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Even Mom doesn't remember that banquet. I reminded her that she was wearing a new cheongsam with peacock feather patterns that night, but Mom immediately got angry, saying that the cheongsam was made in winter, but when she was ready to wear it in summer, she couldn't find it anywhere.

My aunt and grandmother laughed at me, saying that my memory was full of holes—where would hibiscus flowers come from in winter?

And the most crucial point is that I went to the banquet with my grandfather wearing my little cotton-padded jacket for my sixth birthday, but my grandfather had already passed away when I was four years old!

"It must have been a dream," the mother concluded, explaining that children can't distinguish between reality and dreams.

Hearing the adult's confident words, Icefin and I exchanged a glance and chuckled to ourselves—we knew that many families lived near the hibiscus tree in the seventh alley of the old city, relying on it for their livelihood. This giant tree was their dwelling, their food, and even their final resting place.

My mother's peacock feather cheongsam is gone forever. It was the very cheongsam that accompanied us to that hibiscus banquet in my mother's image, and it's still waiting at that family's door, waiting until today.

If you don't believe me, look at the moss at the base of the hibiscus tree. The verdant moss forms shapes like the eyes of peacock feathers, as if a magnificent brocade has been draped over the tree.

Because of its presence, that gentle and refined woman and her daughter, with the hibiscus birthmark between their brows, never came to see us again. They dared not go out anymore; not surprising, peacocks were their greatest fear.

Occasionally, when Icefin and I pass by this hibiscus tree, we see two beautiful white snakes climbing on the high branches to enjoy the shade. The one with the crimson-purple hibiscus flower markings on its forehead always hides in the tree hole whenever it sees me, then peeks out to peek at me, as if it is shy or a little afraid of me.

(The Hibiscus Banquet - The End)

Lost in the depths of chrysanthemums

My cousin, Icefin, who's a month younger than me, is incredibly bad with directions. Whether it's going to or from school, he'll inevitably get lost if I don't go with him; and it's not just ordinary getting lost, he'll wander into strange places, and I always have to go to great lengths to find him—because after Grandpa passed away, no one in the family except me can see those places anymore. Not to mention my grandmother, mother, and aunt who married into the family, even my father and uncle are "blind." Icefin and I are in more trouble, and his situation is even worse—besides having eyes like mine, he also has ears that can hear unseen sounds. That's probably why he's so bad with directions: there are just too many distracting factors.

But sometimes Icefin has to go out alone, like today—today is the last day of final exams, and I happen to have a fever of 39 degrees Celsius. My aunt had to take him to school first and pick him up after get off work. I secretly prayed that Icefin wouldn't get lost again; I really didn't want to get up in a daze to look for him.

Early in the morning, I moved from my own room to the inner chamber, which was my grandmother's room. Our family, my uncle's family, and my grandmother's family—a total of seven people—had always lived in the ancestral home in Kagawa's old town. It was a strange house; you couldn't say it was unclean or anything. Things that are over a hundred years old are said to have a soul, and that probably describes our family's situation perfectly.

The warmer room is more peaceful because it gets plenty of sunlight and has good air circulation. I like it here because it's full of flowers—flowers that never fade.

Of course, they weren't real flowers; they were imitations made of pith paper—my grandmother was a family heir to this craft. Every autumn, when the courtyard was full of chrysanthemums, my grandmother would mix her pith paper chrysanthemums with the real flowers and have Icefin and me compete to see who could tell the difference. Even with our poor eyesight, we couldn't tell the difference between her work and the real flowers. In the end, Icefin had to cheat by secretly asking the guys in the garden to win the competition.

“It was through the chrysanthemum that I was able to meet your grandfather.” Grandmother always said this with great happiness. “He was always looking for a chrysanthemum that could bloom forever regardless of the season, and what I was best at making was the chrysanthemum bud.”

Perhaps this Chrysanthemum Hidden Competition was my grandmother's special way of mourning my grandfather, who passed away when I was four years old.

How romantic... if I weren't so dizzy. If I weren't worried about the ice fins getting lost...

I adjusted to a comfortable position, the movement carrying to the carved large bed that resembled a small room. The curtains swayed slightly, and suddenly something lightly fell down, hitting my forehead before rolling to the pillow.

It wasn't very soft; it had a hay-like texture that pricked my face slightly. I opened my eyes, and an elegant yellow chrysanthemum came into view.

It's early summer now, where would I find chrysanthemums...?

Grandma had carelessly tossed her artwork aside again… Reluctantly, I reached out and picked up the chrysanthemum stem. A thin, finely folded piece of paper was tied to its long stem; it was probably a letter. I struggled to sit up, intending to put the flower on the bedside table.

But, in that instant as he turned to the bedside...

"Icefin?" I exclaimed in surprise—Icefin, who should have been sitting in the school exam hall, was standing in front of my bed.

He didn't speak, but just stared at me intently, his eyes seeming somewhat sad.

A sharp, ominous premonition whistled past my ears. I reached out to pull the ice fin, but my fingertips passed right through its body—a spirit! Could it be… a living soul? This is terrible! I yelled, “Where have you gotten lost again, you idiot with no sense of direction!”

Icefin remained silent, turning its gaze to the window. Early summer sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a clear, golden-green hue. The spirit seemed to speak, but I waved it away. I wasn't it; I couldn't hear the voices of things without physical form in the mortal realm. The sorrow in Icefin's eyes deepened. The spirit twisted slightly, then disintegrated in an instant, only to regroup at the entrance to the flower hall in the blink of an eye.

"Don't go, take me to your place!" I struggled to my feet, feeling dizzy and unsteady, and stumbled after him. "Wait for me to bring you back!"

Is this the treatment a patient should receive? If Icefin comes back, I might end up dying from overwork... I tried my best to maintain the distance between myself and the drifting spirit.

"Chrysanthemum..." Ice Fin suddenly uttered a faint sound, indicating that we had entered the territory of "those things"! Unlike the human world, even lowly demons and monsters could "speak" here. I looked around; the path was shrouded in thick white fog. Many paths in that world connected to the human world, and those who could "see" could easily wander in unnoticed. Ice Fin repeatedly got lost because it couldn't distinguish between the two paths.

“Look…” Icefin said, pointing to my hand. Only then did I realize that I had carelessly brought out the peony that had fallen on my head!

"Chrysanthemums, my foot! You should worry about yourself! You terrible navigator!" I scolded irritably, and to prevent it from getting damaged, I untied the letter tied to the flower stem. The finely folded paper unfolded, revealing several lines of lively handwriting in Japanese kana. I glanced at it quickly and stuffed it into my pocket.

"Have you ever heard of another name for chrysanthemums—the Pact Grass?" Perhaps because he was a spirit, Icefin's voice sounded deeper than usual. "Because of that story... 'The Chrysanthemum Pact'..."

"You peeked at my 'Gohatto'!" I was suddenly filled with rage. "Isn't 'The Chrysanthemum Alliance' the story that Okita Souji told Hijikata Toshizo at the end?! I hid it so carefully! Icefin the pervert!"

“I have no idea what the ‘Taboo’ is.” Icefin smiled calmly. “Although our country has had similar stories for a long time, I first learned about it from the ‘Tales of Rain and Moon’.”

Indeed, the *Taboo* also mentions that the "Chrysanthemum Pact" originates from *Ugetsu Monogatari*—a young samurai and a scholar made a promise to drink and celebrate on the Double Ninth Festival when the chrysanthemums bloom. However, the samurai was captured in battle and unable to escape. With the Double Ninth Festival approaching, to fulfill his promise to the scholar, he committed suicide, sending his soul on the wind to keep the appointment. This story praises the samurai for keeping his word, but I disagree. The scholar must have suffered more, left alone with the death of his dear friend; he must have been incredibly lonely…

But is there a Chinese translation of "Ugetsu Monogatari"? That Icefin guy is definitely bragging!

"Come on!" I teased. "Unlike Grandpa who went to Japan to study Chinese classics, how would you know Japanese? What 'Ugetsu Monogatari'? You must have been secretly reading 'Gohatto'! Let me make this clear, whatever you become in the future is none of my business!"

Icefin smiled thoughtfully. For some reason, I felt he was unusually composed today. Usually, he's the type who would never suffer a loss.

“Such stories have happened in real life as well…” Icefin suddenly said after a brief silence.

"How could that be? Who would be so stupid! As long as you're alive, you have a chance to meet. If you miss your appointment, you can make it up later. But if you're dead, there's nothing left!"

“What if you’re imprisoned for life and never escape? What if you’re arrested and executed? What if you’re secretly murdered?” Icefin’s smile was tinged with sadness. “The matter of life and death is beyond a person’s control…” He reached out and touched the chrysanthemum in my hand. “…Sister, you’ll never understand…”

A chill ran down my spine, and I instinctively took two steps back. Icefin looked at me, puzzled: "Sister?"

"Who are you?" I stared silently at Icefin, or rather, something that had the appearance of Icefin, trying to control my voice. "You are not Icefin. Icefin would never call me that!"

To avoid entanglement with certain things, our grandfather raised us from a young age to conceal our genders. He forbade us from calling each other brother and sister, only allowing us to address each other by the nicknames he gave us—"Firewing" and "Icefin." This habit has remained to this day—so the one calling me "sister" is definitely not Icefin! I admire its disguise; it took me so long to realize!

The "ice fin" stared at me silently, its gaze seeming to pierce through me and reach a distant horizon. The headache and discomfort from the fever returned, and I desperately tried to steady myself. Faced with this unpredictable creature, I had no confidence that I could escape unscathed.

The fog was getting thicker and thicker, and I hadn't even noticed that there hadn't been a single ghost or monster on the road from the beginning. This clearly meant that there was a "big guy" that they dared not approach me!

My reason told me to stay calm, but my body wouldn't obey. Instinctively, I clenched the chrysanthemum in my hand and backed away, step by step...

It approached, drew near, and reached out its hand—all I could do was close my eyes—but…as if a heavy burden had been lifted, my head felt lighter, and suddenly the headache vanished completely, perhaps even the fever subsided. I felt not only no longer drowsy, but also refreshed. So I opened my eyes, hesitant and confused—the “ice fin” was clapping its hands, and congealed, blood-colored dust scattered from its palms. This was the way some kind of spirit was being dispersed; I recognized that dark, malevolent color—the color of disease. So it had just plucked the spirit of disease from my head!

He doesn't seem to mean any harm... This guy. Although I was still a little scared, I gradually lowered my guard: "Who are you?"

“You know me,” it replied.

"Don't joke around, I have things to do and can't play with you!" I know that the more powerful a guy is, the more capricious he is, and you should never provoke him.

“I know your brother is there, Firewing.” It smiled gently with its icy fin face. “I’ll take you there.”

Those words terrified me. I hadn't said it, yet he knew my name and even my connection to Icefin. Although I knew something must have happened to Icefin and desperately wanted to find him, I wasn't so reckless as to beg something from this creature: "I won't trust someone who's transformed into another person."

“It’s not that I’ve transformed into your brother’s appearance, but rather that you’ve mistaken me for him,” he corrected me earnestly. “The guy who took your brother made the same mistake you did—he mistook him for me. Once that guy discovers the truth, your brother will be in danger. So let’s hurry!”

Suddenly I understood why this thing was clinging to me—saving Icefin was just an excuse; it wanted to use me to see the guy who took Icefin! Because it might not be able to approach that dangerous guy alone! Although it was risky, maybe now I could only rely on it: "I still can't completely trust you. I'll go with you, but you have to tell me your name—the most important name! Please say it!"

Names have a magical power. People and creatures alike have different "names," and the kind of name you possess signifies the kind of connection you establish. For example, to protect my cousin and me, my grandfather gave us nicknames that symbolized powerful mythical beasts. And right now, the name I'm asking this guy is the one that has the power to influence him.

He seemed troubled, and smiled with a frown. After a long while, he finally spoke: "Xuechuan..."

Language also has magic. Saying a name means being bound by the magic of language, and lying will inevitably bring retribution.

"Xuechuan." The moment I uttered that name, a strange sense of familiarity washed over me. I nodded: "As you wish."

He laughed so happily for the first time, and immediately floated ahead to lead the way. The road was eerily quiet in the thick fog; I couldn't tell how far I had walked or how long I had been walking. Even it seemed unable to bear the silence any longer: "...It's a lie...that story of 'The Chrysanthemum Alliance'..."

I ignored it. You can't listen to these guys too much; you never know what they're up to.

"How can a human soul travel that far? The dead cannot see or hear, and with only a strong will, they cannot accurately find the person they are looking for... That's why the samurai never came to keep his appointment."

I disagreed: "The other person's longing can guide the soul! They agreed that on the day the chrysanthemums bloom on the Double Ninth Festival, the chrysanthemums in the scholar's house would be imbued with the master's longing, and the warrior's soul would definitely see it, so he would definitely come!"

"You seem to know a lot about this!" I had no idea whether he was complimenting me or being sarcastic. Just then, without warning, he stopped floating. I couldn't stop myself and passed right through his body; if I weren't a spirit, I would have crashed into him solidly. But that was disgusting too…

But the most important thing was—I absolutely couldn't turn my back on these guys! I quickly turned around, but my forehead slammed hard against something hard, making a loud thud. Along with the crash, two screams rang out simultaneously—"Firewing!" I heard the other person cursing, "What are you doing here? Are you sleepwalking from a fever?"

"Icefin!" I was both surprised and delighted. This guy not only has a physical form, but also has a super bad temper. It must be Icefin!

"You terrible navigator, look where we are!" I gave him a hard knock on the head and pointed around, asking.

"Mom was supposed to drop me off at the school gate, but I heard someone calling me, and when I came to my senses, I was already here. It's June, but why are there chrysanthemums everywhere?" As Icefin spoke, a faint chrysanthemum fragrance wafted into my nose, but the scent instantly intensified, becoming so strong it was almost suffocating. Turning around, I realized the mist had dissipated, and Icefin and I were standing deep within an endless expanse of chrysanthemums.

An endless expanse of vibrant yellow chrysanthemums...

My head started to feel heavy again, and my consciousness gradually became blurred...

I struggled to pull the ice fins away, shouting, "Quick, we can't stay here!"

However, Icefin laughed...

“How can you leave? I finally found you…” He gripped my hand tightly. “I’ve been looking for you… for so long…”

Unable to break free... In the chaos, I saw Icefin's eyes, the cold, inorganic eyes... This... is not Icefin!

Was that guy playing a trick on me again? "Xuechuan!" I shouted its name, and "Icefin" stopped moving instantly, staring at me coldly with a puzzled look in its eyes.

It's not Yukikawa! It's a more aggressive and dangerous creature than Yukikawa! Worst of all—it might have taken over Icefin's body!

"Who are you?"

My words only confused him more: "Who am I...who am I?" This undead has lost himself and may have become an evil spirit!

A terrifying power was channeled into its fingers, and "Ice Fins" pulled me closer, its gaze fixed intently on me. I dared not utter a sound, and he remained silent as well. I had no idea what awaited me at the end of that silence…

"Wrong..." Even knowing the danger it represented, I still deeply felt the despair and loneliness in those words. The creature occupying Icefin's body shoved me away violently, "Not at all, neither you nor this one! You're all liars!" It frantically pulled at its hair—Icefin's hair.

"You made a mistake yourself! Don't take it out on Icefin!" I tried my best to stop its frenzied actions, but I ended up getting myself into danger too—it grabbed my throat with its icy fins...

Would he die like this? At this moment, that wasn't what I cared about. He was so lonely… the look in Ice Fin's eyes. Even in death, the soul possessing Ice Fin couldn't escape this loneliness. This loneliness terrified me more than death itself; I couldn't bear to look at him for another second…

As my consciousness faded into the distance, I reached out to shield those sorrowful eyes, and a swaying yellow chrysanthemum cast its final silhouette in my slowly blurring vision…

Suddenly, the grip on my neck loosened—I fell to the ground, panting, while "Ice Fin" covered its eyes as if burned by the sun: "What is this?"

I turned my gaze to my right hand, and there I was, still holding that chrysanthemum flower... I unintentionally touched that guy's eyes with the hand that held the chrysanthemum!

"What are you holding?" it hissed.

"Chrysanthemums? They're everywhere here..." I said, puzzled. Even though we were surrounded by chrysanthemums, this guy was still asking me what I was holding.

"Impossible!" he interrupted me abruptly, bewildered. "Where are the chrysanthemums? I can't see them! If I find the chrysanthemums, I can see that person, but there aren't any anywhere!"

"Look for yourself..." I pointed casually, but was so shocked that I swallowed the rest of my sentence—there really wasn't a single chrysanthemum here. When did this place become hell...?

The dark cell, the piles of bones, and the damp smell of death—where am I?

"This is the world as it sees it..." A calm voice rang out, reassuring me. I immediately recognized the owner of the voice.

"Xuechuan!" I cried desperately, "Where are you? Look, this is the person you want to see! Get him away from Icefin!"

In an instant, warm light overflowed from the chrysanthemum in my hand, surging into the moldy cell like a tide. In the stream of light, Xuechuan's figure appeared—no wonder he needed me to see the person he wanted to see. Xuechuan, possessed by the chrysanthemum, was indeed unable to move freely!

Xuechuan turned around, and for a moment I was a little confused... There were two Ice Fins? Xuechuan, who looked just like Ice Fin, was wearing an old-fashioned school uniform. Looking closely, unlike Ice Fin's eyes which had a slight brown tint, Xuechuan's pupils were much darker, that opaque black, which was just like—my eyes!

Yukikawa silently looked through the ice fins at the creature inside her body: "Misty Ve out! He's not the person you're looking for!"

Icefin's body suddenly convulsed violently, and I knew that Xuechuan was calling out the most important "name" that could influence that guy. Just as I ran over to support Icefin, who had collapsed to the ground, I saw a figure dressed in an old-fashioned school uniform detach from Icefin's body.

Like Yukikawa, the guy named "Misty Valley" was also a boy about our age. He didn't have the typical madness of a necromancer. Driven away, Misty Valley looked at Yukikawa with such sorrowful, bewildered eyes: "Who are you?"

An indescribable expression swept across Xuechuan's face like a gust of wind. He avoided Wudani's question, saying calmly, "Who are you looking for?"