The Myriad Yao Banquet was, of course, extremely rowdy.
On the first day of the twelfth month, it just happened to be snowing. At first, it merely seemed like specks of salt scattering on the streets of the old Huaizhou city, but the snow got heavier as the night progressed till the snowflakes were large as goose feathers, weighty when they landed on one’s shoulders.
Ever since ancient times, agriculture was significant to the people of the central plains. Digging food out of the dirt was a habit passed down from their ancestors. That was why, as soon as winter came, something in their blood made them loosen up unconsciously. Even their spirits would slacken as if all they needed was a fire to warm a pot of wine over to tide them over to spring.
After midnight, the painted skin was peeled off. Once all the various creatures had drunk their fill of wine, they revealed their true forms one by one and continued making merry on the lantern-lit streets. One particularly inebriated young yao jumped into the city moat and turned into a giant gold carp. The lights shimmered off his brilliant scales, making the place bright as day and startling nearly half the city.
The peasants all threw on their clothes and swarmed into the streets to catch a glimpse of the phenomenal sight. Many of the yao, excited by the audience, got even wilder and started showing off all sorts of magic tricks.
The night sky was soon filled with colored lights and dazzling fireworks. Flower yao planted themselves by the side of the road, furiously growing roots and vines, climbing their way up walls and windows, and sprouting brilliant blossoms. The flowers, especially when contrasted with the white snow, attracted many wondrous gasps and amazed gazes.
Another yao, in the shape of a bird, flew up onto the city walls and sang a song that quietened the whole city. Her melody was extremely moving, her voice that of a peerless songstress. When she perched there on her sharp talons, with her wings behind her and the city full of lights and flowers in front of her, it gave everyone the illusion that they were listening to the music of the heavens.
Zhao Rong raised his wine cup in a toast and drank it all in one gulp. Amidst the falling snow, his gaze seemed especially hazy. He sighed as if he was mumbling to himself, “After thousands of years of separation, humans and yao will forever see themselves as separate races. If this night were to occur again, I wonder if instead of partying in the streets like they’re celebrating new years, they’d be fleeing in terror, scrambling for weapons.”
Not far, Shi Wuduan turned to look at him. His eyes weren’t clear either. Who knew how much he’d drunk already.
The two sunk into a long silence as if they were still mesmerized by the song of the little bird yao.
A moment later, Zhao Rong slapped the table, “Get me a bigger bowl. Lord Sixth and I are going to get shitfaced tonight!”
Shi Wuduan carelessly tossed his little wine cup to the side and said, “I’ll certainly keep you company.”
It wasn’t until the sky was already showing signs of white that Shi Wuduan was allowed to return. He didn’t even lift his head as he walked, pretending to be calm and composed. Only if one saw his face would they be able to tell that he was already so drunk he didn’t know his own name.
He made his way around all the mess on the ground back to his own little courtyard and spent a tremendous amount of effort getting the door open. The furnace inside was burning, and a wave of heat washed over him. Shi Wuduan stood in the doorway for a moment, gave it some serious thought, then decided to sit down on the spot, leaning against the doorframe as he stared at the collected snow in the courtyard and blanked out,
The bottle of ‘Never Part’ had kept Bai Li up all night. He was sitting at the table staring blankly at the bottle when he heard the noise. He wavered for a moment, then tucked the bottle in his sleeve, opened his door, and walked over.
Shi Wuduan could hardly keep his eyes open anymore. His head sagged as if his neck was too tired to prop it up as he lazily leaned to the side. Only after Bai Li sighed and helped him up did he belatedly smile.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“I’m a bit drunk. It’s too hot inside, so I sat for a while outside,” Shi Wuduan explained quietly, as if he was sober — though to Bai Li it seemed like his legs were dragging on the floor.
C wbwfca ijafg, Vtl Qevejc jrxfv, “Olaaif Ol-hl?”
Djl Ol jcrkfgfv, “Sc.”
Vtl Qevejc “bt’v,” ogbkcfv, atfc gjmxfv tlr ygjlcr jcv rjlv, “Qjix j yla ribkfg. Ofa wf atlcx.”
Djl Ol rabqqfv jcv jrxfv, “Qtja jgf sbe atlcxlcu jybea?”
“P’w atlcxlcu ktlmt ifu ab rafq obgkjgv klat olgra.”
Bai Li’s eye twitched at Shi Wuduan’s utterly serious expression. Then he bent down and scooped him up into a carry.
“Get real,” Bai Li said, “Drunkard.”
Shi Wuduan behaved and didn’t struggle. He stared intently into empty space at a particular spot, as if he could see a world that no one else could — perhaps he really could see another world.
Bai Li carefully set him down on his bed and stuffed a pillow behind his back, “Lay down for a while. I’ll go get some hangover soup for you.”
His words caught Shi Wuduan’s attention. He turned his pitch-black eyes towards him. Bai Li shuffled awkwardly under his gaze, said something in reassurance, and scrambled from the room.
It was still snowing heavily, but there was a bonfire raging in his heart — every time he recalled Zhao Rong’s words, it was like adding fuel to the fire.
It’s a seal engraved into one’s soul.
He will be yours forever —
But Shi Wuduan’s gaze landed on his heart like a bucket of cold water, freezing Bai Li to the point of shivering.
He’d vowed not to force him, not to spend all his efforts scheming against him or fighting with him.
But if….
Bai Li felt for his sleeve reflexively, but nothing was there. He startled, then blanched, turned, and rushed back.
He saw a familiar little bottle resting in Shi Wuduan’s palm.
At some time, Shi Wuduan had lit the lights. He wriggled around as he sprawled on the table as if he had a hard time staying still. Borrowing the faint candlelight, he carefully appraised the small bottle. The puny flame, reflected in his eyes, seemed like a small ember, made all the more brilliant by the intensity of his gaze.
Yet Bai Li froze in the doorway, unable to move.
“….Is this ‘Never Part?’” Shi Wuduan mumbled to himself.
Suddenly, Bai Li felt a surge of overwhelming despair well up in his heart. He opened his mouth, his voice ragged and hoarse, “I…. was…..”
Then, Shi Wuduan pulled a teacup over, frowned as if he was trying to figure out what was in the bottle, dumped all the ‘Never Part’ into the teacup, sniffed it, poked a finger in it, and rubbed it between his fingers, then under Bai Li’s disbelieving stare, drank it all down.
Bai Li said involuntarily, “Wuduan, you…”
Yet Shi Wuduan frowned, “Peh. Why’s it salty? The more you drink the thirstier you get.”
Bai Li, “…..”
Shi Wuduan staggered up, unsteadily reaching for the teapot. But when he tried to refill his cup, he found that it was empty.
“I want to drink, but how come there’s not even water in this room?” He asked Bai Li petulantly.
Bai Li could only stand there dumbly.
Shi Wuduan took a step forward, then suddenly collapsed. The teapot in his hands suddenly landed on the floor and rested in pieces.
Bai Li hurriedly caught him before he faceplanted and noticed a mark crawling up the side of Shi Wuduan’s neck. He paused, then carefully pushed down the collar of Shi Wuduan’s robes, revealing his unusually warm torso. He saw a vine-like pattern starting around his heart and spreading out across his skin.
It sprouted at the heart, slowly climbing up his neck, then peeled itself off and wound itself around Bai Li’s wrist.
Bai Li stared dumbly at the vine-like thing, then felt a pain in his wrist as it dug into his skin. A drop of blood flowed out and was instantly absorbed into the vine. Bai Li’s vision blurred and he turned his head away as a bright light pierced his eyes.
Then, he felt a strange feeling that seemed like both sadness and joy. He couldn’t help tightening his embrace on Shi Wuduan as that aching feeling filled his chest.
After who knew how long, the white light receded and Bai Li opened his eyes. He discovered that on Shi Wuduan’s chest and his wrist, there was now an eye-catching mark shaped like a drop of water… or perhaps it was a teardrop.
A wave of tiredness suddenly caught him off guard, making it hard to resist the urge to sleep. He managed to stand up and get Shi Wuduan onto the bed. Then he laid beside him and lost consciousness.
In the darkness, there was something pulling Shi Wuduan, tugging him down, yet his wrist was always firmly encased in another’s grasp. But when he tried to touch it, he couldn’t feel anything there — as if that hand was only a product of his imagination.
Still, he was calm. The alcohol hadn’t left his system yet. It was still burning silently in his veins, but it wasn’t painful, because that warmth could almost finally balance out his overly cold blood.
Alcohol could shore up one’s courage.
Shi Wuduan the coward thought, in the darkness, if he were clear-headed, he’d have to think it over for who knew how long, and even then, he probably wouldn’t have the courage to drink that bottle of ‘Never Part.’
Then, light flashed before his eyes — he raised his head and looked at the star-filled sky. Each one hung very low as if they were just floating above the ground. There was an endless sea before him, so calm that not a ripple disturbed its surface as it reflected all the stars in the heavens.
He was on a small island, on the island was a tree. He seemed to have seen that tree before, long, long ago, yet no matter how he tried, he couldn’t dredge up the memory.
But somehow he knew that this sky was the lovestruck sky, and this sea was the lovelorn sea.
He sat beneath the tree and looked up at the constellations. He had a rare moment of peace and serenity, where he didn’t try to discern anything from their movements. He wasn’t trying to predict anything’s fate; he merely watched them earnestly as a child might, remembering a tune he’d long forgotten —
From the moonlight shining on the river bend; does a fairytale castle high ascend. An endless journey through an endless land; seven years pass like flowing sand. Yearning blurs the time twixt dawn and dusk; darkness drains my foolish dream to withered husk. Our star-crossed paths are doomed to part; a thousand springs can’t warm my frozen heart….
This time, you can finally rest easy now, right? Shi Wuduan stretched and leaned back against the tree. He recalled Bai Li’s look of alarm and grinned — as he used to when he made mischief and snickered as he peeked through the window at his hopping mad shifu.
…. It’d been a long time.
It’s almost over, he told himself.
O.O wow.
Thank you for the chapter!
OH MY FREAKING GOD HE DRANK IT WHAT NOW OH MY GOD OH MY GODDDD IM CRYINGGGGGG AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Just made my account so i can comment this. Thank you soooo much for translating this amazing story, I’m so glad I’m able to read this. Also as it’s nearing the end my heart is again starting to feel empty and hollow😭😭😭
He drank it of his own free will! (albeit under the influence of alcohol, which may or may not have impaired his judgment…)