These Wishes Are Strange

Splash!

The sea breeze was gentle, the water clear and blue, seabirds circling in search of food. Liang Zhi, his body weighted with cement blocks, was thrown into the ocean…

As the surface grew ever dimmer, darkness engulfing his entire vision, Liang Zhi screamed in his heart: “I don’t want to die! It shouldn’t be me! I’m a good person—where is my reward?”

“Yes, good people are rewarded—what a lie for children. So… why not become a villain?” A voice suddenly appeared in Liang Zhi’s ear.

In his agony, Liang Zhi thought, “I must be hallucinating now.”

The voice continued, “You don’t want to die, and I cannot die yet. Let’s make a deal. Live on in my place and complete my wishes. After that, my power, my wealth… everything in this world will be yours!”

…

“Ow! Damn crab, get out of my pants! Stop crawling up!” Liang Zhi shouted, running around like a headless chicken before landing hard on the ground.

The pain brought him abruptly to his senses. “I should have already become fish food. How am I still alive and kicking?”

He took in his surroundings. Night had fallen; a round moon hung in the sky, its shadows twisting into a mocking grin. Around him, sinister and eerie thickets stood silent. In the distance, faint lights flickered—perhaps a small town.

He found himself standing on a circular platform, over ten meters in diameter, its edge lined with burning white candles.

“Where… is this?” Liang Zhi muttered in confusion.

Two black feathers drifted past his eyes, and then a fat raven landed nearby.

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