Thirteenth month of death

Chapter 255 A River Lantern

As dusk settled, Li Daosheng and Su Moshi returned to Qingxi Town.

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded the bluestone path with a layer of gold, and in the distance came the sounds of children playing and the faint sound of gongs and drums.

Li Daosheng walked ahead, his steps heavier than usual, the long mark between his brows faintly visible in the twilight, like an unhealed wound.

"There's a lantern festival tonight," Su Moshi suddenly said, her voice as soft as a falling maple leaf.

Li Daosheng stopped walking without turning around.

His silhouette cast a long, blurred shadow in the setting sun, as if it might melt into the twilight at any moment.

"Did you hear that?" Su Moshi stepped forward and stood beside him. "Boss Zhao said there's a lantern festival in town tonight."

Li Daosheng then turned his head, his eyes somewhat dazed.

Su Moshi noticed an unnatural red glow around the edges of his pupils, as if the color of blood-red jade beads had seeped into his eyes.

"A lantern festival?" he repeated, his voice husky, a huskiness that didn't belong to him. "A celebration for mortals...?"

Su Moshi's heart tightened.

This is not a word Li Daosheng would use.

She subtly adjusted her sleeves, the bronze mirror glowing slightly warm inside.

“It wouldn’t hurt to go and take a look,” she said calmly. “Your current condition isn’t suitable for traveling immediately.”

Li Daosheng's expression suddenly twisted, as if two people were fighting for control of the same face.

After a moment, he forced a stiff smile: "Okay."

This smile reminded Su Moshi of the Blood Fiend Sect Master's expression before his death.

The square in the center of town was already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

Hundreds of lanterns hung on bamboo frames, some depicting carp leaping over the dragon gate, others Chang'e flying to the moon, and still others in the shape of various zodiac animals. They swayed gently in the evening breeze, illuminating the entire square as if it were daytime.

The crowd was bustling, and the shouts of vendors rose and fell.

An old man selling sugar figurines was blowing a phoenix, the golden sugar syrup transforming into lifelike wings in his hands; a stall selling masks was filled with all kinds of masks, from charming female roles to majestic Zhong Kui, all of which looked particularly vivid under the lights.

"Gentlemen, would you like to buy a mask?" An old woman with a wrinkled face stopped them, holding up a pair of fox masks. "It'll be more fun to wear masks at the lantern festival tonight."

Just as Su Moshi was about to politely decline, Li Daosheng reached out and took the mask.

His fingertips trembled slightly when they touched the mask, and a red light flashed across the long mark between his brows.

"How much?" he asked, his voice rising and falling.

The old woman seemed startled and took a half step back: "Three, three coins each..."

Li Daosheng took out a piece of silver from his pocket and threw it on the stall, his movements as stiff as a marionette.

He handed the fox mask to Su Moshi and put on another one for himself.

The mask covered the upper half of his face, revealing only his tightly pursed lips and chin, making him look unfamiliar and distant.

Su Moshi took the mask, feeling slightly uneasy. Li Daosheng…

She sighed softly and gently put the mask on her face.

“Let’s go check out over there.” She pointed to a stall where people were guessing riddles, trying to distract Li Daosheng.

A large crowd had gathered in front of the lantern riddle guessing booth.

The bamboo frame was covered with red paper lanterns, and each lantern had a slip of paper hanging down with a riddle written on it.

Those who guess correctly will receive a small lantern as a reward.

"From afar, the mountains are colorful; up close, the water is silent. What is it?" Su Moshi read out the riddle from the nearest lantern and asked with a smile, "Do you know what it is?"

"Paint," Li Daosheng replied in a hoarse voice, without much thought.

The stall owner, a young man dressed like a scholar, looked up in surprise upon hearing this: "This young master is quite remarkable." He took down a rabbit lantern and handed it to Li Daosheng, "This is your prize."

Li Daosheng took the lantern, his fingers unconsciously stroking its surface.

“Eyes blind and belly empty, lotus flowers emerge from the water, a joyful encounter,” Li Daosheng looked at the next lantern and said without hesitation, “Bamboo flute.”

The stall owner was even more surprised: "Young master, you are very learned! I found this riddle in an ancient book, I never expected..." "Let's go." Li Daosheng suddenly interrupted him, turned around and left the stall, the rabbit lantern in his hand was deformed from being squeezed.

Su Moshi quickly followed, weaving through the crowd.

Li Daosheng's silhouette appeared and disappeared intermittently, and his mask looked eerie and unfamiliar under the light.

She suddenly realized that these mysteries were probably not guessed by Li Daosheng—but rather by Wudao's memories.

"Li Daosheng!" She finally caught up with him in front of a candied hawthorn stall, grabbed his wrist, and said, "Wait a minute."

Li Daosheng suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing a dangerous red light beneath his mask.

Su Moshi felt a chill creep up her fingertips, but she didn't let go.

“Look,” she pointed to a small river not far away, where countless lotus lanterns floated on the surface, like a flowing galaxy, “let’s release some river lanterns.”

Li Daosheng's breathing became heavy, and his chest heaved violently.

For a fleeting moment, Su Moshi thought he was going to break free from her grasp.

But in the end, he nodded, his movements stiff as if he were resisting some invisible force.

There weren't many people by the river; most were young men and women or parents with children.

A vendor was selling simple lotus lanterns on the shore for five coins each.

"Two I'd like." Su Moshi took out some copper coins and accepted two plain white paper lanterns.

The wick was made of cotton thread soaked in wax, and it could float for a long time after being lit.

She handed one lamp to Li Daosheng, and squatted by the river with the other lamp in her hand.

The river reflected the moonlight and distant lights, shimmering in the sunlight.

She carefully placed the lotus lantern into the water, watching it sway gently with the ripples and gradually drift away.

"Make a wish," she whispered.

Li Daosheng stood behind her, motionless.

Su Moshi turned to look at him and found that he was looking down at the lotus lantern in his hand, his expression behind the mask was not clear.

“I…” His voice suddenly became very soft, as if it came from a very far place, “I don’t know what to wish for.”

At this moment, Su Moshi seemed to see the real Li Daosheng again.

She stood up, slowly reached out, and removed his mask.

The face beneath the mask was as pale as paper, and the long mark between his brows was more pronounced than before, resembling a gaping wound.

But those eyes—though glowing with an unnatural red light—still retained Li Daosheng's spirit.

“Make a wish…” Su Moshi put the mask aside, took his hand, and said, “I wish that you will always be yourself.”

Li Daosheng's hand trembled in her palm.

He slowly squatted down and placed the lotus lantern into the river.

The wick ignited, but instead of the usual yellow flame, it emitted an eerie bluish-white light.

"I only just realized..." his voice trailed off, "that the reason I look exactly like Wudao isn't because he did it randomly..."

“I am the clone he prepared…”

"I'll become him sooner or later, that's all."

The lotus lanterns drifted far away, their bluish-white flames standing out starkly on the river.

Looking at the unusual lamp and listening to Li Daosheng's soliloquy, Su Moshi murmured:

"At least... you haven't made any irreparable mistakes."

Li Daosheng turned his head to look at her.

"You don't have any either."

(End of this chapter)