"If I scare you to death, where can I find a successor?"
"The problem is that it doesn't sound true."
"Why not?"
"Chang 'an City, God-stunning Array, to me? Why? Why? "
"Because there are too few Divine Talisman Masters qualified to preside over the God-stunning Array, and even fewer who can be absolutely trusted by the empire. Among the three Divine Talisman Masters living in seclusion in the Academy, only little Huang He is a citizen of Tang, and your Uncle Gongsun has a serious health problem. Ning Que, you are a student of the Headmaster of Academy and my disciple. Why can't the imperial court trust you? Why can't it be given to you? "
"Who can agree?"
"I agree."
"Master, is it enough for you to agree?"
"His Majesty has agreed. He told me that he once told you that he would take you to see something after you officially step into Talisman Taoism. "
"His Majesty did say that … but … what does it have to do with what we are talking about now?"
"When you see that thing in the future, you will understand."
…
…
It was certainly a very happy and glorious thing to be a noble Divine Talisman Master. However, if the safety of the whole Chang 'an City or even the whole Tang Empire was in your hands after becoming a Divine Talisman Master, then this happiness and glory would be countless times stronger. However, the strengthening of glory would eventually turn into a mountain-like responsibility and a sky-like pressure.
Thinking that decades later, when he stood on the tower in Chang 'an and looked down at the world, he would no longer be able to feel relaxed and carefree. Instead, he would have to carefully observe the millions of Tang people living among them and be ready to make choices that ordinary people would never be able to make for the survival of the Tang Empire, which had lasted for thousands of years. Ning Que felt that it was difficult for him to breathe and he felt depressed.
If an objective evaluation was made, any young man who had just touched the cultivation world for less than a year and was still in the No Doubts State would be scared to death when he suddenly learned that the big shots of the empire were so important to him in the future.
Ning Que was no exception. After all, he had experienced too many shocks and shocks in his life, and he was bold enough to be wild enough. Especially after entering the Second floor of the Academy, his mind became more stable, even calm and lazy.
So after returning to Lin 47th Street, his mood quickly returned to normal.
At the entrance of the alley, an old cat was lying on the flagstone, squinting and lazily basking in the sun.
…
…
In fact, Ning Que was not lazy. In the following days, in order to avoid the enthusiastic Chang 'an citizens and stewards, he still got up before dark and went out early in the morning. He went to the back of the mountain of the Academy to practice his swordsmanship, knife, and fine needles. He also listened to the wind, music, and chess. After leaving the Academy, he continued to tour the scenery around Chang' an and visited various Taoist temples and ancient temples. However, he did not have his Master to accompany him and was alone on the road.
Chang 'an City finally came to the most difficult period of the year, the hot and stuffy summer. Ning Que had also visited more than a dozen Taoist temples and finally arrived at the Wanyan Tower in Southern City. Unfortunately, spring had passed and the flock of geese had already gone north to Xunyang Lake in Gushan Commandery to spend the summer. Therefore, he did not have the chance to see the stunning scene of tens of thousands of geese flying around the ancient tower.
However, places like Taoist and Buddhist temples always liked to steal the most beautiful scenery of the world as the background. Therefore, the Taoists and monks had no choice but to make some good scenery to avoid being criticized by the world. Therefore, although there were no geese to see in the Wanyan Tower, at least there was a Buddhist pagoda with moss marks on its ancient bricks and the exquisitely carved stone statues of venerables in the Buddha hall.
Ning Que looked up at the Buddhist pagoda for a while and found that he did not understand anything about Talisman Taoism, nor did he see any beauty. He shrugged and walked into the Buddha hall. Suddenly, he was attracted by the smooth lines of the statues of venerables, which were extraordinarily solemn.
The world was shrouded by Haotian's Divine Light. The Buddhism Sect silently guarded in a corner of Yuelun Kingdom. Although some temples were built around various cities, they were not mainstream. Most of the monks of the Buddhism Sect cultivated in the wilderness and had little influence on the secular people. Like most people, Ning Que did not know much about the doctrines and scriptures of the Buddhism Sect. He only knew that the status of the so-called venerables in the Buddhism Sect was roughly equivalent to that of the saints that ordinary people talked about. Those were ancient myths and legends.
The stone statues of venerables were placed in order in the quiet Buddha hall. The windows were covered with yellow paper. The filtered light fell on the stone statues, emitting a kind of tranquil yellowish luster. The stone statues of venerables were in different shapes. Some were smiling, some were silent, and some looked bitter. The hands that were exposed outside the monk's robes were also different. Some put their palms together, some clenched lightly, and some put their fingers together in a strange way.
Ning Que guessed that this should be the Emblematic Gesture of the Buddhism Sect. He subconsciously imitated the statue according to the statue of the venerables. He stretched his hands out of the sleeves and slowly put his palms together. Then he spread his fingers and crossed them, or bent his fingers and lowered his wrists like a lotus. Gradually, he felt something in his heart, but he could not tell what it was.
Walking out of the Buddha hall, the world was shrouded in bright and hot sunlight again. He blinked his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. When he was about to leave, a middle-aged monk walked out of the Wanyan Tower and smiled at him.
…
…
In the shack on the top of the tower.
The middle-aged monk put a cup of tea in front of Ning Que and said calmly, "You can call me Huang Yang."
Ning Que took the tea and thanked him. He felt that the name was somewhat familiar. It seemed that he had heard Master Yan Se mention it.
"You must have some doubts as to why I invited you upstairs for a chat."
The middle-aged monk looked at him and said with a smile, "I was invited by someone to say a few words to you."
Ning Que held the tepid tea and felt a little puzzled. "Who invited you? What do you want to say to me?" At this moment, he finally remembered the identity of this monk Huang Yang. Thinking of the rumors and stories he had heard in the past, he was suddenly shocked. He quickly stood up and bowed to the ground, saying, "Greetings … greetings, master."
Huang Yang monk laughed and said, "Many people find it a little troublesome to call me. In the eyes of the common people, I am the so-called Younger Brother of the Emperor, and many times they call me Lord Younger Brother of the Emperor. But I am not a lord, I am just a monk. "
Ning Que smiled and didn't know how to answer.
Monk Huang Yang pointed at the mountain-like Buddhist scriptures on the desk behind him and said, "These are the true scriptures of the Buddhism Sect that I took back from the Wilderness. I want to translate them into plain words so that the true meaning of the scriptures can be heard by the world. However, I've spent so many years and there are still many volumes that I haven't finished. So please don't mind me telling you directly."
The middle-aged monk sitting opposite was the Younger Brother of the Emperor of the Tang Empire, the most respected sublime being of the Buddhism Sect in the empire. Up to now, Ning Que had not guessed who invited him to talk to him. However, such a sublime being put aside so many Buddhist scriptures and specially took time to talk to him. Presumably, the content of the sublime being must be very important, so Ning Que would not have the slightest objection.
"I don't know much about the Tao of Runes, so I can only talk about the cultivation process that I have experienced. The Buddhism Sect pays particular attention to enlightenment. Those who can hold the Buddha's heart are Buddhas. In our view, the surrounding Qi of Heaven and Earth can be said to be a gift from Haotian or some kind of glory that has existed since ancient times. Whether Haotian has the same will as human beings or not, there has always been a debate whether Haotian has the same will as human beings, whether it is the Taoism Sect, the Buddhism Sect, or the predecessors of the Academy. Let's not talk about it today. "
Huang Yang monk's words were really direct, without any pleasantries or transitions. He directly put forward a big proposition, but stopped abruptly after a little explanation and quickly got to the point.
"The cultivation of the Buddhism Sect is asceticism. The so-called asceticism is not to bear hardships, but to walk between heaven and earth and have intimate contact with the cliff and the stream for many years. Then one day when the cliff is still and the stream has a splash, you may be able to perceive the Qi of Heaven and Earth. "
"Cultivation pays attention to understanding the running rules of the Qi of Heaven and Earth and perceiving how it flows and how it is still. The disciples of the Buddhism Sect also need to learn, but our learning is more based on years of accumulation. When we suddenly figure these things out, we call it enlightenment."
A real good student, even in the face of Einstein, would not be like the fish at the back of the mountain of the Academy, wagging their tails and waiting to be fed by the goose. Instead, they would bravely and timely ask questions. Ning Que was undoubtedly a good student. So after Huang Yang monk finished this sentence, he frowned and asked, "By being extremely familiar with the objective existence of things, one can recognize all the properties of things?"
"You summed it up very well. No wonder you can enter the Second floor of the Academy."
Monk Huang Yang was slightly stunned and said with appreciation, "That's the general idea. However, in the view of the Buddhism Sect, the Qi of Heaven and Earth existed before us and will always exist after us. It's an objective existence that transcends worldly experience and even survival experience. Therefore, when we live in it, it's more about feeling rather than mastering it, let alone trying to control it."
"Therefore, the Buddhism Sect is not like the general cultivation sects, which divide states according to the degree of understanding and control of the laws of heaven and earth. There is no such thing as No Doubts or Seethrough. How can one learn the endless heaven and earth with a limited life without doubts? Since it is the mystery of heaven and earth, how can one understand it thoroughly? "
Ning Que seriously thought about these words and felt that these views of the Buddhism Sect were a little too rigid, or at least not positive.
"The Buddhism Sect only pays attention to enlightenment. If you understand it, then you understand it. If you don't, then you don't understand it."
Huang Yang monk looked at him and said calmly, "Since I was a child, I followed my master to practice asceticism everywhere in the world. After my master passed away due to old age, I heard that there was a holy land of the Buddhism Sect in the extreme west of the Wilderness, so I went to the Yuelun Kingdom and followed the caravan of the Yuelun Kingdom into the Wilderness. During the seven years, I followed 17 different caravans into the Wilderness. Some caravans stayed in the barbarian tribes and never came back. More caravans returned to the Yuelun Kingdom with generous rewards, but I never found the legendary holy land of the Buddhism Sect. "
"One of the caravans entered the Wilderness four times, and I followed them in and out four times. I was familiar with the merchants' coachmen and guards. One day, a sandstorm came, and the caravan was trapped in an earthen enclosure somewhere in Qiu City. At night, a team of Horse Gang, who came to avoid the sandstorm, also entered this earthen enclosure, and then there was no reason to kill them. "
Hearing the word "Horse Gang", Ning Que raised his eyebrows subconsciously, and a bright light appeared in his eyes. His body instinctively stiffened, and he was full of killing intent. He asked in a low voice, "Master, what happened later?"
He knew that this question was unnecessary. He knew better than anyone else the cruelty of the Horse Gang in the Wilderness, and the master was still sitting here, safe and sound. Something must have happened, and even the master was very likely to be enlightened that day.
As expected, Huang Yang monk said, "The Horse Gang was a little afraid of the disciples of the Buddhism Sect. They didn't besiege me until they killed all the people. It was at that moment that I, who had followed my master for 20 years and been in and out of the Wilderness for seven years, was finally enlightened. "
Listening to the master's narration, Ning Que seemed to be able to see the cruel scene of that night in the Wilderness, and his mind was slightly shaken. He looked at the other side of the table and asked subconsciously, "Master, what happened after you were enlightened? What happened to those Horse Gang later? "
Huang Yang monk smiled slightly and didn't answer the question. He just slowly poured some tea into his cup.
Ning Que smiled, knowing that he had asked another meaningless question. Although the Buddhism Sect paid particular attention to mercy and enlightenment, he knew that the Buddhism Sect also had a thunderous rage when encountering evildoers from the introduction of the Furious Eyes Venerable in the Buddhism Sect. Naturally, those Horse Gang were all killed.
Huang Yang monk said, "As for how I was enlightened at that time, I still don't understand until now. I only remember that my body was soaked with the blood of my familiar companions. I felt that the blood was very hot, and my skin was burning, as if it was about to be burned. "
Hearing this, Ning Que gently rubbed his fingers under the table, feeling that the blood left in his childhood was still so sticky. Although it had faded a lot now, it still made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Huang Yang monk looked at him and said, "For many years, I have been suffering and confused. Since I wanted to be enlightened, why couldn't I be enlightened earlier? Even if I had been enlightened half a day earlier, my friends in the caravan wouldn't have been killed by the Horse Gang. After a long time, I finally understood this truth. Everyone has different reasons for enlightenment and Lucky Chances. When the Lucky Chance comes, it comes. If it doesn't, you can't force it. "
Ning Que understood that the master's words were to remind him.
Huang Yang monk continued, "Blood is not fire. It shouldn't be spicy and can't be burned. However, for me at that time, blood was spicy and could burn my clothes, flesh, and even Buddha's Heart. If enlightenment is the perception of the law of the Qi of Heaven and Earth, then everyone's enlightenment should be different. Only what you feel is true, and what others teach you is false. So you don't have to worry. Take your time, and you will be enlightened eventually. "
Ning Que pondered in silence for a long time. Then, he bowed deeply and walked down from the Wanyan Tower.
A moment later, Li Qingshan, the Master of Nation of Tang, came in from nowhere. He looked at Huang Yang monk and said, "Thank you very much."
Huang Yang monk shook his head and said, "With so many contacts in such a short time, don't you worry that he will have problems?"
Li Qingshan said calmly, "A Divine Talisman Master who has already stood at the threshold, a virtuous brother of the Buddhism Sect, and those eccentrics in the Second floor of the Academy. With such a lineup to guide a young man who has just entered the cultivation world, if he doesn't have any problems, then his future must be promising. If this still doesn't work, then … we can only wait for the Headmaster of Academy to return home. "
The Grand Cultivators who stood at the top of the Tang Empire were all devoted to the education of Ning Que. Just as the Nation Master Li Qingshan had said, such a lineup might not be impossible in the future, but it was highly unlikely to appear in the past.
After a moment of silence, Huang Yang monk smiled and said, "I hope he can live up to your expectations in the future."
"The Military Ministry and the Imperial Center Administration have also investigated him in detail. His loyalty to the Tang Empire is beyond doubt. Being able to enter the Second floor of the Academy means that he has enough potential, and even has the possibility to become a Divine Talisman Master in the future. The most important thing is that he is not like other cultivators who are ignorant of worldly affairs and walk in the clouds. Instead, he acts calmly and coldly. When encountering an enemy, he dares to kill and is willing to use any means. "
"How could His Majesty miss such a young man? Not to mention the fate of that calligraphy section? "
"His painstaking efforts to cultivate him with such a lineup is not because we old guys expect him to grow up and bring glory to us in the future, but because the Tang Empire needs young people like him in the future."
…
…
Since that day in the palace, Ning Que had sent some calligraphy sections to the Tang Empire through the bodyguard office after eating the exquisite but not filling royal meal of Cold Fire Autumn Smoke, he had never entered the palace again, nor had he met the Emperor of the Tang Empire. Therefore, he did not know that he had become the most important candidate for the Tang Empire's Talent Cultivation Plan. However, after talking with Master Huang Yang at Wanyan Tower today, he more or less guessed some things. The reason why the younger brother of the Tang Empire could come out in person, besides the face of Master Yan Se, must be because of the palace.
Even if he had guessed some things, he was not shocked, especially compared to a few days ago in the Southern City, when his master pointed to the picturesque landscape and said that the safety of this magnificent city would be handed over to him in the future. But of course, he would feel touched.
A few days after the talk at Wanyan Tower, he had been thinking about Master Huang Yang's words, especially the word "enlightenment".
The more he thought about it, the more he was sure that the enlightenment Buddhism Sect paid attention to, if put in the system of ordinary cultivation methods, was actually Seethrough, which was the preliminary mastery of the operation of the Qi of Heaven and Earth.
At this time, Ning Que's state was still at No Doubts State, only a small distance away from the lower state of Seethrough. The same was true for Talisman Taoism. He was only a little bit away from drawing that talisman, but this seemingly small distance was actually the most difficult part.
Seeing that there was only one step away from climbing the dangerous peak, but that step could not be taken, no matter who it was, they would inevitably feel anxious and anxious. A few days ago, Ning Que did manage to be calm, but of course, deep in his heart, he had been looking forward to the arrival of that day. It was not until he heard Master Huang Yang's words about enlightenment at Wanyan Tower that he suddenly realized that these seemingly peaceful and natural expectations were also a kind of anxiety and an obstacle to cultivation.
After pondering for a night, Ning Que no longer thought about these things. Seethrough and Talisman Taoism were all left behind by him. He would still go to the Academy's Back Mountain to listen to songs, forge iron and gossip, and still walk around the famous places in Chang 'an. But he no longer thought about when he would be able to reach Seethrough, nor did he think about when he would be able to put down the first stroke on that piece of white paper. Looking at the eaves of the famous buildings, he no longer wanted to feel anything from them. Instead, he just purely appreciated the beauty among them, reflecting and imprinting those lines into his eyes.
One day in midsummer.
In the afternoon, the Old Brush Pen Shop was shrouded in unbearable heat and humidity. Ning Que leaned on the bamboo chair under the tree, staring at the sky divided by branches and green leaves in a daze. From time to time, he picked up a wet towel from the basin beside the chair and patted it on his body, washing away the greasy sweat and summer heat with the well water.
"Change the water quickly. The water in the basin is hot again. What kind of weather is this? Get some fresh cold well water quickly."
He was not anxious about cultivation, but anxious about the heat. He shouted to the front.
In order to resist the endless stream of admirers and stewards of mansions, the Old Brush Pen Shop was now open for two days and three days when its owner got married. Sangsang was really bored during the day, so she wiped the tables and chairs in the front shop again and again. At this time, hearing Ning Que's angry shout in the courtyard, she hurriedly ran out and poured the old water in the basin under the tree, and then went to the well to get new water.
At this moment, the long-awaited rain fell, hitting the eaves and leaves with pitter-patter. Then, it quickly turned into a torrential downpour. The rain was like thunder, but it could not drown out the ecstatic shouts of the neighbors in the back alley.
"Young master, quickly go into the house to hide."
Sangsang threw down the basin and hurriedly closed the window.
Ning Que lay on the bamboo chair, but did not move. He looked at the rain falling from the sky, feeling the brittle feeling of the raindrops hitting his naked skin, and the wetness that enveloped the street. His expression seemed a little strange.
Sangsang looked at him from the window and shouted, "Why don't you come in?"
Ning Que opened his eyes and looked at the increasingly dense rain. He suddenly shouted, "Look, it's so beautiful."
Sangsang thought that the young master was talking nonsense again. She waited for a long time and found that Ning Que was still lying on the bamboo chair. Although she was not worried that he would catch a cold on such a hot day, she was very worried that he would become a fool in the rain. Frowning, she walked out of the door, walked to the bamboo chair, and imitated him to look up at the sky.
Seeing that she looked up with difficulty, Ning Que stretched out his hand to hold her waist, and held her in his arms.
The master and the servant lay side by side on the bamboo chair, lying in the majestic heavy rain, and opened their eyes to look at the sky.
Sangsang looked at the rain coming like arrows, and said in surprise, "It's really beautiful."
Ning Que wiped the rain off her face and asked, "Do you feel that we are like the rain eaves under a thousand years of wind and rain?"
Sangsang shook her head and said, "I don't think so. I feel like the city wall is being shot by many arrows."
Ning Que sighed and said, "What an unromantic girl."
…
…
At night, the rain gradually stopped.
Sangsang began to cook. After drying his body, Ning Que came to the desk in front of the window again.
He poured water into the inkstone, ground the ink, and picked up the brush, as natural and ordinary as he had done every time for more than ten years.
The white paper on the desk was still the original one. The edges had been rolled up after dozens of days, but the top was still white.
He looked away from the page of the Talisman Classics, and then looked at the rain dripping from the eaves.
Then he lowered his wrist and put down the brush.
The full tip of the brush, like a treetop full of rain, gently fell on the snow-white paper.
One line, two lines, three lines, six lines.
Six lines were finished.
Ning Que took a deep breath and put down the brush.
Sangsang came in with two big bowls of soy sauce rice, put them aside, and walked to the desk to look at it curiously.
Then she looked up at the roof, slightly frowning, and said unhappily, "It's leaking? Isn't this a new house built in the fourth year of the Tianqi era? Young master, you have to talk to Mr. Qi tomorrow to reduce the rent. "
Ning Que shook his head helplessly and said, "When did we pay the rent? Besides, the house is not leaking. "
"It's not leaking? Young master, did you get a fever because of the rain? Do you need me to go to the pharmacy … "
Sangsang pointed to the white paper on the desk and looked at Ning Que with concern.
However, before she could finish, Ning Que pulled her thin body into his arms.
Sangsang felt that the young master seemed to be very emotional today, so she could only helplessly open her arms and let him hold her.
Ning Que held her tightly. After a moment of silence, he said with a smile in her ear, "Tell all the people in Chang 'an who want to invite me to dinner that from today on, I have time to go to their mansions for dinner."
Hearing this, Sangsang's body slightly stiffened, and she looked at the desk again.
The six ink marks on the snow-white paper on the desk had disappeared.
There was only a big puddle of water.
Not rain.
It was water.
…
…
(I had originally planned to write three thousand words, but as I was writing and writing, I got too excited. So I wrote six thousand words and finished writing this huge plot. Alright, I'm really happy. At such a happy time, I'll feel sorry for myself if I don't ask for recommendation votes and monthly votes. Anyway, you know that recommendation votes are my life. I can ask for monthly votes casually, but you really can't give them casually, you have to give them hard!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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