(a)

Yakumo Purple finally said that sentence.

The color of death on Yuyuko's body, she saw it half a year ago. Fighting against his own contradictory thoughts, it took Yakumo Purple half a full year. In contrast, Yuyuko of Xixing Temple, who is about to die, accepts it quite happily.

Yuyuko behaved calmly, her pale face without a trace of undulation. In a few words, she took away the demon jealousy who had not yet understood the situation, and took Yakumo Zi's hand with her hand as cold as white jade, and led her to the backyard of the white jade building, under the huge westbound demon cherry tree.

"This westward demon hasn't opened this year......"

She gently stroked the rough trunk, looked up at the ice flowers and snow on the branches, and whispered softly.

The garden is full of dead trees, and the spring color is gone, only a lonely place. The cold wind blew the cherry blossom-colored hair of Yuyuko in the Xixing Temple, and in front of the westbound demon Sakura, who was as thick as ten people hugging, her figure seemed extraordinarily small.

Yakumo raised her head and was silent as she looked at the dead branches covered with snow and the dead spirits that were flying and hovering aimlessly above them.

"It's been fifteen years," Yuyuko continued, "and it's been fifteen years since the last time this demon cherry blossom bloomed. ”

"Purple," she asked, looking back at Yakumo Murasaki, "Do you know how beautiful this westbound demon is in full bloom?"

Zi shook her head, she met Yuyuko ten years ago, and in her impression, this westward demon has always been a dead tree.

"yes, that's a shame. ”

Yuyuko said, turning her head again, facing the trunk of the Westbound Demon.

"'Seeing this flower in the morning, you can die at night', this westward demon is the beautiful flower that can make people take the initiative to give up their lives. Coincidentally, I was the only one who witnessed it bloom last time and was still alive. ”

"'May spring die under the cherry blossoms, and Shakya will enter the sun', my father said. Therefore, everyone in the family of this Saigyoji Temple was finally buried under the cherry tree. ”

"At first, it was my father, then my mother who died in childbirth and my younger brother who was stillborn, then my mother-in-law who took care of me since I was a child, and the last generation of the soul family......

Yuyuko said, looking down at the ground beneath her feet.

"Everyone I love, and everyone who loves me, is here, under this thin layer of soil, a stone's throw away, life and death. ”

"Flourish like spring cherry blossoms, the branches are luxuriant, and decay is like falling cherry blossoms and rain. In this westward temple, the branches and roots have died, and the red flower that blooms on the top cannot live alone, and it will eventually return to its roots and reunite with its family. ”

"Tell me, Purple," Yuyuko's expression was calm, revealing a hint of determination, "How much time do I have left?"

"It's not more than three months, and if you're lucky, you can survive until the snow melts. ”

This is the truth, cruel and irreversible. Yuyuko's life, Purple can see clearly.

"Yes...... Yuyuko said indifferently, "I said that there are more and more ghosts around here, and they are all here to see me off." ”

After that, she sighed, looked up at the bone-like branches of the Westward Demon, and said:

"This full-bloomed westward demon, I'm afraid I won't be able to take another look at it before leaving, but it's a pity, it's a pity ......"

Yuyuko sighed, and there was a trace of loneliness on her face. Zi looked at her, couldn't bear it for a while, then squeezed out a smile and said:

"By the way, Yuyuko, I'm here today, in fact, there is one more thing. ”

"What's the matter?"

"I'm here to say goodbye to you. ”

"Goodbye?"

Yuyuko looked a little surprised, but listened to Yakumo Purple explain:

"I've heard that in the far west, there is a miracle medicine that can make plants and trees blossom and bear fruit overnight. I'm going to get that medicine. When I come back, let this westward demon blossom. ”

"Huh-"

In Yuyuko's eyes, the color of anticipation popped up like sparks. At this moment, it was as if she was no longer a dying person, but an energetic little girl, looking forward to the upcoming festival.

"And when are you coming back?" she asked eagerly.

"One month at the earliest, no more than two months at the latest. Purple said, "You're going to live well until I come back, Yuyuko!"

"Well, it's a deal!" Yuyuko nodded heavily, "When the time comes, you'll have to set up the banquet, after all, it's the last cherry blossom viewing, and you can't do it if you don't focus on it......"

(b)

"The medicine that can make plants and trees blossom and bear fruit?" Nalan wondered, "Why did such a thing pop up again?"

"I bluffed her. Zi said bluntly, "I was not by her side during that time, I was afraid that she would die suddenly, so I had to give her some hope and let her take a few more breaths." ”

"So, you're going to take my blood and feed it to her?"

"That's pretty much it. ”

Yakumo Zi lay comfortably in Nalan Yu's arms, and explained slowly:

"Yuyuko's problem is that her innate strength is too strong to bear it, so she has repeatedly lost her life. By the time she was twenty-three years old, her body was finally overwhelmed and came to an end. This problem has been encountered by generations of Hakurei shrine maidens, and I know the solution, but I rarely use it. ”

"The solution...... Just turn her into a vampire?" Nalan said, "Did I guess right?"

"Wrong. ”

Purple crossed his arms and made a big fork.

"I'm going to stop her being a human being, but not a vampire. She continued, "I'm going to directly destroy the realm of humans and youkai and forcibly turn her into a youkai." ”

"But that's not enough. Don't think too much about youkai, youkai are also born, old, sick and die, but they live longer than humans. Even if I did, she would run out of oil within a few years and eventually die. At the end of the day, her life is burned out, and I can't make it up. I can't tamper with life and death, Nalan Twilight, I'm not a god. ”

"I can only say that God opened his eyes and helped me. Just when I was worried about this unsolvable problem, you came into my field of vision. The fact that the vampire is an amazing race that maintains a near-permanent youth by constantly plundering the lives of others really inspires me......"

"So you finally decided to sacrifice me to save her, am I right, Yakumo Murasaki?" Nalan Twilight's voice sounded rather displeased.

"No, there's no such thing as a 'final decision'. Yakumo corrected, "This matter was decided at the beginning, and I didn't even hesitate...... Wow!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Nalan Twilight let go of her hands and let her fall vertically into the icy snow. Zi rubbed her somewhat paralyzed butt and stood up with difficulty, and as soon as she raised her head, she saw Nalan Twilight's slightly angry gaze.

"You're jealous!" she exclaimed.

"I didn't!" Nalan Yu frowned, his face was quite unsightly, "I just wasn't happy, I was stabbed, but it didn't mean to hurt me, but I was used as a wedding dress for others, and I didn't ...... it."

"Don't make excuses, you're obviously jealous!" Yakumo Zi said loudly, "You guy actually eats women's vinegar!"

"I didn't say it all!"

Nalan Yu's face turned red at what she said, and her voice became a little louder. Seeing this, Yakumo Zi's expression was like touching a royal flush, and he clapped his hands and exclaimed:

"Absolutely, absolutely! When the iron tree blooms, you can see everything after living for a long time!"

"It's better for you to come less!" Nalan Yu shouted, "I never liked you, where are you jealous!"

"I don't care, I'll go find Wenwen tomorrow...... Oh yes, there's no more news anymore...... In short, I must spread this matter far away, shame on you little bastard!"

"Yakumo Murasaki!"

"Dead people, no need for a name, you can call me a red-faced and jealous shame man!"

"You dead old woman!"

Later, the two of them had a snowball fight in the snow for more than two hours, until Yakumo Shishi flashed and fell to the ground, where he was buried by Nalan Twilight with an oversized snowball.

But after that, he still dug the frozen popsicle out of the snowdrift, took off his coat to cover her, and then hugged her and walked back home.