Lan Yin stood up, stretched out his right hand and placed it on Lucas Qi's chest. He closed his eyes, as if probing for something, then managed a bitter smile.
"Just two days left, huh!"
Looking at Lan Yin, worry was written all over his face. Then he got up and walked toward the lake.
"I did it. This time, Hank..."
Suddenly, Lan Yin broke into a smile, his face overflowing with joy. He kept shouting, "I did it, I really did it!"
Then Lan Yin stood by the lake, gazing at the still surface. Occasionally, fish swam by, sending ripples across the water. In the distance, the sky was tinged with golden red by the rising sun. Rays of sunlight spilled onto the lake, making the whole surface shimmer with gold.
Speaking to himself, Lan Yin pulled out his old slingshot from his pocket and tossed it toward the distant lake. With a splash, the aged slingshot landed in the water, sending up a spray of droplets.
Lan Yin took off his shoes, loosened his hairband, and stepped into the lake, laughing happily. Alone, he played in the water, splashing around. Then he scooped up a handful of cool lake water and splashed it onto his face, shaking his head.
With a splash, Lan Yin lay down in the water, his whole body submerged. But then, to my surprise, the joy vanished from his face, replaced by sorrow. Tears slid down his cheeks and fell into the lake.
The sadness on Lan Yin's face grew deeper and deeper. He began to cry loudly, as if trying to vent all the grief buried in his heart. He kept sobbing, his tears falling into the lake like broken pearls, one after another.
I slowly walked over and looked at Lan Yin carefully. I never expected that someone like him could feel such sorrow.
Just then, the scenery around me began to change, gradually fading away. Suddenly, I found myself in the middle of a bustling market, surrounded by the noise of the crowd—vendors shouting, horses neighing, and wagon wheels creaking.
But among all these sounds, the most distinct was a child's cry. I looked over and saw several older children pinning down a younger, well-dressed child, beating him relentlessly. The cries came from that child.
"Beat him! Beat him!"
The children kept shouting, while the nearby adults did nothing to stop them. At that moment, a slightly taller child burst out from the crowd, wielding a bamboo stick and shouting loudly.
"Run! Crazy Hank is here!"
In an instant, the bullies scattered and fled. The child on the ground was covered in mud, lying prone, his clothes torn, still crying out.
"Lan Yin, stop crying. You're a boy, aren't you? Get up."
The child called Crazy Hank walked over, squatted down, and helped the crying child to his feet.
"Hank, they, they..."
Only then did I realize that the child on the ground was a young Lan Yin, about eight or nine years old. He didn't look much different from how he would as an adult, except he lacked the masculine air he would later have and, at first glance, almost looked like a girl.
Hank took Lan Yin out of the city to a riverside. The sky was bright blue, and the riverbank was covered in green grass. Hank brought Lan Yin to the water and helped him wash the mud off his face.
"Lan Yin, next time they hit you, hit them back."
"Lan Yin, next time they hit you, hit them back."
"Still the same as always, Lan Yin. When you get hurt, you heal so fast. It's really strange."
"Still the same as always, Lan Yin. When you get hurt, you heal so fast. It's really strange."
Then Hank handed the slingshot to Lan Yin.
"Give it a try, Lan Yin. I taught you before, remember?"
"Give it a try, Lan Yin. I taught you before, remember?"
I remembered what Wang Su once told me: when Lan Yin had just turned eighteen, he lost his childhood friend. He had wanted to help his friend, but his parents stopped him.
The boy called Hank had no name, no parents—only a grandmother who went mad soon after raising him. So everyone nearby called him Crazy Hank.
The boy called Hank had no name, no parents—only a grandmother who went mad soon after raising him. So everyone nearby called him Crazy Hank.
The two became friends after Hank happened to pass by and rescue Lan Yin during one of these bullying incidents.
The two became friends after Hank happened to pass by and rescue Lan Yin during one of these bullying incidents.
"Lan Yin, stop hanging around with that boy Hank. Do you remember the Lan family rules?"
At night, after dinner, Lan Yin would begin studying the knowledge of Hades under his father's guidance. Whenever he came home dirty and in tattered clothes, his father never questioned it.
"Lan Yin, stop hanging around with that boy Hank. Do you remember the Lan family rules?"
"Lan Yin, it's good that you understand. For those born in Hades, our fate is set from birth. Don't get too involved with outsiders—it will only hinder your future. Do you understand, Lan Yin?"
Lan Yin stammered his reply, and his father nodded.
"Lan Yin, it's good that you understand. For those born in Hades, our fate is set from birth. Don't get too involved with outsiders—it will only hinder your future. Do you understand, Lan Yin?"
"Lan Yin, our Divination Arts require persistence and constant practice. Only then can you use your essence blood to control these paper figures. Although they may seem useless, they're invaluable for soul collection, finding spirits, and sometimes even fighting evil ghosts. Keep practicing, Lan Yin."
"Lan Yin, our Hades Divination Arts require persistence and constant practice. Only then can you use your essence blood to control these paper figures. Although they may seem useless, they're invaluable for soul collection, finding spirits, and sometimes even fighting evil ghosts. Keep practicing, Lan Yin."
A look of loneliness appeared on Lan Yin's face.
The next day, Lan Yin went out as usual. He mainly went to observe those who were close to death—a daily task. He would record their names, report to his parents, and then accompany them during soul collection to learn how it was done.
"Lan Yin!"
As soon as I reached the market, I saw Hank running a small firewood stall, with a large black donkey tied nearby. The firewood had already been unloaded. He made a living by getting up early, chopping wood in the mountains, and selling it in town.
"Lan Yin!"
As soon as I reached the market, I saw Hank running a small firewood stall, with a large black donkey tied nearby. The firewood had already been unloaded. He made a living by getting up early, chopping wood in the mountains, and selling it in town.
This time, Lan Yin was angry, but he started trembling. Though he looked furious, he was still afraid.
"Take off his pants and hang him on the city gate!"
Several kids pinned Lan Yin down and started pulling off his pants. Lan Yin began to cry again, but then, all of a sudden, he swung his fist and landed a punch on one kid's eye. Chaos erupted. Lan Yin was beaten by the group, enduring it in silence as they called him a coward.
"You guys, today I'm going to teach you a lesson."
Just then, I saw Hank arrive, looking furious. He rushed in and started fighting with the bullies. In the end, Hank's mouth and eyes were swollen, but he managed to chase the kids away. Lan Yin just curled up on the side, wide-eyed—there was no fear left in him.
"Are you alright, Lan Yin? Get up."
Hank reached out a hand, but Lan Yin hesitated, looking conflicted.
"Lan Yin, if you believe it's the right thing, then do it without hesitation. It's okay—don't be afraid. You're not a coward, I know that."
Finally, Lan Yin grabbed Hank's hand and stood up.
Time passed, and Lan Yin was always with Hank. By the time they were both eighteen, all traces of childhood innocence had vanished from Lan Yin. In the city, the two feared no one, always together. Over the years, Hank was like an older brother, always shielding Lan Yin.
One rainy day, Lan Yin got into trouble with some thugs and was beaten up again. Hank arrived immediately; Lan Yin was already battered beyond recognition. Without hesitation, Hank charged into the crowd of twenty or thirty people and fought them.
When the rain stopped, Lan Yin's wounds were healed, but Hank couldn't even stand.
"Hank, why are you so foolish? There were so many of them. I'm fine—I heal in no time. You..."
"If my brother's in trouble, how could I just stand by and do nothing? Right, Lan Yin?"
Their hands clasped firmly together.
But good times never last. A few days later, when Hank and Lan Yin met for drinks, Lan Yin's eyes widened the moment he saw Hank. I saw it too—a gray, cloud-like aura hovered above Hank's head.
But good times never last. A few days later, when Hank and Lan Yin met for drinks, Lan Yin's eyes widened the moment he saw Hank. I saw it too—a gray, cloud-like aura hovered above Hank's head.
In the tavern, Lan Yin shouted and raged, but suddenly, Hank pinned him hard to the ground.
"What's wrong, Lan Yin? Did you oversleep or something?"
Hank quickly pulled Lan Yin out of the tavern, but Lan Yin looked utterly lifeless, his eyes never leaving Hank for a second.