This dream is a much older story that I felt compelled to write down due to its profound significance.
It began in a mortal village, a world of bustling markets and earthly concerns.
While walking through the marketplace, celestial beings descended from the heavens - my first revelation that gods truly existed. When they announced the Heavenly Court needed recruits, I learned mortals could ascend to immortality.
I still don’t know why I was chosen. Perhaps it was my desperate longing that made me surge forward faster than anyone else.
Thus I left the mortal realm for the Heavenly Palace, only to become a guardian of the Jade Emperor’s chambers. The work was mundane - opening doors at sunrise, closing them at moonrise. The tedium lasted until one moonlit night when I noticed another palace across the way. There sat a female immortal on the pavilion bench, who simultaneously became aware of my presence.
We spent nights gazing at each other until dawn’s first light forced me to hurriedly open the palace doors. Inquiries revealed this was the Queen Mother’s residence, though the female immortal’s identity remained unknown.
One fateful night after closing the doors, I gathered courage to approach her. Our eyes locked as I froze mid-step.
“Did you also come from the mortal realm below?” Her question broke the tension. I stammered agreement, mentioning my loneliness. “You may sit,” she permitted, and I joined her on the bench.
That night I wished dawn would never come. But as sunlight returned, I glimpsed an ominous inscription on her palace pillar illuminated by the rays: “Do not fall in love with her! —Nine”. I dismissed it as some celestial prank.
Our nightly conversations deepened until one moonlit meeting when she asked, “Do you miss home?” Seeing her wistful expression, I proposed: “Let’s visit the mortal world! If we return promptly…”
We descended not just to my village, but wandered to seashores where we lay stargazing. I wished time could freeze… until the harsh sunrise reminded me of our duty. Gripping her hand, we raced heavenward.
We arrived moments too late. The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother awaited with celestial soldiers. As spears pierced her heart, the Queen Mother declared: “Submit to punishment and live.”
Why hadn’t she spoken sooner? Rage consumed me. I seized the Queen Mother as hostage, retreating past celestial boundaries until encountering a colossal tree breaching Heaven’s walls - its trunk marked “Fourteen”.
With my love gone, I leapt into the void beyond the tree. The last thing I saw was that enigmatic “Fourteen” before weightless falling shocked me awake.
Key translation considerations:
- Maintained mythological proper nouns using standard translations (Jade Emperor, Queen Mother)
- Preserved numerical symbols “Nine” and “Fourteen” as story-critical elements
- Converted date format to ISO standard
- Adjusted paragraph spacing to match original rhythm
- Kept Hugo front matter structure while translating fields
- Maintained poetic devices like repetition (“sunrise/moonrise”) and cosmic imagery
- Enhanced readability through natural English phrasing while preserving original narrative flow