Légende de Ksitigarbha

Chapitre 10

Just then, he suddenly noticed an oval-shaped halo appearing before him, and he was uncontrollably drifting towards it. The halo seemed to grow larger and larger—before him lay a scene of dreamlike beauty: under the milky moonlight, a winding lotus pond, lush green leaves, blooming lotus flowers, and a delicate fragrance wafting through the air, bathed in the soft moonlight; beside the pond stood several tall weeping willows, their supple branches drooping all the way to the ground…

I was standing on the edge of the lotus pond. In the long corridor in the pond, a boy and a girl dressed in ancient costume with their hair in two buns were laughing and chasing each other happily.

The little girl stumbled and fell, bursting into tears. The boy hurriedly and clumsily helped her up, pulling a small wooden doll from his pocket and offering it to her, saying in a childish voice, "Don't cry, little sister, don't cry! I'll give you my soldier!" The little girl took the doll and stopped crying. Just then, two young women in narrow-sleeved robes and several maid-like girls ran into the house. The boy quickly called out to one of the women, "Aunt Xue, Aunt Xue, little sister fell down!" The other woman hurriedly picked up the little girl, repeatedly saying, "It's so late, Miss, Miss, don't run around!"...

He was confused. Was this ancient times? Had he traveled through time? Or was it a film crew rehearsing?

A sudden jolt, and Wang Hongbing felt a blur before his eyes. He found himself once again in a flowerbed. A gentle spring breeze blew softly, rows of weeping willows swayed their long branches, and pure white gardenias bloomed, releasing intoxicating fragrances. The leaves on the treetops rustled gently, playing countless soft and tranquil notes. Many lilac bushes were planted in the flowerbed, each blooming with tiny purple flowers, nestled among heart-shaped green leaves like scattered purple stars. A girl of about fifteen or sixteen stood in the flowerbed. Her features were strikingly similar to E'er's, only this girl was younger, her face displaying a carefree joy and innocence, unlike E'er's melancholy. She wore a knee-length yellow dress with a right-fastening collar and a long skirt.

The girl paced slowly in the flowerbed, sometimes standing still, sometimes tilting her head back to the sky, and sometimes gently turning her body, letting her long, beautiful hair cascade through the air like a waterfall. The pearl pendants in her hair swayed happily. A maidservant outside the flowerbed kept calling out, "Miss, be careful!" Wang Hongbing stared at her, mesmerized. That swaying waist, that light movement, that faint smile... she was clearly E'er! The girl bent down again, and after a while, she straightened up, her hands clasped like clam shells, and let out a soft, joyful gasp. She looked up at the two maidservants and said happily, "Liu'er, look! There's a five-petaled lilac! Look!"

Suddenly, a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old jumped down from the wall. His long blue robe was tucked into his belt, and he wore a pearl on his head. He ran to the girl and hurriedly stuffed a piece of jade, green and teardrop-shaped, into her hand. Wang Hongbing was secretly astonished: this boy looked exactly like him! Only his skin was a little fairer! And the jade he gave the girl was the very same jade that Wang Hongbing had worn around his neck since childhood!

"Brother Yi, why are you climbing over the wall into the back garden again!" the girl scolded, taking the jade. "If Father sees you, he'll scold you again!"

The boy nervously straightened his long robe: "I've been here for a while, just wanting to see you." The boy blushed, "Sister E, this is the pair of jade stones I always carry with me. Didn't you like them before? I'll give you one! I have another one." After saying that, the boy looked at the girl affectionately, turned around and ran away. The girl stared at the boy's back, her beautiful eyes filled with a happy smile.

Emei?! Could she really be E'er? And where is this place? Is this really ancient times?! Wang Hongbing was astonished. How did I end up in this era?

Suddenly, a colorful ribbon-like pattern appeared before him. When the scene became clearer, he found himself standing in the center of a room. Against the wall was a pink bed with a cluster of peonies hand-embroidered on the pink sheets. The lace-trimmed sheets draped to the floor. Next to the bed was a dressing table with a large vase containing a large bouquet of white lilies. Beside the dressing table was a large porcelain vase inlaid with gemstones. Hanging on the wall was a painting of bamboo, with several bamboo stalks stretching out gracefully, and a few bamboo leaves, lifelike, flowing, and elegant, adorning the branches. The shadows of bamboo and crabapple blossoms swayed and intertwined on the pink curtains... The whole room exuded an elegant and noble atmosphere.

A maid pulled back the curtain, and the girl named Emei was helped in by another maid. After helping Emei to the bed, the maid said with a smile, "Congratulations, Miss! Master is going to betroth you to Young Master Li! The auspicious day has been set! I heard from Madam that you two have been a couple since you were little!" Emei scolded, "Liu'er, don't talk nonsense!" A shy smile appeared on her beautiful face, and she took out the jade pendant from her neck and gently stroked it.

Liu'er? Wang Hongbing suddenly remembered that when he first met E'er, she had asked him, "My lord, do you remember Liu'er? All these years, it's been Liu'er who's been with me."... She was E'er!!! She had once taken out a jade stone and asked him, "This is what you gave me, do you remember?" She was E'er! She must have mistaken him for that young master Li who looked just like him!

But how did E'er end up at Ningzhong University?

Perhaps because he had been staring at the jade for too long, or perhaps because he had been thinking about too many things, Wang Hongbing felt his eyes were a little sore and his head was a little heavy. He blinked hard, and suddenly the image of E'er in front of him became blurry. After a while, his vision was bright and filled with red light. A sea of fire appeared before him!

In a large courtyard, flames shot dozens of feet high, red smoke billowing straight into the sky. Scattered sparks flew wildly amidst the smoke; the fire was incredibly fierce, and waves of heat, like a raging storm, swept outwards. Wang Hongbing instinctively retreated, but immediately realized that although he was close to the fire, he felt no heat at all. He must be a ghost; he must be dead. He was overcome with grief. He thought of his parents, of… Suddenly, a cry of alarm interrupted his thoughts, “Father—, Mother—” The voice was shrill and anxious, followed by a cacophony of voices.

On the roof of a large two-story building, flames shot wildly into the sky, filling the courtyard with blazing fire and thick smoke, obscuring most of the space and making it impossible to distinguish windows and doors. Wang Hongbing noticed a couplet carved in gold on a black background on two large pillars downstairs, and thought, "This must be the home of an official."

Many people, all dressed in ancient costumes, rushed out of the courtyard. Some carried wooden buckets, others basins, all frantically dousing water into the flames, but it was like a drop in the ocean. The fire raged on, even engulfing the covered walkway behind the building. The shouts of firefighters, the cries of women and children, and the crackling of the flames mingled together, creating a deafening cacophony! A fat man dressed in silk stood at the heart of the courtyard, directing the frantically running people: "Don't panic, everyone. First, gather the valuables from inside the house, then move them out." A smile even lingered in the fat man's eyes, and his mustache seemed to hold a hint of smugness. In a small pavilion with a golden-roofed pillar at the edge of the courtyard, Wang Hongbing saw E'er. She was being dragged along by two maids, trembling violently, her face streaked with tears, her hair disheveled, her pink clothes a mess. "Father—Mother—," E'er cried pitifully.

Looking upstairs, the sounds of fire and wind were deafening, creating a chaotic scene. Sparks from the flames flew in all directions, scattering onto the courtyard ground, a truly frightening sight. A large fireball leaped down from the building, and the pavilion burst into flames as well.

Wang Hongbing's heart jumped into his throat. E'er!

Two maids hurriedly pulled E'er away, but E'er clung to a pillar of the pavilion, refusing to leave. Just then, the fat man jumped in, shouting, "Miss! Miss! My dear aunt, don't delay! Hurry up! Follow me!" He then dragged E'er away, practically pulling her along. Just as E'er was pulled out of the courtyard gate, a loud crash was heard, and the large pavilion collapsed. Flames scattered in all directions, and smoke mixed with ash billowed outwards…

Wang Hongbing, worried about E'er, followed the collapsed house out of the courtyard. But all he saw was a blank space, as if he were in a thick fog. Gradually, everything became clear again. Soon, he saw green all around him! He was standing on a gravel path! All around him were fresh bamboo groves, and in the dappled sunlight, even the pebbles seemed to have a translucent green hue. The wind rustled through the bamboo leaves, soft and gentle, like a woman's soft singing.

He walked along the path and, deep in the bamboo forest, a white wall covered with black tiles was hidden under the bamboo leaves. On the white wall was a small, dark door, tightly closed, with an antique feel.

Where was this place? What lay beyond the walls? With this thought, he felt his body lighten, and he floated, drifting, until he was inside the walls. Inside, the lake reflected the pagoda, springs and rocks shrouded in mist, winding paths led to secluded spots, and beautiful trees and flowers bloomed profusely. It possessed both the solemnity of a palace and the fresh elegance of a garden villa. Closest to the walls were clumps of lush bamboo forests, beside which lay a pond of red lotuses, their green leaves and red blossoms exuding a delicate fragrance. In a large pavilion above the pond, a group of maids, carrying fans, teacups, and fruit, surrounded a woman in ancient red attire and a fat man. The fat man tried to embrace the woman, but she slapped him. The fat man covered his face and cursed, "You little slut, if you don't submit to me, I'll sell you to a brothel!" With that, he turned and left. The maids followed him away.

Upon closer inspection, Wang Hongbing recognized the woman in red as E'er. E'er was currently nestled in the arms of a maid, her face covered in tears: "Liu'er, Liu'er, what should I do? I don't want to live anymore! I belong to Brother Yi!"

"Miss, Miss, you can't think like that! Master and Madam must have been murdered by them! How could the house suddenly burn down? You have to survive, for Young Master Li's sake, you have to live! I'll ask him to come and save you!" Liu'er's face was also covered in tears.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault that I ruined my parents!" E'er sobbed uncontrollably.

“Miss, don’t say such foolish things,” Liu’er said. “You should leave this place and elope with Young Master Li.”

E'er continued to weep: "He's a prince! What can my brother do? This is the prince's mansion! I'd rather be dead!"

“There’s always a way out, Miss. You should agree to his proposal first and let him choose an auspicious day to marry you. Let’s discuss it with Young Master Li. We’ll find a solution!” Liu’er said firmly.

Gradually, everything before him blurred again. When everything became clear again, Wang Hongbing looked up and saw a few scattered stars in the sky, emitting a faint light. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he found himself standing outside a brightly lit courtyard. There were many bamboo trees outside the courtyard, and noise came from inside. Through the lights, he could see that almost the entire courtyard was decorated with red ribbons, as if a wedding was being held. The courtyard wall was a white wall covered with black tiles, and on the white wall was a small, dark door, tightly closed, exuding an antique charm.

Oh, isn't this the courtyard wall where E'er was just now? How come it's dark again? Is there a wedding being held in the courtyard? Could it be E'er...?

Suddenly, the sound of hooves approached. Wang Hongbing looked closely and saw that it was the same young master Li who looked just like him. What was he doing here so late? Riding a horse and leading another, waiting for someone?

All that could be seen was Young Master Li anxiously peering out from his horse toward the dark little door.

A moment later, the small door creaked open, and two women came out. One was wearing a red dress and a phoenix crown on her head; the other was also dressed in red, but in a simpler style.

"Young Master Li, they'll find out soon. You should take Miss and leave quickly, I..." Liu'er said anxiously.

“No, I brought a horse with me. Let’s go together. E’er can’t live without you!” Young Master Li interrupted Liu’er.

Oh, Wang Hongbing understands now, so he eloped with someone else's bride!

Liu'er seemed to hesitate for a moment, then took off the phoenix crown from E'er's head and put it on her own. She said to Young Master Li, "Alright, you go first, we'll meet at Jinjikou!"

Just then, screams rang out from the courtyard: "The bride is missing! Help! Help!"

"Hurry! You all need to leave!" Liu'er cried out urgently.

Young Master Li hurriedly lifted E'er onto the horse's back!

"Liu'er, you, you be careful!" As soon as E'er finished speaking, the horse galloped away.

Once Young Master Li and E'er had disappeared from sight, Liu'er mounted her horse and rode off in the opposite direction.

Wang Hongbing felt as if he were flying, with the wind whistling in his ears. When the wind stopped, Wang Hongbing saw three people, and Liu'er's phoenix crown was gone.

Young Master Li and E'er were exchanging clothes.

"Young Master Li, be careful! Let me switch with Miss!" Liu'er said.

Young Master Li sighed: "You are a woman, so it's safer for me to lead them away. You take good care of Miss."

E'er looked at Young Master Li with tears glistening in her eyes.

E'er's delicate, beautiful, and pitiful face was truly stunning, so beautiful that one wanted to cherish her, so beautiful that one would be willing to give up everything to possess her! No wonder that prince chased after her. Wang Hongbing sighed inwardly! Her fate, however, was inversely proportional to her beauty!

Young Master Li also looked at E'er, his melancholy face revealing deep affection and love. He raised his hand and gently stroked E'er's face, his eyes filled with attachment and tenderness.

"E'er, you are so beautiful!" he said sincerely. "I truly wish to marry you for all eternity!"

"Brother Yi, aren't we together now?" E'er cried.

Young Master Li nodded, his face radiant with happiness, yet his eyes held a hint of melancholy: "Sister E, where's the 'Guanyin's Tears' I gave you?" E'er pulled a jade stone from her neck. Looking at the jade, Young Master Li smiled. He lowered his head, gently lifted E'er's chin, and lightly touched her lips…

Liu'er turned her face away.

At this moment, E'er seemed to have abandoned her reserve, and she embraced Young Master Li warmly: "Brother Yi, I want to call you my husband now! You are E'er's husband!"

Li Yi raised his head, his eyes glistening with tears, but a satisfied smile on his lips.

In the distance, the rapid sound of horses' hooves could be heard, as if many riders were approaching. Liu'er cried out anxiously, "Young Master, Young Master, they're catching up! What do we do?"

"There are three roads at Jinjikou. You head north. Liu'er, take Miss and wait for me in your father's little house. That's the safest place!" After Li Yi finished speaking, he slapped hard on the rump of the horse that E'er and Liu'er were riding. The horse neighed and galloped away, leaving only E'er's sobs: "Brother Yi, my lord, I'll wait for you..."

The sounds of wind, horses' hooves, and faint screams of pain filled his ears... It felt like an eternity, yet everything remained pitch black. Only after a very long time did Wang Hongbing finally glimpse a faint light in the corner of his eye.

In the dimly lit room, the candle wax was almost gone, and the faint candlelight flickered, making the already dark room even darker.

E'er huddled in the corner of the bed, her beautiful face much thinner, her watery eyes fixed on the small door, filled with anticipation, tension, and a mixture of fear.

The sound of galloping horses came from afar, and she trembled slightly, her frail body shaking violently. A moment later, the rapid, powerful sound of hooves echoed outside the door. In the blink of an eye, Liu'er's figure flashed in.

As if guided by a powerful force, E'er quickly scrambled out of bed: "Liu'er, Liu'er, have you found Brother Yi?" E'er's eyes were filled with hope! She grabbed Liu'er's hand tightly: "Tell me quickly, Liu'er, where is he, where is he?"

Liu'er silently handed her a letter made of cloth and a piece of jade.

Liu'er eagerly opened it, and the dark red writing revealed a letter written in blood! The mottled piece of cloth seemed to have been torn from the lapel, and only a few crooked words were written on it. Wang Hongbing glanced at it and saw that it was entirely written in traditional Chinese characters.

E'er:

I failed to protect you. In our next life, let us be bound together again.

Li Yi

"He..." is dead? E'er collapsed helplessly to the ground.

Liu'er hurriedly helped E'er up and whispered, "When I found him, he was covered in blood, his ribs were all broken, and his leg and hand bones were all broken. He had been beaten to death. But he was clutching this blood-written letter and this jade stone tightly in his hand!" Liu'er choked up as she finished speaking.

E'er smiled, as if she had exhausted all her beauty, and a smile bloomed on her face. She took out the "Guanyin Tear" and the blood-written letter from her bosom and held them in her arms: "In the next life, in the next life, in the next life we will reunite! I will wait for his next life, I will wait, I will wait..." as if she were in a daze.

Wang Hongbing couldn't help but shed tears. He really wanted to hold E'er in his arms... In a daze, it was as if he were Li Yi!

When Wang Hongbing regained his senses, he found himself standing in a dense, towering mountain, its dark green peaks stretching to the sky, boundless and desolate. There were no birdsong, no human habitation, only a narrow, winding path that snaked through the forest. He strolled along the path, and the entrance to a cave came into view. At the entrance was a cluster of maple trees, their vibrant reds contrasting beautifully with the dark blue pines and cypresses. He entered the cave, feeling as if he had walked for a long time. The light gradually dimmed and then intensified. When the cave was once again as bright as day, he saw beautiful pebbles scattered around his feet, two side-by-side carved pavilions, and a large patch of low bushes nearby. In the bushes, an irregularly shaped circular river flowed in a loop around a small, protruding patch of green. The cave walls were inlaid with hundreds of gemstones, these gleaming gemstones illuminating the cave as if it were daytime, yet also tinged with a beautiful purple light.

Wang Hongbing thought to himself, "I feel like I've been here before."

A person sat on the green grass, her pale face marked by a striking red lip. Several white flowers were tucked behind her ear, and her long black hair cascaded down to the ground. Her hands, white as scallion roots, were caressing her face. It was E'er!

ten

Suddenly, a cloud of white smoke billowed out, and a musty, pungent smell intensified. As if by reflex, Wang Hongbing immediately thought of those white, skeletal hands…

A wisp of white smoke drifted by, and instead of "Emei," there was a pale skeleton. The skull's dark eye sockets stared directly at him. "Ah—!" Wang Hongbing screamed, but he didn't hear his own cry. His feet seemed rooted to the spot, completely still.

Soon, he would no longer be afraid. He was already dead, so why should he be afraid? What else was there to be afraid of?

“Young Master Li, I am Liu’er,” the skeleton said.

Wang Hongbing was taken aback: The skeleton was talking?! Was it talking to me?

The skull's jaw moved again: "Young Master Li, I'm talking to you!"

“But although I look a lot like that Young Master Li, I am not Young Master Li. My surname is Wang, and I was born in 1975!” Wang Hongbing explained. Although he was talking to a skeleton, Wang Hongbing felt very natural.

He came to terms with it: So what if I die? One day, I'll end up like that too.

"Young master, that was your past life! Miss offended the prince because she insisted on marrying you, and the prince burned the master and madam to death," the skeleton turned its neck. "Originally, I could have shown you everything about your past life and Miss, but that Bagua diagram cost me nearly five hundred years of cultivation. So, I don't have the willpower to show you more of what happened back then. Everything you saw before was the real scene from back then. I also exhausted another five hundred years of my cultivation, so what you see of me is this skeleton, and even this skeleton is about to disappear!"

"Miss once saved my father's life. To express his gratitude, he devoted his entire life to creating the 'Return to Heaven Formation,' hoping that Miss could wait for your reincarnation. For a thousand years, I have been searching for you. Years ago, my father deliberately lost one of Miss's 'Guanyin Tears.' That jade was a pair; with this jade, we can find you..."

Wang Hongbing looked puzzled: "But, I, that..."

Liu'er shook her head: "I know what you want to say. My father cast a spell on that jade, and your soul will definitely be reincarnated in the body of someone who possesses it. You will definitely wear this 'Guanyin Tear,' so we can find you based on it! But you only came to be reincarnated after a thousand years! I think you must be waiting for Miss in the underworld after your previous life and death. How pitiful you two are! Miss is waiting for you under the Heaven-Returning Array in the mortal world, waiting for your next life! But she died long ago while waiting! Because she violated the Book of Life and Death of Yama, she couldn't cross the Bridge of Helplessness after death! She couldn't go through the cycle of life and death! So, you won't be able to wait for her."

Wang Hongbing was somewhat confused! The mortal realm? The underworld? The Heaven-Returning Array? Was my past life that Li Yi?! E'er was, was, a woman from the Song Dynasty! She died long ago! So, that day…

Liu'er turned her dark eyes toward Wang Hongbing: "Miss is dead, but her strong will keeps her alive! Because she violated the heavenly rules, she suffers from heartache every month. It is only because of your words, 'In the next life, we will be bound together again,' that she has been supported for thousands of years. It is the only force that has helped her get through the heartache!"

Wang Hongbing imagined how much pain E'er must be in when her meridians were wreaked havoc!

"And what about you?" he asked.

“Me? Miss refused to throw away the ‘Guanyin Tears’ you gave her, which is why she was sensed and punished by heaven. I won’t. I’m just a wandering ghost between the mortal and spiritual realms.” Liu’er shook her head. “Young Master, my time is running out. You must promise me you’ll treat Miss well. Because you two have already consummated your marriage!” As she spoke, she stretched out her pale, skeletal hand, with the jade pendant hanging from her wrist. “These ‘Guanyin Tears’ can bring a soul back to life, but only in pairs. Otherwise, you’ll have to be a blood sacrifice. A demon who knows Gu magic wants you to be a blood sacrifice, so be careful! You must let Miss be resurrected so she can rekindle your past love. That old locust tree is my only hiding place in the mortal realm. I only scared you because I was afraid you would harm Miss! You won’t blame me, will you?”

Liu'er's voice grew weak: "I only brought three of your souls here, you're not dead, go back quickly. Remember everything I told you and everything you saw!" After saying this, Liu'er shoved the jade into Wang Hongbing's hand and pushed him hard, shouting, "Young Master, you must let Miss be resurrected! You must take good care of Miss, you must rekindle your love with Miss!"

Wang Hongbing tried to struggle, but everything went black and he could no longer feel anything!

Inside the cave, Liu'er floated into the "Returning Heaven Formation," but at this moment, Liu'er had begun to become transparent. E'er frantically supported Liu'er: "Liu'er, Liu'er, where did you go? What's wrong with you!" Liu'er's eyes were filled with attachment and reluctance: "Miss, I regret it. I forgot to tell the young master how to use 'Guanyin's Tears.' Miss, 'Guanyin's Tears,' I..." Before she could finish speaking, Liu'er's image vanished like a wisp of smoke.

In the morning, the sun, as usual, lazily peeked out with only half its face showing, listlessly emitting a soft light.

Chen Jie raised her head, opening her bloodshot eyes. Wang Hongbing was still unconscious. He had been in a coma for two days and two nights, barely breathing. She began to gaze at his face; his thick eyebrows were neatly trimmed and slanted slightly towards his temples; his sharply defined face was gentle and serene; his eyes were tightly closed, and she could see his thick eyelashes…

"God help him wake up soon! God help him wake up soon!" she prayed silently in her heart.