He was tortured by hallucinations and on the verge of collapse, but Sam was so calm that he was almost cold.
Is this really still my younger brother?
The sky was filled with fish belly white.
Samuel and Gwen followed the traces to pursue the escaping giant spirit. They acted in a hurry and had no time to leave any more communication.
Sam leaned against the car door and looked at Dean.
"What are you going to do next? Do you want to come with us? Find out who resurrected us and find out the truth about the collective runaway monsters."
Dean shook his head, his attitude was very firm.
"No. I want to go back to Lisa and Ben."
Sam frowned tightly.
"Dean, if you return to them, you will only continue to draw the monster's attention to them. If you stay there, you will push them into danger."
Dean asked back, with an angry tone. "Then I just walk away and leave ordinary people who have no ability to protect themselves in danger? The disaster is caused by me. I can't just pat my butt and walk away. I have to protect them."
Sam was silent for a few seconds, letting out a long sigh with complicated eyes.
"To be honest, I really hope that you can travel with us. With you around, I feel at ease. Although you are impulsive and often do stupid things, you will do your best to protect the people around you. If it were me, I might not choose to go back to protect them. Having you by my side is much better than me acting alone."
Dean's heart was in chaos. On one side was the hard-won ordinary life he dreamed of, and the promise Sam had to live well; on the other side was the inevitable hunter's fate, one after another of supernatural cases.
But he has already made his choice in his heart.
"I still have to go back, at least to confirm that they are really safe. We will keep in touch in the future and contact us at any time in case of emergency."
Sam will not continue to persuade.
The two walked to the door of the yard, and the cool morning breeze rustled the leaves. The estrangement of the past year, Hell's secret, and the invisible alienation between people, lay between the two brothers.
Sam reached out his hand.
"Keep in touch."
Dean reached out and held his palm tightly and squeezed it hard.
"Definitely."
Dean had just stretched out his hand to open his car door, and the cell phone in his pocket suddenly rang. The caller ID was Bobby.
The voice of Bobby on the other end of the phone was mixed with a bit of surprise and a hint of anxiety.
"Dean! Come back quickly! Haorui is out of seclusion! There was a loud noise in the basement just now, and the load-bearing wall was directly shattered! There is nothing serious about him, but his body looks very weak!"
Dean's heart suddenly shook, and he turned to look at Sam. Without saying anything, the two quickly got in the car and hurried back to Bobby's house.
The table lamp in the living room emits a warm yellow light.
Bai Haorui was sitting at the dining table, holding a glass of warm water in his hand. After three hundred and fifty-seven days of seclusion, he was thin, his cheekbones were prominent, his face was pale, and his lips were bloodless.
There was only one pair of eyes, so bright that they seemed to be burning with two clusters of flames.
The lavender color Lotus Seal between the eyebrows is hidden under the skin, and only when the breathing rises and falls, an extremely weak purple light will flash.
On the table is placed a brand new peach wood sword that has been reforged, with deep runes on the sword and a warm luster; five tempered Five Emperor Coins are neatly arranged, and the coins are shimmering with five elements.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Bai Haorui raised his head, glanced at Dean first, and then fixed his eyes firmly on Sam. His fingertips paused slightly. He stood up, his steps still a bit frivolous, and his voice was hoarse as if he had not spoken for a long time after being in seclusion.
"Dean. Sam."
Hearing the familiar voice, the hanging stone in Dean's heart suddenly fell to the ground. As long as Bai Haorui stands here, it seems that no matter how big the trouble is, there is someone who can shoulder it together.
Dean took a step forward and lightly punched Bai Haorui's shoulder with his fist, half jokingly and half worried.
"You finally came out, I thought you were going to lock yourself alive in the basement."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Bai Haorui's mouth. Without much chatting, his eyes fell back on Sam and he took a step forward.
Divine Sense spread out quietly like an invisible gauze, and the purple-gold shimmer swept over Sam's body. His eyes were sharp and straightforward. They were statements, not questions.
"There's something wrong with your soul."
Sam's body suddenly stiffened, and he subconsciously avoided Bai Haorui's sight, prevaricating and covering up.
"It's just the wear and tear left by the injury at Hell, which can be recovered after a period of rest."
Bai Haorui Divine Sense felt clearly: Sam's soul shell was still intact, but a large part of the core was missing. Painful memories and empathic emotions were all dormant and closed. It was by no means a simple physical and soul injury. But there was no conclusive evidence at the moment, and tearing it apart in public would only intensify the conflict, forcing Sam to completely close his heart.
He took back the Divine Sense he was searching for and spoke in a calm and solemn tone.
"If something abnormal happens to you, don't carry it, contact me as soon as possible. Don't carry everything by yourself."
Sam gave a faint hum, clenched his hands unconsciously, and stopped defending.
The sound of a car engine was heard outside the house. Samuel and Gwen had just returned from following the clues. They heard that Bai Haorui had broken through the barrier and came here to meet them.
Samuel stepped into the living room and stared at Bai Haorui at first sight. His eyes were mixed with fear, curiosity and temptation. He took the initiative to extend his right hand, with a friendly smile like an elder on his face.
"This is Daoist Master Bai. Sam often talks about you."
Bai Haorui stretched out his hand to shake hands with him, and at the moment when his fingertips touched, Divine Sense caught a trace of the lingering breath of Hell's contract that had been deliberately and deeply concealed. The expression on his face was calm, and his tone was indifferent and distant.
"Mr. Samuel, I have long admired you."
The two hands touched briefly and immediately separated. The two invisible auras collided silently in the air, and then converged.
Bai Haorui secretly wrote down doubts in his heart: The resurrection of all members of the Campbell Family is definitely not an accident. Samuel has traces of a deal with the devil. There is a huge conspiracy behind this group of people, so we must be more careful in the future.
Gwen stood behind Samuel, quietly observing Bai Haorui, with his hands always on the rune bag at his waist, always maintaining the hunter's alert posture.
Samuel did not stay too long. The clues to track the giant spirit could not be interrupted. After a brief greeting, he left with his men. Before leaving, he still did not forget to throw out an invitation. He hoped that Dean would return to the hunter team and investigate the mystery of the monster disorder and the resurrection of everyone together.
The door was closed, and only four people, Dean, Sam, Bai Haorui, and Bobby, were left in the living room. The atmosphere in the house was heavy.
Bobby leaned against the door frame and rubbed his tired brows.
"The situation is like this now. The giant spirit is still on the run, monsters are causing chaos everywhere, Campbell Family is full of doubts, and Sam still has unexplained soul problems. What are your plans for the next step?"
Dean let out a long breath, feeling full of contradictions in his heart.
"I still want to return to Lisa and Ben. The danger arises because of me, and I can't leave them in the storm and ignore them."
Sam frowned and retorted, "Dean, as long as you stay by their side, monsters will keep coming, treating the symptoms but not the root cause."
"Then do I just leave ordinary people who have no ability to protect themselves?" Dean asked in a raised voice, two thoughts in his heart were constantly torn. One was the hard-won ordinary happiness, and the other was the hunter's fate carved into his bones and blood.
Sam was silent for a long time and sighed softly, "To be honest, I originally hoped that you could be with us. Only with you here, investigating these bizarre incidents, can I feel at ease. You will always do your best to protect the people around you. This trait is rare."
Dean didn't answer, and thousands of thoughts were surging in his heart. He knew that he could not completely escape the fate of being a hunter, but he still wanted to protect the little bit of hard-won warmth.
"At least I want to go back and confirm their safety. We will keep in communication in the future and contact us at any time if there is an emergency." Dean made the final decision.
Bai Haorui spoke slowly, with a solemn expression.
"I will stay at Bobby's home for the time being. First, to stabilize the cultivation base that has just broken through and has not yet stabilized. This forced impact has left internal injuries, and the foundation of Half-Step Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness still needs to be polished; second, I will continue to explore the source of the abnormality of Sam's soul, and at the same time investigate the secret behind the Campbell Family, as well as the fact that the crack in Purgatory caused the monsters to collectively lose control."
He turned to look at Sam and warned him seriously.
"You must be careful when following Samuel. Campbell Family is full of doubts, so don't completely trust every word they say. If your soul deteriorates or becomes confused, contact me immediately and I will come over no matter how far away you are."
Sam nodded, indicating that he would take note of the instructions.
Dean reached out and patted Bai Haorui on the shoulder with a worried tone.
"Don't overtax your body at all costs. Don't repeat the situation in the cemetery where you fought hard."
"I know it well." Bai Haorui smiled lightly.
The engine of the black hunting car roared, Sam sat in the driver's seat, and the window was lowered halfway. He looked at Dean and Bai Haorui standing under the porch, his eyes were complicated and unspeakable.
"Keep in touch."
"Definitely." Dean responded.
The car slowly drove away from the yard, the rear of the car raised a thin layer of dust on the road, and quickly disappeared around the corner of the road. Bai Haorui closed his eyes slightly, Divine Sense quietly followed the car from a distance, monitoring the movements of Campbell and his group, and confirmed that there was nothing strange about them for the time being, and then slowly regained his senses.
Dean picked up his simple luggage and walked towards Impala. He held the car door handle with one hand and looked back at Bobby's house.
Bai Haorui, who had just come out of seclusion, was standing on the steps, the dusk fell on his thin figure, and the newly forged mahogany sword was slung across his back.
"Be careful at all times. If you encounter a supernatural threat that cannot be solved, just call me." Bai Haorui warned.
"I know." Dean gave a bitter smile, "To be honest Haorui, I always feel that my peaceful days are completely over."
"It may not be completely over, but the storm has arrived." Bai Haorui's voice was calm, "Whether you choose to live an ordinary life or return to hunting monsters, we will always be your backing."
Dean got into the car and started Impala.
The car turned around and sped towards the suburbs where Lisa lived.
Night has completely enveloped South Dakota, and the lights in the main house of Bobby have been extinguished.
The lights in the basement dimly turned on.
Bai Haorui sat cross-legged and sat back on the futon.
He closed his eyes, and while running True Gang to nurse the unhealed meridians and hidden wounds in his soul, he spread out Divine Sense, tracking two clues at the same time: one side was the movement track of Sam and the entire Campbell Family, and the other side was collecting information on the abnormal behavior of monsters in various places.
The aura of Hell's contract that he captured just now when he shook hands with Samuel replayed repeatedly in his mind.
Campbell, this group of people who came back from the dead, was not an accidental miraculous resurrection at all. There must be Crowley behind them. It is very likely that they were bound by some kind of transaction imposed by Hell.
And Sam.
The soul core is missing, emotional perception is indifferent, he avoids Hell memories, and acts extremely utilitarian. He has obviously experienced Hell torture, but there is no corresponding mental trauma. All signs point to the same terrible conjecture - the returned Sam has lost his human soul.
Bai Haorui's fingertips gently rubbed a Five Emperor Coins. The five elements of the copper coin shimmered and flickered.
If the conjecture is true, Sam's situation is extremely dangerous.
Without the restraint of his soul, he is easily eroded by the power of Hell. Crowley and Campbell Family may want to take advantage of this flaw and turn Sam into a controllable chess piece.
In addition, monsters from all over the world are breaking into human towns unscrupulously, werewolves can transform without a full moon, and a large number of alien creatures that have never been recorded in classics have appeared in the world.
The lavender color between the eyebrows Lotus Seal flickers on and off.
Bai Haorui made a decision in his heart:
First, stabilize Half-Step Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness's cultivation, make up for the internal injuries left by seclusion, and prevent the situation like the cemetery from being unable to recover;
Second, find out the truth behind Sam's missing soul and do everything possible to find his soul. You cannot just watch Sam become a tool in the hands of others;
Third, thoroughly investigate the transaction between Samuel·Campbell and Crowley, and figure out the entire conspiracy of the collective resurrection;
He opened his eyes, and his eyes were clear, without any flinch or fear.
Although Apocalypse has come to an end, God is hiding, Heaven is in turmoil, Hell is ready to move, and Purgatory's shadows are pressing closer. The old chess game is over, and a new game has just begun.