Chapter 274: Grand Finale (Part 2)

By early 2005, my life had gradually returned to its normal track. I no longer tried to forget the deaths of those people; their deaths would be forever branded upon my heart.

It’s worth mentioning that since I returned to school, both my teachers and classmates assumed my family had suffered a massive tragedy that caused my year-long absence, so they were all deeply concerned about my state of mind. To tell the truth, I didn’t like the feeling of being constantly coddled; it made people who didn’t know the reason think I was someone with a powerful background.

My life now was much busier than before. Old Qian and I were the only ones left capable of managing the Gan Clan’s affairs. After Fourth Brother passed away, every single one of the Gan Clan’s Pankou came under attack without exception. A man named Xu Zhicai emerged out of nowhere within the Pankou, causing trouble and forming his own faction before anyone could react, swallowing up three of the Gan Clan’s largest Pankou.

Old Qian was someone who could hold things together. Single-handedly, he worked with three major antique store bosses from the western suburbs to back me as the head of the clan. I took that opportunity to use the lingering prestige of my grandfather and Fourth Brother to keep most of the subordinates in line, but I knew everyone wanted to be top dog, and there would always be those who grew restless.

So while Old Qian usually handled business at Yinggan Tang, I made sure to return once a month. At the very least, I had to let them know that I was still alive and well. But I also understood that this wasn’t a long-term solution. Relying solely on a few Pankou in the western suburbs left me far too weak. Xu Zhicai was like a ravenous wolf; if I relaxed for even a moment, he would skin me alive and tear out my sinews.

As the Qingming Festival^[1] approached, a few of my classmates dragged me along for a trip to Tongshan. It was one of the few times I actually went on a spring outing. Unfortunately, before our car full of laughter and chatter even reached Biyang, the weather turned sour, growing overcast and misty with a light drizzle.

Luckily, the rain wasn’t heavy, though Cloud Mist Peak truly lived up to its name: you could see plenty of mist, but the peak itself was nowhere to be seen. After getting out of the car, we put on raincoats and began climbing the mountain. Hearing that the temple at the top was very efficacious, the others wanted to go up and pray. I took a few steps but lost interest, stopping at a pavilion just thirty or forty meters from the mountain gate, unwilling to go any further.

Since I insisted, they had no choice but to leave me behind. The group of college students continued upward, arms over shoulders, laughing and messing around. Someone was sitting in a corner of the pavilion. I found a spot near him and sat down, listening to the patter of the light rain and watching the mist-shrouded mountain range in the distance.

“I told you to go get treated. Stop following me.” I didn’t even turn my head.

Chen Canghai yanked down the hood of his raincoat and said with great agitation, “Aren’t you unable to find anyone to help you? If no one else will, I will! I can give you access to my entire intelligence network!”

I rested my head on my hand, still staring at the sea of clouds, and said flatly, “Why do you have to help me? Give me a reason.”

“There is no reason,” Chen Canghai said.

I chuckled softly. “Don’t lie to me. No one in this world can lie to me anymore. All of you have reasons for what you do; no one does something for no reason at all. People naturally seek benefit and avoid harm. Since you don’t want to say it, let me guess.”

Chen Canghai frowned when I interrupted him.

Ignoring him, I went right on guessing. “Let me think. You’ve been tailing me for over two months, from New Year’s Day until now. To be this persistent, you’re either one of those people from that group, planning to lurk by my side to see my next move, or I did something in the past that you can’t let go of, so you came to get close to me. Though whether that’s real sincerity or an act is hard to say. Or maybe…”

I rubbed my chin, thinking it over. “This one might be tricky. I remember you spent some time abroad, right? People are quite open-minded over there. Is there something going on with your sexual orientation?”

Chen Canghai grew anxious and restless under my scrutiny. He let out a long breath and emphasized, “I don’t have any ulterior motives. I simply want to help you. If you really don’t trust me, then don’t tell me your plans. When the time comes, you just need to tell me what I need to do.”

I caught something sensitive in his words and narrowed my eyes. “What plan?”

Chen Canghai lowered his voice and glanced around before saying, “I know you’re collecting a list of the personnel who were involved in the Nine Rings Project back then.”

The moment he finished speaking, I stood up from the bench. I grabbed Chen Canghai by the collar, hauling him up, and smiled. “Don’t think that just because you have some intelligence channels, you can investigate whatever you want. If word of this gets out, I’ll find ten thousand ways to track you down.”

I released my grip, and he stumbled back onto the bench. I wiped the smile from my face and turned around, pulling my raincoat hood back up to leave. Suddenly, Chen Canghai spoke from behind me.

“If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it in the first place. You can’t achieve what you want to do on your own. You need me. You need a helper to do these things for you. I can help you, and I can help you do them without leaving a single trace. No matter what you want to do, I won’t let anyone get anything on you.”

My heart stirred, and I tilted my head slightly. “You talk a good game. How are you going to prove your loyalty to me?”

Chen Canghai smiled and gestured toward his hearing aid. “To help you, I’ve already missed the optimal window for treatment. If my calculations are correct, I will lose my hearing entirely in half a month at most. Is that not enough loyalty?”

I thought about it for a moment, gave him a slight nod, and then turned to walk back out into the rain. As I walked, I waved a hand dismissively at him. “Go back and pack your things. We might be going on a trip soon. And don’t try to play the pity card with me again. That trick doesn’t work on me.”

“Where are you going?” Chen Canghai called after me.

“I’ll give you the details when the time comes,” I said.

I walked down the stone path toward the bottom of the mountain. Walking through the rain, I touched the digital watch on my wrist and lifted my hand to check the time. It was exactly 3:15. Then I pulled out my phone and called my classmates. They had already reached the summit.

I told them I had something to take care of and was leaving first.

Without waiting for my classmate to reply, I hung up the phone. No one could stop me from doing what I wanted to do, but before this matter officially began, I had to resolve another issue right in front of me.

I walked quickly to the parking lot, pulled open a car door, and slid into the driver’s seat. I turned the car around and drove down the mountain. As the car wound along the mountain road, the mountain breeze brushed against my face. The weather was just as gloomy as it had been the first time I went to Gansu.

Except back then, I had friends and elders by my side.

And now, I was all alone.

I pressed down harder on the accelerator, letting those memories drift away with the wind.

The time left to me was very limited. I understood clearly that I couldn’t accomplish this task entirely on my own, yet I kept reminding myself that I could not repeat the mistakes of the past. The person truly entering the game had to be me and me alone. I could not be fragile; I had to hold on.

I knew that a moment would come when I finally understood the true meaning of those four prophecies. It was only a matter of time.

I realized there was never any “Heavenly Rain,” and I could never achieve a “Clear and Bright Spirit.” There was only “being sacrificed” and “being memorialized.” Perhaps Grandfather gave me the name Gan Ji^[2] just so I could face this destiny, one that had been proven a thousand years ago.

I had just turned twenty-three that year, but I still wanted to fight with everything I had. I wanted to fight for the sake of those who had died.

The breeze swept away the moisture on my face. My expression remained calm, as if nothing had happened. Only I knew that Gan Ji had already died at twenty-two, buried in that canyon, keeping company with the yellow earth, the dust, and the withered bones, crushed together as one.

The End.

Finished!

As I typed the final ellipsis, I felt a deep surge of emotion. Now that it’s time to write the author’s note, I have so much to say yet find myself at a loss for words. In short, I love Gan Ji, I love He Yu, I love Lu Ayao, and I love every character in this book. Gan Ji told me that his story is to be continued. I look forward to our reunion in the second volume of 《Nine Rings》, titled 《Eight Suspensions》.

Next up is Ye Yuzhu’s side story. Please stay tuned!