Nightfall

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Everything was silent at the peak of Tile Mountain.

Silver light from the stars scattered between the mountains, almost as if it were coating the huge rocks under a thin layer of merciful light. A few night clouds passed across the statue’s front and faint songs of night birds were heard.

The Buddhist chariot was parked outside the cave. It was bathed in starlight, the mantras embroidered on its curtains seemed to be shining and swaying in the night wind. These mantras seemed to come alive and were looking progressively more dignified and beautiful.

Quni Madi walked up to the chariot and said something in a low voice. The monk in the Buddhist chariot could vaguely be seen shaking his head. Quni Madi brought the sadhu from the White Tower Temple down the hill. Flower Addict was among them.

The cultivators that had come out of the cave were either confused or excited. They took a long time to resolve Master Qishan’s words. After waking up, people went deep into the cave. Afterwards, they paid homage to the Buddhist chariot, saluted the black horse carriage and walked downhill.

The cultivators gradually left, their shadows disappearing into the night sky of Tile Mountain, almost like the end of a chess match. Whether it was the black or white pieces, they were all lifted, leaving behind a clean chessboard.

Mo Shanshan walked to the front of the black horse carriage and said, “Bring Sangsang in. I’m staying in Lanke Temple and need to go downhill. I won’t wait for you.”

Ning Que asked, “Would you like to wait a bit so we could go down together?”

Mo Shanshan said, “Going up together was enough. Why must we go down together too? There’s no need.”

With that said, she drifted away.

Ning Que was silent for a while. He didn’t want to think much as he helped Sangsang out of the black horse carriage. He looked at the seemingly lonely Buddhist chariot outside the hut, furrowed his brows and entered the cave.

…

…

Master Qishan extended two fingers and placed them on Sangsang’s wrist.

Master had been ill for a long time and had a weak body. His fingers were as skinny as dry braches.

Sangsang had been ill for a long time and she was weak, her wrists were as thin as reeds.

The occasional night wind entered the cave, the lamp shook and the master felt a hint of cold. He couldn’t help but shiver and cough intensely. His trembling followed across his fingers and over to Sangsang’s wrist, and she couldn’t help but cough as well.

Looking at this scene, Ning Que wanted to laugh but, at the same time, felt the bitterness welling up.

Master Qishan and Sangsang felt better than him, as they looked at each other and laughed.

“Such a chilly aura coming from the deep cave.”

Master Qishan’s finger slowly rose from Sangsang’s wrist as he sighed while saying.

Ning Que looked at the master but couldn’t see any difference. Only from his clenched fist could one tell how nervous he was.

Master Qishan didn’t care about him. He looked at Sangsang and said affectionately, “When the chilly aura comes, it gets incredibly painful. I do not know how you managed to endure for so many years, especially when you were young.”

Sangsang glanced at Ning Que.

Ning Que thought back to how Sangsang’s illness was in the past. Even though more than ten years had passed, he still felt a chill as he shook his head and chased the images out of his mind.

“Master, what methods are there to get rid of this chilly aura?”

Ning Que didn’t ask what this chilly aura was, as it would be meaningless— it was already in her body for so many years. He didn’t ask Master if he could get rid of this chilly aura, but asked for a method instead. This was because, to treat Sangsang’s illness, the chilly aura had to be gotten rid of. Since Master Qishan had said earlier that he could treat her illness, he must have a method.

Master Qishan shook his head slowly as he spoke, “I have no idea where this chilly aura is from. It is deep and has been afflicting Sangsang for 16 years. It had long since seeped into her flesh and blood— it is hard to separate. If it wasn’t for the fact that the medicine from the Academy was incredibly good, she had cultivated the divine skills of the Great Divine Priest of Light and, a while back, you had asked the Divine Priest of Judgment to use the Divine Light to forcefully suppress it, she wouldn’t have held out until today. How could it be easy to remove?”

Ning Que said, “Even the most toxic thing in the world has an antidote. I do not understand, since it is a chilly aura, why not use a warm aura to balance it out?”

Master Qishan said, “I understand what you mean. Thinking back on the past few years, this chilly aura had been suppressed by the Haotian Divine Light before. However, when the Haotian Divine Light entered Sangsang’s body, the chilly aura hid even deeper— into the marrow of her bones. If we want to remove it from the depths of her bones, we need to remove all of her marrow.”

Ning Que thought to himself: This wasn’t a mythical world after all, how could one strip away another’s flesh and blood, and use lotus flowers and roots to reconstruct a body. Hence he furrowed his brows and said, “Haotian Divine Light is the purest fire in the world. Even if the chilly aura can hide, there is no reason for which it could escape.”

Master Qishan looked at Sangsang and sighed before saying, “We need to discuss starting from Sangsang’s body.”

Ning Que said with a little surprise, “Master, please.”

Master Qishan raised his arm and pointed at Sangsang with his finger before saying, “She is transparent.”

Sangsang was shocked, she remembered that, when teacher first entered the Old Brush Pen Shop, he had said something similar.

Ning Que couldn’t understand what that meant.

Master Qishan said, “Why did the Great Divine Priest of Light choose Sangsang as his successor? It is because of her unique physique. She is transparent— without any impurities. And hence, the Haotian Divine Light can pass through her body without any obstructions. It wouldn’t sustain any damage either, and hence, she can accommodate infinite Divine Light, even if it’s the purest one.”

Ning Que looked slightly nervous as he asked, “Isn’t that good?”

“It can be both good and bad… If she didn’t have any chilly aura in her, only light.”

Master Qishan looked quietly at Sangsang and said, “Buddhism Sect had always mentioned one flower, one world. You are transparent and hence— limitless. Someone like you can take in all the darkness.”

Ning Que vaguely understood the Master’s words.

Cultivators always talked about innate talent. For example, what one saw at the beginning of enlightenment— was it a lake or a stream or a pond. Some people like Liu Bai saw a huge river but Sangsang didn’t even need to see. She was an entire world.

That world was huge and almost limitless, hence, no matter how much Haotian Divine Light was in her body, it wouldn’t be able to fill every corner. That chilly aura would still be able to find its abyss and wait for the day it could emerge again.

“Then what shall we do now?”

Ning Que’s voice quivered. He finally understood why even his teacher could do nothing for Sangsang. He felt a little despaired and couldn’t think of any other methods.

Master Qishan looked at him and asked calmly, “Would you let her join me in Buddhism?”

Ning Que was slightly shocked. He could not understand why the master would suddenly bring this up.

Sangsang couldn’t understand either. In addition, she was worried about Ning Que’s reaction.

…

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