Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Chapter 71 Human Suffering

Everyone in the house had rushed to see the mayor, leaving the other courtyards deserted and empty. Wuxin and Lord Gu rushed towards their small courtyard one after the other. The moment they entered, even Lord Gu, who was bringing up the rear, smelled a faint scent of blood. Wuxin suddenly stopped and bent down to pick up a small purse from the ground.

The thin strap on the purse was broken, but the purse's opening was tightly closed; it was the little crescent-shaped ornament that Crescent Moon always wore close to her body around her neck. Through the thin fabric, one could pinch out the folded yellow talisman inside. The strap was wet, not with fresh blood, but with pus, emitting a putrid stench. Lord Gu sniffed; he knew something was wrong!

Before he could speak, Wuxin rushed toward the door.

The door was ajar, and pushing it open revealed a warm, dark space. Gushing blood soaked the cool spring night, the quilt was dragged from the bed to the floor, and Crescent Moon was pinned to the bed with a steel knife piercing her chest. Her thin clothes were stained red with blood, as red as the wedding dress she had sewn for herself last year.

She was still conscious, but she didn't groan. A warm breath lingered in her chest; she was waiting for him to return.

Wuxin stood by the bed and leaned down to call out, "Crescent Moon?"

His voice was soft and trembling, filled with shock, pain, and despair. He reached out and touched her cheek; it was warm and wet. A knife had cut her face; she had been tortured.

Crescent Moon endured her death, waiting and waiting, until finally he returned. Just an hour ago, the two had been intimately sharing a bed, but in a mere fifteen minutes, her entire life had vanished. She knew she was dying; she couldn't even feel the pain anymore.

"It's Yue Qiluo." She spoke, her voice soft yet steady: "She ran away, with just a skeleton."

In the quiet glow of her dying moments, she gazed intently at Wuxin. There were so many things to say; they had promised to spend their lives together, but now one was gone prematurely. What would become of the other?

So she couldn't stop; she had to finish her sentence while she was still breathing: "I'm not asking you to avenge me. If you can't beat her, just run as far away as possible."

Wuxin replied, "Yes, I've got it."

Lord Gu's footsteps drew closer, and in the darkness, one could hear his heavy breathing, a sign of uncontrollable rage and a heart-wrenching despair. A large hand reached for Crescent Moon's chest; he wanted to draw his sword, but if he did, Crescent Moon would surely die instantly.

Crescent Moon heard his voice and spoke again: "Lord Gu..."

Lord Gu replied in a muffled voice, "Ah, Crescent Moon, don't worry, I'll definitely give you a grand funeral. As for that vixen who harmed you, I won't let her off either."

Crescent Moon smiled faintly, "Lord Gu...you've always been so good to us..." Her voice grew weaker, "After I'm gone, please take care of him for me...he doesn't have any real skills, so if he becomes poor in the future, remember to give him some food..."

Lord Gu's voice was rough and hoarse: "Crescent Moon, I assure you. If I have a bite of thin gruel, he'll have a bite of dry gruel. How could I not afford to support him? I have soldiers, money, and territory; supporting him is a piece of cake!"

Crescent Moon nodded, then turned her gaze to Wuxin: "Why don't you light the lamp? Light the lamp, and I'll take another look at you."

With a "snap," a flame leaped up; it was Lord Gu striking a match. One by one, the candles on the candlestick lit, gradually revealing a crescent-shaped face in the light, crisscrossed with bloodstains, a gruesome sight. Staring intently at Wuxin, her breath trembled, and a tear of blood slid down her cheek.

"We've only been together for a year..." Her voice grew softer, "What will you do all alone from now on...?"

Only her eyes remained clear and bright, staring unblinkingly at Wuxin: "Wuxin, I haven't had enough of you..."

Wu Xin stared at her silently, a clear liquid gathering in his eyes and hanging on his eyelashes, thick and heavy—his tears.

"Crescent Moon," he said softly, "I haven't had enough either."

Crescent Moon laughed: "From now on... I won't serve you anymore... You'd better live your own life well..."

Then she slowly blinked and stared at Wuxin for a long while.

Finally, she slowly closed her eyes. A soft sigh escaped from her mouth and nose, carrying all the joys and sorrows, and lingering attachments of her short life: "I haven't had enough..."

Wuxin raised his head, and the solidified, transparent teardrop fell. A faint light flickered before his eyes; it was the soul of Crescent Moon leaving its body, irretrievable and unrecoverable.

Lord Gu's guards surrounded the courtyard, forbidding any unauthorized personnel from approaching. Wuxin brought hot water and closed the door, intending to bathe Yueya; Lord Gu stood alone outside the door, leaning against the wall, chain-smoking. He dared not stop; tears and sobs choked in his throat, which he had to suppress with each puff of smoke.

Another candlestick was added to the room, its light almost comparable to an electric lamp. Without thinking, he wrung out a towel and went to wipe Yueya's face. They had been husband and wife for a year, and Yueya had taken care of him entirely, doing all the housework.

Crescent Moon died a gruesome death; all her joints were crushed, so she couldn't even touch Wuxin before she died. Wuxin carefully wiped the bloodstains from her body. They hadn't had enough time together; they hadn't had enough of each other.

Wuxin has experienced countless life-and-death separations, but each protagonist is unique to him. For him to completely forget someone might only take a day, or it might take a hundred years.

Wuxin changed Yueya into clean clothes. Lord Gu ordered the carriage to be prepared and took Yueya back to Wen County. The night was deep. He and Wuxin sat side-by-side in the carriage. Lord Gu asked him, "Your wife was killed. What are you thinking?"

Wu Xin replied, "I want revenge."

Lord Gu then asked, "Do you have a plan?"

Wu Xin shook his head: "I'm thinking about it."

Lord Gu, who had been smoking all night, instinctively reached for his cigarette case again: "Think it through and speak. I have men and guns!"

Wu Xin hummed in agreement.

Yueya had no family or children, and the weather was hot, so her funeral couldn't be too elaborate or grand; the burial took place three days later. For those three days, Wuxin stayed in the mourning hall. He moved a small stool and sat beside Yueya, his eyes closed, his head tilted, his cheek pressed against the back of her hand. Yueya lay quietly on the funeral bed, covered with a white sheet. Without her, the house no longer felt like a home. Master Gu had disappeared; only a young orderly brought meals three times a day. The kitchen was deserted, quiet from morning till night. Wuxin brought Yueya's sewing basket to him; inside lay an unfinished large cloth shoe. Yueya was always busy, cooking and sewing endlessly; she cooked quickly, but her sewing was slow. She said she would make a pair of shoes for Master Gu, but she still hadn't finished them. Wuxin picked up the cloth shoe and looked at it, knowing he was alone again.

No matter how good Lord Gu is, he's not a crescent moon. Lord Gu has his own career, and in the future, he will have his own family, a large and lively group of relatives including his grandchildren. And no matter where he lives, as long as he lives, he will become an enigma in the eyes of others. No matter how much affection Lord Gu has for him, he can't explain all the mysteries surrounding him to his family.

But the crescent moon is different.

He is Crescent Moon's only one, and Crescent Moon is his only one. Crescent Moon doesn't need to defend his existence; they are only responsible for each other. If you can't stand us, we'll leave.

Wuxin bent down and carefully sorted through the scraps of cloth in the basket. Crescent Moon never easily threw away any rags, as if preparing to build a foundation that would last for eternity. Holding a large handful of colorful strips of cloth, Wuxin suddenly began to mutter to himself.

He said, "I miss you."

On the day of Yueya's burial, Lord Gu returned home, travel-worn and weary.

He rushed through the door before the coffin was closed, and shouted as soon as he entered, "Wait!"

Then he strode over to the coffin, pulled a small velvet box from his uniform pocket, opened it, and handed it to Wuxin. He tilted his head towards the crescent moon inside the coffin: "Put this on her."

Wuxin accepted the small box. Inside, lined with a purplish-red velvet lining, sat a pair of diamond earrings. The earrings sparkled, like two teardrops, or two shimmering glimmers of light.

Bending down beside the coffin, Wuxin reached out and removed the small gold earring from Yueya's ear, replacing it with a diamond pendant. Both of them knew that if Yueya were alive, she would never have let Lord Gu spend money on diamonds. She was already very content with the gold.

Lord Gu buried Crescent Moon outside Wen County.

After the funeral, Lord Gu and Wuxin remained. Lord Gu asked, "Aren't you good at chanting scriptures? Why didn't you chant a passage for Yueya?"

Wu Xin shook his head: "Because I simply don't want her to leave."

Lord Gu then asked, "What's the next step?"

Wu Xin said, "I'm waiting for Yue Qiluo."

Lord Gu didn't understand: "Waiting for Yue Qiluo? She killed your wife, wouldn't she have fled long ago?"

Wuxin glanced at the tombstone again, then strode forward: "She's not afraid of death, she won't run away."

Lord Gu caught up with him: "Where are you going to wait? Not at home, are you?"

Wuxin replied in a low voice, "I want to go to Pig Head Mountain."

(End of this chapter)