A few days passed.
The innkeeper remained in the hall daily, greeting guests and keeping an eye on the comings and goings. He wasn't sure if the sound he heard in the middle of the night that day was a coincidence, but ever since he had been paying more attention to the young man who claimed he would make Lord Li do good deeds.
However, everything had been as usual in the past few days.
Sometimes the gentleman would go out in the morning, other times in the afternoon or even at night for a stroll. Yesterday, he claimed to be tired and stayed in the inn all day.
Sometimes he ordered food at the inn, sometimes he ate out. When ordering at the inn, he was never stingy with money, and the innkeeper found himself going out almost every day to buy meat for him. The gentleman explained that he had traveled through a few hundred li of the old mountain roads from Xuzhou, where good food was scarce. Now that he was in the city, he wouldn't shortchange himself.
He was also kind to the cat, buying fish for it every day.
The clothes in the backyard had dried, and the gentleman collected them yesterday. He had mentioned earlier that he wouldn't compensate the customers if they were lost, just to avoid having to pay if something really did go missing or if there was a false claim of loss. In reality, clothes rarely went missing.
This morning, the gentleman went out again to pick up some new clothes he had ordered. He complimented the craftsmanship of Third Lady Jiang, indicating his satisfaction.
The gentleman took the cat with him wherever he went, and the cat astonishingly followed him obediently. This reminded the innkeeper of the horse...
This gentleman must be quite capable.
However, the innkeeper didn't believe that the gentleman could make Lord Li do good deeds. The human heart was complicated. If it were so easy to change someone, wouldn't the almighty gods and Buddhas have already done so? There wouldn't be any evil people left in the world.
Every time the gentleman went in and out these days, he would chat with the innkeeper. Sometimes when dining in the hall, the innkeeper would sit beside him, and they would talk about various things. It seemed like the gentleman enjoyed whatever they discussed. Occasionally, the innkeeper would inquire about Lord Li, and the gentleman would simply say that Lord Li would come looking for him in a few days.
But it was already the fifth day, and no one had come. The innkeeper was curious but not hopeful.
“Take care, sir...” After seeing off another table of guests, the innkeeper patiently cleaned the dishes and wiped down the table.
Suddenly, the light at the entrance dimmed. Looking up, he saw a tall figure rush in, robes fluttering in the wind.
“Innkeeper!”
“Huh?” The innkeeper was taken aback. It was none other than the infamous Lord Li.
“Sir...”
“A bowl of wine!”
“Sir, this is...”
“Just bring it here!”
“Alright...”
The innkeeper's family had lived in the city for generations. Though they weren't pushovers, they didn't dare to provoke this ruffian, so he quickly went to fetch the wine.
As he poured the wine, Lord Li asked from behind, “Do you have a Daoist priest staying here?”
“Indeed!”
“Where is he?”
“Sir, what is your business with him?”
“Naturally, I have something to discuss with him.”
“Sir, the wine is ready.” The innkeeper handed him the wine and, after a moment of thought, said, “Upstairs, Room 2. Turn left at the top of the stairs.”
“...” Lord Li took the wine and hurried up the stairs.
The innkeeper thought to himself that Lord Li had finally come. Just as he was about to follow and watch the scene unfold, Lord Li stopped on the stairs and turned to angrily warn him, “Don't you dare come up or eavesdrop, or I'll make you pay!”
Lord Li initially wanted to say he was forced into it and spin a story to justify his actions. But when he inadvertently glanced up and met those calm eyes, he couldn’t help but shudder. Those eyes seemed so indifferent, as if no matter what he said, the Daoist priest would be neither angry, nor care, nor surprised. Yet, it was precisely this look that made him change his mind about what he was about to say.
“I was just bored and curious about your story, Lord Li. Since you're already here, why not tell the truth?”
Yes... That was what the Daoist priest’s gaze conveyed.
Now that he was here, what was the point of lying? In front of such a master, did it make any difference whether he spoke the truth or a lie?
But how could he bring himself to talk about those things?
Lord Li’s expression flickered with indecision. Finally, with a trembling voice, he said, “I used to live a hard life. By chance, I found a way to make a good living... Then I got used to bowing and flattering the rich and being harsh and cruel to the poor. The more I did that, the better I lived. If I didn’t, I feared I’d have to go back to the way things were.”
“And that's it?”
“Yes... ” Lord Li forced himself to say, “Immortal Master, I beg you, give me a chance to turn over a new leaf.”
Song You smiled slightly. He doubted that was the whole story. But knowing the truth, he didn't press further. He didn’t really care anyway.
Song You had no intention of delving into Lord Li's past to guide him step by step toward goodness. That was the very skill the Buddha used to attain enlightenment. He simply flipped his hand and took out an object before placing it on the table.
The object was the size of a walnut and milky white. It was shaped like a human heart, with details so clear it was obviously not an ordinary item.
As Lord Li focused on it, he was startled. “Dare I ask, sir... what is this?”
“It’s Clear Conscience.”
“C-Clear Conscience?”
“This object is naturally formed by heaven and earth, connected to the thoughts of good and evil in the human heart. If taken with wine, it will prevent one from committing acts that violate their conscience.”
This object was actually the essence of a malevolent spirit nurtured by the forces of heaven and earth. It was documented in a book, which not only detailed its culinary and medicinal uses and other effects but also described its taste.
When Song You left the mountain market town, he encountered malevolent objects like this. Instead of taking any of them, he burned them all to ashes. This “Clear Conscience” was something he had purchased earlier in the market town.
However, Lord Li trembled as he asked, “What happens if I eat it?”
“If you eat it, you will no longer be able to do anything against your conscience. If you do, you will experience excruciating pain in your heart, which will intensify until it becomes unbearable and eventually leads to death.”
“And... And what if I've already done things against my conscience?”
“You must find a way to resolve them, only then will the pain cease.”
“How can I resolve them?”
“One way to resolve it is by addressing the wrongs you've committed—making amends. If that's impossible, then you must do more good deeds to offset the bad. Doing good can ease the burden on your conscience,” Song You explained. “If the wrongs you've committed are so numerous that they cannot be resolved or offset, then dying in agony would be a fitting end.”
“H-How can I resolve them?”
“For example, if you've owed someone a debt, go and repay it. If you know you've wronged someone or caused them hardship, sincerely apologize and make amends by taking care of them and compensating for your wrongs. If it’s truly irreparable, then do more good deeds to counterbalance the guilt. Over time, your conscience will be at ease.”
“I...”
Song You said calmly while looking at him, “I know you're a person with a sense of morality, which is why you’ve been given this opportunity. You’ve committed many wrongs in your life, and I’m sure you’re well aware of that. Moreover, you've worshiped that malevolent spirit as a god. Continuing down this path will only lead to a bad end.
“I hope that from now on, you will cease doing evil and focus on doing good deeds to atone for your past actions. That's why I'm willing to give you this 'Clear Conscience.' If you're not willing to change, then leave now. The spell will still be lifted for one hour at noon and midnight, so you won’t die of hunger or thirst.”
“I...”
“There’s no other way, and no room for negotiation.”
“...” Lord Li, trembling, reached out his hand.