Légende de Ksitigarbha

Chapitre 7

Zhang Li picked up a book from the table and held it in his hand: "I don't know either, I just feel something is strange, but I have to believe it even if I don't want to! In novels, ghosts and monsters always appear at night. If that's what's outside the door, this book might be useful. Let's go open the door together."

"I'll stay with you." It was Jiang Bing's voice; he and Chunlai had been woken up.

"Oh my god, that was terrifying!" Chunlai shrank his head under the blanket.

"Creak—" The door opened, and a dark figure stood in the doorway.

"Excuse me, who are you looking for so late? Is there something you need?" Zhang Li asked politely but indifferently, with one hand holding a book behind his back, while shining a flashlight into the shadowy figure with the other.

Wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, his figure stood ramrod straight, like a moving zombie. His face was pale, and his dull, lifeless eyes were like two artificial rubber eyes on a skull. In the yellow beam of the flashlight, he exuded a chilling aura, an indescribable eeriness and terror, yet it felt so familiar…

"Zeng Hai?!" Liu Li, Jiang Bing, and Zhang Li exclaimed in unison!

The dark figure chuckled coldly, turned its neck, looked at the three people, and uttered three words in a broken voice: "Heh he ...

The three exchanged glances, a chill running down their spines, yet a sliver of hope lingered in their hearts. Was it a person? Or a ghost? Was Zeng Hai truly not dead? But that voice… Zhang Li tentatively held up the book he had been hiding behind his back to the shadowy figure: “Zeng Hai, you didn’t go to class today. This book is yours, isn’t it?” The shadowy figure took the book away without any reaction, stiffly striding into the house.

Zhang Li couldn't tell whether he was happy or worried: Zeng Hai hadn't responded to the scriptures at all! So, did Professor Yang exaggerate the effects of the scriptures, or was the person who entered the room Zeng Hai himself, and he wasn't dead at all?

Liu Li and Jiang Bing stood to one side, their palms sweating profusely and their hearts pounding.

After Zeng Hai entered the room, his lifeless eyes locked onto Wang Hongbing's bed.

"And him?"

"You mean Wang Hongbing? He... he hasn't come back yet. By the way, why does your voice sound a little different?"

"Heh heh, is that so?" Zeng Hai coldly retorted. He immediately saw a body covered by the sheet and slowly reached out to pull it down. Chunlai felt someone pulling the sheet with cold hands and tried desperately to pull it back, but the force was too great, and he couldn't resist it at all. "Oh my god! What are you doing!" Chunlai screamed and sat up abruptly, wildly hitting the book he was clutching in his hand.

Zeng Hai staggered back a few steps, cried out "Ah—" and fell to the ground. In the dim light, a semi-transparent figure quickly emerged and disappeared in a flash.

Like a scene from a mythological film, the group of people were stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

When Zhang Li came to his senses, he heard Liu Li shout, "Chunlai, you brat, you're actually holding the scriptures in your arms?!" Hearing this, Zhang Li subconsciously shone his flashlight on the book in his hand. The eight characters "College English Test Band 4 Questions" were clearly visible on the cover. No wonder that thing didn't react to the book at all. Zhang Li seemed to see that face with a pair of dull and lifeless eyes again. Was it really a ghost possession?

Zhang Li tossed aside his book, squatted down, and saw Zeng Hai lying stiffly on his back on the ground. He shone his flashlight on Zeng Hai's face, revealing a distorted, ferocious expression. Chun Lai let out a startled cry. Zhang Li hurriedly moved the beam away, illuminating the slightly curled hand. He touched it; it was stiff and cold. Tears welled up from the depths of his heart.

The other three also squatted down. Zhang Li turned off the flashlight. In the darkness, Jiang Bing asked, "Is Zeng Hai really dead?" Zhang Li replied irrelevantly, "Let's report it to the police. Our stories must be consistent: we were all asleep, and when we woke up, we found Zeng Hai's..." Zhang Li choked up, unable to continue. After a pause, he continued, "Everything else is normal! Don't get it wrong."

seven

After Zhu Zhi and Wang Hongbing returned to the police station, they were "protected" as "the parties involved." Despite Zhu Zhi's repeated protests, they were not allowed to leave the "protection room" until 5 a.m. on Thursday the next day, only to be asked to get into a police car again.

When the police arrived at the boys' dormitory 501 with the criminal police, many students were still asleep, and the piercing sound of police sirens shattered the tranquility of the campus.

Zhu Zhi saw Zeng Hai's body again. His expression and general posture were unchanged, only the location had changed; he was now lying in dormitory room 501. The detectives began taking steps such as sealing off the scene and notifying the school.

The autopsy revealed that Zeng Hai died of a myocardial infarction 24 hours prior. For Captain Wang, this was clearly not a satisfactory result. Myocardial infarction is a sudden death, and the discovery of Zeng Hai's body partially ruled out the possibility that Zhu Zhi had falsely reported the incident. But how did the body get to Room 501? Where was the body in the 24 hours after his death? For Captain Wang, this remained a mystery. From Zhang Li and the others, they could only hear one explanation: "We don't know. When we woke up, we found the body lying in the dormitory."

After everything was settled, the police and school officials left the dormitory one after another, and the students who had been watching gradually dispersed. Wang Hongbing and Zhu Zhi were still taken away by the police, who said they were handling some procedures. The dormitory suddenly became quiet.

Zhang Li stepped onto the balcony. The sun had already set, and a cool evening breeze brought a rare refreshing coolness. The air around him seemed exceptionally clear, like glass. Suddenly, Zhang Li sensed a melancholy permeating the gentle air, a heavy, oppressive feeling; he could faintly hear Zeng Hai's voice. Zhang Li's nose stung with tears again. Zeng Hai's image and smile came vividly to life in his memory, but these could only remain memories forever. How fragile life is!

"Ring...ring..." A phone ring interrupted Zhang Li's thoughts.

“Hello,” Liu Li, who was sitting next to the phone, answered the call. “It’s Liyan. Yes, she’s here. Wait a moment.”

"Boss, your phone, it's Liyan's." Liu Li called out to Zhang Li.

Zhang Li walked over quickly and took the phone: "Liyan, it's me."

Liyan was at a loss for words. The death of Zeng Hai in dormitory 501 and related events were spreading at "the speed of light every second," and almost everyone on campus knew about it. Of course, she had heard about it too.

"I know everything," Liyan said softly. Chen Jie and Wen Xin sat quietly beside Liyan.

"……"silence.

"I'm hanging up. Try to think positively." After a moment of silence, Liyan hung up the phone.

Wenxin stared at Liyan: "He cried?"

Liyan bit her lip: "No, he didn't say anything. It must have been more painful than crying."

Chen Jie stood up: "No matter what, a life has been lost, and everyone will be saddened. I wonder how heartbroken Zeng Hai's parents will be after we inform them!"

Wen Xin sighed, able to imagine the tragedy and helplessness of a parent outliving their child!

Chen Jie took a letter out of the drawer and continued, "Wang Hongbing's family sent a letter, probably from their village committee. It's addressed to the school leaders, and the school gave it to me." She turned to Wen Xin and Li Yan, "Guess what it is?"

“It can’t be his parents…” Liyan said timidly.

"You jinx!" Wenxin glared at Liyan, then thought for a moment and said, "Is there a disaster in his hometown?"

Chen Jie shook her head: "No, that's not it. His kind father encountered a group of lost tourists in the mountains. The simple old man kindly led them out of the mountains. While clearing a path for them, he was bitten by a snake, but he still insisted on leading them out of the mountains. After they got out, the tourists cheered and left without even saying thank you, let alone asking for any medical expenses. The kind old man didn't complain at all. When he got home, to save 2 yuan on bandaging, he simply bandaged it himself without disinfecting it at all! He continued to do farm work, which caused the wound to become infected. Now, he can't move one leg and needs surgery outside the mountains. The 200-odd yuan that his father had saved penny by penny is just a drop in the bucket! And that 200-odd yuan was originally intended to be sent to Wang Hongbing!"

As soon as Chen Jie finished her statement, Wen Xin angrily said, "How could such a thing happen? Don't those tourists have any conscience?"

“It’s no use talking about this now! The problem is that Wang Hongbing is still involved in Zeng Hai’s case, and we don’t know what the outcome will be. Should we let him know what happened to his family? This letter also includes a certificate of extreme poverty, applying for tuition reduction from the school.”

"Let's not say anything. Let's talk to him later and see if the school will reduce his tuition fee," Wenxin said.

Liyan also suggested, "What's the point of talking to him? He doesn't have any money; it will only add to his mental burden."

Chen Jie sighed, "I don't know, I need to discuss it with my counselor. Let's donate some money and send it to their family first."

"Okay, I'll donate 200." Wenxin said and prepared to take out her money.

“I’ll donate 500. I’ll talk to Zhang Li when I have time and ask them to donate some in their dorm too.” Li Yan also expressed her support.

Zhu Zhi and Wang Hongbing were released without charge shortly after returning to the Public Security Bureau.

That evening, after returning home, Zhu Zhi found the History of the Song Dynasty and carefully reviewed it. The Song Dynasty boasted the most prosperous economy in history, with its national treasury holding the largest silver reserves of any dynasty. Its technology was also highly advanced; Shen Kuo's *Dream Pool Essays* was a classic of science and technology. Movable type printing, the compass, and gunpowder were invented, along with astronomical clocks, blast furnaces, water-powered spinning machines, and sealed bulkheads for ships. However, due to the incompetence of the Song emperors and the presence of treacherous officials, the 320 years of the Song Dynasty were filled with war and famine. It could be said that it was a constant state of war, with peasant uprisings, conflicts with foreign tribes, and frequent floods, droughts, and famines.

How many soldiers died on the battlefield, how many families suffered the pain of losing husbands and children! In times of natural disasters and man-made calamities, how many ordinary people perished! Thinking of this, Zhu Zhi recalled the woman's mournful eyes. It's been about a thousand years since the Song Dynasty; why hasn't she been given a proper rite of passage? What grievances did she suffer? Or did she have some unfulfilled wish? Was everything that had happened these past few days related to that female ghost from the Song Dynasty? Zhu Zhi then thought of the semi-transparent figure that flickered from Zeng Hai's body—somewhat plump, somewhat like a man—definitely not that woman. Then who could it be? Why did he kill Zeng Hai? What was his purpose?

Downstairs, Xiao Chen stared intently at Zhu Zhi's window with her round eyes, carefully listening to every sound coming from the bugging device. She was on Captain Wang's orders to monitor Zhu Zhi. Although Captain Wang was no longer "protecting" Zhu Zhi and Wang Hongbing, there were too many suspicious points and coincidences in this case, which made him suspect that Zeng Hai might have been murdered. Although the autopsy results had been released, he still believed that Zhu Zhi was a prime suspect.

When the bugging device repeatedly broadcasted, "Why kill Zeng Hai? Why? What was the purpose?", Xiao Chen began to admire Captain Wang, whom she had previously thought only knew how to eat and drink. It seemed that Zhu Zhi really had some problems, and the possibility of Zeng Hai's death being murdered could not be ruled out.

Back in his dormitory, Wang Hongbing ignored Liu Li and Zhang Li's questions. They assumed he was in a bad mood and didn't press him further. Wang Hongbing climbed into bed and lay down, but his mind remained unsettled. He kept recalling Zeng Hai's sinister smile and chilling voice, "I need your blood, just a little bit." The thought terrified him. He didn't know how to cope with Zeng Hai's death; he felt no sadness, only fear. These past few days, he kept thinking about his parents. Tuition was due soon, and they must be worrying again. He should write home to tell them he had tuition and living expenses. Thinking this, he touched the five thousand yuan tucked under his pillow, feeling a little more at ease. But then another problem arose: his parents would ask where the money came from. What should he do? Yes, he'd say he earned it through part-time work…

Before they knew it, it was past ten o'clock. As the lights were about to go out, Jiang Bing looked at the "Great Compassion Dharani Sutra" again and again, and then reverently placed it on the dormitory table. Liu Li glared at Chunlai: "You brat, if you dare to hide the sutra under your blanket again, I'll make sure you can't be a man anymore!"

A strong wind seemed to be blowing outside, whipping the curtains wildly as if foreshadowing some kind of madness. Zhang Li couldn't help but think of the scene from last night and said, "Just put the scriptures on the table. None of us should take them. If anyone knocks on the door tonight, don't answer!"

Even after the lights were turned off, the curtains continued to flutter up and down. With each sway of the curtains, the moon would seize the opportunity to let its bright light stream into the dormitory through the window, intermittently bringing patches of light to the dark room.

Zhang Li, who hadn't slept for almost two days, lay on the bed and shook his head, trying to stop himself from thinking about anything and fall asleep peacefully. In his hazy state, Li Yan's sweet smile spread through his mind...

Except for the timid Chunlai, everyone was sleeping soundly. Liu Li's snoring rang out rhythmically, and Wang Hongbing occasionally murmured in his sleep, "Is that you?" "Your name is E'er?" "..."

As night deepened, a long silence was broken by sounds on the stairs, like someone slowly moving about, accompanied by what sounded like cold laughter. A slightly musty scent seemed to linger in the air. Gradually, the footsteps seemed to be lingering near the dormitory entrance. Chunlai felt as if she were suffocating. She tried to slowly turn her head to look at the scriptures on the table, but all she could see was the swaying curtains. One side of the curtains shone clearly in the bright moonlight, while the other side fluttered eerily in the dim dormitory. Chunlai was terrified and suddenly pulled her head under the covers, but then she remembered being pulled by "Zeng Hai" and poked her head out again... After repeating this several times, the footsteps stopped, and the curtains hung quietly by the window, with only the faint sound of the wind.

With her eyes closed in fear, she kept chanting Amitabha Buddha... The footsteps did not sound again, nor was there any knocking at the door. Only then did Chunlai calm down a little. A strong sense of drowsiness came over her, and she soon fell asleep.

Wang Hongbing was completely immersed in his dream. In his hazy state, he seemed to see that woman again, that stunningly beautiful woman. Today, she wore a wide-sleeved robe of golden silk trimmed with gold, the collar, cuffs, front, waist, and hem embroidered with patterns. Her long black hair was adorned with several white flowers; she appeared far more noble than when he first saw her. She sat cross-legged in a cave studded with glittering gems, gazing at him with sorrow, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes. "My lord, it is I, E'er! Don't you remember me? It is I, E'er!"...

eight

In the morning, the loud ringing of the alarm clock on the table was accompanied by a chorus of yawns. Everyone else was still lazing in bed, but Wang Hongbing sat bolt upright. He looked around and realized he was in the dormitory. The scene in his dream felt so real! Was that woman really named E'er? Where was she from? And why was she wearing ancient clothes in his dream?

After getting dressed and climbing out of bed, Wang Hongbing naturally saw the empty lower bunk. He couldn't help but think of the scene of Zeng Hai lying on the bed humming songs. An indescribable heaviness pressed down on him again. He sighed deeply, and without saying goodbye to anyone, he hurriedly washed up in the washroom, grabbed a few books, and left the dormitory.

The weather was lovely today, not too hot, the sun was hazy, as if it hadn't fully woken up, a slight breeze drifted by, not disturbing the drowsy air, the trees along the roadside swayed their branches gently, and birdsong occasionally rang out—a very pleasant morning. But Wang Hongbing wasn't in the mood to appreciate any of this; the empty lower bunk kept replaying in his mind, making him uneasy.

The first class in the morning was advanced mathematics, taught in our own classroom. Because it was so early, when Wang Hongbing arrived, the door wasn't open yet. He leaned against the door, letting his thoughts wander, thinking about the scenes in his dream, the strange things that had happened these past few days, Zeng Hai, and so on…

Suddenly, with a creak, he stumbled and almost fell backward. He staggered a few steps before regaining his balance and realizing that the classroom door was open. He scanned the classroom with his eyes, but no one was there. It seemed the door must have been left unlocked yesterday. He closed the door behind him and went to sit down in his seat.

Involuntarily, he looked up at Zeng Hai's seat. And there he was! Zeng Hai was sitting upright, his back to him! Wang Hongbing blinked. Was it a hallucination? But then, Zeng Hai turned and smiled at Wang Hongbing, his smile as menacing as ever. This smile sent a chill down Wang Hongbing's spine. He shook his head violently and looked at Zeng Hai's seat again—empty table and chair, Zeng Hai nowhere to be seen. He patted his chest, convinced it was truly a hallucination.

Immediately, a cold sensation came from the back of his head. Wang Hongbing was puzzled. He reached out and touched it; it was wet, and his fingers were covered in blood! Fear mixed with nausea made Wang Hongbing scream. Then, a figure suddenly leaped in front of him—empty eyes, a twisted mouth—Zeng Hai! That hideous face was almost touching his nose! Before Wang Hongbing could even cry out, "Pfft—squeak—," the face stuck out its tongue and licked Wang Hongbing's lips, cold and wet. He wanted to vomit, but fear almost made him faint; he felt his hands and feet grow cold.

With another squeak, a flash of blue light appeared, and Zeng Hai's face vanished. Wang Hongbing hurriedly closed his eyes, his wildly beating heart making him breathe rapidly. My God! What happened?! After his breathing calmed down a little, he slowly opened his eyes, and a snake's head the size of a bowl was staring at him.

"Ah—" With a soft cry, Wang Hongbing slid off the stool and collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious. A long, blue snake, as thick as a wrist, lay quietly beside him, its twisted body forming an S-curve.

"Squeak—" The door opened again, and a woman in ancient green clothing, about seventeen or eighteen years old, walked in. Her hair was styled in a maid's bun. The woman walked into the classroom like flowing water. On her pale face, a pair of watery eyes looked at Wang Hongbing on the ground. Her red lips were slightly upturned, revealing a hint of a smile. The woman's long sleeves covered her hands. She hissed a few times, and the long snake, as thick as a wrist, darted like an arrow from beside Wang Hongbing to the classroom window and climbed down through the window.

The woman gently placed her hands, hidden in her sleeves, on her left hip, gave a graceful bow to Wang Hongbing on the ground, and then turned and walked towards the door. As if bewitched, Wang Hongbing slowly stood up, opened his lifeless eyes, and slowly followed her...

When Chen Jie and Wen Xin reached the second-floor stairwell, they happened to see Wang Hongbing descending the stairs as if in a daze. They hadn't even seen the woman in green. Wen Xin, seeing Wang Hongbing's dazed look, laughed and said, "Be careful, you're daydreaming on the stairs!" Wang Hongbing didn't reply, his eyes fixed straight ahead, continuing to slowly walk down the stairs.

"What's wrong with him?" Chen Jie asked with concern.

"Oh, who knows? He doesn't talk all day, that's just how he is." Wenxin said somewhat dismissively.

Chen Jie felt that Wang Hongbing seemed a bit strange, especially his eyes, which seemed vacant; although Wen Xin pulled her to continue walking upstairs to the classroom, she kept looking back at the slow-moving Wang Hongbing.

Everyone was rushing to class in the morning, and Wang Hongbing's absent-minded wandering didn't attract anyone's attention.

The teaching building where the classrooms are located is the renovated Teaching Building 5, which is far from the main road. Therefore, the roads downstairs are all narrow paths. Lush trees are neatly arranged on both sides of the path, completely blocking out the sky above. Only around noon can a few rays of sunlight occasionally shine through the gaps in the leaves. In the morning and afternoon, the path is somewhat shady.

Wang Hongbing followed behind the woman in green, moving through the alley. Before long, they arrived at the abandoned experimental building. The woman in green slightly opened her red mouth and hissed a few times. A thick, blue snake darted out of the grass, circled the two of them once, and then leaped into the air...

Inside the cave, beautiful pebbles were scattered everywhere. In the carved pavilion, stood the stunningly beautiful woman. When she saw the woman in green bring Wang Hongbing in, she hurriedly cried out, "Liu'er, you! How dare you...? Quickly wake up your husband!" After saying that, she quickly floated to Wang Hongbing's side.

Liu'er pouted her lips: "He was almost killed by that old guy who knew Gu magic, but I saved him!"

"Liu'er! Wake up, my lord! Tell me who wants to harm him!" The beautiful woman asked, supporting the unconscious Wang Hongbing.

Liu'er reached out from her sleeve, revealing a ghastly white skeletal hand. She gently stroked Wang Hongbing's face: "Miss, Young Master Li is a living sacrifice of 'Guanyin's Tears'! Of course, it's that old bastard who wants to possess his body and bring him back to life who's harming Young Master Li!"

"Then, what should we do? Didn't you take the 'Guanyin Tears'?" The beautiful woman asked, her face filled with panic.

Liu'er slowly squatted down: "Miss, don't worry, I will definitely make you and Young Master Li husband and wife, so that your thousand-year wait here will not have been in vain!"

In the low thicket, the irregularly shaped circular river flowed in a loop around a small patch of protruding green space, its water splashing against the rocks at the edge, still making a rhythmic sound. A moment later, Wang Hongbing opened his eyes. Before him were hundreds of gems gleaming on the cave walls. "Where am I? Am I dreaming?" he muttered to himself as he sat up.

"My lord, you're awake!" the stunning woman exclaimed in delight.

"E'er, is your name E'er?" Upon seeing this woman, Wang Hongbing felt as if he were in a dream. Was this a dream? Why was he dreaming about her again?

E'er threw herself into Wang Hongbing's arms, weeping with joy: "My lord, you have finally remembered me."

Liu'er quietly disappeared.

“My love, you said that you owe me a debt of gratitude in this life, and you will repay it in the next life. For this next life, I have waited for you for a thousand years!”

E'er sobbed softly, "I don't want you to repay my debt, I just want to love you and be with you!" Her glistening tears and deep, dark eyes... E'er resembled a pear blossom laden with rain. Wang Hongbing felt a pang of heartache; the body in his arms felt so real. He bit his finger hard, a piercing pain shooting through his fingertip. This wasn't a dream!

"E'er, is your name really E'er? Who are you? Where is this?" He was frightened and helped E'er up from his arms. He stood up and wondered why there were stone walls everywhere. Why was it so cold here?

E'er snuggled closer again: "My lord, I am E'er, I am your E'er!" Her tone was extremely charming. She nestled on his shoulder and closed her eyes happily.

Liu'er slowly emerged from the cave entrance. She stretched out her hand, her skeletal hand, pointing at Wang Hongbing's head from afar and gesturing as she muttered incantations. After completing this series of actions, she vanished again.

Wang Hongbing suddenly felt his mind go completely blank except for E'er! The musty fragrance emanating from E'er wafted over, making him dizzy and infatuated. He turned E'er, who was leaning against him, and stared intently at her face up close. It was indeed an exquisitely beautiful face, with baby-white and tender skin, porcelain-like smoothness, and beautifully arched black eyebrows. Her red lips were as tempting as cherries, and her eyes, with their dark pupils displaying the purity of spring water, and thick, curled eyelashes fluttering at Wang Hongbing, like some kind of silent call... He felt as if he had been electrocuted, and his whole body trembled.