C11 It Seemed Real and Unreal

He couldn't help but take a closer look, and he finally saw the true face of the apparition.

One figure was tall and robust, with a pair of bright eyes that glowed with a dazzling light. Despite a few wrinkles on his square face, the warmth and gentleness could not be concealed. His long beard fluttered at the corners of his mouth, which lifted to reveal a set of pearly white teeth as he smiled at Jing Chong.

Beside the burly man stood a middle-aged woman dressed in a simple linen robe. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her head was wrapped in a thick scarf. Her face, though weathered and slightly rough from years of exposure, was still quite attractive. With curved eyes and shallow dimples, she too was smiling at him.

In front of the pair was an elderly man, his body stooped and covered in a layer of dust. His gaunt face was lined with wrinkles, and his sunken eyes, though cloudy, still sparkled with a hint of clarity.

The sight of these three smiling faces sent a wave of emotion through Jing Chong, leaving him at a loss for words as his blood surged with excitement.

Without a moment's hesitation, he dashed towards the horizon, but as he ran, he strangely found himself unable to move his feet, as if they were mired in thick mud. After much struggling, he still couldn't take a single step. Overcome with urgency, Jing Chong could only shout toward the heavens, "Father, Mother, Great Uncle, what are you doing? Why are you climbing so high? Wait for me!"

Jing Chong's breathing became rapid, his breaths heavy with an unbearable heat that enveloped him. Despite his frantic efforts, he remained unable to advance.

Adding to his sense of powerlessness was the fact that his shouts seemed to vanish as if swallowed by the sea.

The three figures in the sky continued to stand there, smiling, neither too distant nor within reach, as if untouched by his pleas.

At that moment, Jing Chong was overwhelmed with anxiety. "Why won't you pay attention to me?" he cried, as tears welled up in his eyes, yet no drops fell.

The three figures above him in the sky continued to smile down indifferently as the surrounding red clouds slowly began to envelop them.

"Father, Mother! Get out of the way! Don't let those red clouds touch you—they'll harm you!"

Jing Chong didn't understand the nature of the red clouds, but he was certain they were not harbingers of good fortune. Driven by concern for his parents, he shouted with all his might one last time.

But in that instant, something bizarre occurred.

The billowing red clouds abruptly transformed into three enormous, blood-red hands in the sky. The hands, with their ghastly appearance and chilling aura, swiftly seized the necks of the three figures.

The powerful grip caused the three smiling faces to vanish, their eyes reddening as a layer of crimson spread over them. Then, the redness began to trickle down, revealing it to be nothing other than blood.

Simultaneously, blood not only filled their eyes but also began to pour from their noses and ears. They gasped in agony, struggling and convulsing, but no matter how desperately they fought, they couldn't break free from the demonic grasp.

Within moments, the blood had covered their entire heads. The three bloodied faces contorted in pain, their sharp fangs lashing out to bite at those nearby.

"No, please no..."

The horrific, blood-soaked spectacle utterly shook Jing Chong to his core. He cried out in anguish, but it was as if something was blocking his throat, producing only a bubbling noise.

His limbs felt as though they were bound, and despite his frantic struggles, he couldn't move an inch. He was forced to witness the tragic scene unfold, enduring the torment of his psyche in isolation, wishing for death yet unable to achieve it.

Then, as the swirling red clouds completely obscured the three ghastly visages, the clouds thickened, and even the three bloodied hands dissolved into the mass of red. The vast sky above turned ominously dim.

Staring up numbly, Jing Chong gazed helplessly at the dark red sky. A single drop of blood rained down from the distant heavens, landing precisely on his face. The sensation was distinctly wet and cool, so vivid it sent a shiver through his body.

"Can this be real?" Jing Chong, still unable to discern reality from illusion, could only look up and question the sky.

Huala!

Blood rained down on his face like a torrential downpour, as if in an instant, it had cleansed the bloodied sky above, and the world he knew disappeared.

Struggling to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was an enormous head with chubby cheeks, rosy and white, marred by a prominent cross-shaped scar on the left cheek. This mark added a touch of brute force to the otherwise benign expression. His round eyes fixed on Jing Chong, conveying a smile that seemed to bask in the warmth of spring, yet there was a trace of simplicity lurking within.

Above him dangled a black leather bag, leaking droplets of water that, by some twist of fate, fell directly onto his face.

Initially, the abrupt turn of events didn't seem to faze Jing Chong. However, after a moment's contemplation, he jolted into action, rolling on the ground before he managed to stand, his hand instinctively clutching the icy steel blade. A shade of caution flickered across his darkened face.

"Who are you?"

His voice was so cold it seemed to chill the air itself.

Jing Chong's intense reaction might have been expected; after all, he had endured pain beyond what most could bear.

Yet, the figure opposite him reacted just as swiftly at the sight of Jing Chong's raised blade, leaping up and, as if by prior arrangement, pulling a metal rod from his waist with a flourish.

His bushy eyebrows furrowed, his fierce demeanor imposing and overwhelming.

If you concluded that this man was a formidable adversary based solely on this display, you'd be sorely mistaken.

Looking past his muscular frame, you'd notice his thick legs shaking involuntarily. Simultaneously, the once stern and plump face lost all color, turning ghostly pale.

He gulped down a mouthful of saliva, stretched his nearly invisible neck, and with a slight shake of his head, as if struck by a sudden realization, he straightened up and declared with newfound bravado, "I... I am a highwayman!"