Legend Management Bureau Chapter 14

[ … words ]

Heng’e rummaged through the basket under the bed for a moment before pulling out the small box.

“Brother Pang Meng, my husband and I have discussed this. Neither of us plans to become immortal. We only want to live out this life in peace and grow old together. Thinking about it now, it’s most appropriate to hand this elixir of immortality over to you.” Heng’e opened the small wooden box. Inside lay the one and a half spiritual pills, resting quietly.

Du Yu did not take the elixir. He kept the sharp knife raised.

“Brother Pang Meng?”

“Take out the whole pill,” Du Yu demanded.

Heng’e was utterly perplexed. The man standing before her had twice risked his life for her husband and had even refused the Queen Mother’s rewards. How could he act like a completely different person now?

She took out the whole elixir, then set the remaining half and the wooden box down.

“Do you only want this one, Brother Pang Meng?”

Du Yu gritted his teeth. “Eat it,” he ordered.

“Yes. Swallow the elixir.”

Heng’e still could not understand. “Brother Pang Meng, you came into my room in the dead of night holding a sharp knife, just to force me to consume the elixir and ascend to immortality right here and now?”

“That’s right.” Du Yu’s heart was a tangled mess; he did not dare meet her eyes.

“I won’t.” Heng’e placed the elixir straight back into the box. “Although I don’t know why you are doing this, Brother Pang Meng, I sense no malice from you. You want me to become an immortal, but I have no desire to do so. What will you do now? Use that knife to stab me?”

The hand gripping the knife trembled violently. What was he supposed to do now?

Was he really going to hurt Heng’e?

But what reason did he have to harm her?

Dong Qianqiu sighed softly and turned his head away. For the Myth Administration, they had seen this kind of scene far too many times.

“Lady Heng’e, you might not believe what I’m about to say, but I am absolutely not lying.”

Heng’e looked at Du Yu with confusion, remaining silent.

“If you do not ascend and become an immortal, countless people in this world will die tragic deaths. I have no other choice left. I cannot think of a single way to resolve this without hurting anyone… If you… if you ascend, you won’t die, Brother Da Yi won’t die… and all those innocent people won’t die either. I… I will do everything in my power to demand another elixir from the Queen Mother of the West… I will try my best to help Brother Yi ascend as well, so the two of you can be together for eternity…”

“Brother Pang Meng,” Heng’e interrupted. “You are lying. If there were two elixirs, why would the Queen Mother of the West only hand over one and a half?”

“I… I…” Du Yu gritted his teeth, rendered speechless.

She was right. If there were genuinely two elixirs, why would the Queen Mother only give them one and a half?

“My husband once said that you are just like Brother Zhan. You both always seem to know what will happen in the future. After watching you help him shoot down the nine suns, I came to believe this.”

“Lady Heng’e… you…” Du Yu had no idea what she was getting at.

“I only want to ask you one thing. After swallowing this elixir, what kind of future will my husband and I have?”

Du Yu pondered for a moment before replying, “You will become one of the most famous celestial maidens, living a vibrant and colorful life. But as for Brother Da Yi, I do not know.”

“Brother Pang Meng, judging by your tone, I am not with my husband at all in the future. So why would you say my life will be vibrant and colorful?”

“I…”

“Brother Pang Meng, come sit down. Let’s talk.” Heng’e offered a bitter smile and sat down on a chair.

Filled with guilt, Du Yu remained rooted to the spot.

“Did you know? Ten years ago, when I first saw Da Yi on the mountain, he looked like a savage. He hadn’t groomed his hair for half a year. Yet, that unkempt, wild boy actually bowed to me with utmost respect the moment I woke up. Can you imagine how comical that scene was?”

“Lady Heng’e… what exactly are you trying to say?”

“Later, we married. We decided to stay together for this life and the next. We had no parents to seek blessings from, nor did we believe in the heavens and earth, so we just bowed to each other three times. From that day on, Da Yi became my entire world. He is my heaven and earth, and my family. Since then, he has been the only one in my eyes. When he is happy, I am happy. When he is distressed, I am distressed.”

“Lady Heng’e…”

“When I first saw ten suns appear in the sky, I had a very strange feeling. I felt like I was going to lose Da Yi. But I didn’t know when it would happen. Every time he went out to slay demon beasts, I would stand at the village entrance, breaking off a peach branch every day to pray for his safety. Fortunately, he returned safe and sound every single time. But did you know, Brother Pang Meng? That feeling remained. That looming dread of losing him never went away.”

Du Yu looked utterly crestfallen. He could only mutter, “Lady Heng’e, I am so sorry. Please, don’t say anymore…”

“Both you and my husband are men who carry the world in your hearts. I cannot help with any of that. If, as you say, swallowing this elixir will save tens of thousands of lives, then I believe you. I believe that even my husband would make the same choice.” Heng’e slowly picked up the elixir, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were brimming with hot tears. “Brother Pang Meng, I am telling you all this just to let you know that I cannot live without Da Yi. If there is even the slightest sliver of a chance, I hope you can make sure he meets me in the future. This is my one and only request.”

“I… I promise you…” Du Yu’s voice trembled. He still could not bring himself to meet her gaze.

Heng’e smiled faintly and swallowed the whole elixir. “I’ve finally finished mending this set of clothes for Da Yi. Please give them to him.”

As Du Yu reached out to take the clothes, Heng’e slowly began to float upward.

“Sister-in-law Heng’e, Brother Pang Meng, are you there?”

Youqiong suddenly pushed the door open. The scene before him left him dumbfounded. Pang Meng was pointing a sharp knife at Heng’e, who was floating in mid-air, holding an open medicine box that contained only half an elixir.

“Pang… Pang Meng! What are you doing?!” Youqiong stared blankly for a moment before reacting with a furious roar. He charged forward, tackling Du Yu to the ground and seizing the opportunity to snatch the knife. To avoid hurting Youqiong, Du Yu quickly let go of the hilt.

“Youqiong, do not be disrespectful. I swallowed this elixir and am ascending to immortality of my own free will.” Heng’e rose slowly, looking breathtakingly beautiful under the moonlight. “From now on, the two of you must take good care of Da Yi for me.”

Before either of them could respond, Heng’e broke through the roof and soared straight into the sky.

Because the night was exceptionally cool, many people were still outside enjoying the breeze, which meant they bore witness to this stunning spectacle. A woman of soul-stirring beauty was actually ascending on this night of the full moon. She wore a modest, unadorned dress, yet it could not hide her unparalleled beauty.

“Ah! It’s Heng’e!”

A villager shouted, “Heng’e is flying into the sky!”

Soon, the villagers’ voices alerted even more people. Residents from several nearby villages all came out to watch Heng’e ascend. She flew straight toward the moon, looking as though she was always meant to be a celestial maiden of the heavens.

Her gaze was like a breeze that had never belonged to the mortal realm; a single look that swept away half a lifetime of sorrow.

Inside the house, Youqiong recovered his wits and glared fiercely at Du Yu.

“Pang Meng! You!” Youqiong aimed the sharp knife at Du Yu. “You must have tried to steal the elixir, forcing Sister-in-law Heng’e to swallow it herself out of desperation!”

“I… I didn’t…” Du Yu shook his head in agony.

“You didn’t!?” Youqiong roared. “Then why were you holding a knife?!”

Du Yu didn’t know how to answer. He could only stare tearfully at the garment in his hands. From the moment he saw her, she had been mending these clothes. Every stitch and thread was woven with her love for Da Yi. Du Yu looked at the collar and saw four words embroidered there: “The Bright Moon Shines.” In an instant, countless memories surged into his mind. He tossed the clothes aside and broke down into tears.

“Stop shedding crocodile tears! You’re the reason I’ll never see Sister-in-law Heng’e again! You’re the reason Brother Da Yi will never see his wife again!”

With a furious bellow, Youqiong lunged forward and stabbed the knife toward him. Unable to dodge in time, Du Yu took the blade right in the abdomen. He let out a miserable cry, shoved Youqiong away, and stumbled out of the house.

“Du Yu!” Dong Qianqiu cried out in alarm. He quickly turned to check on Du Yu’s physical body. A wound had appeared on its abdomen as well, and blood was gushing out like an open faucet.

“Hurry up and treat his wound!” Dong Qianqiu shouted.

Du Yu fled down the road in a wretched state.

‘What is going on?’

‘Why did it end up like this?’

Clutching his bleeding stomach, Du Yu felt the entire world spinning away from him. He trudged further and further from the village, his mind consumed by a single thought: he had to leave this place.

The next day, the news of Heng’e flying to the moon spread like wildfire. Some said she couldn’t endure the life of poverty and stole the elixir while Da Yi was away, ascending to immortality alone. Others claimed that Da Yi’s disciple, Pang Meng, tried to steal the elixir under the cover of night, and Heng’e had been forced to swallow it herself out of desperation.

Regardless of what happened, Heng’e had flown away. She had left Da Yi forever.

Da Yi sat alone in his house. He didn’t believe either of those rumors.

Neither Heng’e nor Pang Meng would ever steal the elixir. But why had Pang Meng disappeared on the exact same night Heng’e flew to the moon?

Da Yi just wanted an answer. Even though Youqiong swore up and down that Pang Meng had indeed tried to rob the elixir, Da Yi still refused to believe it. That elixir had been placed right in front of Pang Meng multiple times, and the man hadn’t even spared it a second glance. Why would he suddenly draw a knife to steal it on that particular night?

Lost in thought, Da Yi walked aimlessly. By the time he regained his bearings, he found himself standing at the peak of the mountain where he had shot down the suns.

He looked up at the lone remaining sun in the sky, his heart twisting in agony.

“Queen Mother of the West! Please show yourself!”

Da Yi screamed at the heavens, but received absolutely no response.

“Queen Mother of the West! I know that every time you immortals visit the mortal realm, you must sever all ties with it. But you haven’t satisfied me! If you don’t show yourself, I will come here and shout for you every single day!”

Da Yi howled at the sky, his voice cracking with tears.

A short while later, a brilliant flash of light swept past, and the Queen Mother of the West materialized.

“What is wrong with you, mortal? I have already given you all the elixirs, yet here you are shouting for me? What more are you dissatisfied with?”

“I…” Seeing the Queen Mother of the West, Da Yi found himself at a loss for words.

“Where is he?” the Queen Mother asked, glancing around.

“He?”

“The one who was with you. The one who talks too much.”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Hmph.” The Queen Mother scoffed coldly. “Speak. What else do you want?”

“I… I want to ascend and become an immortal!”

“Ridiculous,” the Queen Mother retorted, exasperated. “The elixir was already given to you. If you wanted to ascend, you just needed to swallow it. Why are you screaming for me?!”

Da Yi shook his head. “I only have half an elixir left. I beg you, Queen Mother, grant me another half so that I may reunite with my wife…”

“Reunite with your wife?” The Queen Mother paused in slight surprise. “So the Fairy Chang’e who ascended last night is your wife?”

“Fairy… Chang’e?”

“Indeed. She ascended last night and has already been conferred the title of Fairy Chang’e by Haotian. She now resides on the full moon and has been granted the Vast Cold Palace.”

“Queen Mother!” Da Yi dropped to his knees with a heavy thud. “I beg of you, please grant me just half an elixir! Let me fly to the moon and reunite with my wife!”

“Ridiculous! Have you thrown away your dignity as a man just to attain immortality?!” The Queen Mother looked down on the man before her with a hint of disdain, disgusted that he would cry and grovel just to become a god. She mocked him, “That remaining half of an elixir you have is only potent enough to let a cow, a sheep, or some other beast ascend. It will not work on a human.”

“Then let me become a beast!” Da Yi declared without a shred of hesitation. “As long as I can be with my wife, I don’t care if I become a lowly animal!”

“You!” The Queen Mother stared at the man, completely lost for words. He was willing to become an animal just to ascend?

Perhaps he and his wife shared a bond that ordinary people had never experienced?

“If I am not by her side, I cannot imagine how she will survive… Queen Mother, can you please help me this one time?”

“I have been summoned tens of thousands of times. They always ask for either fame or fortune. You are the very first who wishes to become an animal.” The Queen Mother shook her head. “Fine, so be it. Tell me, what kind of beast do you wish to become?”

“I…” Da Yi thought for a moment before whispering, “For the past year, my wife has constantly worn a worried expression, always lost in thought. For the beast I become, I hope to have a pair of crimson eyes that can see through to whatever is troubling her, and a pair of long ears that can hear her deepest thoughts. And since my wife loves the flawless, bright moon more than anything, let me become an animal of pure white.”

“Have you truly made your decision?” the Queen Mother asked one final time.

“I have.” Da Yi agreed without a second thought.

“Sigh…” The Queen Mother sighed heavily as she waved her hand. Da Yi’s entire body collapsed heavily to the ground. “May all lovers in the world be united in the end.”

In the days following her ascension, Heng’e sat alone in the Vast Cold Palace, utterly miserable. Although this place was spacious and opulent, it lacked the cheerful smile of Da Yi returning from his daily hunts. She would often stare out into the distance, her face streaked with tears.

‘I wonder if Da Yi put on the clothes I mended for him?’

As she was agonizing over her longing for Da Yi, a pure white, flawless rabbit appeared from nowhere. It hopped over to her side and affectionately nuzzled against her leg.

“Oh?” Heng’e was somewhat surprised. She had never seen a white rabbit so friendly towards people. She picked it up. The rabbit’s eyes were exceptionally intelligent, almost as if they could speak. For some inexplicable reason, she felt a profound fondness for this white rabbit the moment she laid eyes on it. She rested it on her lap and began to gently stroke its fur.

“How lovely. At least I have some company now. A white rabbit as flawless as jade,” Heng’e said with a bitter smile. “From now on, you can keep me company as I miss my husband.”

The white rabbit twitched its nose, almost as if it understood her words.

Unless one looked very closely, they would never notice the four tiny words on the back of the white rabbit’s neck.

“The Bright Moon Shines.”

As the Book of Songs recites:

The bright moon shines so clear, how lovely is my maiden dear. Her graceful bearing so refined, a silent sorrow plagues my mind.

The bright moon gleams so white, how enchanting is her beauty bright. Her elegant poise calm and unhurried, my anxious heart is deeply worried.

The bright moon casts its gentle glow, how brilliantly does her radiance show. Her delicate form a wondrous art, an agonizing pain tears at my heart.