1097 You See (1/2)

”You see, the rules are always the simplest in the human world. Water flows downhill. Clouds float in the sky. Brightness and darkness take turns. When it's time, it's time,” the Abbey Dean looked at Ning Que and explained calmly.

Ning Que asked after a while, ”Why didn't you think so in the past?”

”Taoism is after all, Haotian's Taoism, just like souls always refer to the human souls. When people can live a peaceful life, why should they think about killing themselves in order to acquire new souls?” The Abbey Dean kept rubbing on the green leaf. Pleasant sounds resounded while he was talking, and wild flowers bloomed around him.

”I need to thank Ye Su… my brilliant student, who led me to think in this way, or dare to think in this way. He got enlightened when he stayed in the shabby cottage in Linkang. He established the New Stream and wrote those inspiring lines. He inspired me to think like this. He was actually my teacher in a way.”

The Abbey Dean turned to look at Sangsang and conveyed the following very important message.

”The New Stream is actually not in conflict with Taoism. They are both the truth, but apply to different times. Throughout the countless years of barbarism in the human world, they needed to seek for protection from You Highness. But mankind is evolving. The Headmaster appeared a thousand years ago, so did the Great Divine Priest, who established the Light's Doctrine. Then there were Ke Haoran, Lian Sheng, and me. It proved that we mankind is growing up and no longer need the protection from Your Highness. The human beings are able to protect themselves now. They no longer have to suffer from death and revival, or to be tortured like wild gra.s.s through endless samsara between the ever night and day.

The chilling lake was still freezing, but spring already took over around it. Flowers were blooming and trees were lush. The scene that was previously cut into pieces by Ning Que was reunited by the spring.

It was quiet for a long while. Nothing but the leaf flute in the Abbey Dean's fingers whistled. It was not a withdrawing clarion, but sounded like drum beats.

Ning Que spent a long while to digest the fear. He stared at the Abbey Dean on the other side of the lake and said, ”The Headmaster used to say something similar. Mankind has indeed grown up and no longer needs the protection from Haotian. They are able to stand up by themselves, or even fly. The difference between the Academy and Taoism is, we want to lead mankind to a vaster world, while you think they should stay here.”

The Abbey Dean said, ”I've told you many years ago. It is a fundamental disagreement that none of us could compromise. I think eternity comes from tranquility and solemnity, while the Headmaster thought only ever changing is eternal.”

Ning Que said, ”Ever changing is the order. To remain unchanged is the seldom disorder.”

The Abbey Dean challenged, ”The mankind is an outcome of the disorder. How could they pursue the order?”

Ning Que said, ”If only Ye Su was still alive, or if the Eldest Brother was here, they might be able to reason with you. But that's not my area. I'm rather good at fighting and killing than reasoning… However, even I could see a fatal flaw in your contemplation.”

The Abbey Dean said, ”Be my guest.”

Ning Que said, ”Even if it is a self-sufficient closed system and disconnected with the outside world, even if it no longer needs Haotian, there has to be someone to set the rules and represent the collective will. Who will that be?”

After a brief pause, the Abbey Dean said calmly, ”That will be me.”

The Abbey Dean continued, ”You see, that's also a very simple matter.”

...

...

You? To be what? Haotian?… Look, there is an airplane… Look, the storm is coming, take down the clothes… Those words flashed in Ning Que's head instantly.

He lowered his head and stared at the melting lake that reflected the sky. When he managed to calm down gradually, he tried to think it through and found it extraordinary.

The Abbey Dean was indeed extraordinary. To kill Haotian and replace with himself, it was egoism rather than heroism. It was an incredible ambition as well as a most powerful declaration.

Anything could become majestic as long as it was big enough, such as the snow, the wild, or even ambition. When it became extremely big, it would seem majestic.

The Abbey Dean eventually followed the Headmaster and the Youngest Uncle. He never had doubts about his past. The years of cultivation in Taoism had prepared him with sufficient theoretical basis, and helped him leap into an important conclusion. When the Heaven is no longer competent, it's my turn!

How ambitious. How courageous.

Sangsang looked emotionlessly at the other side.

Apart from Ning Que, the Abbey Dean was the one second closest to Haotian.

Neither Wei Guangming nor the previous princ.i.p.al of the Revelation Inst.i.tute could be his match. He was enlightened by Heaven and stayed in the South Sea for so many years. They had several conversations and he knew her will clearly.

”Your Highness is just a statue erected by Taoism. Now it's just a matter of switching the statue. How much courage does it take?” The Abbey Dean said to her, no longer with sympathy but sounded as natural as a senior talking to a younger generation. Then he turned to Ning Que and said, ”The Academy never wanted Haotian. Nor does the Taoism now. Therefore we could at least share the same goal on our last journey. Or, do you really think you could convince yourself to disobey the Headmaster?”

Ning Que paused for a long while then said, ”No, the Headmaster was never wrong. Actually you are not wrong either. Indeed the mankind no longer needs Haotian.”

Sangsang remained emotionless as if she heard nothing. He held her hand and continued talking to the Abbey Dean, ”I don't want Haotian either. But the thing is, I want my wife.”

He could let go of Haotian, but not his wife. The previous Haotian could be replaced by a new one, but if his wife was gone, could he replace her with a new wife? Even if he could…

Nonsense. There was no such an option. Full stop. I cannot lose my wife.

Thus Ning Que declared to the Abbey Dean, and the entire world.

The Abbey Dean felt somewhat disappointed, but he was not upset. He had been looking for Haotian for too long and his resolution had become firm as a rock now. No roaring storm or rus.h.i.+ng river could ever shake his Taoist heart. Just like nothing could have stopped the wild flowers from blooming in the spring.

”The Headmaster would be disappointed… Actually he should have been disappointed by the Sushui River many years ago. Whether to destroy or replace the Heaven, it should be a business of mankind. Only we human beings could make the decision. But you, have chosen to stay on her side. Have you ever regarded yourself as a human being?”

The Abbey Dean's fingers parted and the green leaf fell. It fell by his shoes and got crushed by the remaining blade intent.

Ning Que was slightly stunned. He remembered it clearly what the Headmaster said by the Sushui River before he left the human world. He could solve the problem by then, so could he now.