PCA Chapter 124

“So that’s how it is,” the big monk said, sitting by the well and spitting out a sunflower seed shell. “A young lady from a wealthy family in the capital went missing, and you thought she might be hidden here, so you came to check.”

 

“Otherwise, who would want to come to your monk’s temple?” Qu Ling’er nudged the big monk. “Do you have more? Give me some.”

 

The big monk pulled out another handful of pumpkin seeds from his pocket and handed them to Qu Ling’er. The two sat by the well, chatting and snacking.

 

The big monk said, “But you’ve got it all wrong. We haven’t seen any young lady here; we’ve got that demon, Song Fan, locked up. He’s already killed quite a few people. We were going to execute him on the spot, but the abbot said monks should be compassionate, so he was locked at the bottom of the well.”

 

“But Song Fan is clearly in Chang’an,” Qu Ling’er frowned. “Is the Song Fan you’re talking about the one with a punchable face, always grinning foolishly at people?”

 

“Exactly!” The big monk slapped his thigh. “You say he’s in Chang’an?”

 

Qu Ling’er nodded.

 

“Then who the hell is locked down there?!” The big monk stood up abruptly, shaking off the seed shells. “I’ll go get some people; we need witnesses!”

 

“Hey…” Qu Ling’er quickly called out to stop him.

 

The big monk thought he was scared and waved his hand. “Don’t be afraid; I’ll be right back.”

 

Qu Ling’er extended his hand. “Give me more seeds.”

 

The big monk: “…”

 

“Huang Wan’er?”

 

Su Cen examined the person in front of him by the light of the fire. She was frail, with long, unkempt hair, seemingly terrified of the light, waving her arms to retreat until she could go no further, curling up against the stone wall, her head buried in her arms.

 

Su Cen guessed she might be afraid of light after being in the well for so long, so he extinguished the fire starter. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he approached slowly, speaking softly, “Are you Huang Wan’er? Your brother sent me to find you.”

 

Upon hearing the word “brother,” the figure visibly paused, slowly lifting her head to look at Su Cen, repeating, “Brother… brother?”

 

“Your brother, Huang Mian, do you remember him?” This person seemed to have some mental issues, but anyone locked in a dark well for six months would likely be affected. Su Cen didn’t want to startle her, so he approached cautiously, stopping if Huang Wan’er showed any sign of resistance.

 

“Brother.” Huang Wan’er repeated, this time not as a question, and her pronunciation was clearer.

 

“And your father, Huang Ting,” Su Cen took out the jade earrings from his pocket. “Are these yours?”

 

Huang Wan’er’s fingers moved, but she didn’t dare reach out. Su Cen placed the earrings on a stone beside her, waiting for a while before Huang Wan’er carefully picked them up and clutched them tightly.

 

After some time, faint sobbing echoed through the empty cave, the sound small but her body trembling violently. It was a suppressed, endured cry, yet it escaped uncontrollably from her throat.

 

Su Cen waited patiently for Huang Wan’er to finish crying, then extended a hand to her. “I’ll take you home.”

 

The big monk didn’t take long to gather a crowd of bald heads around the well, peering down. Qu Ling’er guarded the well’s mouth, eating seeds, with a peacock feather in hand, ready to take anyone down with him if they dared to approach.

 

The big monk tried to be friendly. “Young donor, we mean no harm. He’s already gone down, and we can’t fill the well. Why are you still guarding it so tightly?”

 

“You say you mean no harm, yet you thought of filling the well!” Qu Ling’er glared at him fiercely. “Whether my Brother Su brings back Huang Wan’er or the great demon, we’re taking this person today!”

 

The big monk, in front of so many people, couldn’t show his true feelings, but inside, he was delighted. Take her away, quickly! He wouldn’t have to guard this place in the middle of the night anymore.

 

As they were at a standoff, the rope in the well moved, and Su Cen called out Qu Ling’er’s name from below.

 

Qu Ling’er immediately turned back to the well’s mouth, almost crying with joy. “Brother Su, you’re still alive!”

 

Su Cen: “…” Why wouldn’t he be alive?

 

He and Huang Wan’er stood at the bottom of the well, in a bit of a dilemma. Ever since Huang Wan’er had grabbed his hand earlier, she hadn’t let go. Qu Ling’er couldn’t possibly pull up two people at once, and even if he could, Su Cen didn’t dare risk it. If the rope broke halfway, it would be two bodies and three lives lost—Su Cen had just noticed that Huang Wan’er was pregnant. He didn’t dare ask whose child it was, fearing to upset her, but he could guess.

 

However, now Huang Wan’er wouldn’t let go of his hand. Every time he tried to loosen her grip, she would hold on tighter, her strength surprising for someone so small, causing him pain.

 

Neither staying nor leaving was an option. Su Cen frowned and gently persuaded, “Wan’er, your brother is up there. If we go up, we can see him. Okay?”

 

Upon hearing the word “brother,” Huang Wan’er’s grip loosened slightly. Su Cen quickly pulled his hand free, picked up the rope, and tied a knot. Huang Wan’er was pregnant, so he couldn’t tie the rope around her waist. Instead, he had her sit on the rope, securing it under her arms for safety, and after triple-checking the knot, he called out, “Ling’er, pull!”

 

Qu Ling’er rolled up his sleeves, put all his strength into it, and started to turn the pulley—half a moment later, he gave up; he couldn’t move it…

 

Now, he had to swallow his pride and ask the big monk for help. As tough as he had been earlier, he was now as obsequious, completely forgetting what shame was.

 

Fortunately, the big monk didn’t hold it against him. He spat into his hands, gave a hearty shout, and began to slowly pull the rope up.

 

Qu Ling’er no longer worried about the monks’ intentions, mingling with them, arm in arm, and said, “Want to bet whether it’s a girl or your great demon coming up?”

 

The monks exchanged glances, and one stepped forward, bowing to Qu Ling’er with a single palm. “We monks abstain from gambling.”

 

“Why do you abstain from everything?” Qu Ling’er said urgently. “It’s not a big bet, just… one prayer bead. If I win, you give me one bead; if I lose, I’ll give you one. Hurry up, they’re about to come up.”

 

The monks looked at each other again, still undecided, when the big monk, while panting and pulling the rope, said, “I’ll bet with you. I bet on the great demon. How could it be a girl with this weight!”

 

The monks all agreed, “We bet on the great demon!”

 

Qu Ling’er was on the verge of tears. “You’re cheating!”

 

The monks teased Qu Ling’er for not being able to take a joke, but when the person came up, they were all stunned.

 

Especially the big monk, whose hand shook, nearly sending the person back down the well.

 

“Really… really a girl?”

 

The group of monks erupted in confusion. They had sent a man down, so how did a girl come up? Where did the great demon go? How did this girl get in there?

 

Qu Ling’er’s sorrow turned to joy, and he went to hug Huang Wan’er, only to be hit by her smell, nearly vomiting from the stench—after six months in a well, no one could remain fragrant.

 

Huang Wan’er looked around at the bald heads, not seeing her brother, and being hugged by this stranger, she immediately became agitated, screaming and struggling to escape.

 

Qu Ling’er, forced by the situation, quickly untied the rope, enduring Huang Wan’er’s sour smell, not daring to let go.

 

It wasn’t until Su Cen was pulled up that Huang Wan’er calmed down, timidly hiding behind Su Cen, still holding his hand tightly.

 

Qu Ling’er, relieved, went to collect his winnings from the monks. The monks reluctantly took off their prayer beads, each giving one to Qu Ling’er.

 

As they were bustling, the temple bell suddenly rang. Everyone stopped.

 

“Why is the bell ringing at this hour?”

 

“What’s happened?”

 

The lingering sound of the bell echoed through the bamboo grove, and everyone held their breath, as if the bell would never stop ringing, each toll striking at their hearts.

 

Only when the bell stopped did everyone come back to their senses. Someone asked, “How many times did it ring?”

 

Someone replied cautiously, “Eighty… or ninety?”

 

“One hundred and eight,” Su Cen counted. “What does this mean?”

 

The monks were all stunned, then knelt down.

 

The big monk said, “The abbot… has passed into Nirvana…”

 

Su Cen, leading Huang Wan’er and Qu Ling’er, followed the monks back to the temple. The only sound was the heavy footsteps, with no one speaking.

 

Su Cen couldn’t understand how Abbot Huikong, who was fine earlier in the day, could suddenly pass away. Unable to console the monks, he could only follow behind in silent contemplation.

 

At the entrance of the Sutra Repository, they met Li Shi and Qi Lin, with two bodies laid out beside them—one was Abbot Huikong, and the other was a man in black, whose identity Su Cen couldn’t discern.

 

Su Cen nodded to Li Shi, estimating that they would need to gather all the information to understand what had happened that night, but now was clearly not the time.

 

However, Li Shi raised an eyebrow at the person behind Su Cen.

 

Huang Wan’er had been clinging to Su Cen the entire way, and he had to lead her by the hand, which she still hadn’t let go of.

 

Su Cen’s heart sank, thinking, “This is going to be trouble…”

 

The monks, seeing the abbot’s body, sat around it, reciting the Rebirth Mantra. Monks view death as liberation, a release from all karmic obstacles, leading to the Pure Land. But Su Cen could still hear a few suppressed sobs among the chanting.

 

Su Cen brought Huang Wan’er to Li Shi’s side. Perhaps due to Li Shi’s imposing presence, Huang Wan’er was terrified, gripping Su Cen’s hand so tightly it felt like she was trying to crush his bones.

 

Su Cen winced slightly, about to say something, when Li Shi glanced back and said, “Let go.”

 

Huang Wan’er trembled, hesitated for a moment, then silently let go.

 

Su Cen, rubbing his hand, couldn’t help but laugh and cry. If he had known Li Shi was so effective, he wouldn’t have had to endure this ordeal all the way back.

 

“Did the abbot die at the hands of this black-clad man?” Su Cen asked.

 

Li Shi shook his head. “He was already dead before the black-clad man struck. He severed his own meridians; it was suicide.”

 

“Suicide?” Su Cen was surprised. “Why would he commit suicide out of the blue?” Combining this with Huang Wan’er’s situation, Su Cen lowered his voice. “Could it be that he knew his actions were exposed, so he took his own life out of guilt?”

 

“Abbot Huikong was an enlightened monk,” Li Shi said, looking at the serene face of the corpse, detached from worldly concerns. “His last words before he died were: ‘If I do not enter hell, who will?’”

 

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