The flickering light jumped in front of Shen Tanqi, signaling the end of this memory. He reluctantly watched the woman step out of the clinic, open her paper umbrella, and slowly walk into the swirling snow.
Beside him, young Yu Ce stretched out his hand, caressing the hanging copper coin. He carefully tucked it into his chest pocket, then lifted the hot medicinal soup brought by the apprentice and gulped it down.
“Hey, take it slow. No one’s rushing you,” the doctor patted his back, accidentally causing young Yu Ce to choke a bit. “You must repay her kindness. That lady’s son, unfortunately, won’t live long. He’s afflicted with soul-loss disorder. Despite her own troubles, she brought you here for treatment. Such a kind heart.”
Young Yu Ce looked at him, puzzled, and muttered, “Soul-loss disorder?”
The doctor sat beside him on the soft couch and sighed, “Yes, in all my years, I’ve only seen one case. The old medical books say that those with this illness will slowly lose their spiritual essence. No matter what you do, you can’t keep them.”
“Can’t keep them.”
Shen Tanqi and the young Yu Ce on the bed both repeated the doctor’s words softly, their gazes dimming.
So, it turned out there was never any ‘what if.’ He had soul-loss disorder at ten years old. His soul was destined to drift away, so the fact that he could live and return to this world was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Young Yu Ce coughed a few times, then took out a silver communication mirror from his chest and handed it to the young apprentice. “Please, catch up with that lady and give her this mirror. Tell her it can help her.”
He lightly pushed the still dazed apprentice and urged between coughs, “Hurry, go give it to her!”
The apprentice looked up, hesitantly glancing at their doctor, who sighed and said, “Alright, go on.”
How much would a silver mirror be worth? If this kid wants to repay his debt, he should offer something more valuable. Well, he’s young, probably doesn’t understand much.
The medicine boy quickly nodded and dashed out with the silver mirror in hand.
Shen Tanqi’s gaze fell on the silver mirror, pausing slightly. This mirror was similar to the one Yu Ce used to communicate with the two little ones. But who was the silver mirror in young Yu Ce’s hand used to contact?
He had a faint guess and hurried to catch up. Not far away, the medicine boy had already caught up with her. The woman took the silver mirror, seeming somewhat incredulous, and chuckled softly, “Did that child send you?”
The medicine boy nodded, “He said this thing can help you.”
The woman shook her head with a smile, saying, “Children’s whims.”
A silver mirror, what could it possibly do for her? Help her see how haggard she looked now?
After bidding farewell to the medicine boy, she opened the silver mirror and carefully examined her reflection. These past few days without a proper meal had left her pale and thin, her hair disheveled, hardly different from a refugee.
She sighed wryly, about to put away the silver mirror when her fingertip accidentally brushed lightly across the mirror’s surface. A cool sensation circled around her fingertip, and she was momentarily stunned. A faint voice came from the other end of the silver mirror, “What’s wrong, Ce’er?”
Upon hearing the man’s voice, Shen Tanqi instantly grew agitated, stepping forward urgently to warn the woman, “It’s Yu Ce’s father. Don’t respond, don’t answer him!”
Don’t respond, don’t leave, don’t go, please, Mom.
The woman bit her lip, unable to hear Shen Tanqi’s voice, but a strange premonition stirred in her heart, making her want to speak out, to ask the person on the other side of the silver mirror, “Who are you?”
Hearing her speak, Shen Tanqi’s face turned ashen. He slumped next to the woman, despondent, gritting his teeth and cursing under his breath, clutching his hair tightly.
He can’t save her; this is merely a recollection of the past, something that has already happened and cannot be changed by him in any way.
The other person seemed to chuckle lightly, his voice rich and refined, softly saying, “I am the father of the owner of this silver mirror in your hand.”
The woman felt a twinge of guilt. “So this is the communication tool between you father and son. I’ll return it to him right away.”
Without this silver mirror, young Yu Ce might not be able to find his father.
Thinking this, the woman was about to turn back towards the clinic when a cool sensation emanated from the silver mirror in her palm once more. Unlike the cold wind that wrinkled her skin, this sensation seemed to penetrate deep into her bones, causing her to shiver slightly.
“No need to return it. Since he has given it to you, it means you must have helped him and earned his trust. That’s why he wants you to come and find me.” Young Yu Ce’s father’s voice was gentle, as if he had grasped the entire situation from their brief conversation. “Follow the direction shown by the mirror’s light and come find me.”
The woman was somewhat perplexed. “Thank you, but really, there’s no need.”
Why should she seek out a person of unknown origin and secrecy? She’d better hurry to find the rumored mermaid in the city.
Upon hearing her words, there was a slight awkward cough from the other end of the silver mirror, followed by an earnest inquiry in a soft voice, “Wait, are you sure you don’t need any help? Perhaps I can help you?”
Shen Tanqi raised an eyebrow. Why did young Yu Ce’s father seem so eager, almost impatient?
“Really, I’m fine,” the woman replied with a faint smile. “Right now, I need to hurry to get medicine for my child. I need to find the mermaid in the city. Only by borrowing a mermaid’s pearl can I truly get help.”
At her words, the voice in the silver mirror suddenly seemed to understand, its tone gaining confidence. “Ah, I see. Then it’s perfect for you to come find me.”
The woman’s fingertip trembled slightly, urgent. “Could it be that you…”
“Yes, it is I. You’ve helped my son, and I can help you fulfill a wish. Come.”
“Really, Lord Mermaid?”
“Of course. I will do everything in my power.”
Shen Tanqi rubbed his forehead, finding their conversation somewhat hard to listen to. He couldn’t help but feel that Yu Ce’s father was a bit melodramatic.
The floating light beside him seemed impatient, nudging Shen Tanqi’s fingertip. He snapped out of it and reached out to touch the floating light.
Thick mist enveloped them. Shen Tanqi instinctively covered his eyes and mouth, but this time, he wasn’t choked by the fog. When he opened his eyes, he heard a faint voice.
“Have you seen everything?”
Shen Tanqi lowered his hand, looking at the man beside him. They were back at the solitary tomb in Yudong City. He had returned, but not completely.
If he had to describe it, he might have returned from the second level of a dream space to the first.
He looked at the man with some frustration and asked, “The most crucial part?”
They were about to meet, so why couldn’t he see?
Yu Ce’s father lowered his eyelashes and said softly, “What comes next, witnessing it firsthand would be too cruel for you. Let me describe it.”
“Later, your mother found me and asked me to find a way to save you. Your soul-loss disorder truly had no cure or treatment. Think about it—this realm was no longer where your soul belonged. No one in this world can cure this illness. The only way was to use the deep-sea mermaid pearl to separate your soul from your body.” The man spoke slowly, his head bowed even lower. “Once your soul leaves your body, it may drift far away—into the past, the future, or even another world that no one has ever visited.”
Shen Tanqi pressed his lips together, sitting beside him and sighing heavily. “I know. I did indeed go to another world.”
In that world, he had narrowly escaped being raised to death by the parents there, but thankfully, he had his older brother and sister to support him.
The man gently patted his shoulder, comforting him. “Though I don’t know where you went, seeing you back safe and sound must surely bring solace to your late mother.”
Shen Tanqi glanced at him and asked, “Why did my mother die?” He didn’t ask why the man killed her because Shen Tanqi could already guess that it was likely at the request of his mom.
“Because,” the man pursed his lips, hesitantly withdrawing his hand from Shen Tanqi’s shoulder, “the deep-sea mermaid pearl is not something I can easily control. Although it’s my life’s spiritual pearl, I can’t fully wield its power. To send a mortal soul away requires a tremendous expenditure of life force.”
He sighed heavily, muttering, “It was your mother who exhausted her own life force to save you when you were ten.”
Shen Tanqi listened in stunned silence, though he had already anticipated this answer.
“I tried to dissuade her… saying that a child could be born again.”
Shen Tanqi shot him a glare, making the man cough nervously twice before hastily adding, “I just felt that sacrificing a life for something that might not have any result was unjustifiable.”
At that time, no one knew whether Shen Tanqi’s soul could return after being sent away by the deep-sea mermaid pearl. No one dared to make assumptions, not even the man himself.
But Madam Shen had declared without hesitation, “If it means saving Ah Qi, I’m willing to sacrifice my life!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Tanqi’s eyes reddened, and he slowly stood up, kneeling before the small grave.
“Before she passed, she insisted on seeing you recover with her own eyes. The Shen family had no choice but to bury her here. For so many years, she waited in Yudong, waiting for you.”
The man embraced his shoulder, whispering softly, “Don’t be sad. Those who have passed away live forever in the memories of the living. As long as you remember her, cherish her goodness, she will always live on in this world.”
Shen Tanqi’s shoulders trembled as he tightly grasped the snow on the ground. He heard the man sigh helplessly beside him, “It’s been over a decade since I last saw Yu Ce.”
“Since he escaped from the Hidden Dragon Valley, we rarely met again. I don’t even know how he’s doing now.”
The man chuckled self-deprecatingly, saying, “However, I doubt he wants to see me now. If he knew his father was a monster who caused harm, a cowardly and incompetent man, he would probably regret being my child…”
Shen Tanqi lifted his head, his gaze tinged with sorrow as he whispered reassuringly, “No, that won’t happen. My mom died to save me, and Yu Ce…”
“How is he?” When Shen Tanqi mentioned Yu Ce, the man’s tone noticeably grew anxious. “Does he have someone he likes? Has he settled down, married, had children?”
Shen Tanqi hesitated, “Um…”
Does he have someone he likes? He wasn’t quite sure how to answer that.
The man looked at him with a touch of sadness. “I knew it. With Yu Ce’s reserved and rigid personality, unable to learn my humor and lacking my handsome appearance, naturally he wouldn’t attract a wife and start a family. Tell me the truth. I know only someone blind would find my Ce’er attractive!”
Shen Tanqi: ?
Was that polite, sir?
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
