Chapter 64 A Joyful Reunion, Hearts Set in Separate Time Six Hundred Years Ago. In the mortal realm…
Six hundred years ago. A village in the human world.
Having just endured nine bolts of heavenly lightning, Yan Chao slowly awoke. She opened her heavy eyelids, feeling a visibly numb sensation throughout her body, as if she were floating. She raised a hand; it was black, but all her vitals were still there. She thought to herself, "That heavenly lightning was brutal; it almost burned me to a crisp." Suddenly, she heard a hissing sound above her. Opening her eyes, she saw a snake flicking its tongue, glaring at her menacingly.
Yan Chao forced a smile and said dryly, "Hello." The next moment, the snake lunged at her. She quickly rolled over, but unexpectedly, there was nothing beneath her. Before she could react, she heard a "thud" and fell to the ground.
Only then did she belatedly realize she was hanging from a tree, and the fall felt like her bones were about to shatter. She chuckled twice at the snake in the tree and said, "Even lightning couldn't kill me, and you think you can eat me? No way!" Though she said this, she was afraid of angering the snake, so she struggled to her feet and walked towards a house not far away. Seeing the door open, she went straight in, about to ask, "Is anyone home?" when suddenly everything went black, and she fainted.
When Yan Chao woke up, it was already evening. The room was pitch black, with only a few specks of moonlight shining in. She suddenly breathed a sigh of relief; she was really still alive. She pulled out a candle from somewhere and lit it. By the dim light, she looked at herself in the mirror and was truly shocked: her hair was split into a frizzy mess, her clothes were tattered, and she was so black that she couldn't even recognize herself.
Yan Chao chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "This is truly unbelievable."
After that day, Yan Chao didn't see anyone return for a long time, so she stayed here temporarily. There was a fruit tree in the yard, so she ate the fruit to fill her stomach. Later, she went up the mountain to pick mushrooms and catch pheasants. After resting for a few days, she regained her strength and also figured out the situation here.
The scenery here is pleasant, and the village is home to several dozen families. The villagers are quite kind. The family she lived in had all five members die in the chaos of the All Souls, and no one had lived there since. The living would come regularly to repair and clean it, so even though almost twenty years had passed, it remained exactly as it was.
According to the villagers, the village originally had nearly a hundred households, but due to the chaos of the Wanling Incident, only a few dozen remain. With so many people displaced from the outside world, the villagers cleaned out the empty houses so that if anyone from outside came, they would have a place to stay. However, they still avoided discussing the Wanling Incident.
A villager asked her, "Young lady, you're so young, why are you all alone? The world outside is in a terrible state these days."
Yan Chao simply said, "I came here as a refugee. I accidentally got separated from my companions on the way and ended up here alone."
That's right. Even though less than twenty years have passed, wars still break out from time to time, and peaceful times have only lasted a few years.
The villager sighed, said nothing more, and told Yan Chao before leaving, "Miss, please stay here in peace. Although it's a bit deserted here, it's still a safe place. Just let me know if you need any help."
Yan Chao said, "Thank you."
Yan Chao didn't know how long she would stay, but she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. So she asked the villagers for some vegetable seeds, planted them in her yard, and often went up the mountain to collect herbs to exchange for money in town. She also got along well with her relatives and neighbors. Half a month passed like this. One day, when Yan Chao was washing clothes by the river, she saw something moving on the riverbank from afar. When she got closer, she found it was an infant still in swaddling clothes!
She quickly picked up the baby; the swaddling clothes were loose, soaked through, and covered in mud. The child was thin and dark-skinned, also covered in mud, and somehow had a patch of mud stuck to his mouth, clearly on the verge of suffocating. Yan Chao immediately treated the child, and after some effort, finally restored his normal breathing. She looked around, wondering who had abandoned the child there, then glanced at the little one and said gently, "I'll take you home. Don't be afraid, I'll save you."
Yan Chao gave the child a bath and discovered that no matter how he washed the child, his skin remained black. Moreover, the child looked strange, even somewhat ugly: his hair was green on top and yellow on the bottom, with two bluish, scale-like growths on either side of his eyebrows, pointed ears, and freckles on his face, all complemented by his dark skin. Apart from those big, bright eyes, nothing seemed quite right.
Is this some kind of little monster we picked up?
After some investigation, Yan Chao finally confirmed that the strangely-looking child came from the legendary mirage. She had heard that anyone who left the mirage was doomed. She couldn't understand what reason could possibly lead someone to so cruelly abandon such a young child.
Yan Chao kissed the little one tenderly and said, "From now on, as long as I have food to eat, I will never let you go hungry. No! Even if I go hungry, I will never let you go hungry. Also, it turns out you weren't dark because you got mud on you, you were naturally dark. From now on, I'll call you Adele, okay?"
The little guy seemed to understand and giggled twice. But the sound was...well, let's just say it was...unpleasant.
"By the way, are the children in your Hai City about the same size as ordinary children? This is the first time I've taken care of a child your age. I imagine it's like taking care of a kitten or puppy, right? If I don't take good care of you, you can't be angry with me!"
Adele smiled again.
From then on, Yan Chao gathered herbs and prepared medicinal baths for Ade every day. To avoid arousing suspicion from the villagers, she went to a distant village before dawn each day to buy fresh goat milk. Ade was very well-behaved when she was away. After less than ten days of this, Yan Chao was astonished to find that the baby who had been in swaddling clothes just two days ago was now crawling all over the place. Even worse, affected by the lightning, she discovered that she was gradually losing her sight.
Because she was already familiar with the surroundings, she had prepared plenty of food at home and made a lot of self-defense powder. She continued to do her work in the yard as usual, but no longer went out, and the villagers didn't notice anything unusual. However, this sudden blindness still made Yan Chao uneasy. She herself didn't care, but Ade was too special, and if the villagers discovered her one day, it might cause trouble.
Three days later, in the afternoon, there was a knock on the door.
"Is anyone there?" It was a man's voice, gentle and deep.
Yan Chao's heart skipped a beat. She reached for the wooden stick in the corner, gripped it tightly, and asked, "Who's there?"
"Excuse me, my name is Liansheng. I'm just passing through looking for relatives. I'm tired and would like to ask for a bowl of water and directions." The voice outside the door carried a perfectly measured hint of weariness.
Yan Chao didn't open the door, but said through the door panel, "The water is in the vat behind the house, fetch it yourself. Looking for relatives? This place is remote, few people come here."
"Thank you." The footsteps went behind the house, followed by the sound of water being scooped. A moment later, he returned. "Yes, I'm looking for my long-lost brother. I only heard that he ended up in this direction, like finding a needle in a haystack. The young lady has seen him before..." He described a blurry figure.
Yan Chao gave a vague reply, "Never seen it before." The excuse sounded too contrived; she just wanted him to leave quickly.
Lian Sheng didn't go far. Instead, he built a thatched hut nearby and for the next two days, he would "coincidentally" appear whenever Yan Chao came out to chop wood or fetch water, helping her out as he pleased. He was quick and kept his distance. He brought some wild vegetables, saying he had picked them along the way; he repaired the loose wooden planks of the fence; and he even got a small bag of coarse salt.
Yan Chao's suspicions deepened. A mere passerby, yet so overly attentive. What was he after? She, a blind woman living alone, a complete stranger to him—why was he here? What alarmed her even more was Lian Sheng's keen perception.
That day, Yan Chao was groping for the water bowl on the table when she tripped over a small wooden block and fell forward. A hand caught her arm firmly, too fast for her to react.
"Be careful." Lian Sheng's voice was very close.
Yan Chao was about to thank him when she suddenly froze. As Lian Sheng helped her up, he shifted his body slightly, his gaze seemingly sweeping over the corner of the room—the place where she hid Ade! She could almost feel that gaze pause for a moment.
A chill ran up her spine. Yan Chao abruptly broke free from Lian Sheng's grasp, took a step to the side, and blocked the corner. Holding the wooden stick in her hand, she said coldly, "Whatever you saw or didn't see just now, forget it immediately! Otherwise, you won't be able to bear the consequences!" She stared intently in Lian Sheng's direction, her whole body tense.
The room was deathly silent, except for a very soft sob from Adele in the corner.
Lian Sheng remained silent for a moment, neither backing down nor getting angry, and simply said, "Don't be nervous, young lady. I was just passing by and didn't bother you. I have no interest in other matters, much less any intention to pry. I only helped you out of instinct, I apologize for the intrusion."
Little did she know, his calmness only made Yan Chao more uneasy. She could only grip the wooden stick tightly, like a wounded mother animal protecting her cubs, vigilant in the darkness.
Lian Sheng did not leave; he still lived in the thatched hut and still "coincidentally" appeared whenever Yan Chao needed him.
Days passed in gloom, and Yan Chao gradually grew accustomed to this man of unknown origin. The firewood he chopped was just the right size and easy to burn; the water vat was always full; the various dishes he made added some flavor to the bland and watery days. He even found some herbs, brewed them into a bitter soup, and placed it by Yan Chao's side.
Lian Sheng said, "Give it a try. It's a folk remedy from the countryside; it might be good for your eyes." His voice was calm, but it carried a sense of reassurance.
Yan Chao initially refused to touch it, but later thought it might be useful. She could smell that it was indeed some herbs good for the eyes, so she gave in. The medicine was very bitter, and she smiled bitterly to herself, thinking, "I just advised others that bitter things are not good, but now I'm eating it myself." She accepted it, and her guard gradually and silently melted away.
Lian Sheng took care of her, and also of Adai. He never went near the corner, but when Yan Chao was feeding Adai and the bowl of porridge spilled, he would immediately hand her a clean cloth; when Yan Chao got tired of playing with Adai, he would also promptly pour her a glass of water. He always did these things silently from a distance.
His measured approach gradually eased Yan Chao's tension.
Yan Chao was naturally optimistic and had a strong will. Blind and carrying Adele's back, she was under immense pressure, but she rarely sighed. She would fumble around and hum off-key nursery rhymes to Adele; when Lian Sheng fixed the leaky roof, she would fumble around and make him a cup of coarse tea; she would also recount, in broken sentences, her past travels—the everyday life of the city, the scenery of the mountains and rivers—speaking in a calm tone, which seemed to bring a glimmer of light into the dimly lit little house.
Lian Sheng listened quietly. He was used to darkness, but Yan Chao's spirit of striving to live even in the darkness, and even wanting to illuminate others, was like a tiny flame that quietly fell into his heart. He watched her grope, fall, and get up, and watched her tenderness towards Ade, just like the flower seed she gave him when they first met eight years ago. A strange, bittersweet warmth slowly grew in his heart.
Yan Chao also began to sense that Lian Sheng was different. He was silent and reliable. When he arrived, a sense of security would arrive first; when he left, the small house would feel particularly empty and cold. She began to get used to hearing his footsteps in the evening, and when he returned late, she would fumble for a lamp by the window. She couldn't see it, but she thought that perhaps he could.
Once, Lian Sheng brought back a small bag of maltose. Yan Chao fumbled for a piece, and the sweetness melted on her tongue. She smiled and said, "So sweet."
Sitting opposite Lian Sheng, looking at her slight smile, a corner of her heart silently sank.
The peaceful days flowed by like a stream. Almost a month had passed, and Adele's growth had slowed, and he was getting colder and colder. Yan Chao fumbled to cover him with a blanket, but the chill only intensified. Worried, she realized she couldn't use magic, so she could only give him a bath with herbs to dispel the cold, praying that nothing bad would happen.
Lian Sheng also noticed that Ade was not right. His gaze towards the corner deepened, but seeing the worry in Yan Chao's eyes, he ultimately didn't ask. He simply prepared herbs more frequently, or when Ade's breathing became unstable, he would quietly place an inconspicuous, warm, black stone in the corner of the room.
That evening, Feng Xi looked grave and said, "Miss Lotus, there's an emergency at home, I have to go back immediately."
Yan Chao's heart sank. Although he was prepared, he still felt a little uncomfortable: "Is it urgent?"
Lian Sheng said, "Yes, we can't delay." He paused, "I will come back as soon as possible. At most half a month, at least a few days."
After a moment of silence, Yan Chao nodded and said, "Okay. Be careful on the road."
Lian Sheng looked at her feigned calm face and felt a surge of reluctance and worry. He suddenly reached out, gently grasped her wrist, and slipped a small object into her hand, saying, "Keep this safe. It might be able to protect you in case of danger."
Yan Chao's fingers touched the object; it was a small jade pendant with dark patterns, warm to the touch yet slightly cool. She whispered reassuringly, "Don't worry, I've also prepared a lot of medicinal powder for myself; nothing will happen."
Feng Xi looked at her intently and said, "We made a promise, you must wait for me to come back." With that, he turned and disappeared into the twilight.
As soon as Lian Sheng left, the atmosphere in the village changed drastically. Yan Chao could clearly feel the gazes cast through the cracks in the door and beyond the fence, filled with suspicion, fear, and lurking malice. Whispers of "blind woman," "monster," and "evil spirit" slithered into his ears like cold snakes.
She knew she couldn't hide it anymore. Adele's unusual behavior had long been a thorn in the side of the villagers.
With all her might, she groped her way to the loose floorboards beside the bed. Below was a tiny cellar, just big enough to fit a child. She carefully carried the unconscious Adele inside and wrapped her in a blanket. Then, she fumbled for paper and pen, and relying solely on her sense of touch, her fingers trembled as she wrote crooked words: "Liansheng, if you return, Adele is in the cellar under the bed. Take him away, give him a way to live. Thank you. Lotus."
She carefully opened the letter and, together with the jade pendant Lian Sheng had given her, stuffed it into the crack at the cellar entrance.
After doing all that, she calmly sat down against the wall. She thought optimistically that this was just a small trial.
What's meant to happen, can't be avoided.
On the fifth night after Lian Sheng left, a violent banging on the door shattered the silence.
"Open the door! You vixen! Get out here!"
Yan Chao took a deep breath and fumbled to straighten his clothes. The door was kicked open, and several burly men rushed in, their torches blindingly bright.
A burly man roared, "Where's that monster brat? Where's he hiding?"
Yan Chao said calmly, "There are no monsters. Let us go."
The woman shrieked, "Let you go? Bah! I think you're all remnants of the dead! Search! Search thoroughly!"
The villagers ransacked the place and kicked around, pushing Yan Chao against the wall. Unable to find anything, the villagers became even more agitated.
The villagers screamed, "Burn! Burn down the den of these remaining traitors!"
Torches were thrown onto the wood, and flames shot up, billowing thick smoke and a wave of heat hitting her face. Two men grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the burning house.
"Drown her! Drown her!"
The cold night rain fell. She was pushed and shoved by the crowd, stumbling along the deep pond outside the village where people had drowned. The frenzied shouts and the sound of rain filled her ears, and all she could see was darkness. She didn't struggle, but in the moment she was pushed into the icy pond water, a brief, warm sensation flashed through her mind when Lian Sheng inserted the jade pendant.
Lian Sheng dealt with the trouble as quickly as possible, but his premonition grew worse. When he returned to the village exhausted before dawn, the sight before him made him stop breathing.
The lotus-themed hut was reduced to a few charred pillars, emitting black smoke. The air was thick with the smell of burning and death.
Several early-rising villagers watched him from a distance, their expressions a mixture of fear and schadenfreude. The gossipy Aunt Liu leaned forward and said, "Brother Liansheng, you're finally back! Thank goodness you left early! Hehua and her black-faced son are wicked spirits! Everyone burned down the house, and last night they drowned her in the pond! They've rid us of this scourge!"
"Sinking into the pond?" Lian Sheng's voice was hoarse as he slowly turned his head. Those usually gentle eyes were now like ice, yet also like fire, fixed intently on Aunt Liu's face.
Aunt Liu trembled in fright, her face turning deathly pale. She took a few steps back and said, "It...it sank. They are the remnants of the myriad spirits..."
Lian Sheng repeated, a chilling smile curving his lips: "Remnants?"
He didn't look at the villagers again, walking step by step towards the scorched earth. An invisible pressure spread out, and everyone who saw him felt their legs tremble and they couldn't speak. This feeling was more terrifying than the old ghost in the mountains! What exactly was he?!
He is Feng Xi, the Ghost King who governs the dead.
Feng Xi stood on the ruins, the smell of burning flesh pungent. He had promised to protect her, but he hadn't kept his promise. Regret and anger burned in his heart.
For the next few days, the village seemed to be possessed. The homes of the villagers who had caused the disturbance that night echoed with ghostly wails and howls every night, as if they were on the verge of madness. The ringleaders, too, would kowtow to an empty space during the day, spouting incoherent nonsense.
Feng Xi searched frantically for the soul of the lotus flower. He searched above ground and underground, leaving no trace of its presence unexplored.
No, there's nothing there.
Finally, he suddenly remembered that Lotus might have left a message. He rushed back to the ruins and, guided by a faint sense of touch amidst the charred ashes, found the entrance to the cellar.
In the small cellar, Adele was curled up, her body burning hot, almost out of breath, her small body convulsing.
Feng Xi carefully held the child in his arms. He recognized him; he was from Haishi. Leaving Haishi meant certain death. Hehua had taken him in, and now she was dead too, because he hadn't protected her.
Feng Xi returned to Wangsheng City, where the ghost messengers were terrified and dared not breathe. Ordinary medicine couldn't save the people of Haishi; only returning to Haishi would save them. But he had clearly been abandoned, and going back would only lead to his death. He looked at the sleeping Ade, and remembered the crooked handwriting on Hehua's letter: "Take him away, give him a way to live." He couldn't protect Hehua; even the child she had desperately hidden was barely alive. Without hesitation, Feng Xi gave half of his soul to Ade.
Next, Feng Xi went to Liao Nian Bridge. The bridge was bustling with people. The ghost messenger registering people was an old man. Upon seeing Feng Xi, he immediately stepped forward: "Young Master has arrived."
Feng Xi asked in a hoarse voice, "Has a woman named 'Lotus' come here these past few days? She died a violent death before her lifespan was over, and there should be moisture on her body..."
The old ghost slowly flipped through the booklet, saying, "Lotus? No recollection. A violent death, her soul unstable..." He turned a page, pointing with his finger, "Oh, I sent one away yesterday, also a violent death, her lifespan not yet exhausted, her soul almost scattered, still carrying traces of moisture... Her name? I can't remember, but she was a woman, and I was in a hurry to send her away, afraid she would dissipate..."
Feng Xi's mind went blank, and he couldn't hear what was said after that. It was too late for him to even send her into reincarnation.
The belated sentiments and unspoken words all drifted away with the prayer strips on the Tree of Rebirth, carried by the wind.
Feng Xi was not only a man who loved her, but also the guardian of the entire ghost realm. He could not selfishly resurrect her, for that would be to betray the thoughts expressed in her letter.
He sealed the letter and the jade pendant, along with the feelings in his heart that could never see the light of day, and sank them into the Thousand Crossings River.
He lost again.
That little house, and that woman named "Lotus," added new wounds to his heart.
He thought that was the end.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
