Episode 36

  "Huh? You're not crazy after all!"

  "Who is mad? Who is sane? And who can tell the difference! The world says we are the mad ones, but I say the world is mad! The world says we are to be pitied, but I say the world is to be pitied! The world says our suffering is great, but I say the world's suffering is greater than ours! Which is lighter and which is heavier, good fortune for us or misfortune for the world? Do you know?"

  "Ah, all things are suffering, but the mind is the most suffering! Or perhaps one does not know the reason for this suffering?"

  "The winner is not one who does not know hardship, nor one who knows but is not bothered by it; rather, he is one who does not know the pain of hardship."

  "Ah, being numb and ignorant like a lowly commoner, yet still finding joy in life, isn't that wonderful!"

  "Most people live and die in a state of bewilderment! They are unaware of their own existence, and they pass away without realizing it. They are born and they die, but ultimately they depart silently, as if they had never existed at all. What joy is there in living? What sorrow is there in dying? But I alone do not wish to live like this; seeking truth is my highest goal! My life has its limits, but with the Great Way to guide me, whether inside or outside of prison, I am joyful!"

  "The words of the master are most excellent, I am enlightened. From now on, I will take pleasure in seeking the Great Way!"

  Afterwards they lived together, knowing that he had once held a high position and was not on good terms with the current dynasty, and had been imprisoned. Not enough to be very friendly with him. So they talked about their friendship without regard for age.

  One day, an old madman said:

  "I see that your physique is extraordinary, beyond what ordinary people can achieve. When I was a general, I had killed countless strong enemies and gained a practical combat skill. Are you willing to learn it?"

  "Thank you, sir, I'm willing to learn."

  "When engaging the enemy, speed is crucial. Speed means swiftness. When calm, be like a stillborn child; when moving, be like a startled rabbit; in coming and going, be like a swift wind or a flash of lightning; in attacking, be like thunderbolts and torrential rain. And concentrate your strength on one point, using the ordinary man's strength to attack that one point, even if you are weak, you can overcome an enemy as strong as a mountain..."

  Then with hands as blades, the lesson is insufficient.

  After insufficient self-study of the Golden Body Formula and the Taiyi Mysterious Spirit Formula, not only is his body extremely strong, but his spirit and consciousness are also increasingly powerful. The sea of consciousness in his mind gradually grows larger and stronger, so his memory and ability to resolve doubts are greatly different from ordinary people. Furthermore, with nothing to do every day, he practices day after day, and in just a few months, this old man's so-called "必杀技" (certain kill technique) or "绝艺" (ultimate skill) is deeply understood, and the benefits of his practice are numerous.

  Afterwards, for over a year, because the crimes he committed with Chang'er were all related to military movements, he was separated from ordinary prisoners and held in custody. At first, he was detained in a separate courtyard of the county government office, and later moved to the inside of the prison. Insufficiently aware, they almost suffered a disaster this time! The son of the county magistrate's family was infatuated with Chang'er's beauty and wanted to harm Insufficient's life, but was dissuaded by his teacher and gave up.

  Another half year passed, and the number of prisoners in jail was too large. The empty cells in the women's prison were all locked up with male prisoners. Zhen Er also lived with several female prisoners in the same room. There was only one small cell that was not enough for a single prisoner, which could only hold a prisoner's bed. Several years passed like this, and still no verdict came down, nor did they know how long they would be sentenced to. They didn't even see any officials, nor did they know when they would be sent to another place.

  It is said that the matter of the imperial court's military affairs is a major national affair, and although the number of troops mobilized is not large, it is in line with the regulations for requesting reinforcements. However, the crime of reckless mobilization is not a trivial matter, and according to the law, it should be punished by death. Therefore, Jin Chan'er had long been prepared, and if she encountered any danger, she would use her magical powers to escape and flee, which would be a great fortune! But as several years passed, the two of them were transferred to several different prisons, yet there was no news of their case being brought to trial. Although they had supernatural powers that could reach the heavens, they couldn't help but feel deeply suspicious.

  "All worldly affairs are complex and multifaceted, with countless threads intertwined. And yet, in the brief span of a hundred years, they attempt to accomplish what would take thousands of years to achieve, earning them the title of 'enlightened' indeed! But their profound thoughts and intentions are so deep that even I can hardly glimpse them. It's better to go and investigate thoroughly!"

  Thinking so, Chang'er transformed into a gentle breeze and flew out of the prison cell straight to the county government office.

  The county magistrate sat at the back hall, writing rapidly on his desk, wearing very simple clothes. On his desk, a teacup was emitting steam. Below the hall, there were two people: one was a tall and strong man, who was none other than General Gu; the other wore a scholar's robe and was an old Confucian scholar, who was the county magistrate's teacher and in charge of documents. Jin Chan'er transformed into a gentle breeze and cast her spell, flipping through the files on the desk, opening the file that was insufficient with just one move. The county magistrate saw this and sighed:

  "The gentle breeze knows no characters, why does it randomly turn the pages?"

  He went to match the documents, but found the heading of the document. He casually said:

  "Gu Du led the way, what about those two little servants?"

  "Replying to Your Excellency, they are currently being held in the great prison! I was just about to report to you and find an opportunity to settle them once and for all!"

  "Killed? Not good, not good. Master, what do you think?"

  "Master! That matter had a great impact that day. Although all the people who traveled with these two were eliminated, the mobilization of troops was not a small disturbance. It's easy to kill these two young men, but if your opponent finds out and investigates secretly, it will be difficult to explain clearly even if something happens! In my humble opinion, it's better to lock them up in one place to prevent them from communicating with others and leaking information. Just keep them under house arrest, without trial, reporting, or exile, and leave them in our hands. If nothing happens, they can live, but if something happens, we can kill them later."

  "Master, this is also too troublesome. It's been several years since then, just find a couple of excuses to get rid of them, it's easy to explain to the superiors and outsiders, anyway, there are people dying in prison every year, who would suspect anything?"

  "Gu's leadership is in question, a reason must be believed by others to be considered a reason! If the old master's opponent insists that we killed these two important witnesses, what then?"

  "This..."

  "Alright! Marshal Gu, you will put these two in a cell together tomorrow, but keep them separate from the others."

  "Yes, sir. Actually, the young master had ordered that these two be imprisoned separately from the start, and they have been imprisoned separately all along!"

  "Oh, okay, okay."

  Chang'e listened and thought for a moment, then flew back to her prison.

  On the second day, Zuo and Qiang were moved out again. The two of them were locked in a small cell together. There was only one old wooden bed with a straw mattress covered by two pieces of torn cloth. That's all they had. Qiang seemed to be in high spirits as if she had been released from prison, which made Zuo laugh and cry at the same time. Normally, they were not allowed to see each other, but they could exchange a few words when they emptied the toilet bucket every day. Of course, it was only between the two of them, and they couldn't say half a word to anyone else.

  "It's not enough, brother! The two of us will be locked up together anyway, so I can be with you every day!"

  "Really? Silly girl, who knows if we can even make it through tomorrow?"

  Alas, it's insufficient.

  "What's wrong with brother being like this?"

  "You'd better think carefully, that scoundrel with the surname Gu is actually the leader of the thieves! If we fall into his hands, will we still have a way to survive? Previously, when the matter was exposed, all parties were paying attention to us, so they didn't dare to take our lives. Moreover, since you and I are imprisoned separately, it would be easy for them to quietly get rid of one of us, but if they harm you, it might also implicate others in your group, which would be troublesome. Now that we're imprisoned together, all they need to do is make a little effort and they can finish us off, who will still suspect anything?"

  "Inadequate brother, you also think about it, we led the soldiers to eliminate the thieves, what a big stir! At first, they didn't investigate or judge, just afraid of trouble. Killing us is no big deal, but if this matter gets exposed, it's hard for them to end well too. After all, in official circles, who doesn't have an enemy or arch-nemesis? It's hard to prevent others from plotting against him."

  "Right! That makes sense, go on!"

  "It's not enough, brother. As long as we pretend to know nothing about anything, even if the county magistrate is the leader of the thieves, he will only let us two go. If they want to kill us, it would also prove that they are involved in this suspicious case!"

  "Hmm, this is exactly what someone suspected! If that county magistrate is the leader of the thieves, then... Xing'er, in your opinion, if we want to stay alive, it's actually enough to just not say anything and not do anything?"

  "Yes! Not enough, brother."

  He looked at Chang'er with a somewhat surprised expression and said:

  "Little girl, good to see you! Alright, I'll do as you say. Keeping calm in chaos and thinking carefully is the best strategy."

  Months have passed in the blink of an eye, and I am getting anxious about my grandfather's situation, but there is nothing I can do, so I spend my days sighing and worrying. Qiang'er usually just tries to comfort me, but she also has no solution. Feeling anxious and restless, I pace back and forth in the prison cell, when suddenly an idea strikes me:

  "Alas! Insufficient brother, if you had learned the Taoist methods, we would have definitely escaped from this prison. And wouldn't be stuck here day and night with no way out. Unfortunately, there's no one to teach us two."

  "Great! Someone is worried about his grandfather's family, but didn't think of this. No need for anyone to teach, he himself has a way!"