Ballad of Ten Thousand Gu

[Epilogue]

The instant we jumped, I immediately regretted my decision.

I knew that this was a pond filled with venomous gu, but I also knew that in Su Bai's memories, Yue Chi and I were mere spirits and could never be harmed. Yet as I stared at the dense pit swarming with snakes, scorpions and other beasts, I could not help but shudder with fear.

Even as a spirit, I was already frightened beyond words, so I could only imagine the agony endured by Su Bai who had jumped into this venomous pit of gu with her flesh and blood body.

With a body covered with injuries, she fought against the countless gu.

I saw these venomous insects and serpents and scorpions gnaw and bite at her, until her flesh began to strip away, revealing the grotesque white of her bones. Using the dagger which she had kept within her sleeves, she continued to fight, driving them away from her.

Before long, her senses started to blur as her mind grew increasingly disoriented. She began to eat these venomous creatures, and started to display some of the moves exhibited by these gu.

This entire process was too bloody, and I could not bear to continue watching. Yet Yue Chi watched of all these through unblinking eyes. His stare was unwavering as he took in all that had happened, his eyes filled with laughter, and within that laughter, shone with tears.

Amid all these, someone appeared to have arrived. The two of them did not take notice of this newcomer, and I was the only one who raised my head to glance at the person.

It was Ah Lai.

Ah Lai looked around the gu pond, before she said with a cold smile, 'So you've actually come here. Since you want to become the Jue Sha gu, then so be it. How can I not grant you your wish, if you have such determination and courage?'

Having said these words, Ah Lai turned to leave.

At that point, I found that I did not care. I did not know what Ah Lai was planning, but I soon grew tired of watching the bloodbath within the gu pond, and found a corner to rest. Between my daze, I did not know how much time had passed, but when I woke up once more, I saw that all the gu had disappeared from within the pond.

And Su Bai – other than the outline of a human figure, it was no longer possible to tell what she once looked like.

She was curled up in a corner, as though enduring excruciating agony. Yet her dagger continued to slash away. Yue Chi remained by her side. He raised his arms, slowly trying to pull her into his embrace.

Carefully, I made my way across, only to see that Su Bai was using her dagger to carve onto the grounds the two words 'Yue Chi' over and over again.

Dimly, I heard her whispers, 'I must never forget. I will never forget.'

Misgivings filled my mind, but I soon heard Yue Chi's explain hoarsely, 'A gu vessel does not have any memories. She will soon forget all these.'

But Su Bai was not merely a gu.

She was unwilling to forget.

She could not forget.

So, she continued to carve Yue Chi's name onto the grounds and across the walls.

Over and over – to remind herself of their past.

Yet those memories were soon corroded in face of the gu poison.

Even after she had imprinted his name over every inch of surface within the gu pond; even after she had carved his name onto the white bones which were exposed beneath her flesh –