Nightfall

The wind was whirling and the storm was roaring from the center of the South Sea. The rain poured down and turned the beach to slush. The deep blue sea became restless and darker.

The big black horse came back ashore and wanted to seek shelter under the trees by the beach. However, he found Ning Que and Sangsang standing still by the sea. He hesitated for a while and came back to join them. He stood behind them and looked wretched with rain water dripping down his hair.

Sangsang watched the scene quietly. Neither the sea storm nor the wind from above left any trace in her eyes. Nature seemed ruthless and ruleless, but rules applied everywhere in the sea and in the wind. She stood between the sea and the sky, but she was also everywhere.

She did not know the destination of their journey. Ning Que took her to the human world to experience and tighten her bond with this world. She chose to leave Peach Mountain with him because she wanted to prove that Heaven’s Rules were never to be violated and also to seek for a way out.

She wanted to visit the Great River because she was hoping to experience love, the sentiment that formed her most profound bond with the human world. However, it appeared that it was not enough. It was still not enough for Ning Que to keep her here, no for her to find a way out.

She felt restless. Hence, this storm formed. She unintentionally exposed her Heaven’s Rules to Ning Que, but Ning Que chose not to see it.

The sandy beach was washed by the storm, formed numerous tiny mud slides and unveiled relics of marine lives and glass beads buried by some naughty kids.

Ning Que squatted and picked up a pretty shell.

Then the storm stopped.

“I think I am the sea.”

She wanted to see the sea and there she was. Then she said, “The sea is shapeless. The waves could only follow the winds.”

This was the first time she talked to Ning Que about herself, the self as Haotian.

Ning Que understood her and felt complicated.

For the followers of Taoism, Haotian was the indescribable and unexplainable sole dominator of this world and the only true god. However, he knew that was wrong.

When they were in the restaurant in the Song Kingdom, the Headmaster once pointed to the sky using his chopsticks and said that Haotian was the combination of objective rules. Her life was the inertia of the continuation of those rules.

Since when did the objective rules of this world become alive?

In other words, if Haotian was an objective will, then who had awaken this will from the very beginning?

This was no doubt the most difficult question in the world. Even the most learned mentors from the Divine Hall would not be able to provide an answer.

The Academy did try to find an answer, but there was no conclusion. Ning Que would never be able to solve the puzzle with his current stage of cultivation. However, she was his natal item therefore he could understand her.

The awakening of the objective will was caused by humans’ belief.

Long long ago in their cyclic existence, human beings started to seek for enlightenment and exploration to the unknown world. They discovered and mastered many rules of this world. Some of them gradually became fearless while the others became reverent.

Taoism chose to be reverent on behalf of human beings and selected her as the guardian of this world. Then the belief was created. People’s collective consciousness grew so strong that it eventually awoke her.

She was awoken and possessed her own life. As they prayed, she became a tranquil sea and guarded the world silently.

“Human beings were afraid of the world below and beyond the sea. Therefore they had chosen you to protect them.” Ning Que threw the shell back into the sea. He looked deep down to the sea and said, “Later on, people’s curiosity or their desire for freedom outgrew their fear. They tried to build ships to cross you, the sea. They even tried swimming in the sea to explore the world under and beyond.”

Sangsang kept quiet.

Her existence was not a result of her own choice, but the choice of humans. If they were to try to change the world and break the rules, then what would happen to her?

Ning Que turned around, looked at her for a while and held her in his arms.

Sangsang stayed in his arms expressionlessly.

Ning Que suggested, “Now I want to take you to another place.”

She asked, “Where?”

Ning Que said, “You’ve been there. We’ve seen the sea. Now we should visit a mountain, the Wa Mountain.”

The group of two and the horse left the sea and walked along the coastal line toward the east.

The travel-stained cavalrymen from the Divine Hall were staying in the field several miles away. They waited for a while, then followed them toward the east slowly.

The Wa Mountain was not far from the South Sea. Spring came very early here.

Ning Que and Sangsang came to the small town in front of the Wa Mountain. New leaves grew on the branches of the trees by the road. Although it could not be blossomy all year round like the Great River Kingdom by the South Sea, the new green was also very cheering.

The Lanke Temple was half-ruined many years ago. Although people had been constantly restoring it, the project was too huge to be finished within a few years. It would take a while for the Buddha statue to be restored. The Ghost Festival Ceremony was no longer held here. The small town once crowded by tourists was not very quiet.

It was not quiet because of the beating sounds pounding throughout the town. Everyone from kids to adults were knocking on rocks. They gave the rocks to the sculptors to produce Buddha statues.

“Our Eldest Brother and Monk Guanhai told me that people now make their living by producing Buddha statues here. When the Buddha statue on top of the mountain collapsed years ago, rocks fell all over the valley. They will never run out of rocks now.” Ning Que explained to Sangsang while leading the big black horse to the front yard of Lanke Temple.

The front yard of this temple had witnessed numerous stories previously, but now it seemed exceptionally quiet. Upon knowing who they were, the welcome monk was shocked and immediately rang the welcome bell.

When they entered Lanke Temple, rain fell again.

Rainfalls in early spring were usually called the blessing rain. Ning Que was not fond of such chilling showers, but he could not refrain from laughing whenever he saw the rain dripping on Monk Guanhai’s bare head.

Monk Guanhai put his palms together and greeted him, “Even though you just survived a huge disaster, you could still be so naughty.”

Previously in the Rite to Light, he saw Ning Que frightening whoever was present, spurted into the Divine Hall of Light and never came out again. Therefore he was certain that Ning Que must have escaped from Peach Mountain.

Ning Que laughed and replied, “Being able to survive a disaster is definitely something cheerful.”

Monk Guanhai smiled and shook his head. Then he noticed there was a lofty woman standing beside Ning Que.

She was right there in the chilling spring rain yet he did not see her until now.

Mong Guanhai was held in a trance and wondered who she was.

“This is Sangsang.” Ning Que introduced, “You’ve met her, my wife.”

Mong Guanhai turned extremely pale.

He have met the previous Sangsang, but not the current one.

The Divine Hall had kept it secret so he did not know that Sangsang had left Peach Mountain with Ning Que, but he did know that Sangsang was Haotian. Does this mean I have met Haotian in person?

Ning Que jokingly said, “Stand still. I don’t want you to be scared to death.”

It took Monk Guanhai a long while to recover from the shock.

If he were not an eminent monk but a follower of Haotian, he indeed could have been scared to death.

Sangsang was pondering over the old temple in the rain and only heard their conversation now.

She looked at Ning Que and asked, “What did you say I am to you just now?”

Ning Que opened the big black umbrella for her and replied, “I don’t want to scare you to death. So I will not say it again.”

…

…