731 The Academy Is Still Young (1/2)

A child was cracking stones outside the town of Tile Mountain.

Since the stone Buddha collapsed and the Lanke Temple was destroyed that year, the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival had never convened again. There were naturally few tourists coming to the town of Tile Mountain and the stone pond on the street had already dried up.

Nowadays, people made a living mainly by repairing the Lanke Temple. They lived a good life thanks to the generous monks. Stones found everywhere in the mountains and valleys became the most handy toys for children. They were also the best source of finance because the stone's material was good and could be carved into a variety of small Buddha statues to sell for money.

According to what his mother had asked, the child wanted to break the two stones along the grain. However, since it was his first time doing this, he did not know how to do it well and failed to do so even though he tried long and hard.

He wiped his nose constantly while he kept on crushing the stones until his nails started to bleed.

A scholar in a cotton jacket appeared beside him with a blood stain on his left shoulder.

The scholar looked at the boy and went over to give him a hand. He had such an extraordinary strength that each stone was divided in half after they collided in the air.

The child was very happy. He thanked the scholar and wanted to be his student.

The scholar smiled and disappeared.

Moments later, a Taoist in indigo appeared outside the town.

He also smiled and disappeared after greeting the boy.

The boy looked at the four stones in his arms and felt confused. Then he turned and walked to the town.

The sound of the bell reverberated through Chaoyang City.

The sound came from the Imperial Palace, not the White Tower Temple; the death knell signified the death of His Majesty.

There was an old woman sitting on a stool by the roadside, making shoe soles. On hearing the bell, she rubbed her milky eyes and mumbled, ”What's wrong again? What's wrong?”

A scholar appeared in front of the old woman and politely asked, ”Can you mend my torn cotton jacket?”

The old woman looked at the hole in the left shoulder of his cotton-padded jacket and the blood on it, and said angrily, ”Where did you fight? You're young and should learn to behave.”

After the cotton jacket was mended, the scholar left.

Moments later, a Taoist in indigo appeared before the old woman.

The old woman looked at the tear in the lower hem of his black clothes, and refused him by waving her hand, ”The material is too good for me to mend.”

The Taoist in indigo took his leave once more.

The West-Hill Divine Palace's army had already gone north.

The Peach Mountain was quiet and lonesome today, with only two or three priests strolling in it.

The scholar appeared before the Divine Hall and then left.

The Taoist in indigo soon appeared and left again.

On this late autumn day, the scholar and the Taoist in indigo had trodden the mortal world on foot.

One person followed the other.

Moving ten thousand miles in a moment; this was the Limitless State.

Every time he appeared, the wound on the scholar's shoulder would become more serious.

But the Taoist in indigo remained well.

It was on a nameless island deep in the South Sea.

On the white beach there was a short wooden stick, half of which had been buried in the sand.

It was actually unusual though it looked like a very common wooden stick.

It was left here, plain and common, because its master had left the mortal world.

The scholar appeared on the beach and bent down to pick up the stick.

Soon after, the Taoist in indigo showed up as well. He reached his hand towards the blue sea.

A sword flew from the sea and landed on his hand.

”After walking for so long, are you tired?” The Taoist asked.

”I'm still young compared with you.” Eldest Brother responded.

Then he asked, ”Aren't you tired?”

”I'm fast,” the Taoist in indigo answered.

”You are really fast.” Eldest Brother said, ”I wouldn't know what to do if I had not found the stick.”

The Taoist said, ”Even though you've found the Headmaster's stick, you can hold on for no more than seven days.”

Eldest Brother looked at him and said, ”Even one day is better.”

The Taoist in indigo said, ”Since it's destined, why bother to struggle?”

Eldest Brother replied, ”Nothing is destined in the world. No one knows what will happen in seven days.”

Seven days would be enough for the Tang's military to defeat the invading enemy of the Yuelun Kingdom, for Ning Que to master the God-stunning Array of Chang'an, and for the Academy to do many things.

The Taoist in indigo said, ”In seven days, the Academy would no longer exist.”

Eldest Brother said, ”While our teacher is fighting in the sky, we will not let this happen.”

The Hierarch of the West-Hill Divine Palace had gone to the Academy in person. According to Haotian Taoism's prediction, the Academy did not have the ability to change the tide. However, the calm expression of Eldest Brother seemed to indicate something unexpected.