Alma Espejo Antigua

Capítulo 10

Part One, Section 20: Chapter Four, Part One of the Abiding Tribulations (4)

"Yes, I've been to all the places you've been." Pan Xiaolu put the medal back on the cabinet, not turning her head, and blurted out the sentence. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it a little, and quickly turned back to steal a glance at Xu Haicheng. Seeing that he didn't seem to have any strange expression, she was immediately relieved, but also a little disappointed.

Further down were photos: police academy graduation photos, award ceremony group photos, and numerous photos from the orphanage. Pan Xiaolu already knew from others that Xu Haicheng grew up in an orphanage, so seeing these photos wasn't surprising at all; in fact, she looked at them with great interest. She had seen many photos of Xu Haicheng as an adult, taken at school and the police station, but the orphanage photos depicted his awkward teenage years. What was he like as a teenager?

Xu Haicheng is easy to spot in photos. Back then, he was tall but thin, standing out like a flagpole in a crowd. Looking closely at his face, his features weren't as defined as they are now. The baby fat on his cheeks hadn't completely faded, so his appearance was a mix of youthful vigor and boyish naiveté. His overly short hair added a touch of silliness to his look.

The photos seemed poorly taken; Xu Haicheng's gaze wasn't directed at the camera, and the same was true for the other photos. Pan Xiaolu, somewhat curious, followed his gaze, looking through two rows of people, until it landed on a pretty girl at an angle. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked at the other group photos. In every single one, Xu Haicheng's gaze was angled across the crowd, landing on the same pretty girl. That girl had deep black eyes, a calmness beyond her years, her gaze fixed straight ahead, devoid of joy or sorrow.

Pan Xiaolu suddenly felt a bitter and astringent taste in her mouth.

She had heard from others before that the woman Xu Haicheng admired had disappeared in the deep mountains of Jingyun, and was probably dead. At that time, she only felt that she was a distant and ethereal person, but when she saw the photo, she realized that this woman had really existed, occupying Xu Haicheng's vision and his heart.

A slight noise came from behind her. Pan Xiaolu turned around and saw Xu Haicheng standing there. She lowered her eyes in a flustered manner. Xu Haicheng took the photo from her hand, wiped it with his sleeve, and placed it back on the cabinet, saying, "Xiaolu, thank you for the noodles. It's late, you should go home now."

This was clearly an invitation to leave. A surge of anger rushed to her head, and Pan Xiaolu was immediately annoyed. She gave a soft "hmm" and left without looking back.

The security door slammed shut.

Xu Haicheng looked at the still-shaking door and sighed slightly. He wasn't a fool. The moment he saw Pan Xiaolu staring blankly at the orphanage photo, he understood her girlish thoughts.

He couldn't bear such thoughts. He opened a drawer and took out a black leather notebook—it belonged to Fang Li. The person who rescued him said that he was unconscious at the time, but he was clutching the notebook tightly in his hand.

I casually flipped through the pages and found that letter: I feel death approaching, and my mind is filled with only you, Da Xu. If you ever see this letter, it will be because I have returned to the Grim Reaper in glory. If I am still alive, I will tear it to shreds, as I always have, and continue to ignore all the good things you have done for me. Please forgive me for not drawing closer to you. How much I wanted to be close to you, but I was afraid, jealous, and cowardly. You are right, my heart has never escaped the darkness of my childhood. I dare not imagine having a happy and joyful life, so I can only remain alone. I pray to the mountain god, hoping it will let you see this letter, understand my regret and helplessness, and the three words I could never say to you in person…

Tears welled up in Xu Haicheng's eyes, and the muscles in his face twitched slightly. Suddenly, he felt that his life was a joke. He hadn't grasped anything. His parents had died early, Fang Li had left, and now even his dreams had been shattered. The glittering trophies and medals on the cabinet seemed like a mockery.

Anger, helplessness, and disappointment shattered his usual composure. He swept his hand across the room, sending trophies and medals flying, rolling and clattering on the floor. One trophy landed on the sofa, hitting the TV remote. The screen suddenly lit up, and the female lead's cheesy voice rang out: "I'm not the kind of person who gets carsick. I'm just so happy, so intoxicated, so enjoying myself while riding in this carriage down these tree-lined avenues that I get carsick. Actually, I've been carsick ever since I arrived in Provence..."

For a moment, the room was filled with all sorts of strange noises.

Cell phones joined in the fun, ringing and pinging.

But Xu Haicheng was in no mood to answer the phone at that moment; he wouldn't care even if the sky were to fall.

The phone rang for a long time, then finally went silent, as if it had never rung at all.

Part One, Section 21: Chapter Four, Part One of the Abiding Tribulations (5)

Sometimes missing ten calls won't cause any problems, but sometimes missing just one can be fatal. This missed call belonged to the latter category. The next day, after Xu Haicheng calmed down, he saw the missed call and felt an overwhelming sense of regret that words couldn't express. However, at that moment, he was gripped by a venomous snake, and had no time to pay attention to anything else.

He overturned the cabinet displaying trophies and medals, then turned and vented his anger on the sandbag, punching it repeatedly as it flew through the air. The back of his hand, which had been scabbed over from the glass cut yesterday, couldn't withstand such brutality; the wound burst open, blood seeping out and splattering everywhere—on the sandbag, the ground, and even a few drops hitting the white wall, slowly seeping in.

He didn't know how many punches he'd thrown; his hands were a bloody mess before he finally dragged his exhausted body to the sofa and collapsed, panting heavily. The inner rage gradually subsided, and the sounds around him became clearer: the sound of a car backing up downstairs, a baby crying next door, and the sound of the television in the living room: "...Seven days until the Mansi Cultural Festival, we are honored to have with us Mr. Yu Congrong, Chairman of the Festival Organizing Committee..."

Xu Haicheng listlessly turned his eyes, watching the television. On the screen, Yu Congrong smiled broadly and said, "Holding the Manxi Cultural Festival has always been my personal wish. Manxi culture has a profound influence on our Nanzhao region..."

Xu Haicheng's almost completely shut-down brain flashed with a thought: When did he return to China?

"Six months ago, when I was still in the United States, I contacted Professor Lei Yunshan of Nanpu University and Director Huang Yisen of the Municipal Archaeological Institute to propose holding the Mansi Cultural Festival. The three of us hit it off immediately, and later we drafted a proposal and submitted it to the municipal government. Unexpectedly, the municipal government not only approved it quickly, but also strongly supported us."

"We all know that Mr. Yu is not only a successful businessman, but also a pioneer in the movement to protect folk culture. He founded the Nanshao Folk Culture Protection Foundation, which repairs and collects a large number of ancient folk books, including the famous ancient sacrificial song 'The Record of Creation.' In 2006, he donated the foundation to Nanpu University. Mr. Yu, when did your love for folk culture begin? Was there any particular reason for it?"

"Culture is the root. The more developed the economy and the more advanced the society, the more we must not lose our roots..." Yu Congrong continued to express his love for Mansi culture.

Xu Haicheng had lost interest in listening. He recalled how, a year and a half ago, he had nearly strangled Fang Li, causing her to become disheartened and readily confess to killing Jiang Meihui. Later, he questioned Xiao Hong, the nanny at the Yu family, and learned the truth. After Zhong Dongqiao's case was closed, he asked Fang Li why Yu Congrong wanted to kill her. Although she didn't explicitly say so, her implication seemed to be that Yu Congrong knew about her background and was quite wary of it.

During his five-plus months in the hospital, Xu Haicheng spent his days tossing and turning in bed. When he had nothing to do, he analyzed the whole story, always feeling that Fang Li's background was connected to the Witch Domain. Her insistence on going there was likely to unravel the mystery of her origins. He even boldly speculated that Fang Li was born in the Witch Domain, but for some reason ended up in an orphanage in Nanpu City. He hoped his speculation was true; then Fang Li's disappearance might not be death, but perhaps a return to her birthplace.

Was Fang Li truly from the Witch Domain? Once Yu Congrong spoke, the answer would be clear. With this thought, the idea of meeting Yu Congrong took root in Xu Haicheng's heart. He wearily closed his eyes, his mind filled with only one thought: to find Yu Congrong after waking up.

Having probably not slept well for a long time, he slept soundly this time. Upon waking, his heart, which had been as calm as the Qiantang River tide yesterday, was as still as a pond, and his mind was clear. He immediately sensed that something was amiss. Xu Haicheng, after all, had been on the front lines of criminal investigation for many years and was meticulous. The night before, he was so shocked by what Ma Junnan said that he lost his composure and overlooked many suspicious points.

For example, if he really was infected with the Ghost Gu, why was he still able to survive?

For example, what happened in Julong Cave that drove Ma Junnan and the others to mental breakdown?

Is there any connection between Ma Junnan's sudden recovery and Lu Minghua's sudden recovery?

Especially the question of whether he had been afflicted by the Ghost Gu, which was related to who had killed four people. After thinking it over, he felt that the most urgent thing was to find out the truth about Ma Junnan's matter. He reached into his pocket for his phone and saw that the missed calls were from an unfamiliar number, but he didn't think much of it.

Just as he was about to dial Hawke's number, his phone rang first. It was a call from the bureau. Xu Haicheng answered, "Hello?"

"Captain Xu, did you know that Xu San came looking for you last night?"

It was Pan Xiaolu. Xu Haicheng was a little surprised. "He didn't contact me last night."

"Captain Xu, between 8:00 and 8:30 last night, Xu San called your cell phone five times, but you didn't answer."

Part One, Section 22: Chapter Four, Part One of the Abiding Tribulations (6)

Thinking of that unfamiliar phone number, Xu Haicheng felt a sudden unease and asked, "What happened to Xu San?"

"He's dead. Judging from the calls he made on his phone, you were the last person he wanted to contact."

"What!" Xu Haicheng exclaimed in surprise, the image of Xu San cautiously peering out the window flashing before his eyes. "Where is the crime scene? I'm coming over now." He said, jumping off the sofa and grabbing his coat.

"Detention and interrogation room."

"A detention interrogation room?" Xu Haicheng paused, wondering if he had misheard. Torture and forced confessions were banned long ago; Xu San was just a petty thief, there was no need for him to commit suicide.

"yes."

"How did he die?" Xu Haicheng asked as he opened the door and went out.

"It's not clear yet, Captain Xu, you'll know when you come and see for yourself."

On the way back to the police station, Pan Xiaolu told him that Xu San smashed a jewelry store window around 8:30 p.m. last night and was detained on charges of attempted robbery.