118 The Most Wonderful Sound in the World (1/2)
Chapter 118: The Most Wonderful Sound in the World
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
There was a nonsense-like truth that existed in the world: ”Existence is the real being, so is nonexistence”. It was very simple for the criterion of existence and nonexistence in the secular world. For instance, visible things like mountains were existent; audible things like sounds were existent; tangible things like fire were also existent. But if you could not see, hear, or feel it, then it was not nonexistent.
But that criterion could not be applied to the world of cultivation. The Breath, or Primordial Qi, filling the world and the Psyche Power, produced by the integration of the Ocean of Qi and the Mountain of Snow which caused the vibration of the Primordial Qi, could not be perceived by ordinary people. They were incapable of seeing, or hearing, or feeling the Breath of Nature and the Psyche Power of cultivators. But that did not mean that such things did not exist.
The Initial State, also known as the Initial Awareness State, referred to the psyche of cultivators that was output from the Ocean of Qi and Mountain of Snow to comprehend the existence of the Breath of Nature. The Perception State indicated that cultivators could still stay in harmony with nature, and could even have some sensory exchanges and contacts with it after being initially aware of its Breath. Both of the two initial states were collectively called the Unreal State.
Whether an ordinary person could embark on the way of cultivation could be easily judged by the above discussion. If he could see, or hear, or feel the Breath of Nature or the psyche, then he was really on the way.
Staring blankly at his trembling fingers, the thin gap between the pulps and wet towels, and the transpiring heat, Ning Que knew that what he felt was something else rather than the heat.
It was inaccurate to describe this kind of feeling with the word ”touching”—it was more like a sense of perception.
Spirits existed in human brains. And spirits produced the psyche that referred to thoughts, while the Psyche Power was dying to be with you... Such enigmatic strength generated by these kinds of patterns were named the power of thoughts.
Ning Que was exhausted at this time, as he had not recovered from the serious injury. There were no distracting thoughts in his mind except for the idea that he would like to pick up that steaming wet towel to take a good wipe on his body.
It seemed that the Breath circulating between Heaven and Earth finally understood his thoughts and felt the power of his thoughts at this time. The Breath infiltrated from the eaves, the window, the comforter, and every drop of sweat and then converged in front of his fingers with a ”Speed” beyond the range of speed, and then it finally fell on the hot wet towel.
…
…
Dead silence reigned in the room. Ning Que gazed at his fingers like the famous flower-addicted girl of Yuelun Kingdom, and he was afraid to breathe or blink. He had to ensure with his utmost strength that his trembling fingers would not shake into afterimages. So he kept that posture with this unprecedented precaution, as if he was a frozen quail.
After a long time, he gradually raised his eyebrows and slightly cocked his head like it was in slow motion, and glared at his fingertips with apprehension and anxiety. Then he slowly closed his eyes to forcibly suppress the excitement in his heart, and started to meditate.
After he got the Article on the Response of the Tao in Kaiping market many years ago, Ning Que had continued to meditate everytime and everywhere since then. He was involved in meditation before sleeping, while gazing at the sunrise after getting up, when feeling happy after winning three bowls of wine in gambling, and while staying in Shubi Lake after jumping into it with his whole bloody body. Though it was pathetic that he had never been aware of the flowing Primordial Qi, he was absolutely the most proficient at getting into the state of meditation.
Gone were all the thoughts.
Sticking to the heart.
Galloping with the mind.
Ning Que, whose acupoints and Ocean of Qi and Mountain of Snow within his body were blocked, and whose hopes had been destroyed countless times, finally heard or felt that long quiet Breath after spending 16 years in this world. It was the Breath of Heaven and Earth.
He dared to swear on his mother's reputation, who loved him the most in the General's Mansion, that while this long and quiet Breath was minor and slight, it was definitely the most wonderful sound that he had ever heard. It was more wonderful than the sound of the Horse Gang falling off their horses by Shubi Lake; than the sound of Zhang Yiqi struggling to move with his staring eyes; and even more wonderful than the sound of silver crashing together in the money bag.
There were stretched green leaves, blossoming flowers, tweeting birds, towering mountains, running waters, falling oranges in the islet, hundreds of competing boats, a broad land, and a spacious sky within the long and quiet Breath.
Ning Que did not know how to describe the beauty of the Breath. Perhaps only the weak breath that he heard those years ago could be comparable—that year he found little Sangsang, who was frozen to blue among the dead bodies by the roadside, and after holding her in his arms for the whole day and night, her weak breath was finally heard.
At that moment, he vaguely remembered the noises that were heard in the street when he was unconscious, and he realized their meanings—Those breaths coming from the hitching posts and sideboards of taverns along the streets; those breaths coming from the courtyard and old pagoda trees and green leaves beneath the seats; and those breaths coming from stone lions, wooden buildings, streets, palaces, and city walls were all the gifts given by Heaven and Earth.
What he heard was the Breath that was calm and long and moving toward the future from ancient times, and what he touched with his fingers were not material objects but their realities that could be determined. Though the doors and windows of the room were closed, he could still feel the gentle waves slowly swirling around him. No, these waves were more dignified than the wind. They were as gentle as a quiet lake and clean water, but nimbler than water.
He could no longer suppress the emotion pouring out of his heart when he finally confirmed what he perceived. He awakened. Peering at the scrolls written by him on the wall and looking at the simple beams and patterns, his eyes were filled with excitement, but an extremely complicated mood arose. He seemed to be able to see the gray wall and green trees in Lin 47th Street. Although the doors and windows were closed, and he knew that the present world looked the same as that in the past, but from this day on, the world... would definitely be different for him.
Ning Que reached out his shivering fingers to aim at the bean-shaped candlelight on the table, and took a slow breath to urge his psyche to get into the Ocean of Qi and Mountain of Snow. And it took a very long time before he gradually released it.
The candlelight on the table was disturbed. He was wondering if it was due to the wind, or his fingers, or his confused heart.