363 Jin Sheng, Lai Sheng, Wang Sheng

 

The coloring book fell open, the simple color paintings described the boy’s pure thoughts and wishes. The boy painted many things about family like his parents cooking, gardening, and cleaning the house together. The lines were simple and the paintings were cute, there was warmth from them… or at least they did look that way at first glance.

“Is your name Lai Sheng?” Han Fei picked up the coloring book. He tried to make himself as calm as possible, ignoring the gaze coming from behind him. Han Fei had no idea how long the boy’s parents had been watching. Han Fei was thankful that he watched his words and didn’t do anything to harm the boy.

“That was my nickname but after daddy left, mommy rarely calls me by my nickname anymore.” The boy said in a tone that tried to make him sound older than he was. But the fact that he had just peed his pants just made the whole attempt too cute.

“So Lai Sheng is really your name…” Han Fei picked up the coloring book and then glanced at the black and white portrait which he had placed back on the top shelf of the dresser. The portrait and rice bowl were placed at a location where the boy couldn’t reach. So with the boy’s height, he could only see his father’s picture but couldn’t see what was inside the bowl.

Han Fei picked up the death portrait as an idea popped up in his mind. He turned the portrait around and realized there was a colored picture on the back of the black and white portrait. In the picture, the boy was smiling happily as he sat on the swing. Perhaps it was the wind or there was someone outside the frame, the swing swung high into the sky.

“I knew it.” Han Fei finally understood why the mother put the death portrait at a location where the boy couldn’t reach. The target of the soul summoning ritual was not the father but this boy. The boy’s picture was hidden behind the father’s portrait and the paper with the boy’s name was buried inside the rice bowl. The situation at Room 4064 was similar to Zhuang Ren’s family in Room 4144, it was the dead summoning the living. However, because the boy didn’t have the protective device for his memory like Zhuang Ren did, he was successfully summoned to the Ziggurat.

Perhaps for the boy’s parents, the boy was a ghost but in reality, the boy was a living human who was summoned to the cryptic world. His body probably still existed in real life, only his soul was pulled here. If the boy’s soul was stuck here for a prolonged period of time, then basically the boy’s dead parents would have inadvertently killed him.

“Can you still remember the last time you played the swing with your family?” Han Fei placed the death portrait back. He didn’t tell the boy the cruel truth.

“I believe it was when daddy was still alive. Mommy and daddy took me to the park. Daddy was very strong, he pushed the swing from right behind me and made me soar into the sky. Mommy was worried that I’d fall, she even scolded daddy for it.” The boy’s face turned up with a smile when he spoke of this, clearly these memories were deeply treasured.

Han Fei felt sad hearing the boy’s words. He probably dreamt this whole episode up, because in that colored picture, only the boy was featured. His father was definitely not standing behind him as he claimed. His accompaniment was the wind and the birds on the trees.

‘The Butterfly used Zhuang Ren’s family to drag him into the cryptic world because Fu Sheng’s memory can be found in Zhuang Ren’s mind, but why would the Butterfly drag Lai Sheng here?’ Butterfly might be mad but its action was never random. It would never waste time on meaningless things.

Han Fei studied the boy’s name written on the coloring book. Then he was reminded of Jin Sheng from Yi Ming Private Academy as well as Wang Sheng who had already morphed into Rest in Peace at Cattle Alley.

Lai Sheng, Jin Sheng, Wang Sheng, their appearance at the cryptic world were all related to the Butterfly and in Chinese, their names could also be translated as next life, current life, past life.

Jin Sheng was the most powerful and was sealed at Yi Ming Private Academy which was far from the Ziggurat. Wang Sheng’s family was obliterated, appeared at Spider’s domain and eventually became a knife that could slash through the Butterfly. Lai Sheng appeared the weakest, but he was summoned to Ziggurat so that the Butterfly could keep a close eye on him.

‘Could these 3 boys symbolize something for the Butterfly?’ Han Fei took out Rest in Peace. Wang Sheng became Han Fei’s blade, Jin Sheng used his blood to rewrite Han Fei’s future and now he ran into Lai Sheng. ‘Is Lai Sheng another back-up plan the Butterfly had prepared for itself? Would the Butterfly take over Lai Sheng’s body in real life and thus get its chance at rebirth? In that case, should I use Rest in Peace to kill Lai Sheng? To cut off an option for the Butterfly?’

When Han Fei took out Rest in Peace, the chilling presence behind him intensified. And this was when he didn’t show an active malice towards Lai Sheng, if he did, Han Fei probably would be deleted immediately. At a mere level 13, a Grade E Hidden Map was quite a challenge for him.

“Please don’t misunderstand, this is just a hilt, it can’t do any damage.” Han Fei explained to the boy but actually he was telling his parents inside the bedroom that he meant no harm.

“So this is called a hilt?” The boy didn’t even know what Han Fei was holding. He was about to say something more when the sound of mattress turning came from the other bedroom. The boy immediately held his hands over his mouth. He glanced towards his mother’s bedroom. The previously open door was now closed.

Seeing the door was closed, the boy sighed in relief and continued, “It’s the Night of Resurrection tonight, mommy said daddy will only come home if we’re all asleep. If she finds out that I’m still awake, she’ll scold me. She’s scary when she’s angry even my daddy is afraid of her when she’s mad.”

“Then why don’t you listen to her and go to bed?” When Han Fei found out the truth about the boy, he paid a lot more attention to him.

“Even though mommy has a bad temper, I know she loves me and daddy dearly. She just has trouble saying it. So I want to see daddy in person and tell him everything. I want to beg him to stay, and don’t go to such a faraway place anymore.” Han Fei already tried his best to explain death to the boy in the gentlest way but the boy still didn’t quite understand it.

“If your mother knows that is the reason why you’re still awake, I’m sure she will not be mad at you.” Han Fei had already made his decision. Be it for the mission or for personal reasons, he had to protect this boy and send him back to real life before dawn.

“Lai Sheng, has your mommy told you that if the soul who is summoned refuses to leave after a long time, then they will be forever trapped inside this world?” Han Fei’s voice was just loud enough to be heard by Lai Sheng’s parents. Han Fei knew that the couple loved Lai Sheng a lot so he wanted to get their help to send Lai Sheng’s soul back to the real world.

Han Fei believed Lai Sheng’s parents should be able to understand him, after all, sometimes, separation is also a type of blessing and love.