Ao Chi - Part 7

I was unconscious for most of the day, only waking up in the evening of the next day. Cangtong Kai had his cook prepare an incredibly delicious meal for the sick and brought it to me. I ate it with tears streaming down my face, giving the moral conscience of this cat a big Like.

He and Xuan finally believed me, accepting that the current down-and-out woman is the tree demon proprietress who was once chivalrous and righteous, beautiful as a flower, calm yet rebellious, and passionate beneath her indifference.

Cangtong Kai said that he rarely remembers anyone's gaze in his life, except for that tree demon who was even more cocky and haughty than him. Although I have a radically different appearance now, my tone of voice and disdainful gaze are still identifiable.

Xuan was furious, vowing to kill the evildoer Mu and get everything back for me. Now that Cangtong Kai knows his true identity, they are figuring out a way to gather all the forces that can be brought into play, and are determined to fight to the death with the baddie in Unceasing.

Yes, my "Unceasing" has changed from a harmless and profitable dessert shop into a graveyard of demons without my knowing it.

This was an unforeseen event for everyone, including myself. I'm so close to it and even occasionally watch it from a distance, yet I did not notice any obvious anomalies. It wasn't until Cangtong Kai told me that, starting from ten days ago, a strange blue mist and a flock of monstrous birds surge out from somewhere every night past midnight and wantonly hunt all kinds of demons. Even his clan was not spared, and dozens of cat demons with slightly lower cultivation levels had already been captured. He and Xuan traced the source and were shocked to discover that the blue mist and those skeleton birds actually "originate" from my Unceasing.

This disaster, which came without warning, made every demon with some spiritual power feel the terror of impending doom. Even Zhang Daxia, who was lurking around me, had a premonition of danger and was afraid to go out. Only I was completely oblivious.

"But it's not your fault. You were never too bright to begin with, and now you've lost your powers." Cangtong Kai finally found the opportunity to "take revenge." This cheeky kid. I was not in the mood to bicker with him. The most crucial issue at the moment is what great things that crazy woman Mu has done in my "Unceasing." If she orchestrated the disaster last night, then what's her motive?

Xuan, who had been silent all this time, was crouched on the table and deep in thought. As a cat with intellect, he suddenly turned to me and said, "Before taking any action, shouldn't we first get back the real you? Right now, you can't even handle a single skeleton bird, and that's a big problem."

Cangtong Kai scratched his head vigorously and asked, "Think carefully. Among the people you know, is there anyone who can appear in front of you and call out your name without any hints from others?"

"If there was such a person, I would have rushed to them long ago." I sighed. Perhaps Jiu Jue could give it a try, but this guy has no fixed abode. By the time we find him and return, it's very likely that Mu's black hand will have already wreaked havoc on countless innocents. Anyway, even if it's Jiu Jue, I don't have much confidence in him. Those who can see through a stranger's appearance and recognize the real me — one has disappeared forever, and the other is missing.

I stroked the pure-gold dragon pattern amulet on my wrist, which I had lost and then regained, and which had saved me twice from peril. The faint warmth was still there. Ao Chi's face, always proud and scornful, yet occasionally childish, and the sound of his voice, always yelling and bickering at me, became increasingly clear in my mind.

If my memory serves me right, Ao Chi disappeared completely from my life three days after giving me this amulet. The night before he disappeared, we had the biggest argument we had ever had since we met.

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Ao Chi - Part 6

"I'm sorry. If it weren't for those two cat demons causing trouble, today's harvest wouldn't be so meager." Mu stood in front of him, looking apologetically at the deflated cloth bag in her hand. "Only this much has been extracted."

"The descendant of the Cat Demon King is indeed more capable than others." He smiled faintly, continuing to browse through various books in front of the towering bookshelves. Soft light projected from the ceiling adorned with spiral patterns, enveloping his slender body, yet cast no shadows on the ground no matter where he walked.

His study was incredibly spacious and high, surpassing even a library. He seemed to have condensed all the knowledge in the universe here.

"Why... don't you ever look at me?" Mu followed his graceful and slow pace, unable to hide a secret sense of loss in her eyes. "Don't I look good like this?"

His attention was not on her at all. He was only focused on flipping through "Quantum Theory of Multi-Particle Systems" in his hand. He shook his head as he read, put it back, picked up "A Brief History of Time," and still shook his head while reading. As for books like "Variations in the Earth's Magnetic Field," "The Present and Future of Cosmic Life," etc., he glanced through them and disdainfully tossed them back in place, saying coldly, "Trash."

"Shuo..." She took a step closer and softly called his name, unwilling to give up.

"Call me Master, or God Anubis." His gaze remained unfaltering, coldly closing the book in his hand. "What you look like now is of no importance. Those tacky questions that only stupid humans ask, I don't want to hear from you again."

The gleam in Mu's eyes gradually dimmed. She placed the cloth bag on the ground and said in a low voice, "Yes, master."

"Leave." With a slight movement of his left hand finger, the cloth bag flew into his hand. He weighed it for a moment and added, "Keep working hard; we still have a little time." He walked over to the globe placed next to the bookshelf, slowly turning the blue sphere. "Three Kings' Alignment... hehe."

"Rest assured, master." Mu stepped back to the door. As she turned to leave, she looked at his captivating silhouette, the face that has been in her heart for thousands of years, and she couldn't help but murmur sadly, "I thought you would like it..."

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Ao Chi - Part 5

Today's weather is bad, with both wind and rain. I'm sick with a cold, lying in bed feeling miserable all day, wanting to sleep but unable to rest well.

I took medicine for the first time in my life; human pills taste really bad.

"Boss, eat... food." At the door, my part-time helper, whose full name is Zhang Daxia^[1], wiped his hands on his apron, cautiously calling out to me.

This young man, as honest and simple as a wooden stake, usually leaves work once he finishes making 99 cotton candies. Today, perhaps seeing how severe my cold is, he didn't leave after work. He said he would cook dinner for me before leaving. This guy is not outstanding in appearance, rarely talks, and has a slight stutter. He usually doesn't dare to look me in the eye when talking to me, and blushes after just a few sentences, which is quite amusing.

Facing each other in the hall, we sat at a round table with two bowls of porridge and a few exquisite side dishes. The flavors were light, with a hint of vinegar and sesame oil. It tasted quite good and was suitable for someone like me who had no appetite due to a cold.

"Why aren't you eating?" I noticed that Zhang Daxia didn't even touch his chopsticks, just sitting there foolishly, hunched over like his name, as listless as a dried shrimp.

"I... I'm not hungry." He waved his hand, glancing towards the door from time to time, showing a hint of panic. His nose was constantly sniffing the air like a hunting dog.

"What are you doing?" I asked him directly. This guy is a bit off today.

"Boss... I… can I stay at the shop tonight?" He was afraid that I would refuse.

"Give me a reason."

"I, I... I'm scared!"

What a straightforward reason! I could indeed read the heartfelt fear from Zhang Daxia's flickering eyes.

"Alright, you can sleep in the hall tonight. I'll get you a blanket later." I wiped my mouth, then turned my head and cocked an eyebrow, asking, "You owe a loan shark? Are they coming to collect the debt tonight?"

"No, no, no!" The more Zhang Daxia denied, the more nervous he became, stuttering more, "It's, it's... strange, strange, strange^[2]..."

"Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore. It's late; good night!" It's unkind to force people with a stutter for answers.

After taking another dose of medicine, I cocooned into my blanket, and without much effort, I gradually sank into sleep.

I don't know how long I had been asleep when I was startled awake by the sound of tables and chairs being overturned outside the door, accompanied by Zhang Daxia's crying plea for help.

I quickly threw off the blanket and rushed out of the room barefoot — the doors and windows in the hall, originally tightly closed, were all wide open. Benches, tables, and all objects were spinning in mid-air. Zhang Daxia, pitifully holding onto a table leg, his body stretched long like a gummy candy, was being forcibly pulled towards the front door by a force from outside, as if someone wanted to drag him out of the shop.

Despite the grand scene, not even a trace of wind was present, and the bangs on my forehead didn't move at all. The tornado-like force that pervaded the shop, though clearly overwhelming, was silent and intangible.

I rushed into the center of the "tornado," tightly grabbing Zhang Daxia's wrist.

Now hot, now cold, with a chilling sensation as if a sword had just swung through emerged from my heart, and all my internal organs were forced to squeeze together. It felt as though, in the next moment, everything would be sucked out of my body.

I didn't know what was happening; all I knew was that my strength was too insignificant, and I couldn't hold onto Zhang Daxia.

As he slipped from my grasp and was completely pulled out through the front door, I clearly saw that this honest and simple man who had been working for me for almost a month had transformed into a dark brown puppet. Only his eyes still moved, and his mouth continued to stutter as he cried for help.

I chased out the door. In the dim night, the streets and buildings I saw were all shrouded in a strange bewitching blue mist. A flock of black raptors with animal heads, bird bodies, and bat wings had spread their translucent wings, making hissing sounds as they rapidly flew in the blue mist. Each of them was holding a low-level demon that had transformed into its original shape in their mouths.

One black bird swooped down and grabbed Zhang Daxia's neck, screaming eerily and struggling as it rushed up to the sky. Several cat demons were desperately brandishing their claws, shouting for help in sharp voices. An elderly turtle demon, still in a nightgown, was throwing up due to the rapid flight. There were also countless low-level flower demons, bug demons, and so on, all of whom were crying for the land.

These monstrous birds seem to have captured all the demons nearby.

When a monstrous bird rushed at me, I instinctively shrank my neck and sidestepped. That ba*tard snatched away a rat demon hiding behind a trash can.

Only then did I see clearly that the face of the monstrous bird was unmistakably a human skull wrapped in black and white feathers.

Hold on! This thing... I seem to recall something, but they can't be here!

Zhang Daxia had been carried far away. I subconsciously chased after him, but soon found that I couldn't run anymore. A numbness spread from my toes. The blue mist floating all around emitted a faint fragrance, which continuously poured into my body.

"Boss, help! Help! Help!" Zhang Daxia shouted desperately at me, for the first time without stuttering.

However, my running speed was getting slower and slower. I watched helplessly as Zhang Daxia was about to be taken out of my sight.

Suddenly, two extra menacing cat cries rang in my ears. Two cats, one black and one white, both with well-built physiques and sharp eyes, appeared impressively in the sky. The white cat even spread out a pair of huge wings in mid-air, and each white feather on the wings sparkled with golden specks - gorgeous and incomparably majestic. Countless skeleton birds that lunged towards it were forcefully swatted aside. With a few flashes of white light, these ba*tards were shattered under the white cat's claws and fell to the ground. On that side, the black cat, though lacking wings, certainly did not lack in ferocity and bravery. It engaged in a brutal battle with numerous skeleton birds, tearing these repulsive birds into pieces with its claws and fangs.

The appearance of the two cats seemed to bring about a different powerful aura. Not only did they crush most of the skeleton birds, but also instantly thinned the blue poisonous mist around them.

A group of low-level demons who had narrowly escaped from the mouths of the birds hurriedly scattered in all directions to save their lives. Zhang Daxia, who went weak in the knees, was grabbed by the white cat by the arm and thrown to my side. Zhang Daxia hugged me and burst into tears.

My feet regained sensation and I could move again. Taking another look at the two cats, they felt very familiar.

One black and one white, wings on its back... This can't be...

"Cangtong Kai! Xuan!" I exclaimed involuntarily.

The white cat turned its head and glanced at me with a somewhat skeptical look in its unfamiliar eyes.

"Get rid of those skeleton birds first!" I urgently pointed at the enemies who were barely clinging to life. Now was not the time for reunions.

The white cat let out a low growl, spread its wings, and charged towards the remaining skeleton birds. The big collision between the dark and light figures was particularly striking in the dark night.

However, things quickly developed in the opposite direction, just when I thought victory was on our side.

The shattered skeleton birds suddenly trembled, and each piece began to swell and mutate, like balloons blown up one and one. Then, completely intact and incredibly new skeleton birds burst out. In just ten seconds, the skeleton birds were not only resurrected, but their numbers also increased many-fold.

Under the onslaught of the attacking bird army, the black and white cats gradually found themselves at a disadvantage.

"To hell with fighting! Run!" I shouted desperately below.

The black and white cats knew the situation was far from good, so they quickly withdrew from the encirclement. One grabbed Zhang Daxia, and the other grabbed me, and we rushed away madly.

The enemies were in hot pursuit, their hissing sounds growing louder and closer.

We hid in the tallest clock tower in the city, crouching behind the century-old giant clock, watching the changes in silence.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" The white cat returned to human form, a handsome young man in a white shirt.

I remember that Xuan had suffered heavy injuries and couldn't transform into a human yet. He could only size me up with a pair of unblinking cat eyes, while the puppet Zhang Daxia had been frightened into a half-stupor, constantly making the sign of the cross on his chest.

To be honest, I badly wanted to rush over and hug Cangtong Kai, giving him a fierce kiss. The intense feeling of meeting an old friend in a foreign place and seeing kin after a long absence, made me want to cry.

"I... I am Unceasing's boss, tree demon Shaluo!" I couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out.

"Bullshit!" Cangtong Kai said decisively, "You are not that tree demon! Not only does your appearance not match, but you also don't have a trace of demon aura!"

Xuan also said affirmatively, "Who are you really? Why would you claim to be Shaluo? Let me tell you, I am very familiar with that tree demon."

"I really am, believe me." I shook my head helplessly and said to Cangtong Kai, "I'm not lying. The USB drive related to the girl Tutu and the large check you sent me at the time are still in Unceasing's safe."

Cangtong Kai and Xuan exchanged glances. Only they and the tree demon knew about the USB drive and the check.

Before we had time to question and explain to each other, a flock of enemies approached from a distance, darkening the sky. It was a darkness even deeper than any night, and if it were daytime, even the sunlight would likely struggle to penetrate the dense bodies of these skeleton birds. The blue mist had thickened once again, mingling with the rolling clouds. The mass surged forward carrying the birds, and like a wave blocking out the world, they flew towards the clock tower.

They found us by following the demon aura!

Various mechanical parts operated slowly inside the ancient clock tower, producing creaking sounds that seemed to echo the anxious heartbeats of our party.

"What are the chances of handling this?" I looked out through a chink in the clock tower.

"Almost zero." Cangtong Kai and Xuan replied frankly.

Zhang Daxia burst into tears again.

We barely exchanged these words when we saw the speed of the skeleton birds suddenly change, and they appeared outside the clock tower as if they teleported.

Their sharp beaks and claws worked frantically outside the clock tower, slicing the walls into pieces like a cutting machine. The parts of the huge clock blocking them were bitten into actual pieces, falling down haphazardly from the air.

We soon found ourselves exposed in their line of sight.

"You don't have a demon aura, so they shouldn't be able to find you," Cangtong Kai said to Xuan. "Get them out of here. I'll hold them off."

Xuan shook his head, "There's no way out. This clock tower is about to collapse."

Each skeleton bird let out excited sounds from its mouth, thinking that we would become their freshest meal in just a few more seconds.

Cangtong Kai frowned, revealed his true form, and spread his wings to shield us behind him. He shouted, "I'll go all out! When you get the chance, escape!"

I could tell that Cangtong Kai was no match for this army of skeleton birds, no matter how all out he went. Are all of us going to be buried in this clock tower tonight for no reason?

The skeleton birds outdid one another to throw themselves at us, and I even caught a whiff of the foul smell of death coming from their filthy mouths.

In the critical moment between life or death, everyone suddenly heard a low yet brave beast roar. Countless feather-like golden beams shot into the clock tower from outside, piercing through the bodies of the skeleton birds like a storm, making each and every of these decidedly arrogant monsters start jumping and twisting their bodies comically and exaggeratedly, like monkeys with their bottoms on fire, making strange noises and flapping their wings. The more they struggled, the more dazzling the dense golden beams became. In no time, with a few muffled sounds, countless skeleton birds were "melted" into a large mass of sparkling golden liquid, flowing like clouds and mist in all directions in the air, quickly diminishing into wisps of water vapor, leaving not even a bird feather behind.

All the clamor faded into silence, and under the now serene sky, there was no trace of the previous chaos. Everything was clean.

My eyes were blinded by these brilliant lights, making it difficult to open them. I strained to look outside, and behind the diffused gas in the air, the faint silhouette of a giant golden dragon could be discerned, changing from solidity to emptiness.

It again? The dragon that once helped me get out of a trap in Mu's Tarot magic realm.

I was lost in thought when a familiar jingling sound rang out. A small, shiny golden thing descended in a parabolic trajectory from where the dragon disappeared, heading straight toward me.

I reached out without thinking and perfectly caught the small object. When I opened my hand to look, it was the pure-gold dragon pattern amulet that Ao Chi had given me. It lay quietly in my palm, but the dragon engraved on it appeared much fainter than before, as if on the verge of vanishing.

I had thought that it would belong to Mu along with my body she snatched away. I never expected it to come back to me.

"What is this?" Cangtong Kai and the others stared at the object that had saved our lives, especially Zhang Daxia, who seemed eager to offer incense to the amulet.

I didn't answer. Instead, I stood up, leaned out of the clock tower, and shouted into the night sky that was still starless and moonless, "Ao Chi, get your a*s over here!"

It's him! It must be him!

The amulet in my hand was exuding the heat of body temperature; not mine, but its own.

It has been twenty years, and I have never been so sure as I am now that this ba*tard evil dragon, who left me without a word, is not far from me.

However, there was no response.

Damn mortal body, damn cold, damn physical exertion — long story short, I fu*king fainted and promptly fell head first out of the clock tower, falling to the ground like a lifeless dried leaf. For the first time, I felt that my body and soul were weightless and a light breeze could blow me apart.

Someone caught me around the waist. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I smelled that familiar scent again. It reminded me of the time many, many years ago; I was facing the first collapse of my life, when someone had tenderly held onto me as I kept sinking.

Ao Chi... I murmured this name.

Where the hell have you been…

I've been looking for you...

Been looking for you...

---

[1] 大虾: Daxia is a funny name. Daxia means big prawn; big shrimp.  

[2] The word 怪 means strange but also devil; monster.

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Ao Chi - Part 4

My birthday is not too far away, and I can smell the scent of winter. Outside the window, various colors transition from brilliance to monotony quietly. On the surface, I am "enjoying" my new life in peace, content with the hand I've been dealt, but in secret, I am contemplating ways to turn the tide.

Mu didn't do anything too out of line during this period. She just came to Musheng once, and still had that victor's attitude going. She was all smiles as she looked at me, and as if making small talk, remarked that Fatty and Skinny are really stupid. Apart from making desserts and chasing after girls, their IQ is practically zero, which really matches Unceasing's style. And then there are those demons who come seeking help, each one more ridiculous and troublesome than the last.

"Oh." I nibbled on the apple in my hand and said while eating, "If they were really smart, they wouldn't mistake you for me. It's tough for you to deal with those fools for me."

"Hehe." Mu stroked the long black hair that basically didn't belong to her, smiling, "I really like your body. It's so beautiful and has thousands of years of cultivation."

I munched on the apple, not bothering to look at her, and simply said, "I also think my body is extraordinarily good. But your own configuration is so low, aren't you afraid of incompatibility? Haha."

She sneered, stood behind me, and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Big Sister, one day you'll come crying to me, just like I did back then."

I made no effort to respond.

"Oh, by the way, those demons who come knocking at your door, I'll take good care of them for you," she said before leaving, suddenly turning back with a playful wink, "Because I need them."

The word "need" was clearly a warning.

"All your current actions will come with a price in the future," I only threw these words at her.

"Aren't you the perfect embodiment of that statement?" She laughed heartily as she walked away.

This woman is so arrogant that I'll be lying if I say I'm not angry — I'm not God. However, the key point of our verbal battle wasn't who infuriated whom. Instead, it was her announcement of danger. I'm not sure why Mu has chosen to "hibernate" during this period, showing no unusual behavior. Still, I'm fully aware that everything she's doing goes beyond simple retaliation against me.

She mentioned having a master.

But what can I do now? Am I supposed to rush to put up a sign at Unceasing's main entrance proclaiming that the current proprietress Shaluo is a counterfeit, and both humans and demons must steer clear of her to avoid mishaps?

No one will believe me, not even Fatty and Skinny. At most, they'll think they saw a psychotic woman.

I'm imprisoned in Mu's human form. If no one recognizes my true identity and voluntarily calls out my name, let alone helping others, my own safety is in jeopardy.

But now who can recognize a me who is not me at all?

I've tried many methods, but none of them work. I've already contacted Jiu Jue on the sly, planning to tell him the whole story, betting that he'll believe me. As long as I have him on hand, even if he can't help me break Mu's poison curse and restore my true appearance, at least he can assist me with many things I can't do now. As a demon who has lost all her magic power, the only means to contact Jiu Jue is through the phone. However, his phone number is always "out of coverage area." God knows where that damn old fool ran off with his cell phone; did he travel back in time to see his rhinoceros disciple?! I had to give up on the idea of finding him. If things were like before, a simple paper charm would be enough; even if he was in the Eighteenth Hell, I could catch him and beat him up.

Sigh.

The only thing sustaining me is probably the reversed Death card in my bedroom. I recite the phrase "Fighting death for life" three times every night before going to bed.

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Ao Chi - Part 3

Later, I never went to that low-lying area again. The locust tree's weeping and her isolated figure were quickly relegated to the back of my mind.

However, what I thought had faded from my memory has never faded from the other person's life for a moment.

I only discovered this problem millennia later.

I want to be like you...

Mu, your wish has finally come true.

I took a sip of tea and walked to the shop's entrance. The evening glow was strobing on the uneven skyline across the street. Because of this illumination, this inconspicuous and secluded little street seemed to have a hint of grand and magnificent vigor.

But at the edge of the sky, I seemed to see some turbulent undercurrents, gray-black waves of energy slowly gathering towards the brightest spot in the center and slowly nibbling away at it as if determined to win.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Everything on the horizon was normal, the sunset colors were unchanged, and it was still a beautiful normal evening.

Maybe I'm just hungry. As a mortal, I no longer possess the ability to observe the heavens and the earth. What I had just seen must have been my imagination.

Back in the store, I grabbed a few biscuits to fill my stomach. The strange feeling in my heart still lingered, so I simply took out my tarot cards, shuffled them randomly, cut the deck, and thinking about the "hallucination" I had just seen, drew the top card.

Looking at the card I flipped out, I was slightly stunned, then took a long breath, thinking that maybe what I saw just now was not a figment of my imagination.

The card I drew was "The Devil."

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Ao Chi - Part 2

So I extracted all the memories about Mu.

That was during the days when I first gained a human form, just starting my cultivation on Fulong Mountain.

After each Mid-Autumn Festival, I would descend to a low-lying area at the foot of the mountain, searching for a wild fruit called mountain mango. In fact, it wasn't tasty at all – extremely sour with a hint of bitterness, rough flesh, like swallowing a bunch of small thorns. However, Zimiao insisted that I consume one every day until the Winter Solstice, claiming it would regulate my vital energy and boost my vitality. Besides the taste of this fruit, what I remember is the short and thin poorly developed little locust tree growing alone in the center of the low ground. Each branch hung down listlessly, like a pile of matted hair.

It was truly unremarkable. If it weren't for the fact that this was the only tree in the entire low-lying ground, perhaps I wouldn't have noticed its existence.

At that time, I was still a young tree demon who was excessively fond of play. I liked to weave the vines growing around the low ground into a net and then rush to the pool formed by the spring water that gushed out of a dark cave to fish for fun. The fish in that pool were particularly beautiful, not only in various colors but some could even produce pleasant cries. Especially when trapped in my net, some would make baby-like crying sounds, which I found incredibly amusing at the time. I would often play a prank by catching them, releasing them, catching them again, and repeating the cycle, never tiring of it.

Many small animals frequented the low-lying area, including beautiful orange-winged birds, nimble white foxes, cunning gophers, and countless others. But my favorite were the three-eared rabbits, with black faces and white bodies, and as plump as furballs. Swinging their furry butts, they clumsily hopped to the edge of the pool with their children to find wild grass that resembled moss to eat. For these little chubbies that I couldn't resist teasing the moment I saw them, I would always hide in the shadows to catch them off guard, then jump out acting ferocious, scaring the little guys into scattering chaotically and almost rolling into the pool, while I stood on the side laughing my guts out.

I fully enjoyed the freedom of having a human form, my body and soul intoxicated in the most primitive and pure joy.

But on that day, when the abashed little locust tree hooked my arm with its branches, calling out my name and pleading for me to ask Zimiao to transform it into a human as well, I refused without hesitation.

"Why not? Big Sister Shaluo, I clearly saw God Zimiao granting you a human form that night!" Its branches tightly wrapped around my arm, shaking with unwillingness. "Big Sister, please ask God Zimiao to give me a human form too."

So ridiculous! Were we that familiar with each other?

Faced with such a fellow of my kind who appeared out of nowhere and her "rude" request, I naturally felt repulsed and it was even more impossible to do as she wishes. Zimiao had told me that when he granted me a human form, it seemed effortless but actually consumed a considerable amount of vitality and spiritual power. It took a full forty-nine days for a complete recovery. My human form was hard-won, so Zimiao wished for me to focus on cultivating. The crucial point for me regarding this fact wasn't what Zimiao said to me, but the pale lips he had when speaking. From that moment on, I realized that what I cared about the most wasn't how I cultivated, but whether Zimiao was truly well or not.

Now, how could I possibly trouble Zimiao for the strange "extravagant hope" of my so-called kin? I had no friendship with this locust tree; I just occasionally rested on its trunk for a while when I got tired from playing, and occasionally whispered a few meaningless words to it. Did it, based on this, conclude that we were bosom buddies, ready to go to great lengths for each other? How laughable.

"Big Sister Shaluo, please take me with you!" it continued to plead.

"That's not possible. I'm different from you," I began to untangle the branches that were wrapped around me.

"Why are we different? Didn't we both come from the same place?" It looked bewildered, perhaps a bit angry.

"I told you, we are different."

I don't know why I always emphasized this point. How exactly am I different from it? It's just that one was born on top of the mountain and the other was born at the foot of the mountain.

"What's the difference! You can do it, and so can I! I want to live freely like Big Sister!" The branches wrapped around me became tighter and tighter.

"Staying here is better for you." I couldn't come up with a more convincing reason, just awkwardly repeating it while tearing at the branches.

"Lies! You're lying! You're lying! If you can do it, why can't I!"

Those branches had unexpectedly entwined around my neck, filled with anger as if trying to strangle me.

What a joke. How could such a weak little locust tree be my adversary? Even though I was only jack of all trades, master of none at that time, I was, after all, trained by an immortal from the heavenly realm, the Water God of Four Directions Zimiao himself, a grand tree demon existing as his maid.

Its branches were severed into pieces by my magic.

I heard it crying behind me.

"I want to be like you... I also want to eat wild fruits from the mountain and scare those chubby rabbits... I also want someone to talk to me, take me to ride on the winds, just like Zimiao does for you..."

I ran away quickly. Her crying made me uncomfortable. At that time, I had not yet learned to empathize with others' sorrows.

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Ao Chi - Part 1

I am probably the only creature that can still live peacefully despite having its "identity" taken away.

I used to be the owner of "Unceasing," but now I am the owner of "Musheng." I used to be the exceptionally talented tree demon Shaluo with millennia of cultivation, but now I am just an ordinary person with less than a year of life left in this flesh and blood body if I can't "find myself" within this time frame. I used to be surrounded by numerous demons and rewarded with plenty of gold, but now, besides a part-time assistant in the shop making cotton candy, the only occasional customers are humans who come for fortune-telling.

That's right, I now make a living by selling cotton candy and doing tarot readings for people. Serious hard work and self-reliance. My fellow kin, that tree demon girl named Mu, used a not-so-clever trick to cheat me of my real body and human form. In simple terms, now she is the owner of "Unceasing," and she is the tree demon Shaluo. She has taken over everything of mine.

Speaking of it makes me feel depressed; I feel sorry for the gold that fell into someone else's pockets, and occasionally, I miss Fatty and Skinny. Without these two fools for me to boss around and bully, life has indeed become dull.

I tried to analyze Mu's psychology. She could easily take my life with just a flick of her little finger now. However, she insists on "preserving" me in a different way. I think she must have come across reactionary phrases like "it's far better to let someone live in pain than to let them die painlessly," and she's practicing it on me.

But is there really such a deep-seated hatred between us?

I simply dismissed the delusion of an immature little demon.

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Ao Chi - Introduction

In his eyes, there is no servant more loyal than the night; it always arrives on time and departs on time, never betraying. The passing winds may seem ordinary, but when they weave through the pyramids of Giza, they transform into flying messengers, whispering the symbols that have been buried for thousands of years in your ears – past events eroded bit by bit by the wind blown sands.

He is accustomed to standing on top of The Sphinx on nights with a crescent moon, this colossal reclining monolith with the boldness of connecting heaven and earth. He knows this stone as intimately as he knows his own flesh and blood.

He has long forgotten the warmth and appearance of the sun, only able to vaguely recall the last sunrise in his memory from the sparse moonlight. He stood on the Sphinx for hours; his beige windbreaker billowing on both sides, like a pair of wings about to unfold. His body remained motionless, as if the massive stone beneath his feet had transferred its absolute solidity to him, intending to assimilate him as its own.

There was a disturbance at his feet as several stray cats that came from nowhere gathered together. They raised their heads and issued low meows, creating a symphony of feline sounds. The leading black cat licked its injured front paw and gazed up at him with a strange, hopeful look.

His eyelashes merely moved slightly as he extended his left hand in a seemingly casual manner.

A dewdrop-like light fell from his fingertips onto the black cat's head, transforming into a cute smooth and round bubble, which wrapped the little thing comically, then rose from the ground and floated to him like a helium balloon. The cat's round eyes, reflecting the clean coldness of the moonlight, fell on his face. The injured cat's paw was trembling slightly, blood flowing from the badly festering wound.

Gently cradling the floating kitty, he slid his fingers along the outer surface of the transparent and smooth sphere.

"Does it hurt?" His lips moved slightly.

The black cat meowed in response.

"I understand."

His gaze, initially devoid of any discernible emotion, suddenly softened. The sliding fingers came to a halt, and his fingertips gently pinched the bubble.

Thump. A faint sound. Only if you strained your ears could you hear it.

The black cat ceased breathing, the still-warm body coming to rest in his palm like the last fallen leaf in the autumn wind.

"That's better." He set down its lifeless form. "Death is another life."

Death is another life.

This is what he often says.

In the wind, an ancient nursery rhyme softly sang—

The warehouse is filled to the brim, grains rolling off the edge.
The big boat is also packed full, grains spilling outside.
Yet, we still must carry it, not a single grain to be forgotten.
For Anubis is under the moon, and he will take away the lazy babies.
Anubis is under the moon...

He closed his eyes, listening quietly.

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Musheng - End

Three days later, "my" Musheng reopened.

It still sells cotton candy, but since I don't know how to make it, I went to the neighboring street and found a vendor who can make cotton candy to work part-time in the shop. Fortunately, this new assistant doesn't charge a high price, and the cotton candy he makes tastes decent, although it lacks a bit of creativity in flavor compared to those made by Mu using sorcery. But it still has a market.

However, the real money doesn't just come from selling cotton candy. Don't forget, I can also read tarot cards. I have mastered this tool to the extent that I don't need to rely on any magic. Using the cards in my hand, I help find lost cats and dogs for those bunglers who come to my door, or offer useful advice to those with worries on their minds. Then, I conveniently receive a few small red envelopes and such. Days like these are not bad at all.

I've placed the Death card that Mu left for me in the bedroom, in the most conspicuous place on the dressing table.

Of course, I've placed it upside down because it always appears reversed.

The reversed Death card — fighting death for life.

This is how I always interpret the card for others.

I feel like I have a talent for business. At least, after a month, Musheng's turnover is quite good. There are far more people coming to me for divination than buying cotton candy.

Many customers who were snatched away by Musheng have returned to Unceasing. They said the desserts from Unceasing are tastier. Although Unceasing and I seem to have no connection at the moment, I am still pleased to hear such comments.

Ren Xiaochen, Little Fatso, and the others occasionally come to Musheng as well, but I believe Mu has indeed erased their memories.

Although they will never remember the hair-rising events that once happened in their lives, and they will never remember me as the demon who risked her all to save them, as long as I see their young and bright faces, and watch them living well in this time, I feel I haven't made too much loss in this business.

One day, it was Fatty and Skinny who came. These two chaps, boorish as ever, asked for my cellphone number using the excuse of buying cotton candy. I ultimately beat them out with a broom as is only natural.

I distinctly heard Fatty, who was scurrying away like a rat, say to Skinny, "How come this lady boss is even fiercer than our lady boss?"

I sniggered and dusted off my hands. How many people can there be in the world who are fiercer than your lady boss.

As for what the future holds, I don't know. Although I have tarot cards, I have never entertained the idea of divining for myself.

Am I afraid? Impossible. The word afraid does not exist in the dictionary of this Sagittarius tree demon.

I just feel that precisely because the future is full of variables, life becomes meaningful; as long as our sincere nature remains unchanged, the goals of our efforts remain unchanged, and our hopeful expectations remain unchanged.

I hung a "rhyming couplet" written with my own hands in Musheng's business area. Er… fine, let's reluctantly call it rhyming couplet.

The first line is: My talents are destined to be useful.

The second line is: I'll get back all the gold I lost.

Horizontal scroll: Take things as they come.

At the end, there's also a smiley I drew.

No matter whether I am Unceasing's lady boss or Musheng's lady boss, no matter whose appearance I change into, I am still me. Tree demon Shaluo, a Sagittarius, born in the snowy December on Mount Fulong's summit.

Of course, I am also sure that a battle with a certain someone is just the beginning.

---

Translator:

对联(rhyming couplet) is a pair of lines of verse written vertically down the sides of a doorway(see image below). Shaluo's "rhyming couplet" is actually from Li Bai's poem 'Bring in the Wine' (將進酒). 天生我材必有用, 千金散去还复来. A rough translation:

"Heaven has given us talents, we're not made in vain.
A thousand gold coins spent, more will turn up again."

天生我材必有用 has become a proverb meaning "Everybody has something that they were born to be good at." I translated the lines to reflect what I believe is Shaluo's intention.

Example of rhyming couplet

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Musheng - Part 10

"Master, I have successfully retrieved what you asked for."

She respectfully presented the black leather bag.

In the spacious and empty room, there was only a large table and a chair, with the black floor piled with books.

The man sitting behind the table was drawing something on a piece of paper. He just nodded slightly, indicating for her to put it down.

The room was practically devoid of light or sound, and the rustling of the man's brush moving on the paper was the only sound.

"Master, I..." She hesitated.

"Is there anything else?" The man's voice was deep and rich, carrying a tangible weight. He lifted his head slightly, and his cold, hawk-like eyes flashed in the darkness. After a moment, he lowered his head again, "If there's nothing else, you may leave. You did a good job this time."

"Yes!" She withdrew happily, like a rewarded child.

The room returned to a deathly silence, and the faint light slowly moved to the paper under the man's hands. It could vaguely be seen that he was drawing a portrait of a woman on the paper.

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Musheng - Part 9

Life is so wonderful. I've always firmly believed this.

You see, overnight, I inexplicably went from being Unceasing's lady boss to Musheng's lady boss.

Honestly, I'm still a little sad. All the gold I saved has now become someone else's possession.

Even the two boorish men, Fatty and Skinny, have now become someone else's subordinates.

No wonder Mu said I would lose everything.

It took me three hours by car to get back to the city. Being unable to ride the clouds is really inconvenient.

Standing in Musheng's business area, I looked at the cotton candy that hadn't been sold yet and started planning how to make a living using this little store. Dying because I can't return to my real body is a fairly normal death, but if I starve to death because I don't have money to eat, that'll be truly stupid and cowardly!

I started by making an inventory of all the fixed assets in the store. I'll sell whatever is valuable for cash and use it for some small investments or something.

Of course, I've also considered seeking help and such from guys like Jiu Jue. Even if they can't break this malicious curse for me, at least they would be willing to keep me like a sponger, right? But I quickly dismissed this idea. Firstly, that treacherous fake tree demon would definitely be keeping a close eye on me; it wouldn't be right to involve my friends at this time. Secondly, Jiu Jue might not believe what I say. Because all demons determine identity based on "scent." Demons are ever-changing, but each demon's "scent" is as unreproducible as DNA. How can I convince Jiu Jue that a body without Shaluo's scent is the real me? It's too troublesome.

Most of the time, I prefer to solve problems independently.

I hung a "Closed for Business" sign at Musheng's entrance, giving myself some much needed time to quietly think about what to do next.

That night, I cooked a packet of instant noodles I'd dug out from the refrigerator, and thought it was rather appetizing. I never thought this kind of junk food was delicious before. It seems that living with a different identity isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I'm so good at comforting myself.

During the day, Mu's words to me – "That's what I called you many, many years ago" – suddenly popped into my mind. Her expression didn't look like she casually cooked it up.

Do I know her? And we met "many, many years ago"? Why do I have no recollection at all?

As I pondered, a sudden headache struck. Tossing the chopsticks aside, I crawled into the bed in the inner room and lay down.

Her bed, like mine, was clean and had a faint fragrance. The pillow was also fluffy and soft, and lying on it felt just like lying on my own pillow.

After all the turmoil, I sank deeply into slumberland as an "ordinary human" for the first time.

"Big Sister Shaluo, take me with you!"

"That's not possible. We're different."

"Why are we different? Aren't we born in the same place?"

"I told you, we're not the same."

"What's different? You can do it, and I can too! I want to live freely like you, Big Sister!"

"Staying here is better for you."

"Lies! You're lying! You're lying! If you can do it, why can't I!"

I was awakened from my midnight dreams by two voices arguing incessantly. That dialogue, which came out of nowhere and had been hidden for who knows how many years, suddenly evoked a memory that I had forgotten.

I got out of bed, opened the window, and stretched my groggy head into the cool breeze, letting it hit my face.

Mu… Mu…

Suddenly, it dawned on me.

Why I couldn't see through this woman, why I couldn't detect any demonic aura from her, and why I felt close to her from the very beginning...

At that moment, I finally knew the answer.

There are very few tree demons in this world who can cultivate into human forms. Precisely because it's so challenging to achieve, those tree demons who manage it usually possess higher abilities than other demons. Their ability to discern the identity of others based on scent is also the most powerful. However, tree demons are unable to perceive the scent of their own kind, especially those who grow in the same land as themselves; their scents are often similar.

There was no moonlight outside the window, and the dark clouds in the sky were getting thicker and thicker, as if they were about to fall from the heavens.

My heart suddenly felt like the sky I was seeing; so heavy that it was about to fall.

Mu is the same as me, has always been the same as me, a tree demon.

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Musheng - Part 8

Another distinctive sound of gurgling water and a strange lingering fragrance pulled me out of a dreamless sleep. When I opened my eyes, my boat was on a wide river and going against the current. Countless crimson flowers bloomed along the riverbank, extending in a gentle curve under the night sky, unseen in its entirety, resembling a plain of blood yet also fire.

This is it, the Underworld.

The river named River of Forgetfulness, the flowers known as Bian^[1], and the scent that pervades all around which is contrary to the human world — all made me sure that this was the place we needed to come to, just a step away from the world we wished to return to.

The kids gradually woke up as well. Looking at the surroundings and the expanse above that seemed like the sky but wasn't quite, they asked me in some panic where we were.

I didn't tell them it was the land of the dead. I just informed them that it was the only way home.

They finally had pleasantly surprised expressions.

The boat cut through the river, and those swaying red spider lilies seemed like friendly hosts, watching our party of uninvited guests.

We didn't encounter any abnormalities along the way. In reality, the Underworld is not the terrifying place solely associated with death in legends. It's merely a space that accommodates a different way of existence, nothing more. The universe is like that, with everything having two sides, black and white, yin and yang, life and death. This is the genuine balance. At least, the Underworld is still a normal space, much more straightforward than the previous world filled with fires and the Bull-head Devil.

I began contemplating whether I should seriously deal with Mu upon returning. That woman is really a scourge.

The sound of water grew weaker, and I observed the river flowing slower and the water level decreasing. Where the river completely disappeared, there was a dry expanse of gravel. Each pebble was as smooth as a mirror, and in the midst of their iridescent colors, there was a rectangular, door-like black object wrapped up in white light moving around its edges. Upon closer inspection, that black square was a thing formed by continuously flipping black eddies. From time to time, some strange and magnificent light would penetrate through the gaps between those eddies.

It was... the light of the human world.

"All right, we're almost home," I announced to the gang of little rascals with a smile.

They seemed somewhat incredulous, dumbfoundedly asking, "Really? You're not lying?"

"You'll know once we're out," I winked at them.

Taking a deep breath, I patted my real body and said smilingly, "Thank you for your hard work this time. I'll make sure to water you with more spirit dew later. Next year, you'll surely grow even more lush." Finishing my words, I held out my hand to Little Fatso. "Give me your hand, and the rest of you hold hands in a chain. Don't let go!"

The black swirled as the boat's bow slowly entered the "door." Little Fatso couldn't even bring himself to open his eyes, clutching my hand with sweaty palms. The girls were in a similar state, holding onto each other's hands tightly, eyes shut in fear.

My body was the first to pass through those eddies — refreshingly cool, with no discomfort whatsoever. A second later, everything brightened before me, and my body was enveloped in a long-lost warmth. Sunlight, real sunlight belonging to the human world, spilled down from the clear and crisp autumn sky. Distant mountain ranges and highways at the foot of the mountains, along with vehicles speeding past often, were all really in front of me.

Quack, quack, quack!

Following the sound, I turned my head and saw a group of ducks leisurely strolling by the deserted pond. Some of them flapped their wings and looked curiously at the unremarkable things that had emerged from the void.

That's how the exit of the underworld works — unpredictable. No one knows where they'll end up in the human world after making their way out. Thankfully, it was a pond in the suburbs. If we had appeared in someone's home out of thin air, we would have scared the innocent out of their wits.

I smiled and knocked on Little Fatso's head, saying, "We're here, open your eyes!"

He tentatively opened one eye, then stared blankly before bursting into excitement. He shook off my hand and shouted, "I'm back, I'm back!"

The hull was still moving outward, and the two girls with glasses came out safely, followed by the last one, Ren Xiaochen.

At long last, my heart was completely at ease.

Little Fatso and the two bespectacled girls scrambled to jump off the boat. Ren Xiaochen was about to follow when her face changed abruptly. She screamed as her body, which had already come out of the gateway to the Underworld, was dragged back toward the door by an inexplicable force.

'Shit!' I shouted in my mind. The boat had already left the Underworld. If Ren Xiaochen, an ordinary human, was dragged back to the Underworld at this moment without the protection of my real body, her body and soul would be torn into pieces instantly by the completely opposite forces of the Underworld and the human world.

I rushed forward, grabbing her hand and shouting, "Hold on!"

The other three children instinctively tried to come help, but I shouted them away. I couldn't let them get close to this suddenly erratic exit anymore. If one more unlucky rascal was dragged in, I wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Help!" Ren Xiaochen cried in distress.

I could clearly feel her body sinking into the Underworld bit by bit. The invisible opponent behind the door was evidently much stronger than me.

"I don't want to die... I don't want to die!" Ren Xiaochen wailed as struggled desperately outward, calling for my help.

The fact is both my strength and spiritual power had been consumed to the limit at this moment.

But how could I fall short at this critical moment!

I made up my mind and transformed my hands into resilient branches, tightly wrapping them around Ren Xiaochen's arms and the exposed part of her body, thinking, even if I have to exhaust all my life's strength, even if I die in the next moment, I will drag this girl out!

Holding my breath, I gritted my teeth, closed my eyes, and leaned backward, shouting, "Come out!"

It was finally my turn to be "super strong."

With a pop, Ren Xiaochen was dragged entirely out of the door by me, falling onto me. The tremendous force of impact caused both of us to slide backward for quite a distance, scaring the ducks to scatter everywhere.

Ren Xiaochen was probably terrified and nestled into my arms, sobbing loudly.

I patted her back and comforted, "There, there, everything's fine now. Just don't wipe your nose on me, okay, you..."

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt something was wrong. A slight sting, mixed with a numbing sensation, gradually spread across my chest.

Ren Xiaochen climbed off me, moved her right hand away from my chest, and stood aside. There was a sinister and cunning smile inconsistent with her age on her soft and immature face. However, her gaze only held empty blankness.

I tried to stand up but found it impossible — there was an incomparably sharp ice pick as thick as a little finger pierced in my chest. The body of the awl was covered with various runes, and they kept moving inside like strange insects, swiftly heading towards my heart. Enduring the pain, I gripped the ice pick, attempting to pull it out. However, as soon as my palm touched it, the thing in my hand turned into a puddle of water, then vanished within my grasp.

Now, it wasn't just a sting; it was acute pain. From the inside out, every inch of my body felt like it was being torn apart by countless sharp teeth, and my head was about to explode with pain. It felt like a saw was cutting the top of my skull open to take something away from inside.

"Xiaochen... you..." Her companions were clearly terrified by her actions, backing away as if they were seeing a ghost. But Ren Xiaochen stood still as if nothing had happened.

My vision became a little blurry, perhaps from the cold sweat falling like rain getting into my eyes. In the haze, I vaguely saw a light and graceful figure approaching me.

Now, I couldn't even wipe the sweat from my own brow.

The figure continued to approach, and finally passed through my body.

I didn't feel anything particularly unusual, just a sense that something that belonged to me had left with the person who passed through my body.

Gradually, the unbearable pain subsided, my body felt much lighter than before, my eyes cleared, and I could sit up. I raised my head, and the person standing opposite me, even if it was only their back view, seemed so familiar.

"I warned you that you'll lose everything."

The person slowly turned around, revealing a victorious smile.

I froze — that person turned out to be me. Facial features, body, voice, even the color of the eyes and hair, all identical to mine. No, that was not just my body; what emanated from that body was my own unique, unmistakable scent that couldn't be imitated.

I turned my head in a flurry and leaned over the edge of the pond, looking at the face reflected on the water's surface. My breath caught—

The reflection on the water was not me; it was Mu.

Our bodies had been switched.

"Those children were never my target. They were just my bait." The "me" across from me took out a rope as thick as a fishing line from her pocket and tossed it forward. The rope coiled around my real body like a snake. She held onto the rope, pulled it back, and the "boat" that belonged to me, wrapped and compressed, turned into a fist-sized ball of light, which she then stored in a black leather bag.

"The fish I wanted to lure was you from the beginning," she put away the leather bag, approached me, and looked down at me with arrogance, "Doesn't everyone praise tree demon Shaluo for being extremely clever? So there's indeed a gap between legend and reality. If I were you, I wouldn't risk so much for a few unfamiliar brats."

I just smiled and didn't speak.

I know she wants to see me go crazy, but I won't give her that satisfaction.

"I really don't understand why everyone likes to praise you. What's so good about you?" She bent down, scrutinizing my face. "Even that insufferably arrogant Lord Hell King considers you a friend and is willing to give you such a precious thing as a birthday present. I'm really puzzled."

"It's not that you don't understand; you're just jealous." Even though "I" was no longer "I," my skill to hit the nail on the head when I speak was still there.

"Being too nice to someone might harm that person. If not for that birthday gift, my master wouldn't have sent me to find you." She chuckled coldly, patting the leather bag on her waist. "Your real body now belongs to my master."

Yes, the close friend I mentioned is the current Lord of the Underworld. On that birthday, this close friend dropped a drop of blood from her fingertip on my real body. It is because of this drop of Lord of the Underworld's blood that my real body gained the ability to traverse anywhere without restrictions. I'm probably the only demon capable of freely entering and leaving the Underworld, as long as I wish to. The essence of this gift is actually just trust. However, I really didn't expect it to bring me this trouble.

"Opening Musheng, stealing my business, attracting my attention, and then intentionally making me discover the fact that the missing children are trapped in a different space, knowing that I won't stand by no matter the cost, and exploiting the chance when I'm spent and my spiritual power is depleted to finally steal my real body… You and your master have been setting traps step by step, leading me to unknowingly fall into your scheme. You must have used some underhanded method to manipulate that kid Ren Xiaochen early on. You knew I wouldn't be on guard against her." At this point, I couldn't help but applaud and laugh, "Excellent! Such treacherous and shameless opponents like you, I like!"

"Haha, you're still as stubborn^[2] as ever." She pointed at me and laughed heartily, then looked at Ren Xiaochen. "But my master's goal is just to obtain your real body. As for me, I voluntarily added a task for myself, which is..."

"To take away my human form and replace it." I smoothly took over the conversation, laughing, "Do you like being me so much?"

She walked to Ren Xiaochen's side, lightly sliced her neck where the artery was with her fingers, and pulled out a thin silver thread, wrapping it around her finger like a piece of cotton candy.

"I spent a month cultivating the Soul-Gnawing Spike specially prepared for you in that silly girl's body. Every piece of the new-flavored cotton candies she ate were infused with special materials and took my painstaking effort. I know you have some good skills and taking away your body isn't easy. And as you know, the Soul-Gnawing Spike can only achieve the best result when the attacked party's mind is completely defenseless. Fortunately, I did it, and very smoothly." After extracting the thread from Ren Xiaochen's body, a small blood spot appeared on the kid's neck. "But rest assured, I won't do anything to these stupid children. They've already assisted me in completing my mission. I'll erase their memories and send them home safe and sound. How can I let the huge sacrifice you made of going to save them in your boat be in vain, great Big Sister Shaluo."

I sighed, the pain in my body having subsided considerably. I attempted to stand up and waved to her, saying, "I told you, don't claim relationships randomly. I don't have the blessing to enjoy having a sister like you."

"But..." Her gaze suddenly became meaningful. "That's what I called you many, many years ago."

I was slightly taken aback.

She resumed her mocking expression and widened her eyes in feigned innocence, the same eyes that used to belong to me. She said earnestly, "By the way, a friendly reminder for you. The Soul-Gnawing Spike is a special poison curse. It can turn your everything into mine. But it's not impossible to break the curse. When someone recognizes that you are the real Shaluo, the curse will be broken. But remember, what you tell or hint to others doesn't count; it only works if others 'actively' recognize you. Also, demons poisoned with this curse lose all their magical powers. What you have now is actually my body, which is no different from an ordinary human."

I simply listened in silence, refraining from asking any questions or making comments.

Seeing that I remained unresponsive, she lost her cool a bit, sneering, "Although this body of mine is more than enough for you, there's one drawback. When the Colorless flower blooms next year, you won't be able to return to your real body because you lost it within a day, along with..." She stroked "her" hair with satisfaction, "along with this human form you've cultivated. You know, if you can't return to your real body to absorb vitality, you will disappear." She paused, counting on her fingers, "You have roughly a year left. Of course, if someone recognizes you during this time, retrieves your human form for you, and manages to snatch back your real body from my master… If you can accomplish these two nearly impossible tasks, I'll admit that you, tree demon Shaluo, indeed have skills that surpass mine."

"I never need anyone's recognition," I said indifferently, yawning and looking at the innocent kids she had rendered unconscious. "I just hope you keep your word and return these little rascals intact."

"Of course," she raised an eyebrow, smiling. "I've treated you well. Not only did I spare your life, but I also gifted you a nice little shop. You can still be your own boss, you see, just in a different environment."

"Mn, thanks." My smile was especially joyful, "Congratulations to you too on starting a new chapter in your life starting from today, living an interesting life in this interesting world as me. I also want to remind you to be careful of the two troublemakers, Fatty and Skinny, in my shop. They absolutely have the potential to give you an aneurysm!"

"Oh, mutual congratulations! Then, congratulations on your new position, Musheng's 'new' proprietress." She tilted her face up and shot me a coquettish glance. Then, as if remembering something, she pulled out a few banknotes and threw them at me. "I almost forgot you have no magic powers now. This is the suburbs; if you want to return to Musheng, you'll have to take a taxi, hahaha."

Leaving behind a string of mocking laughter, I watched the other "me" skillfully ride the clouds, taking the four children and everything she had taken from me, flying towards the sky.

In the air, someone seemed to think that I hadn't been hit hard enough and shouted again, "Here's a souvenir for you."

Something small floated down from mid-air and dropped in front of me.

A tarot card, Death.

I glanced at the orientation of the card, lifted my head, and yelled to the far-away figure with an undiminished smile — "Dear, the Death card you gave me is still reversed."

I picked up the card and put it away. I must carefully collect the gifts others give me.

---

[1] 彼岸: The Other Shore (literal). Another name for red spider lilies, described as ominous flowers that grow in Hell and guide the dead into the next reincarnation.  

[2] 嘴硬: reluctant to admit one's mistakes.

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