The Sorrowmender

AvolumeoftheBookofNoSorrow,eachpageafleetingglimpseofdestiny—writteninblackandwhiteink,tellingstoriesofturmoilandtranscendence.PageOne:“Howdoesonecurelovesicknesscarvedintothebones?”—AcupofForgetfulnessWater,andloveendswithyou.PageTwo:“Wherecanthepathtoimmortalitybefound?”—Intheheavens,atoptheWhiteJadeCapital,wherethetwelvetowersandfivecitadelsstand.PageThree:“Whattroublestheemperor?”—Thechoicebetweenpoetryanddistantlands,oranationatpeace.PageFour:...Uponwakingfromadream,XuQingzhoufindshimselfinaworldofcultivationandmysticism.Inhishands,amagicalbook:theBookofNoSorrow.Fromthatdayforward,hesetsouttorelievetheburdensofothers—onegooddeedatatime.Atfirst,hehelpedonlytroubledmaidens.Later,heboretheweightoftheworld.Thuswasbornanewfigureinthehumanrealm,knownsimplyas:Mr.Wuyou—theSorrowmender.“Thisworldisvast,”saidtheGentleman,“butthereisnosorrowIcannotmend,especiallythatofabeautifulwoman.”“Whypraytogodsandspirits,”hesaid,“whenyoucouldsimplyaskme?”“Inthislife,”hesaid,“Ishallbeholdthefairestfaces,hearthewindssing,dancewithswords,drinkthestrongestwine,andliveasfreelyasthebreeze.”—TheEmpressoftheMortalRealm:“TheGentlemanoncesaidhecouldn’tbeartoseewomenfrown—especiallybeautifulones.”—TheCelestialEmpress:“Thatyouth...he’sterrifying.Somethingsinhishandscouldendtheworld.”—XuWuyou:“Mymasteroncesaid,mynameisWuyou—'WithoutWorry,WithoutSorrow.'”—Thegirlwhocametohimcrying:“Sir,willyousaveme?”—XuQingzhoureplied:“Fearnot,mylady.Givemeyourhand.”MynameisXuQingzhou—aloneboatupontheriver,yetcapableofcarryingallthesorrowsoftheworld.