(11)
In just a moment of confusion, the sword in his hand disappeared. The young man naturally tried to catch up and take the sword back with a leap, but after leaning out of the stone fence, he was blinded by the sudden strong wind. When he opened his eyes again, the sword had passed through the thin clouds and disappeared.
Bai Feng stared with confused eyes, watching the Longming Sword that did not belong to him fall into the chaotic stream below, with mixed feelings in his heart. The old monk Xuan Qing next to him walked to the lost boy with a Zen staff. The sound of the Buddhist bell on the staff floated in the breeze, and seemed distant among the endless blue sky and white clouds. He stretched out his old palm, put it lightly on the other person's shoulder, and said with a sneer: "Boy, what's wrong? Do you feel sad?"
The young man raised his head and let out a long sigh before replying: "No! What I'm more confused about is why Master would do this..." After Bai Feng said that, he lowered his head and looked at the lush land covered by mist at the bottom of the cliff.
"Hehehe..." Xuan Qing sighed: "I thought your master was trying to persuade people to turn back... Regarding that test, no matter whether the other party drew a sword against me, the old monk, the final outcome was nothing more than watching it with my own eyes. The sword I obtained fell into the abyss; or if I, the old monk, were killed on the spot, the person carrying the sword would not be able to escape intact!"
"Look back?" Bai Feng murmured, subconsciously turning around and looking back. The first thing that caught his eye was the weeds struggling to survive in the narrow gap between the bricks under his feet, and then the tall and solemn pagoda.
"Yes! It's time to turn around!" Xuan Qing also looked up at the tower and said: "As young as you, young hero, why do you have to imitate Jing Ke and Nie Zheng in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Carrying a long sword and having a knight's heart, you can do whatever you want. No matter how you throw your head and shed your blood, in the end it will just become the dust of history. Now that the sword is 'gone', why not seize the opportunity: whether it is to retreat to the mountains and forests, or to take refuge in Buddhism. In short, keep going forward even though you know that there is a dead end ahead. , It’s really not smart.”
The young man lowered his eyes and thought for a long time, and various scenes emerged in his mind: the violent death of his parents, the tragic situation of his benefactor, the lonely figure of his master... He knew that he was not trying to imitate anyone, but the old monk could not tell the truth. It was unreasonable, which caused doubts in his determined heart: "Just trying to survive? Or should I follow my heart and continue to move forward?"
"Ha." Bai Feng suddenly sneered, and then said: "Old monk, I may be the 'idiot' you call me!" After saying that, he faced Xuan Qing again, bowed and said: "Please allow me to go down and capture the dragon." The ringing sword is found!"
Xuan Qing, as if he had been brewing for a long time, let out a long-lost hearty laugh, and immediately said: "As expected of the disciple of the 'White Snake Immortal'! At this time tomorrow, old monk, I will be waiting for your good news in the tower. !”
After Bai Feng heard this, he turned around and left to prepare for going down the mountain. Xuan Qing looked at the other person's leaving figure and suddenly saw the heroic figure of his former friend. He couldn't help but turn around and face the boundless blue sky outside the stone fence, sighing: "You have taught a good apprentice! Alas, not like me... …”
The young man who lost his sword did not dare to waste any time, because it would take a whole day to go up and down the mountain, so in addition to preparing dry food and water, he also had to bring lighting fixtures. Since the gauze lamps used in the temple were weak and far inferior to torch tops in the wild, he had no choice but to borrow some fuel and a torch made of dried bamboo strips from the monks in the temple. After returning to Qingliang Temple and getting ready, Bai Feng, who was about to step out of the room, happened to bump into Murong Yan who looked sad.
The two discussed the matter of finding the sword. Murong Yan was even more puzzled by Xuan Qing's actions. She even imitated the young girl Meng Die and scolded him as a "bald donkey" and offered to help Bai Feng. Then he came to ask Xuanqing why he treated the sword that was so important to Bai Feng in this way. The young man just laughed at this, even though such a test was indeed very unreasonable: looking for an iron sword that fell from a height of ten thousand feet in the wilderness.
It was night, and the dusk bell still sounded slowly at that hour, as if it had been like this since the beginning of the world. The laws of nature and the reincarnation of heaven are so clear every day and night in this temple. The monks returned to the room one after another. No one would notice that tonight would be any different from previous nights! Of course, except Abbot Xuanqing.
The monk Juexin, who had lost control of his emotions during the day, was still sitting on the hardwood floor in the room, meditating and reciting scriptures silently facing the door. Behind him was a naughty girl, with a small mouth that seemed to never stop moving under the green poisonous spots that occupied the entire left side of her face.
"Hey...ah! How can others sleep here when you are here!" Mengdie, a young girl on the bed, complained.
"Xiao Monk must not let Mengdie go out to cause trouble again." Juexin replied.
Mengdie glanced at the thick arms, thinking that Jue Xin was so abnormal today, and felt sympathy in her heart. In addition to his careful care along the way, even if her heart was made of stone, she wouldn't be emotionless, right?
Under such natural circumstances, the budding young girl took advantage of the dim light to sneak up to Juexin and slowly put her body against the other person's back. She leaned her face with strange spots against the other person's cheek. The touch was like snake scales, which made Jue Xin feel shy. Mengdie immediately said softly: "Why don't you sleep with me? That way I won't He can run..."
After Jue Xin heard this, his whole body trembled with chills, and his body froze for a moment. He then replied hesitantly: "Mengdie... please... don't say these words... rest early."
"Okay!" Mengdie said, "I understand, I know... Good night..." After that, she turned off the lights and went to bed.
Such sudden ambiguity made Jue Xin, who had never been contaminated by the worldly atmosphere, extremely excited. He knew that this was because he had not practiced enough, so he became more obsessed with chanting sutras and meditating, trying to completely forget everything just now.
Suddenly, I don't know how long it took, Juexin suddenly heard a strange noise outside the door, so he wanted to open the door to find out. What is unexpected is that the person outside the door is Master Xuanqing.
"So you are here, Juexin?" Xuan Qing asked.
"Master, please listen to my explanation!" Juexin glanced back at Miao Nu on the bed and replied in a low voice.
Xuan Qing smiled and said: "That's all, come with me quickly..."
Xuan Qing nodded in agreement, and then the two of them walked to the pagoda with Xuan Qing holding a lantern leading the way. The two went upstairs from a narrow spiral staircase and entered a Zen room. There is only one Buddha statue in the room, a low table, and several Zen mats. The remaining empty spaces are filled with books and scriptures.
Xuan Qing first lit the surrounding wax fires one by one, and the room gradually became brighter. Then he sat on the felt, placed his Zen staff across the low table, and began to preach: "Juexin, do you still remember what happened today?"
"Young monk, remember!" Juexin replied with her palms clasped.
"You were too emotional at that time, and you wouldn't listen to anything I said, old monk. That's why I want to talk to you alone this night."
"The abbot actually cares so much about the young monk. The young monk really has nothing to repay!" Juexin bowed and said in respect.
"Jue Xin! What do you think of my Zen staff?" Xuan Qing asked.
"Uh?" Juexin said in confusion: "Back to Master Xuanqing, this young monk doesn't understand..."
The two talked for a long time, but what was the result? A moment later, Master Xuanqing was seen standing alone on the edge of the cliff behind the pagoda, holding only a gauze lantern. The Zen staff he had always carried with him had disappeared. His misty eyes looked into the abyss in the night, as if he could see the young man searching for the sword in it.
