Purple

Introduction to A Zi

My name is Lin Bei. I'm 27, a programmer drifting in Beijing, and I just got laid off.

Three days ago, I deleted my girlfriend from WeChat. Three days later, a strange girl knocked on my door and asked, "Did you dream I died?"

Her name is Su Mian, a graduate student in archaeology. And in my dreams, I've already seen her thirty thousand times. Every time, she dies in my arms.

What's even crazier is that three people have started living in my head: one urges me to "give my life for righteousness," one advises me that "all things are empty," and one tells me to "let things take their natural course." They say I'm A Zi, the Host of the Three Souls of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and the Gatekeeper from thirty thousand years ago.

They say the world has only three months left. Seven disasters are counting down: internet outages, famine, earthquakes, viruses, nuclear bombs... And the source of every disaster points to a man who looks exactly like me: Xu.

He's the other half I abandoned. He's hated me for thirty thousand years.

But when I finally stand before him, ready to end it all with my own hands, his voice comes from Su Mian's body: "Brother, are you sure you want to kill me?"

Her pupils are blood-red. She smiles through her tears.

I suddenly remember that thirty thousand years ago, I was the one who sealed Xu inside her. And the so-called mission to "save the world" was nothing but a scheme I devised myself:

A deception spanning thirty thousand years.

Purple clouds drift in from the east outside the window. The cafe door opens.

A girl walks in. "An Americano, please."

It feels like we've met somewhere before.

The Three Teachings unite not through scripture, but through the human heart. When hearts unite, the world will unite, too.