Nightfall

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

“If I scare you to death, where can I find my successor?”

“The problem is that it doesn’t sound real to me.”

“Why not?”

“Chang’an City, God-stunning Array, to pass them on to me…? Why? For what?”

“The number of Divine Talisman Masters who are eligible to preside over the God-stunning Array is small, yet they who can be absolutely trusted by the Empire are even much less. As for the three cloistered Divine Talisman Masters in the Academy, only little Huang He is a citizen of the Tang Empire, and uncle Gongsun has something wrong with his health. Yet, you are a student of the Headmaster of the Academy, and a disciple of mine, so why can’t the imperial court trust you? Why can’t I pass them on to you?”

“Who can agree?”

“I agree.”

“Master, is it enough only with your consent?”

“His Majesty has agreed, and he told me that he promised to show you something after you formally stepped into Talisman Taoism.”

“He did agree… but… anything relevant?”

“You’ll understand when you see it someday.”

…

…

It would be, of course, a very happy and glorious thing to become a high-ranking Divine Talisman Master. However, if the security of the entire Chang’an and even the entire Tang Empire was handed over to the becoming a Divine Talisman Master, then this kind of happiness and glory would be multiplied immensely and would be finally turned into big responsibilities like mountains and strong pressure like the sky.

Thinking of standing up on the city tower of Chang’an in a few decades to overlook the whole world, Ning Que could not easily feel relaxed any longer. Instead, he would carefully observe the lives of millions of Tangs and always continue preparing to make the decisions that ordinary people could hardly make for the longevity of the imperial court, which had been prosperous for over thousands of years. At this moment, Ning Que felt that it was a little hard to breathe in his depressed mood.

Based on objective evaluation, any lad that had just come into contact with the cultivation world for less than a year and who was still in the No Doubts State would be nearly scared to death if he suddenly knew that bigwigs of the Empire had made such an important arrangement for his future.

Ning Que was no exception, but after all, he had experienced too many shocks and impacts in his life. He was strong and wild enough. Especially after entering the Second Floor of the Academy, his mind had become more stable, and even calm, easy, and indolent.

After getting back to Lin 47th Street, his mood soon returned to normal.

Someone’s old cat lying on the stone in the ally was squinting and lazily basking in the sun.

…

…

In fact, Ning Que was not lazy. In those days, in order to avoid those enthusiastic Chang’an citizens and stewards of different mansions, he still got up in the dark and went out early in the morning to practice swords, knives, and needles and to enjoy the wind, melodies, and games of chess in the back of the mountain of the Academy. After leaving the Academy, he would continue to go sightseeing around Chang’an City and to visit Taoist temples all around, but now he was alone on the road without his master’s company.

Chang’an City finally arrived at the most difficult period of the year—a hot and stifling summer. Ning Que also finished traveling to more than 10 temples, and he eventually arrived at Wanyan Tower in Southern City. Unfortunately, as it was not the right time of spring, geese had already made their trip north to Xunyang Lake of the Gushan Commandery to spend the hot summer. Thus, he had no chance of seeing the shocking scene of tens of thousands of geese flying together around the ancient tower.

Luckily, places like Taoist temples always preferred to choose the world’s most beautiful scenery as their background, so the Taoist monks were forced to rehabilitate some good scenery so they would not be miserably cursed at by mortals. Hence, although there were now no geese to enjoy at Wanyan Tower, at least a pagoda with ancient lichenous bricks and finely carved stone statues remained.

Ning Que looked up at the pagoda for a while and did not perceive any enlightenment in Talisman Taoism, nor any beauty. Therefore, he shrugged and walked into the hall, but he was immediately absorbed in the statues that were smooth in lines, but exceptionally solemn in expressions.

The world was enveloped by the Divine Light of Haotian, while the Buddhism Sect silently stayed at a corner of Yuelun Kingdom. Although some temples had been built at the edges of some cities, after all, they might not qualify as mainstream. Most of the Buddhist monks doing penance in the Wilderness had little effect on secular people. Like most people, Ning Que did not understand much about Buddhist doctrines. He just roughly knew that the so-called venerable ones in the Buddhism Sect were probably equivalent to Sages that ordinary people always spoke of. These were the legends or myths of ancient times.

Stone statues of the venerable ones were placed successively in the quiet Buddhist Hall. They were emitting a flash of quiet and yellowish sheen as light penetrated through from windows that were covered with yellow papers. They were varied in shapes—laughing, or speechless, or seeming bitter on their faces. Their hands out of their cloister robes were also distinctive—putting their palms together, or lightly gripping together, or pressing their long figures together in strange ways.

Ning Que guessed that these must be Emblematic Gestures of the Buddhism Sect, and he subconsciously imitated in accordance with these statues. He stretched his hands out of his sleeves to slowly put his palms together, and then spread his fingers to be crossed, or bent his fingers to drop his wrist like a lotus. He gradually felt something in his heart, but could not tell what it was.

Out of the temple appeared the bright and heated sunshine again. He blinked his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. When he was about to leave, a middle-aged monk came out of Wanyan Tower and smiled at him.

…

…

Such a shabby roof it was.

The middle-aged monk placed a cup of tea in front of Ning Que and calmly said, “You can call me Huang Yang.”

Ning Que received the cup and expressed his thanks to him, thinking that the name was somewhat familiar. It seemed that the name had been mentioned by Master Yen Se.

“You might be confused as to why I invited you to ascend upstairs and have a talk together.”

The middle-aged monk looked at him and smilingly said, “I’m entrusted by someone to speak a few words to you.”

Ning Que, holding the warm teacup, felt puzzled and thought by whom the monk was invited and what he wanted to say? At this moment, he finally remembered the identity of Huang Yang monk. Suddenly he was shocked, recalling those stories of hearsay that in the past he had heard. He then quickly got up and said, “Honored to… see you here, Master.”

Huang Yang monk chuckled and said, “Many people feel troubled about what to call me. In the eyes of the common people, I’m the so-called younger brother of the emperor, and I’m often called lord. But I’m merely a monk rather than a lord.”

Ning Que laughed, not knowing how to reply to him.

Huang Yang monk pointed to the hill-like Buddhist scriptures on the bookcase behind him and said, “I brought back these scriptures from the Wilderness and wanted to translate them into plain characters so that their true meaning can be learned by the common people. Yet many volumes haven’t been finished yet, due to my little talent and learning. So please don’t mind if I directly start to tell you.”

The middle-aged monk sitting on the opposite side was the younger brother of the emperor of the Tang dynasty, the most respected Buddhist sublime being in the Empire. Although Ning Que had not yet been able to guess by whom the monk was invited, a sublime being like the monk would rather take time off and talk to him here than interpret the Buddhist scriptures. What the monk was going to say might be extremely important to him. Thus, Ning Que would not have the slightest grievances about that.

“I know little about Fu characters, so I can only start from the cultivation process that I have experienced. The Buddhism Sect stresses enlightenment with a clear heart. The one with a Buddhist heart can become a Buddha. The Qi of Heaven and Earth around can be considered as the gift endowed by Haotian, or as some glories that have existed since ancient times. Whether Haotian has the same will as that of humans is still controversial among the Taoist Sects, Buddhism Sects, and Academy predecessors. So we won’t talk about that today.”

Huang Yang monk was actually straightforward, without any greetings or changing or concluding in his remarks . He directly uttered a great proposition, but abruptly stopped to quickly enter the theme after a few explanations.

“Cultivation in the Buddhism Sect is ascetic. The so-called ascesis does not that mean cultivators need to bear hardships, but spend lots of years walking between heaven and earth and intimately contacting with cliffs and streams. Some day in the future, a water flower may blossom in the still stream of a cliff. After that, cultivators might be able to perceive the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth.

“Cultivation pays attention to understanding the laws of Qi of Heaven and Earth, to perceiving how the Primordial Qi flows and how it becomes static. Disciples of the Buddhism Sect also need to study, but what’s different is that our study depends more on perennial accumulation. That we can suddenly figure out these things is called enlightenment.”

The truly good students, even in front of Einstein, would not be passively waiting to be fed by geese as wiggling fish did in Back Mountain of the Academy. Instead, they would bravely and timely raise questions. Ning Que was definitely a good student, so he frowned and asked after Huang Yang monk finished those words, “To realize all the attributes of objects by being extremely familiar with their objective existence?”

“You summed it up pretty well, no wonder that you can enter the Second Floor of the Academy.”

Huang Yang monk was slightly stunned and said, “It generally makes sense. However, in terms of the Buddhism Sect, the Qi of Heaven and Earth has existed before humans, and will be always existing after our death. This is an objective existence of transcending secular experience or even living experience. Hence, perception matters more than mastery for us, who live amidst it. Most importantly, we should not think to control it.

“So the Buddhism Sect, unlike those general genres of cultivation, divides states with the degree of understanding and control of the laws of Heaven and Earth. There’s nothing at all in the No Doubts State and Seethrough. To have a decent study about the endless heaven and earth with a limited life, how can they have no doubts? As it is the mystery of heaven and earth, how can they see through?”

Ning Que seriously considered his words, feeling that these views of the Buddhism Sect were somewhat too rigid, or at least not so positive.

“The Buddhism Sect only tells about enlightenment. If you get enlightened, then you actually do. If you don’t, then you really do not.”

Huang Yang monk looked at him and calmly said, “I have done penance with my master in all parts of the world since my childhood. After the master died of old age and poor health, I went to Yuelun Kingdom since I heard that there’s a holy land of the Buddhism Sect in the far west of the Wilderness. And then I started to march toward the Wilderness with caravans of the kingdom. During the following seven years, I followed 17 different caravans to get into the Wilderness, where some caravans stayed without coming back, but more caravans returned to the kingdom with big rewards. Yet, I have never found the legendary holy land of the Buddhism Sect.

“One of the caravans had approached the Wilderness four times, and so had I with this caravan. Hence, I was familiar with those carters and guards. A sandstorm struck one day, and then the caravan was trapped somewhere in a mound of Qiucheng. At nightfall, a Horse Gang also entered the mound to avoid the sandstorms. Thus, a killing occurred for no reason.”

Hearing the words “Horse Gang”, Ning Que subconsciously raised his eyebrows, and a flash of bright light passed through his eyes. At the same time, his body suddenly stiffened out of instinct, with killing intent covering his body. He then asked in a low voice, “Master, what happened then? ”

He knew that it was unnecessary to ask this question for he knew better than anyone else the cruelty of the Horse Gang in the Wilderness. But now, the master was bravely sitting here, so he guessed that something probably did happen to him, or the master had very likely attained enlightenment that day.

Sure enough, Huang Yang monk answered, “The Horse Gang was somewhat dreadful about disciples of the Buddhism Sect. Not until after they killed everyone did they besiege me. It was at that moment when I was finally enlightened, after 20 years of penance with my master and seven years of going in and out of the Wilderness. ”

Hearing the Master’s story, Ning Que seemed to personally be on the cruel scene in the Wilderness that night. He was feeling slightly uneasy in his mind, and he then consciously asked, looking at the other side of the desk, “Master, how was the Horse Gang afterward?”

Huang Yang monk smiled and did not give a reply. Instead, he just slowly poured some tea into his cup.

Ning Que laughed, knowing that he had asked a question of no significance. Although the Buddhism Sect was particular about mercy and helping others, Ning Que clearly knew that the Buddhism Sect would get furious in front of villains because before he had seen the introduction of those venerable ones who had glaring eyes. That Horse Gang menmbers had naturally died.

Huang Yang monk continued, “As for how I got enlightenment at that time, I can’t understand, even now. I just remember that my body was immersed in the outflowing blood of familiar peers, feeling that their blood was very hot, which made my skin burn and seemingly blaze up.”

Hearing these words, Ning Que gently rubbed his fingers under the table, feeling that the blood stains left from childhood were still as viscous as before. Though they were much lighter in color now, they still made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Huang Yang monk looked at him and continued, “I’ve been puzzled and in pain for many years—since enlightenment must come, then why didn’t it come earlier? “Even just half a day earlier—then my friends of the caravan wouldn’t have been killed by that Horse Gang. After a long period of time, I finally came to understand the truth that reasons and Lucky Chances for everyone to attain enlightenment are various. When chances come, they actually come. If not, you won’t be able to force it.”

Ning Que understood that the master was giving him advice now.

Huang Yang monk continued, “Blood shouldn’t be hot nor burning, since it’s not fire. However, it was hot and burning for me at that moment, burning up all my clothes, my body, and even my Buddhist heart. If enlightenment is the perception of the laws of the Qi of Heaven and Earth, then everyone’s enlightenment should be distinctive. Only what you feel is real, and what others teach are fake. Hence, you don’t need to worry. Be slow, and you’ll finally get enlightened.”

Ning Que spent a long time in silent consideration, and then gave a long bow before departing from the Goose Pagoda.

A moment later, Li Qingshan, the Master of Nation of the Tang, suddenly showed up and said, looking at Huang Yang monk, “Grateful.”

Huang Yang monk shook his head and replied, “So many contacts in such a short period of time. Don’t you worry that he will go wrong?”

Li Qingshan quietly said, “Such a lineup, including a Divine Talisman Master who’s standing in front of the threshold, a highly regarded younger brother of the emperor of the Buddhism Sect, and those freaks in the Second Floor of the Academy, will lead the way for a young lad who’s just entering the cultivation world. If he doesn’t go wrong, then his future will be predictable. If this still doesn’t work, then… we can only wait for the Master to return home.”

Grand Cultivators standing at the top of the Tang Empire all devoted themselves to the educational work of Ning Que. According to Li Qingshan, such latecomers as that lineup might appear again in the future, but surely no predecessors like them had ever come before.

Huang Yang monk kept silent for a while before smilingly saying, “I hope he won’t disappoint you in the future.

“The Military Ministry and the Imperial Center Administration have also investigated him in detail, confirming that he’s undisputedly loyal to the Tang Empire. Being able to enter the Second Floor of the Academy proves that he has enough potential, or even the qualifies to become a Divine Talisman Master in the future. Most importantly, he’s unlike other cultivators who don’t understand the affairs of life and just do things in the clouds. Instead, he acts calmly and coldly, being courageous and capable of killing others by any means on any occasion.

“How can His Majesty miss a young guy like him? Not to mention the role that the young guy’s section played in their relationship?

“So, painstakingly cultivating him isn’t because old guys like us expect him to give credit to us when he grows up in the future, but because the future of the Tang Empire needs a young man like him.”

…

…

Since finishing the delicate banquet that could not fill his tummy in the palace that day, Ning Que sent some sections into the palace through the Bodyguard Office. After that, he had never been again nor met the emperor of the Tang, so he did not realize that he had become the most important candidate of the talent training program of the Great Tang Empire. However, judging from the talk with Huang Yang master in Wanyan Tower today, he could more or less figure out why the younger brother of the emperor of the Tang dynasty was willing to show up in person, who was relied on much in the palace, in addition to the honor of Master Yan Se.

He was not shocked even if he had guessed it a little correctly, especially compared to the situation where, a few days ago, his Master pointed to the picturesque scenery in Southern City and told him that he would be responsible for the safety of the grand city. But, he would certainly give birth to some touching emotions.

A few days after the meeting in Wanyan Tower, he had been pondering over the words from Master Huang Yang, especially the word “enlightenment”.

The more that he considered, the more he could confirm that the enlightenment that the Buddhism Sect stressed was actually the Seethrough, if it was put into the system of ordinary cultivation methods. It meant to preliminarily grasp the governing laws of the Qi of Heaven and Earth.

At this time, Ning Que still remained in the No Doubts State, and only a small distance away from the Seethrough. The same went for Talisman Taoism. He just needed a bit of distance to draw out that talisman, but the distance that seemed small for him was the most difficult part to overcome.

Whoever would inevitably give rise to the emotions of anxiety and impatience, seeing that they were only one step away from the peak of the perilous mountain, was always unable to step over. Some days ago, Ning Que really acted calmly and easily. However, he was always looking forward to the coming of that day. Not until hearing those words about enlightenment from Master Huang Yang in the tower did he suddenly realize that expectations, while seeming to be quiet and with merit, were also an anxiety, and that was an obstacle to cultivation.

After a whole night of thorough consideration, Ning Que stopped thinking about such things as the Seethrough and Talisman Taoism. He would still either go to the Academy for flying swords, enjoying songs, forging iron, and gossiping, or walk around in the famous places in Chang’an City. Yet, he did not think about on which day he could enter the Seethrough and set the first brush on the white paper. While watching cornices of the scenic spots, he was just purely appreciating their beauty, reflecting their lines into his eyes, and even printing them into his heart, rather than considering what he could perceive from them.

One day in midsummer—

The Old Brush Pen Shop was enveloped in the trying stuffiness and humidity of the afternoon. Ning Que relied on a bamboo chair under a tree, looking vaguely up at the sky that was separated overhead by branches and green leaves. He picked up a wet towel from the basin beside the chair to flap on his body twice from time to time in order to wash away the greasy sweat and summer heat with the well water.

“Change the water, please. The water in the basin has gotten hot again. What terrible weather this is. Hurry up and fetch some fresh water from the well.”

He was anxious about the severe heat rather than about cultivation, shouting loudly in front of him.

In order to resist those inexhaustible admirers and stewards, the Old Brush Pen Shop now was open only two or three days, and was often closed with the excuse that the host had a joyous occasion. Sangsang was so bored during the day that she would clean the table again and again. Now, hearing Ning Que’s annoying shouts in the courtyard, she quickly ran out and poured the old water out under the tree, and then went to fetch some new well water.

At this moment, a long-awaited rain fell down, striking the eaves and leaves with a crackle. It then rapidly transformed into pouring rain like a thunderstorm, which still could not conceal the neighbors’ ecstatic shouts coming from the back alley.

“Young Master, get in the house immediately.”

Sangsang dropped the basin and hurried to close the window.

Ning Que lay on the bamboo chair without any movement. He stared at that falling rain, feeling the embrittlement made by raindrops hitting his naked skin, as well as the humidity covering the streets, while his expression seemed a bit strange.

Sangsang looked at him from the window and shouted, “Why haven’t you come in?”

Ning Que opened his eyes, looking at the increasingly dense rain, and suddenly shouted, “Look, it is so beautiful.”

Sangsang thought that her young master was talking nonsense again. She waited for a long time and found that Ning Que was still lying silly in the bamboo chair. She did not worry that he would catch a cold in the hot weather, but was afraid that he would become a fool exposed in the rain. Then she walked out to the bamboo chair with her slim furrowed eyebrows and looked up at the sky just as he did.

Ning Que found that she had a little trouble looking up, so he put his hands around her waist and held her in his arms.

The master and servant lay side by side on the chair, with their eyes gazing at the sky in the heavy rain.

Sangsang watched the rain that was falling on her face like arrows, and surprisingly said, “It’s really nice.”

Ning Que wiped away the rain on her face, and asked, “Do you think we are like an eave under millions of years of wind and rain?”

Sangsang shook her head and said, “I don’t think so. I feel like we’re a city wall being shot at by a lot of arrows.”

Ning Que sighed, “What an unromantic girl.”

…

…

At night, the rain gradually stopped.

Sangsang began cooking, while Ning Que dried his body and came to the desk by the window once again.

He poured water into the inkstone, ground the ink stick, and lifted the brush, which was just as usual and natural as he had done for more than a decade.

The piece of white paper on the desk was the original one, whose edges had rolled up during dozens of days, but it was still blank.

He took his gaze away from the page of the Water Volume of the Classics of the Fu character, and gave a glance to the rain dripping from the eave.

Then he dropped his wrist and set the brush down.

The plump nib, which was like a treetop that had been engorged with rain, gently fell onto the white paper.

One line, two lines, three lines, six lines.

Six lines were finished.

Ning Que took a deep breath, and then put the brush away.

Sangsang came in with two bowls of rice with soybean sauce and put them aside before walking to the desk and taking a look with curiosity.

Then she looked up at the roof, and unhappily said with her eyebrows slightly furrowing, “Is it actually leaking? Wasn’t it a new house built in the fourth year of the Tianqi era? Young Master, you need to talk to Mr. Qi tomorrow and tell him to reduce the rent. ”

Ning Que reluctantly shook his head and said, “Have we ever paid the rent? Moreover, this house doesn’t leak.”

“Doesn’t leak? Young master, are you confused with a fever because you got wet in the rain? Do I need to go to the pharmacy…”

Sangsang pointed at the blank sheet of paper on the desk and asked with concern, looking at Ning Que.

However, without finishing her words, she, with her slim body, was held by Ning Que into his arms.

Sangsang felt that her young master seemed very excited today. She had no choice but to open her arms, and motionlessly let him hug her.

Ning Que held her tightly and smilingly said in her ear after a short period of silence, “Tell all those Chang’an people who want to invite me to dinner that I’ll have time to attend the meetings in their mansions from today on.”

Hearing those words, Sangsang slightly stiffened and looked again toward the desk.

The six ink lines on the white paper had long disappeared.

Only a puddle of water was left.

It was either rain, or water.