......
Night had fallen.
"Mother, do you remember when I was little, Aunt Yao always played a game with me?" Jiang Changtian asked.
"Aunt Yao would always ask me to think about what I'd done wrong. If I couldn't answer, she'd lock me in the meditation room of the Buddhist hall. There were no windows, no sounds. Aunt Yao said it was for me to reflect and think about what I'd done wrong. I couldn't figure it out, I really couldn't. But I was afraid of the dark, so terribly afraid. I desperately admitted to being wrong, even confessing to things I hadn't done, because I was truly scared. Isn't it laughable? A grown man afraid of the dark. I wasn't beaten, rarely went hungry, never cold. Just afraid of the dark."
He was genuinely terrified. Once, Aunt Yao might have forgotten about him, leaving him locked up for a day. He felt like he was going mad. He frantically clawed at his own body with his fingernails, scratching until he bled, just to feel alive. He thought he'd been locked away for a lifetime, when it had only been a day.
Just one day, and when he came out, he was somewhat deranged, feeling there was something wrong with him, wanting to die.
But he... his son, his Xia Mei, his Mian Mian, they were underground in the darkness, unable to move or speak, locked away for so long, so very long.
As he spoke, Jiang Changtian twisted his neck like a madman, tilting his head back. He tried to smile, but his mouth just gaped open, unable to form the expression.
Among the black-clad men below, one man's hand was trembling.
He was holding onto Jiang Huaisheng.
He too wore a mask.
No one paid attention to him.
They were all watching Jiang Changtian, thinking he had gone completely mad.
If it weren't for his good looks, his expression at that moment would have been that of a complete lunatic.
"Tonight, let's play a little game too," Jiang Changtian said.
He had the men in black drag everyone to the Buddhist hall.
The hall housed a golden Buddha statue commissioned by the Old Lady Jiang, plated with real gold and adorned with an emerald on its forehead.
Above it were the ancestral tablets of the Jiang family.
One of them bore the name of his father, Jiang Bai.
Jiang Changtian stood before that tablet, his hand gently caressing the characters.
They were smooth and shiny. This was something he used to do often, as if touching the tablet and its characters gave him strength and the courage to go on living.
He lit three incense sticks, placed them in the censer, and bowed three times before the tablet.
Then he sat down.
He instructed the others to sit as well.
"The gods are watching over us," he said. "When Aunt Yao played games with me, it was under the watchful eye of the divine and the Jiang ancestors. Aunt Yao didn't kill me, and I won't kill you either."
The Buddhist hall had a meditation room, originally meant for seeking tranquility and peace of mind.
Jiang Changtian had Jiang Rong pushed into the meditation room. The room was well-insulated; normal conversation outside wouldn't disturb those inside.
The Jiang family members didn't understand what madness had possessed him.
Old Lady Jiang was equally bewildered. She often went to the meditation room to chant sutras, finding it particularly soothing, emerging refreshed and clear-headed.
This wretched boy insisted on saying Aunt Yao had mistreated him.
Jiang Changtian noticed his sister-in-law yawning, the infant now asleep. He gently instructed the Jiang family servants, "My sister-in-law needs to care for the baby. Please bring over a soft couch."
Thus, while Old Lady Jiang had to sit on a hard chair, Wu, holding the child, was given a comfortable couch.
She reluctantly lay down, her emotions a mix of conflicting feelings, but indeed, holding the child while enduring this was exhausting.
Jiang Huaisheng wanted to curse again but didn't know what they planned to do to Rong.
They saw Jiang Rong being locked inside and then left alone.
Jiang Changtian said nothing, closing his eyes to rest.
The three incense sticks in the censer burned out.
Suddenly, an inhuman scream erupted from the meditation room.
The Jiang family members were terrified. Was there a monster hidden in the meditation room? Jiang Rong had entered under everyone's watchful eyes, and it had only been the time it took for an incense stick to burn – very short. Yet Jiang Rong's screams grew louder and louder.
Then came the muffled sounds of someone pounding on the walls.
The sound of fingernails scratching at the door, a grating "scratch, scratch" noise.
These cries continued for a while until they stopped. Only then did Jiang Changtian allow someone to open the meditation room door.
A faint light spilled in as Jiang Rong was carried out.
He was sobbing uncontrollably, the tips of all ten fingers bleeding from scratching. He was in extreme terror, unable to find the direction of the door. His whole body was convulsing, mumbling, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong, I was wrong."
Jiang Changtian didn't linger on Jiang Rong but turned to Jiang Huaisheng and said, "Brother, it's your turn now. When we were young, you always complained about my mischief, always asking if I knew what I'd done wrong, always telling me not to make Mother angry again. Now I ask you the same question: do you know what you've done wrong? Where did you err? I hope you'll tell me the answer soon."
Jiang Huaisheng was also locked in the meditation room.
He wasn't afraid, even spitting in disgust before entering.
Rong had been frightened earlier, which is why he reacted so extremely, he thought. How could he, a grown man of great learning and accomplishment, be afraid of a mere meditation room?
As he entered, a recitation could be heard from the meditation room: "The divine spirit favors clarity, yet the heart disturbs it; the human heart seeks tranquility, yet desires pull at it. Therefore, in stillness, there is no true stillness; how can desire arise? When desire does not arise, that is true stillness. True constancy responds to things, true constancy attains nature; constant response and constant stillness, constant clarity and stillness."
These were the words of the Supreme Old Lord. A calm heart can cultivate the inner self, a form of spiritual practice.
Jiang Huaisheng treated this as a spiritual exercise, completely unconcerned.
Afterwards, there was no sound from inside, just silence.
Only Jiang Rong's terrified mumblings remained.
Wu, seeing her son's condition, was heartbroken. She rose without hesitation to check on Rong.
Jiang Changtian didn't object.
Seeing this, Jiang Wan also stood up.
She thought to herself that Uncle seemed to greatly favor Mother, perhaps there was indeed a private affair between them. He had even personally held her sister, appearing to like children.
Jiang Wan cautiously approached, intending to support her elder brother, but was suddenly pushed away. Jiang Rong was heavyset, and in his current state of mind, possessed great strength. Jiang Wan was pushed directly into a nearby chair, her back aching from the impact.
Jiang Wan had thought her brother might be pretending, but now it seemed he had truly gone mad.
How was this possible in just the time it took for an incense stick to burn?
But as she got closer, she smelled a foul odor. It seemed her brother had lost control of his bodily functions again.
Jiang Wan was horrified, not understanding why this had happened, but she steeled herself and called for the servants: "Please help him to a chair."
Jiang Changtian didn't stop them. The servants came over, but it took several of them to lift Jiang Rong and move him to a chair. Jiang Rong sat there with vacant eyes, looking completely insane.
Muttering incessantly: "I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong..."
An indeterminate amount of time passed.
Old Lady Jiang had thought this beast wanted to ask her something, but he wouldn't open his mouth.
He just sat in the chair, still looking quite spirited.
At her advanced age, she could barely sit still, and she cast a somewhat resentful glance at Wu, who was cradling a child while reclining on the couch.
Wu looked worriedly at Jiang Rong, while also keeping an eye on the infant in her arms.
She was also concerned about her husband in the isolation room, though he should be fine given how strong and valiant he was.
As time flowed on.
It felt somewhat long and unbearable.
But it wasn't really that long.
However, there seemed to be a muffled sound coming from the isolation room.
The earlier muffled noise had been Jiang Rong pounding on the wall.
But now?
Old Lady Jiang was somewhat confused, and also a bit flustered.
She spoke up: "What do you want to ask? Go ahead and ask."
Jiang Changtian shook his head: "I used to want to know, but now I don't anymore. Besides, I dare not believe what Mother says. You've deceived me for half my life, and I'm afraid you'll deceive me again. Let's just play a game instead. Aunt Yao said this game is very fun. Don't worry, Mother, it'll be your turn soon."
Jiang Changtian sat upright.
His expression was solemn, like a bodhisattva statue in a temple.
He closed his eyes to rest.
Below, a sea of people stood in neat rows.
Some were actually quite curious - how did Jiang Rong go in for just a moment and come out mad? Was he really mad, or just pretending?
But Jiang Rong had been so scared from the start that he wet himself, maybe he was just too cowardly.
Everyone was somewhat curious about how Jiang Huaisheng would fare.
Jiang Huaisheng loudly recited the Supreme Old Lord's mantras for calming the mind.
After entering, he first felt around the four corners, but found nothing special. It was very clean.
He had been in this room before, seeing his mother sit on a prayer mat chanting sutras.
So there was a prayer mat in the room, and nothing else.
He knew his mischievous younger brother had been locked in here before.
He felt Changtian was being somewhat unreasonable - was it just to make him experience this too?
Jiang Rong was originally timid and afraid of the dark, so being frightened in here was possible.
But he himself was well-read, not afraid of the dark, and practiced martial arts daily without fail in all seasons, so his body was in good shape. How could he be afraid of the dark?
As long as there was nothing else strange inside, he wouldn't be afraid.
He silently recited the Supreme Old Lord's mantras for calming the mind, even feeling that this was an excellent place for contemplation.
He thought seriously about how to get out of this predicament.
From his brother's words, he had intercepted the letter their mother sent out, which meant they couldn't leave now.
But seeing that his brother didn't actually intend to kill them, was it purely to torment them for his amusement?
How should they deal with the current dilemma?
At such a critical juncture, why was Mother still keeping secrets, why wouldn't she speak up?
Outside was so quiet.
So dark.
His movements weren't restricted.
He just couldn't hear any sound or see any light.
He felt like a long time had passed, and wondered if it was daylight outside yet.
He was very tired and exhausted, feeling he could sleep for a while.
A nap would be nice.
But with his wife, children and mother all outside, it seemed somewhat unfilial for him to sleep in here.
But since he couldn't get out anyway, he might as well sleep.
He lay down on the ground with his head on the prayer mat. Fortunately it was hot, so it wasn't cold, and there was even a blanket on the floor.
This was where Mother chanted sutras, so it was actually quite nice.
Jiang Huaisheng lay down, but strangely couldn't fall asleep.
Eyes closed or open, it was all the same - just darkness either way.
After a long while, had a whole day passed? Had he slept enough?
It had been too long, he didn't know what was happening outside.
He wasn't hungry either, which was odd.
He first recited texts from memory, then thought about his wife, his children, his mother, and Jiang Rong.
It felt like many days had passed. He marveled at his own patience, and how he still wasn't hungry at all.
Why hadn't that beast opened the door for him yet?
Was he trying to starve him to death?
His hand trembled slightly as he tapped on the prayer mat, counting time.
As he counted, he became confused.
It was so dark, so quiet. He suddenly felt a panic like being buried alive.
This room was a bit like - three earthen walls and one thick double-layered wooden door, like a coffin.
Jiang Huaisheng suddenly felt an itch on the wound on his face, as if ants were gnawing at it.
He'd heard that the kidnapper before had been eaten to death by ants.
He remembered that time when two kidnappers pretended to be peddlers and almost took away his brother's two children.
But Mother and Jiang Wan had said to pity all parents under heaven, that the kidnappers were just trying to save their sick child by getting money for medicine, and said to spare their lives.
Sometimes life and death hang on a single thought.
But those kidnappers didn't survive anyway - one was supposedly eaten by ants, the other committed suicide.
The wound on his face was so itchy.
What was happening outside?
So quiet, he could hear someone breathing heavily. Who was it?
Oh.
It was himself.
Jiang Rong was really useless, he could sit for a whole day.
He had slept for so long, he was just a bit bored now.
Footsteps.
Who was it?
It was himself.
He suddenly began to panic.
It was too dark, and there was no sound from outside. Had everyone forgotten about him?
His brother said Aunt Yao had forgotten him and left him locked up for a day.
He felt like he must have been locked up for several days now.
He paced back and forth anxiously.
He scratched his head with both hands.
But there was no response at all.
Too quiet.
He panicked, became afraid, he didn't know what to do. Now he didn't even know which direction the door was in, or where he himself was positioned.
It was like being in a chaotic sphere.
He kept touching the scar on his face.
It had actually healed already.
But suddenly, his hand forcefully clawed at the scar until it was bloody again. He let out a howl: "Ah!"
He tore open the healed wound again, screaming and scratching.
The door opened.
Light poured in.
Jiang Huaisheng, who thought he'd been locked up for half a month, found his mother still sitting in front of the ancestral tablet, with Jiang Wan still sitting in front of her.
His wife was cradling their child on the couch, while Jiang Rong hung his head, his leg twitching as he sat convulsing in a chair.
He quickly crawled out, laughing maniacally.
His face covered in blood.
Jiang Changtian yawned, his face expressionless as he looked at his elder brother's blood-covered face. He lifted his head and said to Jiang Wan: "It's your turn."
