Nightfall

It was all ruins atop the peak. Broken walls and stones fell everywhere. A broken clock was rolling and murmuring in the tangled gauze. The dust-stained Chief Monk of Scripture walked to the hole and tried to stop the burning stream. He squinted to look for the chessboard in vain, and felt extremely upset.

It was catastrophic for the Xuankong Temple. Numerous yellow temples collapsed and thousands of monks were dead or seriously wounded. The soldier monks, Qi Nian, and other powerful cultivators of the Buddhism were also badly injured by the quake.

But those were not reasons for the Chief Monk’s grief. He was upset because he would probably never see Buddha’s chessboard again in his life, which meant that the Buddha probably could never come back to the human world.

The chessboard broke through the hard rocks and burning underground stream, fell into the flaming magma and was burned by the underground fire.

The chessboard should have been able to shield itself from any substance. Even the horrible magma would have not been able to get through. But now the chessboard had a tiny crack, so the magma was able to penetrate.

For the world inside the chessboard, the tiny crack was the two huge fractures over two hundred miles on the sky. The magma that penetrated into the chessboard was the endless burning heat.

The dark ocean flooded most of the continents. When the flood retired, the world was left in devastation. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas stood desperately in the ruined world and stared at the flaming magma falling down from the sky.

The flaming magma kept falling down from the cracks on the sky. It looked like countless burning falls, extremely charming yet extremely horrible. The flaming magma fell onto the Wilderness in the retiring flood. Poisonous smoke was produced and enveloped the entire world. Many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were burned to crisps and passed away.

The destructive flood followed by punishing flame put an end to numerous lives inside the chessboard. It looked miserable everywhere and was exactly like the Latter Days of Dharma as described in the scriptures.

Chaoyang City was ruined by the dark sea. Broken walls, beams, stones and corpses scattered on the mud-covered ground. The bell would never ring again in the White Tower Temple.

A young monk stood outside the city and stared at the fractures on the sky afar and the flaming magma falling down from it. He stared for a long time until the screaming eventually disappeared inside the city.

The young monk then left Chaoyang City and walked eastward. He looked at the statue of Buddha in the form of a handmaiden in that direction, pressed his palms together and walked resolutely on the muddy ground.

He was resolute to rebuild the Buddha statue. It might take over a thousand years to rebuild the statue. And he clearly knew that he had already failed. If Haotian were to leave the world, then she would definitely return to her Divine Kingdom. However, he was still determined to do so. Because it was his world.

Under a pear tree in the Back Hill of the Academy, Sangsang stood, emotionlessly looking to the west.

She could not find and kill the Buddha inside the chessboard, and she had to focus on the bright moon above. Therefore she chose to bury the chessboard deep down in the ground. The chessboard was burning in the underground fire. The Buddha inside would suffer from the everlasting pain and grow weaker until his eventual death.

She looked to the west and said to the Buddha, “Until the mountains flatten and the Heaven and Earth merge, I won’t see you again.” She was Haotian. She ordered Earth to punish the Buddha who dared to imprison her for a thousand years. Her will was the inviolable will of Heaven. Even fate could not disobey her. Hence, the Buddha would never come back to the human world again.

Ning Que knew why she said so, and clearly understood the powerful result of the cause and effect conveyed in her words. Yet he still felt unease. “Aren’t those conditions usually used for love oaths?”

But they all knew that he was clowning to make it feel less intense by the lake. Obviously it did not work. No one would agree that he was the master of the house.

The Eldest Brother let go of the cudgel. Mu You put away her embroidery needles. Fan Yue, the Fourth Brother, refrained from looking for the River and Mountain Sandbox. The Sixth Brother put aside his iron hammer. Song Qian and the Eighth Brother collected their chess pieces. Beigong felt embarrassed and played some random notes. Ximen wiped his bamboo flute and put it back on his belt. Wang Chi walked to a cluster of blossoms and pretended to be enjoying the flowers.

People in the Academy withdrew from their battle mood not because they believed that Ning Que could conquer Sangsang. From the moment Sangsang threw out the chessboard they had realized that she had already fully recovered as Haotian. At that point, no one could control her. There was no point in fighting a losing battle.

Of course it was also because Sangsang had said previously that she would not kill them today.

Recalling how she threw away the chessboard and fractured the sky, they found it very hard to associate the lofty woman under the pear tree with the skinny and swarthy little girl in the Back Hill of the Academy cooking dinners years ago.

The Eldest Brother looked at Sangsang and asked, “Can we talk?”

Ning Que took a glance at her and turned to the brook. Although they were special to each other, the Eldest Brother was the only one eligible to negotiate with Haotian on behalf of the Academy.

The others also left the pear tree and started minding their own business. But no one was able to concentrate truly on their chess or music. Because the negotiation was vital for the Academy and the human world.

It was still very tranquil by the lake. Fish tried to come out of the slot on the rocks or from underneath the lotus. They swam to the surface of the water and enjoyed the spring breeze. Birds in the woods peaked timidly and refrained from twittering.

The Eldest Brother said, “To stay is also an option.”

Sangsang said, “I don’t need you menial human beings to find options for me.”

The Eldest Brother said, “The Academy is kind to Your Highness.”

Sangsang looked at the lake and held her hands behind her back. She said, “Perhaps you used to be kind to me. But your instincts for fate is sometimes beyond human capacity.”

The Eldest Brother continued, “The Headmaster was kind to Your Highness.”

Sangsang said, “What your Master did was nothing different from what the Buddha did. They both wanted me to be weakened and killed. I can’t see any kindness in that.”

The Eldest Brother said, “The Buddha poisoned Your Highness, while our Master embodied the world of mortals in Your Highness. The former was to destroy you, while the latter was to change you for the better. Our Master wanted Your Highness to become human.”

Sangsang recalled that Ning Que said something similar when they were still in the chessboard. She frowned and asked, “Why do I need to become human? What good will that do for me?” Regardless if it was Haotian or an ordinary human being, they tended to conclude any discussion with matters of benefits and responsibilities. It was vulgar yet inevitable.

The Eldest Brother could not provide an answer. He continued after a brief pause, “I have no idea what benefits Your Highness would get during this process. But I believe that our Master had a reason for doing so. He must have predicted that Your Highness will obtain something desirable. But I cannot make a wild guess.”

This was Haotian’s World. She ruled over the world and owned it entirely. No matter how it changed, she could not own more. Then what did the Headmaster think she could obtain?

No one knew the answer, not even herself.

The talk was brief and did not bring any solution. Sangsang left the pear tree, held her hands behind her back and walked down the hill. Upon seeing this, those who had been pretending to play chess or music turned back at the same time. They unanimously agreed that no result was the best result for the time being.

Mu You looked at Sangsang and proposed hesitantly, “How about having some lunch first?”

Sangsang did not answer as if she didn’t see her, and continued to walk emotionlessly.

Ning Que hurried to follow.

The Cloud Gate Array along the mountain trail could easily stop strong cultivators at the top of the Five States. The Hierarch was able to break in years ago only because the Array was missing a master at that time and also because Yu Lian was waiting for him. It would not be so easy if he were to try to invade again.

But for Sangsang this array meant nothing. She easily walked through the array, came out of the plateau of the Back Hill and got to the front yard of the Academy. Ning Que followed closely.

Ning Que asked, “She asked if you’d like to have lunch. You should at least answer even if you don’t want to eat anything. She is after all the Elder Sister, if not your elder sister-in-law. You should show some respect.”

Sangsang did not pay any attention and kept walking emotionlessly.

Ning Que was slightly embarrassed and followed her quietly.

They walked through the old library, crossed the meadow, headed for somewhere secluded and arrived at the Forest of Swords.

Sangsang held her hands behind her back and stared at the erect trees. She said after a while, “When you climbed the hill years ago, I was right here. These trees turned into swords and tried to kill me.”

Ning Que said, “I heard from the Second Brother afterwards that it was set up by the Master.”

Sangsang said, “No. It was the sword intent Ke Haoran had left to kill me.”

Ning Que was surprised. The Forest of Swords was indeed empowered by the Youngest Uncle. But Sangsang was just a handmaiden in the Old Brush Pen Shop at that time. How could the Forest of Sword have reacted to her?

“Ke Haoran knew me. But it was funny that I didn’t know myself at that time.” She said funny but she looked no less indifferent. “Except for the sword intent he had left, no one else knew I was Haotian, not even myself. Even the person holding the brush pen had no idea where the stroke should be started at. That was the Heaven’s works.”

Ning Que sighed, “Indeed. You didn’t know who you were. How could anyone else have known? You tricked my Master into the Divine Kingdom and took my youth.”

Sangsang did not laugh. She said to him indifferently, “I saw that you wrote a lot of things and I know how good you are at calligraphy. So, how do you like my work?”

Ning Que had no idea what she meant. If she was talking about what happened before, why did she want him to comment at this point? Or did that mean she had started a new work?

A brand new work of Heaven? The thought of it made him feel restless and cold.

Sangsang glanced at the sky cut by the Forest of Swords and turned to head for the Academy.

Ning Que asked, “Where to?”

Sangsang replied, “Chang’an.”

Ning Que’s restlessness vanished upon her words like snow melting in spring. It nurtured his mind and cultivated new growth. He felt extremely satisfied.

The God-Stunning Array was the only threat to her left in the human world. She was willing to go to Chang’an now. It probably meant that she would be willing to stay in the human world and stay with him.

…