Chapter 016: Awakening
“How is it, Huan?”
A-shu noticed that Murong Huan had his eyes closed and remained silent for a long while, sweat beading on his forehead. Meanwhile, Su Sanlang on the bed was wildly thrashing about in terror, muttering continuously, “It wasn’t me, I don’t know anything, I didn’t harm them—it was Zhou Jiulang... He did it, he did!”
Murong Huan opened his eyes and said to A-shu, “Ask me—where are those girls now? What has become of them?”
A-shu nodded and approached Su Sanlang’s bedside, speaking in a coaxing, low voice, “You didn’t harm them, so how did they come to such an end? Where are they now?”
“They’re still in that mansion, all dead. Zhou Jiulang isn’t human—he actually used the torturous techniques from the interrogation chamber on those girls. They couldn’t endure the humiliation and all jumped into the well to kill themselves... all dead!”
“It must be them—they’ve come to claim lives, but it has nothing to do with me. I just happened to see it... I shouldn’t have gone back. If I hadn’t returned, I wouldn’t have known anything, wouldn’t have seen anything, and they wouldn’t have come after me...”
“But I heard their pleas—they begged me to save their lives!”
“They were begging me...”
Su Sanlang’s emotions escalated in his nightmare, his whole body convulsing as he struggled and wailed in pain.
Outside the door, Madam Qin heard the cries and anxiously tried to rush in, only to be stopped by Su Qing.
“The healer is in the room. We can’t just barge in and disturb things. What if something goes wrong?”
“Is she really a healer? She’s just taking advantage of this to torment my son! She’s retaliating against the Su family for ignoring her all these years, letting her fend for herself in Taoyuan Village!”
“Madam Qin, enough!” Su Qing snapped irritably. “Do you have a better solution now? Can you find a more skilled doctor right this moment?”
Madam Qin sobbed, unable to reply.
At that moment, the matriarch also spoke, “Since Eldest Son says this girl can heal, then let’s try it. Second Son also studied medicine once; maybe he truly passed on some of his skills to her.”
Lady Qiu also comforted, “Madam Si, don’t be so anxious. Sanlang will get better. Just wait a bit longer.”
Madam Qin wiped her tears and finally stopped protesting, though a layer of resentment clouded her eyes.
...
A-shu struggled greatly to restrain Su Sanlang’s flailing hands. Murong Huan placed the wooden doll once more on Su Sanlang’s chest.
“You did not save them from death, which is wrong, but the greater fault is not yours. Rather than suffer the torment of conscience, stand up and seek justice for the departed.”
“Seek justice for the dead? No, I can’t. If I say a single word, Zhou Jiulang’s father will destroy my entire Su family. I can’t say it. I can’t say it...”
“Then find a way to speak through someone else’s mouth!”
“Through someone else... through someone else...”
“There is a saying in Buddhism: To let go of the material and spiritual world is the greatest charity; to no longer give rise to greed and anger is the greatest discipline; to disregard right and wrong, self and others, is the greatest forbearance; to cease wandering thoughts is the greatest meditation. Su Sanlang, all the world knows beauty as beauty, thus there is ugliness. All know good as good, thus there is evil. Good and evil, beauty and ugliness exist in opposition, yet all are separated by a single thought. It is by conquering the evil within one’s heart with the good that one walks the right path!”
...
“To conquer the evil within one’s heart with the good—that is the true way!”
Su Sanlang murmured to himself for a while, his emotions gradually calming.
“Huan, Sanlang seems better. What next?”
Murong Huan was silent for a moment, then said, “Let him sleep a little longer.”
A-shu replied, “Alright!” Then she asked again, “And what about us?”
“We may leave now.”
A-shu exclaimed softly, then looked up in surprise, “Is he really cured already?”
“Huan, did you make him dream just now?”
Curious, A-shu asked.
“No! The heart knot is untied—no need to induce a dream.”
“Oh!”
“Let’s go.”
A-shu responded and hurried to gather the incense burner and wooden doll she had brought, ready to leave. At that moment, Murong Huan turned back to Su Sanlang on the bed and said, “Zhou Jiulang is already dead.”
The man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.
...
Seeing Murong Huan and A-shu emerge, Su Qing quickly approached and quietly asked, “How is it? Is he cured?”
“He’s cured, he’s cured!” A-shu replied joyfully.
Su Qing’s face brightened as he made to stride into Su Sanlang’s room, but Murong Huan said, “He is cured, but burdened by guilt and conscience, so he cannot easily escape remorse. Uncle must remember what I told you.”
Su Qing nodded and stepped inside. At that moment, Madam Qin hurried in eagerly and saw Su Sanlang sitting up on the bed, as if startled awake from a nightmare, breathing heavily.
“My son, how do you feel now?”
Madam Qin was overjoyed and rushed to his side, speaking gently, wary of frightening him again.
Upon seeing his mother, Su Sanlang collapsed into her arms, crying, “Mother, it was so terrifying. It scared me to death—I shouldn’t have looked at those things I shouldn’t have seen...”
“I know, I know. It was those bad people who scared you, Sanlang. Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Mother is here!”
“Mother, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do!”
Witnessing this mother and son embrace, Su Qing’s expression darkened deeply.
Though young, Su Sanlang was already fifteen years old. Yet whenever trouble arose, he clung to his mother like a spoiled child—what kind of image was that?
“Stop crying! What kind of example is that? You’re almost grown.”
Su Sanlang looked up and saw his father, Su Qing, who spoke with a stern face. Immediately, he straightened, sat properly, and respectfully called, “Father!”
“Did you do something shameful? Is that why nightmares haunt you and nearly cost you your life?”
Su Qing asked severely.
Su Sanlang lowered his head, “No, no.”
“If not, why do you call Zhou Jiulang’s name in your nightmares? Did you do something evil with him?”
At this, Su Sanlang’s face suddenly turned pale. He jumped off the bed like a frightened rabbit and knelt before Su Qing.
“It’s really not true, Father. Though I’m a bit playful, I’m timid and can’t do evil things!”
Madam Qin quickly pulled Su Sanlang up, “Enough. Sanlang just recovered. Why scare him like this? What if you frighten him again and something awful happens?”
Su Qing grew more angry, “This is your doing! Look how weak he is. A man of seven feet, and he’s not even as brave as a little girl!”
Mentioning that little girl, Madam Qin paused in surprise—was it really she who had healed Sanlang?
“I’ve said before, don’t listen to those charlatans and Taoist priests. Second Son’s child is unfortunate, having witnessed her mother and father die young. It’s normal for her temperament to change. But now she’s grown and sensible. Don’t bring up the past in front of her anymore!”
“Especially don’t mention any ill-omened people!” With that, Su Qing threw off his sleeves and left the room.
...
To be sure her son was truly cured and not merely experiencing a temporary remission, Madam Qin again asked Lady Qiu to fetch Doctor Mo.
Doctor Mo first took the pulse, then examined Su Sanlang’s face from left to right, growing increasingly incredulous.
Madam Qin anxiously asked, “How is it? Is my son truly healed? Will it happen again?”
“He’s healed,” Doctor Mo murmured.
Madam Qin rejoiced, “Really healed? It won’t happen again?”
Doctor Mo was still marveling, then suddenly asked eagerly, “By the way, how was he cured? Who cured him?”
Madam Qin found herself speechless, her heart a tumult of emotions.
“Mother, who healed me?” Su Sanlang’s curiosity was piqued. With a dreamy expression, he continued, “I think I saw a very beautiful young lady in my dream. She kept talking to me.”
“She said, ‘All know beauty as beauty, thus there is ugliness. All know good as good, thus there is evil. Good and evil, beauty and ugliness exist in opposition, yet all are separated by a single thought. It is by conquering the evil within one’s heart with the good that one walks the right path!’”
“By the way, where is that beautiful young lady? She healed me, right? Where is she now?”
A beautiful young lady?
Madam Qin looked at her son’s enamored face and instantly flew into a rage. She couldn’t help but slap Su Sanlang’s smiling face.
“What beautiful young lady? Is your head filled only with thoughts of pretty girls? She’s no young lady—she’s a freak. She’s your sister!”