933 Ugly (2/2)

He turned to her and asked, ”Why?”

Ning Que had seen much ugliness and misery of human world since he was a little boy, but he couldn't understand why a society with such an unstable structure could maintain its operation for so many years and why people living here could endure for so long and even seemed to be happy.

”Like I said, it was just a well.” Sangsang looked at the cliff in the distant under the night sky and added, ”Looking at the sky from the bottom of a well, one can see nothing, so these people thought that the monks in the peaks were real Buddhas. What Buddha said can be very deceptive.”

Ning Que thought for a while and said, ”My Second Brother was right. All monks deserve to die.”

Sangsang said, ”The Academy is always focused on Heaven and never cares about what happens on earth.”

She showed no sign of taunting, but Ning Que knew what she really meant. He couldn't defend the Academy after seeing the miserable world, even though he could be very sophistic.

”You are not wrong.” He continued to say, ”But my Second Brother is here now. The Academy won't just walk away.”

Ning Que and Sangsang walked slowly to watch the field thoroughly. They were still a long way from the cliff when the morning light fell on Xuankong Temple in the peaks.

The closer to the cliff and farther away from the mountain where the Xuankong Temple was located, the lower the temperature was, the more barren the lands were, and the more miserable the serfs were.

The agricultural products in the field gradually became rare, and the cold-tolerant weeds gradually flourished. The gray-haired cows and sheep were slowly walking between the meadows. There were piles of stones between the grasses, with tattered pray flags hanging on them.

When he came here two days ago, Ning Que had seen the piles of stones and pray flags but hadn't paid too much attention. At this moment, he found that there were scattered black blood on the stones and a faint smell of blood hanging around.

Walking closer, he and Sangsang saw more disabled serfs who had been tortured, some of which had their tongues cut off and others had their shank bones cracked. They couldn't bear to watch all the tortures these people suffered.

Knowing that his Second Brother must be in the most bitter place, Ning Que was certain he was on the right path to see Second Brother. Although Sangsang couldn't find Buddha, she could still easily find the Second Brother. She lead Ning Que to the depths of the meadow.

The meadow was scattered with cattle and sheep which were as beautiful like as cloud. There must be dilapidated yurts not far from the flocks. The lakes with blue waters were often located behind the yurts.

A lake flowed over, creating a large wetland full of water plants. A little girl in a dirty leather coat waved a small whip to drive her four lambs.

This little girl reminded Ning Que and Sangsang of Tang Xiaotang.

It was probably the first time this little girl ever saw strangers, but she was not afraid at all. She smiled and waved at them. The smile on her dark face was so clean, and her white teeth were a little dizzy.

Ning Que smiled at her.

The little girl herded the four lambs and came to them. She said nothing, just holding Ning Que's hand and leading them to a yurt. She was inviting them to her home.

The field was deep underground and isolated from the world. Although there were no outsiders and no outsiders could ever find this place, it was still on earth.

Thinking of the cruel scenes he saw tonight and seeing the little girl who held his hand, Ning Que suddenly remembered the City of Wei, which had already become ruins and the young men and women who danced around the bonfire outside the City of Wei.

Hell and Heaven existed side by side on earth.

Sangsang asked, ”Ignorance means naiveté, and naiveté means cruelty. How can you not see through this?”

Ning Que answered, ”Even so, you don't have to speak aloud.”

At this moment, he saw what happened across the lake.

Many people kneeled on the ground, surrounding a monk.

The monk wore a dirty khaki Kasaya, and the right sleeve kept swaying in the wind.

Any other people might look ugly dressing like this, but the monk looked decent with his elegant gesture. No one had any reason to think otherwise.

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