【The World of Samsara. Chaos in Xiangyang】(3)

Chapter Three: Sacrifice

Upon hearing the words, Huang Rong felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her shoulders suddenly tensed, and she took a step back in panic.

"Wh...what...what's coming?!"

Huang Rong blurted out these words without thinking, like someone who knew no martial arts and, faced with a

sudden overwhelming blow, could only instinctively raise their hand to block. There was no time to plan for a counterattack,

whether the block would truly stop the imminent strike, or whether it would result in broken bones. How could she possibly

have the time to think things through?

But then she saw the little prince, who had somehow managed to stand up unsteadily. A thick vein bulged on his forehead,

his eyes were bloodshot, his face was contorted, and his breathing was heavy. He looked like a ravenous predator, his muscles bulging, brimming with a violent energy that seemed

about to explode. His penis, as if filled with demonic blood,

had swelled to more than twice its normal size, radiating a haunting crimson light. He took another step closer to her, trembling and

unsteady .

"You...you...what do you want to do?!"

Huang Rong felt a surge of inexplicable horror. Involuntarily, she took another step back, her fists clenched

tightly , accompanied by the faint rumble of wind and thunder. Unconsciously

, she had pushed her power to its fullest extent. With just a light flick of her palm, this troublesome, nagging, shameless scoundrel...would be

pulverized in the blink of an eye.

But…for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to strike. It

was as if an invisible thread, delicate yet resilient, was holding back the thunderous blow.

Calm down!

A voice screamed within her.

Huang Rong, Huang Rong! Don't be impulsive! Don't be impulsive! Killing this child was easy, but…but…

but that grand conspiracy, lurking in the shadows, destined to one day bring chaos and devastation to the world

, would likely be forever shattered by her impulsive strike!

Calm down! Calm down!! Calm down!!!

She took deep breaths, her mind gradually clearing.

The little prince, oblivious to the fact that he had just narrowly escaped death in the blink of an eye,

continued to approach like a possessed demon.

"Are you called Naren?" the little prince gasped. "Hurry up and come here!!"

Naren?

Huang Rong was startled, then realized the call was for her. Seeing the other person closing in, even the quick-

witted Zhuge Liang was momentarily at a loss for what to do. Huang Rong had faced countless dangers throughout her life,

from Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren to the Golden Wheel Monk—all masters of unparalleled martial arts and ruthless tactics. This other person was clearly

just a child, twenty years younger than her, much younger than Fu'er. His martial arts were probably

inferior even to the lowest-ranking disciple of the Beggars' Sect, yet suddenly, an inexplicable, powerful and sharp aura arose,

completely suppressing her movements and even locking her mind, leaving her in a perilous situation where she could only retreat,

utterly helpless.

The two retreated, locked in a stalemate, and in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged seven steps.

The young prince grew increasingly agitated and roared, "You serve under Fourth Brother, don't you know any manners?"

Huang Rong remained silent, taking several quick steps back, widening the gap between them to seven paces. Unable

to catch up, the young prince, burning with rage, hissed, "You lowly slave, how dare you

disobey ?!"

Calm down! Calm down!! Calm down!!!

Huang Rong still didn't answer, taking deep breaths as her mind raced, desperately searching for a solution.

The young prince continued his roar, "Since you are a descendant of the Southern Barbarians, born a member of the Borjigin clan (the Mongol

Golden Family), and will die a ghost of the Tulun Golden Horde on the Onon River, you will obey your master's commands without hesitation!

Didn't Fourth Brother teach you any of this?!"

She remained silent.

The little prince chased after him a few steps, blurting out incoherently, "You've been under Fourth Brother's command since you were little. Given his temperament,

aside from his daily guard duties, he would never let a beauty like you slip by. He must have had you serve him in bed quite often, right?

Judging by your figure, you must have borne him children. You're incredibly beautiful and skilled in martial arts. Doesn't Fourth Brother

favor you greatly? If you're worried about him holding a grudge about today's events, you don't need to worry! Fourth Brother and I are

siblings. Even if there's only one piece of venison left, he'll share half with me. Today you've given in..." I, your fourth brother, am reasonable

and understandable. I know you did this to save me from my suffering, so I certainly won't blame you;

in fact, I'll reward you! If I were to ask him to give you to me, it wouldn't be difficult! "

Nonsense! Utter

rubbish!

Vulgar and shameless!"

Huang Rong remained silent, but her mind was in turmoil from the other's ramblings. She quickly retreated,

maintaining a safe distance.

Thus, the two of them, one chasing and the other retreating, circled the cave like a cat chasing a mouse—

a truly bizarre scene. Let's look at one of them, a beautiful woman... One was awe-inspiring and unapproachable, like a celestial maiden descended to earth;

the other was completely naked, like a mad beast, like a lustful demon bursting from the earth. One went right, the other left; one

went forward, the other backward, their pursuit growing ever faster. Although the cave was vast, it was now crammed with

corpses, making it seem much smaller. The two chased and dodged amidst this mountain of blood, leaping and

bounding back and forth like lightning. The scene… strangely comical, almost like child's play

.

However… This chase, though seemingly strange and dangerous, was a piece of cake for Huang Rong. Her skill was profound,

her breath long and steady; it was common for her to travel hundreds of miles without rest. Maneuvering within a small room was

a specialty of her Peach Blossom Island's lightness skill. Moreover, her opponent's martial arts were crude; how could he possibly catch her?

As for the Little Prince, he had just endured "torture," his strength severely depleted. Furthermore, the

constant stimulation and squeezing of his vital energy by the poison within the "Ring of Reincarnation" had severely damaged his vitality. Although he possessed the ability to lash out, where would he draw upon his endurance

? Therefore, he quickly became unable to hold on. A short while later, he suddenly stopped, clutching his chest. His large, bright blue eyes widened,

staring intently at Huang Rong. His face swelled and contorted, his chest heaving violently, as if stuffed with cotton. Each breath

was utterly excruciating, best described as "heart-wrenching." Suddenly, he let out a low growl, and a large mouthful of blood gushed from his mouth.

He spat out blood and then fell heavily backward to the ground.

*** *** *** ***

The little prince's sudden vomiting of blood and collapse startled Huang Rong. Instead of

feeling relieved, she was filled with inexplicable horror. She stopped abruptly, unsure whether to rush forward to check on him.

He…could he…could he really be dead?!

At this thought, a chill ran down her spine. Without time to think, she rushed to the little prince's side.

His face was ashen, his eyes tightly closed. The manic expression from moments before seemed frozen on his face, as if

he had suddenly died from a stroke. She quickly reached out to check his breath, and found it still warm. Calming herself, she checked his pulse, and

felt as if three fingers were touching a block of ice. The pulse was so cold it chilled to the bone, and it

was intermittent and weak . Clearly, his life hung by a thread; he was one foot in the grave, the other about to fall

!

What a Huang Rong! In a moment of urgency, decisive action is necessary. One hand reached into the pouch at his waist, retrieving a pill—the sacred medicine of

Peach "Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill"—and without a word, stuffed it into the little prince's mouth. The other hand pressed against

the prince's chest, rapidly channeling inner energy. Using his supernatural powers, he first opened the meridians in the prince's throat, manipulating the throat muscles

to help him swallow the pill. Then, the energy quickly flowed through the little prince's acupoints, completing a full cycle. The prince was

utterly .

It should be known that within the pulse of a small body, boundless vitality unfolds. The profound and extensive art of Chinese internal energy cultivation is a method that works from the inside

out, using various methods of divine observation and introspection to hone one's cultivation, thereby unlocking the infinite potential hidden within the body and

unleashing various supernatural powers. The various schools of martial arts in the world, whether Shaolin, Wudang, Kunlun, Kongtong, Huashan,

or Quanzhen, Dugu, Jiuyin, Hongmen, Peach Blossom, White Camel, Dali… all have their own systems of techniques,

countless . But fundamentally, they all originate from the theory of Yin and Yang in the Book of Changes.

One of the oldest martial arts classics in China, the Wudang Taoist secret manual "Longmian

Baopu Jing" (Dragon Sleeping Embracing Simplicity Classic), known as the source of all martial arts, believes that within the human body's meridians, there exist two forces: one is "life," which the ancients also called

"Tiger Yang," and the other is "death," which the ancients also called "Dragon Yin." In the first half of a person's life, the "Tiger Yang"

flourishes vigorously, while the "Dragon Yin" remains ignorant and restrained. This

gives rise to various spiritual entities such as strength, power, skill, intention, method, qi, wisdom, and awareness. Those skilled in internal energy cultivation, following methods like the Nine Palaces, Back Pushing, Tortoise Evolution, and Mountain Trigrams, absorb qi and

nourish the spirit, clear the meridians, and then replenish deficiencies and guide the extraordinary back to the right path. They can

gradually transform these spiritual entities evolved from the "Tiger Yang" into supernatural powers, thus delaying, resisting, and suppressing the rise and power of the "Dragon Yin."

Of course , as time passes and age increases, the body experiences its own ebb and flow. The "Dragon Yang" gradually shrinks, while

the "Tiger Yin" gradually rises. Black and white clash, eroding and decaying inch by inch, until life and death reach

a balance. The Yang becomes increasingly powerless, and the Yin becomes increasingly rampant. Finally, the balance shifts, and only

death remains.

This is the way of nature; in the stalemate between life and death, human strength inevitably reaches its limit.

However, the way of internal energy cultivation originates from the Taoist way of longevity. Longevity is not

immortality , seeking life and avoiding death, eliminating disease and disaster, consolidating one's original essence, and strengthening the body. This is the way of self-strengthening life, and it is also in line with

the principle of natural cycles.

Enough of this digression, let's get back to the main topic. For some reason, the pulse in the little prince's body had no

distinction between Yin and Yang, leaving only a violent, sweeping, chalky chaos. Within this undifferentiated chaos, three kinds of

"qi" materialized. One was slightly bright, shaped like a dragon, coiling and circling around; another was slightly dim, shaped like a tiger, dominating and roaring

in the center ; and yet another was neither bright nor dim, shaped like a crane,

sometimes plump and sometimes thin, sandwiched between the first two... …It was these three “qi” of dragon, tiger, and crane that disturbed the dantian and the eight meridians,

causing a chilling sensation throughout the body. They were indistinguishable from one another, constantly shifting positions without any discernible pattern. They were entirely random and reactive,

sometimes one would vanish, sometimes the other would grow. One would sweep away like fire, and then disappear like lightning. One

would come like a tornado, and then vanish without a trace in the blink of an eye… The three forces were locked in a fierce struggle, their strengths and weaknesses intertwined and utterly bizarre. How

could one word describe such chaos!

It should be understood that the vast world, with its countless treasures, is composed of Yin and Yang. Whether it be the sun and moon, heaven and earth, light and

darkness, movement and stillness, the unusual and the conventional, cause and effect, existence and non-existence, female and male, cold and heat, fortune and misfortune, flower and butterfly

… the evolution of all wonders follows this principle. Recalling the creation of the *I Ching* in the ancient times when people were still ignorant,

the wisdom of the ancient Chinese is truly miraculous. Until several centuries later,

in a small country called "Germany" on the European continent, a mathematical genius named Leibniz accidentally obtained a copy of the *I Ching* smuggled to

Europe by a Persian merchant. The *Yixiantian Tu* (易先天图) gave rise to a wondrous numerological art, capable

of deducing and conjuring all phenomena of the world using only the two mutually exclusive numbers, "zero" and "one," known as "binary" numerology.

Centuries later, this extraordinary art was widely applied to computational machines driven by mathematical symbols. From

the changes of stars and tides to the migration of birds and the transformations of the world… all could

be . Thus, it is evident that all things, in their essence, are composed of this extremely simple Yin and Yang—

the wonder and magnificence of creation!

Having said that, if even the universe is constructed from Yin and Yang, how could the human body be an exception? However,

incredibly , the chaotic state within the little prince's pulse completely overturned this most fundamental principle of destiny.

A person's meridians were no longer governed by Yin and Yang, but rather by the interaction and coexistence of three states!

Good heavens! Even more unbelievable is that this person was still alive!

Truly unprecedented! Unbelievable! How could this be?!

Huang Rong unconsciously loosened her grip, ceasing the infusion of true energy, letting a strange shock wash over her blank

mind like thunder.

Completely helpless.

*** *** *** ***

Just then, a faint voice suddenly entered her ears.

"Huang... Gang... Leader, can... you... hear... it...?"

The voice was weak and faint, yet incredibly clear; it sounded like someone calling from outside the cave.

The words struck her like lightning, and Huang Rong's mind suddenly cleared considerably. Startled, she almost thought...

Her previous act had been exposed. She subconsciously looked down at the Little Prince, only to find him still in that perilous

deep coma, twitching occasionally, completely oblivious to any external stimuli.

She calmed herself, inwardly sighing at her overreaction. This cave stretched deep into the mountainside, its tunnels winding and deep, looping endlessly.

Even if the Little Prince were conscious, he wouldn't hear a sound from the ground. Her own skills were so

profound dust or falling leaves within a radius of several miles could escape her notice. Hearing

voices outside the cave was no surprise.

After a moment's thought, she made her decision, leaping up and stealthily making her way towards the cave entrance.

The closer she got to the entrance, the clearer and more continuous the voice became—it was the devil, Boss Xing, shouting.

"Chief Huang... I know your martial arts are profound. Although this secret cave is deep, you must be able to hear

me . Chief Huang has been in the cave for quite some time now, without making a sound. I'm really worried.

Chief Huang may not know his situation. I have a responsibility to inform you."

Huang Rong pressed her back against the cave wall, held her breath, and did not respond.

After a brief pause, Boss Xing began to speak at length. Huang Rong listened intently.

He was explaining the various mechanisms of the "Ring of Reincarnation," which were largely the same as what the Little Prince had said earlier, so I won't repeat them

here Finally, Boss Xing said, "...Brother, I've long heard that Chief Huang is knowledgeable in astronomy and geography,

but this 'Ring of Reincarnation' is not a product of the Central Plains. Its construction principles are completely different from the principles of the I Ching. If you want liberation,

there is only one path to take. Hehe, Chief Huang, you are a scholar of both heaven and man. Have you ever heard a Buddhist anecdote about

Guanyin Bodhisattva giving her own body to save a lustful person from delusion?"

Huang Rong's heart stirred, but she remained silent.

The conversation continued outside the cave.

"...The *Huazhanlu* records that during the mid-Tang Dynasty, a woman suddenly appeared outside Chang'an. Her appearance was like that of

a celestial maiden descended to earth. She set up a Vajra Water and Land Ritual, and whenever anyone came, she would appear naked before him, engaging in sexual intercourse. During

each act, a hideous skeletal form would suddenly appear, and those who reveled in it would instantly attain enlightenment, purifying their souls,

freeing them from carnal desires, and no longer being troubled by the cycle of rebirth. It is said that this woman was an incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva, offering

her physical body to those lost in the mortal world. Within a few years, she saved more than a million people, and Chang'an became a Buddhist kingdom. All beings were saved, and sweet rain fell, bringing peace and harmony for generations. This is the compassion of the Buddha, who helped people achieve great perfection and joyful Nirvana

in this chaotic world . Amitabha." 　　Huang Rong took a deep breath and suddenly felt the pounding of her heart in her chest. 　　She had heard the story of Guanyin saving the world many years ago. That year, she and her husband traveled to Dali and saw a huge mural in a temple next to the vast Erhai Lake. The mural depicted men and women having sex, and it was like a shameless and detailed erotic painting. She blushed, her heart pounded, and she spat out the mural in disgust. However, Master Yideng, who was traveling with them, smiled slightly and led them to a rooftop where they could sit under the open sky, with the lake and mountains beside them. He told them this fantastic and bizarre Buddhist story. 　　In that moment, Master Yideng, with his white beard reaching his chest, eloquently recounted his tale, his features as ethereal as a fairy in a mirror . Beside him, the vast Erhai Lake stretched to the horizon, the verdant mountains before him were lush and vibrant, a gentle breeze blew, and the morning bell rang, illuminating the world with a serene and tranquil atmosphere. His mind was calm and focused… The Buddhist legend, tinged with a touch of eccentricity and debauchery, now seemed devoid of any lewdness. Instead, it evoked a sense of grandeur and profound compassion, deeply moving her with its underlying message of great mercy. 　　But now, however, she felt only a bone-chilling cold. 　　“Are you still listening to your brother, Chief Huang?” 　　Boss Xing called again from outside the cave. 　　No answer. 　　The voice outside the cave continued, "Chief Huang, at least give us a reply. Let the brothers know you're alright, so we don't worry for nothing. Otherwise, when word gets out, people in the martial world will say that Chief Huang has been intimidated by us Scarface City thugs, too afraid to utter a sound, hiding like a coward in a filthy hole." 　　Huang Rong remained unmoved by his provocation. 　　Or perhaps, she simply wasn't in the mood to listen to him. 　　The voice outside paused, seemingly waiting for a response from inside. After a long silence, probably finding it pointless, it continued sullenly . 　　"Since Chief Huang intends to remain silent, I will naturally follow suit and won't force him. However, there's something I've been holding back for a while, but I can't help but say it. The current situation is definitely a dilemma for Chief Huang. If he's determined to come out of the cave and display his skills, my martial arts are too weak, and to protect myself, I might have to use my Thousand-Machine Chain Gun to try and stop him. As for whether I can stop him, Chief Huang, we'll see, I can't think about that too much. However, if Chief Huang doesn't want to come out and insists on staying in the cave, I have no objection, except that there's no water or rice in the cave." "How long can this drag on? 　　Chief Huang, there's no need to worry about my brother resorting to violent methods After all, besides Chief Huang, I'm also determined to get that little Mongolian bandit chief. Chief Huang said he knows a secret bigger than the sky. Heh heh, what secret could be so big that it makes Chief Huang so nervous? Just thinking about it makes my heart itch. That's why I couldn't help but overstep my bounds and interrogate him first. As for now, my brother is just as passionate about that secret, as if a fire is burning within him, making him restless. So I certainly won't let him perish along with the Chief..." 　　Huang Rong took another deep breath. 　　Suddenly, a sinister smile appeared outside the cave, the tone shifting to one of increasing venom, piercing straight to the heart. 　　"...Since we're talking about that kid, let me elaborate a bit. Judging by the time, the 'Ring of Reincarnation' should have already activated. I advise Chief Huang not to rack his brains trying to find a way to undo it. The mechanical arts of our Central Plains, like internal martial arts, originate from the Yin-Yang principle of the I Ching. But that thing comes from another realm, and its principle isn't based on Yin and Yang, but rather on the Three Mysteries of the Underworld, the interplay of the 'Strange, Orthodox, and Indirect' forces. Its calculations are a million times more complex than the I Ching, its profound mysteries as deep as the ocean. Even with Chief Huang's unparalleled talent, he probably doesn't know much about it. If you rashly try to save him, the slightest mistake will cause the mechanism to lock and inject the deadly poison. At that point, even a Great Immortal descending wouldn't be able to save him. Heh heh, want him dead? That's easy! Just leave him alone. But that enormous secret..."

"I'm afraid Mi will be buried here with him! Chief Huang, let him live? It's easy, but Chief Huang would have to act

like Guanyin Bodhisattva, offering his own body to him! Life or death is entirely in Chief Huang's hands. I've said all I need to say. Chief Huang, you are a precious person; please consider your own actions carefully."

After

the man outside the cave finished speaking, there was indeed no more sound, as silent as a tomb.

Huang Rong leaned against the cave wall, suddenly feeling her knees go weak. She sat down, hugging her knees, her body folded into three sections, her knees touching

her chin . Her posture was like that of a small, fragile, and helpless infant.

No wonder Huang Rong was helpless; she faced a colossal problem that remains unsolved even today—

the conversion between binary and ternary systems. The so-called "Three Mysteries Connecting the Mysterious"

technique originated from an ancient Persian school of numerology, as ancient as the *I Ching* itself, which

began studying ternary systems before the Common Era.

This school believed that the composition of all things in the universe is not simply divided into Yin and Yang,

but rather exists in a state that is neither purely Yin nor Yang, yet also both. Just as the human brain

doesn't only answer "true" or "false," but also "I don't know

," these three indefinable and even mutually convertible forces create all things in the world through an eternal

struggle .

This is the philosophical principle behind the so-called "ternary system," and the fundamental essence of the "Three Mysteries Connecting the Mysterious

."

The *I Ching*, with its two polarities, views all changes in the world as originating from two clearly defined extremes.

The Three Mysteries of the Deep Abyss posits that all things originate from three mutually restraining, constantly transforming and evolving, unpredictable

"fuzzy true essences."

Different principles lead to vastly different outcomes.

What to do?!

Is this truly...

a dead end?

*** *** *** ***

The tunnel was long and dark, a dead end indeed.

Huang Rong walked slowly, unsteadily, as if sleepwalking.

She needed to think things through.

She needed time. She needed solitude. She needed quiet. She needed to think.

She needed an environment without corpses, madmen, or demons to clear her tangled thoughts.

At this moment, she felt her situation was like this tunnel, one end blocked by a demon, the other by a

madman.

The demon at one end wanted her life—that was manageable; she could simply give it to him.

But the madman at the other end—well, a half-dead madman—wanted to take away her most important

thing. 　　How important was her

most important thing ? 　　Is it more important than her own life, than plunging the people into misery, or than this great nation and its people? 　　No, it's incomparable. There's no standard by which to compare these two things. 　　Her own life isn't important. Ever since she resolved to abandon everything and follow her beloved Jing-gege to defend Xiangyang, her life has been as light as a feather, easily severed and shattered. But what about the people and the nation? What about those tearful, pleading eyes? What about those trembling hands reaching out to her amidst the turmoil? 　　Although… although she knew in her heart that this corrupt court would collapse sooner or later, and the Mongol army raging outside Xiangyang would soon sweep across the land and reshape the world, those eyes and those hands would inevitably be crushed into dust by the wheels of fate! And what about her and him? They were nothing more than two thin pillars in this torrent, desperately trying to hold up a massive, crumbling building above them, destined to be washed away, worn down, and crushed sooner or later. Since it was all inevitable, since it was all destined, what was the point of all her and his struggles, efforts, and actions? 　　In the end, she was just an ordinary person, an ordinary wife, an ordinary mother. 　　Not a bodhisattva. 　　She couldn't fly, couldn't summon wind and rain, couldn't perform seventy-two transformations. 　　She had no boundless magic, no unparalleled supernatural powers, and no great ability to save the world. 　　Saving all living beings wasn't her purpose. 　　So where was her purpose? 　　She remembered many, many years ago, when the peach blossoms on the island had faded, and it was early summer. 　　One evening, her father took her, then a young girl, to the beach and released a giant Kongming lantern into the sky . She remembered craning her neck and desperately chasing its trajectory until it reached a very high point. Suddenly, a mechanism inside caused it to explode, cascading millions of dazzling fireworks across the dark sky like a waterfall. In her memory, the scene was like a shooting star suddenly streaking across the horizon, crashing into the clouds and exploding into a spectacular display of fireworks—a beauty beyond words. 　　Although she was young then, she knew her father was commemorating her deceased mother, so she tried her best to behave . 　　She remembered her father standing tall with his hands behind his back, watching the Kongming lanterns fly away, his clothes fluttering in the wind, as he sang a mournful song: "...And heaven and earth are the furnace, creation the craftsman; yin and yang are the charcoal, all things the copper. Combining and dispersing, waxing and waning , how can there be a constant rule? A thousand changes, without end; suddenly becoming human, what can be controlled; transforming into a strange creature, what is there to worry about! The foolish are bound by customs , trapped like prisoners; the sage abandons material things, alone with the Way. The masses are confused, their likes and dislikes accumulating; the true man is tranquil, alone with the Way. Releasing wisdom and form, transcending self-loss; vast and desolate, soaring with the Way..." 　　She remembered his song as passionate and fervent, seemingly moving even the sea and sky, as dark clouds gathered and a cold wind rose . 　　She remembered that after her father sang, he seemed much calmer, pointing to the lights at the end of the sky and asking her if they were beautiful . 　　She remembered answering that they were. 　　She remembered her father saying to her, "Rong'er, your mother was originally the daughter of a wealthy family in Suzhou and Hangzhou. If she hadn't married me, she could have lived a long and happy life, surrounded by children and grandchildren. But she abandoned everything— morality, propriety, the past, and the future—she didn't care about any of it. She insisted on eloping, and in the end, she was injured by those two wicked men and died in childbirth in the prime of her life… If your mother could know this from beyond the grave, wouldn't she feel the same deep regret as I do right now?"

She remembered not knowing how to answer at the time, only staring blankly at the horizon where the sea met the sky.

She remembered her father continuing, "Rong'er, remember this: the world is full of all sorts of things, and making choices is always difficult.

Once a decision is made, there is no turning back. Your mother was rebellious by nature, doing things her own way, and she didn't

care about ordinary morals and etiquette. At that time, my martial arts skills were not yet complete, and I had enemies all over the world. She knew that once

she followed me, she would probably never have a normal and happy life again, and was destined to live

a life of wandering and bloodshed. But she still jumped out of the circle that the world had drawn for her without

hesitation

. Even if she ended up with a life of hardship, even if she lived in fear, even if she was condemned by everyone, even if she died young in a foreign land, she never had the slightest resentment or regret. Your mother's life was like a shooting star, quickly passing by and quickly disappearing. That is the meaning of her existence,

just to have once dazzled my eyes, and even today, the embers still burn in my heart."

She remembered that was the only time her father spoke to her in person about his longing for his deceased mother.

She remembered that it was the first time she began to ponder the meaning of her existence.

Her mother's meaning was like a shooting star.

And what about herself?

Huang Rong walked slowly, very slowly, through the tunnel, her steps uneven, as if sleepwalking.

Turning a corner, in the torchlight, the cave walls were jagged and grotesque, as if naturally formed murals.

She suddenly remembered that many years ago, on a certain night, she had

a conversation .

In a side room of an ancient temple, one wall was entirely covered by a huge mural.

A dim lamp flickered, an old monk sat serenely, and clear water awaited guests.

She remembered Master Yideng pointing to that mural, telling the story of Buddha sacrificing himself to feed an eagle and cutting his own flesh to feed a tiger.

She actually knew these stories long ago, but hearing Master Yideng tell them, she

was .

She remembered the only question she had asked that night.

"Master," she said, "Buddha said all things are empty, yet why cling to existence? And why insist on

forcibly propping up a realm of conditioned phenomena within infinite emptiness?"

She clearly remembered Master Yideng's answer.

"Emptiness is not nothingness, existence is not existence. All things in the world are transformations of emptiness, another form of emptiness.

Clinging to existence is clinging to emptiness. Conditioned and inactive, long life and short death, are mutually contradictory, all part of the cycle of reincarnation."

Having said this, he closed his eyes and fell silent, entering a deep meditation.

Emptiness is existence, and existence is emptiness.

This "emptiness" and this "existence" are connected end to end, like a snake biting its own tail, forming a ring.

The ring of destiny.

She was trapped in the center of this ring. Every cause has its effect; all conditioned phenomena are the result of destiny within this ring.

Was her only purpose to be a prisoner of this destiny,

swept , utterly powerless to resist?

She was the daughter of the Eastern Heretic; she would never believe in fate!

Huang Rong walked slowly, unsteadily, through the tunnel, her steps uneven, as if sleepwalking.

Every few steps, a torch would appear before her, its flickering light casting her shadow that danced

incessantly , like a ghostly figure, seemingly possessing a hypnotic power that made her vaguely recall another scene.

It was a day not long ago.

After the autumn rains, during the ancestral worship season, atop the city walls of Xiangyang, after a fierce battle.

Looking out from the high vantage point, all that could be seen were embers, remnants, smoke, charred corpses, broken arrows, dead horses… a scene straight out of

a newly painted ink painting of the deepest hell. The sky was overcast, the wind was fierce, and the blood was crimson. Jing-gege

stood beside her, his armor riddled with arrow wounds and burn marks. One of his arms had been wounded by an arrow, but treatment had been done, and the

bleeding had finally stopped. His face was blackened by smoke, almost unrecognizable; only his eyes

remained discernible. Those eyes held a deep, melancholic, desolate, and tragic light, like two unfathomable ancient

pools. Once their gazes met, one was drawn in, sinking deeper and deeper, unable to escape.

She remembered nestled beside him then, softly asking a question.

She remembered asking, "Brother Jing, do you regret it?"

She remembered his reply, "Regret? Why should I regret it?"

She remembered continuing, "I regret stepping onto the walls of Xiangyang that day, shouldering

the ."

She remembered he didn't answer immediately, but remained silent for a long time before saying, "Rong'er, do you regret it?"

She remembered answering almost instantly, "No regrets!"

She remembered his eyes filled with tenderness: "And why don't you regret it?"

She remembered every word of her answer.

"Being with you, even if I were to immediately fall into the eighteenth level of hell, tormented by boiling water and fire, to be slowly sliced apart by chariots, Rong'er would

have no regrets !"

She remembered.

Yes! She remembered!

She was not a prisoner of fate, not a speck of dust manipulated by heaven, not

a shooting star that streaked across someone's dreams.

She was herself, her thoughts and actions solely her own!

She knew very well what her meaning was.

Her meaning was him.

If he insisted on pursuing some kind of meaning, whether it was for the country and its people, or the pursuit of chivalry, as long as it was

the meaning he desired, then regardless of whether it was her own desire, regardless of whether it would crumble into dust, it would become

the meaning of her existence.

Not the traditional virtues of obedience and submission.

But her love for him had seeped into her very bones.

That was the only meaning for her to live, and to live to bring that secret back to Xiangyang.

Even if it meant becoming a fleeting shooting star.

*** *** *** ***

Huang Rong walked slowly, very slowly, through the tunnel, her steps uneven, as if sleepwalking.

Walking back, it felt as if she hadn't traversed a dark passage made of rock, but rather

a time corridor pieced together from fragments of her past and present. Though the time was short, the past played back vividly, like lightning, dew,

fleeting dreams. She had traversed naivety, hesitation, and wavering, finally finding the meaning of her existence.

To love him.

To love him unconditionally.

That was the only meaning of her existence.

She entered the cave, standing amidst the corpses, the torches blazing, bathing her in light,

as if adorning her with a pilgrim's golden armor.

Her face was ashen, and she slowly returned, approaching the little prince, bending down to feel his pulse. Every movement

was slow-motion, yet carried an iron-like resolve, without a single superfluous motion.

As always, the little prince lay there like a corpse. Her hand touched his pulse; it was still a turbulent mess,

even worsening, a sliver of life like a candle in the wind, threatening to be extinguished at any moment.

There was no time.

Make a decision!

Her father's words suddenly echoed in her ears.

"...She abandoned everything—morality, propriety, the past, the future, nothing!

She leaped out of the circle the world had drawn for her, even if

it meant a life of hardship, constant fear, condemnation, and an early death far from home, without a trace of resentment or regret. Your mother's life was like a shooting star,

quickly streaking across the sky and disappearing just as quickly. That was the meaning of her existence, simply to have once dazzled my eyes,

and to this day, the embers still burn in my heart..."

Alright.

Brother Jing, for your sake, I want nothing too!

In this cave deeper than hell...

I will become a shooting star.

She took a deep breath, stepped back half a step, and reached for her chest.

Her hand trembled slightly, remaining there for a long time before she took another deep breath and unlocked the first

clasp.

It should be noted that the black, tight-fitting outfit Huang Rong wore that day was meticulously crafted by skilled artisans. It was

intricately sewn with fine golden silk threads, connected by hidden clasps, and fit snugly against her body. Not only was it warm and breathable, but it also offered protection against ordinary swords, water, and fire.

Furthermore , to allow for underwater movement, the top and trousers were sewn together as a one-piece suit

to prevent water from seeping in while swimming. Therefore, to remove it, it had to be taken off entirely from top to bottom.

Thirty-five hidden clasps were essential; each one unfastened felt like an ordeal.

One, two, three, four… she unfastened them with lightning speed, taking less than two breaths

.

However, when she reached the last clasp, her fingers suddenly stopped, remaining frozen for a long, long time. Suddenly, her entire

hand began to tremble violently.

After a long while, she took a third deep breath, this time much deeper than before, like a strongman

straining before lifting a cauldron. With a gentle flick of her fingers, the hidden clasp opened, and the entire

outfit to her feet.

At that moment, the torchlight seemed to dim suddenly, and a pristine, voluptuous body appeared

to leap from the outfit. Any onlooker would surely feel their heart leap out of their chest!

Although she still wore a snow-white undergarment, barely covering her breasts and hips, and

because it was also a tight-fitting white garment chosen to fit under the outfit, the interplay of light and shadow blended seamlessly with her snow-white skin,

making her completely naked, indistinguishable from one another. My God! If there truly is a Creator,

then this body must have been sculpted by the Creator's own hand, and there is only one such masterpiece in the entire world,

its perfection beyond human imagination.

It was a body as perfect as a female leopard's, white as if melted from milk, or like a

bottle made of white jade. The beauty of its curves was breathtaking, especially its two lithe and long legs,

unbelievably , with not a single gap between them when joined. The calves, in particular, were almost as long as the thighs, slender and

rounded, seemingly about to break at any moment. Only with each bend and stretch, the muscles tensing and then rapidly releasing, could one

vaguely sense the immense explosive power contained within. Equally unbelievable was her waist,

truly a waist so slender it could be grasped in one hand—slim, flat, and incredibly elastic. Between her legs and waist, as if inflating a balloon, as if by

magic , suddenly burst open a large, full, round bottom, its shape almost

disproportionate to the rest of her body—simply absurd!

It should be known that Huang Rong was originally from Jiangnan, and like the women of the water towns, she was naturally petite and delicate. However, after

giving birth , her buttocks suddenly swelled up dramatically, and even

seemed to be getting bigger every now and then, as if they were trying to become independent and break away from the

growth . They were expanding their territory in every direction without restraint, becoming unusually thick, perky, and

firm. The reason for this was probably that her buttocks, which should have been two semi-circular halves, had

mistakenly become two whole spheres. Due to the mutual compression, they could barely fit into her close-fitting undergarments. Once they were out of

her comfort, they would definitely go their own way, regardless of who they were.

At this moment, Huang Rong felt as if her entire body was engulfed in flames, pierced through countless

times by fire like poisonous arrows. Simultaneously, a psychological pain, emanating from within, swept over her,

piercing every inch of her skin and releasing even more ferocious fire. This feeling made her want

to give up every second, to escape far away, to disregard the world, the nation, and the people—what did it matter to her? But

for some reason, whenever these thoughts arose, the image of her beloved Guo Jing would appear in her mind—his

imposing figure standing atop the city walls of Xiangyang, covered in blood, unyielding and resilient. This image seemed like a

refreshing , allowing her to regain a glimmer of light amidst the excruciating pain of torment.

She knew that at this moment, something stood before her like an ancient boulder, something she could not avoid.

After much deliberation, she made the most difficult decision of her life. Born on Peach Blossom Island, she

inherited a family tradition steeped in the obsessive and eccentric nature of her father, Huang Yaoshi. Once she made a decision, she would go against the tide,

even at the cost of her most precious possessions, willing to sacrifice anything to achieve her goal. She suddenly recalled a phrase Xiao Wu had said

not long ago : "Those who aspire to great things are not afraid of small evils." She had even rebuked him harshly,

yet the retribution had come upon her so quickly! The thought was both laughable and heartbreaking. Then she thought of Xiao Wu again; he was probably

still in the Ten Hells Palace… Thinking this, a sudden, excruciating pain gripped her heart. She took several deep breaths to suppress

any further emotional turmoil, fearing it would erode her resolve. With a steely resolve, she closed her eyes and quickly pulled off

her undergarments. Sure enough, her round buttocks, already uncomfortably constricted by the undergarments, were immediately exposed to the world.

After a slight sway, it formed two nearly perfect, snow-white lobes, a breathtaking sight in the torchlight.

Though her body and soul were tormented, her thoughts remained sharp and calculating. She suddenly realized that she was naturally fastidious. If fate

decreed that she, Huang Rong, had to sacrifice herself to feed the tiger and give up her body to survive this ordeal, there was no water in this cave.

If her undergarments were soiled, where would she find clean water to wash them?

If she couldn't even clean her undergarments, where would she find a way to thoroughly cleanse her body once

it ?

A tear rolled down her tightly closed eyelids, tracing a path down her flawless face.

"Those who aspire to great things are not afraid of small evils…

Brother Jing, your great cause is the most important thing in the world.

If anyone stands in your way, whether demon or ghost, Rong'er is willing to shield you.

If… if…

if sacrifice is unavoidable, no matter what it is, Rong'er is willing to give it all up for you."

With Jing-gege's name in her heart, she took another deep breath, gritted her teeth, and finally steeled herself.

Closing her eyes , she parted her legs, groped her way to straddle the little prince, and slowly sat down.

(End of Chapter 3)

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/185554.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=185554&aspx=1

Previous Page : 【The World of Samsara. Chaos in Xiangyang】(2)

Next Page : 【Ode to Great Joy】

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

【The World of Samsara. Chaos in Xiangyang】(3)

comment Open a new window to view comments