Chapter 50: The Temple
Xiang Er slept soundly.
She knew she was dreaming, so when she opened her eyes and saw the magnificent temple, she wasn’t surprised. She just thought: My brain is quite the architect, able to create such impressive scenes, it’s a shame I’m not a game designer.
The temple was enormous, its outer courtyard filled with white jade pillars, intricately carved with unusual patterns, not the usual flowers and animals, but… intertwined, serpentine shapes.
Xiang Er looked closer and realized with a start that they were tentacles! Tentacles of various shapes and forms, carved so realistically they seemed almost alive.
It seemed the Evil God had left a lasting impression on her.
The beautiful courtyard extended towards the temple itself, its shimmering doors wide open, welcoming visitors. Inside, the floor was made of the same luminous white material, the entire space bathed in a dreamlike glow, as if seen through frosted glass, leaving no doubt that this was a dream.
Xiang Er walked forward, noticing that she was wearing a simple, white robe, draped over her shoulders, its long hem trailing behind her. A warm, gentle breeze, carrying a sweet fragrance and a hint of alcohol, caressed her skin. Distant birdsong echoed in the air.
She stood at the entrance of the temple, peering inside. The ceiling, incredibly high, was adorned with indistinct murals. The hall was vast and empty, not a soul in sight, the polished jade floor spotless, without a speck of dust or a single footprint, like an eternally pristine heaven.
She carefully lifted her bare foot and stepped inside, walking towards the back. A black throne stood at the far end, a woman seated upon it. She wanted to know who it was, but she already had a feeling.
Time and space, the laws of physics, no longer applied here. After only a few steps, she was standing before the throne.
A tall, beautiful woman with black hair sat on the black throne. Her hair, her eyes, her long, gauzy black dress, all were dark, except for her bright red lips. Her presence was commanding, as if she, alone, held dominion over the entire temple.
She leaned against the armrest, her beautiful face turned towards Xiang Er, her gaze fixed on her.
Xiang Er saw her face, and of course, it was Shen Yuhe. She knew it…
Shen Yuhe, on the throne, extended a hand, her wrist adorned with bracelets of coiled, black tentacles, accentuating the smooth, white jade of her skin, her fingers long and slender.
She spoke softly:
“Come closer, my offering.”
Xiang Er, drawn in by an irresistible force, walked towards her, closer and closer, until her knees touched Shen Yuhe’s.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, she was lifted into the air, a pair of arms embracing her. After a moment of dizziness, she found herself lying in Shen Yuhe’s lap.
She had become a delicacy, waiting to be savored, her innocent eyes blinking, her hand reaching out to touch Shen Yuhe’s shoulder, a mixture of anticipation and apprehension…
But… she had dreamt this before, the scene familiar, and Xiang Er started to think, maybe this time, she should abandon her wavering resistance, indulge her desires… after all, it was just a dream, wasn’t it?
No one would know.
Shen Yuhe, equally perfect in the dream, suddenly lowered her head, her lips pressing against Xiang Er’s, sharp as a rose thorn.
Xiang Er couldn’t help but cry out softly:
“Ah, it hurts…”
She reached out, trying to push Shen Yuhe away, but of course, she couldn’t. Her feet dangled over the edge of the throne, the air filled with the scent of wine and flowers, and she looked up, gazing into the deity’s eyes, finding no trace of malice there, only a gentle warmth, her own face reflected in them, cherished and loved.
Xiang Er’s resistance crumbled, and she sank into those eyes, like drowning in a warm river. Her thoughts drifted, the pain fading, she became a bird, soaring through the vast, ornate temple, light as a cloud.
After a long time, as Xiang Er’s consciousness began to dissipate, her body heavy, sinking downwards, a thought, like a sudden gust of wind, cleared the fog…
Something… wasn’t right…
Xiang Er opened her eyes wearily, her pupils dilating, her mind jolted awake, and she screamed:
“Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
All pleasure and indulgence vanished, her scream filled with terror, a boundless terror, a tidal wave of fear and trembling, threatening to engulf her, suffocating her.
Holding her was no longer a beautiful woman with black hair, but a… a thing with countless black and red tentacles erupting from its neck, flailing wildly!
She screamed and looked down. What was this? Her skin, her limbs, every inch of her body was covered in dark red tentacles, like thick, black blood, like rotting flesh in a dark forest, she had been consumed, she was no longer herself.
“Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!”
Xiang Er screamed and woke up!
Her hands were wet, as if soaked in seawater, her fingers numb and cramping, yet still clutching the sheets and quilt. The room was dark and cold, the seawater not only on her palms, but also on her forehead, her neck, dripping down, into her eyes, into her mouth, a bitter, salty taste.
Xiang Er’s eyes stung. She tried to convince herself it was just a dream, a nightmare, she was too exhausted for any more fright, but she couldn’t help but open her eyes, her gaze fixed on her own body.
The moonlight was dim, the shadows deep. There seemed to be no barrier between dream and reality, they existed on opposite ends of the world, and reaching the end of one, opened the door to the other.
She was still enveloped, still that deep color, that damp sensation, still those writhing, tangled tentacles.
Xiang Er screamed again:
“Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
She raised her weak, trembling hands and clawed at the things on her body!
The things were viscous, cold, like mud clinging to her fingers, soft yet incredibly strong, holding her captive.
Xiang Er desperately tried to pry them off, but before she could muster all her strength, one of them fell off, landing beside the bed.
Gasping for air, she looked at it.
She wanted to scream, to erupt in flames of anger and shame, if she were a dragon, she would have incinerated the entire building! But she could do nothing.
She saw it, the football-sized eyeball, staring at her, its countless tentacles writhing, its blood-red pupil evil and terrifying in the darkness, cold and merciless!
She understood. In her dream, the one who had entwined with her, who had… who had possibly violated her body, was this thing! Its tentacles! It wasn’t Shen Yuhe at all!
Trembling, she reached out and grabbed one of the eyeball’s thick tentacles. In her rage, she used the tentacle as a rope, lifting the eyeball into the air, suspending it!
Adrenaline surging through her, she held the eyeball aloft, her teeth clenched, her mind too consumed by rage for coherent thought, she just wanted to say:
“Get out! Don’t ever appear before me again!”
Holding the eyeball, she jumped out of bed, her bare feet padding across the floor to the window. She threw open the rusty window!
The wind howled outside, a mournful, ghostly wail, the branches of the camphor tree thrashing wildly, the cold air blasting in, almost pushing Xiang Er back.
But Xiang Er gritted her teeth, holding the giant eyeball, swinging it wildly in the wind, almost dislocating her arm!
The wind roared, tearing through the buildings, the air thick with mist, darkness engulfing the world, not a single glimmer of light!
“Aowu…”
The thing seemed to whimper, but its cries were lost in the wind, unheard, unheeded!
Xiang Er, her arm aching, threw the thing out the window!
Then, with all her might, she slammed the window shut, the old rust on the frame crumbling and falling!
The wind was shut out, the terrifying eyeball along with it. Her hands were cold and sticky, coated in the tentacle’s slime, and she trembled uncontrollably, on the verge of madness!
She looked down at her bare feet, her pajamas ripped in several places, her appearance disheveled and pathetic.
If that thing, if that eyeball had truly entered her…
She couldn’t bear to think about it! She threw open her bedroom door, rushed into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and started scrubbing herself, splashing icy water over her body, frantically trying to wash it all away!
“Little Ears! Little Ears! What’s wrong, Xiang Er! Open the door!”
Someone was banging on the door, Shen Yuhe’s voice, filled with urgency, but Xiang Er couldn’t hear her.
She was losing her mind! She had to wash herself clean, wash away the slime, wash away everything! Wash away the dream, wash away her shameful desires, wash away all traces of that disgusting Evil God remnant! She wanted to turn back time, to undo everything, she would never have bought that souvenir, no, she would never have gone on that trip, none of this would have happened…
She heard herself sobbing, her body trembling. It took a moment for her to realize that it was her own voice.
She was crying, her hands wet with tears, warm tears, at least her tears were warm…
“Xiang Er!”
A tall figure burst in, blocking the bathroom light. She was backlit, and Xiang Er looked up, startled, and saw the fear and panic in her eyes.
It was the first time Xiang Er had seen fear on Shen Yuhe’s face.
Xiang Er pulled her soaked pajamas down, feeling a wave of shame.
An overwhelming shame.
Tears streamed down her face.
She sobbed, her voice barely a whisper:
“I… I’m in so much pain…”
It was her own fault, her pain was self-inflicted, she was crazy, she should be crazy, she should have gone crazy a long time ago, perhaps she should just die…
The tall figure rushed towards her, and in an instant, Xiang Er was enveloped in a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Xiang Er could barely hear her voice, only her sobs, and between the sobs, a trembling apology.
Xiang Er was confused, what did this have to do with her? The confusion momentarily overshadowed her pain, and she reached out and touched Shen Yuhe’s face, asking:
“Why are you crying?”
Shen Yuhe’s sobs abruptly stopped. After a moment, she said:
“I’m sorry.”
Xiang Er:
“Why?”
But Shen Yuhe didn’t answer, just stood up silently, turned on the hot water, and started washing Xiang Er’s face.
The warm washcloth against her skin, Xiang Er still looked up at Shen Yuhe and asked:
“What are you hiding from me?”
Her voice was soft, hoarse and trembling from crying.
But it echoed like thunder, making Shen Yuhe freeze.
Shen Yuhe sighed, the steam from the washcloth obscuring her dark eyes, and she said:
“Actually, I…”
But just then, Xiang Er’s phone alarm blared.
“Beep, beep, beep—” It was her morning alarm, the one the small eyeball hadn’t silenced.
The small eyeball wasn’t coming back, Xiang Er thought coldly.
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