Arriving at a village beside an oasis, the young man heard the cries of hungry people. He crouched down, holdi…
Arriving at a village beside an oasis, the young man heard the cries of hungry people.
He crouched down, holding the bony hand of an orphan. The gaze of hunger nearly scorched him.
"See this net? It can turn moonlight into soft white buns."
Under the curious eyes of the crowd, he drew out his moon-catching net for the first time before outsiders.
"Moonlight bright, cast your net right! Eat a bun, little one rides a camel—" Singing the rhyme his parents had hummed to him in childhood, he tossed the net into the oasis's shallow pond. What returned to his hand was a bun substantial enough to save a life.
He handed the bun to the orphan. A gasp of awe rose from the crowd behind him.
"May I ask your name, Immortal?" An elderly man with white hair wiped away his tears, his eyes clouded, addressing the youth with reverence.
In that moment, the youth thought of the legend from his homeland—Wangshu, the moon's charioteer, who drove across the nine heavens, scattering moonlight upon the world.
"My name is..." The youth raised a hand, pointing at the moon. "...Wangshu."