The Word of Heaven

Chapter 364 What is Cleansing?

Chapter 364 What is Cleansing?
Bai Yingzhou looked at Gu Zhuo with increasingly complicated eyes, as if he had heard an absurd lie, yet couldn't help but imagine the truth that the lie described.

He suppressed his emotions in silence, then spoke in a hoarse voice with a strange smile.

"This doesn't seem like something you would do."

"Ah."

Gu Zhuo did not deny it, and said, "If it were the old me, the me who was Bai Yuan, I would never have had such thoughts, but I have changed my name."

In life, one's name is often one of the most important things.

Especially in this extraordinary world.

How could someone named Bai Yuan, who has never forgotten the person from his hometown deep in his dreams, be willing to lead the world forward?
Just as Bai Yingzhou had to shed the robes of an emperor in order to take that step between life and death and achieve immortality, the principle is the same.

"Looking back now..."

Gu Zhuo sighed, seemingly talking to himself, "Perhaps the reason I chose the name Zhuo for myself in this life is because of this."

The character 濯 has two pronunciations and two meanings.

One is washing.

Secondly, it can be used interchangeably with "櫂", meaning oar.

Wash away the past and lead the world forward.

This is something only he can do.

He probably had a premonition about this as early as when he woke up that year.

Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence of a single character?
Bai Yingzhou leaned forward slightly, staring into Gu Zhuo's eyes, and asked, "What would you do?"

Countless heroes have emerged throughout history, and these remarkable figures often become cautious and timid in the latter half of their lives. They no longer have the ideas of their youth, no longer think about changing the world, and no longer try to shoulder those heavy responsibilities. Their thoughts gradually gather in the controllable things before them as the years go by, such as their sect, their country, and their cultivation.

The idea of single-handedly changing the entire world has vanished.

Bai Yingzhou had never had such thoughts, but his position was high enough that he could understand the ideas of those sages and know that they were powerless to do so.

However, what Gu Zhuo is seeking now is far more difficult and burdensome than changing the world.

How can we lead the world forward?

When faced with this question, Taoist practitioners would likely say that the patriarchs passed down the Tao to the world, opened the path of cultivation, and gave hope to all beings.

After pondering this, Zen monks generally say that if there were no thousands of temples in the world, where would people's hopes and aspirations for the next life be placed?

The founding emperors of those dynasties, who occupy much space in historical records, when faced with this question, simply said that the people under their rule were becoming increasingly prosperous, how to recuperate and live a happier life than before.

That's all there is to it.

Bai Yingzhou does not believe this is truly leading the world forward.

If there is no Taoist ancestor, there will be a Buddha ancestor, or even some other random ancestor. The path of cultivation is there; it is not something that someone can create by taking something out of nothing.

The existence of Zen Buddhism is meaningless. Faith is something people need to believe in, not something that exists because a Buddha statue shines brightly in the sunlight, as if it were adorned with gold.

The so-called imperial dynasty is also nonsense.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Bai Yingzhou asked again, his voice becoming heavy and powerful, much like a war drum.

Gu Zhuo looked at him and said calmly, "You should have guessed it."

After a moment of silence, Bai Yingzhou's eyes lit up with understanding.

Yes, he understood what Gu Zhuo was going to do.

"If only I could have been born a hundred years later."

Gu Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "Does this mean you're wishing me success?"

Bai Yingzhou smiled and said, "Or else?"

Gu Zhuo thanked him earnestly.

Hearing the thank you, Bai Yingzhou's smile became even more satisfied.

He stopped talking to Gu Zhuo; in these final moments of his life, there were more important things for him to do.

……

In that cold palace, Chu Jun and Lin Wanyi were sitting on the veranda, talking quietly without any purpose, when a figure suddenly appeared in the rain.

The White Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, gazing silently at the spot where the Empress had died, saying nothing and showing no sign of grief.

The next moment, he went to Bai Langxing's side and briefly explained a few words about the future.

The passing of life and death, the transfer of power—these are all natural occurrences and not something to be saddened by.

Therefore, the White Emperor left before the sound of bewildered weeping could be heard, and this time he was already thousands of miles away, in Cihang Temple.

The stone pagodas stand in a forest, enshrining the relics of monks. Due to the upheaval at Weiyang Palace a few years ago, many of the stone pagodas collapsed. Although they were later restored to their original state, they still lacked a certain charm.

The White Emperor's gaze lingered on one of the new towers.

The person living in the tower was Daoxiu, his best and least known friend in his life.

A jug of wine appeared in his hand, which he slowly poured in front of the stone tower, dripping and wetting the floor.

The White Emperor said nothing, he just watched quietly, and gazed on.

It's all already in the wine.

After the wine evaporated in the sunlight, the White Emperor returned to Xuandu.

Springtime in Xuandu is in full bloom.

Yu Sheng was sleeping soundly, just like any other day, sitting on a bamboo chair, using the thick Taoist canopy to block out the outside light.

Bai Yingzhou stood outside the hall, looking at the relative who had changed his life, without any hatred.

Yu Sheng felt something and woke up from his spring slumber.

She took the heavy Taoist canon, stood up, and looked at Bai Yingzhou.

They looked at each other in silence, their silence unspoken.

Bai Yingzhou said with a smile, "Even at this moment, I have never regretted agreeing to your request."

Yu Sheng said softly, "But I still feel guilty."

Bai Yingzhou shook his head and said seriously, "My talent in cultivation is not as good as yours. If I hadn't had these experiences over the past hundred years, could I really have taken this step?"

"That probably won't work."

He stepped into the ancient Taoist temple and said, "Now I no longer need to care about things I don't want to care about, and death is coming soon. I only have one thought left."

There was a long silence.

Yu Sheng remained silent.

Bai Yingzhou sighed, a hint of regret in his smile, and said, "I thought I could fool you."

Yu Sheng laughed and said, "I'm very smart. Otherwise, why would I have chosen you to be the emperor back then, and not someone else?"

"Right."

Bai Yingzhou looked into her eyes and said, "So... please live well, sister."

Yu Sheng responded with a nasal "hmm".

Bai Yingzhou did not linger and turned to leave.

The moment he stepped out of the Taoist temple, he transformed into a ray of light that soared into the sky.

There was silence.

He should have died in Xuandu that year.

Everything is just going back to the beginning.