13 That Means Yousre Still Human (2/2)
”I saw. Though, I had immediately jumped into the pond after you fell, so I didn't know what happened after that.”
”That guy, was that really...”
Daji sighed.
”You've seen those rays of light. Those were genuine Revolving Sun Needles. Who else could use that technique aside from you and him?”
”...”
She wished there was another. Perhaps that guy had a disciple somewhere. Perhaps it was just a similar-looking techniques. Countless possibilities flashed in her mind as she tried to find excuses to single him out from the list.
However, if Daji herself said so, then there was no other way to deny it.
It was indeed, him.
”Damnit... that idiot...”
Regret.
There was neither anger nor sadness, just a sense of regret as deep as the abyss of the underworld.
Unfortunately, even if they searched every nook and crannies until all the realms were turned upside-down, there still wouldn't be any cure.
She tightened the arms circling around the girl's waist, as if wanting to pull her in and shelter her from the pain.
”Huang'er... do you still blame yourself, after all this time?”
”...If I say yes, would you think that I'm a fool?”
”Hmmhmm~”
Gently, she planted a tender kiss on the nape of her neck.
”Keeping up this form is tiring. I think I should get back.”
The two separated, although Daji seemed reluctant to do so. Her hands lingered on the girl's back for a few more seconds.
”You know... I vaguely remembered that some other souls had jumped into the pond as well. Whether it was done deliberately or by accident, I'm not sure.”
”...You're saying that there are more people reincarnating from our homeland with their memories intact?”
God, the karma burdening this world must be gigantic!
Oh, wait, they could be also be reincarnating as cockroaches. In that case, maybe it would be fine?
”Worrying, right? By the way, I've tried to walk around the village whenever I could, but I didn't feel anything worth mentioning. You're the only person who'd managed to stir my soul.”
There was two possibilities there. Either the two were the only reincarnators in this village, or she was the only soul that could resonate with her, considering their past relationship.
Actually, Hikari was leaning toward the second answer. With Daji's personality, it just felt more natural.
”Well, I'll get going, then.”
”Ah.”
When she opened the door, moonlight shone on her, painting an enchanting picture.
”A beauty unrivaled, even by the Moon,” Hikari remarked.
”Ufufu... glib-tongue.”
Daji turned her gaze toward the girl sitting in the middle of the room. Her lips slowly curved upward, forming an alluring smile.
”Huang'er, to be able to shed tears upon meeting an old friend... do you find it embarrassing?”
She shrugged.
”Well, getting sentimental never bodes well. I'm speaking from experience.”
As a man raised by the old-fashioned era, she found it unthinkable to cry. Shedding tears was a sign of weakness. Living as cultivator in a world where the strong devoured the weak, it was the greatest taboo.
Daji's smile softened. Her words turned more polite, as it was proper when an expert spoke with a peer of the same level.
”Venerable Yao, as we passed our lives with no regards of time as immortals, we tend to forget that we were once but another mortal, just llke the rest of the world. In my opinion, what you called sentimental doesn't mean that you're weak.”
Yao Huang raised an eyebrow.
”What is it, then?”
”That means you're still human.”
The smile on her lips were replaced with a pure, childish grin.
”Perhaps, that was why I had fallen for you since long ago.”
At that moment, she was not the terrible vixen that had brought destruction upon countless dynasties. In that brief period of time, she was but a woman who was looking at the dearest person in her heart.
”I pray that you will have a good dream, Venerable Yao.”
With a poof, the woman was gone. What was left was the afterimage of a puppy who had nimbly scaled the wall before bolting off toward the main house.
”Haa...”
Hikari sighed, and then let herself fell onto the soft mattress.
”Sentimental as always...”
Closing her eyes, she tried to push Daji's words away from her mind, to no avail.
---
Meanwhile, Kokuo was sulking.
”Venerable One, what is it?”
It opened and closed its mouth, but no sound came out. In the end, it grumbled.
”...I have no idea what you two were talking about.”
Well, they did speak in the language of their homeland, after all.
”Also, isn't that that stupid boy's pet dog? Why are you two talking as if you had known each other for your entire lifetime?”
Because they did know each other for a lifetime.
Haa...
”Venerable One, I'll explain...”
Thus, she was forced to tell Kokuo the abridged version of their relationship, which still ended up taking a few hours to complete thanks to its incessant questions.
It seemed that in the end, she still couldn't sleep tonight...
Darn it, it was Daji's fault! That damn vixen!