(No mindless decisions + urban supernatural powers + beast taming + Schrödinger’s transmigration + dual storylines + martial arts choreography + exhilarating fight scenes + twists and foreshadowing at every turn)
He staggered into the plum grove, swaying with every step.
He entered a cluster of tombstones and randomly chose one.
Leaning against it, he sat down.
He took out a calligraphy brush, a folding fan, a long sword, a piece of jade, a large seal, and a scroll.
He set them beside and in front of him. His hand brushed over them gently, and the corners of his deathly pale lips lifted as bright red blood gushed out.
He placed a guqin on his crossed legs. In the desolate, blood-red dusk, the tune “Remembering an Old Friend” sounded lonely and forlorn.
When the melody reached its most poignant part, he burst into tears.
The fingers plucking the strings stained them red.
The strings rang out in a clamor like fury, in soft notes like joy, in clear tones like sorrow, and in ripples like regret, their sound carrying for thousands of miles.
With the final note, the musician slammed both hands down.
“Snap!” The strings broke, the instrument cracked, and the song ended.
A mouthful of ink-black blood sprayed across the guqin.
His body shuddered, and he slowly leaned backward. No one could tell whether his eyes had closed.
A tear slid down his cheek and into his mouth, mingling with its crimson hue... I finally remembered: I was never meant to return.
