The unrestrained

Inquiry

I usually woke up at five in the morning. But this time I woke up very late. I sobered up and try to recollect what happened yesterday. I felt a slight pain on my chest. I removed my undershirt and saw the brand mark of the Qishan Wen sect. Gosh yesterday I was too drunk. I freshen myself up and went outside. Shufu stopped me from my walking. "Wangji, you're awake. Yesterday what were you thinking? Being drunk and made the storeroom into a mess. Ah! I won't oppose your decision for keeping Sizhui anymore. But why are you being like this?" From that look of his face, he wanted to punish me.

So I said, "I couldn't help, Shufu. I'm sorry for the mess. I was going to punish myself. I was wrong."

I bowed to him and left. I knelt in silence at the wall of rules in the Cloud Recesses for a day and a night.

I didn't eat or drink anything. I drank the wine I drank, suffered the wounds I suffered.

In the evening a disciple came to me, "Teacher Lan said that Hanguang Jun's punishment is over. You can return to your room." That disciple felt sorry for my situation. He couldn't say anything. I stood up, walked slowly towards my room.

I was really exhausted. My knees were hurt because of kneeling for a whole day and night. I freshened up myself. I want to see him, to talk with him. Then suddenly something popped up in my head. Inquiry. Yes inquiry. Let me play soul inquiry in my Zither. So that I can communicate with him. I took out my zither and placed on the table. I sat down and started strumming the strings. "Wei Ying, can you hear me?" There was no answer.

I continued to play, "Wei Ying, I feel lonely. When you left, a part of my soul is also left with you. I feel broken. It's been weeks since your demise I was like this. I really want to see you."

Still there is no answer. Why there is no answer? Usually souls do answer to inquiry and the answer of the soul is to strum strings automatically. But here I'm the one who is playing and there is no response. The strings are not strumming automatically. It remained motionless.

Brother visited me. "Ah! You are playing on your zither. It's been a long time since I saw you playing."

I nodded. "What are you playing?"

I said, "inquiry."

Brother asked, "inquiry? what for?"

I stayed silent. "You are inquiring his soul?" Brother asked.

I looked at him. He understood that look of mine. "Did you get any response?"

I shooked my head. Brother was surprised. I said to him, "I won't give up, Xiong Zhang. I'll continue to play inquiry for him."

Brother let out a deep sigh. "Come eat something. By kneeling down for a whole day and night your face is worn out. Get up."

I stood up and went with brother and had a dinner. Sizhui was sitting next to me. "Gege, what happened? You didn't come to play with me. I was really bored."

I stroked his head. "I'm sorry."

I ate my dinner in silence. "Shufu said that tomorrow Sizhui is going to be a part of our Lan family. Let's give him his forehead ribbon with cloud patterns." Brother said. I nodded. Welcome to our family, Lan Sizhui. I sighed.

"Gege, can I stay with you?" asked A yuan. I nodded.

After my dinner I stood up. A yuan came towards me and hold my hand. "Let's go. I have to tell you something." I said

We walked towards my room and sat on my bed.

A yuan asked, "what is it?"

I said, "tomorrow you'll get a forehead ribbon of your own like the one I have. See? You heard my brother said right?"