The Ascent to the Heavens
A Mortal’s Journey Beyond the Sky
Niulang did not hesitate.
🔥 Wrapped in the hide of his faithful ox, he soared into the sky. 🔥
The world below faded into mist, and the heavens stretched before him like an endless sea.
His children clung tightly to his robes as the wind howled around them.
Ahead, beyond the silver clouds, stood the celestial palace—its gates of jade and pearl gleaming under the eternal sun.
And there—Zhinü.
Her hands were bound in silken cords, her eyes filled with tears that shimmered like starlight.
"Niulang!" she cried.
The celestial maidens turned in shock.
No mortal had ever breached the heavens.
The Jade Emperor’s Final Decree
A Barrier That Can Never Be Crossed
Thunder rolled across the sky.
The clouds split apart, and from the highest throne of the heavens, a voice shook the stars themselves.
"This cannot be."
🔥 The Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝)—ruler of all creation—rose from his seat.
🔥 The Queen Mother of the West (王母娘娘), guardian of divine order, narrowed her gaze.
A mortal had entered the celestial realm.
It was unforgivable.
With a wave of the Jade Emperor’s hand, a great river appeared—vast, endless, uncrossable.
🌌 It stretched across the heavens, dividing Niulang and Zhinü.
🌌 It became the 银河 (Yínhé), the Celestial River—the Milky Way.
One side—Niulang and his children. The other—Zhinü, weeping, trapped forever in the heavens.
Niulang reached out, but the waters roared between them.
Zhinü called his name, but the river swallowed her voice.
The sky was silent once more.
The Lovers’ Endless Sorrow
The Stars That Watch Each Other Forever
Niulang stood at the edge of the Celestial River, gazing across the endless waters.
Zhinü stood on the other side, her hands clutching her heart.
They were so close—but would never touch again.
From that moment forward, they became two lonely stars—
✨ Altair (Niulang, the Cowherd).
✨ Vega (Zhinü, the Weaver Girl).
Every night, they burned brightly across the heavens, forever watching but never meeting.
But even the gods were not without mercy.
And soon, the magpies would come.
—To be continued in Chapter 4: The Magpie Bridge & The Qixi Festival.