Spirits of Falling Snow

月夜荷花 Yuè Yè Hé HuāPart 1. 无头鬼 Wútóu Guǐ- Headless Ghost

Jūn and Fēi traveled by carriage through mountains, hills, and rivers, their destination was set. The Moonlit Lotus. Jūn told Fēi stories of old, how the spirits come to fruition, and how humans –cultivators of qi– learn to extinguish them.

It was a light-hearted lesson about the history of cultivation, they never talked about anything deep as if there was a line protecting them from knowing too much of each other.

They stopped their journey near the borders of Chengdu after days of travels, taking refuge in the small cavern they found hidden. They talked until the star glistened the skies, Fēi could point out the different constellations that adorned the night sky, a skill that she learned from a monk who took care of her in the orphanage while Jūn would tell stories of his adventures despite Fēi begging for him to stop out of fear.

How Jūn stumbled upon a cursed temple in the mountains with its numerous children ghosts, all begging to play hide-and-seek,

almost lost an arm to a ghoul when he was traveling to the south of China,

and almost drowned because of a shuǐ guǐ when he was asleep on a boat traveling to east of China. Fēi listened to his retellings in horror which Jūn replied with a laugh 'It's part of the job' he would say which made Fēi question her decision to join him.

Fēi played with the Jade dragon pendant her mother supposedly had left her with, its pale color reflected the moonlight, the word 'Shén' engraved behind it.

"That's pretty," Jūn said beside her "May I?" he asked, to which Fēi replied with a nod,

Jūn traced the engraving with his other hand his fingertip moved lightly, the scales of the dragon, the gill of the dragon, and the word 'Shén'.

"I can tell it means a lot to you," he said, returning the pendant.

"It is what I only have about my origins" Fēi replied, her eyes melancholy,

"It's where I get my last name from, 'Shén'" she added while the man hummed in amusement. It was the first time Fēi had shared this with anyone.

"It's better if we sleep now," Jūn said, patting Fēi on her head, the man is surrounded by mysteries, just like Fēi's origins, Fēi doesn't know where Jūn is from, what his situation is, or how he ended up in this line of work, yet she couldn not help but to open up a bit of herself to him. She has so many questions about qi, cultivation, and the institute they were heading to but her eyes betray her as she falls asleep, her questions unanswered.

Rustling leaves and a gush of wind awakened Fēi, the wind was so strong it turned into a whistle, Fēi tossed her cover aside and sat up while the bonfire they had set up danced and flickers, emitting warmth in contrast with the cold wind. Fēi saw Jūn on the other end of the cavern, sleeping soundly, but there was a third entity among them, someone, no, something that did not belong in this world. The entity wore a ragged tunic covered in blood, its wrists chained, and being held beside its body is its head, tongue sticking out while blood oozes from the cut that separates the body and the head.

"Jūn ... Jūn!" Fēi jumps to her feet and backs away, resting her back on the stone wall while she unsheaths her sword.

"Hmm?" Jūn rubbed his closed eyes and let out a yawn before he saw it, it was still staring at them. Sitting with its head beside it.

The body turned to Fēi and then the severed head spoke with a slur as its protruding tongue got in the way "Gūniang... Have you seen my head?" blood spilling from its mouth "Gūniang..." The voice said eerily, Jūn reached out for his sword and cast his talismans before he landed a slash on the ghost's body, the body disappeared into a mist and came into view behind it, more Wútóu Guǐ. Each of the ghosts has one thing in common, they all want Fēi's attention, only referring to 'Gūniang' and not referring to Jūn at all, they all want her attention.