Chapter One: The Celestial Descends to the Mortal World

"Achoo!"

My name is Qingyue, a celestial being born from the bright moon. According to Qingwu, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, I had just taken human form. He happened to see me hopping around in the sky and casually picked me up. He also gave me my name.

Qingfeng and Mingyue, meaning the gentle breeze and the bright moon—that was the scene when he met me, and I found the name pleasing, so I didn't object.

As soon as that crisp sneeze rang in my ears, I knew Qingwu had definitely prepared some "goodies" for me again.

The distant gates of memory opened once more, and I couldn't help but recall some unpleasant experiences.

For instance, when he needed Dragon's Saliva Grass for alchemy, I painstakingly climbed mountains and crossed rivers to gather it for him. But during breakfast, I inexplicably became his test subject.

Or when he wanted to practice the ancient celestial arts from his books, after I helped him carry stacks of them, I would experience all sorts of discomforts while sleeping—sprouting on my body, my limbs freezing, and other miraculous happenings.

So, I quickly realized this and decided to demand some compensation for his harmful actions.

But actually, it wasn't much—just dozens of celestial pills refined over a thousand years, a few top-quality celestial peaches, or, at the very least, after running errands for him, he'd transfer a few hundred or thousand years of his cultivation to ease my sore back and aching legs.

Thus, we peacefully and amicably coexisted in this magnificent palace for who knows how many years.

Qingwu constructed these splendid palaces amidst the once desolate white clouds, claiming to model them after the human imperial palaces.

I had never seen the human imperial palaces, so I didn't know if they were as exquisite and grand as his constructions, perhaps even more bustling.

But no matter how much Qingwu built, these seemingly bustling palaces were only inhabited by the two of us.

Throughout the nine heavens, one could see rows of towering, brilliant palaces sparkling atop the clouds, their jade walls and glazed tiles shimmering under the bright sun.

I traversed this extraordinary realm shrouded in mist, carrying a smooth jade piece as I ran towards the plain Qingshui Hall among the hundreds of palaces.

"Qingwu—I've brought the Moon Spirit Jade you wanted."

I shouted from afar, wobbling as I carried the heavy jade into the hall. Upon seeing the man in green robes leisurely seated at his desk, I plopped the jade down with a thud and tugged at his sleeve.

"You promised, if I brought back the Moon Spirit Jade, you'd let me go to the mortal world."

I licked my lips, eyeing the teacup before him, hurriedly poured myself a cup, and drank. The instant sweetness and fragrant aroma filled my mouth, making me squint in delight.

"Fine, if you enjoy mortal matters so much, I can agree. But, if I let you go alone, I fear you won't endure the extreme hardships of the mortal world and will scurry back in no time."

How hard could it be? Harder than burnt pot scrapings? This place is so dull and tedious; I'd thank the heavens to experience some hardship. I nonchalantly draped myself over Qingwu's shoulder, reaching out to grab a pastry from beside him and leisurely munching on it.

Crumbs fell all over him, but he didn't brush them off, merely casting a faint glance at me before continuing his work.

"It will be very hard, unbearably so." He suddenly set down his scroll, a handsome smile forming at the corner of his mouth, his eyes gazing at me with extreme tenderness.

His eyes were as beautiful as the stars in the night sky, but that beauty was not pure. His gaze was filled with pity, as if he were looking at a bird with broken wings, unable to fly.

"Heh, when have you ever not tried to scare me? Even if you really send me to the mortal world to suffer, I'll just conjure up these sweet pastries and stuff them in my mouth to cover the bitterness," I huffed at him dismissively, but my heart was in turmoil. I threw down the pastry in my hand and ran away.

Although this was the celestial realm, there was no one here besides me and the taciturn Qingwu. According to the only "god" in existence, after a great war between gods and demons centuries ago, the three realms have seen no trace of gods or demons. Any surviving deities would fall into the mortal realm as their divine power waned, never to return to the heavens.

As for him, perhaps he was born from the balance of heaven and earth, nurtured by the spiritual energy of the universe, a god from birth. I, on the other hand, was a celestial being formed from the essence of the moon.

The difference between celestials and gods is significant. Gods govern the universe but are mostly confined to the Ninth Heaven, while celestials can roam the four seas and the human world freely, living a more carefree existence than gods.

When Qingwu first discovered me, he intended to train me as his scribe, but somehow, I ended up becoming his "ancestor."

As a troublesome, pampered being adept at whining, clinging, and begging, he could never bring himself to be harsh with me. So, threats like "I'll throw you away" or "I don't want you anymore" usually passed like a gentle breeze by my ears.

But this time, he seemed to mean it...

Half-awake and half-asleep, I vaguely felt someone lifting me up. I knew I couldn't stay asleep, so I struggled to open my eyes. As soon as I did, I saw the sky. When I turned my head, I realized I was surrounded by a blue glow, and I was falling continuously.

I knew what those beautiful blue lights were because I couldn't use any magic and could only feel my power draining away.

The wind roared past my ears, and the leaves rustled in fright. An invisible force gently lowered me to a dark blue water surface.

As I looked down, a faint light flashed in the night-drenched pool, growing brighter as it neared the surface. Finally, the blue glow surrounding me slowly emerged from the water.

With a "splash," I fell into the icy pool. Luckily, I knew a bit about swimming and managed to crawl to the shore. Standing on the bank, I immediately looked up and yelled at the sky.

"Qingwu, you're nothing but a bald chicken! If you've got the guts, come down here and—"

"Catch this."

"What?"

I looked up at the familiar voice, and saw a green-glowing meteor streaking across the pitch-black sky. It suddenly changed course and hurtled straight toward me.

Realizing his intent, I quickly covered my head with my hands to protect myself, but it seemed to be of no use.

In a daze, a white glow appeared above me, and I felt a blow to my head. My mind went blank, and I lost consciousness.