Xu Xiaobin - Dunhuang Dream

At that moment, Dayejisi entered through the revolving door.

One-eyed Guonu suddenly dashed her string instrument to the ground, her face twisted in anger.

The sound of the shattering instrument silenced the entire hall. Everyone stood stock-still where they were standing.

15

Dayejisi bowed his head and clasped his hands in front of him in a prayerful gesture as if no one were around. Director Tang and several others who knew him stood up and greeted him. But Dayejisi stood in the same position. Chen Qing by that time had managed to pull Ahyuexi away. When Ahyuexi saw Dayejisi, she spat and angrily said, “Listen to me, you two good-for-nothings! You’ve got one month to come up with that painting; if not, you’ll be sorry!” She vanished as suddenly as she had appeared. She brushed against Dayejisi on her way out and threw him a hostile glance. Dayejisi pretended not to notice and kept his head bowed and his hands folded before him, like Ananda.

Yu’er rushed over.

“Dad, did you see everything? Just ignore her. She. .” Yu’er shouted through her tears.

“Yu’er, shut your mouth,” roared Guonu.

“Mom!” Tears and snot ran down Yu’er’s face. “You’re still partial to her, even though she repeatedly calls you a good-for-nothing!”

Chen Qing could see that they would soon be arguing, so he hastened forward to intervene. Even Director Tang and Old Guan were on their feet, shouting, “Sister, calm down, calm down. .”

“She’s still my beautiful daughter even if she curses me!” Her voice trembling, Guonu continued, “I let her down! Go find Bodhisattva Pan and let her talk to her. Let’s go, Yu’er. Do you want to come with me or should my beautiful daughter? Then let’s go. She has been wronged for so many years. .”

“What do you mean, go get Bodhisattva Pan? Can she handle her?” Yu’er muttered and then somewhat unwillingly followed Guonu.

Chen Qing stooped down to pick up the pieces of the stringed instrument.

From start to finish, Dayejisi kept his eyes shut and his hands clasped before him, without uttering a word.

16

Later, someone who was a bit tipsy asked Dayejisi to tell fortunes. Dayejisi smiled and replied, “Your servant only wishes to tell the fortune of one person only. Sorry, sorry!”

He searched until his eyes lit on Wuye. “Come, come, come, young benefactor. Let me examine your face and tell your fortune.”

Wuye was momentarily overwhelmed. The great Abbot Dayejisi chose him out of nearly one hundred present. Somewhat drowsily, he glanced around but didn’t see Xingxing. He felt something was vaguely amiss. There was something at the back of his mind that irritated him and prevented him from using his head.

Dayejisi examined him closely, then took his hand and scrutinized it. Suddenly, Dayejisi went pale and asked, “How old is the young benefactor?”

“Nineteen.”

“Ah, that’s too bad!”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Would the young benefactor like me to tell the truth?”

“Of course, please tell the truth.”

“Then come to my place at eight o’clock tonight.”

“Why can’t you tell me now, sir?”

“It involves a secret of yours. This is not the time to speak.”

“I have nothing to hide. Go ahead and speak.”

Dayejisi seemed to hesitate a moment. “Well then, okay, since the young benefactor is not afraid, I speak according to the facts.”

At that moment the entire dining room fell dead silent. Dozens of eyes were fixed on Dayejisi, even the servers carrying trays stood with their mouths open.

Dayejisi joined his hands and bowed his head and said something that startled everyone present.

“The young benefactor did something for which he has a guilty conscience. To put it more clearly, he stole something. If the young benefactor does not confess, he will meet with sudden death. I see the young benefactor spurring his horse along a precipice. .”

“Nonsense!” said Wuye, clenching his fists and turning red.

“There’s no need for the young benefactor to get angry. Listen carefully to what I have to say. The young benefactor has a ‘hanging needle’ line running from the spot between his eyebrows to the top of his head. Above, it cancels out the ‘palace of life’ and below it cancels out long life. It is a line of great disaster. Moreover, there is no horizontal line to obstruct its baleful influence. At a certain age, the line will prove fatal. There are moles in the center of the forehead as well as to the left and right. These indicate that you have offended Heaven in the extreme. You will be struck by three bolts of lightning. The first will strike official position, wealth, and accuracy of speech, leading to loss of position and defeat; the second will strike the three Yins and the three Yangs causing you to lose your parents; the third will strike the Palace of Fate, long life, and the Gate of Life, leading to death. You will have a chance only if you come clean and confess, and make amends for past wrongs. Otherwise you will certainly die.”

Wuye lashed out with his fist at Dayejisi’s bald pate, but Dayejisi didn’t bat an eyelash. Just as Wuye’s fist was about to land, he suddenly parried the blow. Wuye seemed to suddenly lose all his strength, his face went pale, and he slumped to the ground.

The hall exploded.

17

Wuye was carried back to the guesthouse. As the alcohol wore off, he vomited for a long time.

Later he felt a little better. He struggled over to the desk where he found a note. He didn’t look to see who it was from, but he knew it was from Xingxing.

All banquets must come to an end. I think maybe we should take this opportunity and part before the last course is done .

It was actually ten-thirty at night, and Xingxing had just gone over to Zhang Shu’s room. If Wuye had made the least effort to think about it, there is a good chance that things would have turned out differently. But at the time, Wuye was so agitated. He sat at the desk without moving. It was ages before he raised his head, his eyes filled with tears. Then in a fury, he tore the note into little pieces and then kicked the door, splintering the rotten wood. Later he found that his toenail was oozing blood, but he felt no pain.

Being trussed up by Ahyuexi, Dayejisi’s threats, and the guidance of that woman, who looked like Guanyin, were all aimed at one thing: to force him to confess that he had stolen the painting in Cave 73. Goodness! And for what reason?

But all of this was nothing compared to Xingxing leaving without a word. No, she didn’t love him! What she loved was not him, but a ghost! A reincarnated ghost! His heart cried out, but as the warmth induced by the wine retreated, all that was left was a cold numbness.

All banquets must come to an end. Yes, that old woman, who watched over Cave 73, was once the beautiful Guonu. Once, she was deeply in love with a man named Zhaxi Lunba. Later, he died and their banquet came to an end. Later, there was a new banquet that included Dayejisi and two unusual girls. Later, this banquet, too, came to an end. Not only did it come to an end, but it also became a matter of intense hatred.

18

That night, Wuye didn’t make the last train to Beijing. He packed his bags and sat the entire night through in his little room. Around two o’clock in the morning, Chen Qing showed up and reminded him to turn off his light. He turned off the light and continued to sit in the dark until the alarm sounded at about four in the morning. Someone knocked.

The knocking was neither urgent nor slow. It struck him that someone of importance was knocking. Fear gradually settled upon him. Although the knocking was unhurried, it possessed an all-encompassing power.