Comforting the Remaining Life in Liuhe Temple
With the capture of Bangyuan Cave and the surrender of Fang La, the bloody campaign that had lasted over a year finally came to an end. Of the once mighty Liangshan army, only a tenth remained. The remaining soldiers, wounded and grief-stricken, began to reorganize and evacuate Jiangnan under the supervision of imperial officials.
The joy of victory had long been diluted by endless sorrow, and the entire Jiangnan region seemed to be shrouded in an impenetrable blood-red haze. Although the imperial court had issued an edict of reward, for these heroes who had survived the disaster, how could such false fame and profit compensate for the pain of losing their limbs and their own broken bodies?
In this gloomy and desolate situation, our focus is all on the Liuhe Temple in Hangzhou.
Lu Renjia mobilized all the connections he could, even at the risk of being exposed, and bribed a low-ranking monk in charge of cleaning in Liuhe Temple, and finally confirmed Lin Chong's situation.
"Master Lin is indeed in the temple, living alone in a secluded meditation room in the backyard," Lu Renjia reported to us, his tone tinged with pity. "According to the monk, Master Lin is paralyzed in bed, unable to speak or move. Only his eyes... are still sharp, yet filled with... a dead silence."
Hearing the word "dead silence" pierced my heart like a needle. The man who had once commanded the eight hundred thousand imperial guards, the Leopard Head who had marched to Liangshan that snowy night, his spear skills like a god, was now in this state! Though he'd survived, living like this was no different from being dead. Even... even more painful.
"Where is Wu Song? Isn't he being taken care of in the temple?" I asked hurriedly. After Wu Song lost his arm, he also stayed in Liuhe Temple.
"Wu Dutou is also in the temple, but his broken arm hasn't healed yet, and he's depressed. He spends most of his time recuperating in his room, but he visits Instructor Lin once or twice a day." Lu Renjia sighed. "Outside the temple... there are soldiers assigned by the court guarding it. They're nominally there for protection, but in reality they're just surveillance."
Sure enough, the imperial court was still wary of these surviving Liangshan leaders.
"We must see him." Yiqing's voice was firm and unquestionable, "no matter how difficult it is."
This time, we didn't choose a roundabout approach. The opportunity was fleeting. Once the court completed its initial rewards and resettlement, relocated Lin Chong, Wu Song, and the others, or strengthened surveillance, it would be extremely difficult for us to contact them again.
After careful planning, we decided to split our forces into two groups. Yiqing would employ advanced evasion techniques to infiltrate Liuhe Temple under cover of night and confront Lin Chong directly. Lu Renjia and I would provide support from the periphery, ready to respond to any emergency and quickly evacuate Hangzhou once the mission was accomplished.
The action takes place on a moonless night. Hangzhou, ravaged by war, is under curfew after nightfall. The streets are deserted, with only the faint clatter of the night watchman's clappers and the distant roar of the Qiantang River tide to be heard.
Liuhe Temple was exceptionally quiet and solemn in the night, and the lights in the backyard meditation room were completely dark, as if no one lived there. The footsteps of patrolling soldiers outside the temple could be heard regularly, their eyes warily surveying the surrounding darkness.
Yiqing, dressed in night clothes, was like a wisp of green smoke blending into the night. He quietly crossed the temple's not-so-high wall, avoided several secret sentries, and followed the route provided by Lu Renjia to accurately find the meditation room located in the deepest part of the temple.
He stood quietly outside the window for a moment, and after confirming that there was only a faint and labored breathing sound in the house, he gently pushed open the inner latch with a dagger and slipped in.
There was no light in the Zen room; only the cool starlight filtered through the window paper, barely outlining the vague, motionless outline of a human figure on the couch. The air was thick with the stench of medicine and an indescribable, still, quiet aura of life slowly slipping away.
Yiqing walked over to the couch, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and could clearly see Lin Chong's appearance. His once dashing features were now thin and shapeless, his eyes deeply sunken. But those eyes, as Lu Renjia had said, still shone remarkably bright in the darkness. However, that light was devoid of its former heroic spirit and sharpness, leaving only boundless pain, unwillingness, and... desolation.
When he saw Yiqing, a very slight fluctuation flashed in his eyes, as if he was surprised, but then he returned to his calmness like dead water, without even a hint of asking questions.
"Master Lin," Yiqing's voice rang out in the silent Zen room, deep and clear, "I am Gongsun Sheng, a poor Taoist priest, and I have come to see you."
Hearing this name, Lin Chong's eyes moved extremely slowly, focusing on Yiqing's face. His gaze remained emotionless, as if he was merely confirming an insignificant fact.
Yiqing sighed inwardly, knowing that this hero's heart might have died even before his body. Without further ado, he stated his purpose directly: "I'm not here to reminisce about the past, nor am I here to lobby the court. I simply want to ask Master Lin, are you willing to leave this troubled place and find a quiet place to end your remaining life?"
Lin Chong's eyes finally stirred once again, a mixture of scorn, sorrow, and utter despair. His lips moved a few times, but no sound came out. Only his eyes could convey his meaning—leave? How? Where could he go with this broken body?
"Don't worry, Master." Yiqing understood the look in his eyes. "Since I'm here, I have my own plans. There's a secret place in the West Mountain of Taihu Lake where you can live safely without being disturbed. If you're willing, we can leave tonight."
He took out a Bagua jade pendant similar to the ones he had left for Xu Ning and Lu Zhishen and placed it beside Lin Chong's pillow. "If you wish, hold this jade pendant."
This was the final choice. Yiqing left the decision entirely to Lin Chong. Should he remain in this cage-like temple, living out the rest of his life in agony and surveillance? Or should he grasp at this last straw and seek a final rest in an unknown place?
The Zen room fell into a deathly silence, with only the sound of Lin Chong's labored and slow breathing and the faint sound of the tide outside the window.
Time slipped by. Lin Chong's gaze was fixed on the jade pendant beside his pillow, which shone softly in the dim light. A fierce struggle swirled in his eyes. Past glory, the tragic death of his brother, the excruciating pain in his body, despair at the world's state... all these emotions violently collided within his now-immobilized body.
Finally, the light of struggle faded, replaced by a complete, heartbreaking exhaustion and resignation. Slowly, with great difficulty, he closed his eyes. Two lines of turbid tears silently slid down from the corners of his sunken eyes, soaking the pillow.
He didn't touch the jade pendant.
He chose to stay. He chose to stay in this temple that witnessed his final end, to silently accompany his dead brothers for the last time.
Yiqing looked at him quietly without trying to persuade him. He understood that for Lin Chong, physical freedom might no longer be important. The shackles of his soul and his obsession with his brothers were the fate he could not and did not want to escape.
"In that case... I respect the Master's choice." Yiqing's voice was barely perceptible, "I leave this jade pendant to the Master. If you ever change your mind... perhaps you can use it to find a chance."
He gently put the jade pendant into Lin Chong's skinny hand, then took a deep look at this hero who had reached the end of his life but still maintained his final dignity. He turned around quietly and disappeared silently into the darkness of the Zen room, just like when he came.
When Yiqing returned safely to our temporary base outside Hangzhou, it was almost dawn.
"How is it?" I stepped forward eagerly.
Yiqing shook his head and briefly recounted the events in the Zen room. When I heard that Lin Chong had ultimately chosen to stay, even shedding tears, I froze in my tracks, a surge of immense, indescribable sadness welling up in my heart.
In the end...were we unable to change his final outcome?
"No, Luanyin." Yiqing seemed to see through my thoughts and whispered, "We have changed. At least, we gave him a chance to choose. And he made his choice consciously and independently. This in itself is a change."
He paused, looking toward Liuhe Temple with a distant gaze. "For him, being able to stay here with Wu Song, quietly reminiscing about the past and waiting for his ultimate release, perhaps... is what he desires more than going to a strange place and lingering alone. This is the 'peace' he has chosen."
I was silent for a long time, then finally nodded slowly. Yes, we're not gods, and we can't decide for others what kind of life is best. All we can do is offer them more possibilities within our capabilities. Ultimately, the path they choose must be their own.
Although Lin Chong's choice is heartbreaking, we must respect it.
The trip to Liuhe Temple put an end to our plan of "changing fate against the will of heaven" that lasted for several years, with regrets but not without meaning.
Jiangnan's mission has been completed. Now it's time to plan the fate of "Yun Xin Luan Yin" for ourselves.
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