Asura

Capítulo 19

As expected, it was the gentlest south wind Yize had described. I hadn't even noticed Yinghui hiding in my eyes! No wonder I couldn't see ordinary spirits on the sandy path, only managing to see a few after landing on the island, and they didn't fully recover until nightfall. And those guys on the island said I had a scent they liked; and my voice was being controlled again—it was all because of Yinghui! I couldn't just casually say "thank you," so I awkwardly forced a smile, starting to worry that he might need to borrow my eyes again when he left the island.

"I'm not leaving this island!" As if sensing my worry, the swirling form rippled. "I want to stay with Yize."

"Huh?" Yize, who had been blushing and not daring to look at Yinghui, raised his head, but lowered it again shyly when he met Yinghui's gaze. "What about the other flowers? You'll have to help them pollinate, right..."

"Soon another wind will take my place. Although it's a bit willful, I... I still prefer to be with Yize..." Yinghui's form fluctuated even more violently. I understood; he was shy!

“However…” Yinghui’s tone made Yize and me look up at him with some concern. Seemingly considering his words, Yinghui hesitated for a moment before saying seriously, “…Yize, you can’t use human flesh as fertilizer anymore…”

"How could you believe that?" Yize's face turned even redder. She peeked at me out of the corner of her eye: "I was just trying to scare her... Since she left decades ago, no human has ever come here. Where am I supposed to find people to be fertilizer?" Please, I don't look like I'm in my fifties or sixties at all, yet she said I've been away from the island for decades! Oh well, monsters never seem to have a good sense of time, so I'll just forgive her.

In this situation, Yize probably couldn't care less about swallowing her tears and making a forced contract with her. I seized the opportunity to escape, but this evening primrose spirit didn't miss my every move. As soon as I lifted my foot, she suddenly floated in front of me and blocked my way.

What else did she want? I instinctively tried to struggle and escape, but my body was bound by the contract and I couldn't move. Ignoring my resistance, Yi Ze simply lowered her eyelids and placed her hand on my chest. Slowly, a tiny silver light shone through the back of her white hand. She gently withdrew her hand, and the light detached from my body with that movement, settling in Yi Ze's palm. It was a tiny droplet of water, rippling with a soft glow.

"I've dissolved the contract for you." Yize looked up at me with a smile, slowly clasping her hands together. When she opened her palms again, a small evening primrose-shaped lamp floated before my eyes. Yize gently traced a line with her finger, and a long silver thread appeared out of thin air on the lamp. Yize handed the silver thread to me: "This lamp might be useful to you..."

"You're letting me off so easily?" I stared at Yize in astonishment, speechless. Yize gently closed my hand: "Go find Shiwuye... No matter what he becomes, never forget the kindness he showed you... Now, it's time to repay him..."

As Yize's slender fingers brushed past my eyes, the pure white petals, glowing with fluorescent light, swirled and changed color, transforming into staggered rows of red lanterns! In an instant, the surrounding moonlit meadow receded outwards from where I stood, like a tide, and was replaced by a scene of a festival night market overflowing with intoxicating joy. My ears were filled with rousing music and the cheers of the people!

People dressed in fine clothes and adorned with jade staggered along, calling to their friends and walking arm in arm, yet it was a completely healthy and unrestrained behavior. It turned out that the festival had reached its climax during the time I was away!

Clutching the thin silver thread tightly, I was guided through the crowded throng by the evening primrose lamp given to me by Yize. No one noticed me within the lamplight—this was why Yize said the lamp was useful to me; it could conceal the human scent on my body! The light flickered frequently as if about to emit a clear chime, meandering and floating above people's heads like a kite, as if searching for something.

I don't know how many groups of people I passed through, amidst the disheveled hair and glittering ornaments from their playful antics, I caught that familiar, refreshing fragrance...

At that moment, everything around me seemed to blur. The deep, resonant sound of the distant ocean tide filled my ears. The colorful crowds and dazzling streets lost their luster in my senses. All that remained was the figure in white standing in the dim light—his hair, once tied in a topknot, had been cut short, giving him a youthful and vibrant air. But the white robe embroidered with delicate green leaves remained unchanged, as did the refreshing, warm fragrance that filled my heart…

Whether it's A Bao or Yize, reuniting with them is just a surprise that a dream has come true, so I've always suspected that what I experienced was actually my cousin Bingqi's childhood experience; because A Bao and Yize were surprised that I was a girl, after all, in the eyes of the Other Shore, Bingqi and I are very similar. However, the moment I saw this boy in white, my decisiveness wavered again.

Is this feeling also Icefin's? I actually, so desperately want to see this person who has only appeared in my dreams...

"Fifteen Nights..." By the time I realized it, I had already grabbed the white-clad boy's sleeve and called out his name. Even if it violated the taboo of "silence," it didn't matter, Fifteen Nights was different!

"How could it be you?" A look of astonishment crept onto the brows where the traces of childhood could still be faintly seen. Jugoya instinctively grabbed the silver thread of the evening primrose lantern that was about to slip from my hand. "You...you're actually a girl!"

Fifteen Nights was just as surprised as A Bao and Yize. Even though the person who had been with them was his cousin, Ice Fin, who was a month younger than him, the person standing in front of him now was me! My emotions became inexplicably agitated. Fortunately, Fifteen Nights showed his concern in time. He looked warily at the crowd around him who were engrossed in having fun: "You've been here the whole time. Didn't anyone notice?"

I nodded vigorously: "I only ran into Abao and Yize, no one else noticed me! Because someone told me about the taboos on the island—don't talk to anyone, don't eat anything." But I still violated them a little, and I touched my head a little embarrassedly.

"That's great!" Izayoi breathed a long sigh of relief. "Who told you?"

"It's Tenshiro, Tenshiro from Raigen in Shishi Village." I have to thank Jujuya for letting me meet him!

"Is that so? So it's Tenshiki..." Why did Jugoya seem a little strange when he said that? I looked up, puzzled, but I couldn't see his expression hidden in the lamplight. His voice was unfamiliar. "You've got some nerve, Tenshiki! You only possess a few mountains, yet you dare to protect humans..."

What does that mean? The Fifteenth Night isn't quite the same as the Fifteenth Night in my dream, is it? Unable to accept this discrepancy, I stared blankly at the profile that had lost its childlike innocence. "And Abao and Yize are also… unforgivable!" The white-clad boy before me slowly turned his head. In an instant, his face overlapped with a figure from my dream—the child arguing with Fifteenth Night beneath the towering moonlight, that proud child who would never accept humanity! How could I forget—he has a face that is a mirror image of Fifteenth Night!

"You are... Miyoshino!" A trembling voice escaped from my throat.

"You only realized it now? Isn't it a bit too late..." A mocking laugh appeared on the face that looked exactly like Izayoi's. "Poor Izayoi, I wonder what his expression will be when he sees you can't even tell the difference between me and him..."

I took a step back, only to find that the silver thread of the evening primrose lantern was still held in Miyoshi's hand. I needed this lantern to conceal my identity, and I was caught in a dilemma. Miyoshi's smile deepened: "Do you know why you can't speak on this island? Because once you speak, it means you acknowledge the other person's existence, and if the other person agrees, the connection between you is established, and you can no longer hide yourself..." Accompanied by words without any emotional fluctuation, a golden bolt of lightning suddenly flowed from Miyoshi's palm, and with a crisp cracking sound, the evening primrose lantern that Yize had given me shattered into pieces.

The cracking sound of the lights abruptly cut off the cheerful music and voices, and people's movements stopped unnaturally. Suddenly, everything went dark as the lanterns of the night market went out one by one, and everything gradually lost its red glow—grotesque shapes, sharp claws, burning eyes, and wary movements replaced people's ethereal beauty and alluring charm. I was bathed in a torrential rain of greedy gazes.

“Humans…” “The smell of humans!” Whispers rippled through the still crowd like water, then amplified a hundredfold, turning into a chilling cheer that surged back to me.

What would happen? Would I be eaten? Before these thoughts could even form in my mind, they were interrupted by Miyoshi's whispered words, laced with a cold laugh: "It won't be enough. It will never repay even a fraction of what you owe Ijuya..." Lifting his head from beside my ear, the boy, who bore the same face as Ijuya, spoke in a resolute yet indifferent tone, "She is a sacrifice. Use her to quell the anger of the Blue Palace!"

"A sacrifice!" "It's a sacrifice!" Strange voices emanating from all sorts of strange bodies repeated the same sentence...

Should I run away? Before they tear me to pieces? But... where should I run to?

"Come this way!" A hoarse voice crashed into my chaotic mind. I felt someone rush over and grab my wrist. My first impression of this person was that he was surprisingly short, but his actions were very decisive. He quickly waved his free hand, and the evening primrose lamp that had been shattered by Sanfangye immediately floated up. I heard him shout, and like hot fuel being thrown into a fire, the fragments of the lamp flashed with dazzling light. In an instant, the aliens around me couldn't help but cover their eyes.

"Now!" A powerful pull came from my wrist, and before I could react, the scenery around me was rushing past at an incredible speed. I was propelled forward like a gust of wind until a white shadow flashed in my vision—in the blink of an eye, I had stopped beneath a tall, white palace, the very palace I had seen in my dream!

"Don't be afraid now, they can't get into the Divine Palace!" The hoarse voice startled me back to reality. I then noticed the person who had brought me out of danger—he was actually a small child! The running had left him breathless, and he was coughing loudly. I rushed over to pat his back, but stopped as I got close—it was too rude to call my savior that, but this guy was just too dirty! Not only was he covered in mud and grime, but his clothes hadn't been washed in ages, their original color unrecognizable. His unkempt hair was greasy and filthy like seaweed. Tears and snot streamed down his face from coughing, and he was constantly making muffled phlegm noises in his throat. This guy looked like a consumptive, not a child!

"Are you alright...? You look like you've had a hard time..." I bent down to his level and asked. He waved his hand, indicating that I should talk to him later. His hand looked dark and sticky, and I didn't know how long it had been since he had washed it. I couldn't help but secretly wipe my wrist where he had touched it.

After finally calming down, the child casually wiped away the tears and snot from his face and smiled at me: "It's an old problem." Not knowing what to say, I nodded awkwardly. In the brief silence, the roar of the ocean waves reached my ears.

"The Divine Palace is a forbidden area of the Azure Palace." The child's sudden words sent a chill down my spine: "What? So you're also going to offer me as a sacrifice to the Azure Palace!"

With an expression that belied his mature appearance, the child smiled noncommittally and pointed beyond the Divine Palace. No wonder there was the sound of the tide; under the full moon, a long, graceful arc appeared in the night, a shape I recognized—the naturally formed arch bridge of the reefs at the end of Sunken Camp Island! The procession of natural spirits, including the Celestial Lion, ascended this wondrous Sunken Camp Island from here.

“Every few decades, the Blue Palace would come ashore from there to this territory that belongs to him.” The child’s eyes were clear as he looked at me, a stark contrast to his hoarse voice. “Whenever the Blue Palace arrived, everyone would hold a festival to celebrate, and even gods from all over would travel thousands of miles to come. Everyone was truly happy then, regardless of their status. But… the Blue Palace hasn’t appeared for a long time now, and no matter how much we try to create a false sense of joy, it’s useless. We… perhaps we won’t live to see the next festival…”

"...How could this be..." Perhaps it was the inherent sadness in that unclear tone of voice, but I was unknowingly infected by the child's emotions. However, the child did not answer me directly, but pointed to the interior of the Divine Palace, where a pure white stone path ran through the sacred land belonging to the Blue Palace, but the path that should have gradually blended into the darkness was interrupted by a faint orange-red flame.

This is exactly the same as what I saw in my dream! I stared in astonishment at the filthy child before me. How did he know this place? Who...who is this person? But the situation didn't allow me time to think. A surging clamor gradually approached where I stood. Outside the Divine Palace, in the night scene where the red lanterns had been extinguished, pairs of green orbs flickered eerily, slowly undulating and moving towards me, countless in number. Suddenly, it dawned on me—those were the eyes of the aliens! They...had already caught up!

"You've broken both taboos of this world!" Ignoring my terror, the child laughed nonchalantly, sniffing hard. "A taboo is a taboo, and you'll be punished for breaking it. It might be difficult for you to trust me right away, but please listen to me: although they can't get in here, if you don't seize this opportunity, you might be trapped on the island forever—keep walking straight along this white path, don't get distracted, go to the Blue Palace, and beg for his forgiveness!"

"Go to...the Blue Palace?" I turned to look at the white stone path burning with firelight, feeling lost. "And...what about you?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. How could I say something so dependent to a child?

In a fleeting moment, a complex smile flashed across his face, which was covered in layers of mud. The child shook his head: "That place... is no longer a place I can go." How could I forget? He was one of the Xenomorphs too!

Perhaps, I have no choice but to trust him. Suppressing the urge to look back at the child one last time, I turned and ran into the Divine Palace…

The sound vanished... It was a deathly silence, a world completely devoid of life and time. The white stone path stretched from the thick fog toward the orange-red flame. I turned around and realized that the path behind me had been swallowed up by the white fog at some point.

There was no turning back! It took longer than expected to get me to the edge of that fire. Even from a distance, I could feel the scorching heat. Flames are supposed to be the purest, possessing purifying power, but this fire gave me absolutely no such feeling; calling it hellfire wouldn't be an exaggeration—distorted faces and struggling bodies vaguely emerged from the flames, the crackling sounds like countless screams. I lowered my head, unable to look any further. Forget about seeing the Blue Palace; I couldn't possibly move forward in this state!

"Great, after waiting for so long, you've finally come..." The familiar, gentle voice made me suddenly look up. A transcendent figure slowly emerged in the firelight, and the heated air eagerly carried his fragrance—a white robe adorned with green leaf patterns, short hair, and there he was again, such a gentle young man... Was he Sanfangye or Jujuya?

"Who told you to come to such a dangerous place? Go back this way!" The boy in white pointed to the thick fog by the roadside, revealing the warm smile I was used to seeing in my dreams. "There's no way to get through. This is a barrier of fire set up by humans; even the Blue Palace can't cross it..."

His words were enough to prove his identity! I took a step back and stared coldly at the person in front of me: "You are... Sanfangye, right!" This person actually appeared here. Unlike the other guys in the festival night market, he was able to enter the forbidden area? I thought for a moment. In my dream, he had also abandoned Jujuya and resolutely passed through the Divine Gate.

Having her identity exposed, Miyoshi switched back to her aloof expression: "You didn't actually mistake me for Jugoya, huh? You've learned your lesson!"

"You and Izayoi are completely different! Izayoi is not as cold-hearted as you!"

“Cold-blooded?” Miyoshino let out a sharp laugh. “You’ve met Abao and Yize, so you should know that the truly cruel ones are you humans! You even imprisoned the Blue Palace in this place for your own selfish reasons!”

"Humans, have imprisoned the Blue Palace?" After hearing what the child who saved me said, I thought the Blue Palace had abandoned this island!

Miyoshi glanced at me, then turned her head away in disgust: "The throne of the Blue Palace is on this island, and he comes here every year on his birthday. But humans soon discovered that the sea near this island has an extraordinary blessing; not only are the seas calm, but they also return with full catches every time they go out to sea. In order to monopolize this blessing, humans built temples to suppress the Blue Palace's throne and even set fire to restrict his movements. You know, the Blue Palace clan is most afraid of the heat!"

So... the reason why Aonomiya didn't disembark via the stone bridge sacred path wasn't because he didn't want to come, but because he was actually trapped on this island! "Don't others know about this?" I couldn't hide my surprise, and my voice grew louder as I spoke.

“Only Juuya and I know, because we originally served the Blue Palace, responsible for guiding the direction of the throne!” Miyoshino’s face showed a proud expression, but that expression was swallowed up by sadness the next second. “The festival without the protagonist has been held several times, and everyone is still completely in the dark, thinking that it is their fault that the Blue Palace does not come. We cannot do without the Blue Palace! Everyone can only maintain their form in the darkness. Perhaps everyone will disappear soon, thinking that they will be abandoned. Everyone is so trembling, maintaining the illusion of happiness, hoping to win back the favor of the Blue Palace, but they do not know that no matter how hard they try, the Blue Palace will not appear!”

I finally understand why this dignified young man so vehemently rejects humans. The so-called "Blue Palace" is likely the spirit king who guards this sea, an embodiment of natural power, just like the Celestial Lion who guards the mountains. Lower-level spirits need to draw upon his spiritual energy to survive, and humans imprisoning the Blue Palace is severing the spirits' lifeline! I, who always thought Miyoshi was too cold-hearted, suddenly find myself unable to find any reason or justification to dislike him…

And Miyoshi's suppressed sorrow further eroded my hatred for him: "Humans... are all unforgivable! But that fool, Jujuya, actually said that humans might not have meant any harm, and that only humans could liberate the Blue Palace! We really can't touch this barrier of flames, but Jujuya actually pinned his hopes on you! You were just a child during the last festival, how could you possibly break through this barrier that has existed for hundreds of years? In that situation, did Jujuya ever think about me... I only have... only him!"

"What happened to Jugoya...?" I wanted to walk to Miyoshi's side, but he stopped in his tracks because of Miyoshi's blatant look of disgust. He shook his head incredulously: "You really don't remember... A year's growth in Aonomiya is only a few decades in human terms, and you don't remember anything at all! You're really ruthless!"

"It's not like I forgot on purpose!" I protested loudly. "How can you blame me? Maybe it wasn't me who participated in the last festival. Maybe it was my cousin, or maybe it was someone else who looks a lot like me!" Not to mention that these monsters have no concept of time, even if he's right, several decades is a long time for humans, long enough to forget some things!

"Who else could it be but you! How many people can come to the island on the day of the festival? Besides, you still remember our names!" Having convinced herself of my heartlessness, Miyoshi became even more reckless. "You really are human, selfish and cold-hearted. It's not worth dying for you, Jujuya!"

Izayoi... is dead! At this moment, my resolve wavered once again: I had once thought that the person who had come to the island was Icefin, but now I was more certain than ever that the person who had been here was myself! Otherwise, where would the genuine sorrow I felt upon hearing the news of Izayoi's death come from?

—It feels like a huge hole has suddenly appeared in my heart. Could this feeling be an illusion?

Miyoshi looked at me with increasing disdain, now speechless: "The day after the festival ended, humans came to the island looking for you, who had gone missing. They found you sleeping next to Jujutsu and asked how you got to the island. You actually told them everything about how Jujutsu asked you to break the barrier! The humans thought it was Jujutsu's doing, that you destroyed his true form after you left! Without his true form, Jujutsu couldn't hold on for long! But he still..." Miyoshi suddenly stopped her increasingly agitated tone, taking a deep breath, "It's pointless to say anything now! You're the one who harmed him, and now you're saying... you've forgotten!"

I really have forgotten! All I remember are the dreams I had, and Fifteen Nights and the others.

"Go back!" Miyoshi pointed again at the dark fog. "Go back from there! I'll make everyone let you go. Don't go any further. You don't know how to break through the barrier, so coming here is pointless!"

Shall we go? After leaving the forbidden area of the Blue Palace, can I... go back?

"What are you still doing here? You'll only hurt Jujutsu!"

Should I go back? But... I think I've forgotten something important...

Keep walking straight along this white path, and don't get distracted... go and beg... for the forgiveness of the Blue Palace... Why are the words of that insignificant, dirty child so clearly appearing in my mind at this moment!

"I can't go back." With my head down, I said, word by word, "I came to see the Blue Palace, to beg for his forgiveness!"

I must not be confused, nor should I be afraid. Whether I have forgotten the past or broken taboos, I must bear all of this myself! I ran towards the screaming flames before me. Miyoshi cried out and tried to stop me, but in an instant, I passed through his body—it was a spirit, Miyoshi's true body was not here! Before I could think further, I was already in the flames.

It wasn't hot at all. Standing in the center of the flames, I didn't feel the scorching heat I'd just experienced. It was less like fire and more like I was surrounded by an endless ice storm! The raging flames transformed into countless shapeless heads that danced and greedily devoured each other.

The devourer, its drooling mouth emitting incoherent cries, would instantly transform its maniacal laughter into the wails of its prey. Endless, echoing from the heart of the storm, was this roar—not enough, not enough, never enough…

This flame… is greed! Everyone has such ugly desires swirling within them! I clutched my head, slowly squatting down. Denying it was useless; I was the same! Perhaps… going back would be better—I could never gain the Blue Palace's forgiveness in this state, and continuing forward was pointless…

"With such good eyes, why can't you see the truth?" A reproachful voice, tinged with amusement, pierced the howling storm, sounding like it was directed at a mischievous child. In my memory, someone had once spoken to me in such a warm tone; but that person was gone, nowhere in this world. As if in disbelief, I slowly raised my head, and there stood before me—the person who should have been nowhere in this world…

“Grandfather…” I asked hesitantly. Grandfather looked down at me, who had fallen to the ground, and shook his head and smiled as if he could do nothing about my clumsiness. Gradually, his figure disappeared into the cold and violent torrent of flames.

Even today, my grandfather must still worry about me, about how clumsy I am, and how I can't seem to see the truth.

However, seeing the truth was the only thing he couldn't teach me—to see everything clearly, I could only rely on my own heart. Gazing at the ugly flames of greed before me, I slowly took a breath and closed my eyes…

A high-pitched song reached my ears, its rhythmic melody sounding somewhat familiar. The landlady of the guesthouse where I was staying had once tried playing a section of it on her yueqin—a tune used by fishermen in religious ceremonies. This must have happened before, right? The bright moon of the fifteenth night illuminated the sea, as black as silk, and fishing boats adorned with colorful lights and red flags sliced through the smooth surface. On board, people dressed in old-fashioned robes, singing religious music and beating drums, surrounded a round object covered in silk, sailing towards the sunken island. Even from a distance, I could feel the surging heat emanating from that round object.

Humans...are they going to the island? In an instant, five-colored streams of light burst forth from the island, illuminating the sea like daytime. The people on the ship cheered, witnessing a miracle, but I knew it was just the spirits of a sacrificial ceremony fleeing in all directions! What exactly are humans sending to the island? Why are the spirits of nature avoiding it like the plague?

I looked down at the island from the sacred path of the arched stone bridge. The long path led to a platform halfway up the mountain, where two enormous, bluish-green torches stood. But the light from these torches was very faint, for between them lingered a far more intense divine light. This light could neither leave nor descend! Could it be… the Blue Palace? As the master of this island, he had to wait until all the guests had departed before leaving!

However, the human ships had already arrived! The people cheered as they carried the palanquins that held the round object, set off deafening firecrackers, and marched up the sacred path with gongs and drums. The spirits that had not had time to escape screamed and turned into smoke as soon as they approached the human procession, but the humans continued to move forward joyfully, completely ignoring them!

Amidst the singing and cheers, the round object was placed in the center of the platform. People began to worship it, the divine light between the green torches twisting and turning aimlessly, as if in burning agony. The people prayed methodically, and finally, the red silk covering the round object was unveiled. Flames shot forth from it, instantly rising high—this must have been the initial form of the cold fire surrounding me. Although my vision was momentarily obscured, I still saw the true face of the round object—it was a gigantic incense burner!

As if bound by invisible ropes, the divine body of the Blue Palace contracted violently, as if resisting the binding force, and burst forth with a fierce burst of fire. People screamed in agony; some collapsed, others covered their eyes. In the turbulent flow of light, the exhausted, slender divine body of the Blue Palace stretched out, trailing a feeble arc in the deep black night sky, and instantly disappeared into the dark shadows between the torches. Almost simultaneously, the two green torches dimmed, and everything slowly emerged from the darkness—the island, now peaceful again, was left with only a brand-new temple with upturned eaves, and two ancient trees with swaying branches silently guarding the building that had imprisoned the god of nature.

So this is the truth, the truth that happened on this island many years ago on the night of the festival...

Of all the noble spirits, only Jujutsu saw through it all—humans truly meant no harm! Building temples and offering incense were simply ways people wanted to express their gratitude and respect for the bountiful nature! But humans worshipped the spirits of nature as gods, neglecting their true feelings—nature may not need our worship; perhaps all they wanted was to be our friend!

The desire to get closer has become an insurmountable barrier. Why did it turn out this way? We are so interdependent, yet we always hurt each other. Why can't human feelings, and the feelings of nature, ever truly connect...?

Go to the Blue Palace… to beg for his forgiveness… At this moment, the words of the child who saved me echoed in my ears once more. But what can I do? I am so insignificant; I have no idea how to break through this barrier of flames! Even if I did break through, what then? Would I be forgiven? I have no idea whether the voice in my heart can truly reach the Blue Palace!

The human heart and the heart of nature may have drifted further and further apart. As a member of humanity, perhaps I have forgotten how to coexist with nature... The flames hissed, and uncontrollable tears rolled down my cheeks, falling into the flames...

Like a pebble dropped into still water, the ground suddenly shook, and a refreshing breeze rose beneath my feet. I opened my eyes in surprise to see a massive, cylindrical wall of wind powerfully tearing apart the barrier of flames, pushing it outwards. A bright moon and azure stars appeared above my head—could a single tear really turn this fiery inferno into wisps of smoke? Did nature only desire a single, genuine human tear? No, perhaps the barrier of flames never existed at all; perhaps we, humanity and nature, were simply blinded by the truth!

Let this sorrowful barrier never appear again...

The thick fog surrounding the white stone path was blown away by the strong wind, and the scene inside the Divine Palace gradually came into view. I gasped—no wonder the child who saved me told me to keep going forward and not to get distracted, because the narrow white stone path surrounded by fog was actually a steep cliff on both sides! I watched the waves spraying white foam and crashing against the dark stone walls with a chill running down my spine—Sanfangye really hated me to the point of wanting to kill me. If I had listened to him and gone back, I might have already fallen into the sea and become a fish's belly!

I took a hard breath and turned to face the road ahead. In the center of the road, no longer blocked by flames, stood the bronze incense burner! Now it was covered in green stains, with pale ashes piled up inside, and a few places still had faint, dark red embers!

Looking up, in the full moonlight, a nearly dilapidated building stood before me. Its upturned eaves were loose and broken, and the gold-painted plaque above the door, with its faint inscription "Dragon King Temple," looked particularly ridiculous at this moment. One side of the temple gate was shrouded in dense shade, the almost blackish-green canopy studded with star-like white blossoms, emitting a familiar, bright, and cheerful fragrance—it was a huge orange tree that shouldn't be blooming this season. If I wasn't mistaken, this was the true form of Sanyono!

As the attendant guiding the Blue Palace to its throne, this tree must be the "torch" emitting the green light! Miyoshino is here, so... where is Izayoi? I turned and looked around; not far from Miyoshino was a severed tree stump...

—It might have been an orange tree, the remaining bark a smooth, thin green, but the tragic cross-section, ravaged by wind and rain, had turned a lifeless gray-black. I ran over and knelt down, stroking the cold stump—this was Jugoya, the only Jugoya in Miyoshino; because I was found sleeping under the tree, because of my careless words, this Jugoya had become like this…