The Young Girl's Chronicles of Demon-Slaying

Chapter 21: Melancholy

As the ghostly entities retreated, the Buddhist light gradually faded, and the sound of chanting ceased. Everything returned to the stillness of the night. The lights in the room suddenly came back on. Fang Heng, sitting cross-legged on the bed, finally let out a long breath. As he came to his senses, he realized his back was soaked through with sweat. A faint sense of lingering fear crept into his heart, but excitement and exhilaration outweighed it. It was like a magical battle scene from a fantasy movie—yet he had encountered it in the real world, experienced it firsthand, and even successfully repelled the enemy. Could an ordinary person ever have such an experience? Obviously not! In fact, ever since he’d witnessed the Buddhist prayer beads on his right wrist radiate a divine light, he’d sensed that he was being led to another door in this world. Yet, without anyone to guide him, he stood before the door unable to enter, left to scratch his head and wring his hands in frustration, utterly at a loss. It wasn’t until this copy of the *Diamond Sutra* appeared that he was not only able to use it to repel ghosts and enemies, but it also showed him a way to push open that door. Just as the prayer beads radiated the light of the Buddha, weren’t the Buddhist scriptures their perfect counterpart? Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner? He ran his fingers over the cover of the *Diamond Sutra*, realizing that if he wanted to discover how to use the Buddhist prayer beads, he would inevitably have to study Buddhist scriptures; one book simply wouldn’t be enough—he would need many, many more… Outside the window, the night was deep. After such a surreal experience, Fang Heng felt not the slightest bit sleepy. Moreover, although the enemy had been driven back, he didn’t know if that ghostly infant had been completely destroyed, so he decided to go out and check on the situation. He got out of bed, slipped on his slippers, stepped out of his room, and made his way to the small living room next door. At a glance, the small living room was pitch black, but by the Yue Guang streaming in from the balcony, he could still make out the general layout of the room. Everything was calm; nothing had been damaged. It was as if the battle that had just taken place had never happened at all—as if it had been nothing more than a dream. But just because he couldn’t see anything with his own eyes didn’t mean the place was truly empty. Fang Heng could clearly sense that a repulsive stench still lingered there. It was like the stench of a foul ditch or a rural outhouse—the kind of odor that had fermented under the scorching sun of the dog days of summer—truly nauseating. Fang Heng couldn’t help but furrow his brow. He covered his nose and mouth with his left hand, yet still followed the scent until he discovered that its source was not the antiques displayed on the shelves, but a potted plant! The potted plant sat on a small coffee table between two armchairs. Its shape was unique and elegant, resembling an ancient tree scaled down countless times—its roots and stems intertwined, lush and vibrant green, a sight to behold. It must have been quite expensive. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the scent wasn’t coming from the potted plant itself, but from a small red silk pouch hanging from one of its branches. Fang Heng furrowed his brow and reached out to remove the small silk pouch from a branch. He sensed a faint, fearful thought being transmitted to him, making him realize that the pouch contained either the ashes of that ghost infant or some other kind of medium. Thinking of how this ghost infant—who looked to be only one or two years old—had been exploited, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. However, before he could react, the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist suddenly glowed with a radiant light, and at the same moment, a resounding chant of “Namo Amitabha Buddha” echoed through the small living room. Immediately, a ball of golden light shot out of the silk pouch, tracing a bright path through the air and flying through the balcony window. When Fang Heng followed his gaze, he saw the golden light vanish into the osmanthus tree planted in the front yard. What did this mean? He was filled with confusion over the situation, unsure of what was actually happening. At the same time, he felt a bit annoyed—the Buddhist prayer beads simply wouldn’t obey him; they’d acted on their own before he’d even made a decision. But there was nothing he could do about it. He could only stand on the balcony and peer out for a moment before heading to the bathroom to rinse off the sweat he’d worked up. Only then did he return to his room to go back to sleep. The night passed without incident. When he opened his eyes in the morning, it was already broad daylight outside the window. After getting dressed, Fang Heng left his room. He wasn’t in a hurry to check on Song Wencheng and Lin Yuqin; instead, he brushed his teeth and washed his face first before heading downstairs. When he reached the first floor, he saw that Lin Yuqin looked well-rested and in high spirits; she was humming a tune as she set out the bowls and chopsticks. Hearing the noise, Lin Yuqin looked up and, upon seeing Fang Heng, said with a smile, “It seems my good girl is used to waking up early—you get up this early every day.” “My good girl…” Fang Heng, who was just about to step down the last few stairs, didn’t quite process the term at first. It wasn’t until his feet touched the ground that he realized she was referring to him as her “good girl”! Lin Yuqin beamed as she watched Fang Heng, who was momentarily taken aback by the words “my good girl.” A hint of anticipation seemed to flicker across her face. Fang Heng wasn’t stupid, of course. Once he snapped out of it, he looked at Lin Yuqin and called out, “Good morning, Mom!” “Oh! Good morning!” Hearing Fang Heng call her “Mom,” Lin Yuqin’s smile grew even broader. “Did you brush your teeth and wash your face? Come on, let’s have breakfast! Today I bought soy milk and fried dough sticks!” As she called out to him, Fang Heng walked over in a daze. Whether it was Lin Yuqin’s words “good girl” or the fact that he’d just called her “Mom,” it all left him feeling as if he were in a dream, unsure if it was real or not. He secretly pinched the flesh on his stomach—it hurt. This wasn’t a dream. Sitting at the dining table, he looked down at the rich, fragrant soy milk in front of him, and a warm wave of emotion welled up inside him: I have a mom and a dad now. I have a home. The emotions that had been building up since yesterday finally hit him all at once. A mixture of joy and sorrow welled up inside him, like a pool that had been filled with water—after being filled from yesterday through today, it was finally full. Unchecked by any valve, it began to overflow. Before she knew it, tears fell into the pure white soy milk. She wasn’t even aware of it herself; it wasn’t until she saw the ripples in the bowl that she realized she had been crying. Lin Yuqin had been watching Fang Heng the whole time. She couldn’t help but dote on this newly adopted daughter of hers. When she noticed Fang Heng was crying, she hurriedly asked with concern, “What’s wrong, Hengheng? Why are you crying?” “Nothing, it’s nothing,” Fang Heng said, lifting her head and wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “I’m just happy.” Hearing this, Lin Yuqin finally understood. She tore off a tissue from the table, reached over to wipe his tears, and said gently, “Don’t cry anymore! Your eyes will turn red, and you won’t look pretty.” These comforting words left Fang Heng unsure whether to feel happy or sad, but in the end, he managed to stop crying. He gave a soft “Mm-hmm,” nodded, and began eating his breakfast. Lin Yuqin knew that Fang Heng’s tears were tears of joy and didn’t require much consolation; once he’d cried it out, he’d be fine in a little while. So, seeing that his tears had stopped, she said nothing more. After waiting a moment and sensing that Fang Heng’s emotions had settled, she said, “I’m going out to take care of some paperwork in a bit. You stay home and play, watch TV—and if the TV isn’t interesting, go upstairs and play the piano.” “Okay!” Although Fang Heng didn’t understand the adoption process, he knew it must be a time-consuming one, so he agreed. Then, noticing that Lin Yuqin looked well, he asked, “Did you have a nightmare last night, Mom?” “With such happy news, how could I possibly have a nightmare?” Lin Yuqin smiled as she pinched Fang Heng’s little cheek. “Not only did I not have a nightmare last night, but I actually had a wonderful dream!” She looked radiant when she smiled, with no dark circles under her eyes—it seemed she’d indeed slept well the night before. Seeing this, Fang Heng nodded. He, of course, knew the reason, but since no one would believe him if he said it out loud, he said nothing more. Soon, the two finished breakfast. After Fang Heng helped clear the dishes, Lin Yuqin picked up her bag, gave him a few more reminders, and then headed out the door. This time, however, she wasn’t heading to a nearby school but had some errands to run, so she first went to the parking lot near the apartment complex, got in her car, and drove off. After Lin Yuqin left, Fang Heng closed the door. Instead of returning to the living room, he went to a corner of the front yard and gazed at the tree planted in the ground, which was growing very lush. It was an osmanthus tree. It was still late May, so naturally it was not yet the flowering season; the entire tree was covered only in lush, emerald-green leaves. It was a very ordinary osmanthus tree. The reason Fang Heng was paying special attention to it was, of course, not for any other reason, but because last night, the ghost infant from that small brocade pouch had been driven here by the Buddha’s light and chanting. Not knowing exactly what had happened, he came here during the day to check on the situation. However, no matter how closely he looked, the osmanthus tree before him showed no signs of anything unusual, and the Buddhist prayer beads on his right hand gave no reaction either. Perhaps he should bring a sutra book and recite from it? Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard the faint sound of music coming from the living room. He turned and went back inside. After searching for a moment, he discovered a cell phone lying face-down on the sofa, yet music was still playing—clearly, someone was calling. He hesitated for a moment, but picked up the phone anyway. Turning it over, he saw that the caller ID displayed the profile picture of a handsome young man, with the contact labeled “Son.” Clearly, this was his half-brother, whom he had never met, and the phone was likely Lin Yuqin’s. Looking at the caller ID, he hesitated about whether to answer, but before he could make up his mind, the caller hung up. Seeing this, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had no idea what kind of personality this half-brother had or whether he’d be easy to get along with, and he was genuinely unsure about whether to answer the call on such short notice. Now that the other party had hung up on their own, he didn’t have to make a choice. Just as he was about to set the phone down on the coffee table to wait for Lin Yuqin to come back and pick it up, the ringtone suddenly sounded again. He glanced at the screen—it was that half-brother again. After thinking it over, he decided there wasn’t really anything to worry about. They were bound to meet sooner or later anyway, and perhaps a preliminary phone conversation could help the other person prepare mentally? He didn’t actually know if Song Wencheng and Lin Yuqin had told their son about adopting him, but he figured they probably had, right? With that in mind, he answered the call. No sooner had he held it to his ear than a voice came from the other end: “Mom! What are you doing? Why did it take you so long to answer?” “……” That sudden “Mom” caught Fang Heng off guard, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure whether he should say anything. “Mom! Why aren’t you saying anything?” Hearing no response for so long, the voice on the other end sounded a bit puzzled. “…I wasn’t…” Before Fang Heng could finish his sentence, he heard the sound of a door opening in the courtyard, followed by Lin Yuqin shouting from outside: “Hengheng, have you seen Mom’s cell phone?” Fang Heng glanced at his phone, ignored the calls coming from inside, and walked straight out of the living room with the phone in hand, intending to return it to Lin Yuqin. (End of Chapter)