SFS Chapter 12 Many Roads North and South, What Can the Heart Do?
Chapter 12 Many Roads North and South, What Can the Heart Do?
The Rakshasa woman's gaze fell on the boy's eyes, and her heart suddenly tightened.
This is a setup!
These eyes are warm and bright, like a mirror reflecting one's image.
But she had clearly seen the exact same gaze in the mountain god's temple.
The old, Taoist-looking mountain god also saw her in the same way.
However, the old mountain god had a much more weathered look in his eyes, while the young man in front of him had a carefree and curious look in his eyes.
Like two mirrors of the same person, she instantly deduced that they were accomplices!
"You little brat, you're making fun of me!!"
The Rakshasa woman felt a surge of shame and anger at being mocked, along with murderous intent.
Whether it's for the sake of the orthodox lineage or for the ownership of Cuiyun Mountain, she has to take action.
Even if no murder is committed, at the very least, this person and the monkey should be expelled from the country.
But then she recalled how the mountain god had seen through her stubborn illness in cultivation at a glance.
"..."
She decided to observe first, and ask questions when the opportunity arose. If it was indeed a setup, then it wouldn't be too late to kill.
As the Rakshasa woman thought this, her ears twitched slightly as she listened to the conversation that was only a dozen steps away.
The monkey suddenly stopped.
Because the road ahead is a fork in the road between north and south.
It pointed to the road to the south and called out to the man who was heading north: "This way!"
Zhong Xuan was taken aback.
"Over here! By the sea! A small gathering! Lots of cultivators, lots of incense offerings!"
The monkey, in a panic, scratched its ears and cheeks, pointing to the road to the south, "More! More over here!"
Zhong Xuan's gaze remained gentle, yet held a hint of complexity: "What about northwards?"
The monkey scratched its head, looking confused, and tossed its ears and cheeks: "Few in the north! Many in the south!"
After thinking for a moment, its eyes lit up again: "Cultivator, you offer more incense! You give more!"
These were all things I had just told it, and the monkey remembered them all clearly and understood their meaning.
Zhong Xuan lowered his eyes, suddenly finding it difficult to speak.
The Rakshasa woman not far away quietly stood up, a playful smile appearing on her lips.
She understood completely now and wanted to see how this person would choose.
Should they seek out cultivators in the south who could provide more offerings, or betray the monkey spirit's pure heart? If they go south, then...
Zhong Xuan recalled their first encounter in Qing Shi Town.
He said softly, "Brother Monkey, there are no townspeople here to ask. So, who among us can say whether this is more or less?"
The monkey stubbornly clung to Zhong Xuan's sleeve: "Brother, go south, go south!"
Zhong Xuan remained silent.
Just then, a clear female voice rang out: "Excuse me, sir."
The man and the monkey looked in the direction of the sound and saw a pretty village girl dressed in simple clothes.
The Rakshasa woman then spoke, her tone tinged with just the right amount of surprise: "I overheard your conversation at the tea stall ahead. I am from the southern coast of the Western Sea, and I can guide you. But I didn't know... that Mount Cuiyun actually has a mountain god? And that it requires incense offerings?"
The monkey's eyes lit up, and it pulled Zhong Xuan, wanting to head south: "How clever! Brother, let's go south!"
Zhong Xuan was pulled a few steps, his steps faltering slightly, but he suddenly smiled.
There was helplessness in his smile, but also acceptance.
"I want to go south, but my heart is yearning for the north. What should I do?" Zhong Xuan asked.
The monkey was bewildered.
It stood at the crossroads, its eyes looking south and then north.
The more I looked, the more the two roads seemed alive, flickering before my eyes.
It squeaked in frustration and kicked a tree by the roadside.
The tree shook, and a few leaves fell.
The Rakshasa woman feigned surprise and then said, "This is your own problem, young Taoist priest. How can you ask us? And why make things difficult for a monkey?"
Zhong Xuan walked over, grabbed the monkey, put his arm around its shoulder, and gently stroked its head.
The monkeys quickly quieted down, and they became completely at ease with each other.
He turned to look at the Rakshasa woman, his gaze calm: "You say it's a monkey, but I say it has a human heart. Humans are the most intelligent beings, and if their intelligence is not clouded, then all beings are equal. I'm leading this monkey brother on this path. Although it admires me, I also have times and things that go against my conscience. At those times, I need it to protect me and guide me back to the right path."
Upon hearing this, the monkey's irritability dissipated considerably.
It raised its head, a hint of pride and smugness in its expression, and somersaulted on the spot, shouting at the Rakshasa woman, "Brother, lead me away, I'll help you! Long life, carefree and unrestrained!"
Childlike words, innocent and carefree.
The Rakshasa woman felt a slight flutter in her heart.
But she quickly suppressed her unease and deliberately steered the conversation back to the main point: "But one day you will have to part ways. Since it's a dilemma, why not split up? Those who want to go south can go south, and those who want to go north can go north. Little monkey, why don't you go south for your brother?"
Just then, a person walked by on the roadside.
He wore coarse cloth and a short brown robe, with an axe hanging from his waist. His face was so ordinary that he would be lost in the mountains.
He sat down at the tea stall and asked the old man for a bowl of tea.
It was the same woodcutter who had previously guided the man and the monkey.
The Rakshasa woman met his gaze, and they both paused for a moment.
At a glance, they recognized each other's cultivation level and foundation, but neither of them pointed it out, and they simply looked away without saying a word.
The monkey, however, became delighted and exclaimed, "I'm going south! Brother, I'm going north! I'm looking for incense offerings, brother, you're looking for people!"
Zhong Xuan chuckled, and seeing the woodcutter, he pulled the monkey along and sat down at the tea stall.
He first nodded to the woodcutter, then ordered four bowls of tea from the stall owner: "It is fate that we met. Please have a bowl of turbid tea."
They even included the village girls.
The old man at the tea stall was unhappy and slammed the bowl down.
"Clear tea! Clear tea! Where did this turbidity come from?" Even an old tea connoisseur has his temper.
His grandson chimed in, "Clear tea, clear tea, not cloudy, not cloudy!"
The four humans and the monkey were all stunned for a moment, then smiled.
"I misspoke, please forgive me, sir."
Zhong Xuan quickly apologized to the old man and gave him an extra coin.
He then turned to the monkey and asked, "Brother Monkey, regardless of whether you want to go south for my sake or the mountain god's, since this is what you desire, I support you in taking the trip. Just be careful on the way."
"But I must ask you: if you arrive at that small gathering of monks and nuns, how will you persuade them to sincerely believe that the mountain god can help them, and that they also need to offer incense to the mountain god?"
The monkey was stunned.
It opened its mouth, scratched its head, clawed at its ears, and finally looked to Zhong Xuan for help.
The woodcutter laughed loudly, "You were so smug just now, how come you're like a little child, afraid to go out without your parents?"
The Rakshasa woman chimed in with a smile, a hint of teasing in her eyes: "Those cultivators, some are less skilled, some are more skilled. How can a little monkey like you possibly get involved? Aren't you afraid they can blow a breath or flick a finger and send you flying tens of thousands of miles away?"
The monkey was furious, muttering "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid" while its eyes were fixed on Zhong Xuan.
Zhong Xuan smiled as he looked at the two of them, then at the monkey, and slowly said, "Children will grow up, so my little monkey will surely become a great sage as tall as the heavens in the future. Perhaps this journey south will be the turning point in its life. I cannot go against its will."
He paused, then added, "However, I have heard it said: 'When three people walk together, one of them will surely be my teacher. I will choose their good points and follow them, and correct their bad points. This is also a form of progress.'"
The other two felt a jolt in their hearts.
The monkey, however, was only filled with joy, its eyes shining with astonishing brilliance: "Great Sage! Good! I am the Great Sage! The Great Sage of Heaven!"
The woodcutter and the Rakshasa woman exchanged a glance but said nothing.
In their minds, the saying "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me" was on their minds.
The young man's casual remark seemed to subtly align with the teachings of sages.
Zhong Xuan took out a green bamboo scroll from his bosom and placed it on the table.
"I have nothing of value except a scroll of wondrous Dharma that can protect the Dao and prolong life, which I can exchange with you two for a Dharma exchange."
"If you are willing to escort my monkey brother on a trip to the south, I will grant you a magic spell."
"how?"
The monkey stared wide-eyed, recognizing it as the scroll bestowed by the patriarch—the wordless bamboo scripture.
The woodcutter laughed, a laugh full of meaning: "You're barely able to take care of yourself, how could you possibly be capable of trading? If you're weak, I'll just steal this opportunity from you and leave; if you're strong, how could you not be able to resolve this predicament?"
These words struck at the very question that had been lingering in Rakshasa's mind for a long time.
She stared at Zhong Xuan, suddenly remembering her own chronic illness that had plagued her for many years.
The five elements of Qi are in disarray and attack each other. Every time I try to circulate my energy, it feels like a raging fire burning wood or a violent storm destroying my heart. It is truly unbearable.
Since this young man dares to promise a "miraculous way to avert disaster," why not use this opportunity to test his sincerity?
Her expression changed drastically, and she stared intently into Zhong Xuan's eyes, her gaze fierce and cold, as if she wanted to see right through him.
The voice was cold and clear, as if it were being squeezed out from between the teeth.
"Let me ask you!"
"The five elements converge, wood flourishes and wind arises, wind blows and fire blazes, a magnificent mansion is built in an instant, and burned to ashes in the blink of an eye. How do you interpret this?"
"If you cannot resolve this, your journey will surely end badly!"
That last curse was almost vicious.
The monkey was startled, its expression changed, and it began to harbor ill intentions.
The woodcutter also raised an eyebrow.
However, the young Taoist priest spoke softly, as if diagnosing an illness.
"If this is true, and if it is not an empty statement, then this is a personal calamity."
"Water and fire clash in the central palace, and metal and wood are in conflict in the four symbols, just as yin and yang were in disarray before the separation of heaven and earth."
"I once heard that when Yin and Yang are out of balance, the world is in chaos, and there will be thunder and lightning, fire in the water, and the great locust tree will be burned."
"The body is like that old locust tree, attacked day and night by wind, rain and thunder, never finding a moment of peace."
"If you can't resolve this, you won't have a good ending either."
Zhong Xuan calmly replied, and the two sides engaged in a battle of wits.
The Rakshasa woman's brow twitched upon hearing this, her shame, anger, and hatred intensifying, making her even more certain that this person was in league with the mountain god.
But when their gazes met, they locked eyes.
Those gentle, clear eyes fell steadily into hers.
That gaze was so calm, so clear, like a mirror reflecting into the heart, revealing the deepest wrinkles within.
The Rakshasa woman could only look for a moment longer before she could barely bear the overwhelming feeling surging within her.
It stems from an instinctive defense mechanism, a fear of being seen through.
Her defensive instincts kicked in, and just before she turned her head, she secretly channeled her magic power, preparing to strike.
"Isn't that simple?"
The woodcutter suddenly spoke, breaking the tension that was about to erupt.
He said slowly, "I've heard that there's a handsome young man nearby, known as the Great Bull King. He's a magnificent white bull who has achieved great success in his cultivation, and is majestic and powerful! He has a pair of blue horns, with a golden nature that pierces the sky; his flesh and blood are deeply earthy. Moreover, he is a descendant of an ancient, exotic bloodline."
He took a sip of tea, his gaze towards the Rakshasa woman carrying a hint of mischief: "If you can find this ox to harmonize Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, your cultivation will naturally progress by leaps and bounds, breaking through bottlenecks one after another. Moreover, that ox has extensive connections, protecting you throughout your life and helping you achieve immortality will be a piece of cake."
Upon hearing this, the Rakshasa woman's face instantly flushed red, then turned pale.
How could she not hear the teasing in the woodcutter's words?!
What is meant by harmonizing Yin and Yang?
Why look for a husband's family to rely on?
They're clearly making fun of her illness!
In an instant, the grievances that had been bottled up in my heart for years, and the pain of seeking immortality but not being able to attain it, were all ignited by this one sentence.
"You're asking for it!"
She gave a sharp shout, and the two swords at her waist were already drawn.
Regardless of the occasion or the probing, he unleashed his fury upon the woodcutter.
A pair of gleaming silver snake-shaped soft swords, emitting a chilling light, descended upon the target.
The woodcutter laughed loudly and wielded his axe to meet the attack, as if he had expected it.
In an instant, the flashes of swords and the shadows of axes mingled together.
Zhong Xuan, quick-witted and agile, brushed aside a large stone, the size of a washbasin, that had been flying towards him with a flick of his sleeve.
The stone veered off course and crashed into the roadside bushes.
With a graceful movement, he picked up the old man's grandson from the tea stall in an instant, and then called for the monkey to protect the old man.
He then gracefully retreated several steps to observe the fight.
The two were fighting fiercely, the air thick and silent.
Even though everyone tried to back down a bit, half of the tea stall still suffered.
However, as the fighting continued, the Rakshasa woman gradually became unable to hold on.
She already suffered from an imbalance of the five elements, and now that she was using all her strength, her symptoms were getting worse.
The stronger the wood element, the stronger the wind and fire elements.
The blood and qi in my body surged like oil being poured on a raging fire, and the more I fought, the more my internal organs felt like they were being burned.
The more pained the Rakshasa woman's face became, the more intense the murderous aura emanated from her beautiful eyebrows and eyes.
But he also has a stubborn streak deep down!
The woodcutter noticed the flaw, broke one of the swords in half with a single axe stroke, and laughed loudly.
"Is that all? You'd better hurry up and find a husband to rely on! The Five Elements originated from Yin and Yang. You, however, are out of balance in terms of Yin and Yang!"
As he spoke, he stopped adjusting his breathing.
The Rakshasa woman's face contorted with rage, and she bit her teeth so hard they seemed about to shatter.
She glanced at the broken sword.
It was a gift from my master years ago, and I cherish it dearly.
In an instant, a wave of bewilderment and grievance washed over me.
The Rakshasa woman blinked hard, her hand already on her waist, as if she wanted to take out the banana leaf fan and fight to the death.
Suddenly, a voice came from beside her, not loud, but it seemed to resonate directly in her heart.
"The fire of the heart arises spontaneously, not from external sources; the wind is turned by the will, not by the winds of heaven and earth."
The voice was leisurely, as if strolling in a garden, yet each word was clear and resonant:
There is a saying: Wind, rain, thunder, and lightning all arise from qi, and qi arises from the mind. Just as one feels heat when one contemplates a great fire, or cold when one contemplates a great flood.
"The problem today is not the excess of qi, but the bias of the mind."
"When you grasp something, wind arises; when wind arises, fire flourishes. This is not a fault of the Five Elements, but rather a consequence of intention."
The Rakshasa woman was moved and subconsciously responded.
The imbalance of the five elements in the body suddenly changed, and the burning sensation subsided slightly.
The voice continued: "When the mind is settled, the wind ceases; when the heart is clear, the fire extinguishes."
"Just as a mirror without dust reflects all things, so too does a cloudless sky produce thunder."
The Rakshasa woman sensed something and instinctively responded.
I felt a refreshing current welling up from the bottom of my heart.
Wherever it passed, the rampant wood energy in the internal organs gradually became tamed, and the raging wind and fire slowly subsided.
Seeing that things were going badly, the woodcutter picked up his axe and went to kill again.
However, things changed.
The Rakshasa woman's murderous aura faded, and her true abilities gradually became apparent.
With just a snake-shaped soft sword, he gradually stabilized his position, and his swordplay regained its order.
His skillful yet firm approach is a perfect blend of agility and strength, making him a true master swordsman!
The Taoist priests behind the tea stalls sang and chanted incessantly, which made her face look joyful and peaceful.
"When metal and wood interact, they do not counteract each other, but rather complement each other."
"Lead and mercury are compatible, and water and fire are in harmony."
"Yang cannot function without Yin, and Yin cannot thrive without Yang."
"The Five Elements are reversed, each being the parent of the other; the Four Symbols cycle, all returning to the central palace."
"They begin by fighting each other, but end by giving birth to each other; this is the wonder of the universe..."
As she chanted, the Rakshasa woman's magical power gradually returned to normal, and her state of mind was restored.
With a sudden shift in her sword stance, she unleashed a furious attack that forced the woodcutter to retreat repeatedly.
The woodcutter was also taken aback: "You've actually grasped the way of controlling inner fire with anger?"
The Rakshasa woman's face lit up with pride! She had actually made a small breakthrough at the Five Qi Gathering Realm!
She was both surprised and delighted.
This scripture actually cured her long-standing, intractable ailment!
"Stop! I have..."
The woodcutter, unwilling to truly fight to the death, had only uttered half a sentence.
Suddenly, the Taoist's voice stopped abruptly.
The Rakshasa woman was itching to fight back, and she was also enjoying the beating.
It is precisely through the battle seal that this path is established.
But then the song stopped!
Her heart felt as if she had climbed halfway up a mountain, only to find the path blocked by clouds and mist, making it impossible to go up or down.
The body's nascent energy suddenly lost its support.
The feeling of comfort receded like the tide, replaced by a more intense emptiness and thirst.
puff!
She felt a sweet taste in her throat and gently spat out a small mouthful of blood.
She wants to hear more!
With this thought in mind, the Rakshasa woman suddenly spun around and charged back like a gust of wind.
But as the sword pressed against the boy's throat, her own hand trembled.
I was very careful, afraid of actually hurting this precious thing.
"continue."
The Rakshasa woman's voice was filled with an indistinct mix of anger and pleading, yet her eyes held an uncontrollable longing.
The boy stood there smiling, showing no fear whatsoever.
The monkey next to him was so anxious that it scratched its ears and cheeks, about to pounce, but he stopped it by raising his hand.
He then looked at the woodcutter, flicked his wrist, and unrolled the scroll of the wondrous Dharma.
But inside, it was completely blank!
"How is it, Brother Qiao?" the boy asked slyly.
"Given this girl's behavior, I'm not comfortable letting her lead the monkey on the road."
"Take my brother Monkey to the Water and Land Gathering, and I will take her north."
"how?"
Zhong Xuan possessed no supernatural powers, yet his gaze was gentle and serene, encompassing all things.
The woodcutter looked at him, then at the blank scroll, then at the Rakshasa woman, and suddenly laughed.
"Interesting," the woodcutter said.
The Rakshasa woman, still holding her sword, angrily asked, "Aren't you afraid of death?"
The boy looked up at her.
His gaze remained gentle and clear, and the Rakshasa woman could see herself reflected in those eyes.
The sword was still held against the person, but his hand was trembling slightly, and his face was full of anxious anticipation.
She suddenly understood.
The young man had long seen through her heart, just as those eyes truly reflected people's hearts.
Upon realizing this, the Rakshasa woman's grip loosened by a third.
She snorted and released the soft sword.
The woodcutter laughed heartily as he approached and beckoned to the monkey:
"Little monkey, it's getting late, time to get going."
The monkey looked at him, then at Zhong Xuan, and hesitated without moving.
Zhong Xuan handed the monkey staff to it, saying, "Brother Monkey, listen to what this woodcutter says on the road, but you don't have to do it. What he says is certainly not entirely correct. You have to see for yourself and think for yourself... If anyone on the road really bullies you, just take this monkey staff and drive them away fiercely."
The monkey's eyes reddened, but it still nodded.
The woodcutter had already walked quite a distance.
The monkey quickly followed, heading towards the fork in the road to the south, glancing back every few steps.
He took a few steps and looked back, but then suddenly turned his head away sharply, not daring to look again.
But without realizing it, how did they become so sensible?
The boy behind him saw that the monkey never turned back, and a slight sadness appeared on his face.
The woodcutter didn't turn back, leaving behind a single sentence, his voice clear and resonant, echoing across the mountains and fields:
"Today you thirst for the Way, but tomorrow you will inevitably be controlled by others—fellow Daoist, you should prepare early."
With a single word, he planted a seed of distrust in the young man.
"What's it to you!" the Rakshasa woman shouted back in a coquettish voice.
She slowly sheathed the soft sword, wrapping it around her waist, then turned back to mock the boy:
"You sent someone like that to lead the way for your monkey brother? Now, after hearing that vicious provocation, do you have any regrets?"
The boy smiled but remained silent.
He simply turned around, helped the old man at the tea stall to straighten the tables and chairs that had been knocked askew, and took out some loose silver from his bag and placed it on the table.
"I'm sorry you were frightened, sir. Please accept this as an apology."
Then he turned around and walked north.
After walking a few steps, Zhong Xuan didn't turn back: "Next time, be gentle. Don't carelessly damage flowers and plants that belong to someone else. In the end, I'll have to pay for their repairs. That's just wasteful behavior."
The Rakshasa woman was taken aback.
She stood there, watching that figure disappear into the distance, gritting her teeth in anger.
But her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she felt a pang of annoyance, so she stomped her foot.
She thought to herself: I've only heard half of the scripture. If I don't keep up, when will I ever get better?
Besides, I want to see what this young man is capable of... that he dares to be so arrogant.
Rakshasa's heart softened, and she eventually followed after them.
The mountain road winds and turns, one after the other, as dusk deepens.
The young man walked ahead with unhurried steps, then suddenly spoke again, his voice like the wind rustling through the pines:
"Neither empty nor existent, it is both form and emptiness."
"Emptiness is emptiness, yet emptiness has no fixed form; form is form, yet form has no fixed color."
"You cling to 'self' now, which is still clinging to form. Only when you are free from 'self' will you realize the emptiness of form..."
The Rakshasa woman listened, feeling that she understood but not quite, yet every word seemed to strike her heart.
A sense of surprise arose within me.
Previously, he clearly practiced Taoist doctrines, but now he seems to be well-versed in Buddhist verses?
This young man clearly possessed no supernatural powers and appeared to be just an ordinary person.
Curiosity began to grow in her heart, so she silently followed, without saying a word, but her steps unconsciously brought her a little closer to the boy.