Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
Under the Way
墨書 Inktalez
As the sunset painted the western sky in hues of crimson, Gu Ping and Mu Yu walked behind the haystack, admiring the distant sunset that glowed like blood-red flames.
"I see that cloud; it looks like a playful little horse," Mu Yu exclaimed, pointing at a nearby cloud with excitement. "The way its tail sways is just like a frolicking pony."
"Yes, it does!" Gu Ping replied with a smile, though it couldn't mask the sadness lurking within. Watching Mu Yu's animated gestures made Gu Ping feel as if her heart was being poked repeatedly. She wished time could freeze at that moment, never to move again.
Childhood friends, bound by promises of eternity, through thick and thin, they had each other's reliance and care—a silent understanding between them.
Feeling a bit tired, Mu Yu leaned against Gu Ping's leg and softly asked, "Am I leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes, to take the exams in the capital," Gu Ping replied in a voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"When will you come back?"
"I'll return after the exams."
Just then, a flock of geese flew overhead, blocking the sunlight. The fiery sunset cast dark silhouettes against the horizon as they soared away. Perhaps they would return tomorrow, Gu Ping thought, much like herself.
The distant geese gradually faded into the clouds. Suddenly, Qunqin Ping seemed to catch sight of something falling from the sky—fleeting and ephemeral, as if it had never happened at all. Maybe it was just her imagination.
"When can I take my exams?" Mu Yu asked again.
Gu Ping snapped back to reality. "It won't be long now." She calculated in her mind: tomorrow was June; in two months she would reach the capital, then wait another month for the imperial examination. Winter would soon follow, and she wouldn't be able to return until spring at the earliest.
"Will you tell me a secret?" Mu Yu turned to face Gu Ping, their eyes locking.
Gu Ping avoided her gaze but couldn't deny it. When Mu Yu pressed further, Gu Ping nodded slightly.
"Actually, I want to become an immortal," Mu Yu said playfully.
Gu Ping froze for a moment, gazing into Mu Yu's bright eyes that sparkled like pearls, unsure of how to respond.
"What’s wrong? But isn’t it great to be a celestial being?" Mu Yu looked at Gu Ping, who seemed somewhat at a loss. He had thought that Gu Ping would be happy upon hearing the news.
"Why not? Once you become a celestial, you can live freely and without constraints," Gu Ping said, but the words "celestial and mortal are different" lingered in his mind.
"I’m not lying to him," Mu Yu shook his head. Gu Ping's thoughts never escaped Bu Luo's eyes. The fleeting sadness was clearly captured by Mu Yu.
"How could he? When has he ever lied to me?" Gu Ping explained, "He just doesn’t want me to leave."
Mu Yu turned away, leaning against Gu Ping's back. No! He thought they could be together forever.
"One day they will be together, just like tomorrow."
Together forever.
"Yes, together forever."
Mu Yu didn’t respond to Gu Ping; she felt a bit tired. The evening glow had dimmed, and Mu Yu quietly leaned against Gu Ping’s back, closing her eyes. Accompanied by the sounds of early summer crickets and the gentle evening breeze, she fell into a deep sleep.
Gu Ping couldn’t see Mu Yu, but he knew she had fallen asleep. This was the first time for "I don’t deny," but perhaps it was also the last. Gu Ping gazed at the sky above; the stars in the eastern sky echoed with the crimson clouds in the west. The fading evening glow and the disappearing starry river left behind the warmth of their initial moments together. He wished they could always be like this, but after tomorrow, they would go their separate ways, and their paths would no longer intersect—perhaps they would only drift further apart.
Gu Ping understood that pursuing that elusive celestial existence was essentially futile for him. There were too many "what ifs" in that realm. But seeking immortality might just end with a laugh.
Gu Ping closed his eyes as well. Suddenly, he felt a chill on his left arm—was it tears? Perhaps!
Every time beautiful dreams were shattered by reality, it always brought heartache.
Tomorrow would mark the beginning of their journey apart.
At some point, Mu Yu woke up. She didn’t see Gu Ping; perhaps he didn’t want her to see her sad expression, or maybe he didn’t want her to witness his own sorrow. He had quietly left without a sound. Was this goodbye? Like Coco? Perhaps they would never meet again.
Mu Yu understood that Gu Ping's sadness stemmed from the fact that the two of them would never see Coco again. Yet, Mu Yu firmly believed that one day they would meet again, without a doubt, he thought to himself.
Gu Ping gazed at the starry sky, bidding farewell to his family. His father had given him some extra money for his journey. Once he left, it was uncertain when he would return. "Son, you must do well in your studies. I'm the only scholar in our village."
Listening to his father's words eased some of the sorrow in Gu Ping's heart. He realized that he carried not only his parents' hopes but also the expectations of every villager who wished for his success. Suddenly, Gu Ping felt a sense of responsibility.
How far could a boy and girl from that remote, somewhat desolate village go? Perhaps as far as the heavens.
Neither Gu Ping nor Mu Yu knew that something significant was happening, something that would affect everyone, though most were unaware.
Was it the sunset or the sunlight reflecting? Perhaps the sunlight was mourning for that realm. The crimson sunset, as red as blood, might have been a reflection of that very blood.
In the celestial realm, known as the fairyland by people, it was undergoing the greatest upheaval in countless ages.
Radiant Sovereign Wei Guangming was surrounded. Light was divided into three parts: limitless, Yuxu, Hades, Youluo, and Yuan Shi united to eliminate the Eastern Gate of Light.
That sunset was as red as blood; the Crimson Cloud flowed like blood, even the wind carried its essence.
The struggle for dominance was brutal and devoid of humanity. In Chaos, there was only conflict—no family, no friends—only one identity in this great struggle: that of an enemy.
Tomorrow would witness a war of extermination. It was something no one had ever dared to imagine in this realm's history. No, perhaps I don't deny it; they didn't dare to think about it, but no one had ever accomplished such a feat.
Yet this time, the Five Great Gates truly sought to exterminate the light. The light was already at a critical juncture between life and death. That colossal entity rising from desolation had occupied a place in the celestial realm and was now falling at comet-like speed.
There were many reasons, but for the gates, one reason sufficed: the righteousness of light contradicted theirs. That single reason was enough; they sought to eliminate their enemy. I don't deny it; if I die, he lives. The righteousness of light opposed that of most gates; when walls fall, everyone pushes against them. This time, light truly sought its end.
Many believed that light must perish.
The purest radiance could not be hidden like gold buried in the Desert Sea; it blossomed in moments of need, shining brilliantly. I don't deny it; amidst its brilliance.
The rise of light trampled over the corpses of many doors, affecting countless people and forces. The fall of light would impact even more.
Never has a mountain collapsed silently, nor has a river breached its banks and flowed gently. The bloodshed of light would not go unpunished. A powerless resistance awaited, unpredictable to anyone. Yet, it was known that a war sweeping through gods and mortals had already begun, right at the moment of Wei Guangming's fall.
A crucial item vanished alongside Wei Guangming in the heavenly realm.
The Light Canon carried the legacy of countless generations. As long as the Light Canon existed, true annihilation of light could not occur.
Though light had reached its end, and no one looked upon it anymore—even they themselves doubted their faith—when a person devoted to light held onto it once more, it would surely shine with dazzling brilliance again.
That summer, for light, perhaps marked the onset of a long and arduous winter, one whose duration was unknown. When would light once again illuminate the earth? No one knew. Yet there were those who gathered their garments, waiting to endure that long winter.
In the heavenly realm, the most pressing task now was to find the Light Canon, ensuring that the initial glimmer of light would forever vanish amidst the chaos, completely disappearing and never reappearing in that realm.
The pursuit from the doors had begun; cries filled that realm. Some faced death calmly because they believed in light. Others were unwilling to accept their fate and sought to fight back, initially falling in battle like Chang Kong. Some harbored hatred, hiding in darkness, forsaking light to ally with shadows. Others felt as if their hearts had turned to ashes, self-destructing in despair.
But who could stop such events from happening? No one. In that realm, whether human or immortal, there was only one purpose: to live—to survive, even if they had forgotten why they lived at all. Those striving for survival—be they strong or weak—were all fighting for existence. The continuation of life took precedence; without it, there could be no protection for those who wished to live on.
Gu Ping did not know what he saw that evening nor what Mu Yu would experience as an immortal. He was unaware of what had become of the small village he left behind or when his parents had departed. All he knew was the presence of Big Yellow Dog at the village's edge.
That familiar realm grew increasingly distant. Gu Ping never considered returning because he knew he could never go back.
Comment 0 Comment Count