"Grandpa Sage, my father, your king...what kind of person is he?..."
"Shaokang, I have no right or ability to evaluate your father. He has too many incomprehensible contradictions and too many incredible miracles... He is like the fog in a smoke mirror, and like the mystery of fate.
…”
"If there is anything that is constant about him, and I can judge...that is, he has an extremely clear path! Very few people can be as clear about the future as he is. Just like
He has a pair of cloud-god eyes that can see through the fog of fate and time... Therefore, he takes every step with determination, and beyond my expectations, he is often right..."
The crisp copper bells rang softly high in the Palace of Winds. Silent footsteps moved forward in the depths of the palace. When the heavy stone door was pushed open by the guards, the inherited mural panels reappeared in the dusty stone chamber.
The two figures, one old and one young, slowly walked into it, as if they were walking into the past history, and as if they were walking out of the future that was about to be imprinted.
"Father's path... Grandpa Sage, then, what is your path?..."
"Me? My path has come to an end before I have even taken a few steps. So, I might as well not talk about it..."
Sage Jatiri bent his waist, as old as a wrinkled old tree. He raised his head leisurely, like an old tree, looking up at the invisible sun. He stood in the inheritance stone chamber where he had stood countless times,
It was as if he could see the years passed here, his youth, middle age and old age, as well as his first meeting with Shulot... After a long time, he sighed softly.
"In the beginning, my life was like a fresh leaf. The leaves were blank. The sunshine was good and the rain was good... Now, when death is coming, it has been filled with traces, both body and soul.
They are all old and riddled with holes..."
"All possessions will be lost in the years. All continuations will eventually lead to death... The beginning of everyone's road is to see themselves. The end of everyone's road is to see death..."
"Grandpa Sage, what is death? What is the road?..."
Doubts and thoughts appeared on the young Shaokang's face. Such thoughts obviously did not belong to this age or his carefree childhood. But as the heir to the king, sometimes, he had no choice.
"Shaokang, death is a firefly, guiding your life from the beginning to the end. When you know death, look at him, look into his flashing eyes, and feel his faint terror... Only then can you think deeply,
Think about what you want to pursue in your limited life..."
"This is the first step on the road. Many people never take this step in their lives, they just struggle to survive. Then, it is the direction of the road. Many people walk their whole lives and are still going around in circles, being beaten by the monkey.
Confused by the desire. The fog of this world rises from your heart. To see the direction, you have to climb the tallest tree... But when I finally climbed to the top of the tree, I suddenly discovered that my time has come to an end.
It’s over. The dead fireflies are going to take me to the sky!…”
"Ah! Grandpa Sage, you..."
The young Shaokang looked worried. He grabbed the sleeve of Sage Jatiri and wanted to say something. But the old man smiled softly and waved his hand.
"The fate has been decided, let's not talk about this!... Shaokang, I brought you here today because of the request of your teacher, my disciple, Jia Wenwen... These are the most precious inheritance of the Tarasco royal family, every mural
, every stone slab has a picture and a story behind it..."
"From today on, you can choose a mural or a stone slab every day... and I will tell you those long-standing stories... You can only choose one, and I will only tell you one."
"I don't know what to choose... Grandpa Sage..."
"Choose, Shaokang. You have to make your own choice."
The young Shaokang was silent, looking at the simple pictures and patterns, and the abstract and mysterious heroes and gods. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he saw the boundless lake and a bird flying on the lake...
"Grandpa Sage, I want to hear this one! The story of the big lake and the birds..."
"Oh! This picture! The last heavy rain in the lake, and the Chagar bird flying to the south..."
Sage Jatiri's expression was startled, and his stooped back quietly straightened. He stared at the vicissitudes of life and pondered for a moment, which was profound.
"This is a story at the beginning of the Fourth Age... The gods dropped endless torrential rains, and the great lake flooded all the valleys... The old lake kingdom sacrificed its revered kings and princes, but it was still submerged in the flood... Endless
The barbarians came from the north and arrived after the flood, devouring the surviving highlands... And a beautiful Chagar bird flew up from the lake where it was born. It left its nest in the lake, avoided the hunting barbarians, and flew to
Far, far south…”
"Far, far away in the south? Grandpa Sage, how far is that? What is there?..."
"Haha! How far? Far, far away. What is there? There is a new lake, and there are trees beside the lake. What happens next, only the Chagar bird knows..."
After telling the long story, Sage Jatiri smiled slightly, rubbed Shaokang's hair, and asked with a smile.
"Shaokang, do you want to raise a beautiful Chagar bird?"
"Ah! Grandpa Sage? Me, I like birds very much. My mother also likes them and will sing them to me. She also told me about the Chagar bird, saying it is the most sacred and beautiful spirit. I think
…Wow! Wow! What a beautiful bird, with feathers like the sky and leaves!…”
In Shaokang's disbelieving exclamation, the sage Jatiri waved and received a sassafras wood birdcage from the prepared guard. And an elf-like Chagar bird was curling up.
Its beautiful long feathers rest quietly and melancholy.
"ah!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Shaokang, hold this birdcage...she is yours."
"ah!!…"
Shaokang hugged the birdcage and the elf in the cage in surprise. His young face was full of joy, and he even stuttered with joy.
"Teacher Sage...really...really...sent me...?..."
"Yeah! I'll give it to you! However, you have to raise her and take care of her by yourself. No one will help you, you must take responsibility for your own responsibilities!..."
"I...Yes!...I can do it! Teacher!..."
"Okay, today's story ends here! Shaokang, you can go back! It's still this time tomorrow, so don't forget to come... Haha! Hold the birdcage and go down!..."
Sage Jatiri waved his hand kindly and asked the jumping Shaokang to go back. This young child has been here for several months, and this is the first time he is so happy. Unfortunately...
As Shaokang walked away, the sage's smile gradually faded away. Jia Wenwen, who was next to him, lowered his head and was silent for a moment before asking softly.
"Teacher... Chagar bird is a beautiful and free spirit, a bird that is unwilling to be kept in captivity... If you let Shaokang raise her, I am afraid that Chagar bird will die in less than two months... And Shaokang is so happy right now
, then, he will be so sad..."
"Documentary, going to death, is the meaning of this Chagar bird. She will become a firefly, illuminating death for this child for the first time..."
Sage Jatiri's expression is gloomy, neither happy nor sad, just like an old tree. And the rustling of leaves, with a see-through melody, tells too many similar futures.
"This is fate. She will be like an elf, making you love her, making you unforgettable, letting you give everything in your heart, letting you light up the light of life... Then, she will die brilliantly, fluttering her wings and fly away, leaving only
The remaining feathers…”
"After experiencing all this, after the painful death and separation, you will realize something. Death is a firefly, lighting up the original self. The sooner the pain of this awakening comes, the better! ... And Shaokang this
My child, he must find his own way soon, before I die..."
Jia Wenwen was silent again. He wanted to hold the teacher's skinny hand, but the teacher gently hit him on the back of his hand and opened his hand. After a while, Jia Wenwen lowered his head and asked softly carefully
.
"Teacher, do you think he...will be the king of our Prepecha people?..."
"Documentary!"
Sage Jatiri turned his head and gave his disciple a stern look. But he knew that this question was not something that the disciple wanted to ask alone, but a question shared by the entire civil service community in Prepecha. How could this child act like this?
This way, just coming in front of him today has already explained too much...
"The Lord God witnesses! Who can say clearly what will happen in the future? I am not the king of prophecy, I am just an old sage. I can't live for a few more years, and I can't care about what happens after death... Lord God bless you!
…”
Sage Jatiri shook his head and gave a rare prayer to the Lord God. Then, he looked into his disciple's eyes and warned him with deep meaning.
"Civilian, as a mortal, don't be greedy for a good future. As long as the situation remains the same and gets worse, that's already the best outcome..."
"This child is a piece of jade. I will train him according to the king's way and lead him to go his own way..."
"As for the direction of this road, is it a king? A sage? Or a fool... It all depends on his own footsteps and the gifts given to him by fate..."
"And you...and you...don't be in a hurry, you can't be in a hurry...even if I die, don't be in a hurry!...You all, walk slower. Don't want me to turn around in the Kingdom of God and see you all coming...
"
"Yes! I understand, teacher!..."
Jia Wenwen stood in silence for a long time, bowed to the ground and bowed, then hurriedly got up and went to find his disciple Shaokang. Behind him, the old sage sighed softly.
"What you hold in your hands all your life, in the end, you often can't grasp..."
"The wind blew too fast, and the rain fell into a lake. The sun was too bright, like the end of an era..."
"The road ahead!... Let me put my eyes on the high altar..."
