Cambiaformas

Capítulo 32

"Then why did you kill him?" Asakusa asked, puzzled. In his world, killing others was only for one's own survival.

"Because...because of what...Lan Ye, why, why did you force me to do it..." The woman's previously dazed eyes gradually calmed down. She looked at Qian Cao and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Asakusa." Asakusa felt an increasing tightness in his chest, a feeling similar to when he devoured his mother's flesh and blood. Had he already lost Lan Ye? How could he have lost his only familiar companion in this world after just one night's sleep?

The woman said "Oh," and then added, "You're the little leopard that Lan Ye mentioned."

Asakusa was taken aback: "He mentioned me?"

The woman smiled faintly, as if recalling something happy: "Yes, he said that. He said that you've always been awkward since you were little, even though you like following him, you always pretend to be forced to. He also said that you're a lot like him. When did you learn these spells? You can even transform into his appearance."

"You'll know it when you wake up."

“Xi Xue taught him the most ancient water-based witchcraft, and then he taught you.” She gave a mocking smile: “He really is infatuated.”

Who is Xixue?

"Didn't he tell you? Xixue... is the person he's been looking for all along."

"And who are you?"

"I am Jing Ling, the water-elemental sorceress Jing Ling, and also... Lan Ye's wife..." The woman's eyes softened considerably, and she suddenly looked sorrowfully at the blood and flesh on the walls: "How... how did we become like this..."

“Wife…” Asakusa never expected that Lan Ye would marry a wife after going down the mountain, and then be killed to pieces by this person who claimed to be his wife. He frowned his handsome eyebrows, unable to understand it no matter what.

Just as the two were talking, a timid call came from the small house next door. Asakusa looked in the direction of the sound and saw a small figure. On her round, oval face, her big, dark eyes looked dazed and confused from just waking up. Her delicate white hands clutched her thin princess dress, and her long, shoulder-length curly hair fell naturally. She was a little girl who was as beautiful as a porcelain doll.

Asakusa stared at the little guy in confusion, unsure how to react. He turned to look at Jingling, only to find that Jingling's previously calm face had turned pale in an instant, and her dark purple lips were trembling with fear, unable to utter a sound for a long time.

"Mom?" The little girl looked at her mother and father with a puzzled expression.

Jingling forced a reassuring smile and asked softly, "Little Yezi, what's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare!" The little girl pleaded and rushed toward Jingling, but stopped as she got close, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. "Mommy, it stinks."

Those three words were enough to send Jingling to the deepest abyss of hell. She looked pleadingly at Qiancao and gestured towards the little girl's room. Qiancao understood and knelt down in front of the little girl. She carefully recalled how the adults she had seen along the way held their children, and then imitated them, picking up the little girl and giving her what she thought was an identical smile to Lanye's: "Little Yezi, good girl, go to sleep."

The little girl was woken up by the noise outside. She was already sleepy, but when Asakusa held her in his arms, she fell asleep again in no time.

Asakusa carefully placed the little girl on her princess bed. Turning around, he saw Jingling leaning against the doorframe, lost in thought. Just as he was about to speak, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins, knowing the spell's effect had worn off. Sure enough, within seconds, he transformed from a man back into a black panther. Being witnessed by a strange woman during his transformation made Asakusa feel somewhat embarrassed. He looked directly at Jingling and said what he hadn't had a chance to say earlier: "Jingling, now that Lanye is dead, I won't linger here any longer."

"Speaking of which, Lan Ye is your master. Don't you want to avenge your master?" Jing Ling asked coldly.

Asakusa dislikes complicated matters. He's looking for Lan Ye, and since Lan Ye is gone, he naturally has to return to Fuxue Mountain to continue his cultivation. After all, besides cultivation, he doesn't know what else he can do.

"Revenge is just a product of your human boredom. Why should I waste my energy on it?"

Jingling entered the room, her gaze tenderly fixed on her sleeping daughter. She said softly, "Qiancao, I'm dying. The witchcraft I used to kill Lanye was a mutually destructive method; now, my internal organs are rotting. Lanye's death was a reaping of his own karmic debt, and mine is deserved, a self-inflicted wound. But how could I forget I have a daughter? In this life, I've wronged so many people, but she's the one I wrong most. The thought of her growing up without parents after I die terrifies me. Now, I've wronged another." She smiled mysteriously, "No matter what, I have to leave her a father, right?"

As soon as he said that, Asakusa realized something was wrong. He stared wide-eyed at Asakusa: "Are you crazy?!"

Jingling has indeed gone mad. Using her own blood as a medium, she recited forbidden ancient incantations, linking the lives of Asakusa and her daughter, Yuya, together. Asakusa cannot live without Yuya; he must rely on Yuya's blood to survive. If Yuya dies, Asakusa cannot live.

"Raise Xiaoyezi for me, Qiancao, as a way of repaying Lanye's kindness in raising me back then." After Jingling finished speaking, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and her body, which had been moving freely just a moment ago, was torn to pieces as if it had been strangled by countless threads.

Blood, meat scraps, and bone marrow splattered everywhere. Amidst the rain of blood, Asakusa jumped onto Yuuka's princess bed and calmly watched the sweetly sleeping little girl.

She looked about seven or eight years old, still a bit chubby, with thick, dark eyelashes casting large shadows. Her small lips were curved and upturned, as if she were dreaming of something happy.

If a child wakes up and finds that both of his parents have died tragically overnight, how would he react?

Asakusa's heart softened as she gazed at him.

Although he was forced to stay by her side, will this doll always be with him? Will it be his own little leaf?

Chapter Thirteen: Accompanying Each Other

(Thirteen)

There was no time for grief. Asakusa stood in the blood-splattered room, letting out a long sigh. Cleaning up this mess wouldn't be easy. His meager witchcraft was simply no match for it. He glanced at Yuuka, who was lost in a sweet dream, and unconsciously twitched his nose.

That little guy's nose was about the same size as his.

Since he and she were forcibly bound together, he had to create a good environment for them.

He found a rag somewhere and resignedly began cleaning up the crime scene.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar presence approached the house. Before Asakusa could think, her first instinct was to gather her leaves and hide in the darkness.

A human boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old, with thinning hair, climbed into the bed. He wore a linen shirt. A certain aura about him emanated from him that Asakusa found familiar. But Asakusa looked at his cold eyes and remained silent. He couldn't beat this boy, Asakusa thought with frustration. He had thought himself strong on the snow-covered mountain, but now he only encountered people stronger than himself. This life was truly frustrating.

The boy had clearly smelled the stench of blood that permeated the room. It was very quiet all around, except for the faint sound of his feet crushing the pieces of flesh on the ground.

With a hiss, the boy struck a match.

In the dim, flickering light, he could see everything inside the room and was horrified. He hurriedly searched the wall and rashly pressed the light switch.

The lights came on, revealing the bloody scene inside to the boy. Even though he had been prepared by the smell of blood, he was still horrified by the sight and turned pale. He covered his mouth, suppressing the urge to vomit.

Then he saw two heads placed together.

The water-elemental sorceress he admired, Jing Ling, seemed to be asleep, her eyes gently closed, the tear tracks on her cheeks dried. Beside her was the head of a fox, its eyes staring blankly out, bloody tears flowing from their empty sockets.

He remembered the elder's earlier instructions. Jing Ling was the most outstanding sorceress of her time, and also the most strong-willed. If such a sorceress were to go mad, no one knew what insane things she might do. His task was to observe Jing Ling and persuade her.

Unexpectedly, what awaited him was Jing Ling's head.

The rumor that Jingling had fallen in love with a fox spirit turned out to be true.

A strange sadness welled up in the boy's heart. He shook his head, took out a cell phone from his pocket, and dialed: "This is Nianyu... I found her... Don't worry... You don't need to send anyone else... When I arrived, Jingling had already been killed... There was also a fox's corpse... The corpse was blown to pieces, both of them... Okay, I'll be right back."

The boy named Nianyu hung up the phone, surveyed the room again, and finding nothing, clasped his hands together, muttering incantations. Within seconds, the room, which had been covered in blood and gore, returned to normal. Except for the two heads leaning against each other, there was no indication that a tragedy had occurred, and even the lingering stench had dissipated.

Asakusa had retreated to a distance, coldly watching Nianyu complete all his actions, his brows slightly furrowed.

"You are not my father."

The childish voice spoke with absolute certainty. The owner of the voice was still wearing her pink nightgown, hands on her hips, speaking righteously to the man before her. Although he looked exactly like her father, she knew unmistakably that this person was not him.

Asakusa coldly watched as the little one he had held all night opened her eyes and immediately began to pester him about whether he was her father, chattering incessantly and annoyingly. He decided to ignore her, simply picking her up horizontally and walking towards the street.

"Let me go! Why are you grabbing me! I want my dad! I want my mom!" Her voice trembled with tears as she yelled. He silently let her wriggle against his shoulder, and grumbled, "Your mom and dad are dead."

Yu Ye stopped crying and looked at the expressionless man with a puzzled expression: "What is death?"

“It means she’s gone, she’ll never come back.” Asakusa thought for a moment and offered an explanation for “death.” Yuuya was stunned for a moment, then tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, “Why isn’t she here? Why isn’t she coming back? Don’t they want Yuuya anymore?”

Asakusa stopped, put Yuba down, and looked at her face to face. He really had no patience for being a babysitter. Humans really are the most fragile species; when his mother died, he didn't even shed a tear like this little one.

“Listen, I’ll only say this once. I will raise you, though not entirely willingly. Your selfish mother used a despicable means, but since my life is now tied to yours, you’d better live well. I only have a few decades left to live, and I don’t want any regrets.”

Yu Ye looked at him, seemingly understanding but not quite, with tears still clinging to her eyes.

"Can you say yes?"

"What?"

"Live well!"

She was only five years old and couldn't possibly understand what Asakusa meant by "death." Instinctively, she sensed that the man who resembled her father wasn't as menacing as she'd imagined. She reached out her chubby hand and carefully grasped his palm: "Did Mom let you play with Xiaoyezi?"

The chubby palm brought a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time. Asakusa awkwardly pulled her hand back: "I guess so."

********************

Yu Ye was naturally intelligent. After a whole year without seeing her parents and traveling to different cities with a man who looked just like her father, she began to vaguely sense that something was wrong. While Asakusa was out buying food, she ran to a small shop on the street and asked the old woman who was minding the shop what had happened with her "death".

After spending an entire day figuring out what had happened to her, she had a serious conversation with Asakusa.

She said, "Asakusa, my mom and dad are dead, aren't they? Never to come back?"

Asakusa nodded: "I told you that the first time we met."

"I think I understand now." Yu Ye sniffed, desperately trying to hold back her tears, and said in a slightly tearful voice, "How did they die?"

This question clearly put Asakusa in a difficult position. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to tell the truth: "They must have died from some kind of powerful witchcraft."

Who killed them?

Asakusa raised an eyebrow slightly: "Kill? Where did you learn that word?"

"It's on TV. Tell me, Asakusa!"

"Hmm, I don't know either."

Yu Ye's small face scrunched up in a grimace. She wrapped her arms around Asakusa's shoulders and snuggled against his shoulder, completely forgetting her earlier determination to have an equal conversation: "Asakusa, from now on, I only have you?"

"kindness."

Suddenly realizing something, Yu Ye exclaimed, staring at Asakusa with a frustrated expression. Seeing that Asakusa didn't react, she patted Asakusa's head and said in annoyance, "Are you even a proper adult?"

Asakusa looked at Yuuka with a puzzled expression. She explained, "I'm supposed to start elementary school this year!" Seeing that Asakusa didn't even react to this, she sighed like a little adult, "I said, did you forget to help me with the enrollment procedures?"

***********************************

Walking in the twilight, the city's skyscrapers and neon lights slowly receded behind her. Yu Ye lightly wiped the sweat from her brow; despite the cold autumn night, beads of sweat dripped from her brow. Her body was failing; she had almost exhausted all her strength to break free of the ropes binding her, and excessive blood loss had left her face as pale as almost transparent paper. She couldn't remember how far she had walked; the will to not die was what sustained her, but she didn't know how much longer she could hold on.

Finally, she slid against the wall of a dark alley and fell to the ground. The wall was covered in moss and was very damp. Before losing consciousness, Yu Ye silently called out that person's name.

Asakusa.

The space flowed silently, like water beneath one's feet. Sweet liquid dripped from stalactites, striking the dark stone with a crisp sound. Occasionally, bats' wings would flit overhead.

He opened his eyes to a field of dark rocks. A persistent feeling of exhaustion lingered throughout his body.

He hadn't dreamt of those old memories for a long time. He thought they had faded, but unexpectedly, after more than a decade, the memories remained vivid.

The lullabies hummed by her mother, the faint smile on Lan Ye's lips, Jing Ling's resolute and fierce gaze, Yu Ye's playful demeanor when she was being unreasonable, Chen Yiting's calm and composed figure... all of them were vividly imprinted in her mind like brightly colored photographs.

He rolled over and sat up, surprised to find that his body had returned to human form. There was another person's presence in the cave. Asakusa narrowed his blue eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

"Chen Yiting," Asakusa said coldly, "I don't need your help."

A purple figure gradually emerged from the darkness; it was Chen Yiting. Only his attire had changed from a flamboyant white Tang suit to a dark purple robe.

Chen Yiting wore a nonchalant smile. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled wisps of smoke. Catching a fleeting hint of disapproval in Asakusa's eyes, his smile deepened. He flicked the ash through the air with a casual flick of his finger.

"You also think that shamans shouldn't smoke?" Chen Yiting approached Asakusa: "You've recovered quite well, it's a pity you don't understand the meaning of manners."

Asakusa stared coldly at Chen Yiting, unable to fathom his intentions. From their first meeting, this man had shown her intense dislike, even making no attempt to conceal it.

That day, the weather forecast predicted thunderstorms. Instead of rain, a fierce wind swept through the city. The building where Asakusa and Yuha temporarily lived was over 20 years old, its dilapidated windows rattling in the wind. Yuha came home early from school, chattering incessantly to Asakusa about everything she'd seen and heard. Umbrellas blown away by the wind, tree branches swaying wildly, ridiculous cartoon underwear peeking out from under women's flowing skirts, veneers for treating STDs smeared on people's faces… to Yuha, everything seemed so interesting.

Asakusa gazed out the window at the world that seemed to be going crazy because of the wind, but a feeling of oppression arose in her heart.

Two soft knocks came through the howling wind. Yu Ye, with her sharp ears, heard them and ran to open the door. Her lovely face first showed surprise, then uncontrollable excitement. She almost screamed as she threw herself into the arms of the person at the door.

"Uncle Yiting!"