The Word of Heaven

Chapter 237: Boat Against the Current Current
It is well known to the world that the Sansheng Tower has been in the hands of the mysterious new leader of the Tianming Sect since Yingxu's death.

Even fewer people know that Gu Zhuo once appeared on the ancient battlefield, got involved in the affairs of the barbarians, and was almost rampant with the help of the Three Lives Tower.

Now that the Tianming Sect is in decline and is no longer the number one sect in the demon world, the Sansheng Tower is naturally the most convenient treasure to borrow. It seems that Pei Jinge has already suffered many temptations at this time.

Those temptations came either from Taoism, or from the Qin Dynasty and other countries.

Given Pei Jinge's personality, there is absolutely no reason for him to betray the State of Qin, and his attitude towards this matter is clear without asking.

Even if Gu Zhuo was really willing to lend out the San Sheng Tower, she would definitely try to stop him.

This kind of obstruction does not necessarily mean going against the grain, but at least it means maintaining neutrality and impartiality.

Although in reality this is already a bias.

Compared with the San Sheng Tower, the Morning and Evening Bell is ethereal and invisible.

More than a hundred years ago, Taoism and the State of Qin fought a decisive battle under Xuandu. However, the Taoist's battlefield was above the sky, invisible to the world.

According to post-war records, the light in the sky reversed nearly three times.

It is well known that when the morning and evening bells ring, the sky will also be overwhelmed by them.

Based on this calculation, the bell should have rang three times in that battle, and the third bell was most likely stopped halfway, otherwise it would be impossible to explain why the sky light did not completely flow for the third time and bloom with infinite brilliance.

This was the last time the world heard the mighty bell sound.

Since that day, the whereabouts of the Morning and Evening Bell have been unknown since the Taoist master's death.

One day many years later, while playing chess and chatting with the White Emperor, someone casually asked about the whereabouts of the Morning and Evening Bell out of curiosity.

At that time, the White Emperor was silent for a long time by the Jinghai Lake, with extremely rare complex emotions revealed in his eyes, which eventually turned into a sigh, without any lingering sound.

No one asked about this matter again.

Even Zen Buddhism may not have any records of it.

——Master Daoxiu was also very secretive about the battle that year and was unwilling to mention it. Perhaps only before his death would he leave behind a few words for future generations.

Therefore, in the eyes of many people, the Dawn and Dusk Bell may not be missing, but has been destroyed in the decisive battle that year and disappeared into thin air.

This is not true.

The reason is very simple.

Gu Zhuo knew where the morning and evening bells went.

Yes, not whereabouts.

But the destination.

……

……

The difference between the two words "whereabouts" and "destination" is that the latter is often flowing, while the former is static.

Just like what Yu Yang said at the beginning, in the eyes of the world, the idea that all things have spirits is a well-known lie, but the fact that immortal artifacts have spirits is recognized by the entire cultivation world and even the human world.

Since you have a spirit, you can naturally choose where you want to go.

Whether it's hiding in a tree as an apple that doesn't want to hit you on the head, or transforming into the cleanest stone lion in front of the door, or becoming a maverick pig, or sitting in a dilapidated Taoist temple as a statue with peeling paint...all are acceptable.

As long as the morning and evening bells do not want to see the world, they will naturally disappear.

There are only two ways to find out where it went.

One is that there is another person with extraordinary talent above Xuandu who has mastered the Yuanshi Dao Sutra and entered the realm of immortality. Only by using the cause and effect of the past to find its current body and having a negotiation with it that is likely to be extremely difficult can it be possible to bring it back.

The Tiandao Sect was very clear about this, so they didn't care if the Morning and Evening Bells were lost, as no one could find them anyway.

The reason for such confidence is that the second method is nothing more than a fantasy.

More importantly, this is also what the Tiandao Sect most wants to see.

——When the Taoist master is resurrected, the morning and evening bells will return.

……

……

It was getting late and the sun was setting behind the mountains.

Gu Zhuo woke up and saw that the lake had turned pitch black.

He withdrew his gaze and no longer looked at the Taoist temple that was reduced to ruins by Yu Sheng's sword two years ago, and the corpse of the dean was no longer in his sight.

Then, the boat, guided by the starry sky, suddenly turned south.

Unless something unexpected happens, Gu Zhuo does not plan to let the Morning and Evening Bell appear in the world.

He promised Yu Sheng not to participate in the next war, so he should not allow any changes to occur on the chessboard. He should be quiet and obedient, becoming an outsider who keeps his identity hidden and watches the game in silence.

In fact, even if Yu Sheng was not there, he might not be willing to get involved.

There are only a few reasons.

The Qin Dynasty had been planning for this battle for many years and was confident of victory. After all, Zen Buddhism and Qingjingguan were forced to join the game due to their anxiety. They were naturally at a disadvantage in this war, and there was no need for them to take huge risks for this.

The second reason is that he never had any favorable impression on Zen Buddhism.

Even though he and the Immaculate Monk could be considered friends in this life, his attitude remained unchanged.

——There can be Buddhist scriptures in the world, but there does not have to be Buddha.

Qingjing Temple is not the Tiandao Sect. Chu Jun is the only one in the temple who is worthy of real attention. However, her current level does not qualify her to participate in this great change. Why bother with her?

As for standing on the side of the Qin Dynasty, it was even more impossible for Gu Zhuo.

The best option is to remain neutral as requested by Yu Sheng.

This is what Gu Zhuo thought.

To be precise, this is what he has been thinking in recent days.

After leaving Baidi Mountain and travelling thousands of miles under the clouds and moon, he finally fell asleep on the Yunmeng Lake using a boat as his bed. He had never really let go of the matter and stopped thinking about it.

It had nothing to do with procrastination, but he always had a bad premonition, as if there was a lingering fog in front of him, and deep in the fog was a future he didn't want to see. This was the real reason why Gu Zhuo was haggard.

It's not that I'm depressed or sad, but that my mind is completely immersed in it and I still can't figure it out.

While thinking about these things, the boat has already passed through thousands of mountains.

Under the cover of night, the ferry was deserted and the lights were naturally sparse.

There is no rain at this time, and the scenery is different from last year.

Walking in the night breeze, Gu Zhuo randomly found a restaurant and had a simple dinner.

Then he did not go through the city gate, but climbed over the city wall, following his old memories, and began to climb the mountain.
It was the end of summer and the night roads in the mountains were already beginning to feel chilly. The lightless road shrouded by wild woods had a very chilly feeling, but it made Gu Zhuo walk particularly comfortably.

There were many temples scattered along the mountain path. The lights shone through the branches and leaves into the eyes, and the heads were illuminated with a shiny glow, which was particularly eye-catching.

From time to time, the sound of scriptures being explained was carried into Gu Zhuo's ears by the night wind. It was the content of the monks' evening lessons.

In comparison, the Taoist temples located along the road have long been dilapidated and deserted.

It was not until the night deepened and before dawn that Gu Zhuo arrived in front of the ancient temple.

There is a bell in front of the hall.

The ancient bell remained unrun. The rust on the bell formed patches, looking ugly under the starlight.

Gu Zhuo walked past, pushed open the palace door, and was about to go straight into the terrace behind the palace when he suddenly stopped.

A voice fell into his ears.

"Don't doubt anyone."

Pei Jinge walked out slowly from the night, looked at Gu Zhuo in the starlight outside the door, and said indifferently: "Changyu did not betray you, but he was too loyal and never forgot to offer sacrifices to Yingxu, so I found him here."

Gu Zhuo said, "Long time no see."

Then he didn't ask why you were waiting for me here, nor did he ask why you thought you could wait for me here.

Things have already happened. There is no point in asking the other party how they made such a decision, except wasting time.

Pei Jinge said: "Many people are looking for you."

Gu Zhuo hummed.

The two walked towards the terrace behind the palace.

Pei Jinge's voice was as indifferent as water.

"On the way here, I have killed dozens of people, including monks from Wuyou Mountain and Zen Buddhism, as well as several people from the Li family. There are even a few traitors in the Tianming Sect."

"Hard."

Gu Zhuo was very sincere.

Pei Jinge said nonchalantly: "Dawn will always come. The sun can't be covered by clouds forever. You will be found eventually."

Gu Zhuo said: "Before that, perhaps the matter has been settled."

As they were talking, the two of them had already walked to the back of the hall.

The night before dawn is still so dark and thick that it cannot be dissolved.

"What would you do?" Pei Jinge asked.

Gu Zhuo did not answer. He turned his head to look into her eyes and watched her quietly.

A hint of murderous intent appeared in his heart.

Pei Jinge's eyes remained calm without any change. He said, "I am indeed thinking about whether to kill you, but I won't do it because this is not a decision I should make."

Gu Zhuo liked this directness very much and said, "Who can make this decision?"

"You are the junior apprentice of Her Royal Highness the Princess."

At this point, Pei Jinge suddenly changed the subject: "I don't want to see you here."

Gu Zhuo retracted his gaze, looked towards the distant mountains under the night sky, and said, "So this is why you have murderous intentions towards me."

Pei Jinge said calmly: "The Tianming Sect has been very busy these days. I received more than one letter for you, and they all said the same thing."

Gu Zhuo said: "Invite me to take revenge."

"Ah."

Pei Jinge continued, "This is also the unanimous opinion of the Tianming Sect."

Gu Zhuo thought about it, shook his head and said, "Many people may not really think this way, but they have to show that they think this way, because this is the meaning of the existence of Tianming Sect."

Pei Jinge asked: "What do you think?"

Yingxu and Daqin have been enemies for nearly a hundred years, and countless people from the Tianming Sect have died as a result. This is undoubtedly a deep blood feud.

No one can forget this true past, and no one can find a reason to stay out of it.

If someone insists on doing this, it would be sailing against the current.

Well, when this person is the leader of the Tianming Sect, the ending is self-evident.

There is a high possibility that the Tianming Sect will collapse directly because of this.

Gu Zhuo looked at her quietly and said, "You don't have to ask for my opinion."

As time passed, the Tianming Sect had become accustomed to Pei Jinge's existence and believed that all her actions were Gu Zhuo's will.

Under such circumstances, no one could stop her from reducing the Tianming Sect to nothingness.

"Yes."

Pei Jinge looked into Gu Zhuo's eyes and said calmly, "According to my position, I shouldn't be standing here waiting for you, let alone asking such a question."

After a moment of silence, she turned her head to look at the dark night sky and said expressionlessly: "But you are not only my ally, but also my friend, and I am not used to betrayal."

(End of this chapter)