Chapter 67067 Things Are Different
The Goddess of Clouds and Waters left no trace of her body, meaning no further human sacrifices would be performed. However, the high-ranking official from the capital ultimately died in Yunshui Village, and the court's subsequent reaction is beyond our control. It seems this is simply a cycle of cause and effect. The Goddess of Clouds and Waters dispelled the plague, repaying the villagers' devout devotion for their daily offerings. However, the disaster incurred by the villagers by leading the high-ranking official to the riverbank represents another layer of karma.
The matter ended peacefully, but there was always a sense of inexplicable stagnation in my heart.
Knowing I'd reclaimed my remaining soul, Nezha descended to earth to accompany us in our wait for the vortex. At first, I thought he was being unnecessary, but then I realized that every time a vortex appeared, it had always been around me, Little Lotus, or both of us. In reality, Nezha had always been drawn into this. He probably wasn't sure if the vortex would take him along if he were alone.
Thinking of Yun Qiao, I asked Nezha to help me investigate in the underworld, and he gladly agreed. Within half an hour, he returned to the human world and told us: Yun Qiao's two personalities will each enter the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn as humans.
Little Lotus folded her arms and suddenly asked, "Are they brother and sister?"
A hint of surprise flashed across Nezha's stern brows.
Little Lotus smiled gently and said, "I have a guess. Do you want to hear it?"
Nezha nodded: "I'm all ears."
I looked at him too.
The corners of his mouth curled up, but his voice was calm: "The brother and sister from Yunshui Village."
I was stunned. The words I was about to retort turned around on my lips, and I finally asked, "Which one is the brother and which one is the sister?"
If the secondary personality that caused all this eventually reincarnates as "Amei" and becomes the final human sacrifice, ending the cause and effect of Yunshui Niangniang... it can be considered a complete beginning and end.
But is this really the truth?
"This may have been the original trajectory," Little Lotus said, "but now that Goddess Yunshui is gone, human sacrifices will naturally no longer take place."
Nezha scoffed, "If you really want a human sacrifice, you'll never lack excuses."
It's a crude statement, but it makes sense. But at least... we've solved a cause and effect, haven't we?
…
On the second day, the vortex of time and space finally reappeared, bringing us back to our original world.
The moment we returned, the sky was clear and the river was as calm as ever, as if all troubles had been washed away by the flowing water. Nezha stood by the river, the Hun Tian Ling fluttering in the wind. He tilted his head to look at us, his expression still that of supreme superiority, yet with a subtle softening that seemed less noticeable than before.
"Now that it's over, I'll go back." He said, his voice still emotionless, but not distant either.
I nodded, and Little Lotus also smiled slightly.
Without saying anything more, he turned around and stepped on the Wind Fire Wheel to rise up. A golden light flashed across the sky and quickly disappeared behind the clouds.
Little Lotus and I stayed by the river, and for a moment, it was quite quiet. The river gurgled, birds chirped, and smoke from the distant village rose. It was so quiet that it felt as if nothing had happened.
But we know that some things have changed.
If Lady Yunshui disappears and human sacrifices cease, and A-mei survives, Yun Qiao's remaining soul will not remain in the painting, and naturally there will be no "Map of Mountains, Rivers, and the State", so there will be no such disaster.
We walked slowly along the riverbank, neither of us in a hurry to speak. The wind rustled the willow leaves, a sound like a whisper or a sigh.
"Little sister! You guys are finally back! I was so anxious waiting for you!"
I:……
Little Lotus: ...
A crane flew in from the direction of Baihu Ridge, speaking in Sichuan dialect. It flapped its wings, made a sharp turn, and dived down. It landed with an air of grace, spinning on one foot and shaking off a few drops of water from its snow-white feathers.
"Hey, hey!" he yelled at the top of his voice, twisting his slender neck. "Where have you two been? I've been wandering around in this mountain eight hundred times and I almost flattened the top of it!"
The crane spread its long legs, its wings folded across its waist. Although it was unclear where its waist was, it tilted its head, combed its feathers with its beak, and suddenly its eyes widened:
"What's the matter? Are you unhappy to see me? You look so ugly!" It jumped two steps closer and shouted in a hoarse voice.
Little Lotus burst out laughing. I watched the tuft of hair on the crane's head swaying left and right as it spoke. It had been so long since I'd seen it, and now Brother Crane had hair all over his head. Finally, I couldn't resist reaching out to touch it, but Brother Crane nimbly shrunk his neck, avoiding my palm, and flapped his wings, bringing with it a few wisps of breeze. "Stop it, stop it! Let's get down to business! Where have you been this time? I've been waiting for you so long that your hair is almost falling off!"
I chuckled and slowly recounted our unexpected visit to the Yunshui River. At first, Crane Brother tilted his head to preen his feathers, but as he listened, he even forgot to close his beak, his aloof hair standing upright.
"There is such good fortune..."
I looked toward the Hexian Temple, the temple once built for me by the residents of Chengyun County. Little Lotus seemed to know what I was thinking and said, "Let's go and take a look."
We walked along the riverbank toward the Hexian Temple. The closer we got, the more distinct the feeling of stagnation grew. The surrounding scenery felt both familiar and unfamiliar. The willow trees seemed thicker, the path smoother and more worn, and even had several new side roads leading to the nearby village of Chengyun County. Chengyun County seemed much larger and more lively than I remembered.
Brother He became quieter, walking beside us with his long legs, occasionally muttering, "It's been more than 20 years!"
My breath hitched. Over twenty years! Such a long time had passed!
Finally, the outline of the small temple appeared at the end of my sight. It was completely different from what I had imagined, both from the paintings and the old Hexian Temple. Its scale had clearly expanded several times, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, its eaves and pointed corners, a solemn and bustling atmosphere. A plaque hung in front of the temple gate, inscribed in three large, gilded characters, read "Hexian Temple." A vibrant scene greeted my eyes.
Villagers were coming in and out of the door with pious and peaceful expressions on their faces. When they saw us stopping to watch, they just glanced at us curiously without showing too much surprise.
We entered the temple. The courtyard was immaculately clean, and incense curled from the cauldrons. The deity enshrined in the main hall bore a vague resemblance to me, yet possessed a more solemn and majestic presence. The incense table was laden with offerings. A young woman in a clean Taoist robe was gently brushing the dust off the incense table with a whisk. She heard footsteps and turned.
She had a pretty face and calm eyes, and there was something familiar about her expression. When she saw us, especially me, she was surprised.
"Yunshui...Mother?"
She… I blurted out: “Yisheng?”
Wait, why is it Yisheng? Where is the Taoist priest?
"Yisheng..." I said, my voice a little dry, "Where is your master?"
Upon hearing this, Yisheng's eyes flashed with surprise and sadness, but then turned into a calm understanding. "Empress, Master passed away five years ago." She sighed softly, "Yisheng, thanks to the villagers' kindness, I am now temporarily taking over the position of temple priest, guarding the Hexian Temple. Master said that Empress will definitely return!"
The old Taoist priest...died? My eyes widened. This news was too sudden!
"How did he get there?"
Yi Sheng lamented, "My master has been in poor health since he came to Chengyun County from Chang'an with me. Six years ago, a cold nearly killed him. After that, his health deteriorated rapidly until five years ago..." Yi Sheng stopped talking as tears streamed down his face. "At least... I finally got to see the Empress."
I closed my eyes and said, "Take me to see him."
Yisheng led us through the side corridor to the temple's backyard, which was even more tranquil. Beneath a large, lush locust tree stood three smaller statues of gods, not clay or wood sculptures, but rather vibrant and lively.
The three statues were none other than Jinniang, Wuniang, and Yanniang. They were lifelike, their faces adorned with gentle, compassionate smiles. They were draped in colorful silk offerings from the faithful, and before them stood incense burners, filled with numerous incense sticks.
"This is..." I was a little surprised.
Yisheng smiled and said, "These are the three deities who serve in the temple. The Jin Goddess is kind and often appears in spirits to guide women in their weaving and embroidery; the Wu Goddess is wise and protects the health of children; and the Yan Goddess is courageous and resolute, sometimes appearing in dreams to guide those who are lost. The villagers, grateful for their kindness, spontaneously built statues for them and worship them together. They indeed appear often to help their neighbors, and the incense is very effective."
As he was speaking, he suddenly saw a faint light flash on the three statues, and three familiar figures quietly emerged. Compared with the past, their figures were more solid, and surrounded by a faint golden halo. It was a scene of the gathering of merit.
Jinniang smiled, but with tears in her eyes, she saluted me: "My Queen, you are back." Her breath was gentle and steady.
Wu Niang was much more lively, and she spun around with a smile: "Look! We are now truly divine servants! We have helped so many people! Goddess Yunshui, we have finally waited for you!"
Yan Niang also smiled: "Yes, the old Taoist said that the queen would definitely come back, that's great..." As she said that, she wiped the corners of her eyes.
Seeing that the three of them were safe and sound, and even living well, seeing that Yisheng was young but calm and reliable, and seeing this brand new and prosperous Hexian Temple, the last bit of hesitation in my heart finally slowly dissipated.
Behind the Hexian Temple, there's a slightly higher slope, where the old Taoist is buried. Yisheng said, "He said it's quiet there, with a view of the Yunshui River and the Hexian Temple. Before his death, the master said, if the goddess returns, he'll definitely take you there to see it."
We followed Yisheng and walked up the slope along a quiet path behind the temple.
The path was lined with lush vegetation, and a gentle mountain breeze carried the moist scent of the distant river and the delicate fragrance of nearby wildflowers. After walking for about an incense stick of time, we reached a sunny slope. The slope was wide and offered an excellent view. As expected, I could overlook the winding Yunshui River and the Hexian Temple at the foot of the mountain, where incense curled in the air.
In the center of the slope, a simple yet clean tomb stood quietly. The tombstone read: "Tomb of the Former Master, Taoist Xuanchen." Next to it was a line of small characters: "Respectfully erected by Tu Yisheng."
Xuan Chen...
This was the first time I knew the Taoist name of the old Taoist priest.
There were no weeds around the grave, clearly someone had been tending to it regularly. Fresh wild fruit and a cup of tea were placed in front of the tombstone—simple offerings that showed deep thought.
The moment I saw that lonely grave, the stagnation that had just dissipated in my heart quietly surged back, transforming into a heavy sense of melancholy. Time is ultimately the most ruthless force; how can a mortal body withstand the erosion of time? After years of separation, we are separated forever.
Yisheng stepped forward, put the whisk aside, and gently tidied up the already neat offerings. She whispered, "Master, the person you've been waiting for is back. The Queen has come back to see you." Her voice was choked with sobs, but she tried to remain calm.
I walked slowly forward, stood in front of the tomb, and looked at the cold stone tablet. The old Taoist's face, with a somewhat exaggerated performance but hidden kindness, seemed to appear in front of my eyes again. I remembered how he protected the young Yisheng and how he struggled to survive. I remembered how smart he was in building momentum for me.
"Old Taoist..." I spoke softly, a thousand words stuck in my chest, and finally turned into just one sentence, "I'm back."
The mountain breeze blows, bringing the rustling sound of leaves, like a whisper.
"He passed away peacefully," Little Lotus suddenly whispered, "with no regrets."
Yisheng nodded vigorously. "Yes! Master said that in his last days, being able to guard the Goddess' temple, watching Chengyun County become better and better, and watching the three Goddesses protect the neighbors, is the greatest blessing. He often sits under the locust tree in the yard, looking at the river, saying that it would be best if he could wait for the Goddess to return, but if he can't, it will also be perfect."
Yes, perfect.
For Lao Dao, this may be the best ending.
I took one last look at the tombstone and engraved the tranquility of the surrounding landscape into my mind.
"Yisheng," I turned to her, "you've taken good care of this place. Your master would be proud of you."
Tears welled up in Yisheng's eyes again, but he said with determination: "I will always stay here. This is Master's wish, and it is also... my practice."
We left the mountain and returned to Ha Tien Temple. The setting sun stretched our shadows very long, blending with the shadow of the temple.
Leaving the Hexian Temple, we returned to the riverside. As the sun set, the river water was dyed a golden red, still flowing peacefully, swallowing up the sorrows and joys and bloodshed of the past, and also carrying the peace and hope of the present.
Little Lotus stood quietly beside me and whispered, "Are you feeling relieved now?"
"Yes." I nodded, letting out a long sigh. The old friend is gone, but the legacy lives on. Time passes, things change, and people change, but some things always grow for the better. The old Taoist, in his own karma, found a good end.
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