To Raise a Soul

Chapter 4: Knock
Description: Hmm? Where is he?

As if annoyed by his staring, a twig of peach blossom suddenly fell on his head, then slid down his back and into his basket.

“Ah.”

Yu Zhen raised his hand to his head, and turned to look into his basket. But his viewing angle was limited so he could only see the corner of his cotton-padded hat.

The branch was growing perfectly well on the tree, why did it suddenly fall down?

Yu Zhen felt strange. He turned slightly and took off his basket. Bending down, he picked up the branch of peach blossom lying on top of the firewood. Then he turned his head up and looked at the peach tree to find the branch that the twig fell from. But what he saw was a bare tree.

A northerly wind blew, bringing a cool chill with it.

Yu Zhen held the twig with peach blossoms. Standing under the bare peach tree, Yu Zhen stared at the tree and was stupefied.

The flowers. Where were the flowers?

He looked down at the flower twig in his hand again and looked up at the bare peach tree. He noticed that a twig from the highest point of the tree had been broken off. Nervously, his mind created some strange conjectures. Yu Zhen didn’t dare to stay any longer. He picked his basket and ran towards the small road which would take him up the hill.

After a few peaceful and restful days, Yu Zhen started to dream again.

He couldn’t remember the contents of his dreams, and he became more muddle-headed with each passing day. Even worse though, the coldness in his arms and legs had returned with the dreams.

On a sunny day, Yu Zhen sat on the high threshold of the temple’s door with large dark circles under his eyes. He took a bite out of a bun and chewed it a few times without paying attention to the taste. His eyes unconsciously moved to the ground where the twig had bloomed with beautiful flowers. He felt choked and couldn’t eat any more of the bun.

It had already been a week but the strange twig of peach blossom remained covered with brilliant flowers. The flowers showed no signs of withering. It maintained an attractiveness about it which would make people happy. With the brilliant peach blossoms nearby, it easily overshadowed his thin and pallid appearance.

It was too weird.

Placing the steamed bun on a low stool, he stood up and picked up the flower branch. He reached out and pressed on the flowers, and an abundant amount of flower juice covered his hands.

Normal flower petals wouldn’t produce so much flower juice.[1]

The flowers’ fragrance filled the air and in his muddle headed state, Yu Zhen wondered how it would taste. He licked the juices from his hand, causing a sweet taste to spread throughout his mouth. His confused mind cleared up in that moment.

Hmm?

Yu Zhen stood motionlessly. He felt as if he had awakened from a dream. Not daring to look at his own hand, he only looked at the flowers which were surprisingly tasty. He threw away the peach blossoms in a panic and frantically wiped his hand.

What was going on? He actually thought that the peach blossom juice was delicious, and even had the strange illusion that the peach branch might be chocolate flavoured.

Something was wrong. There must be something wrong.

[Xiao Zhen, there are some things in this world that exist even if you don’t believe in it. When Grandfather is gone, you will understand.]

[You must keep this protective bead with you. Don’t lose it, do you understand?]

The words Grandpa Yu would say to him flashed through Yu Zhen’s mind. His heart rate increased.

The symptoms of cold limbs, a confused mind, insomnia and dreams had appeared after he burned the protective beads. He also had experiences that couldn’t be explained using science.

The doctor had said his medical report showed that his body was completely fine.

The flowers on the ground were still in bloom and the sweetness on his tongue could still be tasted. Yu Zhen tightened his hands and felt his cold fingertips slowly warming up as the sweetness in his mouth continued to spread.

He was finished. The punishment for not listening to his grandad had come.

A luxurious black car travelled along an uneven dirt road. Its speed was so slow that it did not match its function.

“Uncle Weng, drive more slowly. Brother still hasn’t recovered. We can’t let him be jolted around.” Yin Le reminded for the fifth time. Hearing this from the driver’s seat, Weng XiPing’s face was full of helplessness.

“Young Master, if we slow down anymore the car would stop.”

Yin Le took a look outside the window and saw that the scenery was moving by at a slow pace. Realizing that he was being silly, Yin Le smiled to cover up his embarrassment. Through the rear view mirror, Yin Le glanced at his brother sitting alone in the back. Yin Yan was shifting around on his seat, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

He should have sat in the back seat, but recently, his older brother was too silent and he had also become strange. Yin Le felt that his big brother had the aura of a celestial being that did not belong amongst humans. He felt that being close to his older brother would be an offense.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but since the accident, Yin Le had felt that not only had his brother’s temperament changed but his appearance also seemed to be a little different from before.

Clearly, facial features were just facial features, but the colour of his brother’s the eyes and his brother’s hair were getting darker every day. The colour of his lips turned from an unhealthy pale red to a darker shade that made people unconsciously want to look more.

But the reason for the changes could be due to his brother’s weight loss. His facial features had become more defined, his skin had improved, and even his height seemed to have increased a little.

ow IkjIn which way did it look like his brother was unwell? It looked more like his brother had gone overseas to get surgery to improve his appearance.

In the rear view mirror, Yin Yan suddenly looked away from the scenery outside the window and his gaze met with Yin Le’s. Yin Le looked blankly at his brother, then he quickly looked away.

“What’s wrong?”

Yin Yan remained expressionless. Raising his hand, Yin Yan touched his face and asked, “Do I look too pale right now? My face has been sickly looking.”

His pale, slender fingers were on his face. His face was very attractive, like an eye catching painting, but Yin Le suddenly felt a little sad.

“No. Big brother is still very handsome.”

Yin Le shook his head hard and felt that he was being silly. Of course if his brother lost weight, his facial features would become more defined. Being in the hospital for a long time, his brother’s skin would become paler so his hair and lips would seem darker.

After eating nutritious meals daily, and being forced to lie in bed all day, it would be weirder if his skin didn’t improve.

As for the height problem, Yin Yan used to slouch, but recently, the doctor advised him to stand straight. So it was natural that his brother seemed taller than before.

What plastic surgery? His brother’s handsomeness was a result of his good genes.

Putting the silly thoughts out of his mind, the feeling of being distant disappeared from Yin Le’s heart. He turned around and hung onto the car seat. He openly looked his brother up and down and said, “Mum’s style is great. Wearing this suit, you look very handsome. It looks much better than the jackets you used to wear.”

Yin Yan straightened out his suit and did not speak.

Yin Le’s gaze followed the movement of his brother’s hands, then it snapped back up and his gaze shifted to Yin Yan’s hair which had grown longer. Compared to the carefully styled hair his brother used to have, Yin Le thought his loosely hanging, soft black hair looked even better. But remembering his brother’s usual preference, he said, “Brother, your hair needs a trim. When we’re back at B City, why don’t we go for a haircut?”

“Young Master, please sit properly. We’re going uphill.”

Weng XiPing interrupted the friendly exchange between the two brothers. Yin Yan did not respond to Yin Le’s suggestion. He only said: “Sit well.”

“Oh.” Yin Le replied and turned back. He obediently sat in his seat properly and adjusted his seat belt.

The slope was not long, and the car quickly and smoothly went up the hill. A dirt road which was even narrower than the previous road appeared before their eyes.

“Keep straight.” Yin Yan said and slightly adjusted his sitting position.

Yin Le felt that he may be overthinking things again. He had the feeling that his brother had become the very strict type. His brother had an expressionless face which was calm and collected.

There were some twists and turns in the dirt road. The further they went, the denser the trees and the narrower the road became.

When an area with a broken ​​tree appeared on the roadside, Yin Le looked over. The joy on his face quickly disappeared, and he tightened his lips.

Weng XiPing also glanced at the side, then he stepped on the gas to speed up the travel through the area.

The Taoist temple was very close. Yin Yan did not look at the scene of the accident, instead, his gaze was fixed to the front. The Taoist temple was reflected in his dark eyes. Apart from the temple, there was nothing else which mattered to him.

The car stopped near the temple’s door. With consideration, the driver did not block the door.

Up until that day, Yin Le had never seen such a worn out door nor had he seen such a worn out temple. His eyes swept over the large crack on the courtyard door and the crude tiles on the roof of the temple. He suddenly felt a little weak.

In his mind, the sister-in-law who saved his brother’s life was a delicate and pretty woman who was down to earth and had a warm personality. Although the residence was rather simple, there was a garden in front, and a small stream in the back.

He felt that only this type of young lady would be suitable for his brother. Only this type of lady would be able to mend the heart broken by Han Ya. Love at first sight. It should be said that the true essence of love was based on warmth and kindness, not on lies or on making someone wait.

“Young Master, does your brain have a problem? Didn’t the police officers say the other Young Master’s saviour is a young man who lives in the Taoist temple? What flower garden and small streams? Please watch fewer idol dramas, and read books instead.”

Weng XiPing ruthlessly broke Yin Le’s fantasy. Removing his seat belt, he left the car.

Yin Le suddenly realised he had said the embarrassing things he had been imagining out loud. With a red face, he turned around to explain to his brother, only to find the back seats empty. His older brother had already disappeared.

Hmm? Where is he? Didn’t the car just stop?

He turned back around and saw his brother silhouette at the temple’s door. His brother was looking so handsome he could make people’s legs turn to jelly.

Inside the temple.

Yu Zhen sat on the old fashioned bed. He clenched his cold hands, pursed his numbed lips and looked at the peach blossom congee. He took in a deep breath and lifted his hands to the bowl. His hands traced along the edge of the bowl.

He didn’t have the time nor energy to think too much about those weird things. If he kept on feeling this cold, he suspected he would be frozen to death.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The fingers on the edge of the bowl stopped moving. He paused for a moment before shaking his head.

Why would there be knocking sounds? Was he hearing things again?

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The fragrance of the peach blossom congee drifted over and his sluggish mind began to work.

He thought for a few seconds before realizing that the knocking sound came from the courtyard door. It was not an illusion. He quickly got up and ran a hand through the hair he hadn’t brushed since waking up. He pulled off the cotton blanket wrapped around him and quickly headed to the courtyard door.

It was weird. Normally, nobody would come to the temple for years at a time but today there was a visitor. The sun had finally risen from the west.[2]

“I’m coming, wait a moment.”

He raised his voice to reply, so the guest wouldn’t feel impatient.

When his hand was finally on the door, a faint, refreshing breeze drifted over from behind the door. He paused his action of opening the door. When he noticed the fragrance, he thought of a possibility.

Recently, he had met too many strange occurrences. He had a strange incident in the woods, the person knocking on the door now, could they be…”

Knock.

From the door which had been opened a fraction, another gentle knock sounded. Then, a slender and pale hand reached in and held the door. The door was gently pushed open.

The stranger didn’t use much strength and Yu Zhen didn’t put in any effort to push back. This time, he no longer had the strength to resist danger.

Yu Zhen looked at the pale hand on the door and memories related to the corpse from the night of the accident rapidly returned to his mind. He stepped back unconsciously, his eyes widened, his teeth began to tremble, and with fear filled eyes, he looked at the door being slowly opened.

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About the first impression.
Yu Zhen’s inner heart: The ghost came, help! ! ! !

[Translator’s Note:]

[1] 花汁(Hua1 Zhi1) 花 = flower. 汁 = juice.

Not sure how to translate this. It’s not nectar. It’s the kind of fluid/liquid you get when you crush any type of vegetation. Flower juice sounds silly, but I’ve got no better alternatives, so it stays. Suggestions are welcome J.

[2] A common sayingIt’s impossible for the sun to rise from the west, so it means what has happened is a near impossible feat.