Chapter 135: The Cycle of Life and Death, Flowers Blooming and Falling

The matter of the Lion-Griffin Monster was temporarily settled. Taking advantage of the Yellow Lion Spirit’s period of facing the wall in repentance, Cao Kong bade farewell to the Ninefold Spirit Primordial Sage, rode the wind, and returned to Hidden Mist Mountain.

As it happened, the Four Foxes of Hu Yan had just returned from the Kingdom of Reverent Dao. Their expressions were rather grim, tinged with sorrow.

“Mountain Lord, have you just returned? Oh—what is that in your hand? It smells wonderful!”

Seeing Cao Kong descend upon the wind, the four foxes forced themselves to cheer up and asked him the question.

“I just took care of a small matter and obtained a lotus seed,” Cao Kong replied. “I was about to plant it, so that this mountain might gain a little more depth and vitality.”

“Have you encountered some trouble in the Kingdom of Reverent Dao?” Cao Kong asked, having keenly noticed their troubled expressions.

The four foxes hurriedly shook their heads. “Nothing at all, Mountain Lord. We shall help you dig a pond and draw in a spirit spring for irrigation.”

Cao Kong smiled. “No need, no need. Just watch.”

As he spoke, his mind and divine spirit merged with Hidden Mist Mountain, commanding the earth’s primal energies. A thought arose within him, and he tossed the lotus seed onto the ground ahead.

“Open.”

In an instant, the four foxes felt the earth tremble. Rocks and gravel leaped across the ground, while the place where the lotus seed had fallen began to ripple like a river, sending wave after wave outward.

Under the successive ripples, an empty pool several yards across suddenly appeared, its earthen walls smooth and even.

The lotus seed landed precisely in the center of the pool. Moist soil then extended around it like growing vines, wrapping it within.

“Wow!”

The four foxes’ eyes seemed to sparkle with little stars as they cried out in amazement.

Cao Kong smiled. “How can one plant a lotus in a pond without water? Bring forth the water.”

As he spoke, he lightly stamped his foot. Deep beneath Hidden Mist Mountain, the underground water veins silently split off a tributary and threaded through the mountain. Clear water soon welled up within the empty pool.

With a smile, Cao Kong scattered a great quantity of Primordial Sweet Dew over it to nourish the lotus seed. As he did so, he mused inwardly:

This pool is far too bare. If I planted some aquatic spirit grasses here, or raised a few fish, it would gain considerably more life. In the future, I shall have to ask the Yellow Lion and the others to keep an eye out for such things—or perhaps seek out the Old Turtle.

The lotus seed was truly extraordinary. Its roots sank into the mud, and the moment it encountered water, it began to grow. In the blink of an eye, green leaves unfurled, and an atmosphere of purity spread throughout the pool.

At that moment, the four foxes hesitantly spoke.

“Mountain Lord, do you still remember the temple keeper at the True Lord Temple?”

Cao Kong nodded. “Of course. In my spare time, I often disguise myself as an itinerant Daoist and enter the city to distribute alms. I have also gone to see him in disguise several times, and we have spoken together.”

The four foxes lowered their heads dejectedly.

“The temple keeper is deeply devout in his faith toward you, Mountain Lord. He often offers us fruit, and he regularly helps wipe the dust from our clay statues. From time to time, we would take fruit to him in return.

“But in recent days, the temple keeper had not come to the temple, so we secretly went to check on him. We found him lying before his bed, his breath weak and fading. He likely does not have much time left.

“Whenever we think that, in the future, we may go to the True Lord Temple and no longer see him there, our hearts feel unbearably empty.”

Cao Kong nodded. The four foxes often traveled to Reverent Dao City and spent much of their time in the True Lord Temple. Over the years, they had formed an unspoken bond with the temple keeper, something he knew well.

After more than a decade together, they had naturally grown attached to him. Seeing that he was nearing the end of his life, they could not help but feel lost.

Thus Cao Kong consoled them.

“A human life lasts a single generation, as a plant lives through one autumn. Heaven and earth nurture and transform all beings, and human beings, too, must follow the cycle of creation and decay.

“The living are the companions of the dead, and the dead are the source of the living. Life is the continuation of death, and death is the beginning of life. The temple keeper’s flower has withered in this lifetime, but in the next, another flower will bloom.”

The four foxes were bewildered.

“If that is so, then is everyone immortal? The cycle simply repeats without end. In that case, Mountain Lord, what meaning is there in cultivation?”

Cao Kong laughed softly, then sighed.

“Yes. The cycle of heaven and earth turns endlessly. Unless the soul is completely scattered, there will always be rebirth. But the next flower is no longer the previous one. Though it continues the same existence, it is also different.

“That is why I am somewhat greedy. I wish to remain in this life forever—to see flowers bloom and fall, fall and bloom, to see those who come arrive and those who leave depart, while I alone remain myself.”

The four foxes seemed to understand, yet not quite.

Cao Kong smiled again. “Therefore, do not neglect your cultivation. Whether it is the Immortal Path you walk now or the Divine Path you may one day enter, I do not wish to see everyone at my side wither away after countless ages.”

All four foxes nodded solemnly.

“Come. The temple keeper has rendered great service at the True Lord Temple. We ought to see him off on his journey.”

* * *

The temple keeper’s surname was Li, and his given name was Ping.

Now that his allotted years were nearly exhausted, scarcely any vitality remained in his body. He was terribly old—thin and fragile as a sheet of rice paper.

His family and friends wept without end.

Hearing their cries, Li Ping forced himself to gather his strength.

“Do not grieve for me so bitterly. Life and death are part of nature’s order. A human life may last a hundred years, while a mayfly lives for only a day. In this life, I was blessed with a loving companion and a house full of children and grandchildren, and my bloodline will continue.

“I lived to a hundred without disaster or illness, and I often worshiped the Compassionate Heart Saves Calamity True Lord. I have no regrets. Perhaps when my soul enters the underworld, I may even be able to pay my respects to the True Lord. You should be happy for me.”

After he finished speaking, the weeping gradually subsided.

A faint—fainter than faint—smile appeared on Li Ping’s face, and his breath grew equally faint.

Little by little, he felt his body growing lighter. Scenes from his childhood through his old age flashed through his mind like images seen from a galloping horse.

“Temple Keeper Li, come with us to the Office of the Dead.”

Two underworld officials appeared before him.

One wore a broad smile. He was tall and thin, with a deathly pale face and a long tongue hanging from his mouth. The official hat upon his head bore the words, “At First Sight, Wealth Arrives.”

The other had a fierce expression. He was broad and heavyset, yet short, with a dark face. His official hat bore the words, “Peace Under Heaven.”

They were none other than Black Impermanence and White Impermanence. They were responsible both for apprehending wandering souls and for escorting the dead from the mortal realm.

Moreover, the two possessed no ordinary status. For Li Ping to return to the underworld with these two coming to receive him could certainly be called an honored death.

Without realizing it, Li Ping discovered that he had risen to his feet. Beneath him lay another “himself.”

He cast a deeply reluctant glance at the family and friends filling the room, then nodded. He had always been broad-minded about life and death, yet one regret remained in his heart: after serving the True Lord for half a lifetime, he had never personally been able to pay his respects.

The two officials led Li Ping onward. Before long, they were about to leave the city.

“Please wait a moment. Could you two spare us a little time?”

A clear, resonant voice came from behind.

Black Impermanence, White Impermanence, and Li Ping all turned to look. They saw a Daoist accompanied by four youths.

The expressions of the two impermanence officials changed.

For these people to see them meant that their cultivation was far from shallow. Yet they could not discern the depth of the Daoist before them; he appeared no different from an ordinary mortal.

Then they sensed the incense power surrounding the four youths and immediately understood that these were extraordinary beings.

Since only a short while would be required, they clasped their hands and said, “Daoist Priest, please.”

When Li Ping saw Cao Kong’s face, delight overcame him, and he fell to his knees.

“True Lord!”

* * *

Several days later, Cao Kong was still engaged in quiet cultivation atop Hidden Mist Mountain.

Suddenly, he raised his eyes and smiled. He had seen Black Impermanence and White Impermanence outside the mountain.

Those two were rather interesting. They had sensed that Cao Kong’s cultivation was profound, and after hearing Li Ping address him as the True Lord and seeing how abundant the city’s incense offerings were, they had conceived the desire to establish ties with him.

This suited Cao Kong perfectly. Within his Book of Wine were many spirit ingredients needed for the brewing of various kinds of spiritual wine. Those ingredients came from the underworld and were beneficial to the soul, capable of aiding his cultivation of the yang spirit.

Thus he took the opportunity to converse with them. He even deliberately brought out the remaining Purifying Soul Wine from years ago and invited the two officials to visit Hidden Mist Mountain as guests.

Sure enough, the moment Black Impermanence and White Impermanence saw the wine, astonishment appeared on their faces. They asked where it had come from, and Cao Kong told them that he had brewed it himself.

The two became even more interested.

At the time, however, the two impermanence officials had official duties to perform. Though they could remain briefly, they could not stay for long, so they said they would pay him a visit when they had leisure.

That was why they had come today.