The Path Toward Heaven

Jing Jiu drew back his gaze, and took back Cold Cicada and mosquitoes at the same

time.

A flash of white light fell down like a lightning from the dark night sky, landing squarely

in Zhao Layue’s bosom.

Ada meowed once, indicating that nobody had seen the earlier scene.

The accusation of colluding with the Underworld was truly serious. The Immortal Taiping

couldn’t withstand it back then; Jing Jiu had no intention of seeking troubles for himself.

There were many things one could do; but it was better that the doings were not

witnessed by others. For instance, a deal might have occurred between the Center Sect

and the Grand Priest of the Underworld.

“You two go back first,” Jing Jiu said to Zhao Layue.

The place he was to go to was rather safe, so he had no need for Ada.

Zhao Layue was aware that Jing Jiu was to go to the Water-Moon Nunnery. She didn’t

say anything and got on the Thoughtless Sword, heading back to the sword boat while

holding Ada.

Zhuo Rusui opened his eyes. He glanced at her and was about to ask her something,

but he held his tongue in the end.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Gu Qing, who had guessed where Jing Jiu was

headed, was cultivating by meditation while facing the rising morning sun, his eyes shut

the entire time.

The wind by the East Ocean was cool and comfortable; it was not hot in the least

though it was already in the early summer. That patch of valley seemed to be in the

middle of spring, since the peach tree in front of the stone steps was blooming.

Jing Jiu landed on the stone steps, picked a peach flower, and rapped on the gate

gently.

The front gate of the Water-Moon Nunnery was opened soon after. An amiable and

clean face poked through the gate; she was a female disciple of the nunnery, named

Zheng Tao.

Back on Cloud-Dream Mountain, Zheng Tao’s entitlement for participating in the Dao

Competition was taken by Jing Jiu, and she also witnessed the battle between Jing Jiu

and Zhuo Rusui in which flames filled the sky. As such, she had a deep impression of

him. Though Jing Jiu was wearing a conical hat, she still could recognize him right

away. “Jing…Sect Master!” she exclaimed surprisingly.

She was called by the Chief Nun earlier when she was practicing her morning lessons,

and was told that an important guest would come and that he should be led into the

nunnery in secret; but she didn’t expect to see Jing Jiu.

Jing Jiu went to the reclusive room directly.

The room had a round window facing the lake, where all the trees were cut down.

The window was as round as before, and the lake water was as greenish as ever, but

the grass had grown more lavish. The un-pruned grass added a feel of wildness to it,

giving onlookers a sensation of vigorous liveliness.

Jing Jiu was pleased to see the scenery; but he also felt a bit disappointed when he saw

Guo Dong was still in sound asleep.

It had been five years, and the natural worm silks had already turned into the catkins

and dissipated; yet she was still not awake.

Jing Jiu sat by her and put the peach flower by her side. He held her wrist and tried to

sense the condition in her body with his eyes closed.

One hour later, he left the reclusive room and was led by Zheng Tao to meet the Chief

Nun.

As he passed by the roofed corridor and the gray wall, he saw the small sedan with

green curtain. He was certain that his judgment was correct and that the Young Sister of

Guo Dong’s should have departed this world a long time ago.

“What is Big Sister’s condition?”

The Chief Nun of the Water-Moon Nunnery had a high Cultivation state, but she was not

in a desired state yet because she hadn’t cultivated long enough.

Her amicable and comely eyes and brows still looked like those of a young girl. It

seemed that she had a long life ahead of her, so she was not troubled so much. Her

temperament was kind of similar to Zheng Tao’s.

“She should be okay; but I’ve vaguely sensed a peculiar change in her,” said Jing Jiu.

Her waking-up time seemed to be much later than what he had calculated. However,

her cultivating method was different from anybody else to begin with. Jing Jiu had no

idea what effect this peculiar change would have.

The Chief Nun of the Water-Moon Nunnery said, “But I’m a bit worried…because the

grass by the lake is growing too fast.”

This was a phenomenon that indicated the spiritual energies in heaven and earth were

converging. Normally, this was a good thing for Guo Dong, who was soundly asleep; but

Jing Jiu understood what her worry was all about.

Time is relative.

“The Grandmaster of the Hanging-Bell Sect is dead,” she said suddenly.

Jing Jiu didn’t expect to hear this news here. “Jing Shu should have been mentally

prepared for this,” said he after a moment of silence.

The people who had guessed his true identity were still rare in this world, but the Water-

Moon Nunnery was an exception.

It didn’t mean that they hadn’t figured it out when Guo Dong and the Chief Nun didn’t

say it aloud.

The Chief Nun of the Water-Moon Nunnery said, “It’s impossible to prepare for

something like life and death.”

It was because one could only experience it once in a lifetime. Any preparation was

merely an anticipation and would be far from perfect; similarly, immortality couldn’t be

proven either.

“Hence, one shouldn’t prepare for it at all,” said Jing Jiu.

The Chief Nun said while staring at his eyes, “Everything will have an end; even the

ascension will have a finish.”

“According to the cause and effect, that is indeed the case,” said Jing Jiu.

The Chief Nun pressed, “Who can remain immune to cause and effect?”

“Even if there is an end, it should come as late as possible,” said Jing Jiu. “If one could

have longevity, they should experience life as much as possible.”

The Chief Nun remarked, “She has paid so much price in order to catch up to you; is it

worth it?”

“You’re wrong,” Jing Jiu said. “She has her own Dao path to head down.”

In a sense, he was merely one of the sceneries on the path she was traveling on.

The Chief Nun of the Water-Moon Nunnery didn’t continue the topic. She boiled a pot of

peach flower tea and poured into a teacup, and pushed it to the front of Jing Jiu, saying,

“I haven’t congratulated you on becoming the sect master of Green Mountain yet.”

Jing Jiu remembered that Gu Qing had mentioned that the gift from the Water-Moon

Nunnery was the most precious. He took the teacup and had a sip of it. Then he got up

and was about to bid her farewell.

The Chief Nun said while looking at him, “The peach flower tea can’t aid the growth of

the peach flowers, but it can clean your heart.”

Jing Jiu didn’t give a response.

“I’m not like the Big Brother at the Fruit Formation Temple who knows the two-mind

connection; but the heaven-human connection can help me perceive some things, such

as your lethal intent.”

She went on, “Whom are you going to kill?”

“Jing Xin,” Jing Jiu replied.

The Chief Nun didn’t feel surprised to hear this answer, but sighed, “The tigers don’t

even eat their own children even though they are very vicious. You’re just as relentless

as before.”

Jing Jiu said, “If she were awake, Jing Xin would have died a long time ago.”

After a moment of silence, the Chief Nun of the Water-Moon Nunnery said, “I can

pretend that I haven’t seen the occurrence at the Heavenly Well.”

All the major Cultivation sects were responsible for guarding the passages leading to

the Underworld. The Heavenly Well, as the largest passage in Chaotian, was jointly

guarded by the Fruit Formation Temple and the Water-Moon Nunnery, and the Water-

Moon Nunnery was closer to it. The cliffs surrounding the Heavenly Well were covered

with the amulet scripts and formations, so a big monster like the Commissioner of

Ghosts and an extraordinary figure like Tong Yan would inevitably alert the Water-Moon

Nunnery.

Jing Jiu anticipated that the matter wouldn’t be hidden from the Water-Moon Nunnery,

but he didn’t expect them to use this matter as a bargain.

“Why?”

“It’s requested by the Emperor.”

“Good.”

“As for the meeting in autumn, we’ll support Green Mountain naturally. Don’t worry.”

…

…

The divisions of the Cultivation circle in Chaotian were simple enough.

The sects in the north belonged to the northern camp, and the sects in the south

belonged to the southern camp. It was almost impossible to persuade a sect to switch

camps.

The Grandmaster of the Hanging-Bell Sect attempted to switch camps; but she ended

up suffering a terrible defeat, and died as a result.

Besides these sects in the northern and southern camps, the Fruit Formation Temple,

the Water-Moon Nunnery, the Dongyi Daoist Temple, and the Baotong Zen Temple, as

the otherworldly sects, had tended to keep a neutral position. Yet, it seemed that the

One-Cottage House would join a camp soon.

After wiping out the Mysterious Dark Sect, sending away Tong Yan, and ascertaining

the attitude of the Water-Moon Nunnery, what Jing Jiu needed to do next was persuade

the Fruit Formation Temple.

It seemed that being a sect master of Green Mountain was not a difficult job.

The sword boat of Green Mountain headed toward the morning sun, and then landed in

Moqiu along with the morning sunlight.

The straight road in Moqiu leading to the Fruit Formation Temple was crowded as usual;

the horse-drawn carriages were seen everywhere by the road, and the shabby tents

were set up in the fields.

The patients and their family members who came here to see the monk doctors thought

it was a holy sign when they saw the large sword boat, kneeling on the ground and

praying to it in tandem.

As the shocking feeling abated, they had more confidence in the possibility of being

cured by the highly achieved monk doctors of the Fruit Formation Temple.

The front gate of the Fruit Formation Temple was wide open. More than a hundred

monks stood on the square in front of the temple, making no noise.

The Young Zen Master stood in the front; behind him were the masters of the

Instruction Hall and the elders of various halls standing quietly. This was a splendid

welcoming party.

Jing Jiu was the sect master of Green Mountain now; his status was totally different

from some years ago when he came here to listen to the scripts as a Green Mountain

disciple.

The monks of the Fruit Formation Temple greeted Jing Jiu with pressed palms.

Zhao Layue, Gu Qing and Zhuo Rusui bowed to the Young Zen Master.

Jing Jiu didn’t make a move.

Neither did the Young Zen Master.

His monk robe was tousling with the wind.

So was the white cloth.

It was quiet in front of the Fruit Formation Temple.

The morning sunlight grew brighter.

Speaking of the status in Chaotian, the sect master of Green Mountain was slightly

higher than that of the Young Zen Master of the Fruit Formation Temple; but speaking

of the generation and qualifications, the Young Zen Master was much higher, at least

judging by their experiences known by the others.

It was indeed a troublesome issue as for who should greet the other first.

The monks of the Fruit Formation Temple felt it odd, wondering why the Young Zen

Master behaved so seriously since he was usually quite amicable and carefree.

Zhuo Rusui and Gu Qing felt it odd as well, wondering why the Sect Master showed

such a solemn countenance since he was usually rather careless and lazy.

It was until the last moment that Jing Jiu and the Young Zen Master hadn’t greeted each

other. The Young Zen Master, as the host, uttered “Please” faintly.

Others couldn’t detect the demeanor so easily, but Zhao Layue, as someone who knew

the past relationship between these two, wondered what game they were playing.

…

…

The Tranquil Garden had been destroyed back then, and was rebuilt with the money

provided by the imperial court. The Fruit Formation Temple had also rebuilt the back

temple damaged during the turmoil at the same time.

The monk doctors often reduced the price when they treated the patients; but they

spent lavishly the money of the imperial court.

That stone pagoda was found in the original spot. The ground around the pagoda had

the moss growing on it again.

The trace of time was more evident for the Cultivation practitioners.

Jing Jiu and the Young Zen Master sat across from each other in the meditation room at

the deep end of the Tranquil Garden.

“It is said that you’re the son of my late friend…”

The Young Zen Master stared at Jing Jiu’s eyes and continued, “Call me Uncle then.”

It was impossible for Jing Jiu to call him that of course. He couldn’t forget the Young

Zen Master calling him “little friend” until today.

Everything should be revealed now.

The Young Zen Master turned toward the stone pagoda outside the window, remaining

silent for a long time.

A propitious cloud suddenly appeared in the air, with a magnificent lotus sedan visible

intermittently amid it.

The Young Zen Master disappeared from the Tranquil Garden and arrived atop the

lotus sedan, facing the east to watch the sea.

The sea under the morning sun changed its colors constantly.

One hour later, the Young Zen Master returned to the Fruit Formation Temple. He

remained silent for a long time while gazing at Jing Jiu’s face. Then he remarked, “The

face you picked is pretty good.”