Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"My dream?" Xing Ruyi suddenly recalled the nightmares she had experienced on those nights, along with the haunting words that echoed in her mind: "If you want to live, keep your mouth shut. Forget what you know, and don’t remember what you hear."
"It's Tiger! It's Tiger's Resentment!" The fox sighed lightly. "I should have realized it sooner. Fox Demon, I’m sorry I didn’t protect you well."
"You too. Tiger is just a headstrong child; this matter has nothing to do with you. If only I had noticed in time that night, Tiger wouldn’t have suffered such a fate. Yin Chensi, I feel so guilty; what should I do?"
"We will help Tiger seek justice!" The fox embraced Xing Ruyi. "Fox Demon, you know, what I just mentioned isn’t just about Tiger; it’s also about those things within you that don’t belong to you. Those terrifying abilities are not something an ordinary person can control. Tiger’s situation made me realize that this power could also bring danger to you."
"Does it make it easier for souls to find me?"
In fact, when the fox mentioned it earlier, Xing Ruyi had already thought of this point. According to her abilities, a weak soul like Tiger's should not be able to enter her dreams or even influence them. Yet, Tiger managed to do so. One reason is that a child's soul is purer and becomes more terrifying when darkened; the other is that her body must have undergone some changes that she herself was unaware of.
The fox was a powerful fox spirit; he must have discovered something, which is why he had been coming home late these days. Thinking about the exhaustion on the fox's face when he returned each day and the strange ingredients he brought back, Xing Ruyi finally understood.
"The Ghost Fishing Soup was meant for me to drink, to lure my soul out. The scenes I just saw were all meant for me by Tiger, which is why I felt so powerless, right?"
The fox kissed Xing Ruyi's forehead but said nothing.
"Yin Chensi, I want to know what happened to Tiger afterward."
"Have you made up your mind? That truth might hurt you even more."
Xing Ruyi sniffed and looked up at the fox. "I've made my decision; I want to know what happened to Tiger. Yin Chensi, you know I've never been purely good. An eye for an eye—I will treat him the way he harmed Tiger. No! I will be a thousand times more ruthless than him! I want him to understand how deep the pain he inflicted on Tiger truly is."
"Fox Demon!" The fox looked at Xing Ruyi with concern but eventually nodded. "Alright, whatever you wish to do, I will support you."
The fox raised his hand and scattered a gentle starlight across the dark night. Through the starlight, Xing Ruyi and the fox found themselves standing on a sunlit street.
This is the East Market of Luoyang City, bustling with many Barbarians coming and going. When Xing Ruyi first arrived in this world, she often dragged the fox to play here, collecting a lot of good things. At that time, she naively believed that one day she could take those items back to her original world, and just by pulling one out, it would be a super antique, leading her to a life of extreme wealth.
Later on, she opened Xing and became busy among the flowers and plants. The thought of returning "home" faded more and more, and being a super wealthy person was no longer her ultimate dream. Instead, it became about living a simple life with one person and one fox, bickering and joking together.
Those "antiques" were left scattered in different places, gathering dust and dirt. Even this lively East Market had not been visited by her for quite some time.
The fox led her to a stall selling Vermilion Hairpins. Behind the stall were several connected houses. In the shaded area behind the houses, a crowd had gathered, their noisy discussions occasionally punctuated by sighs.
"Hey! Whose child is this? How pitiful!"
"Yes! So pitiful! I wonder if this child can survive."
"I don't think so; their face is so pale. They might not make it through today, let alone tomorrow."
"Where are the child's parents? How heartless! The child is like this, yet no one comes forward."
"Perhaps they went begging elsewhere. Just look at how this child is dressed; it's clear they come from a poor family. Now they've suffered such a great misfortune; they probably don't even have money for medicine. Everyone here is kind-hearted; let's help as much as we can."
As the fox and Xing Ruyi walked in, they saw a group of onlookers throwing money into a broken jar. The jar mostly contained copper coins, with only a thin layer on top occasionally revealing a few scattered silver pieces. Tiger lay on a tattered mat, his face pale and his lips devoid of color. His eyes were tightly shut, his lips slightly moving as he occasionally murmured "Mother."
Xing Ruyi felt a lump in her throat as her gaze fell to Tiger's legs. She remembered when Tiger was sick; she had once carried him to see the doctor. His legs were so thin that it seemed they could break with just a little pressure. She recalled visiting him after he recovered; he had run joyfully towards her. Now, those legs were left behind in the Ruined Temple, and beneath the filthy sack lay bloody broken bones.
Tears fell unexpectedly as she clenched her fists and walked step by step to Tiger's side. Looking at his tightly closed eyes, she said, "Tiger, I'm sorry; it's all my fault. If I had discovered you sooner, if I had saved you back then, you wouldn't be like this now."
She reached out her hand to touch Tiger's gaunt face but watched helplessly as her hand passed through his head and fell into emptiness.
“Tiger!”
Xing Ruyi covered her face in self-reproach.
“Sister! Don’t cry!”
A soft, gentle voice rang in her ears. A hand, cold and delicate, slowly brushed against the back of her hand.
Xing Ruyi opened her eyes and saw Tiger standing in front of her. She reached out and hugged him tightly. Tiger’s body was cold and damp, carrying a sticky and foul smell.
“I’m sorry, Sister!” Tiger said softly. “Brother Yin told me everything. That night, you didn’t notice Tiger because you were trying to save another child who needed help even more than Tiger. Tiger shouldn’t blame you. Sister, will you forgive Tiger? Sister, I miss Dad and I miss Mother. Can you take Tiger back to see them? Tiger can’t find the way home, and my legs hurt so much, it hurts!”
Xing Ruyi looked down and saw that Tiger’s lower body was a mass of blurred flesh and blood. The foul smell was emanating from his severed limbs.
The appearance of a person before death often reflects the form of their soul after death. For Tiger, even as a ghost, he was just a spirit with broken legs.
“Tiger, be good! Sister will take you home and will take you to see your dad and mom, but before that, I have things to do. I need to help Tiger get revenge! I need to find that bad person so he can’t hurt any more children. Will you help me, Tiger?”
“Okay! Tiger will help Sister.” Tiger nodded earnestly.
Comment 0 Comment Count