Cry of the phoenix

Author: Qingmei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Kou Xinyan had been living a normal life, but in the past two years, she had been troubled by various unexplainable things. Sensitive physical reactions, strange wounds, and inexplicable dreams led to a forced business trip, which coincidentally threw her into another world—a perfect shadow world under moonlight. Beyond the world we live in, there exists a parallel world where every person in the real world can find their counterpart. It is a world of dreams, where it seems that everyone can achieve their dreams. However, dreams and ambitions often stand only a hair’s breadth apart, and desire and greed are always intertwined. Kou Xinyan shuttled between two worlds, experiencing all sorts of strange events, meeting one mysterious and familiar person after another, and finally unraveled the bizarre incident that had plagued her for two years. But when the truth was revealed, she had to face a love that had once been deeply ingrained yet heartbreakingly painful.
Excerpt: The air was filled with the stench of blood, vultures circled overhead, seemingly preparing to dive at any moment, tearing and fighting for a share of the crimson on the ground. The chill was as thick as the night, layer upon layer, suffocating all vitality, crushing the heavens and earth beneath her feet. Black clouds churned, dark and thunderous, even the earth trembled. The ground beneath her feet suddenly split open, like the gaping mouth of a ravenous demon, ready to swallow her whole. Fear gripped her chest, stealing her breath and voice. Her body unable to move, she watched the crack widen as suddenly, the ground beneath her vanished, and she was pulled into boundless darkness by an irresistible force.
“A!” Kou Xinyan gasped, jolted awake to find herself inside a subway. The sudden silence around her made the people in the carriage turn their startled gazes to the pale girl. The subway raced along the tracks, the sound of the rails colliding with the bright lights in the carriage sounding like monotonous percussion. Kou Xinyan sighed, ignoring the stares and closed her eyes, leaning back in her seat. The winter air was warm, and she could feel sweat crawling across her back like ants. The floor beneath her feet was solid and smooth, and her racing heart gradually calmed.
Was it just a dream? She smiled bitterly. So real, like a nightmare she had lived through—how could it appear in her mind?
Stepping out of the subway, the wind carried the smell of gasoline and chemicals, mixing with the bustling crowds on the street. The light gray sky was pierced by towering skyscrapers. Streetlights flickered, cars zipped past, and everyone hurried along. Kou Xinyan walked through the crowd, her temples throbbing with each pulse, her mind hazy and confused.
She didn’t know when it started, but she was haunted by those inexplicable, bloody dreams. They didn’t happen often, but they always appeared at unpredictable times—sometimes on a bus, sometimes in the subway, or even in an elevator. Just moments before, she had been vibrant, but she would suddenly fall into one of those dreams, waking up in a struggle and a scream.
When asked what the dreams were like, she couldn’t describe them. What terrified her in the dreams wasn’t the bloody wilderness but something hidden beneath it—the despair, loneliness, and helplessness of the situation.
A car sped past, splashing a meter-high puddle of toward her. Kou Xinyan froze for a moment, quickly stepping aside, and the muddy water landed just at her feet, leaving her pristine white shoes untouched.
“Nice moves!” a man passing by exclaimed in astonishment.
Kou Xinyan glanced at him palely and walked away without a word. She didn’t know when her reflexes had become so sharp. Sometimes, her body moved faster than her mind.
“Hey, miss, wait a second!” The man paused, then hurried after her, reaching out to grab her arm. “I just want to ask you something.”
Kou Xinyan turned sharply, and his grip slipped, sending him stumbling three steps backward.
“What do you want?” she asked coldly.
The man looked at her pale face, and a fierce glint flashed in his dark eyes. He quickly waved his hands, smiling. “Don’t misunderstand, I mean no harm—I just thought your skills were impressive.”
“I don’t know any martial arts,” she said coldly, turning to leave.
She lived on the seventeenth floor. While waiting for the elevator, someone tapped her shoulder from behind. Thinking he was following her again, she shifted her weight and kicked him hard in the back.
“Sis, it’s me!” a cry came with the sound of his body hitting the ground.
She retracted her kick and turned to see the disheveled boy on the floor—it was her brother, Zhiyou.
She sighed and murmured, “I’ve told you so many times not to do that.”
Zhiyou scrambled up, grinning. Though he had just turned eighteen, he was tall and handsome, with dark eyes just like his sister’s beneath his messy black hair.
“Sis, that move was awesome,” the teenager said excitedly, not at all upset by being knocked down. “Teach me sometime.”
Kou Xinyan smiled faintly. Seeing the elevator door open, she stepped inside first, followed by Zhiyou, who asked, “Sis, I’m asking you again—where did you learn those skills?”
Kou Xinyan sighed, partly exasperated and partly annoyed. “I’ve never learned any martial arts—you know that.”
“Yeah, right,” Zhiyou retorted. “With skills like yours, you’re even cooler than Jet Li—how can you say you’ve never trained?”
Kou Xinyan smiled bitterly. No one believed her—not even she. It had probably been two years ago, when she accidentally fell from a cliff while hiking with friends. Yet her body’s lightning-fast reflexes left her unharmed. Everyone, including herself, had called it a miracle. From then on, she noticed more and more that her body didn’t feel like her own—such agility was impossible without professional training. But over the past two years, she had indeed caught three thieves on the street and saved two children from under car wheels.
What was going on? Even she wanted to know.
As soon as she entered her home, the rich aroma of meat filled the air. Zhiyou jumped in, shouting, “This smells amazing!”
Her mother poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling. “You’re back. I made braised pork—there’ll be guests soon.”
Zhiyou rushed to the stove, picking up a piece of golden, red-braised pork and stuffing it into his mouth while asking, “Who’s coming?”
His mother turned around and tapped his hand. “Go wash your hands.”
Zhiyou’s mouth full of meat, he mumbled, “Mom, who are the guests?”