劍問蒼天 - 第179章 化解 - 翰墨軒

The morning bell tolled slow and long; the evening drum beat deep and heavy. Mount Sumeru bathed in drifting clouds and mist. From the first rising sun to the last glow of dusk, the skies shifted and changed, white clouds racing past like grey dogs, and time, in the end, never paused for anyone.

The Fanyin Temple stood majestic and grand, towering upon Mount Sumeru like a compassionate giant gazing upon the world. Countless mortals gathered from every direction at dawn, bowing before the idols in the temple halls, pouring out their joys and sorrows, begging the gods for protection. Thousands came and gathered; thousands dispersed and parted. Day after day, it never changed—the years of meeting and parting. Only the gilded statues of the Buddhas and gods within the temple, the undying lamps before the halls, the curling incense smoke—only these had seen all the vicissitudes of the world.

Ming Li—or Zhang Qingyue as he once was—entered once more the little room where the dharma body of the Divine Monk Puzhao lay. Another day and night had passed, and in all that time there was not the slightest stir from within the hut. Master Pucheng had come out into the small courtyard between times, stood there a long while, and departed with a sigh. Only Facheng, ever since Ming Li entered that room, had stood in the courtyard outside, keeping his vigil with a patience beyond all expectation.

No one knew why Facheng stood there, but none of the other monks of Fanyin Temple—Master Pucheng included—had asked him, and Facheng simply stood on, alone and steadfast, as though waiting for something.

The setting sun was like blood, staining red the evening clouds on the western horizon. Gazing into the distance, one could see a fine layer of golden light along the edges of the clouds, exceedingly beautiful. The beauty of heaven and earth was, in truth, always close at hand—it depended only on whether you looked, and whether you cared.

Facheng gazed at the distant sunset clouds, lost in a daze. Having stood there a day and a night, his comely face showed not the least weariness; rather, in his clear eyes flickered a deep and profound light of wisdom.

"What are you looking at?" Suddenly a voice sounded beside him. Facheng started, roused from his thoughts, and saw that Master Pucheng had at some unknown time come back into the courtyard and now stood at his side, smiling at him.

Facheng pressed his palms together and answered, "Reverend Master, this disciple was gazing at the sunset clouds in the west and suddenly had an insight, so that I fell into a daze. I did not know you had arrived—forgive my neglect."

Master Pucheng smiled faintly. "No need to trouble yourself over such trifling courtesies. But I wonder—what insight did you draw from those sunset clouds in the west?"

Facheng pondered a moment, then said, "This disciple has stood here a day and a night, watching the stars by night and the blue sky by day, until now the splendor fades and the setting sun sinks in the west, leaving only a few scattered rays to gild the western sky. I could not help but feel sorrow in my heart. Such is human life, such is time, such are all things between heaven and earth. For a moment I did not know—being born into this world, so small, like a single grain in the vast sea—what meaning there is in living at all."

Master Pucheng nodded. "You do indeed possess wisdom beyond the common, my disciple. All things between heaven and earth have their own fated lot; thus, though they change in a thousand ways, in the end there is a course of destiny that cannot be defied. That you could grasp this from the rising and setting of the sun is already most remarkable."