Good Night, Mr. Ghost - Chapter 113

“…Where is this?”

“Dragon’s eye¹,” the woman replied.

Jiang paused in his movements, “Longan?”

“No, it’s the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ where fortune resides,” a hoarse male voice sounded.

Someone pushed the door open and walked in.

Jiang looked at the person, momentarily too shocked to know what to say.

“Wu Yi?”

“Yes.” Wu Yi revealed a shy smile, approaching the man with a bowl of pear blossom jelly in his hands, “You’ll have a headache when you get up, eat this.”

Jiang Chenyi took the bowl, “Thank you.”

His mind was a bit chaotic now.

Why was Wu Yi involved in this matter?

Clearly, he was a very good demon, wasn’t he?

Wu Yi also sensed the other’s surprise and smiled, “I volunteered.”

Jiang quickly finished the sweet food in the bowl, wiped his mouth, and asked, “Where is Brownish?”

Both people present were startled.

Jiang Chenyi looked at them and said, “I’m asking you, where is Brownish?”

“She is not here,” Luo Yun revealed a smile tinged with madness, “From your tone, did you know from the start? About this matter?”

Jiang shook his head, “I didn’t know, I just guessed.”

“Guessed what?”

“The bell Bao’er gave Jiang Meng had a small note inside, with three words, it was Brownish.” Jiang Chenyi put down the bowl and sat up straight, “So, I suspected Brownish was up to something, but I wasn’t sure what exactly.”

Luo Yun laughed, “So there was outside help, but we also don’t know what she’s up to. We just did what she asked us to do and got what we wanted.”

“So, Wu Yi, what do you want?” Jiang looked at the shy crow spirit.

Wu Yi looked at him, “Companionship, I want companionship.”

Luo Yun looked at the demon, “Go quickly, since everything that needs to be said has been said, leave quickly, lest you be swayed and everything is ruined.”

“Mm.” Wu Yi really left without hesitation, picking up the bowl and walking out without looking back.

Jiang Chenyi didn’t cry or make a fuss, remaining very calm, “Then what am I here for?”

“You? That depends on what the rabbit thinks, but tonight, you might find out what’s really going on.”

Luo Yun looked at him, revealing a malicious smile.

“From my perspective, Jiang Chenyi, you might be playing the role of a sacrifice.”

Meng Loudi lay on the ground, eyes closed.

The peach tree demon extended a flower branch, teasing the waking little crow.

Dong Feixi was furious, bouncing around in the cage.

“You bunch of bastards! Let me out!”

The peach tree demon smiled broadly, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, once tonight is over, I’ll let the treasure out.”

“Treasure your uncle’s leg! Peach tree demon, do you want to die! Do you?!” Dong Feixi exploded into a little sparrow in the cage.

He was trapped in the cage conjured by the peach tree demon, his spiritual power completely suppressed, unable to escape!

Ajiao sat on the ground, looking at the furious fifth chief, speaking gently, “Fifth, don’t be angry, very soon, just endure for twelve more hours, and we’ll all be free.”

Dong Feixi circled inside the cage, cursing, “Are you all crazy?!”

Hua Se transformed into human form, sitting beside him, speaking softly, “Otherwise?”

She looked at the small cage, her face showing fierceness, “Should we just watch as those around us die one by one?”

The crow spirit shivered and quieted down.

Meng Loudi listened to their conversation with closed eyes.

Ajiao tidied her hair, saying, “Dong Feixi, news has come from Jiang’s Pawnshop, Bao’er the shopkeeper plans to sacrifice herself, offering herself to exchange for a slim chance of survival for others. How many times has this happened?

First, the golden dragon fell asleep, then the Jiang Family’s ancestor turned all his cultivation into emptiness, and finally, it’s Bao’er the shopkeeper’s turn. What next?

Who will be next?

First in line would be Qing Hua, and then? We chiefs will die one by one for the so-called future of supernatural beings?

What future is there?

Heaven and earth are indifferent, treating all things as straw dogs.

Are we straw dogs meant to stay here and die?”

The snake demon revealed her enchanting and mysterious green vertical pupils, “I refuse, I’ve cultivated for a thousand years not to die in vain! I want endless longevity, to roam the three thousand worlds!”

Dong Feixi shut his mouth, shrinking in the cage.

The peach tree demon extended a finger, gently touching the other’s body, saying, “Don’t be angry, darling, this is the path we’ve chosen, we just need to keep moving forward.”

Dong Feixi muttered, “You’re defying the heavenly Dao.”

“Who cares!” Ajiao revealed her fangs, “Since it doesn’t give us a way to live, we’ll find our own way!”

Meng Loudi opened his eyes, “The way to live, is it the key?”

“It is,” Hua Se nodded, “We need to open the closed spiritual power fountainhead, to make this world suitable for our survival again.”

Hu Linzhi lay on the bed, hugging the young man, contentedly nuzzling.

Qing Hua was entangled by him, his face full of blush, “Get up, we need to get up.”

“No way, newlyweds, today, Qing Hua stays with me.”

“But, the others.”

“The meeting doesn’t start until tomorrow, right?” The fox spirit kissed his ear, “Ah, listen to your husband.”

Qing Hua was so embarrassed he wished he could burrow into the ground.

He knew, if he was entangled by this shameless rascal, it wouldn’t be anything good.

Meng Jiang, Jiang Meng, and the little sparrow looked at the empty room.

The little sparrow wasn’t surprised at all.

The little black cat took off the bell from its neck, and the three surrounded the bell.

The little sparrow tapped the bell with its pointed beak and said, “Bao’er, Bao’er, are you there?”

“I’m here. Has it already happened?”

The voice seemed to come from a place unimaginably far away, ethereal and distant.

“Yes. Now, Young Master Jiang and My Lord have both disappeared,” said the little sparrow.

“All right, I understand. Thank you.”

Bao’er looked at the little girl turning her head at his side, both amused and exasperated. He reached out and pinched her chubby little cheek.

“What’s wrong? Is lumina mirror angry?”

The yin-yang lumina mirror stood akimbo on the counter, puffing out her cheeks in anger at Bao’er, and snapped, “No! Lumina mirror is not angry! Even knowing Bao’er-Ge plans to sacrifice himself, lumina mirror is not angry! Even knowing Bao’er-Ge doesn’t want to go against the will of heaven, and is unwilling to open the spiritual power fountainhead, lumina mirror is not angry! Lumina mirror, lumina mirror is really not angry, wuwuwu…”

As she spoke, tears began to fall.

She sobbed and insisted, “Lumina mirror, lumina mirror is not angry at all!”

Behind them, the box rattled and banged, the box that had been properly shut was now pushed open from the inside in several places.

One by one, the objects poked their heads out, nervously peering outside.

Bao’er, seeing the little girl crying her heart out in anger, at a loss, could only reach out and hold her, gently comforting her, “Don’t cry, lumina mirror, don’t cry. It’s all right now, nothing else can be done, we can only let things unfold as they must. Lumina mirror is a good child, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

The yin-yang lumina mirror raised her small fists and pounded hard on his chest, crying even louder.

“Wuwuwu! Gege is a big meanie! Big meanie! Why do you have to care about the world’s fate! Why must you leave us no way out! Why must you sacrifice yourself! Bao’er-Ge, are you a fool?!”

“Yes, yes, I’m a fool.” Bao’er gently stroked her back, doing his best to comfort the little girl who was sobbing uncontrollably.

He looked outside–the things that would happen next,

were already set in stone.

The final, desolate era of supernatural beings was about to end.

He wondered, could people now accept the world’s transformation once again?

Hopefully, it could proceed smoothly.

Jiang sat on the bed, utterly unfazed by the so-called prospect of being a “sacrifice.”

Because, after all, Bao’er had already warned him.

He, too, had vaguely sensed a few things.

The Eye of the Lunar Halo had awakened in him, and so his fate was inescapable.

It was strange.

So many people always talked about conquering destiny.

But what, really, is destiny?

Is it where you are now, or what is to come?

Meng Loudi’s destiny had been set by others, and now he too had stepped into his own fate.

The torrent of destiny could not be resisted.

Now, this was his fate–as the one who bore the Eye of the Lunar Halo.

Jiang Chenyi was calm, waiting for nightfall.

When the room was lit, the dim glow made it feel like a dream, a surreal and wondrous world.

A girl in a pure white dress walked in. Her soft brown curls were well maintained, gathered into a fluffy ponytail at the back of her head.

Brownish looked at the young man sitting on the bed. “Good evening, Chenyi-Ge.”

“Good evening, Brownish.” Jiang greeted her quite naturally.

The rabbit looked at the woman and said, “Let’s go, Luo Yun, outside.”

Luo Yun picked up her sword with her left hand, then left, closing the door behind her.

Brownish walked over to the young man, smiled and said, “You already know about this, don’t you?”

“More or less.”

“I’m not going to apologize to you,” said the little rabbit. Something glimmered in her brown eyes. “I won’t feel guilty for anything I’ve done.”

“That’s fine. I won’t forgive you, either,” Jiang said with a helpless smile.

Brownish sat down, tilting her head as she watched the human’s expression. “You might die.”

“No, I won’t.”

“No one can say for sure. You still might die.”

“I absolutely won’t die. I’ll survive.”

“No one knows. This is the first time the lunar halo has been used to open a fountainhead. No, perhaps it’s the very first time anyone has tried to reopen a sealed fountainhead.” Brownish looked at her fingers–soft, white fingers.

These hands would open the fountainhead.

They would make the world take on a new form.

The rabbit sat beside him, lacking her usual liveliness, looking rather dejected.

The man suddenly recalled the first time he’d met Brownish: the little girl in her chocolate-colored dress, obediently walking in, her ears perked up, holding a salad bowl, happily munching on carrots.

Jiang Chenyi’s heart suddenly softened.

He reached out and patted the rabbit’s head. “I didn’t want to forgive you, but seeing how cute you are, I’ll forgive you, just this once.”

His large hand gently stroked her head, so tenderly.

As if she hadn’t done anything terrible–merely played a prank.

Brownish bit her lip, then suddenly threw herself into Jiang Chenyi’s arms. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, but I really had no choice. I have to do what no one else will do–so let me do it. I’ll pay whatever price I must for what I’ve done. I’m sorry, Jiang Chenyi, I’m sorry.”

Her face was buried in the young man’s pajamas, hot tears seeping into his skin.

Jiang Chenyi wore a helpless yet gentle expression as he softly stroked her head.

How to put it–

She was a demon over three hundred years old, yet still acted like a child.

Brownish hugged him tightly, a stubborn light flickering in her brown eyes.

“I… I really had no other choice. I’m sorry, Chenyi-Ge…”

No matter how guilty, how sorrowful, how regretful–

Time would not stand still.

Footnote:

1. Dragon’s Eye(龙眼): “Dragon’s eye” is a place name. It is a homophone for the longan fruit, both pronounced ‘lóngyǎn’. This homophony leads to Jiang’s initial confusion, which the subsequent speaker clarifies.