In the darkness, two beams of flashlight flickered, but they did nothing to slow the instability of my heartbeat. As I approached the bronze door, the suffocating luster on the massive door made me feel as if I were transported back to ancient times.
I had crossed the closest distance I had ever reached to the door back then and began to walk even closer. The door loomed larger and larger in front of me, and I found it increasingly hard to breathe.
“Thank goodness we left the ghost seal outside. Otherwise, when we get to the door, it might just open,” said the胖子 (Fatty).
No one knew exactly how to use the ghost seal, but it seemed that last time, my brother had just taken it and walked in.
“The time isn’t right yet. What if you get to the door and it just opens? He wouldn’t be wearing pants, how awkward would that be?” the胖子 continued.
“He’s not wearing pants; I’m wearing his pants,” I pointed to my own trousers.
“Then that’s even more awkward,” said the胖子.
“Do you think my brother is that concerned about his image? If he could get out early without wearing pants, what’s the big deal? After all, if I were locked up for ten years, I’d definitely want to get out a few days early, even if it meant going without pants.”
The胖子 sniffed. “Have you ever seen my brother lose face?”
“Not that I can recall,” I replied after thinking for a moment.
“That means my brother is someone who cares a lot about his image. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person never lose face? And the door opens before the time is up. There might even be a chain reaction,” the胖子 said, mimicking the action of my brother twisting our necks.
I turned to look at the door and was surprised to find that even at such a close distance, the patterns on it were still incredibly intricate. I recalled my dream from earlier when I stood in front of the door, and I felt a bit uneasy.
The two of us stared at the door for a long time without speaking.
“Do you think if I lick it, I’d become immortal?” the胖子 murmured.
I took a deep breath, thinking it couldn’t be that simple and crude.
“Brother, brother, we’re here! If you’re inside, make a sound!” the胖子 shouted at the top of his lungs.
We fell silent and listened. No one responded.
“The door is too thick,” the胖子 slapped me.
“Stop fooling around. What did you find?” I asked, a bit impatient. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. I realized it was a stone.
“What’s this?”
“A stone tower,” the胖子 said. “Someone placed a simple stone tower along the divine path. We were able to get here so quickly by following the stone towers. It seems like a sign left by my brother.”
It appeared he had marked every path to guide us. I touched the stone. “And then?”
“Generally, guiding only leads to one path, right?”
I nodded, and the胖子 said, “The path my brother pointed out has a fork.”
I fell silent for a moment, suddenly realizing the reason he had called me over. I thought for a moment and quietly said, “Have you checked the other path to see what’s inside?”
“I was worried about your safety, so I came here first,” the胖子 sat down in front of the bronze door. “Do you want to go take a look?”
I sat down as well and shook my head. The胖子 showed a surprised expression. “Oh, you’re actually not interested in this? Maybe my brother left some things you need to know in that place.”
“Yeah,” I said, “maybe everything is in that place. But perhaps he just wanted to see if I’m still the person who can’t see the truth and is still haunted by it.”
The fat man fell silent. He looked at me, and I looked at him. After a long pause, he asked, “Are you really not going to take a look?”
“I have no interest at all,” I replied.
“A wayward son can indeed return,” the fat man said, giving me a thumbs up. “It’s not that your temper is bad, but after experiencing a lot, one must know when to stop. So let’s wait. When the little brother comes out, what are you going to do? Have you thought about it?”
I looked at the bronze door in front of me. “Once, I discovered a village in the mountains of southern Fujian. The feng shui there is quite strange; it sits on the slope of a valley, with six waterfalls constantly pouring water onto the village, as if it were always raining. The old people in the village said that monks once lived here and wrote a poem about it, saying that here, a hundred years of withered vines and a thousand years of rain coexist.
It’s beautiful, and the water is very clean. There are many large trees near the village, and the village is very simple. I plan to stay there for a while. As for the little brother, once he comes out, he will be free. Where he will go, I don’t know.”
“What about your business?”
“I’ll give it to Xiaohua. I owe him that. Whether to continue or stop is up to him.”
“Damn it, after so many years of brotherhood, you give it to Xiaohua but not to me.”
I grabbed the fat man’s neck meat. “As your longtime brother, I solemnly tell you, it’s time for you to retire. Come to the village; you can be the village party secretary.”
The fat man smiled and suddenly pushed aside the stone in front of him. I saw that the ghost seal was placed beneath the stone, in a bronze groove.
“Xiaohua said that if you choose to take that fork in the road and take a look, your fate will still not change. This thing should be buried here forever. If you give it up, only then will you deserve a future.”
I looked at him, thinking about what schemes he might be planning.
“He won’t come down,” the fat man said.
A sense of ominous premonition surged in my heart. “What happened to Xiaohua?”
“Don’t worry; he’s fine. He’s just waiting for us up there.” The fat man shrugged and stood up. “This is the last time you’ll be deceived. From now on, we should all retire. Only by truly leaving can—”
“Can we truly end it,” I interjected. “To become a person without a past or future, with no connection to this world at all.”
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