aerobic respiration

You want to catch up, but hesitate and stop.

"Hi." You said, looked at Yuanyi on the other side, and said in a hesitant tone, "...Long time no see."

Unlike the young man in his heyday in your memory, the Yuanyi in front of you is already an old man. Apart from his old body and face, his temperament is the same as when he was 20 years old. He is still reserved and silent. Like a stone statue.

You watch him, and the statue comes to life and calls your name.

"Ah Xi." Yuan Yi whispered, he is indeed very old, his voice is hoarse like a forest blown by the wind in summer, but there is still some tenderness of youth in his eyes, and he also said: "Long time no see."

He looked at you and asked very naturally, "How are you doing?"

Yuanyi's tone is so familiar that for a moment you have an illusion, as if you are not in a burning hell at the moment, you didn't rush to the street to die at the door of your house when you went out for extra meals, and he didn't live alone The long years, the separation never existed, he just grew old in the blink of an eye.

"I...I'm fine." You stammered back, like a social animal who ran back to a class reunion after more than ten years of graduation to have a difficult chat with old friends, clumsily explaining your life after separation.

"You know I'm a god, right? After "Ashi" died, I was attracted by Alaya's restraining power and went to work in the Seat of Heroes. "You said, "I usually save the world, and occasionally help the angel next door to Jiuzhongtian to make 3D galaxy textures or something. It's a bit busy, but the benefits are good. "

You rambled on about various things to Yuanyi.

You told him that you tried to go back to him after you dropped the line, that Tanji's descendants inherited his earrings, that the protagonist of the Demon Slayer Squad changed his surname to avoid Wu Mi, and that Wu Mi managed to get out of it. Twelve Ghost Moons, tell him that the Ghost Killing Squad also has Nine Pillars, the past and the changes of the years are narrated in your mouth, you have always been reticent, but in front of Yuanyi, you are always the one who talks too much.

You talked a lot in detail, and in the end you didn't even know what you were talking about, but Yuan Yi nodded clearly, showing a reassuring look.

"That's good."

No, you feel that you are not at all well right now.

You didn't dare to ask him how his life was after your death. You must not be as comfortable as you anyway. You faltered and pondered over your words. After struggling for a long time, you still couldn't hold back your doubts and asked him: "Yuanyi, why have you been Stay in hell and not become a Buddha?"

"I'm waiting for you and brother." Yuan Yi said.

Oh grass, you just know it.

You bowed your head sadly, and said in your heart that it is so true, Yuanyi has been in love since he was a child, and he even carried the small wooden flute his brother gave him for more than ten years, even if you think about it with your feet, you know that your life teacher was abrupt and violent back then. Killing was a big blow to him. He may have been waiting to see you for the last time all these years, but you said, "I'm sorry."

"A Xie doesn't need to apologize." Yuan Yi comforted you, "I don't care about things like becoming a Buddha. I just stayed because I thought I might meet you again. Hell is very beautiful. I have been waiting here for so many years. I've thought through a lot of things, and I've never felt pain because of it."

These words were a bit unexpected to you, you were stunned, and asked blankly: "What do you want to understand?"

Yuan shook his head, didn't give you a clear answer, and instead said: "A Xie, I decided to stay here and accompany my brother until his punishment is over."

--Eh?

It took you a while to digest this sentence, and you were shocked: "Why?!"

What the hell is going on?I've never heard of a prisoner whose family members have to accompany him when he's in jail!

"Because I found that I never had a good communication with my brother."

Yuan said to you, "When we were alive, we talked about sword skills, discussed breathing methods, and chatted about the past, but we never knew each other, so I didn't notice his change, and I didn't know that he had always been confused about me. and hate."

"We were supposed to love each other."

"I have made many mistakes in my life. The first mistake was not realizing happiness and love properly."

"I love this world." Yuanyi said, "My mother is pious and gentle, she never ignores me because of my reticence, but loves me more. My brother is kind and considerate, always thinking of me, and has the potential to become the strongest warrior And you, A Xi, you taught me how to read and read, how to distinguish stars and how to use swords. I feel the joy of idleness, and I am sincerely grateful for such a world.”

"So I mistakenly defined beauty, thinking that happiness is the same for all people."

"For me, as long as my family and friends can be happy, then I am very satisfied. But my elder brother is a martial artist, Wu Wudi, he has been pursuing the supreme martial arts all his life, and I have been gifted by the gods. His goal, whether it is joining the Demon Slayer Squad or creating sword skills, these are actually incidental to his efforts when he tried to surpass me."

"Other people's happiness that is too dazzling will hurt people." Yuanyi said, "It took me many years to understand this truth. After you died, I visited Tanji once, and his daughter Xiaojin I can already speak, and the moment I saw Tanji with his family, I suddenly felt longing...and sadness."

"Perhaps the same is true of my brother's hatred for me. The obsession to surpass has been accumulated for too long, and it becomes pain, and misconceptions arise from this."

"Every sinner has a chance to be saved before he makes a big mistake, but I never once tried to understand my brother's inner thoughts." Yuan Yi finally said, "It's all my fault that he ended up in such a state. "

You are dumbfounded.

"No," you say, "what the hell does this have to do with you?"

There is a saying that Yan Sheng has some psychological problems, you know that, after all, normal people can't do such a fucking thing as stabbing a friend for nothing.Every human behavior has an internal reason. Yan Sheng's ability to deviate so sharply on the road of life shows that his wrong thoughts have been formed early. The two brothers separated for ten years before they reunited. Yuan Yi is the standard As a moral model, Na Yansheng's mutation should have occurred during Jiguofu.

There is a grievance and a debtor. No matter how you think about it, you feel that this blame should be dumped on the spicy chicken governor of the country.

"You are the survivor's self-blame." You said, "According to your theory, half of the sinners in the world commit crimes because of their helplessness. Suffering should not be the reason for people to make mistakes. Yansheng must know this truth, so... ..."

So he walked silently in the fire to receive his punishment.

You suddenly realized this, and turned to look at the staggering figure.

"We are brothers." Behind you, Yuanyi said: "I failed to bring comfort to my brother during my lifetime, at least I must accompany him after death."

"...Are you sure?" You asked, "Yansheng might stay in this ghost place for tens of thousands of years, even if he does, you still want to accompany him?"

"I don't want him to be alone for a long time." Yuanyi replied, "We are family, even if it is a long sentence in hell, we have to spend it together."

You are surprised to find that he is serious.

Human feelings are always the most incomprehensible program for you. You want to persuade Yuanyi to give up his plan to be a nail household in hell, but you can't find a reason, so you beckon to the ghost lamp and ask him to accompany him to be punished in lonely hell Sinners count as violations.

As long as Gui Deng gives an affirmative answer, you will go along with the flow to dissuade Yuanyi. Unexpectedly, Gui Deng didn't even raise his eyelids, and said lightly: "This, it's no problem."

You were stunned for a moment, then shocked: "Why?!"

You have been imprisoned in Lake Harry for tens of thousands of years without a cellmate playing cards and blowing water with you. How can Yan Sheng have family members to accompany you to relieve boredom?

"There is no regulation in hell that family members cannot accompany a sinner during his sentence. Rather, we welcome such applications." Ghost Lantern said, "Punishment is never just about repaying sins. Pure pain can't teach people's souls. Unaware of their own mistakes, the wicked will only continue to create tragedies and repeat prisons, bringing a lot of work to the jailers. So we welcome any action that can bring positive spiritual changes to the dead. Before Mr. Yuanyi, there have been many families I chose to suffer together with the family members who went the wrong way and turned into ghosts, and it’s okay to have one more.”

Damn, can this fucking work?

You were once again surprised by Hell's coquettish operation, and you scratched the ground with your feet in a complicated mood, but didn't say anything.

In fact, Yuanyi's willingness to stay here is a good thing for Yan Sheng. Time can erase all grievances. In hell, they have countless time to slowly reconcile and restore the gap between them.

But you always feel that there should be better options.

"Does Master Hastur plan to take a stroll around here again?" Ghost Lantern asked in a business-like manner, "Or should I go to the river to stay for a while?"

You said in your heart not to make it sound like you were having an affair with someone, scratching your head and looking at Yuanyi, "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Yuan Yi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Knowing that you are doing well, I feel at ease."

Eh... He's waiting here just to catch up with you?You are a little disappointed, and you murmured for a while, but Yuanyi suddenly became dull. When I mentioned Yansheng just now, he was still like a great orator, but now he has become a girl with a blue ribbon. The gap brought by time finally appeared in Between you, you and him are speechless, and the non-existent heartbeat in the chest cannot be echoed.

Only then did you realize that you have been separated for a long time.

What is a word called?Yes, Yuan, the Japanese really believe in this, don’t they?When the fate comes, we will meet, and when the fate is gone, we will leave. Maybe you made a mistake at the beginning. This meeting is just the last farewell. Saying goodbye requires too many words. The protagonist in the movie always smiles and forgets each other with tears in his eyes. Yu Jianghu, when you were alive, everything has turned to dust, time flies, and there is nothing to miss.

"Then...then I'm leaving?" You asked tentatively.

Yuan Yi nodded silently, "I'll see you off."

You didn't refuse, and Ghost Lantern didn't talk too much. Seeing that you reached an agreement, he led you away.When you left the flame-burning land and walked up the flat slope again, you glanced back in a strange way. Yansheng was still carrying a boulder and struggling forward. You must have watched for a few seconds, and suddenly patted the arm of Ghost Lantern.

"Wait for me." You said, and hurried back, running to Yansheng's side.

"Axie?" Yansheng was stunned when he saw you. You ignored him, grabbed his sleeves and raised your toes to reach his back. You picked out two of the calcium carbonate and silicon dioxide mixtures. Not too big and not too small rocks, put them in the pocket as if nothing had happened.

Grass, so heavy.

Yan Sheng was taken aback: "...Ah Department?"

"This is a return gift for the two candies you gave me back then." You said, "We gods never owe human favors. You gave me two candies before, but now I take your two stones. You once killed me. Once, and I killed you back—so we're settled, and we don't owe each other any more."

Yan Sheng stared at you blankly.

"You idiot, don't be stupid anymore." You said sullenly, kicked him with your head down, turned your head and ran away.

Ghost Lantern looked at you calmly as you came back carrying the stone.

"Lord Hastur, stealing the instruments of torture is against the rules of hell." He pointed out, "And these stones are sinners' crimes. If you take them away, then all these crimes will be charged on your head."

"Forget it." You said indifferently. If you have a lot of debts, you are not afraid of mosquito bites. Anyway, if your body is locked up under Lake Harry, it is also a life sentence, and it doesn't matter if you spend a few years in prison.

Ghost Lantern shook his head, but didn't say anything, and summoned a car with a human face, and sent you and Yuanyi to an old station.

"This is the only express waiting station in hell that leads to the present world. I have already greeted the ticket inspector. Lord Hasta does not need a ticket. When the time comes, you can directly board the train and return to your body in the world. "

The Assistant Officer of Hell stayed in the obscuring car, raised the curtain and bid farewell to you respectfully, "I still have a lot of work to be done urgently, so I will take my leave for the time being."

As a social animal, of course it is impossible for you to let him stay and wait with you to wait for the car, you wave your hand, "It's okay, Mr. Ghost Lantern, go get busy."

I don’t know if it’s because of its proximity to the human world, but the station built at the foot of the mountain has few passengers and no atmosphere of hell. The framed advertisements on the wall are posted with posters of Boy Yoshitsune and Hezhong Hell’s recruitment of female prison guards. advertise.

The street lamps emit mercuryy white light, illuminating the railway tracks shining brightly. The tall dome is propped up by thick pillars. A huge cherry tree stands near the station. It’s almost winter in the world, but this cherry tree is still flourishing. , like spring snow that has accumulated a tree.

In this era, the station has not yet accurately reported the timetable of the train running situation. You and Yuanyi sat aimlessly in the waiting room waiting for the train, probably because it was too embarrassing to have anything to say. He bought it for you at the convenience store at the station. You are not very interested in polyhydric aldehyde compounds, but you do not refuse, and you are struggling to open your mouth at the candy apple.

"Don't you eat it?" You asked him vaguely with your mouth full of brown sugar residue, "I remember you liked sugar when you were young."

Yuan shook his head and said quietly: "I'm old, I can't eat anymore."

You suddenly realized that if he didn't mention it, you almost forgot about it.

You opened your mouth to say something, and suddenly you heard the whistle of the train, and a long row of light spots lit up in the dark mountain. You jumped up with apple candy in your mouth, and you couldn’t see the appearance of the train clearly.

The bright headlights cut through the darkness, getting closer and closer, the blowing wind shocked the petals of a tree, the pink petals fell like fine snow, and the brightly lit train slowly stopped in front of you.

The doors opened one after another, revealing the empty compartment, you scratched your head, glanced at Yuan Yi, "Then I'm leaving."

Yuan Yi didn't speak, he stood on the platform and watched you run into the car, you got into the old car, found his place, and leaned over the window to look at him.

"I'm leaving." You repeated it again, looking at him desperately.

The street light flickered suddenly, and then turned on intermittently. The light from the carriage fell on Yuanyi, illuminating his face, which could not be seen clearly, like a stranger. Turning his neck back, intending to close the window.

What, this kind of embarrassing feeling of going to face Ji happily and leaving without a word of bullshit, you are not the hero and heroine in "The Garden of Words and Leaves", don't keep silent at this time, just say something ...Speak a word.

You bowed your head back to the carriage, and when you were about to sit down, you suddenly felt your sleeves being pulled. You looked up and saw Yuanyi reaching out to hold your armpit, and quickly and steadily pushed you out of the carriage.

"Ehhh-"

You yelled in panic, and unexpectedly fell into his arms steadily. The staff at the station saw your dangerous action, screamed from a distance, and ran towards you.

"What's the matter?" You asked blankly, why did you come out like this all of a sudden?

You reached out to poke Yuanyi's back, but he just hugged you hard, mottled white hair slipped down in front of your eyes, and you heard a muffled and choked sob.

"I miss you so much."

A little bit of coolness slowly permeated your shoulders, "I'm sorry, Ah Xi, I'm really sorry, I should have gone out with you at that time..."

"Ah, that's okay." You said, "People are always going to die, so there's nothing you can do about it."

Yuan didn't say a word, he patted your head and said in a low voice: "I really miss you."

"I have always, always wanted to say this to you, but when I really saw you, I realized that I am actually so old..."

"The train is about to close, and now I will announce the estimated time of arrival at each station..." A sweet female voice came from the radio on the side of the road.

Yuanyi's relaxed arm was full of strength again, he hugged you, finally made up his mind, and said to you: "Stay here."

"Ah Xi, don't go, just stay by my side."

After a long silence, you glanced at the approaching staff member, snapped your fingers silently, and pushed him back into the observation room.

What, it turned out that he struggled for so long because of such a trivial matter.

Jiguo really produced a pair of really stupid brothers.

You thought lightly, Hastur, the benevolent and considerate lord of the starry sky and the deep sea, is not like those fucking Gods of Gao Tianyuan, you never reject your believers, so you buried your face in Yuanyi's arms and rubbed comfortably, yes He said hello.

＞Interlude: Do people without dirt dream of alien gods? <

After A Xi's death, Yuan Yi's life became an endless line.

This line twists and turns and extends to infinity. He continues to walk in this world, but there is one less person beside him.

Civilians in the Warring States Period were not happy to be buried, so Yuanyi didn’t spend a lot of time putting on filial piety—or in other words, there was no relationship between them that could be put on filial piety. His friends wrote condolences, and he soon received many replies. Those enthusiastic and kind-hearted swordsmen comforted him one after another, but Yuanyi was not as distraught as they imagined.

He didn't even shed a tear over it.

This is one of the many weirdnesses that Yuanyi has, the last one he noticed. Everyone will cry when they are sad, but he can't. He didn't cry when his mother died, and he was quiet when Ah Xi died. , just amazingly in a trance.

Yuan Yi couldn't explain why his eye sockets were dry, he was usually as dull as a stone sculpture, the lord once said that he had Buddha nature, and the elder brother said that he didn't even show the slight fluctuations in his emotions, only Ah Xi would laugh and say something. It's just that you are slow, but you are a human being, if you can laugh, you will definitely cry, it just depends on how long your reflexes are.

She was a prophecy.

On the nights of unknown summers after A Xi's death, Yuan Yi had a dream.

In his dream, he went back to the past, walking hand in hand with A Xie in the vast world, with the stars in the night and the clouds in the daytime, they are rebellious travelers, passing through the noisy crowds, climbing the tall and straight green hills, passing through the leisurely villages, the strangers are pink Willow green, everything in the dream, those scenes turned around one after another, and finally stopped in a dim place.

This is a barren ruin.

Several soaring black towers stood silently under the star river hanging in the sky. Yuanyi stood beside the huge and endless black lake, and saw the green fireballs falling across the night like rain. Immediately afterwards, he heard I heard the tidal wind, which came from a distance across the lake, rippled rhythmically on the surface of the lake, and the sound entered my ears, like someone's whimpering.

Ah Xi was sitting by the lake.

Those bright smiles disappeared from her face, and she sat on the muddy black ground with her arms crossed, looking at the distant place, her caramel-colored eyes reflected a sparkling light, like a flashing fish in the deep sea.

It's a dream, Yuan thought, Ah Xi was still wearing the light yellow linen clothes he had worn the day he left home, but this time there was no black blood stain on his clothes like a nightmare. A woman who can't age is hugged in her arms.

The dull pain finally oozes out from the depths of his chest, slowly eroding Yuanyi's limbs and brain. Only then did he realize exactly that after the death of his mother and the betrayal of his brother, the third person who loved him in his memory also disappeared up.

He used to be a kite with a broken string, and it fell into the hands of A Xie in a short but beautiful spring. At one time, she said that he had a heavy responsibility to accomplish great things and needed to be tempered by a mentor, and at another time, she said that she would take care of herself for her mother. The combination of caring and tempering became Yuan Yi's noisy first half of his life. It sounded like Ah Xi was meddling in his own business, but only Yuan Yi knew how good it felt to be meddling.

He floated like catkins for a long time without opening his mouth or smiling, but now someone finally grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the world.

The past flowed into the river, and Ah Xi had already closed his eyes and fell into the soil in the yard of his former residence. The world is so beautiful, even though it is always missing, leaving a small hole in everyone's heart.

Yuan Yi cupped the woman's face and kissed her lips.

He smelled the sun and the sea breeze.