CALID Chapter 63

Liansheng

The Lotus Pavilion, named for its meaning of “compassion for life,” greeted Duan Xu as he stepped onto the stone steps, where he saw a pool of white lotuses emanating a fragrant scent throughout the courtyard. Across the pool stood a wooden platform with eighteen steps, upon which sat a pavilion enclosed by bamboo curtains on all sides, faintly revealing the figure of someone seated inside. From some unknown source, clear water began to flow from the top of the pavilion’s roof, cascading down the roof tiles and curving gracefully from the eaves into the pond in front, forming a water curtain resembling a divine miracle.

Commoners entering through the vermilion gates found themselves unable to approach the pavilion due to the intervening pool, so they could only stand on the white stone platform by the pond, gazing at the pavilion from afar and offering their prayers.

After glimpsing the figure behind the water and bamboo curtains, Duan Xu called over a nearby young servant and handed him the umbrella, saying, “Please return this umbrella to Master Imperial Teacher and inform him that Duan Shunxi has visited.”

With that said, he turned to leave, but the young servant tugged at his sleeve and said in a low voice, “The red lotus umbrella must be returned to Master personally by you.”

The young servant then led Duan Xu through the crowd to the edge of the lotus pond. After performing a standard bow behind the water and bamboo curtains, the young servant loudly announced, “Master, the destined one has arrived.”

As soon as he finished speaking, accompanied by the clear sound of bells, a white bridge emerged from the bottom of the lotus pond, extending from under Duan Xu’s feet to beneath the steps of the pavilion. The young servant extended his hand and said, “Please, destined one.”

Duan Xu turned the red lotus umbrella in his hand a couple of times before finally stepping onto the white bridge. As he passed through the water curtain descending from the eaves of the pavilion, he opened the red lotus umbrella, using it to shield himself from the falling water. Thus, he crossed the water curtain and faced the pavilion, gazing up at Feng Yi behind the bamboo curtains.

Through the cracks in the green and yellow bamboo curtains, Feng Yi could be seen wearing magnificent garments interwoven with gold and white. He sat cross-legged on a cushion, a birchwood cane laid across his knees, the bells ringing without wind.

As the red lotus on the umbrella faded to white upon passing through the water curtain, Duan Xu shook off the water and smiled, saying, “The Lotus Pavilion is indeed grand. One must pass through many obstacles to meet Master Imperial Teacher.”

Feng Yi spoke leisurely from behind the bamboo curtains, saying, “To face one’s innermost self with tranquillity, one must release all concerns. Each obstacle washes away a falsehood. The pool in front of the Lotus Pavilion is white lotus, but the unseen inner pool is red lotus. My questioning pavilion serves as the boundary between inner and outer hearts. With a pure thought, flames become a pool.”

Duan Xu clapped his hands with the umbrella, not responding directly to Feng Yi’s profound words, but calmly observing the figure behind the bamboo curtains.

With a sigh, Feng Yi propped up his chin and said, “I’ve heard that General Duan has never believed in gods or buddhas. Your visit to my Lotus Pavilion today must be quite a concession. Ziji, quickly bring General Duan a cushion to sit on. Those outside the water curtain cannot hear our conversation, so General Duan, you need not worry.”

This statement was quite different from Feng Yi’s earlier mysterious demeanour, instantly transforming from a Master Imperial Teacher to a tavern owner welcoming guests, his posture becoming relaxed. Ziji brought a cushion, and Duan Xu sat down comfortably, listening as Feng Yi continued, “But since she gave you the umbrella, and you’ve come to visit, why not ask me what you wish to know? Such as the relationship between me and He Simu? Or perhaps your recent fortune?”

It was the first time Master Imperial Teacher had condescended to sell questions to a destined one.

The destined one, knowing the proprieties, smiled and took up the offer, “Since Master Imperial Teacher is already aware and prepared, then let’s speak of it.”

Feng Yi couldn’t help but wonder which of them was truly the Imperial Teacher. Why did he feel like he was asking for something, and why did this young man seem to harbour hostility towards him? In this day and age, doing a good deed seemed to be so difficult.

“You should know, He Simu once had four close relatives: her parents and her aunt and uncle. I am the twenty-first generation descendant of her aunt and uncle, so privately, I call her ancestor. My parents passed away early, and she took care of me for a while when I was young, like an elder watching me grow up.”

Duan Xu seemed somewhat surprised, arching his eyebrows and showing a genuine smile. “I see.”

Feng Yi sensed that Duan Xu’s hostility had diminished by about seventy to eighty percent, understanding where this hostility stemmed from. He inwardly scoffed, but maintained his composure on the surface. “Actually, the reason I asked you to come today is that I have prepared a wedding gift for you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ziji handed a sachet to Duan Xu. Opening the sachet, Duan Xu found a piece of paper inside. After reading the contents with a hint of surprise, his gaze shifted to the faint figure behind the bamboo curtains.

“I’ve heard that General Duan has an exceptional memory, so I don’t think you need to read it again,” Feng Yi snapped his fingers, and the paper in Duan Xu’s hand instantly turned to ashes.

Duan Xu pursed his lips and bowed, saying with gratitude, “Thank you, Master Imperial Teacher, for your assistance. Is this gift from you, or…”

“The ancestor doesn’t concern herself with worldly affairs; this gift is from me.”

“I have had no prior dealings with you, so why are you helping me?”

The figure behind the bamboo curtains fell silent for a moment. Duan Xu heard a faint chuckle before Feng Yi said, “I’m not helping you.”

“When I was young, I was very rebellious. I liked to dig deep into everything, relentlessly pursuing answers until I got them. During the time the ancestor took care of me, I had the same curiosity about her. One day, I secretly found a record she kept.”

“The initial handwriting in that record didn’t belong to her; it belonged to her parents, the former Ghost King and Queen. The first half of the record detailed her birth, language acquisition, and various childhood anecdotes. But halfway through, the handwriting changed, and the tone became that of the ancestor herself. It seems that the former Ghost King gave her the record and she continued to write it herself.”

“The record, thick with detailed daily entries, included family members, friends, and lovers. Until one page mentioned her father’s death and return to the ghost realm. After that, there was nothing but blank pages.”

The voice behind the bamboo curtains paused, while the sound of the bells continued to ring slowly, as if conveying some restless and helpless emotions. Duan Xu clasped and unclasped his hands in response.

“I always found the ancestor peculiar, yet I couldn’t pinpoint what was odd about her. After reading the record, I suddenly realized that her time had stopped, frozen forever at the moment three hundred years ago when her father passed away. She wears her favourite clothes from the past, completes tasks her parents and elders taught her, and even when talking to me, she’d say, ‘How come you don’t resemble your aunt and uncle at all?’ It’s so strange. She clearly met my parents, but she insists on tracing her lineage back twenty generations to compare with me.”

“She feels estranged, angry, and helpless towards this ongoing world. Just like the abruptly halted record, starting from the last line written, she no longer needs to be understood; she only needs to be feared. She left precious people in the sealed past of that record, and in these three hundred years, there have been no successors.”

Duan Xu sat upright in the bright sunshine of a summer day, with the water curtain flowing behind him, reflecting shimmering rays of light. The bright light cast through the gaps in the bamboo curtains fell into Feng Yi’s eyes, allowing him to see Duan Xu clearly.

The young man, nearly a decade younger than him, had a focused gaze, as if there was an unwavering certainty within him, earnestly listening to his words.

Feng Yi smiled and reached out to lift the bamboo curtain, meeting Duan Xu’s gaze. At this moment, he was no longer the unapproachable spokesperson of the gods, but just an ordinary mortal speaking from the heart.

“General Duan, whether as a curse-breaker or for any other reason, I hope you can make time flow again for her, which is why I’m helping you.”

Duan Xu looked at Feng Yi, stood up, and bowed deeply, speaking in his most sincere and peaceful tone since entering the Lotus Pavilion, “Thank you, Master Imperial Teacher. In that case, there is indeed one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“The Ghost King has a sacred gem. I exchanged my five senses for it. Does Master Imperial Teacher know about this?”

Feng Yi smiled and said, “Oh, I’m well aware.”

“I would like to ask Master Imperial Teacher to write a talisman for me,” Duan Xu said.

After Duan Xu walked out of the Lotus Pavilion with the talisman in hand, Feng Yi stretched lazily. He thought to himself, Youth is indeed a wonderful thing. Duan Xu’s audacity, like his own when he was young, was reminiscent. As he pondered, he saw Ziji walk over to neatly arrange the cushions and instructed the attendants to wipe away the water marks left by the umbrella. It was a picture of impeccable orderliness.

Feng Yi couldn’t help but sigh. As Ziji approached with the daily dose of medicine, he took the bowl and shook it, then looked up at her.

“You don’t really need to do all these things, Ziji,” he said.

Ziji remained silent, sitting before Feng Yi with lowered eyes. Her fair skin resembled snow, her black hair as smooth as silk, yet she seemed as expressionless as a wooden figure. Feng Yi had long grown accustomed to Ziji’s reticence, and he smiled nonetheless. “I used to be rebellious and disdainful of the world. Now that I’ve let go, you should return to where you belong. What meaning is there in staying? You know I don’t have much time left.”

Ziji finally lifted her head to look at Feng Yi. Her eyes were deep and dark, like the unreachable night sky. She calmly said, “I know what I’m doing.”

After a pause, she added simply, “Take your medicine.”

Feng Yi chuckled bitterly and swallowed the medicine in one gulp.

Meanwhile, Duan Xu left the Lotus Pavilion and headed straight for the Jade Tower. The information provided by Feng Yi was like a timely gift, brightening their prospects amidst adversity.

The words on the paper read: “May ends, peonies fall.”

The current emperor’s favourite consort, Lady Yu, had a fondness for peonies. The emperor had gathered precious peonies from all over the world and planted them in her courtyard. She was also known as the “Peony Beauty.” Her son, the Fifth Prince, was greatly favoured by the emperor and a strong candidate for the crown prince.

“May” and “peonies” referred to the Fifth Prince and Lady Yu. It seemed they were about to encounter misfortune. This was cause for great joy because Lady Yu was the daughter of Sun Zian, the Minister of War. If Lady Yu were to fall from favour, her father would undoubtedly be implicated, making it much easier to investigate the corruption case involving Minister Ma.

3 responses to “CALID Chapter 63”

  1. 🐥 Avatar
    🐥

    Nomad I had a DREAM abt He Simu!! I must like this novel way more than I thought 😭😂

    1. Nomad Avatar
      Nomad

      😂😂Glad you like it! For more exiting dreams (hopefully nothing scary) I released an extra chapter today!

    2. Maya Avatar
      Maya

      😂😂😂

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