Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Chapter 75 A Dream

When Lord Gu entered Wenxian's house, he encountered a young Taoist priest standing outside the east wing, exchanging words with Wuxin inside. The door was locked, as he feared that outsiders might intrude.

The young Taoist priest, looking solemn and dressed impeccably, took a moment to bow to Lord Gu. At the same time, he heard a question from inside the room: "Why hasn't your grandmaster returned?"

The young Taoist priest replied confidently, "My master said he's terrified."

Then the voice inside the room changed its target: "Lord Gu?"

Lord Gu stood in the courtyard, took off his military cap, and wiped the sweat from his brow: "Ah, it's me."

Wu Xin said, "Lord Gu, please come in."

Lord Gu unlocked the door and slipped inside. A moment later, he emerged and handed a letter to the young Taoist priest: "You must deliver his letter to your master."

The young Taoist priest immediately took the letter and put it in his pocket: "Alright, I'll catch the train back to Beijing this afternoon, and I'll be able to see my master tonight."

After seeing the young Taoist priest off, Lord Gu returned to the east wing. Wuxin lay naked under the covers, one shoulder exposed, revealing what was once the exposed bone. However, after a day and night of rest, a layer of pinkish flesh had grown over the bone. Lord Gu was very busy; the military leader of Chang'an County had decided to surrender to the old marshal, and thus surrendered with considerable reservations. As the old marshal's plenipotentiary representative, he naturally couldn't hide away and ignore the situation.

He plopped down on the edge of the bed, bending down with some effort to take off his riding boots. On the bed lay a large, bright yellow sheet of paper, covered in scribbled scribbles in cinnabar. It was specially sent from Beijing by Chuchenzi's disciple, who said that Wuxin would definitely find it useful. However, after he led his troops up the mountain, he discovered that Wuxin had already accomplished the great feat single-handedly.

It was hot, and Lord Gu, having been running around in his heavy boots for a long time, felt an indescribable sense of comfort as his large feet met the cool air. He stretched his legs out quite naturally and lay down next to Wuxin. He stretched lazily, grinning, and then let out a huge, thunderous yawn.

"How are you?" he asked. "Does it still hurt?"

Wuxin carefully folded the yellow paper and stuffed it into a large envelope: "Much better, it's nothing."

Lord Gu lay on his back with his arms as a pillow, turned his head and smiled at him: "Tell me, what happened? I haven't had a chance to talk to you since I brought you back yesterday."

Wuxin lay down on his side and faced Lord Gu, saying, "I dragged Yue Qiluo into the Ghost Cave. I escaped, but she stayed behind."

Lord Gu blinked. "Wait a minute, didn't you say we couldn't kill her?"

Wu Xin asked, "Lord Gu, do you remember the last time we passed through Ghost Cave last winter? At that time, Ding Datou's soldiers came to chase us, and we fled from Pig Mouth Town all the way into Pig Head Mountain."

Lord Gu thought for a moment, then nodded: "I remember, Yueya and I squatted in the tree for half a day, watching those soldiers go down into the cave one after another, and basically none of them came back up. Wasn't there that guy who came back to life? You caught him and burned him, and after you were burned, you jumped into the cave again. Yueya and I couldn't stop you in time while we were in the tree, so we were so anxious that we were cursing as we climbed down..."

Wuxin didn't follow Master Gu's lead and reminisce about the past, but instead asked, "Guess why I went into the cave back then?"

Lord Gu shook his head: "Speak plainly!"

Wuxin rolled over, now facing the ceiling: "Many people died that night, but I found the cave clean inside and out, with no corpses or souls. This suggests..."

Lord Gu understood somewhat: "That place is a one-way street. Even if she has the ability to reincarnate, it's useless without freedom, right?"

Wuxin nodded: "That's right. Although I don't know the reason behind it, the cave has indeed absorbed many wronged souls, which is strange and terrifying. So, I wrote a letter to Chenzi."

Lord Gu looked at him: "Why are you writing a letter to this old Taoist priest?"

Wu Xin sighed, "Let the old Taoist priest clean up the mess! Perhaps he can seal the cave entrance forever and build a tower on top to suppress it—he's not entirely without merit, he should know more than I do. Let him consider it and do what he thinks is right. I won't concern myself with what happens after that."

Lord Gu sighed, "Yes, never mind. Even without both legs, they've done their best."

After he finished speaking, Wuxin did not respond. The room was silent, and so was the yard. Looking out through the glass window, Wuxin could see the kitchen door, half-open.

Lord Gu is no longer the same as before; he no longer has time to guard Wuxin every day, yet he cannot allow outsiders to see the truth. He ordered the guards to firmly guard the courtyard gate, and every morning he would bring the day's meals into the room, with the chamber pot placed beside the bed. Then he would lock the door, leaving Wuxin alone in the room. Wuxin sat on the bed, staring blankly at the west wing opposite, then at the kitchen diagonally in front. On the stove in the kitchen sat a long-handled iron ladle, Yueya's usual tool, placed there the night before leaving for Pigsnout Town, untouched ever since.

After dark, Master Gu would usually return with a hot meal. During his growing years, Wuxin always had an enormous appetite. Master Gu, cigarette dangling from his lips, would stand against the wall watching him devour his large bowl, and he couldn't help but think of their time in Tianjin. Back then, he and Yueya, filled with trepidation and hope, had nurtured this monster into human form day by day. His heart suddenly softened inexplicably, and without thinking, he blurted out, "Stop looking so gloomy all the time. Once you're fully grown, I'll find you a wife. I'm rich and powerful. Even if you grow into a dog-headed, toad-eyed monster, I can still find you a beautiful young woman!"

Wuxin smiled at the large bowl: "What if she finds out something's wrong with me in the future?"

Lord Gu scoffed arrogantly, "What can we do? Just keep going. If she dares to cause trouble, beat her to death! There are plenty of women who married eunuchs. Aren't you better than a eunuch? Don't worry, if things really get out of hand, I'll take care of it for you! If she dares to disobey, I'll burn down her family's house!"

Upon hearing this, Wuxin realized that Lord Gu's wicked tendencies had resurfaced. If Lord Gu remained in obscurity, all would be well; but once he rose to prominence, he was bound to commit countless misdeeds. Wuxin had never liked bad people, but he felt utterly helpless in the face of Lord Gu.

Lord Gu's idea was, of course, a terrible one, and I had no intention of taking it as a joke; I just listened and let it go. Everyone has their own destiny, their own fate, and he couldn't just steal someone else's crescent moon just because he lost his own.

Lord Gu cleaned up the dishes and, being lazy, went to bed covered in sweat and stench. The toilet was still at the foot of the bed. He told Wuxin, "If you need to pee at night, push me. Push hard, I'm a heavy sleeper."

He spread out a quilt and lay down, turning off the light. In the darkness, he said again, "Master, really, as long as you're alive, you have to look forward. I'm heartbroken that Yueya is gone, but what's the use of being heartbroken? Being heartbroken won't save her! Before Yueya left, she told me to take care of you, and I'll always remember those words. I can't lie to her, no matter who I lie to. Now that the revenge is done, you have nothing to worry about anymore. From now on, follow me. You should be able to see that with my skills and ambition, I'm definitely not someone who can just lie down on the ground. Supporting you won't be a problem at all."

Wu Xin smiled but remained silent. Of course, he believed Lord Gu's promise, but unfortunately, no matter how good Lord Gu was, he wasn't Yueya. Lord Gu would have wives, concubines, children, and sons in the future, and soon, in just ten or twenty years, he wouldn't be able to explain his existence to his family.

He has too many flaws; for example, he won't age.

"Lord Gu," he suddenly spoke, "do you know why I don't do a proper job, but instead make a living by dealing with ghosts and spirits?"

Lord Gu immediately replied, "I think you're just a lazy bum; you have absolutely no ambition!"

Wuxin continued, "I want people to fear me and stay away from me."

Lord Gu glanced at him in the hazy night: "Stop talking nonsense, go to sleep."

Wuxin continued, "Since Yu'er died, no one has treated me kindly. I never expected to meet both Yueya and you at the same time. I've really had good luck these past hundred years."

A wave of sorrow washed over Lord Gu, and he immediately turned his back to Wuxin, saying, "Alright, alright, I'm getting sick of listening to you talk."

Wu Xin fell silent, quietly taking out a photo of him and Yueya from his pocket. He placed the photo in front of Master Gu's head; the three of them were still together.

A month later, Wuxin regained his human form.

On a bright and green May morning, he changed into a neat, light-colored outfit of trousers and a jacket, saying he was going to Qingyun Temple to visit Chuchenzi. Chuchenzi had recently returned from Beijing and, seemingly heeding Wuxin's advice in his letter, was indeed going to Zhutou Mountain to repair the pagoda.

Lord Gu, still half-asleep, sat on the bed with disheveled hair, bare chest, and squinting eyes, scratching his thigh as he asked, "Going to Qingyun Temple? Sure, I'll have Xiao Ma drive you there!"

Then he got out of bed, intending to go to the outhouse. Unexpectedly, Wuxin stood at the door, blocking his way.

Lord Gu stopped scratching his thigh and started touching the stubble on his chin. Wuxin stared at him intently, and he, bewildered, looked back at Wuxin. Wuxin's eyes were exceptionally dark, deep and unfathomable, as if they wanted to imprint and absorb his shadow.

Lord Gu stared at him for a long time, gradually waking up, and couldn't help but raise his hand to rub away the sleep from the corner of his eye: "What are you looking at? Weren't you leaving?"

Unwilling to look away, she suddenly opened her arms and hugged him. Her arms tightly encircled his bare upper body, catching Lord Gu off guard and nearly suffocating him. A little embarrassed, she said, "Hey, hey, what are you doing? Don't block my way so early in the morning, I need to pee!"

Without thinking, she raised her hand to ruffle his greasy, coarse short hair, then let go and took a step back.

Looking at Lord Gu as if he couldn't get enough, he smiled and said, "I may be staying at Qingyun Temple for a few days. Take care of yourself while you're home alone."

Lord Gu waved his hand dismissively: "Get lost! You'll be back in three to five days. We'll probably be heading back to Tianjin next week."

In the cool morning breeze, Wuxin nodded and smiled at Lord Gu, then turned and walked towards the courtyard gate.

Five days later, Lord Gu sent Xiao Ma to Qingyun Temple to pick up Wuxin. However, Xiao Ma returned in an empty car and stood in front of him, saying, "Master Chuchenzi of the temple said that Master Wuxin only stayed in the temple for one night and left the mountain four days ago."

Upon hearing this, Lord Gu felt a chill run down his spine. He deployed his men and set up a massive search, but after a frantic search lasting more than half a month, he found nothing.

Lord Gu sat alone in the courtyard, lost in thought under the scorching sun. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. He wondered if he had been dreaming for a year, a dream with a crescent moon and a heartless creature. Now, the dream was over.

Lord Gu met Wuxin again ten years later.

By then, he had changed his name to Gu Qingxuan, a name that was both rustic and refined, perfectly suited to his increasingly elevated status. But nothing lasts forever. Due to his autocracy and greed, he was finally overthrown by his enemies after his fortieth birthday.

Lord Gu was easygoing and untroubled. After stepping down, he moved into the Tianjin Concession and continued to live a life of luxury with his large family. One sunny afternoon, he took his two sons to a department store. Both sons resembled him closely—children in age but teenagers in stature, awkward and disobedient, pulling him from side to side. He, already a tall man, had now become even more overweight, standing on the street like a giant roly-poly toy, dragging one son in each arm, muttering angrily. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of something. He turned sharply and vaguely saw a familiar figure. Just as he was about to get a closer look, his two sons started fussing again: "Dad, take us to get ice cream, or we're not going anywhere!"

Sweating profusely, Lord Gu turned to his two sons and yelled, "You son of a bitch! If you keep making trouble, I'll tear you two apart and feed you to the eagles!"

The eldest son, unfazed, continued his tantrum: "Fine, I don't want to eat, just give me ten yuan and I'll go eat myself!"

Lord Gu turned his head again, thinking, "Who did I just see?"

He didn't know who he saw, so under the coercion of his two sons, he continued forward like a mountain.

I stood idly at the street corner, peering through the crowd at the back of the adult.

Lord Gu has aged and gained weight, resembling an old patriarch. Having read the bad news about Lord Gu in the newspaper, he was worried and made a special trip to Tianjin, hoping to catch a glimpse of him secretly.

Fortunately, although Lord Gu suffered setbacks in his official career, he remained energetic and did not appear dejected or defeated. His son was also doing well, appearing lively and energetic; perhaps he would be even more successful than his father when he grew up.

He turned his back to Lord Gu and walked aimlessly along the road. The warm sunlight bathed his head and face, and in his golden illusion, he saw the young Lord Gu smoking and gazing at the sky in the small courtyard, while Crescent Moon, wearing an apron, walked out of the kitchen, not saying a word, but only giving him a bright smile.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were bright. Her smile was so beautiful; she was an everlasting flower in his memory.

(End of this chapter)