The hut stretched like a narrow path, extending straight into the interior. Unlike ordinary houses, the rooms contained no daily necessities, not even tables, chairs, or furniture. In the innermost part of the hut, a faint light flickered, so dim that it would be completely invisible if one didn't look closely.
Fang Yuan tiptoed into the innermost part of the hut and gently knocked on the door.
The wooden door was incredibly light, and the force of Fang Yuan's knock pushed it open without a sound.
The inner room was surprisingly a Buddhist shrine.
In the center of the room, a wooden Buddha statue was enshrined. A few offerings lay before the altar, but they were simply vegetables and rice, a refreshing sight. Beyond that, nothing else.
A short-haired monk sat before the statue, his back to Fang Yuan, chanting scriptures, seemingly oblivious to her presence.
The sound of the wooden fish was crisp and ethereal, each beat seemingly striking at Fang Yuan's heart, causing the candlelight to flicker and the sandalwood incense to intermittently crackle.
Fang Yuan quietly approached the monk and imitated him, meditating before the Buddha statue. She stole a glance at the monk, whose face was solemn and radiant. Wasn't he the young man playing chess she had seen at Blind Man Shen's place? He was now draped in a well-worn yet clean monk's robe, his eyes closed as he chanted, his mind as calm as water, a faint sense of peace, a sense of disillusionment from the mundane world.
Is he Master Yi?
Fang Yuan remembered that the monk had recited Bodhidharma's "Discourse on the Destruction of Appearances" to her. Could it be that Blind Man Shen had summoned her here just to seek his guidance?
Master Yi was devoutly worshipping the Buddha. Fang Yuan didn't dare disturb him. She slowly closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and silently made a wish before the Buddha statue.
After an unknown amount of time, Fang Yuan's mind became completely clear. She could only smell the scent of sandalwood and hear the chanting of a wooden fish.
However, soon even the sandalwood and the wooden fish faded, and a strange world unfolded before her.
She saw herself.
She saw herself born and raised. She laughed and played under her parents' care, grieved when her father died, hated when her mother left, feared when Xu Yan and Wan Hai committed suicide, felt regret when Qin Yanping and Tao Bing'er committed suicide, and was lost when Tang Tianyu went mad. All these emotions flashed before her eyes like a movie.
Her heart felt as if it were tied by an invisible rope, twitching with its vibrations. She thought of the cow, an animal far larger than a human, yet manipulated by humans with a tiny rope. And what about humans themselves? They were tied to another rope, at their mercy: desire. Sex, power, money, food, and sex—each desire was a rope, firmly tying the heart. Fang Yuan seemed to see herself being pulled by several dazzling ropes, each pointing in a direction that revealed a shimmering, dazzling illusion, magnificent and enchanting.
Fang Yuan struggled desperately, but could not break free. Though these ropes were invisible, they were incredibly strong. Even if she occasionally managed to break one, the other would immediately stretch again, entwining her heart.
She suddenly remembered the Buddhist verse the monk had told her: The mind is the root of all dharmas; all dharmas arise from the mind. If one can understand the mind, all dharmas will be present. Just like a great tree, all its branches, flowers, and fruits all depend on the roots. Those who plant a tree preserve the roots so that it can bear fruit; those who cut down the tree, removing the roots, will inevitably die. If one understands the mind and cultivates the Tao, then effort is minimal and success is easy; if one does not understand the mind, then effort is wasted and gain nothing. Therefore, we know that all good and evil originate from within the mind. Seeking outside the mind will ultimately lead to nowhere. Fang Yuan silently recited this Buddhist verse over and over, a sense of realization filling her heart. The vibrant strings that had once entwined her heart gradually lost their color, no longer pulling at her. Then, even she herself vanished.
Fang Yuan could no longer see or feel herself. She saw only a riot of color, the entire world taking in her gaze. Blue sky, white clouds, sea, forest. She seemed to have broken free from the fortified city walls and soared into the vast sky. Yes, she was flying! Higher and higher! Farther and farther! She soared beyond Earth, beyond the Milky Way, into the universe. The movement and endless cycle of all things took hold of her gaze.
Finally, her vision vanished. She was like a speck of dust, merging with the universe. She could no longer see, hear, smell, or touch. There was no color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no substance, nothing. Even the mental sensations of pain, joy, sorrow, and fear vanished. Yet, she saw nothing wrong with this, and even vaguely wished it could continue like this forever. Her heart found a tranquility and peace she had never known before.
Alas, good times don't last forever; she couldn't maintain this peace and tranquility for long. The universe began to function, all things reappeared, the city grew, and her senses gradually returned. She could smell the faint scent of sandalwood and hear the sound of wooden fish chanting. She was Fang Yuan again, a lonely girl making a wish before the Buddha.
She woke up.
All the illusions, like flowers in a mirror and moonlight in the water, suddenly vanished.
Then, she saw Master Yi stop chanting and slowly open his eyes. His gaze was gentle and peaceful, like a ray of sunlight, penetrating Fang Yuan's eyes and reaching the depths of her soul.
Master Yi's eyes were smiling.
Fang Yuan suddenly felt a strange feeling of familiarity and intimacy with Master Yi, as if she had known him for a long time.
Master Yi's gaze warmed her heart, as if she were immersed in the loving kindness of an elder. That look reminded her of her father.
How could she feel this way? The monk before her looked not much older than she, so how could he have such a kind gaze?
"Are you Master Yi?" Fang Yuan asked tentatively.
Master Yi nodded gently, smiling silently.
"Grandpa Shen asked me to come here. I last saw you playing chess with him." Fang Yuan thought for a moment, then added, "Back then, you even recited a Buddhist verse for me."
Master Yi continued to smile at Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan was a little flustered. "I came to seek Grandpa Shen's help, asking for his guidance, but he's dead. Before he died, he told others to lead me here."
Master Yi sighed softly, then finally spoke: "Donor Shen has accomplished his mission, starting and ending well. Donor, there's no need to feel sad for him."
"Master is right." Fang Yuan, fearing Master Yi would leave, revealed her purpose. "Master, I've been plagued by misfortunes lately, feeling trapped in a sea of suffering. Please provide me with some guidance."
Master Yi, however, stopped talking. Instead, he gazed at the cushion and gestured for Fang Yuan to meditate.
Though puzzled, Fang Yuan remained seated on the cushion. She had expected Master Yi to lecture her on Buddhist principles and enlighten her mind, but instead, he simply vanished.
The Buddhist hall was quiet, the scent of sandalwood filling the air. Fang Yuan sat there, facing the Buddha statue, quickly lost in a state of ecstasy.
Her thoughts became especially clear at this moment, as if her brain had been washed clean by the rain.
She recalled her first day at medical school, one strange incident after another, one terrifying scene after another, playing out in her mind like a movie.
The movie ended, and the last image that appeared was Su Ya.
As Su Ya had said, there was something in dormitory 441, aware of everything they said and did.
What was it?
A ghost?
But she had never seen a ghost before.
If it wasn't a ghost, then it must be a human.
But if it was a human, how could he know so much about their affairs?
—Unless he was invisible, or had clairvoyance and super hearing.
Fang Yuan's heart trembled, finally realizing the crux of the matter.
She suddenly thought of Su Ya.
Has Su Ya returned to the dormitory now?
Will the mastermind strike again tonight?
Tonight, the rain was heavy and the night was dark, making it easy to do anything. And Su Ya was alone in the dormitory.
Fang Yuan shuddered, her whole body cold.
Thinking that Su Ya was in great danger, Fang Yuan lost her heart to meditate. She hurriedly left the temple, found a taxi on the street, and took it back to the medical school.
She only hoped that she would not return too late and that Su Ya was still safe.