Guardian of Time and Space
On the third full-moon night after the plague subsided, Qi Diao Yanfei came to the holy lake again.
The lake was unusually calm, without even a ripple. She called out Tashi Phuntsok's name, but there was no response for a long time. A sense of foreboding crept into her heart.
"Dean!" Baima Zhuoga came running over breathlessly. "There are some special guests at the Zen temple. They...they say they are companions of the Guardian of Time and Space."
Qi Diao Yanfei was shocked and immediately followed Zhuoga back to the Zen temple.
In the living room, three visitors, dressed in unusual attire, were waiting. Two men and one woman, their attire was silver-gray, made of something that looked like cloth, yet shimmered subtly under the light. Their faces were youthful, their eyes as deep as a thousand-year-old well.
"Ms. Qidiao Yanfei," the leading woman stood up and spoke in a strangely rhythmic Tibetan language. "I'm Liana, and these two are my companions, Kyle and Tomac. We are from the Council of Guardians of Time and Space."
Qi Diao Yanfei calmed down and asked the guest to take a seat: "The Council of Guardians of Time and Space? I don't understand."
Liana looked her straight in the eye. "Your lover, Tashi Phuntsok, is a new member of our council. But he's in trouble and needs your help."
"What trouble?" Qi Diao Yanfei's heart tightened.
Kyle took over the conversation. "Three months ago, the forces of the Dark Dimension attacked the space-time node. To protect the node, Tashi Phuntsok bound his core energy to it. Now the node is stable, but he can't break away."
Tomac added, "What's worse is that the nodes are sucking away his life energy. If he's not rescued soon, he'll dissipate completely."
Qi Diao Yanfei's face turned pale: "How can I help him?"
"There is only one way," Liana said seriously, "someone must enter the time and space node and unbind it from the inside. And this person must be someone who has a deep soul bond with Tashi Phuntsok."
"That's me." Qi Diao Yanfei said without hesitation.
Liana nodded. "But this process is extremely dangerous. You could be trapped in the turbulence of time and space forever, or even disappear completely."
Qi Diao Yanfei smiled calmly: "Eight years ago, I thought he was lost forever. Now that I have a chance to save him, I am fearless."
She immediately arranged the affairs of the monastery, temporarily handing over the duties of abbot to Pema Zhuoga and Jiacuo. She then accompanied the three space-time guardians to the space-time node on the north shore of the holy lake.
The scene at the node astounded her. The black stone tablet was now completely transparent, revealing countless glittering passages crisscrossing within. At the center of the node, Tashi Phuntsok's figure loomed, entangled by countless fiber-optic energy bundles.
"Pingcuo!" Qi Diao Yanfei rushed forward, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.
Tashi Phuntsok, who was in the node, opened his eyes. When he saw her, surprise flashed in his eyes, but then turned into anxiety: "Yanfei, leave quickly! It's too dangerous here!"
"I'm here to save you," she said firmly.
Liana stepped forward: "Time is limited, we must begin the ceremony immediately."
The three guardians stood around the node and began to chant a strange incantation. As they chanted, ripples appeared on the node's surface, and a portal of light slowly opened.
"Through this door, you will enter the node," Liana explained. "Find the core of the energy binding and use your soul bond to break it. Remember, you only have one stick of incense. When the time is up, whether you succeed or not, you must return."
Qi Diao Yanfei nodded, took a last look at the world she loved so much, and resolutely stepped into the light gate.
The scene inside the door was beyond her imagination. She felt as if she were in a maze of countless mirrors, each reflecting a different fragment of time and space: her first encounter with Tashi Phuntsok, the snowy night he died in her arms, their reunion by the holy lake, the founding of Redwood Monastery...
"Don't be confused by memories," she reminded herself, "finding the energy core is the key."
She followed the energy she sensed from Tashi Phuntsok and finally reached the center of the maze, where she saw a heartbreaking scene: Tashi Phuntsok was tightly bound by countless glowing fiber optic cables, which were constantly sucking away his life energy.
"Yan Fei, you shouldn't have come." He said weakly.
"I will never give up on you, just like you never gave up on me." She stepped forward and tried to untie the optical cables, but was repelled by the powerful energy.
"It's useless," Tashi Phuntsok shook his head. "These bonds must be released from within. I need to...let go of my obsession."
"Obsession?"
"My obsession with the node of time and space, my obsession with the responsibility of protection," his eyes were filled with pain, "even... my obsession with you."
Qi Diao Yanfei was stunned. She had never thought that love could become an obsession.
At this moment, the entire space began to vibrate violently. Mirrors shattered one after another, revealing the turbulent flow of space and time behind them.
"The dark forces are coming again!" Tashi Phuntsok said anxiously, "Yanfei, leave quickly!"
"No!" Qi Diao Yanfei stood firmly in front of him, "This time, we will face it together."
She closed her eyes and recalled her understanding over the years: "You said that time and space are a cyclical circle. Life and death, love and hate, gathering and separation, are all part of this circle. Clinging to any one point will lead to loss of direction."
Tashi Phuntsok stared at her in amazement.
"It took me eight years to understand that true love is not about possession, but about fulfillment." She continued, with a glint of wisdom in her eyes, "I love you, so I respect your choice, even if it means separation."
She reached out her hand, not to untie the cables, but to gently place it on his heart: "If you choose to become a guardian of time and space, I will be proud of you. If you choose to return to ordinary life, I will be with you. But no matter what you choose, I will not let love become a shackle that binds you."
As she spoke, the optical cables that bound Tashi Phuntsok began to loosen. His eyes gradually regained their brilliance, and an unprecedented clarity appeared on his face.
"I understand..." he said softly, "Protection is not a bondage, responsibility is not a shackle. True power comes from the free choice of the heart."
The last fiber optic cable snapped, and Tashi Phuntsok was free. However, he did not leave the node immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and reached a new balance with the entire space-time node.
When he opened his eyes again, there was both the tenderness of the past and the new wisdom in them.
"The Node no longer requires sacrifice to maintain itself," he said with a smile. "It now resonates freely with my soul. I can continue to protect it while also being by your side."
Qi Diao Yanfei cried tears of joy. For the first time in eight years, she had truly and completely found her lover.
The two walked out of the light gate hand in hand. Seeing this, the three guardians outside all smiled with relief.
“Congratulations,” Liana stepped forward, “You not only rescued Tashi Phuntsok, but also helped him reach a higher level of guardian.”
However, just as everyone was celebrating, a black shadow suddenly rushed out from the node and headed straight for Qi Diao Yanfei.
"Be careful!" Tashi Pingcuo quickly stood in front of her, but was hit by the black shadow.
The shadow transformed into a distorted humanoid figure after landing, and let out a shrill laugh: "Foolish Guardian! Do you really think I was destroyed? I was just lurking deep in the node, waiting for this opportunity!"
Qi Diao Yanfei recognized the voice—it was the dark existence he had heard at the source of the plague before.
Tashi Phuntsok fell to his knees, his face etched with pain. The area that had been struck began to turn black, and dark energy spread rapidly.
"Pingcuo!" Qi Diao Yanfei rushed forward and hugged him.
"It's useless," the dark being said proudly, "This is a curse specifically targeting the Guardian. He will slowly be devoured by the darkness and eventually become my puppet!"
Liana and the other two Guardians attempted to attack the dark being, but were easily repelled by it.
"You are too weak," it sneered. "A guardian without the power of the node is nothing!"
Qi Diao Yanfei looked at her lover in pain in her arms, and an unprecedented sense of determination surged in her heart. She gently put Tashi Phuntsok down, stood up, and faced the darkness.
"You made a mistake," she said in a calm yet powerful voice. "You underestimated the love and courage of an ordinary human woman."
The dark being scoffed, "Love and courage? What kind of ridiculous thing is that?"
Qi Diao Yanfei didn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes and gathered all her energy. She recalled her experiences as a sky burial master, her training as a soul-ferrying master, and her responsibilities as the head of a Zen temple. She recalled the insights she gained each time she helped a soul find liberation, and the realizations she gained each time she faced life and death.
"I have witnessed too much death and separation," she opened her eyes, a golden light flashing in them, "so I understand better than anyone the preciousness of life and the eternity of love."
The biography of Tsangyang Gyatso's poems on her chest opened automatically, its pages moving without a breeze, emitting a dazzling light. The insights, notes, and teaching experiences she had recorded over the years now transformed into tangible power.
"What kind of power is this?" The dark being retreated in horror. "This isn't the Guardian's energy, nor is it any known supernatural power!"
"This is the power of wisdom and compassion," Qi Diao Yanfei's voice sounded like a revelation from ancient times. "It is the resonance of millions of souls, the prayers of countless students, and the resistance of life itself to darkness."
The light grew stronger, illuminating the entire Holy Lake area like daylight. The dark entity let out a shrill scream before gradually dissipating in the light.
"No! This is impossible! I just... want to go home..." Before completely disappearing, the dark being uttered these thought-provoking last words.
The light faded, and everything returned to calm. The dark curse on Tashi Phuntsok also disappeared.
Liana looked at Qi Diao Yanfei in awe. "You...you just used the 'Original Wisdom'! Legend has it that only a very few who have experienced the test of life and death and understood the true meaning of life can master this power."
Qi Diao Yanfei smiled tiredly and helped Tashi Phuntsok up: "I just did what I thought was right."
A month later, the Redwood Zen Temple held a grand celebration to celebrate the return of Qidiao Yanfei and the new life of Tashi Pingcuo.
At the celebration, Tashi Phuntsok made a momentous decision: he would continue to serve as the Guardian of Time and Space, but would no longer be bound to a node. This new balance allowed him to travel freely between time and space, while also remaining with Qi Diao Yanfei in the human world.
"I will be the Wandering Guardian," he announced, "maintaining balance between time and space, while bringing wisdom from different worlds back here."
Qi Diao Yanfei also announced that the temple would be handed over to Baima Zhuoga and Jiacuo for joint management, while he himself would travel with Tashi Pingcuo.
“For years, I have taught students to face death and understand life,” she said. “Now, it is time to experience life’s infinite possibilities with the people I love.”
Although the students were reluctant, they all understood and supported their decision.
Before leaving, Qi Diao Yanfei came alone to the redwood tree engraved with poems. She gently stroked the words written by Tashi Phuntsok on the bark and said with a smile:
“That day, with my eyes closed in the fragrant mist of the scriptures, I heard the true words in your chanting;
That month, I shook all the prayer wheels, not for salvation, but just to touch your fingertips;
That year, I kowtowed and crawled on the mountain road, not to see you, but just to feel your warmth;
In that life, I traveled around mountains, rivers, and pagodas, not for the sake of cultivating my next life, but just to meet you along the way.
And in this life, I no longer need to travel far and wide, because you are by my side."
Tashi Phuntsok hugged her gently from behind: "We will not let down the Tathagata and we will not let you down—we have finally done it."
The next morning, with all the teachers and students watching them off, they embarked on a new journey. They were no longer lovers obsessed with life and death, but partners exploring the mysteries of life together.
The wind blew through the redwood forest, and the prayer flags fluttered, as if blessing their new journey.
Qi Diao Yanfei turned around and took a last look at the land that witnessed their love and growth, then smiled at Tashi Pingcuo and continued on their way.
Everything in the world is you, and right now, you are beside me. This is perfection.
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