1023 The Talk He Wants With Her I (1/2)
The god was dead.
So would Haotian.
When the former was said to the other world, it was like a thunder in the dark sky and awoke people from savagery. The latter said in this world should have borne the same effect. But disappointingly it was only said to four people when uttered for the first time. What less disappointing was, the person inside the stone cottage heard it.
The story that Chu Yuxian told was Ning Que's story. Even he had no idea of what he was talking about, but simply parroted it word by word as Ning Que had told it. He took it far more seriously than his previous studies at the Academy.
Upon hearing the story, the middle-aged priest was impressed. By the last two sentences, he even showed some emotions. But it was quiet from the beginning to the end inside the stone cottage.
Chu Youxian was prepared for this. He restrained his anxiousness and ignored their reactions. He kept his head low and continued parroting Ning Que's words. These were the words Ning Que wanted to say to the world and to the person inside the stone cottage.
”It's better to move on together than to die. There's no eternity in the world. The world has always been there before Haotian. Then why can't we live without Haotian? Taoism was founded before Haotian. Taoism wanted to guard this world, hence created Haotian. In that case, the Academy and Taoism have always shared the same goal.” Chu Youxian lowered his head while speaking and his voice was fading because he somewhat understood what it meant and thought Ning Que was being shameless when saying they shared the same goal. When retelling it, he could no longer be that confident. Sweat fell from his forehead to the ground. It did not splash due to the lack of height.
”Since we share the same goal, why should we try killing each other? The Abbey Dean has been the leader of Taoism for a thousand years. Since Haotian will eventually die, Taoism has to plan for its future. During such a turnabout in a thousand years, no one except for the Abbey Dean should take charge. If you are hesitating, why don't you try waiting for a few more years? Ye Su is your student. If he becomes a sage, you are the master of the sage. Chen Pipi is your son. If he becomes a sage, you are the father of the sage. In the new chapter of Taoism, you will become the trinity of holy mentor, holy father, and holy master. Why not?”
It was quiet on the plateau except for the sound of wind and the voice Chu Youxian. The person inside the stone cottage neither consented nor opposed. He just listened quietly.
Chu Youxian's voice kept fading but he repeated fluently. He murmured and even added some of his own words subconsciously in the end. ”One is your best student, the other is your son. Taoism… will become a family business. You are a family. Why can't you sit down and have a good chat?”
Upon that, Chu Youxian found himself nosy and suddenly became paler. His sweat was immediately restrained and he sensed the coldness on the plateau.
He felt lucky because he was still alive. He reasoned that if they were going to the Divine Halls after this, he would leave all of the talking to Chen Qi and would not say a single word.
Having heard Ning Que's words retold by Chu Youxian, the person inside the stone cottage was still very quiet. The middle-aged priest hinted Chu Youxian and Chen Qi to leave. They had finished their task and only wished to leave as soon as possible. So they turned immediately and retreated to the mountain trail like two nervous rabbits.
The gate of the stone cottage opened with a squeak. An ordinary wheelchair came out of the cottage with an old man sitting in it, covered in a grey blanket.
The person in the wheelchair had lived for over a thousand years. He should have been a very old figure. But previous during his very visits to the human world, people found him to have not aged at all. It was not until after the battle in Chang'an where his Mountain of Snow and Ocean of Qi was destroyed, that he started aging immediately.
Grey hair appeared around his temples and he looked more gentle. No matter how old he was or if he was a wastrel now, as long as he was alive he had full control over Taoism and posed as the biggest threat to the Academy.
According to Ning Que, the Abbey Dean was way more important than the Drunkard or the Butcher, not because of his former divine skills, but just because of the fact that he was the Abbey Dean.
The human world in the past thousand years was the Headmaster's human world, while the thousand years were the Headmaster's thousand years. But the Abbey Dean had always been there. It had proved a lot.
The middle-aged priest pushed the wheelchair to the edge of the plateau.
The Abbey Dean stared calmly at the floating clouds and snow along the cliffs. He said slowly, ”Ning Que was stuck in Chang'an for half a year. Many thought he was doing nothing but keeping himself imprisoned as he did previously. But actually he was thinking a lot. That's what he did.”
It was true that Ning Que had been thinking. He was thinking about how to solve the problems in the human world and consequently in the Divine Kingdom. His conclusion was that in order to solve them he had to convince the Abbey Dean.
Not to conquer, or to kill, but to convince. He believed that the Abbey Dean could be convinced. Because he was not someone obsessed with survival like the Drunkard or the Butcher. He was above human desires and of high aesthetic values. He possessed a strong willpower as the Headmaster did. That was indeed some compliment.
Through the teachings of the Headmaster and the years he stayed with Sangsang inside the Buddha's chessboard, Ning Que had acquired a much deeper understanding of belief. He figured out the origin of Taoism as well as Haotian. Therefore he was certain that the Abbey Dean was not some stupid figure who would burst into tears upon seeing the Divine Flames. The Abbey Dean did not believe in Haotian, but rather his own faith. That faith was the biggest secret ever since the founding of Taoism.
To guard the world with Haotian. The world was the ultimate goal and what Taoism had been guarding.
It did not matter that the Butcher founded Taoism, or that Abbey Dean reigned Taoism today, for they never saw Haotian as an innate holy figure. Therefore Ning Que tried very hard to bring the story and the last two sentences to the Abbey Dean. He knew that the Abbey Dean did not need to be reminded. But he still wanted to try. The god was dead, so would Haotian.
In the new world there would be the New Stream, and Taoism would open a new chapter. To wave to the old world and welcome the new, as long as Taoism could embrace this trend, it would still have an important role in the new world. Taoism could still guard this world, but in a different way.
Ning Que wanted to remind him that this world itself was much more important than Haotian. It was not just the Academy's perception, but also the fundamental faith of Taoism. Then why couldn't the Academy and Taoism share the same goal? Ning Que chose to negotiate with the Abbey Dean because he knew he could understand. He knew that the Abbey Dean was a man of true wisdom. Only a man of true wisdom could make such an important decision.
”The Headmaster was indeed a great man. Only he could have educated such a student.” The Abbey Dean said calmly, ”Ning Que could see the truth of Taoism and my faith. This is extraordinary.”
The middle-aged priest was impressed. Because the Abbey Dean had given the highest compliment to Ning Que. It was also because the Abbey Dean had somewhat revealed his true belief. The Abbey Dean watched toward the cliffs and pondered for a long while.
The middle-aged priest found his hands trembling on the wheelchair. Even he could not help from being extremely nervous now. Because what would happen next would change the entire human world or even the fate of Haotian's Divine Kingdom.