Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Half a catastrophe.
Nan Qiong Shuang stood there alone, lowered her eyes, and thought alone for a while.
Perhaps it was because she was in the mountains and had someone accompanying her all the time, so she felt a little disappointed when Song Yaojie left so suddenly.
She smiled and looked up at the sky filled with black smoke.
Go get the key quickly. Otherwise, when you come back, you may not be able to enter this forest.
The air was already filled with the smell of burning, and soon the disciples on the mountain would discover that there was a fire.
There will be chaos on the mountain and everyone will be busy taking care of themselves, so she can use her lightness skills.
She went straight to Lingjue Pavilion.
Li Xuanbai was lying on the couch, feeling depressed, and had no idea what was happening on the mountain.
She jumped in through the window, and the person on the couch trembled with fear and sat up: "Damn it! Why are you here? Didn't I say you..."
Nan Qiong Shuang smiled, "Yes, I fell down the waterfall. You looked so relaxed, you didn't even miss me."
Li Xuanbai: "Bullshit! I also jumped off the waterfall to look for him! Do you think you're the only one with the surname Gu?"
Nan Qiong Shuang was full of doubts. She looked at his face carefully and saw that he did look a little haggard. She smiled coldly.
"Don't talk about anything else, don't ask. Time is limited." She held up three fingers. "I'll tell you three things."
"First, the Nine Lights Reverse Wheel on the mountain has opened."
Li Xuanbai's right eyebrow slowly raised, looking a little funny.
"Secondly, I know a secret way out of the mountain. I can tell you."
Li Xuanbai frowned like a fool and rubbed his chin.
"Third," she calmly and naturally opened her palm towards him, "Give me the Yin-Yang Key."
Li Xuanbai pretended to spit into her palm, "Pah."
Nan Qiong Shuang almost slapped him: "Are you crazy?!"
He laughed, "I think you're crazy. Why are you here all of a sudden? I still have a lot to ask you."
"When Heng Huang was chasing me, I played Nong Shan Yue. You didn't hear it. You ignored it. Didn't you?"
"What happened on the mountain at that time? Oh, it was Song Yaojie who spread the false news that there was unusual movement in front of Xingchen Pavilion."
"You're being given a free chance to be a hero. If you don't come, what else are you going to do? Of course, you're going to do something big."
"How could you possibly care about such matters? Everyone in the mountain knows you only mind your own business. So, why are you going?"
"—Because you want to see who holds the other half of the Yin-Yang Key."
Li Xuanbai's expression became more and more solemn. He looked at her for a long while and sneered.
"I didn't mean to tell on you." Time was pressing, so she said directly, "Aren't you going to burn the mountain down and get down? Now that the mountain is on fire and there's a secret path out, there's no use for you holding the Yin-Yang Key." She spread her hands, "Give it to me."
Li Xuanbai supported his hands behind his back and smiled, "Since, as you said, I already have everything I want, why should I give you the Yin-Yang Key? If I give it to you, you will have to return it to that Gu?"
Nan Qiong Shuang said, "If you don't give it to me, you won't have the secret passage. Are you stupid? The fire will come up in a moment. Gu Huaijin wants to kill you, do you know?"
Li Xuanbai sneered, "He's wanted to kill me for a long time, but he has to get past Master first."
"Huide is dead," she said.
Li Xuanbai stared at her in shock.
"So I'm telling you, if you're still sane and still just want to burn the mountain down, don't ask about anything else. Time is limited."
She pointed out the window. The dense forest below was already blazing with black smoke, and the mountain breeze carried a burning smell. "It's already burning. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave."
Li Xuanbai jumped to the ground and took the coat on the back of the chair.
He took two steps back and walked back to her.
"How do I know if the secret path out of the mountain you mentioned is accessible?"
"Song Yaojie has already left that way. I'll be there soon."
Li Xuanbai was struck by lightning: "Song Yaojie?!"
Nan Qiong Shuang asked impatiently, "So, do you want to go down the mountain, or do you want to stay here and figure things out first, regardless of the consequences?"
Li Xuanbai was half-believing and half-doubting, and put on his coat.
He pointed his index finger at her and said, "If you lie to me, I'll make you pay."
Nan Qiong Shuang didn't even blink: "Go through Song Yaojie's Shuyuzhai, it's closer, otherwise you will pass by Jiuyao Nilun."
As he spoke, he scribbled a map for him.
After finishing the painting, in accordance with the principle of honesty and trustworthiness, he held it in one hand and stretched out the other hand towards him.
Li Xuanbai rolled his eyes helplessly and took out a jade-like Yin-Yang key from his pocket.
The two sides shook hands and exchanged peacefully.
Nan Qiongshuang turned around and was about to leave.
Li Xuanbai suddenly stopped her: "Wait."
"how?"
"We're parting just like that, and you don't feel any reluctance at all?"
She laughed, "Do you have one?"
Li Xuanbai: "Yes."
Nan Qiong Shuang: "You said you love me, don't you feel guilty at all?"
Li Xuanbai: "Yes."
Nan Qiong Shuang shook her head and laughed, "Do you feel a little guilty towards me?"
Li Xuanbai: “Yes.”
Nan Qiongshuang stopped talking and looked at him carefully for a while.
He has always been cynical, but at this moment he was actually serious and didn't seem to be faking it.
Li Xuanbai suddenly grabbed her shoulders and scratched her chin with his fingers:
"Come see me."
She raised her eyes and saw her face reflected in his unruly yet beautiful fox eyes, looking at her, and only at her:
"Come see me after you get down the mountain. I want to see you."
After saying that, without waiting for her to answer, he stuffed a jade pendant into her hand and patted her shoulder:
"Take the Nong Shan Yue and this jade pendant."
He climbed onto the window frame - the terrain of Lingjue Pavilion required him to use light skills no matter what, so it made no difference whether he went through the door or the window.
He turned around and smiled, "Come to Luojing. These two tokens are here, no one dares to stop you."
He smiled frivolously and snapped his fingers. A strong cold wind blew outside, just like the one before a rainstorm. His bright little earrings swayed constantly. Without even looking back, he jumped onto the cliff and disappeared.
Nan Qiong Shuang stood there and let out a sigh.
As I sent my acquaintances down the mountain one by one, I felt mixed emotions.
However, there was no room for her to express her feelings.
She took the other half of the Yin-Yang Key and hurried to the Jiuyao Nilun.
Fortunately, Li Xuanbai didn't say much nonsense, and the forest in front of Jiuyao Nilun had not been burned to the point where it was impossible to enter.
She put the half of the yin-yang key into the other half of the groove. The key automatically sank in, rotated half an inch, and clicked.
There was a sudden stop sound from underground, a crackling sound that stung the eardrums.
The glowing patterns of the surrounding giant trees gradually went out.
She confirmed that the mechanism was indeed closed, took out the two Yin-Yang keys together, and looked up at the overcast sky.
The Nine-Star Reverse Wheel, once opened, would set the mountain on fire. It wouldn't be like that if it was closed, the mountain fire would be extinguished.
However, she could only help Gu Huaijin up to this point.
Her hesitation and worry, selfishness and concern were already wrong and should not exist, and there should not be any more.
Finally, she went to give him the Yin-Yang Key, and their fate in this life ended there.
From now on, we will be separated by mountains and rivers and will never see each other again.
When I arrived at Muxue Courtyard, there was indeed no one there.
The mountain was already on fire. No matter how much Gu Huaijin cared about her, he couldn't just ignore the fire. He must be in a meeting or in front of the Nine Stars Reverse Wheel.
The servants in the yard would not stay in the room after a fire. Right now, they are probably gathered in front of the mountain gate, waiting for the access to be opened.
She felt relaxed when there was no one around.
She went straight into Gu Huaijin's room.
His room was cold and empty, and the sheets on the couch were spread out flat without a single wrinkle.
She was stunned and walked to the table, only to find that it was also empty. Even the brush, inkstone, and ink pad he usually used were gone. She touched it with her finger and found a little dust on her fingertips.
Only then did she understand something, turned around and hurriedly opened her door.
The door creaked open, and she looked into the room with a pale face and closed her eyes.
really.
His brushes, inkstone, ink pad, the jade belt he wore in rotation, the pillow he used to sleep on, the Buddhist scriptures he would always read before going to bed, and the incense hammer he used to knock on his cervical vertebrae after reviewing documents for a long time, were all in her room.
During the days when she was in doubt about her life or death and had no news from her, he stayed in her room.
What are you doing here? Are you thinking of her?
Since the person is gone, why not change the environment and let yourself go? Why confine yourself to a small circle and torture yourself like this?
Gu Huaijin, he really always gets stuck in a rut.
She slowly walked to the table, pulled out the chair, and finally sat under the window, looking around the yard.
The stone table where they played chess in the falling flower season, the scattered stone lamps, the low stone steps where she sat with hawthorn ice balls in her hands. When the spring mountain breeze blows, the flowers in the yard fall like snow, and fall on the stone steps in front of his room. Every day, Asong has to sweep them around.
Later, when the flowers had fallen and the trees were greener, he moved into her room. At night, he would often be busy reviewing documents at his desk, too busy to talk to her. She would lie on the couch, watching the gently swaying shadows of the trees outside the window, his back, his satin-like hair, his head occasionally tilted, his features so handsome and elegant that they seemed unearthly.
At that time, the moonlight moistened the mountain breeze, making it crisp and cool. He lowered his head and turned the pages of the documents from time to time, so she felt sleepy and fell asleep in the quilt.
After that, there were no more days like that.
It’s a good thing that it’s gone.
She stood up, pushed the chair back under the table, lowered her eyelashes and took a deep breath.
Place the two halves of the Yin-Yang key neatly in the middle of the table.
Gu Huaijin, I have had many crushes over the years.
But only with you am I respected and cherished.
Thank you.
So, this is the last thing I'm going to do for you.
Suddenly she remembered that he was vomiting blood and asked her to let him know he was safe.
She thought for a while, looked up, and saw thick black smoke rising from the distance.
She lowered her eyelashes, took off one of the small white earrings under her ear and placed it on the table.
Then, close the door and leave.
Huai Jin, don't blame me for being cruel.
We are separated in life, but not in death.
On the way down the mountain, she still avoided the popular mountain paths and walked along the river.
Actually, there was no need. Right now, there was no one on the mountain. From where she was, she could hear the noisy voices of people below. They had probably all evacuated to the foot of the mountain.
She gradually felt relieved. At this time, no one would stay on the mountain. She could not run into Gu Huaijin, let alone Wu Dao.
As we walked, we unexpectedly came across a mountain temple. The temple had been burned quite badly, but it wasn't completely unrecognizable. Standing outside the gate and looking in from afar, we saw a raging sea of fire behind the thirty-six golden Buddhas, with a vermilion prayer mat in the middle.
From time to time, pieces of burnt tiles rolled down, carrying a little orange flame, burning faintly on the cracked bluestone tiles.
She looked up at the plaque.
Famen Temple.
In the past, when she and Gu Huaijin were together day and night, chatting casually, he had mentioned that there were eighty-eight temples on the mountain, and the most efficacious and popular of them was undoubtedly Famen Temple. If it happened to be the summer vacation when the disciples were on vacation, the door would be trampled to pieces, and the crowds in front of the incense burner would be so crowded that there was no place to even put in three sticks of incense.
Such a temple will eventually be left to fend for itself and unable to protect itself.
She doesn't believe in gods or Buddhas, but because she is walking on the edge of a knife, she occasionally prays to gods and Buddhas against her conscience.
It's a rare opportunity, so I took it anyway.
The fire was burning fiercely, and the whole hall was filled with scorching heat. Even if you stood far away from the burning area, you would still feel hot all over.
She walked slowly into the main hall and stood in the hall that was once magnificent and golden, but now was filled with red flames. Thirty-six golden Buddha statues as high as the ceiling surrounded her. She stood in the middle, with everyone's eyes fixed on her. It was unclear whether they were worshiping Buddha or being judged.
She looked at the most solemn, tallest and most compassionate golden Buddha in the center, raised her eyes and smiled.
Isn’t it Buddha?
How can I be trapped in the fire of karma and feel helpless, as if I am in the Avici Hell.
She laughed sarcastically, adjusted her skirt, and slowly knelt down on the vermilion prayer mat.
Put your hands together.
In the past, she had indeed done many wrong things and was a bad person.
But now she has another way of making a living, and she won't do that anymore.
What happened in the past was done and she would not ask the gods for forgiveness. She would bear all the consequences, no matter what they were.
only……
I have only heard that in this world there are vast blue oceans, endless deserts, Zhaoyao Mountain covered with gold and jade, as well as temple fairs with blasting gongs and drums, and lantern festivals with bright lights like the sea.
Perhaps, she also has this opportunity, not being followed or monitored by others, not having to think about how to be a hero to save the beauty, and not having to plan to be loved by everyone at first sight, but just having a simple and relaxing holiday.
Wear ordinary clothes, buy a couple of copper coins worth of sugar painting, watch fireworks from anywhere, or don't watch them at all, or do nothing at all.
That's all, she doesn't ask for much.
As for all that she owed, she would repay it when her life was over. In Avici Hell, she wouldn't even utter a word.
Just before that.
Please, Buddha, be patient with me for a few days.
After she made her wish, she lowered her eyes and stood up.
The huge Buddha looked at her with lowered eyebrows, seeming to have pity, and seemed to be indifferent.
She shrugged and looked at the prayer tablets scattered on the floor next to the incense table at the door. They were all empty and no one had time to write on them.
There is an ancient tree outside the Buddhist temple, its trunk and branches are decorated with red wooden signs, and the branches are even weighed down.
When she got closer, she saw words of blessing for everyone's safety and success, and occasionally there were also wishes for good luck in the national exam.
She was silent for a moment, then picked up the brush that had been haphazardly placed on the incense table, took a prayer plaque, and wrote:
Gu Huaijin, may all your wishes come true, your marriage be happy, and your life be peaceful.
I took another piece and wrote it again:
Gu Huaijin, may you have a peaceful life.
With tears in her eyes, she tied the two signs to the tree. Her fingers were shaking so much that it took her a long time to tie them.
Finally, he saw the stick box on the incense table and took it in his hand to look at it carefully.
It is said that the fortune sticks at Famen Temple are so mysterious that they can even predict the results of a draw several months later.
There was a loud bang in the hall, and a piece of the ceiling collapsed. The ornately carved beam hit a golden Buddha. The Buddha's head fell down with a bang, burning with fire, and hit the floor.
Nan Qiong Shuang laughed.
It is difficult to explain. Perhaps it is because she is a person who will go to hell sooner or later. She is happy to see Buddhas and Bodhisattvas busy with their own affairs, compassionately, hypocritically, and quietly desperate, burning and twisting in the fire of karma.
It was dangerous, she knew, but she loved watching the Buddha die.
She walked in, stepped into the hall again, lifted her skirt, and kicked the Buddha's head.
The Buddha's head shook slightly, then stayed where it was.
She smiled.
Even if she worships Buddha, how can Buddha tolerate her?
Only then did I realize that I had accidentally brought the lottery ticket box in.
The fortune sticks were supposed to be shaken out after kneeling in front of the Buddha, closing eyes and praying. Now they were in the temple. She walked to the prayer mat, too lazy to kneel down, and ignored the blazing fire around her, closing her eyes and asking for the fortune sticks.
Asked about her life from then on.
The fire made a whistling sound in my ears, and the air was twisted and rising. Even if I didn't touch anything burning, the hairs on my skin would almost be singed.
The more apocalyptic the situation, the more at peace she felt.
The sticks were shaken three hundred times, with a continuous swish sound. Finally, with a click, a wooden stick fell to the ground.
Suddenly, there was a loud and violent thunder outside the hall, shaking the golden Buddha so much that it made the golden Buddha vibrate. She turned around and glanced out the window. It seemed as if a large white hole was torn in the middle of the dark clouds, and raindrops as big as eggs fell heavily from the sky.
She ignored him and lowered her eyes.
In an instant, heavy rain poured down, lightning flashed and thunder roared, as if the gods were angry.
She stood there in a daze.
Pale flashes of lightning illuminated the words on the wooden stick.
——Half a catastrophe.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Bright."
Her whole body was stiff and unable to move, she was in the raging fire, as if she was falling into an icy cave.
"Jiaojiao!" the person behind called again.
She could hardly breathe, her throat choked and she made a "gurgling" sound deep in her throat.
I couldn't control myself and started shivering all over.
The wooden stick fell gently, and she fell to the ground in pieces, like a puppet with all the strings pulled out.
Gu Huaijin used his lightness skills to jump over the Buddha's head that was burning like a ball of fire on the ground, ran to her side, stretched out his hands, caught her safely, and held her in his arms.
Turning her face towards him, she still looked like the one he had been dreaming about day and night, but now her soul was broken and tears were streaming down her face.
His heart seemed to be broken. He reached out his hand and gently wiped away the tears on her cheek: "Don't be afraid, Jiaojiao."
He whispered, "I'm here. I'll take you away."
Nan Qiong Shuang lay in his arms, not knowing whether her whole body was too cold or too hot. Her nerves were pounding, her muscles were twitching, and she couldn't see anything clearly, not even his face which was so close to her.
The ceiling of the Buddhist temple is a vague indigo blue.
The thirty-six golden Buddhas, now there are thirty-five, huge, quiet, with blurred faces, looking down at her silently.
Why do these Buddhas look like this?
She understood.
——This day was destined for her, there was no way to avoid it.
It's fate.
Her tears flowed silently, and Gu Huaijin also shed tears, pressing his forehead against hers, "Let's go out first."
That voice laughed in her ear like a ghost:
"Nan Qiong Shuang, you're not dead yet?"
Gu Huaijin's embrace still makes people feel at ease.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back in his arms.
Fate – the perversion of fate.
People who shouldn’t love each other love each other, and people who shouldn’t see each other say goodbye.
Those who didn't want to stay were left behind, and those who didn't want to leave had to leave.
Gu Huaijin was completely unaware and jumped out of the Buddhist temple with her in his arms. Seeing her crying like rain, he thought she was scared or missing him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
