Chapter 83083 Memoirs (End)
The days slipped by, and I knew very little about the war between Xiqi and the Shang Dynasty, nor did I know how far along it was. Although the main camp was just across the mountain, the village was so isolated that unless I went out of my way to inquire, I rarely learned any news naturally.
Although I wouldn't go out of my way to inquire about the news, my eyes would always drift involuntarily towards the mountain range that stretched at the end of my sight, as if I could penetrate the layers of rocks and see the direction of the camp.
I told myself that I was just thinking about the lotus seeds.
He had rarely passed by the old locust tree. Of course, I knew he wasn't just passing by, but there was no need to refute such a tacit understanding.
Without Nezha, my life cycles between sleeping - practicing medicine under the old locust tree - collecting herbs - and sleeping.
The village grew even more deserted, with most of the young and strong being conscripted for forced labor, or perhaps even military service. In those days, population was the most crucial resource. Those who remained were mostly elderly people with graying hair and a faltering gait, and a few women who simply couldn't leave. There weren't many children here; after all, the village was small, and not every household had children.
But it is different after all with children. The noise of children adds a lively atmosphere to this increasingly deserted village.
Today, the spot beneath this lush old locust tree has become the village's most popular spot. Every day, I'll lay out some common herbal remedies here, treating their headaches, fevers, and injuries. While I examine them, they'll sit on the stone blocks beneath the tree or simply on the ground, chatting in their slow, drawn-out, local dialect, thick with accents.
Occasionally, children would come up to me and ask for candy, but I always refused. I had generously given them candy, leaving me with nothing to eat. Plus, they had cavities, so I just threw up my hands and said no more.
At that time, the children in the village weren't that clever. They basically just followed whatever I said, and were incredibly naive. Perhaps it was because I was a witch doctor that I held some status in the village? Actually, I don't want to use the word "status," but it certainly has that connotation.
"Oh, I heard the water in the East River has gotten a lot muddier these days." Aqiu Po pounded her leg, squinting at the dirt road outside. "The other day, Aniu insisted on going fishing, and when he came back he said he saw a huge black shadow swaying in the water. I wonder if he's seen the river god?"
Uncle Ali, who was standing next to me, scratched his leg, which was covered in herbs, until his hands were covered in them. I glared at him, and he looked guilty. Then he turned his face to Aqiu Po and sneered, "What river god? I think it's just a big fish that has become famous! I saw it before, its back was black and blue, and it was longer than a small boat! These days, even animals live better than humans."
"Don't talk nonsense," Aqiu Po quickly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "There's a legend in my mother's family that the big creatures in the river will turn into dragons after eating enough blood! We have to respect them..."
The talk was getting more and more outrageous. If there really was a giant creature here that was about to transform into a dragon, how could the village still be so peaceful? Besides, the village was not far from the Xiqi camp. If they waited here for the dragon to transform, they wouldn't be afraid of being wiped out.
Even though I thought so, I still took it to heart, fearing that someone in the village might accidentally offend the other party. It wasn't me who was shooting, but generally, goblins like this are very petty when they reach a critical moment.
"In that case, for safety reasons, let's not go to that river for the next few days," I said.
They said it was good, but I don't know if they listened. In the end, it was just a suspicion, not a real sight.
Seeing their indifferent expressions, I just sighed.
After the topic of the giant creatures in Dongtou River ended, the conversation somehow shifted to me. Grandma Qiu took my hand, studied my face, and sighed, "What a pretty girl, with a kind heart. But you're all alone, with no one to rely on. Girl, tell me, do you have someone you like? In these chaotic times, having someone who understands your feelings is better than anything else."
I:……
I didn't know this topic would go around in circles and end up talking about my relationship issues.
Auntie Ayue, who had been listening for a long time, came over, her wrinkled face full of concern. "Yes, you see, although there are not many good young men in the village, there is a camp next door. In these chaotic times, you have to find someone strong enough to protect you."
When she said this, I was bandaging the wound on her hand. I smiled and shook my head.
Uncle Ali snorted: "You old women only know how to worry about this. I think this girl is not an ordinary person. Maybe she has her own ideas." Although he said this, he also looked at me, obviously curious.
I lowered my head, pretending to tidy the herbs beside me, avoiding their inquiring gazes. A sweetheart? That figure flashed through my mind, with the rebelliousness of a young man and the occasional, subtle gentleness. But I couldn't imagine him falling in love. The thought was too strange.
But as friends, it makes sense.
"Thank you, grandma and uncle, for your concern," I raised my eyes, curled the corners of my lips, and gave a vague answer, "It's pretty good now."
Seeing me like this, the old people stopped asking questions and just exchanged glances with each other, saying "This child has a miserable life" and "I'm afraid there's something on his mind". Their sighs mixed with the rustling of locust leaves and drifted away gently with the wind.
Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground, illuminating faces scarred by the passage of time, and also illuminating my own heart, which was drifting and unsure of where to go. The shadow of war didn't directly fall here, but it silently seeped into every inch of the air through this hollowed-out village.
My life fell into an eerie tranquility. Every day, I traversed the village and the stream, cultivating my mind, breathing, and feeling the meager demonic energy within me slowly grow. This tranquility was so complete that even the spirits in the forest seemed to have retreated, and the cries of the wind were tinged with a cautious silence.
The lingering worry made me extra cautious the next day as I went into the mountains to gather herbs. The mountain air seemed thicker than usual, even the birdsong was much less frequent. Just as I bent over to dig up a well-seasoned Polygonatum sibiricum, the bushes beside me silently parted, and a dazzling figure quietly stepped out.
It's a tiger.
Its amber eyes looked at me, revealing no ferocity, but instead a rare solemnity.
"The water's smell has been strange lately," its deep voice echoed directly in my mind. "It seems something has been coming up the underground river. The stench is strong, and carries a sense of... restless malice. You often walk near water, so be careful."
The tiger's words made my heart tighten. I don't know if it was the influence of Aunt Qiu and Uncle Ali's words or something else, but I immediately connected the tiger's reminder with the big guy in Dongtou River.
Not only does that thing exist, it may be more dangerous than imagined, otherwise how could it alarm the tigers in the mountains?
"Thank you, Tiger, for telling me." I thanked you solemnly.
The tiger swung its tail, looked at me deeply, and then disappeared into the shadows of the forest again.
For the next two days, I spent them in a state of near-fear. Every time I visited the old locust tree, I paid close attention to the villagers' every word about the Dongtou River, my gaze constantly darting toward it. Yet, the wind was calm, nothing happened. The river flowed as usual, the villagers went about their tight lives as usual, and even the sounds of children playing still echoed over the village. I almost wondered if I was being overly sensitive, and if the mountain lord's warnings were only directed at other spirits.
Until that afternoon, when the sun was shining brightly, I had just applied herbal medicine to an old man who sprained his ankle when I heard a heart-wrenching cry coming from far away.
"My son! Ah Niu! Ah Niu is missing!"
A woman with disheveled hair and a pale face crawled to the old locust tree and grabbed the arm of Aqiu Po, who was closest to her. Her voice was trembling, "She was playing at the door after dinner, and in the blink of an eye, she's gone! I searched everywhere in the village, but she can't find her!"
The crowd immediately gathered around and asked questions one after another.
"Aniu's mother, don't be impatient. Tell me slowly. Did the child go to someone else's house to play?"
"Did we go into the mountains? You can't go to the back mountain!"
Aniu's mother collapsed on the ground, pounding the ground and crying breathlessly: "No! Nothing at all! I just didn't keep an eye on it for a moment!"
"Aniu's mother, don't worry, we can look for it separately!" Aqiu Po tried to comfort her calmly.
The villagers immediately became agitated, and some of them started forming teams to search the mountains.
I forced myself to calm down. My child was missing, and I was worried. The village was sealed off, so it was impossible for a kidnapper to get in. So, he could only run off somewhere to play. But we'd already searched the entire village...where could he have gone?
By the way, there are only a few children in the village, and they usually play together. He searched the crowd hastily, and sure enough, he found those children huddled at the edge of the crowd, their faces pale, their eyes evasive, and they were tugging at each other's clothes, looking like they wanted to run away but didn't dare.
I narrowed my eyes and thought to myself, "As expected."
I pushed through the crowd and quickly walked up to the children. I squatted down and tried to make my voice sound calm so as not to scare them. "Xiao Shitou, Erya, did you play with Aniu this afternoon?"
The children's bodies stiffened, their heads dropped even lower, their lips pursed tightly, and they didn't dare to look at me.
Seeing this, Little Stone's mother raised her hand to hit him: "Did you naughty monkeys take Ah Niu somewhere wild again? Tell me now!"
I quickly stopped her and shook my head. Looking at the children's tiny bodies trembling with fear, I softened my voice and said, "Don't be afraid. Tell me, where did you go to play this afternoon? Did Niu hide somewhere, playing a joke on you, and that's why you didn't find him?"
Erya timidly looked up at me, then quickly lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito: "We...we didn't go to any dangerous place..."
"Yes, yes," Little Stone stammered in agreement, "We'll play hide-and-seek near the village..."
Their reaction further confirmed my suspicions. When children lie, they are always afraid to look people in the eye, and their voices will unconsciously become smaller. I gently held Erya's cold little hand and spoke more slowly: "Sister knows that you are all good children and would not deliberately lose Aniu. But you see, it's getting dark, and Aniu will be scared and in danger if he is alone outside. If we find him sooner, he will be safe. Where did you end up separating from him? Tell me, okay? I promise that I won't let you get beaten."
Perhaps it was the "danger" and "darkness" that touched them, or perhaps my gentle attitude made them let down their guard a little. Erya's eyes were red, and she whispered in a tearful voice: "We...we went to play over at Dongtou River...Aniu said the reeds over there were tall and it was easy to hide..."
Little Shitou also panicked and added with tears in his eyes, "But...but we looked for him several times and called him but he didn't respond...We thought, we thought he was worried that we couldn't find him and sneaked back home..."
My heart was shocked.
Dongtou River!
The children's words were like the final piece of a puzzle, confirming their worst suspicions. They hadn't been hiding anything maliciously; they were simply childish. They assumed their friends had gone home on their own, and they were afraid of being punished for playing by the river, which was expressly forbidden by the adults. So they didn't dare to speak out.
"Okay, I get it, you're very brave." I patted Erya's head, immediately stood up, and shouted to the panicked crowd, "The children said they were playing hide-and-seek with Aniu by the Dongtou River this afternoon! Aniu might still be there, or he might have encountered another problem! Those who are familiar with water, bring ropes and sticks, and follow me to the river to look for him! The rest of you continue to search in the village and nearby areas!"
"Dongtou River!" When Aniu's mother heard this, her eyes rolled back and she almost fainted. The people around her helped her up.
The crowd erupted again, a mixture of worry, fear, and a hint of anger hidden by the children. Several men immediately responded and hurried to get tools.
I couldn't care less, so I turned and headed towards Dongtou River, sprinting once more. The setting sun stretched my shadow, yet the chill in my heart was even deeper than the night itself. This time, I feared it wasn't just a false alarm. Perhaps because of my memory of the Dragon King devouring young boys and girls, I now thought of the child's disappearance as a demonic predator seeking to eat children.
…
By the time we hurried to the Dongtou River, the setting sun had already dyed most of the water a blood-red. The broad river seemed calm, only the rustling of the wind through the dense reeds added a touch of eeriness.
“Aniu——!”
"Aniu! Where are you? Come out!"
The villagers dispersed, shouting at the top of their lungs, using the sticks they brought to push aside reeds taller than a person, carefully searching every corner for possible hiding places. The sound of sticks hitting the ground, the crisp snap of reeds, and the anxious calls intertwined, breaking the quiet of the riverbank.
“Not here!”
"I've looked here, but I can't find it!"
"Could he have gone home on his own?" After searching in vain, someone began to doubt, his tone filled with fatigue and a hint of luck.
Aniu's mother, who had followed, slumped on the shore, gazing at the vast reed marshes and the deep river. Her tears had long since dried up, leaving only empty despair.
My heart sank. Could it really not be here? Were we mistaken? Perhaps Ah Niu had wandered off to the woods beyond because he was too playful?
Just when everyone was thinking of giving up and preparing to return to the village to make further plans, an extremely faint cry for help, as if coming through thick cotton wool, faintly came into my ears.
"Help... there's... there's a monster..."
It was Ah Niu's voice! Although it was faint, I couldn't have mistaken it!
I suddenly raised my hand, signaling everyone to be quiet: "Shh! Listen!"
Everyone held their breath and listened intently. The wind rustled the river, the reeds swayed, and the water rippled gently, but otherwise, there was silence.
"Where's the sound..."
"Girl, are you too nervous and did you hear it wrong?" Uncle Ali asked with a frown.
"I really heard it! It was Aniu's voice!" I explained anxiously, my eyes fixed on the seemingly calm river surface.
That sound...seems to come from under the water!
A terrifying thought instantly seized me. If there's nothing on the shore, then it must be... in the water! Thinking of the tiger's warning, I felt like, "It's finally here."
"You guys go back first," I took a deep breath, trying to sound calm, "I'll look downstream along the river bank. Maybe Ah Niu got washed away."
"This...it's getting dark, it's too dangerous for you to go alone!" Aqiu Po grabbed me worriedly.
"It's okay, I'm a good swimmer." I broke free from her hand and said firmly, "You go back first and take good care of Niu's mother. If I find Niu, I'll bring him back immediately."
Seeing my firm attitude, and the fact that they were really tired and clueless after searching for a long time, the villagers had no choice but to support each other and walked towards the village with the almost exhausted Aniu Niang, looking back every few steps.
Watching their figures disappear in the twilight, I turned around without hesitation and jumped into the icy river.
The river was colder and deeper than I'd imagined. I held my breath, my legs transformed into a fish's tail, and nimbly dove downward. The deeper I went, the dimmer the light and the greater the water pressure, making it impossible for ordinary people to reach. Fortunately, I wasn't human, but a spirit.
The river is deeper than I thought.
Just as I was about to reach the muddy and weed-covered riverbed, a steep rock face caught my eye. Beneath it, half-hidden by dense weeds, was a dark cave entrance. A faint, fishy undercurrent slowly flowed from the cave.
And Aniu's weak cry for help became clearer at this moment, coming from the depths of the cave.
Without caring whether there was a greater danger hidden in the cave, I pushed aside the water plants and swam in without hesitation.
The cave was initially extremely narrow, barely passable, but after a few dozen steps, it suddenly opened up. Inside was a vast, dry cavern, the air thick with a strong, fishy stench and an unsettling sense of oppression.
I am a carp spirit, so even in the darkness of the riverbed, I can see clearly. So, I spotted Ah Niu, curled up in the corner, immediately. He was tightly bound by some slippery water plants, his face pale, his body soaked, and he was shivering.
"Aniu!" I swam over hurriedly and reached out to untie the water plants.
"Sister!" When Ah Niu saw me, tears welled up in his eyes. His voice was filled with sobs and extreme fear. "There is a monster! A giant snake with horns! It said it wanted to eat me!"
At this moment, a fishy wind suddenly rushed from behind him! Accompanied by a low, sinister laugh like thunder:
"Huh... I was wondering which ignorant aquatic creature dared to break into my cave, but it turns out to be you, little carp spirit."
I turned sharply and saw a massive black figure slowly rising from the depths of the cave. It was a dragon covered in pitch-black scales. Its body was thicker than a water tank, and the two hideous fleshy bumps on its head were already forming the beginnings of dragon horns. Its vertical pupils gleamed a cruel and greedy golden light in the dim light, staring intently at Niu and me.
"It just so happens that I'm about to transform into a dragon. I need the pure flesh and blood of a young boy to stabilize my cultivation and help me break through the final barrier!" The dragon opened its bloody mouth, and its foul saliva dripped onto the ground with a hissing, corrosive sound. "Although your cultivation is shallow, your merits and virtues are pure. Offer them to me as a blood meal to celebrate my transformation into a dragon!"
Its massive body slowly swam, blocking the path to the cave entrance. A terrifying pressure loomed, like a physical presence. I stood in front of Ah Niu, my heart pounding, my palms wet with sweat. This was big trouble!
I suppressed the throbbing in my heart, tightly protecting Ah Niu behind me, and faced the dragon that exuded terrifying pressure. The air in the cave was stagnant, and only the dragon's heavy breathing and Ah Niu's suppressed sobs echoed.
"Oh? Still want to protect this blood food?" Seeing my attitude, the dragon sneered disdainfully, its golden pupils full of mockery. "You're just a small river carp, with only a few years of cultivation, and you dare to show off in front of me? Perfect! Swallowing you will be an appetizer for my Dragon Transformation Feast!"
Before I could finish my words, its massive tail, carrying a tremendous force, swept towards me like a bolt of black lightning. A strong wind blew in my face, scratching my cheeks painfully.
I dared not take it head-on! I pushed Ah Niu hard, pushing him deeper into the corner. Using my petite body and fish instincts, I slid dangerously close to the rough cave wall. The dragon's tail brushed the corner of my clothes and slammed heavily into the rock wall, sending debris flying and shaking the entire cave.
"You're so quick to dodge!" The dragon seemed a little angry after missing its attack. It spun its massive body flexibly, and its sharp claws slashed down with a sharp scream that tore through the air! "Let's see how long you can hide!"
I crouched down and rolled over, gathering demonic power at my fingertips. Several solid water arrows shot out, aiming directly at its relatively vulnerable abdomen and eyes.
"A trifle!" The dragon didn't flinch. A flash of black light emanated from its body, and its water arrows collided with its hard scales, disintegrating and leaving only a few white marks. It laughed wildly, "My scales are almost like those of a true dragon. How can your puny magic power break them?"
The vast disparity in power weighed heavily on my heart. I gritted my teeth, abandoning my attack and channeling all my demonic energy into dodging and maneuvering. I weaved through its massive form, using the cave's jagged stalactites and narrow crevices to navigate its path.
"Like a slippery loach! So annoying!" After a long period of attack, the dragon had apparently lost its patience. It suddenly opened its maw and a stream of black water, thick as ink and highly corrosive, gushed out at me like a waterfall! The range was so vast that it practically covered all my possible evasive routes!
"Sister, be careful!" Aniu screamed in fear in the corner.
There's no way to retreat! My eyes sharpened, and I instantly compressed all my demonic power in front of me, forming a rotating dark blue water shield.
"laugh--!"
The black water slammed into the water shield with a teeth-grinding sound. The shield thinned at a visible speed. The intense impact made my blood boil, my throat felt sweet, and I nearly vomited blood. But I held on, my feet plowing two shallow grooves into the rocky ground.
"Let's see how long you can last!" The dragon grinned and continued to spit out black water.
At this moment, I noticed that due to its continuous exertion, a palm-sized, slightly lighter-colored scale under its neck twitched slightly. That is the hub where its demonic power circulates throughout its body, and it is also its relatively weak point in defense!
Chance!
A gleam of light flashed in my eyes. Whatever Jiao or dragon, the most important thing is the reverse scale and tendons.
I suddenly withdrew the water shield that was about to break. At the moment when the black water reached my body, I did not retreat but advanced, concentrated all the remaining demonic power in my hands, and then turned my whole body into a stream of blue light, and crashed into the reverse scale regardless of everything!
"You're looking for death!" The dragon didn't expect me to fight so desperately. It was too late for him to shrink his body and defend himself!
“Puff!”
With the dull thud of shattering scales and tearing flesh, I felt as if I had collided with a mountain of iron. My bones groaned, and excruciating pain instantly overwhelmed my consciousness. But my hand, imbued with demonic power, delivered a powerful blow, successfully piercing beneath that inverse scale!
"The man-eating monster deserves to die!"
"roar--!!!"
The dragon roared in agony, its massive body tumbling violently, shaking the cavern to its core. Blood gushed from its neck, and its breath faded at an alarming rate, clearly suffering severe trauma.
And I held it tightly, and at the moment when its breath weakened, I reached into its body and pulled out a dragon tendon. Blood splashed on my face, and the burning sensation covered half of my cheek, but I didn't care at all.
The bad news: while pulling out the dragon's tendons, I was also slammed hard against the rock wall by the immense force of its frantic struggle, and then slid to the ground. My whole body felt like it was falling apart, my meridians ached, my demonic power was almost exhausted, my vision was black, and even moving a finger became extremely difficult.
Good news: the dragon tendon has been pulled out and I am holding it tightly.
The cave was in a mess. A dragon was gasping and roaring in pain in the distance, and soon lost its voice.
Even Ao Bing, a real dragon, couldn't regenerate after his tendons were pulled out, let alone a dragon that hasn't transformed yet?
I collapsed to the ground, feeling my life force slipping away, my vision blurring. I could still hear Ah Niu's sobbing voice calling out, but it was growing fainter and fainter...
"...Aniu, come here..."
“…I’ll take you up…”
Consciousness flickered like a candle in the wind. The icy river water had already soaked through my bones, but even colder was the feeling of life rapidly draining from my body. Every muscle wailed, every bone felt like it was shattering. Only the hand gripping the dragon tendon, stained with sticky dragon blood, retained a lingering, almost cramped strength.
Almost relying on instinct, I used up my last bit of strength and dragged the dying body and the unconscious Aniu to the surface with difficulty.
The night is as cool as water, and the waning moon is like a hook.
The riverbank was silent, with only the gurgling of water. I pushed Ah Niu onto the relatively dry shore, but I didn't even have the strength to climb back up. My lower body was submerged in the icy water, and my upper body slumped limply on the mud and gravel on the bank.
Severe pain and extreme weakness washed over my remaining consciousness like a tide. My vision began to blur, and everything around me was shrouded in a gray haze. The stars in the night sky seemed to spin, and the moon's shadow became fragmented.
I could feel the tiny amount of demonic energy within me dissipating, like a sand castle melting in the tide. My life force, flowing through the wounds severely inflicted by the dragon, along with the dwindling demonic energy within me, escaped bit by bit, returning to this world.
So cold...
Colder than the water at the bottom of the river.
I heard distant, anxious cries, like Grandma Qiu, Uncle Ali... Have the villagers come? Good luck... Aniu... is saved...
The edges of the vision began to be swallowed by a thick darkness, a darkness that was warm and inviting, as if inviting the weary traveler to sink into eternal sleep.
Just when his consciousness was about to completely sink, a vague figure suddenly popped into his mind.
The young man in a red robe with a rebellious look between his brows... Nezha.
...Lotus seeds, it seems I can’t wait any longer.
...What a pity...
The last thought dissipated lightly, like a stone thrown into the lake, which only caused a circle of imperceptible ripples before completely fading into silence.
The fingers that were tightly gripping the dragon's tendons finally loosened their grip powerlessly.
I should be pretty good, right?
——
The body lying on the shore twitched slightly for the last time, and then there was no more life.
Eyes slowly closed.
It won't open again.
The cold light of the waning moon quietly sprinkled on her pale face, which was stained with blood and mud, as if covering it with a layer of mournful veil.
The night wind blew through the reeds, making a whimpering sound. The river continued to flow tirelessly, carrying away traces of blood and battle, and as if it wanted to take this quietly deceased soul to the distant other side.
Only the blood-stained dragon tendon, symbolizing a tragic victory, lay quietly beside her hand, emitting a cold luster in the moonlight.
Until a young man in a red robe fell from the sky.
He picked up the lifeless, soft body and lowered his eyes.
"I brought lotus seeds..."
-----------------------
Author's comment: Is there one more chapter left in the main text? I think it is [shy]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com