Chapter Ninety-Seven: A Paradise Beyond the Mortal World

As I ran after it, I realized this was a sea of flowers. All around me, blossoms of every kind were opening in eager profusion, their fragrance drifting everywhere and lifting the spirit. Although there were many suns overhead, it did not feel hot at all; it was more like the end of spring or the beginning of summer where I came from.

In such surroundings, if I had not been desperate to reach the underworld, if I had not been worried about my mother and Wang Ying, I would have loved nothing more than to linger here and enjoy myself.

Wan’er and I chased after that red figure for a while, but in the end we still failed to catch up. It was simply too fast. Standing in the grass, I was full of questions. What place was this? Was the red beast I had just seen the Skyward Roar? If not, then what was it? And if it was, could it have been the very one I had given to Wang Ying?

If we wanted to make sense of any of this, we could only keep moving forward. I took Wan’er’s hand and walked on.

“Brother, this place is beautiful! Is it the fabled paradise beyond the world?” Her eyes wandered everywhere, reluctant to leave any part of the scenery.

The surroundings truly were lovely: distant mountains, nearby waters, rolling fields, wildflowers as dense as stars, and a beguiling fragrance in the air. It was indeed a beauty seldom found in the mortal realm. But I had no heart to admire any of it.

“Wan’er, tell me the truth. Do you know how to get out of here?” Unable to catch the red creature, I turned back to ask her. I could not afford to stay and be entranced by this place; I had to get out as quickly as possible. I had to go to the underworld.

Wan’er gave a bitter smile. “Brother, I really don’t know. I only saw this barrier when I was looking for you.”

“What about your sorcery?” I asked helplessly, scratching my head. I already knew she truly did not know the way out; if she had, she would not be in such a bind.

“I’m just not skilled enough.”

“All right, let’s ask ahead. If we could come in, then surely we can get out.” In this kind of place, though I was anxious, my mood still relaxed in spite of myself. Birds sang, flowers bloomed, and the world here stood in stark contrast to the underworld. There, everything was oppressively stifling; here, one could not help but ease one’s heart.

Wan’er seemed to think she had done something wrong. Holding my hand, she lowered her head and fell silent. Seeing her like that made my heart ache. I put an arm around her shoulders. “Little sister, I’m not blaming you. Why are you acting like this?”

Wan’er pouted. “It’s all my fault for bringing you to a place like this and ruining your important matter.”

I held her shoulder gently. “Silly girl, don’t be like that. I’m your brother, remember?”

“Hehe, I knew you cared about me. In this world, only Ziyi and you have ever treated me well.” Wan’er laughed softly, slipped free of my hand, and ran ahead. She was as light as a butterfly, drifting through the grass. Before long, her hands were full of flowers of every color.

I looked at her, feeling a little forlorn. If only we were all human. If only we were all safe and sound. She could find her Ziyi, I could find my family and Wang Ying, and we could live in a place like this. How happy that would be.

But no, that was only wishful thinking, only illusion.

“Brother, this is for you.” Just as I was walking on, lost in my daydreams, Wan’er appeared in front of me, radiant as a blossom. In her hands she held a wreath woven from wildflowers, which she placed on my head. “Does it look good?”

She wore a garland of flowers as well. The vivid blooms suited her delicate little face, making her seem even lovelier than the flowers themselves.

“It looks good. It suits you better than it suits me,” I said.

“Brother, you’re so good at making girls happy. No wonder your wife likes you so much. If I weren’t waiting for Ziyi, and if I were human, maybe I would like you too.” As soon as she finished, her face flushed crimson. She lowered her head like a child who had said the wrong thing.

What young man is not sentimental? What young girl does not dream? This was only natural. For a girl like Wan’er, if she had lived in modern times, she would have surpassed many a movie star. Her warmth, her innocence, her beauty—none of it could be matched by ordinary girls.

“Wan’er, don’t worry. As long as I’m alive, I’ll help you find Ziyi,” I said. I knew her heart well enough. No one could ever take Ziyi’s place in it.

“Thank you, Brother. But I’m troubled all the time. I keep wondering, even if I find Ziyi, then what? Two thousand years have passed. Everything has changed. The best case is that he has been reborn as a human, a boy like you. But would he recognize me? Setting aside whether he already has someone in his heart, I’m a ghost; he may not acknowledge me at all. He won’t have his memories from before, so I suspect he still wouldn’t know me. That’s the best possible outcome. But what if he has been reborn as a pig or a dog instead?” Standing there, Wan’er toyed with the hem of her skirt and spoke in a low voice.

What she said made sense. So much time had passed; who knew whether Ziyi even existed anymore? Yet Wan’er’s devotion only proved that this girl was rare indeed. Her view of love was not something an ordinary girl could compare with.

“Wan’er, don’t be sad. Believe that everything will turn out well. It’s getting late, so let’s keep moving.” Seeing the sorrow on her face, I felt miserable too. Not knowing how to comfort her, I could only suggest we go on.

“Brother, you promised. Remember this: if I can’t find Ziyi, I’ll stay by your side forever. And if you find your wife, you’re not allowed to send me away. I have nowhere else to go.” Wan’er lifted her head to look at me, her eyes reddening again. Girls are just girls—always so tender and vulnerable that one cannot help wanting to protect them.

“Don’t worry. I’m your real brother.” I put an arm around her shoulders and walked on.

The sky began to grow dim. Looking up, I noticed that the many suns overhead had already thinned to only a few. This place was different from ours; here, the suns did not set behind the mountains. They simply vanished according to the hour.

The two of us continued onward. Beyond the meadow, there was a clear little river. From the transparency of the water, it seemed to be free of all pollution.

As the suns above us dwindled, the air suddenly turned cooler. Wan’er, being a ghost, showed little change; the colder it got, the more spirited she became. I, however, was beginning to struggle. I hunched my shoulders and shivered faintly.

“Brother, are you cold?” Wan’er turned to ask.

I nodded. “Yes. It got chilly all of a sudden.”

“There seems to be a thatched cottage over there. Let’s go there and warm ourselves for a bit.” Seeing me tremble all over, she came closer and tightly wrapped herself around my arm.

I had to admit, once she held onto me, I suddenly did not feel so cold anymore. Wan’er’s body was cold too, probably about the same temperature as the air around us, perhaps sixteen or seventeen degrees. But her chest was pressed tightly against my arm. Soft and resilient, it was compressed and reshaped by my arm.

Ever since things had happened with Wang Ying, I was no longer that naive fool. My heart was not as pure as it used to be. As Wan’er pressed against my arm, the image of a pair of perfect peaks surfaced in my mind. With that thought, my heartbeat quickened at once, and with my attention diverted, I no longer felt the cold.

Sure enough, there was a house ahead: three thatched rooms joined together. Everything was fine except that the place seemed rather small. Wan’er and I stood at the doorway and called inside, “Anyone there? Is anyone home?”

We called several times, but no one answered. So we pushed the door open and went in. The room was not large, and there was little in the way of household furnishings. A few tufts of dry grass covered the floor; though somewhat messy, it was still quite clean.

“Brother, it looks like no one lives here. Why don’t we stay here tonight? At least it will be warmer.” After tidying up the room a little, Wan’er said this.

I nodded. Since I still could not find the barrier leading out, I had no choice but to stay the night here. Still, I was no longer as tense as when I had first entered this place. Since there was a house, there must be people here. And if there were people, then there had to be a way out.

“Brother, sit down and rest for a while. It’s cold outside; I’ll go find something for you to eat.” After helping me tidy up the room, Wan’er pointed to the corner, signaling me to sit and rest.

“No.” I quickly stopped her. “Don’t go out. I’m not at ease if you go alone. Night is almost here.”

A glimmer of moisture flashed in the corner of Wan’er’s eyes. “Brother, why are you so good to me?”

My heart trembled for a moment. It was clearly she who was good to me.