In the West, they tell of Ambrosia, the divine food of Olympus — a taste that grants immortality, reserved for the gods alone.
But in the East, beyond mortal sight, another fruit bore the same promise: the Peach of Immortality, guarded in the celestial gardens of the Queen Mother of the West.
Once, under a spring moon, Lü Dongbin, the wandering immortal, descended from the clouds to the mortal world. He wore a scholar's robe and carried a sword that gleamed like a thought. Though a member of the Eight Immortals, Lü's heart was restless; he loved wine, laughter, and the strange beauty of human frailty.
One night, while resting in a mountain tavern, he overheard a dying old man sigh,"If I had but one more year, I would see my son's wedding."The words lingered in Lü's mind long after the man's spirit faded.
That night, when he returned to Heaven, the celestial gardens were in bloom —thousands of peach trees heavy with fruit, glowing like dawn. The Queen Mother's attendants warned,"These fruits ripen once every three thousand years. Touch them, and the heavens will tremble."
But Lü's heart had already chosen. He plucked a single peach and descended once more,through silver clouds and drifting starlight,to place it in the hands of the old man's widow.
The moment the fruit touched mortal lips, the scent of eternity filled the air — and a peach tree blossomed in the woman's yard, glowing softly through the night.
When Heaven discovered the theft, thunder split the skies. Lü Dongbin stood before the Jade Emperor, awaiting punishment. Yet when the Queen Mother herself appeared, she only smiled faintly."Even immortality," she said, "is wasted if it cannot be shared."
The thunder quieted. The celestial winds fell still.
Since then, mortals who dream beneath blooming peach trees sometimes glimpse a wandering figure —a scholar with a sword and a smile,leaving behind only the faint scent of wine and starlight.