Across the southern heavens and earth, the celestial design suddenly collapsed. Many karmic threads clarified while many new ones formed, yet in the eyes of the immortals, heaven and earth remained a swath of chaos.
By this time, Li Zhi had made up his mind. He looked up toward the north, lost in thought.
Western Jin Royal Palace.
Winter was at its height. In the snow stood several plum trees, blooming as red as blood.
Consort Yuan sat in the Chunhua Pavilion. For some reason, she was suddenly overcome by an indescribable reluctance to part with everything around her, with this world, and with a certain person.
She could feel that within countless tiny corners of her body, shadowy things so minuscule that even immortals could scarcely detect them were withering and dying. The binding threads within her soul were snapping, burning away to ash. Never before had she felt so clean, so free.
A radiant smile appeared at the corners of Consort Yuan's lips, as though she had returned to the age of eighteen, back during her days in the palace of Zhao. Back then, she had been carefree, always believing that every future day would be as wonderful as that spring morning.
Yet for many, many years afterward, the sky had remained overcast, choked with thorns and cobwebs. The weight of the karma she bore suffocated her. In the eyes of outsiders, however, she possessed peerless political cunning; not only did she hold sway over the inner palace, but she could also influence state affairs, enjoying peerless prominence.
Prince Fu's arrival had originally brought a touch of warmth to her life. But the moment Little Prince Fu was born and brought before her, the Eye of Wisdom bestowed by the Arhat karma took effect for the first time, allowing Consort Yuan to see a pair of ancient, gloomy eyes on that tiny infant's face!
Fortunately, she had strong mental fortitude and did not display the slightest hint of abnormality, not even entertaining a single superfluous thought, before slipping into a deep sleep amidst exhaustion.
When she woke again, Chunhua Palace was no longer warm; instead, it felt clammy and frigid, like a den of serpents. She survived in the damp, rotting depths of the palace just like that, until one day, a green-eyed woman appeared before her.
What that green-eyed woman said, Consort Yuan had already forgotten.
Yet not long after, the Marquis of Xiang came to see her in high spirits, saying he had scouted an exceptionally promising young man whom they could invest in and win over to serve as their wings and claws. That was the first time Consort Yuan took notice that out in the Western Regions of Great Jin, a small realm domain had emerged, ruled by a Realm Lord who was still a youth.
The Arhat Secret Realm was the same as during her previous visits, completely unchanged. What was different this time was the youth accompanying her.
She knew what was going to happen; she knew all of this had been arranged in advance. Yet for the first time in her life, she felt no resistance. It was a strange feeling she could not quite explain—perhaps it was because of his surging vitality, radiant as the morning sun?
From then on, color returned to her world. Whenever she thought of him, the world was bright as well.
When Little Prince Chu was born, his eyes were clear, filled with curiosity and innocence. In his gaze, there was faintly the shadow of that youth.
Consort Yuan stepped into the rear palace hall and looked at an empty, slightly jarring corner. Back then, she had hidden the newborn Little Prince Chu right here, before fighting desperately to fend off the endless hunts and assassinations from otherworldly forces.
In the blink of an eye, Prince Chu—who had been as tiny as a kitten back then—had actually reached middle age by mortal standards.
To those who took interest, Prince Chu carried the tremendous karma of an Arhat reincarnation, naturally drawing countless watchful eyes. Consort Yuan, however, knew there was another secret within—a secret that even Wei Yuan did not know.
She returned to the window. In the courtyard, that plum tree blossomed as red as blood.
***
In the Crown Prince's Manor, Prince Chu was reading in his study. The desk should have been piled high with memorial scrolls, but now it was entirely laden with classic scriptures, histories, philosophies, and anthologies. Even mundane daily administrative matters were no longer handed to him; he was not even permitted to attend imperial court sessions anymore.
That the King of Jin had regained his youth was naturally no secret, and news quickly spread that Prince Wei had presented secret longevity medicine once again—and held more than one dose in hand. Facing a King of Jin who had returned to his prime, coupled with Prince Wei whose monstrous power was enough to sweep across Western Jin, the ministers naturally knew what to do. Thus, in the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince was forgotten by the world.
Holding the historical classics, Prince Chu found the passages he usually knew by heart utterly obscure at this moment. He read them several times without grasping their meaning; his mind and memories could not help drifting back to the past, back to the days when he sat right at the center of the Golden Chime Hall.
Once one tasted the flavor of holding absolute power, one could never forget it.
Just then, the Crown Prince felt his surroundings suddenly brighten. Looking up, he saw an incomparably graceful little monk standing before him. Wherever the monk stood, Buddhist light surged and lotuses blossomed out of the void.
The little monk chanted a Buddhist moniker and said, "This humble monk has returned. Though the appointed time has not yet arrived, the opportunity has presented itself. Has the benefactor made up his mind?"
"The opportunity?" Prince Chu was somewhat at a loss.
The little monk pointed toward the history books on the desk and said, "Is the benefactor still persisting in his delusion? This throne is already out of your reach. In truth, it is mere chicken ribs—of little value and hard to part with—so why cling to it? If you return with this humble monk to Spirit Mountain and inherit your karmic attainment, won't these so-called mortal rulers have to bow before your lotus seat in the days to come?"
Prince Chu's heart leaped, but he still had some doubts. He asked, "Where is my karmic attainment upon Spirit Mountain?"
The little monk raised a finger and pointed. A towering, majestic mountain appeared, upon which stood countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. At the summit of Spirit Mountain sat a Buddha reaching from heaven to earth, as though it were the only entity between heaven and earth. Yet Spirit Mountain was also immeasurably grand; mountain and Buddha together were enough to burst heaven and earth asunder, yet they blended wondrously into heaven and earth.
Prince Chu took only a single glance before feeling dizzy and nauseated. Yet in that single glance, he saw an ancient, unadorned lotus seat hovering vacant by the feet of the colossal Buddha at the very peak. And that lotus seat seemed to be calling out to him.
Prince Chu immediately realized: that was his seat.
Beneath the honored Buddha, yet above the myriad Buddhas—it seemed... not bad at all?
Having occupied the position of Crown Prince for many years, Prince Chu was naturally skilled in calculation. Though a mortal throne was good, it came at a tremendous price. He had only recently advanced to dharma idol, which consumed a considerable amount of lifespan. After ascending the throne, it was hard to say whether he could even live past a hundred years. As for the karmic attainment of Spirit Mountain, positioned directly below the honored Buddha, one could easily deduce that it would grant at least tens of thousands of years of lifespan.
As good as mortal kingship was, it could not compare to an immortal's lofty eminence. Thus, Prince Chu barely had to think to know what to choose.
Just as he was about to nod, Consort Yuan suddenly appeared in the room, shouting, "You cannot agree!"
Prince Chu turned his head in shock, only to see his mother's figure rippling as if in water, rapidly fading away. Her lips moved as if she were saying something to him, but now he could not hear a single word.
At the very last moment, despair appeared on Consort Yuan's face, and then her entire being was erased.
The little monk acted as though nothing had happened, still looking smilingly at Prince Chu. For reasons unknown, Prince Chu's heart tightened, as if something were clutching it.
He suddenly asked, "Was that real just now?"
The little monk said, "It was real."
Prince Chu felt his heart clench even tighter.
***
In Chunhua Palace, Consort Yuan leaned against the window, watching the little monk walk across the snow toward her. He traversed walls and buildings as if they were nothing, but as he passed the blooming plum tree, a single flower petal lightly grazed him. It actually sliced through his monk's robes, cut his skin, and drew a drop of golden blood.
The little monk frowned slightly. He plucked that plum petal and rubbed it between two fingers, grinding it into calamity ash.
He came before Consort Yuan and bowed. "Lady Bodhisattva has endured in silence for many years; why force yourself to speak out in warning? If this humble monk may speak candidly, your warning was useless anyway, and in the end, it only dragged you down with him. Had Lady Bodhisattva not crossed through my Buddha Kingdom, I would never have known that you, too, carry the karma of Arhat Guangzhi. You have been allowed to hide for several decades; today, this humble monk shall deliver you from the sea of suffering. However, if you can assist this monk in one matter, not only will I spare you, but I will also welcome Prince Chu to ascend Spirit Mountain together.
"This matter is very simple. You need only use your own blood to write the two words 'Wei Yuan' upon this sheet of paper."
A golden scroll appeared in the little monk's hand, unfurling before Consort Yuan. There was not a single character on the scroll, yet she felt as though she could see densely packed writings upon it.
Consort Yuan said with absolute resolve, "Out of the question!"
The little monk sighed softly and rolled up the scroll. "Given Lady Bodhisattva's temperament, since you have uttered a refusal, you will never go back on your word no matter what. Alas, what a pity."
The little monk chanted a Buddhist moniker and reached out a finger toward Consort Yuan.
Several Buddha statues emerged over Consort Yuan's body, while Spirit Mountain faintly materialized behind the little monk, crowded with endless Buddha statues. The Buddhist light from both sides clashed; the Buddha statues on Consort Yuan's body shattered one after another, vanishing into the void.
The little monk lightly tapped Consort Yuan's glabella with his fingertip. The light in Consort Yuan's eyes froze and scattered. She slowly fell backward, her eyes gazing into the distance, looking toward an unknown place.
***
Inside the Crown Prince's Manor, the little monk had remained standing in the room the entire time, awaiting the Crown Prince's answer.
Struggle showed on Prince Chu's face. He said, "Mother Consort told me just now not to agree—"
The little monk's smile remained unchanged. "Has the benefactor ever considered why Consort Yuan never allowed you to touch the Buddhist Dharma, even though you possess supreme innate wisdom and divine abilities? The benefactor's talent in the Buddhist Dharma showed itself when you were very young."
This matter was a thorn buried deep in Prince Chu's heart. His expression shifted slightly, and he asked, "Why?"
The little monk said, "Because Consort Yuan, just like the benefactor, is endowed with innate wisdom and Buddhist affinity; both of you possess the qualification to inherit a supreme karmic attainment. And the karmic attainment you can inherit is the very same one."
Prince Chu was stunned; he had never expected this. The little monk did not need to elaborate; with Prince Chu's natural comprehension of the Buddhist Dharma, he immediately understood that his path clashed with Consort Yuan's, and only one person could attain the karmic fruit. Consort Yuan had kept him away from the Buddhist Dharma since childhood—her motive was now clear as day!
The little monk was in no hurry, standing quietly to the side and waiting.
Prince Chu struggled internally, weighing the choice over and over. In the blink of an eye, the sun rose and set; several days and nights actually passed. And the more he pondered, the louder a voice echoed in his heart: Before the Great Dao, there are no kin.
Recalling how Consort Yuan had stopped him from cultivating Buddhism since childhood, and how Wei Yuan had repeatedly extended the King of Jin's lifespan, leaving him waiting pointlessly until middle age, Prince Chu finally gritted his teeth and said, "I agree!"
In an instant, the light in the room brightened slightly. Outside the window, it was still that gloomy, snow-filled afternoon; the several days and nights spent in agonizing contemplation seemed never to have existed at all.
Chapter 1137