Wandering Gods of Day and Night

"Not going, perhaps, I'm really just trying to vent my anger, perhaps I'm really just unwilling to accept it, or maybe... I don't want to be a mere ant on the ground, my life and death in the hands of others."

Star Covering finally faced herself honestly, no longer using "the love of the past with Seven Leaves" as a pretext for slaughter.

"Alas, if you don't come with me, then I must make a choice."

Seven Leaves sighed and spoke to Star Covering.

"How will you choose?"

Star Covering's heart tightened involuntarily, she seemed to have an ominous premonition.

Seven Leaves pointed to the colorful resplendent Lotus Throne and said, "I will stand with Mingjiang's Traveling God to fight you, defeat you, free from love and fear... After you die, I will ascend the Lotus Throne again and reaffirm the twenty-one Zen results."

"Very well, let us settle the matter between us."

Star Covering hardened her heart, speaking fiercely.

"Or else, I disperse my Tao now, all love and hatred entanglements, all cause and effect, right and wrong, come to an end here; whoever inherits that Buddha energy becomes the future Joyful Zen Master, but that Zen Master can be anyone, yet can no longer be me."

Hearing Seven Leaves Zen Master's words, Star Covering inexplicably felt a bit sorrowful.

Unexpectedly, Seven Leaves Zen Master changed his tone and said, "But my feelings for you are too deep, taking your life to ascend the Lotus Throne again, even if I attain the position, I, as the Zen Master, will not feel at ease; dispersing my Tao, forgetting you from now on, I'm also unwilling, so these two choices, I choose neither."

Seven Leaves clasped the branch, his figure began to fade, and on the barren branch, a tender bud sprouted, growing into leaves,

He murmured, "I, Seven Leaves, am willing to guard Jing Country for five hundred years to atone for your sins, waiting until these sins are cleansed, when the fallen leaves return to their roots, I will re-enter the cycle of reincarnation, only hoping not to forget your appearance, whether I'm a herdsman or a chanting monk, when turning prayer beads or blowing a bamboo flute, I can faintly see your figure, blessing you.

In lifetime after lifetime, with ceaseless reincarnation, there will always be someone in this life who remembers you!"

Upon saying this, his figure scattered away like faint light spots, and the leaf that sprouted from the branch was lush and verdant.

"Seven Leaves, come back to me!"

Star Covering finally shed her stony heart, calling out Seven Leaves Zen Master's name.

But that branch sprouting leaves had already flown to the Mingjiang riverside, becoming an unremarkable Bodhi Tree by the riverbank, the Lotus Throne nurtured by Black Water also flew out, becoming seven teardrops, falling onto the Bodhi Tree...

...

"Seven Leaves..."

Star Covering finally woke up, she finally knew Seven Leaves was truly deep in his love for her—everyone in the world could scorn Seven Leaves Zen Master, except her.

Love and hate turned into two twisted forces, battling between celestial and mortal within Star Covering's heart.

For a moment, Star Covering indeed had the impulse to "put down the butcher's knife", but soon, the impulse was dispelled, for she was no longer the Star Covering with "autonomous consciousness".

At the Nine Mile Mansion, she joined the Zoroastrianism, on the back of her neck, the Zoroastrianism's fire totem flickered, treating love as firewood, making hatred burn more fiercely.

"Seven Leaves is gone, my brother is gone... I want all of you to be buried with them."

Star Covering's gaze grew increasingly fierce, taking everyone present as the target of her wrath,

The mist, thickened further.

"That's more like it, the Heavenly Dao is heartless, the Heavenly Dao is indifferent, all trifling kindnesses and loves should be severed, too many worldly attachments, how can you reach the infinite great Tao!"

Zhao Qingxiao saw Star Covering "suddenly awakened", and immediately became overjoyed, shaking the turtle shell, summoning back all the corpses of the Qingtian Dao disciples who died in the great encirclement of Mingjiang Prefecture,

Severed limbs and fragmented bodies were all stuffed onto the well walls of the Dragon Prison Well.

"Qingtian Dao disciples, sacrifice themselves for the Tao, with the stars shining, Yuanyang exits the body!"

Zhao Qingxiao shook the turtle shell to the extreme, and the souls of the Qingtian Dao disciples flitted like butterflies within the well...

...

"Seven Leaves Zen Master gave up the Joyful Zen position?"

Zhou Xuan looked at the small Bodhi Tree by the Mingjiang Riverbank, asking Zhao Wuya.

"It's almost like he gave up."

Master Wu Ya was not disappointed, saying, "I have said before, the junior brother favors Star Covering too much, truly worthy of the name Joyful Zen Master."

"Humph, such indulgence in trifling affections, what kind of Zen is that."

Mo Ya Monk was very dismissive of Seven Leaves Zen Master's choice, but simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, had this Joyful Zen Master really joined the battle, he would have greatly changed the situation, giving up the Zen position was for the best in this game.

Master Wu Ya smiled and said, "The monk is right; Seven Leaves Zen Master shouldn't have practiced Zen! You people of Buddha Country take practicing Zen as the most important thing under the sky, but Jing Country people are different—there are many things more important than practicing Zen, like talking with your lover, playing chess with friends, drinking with your elderly father, sunbathing with your elderly mother, these are more important than practicing Zen, or rather, these are Zen."

"I don't understand." Mo Ya Monk said.

"You understand, you're just pretending not to." Master Wu Ya said, "In life, in both big and small things, all are opportunities for Zen."

Seven Leaves Zen Master became a small Bodhi tree, unable to join the battle,

But Zhou Xuan's second Yama's Trigram was solved.

As before, the Copper Coin was stacked into a pile, and Zhou Xuan's Divine Soul was struck out of his body.

By the time Zhou Xuan's Divine Soul returned, both his "Dragon Seeking" and "Dun Jia" incense had burned out simultaneously.