General volador Fengcheng

Capítulo 8

"Bao'er, have you never forgotten about revenge?" Looking at her shining eyes, I was a little worried for her.

She glanced at me, then straightened her face and corrected me: "Fucha clan, I am Fucha clan now."

In the eleventh year of the Tongzhi reign, Bao'er—no, now Fucha—was selected as a concubine to enter the palace, along with Hesheli and Chongqi's daughter, Tongmeizi. Only when I saw the selection of Emperor Muzong reflected in the water mirror did I suddenly realize that Muzong must be the reincarnation of Shun, as Bao'er had said, and that Empress Alute must be the previous incarnation of Ehuang. Ehuang, the heroine who wept blood in the Xiaoxiang River—could it be that even in reincarnation, her connection with Shun meant she could not escape a tangled fate?

Seeing Bao'er's smiling face close up, I snapped out of my reverie and looked her up and down: "Bao'er, you haven't been telling me the truth all this time. Are you still trying to hide it from me?"

Bao'er looked embarrassed: "I wasn't trying to flatter you, your magic is very powerful."

"Tell me the truth, all these years you've been searching for Shun's whereabouts, have you really been seeking revenge against him?" I struck at her weak point.

Bao'er's face turned pale instantly, and her lips trembled, unable to utter a word.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [26]: "If you were seeking revenge against Shun, why would you repeatedly slander her in front of Empress Dowager Cixi and sow discord between her and Alute? You knew that Alute was the reincarnation of Ehuang, so why did you continue to persecute her after Emperor Muzong's death, driving her to suicide by swallowing gold?" I sneered and revealed the truth.

After removing the mask, Bao'er staggered back a step, her eyes wide open, staring at me in disbelief. Bao'er, you may consider yourself clever, but you underestimated me. A witch is not a three-year-old child; there's no reason why she can't see through me.

“You…” Bao’er pointed at me, but couldn’t say anything.

I sighed: "Admit it, you only hate Ehuang. You hate that Shun doesn't love you, don't you?"

A string of crystal tears fell from Bao'er's face. She was somewhat desperate: "You know everything, don't you? People think that the story of Ehuang and Nüying is a beautiful one. How could they understand the pain in my heart? Sharing the man I love with others, and having to pretend that nothing is wrong and not be jealous, do you know what that feels like?"

"All I want is to have him, so why does Ehuang always come to mess with me and snatch him away? Am I not beautiful enough? Am I not smart enough or good enough? Why can't he cherish me more? Why is he only devoted to Ehuang?"

Bao'er wiped away her tears and pressed me relentlessly: "Why were they able to be happily together on their wedding day, while I could only be left alone in an empty room? I was only fourteen years old then, as beautiful as a flower, but I could only wither away day by day while waiting. Does anyone know my suffering?"

The wedding day—yes, how beautiful Bao'er was that day, adorned with gold, silver, pearls, and jade, her skin like snow and her lips like crimson, alluring even without a smile. But in the mirror, that smile seemed forced, merely a facade for others. Only when she lay alone in bed did she secretly wipe away her tears. One side was filled with tender affection, the other with loneliness, waking up alone until dawn. How could Bao'er's heart not be bitter?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Bao'er and advised, "Why bother? You're just being stubborn and making things unpleasant for all three of you. If you had drunk the Meng Po soup, none of this would have happened."

Bao'er glared at me, pouting, "You won't help me, and you even scold me. I'm just trying to meet up with old friends, and now you're accused of being rude and asking for a scolding."

I was both annoyed and amused: "It's for your own good. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle the consequences if I tell you."

"What, what? Tell me quickly!" Bao'er, wiping away her tears, tugged at my sleeve anxiously.

I pulled her into the inner room and showed her the water mirror. The water mirror gradually became clear, revealing an ordinary-looking couple. The woman was pregnant and was smiling and talking to her husband.

"Guess which one is Ehuang and which one is Shun?" I asked Bao'er slowly.

She stared intently for a long time, her expression gradually changing. When she looked up, she was utterly bewildered: "Could it be...? How could this be? How is it possible?"

“To avoid you, they switched genders when they were reincarnated. Now, you wouldn’t fall in love with Shun, who is now a woman, would you?” I smiled slightly and watched her reaction.

After a long silence, Bao'er let out a long sigh, her face ashen: "Love cannot tolerate a third party. For so many years, I always thought that Ehuang was the third party who ruined my happiness, but who knew that I was the third party. I have completely lost."

"If you lose, you lose. Only by having the courage to admit defeat can you start over."

Bao'er's complexion gradually regained its color, and she smiled bitterly at me: "It's been so many years, who knew we would lose so badly? I need to rest and recuperate for a while."

Bao'er's disappointment was inevitable, but what was rare was her composure. I admire her courage. Since this mess couldn't be untangled, the only option was to cut it off painfully. Bao'er, she will be alright. How could a woman who could even kick over the Meng Po soup not have the courage to be reborn?

She gracefully walked out of the store, her chiffon fabric billowing in the air. From behind, she looked so confident and strong. I watched Bao'er leave, then sat down to continue reading my book.

"Science has finally developed an invincible love potion: laboratory-synthesized human hormones, touted as foolproof aphrodisiacs. A friend of mine bought a small, extremely expensive bottle of this instant promise of love. It's a colorless, odorless, water-like liquid. Following the instructions, she mixed a few drops into her cologne, sprinkled it on, and then went for a walk. Nothing happened; no lovestruck strangers pounced on her. She just felt an intense craving for pork..."

I laughed until tears streamed down my face, and I could barely stand up straight. Love? A laboratory? If one day love could be manufactured in a laboratory, it would lose its beauty and allure. However, it seems that science cannot explain everything at present.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [27]: Xiao happy is a magpie, a bird with distinct black and white markings. At first glance, she is no different from other magpies, but Xiao Xi has been cultivating for nearly 500 years, and her power is just enough to transform into a human. A lovely woman wearing a white dress and with her hair in two buns.

She sneaked into the witch's house countless times, but one time she was caught red-handed. Xiao happy blinked innocently, and from her clear eyes, the witch knew she was just curious and meant no harm, so she let her go.

Later, things would mysteriously appear in my room. Sometimes it was a half-open plum blossom, sometimes a plain silk handkerchief, and sometimes even a string of beads. They seemed like toys to amuse children, which I found amusing, but I still carefully put them away.

One night, as the witch was gazing at the moonlight, Xiao happy transformed into human form and quietly approached me.

"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Xi's voice was very pleasant, clear and melodious like a bell in the wind.

I glanced at her casually and said, "I'm wondering who threw those things into my room."

Xiao happy smiled but didn't say a word. In the moonlight, her face looked exceptionally delicate, with a touch of childishness.

What's your name?

Little happy thought for a moment and shook her head: "I am a magpie, I don't have a name."

"Now that you've transformed into a human, how can you not have a name? How about we call you Xiao happy?"

She had no objection, but asked me with some doubt, "Is being a human really a good thing?"

This is a difficult question. I hesitated for a long time before answering: "There are advantages, but also disadvantages. Human beings experience love, hate, passion, joy, separation, and reunion, happiness and sorrow."

"We've cultivated for so many years, all for the sake of refining into human form. We've absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for hundreds of years, cultivating in solitude and loneliness. But now that we can actually transform into human form, what is it all for?" A look of confusion flashed across Xiao happy's eyes.

I didn't know how to say it, so I stammered and gave a perfunctory answer: "It's always good to have a goal, otherwise where would the motivation come from for those hundreds of years?"

Little happy seemed to understand, but not quite. She returned to her original form, flapped her wings, and flew away into the distance.

Then, I didn't see Xiaoxi for a long time. Occasionally, I would think of her, wondering if she was still diligently cultivating, or if she was still confused about the ultimate purpose of her cultivation. The witch's life was repetitive, day after day, with no unexpected events in her life. But when I thought of Xiaoxi, I would also ask myself in confusion, what is the purpose of immortality? There was no answer, so I gave up asking myself.

The autumn night was a bit chilly. When I went to the courtyard to admire the moon, I found Xiao Xi standing there, lost in thought. The wind blew up Xiao Xi's pleated skirt, making it flutter, and her hair danced in the breeze. Xiao happy, now in human form, was truly a beautiful woman.

"I've fallen in love with someone." She gazed at the moon, lost in thought, as if speaking to me or perhaps to herself.

The witch was somewhat surprised. Love between beings of different kinds never ended well. How could Xiao happy be so foolish? Wasn't the white snake, with a thousand years of cultivation, being suppressed under Leifeng Pagoda enough to alert her?

Xiao Xi smiled faintly: "Every morning, I would perch on a tree branch outside Young Master Qin's study, watching him write and listening to him recite poetry. Once, he even looked at me and recited to me with deep affection, 'The willow catkins of February are light and delicate, the spring breeze sways and stirs one's clothes...'"

I sensed in her expression the love an ordinary woman had for a man, and I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Is fate inescapable?"

“Xiao happy, if you dedicate yourself to cultivation, you may be able to ascend to immortality in the future. I once knew a fox spirit who cultivated for nine hundred years and then ascended to immortality,” I earnestly advised.

Xiao happy glanced at me sideways: "And then? What happens after ascension? I've already lived four hundred years of loneliness. If I'm still lonely after ascension, what was I doing all this for?"

I was stunned and speechless. Xiao Xi was just a magpie, but her words left me speechless.

"I envy love in the world, seeing couples in pairs, and I also want to experience that wonderful feeling." As she spoke, Xiao Xi became excited and eager to try it.

I knew I couldn't persuade her anymore. "Don't lose your virginity before you're sure, or you'll be doomed. If you need anything, come to me. I'm always happy to help."

Xiao happy was touched: "Thank you, I will remember it."

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [28]: Watching Xiaoxi spread her wings and disappear into the night, a dark cloud in the sky covered the moonlight, and the earth suddenly became dark. An ominous sign, I smiled bitterly. The outcome was predictable, but Xiaoxi herself just couldn't see it.

One morning, the witch was sleeping soundly when Xiao happy shook her awake. I sat up somewhat annoyed and looked at Xiao happy, who had a puzzled expression on her face.

"What's wrong? "

A blush crept onto Xiao happy's face: "I know him."

"Who?" The witch was still not fully awake.

"Qin Yuping, Young Master Qin," she explained anxiously.

I suddenly realized: "Oh, how's it going?"

Xiao happy was a little confused: "When there are other people around, he treats me very politely, just like he would treat anyone else. But when we're alone, he's nicer to me."

“Look, he doesn’t love you, so why are you so devoted? You should give up as soon as possible. Even without Fahai’s interference, Bai Suzhen still couldn’t grow old with Xu Xian. Why do you have to follow in her footsteps? It’s not too late to turn back now.” I took the opportunity to persuade her again.

Xiao Xi, somewhat sulking, transformed into a magpie, flew around the house once, and angrily left with the words, "How could you, a witch, understand my love?" before flapping her wings and flying away.

See, everyone immersed in love is like this, even those who have cultivated themselves into spirits are no exception. Their eyes are blinded by love, thinking they know their partner best, believing everyone else is a cunning monk, deliberately destroying a beautiful relationship. Actually, what does it have to do with me? I'm happy to stand by and watch. I just like Xiaoxi and am afraid she'll suffer, but she misunderstands me. I'm caught in the middle. Forget it, forget it, I'm too lazy to listen, too lazy to care, lest I lose a friend for nothing.

Perhaps because the witch was too outspoken and her honest advice was hard to swallow, Xiao happy hadn't come to see me for a long time. The witch had been diligently studying witchcraft and had gained quite a bit. Maybe Xiao Xi would be an exception in the human-demon love story; perhaps she had already found her love and was surrounded by happiness, so she had no time to think about her old friend, which was why she hadn't come to see me for so long. The witch comforted herself secretly, not daring to think the worst.

Time passed day by day, and the end of the year was approaching. Snowflakes were falling from the sky, covering the ugly earth with a layer of silver. The witch collected snow in a jar and caught snowflakes in her palm in the courtyard. As soon as they landed in her palm, they melted into teardrops, icy teardrops. Those must be the tears of heaven.

A white figure fell from the sky. I was startled; it was Xiao happy. She landed heavily on the ground, and I rushed forward to catch her. I saw a patch of crimson on the snow; blood was slowly seeping from her body. Xiao Xi looked at the blood flowing from her body in despair, her face pale, almost as white as the snow.

I helped her into the house, laid her on the bed, and used a spell to stop her bleeding before I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Xiao happy, what's wrong?"

Xiao happy's face was pale and blank, her delicate features devoid of any expression: "The child is gone."

"Does Young Master Qin know?"

Xiao Xi stared straight at me, her eyes lifeless, which sent a chill down my spine: "He said the child wasn't his, he said he didn't love me, he said it was just an accident..."

At that moment, my heart suddenly ached, and tears fell without warning. Xiao Xi, was her love trampled underfoot and worthless? Who knows what she sacrificed, gave up her chance to ascend, and is now so injured that even her centuries of cultivation have been destroyed? How could Young Master Qin treat Xiao Xi so lightly?

I hugged Xiaoxi, tears falling onto her. She seemed to suddenly realize something, blinked her eyes, and a tear rolled down her cheek, a tear full of sadness and pain.

"I have lost my child, witch. I am sorry for my child, but I am not powerful enough to protect myself."

I comforted her repeatedly, saying, "I understand. With a child, flying is already very difficult for you."

Xiao happy remained silent and turned her face away. I saw her shoulders tremble, and then I heard her sobbing.

This excruciating pain is something only those who have experienced it can understand. Xiao Xi almost became a mother, but given her current condition, she will revert to her original state within a month, having to start all over again after hundreds of years of hard work. I let her cry; crying is a form of catharsis, and she will feel better after crying it out.

That night, I was awakened by the cold wind and realized that the door was open and Xiaoxi was standing alone in the snow outside. I quickly got up and ran out.

"Xiao happy, come inside quickly, your body can't withstand this cold."

Little Magpie stared blankly at the sky, its body swaying slightly in the cold wind, yet seemingly oblivious to the chill. Suddenly, it said to me, "If I could start over, I'd rather be an ordinary magpie, knowing nothing, just sharing life and death with my kind. That would be better than suffering like this. 'In February, willow catkins drift lightly, swaying in the spring breeze, clinging to one's clothes. They are inherently heartless creatures, always flying south and then north. They are inherently heartless creatures, how true! But I was blind, I crashed into them, crashed until my head was bleeding, and only woke up on the brink of death."

She stood in the snow and burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face. Then, Xiao happy steadied herself, turned to look at me, and looked as innocent as when I first met her: "Witch, Xiao Xi must say goodbye to you. It was all just fate. I only blame myself for being stupid, and for Qin Gongzi, who clearly didn't love me, yet still broke my magic."

She slowly exhaled the inner core she had cultivated for many years. At this moment, only a faint light remained on the inner core. Xiao Xi held it in her hand and examined it for a moment before finally sighing, "Four hundred years of cultivation, destroyed in an instant. The word 'love' killed me. I thought I was sacrificing for love, which was noble enough. Who knew it was a pointless sacrifice? Who cares?" She squeezed it tightly, and the inner core instantly shattered into dust, which was scattered by a gust of wind and disappeared without a trace.

"Xiao happy," I said sadly as I stepped forward.

A glimmer of light flashed in Xiaoxi's eyes, then vanished in an instant. She slowly closed her eyes and fell to the ground. The moment she hit the ground, she transformed back into a tiny magpie.

I stepped forward and cradled Xiaoxi's body in my hands. The last tear from the corner of her eye finally rolled down into my palm, so cold.

I buried Xiao happy and then cast a spell on Young Master Qin, causing him to spend every night in nightmares. Xiao Xi and her child transformed into demons to haunt him, making him live in fear every day. I didn't want him to die, but to live, but life was worse than death. Isn't inner demon the best way to torment a person?

Over the years, sometimes when I see magpies on the branches, I wonder if they might be the reincarnation of Little happy. Little happy, will you still recognize the witch? Thinking of this, I can't help but burst into tears.