Nightfall

Even if it was as long as five hundred years, they would be waiting. They would wait through the morning bells and evening drums, in spring winds and autumn rains, until snow-like flowers finally hang over the pear tree. What an unimaginable persistence, and what bold vision!

Looking at these two people under the pear tree, the Chief Monk fell into a long silence. He didn’t expect for the Academy to already know the biggest secret of Buddhism. The young man looked nothing special. Yet it was said that he had an archive of information through reading tens of thousands of books. It was proven with his utmost performance in all fields.

The Drunkard walked to the other side of the cliff plateau, unloaded his flagon, and started to drink. While looking into the distant sky quietly, he was contemplating how to help Taoism send Haotian back to the Divine Kingdom. It would take at least five hundred years until the chessboard would open again. Of course it didn’t bother him much because he was very good at one thing and it was to cope with time.

The Chief Monk said, “Five hundred years is such a long time that a ton of things could happen in the human world. What would the Academy do during your absence as you wait for the pear tree to blossom? What about the Tang?”

Being called the Chief Monk of Scripture in Xuankong Temple, he was the enlightened one of this generation. Simple questions like that made everyone in the field silent. Who would safeguard Chang’an if the Eldest Brother and Jun Mo were to wait for five hundred years under the pear tree?

“This green tree was planted by the Buddha himself eons ago. It grew from a thin sapling into a big tree. Five hundred year later when you are here, it probably would become a towering tree,” the Chief Monk said sadly, trying to give his suggestion.

Jun Mo said, “The Academy won’t be an onlooker if the pear tree isn’t within its reach.”

The Chief Monk said, “The pear tree was a sacred article left by the Buddha, so the temple will keep a close eye on it.”

Jun Mo said, “Our Little Brother is in the chessboard right now, so the Academy is taking it very seriously. Moreover, due to the shameless, capricious, hypocritical, and furious bold donkeys like you, we’re worried that you will destroy the tree once we leave.”

The monks in Xuankong Temple behind the green branches looked upset once they heard this.

The Chief Monk looked quite calm and said, “What does the Academy plan to do? Over ten thousand monks in the temple are determined in pursuing Buddhism. Once we aimed to take it back, do you think you can uphold for five hundred years?”

Jun Mo ignored him, looked at the Eldest Brother, and said, “Brother, will we do it?”

The Eldest Brother thought it over and said, “Yes, we will.” No need to hear anything else, he knew what Jun Mo was asking. Thus he stood up, carried his wooden stick, and moved to the front of the pear tree.

Then Jun Mo stood up as well, and stabbed his iron sword into the cliff plateau until the handle slipped from his hand.

The cliff plateau was solid, and the iron sword pierced it silently.

The Drunkard guessed what they were up to, and then frowned slightly, but he still found it hard to believe.

The Eldest Brother looked at him and said, “Senior, I know what you want, but the Academy will kill you at any costs.” The Eldest Brother, very gentle and kind-hearted, did everything unhurriedly and talked in a mild tone. He was the most amiable person, who seldom got angry and never threatened others. So his threat weighed heavily. All would fear him if he were to fight desperately because he seldom did so.

The Drunkard frowned. What he really wanted was immortality. But if he drove the Academy crazy and drove them to kill himself at all costs, it probably wasn’t worth it to pursue it.

Previously, he didn’t believe that the Academy was able to kill him, but he found that it wasn’t completely impossible later on the same day. Even if the Academy could kill him, he would take the Academy down with him and even destroy the Tang. Reasonably speaking, such a situation wouldn’t happen in his perspective. What if the Academy were to really go wild? What if those people really fight desperately against him?

The Drunkard said, “Taoism asked me to go to the west wilderness to pass a word, and I did it a year ago. I tried to leave the chessboard in Xuankong Temple. Since I failed, I will never engage again.”

The Eldest Brother said, “Thank you.”

Through the fight just now, he knew that the change in the Drunkard’s stance was because this man had confirmed that the chessboard could not be opened by an external force. The Eldest Brother decided not to expose him.

The Drunkard guessed what the Academy had planned to do because he knew the Headmaster, once met Ke Haoran and knew a bunch of maniacs were living in the Academy which only appeared to be solemn, graceful and peaceful.

The monks in Xuankong Temple didn’t know the Academy well so they couldn’t guess the Academy’s next move. They started to appear more nervous as they continue to look at the Eldest Brother.

The Chief Monk felt uneasy as he was looking at Jun Mo and the sword in his hand.

Jun Mo didn’t look at him, but was holding up the sword handle. He shouted resolutely after the iron sword started to traverse the cliff plateau.

The traversing of the iron sword was the sword cutting through the plateau.

An extremely dreadful grating sounded. Gravels, smoke, and dust flew up. The iron sword rounded the pear tree, fiercely moved on the surface of the cliff plateau, and finally broke out the precipice.

A crack appeared on the surface of the cliff plateau. The Eldest Brother bowed and put his hands into it.

Jun Mo asked again, “Brother, will we do it?”

The Eldest Brother said, “It would be a little bit hard, but I can. And you?”

“So far, I can’t leave.” Jun Mo carried his iron sword, looked at the dark and gloomy underground field, and said, “A lot of the people down there need me.”

The Eldest Brother praised, “Brother, you are so brave and beneficent.”

Jun Mo said, “Only for a peace of mind.”

The Eldest Brother said, “Only beneficence can bring peace, while bravery can forge invincibly.”

Being praised by the Eldest Brother like that, Jun Mo still looked calm because he thought he could live up to it. He said, “I’ll send you a propulsion.”

The Eldest Brother said, “I’ll send you a propulsion as well.” His hands vibrated a little, and then the crack abruptly widened.

Noises were loud. The cliff plateau, which was hundreds of square meters, was slowly detached from the mount. The pear tree was also on the cliff plateau. Mud and sand were falling down. The mustache-like roots of the pear tree were faintly visible under the cliff plateau. The huge mount was the body of the Buddha, so it was extremely tough.

Jun Mo’s iron sword could even cut off a piece of the cliff. At the same time, the Eldest Brother would leave, taking the cliff plateau.

Looking at it, the monks in Xuankong Temple were dumbfounded and forgot what to do.

The Eldest Brother tied the wooden stick back at his waist, and then held up Jun Mo’s sleeve. They left.

One piece of the cliff plateau was missing.

The breach of the cliff was very smooth.

The green pear tree was gone as well.

The Eldest Brother and Jun Mo left just like that. They took the chessboard and pear tree and even a piece of flesh of the Buddha’s palm along with them.

The Chief Monk was silent and looked pale.

The Drunkard had a sip of wine and sighed, “Maniac. You’re all maniacs, from the old to the young.”

…

…

The Eldest Brother sent Jun Mo back to the underground of the field, and then back to the Academy.

From that day on, the pear tree stood at the Back Hill of the Academy. The chessboard was left under the pear tree.

A lot of people surrounded the chessboard to have a look. They were dumbfounded and even forgot about time.

They didn’t want to see the Buddha or all of the living creatures in the chessboard. What they were studying was how to open the chessboard and save their Little Brother.

…