The wind carried an unbearable heat. Sitting atop the Moon Rabbit's back, I was already drenched in sweat. He didn't seem much better—on this ravine-scarred wasteland, the ground had cracked from the scorching sun, and the waves of heat in the air made everything waver before my eyes.
I climbed down from the Moon Rabbit's back, unsure why he had suddenly brought me to this godforsaken place. The Moon Rabbit lay on the ground, his ears drooping and tongue lolling out, looking utterly miserable. The light overhead was blindingly intense. I couldn't help but glance up—and was stunned to see nine suns blazing in the sky.
"Where is this place?"
"This is Hou Yi's illusion." (Hou Yi: a legendary archer in Chinese mythology, famed for shooting down extra suns to save the world.)
I stared at the Moon Rabbit in surprise, unsure what to say. Previously, Selene (known in Chinese myth as Chang'e) was Hou Yi's wife, a figure from ancient legend, but if she existed in an illusion, she must be a creation born of human imagination.
"I brought you here because you're human. I hope you can talk to Hou Yi. His power has begun affecting the nearby illusions, and he refuses to communicate with me at all. Worse, he blames everything on me—I've been dragged into this mess for centuries. Ever since Selene (Chang'e) left the Moon Palace, it's only gotten worse."
I nodded.
"Hou Yi is a lot like you. He was once human too, but he never had those legendary powers people talk about. He was just an ordinary man turned into a myth. I can't stand it anymore—I'm heading back, I'll come get you later."
I had just opened my mouth to reply when, with a swoosh, the Moon Rabbit vanished, leaving me alone on this scorched earth baked by nine suns. Here, I couldn't sense anything—there was nothing but heat, and almost nothing else.
Very soon, I was drenched in sweat, my head growing dizzy. I had never felt such unbearable heat before. I stared at the shimmering air in front of me, raised a hand, and in an instant, a golden light enveloped my body, extending in all directions. Suddenly, I felt as if I were inside a balloon.
The unbearable heat faded almost instantly. I let out a breath of relief, though some of the warmth still seeped in from outside. It was much better than before. I started thinking about where to find Hou Yi—that was the most crucial thing.
After floating along for a while, I didn't see anything else. In such a scorching environment, it was impossible for anything else to survive.
The heat from the nine suns overhead pierced through the barrier I'd made with my powers, and soon it was sweltering inside again. I sped up, hoping to outrun the heat, but quickly realized the temperature inside the barrier was even higher.
I couldn't take it anymore, but with the Jade Rabbit gone, I had no idea how to leave. The space here was strange and complicated. The heat dulled my senses and judgment—I had to find shelter, or I wouldn't last much longer.
Left with no other choice, I teleported to the ground, fist slamming into the earth. With a boom, a large crater appeared, stones flying everywhere. Quickly, I dug out a cave in the side. The moment I entered, it felt like I could finally breathe again.
Then I heard footsteps—and the sound of pebbles falling. I looked toward the cave entrance and saw a bearded man in animal skins, a bow slung across his back. He looked about forty or fifty, strong and sturdy.
"Little brother, what are you doing here?"
I stared in shock, but the man just smiled warmly, showing no hostility—in fact, he seemed genuinely welcoming. He walked over, raising a hand. I stood up, panting.
"You're Hou Yi, right? It's just too hot here, I couldn't take it, so..."
Suddenly, Hou Yi spun around and grabbed me by the chest. Before I could react, we shot out of the cave with a swoosh. When I came to, we were in a lush forest of green mountains and clear waters—and I felt alive again.
There was a two-story wooden cabin perched above a small waterfall, with a crystal-clear lake below. Hou Yi grinned and tossed me straight into the water.
"Go on, have a proper bath!"
The moment I hit the water, all the heat vanished from my body. Sparse woods surrounded me, many of the trees trimmed, and small paths had been cleared, lined with wildflowers. The place felt much more comfortable. Looking up, I still saw nine suns overhead, but here a thin white veil softened the sunlight, making it gentle instead of harsh.
On the shore, there was a small cabin. Inside, I saw dried meat stored, and in front of the cabin, a simple grill. Hou Yi was tending the fire, humming a tune, his face full of joy.
"I am indeed Hou Yi, little brother. It's been so long since I've seen another person, especially here in the highest layer of the Illusory Realm."
I smiled and walked to the lakeshore. After getting up, I took off my shirt and sat comfortably on the ground. Hou Yi seemed busy making a fire and preparing food, though I wasn't hungry. Still, I caught a strange, enticing scent from the dried meat in the cabin—some withered herbs mixed in, maybe used for curing. I watched Hou Yi work with anticipation.
"Thank you, Uncle Hou Yi."
I said politely. Hou Yi shook his head, unable to hide his excitement. It was clear he truly hadn't seen anyone in ages—his joy was written all over his face.
"Little brother, how did you end up here?"
Hou Yi asked. I could only smile helplessly and shake my head.
"Sorry, I don't have any memories."
Hou Yi gave me a puzzled look, then went into the cabin and brought out a large chunk of cured ham. He scraped off the surface, placed it on the grill, and started roasting.
Soon, a rich aroma filled the air, and I couldn't stop my mouth from watering.
After a while, we started eating. The cured roast wasn't salty at all—it had a light, fresh flavor, and the more I chewed, the richer it tasted. I had no idea how he made it. At first, I thought about adding some seasoning, but soon gave up.
"Actually, it was the Jade Rabbit who asked me to talk to you, Uncle. He said your illusion is starting to affect other people's illusions."
Hou Yi's face turned angry in an instant.
"That damned rabbit! Why doesn't he come here himself? Hmph, talk? Not a chance."
I smiled awkwardly, but Hou Yi quickly returned to his cheerful self.
"We're humans, little brother—not like the strange beasts here. Don't ever forget that."
I replied with a hum. Hou Yi was right—sometimes I almost forgot I was human.
"By the way, Uncle Hou Yi, the Jade Rabbit said you and I are somewhat alike. Maybe I could find a way to recover my memories from you."
Hou Yi responded with a hum, then sighed.
"When I woke up, I arrived here with my wife. But we weren't in the highest layer of the Illusory Realm—we were in the middle layer."
Hearing this, I became even more certain—Hou Yi and I really do share similarities.
I wanted to know what had happened, but seeing Hou Yi's silence and the sorrow in his eyes, I didn't ask. What I really wanted to know was how Hou Yi ended up in Highvale. He was just an ordinary man—even if later generations made him a legend, he was still different from the strange beasts here.
"After being redefined and given a new identity by people, it took me thousands of years after waking up to understand why I was called Hou Yi and what I was supposed to have done." (Hou Yi: In legend, a mortal archer later mythologized as a god for shooting down extra suns.)
As Hou Yi spoke, he stood up, went into the cabin, and pulled a wooden tub from the earth. He brought out two stone cups, handed one to me, and opened a small plug on the tub's surface. The scent of wine filled the air. I swallowed, hurried over, and filled my cup to the brim.
Soon, I felt a drunken haze wash over me—it was truly good wine. Hou Yi's gaze grew calm, the excitement in his eyes gone.
"Later, I found that as my wife and I lived here, our powers grew stronger—including that damned rabbit who followed my wife."
I hummed in response. The only difference was Hou Yi's power grew gradually, while I arrived in this illusion already carrying strong Buddhist and Daoist powers.
"But there's one thing I can tell you for sure, little brother: it's nearly impossible for humans to enter this illusion. So my conclusion is, maybe we're not truly human—that's why we can be here."
I looked at Hou Yi in confusion. In the legends, Hou Yi is a god, not a man. But the Jade Rabbit said Hou Yi was just an ordinary person turned into a myth.
"That damned rabbit."
Hou Yi cursed again, clearly furious. I wanted to ask, but thought better of it—some things are just too painful to talk about. What I really wanted to know was how Hou Yi ended up in the highest layer of the Illusory Realm. He was just an ordinary man, even if he became a legend, he was still different from the strange beasts here.
"Let me put it this way, little brother. When my wife and I woke up in this strange world, it was incredibly difficult. Every day, we had to watch out for being eaten by those beasts. As we learned more about this place, we started searching for a way back—because, in our memories, we were already dead."
I looked at Hou Yi in confusion. In the legends, Hou Yi is a god, not a man. But the Jade Rabbit said Hou Yi was just an ordinary person turned into a myth.