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“I can’t move my left side at all…” Icefin sighed softly. “I saw the body lying by the pool before you… to check if she still had a pulse… It shouldn’t have been so easy to be possessed, but I had heatstroke at the time… Was her name Xiaoxuan? Now, I can’t control her anymore…”

Those crimson diagonal lines are the scars from the dagger! No wonder Icefin, who was already very weak, desperately pulled me away when I tried to touch the corpse by the pool. He didn't want me, who could see illusions just like him, to be possessed by this puppet again!

"Don't tease me! How could a doll steal a person's body! And... who would kill a doll?" I was completely confused—what kind of obsession was supporting Xiaoxuan? Her manipulator was right beside her!

“It’s Tsubaki.” Icefin closed his eyes and leaned heavily against the bookshelf. “I guessed it from what the Panling family head said. Tsubaki may want to leave the Panling family.”

"If only she weren't here!" Indeed, Xiaochun said such a thing! Could it be that she, as the sole heir, would abandon this ancient family for Dr. Chongya, and use the symbolic act of killing the doll to completely sever that invisible bond!

Not wanting to disappear, not wanting to be abandoned, wanting to continue existing—that's why Xiao Xuan is causing trouble! What will happen next? Xiao Xuan will take over Ice Fin's body; and Ice Fin will turn into rotten wood and shatter into pieces because of that fatal wound?

"Is anyone home?" The gentle voice rang out again...

The one who tied the knot must untie it, and now the one who tied it has appeared! I abruptly dropped my book and rushed out the door: "There's hope! It's Xiaochun!"

On a sweltering summer afternoon, cicadas, hidden among the dry, curled leaves, cried out in a desperate, mournful chorus. The dazzling clear sky couldn't conceal the inexplicable darkness. At this time of day, the world seemed to have been stolen away in the midday dream; temperature and time lost their meaning, the lines between life and death blurred, and this despairing afternoon seemed to never end…

I must have stepped into this familiar strange world—otherwise, why would the courtyard in front of the door be filled with an endless expanse of hollyhocks? Those stubborn and irritable green branches form an indestructible fence. In this empty cage under the clear sky, whose weeping soul is imprisoned?

"I'm coming in." Behind me, as I looked around in bewilderment, came that same gentle voice.

"Xiaochun!" I turned around quickly, but couldn't quite utter the name. What bloomed in my vision was—a giant hollyhock flower...

At the end of the long trail of water, stained with fallen crimson petals, five or six layers of silk robes, the same color as the petals, were spread out, in varying shades; long, damp, black hair, like seaweed, was draped over the body, covering the unnatural form—half of it was the supple flesh of a human; the other half was the cold, decaying wood of a tree.

The words died in my throat, and I retreated step by step, unable to stop myself from staring at the strange being that was half human and half puppet. Incredibly, even now I felt that it was so beautiful—was this Xiaoxuan? A bewitching, fiery beauty that was on the verge of collapse, its dazzling presence far overshadowing Xiaochun, who was human.

"Where is Chongya?" Why would Xiaoxuan care about Dr. Chongya's whereabouts?

I couldn't utter a single word, I could only shake my head frantically. Suddenly, Xiao Xuan moved. It hopped stiffly on one leg towards the **. Yes… the only part that could move was the half of its body it had stolen from the ice fin!

"I know my sister hid Chongya here! They've met! My sister is so cunning! She only schemes because she can't compare to me!" Xiao Xuan's resentful voice nearly drove me to despair as I stared into those burning eyes; but without warning, a flicker of light emanated from her disheveled hair, and in an instant, even the surrounding air seemed to become alluring. A whisper escaped from her rouge-painted lips: "Am I beautiful?"

I instinctively shook my head, but immediately realized something was wrong and started nodding vigorously. "Chongya said I'm the most beautiful!" Xiaoxuan glanced at me disdainfully, seemingly smug, but her smugness didn't last long. "But it's useless... I don't have a body. That's the only thing that gave my sister the upper hand! That's why Chongya chose my sister, but... things are different now..."

From the study behind me came Icefin's agonizing screams...

"So that's where it is! I found it, my body..." Xiaoxuan smiled, then jumped and turned towards the study!

Is this the puppet that once sang those clear, melodious songs? Is this its true heart? So things are so simple. It was just a puppet that thought it was human vying for the puppeteer's affections. Does stealing someone else's body make you human? I couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed that slippery sleeve: "That's not your body. Even if you got it, it wouldn't matter! It has nothing to do with beauty. Dr. Chongya loves Xiaochun!"

Suddenly, a powerful force surged from my sleeve, shoving me violently against the door. Before I could even sit up, my collar was grabbed, and Xiaoxuan's face was close to mine: "How do you know Chongya doesn't like me? Does he even like me...?"

The doll's cold fingers possessed a strange strength not belonging to this world. Amidst the cicada's song, the bright yet gloomy sky spun further and further away from me, and Xiao Xuan's frantic shouts still filled my ears: "Do you like it or not? How can I possibly answer that question?"

"You should ask me that question!" A deep voice abruptly cut through the scorching, solid air, and instantly, the grip on my neck loosened. Through my blurred vision, I saw a tall figure silently move through the flowerbeds where light and shadow shifted.

As if he were decked out in designer labels from head to toe, he seemed exceptionally cold and impersonal—that was Ping Shigeaki, whose expression remained impeccably elegant even now. It was ironic that such a seemingly heartless fellow possessed a charm that could captivate even a doll. He calmly approached the eaves, tilting his head slightly upwards to look at the doll on the veranda, the harsh sunlight helplessly illuminating his eyebrows and lips.

"I associate with all sorts of people because they remind me of you; but the more I associate with them, the more I realize they aren't you... It's so frustrating... How could I possibly like you..." Dr. Chongya always manages to charm girls like this! He delivers these obviously lying lines with such earnestness and sincerity, "The first time I saw you, you were performing the 'Wind Dance on the Palm,' wearing this very costume... Thinking back, from that moment on, I've been unable to like anyone else..."

Could it be that Dr. Chongya can also see Xiaoxuan's illusions? Perhaps Xiaochun's assassination attempt on Xiaoxuan wasn't solely due to her desire to escape the Panling family...

Dr. Chongya smiled bitterly: "It's so distressing... I thought that by marrying Xiaochun, who is most like you, I could forget you..."

What kind of logic is this! In my opinion, it's all the fault of the philandering Dr. Chongya—his decision to get engaged to Xiaochun forced Xiaoxuan to find a human body!

However, Xiao Xuan's actions left me unable to continue thinking. It slowly turned around, the movement so fluid, indicating that it had completely taken over Ice Fin's body! Trailing its skirts in varying shades, Xiao Xuan stepped down from the eaves. It gently raised its hand to stroke Dr. Chongya's face. The arm peeking out from the deep red sleeves was so white, an opaque, creamy white. She was indeed a doll possessing a soul...

"I love Chongya!" the beautiful puppet said, enunciating each word clearly. "No matter what happens, I love Chongya..."

Where did that flash of light come from? Dazzling like a tragic meteor: it came from Dr. Chongya's fingertips and pierced into Xiaoxuan's chest... I saw Dr. Chongya's slender, neat fingers slowly loosen, carrying a cruel feeling. What remained in Xiaoxuan's chest was a short knife with a black background and a gold-lacquered handle!

I have seen this dagger. It was once stuck in the beautiful corpse among the fallen flowers by the pond, and then it was tucked into the sleeve of the Panling family head!

"Even so... do you still like me?" Dr. Chongya's words were so cold, so cold, as if she were punishing herself...

Xiao Xuan's body, losing its support, slowly slid down. Her hands slid across Dr. Chong Ya's cheeks, neck, and shoulders, descending slowly along his arms, like a drowning person clutching their last piece of driftwood. As she collapsed to the ground, Xiao Xuan gripped Dr. Chong Ya's hands tightly, tilting her head back to gaze intently into his cold eyes: "I remember what Chong Ya did to me back then… but it doesn't matter now! I don't want to cause Chong Ya any trouble, I just feel I can't just die like that, because I still don't know if Chong Ya likes me… I haven't told Chong Ya myself… I like you…"

Xiao Xuan's voice faded into the dull thud of the falling wood. The phantom of the hollyhock vanished like the receding tide, leaving a pile of damp, rotten wood exposed on the sunlit, scorching stone floor. The dagger with its gold hilt gleamed coldly between the wood and the crimson robes…

"This is the second time I've killed her..." Dr. Chongya knelt down on one knee as if all her strength had been drained, carefully wrapping the remains of the doll in her crimson robe as if afraid of breaking something. "How many more times will I have to kill her..."

The second time? I remembered that Dr. Chongya once said that he had killed someone today and refused to touch me—it turns out that the person he killed was the puppet Xiaoxuan!

"It won't appear again." A chilling voice rang out behind me. Icefin was already standing under the eaves, leaning against the doorframe. Through his disheveled clothes, I could see an ordinary human body. I quickly went over to support him. "Icefin is right. It wanted to know Dr. Chongya's feelings. You lied to it, saying you liked it, and that made its obsession disappear!"

"I didn't lie to Xiaoxuan!" Dr. Chongya, who was usually so composed, suddenly retorted loudly, "The only person I didn't want to lie to was Xiaoxuan..."

"Then why do you still want to destroy it?" Icefin looked coldly at Dr. Chongya, her tone full of contempt. "You are so selfish, selfish and cowardly! Originally, it was just a piece of wood that looked like a person. It was your delusion that allowed its illusion to exist. But when it appeared in front of you, you were afraid of it, disgusted by it, and wanted to kill it!"

“But Icefin, don’t you find this strange?” I suddenly realized something was wrong and shook my head in disbelief. “If the delusion was to allow Dr. Chongya to see Xiaoxuan’s illusion, then once the delusion turned into disgust, Xiaoxuan’s illusion would disappear, revealing the doll’s true form, just like we saw it! Why bother killing it with a knife?”

Icefin glanced at me, her delicate brows furrowing as well. We both turned our gaze to the corridor below—in the dizzying heat, Dr. Chongya clutched the corpse of a doll, the blazing sunlight casting their fused figures clearly on the ground: "I'm terrified... terrified I've gone mad... Maybe you'll find it funny... What haunted house, what doll transformations, I can't see any of it..."

The chirping of cicadas filtered through the dense leaves, almost drowning out Dr. Chongya's voice: "It's always been like this... From the very beginning, in my eyes, Xiaoxuan has always been like a doll..."

The Scarlet Phantom is complete.

Night Splendor

I must be dreaming...

On a summer night with a full moon, the streets rippled as if submerged in water—bustling crowds, strings of lanterns, roadside stalls with colorful signs, wonderful music, brightly colored banners, the aroma of steaming food, street performers beckoning customers, and children running around with windmills…

In the summer night market, where joy was spreading like an out-of-control drumbeat, no one noticed the child crying in the shadows of the lamplight. I saw myself standing blankly outside the bustling crowd, still looking like I did in my childhood—about four or five years old, with ear-length hair, wearing a white summer dress with narrow sleeves trimmed with red, and a distant expression.

Strange... Where is this? I've never been to a night market like this before...

A group of children ran and laughed, like a lively little storm passing by me. They wouldn't have crossed paths with me otherwise, but one of them slowed down and turned his gaze; the instant he saw me as a child, he stopped, and the endless stream of people bypassed him, like water flowing around a small reef.

"Hey! Why are you crying here all by yourself?" he asked bluntly across the river of pedestrians. His hair, tied in two buns on either side, must be what's called a "zongjiao" (a type of traditional Chinese hairstyle), and the collar of his wide white robe was adorned with delicate green leaf and branch patterns. I couldn't see his face clearly, but along with his unpretentious voice, I smelled a refreshing and warm fragrance.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" He slowly walked through the dappled streetlights. An unknown fragrance enveloped me, inexplicably bringing me a sense of peace.

"Ice Fins... Ice Fins are gone... I can't find them anywhere..." I, as a child, recounted the reason for my crying in fits and starts.

"He must be having a great time somewhere at the night market, why don't you come along!" He pointed to a roadside stall where two or three children were standing under a lantern, peering in our direction—those must be his friends. He waved to them, then turned back to me with a smile, saying, "If you come, Miyoshi and the others will be very happy too!"

I was somewhat tempted by what he said, but I hesitated and pulled up the corner of my clothes to show him: "No way—I can't sing nursery rhymes, and I'm wearing weird clothes..." For some reason, my only childhood playmate was my cousin Bingqi, who was a month younger than me. We didn't go to kindergarten, but instead, according to my grandfather's request, we were raised with our genders hidden according to old customs. We wore Tang suits that no one wore anymore, so it was always difficult for us to fit in with our peers.

"It's alright, today is the Ghost Festival! Look, everyone is dressed like you!" The little boy in white smiled kindly. Following his finger, I saw ribbons fluttering and green sleeves swaying all over the street. Under the dim light of the full moon and lanterns, it looked like a painting adorned with flowers and clouds, stretching all the way to the end of the night market square into the deep, boundless darkness that constantly emitted a low and loud rumbling sound.

Where exactly am I? Looking at myself in my dream, why do I feel a strange sense of familiarity? Even as a child in my dream, I can't immediately step into that glamorous, bustling crowd. As if sensing my timidity, the little boy in white smiled and extended his hand to me: "If we hold hands, we won't get separated!"

If we hold hands, we won't get separated...

What are you waiting for? Faced with such gentle words, I reached out my hand to the little boy in white, and heard his voice, which suddenly became indistinct: "...You're finally...back..."

From the darkness beyond, the deep rumble suddenly became deafeningly clear, and the dim light of the lanterns along the roadside suddenly intensified, like a white blade cutting through the opaque night. The image of the little boy crumbled into dust like weathering, collapsing in an instant...

Waking up from the dream was instantaneous, yet the roaring sound from the dream still lingered in my ears, endlessly. I understood—it was the sound of the sea!

I sat up, rubbing my cheeks which still bore the marks of the mat, and just then I saw Icefin rummaging through his suitcase in the corner of the room. He teased me in a drawn-out voice, "You're finally awake! It's really unseemly for a girl to be sleeping at a time like this! Is this why you came to the beach?"

No wonder I had that dream—I was at the beach!

Icefin and I planned to have a good time at the beach during our summer vacation, and somehow we found this guesthouse right next to the beach. The location was great, the place was clean, and the landlady was beautiful and friendly. Perhaps because the view wasn't great because the guesthouse faced a small island so close to it, the price was incredibly cheap. For budget students, this was the perfect choice, so Icefin and I, who weren't initially very enthusiastic, happily joined the trip. However, because we couldn't stand the sun at the beach, we spent most of our time at the guesthouse. At this moment, Icefin finished packing and walked out: "I'm going to play mahjong with the landlady and the others, Firewing, don't bother me!"

"Huh? I didn't know you could play mahjong!" I exclaimed in surprise.

Icefin winked meaningfully: "Of course I can't, but whether I can or not doesn't matter!"

I glared at Icefin: "Are you even a high school student? Stop talking like a middle-aged man!"

"You're pretty amazing too! Your name is Izayoi, right? You've even gotten to the point of calling each other by our childhood nicknames!" Icefin chuckled dismissively, then waved and walked out of the room. "I'll cheer you on!"

"Fifteen Nights..." I repeated the name in confusion. The afternoon sunlight gently streamed through the simple lattice window, like the unclear words in my dream. This might be the name of the little boy in white clothes that I subconsciously called out in my dream.

Looking out through the open window, the island, shrouded in lush greenery, stretched out before me, obscuring the vast sea. The landlady had once told me that the island was called Chenying Island, perhaps named after a family surnamed Chen who once lived there. Although some ruins can still be seen, the island has been uninhabited for a long time. I squinted slightly in the overly strong sunlight, and the changing light made me realize that the beach and the island seemed to have a different feel to them.

I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, trying to make out the scene before me—a blurry, sandy-colored ribbon stretching from the beach all the way to the lush green Sunken Camp Island. My eyes, gradually adjusting, clearly conveyed this impression—it was a narrow strip of sand exposed by the receding tide, looking like a road that had appeared out of nowhere!

It seems like there are such rare sights in foreign countries, but this sandy road is very short. It might take less than an hour to go from here to the sunken island and back. For someone like me who doesn't want to go to the beach, rather than wasting an afternoon in the hotel, I would rather go to the island full of tall trees, which looks very cool, and pick some flowers.

I quickly changed into the long-sleeved summer clothes that the hotel had provided for sun protection, and went out with a parasol.

I walked barefoot for a short distance on the scorching hot sand, and I realized that not wearing shoes was a huge mistake, especially since I would definitely need to wear shoes in the bushes once I got to the island. Just as I was about to turn around and go back to the hotel to get my shoes, I heard hurried footsteps behind me—the sound of joyful running.

My first thought was that the hotel maid might have brought me shoes, but I quickly dismissed that idea—there was soft sand behind me, so how could someone running on it make such a loud sound? As I wondered, the pattering footsteps passed me without hesitation and headed towards the sunken island ahead.

—There was no one in sight, only the sound of footsteps as they ran past…

A strange chill made the afternoon sun lose its power. I subconsciously gripped the parasol handle and forced a smile to encourage myself: I must have misheard. If there was anything, I would have "seen" it already!

But just as my idea was about to be refuted, another flurry of footsteps followed, this time clearer than before, and it sounded like a large group of people!

I looked around in a panic, surrounded by the pale blue waters of the nearshore sea and the azure sky dotted with low-hanging, cotton-like clouds. I looked down, and with a flurry of footsteps, a jumble of footprints appeared out of nowhere on the beach beside me, then stretched outwards toward the island…

Something's coming! But I can't see anything! This has never happened before!

—Inheriting the superfluous power of my grandfather who passed away a long time ago, Icefin and I can often see “those guys” from the other world. Icefin can even hear the sounds made by things that have no form in this world. But the situation of “being able to hear but not being able to see” has never happened to me before!

Because the beach was so clean, it was hard to believe that this sandy path that had suddenly appeared would be so treacherous! I hurriedly turned around to escape back to shore, but was stunned by what I saw—I hadn't even taken a few steps! Why was the land already so far away? Even more terrifying was that the seawater was already rising, slowly, bit by bit, encroaching on the sandy path behind me…

The waves slowly eroded the spot where I stood, turning the area between the island and the shore into a deep abyss from which there was no turning back! With only this thought in my mind, I stared at the ever-approaching seawater, dumbfounded.

"Don't block the road, you idiot!" A gruff voice complained from the deserted sandy road ahead of me.

"Aaaaaah!" My mind went blank for a moment. I threw down the parasol, yelled, and ran back towards Sunken Camp Island.

Luckily, there were people on the island! At one corner of the island, there was a long, narrow boulder, hollowed out by the sea, which looked like a natural arch bridge. One end of the stone bridge was on the island, and the other end extended into the sea. A group of people were coming ashore from there. They didn't go straight ahead, but instead made a turn and slowly walked towards the narrow beach on my side.

I quickly crossed the beach to meet the crowd, but after a few steps I couldn't move anymore—this group of people is so strange…

It looked like a procession: people dressed in identical crimson robes and black hats lined up in neat rows, each carrying different implements such as colorful banners, lanterns, and long-handled fans. Eight pairs of people carrying implements surrounded a four-person-carried sedan chair, black on the outside and red on the inside, forming a group. Sitting on the sedan chair were men and women, all dressed in pristine white, each with exceptionally handsome features, noble demeanor, and an air of distinction.

Just as I was engrossed in watching, the first group of palanquin processions had already passed by me, and the long procession continued to walk from the sea onto the stone bridge, seemingly without end. I looked at the sea in confusion—something was not right. There were no boats there at all. Did these processions come directly from the sea?

Red-clad servants with similar faces crowded around the palanquin, moving forward at the same pace. The entire procession moved with machine-like precision, yet they left not a single footprint on the beach they passed! Although strange, this silent procession exuded an incredible magnificence and solemnity.

One after another, numerous palanquins passed by me, and among the dazzling array of white-clad figures, I was surprised to spot a pair of familiar yellowish-brown eyes—in my memory, he should have been a vibrant, sunny young man, his agile limbs bathed in the dappled golden sunlight filtering through the trees, radiating boundless vitality like a child of nature. Yet, at this moment, he possessed an aura of noble majesty that commanded respect.

"Heavenly Lion..." The name flashed through my mind, but I couldn't immediately utter it—I had personally witnessed that magnificent lion-shaped divine body. "Heavenly Lion" is the true name of the embodiment of the power of nature. He guards the mountains hundreds of miles away from this island!

But as if responding to my thoughts, the boy with the amber eyes on the palanquin suddenly turned his head. The moment he saw me, a look of shock appeared on his face: "How did you get here! Firewing!"

It really was Leo! I felt like I had met my savior. I was about to call out his name with joy, but it was as if my throat was locked and I couldn't make a sound!

The procession passed by me in an orderly fashion. The people in white on the palanquins looked dignified and indifferent, completely unaware of my presence. The procession had already disappeared into an unknown, hazy mist. It was only past noon, so why did the sky look like dusk was falling?

The situation was indescribable—the Lion King's procession was about to pass! Even he, high above, couldn't stop this unchanging, gear-like procession! Turning back from his palanquin, the Lion King shouted at me, who was chasing after the procession, "Firewing, remember this—don't talk to anyone, don't eat anything, and go back immediately when the sand road appears tomorrow..."

The procession was moving slowly across the small beach, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up. I was left far behind by the ceremonial guard, and could only listen to the sounds of them getting further and further away, watching helplessly as the Heavenly Lion disappeared from sight.

What on earth happened? I just wanted to spend an ordinary afternoon on this island! I slumped down on the beach in frustration, only to bump my leg on the cold, hard ground. How strange, it was clearly a sandy beach just moments ago, when did it become covered with smooth flagstones?

Wondering if I was seeing things, I couldn't help but reach out and touch the ground. Surprisingly, it was soft and cold, unlike the feel of sand or flagstones. Just as I was wondering what was going on, a scream suddenly rang in my ears: "Hey! Why are you touching my foot?!"