Chapter 108: White, Robe-like, Floating Clouds in the Sky

　　The next morning, Shen Lian looked no different than before. Ruoxi thought what she saw last night was just a dream.

　　Starting that day, her brother assigned her to visualize objects. And that object was the bead wristlet.

　　The bead wristlet was placed on the table while she imagined there was a sense of Qi around the atmosphere. She concentrated on the nine beads as she dives deeper into her thoughts.

　　It was a boring activity and she did not want to continue playing after a while. But her brother was unusually strict and would only allow her to stop when she could not hold it anymore.

　　When she was practicing the character ‘Yong’, she felt a lot more relaxed. Every brush and stroke seemed light and easy.

　　In fact, the origin of practice and cultivation was similar to this case. From the very beginning of time, there were no preachers to preach and teach. However, people were still able to obtain supernatural powers and even outdone life and death.

　　It all happened because one person or one group of people had a thought about power beyond heaven and earth. They followed the command of their mind and achieved something beyond common sense.

　　All things came from something and something came from nothing.

　　That was also why Qing Xuan emphasizes that “if one wishes to go further in practice and cultivation, one must first cultivate one’s heart”.

　　The psyche was dependent on material needs. However once the psyche reached a certain great level, it could conversely, affect materialism. When Buddha spoke of dreams, he mentioned Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly in his dream.

　　Ruoxi did not understand these principles but the calligraphy writing that she once felt was dull was now more joyful and fun. More importantly, practicing it was no longer as torturous as it used to be.

　　Moreover, in a Chinese saying, “The plan and length of a day are determined in morning”. The earlier the start of the day, the slower time seem to pass throughout the day.

　　That was because the speed of time was determined by the experience of doing something.

　　Ruoxi felt that she had a productive day but it was not even noon yet. She rested on the small table and heard a strange sound of a wooden fish. It seemed far away but it also felt like it was next to her ears. The sound made her relaxed, her eyelids became heavier and she fell into deep sleep.

　　Shen Lian was concerned that he could be facing a life or death matter, as he had yet to reach his peak, just like the sun had yet to shine its brightest for the day.

　　When he heard the sound of the wooden fish, he left his place. He walked like a ghostly spirit on the street and arrived by the river in no time.

　　At the wide Anping Canal, boats come and go. The most striking scenery here was not the boat in the river but the Grand View Bridge that spans across the long river.

　　The scenery of the long river can be viewed on this bridge. It was built at an ideal location where it joined the part of Shendu City that was separated by the river.

　　The bridge was of a stone arch bridge; an old monk stood by the edge of the stone block while pedestrians walked past him. It looked like he was in own realm where the surroundings did not bother him at all.

　　When Shen Lian walks towards the monk, it felt like the scenery behind him was fading. The fading out did not happen in reality but it was more of spiritual feeling.

　　The old monk who focused on the river moved his attention to Shen Lian.

　　That old monk was Kuhui and he was holding a silverish grey wooden fish on his hand. Shen Lian had seen that fish many years ago when he was still weak and fragile. The wooden fish was named “Tai Wei”; it was named after the Taiwei Pavilion of Qing Xuan.

　　The sound it produced was known as the Dinghun Melody. A person without spiritual wisdom will not be able to hear it. Tai Wei was originally from Qing Xuan but somehow ended up in the possession of Ling Chongxiao many years ago.

　　When there was no light, the world would be in darkness. But in the spiritual world, the light from the material world would not be able to penetrate it.

　　If Shen Lian were to close his eyes, he would be able to see the old monk as a lighted lamp.

　　According to Buddhist scriptures, practice and cultivation were lighting up a light. If the light was lit, the bier will not conceal.

　　A person’s physical body will rot as they age and that would make it more difficult when practicing Qigong that involves the Conception and Governor vessels. However, the spiritual training would never stop.

　　It was just that, cultivation was more difficult compared to Qigong practice. Buddhism did not focus on the liberation of the physical body but was dedicated to the emancipation of the mind. In this aspect of cultivation, they sure have outdone Daoism.

　　However, unlike any other ordinary Daoist cultivator, Shen Lian’s strength lied within his spirit.

　　It had been many years since Kuhui last saw Shen Lian. This time around, he was stunned, to the extent where people around him were not able to understand his excessive reaction. When he met eyes with Shen Lian, he felt that he saw an endless ocean with calm waves; but once it’s stirred up, he could be easily crushed by it.

　　The pedestrians did not notice the oddness in the two people. While Kuhui was still stunned, Shen Lian had come by his side like a breeze of wind.

　　“It has been 16 years since we last saw each other,” Shen Lian said with a voice as young as his appearance.

　　He sounded calm and friendly, just like the reflection of the clouds in the river.

　　Kuhui replied, “I didn’t expect you to remember so well.”

　　“It is a natural talent for me to remember things.”

　　“Do you still remember Ye Liuyun then?” Kuhui replied with all smiles.

　　“He was an interesting person, in fact, he was more outstanding than I am in certain aspects. But my purpose of existence in this world is not to compare with others,” Shen Lian said as the Dao robe flutters in the wind. He looked empty with nothingness.

　　Kuhui presumed that even if Shen Lian practiced for another ten years, he would still not be able to win against the Empress. But his presumptions were shaken once he saw Shen Lian.

　　It was not that Shen Lian had given up on the world but he had adapted to the principles of Daoism that practices to not fight, so that the world too, will not fight against each other.

　　He finally responded, “Her Highness would like to meet you the day after tomorrow at the Xiangji Temple.”

　　Shen Lian replied, “Her Majesty seems like a ferocious person. She could have summoned me in the Imperial City.” If they met at the Imperial City that was filled with desires, the atmosphere there would have been tensed and suppressive for people who were deeply cultivated like Shen Lian.

　　Even if Shen Lian was too afraid to show up, it could at least cast a dark shadow in his heart.

　　However, the Empress gave up the home advantage and picked another venue to meet Shen Lian. This showed that she was highly confident in herself.

　　Kuhui replied, “Considering that you’ve long abandoned earthly pursuits, why do you bother getting into the dirt again? Her Highness was beyond any ordinary cultivators and her level could match yours. My advice for you is to be more cautious”

　　Through his words, he implied that he did not want Shen Lian to meet the Empress but he could not lay it out directly.

　　He would not have advised Shen Lian if there was a distinct difference in levels between Shen Lian and the Empress. But as both of them equals each other, it was hard for him to tell who was more advantageous than the other.

　　None of them would benefit should they start fighting. The Da Zhou Dynasty too would not gain anything from it.

　　If something happened to the Da Zhou Dynasty, it would be the people who would suffer the most.

　　Shen Lian responded, “Needless to advise me further. I am intrigued by the Empress and would like to meet her. It is not a big deal. But will you give me this wooden fish?”

　　Kuhui replied, “It was my intention to return Tai Wei to you. If not why would I have brought it here?”

　　Kuhui handed over the silverish grey wooden fish as Shen Lian accepted it; the wooden fish returned to where it came from. It was just that his wooden fish was not any ordinary instrument. Shen Lian was still puzzled why did Qing Xuan not tried to retrieve it when it was smuggled out back then.

　　

1. 庄周说梦蝶 － A Chinese proverb meaning to describe a dream that was so vivid, that one could not differentiate the reality and dream anymore, whether did the dream become a reality, or that the reality became the dream.