Noche de luna con flores del río Spring

Capítulo 14

2004-12-08 12:04:00

Chapter Twenty-One: Interfering with Creatures, the Power of Blood

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I believe in fate! But I refuse to submit to it! I will continuously change my fate!!

"Drip...drip...drip..." Fresh blood flowed from the corner of a hostess's mouth in a karaoke bar, dripping onto the floor.

Zi Yang was captivated by the enchanting sounds, while the hostess in front of her had long since stopped struggling. Gazing at the terrified, desperate, and distorted face before her, Zi Yang smiled happily and, with a gentle wave of her hand, the woman's head appeared in Zi Yang's grasp.

"So beautiful~~! Such a face is truly the most beautiful masterpiece in the world..." Gently stroking the face of the "lady" in her hands, Zi Yang was completely immersed in this "beautiful" face...

※ ※ ※

"Everyone... is dead..." The young child hid in panic under the rubble, looking with terrified eyes at the overwhelming carnage before him, the raging fire, and the splattering blood.

Red! Just like the color of a child's clothes, a vibrant red...

"Here, there's another one!" With a shout, the rubble was kicked aside, and the child, who had lost his hiding place, dared not raise his head. He just curled up into a ball, trembling.

Suddenly, a cold steel wire wrapped tightly around his neck, yanking the child up. The child desperately tried to break free, but his struggles only tightened the wire. He tried to scream for help, but the cries he made were barely audible even to himself. A trickle of blood slowly slid down the child's neck…

The child was suspended by the wire from a dead tree. Though a tenacious will to live kept him conscious, it probably wouldn't last much longer. His gaze was fixed blankly on a spot in the still-burning ruins, where a mangled corpse lay—the body of the person he had tried so hard to protect his entire life…

"Wind color..."

The child's contorted face was filled with fear and despair...

"Back then, I must have been the most beautiful person in the world..." Zi Yang chuckled softly, her eyes filled with a strange, twisted light. "Every time I think of it, I feel so beautiful, so intoxicating..."

The blood from the woman's severed head slowly flowed down Zi Yang's fair, slender, and beautiful hands, but no more dripped to the ground... The eerie, vibrant crimson coat Zi Yang wore now seemed even more dazzling...

"When... will I be able to show that beauty again? Alas..." Zi Yang sighed, and the head in his hand disappeared silently.

Zi Yang turned and walked to the other side of the mansion. Her bright red dress stood out conspicuously, seemingly emitting a faint, eerie red glow in the dim environment... and slowly disappeared into the darkness...

A minute later, the grass ash appeared beside the headless woman on the ground, squatted down, and carefully examined the body of the headless woman.

“The face is the most beautiful thing in the world, but when she no longer has it, what remains is the ugliest thing,” Grass Ash murmured.

He stood up, raising his hands flat above the headless female corpse. A purple halo formed a "boundary array" composed of seven hexagonal shapes in the air, quickly enveloping the headless female corpse. The headless female corpse faintly disappeared in the light of the "boundary array," disintegrating into components like the air.

This night was the place where Cao Hui was transported from the Underworld back to the human world, the so-called exit from the Underworld Road back to the human world. Unexpectedly, a "Su" entered his passage just as he appeared. And the person who allowed this Su to enter the Underworld only took the head, abandoning the body.

Perhaps the ashes were gradually transformed by human compassion, to the point that they were used to "clean up the mess" of a complete stranger who had committed murder.

The night sky remained beautiful yet dim, devoid of stars, and the city seemed weary. Looking up at the horizon, Cao Hui felt a pang of sadness at finally being free, wondering what his future held.

Flowers drift and fall, water flows on; a single worry, two separate sorrows. This scene cannot be dispelled; it just leaves my brow only to rise again in my heart.

"Ah~~~~~~~~! Unperturbed by favor or disgrace, I leisurely watch the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard; indifferent to coming or going, I let the clouds drift and gather in the sky." Grass Ash sighed deeply.

I walk alone in silence on the street, the moon like a hook.

Lonely neon lights, deep streets locked in the desolate autumn.

Sorrow is like a tangled mess that cannot be untangled.

A unique feeling welled up inside me.

With a gait that was both light and heavy, Cao Hui was unsure where to go to find his direction.

Suddenly, Grass Ash felt the blood in his body begin to surge violently, as if it had gained its own consciousness, with all the blood rushing to his head. Grass Ash felt a sweet taste on the corner of his mouth, and a mouthful of blood spilled out. Grass Ash's heartbeat stopped because of the lack of blood supply, but his consciousness became increasingly clear.

A figure appeared in Grass Ash's eyes—a person dressed in an eerie, bright red coat, who now appeared in Grass Ash's line of sight with an expression of pity.

2004-12-08 12:05:00

"Are you conflicted? Do you feel like you can't find your true place in this world? Only by freeing your soul can your heart be less weary. Let me help you find liberation." The person in the dark red coat was none other than Zi Yang, who had just killed the "escort girl" and returned.

"Who exactly are you?" Grass Ash struggled, using all his strength to force out the question.

Grass Ash's face turned an even deeper red, the same color as Zi Yang's coat. Countless capillaries in the subcutaneous tissue bulged out of Grass Ash's cheeks, making him look incredibly ferocious.

“I am a sinner, a sinner who wants to be freed. I live to bear this sin, to bear it with my entire life.” Zi Yang said with a pained look in her eyes and a trembling voice.

"You're a madman~~~~~~!" Grass Ash said, his voice trembling with pain.

"I'm not, I'm not~~~~~~~~~~!" Zi Yang's originally handsome face suddenly became somewhat distorted as he shouted hysterically.

Grass Ash felt the blood in his body boil, the capillaries on his face burst, and his entire head became a "blood gourd." Grass Ash fell silently to the ground, but his equally bulging eyes were filled with an inescapable, extreme hatred. Those eyes, filled with extreme hatred, were forever fixed on Purple Glow.

“You’re finally free. Don’t look at me like that. Actually, everything I did was for your own good. Instead of searching for answers in exhaustion and confusion, it’s better to stop thinking about anything and let your soul be completely freed from that painful body. That’s true liberation. I also want to be truly free, but I can’t, because I can’t let myself die. I’ve tried, but I can never truly die,” Zi Yang said in a dreamlike voice.

With another wave of his hand, the ashes of the corpse suddenly turned into a cloud of blood mist and vanished. This blood mist then settled on Zi Yang's deep red coat, making it appear even more vibrant and eerie.

A purple halo rose into the air from the blood mist and vanished in the blink of an eye. Zi Yang stared at the spot where the purple halo had disappeared, her eyes filled with pity, as if hoping and praying for the same release.

※ ※ ※

In her secluded chamber, loneliness reigns, her tender heart overflowing with sorrow. She laments the passing of spring, as a few drops of rain hasten its departure, leaving only the withering of flowers.

I lean against the railing, but feel no joy. Where is he? The withered grass stretches to the horizon, and I gaze until I lose sight of the road home.

Last night, the hibernating insects chirped incessantly, startling me from a thousand-mile dream; it was already past midnight. I rose and walked alone around the steps. All was quiet; the moon shone dimly outside the curtain.

Fujiwara Mihide stood alone by the window, holding a cup of "mocha" in her hands, wearing a silk nightgown that Cao Hui had bought for her. She gazed at the night sky, a few strands of her hair slowly falling across her forehead, her eyes filled with longing for Cao Hui.

"It's been almost four months since you left, why haven't you come back yet?" Fujiwara Mihide murmured resentfully.

Suddenly, Fujiwara Mihide felt a sharp, piercing pain in her heart, and the "Mocha" in her hand fell to the ground. Fujiwara Mihide felt a very oppressive and ominous feeling.

“Grass ash~~~~~~~~~!” Fujiwara Mihide exclaimed in a trembling voice.

Whether it was Fujiwara Mihide's eyes playing tricks on her or her longing for the grass ash was too deep, a gust of cold wind blew by, and the grass ash suddenly appeared behind Fujiwara Mihide.

Fujiwara Mishu rushed forward excitedly and hugged the ashes, only to find that she hadn't hugged anything, and that she had already passed through the ashes' body, and the ashes had turned into "pure".

"You~~~~~~~!" Fujiwara Mishu couldn't believe what she was seeing. She pointed at the ashes with trembling hands and could only utter the word "you." She couldn't say anything else, but her eyes were filled with grief and indignation.

"Meixiu, I no longer exist," Caohui said self-deprecatingly.

"How could this be? This...it's impossible." Fujiwara Mihide was on the verge of collapse, slumped to the ground, and stammered in extreme sorrow.

"I know you can't believe it, but I am indeed dead. Although your original form was a ghost, it had cultivated for so many years and had a physical body. But I have become your original form, and I have not retained any of my cultivation from my previous life. I can no longer form a ghost body." After saying this, Grass Ash turned his head to the other side, unable to bear to look at Fujiwara Mihide's painful expression.

"Who is it? Who turned you into this?!" Fujiwara Mihide shouted, almost frantically.

“I don’t know him, but his power was terrifying. I didn’t even have a chance to fight back before he killed me. I don’t know what method he used, but I couldn’t even use a bit of my cultivation power before he destroyed my body. I can only keep this little bit of energy to come back and see you one last time,” Grass Ash said painfully.

"Who is it? Who is it?!" Fujiwara Mihide cried out in a pitiful voice.

"Meixiu, I don't want you to avenge me. You're no match for him. I just hope you can find Feng Shui Boss and have him take care of you. I think with Feng Shui Boss's power, he should be able to deal with the person who killed me. That person's power is too terrifying. I think Feng Shui Boss should have a chance to meet him. I only remember that he's someone who can manipulate other people's blood. My time is running out. Take care of yourself~~~~~~~~!" With the last bit of power in his soul, Cao Hui finished speaking these words, and in the blink of an eye, his soul dissipated.

"Grass Ash~~~~~~~~~!" Fujiwara Mishu struggled to lunge forward, hoping to grab Grass Ash, but she could no longer possess the most important man in her life.

The night deepened, becoming almost merciless. In the desolate city, only the faint sound of a woman's sobs, echoing after she had just lost her beloved, lingered in the air...

2004-12-08 12:07:00

Chapter Twenty-Two: Grass Ash

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The night was quiet, cold, very cold...

I curled up my small body under this dilapidated bridge arch, the one known as "Broken Bridge," where I had to find warmth only for myself. No one was willing to give me warmth, because I was a frog, yes, just a frog!

A gust of cold wind swept over my body, making my originally moist skin suddenly dry. I hate this kind of wind, and I also hate this physiological characteristic of mine. Once my skin is dry, I have difficulty breathing. I quickly secreted some lubricant from my body, otherwise I would have asthma again!

I can't remember how many years I've been under this broken bridge. I remember when I was just old enough to understand things, a man named Xu Xian and a snake demon named Bai Suzhen met on this bridge. I heard they even got married, but I never found out how it ended. I think it was a tragedy! How could a snake demon marry a human? Snakes eat frogs! What a wild idea!

For years, in this dilapidated archway, I've watched countless lovesick men and women make vows of eternal love, whisper sweet nothings on this bridge, and then watch them tear their promises to shreds. Then I've watched one of them whisper sweet nothings to another on this same bridge. Partings and reunions, entanglements and betrayals—where will it all end?

I remember once, on a whim, I escaped this place called "West Lake," wanting to see what the outside world was like. I accidentally fell into a well and remained there for 100 years. To get out, I had to ask a ghost named "Sadako" for help. I told her I had never seen the outside world and longed to see what it was like outside the well, so she pulled me out. 100 years—the world has changed so much! I couldn't help but marvel at the changes. She, however, called me a frog in a well. Yes, I was that frog in the well.

Now I have reached the final stage of my cultivation. I must transform into a human and go to the mortal world to experience the joys and sorrows of life, and to experience the true taste of the love that makes people willing to die for each other!

The night was still very quiet, and still very cold, very cold~~~~~~~.

I curled up again, reflecting on my experiences as a frog over the years. It wasn't so bad, actually. At least I could be an audience member, watching the myriad beings around me, witnessing their joys and sorrows, their ups and downs. Now, I'm going to experience it firsthand, becoming one of the actors. I will wholeheartedly perform my own story. Although tonight is cold, tomorrow will be warm.

I await the sunrise tomorrow, for tomorrow I will begin my human journey.

As the first rays of morning sunlight touched me, an astonishing transformation occurred within my body. A layer of golden light enveloped me, and I felt an intensely hot energy surging through my small frame, as if my entire body was about to explode. I was completely overwhelmed by this domineering energy; my will could no longer control the expansion of my body. It was expanding relentlessly, yes, constantly expanding. I was like an inflated balloon, nearing its limit. I knew then, I was about to become human!

Just as my consciousness was about to fade away, I heard a "bang," and then the world went quiet. My pain disappeared, and my consciousness faded away as well, until...

※ ※ ※

"Ah~~~~~~~~~!" A sharp scream jolted me awake from the void.

I slowly and laboriously opened my eyes, and then I saw a scene I will never forget. A figure wearing a loose-fitting blue-green robe, with long hair reaching the ground, appeared before me. I saw those arms, those two pale, bloodless, slender woman's hands, reaching out to me.

It was a face of breathtaking beauty, cold and elegant, like a cloud drifting in the sky. Words could not describe its beauty, for it was not a human beauty, but a face transcending even the gods.

At that time, I could only clearly understand one thing: this woman's hand made me feel scared, because when I placed my hand on hers, I felt the breath of death.

Later, I learned her name: Huang Quan, a deity who influenced my entire life after I cultivated myself into human form. However, I have no regrets, because I fell in love with her.

However, I knew I could never have her, because she was a goddess, a goddess whose heart belonged to another man. As for me, I was nothing more than a tool driven by her. I didn't know why she chose me; at the time, I thought it might be because I was naive.

Later, I met a female ghost in the human world named Fujiwara Mihide. I knew she was Sadako's sister and had already cultivated herself into a physical form. I think my time for love has come.

I think no one is immune to loneliness, especially late at night. I've heard that love is so gentle, it's the best thirst quencher. I want to reach out and touch something, and the hazy, beautiful lights make my curious eyes meet theirs.

2004-12-08 12:08:00

A fateful encounter, an inevitable outcome, impossible to hide, undesirable, and unavoidable. She was like a raging fire, arrogantly rushing towards me, ignoring my composure, as she deeply intruded into my dreams. My once docile thoughts stirred, finding no way to retreat; I might as well love to the fullest, regardless of the consequences. My soul became naked; my heart stirred, what did it matter if I was apprehensive or filled with longing?

We fell in love...

The final kiss carried a faint scent of cigarettes, a bittersweet and heartbreaking aroma. Where will I be at this time tomorrow, and who will I be thinking of? After becoming nothingness, time will remain forever stagnant. Will it continue to turn? All that will remain are unforgettable memories. If I am still alive, at this time tomorrow, I think I will definitely cry, thinking of you whom I loved so deeply, forever leaving a space for you in my heart.

The abandoned asphalt, stained with the fragrance of rain, dispelled nostalgia, enveloping the bustling street, like a destroyed profile, even its breath gone. In a place of unbridled freedom, embracing death, thoughts surged. Farewell, Mi-soo, never grieve again. Only you, though my soul is gone, I will love you forever…

※ ※ ※

Jiang Yao was awakened from her sleep at three in the morning. When she opened the door, she saw a woman who looked utterly miserable and haggard. The woman was wearing a silk nightgown, and although she looked very tired, it couldn't completely hide her original delicate beauty.

"Jiang Yao~~~~~~~~~~~!" The woman threw herself into Jiang Yao's arms, only managing to utter these two words before bursting into tears.

"What happened, Misaki?" Jiang Yao asked, gently stroking Fujiwara Misaki in her arms, somewhat surprised.

Fujiwara Mihide struggled to lift her head, her eyes vacant from crying, and murmured in a dreamlike voice, "Grass Ash, Grass Ash is dead, dead~~~~~~~~!" After saying these words, Fujiwara Mihide fainted.

Jiang Yao was shocked and couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was speechless for a long time.