At the abandoned pavilion, Second Brother was staring at the disappearing mountain silently. There was no expression on his face but calmness and silence. His hat was standing like a peak and his hands were held back.
Soon afterwards, in the space where the lost mountain peak originally stood, numerous dark clouds converged and the snowflakes danced wildly. Afterwards, some transparent things appeared in the distance and formed an invisible block. The invisible barrier was brilliantly illuminated, and so beautiful that one could almost see countless stars twinkling in the middle of it.
No one knew how long had it had been when these shining stars suddenly disappeared.That space where the snow and clouds had gathered became dark. All rules and laws seemed to end at that point.
A bolt of lightning came down from the Firmament, and the distance between the two was so long that it was as thick as a river, but there was no sound of thunder, and no color, only pure white.
The earth trembled, and the dark space suddenly disintegrated, and the mysteriously vanished peaks reappeared. In the meantime, the clouds outside the mountain were torn into pieces by two powerful auras, and slowly accelerated into an unknown path where they gradually became a great whirlpool.
Second Brother looked at the place in silence and, after a long while, he said with sincere admiration, “This is the true Tao.”
Standing behind Second Brother, Chen Pipi observed the cloudy vortex and felt every inch of his skin going numb. He carefully perceived the strong aura that was slowly dissipating, and murmured in shock, “They have both broken the five states? This is unbelievable. How did they do that?”
“He who can take a step can take countless steps. Who knows how many steps they have taken in the past.”
Second Brother frowned slightly and then walked up the mountain.
When the mountains returned to the world, they were able to climb the muddy and unsettling paths of the past. The muddy paths became too hard to be changed as if they were remade by some great sculptor. The sputtered mud was now lying on the ground quietly, even the smallest bit could be seen clearly. So now they felt different about this mountain—treading on the mountain path as if it were a beautiful river and part of humankind history.
Since the mountain was still there, its summit and cliff naturally remained as well, but they were recombined by some force into something new. Some stones were broken into powder like the fine sand in a beach.
There was an aspen tree that was left standing. This tree was not damaged at all. This tree grew in cold mountains, but now it appeared here. It was very absurd.
Sangsang knelt by the cliff and kept filling the two urns with the bone ashes that were still on the ground. She did this carefully, using her fingernails to dig out the ashes, cleaning them with her palm and holding them in her hands.
She pursed her lips. Without crying, she opened her eyes wide and repeated the act of gathering ash like a machine. Even her bright eyes had no sorrow, only numbness.
When Chen Pipi and Second Brother reached the top of the mountain, the first thing they saw was a picture that would live on in their hearts for a long time, allowing them, in some ways, to choose to support the girl in the future for no reason at all.
Walking to the cliff side, Second Brother looked at the flowing cloud and reached out his hand to sense the aura which was almost gone. He turned around to see that little maid whose dress now was touching the ground, and said to her, “Let them stay here.”
“This is my teacher.” Pointing at the new urn, Sangsang shook her head and answered.
She pointed at the old one and continued to say, “This is the young master’s teacher.”
Then she lowered her head and said, “The young master will want to know what my teacher looks like and will definitely want to look at his teacher again, so I will take them back to show them to the young master and not let them be blown away in the wind.”
…
…
Southern Gate Temple in the depths of the Temple Taoism interior.
The Nation Master Li Qingshan was now staring at the reflection on the dark wood floor. He didn’t notice that his face was so pale and gaunt because he only had that ugly, wretched face in his eyes at the moment.
He knew he would never see that face again, and though he had sometimes felt helpless and even disgusted with that face over the years, he was still in a state of great sadness.
“Was it because Senior Brother never obeyed the rules or was it because I was always being childish that I feel disgusted with him?”
Looking at the reflected images, he barely smiled. Humans all knew him as a Nation Master, but few people knew his Senior Brother. That year, it was Senior Brother who helped him block off Liu Bai’s sword. Today, Great Divine Priest of Light came to Chang’an, and it was still his Senior Brother who solved this problem for him and died before him.
“Master, it’s time to take your medicine.”
He Mingchi lifted the tray over his head. He knew that right now master was very sad, but as master’s student, he had the responsibility to take care of him, especially at this moment.
“Just put it down.” Li Qingshan tried his best to control his mood, and continued to say in a husky voice, “I will take the medicine later.”
He Mingchi put down the tray, went out Temple Taoism quietly and then picked up his yellow-paper umbrella. Before taking another step, he was stopped by a taoist nun and a taoist priest at the snow-covered garden.
The death of Master Yan Se might have no influence on ordinary people, for not so many people had heard about him. But for the Southern Gate Temple Taoists, it was different and their faces were full of anger and grief.
A Taoist nun asked in a trembling voice, “How could he hide in Chang’an for such a long time?”
…
…
It was still snowing. Outside the room, the sky was grey, as if it was angry. Inside the room, the atmosphere was heavy and gloomy , just like that grey sky. Generals all expressed their anger and shame.
“How could he hide in Chang’an City for such a long time?”
The one who asked this question was General Xu Shi, a Defender-general of the State. He returned to Chang’an as soon as he received His Majesty’s secret order. However, on arriving in Chang’an at noon, he heard the shocking news.
He was the only one left of all who had once qualified to work with Master Yan Se, so this news hit him the hardest.
General Xu Shi’s face was somber. Looking at his subordinates, he said in a cold voice, “In the morning, our state just lost another great pillar. I don’t care who the enemy is, all I know is that His Majesty gave you enough time to find out and kill him, but you failed.”
All the generals lowered their heads in shame. Some of them wanted to say that it was the Imperial Center Administration that did not fulfill its responsibility, but seeing General Xu Shi’s angry face, and due to the strong sense of honor they had as imperial soldiers, they didn’t speak out.
“Do not shirk your responsibility. Unless you forget your identity… you are soldiers! The ground you stand on is capital Chang’an, you have an obligation to ensure its safety but you let an old man fight the enemy alone!”
Then he turned to General Huai Hua, and sternly asked, “Why did you not take the initiative to fight back?”
General Huai Hua stood up. He lowered his head and replied, “His Majesty ordered us to ensure the safety of citizens. Besides, If we ordered armored black cavalry to fight, the citizens would have been affected. The enemy was too powerful, even if we tried our best, we still could not have stopped him.”
Xu Shi narrowed his eyes, and then shouted furiously, “Does being a Great Divine Priest mean nothing? You are too weak, as cowardly as mice, you only know how to hide and stand by like spectators! When did our imperial soldiers become such cowards! Don’t you know how many cultivators in Knowing Destiny State sacrificed at war!”
After finishing these words, he started to cough violently. It was too painful for him to stand up straight. His grey hair fluttered when he coughed and his wrinkles seemed to deepen. All his subordinates knew that his lung disease had started to flare up. They quickly called for medical help.
Xu Shi struggled to stand up straight, looking at his subordinates he said seriously, “I don’t blame you for what happened this morning. After all, it was South Gate and the Academy that handled this deal first. But I really want to know how Wei Guangming could hide for so many days without being found by our government. What happened on earth?”
“Investigate it carefully. If it was our soldiers who didn’t fulfill their duty because they were too afraid , then kill them all. If it was the Imperial Center Administration or South Gate Temple’s fault, then report it to me. I will beg His Majesty to kill them.”
The General’s coughing intermingled with his anger lasted for a long time.
…
…
At peak of the Peach Mountain there were four grand Taoist Temples. When there was no sacrifice and offering giving ceremony, ordinary people were strictly forbidden to approach them, only a few divine officers were allowed. Under this situation, these temples seemed very desolate.
In the darkened hall near the cliff, some miserable coughing sound could be heard. Since the Confinement was destroyed by the Great Divine Priest of Light, the Great Divine Priest of Judgment had been in a bad state since then. Now he heard the news that the Great Divine Priest of Light was no more. He was astonished and couldn’t help coughing.
No sound could be heard in the Divine Hall, only silence.
The white temple, which was the most austere, was completely silent, for the Great Divine Priest of Light, who should have been in the Temple, had not sat upon the throne for nearly fifteen years, and he would never come back again.
Suddenly, a mournful sigh was heard in the pure white temple. It was so light and faint but it echoed in the whole Peach Mountain, like a powerful thunder, and then suddenly there was silence.
After a long time, that voice was heard again.
“How could the successor of the Great Divine Priest of Light live with ordinary people and then come back again to the Taoist Temple?”
…
…
On a far unknown island in the south, a Taoist in indigo was standing on a high rock and watching the sea. He had spent many days here watching the sea. No one knew why he did this.
One day, he felt puzzled, and then he turned to look at the land. He frowned and murmured, “What did you see on earth? And how many things did the successor you found learn from you? Is it destiny that brought you together?”
…
…
“You call this wine? Is this qualified to be called wine?”
At a remote county of Gushan Commandery, a furious voice came from a common wine store which was located along the street.At the top of his voice was a very tall, red-faced old man who had accused the liquor store owner. He was dressed in a purple sheepskin robe, and a black overcoat, which should have been very expensive, but whether it was the weather, the dust, or something, it made him look a little old.
The store owner was a strong middle-aged man. He started at the old man, and then spat at him. He replied with scorn, “This is our famous wine named Nine-river double-distilled wine in our Gushan Commandery. What’s wrong? Are you not satisfied?”
Hearing this, the old man raised his wine bottle angrily. He answered loudly, splattering saliva everywhere, “You think I never drink good wine? How could Nine-river double-distilled wine be so tasteless?”
The store owner glared at him, slapped him and said, “I won’t hit you because you are old! Don’t go too far! Our Nine-river double-distilled wine is this weak ! What will you do!”
The old man started to tremble in anger. He rolled up his sleeves and was ready to fight. He shouted, “You cooked chicken soup into vinegar, I put up with it! But how dare you try to convince me that this is wine! This is intolerable!”
A short time passed.
The old man had been knocked out of the tavern, and his carefully combed hair had become a mess. His black robe had been torn open and he looked extremely embarrassed.
Standing on the street, the old man shouted toward the wine store, “You are so rude! As an old man, I still respect older people. You don’t even know how to respect the old!”
Where would a shop selling fake liquor know such a profound truth? On hearing this, more employees rushed out the store and held crabstickes to beat him with.
The old man shouted in fear and fled in panic, and he run even faster than the young man. Although in a hurry, he didn’t forget to grab his wine bottle, thinking that bad wine was still better than no wine.
He didn’t stop until he came into a dilapidated Taoist temple.
An old yellow bull was chewing grass wearily, presumably because the grass didn’t taste as good as fish or mutton. It was in a state of low spirits and began to kick its front hoof in anger.
Seeing the old man running to the Taoist temple in embarrassment, the old yellow bull mooed, as if it were laughing at him.
The old man gasped and opened his wine bottle. After catching his breath, he shook his head, and sighed. And then he came in front of a stone step, picked up a small stick, and used it to find something in the fire ashes.
Then two potatoes rolled out.
The old yellow bull slowly walked over, looking at the old man intently and affectionately.
The old man was pissed off. He pointed at the two burnt potatoes and said harshly, “I let you take care of the fire. How can you eat this when they are almost burnt into ashes!”
…
…
A far place in the north. In the depths of Tianqi Mountain.
Inside the forgotten the Front Gate of Devil’s Doctrine.
Ning Que woke up, yet failed to recall what had happened.
He blankly looked around the dark room, finding that the bone mountain had crumbled into a hip of rubble. At the place where the old monk stayed, only two iron chains were left. And in front of the chains, there was a pile of ash.
Then, he remembered everything, and his body relaxed in a second.
However, looking at that pile of ash, he didn’t know why he felt so sad.
…