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Chapter 3
Demonic Affliction
For miles around it was just tall, straight white poplars rustling in the wind and only maybe a dozen houses spread sparsely among them. Ouyang Chun lived in a four-room stone brick house, three bedrooms and a drawing room. It was very clean both inside and out, and the wind soughing through the trees gave it an expansive, lofty charm.
But the sky was overcast now, roiling dark clouds, the mottled trees shaking in the autumn wind, like they were trembling unbearably amidst a low-pressure front, the withered rustling scene just like Fan Kuzhu’s heart.
He was in the outer drawing room standing by the window, peering through a crack in the slightly opened shutters. He wasn’t thinking of anything, but he felt the world was in chaos and he was just blown about in it──when would these days of aimless drifting be over?
Ouyang Chun opened the door curtain and came in carrying a cup of steaming tea which he placed on the table. Smiling, he said, “Fourth Bro, it’s cold out, come have some hot tea to drive away the chill.”
Fan Kuzhu went over and sat in the big roundbacked chair and picked up the teacup and pursed his lips and gently blew the floating tea stems out of the way and took a sip, then heaved a long, comfortable sigh.
Rubbing his hands together, Ouyang Chun said, “How is it? Not bad, huh? It’s Green Bamboo tea I had delivered last month…”
Fan Kuzhu said gravely, “Using bamboo to make tea is good, just don’t use bitter bamboo.”1
Ouyang Chun laughed in spite of himself. “Fourth Bro is good at mocking himself. How could someone swallow tea made from bitter bamboo?”
Fan Kuzhu fake laughed. “The life of bitter bamboo is more bitter than sweet and becomes more bitter the more it grows…”
Ouyang Chun guffawed at once, and put on a smiling face, said, “Food will be ready in a little while. Fourth Bro, tonight I’ve prepared chicken, sausages, braised ham hocks, and I’ve sliced some big scallions for pancakes. If you like, we can drink a couple cups of…”
Fan Kuzhu said, “I’ve put you to a lot of trouble—Fifth, is your aunt not here?”
This question caused Ouyang Chun to start complaining. “My aunt is finicky. She has a distant niece who lives to the north on Fine Slope who’s about to give birth, so she insisted on going there to look after her. Thanks to her warmheartedness I’m left here to see to things all by my lonesome. People get stubborn when they get old. She won’t listen to me tell her not to go. Sigh, and with this bad weather coming I’m gonna have to go back and get her…”
Fan Kuzhu took another sip of tea. “You have to go along with one’s elders, all the more so when she is the only relative you have left.”
Ouyang Chun nodded repeatedly, and with deep feeling said, “Fourth Bro, I will remember what you said… Fourth Bro, I can see you have a lot weighing on you, always frowning like that, sitting there spacing out. If there’s something on your mind, why not tell your little bro. I might be able to give you some ideas, or at least help relieve some of your burden.”
Fan Kuzhu said gloomily, “This is my own affair. Fifth, this is a heavy, shady case to wound one’s spirit deeply, no one can share this burden with me. How can I unload a portion of my grievance on someone who had nothing to do with it?”
Ouyang Chun, ill at ease, said, “I’m your junior brother. Fourth Bro, I’m not an unrelated outsider…”
Fan Kuzhu’s eye twitched. “Fifth, you don’t understand. There comes a time when a person meets with something he has to handle himself, like when a relative dies or something happens within one’s household. This heartrending anguish cannot be borne by anyone but the one concerned…”
Ouyang Chun smiled wryly. “Fourth Bro, I don’t quite understand…”
Fan Kuzhu said sadly, “It’s best that you don’t. If you did it would just bring more trouble.”
Ouyang Chun said carefully, “You seem to bear someone a grudge, like you’re really resentful about something… I don’t really know what I’m saying, it’s just the way I feel. Fourth Bro, am I on the right track?”
Fan Kuzhu said, “I don’t want to talk about it. Fifth, my mind is not in a good place right now.”
Ouyang Chun hurriedly put in, “Okay, okay, we won’t talk about it, we won’t. Fourth Bro, we won’t talk about anything that will agitate you. Early tomorrow morning I will go find Little Tong and bring Fourth Sister back. Fourth Bro, it won’t bother you too much to talk about Fourth Sister, will it?”
Fan Kuzhu’s cheek jerked and his face blanched. “Fifth, I want to drink some wine at dinner, why don’t you heat up a few jars.”
Ouyang Chun smiled. “Fourth Bro, you’re in the mood to drink? Actually this is the best weather for drinking. Just drink as much as you want, Fourth Bro. I’ve got several jugs of “Daughter Red” aged over twelve years. It’s so mellow, I’ll drink it with you!”
Cup in hand, Fan Kuzhu looked at the remaining half cup of tea──lukewarm tea with leaf stems floating around in it. Wasn’t that just like life?
Seeing the mood Fan Kuzhu was in, Ouyang Chun cautiously said, “Fourth Bro, just relax and take a load off, I’ll go to the back and get the food ready—”
Fan Kuzhu didn’t respond, he just gazed at the cup of tea in his hand. His eagle eyes were slightly squinting, his thin lips shut tight. Lost in his emotions, the cup of tea seemed to contain the boundless universe.
* * *
When Fan Kuzhu woke it was already daylight. He had a splitting headache and his whole body was sore and weak and he was really bloated, and when he burped he got a sour taste of wine in this throat. It was strange, last night he had drank quite a bit, but not to the point of getting drunk. He knew his tolerance well and how much he could handle. He would not drink a single drop more than he could, yet now as he woke he realized he really was drunk!
He tried to stretch out on the heated brick bed and discovered something very strange indeed—he couldn’t extend his arms or legs; they were held fast by something!
He had been sleeping on a stone bed, a strong, sturdy one. Now he lay spreadeagled, his joints locked tight by finger-thick steel cuffs, which were fastened deep into the stone bed. Held fast like this, he couldn’t move a bit, like a hunk of fish on a chopping block.
This circumstance, this reality, made Fan Kuzhu so shocked he couldn’t believe it. How did something as inconceivable as this happen? And at his own junior brother’s house no less!
Another plot, another deadly trap? He shook his head hard. He didn’t believe it. Fifth had no reason to frame him.
The door curtain gently parted and a person walked in quietly. Fan Kuzhu stretched his neck to see who it was. Wasn’t that Ouyang Chun?
Ouyang Chun looked right at Fan Kuzhu, chewing on his lip.
A cold chill rose from the pit of his heart. Fan Kuzhu still had a ray of hope. He opened his mouth and croaked, “Fifth, can you tell me what’s going on?”
Ouyang Chun’s muscles were twitching rapidly and his nostrils were flaring. He suddnely blurted out, “I need money!”
Fan Kuzhu took a deep breath and said prudently, “This is the way to get money? Fifth, if you’re in dire straits, why not just tell me about it? We’ve been fellow disciples so many years, we grew up together. What problem is there that we can’t solve? Don’t you think forcing me like this is going too far? Isn’t severing our brotherly ties like this really despicable?”
Ouyang Chun’s Adam’s apple jerked. He was trembling, but the tone of his voice was unusually cold and hard. “Fourth Bro, of the seven of us disciples I’m the poorest. I haven’t been doing well since my apprenticeship finished. You all live so well, wear good clothes, eat good food, only I am the poor one. Sect regulations prohibit me from stealing or swindling or robbing, and even if I wanted to I couldn’t, but how can one become wealthy without some ill-gotten gains? Fourth Bro, I know your family background, so I’m forced to do this to you.”
Fan Kuzhu said calmly, “You know I have savings? Fifth, how much do you think I have?”
Ouyang Chun said loudly, “Fourth Bro, you have land and a house, but that’s no matter, but at Fuquan Town Great Auspicious Bank you have 13,000 taels of silver in your account. All you have to do is take that gold-inlaid deer horn stamp with your Zhu (竹) signature on it, and you can withdraw the cash. Fourth Bro, 13,000 taels! Your poor little bro doesn’t even have 130!”
Fan Kuzhu let his head drop back as he did his best to control his emotions. “Fifth, you’re right, I have land and a house and money, but do you know how I amassed all those assets? Like you said, sect rules prohibit unlawful means of acquiring wealth. You don’t dare do it, how do you think I could? Those savings were accumulated little by little by living frugally, with armed escort work or bodyguard work or some business deals here and htere. Every tael, every copper was earned by my blood and sweat!”
Ouyang Chun glared, eyes bulging, and he roared, “I don’t care how you got your money, I’m just stating the facts, and the fact is you have money and I don’t, that’s enough. How are you so well off and I’m not? How do you have enough to spare and I can’t even make ends meet?
“We’re disciples of the same sect, we’re both people. There’s no way I should have to suffer this poor, frustrated treatment!”
He had worked himself up to the point of not just being unreasonable, but he was nearly crazed. Fan Kuzhu sighed. “Fifth, you want me to hand the money over to you, is that it?”
He didn’t care at all about saving face at this point. “That’s right. Fourth Bro, you will hand it over one way or another. I must have it!”
Fan Kuzhu was not only deeply hurt, he also felt cold and despair, and he was stunned to trembling—were people’s desires really so terrible, so contrary to reason? It could unexpectedly change someone through and through, distort one’s conscience, and pollute their character! Ouyang Chun had been such a forthright, sincere youth, but greed had made him abandon everything and ignore everything, their common sect origins, their brotherly friendship, his moral principles, and his own common decency. All these added together to him was not worth as much as some trifling silver!
Fan Kuzhu’s silence made Ouyang Chun suddenly shout, “Fan, there’s no need to pretend to be deaf and dumb, to feign ignorance. There’s enough wealth in the world for everyone to share, but you want to hog it all for yourself. Well forget it, hurry up and hand over your stamp. If you keep trying to delay, you’re liable to set me off and then you’ll really suffer!”
Half a lifetime’s savings, years of hard work in Ouyang Chun’s mouth became “hogging it all for yourself”, became “enough wealth for everyone to share, and “Fourth Bro” had been reduced to “Fan”. Since that was how it was now, what was there to discuss, why bother separating right from wrong? Fan Kuzhu closed his eyes and said with a heavy heart, “Fifth, is there really any need to be so vicious? All you want is some money. I’ll just give it to you!”
Ouyang Chun shot his hand out. “I knew you wouldn’t dare refuse. Hand it over!”
Fan Kuzhu said calmly, “I promised to give it to you so I will, no need to keep pressing me so hard, Fifth. But I have a condition. If you agree to my condition, you’ll get the money.”
Ouyang Chun’s face clouded. “Don’t even try it, Fan. Did you forget the situation you’re in right now to talk to me about conditions? Hurry up and hand it over or your suffering will be your own doing!”
Fan Kuzhu said calmly, “Fifth, you must have put knockout drops in the wine we drank last night. Once I was out I’m sure you searched me, so let me ask you, did you find any stamp?”
Ouyang Chun stamped in fury. “Fan Kuzhu you wily old fox, you seem so honest and considerate but you’re just a hypocrite, always so cunning and crafty. Hurry up and tell me where you’ve hidden it. Let me tell you, I’m already out of patience!”
Fan Kuzhu said flatly, “Agree to my condition and naturally I’ll hand over the stamp. Otherwise, even if you threaten my life I still won’t tell you where it is. Fifth, you know me. If I say it I’ll do it.”
Ouyang Chun ground his teeth and clenched his fists, blue veins on his forehead bulging, and he was flushed with anger from his face down to his neck, but he realized he didn’t have any room to turn around in──Fan Kuzhu was right; if he refused to tell him where the stamp was hidden, then all his painstaking effort would be lost and he would have a ruined reputation to boot. He didn’t want to come away empty-handed!
Ouyang Chun suppressed his bellyful of resentment and said despicably, “Alright, Fan, consider yourself resolute. Tell me your fucking bullshit condition. I’ll decide if I’ll accept it. But I warn you, don’t try anything funny. Think it over!”
Fan Kuzhu said, “The condition is simple, Fifth. I just want you to answer a few questions.”
Somewhat taken aback, Ouyang Chun said suspiciously, “Just answer a few questions? That’s it? That easy? Fan, don’t play any tricks!”
Fan Kuzhu said, “That’s right, it’s that easy. Fifth, how can I play any tricks in my current predicament?”
Ouyang Chun glared. “Say it, what are your questions?”
Fan Kuzhu said, “You have to tell me all you know and without reservations. No deceiving, no fabrications, no embellishments and don’t leave anything out. If you do, then our agreement is forfeit.”
Ouyang Chun hmphed a few times. “Still talking tough even though a prisoner—Fine, I agree!”
Fan Kuzhu said, “Frankly, Fifth, you can’t deceive me anyway. With your intelligence and the way you react, you won’t be able to play any tricks in front of me. If you lie, there’s no way I won’t see through it!”
Ouyang Chun sneered and sarcastically responded, “Enough, my Fourth Bro, the top master of our Magic Wing Sect, the famous Shadowless Flight. What else do you have to brag about? You always took me for a fuckwit, always believing I’m inferior to you in every way, always coming up short. But how about now? Have you faceplanted or am I the one eating shit?”
Fan Kuzhu didn’t get angry. “Back when I considered you my junior brother and had my guard down around you, I took everything you did seriously, I never suspected your treachery. But things are different now. It won’t be so easy anymore to screw me over!”
Ouyang Chun roared, shamed with anger, “What’s with all this bullshit talk! Fan Kuzhu, if you have questions to ask then get on with it, I don’t have time to fart around with you!”
Fan Kuzhu once again raised his head and looked hard at his ruthless junior brother. “There’s only two others besides me who know about my money: Bai Feng and Little Tong. Which one of them told you about it?”
Ouyang Chun hesitated, then exploded, “That’s none of your business, I have my own sources!”
In a cold and harsh voice Fan Kuzhu said, “Fifth, if you don’t answer me then you are not fulfilling your end of the deal. Let’s be clear. If my condition is not met, then you might as well save your breath!”
Ouyang Chun stamped his foot in anger and said venomously, “Motherfucker, you really have the guts to coerce me?”
Fan Kuzhu was unfazed. “If you don’t want the money, then don’t say anything, Fifth. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. No matter how immoral or shameless you are, if you want to grab something you have to pay for it!”
Ouyang Chun gnashed his teeth. “Fine, I’ll tell you. It was Little Tong who told me!”
Fan Kuzhu didn’t look surprised. He was already 90% sure who it was. He was silent for a moment, then asked, “This sceme of yours, was it Little Tong who put you up to it? Did he tell you how to lure me into your trap, how to bind me up, how to force me to hand over my stamp?”
Ouyang Chun seemed to be going for broke, he was fierce and reckless. “That’s right, it was Little Tong who directed me!”
Fan Kuzhu’s tone was extrordinarily calm, “Did Little Tong divulge how he planned to get me out of that Taichang prison? Had me escape down a dead end road toward the 18th circle of Hell?”
Ouyang Chun showed surprise for a split second, then he shook his head. “That he never told me about. He just said you were able to get out of prison all because of his meticulous plan—”
Fan Kuzhu said, “Since Little Tong wanted me dead, why go through all that trouble? The authorities had already scentenced me to death. Isn’t that just what he wanted? He just needed to wait and bury my corpse and he still would have kept his good name and our friendly bond…”
Ouyang Chun laughed, his face full of derision. “You might as well know, Fan, that since the Taichang prefecture magistrate is so fucking fair and impartial that he would get to the bottom of your murder-robbery case and confirm your innocence. Then he’d order you released with a verdict of not guilty. Little Tong had no choice, he had to hurry up and arrange for you to escape from prison…”
Fan Kuzhu mumbled, “So that’s what happened. He knew I wouldn’t die, so he planned another path to lead me to my death. Then once I was fortunate to get out alive, he schemed again, forcing me step by step into a predicament I couldn’t escape from…”
Ouyang Chun said impatiently, “Fan, are you done talking yet?”
Fan Kuzhu shivered and said, “Did you also know about Little Tong hiring that Far West Chai Jia to do me in?”
Ouyang CHun said proudly, “Of course I knew. If Chai Jia hadn’t failed, he wouldn’t have come to collude with me!”
Fan Kuzhu sighed. “Fifth, how could you work with him to do such an evil thing?”
Ouyang Chun said, “To tell the truth, when Little Tong came to me with this plan I was not only shocked, I suspected he was probing my true feelings. Then I realized he wasn’t playing around. I thought it over and decided it was a worthwhile plan. One merciless act and I wouldn’t have to worry for the rest of my life!”
Fan Kuzhu looked forlorn. “How will you two split the 13,000 taels of silver?”
Ouyang Chun licked his fat lips. “60/40, but he will get your land and property!”
Fan Kuzhu was numbed to silence for a time, then with difficulty, he said, “Even with me dead, he wouldn’t necessarily get my inheritence just like that. There’s still Bai Feng…”
Ouyang Chun sniggered, a strange look on his face. “Fourth Bro Fan, are you playing dumb or do you really not know?”
He felt like he had been stabbed in the heart. Fan Kuzhu twitched all over. “Since it’s come to this, just say it clearly!”
Ouyang Chun, with a giggling face, said, “Little Tong has had his eye on our Fourth Sister, and she is on good terms with him too. It’s like that. So once you pass away, Fourth Sister ought to inherit your estate. Isn’t Fourth Sister managing the estate the same as Little Tong managing it?”
Fan Kuzhu’s face was deathly pale, his cheek muscles convulsing. He struggled to maintain his composure. “Your Fourth Sister and Little Tong… Have you personally seen them together?”
Ouyang Chun shrugged. “Don’t be stupid, my Fourth Bro. How could I have witnessed something like that myself? Little Tong told me. It must be true, or else why didn’t Fourth Sister go see you but went off with Little Tong instead?”
Fan Kuzhu groaned, “How… How long have they been together?”
Ouyang Chun said, “That I don’t know. I just agreed to work with Little Tong a few days ago; he just told me briefly then. If I’m gonna work with him on this I ought to know the reasoning for it. Little Tong wanted the wealth and the girl, not an unusual motive. It’s no coincidence that I would tag along with him and move up in the world. In the end, you can’t just blame one person!”
He paused, then cast a sidelong glance at Fan Kuzhu. “I have to say, Fourth Bro, you’re usually so sharp and crafty and quick-witted, did you really have no inkling that your wife was carrying on with someone else?”
Silence was Fan Kuzhu’s response—Could the woman described by that filthy mouth be Bai Feng? The Bai Feng who loved him so dearly?
Her bright, beautiful eyes, her gentle smile, her soft voice, that love between them fine as silk and expansive as sky and sea, who he snuggled up with morning and night, who supported him through trials and hardships, that bleary beautiful face on the pillow next to him, an inseparable dream lover… His own wife, his wife that seemed to be one with him. Would she betray him, be unfaithful, would she venomously plot to murder her own husband? Fan Kuzhu shook his head hard. Heavens, what a heart-smashing, bone-piercing pain this was. He’d rather his soul be roasted in flames, his spirit fried before he would be ready to believe it!
Ouyang Chun said cryptically, “It’s hard to take being cucked like that, my Fourth Bro, but you rashly forced me to say it. So unnecessary. It hurts you to hear it and makes me want to vomit as well. Let’s not mention it anymore…”
Fan Kuzhu was choked up, like he had something lodged in his throat.
“So then, the murder and robbery of that squire was also Little Tong’s fine work?”
Nodding, Ouyang Chun said, “That’s right. I did ask in great detail about that. He did the deed himself, and he planted the evidence implicating you on the scene himself. In a word, he framed you and made you the fall guy behind your back. When he first persuaded you to turn yourself in, on the surface it was to show that you were innocent, but actually it was to confirm your charge. Little Tong bribed a middleman at the Taichang yamen to intercede on your behalf, and come to find out the guy actually came through and helped plead your case to redress your wrongs. Fan, if you had only waited a few days before escaping you would have been swaggering boldly out of those prison gates a dignified free man!”
Fan Kuzhu felt a chill run down his back and his heart sank. He didn’t want to imagine that there could be such sinister people in the world, and his own fellow disciple as well, the little disciple he had loved and trusted since he was a boy!
Ouyang Chun looked away. “It’s getting late, anything else you want to say?”
It sounded like he was a convict being given his final words before being beheaded at the execution grounds. Fan Kuzhu said hoarsely, “Fifth, so Little Tong was so cruel and merciless, going to any length to kill me all for… for Bai Feng and my property?”
Ouyang Chun laughed hideously, “That’s enough as it is, my Fourth Bro. What else is there to strive for in this life besides women and wealth?”
There was a lot more one could strive for, but Fan Kuzhu was in no mood to enlighten Ouyang Chun. He knew that given the circumstances he could talk himself hoarse and it would still be useless. His fifth brother was already too far gone. There was no saving him!
Ouyang Chun extended his hand once again. “What needs to be said has been said. I have fulfilled your condition. Where is the stamp?”
Fan Kuzhu suddenly raised his voice, “Fifth, I will give you all the money, just let me go—”
Ouyang Chun spat and cried out, “So you’re up to your tricks? Fan, don’t play such childish games with me, I’m not a three-year-old child, I’m not falling for it. Let you go? Fuck, as soon as I let you go you won’t let me go!”
Fan Kuzhu hastened, “Use your brains and think, Fifth. Little Tong is so sinister, he’s got a whole back of tricks, is he really going to split the money with you 60/40? Besides, you know all his secrets, how could he be at ease letting you live so that you could talk? If you trust him you only have yourself to blame!”
Ouyang Chun laughed piteously and raised an eyebrow. “Fourth Bro, it’s true I was never all that clever, but I’m not completely stupid. Little Tong has his plan, and I have mine too. Don’t harm others, but guard against others harming you; I’ve thought all about that already, so don’t you worry.”
Fan Kuzhu seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes blinking over and over, his face unreadable. He bit his lip, looking confused, as if there were something he just couldn’t figure out…
Standing by the bed, Ouyang Chun really couldn’t hold back any more. He roared like thunder and was about to resort to violence when a frosty voice sounded behind him. “Fifth, have you got the stamp or not?”
Ouyang Chun stopped short and looked back, stunned, and Fan Kuzhu, lying there with his head raised, blurted out at the same time, “Second Brother!”
Standing in the doorway was a tall, strong, ruddy-faced old man with silvery hair. He looked intimidating standing there, extremely stern and imposing!
Yes, it was the second of the seven disciples of the third generation of the Magic Wing Sect—”Nine Wing Sage” Ren Denglong!
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