The image of the blue-eyed, pure-hearted young Tunshe Nalin vaguely appeared before my eyes. An indescribable pain rose in my heart, as thin and dense as a needle prick. I couldn’t help but ask, “Who was he before? How did he become a demon? Could it be something straight out of a novel, like an immortal cultivator who, for some reason, got possessed by a demon and ended up like this?”
He shook his head, seemingly amused by my wild speculation. “He was once a prince of the ancient kingdom of Southern Su. As for the rest, if he’s willing to tell you, he naturally will. I dare not say more. Though my cultivation is not shallow, he is not someone I can afford to provoke. You see—”
Before he finished his words, a white shadow came with a whoosh and landed on the stone railing.
“Brother Vulture!” My eyes lit up as I ruffled its head feathers, only for it to bite down on my sleeve and tug me toward the stone steps nearby. Knowing it wanted me to find Tunshe Nalin, I hesitated for a moment before descending the steps. My bare feet silently landed on the pristine white sand, yet Tunshe Nalin still turned around. His jet-black, wavy hair flowed like water in reverse as he reached out a hand toward me.
“Ranran, come here.”
I couldn’t seem to resist his gaze and unconsciously stepped forward, stumbling slightly as I made my way to him. A sudden wave rushed in, and the chilly seawater took me by surprise as it splashed over my feet. I let out a startled yelp, only for him to sweep me up into his arms and set me down on a nearby reef. Instinctively, I glanced at his injured hand, but it was already wrapped in bandages, concealing the extent of his wound.
Strangely, though, the bandages didn’t just cover his hand, they extended all the way up to his forearm.
“The ocean… truly is beautiful.”
I gazed into his blood-red eyes, unable to shake the image of them resembling the sea. “Do you want to see the ocean… because someone once told you that your eyes are as beautiful as it?”
His pupils contracted, as if he had been caught off guard.
“You…” He reached out, his fingers hovering just above my cheek, trembling slightly, as if hoping for something, yet nervous about it at the same time. For a fleeting moment, the light in his eyes flickered, only to fade into a deep, unwavering darkness.
“I feel like I’m dreaming again… dreaming of the past you.” I recalled what that old Taoist had said about ‘past fate’ and thought of everything that had happened in the snow-covered forests. Countless threads seemed to intertwine, tangling together in my mind, forming an unbelievable suspicion.
Impossible… right?
“Tunshe Nalin… do you think reincarnation really exists in this world?”
He grasped the back of my neck, pulling me into his embrace. “…No.”
“Then why… do I see your youthful face and hear the voice of your former lover?” I too felt the absurdity of my earlier suspicion and, feeling lost, murmured, “Could it be that Mi Jia’s ghost is haunting you, jealous of how you are with me, coming out to show me your beautiful memories together?”
“……” Tunshe Nalin was silent for a moment. “It’s probably because his ashes landed on you that day, and you somehow sensed a trace of his lingering consciousness.”
Is this what’s known as brainwave perception in legends? But the arc of this brainwave seems far too long… though it sounds a bit unreasonable, it seems slightly more plausible than my other guess.
“Then does this…” I hesitated for a moment. “Count as falling for someone else and betrayed him?”
His fingers tightened around the back of my neck. “It counts, how could it not? But meeting you has been my greatest fortune in this life. If I want to hold onto you, I can only, hide him away.”
Hide him away?
Hide him away in his heart? So, for Tunshe Nalin, is Mi Jia his vermilion mole[mfn]It often refers to a small, prominent birthmark or mole, typically on the face, and sometimes symbolizes a deep, unforgettable connection or a significant, fateful mark in stories or poems. In Chinese culture, it’s sometimes linked to love, destiny, or passion.[/mfn] and I, his white moonlight? It felt as though my heart was bitten by a venomous snake. I kicked him, leapt down from the rock, and flung a handful of sand at his spotless white robe. “Don’t you dare hold onto me!”
Before I could say another word, I turned and ran. But after just a few steps, he caught up from behind, pulling me into his arms, his hand turning my face back toward him as he kissed me. The damp sea breeze brushed against us, and his hair swept across my cheek. The moment felt so romantic, so enchanting, that it instantly reminded me of that snowy night in Kashag Town.
So many changes had occurred in just a few dozen days, and when I thought back to that sweet night, it felt like it belonged to another lifetime.
I momentarily lost myself in the moment, only to find myself pressed against the soft sand, the rising tide wetting my clothes. It wasn’t until I regained my senses that I realized, to my surprise, I had instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist. Hastily, I released him, but his hands still clutched my anklet. He gently traced my anklet with his fingers, looking down at me. “Ranran,” he murmured, “Tomorrow, we’ll go see your father and mother, get the household registration, and then go collect the marriage certificate.”
Why is he bringing this up again? He still remembers it?
And just so happens, we’ve arrived at Bincheng…
I grabbed at his collar, remaining silent. He, however, bit my earlobe with a teasing hint of punishment. “It’s fine even if you won’t take me, finding your father and mother is not difficult for me.”
“Tunshe Nalin!” I glared at him in protest. This guy was like a spider, he launched his attack when I least expected it, then quickly spun a web to trap me. Now, he was infiltrating every corner and aspect of my life, not even sparing my parents.
What was even more frightening was that I was slowly getting used to this entrapment, losing the will to struggle or escape. From my body to my heart, I was gradually becoming the shape that could accommodate his inhuman presence.
Just a moment ago, when he left, I panicked and couldn’t find my bearings.
Is this Stockholm Syndrome?
Or… have I fallen in love with him? Fallen for this inhuman existence that has violated me so many times?
“Once we get the certificate, we’ll have a proper wedding, and let the heavens, the earth, and all beings, human or divine, bear witness.” He whispered in my ear, “That night on the mountain, I regretted not consummating the marriage with you. You looked so beautiful that night, with flower petals on your face and red strings tied to your feet, you even kissed me first.”
I quickly covered his mouth, wishing I could just bury myself in the sand.
He regrets it? How many times has he… consummated the marriage since then?
Suddenly, a long howl pierced the air. I looked up, only to see Brother Vulture dive into a swirling flock of seagulls. I initially thought it was going after food, but to my surprise, it plunged straight toward the sea. A silver-white, serpent-like tail shot up from the water, sending a massive splash into the sky. In the blink of an eye, its shadow disappeared, vanishing into the waves.
I froze for a moment, staring at the spot where the shadow had disappeared. Could that have been Ming Luo?
He had his heart crushed by Tunshe Nalin, hasn’t his soul scattered yet?
Or maybe… that wasn’t Ming Luo at all?
“Still can’t let go,” Tunshe Nalin’s voice was dark as he pulled me even closer. “His ashes have been scattered, his heart’s been shattered, and yet he still follows you, trying to compete with me.”
I recalled the moment he had crushed Ming Luo’s heart, and my fingers instinctively gripped his hair. After hesitating for a long while, I finally spoke, “Tunshe Nalin… could you, like you did with that female ghost, help Ming Luo pass on? He was used by his own family and ended up like this, it’s already tragic enough. It’s all because of me that he ended up this way. Please, for my sake, save him. Can you?”
“My Ranran is truly kind.” He stroked the back of my neck. “But you don’t know, your former lover has now become a devil, his body consumed by demonic energy. Unless he completely dissipates, he won’t let you go. And my mother… she uses his obsession with you to manipulate him against me.”
A heaviness filled my heart. Though I only half-understood his words, I knew that Ming Luo was no longer an ordinary vengeful ghost, he was no longer something that could be guided to the afterlife. Along with the fear, I also felt a deep sadness.
Have I, then, ruined Ming Luo’s life?
“By the way, there’s someone else.” I brought up Qing Ze.
Tunshe Nalin furrowed his brows after hearing this, saying, “This person’s soul is also under her control, but I promise you, in the future, apart from her, I will help him pass on.”
I nodded, feeling a bit of the heavy guilt lift from my heart.
“Teacher Qin Ran!”
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from above.
I turned around and saw Mo Wei standing on the stone steps, waving at me. Halfway through the wave, the old Taoist behind him struck him on the head with his whisk, causing him to stumble and be pulled backward.
“Do you want to die sooner?”
…This kid really has some guts.
I stole a glance at Tunshe Nalin and noticed that, aside from his gaze growing a little colder, he didn’t seem as affected as when he saw Ming Luo. Perhaps Mo Wei’s strength wasn’t enough to make him regard him seriously.
As Tunshe Nalin carried me up the stone steps, the old Taoist retreated several steps, while the young disciple beside him lowered his head and stepped forward, offering a stack of clean clothes. “Your things.”
Tunshe Nalin took the clothes with one hand and said faintly, “Thank you, Daozhang, for the hospitality.”
“Teacher Qin Ran…” Mo Wei peeked out from behind the old Taoist, only to be struck in the face with another swipe of the whisk.
After Tunshe Nalin carried me out of the Taoist temple, I could still hear Mo Wei’s cries of pain coming from behind, his voice growing louder as he was beaten.
“He’s not here to stay the night; he’s here to warn us! You two little troublemakers are trying to get your master and all the senior brothers in trouble, aren’t you? Tonight, you two will kneel until dawn!”
