Chapter 794 – The World Is Infinite, So Never Stop, Whether Day or Night (2/2)
He stood up, looked around, then walked towards the mountain stream.
This stream, formed from the thawing snow off the mountains, was very clear. It flowed towards the plains of the north, unlike the vast majority of the continent's rivers, which flowed west.
Starlight shone over the stream, making it appear like a gorgeous belt of silver.
The frost grass growing amongst the mountains had always had a shallow layer of white wool, but now, when dyed by the starlight, it appeared like true frost.
A figure sat beneath the starlight, somewhat lonely.
Chen Changsheng walked over and sat by this figure.
Perhaps because the starlight was too magnificent, the lush beard was unable to completely conceal that face's true appearance.
Chen Changsheng once more confirmed that Luo Bu was very young, only a few years older than he was.
”What are you thinking about?”
Luo Bu was not eating meat, only drinking wine.
A small and exquisite wine pot was held between his two fingers, slightly swaying in the wind and starlight as if flaunting its elegance.
Upon hearing Chen Changsheng's question, Luo Bu paused, then replied, ”About how the world is infinite.”
Anyone who responded to such a simple question with this sort of answer would make others feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Yet when it came from his mouth, it gave the feeling that it was completely logical for him to say these sorts of words.
Of course, if that friend of Chen Changsheng's were here, he might hold his belly and laugh, and then use harsh words to humiliate Luo Bu.
Chen Changsheng did not, as he came from Xining Village and not Wenshui City. Moreover, he often thought of similar problems, though he rarely discussed such things with others.
Not looking to the past or to the future, virtuous sages and wise sovereigns, tears dripping down in sorrow—in the end, it would all flow west1.
He thought of the Scroll of Time, also called the Canon of Flowing West, thought of the chains beneath New North Bridge, the grave underneath the Orthodox Academy that no one knew of, thought of all those things that happened in the last ten years. He became deeply moved and, looking upon the beautiful mountains and river under the starlight, said, ”Never stop, whether day or night.”2
'What are you thinking?'
'About how the world is infinite.'
'Then you can never stop, whether day or night.'
One question, one answer, one response, yet there seemed no relation between them. The exchange seemed stiff and disjointed, but when carefully judged, it had its own flavor.
At this time, at this place, there should be wine.
Luo Bu glanced at Chen Changsheng and then placed the small wine pot in his hands.
Chen Changsheng appeared rather hesitant as he looked at the wine pot in his hand.
Luo Bu was somewhat surprised, asking, ”You don't drink?”
Chen Changsheng replied, ”My health wasn't very good when I was young, so I'm rather careful about this sort of thing.”
Luo Bu was never someone that would force others to drink. Seeing Chen Changsheng in difficulty, he laughed it off and prepared to take back the wine pot.
However, Chen Changsheng raised the wine pot and took a drink.
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1. Other than the part about flowing west, these lines are from a poem by Chen Zi'ang, an official who lived during the Tang Dynasty. In its complete form, the poem goes, 'Not looking to the virtuous sages of the past, nor to the wise sovereigns of the future, thinking about the infinite world, tears drip down my face in solitude and sorrow.'↩
2. I believe this a reference to a line from 'Analects', which goes, ”The Master standing by a stream said, 'It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!'” The meaning here is that time flows ceaselessly on like a river.