Zong Hang thought of his bursting blood vessels.
This was considered perfect?
Yi Xiao seemed to know what he was thinking: “It depends on who you’re comparing with. Among those affected, I was one of the best cases, yet I’m neither human nor a ghost. If I could be like you, I’d be laughing in my dreams.”
“So now, all hope rests on you,” her gaze was intense, even carrying hatred in its intensity, “Why couldn’t we do it? Why couldn’t any of the many people from the Three Surnames do it, but only you could? What makes you special? Is it the blood, the flesh, or is it the organs, the brain?”
Her mumbling was muffled in the damp mask: “I’ll know soon, I’ll know very soon. My life, Jiang Jun’s life, maybe they all depend on you now.”
The hair on Zong Hang’s arms stood on end.
In her eyes, he was probably no longer human, but rather flesh to be dissected, bones to be studied, a specimen to be experimented on.
Fine sweat beaded on Zong Hang’s forehead: “You can revive me, surely you could look for other ways…”
Yi Xiao asked curiously: “I revived you?”
She looked at Zong Hang for a long while, then giggled.
“Zong Hang, you misunderstand.”
“I didn’t revive you. We died together and woke up one after another. What happened in between, I don’t know either.”
“I only know that I woke up first probably because I’m from the Three Surnames, with naturally different bloodlines, while you’re an outsider who needed more time to adapt and transform.”
But during this period, from death to life, what exactly happened?
Yi Xiao’s thoughts drifted.
She had carefully considered it afterward.
Her conclusion was: that perhaps “they” were there.
After the Three Rivers source incident, Yi Xiao and other survivors were collectively detained. She had paid attention to the numbers – fewer than twenty, meaning that of the hundred-plus-person convoy, the survival rate was only one-fifth, and even these “survivors” were like fragile soap bubbles, continuously bursting.
Because of this horrifying “11.9” incident, the Three Surnames internally seemed to have formed a secret organization.
Yi Xiao could only use her intuition to speculate and outline this organization.
First, Ding Changsheng was in charge. He was the first to arrive at the scene and had firsthand information. Whether for investigation or aftermath handling, he couldn’t be bypassed. One man’s poison is another man’s meat – this bloody incident benefited Ding Changsheng. With Jiang Xiaoguang’s secret support, he jumped from a minor role to becoming an important figure in the Council of Elders and even helped promote his godson Ding Xi.
Second, because the matter was so significant, it was kept secret, with only the basic fact of an “incident” being disclosed. She wasn’t sure exactly who knew, but given the special circumstances, this organization probably had extensive authority.
Third, the Yi family was excluded. Almost all the skilled members present that day were from the Yi family. After this incident, they had no one left with any say, and most of those detained for research were Yi surname holders. Fearing family members wouldn’t accept the truth and cause more trouble if word got out, they made a clean-cut, ending it all at once.
…
Yi Xiao was detained for many years, and subjected to “treatment” that was actually “research,” watching her companions die one by one.
Some were sensitive to light, unable to bear illumination; some would go mad and self-mutilate upon hearing certain frequency sounds; some couldn’t digest food; some excreted through their skin, even through cells…
But the steps toward death were consistent: slowed metabolism, organ failure, the appearance of foul odors…
Just as no matter how different and brilliant people’s lives were in their prime, in old age almost everyone faced the same declining vision, hearing loss, balding, and loose teeth.
It was from that time that Yi Xiao began hearing a voice in her head.
The voice was indescribable, strange, buzzing, and cutting, neither heavy nor light, seeming to come from beyond the sky yet rooted in her brain.
It constantly mentioned “them.”
— They’re coming, they’re about to come.
Whenever this voice appeared, she would become disoriented or even confused, acting erratically and behaving abnormally. After regaining clarity, she would feel lost and drained, as if awakening from a great dream.
Once, deep in delirium, a route appeared in her mind, like how a route would appear in a Water Ghost’s mind after the Golden Soup ceremony.
The route was simple, winding and twisting, swept through in one stroke, then gradually disappearing.
But as a member of the Yi family, she recognized it instantly – it was the Lancang-Mekong River.
On the thin river, the body was attached to a large nodule, and the route was being erased inch by inch from both ends, with that nodule being the last to disappear.
It was the hanging lake of the “Lancang-Mekong River” – Lake Luosiluo.
…
Was it guidance from destiny? Was her final way out in Lake Luosiluo?
Yi Xiao began planning an escape.
Perhaps believing she wouldn’t live long anyway, Ding Changsheng’s side gradually became lax in guarding her. Yi Xiao had also deliberately acted weak and ill, finally finding an opportunity to escape.
She headed south, avoiding any contact with the Three Surnames for fear of revealing her whereabouts. Only when leaving the country did she unavoidably contact people arranging illegal border crossings? The news must have leaked then because soon after, Ding Xi came pursuing her.
After reaching Lake Luosiluo, she began an anxious wait.
Who were “they”?
Were they in this great lake?
Why had they led her here?
Or was it all just a delusion during her mental instability?
She avoided contact with people, spending most of her time in the water, using its scent to dilute and mask her decay smell.
She discovered the “corpse box” at the lake bottom, and Ma You inside it. Perhaps because of her decay smell and gradually depleting blood, she was no longer considered a “living thing” and could freely enter and exit the box.
The rest of the time, she would approach the riverbank, watching for certain faces to appear.
She hadn’t actually “accidentally” seen Ding Xi in the floating village – she had spotted him from far out in the lake when he was riding his motorcycle. She had quietly followed underwater, already forming a plan.
Strike first – it would be either his death or hers.
…
After dying from gunshot wounds and opening her eyes again, when she noticed the decaying smell on her body had disappeared, Yi Xiao was ecstatic.
She felt she had glimpsed heaven’s will. “They” – “They’re coming” – was heaven telling her: Quick, your life has returned, you can live again!
This was a resurrection, she had succeeded, and she had another chance at life!
But disappointment came so quickly, everything that happened afterward gave her a harsh slap in the face.
No one could have two chances. She had already been revived once, this life force no longer worked on her.
She was like an unstoppable old train, creaking and groaning, continuing toward the abyss, even faster than before.
She couldn’t accept it. On this final journey, she would grab onto anything at any cost.
Why was Zong Hang perfect?
Perhaps Zong Hang’s appearance wasn’t without reason. Heaven was telling her: this is the person, delivered to your hands, figure out what to do.
Since the conversation began, Yi Xiao had never been silent for so long. Her gaze alternated between focused and scattered, lost in unknown thoughts. Just as Zong Hang couldn’t bear it anymore and wanted to speak, she suddenly looked up.
“I asked Jiang Xiaoguang to prepare fish and shrimp. He kept asking me what was special about you. I think seeing certain scenes firsthand will leave a deeper impression on him.”
Crouching while talking for so long had made her legs numb. Yi Xiao stood up, steadied herself, and looked down at Zong Hang, feeling it was time to conclude this conversation.
“Don’t look at me that way. I won’t feel guilty, and I’m not afraid of going to hell – I’ve been living in hell already.”
She looked toward the door.
Jiang Xiaoguang should be almost done preparing. Actually, live fish and shrimp would have worked, but when making her request, she still asked for cooked ones.
Zong Hang was already miserable enough, no need to force live fish and shrimp into his mouth – let him have some dignity.
“Is there anything else you want to say? If it’s not too much trouble, I don’t mind doing something for you.”
What did she mean? Was she asking for his last words? Kill him, then hypocritically place a flower on his grave?
Zong Hang laughed bitterly, really wanting to spit in her face, but unfortunately, she stood too far away for him to reach.
But he did have something to say.
“You should remember you have a sister, called Yi Sa?”
Yi Xiao’s tone carried confusion: “Yi Sa?”
These sisters were truly blood-related – the sister’s reaction to hearing about her sister was as indifferent as the other way around.
Zong Hang continued: “Originally, if I had met you successfully at Duck Head Mountain last night, I was going to tell you – Yi Sa asked me to pass on a message, saying she wants to see you.”
Yi Xiao stood motionless, finding it both amusing and absurd.
Wasn’t Yi Sa dead? And how would Zong Hang know Yi Sa?
Zong Hang glanced at her: “I don’t know how you can call yourself her sister. You had time to go to Cambodia but couldn’t spare a moment to see her. You’ve talked so much with me, going on about Jiang Jun this and that, but haven’t mentioned your sister once.”
The boat hadn’t moved, but Yi Xiao felt like she was floating. Zong Hang’s voice seemed to float too, coming from all directions, like spider silk, like thick fog, layer upon layer, wrapping around her until she could barely breathe.
“Don’t you have a tape player? Yi Sa kept it for over ten years, and last night she even wanted me to bring it to Duck Head Mountain to show you. She put a cassette in it, with ‘Shanghai Beach’ as the first song. She asked me to ask you if you recognize that tape player if that song sounds familiar.”
Yi Xiao finally spoke.
Her voice was somewhat hoarse: “Nonsense.”
After saying this, she pointed at Zong Hang: “You’re doing this on purpose, talking nonsense!”
She went out the door, walking quickly down the corridor, then realizing she was heading the wrong way, turned back, turned a corner at the end, and collided head-on with someone carrying a tray full of small dishes of fish, shrimp, and clams – everything she had ordered.
The collision caused bowls to overturn and sauce to spill.
Nearby, Jiang Xiaoguang was startled, and not wanting Yi Xiao to feel embarrassed, quickly said: “It’s fine, it’s fine.”
He then instructed the person: “There’s more in the pot, bring a fresh serving.”
As the person walked back with the tray, the corridor fell quiet again. On the ground, in a pool of sauce, lay a fallen curled-up large shrimp, its antennae long, its eyes black.
Yi Xiao said: “Uncle Jiang, my sister, Yi Sa…”
She paused, swallowing back the words “Is she still alive?”
“…how is she doing lately?”