Snail Senior Brother

Chapter 213 Recollection: The Dual Prison

Huang Youdao, feeling down, went to buy medicine. Having been an intern doctor, he knew these medicines could only alleviate Tao Yue's symptoms; to treat tuberculosis, hospitalization was necessary.

Now, their family couldn't afford hospitalization.

Thinking of money, Huang Youdao's heart felt heavy.

...

After buying the medicine, Huang Youdao went to Wende Courtyard as Tao Yue had instructed.

When he arrived, Wende was cooking at home, a traditional Shandong dish, rich in soy sauce aroma. Huang Youdao bowed to Wende and curiously asked, "Are you also from Shandong?"

"Mm, did Tao Yue send you?"

"Yes!"

Huang Youdao had only met Mr. Wende a few times and never had a formal interaction, but for some reason, he always felt a sense of awe towards this man who looked like a scholar. Thus, he answered every question Wende asked.

"What did the child say?"

"He said he'll wait until you take on a disciple."

Mr. Wende sighed upon hearing this, "Good, I understand. A good child, it's a pity I met him too late. If not for needing a servant in my household, I wouldn't have granted that child's wish. Oh well, let's consider it fate."

Huang Youdao didn't understand these words and just stood respectfully. Mr. Wende glanced at him and said, "You can go now, leave!"

...

Huang Youdao had no intention of pondering what Tao Yue and Mr. Wende had discussed or agreed upon. He was focused on how to use the medicine and money in his hand to pull Tao Yue back from the brink of death.

However, to Huang Youdao's surprise, as soon as he entered the house, Zhang Si bolted the door shut.

Huang Youdao saw Tao Yue's somber face and the glinting kitchen knife in Zhang Si's hand.

"Zhang Si, what are you doing?"

"Old Huang, Old Tao wants to use human blood steamed buns to survive. Fulfill his wish. Oh, and he also told me your vocational school registration card only has your name and no photo. I'll go to school using your name, Huang Youdao, and from then on, I'll become a doctor."

Huang Youdao couldn't believe what Zhang Si was saying and looked at Tao Yue. Tao Yue added expressionlessly, "What he says is true."

Huang Youdao didn't understand why Tao Yue treated him this way. His heart ached so much that he almost forgot to escape. Zhang Si showed no mercy and quickly knocked Huang Youdao down, bleeding profusely.

"Go get the steamed buns," Zhang Si said triumphantly to Tao Yue.

"See if he's dead?"

Zhang Si walked over to check Huang Youdao's breathing. At this moment, Huang Youdao was still conscious. His last shred of will to survive made him hold his breath, a qigong technique taught by Tao Yue. He had been practicing it for half a year. At this moment, he felt as if he had merged with the ground and the blood. For some reason, many thoughts flooded his mind. He remembered the dreams he used to have, of someone stepping on his neck and cutting his throat with a knife.

That was the scene of Zhang Si killing Big Guy. Now Zhang Si was preparing to kill Huang Youdao using the same method.

Just then, Tao Yue opened the door and ran into the yard, shouting loudly, "Zhang Si killed someone, Zhang Si killed someone!"

This made Zhang Si abandon his intention of cutting Huang Youdao's throat. He grabbed the knife and chased after Tao Yue, slashing at him. Tao Yue fell to the ground, then got up again. He turned to look back at the room and saw Huang Youdao's surprised eyes. He smiled, a smile filled with reluctance, satisfaction, and tears. He opened his mouth as if to say, "Take good care of Tao Xiaoniu," but no sound came out. He finally died under Zhang Si's knife.

The main door opened, and Huang Youdao saw Mr. Wende walk in, his face solemn. He saw the frenzied Zhang Si, holding the kitchen knife, rush towards Mr. Wende.

...

When Huang Youdao woke up, he was in the hospital. Mr. Wende was sitting beside him, reading a book.

"Mr. Wende, where is Tao Yue?"

"He was cremated according to his last wish. His ashes were scattered in the river. He said he wanted to travel across the country along the nation's rivers and then return to the sea."

Hearing Mr. Wende say this, Huang Youdao couldn't help but cry.

"That child had a fragile life. The day you met, his life was already numbered. He just wanted to sit on a train and see different places to end his life, not expecting to meet you. He was sharp-minded and saw through the world's coldness. You trusted Zhang Si, while he saw Zhang Si's treacherous heart. Therefore, to save you, he stayed. During this time, you met Tao Xiaoniu, and his responsibility grew even greater. He endured his cough during the day, pretending to be fine, coughing blood late at night. Even doctors didn't understand how he survived. However, fortunately, he finally got his wish and saved you."

"Saved me?"

"This was a plan conceived long ago. He told me about it earlier. When you returned, Tao Yue would have you come to Wende Courtyard. While you were on your way, he would instigate Zhang Si. If he killed you, he could live using your name. Zhang Si is an idiot; how could a name replace someone's life? However, Zhang Si didn't know that he was already jealous of you and Tao Yue, wishing he could swallow you whole, making him easy to deceive."

Huang Youdao understood. This wasn't a plan made on the first day. Locking the door, attacking, making Zhang Si believe he was dead, holding his breath – these were all taught by Tao Yue. Because these actions were enough time for Tao Yue to escape.

But, to prevent Zhang Si from harming Huang Youdao and Tao Xiaoniu further, someone had to be there. Someone had to make Zhang Si a murderer. However, Tao Yue knew he was going to die anyway. If the killer of a dying person were to be sentenced to death, Tao Yue would feel uncomfortable. Therefore, he begged Mr. Wende to take Zhang Si as a disciple. He believed Mr. Wende would guide Zhang Si and turn him into a good person.

"Sir, what about Zhang Si?"

"I've chained him in the cellar. Darkness will instill fear in him. Little friend Tao Yue doesn't know me well. I have no interest in cultivating a righteous person with a beautiful heart. Zhang Si will stay by my side forever, losing his freedom under the guise of a servant and the name of a disciple. I will teach him things, but his aptitude is limited. He will never grasp the true essence of those miraculous skills; instead, he will be bound by them. From then on, not only will he be physically unfree, but his spirit will also be imprisoned for life. This is the life Zhang Si is destined to have."

Huang Youdao shivered all over. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "Can I learn from you, sir? I want to become a 'demon' who can save people, like Tao Yue."

"No, because you are not clever enough. However, your sister Tao Xiaoniu is someone I can consider."

...

...

Hearing Huang Youdao's story, I was deeply moved. It turned out Huang Youdao was the enraged personality, one of the two personalities Zhang Si had killed. However, this was clearly not Zhang Si's personal will, but Mr. Wende's training of Zhang Si. Zhang Si was completely hypnotized. Half of his days, he believed he was the lazy Tao Yue who only liked cooking and practicing martial arts. The other half, Zhang Si believed he was the enraged, but willing-to-learn, Huang Youdao.

His martial arts, cooking, metaphysics, and calligraphy were all good. But his end was just as Mr. Wende had described. He spent most of his life serving Mr. Wende, with the name of a disciple but the status of a servant. Not only was he not free in his actions, but his soul was also imprisoned deep within his sea of consciousness.

In this world, only Mr. Wende could achieve such a feat.

Thinking back, why did Zhang Si have a golden wall? Most of Mr. Wende's disciples looked down upon wealth; for them, obtaining money was effortless. Only Zhang Si was different.

It turned out that Zhang Si only held the title of senior disciple but was not truly Mr. Wende's student; he was merely a prisoner.

...

I sighed with emotion and suddenly remembered that Tao Xiaoniu was also in this story. So I asked, "Did Tao Xiaoniu not become Mr. Wende's disciple in the end?"

"She did!"

"Tao Xiaoniu is Mr. Wende's disciple? How come I've never heard of it."

Huang Youdao sighed, "After I was seriously injured, when I saw Tao Xiaoniu again, she was still young and had already become estranged from me. I saw how dependent she was on Boss Wang of the bun shop, so I discussed with Boss Wang about giving Tao Xiaoniu to the childless Boss Wang as his daughter. They agreed, and Tao Xiaoniu changed her surname to Wang."

"Teacher Wang Ren?"

My jaw nearly dropped in surprise.

Huang Youdao nodded, "Yes, Tao Xiaoniu is Wang Ren."

I stared with wide eyes, thinking carefully. Teacher Wang Ren had once said that Senior Disciple Zhang Si started learning from their master in his early twenties, but due to his dullness, he only achieved some success at thirty, so Mr. Wende asked other disciples to come at thirty. Twelve years later, Zhu Guang followed their master. Five or six years after that, Wang Ren arrived. By 1988, Cao Shi and Li Jiu were accepted as disciples.

"Does Teacher Wang Ren know?"

Huang Youdao shook his head, "She probably knows her childhood nickname was Xiaoniu, but she wouldn't remember me and Tao Yue. She was only four or five when she left us. Most people can't recall events from when they were four or five. Mr. Wende made a master-disciple agreement with Tao Xiaoniu, renamed her Wang Ren, named for righteousness and aided by little ghosts. Wang Ren came to Beijing to study for several years after her parents passed away."

The coincidences in the world are truly wondrous. Zhang Si, Boss Zhu's son Zhu Guang, Tao Xiaoniu, who was renamed Wang Ren, and Huang Youdao, known as a 'demon' – in their youth, they shared such karma.

"And you? When did you become a 'demon' who could know the past and future?"