Chapter 3: Liao Mengmeng

  What should I do! I don't want Zhang Ting to have an accident like this!

  Old man! Right, that old man said he had something and asked me to go find him!

  Yes! I found him, I put Zhang Ting on the bed, went to the front desk and got a bundle of rope to tie her up! I was afraid that when I wasn't around she would start again...

  I limped and ran towards that cinema...

  "Old man! Old man, where are you!" I bellowed out hoarsely.

  "What's going on?" A security guard came out of the doorway with a flashlight shining at me.

  "Excuse me, I'm looking for someone. Do you know where that ticket inspector old man is?"

  "Old man? Where did this old man come from, don't cause trouble, scram." When I heard this sentence, I was desperate.

  "How can he not be there? He told me himself! I have an urgent matter to find him, it's true!"

  "Whether you said it or not, it's none! Get out of here quickly!" The security guard drove me away. What to do! The old man can't be found, what about Zhang Ting?!

  I rushed to the hotel, eager to go back and see Zhang Ting.

  "Ah!" At a fork in the road not far from the movie theater, I knocked someone down.

  I went up and wanted to help him.

  "Ah, old man, I've finally found you! Come with me quickly, something's happened to my girlfriend!"

  "Something's happened? Hurry and take me there!" I hobbled along with him as he ran.

  "Wait a minute, sit down, stretch out your feet." Then I saw him twisting my feet for several turns. "It'll be okay in a moment, just bear with it."

  I heard a cracking sound in my bones! It hurts so much! I gritted my teeth and endured the pain.

  "Alright, let's go!" I stood up, feeling much better in my feet, and didn't dare to slow down as I accompanied the old man running towards the hotel.

  I'm coming, Zhang Ting, wait for me!

  I opened the door and felt a thick fog surrounding me! When I parted the fog, the old man was gone, Zhang Ting was also gone, but I was in an unfamiliar environment! Where am I?

  I slowly saw people appearing!

  A girl slowly appeared in front of me, that girl seemed to have seen somewhere! It was Liao Mengmeng!

  I just saw a continuous stream of people passing through my body, as if I was transparent and nobody noticed!

  I just quietly watched like this

  "Mengmeng, it's time for bed, you have a high school entrance exam tomorrow."

  "Alright, Dad, I'll go to sleep after washing my clothes."

  The admission notice has been sent out, and on it is written "Ma Kou Vocational Technical College". I don't know why, but I feel a little heartache. Since I was young, I have always hoped that in the future I would be capable enough to let my parents enjoy their lives without having to work so hard. I could have chosen a better school, but facing the high tuition fees and looking at my parents' increasingly white hair, I gave up.

  Switched to a secondary scene

  "Mengmeng, I like you!"

  He said he likes me? He's been very nice to me, but I'm afraid he'll look down on me because my family background isn't good...

  Changed again

  Tonight I gave it to him, I asked him.

  "Will you be good to me?"

  "Uh-huh, I will, I'll always be good to you."

  Finally I saw the familiar scene, it was our school's student street!

  "Why did you lie to me!"

  I saw him holding hands with another girl beside him, my heart hurts so much! I slapped him and after slapping, I felt a heartache.

  "How dare you hit me?"

  Ah, why did he hit me for that woman! Why. Why did he hit so hard, hitting right into my heart.

  "Haha, cheap woman, don't you know who I am? You're competing with me for a man?"

  What right does she have to scold me, is it really my fault? Is he just going to leave like that?

  I saw Mengmeng turn her head and look at me! She was the first person to see me after I had been stuck in here for so long.

  "Did you see all of it?" Mengmeng coldly smiled at me.

  "I... I saw it." It turns out that I unknowingly witnessed Mengmeng's experience.

  "Money is plenty, I forgive you, will you still be good to me?" Who's Money? Who am I? Is Money someone? Am I Money?

  "Uh-huh, I will."

  I feel like I'm getting more and more lost in myself, I replied to her.

  "Then come and take me away."

  "Ah, I'm here~" I walked slowly over and saw Mengmeng's hand stretched out. As I was about to reach her, I also stretched out my own hand.

  "Don't pull! You'll be dead if you pull!" A stern shout entered my eardrum, and I paused for a moment.

  "Alas! The Way is shattered, three lives are purified, and the body is awakened! Those who fight with weapons all array themselves before me!"

  This sentence is followed by! The space feels dizzy!

  I remember! My name is Zikawa! I am Li Zikawa and not some rich guy! Who is Rich Guy?

  The surroundings returned to their original appearance when I came.

  "What a close call! If it were any later, you'd be dead." I saw the old man let out a sigh of relief beside me.

  What's going on? I just saw something but I don't know what it was.

  I told the old man about my experience just now.

  "That's her illusion! You know, once you've entered and been stained by cause and effect, you have to see this matter through......" The old man finished speaking and I suddenly understood - an illusion! No wonder I lost myself inside. Thinking about how I almost got trapped in there forever just now makes me feel afraid.

  How's Zhang Ting doing?

  I took a look at Zhang Ting on the bed, still in a daze.

  "Old man, come and see quickly!" I became flustered.

  "Let me take a look, it's nothing, just the yin energy entering the body. Move aside and let me handle this." I sat down to one side and saw the old man walk over to Zhang Ting's bedside, his hands changing into an unknown pattern:

  "Take this! With my own body, I'll deflect your attack. Disperse, evil spirits!"

  I saw that just as the old man said, black air was constantly emerging from Zhang Ting's forehead and slowly running into the old man's body!

  "It's alright! Nothing will happen, I'll wake up tomorrow."

  Hearing the old man say this, I let out a sigh of relief, grasped Zhang Ting's hand and put it to my lips, gazing at her.

  "Thank you..."

  "There's nothing much to say, maybe we just have a fate." Fate? Maybe it really is. On this critical day, I met him.

  "Come on, let's have a chat." The old man pulled me to one side. I moved the table over and arranged it properly. My friend and I sat down on stools. I took out a cigarette and handed it to him, lit it for him.

  "What's your name?" The old man asked me this sentence.

  "My name is Lizi Chuan." Upon hearing this, the old man was visibly taken aback and muttered to himself in a low voice: "Chuan...?"

  "Not hemorrhoids, but Zikawa!" My name is often misheard, I'm used to it, and I quickly corrected him.

  "Haha, I know."

  I asked the old man during this time, what is going on here anyway.

  He replied to me saying.

  "Do you believe in ghosts?"

  If it had happened in the past, I would have definitely said that I didn't believe it, but with so many things happening today, I have no choice but to believe.

  I believe!

  "You're out of your minds!"

  Does he still need to say it? I also know.

  I told him every detail of what happened, expecting him to give me a solution, but instead he asked me an entirely unrelated question.

  "Are you willing to accept me as your master?"

  Call him a master? Why would he want me to call him a master? However, I know that he is a capable person.

  I glanced at Zhang Ting beside me and felt a inexplicable pang of heartache, I didn't protect her well.

  "Will you take me as your master and be able to protect her well?" I pointed at Zhang Ting who was lying on the bed.

  "Never mind protecting this little girl, I can protect the whole world!" The old man didn't seem to be joking.

  "Come on, I just want to protect her."

  "Haha, of course."

  "Alright, I'll be your apprentice..."

  I agreed with him like this, but later thought that it might have been decided long ago.

  I learned from the old man that Mengmeng's resentment is too heavy and has already materialized. I saw Mengmeng's experience, and her reason must be inseparable from that man. What's his name? Qian Duo?

  While Mengmeng's ghost began to wander around the school building on the day she jumped off the building, she started hating that man even more and hated the whole world. That's why she kept killing people! And her way was through illusions! I've experienced it myself...

  The old man left soon after, telling me he would come find me tomorrow and that I should get a good rest.

  I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Zhang Ting. The night passed like this. Gazing at the pale sky outside, I walked into the bathroom to wash my face and wake myself up a bit. Just one night, and I had aged so much - my eyes were filled with bloodshot lines.

  "Zi Jiang ~" I heard Zhang Ting's voice! Excitedly ran out and directly hugged her in his arms.

  "What's wrong with you, why are you being so ambiguous so early in the morning!" Zhang Ting was embarrassed by my unusual behavior, she didn't know what happened last night and I wasn't planning on telling her.

  "No, no, isn't a year's plan made in spring and a day's plan made in the morning?" I hugged him tighter.

  "Zi Chuan, I had a dream last night and you appeared in it. You were running ahead of me and I tried to catch up but couldn't. My heart was racing as I kept calling out for you, but you didn't stop or wait for me..."

  "Are you really going to just abandon me like this?"

  Hearing Zhang Ting say this in front of me is a bit heart-wrenching!

  "No, I'd lose myself if I lost you."

  "Oh no! How embarrassing!" Zhang Ting's originally gloomy mood suddenly burst out laughing.

  As long as you smile, I'm satisfied.

  "I'm so hungry!"

  I pinched her face, "Come on, I'll take you to eat something delicious!"

  The sun is still warm today, I haven't gone to class for a day, but not today. After taking Zhang Ting out to eat, I took her back to school and sent her to class. I told her I'd come pick her up tonight.

  I remembered that old man said he would come to find me today, so I got up and went back to the hotel room. I sat inside, smoking one cigarette after another, about 4 or 5 of them. Then I heard a knock on the door, and when I looked, it was indeed that old man, finally arrived.

  "Come with me." The old man took me somewhere I didn't know.

  I followed him like this and came to a mountain in front of me...