Chapter 1381: Training

The most trusted person?

Jiang Fan was bewildered.

He had always been cautious and never easily trusted others. Anyone he trusted had to be of impeccable character. If their character was flawless, why would they kill him?

Jiang Fan asked, "Who is the person?"

The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets shook his head. "I don't know. I divine the Heavenly Secrets, not predict the future. Heavenly Secrets are obscure, ambivalent, and elusive, like a blind man feeling an elephant; they cannot be clearly described. What I just told you is all I know."

Jiang Fan fell silent. For a moment, he felt utterly disheartened.

Master Six Paths looked at him with sympathy and asked, "Elder Heavenly Secrets, will the Heavenly Secrets you divine always come true? Is there any way to avert it? My lifespan is short; death is inevitable for me. But it's a great pity for young Jiang. He's so young, with such a promising future. Can't we rewrite his Heavenly Secret and spare him from death?"

The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets sighed softly towards the sky. "Heavenly Secrets, Heavenly Secrets, are opportunities ordained by fate. What Heaven decrees cannot be altered. Not even ancient sages can do it."

A bitter smile appeared on Jiang Fan's lips. He, too, had harbored such a glimmer of hope. He had thought it would be like the Five-Star Giant King's future predictions, where one could rewrite the future by paying a sufficient price. Unexpectedly, even ancient sages couldn't change a person's Heavenly Secret.

The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets patted his shoulder and sighed. "Everyone has their own destiny. Cherish the limited time you have left." Then, he turned to the Bodhisattva and said, "You are the first to die according to fate; prepare yourself."

Having said that, he suddenly felt a burning pain on his face. Looking in the mirror, several pustules, which had finally disappeared, reappeared. His grayish hair also turned even whiter. With a pained expression, he exclaimed, "Oh, my handsome old face! A loss, a loss, another loss!"

Divining Heavenly Secrets comes at a cost. Divining the Heavenly Secrets of three people simultaneously incurred an even greater cost. But this wasn't what troubled him most. Because there was a second request on the letter.

He looked around and cleared his throat. "I'm about to undress, does anyone here have any strange fetishes?"

The monks silently turned away. Only then did the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets reluctantly strip off his tattered clothes. He jumped onto the back of the great green ox, bare-assed, and slapped its rump. "Stupid ox, what are you standing around for? Aren't you going?"

The great green ox turned its head and mooed, as if asking where to go. The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets' old face flushed red, and he cursed, "Where else could we go? To gallop around all the states, of course!"

"Moo!"

"Stop mooing! Do you want me to attract the Sea Demon Clan and die?"

"Moo-moo!"

"Stupid ox, I told you to stop mooing! If you moo again, we're having beef hotpot tonight!"

"Moo-moo-moo!"

On the boundless sea, a great green ox galloped wildly, carrying a naked, grumbling old man, constantly mooing along the way. Despite the comical sight, Jiang Fan and the others showed no hint of a smile.

The monks gathered around the Bodhisattva. Abbot Puguang said compassionately, "Bodhisattva, Buddha will bless you." The monks all looked mournful, unable to accept the Heavenly Secret that Bodhisattva Tian Ting was destined to fall.

Bodhisattva Tian Ting's lips curved into a relieved smile. "My return path is set; my heart is finally at peace. From now on, I will fully prepare for the impending catastrophe and seek a glimmer of hope for the monks of White Horse Temple."

The monks' eyes filled with sorrow, and they clasped their hands together in unison. Bodhisattva Tian Ting turned his gaze to Jiang Fan and smiled. "Patron Jiang, please do not be dejected. Death is an inevitability of life, merely a distinction between early and late, today and tomorrow. To do meaningful deeds within a limited lifespan – that is the responsibility life bestows upon us. May you recover soon; all beings in Taicang Grand State are waiting for you."

Jiang Fan, somewhat lost, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Bodhisattva, for your guidance." He glanced at the Buddhist scripture in his hand, extended it, and said, "Here, take it."

Bodhisattva Tian Ting, however, shook his head. "It holds no meaning for me anymore. If Patron Jiang is destined with our Buddha, perhaps you can give this scripture to a Great Bodhisattva someday, allowing it to be passed down." This was a Buddhist scripture meant for Great Bodhisattvas who were to attain Buddhahood. He would not live to become a Great Bodhisattva.

He clasped his hands together and bowed to Jiang Fan and Master Six Paths. Bodhisattva Tian Ting led the monks away.

Master Six Paths sighed deeply and consoled him, "Young Jiang, I know you're hurting. But the shorter our lives, the less we should waste them. We must do meaningful things within the limited time we have. Next, I will do my utmost to find my daughter. As long as I can find her, I would willingly die right then and there."

Jiang Fan forced a smile and said, "I know. Regarding your daughter... I suggest you go and see Bai Xin. I hope it can help you."

"Bai Xin?" Master Six Paths looked puzzled. "That annoying girl who's been relentlessly pursuing me? You're not suggesting she's my daughter, are you? Don't joke! If my daughter were still alive, she'd be an old woman by now. How could she be a young girl?"

Jiang Fan thought for a moment and decided to temporarily conceal Bai Xin's identity as the reincarnation of a True Demon. He said earnestly, "I'm not certain; you need to go and confirm it yourself."

Master Six Paths' pupils trembled slightly. From his understanding of Jiang Fan, he wouldn't say such a thing without at least a seventy to eighty percent certainty. Could it be that Bai Xin was his daughter, lost for over fifty years? His aged body trembled slightly, his lips quivered, and his voice was low and choked as he said, "Alright, I... I'll go see, I'll go see right now. If she truly is my daughter, I will prostrate myself to thank you."

Without waiting for Jiang Fan's reply, he excitedly ran towards Taicang Grand State.

Jiang Fan watched him depart, his expression once again turning despondent. He sat on a reef, staring blankly at the distant sky, watching the clouds gather and disperse, watching birds fly away, and watching the last rays of twilight vanish below the horizon. A profound sense of desolation welled up in his heart.

"Though heaven and earth are vast, and the world is wide, is there no place for me alone?" A deep bitterness welled up on Jiang Fan's lips.

Sensing his mood, the little Qilin emerged from the spatial mirror. It jumped onto his shoulder, extended its small paws, and gently embraced his face. Its fluffy little face pressed against Jiang Fan's neck. In the cool evening breeze, it offered Jiang Fan his sole warmth.

Jiang Fan stroked its head and said self-deprecatingly, "Master, I truly am a self-deceiving liar. I often say I'm prepared to die, but when I truly learned I would die, I couldn't face it with composure. I somewhat understand why Grand Venerable Wugou betrayed his ideals and deviated from his original intention of protecting all beings. Because, in the face of death, those whose cultivation is insufficient cannot confront it. What people call not being afraid of death is only because they don't know death. Once the date of death is known, no one can remain at peace. Sages are like this, and so am I."