Record of All Things

“Hello, who are you looking for?” A senior man inside the reception room asked, “What’s the name? Did you make an appointment? Who are you looking for?”

Lu Xiu stopped in his tracks and glanced inside the reception room. “We’re looking for Wu Suyuan.”

The old man put on his glasses and opened a visitor log, checking for today’s appointments. “What’s your name?”

Jiang Hong curiously hid behind Lu Xiu and observed the surroundings.

“Lu Xiu,” Lu Xiu replied. “He knows me.”

The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and the old man slowly took off his glasses and looked at Lu Xiu. He then put down the visitor log and quickly opened the door of the reception room, heading straight for the small building.

“What’s wrong with him?” Jiang Hong asked.

“I don’t know,” Lu Xiu replied.

This was the first time Jiang Hong had seen an elderly man in his sixties move at such a speed, but Lu Xiu remained calm and stood there for a moment, then reached out and opened the window of the reception room, flipping through the visitor log.

After a while, no one came to attend to them, and Lu Xiu said, “Let’s go.”

In an instant, almost a hundred people flooded out of the building, all standing on the walkway of the second and third floors and looking down. The office workers from the first floor all came out, each closing their doors behind them and watching Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong warily.

“Uh,” Jiang Hong said. “What’s going on? Are they all exorcists?”

Lu Xiu had become accustomed to this sight and said, “What did you promise me earlier?”

Jiang Hong remembered that he had promised not to ask unrelated questions, but the scene before him was just too strange! The entire exorcist committee was on high alert, each in a defensive posture facing Lu Xiu.

“It’s you.” A middle-aged man came out from the third floor, his hands resting on the railing as he looked down. “What wind brought you to Chongqing? Please come up. You’re a rare visitor.”

It felt as if they were negotiating with a gang’s stronghold.

Lu Xiu took Jiang Hong up the stairs, and a girl holding some documents stood at the corner. As all the staff members who were passing by heard their arrival, they stopped whatever they were doing. Jiang Hong knew that this treatment was not directed at him, but rather towards Lu Xiu.

Why did these gazes seem so familiar?

The two of them reached the third floor, and the middle-aged man was waiting outside an office. Jiang Hong thought to himself: this should be the person Lu Xiu was looking for, right?

“Please come in.” Wu Suyuan was around forty years old and well-groomed. His office had a Republic of China style, and he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, making him look like an insurance salesman.

The office was spacious, with a vintage carpet and four people standing in front of the curtains, three men and one woman.

“The Exorcist Committee and Sky University are two independent systems,” Wu Suyuan said.

“So what?” Lu Xiu asked.

Wu Suyuan smirked, his implication clear. “I can’t control you, and you shouldn’t come looking for trouble.”

Lu Xiu glanced at everyone in the office and said, “Is it necessary to be so nervous? I’m just asking about something, not here to cause trouble.”

When Wu Suyuan heard this, he seemed to have let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, asking about something.” Wu Suyuan smiled and nodded, gesturing to the sofa and indicating that they should sit down. He then used his eyes to signal the other people in the office to leave silently.

“What kind of tea do you want?” Wu Suyuan sat on the sofa casually, as if entertaining an important guest who came to negotiate.

Jiang Hong thought to himself, wow, is Lu Xiu that powerful in their circle? Isn’t this person the head of the department? Why is he so polite to him?

“Anything is fine,” Lu Xiu said.

“Call Xiao Xu to come up.” Wu Suyuan ordered his subordinate, then with a smile, he tried to test Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong felt a little uneasy, but Lu Xiu said, “There’s no need to look. He’s just a civilian.”

“Civilians aren’t allowed in here.” Wu Suyuan’s expression was apologetic, as if politely rebuking Lu Xiu for bringing in someone irrelevant.

Lu Xiu did not answer, and Wu Suyuan stopped talking. The two of them seemed to be waiting for something, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

After a few minutes, the tea came, and another young man was brought in from outside. His hair was cut short, his skin was dark, and he was tall and thin, but looked very spirited.

“This is our head of information department,” Wu Suyuan said. “His name is Xu Xuyang. Yangyang, Lu Ge has some information he wants to ask you about.”

It was only then that Lu Xiu got to the point. “Do you know about the Jialing River Bridge incident last night?” he asked.

Xu Xuyang was a bit unsure and looked at Wu Suyuan, who said, “You just answer whatever Lu Ge asks. It’s okay.”

This office was indeed very Chongqing, full of a sense of the underworld.

“I know about the incident,” Xu Xuyang said succinctly.

Oh, it’s about me. Jiang Hong began to understand.

“What kind of demon is it?” Lu Xiu asked.

Lu Xiu couldn’t see clearly in the dark, but instead of questioning Jiang Hong, he asked the exorcists for information.

Xu Xuyang also understood and looked at Jiang Hong. “He’s the kidnapped child?”

“Lu Ge is asking you a question!” Wu Suyuan said. “Why are you asking him instead?”

Xu Xuyang apologized quickly, and Lu Xiu waved his hand to indicate it was okay. Jiang Hong, on the other hand, noticed drops of sweat sliding down Wu Suyuan’s forehead.

“Are you hot?” Jiang Hong kindly asked. “Do you want to wipe off your sweat… here’s a tissue.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Wu Suyuan’s sweat exposed his inner anxiety.

“It’s a bird and a bat demon,” Xu Xuyang said seriously. “When we arrived, they had already fled. The situation is still unclear, and we don’t know why they kidnapped this… this young brother.”

Jiang Hong had wanted to say “I don’t know either,” but when he saw Lu Xiu’s cold expression, he decided not to speak. He could see now that these people were probably exorcists, responsible for capturing demons and the like, and they were very afraid of Lu Xiu.

“We’ve already sent people to stake out the entrance to Zhengda Garden today. We don’t know if they’ll come again tonight,” Xu Xuyang said.

“Where are they hiding?” Lu Xiu asked.

“We haven’t fully investigated yet,” Xu Xuyang said.

“Any clues?” Lu Xiu asked again.

“They stole a bus, line 368. We checked specifically, but the driver wasn’t there,” Xu Xuyang said.

Lu Xiu tapped his fingers on the coffee table and remained silent. Wu Suyuan became nervous again and looked around. Xu Xuyang said, “We’re still investigating the specifics, but it’s said that someone saw a black shadow lurking around Yuanjiagang that night.”

Lu Xiu wasn’t familiar with Chongqing, so he was silent for a moment. Wu Suyuan then said, “Add Lu Ge’s WeChat, and you can notify him anytime if there’s anything.”

Lu Xiu took out his phone, added Xu Xuyang’s contact information, and said, “Well, thank you for the trouble.”

When Lu Xiu left the three-story building, everything returned to normal.

After the person left, Wu Suyuan wiped the sweat off his forehead with a tissue that was soaked through. He opened the curtains and saw Lu Xiu leave, finally feeling relieved.

“Are they all exorcists?” Jiang Hong finally had the chance to ask a question.

“Uh-huh,” Lu Xiu replied.

Jiang Hong’s questions were about to explode. If he didn’t get them answered now, he would rather jump into the river.

“Why are they so afraid of you? Are you their leader?”

“No.”

“Then why…”

“Because they are afraid of getting beaten up.”

“Why do you want to beat them up?”

“Are you going to keep talking?”

Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong returned to Eighteen Ladders and gradually walked further away.

“Lu Ge!” a voice called out.

Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong turned their heads and saw a delivery guy in uniform and a helmet. He was the supervisor from the information department from earlier, Xu Xuyang.

Jiang Hong: “…”

“I’ll send my subordinates to inquire at Yuanjiagang later.” The guy carried an electric bike and easily climbed the stairs with it like it was no big deal. “Make sure your phone stays on.”

Lu Xiu nodded and didn’t say much. Xu Xuyang ran ahead quickly and soon disappeared from sight.

“Oh, by the way, it’s going to rain tonight. If you’re ordering delivery, remember to order early!”

Jiang Hong: “Is he really an exorcist?”

Lu Xiu’s expression indicated that he was about to lose his temper.

“By the way, why did they want to catch me? Even these exorcists couldn’t figure it out.”

“You finally remembered to ask?” Lu Xiu stopped and waited for Jiang Hong to remember. Jiang Hong thought for about three minutes under the sunset, looked up, and eagerly said to Lu Xiu:

“Let’s go eat? I’ll take you to eat delicious food.”

Lu Xiu: “…”

As night fell, Chongqing instantly became lively, completely different from its withered appearance during the day. The streets were lit up with neon lights, and huge LED advertisements danced between high-rise buildings. All the hot pot restaurants on the street seemed to have opened together, and thousands of diners, as if by appointment, filled up all the tables.

The air conditioning was turned up high, like a hurricane from Siberia rushing from the top of every shopkeeper’s counter towards the street. Tables and chairs were packed tightly together. Waiters shuttled back and forth between tables, carrying iron plates filled with small bowls of food. An old lady holding a bottle filled with iced green bean soup went from table to table selling her wares.

“I’m not picky,” Lu Xiu said as soon as he sat down.

“What?!” Jiang Hong was ordering dishes. “The Wushan grilled whole fish here is delicious!”

“I’ll eat anything!” Lu Xiu had to say loudly.

It was really too noisy around them, everyone drinking beer and playing games. Jiang Hong ordered a grilled fish and then said after thinking for a while, “Stay at my place tonight! You’re not from Chongqing, are you?”

The street restaurant was too noisy, and Jiang Hong had to shout, but dinner was still delicious.

“Do exorcists still deliver food?” Jiang Hong asked.

Lu Xiu thought to himself, why do you like to pay attention to this kind of thing? He made a gesture. “I don’t know! Personal hobby!”

Jiang Hong asked, “Do you have any other professions?”

Lu Xiu replied, “No! I’m still a graduate student!”

“Why did you beat them up?” Jiang Hong asked.

Finally, dinner was over. Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu slowly walked back home along Binjiang Road, with dazzling lights along the way. There were neon-lit sightseeing boats on the river, and across the river was a grand theater resembling a sailing ship.

“Why shouldn’t I beat them up? I was being polite not to dismantle their office!” Lu Xiu retorted. “They are the ones protecting Chongqing, and if you were kidnapped by a demon, it’s their responsibility.”

“But how would they know that I was kidnapped?” Jiang Hong said.

“Exorcists have specialized monitoring equipment,” Lu Xiu said again. “If they don’t know anything, what are they here for?”

“In the end, it was you who came,” Jiang Hong said.

“If I had arrived late, would you have been in danger?” Lu Xiu said.

“Yes,” Jiang Hong responded, but he felt that the delivery driver was working quite hard.

“Is the pay good for exorcists?” Jiang Hong asked.

“It’s alright, just a job,” Lu Xiu casually replied.

The life of an exorcist who banished demons might seem mysterious, but to them, it was just a way to make a living. Thinking about this, Jiang Hong suddenly felt that it wasn’t as mysterious as he initially thought.

“Why did you become an exorcist?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Huh?” Lu Xiu wasn’t sure if Jiang Hong was asking about “everyone” or just himself.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Lu Xiu said. “I didn’t want to learn anything else. As for others, I don’t know. Maybe for world peace. I don’t know why we’re called exorcists instead of demon hunters. Don’t ask me that question.”

Jiang Hong laughed and changed the direction of his shoulder bag, walking backwards along the riverbank.

“Wow, that’s cool,” Jiang Hong said. “Do you know a lot of spells?”

“A little,” Lu Xiu replied. Compared to yesterday, Lu Xiu was speaking more.

He thought Jiang Hong was going to ask him to perform a spell, but instead Jiang Hong asked, “Are there really a lot of demons in the world?”

“What do you think?” Lu Xiu responded.

Having just been kidnapped by a demon, Jiang Hong naturally knew the answer to that question. Considering the size of Chongqing branch, there were indeed many secrets hidden in the real world.

“The intersection between the inner and outer worlds is rare, and crossovers are infrequent,” Lu Xiu said. “Protecting mortals and preventing them from being frightened is one of the responsibilities of exorcists. But in the past ten years, with the abnormality of the earth’s veins, the invisible barrier that exorcists maintain is gradually being broken.”

Jiang Hong roughly understood what Lu Xiu was saying. His explanation was relatively simple.

“Why is that happening?”

“I don’t know,” Lu Xiu replied.

Jiang Hong: “Thank you, Lu Xiu. Although I know you don’t need my thanks.”

Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong walked slowly, with Jiang Hong walking backwards and keeping a distance of half a meter from him. They both looked into each other’s eyes.

Jiang Hong asked, “Who can be an exorcist?”

“Anyone can,” Lu Xiu answered casually.

“Is there training?” Jiang Hong said.

“In recent years, a university has been established,” Lu Xiu said.

Jiang Hong became interested immediately. “Wow, there’s a university? Is it the Sky University that the exorcist director mentioned?”

Lu Xiu didn’t answer.

Jiang Hong asked, “Is it difficult to get in? Is it recruiting from the national college entrance examination?”

“Are you thinking of becoming an exorcist now?” Lu Xiu asked.

Jiang Hong made a gesture. “I… have a little bit of interest. I still have to repeat my senior year. Will they teach spells in college? Even if I learn them, I can’t use them in the real world, unless innocent people are in danger, like what happened to me last night…”

As he spoke, Jiang Hong looked towards Jialing River Bridge in the distance. He had unknowingly stepped into a world full of fantasies.

“…Exorcists are very impressive.” Jiang Hong thought, if he learned spells too, perhaps he could fly and save people with Lu Xiu.

“Did that demon lady really mistake me for someone else?” Jiang Hong asked. “Why was she so sure?”

“Sure about what?” Lu Xiu asked casually.

As they passed by Hongya Cave, they saw bustling lights and crowds on the opposite side of the road. They leaned on the railing by the river, looking up at the night view of Hongya Cave.

Jiang Hong bought two bottles of cola and handed one to Lu Xiu.

“She kept asking me,” Jiang Hong said suspiciously, “about finding something.”

“Hmm, what did she want?” Lu Xiu asked.

“Huh?” Jiang Hong noticed something. “Why didn’t you ask me anything about what happened when I was caught last night?”

Lu Xiu was puzzled. “Aren’t you afraid?”

Jiang Hong said, “Although I’m afraid, I still need to explain to you what happened. Otherwise, how can we investigate this… case?”

Lu Xiu said, “Since you’re afraid, I won’t ask anymore, so you don’t have to worry about it again. Is that hard to understand?”

Jiang Hong finally realized that Lu Xiu didn’t mention anything about last night’s incident, and instead chose to investigate through the Exorcist Committee, because he didn’t want to make him recall the experience repeatedly, which could cause psychological trauma.

“Ah, you’re so kind!” Jiang Hong exclaimed.

“Get down, this is a tourist attraction!” Lu Xiu was at a loss, as Jiang Hong jumped and climbed all over him.

“I’m not afraid anymore,” Jiang Hong said seriously. “No, I haven’t been afraid since you appeared.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Lu Xiu opened his Coke and muttered, “I’m all ears.”

So Jiang Hong carefully recounted the events of the previous night, and Lu Xiu listened expressionlessly. It wasn’t until Jiang Hong mentioned the “Sword of Wisdom” that Lu Xiu’s expression changed slightly.

“The Sword of Wisdom?” Lu Xiu frowned. “Two insignificant demons are looking for the Sword of Wisdom?”

“What’s that?” Jiang Hong asked.

“It’s a magical treasure,” Lu Xiu said. “Go on. Is there any detail that can reveal the enemy’s identity? Try to recall.”

Jiang Hong suddenly remembered the words “Wuyou Housekeeping” on the tool kit used by the bat demon. “Ah! I remember!”

“Hmm.” Lu Xiu still reacted coldly.

Finally, Jiang Hong said, “And then that ‘big and black thing’ suddenly appeared…”

Lu Xiu: “…”

Lu Xiu signaled him to stop talking.

“Is the Sword of Wisdom important?” Jiang Hong asked again.

“Perhaps. I don’t care about anything other than you… and the demons,” Lu Xiu said. As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Hong again, obviously more concerned about Jiang Hong’s safety.

“How many exorcists are there in the world?” Jiang Hong asked.

“There are more than 40,000 registered in China, but most of them are registered but not working,” Lu Xiu answered lazily. “There are over 10,000 still active, I don’t know about foreign countries. Aren’t you going home yet?”

“Are you one of the most powerful exorcists?” Jiang Hong asked as he and Lu Xiu walked home.

“I’m okay,” Lu Xiu said. “I don’t know. I’ve never had the experience of fighting against all exorcists at once.”

“Are there rankings for exorcists?” Jiang Hong asked again.

Lu Xiu glanced at Jiang Hong.

“I’m the best in the world,” Lu Xiu finally said. “Is that the answer you wanted?”

Jiang Hong laughed heartily and took Lu Xiu back to his house, where his family had all gone out and only the two of them were left.

“You go take a shower first,” Jiang Hong said. “We’ll sleep in my room tonight. I’ll give you a bathrobe, and I’ll wash your clothes.”

Lu Xiu didn’t refuse. Jiang Hong took his shirt, pants, and underwear to wash. Suddenly, he had a feeling that they had known each other for a very long time. Lu Xiu was like the big brother next door when they were kids, and this meeting was just a reunion after several years of separation.

The sun was shining brightly, casting its rays into the bedroom.

Jiang Hong had all sorts of strange dreams that night. As he slept, everything from demons to the Jialing River Bridge to spider eggs became illusions, and even Lu Xiu transformed into a dream character.

One moment, he dreamt he was riding on the head of a dragon, gripping its horns as they soared through the sky. The next moment, they crashed into the Burj Khalifa and fell to the ground. He even dreamt of spiders and bats gnawing on his body.

But each dream was less frightening than the last, or rather, Jiang Hong didn’t experience any fear in his dreams. Despite the many heart-pounding scenes that played out before him, he seemed to possess a powerful mental force that guarded him like a barrier.

Only the protective charm beside his pillow reminded him that all of this had really happened.

It wasn’t until breakfast the next day that Jiang Hong regained his ability to think rationally, and he realized how unreal everything was. The events of the previous night had shattered his worldview!

There are demons in the world?! What does that mean? And spells? Supernatural powers! This is almost as shocking as discovering extraterrestrial life! Does that mean there are ghosts too? Come to think of it, ghosts don’t seem that scary anymore. If a ghost scares me to death, then I’ll become a ghost too. Wouldn’t that be awkward for everyone?

Once demons are discovered, are they no longer mysterious? Like discovering a new species of animal?

Jiang Hong’s knowledge system had suffered a major blow. While he was still digesting this, his father’s announcement dealt him a second blow:

“Your mother and I are going to be away for a few days,” his father said gently. “Do you want to come with us or stay home and study?”

What a silly question. Of course Jiang Hong didn’t dare go anywhere. He had to repeat the year, so how could he go out and play? But his father operated under the principle of respecting his choices in everything.

“Where are you going?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Your dad is taking me to travel to the Northwestern region, and we also plan to visit Qinghai,” Jiang Hong’s mother said proudly.

Although they couldn’t go abroad, it was obvious that Jiang Hong’s parents couldn’t stay at home all the time. Jiang Hong’s father was going on a business trip and decided to take his mother along for some sightseeing.

“Go ahead,” Jiang Hong said sourly. “Take some nice pictures. When are you leaving?”

Despite being married for many years, his parents still loved each other and clearly had their own lives. Originally, Jiang Hong’s father had planned to take a one-month trip around Qinghai Lake with his wife after Jiang Hong finished his college entrance exams, as a celebration for themselves and their son.

However, Jiang Hong ended up repeating his exams, which shattered his parents’ dream, but they still decided to go on the trip themselves and leave their son at home to relax.

“We’re leaving this afternoon,” his father said.

“And you still ask me if I want to go?” Jiang Hong said. “You never planned to take me in the first place!”

“You know why.” Jiang Hong’s mother sneered. “Focus on your studies.”

“I’m off to school,” Jiang Hong said helplessly.

“Bye!” Jiang Hong’s parents said goodbye to their son and high-fived each other, excited to start their vacation.

There was still a year before the college entrance exams…why did the demon find me yesterday?

Jiang Hong walked out of the residential complex, pondering over what had happened yesterday. Outside, there were electric bikes parked along the roadside, and several delivery men were playing with their phones and chatting.

Suddenly, Jiang Hong saw someone sitting at a small table outside a noodle shop along the street. The person had their back to him, but Jiang Hong recognized the figure, as if it was someone he’d known for a long time.

“Lu Xiu!” Jiang Hong rushed over.

Lu Xiu had finished breakfast and seemed to be waiting for him. He was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, wearing sunglasses. He looked at Jiang Hong from the side.

“I’m…going to school,” Jiang Hong said. “What are you doing here?”

“I was sent here to protect you,” Lu Xiu said.

Jiang Hong stared at him blankly, but Lu Xiu got up and motioned for him to follow, asking why he was still standing there.

“Here, have this.” Jiang Hong took out a bottle of milk and asked, “Will you accompany me to school?”

He had many questions to ask, but luckily Lu Xiu showed no intention of leaving. The two walked side by side into the subway station, and when they passed the high school station, many younger students were staring at Lu Xiu.

“Wow, so cool!” Jiang Hong thought, “And on top of that, Lu Xiu is an exorcist, which makes him even cooler!”

“Yesterday…” Jiang Hong asked cautiously.

Lu Xiu leaned against the subway door, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. Jiang Hong didn’t know if he was looking at him.

Lu Xiu raised an eyebrow, signaling him to ask.

“Why did they come looking for me?” Jiang Hong asked in a restrained and quiet tone, as there were many people in the subway car.

“They got the wrong person,” Lu Xiu replied succinctly.

Jiang Hong was left speechless.

He looked around at the crowded subway car, where many people were looking at them with curious eyes, but he knew that they were only admiring their youthful and handsome looks.

Jiang Hong handed Lu Xiu a wireless earphone, and they both listened to music together.

Jiang Hong took the opportunity to get closer. Lu Xiu was seven or eight centimeters taller than him, so he slightly lowered his head. The bridge of Lu Xiu’s nose was just above Jiang Hong’s forehead. The subway car was very crowded, so Lu Xiu freed up one hand and placed it on Jiang Hong’s waist.

“Um, about yesterday…” Jiang Hong couldn’t help but ask. He always found it hard to find the right moment to ask questions. There were always people around, and he wouldn’t have a chance later when they arrived at school.

“…what was that dark thing I saw?” Jiang Hong asked. “It was big and black, and it was even swinging its tail.”

Lu Xiu was puzzled. “A cricket? What cricket?” (1)

“Black and big,” Jiang Hong said. “It was swinging its tail.”

Lu Xiu became alert and took off his sunglasses. He looked at Jiang Hong carefully, furrowing his brow. “Black? How could it be black? Where did you see it?”

People around them looked at them in confusion.

Jiang Hong looked blankly at Lu Xiu and made a motion with his hand, as if a creature had leaped out of the water. Lu Xiu finally understood.

Lu Xiu: “……”

He put his sunglasses back on.

Jiang Hong asked eagerly, “What is that?”

Lu Xiu didn’t answer.

The subway arrived at the station, and someone else boarded the train from Lu Xiu’s side. During the rush hour, everyone squeezed in tightly, causing Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong to be pressed together.

“Hey! Be gentle!” Jiang Hong was afraid that someone might take advantage of the situation and touch Lu Xiu, but Lu Xiu reached out and held him.

The two of them moved slightly to the side.

“That’s my magic,” Lu Xiu said expressionlessly.

Jiang Hong: “???”

“Do you want to see it?” Lu Xiu’s mouth curved dangerously as he asked.

Jiang Hong quickly declined, not understanding what Lu Xiu meant.

“It’s so hot.” Jiang Hong got off the subway and walked towards the school on foot. Lu Xiu followed behind him, and his white shirt was soaked with sweat, revealing his attractive back profile.

“Are you going to class with me?” Jiang Hong asked again.

“I’m not going. I’ll stop here,” Lu Xiu said.

Lu Xiu sat down in front of a small convenience store outside the institution, watching a group of kids on vacation buying ice cream. He then glanced at Jiang Hong and gestured for him to go to class.

“Will you wait for me after school?” Jiang Hong asked again.

Lu Xiu took the milk that Jiang Hong gave him, inserted a straw, and started drinking without responding.

The first bell rang, urging everyone to go to class. Jiang Hong had no choice but to leave.

His schoolbag was soaked in water last night, so he had to find some other materials for review. The daily class also distributed questions and papers, so it did not affect his studies too much. Today, they spent the whole day doing papers. Twelve sets of past papers were given out, and everyone had to complete them in one day. They could also take them home and do them tomorrow.

During the early self-study period, everyone was sleepy and began to write papers as fast as they could.

Jiang Hong couldn’t help but look outside the school from the fifth-floor classroom. He could see the roof of the small shop, but not Lu Xiu.

What is he doing? Why is he here to protect me? Will he follow me everywhere for the next few days? It’s so hot, that’s too hard on him…

Jiang Hong thought, this exorcist was really handsome, and not the kind of handsome that He Jian was… wait, who was He Jian again?… Lu Xiu was the kind of handsome that a guy could have without being a celebrity, without makeup…

Should I go and see him? Jiang Hong had many questions to ask.

“Being in high school is really painful…” Jiang Hong relied on his willpower to persist. Although his body was in the classroom, his mind had already flown to the convenience store outside the school.

“I’ll go and see him… I’ll just bring the paper home and finish it today.”

Jiang Hong packed up his bag and sneaked out from the back door.

When he got to the convenience store, Lu Xiu was gone.

“Ah…” Jiang Hong looked around. “Did he leave? Boss, where did that handsome guy just now go?”

“Oh, he bought a popsicle and left after eating it,” the boss replied.

Jiang Hong thought for a while, took out the protective charm, and said, “Lu Xiu?” Holding the charm, he wandered around the school gate and kept chanting, “Lu Xiu-Lu Xiu-Wow!”

Jiang Hong had just turned around and almost bumped into Lu Xiu.

Lu Xiu took off his sunglasses and asked, “Why are you out? Go back to class!”

Jiang Hong patted his school bag. “I’m doing a test today. I already have the paper, so I’ll take it home to finish. Where did you go just now? Were you looking for me too?”

Lu Xiu was speechless.

“I have something to do,” Lu Xiu said. “Not going to class?”

Jiang Hong said, “No, let’s find a cooler place. I have something to ask you.”

Lu Xiu turned around and walked away. Jiang Hong quickly followed him.

Jiang Hong asked, “What does an exorcist do?”

Lu Xiu: “…”

“Can you show me your magic again? Cast a fireball and let me see.”

Lu Xiu: “…”

“Why did you come to protect me? Can you tell me how we met?”

Lu Xiu: “…”

Jiang Hong: “What are those demons doing? Why did they capture me? If they got the wrong person, then who were they originally trying to capture?”

Lu Xiu: “…”

Jiang Hong: “What are you going to do?”

Lu Xiu walked into a Starbucks, reserved a private room, ordered two cups of coffee, and pushed Jiang Hong to the table.

“Finish your homework,” Lu Xiu said.

“Please spare me!” Jiang Hong cried out. “I can’t finish twelve sets of homework even if I work until dark.”

Lu Xiu remained unmoved, so Jiang Hong reluctantly took out his homework and began to work in front of him. He got up after a few minutes.

“What are you doing now?” Lu Xiu asked.

“I’m going to add some sugar!” Jiang Hong exclaimed. “This coffee is so bitter.”

Jiang Hong’s life was as bitter as an unsweetened iced Americano. He dawdled and procrastinated, took out his homework, and started working on the multiple-choice questions. Lu Xiu wanted nothing more than to roll up the stack of papers and beat him with it.

“Why did you choose B when it’s so obvious that it’s wrong?” Lu Xiu asked, trying to suppress his anger.

“I chose the shortest one out of three short and one long answers.” Jiang Hong replied blankly.

“…” Lu Xiu took a piece of scratch paper and demonstrated the solution to him in silence.

Jiang Hong suddenly exclaimed, “Oh!”

“Do you understand?” Lu Xiu asked.

“I don’t understand,” Jiang Hong replied.

“…” Lu Xiu was speechless.

“Just kidding!” Jiang Hong said. “I understand now!”

Jiang Hong marked the problem and continued to work on the rest. Lu Xiu saw that Jiang Hong wasn’t doing too badly at first, but then he randomly chose option A on a question. Unable to bear it anymore, he asked, “Is this choosing the longest out of three long and one short?”

“No!” Jiang Hong protested. “I’ve done this problem before!”

Lu Xiu glanced at the problem, calculated for a few seconds in his head, and then let him be.

“What do you study?” Jiang Hong asked curiously. “Your math is really good. Did you take the college entrance exam too?”

“I study exorcism,” Lu Xiu replied.

Jiang Hong exclaimed, “An exorcist can also tutor math.”

“I never expected this! I studied exorcism and now I have to tutor you in math! Hurry up and solve the problems! Don’t get distracted!”

Lu Xiu was about to go crazy, but Jiang Hong immediately composed himself and started writing seriously. He had already done more than half of the questions, and the test was done quickly since the question types were usually similar every year. Occasionally, when he encountered a problem he didn’t know how to solve, Lu Xiu would patiently explain it to him.

At noon, Jiang Hong left the Starbucks to get lunch for both of them. After they finished eating, Jiang Hong forced himself to focus and finished the test at two o’clock.

“You’re not stupid.” Lu Xiu frowned. “How did you only get this many points in the college entrance exam?”

Jiang Hong muttered to himself, “Before the exam, my dad hired a tutor for me, and my scores did improve significantly. Maybe I just didn’t perform well on the test day. But you’re really smart. How do you know so much? I don’t even know…”

Lu Xiu was simply a top student, with every aspect of him being exceptional. Jiang Hong really admired him.

“You don’t know what?”

“Huh?” Jiang Hong thought briefly, then said, “I feel like I’ve known you for a long time, but it’s only been a day. Wait for me, where are you going?”

Lu Xiu walked out of the coffee shop and waited for a bus on the roadside, and Jiang Hong followed him.

“Can I follow you?” Jiang Hong didn’t know where to go. He just wanted to follow Lu Xiu.

“Don’t ask so many questions. Just follow me.”

“Then answer my question first…”

“I can’t conjure a fireball, it’s broad daylight. I can’t use magic in front of you. It’s not necessary right now, and using magic would attract the attention of exorcist inspectors. If you can’t remember our meeting, then it’s better not to let you remember. I don’t know why they’re after you, but I’m going to confirm if they’ve caught the wrong person. I don’t know who they’re looking for.”

Lu Xiu finally answered all of Jiang Hong’s questions directly and quickly. He added, “Lastly, the job of an exorcist is to hunt demons. Got it?”

“Oh, then why is it called an exorcist, not a demon hunter?”

“…”

“Okay, I won’t ask anymore.”

Jiang Hong felt increasingly admiring of Lu Xiu. Not only was he tall and handsome, but he was also so cool and a top student!

The admiration of a guy for another guy was always very direct. Jiang Hong’s emotions were overwhelming, and all the words he wanted to say turned into him jumping on Lu Xiu’s back and excitedly shouting, “Brother! You’re so cool! You’re so handsome!”

“Get off! This is our bus stop!”

Lu Xiu got off the bus, walked quickly through Liberation Monument, and turned into an alley.

“I know this area well.” Jiang Hong grew up around here. He said, “Where are we going? To Eighteen Ladders?”

“From now on, don’t ask anything,” Lu Xiu replied.

Eighteen Ladders was undergoing renovation. It was a long staircase that extended from the half-city height to the foot of the mountain, and looked like a ladder to the sky when viewed from the bottom of the mountain. There were countless small paths winding back and forth on both sides, like a lush tree.

Lu Xiu led Jiang Hong and quickly walked down from the top of the stairs. Vendors were selling vegetables and fruits with their baskets on both sides of the stairs.

After walking less than one third of the stairs, Lu Xiu stopped, seeming a bit hesitant. There was a hotpot restaurant on the side of the road, and it was closing time.

“Is this the hotpot restaurant?” Lu Xiu muttered to himself.

An aunt was embroidering outside the restaurant. She looked up, saying, “Walk through the tables and go straight ahead.”

“Thank you.” Lu Xiu nodded and led Jiang Hong through the messy tables, heading towards the depths of the alley.

Jiang Hong followed closely behind, and suddenly they were back on Eighteen Ladders.

“What’s going on?” Jiang Hong wondered.

Lu Xiu walked ahead and raised his hand without looking back, indicating not to ask questions.

Jiang Hong thought he was seeing ghosts. He had just come from there, so how could they be back on Eighteen Ladders?

Lu Xiu counted the steps, “Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen…twenty.” He stepped onto a certain step and turned right. Jiang Hong suddenly found that all the people on the roadside had disappeared at some point!

There was no one on the steps, and a quiet and mossy alley lay in front of them.

After passing through that alley, Lu Xiu let go of Jiang Hong’s hand. They stood side by side outside the alley, and Jiang Hong found that he was back on level ground, with Jialing River on one side. They were on a certain section of Binjiang Road!

The space had undergone a strange displacement, as if he was going down ten floors of stairs at an entrance and coming out on ground level. Well…but for Chongqing, this was not strange.

Jiang Hong finally got a taste of the “Magical 3D Chongqing” that was spoken of by people outside the region.

Before him and Lu Xiu appeared a building from the Republican era, flanked on both sides by dense gingko trees. It was mid-summer and the leaves of the gingko trees were a vivid green under the sunlight. Wind blew across the river, and waterfowl could be seen on the surface.

Jiang Hong was incredibly shocked, looking at the three-story Republican-era building in front of him. It had a gilded sign hanging outside that read: “Chinese Exorcist Committee, Chongqing Branch.”

Footnotes

1. Cricket – cricket is ququ in Chinese. Big and black is heiququ. Lu Xiu misheard Jiang Hong and didn’t understand why he mentioned crickets all of a sudden.

“Help me——”

Jiang Hong scrambled out of the car window, desperate to escape, but was grabbed back by a furry yet extremely hard claw, followed by a plastic rope wrapping around his neck, constantly tightening.

Jiang Hong’s vision went black. He struggled with his feet, almost suffocating. At the last moment, he turned his head——

——and saw a black spider head, its mouth parts constantly rubbing. The spider’s compound eyes reflected Jiang Hong’s terrified face.

Jiang Hong: “………………”

Jiang Hong’s head tilted and he stopped moving.

“Don’t strangle him to death,” the monkey driving the car said.

The huge spider, with its bloated abdomen, occupied nearly half of the bus space, and with its eight legs spread out, it was the size of a private car. At this moment, it made rustling sounds, using its two front legs to “hold” Jiang Hong, taking him to the front of the bus.

But this time, Jiang Hong didn’t faint. His fear threshold had somehow increased, and he seemed to have seen this terrifying scene somewhere before. But that didn’t matter. What was this thing? A spider?! So terrifying! Oh my god!

If inner monologues could be visualized, Jiang Hong’s silent “ah” could fill up the entire Jialing River. His fear had reached its peak, but perhaps things would turn around. At the last moment, he suddenly became calm.

First of all, he closed his eyes so he couldn’t see that terrifying spider.

Then, he tried to control his shaking body as much as possible, pretending to pass out.

The spider didn’t seem to have a thought of its own. It was just quietly holding Jiang Hong, an obedient pet raised by the monkey demon.

Jiang Hong’s heart was turned upside down——Where is my protective charm?! Why isn’t it working?! What are these things?! Ah, so tired, want to sleep……no, no……Jiang Hong’s whole body was covered in goosebumps.

The bus stopped, air was released, and the sound of door opening echoed.

It seemed that a person got on – a woman by the sound of her voice.

Jiang Hong tried to open one eye slightly. He saw the spider’s fluffy, fly-like head close by.

Jiang Hong: “……”

Jiang Hong promptly closed his eyes again.

“Is this the young man?” the woman asked.

“Yes,” the driver’s voice was sharp and piercing. Soon, the car continued to drive again. The bus raced down Binjiang Avenue. There were only a few private cars passing by in twos and threes on the road. In the dark night, no one would notice the huge spider in the bus.

“He looks like an ordinary person.” The woman’s voice was gentle, and she even reached out to touch Jiang Hong’s face.

“Time is running out,” the driver said.

Suddenly, Jiang Hong felt a wave of cold liquid soaking his whole body. Following that, a suffocating sensation came over him, as if something was drilling into his body. He couldn’t help but open his eyes wide, feeling intense pain all over his body.

He was wrapped in a black sticky substance, and through the semi-transparent substance, he saw a middle-aged woman in heavy makeup smiling at him.

Jiang Hong wanted to scream, but he couldn’t make a sound. He saw her claws reach into the sticky substance and grab at his face.

The world suddenly went dark, and Jiang Hong lost consciousness.

After a short moment, a gust of wind blew, and the cold rain hit his face. Jiang Hong woke up.

“Help…” Jiang Hong turned his head and was shocked to see that he was hanging from the top of Jialing River Bridge, suspended by spider’s silk, with a giant arm hanging above him.

The giant arm was like a towering pillar. There was thunder rolling in the sky, and lightning flashed faintly in the dark clouds.

The wet monkey was accompanied by its giant spider, watching from the side.

A middle-aged woman dressed in a janitor’s uniform sat calmly beside Jiang Hong and said, “Little brother, let’s have a chat.”

Jiang Hong: “…”

In this situation, the scene in front of him was incredibly bizarre.

“Who are you?” Jiang Hong shouted loudly. “Are you a demon? Help! Help!”

Jiang Hong had no way to deny it and quickly accepted the premise that “there were demons in the world”. It was hard to believe, but the most urgent matter now was to find a way to escape from the dangerous situation.

“I heard you went to Xi’an,” the cleaner said kindly. “I want to ask you, did you meet Cao Bin? What task did your uncle give you? Did he ask you to steal the Sword of Wisdom?”

“Who’s that? What sword?” Jiang Hong begged with a crying tone. “I don’t know! I don’t have an uncle! Did you get the wrong person?”

The cleaner put on gloves and opened a toolkit with “Wuyou Housekeeping” written on it. Jiang Hong looked at her toolkit and suddenly became terrified. It was full of instruments such as tweezers, needles, surgical scissors, and other torture tools.

The cleaner approached Jiang Hong with surgical scissors and forceps, and whistled to a spider on the side. The spider slowly crawled over, and Jiang Hong thought, “Is it going to lay eggs in my stomach?”

“What are you going to do?!” Jiang Hong pleaded. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about! Are you using torture now? Please don’t do anything crazy! I saw it, I saw it! Don’t come any closer!”

“Oh, right, what did you just say?” Jiang Hong quickly said. “I didn’t hear clearly. Can you repeat it again? I’m too nervous…”

“Sword of Wisdom,” the monkey reminded him. “Have you found it?”

“Yes, yes, that’s it,” Jiang Hong said. “It’s in that guy Cao Bin’s room, under his pillow! I told you! Can you let me go now?”

The cleaner and the monkey looked at each other in doubt. Jiang Hong wondered if he had any weapons on him. His hands were tied to his sides, and he kept fumbling in his pockets. Suddenly, he found the edge of the protective charm. Maybe it could cut the spider silk. They were fifty meters away from the water. Would he die if he jumped down?

He tightly held the protective charm and tried to use it to cut the spider silk, but its edge was too blunt.

However, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his mind:

“When you’re scared, hold onto it and call my name.”

Who? Who was that? In an instant, Jiang Hong’s mind went blank. He felt like he had forgotten someone important, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t remember. But that person was real, as if he had just talked to Jiang Hong a few days ago…

…whose name should he call? A man…what was his name?

“What was his name…what was it?” Jiang Hong looked at the cleaner who showed no sign of stopping. The spider arched its back and laid a fist-sized, blood-red egg.

The janitor had started cutting open Jiang Hong’s T-shirt and was disinfecting his abs with alcohol wipes.

Jiang Hong struggled desperately, but just couldn’t remember that name. He shouted, “I’ve told you everything I know! It’s that person! I’ve forgotten everything else! I only know Lu…”

A thunderbolt struck, and a loud boom shook the surroundings, even scaring the two demons.

“Lu Xiu!” Jiang Hong gripped the charm tightly and screamed into the stormy wind and rain. “Lu Xiu! Lu Xiu!”

Thunder drowned out Jiang Hong’s cries, and as the thunderstorm subsided, the rain lessened.

The world fell silent, and nothing happened.

Jiang Hong: “…”

Janitor: “??”

The monkey demon looked at Jiang Hong suspiciously.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Half a minute passed, and still nothing happened.

The janitor said, “This is your last chance, or I’ll cut your belly open, stuff spider eggs in, and sew it back up. Don’t worry, handsome, I’ll sew it up so well you won’t even notice…”

Jiang Hong finally broked down and roared, “If you’re going to kill me, then kill me! Disgusting demon! If I can move, I’ll kill you first! Demon! Garbage! Get out of here!”

The janitor let out a strange laugh, sounding particularly piercing.

“If you really had the ability, you wouldn’t…”

The dark clouds receded, and the moon came out. Under the gentle moonlight, a huge black shadow appeared in Jialing River.

A loud clang of metal resounded, deafening like a hammer dragging across an ancient bell, leaving a humming resonance.

The monkey demon and janitor turned their heads at the same time.

Under the moonlight, a nearly twenty-meter-long dragon leaped out of Jialing River, with towering waves and splashing water. Every scale glimmered with the moon’s brilliance. Every drop of water scattered around reflected the world under the moon.

The black dragon roared as it flew out of the river, colliding with the bridge’s cantilever. The two demons lifted their heads, showing a look of shock and fear, even forgetting to dodge.

Jiang Hong stared blankly at the sky. All of this happened in just three seconds. From his perspective, he only saw a huge shadow covering the sky.

The next moment, a small piece of the cantilever collapsed, and strands of spider silk flew in the air. Jiang Hong turned around instinctively, opened his arms, and jumped into Jialing River!

Fifty meters! God bless me! Hold your breath! Jiang Hong silently prayed, please don’t let me die on the water surface!

However, in an instant, the black dragon came crashing towards him, using its dragon horns to intercept him and taking him on a loop in the air. Jiang Hong tightly held onto the dragon horns and shouted, “What is this thing now–“

Black Dragon: “……”

The black dragon nearly spewed its dragon flames in the wrong direction, but the monkey had already rushed down the bridge at high speed. The janitor let out a sharp scream, unfolded her wings, and turned into a bat and flew away.

The black dragon was furious but couldn’t find a target to vent its anger. With a sweep of its long tail, it directly smashed the spider to death on the bridge.

Jiang Hong said, “Wait…wait!”

Before Jiang Hong could finish his sentence, the black dragon took him and plunged back into the river with a loud splash. Jiang Hong’s head spun as he felt bubbles all around him. He instinctively held onto the dragon horns, but suddenly found himself holding onto nothing–

–The black dragon had disappeared.

Jiang Hong struggled to swim upstream. A pair of arms appeared and tightly embraced him from behind.

It was a slender young man who held Jiang Hong tightly and swam upstream with him in the pitch-black Jialing River.

In the silence, Jiang Hong stopped moving and let the young man take him to the surface.

Jiang Hong had been a member of the high school swim team and was always good at swimming, but this young man was clearly more familiar with the water than he was, so he treated himself as the one being rescued.

Unexpectedly, the young man thought he was drowning when Jiang Hong suddenly stopped moving. He nervously turned his face to look at Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong: “?”

In the faint light, the young man’s eyes were clear and full of concern. Jiang Hong pointed upwards and then to his throat, meaning, “Shouldn’t we hurry up and go up?”

The young man hugged him and brought him to the surface.

Jiang Hong breathed a sigh of relief and the young man slowly guided him to the shore, both of them finally landing on the cobblestone street drenched to the bone.

Jiang Hong had narrowly escaped death and almost had spider eggs planted in his stomach.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” the young man said. “Jiang Hong.”

“You, you, you, how do you know me?” Jiang Hong coughed and said in surprise.

The two of them looked at each other, and Jiang Hong was briefly quiet before saying, “You are…Lu Xiu!”

“You remembered?” It was now Lu Xiu’s turn to be surprised. They sat side by side. Lu Xiu gently lifted Jiang Hong’s wet hair and looked into his eyes.

However, what greeted him was Jiang Hong’s confused gaze. He obviously knew nothing about what was happening.

“Is it you?” Jiang Hong looked around, afraid that the demon would catch up. He tightly held Lu Xiu’s hand and spoke incoherently, “I don’t know who you are, but I suddenly remembered this name and shouted it out…if there was someone named Lu Xiu, he would come to save me…who are you?”

“It’s okay now,” said Lu Xiu finally.

The rain had started again, and Lu Xiu walked with an umbrella alongside Jiang Hong on Binjiang Road. It was midnight, and the passing cars were becoming fewer and fewer. Jiang Hong had tried to hail a taxi a few times but to no avail. Both of them were soaked, with water dripping down their bodies.

Lu Xiu wore a white shirt that clung to his body after being soaked, revealing the fair skin and muscular physique of a young man.

“What… what are you?” Jiang Hong felt safe beside him but was still curious about him.

“I am an exorcist,” Lu Xiu answered.

“Ex… exorcist?” Jiang Hong was puzzled. “What’s that?”

Lu Xiu signaled for him to continue hailing a taxi. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to protect you.”

Jiang Hong took a deep breath. The night of terror was finally over, and he felt somewhat relieved.

Twenty minutes later, Jiang Hong managed to hail a taxi. He looked at Lu Xiu imploringly, not wanting to part with him, but Lu Xiu gestured to him to stop hesitating and get in the car. He got in too.

“Great!” Jiang Hong said, relieved. “Will you accompany me home? Where do you live? Or do you want to stay at my place?”

“I’ll take you to your doorstep,” Lu Xiu replied.

Jiang Hong gave him the address, and the taxi drove onto Jialing River Bridge, heading back towards Yuzhong Peninsula.

“Do you know me?” Jiang Hong suddenly asked.

“Uh-huh,” Lu Xiu replied.

Jiang Hong was still a bit suspicious. He had many questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t just babble in front of the taxi driver.

“Daozhang (1), do you have WeChat?” Jiang Hong whispered.

Lu Xiu leaned in, and Jiang Hong took out his phone, thinking he was going to add him as a friend. But Lu Xiu whispered slowly in his ear, “Don’t call me Daozhang. Otherwise, I will hit you.”

“Okay, okay,” Jiang Hong apologized quickly.

The look in Lu Xiu’s eyes could have killed Jiang Hong. After taking the phone and entering his own WeChat account, Lu Xiu let Jiang Hong add him and then threw the phone back.

The taxi quickly arrived outside Jiang Hong’s home, which was a gated community. Jiang Hong swiped his access card to bring Lu Xiu inside, but Lu Xiu said, “I’ll just see you off here.”

Jiang Hong turned around and was still a little scared. He wanted to invite Lu Xiu to go home with him, but Lu Xiu said, “You don’t have to be afraid. They won’t come again. Go back and sleep well, and forget about this.”

Suddenly, Jiang Hong said, “Lu Xiu, did we meet in Xi’an?”

Lu Xiu never expected Jiang Hong to ask this question. After a moment of silence, he nodded. “Yes. You remembered… How did you know?”

Standing outside the gates, Jiang Hong turned around and said, “I found out that I went to Xi’an for a trip and don’t remember anything. I also found this protective charm on me. Did we know each other? Later, because of something, you erased my memory of that time?”

“You’re very smart,” Lu Xiu said with a raised eyebrow.

“So we’ve known each other for a long time, right?” Jiang Hong guessed. He was not stupid, but he just wasn’t very good at studying.

“Not for a very long time,” Lu Xiu said. “Aren’t you going home? Aren’t you afraid your parents will worry?”

Jiang Hong looked at his phone. It was already past one o’clock.

“But where do you live? You’re all wet. Why don’t you come to my house and change into some dry clothes… Is there still a bus to take you back this late at night?”

“I promise that from now on, you will be absolutely safe,” Lu Xiu said. “Don’t mention tonight’s events to anyone.”

“Take my umbrella.” Jiang Hong handed his umbrella to Lu Xiu, but Lu Xiu didn’t take it.

“Lu Xiu,” Jiang Hong said, “will we meet again?”

“You can summon me, can’t you?” Lu Xiu said indifferently, then he turned and left.

Jiang Hong watched his back and then ran into the community.

His father had already fallen asleep, but his mother was still waiting for him to come home. Seeing that Jiang Hong was soaked through, she said, “We were going to call the police! Where were you?”

“Hush,” Jiang Hong gestured to his mother not to wake his father up. After persuading and apologizing to his mother, she angrily went back to her room.

Jiang Hong was exhausted. He went back to his room, took off his clothes, and took a shower. In the hazy steam, he took out the protective charm and examined it carefully under the light.

If he called out Lu Xiu’s name, would he appear? Uh, he was taking a shower. Maybe it’s better not to call him.

Jiang Hong felt that too much had happened today, just like a dream. However, in his eighteen years of life, he had finally encountered a paranormal event.

But some things, once they passed, seemed extremely unreal. Jiang Hong even began to doubt whether he had really experienced everything on Jialing River Bridge, except for the soreness of his body reminding him that this was not a dream.

At midnight, the rain finally stopped, and the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a sky full of stars.

Jiang Hong’s home was a small townhouse, and his bedroom and study were on the third floor. At two o’clock in the morning, the lights finally went out.

At this moment, Lu Xiu was lying on the roof of Jiang Hong’s house, closing his eyes and feeling the gentle night breeze.

Footnotes

1. Daozhang – a common way to address priests.