Story of Huánghé

A very long time ago, when the empire still wasn't born and the capital city was but a village, a man lived there. Strolling among the small houses, every day the man took his small boat out for a trip to the Juzhaigou lake. It was only a short walk away. He was greeted by shopkeepers and fellow fishermen when arriving to the docks. All in all, he wasn't very remarkable. All he ever did out on the calm lake was fishing, or taking a nap in his boat. He had a small family who were growing old, and a very few people he called acquaintances. This man was always a recluse, seeking to get away from the perils of this world if only for a moment. 

It was said that during the Duxian festival, the souls of the deceased crossed the river's mouth into the lake from the other world. They came to visit their family, friends and other people perhaps important to them. The man enjoyed this festival, despite not participating in it. He didn't have any deceased to await, or any lanterns to light for them to guide them back to the afterlife. He always took his boat out before the villagers set the lanterns out on the lake. He then spent the rest of the night there, in fleeting tranquility that came around once a year or so. 

He took his boat out as usual today, too. He was going to retrieve a fishing net he'd set up a couple days before, hoping for a fine catch. Fish was the only source of income he had, really. Tying his fair hair up in a pony tail, he dove from the boat into the still water. The net was right in front of him, with the prey tangled up in it. He held back a grin as to not swallow up water, and began releasing the net. 

It was stuck, though. Latched onto some obsidian, poking out of the lake's bottom like spikes. He frowned and pulled at the net. It proved futile, and also seemed to have woken some of the fish still stuck in the net's grasp. The creatures wiggled in an attempt to free themselves, dragging the freed end of the net along. The man was starting to grow low on breath now, and aimed for the surface. Just as he did though, the remainder of the fishing net sunk over him. The fish had managed to free themselves, and it was now he who was caught. Struggling to get out of the ropes unsuccessfully, the man's vision soon went black. He'd completely ran out of air now, with the water pressing down on his throat and lungs. Not a ripple on the lake's surface.

It would be a couple hours before he was discovered. Fellow fishermen had spotted an empty boat out on the lake, and pinned it as the man's. They quickly came to the conclusion that he must've drowned, as the boat didn't show any signs of damage. One of the fishermen dove into the water as well, in search for the lost body. It wasn't difficult to spot. The man's body was wrapped up in the net like a child in a blanket. His facial expression was strangely calm for somebody who had drowned. The fisherman headed back up to the surface to relay this find. The man was buried in the small cemetery little ways away from the village. What there was of his family came to mourn at the small tombstone. They set out a single lantern for him. It was just enough to hide the inscription, Huanghe.

The lake was lit in gold that night. It had woken the villagers and caused a clamor among them, many speculating as to why the lake would be glowing. The only priest in the village explained it as divine intervention, though he couldn't tell the purpose of it. Some people went back to sleep after shutting their blinds tighter, but some were skeptical. What could they possibly have done to cause divine intervention? 

In truth, it was a deity who took pity on a single spirit crossing the river's mouth that night. It was Huanghe, the man who failed to retrieve his fishing net. Just before the passage to the afterlife, a single light appeared before him. 

"Poor soul. You had no friends. And you didn't outlive your family, either. You did the same thing every day, every year. A bit of a wasted life, don't you think?" the light chimed and waited for a reaction. "Why don't we try again?" Before Huanghe could respond the lake lit up in gold and he was whisked away somewhere, far into the sky. The small light continued.

"We have a sword here. Exceedingly good craftsmanship. But it's empty. Lifeless. So, I decided that you will get a second chance at life. As an avatar." 

"An... avatar? Wh-"

"No questions! You'll get used to it. Not everyone gets to be the spirit of a legendary weapon. This sword's name is the Yellow River, which is fitting, because your name means the exact same thing. I'm sure you'll make better use of a practically eternal life." the voice now faded away, and Huanghe plummeted to the ground. Except not in a human form, but now as a sleek sword of obsidian. It sliced through the air with its blade, piercing the water's surface before finally slowing down and coming to a rest at the murky bottom of the lake. 

Needless to say, Huanghe wasn't too pleased with his new fate. Instead of a quiet trip to the afterlife, he was now bound to a weapon by some whimsical deity. He'd brood at the bottom of Juzhaigou lake for years to come.