51

Capítulo 66

But the temple still has incense burning, and villagers still come to pray. Fortune-telling poems need someone to interpret them, lamps need someone to light them, and you can't just wait for the old temple priest to come to appease the Tai Sui.

As a result, all these things became my problems. And that wasn't the worst part; in the middle of the night, villagers would knock on the door, "coming to the emergency room" to have their spirits calmed, and you couldn't say no or that you didn't know how.

What to do? Just bite the bullet and go for it.

To be honest, my "soothing" rituals are a real hodgepodge, a mix of folk customs, Western witchcraft, and my uncle's orthodox Taoism. For those particularly unruly ones, I'll even secretly use the old demon's methods.

The word spread like wildfire, and everyone was saying that our Mazu Temple was incredibly efficacious. I could only nervously try to be as tactful as possible. In the end… I still became a half-charlatan (covering face).

Keeping busy helps to lessen the sadness of parting... at least it can be suppressed until you get home and cry a couple of times in bed.

But when Tang Chen called to tell me that he was taking the train to Hsinchu for recruit training on Monday, I started crying again. After tossing and turning all night, I shyly told the volunteer mom that a friend of mine was enlisting in the military and I wanted to see him off.

"Boyfriend?" The volunteer mom winked.

“…the most important person to me.” I mumbled. They were really kind of them, giving me an extra day off.

I asked Huang'e if she wanted to go, but she flatly refused. "I wasn't done crying when I saw Yun Lang off, do you want to go see Tang Chen to make up for it?" She was so angry that she flapped her wings at me, and went to the mountains to cause trouble for monsters and dead people again.

Even without mentioning her, I'm afraid of this kind of situation.

But I have to face it, even if I'm afraid. That's Tang Chen, the one I've risked my life for.

As a result, I boarded the train crying and continued crying all the way to Taipei. I washed my face for a long time at the train station before I could finally calm down.

But the moment I saw Tang Chen, it was like a broken faucet had malfunctioned, and my tears started flowing uncontrollably. I didn't care how many people were watching; I burst into tears and threw myself into his arms, feeling like there was a hole in my heart.

I know perfectly well that he's just going to join the army, it's not like he's never coming back. But it's been over a year. Over a year I haven't seen him, I haven't even been able to call him.

After he returned to Taipei, what I looked forward to most every night was receiving his call, even though we only talked for about ten minutes before hanging up, since long-distance calls aren't cheap.

But this is my only support in a strange place.

What should I do if I don't receive any phone calls at night? Will I die of loneliness?

"...I'll call you whenever I can." He pulled me closer. "How are you doing?"

I nodded, but then quickly shook my head. "...It's so hard without you."

"Me too." He struggled to hold back tears, patting my shoulder. "You've lost so much weight..."

He's lost weight too. His hair is so short, it makes him look more mature, with a touch of melancholy. He's been growing up, and so have I. I panicked, not knowing what to do, and could only cry desperately.

I don't know why, but time has flown by so quickly, and I still have so much to say.

He's about to board the train.

"Xiao Zhi," he gripped my hand tightly, "I...I was selfish. I'm sorry..."

I gripped his hand even tighter, crying so hard I could hardly breathe.

"You...you shouldn't have a boyfriend." His tears finally fell. "Although you really need someone to take care of you...I don't want to, I don't want to..."

"I will never have a boyfriend!" I cried. "I don't want to lose you!"

"I won't... I won't have anything to do with any woman." He reluctantly let go of me. "Xiao Zhi, you have to keep going!"

I couldn't speak at all; I just cried and stomped my feet like a child. Looking back, it was terrifyingly childish.

The train started moving, and I kept chasing after it, feeling like I wanted to die.

"Don't chase us! It's dangerous!" Tang Chen shouted. "I will..."

Then the train took him away. It took away the most brilliant dawn of my life.

I stood on the platform in a daze for a long time, tears streaming down my face like they were free. My heart ached terribly, wave after wave, and I could hardly breathe.

"...In the end, you still didn't tell him." Huang E stood gloomily on my left shoulder.

"What's there to say?" I sniffed. My throat hurt terribly.

"Twenty years of good fortune, eh?" Huang E sighed. "Is there anything to say about that?"

"There's nothing to say," I replied firmly.

I really don't think there's much to say about that. Ever since I handed over my part-time job to my junior classmate Luo Jun, I've had more free time, and I've been constantly worried about what will happen to Tang Chen while he's in the army.

I heard that military service is very strict, so I probably can't bring his entire bag of amulets with me. Neither Huang'e nor I are with him. Although I marked his clothes, even a weakling like a water ghost tried to slip through, so it's hard to guarantee that a more powerful monster or evil spirit wouldn't take chances.

Praying to the gods in such matters would be putting them in a difficult position. They are bound by many divine rules and can at most punish afterward. But "afterward," even if the criminal were torn to pieces, the complete Tang Chen could not be pieced back together, nor could he be brought back to life.

Seeing my distress and worry, the old demon said half-jokingly, "Girl, what's the big deal? Gods have a bunch of long-winded rules and regulations, but we demons don't have all that nonsense. Give me twenty years of good fortune, and I'll teach you how to mark him with a demon's mark. I don't think any of the little demons or ghosts on this island have a death wish..." He suddenly stopped, sighing heavily, "That rotten-brained ghost of yours doesn't count."

He might have been joking, but I seriously considered it and asked the old man.

Surprisingly, the old man neither scolded me nor stopped me. He just sighed, "Girl, that's not your husband."

"He is the most important person to me," I said, looking down.

"...Even if you live to be a hundred years old and do good deeds without ceasing, your blessings will only last forty years at most. You've already lost ten years, and now you're facing a reverse deduction, having to slowly repay twenty years of your blessings. If you don't live to repay these twenty years, you'll owe them in your next life. Have you thought about that? Your blessings have become negative, leaving you with nothing to rely on. You were already blessed to begin with, how will you live your life?"

"I don't want to become famous or stand out from the crowd," I said softly. "I just want to protect myself and live an ordinary life. At most, I'll suffer minor setbacks and difficulties, but I think I can get through them."

The old man spoke subtly, but I understood. I don't seem like someone who can live to be a hundred; at most, fifty or sixty. I'm bound to carry a negative karma, and my next life might be even more unfortunate and lonely. But I've survived all that misfortune and loneliness, so I'm not bad.

Compared to Tang Chen dying before my eyes and abandoning me first, it really doesn't matter.

He is now a complete person in this world. He has both parents, is intelligent and wise, and has a good appearance. He should enjoy his life, not let those damned fates bind him, and certainly not let some evil thing eat him to pieces.

He was the first person to warm my hands. I'm willing to shoulder that responsibility.

Others might think I'm stupid, but they're not me. Others have a lot and can be picky, but all I have... are these few people who aren't related to me by blood.

I am willing to die for my uncle or Shuo, or for Huang'e, or for Tangchen at any time.

Especially Tang Chen.

So I told the old demon that I was willing to give him twenty years of my good fortune in exchange for his guidance. He was almost scared to death and tried desperately to dissuade me from being so foolish, saying it was not something a demon should do.

"What can he possibly give you in return?" the old demon finally snapped.

“I won’t even let him know, what do I need in return?” I retorted. “I did it because I wanted to, so I can sleep soundly at night.”

The old demon refused to speak and remained silent for a long time. It wasn't until I returned from my island trip that he finally taught me, after I pleaded with him repeatedly.

The first bad thing I did to Tang Chen was to mark him with a demonic symbol. By placing this symbol, I indirectly acknowledged my identity as a demon and solemnly announced to all the gods and spirits that he was my "food."

It was the old demon's power that made it possible, and I also lost twenty years of good fortune, which will take a very long time to repay.

Fortunately, I had swallowed the Imperial Chess Piece beforehand, so nothing unusual happened to me. The old demon was extremely troubled by this, and only felt relieved when he saw that I was just like a mortal.

"...You're so foolish, what if a kind person betrays you?" He was even more worried than I was.

"Pfft," even with a heart full of sorrow, I still laughed. "He's my confidant, how could I be unfaithful?"

He sighed, "Girl, this is the first time I've ever felt like I've done something wrong."

"Mr. Old Demon, you are a demon, why should you care about all this nonsense? Just do as you please." I said with a wry smile.

Only in this way can I watch him go to the army with peace of mind. Anyone who has something to say and doesn't want to be directly killed by demonic power should come to me first. The methods of evil spirits and heretics are actually much more effective, just like how the underworld always handles things more swiftly and cruelly than the police.

It's just not entirely legal.

All I can say is that the gods were very forgiving of me and understood my suffering. They didn't condemn me because I used this method; in fact, the Holy Queen even helped me find refuge in His temple.

I appreciate it.

"What are you doing?" Huang E frowned. "If it's broken, it's broken. At least let him know."

"Needless to say." I sniffed. "A scholar will die for one who understands him."

“I’ve always thought you were an idiot, and now you’ve risen to the level of the King of Idiots,” Huang E muttered.

"How dare you say that to me?" I can't cry anymore, my eyes hurt so much. "Today, my master needs you to sacrifice two hundred years of cultivation to ensure his safety. Are you willing?"

The first time I saw her face was deathly pale, completely devoid of color.

I understand her perfectly. Even if she doesn't tell me the "key points" (and I don't want to know), her joy is always felt in my heart. My senior brother respects and cherishes her so much, taking her everywhere to play and pointing out the most beautiful scenery in the world to her—he originally had a deep love for all things in heaven and earth.

This senior brother had deeply moved her, touching even the heart of a demon who should have been cold and hard.

"...I'm not as bored as humans, with all this talk of romance, nothing like that!" She slapped and scratched me wildly, "No, no, no!"

"Are you trying to kill me?!" This is a platform! Can't you at least consider the occasion before you lose your temper?

“Yun Lang… he’s just practicing together! Practicing bedroom arts together!” she cried. “He won’t encounter any danger, you’re talking nonsense!”

Enraged, she immediately flew away, burning innocent passersby, monsters, and the dead along the way, causing them to scream and shout incoherently.

…I didn't know that there were no limits to being arrogant. At least our Bird Queen doesn't.

She cried her heart out, went back with her eyes swollen like two walnuts, and was heartbroken. But a few days later, she received a call from him.

His phone call was incredibly brief: "Xiao Zhi! This is Tang Chen... Are you alright?"

"I...I'm fine!" That was all I could manage to say.

"There are still many people in line behind me, I have to hang up now. Take care! I'll call you again when I get the chance! Goodbye."

That's all the phone call was about.

But my intense heartache and urge to cry evaporated. My usual five-minute secret cry every hour, which Huang E mocked as being more punctual than a clock... that damned cycle also stopped.

That Saturday, I received his heavy "letter home," a really thick stack, detailed in every detail, even specifying when the new training would begin.

A month later, he was on leave from his new recruit training. He didn't even go home; he went straight to my place with his luggage. And he had quite a few days off after that, so I saw him almost every week.

…Give me back my tears.

We actually spend more time together than when he went back to Taipei before. He comes every week, and I usually go to the temple on weekends, and he goes with me to help sweep the offerings on the ground, fix some odds and ends, and trim the flowers and plants.

The villagers all go to bed early, and there's nowhere to go at night, so he'd rather squeeze into my little room; that makes him happy too.

This old ancestral hall was originally intended for pilgrims to stay in, and it has several rooms, but he did not want to live in a separate place.

"I have a lot to tell you, but it's inconvenient to stay in another room." He can be quite childlike at times.

"Are you crazy? Just go to sleep after you've said that." I was at my wit's end with him.

"There's so much to say," he laughed.

His smile melted my heart. He was so tanned that his teeth looked exceptionally white. All traces of his former refinement had been worn away; in such a short time, the muscles in his arms had bulged, a testament to the hardships he had endured.

But he didn't say a word, instead telling me many interesting stories from his time in the military. I knew he didn't want me to worry.

What is there for us to be wary of? He's my dear Tang Chen. In a lifetime, one may have many friends and a few lovers. But a true confidant like him, who understands and cherishes each other without any suspicion, is probably one you might not meet even once in a long life.

"It would be better if you were a girl," I grumbled, letting go to let him in.