CH 56

The plump bird originally planned on entering and making friends with this human, but seeing how Bai Zhi’s looked, it felt that it had misspoken. It couldn’t help feeling a little guilty: “…You…are you unhappy?”

Bai Zhi very honestly nodded.

“You actually don’t have to be.” The plump bird tilted its head: “If really want to play with the person inside that much and not have him leave you, you can find the town priest.

“Priest?” Bai Zhi instantly lifted his head, his eyes wide. His tone was also more hurried: “The priest can cure Gesius.”

“Can’t cure.” The plump bird replied in a well-behaved manner:

“But the priest has a miraculous book. As long as you write what you can think of and pay what you need to pay, all your wishes will come true!”

“Really?” Bai Zhi was suddenly overwhelmed by this joyful surprise. He spun a few times when he stood, instantly put on his clothes, and ran out.

The plump bird instantly flapped its downy wings and followed, chirping all the way: “Do you know the way! I can take you–”

Bai Zhi’s footsteps paused. The plump bird was able to fly ahead of Bai Zhi, huffing with exertion: “Come come come, follow me!”

So a demon and a bird rushed downstairs like this. Bai Zhi’s footsteps were swift, and he followed the plump bird closely, not daring to slow down. 

They ran wildly in the small town lit by the first rays of the sun. The plump bird didn’t forget to hat with Bai Zhi the whole way:

“That priest, I’ve been to him before!” The bird was extremely proud: “I very smartly went to find him, wanting lots and lots of food to eat.”

Right now Bai Zhi very much wanted to understand matters related to the priest. He instantly said: “Then what?”

“Then the priest said I needed to pay fifty berries every day.” The plump bird thought about it: “So every day after grooming my feathers I always go and find berries!”

Why did he feel like something was off…

“You…how many berries did you get every day after that?”

“Fifty.” The plump bird held its head high: “Every night my nest will have fifty extra berries, I can’t even finish them even if I tried.

Bai Zhi: “……” He finally understood what was off.

Feeling that the the bird in front of him was not quite reliable, Bai Zhi was a little nervous, but then he heard ji ji zha zha (chirping) sound from beside his ear.

“This is the place!” The plump bird pecked Bai Zhi’s shoulder, signaling that he should look in front:

“The hall in front, that’s where the priest lives, hurry and go.”

Bai Zhi blinked, and a hall came into view.

The red roof looked especially pretty in the sunlight, the curtains were parted to the utmost, and the inside clearly visible with just a glance.

Bai Zhi glanced back at the plump bird. Seeing the encouraging expression of the latter, he took a deep breath and walked towards it.

There were already several townspeople paying their respects in the hall. Bai Zhi looked around and slowly walked in.

There were a variety of paintings with landscapes and people the entire length of the hall. Bai Zhi walked slowly; he saw an old man with graying hair at the end.

The old man seemed to have been waiting for Bai Zhi. The moment after Bai Zhi’s footsteps stopped, he put down the scissors in his hand. A successfully pruned rose was shown in front of the group, and he turned around. With a smile on his kind face, he said to Bai Zhi who was frozen where he stood, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze in March:

“Welcome, child.”

Bai Zhi walked over, stunned.

“You [1]…are you the priest?”

“Yes.”

Bai Zhi bowed: “Hello, I heard that people’s wishes could come true here.”

“There are so many unsatisfactory things in this world. Child, what wish do you want to come true? Is it for yourself, or is it for someone else? Is it for fame and fortune, or is it for love?”

“I don’t understand.” Bai Zhi blinked: “I just want…Gesius to keep on living.”

The priest was silent for a while. He shook his head while smiling: “Why?”

“Because he will die.” Bai Zhi’s hands slowly became fists, his tone carrying some determination: “I cannot let him go like this.”

“Child, old age and death are normal, did you know?”

“I know, I know.” Bai Zhi shook his head: “But even if it’s like this, I still want to save him.”

“Even if there’s not much hope?”

“Even if there’s not much hope.”

Bai Zhi’s reply sounded. The white-heard priest calmly gazed at him for a while before he made other movements.

He sighed, slowly turned around, took a box from the tabletop, then pulled out a golden key from his pocket, putting them in Bai Zhi’s hands.

“Loved ones are always worthy of respect.” He said: “Child, this key is for you. If you are willing to pay the price to realize your wish, then open this box yourself.”

Bai Zhi instantly took a few steps forward and eagerly sent the key into the keyhole. The priest’s voice sounded from behind him again:

“There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. In actuality the so-called contract is also an equivalent exchange.”

Hearing this, Bai Zhi couldn’t help furrowing his brows: “What do you mean?”

The priest looked at the flower thickets in front of him deeply. He spoke very slowly: “If you want to obtain something, you have to pay something. If you want to be loved, you must first learn how to love. If you want to be successful, you must first accept the success of others. If you want to extend life—”

His words seemed to grow longer: “then you must pay with your own life.”

Bai Zhi’s hands paused: “I will die?”

“Are you afraid of death?”

“I’m not afraid.” Bai Zhi instantly replied: “I’m not afraid of death at all. I’m only afraid he won’t live well.”

“If I die, Gesius’s life would be worse than death.” Bai Zhi blinked: “I cannot…be this selfish.”

The priest seemed to be momentarily surprised by his words. Only after a long time did he speak again, a few notes of admiration hidden him his voice:

“You are right. Sometimes, being the person left behind…feels very terrible indeed.”

Bai Zhi lowered his head. He didn’t answer.

Seeing this, the priest with graying hair walked towards the box and lightly pressed down on the key. The lock opened with a click. Bai Zhi lifted his head, his eyes somewhat astonished:

“You…” (formal you)

“Shh–” The priest made a hand sign towards Bai Zhi, quietly opened the book, and wrote down a completely new line of words in front of Bai Zhi, saying:

“You reminded me. This kind of contract cannot help the person left behind.”

He paused: “So, future contracts have been changed to: sharing life.”

Bai Zhi’s voice trembled somewhat: “You mean–”

The old man’s voice carried a gentle smile: “I mean: are you willing to give half your lifespan to the person you love?”

“Your lifespan will be cut in half, but the person you love can accompany you, every day, hand in hand, walking with you until life’s end. Are you willing?”

Bai Zhi’s eyes already carried several tears:

“I’m willing.”

……

Translated by moss || mosstranslations.wordpress.com

[1] Bai Zhi uses the formal version of “you” (您）for the priest the entire chapte