Estranged - Chapter 83

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The common people believed in the Six Realms of Rebirth in Buddhism because they wanted to have a hope for a better existence in their next lives. For this reason, Buddhism had teachings about the Western Paradise and the Eighteen Hells.

The Six Realms of Rebirth in Buddhism: according to the karma one gathers through their life, they will be reborn into one of six types of creatures

The Eighteen Hells were like mountains of swords or seas of flames, with millstones or ponds of blood ruthlessly torturing people. When a living person arrived at this place after their death and spent a long period of time here under various tortures, their self-awareness would slowly recede. No matter how unbridled their souls were, eventually, they would turn into nourishment for this hell, having been brought under control by the ruler of this place.

Mountains of swords or seas of flames: an extremely dangerous place

Millstones or ponds of blood: refers to certain layers of Hell. On the layer with millstones, people are crumbled into pieces; on the layer with ponds of blood, people soak in these ponds

Out of the two Buddha’s Drums of Kui Pattern, one had been used to build the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and the other had created the “Eighteen Hells” in front of their eyes.

But, in the end, a fake was still a fake. Since this place had neither the Judge of the Hells, nor his messengers collecting souls, the Mirror Stand of Karma could not reflect the virtues or sinful deeds one had accomplished throughout their life. Instead, it could only lead humans’ hearts astray, using the moment of their weakness and to cast an illusion to fish out one’s deepest desires from the depths of their heart.

Occasionally, a powerful torrent comprising countless slivers of light scattered people away from each other to places they had never heard of. Only a lucky coincidence could reunite those lost people, but more often than not, they would continue wandering alone in the tide up until they were driven to the very edge, where the people would be lost forever.

This place was not an illusion realm like the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and everything here existed in flesh. If they wanted to leave, they had to find the heart of the formation.

The moment Changming set foot on the grounds of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, he had realized that this place was abnormal.

The Wanlian Buddhist Temple was separated into countless small pieces, and each piece had a bond connecting it to the others, as well as a protective screen. If they went towards the main yard in the center, they would not necessarily reach it—rather, they would be sent to a side courtyard. In truth, these places were one with the Eighteen Layers of Hell, and a part of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. They had established the realm with the Buddha’s Drum of Kui Pattern, creating their own world out of thin air. It had deities, Buddhas and humans, and also “evil ghosts”—those whom the “Hell” had sent down there to accept their punishments. The whole capital of You, including their emperor, had almost fallen into the hands of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and the sect would have been free to use them as it pleased.

The reason why they had not spread their influence out to other places was probably because they still had not gathered enough strength, and not because their wild ambitions were limited to this place.

There was no doubt that from the moment Changming and the others crossed the gates of the You Capital, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been tracking their movements. They were even well aware of the defeat of the Ghost King, as well as of them joining hands.

At first, Changming only wanted to rescue Zhou Keyi, but the change of circumstances did not allow him to continue with that plan.

If he wanted to help Zhou Keyi, he had to destroy the Wanlian Buddhist Temple first.

But it was easier said than done.

At this moment, he could not even be sure whether Xu Jingxian was alive or dead.

To either side of the long and narrow stone path, raging flames were rising up to the skies, and the hot air was suffocating them. The sparks were dancing in the air all around, floating towards their clothes, but their spiritual powers were lightly pushing the sparks away.

If the Nine Layers of the Abyss was an enormous illusion, this place was more grotesque in shape and gaudy in color, where it was nearly impossible to distinguish between deceptions and true disasters.

If a commoner fell to this place, they would have probably been burnt half to death by the scorching hot temperature of the rising steam.

Although Changming and Yun Weisi had suffered no loss, it was not a comfortable place for them either. The hot air was lingering and circulating around the two of them, as their spiritual powers could only keep the sparks away. They were covered with a thin layer of sweat.

The stone path was wriggling and going in circles—the further they went, the narrower and harder to pass the road became.

In order to avoid running into unexpected dangers, the two of them were not using the art of sword control, walking on their feet one after the other.

They seemed minuscule compared to the sea of flames. If someone looked at them from above, the two of them would seem to be close to disappearing.

Yun Weisi’s heart was pounding a bit too fast.

It was not due to the shock he had felt after stumbling upon Changming earlier. His heart was beating fast and irregularly, sometimes jumping three or four times faster, and sometimes calming down just like it was normally.

When his heart had started pounding violently, an even stranger feeling had started filling his heart with neither rhyme nor reason.

He could not help stretching out his hand to grab Changming’s sleeve.

“Slow down!”

Changming stopped and turned back. “Why, is there something wrong?”

Yun Weisi shook his head. His expression was a bit odd, as if he wanted to say something, but decided to hold back instead. In the end, he said: “I smell the aura of a demon ahead.”

Smell..?

Changming’s heart sank.

“Show me your hand.”

Yun Weisi stretched out his hand with his palm turned upwards.

That red line had not moved a single inch, still trapped at the previous location near his wrist. However, he still felt that burn vaguely, and could not get rid of that sensation completely.

Yun Weisi did not know how to describe what he felt. Nothing had happened, but subconsciously, he was worried.

He was very afraid of losing his mind suddenly, starting to hurt people, losing control over his spiritual power and making irreversible mistakes.

Changming saw that the red line had not changed, and sighed with relief. Had Yun Weisi abruptly turned possessed in a place like this, it would be really inconvenient. They had a lot of things to accomplish right now.

“Walk ahead, I’ll follow behind you,” Yun Weisi said.

“Okay,” Changming stopped frowning and stretched his hand out towards Yun Weisi.

At that moment, Yun Weisi thought of something. It was neither the dangers hiding in this place, nor the strange changes on his body, but the thought that he had never seen his shizun acting gentle like this.

In the past, Shizun was not only strict with himself. He was even stricter with his demands of his disciple, unwilling to tolerate any mistake.

It was said that this was the reason why Zhou Keyi had eventually rebelled against him, resulting in the two of them having gone separate ways.

When Yun Weisi was a youth, although he had endured it silently, he could never accept it.

Until he went down the mountains to gain experience, and the keen sight and patience he had developed through painstaking practise turned into the key to him gaining the upper hand and saving his life.

Afterwards, Jiufang Changming had disappeared on the Sacred Mountain Wan, and Yun Weisi had lost the person who had been guarding him silently from behind. He had grown a lot overnight, and in the end turned into a second Jiufang Changming.

Looking back now, the few years he had spent at the Yuhuang Temple enduring these excessive requests was the only time he had received warmth at this part of his life.

But what about Shizun? How did he turn into his current optimistic and careless self from that Jiufang Changming who treated every word with seriousness and rarely smiled?

What had he been through during the last fifty years that Yun Weisi had yet to learn about?

Even if he was confronting the moody Yun Hai in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, or going through every imaginable kind of danger later, Changming bore these hardships with equanimity, always remaining unperturbed. It was rare to see him frightened or losing self-control.

“Changming.”

Yun Weisi did not call him shizun, whether accidentally or on purpose.

Changming hummed. He did not seem to mind it.

He has really changed a lot, Yun Weisi thought. In the past, Jiufang Changming made a clear distinction between the position of a senior and a junior, and would have never let a disciple act so ungraciously, overstepping his authority.

“Did you spend the last fifty years in the Yellow Springs after leaving the Sacred Mountain Wan?”

“I suffered a severe wound, and I was living in a state of ignorance. At first, I had no memories at all, and only afterwards did I gradually come to remember something. When my consciousness returned to me, I was already in the Yellow Springs.”

“What’s there in the Yellow Springs?”

“Birds and beasts that are different from those in the Human World, of which some are rare mythical creatures. Any treasure or herb you might want can be found there. However, where humans’ desires lie, dangers follow. A moment of carelessness can lead to eternal damnation.”

“What about you?”

“Me? I’m not interested in those treasures, so it was a lot less dangerous for me. Most of the time, I was sitting on dunes and watching the sun set, and the stars rise and pale, wondering who I used to be before and how I ended up here, day after day. My memories wouldn’t return to me regardless, I watched the same scenery countless times, and gradually, my discontent disposition calmed down. I stopped feeling worried about my past, and learned how to admire the repeating movements of stars, noticing changes I never saw in my everyday life before.”

“You found joy in this boring routine?”

“Not really. At first, I was probably compelled against my will. Afterwards, I thought, if I’ve wandered to a place like this, there must be a reason for it. Since I can’t find it for the time being, I should use this chance to work on myself. Then, one day, perhaps I’ll find the answer.”

Changming was walking behind Yun Weisi, but the latter could still feel him smile while reflecting on his past enthusiastically.

For others, the Yellow Springs was an arduous place brimming with dangers. However, when Changming was talking about it, the Yellow Springs turned into a place for hardening one’s heart.

Jiufang Changming was indeed different from the rest.

Yun Weisi could not help but to smile a bit as well.

Having this drudgery as his routine, being confined in a remote desperate place with no hope, Changming, contrary to what one might have expected, saw a myriad things in nature, and observed stars rotating in the skies, thus revealing a piece of the Heavenly Dao.

The severe wound was slowly healing itself. Although his memories had not returned, one day, the Jiufang Changming of the past would return.

And this time, he would sweep away all obstacles, returning victorious from every endeavour.

Yun Weisi thought that he liked this Jiufang Changming better.

He was warmer, kinder, and seemed to understand Yun Weisi better.

Even if he said nothing, it was fine.

After everything that had happened, including demonic qi entering Yun Weisi’s body and him narrowly escaping death, he would have never thought that one day he would be able to walk together with Changming on the same path, and hear his voice nearby. Even if he spent his whole life like this, standing close to him but never reaching his hand out to touch Changming, he would be perfectly satisfied.

Do you really think you’ll be satisfied?

A mysterious voice came from nowhere.

The seductive voice sounded as if it had come from the darkest depths or from beyond the highest heavens, neither close by nor far away.

You think it’s enough?

You don’t want to embrace him and hold him, to let him warm you up, to force him into submission with your body?

You do. You just don’t dare acknowledge it. Who would have expected the dignified Daozun Yun to plug his own ears while stealing a bell in an attempt to deceive himself and the others one day? Supposing you do want, you can easily accomplish this cherished desire, by trapping him in your arms, and making him your property for ever and ever. He will only be able to look at you alone, and you’ll be able to make him do whatever you want, and he won’t have a chance to resist.

Plug his own ears while stealing a bell: to deceive oneself

Have you ever imagined him being overwhelmed by you, gasping for breath passionately, beads of sweat dripping down his neck, he lies in your arms with his robes wide open, looking at you like he is willing to accept you whole? Doesn’t it make the heat rise through your body? Even the most rigid Confucian moralist would never believe in “stopping within the limit of decency when acting on emotions”, yet you, Yun Weisi, are actually content with it?

Stopping within the limit of decency when acting on emotions: Confucius’ quote. Even if you have romantic feelings towards someone, you should act decently…

Shut up!

“Slow down!”

Yun Weisi raised his head abruptly and froze.

There was a bottomless overhanging cliff half a cun away from his feet.

Changming, who had called out to him, quickly stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.

“You haven’t stopped no matter how many times I called out to you just now. I was close to drawing my sword. Are you alright?”

Yun Weisi slowly shook his head, his expression calm and unreadable. He was drenched with sweat.

Changming did not find this strange, since he was sweating as well because of the raging sea of flames.

A long chain was attached to the edge of the steep cliff under their feet, stretching far away into the darkness to the other side.

A call for help could be heard from afar, and the voice even sounded familiar.

The temperature of the air behind their backs was gradually rising. They looked back at the sea of flames, and noticed that it had already swallowed the place, burying the narrow stone path underneath. The raging flames were getting closer to them, and would soon reach their feet.

They had no choice.

They looked at each other, and drew their swords in tacit agreement, flying towards the other end of the iron chain.

Since their enemy was forcing them to move forwards, the two of them would cater to this request and see what kind of herbs were being sold inside the bottle gourd.

At worst, they would just give a battle, standing with their backs to the river, and, if a Buddha obstructed their way, they would slaughter the Buddha.

Give a battle, standing with their backs to the river: fight in a desperate situation