Chapter 132: Dark Experiment
Darkness fell.
“Mother, do you remember when I was a child, Aunt Yao always used to play a game with me?”
“Aunt Yao always made me think about where I went wrong. If I couldn’t answer, she would lock me in the confinement room of the Buddhist shrine. There were no windows, no sound.
Aunt Yao told me to reflect properly, to think hard about what I had done wrong. I couldn’t think of it. I really couldn’t. But I was afraid of the dark. I was so terrified of the dark. I desperately said I was wrong, and even for things I hadn’t done, I desperately admitted to them because I was truly afraid.
Isn’t it ridiculous? A grown man like me, actually afraid of the dark. I wasn’t beaten, at most occasionally hungry, and I wasn’t cold either. I was just afraid of the dark.”
He was truly terrified. Once, Aunt Yao might have forgotten about him and locked him away for a day. He felt like he had gone mad. He used his fingernails to desperately scratch his own body until he broke the skin, hurting, bleeding. Only then did he feel alive. He thought he had been locked up for a lifetime, but in reality, it was only a day.
Just one day. After he came out, he was a bit mad, felt there was something wrong with him, and wanted to die.
But he, he, his children, his Sister Xia, his Mianmian, were in the dark underground, unable to move, unable to speak, locked up for so long, so very long.
When saying this, Jiang Changtian, like a pervert, twisted his neck and tilted his head back. He wanted to reveal a smile, but he opened his mouth wide and couldn’t laugh.
Among the men in black below, one person’s hands were also trembling.
He was grabbing Jiang Huaisheng.
He was also wearing a mask.
No one noticed him.
They were all looking at Jiang Changtian, only feeling that he was terribly mad at this moment.
If it weren’t for his good looks, his expression right now would truly be that of a complete lunatic.
“Tonight, let’s play a little game too.”
Jiang Changtian ordered the men in black to drag everyone to the Buddhist shrine.
In the Buddhist shrine stood a golden Buddha statue brought by Old Madam Jiang, plated with real gold, with a turquoise gemstone embedded in its forehead.
Above it were the ancestral tablets of the Jiang Family.
One of them was inscribed with the name of his father, Grand Tutor Jiang Bai.
Jiang Changtian stood before that tablet, his hand gently stroking the characters on it.
It was very smooth and shiny. This was something he used to do often. It seemed that by touching this tablet, by touching the characters on it, he gained strength, the courage to go on living.
He lit three incense sticks, inserted them into the incense burner, and bowed three times to the tablet.
Then he sat down.
He made the others sit down as well.
“Three feet above one’s head, there are gods. When Aunt Yao played games with me, it was under the gaze of the gods, under the gaze of the Jiang Family ancestors. Aunt Yao didn’t kill me, and I won’t kill you either.”
The Buddhist shrine had a confinement room, originally intended for seeking silence and calming the mind.
Jiang Changtian had people push Jiang Rong into the confinement room. The confinement room had excellent soundproofing; normal conversation outside wouldn’t disturb those inside.
The members of the Jiang Family didn’t know what kind of madness had taken hold of him.
Old Madam Jiang didn’t know either; she would often go to the confinement room to chant sutras for a while. Chanting inside made her feel particularly at peace, and she would come out feeling refreshed.
This wretch insisted that Aunt Yao had bullied him.
Jiang Changtian watched his sister-in-law yawn, the baby having fallen asleep, and gently said to the Jiang Family servants: “Sister-in-law needs to take care of the baby. Please bring over a soft couch.”
Thus, Old Madam Jiang had to sit on a hard chair, while Madam Wu, holding the child, got a soft couch.
She braced herself and leaned back, her heart filled with mixed emotions, but holding the child while enduring this was indeed very tiring.
Jiang Huaisheng wanted to curse again, but he didn’t know what they were going to do to Ronger.
He just saw them lock Ronger inside and leave him be.
Jiang Changtian said nothing, closing his eyes to rest.
The three incense sticks on the burner burned out.
“Ah!”
A scream that didn’t sound human suddenly came from the confinement room.
The Jiang Family members were terrified. Was there a monster hidden in that confinement room? Ronger had clearly gone in under everyone’s eyes, and it had only been the time it takes for an incense stick to burn—very short—yet Jiang Rong’s screams grew louder and louder.
Then came the dull thud of someone hitting the wall.
The sound of fingernails scratching the door, a harsh “scratch, scratch” sound.
These screams continued for a while until they stopped, and only then did Jiang Changtian have someone open the door to the confinement room.
A sliver of light poured in, and Jiang Rong was carried out.
He wailed loudly, his ten fingertips were scratched and bleeding. He was extremely terrified, unable to find the direction of the door. His body was convulsing, and he muttered: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I was wrong.”
Jiang Changtian didn’t pause on Jiang Rong, but turned to Jiang Huaisheng and said: “Big Brother, it’s your turn. When we were little, you always complained that I caused too much trouble, always asked me if I knew I was wrong, and always told me not to make Mother angry again. Now I ask you: Do you know you were wrong? Where did you go wrong? I hope you can tell me the answer in a while.”
Jiang Huaisheng was also locked in the confinement room.
He wasn’t afraid; before going in, he even spat.
Ronger had been terrified beforehand, which was why he lost his composure. He, a dignified man, learned and accomplished in both literature and martial arts, how could he be afraid of a confinement room?
As he entered, a recitation came from the confinement room: “The spirit of the human likes purity, but the heart disturbs it; the human heart likes stillness, but desires pull at it. Therefore, there is no stillness to be found, how can desire be born? If desire is not born, that is true stillness. True constancy responds to things, true constancy attains nature; constant response and constant stillness, that is constant purity and stillness.”
This was what Laozi said. Calming the heart can cultivate the inner self; it is also a form of practice.
Jiang Huaisheng treated this as a form of practice and didn’t care at all.
Afterward, there was no sound inside; it was very quiet.
Only Jiang Rong’s terrified mutterings remained.
Seeing her son’s state, Madam Wu was heartbroken. Disregarding everything, she got up to check on Ronger.
Jiang Changtian didn’t object.
Jiang Wan saw this and also got up.
She thought to herself, Second Uncle treats Mother with great favor; could there really be an affair? He even carried the younger sister himself; he seems to like children.
Jiang Wan cautiously went over, wanting to help her big brother, but was shoved away by him. Jiang Rong was large and, having lost his senses, had immense strength. Jiang Wan was pushed directly into a chair on the side, her back in great pain.
Jiang Wan thought her big brother might be faking it, but she hadn’t expected that he seemed truly mad.
Only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn—is that possible?
But upon getting closer, she smelled a foul odor; it seemed her big brother had lost control of his bladder again.
Jiang Wan was terrified in her heart, not knowing why this was happening, but she forced herself to endure and told the servants: “Help him onto the chair.”
Jiang Changtian didn’t stop them. The servants came over, but it took several of them to lift Jiang Rong and move him onto the chair. Jiang Rong sat there, his eyes vacant, looking foolish, as if he had gone completely mad.
He kept muttering: “I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong…”
Time passed, she didn’t know how long.
Old Madam Jiang kept thinking this beast wanted to ask her something, but he wouldn’t speak.
He just sat on the chair, sitting quite alertly.
At her age, she couldn’t sit still anymore, and she glanced with some resentment at Madam Wu, who was leaning on the soft couch holding the child.
Madam Wu looked at Ronger with worry, while also having to look after the baby in her arms.
She was also worried about her husband in the confinement room; he should be fine, her husband was so heroic.
As time passed.
It was somewhat long and difficult to endure.
But it wasn’t too long either.
Yet, a dull thud seemed to come from the confinement room.
The previous dull thud had been the sound of Jiang Rong hitting the wall.
What about now?
Old Madam Jiang was somewhat puzzled and also panicked.
She spoke: “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. Besides, I dare not believe what Mother says. You deceived me for half my life; I’m worried you’ll deceive me again. Let’s just play the game. Aunt Yao said this game is very fun. Don’t worry, Mother, it will be your turn soon.”
Jiang Changtian sat upright.
His expression was solemn, like a Bodhisattva in the Buddhist shrine.
He closed his eyes to rest.
Below, a crowd of people in black stood in neat rows.
Actually, some were a bit curious: how did Jiang Rong go in for a while and come out crazy? Was he truly crazy, or was he faking it?
However, Jiang Rong had been so cowardly that he had wet himself at the start; perhaps he was just too timid.
Everyone was curious about what would happen to Jiang Huaisheng.
Jiang Huaisheng was loudly reciting the Supreme Lord’s Incantation for Calming the Heart.
After entering, he first felt around the four corners; there was nothing special. It was very clean.
He had been to this room before and had seen his Mother sitting on a prayer mat chanting sutras.
So, there was a prayer mat in the room, and nothing else.
He knew his younger brother had been naughty and locked in here before.
He thought Changtian was a bit unreasonable; was it just to make him experience it too?
Ronger was already easily frightened and afraid of the dark; it was possible for him to be terrified in here.
But he was well-read, not afraid of the dark, and practiced martial arts diligently regardless of the cold or heat; his health was good, so 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 Lord’s Incantation for Calming the Heart, even feeling that this was an excellent place to think.
He thought seriously about how to escape.
Listening to his younger brother’s words, he had intercepted the letter Mother sent out. Did that mean they couldn’t leave?
But seeing that his younger brother didn’t really want to kill them, was it just to torture them for amusement?
What should be done about the current predicament?
At such a critical juncture, what secret was Mother still keeping? Why wouldn’t she say it?
It was so quiet outside.
So dark.
His movements were not restricted.
He just couldn’t hear any sound or see any light.
He felt a long time had passed; he didn’t know if it was dawn outside.
He was very sleepy and tired; he thought he could take a nap.
Taking a nap would be wonderful.
It was just that his wife, children, and Mother were all outside; him sleeping inside seemed somewhat unfilial.
But since he couldn’t get out anyway, he might as well sleep.
He lay on the floor with his head against the prayer mat. Fortunately, it was hot, so it wasn’t cold, and there was even a blanket on the floor.
This was the place where Mother chanted sutras; it was actually quite nice.
Jiang Huaisheng lay down, but strangely, he couldn’t fall asleep.
Closing his eyes or opening them was the same; it was dark anyway.
A long time. Had a day already passed? Had he slept enough?
It had been too long; he didn’t know what was happening outside.
He wasn’t even hungry, which was strange.
He first recited books, then thought of his wife, children, Mother, and Ronger.
It felt like many days had passed. He thought his patience was truly good, and he wasn’t hungry at all.
Why wouldn’t that beast open the door for him yet?
Did he want to starve him to death?
His hands trembled slightly as he tapped on the prayer mat, counting time.
As he counted, he became confused.
It was so dark and quiet before his eyes. He suddenly felt a panic of being buried alive.
This room was a bit like that: three sides were earthen walls, and one side was a thick, double-layered door panel. It was like a coffin.
Jiang Huaisheng suddenly felt his facial wound itch, feeling as if ants were gnawing on it.
He had heard that the Kidnapper before had been bitten to death by ants.
He remembered that time when two Kidnappers had posed as The Peddler and almost abducted his younger brother’s two children.
Mother and Wan’er had said, “Pity the hearts of parents everywhere,” that the Kidnappers were only doing it to buy medicine for their sick child, and said to spare their lives.
Sometimes, life and death are decided in a single thought.
Unfortunately, those Kidnappers didn’t survive; one was said to have been bitten to death by ants, and the other had committed suicide.
His wound itched so much.
What was happening outside?
So quiet. He heard someone breathing. Who was it?
Oh.
It was himself.
Ronger was truly useless; he could sit for a day.
He had slept for so long; he was just a bit bored.
There were footsteps.
Who was it?
It was himself.
He suddenly began to panic.
It was too dark, and there was no sound outside. Would he be forgotten?
His younger brother said Aunt Yao had forgotten him and locked him away for a day.
He felt he must have been locked up for several days already.
He paced back and forth anxiously.
He scratched his head with both hands.
But there was no response.
It was too quiet.
He was panicked and afraid. He didn’t know what to do. Now he didn’t even know which direction the door was, nor did he know where he was.
It was as if he were in a chaotic sphere.
He kept touching the scar on his face.
It had actually already healed.
But suddenly, his hand desperately clawed at the scar until it was bloody again. He let out a roar: “Ah!”
He forcibly tore open the wound that had already healed, screaming while clawing at it.
The door opened.
A light source poured in.
Jiang Huaisheng, who thought he had been locked up for half a month, discovered that his Mother was actually still sitting before the ancestral tablets, and Wan’er was still sitting before his Mother.
His wife was holding the child, leaning on the soft couch, and Ronger was hanging his head, his legs shaking, convulsing on the chair.
He scrambled out quickly, laughing loudly.
His face was covered in blood.
Jiang Changtian yawned, looked expressionlessly at his blood-covered big brother, looked up at Jiang Wan, and said: “It’s your turn.”
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