Leading the way together
A new day begins. The early morning sunlight is clear and hazy, bright and light, light gray almost white, covering the sky and earth without burning people.
Between heaven and earth, large and small golden light arrays are hidden, but all creatures in heaven and on earth know that they are still there.
All living beings talked and laughed happily with each other, looking up, looking down, and there was a gentle harmony in heaven and on earth, but they all understood each other tacitly, and no one mentioned the invisible barrier between heaven and earth.
It’s not over yet. Everything in heaven and on earth is not over yet.
Defense, estrangement and resentment are simply suppressed and forgotten, still hidden deep in the heart, growing more and more intense without anyone noticing, waiting to suddenly erupt like a volcano one day in the future.
All over the world, vast ruins lie dormant like some ancient behemoth, occupying the boundless land.
There were rustling sounds... Figures in plain clothes gathered or dispersed, walking slowly and gently in it. As day and night alternated, the figures alternated, searching, and sometimes holding golden and jade magic tools, moving mountains and seas.
A cold and strong wind blew by, causing a "rustling" and "rustling" sound among the collapsed buildings. Among them, a lone figure in black suddenly seemed to sense something, turned his head blankly, and looked into the distance.
"Jiang Jingyuan...?" Jiang Jingjian murmured subconsciously, paused, his brows dazed and hesitant, as if he was unsure. He lowered his head, picked up a familiar small jade pendant hanging around his waist, looked at it for a long time, and let go silently.
He slowly raised his head, but his eyes were slightly lowered. He raised his hand to brush away his layered sleeves that were rustling in the wind. He took a deep breath silently, raised his eyes, and took a step forward, walking towards the familiar people gathered in front of him, with a calm and indifferent expression.
Now, they have more important things to do.
People sometimes looked up at the sky, sometimes talked in low voices. Above the vast ruins, the wind was howling, and everyone's voices unconsciously became lower.
They stand between the old and the new.
Gusts of wind blow from the old to the new. Who will follow the wind to the new life, and who will stay in the past?
Not all living beings consider rebirth good, and not all living beings will choose to move towards rebirth. This is a matter of freedom of choice, and no one can presumptuously judge anyone else...
They just put as many choices as possible in front of everyone.
It’s okay not to choose or not to be willing, but you shouldn’t be forced to miss out just because you don’t know or understand.
——Just as they once felt fear and relief, they were relieved that they had caught up with this gust of wind.
All living beings in heaven and on earth walk together, and let the pioneers temporarily serve as guides for the latecomers for a period of time, just like some kind of inheritance, people guide me, and I guide others.
But, we are just fellow travelers.
"If there is no guide, everyone is a guide." The boundless illusory consciousness flows through heaven and earth, speaking and listening, speaking and listening again, "I am your guide, you are the guide of all living beings, and all living beings are your guide."
"We are fellow travelers whose journey may be long or short."
“I don’t ask for companionship, I don’t ask for separation.”
“Separation and reunion, gathering and separation, change is not change.”
My hazy consciousness slowly pondered, "Because of fear, I seek the stability of a constant state. Because I can't achieve that stability, because I can't control anything, I feel even more fearful and uneasy."
"I'm afraid of change," my hazy consciousness said. "I've been a mortal for too long. I've seen all this for too long... People don't dare to accept the unknown. They expect change to be predictable and have signs."
"Are you willing to accept the unknown changes? Are you willing to believe in yourself wholeheartedly?"
"I, I am willing, I look forward to it... I am still timid. But, I am determined to ride the wind and go. Just watch me soar through this timidity."
Clear and misty between heaven and earth.
Among the broken but naturally changing mountains and rivers, water rises to nourish the plants, and birds pick and sow the plants, flowers and fruits, shuttling between heaven and earth.
People, birds and animals cleaned the mountains and rivers, helped each other heal their wounds, and passed water and food to each other.
Invisible and soundless sounds emerged from all around them, spreading softly, touching each other lightly, and echoing throughout the world.
Mountains and rivers have emotions, and all things have sounds.
Their eyes were calm and gentle, and they spoke softly to each other, speaking slowly and slowly, with every move being slow and gentle. They perceived everything clearly and attentively, and a gentle smile appeared on their faces unconsciously.
In the vast empty center, the gathered crowd gently separated and walked away in twos and threes.
Jiang Jingjian's face remained calm. He called Yuanshi over and gave him some instructions before walking straight forward.
Jiang Weiji walked over slowly to the side. Seeing the look on his face, he raised an eyebrow and said, "She will definitely be fine. What are you worried about?"
Jiang Jingjian ignored it, as if he hadn't heard or seen it at all. He walked forward without looking around.
"..." Jiang Weiji showed a look of dissatisfaction on his face. He quickly stepped forward and said, "We are all here. We will be the first to know what Jiang Jingyuan's condition is. If I say she is fine, then she is fine. Maybe she will be fine soon..."
"how long?"
Jiang Jingjian suddenly turned his head to look at him and asked.
Jiang Weiji paused, his eyes wandering, and said: "It doesn't matter how long she's been here, it doesn't matter how long it's been here, whether the days feel like years or time flies like an arrow, the days and months pass by quickly, it all depends on how you think..."
Jiang Jingjian's face turned expressionless for a moment.
Jiang Jingjian chuckled and said, "You're really old. You can't sit still. You have to chat with others." He turned away, not wanting to look at him. "There are so many shrines to chat with you. Go over there and let me be quiet for a while."
"???" Jiang Weiji's expression twisted, and he was slightly angry. "If Jiang Jingyuan wasn't here, would I have come to see you? You're not even as good as her as a descendant!"
Jiang Jingjian turned around instantly when he heard that, his face full of surprise, and asked, "Can Jiang Jingyuan chat with you?"
Jiang Weiji choked, his expression changing again and again. He gritted his teeth and said forcefully, "She would say 'hmm'..."
In an instant, Jiang Jingjian suddenly raised his sleeves to cover his face, his body trembling, and a low mocking sound came from under his sleeves, it was obvious that he was laughing like crazy.
"She, she..." Jiang Jingjian laughed tremblingly and imitated him to repeat, "She would, 'hmm'..."
Jiang Weiji's face gradually turned red, his expression twisted as he gritted his teeth and whispered, "You're just relying on our friendship over the past decade. When we get to the future... it's still uncertain who will be close to you and who will be distant!"
Jiang Jingjian's posture slowly stabilized. He put down his hand, tilted his head casually, looked at him sideways, and said, "If you have free time, you should be busy. Once you are busy, you won't be free anymore."
Jiang Jingjian turned to leave, but after two steps, he suddenly remembered something and without turning back, he just said, "And our Imperial Master, go get him and work together."
He muttered to himself, "I almost forgot about him. Jiang Jingyuan said before that this guy is not a good person. He is prone to causing trouble when he is too idle. I need to wake him up and make him busy..."
Jiang Weiji curled his lips, turned around, and walked away, determined to find Yan Rugui. He hadn't forgotten that it was this State Master and Wu Qian who had caused unrest among the entire Jiang family.
It just so happens that there are people who can show him some fun... Jiang Weiji's face was full of emotion, thinking, some people have been eating and drinking for free for so many years, and now they have to get up and grind the mill.
The two people walked away on the gray ruins.
Jiang Jingjian suddenly stopped, still with his back to the man, but he lowered his head, curled his lips, looked unhappy, and his eyes were dim and lost.
"Jiang Weiji is right..." He smirked, his lips curling downwards as he thought to himself. Some old people can survive, but I might not...
Jiang Jingjian looked up and around, found a higher place, sat down, raised one hand to support his knee, resting it on his cheek, and looked at the increasingly bright world in front of him, quietly.
His eyes were blank.
how long?
Jiang Jingyuan didn't know and couldn't guarantee it. Jiang Weiji couldn't give an answer and was vaguely unwilling to answer his question... that is, a long time.
One month, two months, one year, two years, five years, ten years... If it were just like this, Jiang Jingyuan would not have spoken to him so seriously and reminded him about the new life.
Is it that when the new goes to the new and the old stays in the old, it will come back?
I still don’t know, I can only remain silent.
Silence, silence, silence until finally, Jiang Jingyuan couldn't bear it any longer and said, "To cultivate immortality, live in the present moment, don't count the days."
To cultivate immortality, days feel like years, and centuries pass in the blink of an eye. Without attachment or deliberateness, let the wind blow and let it go. Since this is eternal, why would one wonder, "How many years will it take to achieve complete cultivation?"
Living in the present moment is a fleeting moment, yet also an immensely long one. A single practice might last a few hours, or perhaps... thousands of years.
Wanting to stretch it or shorten it, wanting a constant, is attachment to appearances.
Jiang Jingjian pursed his lips, his eyes darkened, and his pupils trembled. He couldn't help but feel a strong sense of anger, grievance, and regret in his heart, thinking:
"I shouldn't have agreed to this over and over again. It's because I agreed over and over again that the time has become longer and longer..."
Thinking about it later, I became powerless little by little.
"But this is becoming an immortal, this is eternal immortality..." Jiang Jingjian thought dejectedly.
Becoming an immortal, becoming a perfect, eternal being, is the lifelong aspiration of countless beings in heaven and on earth. This is eternity and perfection, this is omnipotence... Could anything possibly make someone give up all this?
Your own choices are allowed, but the maliciousness and interference of others are not allowed.
He and she are not enemies. Only enemies would try every possible means to stop something. Only enemies would be crazy enough to pull someone down - they would hinder others and be full of malice. They are enemies, even more enemies than enemies.
He wanted better for her.
Is it because I can't keep up? Should I hold her back and prevent her from becoming better? We are not enemies, and I don't want to be enemies... Jiang Jingjian slowly lowered his hand, blinked, slowly stood up, lightly jumped onto the lower ruins, and walked slowly.
He walked through the empty space, among the people who sometimes smiled softly and sometimes burst into tears. He slowly raised his hand and gently stroked his heart, his lowered eyes dim.
Jiang Jingjian silently withdrew from the crowd, gazing at the people and animals on the ruins from afar. He felt uneasy and apprehensive, fearful and uneasy. He feared that his own karma and obsession had shaken all living things...
Jiang Jingjian's steps were slow but continuous, as he retreated step by step, as if he was isolated from himself like an island in the sea.
All living things, all living things, even the immortal Jiang Jingyuan was among them. Jiang Jingyuan had to resolve the karma, his own karma, and inevitably some of the karma of all living things. Jiang Jingjian stood in the increasingly bright and scorching sunlight, thinking, then he would do his best to help, at least to prevent her from suffering further.
Jiang Jingjian pursed his lips, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suddenly turned around to leave.
"I'm here."
A familiar clear voice sounded in my ears, as soft as the wind.
Jiang Jingjian froze in place instantly.
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