#tasselbun

           Guo Tianye ( 过恬夜) knelt on the bloodstained grass, taking the hand of the hyperventilating man who had a severe gash on his neck. He was beyond help. The panic in his eyes said only one thing – “I don’t want to die.”

           While the chaos continued in the forest, Guo Tianye squeezed the man’s hands, casting an illusion where it was only them. Instead of the bloodcurdling cries and horror-stricken screams, the noise was replaced by the chirping of swallows on the beams in the pavilion they were in.

           Guo Tianye shushed him and soothed, “You’re safe. It’s okay now.”

           The white lotuses shimmered with morning dew in the clear lake filled with lanterns. Guo Tianye gestured towards the lake and urged the man, “Look over there.”

           Still choked with blood, the young guard turned his head, and the lantern light gleamed in his eyes as tears poured down his face. His lips turned up into a faint smile, his teeth stained red. He coughed and rasped, “B-B-Beautiful…”

           “Yes, it is.”

           “I…I’m…s-s-scared…”

           “Don’t be. No one will punish you,” Guo Tianye calmly reassured him, “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

           It was true.

           Guo Tianye had glimpsed into the young soldier’s memories, seeing him grow from a small child into a steadfast young man, working to support his ailing mother by becoming a guard for an esteemed merchant.

           But, who knew they would get attacked on the road by rogue cultivators?

           Compared to cultivators, these ordinary guards were nothing more than duckweed billowing at the wind’s mercy. One of the cultivators lured this young man out and struck, slicing open the side of his neck and leaving him to die.

           And, here was Guo Tianye, performing his duty for Yanluo.

           He repeated, “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

           The young guard’s eyelashes fluttered. “T-Tell…mom…I’m…s-s-s-sorry…”

           Guo Tianye lied, “I will. Rest now.”

           “Will…you….s-s-stay…?”

           “Mn.” Guo Tianye whispered, “The road is long. I will accompany you.”

           A few minutes passed, and the young man’s pupils dilated. His chest stopped shaking, and his hand fell limp in Guo Tianye’s. Guo Tianye’s closed his eyes before taking out his qiankun pouch. From it, he grabbed the soul lantern. Quietly, he extracted the young man’s soul which was a shimmering verdant color. He placed it in the lantern and let the illusion fade their surroundings returning to the chaotic scenario.

           There were more he had to comfort, more souls to gather.

           Quietly, he leapt into the canopy of trees, ready to search for more victims. The yuanlingpao fluttered through the breeze, the blood red spider lilies a stark contrast against the pristine white of mourning clothes.

           Guo Tianye never shirked his duties since he was born centuries ago.

           How many human lives have passed in this mortal realm?

           The human world was very good, and people were reluctant to let go.

           Indeed, the Infernal Realm was chilling, and the road was long.