The laughter outside continued, irritating him. Who was she playing with? Why didn't she come to talk to him yesterday? And now... what season was it outside? Could they already be spinning tops on the frozen river? Could they be chiseling ice to scoop out fish? It had been so long, so why was he still locked up here?
Had he done something wrong? He wanted to get out... he had to get out!
In his anger and despair, the boy's eyes suddenly shone brightly in the darkness, as radiant as glazed glass.
“Creak—” A crack appeared in the wall beside him as a movable wooden board was pulled out and then pushed back again. On it, the same thing as always—a piece of dried fish and a bowl of plain white rice.
“Little monster, eat!” A hoarse voice barked from outside, dripping with disgust.
It was Hu, his guard for the past seven years.
After what happened when he was six, he had been locked in this lightless black room, shackled to the wall, hand and foot, for a full seven years. Listening to the wind and laughter outside, the usually silent child suddenly exploded. In a burst of rage, he swung his arm, sending all the dishes crashing to the ground with a loud clatter.
“Little monster!” The guard heard the noise from behind the wall and stuck his head in, glaring at him. "Looking for death, are you?"
Yet, in that instant, just one glance was enough to make the guard's body collapse.
In the darkness, the boy's eyes were pressed against the food slot, staring out, shaking the chains furiously as he erupted in a furious roar, "I want out! Let me out! Let me out, damn it! Let me out!"
As his voice rang out, the collapsed guard somehow stood up again. But his eyes and movements were empty, mechanical. Slowly, with a creaking sound, he walked toward the door covered in seals, pulled out a key, and woodenly inserted it into the lock.
The sudden burst of light stung the boy’s eyes in the darkness. He flinched but saw the fierce man entering without expression. Without a word, he bent down and began unlocking the boy's shackles.
Huh, what’s with this guy? Why did his gaze become so vacant?
But at thirteen, the boy didn't have time to think. He cheered as he rushed out of the door that had confined him for seven years. The wind hit his face, and in the dazzling sunlight, he raised his arms, shouting to the children playing in the distance, “Big Sister Xiao Ye! Xue Huai! I’m free!”
Who cares about that bastard Hu! He could go to hell for all he cared. He was free!
But just as that thought flashed through his mind, he heard a scream from the room behind him.
Startled, he turned around and saw a horrifying sight—
Hu, that very same guard, was pushing the iron key inch by inch into his own throat! His face contorted in agony, yet his hand, as if controlled by a demon, kept pushing, driving the key deeper and deeper, tearing through flesh and sinew.
Horrified, the boy stumbled back, falling to the ground outside, rubbing his eyes.
This can’t be real, can it? This... this must be an illusion, right?
How could Hu suddenly do something like that... just like the two constables at the relay station, who strangled themselves to death!
Could it be... just because he had unconsciously said, “Go die”?
“Ah! He’s killed someone! The monster... the monster killed someone!” The children in the distance saw the terrifying scene and screamed, running away in a chaotic panic. The Han girl was swept away by the crowd, disappearing quickly across the snow-covered ground.
Xiao Ye... Xiao Ye... I finally escaped, so why did you run away when you saw me?
He snapped back to reality, instinctively wanting to chase after her, when suddenly something struck him hard on the back of the head, and everything went black.
“Damn brat, you still dare to run out?” A voice snarled behind him as someone grabbed him roughly with a big stick.
He was dragged to the clan’s ancestral hall, where many people surrounded him, panicking and shouting, “We barely managed to cover up the last time he killed the constables, and now he’s killed someone from the village! What are we going to do?”
“The clan has another monster! The ancestors always said that a hundred years ago, we were driven out of the Kushan Kingdom because a monster appeared in our clan! Those are demon eyes!”
“Everyone, quiet down. He’s still just a child... Last time, when he killed the constables, it was out of necessity,” an elder’s voice sounded, sighing. “But now, he’s killing people just because he said so. What should we do?”
“Clan leader, you can’t hesitate any longer. If those demon eyes are allowed to live, they’ll doom the entire clan!” Countless voices cried out, and the crowd grew increasingly agitated. “Locking him up isn’t enough—we need to gouge out his eyes and end this curse!”
The elder hesitated, his hands trembling as he fumbled with the flint, trying and failing to strike it.
All his life, he had believed that the legend of the Mojia clan’s demonic bloodline being the reason for their exile was just a myth. But now, as he looked into the eyes of a child, the ancient tragedy was unfolding once again.
The Mojia clan, residing deep within the mountains, had eyes that displayed a light blue or deep black hue—colors not found in either the Central Plains or the Western Regions. Yet in their daily lives, there was nothing out of the ordinary about them—nothing like the legends that spoke of demons who could kill with a mere glance, causing chaos throughout the entire Kushan Kingdom.
"Grandfather, don’t gouge out Ming Jie’s eyes, please don’t!" Suddenly, a boy's voice rang out loudly as he recklessly broke through the crowd. "I beg you, don’t take Ming Jie’s eyes! He’s not a bad person!"
"Xue Huai, this is not a matter for children. Stay out of it!" The elder harshly pushed his beloved grandson aside and, seeing the Han girl, Xiao Ye, rush up as well, he became even more irritated. "Xiao Ye, you stay out of this too! Outsiders have no right to interfere in the matters of the Mojia clan!"
—If it weren’t for this outsider, this Han girl, Ming Jie wouldn’t be in this situation today.
"Take him back and lock him up! In three days, we will hold a full clan assembly!"
As he opened his eyes, darkness once again enveloped him. He shook the chains around his wrists and ankles frantically, shouting hoarsely.
Don’t take my eyes! Let me out! Let me out!
"Ming Jie." A soft voice suddenly came from the wall behind him.
Overjoyed, he pressed himself against the wall, peering through the small opening to see a pair of clear black and white eyes. "Big Sister Xiao Ye! You came to see me?"
"Those damned adults say your eyes can kill, but why am I fine after looking at them?" Her eyes were filled with tears, on the verge of falling. "You were locked up because of me—I've already spoken with Xue Huai. If they really do take your eyes, we’ll each give you one of ours!"
Through the small hole, he could see tears rolling down those clear, distinct black-and-white eyes.
He stared in a daze. Ever since he was locked in the dark room at the age of six, he had not seen her in the seven years that followed. Even during his brief escape a few days ago, he hadn’t gotten a clear look at her face. To him, Xiao Ye had always been just a pair of bright eyes that appeared daily through the opening: bright, gentle, caring, warm... clear black and white, like the snowy mountains and dark rivers of the north.
Big Sister Xiao Ye... Xue Huai... In that instant, after seven years of confinement during which he had never shown weakness, he broke down in the darkness and sobbed uncontrollably.
Where did you come from?
In the darkness, a voice whispered to him. Ming Jie, where did you come from?
It’s fake... fake... all of this is fake! He was just trapped in another illusion similar to the pupil techniques!
At the moment when that voice echoed through his mind and the two bright eyes became increasingly blurred, he shouted inwardly, resisting the visions that flickered before him. It's fake! I absolutely must not believe it... it’s all an illusion!
"Ming Jie, Ming Jie!" Someone was calling that name near his ear, pressing down on his hands, which were reaching toward the back of his head. "It's okay... it's okay now. Don’t be like this, it’s all over..."
He opened his eyes in the darkness and saw a pair of bright eyes, clear black and white, right in front of him.
"Big Sister Xiao Ye?" Memories suddenly overlapped with the present, and he grabbed her hand, suddenly feeling exhausted and drowsy. He muttered, "It's all fake... it’s all fake..."
"It’s not fake. It’s me, it’s really me," she tightly held his hand in the darkness. "I’m back."
"..." His mind was still trapped in the dream, and he looked at her blankly, reaching out as if to touch her cheek to confirm her existence. But before his hand could reach her, it dropped weakly, and he fell back into a deep sleep.
Xue Zi Ye stood up, adding a handful of tihu incense to the golden lion-shaped censer. She glanced sideways at the sleeping person.
On the golden tray, a golden needle glinted faintly—she had already unlocked part of his sealed memories. However, until his body fully recovered, it would be too dangerous to pull out all three needles at once. Otherwise, the shock might drive Ming Jie completely mad.
It seemed she would have to proceed slowly, step by step.
After settling the patient, she prepared to attend the drinking contest she had agreed to.
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