"No. I don't know." Jay said, "I don't know, maybe. I can't perform tonight, Charlie."
"Are you kidding?" Charlie said excitedly, "The tickets outside are all sold out. Sold out! When was the last time this happened? At least 30 years ago! You are now the most popular person in the entire Magic Convention. How can you say you won't perform or not?"
"A few days ago, when I performed 'Table of Death', I... I planned to commit suicide." Jay's voice was choked with sobs. "I don't know how I survived. I closed my eyes and waited for the steel knife to fall. But when I opened my eyes, I was standing on the stage, but Vance was dead."
"But you survived." Charlie walked to Jay and patted his shoulder, "No matter what, you survived. Jay... When you were at your peak, you were really good. Amazing. 'Jay the Amazing'. You're the best magician I've ever seen. Now you've got that feeling back. I don't know how, but it doesn't matter. Seeing you shine on stage again, my God, makes me feel younger."
"But..." Jay wants to say something else.
"No buts, Jay." Charlie interrupted him, "Maybe this is a gift from God, I don't know. But no matter what it is, you can't throw it away. This is your last chance."
"Okay, okay, just leave me alone to think about it."
After Charlie went out, Jay stared blankly at his old self in the mirror. He picked up the deck of tarot cards on the table and looked at them one by one. When he turned over the "Death" card, his hands trembled slightly.
After a while, a piercing scream came from outside.
Jay's face changed drastically and he quickly ran out of the dressing room.
I saw a group of people gathered in the corridor, and everyone looked at the ground in horror. Charlie's "corpse" was lying on the ground, with more than a dozen sharp daggers stuck in his chest, and the ground was stained red with blood. His eyes were wide open, and his face was full of expressions of disbelief.
Jay looked at the "corpse" on the ground, and his body trembled violently. He was still holding the "Death" card in his hand, and the card was wrinkled by him.
People were coming and going in the police station, and there were police officers and prisoners everywhere.
Jay was sitting on the chair in the interrogation room, with a pale face and empty eyes. He held the photos of himself, Charlie, and Vernon tightly in his hands, and his fingers turned white from the exertion.
Dean and Sam walked into the interrogation room. The police had released them.
"Thank you for dropping the charges." Dean pulled up a chair and sat across from Jay, "Can you tell us why?"
Jay raised his head and looked at Dean and Sam, his eyes filled with tears. "We have to talk. I was a child when I first met Charlie. At that time, I only knew how to cheat. Charlie helped me get out of countless troubles. God, if it weren't for him, I would have died at the age of 20. He is not just my friend, he is my brother."
"I'm sorry, Jay." Sam said softly.
"Listen, I should have listened to you back then." Jay wiped his tears, "You told me that my performance was killing people. I didn't believe it at the time, I thought you were crazy. But now...Charlie is dead. He is dead."
"Well, you weren't the one who pulled the trigger." Dean said.
"Yes, but someone did it." Jay said excitedly, "I want to find out who killed Charlie. So I am willing to do whatever you ask me to do. Tell me what to do."
"Jay, no matter who did it, he did it for your own good." Sam said, "He is probably someone close to you. Are Charlie and Vernon on good terms?"
"No." Jay shook his head, "They often quarreled. Vernon always felt that Charlie was too impulsive and always got into trouble. But it wasn't Vernon. He would never do such a thing."
"He is the only reasonable suspect." Dean said, "Charlie and Vernon are your family members, Jay. Now Charlie is dead."
"Yes, but... they sometimes quarrel, but Vernon will never kill Charlie." Jay said firmly, "We have experienced too many things together. We have slept on park benches together, been hungry together, and supported each other in the most difficult times. He will not betray me."
"Listen, real magic is like cocaine," Dean said. "Once you get a taste of it, people can do anything. You'd better think clearly."
At this moment, a policeman knocked on the door of the interrogation room. "Mr. Blackburn, someone is looking for you. He says he is your friend."
Jay nodded. "Okay, I'll be right away. I have something else to tell you. Waiting for the call."
After saying that, he stood up and followed the police out of the interrogation room.
Dean and Sam looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes.
"Do you think Vernon did it?" Sam asked.
Dean shook his head. "I don't know. But I always feel that something is wrong. We have to go to the Grand Theater to have a look, maybe we can find some clues."
All the lights on the stage were turned on, illuminating the empty stage. There was no one in the audience, and only the echoes echoed in the hall.
Jay stood in the center of the stage, with his back to the audience. His figure looked particularly lonely under the light.
Vernon came out from the background with a contract in his hand.
"I just talked with the chairman of the conference." Vernon said, "The chance to perform the finale is yours. Tomorrow night, you will perform the finale on the main stage."
Jay didn't turn around and said in a low voice, "What? Don't you want it?"
"One day ago, you said I would stand on this stage." Vernon walked to Jay, "But this is your chance, Jay. This is what you deserve."
"No, I can't perform, Vernon." Jay turned around and looked at Vernon, "Charlie is dead."
"Charlie would like you to continue performing." Vernon said, "This is your chance. This is our chance. We can finally stand out again."
"Really?" Jay's eyes turned cold, "Is this what Charlie wants? Charlie is dead, Vernon. He is dead!"
"Hey, he is also my friend." Vernon said with some dissatisfaction.
"Is this how you treat your friends?" Jay walked towards Vernon step by step, "You killed him, right? For what? In order for me... to make 'us' stand out again? You are crazy."
"No, you scared me." Vernon took a step back, "I didn't kill Charlie. How could you miss me so much?"
"First Vance, then Jeb·Dirk ster." Jay said, "Even if you think you are doing it for my own good, how could you kill Charlie? He is our best friend!"
"Oh, you are really crazy." Vernon shook his head, "I don't want to quarrel with you. Just think about it. You have to go to the finale performance tomorrow night."
After saying that, Vernon turned around and wanted to leave.
"Don't embarrass him like this, Jay. He didn't do it."
A young voice came from the shadows of the stage.
Jay and Vernon turned their heads at the same time and looked in the direction of the sound.
A young man walked out of the shadows. He was handsome, wearing a black suit, with a gentle smile on his face. He held a deck of playing cards in his hand, shuffling the cards nimbly with his fingers.
Dean and Sam happened to rush out from the background and pointed their guns at the young man.
Five minutes ago "These are all old-fashioned magic props." Dean whispered while checking the props in the background, "There is no magic. No herbs, no candles, and no tarot cards. Holy shit. What? Who do you think this looks like?"
Sam looked in the direction Dean pointed, and was also stunned. There was a photo of Charlie when he was young, posted on the wall. The person in the photo looked exactly the same as the young man who came out of the shadows.
"Oh my god. Charlie." Jay looked at the young man in disbelief, "How is it possible..."
"It's me, Jay." Young Charlie smiled, flicked his fingers, and a playing card flew into Jay's hand. It was the Ace of Hearts. "Long time no see."
"How old are you now?" Jay asked tremblingly.
"Oh, it depends on how you define 'old'." Young Charlie said, "Now, strictly speaking, I am about 28 years old, but I have lived much longer than that."
"How long?" Jay asked.
"I have been a babysitter for Barnum for a long time." Young Charlie said, "He gave me something."
"What?" Jay asked.
"A magic book - a real magic book," said young Charlie. "At first I thought it was a hoax, but then I tried a spell and it worked. In fact, all the spells worked. So when I turned the last page and saw the spell for immortality... I used it."
"Oh my God, Charlie." Jay covered her mouth, "Then my performance, these things I can do now..."
"It's another spell," said young Charlie, "But it gives you a little taste of magic. Oh, don't touch those, Vernon. They... still have magic left."
Vernon quickly retracted his hand and looked at young Charlie in horror.
"It was you who killed Vance and Jeb·Dirk ster." Jay's voice was cold.
"What, do you think this is just playing house?" Young Charlie said disdainfully, "Those bastards humiliated you like that. A has-been old man can't even protect himself. I'm just helping you get revenge."
"You used me to do these terrible things." Jay said excitedly.
"I used them to give you a gift." Young Charlie said, "And you want this gift, Jay. I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to grow old, be forgotten, or die alone."
"No, I never wanted this." Jay said, shaking his head.
"You were ready to commit suicide at that time." Young Charlie said, "I saved your life. Right, Jay? I have always been by your side, just like before. I will always be by your side. Come with me., you two. Do you think the first life is exciting enough? The second time will be even better. All the experiences are still there, but there is no pain or aging. We can be young forever and be together forever. We can perform all over the world and be the best magician forever."
"No, I won't go with you." Jay said firmly, "Absolutely not."
"I have never made this invitation to anyone," said young Charlie, "But then again, I have never had friends like you two. Let me do this for you."
"How many more people have to die before we can gain eternal life?" Jay asked, "What is the price of eternal life? This is wrong, Charlie. What you are doing is wrong. You know it in your heart."
"I know I don't want to start over alone." Young Charlie's voice became a little excited, "Start over alone. Watch the people around you grow old and die one by one. Jay... We can be young again. The three of us are together. Full of vitality and live forever."
Dean and Sam looked at each other and pulled the trigger at the same time.
"Bang bang bang!"
Bullets were fired at young Charlie. But young Charlie waved his hand gently, and an invisible barrier blocked all the bullets. The bullets fell on the ground, making a "ding-dong-dang-dang" sound.
"Don't be proud! I am not Gutenberg, and this is not "Cocoon"." Dean roared, "Eternal life. What a good trick."
"This is not a trick. This is magic." Young Charlie smiled, flicked his fingers, and a playing card flew towards Dean. The playing card was like a sharp flying knife, grazing Dean's ear and flew past, nailing it to the wall behind. "Hey, catch the bullet. I've been practicing this."
"Get him!" Dean shouted.
Dean and Sam rushed forward at the same time. But with a wave of young Charlie's hand, Dean and Sam were thrown away by an invisible force and fell heavily to the ground.
"Leave me and my friends alone," said young Charlie, "Okay, I'll give up. All the spells, all the witchcraft. This is the last time. I promise."
He turned his head and looked at Jay, his eyes full of pleading. "Jay... Would you rather believe these strangers than me?"
At this moment, Jay took advantage of Charlie's unpreparedness and quickly stole the deck of tarot cards from his hand, leaving only one "Magician" card in Charlie's pocket.
Then, Jay took out a dagger from his arms and stabbed himself in the chest without hesitation.
"No! Jay!"
Young Charlie let out a shrill scream.
His body began to convulse violently, and then quickly returned to his old appearance. His hair became gray, his face was covered with wrinkles, and his skin became loose and shriveled.
He fell to the ground and looked at Jay, his eyes full of despair and reluctance.
"Jay... why..."
Charlie took out his last breath and stopped breathing.
Jay pulled out the dagger from his chest and fell to the ground. Blood poured out of his chest and dyed the stage floor red.
"Jay!"
Dean and Sam quickly got up and rushed to Jay.
Vernon also ran over, knelt on the ground, hugged Charlie's body, and cried bitterly.
There were very few people in the bar, only a few drunkards who got up early were drinking. The sun shone in through the windows, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground.
Jay was sitting at the bar, holding a glass of whiskey in his hand. His chest was wrapped with a thick bandage, his face was pale, but his eyes were much calmer.
Dean and Sam opened the door and walked into the bar, walked to him and sat down next to him.
"Hey, Jay." Dean said, "We wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday."
Jay raised his head, looked at Dean and Sam, and smiled bitterly, "I killed my best friend yesterday, and you want to thank me?"
"Where is Vernon?" Sam asked.
"Oh, he's gone." Jay took a sip of whiskey, "He said that after what I did to Charlie, he never wanted to talk to me again. He said I was a murderer."
"Listen, Jay." Dean said, "You know Charlie will never give up on what he's doing. Never! He must have killed a lot of people before. He's killed three people here, and more will die. You made the right choice."
"Are you sure?" Jay looked at Dean, "You know, Charlie is like my brother. Now he's dead... just because I did the 'right' thing. He gave me a gift and I threw it back in his face. So now I can only grow old alone for the rest of my life. What's right about that?"
Sam was silent. He took out the deck of tarot cards from his pocket and placed it on the bar.
"Jay. Your card." Sam said.
Jay took a look at the tarot cards and shook his head. "Throw it away. I don't want to see them anymore."
After saying that, he put down his glass, stood up, and slowly walked out of the bar. His back, hunched and lonely, disappeared into the sunlight.
Dean looked at his back and sighed.
"Well, I don't know about you, but... I'd like a beer." Dean said.
"I'm going for a walk." Sam stood up and picked up his coat.
"Okay." Dean nodded.
Sam walked out of the bar, leaving Dean sitting alone at the bar. Dean ordered a glass of whiskey and drank it in one gulp.
The sun was shining brightly, and people were coming and going on the street. Children were laughing and playing on the roadside, and couples were walking hand in hand. Everything seemed so peaceful and beautiful.
But Sam's heart was extremely heavy. He looked at everything in front of him, his eyes full of desire and struggle. He thought of Jay's words, Charlie's eternal life, and what Ruby said.
At this moment, a black car slowly stopped beside him. The window rolled down, revealing the face of Ruby.
"Get in the car." Ruby said.
Sam looked around, then opened the car door and sat in.
The car drove away slowly and disappeared at the end of the street.
A dilapidated pickup truck was driving on the road outside Sioux City. The driver was a bearded white man named Dahl. Sitting in the passenger seat was a young man with injuries all over his body and a pale face. It was Bai Haorui.
He was washed downstream by the river and was rescued by a passing fisherman Dahl.
Bai Haorui leaned on his seat with his eyes closed, and True Gang in his body was slowly recovering. His body was still weak, but his life was no longer in danger.
At this moment, several white lights lit up in the sky again.
Bai Haorui opened his eyes suddenly and his expression changed.
"Dahl, stop the car! Stop the car quickly!" Bai Haorui shouted.
Dahl stopped the car in confusion. "What's wrong, young man?"
"Someone is chasing me." Bai Haorui said, "Drive away quickly and don't look back. This matter has nothing to do with you. Don't tell anyone that you have seen me."
After saying that, Bai Haorui opened the door and jumped out. He staggered and ran into the woods on the roadside.
Several rays of white light fell on the road and turned into several angels. They glanced at Dahl's pickup truck, and then chased it in the direction where Bai Haorui escaped.
Bai Haorui ran desperately, and the angel behind him got closer and closer.
The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground. Bai Haorui's figure flashed through the woods and disappeared deep into the dense woods.
The narrow alley is filled with discarded cardboard boxes and trash cans, and the walls are covered with faded graffiti. The sunlight is blocked by the tall buildings on both sides, making the alley dark and humid, and the air is filled with the sour smell of garbage and rainwater.
Bai Haorui was leaning against the mottled brick wall, holding the Nokia mobile phone he had just bought in his hand. There were more than a dozen cuts on his black jacket, and the wounds were still oozing with dark red blood. There was a bone-deep wound on his left rib, and a penetrating wound on his thigh. He was opened by Angel Blade. If he hadn't broken through the sixth level [True Gang Condensation·Refining Qi into Gang] and True Gang could automatically protect his internal organs and bones, he might not have been able to hold on long ago.
During these three days and three nights, he barely slept a wink. He fled all the way from Michigan to Ohio, unable to shake off the angelic pursuers behind him like maggots on his tarsus. Less than 10% of the True Gang in his body had been consumed, and he could no longer maintain even the most basic healing. He could only rely on his two legs and his familiarity with the terrain to keep dealing.
Three days ago, Michigan abandoned quarry,
The moonlight was pale, shining on the bumpy quarry. Seven angels held Angel Blade and surrounded Bai Haorui in a fan shape. The leading angel had a proud smile on his face, and the holy light condensed into a spear in his hand.
"Bai Haorui, let's capture him without mercy."
Bai Haorui grinned and said nothing, but slowly pulled out the mahogany sword from behind. He took a deep breath and poured all the remaining True Gang in his body into the ground at his feet. In an instant, the rocks around the quarry began to vibrate violently, and the Daoist formation runes carved on the rocks lit up with lavender light.
"Demon-Trapping Formation, up!"
With a low shout from Bai Haorui, huge rocks rolled down from all directions, forming a huge cage, trapping seven angels in it. The angels wielded Angel Blade and slashed at the rocks, leaving only shallow scratches.
Bai Haorui took the opportunity to turn around and disappeared into the darkness with a few leaps. The angry roars of the angels came from behind, and the holy light continued to bombard the rock cage, causing rubble to scatter in all directions.
two days ago,
The three angels caught up with Bai Haorui. He was resting in an abandoned house with a sneer on his lips. When he selected this house, his Spiritual Sense had already scanned the entire room and knew that the gas pipes here had not been completely removed.
The moment the angels rushed into the room, a True Gang Blade formed from Bai Haorui's fingertips, accurately cutting through the gas pipe. The pungent smell of gas instantly filled the entire room.
"Goodbye, Xiaobao babes."
Bai Haorui jumped out of the house and shot out a blast of True Fire at the same time. The lavender flame met the gas and instantly triggered a violent explosion. The soaring fire dyed half of the sky red, and the wooden house was blown to pieces.
Bai Haorui was blown away by the shock wave of the explosion, fell heavily to the ground, and spat out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to get up, staggered and disappeared into the morning mist.
Bai Haorui took a deep breath, suppressed the smell of blood in his throat, and pressed Sam's number. The phone rang three times and was picked up. Sam's voice was filled with excitement and anxiety that could not be concealed.
"Haorui! Bobby said you had set out to find us a long time ago! Where are you? What happened? We have been so anxious these days!"
"It's me." Bai Haorui's voice was hoarse and tired, "Cleveland, suburbs. There are more than a dozen angels following me, I can't get rid of them."
There was a burst of noisy voices on the other end of the phone, and then Dean yelled anxiously and angrily, "You bastard! Do you know that we have been looking for you for three days! Let's go there now!"
"Don't come over yet." Bai Haorui stopped him, "I remember we filmed the Angel Banishing Sigil used by Anna. I led them to an abandoned cannery in the suburbs. You set up Angel Banishing Sigil around the cannery, and I took them in."
"Your voice sounds weak when you speak? No, I'll just go over and let Sam arrange the runes with you." Dean's voice softened, with obvious worry.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Bai Haorui coughed twice, "I can't hold on much longer, hurry up. I'll send you the address."
After saying that, he hung up the phone directly and put the phone in his pocket. He looked up and looked at the alley. Three white lights had fallen on the alley and turned into three angels holding Angel Blade. In Bai Haorui's eyes, their wings spread out behind them, and their golden feathers glowed coldly in the dim light.
Bai Haorui sneered, turned around and ran into the depths of the alley. The angels immediately chased after him, and the heavy footsteps echoed in the empty alley, like a drum beat urging death.
A huge abandoned cannery stood in the wilderness, with its rusty iron walls glowing a strange dark red in the sunlight. Waist-high weeds grew around the factory, and the broken windows were like empty eyes, staring at passing vehicles.
Dean and Sam were quickly drawing Angel Banishing Sigil on the walls and floors of the factory. Plastic bottles containing holy water were scattered on the ground. Dean was cursing while drawing runes.
"You son-of-a-bitch angels! A bunch of rubbish! Son-of-a-bitch! When I catch them, I'm going to pull off their wings and eat them as grilled chicken wings!"
Sam slit his fingers and smeared blood on the key nodes of the runes. His brows were frowned tightly, and his eyes were full of worry.
"Why do demons and angels want to kill Haorui at the same time? What are they planning?"
"I don't know!" Dean drew a line on the ground fiercely, "Anyway, we will kill whoever wants to kill Haorui! No matter if he is an angel or a demon!"
At this moment, the roar of angels and the explosion of the collision of True Gang were heard not far outside the factory. The ground shook slightly, and several purple-gold and golden lights flashed in the distant sky. Dean and Sam looked at each other and immediately sped up their movements. The chalk was scratched on the wall so fast that afterimages almost appeared.
Outside the factory, Bai Haorui was fighting fiercely with twelve angels. His mahogany sword was wrapped with purple Gang Qi. Every time he swung it, there was a whistling wind. But he was seriously injured after all.,True Gang was not enough, and the movement had obviously slowed down. An angel seized the opportunity, Angel Blade scratched his arm, and the golden blood and red blood mixed together and dripped on the ground.