The Uncertainty of Fate

At that time, my mind was filled with the image of the female ghost trembling on the floor, crying with tears while calling out that bastard's name. Damn it, how many lives and futures were sacrificed because of your lower body?!

I immediately flipped the table over and grabbed another bottle from the floor, smashing it against the bastard's head, who was holding his head in pain.

Looking at his head bleeding profusely, he finally reacted and yelled at me, "What the hell's wrong with you?!" He then grabbed a chair and swung it at me.

Damn it! I've lost it? I'm crazy because of you, you bastard! I dodged the chair coming at me, clenched my fist, and threw a right hook straight to his nose. Maybe I hit too hard, as my palm was scratched by my own little fingernail, and blood began to drip from my fingers.

I gritted my teeth and looked at him. He had already collapsed to the ground, his face probably disfigured. I expressionlessly spat at him and said, "You're still alive, you don't know what it's like to be dead. Actually, the one who should die is you."

Just then, I heard the door open. Dong Shanshan came in and happened to witness the scene. She froze, and the beer in her hand slipped and shattered on the floor.

She cried, looking at me. From her eyes, I saw nothing but disappointment. Yes, I had let her down. I promised not to fight again. But today, I had just beaten her most beloved brother half to death.

I couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. She didn't speak but quickly walked over, supporting Dong Sizhe to the bedroom to help him bandage his wounds, and I just stood there, foolishly.

The last bit of alcohol in my system evaporated with my sweat. After bandaging Dong Sizhe, she put on her clothes and walked towards the door. I immediately grabbed her hand.

She forcefully shook off my hand, tears streaming from her eyes. She was heartbroken, but I didn't know how to explain. There was no way to explain.

"Cui Zuofei, I don't want my boyfriend to be a thug! You've really disappointed me!"

She said that and ran downstairs. I stood in the hallway, listening to her crying getting further and further away. My mind was in a mess. Did I make another mistake? And what exactly did I do wrong?

I had lost in love again. At this moment, that was the only answer in my mind. But this time, I didn't regret it.

In this real world, there are many things we dare to be angry about but dare not speak. There are many things we are powerless to change. We can only silently accept many of the harmonious rules. Once you stand up to speak for the weak, you often have to pay a heavy price. But if you don't speak up, the weak will only continue to suffer in silence.

The saying "The gun shoots the bird that sticks out" is truly insightful. Today, I spoke up for that female ghost, and I had to pay the price.

I put on my down jacket and suddenly had an idea. Damn it, since I've come this far, I might as well go all the way.

I walked into the bedroom. Dong Sizhe was lying on the bed, still not sober from the alcohol, mumbling. After closing the curtains, I took out the plastic bottle from my pocket. I tore off the spell on the bottle and opened the lid.

Dong Sizhe, you ruined a woman's life, and now you must take responsibility. Use the rest of your life to atone for that woman.

A wisp of blue smoke emerged from the bottle. Though I couldn't see the ghost, I could feel she was already on Dong Sizhe's bed. I seemed to hear her joyous voice, softly whispering: "Sizhe, Sizhe."

How many devoted women are there in this world? It seemed she had finally gotten what she wanted—following him until his death.

I put the bottle away and adjusted my clothes.

I picked up the scarf, smiling bitterly, folded it neatly, and gently placed it on Dong Sizhe's desk. Dong Shanshan, I love you, but it seems we are destined to be apart.

After everything was done, I walked out of the room, closed the door softly, and clearly heard a voice.

"Qin Aide, thank you."

I smiled bitterly as I walked downstairs, lit a cigarette, and put it in my mouth. The weather in this city was strange. It had been sunny in the morning, but now it was snowing heavily. The snow fell lightly on my head and shoulders. I looked up, and the snow melted into water as it touched my eyes.

"Earlier, I sowed the bitter fruit, now I must reap the harvest."

Perhaps this was all fate. In some sense, the female ghost had finally been reunited with her loved one. As for me, I had paid the price I deserved.

I suddenly felt empty inside. I didn't want to take a taxi, so I aimlessly walked in the snow. Groups of children were having snowball fights along the roadside. There was a time when I, too, was carefree, thinking the world was a garden.

But as I grew older, I realized that nothing is ever perfect. Perhaps this is fate. Now, I have abilities that others cannot have, but I can't even get the most basic love that ordinary people can. For the first time, I believed in fate.

A cultivator's path is full of trials and tribulations. It wasn't until much later that I accidentally stumbled upon a dictionary and discovered the character "孤" (lonely) has many meanings. One of them refers to being alone, dying without a wife. Then, I realized that since the day I started practicing the "Three Clear Books," my life, my fate, had already been quietly rewritten.

I am destined to be a solitary person. It can't be changed.

Have you ever wondered if people can defeat destiny? I've thought about it, more than once. But later, I realized that no matter how I resisted fate, the relentless force of destiny always rewrote my ending, just like this time. Who would have thought that Dong Sizhe was Dong Shanshan's brother?

At least, I don't regret it. That's good enough. As I walked, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. I firmly walked toward the school.

Behind me, the snow was still falling heavily. The snow did have a way of bringing peace to the heart. Harbin, this city, was still as it always was—sometimes noisy, sometimes peaceful.

After returning to school, I returned to my old self. But the one thing that brought me comfort was that I didn't continue with my negativity. At least I'm still alive. As long as I'm alive, there will always be hope.

On the fifteenth of the following month, I once again used well water to connect to the channel to the underworld in the bathroom. Looking at this old man, I still felt the same familiarity.

When Master Jiuxu saw me and confirmed that I was fine, he was also happy. He asked me about the female ghost.

I didn't tell Master Jiuxu the truth. I simply told him that the female ghost was stubborn, and I had dealt with it.

Master Jiuxu, surprisingly, praised me. He said he didn't expect me to have some wisdom, and that if I kept practicing, I would surely achieve great success someday.

But that wasn't what I cared about. I asked Master Jiuxu, "If the female ghost didn't become extremely evil and full of resentment, would she still be a threat?"

Master Jiuxu replied, "If she hasn't turned into an extremely evil and resentful ghost, she is just a wandering spirit. However, if a person gets entangled with her, that person will suffer from illness and misfortune throughout their life. After that person dies, the wandering spirit will accompany the deceased to the underworld."

I understood. Let the female ghost stay with Dong Sizhe. They can't die together, but they can reincarnate together. Isn't that great?

After asking Master Jiuxu a few more questions about the "Three Clear Books," he said he had to attend to other matters and left. I put away the mirror and returned to the dorm, lying on my bed, thinking about Dong Shanshan, the female ghost, and the so-called fate. I thought about all those things I couldn't understand at the time.

I realized that sometimes, the human heart is even uglier than ghosts and monsters. So I made a firm resolution: from now on, I would judge good and evil based on my own perspective. This is my path as a Yin-Yang Master!