Legend Management Bureau Chapter 29

[ … words ]

Zhongli Chun fetched a basin of water and carefully wiped Xia Yingchun’s face.

“Xiao Xia, do not be so foolish in the future. You aren’t the one who deserves to die—they are,” Zhongli Chun said coldly.

“I am not as powerful as you, Miss…” Xia Yingchun murmured, her eyes brimming with tears. “Aside from dying to prove my innocence, I couldn’t think of any other way.”

“There are always other ways.” Zhongli Chun examined Xiao Xia’s newly cleaned face. She paused for a moment before suddenly turning to Du Yu. “Hey? Is she beautiful?”

“Huh?” Du Yu was taken aback. “What did you say?”

“I can’t tell.” Zhongli Chun shook her head. She pointed at the maid and asked him, “Is Xiao Xia pretty?”

Du Yu studied Xia Yingchun’s features. Although she fell slightly short of Zhongli Chun, she was undoubtedly a gorgeous woman.

“She is indeed quite pretty,” Du Yu agreed.

Zhongli Chun nodded. “Xiao Xia, if you’re so pretty, why did you become a maid?”

Zhongli Chun pondered for a moment and realized they actually had nothing to do with each other.

“Miss, please stop wiping my face. I am not worthy…”

“There is no such thing as being unworthy. We are the same.”

Xia Yingchun looked at her cautiously before asking, “Miss, may I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“They said… you’re already thirty years old. Is that true?”

“I don’t know. It probably is,” Zhongli Chun replied with total indifference.

“But you look… why do you only look seventeen or eighteen?”

“I don’t know,” Zhongli Chun answered.

Du Yu, who had been watching from the sidelines, chimed in. “Because she is half a cultivator. She can retain her youth forever, and her lifespan is much longer than an ordinary person’s. Anyway… you two chat here for a while. I am going to step out.”

“You… are leaving?” Zhongli Chun turned her head to look at him.

“Ah?” Du Yu shook his head. “Little Zhongli—I mean, Miss, I need to stand guard outside. I am your bodyguard, after all.”

Zhongli Chun nodded silently, watching him leave the bedroom.

“Miss, you are… an immortal…?” Xia Yingchun blinked her large eyes at Zhongli Chun. “Heavens, does that mean you can stay this beautiful forever?”

Zhongli Chun’s hands paused. She looked at Xia Yingchun and asked with a hint of uncertainty, “Am I beautiful?”

“Yes, very!” Xia Yingchun practically danced with joy. “You are beautiful on the outside and kind on the inside. I wonder who will be lucky enough to take you as his wife!”

“Take me… as his wife?” Zhongli Chun thought about it for a second. “What does that mean?”

“Huh?” Xia Yingchun froze. “Miss, you don’t know?”

“No.”

“Taking you as a wife means he marries you, stays with you forever, and grows old together with you,” Xia Yingchun explained with a warm smile. “He will call you his wife, and you will call him your husband.”

“Marriage?” Zhongli Chun’s face instantly flushed crimson.

“That’s right, Miss…” Seeing Zhongli Chun’s reaction, a mischievous grin crept onto Xia Yingchun’s face. “Do you already have a sweetheart?”

“A sweetheart?” Zhongli Chun’s heart suddenly tightened. An indescribable feeling washed over her.

“Hehe…” Xia Yingchun chuckled slyly. “To be liked by you, Miss, he must be an incredibly wonderful man…”

Zhongli Chun revealed a rare, breathtakingly beautiful smile. “Xiao Xia, I… I think I do like someone…”

“Eh?!” Disregarding her various wounds, Xia Yingchun quickly grabbed Zhongli Chun’s hands and asked gleefully, “Hurry up and tell me, who is it?”

…

Sitting outside the room, Du Yu could only hear the faint sound of chatter coming from inside, but he couldn’t make out exactly what was being said.

The spiritual energy in the world during the Warring States period was noticeably far less abundant than during Emperor Yao’s era. Du Yu began to feel a bit drowsy.

“Sister Qianqiu…” Du Yu called out in his mind.

“I’m here. What’s wrong?” Dong Qianqiu responded immediately.

“Hehe, nothing.” Du Yu slowly closed his eyes. “It’s just been a while since I called you, so I thought I would.”

“You’re crazy,” Dong Qianqiu said in exasperation. “If you’re tired, just go to sleep.”

Hearing her words, Du Yu slowly opened his eyes again.

“Sister Qianqiu, a thought suddenly occurred to me…” Du Yu asked curiously. “Whenever I fall asleep, what do you do?”

“Me?” Dong Qianqiu replied in a flat tone. “I watch you and wait for dawn.”

“Huh?” Du Yu was stunned. “So every time I rest, you don’t get any sleep?”

“That’s right.”

“How can that be…? Your body won’t be able to handle it. Besides…” Du Yu shook his head. “It feels really weird having you stare at me the entire time I sleep.”

“This is my duty,” Dong Qianqiu explained. “As the operator, I cannot afford to relax for even a moment. If you encounter any danger while sleeping, I need to wake you up immediately.”

Hearing this, a pang of guilt struck Du Yu’s heart. “Sister Qianqiu… you need to rest more, too. If you collapse from exhaustion, who is going to be the communicator?”

“I’m not tired. I will rest after you come back.”

“Sigh… What a stubborn woman…”

At the break of dawn, the sound of light footsteps woke Du Yu. He opened his eyes just in time to see Xiao Xia shoot him a beaming smile before scurrying out of the courtyard.

“Eh?” Du Yu had just woken up and hadn’t quite processed what was happening when Zhongli Chun also emerged from the room.

“Little Zhongli…” Du Yu rubbed his eyes and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”

Blushing heavily with her head bowed, Zhongli Chun whispered, “I didn’t sleep at all last night… I learned a lot of things from Xiao Xia…”

“Ah?” Du Yu jolted wide awake. “Little Zhongli, you can’t learn from her! That Xia Yingchun is…”

The words died in Du Yu’s throat. He had to be incredibly careful with his phrasing to avoid altering history.

‘Can I really tell Zhongli Chun right now that Xiao Xia isn’t a good person?’

“What were you saying about Xiao Xia?”

“N-nothing…” Du Yu didn’t know how to explain.

“I…” Zhongli Chun hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ve always wanted to ask. Your name…”

“My name…? I am…” Du Yu was caught in a difficult position. Within this legend, he couldn’t reveal his real name, yet he didn’t want to lie to Zhongli Chun and say he was Ah Wu.

“I cannot tell you my name right now.” Du Yu shook his head. “But one day, you will learn my name, and I will tell you everything about myself.”

Zhongli Chun nodded. “Okay. I believe you.”

“Little Zhongli, what are we doing today?” Du Yu asked. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll accompany you.”

“Today…” Zhongli Chun shook her head. “I don’t want to go out today. Can you wait for me here?”

“Wait for you?”

“Yes. After Xiao Xia returns, I have something to tell you.”

Du Yu glanced in the direction Xiao Xia had run off earlier. Clueless as to what Zhongli Chun was planning, he simply nodded and said, “Alright then.”

After waiting for about an hour, Xiao Xia finally returned. She was panting heavily, clutching a bundle tightly to her chest.

“Miss, I’m back. This is what my mother left behind…”

“Xiao Xia!” Zhongli Chun cried out nervously. “You mustn’t…”

“Ah!” Xia Yingchun glanced at Du Yu and blurted out in a panic, “Right, right.”

“What is it?” Du Yu scratched his head in confusion. “What are you two up to?”

Zhongli Chun pulled Xiao Xia into the room. Before disappearing inside, Xiao Xia turned around, shut the door, and warned Du Yu, “Whatever you do, don’t come in.”

Staring at the closed door, Du Yu was utterly baffled. “Sister Qianqiu, what on earth are they doing…?”

“I don’t know either. Let me take a look for you,” Dong Qianqiu said. After all, her surveillance feed could see the protagonist of the legend in addition to Du Yu.

“Do you see anything?” After a long moment passed with no response from Dong Qianqiu, Du Yu couldn’t help but ask.

“This…” Dong Qianqiu trailed off, sounding extremely conflicted. She had never anticipated a situation like this and suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

“Du Yu… you…” Dong Qianqiu held her tongue for a long time, cycling through countless ways to phrase it before finally blurting out, “Du Yu, maybe you should just run.”

“Huh?!” Du Yu’s brain short-circuited. “Run? What’s going on? Is Zhongli Chun getting ready to beat me up?”

Before Du Yu could take a single step, the room door slowly creaked open. Xiao Xia stepped out with a bright smile, followed closely by Zhongli Chun.

Du Yu took one look and froze in his tracks.

Zhongli Chun was dressed in an exquisite deep red brocade gown, her head adorned with a magnificent phoenix coronet. Her makeup had been flawlessly applied. Without a word, she sank to her knees on the spot, bowing deeply to Du Yu. Then, looking up at him with profound affection in her eyes, she spoke:

“I, Zhongli Chun, wish to become your wife from this day forward, to grow old with you and never be apart.”

The air in the courtyard went completely still.

Staring at the scene before him, Du Yu was completely at a loss. He hadn’t felt this helpless even when facing the nine suns.

“Little Zhongli…” Du Yu struggled for a long time, having no idea how to reject her. Every time he looked at her current appearance, his mind went completely blank. He knew, after all, that he only had one last day left to stay here. Who knew how many years would pass before they saw each other again?

“I… I’m sorry…” Du Yu mumbled. He spun on his heel and sprinted out of the courtyard.

“Ah?!” Outraged by the sight of the fleeing man, Xiao Xia scowled furiously. “What is wrong with him?! Miss, wait here!”

With that, Xiao Xia darted after Du Yu, leaving Zhongli Chun kneeling alone in silence. She bit her lip, her eyes filled with an unconcealable sorrow.

“Stop right there!” Xiao Xia screamed as she chased him.

Hearing her pursuit, a surge of irritation welled up within Du Yu. He skidded to a halt and turned back, snapping, “Xia Yingchun, what exactly are you trying to do?”

“What am I trying to do?” Xiao Xia gaped at him. “I’m the one who should be asking you! Why did you run?”

Du Yu pointed at himself. “She is a noble lady, and I am a servant. Do you think it’s appropriate for her to do this? What exactly did you teach her? Aren’t you just making her a laughingstock in front of everyone?!”

“A laughingstock?!” Xiao Xia bristled with anger. “Do you think the young miss doesn’t know that? I explained all the pros and cons to her, and this was her own choice!”

“What?!” Du Yu was bewildered.

“I didn’t just tell her about the difference in your statuses. I explicitly told her that since ancient times, no woman has ever taken the initiative to arrange a marriage. But even after fully understanding all the consequences, the young miss was still willing to actively propose to you! And what did you do?! And to think I even gave her the wedding dress my mother left for me! Thinking about how she wanted to marry someone like you makes me sick with rage!” Xia Yingchun’s face had turned purple from anger. She looked ready to strangle Du Yu right there and then.

“This…” Despite hearing her out, Du Yu still felt it was absolutely absurd. “No matter what you say, I absolutely cannot marry her!”

“But why?!” Xia Yingchun demanded. “Last night, the miss told me everything about the two of you. She said you saved her from the pigpen and allowed her to become a real person. She said you sent her up the mountain to learn skills and become someone useful. For the past twenty years, there hasn’t been a single day where the miss didn’t miss you. Do you know what that feels like? Now that she’s finally waited long enough to see you again, she just wanted to disregard the judgment of the world and become your wife. But you just ran away! Are you even a man?”

“I… I…” Du Yu hadn’t expected Xia Yingchun to be so eloquent. He found himself completely unable to refute her. “Xiao Xia, you only look to be fifteen or sixteen years old. There are still many things you don’t understand.”

“You’re right, I don’t understand. Is the young miss bad? Does she lack talent? Does she lack beauty? Is she not worthy of your love?” Xia Yingchun challenged.

“That’s not the issue at all…” Du Yu shook his head. “Little Zhongli is truly wonderful, but she absolutely cannot marry me!”

Looking at Xia Yingchun’s livid face, Du Yu muttered, “I will go back and explain things clearly to her.”

…

When Du Yu returned to Zhongli Chun, she was still kneeling in front of the door.

“Little Zhongli…”

Zhongli Chun looked up at him, her expression a mess of conflicting emotions.

“You came back…? I…”

“There are some things I must explain to you clearly.” As Du Yu spoke, he walked up to Zhongli Chun and helped her to her feet. At that moment, Xiao Xia stomped into the room. She was fuming and refused to even glance in his direction.

Du Yu gently guided Zhongli Chun to sit down. Clad in her wedding dress, her face etched with despair, she looked completely lost.

“What do you want to tell me?”

“I…” Du Yu gathered his thoughts. “Little Zhongli, between you and me, there is a very, very wide river. This river separates us. We cannot be together.”

“A river…” Zhongli Chun murmured. “What kind of river?”

“Crossing this river would take a full two thousand years.” Seeing her crestfallen look, Du Yu felt a heavy ache in his chest. “You and I stand on opposite shores of this river. If you marry me now, you will never be able to cross it.”

“I don’t understand.” A glimmer of tears formed in Zhongli Chun’s eyes. “If you say it takes two thousand years to cross this river, how could I possibly be looking at you right now? How did you cross it? Why can’t I just keep you on my side of the river?”

Du Yu gripped his clothes tightly. He had never encountered a situation like this before and had no idea how to resolve it. It was as if he were going through a painful breakup before he had even experienced falling in love.

“I’ll tell you the truth,” Du Yu said, his voice laced with frustration. “If you do as I say… after you die of old age, we will reunite.”

“After… I die?” Before Zhongli Chun could even respond, Xiao Xia flew into a rage. “What kind of absolute nonsense are you spouting?! She can’t marry you while she’s alive, but only after she’s dead?!”

“Are you saying that after I die, we can stay together forever?” Zhongli Chun asked softly.

“Although I can’t promise that we will be together as husband and wife forever, I will definitely stay by your side constantly. Can you accept that?”

“Miss, you absolutely cannot believe this man’s utter rubbish!” Xia Yingchun exclaimed fiercely.

“No, I believe him.”

“Eh?”

“Th-that’s great…” Du Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Then for the rest of my life, what else must I do?”

“Little Zhongli… in your fortieth year, I need you to… marry King Xuan of Qi…”