Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The autumn night in Hexi Town arrives quietly.

As the last rays of sunset faded behind the western mountains, the deep blue sky quietly unfolded. First, a couple of stars blinked tentatively, and then patches of light appeared, like someone had spilled a basket of broken diamonds onto velvet.

Even the wind has changed its nature.

The daytime air still carried a hint of late summer heat, but as night fell, a cool breeze crept in through the cracks in the windows and doors, brushing against people's faces with a refreshing, clean scent, carrying the unique dry aroma of rice stubble and withered grass from the fields.

Lin Tian lay on a rocking chair in the courtyard, a thin blanket draped over him, and a palm-leaf fan in his hand, fanning himself idly.

His eyes were half-closed, as if he were dozing off, or as if he were looking at the stars in the sky.

Lin Feng was already asleep, with even snoring coming from the room, occasionally interspersed with a few indistinct words in his sleep, probably dreaming of catching fish and climbing trees.

Shi Yao was tidying up the dishes in the kitchen. The soft sound of running water mixed with the unknown tune she was humming softly, gently spreading in the night.

Ao Xiaohei wasn't there.

After dinner, he kept saying he wanted to go to Yuelaiju to exchange cooking tips with Fatty Qian. Right now, he's probably squatting in the kitchen, pointing and gesturing at the pots and pans, leaving the fat chef completely bewildered.

Everything was as ordinary as it could be.

But Lin Tian's hand holding the palm-leaf fan paused almost imperceptibly.

He sensed an extremely subtle yet incredibly clear fluctuation.

It didn't come from Hexi Town, it didn't come from Dragon Soul, it didn't come from any familiar aura.

The fluctuation came from an extremely distant place, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, penetrating layers of space, and exploring Hexi Town.

Then, the aura vanished.

It was not death, not dissipation, but rather like a drop of water merging into the ocean, a snowflake falling into a glacier, completely, cleanly, and without leaving a trace, erasing him from his perception.

Lin Tian opened his eyes and looked at the night sky.

The stars were still twinkling, and the moon had just climbed into the sky, a crescent shape, its pale light soft and gentle.

The chirping of insects came from the corner of the wall, intermittent.

His face remained expressionless, but he slowly began to wave the palm-leaf fan in his hand again.

Almost at the same moment, countless miles away from Hexi Town, in the heart of Zhongting, deep in a desolate Gobi Desert.

This place is a scorching inferno by day and a freezing icy cave by night.

The wind whistled like a knife across the jagged rocks, producing a piercing howl like ghosts wailing.

Without vegetation or water, even the most tenacious sand scorpions are unwilling to stay here for long.

But tonight, a small courtyard has appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the Gobi Desert.

The courtyard was really small, just a low earthen wall, inside which were three thatched huts, a well, and a tree.

The tree is a Bodhi tree, its branches and leaves not lush, but in this desolate Gobi Desert, it is breathtakingly green, and every leaf gleams with a warm luster under the moonlight, as if it has its own Buddha-light.

Under the tree, there is a stone table and two stone stools.

An old monk dressed in a gray-white Buddhist robe was sitting on one of the stone benches, looking down at the stone table.

A chess game was laid out on the table, with black and white pieces scattered about. Moonlight shone on it, casting faint shadows on the stone table.

The monk was very old, with deep wrinkles on his face, white eyebrows that drooped to his cheeks, and a white beard that reached his chest.

But those eyes were as clear as a newborn baby's, and as deep as the starry sky that has witnessed countless ages.

A gentle smile played on his lips as he held a black chess piece between his fingers, hesitating to place it.

Suddenly, he looked up at the courtyard gate.

The place was originally empty, but the next moment, the air rippled like water, and a tall, dark figure wearing an iron mask silently appeared, as if he had always been standing there, but no one had seen him just now.

Yuan Tiangang.

He stood at the courtyard gate, not coming in immediately. His gaze, behind the mask, calmly swept over the small courtyard, the thatched hut, and the well, finally settling on the old monk under the Bodhi tree.

The old monk smiled at him and pointed to the stone bench opposite him: "Benefactor Yuan, please sit down."

The voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the howling wind and reached Yuan Tiangang's ears. It was gentle and mellow, with a strange and comforting power.

Yuan Tiangang stepped into the courtyard.

His footsteps were very light, making almost no sound as he walked on the sandy ground.

He sat down opposite the old monk, his back straight, like an ancient, unyielding iceberg.

Between the two was a half-finished game of chess.

"I have long admired Benefactor Yuan's illustrious reputation."

The old monk put down the black stone in his hand, put his hands together, and nodded slightly.

Yuan Tiangang remained silent for a moment, then his hoarse, deep voice came from beneath his mask: "Bodhidharma, what brings you here so late at night?"

He called out the other person's name.

Bodhidharma, the founder of Buddhism.

He is one of the three universally acknowledged patriarchs in the world today, a peak terrestrial immortal, who is said to have lived for over three thousand years. He is a true being who stands at the top of this world and looks down upon all living beings.

Bodhidharma smiled but did not answer directly. Instead, he pointed to the chessboard on the table: "This old monk has sat here in meditation for seven days, trying to understand this game, but I still cannot solve it. Would Benefactor Yuan be willing to offer some guidance?"

Yuan Tiangang's gaze fell on the chessboard.

The game was strange.

At first glance, the black and white pieces appear evenly matched, but upon closer inspection, one can discover that the seemingly scattered white pieces are actually subtly connected, concealing a deadly threat.

Black's pieces appear solid, but they are constrained at every turn, struggling to defend themselves.

Even more strangely, the chess pieces on the board were slowly moving on their own. Although the movement was extremely small and so slow that it was almost imperceptible, Yuan Tiangang could see it clearly with his keen eyesight.

This is no ordinary chess game.

This is the manifestation of the Tao, the projection of the rules of heaven and earth, and... the deduction of certain major trends by the Buddhist patriarch before us.

Yuan Tiangang observed for a moment, then slowly said, "The white pieces are like a net, and the black pieces are like fish. The net is already spread, and the fish are in it."

A hint of approval flashed in Bodhidharma's eyes: "Benefactor Yuan has keen insight. Then, in your opinion, how should this fish escape the net?"

"Offline?"

Yuan Tiangang's voice was flat.

"Why try to escape? A net is a net, and a fish is a fish. A fish in a net will die whether it struggles or not. Since it's a certain death situation, why struggle?"

Bodhidharma's smile faded slightly: "Your words are too resolute. Everything in this world is subject to change. Even in a seemingly hopeless situation, there may still be a glimmer of hope."

"vitality?"

Yuan Tiangang raised his hand and pointed to a corner of the chessboard.

"What appears to be a live eye here is actually a trap. If Black places a stone here, White can kill the dragon with just one stone."

He then pointed to another spot: "This place seems like a dead end, but if Black sacrifices a piece to gain the initiative and cuts off its tail to survive, it might be able to carve out a new path. However..."

"Just what?"

"But this new sky is still a game for the white pieces."

Yuan Tiangang withdrew his hand.

"The chess player is too strong, and the skill gap is too large. No matter how much the fish struggles, it cannot escape the fisherman's palm."

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

The wind seemed to have stopped, and even the usual howling sound of the Gobi Desert had disappeared.

Only the leaves of the Bodhi tree swayed gently in the moonlight, rustling softly.

Bodhidharma sighed softly, a sigh tinged with a touch of desolation: "Benefactor Yuan sees things clearly. Yes, the chess player is too strong... so strong that it inspires despair."

He raised his head and looked at Yuan Tiangang, a complex and unfathomable emotion flickering in his clear eyes: "Does the benefactor know what the white pieces on this chessboard represent?"

Yuan Tiangang remained silent.

"It is Heaven."

Bodhidharma spoke slowly,

"It is the will of this world, the unchanging rule, and... what we call the Way of Heaven."

He paused, his voice even softer: "And the black pieces represent all living beings. It represents you, it represents me, it represents all living beings in this world who are trying to break free from constraints and seek transcendence."

"The ways of Heaven are unpredictable, treating all things like straw dogs," Yuan Tiangang said calmly.

"This is common sense."

"It is common sense, but not axiom."

Bodhidharma shook his head.

"The way of Heaven operates inherently without good or evil. But what if human will were to interfere with this operation?"

Yuan Tiangang's eyes, hidden behind his mask, narrowed slightly.

"A thousand years ago, I, along with the Taoist Ancestor and the Confucian Sage, felt that the spiritual energy in this world was gradually becoming thinner, the rules were becoming more chaotic, and all living beings were sinking into the sea of ​​suffering, unable to escape."

Bodhidharma's voice was calm, yet each word struck like a hammer in the night.

"Therefore, the three of us joined forces to establish the Celestial Patrol Bureau, to patrol the world on behalf of Heaven, to eliminate unstable factors, and to maintain the balance of Heaven and Earth."

He looked at Yuan Tiangang: "Benefactor Yuan, do you know what constitutes an unstable factor?"

Yuan Tiangang did not answer, but the hand he was holding on his knee tightened almost imperceptibly.

"It's those who try to break the rules."

Bodhidharma answered for him.

"They are those geniuses who are exceptionally gifted but may cause chaos, those lucky ones who possess extraordinary treasures but may bring disaster upon themselves, and those... like you, benefactor, powerful yet uncontrollable variables."

His tone remained gentle, but the meaning behind his words was chilling.

"Over the past thousand years, the Sky Patrol Bureau has eliminated at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, unstable factors."

Bodhidharma said softly,

"Among them were exceptionally talented youths who had the potential to become terrestrial immortals; there were descendants of ancient clans with boundless potential; and there were rogue cultivators who had obtained heaven-defying opportunities and were blessed with good fortune... But they were all dead or disappeared. Because their existence could disrupt the balance, could cause turmoil, could... cause this world to decline prematurely."

He paused, then looked at Yuan Tiangang: "Benefactor, tell me, did we do the right thing?"

Yuan Tiangang remained silent for a long time.

Just when Damo thought he wouldn't answer, he slowly spoke, his voice as hoarse as ever, but with an indescribable undertone: "Does right or wrong matter?"

Bodhidharma was taken aback.

"The founder established the Celestial Patrol Bureau to protect this realm; his initial intention may have been good."

Yuan Tiangang raised his head, his gaze from behind the mask like two icy blades, piercing straight at Bodhidharma.

"But a thousand years have passed, is the original intention still there? Does the Sky Patrol Division eliminate unstable factors for the sake of heaven and earth, or for... the selfish desires of certain individuals?"

The smile on Bodhidharma's face finally disappeared completely.

He gazed silently at Yuan Tiangang, and for the first time, a clear ripple appeared in his clear eyes. It wasn't anger, nor surprise, but rather a deep weariness, and a barely perceptible hint of guilt?

"Your insight is indeed profound."

Bodhidharma smiled wryly.

"Yes, a thousand years is enough to change many things. The Dao Ancestor has been in seclusion for many years, not concerning himself with worldly affairs, and the Confucian Sage is devoted to teaching and not concerned with worldly matters. The actual power of the Celestial Patrol Bureau has long since fallen into the hands of this old monk alone."

He sighed: "But humans are, after all, just humans. Even if one cultivates to the peak of a terrestrial immortal, even if one lives for three thousand years, one still cannot escape the nature of humanity. When one holds power for too long, one takes it for granted; when one is used to judging all living beings, one begins to believe that it is the will of Heaven."

He reached out and gently brushed his hand across the chessboard. The slowly moving pieces suddenly stopped.

"This game of chess is my own."

Damo said softly, "The white pieces represent the Way of Heaven, the guiding principle of the Celestial Patrol over the past thousand years, and the ironclad rule for eliminating all unstable factors. The black pieces, on the other hand, represent a sudden change that has occurred in the last ten years."

He raised his eyes and looked at Yuan Tiangang: "It's the Bad People, it's the Soul Palace, it's... Hexi Town."

He spoke the last three words very softly, but to Yuan Tiangang, they sounded as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze.

The leaves of the Bodhi tree stopped swaying, the sound of the wind completely disappeared, and even the moonlight seemed to dim a bit.

"The rise of the Bad Guys was too fast, the appearance of the Soul Palace was too coincidental, and Hexi Town... is too quiet."

Bodhidharma slowly said, "There must be a connection between these three. And there is only one possibility that can connect these three—there is a being beyond the comprehension of this world, who is orchestrating this from behind the scenes."

He looked at Yuan Tiangang, his gaze complex: "Benefactor Yuan, who is that person behind you?"

Yuan Tiangang did not answer.

He simply sat quietly, like an ancient rock.

Bodhidharma waited for a long time, and seeing that he remained silent, he did not press him, but simply shook his head: "Very well. I invited you here tonight not to interrogate you, but simply to tell you a few things."

"First, the Sky Patrol Division has already taken notice of the Bad People and the Soul Hall. They will definitely take action within three years at most."

"Secondly, the secret of Hexi Town cannot be kept hidden for long. The place where the Dragon Soul is suppressed has special laws, making it an excellent place to hide from the world. However, because of this, it is easier for the Heavenly Dao to detect abnormalities. Once a power at the level of a terrestrial immortal is frequently active in the vicinity, it will inevitably trigger a response from Heaven and Earth."

"Third," Damo paused, a hint of seriousness creeping into his gaze as he looked at Yuan Tiangang,

"This old monk is not a bloodthirsty person. In the past thousand years of patrolling the heavens, although many unstable factors have been eliminated, most of them were for a reason and left room for maneuver. However, the Heavenly Patrol Bureau is not a monolithic entity. There are some people... who are more radical than this old monk and even less tolerant of change."

He reached out and took out a small, pure white jade slip engraved with Sanskrit from his sleeve, placed it on the stone table, and pushed it toward Yuan Tiangang.

"This is the Bodhi Heart Seal, which I condensed using the power of my natal Buddha. The one who holds this seal can temporarily block divine perception and conceal their aura. Although it cannot be held for long, it may save their life in critical moments."

Yuan Tiangang looked at the jade slip but did not take it.

"Why did the patriarch do this?" he asked.

Bodhidharma smiled, a smile that contained helplessness, relief, and a hint of... expectation?

"Because this old monk is tired."

He said softly,

"Patrolling the heavens for millennia, judging all living beings, seemingly high above, yet in reality treading on thin ice. This old monk has begun to doubt whether the balance we maintain is right or wrong. Have the variables we have eliminated stifled the new hope that could have emerged in this world?"

He gazed at the night sky, his eyes distant: "Heaven and earth are about to change, a great calamity is imminent. This is a glimpse of heavenly secrets I glimpsed a hundred years ago. I do not know where the calamity will begin, nor how it will be overcome. But I do know that if everything proceeds as planned, if all unstable factors are eliminated, then this world... will surely perish."

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Yuan Tiangang: "So, this old monk wants to see how far you variables can go. I want to see what the being behind you really wants to do. I want to see... whether there is truly a chance to break this deadlock."

Yuan Tiangang remained silent.

Looking at Bodhidharma, at this Buddhist patriarch who had lived for three thousand years, held the position of the Celestial Patrol for a thousand years, and stood at the pinnacle of this world, he suddenly felt that the other party was not a high and mighty god or Buddha, but just an old man who was tired, confused, and unwilling to accept his fate.

After a long while, he reached out and picked up the "Bodhi Heart Seal".

The jade slip felt warm and smooth to the touch, with a subtle flow of Buddhist power, exuding peace and tranquility.

"Thank you," he said.

Bodhidharma smiled, this time with a much more relaxed expression: "No need to thank me. My actions are also driven by personal motives. If you can truly break this deadlock, perhaps... you can also find a path to liberation for me."

He stood up, his shadow under the Bodhi tree stretched long in the moonlight.

"What I say tonight, comes from my mouth, and enters your ears." Bodhidharma clasped his hands together and bowed slightly.

"Benefactor Yuan, take care."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure began to become ethereal, like a reflection in water, swaying in the wind.

Along with the small courtyard, the well, the Bodhi tree, and the unfinished game on the stone table, everything began to blur and fade.

Finally, it disappeared completely.

Where it stood, only a desolate Gobi Desert remained, with howling night winds and a cold moon and stars.

It was as if everything that had just happened was just a dream.

Yuan Tiangang stood still, holding the warm jade slip, his gaze behind the mask fixed on the distant west, towards Hexi Town.

After a long while, his figure flickered and disappeared into the night.

Lin Family Courtyard, Hexi Town.

Lin Tian paused again, holding the palm-leaf fan in his hand.

He sensed it; he sensed Yuan Tiangang's aura. It had appeared.

Moreover, it is approaching Hexi Town at an alarming speed.

He smiled, placed the palm-leaf fan on his lap, and closed his eyes.

It seems she really fell asleep.

Inside the room, Lin Feng turned over, smacked his lips, and mumbled something in his sleep:

"Dad... chestnuts... are so sweet..."