Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told Chapter 165: Grief and Resentment

Before reaching the South Heavenly Gate, Wukong asked Hou Yi, “Elder Hou Yi, there’s something I don’t understand. I hope you can enlighten me.”

Hou Yi replied, “Wukong, speak freely. There’s no need for formalities.”

Wukong said, “Elder, you may not know this, but in the mortal world, there’s an ancient legend about you and Chang’e. It is said that you obtained an elixir of immortality from the heavens, and by taking it, one could become an immortal. Later, this elixir was… consumed by Chang’e herself. After that, she ascended to the Guanghan Palace, leaving you behind to live a lonely life filled with regret.”

Hou Yi listened with interest, then laughed heartily and said, “How absurd! Who could have invented such a story? I’ll go find that person and settle accounts with him!” Wukong replied, “It’s just a legend. Please don’t take it seriously. I just want to know—how much truth is there in this legend?”

Hou Yi’s thoughts were taken back tens of thousands of years ago as he gazed at the towering stone pillars in front of the South Heavenly Gate, slowly recounting a little-known story…

Back then, Emperor Zhuanxu led his troops to attack the Jiuli tribe. I was the vanguard under the great god Chi You, invincible and undefeated in every battle.

But war isn’t fought by one person alone. Chi You only knew how to fight; he didn’t know how to govern the people. After decades of stalemate, we were defeated by Zhuanxu. After that, I withdrew from the world and wandered around, living a carefree life.

Later, Emperor Yao took over the realm. He was diligent and loved his people. Moved by his righteousness, I emerged from seclusion to assist him.

At that time, the world had just been stabilized, but there were many monstrous beasts causing chaos. Emperor Yao sent me to rid the people of these threats. So, with nothing but a bow, I fought alone—killing Zaochi in the fields of Chouhua, slaying Jiu Ying by the fierce waters, subduing the great wind in the marshes of Qingqiu, shooting down ten suns in the sky and killing the Yaowu on earth, cutting off the Xiu snake in Dongting Lake, and capturing Fengxi in the mulberry forests… I gained great fame. Everyone knew of Hou Yi’s divine archery, and countless people came to seek his guidance.

That year, the Golden Birds caused chaos, bringing severe drought to the world. I used my Sun-Shooting Bow to shoot down nine of them, with only one escaping.

Of course, I wouldn’t let this remaining threat go. I rode the clouds in pursuit. Though I failed to catch the Golden Bird, I saw Chang’e washing herself with the Jade Rabbit by a stream. At that moment, I thought I must be mistaken—how could there be such a pure and beautiful being in the world!

It was just a fleeting thought. The Golden Birds were harming the people, and I couldn’t rest until they were eliminated.

Unexpectedly, Chang’e called out to me, “Are you the heroic Hou Yi?” Her voice was incredibly sweet. I stopped in my tracks and began chatting with her, completely forgetting about the Golden Birds.

The more we talked, the more we found common ground. She had long admired my reputation but never had the chance to meet me. If I had known there was such a remarkable woman in the world, I would have come to seek her long ago.

Although Chang’e was an ordinary mortal, every move of hers was free from worldly trivialities. In just half an hour, we grew deeply fond of each other and decided to marry. Her parents had died early, and she had lived with a small tribe for several years, which only served to cultivate her delicate and proud character, inspiring people to feel affection for her yet making them reluctant to mistreat her. I took her back to my tribe. How could that small tribe dare defy my wishes? I left my jade pendant as a token and brought Chang’e to my home. The next two years were the happiest of my life; we were deeply in love, hoping such days would last forever. But Chang’e was mortal and would eventually face birth, aging, illness, and death. Though I was an immortal, I was known for my martial skills and knew nothing about the arts of alchemy to prolong life. From then on, I was constantly worried about this but found no solution. Later, Emperor Yao passed away, succeeded by Emperor Shun, and then Emperor Yu took control of the world. During this time, I found many ordinary elixirs—some to prolong life, some to preserve beauty—and gave them all to Chang’e. Yet I knew these were not lasting solutions; if I couldn’t find an excellent elixir, Chang’e would eventually leave me. After that, I had no time to spare. The divine ape reappeared, and almost everyone in the world joined the battle against it. As the divine archer Hou Yi, how could I be an exception? Not knowing how many years it would take to end this great war, I did the most regrettable thing in my life. Before leaving, I entrusted Chang’e to my most beloved disciple, Feng Meng, asking him to take care of her. I was very selective in choosing disciples, as mastering archery required great talent—above all, natural aptitude. Without it, no amount of effort would help. From among the tens of thousands who came to learn from me, I chose only one young man named Feng Meng. He was extremely intelligent and never needed me to repeat instructions regarding archery skills. At that time, I thought that my unparalleled skills as Hou Yi would be passed on through him. Feng Meng not only had extraordinary talent but was also extremely patient. With his handsome and valiant appearance, even when he made minor mistakes, I refused to be too harsh on him. He treated me and Chang’e as his own parents—his loyalty could truly be described as filial. Only after entrusting Chang’e to Feng Meng’s care could I feel somewhat at ease, and I rushed to the battlefield to fight the divine ape. The battle was fierce, but in the end, we won. After the battle, I heard by chance that someone had stolen the divine ape’s peach tree, from which peaches, if eaten, could grant immortality. I returned home briefly to check on things before setting out to investigate further—everything for the sake of Chang’e’s immortality.

At this time, rumors about Hou Yi spread throughout the world. They said I was promiscuous, abandoning my wife at home and not returning for years. I merely smiled at such rumors—my bond with Chang’e was as strong as gold; how could a few lies shake it? Heaven rewards those who persevere, and finally I found the location of the Peach Tree of Immortality. It turned out that the group who had taken the tree had built a place in the east. They were quite ambitious, creating thirty-six heavens, with the Peach Tree of Immortality at the top, in the Great Luo Heaven. Knowing where the peach was, I began to plan carefully. Since the peach was so precious and I had no prior relationship with those people, asking for it directly was out of the question. There was only one way to get it—steal it. Hehe, it’s ridiculous to think that I, Hou Yi, who stood tall among the gods, would resort to such despicable actions. But at that time, my only thought was to steal the peach for Chang’e so she could live forever. Before heading to the heavens, I returned home once. Chang’e no longer loved me as fiercely as before. I thought it was just due to long separation, so I didn’t pay much attention. Once I brought back the peach, Chang’e would surely understand my good intentions. True love doesn’t depend on being together day and night. The journey to the heavens was extremely dangerous, but by acting carelessly while planning carefully, I managed to steal two peaches from many immortals. It is said that the three most powerful beings in the heavens were in seclusion at that time; otherwise, I would never have succeeded. It was fate. After stealing the peaches, I rushed home without pause. Though covered in wounds, I felt no fatigue. Many pursuers followed, but I didn’t care. All I thought about was giving the peaches to Chang’e so we could live forever and enjoy life together. When I returned home and pushed open the door, I saw the scene I least wanted to see in my life. Chang’e sat on the bed, tears in her eyes. Her delicate hands were in Feng Meng’s grasp! The two of them gazed at each other with deep affection. I felt like the biggest joke under the heavens at that moment. I risked my life for her eternal life, yet she trampled my sincere feelings underfoot. Even worse was Feng Meng—how could such a scoundrel defy moral principles? What was even more infuriating was that Chang’e didn’t show much reaction when she saw me, only a hint of resentment in her eyes. Haha, which woman in this world can be trusted? By then, the Queen Mother of the West’s pursuers had arrived. Dozens of immortals surrounded me, waiting for her order to kill me on the spot! To be honest, I no longer wanted to live. After decades of effort, all I got was a betrayal—what’s the point of living?

Who would have thought the Queen Mother of the West would say, “You stole the Immortal Peaches just for this woman?”
I didn’t want to admit it, but who could I deceive with such a situation? Even myself couldn’t be fooled, so I could only nod.
The Queen Mother of the West continued, “Alas, I’ve long heard of Hou Yi’s fame, but I never expected him to be hurt by love. If you had said earlier that you wanted this woman to live forever, it would have been the easiest thing in the world.”
I smiled bitterly. There’s no remedy for regret in this world, and who could have expected the Queen Mother of the West to be so generous?
At that moment, she took out a golden pill and handed it to me personally, saying sincerely, “When it comes to eternal life, the power of this golden pill is no less than that of the Immortal Peaches. It’s not that I’m stingy; these Immortal Peaches are very useful to me. Please return them, hero.”
The Queen Mother of the West had saved my face and given me the elixir of immortality—something I never expected.
With my heart utterly broken, I returned the Immortal Peaches to her.
She was overjoyed to get them and thanked me repeatedly.
I glanced at Chang’e and said to the Queen Mother of the West, “If you can help me, take this woman to heaven. I never want to see her again in this life.”
At that moment, Chang’e cried out, “No!”
I finally heard her speak, and my heart ached like knives were cutting it! But my decision was firm—I would never fall in love with any woman again, in this life or any other.
The Queen Mother of the West cast a spell and seized Chang’e, saying, “Since Hou Yi has spoken, I won’t make things difficult for you. But since you’ve hurt a great hero of the world with your love, I’ll make sure you suffer loneliness forever.”
Her words suited my wishes. I realized this woman was truly extraordinary.
I handed the golden pill back to her, asking her to give it to Chang’e. A true man must see things through to the end. Even if she abandoned loyalty and righteousness, I would remain unshaken—that’s what makes a real hero!
The Queen Mother of the West refused, saying, “There’s no need for that. If you want her to live forever, it’s simple—I can just give her another Immortal Peach. But those two earlier ones were seeds of Immortal Peaches and must not be eaten lightly. This golden pill not only grants immortality but also greatly enhances one’s cultivation. It’s better to keep it for you.”
I didn’t want to be polite and took the golden pill anyway.
By now, Feng Meng had already shrunk in fear. I had no interest in him. The one I hated the most wasn’t Feng Meng, but Chang’e.
The Queen Mother said, “This man dares to insult my disciple, relying only on his good looks. Let me destroy him to avenge you.”
I stopped her, saying, “Love between men and women is natural. It’s not his fault. Alas!” I sighed deeply and left. I heard the Queen Mother say behind me, “Don’t worry, hero. I’ll spare him this time. If he commits the same mistake again, I’ll make his life worse than death!”

Do as you will; just follow your own path. I was filled with deep sorrow at that time; I strode forward, yet always felt as if someone was watching me from behind. When I turned around, I saw Chang’e staring at me with tearful eyes, brimming with hatred.

For some reason, her gaze made me feel extremely uncomfortable, so I flew away on clouds.

Later, you will come to know that we were harmed by fate and had to take refuge inside the Kunpeng. As for what happened to Chang’e and Fengmeng afterward, I have no idea.

I originally thought I would spend the rest of my days inside the Kunpeng, but unexpectedly, you, Wukong, entered there, allowing us to see the light of day again. Now that I’ve escaped, I must settle many past matters.

I just want to ask Chang’e why she betrayed me back then!

Upon hearing Hou Yi’s tale of heartbreak, everyone couldn’t help but sigh deeply. They said that even heroes struggle with love, and they condemned Chang’e for her heartlessness. Only Wukong laughed heartily, pointing at Hou Yi and saying, “Pitiful! You, a hero throughout your life, fell for love and became so foolish! How sad, how hateful!”