Chapter 40: The Untouchable
Jiang Hong felt both the absurdity and a sense of humor in the situation.
"Then, how is he doing now?" Jiang Hong asked again.
"As far as the Exorcism Commission knew," Cao Bin said, "Yuan Shiyu also took the college entrance exam and got admitted to a second-tier university. His life hasn't faced significant upheaval."
Jiang Hong queried, "And what about after that?"
Cao Bin: "What happens next, nobody knows..."
"Tell him," Lu Xiu's voice was cold, "Doesn't he have the right to know even now?"
Cao Bin sighed and added, "According to Mai Qing, of these two boys, one will encounter misfortune, while the other will live a long life of a hundred years, dying peacefully but without achieving great feats. At least… a life of stability."
"Does he know about it himself? Does he agree?" Jiang Hong asked further.
Cao Bin: "Yuan Shiyu? He knows nothing."
Jiang Hong asked, "Can it be reversed?"
Cao Bin: "Mai Qing currently has no solution. It's a very secretive form of magic. After defecting to Yinghuo, he gained the trust of 'Number One' and secretly learned this method... Jiang Hong, are you alright?"
Jiang Hong said, "It feels... pretty strange." Indeed, Jiang Hong felt bizarre, living someone else's life as a substitute?!
This also explained why he, unrelated to all this, seemed to have been forcibly thrust into it.
The group again fell into a prolonged silence.
Cao Bin said, "But no matter what, there's something I want to say..."
Jiang Hong interrupted, "Wait, there's something I don't understand, Principal. Do you believe in destiny?"
Cao Bin didn't respond, and Jiang Hong continued, puzzled:
"If 'fate' encompasses everything and symbolizes the paths one will walk in life... that's the current interpretation of destiny, right? Then, my fate includes the process of having my fate swapped. So, who can say that 'becoming a substitute' isn't a part of my destined path? My fate was destined to be altered by someone named Mai Qing; this is what we call the 'fate of fate,' isn't it?"
Cao Bin immediately said, "That's exactly what I wanted to say. You understand it very well, Jiang Hong."
Jiang Hong said, "If there really is such a thing as fate, then I believe it was destined for a person named Mai Qing to do these things to me; if this reasoning itself doesn’t hold, then of course, there's no such thing as an unchangeable destiny."
"Well said!" Si Gui suddenly exclaimed. "You're a perceptive and intelligent person, Jiang Hong. You have earned my respect."
Jiang Hong smiled, suddenly feeling that this wasn't so confusing after all.
"I declare," Si Gui said, "that I want to be your friend. Now, we are friends."
Jiang Hong, with a mix of emotions, could only nod bitterly and say, "Thank you..." Wondering if this was some kind of honor?
He then looked at Lu Xiu, meeting his incredibly complex gaze.
Seeing Jiang Hong come to terms with the situation so quickly, Cao Bin felt relieved: "Chen Zhen was right, you possess an optimistic and perceptive quality..."
Jiang Hong: "It's not blind optimism. It's just the way things are, right? So back to square one, maybe I was meant to be an exorcist, and that's why I'm encountering all this in life."
Cao Bin nodded: "Exactly."
Jiang Hong: "To be honest, I don't really believe in fate, including unforeseen misfortunes... Uh, as long as one is careful, they can always be avoided, right?"
Cao Bin: "Let me be frank with you. There's no need to hide it anymore, but this is a very confidential piece of information. According to Mai Qing's divination, Yuan Shiyu, which is you, is likely to face great danger in the battle with Yinghuo."
"Oh," Jiang Hong said, "then I'll just be more careful."
Cao Bin: "It's not the 'Yinghuo' organization, but the real demon lord behind the organization. The demon lord's name is Yinghuo, and the organization is named after its big boss."
Jiang Hong nodded, not fully understanding. Cao Bin, with a furrowed brow, continued: "But we know very little about it, apart from the fact that the leader has the Book of Everything, and this demon lord might be more powerful than any Heavenly Demon of the past... beyond that, we know nothing."
"Hmm," Jiang Hong began to reassure Cao Bin, "There's always a way."
"Alright," Cao Bin said, "I think you might need some time to digest all this, but regardless, you are you, Jiang Hong. To me, I'm glad my disciple is you and not anyone else." Cao Bin continued, "Whether it's from the Exorcism Commission, the school, or from mine and Chen Zhen's personal standpoint, we all believe that we should provide you with whatever help you need, whenever you need it. It's up to you how you feel about it."
Speaking of which, Cao Bin pointed to his phone, saying, "You can contact me anytime on WeChat."
Jiang Hong replied, "Okay."
Cao Bin added, "This isn't something you should have to bear or face. If you want to take a break from school or return to the ordinary world, the Exorcism Commission can make arrangements for you."
Jiang Hong said, "Haven't I been destined to become an exorcist?"
Cao Bin responded, "It's said that human effort is futile against fate, but I think occasionally resisting these mysterious forces isn’t so bad. The decision is yours. Take some time to think about it."
Jiang Hong found it amusing and said, "I've already dropped out once before. Uh, I don't have any plans to do that again right now."
Cao Bin mimed making a phone call: "Dou Kuan is at the school, and I have some things to discuss with him. Let's leave it at this for now." He finished his cold coffee, glanced at Lu Xiu, left the classroom, and closed the door behind him.
At this time, the classroom of Class S was left with only Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong, and Si Gui, who sat in a corner, silent.
"It's a strange feeling," Jiang Hong pondered aloud, "Can I have another cup of coffee?"
Lu Xiu didn't respond but put a hand on the pot and set it on an alcohol burner to heat the water.
However, at that moment, Jiang Hong suddenly realized a more serious issue. Cao Bin's words had confused him so much that he completely forgot about this matter—
"If... if it's really like that," Jiang Hong murmured, "then... Yuan Shiyu... he's the one you're looking for, isn't he?"
Lu Xiu replied, "Ten years ago, I met Zhu Jinling. She told me that all the divinations in the world couldn't find a reincarnated soul. But she pointed me towards a path. In the Exorcism Commission's treasury, there's a goddess's head named 'Shu Hu,' who can see the future and was once a goddess of time."
Jiang Hong: "What did she tell you?"
Lu Xiu: "She told me the person I'm looking for is a descendant of a great feng shui master. Following my destiny, one day, I would meet him again."
Jiang Hong said, "No wonder this week you... you've been a bit..."
Lu Xiu: "Not quite myself, yes."
Jiang Hong nodded, realizing Yuan Shiyu was the person Lu Xiu was looking for. He suddenly felt very sad. It had nothing to do with their swapped fates, but because of the swap, Lu Xiu mistook him for Yuan Shiyu. After all, Lu Xiu was searching for the reincarnation of the person who sealed his fate on the shores of Lake Yamdrok — and Yuan Shiyu was the descendant of the great feng shui master, which originally had nothing to do with him, Jiang Hong.
The hand-drip coffee slowly filtered into the cup through the transparent funnel.
Both Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu watched the coffee. Lu Xiu said, "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Jiang Hong smiled and said, "You're not going to... completely ignore me now that you know the truth, are you?"
Lu Xiu: "No, of course not."
Jiang Hong: "We're still friends."
Lu Xiu: "Yes."
Jiang Hong sighed with relief, smiled, and comforted himself that things between him and Lu Xiu hadn't changed much. But he knew well that, whether it was about repaying a debt or a bond from a past life, Yuan Shiyu was the one Lu Xiu was meant to protect. Realizing this made Jiang Hong feel even sadder.
"Yes," Lu Xiu added, "we are still friends."
"Have you met him?" Jiang Hong asked. "I want to confirm one more time, uh... although there's not much to confirm, but I still want to hear you admit it. The person you're looking for, the human who sealed your fate on the shores of Lake Yamdrok, it's Yuan Shiyu, not me, right?"
At that moment, Lu Xiu seemed shaken. His gaze wandered for a split second, as if he was at a loss, unsure how to face this question.
After a long silence, Lu Xiu finally answered, "If Shu Hu didn't lie, then I think it's him."
"I think so too," Jiang Hong said. "My dad told me our family migrated here during the Lake Guangdong settlement. We don't have any great feng shui masters in our ancestry. The person Shu Hu spoke of must be Yuan Shiyu."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, his eyes filled with apology.
"I'm sorry," he said again.
This was the first time Jiang Hong had seen Lu Xiu apologize since they'd met. Instead of feeling aggrieved, Jiang Hong felt sympathy for Lu Xiu, who was also a victim.
"Do you really want to beat up Mai Qing?" Jiang Hong joked.
"I already did," Lu Xiu said. "I went to Beijing yesterday to personally confirm this matter again. I twisted his head off."
"Ah?" Jiang Hong was slightly panicked, having forgotten that Lu Xiu was also a fierce creature.
"But they immediately reattached his head," Lu Xiu added.
Jiang Hong burst into laughter. For some reason, he didn't hate Mai Qing as much anymore.
"Anyway," Jiang Hong said, "even if it was in another person's identity, meeting you and being protected by you for a whole semester... I still feel very fortunate. Yes, it's been really nice."
Lu Xiu immediately responded, "It's not about whose identity you're in. You are you, Jiang Hong."
Jiang Hong nodded and looked at the cup of coffee.
Lu Xiu removed the dripper, poured the coffee, and handed it to Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong asked, "So... have you met Yuan Shiyu?"
Lu Xiu answered, "I saw him from a distance. He didn't see me. He was taken to Tsang Qiong University."
Jiang Hong expressed surprise: "Why?" But then he realized, indeed, with Mai Qing's arrest, Yuan Shiyu's mother would also face punishment. As for Yuan Shiyu, the Exorcism Commission didn't know how to handle him, so in the end, Cao Bin brought him to Tsang Qiong University under the pretext of taking him in and placed him under informal custody.
"I wanted to explain everything to you first," Lu Xiu said, "before going to meet him formally."
Jiang Hong suggested, "Then, let's go see him together?"
Lu Xiu: "Do you want to hit him?"
Jiang Hong: "Hit him? No, I don't hate him now." Saying this, he drank the coffee in one gulp, so bitter.
Jiang Hong was curious about the person who had swapped lives and destinies with him. He felt he should hate Yuan Shiyu, but he didn't harbor any complicated feelings.
Lu Xiu: "Because you're satisfied with your current situation."
Reflecting on every moment of the semester, especially the time spent with Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong honestly faced himself.
"Right," Jiang Hong said, "I like this life. It's become much more interesting."
As for life-and-death ordeals, Jiang Hong had put all that out of his mind. Being careful should keep him out of trouble; if not, he'd just find an underground bunker to hide in when they finally battle it out.
"Let's go," Jiang Hong said, suddenly noticing there was still another person in the room—Si Gui.
And Si Gui, with his red hair, having listened to Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu's conversation, looked at Jiang Hong with a sympathetic gaze.
"Goodbye, Si Gui," Jiang Hong said cheerfully, waving at Si Gui, who slowly raised his finger to return a stylish 'bye' gesture.
In the cold winter, when everything withers away, the sun failed to pierce through the thick, grey-blue clouds.
"Are you okay?" Lu Xiu suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Jiang Hong, who had been lost in thought, was grappling with complex emotions since hearing the news. His own life had been exchanged with someone else's, a bizarre feeling. But this only accounted for less than thirty percent of his turmoil today; the rest was because of Lu Xiu.
He had once thought he was special to Lu Xiu, once his fate-sealing person, a title that felt like a gift from destiny, like winning a grand prize, only to be told it belonged to someone else, to return this gift that wasn't his.
"I'm fine." Jiang Hong was clear that from now on, he could only interact with Lu Xiu as a friend, but maybe, after all they had been through, their relationship was still a bit closer than that of ordinary friends? Especially under the pretext of Lu Xiu's guilt.
Lu Xiu, hesitant, obviously didn't know what to say to console Jiang Hong.
Instead, Jiang Hong changed the subject, asking, "Where is Yuan Shiyu?"
"In the staff dormitory," Lu Xiu replied. "The Commission plans to monitor his every move. He hasn't committed any crimes and is unaware of everything. Under normal circumstances, he should have been sent here to enroll, so Principal Cao took him in, arranged a single room for him. He's not allowed to leave the dormitory area freely."
Jiang Hong asked, "Oh, who's taking care of him?"
Lu Xiu didn't reply, and Jiang Hong understood that Lu Xiu was probably assigned to guard him, and indeed, Yuan Shiyu was the person Lu Xiu was looking for.
The staff building, located in the school's second ring area, just behind the exorcism practice field, was a six-story circular building.
"Jiang Hong, my refusal to empower your heart chakra," Lu Xiu suddenly said, "has nothing to do with this matter."
"It's okay," Jiang Hong said earnestly. "You don't have to worry about it. I was being presumptuous."
Lu Xiu stopped in front of the staff building, looking seriously at Jiang Hong, who unconsciously avoided his gaze.
"Let's go up and see," Jiang Hong urged.
Without another word, Lu Xiu swiped his card, entered the elevator, went to the fourth floor, and found a door to knock on.
A cautious voice came from inside: "Who is it?"
Lu Xiu said, "My name is Lu Xiu, your senior assigned to take care of you."
A crack in the door opened, revealing half of the young man's face, who observed Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong standing outside.
"My name is Jiang Hong," Jiang Hong introduced himself.
Then, the door opened fully to reveal a single room, less than half the size of Jiang Hong's dorm, with dim lighting as evening approached.
Yuan Shiyu remained silent, turned on the light, and sat back on his bed.
This was the first formal meeting between Jiang Hong and Yuan Shiyu. Both had delicate and youthful features, sharing a certain freshness typical of youth. Though their facial features were not similar, their temperaments were somewhat alike, characterized by youthful vibrancy. The difference was that Jiang Hong radiated vitality and brightness, while Yuan Shiyu seemed restrained, with a touch of melancholy and unease.
Jiang Hong felt a peculiar sensation inside. He glanced at Lu Xiu, who remained silent. After a moment, Lu Xiu turned to inspect the room's facilities, checking the water heater and turning on the hot water.
In the prolonged silence, it was Yuan Shiyu who first broke the quiet.
"Are you a student too?" Yuan Shiyu scrutinized Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong nodded, feeling an inexplicable sense of kinship with Yuan Shiyu.
Yuan Shiyu asked, "Do you have any news about the Exorcism Commission?"
Jiang Hong pondered but remained silent.
Yuan Shiyu suddenly stood up from the bed and spoke in a low voice, "Could you help me find out about someone? How is my uncle now? And my mother?"
"He can't tell you," Lu Xiu, returning from the balcony, said. "Ask the principal yourself when you see him next time."
Yuan Shiyu, obviously unaware of everything, didn't know his uncle had joined Yinghuo, becoming a prisoner of the Exorcism Commission along with his mother, nor what awaited him.
Jiang Hong could only offer reassurance, "I think it won't be anything too serious."
Yuan Shiyu asked, "Do you know what happened? They found me first, made me stay home alone for over a week, even assigned a few exorcists to monitor me in turns, and now they’ve brought me to the school…"
Lu Xiu said to Jiang Hong, "Let’s go."
Jiang Hong got up, and Lu Xiu told Yuan Shiyu, "Add me on WeChat. Message me if you need anything."
Yuan Shiyu took out his phone, added Lu Xiu, his gaze carrying a hint of pleading, looking at Jiang Hong as if he was Lu Xiu's superior.
Lu Xiu didn't say much, to avoid Jiang Hong getting overwhelmed and accidentally revealing something to Yuan Shiyu, and casually closed the door behind them.
"You've been watching over him every day, haven't you?" Jiang Hong asked.
Lu Xiu replied, "I check on him daily. Where are you headed? Should I escort you back to your dorm? When are you going home?"
Jiang Hong: "Well... I was actually planning to leave this evening."
Lu Xiu: "Have you bought your train ticket? It must be delayed by now."
Jiang Hong hadn't bought a ticket. He felt he needed some time alone at this moment, yet he didn't want Lu Xiu to leave, as if Lu Xiu's presence gave him a sense of security.
In this conflicting state of mind, he replied, "I'll take the high-speed train back. I'll rebook later. There are many trains from Xi'an to Chongqing."
"I'll take you there," Lu Xiu said, "I'll go back and get my helmet."
"No, no," Jiang Hong insisted, "Just drop me at the school gate."
After a moment of silence, Lu Xiu nodded and accompanied Jiang Hong back to his dormitory. Most students had left, and his roommates had gone to Xi'an too. There was a neatly folded note on the table for Jiang Hong from Zhang Xiting, outlining his, Jin, and He Jian's winter break schedule. They asked Jiang Hong to fill it out and send a photo back so they could meet up and hang out during the holidays.
Jiang Hong folded the timetable, packed it away, grabbed his suitcase, and walked slowly with Lu Xiu along the school path beneath the dormitory.
Dusk deepened, and the campus began to be enveloped in darkness.
"I..." Jiang Hong remembered that he had wanted to invite Lu Xiu to spend the Spring Festival at his home, but this winter break, Lu Xiu probably couldn't leave the school again.
Lu Xiu: "?"
Jiang Hong smiled, "It's nothing, we'll keep in touch when I get back."
Walking along the school's back gate, Jiang Hong passed through the old factory area, leading to vast fields of Dianthus flowers. In the cold winter, the blue blossoms were frosted, emitting a faint glow.
The light was faint, like twilight, yet also like dawn.
"This is far enough," Jiang Hong said, recalling the path he took when he first enrolled.
Lu Xiu replied, "Alright, take care of yourself."
Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Hong took off the protective charm Lu Xiu had given him and handed it back to him.
Lu Xiu: "Keep it. If you're ever in danger, you can still summon me."
Jiang Hong: "No, no, this isn't something I should have. Keeping it for so long was already too much..."
Lu Xiu insisted, "Keep it."
Jiang Hong persisted in returning it to Lu Xiu, who, after a moment of silence, finally accepted it.
"Thank you for everything this semester, senior."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, instead turning his gaze towards the Dianthus flower field.
Jiang Hong suggested, "Give this to Yuan Shiyu. He might need it more."
Lu Xiu replied, "He doesn't need it."
Then, with a subtle gesture, Lu Xiu pressed it against his chest, and the protective charm disappeared from his hand, leaving only the red string Jiang Hong had worn.
Jiang Hong asked, "Is this your scale? Will you make another one for him?" He thought it might be inappropriate to give Yuan Shiyu something he had already used.
"I won't make another. There's only one scale on my body that can be turned into a dragon-summoning charm, and it has to be my reverse scale," Lu Xiu explained, wrapping the red string around his wrist. "I'll keep the string as a memento."
Was that your reverse scale? It was only now that Jiang Hong realized the protective charm he had worn for a semester was in fact the scale from Lu Xiu's true form, protecting his heart and linked to his life.
Jiang Hong, after a long thought, finally said, "Goodbye, senior, and thank you."
"See you next semester," Lu Xiu said, standing still and addressing Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong turned, dragging his suitcase, leaving the school along the same path he had arrived at Cangqiong University, passing the abandoned factory and pushing open the rickety iron gate, departing along the road lined with beech trees.
The sky had completely darkened, the surroundings pitch black.
So, you gave me your reverse scale.
Jiang Hong mulled over these words, suddenly enveloped by a profound sadness, like the impending darkness. He finally realized what he had lost, and that this loss was an inevitable part of fate. Under this overpowering force, they were all but helpless, like drifting leaves, insignificant and alone.
Unable to resist, he turned back to look at where he came from. Lu Xiu was still standing there, not having left.
Jiang Hong wiped his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose, his hand back smeared with tears.
——End of Volume One · All Phenomenal Existence · End——
Chapter 40: The Untouchable
Jiang Hong felt both the absurdity and a sense of humor in the situation.
"Then, how is he doing now?" Jiang Hong asked again.
"As far as the Exorcism Commission knew," Cao Bin said, "Yuan Shiyu also took the college entrance exam and got admitted to a second-tier university. His life hasn't faced significant upheaval."
Jiang Hong queried, "And what about after that?"
Cao Bin: "What happens next, nobody knows..."
"Tell him," Lu Xiu's voice was cold, "Doesn't he have the right to know even now?"
Cao Bin sighed and added, "According to Mai Qing, of these two boys, one will encounter misfortune, while the other will live a long life of a hundred years, dying peacefully but without achieving great feats. At least… a life of stability."
"Does he know about it himself? Does he agree?" Jiang Hong asked further.
Cao Bin: "Yuan Shiyu? He knows nothing."
Jiang Hong asked, "Can it be reversed?"
Cao Bin: "Mai Qing currently has no solution. It's a very secretive form of magic. After defecting to Yinghuo, he gained the trust of 'Number One' and secretly learned this method... Jiang Hong, are you alright?"
Jiang Hong said, "It feels... pretty strange." Indeed, Jiang Hong felt bizarre, living someone else's life as a substitute?!
This also explained why he, unrelated to all this, seemed to have been forcibly thrust into it.
The group again fell into a prolonged silence.
Cao Bin said, "But no matter what, there's something I want to say..."
Jiang Hong interrupted, "Wait, there's something I don't understand, Principal. Do you believe in destiny?"
Cao Bin didn't respond, and Jiang Hong continued, puzzled:
"If 'fate' encompasses everything and symbolizes the paths one will walk in life... that's the current interpretation of destiny, right? Then, my fate includes the process of having my fate swapped. So, who can say that 'becoming a substitute' isn't a part of my destined path? My fate was destined to be altered by someone named Mai Qing; this is what we call the 'fate of fate,' isn't it?"
Cao Bin immediately said, "That's exactly what I wanted to say. You understand it very well, Jiang Hong."
Jiang Hong said, "If there really is such a thing as fate, then I believe it was destined for a person named Mai Qing to do these things to me; if this reasoning itself doesn’t hold, then of course, there's no such thing as an unchangeable destiny."
"Well said!" Si Gui suddenly exclaimed. "You're a perceptive and intelligent person, Jiang Hong. You have earned my respect."
Jiang Hong smiled, suddenly feeling that this wasn't so confusing after all.
"I declare," Si Gui said, "that I want to be your friend. Now, we are friends."
Jiang Hong, with a mix of emotions, could only nod bitterly and say, "Thank you..." Wondering if this was some kind of honor?
He then looked at Lu Xiu, meeting his incredibly complex gaze.
Seeing Jiang Hong come to terms with the situation so quickly, Cao Bin felt relieved: "Chen Zhen was right, you possess an optimistic and perceptive quality..."
Jiang Hong: "It's not blind optimism. It's just the way things are, right? So back to square one, maybe I was meant to be an exorcist, and that's why I'm encountering all this in life."
Cao Bin nodded: "Exactly."
Jiang Hong: "To be honest, I don't really believe in fate, including unforeseen misfortunes... Uh, as long as one is careful, they can always be avoided, right?"
Cao Bin: "Let me be frank with you. There's no need to hide it anymore, but this is a very confidential piece of information. According to Mai Qing's divination, Yuan Shiyu, which is you, is likely to face great danger in the battle with Yinghuo."
"Oh," Jiang Hong said, "then I'll just be more careful."
Cao Bin: "It's not the 'Yinghuo' organization, but the real demon lord behind the organization. The demon lord's name is Yinghuo, and the organization is named after its big boss."
Jiang Hong nodded, not fully understanding. Cao Bin, with a furrowed brow, continued: "But we know very little about it, apart from the fact that the leader has the Book of Everything, and this demon lord might be more powerful than any Heavenly Demon of the past... beyond that, we know nothing."
"Hmm," Jiang Hong began to reassure Cao Bin, "There's always a way."
"Alright," Cao Bin said, "I think you might need some time to digest all this, but regardless, you are you, Jiang Hong. To me, I'm glad my disciple is you and not anyone else." Cao Bin continued, "Whether it's from the Exorcism Commission, the school, or from mine and Chen Zhen's personal standpoint, we all believe that we should provide you with whatever help you need, whenever you need it. It's up to you how you feel about it."
Speaking of which, Cao Bin pointed to his phone, saying, "You can contact me anytime on WeChat."
Jiang Hong replied, "Okay."
Cao Bin added, "This isn't something you should have to bear or face. If you want to take a break from school or return to the ordinary world, the Exorcism Commission can make arrangements for you."
Jiang Hong said, "Haven't I been destined to become an exorcist?"
Cao Bin responded, "It's said that human effort is futile against fate, but I think occasionally resisting these mysterious forces isn’t so bad. The decision is yours. Take some time to think about it."
Jiang Hong found it amusing and said, "I've already dropped out once before. Uh, I don't have any plans to do that again right now."
Cao Bin mimed making a phone call: "Dou Kuan is at the school, and I have some things to discuss with him. Let's leave it at this for now." He finished his cold coffee, glanced at Lu Xiu, left the classroom, and closed the door behind him.
At this time, the classroom of Class S was left with only Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong, and Si Gui, who sat in a corner, silent.
"It's a strange feeling," Jiang Hong pondered aloud, "Can I have another cup of coffee?"
Lu Xiu didn't respond but put a hand on the pot and set it on an alcohol burner to heat the water.
However, at that moment, Jiang Hong suddenly realized a more serious issue. Cao Bin's words had confused him so much that he completely forgot about this matter—
"If... if it's really like that," Jiang Hong murmured, "then... Yuan Shiyu... he's the one you're looking for, isn't he?"
Lu Xiu replied, "Ten years ago, I met Zhu Jinling. She told me that all the divinations in the world couldn't find a reincarnated soul. But she pointed me towards a path. In the Exorcism Commission's treasury, there's a goddess's head named 'Shu Hu,' who can see the future and was once a goddess of time."
Jiang Hong: "What did she tell you?"
Lu Xiu: "She told me the person I'm looking for is a descendant of a great feng shui master. Following my destiny, one day, I would meet him again."
Jiang Hong said, "No wonder this week you... you've been a bit..."
Lu Xiu: "Not quite myself, yes."
Jiang Hong nodded, realizing Yuan Shiyu was the person Lu Xiu was looking for. He suddenly felt very sad. It had nothing to do with their swapped fates, but because of the swap, Lu Xiu mistook him for Yuan Shiyu. After all, Lu Xiu was searching for the reincarnation of the person who sealed his fate on the shores of Lake Yamdrok — and Yuan Shiyu was the descendant of the great feng shui master, which originally had nothing to do with him, Jiang Hong.
The hand-drip coffee slowly filtered into the cup through the transparent funnel.
Both Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu watched the coffee. Lu Xiu said, "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Jiang Hong smiled and said, "You're not going to... completely ignore me now that you know the truth, are you?"
Lu Xiu: "No, of course not."
Jiang Hong: "We're still friends."
Lu Xiu: "Yes."
Jiang Hong sighed with relief, smiled, and comforted himself that things between him and Lu Xiu hadn't changed much. But he knew well that, whether it was about repaying a debt or a bond from a past life, Yuan Shiyu was the one Lu Xiu was meant to protect. Realizing this made Jiang Hong feel even sadder.
"Yes," Lu Xiu added, "we are still friends."
"Have you met him?" Jiang Hong asked. "I want to confirm one more time, uh... although there's not much to confirm, but I still want to hear you admit it. The person you're looking for, the human who sealed your fate on the shores of Lake Yamdrok, it's Yuan Shiyu, not me, right?"
At that moment, Lu Xiu seemed shaken. His gaze wandered for a split second, as if he was at a loss, unsure how to face this question.
After a long silence, Lu Xiu finally answered, "If Shu Hu didn't lie, then I think it's him."
"I think so too," Jiang Hong said. "My dad told me our family migrated here during the Lake Guangdong settlement. We don't have any great feng shui masters in our ancestry. The person Shu Hu spoke of must be Yuan Shiyu."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, his eyes filled with apology.
"I'm sorry," he said again.
This was the first time Jiang Hong had seen Lu Xiu apologize since they'd met. Instead of feeling aggrieved, Jiang Hong felt sympathy for Lu Xiu, who was also a victim.
"Do you really want to beat up Mai Qing?" Jiang Hong joked.
"I already did," Lu Xiu said. "I went to Beijing yesterday to personally confirm this matter again. I twisted his head off."
"Ah?" Jiang Hong was slightly panicked, having forgotten that Lu Xiu was also a fierce creature.
"But they immediately reattached his head," Lu Xiu added.
Jiang Hong burst into laughter. For some reason, he didn't hate Mai Qing as much anymore.
"Anyway," Jiang Hong said, "even if it was in another person's identity, meeting you and being protected by you for a whole semester... I still feel very fortunate. Yes, it's been really nice."
Lu Xiu immediately responded, "It's not about whose identity you're in. You are you, Jiang Hong."
Jiang Hong nodded and looked at the cup of coffee.
Lu Xiu removed the dripper, poured the coffee, and handed it to Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong asked, "So... have you met Yuan Shiyu?"
Lu Xiu answered, "I saw him from a distance. He didn't see me. He was taken to Tsang Qiong University."
Jiang Hong expressed surprise: "Why?" But then he realized, indeed, with Mai Qing's arrest, Yuan Shiyu's mother would also face punishment. As for Yuan Shiyu, the Exorcism Commission didn't know how to handle him, so in the end, Cao Bin brought him to Tsang Qiong University under the pretext of taking him in and placed him under informal custody.
"I wanted to explain everything to you first," Lu Xiu said, "before going to meet him formally."
Jiang Hong suggested, "Then, let's go see him together?"
Lu Xiu: "Do you want to hit him?"
Jiang Hong: "Hit him? No, I don't hate him now." Saying this, he drank the coffee in one gulp, so bitter.
Jiang Hong was curious about the person who had swapped lives and destinies with him. He felt he should hate Yuan Shiyu, but he didn't harbor any complicated feelings.
Lu Xiu: "Because you're satisfied with your current situation."
Reflecting on every moment of the semester, especially the time spent with Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong honestly faced himself.
"Right," Jiang Hong said, "I like this life. It's become much more interesting."
As for life-and-death ordeals, Jiang Hong had put all that out of his mind. Being careful should keep him out of trouble; if not, he'd just find an underground bunker to hide in when they finally battle it out.
"Let's go," Jiang Hong said, suddenly noticing there was still another person in the room—Si Gui.
And Si Gui, with his red hair, having listened to Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu's conversation, looked at Jiang Hong with a sympathetic gaze.
"Goodbye, Si Gui," Jiang Hong said cheerfully, waving at Si Gui, who slowly raised his finger to return a stylish 'bye' gesture.
In the cold winter, when everything withers away, the sun failed to pierce through the thick, grey-blue clouds.
"Are you okay?" Lu Xiu suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Jiang Hong, who had been lost in thought, was grappling with complex emotions since hearing the news. His own life had been exchanged with someone else's, a bizarre feeling. But this only accounted for less than thirty percent of his turmoil today; the rest was because of Lu Xiu.
He had once thought he was special to Lu Xiu, once his fate-sealing person, a title that felt like a gift from destiny, like winning a grand prize, only to be told it belonged to someone else, to return this gift that wasn't his.
"I'm fine." Jiang Hong was clear that from now on, he could only interact with Lu Xiu as a friend, but maybe, after all they had been through, their relationship was still a bit closer than that of ordinary friends? Especially under the pretext of Lu Xiu's guilt.
Lu Xiu, hesitant, obviously didn't know what to say to console Jiang Hong.
Instead, Jiang Hong changed the subject, asking, "Where is Yuan Shiyu?"
"In the staff dormitory," Lu Xiu replied. "The Commission plans to monitor his every move. He hasn't committed any crimes and is unaware of everything. Under normal circumstances, he should have been sent here to enroll, so Principal Cao took him in, arranged a single room for him. He's not allowed to leave the dormitory area freely."
Jiang Hong asked, "Oh, who's taking care of him?"
Lu Xiu didn't reply, and Jiang Hong understood that Lu Xiu was probably assigned to guard him, and indeed, Yuan Shiyu was the person Lu Xiu was looking for.
The staff building, located in the school's second ring area, just behind the exorcism practice field, was a six-story circular building.
"Jiang Hong, my refusal to empower your heart chakra," Lu Xiu suddenly said, "has nothing to do with this matter."
"It's okay," Jiang Hong said earnestly. "You don't have to worry about it. I was being presumptuous."
Lu Xiu stopped in front of the staff building, looking seriously at Jiang Hong, who unconsciously avoided his gaze.
"Let's go up and see," Jiang Hong urged.
Without another word, Lu Xiu swiped his card, entered the elevator, went to the fourth floor, and found a door to knock on.
A cautious voice came from inside: "Who is it?"
Lu Xiu said, "My name is Lu Xiu, your senior assigned to take care of you."
A crack in the door opened, revealing half of the young man's face, who observed Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong standing outside.
"My name is Jiang Hong," Jiang Hong introduced himself.
Then, the door opened fully to reveal a single room, less than half the size of Jiang Hong's dorm, with dim lighting as evening approached.
Yuan Shiyu remained silent, turned on the light, and sat back on his bed.
This was the first formal meeting between Jiang Hong and Yuan Shiyu. Both had delicate and youthful features, sharing a certain freshness typical of youth. Though their facial features were not similar, their temperaments were somewhat alike, characterized by youthful vibrancy. The difference was that Jiang Hong radiated vitality and brightness, while Yuan Shiyu seemed restrained, with a touch of melancholy and unease.
Jiang Hong felt a peculiar sensation inside. He glanced at Lu Xiu, who remained silent. After a moment, Lu Xiu turned to inspect the room's facilities, checking the water heater and turning on the hot water.
In the prolonged silence, it was Yuan Shiyu who first broke the quiet.
"Are you a student too?" Yuan Shiyu scrutinized Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong nodded, feeling an inexplicable sense of kinship with Yuan Shiyu.
Yuan Shiyu asked, "Do you have any news about the Exorcism Commission?"
Jiang Hong pondered but remained silent.
Yuan Shiyu suddenly stood up from the bed and spoke in a low voice, "Could you help me find out about someone? How is my uncle now? And my mother?"
"He can't tell you," Lu Xiu, returning from the balcony, said. "Ask the principal yourself when you see him next time."
Yuan Shiyu, obviously unaware of everything, didn't know his uncle had joined Yinghuo, becoming a prisoner of the Exorcism Commission along with his mother, nor what awaited him.
Jiang Hong could only offer reassurance, "I think it won't be anything too serious."
Yuan Shiyu asked, "Do you know what happened? They found me first, made me stay home alone for over a week, even assigned a few exorcists to monitor me in turns, and now they’ve brought me to the school…"
Lu Xiu said to Jiang Hong, "Let’s go."
Jiang Hong got up, and Lu Xiu told Yuan Shiyu, "Add me on WeChat. Message me if you need anything."
Yuan Shiyu took out his phone, added Lu Xiu, his gaze carrying a hint of pleading, looking at Jiang Hong as if he was Lu Xiu's superior.
Lu Xiu didn't say much, to avoid Jiang Hong getting overwhelmed and accidentally revealing something to Yuan Shiyu, and casually closed the door behind them.
"You've been watching over him every day, haven't you?" Jiang Hong asked.
Lu Xiu replied, "I check on him daily. Where are you headed? Should I escort you back to your dorm? When are you going home?"
Jiang Hong: "Well... I was actually planning to leave this evening."
Lu Xiu: "Have you bought your train ticket? It must be delayed by now."
Jiang Hong hadn't bought a ticket. He felt he needed some time alone at this moment, yet he didn't want Lu Xiu to leave, as if Lu Xiu's presence gave him a sense of security.
In this conflicting state of mind, he replied, "I'll take the high-speed train back. I'll rebook later. There are many trains from Xi'an to Chongqing."
"I'll take you there," Lu Xiu said, "I'll go back and get my helmet."
"No, no," Jiang Hong insisted, "Just drop me at the school gate."
After a moment of silence, Lu Xiu nodded and accompanied Jiang Hong back to his dormitory. Most students had left, and his roommates had gone to Xi'an too. There was a neatly folded note on the table for Jiang Hong from Zhang Xiting, outlining his, Jin, and He Jian's winter break schedule. They asked Jiang Hong to fill it out and send a photo back so they could meet up and hang out during the holidays.
Jiang Hong folded the timetable, packed it away, grabbed his suitcase, and walked slowly with Lu Xiu along the school path beneath the dormitory.
Dusk deepened, and the campus began to be enveloped in darkness.
"I..." Jiang Hong remembered that he had wanted to invite Lu Xiu to spend the Spring Festival at his home, but this winter break, Lu Xiu probably couldn't leave the school again.
Lu Xiu: "?"
Jiang Hong smiled, "It's nothing, we'll keep in touch when I get back."
Walking along the school's back gate, Jiang Hong passed through the old factory area, leading to vast fields of Dianthus flowers. In the cold winter, the blue blossoms were frosted, emitting a faint glow.
The light was faint, like twilight, yet also like dawn.
"This is far enough," Jiang Hong said, recalling the path he took when he first enrolled.
Lu Xiu replied, "Alright, take care of yourself."
Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Hong took off the protective charm Lu Xiu had given him and handed it back to him.
Lu Xiu: "Keep it. If you're ever in danger, you can still summon me."
Jiang Hong: "No, no, this isn't something I should have. Keeping it for so long was already too much..."
Lu Xiu insisted, "Keep it."
Jiang Hong persisted in returning it to Lu Xiu, who, after a moment of silence, finally accepted it.
"Thank you for everything this semester, senior."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, instead turning his gaze towards the Dianthus flower field.
Jiang Hong suggested, "Give this to Yuan Shiyu. He might need it more."
Lu Xiu replied, "He doesn't need it."
Then, with a subtle gesture, Lu Xiu pressed it against his chest, and the protective charm disappeared from his hand, leaving only the red string Jiang Hong had worn.
Jiang Hong asked, "Is this your scale? Will you make another one for him?" He thought it might be inappropriate to give Yuan Shiyu something he had already used.
"I won't make another. There's only one scale on my body that can be turned into a dragon-summoning charm, and it has to be my reverse scale," Lu Xiu explained, wrapping the red string around his wrist. "I'll keep the string as a memento."
Was that your reverse scale? It was only now that Jiang Hong realized the protective charm he had worn for a semester was in fact the scale from Lu Xiu's true form, protecting his heart and linked to his life.
Jiang Hong, after a long thought, finally said, "Goodbye, senior, and thank you."
"See you next semester," Lu Xiu said, standing still and addressing Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong turned, dragging his suitcase, leaving the school along the same path he had arrived at Cangqiong University, passing the abandoned factory and pushing open the rickety iron gate, departing along the road lined with beech trees.
The sky had completely darkened, the surroundings pitch black.
So, you gave me your reverse scale.
Jiang Hong mulled over these words, suddenly enveloped by a profound sadness, like the impending darkness. He finally realized what he had lost, and that this loss was an inevitable part of fate. Under this overpowering force, they were all but helpless, like drifting leaves, insignificant and alone.
Unable to resist, he turned back to look at where he came from. Lu Xiu was still standing there, not having left.
Jiang Hong wiped his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose, his hand back smeared with tears.
——End of Volume One · All Phenomenal Existence · End——
