Nightfall

Ye Su had studied Taoism in Zhishou Abbey since he was a child. He had then traveled to other countries and saw that Haotian Taoism was highly respected there. He had always thought that this was natural and had never thought that one could explain beliefs in this way.

He had wanted to kill the blasphemous Taoist. However, he suddenly thought that while the skinny Taoist’s words were blasphemous, they weren’t erroneous when he thought about it carefully.

As such, he remained silent for a long while.

The sparrows below the stone steps began chirping in the silence. They flapped their wings and flew into the shade of the autumn trees.

Ye Su emerged from his stupor. He looked at the skinny Taoist with an inscrutable expression, “Please, teach me.”

The skinny Taoist smiled at him and said, “Actually, more than 90 percent of the Tangs are believers of Haotian Taoism. It is just that they are different from the believers of South Jin Kingdom and the Kingdom of Song. They do not have the patience to participate in preachings. That is why preaching isn’t the best way to get them to believe in Haotian.”

Ye Su said, “Then what should we do?”

The skinny Taoist said, “Those in the Haotian Taoism believe in being virtuous. That is why we must do as we say. In spreading teachings about Taoism, words could never compare to action. As the chief of the temple, if you can get close to the neighbors, help them when they need it, get water, or help in drying their grains, would be showing them the benevolence and love of Haotian. The best way to preach to the Tangs is through the way you speak and act.”

Ye Su looked pensive.

The skinny Taoist patted Ye Su’s shoulders lightly. He said, “Other than the God of West-Hill, there aren’t many who can witness the miracles of Haotian in person. Us ordinary Taoists are the spokespeople of Haotian on earth. The ordinary folks out there can only experience Haotian through us.”

Ye Su was enlightened and he said, “This makes sense.”

The skinny Taoist sighed and said, “I have left the West-Hill for 23 years. Even though it isn’t as glorious being in the Tang Empire as compared to being in other countries, I am happy in this little Taoist Temple. I heard that the Taoists in other countries would enforce tax and those sent out by the Divine Hall are proud and live extravagantly. How would people then truly respect Haotian? Those Taoists are not spokespeople of Haotian, they are the shame of Haotian.”

Ye Su did not wish to debate this matter as it involved the work of Haotian Taoism sect in the secular world. He looked at the bowl of noodles in his hands and said, “Your noodles will get cold if you do not eat them.”

The skinny Taoist only remembered his noodles then, and he quickly handed it to Ye Su. He said, “This is for you, how will you have the strength to preach if you do not have a full belly?”

Ye Su looked at the bowl of noodles in his hands quietly. He suddenly said, “I will try your method.”

A drop of rain landed into the bowl of noodles.

Ye Su and the skinny Taoist looked up into the sky to see raindrops falling.

An autumn shower had started without any warning.

The rain in deep autumn was unexpected, and the force of the rain was also different. Some of the house beside the Taoist temple had not fixed their roofing as they thought that the rainy season had ended. Their roofs began leaking due to the heavy rain.

After eating, the rain gradually tapered off. The skinny Taoist brought Ye Su and two other servants to the streets and started to help the neighbors to fix their roofs.

Ye Su had done many things. He had laughed at those from the Underworld, and witnessed the trivial matters of the mortal world from the clouds. But he had never fixed roofing that had been damaged by rain. His actions were a little unpracticed when he climbed up to the roof and replaced the black tiles.

However, he was still the strongest person in the Haotian Taoism sect. His little sister, whom he did not pay attention to was Ye Hongyu. She was called the Tao Addict in the West-Hill Divine Palace. Ye Su was in no way worse than her.

He became more practiced and began to speed up as he changed the roof tiles. The neighbors who stood beneath the stairs to help him increased from one person to four and yet, they could not keep up with his speed. Gradually, more and more people came forth to watch the tiles that flew over the streets. They watched as he painted on the mortar as if he was drawing rivers and mountains. They could not help but make loud exclamations.

Ye Su kept his face straight as he listened to the praise and exclamations from the street. He did not grow self-satisfied because of this, as this act was not very difficult. Instead, he only removed the tiles calmly and spread mortar. He did it casually and looked well-practiced.

The puddles on the streets evaporated into vapors that enveloped the houses and the leaves on the trees. Everyone was looking at the Taoist from the temple who was on the roof. They watched the scene intently and did not notice what was happening at the end of the street.

There was a round figure who walked out from the mist formed by the evaporated rain.

Chen Pipi walked along the street and trodded on the rainwater. He came to the crowd and looked up with narrowed eyes. He recognized the person in a short while. His eyes grew wide and red, and tears began to fall.

He looked at Ye Su who was on the roof and said with a trembling voice, “Senior Brother!”

Ye Su was using bamboo ropes to tie some of the wooden sticks on the roof that had parted slightly. He turned around slowly when he heard the sound ringing in the crowd.

He looked at the fat young man in the crowd, and a sincere smile appeared on his usually composed face. He said happily, “You’re here?”

Chen Pipi looked at Ye Su and said tearfully, “Senior Brother… What are you doing? Have you also been chased out of the Haotian Taoism? Is that person really so heartless?”

Ye Su’s expression stiffened and he looked like a dried out lizard on the roof.

Chen Pipi felt upset for him and looked at him tearfully.

Then, he noticed that Ye Su’s left foot was floating above the wooden ladder and that Ye Su’s white shirt glowed slightly like jade under the sun.

Chen Pipi only realized then, that his Senior Brother’s cultivation state had risen again. What shocked him even more was that his Senior Brother was at a turning point in his life.

…

…

The two stood under the shade of the roof. Ye Su looked at Chen Pipi’s round face and sighed silently.

Chen Pipi looked at the faint glow emanating from Ye Su and forcefully tempered his surprise and fear. He asked in a trembling voice, “Senior Brother, what medicine did you eat? Or have you encountered something? I kept the Heavenly Power Pill with me. If you really want to break the realm, you can let me know, you can’t eat it anyhow.”

Cultivators would know that the path to cultivation gets more difficult as you progress. It was like mounting a mountain, the last few steps were the hardest. Ye Su was the successor of Zhishou Abbey, and he had already walked into the deepest part of the cultivation path over the past decade. It wasn’t easy for him to continue forward.

That was why Chen Pipi was certain that Ye Su had taken a shortcut when he saw that Ye Su was glowing and floating on the stairs. He looked right as if he was at a turning point in his life.

Of course, Ye Su had not taken any medication. He had never had the precious pills from Zhishou Abbey. He had believed firmly, since he began cultivating, that a cultivator would not have the opportunity to reach the true peak if they depended on external help.

He only realized that something odd had happened when Chen Pipi asked him twice.

He stood in the shade of the little Taoist temple and stared at the houses and city afar. He felt his own Taoist Heart and realized that his state, that had been frozen for the past ten years, had begun to move. There was a slight crack in it, and he was shocked speechless by his discovery.

Chang’an was not an ordinary city.

It was then, when the inconspicuous Taoist temple welcomed another guest.

It was a young girl in blue taoist robes.

Ye Hongyu looked at her older brother who stood on the stone steps. She couldn’t help but tremble. Then, her eyes reddened and two trails of tears ran down her beautiful face.

Ye Su looked at his younger sister and frowned. He asked in annoyance, “Why are you crying?”

Ye Hongyu could feel the tears in her eyes gathering like the autumn lake, but she did not wipe them away. She said stubbornly and unhappily, “You were touched when he cried, but you only scold me when I cry.”

Ye Su’s brows furrowed even deeper.

The only thing that could compare to Haotian Divine Light was the insight of man. One could focus on one point and see the world that they wanted to. Ye Hongyu looked at her elder brother. Her eyes shone with suffering and stubbornness. She looked like a little girl whose sweet potato was stolen by her classmate but was scolded by her older brother for being useless. However, when she glanced at Chen Pipi, her eyes were filled with hatred.

Chen Pipi lowered his head.

Ye Su looked at her coldly and said, “Who are you to stare at my Younger Brother so impolitely. If you do that again, I’ll dig your eyes out.”

Ye Hongyu did not seem to have heard that. She stared at Chen Pipi venomously like she was looking at a dead person. However, her eyes were not dug out because Chen Pipi who was feeling especially guilty dispelled the awkwardness at the stone steps of the Taoist temple by speaking up.

Ye Su looked at Chen Pipi and smiled, “I have not seen the teacher in a while, and thought that she should still be at Hainan. I have other reasons for coming to Chang’an.”

Chen Pipi asked curiously, “What other reasons, Senior Brother?”

Ye Su said, “I have come to meet Xia Hou.”

After a pause, he looked at Chen Pipi calmly and said, “And to meet Ning Que since I’m already here.”

He was the successor of Zhishou Abbey, and was the World Wayfarer of Haotian Taoism. He had left cultivating in the supermundane world, and entered the mortal world and came to Chang’an for such simple reasons.

If the rumors turned out to be true.

If Ning Que was really the son of Xuanwei General, Lin Guangyuan.

Then, he might be the Son of Yama like what the Divine Priest of Light had said.

The Haotian Taoism had rejected the Divine Priest of Light’s opinion, and allowed the bloodbath that happened more than ten years ago to end without pursuing any further. However, Ye Su did not believe that they were right to have done that.

That was because he was at the black line that year when the heavens gave an abnormality sign.