Asura - Capítulo 6
"Stop! That's not Shi Hu!" Icefin and I shouted in unison, but it was too late. Silently, the village chief vanished above Thunder Abyss. He didn't fall in, because there wasn't even a sound of water; it was as if the village chief had been swallowed whole…
In an instant, the string of soul bells fell silent. They quietly dispersed and gathered in the sky above Thunder Abyss. This silence lasted only a moment. Accompanied by a sudden, frantic ringing of bells, a huge soul bell rose from Thunder Abyss. The mournful sound was just like the village chief's wail!
The boy with the color of topaz eyes spoke with a hint of blood in his voice: "I won't be polite!" He was ready to enjoy this feast for the soul!
"Tenshiro!" I shouted, "You're Tenshiro, aren't you? What are you doing! Only monsters eat human souls!"
The boy smiled, but it was not the bright, sunny smile he had given her when they first met at dusk: "I am a monster, little girl!"
A monster? He seemed so friendly to me… “Why are you calling yourself a monster? You saved me!” I grabbed Icefin. “Tenshiro isn’t a monster! Icefin, isn’t he?! Say something!”
“I don’t understand things that are too complicated…” Icefin lowered his eyelids. “Let the guy hiding there explain!” He turned to the blind spot of the Soul Bell’s glow, and a sigh came from the darkness. It was Shi Hu’s voice.
"Long time no see." Shi Hu's voice was steady and gentle. "Heavenly Lion..." The huge soul bell that could not escape the Thunder Abyss began to ring wildly, and many tiny bells also danced silently, as if warning Shi Hu to leave quickly.
“We can’t escape it… Father.” Shi Hu lowered his head and laughed sadly. “Once the village becomes a reservoir, the waters of Thunder Abyss will overflow and spill from the deep pool! Then the entire reservoir will become a giant Thunder Abyss! We still can’t escape the curse of the Heavenly Lion!”
"The Celestial Lion... isn't that ferocious!" I was surprised by my own stubbornness; even now, I still firmly believed in the boy's innocence. Turning my head to the silent Celestial Lion beneath the boulder, I said, word by word, "Those cruel things were done by the evil spirits sealed in the Thunder Abyss, weren't they? I don't believe you would do such a thing... because your smile... is so kind, even if it's a demon, it's still kind... Ice Fin, say something!" Damn it, I can't express myself accurately!
Icefin nodded quietly. Although she remained wary of the boy of unknown origin, Icefin couldn't deny his warm aura, but the Soul Bell's screams were deafening...
"What evil spirit? I'm just kidding!" Tenshiji said, his tone dismissive with despair. "I've told you not to believe in monsters!"
"How could you become like this!" Shi Hu interrupted Tian Shizi. "When I was little, you saved me from falling into the Thunder Abyss. Where were you then?! I tried my best to convince my father that you weren't cruel and bloodthirsty, but you cursed the entire village!" He walked step by step closer to the Thunder Abyss. "If all you want are human lives, then take them now! My family's bloodline will end with me, and your thirst for blood should end here too! Please spare the people here and go to sleep at the bottom of the water!"
No, that's not it! Something must have gone wrong! Dreams on the mountain path collide with the frozen soil of memory—"Are you making a contract with me? Do you have the right?" The Lion's words suddenly turned as cold as a thunder abyss, cold and lonely, "I thought only Shi Hu was different..."
"Then what do you want?" Shi Hu drew closer and closer to Lei Yuan. "Say it... you... capricious fellow!"
Ahead lies Thunder Abyss! "Don't go!" I screamed and started running, trying to stop Shi Hu who was charging straight ahead. Ice Fin started running almost at the same time as me. The tundra was incredibly slippery... and then, my feet... lost their footing...
It felt like I was floating in warm water. The little bells around me were like countless shimmering bubbles; above my head hung the enormous soul bell that the village chief had transformed into—I was actually suspended above Thunder Abyss!
I turned and looked around, shouting at the Ice Fin that was also suspended in the air, only to suddenly realize that I was unable to make a sound here, just like a ghost in the human world! The Ice Fin slowly floated closer to me, pointing downwards, and I covered my mouth in shock—lying on the tundra by the Thunder Abyss were the Ice Fin and... myself!
Out-of-body experience! This is a valuable experience, if my soul can safely return to my body...
Icefin made a gesture, and I turned my head... A warm, yellowish-brown light enveloped two figures—Shi Hu and the young Lion King.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Tian Shizi approached Shi Hu with the graceful gait of a feline, tilting his head slightly.
Shi Hu's unfathomable eyes stared into the other's yellowish-brown pupils: "I thought... you no longer wanted to listen to me."
"It was clearly you who refused to talk to me first." The Lion King laughed, revealing two small tiger teeth.
The human boy reached out and touched the lion's fluffy hair: "When you saved me, I had to look up at you, but now I'm taller than you... It seems a bit strange to say this to someone like you, but..." Shi Hu took a deep breath, "I'm sorry."
The Lion tilted its head like a confused little animal, seemingly unable to understand the meaning behind Shi Hu's words. Shi Hu smiled faintly: "It was our prayers that made you exist, it was our unrestrained demands that made you the way you are today... I'm sorry... it's our fault... I'm sorry..." Shi Hu slowly lowered his head, his voice growing softer and softer, as if he simply couldn't bring himself to say those last words...
Tian Shizi forcefully lifted Shi Hu's body, looking directly into his eyes from below: "Don't apologize, Shi Hu, just say it!"
Shi Hu's smile was so sorrowful: "After you devour my soul, please go back, okay? Although I know I have no right to negotiate with you, please go back... You no longer need to do anything for this village. This place will sink to the bottom of the water, and everyone will drift further and further away from you, gradually forgetting you. You'll be lonely all by yourself..."
The surprise melted into Tian Shizi's beautiful eyes in an instant, and gradually, an incredulous smile appeared on his face: "It's like I see him again... the one who first prayed to me..." His bowing motion carried a sense of vicissitude that was incongruous with his youthful appearance, "A devout heart, and words that came directly from such a heart without any deception, but he treated me as a god, willing to exchange his own and his descendants' souls for my favor towards the mountain village; while in your eyes, I am a friend... right, Shi Hu, I am a friend?"
Shi Hu stroked Tian Shizi's short hair again, smiling, but he said nothing.
In an instant, the fluorescent light scattered, and the enormous soul bell that had been hovering above us seemed to be seized by an unseen hand, flying straight upwards. When Icefin and I looked up, the soul bell suddenly stopped, resting between two rows of gleaming white fangs—it was a lion! No, it was more than just a lion. Appearing in mid-air, powerful yet gentle, noble yet free, cruel yet holy—it was a colossal divine body of unparalleled beauty!
Although it was the familiar voice of a young boy, it was exceptionally solemn: "I am the Heavenly Lion, I am the Demon, I am the one who protects the village and brings a bountiful harvest, and I am also the one who curses this village and devours people's souls!" The giant lion in mid-air turned its topaz pupils toward me and Icefin, "You think I am warm because you look at me with warm hearts, and people think I am cruel because they harbor fear and hostility toward me! What I reflect is people's own hearts!"
I remember now: I saw this magnificent divine body in my dream on the mountain path—the Heavenly Lion, which is the embodiment of human desires and the natural power of this mountain forest!
The parts that conformed to human desires were deified as the Celestial Lion, receiving sacrifices in the form of a giant rock; the parts that violated human desires were given the name of forbidden demons and sealed in the Thunder Abyss. But how can nature itself be measured by human good and evil?
Shi Hu gazed silently at the Heavenly Lion in mid-air, as if he were pouring all the emotions of his life into it.
All the soul bells rang in an instant, but it was an incomparably gentle resonance. In this beautiful sound, they gradually began to rise, like countless shooting stars returning to heaven. A few seconds after disappearing into the depths of the sky, the clear sound of the bells came again. Instantly, a magnificent meteor shower of bells poured down, scattering across this ancient and unchanging mountain forest—the souls could not ascend to heaven because of their attachment to this mountain forest. This homeland built with their own hands was the only heaven for the mountain people.
In the golden rain, the Celestial Lion slowly took off, accompanied by thunder. Its fiery mane scattered dazzling flames into the air. It lingered reluctantly, circling above the Thunder Abyss, and finally, trailing a long stream of light, it plunged into the vast, dark green mountains along with the Soul Bell...
At that moment, I saw the human boy named Shi Hu, with the most devout expression, open his arms to the distant mountains...
Awakening was like a sharp pair of scissors, severing my already shallow dream. In the bumpy car, Icefin, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned around: "Firewing, what did you dream about?" He pointed to my shoes, his expression filled with indescribable complex emotions.
I looked down and saw the lush moss clinging to my shoes. "You didn't know, did you?" I gave him a knowing smile.
Icefin smiled calmly and turned to look outside. Along the way, the spirits of the mountains and forests chattered noisily, shaking their lush green leaves against the car windows, pushing pebbles under our wheels, playing their mischievous games to their hearts' content. The mountains were filled with a sweet vitality.
Just as Uncle Chonghua, who was driving, cheered, "We've arrived at Lion Village!", I saw a cheerful young man standing at the end of the mountain road, reflected in the rearview mirror. Even from that distance, his strong presence was as intense as the blazing sun; I could even see his warm, topaz-like eyes…
"Sky Lion!" Icefin and I shouted almost simultaneously and turned around, but there was nothing on the dappled mountain path.
Amid my uncle's joking remark about "seeing a ghost," Icefin and I exchanged a knowing smile—we haven't left yet, are we still unwilling to abandon humanity?
—Benevolent nature…
Spring Sleep Garden
Spring came early that year, and it left early too. It was only around the time of Qingming Festival, but the spring colors were already clearly past their prime.
Compared to the crisp fragrance of early spring, the breeze blowing in through the waterside window carried the damp sweetness of late spring/early summer. In the tea table in the waterside pavilion, in the space symbolically left as a stage, an elderly Kunqu opera performer, her hair elegantly styled in a low bun, was portraying Du Liniang with mournful sobs. Bored and unable to appreciate the art, I looked out the open window. From this vantage point, I saw a tung tree in full bloom. Under the dazzling clear sky, layers upon layers of purple, bell-shaped flowers burst open with an almost desperate, almost reckless, defiance of the weather—it was definitely early summer…
"From now on, it'll all be white and purple flowers..." I muttered to myself casually. My cousin Icefin, a month younger than me, was struggling against sleep in the seat next to me. My words interrupted him with a small yawn. Confused, he looked at me with some doubt and muttered in annoyance, "What?" A small, equally sleepy sprite swayed precariously in front of his forehead. I couldn't help but point at his head and laugh. Icefin muttered "Annoying" and quickly shooed the creature away.
Grandma, sitting on the other side of the tea table, made a shushing gesture and scolded us in a low voice, "What are you doing! No manners!" Of course, Grandma thought Icefin and I were behaving strangely, because—she couldn't see! Inheriting the ability of my grandfather who passed away long ago, Icefin and I both possess eyes that can see into the world beyond. Compared to me, who only has the ability to "see," Icefin is more powerful; he can even hear the sounds made by things that have no physical form in this world.
Seeing how nonchalant Icefin and I were, Grandmother became even angrier: "If you can't watch the play quietly, why don't you learn from Daigo!" Daigo, whom she was praising, was sitting at a nearby table. At this moment, in the waterside pavilion, there were not only elderly people with white hair who were completely absorbed in the performance, but also strangely shaped alien spirits. Each of them was nodding and swaying their heads as they listened carefully to the singing on stage. Daigo was right among them, leaning back in her chair and fast asleep without any attempt to hide it. Her hair, which was so short it couldn't be shorter, stood out conspicuously.
This is the scene of the annual spring gathering of the Kagawa folk art troupe "Aoyagi-kai". Kagawa Castle has a long history, and its folk arts are well preserved. However, no matter what, only elderly people would participate in such a troupe. That's why my grandmother, who is a successor of the pith flower craft, forces me and Hyo-shin to participate in this spring outing every year, saying it brings a youthful spirit to the "Aoyagi-kai". Hyo-shin and I have absolutely no interest in it: this two-day trip is almost always held in the equally ancient neighboring town of Momohazu. After visiting the gardens there, we just exchange ideas with local folk artists in an old-fashioned inn. The elderly folks get together to listen to a short play, drink tea, and exchange skills. We were incredibly bored following along. However, this year there were surprisingly many young people attending the gathering. Besides Hyo-shin and me, Daigo, whom my grandmother had just praised, was also there.
I was quite surprised to run into Daigo on the tour bus, because he was a monk from Sago-ji Temple, located in the alley behind my house. Sago-ji Temple is primarily a place of spiritual practice, so its gates are usually closed. However, the abbot, Master Nengji, is a successor of the ancient art of lacquerware inkstone making and a member of the Aoyagi-kai. He was also a close friend of my grandfather, so our family still had some contact with him—the temple would send us exquisite lacquer boxes and inkstones during festivals, and we would reciprocate with flowers and pith paper. But I always ran into Daigo when Hyo-shin and I went to school; he seemed to be the only person in the temple who had any contact with the outside world. Although I had never seen him wear a monk's robe before, today Daigo was dressed in an unusually fashionable travel outfit, with a shaved head, yellow glasses, and a strangely patterned shirt. He didn't look like a monk at all.
Grandmother said that Tigo, who is about our age, started learning to make lacquer inkstones from Master Nengji this year and came to participate in this spring outing in place of his master. However, his fierce appearance, like that of an ancient warrior monk, made it impossible for me to associate Tigo with the identity of a future lacquer inkstone craftsman, so I was quite critical: "Isn't it too late to start learning now?"
That wasn't entirely unreasonable. Icefin and I had been learning to make tongcao flowers from our grandmother since we were little, just for fun. Compared to Icefin, who excelled in everything, I, lacking any real talent, hadn't even mastered it yet. The hydrangeas I made this time were so bad I didn't even want to show them to myself. However, my unintentional words somehow offended Daigo, who arrogantly replied, "Skill requires talent! Firewing of the Tongcao Flower family! You made the camellias in this offering, didn't you? To make the Queen Mother of the West look like that is truly remarkable! I advise you to give up now, because you have absolutely no talent!"
Hearing such blatant sarcasm for the first time, I was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at that sharply defined, powerful face. But Icefin, sitting beside me, let out a sharp, cold laugh: "Sorry, I made that camellia!" Icefin, naturally, had his own venomous tongue to deal with Daigo's rudeness. "But I also have to tell you, the one I made wasn't the Queen Mother of the West, but Tang Chun. Maybe... you think all pink camellias are the Queen Mother of the West!" And just like that, we had a falling out with the person in the tour group most likely to become friends with—someone our own age…
The sudden sound of the gavel cleared my mind, which had become increasingly muddled with drowsiness. I jerked my head up from the rosewood table and found that the performance on stage had changed; the story of "Wu Song Fighting the Tiger" had begun. Some of the spirits who weren't interested disappeared, while others took their place, naturally occupying the spaces next to the humans. Just how many of these creatures were in this inn?! At that moment, Daigo at the next table also woke up. He muttered curses under his breath, angrily rubbing the back of his head, probably from hitting it in the sudden awakening. Because of the change in posture, two other young members who had been hidden from him came into my view.
Both members were in their early twenties, always sitting together but rarely talking. Grandma had mentioned them—the one with the almost neurotic, delicate features was Wakazama, and the one always sporting a nonchalant, carefree smile was Matsukaze; they were both inheritors of the Kagawa brocade weaving technique. Kagawa brocade had been a precious tribute to the imperial court since the Tang Dynasty, and its weaving process was said to be extremely complex. These two young men, however, were already highly skilled, capable of working independently. Wakazama, the eldest son of the brocade weaver family, especially after graduating from textile university, was highly regarded by the elders of the Aoyagi-kai. Matsukaze, the adopted son, was comparatively less accomplished. But Grandma had once said, "In terms of sensitivity and expressiveness, both are outstanding; however, it's probably Matsukaze who can truly recreate the splendor of the Tang Dynasty in his weaving..."
However, compared to talent, being inevitably compared because of similar age is truly annoying...
The commotion of the spirits brought me back to my senses from my reverie. In the world of language, the battle between Wu Song and the tiger had ceased, but the spirits were behaving with unusual panic, silently pushing and shoving as they fled. They desperately avoided the area facing the stage—where the old gentleman from the painting academy stood, holding a small brocade box in his left hand: "This old man has traveled extensively throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River..." Ah... why make it so complicated? He simply obtained some famous incense made by a lama during a trip to a Tantric temple in the west, and he wanted to share it with everyone here!
No wonder those guys were all fleeing! Serves them right! Just as I was secretly laughing to myself, the old man opened the brocade box, and my face immediately changed—sandalwood…it was actually sandalwood-based fragrance! How embarrassing, I don't know why I just can't stand the smell of sandalwood!
Ignoring my pride, I covered my nose and quietly stood up, heading towards the door. Icefin silently rose and followed behind me, seemingly also believing this was a good opportunity to leave. Just outside the waterside pavilion was the inn's back garden.
This inn is a converted private garden called "Yinqiaolu." It's not very large; the two-story building in the front yard houses the guest rooms, while the back garden, besides a waterside pavilion, has no other buildings. However, the garden is incredibly lush, perhaps due to the previous owner's peculiar tastes, as it's planted almost exclusively with flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. Previously, when I visited, it wasn't during the flowering season, so I didn't find it particularly remarkable. But this year, because the weather warmed up early, I unexpectedly witnessed the garden's most beautiful side.
As expected, the flowers were in white and purple this season: the paulownia trees planted in the front yard peeked over the wall, their branches stretching out wildly; the hydrangeas hanging heavily by the full moon gate connecting the front and back yards had their flower heads drooping; the crystal flowers on the bamboo fence also sprouted flower spikes here and there; the branches of the magnolia adorned with ivory-white flowers and the vines intertwined, hanging down from the small flower stand and all the way to the small pond full of deep purple irises; some of the willow catkins blown in from outside the yard were floating on the water, while others lazily danced in the air in the soft sunlight.
Compared to ordinary courtyards, those suitable for late spring and early summer always give people a sense of loneliness... This is the elegant sentiment that matches the scene before me, but I sighed and propped my forehead up: "Although it is said that things that have been around for a hundred years will have a soul, it is too unreasonable to say that there are so many!" Looking around, all kinds of plants, big and small, formed and unformed, are scattered around the courtyard, hanging on the branches and lying among the rocks. Almost all the shady places are occupied by them.
Icefin spit out a dissatisfied click of its tongue, crossed its arms, and sat down on a relatively "spacious" lake rock: "No wonder it only attracts poor customers like us. How can it do business like this!" Although its words were harsh, Icefin, like me, still preferred to stay in this courtyard, because these creatures from the other world had no ill intentions and were even more leisurely and content than humans, enjoying the fragrance of flowers throughout the courtyard.
Just as we were getting ready to soak up the warm, ethereal atmosphere, the spring sky, known for its unpredictable weather, struck. The once dazzling blue sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds. Unlike a summer downpour that comes with a strong wind, the capricious spring rain began to fall abruptly, a light drizzle. It wasn't heavy enough to warrant running for shelter, but if left unattended, our clothes would quickly become soaked. Icefin and I, watching the blurred edges of the rain clouds in the distance, decided to wait under the flower trellis until the clouds moved away.
The rain pattered against the barrier of branches and leaves overhead, making a patient, continuous sound. Perhaps because spring was so short, the elegant purple of the wisteria blossoms appeared particularly pale. The delicate fragrance, still very charming, blended with the dry, rich scent of wood, and was further infused with the aroma of pond water and earth by the drizzle, creating a complex and languid allure.
Spring rain has a purifying effect, so those little creatures all hid away, and the courtyard gradually became quiet. Watching the countless tiny ripples painted on the pond's surface by the light rain, I couldn't help but smile: "What a pity... it's not hydrangea season yet. This kind of rain is perfect for seeing hydrangeas..." Hydrangeas bloom during the plum rain season. While other flowers wilt from the lack of sunlight, only the hydrangea displays its noble and pure form in the endless rain, just like...
Icefin frowned, disagreeing with my opinion: "I prefer sunflowers!" Indeed, sunflowers are the complete opposite of hydrangeas.
"Oh dear, I think I heard someone talking about hydrangeas and sunflowers!" A sudden voice came from the entrance of the flower stand. The rude tone and the attitude of picking a fight made it obvious that the speaker was Daigo from Sassoji Temple!
As if shaking off raindrops, Daigo swirled out from the other end of the flower stand, his collar flapping rhythmically, yet his clothes remained completely dry. "Huh? Weren't you just over at the waterside pavilion?" I was quite surprised to run into him here.
Tihu loosened his collar and laughed heartily with undisguised rudeness: "I followed you out as soon as you left. What's so special about those famous incenses made by lamas? There's nothing special about that. You can smell them every day in the temple!"
This guy seems to be naturally oblivious and has long forgotten the unpleasantness he had with us in the car. However, Icefin's personality is much more awkward: "Spices can have completely different flavors depending on the slightest difference in the recipe! Don't you know that?"
"I don't think it's necessary to understand such trivial skills!"
Things proceeded exactly as they had in the train carriage, and I was at a loss as to how to stop the two of them.
Just when I was at my wit's end, a unique pipa melody drifted across the pond, mingling with the sound of rain and reaching my ears. As if echoing the music and celestial sounds, a beautiful human voice followed at a leisurely pace, singing an unexpectedly tender and poignant tune in a foreign language that was even shorter and more concise than Chinese.
Icefin and Daigo stopped their pointless argument and listened quietly to the singing coming from the waterside pavilion. It was a beautiful Goryeo grandmother who played the pipa skillfully; she was the widow of the most famous jade carver in Kagawa City who had passed away the previous year. It was said that she had Korean ancestry, which was why the pipa grandmother could sing many ancient songs from foreign lands. Unlike the cheerful and straightforward Goryeo songs they had heard before, even without understanding the language, they could feel that this song was very sad.
"Sending off the spring that cannot be held back, grieving for you whom I can never see again..." As he spoke these tender verses, Daigo's deep, slightly wild voice possessed an incredible charm, and Icefin and I couldn't help but look up at him in astonishment. Daigo's attitude softened: "This ancient Silla song was written by Hwarang Deok-gok for his deceased comrade, Hwarang Jokji-rang, a founding hero of Silla."
So this was a song dedicated to the deceased by the one left behind. Even knowing that her voice could never reach that person's ears, Grandma Pipa, along with that lonely singer from over 1,300 years ago, stubbornly sang this lament that could not be given to anyone...
We bid farewell to spring that cannot be held back, and grieve for you whom we can never see again.
I will be cautious in everything I do, so as not to let you down.
In the blink of an eye, perhaps I'll see you again?
Longing urged me onward—towards that secluded alleyway where withered grass and fireflies flickered.
No matter the night, I couldn't fall asleep...
Perhaps because it was a song written by a man, Daigo's voice seemed to resonate even more with the atmosphere of the poem. For a moment, I even felt that beautiful things were always inevitably associated with sadness...
The faint singing gradually melted into the damp air. The passing rain rose from the pond, turning into a soft mist. Suddenly, the courtyard swayed like a mirage, and even the beautiful, solemn iris was draped in a bewitching coat of feathers...
"Perhaps Utani is secretly pleased!" Suddenly, Daigo's expression changed, and he turned his gaze to the other side of the wisteria trellis, speaking in a mocking and malicious tone, "At least he won't be compared to Takeshiro, who is about the same age, anymore!"
Icefin's expression immediately changed at this comment that completely ruined the atmosphere. He glared at Daigo with extreme hostility: "The rain has stopped, Firewing! We don't need to stay with a guy like that any longer!" There was no way around it; as soon as Grandma Pipa's song ended, everything went back to normal. Without another word, Icefin pulled me towards the other end of the trellis, where a small black wooden door stood.
"Stop! Don't go that way!" Daigo suddenly shouted. He seemed eager to stop us, but perhaps because he was a monk, he didn't grab me, who was closer to him. Icefin, who was walking in front, pushed open the small black door in a huff.
As if unlocking a fairyland, the mist poured out from the door, and we were instantly immersed in its gentle caress...
The monstrous light quickly caught up with us from behind, emitting a short, low shout, as if a strong wind had sprung up out of nowhere, causing the thick fog to swirl and disperse. A damp, pale purple filled my eyelids…
Hydrangeas—it's amazing that hydrangeas are blooming this season! Behind the small gate lies a courtyard filled with hydrangeas!
On either side of the iron-gray stepping stones, dampened by the drizzle, water droplets gathered at the edges of broad, vibrant green leaves, shimmering with a refreshing glow in the wisps of mist. The abundant clusters of hydrangea blossoms were tinged with a faint purple, while on the other side, a simple blue hue appeared on the flower heads of another hydrangea. The buds of the Ezo hydrangea were strikingly bright red, yet the pale purple of the clustered tiny flowers was so delicate and pitiful. Hydrangeas usually evoke a sense of quietude, but the flowers in this courtyard seemed to be constantly emitting silent cries, blooming with an overwhelming vitality. Suddenly immersed in their beauty, I felt an indescribable sense of oppression.
But Icefin, standing amidst the chaotic hydrangeas, seemed so perfectly suited to this silent, mad garden…
Tigo slowly approached, arms crossed, watching us with amusement: "Amazing, you just walked right in like that!"
Sensing the unspoken meaning in Tihu's words, I quickly turned back to look at the small gate I had come from, but all I could see were hydrangeas in the mist! Icefin, completely unaware of its predicament, looked at the scene before it with some suspicion: "Firewing, was this courtyard here before?" My anger flared up at that. How could it get lost like this? I definitely couldn't let this terrible navigator get ahead of me!
"Since we're here, let's at least take a look around..." Daigo, whether intentionally teasing or out of helplessness, rubbed the back of his head where only the roots of his hair remained and started walking ahead. I dragged the reluctant Icefin along behind. Knowing that guy's temper, he definitely wouldn't want to walk with Daigo, but who knows where he'd get lost if he went alone!
And so, we followed the stone-paved path, turning past clumps of flowering trees. The courtyard seemed unexpectedly spacious, and the trees were deliberately used to create visual barriers, making us feel as if we were going in circles. Before we knew it, even the sky had darkened. I began to feel uneasy—since entering this hydrangea garden, none of the troublesome fellows from the otherworldly realms that frequented the inn had appeared; more importantly, there was clearly a street right outside the inn—how could there possibly be such a large courtyard!
Could it be that something powerful and terrifying is lurking in this courtyard? Or is that powerful and terrifying thing the courtyard itself?
"Over there!" Icefin suddenly shouted, pointing to a pale blue hydrangea-like purple sunflower at the corner. The clusters of large flowers obscured a hazy shadow. There was no mistake, that... was a person!