Volume 12 - CH 3

Chapter 3: The Journey

Location: Taiwan Time: 2:43 PM

Senior and the five-colored rooster head froze.

“Aih…We didn’t quite catch that just now.” The five-colored rooster head grabbed the ‘enjoy the cool air, brave one’ clothing in his hand, stunned as he looked at my mom.

“Do you guys want to go on a ten-day cruise? It just so happens that Auntie still has two more tickets for us to go celebrate the New Year together.” My mom smilingly said, “Ah, if your parents agree.”

I looked toward Senior and the five-colored rooster head. One of them’s parents were unknown, and the other’s parents were assassins…

“Can we really go!?” Unexpectedly, the five-colored rooster head suddenly stood up and looked at my mom, his whole eyes becoming shiny, “This is a family trip, right? This is one of those family trips where the whole family goes out, right?”

Mom was probably confused by his reaction, blankly nodding first: “Uh, that’s right.”

The five-colored rooster head’s reaction was really too strange. Could it be that they’ve never gone out with the whole family before?

“Ziray, your family never went out together?” I looked at the five-colored rooster head, and asked the question in my heart.

“Nope.” Quickly answering me, the five-colored rooster head didn’t hesitate at all as he said: “My family never went out together, but once in a while, I carry out a mission with some other guy to kill…mmph…”

I instantly rushed over to cover his mouth the moment before the word appeared.

“Wha, what about Senior?” Right now the first thing I need to do is to immediately change the topic.

Glancing at me, Senior revealed a smile that can almost be considered frigid: “My parents have been dead for a long time.”

I’m really sorry I poked at your sore spot…No wait! I didn’t mean to ask you that–I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I know I’m wrong. Please be magnanimous and don’t hold a grudge against me!

The five-colored rooster head pulled my hand away, with a force strong enough to almost break my fingers.

“Aih…So that’s the case.” Mom’s sympathy started to show, wide-eyed as she looked at the two children with unfortunate childhoods in front of her: “How about you spend the New Year with us this year? Everyone gathering around the fireplace for the New Year does have that sort of mood.”

“What’s gathering around a fireplace?” The five-colored rooster head blinked as he looked at my mom.

“Oh, it’s when everyone eats hot pot together, and there’s also a lot of must-have foods for the New Year to eat. But since we’re going on a cruise this year, I guess everything will be prepared for us on the ship.” Saying this with a smile, Mom kindly explained before turning her head to ask for Dad’s opinion, “Then it’s been decided that the remaining two tickets will be Yang Yang’s senior and classmate’s.”

“Sure.” Dad nodded very amiably, “However, you two need to tell a family member first, otherwise it’d be bad if you were reported missing when we return.”

Basically, I think whether it’s Senior or the five-colored rooster head, they shouldn’t be people who would be reported missing.

“Great, then I’ll go call right away to get rid of all the work…stuff.” The five-colored rooster head happily held his phone and ran off to make his call.

Sitting in the same spot, Senior glanced at my dad and mom, then slowly opened his mouth: “I’m sorry for troubling you. Apart from our tickets, Ziray and I will be responsible for any extra expenses. Both of us have bank savings from work.”

“It doesn’t matter. Chu Dad also has money to spend. Two more kids won’t add much expenses. It’s not easy for students to work. You guys should keep it instead.” Elevating himself from Uncle to Chu Dad on his own, Dad enthusiastically and kindly told Senior.

Dad, to be honest actually…Senior and the five-colored rooster head probably don’t think anything of that bit of expenses at all; they’re the richest people I’ve ever met. You can rest assured and let them pay for themselves!

“We can shoulder the responsibility ourselves, and our family members are also very willing to pay.” Senior had clearly already taken out his unknown family members as an excuse.

“That’s right, just put it directly on my old man’s account.” The five-colored rooster head, who just happened to hang up and turned back, cheerfully echoed, “My old man has a lot of money, so it’s fine for us to all spend our own family’s money.”

“But…”

“Dad!” I immediately interrupted what my dad still wanted to say: “Really, Senior and Ziray’s family are both very rich, so you can just let them spend their own money. Otherwise, their parents won’t feel at ease.” The point is, it’s actually their families that are probably far richer than us!

“Yeah, my family’s very rich. At any rate, it’s just money from buying…”

Before the five-colored rooster head could say the four words “money from buying lives,” I immediately covered his mouth for the second time.

Your family specializing in buying lives isn’t anything good!

“I guess it’ll have to be that way.” My mom finally spoke, “But you two shouldn’t force yourselves. If you need help, don’t be courteous: tell Auntie and Uncle.”

“We will.” Senior revealed a high-level perfunctory smile.

After listening to everything on the sidelines, Ming Yue finally put down the cup in her hand, “There’s still a week from now till the New Year. We’ll have to set off for the ship in about five days. You guys should also return home to get a passport, clothes and whatnot. Some things have to be turned in before we go on board.”

“Eh, I don’t have a passport!” I suddenly remembered that I had never gone out of the country before, because I still didn’t want to see the plane crashing or flying out into space.

“Oh, that you don’t need to worry about. I got everything ready.” Mom showed a very bright smile.

Speaking of which, I wonder if Senior and the five-colored rooster head have a passport. If we discover that they don’t have a passport after inviting them, it’d be so embarrassing.

“I have the right to go anywhere in the original world.” Senior glanced at me and said.

Oh right, I almost forgot Senior is a black robe. I heard that black robes are a mysterious class able to freely go everywhere unimpeded.

In that case, the five-colored rooster bread will also have one, because he has to go everywhere to kill people…Ahaha, I’m starting to be corrupted without realizing too.

“Then I’ll go back to get some of my best clothes for gathering around the fireplace.” The five-colored rooster head once again removed my hand, and said very happily.

“I heard that if you wear strange clothes in some places on the ship, you’ll be blocked outside.” Senior, who had a lot of complaints about his clothes, coldly threw out this sentence.

“Don’t worry, this uncle’s clothes are all carefully selected first-rate clothes.”

Senior, you forgot this person’s eyes aren’t normal.

Looking at Senior who didn’t want to talk anymore, I had a sad feeling of wanting to go over and pat his shoulder.

“Then I’ll go back first to get my clothes. Chu Dad, Chu Mom, see you later!” The five-colored rooster head, who was already joyful to the extreme, held his ‘enjoy the cool air, brave one’ and quickly said goodbye to my dad and mom, without needing anyone to lead the way as he rushed out of the porch and disappeared into the sunset.

“Your classmate’s very proactive.” My dad said with a smile.

In fact, that simply isn’t normal at all. Please don’t take it as an ordinary joke.

“Then it should be time for me to leave as well.” Senior stood, in an elegant motion completely different from the five-colored rooster head.

“Eh? Senior, don’t you have nothing else to do?” I remember it wasn’t necessary to keep going back to the dorms, “Isn’t getting clothes really quick? It’s very boring to go back to the dorm now…”

A fierce gaze glared back the words I didn’t get to finish saying.

“Since you have nothing to do if you go back, want to stay at our house?” Unexpectedly, Ming Yue actually took the initiative to speak. She looked at my dumbfounded dad, shrugging, “Yang Yang’s senior stayed here before. If he goes back, there’ll only be the school dorm. Wouldn’t staying at our house be better? At any rate, we’re going New Year shopping for these two days…Although you said we’re spending the New Year on board this year, we still need to buy basic things, so wouldn’t having another guy at home like this be more convenient?”

Please don’t arbitrarily treat Senior as a member of the human-powered transport, okay? I can already see black lines appearing on Senior’s head.

“If you put it that way, it does seem to be true.” My mom actually agreed with my sister!

This isn’t true at all if you put it that way!

“Yang Yang’s senior, how about staying for the New Year shopping for a few days?” Patting Senior’s shoulder, Mom used a very-kind-and-amiable-but-already-had-the-shadow-of-a-demon smile to say, “For these few days, Chu Mom will fully display her skills and make a lot of New Year dishes oh, ones that you won’t be able to eat outside.”

“That’s right, that’s right, having more people around is also more lively. It’s simply too lonely going back to the dorm by yourself right now.” My dad also joined in on persuading death…I mean, the ranks of persuasion: “And Chu Dad also has a lot of popular products for you to eat.”

You’re treating Senior as someone who consumes popular products!?

Now that the whole situation had already become three against one, Senior was obviously in a losing state.

Then, Senior turned his head, his black eyes glaring at me like lasers, “Chu, I really have to ‘thank you so much’ for your extra words.”

Every one of his words seemed to be tied to needles as they stabbed toward my head. I felt like my entire scalp was already numb, “Uh…You’re welcome.”

I started to suspect that I should go apply for a high coverage insurance.

Usually, when it was close to New Year’s Eve, there would always be a New Year Street appearing in our downtown area.

A long, long one. Although it wasn’t as spectacular as the one in the North, it’s already more than enough for shopping. Street vendors, different snacks, and supplies from all over would arrive here in succession before the Lunar New Year. This sort of situation would always continue till New Year’s Eve. Then, after everyone has purchased enough goods, we’d stay at home all the way until the first day of the year before greeting in the new year.

“Senior, you’ve never visited the New Year Street when you came here on missions before?” Looking at Senior, who was automatically cleaning up the living room, I curiously asked.

Senior paused his action and glanced at me, staying silent for a long while before speaking: “I suppose I have. One time, I was on a mission chasing a group of insects, and ended up demolishing the whole street.” He used a very calm expression to tell me something terrifying.

A whole street being demolished; why didn’t that get on the news!?

Normally when something like this happens, it’d definitely become the lead story!

“Ah, it seems like it was pushed underneath the reasons for the gas explosion in the departments associated with it.” Curving into an icy, scary smile, Senior told me the frightening extent of the Guild’s power.

You guys are just too terrifying!

“Yang Yang.” The one interrupting our conversation was my sister, who had gone upstair. She looked at us for a moment and said: “Do you guys want to go shopping? Mom and Dad will also be going out later. My friends and I arranged to see a movie. They said if you guys want to go out, buy some candy on the way back. So bye.”

“Oh, okay.” I reached my hand out to my sister.

“What.”

“You guys told us to buy something; don’t you need to give us the money?”

My sister raised an eyebrow, “Weren’t you working? Now’s the time to present your efforts.”

You’re telling someone else to spend his own blood-sweat-and-tears money.

“I’m kidding.” My sister handed over two bills, “We’re going on board in a few days, so you don’t need to buy too much. Just the thought is enough.”

“Okay.” I quickly took those two bills and turned to Senior, “Then let’s go shopping at New Year Street, Senior.” I’ve been looking forward to it for the whole year, and I can finally go shopping there again.

“Why do I have to go shopping with you?” The word “disgust” clearly appeared on Senior’s face.

“Aih…How about treating it as a way to unwind?” Otherwise if you shut yourself up in your room every day like this, not only will it be easy to close yourself off, you’ll become cranky too.

“F**k!” A shoe sole directly appeared before my eyes and kicked me away.

I’m sorry, I know I thought of the wrong things again…

“You two little brothers, remember to bring shopping bags when you go out. Mom hates having a pile of plastic bags.” My sister patted my head, and after saying the above words, she leisurely walked away again.

I turned my head, and saw Senior with veins popping out on his face.

Oh right, I forgot Senior is also younger than my sister.

It was almost evening on the phone. Right now the New Year Street should be very lively, “Then, Senior, let’s have dinner at New Year Street?” My sister, dad and mom are all going out anyway. I guess there won’t be any dinner waiting for us and we’ll have to do it ourselves instead.

“Whatever.” Picking up the hat on the table, Senior tidied his clothes while he was at it.

“Then let’s head out.”

In fact, when it was almost ten, the New Year Street was already open.

The closer it was to the New Year, the bigger the crowds. The week before the New Year, students going to class, and people going to work all put down their original schoolwork and jobs, enjoying a rare vacation.

After leaving the house, Senior and I didn’t talk at all, walking in silence for a distance long enough to make one feel chilled.

As soon as we entered the downtown area, the amount of people was obviously increasing.

In recent years, because of development, most of the population gathered in Zhunan, and the people in the downtown area decreased instead. It’s only during New Year that this place becomes bustling.

[T/N: Zhunan is an urban township in northern Taiwan]

Crossing a street, from afar I could see that behind the road section, the entire consistently-lit* street was full of streetlights.

[T/N: Could also be Jiguang Street, which is a shopping district in Taiwan but it’s probably not the place in the novel because the time doesn’t match up]

It was different from the market for New Year shopping. Although it also had northern and southern goods, most of the stalls sold mainly candy. A little bit in the back, you could even see people with sheep and those presenting goat milk. There were also some original stores that placed small stalls out a little to attract attention. Their special-priced jewelry quickly made women of various ages stop irregularly.

“This is the New Year Shopping Street?” Looking at the endless candy area, Senior asked.

“Oh, that’s right, it’s like this every year. Last time my sister and I came here, we bought a bunch of candy home too.” Dodging a couple, I ran two steps to Senior.

There were quite a lot of people over here, making very easy to get separated.

The lively noises going back and forth resounded, and the section near the back also invited a school orchestra to perform. The whole atmosphere was very spirited.

“Students, want to buy some candy?” The stall lady standing in front of a stall and selling candy handed a piece of cotton candy to us, “I can make it cheaper for you oh.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.” Pushing Senior as the crowd moved forward, I looked around to see if there was any stall where we could eat at.

The amount of people shopping increased, and i could see that most of the stalls with seats all had people.

Drats, then we’ll have to eat while we walk.

“Chu, what is that?”

Just when I was agonizing over it and was about to tell Senior about the eating-while-we-walk-matter, Senior, who had walked in front, suddenly stopped and pointed to a stall nearby, asking.

“Oh, that’s deep-fried milk.” I don’t think I saw this stall last year. Lately, even the snack stalls have grown in variety, “Senior has never eaten one?”

Senior shook his head.

…Could it be that, Senior, you really are the legendary type of person who only eats in first-class restaurants and doesn’t know about the common people’s stalls?

“Annoying!” The person, whom I guessed correctly with, directly smacked the back of my head.

“Then Senior, do you want to try it out?” While rubbing my head, I took out some coins and gave them to the vendor. It probably took less than a few seconds before a oiled paper bag was given in exchange, “In fact, this is actually pretty tasty…depending on your personal taste.” My sister thought it tasted terrible.

Passing the bag to Senior, he picked one up and took one bite before frowning: “Such a disgusting taste.”

Uh oh! Senior hates eating fried food!

But didn’t he eat burgers and fried chicken before?

“Aih…Senior, if you don’t want to eat it, just throw it away…” Everyone has different tastes. I personally think it tastes delicious.

Holding that paper bag, I ate the remaining ones inside.

“It’s fine.” Probably forcing himself as he ate the sweets, Senior quickly answered me, simultaneously applying his virtue of not being wasteful.

“Uh, then do you want to eat something else?” Glancing around, most of the nearby stalls were fried foods and the like, such as hotdogs, French fries, salty fried chicken, etc…I guess Senior probably wouldn’t want to hold a sausage and bite it while we walk, right?

Oh oh! I see someone selling *shaomai; a savior has appeared!

[T/N: type of steamed dumplings with the top open]

“I saw this in a previous mission’s location.” Following my line of sight, Senior also looked at that small, yet filled with many different styles, shaomai stall, “What is that?”

I looked at what Senior was pointing to, “Oh, that’s a wheel pie…Unlike the egg cakes we ate this morning, this has filings, like red bean stuffing, mung bean stuffing and the like.”

“…” Senior turned his head back.

Yikes, it can’t be that tonight is going to turn into a snack trip?

After paying, Senior and I each held a box of shaomai as we continued to drown in the crowd.

Honestly, it’s a bit difficult to walk when you’re squeezed in a crowd, so we quickly found a random candy stall and bought two large bags of candy and melon seeds, along with a big bonus milk bottle of marshmallows before starting to withdraw to the back of the street.

The back of the street also had some scattered vendors, but there were already less than the people in the front. Most of them were selling candy too, and occasionally there were a few beverage stalls.

After we stopped to buy two cups of plum juice, we avoided the remaining sporadic groups of people, standing on the dim side of the street and eating the food in our hands.

“So this is what the original world’s New Year Shopping Street is like.” After Senior got rid of the things in his hands, he issued such a conclusion.

Aih…Actually it’s not exactly correct. For example, the Jianguo Market* sells things that are more like the official products of the north and south. This place is more like a sightseeing one.

[T/N: Traditional market in Taichung, Taiwan

Raising my hand, I glanced at my watch. The two of us have probably been outside for almost two hours, “Senior, do you want to continue shopping…Senior?” Turning my head, I saw that Senior’s gaze was on that awning next to the electricity company.

What is he looking at?

Following suit and shifting my gaze up, I then saw a black mass appearing on top of that awning…In fact, I’m seeing things, really, I must be seeing things!

There’s no way on earth a three-headed black cat can exist and to even be swaying near the New Year Shopping Street!

With a “pa,” the back of my head was directly smacked down, “You’re not seeing things, come here!”

Before I could even react, my collar was tugged hard, and a second later, I was in the air and flung up–

Senior! Don’t do this sort of thing that humans wouldn’t do in a place with lots of people!

Once my feet landed, I was shocked to find that I had been thrown up to that high point by Senior. That three-headed cat stood in front of us, swaying its nine tails.

Is this really a cat?

“Prince Chang Ge, it’s rare to see you in the original world.” Taking off his hat, Senior’s black hair fully regained its original silvery white look. Then disregarding the fact that this should be a no-climbing area, he sat down.

That three-headed nine-tailed cat actually sat down in front of Senior too. What’s even scarier was that he actually opened his mouth and spoke: “Prince Icy Flame, it’s also rare to see you doing New Year shopping here.” The cat’s voice was thin and high-pitched, a bit like a girl’s voice and also a bit like a little boy’s voice; soft, not piercing, and comfortable.

“Nn, because it just happened to be vacation time, so I went with him to the original world to shop.” Senior grabbed me and sat me down beside him: “This is Prince Chang Ge.”

“Uh, hello, I am Chu Ming Yang.” Although it was very weird, I still politely bowed to the very strange cat.

The cat’s three heads nodded slightly at me, “I’ve heard of your name, however, it wasn’t in the sealed world.”

“The sealed world?” It was the first time I heard this strange name.

[T/N: Probably going to change the name later]

“It’s referring to the world of the school.” Senior glanced at me and explained this: “This side is called the original world.”

Oh, so that’s the case.

“I heard it in a hospital, about this guy who once set a record for coming in three times in a week, and each time, he came in for a different reason.” That cat pointed at me with his cat claw, his three heads opening their mouths and smiling.

I’m really sorry, I even came in for different reasons!

“Since I was very curious, I observed that place for a month, and that’s how I know your name.” The strange cat told Senior.

…Why were you observing me for a month for no reason!?

“Prince Chang Ge is an animal spirit, a guardian messenger of the dead.” Opening the lid of the plum juice that hasn’t been drunk and putting it before the strange cat, Senior revealed a faint smile.

I was actually observed by a death messenger for a month!

In that instant, I had the urge to take three steps back.

“Not the type that curses people to die. He is a guardian messenger that accompanies a person when he is about to embark on his final journey to let him forget all pain.” Coldly glaring at me, Senior added a comment.

Oh, turns out it’s like that.

“Many of my generation has already gone to the place of rest or the sealed world. There are not many of us remaining in the original world now, but I still feel the humans of the original world are more interesting, so I stayed here.” After the cat heads took turns drinking the plum juice, he happily said, with that eyesore of a cat claw still pointing at me, “Once in a while, I come across something like this, which I can then observe it for a long time. It’s really delightful.”

Turns out I used to be the source of your delight…

“Why was Prince Chang Ge near the New Year Shopping Street?” Senior had no intention of discussing whether I was its source of delight, and the topic returned to the beginning again.

“I smelled a sweet scent and was considering changing my appearance to go buy candy.” Finally withdrawing his claw, the strange cat told us: “But once I arrived here, I realized I forgot to bring money, hahaha…”

I didn’t really want to comment on this strange cat anymore…Wait a minute, he just said he came to buy candy: “We have extra candy that we can give you.” Taking out that milk bottle filled with cotton candy, I put it in front of the cat.

The three-different-colored eyes of the cat’s three heads all lit up: “Then I won’t be courteous.” Saying that, it stood up and used its tail to curl around the entire milk bottle that was about the same size as it, “My goal has been accomplished. I will be returning to the hospital to avoid the cold. It really is cold today.”

Senior pulled my hand and stood up, “I’m very happy I was able to see you tonight. See you next time.”

“Me too, see you next time.” The strange cat’s heads turned to look at me, then broke into a smile: “Chu Ming Yang, I only observed you but never approached you. Tonight is the first time; you’re someone who will live to be a hundred. You have to cherish everyday.”

After saying that, the strange cat quickly leaped off and disappeared before our eyes.

The cold night wind noisily blew.

“That’s great, Prince Chang Ge said you will live to be a hundred.” Senior picked up the empty cup whose bottom could be seen, and said in a tone like it was completely irrelevant.

So cold, tonight’s wind.

My head was full of black lines and cold sweat.

So to say, I’ll be unlucky like this until I’m a hundred years old?

I don’t want to————