Inner Demons

Chapter 49: Experiment (2)

"Of course, you could also risk your life to go tell those two Taoist priests, and ask them to observe as well. But that's only if you're not afraid of dying. For me, killing is easy. And the same goes for you."

"By the way, a friend of my master, named Meng'e, is currently in jail. No matter what method you use, this person must be released cleanly. You can hesitate, be unsure, or unclear whether to release him. That's fine, at least ensure he's still alive and can be released after those two over there die."

"But for your own sake... you'd best pray he doesn't die in jail. Otherwise, you're finished."

After Li Yunxin finished speaking, Yin Pingzhi was slightly stunned. Then, he barked at a Yamen Runner not far away: "Take those two Qiao family members to the back; I'll question them later!"

Then, without another word, he turned and ran – towards the direction of the jail.

Li Yunxin then turned to the astonished Old Daoist Liu and said, "Let's go. I'm hungry. I heard the Prefectural Office is near the main branch of Wood South Residence, let's go check it out there. Then I'll tell you everything properly."

"Hmm... it seems I'm still not used to being low-key and showing off. After doing this, if I don't tell anyone, I won't feel at peace, ha ha ha..."

...

...

Half an hour later, the two were seated in the Wood South Residence on Willow Street.It was a private room, on the second floor, facing the street. The window was open, allowing bright sunlight to enter, but it wasn't harsh. Because there was an old willow tree, two stories high, by the window, its green tendrils blocked the direct sunlight.

Looking out the window, one could see people on the street. This was probably one of Weicheng's busiest streets, with people coming and going. It couldn't compare to a pedestrian street in later generations, but it wasn't far behind either.

Li Yunxin poured a cup of wine for the old Taoist: "Drink it. To calm your nerves. When we go home later, I'll buy a string of firecrackers to light, to dispel bad luck, and also to let people know we're innocent."

The old Taoist took the cup with a slightly trembling hand, drank it all in one gulp, let out a long breath, then shook his head: "I say, Brother Xin, was it really you... who killed that Prefectural Governor?"

The old Taoist loved to drink, but he wasn't good at holding his liquor, and he was using a medium-sized cup. After this cup of Mu Nan Chun wine went down, his spirits relaxed considerably, and he wasn't as afraid as before. Then he cautiously asked another question: "But how... how did you kill him?"

Li Yunxin twirled the wine cup at his lips, spacing out for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips: "This... was actually an experiment."

"Experiment?"

"Yes, an experiment." Li Yunxin sipped his wine. "Things didn't have to get this big, actually. There were many ways to deal with it. For example, it's not like I couldn't get money; if they wanted money, I could put some thought into getting it for them, give it to them, then have a proper talk, and that would be that."

"Or I could use some method on the Qiao family to make them stop causing trouble. But firstly, that wouldn't make me happy – you should know that living is not easy, and happiness is the most important thing. My biggest pet peeve is having to compromise myself when there's a way to solve something. Secondly, it was for this experiment. I've never tried killing someone like this before. Once the experiment is successful... I have other things to solve..."

As he spoke, his voice gradually lowered, leaving Old Daoist Liu to strain to hear.

Li Yunxin suddenly tilted his head back and drained his wine, then slammed the table: "Alright. I'll tell you. First, you need to understand a concept. I say, Old Liu, do you know what consciousness is?"

Old Daoist Liu immediately composed himself and sat upright, shaking his head solemnly, his expression becoming slightly excited.

Li Yunxin knew he felt that he was about to "preach the Dharma" to him. But he only smiled and continued, "Consciousness is a person's thoughts, right? That's easy to understand. People in your time probably don't just not know about consciousness, but also about the subconscious."

"Then let me tell you slowly."

"Consciousness – you are currently thinking about what I'm saying, you just heard footsteps outside, and you know it might be the waiter coming to serve dishes. These thoughts, the thoughts you can perceive yourself, are all consciousness."

"But, Old Liu, why, when you hear footsteps, do you feel it's the waiter coming to serve dishes?"

"If you think about it closely, it's because you know this is Wood South Residence, and you know we ordered dishes earlier. Having ordered dishes, and after so long, someone is coming, so it must be for serving. But the intermediate process from 'hearing footsteps' to 'the waiter is coming to serve dishes' is omitted by your consciousness. You can view these omitted thoughts as your subconsciousness – the hidden consciousness."

"Another example is when you practice calligraphy or swordplay. When you first learn a character, you need to think about where the next stroke goes. When you first practice swordplay, you need to think about what the next move is. But with time and practice, you no longer think about how to write when you pick up the brush, or how to move when you make a move – your subconsciousness completes the intermediate process for you. They exist, you just don't perceive them. Of course, what I'm describing are the most intuitive and simple examples, and they might not be entirely accurate. But the point is for you to understand – do you understand?"

"Hmm... put the dishes here. Another pot of wine. Hurry up with the other dishes."

The old Taoist was exposed to these concepts for the first time, listening with a bit of astonishment – very astonished that Brother Xin was talking about these things, not immortal Taoist arts. But he also thought deeply about these questions for the first time, equally astonished at how thoroughly Brother Xin had researched them.

He didn't know Li Yunxin's intention in saying these words, but he still listened carefully and intently. After pondering for a long while, and after Li Yunxin had another cup of wine and a few bites of food, he finally nodded: "Brother Xin, I think I understand."

"Then, I'll continue."

"You must have never seen an iceberg. Few people in the Great Qing Dynasty probably have. An iceberg, you see, is a giant block of ice like a mountain, floating in the sea. But in reality, what's exposed above the water is probably only one-tenth of the entire ice block. The rest, the much larger part, is hidden below the surface, where you can't see it."

"The relationship between a person's consciousness and subconsciousness is pretty much like that. What you can perceive is only a very small part. Most of the things you hear, see, and think about every day, those you thought you didn't pay attention to or forgot, are still in your subconsciousness."

"For example, if you saw the waiter who just brought the dishes on a previous day, but then forgot about him. Later, you see him again and think, 'Oh, this person looks familiar.' You think and think, but can't remember. At this point, I tell you, 'Hey, isn't this waiter the same person who was often loitering and keeping watch near our house a while ago?'"

"With that reminder, you say, 'Oh, you're right!' You remember – that former piece of consciousness floats up from beneath the surface, and you accept it."

"Then my single sentence becomes a suggestive guidance for you. Not only can a sentence become suggestive guidance, but a kind of light, an object, or even the wind moving the curtain of our private room, can all become guidance."