Chapter 55 The Sleeping Curse (19) It gazed at the boy, waiting...
[The boss wasn't sleepy at all. Did he trade an eye to the black goat, exchanging it for immunity to the woman's singing?]
[It should be his family instead. I saw a family photo in Taipei 101, and there's also a point that if the old lady is in pain, she can just open the window, listen to music, and fall asleep. Why does she have to commit suicide?]
It seems that none of their family members were affected by the singing; they wanted to escape but had no way to, so death was their only option.
After all, the woman's spirit has returned.
But she said she was guilty, and her return didn't seem like that of a vengeful spirit seeking revenge.
[But the fact that the residents have all inexplicably fallen asleep... Although we've deduced that it's to provide a place for the suffering, everyone who doesn't know the reason is bound to be scared. Oh dear, will the Black Goat take this opportunity to scam the hotel and then scam others?]
[It's very likely that there are only so many people in the town, and it's impossible to keep using the townspeople as sacrifices. So they keep deceiving tourists. There's only one hotel in the town.]
[Sigh, the boss mentioned Pan Ling at the end, and his tone was quite good. He should realize that ghosts are good, but one family was already tied to the ship much earlier, with no way back.]
In the comic, the dream world is presented from Xie Tan's perspective, showing the lights of the night and the happy people.
The boy, who felt out of place in the human world, also couldn't fit into the painless afterlife; it seemed that no matter where he was, he was always a stranger.
The freckled girl, who felt she had been extradited by him, begged him to stay, but he only replied with a cold and weary tone, like a passing traveler, "I still have unfinished business."
After saying that, it was time to get back on the road.
"Then I wish you all your dreams come true," the girl said sincerely.
The traveler seemed to smile before turning around.
He accepted the blessing.
[AuV Atan's smile, for some reason, makes my heart clench. What are you trying to do, baby...?]
Is this the dream world? I'm starting to think the girl is pretty good...
[The real world is full of demons and monsters, and Ah Tan is alright in it, since all crows are black. But in the dream full of laughter and joy, the weariness in his bones is so obvious QAQ]
Although I don't know what Ah Tan is planning, I can already smell the danger and want to advise him to stop...
[But when Freckles wished him success, his smile was so genuine, unlike LuLu's expressionless face, it's practically an SSR.]
The comic also depicts a scene where he goes to Chang Mingai's room, confirming previous speculations on the forum.
The traveler left the hotel and gazed at the art gallery in the distance, where the woman had already appeared.
Buildings are painted as white as possible, but they will fade with time. Only Pan Ling's white remains unchanged from back then.
Xi Rui chased after it as soon as he got there, but Pan Ling was floating around in the painting and he couldn't catch her... Just as it thought this, it was almost pinned down, but those blood-red lips flew away first, dragging its ghostly body away.
Hidden in the farthest painting, those red lips spoke, but it was a man's voice, drawn out in an exaggerated tone: "Hey, that was close, you're welcome."
The woman pursed her lips briefly, but they only touched briefly before opening again, as if beyond her control: "I don't know what you've been running for all these years, just waiting to die? Sigh, that's why they say life is unpredictable. When a person dies, who would have thought there's such a thing as a ghost? You have to die again, and you can't even commit suicide. Who wouldn't break down in that situation?"
The white veil covering the young woman swayed, its gemstones sparkling wildly, seemingly defiantly challenging her own betraying words. Her lips echoed, "Yes, I also said those sheep were wicked! Using your reputation in life and your wishes in death, you haunted the town to scare away those fools, ruin its reputation, and make them never dare come again, as atonement to appease your conscience. And believe it or not, it actually kept that old sheep quiet for a few years! Young woman, you are truly virtuous..."
Those lips clicked in admiration, then changed the subject: "But those sheep love to mark their territory and poop everywhere. Once the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. They'd rather cut this place off the map and go with the flow. People forget quickly. They'll forget your death soon, and your mischief will be forgotten along with the town... Everyone will forget about this place, and a little road can attract new sacrifices. Where's the shortage of curious little devils who want to die?"
"It's pitiful that even as a vengeful ghost you couldn't do anything to that old sheep, and you couldn't bear to see these animals suffer, so you could only comfort them and put them to sleep. In the end, the old sheep even used you as an anesthetic! He didn't take you seriously at all, and he devoured your life. You're such a scoundrel!"
The parasitic mouth was quite polite; after it finished expressing its righteous indignation, it returned the mouth to its owner, as if afraid it had something to say.
But after the woman became a ghost, all she could utter was a song, and she silently evaded Xi Rui's pursuit once again.
Then the red lips said softly, "Don't worry, I'm not like that shameless sheep. I can't run around freely, so I can only borrow your mouth to watch the show. I won't refuse to pay the rent. I know you've wanted to die for a long time. You're desperately trying to survive because you want to tip off that little sheep from this morning..." The lips suddenly fell silent.
Because the woman froze, instinctively pulled her mouth back, and then immediately regretted it, which only made things worse.
So she pretended to be the noblewoman in the painting, standing still and looking at the garden scenery in the painting, acting as if she didn't exist.
The parasitic creature on its lips chuckled calmly, “As expected, beauties are indeed attractive. My two little followers also quite like that boy. He certainly doesn’t look like a stupid sheep. Growing up outside, breathing fresh air, is much better than growing up in a stinking ditch. If such a good child were caught by an old sheep to be sacrificed, I would feel sorry for him. I would definitely help you.”
“My little follower has sent me a message. You’ve already brought him in, haven’t you? Once he arrives, warn him that Old Sheep is up to no good. Once his last wish is fulfilled, I’ll release you from this predicament… Hmm, my little follower can do that. If I hadn’t helped you hide, you would have been caught by him long ago. I think his name is Xi Rui? Little Rui is of school age, isn’t he? These days, heroes are truly emerging from among the young.”
The woman was a socialite in her lifetime, wandering the art world. Her fluttering skirts were like whirlpools, drawing everyone around her. She could talk the living into the dead and the dead into the living. If it were back then, I could have fought this shameless parasite for three hundred rounds, cursing him without uttering a single vulgar word.
But after her death, she became a taciturn person, realizing that life and death are clearly distinct and cannot be changed by her words.
It had long since run out of things to say.
So he simply locked himself in his own grave, silently listening to others take his mouth and chatter on and on.
The one on the other's lips said it was having a good time, knowing it wouldn't answer, and then left.
When the young man arrived, the young woman took a soft breath through her nose, which was hidden under her white veil.
The fear born of the turbulent sea, and the pain brought on by sins from countless years past, seemed to be soothed by this sweet aroma.
It smelled better than any perfume or cosmetic I had ever smelled in the Art Harbor in my distant past life.
It sneaked into his room at night and sang beside him, intending to lull him to sleep, but it sensed the presence of "pain," though faint and distant.
Instead, it was the scent of his body that made it relax, a rare occurrence, and some of its stubborn pain was alleviated.
It had been creating dreams for others for a long time, and now it had actually had a dream for him too.
At this moment, its wandering soul finally finds its most peaceful moment. It gazes at the boy outside the mirror, as if it has finally found its guide.
It's time for it to rest in peace.
The mirror had the mark of a black goat, so it wasn't easily pried open by others. It was the goat that helped Xi Rui smash it down so that Xie Tan could be sent out.
Although it didn't respond, it listened to the person babbling on for a long time and knew that the person didn't like the black goat. Saying things like "I feel sorry for it too" was all bullshit. It didn't believe that person and couldn't let that child be trapped here.
As it was completely burned, its torn throat opened, its song returning from its gentle, low tone in life to its final, high-pitched, heart-wrenching cry.
It was freed.
The art museum was shrouded in fog, the glacier paintings were burned to ashes, and Xi Rui had already left.
Beneath the charred black painting, a splash of red streaked across the portraits filling the art gallery, flashing and singing—it was the male voice imitating a woman's tune, an incongruous, overly cheerful, decadent melody turned into a children's picnic song!
The sinister lips that say, "I can't roam freely, I can only use your mouth to find a place to stay," will turn into a rat as soon as the host dies!
Passing through the right corridor, the splash of red moved to the image of the Virgin Mary opposite the broken mirror, giving the merciful Virgin Mary a bright red lipstick.
Seemingly aware that this was not dignified enough and too sacrilegious, she pursed her lips back and forth, wiped off the lipstick, and then opened them again, revealing her dark cavity.
The shape of the lips is somewhat similar to that of the eyes. The tongue hidden within them sweeps across the lips like a rolling eyeball, looking down at the broken mirror, and then laughs.
"Oh dear, no wonder you always get fooled, Miss Pan. You thought I was a bad guy. But how could the old sheep let the little sheep off the hook? This is going to be good—"
【What the heck is this?! Its lips have come to life!】
【No, the two little followers are Xiao Ai and Rui Rui, right? Then what's the identity of these lips... Wait, are you the leader?】
[In previous installments, the cult leader's occasional glimpses of his activities did indeed seem quite mischievous.]
No wonder it's usually the vice leader who makes the appearance; leader, you should really pay attention to your image.
[Vice Leader: Now you know what kind of work I do every day, right?]
[Every sentence seems reasonable, yet every sentence is a lie...]
So, the cult leader placed that mirror there?
Let's assume these lips represent the cult leader (it still feels weird). Based on the last sentence, I think the mirror was created by the Black Goat.
Looking ahead, Rui Rui is trapped, and Atan is lured away. The pattern of the coffin shop is a reminder from the young lady, and also a trap that the old sheep has been waiting for.
One thing the lips weren't wrong about: they really made the most of her life from birth to death, and didn't even let her go at the very end.
The camera then shifts to Xi Rui as he leaves the art museum, realizing he can no longer leave.
Xie Tan, who was reading the comic, saw the sea in his dream world boiling, with waves crashing against the current and splashing into the town.
So that's how rain comes about?
This further illustrates that the dream world cannot be maintained by the Miyin Girl, as it can even affect the weather in the real world; it must be the "power of the sun."
Finally, Xi Rui saw something and his eyes narrowed suddenly, and the dream world's plot temporarily came to an end.
That direction... Xie Tan thought, it should be the small mountain in the sea.
[Is the rain actually seawater that's been washed up?]
[Wow, the sun god must be underwater! The sun god's bathwater (not really), no wonder it's so eerie]
[As expected, the Sun God is no good...]
[Quick, go read what happens next! I think I know what Ah Tan is up to... He really has a grudge against Black Goat!]
What did he do? What grudge did he hold? Xie Tan was bewildered and looked down.
The next part of the comic is an adventure in a coffin shop, where the old man, who has been outmaneuvered, keeps rambling on, while the boy listens indifferently, though his indifference seems different from his usual demeanor.
He pushed aside the axe, looked directly into the old man's eyes, like an abyss staring at its chosen prey: "Did you make the coffin?"
"Nonsense..." the old man continued.
The boy stopped listening to what was being said and just smiled.
He leaned forward, his long black hair, bound with talismans, loosely wrapped around his body. He looked like a dilapidated statue, long abandoned along with the temple, with only the slightly upturned corners of his mouth showing.
Extremely unconventional, with a touch of madness.
It's like saying, "Great, you're the one I've been looking for."
As the axe fell, he extinguished two rows of lights and walked out of the dark corridor. The ghostly smell hadn't dissipated yet, which startled Chang Ming's heart.
She thought about it for a long time and finally figured out what that strange feeling was all about.
He remained calm, but beneath that calm lay a temper, like the quiet aftermath of a gunshot.
She thought rudely: [If Xie Tan is usually a ghost forced to stay in the human world, cold and annoyed by everything, now he's a vengeful ghost who has just finished his silent rampage, and after drinking someone's blood, he's actually... showing some spirit!]
Her speculation was not without merit, because when she suggested going out to sea together, the person under the umbrella seemed to smile again and asked her softly, "Did I say... I came to break the curse?"
A thick fog separated the town from the small boats on the shore. Chang Mingai sat by the window of the hotel room and heard Xia Wujin, who was fast asleep, open her mouth and sing a song in a woman's voice.
An empty vessel cannot contain a woman's voice, but a sleeping man becomes her phonograph.
It wasn't any of the songs Pan Ling had ever sung. No matter what she sang, she always dragged out the notes, giving off a kind of drunken, melancholic feel.
And this song couldn't be happier, with a resounding, pilgrimage-like energy.
With her voice, she sang hymns like a siren:
"Hello, hello, descendant of giants! You were born of the sun, you are blessed by Him!"
"Singing, dancing, the impermanence of fate! Birth is death, death is life, but never forget where you came from!"
"The sun is in the sky, the sun is on the ground, fall, fall, my god!"
"We have only one sun, so enjoy this moment, mock everything! Sleep under the sun! That is your reward!"
The sound wasn't just coming from Xia Wujin's throat; it was also being sung across the hall, and it seemed to be being sung downstairs as well—it was everywhere.
Chang Mingai opened the window, and in that instant, she heard the song echoing throughout the entire town.
She gritted her teeth and held her head up, trying to stay awake. No wonder Xie Tan told them to go back to the hotel early and not to sleep outside... The woman was dead, but the sleeping person was still half-dead, becoming its incarnation.
The curse did not dissipate.
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