Chapter 003
Chapter 3: Xiao Man Dreamwalks Again
Lately, Xiao Man feared the dark. When she had no night duty and walked back to her small room, fear rose for no clear reason. Even so, she could not fight sleep. Her eyelids fell.
The sticky fog did not appear. She was already standing beneath a towering tree. It was so huge that ten people linking arms could not encircle it. Thick gray fog wrapped the crown and hid the sky so no clouds could be seen. Today the ground beneath the tree was quiet. There were no Joyous Buddha scenes. Her tight nerves eased a little. No one else was there.
She circled the thick trunk and saw the Eldest Grandson Young Master sitting in Seated Meditation on the other side. He still wore snow white robes. His eyes were shut. His face was peaceful, as if he knew nothing about anything around him. She called softly, saying: “Eldest Grandson Young Master?” Only the empty woods answered. No one replied.
Bolder now, she inched closer and waved her hand before his eyes. He did not move, not even a flicker of his lashes. A daring thought crept in. She reached out and poked his cheek. His skin was warm and smooth. She had to admit he was very handsome, and with this cool, strict Buddhist Order air, it was no wonder the Spirit Creature wanted to drag him down from his altar. When he still did not react, she fully relaxed. [Since he will not wake, I might as well use this chance to look around the dream.]
In the instant she turned, a powerful grip seized her wrist. She was yanked backward and dropped straight into a burning hot embrace. Heat poured through their thin clothes. The smell of thick sandalwood filled her breath. Lin Qing Xuan’s eyes snapped open, bright scarlet and wild. There was no clarity in them, only madness. He crushed her to his chest.
Xiao Man’s mind went blank. He twisted her to face him and forced her gaze to meet his, then slammed down a fierce kiss. This was not a kiss. There was no gentle search, no steady comfort. It was a rough grab. He forced her mouth open and took what he wanted.
She shuddered and pounded his solid chest. Her strength, compared with his, was like an ant trying to shake a tree. Useless. [This is wrong.] She steeled herself, and when his mouth would not let go, she bit down hard. The taste of blood burst across her tongue.
Lin Qing Xuan’s body stiffened. He froze for a heartbeat. Now was the time. Xiao Man threw all her strength into a slap, shoved him to the ground, and scrambled up. She ran. [This feels too real. Why am I not waking up?]
Behind her, the once clear dream turned to thunder and lightning. Gray currents raced everywhere as if they meant to swallow heaven and earth. A familiar fog appeared out of nowhere and gathered beside her. Tuan Tuan spoke in a scolding, sing-song tone, saying: “With a chance this good, why push him away?”
Xiao Man stopped, stunned, and asked: “You were here the whole time?” The answer came from inside her head, sticky and smug, saying: “I am in your body. We have an Empathic Link, remember? His Love Trial is not passed. Why cling so hard to the Buddha? In this state, the Buddha will not take him. Yet he resists to the death. It is laughable.” The voice went on, coaxing: “The Buddha said greed, anger, and ignorance are the Three Poisons, and from them grow the Five Desires: wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep. Your Master was born to a rich family. He lacks no money or fame, and he lacks no food or clothes. Only the love gate is the one he cannot get through.” Then it turned honey-sweet, tempting her, saying: “Good Sister, I know you think this Buddha’s Chosen looks good too. Do me a favor and do him a favor, and at the same time, you can fulfill your own heart. Is that not so?”
A wave of nausea hit her. Shame and insult burned even more than when he had held her. [This Spirit Creature is shameless. It knows nothing of human decency.]
In the waking world, a mouthful of blood splashed from Lin Qing Xuan and bloomed on his plain robe like red plum blossoms in snow. He braced himself on the cushion. His sandalwood Prayer Beads rolled from his fingers, clicking crisply. He touched his lip with his tongue and winced at the sharp sting. There was a cut. The dream’s wild biting and struggle washed back over him, as clear as if it had happened a second earlier. He frowned and called out, saying: “Chen Shi.”
Page Chen Shi hurried in. Seeing blood at his Master’s mouth and a fresh wound, he jumped and asked: “Master, what happened to you?” Lin Qing Xuan asked, voice low: “The girl who brought the scripture the other day, who was she?” Chen Shi scratched his head, completely lost, and said: “Master, I truly do not know. That day a Sister from the Old Madam’s courtyard brought the scripture, and I was not in the inner yard. Every time you are in Seated Meditation, you do not allow anyone to disturb the place. I was outside with Little Four, chatting or playing cards.” Lin Qing Xuan closed his eyes and waved him away. The clue was broken.
Xiao Man tossed and turned, sleepless all night. [I cannot just sit and wait to be dragged in again.] At daybreak she stood before the bronze mirror and patted her face until it looked paler, then went to find Chief Maid Xiu He. She coughed weakly and said: “Sister, I think I caught a chill at night and now have a cold. I am afraid of passing it to the others.”
Xiu He felt her forehead. The temperature was normal. She said: “The Old Madam told you to see the House Physician and rest for a few days.” Pointing to Dong Chun, she added: “These days, Dong Chun will take your tasks.”
Xiao Man tugged Xiu He’s sleeve and softened her voice, saying: “Sister, I want to go out of the manor to see my Aunt for a home remedy so I can get well quicker. Please ask the Steward for a gate pass for me. I will go early and return by afternoon. I will bring you the sugar garlic my Aunt makes. You said last time it was delicious.” Xiu He was a straightforward person and said: “Fine. Your Aunt lives far in the west of the city, so do not rush. Just get back before the gate closes.” Dong Chun, a real foodie, brightened at once and said: “Sister Xiao Man, bring me ginger candy, lard candy, and osmanthus candy from the west city sweets shop.” Xiu He shot her a look and said: “Do you want to drown in sugar?” Xiao Man forced a smile and said: “I will bring them. I will bring enough for all the sisters in the yard.” Xiu He glanced at her again, worried, and said: “You were just fined part of your wages. Do you have enough? You also have to see the doctor and buy medicine.” Xiao Man’s heart warmed, and she said: “Thank you for caring, Sister. I still have money for the candy.”
With the pass in hand and a manor carriage, Xiao Man first went to Azure Cloud Temple. The incense there was thin and cool. She found the Abbess and said only that nightmares were troubling her, hiding the matter of the Young Master, then asked for a way to fix it. The Abbess looked her over from head to toe and said: “Benefactor, there is no demonic aura around you.” Seeing Xiao Man’s worried face, the Abbess sighed, drew a Protective Talisman, and gave it to her, saying: “Some karma cannot be escaped. Why avoid it?” Xiao Man did not catch the deeper meaning and took it as comfort. She thanked the Abbess, donated incense money, and held the talisman tight, yet her heart still felt heavy.
The carriage rattled on until it reached her Aunt’s home in the west of the city. Her Aunt had always treated both the original girl and the her-from-another-world the same, like a true daughter. Her Aunt was overjoyed to see her. Xiao Man took out a silver hairpin bought with saved wages and set it into her Aunt’s hair, and her Aunt said: “So pretty.”
Her Aunt’s eyes grew red, and she hurried to the back to kill the big hen that was laying eggs. Xiao Man quickly stopped her, saying: “Aunt, keep it to lay eggs. The cousins are still growing.” She remembered how the original girl had been dragged away by a gambling father from her Aunt’s home and sold into the Heir Apparent Manor. Her Aunt’s family was the only warmth she had in this world.
She drew a deep breath and got to the point, asking: “Aunt, do you know anyone nearby who can do a Spirit-trance Ritual?” Her Aunt paused, then pointed out a direction, saying: “Near your Uncle’s school there is a family who does that.” Xiao Man said: “I already have a carriage, Aunt. Please come with me.”
At Granny Wang’s house, three statues stood on the incense table with smoke curling around them. It looked very mystical. Xiao Man pressed a heavy red envelope into Granny Wang’s hand. Granny Wang weighed it, smiled in satisfaction, and began the Ritual Magic. She chanted, her body shook hard, and when she spoke again, a sharp, all-too-familiar voice came out, saying: “Little Miss, you bought candy and did not bring me any?”
Xiao Man’s blood turned to ice. It was Tuan Tuan. The voice mocked her, saying: “Take the great fortune that has come to you. The one behind you is not someone we can afford to provoke. Next time, bring me lard candy.” The moment the words ended, Granny Wang went limp, woke up, and looked around in confusion.
It had all been for nothing. Xiao Man felt drained, almost too weak to stand. On the way back, her Aunt watched her with worry, wanting to ask but not knowing how. Xiao Man took the sugar garlic, sent a cousin to buy all kinds of candy, then rode the carriage back to the manor.
Once in the yard, she gave the sugar garlic to Xiu He and divided the candies among the sisters. Dong Chun tore open a bag of lard candy and popped one into her mouth. Her eyes squeezed shut with joy as she said: “The west city sweets shop’s lard candy is still the best.” Everyone laughed and joked, but Xiao Man stood to the side with a smile that did not reach her eyes.