Volume One: Light of the Sage

Chapter 1: Feeling Wall-Cracking

June 12, 2017.

It had been raining for a long time.

William Clark walked under the gloomy sky holding an umbrella. Beside him was a tall girl. The two walked in silence.

The street was so noisy—the patter of rain, the constant honking, the blaring of mall promotions, the screech of tires on wet pavement—yet none of it stirred any emotion in their hearts.

They walked through the bustling main street, passed through an alley where only the sound of rain remained, and finally entered an old residential complex, stopping at the entrance of a building.

“You go back. I won’t be coming in just yet.” William Clark held the umbrella for her to enter the door, but stopped himself. “I still have a delivery to make to the hotel today. They’ve already been waiting for two days.”

The girl’s delicate, cool face showed no emotion, but her eyes were a bit swollen and red. She stared at him, nodded, and then softly uttered a single word, her voice a little hoarse—

“Okay.”

“Did you bring the key?”

“I did.”

“Alright.” William Clark turned and left, still holding the umbrella.

“Come home early too.” The girl stood inside the door, watching his back, still expressionless. Only when he was far away did she turn and go upstairs.

A small umbrella couldn’t cover two people, especially with the wild wind. To keep Emily Clark from getting too wet, William Clark ended up soaked on one side, but in June, it was just a little chilly, not cold at all.

On June 8, seventeen-year-old Emily Clark finished her college entrance exams—a piece of great news for the whole family—

With her outstanding scores, getting into Tsinghua or Peking University wouldn’t be hard. At the very least, she could get into Yizhou University in Jingguan City, just like William Clark did, which was also where William Clark and Emily Clark’s parents worked.

But joy turned to sorrow.

On June 9, while out shopping for bay window cushions, William Clark and Emily Clark’s parents were in a car accident. The culprit was a large truck; the driver was fatigued, couldn’t brake in the rain, and four people died on the spot. William Clark’s parents weren’t hit first, but were struck hard—their bodies were almost crushed.

A bolt from the blue!

But reality doesn’t change for anyone’s will. What happened had happened, and there was no turning back. From disbelief to overwhelming grief, William Clark and Emily Clark eventually accepted it. With help from relatives and their parents’ colleagues, they completed the accident procedures, cremation, and funeral.

At the entrance to the complex, William Clark hailed a taxi, shook the water from his umbrella, and got in, rubbing his stiff face hard. His eyes were sore and bloodshot.

Soon, the taxi stopped in front of a three-story building next to Yizhou University. Through the window, a brand-new hotel sign could be seen—

Anju Hotel.

William Clark’s mother was named Helen Adams; the hotel was named after her surname. His father was John Clark; “Anju Leye” (peaceful home and happy work)—the “ye” came from his name.

The hotel was a recent investment by William Clark’s parents. Most of the rooms were already renovated, the facilities in place, only a few decorative items left to be added. It was almost ready to open. A few rooms were still unfinished; the plan was to make them into dormitory-style rooms for travelers with limited means who needed to stay near the university for exams or business, to compete with the daily rentals nearby.

But then the tragedy struck.

A van was parked in front of the hotel, its back seats removed and filled with goods. Two young men sat in the front, bored, smoking.

Soaked, William Clark apologized to the taxi driver, got out, and walked to the van, greeting the two men.

The accident had delayed this delivery by two days. The two men knew about it, so there was no impatience in their tone. They put out their cigarettes, offered a few words of comfort, and even helped William Clark carry all the goods upstairs. Only after he settled the payment did they drive off into the rain.

Standing at the stairwell, looking at the small coffee tables, bed linens, and a bookshelf taking up space, William Clark took a deep breath and finally got to work.

He hadn’t slept much in three days, but more deliveries would be coming soon—there was no time to rest.

The helplessness of life is that you have to keep going, unless you’re weak enough to give up. So William Clark chose to take over the unfinished hotel, continue the renovations, and, as John Clark and Helen Adams had planned, open before the college entrance exam results came out. Many high school graduates would be coming with their parents to check out Yizhou University, so he could make some money.

It was just as well—he had graduated and needed to find his own path.

In the afternoon, after arranging everything in its place, he took another taxi home and finally managed to get a little sleep.

The next morning, he had to start dealing with the at-fault party and the insurance compensation.