"Young master." A woman's voice came from behind as the window was opened a crack.
Chu Huaixu didn't even glance at the person who had come over. He simply dealt with the ashes of the burnt handkerchief on the ground and sat back down at the table to continue drinking the still-warm pear soup.
His expression was cold, and his voice was cold as he spoke: "Why are you here?"
The woman clasped her hands in a respectful gesture and said, "Young master has not been able to contact us for a long time. His lord is very worried and has therefore sent his subordinates to inquire about your safety."
Chu Huaixu replied indifferently, "Thank you for your concern, sir."
The woman bowed again and said, "In addition, Gu Yi has already been sent to Shanmen Pass to quell the rebellion, and Song Ting will also be sent by the young emperor to deal with the Turks. The lord's plan is imminent."
The plan at Longyin Mountain failed, the Red Lotus Sect lost some of its elite forces, and the imperial court's crackdown on the Red Lotus Sect intensified. This was that person's last chance.
It's all or nothing.
Chu Huaixu placed the soup bowl on the table, seemingly without joy or sorrow, but in reality, the hand resting on his knee had already clenched his fingers until they turned white.
"When does your master plan to make his move?" he asked, feigning calmness.
"Five days later," the woman said.
Chu Huaixu lowered his head and coughed twice, not immediately expressing his opinion, nor did Yuan Ge urge him.
After a long while, Chu Huaixu slowly took off the jade thumb ring from his hand and handed it to Yuan Ge.
The latter looked pleased and carefully took the item.
"May I ask, young master, where is the Imperial Seal?"
The waiter who frequently contacted Chu Huaixu had already informed their master that Chu Huaixu had found the Imperial Seal. One of the most important reasons Yuan Ge came this time was to bring the Imperial Seal back with him.
This is a crucial element for achieving anything.
"When I have avenged my great grudge, I will present it to you with both hands," Chu Huaixu said calmly.
The woman was taken aback by Chu Huaixu's reaction and frowned as she asked, "What does this mean, young master? Have you changed your mind? Or do you now believe that the emperor is truly trying to exonerate Prince Duan and have decided to let go of your hatred?"
“You’re joking, young lady. The young emperor’s repentance and his guilt are not contradictory,” Chu Huaixu said slowly. “Even if he clears my father’s name of treason, the lives of the sixty-five people in my household cannot be brought back to life.”
"Why is it that if he says we are guilty, we are guilty, and if he says we are innocent, we are innocent? He sits comfortably in that position, while my father, brothers, and mother died unjustly."
"He still has to die; only death can atone for his sins. Behind his honor lie countless lives, and someone is burdened with guilt..."
He must have been filled with intense hatred, for he couldn't continue speaking at this point, pausing for a long time before taking several deep breaths.
"However, I made a promise with your master that day. He would help me take revenge, and I would give him a treasure. I have not yet fulfilled my wish, so please ask your master to wait a little longer."
His tone remained calm, but Yuan Ge detected a certainty in it—he wouldn't hand it over to her.
The emperor often reminded them to be wary when dealing with Chu Huaixu, saying that although this man was covered in dirt, he had grown up under the late emperor's care and had a clever mind, so he was not easy to deal with.
But only today did Yuan Ge seem to truly understand her master's meaning. She asked Chu Huaixu, "Young Master, you have threatened the master time and time again. Aren't you afraid of the master's wrath?"
Chu Huaixu chuckled softly twice, looked down at his fingertips, and after a long while, answered:
"I'll say it again: I have nothing, so naturally I'm not afraid of anything."
"So please ask the young lady to convey to your master that we both hope to keep our original agreement."
...
Incense smoke filled the main hall. Song Ting, dressed in black, knelt on a prayer mat with his hands clasped together, looking at the three Buddha statues in the hall.
He used to be a skeptic of Buddhism and fate. The reason he got to where he is today is entirely due to his ruthlessness. The path he walked was paved with countless bones, and behind his honor, there are countless lonely and resentful ghosts.
If gods, Buddhas, ghosts, and demons truly existed, he would probably have been taken by countless wronged souls long ago, and wouldn't be alive today.
He never imagined that one day he would be bowing and praying to a pile of clay and wooden sculptures.
After reciting a prayer, Song Ting was led by a young novice to see Master Liao Chen.
Chu Huaixu's eternal lamp was originally enshrined in the dark Buddhist hall of Baima Temple. Now, with the young emperor's tacit approval, Song Ting sent someone to find Master Liaochen, who had traveled all over the world, and asked the master to move the eternal lamp from the dark Buddhist hall to the Daxiangguo Temple in Chang'an.
For no other reason than that the White Horse Temple is a long and arduous journey, and if Huaixu wanted to see his parents and brothers, it would be too far.
"Amitabha."
"Master Liaochen".
Song Ting last met this master four years ago when he was on a business trip in Luoyang and happened to pass by the vicinity of Baima Temple. The sound of the temple bell reached his ears at just the right time.
As Song Ting rode on horseback, gazing at the towering pagoda on the mountain, he suddenly thought of the ever-burning lamp that was popular among the people.
It is said that as long as you ask for an everlasting lamp in a temple and have a high monk light it to pray for your well-being, it will protect you and ensure that everything goes smoothly.
As if guided by some strange force, Song Ting walked into the White Horse Temple. By the time he realized what was happening, he was already kneeling before the Buddha, chanting a sutra along with the monks in the hall.
The one giving the sermon happened to be Master Liaochen, whom he and Chu Huaixu had met before.
The master traveled to various places, and coincidentally, he returned to the White Horse Temple, and coincidentally, Song Ting caught up with him.
It seemed like only yesterday that he and Chu Huaixu were kneeling in the incense-filled hall. Huaixu was so sleepy from reading the scriptures that he almost fell on the worshipper in front of him.
But suddenly, everything changed.
“Master, I am well aware of my grave sins and therefore cannot touch this lamp. I humbly request that you take the trouble to do so. After I return to my residence, I will soon send someone to recast the Buddha statues in the temple with gold as a sign of my sincerity.”
"Amitabha, thank you, benefactor!" Liao Chen put his hands together in a Buddhist salute. "This old monk should not say much, but I see that you have a frown between your brows, which means you must have something to worry about. Therefore, I have two words to say to you."
Song Ting respectfully said, "Please speak, Master."
"The past cannot be retrieved, nor need it be retrieved. Namo Amitabha Buddha."
“The past cannot be retrieved…the past need not be retrieved…” Song Ting murmured, repeating it over and over, then suddenly gave a mocking laugh, “What if I insist on retrieving it?”
...
Back then, Song Ting was incredibly arrogant, refusing to submit to fate. Now that she has everything, she is trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice.
I'm more afraid of losing it than ever before.
"Please have some tea, sir." The two sat facing each other, and Liao Chen handed Song Ting a bowl of tea. "Your long-cherished wish has finally come true, sir, so why are you still so gloomy?"
Song Ting smiled wryly and said, "Does the master really think so?"
Liao Chen bowed his head slightly: "Amitabha."
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