Nightfall

Liu Yiqing’s question of when the Academy would take action was referring to the Qinghe Prefecture. As long as Qinghe Prefecture was still seized, then the South Jin and Tang would still be connected. Thus, if the Divine Halls of the West-Hill were to attack, then it would be much more difficult to do so.

The Divine Halls of West-Hill’s target was definitely the South Jin. However, the South Jin was powerful and prestigious. If Taoism wanted to win against the Tang, then it was impossible for them to give it up, not to mention the South Jin had always been under the influence of the Divine Hall.

Liu Yiqing was about to say something when Tang Xiaotang just came back from grocery shopping. Liu didn’t continue. Instead, he fared the two well and left with disciples from the Sword Garret who were waiting outside.

Looking at them going away in the dusk, Chen Pipi fell in silence for a while. He knew that the South Jin was under great pressure from the Divine Halls of West-Hill, especially recently.

Ning Que and Sangsang went into the Buddha’s chessboard. For commoners, this was certainly a secret, but not for the ones who had kept in touch with the Academy. Because of this incident, the Academy probably had to change its original plan. The Taoism, especially Chen’s own father, wouldn’t let this opportunity get away.

Chen Pipi said, “I’ve been learning Taoism ever since I was a child, without any obstacles. I was referred to as the first genius that Taoism had met in a millennium. After that, I was recruited by the Academy as the top student in all six disciplines, recognized by the Headmaster and directly promoted to the second-floor. Back then, as a member of the Back Hill disciples, I achieved the State of Knowing the Destiny naturally. In this sense, cultivation for me had never been difficult.”

Chen Pipi was standing beside the window, looking into the direction of Chang’an, and continued. “Probably because of this, or because I didn’t want to fight against my elder brother for power. I have never been very devoted to cultivation or obsessed with power. However, since I’m disabled in cultivation now and could no longer access power even if I wanted to, power has been something that I’ve hungered for.”

He wanted to do something for the Academy, and that was why his hunger for power was increasing.

Tang Xiaotang walked to him, held his hand, and said, “Don’t be too worried.”

“It’s impossible not to be.”

Jun Mo and Ye Su, the two brothers whom Chen Pipi respected most, were both currently doing the most impossible thing. Every time he thought of it, he would be anxious and unsettled.

Tang Xiaotang said, “The Fourth Uncle sent a letter saying that the Academy is racking all of their brains to open the chessboard, but has achieved nothing. Why aren’t you worrying at all?”

Chen Pipi said, “The Buddha’s chessboard can’t trap Ning Que.”

Tang Xiaotang was puzzled. “Why?”

Chen Pipi said, “Because he is together with Haotian.”

Tang Xiaotang said, “But doesn’t the Buddha want to kill Haotian?”

Chen Pipi said, “Even if the Buddha was really capable of predicting things before and after his life including Haotian, the Buddha can’t predict Ning Que’s next moves because Ning Que is unpredictable.”

Tang Xiaotang trusted him, so she stopped worrying. With that, her face was much clearer and brighter. She said, “Will you eat one more bowl of steamed rice tonight for celebration?”

Chen Pipi sighed, “Not yet. My appetite has not been good.”

Tang Xiaotang was at a loss and asked, “What else are you still worrying about?”

“As long as it is related to Taoism, it will be part of my father’s scheme. Whether or not the Buddha’s chessboard could trap Haotian and Ning Que, Haotian would ultimately go back to the Divine Kingdom.”

Chen Pipi said, “Then, wars in the human world will resound. Will the Academy be able to withstand them? Every time I think of this, the food is as terrible as wax. How could I have a good appetite? So I can only have five bowls tonight.”

…

…

In a city of the Song, Ye Su stood at the old yard of a shabby abbey and was explaining some parts of the West-Hill literary canon, in front of dozens of newly-developed believers.

After leaving Linkang, he travelled around the world, and hoped to spread the scriptures of the new sect to waken more poor and miserable believers. Finally, he came to Song and preached here, where Taoism was the most powerful force and its population’s belief of Haotian was the most pious.

He was wearing a light-colored garment, blown tenderly by the wet wind from the ocean. With spotty stains here and there, it smelled horrible, after being hit by many many stink eggs.

Preaching in Song would be undoubtedly be more difficult here than in Linkang. He had been well prepared psychologically once he had made the decision. However, the people’s resentment was so blunt that it was out of his expectations.

Several broken bricks flew over the wall and fell on the ground. They rumbled and then were broken into pieces. The dozens of believers looked pale and flurried.

Later on, the wooden gate of the small abbey was kicked out violently, and then dozens of people took bludgeons and rushed in, cursing. Amid the adults, two children looked exhilarated at all this, carried bricks, and were itching to throw. These broken bricks must have been thrown by them.

Rotten eggs and vegetables were all over the yard of the abbey. Within minutes, Ye Su had vegetables hanging and rotten eggs sticking to his hairs. The dozens of disciples were hit heavily and were bleeding all over the body. They were only let out the abbey after begging hard.

Ye Su was the only one left in the abbey. He looked at the furious people peacefully without any hatred, disappointment, or compassion often seen on the face of a monk. He was calm and even smiled.

His reaction irritated them. Some men held up bludgeons and attacked him.

A lot of people surrounded the small abbey. Noises went out all over the walls, and those who had nowhere to let their anger out couldn’t help desperately cramping into the door.

Within an instant, hundreds of people crammed in before the situation was out of control. Many fell down to the ground and couldn’t get up. Everyone was tramping. Sounds of fractured bones and screaming were heard again and again amid the crowd.

Ye Su was badly beaten. There was blood all over his body, but he remained in his standing position instead of evading the attacks. Then, he finally bent and squatted on the ground.

Several strong men at the front didn’t care about the others or the screaming around them. They violently came through the crowd attacked him with the bludgeons.

No one knew how long had passed. It was not until when the crowd finally calmed down that they were able to find out how many people were heavily injured. They quickly carried them to see doctors.

A pathetic voice suddenly sounded outside the abbey. “My children! My children! Where are my children? Who has seen my two boys?” A simply-dressed woman came into the abbey screaming. Then she looked through the injured on the ground. Most of the attackers were neighbors and knew each other. They swiftly offered her help.

Blood was all over the ground. She was not able to find her children. She fell on the ground as she was breathlessly crying and was too tired to stand up..

People in the abbey looked at each other in speechless despair, wondering if the children were still alive since even those strongest ones were seriously injured from being stamped upon.

They all held that thought, but no one would dare mention it to the woman. All of a sudden, it fell into extreme quietness then. Someone angrily blamed that one for it. Or why on earth would we all come into the abbey.

“It was your fault! You’re the murder!” An old man walked to Ye Su, and trembled by anger. He held up his walking stick and hit him. Another rumbling sound was heard, and a mouthful of blood was spilled out by Ye Su.

The old man was still angry, and was prepared to hit again. Some of the young men followed with bludgeons in their hands, determined to beat Ye Su to death.

However, they all soon halted their attacks. No one was moving their weapons. They saw him move.

Ye Su loosened his arms, and sat on the ground weakly.

The two boys were in his arms.

The two boys looked pale and had no idea what had happened. They looked at their neighbors, who were carrying bludgeons. Then they realized that they were near Ye Su. Thus, they cried in fear, unconsciously picked up bricks, and threw them at him.

Ye Su’s face was bleeding even more. Being hit by bricks gave him extra wounds. He looked at the two children and smiled. “Are you OK?”

The children didn’t know how to answer. Neither did anyone else in the abbey. It was silent.

The old man looked at a loss and put down the walking stick in his hands.

Who was this man?

After a while, he realized what had happened, and heavily patted the two children. He lessoned, “Little fools! You can’t hit him!”

The woman ran over, held the children in her arms and thanked Ye Su again and again.

The old man looked at the strong young man and shouted, “Why are you just standing here? Go find a doctor!”

That man was flurried and confused. He asked, “Elder Uncle, the doctor is right outside.”

The old man said, “Call the doctor in and let him check this sir.”

…

…

This was Ye Su’s life at present.

What he did was actually quite similar to what Jun Mo did at the underground of the field. They all wanted the people to be better informed, about what was in the field and what was not in the Divine Halls, about what options there were, and about what was not necessary.

Belief was the last hope of the unlucky ones, but it couldn’t become the root of misfortune, nor its excuses. The true belief was supposed to give people the courage to change the misfortune. People should learn how to trust themselves.

Ye Su and Mo Jun, once equally proud and outstanding, were set apart at Green Canyon. They finally merged back to the same road, a road worthy of rounds of applause.

But from the perspective of Buddhism and Taoism, it wasn’t a good thing. If people were to choose to trust themselves, both the Buddha and Haotian would become weaker.

A wheelchair was in front of the stone cottage on the cliff plateau of the Divine Halls.

The Abbey Dean sat on the chair and was afraid of the wind and chilly air on the cliff. He tied up the blanket with great difficulty, and then said, “When Haotian returns, kill them all.”

…