692 Body in Light, Feet in Darkness (1/2)
Absolute brightness was absolute darkness. That was a simple fact many people understood. Prince Long Qing was inspired by this in the Headmaster's illusion test when he competed with Ning Que. As the owner of the illusion, how could the Headmaster not understand? Just like he felt: the great Way makes everything the most simple.
Ning Que had read the ”Ming” Handscroll and Buddha's notes. He and Sangsang had been considered as the Son and Daughter of Yama when they were in the Desolate Man's tribe. He had a deep understanding of the related knowledge of Yama. Hearing his teacher and recalling the books he had read, he worked out the problems that had bothered him for a long time.
The Desolate Man's tribe called Yama Lord Guang Ming in the ceremony, who was the Lord of Light. There were many records about the Unmovable King also in the notes of the Buddhism Sect and that should be the Invariant Yama.
”Ming” was the Light.
The Lord of Light was Yama.
However, he still couldn't believe it, or he didn't want to believe it. Looking at the Headmaster and Sangsang, he was in pain and said, ”It doesn't make sense. Why did Haotian do such things? Was it too boring or did it make fun of the world?”
”It never cracks jokes. It did everything for a reason.”
The Headmaster looked at him and said, ”Haotian did so many things: it lied to the world and played a huge trick. Besides the preparation of the Everlasting Night, the main target is me.”
”At the moment when we were in the Wilderness, it successfully made me believe that Sangsang was the Daughter of Yama and allowed me to put human power into her body.”
”I told you the way I fought against Haotian was hiding in the human world which was safe. It is dangerous again.”
”But Haotian didn't find you anyway.”
”I am the human world and the human power was a part of me. Now, the part of me is inside Sangsang. From that moment, it found me.”
The Headmaster looked at Sangsang and said with a smile, ”During these days, it is watching me and I am watching it. That was why I could not taste meat and I have to look for meat all over the world with you.”
Looking at the willow's shadow in the river, Sangsang became sad like the time when she found the Headmaster was angry in the Wilderness, trembling and confused.
”Actually, I had realized that my fate was connected with yours for a long time. I am involved in human affairs and unable to see through it all. On the contrary, your Eldest Brother had a stronger perception than me.
”When he came back from the Wilderness that year, he tried to keep Sangsang away from me. At that time, he considered Sangsang as the Daughter of Yama, but he never expected the truth to be like this.
”I don't believe in fate. I even don't believe my fate will be intertwined with hers. In fact, under the will of Heaven, everything is doomed.”
Looking at Ning Que, he added, ”I saw you coming out of the woodshed; I saw her birth; I saw the blood in the woodshed and the little darkish baby girl in Mrs. Zeng's room eighteen years ago. I just didn't know what those meant to me at that time.”
”Since she became the Daughter of Yama in the Lanke Temple, and you both were hunted by the world, I had many chances to do something, but I didn't. I believed at that time, I had felt something, so I just wanted to hold off.”
Ning Que sadly said, ”Then what changed you?”
The Headmaster bitterly smiled after a while and said, ”I don't know... probably because I was really tired of being alive and eager to see my ending, so I decided to break the barrier in my heart and have a fight against that fellow in heaven.”
”Don't rush to criticize me.”
He smiled and said, ”You should blame your Youngest Uncle. Over thousands of years of cultivation, even if I had calmed down enough, he insisted on fighting against the heavens with a poor sword which pissed me off decades ago. Cutting the peaches in the Peach Mountain could only vent my anger it a little. I will break out after all.”
Ning Que quaveringly said, ”Is it inevitable?”
Pointing at Sangsang, the Headmaster said, ”As I said earlier, a part of me is in her body. It is watching me and so am I. It knows where I am and so do I. I can't turn down its invitation anymore. It is imperative.”
Ning Que was thinking, painfully. He tried his best with all his experience to think until he came up with something in his mind. His eyes suddenly brightened and he said, ”No... if Yama is Haotian, why does it allow the Everlasting Night to fall?”
”I was thinking about this problem these days as well. If this world is a land, Haotian is a hard farmer who harvests year after year. After so many years, even the best land will need a rest. The Everlasting Night should be the time to rest.”
”There is another possibility: as this world develops, human beings constantly multiply; the world is developed; the cultivators, as well as the powerhouses who are beyond the Five States, become more and more. Even if Haotian has enough food, it begins to fear. When we were boiling mutton in the Wilderness, I told you that although a lion is strong enough, when facing enough buffalos it would die in the end.”
”The ants are small, but if plenty of ants can fly into the sky, they will cover the whole sky. Now I remember that when the Buddha said everyone could be Buddha, he was telling the fact.”
Ning Que said, ”You are saying Haotian is afraid of human beings thriving, so it drops a catastrophe to destroy the world when it is on the edge?”
The Headmaster said, ”It should be the truth. Of course, this is only a deduction from you and me. As for the truth, it will be known when I face Haotian.”
Ning Que suddenly said, ”I understand.”