On the fifteenth day of the New Year, during the Lantern Festival, her mother took her baby brother to watch the lanterns. Her sisters went along as well.
Her father stayed behind with her and even brought her half a bowl of sweet dumplings.
It was a luxury only her father and baby brother ever got to enjoy. She had never dared to even dream of tasting them.
Her father held out a spoon, feeding her. She could hardly believe it and quickly propped herself up, suppressing her discomfort to take a bite.
It was so sweet.
The sesame filling mixed with pork fat was a flavor she had never imagined.
Her father fed her another spoonful, then another. His tenderness was so overwhelming it brought tears to her eyes.
“Do you have any last wishes? Tell me. And remember, when you get to the other side, don’t hold a grudge against us,” her father said gently after feeding her. Then he crouched down and motioned for her to climb onto his back.
She understood everything from that one sentence.
A seven-year-old child, after all, already has a sensitive heart.
Her father thought she had lived too long and now intended to carry her and personally send her to the other side.
In that moment, she didn’t feel hatred.
“Father, can you carry me and play hopscotch with me? Just once, to my heart’s content?” she asked softly, still obedient and sweet as ever, clinging to his shoulders.
For a child who had lived seven years without ever playing freely, this was a simple wish. It wasn’t too much to ask. Not at all.
“Father…” she murmured now, lost in her memories. Tightening her grip on Xuan Ye’s shoulders, she whispered, “You promised me. You said you’d keep your word. Won’t you?”
“What did I promise you?” Xuan Ye asked softly, stopping for a moment to catch his breath.
“You promised to carry me and let me play until I was satisfied! You promised! I knew you were going to throw me into that well, but you promised to fulfill my wish first. You promised!”
Her voice grew shrill with accusation. Furious at his pause, she tightened her grip around his neck, leaving deep, bloody marks.
“Why would I throw you into a well?” Xuan Ye asked gently, his tone unwaveringly calm.
“Because I was burned and covered in sores, rotting but unable to die!” the girl cried. She looked down at Xuan Ye, suddenly realizing something, and gripped his shoulders tightly. Her voice rose higher with each word. “You’re not my father! But you’re just like him! You all break your promises!”
“People who break their promises will face retribution!” she screamed, her voice cutting through the cave like a blade.
Xuan Ye and Ban Xia exchanged glances, the weight of her story sinking in. Truly, as the saying goes, “Those who are hateful must also be pitied.”
“I keep my word,” Xuan Ye said firmly, steadying himself with a deep breath. “I’ll play with you to the end. I won’t break my promise. Let’s continue.”
“199, 200, 201…”
Ban Xia’s voice was still crisp, but Xuan Ye was visibly struggling.
The girl on his back grew heavier and heavier until it felt like he was carrying a massive stone tablet. The weight was unbearable, and standing upright became nearly impossible.
It wasn’t just the weight of her ghostly form but also her overwhelming hatred. Her immense spiritual power pressed down on him like a thousand pounds.
“I was so obedient. So obedient. So obedient! I had just one wish. Why do you all break your promises?” the girl screeched, her body burning like a branding iron against his back.
Her anger was justified.
On her father’s shoulders that day, she had thought, Hopscotch has seven rounds. But if Father can just play three rounds with me, I’ll be satisfied. I won’t hold a grudge against anyone.
But her father had grown impatient. He resented her weight and her stench. After barely completing one round, he carried her to the dry well and threw her in.
She remembered it vividly. The moment he tossed her, his face relaxed, as though he were discarding a rotten cabbage.
How could she not hate?
Everyone in the world who broke their promises, who didn’t understand loyalty and commitment, deserved to die!
“If you break your promises, you’ll all die, worse than I did,” she murmured on Xuan Ye’s back, her voice no longer soft but venomous and cruel.
With that, her weight grew even heavier, as though another stone tablet had been added.
“249.”
At that number, Xuan Ye stumbled, coughing up blood.
“349.”
Another hundred jumps later, his leg bones cracked under the strain. A sharp snap echoed through the cave as his ankle fractured.
This time, Xuan Ye collapsed to one knee, spitting out more blood that stained his lower robes red.
“Are you giving up?” the girl’s voice turned piercing, laced with the scent of blood. She leaned her head forward. “Giving up means breaking your promise.”
“People who break their promises must pay the price!” she repeated, her voice dripping with vengeful glee.
Xuan Ye didn’t reply. He hunched over, panting heavily.
Suddenly, the crescent-shaped blade he carried began to glow, flooding the cave with silvery light, illuminating every shadowy corner.
Ban Xia dropped the rope in her hands, sensing a sharp burst of energy from Xuan Ye that tore through the oppressive darkness.
His power had finally returned!
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