Red Peacock [English] (Original Novel by Ju~On, translation by LuckyCasualty)

26. The Unwanted Reunion...

***(Photo is my own fan-envisioned person, this is not an official depiction, this is just my own translator's envision. please do not share beyond this place, it's only a representation of my own mind's palace, not a reflection of Author's true vision)***

𓅃𓅃𓅃

A long crimson coat fluttered in the wind, its dark hues bathed in the light of the setting sun, making the whole appearance of it look drenched in blood. The owner's face was strikingly beautiful, like a painting lit with harsh light. Dark eyes stared directly toward the bow of the ship, where two men were next to each other. One represented a past more hellish than anything he'd ever known, and the other was the present, slipping further and further away from him.

Lù Yī Péng was bound, his hands tied and hanging from a steel crane used for lifting cargo containers, positioned at the ship's bow. Upon seeing him, Hóng Kǒng Què couldn't help but sigh. "Péng Péng really keeps asking for trouble."

Lù Yī Péng didn't respond immediately; he was too busy coughing and struggling to catch his breath. After a while, he managed to rasp out a reply, "Yeah, I know."

Hóng Kǒng Què continued to stare at the muscular young man who was bound and hanging, before speaking in a calm voice, "Give him back to me."

Without even glancing his way, Róng Shì Zhǐ responded, his voice laced with clear delight, "Xiǎo Bǎi Zhǐ... I'm so glad to see you again... you haven't changed at all."

Hóng Kǒng Què's expression turned to stone. "Really? I think you're looking worse for wear."

Róng Shì Zhǐ laughed, "You haven't even looked at me. How do you know I look bad?"

For the first time, Hóng Kǒng Què turned to look at the speaker. Before him stood an old man nearing sixty, his hair streaked with white, almost entirely gray. His face bore not only the scars from stray bullets but was also deeply lined from time. The once majestic and dignified Róng Shì Zhǐ , who had been like a mighty Eagle, was gone. What remained was an old bird... an old bird that had clawed its way back from hell.

Hóng Kǒng Què looked directly into those deep, frenzied eyes, facing his own fears from the past. The two stared silently at each other for a long moment before Róng Shì Zhǐ finally spoke, "You've really grown."

"You've grown old; it's about time you get in a coffin," Hóng Kǒng Què shot back, "How did you survive?"

"You only grazed the front of my head," Róng Shì Zhǐ answered. "It was probably my luck to fall back at that exact moment. I guess fate meant for us to be together."

Hóng Kǒng Què glared at him with hatred, receiving only laughter in response.

"Xiǎo Bǎi Zhǐ, you really love this kid, don't you?"

Before Hóng Kǒng Què could reply, the sound of machinery filled the air, and the crane began raising Lù Yī Péng up.

"What are you doing!!??" Hóng Kǒng Què yelled as the crane slowly hoisted the young inspector higher, swinging him out over the bow.

"Xiǎo Bǎi Zhǐ, what do you think? If he falls under the ship like this, will he survive?" Róng Shì Zhǐ asked with a smile. Hóng Kǒng Què's eyes widened in shock.

Lù Yī Péng looked down at the water below, splashing violently against the bow, and shouted back, "Kǒng Què, this won't kill me!"

"Shut up!!" Hóng Kǒng Què snapped before turning to face Róng Shì Zhǐ . "Bring that crane back, now!"

Róng Shì Zhǐ replied with a grin, "The remote control is with me. Want to try and take it?"

Without wasting another second, Hóng Kǒng Què lunged at him.