Chapter 277 The Laws of Heaven and Earth
"Moonlit Mountain City? Isn't that..."
Zhu Shi wasn't as accustomed to Asao's "misfortune" as I was. To me, it was perfectly natural for strange people and things to happen to come together. Although Zhu Shi wasn't completely unaware of Asao's situation, she couldn't help but show surprise.
Mr. Zhu hadn't heard our conversation before. Seeing Zhu Shi's reaction, he inquired about the whole story, while I took the opportunity of Zhu Shi's explanation to ponder the deeper meaning revealed by the information.
Even if it's possible that Asahia's jinxed nature was what attracted the naval spirit to Tsukigami Castle, attributing the entire cause to "luck" is clearly incorrect. Asahia's attraction to strange events is often accompanied by deeper clues.
For example, when we were investigating the Shadow Man in the past, the reason we happened to run into Chang'an and Jin Yu on the way wasn't because Chang'an suddenly had a mental breakdown and went to see Jin Yu, and then bumped into us by accident. At that time, Chang'an had a clear motive, and we also had a motive to go to the nightclub where Jin Yu was. Encounters in reality are based on the clash of motives.
The same likely applies to the naval commander Xuanwu this time. He probably wasn't simply driven by some mysterious force to coincidentally choose Moonshadow Mountain City as the meeting place; rather, he had his own motive for going there. From his perspective, perhaps he simply wanted to resolve my affairs and something else he needed to do in Moonshadow Mountain City simultaneously.
So, what exactly was his purpose in going to Moonshadow Mountain City?
He not only specified the meeting place, but also the meeting time. Before tomorrow night... Tomorrow is also the time the Lord of the Divine Seal specified that I could find Chang'an's soul at Moonshadow Mountain, and the one holding Chang'an's soul hostage is Silver Moon... Is the Water Master Xuanwu's purpose related to Silver Moon?
I honestly can't figure out what the connection is between these two names. If I had to say, I did hear the names Yin Yue and Shui Shi Xuan Wu mentioned together by Fu Feng last time. In Fu Feng's assessment, these two people have something in common: they are "invincible except by the Great Impermanence."
"Zhuang Cheng, have you already arrived at Moonshadow Mountain City?" Old Master Zhu asked with a tense expression.
“That’s right,” I said. “Did Xuanwu specify the meeting place more specifically?”
Moonlit Mountain City isn't very big, but if the naval commander Xuanwu doesn't step out from the crowd and introduce himself, I really won't be able to find him.
“He didn’t say that, but he said that as long as you arrive, he will take the initiative to find you tomorrow,” Mr. Zhu said.
Unlike me, who didn't know what the naval Xuanwu looked like, they already knew my name and probably knew my face, so finding me wouldn't be difficult.
I wonder if he'll still be able to find me if I keep my appearance fixed at twelve or thirteen years old tomorrow? Although I'm a little curious, I'm the one who needs his help, so there's no need to make it harder for him to find me.
However, considering his inexplicable killing intent towards fire-element users, if he discovers me first, he might strike me hard, using that legendary "ultimate move capable of killing the Great Impermanence." Anyway, the recipient of the elixir isn't me, but Mazao; a preemptive strike wouldn't prevent him from fulfilling his promise. Perhaps I should still find a way to locate him first.
"If my judgment is correct, Xuanwu will probably have arrived at Moonshadow Mountain City tonight, without having to wait until tomorrow," said Mr. Zhu.
"What's the basis for that?" I asked.
“I checked the information online, and it turns out that you suddenly had a torrential downpour that the weather forecast didn’t predict, right?” he said. “I was wondering why Moonshadow Mountain City not only had a heavy rain but also a sudden, abnormal rise in temperature. Now that you’ve arrived there, everything makes sense.”
“Meteorological changes that defy the laws of nature sometimes signify great uncertainty, or the passing of those qualified to act with great uncertainty. High temperatures and rainfall are phenomena caused by your ‘laws of heaven and earth’.”
The law of heaven and earth—this is not the first time I've heard this term.
Both Yin Yue and Dong Che mentioned the Dharma of Heaven and Earth. Yin Yue, in particular, put the terms "Dharma of Heaven and Earth" together with "one who is qualified to be Great Impermanence," which suggests that the Dharma of Heaven and Earth may be a characteristic of one who is qualified to be Great Impermanence.
Based on my knowledge, the concept of "following the laws of heaven and earth" has two interpretations. One interpretation, primarily found in "Journey to the West," refers to the supernatural power of transforming oneself into a gigantic form that reaches the heavens and the earth. The other interpretation is a more primitive one, which posits that the operation of heaven and earth possesses profound wisdom, and therefore, humanity should emulate heaven and earth, using their operational laws as a model to correct its behavior and spirit.
The simplest way to follow the laws of nature is to work at sunrise and rest at sunset; staying up late will have negative consequences. From a health perspective, this is correct, but the ancients often explained their misfortunes by attributing them to supernatural or mystical explanations.
They believed that if one cultivated oneself to a certain level by emulating the ways of heaven and earth, one would be in harmony with nature and receive various forms of divine assistance; when the time was right, heaven and earth would lend their support. Conversely, going against nature would result in divine punishment, and when fortune turned against one, even heroes would be powerless. The strong fortune of the small bowl, built upon the ability to "communicate with all things in nature," should be based on this principle.
Furthermore, because the ancients believed that heaven and earth were not only benchmarks for behavior but also for morality, frequent natural disasters during a monarch's reign were seen as a consequence of the monarch's moral failings. Conversely, it can be deduced that as long as the monarch is wise and virtuous, the world will enjoy favorable weather and abundant harvests. This is also a manifestation of the idea of following the laws of heaven and earth.
Whether the virtue of mortal kings can influence the natural climate, I will not make a definitive conclusion at present, but the great impermanence can indeed influence all things in the universe.
The Great Impermanence can cause floods, droughts, and earthquakes. I used to think this was the Great Impermanence's "active skill," but now, based on my own experience, the phenomena in nature that change due to the Great Impermanence's activities are likely just its passive abilities.
I tried to consult Mr. Zhu and explained my understanding of the Dharma of Heaven and Earth. He nodded and said, "Your understanding of the Dharma of Heaven and Earth is not much different, except that the Dharma of Heaven and Earth of Great Impermanence is different from the traditional understanding of the Dharma of Heaven and Earth."
"The Great Impermanence's 'Law of Heaven and Earth' is not about conforming to nature and waiting for favorable feedback from heaven and earth, but rather about using one's spirit to invade the surrounding nature, making it conform to the form of one's own soul. This is not following the will of heaven, but acting against it. If the traditional understanding of 'Law of Heaven and Earth' is to emulate heaven and imitate earth, then the Great Impermanence's 'Law of Heaven and Earth' is to redefine the laws of heaven and redefine the image of earth."
"In a sense, this is also a kind of benevolent rule. In ancient times, if a nobleman privately kept a hundred armored soldiers, he would be regarded as a rebel; but if he kept a million armored soldiers, he would be the new emperor. When power becomes strong enough, things will turn into their opposites, and the distortion of nature will no longer be a distortion, but a legitimate phenomenon."
“But I haven’t yet used my spirit to invade nature!” I said.
"Not surprising. It's the same principle as being a person. As long as you are powerful enough, people will fawn over you, like me. And people will extend olive branches to you, like Fazheng. The same applies to all things in nature, which are deeply spiritual." Mr. Zhu said generously, "Even if you do nothing and just stand there, the natural environment will instinctively show trends that conform to your attributes. At the same time, certain special physical phenomena that are harmful to the soul, like lightning, will lose their power to harm your soul."
"Although you are not yet the Great Impermanence, nature sometimes manifests itself in a prophetic manner. People destined to achieve great things will have extraordinary signs at their birth, and fortune tellers will also use these natural phenomena to predict the future. The world has already foreseen that you will become the Great Impermanence."
"And when you truly become a Great Impermanence, this influence becomes even more extensive, enough to affect the entire country, and you can also actively amplify the degree of influence. This is how the Great Impermanence create super natural disasters in myths and history."
"You judged me to be a person of great impermanence in the past, and that you also saw my Dharma of Heaven and Earth?" I asked.
Mr. Zhu sighed and said, "It hasn't snowed in Xianshui City for several years. At first, I didn't think that Xianshui City had given birth to someone with the qualifications of a Great Impermanence, but after seeing you, I understood everything."
"But Saltwater City didn't become as hot as Moonshadow Mountain City has been in the past few years, did it?" I asked.
It's not quite accurate to say it's hot, but the climate in Moonshadow Mountain City is now at a level where you can go out in short sleeves without feeling any discomfort.
"It's probably because the land outside of Saltwater City hasn't adapted to your presence yet; it's an overreaction. The rainfall caused by Xuanwu is the same. It doesn't mean that as long as he settles in Moonshadow Mountain City, it will rain heavily every day from now on. At most, it will just become a rainy climate. Of course, if he becomes the Great Impermanence and intentionally exerts his influence, then that's another story."
As he spoke, Mr. Zhu thought for a moment, then said seriously, "By the way, Zhuang Cheng, I almost forgot to tell you, after you become the Great Impermanence, you may exacerbate global warming. So remember to never go near the Antarctic or the Arctic in the future, otherwise it will probably cause the melting of the polar ice caps to accelerate further, leading to a rise in global sea levels."
Can I say that I recently went to the Arctic?
Having heard so much about the laws of nature and the universe, I really can't tell if he's joking when he suddenly says this to me.
(End of this chapter)
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