The Word of Heaven

Chapter 316: The Pivot of Xuanmen
"It's that simple?"

"Ah."

"I can't figure it out."

"why?"

"The universe is the manifestation of the Great Dao, and all living beings are just living beings. This doesn't seem like a problem you set for yourself."

“There is some truth to that, but it is true.”

"What do you think the third question is?"

"The waves haven't receded yet. I can only confirm that the question is not about what kind of person I am."

The sound of boiling hot pot filled the entire box.

The conversation between Gu Zhuo and Yu Sheng was still clear, not blurred by the spicy taste.

The two continued to scoop out the tripe and duck intestines from the pot for each other without looking at each other too much, as if they were just talking about ordinary little things.

At some point, Yu Sheng suddenly stopped picking up his chopsticks, looked up at Gu Zhuo through the heat mist, and asked seriously, "Is this second question the reason why you brought me to Xuandu?"

"No."

Gu Zhuo denied it directly: "I just want you to see the scenery that I am familiar with, because I have seen the scenery through your eyes over the years."

Yu Sheng understood what this sentence meant.

During the summer festival that year, she was defeated by Gu Zhuo by one move, and she had no choice but to take him to the top of Cangshan Mountain to watch the sunrise together - she was the only second person to do so in a hundred years.

If it were an ordinary girl, she would probably feel a little unhappy at this moment.

She was undoubtedly an extremely unusual girl, a great person standing at the highest position in the world, so she had more unhappiness.

If I had known you were you at that time, even if I lost in the end, I would never have lost in that way.

There is another more important issue.

"When did you recognize me?"

Yu Sheng's voice was very calm, and you couldn't tell that he cared.

Gu Zhuo didn't need to recall and said, "I realized something was wrong the moment I was at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. Later, when I saw you, I felt something was wrong even more. The main reason was..."

Yu Sheng looked at him without saying a word.

Gu Zhuo thought about it and decided to be honest. He said, "You didn't look like a young man at that time, no matter your temperament or words and deeds. You were really condescending and arrogant at that time."

Yu Sheng recalled the scene at that time, thinking about his own modesty and politeness. After a moment of silence, he said, "Eat first, the duck intestines are getting old."

Gu Zhuo was very obedient.

In the blink of an eye, his bowl was filled with duck intestines mixed with peppercorns, which looked very uncomfortable.

But he ate very seriously and slowly but it didn't make people feel impatient. Instead, he just enjoyed and was satisfied.

Yu Sheng liked him like this very much. She would pick up more dishes for him with her chopsticks and never got tired of watching him.

Both of them understood that peace could not last forever. The contradiction between their positions was far from being eliminated by time. No matter how hard they tried to ignore it, there would still be that moment when it appeared before their eyes.

It is because of this understanding that they cherish the present time even more.

The hotpot meal lasted a long time, and Gu Zhuo and Yu Sheng did not leave the restaurant until the autumn sun was setting.

The two did not leave Yizhou, but strolled in the streets and alleys, holding each other's hands, indistinguishable from an ordinary couple.

Sometimes she stopped by the street, sometimes she stayed on the bridge and looked into the distance. Yu Sheng did not continue to use the scenery to paint, but quietly and softly talked about those interesting discoveries. Compared with her a hundred years ago, the difference was probably that she spoke less, but her emotions were stronger.

After nightfall, they followed the sparse lights and unknowingly arrived at a theatre troupe to watch a play.

The story failed to leave much impression in the two people’s memories, not because of bad acting or the lack of interest in the face-changing, but because they were all focused on the fact that this was their first time.

Yu Sheng's eyes reflected the lights of the Pear Garden, rippling gently like water, and he had something to say.

Gu Zhuo didn't let her say it because he had already guessed what it would be.

Legends don’t have to become reality; the Immortal Poet can stay forever in the night of that day.

Yu Sheng felt sorry, but respected.

Then, under the gaze of the stars, they officially left Yizhou and headed for the mountains in the south of the sky.

The climate in the mountains turns cold early in autumn, which is completely different from that in the city. The two people who are about to reach the end of their honeymoon slow down their pace tacitly, and walk hundreds of miles until the middle of autumn, when the forest is dyed with colors.

Time has passed in the mountains.

At some point in the afternoon, Gu Zhuo stopped beside a mountain stream. When he looked up, he could vaguely see a solitary peak in the clouds.

That is where Xuandu is.

Yu Sheng squatted down, scooped up the clear stream water to wash his face, and said softly: "I didn't expect there is such a mountain road leading to Xuandu. I thought it would be troublesome to come here with you this time."

Shendu has not issued an order to withdraw troops until now, and the main gate of Xuandu is still blocked by the Qin Dynasty.

Gu Zhuo said: "I left this road when I was bored. Besides me, Yingxu is probably the only one who knows it. It's normal that you don't know it."

Yu Sheng understood and said, "It has nothing to do with the Tiandao Sect's mountain gate formation."

"You know, for a while, those old men have been trying to get me to accept them as disciples. It's really annoying."

Gu Zhuo said calmly: "After all, we have to go down the mountain to relax."

Yu Sheng was a little curious and asked, "For example?"

Gu Zhuo stretched out his hand, pointed in a certain direction, and said, "There is a small town over there. There is a shop in the town that I have eaten at many times. I don't know if it is still there. The most important thing is that there is a gambling house."

"Gambling house?" Yu Sheng was really surprised.

Gu Zhuo said: "I am very good at playing mahjong."

Yu Sheng frowned and said, "But I remember you looked very ordinary when you were with Yingxu, me and Pei Jinge on Yunmeng Lake?"

Gu Zhuo said nonchalantly: "The only problem is, I'm not very good at winning."

Yu Sheng was stunned and thought, isn’t this what the boy who brings wealth means?

Then she thought of the fact that Gu Zhuo rarely fired his gun, and she was speechless and too lazy to say anything more.

She silently made a note to visit that small town after leaving Xuandu. Accompanied by the bright autumn sunshine and mountain breeze, she stepped onto the dilapidated stone steps that had been sealed for a hundred years.

Although the stone steps are broken, the formation formed by the earth veins is still there, enough to stop the practitioners who have not yet reached the state of enlightenment.

Gu Zhuo has not yet reached the state of immortality, but this formation was created by him. Although it is not meaningless to him and it is still a bit troublesome, it doesn't matter since Yu Sheng is around.

We walked for a long time, during which the scenery of the four seasons kept changing according to the formation, which was magnificent.

Before dawn the next day, the two men left the long mountain road and the clouds behind them, and the ancient Taoist temple covered with ivy came into view.

Under the starry sky, the Taoist temple was quiet and silent.

The dim candlelight flowed down the steps like water, and the ancient Taoist chants seemed to be faintly floating in the night breeze, making people unconsciously immersed in it.

This situation may be no different from a hundred years ago.

Yu Sheng looked at Gu Zhuo.

Gu Zhuo was quiet for a while and said, "This is not my arrangement."

After saying this, he took a light step forward.

Over the course of a hundred years, the ground had long been overgrown with weeds, and even the stepping stones had been buried.

However, when he took this step, the feeling he felt was not dry autumn grass.

There was a soft snap.

It was as if shallow water was stepped on, splashing water everywhere, and a bone-chilling chill that was not typical of late autumn spread out in an instant, enveloping the field.

The light and fire in the Taoist temple suddenly became bright. It was a scene that had never been seen a hundred years ago. The elegant and melodious Taoist chanting was no longer hidden in the night wind, but crashed into the lake of the heart and the sea of ​​consciousness.

There was no emotion in Gu Zhuo's eyes.

At this moment, Yu Sheng took a step forward and held his hand. A murderous aura that was even more chilling than the bone-chilling coldness poured out from the Cang Cang Mountain Dojo without reservation, colliding head-on with that aura.

The next moment, the wind suddenly condensed, and the chill was so deep that it was almost invisible.

The night is as quiet as ink.

The lights in the Taoist temple became brighter, but the Taoist chanting was drowned out by the sudden downpour.

The entire mountain seemed to have turned into an extremely huge ship at this moment, floating up and down in the vast ocean of God's wrath, and the Taoist temple with lights on was the cabin and the only safe destination.

Yu Sheng looked at the scene expressionlessly.

At some point, all living beings appeared in her hands.

She and Gu Zhuo were in the storm, but they seemed like outsiders, with not a single thread of their clothes wet.

There was no illusion in this world that could blind her eyes.

Therefore this is a place of practice.

Or a world.

To be precise, this is the fundamental reason why the Qin Dynasty only closed the mountain of Tiandao Sect instead of destroying the sect after defeating Taoism.

At that time, whether it was her, the White Emperor, or even Daoxiu and Si Zhu, they were all seriously injured. No matter how much they wanted to cut off the inheritance of the Tiandao Sect, they would not sacrifice their own path or even their lives for it.

As for why they stopped exterminating families, it was a result of comprehensive considerations from all aspects and was no longer a matter of life and death.

However, who is now qualified to take charge of this self-contained Taoist formation left behind when the Tiandao Sect was at its peak?

Yu Sheng certainly knew that there was a young Taoist priest above Xuandu, but she also knew that this person had not yet entered the state of immortality, so it was impossible for this formation to be so powerful that it could not even interfere with the Taoist master's former residence.

Gu Zhuo held her hand and walked forward against the heavy rain.

There was no thunder, but the sound of rain was like arrows, which easily reminded people of the decisive battle between Taoism and the Qin Dynasty a hundred years ago.

The darkness of night grew darker, making the lights in the Taoist temple brighter and brighter, until the two men stepped into the temple.

The person who caught Yu Sheng's eyes was the young Taoist priest.

She frowned, confirming that this person was not at the stage of immortalization. Why did the aura he exuded make her feel so alert?

Who is this person?

Gu Zhuo remained silent.

I don’t know how much time had passed, when even the sound of rain outside the temple became faint and sparse, his voice finally rang out.

With all kinds of emotion and disappointment.

"Senior brother, long time no see."

……

……

Yes, this young Taoist is Gu Zhuo’s senior brother.

A hundred years may seem like a long time, but it is actually not that long ago. The relationships that should have been passed down have not yet become secret rumors among future generations.

The Taoist Master is known as the Lord of Taoism, and his status could not be more transcendent. Even the most powerful person like the Temple Master who has entered the state of Nirvana must be polite and respectful in front of him and dare not be presumptuous.

Who is qualified to be called senior brother by the Taoist master?

According to various records, there is only one person in the entire Taoist sect.

——The headmaster of Tiandao Sect.

He is not well-known in history books, and his achievements are negligible due to the defeat of Taoism by the empire. Even practitioners who lived in that era would not have much impression of him.

The reason is very simple.

The light of the Taoist master is so dazzling that it has been obscured for a thousand years.

This senior brother who lives under his shadow seems to be the leader of the Tiandao Sect, but everyone knows that this is just the result of the leader's unwillingness, not because he is truly great.

Even if one has entered the state of Yuhua, it can be considered remarkable from any perspective.

Only compared with the Taoist master.

In the end, it is no different from dust.

After becoming the head of the Tiandao Sect, this little-known Taoist changed his name and called himself Xuanshu.

——The pivot of the mysterious gate.

Such a heavy Taoist name has never been considered suitable for him, whether a hundred years ago or now.

More often than not, it's seen as a lame joke.

……

……

The young Taoist turned around and looked at Gu Zhuo quietly.

The same is true for Gu Zhuo.

Their eyes met and confronted each other at this moment.

"I thought you would come back."

Xuan Shu's gaze moved away from Gu Zhuo's and fell on Yu Sheng, and he said calmly: "But I never thought you would come back in this way."

Yu Sheng remained unmoved.

When she realized who this person was, no matter how he survived the decisive battle a hundred years ago, he was no match for her at her peak, so there was no need to be afraid of him.

"I also didn't expect you to be alive."

Gu Zhuo smiled, and it was unclear whether the smile was self-deprecating or sarcastic, and said: "It is indeed human nature to be afraid of death."

Yu Sheng didn’t feel like he was being scolded.

The same is true for Xuanshu.

"Junior brother."

He looked at Gu Zhuo and smiled, "So my survival was beyond your expectations?"

Gu Zhuo was silent for a while and said, "Yes."

It's all true.

How could he not know the fact that there was a young Taoist priest on Xuandu, but he had never thought about it in this direction. He just thought that he was a genius who had luckily climbed up Canshan Mountain.

But is there any genius in this world who is willing to give up all pleasures when he is young and spend his lonely years in the mountains?
"Do not."

Xuan Shu smiled, shook his head and said, "This is within your expectations. You just don't want to think about it because you are always gentle to this world, so gentle that you don't even care about hatred."

As he spoke, he looked at Yu Sheng again, and his meaning was very clear.

"But I still like you and don't care about these shortcomings. Just like I told you many years ago, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Whether it's the position of the head of the Tiandao Sect or all the responsibilities closely related to it, you just need to practice, because you are the one who can go to the end."

Xuan Shu spoke softly, his voice distinct from the heavy rain outside the hall, so clear.

Gu Zhuo looked at the strange young man, and saw the few traces of familiarity left in his eyes. He was silent for a long time and said, "I also told you before that I don't think you need to do anything for me."

As the voice fell, a loud bang was heard in the sky.

Countless pale lightning flashed through the rainy sky, illuminating the dark night and eroding the yellow of the lights.

Xuan Shu's face was no longer smiling, but there was no trace of anger on it. Various emotions emerged and faded away one after another, and in the end, only absolute indifference remained.

"But if I follow your words and do nothing, how can I meet you tonight?"

"Do not."

Gu Zhuo said seriously: "Brother, it would be better for us to die than to meet each other like this."

(End of this chapter)