Blood Moon Town

"Hiss--"

Gao Fu sat under the leaky eaves, the back of his head banging against the damp, dilapidated wall intermittently. With each bang, he let out a muffled groan, as if he were using pain to fight something.

Why?

Why can't I have my own bed?

This thought was like a thorn stuck in his mind, impossible to remove.

He didn't know why he was in this place, where he came from, or what he was supposed to do next.

The only thing that was clear was that thought—a bed. He wanted a bed, a soft bed of his own where he could sleep peacefully.

"I... I think I'm from out of town, and I'd like to stay here?"

He staggered to his feet, a wide, indescribable smile plastered on his face.

The smile stretched from the corners of his mouth to both sides, all the way to his ears, as if someone were using invisible fingers to lift the flesh on both sides and forcibly stretch it into an arc.

He looked into the distance.

Nearby was a village with dozens of houses built of mud, sand, and reeds. The style was unfamiliar; they were probably foreign houses, but Gao Fu didn't recognize them.

A small river meanders through the area, its bed of smooth white pebbles resembling prehistoric eggs, surrounded by dormant swamps and lush, vegetation-covered mountains. The air is filled with the earthy scent of soil and the unique freshness of tropical plants.

Take a deep breath Gao Fu.

It's been so long since I've smelled normal air... so long?

He frowned.

Where did this idea come from? What exactly constitutes "normal air"? Has he ever had abnormal breathing before?

Before I could delve deeper into my doubts, a jumble of random thoughts suddenly flooded my mind.

A strange, unadorned glowing panel. He could see the contents on it, but he always forgot them the instant he saw them. The characters swam in his consciousness, slippery as eels.

Gao Fu was initially surprised by this.

He tried to describe what he saw to the townspeople, but they looked at him like he was crazy. Then someone held him down, and someone else pried open his mouth and poured mud and animal excrement into it.

"That will help," they said. "Blowing out the impurities will cleanse your mind."

I don't know if this works, but after eating it twice, Gao Fu learned to shut up.

"Hey, how have you been lately? Still having frequent episodes of delusions?"

A voice came from behind. Gao Fu turned around and saw a man with black hair and brown eyes, whose expression was indifferent, as if it were a routine greeting.

Gao Fu thought for a moment, "It's alright. How about you?"

"Same as always. I got sick this morning and ate a mouthful of shit." The man shook his head, his tone as indifferent as if he were saying the weather was nice today. He handed Gao Fu a piece of bread, and without waiting for a thank you, he turned and left.

They have the same hair color and similar facial features, and they also suffer from similar delusions.

Gao Fu and the man both suspected they were from the same place and had occasionally helped each other in recent days.

He looked Gao Fu at the bread in his hand.

Hard, as hard as stone.

He tapped on the wall; the bread was intact, but there was a dent in the wall.

He took the bread to the ditch by the house, squatted down, soaked the bread in the water, and waited for it to soften a little before he began to eat it with difficulty.

Because of that exaggerated smile on his face, chewing became an extremely difficult task. Bread crumbs leaked from the corners of his mouth, fell into the ditch, and were washed away by the water.

As Gao Fu munched on his bread, he muttered to himself, "Why am I staying here?"

A passing resident stopped, looked at him, and replied matter-of-factly, "Have you forgotten? You're here to treat your [laughing fit]!"

Gao Fu was stunned for a moment.

Laughing disorder... Smile?

He suddenly realized. Yes, he had come here for treatment. This town specialized in treating all sorts of strange illnesses. He had come here after many twists and turns, but instead of being cured, he had developed delusions.

"Your delusions are getting worse." The resident shook his head and looked around.

Then he bent down and picked up a pile of Goushi from the ground.

His Gao Fu pupils suddenly contracted, and he turned and ran.

The resident caught up in a few steps, grabbed Gao Fu's shoulder with one hand, and shoved Goushi directly into his mouth with the other.

"Just cooperate," the resident said gently, as if coaxing a child to take medicine. "It'll be over soon."

"Holy... Neiwa..." Gao Fu mumbled desperately, his words incoherent.

The residents grabbed a clump of yellow mud from the ground and forced it into Gao Fu's mouth, making him take it. The mud and Goushi mixed together, and the stench and earthy smell exploded at the same time, making Gao Fu's eyes water.

"I'm doing this for your own good," the resident muttered as he stuffed the food into the bag. "The sooner you recover, the sooner you can become a part of our Blood Moon Town..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

He suddenly raised his head and looked up at the sky.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gao Fu broke free and collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently. But as he vomited, he sensed something was wrong—

The sky changed color.

The once clear tropical blue sky was slowly Corrosion by a layer of scarlet from the horizon. The red Spread like a living thing, devouring the clouds, the sunlight, and everything else.

"Holy crap, Blood Moon is coming!"

For the first time, the residents' voices were tinged with fear.

He wiped his hands on Gao Fu's clothes, turned and ran, as fast as if he were being chased by something.

Gao Fu struggled to his feet and looked up at the sky.

A scarlet moon hung high in the sky.

The light shone down and fell on Gao Fu, carrying a viscous, warm texture.

Gao Fu stood rooted to the spot, unable to dodge or run. He could only watch helplessly as the red light seeped into his skin, into his eyes, and into the already chaotic corners of his mind.

"I give up..." he murmured. "Being exposed to the Blood Moon, I'm going to get a new illness... I wonder what it will be this time..."

He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment.

Then he knew the answer.

Insomnia.

He can't sleep.

For some reason, this realization stirred a strong sense of resentment within him—not letting me sleep? Why should I? I'm going to sleep anyway!

I wish I could sleep right now.

I wish I had my own bed.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when a bed appeared out of thin air before him.

Luxurious. Comfortable. Extravagantly large. The sheets are elaborate, the pillows are fluffy, and the blankets are as soft as clouds.

Gao Fu's eyes lit up.

This bed... it looks so familiar. It's his own bed, he was...

Where was he again?

Gao Fu didn't think any further. He was too tired, too sleepy, and just wanted to lie down.

He walked over, lay down, and closed his eyes.

Sleep...

His consciousness slowly sank, from the Corruption Illusion Realm of Blood Moon Town into a deeper place—his own world, his own Dreamscape.

In the distant sky, beside the Blood Moon, a figure carrying Zhanmadao suddenly appeared.

Song Shige.

He glanced at the Corruption Survivors in the town, then his gaze Lock-On on the crimson moon.

Draw your sword.

Cut.

The blade flashed like a river of blood hanging upside down, slashing towards the Blood Moon.