Blossom in Darkness

One.

Early in the morning, Xiang Yuan had been perfectly fine when she left the house with her vegetable basket, but when she returned, her lips were pouted and her cheeks puffed out, clearly upset about something that had happened outside.

Cheng Kong found it somewhat amusing and reached out to pat her head. "Who made my Yuan'er unhappy?"

Xiang Yuan wrapped her arms around his waist and instinctively nuzzled against his chest. "It's those street vendors again. They cheated me. Granny Zhang next door said the vegetables I bought always cost twice as much as what others pay."

"A little money doesn’t matter."

"But I don’t like being tricked."

"Losses can be blessings." Cheng Kong pinched her round cheeks and, hearing the shop assistant call for him to see a patient, hurried out.

Xiang Yuan was used to her husband’s kindness. Free consultations were one thing, but he often didn’t even charge for medicine. Anyone who didn’t know better might think their household ran a charity rather than a medicine shop.

Early winter brought a surge of Wind-cold cases, and Cheng Kong was overwhelmed. Xiang Yuan had to cook lunch herself, but the dishes turned out charred and nearly inedible. Cheng Kong was too busy to eat, so she had to try them first—they were barely tolerable.

She used to help out in the shop when she had free time, but after several incidents where she mixed up prescriptions and caused patients to vomit or have diarrhea, Cheng Kong had to hire another assistant.

Xiang Yuan felt useless, as if she couldn’t do anything right. She often wondered why Cheng Kong had married her in the first place. Orphaned at a young age, she had lived with her uncle’s family until a matchmaker came with a proposal. Eager to escape her dependent life, she hastily agreed and moved to Yuancheng after the wedding. Only then did she realize how fortunate she was—her husband was not only kind but also handsome, far beyond her station. These past two years had been blissful, with Cheng Kong doting on her endlessly. If there was any regret, it was that Cheng Kong showed little interest in intimacy, leaving her still without a child.

In the afternoon, Widow Qin invited her to a tea gathering. A group of women sat in the garden pavilion, embroidering while gossiping about trivial matters and local scandals.

Xiang Yuan couldn’t even embroider. At first, the women, charmed by her sweet and innocent appearance, competed to teach her. But when they realized she was unusually inept and couldn’t learn no matter what, they gave up.

Xiang Yuan had no interest in the women’s chatter, though she perked up whenever someone mentioned which temple was particularly efficacious or which secret remedy guaranteed a son.

As usual, she sat in a corner with needle and thread, her modest goal being to make a scent pouch for Cheng Kong. But she kept pricking her fingers, and her stitches were crooked. Staring at the withered lotus in the pond, her mood soured, and she excused herself to leave early.

Halfway home, she remembered leaving her thimble on the table and turned back. From a distance, she overheard the conversation in the pavilion.

"That Mei Xiang Yuan—clumsy and dim-witted. How someone as outstanding as Dr. Cheng could have married her is beyond me."

"Exactly! I hear she can’t even manage a household, let alone cook. Dr. Cheng has to handle everything inside and out—how exhausting!"

"Right? My second daughter is perfectly suitable. I even sent someone to propose her as a concubine, but before Dr. Cheng could respond, that woman chased them out with a broom!"

"How utterly lacking in wifely virtue!""Exactly, she can't even bear children. And she's getting fatter by the day. My daughter is much prettier than her. I bet Dr. Cheng will come to his senses and divorce her one day."

...

Xiang Yuan stiffly walked back, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears. Though the words were harsh, they were undeniably true—she was utterly useless. She touched her face; it did seem rounder lately. It was all her husband's fault for cooking such delicious food. If this continued, she would surely be divorced one day.

A wave of panic washed over Xiang Yuan. When she returned home, Cheng Kong noticed her distress, but before he could ask, he was called away for an emergency.

Xiang Yuan sat blankly in the shop when suddenly, a Taoist in a yellow robe appeared before her.

"Madam, there is a demon in your home!"

II.

A demon? What demon!

Xiang Yuan was already upset enough. Without a word, she shooed the crazy Taoist away.

Entering the kitchen, she tried to prepare dinner before Cheng Kong returned, but cooking proved frustratingly difficult, leaving her flustered. When Cheng Kong came back, he smiled and gently pushed her out of the kitchen. "Yuan'er, just focus on eating."

Steamed perch, eight-treasure tofu, cold bamboo shoot tips, and stir-fried garlic sprouts—dishes were served one after another.

"Eat more," Cheng Kong said habitually, piling food onto her plate until Xiang Yuan's face scrunched up in distress. She had just decided to lose weight this afternoon! Well, she might as well enjoy this meal first.

Xiang Yuan loved meat, while Cheng Kong preferred lighter, smaller portions. He soon put down his chopsticks, tilting his head slightly as he watched her.

"Why aren't you eating anymore?"

"I'm full."

"Husband, will you accompany me to Yuanwu Temple tomorrow to pray? Everyone says it's very effective."

"But I have patients to see."

"Just for a little while in the afternoon, please? We've been here two years and haven’t visited once. You’re always busy." Xiang Yuan couldn’t understand why her husband would happily accompany her shopping but refused to pray for a child.

"Alright," Cheng Kong nodded. He rarely refused her anything.

The next day, they took a sedan chair to Yuanwu Temple. Towering trees lined the path, and worshippers streamed in and out.

Cheng Kong glanced around. "Yuan'er, you go ahead and pray. The scenery is nice—I’ll take a walk nearby."

"Won’t you come in with me?"

"No, I don’t care for the smell of incense."

Xiang Yuan didn’t understand. She loved it—the moment she stepped into a temple, her heart felt unusually peaceful.

After praying, they returned to the clinic. As Cheng Kong helped Xiang Yuan out of the sedan chair, he froze after just two steps.

Xiang Yuan looked up and saw the same old Taoist from yesterday standing at their doorstep. Holding a fly-whisk and wearing a Taoist coronet, his yellow robe was tattered, his face deeply lined with wrinkles as he stroked his beard. He looked nothing like an immortal—more like a charlatan.

This time, he didn’t spout nonsense about demons. Instead, he gazed at them meaningfully.

Xiang Yuan glared at him and pulled Cheng Kong inside. But during their evening stroll, the Taoist stood watching from a distance. At night, Cheng Kong usually taught her calligraphy and painting. Though she was slow, she was patient—after two years, her handwriting had improved significantly. Tonight, however, Cheng Kong seemed distracted.

When they retired for the night, Xiang Yuan stripped down to her little bellyband and nestled into Cheng Kong’s arms."Husband, husband, let's work hard to make a baby!"

Cheng Kong's face instantly flushed crimson. "I'm a bit tired from hiking today. Maybe another time?"

"I don't want to wait!" Xiang Yuan flipped over and sat atop him, cupping his face before planting two loud kisses. She was determined to have a child soon—she refused to be mocked by those gossiping aunties any longer.

Grabbing Cheng Kong's hand, she pressed it against her waist and asked stubbornly, "Husband, am I fat?"

Cheng Kong chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "Of course not. I love my round little Yuan just like this." Holding her was like sinking into endless softness and warmth, utterly intoxicating.

After their lovemaking, she curled up against his chest and drifted into a deep sleep. That night, Xiang Yuan dreamed. The sunlight in her dream was so bright it stung her eyes. She strained to look up, where a figure seemed to be speaking to her. Yet no matter how hard she tried, she could only see the lower half of his face—just the outline of a man. His thin lips moved, murmuring words she couldn’t make out, though it seemed he was calling her name. His lips occasionally curved into a faint smile, and suddenly, her heart ached violently. In the dream, she screamed, but the man’s face faded away, leaving only a tranquil silver glow.

III

Xiang Yuan felt ashamed. Last night, she had dreamed of another man—someone who was definitely not Cheng Kong. She was certain of that. No one knew her husband’s face better than she did; she’d recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes.

"Madam, there’s a demon in your household!"

It was that mad old Taoist again.

"Honestly, aren’t you tired of this? My husband is out seeing patients. If you keep harassing me, I’ll report you to the authorities!"

Xiang Yuan retreated into the inner chambers, her mind in turmoil. She grabbed a few pieces of clothing and went to wash them by the well in the backyard. When Cheng Kong returned, he couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her angrily pounding the laundry.

"Yuan, you’re going to beat my clothes to shreds."

Embarrassed, she propped her hands on her hips and stood up.

"Tired? Let me massage you." Cheng Kong’s face was full of concern as he gently kneaded her waist.

Xiang Yuan only felt worse. There probably wasn’t a better husband in the world, yet she had dreamed of another man. What was that phrase again? Shameless.

Though she knew it was wrong, that night, she dreamed of the man again—this time, his hands. They were pale, slender, and strong, and in the dream, they often stroked her head with tender affection.

The next day, Xiang Yuan wandered through the hours in a daze, unable to muster any energy for anything. She went to bed early that night and, sure enough, saw the man again in her dreams. This time, she saw his eyes.

In that instant, she burst into tears in the dream. Those eyes were clear and bright, gazing at her with a gentle, smiling curve that made her feel as though nothing else in the world mattered as long as he kept looking at her.

"Yuan! Yuan!" Cheng Kong woke her from the dream.

"Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Husband!" Xiang Yuan buried her face in his chest, sobbing quietly, her heart still aching faintly. She felt as though she had carelessly forgotten something—or someone—vitally important in her life.

That afternoon, Cheng Kong said he had business to attend to outside. The mad old Taoist still loitered nearby. Restless and distracted, Xiang Yuan wandered aimlessly through the streets, losing track of how long she had been walking.The man's face had fully pieced together in her mind, constantly surfacing before her eyes. Xiang Yuan only felt an uncanny familiarity with him—she longed to dream more about him for clues, yet was also terrified of seeing him again.

Thinking her husband should be back soon and not wanting him to worry if he couldn't find her, she headed back toward the clinic. Suddenly, she saw a carriage stop not far away. The curtain lifted, and Cheng Kong actually stepped out. Just as she was about to approach, the curtain lifted again, revealing an exceptionally beautiful woman who leaned out, smiling as she spoke to Cheng Kong. He nodded gently.

Being too far away, Xiang Yuan couldn't hear their conversation. After a while, the carriage turned around and left, while Cheng Kong slowly walked toward the clinic.

Instinctively, Xiang Yuan hid behind a pillar, confused. If it were just a patient seeing Cheng Kong home, why stop in such a secluded alley several streets away from the clinic? Clearly, they didn’t want to be seen. Could her husband be hiding something from her?

The thought of dreaming about another man every night already weighed heavily on her. Was it possible her husband was also involved with another woman? The mere possibility nearly brought her to tears.

When she returned home, Cheng Kong was already cooking in the kitchen.

"Yuan'er, you're back. Where did you go?"

"Just shopping. And you—where did you go?" she probed.

"On a house call."

"Which one?"

Cheng Kong paused. "Uncle Wu, the wonton seller, wasn’t feeling well."

"Oh." Xiang Yuan slumped onto the table.

"Yuan'er, what do you think about us moving?"

"Moving? Why? We’ve only just settled in Yuancheng," Xiang Yuan asked, puzzled.

"No reason, just thought a change of scenery might be nice. And that Taoist priest always lurking outside is getting on my nerves. But if you like it here, we can stay."

"Alright." Xiang Yuan grew even more uneasy. She’d never seen that woman before—she must be from out of town. The carriage was covered in dust and mud, as if they’d just arrived. Was Cheng Kong planning to move somewhere more convenient to meet her?

Cheng Kong patted her head. "You didn’t sleep well last night, did you? You’ve seemed out of sorts all day. Don’t worry, the nightmares won’t come back."

Xiang Yuan nodded. At dinner, the image of that woman—her delicate chin and slender waist—stuck in her throat like a fishbone. She forced herself to eat only half her usual portion.

That night, however, Xiang Yuan didn’t dream of the man again. While she breathed a sigh of relief, a faint sense of loss lingered.

IV.

When Uncle Wu shook his head in confusion and said Cheng Kong hadn’t come to see him that day, Xiang Yuan felt as if the sky had darkened. She went home, buried herself under the covers, and cried all afternoon.

She didn’t know why Cheng Kong had lied, but Widow Qin had once said men only lied when they had another woman.

Cheng Kong was good to her, but he was good to all his patients. He loved her, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t love someone else too. If he just wanted to bring another woman into their home, that would be one thing—but what if he wanted to divorce her? The world was vast, but she had no one to rely on. She loved him so much; if he abandoned her, she wouldn’t survive.

How could she win him back…?Xiang Yuan finally gritted her teeth and made up her mind—she must lose weight, learn to manage household chores, and dress herself beautifully every day. She couldn't change her clumsiness, but at least she could change her appearance.

Cheng Kong soon noticed something was off with Xiang Yuan. She would only take a few bites of her meals, rush to do the dishes with him every day, and practice the qin late into the night.

"Yuan'er, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just feel a little unwell."

Cheng Kong checked her pulse, but there was no sign of pregnancy—they couldn't possibly have a child anyway.

Despite taking many medicines, Xiang Yuan still refused to eat much, and her portions grew smaller and smaller. In just a month, she had rapidly lost weight.

Cheng Kong was terribly worried and even hired a chef to prepare all kinds of dishes for her.

"Yuan'er, be good. Take one more bite, okay?" Cheng Kong held a spoon and fed her himself, his heart aching as he looked at her pale face.

"I don't want any more!" Xiang Yuan turned her head away, forcing herself to resist the temptation. Heaven knew how starved she had been these past days, nearly driven mad with hunger. But she had worked so hard to slim down, and seeing her increasingly beautiful face in the bronze mirror, she absolutely couldn't let all her efforts go to waste!

"Yuan'er! No matter what, you must finish this bowl of rice today!" Cheng Kong slammed the bowl down in front of her, unable to suppress his anger.

Xiang Yuan's eyes instantly reddened. In over two years of marriage, he had never once raised his voice at her—yet now he was shouting at her.

"I won't! I knew it—you just want to fatten me up so you have an excuse to divorce me!"

Cheng Kong froze. "Yuan'er, what are you saying? How could I ever divorce you? I don’t care if you’re plump or thin—I just want you to be healthy!"

"Then don’t interfere! I must lose weight!" Xiang Yuan pouted and ran out.

When Cheng Kong returned to their chambers that night, he found Xiang Yuan sitting naked on the bed, draped only in a length of red silk, her beautiful collarbones and waistline exposed. Her makeup was elaborate, a touch of crimson sweeping up from the corners of her eyes, exuding an alluring charm. Compared to her former plump and innocent self, this was an entirely different kind of intoxicating allure.

Frowning, Cheng Kong stood rooted to the spot. Xiang Yuan pulled him close, planting delicate kisses on his face that gradually grew more urgent and forceful. Tears welled up—she had long forgotten, or perhaps never even considered, who the man in her dreams was. All she knew was that the person before her was her husband, the man she loved with every fiber of her being. The fear of losing him and the desperate hunger to possess him tangled relentlessly in her heart.

But Cheng Kong suddenly pushed her away. "Yuan'er, I don’t like you like this. Don’t do this. I just want to see you happy—that’s all that matters..."

Xiang Yuan stared blankly at Cheng Kong, a wave of despair rising in her chest. She had struggled so hard to slim down, becoming more beautiful by the day—yet now he seemed to dislike her more and more?

Husband... do you really not want Yuan'er anymore...?

Xiang Yuan locked herself in the guest room, refusing to come out all day. Cheng Kong had no choice but to break down the door, only to find her unconscious on the bed, whether from grief or weakness, he couldn’t tell.

Xiang Yuan lay in bed for two full days. When she woke, the room was empty, and she was both hungry and thirsty.

Before long, Cheng Kong entered with medicine. In her dazed state, Xiang Yuan faintly saw him drawing circles above the bowl with his hand, the liquid emitting a faint blue glow.

As Cheng Kong turned toward her, she quickly closed her eyes.

"Yuan'er, time for your medicine." Cheng Kong gently helped her sit up.Xiang Yuan's hands trembled uncontrollably as the mad Taoist's words echoed relentlessly in her ears:

There's a demon in your home...

There's a demon in your home...

Could my husband be a demon? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Staring at the bowl of medicinal soup, Xiang Yuan's heart clenched into a tight knot. Her husband couldn't possibly be a demon. Even if he were, he would never harm her!

Downing the medicine in one gulp, she managed to whisper hoarsely, "Husband... I'm hungry..."

Cheng Kong looked pleasantly surprised. "Wait here. I'll cook you some chicken soup."

Watching his retreating figure, Xiang Yuan felt the world spinning around her. That strange glow from Cheng Kong's palm earlier was neither a dream nor her imagination—it was absolutely real!

Summoning her strength, she staggered outside the shop.

The mad Taoist spotted her and approached, smiling knowingly at her expression.

"It seems the madam has come to understand."

Xiang Yuan shook her head vehemently. "My husband is definitely not a demon!"

The Taoist produced a packet of powder from his sleeve. "Whether he is or not, madam can verify for yourself."

"What is this?"

"Rest assured, this powder is harmless. It merely forces demons to reveal their true form temporarily. The effect lasts only the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, and the subject won't remember anything afterward."

"Why should I trust you?"

"If you fear it might be poison, you may taste it first. It has no effect whatsoever on ordinary humans—no harm in trying."

Returning to her room, Xiang Yuan lay on the bed. Cheng Kong brought her the food he'd prepared, but was called away urgently to attend an emergency patient after much hesitation.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, Xiang Yuan tried desperately to recall details about Cheng Kong's past—it did seem suspiciously blank. He'd never spoken of his childhood. She only knew his hometown was the distant Mountain City, that he had no relatives or friends, that he'd appeared suddenly at her uncle's house to propose marriage, that he always refused to visit temples, that he could perform magic...

The more she thought, the more terrified she became, curling into a tight ball.

Yet regardless of whether Cheng Kong was a demon, Xiang Yuan knew with certainty that he was kind. He treated her so well, healed the townspeople, saved countless lives. No matter what, she loved him and would never leave him—even if he truly were a demon.

But why had he lied to her? Who was that woman? What couldn't he share with her?

Or perhaps she'd imagined everything earlier? Maybe the mad Taoist was deceiving her, trying to sow discord between husband and wife? Clutching the powder tightly, Xiang Yuan resolved to test the truth. Since she wouldn't leave Cheng Kong regardless of the outcome, she at least deserved to know!

She poured half the powder into her chicken soup.

V.

Ever since the Taoist's appearance, Cheng Kong had harbored an ominous premonition. After hiding his identity for over two years, he'd finally been found. Strangely, the Taoist didn't seem intent on harming them, leaving Cheng Kong puzzled about his motives. As a precaution, he decided they should leave town soon.

Rushing back after the emergency consultation, Cheng Kong's heart plummeted when he saw panicked crowds fleeing a street away from his clinic.

"Demon! There's a demon!"

His scalp prickled with dread as he sprinted forward—only to find his clinic completely collapsed.

"Yuan'er!" he screamed his wife's name in terror, frantically digging through the rubble like a madman.Then a massive monster with a human head and a pig's body emerged from the ruins, its gaping maw chewing on the family's chickens, its mouth full of blood and feathers.

"Hungry... so hungry..."

A familiar voice rang out, and Cheng Kong froze.

"Yuan'er..."

That face was bloated with flesh, ugly and distorted, hair disheveled, bearing no resemblance to its original form. Yet he recognized it instantly—it was her Yuan'er.

The yellow-robed Taoist standing in the distance slowly approached the pig demon. Cheng Kong's mind went blank as he stepped forward to block its path, his legs giving way as he fell to his knees.

Xiang Yuan had completely lost her senses by now. All she felt was hunger—an overwhelming, gnawing hunger. It had been so long since she'd eaten anything. She had already devoured the chicken soup her husband made for her and emptied their home of all food, yet why was she still so ravenous?

Hungry...

Hungry! Hungry! Hungry!

She wanted meat!

Her jaws gaped wide as she swallowed the paralyzed apothecary assistant lying nearby in one gulp. The fresh blood was sweet and metallic—an absolute delicacy!

More! She needed more meat!

"Ah! The monster is eating people!"

Panic erupted as the townsfolk fled in terror. Within moments, the entire street was deserted except for a few injured souls.

"Yuan'er!" Cheng Kong stared in disbelief as Xiang Yuan bit off another person's head in one bite, blood splattering everywhere.

"Amitabha. Kong'er, wild beasts are hard to tame—they will always bring harm to this world. Have you still not realized this?"

The old Taoist sighed, his body shimmering with golden light before transforming into a stern-looking white-bearded monk. The fly-whisk in his hand morphed into Buddhist prayer beads.

"This disciple has already renounced monastic life and chosen his own path. Why must you still pursue me relentlessly?"

"Nonsense! The union of man and demon—where is the heavenly principle in that? Kong'er, how can you remain so deluded, persisting in your mistakes?"

"Whether she is human or demon, I will protect her!"

Xiang Yuan couldn't comprehend the argument between the two men. She only knew she was starving. Food—she needed more food. But how could she eat? If she grew any fatter, her husband would abandon her.

"No! Stay away!" A wounded man trapped under rubble desperately crawled across the ground, trying to escape, but the pig demon devoured him anyway, leaving only his kicking legs protruding from her maw. With each bite, Xiang Yuan grew larger, her four hooves digging frantically at the earth.

"Wretched beast! Still harming humans!" The old monk hurled his prayer beads, but Cheng Kong leaped up to intercept them, sent flying by the impact. He crashed into Xiang Yuan, blood spewing from his mouth.

Xiang Yuan's snout twitched as she caught the scent of fresh blood.

Meat! More meat delivered right to her!

"Yuan'er! Why won't you ever listen?"

Xiang Yuan froze. Her husband—she heard her husband's voice calling her "Yuan'er," just like in the old days when he'd feed her, cheerfully calling out "Yuan'er, Yuan'er—"

"Husband doesn't want me anymore... he doesn't..." she whimpered sorrowfully.

With great effort, Cheng Kong reached up to stroke her head, now many times larger than before.

"How could I ever not want you? Never, not in any lifetime..."

"Husband... he has another woman. I... I saw..." Xiang Yuan began sobbing, her cries mingling with porcine grunts in a grotesque, unsettling chorus.

Cheng Kong couldn't help but laugh weakly. "Silly Yuan'er, still so silly. If you mean that woman the other day, she's Dan Shen's disciple—she came to deliver medicine for us."

Seeing her begin to dream of past events at night, he'd feared she might remember something. That's why he'd asked the master to send medicine—never imagining it would make her jealous. No wonder she'd refused to eat these past days.

"Yuan'er, how can I rest easy when you're this foolish...""Hungry! Husband, I'm so hungry..." Xiang Yuan whimpered, then suddenly opened her massive mouth and swallowed Cheng Kong's right hand as he was caressing her.

Cheng Kong didn't flinch, two streams of tears silently flowing down. They only wanted to stay together, to live ordinary lives. Why? Why was it so difficult?

VI.

"Kong'er!" The old monk cried out in alarm, stepping forward to slay the demon.

Tears streaming down his face, Cheng Kong pleaded, "Master, I beg you, for the last time I beg you. Your disciple was wrong, but please don't hurt Yuan'er!"

The old monk shook his head hoarsely, "Why are you still so deluded even now?"

As if feeling no pain, Cheng Kong extended his left hand, gently stroking Xiang Yuan's face with deep affection. "Yuan'er is my wife. No one understands her better than I do. She's inherently kind-hearted and timid. Even when she was just a little piglet, she was afraid of people... Good Yuan'er, eat up. Seeing you enjoy your meals always made me happiest. When Buddha sacrificed himself to feed the eagle, was it any different? If I offer my flesh to feed my wife, what's wrong with that? After your husband is gone, remember to eat well..." He had always loved keeping her plump, forever a simple, carefree little pig.

Xiang Yuan chewed voraciously on his flesh and blood, tears falling in continuous streams. So sorrowful, so sorrowful—why did it hurt so much, as if her heart were shattering into pieces?

Looking down at Cheng Kong's face before her, it gradually overlapped with the man's face from her dreams. Except... except that man in her dreams had no hair. He was a monk!

"Husband!"

She remembered! She remembered everything!

Xiang Yuan threw back her head and howled at the sky, her sharp, terrifying shriek piercing through the small town, lingering in the air for what seemed like an eternity.

Originally...

Originally she was just a little pig in the mountain town. Because she showed some spiritual awareness, she escaped slaughter and ran into the streets. It was the young monk who saved her when he came down the mountain to buy rice. He raised her in the temple, named her Yuan'er, fed her every day, and played with her. As she grew, perhaps influenced by the Buddhist teachings in the temple, perhaps because her desire to take human form was too strong, she became a spirit. Yet the young monk still treated her well, protecting her at every turn. But she wasn't satisfied. She seduced the young monk who was about to become the abbot, causing him to break his vow of celibacy. To protect her—who had no real magical power—the young monk resolutely left the monastic life and fled with her. But the union of human and demon defied the natural order, and they couldn't escape the relentless pursuit of those who upheld the Dao.

Finally, they fled to White Mist Mountain and sought help from Ghost Doctor Salvia to change their appearances and identities. Because she was foolish and couldn't shake her pig habits, she even voluntarily gave up her memories to avoid exposure, fabricating a new background, just wanting to stay by his side as an ordinary woman, living a simple life.

But why did it turn out like this? Why? After all the hardship to gain this life, it was still destroyed by her stupidity and suspicion. How could she be so foolish? So foolish!

The real monster was her!

"Husband, I've wronged you, I've wronged you..." Xiang Yuan wailed. In an instant, she regained her senses, transforming back into human form. She collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently, her mouth full of blood.Cheng Kong looked at her with relief, his breath weakening. He had always loved Xiang Yuan, so when she foolishly tried to seduce him, he couldn't resist breaking his vows. Human or demon, even if Xiang Yuan devoured him and became a monster, so what? She was still his Xiang Yuan, and he would always love her.

"Silly Xiang Yuan, I've never regretted a single moment. The time spent with you was the happiest of my life. I never wanted to be a monk anyway."

Still smiling, Cheng Kong let his left hand fall to the ground and slowly closed his eyes.

"Husband!" Xiang Yuan cried helplessly. Cheng Kong was severely injured and had lost too much blood—it seemed he wouldn't survive. And all those people earlier... they had died because of her!

Slowly, she spat out her inner core from her mouth and fed it to Cheng Kong. Covered in blood, she knelt before the old monk.

"Xiang Yuan knows her sins are unforgivable, but I beg Master to save my husband!"

The old monk sighed softly. "My disciple... I will naturally save him."

This was the person he had raised with the most affection since childhood, the disciple with the highest understanding of Buddhist teachings. Yet why had he never been able to overcome the trials of love? Everything he had done was to guide him back to the right path, but instead, lives had been lost. Had he... been wrong?

As for Xiang Yuan, having lost her inner core, she reverted to her original form—an ordinary little pig, quietly lying at Cheng Kong's feet, all memories of the past forgotten.

Amitabha...

VII.

In the third month of spring, with orioles singing and swallows dancing, peach blossoms scattered wildly through the air. A group of children in the town gathered together to play games.

"This is so boring. Let's go catch frogs in the fields!"

"That's no fun. How about we go play hide-and-seek at that broken temple halfway up the mountain again?"

"My mom told us not to play there anymore. A strange one-armed monk moved in, and he keeps a pig. Butcher Wang saw it and tried to buy it, but the monk chased him away."

"Why would a monk raise a pig?"

"To fatten it up and eat it, of course."

"Do monks eat meat?"

"Who knows..."