Legend Management Bureau Chapter 69

[ … words ]

“Is Sister Qianqiu really alright…” Du Yu looked worriedly toward Dong Qianqiu’s office. It had been over an hour since she locked herself inside.

Cui Jue sighed. “How could she be alright? To Assistant Dong, the Director is like a father…”

“Kid, are you absolutely certain He Suoyi is behind this?” Zhong Kui looked at Du Yu, asking in disbelief.

Du Yu bit his lip and remained silent. Wasn’t He Suoyi a mentor to him as well?

“Unfortunately…” Xiao Jin, who was standing to the side, spoke up. “What the Operator said is very likely true, because the Director does indeed possess the abilities of a Sound Transmitter.”

“Regardless… we have to find the Director first before making any plans,” Du Yu muttered.

“Du Yu, let me confirm this with you one more time,” Xie Bian said. “If we apprehend He Suoyi, the Legend Administration will be left without a Director. Such a thing has never happened since ancient times. Are you prepared to face the consequences?”

“Prepared?” Du Yu sighed. “I would rather pretend this entire mess never happened. I don’t want to face any of it… But we’re already at this point. Feigning ignorance is no longer an option, is it?”

A heavy silence fell over the group. Whether it was the staff of the Legend Administration or the Eight Great Netherworld Emissaries, they had all interacted with He Suoyi in various ways. Right now, only one question lingered in their minds—

“Emissaries, when it comes to tracking people down… you guys are the experts, right?” Du Yu asked. “If we want to find the Director, we’ll probably need your help.”

The Eight Great Netherworld Emissaries exchanged glances.

If He Suoyi had deliberately gone into hiding, locating him would prove rather difficult.

“They can’t, but I can.” The person standing behind the crowd, who had yet to remove her mask, finally spoke up.

“Huh?”

Everyone turned to look. Although they had no idea who this person was, they could tell that Du Yu trusted her deeply. However, the fact that she hadn’t taken off her mask made them slightly uncomfortable. A few of the Emissaries felt her voice was somewhat familiar, though they couldn’t quite put their finger on where they had heard it before.

Only Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu’s jaws dropped in sheer shock. “That voice… Could it be…”

The woman slowly walked forward and declared, “He Suoyi is a Great Firmament Golden Immortal, after all. If he truly wants to stay hidden, a few True Immortals like you would be absolutely helpless. But I know a friend who should be able to track him down.”

“Boss… are you serious?” Du Yu asked.

“Dead serious. Deactivate the grand array so I can proceed with the next step.”

Following Empress Houtu’s instructions, Du Yu dispelled the Spirit Locking Array. Since everyone present was cleared of suspicion, there was no longer any use for the formation.

As soon as the array was lifted, Empress Houtu began transmitting a message. After a brief moment, she announced, “I called someone over. He’ll be here shortly.”

Du Yu stole a quiet glance at Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu. Currently, only the three of them knew Empress Houtu’s true identity; everyone else was completely in the dark. Du Yu wasn’t sure how to explain the situation to the two Emissaries, but they naturally understood that it was best not to blow her cover.

“Who is that? Aren’t they one of the Eight Great Emissaries?” someone whispered.

“I have no idea… But judging by her tone, she doesn’t even seem to take a Great Firmament Golden Immortal seriously…”

Shortly after, a knocking sound came from outside the door… even though the door was wide open.

“Ah, everyone is here. Ho ho ho.” A kindly voice drifted in from the doorway. “Is it convenient for this old monk to enter?”

“Uh… sure…” Du Yu stared blankly at the plump, bald monk standing outside.

“Pardon the intrusion, ho ho ho…” The monk walked in with a beaming smile. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he slowly backed out again.

“May I ask, do I need to take off my shoes?”

Du Yu blinked in surprise. “No… there’s no need… Please, just come in…”

“Very well, very well. Ho ho ho.” The plump monk stepped inside once more, only to seemingly remember something else and retreat yet again.

“May I ask, are pets allowed inside?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Very well, very well. Ho ho ho.”

Only then did Du Yu notice that the plump monk was holding a very thick rope. Was it a dog leash? This old monk was certainly strange, and his excessive politeness felt rather peculiar.

After stepping into the room, the plump monk bowed respectfully to the crowd. He was immediately followed by a massive demonic beast, which mimicked the old monk and also bowed to everyone.

Du Yu looked closely. The beast had the head of a tiger adorned with a single horn, and its entire body was covered in scales. It looked somewhat like a mythical Qilin. It was enormous, easily weighing half as much as an elephant. Fortunately, the doors to the Legend Administration were large enough to let it squeeze through.

“Whoa! What is that?!” many of the Legend Administration staff cried out. After all, demonic beasts were becoming increasingly rare in this day and age. Any random one they stumbled upon was likely a relic from ancient times.

Upon seeing the monk, a clear look of shock washed over the faces of the Eight Great Emissaries.

“Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva?!”

“So it’s Ksitigarbha Bodhi-pizza…” Du Yu muttered.

“Bodhisattva! It’s Bodhisattva!” Xie Bian swatted Du Yu’s arm. “Show some respect!”

“Sorry… my tongue slipped…”

“Ho ho ho, it is quite alright. This old monk actually rather likes that name.”

This was a genuine Bodhisattva who had attained true enlightenment!

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled warmly without saying a word, reaching out to pet the massive beast beside him.

Seeing this, no one dared to speak. They simply stared at the monk, causing the atmosphere to suddenly turn a bit awkward.

“Um… is it because this old monk arrived empty-handed without bringing any gifts? Have I been impolite?”

“No, no, not at all…” Having learned that this was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a profound sense of awe washed over Du Yu as he hurried forward. “We’re just so incredibly honored you could come…”

Even as he said this, Du Yu still had no idea what exactly Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was here to do.

At that moment, Empress Houtu adjusted her mask and strode over. “Hey, baldy.”

“Oh my, you are here as well, Hou…”

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had barely begun to speak when Empress Houtu sharply cut him off. “Hou what? Hurry up and start! We’ve been waiting forever.”

Everyone froze. How could someone dare speak to him in such a tone? When it came to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the only ones who could be mentioned in the same breath as him were probably the Eastern Emperor, the Northern Emperor, Meng Po… and Empress Houtu, right?

“Ho ho ho, yes, of course.” Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva nodded. “Everyone, please step back. This old monk is about to cast a spell.”

Although no one knew what was about to happen, they had no choice but to retreat to a safe distance.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva untied the leash from the great beast behind him, affectionately patted its head, and said, “Diting, I leave this to you.”

The demonic beast known as Diting shot Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva a glare. “Can you stop patting my head? I’m not a dog. In front of all these people, I have a reputation to maintain, you know.”

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva turned to the crowd with a chuckle. “I must apologize. Diting is going through a rebellious phase and is a bit disobedient.”

Diting snorted impatiently, then swaggered to the center of the hall and pressed its ear against the floor.

None of the Legend Administration staff dared to make a sound, terrified of disturbing the beast.

Diting released a slow, low growl. The spiritual energy in the vicinity suddenly grew dense, as if the beast were drawing the surrounding power into its body. Its ear twitched slightly, and with every twitch, the surrounding spiritual energy pulsed in tandem.

Empress Houtu stepped forward and asked, “Did you hear anything?”

Diting slowly stood up and nodded to Empress Houtu. “I heard it.”

“Good. Lead the way.”

Empress Houtu patted Du Yu on the shoulder. “You come along. The Eight Great Emissaries, the Phantom Ghost, and old man Ksitigarbha, you’re all coming too.”

“Go with you? Who do you think you are?” Zhong Kui demanded testily.

“Second Brother, do not be rude. We’ll talk once we’re outside,” Xie Bian interjected.

Du Yu was taken aback. “Boss… what exactly is going on? Did you already find the Director? Also… aren’t you coming with us?”

“We found him, but it isn’t convenient for me to show my face.”

“Let’s go, little Du.” Xie Bian walked up beside Du Yu and explained, “Diting can hear all things in the world, even the past and the future. It has likely already pinpointed Old He’s location.”

Du Yu gave a grim nod. “Alright…”

“Hold on.”

A weak voice drifted from the hallway. Everyone turned to look and were stunned to see Dong Qianqiu.

Her makeup wasn’t a mess, looking as if it had just been touched up, but her eyes were bloodshot.

“I’m going too,” she stated.

Du Yu sighed. His heart ached for Sister Qianqiu, who always appeared so strong. She rarely even smiled on a normal day, yet today she looked as though she had sobbed her heart out.

“Sister Qianqiu… don’t force yourself. I’m here; I’ll handle it,” Du Yu assured her.

“It’s fine. I’m alright now.” Dong Qianqiu adjusted her glasses and glanced over at the rest of the staff. “Everyone else, get back to work. We’ve been delayed for too long, and it would be disastrous if any problems arose.”

Seeing Dong Qianqiu in this state, the staff didn’t know what to say. They could only follow her orders and slowly return to their respective stations.

But right at that moment, the entire Legend Administration was suddenly bathed in flashing red light. A blaring siren erupted, and an automated announcement echoed from an unknown source, repeating a single phrase over and over: “Warning! Legend error… Warning! Legend error…”

“What is…?” Du Yu froze in shock. He had been at the Legend Administration for nearly a month, but he had never witnessed anything like this. He turned to look at the staff and realized that every single person had gone pale.

“Du Yu… you can’t go anymore…” Dong Qianqiu looked at him. “Whenever this alarm sounds, it means a Class-A or higher Legend has deviated. You stay here. We’ll go instead.”

“Huh?!” Du Yu didn’t quite understand. “Can’t you guys just seal the Legend for now? I’ll come with you first, and then I’ll come back and deal with the Legend later. Won’t that work?”

“Class-A and higher Legends can only be sealed by the Director. Since he isn’t here, it must be resolved immediately. Every second delayed is perilous.”

“But Sister Qianqiu… I don’t feel confident if you aren’t here… How about you wait for me? I’ll handle this right away, and then we can go together, okay?”

“Don’t be foolish, Du Yu. That’s a Class-A or higher Legend. Do you remember the Super Class-A Legend ‘Hou Yi Shoots the Nine Suns’? If you go in, it might take days. We can’t wait that long.”

Now Du Yu was completely out of options. Why did a Legend have to go wrong at a time like this?