NOVEL NEXT C1
Chapter One: The Flower of the Other Side
In the night of the metropolis, lights bloom like flowers, roads flow like rivers of light, and the streams of cars dart about like spirits in the twilight.
However, in the night sky, there is a scarlet bridal sedan chair carried by eight imposing demons, as if it has come from the other side of the world, strolling among the towering buildings.
Strangely, in this bustling market, no one seems to notice the flower bridge, nor do they hear the urgent and dreamy gasps of the woman inside the sedan chair.
Xia Yuyin is currently seated in the flower bridge, dressed in a white gown adorned with a few strokes of crimson, resembling a celestial fairy who has fallen from the heavens into the magical city, yet she does not possess the air of someone untouched by the mortal world.
At this moment, her face is flushed, and her voluptuous figure, far from the innocence she once had, occasionally obscures her vision. The semi-transparent long skirt reveals legs that are much more curvaceous than her past self, constantly reminding her of an unbelievable fact.
Xia Yuyin has been reborn.
In the more than half an hour since she regained consciousness, she has tried every possible way to eliminate other possibilities. Yes, she has indeed been reborn. Moreover, she has been reborn as a woman. A tall woman, exuding a slightly mature fragrance.
She remembers everything about her previous life; she was just an ordinary, frail-looking boy, but she cannot be sure if she was called by this name before her rebirth.
But that is clearly unimportant.
At this moment, she feels none of the excitement that should come with being reborn, such as buying stocks in advance or betting everything on the World Cup… How could she have the heart to care about these things?
To be a woman like a fairy from the other side, yet carried by these fierce and brutal demons, and to be seated in a bridal sedan? What good could come of that?
“What to do? I just got reborn; I can’t just wait to die here, can I?”
First, she must not attract their excessive attention. If she can jump out of the sedan, she will; if not, she will try to call for help or alert someone.
She dares not pull back the curtain in front of her; unless she sees it with her own eyes, she cannot imagine how fierce those demons are.
Taking a deep breath, the unfamiliar heavy weight on her chest seems to make her heart beat even harder. She trembles as she carefully lifts a corner of the curtain.
Outside the window is the familiar city. The large screen of a glamorous modern commercial plaza displays the trailer for “Avengers: Infinity War,” reminding her that it is now early May 2018, just a year ago.
However, what confuses Yuyin is that the advertisement for “Infinity War” does not occupy the most prominent position; there seems to be an advertisement for a domestic fantasy blockbuster set to be released around the same time that appears to be more eye-catching. Yet Yuyin does not remember such a film being released last year.
“Hmm?”
Yuyin’s eyelashes, glistening with evening dew, flutter slightly, and her starry eyes reveal a look of astonishment. In one corner of the giant screen, a few human-sized white apes are crouching, as if they have jumped out of a fantasy film, watching towards the flower bridge.
Yuyin blinks and focuses her gaze. No, these are not models or projections; they are real white apes. Why are there beasts in this city? No, they do not seem like ordinary beasts; they emit a kind of ancient and lively aura.
“Vroom~~~!”
A roaring engine interrupts Yuyin’s gaze. She risks a glance down and sees a red Ferrari, belonging to some wealthy young master, racing through the crowded street, while the people on both sides merely glance up before continuing to hurry along or look down at their phones.
In this street filled with thousands of people, is there really not a single person who sees the hellish demons carrying an eight-pole sedan above their heads!? However, those white apes seem to be able to see me? Yuyin suddenly realizes that her chances of calling for help might be very low.
Splash, splash…
As Yuyin is lost in thought, an orange-yellow illusionary light, like wings, drifts past her window with a gentle breeze.
Attracted by that light, Yuyin pulls the curtain wide open and looks outside.
To her astonishment, a gigantic golden fish, resembling a boat, swims through the air, shaking its head and tail. This fish seems to have a human face and a serpent’s tail, both illusory and real, its body faintly revealing the tops of tall buildings.
“What on earth is this? Is this really the Eastern metropolis I once lived in? Is this truly the world before my rebirth?”
Yuyin cannot help but look around anxiously.
Behind the dark old high-rise buildings, a cat as long as half a building is hidden. Its ears are extraordinarily long, its eyes gleaming with a fierce light, one paw resting on the neon sign of “New World,” while several peacock-feather-like tails sway behind it. The so-called “New World” is merely a luxurious ballroom from the city’s initial glory in the 1930s, yet now, this sign seems particularly fitting. This is a new world that appears similar to her past life but is vastly different!
Just then, the giant fish lazily swims around a crossroads, and a flock of large white birds flies out from deep within the skyscrapers. Each of these birds has only one wing, seemingly flying in pairs, emitting high-pitched calls like “Yao Ru, Yao Ru,” as if singing their names.
Above the bright yellow streetlights, a snake with bat wings circles around, and upon seeing the flower bridge, it quickly darts into the shadows between the buildings.
In the distance, the traffic is congested, and the lights twinkle.
At a glance, in this concrete jungle that never sleeps, countless strange spirit beasts that Yuyin has never seen before are wandering, lingering, and peering over the streets where men and women hurry by…
Thousands of spirits roam the night in the magical city, seemingly oblivious to the people. And in this city, some are in love, some are lonely, some rush to catch the subway after work, and some begin their extravagant nightlife, completely ignoring the existence of these spirits… Is this really the magical city?
Yuyin is in a daze.
Unbeknownst to her, the eight demons have already carried Yuyin to a relatively secluded green space, and the sedan comes to a stop.
Still in shock and confusion, a chill suddenly rises in Yuyin’s body. What are they going to do? Eat her? Or something else? In any case, the newly reborn Yuyin has no way to resist!
A massive demon claw, so large that it makes her feel weak just looking at it, pulls back the curtain in front of her. At that moment, Yuyin nearly suffocates.
“Calm down… Stay calm… If these guys wanted to kill me, they could have done it long ago; why go through the trouble of carrying me in a sedan? It’s best to act as if everything is normal…” Acting as if nothing is wrong seems simple, but how easy is it? Yet a strong desire to survive begins to seep from every part of Yuyin’s body, igniting her self-control.
The demon’s eyes, capable of making Yuyin’s heart leap into her throat, glare at her as if the end of the world is near. However, after that, the demon steps aside, seemingly allowing Yuyin to exit.
Yuyin does not know how she gathers the courage to stand up, but the tips of her toes nearly trip her.
High heels? Wearing these at a time like this is truly deadly!
Suddenly, Yuyin feels something foreign sliding along the inner side of her warm legs, nearly causing her to lose control.
Clang, something falls to the ground.
A phone? Yuyin looks at the demon, but the one pulling back the curtain shows no reaction.
Yuyin tries her best to appear natural, suppressing the tremors of her tall and delicate body, and she doesn’t know where the inspiration comes from as she brushes her long black hair to one side, bends down, picks up the phone, and quietly holds it behind her. She is afraid, but fear can lead to mistakes.
Can it get any worse?
At this moment, Yuyin controls her body, and the memories from her own body allow her to walk smoothly in high heels. She slightly bends down and steps off the sedan.
The demon’s legs are like thick black pillars, and the heavy, unbearable stench nearly suffocates her as she feels she has taken the longest steps of her life.
“They say not to look back when encountering a ghost; since they let me down from the sedan, I’ll act as if I know nothing and walk straight ahead, towards the crowd…”
Yuyin’s heart pounds heavily against her chest, her legs move as if guided by some unseen force, maintaining a balance that could collapse at any moment, “Don’t look back, absolutely don’t look back…”
“Xia Yuyin!”
A heavy, shocking voice makes Yuyin feel as if she has fallen into an ice cave.
In her panic, she turns around and sees the tallest and darkest-haired demon among the eight speaking to her: “Three years from now, we will come to fetch you.”
“What?” Yuyin’s chest rises and falls deeply as she gazes at these imposing and terrifying demons, feeling that she has no room to argue at this moment. But why? Why did these demons carry her here in a sedan, and why will they come to find her again in three years?
The eight demons lift the sedan again, as if they really intend to leave.
“Why…” Yuyin’s long black hair sways in the night wind, and she does not know where her courage comes from, but she blurts out, perhaps it is the resentment accumulated from continuous fear.
The demons stop, and the leading demon turns back, its powerful figure casting a shadow as its blood-red eyes gaze at Yuyin, making her soul tremble.
“You are the bride of the Ghost King.”