Chapter 55: The Three Sufferings of the Three Realms (Part 2)
At the summit of Spring Mountain, mist rises around a warm spring near the Azure Phoenix Carrying a Ganoderma Pavilion. Chu He stands ramrod straight with his eyes closed, the lush bamboo forest behind him rustling in the rain.
In front of her, in the center of the warm spring, stood a stone statue three zhang tall.
The figure in the statue has relaxed eyebrows and eyes, her hands resting on her knees as she sits cross-legged on a large lotus leaf, with a double-edged sword strapped to her waist on each side. Her slender eyes are closed, her thin lips are pursed into a straight line, and a dot of vermilion is placed between her brows.
However, her body has many broken parts, and the original stones were filled with stones of different colors by later generations, as if dressing her in colorful clothes.
Up close, the statue appears quite cold and indifferent, but if you step back and stand in Chu He's position, the stone statue actually gives off a faint sense of kindness and compassion.
So whenever Chuhe felt uneasy, she liked to come here and look at that stone statue. As she looked at it, it was as if nothing existed.
She is simply Chu He, seeking only the righteousness in her own heart. Free from worries, she has already relinquished all worldly possessions.
Chuhe murmured softly, the sound of his breath trapped between his lips and teeth.
"Grandmaster... what should I do..."
Suddenly, someone emerged from the bamboo grove, bowed to Chu He, and said...
"Young Master."
Chu He's robes swayed slightly, and she gave a soft "hmm," but didn't turn around to look at the person. She was somewhat annoyed that this dream had ended too quickly, and someone had already come to remind her that she was Chu He, the young abbess of the Qingluan Xianzhi Temple.
Chu He's indifferent voice rang out, echoing in the warm spring, yet carrying an undeniable sharpness.
"You've been talking about Yamashita lately, haven't you?"
The newcomer was just a young Taoist priest, and she suddenly turned pale. After all, they all knew that the young abbot disliked meddling in such matters. They had been secretly discussing this behind Chu He's back, but... it had only just begun, how could they have been discovered so quickly?
"Stop being presumptuous and just tell the truth."
Chu He turned around and looked at the young Taoist priest with a blank expression.
"I apologize, Young Master!"
The young Taoist priest steeled his heart and said, trembling, "..."
"We...we are still inexperienced in cultivation and have violated the sect's rules. We are willing to accept the punishment according to the sect's rules. The first rule of the sect is that disciples of the Azure Phoenix Carrying the Ganoderma are not allowed to interfere in human affairs. If they violate this rule, they will be expelled..."
"Alright. If we're going to follow these rules, both Grandmaster and Master should be kicked out of Qingluan Xianzhi Temple."
The young Taoist priest was terrified by Chu He's casual remark. She glanced at the statue of her grandmaster behind Chu He and wished she could kneel down and kowtow twice.
For some reason, the young Taoist priest suddenly gained confidence, mustered his courage, and looked up at Chu He.
Chu He glanced over indifferently and asked.
How many of you want to go?
"Almost, almost... uh..."
The young Taoist priest shrank back, and the aura she had just gathered under that gaze vanished instantly. She lowered her head, her two fingers almost digging a hole in the hem of her clothes.
"Um?"
Chu He raised an eyebrow slightly.
"All...all of them!"
The young Taoist priest was so frightened that he quickly and honestly replied.
An expected answer.
Chu He took a deep breath, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes darkening, and he gripped his long staff tightly, trying to suppress the urge to strike the young Taoist priest.
"Do you know how ignorant and foolish the people down the mountain are? Even if you go to save them, what then?"
Chuhe couldn't help but rebuke him.
She knew that the disciples in the Qingluan Xianzhi Temple had been restless and uneasy in recent days, with very few focusing on cultivation. Even she herself was just trying to distract herself by constantly picking fights.
But she didn't understand what Mengshan City was worth. This place owed their Qingluan Xianzhi Temple a great deal, and it owed her a great deal as well.
Chuhe turned back to face the silent stone statue. She reached out and touched the statue's eyes from a distance, and said slowly.
"Our grandmaster, Chu Yuzhou... died in a flood. You all know this, every disciple of Qingluan Xianzhi Temple knows this, and you also know why we came to Chunshan! Why we live in seclusion!"
Grandmaster Chu Yuzhou had been living in seclusion for many years, but on this day that year, torrential rains fell and the river breached its banks. In that moment of crisis, she single-handedly took up her sword and resolutely used her powerful inner strength to stop the flood, forcefully filling the breach.
At that time, Chu Yuzhou was already over sixty years old.
No one knows when she died. All that is known is that when the rain stopped and the disciples and the people, with tears in their eyes, went to thank their hero, they discovered that Chu Yuzhou's body had already stiffened.
She has been dead for a long time.
Chu Yuzhou stood still, pointing one finger forward, maintaining the posture of releasing internal energy. He looked no different from a deity, tall and majestic.
Her body was not kept at the Qingluan Xianzhi Temple, but was given to a man named Chen Zi'an according to her pre-written will. When Chu Wuding told Chu He about this past event, he said that he did not know much about Chen Zi'an, only that the two of them had a very close relationship when they were young.
Spring God.
The people devoutly worshipped her, praying that the floods would never return.
But as spring turned to autumn, the floods continued unabated. The stone statues of Chu Yuzhou were forever reduced to a handful of ashes in the riverbank by the repeated floods, buried along with the old site of the Qingluan Xianzhi Temple.
Who still remembers her now? Chu He clenched her fists tightly under her sleeves, her teeth biting down on the flesh in her mouth.
Those foolish people just hoped that another Chu Yuzhou would come to save them, but there might not be one Chu Yuzhou in a hundred or a thousand years.
Even from some unknown time, a "river god" began to emerge, and the practice of human sacrifice to the river in Mengshan City has flourished to this day, with drowned children being offered up as offerings. This absurd practice has been passed down for a long time, even longer than the worship of the "Spring God" in the past.
Therefore, when Qingluan Xianzhi Temple was rebuilt, the abbot moved the temple to the remote Chunshan Mountain peak, a place shrouded in poisonous miasma, free from the suffering of the ignorant people.
“We understand, but… but Young Master, we…”
The young Taoist's voice was barely audible, but she mustered her courage and retorted to Chu He's words.
"We can't let them go! Even if it's just taking them to a higher mountain, please allow us to descend the mountain, Young Master!"
"Please allow us to descend the mountain, Young Abbot!"
Suddenly, many figures darted out of the bamboo forest. Chu He showed no surprise; she already knew that those words were not just meant for the young Taoist priest.
Suddenly, a large crowd gathered around Chu He, standing opposite her. But Chu He didn't appear weak; on the contrary, her aura overwhelmed everyone in front of her, even though she was alone, with only the silent stone statue behind her.
"Have you ever thought about our grandmaster? You saved Meng Shanhe temporarily, even at the cost of your lives. And then what? If the flood comes again in ten years, will those people be able to save themselves?"
Chu He glanced at the person in front of him and said calmly.
Those people looked at each other, none daring to refute him. But there was a hint of resentment in their eyes, clearly indicating that they did not fully accept Chu He's words.
"But...but Young Abbot, are we just going to..." The young Taoist priest couldn't help but want to say something. Chu He impatiently waved his hand, interrupting him.
"Alright."
"Young Master!"
"Enough!"
Chu He could no longer hold back, his tone filled with anger. With a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind imbued with internal force swept across the face of the young Taoist priest.
The young Taoist priest at the front, her face deathly pale, took a step back, but forced herself to meet Chu He's indifferent eyes. She was clearly resentful, but dared not confront Chu He on the spot.
"No one is allowed to go down the mountain without my permission! Even Chu Yuzhou died in the flood, if we go, we'll only be throwing our lives away!"
...
After inspecting the river embankment, Lin Chengye rushed back to Zhao Family Village without stopping.
But as he was about to reach the village entrance, Lin Chengye suddenly stopped and looked at the large group of people standing there with some surprise. Most of them were middle-aged, and their bodies were soaked by the rain, but their expressions did not waver.
At the very front were Zhao Chunyun and Zhao Min.
Lin Chengye seemed to have some kind of realization, and slowly walked over, step by step. She didn't use her inner strength to shatter the rain, but she didn't feel cold either. The suffocating heat in her chest was replaced by another kind of excited fire.
"Little Spring Goddess."
Zhao Chunyun squinted, and when she saw Zhao Min arrive, she grinned, revealing her toothless mouth. Zhao Min, supporting Zhao Chunyun, also smiled at her.
Almost everyone from Zhao Family Village she saw that day was there, along with some people she didn't recognize.
"These are the people I can call for now, but don't worry, there are definitely more than that. Please give us some more time."
Zhao Min chuckled, a laugh as dazzling as the sun that hadn't appeared here for a long time.
"you……"
Lin Chengye stood opposite them, looking at each of them one by one, memorizing their faces. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn't help but smile, but she remained serious.
"Do you know what this journey is all about...?"
"Little Spring God! We know!"
Suddenly, someone stepped forward from behind Zhao Min and shouted loudly. Then, many people echoed her.
"yes……"
"Yes, yes..."
Someone shouted, "We're not afraid to die!"
These words, like sparks falling into a forest, quickly ignited everyone's passion. They all raised their hands and shouted in unison.
"We are not afraid to die!"
Lin Chengye smiled and shook his head, then reached out and gently pressed down.
"I know you are all brave warriors, but there's no need for this. The hardships of this journey are beyond what ordinary people can endure. If any of you regret your decision along the way, please tell me. And..."
Lin Chengye paused, his smile fading, and said very seriously.
"If you have children or elderly people at home who need care, go back immediately, or at least ensure that someone is at home to take care of them."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Chunyun's lips trembled, and he seemed to be muttering something like "good person" or "deity," which Lin Chengye couldn't quite make out.
Zhao Min looked at Zhao Yu beside her, placed Zhao Chunyun's aged hand in his, and kissed Zhao Yu's reddened eyes. She whispered.
"Don't be afraid, take good care of your mother, and Xiaoman too."
"Oh right! Little Spring God, that white-robed hero asked me to give this to you." Zhao Min suddenly remembered something and quickly ran over to hand the stone to Lin Chengye.
Lin Chengye glanced at it, a relieved smile on his face, and put the stone in his palm.
She had just been wondering why Bian Yi wasn't there. Now it seems she understands her; she doesn't even need to tell her what to do.
At this moment, all worries and anger have vanished, and there is nothing left to look back on.
Lin Chengye took a deep breath, calmly opened her eyes, and looked at everyone in front of her, as well as the person who, although not here, still brought her great comfort.
She was not alone, even though her mother and brother were no longer by her side.
"The section of the riverbank that is about to breach is about two zhang wide. There are many rocky hills here. We people here are divided into three groups: one group is quarrying rocks, one group is transporting them, and the other group is following me to build the rocks on the riverbank. For more details, please come inside and we will discuss it further."
Lin Chengye said.
"But I don't know how long we can hold out, and I'm not sure, because there's already a section of the riverbank that's about to breach. If we can hold out until the rain stops and the water recedes, then we'll see what happens next."
"Waaah..."
Suddenly, a faint, intermittent sob came from the crowd, and a small figure pushed aside the adults' legs and stumbled over.
"How did you get out here..." Zhao Min exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Chengye crouched down, opened his arms, and steadily caught the crying child. She was so small and thin that her whole body heaved as she cried.
Xiaoman raised her head and kissed Lin Chengye on the cheek. She hugged Lin Chengye's neck and choked with sobs.
"Spring, Spring God, and everyone else, you must all return safely."
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