Legend Management Bureau Chapter 202

[ … words ]

Three issues in particular concerned Du Yu.

The first was the appearance of the Black and White Guards.

Du Yu had met the Seventh Lord, the White Guard Xie Bian, before. Calling him the most handsome man in the Underworld was no exaggeration. However, the child in white on the screen was incredibly hideous. His eyes were tiny, his skin was sallow and dry, his teeth jutted outward, and his face was covered in pockmarks.

The Eighth Lord, the Black Guard Fan Wujiu, was even more perplexing. His facial features weren’t much different from Du Yu’s impression—aloof and proud. Yet, his lips were pale, his gait was unsteady, and his aura was frail, as if he had been sickly since childhood. According to many immortals, however, the Black Guard was incredibly fierce in battle. He and Zhong Kui were considered the absolute pinnacle of combat prowess among the Eight Great Underworld Envoys.

The figures on the screen were completely at odds with the image of the two in Du Yu’s mind. He had no idea what kind of story had led to this.

The second point of concern was their identities.

Earlier, Dong Qianqiu had mentioned that the Black and White Guards were government officials, but right now, they appeared to be beggars. While Du Yu wasn’t exactly an expert on ancient bureaucratic systems, he knew that transitioning from a street beggar to a government official was no easy feat.

The third point was the “extra person”—Little Nian.

According to Zhan Qisheng, the old legends of the Black and White Guards always depicted Fan Wujiu and Xie Bian relying solely on each other. So why had a young girl suddenly appeared?

But why?

In the legends Du Yu had previously experienced, the most severe issues were simply plot deviations. Now, there was an entire living, breathing person added to the mix. Where did this extra person come from?

Was she the Taishu?

If he really needed to correct this legend from its source… did that mean finding a way to eliminate the girl?

Du Yu presented these three questions to the group at the round table, asking for their thoughts.

Dong Qianqiu was the first to speak. “Regarding their appearances… Du Yu, the Lords of Impermanence only changed to look like that after they died. However, this legend is ‘Mist-class.’ There are parts we simply cannot see, so the exact details of what happened remain unclear.”

“Wait!” Du Yu paused, taken aback. “Did you say Mist-class?”

“Yes.” Dong Qianqiu nodded. “Similar to the legend of the Jade Emperor, the historical records left behind by the Black and White Guards are incredibly scarce. That’s because their legend is also Mist-class.”

Du Yu furrowed his brows, his expression turning grave as he pondered the implications.

“What’s wrong, Du Yu?”

“I…”

He hesitated for a long while before finally admitting, “To be honest, I’m a bit scared.”

It was the first time Du Yu had ever voiced the word “scared.”

The group naturally understood the immense pressure weighing on his heart.

“Those two assassins came from the future,” Du Yu murmured. “If everything happening now has already been recorded in their history, they will definitely strike during this Mist-class legend. It’s the perfect opportunity. I’ve been lucky enough to escape twice, but there’s no way I can pull it off a third time.”

Hearing this, everyone fell into a heavy silence.

Dong Qianqiu was stunned for a moment before offering, “Du Yu… don’t overthink it. The ‘Saint’s’ thought process is usually very strange. He might not act the way we expect him to.”

“No!” Du Yu retorted, agitated. “If I were the ‘Saint’, I absolutely wouldn’t pass up this chance. Because of the nature of a Mist-class legend, nobody can see what’s happening inside. Even if you wanted to help me, you wouldn’t be able to intervene.”

Du Yu knew deep down that even if Wa Rang wanted to help within the legend, he wouldn’t be able to make a move.

“But you’re not the ‘Saint’,” Dong Qianqiu pointed out. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen you this frightened. Before, no matter what situation you faced, you handled it with absolute confidence… What’s gotten into you, Du Yu?”

Du Yu lowered his head deeply, his mind in total disarray.

Ever since discovering that the “Saint” was actually himself, fear had crept into his heart. Rushing blindly into a Mist-class legend now felt like a guaranteed death sentence.

“Why don’t we have Ying Ning accompany you?” Dong Qianqiu suggested softly.

Zhan Qisheng let out a sigh. “With all due respect, even if Ying Ning is present, she might not be able to fend off those two assassins.”

Just as everyone was caught in a dilemma, a feeble voice drifted in from the meeting room door.

“Let us go with Brother Yu!”

The group turned to see the two “assassins,” completely wrapped in bandages, standing there with a swagger. However, Du Yu had previously explained that their future selves were the assassins; their present selves were friends.

“No way!” Du Yu shook his head firmly. “Your injuries haven’t healed yet. Why add to the mess?”

“Brother Yu!” Ah Can limped forward slowly. “I remember you saying that my brother and I have the ability to travel through time and space, right? We just asked the Four Great Doctors, and they told us that the Legend Management Bureau is an organization that travels across time and space to save the common people. If the two of us can help, that would be for the best. You keep saying there are assassins after your life; we brothers will do everything in our power to keep you safe.”

Du Yu was about to refuse again, but Dong Qianqiu quietly grasped his wrist.

“Du Yu, I think this could work. Let these brothers accompany you.”

“Work? Sister Qianqiu, have you lost your mind too? They haven’t even recovered from their injuries, so how could they possibly…”

Dong Qianqiu slowly leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Have you forgotten? In a legend, one cannot meet themselves.”

Du Yu froze, immediately understanding her point.

As long as he brought the Can Kui brothers along, their future selves couldn’t possibly appear to assassinate him. Otherwise, they would run into their past selves. Although Du Yu didn’t know what the consequences of such a meeting would be, if the “Saint” truly was his future self, he would naturally have considered this issue.

Taking the Can Kui brothers had nothing to do with their combat readiness; they would serve purely as a foolproof talisman.

“Dong Qianqiu makes a valid point,” Zhan Qisheng agreed in a low voice. “Even severely injured, their presence is crucial. As long as they enter the legend with you, your safety is practically guaranteed.”

“Alright…” Du Yu pondered for a long time before finally nodding. He stood up and declared, “Then we’ll go with this plan. Let’s start preparing.”

Everyone dispersed to begin the preparations for the descent.

Only Qu Xi remained seated at the round table, motionless.

“Du Yu…” Qu Xi called out. “You…”

Du Yu sighed and slowly sat down beside her. “Miss Qu Xi, I know what you want to ask. I can tell you what that ‘method’ is right now.”

Qu Xi stared at him with wide eyes.

“It’s actually very simple,” Du Yu explained. “All I have to do is open a portal, travel back to the past, and kill Zhou Zhuangshi before he defiles you. Then, you’ll never have those memories. All the trauma that has been haunting and tormenting you will completely vanish.”

Qu Xi gasped, looking completely stunned.

“It’s that simple…?” Qu Xi thought about it for a moment before asking, “Then why did you say you didn’t really want to use this method?”

“After seeing what happened with the Eighth Lord, the Black Guard, do you still not understand?” Du Yu smiled bitterly at her. “If I do this, you won’t die, and you’ll never end up in the Underworld. Everything that happened afterward will change. Aside from Old Zhan and me, everyone here will forget about you. And because it’s your own past being altered, you’ll forget about us too.”

Hearing this, a sudden wave of sorrow washed over Qu Xi.

It turned out there was no way to have the best of both worlds. To gain something, one was destined to lose something else.

“But I’ve made up my mind,” Du Yu continued. “Although we haven’t known each other for long, we’ve shared some happy times together. I cannot selfishly ask you to stay. After this ‘Black and White Guards’ legend is over, I will go back to your past and wash away that memory for you. No one has the right to inflict needless suffering upon you, especially when we know the solution.”

Qu Xi narrowed her eyes, falling into deep thought.

“I have enemies now. If you stay at the Legend Management Bureau, it will only put you in danger. If you can live happily somewhere else, I’ll be glad.” Du Yu stood up again and looked at her. “Miss Qu Xi, the next few days while I’m in the legend will probably be your last days at the Bureau. You can pack up and tidy away any traces of your presence here… so that when you disappear… it won’t feel so abrupt.”

An ache throbbed in Du Yu’s chest. Even though he couldn’t bear to let her go, he gritted his teeth and tried his best to make his words sound graceful.

Little did he know, his warm words acted like a miraculous beam of light, piercing through the stagnant, dead waters of Qu Xi’s heart.

“Du Yu, regardless of anything else, thank you,” Qu Xi murmured. “Actually, I don’t know if it’s appropriate to leave the Legend Management Bureau at such a critical juncture, but the fact that you shared this method with me without holding anything back… I’m already deeply grateful.”

“It’s fine.” Du Yu struggled to suppress his emotions. “We agreed when we first met that you were just coming to ‘take a look.’ If you weren’t satisfied with anything, you could leave at any time. If you decide you don’t want me to alter your past, I can also recommend you for reincarnation…”

Qu Xi gazed at him and gave a small nod.

“Du Yu, if one day you’re the only one left who remembers I even existed, won’t you feel lonely?”

Du Yu thought for a moment before letting out a wry chuckle. “My constitution has been special since birth. Who knows how many memories I hold that no one else remembers? So don’t feel burdened. In my memories… one more person isn’t too many, and one less isn’t too few.”

Qu Xi smiled softly, then stood up and walked away in silence.

Du Yu matched her smile, wanting to say something more, but the words caught in his throat.

He finally felt he could understand what Xie Bian meant—that overwhelming, suffocating sense of loneliness.

How many people in this world had lost their beloved friends and family without ever even knowing it?

Compared to them, he considered himself lucky.