Two bonus chapters

"Sister Qianqiu!" Du Yu called for Dong Qianqiu as soon as he woke up. "That went pretty well! Did you arrange for some powerful soul to possess me?"

"Sister Qianqiu?"

Du Yu called several times, only to discover that Dong Qianqiu was nowhere nearby. This was the first time he had opened his eyes and found her missing from the screen.

"Where did she go?"

Du Yu stood up and looked around.

What puzzled him was that the staff kept averting their eyes, as though they were hiding something from him.

"Xiao Qi!" Du Yu called out to the girl who had attended the round-table planning meeting with him. "Stop right there!"

"Ah?!" Xiao Qi jumped, dropping all the documents in her hands onto the floor.

"Where's Sister Qianqiu?"

"I... I don't know..."

"Xiao Qi, are you lying to me?"

"N-no." Xiao Qi answered timidly, not daring to meet his eyes.

"What exactly happened?" Du Yu looked at Xiao Qi with a grave expression. "If there really is a problem, I'll solve it. We're colleagues now. Don't hide things from me."

Xiao Qi looked at Du Yu and sighed. "Sister Qianqiu's in her office... Go find her..."

"In her office?" Du Yu nodded. "Perfect. I'll go see little Zhongli too."

Xiao Qi said nothing and hurried away.

Du Yu thought it was strange, but he had no idea what had happened. He crossed the Legend Management Bureau's lobby and entered the corridor, soon finding Dong Qianqiu's office.

The office door was open. Dong Qianqiu sat quietly inside, but Zhongli Chun was nowhere to be seen.

"Sister Qianqiu...?" Du Yu froze when he saw Dong Qianqiu. "Where's little Zhongli?"

Du Yu went inside and looked around. Apart from Dong Qianqiu, the room was empty. She held a black scroll in her hands. Taking a closer look, he recognized it as the Eight Directions Ghost Record, though it looked a little different from when he had first received it.

It looked as though someone's name had been written on it.

"Du Yu... Come sit down... I have something to tell you," Dong Qianqiu said slowly.

Du Yu's heart lurched. A terrible foreboding washed over him.

"N-no..." His voice trembled. He forced out a strained smile and said to Dong Qianqiu, "Sister Qianqiu... Don't tell me anything... I haven't found little Zhongli yet... I... I'll go find her first..."

"No. I have to tell you." Dong Qianqiu bit her lip.

"No! Don't say it!" Du Yu wandered aimlessly around the room. "Little Zhongli... Come out... Don't scare me..."

Dong Qianqiu knew he had already realized something. She slowly stood and gently set down the Eight Directions Ghost Record.

"In this world, you're the only one who can see her now. If you want to talk to her, she's deep within your heart."

Dong Qianqiu slowly walked out.

Only after a long time did Du Yu slump into a seat.

Is that so?

You... no longer exist in this world?

Du Yu looked at his coat lying on the floor. Zhongli Chun's warmth and delicate fragrance still lingered on it. He slowly gathered it up and held it against his chest, just as she had before.

"Where do you usually live?"

"When I'm tired, I sleep on the streets. When I'm hungry, I steal money and food from wandering ghosts. When I'm dirty, I bathe in the River of Forgetfulness."

"Doesn't living like that make you sad?"

"When I'm sad, I eat something sweet."

Those memories kept surfacing in Du Yu's heart. It felt as though a knife had been driven into it, twisting and twisting, turning without end.

Du Yu lowered his gaze and discovered that several things had been lying beneath his coat.

A wrapper that had lost every trace of color, enclosing a piece of candy that had melted countless times.

A white flower, its color yellowed, completely dried out.

A mandarin that still looked fresh, but had never been peeled.

At the sight of them, Du Yu could bear it no longer. He burst into sobs.

Dong Qianqiu's desk was covered in candy and snacks. After hearing that Zhongli Chun liked sweet things, the staff had brought them especially for her over the past few days. Yet, for some reason, she had not eaten a single one.

Perhaps she felt she no longer needed anything sweet?

Perhaps she would never be sad again?

Sobbing, Du Yu grabbed a handful of candy from the desk and frantically stuffed it into his mouth. But he tasted no sweetness, only endless bitterness.

"So... eating something sweet when you're sad doesn't help at all..."

"Director, there's something I'd like to discuss with you." Dong Qianqiu sought out He Suoyi and spoke gravely.

"Qianqiu, what is it?"

"I don't think Du Yu is suited to the Operator position."

"Oh?" He Suoyi raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"His heart is too kind. What happens in the legends leaves a profound mark on him... It happened last time with Yi Shoots Down Nine Suns, and now again with the Saltless Woman." Dong Qianqiu hardly dared imagine it. "If he goes through too much, I'm afraid he'll break down."

"So... you can't bear to watch him break down." He Suoyi laid her feelings bare with a single sentence.

"I..." Dong Qianqiu was at a loss for words.

"Qianqiu, everything in this world has a cause before it has an effect," He Suoyi said calmly. "When I showed Du Yu all the legends, he chose the Saltless Woman. Do you think Zhongli Chun would still have remembered him if he hadn't chosen it?"

"Director... I don't quite understand."

"Zhongli Chun would wait devotedly for Du Yu for two thousand years, so he would inevitably want to return to the legend and uncover the truth. And once he returned to the legend, she would inevitably wait two thousand years for him. That's simply the kind of person he is. He could never leave Zhongli Chun to fend for herself. Their ending was destined long ago."

"So that's how it was..."

"Let me ask you something else. Under the same circumstances, would Zhongli Chun have fallen in love with Zhan Qisheng?"

"Zhan Qisheng?" Dong Qianqiu considered it carefully. "No. If he'd been the Operator this time, he might have completed the mission in two days. With immortal magic to protect him, he would never have put himself in danger. But he would never have become romantically involved with Zhongli Chun... In fact, he might never have entered this legend at all."

"Exactly," He Suoyi said. "It's precisely because Du Yu has always carried the emotions of a mortal in his heart that he achieved unprecedented completion levels in these two legends. Everything that happened to him was destined long ago. Because he is who he is, it was bound to happen."

"Are you saying... that precisely because Du Yu values emotional bonds more than anyone else, he's better suited to this position?"

"Ha ha!" He Suoyi laughed. "I didn't say anything. I merely explained the causes and effects of this world."

Du Yu stood in a pitch-black clearing. At its center was an enormous character for "ghost," with eight blood-red lines extending outward. He had no idea where he was.

Ever since Zhongli Chun had disappeared, he had seen this scene whenever he closed his eyes. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

"Where is this?" Du Yu walked aimlessly forward, with no sense of direction.

Before long, he spotted a figure in the distance. Like him, she seemed full of questions about this place, lifting her head and looking around.

Only when he drew near did tears spill from his eyes.

"Little Zhongli!"

With that cry, Du Yu rushed forward and embraced her before she could react.

"Huh?" Zhongli Chun slowly turned her head, then immediately broke into a smile.

"Du Yu!"

Zhongli Chun slowly reached out and hugged him too. It was the first time she had called him by name, and the first time she had embraced him.

"Little Zhongli, I... I'm so sorry... I thought I was helping you, but in the end, you were the one who helped me..."

"Sorry?" Zhongli Chun blinked and said, "Why would you be? I'm in your heart now. We'll always be together. In over two thousand years, this is the closest I've ever been to you."

Du Yu cried for a long time before he slowly regained his composure. He and Zhongli Chun sat down together.

"Little Zhongli, let's have a proper talk, all right? After all these years, you must have so much you want to tell me."

Zhongli Chun nodded vigorously, revealing an exquisitely beautiful smile.

"Assistant Dong, Du Yu's been sitting here without moving for three days. Are we really just going to leave him alone...?" Xiao Qi asked worriedly in Dong Qianqiu's office.

"Look at that smile on his face. Does he look like something's wrong?" Dong Qianqiu knew Du Yu had entered his inner world. He might well be meeting Zhongli Chun right now, so she could not bear to disturb him.

"Let's not bother him. Plenty of legends still need us to transmit messages. Come on." Dong Qianqiu patted Xiao Qi's shoulder and led her away.

Chapter 1: The twelve guardian animals

In ancient times.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Queen Mother of the West." A divine official bowed to her. "Your humble servant has selected the guardian animals for the twelve earthly branches of the zodiac. Please review them, Your Majesty."

The Queen Mother of the West gazed at the sun over the mortal realm, seemingly lost in thought. She soon returned to her senses and said, "This Dowager won't look. Read them aloud for me."

"As you command."

The divine official took out a scroll, slowly unfurled it, and read:

"The guardian animals for the twelve earthly branches of the zodiac are as follows: for the hour of Zi, the rat; for Chou, the ox; for Yin, the tiger; for Mao, the cat; for Chen, the dragon; for Si, the snake; for Wu, the horse; for Wei, the sheep; for Shen, the monkey; for You, the rooster; for Xu, the dog; and for Hai, the pig."

"This Dowager doesn't quite understand. How did you select these twelve guardians, my minister?"

"If Your Majesty wishes to hear the details, your humble servant shall explain. The rat was chosen for Zi because full granaries breed rats. It represents plentiful food and clothing throughout its domain. The ox was chosen for Chou because oxen are born to toil at the plow. It represents honesty and diligence throughout its domain. The tiger was chosen for Yin because tigers are born kings. It represents invincibility in battle throughout its domain. The cat was chosen for Mao because cats are born skilled hunters. It represents abundant harvests throughout its domain. The dragon was chosen for Chen because dragons are born divine..."

"Wait." At this, the Queen Mother of the West interrupted him and said slowly, "Let This Dowager think this over."

The divine official lowered his head, not daring to speak again.

"I see nothing wrong with the other guardians, but the cat must be dismissed," the Queen Mother of the West said with a frown. "I don't know why, but whenever This Dowager hears the word 'cat,' my heart knows no peace."

A figure kept lingering before her eyes. Whenever he appeared, two words would echo in her ears:

"Big Cat!"

"Big Cat!"

"Big Cat!"

The divine official dared not defy her. Cupping his hands, he said, "Your Majesty is wise... It's just... If we dismiss the cat guardian at such short notice, I fear we won't find another suitable animal right away..."

"Use the rabbit," the Queen Mother said calmly.

"The rabbit?" The divine official was puzzled. "Since Your Majesty has decided, your humble servant should raise no objections. But compared with cats, rabbits aren't close to humans, and their temperament seems rather cold..."

"Don't talk nonsense," the Queen Mother interrupted. "Who dares claim that rabbits cannot feel affection? This Dowager once saw a loving white rabbit who surpassed most people in this world."

"Your... your humble servant obeys..." The divine official knelt anxiously, then withdrew, leaving the Queen Mother of the West alone in the vast hall.

Lost in thought, the Queen Mother of the West looked at the moon above the Heavenly Court, then at the sun over the mortal realm.

She knew neither whether the white rabbit on the moon was well, nor whether the mortal beneath the sun was well.

Chapter 2: Heng'e watches over the moon

"Fairy Chang'e, since you attained immortality from a mortal body, I know you still have attachments to the mortal realm." A tall man in jade robes sat at the very center of the Heavenly Court and addressed Heng'e in a firm, ringing voice. "Therefore, I shall make an exception and have news from the mortal realm delivered to you regularly. What would you like to know?"

Heng'e slowly bent forward in a bow and replied, "Your Majesty, Haotian God, if possible, I would like regular news of one person."

"Who?"

"His name is Da Yi. He lives in the Eastern Yi Kingdom on the Eastern Victory Divine Continent. He was the hero who shot down nine suns."

"Very well." Haotian God nodded and said to the Venus Star Lord beside him, "Retrieve information on Da Yi at once, and deliver it regularly to Fairy Chang'e at the Moon Palace."

"Well..." The Venus Star Lord, standing beside Haotian God, calculated on his fingers and looked troubled. "There is no one named Da Yi in the mortal realm. Could Fairy Chang'e have remembered incorrectly?"

Heng'e's heart clenched painfully at this. Could Da Yi already be dead?

Haotian God seemed to perceive what was troubling her, and said, "Venus Star Lord, send a message to Houtu. Ask whether someone named Da Yi has reported there."

"As you command."

The Venus Star Lord gently closed his eyes. Heng'e stood beside him, not daring to interrupt. She was truly afraid of hearing terrible news.

"How strange..." The Venus Star Lord shook his head and turned back. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Haotian God: Lady Houtu says Da Yi has not reported to the Underworld either."

"Absurd. Neither in the Underworld nor the mortal realm? Has he become an immortal, then?" Haotian God waved a hand. "Enough. Fairy Heng'e, I gave you an opportunity, but you squandered it yourself. You may withdraw."

"No..." Heng'e began to panic. "Something must be wrong. How could Da Yi be in neither the mortal realm nor the realm of the dead?!"

"Wait." A figure approached from afar. It was the Heavenly Worthy of the Way and Its Virtue, the Supreme Elder Lord.

At the sight of the Heavenly Worthy of the Way and Its Virtue, Haotian God inclined his head in greeting.

The Supreme Elder Lord bowed his head in return and said slowly, "I heard that the ruler of the Mortal Realm, Emperor Yao, took a man named Yi away from the sun-shooting hero's village. However, his name was not Da Yi, but Hou Yi. Might he be the one Fairy Chang'e seeks?"

"Hou... Yi?" Heng'e was puzzled. She felt she had heard that name somewhere before, but she knew perfectly well that no one else in the village was named Yi.

"Fairy Chang'e, have you decided? Do you wish to receive regular news of this man named Hou Yi?" Haotian God asked, his voice carrying a hint of unquestionable authority.

In the vast, empty Moon Palace, Heng'e quietly held a white rabbit and gazed into the distance, as though waiting for something.

Soon, a small black speck came flying swiftly from the direction of the mortal realm.

"Ah! It's here! It's here!" Heng'e waved her arms and danced with delight.

The black speck slowly grew larger, revealing a small bird with jet-black feathers. It carried a silk letter in its beak, which it gently placed before Heng'e.

Heng'e carefully opened the silk letter. A single sentence was written on it: "Hou Yi accompanied Emperor Yao on his western campaign and won a great victory."

There was only one sentence, yet Heng'e read it seven or eight times.

Then she carefully put the silk letter away with the others.

Those simple words were the only solace her heart had.

"Jade Rabbit." Heng'e stroked the white rabbit in her arms. "How strange. Usually, you're happy with me and sad with me. Yet whenever news of my husband arrives, you're especially indifferent."

The white rabbit glanced at the silk letter, expressionless.