Legend Management Bureau Chapter 26

[ … words ]

Du Yu felt his mood lighten as he watched the scene unfold on the screen.

“Sun Bin is a pretty decent guy,” Du Yu remarked. “He matches the impression I had of him.”

“You say that as if you actually know him.”

“Well, he is one of the few historical figures I actually recognize.” Du Yu stretched lazily. “The first day has come to a perfect end. Time to clock out.”

“Clock out? Come here first. There are still a few important milestones you need to see.” Dong Qianqiu selected several timeframes, speaking to him as she played the footage:

“After Zhongli Chun joined the sect, Mr. Guigu didn’t teach her diplomacy, nor did he pass down any military strategy. Instead, he taught her a set of techniques called the Serenity Mantra.”

“Oh? The Serenity Mantra?”

Du Yu watched the screen. Guiguzi was speaking earnestly to Zhongli Chun: “Wuyan, if you wish to cultivate your humanity, you must first cultivate your heart. You were born with an incomplete soul. This technique will allow you to form your remaining four spirits. No matter how long it takes, once your seven spirits are complete, I will definitely help you become a paragon among mortals.”

Zhongli Chun accepted the manual with an expressionless face and simply replied, “Alright.”

Dong Qianqiu hit the fast-forward button, skipping ahead a full twenty years.

“Wait a minute, Sister Qianqiu!” Du Yu was dumbfounded. “Why did you just skip twenty years in one breath? Isn’t that a bit much? When is my next descent?”

“Exactly twenty years later. This time, you will have three days,” Dong Qianqiu explained. “This is the year Sun Bin and Pang Juan descend the mountain to officially join the chaotic world.”

“Then… then…” Du Yu felt something was wrong. “Doesn’t that mean it’s almost time right now?”

“You have ten minutes to rest. Your second descent begins after those ten minutes.”

“Good grief!” Du Yu offered a bitter smile. “No one ever told me this mission would be on such a tight schedule.”

Du Yu hurried off to use the restroom. He originally wanted to catch a glimpse of Zhongli Chun, but he couldn’t find Dong Qianqiu’s office.

By the time Du Yu stumbled back into the operation room, Dong Qianqiu was already growing impatient. “Hurry up, we’re just waiting on you.”

“Coming, coming!” Du Yu called out as he lay down in the machine. “This is way too sudden…”

“Have you figured out what you want to bring this time?” Dong Qianqiu asked.

“How could I possibly have time to think about that?!” Du Yu snapped back, slightly annoyed. “You only gave me ten minutes in total…”

Du Yu thought rapidly for a moment before asking, “Sister Qianqiu, when a man and a woman reunite after a long time apart, what kind of gift do they usually bring?”

Dong Qianqiu sneered. “You’re asking me? Do I look like someone who understands romance?”

“Well…” Du Yu found himself in a tough spot. After a moment of thought, he suggested, “How about flowers?”

“Flowers…?” Dong Qianqiu was clearly displeased. “Fine, I got it. Just get going already.”

……

Era: The chaotic Warring States period.

Location: The lands of Qi and Lu.

Servant Ah Wu, descending.

It was the dead of winter, and biting winds howled across the mountains.

After landing, Du Yu immediately sensed that something was off. Even though his descent location was Mount Guigu, he was still wearing a servant’s uniform and holding a broom.

“Sister Qianqiu, did I log into the wrong account? Why am I still a servant?”

“It can’t be helped,” Dong Qianqiu replied. “That area is practically deserted. You can’t take the role of Guiguzi or any of his five disciples, so you’ll just have to make do.”

Du Yu opened his transmigration gift pack. It was completely empty save for a single, small white flower.

“A little white flower…” Du Yu curled his lip and asked, “Sister Qianqiu, do girls actually like receiving flowers like this? The fact that it’s white is bad enough, but there’s only one…”

“So what?!” Dong Qianqiu snapped angrily. “You should be glad you got anything at all. Give it to her or don’t, I don’t care!”

“Weird…” Du Yu mumbled, too intimidated to raise his voice. “Why did she suddenly get so angry?”

Out of habit, Du Yu tossed the broom aside, pretending he wasn’t a servant as he made his way up the mountain toward the bamboo hut. Having seen the terrain on the screen, he navigated the paths with ease and quickly found Mr. Guigu’s residence. He was just pondering how to make a non-awkward entrance when he heard a commotion inside. Du Yu quietly crept up to the window to eavesdrop.

“Wuyan?! You… how did you end up like this?” As soon as Mr. Guigu spoke, his five disciples fell completely silent.

“Master, what is wrong with our junior martial sister?” Sun Bin asked, his voice laced with concern.

Du Yu slowly nudged the bamboo window open and peered inside.

Zhongli Chun was kneeling on the floor with her four senior martial brothers standing around her. Mr. Guigu sat opposite her, his fingers constantly moving as he performed divinations.

Du Yu looked at Zhongli Chun. Aside from growing taller and having a more delicate, enchanting face, she hadn’t changed at all.

‘She’s already thirty years old, so why does she still look like a young maiden…’ Du Yu pondered inwardly.

“How bizarre…” Guiguzi continued calculating on his fingers, his face full of bewilderment. “Even though Wuyan has managed to complete her seven spirits, why is it that besides the spirits of Anger, Sorrow, and Disgust, the remaining four are all spirits of Love?”

Guiguzi calculated for a long time. After confirming he hadn’t made a mistake, he demanded, “Wuyan, where are your spirits of Joy, Fear, and Desire?! What on earth were you thinking about when you practiced the Serenity Mantra?!”

“A person.”

“A person?!” Guiguzi asked, caught between worry and anger. “Who is so important to you that they could directly influence your very soul? What is his name, and where is he now?”

“I don’t know.”

“You… sigh!” Guiguzi was placed in a difficult position. He had originally planned to teach Zhongli Wuyan diplomacy and military strategy once she completed her seven spirits. But looking at her now, even though her seven spirits were complete, she was still a fractured person. For the rest of her life, she would never know the meaning of joy, fear, or desire.

“And another thing,” Guiguzi asked. “How long has it been since you last ate?”

“I don’t remember. About thirty days or so.”

“What?!” Su Qin and Zhang Yi cried out. “No wonder we can never find you during meal times. Junior Sister, aren’t you hungry?”

“Not hungry. I’ve felt very full lately, though I can’t seem to burp,” Zhongli Chun replied earnestly.

“Wuyan, step closer. Let me take a look at you,” Guiguzi instructed.

Zhongli Chun stood up expressionlessly and walked over to Guiguzi. Compared to her towering height, Guiguzi looked almost like a child.

Guiguzi grabbed Zhongli Chun’s fair wrist and began taking her pulse. However, it wasn’t long before a look of utter shock washed over his face.

“Wuyan… have you stepped into the Qi Condensation realm?”

“Qi Condensation?” Not only was Zhongli Chun baffled, but the four disciples were also completely clueless. “What is that?”

Guiguzi was perplexed. He had clearly taught Zhongli Chun a technique meant to cultivate the mind, so how had she ended up cultivating immortality?

“Wuyan, tell me, have there been any changes to your body recently?”

“Hmm…” Zhongli Chun thought for a long time about how to express it. Then, pointing to her lower abdomen, she said, “It felt a bit bloated here, and then, with a ‘pop’, I didn’t need to eat anymore.”

“Eh?” Sun Bin found this vaguely familiar. “Isn’t that just an upset stomach? Whenever I have stomach issues, I let one rip just like…”

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting, you brat!” Guiguzi scolded. “This is drawing spiritual energy into the body! Your junior sister has just crossed the threshold into the realm of immortal cultivators.”

“What?! An immortal cultivator?!” The four martial brothers could hardly believe their ears.

“No wonder I’ve noticed Junior Sister never brings an axe when she goes to chop wood. She just chops it with her bare hands…” Zhang Yi muttered.

“Zhang Yi, I’ve chopped wood with my bare hands since I was a child,” Zhongli Chun stated coldly.

“Ah?!” Zhang Yi looked slightly embarrassed. “Well… Junior Sister… how many times have I told you to call me Senior Brother…”

“Master, isn’t this a good thing?” Sun Bin said, recovering from his shock. “Our Guigu Sect is going to produce an immortal!”

“Sigh…” Guiguzi shook his head. “Truly, the heavens are jealous of geniuses. Even though Wuyan possesses an extraordinary aptitude for cultivation—enough to turn a heart-nourishing mantra into an immortal technique—one cannot become an immortal with incomplete spirits. She is destined to remain a mortal. I’m afraid this shallow cultivation will only serve to strengthen her physique and preserve her youthful appearance…”

“Ah?”

Three of the senior brothers felt a deep sense of pity. Only Pang Juan stood to the side and sneered. “I knew it. Since when does such a good thing happen? A foolish woman actually dreaming of becoming an immortal.”

“Pang Juan, how long has it been since I last beat you?” Zhongli Chun glanced at him and asked coldly.

“Hey?! Let’s get one thing straight, a gentleman uses his words, not his fists!” Pang Juan hurriedly hid behind Guiguzi. “Master, look at her, she’s rebelling again.”

“Sigh… who told you to always speak about Junior Sister like that,” Sun Bin said, shaking his head. “Junior Sister has never hit me, after all.”

“Hmph.” Pang Juan scoffed coldly. “Master, forget about this foolish woman. You gathered us all here today for something else, didn’t you?”

“Indeed…” Guiguzi nodded, centering his thoughts. “That is correct. The four of you have studied your arts for a long time. Right now, the world is in chaos. Have you entertained any thoughts of descending the mountain?”

“Descend the mountain?” It wasn’t that the four brothers hadn’t considered it; they just didn’t know how to broach the subject with their master. Now that he had brought it up himself, it was the perfect opportunity. As hot-blooded young men, who wouldn’t want to make a name for themselves in these turbulent times?

“Master, I wish to descend the mountain!” Pang Juan dropped to his knees with a loud thud.

Seeing Pang Juan kneel, Sun Bin, Su Qin, and Zhang Yi immediately followed suit.

“Master! We wish to descend the mountain!”

Guiguzi smiled faintly, as if he had expected this all along.

“The four of you will go and pluck a flower for me. Do that, and I will permit you to leave.”

“A flower?”

The four brothers glanced out the window at the bleak midwinter landscape. Where on this mountain would they find a flower?

Pang Juan thought for a moment before readily agreeing. “Master! I’ll go right away!”

Watching Pang Juan hurry off, Sun Bin and the others couldn’t help but feel anxious. With such a golden opportunity right in front of them, they couldn’t just sit by and watch it slip away.

And so, in a chaotic scramble, the remaining three disciples dashed out of the hut.

“Wuyan, you should go as well,” Guiguzi said gently to Zhongli Chun. “Your seven spirits are now complete. Go find a flower for your master, and I will illuminate the path you must walk from here on out.”

Zhongli Chun stood up expressionlessly, finding the whole ordeal rather bothersome. She cast a single glance at Guiguzi before turning on her heel and walking out the door.

A strange energy was currently pooling inside her body. Although her physical strength was growing by the day, allowing her to easily endure the harsh winters and scorching summers, there were still some things she simply could not withstand.

It had been twenty years since she arrived at Mount Guigu. Had it been too long…?

With her head bowed, Zhongli Chun rounded a corner, only to find a person dressed as a servant standing right in front of her.

“Little Zhongli!”

“Hmm?”

Zhongli Chun looked up, and her expression suddenly became incredibly complicated. Born without the spirit of Joy, she genuinely didn’t know how to express the emotions of reuniting after a long separation. She furrowed her brows, then opened her mouth. Her eyes were no longer cold, but they held no discernible happiness either. She held it in for a long time before finally squeezing out a faint smile, softly saying, “You’re here.”

“Have you been well?” Du Yu asked. Having just heard Guiguzi’s words, his own feelings were rather complicated.

“I don’t know.” Zhongli Chun lowered her head. A moment later, she pulled something out of her robes. Upon seeing it, Du Yu’s eyes inevitably dimmed with sorrow.

It was a cheap piece of candy, its wrapper completely faded. Over the years, the candy inside had melted and solidified, solidified and melted again, leaving it entirely misshapen.

Keeping her head down, Zhongli Chun murmured, “You told me that whenever I felt sad, I should eat something sweet, and it would make me feel better.”

Zhongli Chun slowly pressed a hand against her chest.

“But whenever I think of you, it hurts right here.” Pointing to where her heart lay, tears began to stream down Zhongli Chun’s face. She looked up at Du Yu with grievance, her breathtakingly beautiful yet sorrowful gaze enough to shatter one’s heart. “Why is that…? Why does it hurt so much right here? Is longing to see someone really this painful? I wanted to eat this last pill to make myself feel better, but I was terrified that you would never appear again. This pill is my sole memento of you for this lifetime.”

The biting winter wind howled fiercely, making the entire bamboo forest rustle and snap.

It was the first time Du Yu had ever heard Zhongli Chun speak so much at once. It was as if she was pouring out every ounce of emotion she possessed.

“Little Zhongli…” Du Yu felt a strange ache in his own chest. “I… due to some special circumstances, I can’t stay with you forever. But you have to believe me, everything I am doing right now is to ensure you become exactly who you are meant to be.”

“Ensure I become who I am meant to be?” Zhongli Chun was confused.

“That’s right. If you don’t do as I say, there is a very real chance you will simply cease to exist, and we will never see each other again.”

A subtle, barely perceptible light flickered in Zhongli Chun’s eyes. “Will we still be able to see each other in the future?”

“Yes. As long as you do as I say, you will see me many times in this life. I promise you.”

“What do you want me to do?” Zhongli Chun slowly stepped closer to Du Yu, the atmosphere suddenly shifting into something strange.

“Want you… to do what?” Du Yu didn’t understand.

Slowly, Zhongli Chun reached down and untied the sash of her dress.

“My senior brothers say that I am a woman. And when men see a woman like me, they all want to take off her dress. If I do this, will you promise to never leave me?”

Zhongli Chun’s robes slipped smoothly to the ground, revealing her flawless, snow-white skin. The freezing wind blew against her body as if brushing against a pale jade statue. And this statue simply stared at Du Yu without a trace of emotion on her face.

Because she had drawn spiritual energy into her body, Zhongli Chun’s physical form was forever frozen at the peak of its beauty.

The faint, clean scent of soap locust on her skin mixed with the biting winter wind, ruthlessly assailing Du Yu’s face.

Du Yu suddenly felt a profound wave of sadness. Had Zhongli Chun become like this because of him? Was she always this kind of person before?

Du Yu retrieved Zhongli Chun’s robes from the ground and gently draped them back over her shoulders.

“You can’t do this!” Du Yu said sorrowfully. “I don’t want you to do this. I only want you to live your life safely and smoothly. In this world, no one has the right to take off your dress…”

The words died in his throat just as they were about to leave his lips.

Did no one truly have the right to take off Zhongli Chun’s dress?

No. Du Yu understood one thing with absolute certainty.

Zhongli Chun would eventually marry King Xuan of Qi. This was an unalterable fact of history.