The Word of Heaven

Chapter 366 Epilogue
In the winter of the year of the Weiyang Palace Incident, Gu Zhuo was forced into a state of Taoist transformation because the sound of the morning and evening bells was heard by heaven and earth.

That was a change he had never wanted to accept.

Why refuse?

This is actually a question that doesn't need to be explored, or rather, acceptance is what is surprising, because the ultimate result of Taoism is that one's own will inevitably disappear over the long course of time.

Why is he now determined to transcend worldly desires?
Everything in this world is bound to be surprised by this.

“I don’t like the suggestions you’ve made, the path you’ve chosen for the world, and the so-called beauty of tranquility. So I’ve decided to change all of that. That’s the choice I have to make.”

"Making this choice was not difficult."

Gu Zhuo's voice was gentle, like the pattering spring rain: "This is what my heart desires."

He laughed, letting the rain stream down his cheeks, with a fresh, vibrant energy like newly sprouting buds, without the sorrow of rain extinguishing the green of the world.

"This is actually very unfair, or rather, very unreasonable. After all, there is indeed a possibility that the world will be destroyed because of this. Before embarking on this path, the vast majority of people... or rather, only a handful of people know about this matter, and they can only know it, not oppose my decision."

"But if someone like me isn't willing to make the decision, who is?"

"As for the consequences and responsibilities of this decision, as well as the sins that follow, I will naturally bear them."

"It makes perfect sense that gods and saints always play this kind of role."

"The worst outcome is death."

"and……"

Gu Zhuo smiled and said, "This matter is truly meaningful, and even more interesting, isn't it?"

Heaven and earth and all things responded with solemn silence.

The rain continued to fall, and the wind showed no signs of stopping.

The distant mountains and the sky are both blue, so charming.

I imagine that people would see him in the same way.

Silence reigned before Weiyang Palace, like an unattended tomb deep in the Lonely Mountain, its surface covered with thick, verdant green.

Then, at some point, a raindrop fell on the monument and shattered into pieces.

Suddenly, people felt a subtle, ineffable sense of enlightenment. Following this cool feeling that penetrated the deepest part of their souls, they were no longer confined to the north and south of the country or the east and west of the country, or the cold and heat of the seasons. They all looked up and gradually fell into a state of bewilderment, unable to understand.

Only a very few cultivators who were truly close to the heavens, such as Yu Sheng and Pei Jinge, or those similar to Gu Zhuo, such as Lin Wanyi and Chu Jun, vaguely knew what was happening here.

Yu Sheng remained silent.

Lin Wanyi offered her a soft blessing.

Pei Jingge raised an eyebrow.

Chu Jun felt lost and empty inside.

Time may stand still because of human will, but it has never flowed backwards, and this moment is no exception.

When the wind stops.

The rain is still falling, but the person is gone.

……

……

This is a realm that transcends words.

The entire continent, no, the entire world, is under Gu Zhuo's will.

He had never felt this way before, not even at the peak of his ascension to immortality, there was an indescribable objective gap between him and now.

He intuitively felt that even if he were to become a desolate mountain range, a place only immortals could see, it would still be far inferior to his current state.

What kind of realm is this exactly?
In order to find the answer, he began to observe.

The world is not flat; the undulating curves on the earth outline both gentleness and coldness.

Humans are but a drop in the ocean.

Gu Zhuo's gaze fell upon the East China Sea.

The storm eventually subsided.

The sun shines again on the earth.

As spring warms, the flowers bloom in the eyes of the girls at Chang Le Nunnery, which faces the sea, bringing them joyful cheers and chatter that are very pleasant to hear.

The next moment, his gaze fell upon the wasteland, finding the paradise nestled deep within the mountains.

The lake water rippled with the white clouds of the blue sky. The elderly people of the wilderness sat by the lake, seemingly pondering what to eat for dinner, the simplest yet most difficult choice in human history.

At that moment, hundreds of crabs crawled into the eyes of the wilderness dwellers, each one growing visibly larger, living out the plumpness of autumn in spring.

Gu Zhuo had already left before the barbarians knelt down in homage to the arrival of the gods.

This time he was flying.

Unlike flying on a sword, and certainly not a Taoist technique, he is now simply a gust of wind.

The wind comes and goes, covering thousands of miles in an instant.

Now freed from the constraints of his mortal body, he seemed to possess boundless freedom. His figure echoed in the crevices of the world's most magnificent mountains, and the surging currents of the deep sea were the footprints he left behind. Peach blossoms fell upon Xuandu, landing on Yu Sheng's temples.

Happy travels.

That's roughly the case.

……

……

Gu Zhuo appeared under the peach tree.

Flowers fall like rain, and Yu Sheng's clothes are slightly damp.

Her gaze remained calm, like the snow and wind that never changed on the Cangshan Mountain, unmoved by Gu Zhuo's sudden appearance.

She asked softly, "If you had another chance to choose, would you still want to come into this world?"

Gu Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "I haven't thought about that."

Yu Sheng didn't say anything more.

She hugged her husband tightly, then released him after a moment, straightening his clothes and tidying his messy hair.

She remained silent, offering not a single word of advice or request.

This is gentleness.

"Go."

Yu Sheng said seriously, turning her head away and no longer looking.

Gu Zhuo gave a nasal "hmm".

The next moment, he disappeared from Yu Sheng's sight and went into her world.

……

……

The snow and wind still linger on Cangshan Mountain.

For thousands of years, practitioners have believed that the sacred site is the necessary path to ascension to immortality.

Only by establishing a sacred site with great supernatural powers can one reach the end of the path of cultivation.

This has become an ironclad rule.

The temple is a world for practitioners.

However, when Gu Zhuo arrived, he did not encounter any hostility from this temple.

Is this because of Yu Sheng?
With this unresolved question in mind, Gu Zhuo went to another temple after a moment of contemplation.

The temple was so pure white and fiery, every corner of it was filled with light.

Zhao Qi raised his head, looked at the unexpected guest, bowed respectfully, and asked, "Is this still the Ascension Realm?"

Gu Zhuo said, "No, it's not."

Zhao Qi asked sincerely, "What is this?"

Gu Zhuo smiled and said, "I'm not very good at naming things. I'll tell you another day when I think of something."

Zhao Qi was taken aback.

Gu Zhuo looked at the temple, his gaze penetrating into the thousands upon thousands of blazing rays of light, as intense as those from the scorching sun. After a moment of silence, he gained some insight.

So he left, only to return to the wasteland before the next breath.

He is becoming more and more familiar with this world, and his will is like the rising sun and the night sky, constantly enveloping the vast expanse of the sky.

It was as if he had embraced the world.

That solitary mountain is no longer entirely white.

After the sword strike last year, the mountains were divided in two and gained color.

Lonely Mountain was the destination of that sword strike.

White on top and black on the bottom, clearly distinct and inseparable.

Standing on the edge of the lonely mountain cliff, overlooking the vast land, Gu Zhuo said, "I've never understood why, if you want this world to remain peaceful and serene for a long time, you would make humanity embark on the path of cultivation?"

"Now you understand."

The sound came from nowhere, flat and indifferent.

Gu Zhuo nodded and said softly, "Cultivation is a process of blossoming and bearing fruit. Even if millions of flowers wither before they bloom, there are always a few that are different from others, and that is ascension."

"The prerequisite for ascension is the establishment of a training ground."

He calmly said, "Therefore, practitioners spend their entire lives pursuing this thing, unaware that it is also what you are pursuing."

The voice sounded again.

“Silence is not eternal stillness. What we want is not a world like still water, because the final outcome is also destruction.”

"For there is a source of living water."

"Yes, your judgment is correct. This is the greatest significance and special feature of human existence."

Gu Zhuo felt a pang of emotion.

Then he looked at the wildlings living in spring, and after a moment of silence, said, "The wildlings are an experiment for you."

"We must consider the risks." The voice was so rational, without a trace of emotion: "Unfortunately, the Wildlings have yet to take that step of ascension."

There was regret in his words, but Gu Zhuo couldn't detect it at all.

He thought for a moment and said, "Even without my intervention, you would have let Yuan Dai die."

This inference was readily and decisively acknowledged.

Gu Zhuo continued, "Judging from this, you can't possibly assume that I'm willing to accept it based on your own wishful thinking."

Heaven and earth acquiesced by their silence.

Gu Zhuo sighed with emotion and said, "So I am the greatest common denominator that you can all accept."

A breeze came, puzzled: "What is the meaning of those last five words?"

Gu Zhuo did not give a direct answer.

"In this conversation, and in our past casual chats, you have always been yourself, and that has never changed. Since you have the word 'you' in your names, disagreements are inevitable. Even if you are all willing to continue this current silence for a long time, it doesn't mean that you have no other thoughts, whether radical or conservative."

"This is reflected in the kindness I receive most of the time, as well as the hostility I encounter when I am in the wilderness. However, what is interesting is that the hostility given to me is always disguised, unwilling to be as open and honest as kindness."

“At first I thought this was Yuan Dai’s intention, after all, he had a good reason to kill me, but that’s not the case.”

That's all for now, of course, because if I continued, things would get unpleasant.

Why bother?
Gu Zhuo looked at the barbarians who had suffered for thousands of years and sighed in his heart.

The sounds of all things return.

"The facts are just as you think."

"If such a human being must exist, we cannot think of anyone better or more suitable than you."

"Don't miss it."

"This should be the greatest common divisor you mentioned."

The conversation ends here.

Everything is clear.

If this tranquil world will eventually become a thing of the past, then in spring, tender buds will sprout and meet the outside world.

Then.

They only wish that Gu Zhuo is in charge.

Who told him to have seen those magnificent sights?

At that moment, Gu Zhuo heard a sentence.

What would you like to call this decision?

"Breaking out of the cocoon?"

"Isn't this a bit too ordinary?"

"Then... let's call it Re-Genesis."

……

……

There were no more opponents in front of Gu Zhuo.

He can no longer be described as human; the word "god" is a more fitting description.

There is nothing in this world that he cannot do.

If he wanted to, the world could be made smooth.

His reason and emotions remained real, not overwhelmed by the ensuing immense loneliness, and he remained as clear-headed as ever.

He quietly looked down at the world, and based on the things in his memory, he began to deduce and calculate how to take that step.

This is an incredibly long process.

What's more troublesome is that if you want to get an accurate and reliable result, you can't let the calculations remain on paper; they must be put into practice.

How to implement this?

The first thing to do, of course, is to take the first step forward.

Who is qualified to take the most important first step in this world?
At this moment, Gu Zhuo has already attained enlightenment.

……

……

The spring rain in front of Weiyang Palace has long since stopped.

This is the human world nine days later.

The White Emperor is gone, and Bai Langxing has taken his place. The entire Qin state is in mourning.

People are immersed in genuine grief, but some are also deeply worried.

These people were not only officials of the Qin state, but also those who had connections with Gu Zhuo.

On that day, Gu Zhuo vanished with the wind amidst countless gazes.

No one knows what kind of realm he has entered.

Before the facts were confirmed, of course no one dared to make any decisions about Lin Wanyi and Chu Jun, and they even received treatment beyond what was expected.

The two of them naturally didn't care about these things. Lin Wanyi only made one request to the court: not to allow the Empress to have a tomb.

This is certainly against the rules, but given the prevailing trend... Bai Langxing is quite happy to see this happen.

Lin Wanyi, carrying only the faint traces left by her mother, left the capital. She eventually went to a temple called Ganye and stayed there for a while.

Feeling something was amiss, she irrationally changed the name of the temple from Gan Ye to Gan Ye.

Chu Jun was puzzled and asked him why.

Lin Wanyi said calmly, "Of course I'm not blaming the temple for raising my mother. It's just that I always think that if my mother could have more truly felt the karmic obstacles that Zen Buddhism talks about, perhaps she wouldn't have brought such an end to herself."

Chu Jun honestly replied, "I just think this name sounds nicer."

……

……

Chu Jun also has her own worries.

With her master nowhere to be found, she, as Gu Zhuo's only surviving disciple, became the successor of the Daoist sect.

With the death of the White Emperor, the old men in the Taoist sect rekindled their old beliefs, and Chu Jun bore the weight of it all.

Wherever she went, old men would come to her, some weeping bitterly, some speaking passionately, and some earnestly advising her, all asking Chu Jun to raise her arms and shout that the Daoist sect should once again share the world with the empire.

Chu Jun had no such thoughts.

Yes, many years ago during that summer festival, she was filled with the thought of revitalizing the Taoist sect.

Having weathered many storms, her thoughts have changed.

People who live on the mountain should stay on the mountain; why should they worry about those living down below?
Most importantly, what is the point of all this?

To share the world and govern humanity.

Even a thousand-year-old empire can collapse and decline suddenly because of the death of a monarch, so how can the Taoist sect be an exception?

Don't look outside for help.

Just as Chu Jun was about to say those four words, Xie Yinglian arrived.

She smiled and took over the conversation, wanting to shoulder that responsibility for her good friend.

The Taoist elder was initially unwilling, until she casually uttered a few words.

"I am Gu Zhuo's person."

“Now that he has departed, it is right for me to take charge and serve as the shepherd of the world.”

"Chu Jun? Are you trying to get the Dao Master's last disciple involved in worldly affairs? Are you a remnant of the Daoist sect, a traitor from the Zen sect, or a spy sent by the Great Qin?"

The Taoist elder's expression changed drastically several times, but in the end he dared not refute the statement. Seeing that Chu Jun did not object, he could only nod in agreement.

Many years later, Taoism was born from this, with Xie Yinglian as its master, and he was in charge of all worldly affairs.

……

……

Pei Jingge had absolutely no interest in any of this.

To be precise, she is facing the biggest challenge of her life.

Yu Sheng looked at her quietly, her eyes suddenly rippling like lake water, and said, "I remember you said on Baidi Mountain that you didn't like him."

Pei Jingge felt very awkward, embarrassed, and ashamed.

Even though she had made many preparations for this, she still faced extremely heavy psychological pressure when the moment actually arrived.

Yu Sheng suddenly laughed and said, "I don't dislike you."

Pei Jingge thought to herself, "This doesn't mean I like you, does it?"

Yu Sheng was somewhat surprised and looked at her strangely, saying, "So you like him even more than I thought."

Pei Jingge was annoyed, thinking to herself, "How could you come to such a conclusion?"

Yu Sheng smiled and said, "That's fine then."

Pei Jingge was stunned.

After a long silence, she looked at Yu Sheng, who had a nonchalant expression, and asked seriously, "Why?"

Yu Sheng said, "Why are there so many 'whys' in this world?"

As she spoke, she casually walked out the door as usual and began to take a walk.

Pei Jingge was still puzzled, her gaze following her retreating figure, and said, "I still want to know?"

Yu Sheng didn't stop and said, "I think it's fine as it is now."

Pei Jingge asked, "Where are you going?"

Without turning around, Yu Sheng said, "Today is the anniversary of his death. I have to go and sweep his grave and pour him a drink."

……

……

Bai Yingzhou has been dead for three springs.

The world did not descend into chaos as a result; order remained intact.

Gu Zhuo was still busy.

He is busy with an unprecedented feat, and even without pursuing accuracy, the process is still incredibly arduous.

In certain specific areas, even calculations are impossible; one can only rely on intuition.

Time passes in this process.

Gu Zhuo is a god, but also a human being.

Therefore, he will inevitably experience emotions, fatigue, and irritability.

Whenever this happens, he always creates a new beach in the world, walks barefoot on the soft silver sand, takes Yu Sheng's hand, and walks side by side until sunset.

The two didn't really have much to say to each other, nor did they need to say much.

Yu Sheng is a very good listener.

Pei Jingge, however, thought differently.

She and Gu Zhuo would always talk all night long, accompanied by tea that had cooled to the point of sourness, their conversations about spiritual cultivation going back and forth endlessly in the candlelight.

All of these words were carefully copied down by Chu Jun, who was standing nearby.

The girl seemed to be preparing to compile this into a book.

As for Lin Wanyi?
She always followed her own path, cultivating her sword skills.

Having traversed countless mountains and countless umbrellas, I listen to the cold rain under the eaves.

In her spare time or when she was bored, Lin Wanyi would place her sword across her lap and use it as a zither.

The fingers fell like strings, harmonizing with the sound of rain.

The sword's melody was awe-inspiring.

When the music ended, the crowd had not yet dispersed.

Lin Wanyi turned her head and saw Gu Zhuo clapping for him, just like when they first met.

But she never said those words again. She just hugged him gently and tenderly, and said that he should remember to come and listen to the new song another day.

……

……

Twenty-two years later, the summer solstice is also the summer festival.

The summer festival has evolved into a rotating process, no longer solely the domain of the Qin Dynasty, and this year it happens to be held in Xuandu—the previous one was held at Yuangou Temple, the abode of the Immaculate Monk.

During this grand occasion, even the gods are no longer troubled.

Xuandu has become a desolate and historical place.

Countless young faces surged through this sacred Taoist site, with boys and girls excitedly visiting and inquiring about the Tao, and devoutly praying in the temples for success in their cultivation and all endeavors.

The elders of the Taoist sect were naturally not used to such liveliness and had many complaints about it, but Xie Yinglian never cared about these idle gossips.

The only thing that comforted them was that there was still a quiet place here.

Thinking this, many people turned their gaze away from the palaces and towards a certain mountain peak, their eyes filled with longing.

The solitary peak is shrouded in clouds, unseen by the world.

That was the Daoist Master's place of seclusion.

Yu Sheng lay with her eyes closed on the bamboo chair by the window in the hall, taking a deep nap in the afternoon.

Pei Jingge was making tea nearby.

Lin Wanyi had no intention of establishing a sect or school, so she was naturally uninterested in worldly affairs and discussed sword principles with Gu Zhuo.

Soon after, Xie Yinglian arrived.

The latter naturally came to Pei Jingge's side, took off the magnificent crown that bound her hair, rubbed her sore neck, and began to curse the stupid and idiotic things she had encountered. Her incessant chatter shattered the tranquil atmosphere of the Dao Palace, yet she did not annoy anyone.

Everyone enjoyed listening to it.

After all, apart from Xie Yinglian, none of them are talkative people.

At one point, Lin Wanyi noticed a problem.

"Where's Chu Jun? Shouldn't she have come with you?"

"I wonder where she went. Did the Immaculate Monk ask her to spar again and she couldn't get away? But wait, the little monk didn't go out this time..."

As soon as the sound faded, the Taoist temple fell silent.

Yu Sheng opened her eyes, looked at the sky outside the window, and thought to herself, "Have you finally found the solution?"
Pei Jingge thought to herself, "How could he be your disciple?"

Lin Wanyi was also thinking about this problem.

Xie Yinglian, still not used to silence, rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Of course it's because Chu Jun is his only successor, and you are just his wives."

Yu Sheng ignored him completely, and Pei Jinge turned a deaf ear.

Lin Wanyi is not one of them.

She couldn't remain calm at seventeen, and she still can't now. With a blank expression, she asked, "Then what are you?"

Xie Yinglian shrugged and said matter-of-factly, "I don't know what it is, but in any case, I am indeed his person."

……

……

A scorching mist floated on the water's surface, and the surrounding mountains rose and fell, devoid of human habitation and covered in ice and snow.

This is clearly a naturally formed hot spring.

A contented sigh escaped from Gu Zhuo's lips.

Chu Jun handed over a pot of wine.

The wine was frozen solid, with an excellent taste and a refreshing coolness as it went down the throat.

Gu Zhuo liked it very much and turned his head to look at Chu Jun sitting by the hot spring, seeing her splashing water barefoot.

"This is the hot spring from back then."

"I remember."

Chu Jun's tone was exceptionally serious.

That's just the kind of person she is; otherwise, how could she have dared to question Gu Zhuo, who was suspected to be the Dao Lord, back then?

Gu Zhuo said, "It was from this moment that I began to regard you as my disciple."

Chu Jun hummed in agreement.

Gu Zhuo looked at her gently and said softly, "Now you can give up this identity."

Chu Jun remained silent for a long time, puzzled.

After an unknown amount of time, she took a deep breath and said, "I do."

Gu Zhuo was slightly taken aback and asked, "Are you willing?"

Chu Jun looked slightly bewildered and said, "Otherwise what?"

Gu Zhuo suddenly realized something was amiss and said, "What did you think it was?"

Chu Jun frowned, looking at him with a slightly cold expression, thinking to herself, "Are you trying to humiliate me?"

Gu Zhuo finally understood.

Chu Jun understood, and forcibly controlled her emotions, saying, "If it's not that, then what does it mean?"

Gu Zhuo smiled and said, "That's exactly what you meant."

Chu Jun was unwilling to accept this statement. Staring into his eyes, she asked, "What was the original meaning?"

Gu Zhuo's smile faded, and he asked seriously, "Are you willing to take that step for me?"

Chu Jun looked bewildered and said, "Why me?"

"Who told your senior brother to die?"

Gu Zhuo's explanation was very clear and straightforward.

Chu Jun agreed.

Gu Zhuo asked, "Why?"

Chu Jun thought for a moment, then found a perfect reason for herself and said with a smile, "Who told me to be the Crown Prince?"

Gu Zhuo was speechless.

……

……

When Chu Jun opened her eyes again, the clear blue sky was no longer there.

As far as the eye could see, there was only boundless, lonely darkness.

Is this the world outside the world? she wondered.

Chu Jun came to her senses and looked back, but there was nothing there.

She was suddenly overcome with immense fear, and her Daoist mind was no longer at peace.

Just then, that familiar voice rang out, taking away the great terror that came from the brink of life and death for her.

Chu Jun started moving forward.

In fact, she didn't know if she was moving forward, because there seemed to be no direction.

Not long after, a long, narrow object suddenly appeared in her sight.

Chu Jun instinctively reached out to grasp it, but the moment she touched it, it turned to ashes and ceased to exist.

But she already knew what it was.

The sword left behind by the fourth patriarch of the Yi River.

"Where...is this place?"

Chu Jun couldn't hide the tremor in her voice.

"A tomb called the universe."

Gu Zhuo looked at the extinguished stars, filled with emotion.

Chu Jun was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are we wrong?"

"But……"

Gu Zhuo stretched out his hand, pointed to a place infinitely far away, and finally said, "Isn't there a flower that looks just like us blooming there?"

(End of the article)

(End of this chapter)