Nine Lives of Unjust Suffering
Nine Lives of Unjust Suffering Chapter 1: A Chaotic Outcry, The Bandits Strike First, A Slow Unfolding: The Prologue Begins
“Hey! Mates! We’ve reached the spot! Look, the main gate is bolted tight. How do we break in?”
“Bah! You fool! It’s just two wooden doors—you think we can’t smash through that? Come, come! Hand me my sledgehammer!”
Crash! Boom! “What a racket!”
“Success! The first gate is open!—Wait! This second gate is made of iron. What’s the plan now?”
BOOM!
“Great! That signal cannon means Brother Lin has arrived.”
“Brother Lin! There are two iron prison-doors here. We can’t break through!”
“Hmph! I’ve roamed the underworld for over a decade; I don’t believe there’s an iron door I can’t break. Let me see… Bah! This is nothing. Quick, bring the tallow-wood and kindling! Brothers, set it ablaze! Once the iron is red-hot, it’ll soften right up!”
“Fire!” Snap, crackle, pop. A flurry of sparks erupted.
“The kindling isn’t getting it red enough. Quick, bring the charcoal!”
“There! It’s starting to glow. Brothers, strike now!” Clatter! Crash!
“The gatehouse is collapsing! Charge in!”
“Strange! People call this the ‘Liang Family Stone Chamber,’ and they aren’t kidding—even the inner doors are made of stone.”
“Brother Lin! We used fire to break the iron, but I fear fire won’t do much against stone. What’s the trick now?”
“Bah! You brothers have blades, hammers, axes, and chisels. Use your strength! Master Ling will be here any moment. If we haven’t broken through by then, how do you expect to collect your reward?”
“Right! Everyone strike at once! Not even walls of bronze or barriers of iron can stop us!”
The scene turned into a frenzy. Blades, hammers, axes, and chisels fell like rain.
“Success! I’ve chipped away a piece the size of a fingertip!”
“I haven’t even moved a speck the size of a sesame seed over here!”
“Blast! We’ve been at this for over an hour. I, Old Lin, have raided hundreds of houses, but I’ve never encountered a struggle like this. Brothers, don’t waste your strength. Let’s find another way—use the rope ladders to go over the top!”
“It’s no use! This stone chamber has no courtyard. It only has two windows, barely a foot high and four or five inches wide. No one can fit through there!”
“Then we dig a tunnel!”
“Useless. My old man built this vault back in his day. He often said that beneath this room, they drove sand-piles twelve feet deep on all four sides!”
“This is getting difficult!”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
“Three signal cannons. Master Ling is here!”
“Master Ling, we cannot break the stone chamber. We await your instructions!”
“What?! You boasted to my face, and now that you’re ‘riding the tiger,’ you find it hard to get off? Are you telling me you’re just going to give up?”
“Do not be angry, Master! I, Old Lin, have one more clever scheme!”
“Speak it. Quickly.”
“Well, since the Master isn’t after their money…”
“I have mountains of copper and mines of gold! What do I need their money for? That goes without saying!”
“As long as the goal is to end the lives of the whole family, I have a plan. We don’t need to break into this vault at all. We can kill them down to the last blade of grass!”
“Very well!” replied Master Ling. “I originally only intended to kill the two brothers, but since they are so utterly oblivious to the situation, I must go all the way. Old Lin! Put your clever plan into motion!”
“Brothers! Bring over the firewood and straw, douse it in tung oil, and light it right here in front of the door. Bring the bellows over and blow the smoke through the cracks in the door! … Ah Qi! Is your ‘wall-climbing’ skill still up to par?”
“To be honest,” Ah Qi replied, “though I’ve taken up smoking a bit of opium, this skill was learned in my youth—how could I possibly forget it?”
“In that case, get up there and stuff all the small windows on the four sides with straw and set them ablaze.”
“Consider it done. I’ll handle that.”
“Master Ling! Here is a horsewhip. Please sit on the windward side and watch me, Old Lin, succeed! Brothers, move fast!”
What a scene of chaos! How can one tell? Poisonous mist masked the sky, and thick smoke blanketed the earth. Where the wind caught, red flames flared; where the fire dipped, black gas billowed. They added fuel with reckless abandon, unconcerned about scorching their own heads. They pumped the bellows with flailing arms, tireless despite the risk of burnt brows. Within the walls, dogs barked and chickens flew; in an instant, there arose a chorus of ghostly wails. Though the sound of gongs shook the earth, no government troops came to the rescue. Only the thunderous sound of firecrackers was heard, making the bandits’ momentum seem even greater.
The stench of the tung oil smoke was foul and unbearable as it bored through the cracks of the stone door. The “Life-Snatched Talisman” allows for no mercy when issued from the Halls of Yama. It turned everyone in that room into ghosts of the underworld. If they weren’t exactly like Beijing roasted duck, they were certainly going to be Southern-style smoked fish.
“It has been burning for over four hours now! It must be past the fourth watch. The people in that room cannot possibly be alive! Master Ling, shall we disperse?”
“Excellent! This is truly a case of ‘whips clinking against golden stirrups as the men sing songs of triumph.’ Let’s go! Bring the sedan chair!” With a great clamor, the crowd scattered. This dispersal was no small matter; it gave rise to a legendary and bizarre case of nine wrongful deaths.
Ah! Readers, you see me suddenly narrating this fragmented story of a bandit raid. That Master Ling, the mastermind, was a man with mountains of copper and mines of gold. His aim was not money; he only wanted to kill the people in the stone room. What was the reason? I imagine you must be perplexed. If I keep narrating in this disjointed way, I fear you won’t understand even after finishing the book! Let me explain the origins of this tale, its era, and its source to save you from confusion.
This story took place in Guangdong. I have heard people everywhere say that Guangdong has many bandits. Indeed, there are many, and I cannot hide that fact on behalf of the locals. However, generally speaking, bandits are nothing more than hoodlums, local ruffians, or desperate youths. There is no reason for a man of great wealth and gentry status to become a bandit. Yet, in this case, a wealthy man did exactly that. Furthermore, though he was not from a prestigious clan, he was a registered student, a man passing himself off as a member of a scholarly family. Isn’t it a marvel that such a man became a bandit?
Moreover, this happened during the Yongzheng reign of the current dynasty. Emperor Yongzheng, according to legend, was a brilliant and martial ruler. He was deeply devoted to the national economy and the people’s livelihood, and he was extremely strict in punishing corrupt officials. He was farsighted and could see through any villainy. To this day, everyone says the administration during the Yongzheng era was the best. Yet, this story eventually turned into a massive case involving corrupt officials throughout Guangdong, darkening the sky as if it were a literal hell. And it happened neither early nor late, but precisely during the 6th or 7th year of Yongzheng. Isn’t that another marvel?
To know the details of this strange affair, wait for me to explain it slowly, chapter by chapter, and the truth will become clear.
Translator’s Note:
- Four hours (两个多时辰): A shichen is a two-hour block, so two shichen is four hours.
- Fourth watch (四更多天): Roughly between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM.
- The “Life-Snatched Talisman” / Yama: References to the Chinese God of the Dead and the bureaucracy of the afterlife.
- Beijing Duck vs. Smoked Fish: This is a bit of dark humor by the narrator, comparing the victims being burned or suffocated to culinary techniques.
