that sound so incredibly familiar?” Du Yu muttered. “I used to chant it every day when I was a kid, but after working for a few years, I completely forgot all of it.”

“Familiar? Have you been here before, Brother Pang Meng?” Da Yi asked.

“Not exactly. I am not a local, and I have not traveled much,” Du Yu replied.

“Right,” Du Yu whispered softly. “Sister Qianqiu, are there any famous figures from this Aolai Kingdom?”

Dong Qianqiu let out a helpless sigh. “And you call yourself an Operator who enters Legends? How do you not know this? In Dongsheng Shenzhou, within the Aolai Kingdom, lies Mount Huaguo.”

“Ah, right, right, right!” Du Yu slapped his forehead. “Isn’t this the place mentioned all the time in the Birth of the Monkey King episode? Dongsheng Shenzhou, Aolai Kingdom, Mount Huaguo, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong!!”

“You are all excited now, but you could not remember it a moment ago.” Dong Qianqiu shook her head in exasperation.

“You cannot blame me. I have not used this trivia since high school.”

Da Yi stared at Du Yu in utter bewilderment. “Equal-to-what-what Wukong? Who is that?”

Du Yu waved his hand dismissively and let out a confident smirk. “You do not need to know.”

After speaking, he patted his Backpack and murmured, “Grandpa Great Sage, we are playing a home game today, so do not feel any pressure. You will be our starting player, and we will end this match in five minutes.”

“Brother Pang Meng, are you suffering from the heat?” Da Yi asked with a hint of concern.

“Haha, I am not suffering from the heat, I am just on fire right now!”

Du Yu strode forward brimming with confidence, acting as if he could already see Jiuying’s corpse lying on the ground.

Suddenly, a massive fireball plummeted from the sky!

Da Yi reacted with lightning speed, tackling Du Yu to the side.

Du Yu had barely dodged the fireball and had not even processed what was happening before a massive Dragon Tail swept across the ground, slamming right into his waist and sending him flying through the air.

“Brother Pang Meng!!” Da Yi roared.

“I… I am fine…” Du Yu gagged as he sprawled on the ground. That strike had been incredibly brutal, but this body seemed surprisingly resilient; he did not feel any internal damage.

Before them slowly descended a Monster Entity covered in crimson fur, standing thirty-three meters tall. It resembled a water buffalo with nine heads, except it sported a Dragon Tail covered in Scales behind it.

“Is it here? Jiuying?” Du Yu wiped his mouth and reached for his Backpack.

“Brother Pang Meng, I will hold it off! Find a moment to chant your Incantation!” Da Yi shouted. Without wasting a second, he drew three Arrows, nocked them to his Bow, and fired. Every single shaft shot straight toward Jiuying’s eyes.

But how could Jiuying be an ordinary beast? Right as an Arrow was about to pierce its eye, it would sharply twist its head, letting the projectile harmlessly scrape past its face.

“Roar—!” Jiuying bellowed, spewing a barrage of Water Jets at Da Yi.

Relying on his agile physique, Da Yi dodged left and right, barely evading the fierce onslaught.

‘Excellent, I just need to keep it distracted,’ Da Yi thought. ‘Brother Pang Meng needs time to chant his Incantation. As long as I am not killed before then, everything will be fine.’

Just as he was thinking this, Da Yi suddenly heard a hysterical shriek coming from Du Yu’s direction:

“Sun Wukong, ahhhhhhh!!!”

‘Such a distressed cry… could it be that Brother Pang Meng has already finished preparing his spell?’ Da Yi wondered.

Behind a tree, Du Yu stared blankly at the shattered jar inside his waist pouch.

Jiuying’s earlier tail swipe had connected solidly, completely smashing the jar strapped to Du Yu’s waist that contained the Soul of the Victorious Fighting Buddha, Sun Wukong. The moment Du Yu opened the pouch, he watched a wisp of white smoke drift away.

At first, he had not thought much of it, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the wisp of smoke was most likely Sun Wukong’s Soul.

“Ahhhhhhh!” Du Yu screamed like a madman. “How am I supposed to act arrogant now???”

“Heavens,” Da Yi muttered in excitement. “Brother Pang Meng’s voice sounds exceptionally battered this time. Just what kind of terrifying divine technique is he unleashing?”

Meanwhile, at the Legend Management Bureau.

Dong Qianqiu, Xie Bi’an, and Fan Wujiu all leaped to their feet the instant they saw this scene unfold.

“Oh no!”

Coincidentally, Xie Jin and Fan Xiaoguo had just finished resting at home and were walking through the door, each holding a cup of milk tea.

“Good Granddaughter Jin!” Xie Bi’an yelled in panic. “Quickly, go check the Soul Summoning Records for Two Thousand Years Before Prehistory! If you spot the Soul of the Victorious Fighting Buddha, Sun Wukong, call for me immediately!”

“Ah, yes! Forefather!” Having received her orders the moment she walked in, Xie Jin hurriedly scrambled away.

“Guo’er!” Fan Wujiu also shouted. “Contact Cui Jue and Zhong Kui immediately! Have them check all the souls from the Era of Emperor Yao and see if an extra Wronged Spirit named Sun Wukong has appeared!”

“Right away, right away, Forefather!” Fan Xiaoguo took a quick sip of her milk tea and sprinted off as well.

“Bureau Chief!” Dong Qianqiu shrieked. “Go find out immediately which of the Three Hun and Seven Po belonged to the Soul fragment of Sun Wukong that Du Yu took!”

He Suoyi stood there, completely dumbfounded. “Wait a minute. Those two ordered their granddaughters around, but you bossing me around like this makes things really awkward for me…”

“Bureau Chief! Now is not the time!”

“Ah, yes, yes, yes.” He Suoyi scurried away in disgrace.

“Our luck is absolutely abysmal…” Dong Qianqiu muttered. “To think he actually released Sun Wukong’s Soul in the Era of Emperor Yao. If Sun Wukong enters the Underworld, it will trigger an unprecedented catastrophe!”

…

“Brother Pang Meng! Are you ready yet?!” Da Yi was on the verge of collapsing. Even though Jiuying was only spraying Water Jets, the impacts hit as hard as solid boulders. His body was already covered in severe bruises. “I cannot hold out much longer!”

“Stop trying to hold out!” Du Yu dashed out from behind the tree. “Change of plans, change of plans! Run for your life!”

“Huh?” Da Yi was thoroughly confused for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“The wind is tight! Retreat!” Du Yu hollered, immediately bolting at top speed.

Even if Da Yi did not understand the phrase, the action was perfectly clear. He spun on his heel and sprinted frantically after Du Yu.

Seeing its two prey trying to escape, Jiuying decisively lunged at the closest target: Da Yi.

With a sudden leap forward, one of its jaws clamped brutally onto Da Yi’s shoulder.

“Gah!”

Da Yi let out a bloodcurdling scream.

“Da Yi!” Du Yu whipped his head around, his heart hardening with resolve. “Let go of my brother, you bastard!”

Charging back toward Da Yi, Du Yu snatched a dropped Arrow from the dirt, leaped into the air, and viciously stabbed it straight into one of Jiuying’s eyes. The creature had not expected this mortal to be so ferocious and failed to dodge in time, losing an eye in a spray of blood.

Roaring in agony, Jiuying released its grip. Du Yu instantly hauled Da Yi up and dragged him away. Glancing at Da Yi’s shoulder, Du Yu noted that the gash was terribly deep.

“Brother Pang Meng, let me go,” Da Yi grunted out. “If you drag me along, we will both die.”

“No way.” Du Yu gritted his teeth. “I brought you out here, so I am going to bring you back.”

It did not take long for Jiuying to recover its bearings. Boiling with unbridled fury, it immediately launched several colossal Fireballs streaking toward the fleeing duo.

“Damn it! We cannot dodge!” Du Yu realized the terrifying size of the Fireballs meant that with his current agility, there was no way he could pull Da Yi out of the blast radius.

In that split second, the ground between them and Jiuying abruptly began to churn. Just as the searing heat was about to consume them, a gargantuan shadow erupted from the earth, taking the brunt of the Fireballs head-on. Amidst an explosion of flying Scales, a colossal Python materialized before their eyes.

“Holy crap! What the hell is that?!”

Seeing the feed, Dong Qianqiu cried out in alarm. “Du Yu! Watch out! The Xiu Snake has also appeared! In every version of the Legend, Da Yi shoots out one of the Xiu Snake’s eyes. They have always been mortal enemies!”

“Then aren’t we completely screwed?!” Du Yu yelled, still trying to haul Da Yi away.

Da Yi stared at the scattered Scales on the ground and painfully turned his head. “Little Ba?”

“Yi, I have come to save you.”

“Well, I’ll be. You two know each other?” Du Yu flashed the Xiu Snake a strained smile. “We are on the same side, Big Brother.”

The Xiu Snake ignored Du Yu, locking its gaze on Jiuying in a tense standoff.

“No… Little Ba… you are no match for it. Hurry and leave…” Da Yi urged weakly.

“I cannot leave. My master said she wishes for you to live.” The Xiu Snake remained motionless, glaring at Jiuying. It seemed even Jiuying had not anticipated provoking such a massive adversary.

“How strange,” Dong Qianqiu murmured. “Why would the Xiu Snake risk its life for Da Yi?”

Jiuying probed forward with a few cautious steps. Upon seeing the giant serpent remain completely still, it lost its patience and blasted a massive torrent of Water Jets directly at it.

Due to its sheer bulk, the Xiu Snake could not evade. It braced against the cascading water, surging forward to ram its head violently into Jiuying.

The two colossal Monster Entities began a savage brawl in the clearing. However, it was blindingly obvious that the Xiu Snake was fighting a losing battle. Jiuying wielded magical arts and could breathe both water and fire, whereas the Xiu Snake was, ultimately, just an extraordinarily large serpent.

Seizing a brief opening, the Xiu Snake coiled its massive body tightly around Jiuying. Unfazed, Jiuying’s nine heads struck from nine different angles, sinking their fangs deep into the serpent’s flesh. In an instant, the Xiu Snake was reduced to a mangled, bloody mess. Pressing its advantage, Jiuying unleashed a barrage of Fireballs against the serpent’s mutilated scales, leaving the Xiu Snake writhing and shrieking in sheer agony.

Despite the excruciating pain, the Xiu Snake kept Jiuying locked within its coils, refusing to let go.

‘What do I do now?’ Du Yu stared at the horrific scene. Right now, he was the only one capable of moving, but what could he possibly do to help?

‘That is right! I still have the Talismans specifically made for cultivators!’

Du Yu ripped open his Backpack, whipped out a Spring Recovery Talisman, and slapped it directly onto Da Yi’s chest. A brilliant golden light washed over the hunter, and his bleeding wounds began to heal at a visible rate.

“This…?” Da Yi gazed at his mended flesh in sheer disbelief. “I never expected Brother Pang Meng to hold such a miraculous trick up his sleeve.”

“That trick was a one-time deal,” Du Yu replied.

“It is more than enough.” Feeling a portion of his strength return, Da Yi gripped his Bow and Arrow, turning to Du Yu. “I cannot abandon Little Ba. I am going to fight Jiuying to the death.”

“Hold on.” Du Yu thought rapidly. “It can dodge your Arrows. Follow my commands in a moment. I think I have a plan.”

“Oh? Brother Pang Meng has another ace in the hole?”

“Yes,” Du Yu nodded. “I have yet to unleash my most powerful Cultivation Method: the Qianqiu Divine Skill.”

“The Qianqiu… Divine Skill?”

Hearing this, Dong Qianqiu was entirely flabbergasted. “Du Yu, I am warning you, do not try anything stupid! I can only observe and use Voice Transmission. I cannot cast spells into your world!”

“I do not need you to cast spells,” Du Yu responded. “I recall the Bureau Chief mentioning that over the past nine hundred years without an Operator, you all frequently used Voice Transmission to interfere with Legends, right?”

“Right.”

“Which means you can send a Voice Transmission to anyone inside the Legend?”

“Theoretically, yes, as long as we can see them.”

“Perfect. Now, can this Voice Transmission switch audio channels?”

“Audio channels?”

“Yeah, like headphones. Can you choose whether the target hears you in their left ear or their right ear?”

“I suppose the system has that function… but I have never used it before. What exactly are you planning?” Dong Qianqiu asked, exhibiting a rare hint of panic.

“Then we are good to go,” Du Yu said. “Yell out, ‘Hey, punk’ so I can hear it.”

“What? No way, I am not yelling that. It is too embarrassing,” Dong Qianqiu retorted with utter disdain.

“Big Sister! Embarrassing?!” Du Yu roared. “I am about to lose my damn life out here!”

“I… fine…” Dong Qianqiu hesitated for a long time before finally uttering, “Hey, punk…”

“Good, excellent!” Du Yu exclaimed. “Big Brother Da Yi! Come over here, let me explain the strategy!”

…

Jiuying was locked in its death struggle with the Xiu Snake when it suddenly spotted the figure armed with a bow rushing toward its left flank. Knowing that the human was planning another sneak attack, Jiuying locked all its attention on him.

Right at that exact moment, Jiuying suddenly heard a voice whisper directly into its right ear: “Hey, punk!”

The voice was so incredibly close it was as if someone were standing right next to its face.

Jiuying whipped its heads sharply to the right, only to find absolutely nothing there.

“Swish—”

Taking full advantage of the distraction, an Arrow sailed through the air and smoothly blinded another one of Jiuying’s eyes.

Jiuying looked around in complete bewilderment, all its faces filled with utter confusion.

“The Qianqiu Divine Skill, boundless in its Magical Power…” Du Yu sneered.