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Capítulo 24

Bingbing said, "Master, I'm sorry. I didn't dare tell you that the longevity lock was broken, the inside was cracked, and I had someone repair it later."

The monk said, "No wonder, if the longevity lock gathers her soul, she will not be able to escape."

"Does the master mean she won't have the ability to harm people anymore? Will she still haunt me?"

"Evil spirits are easy to catch, but wandering souls are hard to capture. There are countless wandering souls in the world, coexisting with humans in different times and spaces, and they cannot be captured. Besides, we have no right to capture them."

A few peaceful days passed. Wu Bingbing felt relieved, a sense of ease she had never experienced before, as she let go of her burdens. However, that afternoon, when she returned home and saw someone, her heart tightened again.

She had just walked a short distance from her home when someone ran towards her from the other side of the road. She glanced at him, and her head immediately spun. It was him! — Peng Lin, he really had come after her.

Peng Lin ran over and said to her, "Oh dear, I've been looking for you for ages! I came here three days after you left, and I've been looking for you for three days straight. I never expected to run into you today. Thank goodness!"

"How did you know I was here?" She had clearly given him a fake name and address.

“I saw your ID card that day when you went into the bathroom to shower. I only remembered the city and this street, and I didn’t know where you lived, so I had to stand on this road and wait. I finally waited for you.”

Damn it! Bastard! How could he have been peeping? Wu Bingbing said, "You...you knew?"

Peng Lin said, "I understand why you didn't tell me. Maybe I can't let go as easily as you do?"

"We're both young...it's like a game. Have you really fallen in love with me?"

"Of course I like you—but now, things are getting more and more complicated between us, I really didn't expect it. The morning you left, someone found that thief's body. When the police investigated Lao Hei, that guy said I had seen the thief, with a pretty girl, and afterwards the thief died, and they suspected I killed him. When the police came to me, I said I didn't know that woman, and I didn't remember her name, I only heard her say that the thief wanted to kill her to cover it up, and that she was in a hurry to chase after her, and accidentally fell off a cliff and died—"

"Exactly! He really did fall off the cliff and die by himself. It has nothing to do with you!"

"But they didn't believe it, saying that the conclusion that he fell off the cliff and died was illogical. He had three fatal wounds at the same time, which clearly indicated that he was murdered."

"This is outrageous! He clearly died from a fall!" Bingbing cried out. "How could you believe them? Look at me, how could I possibly kill him? I'm so frail, I couldn't possibly kill him!"

“But it’s not up to me!” Peng Lin said. “They investigated me at the school but found nothing. I was essentially released on bail. They still want me to provide clues about you and cooperate with the police in finding you, saying otherwise I can’t be cleared of suspicion. I didn’t tell them the truth about you; I came to find you secretly first. It seems only you can explain the situation clearly. What was the scene like? How did he chase you on the cliff? And how did he fall to his death? Only then can you explain myself clearly. You don’t know, that bastard Lao Hei lied and said my girlfriend killed him, and the victim’s family is coming after me for this! They won’t let me go even if the police don’t arrest me.”

Bingbing felt the problem was serious, and she decided that she couldn't continue talking on the roadside, so she asked Peng Lin where he lived. Peng Lin led her to a small hotel in the suburbs.

Inside the room, she continued pacing back and forth, repeatedly asking Peng Lin what to do.

Peng Lin was also at a loss and asked, "Did you throw a stone at him?"

She was looking away when she turned her face and said fiercely, "Is that even a question? I chased him, and he wouldn't let me catch him. We fought on the cliff, and he pinned me down. I thought he was going to rape me, so I picked up a rock and hit him a few times. I didn't expect it to kill him. What could I do then?"

Peng Lin said, "Is this legitimate self-defense? Just explain it to them!"

Wu Bingbing thought to herself, "No, no, no one will believe me."

She felt fear again, a sense of dread and vulnerability as danger loomed.

Peng Lin hadn't eaten yet, and she said, "I haven't eaten either. I'll go buy some fast food, and we can eat together."

As she walked downstairs onto the street, she thought about running away, but then she realized that Peng Lin knew where she lived and what her name was. If she didn't know the details, where could she run to? It would only lead to her death.

At a nearby KFC, she bought a meal in a daze and turned to leave. But she stood under a tree by the roadside for a long time, unable to move, her mind a jumbled mess. Finally, she placed the meal on the roadside steps, ran into a nearby pharmacy, and quickly ran out again, carrying her things forward.

At this moment, her face turned cold, her cheeks tightened, and her eyes showed no fear, a stark contrast to her appearance when she arrived. As she walked, she slipped a few sleeping pills into a glass of cola, shook it solemnly, and then strode resolutely towards the hotel.

Peng Lin ate while talking to her, appearing particularly excited. He kept trying to get close to her, even reaching out to stroke her from behind. She remained expressionless, focused on her food, seemingly lost in thought. Peng Lin, bored, released her hand.

Soon, Peng Lin felt dizzy and lay on the bed wanting to sleep, yet he resisted the urge. Wu Bingbing lay down beside him, feigning intimacy, and as he slowly drifted off, she suddenly pounced on him, embracing him and kissing his lips. He felt breathless, yet his limbs were weak, and he was powerless to struggle. Then, she pulled the blanket over his head and pressed herself against him...

She ran out of the hotel and all the way home, locking herself in her room, her body still trembling. She looked at herself in the mirror, the images from just moments ago superimposed in her mind—Peng Lin struggling under the covers; her pounce on him and pinning him down; her timidly pulling back the covers; the sight of blood gushing from Peng Lin's mouth; Peng Lin suddenly glaring at her—she retreated in fright and screamed, only to realize it was all a hallucination in the mirror.

She quickly moved away from the mirror, shaking her head in disbelief at what she had done.

She threw herself onto the bed, clutching her hair and sobbing, "Why did this happen? Why? —"

She frantically pounded the bed, throwing pillows haphazardly to the floor—just before her toes, beneath a white skirt, a thin arm reached down and tremblingly picked up the pillow…

Chapter Twenty-Five

The desires revealed in the firelight are terrifying. The ghostly banquet at Madeira Red Palace is reenacted at Wu Bingbing's home; unwilling to pawn her soul while receiving a heart, she resolutely makes a life-or-death choice.

On the high bank of the river in the east of the city, there are two Ming Dynasty forts resembling hills, with a huge old camphor tree on top that takes four people to encircle. Under the tree, there are lush brambles and weeds.

Wu Bingbing and Guo Kai came here again—the two had loved to sneak into this MT (Metropolitan Area) for every date since high school, the dense shade of the trees concealing their sweet and precocious love. Now, things have changed, the love is gone, and Wu Bingbing glares at Guo Kai across from her like a sworn enemy.

Why did you betray me? Why?

"You're too cold; you're the one who's slowly pushing me away."

"Then why did you love me so much in the past? Were you lying to me?"

"It's all because you've changed, becoming more and more unfamiliar, and making it harder and harder for people to love you."

"You fickle, easily bored creature, do you even know how much pain you cause me?"

Filled with rage, she rushed forward, yelling, "It's all your fault! You ruined that girl and hurt me too. You damned bastard!" Guo Kai ignored her, looking utterly dejected. She said, "I'll kill you! I'll make you disappear forever!" Guo Kai shook his head at her in disappointment. She threw herself into his arms, pulled out a knife, and stabbed him. Blood flowed from her hand. Guo Kai watched calmly and said, "I knew this day would come. I knew you would kill me sooner or later."

Seeing Guo Kai lying on the ground bleeding, she knelt down and picked him up, calling his name in terror. "Guo Kai, wake up! I didn't mean to! I didn't want to kill you! You can't die! You won't die! Wake up!"

She didn't realize she was lying face down on the bed until she woke up crying. Sitting up, she saw her clothes were rumpled and there was blood on her hands. It was midday, and she stared wide-eyed: "I killed Guo Kai?"

She couldn't distinguish between dreams and reality—the deaths that had occurred around her in the past had all appeared in her dreams, and the things she foresaw in her dreams had all materialized in reality.

She jumped up immediately, straightened her clothes, rushed out the door, and took a car to the east of the city. She ran all the way to the ancient fortress and immediately saw the person lying under the big tree. She bit her finger and stood there stunned. It was Guo Kai, lying on his back on the ground, with a small dog circling around him... Oh God! Did I kill him? She didn't want to look anymore, covered her face, turned away, and cried bitterly.

Unexpectedly, Guo Kai stood up and patted her on the back. She screamed and ran away. Guo Kai rushed forward and stopped her. She frantically pounded on him, demanding he let her go. He asked her what was wrong. She said, "Weren't you dead?" Guo Kai said, "Who's dead? I'm perfectly fine! Did you want me dead?"

Guo Kai said, "This is a place worth remembering for us. I've been coming here often these days, and I was just thinking of inviting you here to talk. I didn't expect you to come. It's like we had a telepathic connection."

It was a dream; he wasn't dead, Wu Bingbing thought. "I've come to tell you, it's over between us. From now on, I don't want to see you again, and you shouldn't appear before me!"

After saying that, she turned and left. Guo Kai sighed and lay back down on the ground, his head resting on his arm.

The little dog, as if seeing a family member, followed her closely, wagging its tail and darting between her legs. She knew it was Guo Kai's dog. Far from the old camphor tree, she bent down to stroke the dog, then suddenly pressed its head down, using all her strength to shove it into the soil. The dog yelped and struggled, digging at the earth with a loud thud. She stepped on its hind legs and pressed its body down with her knees until the dog went limp, blood flowing from its nose, and its tongue lolling out…

As night fell, Jiang Lan flew into Wu Bingbing's bedroom through the window again.

Wu Bingbing was lying on the bed, showing no surprise at Jiang Lan's entry, simply staring without speaking. Jiang Lan's translucent body silently approached her. Wu Bingbing glanced at her, then lay back down on the bed, lost in thought. Jiang Lan looked around, pacing back and forth in the room. A long silence followed, broken only by the ticking of the clock.

Why aren't you saying anything? You've never been this quiet before!

"I'm thinking about a question. I'm wondering, who am I, really?"

"You are yourself. I can never make you become me."

"But I became someone I didn't recognize, not even myself."

As she spoke, Wu Bingbing collapsed to her knees and began to sob, saying between sobs, “My life has changed drastically ever since I had your heart transplant! Look at me now! What have I become? I used to speak softly and gently, never even stepping on an ant. But now, I’ve become emotionally unstable, out of control, and powerless. I’m becoming less and less like myself… I don’t even know what I’ve done, how many people I’ve hurt… I’ve lost my harmonious family, my boyfriend, even my friendships with my classmates… Tomorrow is my 24th birthday. In previous years, my parents and boyfriend would celebrate with me, and many classmates would wish me a happy birthday in advance. But this year, no one has even thought of me, not even a phone call. I don’t know if I’m still myself? Will this ever end?”

"You don't need any boyfriends or classmates, just having me by your side is enough. What about feelings and love? What about vows of eternal love? Men are unreliable! All they want is to possess you, control you, and treat you like their property. Everything else is fake. Take your boyfriend Guo Kai, for example. He's a man who can't stand loneliness and can't resist women's temptations. He's not worth your time. You'll kill him sooner or later."

"What?" Wu Bingbing exclaimed, "Does this mean I'm really going to kill him?"

“You won’t just kill him, you’ll kill many more people. Let me open your third eye for you. Stare carefully at this mirror by the bedside.” She made Wu Bingbing stand in front of the bed, wiped her forehead with her cold fingers, and then held the mirror up to her face. At first, the mirror was a mass of black, but slowly, firelight appeared. “Look at the shadow in that firelight, and you will feel a sense of familiarity, and you will understand everything. That is something deep within your heart.”

"I saw it... Guo Kai was there. I killed him, under that tree. And, um, that female classmate, and so many others, struggling in the fire, going up and down... Did I kill them too?"

"Yes. On your birthday, you will kill someone. Because a girl said something hurtful to you, you followed her to her house and killed her. In the future, you will kill other people, accumulating 10 lives at your hands. I once conducted a survey and made a surprising discovery: everyone has at least 10 enemies in the world, 10 people they hate and want to kill in their hearts."

Some people don't kill, but their hearts control them; their hearts prevent them from killing. Others kill, driven by their hearts. Though I've lost most of my magic and no longer have the power to kill, you will fulfill my wish and continue killing for me. I can still carry out my revenge and experience the thrill of hunting at will—because your heart is mine; we are one in spirit and flesh. You can never escape me until you die! —"

"As long as you don't let me kill anyone else, I'm willing to listen to you from now on."

"It wasn't me who told you to kill; it was that heart that drove you. That heart has driven me for 35 years. All my past actions were dictated by that heart; the body cannot resist. This longevity lock you're searching for is a repository of the soul; you can hear the heart's commands from within. You intentionally experienced that heart's entire journey, and involuntarily entered into it. Your body merged with that heart, and from then on, that heart belonged to you. Do you feel that you are reliving the path I once walked? That heart is guiding you, making you step by step become the person you once were? —"

Wu Bingbing sighed and said, "I don't understand any of what you've said. But it seems I do understand one thing: I won't be able to leave you anymore."

Jiang Lan became happy: "You shouldn't have gotten rid of me in the first place."

"In that case, I formally declare to you that from now on I will listen to you."

"Ah! Ah!—" Jiang Lan exclaimed, rushing over to hug her. "I've been waiting for this day! You stubborn little girl! I've been waiting for this day!—"

“I don’t want to kill Guo Kai, and there’s no need to kill those people.” Wu Bingbing thought about what Jiang Lan had said—you won’t just kill him, you’ll kill many more people—you’ll kill someone on your birthday—it’s not that I’m making you kill, it’s your heart that’s driving you—that’s something deep inside you, it’s unbearable!

“I told Guo Kai to walk away from me, to go far away,” Wu Bingbing said, looking at her. “I’m not having a birthday party in two days; I’ll spend it alone. Why don’t I just have you come and keep me company then? That should prevent that murder, right? Then I won’t kill anyone else, right?”

Jiang Lan said dismissively, "What's destined will happen sooner or later. You have no choice!"

The day before her birthday, Bingbing really wanted to go out for a walk. She got ready and went to her parents' bedroom. Before she could even speak, her mother asked, "Tomorrow's your birthday, have you forgotten?" Bingbing said she hadn't forgotten. Her mother said, "We're planning to have a small party like last year. I've already notified your high school classmates, so-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so." Bingbing was startled. Jiang Lan said the girl she wanted to kill was among those people. Bingbing quickly said, "Mom, please tell them not to come. I want to celebrate my birthday alone this year, and I don't want anyone to come. I want a quiet birthday."

Then she asked her father for his car keys, saying, "I haven't driven in a long time, and I want to go for a drive in the countryside." Her parents both agreed, saying, "That's right, you should go out and relax; it will make you feel better."

She drove aimlessly through the streets, paying no attention to the scenery on either side.

When a police car sped past her with its siren blaring, she broke out in a cold sweat, braked, and stood frozen on the side of the road for a long time, too afraid to move. When she finally started walking again, she inadvertently saw the familiar school. She thought of Xu Miaomiao, and naturally, Xu Miaomiao's mother; the floodgates of her thoughts were unstoppable. She also thought of Xu Miaomiao's brother, Aunt Wei Pan, the path she had walked searching for the longevity lock, the tragic and unfortunate life she had witnessed in Wang Xiaoyue, and the people she had met and hadn't met… All these events and people replayed before her eyes; countless faces crisscrossed in her mind, and many of those eyes made her unable to look directly at them. She felt fear, guilt, remorse, and helplessness…

She drove straight to the fortress in the east of the city, sped up the high earthen slope, and stopped at its edge—outside was a stone embankment, below which lay the moat. Just one more meter, and she and the car would plunge into the river; through the windshield, she could see the surging, rolling water.

She seemed to hesitate in the car for a long time, not driving into the river, but getting out and sitting down next to the old camphor tree. Guo Kai hadn't come here today. It was deathly quiet, not even a bird in sight. She picked up some pebbles and unconsciously tossed them into the distance, when she noticed movement in the bushes. She went over and saw a small dog hiding there—good heavens, it was the same dog from two days ago! It wasn't dead? The dog looked at her with terrified eyes, barking as it ran out of the bushes.

She called out excitedly, "Come here, puppy! You're not dead? That's great! Come here—"

The little dog raised its voice as if crying for help, running and whimpering incessantly. When it emerged from the bushes, she was horrified to discover that the dog's two hind legs were broken, and it could only walk on its front legs, its hindquarters limp and dragged along the ground. The little dog even looked back at her fearfully.

She stood there, stunned, not chasing after it, watching it slowly inching its way away while meowing...

She didn't drive home until dark. Passing the city museum, she stopped to go in and see Jiang Lan, but the museum was closed. She still ran into the courtyard and shouted through the gate, "Hey, I want to see you today! I—want—to—see—you!"

When she got home, she gave her car keys to her father, who said she looked much better. Her mother saw her carrying two bottles and asked what she had bought. She said it was for her birthday tomorrow. Her mother said the doctor had warned her that drinking alcohol was bad for her health. She said it was rice wine, low in alcohol, bought from a villager in the suburbs. Her mother didn't say anything more. She opened the door and went into the bedroom, where she found Jiang Lan already there. Jiang Lan said, "Actually, you didn't need to look for me. From now on, I'll come here every day."

Bingbing said, "I called you to tell you that you're coming to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. I only want you to come."

Jiang Lan said, "That's great! I'm really happy, and I want to hug you too."

"So, what gift are you going to bring me tomorrow?"

"A gift? Oh, of course, I'll have to think about it."

"I want your painting, the one called 'Woman Practicing Yoga'?"

"Oh, this is no small matter. Why do you want it?"

“You know, my dad loves collecting. He had originally planned to buy your paintings, but unfortunately, neither the museums nor art academies were selling them. Dad said that collecting your paintings would be meaningful to our family, especially to me.”

You gave me your heart, and this place has become your home. Wouldn't it be wonderful if that painting hung in my room?

“I spent several years painting that picture, mixing the colors with my own blood. The base color also contained the blood of an old man, a baby, and a wolf. It’s the painting of my life, and it’s especially precious to me. The Hong Kong businessman that Chen Zhongjie brought offered 2 million, but I didn’t sell it. He later tried to forcibly take the painting away, and ended up losing his life. This painting is my hiding place. Although it’s a bit cramped to keep it in a museum, it’s a safe place.”

“It’s safe to put it in my room!” Wu Bingbing said eagerly. “We’ll hang it on the wall here, and only the two of us can admire it every day. You can also be with me often. We can truly be inseparable, body and soul united—wouldn’t that be wonderful!”

"So, I'm spending all my time with you, day and night?"

"That's not scary at all! You're a great beauty! What's wrong with that?"

"You're not thinking of selling it, are you?"

"How could that be? I just collected it! And you too!"