!!
When Zhu Laosan saw the far-ancient morality stele from afar with his son, it was already the afternoon of April 17. The sun had already risen from the east and hung in the middle of the sky, causing Ma Laosan's head to smoke. As he had walked too much and stood for too long, Zhu Laosan's soles had already become hot. Standing there, Zhu Laosan felt like stepping on a red-hot iron plate. Each step he took would feel his soles being pricked by needles. If not having prepared some dried rations and water, he might not stand it anymore.
Zhu Laosan's son, who was just 11 years old, had a pale face. If Zhu Laosan didn't support him with one hand, his son would not be able to stand.
Zhu Laosan also felt sorry for his son, but at this time, he couldn't let his son sit on the ground. Otherwise, he would be regarded as pious and lose his dignity. In this case, his 10 years of painstaking efforts would be in vain.
But at this time, he had to stand even if he couldn't. Because the long queue was like a big snake, which had already sandwiched him and his son. Zhu Laosan could only move forward slowly with the queue.
"Son, hold on. When we go back, dad will let you enjoy sugar-coated haws for half a month …" Zhu Laosan could only comfort his son in this way. Meanwhile, he stealthily took out a piece of ginseng and put it into his son's mouth. In this way, Zhu Laosan and his son could stand together until they passed the ridge and saw the far-ancient morality stele.
At the sight of the far-ancient morality stele, even though Zhu Laosan didn't believe in ghosts and gods, he couldn't help being fascinated by the far-ancient morality stele.
Far-ancient Morality Stele was over 210 m in height and 50 m in width. It was pitch-black all over. Its surface was as brilliant as a mirror. Standing in a basin in Vast Universe Mountain like a huge tombstone, it looked solemn, cold and mysterious. When the sunlight at noon shone onto the tall Far-ancient Morality Stele, the brilliant stele was still pitch-black as if it could devour the sunlight completely.
Only after throwing a glance at the far-ancient morality stele, Zhu Laosan had felt that it was definitely not man-made. He was full of awe and fear about the huge black stele at once. At this moment, his tiredness disappeared in a split second.
Of course, the far-ancient morality stele didn't look like this at the beginning. It was surrounded by mountain ridges and cliffs. The far-ancient morality stele was also embedded in a collapsed cliff. However, over the past 200-odd years, through the constant modification of the Gobbling Party, the topography within 10 miles had been completely changed. This place had become a huge open square, which could almost hold over 1 million people at the same time. When the far-ancient morality stele appeared, this square was completely open. Anyone could take a look at it. However, now, it had already become the holy land of the Gobbling Party. In normal times, only some backbones of the Gobbling Party could enter here. Commoners could only have a chance to take a look at the far-ancient morality stele which was well-known across Taixia Country on the Opening Stele Festival each year.
It took Zhu Laosan almost 1 hour to arrive at the foot of the far-ancient morality stele. All the people who entered from their direction had entered the passageways on the second floor. The surging crowd broke their fingers and stretched out their hands to smear their blood on the brilliant surface of the far-ancient morality stele. After that, they walked around the far-ancient morality stele in an anti-clockwise manner before leaving through the exit of the passageway. This was the ritual of "touching the stele".
It took Zhu Laosan almost 1 hour to arrive at the foot of the far-ancient morality stele. All the people who entered from their direction had entered the passageways on the second floor. The surging crowd broke their fingers and stretched out their hands to smear their blood on the brilliant surface of the far-ancient morality stele. After that, they walked around the far-ancient morality stele in an anti-clockwise manner before leaving through the exit of the passageway. This was the ritual of "touching the stele".
Some fanatical followers and backbones of the Gobbling Party even broke their palms with sabers and pressed their bloody handprints on the surface of the stele so as to show their piety.
It was said that the earliest Taoist master would break his fingers and smear his blood on the surface of the far-ancient morality stele every day when he was enlightened under the far-ancient morality stele. Finally, he could sense the far-ancient morality stele. This legend gradually spread out and became today's ritual of "touching the stele".
From the perspective of the passageway on the second floor, the far-ancient morality stele became a black wall. The moment Zhu Laosan entered the passageway on the second floor and saw the blood and bloody handprints all over the wall, he didn't feel pious at all; instead, he felt cold as he quivered all over.
Zhu Laosan followed the others to break his fingers and had his son Zhu Guangsi do the same. After that, he stretched out his quivering fingers and smeared his blood on the surface of the far-ancient morality stele. As he was a bit intense, Zhu Laosan even forgot the feeling of touching the stele at the cost of the greater part of his income from selling tofu for 10 years …
Surrounded by the surging crowd, after touching the far-ancient morality stele, Zhu Laosan and his son left the far-ancient morality stele through the exit of the passageway. Closely after that, they were guided to the periphery of the square of far-ancient morality stele. Finally, they could sit down on the ground.
The surging crowd constantly poured into the square like four streams of water. In the evening, the entire square around the far-ancient morality stele had been filled with people. There were definitely over 1 million people. It was a dense crowd. After completing the ritual of "touching the stele", those who were closer to the far-ancient morality stele would have a higher position in the Gobbling Party.
The climax of the Opening Stele Festival had not arrived yet. The climax of the Opening Stele Festival was when the last ray of sunlight left the far-ancient morality stele. At that moment, Meng Shidao would come to the square and preach for them for 1 hour before enrolling them as his apprentices.
After promoting to a heavenly knight, Meng Shidao would almost show up here in the public on the Opening Stele Festival every year. Even though Meng Shidao was the premier of one of the top three chancellors in Taixia Country a few years ago, he would also come here from Xuanyuan Hill to celebrate the Opening Stele Festival with everyone else.
Numerous backbones of the Gobbling Party, presidents and members of the Morality Agency would travel thousands of miles here each year in order to meet Meng Shidao and listen to his lecture. Those who were favored by Meng Shidao the most in the Gobbling Party could even be enlightened by Meng Shidao and be taught the secret knowledge of Returning Truth Sutra.
As Zhu Laosan took a rest on the edge of the square, he was also waiting for Meng Shidao intensely and restlessly. To be honest, if he could see Meng Shidao here, he could brag about it for many years in Zhujia Village. If his son could be selected by Meng Shidao and become one of the 1/10,000 lucky ones, Zhu Clan would completely turn over.
Meng Shidao didn't always select disciples from major clans or backbones of the Gobbling Party; instead, some kids from ordinary families would be favored by Meng Shidao each year. From then on, they would rise to the sky and become legends in their hometown. Being encouraged by these models, Zhu Laosan dared to have a try with his son.
Before sunset, thousands of people in white clothes arrived. They were the disciples of Vast Universe Academy. After completing the ritual of "touching the stele", they all sat in the region closest to the far-ancient morality stele.
By then, each square around the far-ancient morality stele had been crowded with people.
"Benevolence is the heart of the Dao; virtue is the body of the Dao; propriety is the function of the Dao; righteousness is the movement of the Dao; Dao is the thing; it's vague. It's vague; it's vague; it's vague; it's vague; it's the thing. It's vague; it's the thing. It's vague; it's the essence; it's the truth; it's the belief; the great Dao is nameless; only Dao follows … "
After coming to the square, the disciples of Vast Universe Academy started to recite loudly. Gradually, over 1 million people started to recite at the same time. Their voices even shocked the mountain. Almost all the members of the Gobbling Party could recite this passage.
When the last wisp of sunlight left the highest place of the far-ancient morality stele, the recitation across the square gradually stopped.
"Get up and welcome the Taoist Master …" A loud and dignified voice sounded in the air above the square. After hearing this voice, all the people on the ground stood up at the same time and stood in a solemn and respectful manner.
"Papa, I can't see anything …" Zhu Guangsi whispered as he shook Zhu Laosan's hand.
Because of his young age and standing in the periphery of the square, when everybody else stood up, Zhu Laosan's son was submerged in the crowd of adults. He could only see the waists and legs of the people in front of him. However, he couldn't see anything in the distance.
Zhu Laosan hurriedly made a gesture to stop his son from talking so as to calm him down. Closely after that, he widely opened his eyes and watched the far-ancient morality stele in the distance.
Zhu Laosan didn't see how Meng Shidao arrived. When everybody else stood up and the entire square became quiet at once, a figure in black robe instantly stood on the highest place of the far-ancient morality stele like a magic trick. He then looked down at the millions of fanatical disciples of Gobbling Party below with a condescending look.
"Welcome, Taoist Master. May Taoist Master's chakras run forever and the great laws will be firm forever!" Over 1 million people congratulated Meng Shidao loudly at the same time as they bowed towards the figure on the top of the far-ancient morality stele …
In previous years, after they bowed towards Meng Shidao, that figure would usually say, "The great laws don't belong to one person, but to all of us. Please take a seat. I will preach to you from now on …" After that, they would all sit down. That figure would then sit on the highest place of the far-ancient morality stele with crossed legs and start to preach to them.
However, that figure was abnormally silent today. After all the others saluted him, he didn't speak for quite a while. That person didn't speak. Therefore, over 1 million members of the Gobbling Party could only stand still and watch that figure on the Far-ancient Morality Stele with dry eyes. They didn't know what to say next. The atmosphere at the scene became weird.
Finally, that person on the top of the far-ancient morality stele opened his mouth as he let out a sigh, "Today finally comes …"
The gloomy sigh and voice drifted into everyone's ears clearly. At this moment, over 1 million people became confused inside, 'Today finally comes … what does Taoist Master mean …'
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
