Chasing the Moon: The Celestial Ascent

This is the story of a couple from the Qin Dynasty. My name is Jiang Yi and this is my story. In a closed world filled with secrets, a family in terrible conditions was about to gain new members. The couple, Chang E Ling and Chang Xiaofan lived great moments in life, exploring the world and finding shelter to mate. There came a time when one departed and awakened her fear and denial. Yes, the husband passed away, leaving his wife six months pregnant, and he left no notes or any sign of his absence. After the mourning, Chang Mei, Chang E Ling's father, helped her during childbirth with the hope that they would be grandsons. To his misfortune, twin girls were born, and one of them was disabled. Yes, exactly, the disabled one is me. We were named Chang Yushin and Chang Chuhua. I am Chang Chuhua, an intellectually disabled girl abandoned by my grandfather for being a girl and for being different. My mother died during childbirth, and I never had the chance to hear her voice. I was abandoned next to a market where human traffickers were present. Luckily for me, no trafficker dared to lay a finger on me. That was until a figure wearing a pointed fisherman's hat and a black tunic rescued me as if I were a bar of gold. In another region, a similar situation occurred. A concubine serving Emperor Wen Wei suffered at the hands of the Empress without the Emperor knowing about it. She swept here, scrubbed there, and never received any reward for her services. Tired of the situation, the concubine, who was the princess of the Moon Song tribe, took advantage of a break to seek external help. The Moon Princess known as Lu Zhaoyao met two strangers. They took her to a deserted and frightening place. However, her motivation to solve her problems activated her courage for a better life. She kneeled in front of a shadow. The shadow had no human, animal, or spirit silhouette, but it emanated an energy so strong that it could electrocute her skin. It offered several alternatives: “This flute is enchanted and can hypnotize all who hear it. Play this flute and attract your enemy to me, then use the same power to enchant your victim. The second option is, my disciple will help you do the dirty work and will change the atmosphere of the place where you will be invited as a princess. You will marry the Emperor and bear a son to inherit the throne later. The last option is to dive into this water and receive the power to control everything around you for twenty-four hours. What is your decision?” She chose the second option but with a condition. The victim, who was the Empress, would die from unknown causes, and her body would be buried far from the Empire. Meanwhile, she would enter enchanting hearts as a princess and marry the Emperor. Additionally, she aimed to maintain power even after having the child. The shadow sealed the deal with Lu Zhaoyao, and she returned to the Mei Empire as if nothing had happened. But she didn't expect her contract to be altered to a life for a life. Nine months passed, and the emperor paid no more attention to his first wife's children, eager to welcome the new family member. As happy as that memory was, it tore the family apart for good. Brothers Ye Mu and Ye Fan continued to manage their late mother's pharmacy, while one produced poison, the other produced medicine for healing. The new son was born, and the mother died soon after. Wen Yuze, also known as Ye Chiong, was born with a rare condition. Just like me, he was born with difficulty. The only difference is that he was born with disorders, sensory and bipolar. Because of what he believes, everyone believes that he is a bastard. At the age of eighteen, every son of Emperor Wen Wei must marry within fifteen days. But that's not enough to dismantle Wen Yuze's name. Unlike his siblings, who had been born in a golden cradle, he was just a plus one in the family. And that baby, who was neglected, grew up in an abandoned house under the guard of a trained assassin. At the age of sixteen, the frail and innocent Chang Chuhua has been taken to a tribe hidden on the map, Àn Yuè. In Àn Yuè, all assassins were victims who have come from different places by force or voluntarily and, before becoming masters, they have passed a test of skills. As for me, I didn't even know where I was at that moment. My eyes were blindfolded, and I could hear a waterfall, drops of water falling on the surface, the steep muddy ground, and rocks on the way. There came a time when we stopped and they threw me into an abyss. That's when my blindfold fell off, and I could see again. Well, it was quite dark. In Li Ying Village, my sister Chang Yushin worked days and nights for the leader and was even forced to become pregnant with two children by her grandfather. Yes, our grandfather sexually abused her and was even happy to learn that he had two boys. These boys grew up to be soldiers of the Blue Dragon's army, but they had never heard about my existence. The good thing is that Chang Mei passed away and Chang Yushin had the right to leave the leader's mansion to live peacefully in her little rock house with her children and other relatives. While everyone is living well, I'm here, trapped in an abyss that rises the water level every minute and the challenge is to find keys to open the gates. The warning was given: "Welcome to the training centre of the assassins of Àn Yuè. In this first test, you will all explore and investigate the space until they find a key and run to the correct gate. Do this within thirty minutes, and you'll move on to the next level. Otherwise, you will be eliminated and unable to be trained like the others." In those thirty minutes, while the water was not at a high level, I took the opportunity to crawl and feel any object with parts of my body. As the water rose, it became more difficult and there came a time when I could no longer use my whole body, just my feet and hands. It's been fifteen minutes, now what? Still hoping to find the key, I realized that others had managed to open the gates and move on to the next stage. I was hopeless, but I found the key and ran to the nearest gate. Five minutes. I hope it's this one. The open gates made it easier to doubt which gate had the correct lock. Only at the last minute was I able to find the right gate, and I wasn't eliminated. I don't know what would become of me if I was eliminated from there. As I opened the gate, I saw some girls practicing their skills as they tried to find something. Confused by the new stage, I heard whispers about what to do: "We have to find an object with the same weight as that feather on the scales. They say that the first one who finds that will be elevated to a new position." I put the key that was in my hands in my pocket and continued the race. There was no water or many obstacles, but it was a zone. It sounds easy, but it's a terror. It's like one of those maze games. My childish mind was activated, and I began to search, thinking like a child. If I were to do a treasure hunt, I would start by looking under or on top of things. I need your help! Where do I start? Choose one of the alternatives and keep reading. 1. I started with the boxes. I went through all the boxes and there was always something inside, but it was too heavy to weigh on a scale against the feather.
 2. So I decided to rummage inside the bushes and under the benches. Nothing either. It was just weeds, twigs, and insects.
 3. As a last guess, I thought of trees. It looked like some glow from a specific tree, so I ran towards it. Unfortunately, someone arrived first and took what I could find. The girl's face was soft, the smile delicate, the white and blue robes, a mysterious look, peach lips, and an expression of "I won this round" to me.
 Even though we were diminished like the others in the test, we were not eliminated from the test. We had just moved on. This time was different. Now there's no way out, and I have to fight the others because it's a test of survival. We can't have pity or compassion, only courage and resilience. Three girls have already been eliminated after suffering deep cuts. They wouldn't leave corpses lying in a training area. Gradually, only five left, being me, the girl who won the previous level and three girls I had never seen. It turns out that the final battle was between me and the experienced one. We were both newbies, but she seemed more advanced than me. I took a crossbow and she took a sword. I shot her a few times, but she always dodged my attacks. In her case, it was only possible to injure me if it was hand-to-hand combat. The fight lasted an hour and a half and no one was hurt. We hear and feel the vibration of a drum letting us know that the test has ended, meaning we both move on to the next level. In Mei, the emperor was preparing a coronation ceremony for his eldest son: "Since you came into this world, you have been the one who has always devoted yourself to the family. Today he receives the title of general of the army of the White Tiger and will protect not only the empire but the villages that are part of our community." The eldest son was Wen Lin, one of the brothers who kept a family heirloom. The most important task of a warrior like him is to protect and maintain the safety of this relic. Legend has it that the heirloom of the Ye family can change the world. Whoever possesses it has the power to dominate something, but it is not known whether that something is money, magic, or position. So many seek it out of ambition, and they all end up in the same way, dead. Travelling to another village, E Lin, an environment built by healers and people who spread knowledge about health and immortality. When an unknown virus infested the community, many died and no one could find a fixed cure for it. A girl was born learning how to create healing potions in a family of healers but lost much of her life because Àn Yuè invaded the village and made a deal. All the survivors of the E Lin village were taken to the Àn Yuè tribe, forced to serve the master, and some turned into professional assassins. Many of them are recorded in history as legendary. The legendaries are known as Chuánqí, which means mind of the waters. That's when you have enough talent to be a professional assassin and achieve goals with ease, and who knows, you might be able to take over the position of leader of the tribe when the current one disappears. There are six legendaries at the moment; Lian Kam, Feng Mak, Shao Hui, Kang Chiong, Lu Ng and Bai Pan. Each one has a specific skill. My master told me that Lian Kam is great at air strikes. Feng Mak wins any hand-to-hand combat and runs as fast as the wind. Shao Hui wears an outfit that hides his face and uses two boomerangs as an extension of his body. Kang Chiong works with alchemy and chemistry for every situation. Lu Ng is a true ninja, as the body vibrations he uses to knock down any opponent, even those well-armed. Lastly, the sneaky Bai Pan, uses a crossbow and also a knife, hand-to-hand and ranged fighting. If he aims at the target, rest assured that he will hit. And let's not forget about the brothers Ye Mu and Ye Fan. They are adopted but insist they are more prepared than the Wen brothers to take the throne. Ye Fan is the most dramatic and does everything to keep the Ye family's profile standing: "It's not fair, why can he take on the role of emperor, and we can't?" Ye Mu, on the other hand, is always meditating and practising the harmonica as a spiritual extension of his abilities: "Soon he will get married and, being his biological son, with a wife by his side, it is obvious that they will recognise him as a leader. But there are other ways to get what we want." Since they had no right to assume the role of emperor, the brothers continued to take care of the pharmacy and discover new solutions. One of the prescriptions was almost stolen by a budding assassin, but she failed. In the Liuqì Mountains the Liu family live. Everyone has the same gift; telepathy, telekinesis, and zookinesis. That is, they can communicate mentally, even if one is far from the other. They can move objects and people with the power of their minds, and they can talk to animals. Liu Shang is the middle brother and the first to create effective potions in various situations. However, he is not accredited to the Ye family's pharmacy and has his own lab to do experiments. Liu Wu is the eldest brother of the family and always tries to understand what the brothers plan to do: "Come and eat, why spend all day inside this den?" Liu Shang: "It's not a den. It's my laboratory." Liu Shui:... Liu Shui is the only youngest blind in the family, but something spiritual about him makes him see everything easily. He cannot move his eyes or mouth but uses telepathy and body parts to communicate. It's amazing how connected we are in some way. Well, one of the brothers has already contacted my stepsister, Yan Dai. She was a budding assassin and was sent on a simple mission, to steal the prescription for a universal remedy. It turns out that Ye Fan was faster and poisoned her, causing her to flee to the mountains and find a stranger who saved her. During those years I never realized it, but I was always by the side of the assassin who one day accused me of having stolen the relic and of being part of a group of rebels. It's the same one from E Lin village and was rescued by a tribe of assassins, like me. Fenghài interviewed her aggressively during the exams: "Remember why you're here. Remember that your family belongs to me and so do your services." He referred to her parents and also to her role as Dezhìhuì. In Àn Yuè several positions are defined through the ability test. I was selected as Yīn at the beginning of the test, but at the last stage, I was named Yu Wei Yao, assassin Hūo zhi xin. So, in order to not get confused, let me explain what each name represents. Yīn(*): Beginner. You are a trainee, totally invisible to the world. You are not capable of dominating the six elements. To be capable of it, you have to try your abilities silently until you reach the next position. Hūo zhi xin (***): Emissary. Heart of fire. You are capable of controlling your emotions and facial expressions. It is the most important detail to hide your true identity and if you don't train it early, you can be deceived. Shènfēng(**): Advanced. Inner Strength. You know how to control your emotions and expressions quickly. Now it is time to gain some muscles and live a life and death wish. Dānfēng(**): Master. A free spirit and a good example for Àn Yuè(**). You have the permission to impose rules, guide new disciples and follow the rules of your superiors. But you need to increase your mind and body control and pass through new challenges to achieve your Qi(nirvana). Dezhìhuì (***): Schemmer. The Earth's wisdom. It is hard and almost impossible to find their true identity and it makes them more capable of doing hard tasks and secret missions. Chuánqí (**): Legendary. The water mind. You have enough talent to be known as a professional assassin and reach your goals. Maybe you can be the Àn Yuè leader if the current one vanishes someday. Fenghài is the leader of the tribe of assassins and lives wearing a mask, speaking in that voice that you can't tell if it's a man or a woman behind that curtain. Only the legendary are allowed to approach the leader beyond the curtain. I was in a difficult situation to understand. I was trained to speak in codes, but I was never challenged to stand in front of the figure. It was the strangest dialogue and I don't know if it was the same question for everyone who went through it. The fifth challenge was the scariest of all because I had to kneel in front of the masked figure and the masked figure started asking randomly. Only those who answer up to 70% of the questions correctly and never dare to challenge the figure can pass. "If you are here, which means you are ready to train with us. It's simple, answer my questions, and you'll be one of us." It sounded strange to me, but several memories of when I was guided by the master about the most difficult challenge in the world, made me answer all the questions. "What's our tribe's code?" "The secret code is unavailable to newbies, but we can use the code recorded in our token received in the first challenge." My master once told me that the key is the answer to everything. "What are the rules of the tribe?" "Loyalty and devotion to Àn Yuè. To be loyal to my master and always use my assassin's name, never my real name." "As a tradition, I will give you a new name, and you should use that name on your next mission." The figure handed over a scroll with a symbol engraved on it. "Yu Wei Yao" which means "The flowers will bloom." Yu Wei Yao? "Now, tell me what to do when you find an unknown element?" "It depends. I shouldn't mix elements randomly because it can be dangerous for me. On the other hand, if I find a virus or chemicals, I can try to use a basic basis to stop it." "In a risky situation, how would you react?" "I'll use secret passages or rooftops. The idea is to react more and think less." "You should be aware that if there is treason against Àn Yuè..." "I will immediately be eliminated and without the right to freedom." "If someone asked for your help, what would you do?" "If he is my enemy, I would help in silence, but not to lead him to victory. The most important thing is to keep my disguise on." "About your colleagues." "I can't help them, only focus on my mission and with the tribe's permission." "Do you want anything more?" "Am I allowed to manipulate my enemies?" "Yes, but not to betray your leader. You know that betrayal of the tribe means severe punishment for your actions." The figure said looking steadily at Yu Wei Yao, "Can you control your emotions?" "Yes, but why the question?" "Once, one of the assassins of our tribe did not return during the mission period and one of our allies warned that she was in love with our enemy." "I can't feel attraction or love for my target or negotiate with others without their permission." I replied by looking at a golden cup next to me. "To be a devotee of Àn Yuè, repeat with me." Fenghài commanded me to repeat the following words: "I am loyal, faithful, and courageous, and I will drink from this holy grail as proof of my existence." At the time I didn't know what I drank when I completed the initiation ritual, but I was told that it was a poison that gradually consumes your organs and to survive, you must always work on your spirit. The challenges were finally over, and I discovered that the mysterious poison in the chalice was of external origin, located in the Zhu citadel. I was useless in trusting them. My guardian guided me to the shared room where girls like me live. Some were older than me and had never been on a real mission. As a new assassin, I was chosen for a mission as a test in which they evaluate your profile and agility in completing tasks. Before that, I met a friend and baptized her sister. Her name was Yan Dai, a hūo zhi xin, one level below mine. I promised her that I would find a way to get out of the tribe safely and be free, and of course, she didn't believe me at first. [Flashback] "YAN DAI" A masked man wearing a black outfit appeared calling out my fake sister's name: "Fenghài has ordered you to be present at tomorrow's meeting at 3:00 a.m. in the hall." Yan Dai was disturbed because she didn't know if she would be punished or if she would be able to pass the exam. In my mind, I knew she would be called on a mission. Alone, once again. Every day is colder, darker, lost and erased from this world. [End of flashback] Months passed, and I hadn't heard any news about my sister Yan Dai. Worried about her, I know it's wrong to do this because I'm breaking a rule, but I have to find out what happened to her: "Excuse me, you know what happened to..." "Yan Dai is dead." My guardian answered my question as if he had read my thoughts. "The emperor found out her true identity and tortured her in front of everyone before killing her. Our tribe has been under supervision ever since." "Can you tell me the name of the murderer? It was him or it was..." What I'm feeling is more than just grief, it's something bigger than that. Revenge. In 207 B.C., Emperor Wen Wei announced that his son Wen Yuze would marry a selected bride in fifteen days. That was the day when I and other candidates got in. I was taken to a small room and dressed in bridal attire. The veil covers my face and I can't see anything at all. Some brides are also Àn Yuè killers, from beginners to advanced. One thing I don't understand is how the key can define the degree of your profile in Àn Yuè? A girl, the same one who managed to find the object in the aptitude test first, appeared next to me: "Hello, is this your first time?" "Excuse me?" "Nice to meet you, I'm Bai Daiyu and one of the brides at this ceremony. May I know what your name is?" "Yu Wei Yao. Well, I actually don't know what my real name is since I was born, but here I am Yu Wei Yao." "What's your reason for entering a bridal parade where only one will have a chance to win the handsome prince's heart?" "I don't know why either, but I'm not interested in romance." "There are four mysterious princes. I'm interested in the Ye family's older brother." "And what's so special about him?" "Ye Mu and Ye Fan are famous for providing charity and healing. You have to be careful with the youngest because the poisons created by him are lethal." "It's not like I haven't taken one. What about the other two?" "They say they are adopted and while one is preparing to be the next emperor, the other suffers health difficulties." "How will I know who will choose me?" "You won't know." I can feel her smile just talking to her. The soft and calm tone of voice is not easy to do. Most of the time, we're always stressed, emotional, and excited. Something bothers me and I don't know what it is. She spoke in chinese: “ *********。*********。***，***********。“ "How did you...?" Now I do not doubt that she is an assassin of Àn Yuè.