I Came From Heaven [Transmigration/Time-Travel] - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I settled into the carriage, holding Sixiao close, allowing him to rest comfortably in my embrace, gently stroking his head with my palm:

“We still have a long way to go to Shundu. If Xiaozhi is tired, you should sleep for a while.”

“Big Brother Ji, I’m not tired.”

I understood the boy was being considerate, enduring his fatigue just to keep me company. I smiled and shook my head at him, then leaned forward, lifted the curtain, and poked my head out, politely instructing the coachman:

“Master, let’s get going.”

“Alright, Young Master, hold on tight! Gee up…”

The coachman skillfully snapped the reins and shouted loudly, followed by a jolt from the carriage. Sixiao’s eyelids began to droop. I touched his cheek as he drifted into a peaceful dream, humming a lullaby. Only after his breathing became even did a hint of anxiety surface on my face.

Yes, I had easily accepted the fact that Sixiao would travel and wander with me. I not only accepted the dying wish Handan entrusted to me but was determined to fulfill it, even though our meeting was brief, and our connection was short-lived.

Despite the fact that we shared very few experiences from meeting to parting, leaving behind hardly any memorable moments, ever since Handan passed, I would often recall the late night when she sat on the steps with Sixiao in her arms, a gentle, warm smile on her face, lovingly watching her child eat pastry. The scene was simple, yet it remained vivid in my mind, as if it had only happened yesterday.

Like many mothers, she loved her child more than life itself, and such love is the perfect outcome of a deep, biological connection.

But she was also so different. The distance between the upper and lower floors carved a divide, forming two worlds. Sixiao experienced the warmth and harshness of the world below, while Handan endured the gilded decadence and extravagance above.

I sadly shook my head, trying to erase Handan’s image from my mind, deleting it completely without any trace of cache. But it was useless; the feeling of sadness continued to flow relentlessly.

The sting in my nose made my tear ducts moist. Taking advantage of the little one asleep in my arms, I secretly reached up to wipe away the gradually forming tears. Give me a little more time, I need to adapt to this sense of responsibility I’ve been entrusted with.

..

⛰️ Unreliable Fate

The carriage traveled non-stop for a day and a night, only pausing at one small relay station along the way. After that, it was endless mountainous scenery. In this undeveloped era, while many things were inconvenient, the lack of industrial pollution meant the clarity and deep blue of the sky and earth were beautiful sights I, a modern person, had never seen.

It was incredibly difficult and I was at a loss for words to express this marvelous feeling, as its pervasive beauty was found in the harmony of every blade of grass and tree. Looking out, the lush greenness lifted my spirits considerably.

“Big Brother Ji, how much longer until we reach Shangpingzhou?”

Sixiao held the dried rations, seeming reluctant to eat them, and offered some to me while asking. I lifted my hand and rubbed my chin. We had been traveling for days, and I hadn’t seen a single city gate yet. I couldn’t answer Sixiao, so I quickly raised my voice and asked the coachman:

“Master, how much longer until we reach Shangping?”

“It’s close now! If it doesn’t rain, we should reach Deyifu in Shangpingzhou tomorrow morning.”

“Xiaozhi, we just need to hold on for one more night to reach Deyifu. We’ll rest well at an inn then. Once we’re rested, Big Brother will take you out for delicious food!”

“Okay! I’ll listen to Big Brother Ji!”

We hugged each other excitedly, like a foolish father and son. Accompanied by the rocking jolts of the carriage, we both fell into a deep sleep.

…

😱 Trouble Strikes

…

Perhaps you don’t understand the complex feelings I have right now. When a big flag is raised (meaning fate challenges you), things can get so spooky it makes you want to spit blood!

For instance, right now. Just when Shangpingzhou was so close, it didn’t move, but the ones who messed up were us!

Half an hour ago, I, Sixiao, and the coachman, the three of us, made a bonfire, thinking the leftover dried rations would taste better if we warmed them up. So, we gathered around, eating our dinner heartily amidst the crackling sound of burning branches.

After the meal, seeing that it was still early, I foolishly began telling the coachman and Sixiao the plot of Ju-On: The Grudge. Sixiao, being a child, was terrified and buried his head into my arms.

The coachman was a rough man and wasn’t scared by my story. Instead, he snorted, got up, and dusted himself off:

“I’m going to relieve myself. Young Master and little brother, want to come along?”

Embarrassing! It would be problematic if I could go along! Sixiao quickly shook his head. It seemed he was sticking to me like glue right now!

Just as I was about to take Sixiao back to the carriage, a bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, rang out from about two hundred meters away, accompanied by the sound of something thrashing through the overgrown weeds. I instinctively shielded the little guy behind me.

I couldn’t leave Sixiao alone, so I had no choice but to lead him along, tiptoeing in the direction the coachman had gone. My heart was pounding fiercely. After all, I’m a coward. Forget ghosts; sometimes, I’m even scared of people!

“Master?”

I called out towards the undergrowth, but there was no response. I poked my head out and called again, but still, nothing!

Forget it, forget it. Maybe he was just playing a prank? It’s not impossible, right? Comforting myself, I took Sixiao’s small hand and turned back towards the carriage.

But before I had taken a few steps, I heard movement behind me—a crunching sound of feet stepping on weeds and twigs, and the sound indicated a difficult, dragging pace.

Nervously, I turned around. A figure dressed in pure black clothes, pants, and shoes was slowly approaching me with an unsteady, dragging gait, looking exactly like a zombie from The Walking Dead. The sight sent shivers down my spine.

The darkness prevented me from clearly making out the person’s face; I couldn’t even tell their gender. Sixiao and I let out simultaneous, spine-chilling screams.

At the same time, due to excessive fear, we, the foolish father and son pair, found our legs turning to jelly, unable to move. I could only stand my ground, protecting Sixiao and shivering with fear and caution!

“Don’t come closer… I’m warning you, I believe in Buddhism, Christianity, and the Communist Party! Ji Ji Ru Lu Ling! Ma Li Ma Li Hong!” (A mix of Taoist, Buddhist, and modern incantations.)

I shouted various random spells, but the black figure did not stop. Finally, it approached me until its head was almost touching mine. In my terror, I finally saw clearly: a face covered in blood.

What was even more unexpected was that this black figure was actually a girl! She tried to speak to me but was too severely injured. Her eyes closed, and she slowly slid down my body to the ground, unconscious.

Sixiao and I quickly crouched down. I reached out and put my hand near her nose; I could still feel her faint breath. I looked around. There was no more movement in this pitch-black wilderness. The coachman was probably scared off by her.

So, what the actual F! What should I do? I just achieved the skill of picking up a son, and now the coachman has run off, and I’ve picked up an injured girl on the way. I clutched my head and desperately shouted toward the sky:

“You’re unreliable, Heavens! You are too unreliable! Why is this transmigration setting increasingly like a human trafficking system? Now the coachman has run off. How am I supposed to take this big and little one to Deyifu? Are you trying to cut off my path? Say something!”

My shouts echoed through the mountains, only to be answered by the sound of crickets chirping deep within the woods:

“Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp…”