Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons)

Chapter 12

"You're lying! You clearly told us that girl was born on July 7th!" Those faces seemed to belong to people who died last year and this year. Shouldn't two Ascetics have ascended to heaven? Xue'er died two years ago, and according to the investigation, only six people died last year. If those were Ascetics, there should only be four, so how could there be eight? Did the two who found substitutes not ascend to heaven?

"It's all your fault for breaking the rules!" the faces shouted angrily. "Even with the puppets, we can't leave now! We'll have to start all over again next year."

"Hehehe...isn't this good?" Xue'er stopped crying and suddenly laughed. "Don't you think it's fun to manipulate people's hearts and make them fear us here? Sherin's paper game was used on this year's puppets, didn't you all have a lot of fun? Sherin, after you died, you found that your game had been elevated to this level, didn't you feel any pleasure?" She slowly raised her face, and a wave of resentment and malice, even stronger than before, surged towards me. The face on Xue'er's hair slowly disappeared, and the dead makeup on her face was gone, replaced by a somewhat stunning red-toned makeup. It was clearly the same face, but it felt completely different from before. Now she could only make one's scalp tingle. She spoke as if to herself, yet also as if to the other travelers: "The more people die, the stronger we become. We can become legends!" She stroked her long hair that trailed on the ground, "Puppets are all controlled by strings. Since you've all attached yourselves to my hair, my hair is my string. If I want you to continue playing with me, you must continue playing with me. What's so good about this ascension?"

"Xue'er, you..." The sudden change made me very uncomfortable.

She gave me a stunning smile: "Zero... some things really are addictive! I never imagined I could become this powerful. I used to be so timid. You know, makeup has the magic to change a person. Different makeup represents different meanings and even has the power to manipulate people. Now I'm manipulating myself to become so powerful. Before, the me you saw was made up of weak makeup so you would think I was harmless. Aren't the puppets on stage distinguished by different makeup? I made the dead wear death makeup, so they're bound to die. Originally, the Seven Walkers only used death makeup to confuse people, but I expanded it after I gained power."

"I don't believe it...why would you do this!" If that's true...she should have killed me long ago. "Why did you help me last time and so many times before...you could have just killed me!"

"I want more people to become a part of me," she smiled gently, a cold gentleness. "I don't know how this legend started. Last year, after I died, I was the only one left who had to find a replacement, otherwise, according to the agreement, I couldn't ascend and would have to wait another year. I was so kind back then, I didn't want anyone else to die, so I didn't kill anyone. Unexpectedly, all six people who died became part of my spirit, inseparable. It was so exciting to discover I had such power for the first time. This year, they need to find replacements and ascend away from me, so won't I become weaker? I finally became strong, how can I let that happen! However, I discovered that after the rules were broken, it seems that no matter how many people die, they can't ascend anymore, and the dead become part of my body, so I couldn't help it. Originally, I came to you to see if you could help me stop these guys from ascending, but now I want you to become a part of my body... Your power... will definitely make me even stronger!"

"So D's rescue of me was also a lie?" I looked down at my body, which was now completely covered in hair.

"Who is D? Have I mentioned him to you?" She leaned closer to me, excitedly saying, "Let me do your death makeup! Soon you'll be a part of me!"

I closed my eyes, but suddenly felt the hair on my body loosen again. Xue'er squatted on the ground and shouted, "You can't come out! You can't come out!"

I wanted to run, but my legs were completely powerless. Had I injured myself when I landed? Xue'er's tone suddenly changed; it was that familiar, timid voice: "Zero... run... I don't know when I became like this... watching myself kill like this, unable to stop... D really did come. He said... you have a way to help us all ascend... Please... let us ascend now! Otherwise... 'she' will come back in a little while... I can't hold her down for long..."

"I...I don't know how at all!"

"No... go back..." With Xue'er's scream, the bathroom walls began to shake violently, and the tiles seemed about to fall off piece by piece. A huge black hole appeared on the floor.

"Xue'er..." I couldn't move, and could only watch helplessly as she changed. Her two faces changed countless times in just a few seconds.

After a piercing scream, all the tremors ceased, leaving only an eerie light flickering within the black hole. Xue'er's face was obscured by her long hair, her expression hidden. Which one could it be? She wanted to ascend, but I couldn't help her at all! I knew that if I helped her ascend, the legend of the seven wanderers at school would finally end. But I'm not a psychic at all… Besides being able to see ghosts, I can do nothing…

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 01:07:00

"I was just wondering... why are there dark clouds in the sky above the school? Turns out, so many demons are hiding here!" A familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from behind. Who came in? I turned around and saw Dao Ting, Dao Lian's cousin whom I had met at the Taoist school.

"...You...how could you..." Her disdainful gaze left me speechless.

“What a clever devil… This toilet has been divided into 7 individual stalls, with the second one located at the Death Gate. No wonder you have such power despite your relatively shallow cultivation… But… meeting me… is just your bad luck…” Dao Ting said, biting her finger and writing something on a yellow piece of paper with her blood.

"Can you help us ascend to higher realms?" It was the timid Xue'er. "Having done so many bad things, I might not be able to be reincarnated as a human next time, but I really don't want to wander here anymore. I know it was my cowardice and my lingering attachment to school that led to that 'her.' Actually, I know 'she' just wanted to use her power to protect me. In my next life... if I'm still human, I will definitely be very brave!"

“She can do it!” I said excitedly. “She’s also a Taoist successor, a powerful psychic. Xue’er, you can rest assured! Actually, you’re very kind… becoming one of the Seven Walkers wasn’t your fault. You didn’t kill your substitute back then because of your kindness… Why blame yourself? The rule of using substitutes to ascend is wrong in the first place. Killing Sherlin and Senior Sister… wasn’t your intention either. You’re innocent. Don’t blame yourself anymore…”

“Yes… I’ve always wondered why they had to possess me… I love this school, I don’t want to leave. Killing to become a substitute and ascending to higher realms means leaving the school, and I can’t bear to. Other practitioners can’t control their killings, but the only thing I could change was choosing not to kill my substitute. I thought it was nothing, I just meant well by not killing… Why do they all blame me for breaking the rules… Why do they all possess me after the so-called rules are broken? When they possess me… I feel so much pain… I feel so innocent… Why do I have to endure all this? And then, ‘she’ appeared. Powerful, beautiful… almost my ideal self… But… when did I become so fond of killing?” Xue’er cried, “But now… I can finally leave… Thank you… for freeing us all…” The black hole behind Xue’er slowly disappeared, and her hair transformed back into eight faces. She seemed to be saying to the other spirits on her body: “Everyone, don’t resist… Isn’t killing to find a substitute the result for this? Now we can leave in peace… That female mage, thank you for everything! Thank you!”

Dao Ting's talisman slowly burned, a strange smile on her face. She quickly affixed the talisman to Xue'er's forehead, saying, "Did I ever say I had the ability to elevate you? It's all just the imagination of that inhuman creature next to you and yourselves. It's better that you don't resist; it makes things easier for me..." Seeing Xue'er's incredulous expression as her spirit began to burn, she laughed loudly, "I'm sorry, but in Taoism, only Dao Lian possesses the ability to elevate ghosts. What I'm doing now is simply casting you into the Avici Hell, to be burned by the Red Lotus Fire for eternity, never to be reborn. You're paying the price for your crimes. Demons are demons no matter how many lifetimes they've lived; what's the point of thinking about elevating and reincarnating? Demons should stay where demons belong, yet you dare to dream of reincarnating as humans. Are you angry? Blame it on yourselves for being demons!"

"Zero, why did you lie to me! I hate you!" Xue'er roared as she burned, and the toilet walls shook again.

"No... I don't know... really! Daoting, please... don't do this! They didn't mean to become vengeful ghosts! Doing this... is so unfair to them..." I grabbed Daoting's hand and pleaded.

Daoting shook me off and said, "A monster is a monster. There's nothing more to say! Still trying to struggle in your death throes? It's useless! Does it hurt to be burned? After you're burned and you reach the Avici Hell, the feeling of the Red Lotus Fire will be a thousand times more painful than this! It will be over soon... Didn't you notice that you're left with only your faces, and you'll disappear soon? Be careful down there! Hehe..." Her cold laughter showed no trace of her kindness.

I always thought that every psychic, at least a Taoist psychic, would understand vengeful spirits, which is why they would help them ascend to higher realms. Before death, they were human, and after death, they don't immediately become evil; many ghosts even help people. Perhaps they still have attachments to this world, perhaps momentary confusion led them to harm others, perhaps even if they are ascended, they won't become Buddhas. But this doesn't mean they don't have the right to choose their own reincarnation. The cycle of reincarnation is not something we humans can decide for them. Psychics are merely guides, they have no right to determine the final fate of ghosts. But… why could Dao Ting so calmly and matter-of-factly destroy the future of Xue'er and the others?

Is this really the right thing to do? Is this all a psychic should be doing?

"Whoa..." After a howl, the toilet wall collapsed under the immense power of the spirit. A huge cloud of dust blurred my vision—had sand gotten into my eyes? Falling stones hit me, but I felt no pain. If this was Xue'er's revenge, I was willing to accept it.

No tears, even when covered in wounds.

Xue'er eventually turned into black smoke and disappeared. Through my blurred vision, I could still see Dao Ting's cold smile. Dao Ting didn't come to take me away, even though she knew the toilet might collapse. She left after Xue'er disappeared, coldly saying to me before leaving, "You should be able to get out by yourself! I don't want to help you!"

"I don't need your help!" My eyes hurt so much that I can't see her expression anymore. I can only see a blurry outline.

She's gone. The bathroom floor started shaking. If I could leave this place alive, maybe I would have changed. Or maybe I already have.

Before I lost consciousness, a familiar warmth enveloped me. I knew it was him without even opening my eyes.

“D…is that you…you’ve finally come…to see me…”

"Zero, I know you're in pain. But now is not the time."

"Are you a ghost? Aren't ghosts all cold? But you're so warm, why are we so close? That feeling of familiarity..."

"I am a person. A person who made a promise with you."

I longed to open my eyes and see him again, but the pain gradually became the only thing I could feel. I knew that when I woke up this time, he would be gone. I didn't know when we would meet again.

When consciousness returned, happiness began to crumble.

The strong smell of disinfectant stimulated my brain nerves, while the sounds of Daolian and Daoting arguing fiercely reached my ears intermittently.

"Why did you come down the mountain! Didn't I say I could handle it?" The man's voice was Dao Lian's; I knew it without even opening my eyes.

"Handled it well? When your mother-in-law told you the truth, your expression was nothing like that of a Taoist heir! Was it because of that inhuman guy? Dao Lian, don't forget the mission of Taoism."

"Zero turned into something neither human nor ghost because of our Taoist school! Shouldn't we take responsibility? At the very least, we should find a way to make her live past 25 as compensation to atone for the mistakes our Taoist school has made."

"You still think this is the fault of Taoism? Didn't your grandmother tell you that the way she treated her was to make her an excellent spiritual medium? Who knew that guy from the royal family would find her? Nobody wants their carefully cultivated vessel to fail! Damn it, if it weren't for that guy from the royal family..."

"I hate it when you call her 'Qi'!"

"Are you sad? But Grandma said that she now has the ability to become a vessel for the Daoist school and also a vessel for the royal family. So you must keep her in the Daoist school. This plan absolutely cannot be ruined by the royal family again!"

It hurts so much. It hurts so much I almost cry, but why can't the tears come out? The warmth is slowly slipping away; happiness seems to be crumbling. Or… was I never truly happy at all? Everything before was like thin paper, so easily torn.

I opened my eyes and found myself in complete darkness.

"Dao Lian..." I called softly. Their argument stopped, and Dao Lian's warm hand grasped my cold hand, but my body could not get warmth from him.

Zero, are you alright?

"Dao Lian..." I opened my eyes again and said coldly, "My eyes... can't see."

There are only two rules for survival in this world: eating ghosts and eating people.

What has been broken may not only be the happiness we once thought we had.

The fifth piece of gossip game is over.

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 01:09:00

[Zero - The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, Part 6: Fragments of Memories]

Someone asked me if I would suffer a lot after I went blind. Actually, I think it would be a blessing for me.

If you can't see me, you can pretend you don't know. Knowing is sometimes a cruel thing.

Many people say that we only learn to cherish things after we lose them.

For me, it was only after learning the truth that I realized how fragile happiness truly was.

Fragments of happiness slip away like grains of sand through the cracks between our fingers.

I thought I could still protect that last little bit, but when I looked back, I realized that after a gust of wind, I had nothing left.

Or perhaps I never had anything to begin with.

Is it possible to stop feeling pain simply by having a good cry?

Many people say that crying will drive away happiness. So, does that mean that as long as I smile, I can find happiness?

But why is happiness still so far away from me even though I laugh so hard?

My name is Zero, and I'm 15 years old. Some people say I won't live past 25, and I might have less than 10 years until my death. I can see and sense ghosts. There are many people in the world with the ability to see spirits, and I thought I was just one of them. Although my body has both positive and negative energies, and I have a purely Yin destiny, I've always believed it's just related to my birth time—maybe just bad luck. I've always considered myself one of those who accidentally contracted a rare terminal illness, and that one day there will be a solution.

I'm just an ordinary person. Everything that happened was just bad luck, like I'd been bitten by a dog. That's what I've always thought.

However, the reality seems to be different.

I am ordinary, I don't want to be special.

I try to tell myself that, but why do I have to know the truth?

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 01:10:00

In a hospital with deep ties to Taoism, the doctor shook his head helplessly again and said, "I'm sorry, there are no small blood clots in the brain, and the retina and optic nerve are normal. I don't know the cause of the blindness. It might be a nerve issue. We can only continue the medication and come back for another check-up to see if we can find the cause."

"Thank you, doctor." Daolian helped me up and we slowly walked out of the medical room.

I've been blind for about two months now. I can already smell the approaching summer in the air.

After that incident, I moved into the Taoist ancestral home. My mother is very superstitious about Taoism and believes my blindness is related to my long-standing health condition. Actually, she has no idea that my current state is 50% related to Taoism. The Taoists now desperately want me to be closer to them; even if I'm considered a failed vessel, they absolutely cannot let the royal family obtain me. I don't know if the royal family they're referring to is D. I suddenly really want to see him now. Although he bears half the responsibility for my current state, I'd rather have D kill me than be imprisoned in the Taoist cage. The Taoists keep telling me that if the royal family finds me, they will definitely kill me. Although I don't believe it. I feel the Taoists are still hiding something from me, but I no longer want to, and I don't have the energy, to know anything more.

Right now, all I want is to leave and die. I don't want to know anything more.

Dao Lian probably felt guilty towards me, and he took great care of me. I don't blame him, really! Actually, he only learned the truth during that month of cultivation. We were both canaries in a Taoist cage.

She transferred to a prestigious private school established by someone connected to the Taoist family, in order to better avoid encountering royalty. It's been so long since I've heard from Nana; I wonder how she's doing, whether she's still causing trouble? I really want to see her again, but judging from the current situation, it seems impossible.

Although Dao Lian is said to be the successor of the Taoist school, the most powerful figure in Taoism is still Dao Po Po. The Taoist school's influence is terrifying. Many government officials and wealthy businessmen are their disciples and followers.

Once, the old woman asked me to take off the bracelet on my wrist, saying it was an evil royal item and wearing it would do me no good. But no matter what I tried, I couldn't remove it. The old woman said helplessly, "This is a royal curse; only the blood of a royal can break it."

I still don't quite understand the feud between the Imperial and Taoist families. Roughly speaking, the Imperial family were assassins who helped ghosts avenge their deaths, while the Taoist family were good friends who helped ghosts ascend to higher realms and protected humans. Both families were powerful spiritual families, and their rivalry had a long history. The Imperial family believed that ghosts and humans could coexist, while the Taoist family believed that the existence of ghosts was intolerable to heaven and earth and must be eliminated. The dead should go to where the dead go.

Daoting's behavior last time told me that things weren't so simple. I don't have many thoughts on the two families' opposing ideologies. Perhaps they're both being too absolute.

Because my destiny is purely Yin, my body is weak and I died easily. Back then, Taoist disciples gave my parents many Taoist talismans to protect me from ghosts and spirits, and they also infused me with pure Yang spiritual energy cultivated through Taoist practice to counteract the excessive Yin energy within me and prolong my life. Perhaps it's because my mother discovered that the masters who used to visit our home were Taoists that she now trusts Taoism so much. Who knew that the royal family would discover me? Due to the hostile relationship between our two families, the royal family was determined to sabotage the Taoists' good deeds. So they captured me and forcibly infused me with their own pure Yin spiritual energy, ultimately creating my current bizarre half-human, half-ghost state. Half of my body contains positive human energy, and the other half contains negative energy, the kind only ghosts possess. They don't repel each other, forming a strange balance. However, because the burden is too great, my body cannot bear it, which is why I died young.

This is what Grandma Dao told me. Dao Lian didn't say anything while Grandma Dao was telling me. Because I can't see now, I can't see his expression at that time. But I can sense that this might not be the final truth. Dao Lian didn't know that I overheard him arguing with Dao Ting that day.

Perhaps it has something to do with the vessel. However, even if I am a vessel of Taoism, I am a vessel that was destroyed and failed by the royal family.

“Zero… The doctor said your eyes might be related to your mental health issues. Is Taoism making you so unhappy? Or is there something on your mind?” I had just left the hospital while I was reminiscing, and Dao Lian helped me into the car that had come to pick us up.

"No. You all took good care of me. I was probably a little anxious because I couldn't see anything," I said with a smile.

You're lying! Actually, I'd rather I couldn't see anything at all. No ghosts, no Taoism, no D, nothing at all—knowing nothing would be best. Why is it so hard to pretend I'm happy?

Summer is coming, but I'm still not back from winter.

The room I stayed in was meticulously prepared by the Taoists, with many protective barriers in place to prevent royal personnel from entering. Something had changed without my noticing. Whether my eyes were closed or open, it was always pitch black when I tried to sleep. I was numb.

Several times, I felt the bracelet on my wrist getting warm, like it's heating up on its own now when no one's around. I thought maybe if I could see it, the bracelet might even glow. At first, I thought it was D coming, and I was too scared to sleep, waiting for him. Every single time, the bracelet would slowly cool down in the morning, and that familiar voice never appeared.

However, the bracelet seems particularly hot today, and my wrist is even aching.

"Ding-dong—" The sound of a bell? Who is it?

The temperature inside the room suddenly dropped. I knew this was a common paranormal phenomenon, occurring when a ghost appeared. But this room was filled with Taoist barriers; what spirit could possibly pass through so many barriers to get in? Wouldn't it be afraid of its soul being scattered? If it were a vengeful ghost, it would have to have cultivated for at least a thousand years, and it would also have to suppress its yin energy to avoid disturbing the Bagua compass in the Taoist hall used to detect ghosts.

"Sister..." came a little girl's voice. "My royal brother said that if you want to know the truth, you should come with me to him. But once you go, you can't turn back..."

"Royal brother? Is that D? Where is he?"

"The Misty Forest. A place that belongs neither to the human world nor to the ghost realm."

"..." When I looked up, I made my decision, "I'll go with you."