10 Arrival at the NiuNu City

Everytime Wang Heiyue closed his eyes, nightmares always haunted him. His pathetic past life, one that was filled with agony and despair replayed in his mind over and over again. This time, the nightmare replayed his beginning of his suffering, the moment his life went spiraling down. 

The odor of dead bodies. The buzzing sounds of flies and maggots. Wang Heiyue knew that really well. The smell was intense when he was the one sitting at the bottom of the pit, sitting in the pile of rotting corpses, with blood covering his whole body and strangely bent legs. 

He was incapable of moving. 

His nails were broken, coated in blood and mud. His dark long hair was soiled and knotted, his forehead was covered by his own fringe. But none of these were able to hide the sorrow and pain in his eyes as they shone brighter than any jewels. These bright eyes burned with flames of anguish and despair. 

The flies at the bottom of the pit whirled and suddenly swarmed around. Wang Heiyue stared silently at the people above the pit. He noted that all of them were dressed in armor with a familiar looking crest on the chest area. It looked like a dragon and he knew it instantly. 

"Kill him already!" 

"But--" 

"Heaven and earth have turned upside down! Pick your sides!" 

As if they had felt his stare, they began to look frightened. "Hurry up!" 

"Oh Deity! Please forgive me! I have no choice!" 

Each one of them began lifting stones to smash down. Large stones began coming one after another, raining heavily onto Wang Heiyue. Loud thuds echoed dully in the deep hole. Thuds tore into their ears, chilling the soldiers out in cold sweat. 

"Stop! We are done! He's dead already!" 

"Shit! Let's go and report the finished mission!" 

"I can no longer be here, goodness!" 

"Go, go!"

The sun didn't shine into the bottom of the pit, and darkness grew. The soldiers never had the guts to check but a single eye blazed brightly under the mountain of stones. His eyes were wide open and a creepy grin stretched across his lips. 

His mind had been clouded with thoughts of not wanting to die before they turned to revenge. 

'Revenge! I want revenge!'

"Revenge!" A  shout of anguish and despair came out of Wang Heiyue's mouth, waking him up from his nightmare. 

Suddenly sitting right up, Wang Heiyue was sweating bullets. Then he stared blankly around him, noting the outlines of the cave and strong sunlight that shone through. A soft feminime hum startled him. Suddenly all the memories flooded into him, reminding him. The headache was splitting, pounding inside his head.

A second chance. This was real. Now he remembered. Taking a deep breath to stabilize the mess in his mind, he glanced at the young girl beside him. 

'It really is real!' 

For years after being reborn, he had always pinched himself to check if all of it was real. Confirming this face, he calmed himself down. Slowly he laide back down and turned sideways so he was able to watch his sister. His eyes grew excited at the sight of her as the corner of his mouth revealed a silent and cold grin. 

'This time, none of the tragedies will happen again.' 

***

The wind gently caressed Bai Shuyin's face as she skipped lightly in her steps. They had been traveling for four days straight and it only took one more day to reach the Li Kingdom. 

The weather was brutal. It was so hot that Bai Shuyin, the homebody-- someone who would never step out of home unless she deemed it necessary-- felt like she had been flame grilled. Fortunately, she brought a neck cooler and a portable fan with her; namely Wang Heiyue. 

He had wrapped his cold-blooded body around her neck and whirled his fluffy tail directly in front of her face, creating a makeshift fan. Cold breeze brushed her face, turning the exhausted journey into nothing. She had told Wang Heiyue to take a break if he was tired, but he was hellbent on doing it, telling her that his tail had a mind of its own. 

So, who was she to say no? 

They reached the border of Li Kingdom the very next day. They had decided to stop in one of the cities in Li Kingdom, the one nearest to the border, NiuNu City. Whether or not they would go to the Capital City, they hadn't decided. For now, NiuNu City sounded good. 

Even though it was a small city, it actually looked prosperous in Bai Shuyin's eyes. She had watched documentaries of ancient China, but seeing one in real life gave different feelings. After eating roasted meat in the wild for a few days, she craved something else. When the scent of hot, deliciously cooking meals entered her nose, she subconsciously licked her lips. 

Wang Heiyue was no different. Even though he managed to keep that cute little frown on his face, she could hear the loud gulp he did when swallowing a mouth full of saliva. 

Once they entered the City, bright orange and red lanterns greeted their sight. There were lots of food stalls. Various delicious smells surround them, making their stomachs grumble loudly. Loud clangs echoed as the swordsmith repeatedly hammered a piece of metal. 

"2 for 3! 2 for 3!" 

"Are you hungry, young lad? Try some buns!" 

"Warm and delicious!" 

"Newly hunted magical beast skin! On a discount, today only!" 

The City was loud and lively, filled with shouts of bargains. It was so crowded that Bai Shuyin immediately grabbed Wang Heiyue's small hand so they wouldn't get separated. 

Bai Shuyin looked closely at the small houses and stalls. People dressed in long robes which she immediately recognized as Hanfu. Bai Shuyin almost squealed in excitement. The clothes in this era were so gorgeous. Long sleeves that covered even the tip of one's fingers, and thick belt around the waist. 

Hairs were tied up nicely, adorned with ribbons and jewelry. She noticed a few were warriors as they carried swords on their hips. People were either traveling on foot or by horses. When they were buying, Bai Shuyin quickly saw what currency they used. 

It seemed the currency used was in a form of traditional gold, silver, and copper ores. 

They went from one stall to another. The City sold various items, starting from food to energy stones, magical tools, and even medicinal pills. But first, she needed to find both of them a place to stay and feed Wang Heiyue, most importantly hers too. Her stomach had been complaining. 

A single, written announcement on the wall in the middle of the street caught her attention.