After the departure of Ling from Canton, the commercial affairs of
Chang-ch’un began, from a secret and undetectable cause, to assume an
ill-regulated condition. No venture which he undertook maintained a
profitable attitude, so that many persons who in former times had been
content to display the printed papers setting forth his name and
virtues in an easily-seen position in their receiving-rooms, now placed
themselves daily before his house in order to accuse him of using their
taels in ways which they themselves had not sufficiently understood, and
for the purpose of warning passers-by against his inducements. It was
in vain that Chang proposed new undertakings, each of an infallibly
more prosperous nature than those before; the persons who had hitherto
supported him were all entrusting their money to one named Pung Soo, who
required millions where Chang had been content with thousands, and who
persistently insisted on greeting the sacred Emperor as an equal.
In this unenviable state Chang’s mind continually returned to thoughts
of Ling, whose lifeless body would so opportunely serve to dispel the
embarrassing perplexities of existence which were settling thickly about
him. Urged forward by a variety of circumstances which placed him in
an entirely different spirit from the honourable bearing which he had
formerly maintained, he now closely examined all the papers connected
with the matter, to discover whether he might not be able to effect his
purpose with an outward exhibition of law forms. While engaged in this
degrading occupation, a detail came to his notice which caused him to
become very amiably disposed and confident of success. Proceeding with
the matter, he caused a well-supported report to be spread about that
Ling was suffering from a wasting sickness, which, without in any
measure shortening his life, would cause him to return to the size and
weight of a newly-born child, and being by these means enabled to secure
the entire matter of “The Ling (After Death) Without Much Risk Assembly”
at a very small outlay, he did so, and then, calling together a company
of those who hire themselves out for purposes of violence, journeyed to
Si-chow.
Ling and Mian were seated together at a table in the great room,
examining a vessel of some clear liquid, when Chang-ch’un entered with
his armed ones, in direct opposition to the general laws of ordinary
conduct and the rulings of hospitality. At the sight, which plainly
indicated a threatened display of violence, Ling seized his renowned
sword, which was never far distant from him, and prepared to carry out
his spoken vow, that any person overstepping a certain mark on the floor
would assuredly fall.
“Put away your undoubtedly competent weapon, O Ling,” said Chang, who
was desirous that the matter should be arranged if possible without any
loss to himself, “for such a course can be honourably adopted when it
is taken into consideration that we are as twenty to one, and have,
moreover, the appearance of being inspired by law forms.”
“There are certain matters of allowed justice which over-rule all
other law forms,” replied Ling, taking a surer hold of his sword-grasp.
“Explain, for your part, O obviously double-dealing Chang-ch’un, from
whom this person only recently parted on terms of equality and courtesy,
why you come not with an agreeable face and a peaceful following,
but with a countenance which indicates both violence and terror, and
accompanied by many whom this person recognizes as the most outcast and
degraded from the narrow and evil-smelling ways of Canton?”
“In spite of your blustering words,” said Chang, with some attempt at an
exhibition of dignity, “this person is endowed by every right, and
comes only for the obtaining, by the help of this expert and proficient
gathering, should such a length become necessary, of his just claims.
Understand that in the time since the venture was arranged this person
has become possessed of all the property of ‘The Ling (After Death)
Without Much Risk Assembly,’ and thereby he is competent to act fully
in the matter. It has now come within his attention that the one Ling
to whom the particulars refer is officially dead, and as the written
and sealed document clearly undertook that the person’s body was to be
delivered up for whatever use the Assembly decided whenever death should
possess it, this person has now come for the honourable carrying out of
the undertaking.”
At these words the true nature of the hidden contrivance into which he
had fallen descended upon Ling like a heavy and unavoidable thunderbolt.
Nevertheless, being by nature and by reason of his late exploits
fearless of death, except for the sake of the loved one by his side, he
betrayed no sign of discreditable emotion at the discovery.
“In such a case,” he replied, with an appearance of entirely
disregarding the danger of the position, “the complete parchment must be
of necessity overthrown; for if this person is now officially dead, he
was equally so at the time of sealing, and arrangements entered into by
dead persons have no actual existence.”
“That is a matter which has never been efficiently decided,” admitted
Chang-ch’un, with no appearance of being thrown into a state of
confusion at the suggestion, “and doubtless the case in question can by
various means be brought in the end before the Court of Final Settlement
at Peking, where it may indeed be judged in the manner you assert. But
as such a process must infallibly consume the wealth of a province and
the years of an ordinary lifetime, and as it is this person’s unmoved
intention to carry out his own view of the undertaking without delay,
such speculations are not matters of profound interest.”
Upon this Chang gave certain instructions to his followers, who
thereupon prepared to advance. Perceiving that the last detail of the
affair had been arrived at, Ling threw back his hanging garment, and
was on the point of rushing forward to meet them, when Mian, who had
maintained a possessed and reliant attitude throughout, pushed towards
him the vessel of pure and sparkling liquid with which they had been
engaged when so presumptuously broken in upon, at the same time speaking
to him certain words in an outside language. A new and Heaven-sent
confidence immediately took possession of Ling, and striking his sword
against the wall with such irresistible force that the entire chamber
trembled and the feeble-minded assassins shrank back in unrestrained
terror, he leapt upon the table, grasping in one hand the open vessel.
“Behold the end, O most uninventive and slow-witted Chang-ch’un!” he
cried in a dreadful and awe-compelling voice. “As a reward for your
faithless and traitorous behaviour, learn how such avaricious-minded
incompetence turns and fastens itself upon the vitals of those who beget
it. In spite of many things which were not of a graceful nature
towards him, this person has unassumingly maintained his part of the
undertaking, and would have followed such a course conscientiously to
the last. As it is, when he has made an end of speaking, the body
which you are already covetously estimating in taels will in no way
be distinguishable from that of the meanest and most ordinary maker of
commercial ventures in Canton. For, behold! the fluid which he holds in
his hand, and which it is his fixed intention to drain to the last drop,
is in truth nothing but a secret and exceedingly powerful counteractor
against the virtues of the gold drug; and though but a single particle
passed his lips, and the swords of your brilliant and versatile
murderers met the next moment in his breast, the body which fell at your
feet would be meet for worms rather than for the melting-pot.”
It was indeed such a substance as Ling represented it to be, Mian
having discovered it during her very systematic examination of the dead
magician’s inner room. Its composition and distillation had involved
that self-opinionated person in many years of arduous toil, for with a
somewhat unintelligent lack of foresight he had obstinately determined
to perfect the antidote before he turned his attention to the drug
itself. Had the matter been more ingeniously arranged, he would
undoubtedly have enjoyed an earlier triumph and an affluent and
respected old age.
At Ling’s earnest words and prepared attitude an instant conviction of
the truth of his assertions took possession of Chang. Therefore, seeing
nothing but immediate and unevadable ruin at the next step, he called
out in a loud and imploring voice that he should desist, and no harm
would come upon him. To this Ling consented, first insisting that the
followers should be dismissed without delay, and Chang alone remain to
have conversation on the matter. By this just act the lower parts of
Canton were greatly purified, for the persons in question being driven
forth into the woods, mostly perished by encounters with wild animals,
or at the hands of the enraged villagers, to whom Ling had by this time
become greatly endeared.
When the usual state had been restored, Ling made clear to Chang the
altered nature of the conditions to which he would alone agree. “It is
a noble-minded and magnanimous proposal on your part, and one to which
this misguided person had no claim,” admitted Chang, as he affixed his
seal to the written undertaking and committed the former parchment to
be consumed by fire. By this arrangement it was agreed that Ling should
receive only one-half of the yearly payment which had formerly been
promised, and that no sum of taels should become due to those depending
on him at his death. In return for these valuable allowances, there were
to exist no details of things to be done and not to be done, Ling merely
giving an honourable promise to observe the matter in a just spirit,
while--most esteemed of all--only a portion of his body was to pass to
Chang when the end arrived, the upper part remaining to embellish the
family altar and receive the veneration of posterity.
* * * * *
As the great sky-lantern rose above the trees and the time of no-noise
fell upon the woods, a flower-laden pleasure-junk moved away from its
restraining cords, and, without any sense of motion, gently bore Ling
and Mian between the sweet-smelling banks of the Heng-Kiang. Presently
Mian drew from beneath her flowing garment an instrument of stringed
wood, and touching it with a quick but delicate stroke, like the flight
and pausing of a butterfly, told in well-balanced words a refined
narrative of two illustrious and noble-looking persons, and how, after
many disagreeable evils and unendurable separations, they entered upon a
destined state of earthly prosperity and celestial favour. When she made
an end of the verses, Ling turned the junk’s head by one well-directed
stroke of the paddle, and prepared by using similar means to return to
the place of mooring.
“Indeed,” he remarked, ceasing for a moment to continue this skilful
occupation, “the words which you have just spoken might, without
injustice, be applied to the two persons who are now conversing
together. For after suffering misfortunes and wrongs beyond an
appropriate portion, they have now reached that period of existence when
a tranquil and contemplative future is assured to them. In this manner
is the sage and matured utterance of the inspired philosopher Nien-tsu
again proved: that the life of every person is largely composed of two
varieties of circumstances which together build up his existence--the
Good and the Evil.”
THE END OF THE STORY OF LING