The young Daoist monk stared at Jing Jiu for a long time. The bewilderment in his eyes had gradually turned into understanding. In the end, he said with a smile, "It's you."
"Yes, it's me," said Jing Jiu.
The young Daoist monk asked, "Why did you change back to the appearance you had when you were young?"
Jing Jiu said, "Big Brother, you look the same as when you were young."
The young Daoist monk was none other than Taiping Zhenren who had hidden in the Green Sky Mirror. For some reason, he had turned into a young man like Jing Jiu.
"Maybe it's because we are both spiritual souls. Forget it, let's not think about it. I just don't understand …"
Taiping Zhenren asked, "I've erased my own memory, so I can't even remember who I am. How could you find me?"
Jing Jiu raised the blood-red feather in his hand.
"Oh, that's why." Taiping Zhenren said sentimentally, "I've listened to the scripts in the Guocheng Temple for many years, and I was the Chief Monk for a while. I've learned today that the theory of cause and effect is true."
Jing Jiu pointed to the bamboo broom in his hand and said, "And this."
He was well aware of the difference in the flow of time between the Green Sky Mirror and the outside world. Judging from the wear and tear on the broom, he knew how long the young man had stayed in this Daoist temple.
In other words, he had been in the Green Sky Mirror for a long time.
As such, he couldn't have mistaken him for someone else.
In fact, he wouldn't have mistaken him for someone else even if he didn't have these conditions.
It was the same as the fact that the Eldest Young Master Zhang could still recognize him.
It was dusk when Jing Jiu left the capital of the Chu Kingdom. The twilight grew thicker in the sky, and the distant sun was about to set.
It was because the peak where the Daoist temple was located was high enough. The mountain streams at the lower peaks had already entered the dark night.
"This mountain is indeed very high, like Tianguang Peak," remarked Taiping Zhenren.
Jing Jiu followed his line of sight and looked at the white clouds outside the mountain, saying, "Yeah, like Tianguang Peak one thousand years ago."
…
…
The current Aoyama Sect was called the Shangde Peak Sect because Taiping Zhenren and Zhenren Jingyang were both from this peak. However, they first met at Tianguang Peak when they were young.
That was because their Grandmaster and Master were the Sect Masters of Aoyama.
Many years ago, the Immortal Daoyuan brought back a child from Zhaoge City.
The young Taoist priest who was stepping on the clouds at the edge of the cliff of Tianguang Peak turned around and said with a smile, "Grandmaster, this Junior Brother's talent is similar to mine. Let me teach him."
Dao Yuan Zhenren said, "Little Taiping, you have to teach him well."
…
…
The sky of the Green Sky Mirror had a certain height.
If a realm higher than the sky appeared in this world, it would trigger a Heavenly Tribulation. The result would be death like Duke Mo, or Jing Jiu breaking through the sky. If Jing Jiu intended to kill Taiping Zhenren here, he had to suppress his Cultivation state to below the Broken Sea State. It was the same for Taiping Zhenren.
Taiping Zhenren said with a faint smile, "Now we are two ghostly souls, and you are not a sword body anymore. Are you sure you can defeat me? Don't forget that I taught you how to use the sword. "
Jing Jiu said, "Big Brother, your talent is indeed not as good as mine."
…
…
A thousand years ago, the young Taiping was the most talented swordsman in Aoyama, until he had a Young Brother named Jingyang.
He didn't feel jealous of Jingyang, nor did he dislike him. He taught Jingyang with all his heart, except for the Formation of the Dispersed Smoke and Cloud.
He believed that his talent in sword work was not inferior to Jingyang's, and he believed that Jingyang would listen to him for the rest of his life.
As such, he taught all the sword styles he knew to Jingyang.
…
…
Two young Taoist priests stood face to face in front of the Taoist temple in the deep mountain, just like what happened a thousand years ago.
They were still using the same sword styles they had used in the past.
The sword lights illuminated the green trees and the darkening dusk, leaving traces in the sky that were not magnificent but delicate. They couldn't be compared with the sword fight in the hermit peaks, but they felt more real.
The Inherited Heaven Sword Style, the Flowing Snow Sword Style, the Old Bird Sword Style, the Endless Sword Style, the Six Dragons Sword Style, the Seven Plum Sword Style, and the Eight Directions Sword Style … They were just like what the two brothers had done in the past.
Maybe it was for this reason that countless secret sword styles of the nine peaks appeared one after another, and no other Taoist magic arts of other sects appeared.
It was interesting that Jing Jiu had never used the Inherited Heaven Sword, but Taiping Zhenren liked the Nine Deaths Sword Style of Shenmo Peak the most.
It was the same as in the past.
…
…
After the death of the Grandmaster and the Master, they depended on each other in the Shangde Peak. Taiping became quieter, and started to take disciples, make friends, and feed the chickens and dogs.
Jingyang was as dull as before, but he practiced the sword more diligently in secret.
After eating hotpot, they went to kill people, and then unified Aoyama, and then shocked the world with their power.
Taiping Zhenren showed up many times, and Jingyang killed many people in secret.
In the end, after another hotpot, Jingyang walked to Taiping Zhenren with Liu Ci and Yuan Qijing, and stabbed his sword at his back.
…
…
A sword light pierced through his chest.
Another sword light pierced through his chest as well.
There seemed to be no difference, whether it was the position or the angle of the sword light.
His injury seemed to be about the same.
The Taoist temple had already turned into powder in the sky full of sword lights.
Jing Jiu and Taiping Zhenren leaned against two big trees, their bodies covered with blood.
But the blood was not real. It was gradually drifting with the mountain wind and blending into the dusk.
"Am I really not as talented as you? Otherwise, how could I lose to you again this time? "
Taiping Zhenren showed a hint of pain on his young face, his voice a bit hoarse.
"You didn't lose to me, but to this world. It's because your opponent is the world itself."
Jing Jiu went on, "Of course, if I didn't exist in this world, you might have won."
"It's really boring."
Looking at the wound on his chest, Taiping Zhenren said helplessly, "I've thought about how I would leave this world many times, including before I entered the Green Sky Mirror. I've thought that I might be knocked to death by a chess piece you left here, or bitten to death by those ignorant villagers like wild animals, or drowned while looking at the stars on the surface of the water after getting drunk, or even drowned in a cesspool … It's really boring to die in such a way."
Jing Jiu stood up slowly with the support of a big tree, saying nothing.
Taiping Zhenren lifted his head and said to Jing Jiu, "Of course, what I've thought about the most is that you can't find me, and I'll live here for a few hundred years. Then, I'll be woken up by the ringing of the bell, recalling the past events … All in all, it's really boring to die with a swing of the sword."
Jing Jiu said, "Death, no matter how it happens, is always boring."
"This is what I dislike the most about you. You're always boring; but I have to admit that people like you have a chance to live a long life."
Taiping Zhenren went on with a smile, "It's because the victory of justice is always the same, and the interesting souls will die for sure."
Jing Jiu said, "Big Brother, there's something I haven't had the heart to tell you."
"What is it?" asked Taiping Zhenren with a serious expression.
Jing Jiu said, "You came back from the Underworld and decided to be the savior of the world. Since then, you've been boring."
He only liked that Big Brother who liked eating hotpot and playing mahjong.
Though he didn't like eating hotpot and playing mahjong.
Taiping Zhenren fell silent for a while before saying, "Is that so? Maybe. "
Having said that, he closed his eyes. His body had gradually turned illusionary, turning into countless light specks that spread out like fireflies.
Those light specks were red, looking like the flames when they gathered, and the twilight when they dispersed.
Looking at the empty big tree, Jing Jiu fell silent for a while, and then headed toward the sky.
There was no stairway in the sky, but he walked higher and higher until he arrived in the sky. It was the only place where he could see the sun that hadn't set yet.
The dark clouds came out of nowhere, and the thunders struck down; it was the heavenly punishment.
Jing Jiu broke through the sky after waving his hand a few times.
…
…
The green grass in the hermit peaks was still as fresh as before.
The Green Sky Mirror lay in the grass in Silence.
Jing Jiu opened his eyes, his right hand resting on his chest for a while.
It was the spot where Taiping Zhenren had pierced through his chest the last time; it still hurt a bit.
"What's wrong?" asked Qing 'er.
"Nothing," Jing Jiu said.
He reached out his hand and picked up the bone flute in the wild grass.
"Do you want to play a piece of music?" asked Qing 'er.
"No need," said Jing Jiu.
He looked at the sky.
It was outside the hermit peaks.
It was the highest spot in the real sky.
"The sun has set. She is coming."
…
…
(Note: This sentence came from WONGYUANSHAO, a reader of the English Tasteless Jokes Encyclopedia. It's a bit harsh to use it here, but I thought about it for a long while and decided to use it. It's because I wanted to write this sentence to Taiping when I first read it. The only regret I have in writing the Dao is that I didn't give enough words to Taiping. I had intended to write him as an evil youth who had a lot of love and interest. Of course, another important reason is that I can't write about the truly evil things at the moment, because it's hard to pass the chapters. As such, I've reduced the interesting parts of the story to a great extent; otherwise, I'm afraid that some misunderstandings might arise. Taiping is of course one of the most important characters in this story besides Jing Jiu. I don't know if you still remember him, but he is the first character to appear in this story.
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