The Creatures that We Are

Northbound Funeral Home, Beiyong District, late at night.

A car drove through the front gates and across the clearing to a row of jointed buildings on the left. Vermilion Bird was the driver, and Ke Yo was in the passenger seat.

Vermilion Bird was a little surprised when Ke Yo said that she would like to check on Edmond’s body.

After losing her memory, Ke Yo remembered nothing about her past and had shown little interest in it. Thus, Vermilion Bird rarely brought the topic up, and she only gave a brief explanation about Ke Yo being a former member of the Tails.

Vermilion Bird believed that one’s childhood laid the foundation and had a lingering effect on their entire life. If the foundation was built upon wonderful memories, no matter how much suffering and temptation they went through as an adult, they rarely strayed toward corruption or destruction. On the other hand, with a terrible foundation coloring their life, it would be easy for one to go down the wrong path.

Ke Yo had become a blank sheet of paper after losing her memory, thus granted a chance to start over.

Therefore, Vermilion Bird hoped to give her a relatively healthy “childhood”. Then even if Ke Yo recovered her memories, she wouldn’t have to worry about the girl reverting to her old self.

“Why did you suddenly want to see him?” Vermilion Bird asked casually. “Did you remember something?”

Ke Yo shook her head and hid the ring on her finger unconsciously. “No. I just wanted to see him. Perhaps I’ll remember something then.”

Vermilion Bird didn’t ask further. She warned, “Be ready. It’s always unnerving to see a body for the first time.”

“Okay.” Ke Yo took a deep breath.

The car stopped. Vermilion Bird took Ke Yo to the morgue on the second floor with her card key. She punched in the passcodes, and the metal security door to the morgue opened. Vermilion Bird walked in and inputted numbers at the control panel in a corner. A freezer cabinet on the wall on the left slowly came out, inside which was a body bag.

Vermilion Bird lifted the body bag and placed it on a table layered with Black Gold. She glanced at Ke Yo. “Ready?”

Nervous, Ke Yo clenched her fists without realizing it and nodded.

Vermilion Bird unzipped the body bag. It opened to the sides, revealing the body to the heels.

Ke Yo mustered the courage to take a look. The body belonged to an older man in a simple blue t-shirt and long pants, his face a lifeless white. The body radiated a chill unique to the dead.

He had blond hair, a goatee, a full forehead, and deep-set eyes. With his eyes closed, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out somewhat. He looked like a gentle and well-mannered elderly.

Ke Yo remembered nothing about the man’s face.

If all dead people are like him, I don’t see what’s so scary about them.

Ke Yo’s gaze shifted to Edmond’s left hand. There wasn’t a ring. Ke Yo would like to check the right hand, but it was obscured by the body from her angle.

If she made it to the other side to look for a ring, Vermilion Bird would surely notice.

“Done?” Vermilion Bird asked.

Ke Yo came up with an idea. “Let me zip up the body bag, Sister Xia. Although I can’t remember anything, I feel like doing something for him.”

“Alright.” Vermilion Bird didn’t turn her down.

Ke Yo made it to the other side of the body and slowly zipped up the body bag. When she looked at Edmond’s right hand, there wasn’t a ring there, but there was a band of paler skin around the ring finger. ɽἈŊŎ𐌱Ęꞩ

Put the ring on, Ke Yo.

No, I’ll take care of myself.

Why don’t you put it on for me then? If you don’t, I can’t rest easy.

Alright. You’re such a nag.

The snippet of memory pierced into her brain like a needle. There was no image, only a few shared words.

Ke Yo attempted to hold onto more memories but came up empty.

She suddenly remembered Gao Yang’s words again.

“I promised Edmond that I would take care of you.”

Ke Yo’s hands kept trembling. She forced herself to calm down and closed the body bag with feigned nonchalance.

Vermilion Bird lifted the body back into the freezer cabinet.

“Remember anything?”

“No.” Ke Yo turned away. “Let’s go.”

…

December twenty-first, three o’clock in the morning.

New Cemetery, Dongyu District.

Once the Taiping Bridge Cemetery ran out of space for more burials, the New Cemetery was built. It was said that the location was carefully picked. It was away from the busy urban area for peace and quiet, and the fengshui was good with a creek at the front and a mountain at the back.

The New Cemetery sat on a short hill, filled densely with white tombstones and black coffins. The orderly layout was quite the sight from afar.

At the foot of the hill was a paved clearing for a parking lot and other services, including shops selling instruments for tombsweeping, dining places, and restrooms.

At the entrance of the cemetery, a solemn marble gate was built. The words “Li City New Cemetery” were written on the plaque in calligraphy. On the sides of the gate were a couplet.

“For a millennium the mountain stays prosperous. For ten thousand years the conifers remain thriving.” Can’s voice came from the air. “What does that mean?”

“The mountain will always be pretty. The trees will always be green,” Gray Bear responded in a rough voice.

“I understand the words. I’m asking about the deeper meanings.”

“It’s just a blessing for the dead.” Gray Bear scoffed. “If you like it so much, I’ll write two lines for you too.”

“Uncle Bear…you’re mean!” Can complained.

“Quiet,” Gao Yang said.

Gray Bear said, “Haha, don’t worry, Captain. None of the Guild members are gonna come here even if they are bored out of your mind.”

“I know, but you’re disturbing the dead.” Gao Yang’s tone grew colder.

“Oh, when Captain said that, I suddenly felt a chill behind my back. It’s getting creepy…” Can was a little scared. “Ghosts shouldn’t be able to see us, right?”

“Ghosts can go invisible themselves. What do you think?” Gray Bear snickered. “Perhaps there’s one standing right beside you, staring at you…”

“Please cut it out, Uncle Bear. I’m begging you…”

The three of them chatted as they walked halfway up the mountain, staying invisible.

Gao Yang, Gray Bear, and Can were here to look for a new base tonight to hide from Team Azure Dragon. The Nine Scions never stayed in one place for long. They had to find a new hiding spot in advance.

Once they found a good place, Gao Yang suddenly remembered that the New Cemetery was nearby, and he decided to visit a friend last minute. Neither Gray Bear nor Can disagreed.

Soon, they reached a newly made tomb. They became visible with Can at the center and Gao Yang and Gray Bear on her sides. They each had a hand on her shoulders.

Gao Yang let go of her shoulder and conjured a small fireball with a snap of his fingers. It floated slowly to the tomb, illuminating the black and white photo put on the tombstone.

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