Chapter 1280 The Sage and Shao Kang

"Grandpa Sage, my father, your king...what kind of person is he?..."

"Shaokang, I have no power 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 there is something that 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 bell rang softly high in the Palace of Winds. Silent footsteps advanced deep into the palace. When the heavy stone door was pushed open by the guards, the inherited mural panels reappeared in the dusty stone chamber. And 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 was hunched over, 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, as if he could see the years passed here, his youth, middle age and old age, as well as the 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 is full of 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?..."

The young Shaokang's face showed doubts and thoughts. And this kind of thinking obviously does not belong to this age, nor to the carefree childhood. But as the heir to the king, sometimes, he has 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 around for a lifetime, but they are still going around in circles, being beaten by the monkey. Confused by 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 realized that my time was almost over. It’s over. The fireflies of death are taking 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. 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 always have to make your own choice."

The young Shaokang was silent, looking at the simple pictures and patterns, as well as 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 one! The last heavy rain in the lake, and the Chagar bird flying to the south..."

Sage Jatiri looked startled, and his rickety back straightened quietly. 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 brought down endless torrential rain, 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 towards it. 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! Sage Grandpa? I, I like birds very much. My mother likes them too, and she would sing the songs of hundreds of birds to me. She also told me about the Chagar bird, saying it was the most sacred and beautiful spirit. I thought... Wow! Wow! What a beautiful bird, its feathers are like the sky and leaves!..."

Amid Shao Kang's incredulous exclamation, Sage Jatiri waved his hand and took a sassafras bird cage from the guards who had been prepared. And an elf-like Chagar bird was rolling up its beautiful long feathers, perching quietly and melancholy.

"Ah!"

"Shao Kang, hold this bird cage... She is yours."

"Ah!!..."

Shao Kang hugged the bird cage and the spirit in the cage with surprise, his tender little face was full of joy, and he even stuttered with joy.

"Sage teacher...really...really...sent me...?"

"Yes! Sent you! But you have to raise her and take care of her by yourself. No one will help you, you have to take care of your own responsibilities!..."

"I...yes!...I will! Teacher!..."

"Okay, today's story ends here! Shaokang, you can go back! Don't forget to come at this time tomorrow...haha! Go down with the birdcage in your arms!..."

Sage Jiatiri waved his hand kindly, letting Shaokang, who was jumping and skipping, 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 disappeared. Jia Wenshu, who was standing next to him, lowered his head, was silent for a moment, and then asked 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 it, I'm afraid it will die in less than two months... And how happy Shaokang is now, how sad he will be when the time comes..."

"Written, going to death is the meaning of this Chagar bird. She will become a firefly, illuminating death for this child for the first time..."

The sage Jatiri looked gloomy, neither happy nor sad, like an old tree. And the rustling of leaves, with a melody that sees through everything, tells too many similar futures.

"That's fate. She will be like an elf, making you love her, making you unforgettable, making you give everything in your heart, making you light up the light of life... Then, she will die brilliantly, flapping her wings and flying away, leaving only the remaining feathers..."

"After experiencing all this, after the painful death and separation, you will have some understanding. Death is a firefly, lighting up the original self. The sooner this awakening pain comes, the better!... And Shaokang, this child, must find his own way as soon as possible, before I die..."

Jia Wenshu was silent again. He wanted to hold the teacher's skinny hand, but the teacher gently hit the back of his hand and opened his hand. After a long while, Jia Wenshu lowered his head and asked carefully and softly.

"Teacher, do you think he... will be the king of our Purpecha people?..."

"Written!"

The sage Jatiri turned his head and looked at his disciple sternly. But he knew that this question was not asked by his disciple alone, but a common question of the entire Purpecha civil service group. This child, being able to come to him in this way today, has already explained too much...

"God is my witness! Who can tell clearly what will happen in the future? I am not the king of prophecy, I am just an old sage. I will not live for many years, and I cannot take care of what happens after death. God bless you!..."

Sage Jatiri shook his head and prayed to the Lord God for the first time. Then, he looked into the eyes of his disciple and gave a meaningful exhortation.

"Wen Shu, as a mortal, don't be greedy for a good future. As long as it doesn't get worse, it's the best result..."

"This child is a piece of unpolished jade. I will train him in the way of a king and lead him to his own path..."

"As for the direction of this road, is it a king? Is it a sage? Or a fool... It depends on his own steps and the gift given to him by fate..."

"And you... and you... don't be anxious, and you can't be anxious... Even if I die, you are not allowed to be anxious!... You all, walk slower. Don't let me look back in the kingdom of God and see you all coming..."

"Yes! I understand, teacher!..."

Jia Wen Shu stood in silence for a long time, prostrated himself on the ground, and then hurriedly got up to find his disciple Shaokang. Behind him, the old sage sighed softly.

"What you hold in your hands for a lifetime, you often lose in the end..."

"The wind blows too hard, and the rain falls into a lake. The sun is too bright, like the end of an era..."

"The road ahead!...Put my eyes on the high altar..."