(3) Prince Shang'er asked, "Can you cure my mother's illness?"
You You was still immersed in the sorrow of parting with Am. The prince repeated his words, and only then did she turn her face to look at him. After a long pause, she said, "Perhaps I can't do it. I'm just a book. I don't know how I turned into a spirit. Am lied to you for my own good, pretending that I understand the witchcraft you desire."
The prince was stunned for a moment, but he quickly smiled, a smile that made You You feel entranced. He had also heard of this book. If it were true, then she must be able to cure the illness of his mother.
But the prince’s smile soon disappeared. Because he saw behind You You a beautiful spirit full of arrogance and malice.
"Caution!" The prince struck with his sword, hitting the spirit squarely. The spirit screamed and fell into the grass.
You You was filled with gratitude. But her expression soon changed because she also saw a bloodthirsty spirit. Unconsciously, she swung her witch stick, and a burst of color shot out. The bloodthirsty spirit let out a scream and fell down. You You was bewildered by her successful strike, "Could this be something I did? How is this possible?"
The prince observed her doubt and said, "Maybe you have even greater power, it's just that you haven't manifested it yet. You can do many things beyond your imagination."
"Really?" You You asked.
"Believe in yourself, you can do it." The prince said.
The surrounding darkness grew thicker, and only the prince's sword emitted a cobalt copper glow, guiding them. The sword began to whine.
"We should ride one horse; this way we can reduce danger." The prince said.
"Together?" You You shyly asked. After all, she had never been in contact with any man before. But when the prince carried her over, she did not refuse. She lowered her head, allowing the prince's steel-like arms to embrace her slender waist.
After sitting in front of the prince for a long time, she finally came back to her senses. Her heart inexplicably began to beat faster. She remembered seeing the prince for the first time when she was still bound on the altar - his firm features, gentle eyes, splendid yet tattered clothing.
The prince cleared the tree branches ahead for You You so she could pass unobstructed on the horse. This small gesture made You You feel warm. Besides Am, the prince was the second person who cared for her.
"Prince, when will we cross this forest?" You You gathered the courage to ask the prince.
"Call me Shang'er. My mother usually calls me that," said the prince according to the marks he made coming here. "If there are no obstacles, we will cross the Black Forest in seven days."
"Prince, will there not be..."
"Call me Shang'er!" The prince impatiently corrected her.
"Yes, Shang... Shang'er. I've heard that the Black Forest harbors hidden dangers. How can it take only seven days?"
"So I said if there are no obstructions. The two spirits we just encountered were only a small part."
You You shivered upon hearing this and unconsciously moved closer to the prince. She started to depend on this strange yet familiar Shang'er. Without him, she didn’t know where to go.
They maintained high alertness. After killing countless spirits planning to attack You You, on the seventh day, they saw the only river in the Black Forest. This meant the end of this dull path was near, and they would return to the Yueyue Kingdom soon.
When You You scooped up a handful of clear water to wash the dirt off her face, countless bloodthirsty spirits appeared in the sky. You You and Shang'er stood back-to-back. Shang'er used his flame-like sword to kill the nearby spirits. You You's witch stick had grown powerful beyond her belief, and skillfully swinging it, many spirits screamed as they fell, like butterfly spirits falling beautifully even in death.
The bloodthirsty spirits hovered in the air, stopping their attacks. They seemed to be waiting, making You You and Shang'er uneasy. It felt like some great horror was approaching.
Soon, the bloodthirsty spirits began to cheer. Their king had arrived – a bloodthirsty spirit completely different from Am, with huge wings.
You You was frozen in place. The prince looked around cautiously.
"Are you the Ancient Dust Book?" Her voice was similar to Am's.
"You demons!" Shang'er cursed.
The previously spirited You You immediately became dejected. She remembered Am's lonely expression. Shang'er didn't have time to hold her back and was quickly separated by numerous spirits.
She walked up to the slowly descending spirit king and said, "Am, are you Am?"
The spirit king's expression faltered momentarily, then turned malicious. With a wave of her wings, You You was thrown heavily onto the ground, sliding far away. She got up despite the pain and stared at the spirit king, "Are you Am? Is that so?"
"Am?" The spirit king muttered to herself. She suddenly saw the pitifulness of this Ancient Dust Book transformed into a spirit – without companions, without hostility, and even the prince had ulterior motives.
"Yes, Am. You look very different from my Am. She said she waits for her Am in the Edge Book City. Are you her Am? Am really wants to see you, do you know? Hurry up and find her!" You You was delighted by her discovery.
She slowly approached her, but the Am in her mouth suddenly grabbed her, flew up, and threw her down.
Fortunately, Shang'er leaped up and caught her. "You You, she's not the one you're looking for," Shang'er said. "She's here to capture you."
"She's my Am's Am. My Am has always been waiting for her." You You insisted.
Shang'er looked at You You with affection. They indeed looked alike. He paused and said, "Then, I'll go with you. Let's see if she really is your Am's Am, alright?"
You You nodded foolishly.
Thus, Shang'er waved his sword and shouted, "We surrender! We'll go with you."
(4)
They became captives. They were taken to the gathering place of the spirits, the Kankanhar Grand Canyon.
The lush grasses swayed, ancient trees reached towards the sky. Above their heads, eight-spotted butterflies, flamingos, and peacocks danced gracefully against the blue sky. Countless beautiful spirits with translucent wings floated in the air, watching these two captives arrive.
This was a joyful moment. Their spirit king had captured the Ancient Dust Book transformed into a spirit. Soon, they would defeat the spirit witches of the Edge Book City and build a beautiful home.
They weren’t inherently cruel, but many of their young ones were innocently killed at the edge of the Black Forest. They wanted revenge, so they were ruthless to any other kind of spirit. To learn self-protection was their first forest law after birth.
The various spirits' beautiful appearances and harmonious behaviors made You You think this place was more wonderful than the Book City. Shang'er was also greatly astonished. They seemed to have changed towards their own kind.
You You and Shang'er were lifted in the air by two bloodthirsty spirits. The spirit king announced to the world, "With the Ancient Dust Book, we will soon avenge our dead children!"
All the spirits cheered joyfully.
However, the spirit king did not know how to use the Ancient Dust Book already transformed into a spirit. Thus, temporarily, You You was confined in a cave sealed by magic. You You and Shang'er were separated. No one talked to her, and she felt lonely. Why wouldn’t they acknowledge her as Am's Am?
The spirit king and her subordinates discussed You You's witchcraft but did not know where to start. They tried to kill You You, but perhaps they would not obtain her witchcraft this way. This troubled them greatly. Meanwhile, the spirit witches of the Edge Book City began advancing into the Black Forest, searching for You You, and many bloodthirsty spirits had already suffered terrible fates.
The spirit king came to You You and ordered her to hand over her witchcraft.
You You originally did not know how, so how could she hand it over? She retorted, "What do you want my witchcraft for?"
The spirit king flapped her pointed ears, squatted in front of the cave, and her face immediately became grotesque. "It's not bad to talk about it..."
Hearing this, You You became extremely angry. She couldn’t believe the kind spirit witches would do such a thing. Kind? Do they deserve it? They already didn't deserve it when they confined her on the book mountain. Even more, You You felt they were despicable and dirty.
You You asked, "Have you ever thought, what if your child were still alive?"
The spirit king was startled. "Not dead?"
"It's impossible. If the young spirit were still alive, she would certainly be able to sense it."
"Don't you believe? But, I was raised by her! I call her Am, and she has been waiting for her Am, which is you." You You suddenly remembered something and said, "That's right, Am said she lost her wings due to kindness and compassion, thus gaining recognition from the lord of the spirit witch city to stay in the book city. Except for me, no one knows her true nature."
Lost her wings due to kindness and compassion? The spirit king muttered to herself, "My child is still alive? We've been separated for five thousand years, how could she still be alive?"
She immediately stood up, facing the direction of the book city, folding her wings, bowing slightly, seemingly conducting some special exchange. After a long while, she turned around, staring fixedly at You You, with a tear streaming down her beautiful face, somewhat excitedly saying, "Perhaps she really is still alive, perhaps she really is still alive..."
You You was surprised by her actions but happily said inside, "That's it, I've told you, I would never lie to you! Let's go find Am quickly?"
The spirit king said, "We need to hurry. She has already been confined by the lord of the spirit witch city because she released you without permission."
You You was shocked. "How could this be? Am said she would be fine." She paused and looked at the spirit king, "I need to save Am! Will you come with me?"
The spirit king decisively said, "Of course I will go. She's my child!"
You You suddenly felt happy, she had finally found Am's Am for her.
(5)
The Black Forest suddenly became ominous and terrifying. The weak spirits hid in their nests, afraid to venture out.
Under You You's lead, the bloodthirsty spirits marched straight into the Edge Book City. There was not a single spirit witch capable of resisting. Her peach wood witch stick pointed forward, majestic and graceful. Countless bloodthirsty spirits surged into the city from all directions, unstoppable.
The spirit witches surrounded the city lord, standing alone in the sacrificial area, opposing You You. The city lord's eyes were filled with anger. As the top race of the spirit category, he had actually been defeated by a book!
"Release Am!" You You's witch stick pointed directly at the city lord.
The city lord inwardly trembled but forced a laugh. "Is that so? Then can you bear the suffering? I've already sealed your Am with the Ancient Moon Technique. You should know how to dissolve it, Ancient Dust Book!"
You You nearly fainted. She immediately thought of Shang'er beside her. Only the blood of the one she loved most could dissolve it. Would it be Shang'er? She was at a loss, what to do? Why did she think of Shang'er at this moment?
The city lord's witch stick began to vibrate with a halo of light, aiming directly at You You.
Shang'er blocked her. After a muffled groan, she came back to her senses, rushing to the fallen Shang'er, shouting "Shang'er! Shang'er!" and beginning the restoration witchcraft. A halo of power flowed through Shang'er's body.
The bloodthirsty spirits began their wild revenge. The magnificent wings spread colors across the sky. Amidst the cries of agony, whether there was regret or not remained unknown.
You You held Shang'er, who was smiling foolishly at her, and looked at the dying spirit witches in front of her. A sudden surge of sadness rose within her. She too was unworthy of kindness. Death was the greatest kindness.
The bloodthirsty spirits were in extreme joy. The misty fog was filled with beautiful and mocking laughter.
The spirit king landed in front of You You and said, "You You, my child, let's go save Am."
You You's heart quivered. She stared at the spirit king's joyful eyes, "Child?"
The spirit king nodded, "Yes. My child, where are you?"
You You fearfully looked at the city lord's corpse and the sacrificial altar behind him, the mountain of books. Those books stood motionless, and You You's witchcraft was utterly useless. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "Right under this mountain of books." Shang'er wiped her tears as he lay in her arms.
The spirit king quietly looked at You You and said, "Perhaps, with your ultimate witchcraft..."
Shang'er suddenly looked up at the spirit king and said, "Is that so?"
Numerous spirits floated in the air, watching the two trembling and curling up.
(6)
"You You, have you noticed..."
"Don't say it." You You embraced Shang'er, stroking his brown long hair. The cool breeze from the city tower blew past, making their robes flutter. She only wanted this moment to last forever, blocking out the foreboding she sensed.
"Shang'er, I cannot cure your mother's illness."
Shang'er caressed her delicate face and said, "I know. In fact, we are both foolish children. Some things we pursue relentlessly are destined to carry."
You You's fingers traced his lips, neither confirming nor denying, but instead smiling gently.
"Do you know my mother is already gone?" Shang'er asked after supporting himself up from You You's embrace.
You You nodded, "Yes. Some things we pursue relentlessly are destined to carry." Saying this, tears streamed down her face. "We are both foolish children."
Shang'er lovingly hugged her, "You are not an ordinary spirit, You You. Surely you know." Thinking to himself, "Carry it we shall."
The Edge Book City was controlled by the bloodthirsty spirits. Every road, every city gate was filled with their beautiful figures. Finally, they saw the witch books in the city, learned from them, and became incredibly powerful, yet kind and warm. This wasn't a bad thing. But You You knew the remaining spirit witches who once pursued her hid in the Black Forest, waiting for a chance to restore their power.
The city began to brew thick black fog, blocking out the sun. In this haze, You You knew the spirit king was always coveting her witchcraft, more so than saving her daughter. You You was deeply saddened.
One day not long after, she and Shang'er came to the sacrificial site, beneath the mountain of books. Through the thick fog, they could vaguely see the top of the sacrificial pillar where You You had first seen Shang'er.
"Shang'er, do you truly not regret?" You You asked Shang'er again, hoping desperately for him to refuse. If Am couldn't be saved, it wouldn't be her fault.
But Shang'er still shook his head and smiled, pinching her adorable chin and kissing her tears.
"Let's begin," Shang'er said. "This is our burden."
You You stepped back, hesitated for a moment, knowing the spirit king was watching them from nearby. Her witch stick, raised above her head, emitted a soft halo of light, suddenly shooting towards Shang'er.
He let out a painful cry and fell motionless to the ground.
You You immediately rushed to his side, shouting, "Shang'er, Shang'er..."
The spirit king stood there dumbfounded. She clearly saw the cruel essence of the Ancient Dust Book's witchcraft and recognized her child from a thousand years ago. Trembling, she said, "How have you returned..."
"Am—," You You staggered to her feet and rushed into Am's arms, sobbing, "I love Shang'er..."
(7)
The spirit king's maternal heart erupted when she saw You You's witchcraft and the escaped Am. She burst into tears as she approached them, but the child refused to even glance at her.
"Am, I found your Am for you." You You cried, turning to the spirit king with a sorrowful face.
Am turned and looked at the spirit king, saying after a long pause, "She's not, you've mistaken. Come, You You, let's leave. Leave here and take Shang'er back to his kingdom."
The spirit king stood there stunned. Her child wouldn't recognize her! She immediately felt lost, her transparent wings drooping. What happened?
You You summoned Shang'er's horse, helping him onto it, glancing at the spirit king, "Am, are we really leaving like this?"
"Yes." Am responded softly. You You had said she liked Shang'er, but Shang'er was dead. When Am was still in the Kankanhar Grand Canyon, she had said to You You, "Child, are you really still alive? That's wonderful! Even if it costs You You and Shang'er, I must rescue you." So, she willingly sacrificed You You, and You You's happiness? If You You lost her happiness, how could she deserve the happiness bought by sacrificing her lover?
You You didn't ask again. It seemed she saw the trembling burden in Am's heart.
The spirit king watched them disappear into the thick fog, letting out a sharp scream. In an instant, the entire mountain of books collapsed.
Not long after, the Edge Book City became a deserted city. After some time, bloodthirsty spirits and spirit witches simultaneously appeared in the city, and other races began to settle in the empty city. It became a land without war or slaughter.
Just, no one knew why the spirit witch holding a broken dusty book always sat atop the city tower, silently shedding tears.
The story ends here, reflecting on themes of sacrifice, misunderstanding, and the search for identity and belonging.