The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 347: No Regret

Not far from her, Sir Fu, sitting cross-legged, shuddered violently, his expression shocked and his muddled white eyes stiffening.

Soon, a small streak of blood came down from his nostril.

Pride Spirit was met with great struggle and resistance!

Meanwhile, White Dew was carrying Gao Xinxin to the tower.

Sensing Sir Fu’s unusual reaction, she shouted, “Endure it! Let her finish eating him!”

Sir Fu bled from his other nostril too. His ashen face became even grayer, and his sickly body was running out of energy. He tapped into his deepest reserve of strength. This time, he had truly gone all in.

Fresh Snow’s body went still for a moment before obediently biting down on Gao Yang’s neck with more force. However, her throat didn’t move, and she refused to suck energy from her food.

She fought Sir Fu’s Pride Spirit.

Fresh Snow began to tremble with increasing intensity. About ten seconds later, she slowly opened her mouth, her bloodied lips moving away from Gao Yang’s neck.

Then her head and back gradually straightened, as if nothing would stop her from getting upright, be it a spirit or a whole mountain.

“Ah—”

Finally, she opened her arms wide and howled at the sky in rage.

Powerful energy rippled outward from her.

Sir Fu threw up a mouthful of blood as the shockwaves slammed him into the scaffolding, and he fell onto the ground.

Fresh Snow lost consciousness after that, lying prone on Gao Yang’s body.

“Fresh Snow!”

White Dew rushed up to her and helped her up, one hand touching her face while the other hand feeling her heartbeat.

Two seconds later, White Dew burst into tears of joy.

She was back. Her healthy and energetic sister was back. As the other twin, she could clearly sense the energy rushing in her sister’s body.

After a pause, White Dew looked at Gao Yang, who lay unmoving with a pale face on the ground.

She checked his breathing, and to her surprise, he was still alive!

How could this be?!

White Dew couldn’t be more surprised. There had been no precedent of a ghost’s food surviving the feeding process.

She turned to look at Sir Fu, who was lying in the blood fog bleeding from all seven orifices, dying. But there was no fear on his face.

“Haha, hahaha...” Sir Fu burst out laughing with the last of his strength. “I’ve got it. Mine is the right answer. Mine...hahahaha...”

Sir Fu stared at the blood moon in the sky with wide eyes. A smile of great content hung on his frail, sunken face, slowly becoming stiff.

He was dead, gone with no regret.

...

Gao Yang slept long and deep, without any dream.

When he woke up, he didn’t know where he was.

He opened his eyes and saw the night sky.

Only when his vision cleared did he realize that it wasn’t the sky, but a ceiling, painted deep blue with a littering of yellow stars and a wane moon.

Beside one of the stars, what looked like a child’s handwriting jotted down, Fresh Snow Star.

And next to a star nearby, it was written, Gao Yang Star.

Gao Yang looked around and realized that he was in a rococo-style room, lying on a soft bed with a faint fragrance covered in all sorts of dolls. Through the light fabric of the canopy, he could see the fine wallpaper of flower bouquets.

Gao Yang moved his fingers, slowly regaining control over his body.

After about ten seconds, he sat up and almost jumped off the bed.

On the quaint high-back chair across from the bed sat a young boy who looked to be seven or eight years old. Dressed in a black, formal attire, he had silver hair, red eyes, and a face that looked cute at first glance, but old beyond his apparent age upon closer inspection.

“Ahem.” The boy cleared his throat. “You’re awake.”

Gao Yang kept his guard up, but due to the weakness of his body, he didn’t intend to fight.

He knew that he wouldn’t even be allowed to wake up if the other meant him harm.

“How long have I been asleep?” That was the most urgent question for Gao Yang.

“Three days.”

“Three days?!” Gao Yang started and looked out of the window. The oppressive red greeted him. And when he looked down, he saw a layer of blood fog covering the floor, as he had expected.

It was the second last night of the Crimson Tide!

Gao Yang immediately thought of Gao Xinxin and Wang Zikai.

“My sister! And my friend...”

“Don’t worry. They’re fine.” The boy then added, “That’s what White Dew said.”

Gao Yang paused. As expected, the boy was a Spectre too, a companion of White Dew. It seemed that he was now in the territory of the Spectres.

He relaxed a little. At least Sir Fu and White Dew seemed to have honored their words, leaving his family and friends alone.

“And who are you?” Gao Yang asked.

“Spring.” The boy smiled. “The leader of the Spectres, but I’d prefer being known as the patriarch of the family.”

You? The leader? The patriarch?

You look more like the baby of the group.

Gao Yang swallowed his comments and asked, “How’s Fresh Snow?”

“She’s doing well. She’d been staying by your side until earlier. She’s now resting.” Spring cracked a slight smile. “As the patriarch of the family, I must have a chat with you first.”

Gao Yang didn’t deem that a response.

Good, Fresh Snow and I are both alive, and my family and friends are alright too.

This is the best possible outcome. I got lucky.

“Ahem.” Spring fake-coughed again and extended a finger. “To be the husband married into the family, there are rules you must abide by. First and foremost, you must stay loyal. Keep yourself pure before marriage, and don’t ever think about playing around in wedlock...”

“Wait!” Gao Yang’s ears pricked up at the strange turn the conversation had taken. “Husband married into the family?”

“Yeah!” Spring said like it was to be expected, but there was a hint of nervousness in his eyes. In his boyish voice, he continued to speak like an elderly, “I’m warning you, brat. One can join the Spectres, but none will leave. If you want to be with her, you must marry into the family...”

Gao Yang awkwardly explained, “Wait, Spring...sir, you’ve misunderstood. Fresh Snow and I are just friends.”

“Friends?” Spring jumped off the chair, his shock translating into audible rage. “Ghosts don’t need friends!”

Gao Yang stayed silent.

“Ghosts don’t need friends!” Spring repeated seriously. “We only need family! If you’re not joining the Spectres, I can’t keep you around...”

Spring’s eyes blazed with killing intent, and a strong presence radiated from him, robbing Gao Yang of his breaths.