sorcellerie - Chapitre 3
Last night's events are still lingering in my memory. Yes, last night I talked for a long time with that boy named Lin Hai, and it was almost eleven o'clock when we parted ways and went home.
Today is Saturday, April 2nd.
My mind was still in turmoil. Lin Hai's account of his experience terrified even someone like me who has written many horror novels. In fact, he told me something even more mysterious last night, which brought my thoughts back to the events of last night.
We chatted for a long time at the restaurant last night. I told him I would try my best to help him, and he was very grateful. Suddenly, he held out his arm to me. I didn't understand what it meant, but upon closer inspection, I saw a line of letters on the inside of his left forearm that read: MAGELITE.
"What is this?" I asked him, puzzled.
"This is what I discovered when I woke up that rainy night. I don't know why I had this line of dots on my arm, and I couldn't wash it off or wipe it off. I was terrified at the time. I really don't know how it got on my hand."
Do you understand what that means now?
Lin Hai's eyes suddenly filled with extreme fear, and he answered me in a trembling voice:
"Later, after much research, I finally understood the true meaning of 'MAGELITE.' In ancient Greek, this word means 'goddess of death.' Yes, in Chinese, it is '玛格丽特,' which means 'the arrival of death.'" Lin Hai trembled after saying this.
My brow furrowed again. This matter seemed to be more complicated than it appeared. "Margaret" was actually the Greek word for "death." I felt uneasy for Lin Hai.
At this moment, Lin Hai spoke up: "It's getting late today, I'm really sorry to have taken up so much of your time, thank you for listening to my story. Finally, I have one more request."
"Don't be shy, just say what you want."
"I know your cousin's name is Ye Xiao, and he's a police officer. He's solved many bizarre cases, and you've written about him in every book you've written about him, so I'd like to ask you to tell me what I'm going to tell you today..."
Please relay everything to Ye Xiao and ask him to help me analyze it as well.
I was taken aback for a moment: "You know Ye Xiao is my cousin."
"Of course, I've read all your works, and Ye Xiao's story deeply captivated me. Let me tell you:"
In "Virus", it was Ye Xiao who helped you out of your predicament. He uncovered the secret of the Empress "Arute Xiaozhi" and saved everyone.
In "The Curse," he helps Bai Bi find her sister Lan Yue and also uncovers the so-called curse of the Loulan female corpse.
In "Cat's Eye," he ventured deep into the "dark house," rescued Yu'er, and uncovered the true culprit, Xu Tianming. Although he died in childhood, his wisdom was undeniable.
In "God Is Watching You," he helped Rongyan and Mada escape from the clutches of evil, uncovered the mastermind Huang Gang, and ultimately brought them together.
In "Midnight Flute," Chi Cui and her son Xiao Mi are deceived by Zhuo Yueran, and it is he who discovers and finds the real Xiao Quan in time.
"Ghost Inn" is truly thrilling and exciting. This time, it's that guy named Zhou Xuan who's gone crazy. He's created a wonderful horror novel using letters, but this time Ye Xiao has been tricked by him a little.
In the story "The Abandoned Village Apartment," you are drawn to "Xiaoqian," the persona of "Ouyang Xiaozhi." The four college students face danger but ultimately uncover the truth and unravel the secrets of the abandoned village.
Finally, in "The 19th Floor of Hell," the girl named Chunyu encountered a hellish game involving text messages. Ye Xiao investigated continuously and finally discovered that the culprit was Gao Xuan, who orchestrated the suicides of several girls.
Am I right about what I just said?
Lin Hai recounted all the stories I had written in one breath, leaving me somewhat dumbfounded. I could only nod in admiration of his memory.
In the end, I promised him that I would tell Ye Xiao the whole story so that he wouldn't worry.
He let out a long sigh of relief, his expression slightly more relaxed. As we parted, he told me that he was going to Nanhua Temple the next day to get a talisman, saying that the temple's amulets were very effective and he hoped they could ward off evil spirits.
I could only wish him good luck. We exchanged phone numbers before I left, and I told him he could call me if he needed anything.
And so our conversation of several hours came to an end, and I returned home with a somewhat heavy heart.
2)
Now my cousin Ye Xiao is standing in front of me.
I called him to invite him to my house. He had just finished a case and was currently on vacation. So I told Ye Xiao everything about meeting Lin Hai yesterday and what he had told me.
He listened quietly to my story, remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand to stroke his chin and slowly said:
Do you believe this is true? Is what he said reliable?
I nodded and replied, "I don't think he's lying, and all the signs indicate that he has indeed fallen into a terrifying vortex."
Ye Xiao looked at me, paced back and forth a few steps, and asked me, "Then why do you think this happened to him? Why did that so-called 'female ghost' insist on finding him? Is that 'female ghost' really a mixed-race girl named 'Ni Siqi'? No, I'm still full of doubts in my mind."
I don't know how to answer him, because Ye Xiao's knowledge is much deeper than mine.
He continued, "Also, the words on that mysterious sheepskin, and the letters 'Margaret' on his arm that you mentioned, or the meaning of 'God of Death,' it's hard to say what all of this is all about right now, but I really want to meet this Lin Hai."
"No problem, I'll contact him for you." As I said this, I picked up my phone and dialed the number he had given me, but the call could not be connected. The phone said that the user was not in the service area.
I shook my head helplessly at Ye Xiao, indicating that I was unable to contact him for the time being.
I wondered to myself, "Lin Hai, where are you?"
Actually, Lin Hai was at Nanhua Temple on the outskirts of the city at that moment. He came there to ask for a "peace charm". After a long talk with me last night, he came to the temple early this morning.
He knew that there was a highly respected monk in the temple named Zen Master Zhihui. He was virtuous and compassionate, and many people came to him hoping to be blessed with peace.
Today is Saturday, and there are many people. Lin Hai went through a lot of trouble before finally meeting Zen Master Zhihui.
He explained his purpose to the Zen master and told him about his recent experiences.
After listening silently, Master Zhihui put his hands together and said:
“Amitabha Buddha, after listening to what you just said, I feel that this may be a calamity.”
Lin Hai hurriedly asked, "Master, could you explain it more clearly?"
Master Zhihui said, “Please don’t be impatient, benefactor. Listen to what this old monk has to say. In fact, everything in the world has its own laws. As the saying goes, every cause has its effect. Cause and effect are cyclical, and good and evil are rewarded accordingly. When the Buddha was still a prince before he left home, he saw people’s birth, aging, sickness, and death on the city wall one day. He suddenly had a great enlightenment, shaved his head and began to practice Buddhism, eventually founding Buddhism and saving countless people.”
When the Buddha passed away on the twin trees of withered and flourishing, he finally attained the sixteen-character mantra for life: "Self and non-self, joy and non-joy, permanence and impermanence, purity and nothingness."
"Purity." If people could understand these sixteen words, they would benefit immensely. Unfortunately, very few can achieve this. Even I, this old monk, dare not say that I have achieved complete single-mindedness. Therefore, each of us is practicing spiritual cultivation and fulfilling our destiny in the cycle of reincarnation.
Young man, don't be too afraid. To overcome this ordeal, you must recognize your mistakes and sincerely repent. Only then can you avoid that inner demon, for "demons arise from the heart." You should face it bravely.
The old monk's words stirred up Lin Hai's emotions. He asked Master Zhihui for a peace charm, and Master Zhihui agreed, telling him to come and collect it in three days.
Lin Hai thanked Master Zhihui and left the temple. He hoped that he could successfully obtain the amulet for protection in three days.
Lin Hai walked down the mountain, but his heart was far from at peace. He was constantly troubled by something. This matter had always been hidden deep within him, something he had never told anyone; it was a sinful secret deep within his soul.
At that moment, Lin Hai remembered the incident again. He dared not recall it, but his thoughts relentlessly pulled him back to that deadly rainy night a year ago...
(3)
That happened on a rainy night a year ago.
At the time, Lin Hai had not yet graduated from university and was on summer vacation. He went on an outdoor excursion with his best friend, Tong Zhengdong.
Lin Hai has an older brother who runs a successful company. He dotes on his younger brother and often gives him a lot of pocket money. This time, Lin Hai asked to borrow his brother's car before going out. His brother initially refused, but reluctantly agreed after Lin Hai's repeated pleas. Lin Hai had obtained his driver's license during his sophomore year of college, but because he rarely drove, his brother was hesitant to lend him the car, fearing an accident. However, he couldn't persuade him otherwise and had to agree.
Before leaving, his brother repeatedly told Lin Hai to drive carefully and slowly, and not to be careless. Lin Hai hurriedly agreed and finally drove off.
Lin Hai and his friend Tong Zhengdong drove to the suburbs for fishing and sightseeing, having a great time. They didn't leave until sunset, reluctantly driving back to the city.
When they got off the highway, it was already dark, and it was raining heavily.
Rain blurred the car windows, so Lin Hai quickly turned on the windshield wipers. Tong Zhengdong turned on the car's music to enjoy the music.
Just then, suddenly—with a loud bang—the car braked abruptly. Tong Zhengdong was startled. He saw that Lin Hai looked extremely flustered. "What happened? What's wrong?" he asked Lin Hai.
"I...I think I bumped into someone," Lin Hai stammered.
"Oh no! I bumped into someone. Could I be that unlucky? What happened?"
"I don't know how I got hit by it, what should I do?"
"Quick! Get out of the car and check on the person who was hit." The two men quickly got out of the car to check on the person who had been hit.
It was raining heavily outside, and they saw a person lying motionless in front of the car.
Lin Hai helped the person up and saw that it seemed to be a girl, with blood seeping from her head.
Lin Hai was shocked and at a loss, not knowing what to do.
"Lin Hai, what should we do? Should we take him to the hospital?"
"No, no, I can't. If I do that, I'll take a huge responsibility, and I might even face legal trouble and jail time. I can't take that risk. I haven't graduated yet, and I have a bright future ahead of me. I absolutely can't let this affect my entire life. Besides, the car belongs to my brother; I can't drag him down with me."
"What should we do? How should we deal with her?" Tong Zhengdong asked anxiously.
"Let's take advantage of the rain and the fact that no one is around to pass by, and move her to the side of the road. Hurry!" Lin Hai said urgently.
Tong Zhengdong ultimately agreed against his conscience. So they worked together to throw the seriously injured girl into the roadside bushes. Finally, they went all the way and threw the girl into a deep ditch by the roadside, and then Tong Zhengdong also threw the injured girl's electric bike into the ditch as well.
After doing all this, they hurriedly returned to their car and fled the scene as quickly as possible, disappearing into the vast, rainy night.
Later, the police discovered the deceased's body and determined that he had died from injuries sustained in a car accident that prevented him from receiving timely medical attention.
However, the heavy rain that day washed away all the evidence, leaving no trace. The rain concealed their crimes, and they escaped this fate.
But this matter remained deeply etched in Lin Hai's heart, haunting him like a demonic shadow. He never told anyone about it; it was a secret hidden deep within his heart forever. Both he and Tong Zhengdong swore never to mention it again.
Today, for some reason, Lin Hai suddenly thought of this incident, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear. He even wondered if the deceased had returned as a ghost to seek revenge.
He dared not think any further; he was afraid he would go insane.
Suddenly, a strange thought popped into Lin Hai's head: he wanted to go check out the crematorium in the western suburbs. Yes, the phone call he made to the girl named Ni Siqi had somehow connected to the crematorium—it was unbelievable. Therefore, he decided to go there and find out what was going on. He wanted to find the director of the management office who had told him so much and ask him for more information. Yes, that was it.
With that thought in mind, Lin Hai strode down the mountain. He had already decided to go to the crematorium that afternoon!
(4)
I was quietly browsing the internet in my room when Ye Xiao left. Before he left, he told me to call him if I had any news about Lin Hai. I nodded and agreed.
I tried calling Lin Hai's cell phone again, but it still wouldn't connect; it was out of service area. A sense of foreboding suddenly flashed through my mind, and I silently prayed that nothing bad would happen.
Lin Hai, where are you right now?
The sky was rather gloomy in the afternoon, with dark clouds obscuring the sun. This has been the weather lately; the sunlight seems to be deliberately hiding, not wanting people to see it.
Lin Hai had already arrived at the crematorium in the western suburbs of the city. He had taken a taxi because there was no public transportation there. After entering, he asked the gatekeeper for directions to the management office and then went there.
He went to the administration office, knocked on the door, and went in. He was greeted by the same director he had spoken to before.
The director said his surname was Shao. He asked Lin Hai what business he had come for.
Lin Hai inquired again with Director Shao about the circumstances surrounding the cremation of the girl named Ni Siqi. Director Shao recounted the story in detail. After listening, Lin Hai felt a chill run down his spine.
Director Shao asked him again what had happened, and Lin Hai didn't know how to answer. He asked to see Old Liu, the crematorium worker, again. The director said Old Liu hadn't come to work that day; he was sick and had taken the day off. Lin Hai had no choice but to give up. Seeing that it was getting late, he got up to leave. As he was leaving, Director Shao patted him on the shoulder, telling him not to take it too seriously, perhaps someone was just joking with him. Lin Hai shook his head with a wry smile, because he knew best what was really going on.
As he stepped out of the crematorium, it was already dark. It was only a little past five o'clock; why was it already dark? He found this strange. There were no other cars around, so he had to take a taxi. He saw a taxi parked not far away. It was the only one parked there. Lin Hai immediately waved it down. If he couldn't get this taxi, he would have to wait here for who knows how long, so as soon as the car pulled up, he opened the door and got in.