A drop of sweat rolled down the tip of Yu Shu's nose. She blinked her eyes and slightly raised her eyes to peek at the Da An Emperor who was kowtowing to the sky on the Temple of Heaven. She muttered in her heart, "Why is it not over yet?"
The ceremonial officer's high-pitched singing did not stop, one after another. Yu Shu was a little upset listening to it. It was as if a bee had drilled into her head and kept buzzing. The blue-robed Taoists were scattered around the nine cauldrons around the Temple of Heaven. They ignited a large number of incense sticks with talismans one by one. The white smoke soon filled everyone's eyes.
Suddenly, a gust of east wind blew and hot air blew against her face. Yu Shu almost sneezed because of the smell of incense, but she gritted her teeth and endured it. In the blink of an eye, the sun in the sky was suddenly covered by clouds, and the sky suddenly became gloomy, as if a storm was coming.
Yu Shu was secretly puzzled. According to her calculations the day before, there should not be rain today.
Just as she was thinking, there was a sudden explosion of thunder in her ears.
"Rumble!"
In the crowd, there was a woman's exclamation, and the scene began to become noisy. Xue Rui, who was among several civil officials, looked up at the layers of dark clouds in the sky. He did not know why his mood was a little depressed, and he had a bad premonition.
Yu Shu was also frightened by the sound of thunder. She couldn't help but raise her head to look. She saw that between the mountains in the distance, there were silver bolts of lightning in the shape of a snake. It was extremely shocking.
.....
At the bottom of the Temple of Heaven, the whistling wind filled the cave. Outside, there was thunder and lightning, and the thousands of holes on the top wall gradually darkened.
Jing Chen stared motionlessly at a quiet pool in front of him. Zhu Muzhao stood beside him with a dignified expression. From time to time, he looked up and clenched his fists behind his back.
"Rumble!"
All of a sudden, ripples appeared in the tranquil pool, one after another, as if there was an invisible hand stirring the water. The turbid water slowly became clear, and it was extremely strange.
Jing Chen's steady heartbeat intensified as the ripples in front of his eyes intensified. His eyes became a little confused. As his mind swayed, he heard a series of secret words in his ears, "The Great Way is invisible, but it gives birth to heaven and earth. The Great Way is emotionless, but it runs the sun and the moon. The Great Way is nameless, but it nourishes all things …"
Jing Chen's mind was blank, as if his soul had left his body. Everything in his mind was empty, except for the bright ripples in front of him, circle after circle … A blurry figure floated out of the water.
Zhu Muzhao recited the Taoist Heart Cleansing Incantation in a low voice while watching Jing Chen's face. His expression changed slightly when he saw Jing Chen's face reflected by the water.
With a light gasp, Jing Chen snapped out of his daze and closed his eyes. In an instant, the ripples in the pond dimmed and calmed down.
Zhu Muzhao held his sweaty palms and patiently waited for him to calm down before asking in a deep voice, "How is it? Did you see it?"
Jing Chen was silent for a long time. He opened his eyes and looked at the pond. He stretched out his hand and touched the calm surface of the water. But other than the coldness and moisture from his fingertips, it was like ordinary water. What he saw with his own eyes was just an illusion.
"I saw it."
Zhu Muzhao's eyes lit up with joy, "Is it a man or a woman? Have you seen it?"
"Uncle, can you first tell me how to solve my fate after I find the person who broke my fate?"
Before today, Jing Chen had asked the same question more than once. Every time, Zhu Muzhao simply said, "It's not the right time." Before Jing Chen left the mountain, the Sect Leader and his master did not explain much about this. So, in order to solve fate, he could only listen to the arrangements of the Celestial Commissioner, Zhu Muzhao.
Zhu Muzhao did not answer immediately. Looking at his expression, he seemed to be thinking about something.
Jing Chen shook off the water droplets on his hand and stood up. He turned his head and looked at Zhu Muzhao, saying, "You don't have to hide it. I already know that I am the 'Great An Calamity'. I carry the fate of our dynasty for a hundred years. Great fate brings disaster. If I can't find the person who broke my fate, not only will the elders of the sect be implicated, the world will also be in turmoil. Now that I know who the person is, why don't you tell me honestly how to break my fate? "
Zhu Muzhao was slightly stunned. He immediately lowered his chin and said with a solemn face, "Where did you know all this?"
Jing Chen's pair of clear and intelligent eyes were calm. He said, "I cultivated in the mountains and was not a common person. After I left the mountains, I came into contact with the prosperity and decline of the world. I became suspicious. Although my mother was a princess and my father was famous for a time, a person's death is like a lamp going out. His Majesty pitied my life but did not need to go to war. He sent a few enlightened Zhenren of Longhu Mountain to extend the life of an orphan like me. I think there must be a hidden reason. Cultivators follow the will of heaven. Why would the sect sacrifice themselves to save the life of an orphan like me and change my fate? If I guessed correctly, there must be some kind of agreement between the Imperial Family of Da An and the Righteous Sect. That is commonly known as the 'price'. "
"Later on, my Shimei Shui Yun came to the capital. She said that it was to face the calamity and enter the world. But I realized that she was ordered by her teacher to monitor me. After I probed her several times, she told me the inside story of the 'Da An Calamity'. I then confirmed that it was not only me who wanted to find the person who broke my fate, the Imperial Family of Da An also wanted to find the person."
Listening to this confession, Zhu Muzhao's palms moved. He looked at Jing Chen's face which was similar to the person in his memory. In a trance, he seemed to see that calm man again. He said softly, "You are the same as your father. You look muddle-headed but your heart is clearer than anyone else."
Jing Chen's eyes darkened, and a hint of bitterness appeared between his brows. His parents had passed away when he was young, and he had been raised by his sect. Ever since he was sensible, he had been surrounded by all kinds of strange gazes. The loneliness and unwillingness of his youth had all been covered up by the heavy kindness he had received. He could not feel sorrow, be happy, be sad, or be angry. He had always remembered his fate. But in the end, the elders who raised him valued his identity more. His uncle who loved him was for the country's fate. Even his father who died for his mother may not care about his life and death.
In the short nineteen years of life, there was only a short period of time that could be called happy —
And only in that short period of time, there was someone who treated him sincerely.
… Xiaoyu.
That day, in order to force him to cut off his feelings, his junior sister did not hesitate to tell him the truth about the 'Great Calamity' and made him choose. She saw through his mind and wanted him to cut off that infatuation.
So he made up his mind and cut off all ties with her. He used those high-sounding reasons to cover up his true fear. He was the Great Calamity. If he delayed the country's fate because of a moment of personal feelings, then the Emperor would not let her go if he knew the whole story.
After that, he chanted the Clear Heart Mantra a hundred times every day to stabilize his Taoist heart. Until today, when he saw the Life Destroyer in the shadow of the Yellow Springs, he dared to indulge himself.
"Sigh." Zhu Muzhao sighed deeply and put his hand on Jing Chen's shoulder. He said warmly, "You are only half right. The Emperor sent you to the Righteous Path not only because you are the Great Calamity, but also because you are the child of Princess Luyue. You are of the royal bloodline. You are his nephew."
Jing Chen's expression did not change. He looked at him and said, "Then tell me, after I find the Life Destroyer, how do I solve it?"
He did not want to be kept in the dark and be manipulated by others. His every move was arranged by others.
Zhu Muzhao sensed his distrust and knew that it was useless to say more. He put his hand on his shoulder and turned to look at the Yellow Springs. He said expressionlessly, "Actually it is not difficult. As long as you know who the Life Destroyer is, according to the Book of Mystery Maiden, if the Life Destroyer is a man, you can kill him as a sacrifice to Heaven. This can protect the Great Calamity for three hundred years. You also do not have to be trapped by Kedu Star anymore."
A cold look flashed in Jing Chen's eyes, "What if it is a woman?"
Zhu Muzhao looked back at him and smiled, "If it is a woman, you need to tie the knot with her. As long as you give birth to descendants, the Life Destroyer will break and you will not have to worry."
Jing Chen was stunned. His heart skipped two beats. His expression was a little strange. He asked, "What is the Book of Mystery Maiden? Can I see it with my own eyes?"
Zhu Muzhao took in his expression, shook his head and said, "The Book of Mystery Maiden Liu Ren is a relic left behind by Empress Ning Zhen. There are many secrets recorded in it. Other than the current His Majesty, only the previous Imperial Astronomer can read it. If you don't believe me, you can think carefully. Why does a troublemaker have to stick to his Taoist Heart? "
Jing Chen said in a low voice, "My master told me that if I love and hate at will without finding the Life Destroyer, it will lead to natural and man-made disasters."
Zhu Muzhao sneered, "That is a lie. They don't want you to fall in love. It has nothing to do with the evil spirit of Kedu Star. In fact, it is to prevent you from not being able to kill the man you meet and not being able to marry the woman you meet after you find the Life Destroyer.
Jing Chen's pupils constricted. He looked at Zhu Muzhao in disbelief, trying to distinguish the truth from the lies on his face. The warning that made him careful turned out to be a lie?
Zhu Muzhao looked at him with pity and said, "Let me tell you another true story. A hundred years ago, there was a troublemaker in our dynasty. He followed the Mandate of Heaven. Unfortunately, the Life Destroyer he found was his sworn brother. He couldn't bear to go back on his word and almost caused a disaster."
"What happened in the end? Did he die?"
Zhu Muzhao said lightly, "Of course he died. Compared to the country and the people, it was just a human life. He died a worthy death."
Jing Chen was silent.
After Zhu Muzhao said these words, he asked again, "I have told you everything I can say. Now you can tell me, was the Life Destroyer you saw a man or a woman?"
"It was … a woman."
Zhu Muzhao's expression softened and said, "Fortunately, it was a woman, so it was spared. Have you seen that person before? If you haven't, when you go back, you can draw the person. I will send people to find him, but it will take some effort. "
"No need. It was someone I know."
"Oh?" Zhu Muzhao asked curiously, "Who is it? Do I know him?"
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.
