Yu's Reincarnation Stories: Yaochen and Yaoyu
A member of Yu En Transmission asked us how she and Yu had formed a connection through reincarnation. With her permission, we are sharing this reincarnation story with everyone:
You and Yu were once celestial attendants under the Queen Mother of the West. Together, you were responsible for managing the treasures of the Jade Pool, the celestial palace’s implements, and guarding the Peach Garden. You would also accompany the Queen Mother of the West when she descended to the human world to observe the lives of ordinary people, and you helped with the preparation and decoration of the annual Peach Blossom Festival.
At that time, Yu was a male celestial attendant named Yaochen (瑤辰), while you were a female celestial attendant named Yaoyu (瑤羽). Yaochen raised two teams of divine guardian dogs in the Peach Garden. The two lead divine dogs were named Yanxi (焰襲) and Fuxie (伏邪). You (hereafter referred to as Yaoyu) were very fond of these two divine dogs.
Working in the Peach Garden was extremely demanding. Not only did evil beings frequently attempt to invade the garden and steal the peaches, but the ripe peaches also had to be picked, washed with the Jade Pool’s spiritual spring water, and then handed over to the chief celestial maiden beside the Queen Mother of the West to be counted and placed into storage.
Why could the peaches, which would normally ripen and spoil easily, be counted and stored without worrying about them going bad? Because the peaches did not all ripen and get harvested at the same time. They were divided into peaches that ripened once every 3,000 years, once every 6,000 years, and once every 9,000 years.
After being picked, they had to be immersed in the spiritual spring water of the Jade Pool. The spring water possessed magical power that could preserve the peaches from ever decaying until the annual Peach Banquet.
Yaoyu actually did not need to pick peaches, but because she loved Yanxi and Fuxie, she asked the Queen Mother of the West if she could also enter the garden to help. The Queen Mother of the West was very compassionate and agreed to let Yaoyu assist the Seven Fairies and Yaochen in picking peaches.
Yaochen regarded Yaoyu as his younger sister and always gave her the easiest tasks, allowing her to happily play with the two dogs.
One day, a demon named Diaokuang had been waiting for the peaches to ripen. That day, the peaches that ripened once every 3,000 years finally became ripe. They were bright red and glistening, looking extremely delicious.
If a demon ate a peach, there could be two possible outcomes. First, it could increase the demon’s evil power, making it the most powerful demon in that level of Heaven. Second, it could shed its demonic shell and directly become an immortal! However, a demon that had not undergone cultivation of its character would have extremely serious and terrifying consequences for the higher realms if it became an immortal.
The evil demon Diaokuang quietly infiltrated the Peach Garden. This demon possessed powerful supernatural abilities and could transform into any person or object it wished to become. Wanting to become an immortal, it transformed itself into a guardian dog and secretly observed everything from the shadows.
At this moment, the Peach Garden was bustling with activity. All the celestial maidens had come out to help. One group picked the freshly ripened peaches, while another group carried baskets of peaches to the Jade Pool’s spiritual spring to wash them. Yaoyu led the dogs around on patrol, while Yaochen led the celestial attendants in loading the washed peaches into bamboo baskets and delivering them to the chief celestial maiden to be counted and stored.
Suddenly, Yanxi sensed that something was wrong with the pack of dogs. It sniffed each dog one by one. Fuxie seemed to sense the same thing and called the entire pack back for inspection. Yaoyu and the celestial attendants responsible for watching the dogs found this strange. It was the busiest time in the garden, yet Fuxie suddenly raised its head and howled, and all the dogs returned to their leader.
Yaoyu and the celestial attendants counted the dogs—and there was one extra dog!
Fuxie immediately pounced on it, attempting to bite the extra dog with its sharp canine teeth. Unexpectedly, red light burst from the dog’s eyes. It instantly leaped into the air, flipped over, and fiercely bit Yaoyu’s arm!
That dog was the demon Diaokuang in disguise. Its purpose in attacking Yaoyu was to absorb the celestial energy within her, which would greatly increase its demonic power!
Yanxi and Fuxie immediately leaped into the fight and battled fiercely with Diaokuang. However, Yaoyu’s celestial energy was almost completely drained by the demon! There was only one thought left in her mind:
“Brother, come quickly! Little Yu can’t hold on much longer…”
Suddenly, the celestial attendant Yaochen descended from the sky. Behind him was a group of heavenly soldiers and generals holding weapons.
“How dare you, demon! Release her!”
The voice was so thunderous that it stunned Diaokuang, forcing it to open its mouth. Yaochen poured a bottle of the Jade Pool’s spiritual spring water into Yaoyu’s mouth. In that perilous moment, he protected the last remaining traces of her celestial energy and concealed her heart meridian.
Soon, Diaokuang was subdued by the heavenly soldiers and generals using their magical powers. Yaochen carried the dying Yaoyu before the Queen Mother of the West and begged her to save his younger sister.
Because celestial attendants were forbidden from bringing anyone into the Jade Pool without permission and using its spiritual spring water to save them, doing so would violate the heavenly laws and result in being sent down to the human world as punishment. Therefore, Yaochen could only beg the Queen Mother of the West to save Yaoyu.
“I can save her, but after Yaoyu awakens, she will lose all her memories of you and the dogs. And you will no longer be able to work or live together. Knowing this, do you still want me to save her?”
The Queen Mother of the West gazed compassionately at the young celestial attendant Yaochen. Unexpectedly, Yaochen agreed. As long as Yaoyu could be saved, he was willing to accept anything.
Although Yaoyu would no longer remember Yaochen and would not remain by his side in the future, which would make Yaochen very lonely, he still made that decision. If someone could be saved, then what did it matter if he had to endure a little loneliness himself?
And so, after Yaoyu awakened, she found everything around her unfamiliar. She no longer remembered her Brother Yaochen.
A long time later, Yaochen was about to leave the Palace of the Queen Mother of the West and become a member of the Dragon Clan. The guardian dogs of the Peach Garden, Yanxi and Fuxie, would leave with him as well. They were originally members of the Dragon Clan, so naturally they would return with him.
Before their departure, Fuxie, who had always loved to act affectionately, ran up to Yaoyu and licked her hand. A warm current traveled from the palm of her hand into her mind, as if breaking through a wall. Memories flowed into her mind from beyond that wall.
Yaoyu hugged Fuxie and burst into tears. She remembered everything—but Brother Yaochen and the two dogs were leaving.
“Don’t cry, little sister. The four of us will meet again someday. Although by then you will not remember me, and I will not remember you, when you see me and the two dogs, perhaps you will still feel something.”
Yaochen, Yanxi, and Fuxie departed under Yaoyu’s tearful blessing.
I wonder if, when you see Yu, Fuli, and Ham, you feel a very special sense of familiarity?
Yu is your Brother Yaochen, Ham is the handsome Yanxi, and Fuli, who loves to act affectionately, is the adorable Fuxie. They will always accompany you in other dimensions.
Notes
Queen Mother of the West — A major goddess in Chinese mythology, traditionally associated with the Kunlun Mountains and the celestial realm. She is also known as the guardian of the Peaches of Immortality.
Jade Pool (瑤池) — The legendary celestial pool associated with the Queen Mother of the West. It is also the setting for the famous Peach Banquet.
Peach Garden (蟠桃園) — The legendary garden where the Peaches of Immortality are grown and guarded.
Peach Banquet (蟠桃會) — The annual celestial gathering hosted by the Queen Mother of the West, traditionally associated with the Peaches of Immortality.
Peaches of Immortality (蟠桃) — Legendary peaches in Chinese mythology said to possess extraordinary powers, including extending life and granting immortality.
Dragon Clan (龍神族) — The celestial clan to which Yaochen, Yanxi, and Fuxie later return.
Celestial energy (仙氣) — A supernatural energy associated with celestial beings in this story.
Spiritual spring water (靈泉水) — Sacred water from the Jade Pool believed to possess supernatural powers, including the ability to preserve the Peaches of Immortality and protect celestial energy.