Le Grand Jugement Divin Qing

Chapitre 16

It was already evening when they arrived, and there were few swimmers left in the river. The three found a secluded spot on the bank and started swimming. Han Jiaxi, being a weak swimmer, only dared to swim in the shallow water near the bank. Zijin and Zilu, however, swam further and further out, until they reached the middle of the river. The Song brothers had grown up on the banks of the Yangtze River and had crossed it at least three times. Therefore, she wasn't worried and had a great time.

Suddenly, she heard a cry for help; it was Song Zijin's voice. She turned around and saw Song Zijin struggling in pain, while Song Zilu was trying to pull him toward the shore.

Every minute, every second, was torture for Han Jiaxi, who was watching. She watched the Song brothers struggle in the river, powerless to help. At that moment, she even hated herself for not learning to swim properly. She cried out for help, but no one answered. In the darkness, the sky and the river overlapped, and the immense darkness seemed to swallow the two boys whole.

Just as the two were about to reach the shore, they both sank simultaneously. She knew it must be because Song Zilu had run out of energy. She jumped back into the water, having already reached the shore herself. She saw Song Zilu pointing underwater at the unconscious Zijin, then pointing to the surface, understanding that he wanted her to pull Zijin to shore first. She pulled Song Zijin ashore, assuming that the drowning Zijin was in more critical condition and that Zilu could get to shore on his own. However, when she realized that Zilu hadn't surfaced for a long time and went back into the water to rescue him, she discovered he was already no longer breathing.

When the ambulance arrived, she just sat there, stunned. Song Zijin was out of danger thanks to the proper first aid. Song Zilu, however, remained stiff and cold. Why hadn't she saved Zilu first? Why had she so readily assumed that Zilu could get ashore on his own? Why was she so presumptuous! Regret, pain, self-reproach—all those negative emotions overwhelmed her. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle a scream, tears streaming down her face.

When Song Zijin woke up, he had forgotten what had happened, only learning from others that his twin brother had died saving him. Seeing the haggard Han Jiaxi, his first words were: "You killed my brother." Looking into his hateful eyes, Han Jiaxi knew clearly that the beautiful past could never be recovered.

She and Zijin remained inseparable. But he was colder towards her than before, often making sarcastic and cutting remarks. Those sharp words wounded her deeply. Every night, she couldn't help but think of Zilu, always crying herself to sleep, then reliving those past times in her dreams. It seemed that only thinking of Zilu could bring her solace.

Gradually, she became silent, no longer the cheerful Han Jiaxi she once was. Meanwhile, Song Zijin, as if wanting to enjoy life in his brother's place, became lively and active. He drifted further and further away from her, joining the school basketball team, playing with many girls, and ignoring her. Often, seeing the bright smile on Song Zijin's face, the same smile only Song Zilu possessed, she felt she couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion. Was the person before her Song Zilu or Song Zijin? But thinking of Zilu's dying eyes, the eyes that urged her to protect her younger brother, made it impossible for her to abandon Zijin.

Zijin is someone Zilu brought back with her life. She must take Zilu's place and protect Zijin; this is the meaning of her future existence.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Do you still remember Xu Jing from high school?" Han Jiaxi asked softly.

Feng Qi nodded: "She's a very bright girl, and she still is now."

With a bitter smile, Han Jiaxi continued, "Yes, she's a very cheerful girl, kind-hearted, loves to laugh, and is friendly to everyone. She seems to be an easy person to get along with, and just looking at her makes you feel happy. That's the kind of girl she is. As for Zijin, the first person she liked in high school was Xu Jing."

Feng Qi looked at Han Jiaxi in confusion: "Song Zijin should have been with you in high school, right?"

“Every time I see that girl, my heart aches. Once upon a time, I was that kind of girl, always smiling and carefree. Zijin liked her. He once told me, with a fierce pride, that he liked her. What could I do? Quit? But did I even have a place in that relationship? How could I quit? I was more heartbroken than ever before, wishing I could disappear. That's when I realized that, without even noticing, I had fallen in love with Zijin, and he had become the only one in my life.”

She forced herself to stop looking at Zijin, to stop being his shadow. Three days passed in agonizing agony when Zijin suddenly came to find her, furious.

She had never seen Zijin so fierce and furious. He kicked open her door, grabbed her neck with both hands, and brought his face close to hers, exuding a dangerous aura: "What did you do to me!"

"What's wrong... Zijin? Don't scare me..."

"What did you do to me! Han Jiaxi! Why did I reject Xu Jing? Why did I use such vicious words to mock her!"

Han Jiaxi couldn't understand Song Zijin's incoherent words. Her neck was being choked, making it difficult to breathe. Tears slowly streamed down her face, and she could only manage to ask broken questions: "Zi...jin...what...is...wrong...? I don't...understand." Song Zijin frowned and looked at her for a long time before suddenly letting go. He covered his head and rolled on the ground in pain, his handsome face contorted with agony.

Terrified by Song Zijin's reaction, she hurriedly supported him, only able to say, "Zijin, Zijin, what's wrong with you!"

Song Zijin gradually calmed down, her furrowed brows relaxed, and she opened her sweat-drenched eyes. The madness in her eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by a deep affection and a gentle smile that Han Jiaxi was unfamiliar with.

"Jiaxi, it's been a long time."

Standing there stunned, Han Jiaxi looked at Song Zijin with a puzzled expression.

"You brat, it's only been a short time since we last met, and you've already forgotten me?"

The nickname "brat" sent a chill down Han Jiaxi's spine. It was a nickname reserved exclusively for Song Zilu, a secret between them.

"Zi Lu?"

Song Zijin hugged Han Jiaxi and said with a smile, "It's so good that you haven't forgotten me."

Tears fell silently as Han Jiaxi rested her face on his shoulder, biting her lip hard. If this is a dream, she wished she would never wake up.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Could it be Song Zilu's soul?" Feng Qi asked.

Han Jiaxi shook her head slightly, her eyes filled with sorrow: "I used to think so too, but later I learned that it was not Zilu, Zilu had already died."

Feng Qi suddenly realized: "Dual personality?"

"Yes. After Zizun died, he was too repressed and his feelings for me were very complicated. He gradually developed a second personality. When that personality appeared, he thought he was Zizun. Usually, 'Zizun' was hidden in the shadows, but he would appear whenever it involved me. Both personalities knew about everything that happened, just like watching a TV screen and watching another version of himself do things. We only found out about this later."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

After rejecting Xu Jing, Zi Jin hated Han Jiaxi even more, yet she still couldn't let go of her feelings for her. The two remained at an impasse, and the adults all assumed they would naturally get married, but unexpected complications arose.

After rejecting Xu Jing, Zi Jin hated Han Jiaxi even more, yet she still couldn't let go of her feelings for her. The two remained at an impasse, and the adults all assumed they would naturally get married, but unexpected complications arose.

Gu Yun was Song Zijin's junior classmate. From the moment she entered university, she became infatuated with Song Zijin, who was also from Zhicheng. He liked playing basketball, so she would wait by the playground every day; he participated in the student council, so she joined as well, helping him with departmental affairs; she would always find various excuses to ask Song Zijin out. She also knew that Song Zijin had a girlfriend of many years, but since meeting Han Jiaxi, she hadn't paid any attention to her. Whether it was family background or appearance, Han Jiaxi couldn't compare to her.

Although the "Zi Lu" personality occasionally surfaced, relentlessly bullying Gu Yun, Gu Yun wasn't Xu Jing. In her dictionary, there was no such thing as backing down. Her childhood pampering had made her overly possessive. The more aloof Song Zijin was, the more persistent she became. Only after Han Jiaxi's tragic death did she finally have a chance to get close to Song Zijin. Even though Song Zijin would disappear one day a week, transforming into the "Zi Lu" personality each week, Gu Yun didn't care. She was the ultimate victor; even the deepest feelings fade with time. She didn't believe Zijin would forever cherish the memory of Han Jiaxi.

On the wedding day, everything went perfectly, but Song Zijin and Xu Jing ran into each other again. Because of her, Song Zijin and the spoiled Gu Yun had a huge fight. Gu Yun inadvertently revealed that she was the one who orchestrated Han Jiaxi's misfortune. The immense shock caused "Zilu" and "Zijin" to alternately appear, one furious and wanting to kill Gu Yun, the other heartbroken from betrayal. But in the end, "Zijin," to stop "Zilu," knocked Gu Yun unconscious and escaped.

During the days he hid in the secluded cave, he was constantly battling with himself.

After being rescued, "Zi Lu" completely took over the body and became its master. He orchestrated Han Jiaxi's resurrection and, after gaining Gu Yun's trust, plunged a sharp blade into her heart.

But man proposes, God disposes. He was only a novice in witchcraft, and Yu Ye had never performed such forbidden magic before. The so-called resurrection was merely exchanging the chance of reincarnation for a few days of companionship.

“Actually, you didn’t have to tell me,” Feng Qi sighed. “You said before that he wasn’t the murderer, isn’t that a contradiction?”

"Do you know what I studied in college?" Han Jiaxi suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question. Feng Qi was taken aback and shook his head.

“Psychology, I want to cure Zijin. He thought he was the older brother because he felt too guilty, which led to the development of a second personality. That’s nothing in itself. But the root of all this tragedy is my selfishness. Because I was greedy to stay by his side and refused to let him go free to love. If I had stayed far away from him, how could I have been murdered? How could he have gone astray and gone down the path of no return? It’s all my fault. I am the real murderer.”

Seeing Han Jiaxi's sorrowful tears, Feng Qi felt speechless, unable to find the words to comfort her. He wanted to know the truth, but the truth was so cruel.

Chapter Eight: Epilogue

end

Unable to resist Han Jiaxi's persistent pleas, Feng Qi agreed and remained silent until the witchcraft ended. On the day of the experiment, he also went to the site. Song Zijin and Yu Ye were both secretly surprised to see him, but upon seeing Han Jiaxi's expression, they both fell silent.

Han Jiaxi walked to Song Zijin's side and smiled gently at him: "Zijin, this may be the last time we see each other." Song Zijin was about to retort, but she gently covered his mouth.

“Stop deceiving yourself. Who knows this body better than me? Here,” she placed her hand on her heart, “it’s already rotten to the core.”

His tears fell, his eyes lost their sparkle, and he just stared at Han Jiaxi with a sob in his eyes.

Yu Ye drew a circle on the empty stone slab and had Han Jiaxi stand inside it. The two looked at each other and smiled. Han Jiaxi said softly, "Water-elemental witch, I have entrusted myself to you."

Yu Ye pouted: "This witchcraft is extremely dangerous."

Han Jiaxi nodded solemnly: "If the corpse reverts, then turn this body into blood."

After instructing everyone to stand outside the circle and not to enter, Yu Ye took out a small bottle filled with dark blue water from her pocket. She looked up and observed the sun's movement for a while, then muttered incantations as she walked around the circle, carefully dripping water from the bottle as she went.

As more and more water droplets fell, Han Jiaxi inside the circle also changed. She collapsed to the ground as if in great pain, trembling uncontrollably. Thick, yellowish liquid continuously oozed from the gruesome wound on her chest, until the pus dried up, and then bright red blood began to flow. Seeing this, Yu Ye took out another bottle of bright red water and sprinkled it all over Han Jiaxi's body inside the circle. Miraculously, the gruesome wound on Han Jiaxi's body began to heal slowly.

Feng Qi was utterly astonished by what he saw. He watched as color gradually returned to Han Jiaxi's face, and then turned to look at Qiancao, who was leaning against the stone wall. Qiancao's deep eyes were also fixed on Yu Ye, but a sarcastic smile played on her lips.

Just as the witchcraft was about to succeed, Song Zijin unexpectedly burst into the circle. His face was distorted, his eyes bloodshot, as if he were in unbearable pain. His expression alternated constantly, one moment angry, the next a joyful laugh. Feng Qi frowned, thinking, "Has this person gone mad?" He then remembered Han Jiaxi mentioning Song Zijin's two personalities. Was that person struggling internally right now?

Yu Ye, caught off guard by the intrusion, felt a surge of anger and coughed up blood. Asakusa quickly came up behind her and gently supported her. Pushing Asakusa aside, she narrowed her eyes and remained silent.

Song Zijin raised her hand to support her head, which was throbbing with pain, and looked at Han Jiaxi lying on the ground with disdain: "The Gu Yun I love, I will always only love her! Don't even think about possessing her body! Even if you do, you will still be Han Jiaxi, and you will never become the Gu Yun I love!"

Han Jiaxi's face turned pale instantly, tears blurring her vision. She struggled to say, "Zilu..."

"Don't call me that name! I'm Song Zijin, not Song Zilu!" Song Zijin screamed frantically. "If you like him so much, go find him! You're dead, aren't you? Being dead is perfect for being with him. You should be happy! Why do you keep clinging to me? Why must my life be tied to you!" He suddenly fell silent after shouting this, a sorrowful expression on his face: "Jiaxi... Jiaxi..."

Han Jiaxi, who had been hanging her head, suddenly raised it and asked timidly, "Zilu?" Song Zijin squatted down and gently stroked the girl's tearful, smiling face. "I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you in the end." Han Jiaxi shook her head vigorously, tears streaming down her face, and still smiled as she said, "It was fate. How could we fight against fate..."

The wound, which had already healed, reopened, and the whitish flesh quickly rotted, oozing pus mixed with blood. Even Feng Qi, standing outside the circle, could smell the strong stench of decay. He shifted his body, but seeing Qiancao and Yuye standing motionless outside the circle, he ultimately sighed and remained where he was.

"I'm so unwilling to accept this, Zilu! Why is my life so short? Why do I always do the wrong things?" Han Jiaxi cried, clutching Song Zijin's clothes tightly, and cried out in despair, "Why, why!"

Song Zijin held her tightly in his arms. So close, he could feel Han Jiaxi's life slowly slipping away. When she finally closed her eyes, his tears fell.

"What bad luck! I thought this experiment would finally succeed," Yu Ye said, her arms wrapped around Qian Cao's neck. Feng Qi glanced at her and asked, "Can we go in now?"

"casual."

Feng Qi stepped into the circle, hesitated for a moment, and then patted Song Zijin on the shoulder.

"Zi Lu. She's gone."

Song Zijin seemed to snap out of his daze, looking blankly at the woman in his arms. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak but unable to. He frowned, as if deep in thought. After a long while, he said to Feng Qi, "I am Song Zijin. Who is she? Gu Yun, or Han Jiaxi?"

Feng Qi frowned slightly and replied, "She is Han Jiaxi."

Upon hearing this, Song Zijin burst into laughter: "Hahaha, she's finally dead! I can finally get rid of her!" His manic behavior made Feng Qi's face grow increasingly grim. But he was lost in his own world, paying no heed to the emotions of others.

"She's dead, dead cleanly." Laughing, he collapsed to the ground, suddenly closing his eyes, tears streaming down his face, muttering to himself, "She's dead, what am I going to do... Zilu, I haven't even asked her who she truly loved... and she's dead... You're all gone, leaving me all alone... all alone... Hahahaha, good riddance, good riddance!"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Gu Yun's body was found in a back alley of a street. It had been dead for over half a month, and was badly decomposed. Even after the body was discovered, Gu Yun's family couldn't believe she was dead. If she had been dead for over half a month, then who was the person who had been with them? But who would believe their story?

On the day the body was discovered, Song Zijin turned himself in to the police station. He confessed to murdering Gu Yun and explained his motives. Following this lead, the police also solved Han Jiaxi's unsolved case.

Although he was classmates with Song Zijin, Feng Qi didn't let him off the hook. It was a very interesting story—a love triangle, a crime of passion, revenge—it catered to the public's morbid curiosity. He embellished it with a nearly 3000-word report, which caused a great stir after publication. Even his boss praised him for not forgetting his work during his vacation, saying his work ethic was worthy of emulation. Although Feng Qi automatically filtered out the parts about Yu Ye in the news report, his curiosity about Yu Ye and witchcraft only grew stronger.

(The novel "Zijin" has ended)

A Thousand Nights Prologue

Feng Qi later recalled that he first noticed that the series of events occurred on the day of Cold Dew.

A special interview with a prominent entrepreneur was scheduled for two weeks ago. When the day arrived, Feng Qi called the number, only to learn that the person had been hospitalized two days prior due to illness.

After hanging up the phone with his secretary, Feng Qi was understandably annoyed. The entrepreneur had already reluctantly agreed to the interview, and who knew if the secretary was making a mountain out of a molehill this time. Having published several sensational news articles and gained some fame in the provincial capital, he was unwilling to write such opportunistic advertorials anymore. If it weren't for his director's repeated instructions—that the man was a major advertiser for the newspaper—he wouldn't have agreed.

The thought had just crossed Feng Qi's mind when he paused for a moment. He recalled that a year ago, he was just a junior reporter covering social news, constantly worried about not having any stories to cover—he was practically desperate. Now that he had achieved some success, he could choose what he wanted to do. Perhaps every industry was driven by self-interest. He immediately composed himself, silently reminding himself never to become arrogant or complacent.

The provincial hospital was a place he frequented regularly. Upon arriving at the hospital, Feng Qi first went to the hospital office and exchanged pleasantries with Xiao Ling.

Speaking of Xiao Ling, he was someone Feng Qi quite liked. He became the director of the provincial hospital's office in his early thirties. He was very easygoing in his dealings with people, and steady and cautious in his work. He arranged many things without Feng Qi having to ask, sometimes even more thoughtfully than Feng Qi himself. Because of work, the two crossed paths and gradually became friends.

When Feng Qi entered, he saw Xiao Ling engrossed in writing, so he poured himself a glass of water and sat down on the sofa to rest for a while. Hearing the noise, Xiao Ling looked up, saw it was Feng Qi, and smiled, "You're here." He then tried to get up. Feng Qi quickly stopped him, "No, no, no, you keep doing your work, I'll sit for a while."

Xiao Ling coughed and said, "You must be here on business. There's no reason for me to keep you waiting. I just write this stuff when I have some free time." After saying that, he tidied up the documents on the table and sat down facing Feng Qi. "You really are something. It would have been better if you had called before you came. Look at how flustered you are now. So, tell me, what brought you here today?"

After taking a leisurely sip of water, Feng Qi said, "It's nothing much. I'm just going to the hospital to interview someone and I'll chat with you while I'm at it."

Who is it?

Feng Qi laughed: "Do you know all the patients in the hospital?"

Seemingly realizing that what he had said was absurd, Xiao Ling didn't seem to mind the sarcasm in Feng Qi's words, and laughed heartily, "You've exaggerated, you've exaggerated. Since you don't want to talk about your work, then I'll just have to ask about your love life!"

Feng Qi immediately regretted his words afterward. His speech had become increasingly sharp, and he had developed a habit of being suspicious of everything and prone to cold sarcasm. He awkwardly tried to cover it up, saying, "Actually, it's nothing. You know LY Group, right? Their general manager was sent to your hospital a couple of days ago. I'm here today to interview him."

“You know what, I actually know this person.” Xiao Ling said, “It will be difficult for you to interview him. Do you know what illness he had and was hospitalized for?” Seeing Feng Qi shake his head, he continued, “A stroke. After passing the critical period, he has been in a coma. He might become a vegetable.”

Feng Qi asked in surprise, "How do you know so much?"

Xiao Ling opened the files that had already been tidied up and handed them to Feng Qi: "This is because this is the 17th stroke patient our hospital has received in the past month."

"That's not surprising..."

"That's not surprising, so the hospital didn't pay much attention. But I did notice an interesting pattern. In fact, I was just about to call you about it."