Chapter 82 Snow: To Live Towards Death, or To Die Towards Life?
As dusk settled, the streets of the hot spring area were deserted and silent.
Beixian is at a high latitude, and this place is in the mountains. Even though it is already early spring, another cold snow has come.
From the morning onwards, strange things have been happening one after another. Then, an extremely bad snowstorm comes along, and you completely lose the will to complain.
You pull your coat tighter, wanting nothing more than to get back to your warm home as quickly as possible.
You didn't notice the winding path you took on your way here, but now you realize that damn convenience store is such a long distance from the light rail station.
Run faster, get back sooner. You are utterly exhausted, on the verge of collapse, and numbly swing your frozen legs as you run forward with all your might.
The sky darkened so quickly that even the streetlights hadn't reacted yet, still waiting in complete darkness for their programmed turn-on time.
Until one moment, you pass a lamppost that is much taller than the other streetlights, and the lights ahead turn on one after another.
You ran a few more steps before realizing something was wrong.
The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, stretching your shadow long like a slender black snake, lying silently on the snow-white ground—it had only been a dozen minutes, yet such a thick layer of snow had already accumulated on the ground.
Your pace slows down, but your shadow seems to move ahead of you, always shifting a few steps before you take your first step.
You try to speed up a few more steps, but you find that no matter what you do, you can't keep up with your own shadow.
"What's going on?" you muttered to yourself, your cheeks burning from the cold.
You feel like you have no energy left to think. You're just like any other bewildered, ignorant passerby, spouting useless nonsense, trying to bolster your courage in this quiet, snowy spring night.
You look down at the black marks you've left behind, growing longer and longer, stretched by the continuous lights, spreading along the street until they blur into an all-encompassing net, enveloping you, all alone.
Ha... You exhale a breath of hot air, which turns into a cloud of white mist in the air.
You look up at the sky and see heavy snow pouring down from the high and deep sky, the wind blowing the snowflakes into a swirling frenzy, blocking out all your vision.
Come out. You have a feeling.
Before long, all the lights that had been lit up for you began to flicker, finally breaking free from the constraints of the glass lampshade. Specks of light fell like snowflakes, gradually solidifying on the black carpet of your shadow, transforming the blurry figure into a real human form.
Who is it?
You see, standing in the snow, is a woman in white, her face blurred, as if shrouded in a thin layer of frost. The woman stands there serenely, holding an old paper lantern in her hand.
The paper lantern's light wasn't bright, but it was surprisingly steady. You were almost blown off your feet by the strong wind, but the lantern remained perfectly still in the woman's hand.
A faint light shone on the woman's face, exuding nobility and aloofness.
You can't see the woman's face clearly, but you feel a warmth rising in your heart.
Looking at the lamp again, something seemed to be moving within its light.
Your heart is pounding faster and faster, and in a daze, you see a scene—countless faces appear in the snow.
These faces were so unfamiliar; all they had was a thick layer of frost covering them.
Who are they?
Why do you feel such deep sorrow?
If you try to look more closely, the shadows of these faces are already swept away by the snowflakes and disappear.
The woman in white remained standing there, neither too close nor too far, watching you.
"Who are you?" Well, you don't have that much time to argue with her. Besides... she looks so kind that all your fear disappears.
You shouted those words, expecting them to be swallowed by the cold wind, but they were actually conveyed to the other person safely.
The woman lowered her eyes, as if only then taking a good look at you.
The light from the snow lamps flickered, illuminating a vast white world.
It's so hot, so warm, I want to get closer... Your vision is stung by the blurry light, and in that moment of distraction, the woman is only a dozen steps away from you.
She remained motionless once again in your sight.
"The pollution is still on you." The voice came softly, like the faint sound of ice crystals breaking. The woman's eyes held a half-smile, her tone gentle.
“I’ve left the convenience store, I’ve escaped,” you shout as you struggle.
You actually believe what the woman in the snow said.
"You still put things you shouldn't have eaten in the end, and the pollution has seeped into your blood and soul." The Snow Woman's voice was like a distant howling wind. "You bring the pollution back to the mortal world, and it will devour you."
Your palms start to sweat, and somehow, you don't feel sad for yourself.
Snowflakes fell densely, and the woman in white stretched out a hand, as if to caress your face.
She was right in front of you, and you could only feel your heartbeat slowing down. Her hands were icy, yet they made your body no longer feel cold. You felt a surge of heat rising from your heart.
“Come with me,” she said, taking your hand.
You stare at her silvery-blue fingertips, and are about to offer your hand in a daze.
No! !
Stay away from anyone who speaks Japanese that you can understand!
You suddenly turned around and ran wildly into the depths of the snowstorm.
The blizzard continued to howl, and the lights of the snow lanterns flickered in the wind and snow. The snow woman behind you hadn't disappeared; she remained just a step away.
You hear the sound of ice crystals cracking, and two voices are fighting inside your head.
Let her go... No, you, you should go home!
An old wooden door appears before you as if responding to your heart.
Your body shivered incessantly from the cold wind, and the snow on the soles of your shoes had melted into water, soaking the floor tiles in front of the door.
This is a hot spring hotel. The sign is a faded wooden plaque hanging above the door frame. The words are a bit blurry, but you can still make out the words "Kazama Onsen".
The lanterns beside the door swayed gently in the wind, emitting a soft, orange-yellow glow.
You place your hand on it, and the door slides open. The moment it opens, a wave of heat, accompanied by a faint smell of sulfur, rushes out.
The light inside was warm and soft, contrasting sharply with the cold, desolate night in the snowstorm behind.
An elderly woman appeared at the door, wrapped in a large bathrobe, with a kind smile on her face.
She didn't ask any questions or show any curiosity; she just looked at you peacefully and kindly, making you unconsciously lower your guard.
"It's so cold outside, come in," the old woman said softly, her voice warm, like the steam rising from a hot spring.
She stepped aside to make way for you to come in.
You hesitated for a moment, but still stepped into that warm entryway.
The floor inside was spotless, and a pair of bamboo slippers were neatly placed at the foot of the door. Several landscape paintings in ink were hanging on the wall, depicting rolling mountains interspersed with small cherry blossoms, their fragrance filling the air.
There were no other guests in the lobby, only the old woman guarding the old hotel, as if it had been isolated from the outside world, standing quietly in the sudden blizzard.
You don't want to think about how unreasonable this is; you're about to freeze to death outside in the darkness.
“It looks like you’ve traveled a long way,” the old woman said, handing you a dry towel. “Take a bath to warm yourself up. Traveling in the wind and snow, it’s not good to get chilled to the bone.”
You nodded and took the towel. Your voice choked in your throat, and you finally managed to utter only two words: "Thank you."
An elderly woman leads you through a long wooden corridor, the floorboards creaking softly under your feet. The sliding doors on either side of the corridor are half-open, letting in a soft, warm light, creating the illusion that time has stood still.
The old woman led you to a small door and pushed it open, instantly filling the entire passageway with hot steam.
“This is a private bath,” the old woman said. “There are no other guests tonight, so this is yours.”
Before me lay a simple open-air hot spring pool, its water as warm and smooth as jade, with a faint white mist rising from its surface. The pool was surrounded by large rocks in an irregular shape, and a few bamboo stalks were inserted diagonally into the water from the side, the murmuring sound adding to the tranquil atmosphere.
The other side of the hot spring faces the snow-covered ground, and the world swallowed by the wind and snow doesn't seem so scary under the embrace of the spring water.
"I'll prepare some soup for you up ahead. Come and eat it when you've finished soaking it." The old woman gave you a meaningful look, then turned and left.
You stand in front of the hot spring, slightly stunned.
The chill lingered on your body, as if even the blood in your veins had frozen. To be honest, this spring water held an irresistible attraction for you.
Gently drape a towel aside and slowly step into the hot spring; the warm current will instantly envelop your body.
The spring water goes over your ankles, knees, and up to your chest; every step feels like peeling away the long-accumulated coldness.
You sit down by the pool, letting the warmth of the spring water slowly seep into your muscles and bones.
The noise in my mind gradually subsided. The wet images in the convenience store, the empty gazes, and the endless rules that had been in place until now all seemed to be washed away by the warm water.
You slowly immerse your body completely in the water, and warmth surrounds you, as if all the coldness of the world has been shut out.
At that very moment, you suddenly hear a very soft sigh, as if someone is whispering something in the distance, but you can't quite make it out.
You open your eyes and find that the pool water is covered with a layer of fine snow.
How could snow fall in a hot spring?
Looking up at the empty hot spring pool, the sky was still dark, but the snowflakes that had stopped falling started falling again.
Each snowflake that falls into the water triggers tiny bubbles that rise from the bottom and quickly disappear without a trace. Your chest tightens as you feel the spring water temperature begin to drop.
You suddenly stand up, and your shadow is stretched out again.
Thankfully! The ancient lamps around you that were used to illuminate you kept it still, but the smoke in the wind gradually merged with the white-clad shadows on the snow.
"You..." You were about to speak when you heard the sound of a wooden door sliding behind you.
Turning my head, I saw the old woman standing at the end of the aisle with a small plate of soup. Her gaze was still gentle, but this time, I could see a hint of indescribable complex emotion mixed in with it.
You lower your head, cup the spring water in your hands, and splash it on your cheeks, trying to dispel all the illusions.
However, those frosty faces reappear before your eyes, carrying a chilly aura, walking step by step from the depths of the snow.
The air inside was filled with a faint, fresh scent of grass and trees, the smell of hot spring water being scooped up with bamboo ladles and slowly poured back into the pool.
These smells and sounds dispelled all the bad illusions.
The old woman—the shop owner's grandmother—knelt before you, holding a slender ceramic cup filled with hot spring water and mixed with vanilla powder.
She wore a light blue headscarf, and the wrinkles on her face meandered like an ancient riverbed under the light.
Her movements were slow and solemn, as if each gesture had a profound meaning.
“This hot spring water is drawn from the deepest part of the earth and is connected to the spirits of this land,” she said softly, her breath gently caressing your head. “It is sprinkled on you to dispel the gloom that you carry.”
She slowly poured the water into your palm.
The water was warm, and it had an indescribable softness as it flowed through my fingers.
The old woman began to chant a prayer, the words ancient and indistinct, their specific meaning unclear, yet seemingly reaching the depths of the soul.
Each syllable seems to soothe the tension in your heart, gradually drawing out those deep-seated shadows.
“I have seen many people like you,” the old woman continued, scooping water from the hot spring with a bamboo ladle and sprinkling it on your shoulder. “They are entangled by impurities, wanting to get rid of them but unable to find their way. But this pool of water, this land, remembers everything, remembers every lost heart.”
You close your eyes and feel the temperature of the water seep from your skin into your muscles, and then into your bones.
The warmth was so real that you almost forgot how you got there. You could even feel the heavy shadows that had weighed on your heart being peeled away, gently carried away by the chanting and the touch of the water.
An old woman walked around the hot spring, carrying an old oil lamp in her hand. As the light flickered, her shadow was reflected in the water.
You gaze at her shadow, edged with golden light, and you can't help but reach out to touch its reflection in the water.
On the shore, with each step the old woman took, she left a soft footprint on the ground, as if she were engraving some kind of blessing in this space.
When she returned to you, the old woman took out a small pinch of white powder and sprinkled it into the water. The powder dissolved quickly upon contact with the spring water, emitting a slightly bitter fragrance, like the fresh scent of new life emanating from the mountain plants after the rain.
“Let this filth dissolve into the water,” the old woman said in a low, peaceful voice. “All that you have endured will be taken back by the earth.”
You open your eyes and see that the pool water around you has become slightly murky, but you feel an unprecedented sense of ease. It's as if an unseen hand is unlocking the shackles on you one by one, allowing you to finally breathe freely and feel your own existence.
The old woman put away the bamboo spoon, placed it aside, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply.
The old woman said softly, "All of this is a gift from the earth."
You lower your head, your heart filled with endless gratitude.
Before you could finish your sentence, the old woman bowed to you and left leisurely, as if she were thinking that she would never see you again.
You feel not only your body has been cleansed, but your entire being has been infused with a peaceful power. You know that what happened at the convenience store will never have a deeper impact on you again.
You lean against the edge of the hot spring, feeling the warmth emanating from the water slowly dispel the chill from your body.
Just as you are about to sink into tranquility, the surrounding air becomes subtle again.
The first sound I heard was the soft rustling of footsteps, lightly treading on the snow, like a group of people slowly approaching.
You open your eyes, your gaze sweeps across the snow, and you instantly hold your breath.
Countless grotesque ghosts appeared around the hot spring pool, their faces pale and withered, their eyes sunken, and their bodies covered with a thin layer of frost. They stood close together, yet maintained an unsettling silence.
"They are waiting for you," a voice whispered.
You turn around and see the Snow Woman standing quietly by the pool, holding her signature snow lantern in her hand.
The dim light flickered, illuminating the snow woman's pale face. Her voice remained as gentle as ever, still brimming with an irresistible allure.
"Do you know why these people are here?" the Snow Woman asked softly.
You shook your head, but felt your breathing becoming more and more rapid.
You can sense that each of these departed souls is telling you some unspeakable pain, but they don't speak; they just stare at you with empty eyes.
Who are they? Do you know them?
“They were once like you,” the Snow Woman said slowly, “trying to rid themselves of their filth, trying to seek transcendence, but they eventually discovered that true peace is not found in this world.”
"Where is it?" you couldn't help but ask, your voice low and trembling.
Because every time the Snow Woman speaks, you can't help but respond and agree. But this isn't a snowfield on the verge of death; you won't be manipulated by her anymore!
The Snow Woman's lips curled slightly upward, a hint of pity in her eyes. You could still keenly catch the curve of her lips, which clearly carried a strange pleasure: "Of course, it's in a deeper place, in hell. That's the true destination, the true place of rebirth."
"Hell?" You lowered your eyelashes. "Isn't that a place of destruction and punishment?"
The Snow Woman shook her head, a seemingly unwavering emotion gleaming in her gray pupils: "The hell you understand has long been distorted by human fear. It is a place to purify the soul, the final home. There you will no longer bear any pain or burden."
Your thoughts are in turmoil. You just went through the ritual and thought you had gotten rid of those troubles, but now, the snow woman's words have shaken you again.
No, that's not right.
“But I feel better,” you say, trying to find some logical support. “I’ve cleansed myself of the filth, my heart is lighter, isn’t that enough?”
"Is that enough?" the Snow Woman asked softly. The lamplight couldn't warm her face, which was covered in ice crystals, making her look eerie. "Do you really feel completely at peace? It's no coincidence that those wandering spirits are here. They are waiting for you, waiting for you to make a choice."
"What to choose?" You felt your voice trembling.
“Choose to leave,” the Snow Woman said, her voice like the wind in the cold night, “Choose to enter a true land of peace.”
You look down at the pool, the reflection blurry and indistinct, your own image distorted in the water. You remember the old woman's words—the earth will reclaim all filth. You look up again at the Snow Woman, her cold, beautiful face revealing an undeniable sense of danger.
“I don’t believe hell is a peaceful place,” you say, your gaze hardening. “I’ve escaped from the convenience store, and I’ve cleansed myself of all this filth. I don’t need to go to hell.”
The Snow Woman's eyes flickered slightly, as if surprised. The spirits still stood around, their gazes remaining indifferent, but you sensed a change emanating from them.
You realize that these souls may not be waiting for your decision, but rather for some force to release them from this place.
You seem to know who they are.
The moment you realize their identities, an even stronger chill runs straight into your heart.
—So cold that you can't stop shivering even in hot water.
“I will not go to hell,” you said, turning to the Snow Woman. “If these souls, like me, were once bound by rules, then I will take them with me.”
They are outsiders just like you.
They are like you, people who are longing to go home but never return.
The snow woman's expression suddenly changed.
She stares at you coldly, her gentle, watery gaze turning icy and sharp.
The atmosphere around you froze instantly; even the snowflakes paused in the air for a second before suddenly exploding, piercing your skin like countless cold needles.
The surrounding snow was no longer gently swirling, but roaring wildly, plunging the entire mountainside where the hot spring pool was located into an absolute white frenzy.
Even huddled in Tangquan, you were still forced to take a step back by the sudden cold snap.
Maybe the old lady can help you? — No, she has already done all she could to help you.
You steadied yourself and wiped away the drops of blood that had been scraped from your forehead by the ice blade.
"Thanks, at least for now, I don't think I'll be bewitched by you anymore." Your mind has completely cleared up, and you grab a piece of snow from beside the hot spring pool and defiantly melt it into the water.
The snow woman's figure was blurred in the blizzard, her white clothes blending into the whiteness of the sky, leaving only a faint outline, flickering like a cold light in the eye of the storm.
"Why refuse?" The Snow Woman's voice came from the snow mist, like a whisper of the wind in your ear, or a distant sigh. "All suffering will vanish in the end, why cling to this glimmer of light?"
“I can see, I can hear, you are tired and in pain, you are not at ease, you are afraid of the past, present and future.”
She said, her voice becoming soft and gentle, not like the cold wind of a winter night, but like a warm spring breeze caressing your ears.
call.
Clench your hands tightly, and you no longer respond.
Everything you've experienced flashes through your mind: the stifling dampness of the convenience store, the silent whispers of the dead, your aimless wandering in the snow, and the brief moment of peace as the old woman guides you through your bath.
The wind and snow at this moment seem to want to destroy everything and erase you from existence forever.
But the spark in your heart shines even brighter at this moment.
Live on, and nothing can stop your steps and choices.
Your attitude was conveyed to the Snow Woman, whose figure suddenly swelled in the snowstorm, and she became the embodiment of the blizzard.
Every gust of wind was her roar, every snowflake carried her icy breath. The rocks by the hot spring pool cracked softly from the cold, snow quickly covered your head, and even the hot water in the pool began to freeze over.
Think about it, think about it... You've already overcome the toughest hurdle. How could this little monster, which only came when you were in trouble, possibly defeat you?
You feel a slight warmth coming from your palm.
Looking down, I noticed that a prop had appeared in my tightly clenched palm.
You almost forgot that you still had props. You had already absentmindedly taken off the props and your clothes while taking a shower and left them aside.
This is a small crown with a unique design.
"The King's Crown" was a gift from the Red Queen in the previous instance.
This is an item whose purpose is unknown. You might guess that it can be used to control ghosts and monsters, but you haven't tried it yet.
The Snow Woman noticed your movement and scoffed, "What do you think an item can change? These ghosts are already here forever; no one can change their fate."
"Humans are born to die, so why are you so attached to returning to the mortal world? Beneath the snow, all things are silent, and pain and memories will be buried."
“I know that you also have heavy, inescapable shackles, but if you stay here, you can enjoy this silent purity forever and no longer be at odds with all suffering.”
You ignored this and just fiddled with the crown in your hand.
Ah, found it.
You turn the jewel at the very top of the crown and give a mocking smile: "You say this snow is immortal, but I hear it melting."
"When spring comes, it will turn into water droplets in the spring breeze and eventually flow into the darkness."
The Snow Woman seemed unprepared for your rebuttal and was momentarily speechless.
And you hold the crown in your hands and raise it high above your head.
"I don't want to change anyone's fate; I just want to always find a better ending on the path I've already embarked on."
In an instant, a golden light burst forth from the crown, piercing through the layers of mist and snow.
The Red Queen's voice came from the light, commanding everything present to obey her orders.
You close your eyes and slowly place the crown on your head.
An absolute sense of authority surged through your body from the top of your head, instantly shattering any doubts or fears that might have been present in your heart.
What follows is the empathy and forgiveness inherent in your soul.
You finally see it clearly.
These countless souls, clustered together in the surrounding snow, bear the painful expressions on their frozen faces, and the deep tracks left by their repeated wanderings in the snow.
You understand that their suffering does not stem from death itself, but from having no place to go, no path to rest.
"I understand your pain." You spoke softly, each word carrying boundless power, echoing across the snow.
The light emanated from you and gradually enveloped the snow-covered ground surrounding the entire hot spring pool.
The faces of the dead began to change; their frost gradually melted in the light, and their withered skin regained some of its original luster.
Golden light was extracted from the hot spring water and scattered around.
“This light…” a ghost whispered, “is… the light of home.”
More souls were absorbed into the golden light until the sky was filled with countless stars.
You cried.
You never imagined you would resonate so deeply with these ghosts.
Even at certain moments, you feel that these ghosts are not other people, but your past and possible future self, the self that was lost and struggling in the convenience store, the self that repeatedly lingered on the edge of the rules and tested them.
It is another ending for myself.
But no matter what, she's alright and has gone home.
“Go,” you said softly, your voice gentle yet firm, “our destiny lies at the end of that light, we will all return home.”
This grand ritual lasted for several hours, and the Snow Woman left behind only a string of laughter in the wind before disappearing into the blizzard, just as she had come.
Only when the last wandering soul returned to its most desired destination did you completely collapse by the hot spring.
You're almost exhausted and falling apart.
In the morning, you have to get up around seven to prepare for your lessons. Despite feeling like you're about to catch a cold, you concentrate on attending classes for half a day. Before you even have time for lunch, you rush off to that damn job, and on the way, you even get caught up in a damn pirated horror comic. Now it's late at night, and you feel like you haven't slept for at least a day and a half.
I'm so tired, you need to rest. You should just sleep like this…
"Gibberish".
Someone is rapidly speaking in a language you can't understand while forcefully shoving you.
Your eyelids are so heavy you can't lift them at all.
Stop pushing me, I'll just let you sleep like this...
…
When you opened your eyes again, you were already in the hospital.
According to the nurse, a sudden heavy snowfall occurred last night, and you were lying in a thick layer of snow. It was only thanks to the help of a kind passerby that an ambulance was called for you, otherwise things could have been much worse.
As a result, you fell seriously ill, but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as you didn't go to class for the next two weeks.
Great! You only have one more week before you can leave this instance.
You're happily eating strawberries grown by Beixian University and dipping them in honey while watching TV in your dorm room. Life is really getting better.
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Author's Note: The inspiration for this chapter actually came from the snow in Hokkaido, which is beautiful but also quite scary. Once it snows heavily, you never know which snowdrift might be blocking a road, or if a car might pull out from behind it... I guess that's how it is in Snow Town! I really want to go to Mohe sometime; I really love snow (o^^o)
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