Lanpu

Kapitel 45

All sentient beings have feelings, how can we repay them? We humans... how can we repay them?

My tears kept rolling down my cheeks, and even Tang Chen, who shouldn't be able to hear me, was crying. I think he was deeply moved...

"...You think too highly of me!" I was furious. "If I had known about this, how could I have just stood by and done nothing..."

Niou wept, "Old Earth allowed me to stay here, which meant you wouldn't know. It's precisely because you wouldn't abandon me... you even showed mercy to the old demon, who was utterly wicked, that you would absolutely not abandon me..."

Before he could finish speaking, he pounced on me and then jumped onto Tang Chen.

I felt my mind go blank, and my consciousness gradually faded away.

"Forgive my rudeness..." He lowered his head and turned to leave. I tried to call out to him, but I had already fainted.

***

Tang Chen and I were discovered early in the morning, but we didn't wake up until the afternoon.

I woke up feeling dizzy and disoriented. I stumbled out of the room, grabbed the nurse, and shook her violently. "Where's my junior? I mean... Li Yaosheng?"

She was terrified by me, but was even more frightened by Tang Chen, who woke up and grabbed her, bombarding her with questions.

The classmate who came to visit us told us that our junior had been in another car accident, but this time he only suffered minor abrasions. He was quite frightened and was crying and shouting incoherently. He had just been given a sedative and fell asleep.

"He kept shouting 'Tiger King, Tiger King,' begging for help." The classmate scratched his head. "Does anyone in our school have a name like Tiger King?"

"Did he come down the mountain alone?"

Tang Chen and I exchanged a glance, found out where the accident had occurred, and rushed out together, ignoring the nurses' shouts.

The accident occurred at an intersection, and the scene has already been cleaned up. However, there is a pool of dark blood.

I don't know what I'm looking for... but I know I have to find it.

"Here!" Tang Chen called out.

I rushed to his side, tears welling up in my eyes. Niou's cat body was mangled and beginning to stiffen.

Humanity, humanity... how can we repay such kindness?

The dead cat slightly curved the corners of its mouth, and a thin, golden mist rose up.

I finally met Niou in person.

It was a large, golden tiger with brilliant stripes. The markings on its forehead formed the character "王" (king). It had suffered so much being reborn as a cat for so many years.

He bowed his head to me, looked up to the sky and let out a long, joyful roar, and then gradually disappeared.

No, no, no! I want to do something for you, at least let me do something!

I could do nothing, but Tang Chen reached out his hand. "Many people miss you, Renwang. Come..." He actually grabbed the golden mist with his bare hands, which gradually shrank and became a golden bead in his palm.

"You also want to see your son graduate from university safely, get married and have children, right..." Tang Chen said lovingly to the golden bead, "So, it's not happening yet."

His expression and compassion almost made me kneel down.

Later, I had Tang Chen drive me past our school to the other side of the mountain. After searching for two days, we finally found out where the shrine where the King of Ren once stood.

But the village had long been abandoned, with only a flat and wide road remaining.

Tang Chen startled me again. He found a tattered piece in the waist-high grass, and judging from the tiger stripes, it should be part of the Renwang Golden Body.

I held the fragment, while Tang Chen took out the gold bead from the thermos and fused it with the fragment.

Later, his uncle sent him a ceramic Tiger God statue, which hadn't yet opened its eyes. Tang Chen personally placed the fragments inside the statue and painted lifelike eyes on it.

Then King Niou looked up at us.

At that moment, I cried very hard. All living beings have feelings, and it is truly wonderful that we, as human beings, can repay them with this useless ability.

I was crying so hard that even when Tang Chen hugged me, I didn't have time to think about my hives.

***

But when I tried to put Niou under the old man's desk, I was scolded mercilessly.

The possession of a body by the King of Benevolence is essentially a crime, and interfering with a person's lifespan is even more unforgivable. However, Tang Chen intervened and saved the old man, so he couldn't vent his anger on him and instead took it out on me.

I could only bow my head and agree, then place the expensive champagne, which cost me a month's wages.

"You think you're some kind of jinx! What calamity have I committed that makes you cause so much trouble and add to the family? Tell me!"

I scratched my cheek. "...Fate?"

“What fate do we have? We’re bound by a terrible karmic connection, tell me!” He cursed, his spittle flying everywhere.

He cursed him like that, but when Renwang tried to leave, He roared furiously for a long time, refusing to let him go.

I was talking about our proud old man…

I know Tang Chen always leaves a trace behind his actions. But as the Tiger Lord, personally blessed by his predecessor, the Deity of Degradation (or perhaps the Heavenly Demon), he's bound to be even more... you know.

So, legend has it that a big tiger roams our school, and even scared a thief from outside so much that he wet his pants.

As for my junior classmate... I think his childhood clear vision is long gone now, leaving only a trace of perception. But once when I went to make offerings, I saw him staring blankly at the tiger statue under the altar, and he blurted out, "...Tiger Dad."

Later, I would see him every day on the 26th of the lunar month. He was always a little embarrassed and a little scared, but he would still devoutly burn incense under the altar.

Niou was pleased, but also embarrassed. "...Sir, I was ignorant and didn't know I should greet you first."

"I have no idea." The old man secretly wiped away his tears, pretending to be serious. "What does it have to do with me that he came to talk to his godfather?"

I scratched my cheek, quickly bowed, and left.

A sudden pressure came from my shoulder; Huang'e had finally come home, chattering away about all sorts of gods, demons, and monsters. I was happy to see her, but her chatter was just too much to bear.

“Alas,” I said. “When Niou told His story that day…you cried, didn’t you?”

Her hair stood on end, and she stammered. "I, I, I... I, I didn't! You're talking nonsense!" She slapped me with her wing in anger and frustration.

Ignoring her flapping wings, I grabbed her and grinned maliciously, "So even the desolate land can be moved, huh? Our lady's heart is getting softer and softer!"

"You...you...no! No way!" She was both ashamed and angry, and simply rolled on the ground in a tantrum. "I said no, but you're not! Waaah! You're always looking around like that! Who's crying! No, no, no~"

I burst out laughing, bent down and picked up the equally proud bird king, who could also shed tears.

All beings are sentient beings, and I hope I can reciprocate in kind.

(End of Nioh)

The Fifth Endorsement

As the timeline gradually progressed to the end of October.

The weather has been really strange lately. It's usually sunny, but then it gets freezing cold after a rain. Our school is known for setting a new record for the highest altitude university, and there are clouds drifting through the halls early in the morning. Students often joke with each other, "Wearing a fur coat in the morning and gauze in the afternoon." The autumn rain makes the changes even more dramatic.

Yes, I caught a cold again. I didn't cough this time, but I blew my nose so much it peeled. Tang Chen always carries wet wipes with her, and when she sees me blowing my nose with tears in my eyes using tissues, she advises me to switch to wet wipes.

"It's very expensive," I said in a muffled voice.

“But your skin is peeling.” He handed over the lanolin with a sorrowful expression. “Should I quit my job?”

I sniffed. "The professionals will take over next Monday. It's just tonight's patrol."

“Then I’ll accompany you on patrol tonight,” he said firmly.

I glanced at him helplessly, knowing he was being stubborn. I'm terrible at arguing, especially with Tang Chen. Anyway, it's the last day.

So my last day of work was a grand affair. After a flurry of banquets, Huang E finally grew tired of it. She stood on my left shoulder, Tang Chen on my right, and behind them was a large group of angry, lingering residents who still clung to Tang Chen. Those classmates with a bit of a knack for this fled at the first sign of trouble; I guess it was a bit like a parade of a hundred demons.

After I finished my patrol, the area behind me was packed with people; almost all the original residents of the school had come, including that group of teenagers.

Tang Chen was a little startled, "...Our school has so many?"

I blew my nose and nodded wearily. I waved goodbye to them, and they started chattering away.

"Anyway, they'll run away soon, and you'll still have to come back to patrol the campus." "I wonder if this one will be cute?" "I've thought of so many scary new tricks!" "Me too, I'm so excited..."

...Please don't. My broken body can't handle any more work.

I gave them a long, earnest warning, but I don't know if they listened. Instead, they were all eager to try it out.

Forget it, a professional is always better than a half-baked amateur like me. These guys are so unruly, they need some serious professionals to keep them in check.

Covering my aching nose, I instructed the ghost messenger to offer sacrifices to the old demon and inform him that I wasn't feeling well. Then I mounted Tang Chen's terrifying Harley, closed my eyes, and prayed all the way down the mountain.

My part-time job has come to an end. To be honest, I'm a little reluctant to leave.

"You're just reluctant to part with your paycheck, aren't you?" Huang E yawned.

I held back until I got off the bus before we started fighting. If Tang Chen hadn't held me back and separated us with laughter and persuasion, we would have had a much bigger fight.

***

It just so happens that there's a long weekend and a holiday, so I'll be home for a few days. Tang Chen, this model student, even skipped two classes to stay home.

"Why skip class?" I asked, sunbathing on the swing outside the coffee shop.

“Since the start of the semester, we’ve all been busy with our own things, and it feels really strange.” He sat on the swing next to me, and Huang E dozed off in his arms. “…I still prefer to be with you all the time.”

"You're a high school girl? You even go to the bathroom together?" I shook my head.

"The men's and women's restrooms are different."

…You mean, if we have the same bathroom, you still want to hold my hand and go to the bathroom together?

"I always thought you were very independent," I said, gently swaying on the swing.

He touched his nose. "Yes, I've always thought so too." Then he gently stroked Huang'e's back.

I didn't say anything. But I couldn't explain why my face felt a little hot.

I've discovered that my conditions for complete rest are very strict.

I only feel like I'm "resting" when Tang Chen keeps me company, joking and laughing with me at Shuo's house, and Huang E engages in lively discussions. Lying in bed for as long as I want can only cure fatigue, but I'm still tense.

These past few days, the three of us have been inseparable, not going anywhere. During the day, we just take walks, sunbathe, read, and take naps. In the evenings, under the lamp, we make little crafts together. Recently, lucky ribbons have become popular again. I braided them with varying thicknesses, while Tang Chen, being skillful, made almost all of them with large and small swastikas. He made a pair especially for me. What left me speechless was that he tied bells to the lucky ribbons and then handed them to me.

"Don't you really like bells?" he smiled, his eyes crinkling. "They're so cute."

Of course I knew he wasn't praising my own lucky charm. I accepted the gift almost in shame, my head nearly hanging up amidst the uproarious laughter.

Huang'e continued her incessant chatter, and I had to translate for her and Tang Chen. After all, Tang Chen couldn't understand her very well. The whole evening was filled with their chatter, quite noisy. Shuo listened to our commotion with a smile.

Sometimes I'll have a drink. I can barely hold my liquor, but the liquor I serve to the old man always has to be sold. Tang Chen and Shuo will drink some for me. Now, Huang Eyan has also learned to enjoy drinking at banquets. Once she's drunk, she gets into a good mood and starts dancing. Tang Chen will play the harmonica to accompany her.

Huang E was already beautiful, but after transforming into a Golden-Winged Roc, she became even more striking. These ferocious birds were said to possess bewitching faces and full breasts. But simply exposing themselves wouldn't drive their "prey" wild. The feathers on her chest perfectly concealed what could have been an obstacle to her beauty, while revealing her slender, beautiful neck. The silver scales that grew later resembled perfectly placed fiery tattoos, adding a wild and alluring quality to her bewitching beauty.

When she danced gracefully on the table, even Guan Haifa would open his eyes and squat down to watch.