novelno Chapter 247 The True Face
Chapter 247 The True Face
In the void, a gentle breeze swirls, and ink of just the right shades flows from the tip of the brush, leaving clear characters on the blank page.
On the paper, old ink marks dry quickly with the passage of time, leaving behind old traces; while new ink marks are constantly born from the pen, and between the old and the new, a page is quickly filled.
These are all things that have been settled, and have become traces left by the past.
This moment is now, symbolizing the end of the past, and the future will unfold in the next moment.
"Whoosh."
After a page was completely filled, a gentle breeze blew again, turning to a new blank page. The brush moved once more, leaving new marks.
"Shh..."
The friction between the pen tip and the paper seems to be the sound of time flowing through the world.
The sound was very faint, not easily heard in the midst of bustling noise, but in this quiet moment, it resonated clearly in every corner, like a great bell.
A gentle breeze blows, and the paper and brush move freely, carrying with them a sigh tinged with regret.
"We have all forgotten our true nature."
Zhou Sheng's aged voice, mingled with the friction of time passing, seemed to be a recollection, but mostly a sigh of regret.
"Within Jiashen Valley, a single thought arose, and the names of thirty-six thieves were revealed."
"The world is turned upside down, chaos reigns, yet he calls himself the Monkey King but is just a mortal."
A gentle breeze stirred, and the brush on the blue book paused for a moment. The room fell silent, as if time itself had stood still.
"I've come to terms with myself and returned to being the Marquis of Wudang. Qu Tong, no, Duanmu, when will you be able to return to being that doctor?"
"Dr. Duanmu? That must be a memory from a long time ago. Senior Zhou Sheng, please don't mistake me for someone else. I am Qu Tong now."
"As for my true self, am I not myself?"
Inside the Three Calamities Cage, Qu Tong sat cross-legged, overly calm. Her bloodshot eyes had lost their former vibrancy; deep within that empty, serene gaze, the pulse of life seemed mechanical.
Although it is truly empty and quiet, it is not the emptiness and quiet of living beings, but rather the void of lifeless things.
Severing the three corpses and eradicating the six roots means truly cutting off the seven emotions and six desires that belong to a person. At this point, Qu Tong can no longer be considered a complete being.
This is the price for forcibly using the "Dual-Handed Technique" to elevate one's life cultivation.
Humans come from nothingness and grow from humble beginnings. Just as mountains are formed from piled soil and deep pools from gathered water, humans are people who gradually come and accumulate knowledge.
The Monkey King traveled across three continents and two oceans before finally arriving at Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, where he became the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven".
The Monkey King then traveled westward on foot for 108,000 li before finally reaching Mount Ling and regaining his enlightenment.
Enlightenment takes only a moment, but it takes hundreds or thousands of moments to accumulate the necessary foundation for that moment of enlightenment.
Even in the frigid depths of the heavens, one must climb step by step, forging a path that begins and ends.
Otherwise, going up would be easy, but gazing at the celestial palaces, the future would be unknown; looking back, there would be nothing but emptiness, for the path back had been cut off.
Forgetting the past, forgetting our true selves, we can only remain stuck in this limbo, neither moving forward nor backward.
In "Journey to the West", Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace. He knew he had caused trouble, but he was caught up in vanity and obsessed with empty fame.
They neither want to back down, apologize, or turn themselves in, nor do they know how to move forward; they can only escalate the situation further.
That's why Buddha sighed when he subdued Sun Wukong, "What a pity about your original form."
In his true form, Sun Wukong was the Monkey King of Flower Fruit Mountain and Water Curtain Cave.
The true nature of a cultivator is not that of a celestial being exuding immortality, nor that of a wise and enlightened immortal, but rather the original mortal being.
The Double-Handed Technique is the simplest of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, consisting of only red and blue hands and the ability to possess both life and death. However, it is also the most lawless.
To alter one's destiny, to defy one's innate nature, life and death are but a thought away.
This skill is truly profound, but this extraordinary technique was originally only used to cure diseases and save lives.
In Tongtian Valley, Duanmu Ying, who had mastered the "Dual-Hand Technique," initially only wished to heal all the sick in the world.
At that time, she was also a doctor at Jishetang, who had returned from studying in the West and was the head of both Chinese and Western medicine.
But with the passage of time, the original aspirations have long since changed beyond recognition, and the doctor of Jishetang who combined Chinese and Western medicine has long since donned a disguise and become someone else.
Both Duanmu Ying and the "Double-Handed Technique" have lost their original forms.
"Duanmu, are you still so stubborn?"
In the gentle breeze, Zhou Sheng's voice did not end. This time, he was no longer indifferent, but instead offered some earnest advice.
Although the thirty-six people met at a banquet, and many of them were drinking buddies, Zhou Sheng had given his sincere feelings regardless of what others were like.
Although few in number, they do exist.
"Forgetting one's true nature and using the Eight Extraordinary Techniques is the most deviant and unorthodox path."
"My third brother also forgot his true self and his wishes back then, and almost suffered an irreversible disaster, but as long as he woke up in time, it was not too late."
"Prince Zhong is still waiting for you, waiting for his wife named Duanmu Ying."
The thirty-six men had all forgotten their true nature, which is why there were thirty-six thieves.
When the few who had mastered the Eight Extraordinary Techniques faced pursuit, they forgot their original wish to master them, which led to various dangerous consequences.
If Zhou Sheng, the one who comprehended the [Feng Hou Qi Men], had not turned back in time and remembered his original nature, he would have almost been worn down by the rhythms of heaven and earth and turned into a pile of rotten flesh.
He is now trying to awaken the true nature of the person before him, to see if he can lend a helping hand to his old friend.
The three calamities targeted the unrecognizable "Qu Tong," not the original "Duanmu Ying."
The Three Calamities Cage still existed in the room, and the shackles formed by the Wind and Fire Calamities gleamed brightly. The bright and scorching light reflected Qu Tong's inhuman eyes, as if they were two pools of stagnant water.
Zhou Sheng's earnest words of advice did not cause the slightest ripple in the two stagnant pools.
"Senior Zhou Sheng, it's fine to reminisce about old friends, but please don't mistake one for another."
"What's the difference between the distant past and me now?"
"Also, let me remind you, we were all one of the thirty-six people back then. The reason you are so carefree now is simply because I led the way and held the line."
A mechanical voice slowly and deliberately came out of Qu Tong's mouth, "Since things have a beginning, they will inevitably end. No matter whether the ending is good or bad, that day will eventually come."
A gentle breeze stirred, and the brush, which had paused, resumed writing on the book, the soft scratching sound ringing out once more. At that moment, it felt as if the passage of time had returned to this room.
"If that's the case, then so be it."
Zhou Sheng's voice turned cold again, as if the old friend named Duanmu Ying had completely disappeared, and only strangers remained in this place.
"Click click click..."
A moment later, the Three Calamities Cage closed again, and the shackles of wind and fire slowly pressed down on Qu Tong in the center.
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I'll change locations tomorrow; the dorm is too noisy, so I can't update twice.