Chapter 3: Nightmare

At six in the morning, when daylight had yet to break, Li Fuling opened his eyes.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and fumbled to put on the neatly arranged new clothes at the foot of the bed.

He clearly remembered his father’s instructions.

Since he was now a member of this family, he had to abide by its rules.

After buttoning the last button, he took a deep breath and gently pushed the door open.

The villa was still immersed in the deepest silence before dawn. Only faint, hushed conversations from the servants in the kitchen downstairs and the soft clinking of kitchenware could be heard.

As he passed Shen Jici’s tightly shut door, his footsteps instinctively grew even lighter. Following his memory from the day before, he made his way toward the end of the corridor.

The small door hidden within the ornate wall paneling looked more like an ancient screen in the dim light, its wooden grain glowing with a somber luster in the gloom.

He reached out and pushed it open, the hinges emitting a faint creak.

He felt along the wall for the low-wattage light switch, and a dim yellow light barely dispelled a small patch of darkness.

As the door closed behind him, all sounds from the outside world were instantly cut off. An absolute, oppressive silence descended, making the place as quiet as an isolated tomb.

Li Fuling took three sticks of incense, lit them on the candle flame, and watched as the smoke rose straight upward.

He knelt on the cold meditation cushion and, following the rules, respectfully kowtowed three times.

This was his first time performing the ritual alone. Though he approached it with caution and believed it to be mere superstition, he carried out each movement with care.

However, just as he was about to insert the incense into the bronze censer, an uncontrollable curiosity seized him.

His gaze involuntarily traveled upward along the cold statue—

First, the Lotus Throne, then the intricately carved, flowing robes with fluttering sleeves, the smooth lines… His eyes continued upward, and when they reached the statue’s face and body, Li Fuling’s breath hitched!

He staggered backward several steps, nearly falling to the ground.

Gasping for air, he couldn’t believe his eyes and forced himself to look up again.

This time, he saw it clearly.

Seated upon the shrine was indeed a statue of Guanyin.

The compassionate face that had appeared blurred in the dim light the day before was now starkly clear in the flickering candlelight.

Her eyes were half-lowered, and a smile of compassion for all living beings graced her lips. Yet, behind this benevolent and sacred countenance coiled seven ferocious snakes!

They seemed to sprout from the halo behind Guanyin, their bodies twisting, scales reflecting a cold, harsh gleam in the candlelight. Their gaping mouths were filled with sharp fangs, and crimson forked tongues hissed forth. Fourteen snake eyes, hollow and icy, brimming with inhuman malice, were fixed intently, unwaveringly, on Li Fuling.

He had never seen such a blasphemous and sinister depiction—the ultimate compassion intertwined with the ultimate evil, creating a terror potent enough to shatter one’s mind.

Li Fuling’s scalp prickled, a chill shooting from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He couldn’t bear to stay in the secret room a second longer and practically scrambled out of the small attic on all fours.

Fortunately, the corridor was quiet; everyone was still asleep.

Li Fuling fled back to his room as if escaping for his life, gently closing the door behind him and leaning against it, breathing heavily.

He slipped into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face, trying to dispel the chill brought by that eerie Buddha statue in his mind.

Water droplets slid down his cheeks, and the boy in the mirror looked somewhat pale.

Returning to the bedside, he buried himself in the soft bedding, but his thoughts churned uncontrollably.

This… this is just so strange.

Or perhaps he was simply ignorant—maybe wealthy families who did business all worshipped such things.

Since he would have to pay his respects to it in the future, he’d just have to be careful. After all, it was a Buddha statue, not a living thing…

Lost in these thoughts, Li Fuling drifted into a hazy sleep.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when he awoke to an overwhelming silence.

The room was dimly lit, and it was eerily quiet outside.

Wasn’t today a school day? Had his father, mother, and Shen Jici not woken up yet? Had no one come to call him?

A nameless unease gripped him. He pushed open the door and peeked out.

Outside, there was no one in sight. Only the massive crystal chandelier in the living room cast a stark, pale glow.

Clattering down the stairs, his footsteps echoed sharply in the empty house. He glanced toward the kitchen, where something was steaming in a pot.

Was this left for him?

He walked over and lifted the lid.

A loud clang rang out.

The lid slipped from his trembling hands and crashed heavily onto the tiled floor, emitting a piercing sound.

He felt the blood in his entire body freeze instantly. His scalp tingled, and every hair on his body stood on end.

Why… why were the pot’s contents a seething, boiling mass of densely packed, pale-white maggots?

Some had already burst open from the boiling, their skins split and flesh torn, revealing an even murkier white fluid inside. An indescribable stench of rot and decay assaulted his senses.

Overwhelmed by the smell, Li Fuling staggered, his legs weak, and he practically scrambled out of the kitchen on all fours.

Father… Mother…

Standing in the center of the deathly silent living room, his voice trembled with tears as he called out.

Butler?

Shen… Shen Jici?

But there was no response.

A wave of immense fear, cold as icy water, completely engulfed him.

Stumbling, he pushed open the front door and ran into the courtyard. The sunlight was blinding, yet there was still no sign of anyone.

Panicked, he rushed to the edge of the pond, where the familiar red-and-white Koi fish swam as usual.

Alive… they were alive.

Li Fuling crouched down and reached out to touch the cold dorsal fin of the nearest Koi.

The fish seemed to sense the touch, its large mouth breaking the surface of the water, opening and closing as if begging for food.

In that instant, Li Fuling saw it clearly.

The fish’s eyes were lifeless, murky, and milky white.

Ah! He jerked his hand back, trying to stand and retreat, but he tripped and fell awkwardly onto the ground.

He stared fixedly at the swimming Koi. On their beautiful bodies, each one was embedded with those same hollow, eerie white eyes!

A-Ling… A-Ling…

Just as he teetered on the brink of collapse, a distant yet familiar voice seemed to pierce through the water’s surface, calling his name clearly.

He watched helplessly as the terrifying, bizarre scene before him began to crack and disintegrate like a mirror…

In reality, Li Fuling lay with his eyes closed, his eyelids twitching incessantly, beads of cold sweat covering his forehead.

Ah Ling is fine, just had a nightmare. I’ve woken him up, he’ll be alright after drinking some Mind-Soothing Soup later.

Good, that’s a relief.

Well, Ah Ling seems to be waking up soon, I’ll head back first.

Alright, alright. Madam, please keep an eye on him, I’ll see Wang Qiu out.

Okay.

Li Fuling gradually woke up to the sound of those bustling voices.

With great effort, Li Fuling opened his heavy eyelids, his blurred vision slowly focusing on Madam Yu’s gentle face. Tears welled up uncontrollably in his eyes, Mother.

Madam Yu immediately gathered him into her arms with heartfelt concern, gently patting his back, Ah Ling, dear, don’t cry. You had a nightmare, it was all fake, it’s over now, it’s over.

Li Fuling buried his face in Madam Yu’s embrace, sobbing quietly while listening to her steady, strong heartbeat.

All of this… was normal.

His home was normal, this embrace was normal. That terrifying experience from earlier was just a dream.

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