The fragmented body of Little Ghost gradually fades. He's unable to make a sound, only waving his little hand towards Little Taotie.
There's no sorrow or pain on his face, only the relief after release, with a gentle upward curve at the corners of his mouth, carrying an innocent and pure smile.
Little Taotie reaches out to grab, wanting to catch him into the Horse-Faced Bell, but it's a futile grasp.
"How could this happen? I clearly could touch him before..."
But now, she can't touch even a bit.
She can only watch as Little Braids completely disappears.
As if he never existed in this world, disappearing cleanly, all the resentment, all the sins, unrelated to him, and this world is unrelated to him too.
Nie Qing places a hand on Little Taotie's shoulder. The small shoulders are fragile, yet strong, bearing all they shouldn't at this age.
This might be how the more spiritual gifts from heaven, the heavier the burden on one's shoulders.
