Chapter 88: This Is Revenge, Isn't It?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The busker by the road had managed to catch Hao Ren's attention as well as the crowd in the area. Perhaps, it was due to the fact that busking was a rare sight in town. She immediately became the focus of the crowd.
There are three types of street performers in this age; one is the poor musician who dons a pair of sunglasses and plays the erhu, playing nameless melancholic tunes; then, there is the one who is blind to his or her lack of talent but plays anyway for the sake of making a point; the last type is what Hao Ren would call a true 'street performer', one with real talent. The young lass across the road may have looked like an amateur but Hao Ren thought that she belonged to the third type.
Her clothes appeared a little worn but her appearance was well kept. A cheerful glow radiated from her youthful face and at the very least, she seemed to have more money than that pauper of a vampire at home. Her music had the ability to make one stop and listen. However, the melody was foreign to Hao Ren, perhaps a self-composed tune. It did not sound anything like the popular music on radio but it gave off a forlorn feeling, making one think of the vast plains and gentle breeze. Hao Ren was usually skeptical about the whole notion of 'music lifting one's soul' but, this changed his mind.
As the girl started to sing her nameless song, Hao Ren had never heard of the language before. It was as if she was just humming at will. There was no meaning to the lyrics of the song and the tune could have just been made up on the go. Even Y'zaks had to stop and listen. After a while, he frowned. "I don't understand it. Is the translation module malfunctioning?"
"Yo, MDT." Hao Ren poked the device in his pocket, which was in sleep mode. "Listen and tell me what language is that? Our translation database doesn't seem to have any information on it."
A short background music played, signaling that the MDT was starting up and after a few seconds, it said, "No structure, no logic and undecipherable intonation. The system concludes that these sounds have no need for translation. They are just meaningless sounds."
Hao Ren pondered for a while and came up with a simple explanation. "So, you mean that the lady has forgotten the lyrics and she’s just making things up?"
"Can't you read the atmosphere when you speak?" The MDT vibrated in his pocket. "It’s such a melodious song. Can't you just say that she’s singing from her soul than forgetting the lyrics. That said, I do think that she forgot the lyrics."
The girl across the road had also seemed to take notice of them. Perhaps she noticed Y'zaks first, given that the demon was a good seven feet tall. She looked at Hao Ren and greeted him with a sweet smile.
Hao Ren of course, did not know who the lady was and he returned a courteous smile. He then left with Y'zaks. He still had things to prepare for Lily's transformation that night and could not waste his precious time.
As they were about to step into the house, the MDT sounded again. "Say... the lass did greet you right? Shouldn't you at least have given her a tip or two? I have checked that this is a norm on Earth."
Hao Ren thought of the matter for a while, and his face exhibited an expression of a man attaining peace. "You heard the song, right? Such a carefree melody. I don't think this can be measured by money. Sure, she was busking but, I think giving her a smile is worth more than a few bucks."
"But as you left, the lady did roll her eyes and muttered something about you."
Hao Ren had no response to the MDT's jibes. Could the talkative device not give him a peace of mind?
Vivian was home by the time the two got back.
The vampire was out and about since the last night. She did not return until past noon. It seemed like she flew somewhere real far to collect her ingredients. Hao Ren saw the vampire busy pounding herbs in the mortar. She seemed to be preparing some herbal remedies. Vivian looked up and saw the gigantic bag in Y'zaks' hand and asked, "Whoa, that much?"
"Just in case Lily gets hungry after transforming. I read that werewolves get a very voracious appetite after transforming so, I got her 20 packets of spicy strips and 10 packets of bread. This can at least ensure that she won't run into town hungry and end up hurting innocents."
Lily cheered at the mention of snacks and pounced on Hao Ren from the sofa. Grabbing a packet of spicy strip, she went back to the sofa and started munching on it. Vivian looked at Hao Ren in horror. "Twenty packets of that? What were you thinking?"
"Well, she likes it." Hao Ren gave Lily a look similar to one who was spoiling a pet. "Besides, the spicy strip is rather filling. I heard from Raven 12345 that spicy stuff helps with her evolution..."
"I’ve never heard of that before..." Vivian pouted. "You better prepare some 10 bottles of drinking water then. There may come a time when Lily needs to dip in cold water. My goodness, that thinking of yours, why is it more and more like that goddess?"
Raven 12345's status as a goddess usually commanded awe and respect while Hao Ren would casually diss her. Vivian retained that sense of awe and dared not call the goddess a crazy witch. Clearly, the vampire took the matter of religion rather seriously.
Hao Ren then helped Y'zaks place the bags on the dining table and he shifted towards Vivian as she continued to pound the herbs. "What are you doing? That looks... disgusting... F*ck! That smell!"
Vivian had placed old newspapers over the table and on them were an array of herbs that looked no different that your typical weed. However, it was clear that Vivian took a lot of effort in finding the ingredients. Some of them still had the scent of soil. Vivian had cleaned some of the herbs and carefully placed them aside. Next to the herbs was a collection of soil, wood chips, moss and pebbles that had been separated from the herbs. At first glance, one would have thought that they were plucked up from a garbage can.
Vivian on the other hand, was carefully preparing the herbal solution, pounding some and mixing the others.
"This one here is made out of three different dried herbs. After mixing with rabbit blood and water, it will serve as a strong stabilizing agent. Normal people will probably go into a coma drinking it but, it will have a calming effect on a werewolf," Vivian explained the various herbs that she was preparing. "This ash-like powder is incense. I’ll need to mix it with wormwood extract and mold it into a cookie-like shape. Will need to light it up when Lily transforms and it will suppress her desire to attack anything. It's a common item found in the werewolves' coming of age rituals. I'm sure I got the mixture right. The moss there, I got it from the cemetery. Took me a while to find the proper one. It will be able to focus spiritual energies. Werewolves are a race that have more brawn than brains and they lack the necessary spiritual strength thus, things like these are required..."
Vivian had yet to finish her lecture when Hao Ren showed signs of wanting to vomit. Surely, no one could have be able to withstand the stench of those things. But, they were important ingredients for the herbal concoction needed for Lily's transformation that night. Hao Ren's stomach turned at the very thought of consuming the concoction. He glanced at Vivian and felt that something was up from the vampire's eyes. "Tell me, honestly, this is revenge against Lily, isn't it?"
Vivian smiled. "Mr. Landlord, look me in the eye and you’ll find out..."
Hao Ren sighed. It was revenge indeed.
Lily however, did not detect anything amiss and she was still munching on the spicy strips. She was watching her favorite soap opera, totally not paying any attention to the items on the table. Hao Ren took the chance to tease her. "Lily, look at Vivian preparing these for you... You'll need to eat them later tonight..."
Lily turned around and sniffed. "Oh, okay! I'll eat anything!"
Hao Ren did not know how to respond to that.
This omnivore of a werewolf was beyond saving!