Waiting is the hardest.
Because you don't know how long you'll have to wait, like the Kong Taoist who waited thirty years for a glimpse of his beloved, never to see her. Each minute and each second of the wait, fuelled by fear and anticipation, becomes ever more torturous.
And what's more damaging to a person than waiting is the polite yet absolute rejection received after what could only be described as a prolonged torment of anticipation.
Despite Zhao Xiujie having employed every method he learned from books, Wang Anfeng remained unmoved, always declining gently. As the sun began to set, young master Xiujie, pulled by his father, got onto his horse and left Great Liang Village, looking back several times and inciting the black bear's discontent with its roaring growls.
The bear had wanted to eat today, but first it had been choked unconscious twice by Wang Anfeng, then thrashed sore all over by the young man's rudimentary Spirit Snake Seeking Gap Whip Technique. Fortunately, innkeeper Wang had provided a pig carcass, hunger from a day without meat made the bear not fussy about its diet, and it ate up everything, then lazily sprawled in Wang Anfeng's courtyard.
The Green-Maned Horse by its side took a bite of hay mixed with soybeans and then raised its head to look at the bear, its cold gaze extinguishing any thoughts of escape the bear might have had.
Even in its dull mind rose the illusion that this place was actually quite nice. Full and quenched, it lay down and drifted into a deep, lazy sleep on the ground.
Seeing that the Green-Maned Horse had constrained the black bear, Wang Anfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He patted the horse's back to show his encouragement, promising to add a few eggs to its fodder the next day. He sent off his polite guest, the innkeeper who brought the pig carcass, after some idle chat, and didn't stand up to say goodbye until the sky was densely studded with stars.
The night breeze came softly, and the day's troubles dispersed from his heart, leaving him with a deeper sense of calm and peace. His footsteps echoed along the path, autumn was bleak, and the night even more so by threefold. His breathing grew more even, and as he passed under the familiar old pagoda tree, the wooden door opened just at the right time.
It was like a fish causing ripples on a smooth autumn lake, not disturbing his current state of mind at all. The lights inside were bright and warm; the scholar in a blue robe stood at the door, nodding warmly and said with a smile,
"The tea is ready. Come in, Anfeng..."
Wang Anfeng was not surprised and said,
"Then I shall impose, sir..."
Inside, under the bright lights, two cups of clear tea stood ready. Jiang Shouyi sat down and simply played his guqin, while Wang Anfeng sipped his tea quietly, soaking in the feeling of being cleansed from inside out. Jiang Shouyi strummed the guqin lightly, the melody long and flowing, and then casually asked,
"How did you find the books you borrowed from me?"
Wang Anfeng put down his teacup and earnestly replied,
"I've read up to the eleventh part of the ancient rituals; sir's explanations penetrate to the core, awe-inspiring indeed."
Jiang Shouyi chuckled and said,
"That's good to hear."
In the ensuing time, Wang Anfeng had already finished reading all the books left by his father and, thinking it over, decided that only Jiang Shouyi might have books in this village. He thus brought over some pork as a gift to visit him.
The latter did not refuse, accepted his pork nonchalantly, handed over the "Discourses on Ritual" he was reading, and pointed out he would test him on it at a later time.
A month had passed, during which he drank forty cups of tea here and also borrowed several books.
Jiang Shouyi thought for a moment, then looking at him with a smile, he said, "Anfeng, since you said you have read them, I shall test you, shall I?"
Wang Anfeng respectfully replied,
"Please proceed, sir."
The guqin sounded a high note, Jiang Shouyi's palm resting on the trembling strings, the tune streamlined and beginning to play, with a grandeur that was upright and majestic, as if kings appeared and dukes knelt in welcome, a scholar then asked in a level voice,
"The affairs of a gentleman's heart, under the vast sky and bright sun, cannot be kept unknown to others; what does this sentence mean?"
Wang Anfeng answered, "A gentleman should be open-hearted and upright, without shame before Heaven and Earth."
"What is the next line?"
"The talent of a gentleman is like jade and pearls hidden away, not easily revealed to others."
The melody changed, becoming more urgent, like a sudden violent storm, and the scholar's clear shout was like arrows breaking through the air, parting the rain and pointing straight to Wang Anfeng's heart. The youth's pupils shrank slightly, sweat appearing on his forehead, and he said:
"A gentleman should keep his talents hidden deep like jade and pearls in mountains and seas, not letting others know easily."
The melody became higher and sharper, the intervals between questions and answers growing shorter and shorter, almost not like an elder's instruction but more like a clash between two swordsmen, with the flash of knives and shadows of swords, increasingly direct and fierce, right to the vital points. Suddenly, the strings of the guqin trembled sharply, emitting a piercing sound.
Jiang Shouyi's eyes widened slightly, he nearly rebuked:
"Divine objects remain concealed, what does it mean?!"
The sound of a great bell filled Wang Anfeng's ears. He opened his mouth but made no sound. Jiang Shouyi, with a calm face, slowed the tune, and said softly:
"Do you understand now?"
The youth nodded, his forehead full of cold sweat, and said softly:
"Teacher... are you saying that I am too ostentatious in my actions?"
Jiang Shouyi shook his head and said, "You have not been ostentatious. However, sometimes your normal behavior can already make you a target in the eyes of others. As the saying goes, 'The tree that stands out in the forest', and before you are fully grown, this can already be fatal."
"Moreover, 'an eagle standing as if asleep, a tiger walking as if ill' are the truly terrifying and bloodthirsty approaches. A gentleman should be wise without showing off, talented without being conceited. Only then can he have the strength to 'turn the tide and shoulder great tasks'."
"You should learn that divine objects keep themselves concealed."
Wang Anfeng fell silent and pondered Jiang Shouyi's words. Meanwhile, the scholar had gently placed the guqin on the table and pushed it towards him. The youth was taken aback, then saw Jiang Shouyi smile and say:
"How about you learn the guqin with me?"
Jiang Shouyi nodded and said, "Yes. While one mustn't lose purpose in diversions, using the environment to adjust your mind can also disperse the sharp essence around you, how about that?"
After a pause, Wang Anfeng stood up to bow deeply and said:
"Then please teach me, Teacher."
After staying for about half an hour, Wang Anfeng bid farewell and left. After he departed, Jiang Shouyi's wife slowly walked into the study and said:
"Why... do you care so much about him?"
Jiang Shouyi took a sip of tea, calmly saying, "After all, he is Tianhong's older brother Wang. Besides... in less than two months, I can only introduce him to the basics, point him in the right direction, and teach him the principle of divine objects keeping themselves concealed."
"He may not yet realize that if incidents like today's happen a few more times, he won't be able to live in Great Liang Village anymore. Moreover, 'he' back then stood out too much and irritated those people's eyes, which ultimately led to his downfall and untimely death..."
As the last four words were spoken, the guqin on the table vibrated fiercely, the tune solemn and cold, turning the room into the depths of a harsh winter in an instant, a thick layer of frost silently spreading over the tea in the cup. After a few breaths, the scholar, who was usually so adept at nurturing his qi, returned to his calm demeanor and said softly,
"Back then, I stepped back; this time, I cannot allow another person to be harmed by this."