Chapter 836 - 325: Returning Dragons, Seeking Truth (Part 2)
This true intent, infused with literary qi, completely sent before Guan Xin the vast power nurtured by a nation throughout its rise and fall.
Guan Xin stared blankly at Du Changge,
"You... how did you do that?"
She suddenly realized that Du Changge’s attainments in the Literary Dao not only far surpassed hers, but even far surpassed the Great Saints of Wenxin Heaven.
A person like this actually turned out to be a Demon Cultivator?
Du Changge smiled and said,
"Because the Jade Ancestor once personally explained to me the train of thought behind this essay."
Guan Xin stepped back two paces, clearly unable to accept this fact,
"You really are the Jade Ancestor’s student?"
Du Changge said, "Otherwise, it would probably mean my Literary Dao attainments are already on par with the Jade Ancestor."
Guan Xin was even less able to accept this explanation. Her confidence was crumbling,
"If you truly are the Jade Ancestor’s student, then why would you..."
"Fall into the Demon Dao, is that what you mean?"
Guan Xin stared hard into his eyes, wanting to see a trace of slyness or mockery there. But there was none; his gaze was impossibly pure, as if he were intoxicated only with the ocean of knowledge.
Du Changge said, "I could not find the ’truth’ the Jade Ancestor spoke of within the world of the orthodox Dao, so I went to another world—the one you call the world of the Demon Dao."
"The truth... you mean the ’Seeking Truth Book’!" Guan Xin said through gritted teeth. "But the Jade Ancestor himself is a man of the orthodox Dao; the truth lies within the orthodox Dao!"
Du Changge asked, "Then why did the Jade Ancestor write the ’Seeking Truth Book’?"
"In order to—" Guan Xin suddenly choked up and couldn’t continue. The ’Seeking Truth Book’ was the Jade Ancestor’s essay questioning the Heavenly Dao.
Du Changge seemed tired of standing and sat down where he was; his voice was deep and mellow, his tone steady, like a teacher giving a lecture,
"There is no truth within the orthodox Dao. Because the ’orthodox Dao’ we know, at the very moment of its creation, was itself a result of helplessness, a kind of compromise. Have you never doubted it? The world you see... is it truly the orthodox Dao as you understand it?"
Guan Xin found it hard to answer this question.
Du Changge laughed softly. "You grew up in Wenxin Heaven—you’re the orthodox of the orthodox. What you study, what you hear, what you accept, is no different from anyone else in Wenxin Heaven. But what makes you truly special is that you know how to question. That’s why I say you are the most suitable person to inherit the Jade Ancestor’s thought."
Guan Xin still could not accept the fact that the Jade Ancestor’s student was a Demon Cultivator. She was unusually stubborn this time,
"Stop bragging! The more convincing you sound, the more hypocritical you seem. If you really are the Jade Ancestor’s student, how could you have done something like this! Just look at what you’ve turned this city into! How many innocents have died because of you."
Du Changge smiled and said, "But I’ve never once denied the crimes I’ve committed."
Guan Xin was struck dumb. She clenched her fists,
"I will never acknowledge your identity!"
Du Changge merely said calmly,
"The last lesson... has begun."
His deep voice surged over Guan Xin like the tide.
The next instant,
Guan Xin suddenly woke with a start. She squinted her eyes open to see a patch of azure sky, and a soft, adorable little face.
This child is...
Xianchan?
Guan Xin froze on the spot! She said steadily, "Xianchan, you... you’re still alive?"
Xianchan tilted her head, a big question mark drawn in her eyes. Then she hurriedly stood up, trotted away, and after a while came back tugging Fan Wubing along. She used drawings to explain to him that Guan Xin seemed to be sick.
Fan Wubing looked at Guan Xin. "Are you alright?"
Guan Xin glanced around. "Where is this?"
Fan Wubing looked utterly baffled. "Where? Guan Xin, did you sleep yourself stupid? Of course we’re on my Dharma Giant Dragon Head."
"But..."
"But what?"
Guan Xin’s mind was in a mess; she tried hard to think. "I think I had a dream."
"What did you dream?"
"I dreamed..." Guan Xin stared vacantly at the sky, then said awkwardly, "I forgot."
Luo Qingyao leaned over, wrapping an arm around Guan Xin’s shoulders. "I get it! You remember what you dreamt right after waking up, but in the blink of an eye you forget! That means it’s not a dream worth remembering anyway."
Guan Xin smiled faintly. "Probably."
Then Luo Qingyao suddenly let out a cry. "Wow!"
Guan Xin jumped. "What is it?"
"You just smiled!" Luo Qingyao grabbed her hand in excitement. "It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile! It looks great! Smile again, smile again!"
Guan Xin tried to smile, but... she just couldn’t.
She forced the corners of her mouth up and raised her brows, trying to show a smile. But the expression she made was terribly stiff, as if she had never smiled before. She pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling an indescribable awkwardness in her heart.
"Sorry," she said in a low voice.
Luo Qingyao soothed her. "It’s fine, really. Want me to tell you a joke?"
"No need, I’d rather be alone for a bit."
"Alright then."
Guan Xin stood beneath the dragon’s horn, staring blankly at the gradually receding Sea of Eternal Life... Only now did she remember that this was the way back to Changsheng Continent after their journey to the Sea of Eternal Life had ended. She turned her head to look at the group chatting not far away.
Fan Wubing, Yan Hui, Luo Qingyao, Xianchan, Fu Manman, Bai Yihuan, Ye Wuyue.
All of them were here.
Guan Xin let out a breath and thought,
"How wonderful, everyone’s here. No one’s hurt, no one’s gone... everyone is safe and sound."
She thought back over this nearly half-year-long adventure—there had been moments of danger and excitement, and also times when they were in the same boat, overcoming difficulties together. Each person had gained the treasure they desired, and they had helped many people who were in peril.