Chapter 107: The Ritual

When Ding Wu arrived at the Wang estate, he found the place in complete chaos and could not locate Ji Changge anywhere.

"Where is your father?" Old Madam Wang asked, looking at Wang Sinian with anxiety.

Wang Sinian grasped the old woman’s trembling hand and said softly, "Mother, I am already having men search for him. Father has likely gone to look for the second son."

The old woman was on the verge of tears. "What is happening? First, the bride goes missing, and now both the master and the second son have vanished. Our Wang family has always been devout in our Buddhist faith; is this disaster truly our fate?"

"Mother, do not let your mind wander. We will find them soon. Please, go back to your room and rest." Wang Sinian signaled to two maids, who stepped forward to support the old woman and lead her away.

"What are you all staring at? Go and search in different directions!" Wang Sinian roared at the servants nearby.

"Yes, Second Master."

Wang Sinian looked at Ding Wu. "Chief Guard Ding, what is the meaning of bringing so many men to my estate?"

"Magistrate Ji has ordered me to search the entire Wang estate. I hope you understand, Master Wang," Ding Wu replied, cupping his hands with a composed and unyielding demeanor.

Wang Sinian sneered. "You say Ji Changge sent you, but where is he?"

"Er..." Ding Wu felt a flicker of unease. He had searched for a long time but could not find Ji Changge anywhere. He felt a growing sense of dread; Magistrate Ji was not one to disappear without leaving instructions unless something had happened to him.

"As you can see, the household is in turmoil. Please take your men from the Supreme Court and leave," Wang Sinian said coldly.

Ding Wu frowned, then said sternly, "Magistrate Ji went missing within your residence. I suspect this is related to someone here, and I must search the estate."

Wang Sinian narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Chief Guard Ding is truly loyal. Are you not afraid that I will charge you with trespassing?"

"Suit yourself. Search!" Ding Wu commanded, waving his hand to the twenty-odd guards behind him.

"Yes!"

Wang Sinian watched Ding Wu coldly but did not intervene.

***

"Help! Can anyone hear us? Someone, come here!" several servants shouted at the top of their lungs.

Ji Changge examined the stone door. The damned thing was five or six inches thick and fit so seamlessly against the walls that sound could barely escape. Besides, this was an abandoned cellar; no one would ever come here.

"Master, what should we do now?" a servant asked, terrified.

"Do not panic. There will be a way," Wang Xuelin said softly. In his mind, he was piecing together the events of the past few days. Everything connected like a giant web, now slowly closing in.

Holding the oil lamp, Ji Changge moved closer to the wall. He observed small drawings of cats and dogs carved into the stone. Judging by the lines and height, they had been carved by a child. He imagined a child squatting in the corner, using a twig or a small knife to carve these images. There were no people, only animals—the mottled wall was covered in them.

*Thump!*

Wang Xuelin suddenly collapsed to the ground, his expression twisted in agony, clutching his chest.

***

Ji Changge hurried to his side. "Teacher, what is wrong?"

Wang Xuelin shook his head, his features contorted in pain, unable to utter a single word.

"The master must be having an attack! What do we do? We have to get out and find a physician!"

Ji Changge’s expression grew grim. He told himself to stay calm. Several servants began pushing against the stone door with all their might, but it remained immovable.

"You bastards, put some muscle into it! You look like you haven't eaten!" one man cursed.

"Which of your eyes saw me not pushing? It’s this damn door that’s too heavy!" another retorted angrily.

Ji Changge walked back to the wall he had been inspecting. He felt that these seemingly casual carvings must hold some meaning. If he could decipher them, he might find a way out; the stone door would certainly not open anytime soon—the second Wang son had accounted for that.

***

In the darkness, Wen Jing felt as though she were no longer hungry, or perhaps she was beyond hunger. The floor was freezing, and she shifted, turning to rest on her other side.

She did not know how much time had passed—it felt like a month, though she knew it could not have been that long. She had grown accustomed to the scent of the place, and the faint smell of blood was no longer noticeable. Only the sound of dripping water remained by her ear. She counted slowly, and when she reached over twelve hundred drops, she lost track and started all over again.

Not a sliver of light entered. Where was this place? Was she underground?

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps reached her, jarring in the silent darkness. Wen Jing’s heart leapt; she held her breath, and a bead of sweat from her forehead hit the ground with a soft sound.

A light flashed before her eyes. Accustomed to the dark, her eyes stung, and she instinctively squeezed them shut. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel someone approaching. The moment had finally come.

After a long silence, the person did not speak. Wen Jing kept her eyes closed, feeling the scorching gaze upon her face. Neither moved.

A cold sensation touched her neck, and Wen Jing instinctively opened her eyes. Standing before her was a man in black, wearing a mask, his cold eyes fixed on her.

She shrank back, avoiding the icy touch. She felt as if a snake had crawled over her skin, and every hair on her body stood on end.

"Second Master Wang, is that you?" Wen Jing asked tentatively. The candlelight was too dim for her to be sure.

The man did not answer. He turned away, set down the lamp, and began arranging items on the floor, as if performing a ritual.

Wen Jing’s heart hammered in her chest. "Second Master, please, listen to me. Stop this. If you kill me, you won’t be able to escape. I’ve left marks; they will be here soon. If you let me go now, it’s not too late. I will act as if I know nothing. Let us live our lives properly, please?"

The man glanced at her, then continued his work, as if he hadn't heard a word.

"Second Master, did you bring food to Uncle Seven today? If you are caught, no one will look after him. Let me go, and we can take food to Uncle Seven together, how about that?"

The man’s hands paused. He looked up at the ceiling as if listening for something, then resumed his task.

Watching the unresponsive man, fear spread through Wen Jing. Would she, like Shen Ying and He Yunxi, be drained of her blood and left to die?

No, she did not want to die. She had to hold on a little longer. Her father and Ji Changge would surely come soon.

"Second Master, do I look like your mother?" she asked.

The man in black paused and nodded at her.

A glimmer of hope rose in Wen Jing’s heart. "Then you cannot kill me. You loved your mother so much—by looking at me every day, isn't it like being with her? I will stay with you from now on, alright?"

The man suddenly clutched his head, appearing to be in great pain.

Wen Jing dared not speak further, fearing one wrong word would provoke him.

"Shut up!" the man in black snarled.

But the voice did not sound like the second Wang son. Wen Jing was startled; she had heard this voice before.

The man continued his work, ignoring her.

Wen Jing struggled to recall where she had heard that voice. It wasn't the tone the man usually used, but it definitely belonged to someone in the Wang household.

"Uncle Seven?" she whispered.

The man suddenly approached, shoved something into Wen Jing’s mouth, then turned back to his work.

Wen Jing twisted her wrists, trying to break the ropes. The rough hemp rubbed against her tender skin, causing sharp pain, but she did not stop. She did not want to die. She did not want to become a dried corpse, nor did she want her father—or Ji Changge—to see her mangled body.

***

Ji Changge finished examining the last carving and reviewed them all in his mind.

"Master, wake up!" a servant cried in distress. Wang Xuelin was barely breathing, his face turning an ashen blue.

Ji Changge suddenly ran to the back of the secret chamber and punched the stacked wine jars. They shattered, and the flame of the oil lamp flickered. Ji Changge struck again and again until all the jars were broken. A narrow passage appeared. A sliver of faint light shone through. Ji Changge scrambled into the passage and reached the end. He pushed hard against the obstruction above him, and a scent of earth flooded his nostrils. Sunlight blinded him, but he had finally escaped.

*Seven, wait for me. Do not die!*

***

The man in black stopped. On the floor was a strange pattern; thin pipes led into the distance, winding their way toward a massive ceramic vessel.

Seeing the man approach, Wen Jing stopped struggling. Her heart was strangely calm. Perhaps she was never meant to exist in this world, and now, it was time to return her body to Wen Qiniang. But why, she wondered, did she feel such attachment to a world that did not belong to her?

The man’s face drew near, and Wen Jing finally saw his eyes—they burned with an excited, predatory hunger. She was the prey.

"Soon, you will be able to see the Buddha without any filth. I will cleanse all the impurities from your body."

The man grabbed Wen Jing, threw her beside the ritual array, and began to tear at her clothes.

Wen Jing closed her eyes. The man stared greedily at the snow-white skin of her neck, imagining how much purer it would look once drained of blood.

The man raised a strangely shaped dagger...

"Stop!"