HTCYH Ch 30

Chapter 30: Sleeping (Mini Theater)

After listening to Wuming’s words, Tu Si became increasingly restless. The possibility that Liang Tiancai’s new girlfriend, Cui Ruxue, might be a disguise gnawed at him, yet many of Liang Tiancai’s actions still seemed illogical. Based on the accounts given by the child bride, the series of abuses inflicted upon her revealed that Liang Tiancai was an extremely selfish man—greedy, unscrupulous, disdainful of women, even to the point of toying with and tormenting them.

If that were the case, then his disguise while dating Cui Ruxue was far too convincing. A man who despised women to this degree, who delighted in manipulating them, would have arrogance and conceit deeply rooted in his bones. The only possible reason for him to suppress his true nature and put on such an act would be that Cui Ruxue possessed something he deeply craved.

But if it were money, Cui Ruxue’s family background was only modestly well-off, not nearly enough to tempt him. If it were beauty, Cui Ruxue was not breathtakingly stunning to the degree that could make him restrain his nature and grovel. And if it were her Eight Characters (Bazi) fate that could assist in sorcery or ward off disaster,* then Liang Tiancai would not have gone so far as to draft a will and notarize his inheritance—he would have simply purchased an accident insurance policy for her.

“Don’t overthink it. Once the others share their clues tomorrow, maybe the abnormal parts will make sense. Do you want to rest for a while?” Wuming interrupted Tu Si’s spiraling thoughts as he watched him twirl his hair again.

Tu Si lifted his head, staring at Wuming with tilted curiosity for a long moment, before asking, “Captain, do I still get any injury perks?”

Wuming smiled and replied, “With me, you always have special perks, whether you’re injured or not.”

Tu Si blinked innocently, then broke into a radiant, brilliant smile. Using his tendrils, he wove himself a pillow, shoved it into Wuming’s arms, adjusted it slightly, then finally burrowed into it, mumbling softly: “Good night, Captain.”

Like this, Tu Si nestled into Wuming’s embrace with the pillow as a buffer, half-wrapping his arms around Wuming’s waist, and drifted off to sleep with his eyes closed.

Wuming looked down at the golden head in his arms, one hand gently smoothing the soft, silky hair, the other patting Tu Si’s back soothingly.

Tu Si rubbed himself more comfortably into the pillow, his hand unconsciously clutching Wuming’s clothing. After a while, he suddenly made a demand: “Captain, I also want a lullaby! Last night you sang, but I didn’t get to hear it. I want to!”

Wuming flicked lightly at the worm-head that was trying to sneak into his sleeve. “Who leaked that?”

Tu Si muttered sulkily: “Those bratty little ones all got it, but not me. That’s unfair. I want to hear it. They even bragged about it to me. I’m very upset!”

Wuming chuckled lowly: “Is that so? But I don’t sing. Yesterday, I was merely chanting a mantra—‘Hundred Syllable Mantra’ in Sanskrit. Perhaps its rhythm was slightly hypnotic, so your little creatures fell quiet. If you want to hear it, I can recite it for you.”

Tu Si nodded, and Wuming began chanting slowly.

What Tu Si never expected was that Wuming’s chanting of the Hundred Syllable Mantra had an extremely fast rhythm—da-da-da, da-da-da—full of pounding cadence. Coupled with sounds like “wa,” “ya,” “ha,” it felt like a Buddhist disco rave. Completely unlike the soft, flowing “Great Compassion Mantra” or “Purification Mantra” he had imagined. The more Tu Si listened, the more awake he became, even feeling the urge to nod along to the beat. Suddenly he sat up, furious, glaring viciously at Wuming.

Wuming looked at his expression and let out a low chuckle, which grew louder and louder. Tu Si, unwilling to indulge him further, cast a glance at the worm-head coiled around Wuming’s wrist. At his command, it sprang forward in a sudden leap, shooting straight into Wuming’s laughing mouth—exactly like how mischievous humans can’t resist poking their fingers into a yawning cat’s mouth.

Wuming choked as the worm-head rammed into his throat, hastily yanking it out and winding it back around his wrist. Then, with sudden movement, he hooked the back of Tu Si’s neck and dragged him back into his arms, furrowing the fluffy head harshly as he growled: “You brat! Your sense of revenge is strong, huh? What’s with your obsession with my throat, hm?”

Tu Si’s head was pressed deep into the pillow, his muffled voice protesting: “I just wanted to see what you’d look like getting a COVID test!”

Wuming’s grip didn’t loosen as he snapped back: “You look more like the virus itself—constantly assaulting my throat.”

Tu Si retorted indignantly: “That’s just slandering me! Am I hurting you? I’m a white-clad angel, saving your throat, okay? You’re going to rub me bald! Let go! I want to hear the Purification Mantra as a lullaby! Hurry up and chant!”

As soon as Tu Si finished speaking, Wuming’s grip eased. He scolded: “No respect, climbing the roof and tearing the tiles,”** but still complied with Tu Si’s request and began chanting the Purification Mantra. Tu Si returned to his earlier position, buried in the pillow, tugging at Wuming’s clothing, and soon sank into a deep slumber.

Once Tu Si had fallen asleep, Wuming switched back to chanting the Hundred Syllable Mantra—but this time slower, the rhythm elongated:

(transliteration of the Hundred Syllable Mantra follows)

The Hundred Syllable Mantra is used for eliminating karmic obstacles, confession, and remedying shortcomings.

Tu Si’s eyelids twitched slightly as he thought: Why is Wuming so persistent with the Hundred Syllable Mantra? Does he carry some sin himself, or is it me who bears sin that needs deliverance? Forget it—no need to understand. With that, he truly fell into a deep sleep.

Footnotes:

1. Eight Characters (Bazi): A Chinese astrological concept based on one’s birth time, believed to influence fate and compatibility, often used in fortune-telling or even sorcery.

2. “Climbing the roof and tearing the tiles” (上房揭瓦): A Chinese idiom meaning being extremely mischievous or disrespectful, usually said about children acting unruly.

3. Hundred Syllable Mantra (百字明): A Vajrayana Buddhist mantra dedicated to purification of sins and karmic obstacles.

4. Purification Mantra (清心咒): A softer Buddhist chant aimed at calming the heart and mind, often recited for peace and clarity.