Chapter 91 Character Side Story: Bai Huo
He could not become anyone, and ultimately resembled no one.
Inside the Tianhua Palace, there is a clear spring with several koi carp.
During the day, sunlight streams down from the palace roof, shimmering on the water's surface like scattered gold, and the carp's bodies are a mix of gold and red, as if blessings are bestowed upon the world.
As night fell, all was quiet.
The water under the moon grew cold, like a dark mirror, no longer reflecting the fish, but only the white begonias on the pond's edge, their ageless faces like those of a banished immortal.
His silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, bathed in moonlight, like stars falling into a night river. Though the moonlight was soft, it seemed to penetrate to the bone, making it impossible to tell whether he was still in the human world or had long since transcended it.
He strolled slowly along the pond, admiring the Tianhua Palace, a place he would never set foot in again.
This is the price of lies.
However, he has been lonely for a long time, so being confined to a corner again is not a big deal.
Even without leaving the palace, the myriad phenomena of the world remain clear, like a well-written and unfolded storybook.
He knows everything about the rise and fall of mountains and rivers, and the thoughts and desires of people, as long as he wants to.
I know where the clouds will drift, I know who will live and who will die, and I know that tonight there is a beautiful moon.
Perhaps this once made him feel at ease in this complex world. But it also completely stifled the joy of life.
Once fate is sealed, there is no longer any expectation for the future.
Bai Huo stopped by the pool.
In the water, that ageless face gazed silently at him.
*
The ghost market in Zhongjing sells all sorts of things.
Rare treasures are not unusual, exotic beasts and birds of prey are quite common, and occasionally you might even encounter something you've never heard of before.
For example, not far away, there was a boy chained to a wooden stake.
He was thin and bony, his eyes tightly closed, curled up in a ball, quietly leaning against the wooden stake.
In this dimly lit ghost market where it was difficult to see each other's faces even when face to face, he shone like a pearl under the moon, stealing everyone's attention.
Her skin was delicate and fair, like the finest mutton fat jade, and her long silver hair was spotless, gleaming coldly in the darkness, unlike anything of this world.
The boy's seller was a burly, rough-looking man who was now enthusiastically describing the origins of this fine product.
"Do you know Moon Island? That's the merfolk's home!"
"I spent half a month lying in wait, risking my life to get this child out of the sea. Look at that hair color, that appearance, this is genuine merman blood!"
People who frequently visit the Ghost Market are usually quite knowledgeable and have naturally heard the legends of Moon Island.
Legend has it that the island contains the remains of a divine mermaid, which is why the mermaids have guarded it for generations, and its pearls and treasures are inexhaustible. However, most greedy treasure hunters who come to the island never return.
Therefore, whether Moon Island has treasures or whether mermaids exist in the world remains a mystery.
But the child in front of me was all white, even her eyelashes were covered in a pale white frost, she was truly beautiful.
Just based on its appearance, even if you're not a mermaid, buying it would be a pleasure.
The man asked for two hundred gold coins as soon as he opened his mouth.
The crowd immediately booed.
Paying this price for a mermaid child whose authenticity is unclear is really not worth it.
Seeing the situation was turning against him, the man quickly lowered the price, cutting it off decisively. The crowd gathered again, and the price continued to be negotiated back and forth until it reached one hundred gold coins.
If the price was lowered any further, the man refused to budge.
The noise from the surroundings woke the boy up.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Those were very light brown eyes, clear as glass, beautiful yet fragile, almost making one forget to breathe.
Seeing this, the man became even more smug: "Isn't this worth a hundred gold pieces?"
"value."
The voice, though not loud, carried a hint of laughter and came from behind the crowd.
The crowd parted to make way.
The speaker wore a demon mask that covered most of his face. But just by looking at his figure and demeanor, one could tell that beneath the mask was a handsome young man.
The man looked him up and down, secretly calculating whether the other party could afford the price.
But the masked young master had no intention of haggling.
He simply took out a bag of gold ingots and casually tossed it over.
"This is the deposit."
"The rest, either come with me now to get them, or I will deliver them to your residence tomorrow."
The crowd gasped.
I can't believe it, the other party spent 100 gold so easily.
The man examined the gold ingots, beaming with joy. He immediately unchained the ingots, packed up his stall, and left.
The money was exchanged for the goods, and both parties were very satisfied.
Only the boy, treated like merchandise, stood quietly to the side, looking at the person in front of him with confusion.
Beneath the demon mask, only a pair of gentle eyes were visible, and he whispered, "Don't be afraid, you'll be with me from now on."
The boy hesitated, "But I'm not worth that much money."
He paused, then changed his tune, "He doesn't deserve that much money."
"You deserve it."
The masked young master raised his hand and patted his head.
With an inappropriate laugh, he said heartily, "But I've never had a hundred gold coins."
At this moment, the sound of the burly man, who hadn't gone far, cursing angrily came from afar, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
The boy's heart tightened.
Could it be that the money he gave the big man was fake?
He was a little scared.
Fearing he would be deceived, the man killed the two in a fit of rage, also fearing he would fall back into their hands.
Strangely enough, the burly man who had been chasing after them, cursing and swearing, ran right past them as if he couldn't see them at all.
As the cursing faded into the distance, the other party removed the mask.
It was a face so beautiful it was almost otherworldly, yet it carried a genuine and gentle smile.
He looked down and asked, "What's your name?"
The boy was stunned.
This question was somewhat unfamiliar to him.
He thought for a long time before gently shaking his head.
The other person wasn't surprised, as if they already knew the answer: "As expected, there's no name."
"What's your name?" the boy asked.
The other person paused slightly, then smiled brightly and replied, "My name is Bai Huo."
"Then... what should I call you?"
Bai Huo patted his head again, took off his outer robe, and draped it over the boy's shoulders. "You will have a name."
"But for now, we need to have a title first."
He rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, and suddenly said, "How about I call you Xiaobai?"
"..."
The boy fell silent, his pale fingers gripping his clothes tightly.
He didn't really like the name.
It sounds a bit like a puppy.
At that time, he didn't know that he wouldn't like that name in the future either.
*
For many years after being rescued, life was peaceful.
His master was a bit unreliable, calling him "Little White, Little White" every day.
The boy had protested seriously several times, but the other party pretended not to hear him and never agreed to change his name.
His master taught him to read and write, to identify stars, and to read his destiny chart.
Teach him to understand cause and effect, and to calculate life and death.
However, he was not allowed to be too close to others, nor was he allowed to get involved in the karma of others.
"Master."
The boy always felt sorry for them, thinking, "We could have helped them."
Upon hearing this, the master simply smiled and reached out to pat his head.
You'll get used to it.
It was a gentle smile, just like always, but it didn't reach his eyes at all.
They merely watched indifferently as others were destined to die.
At that time, he was still young and did not truly understand how deep the despair was hidden beneath the smile.
*
That winter, it snowed heavily.
The master sat by the window, wearing an old fox fur coat. The warm winter sun shone in, making him look exceptionally gentle.
"I'm finally going to die."
He spoke of it casually, even with a hint of excitement.
Xiao Bai didn't react immediately and subconsciously reached out to check his pulse, but the other person gently pressed his hand down.
The master smiled and said, "It's a good thing that your time has come."
At that moment, Xiaobai felt an indescribable panic.
It's not a fear of death, but an instinctive resistance to fate.
"noob."
His master looked at him, his gaze calm and gentle, "From now on, I can't call you Xiaobai anymore."
Outside the window, the snow fell silently.
"Finally, you have your own name."
Xiao Bai stood there, stunned.
"Replace me and become the next 'White Confusion' in this world."
At this moment, the boy finally understood that the reason his master was unwilling to name him was because he was the future "Bai Huo" (a derogatory term for a person who is easily confused or bewildered).
It will only be a "white bewilderment".
A preordained person who knows the workings of fate and understands the ways of the world.
He didn't want his master to die, nor did he want to become Bai Huo.
Thus, for the first time, he attempted to obscure destiny and say "no" to fate.
But the snow that was weighing down the treetops eventually fell down in a soft rustling sound.
The life of the previous "White Confusion" has finally come to an end.
The snow has stopped.
The world was eerily quiet.
From then on, fate no longer reasoned with him or showed him any mercy.
Whether Xiao Bai is awake or asleep, as long as Heaven desires it, those destinies and futures will haunt him like a nightmare forever.
Thus, he was forced to accept the name "Bai Huo".
He began to act on behalf of Heaven.
He saw the future of countless people, pushing them toward their predetermined fate.
Some cried, some hated, and some were resentful.
But the ending has never changed.
Not even once.
No, not ten times.
A hundred times, still nothing.
He went from initial hesitation and reluctance to occasional well-intentioned reminders.
Later on, I gradually learned to stand aside and observe detachedly, just like my master.
Learn to become a "tool" that propels your destiny forward.
He began to understand why his master had been so lonely back then.
It turns out that when the future is like a well-worn book, people can no longer have expectations and lose interest in its contents.
After that, he never reached out to fate again.
It also completely transformed into "White Confusion".
*
Many years later.
He discovered something strange in the birth chart.
Tang Yu.
A person whose fate, somewhere, subtly overlapped with his.
They also lacked original names, inherited a code name, and were similarly guided by fate to become beings they did not want to be.
But she was different from him.
Fate ordained that she live as "Yue Qimeng".
She was never swallowed up by that name.
They neither resisted fate nor bowed to it.
"I am Yue Qimeng, and also Tang Yu."
It turns out that some people can be both contradictory and self-consistent.
She didn't struggle with her own anxieties, but accepted her fate with equanimity. It was as if, no matter where the ending led, she could live in her own way.
Even when faced with a desperate situation, she had the courage to confront death without hesitation.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered Xiaobai from many years ago.
Countless times, I have had the spirit to face fate head-on and fight against it.
Then, through countless disappointments, they eventually wore themselves down completely.
He is neither a novice nor entirely a fool.
He could not become anyone, and ultimately resembled no one.
*
Ultimately, within the bounds of destiny, he fabricated a lie.
"Yue Qimeng cannot live, nor can she die."
In that instant, he felt as if he had returned to a long time ago, when his master was still alive.
He pleaded, "Could you... save them?"
The master sighed and patted his head. "Then... just this once, okay?"
That day, Lu Ya mocked him.
"You've done so much for her, and she has no idea."
"How foolish."
Bai Huo offered no explanation.
Whether Tang Yu knows or not is actually not important.
He suddenly realized that if everything follows the will of Heaven, the outcome will be exactly the same.
This world is inevitably dull.
Sometimes, letting fate deviate slightly can make the future unpredictable again.
Only then did the world regain some interest.
He wasn't helping Tang Yu, but rather the shadow of a certain soul.
As for himself.
Still standing outside of fate, Bai Huo, trapped by the laws of heaven.
Only occasionally, in the deserted Tianhua Palace late at night.
He also hopes that the next unexpected variable will appear in the world, one that should not exist but is just right.
[Author's Note]
I actually finished writing it yesterday, but I always felt it was lacking something. But that's just how my writing is; I can't seem to get it right now, lol. Happy New Year! May everything go smoothly for everyone, and may you always love life!
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