Chapter 39: Life Exchange
After saying this, Si Gui continued to throw his darts, not looking at Jiang Hong. To ease the awkwardness, Jiang Hong went to the bar to set down his bag and asked, "Do you drink coffee?"
"No," Si Gui replied succinctly.
Seeing him continuously playing with the dartboard, obviously bored, Jiang Hong tentatively suggested, "Shall we play pool?"
He was prepared for Si Gui to ignore him, but surprisingly, Si Gui stood up and picked up a pool cue. So, Jiang Hong started playing pool with him.
Jiang Hong's pool skills were average, and Si Gui's were even more so. They played haphazardly, with Jiang Hong occasionally offering awkward flattery. As the game neared its end, Xiao Pi entered the room.
"Ah." Xiao Pi seemed a bit intimidated at the sight of Si Gui, but having Jiang Hong there made him less socially anxious.
Soon, Lu Xiu arrived, as if he had expected an additional person today, only giving Jiang Hong an emotionless glance.
"Want to join?" Jiang Hong said. "He's too good, I can't beat him. Come and help me."
Lu Xiu: "I won't play." He then sat down at the bar to make coffee.
Thus, the Class S room housed two aloof princes, both appearing to know each other but neither engaging in conversation.
Five minutes later, Cao Bin entered the classroom. Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi greeted him, while Si Gui pocketed the last black ball, put down the cue, and returned to his darts, sitting aside.
"I've given you all A+ for your final assessments," Cao Bin announced, "The grades are already entered into the system, and you can check them starting next Monday."
"But... I haven't reported yet!" Xiao Pi exclaimed.
"No need," Cao Bin replied. "Your performance in the Qilian Mountain incident was exceptional. Who would have thought that a major case involving the Exorcism Commission would be uncovered by four students? An A+ is not excessive... Is this my coffee? Thank you, Lu Xiu."
Cao Bin also sat at the bar, pulling out two red envelopes from his suit pocket. "These are small semester-ending gifts for you, cafeteria meal coupons. Here, Pi Yunhao, for you. And Jiang Hong, this is yours."
Cao Bin looked sharp today, freshly haircut, and showed no surprise at Si Gui's presence.
Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi chorused, "Thank you, Principal!"
Cao Bin spoke seriously, "Work hard next semester too. Pi Yunhao, Director Dou Kuan wants to meet you this afternoon. You should drop by."
Xiao Pi asked, "Should I go now?"
Cao Bin: "Up to you, there are no more classes today anyway."
Jiang Hong suddenly sensed keenly that Cao Bin might have something to say to him.
Xiao Pi then said goodbye and left, closing the door behind him.
Left in the Class S room were Cao Bin, Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong, and the redhead youth Si Gui.
Cao Bin quietly sipped his coffee, while Jiang Hong felt an odd atmosphere, observing Lu Xiu and Cao Bin's expressions and looking towards Si Gui, lounging aside, with the sound of darts hitting the board occasionally breaking the silence.
"The semester has ended," Cao Bin was the first to speak, asking, "Jiang Hong, what are your thoughts and experiences?"
"So much," Jiang Hong said with a smile, "Life has changed dramatically."
Cao Bin sipped his coffee, contemplatively silent. Jiang Hong occasionally glanced at Si Gui, sitting in the corner. Noticing his gaze, Cao Bin said, "Have you two met already? When I came in, I saw you playing pool together."
"Yeah," Si Gui replied nonchalantly.
Jiang Hong thought, Principal Cao, aren't you going to introduce us?
Cao Bin said, "Si Gui is our Class S's mascot. He mostly stays here, just went out for a bit. You'll become good friends in the future."
"Oh…" Jiang Hong thought to himself, what's with the mascot thing? But seeing Si Gui didn't object, he didn't ask further.
Jiang Hong then noticed Lu Xiu watching him.
"Ah, right," Jiang Hong remembered something and said to Lu Xiu, "Today, that teacher named Director Ge brought back news about my chakra from the Exorcism Commission."
Lu Xiu: "Hmm, what did he say?"
Jiang Hong explained the whole situation to Lu Xiu. This was his approach; he decided not to directly ask Lu Xiu for help. If Lu Xiu was willing to empower him, he would offer after hearing the story.
If Lu Xiu remained silent after hearing everything, it would be the same as a refusal, which would prevent any awkwardness.
However, Jiang Hong had barely started when Lu Xiu already understood the entire situation.
Lu Xiu: "I won't empower you. Find someone else."
Jiang Hong: "…"
The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Jiang Hong, with a wry smile, said, "I haven't finished speaking yet."
Lu Xiu: "I know what you mean."
Si Gui abruptly stopped throwing darts and exchanged a glance with Cao Bin.
Jiang Hong scratched his head, saying, "I understand. I wasn't... well, actually, that was indeed what I was thinking."
Jiang Hong has always been honest. Lu Xiu has been so good to him; there was no need for any pretense. What harm was there in admitting it?
Lu Xiu: "Actually, I kept you here today because there's something else I need to tell you. Principal, if you can't say it, I will."
Cao Bin immediately said, "No, let me do it."
Jiang Hong: "???"
Jiang Hong looked at Cao Bin, then at Lu Xiu, completely baffled.
Cao Bin: "After all, this matter concerns everyone. Jiang Hong... what's coming next might be a bit... shocking for you. You need to be mentally prepared."
Jiang Hong: "????"
The 'thunk' 'thunk' of Si Gui's darts resumed.
Jiang Hong, with a sense of foreboding, replied, "Go ahead, Principal." He then moved to sit at the bar.
Cao Bin placed his empty coffee cup in front of Lu Xiu, who refilled it for him.
"Where to begin?" Cao Bin struggled to decide and finally said, "We have to start with Yinghuo."
Jiang Hong: "Is it related to the demon-catching incident in Chongqing?"
Cao Bin: "It's much more than that. First, do you remember the two exorcists you worked with inside the Earth's veins? One named Yang Feiyao, the other Chen Shun."
Jiang Hong said, "I remember. They're both from Yinghuo, right?"
Cao Bin replied, "Yes, they were Yinghuo's moles within the Exorcism Commission. Yinghuo's capabilities are far greater than we initially thought. The Commission's failure to take them seriously at first was a catastrophic mistake. Now, An Jie and Chen Zhen are doing their best to thoroughly investigate their identities. We can only hope it's not too late to mend the situation."
Jiang Hong hummed in acknowledgment, thinking: What does this have to do with me?
Cao Bin continued, "Then, there's a feng shui master named Mai Qing, whom you probably remember. I had Lu Xiu investigate him based on the clues provided by Yang Feiyao."
"Oh— I see," said Jiang Hong. "But it's quite a coincidence, because the old man selling magical treasures at the Xi'an Exorcism Commission's door also asked me to steal from Mai Qing's house."
"It's not a coincidence," Cao Bin said. "First, Yang Feiyao and Chen Shun were arrested and confessed, revealing Mai Qing's affiliation with Yinghuo. Only then did the Commission start trying to capture Mai Qing. Some exorcists, aware of this operation, privately informed Wang Guoliang."
Jiang Hong made a sound of realization and quickly added, "So, he had to get back that Xuan Guang Jindou before Mai Qing was captured."
Cao Bin said, "Exactly. Once Mai Qing was arrested, his house would be searched, and then it would be impossible to retrieve the item. Of course, he didn't have much hope, just tried his luck, but surprisingly, you actually succeeded."
Jiang Hong suddenly thought of Lu Xiu, who was also there at the time, and looked at Cao Bin with suspicion, vaguely understanding something. Because Mai Qing was about to be captured soon, Cao Bin also involved Lu Xiu to find certain evidence before Mai Qing's house was searched?
"The person you saw at Mai Qing's house," Cao Bin continued, "let's call him 'Number One' for now. He is indeed the leader of Yinghuo and the direct person in charge."
Jiang Hong was startled and asked, "Is he the big boss?"
Cao Bin said, "Our current guess is that he's the direct executor for the big boss. He's responsible for formulating detailed plans and issuing orders within the organization, assigning tasks for others to complete separately."
Jiang Hong nodded in understanding.
Cao Bin added, "Do you know what Mai Qing's main role in the Yinghuo organization was? You can guess."
After taking another sip of coffee, Jiang Hong thought and replied, "He's a feng shui master, so his role must have involved divination and prediction, right?"
"Correct," Cao Bin nodded. "He was responsible for predicting the future direction of all events. But you know how feng shui works... Oh, you don't know yet; you start learning that in your sophomore year."
Jiang Hong responded, "I've already started learning a bit on my own. The accuracy of feng shui predictions is inversely proportional to the energy involved in the event and its complexity. The stronger the energy, the greater the chaos coefficient, and the less accurate the predictions."
"Exactly," Cao Bin said, still teaching, "For instance, predicting the flight path of a swallow is easy, but predicting the flight of a dragon is much harder because a dragon's energy is countless times stronger than a swallow's. Predicting when a leaf will fall from a branch is easy, but predicting when two countries will go to war is much more difficult."
Jiang Hong hummed and said, "Does this also explain why Mai Qing couldn't predict the outcome of the conflict between Yinghuo and the Exorcism Commission?"
Cao Bin answered, "That's exactly my point. Perhaps as time progressed and events approached a turning point, Mai Qing could vaguely see some of the future... but he no longer has the chance. He lost all his talismans, especially the Xuan Guang Jindou, and is now under our control."
Jiang Hong nodded, and Cao Bin said, "Additionally, Mai Qing was responsible for providing the results of his predictions to all senior members of Yinghuo, including 'Number One,' advising them on how to attract good fortune and avoid misfortune. It's because of his powerful predictive abilities that Yinghuo has always managed to evade the Commission's detection at critical moments."
Jiang Hong nodded again, and Cao Bin continued, "Logically, a skilled feng shui master should be able to protect himself. However, Mai Qing made a fatal mistake under a very unlikely circumstance."
Remembering his conversation with Jin in the car, Jiang Hong said, "Right! I was also wondering, if Mai Qing's predictions were so accurate, he should have foreseen the Commission coming to capture him. Why didn't he run away? He should have also predicted that we would take the Xuan Guang Jindou."
Cao Bin said, "Next, I'll explain this mistake to you. The details are quite complex. During the interrogation, it was hard for us to believe, but after thorough confirmation, we're sure Mai Qing wasn't lying. After all, the Commission has many ways to extract the truth."
Jiang Hong, intrigued, asked, "What is it?"
Cao Bin said, "Firstly, this matter starts with another person. This man, named Yuan Kong, is also a feng shui master. He and Mai Qing are fellow disciples, Yuan Kong being the older and therefore the senior. Both are from Shaanxi and studied under the same master, who later retired and opened a talisman shop at the Xi'an Exorcism Commission. The master's name is Wang Guoliang."
"Ah!" Jiang Hong was shocked, not expecting such a complex relationship. The old man selling talismans, Wang, was actually Mai Qing's master?
Cao Bin continued, "When Yuan Kong and Mai Qing were younger, they went on a mission together, during which Yuan Kong had an accident and died."
Jiang Hong: "Oh…"
Cao Bin: "Mai Qing later went to Chongqing and took over his senior brother's resources, continuing his life as a feng shui master. At that time, Yuan Kong had a son named Yuan Shiyu."
Jiang Hong: "Why does that name sound familiar? Have I heard it somewhere before?"
Suddenly, Lu Xiu spoke up, "Not only have you heard of him, but you've also met him."
Jiang Hong: "???"
Lu Xiu: "Remember the young man who was knocked out in Mai Qing's backyard garden?"
Jiang Hong: "Oh! It's him! But Lu Xiu, how do you seem to know him?"
Lu Xiu: "I've only seen him once. Many years ago, I visited Mai Qing's elder brother to ask him to predict something for me."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, okay. So what happened to this person?"
Cao Bin: "Yuan Kong's widow, Yuan Shiyu's mother, sought refuge with her husband's junior brother, Mai Qing, after her husband's death. Mai Qing took good care of them, purchasing properties in Chongqing for the mother and son, and ensuring Yuan Shiyu pursued his education seriously. The problem lies with Yuan Shiyu. When he was very young, Mai Qing had calculated his life's destiny…"
"...The divination showed that Yuan Shiyu's fate was extremely ominous, known as 'The Six Perils.' Usually, those with such a fate don't live past twenty. It involves complex concepts of 'entering luck' and 'decade change' in life's destiny. Typically, they die in an accident before reaching adulthood. According to his fate, his life would end around his twentieth year. Jiang Hong, do you believe in destiny?"
Jiang Hong was a bit perplexed. Logically, he didn’t really believe in it, but as an exorcist, was it odd not to believe in destiny? Yet, the concept of 'fate' seemed to be on a different level from magic, demons, and the like.
"I don’t really believe in it," Jiang Hong said.
"Okay," Cao Bin responded, "Your answer is important. Now, back to this matter... Mai Qing was quite fond of this boy, Yuan Shiyu. Out of his affection for his senior brother and at the earnest request of his sister-in-law, as a mother, Mai Qing did something for Yuan Shiyu."
"What did he do?" Jiang Hong sensed that Cao Bin's next words would be astonishing.
"He swapped fates with Yuan Shiyu," Cao Bin said.
"What?" Jiang Hong expressed his confusion, "What does that mean?"
The dart-throwing sounds stopped, and Si Gui explained, "Swapping fates means finding a suitable substitute and exchanging their destinies. From then on, you walk his path, and he walks yours."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, can it really be done like that? That's amazing."
Cao Bin: "This practice has a long history, known in ancient times as 'borrowing the light.' Some say it's borrowing luck, others say life. In folklore, it's referred to as 'borrowing brightness,' stemming from the ancient term for borrowing a lantern. But most such rituals can only borrow temporary fortunes, lasting at most a year or two, or as short as a few days. Completely swapping the fates of two people is extremely difficult."
Suddenly, Jiang Hong had an inkling that something was amiss, and everyone's gaze lingered on him.
"So?" Jiang Hong's voice carried a hint of nervousness.
"Yuan Shiyu was doomed by the 'Six Perils' fate, an ordeal he couldn't withstand. So Mai Qing, using some secret information from Yinghuo, prepared thoroughly and successfully swapped his fate with another young man. From then on, their life trajectories were completely exchanged. Yuan Shiyu was originally destined to enter Tsang Qiong University, become an exorcist, and form bonds and entanglements with certain people. He would have encountered a fatal accident in an exorcism event..."
"The other ordinary young man was set to take the college entrance examination, get admitted to a university, and become an engineer..."
In an instant, Jiang Hong finally understood, a buzz resonating in his mind.
"Yuan Shiyu himself had excellent potential," Cao Bin said, "The Yuan family had a great feng shui master in their lineage. During the Republic era, that master, Yuan He, to avoid the disaster of Yuan Shikai, changed his surname to 'Jiang,' becoming Jiang He."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Cao Bin put down his coffee cup and continued, "From Yuan Shiyu's 18th birthday, his life's trajectory briefly overlapped with that of the boy whose fate was swapped, perhaps a brief encounter or a mere passing by."
"Immediately after, during this brief crossover, their destinies were completely exchanged. Moreover, Yuan Shiyu's mother used magic to confuse the admissions officer of Tsang Qiong University and the Master Yiwei of Chongqing's Laojun Cave. Mai Qing also had Yinghuo's insiders at the Commission switch their enrollment files."
Jiang Hong's mind buzzed, Cao Bin's voice sounding distant and then near.
Finally, Cao Bin said, "But Mai Qing never anticipated that this act of borrowing life would lead to such a complex series of chain reactions—firstly, since your fates with Yuan Shiyu were completely exchanged, all divinations showing results would be skewed."
"What do you mean?" Jiang Hong asked instinctively.
"All divinations about you," this time it was Lu Xiu who answered, "will be transferred to Yuan Shiyu, and all divinations about Yuan Shiyu will show the outcomes of your karma."
Jiang Hong remained silent, just staring blankly into Lu Xiu's eyes, while Lu Xiu avoided his gaze.
After a moment, Lu Xiu calmly explained, "Because the divination results became muddled, the one who was supposed to enroll was Yuan Shiyu, but it became you. Right after the fate swap, Mai Qing's predictions started to lose accuracy, increasing the chance of errors, leading to suspicions within Yinghuo—"
"Yinghuo suspected Mai Qing of doing this deliberately, doubting his loyalty. They sent demons to kidnap 'his nephew' to uncover some of Mai Qing's secrets. But due to the divination confusion, this person became 'you.' They questioned Mai Qing about the task given to his nephew, which was to investigate the whereabouts of the Wisdom Sword."
"So..." Jiang Hong finally understood. The reason the demons in Chongqing kidnapped him was indeed a case of mistaken identity! They thought he was Yuan Shiyu!
"I... became someone else?" Jiang Hong murmured.
"You are still you," Cao Bin said. "Don't doubt that. But any divination involving you will cause confusion because the outcomes will be directed towards Yuan Shiyu. For instance, although we're unclear about Yang Feiyao and Chen Shun's intentions during that operation, as soon as Mai Qing began predicting the fortune of their mission, he couldn't get the correct results because you were there."
"And predictions regarding the participants would evolve to 'Yuan Shiyu' joining the operation. However, Yuan Shiyu was not present, so the conclusions became muddled and couldn't show the right answer," Cao Bin explained. "That's why Mai Qing couldn't warn Yang Feiyao in advance, the first loophole."
"The second one occurred when you went to steal the Xuan Guang Jindou," Cao Bin continued. "Mai Qing made a prediction about the Commission's arrest warrant, but because you were there, his divination directed towards Yuan Shiyu. Since Yuan Shiyu wouldn't do anything detrimental to himself, the results got muddled, eventually leading to Mai Qing's capture. This was our luck, a fortune in misfortune."
Jiang Hong felt bewildered.
Lu Xiu commented, "He needs time to think."
Cao Bin hummed in agreement and said no more. The winter afternoon sun, setting at four, cast a faint golden glow through the lounge window onto the few people in Class S.
Finally, Jiang Hong scratched his head and said, "I understand now."
He was eerily calm, a calmness that seemed out of place as if he wasn't discussing his own life.
"No wonder," Jiang Hong said. "I wondered how a mere mortal with no magical abilities was chosen as an exorcist, admitted to Tsang Qiong University... I always felt something was wrong. Turns out, I became a substitute!"
Cao Bin asked, "Is that how you feel?"
After thinking, Jiang Hong added, "So the person who should be here is Yuan Shiyu, right?"
Suddenly, Jiang Hong found it amusing, even more fantastical than becoming an exorcist.
Cao Bin said, "If Mai Qing hadn't performed this operation, yes."
Jiang Hong said, "So, actually, the one sitting here today doesn't necessarily have to be me. It could be Wang Hong, Li Hong, or any other Hong... I mean, I just happened to fit the conditions perfectly to become this substitute."
Cao Bin hesitated, but Lu Xiu interjected, "Right, you're correct. There's no need to deceive you. That's exactly how it is."
Chapter 39: Life Exchange
After saying this, Si Gui continued to throw his darts, not looking at Jiang Hong. To ease the awkwardness, Jiang Hong went to the bar to set down his bag and asked, "Do you drink coffee?"
"No," Si Gui replied succinctly.
Seeing him continuously playing with the dartboard, obviously bored, Jiang Hong tentatively suggested, "Shall we play pool?"
He was prepared for Si Gui to ignore him, but surprisingly, Si Gui stood up and picked up a pool cue. So, Jiang Hong started playing pool with him.
Jiang Hong's pool skills were average, and Si Gui's were even more so. They played haphazardly, with Jiang Hong occasionally offering awkward flattery. As the game neared its end, Xiao Pi entered the room.
"Ah." Xiao Pi seemed a bit intimidated at the sight of Si Gui, but having Jiang Hong there made him less socially anxious.
Soon, Lu Xiu arrived, as if he had expected an additional person today, only giving Jiang Hong an emotionless glance.
"Want to join?" Jiang Hong said. "He's too good, I can't beat him. Come and help me."
Lu Xiu: "I won't play." He then sat down at the bar to make coffee.
Thus, the Class S room housed two aloof princes, both appearing to know each other but neither engaging in conversation.
Five minutes later, Cao Bin entered the classroom. Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi greeted him, while Si Gui pocketed the last black ball, put down the cue, and returned to his darts, sitting aside.
"I've given you all A+ for your final assessments," Cao Bin announced, "The grades are already entered into the system, and you can check them starting next Monday."
"But... I haven't reported yet!" Xiao Pi exclaimed.
"No need," Cao Bin replied. "Your performance in the Qilian Mountain incident was exceptional. Who would have thought that a major case involving the Exorcism Commission would be uncovered by four students? An A+ is not excessive... Is this my coffee? Thank you, Lu Xiu."
Cao Bin also sat at the bar, pulling out two red envelopes from his suit pocket. "These are small semester-ending gifts for you, cafeteria meal coupons. Here, Pi Yunhao, for you. And Jiang Hong, this is yours."
Cao Bin looked sharp today, freshly haircut, and showed no surprise at Si Gui's presence.
Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi chorused, "Thank you, Principal!"
Cao Bin spoke seriously, "Work hard next semester too. Pi Yunhao, Director Dou Kuan wants to meet you this afternoon. You should drop by."
Xiao Pi asked, "Should I go now?"
Cao Bin: "Up to you, there are no more classes today anyway."
Jiang Hong suddenly sensed keenly that Cao Bin might have something to say to him.
Xiao Pi then said goodbye and left, closing the door behind him.
Left in the Class S room were Cao Bin, Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong, and the redhead youth Si Gui.
Cao Bin quietly sipped his coffee, while Jiang Hong felt an odd atmosphere, observing Lu Xiu and Cao Bin's expressions and looking towards Si Gui, lounging aside, with the sound of darts hitting the board occasionally breaking the silence.
"The semester has ended," Cao Bin was the first to speak, asking, "Jiang Hong, what are your thoughts and experiences?"
"So much," Jiang Hong said with a smile, "Life has changed dramatically."
Cao Bin sipped his coffee, contemplatively silent. Jiang Hong occasionally glanced at Si Gui, sitting in the corner. Noticing his gaze, Cao Bin said, "Have you two met already? When I came in, I saw you playing pool together."
"Yeah," Si Gui replied nonchalantly.
Jiang Hong thought, Principal Cao, aren't you going to introduce us?
Cao Bin said, "Si Gui is our Class S's mascot. He mostly stays here, just went out for a bit. You'll become good friends in the future."
"Oh…" Jiang Hong thought to himself, what's with the mascot thing? But seeing Si Gui didn't object, he didn't ask further.
Jiang Hong then noticed Lu Xiu watching him.
"Ah, right," Jiang Hong remembered something and said to Lu Xiu, "Today, that teacher named Director Ge brought back news about my chakra from the Exorcism Commission."
Lu Xiu: "Hmm, what did he say?"
Jiang Hong explained the whole situation to Lu Xiu. This was his approach; he decided not to directly ask Lu Xiu for help. If Lu Xiu was willing to empower him, he would offer after hearing the story.
If Lu Xiu remained silent after hearing everything, it would be the same as a refusal, which would prevent any awkwardness.
However, Jiang Hong had barely started when Lu Xiu already understood the entire situation.
Lu Xiu: "I won't empower you. Find someone else."
Jiang Hong: "…"
The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Jiang Hong, with a wry smile, said, "I haven't finished speaking yet."
Lu Xiu: "I know what you mean."
Si Gui abruptly stopped throwing darts and exchanged a glance with Cao Bin.
Jiang Hong scratched his head, saying, "I understand. I wasn't... well, actually, that was indeed what I was thinking."
Jiang Hong has always been honest. Lu Xiu has been so good to him; there was no need for any pretense. What harm was there in admitting it?
Lu Xiu: "Actually, I kept you here today because there's something else I need to tell you. Principal, if you can't say it, I will."
Cao Bin immediately said, "No, let me do it."
Jiang Hong: "???"
Jiang Hong looked at Cao Bin, then at Lu Xiu, completely baffled.
Cao Bin: "After all, this matter concerns everyone. Jiang Hong... what's coming next might be a bit... shocking for you. You need to be mentally prepared."
Jiang Hong: "????"
The 'thunk' 'thunk' of Si Gui's darts resumed.
Jiang Hong, with a sense of foreboding, replied, "Go ahead, Principal." He then moved to sit at the bar.
Cao Bin placed his empty coffee cup in front of Lu Xiu, who refilled it for him.
"Where to begin?" Cao Bin struggled to decide and finally said, "We have to start with Yinghuo."
Jiang Hong: "Is it related to the demon-catching incident in Chongqing?"
Cao Bin: "It's much more than that. First, do you remember the two exorcists you worked with inside the Earth's veins? One named Yang Feiyao, the other Chen Shun."
Jiang Hong said, "I remember. They're both from Yinghuo, right?"
Cao Bin replied, "Yes, they were Yinghuo's moles within the Exorcism Commission. Yinghuo's capabilities are far greater than we initially thought. The Commission's failure to take them seriously at first was a catastrophic mistake. Now, An Jie and Chen Zhen are doing their best to thoroughly investigate their identities. We can only hope it's not too late to mend the situation."
Jiang Hong hummed in acknowledgment, thinking: What does this have to do with me?
Cao Bin continued, "Then, there's a feng shui master named Mai Qing, whom you probably remember. I had Lu Xiu investigate him based on the clues provided by Yang Feiyao."
"Oh— I see," said Jiang Hong. "But it's quite a coincidence, because the old man selling magical treasures at the Xi'an Exorcism Commission's door also asked me to steal from Mai Qing's house."
"It's not a coincidence," Cao Bin said. "First, Yang Feiyao and Chen Shun were arrested and confessed, revealing Mai Qing's affiliation with Yinghuo. Only then did the Commission start trying to capture Mai Qing. Some exorcists, aware of this operation, privately informed Wang Guoliang."
Jiang Hong made a sound of realization and quickly added, "So, he had to get back that Xuan Guang Jindou before Mai Qing was captured."
Cao Bin said, "Exactly. Once Mai Qing was arrested, his house would be searched, and then it would be impossible to retrieve the item. Of course, he didn't have much hope, just tried his luck, but surprisingly, you actually succeeded."
Jiang Hong suddenly thought of Lu Xiu, who was also there at the time, and looked at Cao Bin with suspicion, vaguely understanding something. Because Mai Qing was about to be captured soon, Cao Bin also involved Lu Xiu to find certain evidence before Mai Qing's house was searched?
"The person you saw at Mai Qing's house," Cao Bin continued, "let's call him 'Number One' for now. He is indeed the leader of Yinghuo and the direct person in charge."
Jiang Hong was startled and asked, "Is he the big boss?"
Cao Bin said, "Our current guess is that he's the direct executor for the big boss. He's responsible for formulating detailed plans and issuing orders within the organization, assigning tasks for others to complete separately."
Jiang Hong nodded in understanding.
Cao Bin added, "Do you know what Mai Qing's main role in the Yinghuo organization was? You can guess."
After taking another sip of coffee, Jiang Hong thought and replied, "He's a feng shui master, so his role must have involved divination and prediction, right?"
"Correct," Cao Bin nodded. "He was responsible for predicting the future direction of all events. But you know how feng shui works... Oh, you don't know yet; you start learning that in your sophomore year."
Jiang Hong responded, "I've already started learning a bit on my own. The accuracy of feng shui predictions is inversely proportional to the energy involved in the event and its complexity. The stronger the energy, the greater the chaos coefficient, and the less accurate the predictions."
"Exactly," Cao Bin said, still teaching, "For instance, predicting the flight path of a swallow is easy, but predicting the flight of a dragon is much harder because a dragon's energy is countless times stronger than a swallow's. Predicting when a leaf will fall from a branch is easy, but predicting when two countries will go to war is much more difficult."
Jiang Hong hummed and said, "Does this also explain why Mai Qing couldn't predict the outcome of the conflict between Yinghuo and the Exorcism Commission?"
Cao Bin answered, "That's exactly my point. Perhaps as time progressed and events approached a turning point, Mai Qing could vaguely see some of the future... but he no longer has the chance. He lost all his talismans, especially the Xuan Guang Jindou, and is now under our control."
Jiang Hong nodded, and Cao Bin said, "Additionally, Mai Qing was responsible for providing the results of his predictions to all senior members of Yinghuo, including 'Number One,' advising them on how to attract good fortune and avoid misfortune. It's because of his powerful predictive abilities that Yinghuo has always managed to evade the Commission's detection at critical moments."
Jiang Hong nodded again, and Cao Bin continued, "Logically, a skilled feng shui master should be able to protect himself. However, Mai Qing made a fatal mistake under a very unlikely circumstance."
Remembering his conversation with Jin in the car, Jiang Hong said, "Right! I was also wondering, if Mai Qing's predictions were so accurate, he should have foreseen the Commission coming to capture him. Why didn't he run away? He should have also predicted that we would take the Xuan Guang Jindou."
Cao Bin said, "Next, I'll explain this mistake to you. The details are quite complex. During the interrogation, it was hard for us to believe, but after thorough confirmation, we're sure Mai Qing wasn't lying. After all, the Commission has many ways to extract the truth."
Jiang Hong, intrigued, asked, "What is it?"
Cao Bin said, "Firstly, this matter starts with another person. This man, named Yuan Kong, is also a feng shui master. He and Mai Qing are fellow disciples, Yuan Kong being the older and therefore the senior. Both are from Shaanxi and studied under the same master, who later retired and opened a talisman shop at the Xi'an Exorcism Commission. The master's name is Wang Guoliang."
"Ah!" Jiang Hong was shocked, not expecting such a complex relationship. The old man selling talismans, Wang, was actually Mai Qing's master?
Cao Bin continued, "When Yuan Kong and Mai Qing were younger, they went on a mission together, during which Yuan Kong had an accident and died."
Jiang Hong: "Oh…"
Cao Bin: "Mai Qing later went to Chongqing and took over his senior brother's resources, continuing his life as a feng shui master. At that time, Yuan Kong had a son named Yuan Shiyu."
Jiang Hong: "Why does that name sound familiar? Have I heard it somewhere before?"
Suddenly, Lu Xiu spoke up, "Not only have you heard of him, but you've also met him."
Jiang Hong: "???"
Lu Xiu: "Remember the young man who was knocked out in Mai Qing's backyard garden?"
Jiang Hong: "Oh! It's him! But Lu Xiu, how do you seem to know him?"
Lu Xiu: "I've only seen him once. Many years ago, I visited Mai Qing's elder brother to ask him to predict something for me."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, okay. So what happened to this person?"
Cao Bin: "Yuan Kong's widow, Yuan Shiyu's mother, sought refuge with her husband's junior brother, Mai Qing, after her husband's death. Mai Qing took good care of them, purchasing properties in Chongqing for the mother and son, and ensuring Yuan Shiyu pursued his education seriously. The problem lies with Yuan Shiyu. When he was very young, Mai Qing had calculated his life's destiny…"
"...The divination showed that Yuan Shiyu's fate was extremely ominous, known as 'The Six Perils.' Usually, those with such a fate don't live past twenty. It involves complex concepts of 'entering luck' and 'decade change' in life's destiny. Typically, they die in an accident before reaching adulthood. According to his fate, his life would end around his twentieth year. Jiang Hong, do you believe in destiny?"
Jiang Hong was a bit perplexed. Logically, he didn’t really believe in it, but as an exorcist, was it odd not to believe in destiny? Yet, the concept of 'fate' seemed to be on a different level from magic, demons, and the like.
"I don’t really believe in it," Jiang Hong said.
"Okay," Cao Bin responded, "Your answer is important. Now, back to this matter... Mai Qing was quite fond of this boy, Yuan Shiyu. Out of his affection for his senior brother and at the earnest request of his sister-in-law, as a mother, Mai Qing did something for Yuan Shiyu."
"What did he do?" Jiang Hong sensed that Cao Bin's next words would be astonishing.
"He swapped fates with Yuan Shiyu," Cao Bin said.
"What?" Jiang Hong expressed his confusion, "What does that mean?"
The dart-throwing sounds stopped, and Si Gui explained, "Swapping fates means finding a suitable substitute and exchanging their destinies. From then on, you walk his path, and he walks yours."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, can it really be done like that? That's amazing."
Cao Bin: "This practice has a long history, known in ancient times as 'borrowing the light.' Some say it's borrowing luck, others say life. In folklore, it's referred to as 'borrowing brightness,' stemming from the ancient term for borrowing a lantern. But most such rituals can only borrow temporary fortunes, lasting at most a year or two, or as short as a few days. Completely swapping the fates of two people is extremely difficult."
Suddenly, Jiang Hong had an inkling that something was amiss, and everyone's gaze lingered on him.
"So?" Jiang Hong's voice carried a hint of nervousness.
"Yuan Shiyu was doomed by the 'Six Perils' fate, an ordeal he couldn't withstand. So Mai Qing, using some secret information from Yinghuo, prepared thoroughly and successfully swapped his fate with another young man. From then on, their life trajectories were completely exchanged. Yuan Shiyu was originally destined to enter Tsang Qiong University, become an exorcist, and form bonds and entanglements with certain people. He would have encountered a fatal accident in an exorcism event..."
"The other ordinary young man was set to take the college entrance examination, get admitted to a university, and become an engineer..."
In an instant, Jiang Hong finally understood, a buzz resonating in his mind.
"Yuan Shiyu himself had excellent potential," Cao Bin said, "The Yuan family had a great feng shui master in their lineage. During the Republic era, that master, Yuan He, to avoid the disaster of Yuan Shikai, changed his surname to 'Jiang,' becoming Jiang He."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Cao Bin put down his coffee cup and continued, "From Yuan Shiyu's 18th birthday, his life's trajectory briefly overlapped with that of the boy whose fate was swapped, perhaps a brief encounter or a mere passing by."
"Immediately after, during this brief crossover, their destinies were completely exchanged. Moreover, Yuan Shiyu's mother used magic to confuse the admissions officer of Tsang Qiong University and the Master Yiwei of Chongqing's Laojun Cave. Mai Qing also had Yinghuo's insiders at the Commission switch their enrollment files."
Jiang Hong's mind buzzed, Cao Bin's voice sounding distant and then near.
Finally, Cao Bin said, "But Mai Qing never anticipated that this act of borrowing life would lead to such a complex series of chain reactions—firstly, since your fates with Yuan Shiyu were completely exchanged, all divinations showing results would be skewed."
"What do you mean?" Jiang Hong asked instinctively.
"All divinations about you," this time it was Lu Xiu who answered, "will be transferred to Yuan Shiyu, and all divinations about Yuan Shiyu will show the outcomes of your karma."
Jiang Hong remained silent, just staring blankly into Lu Xiu's eyes, while Lu Xiu avoided his gaze.
After a moment, Lu Xiu calmly explained, "Because the divination results became muddled, the one who was supposed to enroll was Yuan Shiyu, but it became you. Right after the fate swap, Mai Qing's predictions started to lose accuracy, increasing the chance of errors, leading to suspicions within Yinghuo—"
"Yinghuo suspected Mai Qing of doing this deliberately, doubting his loyalty. They sent demons to kidnap 'his nephew' to uncover some of Mai Qing's secrets. But due to the divination confusion, this person became 'you.' They questioned Mai Qing about the task given to his nephew, which was to investigate the whereabouts of the Wisdom Sword."
"So..." Jiang Hong finally understood. The reason the demons in Chongqing kidnapped him was indeed a case of mistaken identity! They thought he was Yuan Shiyu!
"I... became someone else?" Jiang Hong murmured.
"You are still you," Cao Bin said. "Don't doubt that. But any divination involving you will cause confusion because the outcomes will be directed towards Yuan Shiyu. For instance, although we're unclear about Yang Feiyao and Chen Shun's intentions during that operation, as soon as Mai Qing began predicting the fortune of their mission, he couldn't get the correct results because you were there."
"And predictions regarding the participants would evolve to 'Yuan Shiyu' joining the operation. However, Yuan Shiyu was not present, so the conclusions became muddled and couldn't show the right answer," Cao Bin explained. "That's why Mai Qing couldn't warn Yang Feiyao in advance, the first loophole."
"The second one occurred when you went to steal the Xuan Guang Jindou," Cao Bin continued. "Mai Qing made a prediction about the Commission's arrest warrant, but because you were there, his divination directed towards Yuan Shiyu. Since Yuan Shiyu wouldn't do anything detrimental to himself, the results got muddled, eventually leading to Mai Qing's capture. This was our luck, a fortune in misfortune."
Jiang Hong felt bewildered.
Lu Xiu commented, "He needs time to think."
Cao Bin hummed in agreement and said no more. The winter afternoon sun, setting at four, cast a faint golden glow through the lounge window onto the few people in Class S.
Finally, Jiang Hong scratched his head and said, "I understand now."
He was eerily calm, a calmness that seemed out of place as if he wasn't discussing his own life.
"No wonder," Jiang Hong said. "I wondered how a mere mortal with no magical abilities was chosen as an exorcist, admitted to Tsang Qiong University... I always felt something was wrong. Turns out, I became a substitute!"
Cao Bin asked, "Is that how you feel?"
After thinking, Jiang Hong added, "So the person who should be here is Yuan Shiyu, right?"
Suddenly, Jiang Hong found it amusing, even more fantastical than becoming an exorcist.
Cao Bin said, "If Mai Qing hadn't performed this operation, yes."
Jiang Hong said, "So, actually, the one sitting here today doesn't necessarily have to be me. It could be Wang Hong, Li Hong, or any other Hong... I mean, I just happened to fit the conditions perfectly to become this substitute."
Cao Bin hesitated, but Lu Xiu interjected, "Right, you're correct. There's no need to deceive you. That's exactly how it is."
