Chapter 91 Goodbye, Just Treat It as a Dream
"What's going on?" the red fox asked, noticing the uninvited guest behind the little girl. "Are you here to snatch my person too?"
The white-haired boy did not answer it, but just stopped Chang Xile behind him.
The red fox licked its front paw, seemingly considering its chances of success against this creature. After a moment, it slowly stood up and, smiling, asked him, "My name is Ninghu. You look like you've only recently achieved human form, haven't you? How about this: I'll take her heart and split it with you in half? Otherwise, beware, I'll kill you and leave you with nothing."
Chang Xile listened to the fox dividing her up like an object, and looked with a little panic at the profile of the young man in front of her whom she had never seen before.
He was silent, as if thinking about the feasibility of this deal.
According to what the fox said, he is not a human either.
Who knows if he's here to protect her or just to get a piece of the action?
Chang Xile looked back silently, thinking about the possibility of escaping from the hole before the two monsters caught him.
"The weather's been getting cold lately," the white-haired boy suddenly said, his tone provocative. "How about I peel off your skin and make it into clothes?"
"Such a big mouth! Then give it a try!" Seeing their negotiation was unsuccessful, the fox grew exasperated. It shrieked, and the surrounding red maple trees, blocking out the sun, tangled like blazing flames, their flames growing ever more intense with the wind. The fox approached them, slowly transforming into a red-haired man in his thirties.
Chang Xile, horrified by the scene before her, fell to the ground. She watched as the two men engaged in a dazzling exchange of blows. Each strike was aimed at the opponent's vital points. When she looked back, the half-man-high cave entrance was already engulfed in flames, leaving no escape.
A feeling of despair suddenly arose in her heart - no matter which of the two monsters in front of her won, she might die in the end.
"Some time ago, a man saw a talking fox, and then it disappeared. Did you kill it?" asked the white-haired boy.
"Not bad." The fox licked his lips, still savoring the taste, "Human hearts are really delicious." He turned to look at Chang Xile and added, "Especially a young lady like her who has a predestined relationship with the immortals. It is the most nutritious. It is equivalent to a hundred years of my cultivation. Hehehe..."
"You've committed such a crime, yet you still dream of becoming an immortal? I'm afraid you'll be struck to ashes when the thunder strikes." The white-haired young man's eyes showed hints of anger and disdain.
"Who said I want to become an immortal? What's so good about becoming one? Isn't it better to live as I please and eat people whenever I want? You practiced hard for more than ten or twenty years to get a tail. If you eat a human heart, you will improve overnight."
The fox realized he couldn't quickly finish off the young man, so while blocking his attacks, he whispered to him, "Would you like to reconsider? This girl is blessed with long-lasting blessings, and her body is imbued with spiritual energy. If we could eat her heart, even just half a piece, or even a mouthful, it would greatly enhance our cultivation. I'm not greedy; just half a piece would be fine."
When the white-haired boy heard him say this, anger suddenly flared in his eyes. He attacked more fiercely and said word by word, "Don't even think about touching a hair on her head."
Although the fox was struggling to hold back, he was stunned when he heard this. Suddenly realizing something, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Why, your people have always refused to be bound by humans, but now you've changed your ways and are willing to accept such a foolish and ignorant human as your leader?"
He glanced at Chang Xile and suddenly asked, "Then...if I kill her first, will you be helpless?"
The white-haired boy's gaze followed him and looked at Chang Xile behind him.
The next second, while the white-haired boy was distracted, he was scratched in the chest by the fox's claws. He groaned, and with a wave of his hand, he cut a long wound on its neck.
The fox cried out in pain and rolled to the ground, transforming back into a fiery red fox. The white-haired boy stumbled back a few steps and knelt on the ground, only to be supported by Chang Xile's shoulders and barely able to stay from falling.
He gasped in pain a few times and transformed into a blue-eyed, white, long-haired cat, curled up in Chang Xile's arms. Her eyes widened, and after recognizing it, she said in disbelief, "Are you safe?"
The fox struggled to stand. It had dodged quickly, so the wound on its neck, while long, wasn't deep enough to be fatal. It looked at the cat demon in front of it with some surprise: "You've actually cultivated three tails?"
But the fox quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter. This is my territory. You can't escape, but I can kill you over and over again. It's also very useful to improve my cultivation."
Ping An did not show any weakness. He calmly observed the fox's movements, thinking about how to strike a fatal blow next time.
In a moment, it rushed out of her arms again and fought with the fox.
Ping An was originally able to fight the red fox to a draw, but now the red fox changed its target and wanted to take Chang Xile's life first, so Ping An had a hard time resisting.
What's more, he had to fight quickly and decisively. The fox was like a fish in water in this environment, but the girl behind them gradually became weak. She had been sitting upright on the ground, but now her body slowly fell to the ground.
The raging fires all around caused the air temperature to gradually rise, which was unbearable for humans. After a while, Chang Xile would not be able to hold on any longer.
"Wake up, you can't sleep now. Joy... Joy!"
In a trance, she heard a familiar male voice calling her. It was as if on a sunny morning, someone told Chang Xile that she was no different from other children.
But when he opened his eyes, he saw flames still surging before him. Even the air seemed to have been scorched to a solid mass, rippling through the narrow space. Tall trees, in the flames, resembled deformed figures with long hair, twisting and screaming as they embraced each other.
It's like the Avici Hell.
It seemed like an eternity, yet it also seemed like only a few breaths. The outcome of the battle was now clear. Chang Xile struggled to sit up and saw a white cat blocking her way. It coughed a few times and vomited blood. The red fox in front of it was also badly damaged. It slowly approached, ready to deliver the final, fatal blow.
At that moment, Chang Xile lunged forward, shielding Ping An with her own body. The fox's palm struck her waist. Its claws, sharp enough to rip through flesh and rip through the heart, failed to tear even a layer of clothing. Instead, it cried out in pain as some unknown force sent it flying back several meters.
Chang Xile looked up, somewhat bewildered. She glanced at her waist, where there was no wound. Between her clothes was the red Chinese knot she had hung around her waist before leaving the house. It was a gift from her grandmother for her safety.
She quickly lowered her head to check Ping'an's injuries. The once elegant kitten now lay in her arms, its breathing gradually weakening, almost inaudible. She called its name somewhat helplessly, "Ping'an... Ping'an, wake up..."
The fox originally only wanted to trick this ignorant little girl into coming over for a feast, but unexpectedly, he was badly injured in the battle. He shouted in frustration: "No matter how powerful you are, you are just mortals. Let me burn you with fire and see what you are capable of!"
Chang Xile shed tears and held Ping An tightly in her arms, not letting the surrounding flames burn it in the slightest.
"...Ignorance." The cat was already badly injured, but still spoke with disdain, "Look up."
Puzzled, the fox glanced upward. The treetops were engulfed in flames, and it was impossible to distinguish leaves from branches. It looked exactly the same as before. It scoffed and said, "Don't struggle. No matter how many times you look, the result will be the same..."
It stopped talking midway, and Chang Xile looked up, only to see that the flame gradually grew weaker from the top, and then gradually dimmed around it.
Amid the crackling sound of trees burning in flames, Chang Xile heard another sound.
"Clatter, clatter, clatter."
That was the sound she hated most.
But it is what people want most at this moment.
After the wind blew, it rained.
Chang Xile raised his hand, and raindrops dripped from the gaps between the branches of the withered tree at the top. Then heavy rain poured down, extinguishing all the flames.
"Impossible... This is Yangcheng, why is it raining so heavily? Impossible..." The fox murmured in disbelief. As the rain got heavier, its strength gradually dissipated.
"I said, you have done many evil things and you will be punished by God. But she is a blessed person and will never die today." Ping'an stood up. He always hated water, but now he let the heavy rain wet his fur.
From all directions, things scrambled to get in through the gaps between the tree trunks. With a clear goal in mind, they pounced on the red fox in the clearing.
"What is that? It's so hot!" The fox rolled on the ground in pain. It couldn't get rid of the coldness on its body. The coldness penetrated into its bones, creating an effect that was no different from a burning flame.
Those are all the innocent souls who were harmed by the treacherous fox.
"Wait a moment, turn around and run in the direction the wind is blowing, and you will be home."
Chang Xile stared blankly at the scene before her. After the fire died, she could only see the dark shadows of the trees. She heard the boy's voice, but couldn't see his figure. She had a bad feeling in her heart and kept asking him, "What about you? Aren't you going back with me?"
"I still have some unfinished business, so you go first." Ping An was clearly badly hurt, but he chuckled and comforted her, "We'll see each other soon. Next time, don't be lazy and stay in bed again."
A pair of invisible hands lifted Chang Xile up, then gave her a gentle push on the back and said, "Go home, don't be afraid, just think of it as a dream."
Chang Xile held back her tears, crawled out of the tree hole that was originally blocked by the flames, and ran all the way out.
The night was pitch black, trees blotting out the sun. The rain poured down, drenching her hair so that it clung to her cheeks, nearly obscuring her vision. But the wind kept rustling in her ears. Chang Xile fought back tears, remembered Ping An's words, and ran in the direction of the wind.
Chang Xile has always hated the rain. Whenever it rains or snows, or when the weather is cold and gloomy, she always sees things that others can't—what are commonly known as ghosts.
People are afraid of ghosts, but when Chang Xile was very young, she thought these ghosts were no different from other humans. She just gave directions to lost ghosts and played games with them as usual.
But tonight, Chang Xile felt that countless strange ghosts, or perhaps ghosts she had met before, were carrying her small body and heading towards home.
She struggled to reach the foot of the mountain and knelt down in the pouring rain. Gradually, rain mixed with snow fell, covering her lightly. Chang Xile felt that this thin layer of snow seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, weighing her down so much that she had no strength to move forward.
"Hold on a little longer."
"Hurry up!"
"You can't help her. If she touches us, she'll get sick!"
"Then you'll get sick if you lie here all night."
Countless voices argued in her ears. Chang Xile slumped to the ground, her eyes barely open. She couldn't fall asleep, but... she truly had no strength left.
"Joy!—joy!"
In the distance, amidst the heavy snow, many people were shouting and holding flashlights. One person seemed to sense someone at the foot of the mountain and ran towards them.
Then they yelled, "Eureka! She's here!"
Chang Xile realized that the connection was broken here.
She only woke up once in a daze one night and saw all kinds of ghosts crowded outside the window, whispering about her:
"Oh, it's been burning for several days. If it continues, it will make me stupid."
"It's all your fault for scaring her in the bathroom that night. Children are weak and got frightened and caught a cold just by being touched!"
"I was just teasing her!"
Tears streamed down Chang Xile's face. She woke up, but couldn't move. She felt like she'd forgotten something important, like there was someone she needed to find.
The bedroom door creaked open, and a woman who looked 70% like her mother strode in. There was still unmelted snow on her clothes, as if she had rushed back overnight.
Tang You touched Chang Xile's forehead, covered her tearful eyes, and softly sang a lullaby for her.
"Don't be afraid, Auntie is here."
"These are all dreams. When you wake up, they will all be gone."
Just treat it as a dream.
The two similar sentences seemed to merge into one at this moment. Chang Xile's brain was like a paste. She wondered, was this a dream?
Tang You glanced out the window, and the group of ghosts watching the fun immediately scattered and fled.
Then everything became quiet; even the rustling sound of snow falling on the windowsill stopped.
…
Later, the adults simply said that she had lost her way in the mountains and caught a cold, and had a fever for several days and nights that did not go away. Her aunt, who had been traveling, rushed back to visit Chang Xile, who had been ill for a long time.
After recovering from his illness, Chang Xile would just sit by the window sill in his bedroom every day, looking at the mountain not far away.
She would occasionally glance at the windowsill, and she had the impression that a kitten might be staying there, but if she thought about it more carefully, she would feel a headache.
This is probably the aftereffect of the fever. I have a lot of dreams and even my memory has deteriorated.
Tang You suddenly opened the bedroom door and said to Chang Xile from outside, "Pack up the things you want to take with you. We're moving back to your grandparents' place in a couple of days."
Chang Xile turned around and said, "I don't want to leave."
"Why?" Tang You didn't understand, but she still patiently said to Chang Xile, "You've had a fever countless times since you came here. The climate in Yangcheng...is not suitable for you. Let's move to another place, Xile."
"I don't want it." Chang Xile turned back dejectedly.
"Can you tell me the reason?" Tang You asked.
Chang Xile looked at the empty windowsill and was speechless for a moment.
But she always felt that she had some unfulfilled promises.
It was only the adults who decided to move, and the children never had a say.
A few days later, Chang Xile quietly packed her belongings in her room, including the clothes, toys, and books she was leaving with. She had only been in Yangcheng for a few years, so there wasn't much she needed to take with her. She simply tossed some things she wouldn't need into the wastebasket.
However, she turned her gaze and picked up a red object at the foot of the table.
It was a Chinese knot, which seemed to have suffered some severe damage and was now in tatters.
Chang Xile frowned. She carefully put the Chinese knot into the book and looked around for a long time to confirm whether there was anything left behind.
"Xi Le - are you ready?" Mom and Dad called from downstairs. They were already loading the luggage into the car.
Chang Xile responded "Right away" and took one last look at the mountains outside the window.
She whispered softly, in a voice only she could hear: "Goodbye."
Then she turned around and slowly walked downstairs holding the last cardboard box.
The bedroom window was not closed, but not because its owner had forgotten.
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