The Word of Heaven

Chapter 291 In the Winter Light

Jinghai welcomes old guests.

Winter is in full swing on earth, but the spring here is so deep that it is about to mold.

The humidity in the air is so thick and heavy that it seems to submerge the entire world. Even if the wind blows, it cannot blow away the feeling that penetrates into the skin and makes people sticky to the point of almost suffocating.

His Majesty the Emperor no longer sits by the lake in a daze as he used to.

He walked on the mossy mountain path, side by side with Yu Sheng, and climbed the stairs.

The forest in late spring is growing beautifully. The sunlight shines through the gaps between the dense branches and leaves, floating colorfully in the wind.

"How long?"

The White Emperor suddenly asked, "How long has it been since we took a walk like this?"

Yu Sheng thought about it and said, "I forgot."

The White Emperor was silent for a while, then said, "It's been so long that even you have forgotten it?"

"Perhaps it's because such things seemed ordinary to us in the past, and they were trivial things that could be repeated countless times, so they were forgotten for so long."

Yu Sheng said softly, "Just like when you first saw the sunrise in your life, you always thought that you could see the same scenery countless times in the future, but in fact, all of this is limited. You will only really gaze at the sunrise a few times. Life is nothing more than a deep well that is destined to dry up. It's just that many people close their eyes before the well water runs dry, and they think everything is infinite."

The White Emperor said sadly, "It was too late at that time."

Listening to this poem, Yu Sheng couldn't help but think of Gu Zhuo, whose life or death was still unknown at this moment, so he was speechless.

After a moment of silence, she said, "At this moment, you and I can still walk side by side like we did in the old days. This may be one of the greatest happiness in the world."

The White Emperor remained silent.

For a long time afterwards, the brother and sister did not speak again and remained silent.

Just like more than a hundred years ago when the chaos in the world had not yet occurred and the Qin Dynasty was still falsely prosperous, they did not need to think about the ownership of the world, the ambitions of Taoism, the stance of Zen, and they did not need to experience real life-and-death struggles and the future of this world.

They were still young at that time, the sun was shining and the spring breeze was pleasant.

The mountain trail is about to end.

The mountain top is in sight.

The White Emperor stopped and looked at the bright sunshine that was pouring down without any leaves blocking it. His eyes were indifferent without any emotion, yet seemed to contain a myriad of emotions.

Listening to the chirping of insects in the forest, the singing of birds in the wind, and the rustling sounds like waves, his mood became more and more peaceful.

This kind of silence is not like a still well, but the beautiful tranquility that is brought out after a long period of time after the longing and remembrance has appeared before our eyes again. All the pictures are shrouded in the warm afternoon sunshine of childhood.

The thick dampness in the air also faded.

Suddenly a wind arose, blowing through the woods and across the water.

All things here send each other off, gradually turning into sound and music.

The tune is melodious and clean, yet mixed with a bit of sadness. However, it is by no means helplessness and sorrow, but a broad mind to face the vicissitudes of life.

As Yu Sheng listened to the song, those scenes and past events naturally emerged in front of his eyes.

The same is true for the White Emperor.

……

……

"Do you want to be emperor?"

"what?"

"There are very few people I respect, and among those with the last name Bai, you are the only one."

"it is good."

"You agree now?"

"I can't think of a reason to refuse. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being an emperor. I want to ask you why you don't want to be one."

"Being an emperor is certainly a good thing, but what if there is a high chance that you will die because of it?"

"Ah? Are you going to turn against the Taoist sect?"

"Because I don't like the Qin State now."

"That's going to kill a lot of people... So I promise you, can you please stop avoiding the question?"

"Why shouldn't I be the emperor myself?"

"Or else?"

"I have my own reasons. I'll tell you later."

"It's a word."

……

……

The mountain path has come to an end, and the music fades away in the sunlight.

Along with the memories of the old days.

The White Emperor said, "Later I always forgot to ask you why."

Yu Sheng raised his head slightly, looked at the spring sun, and squinted his eyes.

The White Emperor turned his head to look at her, a little curious, and asked, "Is it because of him?"

Yu Sheng closed his eyes, shook his head and said, "No."

"But I have forgotten the reason at that time."

“That was a long time ago,” she said.

The White Emperor was stunned.

For some reason, he suddenly couldn't remain calm anymore, and countless real emotions surged in him like a tide.

However, as he looked at his loved ones standing in the sun, who seemed no different from a hundred years ago, he finally said those words seriously.

"How...how should I bless you?" There was a tremor in the White Emperor's voice that he himself had not noticed.

"no need."

Yu Sheng turned around, reached out and rubbed his brother's head, and said with a smile: "This is not something to be happy about for you, why make it so difficult for yourself."

The White Emperor remained silent.

Yu Sheng was quiet for a moment and said, "Let's stop here."

The White Emperor thought, this is such a sad sentence.

Yu Sheng said: "I should leave now."

The White Emperor said hello.

Yu Sheng turned around and looked back at the mountain path they came from.

The vegetation here is no longer overly lush, so the view is open and you can see far away.

Under the sunlight, Jinghai looks like a gem inlaid in the earth, emitting countless colors.

The mountain wind howled continuously, and thousands of trees swayed with it like waves.

The scenery is beautiful.

The world is gentle.

Listening to the receding footsteps and feeling the most familiar breath in his life leaving, the White Emperor never looked back.

He put his hands behind his back and stared at the fake sun intently. He kept looking until there were no more people in Jinghai.

He said to himself, "That's it."

This is a sad fact, he thought.

This was the last time Emperor Bai and Bai Nanming met.

After today, he became completely alone.

……

……

On the tenth day, the sun rose as usual.

The Taoist master has already left Cangzhou.

What happened last night in that cold rainstorm seemed like a false dream.

If the tall building had not turned into nothingness, the thousands of blue bricks on the long street had not turned into ashes, and there had not been blood and even body parts mixed with the rain, many people would probably have thought that this was really just a dream.

Even now, people still clearly remember what the abbot said, the abbot's stubbornness, and even the cavalry charge that came to an abrupt end at the end.

No one can forget these real things that happened. Everyone knows that there are taboos that cannot be spoken of, but no one can choose to forget them.

Until the eunuch Cao who came from the capital, escorted by many officials, rode to the ruins of the tall building and read out the crimes of the cheese master in public.

Yes, that eunuch Cao, holding the imperial edict in his hand, spoke with a powerful voice to put the final word on the life of the master in front of countless gazes.

There are dozens of charges in total.

Among them, some are insignificant, some are treacherous and rebellious, some make people angry and curse, and some make people envious.

People were silent and at a loss after hearing Eunuch Cao's voice.

Some people find it mocking.

"Whose idea is this?"

"I suppose not your majesty."

"That's the queen's."

"It sounds like you have a lot of opinions about her, or do you have opinions about women?" "How could I have such a boring prejudice? I have seen people like Pei Jinge, and I admire Her Royal Highness the Princess even more. Even now, I am in awe of that lady."

“Why reverence?”

"From the moment he left the capital, Eunuch Cao had two decrees in his hands. One was for the Zhenbei Army to hold its ground until the final charge last night, and the other was the indictment against the Chief of Staff that was being read out."

"If your guess is true, it is somewhat...disgusting. And why did she conclude that Sizhu would die?"

“Maybe there is another possibility.”

"What's possible?"

"If it was the Master who survived, there would still have been that final charge last night. The charges in the imperial edict are enough to justify it."

Zhao Qi didn't say anything else.

Nan Zong remained silent throughout the conversation, and it was Qing Xiaoyue who did all the talking.

As for Qiu Zhi and Wang Mo, they stood aside and served tea.

Qing Xiaoyue did not continue the topic and said, "After this battle, I think there will be no more chaos at least in this winter."

Qiuzhi asked curiously, "Why?"

Qing Xiaoyue said: "There was news this morning that the Lord's initial concerns about Xuandu were correct."

Everyone looked at him.

Qing Xiaoyue's eyes were very complicated.

A hundred years have passed, and the scenery of Xuandu has long become blurred in his memory and is no longer vivid, but he still vaguely remembers the feeling of living there, which is a nostalgic past.

But he never regretted betraying the extremely corrupt Taoist sect.

"Chu Jun took Lin Qianshui to Xuandu. There was a Taoist priest in Xuandu who was about to go down the mountain and had a battle with the general who was in charge of guarding the city."

Qiuzhi heard the conversation stop here, and couldn't help but get anxious, and subconsciously asked: "Who won?"

"The winner has not yet been decided."

Qing Xiaoyue said: "The Taoist priest who went down the mountain has already turned back."

I was puzzled and asked, "Why?"

Qing Xiaoyue sighed, thinking that you are not such an idiot on weekdays, and said: "The intelligence did not give any reason, so there is only one reason, that Taoist priest concluded that Gu Zhuo could not die."

……

……

Xuandu, on top of a cliff.

The young Taoist priest did not change his blood-stained robe. He stared at the army in the distance that had not yet retreated, feeling somewhat worried.

That general is worthy of being one of the three great generals of the Qin Dynasty. His realm is already very high, but his combat power is even more terrifying than his realm.

He had been practicing in the mountains until now, and had never had any experience in life-and-death battles. He had been suppressing the enemy from the moment the battle began. If the king general had not been old and exhausted as the battle went on, his injuries would probably have been even more severe at this moment.

There were footsteps behind.

The one who came was Chu Jun.

The young Taoist turned around, smiled awkwardly at the girl, and apologized sincerely: "I'm sorry, I thought too highly of myself. Before I broke through, there was really no way I would not be stopped by that general."

Chu Jun's expression was extremely complicated.

The young Taoist thought she was unhappy and panicked, and said quickly: "But don't worry, the Taoist master is not dead, otherwise I would not be the kind of person who would abandon my ancestors and run back without caring about them!"

Chu Jun was silent for a while, without explaining why his feelings were complicated, and said, "That's good."

After hesitating for a moment, the young Taoist decided to tell the truth and said, "But the ancestor may not be living well now."

……

……

Yes, Gu Zhuo’s current condition is the worst in his life.

He still maintained his lucid self and had not fallen into unconsciousness. Even though this was a miracle in an absolute sense, it still could not change the fact that he became a patient.

It is a disease that is horribly equivalent to time.

——Taohua.

Time can destroy everything in the world, causing countless great beings to die in pain and unwillingness, while Taoism allows people to watch themselves become inhuman beings.

Just a casual thought will cause countless dense clouds to float in the sky, heavy rain to pour down, and thunder and lightning to roar.

Then the next moment, when he is inexplicably happy, the sun will shine through the sky and bring brightness to the world.

The heaven and earth depend on one thought.

This is already the second stage of Taoization.

“Why do you still hold on to yourself?”

Pei Jinge said seriously: "If I'm not mistaken, before entering Cangzhou to fight the Master, you used the demon to leave an obsession deep in your heart. In this way, you can borrow the power of all things while maintaining a certain degree of clarity. But now the Master is dead, deader than dead, the obsession you planted should have dissipated."

Gu Zhuo did not answer immediately.

At this moment, he was looking up at the extremely solemn Bodhisattva statue under the sunlight, and said softly: "You guessed right."

Pei Jinge frowned slightly, thinking of a possibility, but he was not sure.

Before she could ask what was going on, a nun slowly and carefully approached the two of them.

Yes, at this moment Gu Zhuo and Pei Jinge were in Changle Temple.

After Qie Man was taken away by Wei Qingci, the Zen Buddhist ancestral temple still regarded the two as guests due to the personal will of the abbot.

Although this decision was strongly opposed in Changle Temple, no one could convince the dying abbot.

"The nunnery master is about to pass away." The nun suppressed her sorrow and whispered, "Please come over."

Gu Zhuo stood up and walked out of the meditation room.

Pei Jinge followed him.

The meeting place is still on the shore.

Winter is not over yet, and the sea breeze feels as sharp as a knife, which is not very pleasant.

The waves beat against the rocks, breaking into thousands of layers of snow, but there is no beauty, only loneliness.

Perhaps it is all because of the impending death of the man.

The abbot sat on a rock, letting the flying water foam wet his cheeks. No one knew whether he loved water by nature, or whether he did this to gain a brief moment of clarity in the last moments of his life.

Gu Zhuo sat down in front of her.

The abbot said seriously: "I am about to die. Before I die, I want to do one last thing for this world."

Gu Zhuo looked at her and asked, "Even if it's ultimately useless?"

The abbot smiled, a very warm smile, and said: "For me, the important thing is the choice, not the ending, not to mention that that is the future I cannot see."

Gu Zhuo looked towards the temple in the distance and said, "But you can choose to leave an opportunity for your disciples."

The abbot said: "This is a very meaningful thing, but you are a more meaningful existence."

Gu Zhuo didn't say anything.

The abbot looked into his eyes, as if he saw the world, and said, "I hope that the world will be peaceful, and I don't want you to become a living disaster. Even if all I did in the end was just to buy you a tiny chance, this is still a decision worth repeating a thousand times."

Gu Zhuo withdrew his gaze.

After a moment, he said seriously: "You are a very remarkable person."

The abbot was a little surprised. He didn't expect to hear such words at the last moment of his life, so he was sincerely happy.

Then, with this rare joy, at the last moment of her life, she displayed the magical power that she had cultivated many years ago.

At this moment, the abbot suddenly had an extremely absurd feeling, and wondered if the reason he cultivated this magical power was just to wait for this day?
The abbot had no way of knowing the answer to this question.

That magical power has a very simple name that makes people confused.

——Three questions.

……

……

The sound of bells came from deep within the temple, sharing the sorrow of the sea breeze.

There were bursts of chanting of sutras, that was people seeing the abbot off.

The golden body of the Bodhisattva has an elusive compassion in its unchanging solemnity.

Only when the sound of bells and scriptures faded away did Gu Zhuo leave the reef.

Just at this moment, Pei Jinge came to his side.

Gu Zhuo suddenly said: "I want a pot of wine."

Pei Jinge said: "But this is a temple."

The sky is vast and the clouds are light. The East China Sea is so beautiful under the sunshine.

In the wind, countless waves break into golden snow foam, brilliant and dazzling.

Gu Zhuo thought for a moment, looked back at the world, and finally said, "Then buy a flower."

To express condolences.

……

……

(End of this volume)

(End of this chapter)