At dawn, the rain finally stopped.
Crystal-clear beads of water clung to the trees, sliding silently from the edges of the leaves. They fell, and because there was wind, traced beautiful arcs through the air before striking Zhang Xiaofan’s face.
The icy chill woke Zhang Xiaofan from his dream. He opened his eyes and instinctively began to call, “Master.” But there was no one in the wilderness around him, only Lin Jingyu lying beside him, deep in a sweet sleep.
It seemed as though he had had a dream.
But the shattered grass temple in the distance, and the playmate sleeping soundly beside him, both told him that all of it was real.
He stared blankly for a while, then shook his head and walked over to Lin Jingyu’s side. He pushed him hard. Lin Jingyu mumbled a few words and slowly woke, rubbing his eyes. Before he could speak, a wave of cold swept over him, and he could not help but sneeze.
He opened his eyes and looked, only to see that he and Zhang Xiaofan were soaked from head to toe, lying beneath a pine tree out in the wild. He was struck dumb and said, “Wasn’t I sleeping at home? How did I get here?”
Zhang Xiaofan shrugged and said, “I don’t know either, but I’m freezing. Let’s hurry back.”
Lin Jingyu’s mind was filled with all sorts of questions, but his body was indeed cold. He nodded at once, climbed to his feet, and ran toward the village with Zhang Xiaofan.
Before they even reached the village, the two of them already sensed that something was wrong. At this hour, the villagers would normally all have risen, but today it was utterly quiet. Not a single figure could be seen. And as the morning wind blew toward them, there was faintly the smell of blood.
They looked at each other and saw the same alarm and doubt in each other’s eyes. At the same time, they quickened their pace and ran into the village. Before long, the two arrived at the village entrance. Looking in along the main road from there, they saw that on the open ground in the middle of the village, the forty-odd households of Grass Temple Village—more than two hundred people, young and old, men and women—were all lying upon the ground. Their bodies were stiff, already corpses. Blood flowed like a river, flies swarmed everywhere, and the stench of blood rushed toward them.
Lin Jingyu and Zhang Xiaofan suddenly beheld this horrifying scene. In terror, they cried out and fainted.
※※※
Who knew how long had passed before Zhang Xiaofan suddenly woke with a start. He sat up all at once, gasping for breath, his hands trembling slightly. Just now, while he had been unconscious, his mind had been filled with savage ghostly faces, fresh blood, and white bones—one nightmare after another.
He composed himself and looked around. This was an ordinary side room, with two small windows. The furnishings were simple and clean, consisting only of a few pinewood tables and chairs, with a kettle and cups set upon them.
Taking up half the room was a large connected kang bed, with four sleeping places upon it. Aside from the one he had been lying in, the bedding beside him was also somewhat disordered, as though someone had just slept there. As for the other two, the quilts were folded neatly and meticulously.
On the wall directly above the four sleeping places hung a horizontal scroll, upon which was written one large character: Dao!
From the looks of it, this seemed like an ordinary guest room in an inn, or perhaps a room shared by several disciples who had come to learn from a master.
Zhang Xiaofan sat there for a while, and suddenly, involuntarily, a thought arose in his heart: Perhaps everything last night had only been a nightmare? Perhaps I’ve been sleeping here all along? Perhaps when I walk out of this room, Mother will be just as she always was, smiling as she scolds me, “You little lazybones!”
He slowly got out of bed, put on his shoes, and walked step by step toward the door.
The door was left ajar. Through the crack, a faint breeze seemed to drift in, cool and thin.
He walked step by step, but his two small hands clenched tighter and tighter. His heart was pounding fiercely. Holding his breath, he soon reached the doorway and placed his hand upon the door.
In that instant, this wooden door was as heavy as a mountain, as weighty as iron.
He gritted his teeth and steeled his heart. With a creak, he pulled the door open.
The bright light outside poured in all at once, making him narrow his eyes. Warm, gentle sunlight fell upon his body, carrying a faint warmth.
Only, his heart fell at once into an ice cellar.
Outside the door was a small courtyard, with a few pines and cypresses, several clusters of grass and shrubs, and here and there a few fragrant little flowers blooming serenely. In front of the door was a corridor leading out of the courtyard. Four feet before the doorway were several steps connecting the courtyard and the corridor.
At one corner of the steps sat a lone child, his cheek propped in his hand, staring blankly as he sat there, motionless.
Perhaps the sound of the door opening startled him. The child hesitated, then slowly turned his head.
Lin Jingyu.
Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth wide. A thousand questions surged within his heart, but when the words reached his lips, they turned soundless.
He wanted to cry out loudly, but his chest was so stifled that he could not make a sound.
Two lines of tears slipped down, just like that, silently.
The two children faced each other, just like that, in wordless silence.
From some unknown place in the distance came the clear, quiet call of birds. The sky was azure, with a few white clouds drifting across it.
※※※
Zhang Xiaofan sat down on the other side of the steps, lowering his head as he looked at the stone-paved path in the little courtyard.
The courtyard was utterly still.
After an unknown length of time, Lin Jingyu slowly said, “I woke up a little earlier than you. There were still several people in the room then. I asked them. This place is Tongtian Peak of Qingyun Mountain.”
Zhang Xiaofan said softly, “Qingyun Mountain…”
Lin Jingyu said, “They said it was a few disciples of Qingyun Sect passing by who saw the village, saw the village…” At this point, his voice could not help but choke.
He reached up and rubbed his eyes hard, drew in a deep breath, and continued, “Later, they found the two of us behind the village, so they brought us up the mountain.”
The corner of Zhang Xiaofan’s mouth moved, but he did not lift his head. “What do we do from now on, Jingyu?”
Lin Jingyu shook his head and said desolately, “I don’t know.”
Zhang Xiaofan was about to say more when, behind them on the corridor, an unfamiliar voice suddenly said, “Ah, you’re both awake?”
The two turned back at the same time and saw a young Daoist standing there, dressed in a blue Daoist robe, looking quite spirited. He quickly walked over and said, “Good. Several of the honored masters also wish to see you and ask you some questions. Come with me now.”
Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu looked at each other, then stood. Lin Jingyu said, “Yes. Please lead the way, elder brother.”
The young Daoist glanced at Lin Jingyu, nodded, and said, “Follow me.”
Following this Daoist, the two left the courtyard. What appeared before their eyes was an even longer and larger circular corridor, with red pillars set along the edge every two zhang. Between each pair of pillars there was also an arched doorway.
They walked forward along the corridor, passing one arched doorway and pillar after another, only then discovering that behind every arch was a small courtyard almost identical to the one from before. It seemed this was the place where the disciples of Qingyun Sect lived and rested.
Putting aside everything else, merely judging from the scale, there were probably no fewer than a hundred such courtyards. One could see how numerous the disciples of Qingyun were.
They walked for quite some time before finally seeing the end of the corridor. There stood an incomparably tall white wall, with a great gate set below. Its two thick wooden doors were ten zhang high, so tall that one almost had to crane one’s neck to look up at them. Who knew how such enormous timber had been found in the first place?
The young Daoist seemed not to notice it at all. Perhaps he went in and out of this place so often that he had grown numb to the sight. His face showed none of the amazement the two children felt. Expressionless, he walked straight out through the gate. Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu hurriedly followed.
The moment they stepped through the great gate, both children held their breath at the same time, staring in disbelief at everything before them.
This place was practically the immortal realm of legend.
An enormous square stretched before them, its ground paved entirely with white marble, gleaming with light. At a single glance, it made one feel small. In the distance, white clouds floated like light gauze, yet they were drifting beneath their feet. At the center of the square, a massive bronze cauldron was placed every several dozen zhang, arranged in three rows of three, for a total of nine, set out in perfect order. From the cauldrons, wisps of smoke would rise from time to time, their fragrance clear and lingering without dispersing.
“Walk this way.” As though understanding the thoughts of the two children, the young Daoist revealed a faint smile. He let them look for quite a while before calling them back to their senses and continuing forward.
“This is one of the Six Sights of Qingyun, the ‘Sea of Clouds.’ There is something even better up ahead!” the young Daoist said as he walked.
Lin Jingyu could not help asking, “What is it?”
The young Daoist pointed with his hand and said, “The Rainbow Bridge.”
The two looked as far as they could into the distance. Ahead, at the far end of the square, behind the mist-like, hazy cloud vapor, something seemed to be shining faintly. They quickened their steps and walked forward.
Gradually, the sound of water came to them, and now and then there was a strange sound like a peal of thunder, though they did not know where it came from.
They drew nearer and nearer. The cloud vapor, like gentle immortal maidens, softly encircled them, gradually lifting its indistinct veil and revealing its true appearance.
At the end of the square, a stone bridge rose into the air, without supports or piers. One end rested upon the square, while the bridge stretched straight upward on a slant, disappearing into the depths of the white clouds, like a mighty dragon leaping toward the heavens, its bearing proud and solitary. The faint sound of flowing water came from it. Under the sunlight, the entire bridge emitted seven-colored radiance, like a rainbow from the edge of the sky descending into the mortal world, dazzling and resplendent, beautiful beyond compare.
Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu stared until they were dumbstruck.
The young Daoist smiled and said, “Come with me.” With that, he was the first to step onto the stone bridge.
Once they set foot on the bridge, the two realized that streams of water were continuously flowing down both sides, clear beyond compare, yet the middle of the bridge was untouched by even a drop. Sunlight passed through the clouds and shone upon the bridge, then was refracted by the flowing water, forming a brilliant rainbow.
Seeing their entranced expressions, the Daoist said, “Be careful. Beneath this bridge is a bottomless abyss. If you fall by accident, you will die without even a place to be buried.”
Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu were both startled. They quickly steadied their minds and walked carefully.
This Rainbow Bridge was extremely high and long. As the three of them walked upon it, they felt the white clouds to either side gradually sink beneath their feet. It seemed they were climbing higher and higher. And ahead, that strange sound continued to resound without ceasing.
After walking for a while longer, the white clouds gradually thinned. They had actually walked out of the sea of clouds. Before their eyes, everything suddenly brightened. They saw the vast sky washed clean, so blue it seemed transparent. All around them, the heavens were broad and boundless; below lay the endless sea of clouds, gently rising and falling. At a single glance, one’s heart and chest seemed to widen.
And directly ahead was the summit of Tongtian Peak, where the main hall of Qingyun Temple, Yuqing Hall, stood.
The green mountain was lush with verdure, the halls towered majestically, and Yuqing Hall was situated upon the peak, encircled by cloud vapor. From time to time, several auspicious cranes cried out and flew past, circling in the air without leaving, like a spiritual realm of immortals, making reverence arise in the heart.
At this point, the Rainbow Bridge no longer ascended. It arched through the air and descended beside a pool of emerald water before the hall. At the same time, faint Daoist chants drifted from within Yuqing Hall, giving forth an air of immortal grandeur. And that strange sound was also growing louder and louder.
The three descended from the Rainbow Bridge and arrived beside the pool. A wide stone stairway led straight upward from the edge of the pool to the great doors of Yuqing Hall. The pool water was emerald green, clear and tranquil as a mirror, reflecting figures and mountains with perfect clarity.
They climbed the stone steps and were just about to walk toward the great doors above when suddenly, from the depths of the pool, there came a roar like startled thunder—the very strange sound from before. Looking over, they saw that in the center of the pool, a huge whirlpool had suddenly appeared. A moment later, great waves surged up, and a massive figure leapt out, sending water spraying across the sky and rushing toward their faces.
The young Daoist, however, seemed to have been prepared long ago. With a gesture of his left hand, his body floated into the air and swiftly drifted more than two zhang backward, stopping in midair. But how could the two children escape? In an instant, they were drenched like drowned chickens.
Yet the two of them paid no attention at all to their own condition. They only stared blankly at the colossal creature that had appeared before them. It was over five zhang tall, with the head of a dragon and the body of a lion, covered all over in scales and armor. Its eyes were huge, its mouth enormous, and two sharp fangs gleamed in the sunlight. Its features were ferocious, striking fear into anyone who looked upon it.
The monstrous beast shook its body, and with a great splashing sound, another wave of water sprayed toward them. Then, as though it had discovered something, it extended its massive head toward the stone steps.
Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu saw that the monster’s single head was much larger than the two of them together. Under the sunlight, its sharp teeth were clearly visible. Watching it draw closer and closer, they were truly frightened and could not help pressing tightly against each other, their hearts pounding.
At this moment, the young Daoist had somehow floated back. Holding one palm upright before his chest, he said respectfully, “Lingzun, they are the ones the honored masters have specially summoned.”
The monstrous beast glared at him. With a snort, it gave a loud sneeze-like breath, and the pupils in its great eyes actually rolled, as though it were a person thinking something over. Then it paid no further attention to the three of them. Swaying as it walked to one side, it lay down on a dry patch of ground beside the pool, yawned, lazily lowered its head, basked in the sun, and fell asleep.
The young Daoist motioned for the two still badly shaken children to continue walking and said, “Lingzun is an ancient extraordinary beast subdued a thousand years ago by our sect’s Patriarch Qingye. It is called the ‘Water Qilin.’ In those days, when Patriarch Qingye brought Qingyun to greatness and subdued demons and eliminated devils, it rendered great service. Now it is the mountain-guarding spirit beast of our Qingyun Sect, respectfully addressed as ‘Lingzun.’”
After he finished speaking, he bowed once more toward the Water Qilin. Zhang Xiaofan was staring in a daze when Lin Jingyu tugged at him. Seeing Lin Jingyu give him a look, he also respectfully bowed together with him toward the Water Qilin. Only the Water Qilin did not even turn its head, nor did it move; instead, its snores grew loud. Most likely, it had not seen them at all.
After the three finished paying their respects, they continued onward. Climbing the tall stone steps, they could see from afar a golden plaque upon which were written the three characters “Yuqing Hall.” When they arrived before the majestic great hall, they saw its doors standing wide open. The interior was brightly lit, enshrining the divine tablets of the Three Pure Ones: Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun. The atmosphere was solemn and dignified.
And before the divine tablets, within the great hall, stood several dozen people, some Daoist, some lay, all seemingly members of Qingyun Sect. Before everyone were placed seven large sandalwood chairs, three on the left and three on the right, with another set foremost in the center. Yet only six people sat upon them; the last chair on the right-hand row alone was empty.