608 We Were Here and Those Who Stop Us Shall Die (1/2)

Chapter 608: We Were Here and Those Who Stop Us Shall Die

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

Great terror laid between life and death. When one was tied to the life and death of this world, then the degree of terror was much more difficult to imagine. Sangsang heard Ning Que's words but remained silent, thinking about something.

Ning Que reached out to touch her forehead. It was a little cool but not as serious as when she was ill. After a moment of contemplation, he helped her put on a robe and carried her off the black horse carriage.

The two stepped on the almost frozen ground of the Wilderness and walked to the Bodhi tree.

Looking around, the desolate plains stretched across in all directions. There were the occasional winter willows which had long dried. The sharp trill of birds traveled from a distance. The verdant Bodhi tree was especially eye-catching in the Wilderness.

Ning Que and Sangsang had read many Buddhist scriptures in Lanke temple for days and had already entered the meditative state. They could sense that there were remnants of Buddha beneath the Bodhi tree. While it was minimal, it gave one the sense that it had been there, desolate for a long while.

There were some slight bumps around the ground beneath the Bodhi tree. The area within it was as smooth as a mirror. What was even more interesting was that there were no signs of fallen leaves or dust within it.

Ning Que looked at the markings and when he compared it with the imageries in his mind, he discovered that the markings fit the imprints one would make when they laid on the ground. The small dent in front must be made by the buttocks, which supported one's weight. The relatively larger dents below were marks made by one's body.

He said to Sangsang, ”Legend says that when Buddha entered Nirvana, he did so lying on his side with his eyes closed. It seems that it is true.”

Sangsang did not understand why Ning Que had brought her to look at the Bodhi tree. It seemed to be a trace Buddha had left behind.

”Those who cultivate in Buddhism would all want to come and worship before this Bodhi tree. But we have never thought of it and yet still came here. If there were really such things as Lucky Chances, then this is ours.”

Ning Que said, ”Learning about Buddhism is good for your body. Even if it can only treat the symptoms, you should still continue with it. The Buddha spirit left behind beneath this Bodhi tree should be helpful to your practice.”

Sangsang leaned against his chest weakly and said, ”Where will we go in the future?”

Ning Que answered, ”We're going back to the Academy, of course.”

Sangsang curled up slightly, evidently a little uneasy. She said, ”But I'm very worried.”

Ning Que frowned slightly and asked, ”What are you worried about?”

”The Academy does want to treat my illness. But if my illness is really a mark left behind by Yama, then how would they be able to treat it? I can sense that the remnants of Buddha left beneath this tree will not be of much help.”

angsang said somewhat sadly, ”Have you ever thought what you should do if even the Academy cannot heal me and the world is facing impending doom because of me?”

Ning Que said after a short moment of silence, ”I have said that I don't care.”

Sangsang said softly, ”But would the Headmaster and Senior Brothers feel the same?”

Ning Que did not say anything, he did not know how to answer her question. He knew that his teacher and two Senior Brothers did truly want to heal Sangsang. But if they cannot do it, would they watch on as the Underworld Invasion came?

Sangsang looked up at him and said seriously, ”Ning Que, have you once considered, that we should just kill ourselves?”

Ning Que patted her back and said, ”This might be a possible ending if this was a tragic story in books. However, I have already said that this is not a story. I don't like reading books. I don't want to die, and I don't want you to die even more.”

Sangsang said sadly, ”But we don't have a future anymore.”

The Underworld Invasion meant that the Everlasting night was coming. It meant that the world was about to end. The Daughter of Yama was naturally the enemy of the world. Not even the Academy or the Tang Empire could stand against the entire world. This also meant that no matter how big the world was, there was nowhere left for them to stay.

Ning Que said after a long silence, ”I have seen the 'Ming' Handscroll of the Tomes of the Arcane. I have also read the notes left behind by Buddha. I know that Buddha had already seen the future of the world, which was why he wanted to build Xuankong Temple and left behind the chessboard and Yue laan Bell. He wanted to respond to the Underworld Invasion.”

Sangsang did not understand why he was saying this.

Ning Que looked at her and said, ”Master Qishan once said that if we attempt to look into the future, no matter whether it is just a glance or not, the future would change. Buddha had made so many preparations for the future that he saw, then there must naturally be a great difference between the future that he saw and the true future.”

Sangsang said, ”You said that the future is not predestined, so does that mean we don't need to worry?”

Ning Que answered, ”The future and death are actually very similar. If it is already predestined, then there is no point in worrying. If it could be changed, then there is no need to worry. We just have to work hard at changing it.”

Sangsang said, ”I understand. This makes a lot of sense.”

Ning Que said, ”Even though I do say things that make a lot of sense occasionally, these words did not come from me. Teacher once said this to me, so I believe in it staunchly.”

Then, he looked into Sangsang's eyes and said, ”The entire world might not allow us to live, but we still have to return to the Academy. Because if this is the last time we trust, we have to leave it to teacher.”

A smile appeared on Sangsang's pale face. She nodded.

Ning Que smiled and said, ”We might die anytime. Tomorrow might be our last day, and it might not necessarily be a bad thing. At least it will rush us into doing many things that we used to think of doing but did not dare to do.”

Sangsang looked at him quietly and plucked up her courage. She said, ”I want to have a child with you.”

Ning Que froze and then smiled bitterly. He said, ”We need a lot of time to have a child. Is there anything else that you want to do now?”

Sangsang asked, ”What do you want to do now?”

Ning Que held her hand and they walked to the Bodhi tree. He took out a sharp arrowhead and carved a line of words on the tree that Buddhist believers thought of as the ultimate sacred symbolism that should not be violated.

”In the 16th year of Tianqi, Ning Que of the Academy and his wife, the Daughter of Yama, Sangsang had been here.”

The black horse carriage traveled solidarily on the cold Wilderness. As there were no waterbodies in the Wilderness, the horse carriage that traveled speedily looked as if it was moving slowly on a sheet of black and grey paper.

Ning Que and Sangsang had once lived in the Wilderness and were familiar with this plainness and desolation. They were extremely familiar and used to it. They knew that even in the Wilderness in the north of the Central Plains, they might not meet a single person in two weeks if they were unlucky. Furthermore, this was even deeper in the Western Wilderness which was even more desolate.