Wan Yue slouched at the foot of the bed, a dagger piercing his chest, not too deep, only the handle remained visible.
He struggled for a moment then went still, blood staining his clothes and the sheets, his eyes lifelessly staring ahead.
Ning Xin reached out cautiously and nudged him.
With a thud, he rolled off the bed onto the floor, motionless.
Dead.
She breathed a sigh of relief, though she didn’t feel happy, knowing things wouldn’t be so simple; Wan Yue would surely come back.
What would he be like next time he appeared?
Regardless, meeting with Nie Ran was urgent.
Her underskirt was torn, impossible to wear. The qipao was both cumbersome and inconvenient.
As Ning Xin was thinking of finding some convenient clothes to escape in, she suddenly heard an unusual sound from the sky.
That was…
Using her uninjured left foot, she hobbled to the window and peered outside.
Several dark objects were falling from the sky, landing outside the mansion, exploding into blinding flashes of light upon impact.
Boom—boom—
The sky shook, the ground trembled, the light overwhelming.
The streets echoed with people’s agonizing screams. What should have been the quietest time of the day had turned into chaos.
It was a bombing.
The military stationed in the neighbouring town had begun their attack!
She didn’t have time to pick clothes; she threw on a coat haphazardly and grabbed a gun from Wan Yue’s body, hiding it under her clothes, then jumped out again.
Soldiers were running back and forth outside, and she could faintly hear someone shouting for an officer.
Trying to avoid people as much as possible along the way, but in the darkness and haste, she couldn’t find the way out.
Her left foot was tired from hopping, and her right foot hurt terribly upon landing.
Ning Xin had to lean against a pillar to catch her breath. Before she could recover, she saw a soldier hastily approaching, tall and with his hat pressed low.
She gritted her teeth, ready to continue jumping, but he suddenly scooped her up.
The familiar embrace made her loosen her grip on the gun. Peering closer, it was indeed Nie Ran!
“How did you get in? And this attire…”
Nie Ran whispered, “I’ll explain later… What happened to your face?”
Her snow-white cheek was covered in red wax, now cooled and solidified.
He used his fingers to peel off a small piece, revealing the red skin underneath, burnt by the wax.
Ning Xin only just noticed her face and used her hand to remove all the wax. Then she said, “It’s nothing, let’s go quickly.”
Nie Ran furrowed his brow but didn’t speak, proceeding forward.
They encountered several soldiers on the way who tried to intercept them, but Nie Ran swiftly resolved the situation with his gun.
Surprised, she asked, “When did you become so skilled with guns?”
She never had the chance to see him practice before.
Nie Ran smirked, holstering his gun back at his waist, stepping over the bodies and continuing forward.
Several bombs fell from the sky again, and the sound of the army’s advance could be faintly heard.
The streets were in even more chaos, everyone fleeing with their families.
Exiting through the back door, Nie Ran noticed that she was barefoot, her skin turning purple from the cold night air. He put her down and went to find shoes for her.
Ning Xin was caught off guard and her right foot touched the ground, causing her to cry out in pain.
Nie Ran hurriedly asked, “Are you injured?”
“It seems… dislocated…”
Uttering these words drained all her strength, and her vision started to darken.
Nie Ran returned, crouching down, letting her lean against him, and reached out to hold her ankle.
“Ngh… it hurts…”
Ning Xin cried out in pain.
Nie Ran gently patted her head, asking her to endure it a bit longer, then grasped her ankle again, feeling for the right position, and lifted it.
The dislocated joint popped back into place, causing Ning Xin to cry out and cling to his neck, tears streaming down her face.
“It’s okay now, you’re fine.”
Nie Ran gently patted her shoulder, his tone unusually gentle.
Ning Xin struggled to compose herself, lifting her head with red, swollen eyes. “Let’s go.”
But how could she walk with her newly set foot?
Nie Ran helped her into a coat, covering her legs, then took off his hat and placed it on her head. He lifted her up again and began walking step by step.
“I can walk on my own…” Ning Xin felt embarrassed.
“Shh.”
She had no choice but to stay silent and obediently lean against his chest.
He walked quickly yet steadily, and she lay in his warm embrace, her tense nerves of the past few days finally relaxing. She suddenly felt like falling asleep in his arms.
But now was not the time for sleep. They hurriedly escaped through the city gate and made their way back to the asylum.
After several days, returning home felt incredibly comforting.
Nie Ran turned on the air conditioning and brought over some heaters.
Ning Xin sat on the sofa, wrapped in a thick blanket, her body gradually warming up.
Beside her was Lang Xiao, peering out from a plastic box, looking at her with concern.
“I’m fine,” she smiled and patted the box. Nie Ran came out from the kitchen and handed her a cup of freshly brewed hot milk tea.
Ning Xin held it in her hands and took a sip, then said, “I killed him.”
Nie Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.
Ning Xin looked down, feeling disheartened. “But it’s probably going to be the same as last time. It won’t be long before he comes back.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re safely home, and that’s what matters most.”
“Have you been okay these past few days? Did he do anything to you?” she asked, partly sceptical.
Nie Ran shook his head.
She asked, half believing, “Really?”
“What else do you expect? Want me to swear to it?”
“That’s not necessary…”
The milk tea was rich and fragrant, and Ning Xin couldn’t stop drinking it.
Nie Ran brought a bottle of liniment and squatted in front of the sofa, lifting the corner of the blanket to expose her ankle and poured the liniment on it.
The cold sensation made her flinch. “What are you doing?”
“Dislocated joints need consistent application of liniment to promote healing and prevent complications,” he explained.
“I can do it myself.”
Nie Ran gave her a look and without hesitation, reached out and applied more liniment on her ankle, massaging it slowly.
Ning Xin felt that the situation was a bit ambiguous, but the subsequent pain made her too exhausted to dwell on it.
After massaging for over a minute, the liniment started to generate heat, easing the pain and leaving a tingling sensation that was surprisingly comfortable.
“Mm…” she let out a soft hum.
Nie Ran looked at her. “Is it too light or too heavy?”
“A bit heavier.”
“Need me to go faster?”
“No need.”
Nie Ran adjusted his technique and pressure to the most suitable level. The pale yellow liniment dissolved under his hands, leaving a slight yellow tint on her skin.
Ning Xin, exhausted and sleepy, fell asleep without realizing it.
She woke up suddenly, shivering. “What time is it now?”
Lang Xiao was still in the plastic box, whimpering twice without being able to answer.
Nie Ran came down from the second floor, holding Dawnbreaker in his hand.
“What’s happening?” Ning Xin’s heart tightened, fearing that Wan Yue might return.
“Nothing serious, just some unexpected guests,” Nie Ran replied.
“Where are they?”
Nie Ran didn’t answer directly but instead asked her, “Do you know what to do when danger comes?”
“Escape?” She answered without hesitation.
Nie Ran chuckled silently, shaking his head. His gaze sharpened as he stared at the door, Dawn reflecting a golden light.
“Let them know… what real danger is.”
The next moment, the door was kicked open.
Hundreds of soldiers poured into the building, their gun muzzles flashing with fire.
Nie Ran used Dawnbreaker to block the bullets, then kicked Lang Xiao’s plastic box aside.
At that moment, a burst of white light erupted, and the palm-sized young wolf inflated rapidly, growing larger at a startling speed.
Ning Xin hid in the corner of the sofa, unwilling to abandon her recently renovated home, shouting, “Fight outside!”
Nie Ran smirked, wielding his sword left and right, cutting a bloody path through the enemy.
Lang Xiao picked up Ning Xin, gave a shake, and threw her onto his back, then followed Nie Ran, running outside.
As he ran, Lang Xiao continued to grow larger. By the time he stopped, his head was nearly level with the roof of the asylum, his neck so thick that Ning Xin couldn’t even straddle it. She clung to his fur tightly, afraid of slipping off.
After stabilizing her position, she looked around and was shocked by what she saw.
The number of enemies was far greater than she had imagined. There were probably tens of thousands of them, with more troops continuously arriving in the distance.
This couldn’t be a real army; it must be an illusion controlled by Wan Yue.
Where is Wan Yue now?
Ning Xin looked far into the distance, but amidst the vast sea of people, she couldn’t find his presence at all.
The soldiers were equipped with the most elite weapons, holding guns and cannons, launching a fierce attack.
Nie Ran never stopped for a moment, and Lang Xiao also bent down to join the fight.
With his large size, Nie Ran held a significant advantage. With a single sweep of his tail, he could knock down a group of people. When he spotted an iron cannon, he directly stepped on it, crushing both the cannon and its operator.
White light particles flew into the forest, causing pine trees and shrubs to rise from the ground like hungry beasts, charging towards the army. Anyone entangled by the vines had their blood sucked dry instantly, and their bodies turned into ashes upon hitting the ground.
Unexpectedly, former enemies had turned into valuable allies today.
Ning Xin refused to stay idle, pulling out the gun hidden in her coat and secretly taking down a dozen or so soldiers.
With their concerted efforts, not only did no one get hurt, but they also seemed to gain the upper hand.
After a round of killing, Nie Ran saw more troops approaching from afar, as if they would never finish killing, and shouted to Lang Xiao, “Let’s go!”
Killing illusions was pointless; they needed to capture the leader to win.
Lang Xiao ran to his side and lowered his head.
Nie Ran grabbed a handful of fur, and in a few leaps, jumped onto his back, sitting behind Ning Xin.
The two rode the giant wolf towards the direction where the troops appeared.
The soldiers attempted to block them but were tightly entangled by the increasing number of plant armies.
Lang Xiao ran fast, with a strong wind on his back.
Nie Ran untied his coat and wrapped Ning Xin inside, hiding her head in the collar.
She struggled to turn back, but the asylum was already blocked by trees, and she couldn’t see anything.
“Are we going to build a new house again?” she muttered.
Nowadays, money isn’t an issue, but building a new house every time we switch worlds? Who can afford that?
Nie Ran couldn’t help but chuckle and leaned down to kiss her head.
“Don’t worry about it. Even if we lose everything, we’ll only replace it with something better.”
Ning Xin withdrew her gaze and focused on finding the figure of Wan Yue.
The town had turned into ruins, and Lang Xiao ran through it. He kept running, but the line of troops still snaked endlessly, seemingly without an end in sight.
Where could he be?
The pitch-black sky suddenly began to turn red, and mist rose from the ground, silently enveloping them.
The number of people started to decrease until not a single one could be seen anymore.
In front of them was only an empty road and a deep red sky, like blood.
The mist was thick, visibility less than ten meters.
Lang Xiao slowed his pace, cautiously observing his surroundings.
Suddenly, Nie Ran shouted, “Stop!”
The foot that had stepped forward was retracted, and the air rippled like water, creating the appearance of a figure out of thin air, about seven or eight meters away from them.
The person was short, wearing a red short shirt, black coarse cloth pants, and patched cloth shoes.
She tied two pigtails, had a red mole between her eyebrows, unmistakably resembling Wan Yue when she was about five or six years old.
“Don’t come any closer,” she called out crisply.
Lang Xiao restlessly dug at the ground, baring his teeth at her.
“Lang Xiao, don’t be impulsive,” Ning Xin patted his neck, then addressed the figure ahead, “Wan Yue, is that you?”
The little girl didn’t respond, but continued, “This isn’t your world. Go somewhere else!”
“We’re not leaving,” Ning Xin declared without hesitation. “Even if we do leave, we’ll take you with us. Where are you? Please come out. We’re not your enemies.”
She decided not to converse with these illusions anymore, wanting to see what Wan Yue’s true form looked like.
Unfortunately, despite looking around, all she could see was the dense fog. “Are you really not going to leave?”
The little girl’s figure flickered and transformed.
She became slender and graceful, with snow-white skin, jet-black hair, and red lips. She wore a crimson cheongsam embroidered with lotus flowers in golden threads, and held a long, slender golden smoking pipe in one hand.
Taking a gentle puff, she blew out white smoke, behind which lay eyes that were both seductive and aloof.
“It’s very likely that you won’t have another chance to leave,” she said.
“Wan Yue…” Ning Xin jumped down from the wolf’s back and took a few steps toward her.
Nie Ran followed closely behind, not daring to relax for a moment.
“If you have any concerns, just say them. We’ll try our best to solve them. Let’s stop these illusions and have a proper chat, shall we?” Ning Xin suggested.
Wan Yue narrowed her eyes. “What do I have to chat with you about?”
“There’s plenty to talk about. You’ve been alone here for a long time, haven’t you? Isn’t it boring? Don’t you want to go out and see the outside world?”
He suddenly fell silent, probably judging the truthfulness of her words.
Ning Xin wanted to seize the opportunity to make further progress, but he suddenly changed his tune.
“You must leave now!”
“What if we don’t? If you don’t agree, we won’t leave.”
“Then don’t blame me for being impolite.”
He clapped his hands, and his body suddenly disappeared.
As the mist enveloped them, Nie Ran acted quickly, grabbing Ning Xin and jumping back onto Lang Xiao’s back.
Lang Xiao opened his blood-stained mouth and roared into the dense fog. The light particles emanating from him were consumed by the mist, dwindling rapidly.
“Roar!”
He let out a frenzied roar. Both of them looked on as a claw emerged from the blood mist, viciously tearing off a piece of his flesh.
Lang Xiao lowered his head to bite, but the claw retracted into the mist, nowhere to be found.
After a while, it suddenly emerged again, leaving several bloodstains on his hind leg.
The frequency of the claws appearing became increasingly dense. Lang Xiao only suffered minor injuries, but being provoked by them, he gradually became more agitated.
Seeing the situation worsening, Nie Ran said to Ning Xin, “I’ll go down and help. You protect yourself.”
Ning Xin raised the gun in her hand, indicating that he could rest assured.
He leaped down from the wolf’s back, just as another claw emerged. It was promptly severed by the Dawnbreaker, falling to the ground writhing before vanishing into thin air.
“Be careful!” Ning Xin caught sight of the abnormality behind him and shouted.
Nie Ran turned to look, and from the dense fog behind him, hundreds of claws emerged, like malevolent spirits seeking souls, rushing towards him.
With a swipe of his paw, Lang Xiao shattered most of them.
Nie Ran adjusted his position, facing the enemy with his back, gripping the Dawnbreaker tightly to meet the attackers head-on.
The two of them fought in tandem, with Ning Xin sitting on high ground to provide clear observations and reminders.
After a few minutes, none of those strange creatures managed to harm them in the slightest.
Perhaps unable to contain herself any longer, when the claws attacked once again, a bullet suddenly emerged from the thick fog, silently flying towards the back of Nie Ran’s head.
With a clang, the bullet was deflected by the Dawnbreaker.
Nie Ran turned to glare at the fog, then charged forward, pulling a person out from the mist.
Wearing high heels, yet agile in movement, Wan Yue kicked his hand away and swiftly aimed a gun at him.
Nie Ran wasn’t defenceless either, dodging the bullet and swinging his sharp blade towards her.
Wan Yue bent down to evade, but unexpectedly, the blade struck his lower abdomen. With a swift turn in the air, the blade continued its descent straight down.
In the urgency of the moment, he couldn’t defend himself and could only roll on the ground, ending up in a very embarrassed position.
Nie Ran pursued relentlessly, immediately rushing back towards him. Just as he was about to grab him, the claws attacked again, entangling him.
Taking advantage of the situation, Wan Yue retreated into the thick fog, from which a cold voice emanated.
“If you won’t take the toast, you’ll have to drink the forfeit. Don’t blame me for being impolite.”
The mist retreated backward, and once again, the multiple images of Wan Yue appeared.
No, to be precise, it was Wan Yue’s multiples.
Appearing again, he had transformed into a military officer’s attire. Numerous identical versions of him surrounded the three.
Wan Yue fired, and the bullets densely packed like a net, flying towards the trio.
Nie Ran’s eyes tightened, turning around and rushing towards Ning Xi. He shouted, “Get down!”
Hearing this, Lang Xiao immediately bent down, using his body to shield Ning Xi.
Nie Ran also ran over, the broadsword in his hand violently trembling, clanging loudly. In an instant, it lengthened and widened, becoming an unbreakable shield.
He shouted loudly, jumping above the two, wielding the Dawnbreaker to block the bullets.
It felt like metallic rain was falling on their heads, the sound of impact making them shiver.
Ning Xin didn’t dare to raise her head, curling up against Lang Xiao’s abdomen. She only peeked out when the sounds stopped.
Most of the bullets were blocked by Nie Ran, but still, a small fraction inevitably shot into Lang Xiao’s body.
Blood oozed from her grey-white fur. She touched it, her fingers trembling.
“Does it hurt?”
With so many bullets, if they had hit her, she would have been riddled with holes long ago.
Lang Xiao licked the blood and slowly stood up.
Nie Ran landed, the Dawnbreaker returning to its normal size. He coughed up blood, clutching his chest, and knelt on one knee.
Only then did Ning Xin remember him and hurried over to check. She was shocked at the sight.
His arms, back, and abdomen were all hit by bullets, blood gushing out, his face pale with fear.
Ning Xin wanted to support him but didn’t dare to touch him. She felt wounds everywhere, with nowhere to start.
“Hold on, don’t die. We won’t fight anymore. Let’s go back now, and we’ll find a doctor for you outside…”
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, her voice trembling with sobs.
Nie Ran lifted his head and weakly smiled.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Being already a dead man, how could he die again?
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up, supporting himself with the dawn.
Countless versions of Wan Yue looked at them, their faces filled with cold and cruel smiles.
Once again, they raised their guns. Nie Ran focused his attention, and in the moment of the bursting flames, he shot into the crowd like an arrow, grabbing one person by the neck and thrusting the Dawnbreaker into his body.
“You’ve been exposed.”
The remaining Wan Yue’s, midway through flight, disappeared the moment blood spilled out.
Wan Yue’s entire body was pierced by the dawn, unable to move, and blood bubbles gurgled from his mouth.
“How did you know it was me?”
“A crafty fox always shows its tail.”
The thick fog rose again, and Wan Yue’s body quickly shrivelled up like dehydrated vegetables, until only skin remained.
With a gentle wave, it turned into dust, drifting away.
Ning Xin and Lang Xiao ran over to support him.
He swayed and fell into her arms, unable to help but smile bitterly.
“It seems I’m still weak.”
Even without seeing Wan Yue’s true form, he was seriously injured.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Ning Xin scolded him, looking around. Only light was visible ahead, so she helped him forward.
Both of them limped, as did the wolf, looking particularly bedraggled.
After walking for a while, they reached a cave entrance.
Summoning her courage, Ning Xin entered and found a small lake inside the cave.
However, the water was dyed a deep red, emitting a strong smell of blood.
It was hard to tell if it was water or blood.
Many clothes-like things hung on the cave walls. Ning Xin felt that their colours and textures were off. Upon closer inspection, she almost vomited.
They weren’t clothes at all but rather dried human skin!
Beneath the skins was a dressing table, and a woman-sized figure sat with her back to them, grooming herself.
He was naked, his skin extremely pale with a hint of unnatural greyish-blue, but the lines from his shoulders to his waist and hips were perfect.
A cascade of black hair flowed down to his waist as he picked up a comb and slowly ran it from the top of his head downwards.
Was this his true form? He looked like a woman.
Ning Xin looked at the figure and said, “Wan Yue, haven’t you figured it out yet?”
Immersed in painful memories of the past, it couldn’t make him happy.
With each experience, the resentment grew thicker, and he became more unrecognizable, deviating from the original self he had once envisioned.
Without saying a word, he began to sing softly.
“Leaving, the flowers on the roadside are as colourful as brocade. Today, the willows by the building are green again. I pity those who wait for spring to return. When the begonia blooms, I think of now…”
Was this the song he used to sing?
In those ambiguous days and nights, even when he was young, did he groom himself like this and entertain those guests with his sorrowful songs?
Ning Xin had just narrowly escaped death at his hands, yet inexplicably, she felt a strong sense of pity.
“Sister…”
Wan Yue sighed, looking at the heavily made-up face in the mirror.
“Do you know what it feels like to jump into a frozen lake in winter? Before I died, I made a wish: not to have another life. If there’s another life, I don’t want to be human again. You can’t save me. Please, leave. Being imprisoned in this place is my best destiny.”
“I don’t know how it feels to jump into a frozen lake in winter, but I know how fragrant the flowers are in spring, how cool the breeze is in summer, and how sweet the fruit is in autumn. During Chinese New Year, every household hangs red lanterns, drinks rice wine, sets off firecrackers, and wears new clothes. Don’t you want to see these things again?”
“I want to, but how can I? When I was young, I longed to sneak out of the alley and see what the other kids were doing, why they were laughing so happily. But they were afraid of me, disgusted by me. I’ve tried my whole life, but I couldn’t become an ordinary person. Instead, I accumulated crimes, becoming less human and more like a ghost.”
“You lack an opportunity, and now is your chance. Wan Yue, forget the past, start anew, okay?”
“Start anew…”
He slowly turned his head, his skin not quite aligned with his face, his eyes hollow and terrifying.
Ning Xin reached out her hand.
“Yue Yue, come here, leave this behind and come with me.”
He still hesitated, hesitant to move forward.
Suddenly, there was a muffled sound, and his body swayed, collapsing to the ground.
Revealed behind him was Nie Ran’s face, which had slipped behind him at some point, along with his slowly retracting fist.
Ning Xi: “…How did you manage to knock him out again?”
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