Ash held his hat against his chest and lowered his voice slightly. "Yes, right here."
Yuan Qiuyuan was very interested. He asked, "How did you end up attending? Did you eat any?"
Ash considered for a moment, a trace of complicated emotion flickering almost imperceptibly across his face. "I was still very young then, still in secondary school. I was fascinated by things like the occult and joined a Mystical Society at school. The president thought highly of me and invited me to many Mystical Gatherings."
A faint, self-mocking smile appeared on his face.
"I was very bold back then, afraid of almost nothing. All I wanted was sensory and psychological stimulation."
At this point, his gaze wandered through the air, as though avoiding something.
"I remember it very clearly. Once, there was an adult man and woman there. Amid everyone's cheers, they stripped off their clothes, washed themselves, then smeared various sauces over their bodies and swallowed some strange spices and ritual materials. Finally, they lay down on platters like dishes of food..."
He paused. "A crowd rushed forward in a frenzy to divide up and eat those two people. I still remember the president bringing over a plate of bloody flesh and asking in surprise why I wasn't eating..."
He shook his head and pointed at his own head. "That scene still lingers in my mind, refusing to leave. It terrifies me, and even now I sometimes dream about it. Perhaps I've grown used to it, though. These days, I don't wake with a start as easily as I used to.
"Perhaps one day I'll punch him in my dream, or pick up a slice and taste it?" He shrugged. "Who knows?"
"After that, I left the Mystical Society. But as far as I know, similar banquets are