Chapter 9 009 After finishing the story
I don't think I've ever told Nezha my name. Since I knew who he was, I instantly forgot to introduce myself. Not only the first time we met, but the next two times I even forgot.
So I thought to myself that next time I would tell him my name when we meet.
But I didn’t expect that the next opportunity to meet would come so soon.
When I reappeared at Chentang Pass, the sky seemed to have been overturned by a vast pool of ink, its walls teetering on the brink of collapse. Beneath the walls lay a suffocating wall of water, its murky red waters shimmering with shimmering waves. Those were the shrimp soldiers and crab generals of the deep-sea dragon palace, their ferocious faces looming in the raging waves. A multitude of gods gazing down upon the earth brought a terrifying sense of oppression. No wonder mortals were said to be powerless against the gods; their mere presence was enough to terrify them. At this moment, mortals were filled with nothing but fear of the gods.
I stood atop the wall, the crimson Hun Tian Ling fluttering in the wind like a flaming banner. The wind, whirling with salty, fishy vapor, lashed my face fiercely. The mighty fortress beneath my feet, once sheltering the people, groaned under the weight of the mighty waves unleashed by the Four Seas Dragon King. With each crash of the waves, the wall trembled in agony. Cold water seeped through the cracks in the masonry, snaking and crawling, soaking the broken limbs and cries of humanity. This, I imagined, was the three thousand human sacrifices, and perhaps even the people of Chentang.
The ritual process had changed a bit. It was easy to guess, Nezha was never one to bow down. But by the time I arrived, a fierce battle had already ended.
And this is the consequence of fierce fighting.
There was no doubt about it. I knew what was going to happen next, but I was powerless to stop it. Cutting flesh to repay his mother, cutting bones to repay his father, had become a part of Nezha's life. And I could only watch quietly as this part of his life began and ended.
I looked expressionlessly at Li Jing, who kept cursing, "Evil creature! Don't admit your mistakes!" It seemed that only the Li Jing in "The Legend of Nezha" could be regarded differently. Perhaps the Nezha there didn't perform such a feat as pulling out dragon tendons, so everything seemed to be resolvable. After all, he was a son-in-law, so if he was too cruel, he would be banned. Madam Yin was supported by several maids and knelt on the side. Her body was shaking violently, and her sobs were like a bird with its throat strangled, mournful and weak. "My son, my son, admit your mistakes! Mother... please!"
In most settings, Madam Yin strikes me as a familiar, delicate, virtuous wife and loving mother. While cliché, it truly evokes the radiance of motherhood. There was a drama where Madam Yin was a female general, which was a novel idea. Unfortunately, the female general was just a character. I completely fail to understand the purpose of assigning Madam Yin the role of a female general. Throughout the series, I only see her mindless devotion to her husband and son. While touching, how does it differ from those other melodramas? A female general shouldn't be like that. She shouldn't be trapped between her husband and child.
Nezha stood before his parents, blocking out the angry roars and desperate sobs behind them. As if sensing something, his gaze suddenly shot in my direction. Perhaps it was an illusion, but I actually saw him smile at me.
The roars of dragons from all directions were deafening, and I covered my ears. At this time, Nezha had turned around and burst into a wild laughter that shook the earth and sky facing the rolling dragon.
"Hahaha--"
The laughter was like thunder, splitting the dull wind and rain, drowning out the surging waves underfoot and the heart-wrenching cries from under the city.
"Admit your mistake?"
"What have I done wrong?!"
The roar exploded in the wind and thunder.
"What's wrong with killing that evil dragon that abducted a young girl?! What's wrong with protecting the innocent people at Chentang Pass?!"
He raised his hand and grabbed it, and the sword at Li Jing's waist fell into his hand with a clang. The sword's edge rang, as if echoing his anger and unyielding spirit.
"I, Nezha, will take responsibility for my own actions!"
Four giant dragons stirred violently within the dark clouds, their deafening roars, brimming with anger at being provoked by Nezha, as they thundered down! The huge waves below seemed to be lifted higher by an invisible giant hand, slamming down fiercely towards the crumbling city wall with destructive force.
"No--"
Nezha, sword in hand, turned to the kneeling Li Jing. His voice was as clear as the cracking of metal: "Father, since you said that this body of flesh and blood was given by you..." Before he could finish his words, the cold and gleaming sword in his hand suddenly pierced his arm! Blood gushed out instantly, splashing hotly onto Madam Yin's plain skirt, like a shocking blossom blooming on the snow.
Madam Yin screamed in shock and tore her hair in vain with her hands, her nails digging deep into her scalp, but she was powerless to prevent the tragedy of flesh and blood being torn apart.
"And this flesh and blood, I will return to my mother today!" Nezha's voice remained unwavering despite the excruciating pain. Then, he swung the blade in his hand, ruthlessly stabbing it between his ribs. With a crisp "crack," the blade scraped across bone, a sound that numbed his scalp. The blade, like a carving knife, scraped against the bone, making a heart-pounding sound. He endured the excruciating pain and shouted, "This body and bones, I will return to my father today!"
When the last bloody bone was thrown onto the cold ground, the once living body collapsed.
“Take…there!”
"Take them all!"
I stared blankly at Nezha, who had completed his plotted death, my hands and feet cold. Why was it so heroic? Behind the simple phrase, "I give my flesh to my mother, my bones to my father," lies a tragic tapestry of bloodshed and brutality.
It hurts so much...
It really hurts...
Something in my chest was surging uncontrollably. I controlled my limbs and moved towards where Nezha had fallen. But my legs wouldn't obey me. I finally crawled to his side, looking at him covered in blood, but I was at a loss as to what to do.
"you……"
He tilted his head to look at me, and as soon as he opened his mouth, blood gushed out.
I covered his wound, and blood oozed out from between my fingers, winding and dyeing Mrs. Yin's skirt red again.
"name……"
I stared at him in disbelief. It was already this late!
"name……"
"Stop talking, please stop talking!"
"name……"
"Okay, okay, my name is... Ayu, my name is Ayu."
The corner of his mouth curled up, and he stretched out his index finger to hook my fingertips.
"Thank...you, A...Yu."
"Really, please stop talking!"
"I... bumped into you."
Then, the fingers fell.
I stared at the motionless body, and for the first time, I fell silent. I knew he would be resurrected by relying on the lotus root, but, but...
——Click.
I raised my hand and touched the corner of my eye.
I cried.
I can cry too.
——
My soul returned to the lotus pond, and I, like a fish, was completely still. Nezha's tragic death lingered in my mind. I even began to wonder why I wasn't just an ordinary carp. Fish only have a memory of seven seconds, so it's best to forget everything quickly.
It's so uncomfortable...
It's really hard...
I'm depressed and I need a therapist.
But in the entire lotus pond, the only one who could speak was the little lotus. And it seemed like the little lotus hadn't woken up since I woke up. Even when I nibbled on its stem or petals, it didn't react.
I swam to the shore and saw a crane gracefully landing on the shore. It was Taiyi Zhenren's mount.
I was stunned and was about to dive into the pond when the crane actually started talking.
"What are you running for, you idiot!"
I:……
Help! I heard a crane speaking Sichuan dialect!
"He's about to transform into a human form. Let's set up a dragon gate formation and wait for him to come."
I:……
Ahhhh!
Help!
This kind of crane is no longer immortal!
"Why are you talking! Please shut up!"
It’s impossible to shut up, I can never shut up in this life! Chuan Xianhe is chattering non-stop, but the problem is that I’m not good at Sichuan dialect!
At this moment, a golden light suddenly appeared in the lotus pond.
The Sichuan crane spread its wings and stamped its feet continuously.
"Ouch! My eyes! My eyes are going to go blind!"
I:……
Please spare me!
I swam towards the little lotus emitting golden light and called out its name, but it was oblivious.
At this time, Taiyi Zhenren arrived. He slowly spread out his palm, and in his palm lay a translucent green spirit pearl with flowing light. It was the spirit pearl that contained a part of Nezha's soul.
His lips moved slightly, and silent mantras spread out like invisible ripples. The spirit pearl then slowly rose up and hovered above the blooming lotus, emitting a faint glow.
The Immortal raised his sleeve once more, and the lotus in the pond, along with the lotus root in the mud, rose into the air. In an instant, a miraculous scene occurred—the broken end of the lotus root automatically separated, its roots moving like silver threads, and the node quietly bulged.
Suddenly, the spirit pearl shone brightly, then shattered with a loud bang, turning into a ray of green light that penetrated directly into the lotus root segment.
The lotus root body suddenly trembled violently, and it seemed as if countless tiny silver threads were swimming, weaving, and entwining wildly in the deep pores of the lotus root. Those were the lotus root fibers reshaping the meridians.
Chuan Xianhe and I were amazed at what we saw. It was pretty much the same as what was shown in the TV series.
At this moment, the lotus root nodes began to slowly swell and stretch, gradually outlining the outline of the boy - head, shoulders, arms, waist, legs...
The whiteness of the lotus root gradually took on a jade-like complexion in the halo of light.
When the last wisp of green smoke completely sank into the depths of the lotus root, slight "crackling" sounds rang out one after another, and the lotus root man suddenly opened his eyes! Those familiar golden eyes made my heart tremble.
His chest heaved violently as he took a deep breath of the human air for the first time. He then tilted his head slightly, his eyes vaguely passing over his fingers made of lotus root segments, and then slowly moved his gaze, finally landing on the face of Taiyi Zhenren in front of him, who had slightly red eyes, white hair and a youthful face.
"division……"
Taiyi Zhenren stretched out his hand tremblingly, and his fingertips brushed across the smooth forehead of the lotus root boy, and a drop of warm liquid finally fell.
“Master…”
That voice, like the wind passing through withered lotus leaves, carried the slightly bitter sweetness of lotus roots, gently brushed past Taiyi Zhenren's ears. Unable to hold back any longer, tears rolled down his face. He opened his arms and gently embraced the body shaped from lotus roots, the soul rekindled.
"My child!"
Watching the two embrace, I couldn't help but cry. It was actually quite bizarre for me. One moment, I was engrossed in Nezha's suicide, and the next, he was resurrected. Life is truly a rollercoaster of joy and sorrow.
"It's so touching! I can't hold back my tears!"
I wiped away my tears and looked at Chuan Xianhe with an expressionless face.
At this time, Little Lotus - well, I can't call him Little Lotus anymore, I should call him Nezha, he saw me, and the beautiful face in the dream showed a smile.
"Ayu."
He walked towards me.
I let out a sharp explosion: "Clothes, clothes, you're not wearing any clothes!"
The Sichuan crane opened its wings and covered my eyes at the right time, regardless of how uncomfortable its wings were immersed in the pool.
Nezha: ...
Nezha's face flushed slightly, and behind him came the low chuckle of Taiyi Zhenren.
He had a stern face and waved his hand. The lotus and lotus leaves dispersed and wrapped around his body. After a flash of golden light, a set of clothes made of lotus and lotus leaves suddenly took shape.
Wait, why are the petals around the waist missing a hole?
Oh, I bit it.
Hehe. That's okay.
Nezha came to the shore holding a lotus pod, and peeled out a lotus seed for me.
"Promise."
When I put the lotus seeds in my mouth, the sweet fragrance spread instantly. "I want more!" I jumped out of the water to ask for more lotus seeds.
"You idiot, you're going to be pickled!"
I:……
Chuan Xianhe is making sarcastic remarks again!
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com