"So it really is you, Shu Cong," Jin Bai He said sadly. "I wondered what you were doing here, so late at night…and thought maybe I made a mistake."
I shook my head, still unable to believe my eyes. Of all the people I had suspected, I never imagined that the culprit was Jin Bai He.
Damn it. Damn fucking it!
"Snap out of it!" I yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"
Jin Bai He shook her head, her teeth gritted. "I'm sorry. I'm not myself. You have to understand, Shu Cong…this body doesn't belong to me alone."
Even though she said that, it was clear that she had regained control of her body. Na Lan Yan Ran somehow managed to break out of her grip and dive to the side. Coughing, she rolled to her feet and stayed in a defensive crouch, eying Jin Bai He warily.
"Multiple personality disorder," she said hoarsely before breaking out into another coughing fit. "She has multiple personality disorder."
"Wrong." Jin Bai He took a deep breath. ���This isn't multiple personality disorder. This is reincarnation. I have memories from another life."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry, Shu Cong. But you are my target. The target of the other me."
"What is she talking about?" Na Lan Yan Ran glanced at me, confused. I didn't reply, still trying to absorb what I was hearing. But I already had an idea of what was going on.
Reincarnation. I was the target.
"You're a demonic cultivator from the Celestial Realm."
"You do know about it." Jin Bai He smiled sadly. "That's correct. I was among those who underwent the Nine Heavenly Temporal Tribulation…but instead of being transported to this world and this time like the others, I reincarnated into the body of this girl. I am Jin Bai He, your classmate…yet I'm also Jin Bai He from the Celestial Realm – an elder from the White Lily Sect, sent back in time and space to assassinate you before you become the leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect in future.���
"What the hell are you guys talking about now?!" Na Lan Yan Ran exploded, but the both of us ignored her.
"So you have the memories from your past life? Your personalities…merged?"
"I have memories of both that life and this one," Jin Bai He replied. She lowered her head. "But you're my classmate, so I was able to hold those memories back…suppress my original personality for a while. But I can't any longer. My original personality is starting to be the dominant one. I can feel the rage, the hatred. I can't control it any more. One day, once I reach Earth realm, I will no longer be able to resist. And I will kill you."
"No, you won't." I took a step forward. "You can control it. Suppress it. You don't have to listen to your original personality! We'll find a way."
"I can't! We can't!" Jin Bai He snapped.
"How would you know if we haven't tried? I'm sure we'll definitely find a way, especially if we work together. We can approach the other sects in the Alliance…they know mind techniques that might help…"
"You don't understand! I was the one, okay!?" Jin Bai He shouted. "I was the one who attacked all those girls! I can't help it! I couldn't control my desire to absorb yin qi essence! I couldn't stop myself from wanting to become stronger, to achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation…even at the cost of others!"
She raised her hands and stared at them. I recognized the haunted look in her eyes – it was the same one I saw in the mirror shortly after I murdered Qi Fu Ren and the members of the Black Serpent Gang. The haunted expression I had when I hallucinated about blood on my hands.
"I…I even attacked Shi Xiao Nian!" Jin Bai He was weeping hysterically. "I couldn't control myself at all. At this rate, I'll continue attacking others."
She took a deep breath and wrapped her hands around herself.
"I could barely stop myself from killing Shi Xiao Nian. And now that she survived…I don't know, I might be tempted to attack her again. Please…you need to stop me before that happens. I'm begging you!"
The pieces were falling into place somewhat. Now I understood the pain that she showed this morning when she spoke to the frail Shi Xiao Nian, and how she refused the invitation to the latter's house for studying. It wasn't just pain. It was also guilt.
No wonder Shi Xiao Nian recovered so much faster than the other girls. Jin Bai He must have reasserted her original personality from the Celestial Realm one when she realized that she was absorbing the life essence of her beloved and forcibly stopped the process before it could be completed. Thanks to that, she was able to prevent Shi Xiao Nian from suffering the same grisly fate as the other victims.
However, she was aware that she couldn't count on herself to repeat that feat. In fact…
"Whoa!"
I was forced to dodge when Jin Bai He launched herself forward and kicked at me. Her strike was so deadly that it smashed a chunk of concrete out of the doorframe. I rolled further into the corridor and rose back up to confront her.
"You're not Jin Bai He…you're the demonic cultivator from the Celestial Realm."
"Not really. I am Bai He. I'm the same person…I guess, with different memories and a different personality. The opposite end of the spectrum, you might say."
Jin Bai He, the original demonic cultivator, looked at me with a smile. Her eyes had turned blood red and I could sense the demonic qi overflowing from her body. Qi that was absent whenever the real Jin Bai He was in control.
"You don't seem to understand. We are both Jin Bai He. We are one and the same person." The girl in front of me cocked her head to the side. "It's too bad you don't remember me because we only meet in the future. But I remember you very clearly! My sect has suffered greatly at your hands. My earth self might be friends with you, but my Celestial Realm self will never forgive you. You must die. Not just for the sake of the demonic sects in the Celestial Realm, but also as revenge for what you did to my sect!"
"What did I do to your sect? Did I annihilate your sect or something?" A month ago, I might have questioned whether I would be capable of such ruthlessness, but after murdering Qi Fu Ren, his cronies and the members of the Black Serpent gang, I no longer harbored such doubts.
"No, but you killed a lot of them." Jin Bai He scowled. "You refused to allow us to absorb qi essence from the commoners, claiming that even the lowliest people have a right to live. What rubbish! The weak deserve to die! Only the strong is allowed to survive!"
She then lunged at me again, kicking. I dodged it, and without even glancing back I could hear her foot smashing a hole in the concrete wall. What power…what speed!"
I ducked under another kick before parrying a follow-up kick. Grunting, I found myself blown several paces back. That was fine. I used the momentum to put some distance between us.
Waving both of my hands to ease the numbness, I watched Jin Bai He dumbly, not sure if I believe what I was seeing. There was no way that the strong and righteous Jin Bai He, who always stood up for justice, could be the demonic cultivator I was seeking out this entire time. The same person, this imposter claimed? I refused to believe it.
"What's the matter?" Jin Bai He asked, strolling toward me. She pouted in what seemed like a seductive manner. "Don't disappoint me."
"What…?"
"I always wanted to fight you, you know?" Jin Bai He continued prancing toward me, almost as if she was dancing. Reading the flow of her qi, I could tell that she was capable of delivering any number of kicks from multiple angles.
"On the other hand, I don't really want to fight you," I muttered as I dodged another strike from Jin Bai He. She followed up with another kick that grazed my cheek, leaving a slight abrasion. I winced, but continued to evade her next barrage of her attacks.
"Why? Because I'm a girl?" Jin Bai He's eyes narrowed scornfully.
"No, not because of that. I'm an advocate of gender equality, so I don't care about that." sucking in a lungful of air, I continued to dodge and parry her kicks. Damn, but it was pretty tough for me to weave through the ferocious barrage of relentless kicks that Jin Bai He was famous for, even with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths. I was slowly being overwhelmed despite by my best efforts. "Did you forget? I watched you in that taekwondo tournament. I was there when you were crowned champion. I'm not stupid enough to want to fight against someone as skilled as you if I can help it."
"How boring," Jin Bai He scoffed. "I was looking forward to dueling you, you know? I watched your fight against the gangster the other day. The one outside the school gates. I always thought you had good skills. I wanted to try out my strength against yours. I did think you had potential, but I wanted to wait until I broke through to the Earth realm first, just to be sure. Well, it's fine. This just makes things even more exciting!"
I ducked under her kick once more and then tried to strike with a Soul Crushing Strike. She spun away, effortlessly evading my punch, before retaliating with a kick that forced me to dodge.
"The leg will always have a longer reach than the arm," Jin Bai He advised before flipping over with another kick. I slid to the side and watched as her foot carved a crater into the ground. I countered with a hook, but she deflected my fist before retaliating with a high kick that forced me to move my head out of the way.
Taking her advice, I responded with a kick, but she blocked my attack with her own leg, the impact of our clash rippling through the corridor and shaking concrete debris loose.
"Is that it? This is the extent of your strength?" Jin Bai He asked. I shook my head, causing her to scowl. "Are you underestimating me? Do you really think you can afford to hold back?"
"It might surprise you, but I'm already going all out."
"Oh, really?" Jin Bai He raised an eyebrow before smirking. "Then what about this?"
At first, she seemed to strike with a kick that almost crushed my skull if I hadn't taken a step back, gouging out a huge piece of concrete. But I knew from reading the flow of her qi that it wasn't her real attack. There was a surge of demonic qi and I was forced to draw my sword to block crimson red slashes from what seemed like claws.
"If you continue treating me like a non-cultivator opponent, you'll be in trouble," Jin Bai He taunted as she raised a hand, her nails glowing. The crimson qi around her fingers coalesced into long, sharp claws capable of extending at her will.
Before I could muster a reply, Jin Bai He launched another flurry of attacks, complementing her kicks with demonic slashes. Once again, I was forced into the defensive, dodging and ducking as best as I could while deflecting her claws with my sword as best as I could.
"Kaiser Nail!" Jin Bai He shouted, her claws turning into red blurs that dazzled and confused me. If I hadn't learned Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths, I would have been completely caught off guard. Her speed and ferocity were off the charts and her movements sophisticatedly designed to throw me off.
Even so, I did my best to duck and counter as best as I could.
"You really know how to run!" Jin Bai He chuckled. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you would be able to keep this up for long."
"No, I wouldn't," I admitted.
"Stop holding back!" Na Lan Yan Ran shouted. She was still weakened from having her qi essence drained earlier, but she managed to produce a sword from somewhere. A spatial storage device, perhaps? I didn't see it earlier. Nonetheless, I didn't have the time to ask her. She tossed the weapon to me and I caught it in reflex.
Taking a deep breath, I switched my stance and held the sword in both hands. Evading her next strike, I then swung my sword.
"You've just made a terrible mistake!"
Jin Bai He crowed triumphantly, suddenly twisting around and kicking my hands, dislodging the sword from my grip and sending it spinning away. She then whirled around and threw a roundhouse kick at my head.
"This was a feint!"
"Oh, I know."
I had seen this move before, back when Jin Bai He was fighting in the finals of the taekwondo tournament. She had used this exact tactic to prevail against her opponent and claim the title of champion. Combined that experience with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths, I had saw her little trick coming from a mile away.
Shifting my head to the side, I avoided her kick by a hair's breadth, her foot soaring just mere millimeters past my face. Spinning about, I then hammered the side of her body with Soul Crushing Strike. Jin Bai He croaked as she doubled over and was sent hurtling across the corridor, crashing into the wall with enough impact to leave a cobweb of cracks.
I shook my fist, certain that I had felt her ribs cracking under my blow. Taking a deep breath, I straightened myself and studied the fallen girl.
"It's over. Calm down and control yourself. I know you can do it, Jin Bai He."
"You don't seem to understand."
Jin Bai He looked up at me. I relaxed, seeing that the crimson demonic glow was gone from her eyes, but she shook her head frantically, wincing as she clutched her side.
"Shu Cong! Finish me off! Hurry! Before the other 'me' takes control…!"
"Don't be so quick to give up on your life," I snapped. "There has to be a way."
"No, there isn't." Jin Bai He gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on herself. She then looked at me seriously. "Listen, Shu Cong. There is no way back for me. I can feel the other 'me' gaining control. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially Xiao Nian. So you'll have to finish me off…otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself from attacking Xiao Nian again. If that happens, it'll be too late."
"No, we can't just…!" I protested. "I don't believe there's no way!"
"The dark and light sides of me…we are the same person. As much as I hate to admit it, the one who killed or hurt those other girls was also me. You might think we are different personalities with different memories, but in truth, we are two faces of the same coin. We are one and the same." Jin Bai He stared at me pleadingly. "Please understand. And that other face of the coin will emerge as the dominant surface…the one who's facing upward. I won't be able to flip myself back around any longer."
I clenched my fists.
"It's just like that English book you were reading…the one about the doctor…"
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" I said softly, remembering her interest in one of the books I had borrowed from the library.
"Yes, that's one." Jin Bai He smiled sadly. "I haven't read it, to be honest, but it's famous enough that I know the gist of it. And I know you've read it. You know how the story ends, don't you? And how there's no way back for the doctor."
"Even so…!"
"Do it!" Jin Bai He commanded as she convulsed. "I…I can't control myself any longer…!"
"You aren't ruthless enough." I turned around and spotted Na Lan Yan Ran limping toward me, still delicately rubbing her throat. She hardened her gaze. "If you can't do it, I will."
Her presence must have triggered something in Jin Bai He, for her demonic aura had suddenly flared up and her eyes turned from brown to crimson. With a snarl, she lunged at Na Lan Yan Ran. The so-called number on beauty widened her eyes in shock, caught off guard and unable to react in time.
I moved in reflex, throwing a Soul Crushing Strike into the path of the pouncing demonic cultivator. Jin Bai He twisted her body in midair to cushion the blow, but she wasn't able to dodge completely. No…some part of her original personality seemed to have seized control from her demonic self and inhibited her ability to evade.
My fist struck her and she was thrown across the corridor. Blood spurted from her mouth and she rolled to a stop, motionless.
"Jin Bai He…" I whispered, staring at her body. My fist was still raised, as if I couldn't believe I had just punched my friend.
She then raised her head weakly, smiling.
"Thank you."
"No, I…"
I trailed off when I saw her flickering red gaze shift toward Na Lan Yan Ran's sword – the weapon that she kicked out of my hands earlier. Fear gripped me and I dove forward at the same time she did.
Unfortunately, Jin Bai He reached the sword first, seizing it and raising it. I skidded to a stop, cautiously eying her and getting myself ready to defend. Even if she had a weapon, I wasn't too bothered about it. I fought better without a sword because I hadn't officially trained with one before.
To my compete surprise, Jin Bai He didn't use the sword against me. Reversing the grip on the hilt, she stabbed her chest with the sword.
"No…!"
I dashed forward, but I was too late. Jin Bai He slumped down, the light fading from her eyes. I did my best to stop the bleeding, but was unable to do so. The blade had obliterated her heart. There was no saving her.
"W…why?"
"T…thank you, Shu Cong." Jin Bai He raised a bloodied hand to my face and tenderly stroked it. "Don't blame yourself. It was meant to be."
"No, it wasn't! Even if I have to put you in stasis, I'll find a way! There's no need to…!"
"I…appreciate it…but you know as well as I do…that there's…no other way." She shuddered, more of her life slipping for her. She forced a smile. "C…can you do me one last…favor?"
"What is it?" I swallowed as I held her hand, unable to stop the tears. First, it was Pang Zi…and now Jin Bai He was dying in front of me. I had lost another friend.
"T…tell Xiao Nian that I…love her, would you?"
"You should tell her yourself. I'm sure Shi Xiao Nian will be very happy to hear those words directly from you."
Jin Bai He shook her head slowly.
"No…the next time I see…her, I might…hurt her. I…don't want that."
She closed her eyes, tears streaming from them and mixing with the blood that trickled from her mouth.
"Shu Cong…I leave Xiao Nian to you…please take care of her." she suppressed a shudder. "She is…naïve. Don't let her…be bullied. Don't…let her be…misled…especially by those…rich, handsome guys."
"It's like you're saying I'm not handsome," I forced a joke. "Are you sure you can trust me with her?"
Jin Bai He snorted. "Handsome isn't a word…I would use to describe you…look in the mirror."
"Ouch."
"Nothing wrong…with being…plain…it's not as if you…are ugly, anyway. If I weren't attracted…to girls, I might have…found you…attractive."
"Thanks for that, I guess."
"Since I can no…longer…look after Xiao Nian…you're the only one…I can trust…so please…"
Jin Bai He took one final breath, and then she stopped talking. Her eyes remained shut, and her expression turned peaceful.
I lowered my head, watching as the life left the body of my friend, and wept silently and uncontrollably.