The Lament of the Long-Necked Bard: Echoes from the Mountains of Yelu

In the heart of the Yelu Mountains, shrouded in mist and mystery, there existed a creature known as the Long-Necked Bard. His form was that of a man, yet his neck stretched like the tallest of the peaks, reaching towards the heavens. His voice, a haunting melody that could pierce the clouds, was the only sound that echoed through the silent valleys.

The Bard's story was one of love and loss, woven into the fabric of the mountains themselves. He had once been a human, a musician whose melodies could soothe the most turbulent of hearts. But in the course of time, he was transformed by the ancient spirits of the Yelu Mountains, his neck elongating until it seemed he was born to sing the songs of the cosmos.

The tale begins on a day when the Bard encountered a maiden named Yushan, the daughter of the Mountain King. Yushan was as beautiful as the snow-capped peaks and as pure as the streams that flowed from the mountains. She was also the only human allowed to venture into the sacred realms of the Yelu Mountains.

The two met by chance under the watchful eyes of the Mountain King. The Bard's melodies and Yushan's laughter were the sweetest of harmonies, and soon, the two found themselves bound by a love that defied the boundaries of time and place.

But love is not always kind, and the Mountain King, a being of great power and pride, saw the Bard as a threat to his rule. He decreed that the Bard must leave Yushan, or else suffer the wrath of the mountains.

In a fit of sorrow, the Bard agreed to leave, but he made one request. He asked that his melodies could be heard by all, a reminder of the love that once was. The Mountain King, in a moment of compassion, granted his request.

Thus, the Long-Necked Bard's lament began to echo through the mountains, a reminder of the love that once burned bright. But the Mountain King's decree was not without consequence. As the Bard's lament grew louder, the love between him and Yushan seemed to fade away, until it was as if the two had never met.

Years passed, and the Bard's lament grew weaker, but it never ceased. Each time a traveler passed through the Yelu Mountains, they would hear the Bard's voice, a whisper of love and longing that seemed to call to the very soul.

Then, one day, the Bard's lament ceased. It was as if the spirit of love that had once filled the mountains had been extinguished. The travelers were left to wonder if the Bard's love had truly ended, or if it had simply returned to the realm from which it came.

The Yelu Mountains, once a place of wonder and mystery, now seemed to carry a sadness that even the most resolute traveler could not ignore. The tale of the Long-Necked Bard and Yushan spread far and wide, a testament to the power of love and the eternal cycle of life and death.

One day, a young scribe named Jingzhe journeyed to the Yelu Mountains. He heard the whispers of the Bard's lament and felt a deep sense of sorrow. Driven by curiosity and a desire to understand the tale, he began to investigate the legend.

Through his travels, Jingzhe discovered the remnants of the Bard's existence. He found the ancient instruments that the Bard once played, their strings worn and frayed, yet still holding the echoes of his melodies. He also found the ruins of a small cottage, where the Bard had lived with Yushan.

As Jingzhe stood in the ruins, he felt a presence, as if the Bard himself was reaching out to him. He heard the faint sound of a melody, a reminder that love never truly dies, even in the face of the eternal.

Inspired by the Bard's story, Jingzhe began to write. He chronicled the tale of the Long-Necked Bard and Yushan, hoping that his words could keep the Bard's lament alive. He shared his findings with the world, and soon, the tale of the Bard's love and loss spread once more.

The Yelu Mountains, once silent and enigmatic, now echoed with the stories of the Long-Necked Bard. The legend grew, and with it, the hope that love could overcome even the mightiest of mountains.

And so, the tale of the Long-Necked Bard and Yushan continues to resonate through the ages, a reminder that love, like the mountains themselves, is eternal.