Chapter 308: The End (Part 2)
Chapter 308: The End (Part 2)
The strife of thousands of years finally came to an end.
The heavy snow that had fallen for many days stopped on this day as well.
The remaining thousands of martial artists woke up after a heavy bout of drinking. Carrying the bones of those who had passed away, they returned to the mortal world.
The young man steeped in malice sat on the steps of the fortress wall. He held a jar of wine in his hand, drinking all by himself.
The steps were carved full of words, left behind by those people from back then. And on that section of the wall, many more engraved marks had appeared, likely left by some jianghu martial artists.
Mu Cang looked at one sentence: — [Damn you, Jiang Shouyi]
It was only at this moment that he understood this sentence must have been left by Song Gudao.
He smiled. Then, he pulled out his spear and carved a few words next to it on the steps.
[Song Gudao, Mazi, Gou’er, Lao Bazi, I’m going to sleep with your mothers.]
Mu Cang glanced at it and then continued drinking his wine.
He sat there alone, with no one by his side. It seemed so lonely, so deserted.
Until a figure arrived and sat down beside him.
Mu Cang looked at him and asked, “Want some?”
Chen Changsheng took the wine jar and took a big gulp.
“Good wine.”
Chen Changsheng said this, then asked, “Why drink alone?”
Mu Cang sighed softly, “What do you think?”
Chen Changsheng nodded slightly, “What plans do you have for after this?”
Mu Cang shook his head. “No plans. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here.”
“Hmm?” Chen Changsheng seemed puzzled.
Mu Cang sighed and explained, “This place is good. Walking around now and then, I can remember many people.”
“Is that so…”
Chen Changsheng didn’t respond further. He lowered his head and looked at the writing on the steps.
[Peace and safety]
That was left by Gou’er when they left the Divine Domain.
Chen Changsheng thought to himself that perhaps these four characters, ‘Peace and safety,’ truly explained all the wandering and hardship Gou’er had endured along the way.
Mu Cang got dead drunk that day.
He didn’t go wild or rant. Instead, he just lay down quietly on the city tower.
A wind carrying the smell of blood blew from the distant Demon Realm, but it didn’t bother him at all.
Chen Changsheng sat atop the wall, gazing into the distance.
Suddenly, he heard Mu Cang mutter beside him.
“Sometimes I think, perhaps the ones who survived are the ones who suffer the most.”
His eyes closed. He was drunk.
Chen Changsheng sighed softly. Propping himself up with one hand, he shook his head lightly.
…
Quiet settled over the Divine Domain. A very few people stayed behind, including several jianghu martial artists.
Worth mentioning was that the tavern in the Divine Domain opened its doors again.
Chen Changsheng walked in and saw the tavern now had a different manager: an old woman with pure white hair.
Chen Changsheng asked, “Is Du A’niang not the manager anymore?”
Hearing this, the old woman smiled and pointed in a direction.
Chen Changsheng turned to look and saw Du A’niang herself, dead drunk and sprawled face-down unconscious on a table.
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng shook his head with a slight smile but didn’t pay it too much mind.
He turned back to the old woman and suddenly recalled a matter.
“Dare I ask, Madam, is your surname Ning?” Chen Changsheng inquired.
The old woman paused briefly and said, “This old woman is Ning Yuan. Could you know this old granny, guest?”
Chen Changsheng replied, “I heard someone mention you before. After all, there aren’t many cultivators in the Divine Domain.”
Ning Yuan nodded. “True. And even fewer now. Nearly a hundred once… now only twenty-three remain. Sigh…”
Ning Yuan sighed softly and added, “But at least, peace has finally come.”
Chen Changsheng gave a slight nod, then asked, “Madam, have you always been alone?”
Ning Yuan smiled. “Even this old woman had someone once, long ago. But he went ahead before me. Now it’s just me.”
“Aunt Ning even had an old flame?”
A voice came suddenly.
Du A’niang was rubbing her eyes, still somewhat drunk but awake now.
“There’s much you don’t know,” Ning Yuan said.
Du A’niang asked, “Uncle A Liang?”
Ning Yuan nodded. “Who else could it be?”
“So it’s him…”
Du A’niang walked closer. She frowned and asked, “But Aunt Ning, didn’t you say before you never got married?”
At this, Ning Yuan replied with a touch of annoyance, “You’d have to ask that dead old man about that.”
Du A’niang chuckled and didn’t press the matter further.
Chen Changsheng thought about it but decided against mentioning Meng Qiuliang.
Perhaps it was better not to say anything.
Telling them would only bring needless sorrow. When you go, go completely.
Perhaps that was what Meng Qiuliang had wanted at the time.
And maybe Du A’niang and Ning Yuan had found each other now precisely because they shared a similar fate.
Whether it was Meng Qiuliang or Song Gudao, neither could offer a clear answer. Because the burdens each carried were completely different.
Chen Changsheng poured a flask of wine at the tavern and then left the Divine Domain.
“Brother Chen, not waiting for me?”
Chen Changsheng turned. It was Qing Tianyou who had arrived.
He carried a long zither (Chang Qin) on his back and had changed clothes. A trace of a mustache now graced his lip, making him look like a musician.
Chen Changsheng smiled. “I, Chen, journey across the mortal world this time. Are you really going the same way?”
Qing Tianyou laughed, “Same! Of course same!”
One man and one yao walked out of the Divine Domain, stepping into the vast mortal world.
Just like when Qing Tianyou had guided Chen Changsheng through the Demon Realm before, this time it was Chen Changsheng leading Qing Tianyou through the various regions of the mortal realm.
They crossed snow plains, forded rivers, and trekked through mountain ranges…
Chen Changsheng transformed the forty-nine strands of Power of Heavenly Dao into bronze pillars and planted them in key locations throughout the mortal world.
From then on, major natural disasters like earthquakes and mountain floods became increasingly rare in the mortal world.
Thus, the people suffered far less hardship. Few were forced to wander aimlessly in misery anymore.
The man and the yao arrived at a city in the mortal world.
Qing Tianyou left Chen Changsheng behind and went straight to a pleasure boat, eager to witness the skill of human musicians.
Meanwhile, Chen Changsheng sought out a quiet spot.
A strand of Buddha’s Light drifted from his sleeve and settled in his palm.
The light transformed into a flickering remnant soul. Monk Wunian appeared once more before Chen Changsheng.
Monk Wunian placed his palms together, giving a slight respectful bow. “Amitabha Buddha. Has Benefactor Chen been well lately?”
Chen Changsheng replied, “Walking and looking around. All is well.”
“I called you out this time because I have a few small questions.”
Monk Wunian said, “Please do ask, Benefactor.”
Chen Changsheng inquired, “As far as I know, you came to this place when heaven and earth were first formed here. I am quite curious, what was your purpose in coming?”
Monk Wunian answered, “The Buddha’s Child came to be. It is for him that this humble monk came as well.”
“The Buddha’s Child came to be?” Chen Changsheng looked at him and smiled.
Chen Changsheng then stated, “Heaven and earth are incomplete in this realm. How could a Buddha’s Child be born here?”
“Allow me, Chen, to guess. That so-called Buddha’s Child wasn’t likely born in this realm. You, monk, brought him in.”
“Isn’t that what I am saying?”
“Amitabha Buddha.”
Monk Wunian uttered the Buddha’s name but did not answer.
Chen Changsheng was absolutely right.
And that Buddha’s Child…
Was Gou’er!