Chapter 3568: The Departed Are Gone

Lin Wanyer adopted many orphans like Saito Shohei in her lifetime.

Besides devoting herself to raising and educating them, Lin Wanyer also provided guidance and help for many people's life paths.

With rich life experience and vast knowledge, she was absolutely the best teacher in the world, and when educating these children, she never stinted on her own knowledge and experience, so the children she raised, though born of humble or even suffering origins, most gradually became talents in various fields.

Over these many years, Lin Wanyer also amassed a fortune of tens of thousands of strings of cash, but most of it was given to these children, without seeking repayment, only to let their lives shine brilliantly.

If one were to summarize what Lin Wanyer mainly did over her past three hundred plus years, aside from the eternal theme of fleeing for her life, almost everything else was sowing seeds of love for this world.

And those children she raised to adulthood also deeply knew that, aside from fleeing for her life, she spent her whole life constantly devoting herself to others.

She raised generation after generation in different places under different identities, and also helped generation after generation in different places under different identities, just like Miss Saito of Kyoto in the past, just like the Holy Mother Mary in the eyes of poor families—whenever kind people encountered difficulties, Miss Saito would lend a helping hand.

In those years, the children of Kyoto's poor families envied not the sons and daughters of nobles and wealthy merchants, but those orphans who could be adopted by Miss Saito.

Later, Miss Saito left Japan, and no one knew where she went, but her story has been passed down through generations among Kyoto's elderly.

Lin Wanyer expended countless efforts on these children, yet never sought any return, except for Old Zhang, who had no ambition and only wished to serve Miss Saito by her side his whole life; Lin Wanyer hardly ever disturbed these people's lives.

Not disturbing them was not merely unwilling to cause them trouble; more importantly, Lin Wanyer had been striving to avoid the pain of parting through death.

Those adopted sons and daughters would eventually grow old before her, and she did not want to face the anguish of eternal farewell, so she simply scattered her fortune among them, letting them go forth to shine brilliantly, while she herself disappeared from their lives at their best moments, thereafter having no contact with these children, so as not to have to watch the children she raised die before her eyes.

Today, coming to see Kong Yin, she was eager to investigate, but never expected to unintentionally accompany Kong Yin through the final station of his life.

Gazing at Kong Yin's exceedingly withered, lifeless face before her, Lin Wanyer's emotions somewhat collapsed, holding the Resurrection Pill in her palm, she wept uncontrollably, murmuring: "Shohei, why must you be so foolish? Where in this world is there any Western Paradise? I told you from childhood that death is like a lamp extinguished; how could a lamp already drained of oil in this world be rekindled in another?"

Increasing one's yang lifespan by twenty years out of nowhere drove many mad, yet Kong Yin relinquished this opportunity, partly for his own sake, and Lin Wanyer indeed felt especially sorrowful in her heart.

An Chengxi beside her, seeing her grief-stricken, unconsciously stepped forward and gently embraced her in his arms, comforting: "Everyone must die; it's just that you've lived too long, making them seem not to have lived long enough. In fact, even without accepting this extra twenty years of lifespan, Master Kong Yin would already be among the rare long-lived in this world, and moreover, he is a monk, possibly having long since looked past worldly life and death."

Lin Wanyer's sorrowful emotions continued to spread, choking as she said: "Actually, Shohei took monastic vows to comprehend the Dao; I once told him that Buddhist teachings are also a way to comprehend the Dao, so he had from childhood the thought of comprehending the Dao through Buddhist teachings, saying that after comprehending the Dao he could better and longer protect me; I never expected this decision would make him persist for over a hundred years, only to realize at the end that it was utterly hopeless."

Speaking, Lin Wanyer let out a long sigh: "He had people handle his after-affairs using his secular name rather than his dharma name, which is sufficient proof that at his final moment, he had already abandoned his fantasies of the Buddha; then what meaning did his over-a-year-long daily persistence ultimately have?"

An Chengxi had not previously considered this layer, but upon Lin Wanyer's reminder, his heart suddenly dawned.

It turned out that Master Kong Yin had spent his whole life pursuing the comprehension of the Dao through Buddhist teachings, able to persist for over a hundred years, suggesting his inner conviction was extremely strong, and only at the very end of his life did he realize that his past hundred years of effort had been utterly in vain.

Thus, at his final moment, he resolved to renounce the Buddhist gate and end this life with the secular surname given by his foster mother.

An Chengxi felt a myriad of emotions, yet his admiration for Lin Wanyer grew somewhat.

At this time, Jing Qing, still respectfully supporting Kong Yin's corpse, said: "Lady, Young Lady, the passing of the abbot is such a great matter; we must first notify Master Kong Yin's disciples. If you two are getting along well, you might as well move to the separate courtyard to chat further, and I will go inform the people in the temple."

An Chengxi naturally had no objection; she and Lin Wanyer had been chatting very congenially, and spending more time together would naturally be a good thing.

Lin Wanyer, however, somewhat listlessly said: "Lady Ye, the young lady has finished what she needed to do, Shohei has now passed, and the young lady staying here has lost all meaning; it's better not to linger."

An Chengxi asked her: "Senior, do you not intend to participate in Master Kong Yin's after-affairs?"

Lin Wanyer wearily shook her head: "No participation; the departed are already gone, after-affairs are merely going through the motions, and besides, Shohei's funeral will certainly be handled by the Golden Pavilion Temple, I cannot interfere; it's better to wait until I return to Kyoto in the future to go pay respects at his grave."

Having said this, she handed the Resurrection Pill in her hand to An Chengxi, earnestly saying: "Lady Ye, this Resurrection Pill was given by the Young Master; for me to come also has no use, so you might as well keep it, as it could also be prepared for unforeseen needs."

An Chengxi was startled in her heart, and only after a moment did she shake her head and say: "Since this Resurrection Pill was given by Chen'er to you, he naturally has his reasons; you should keep it yourself."

Lin Wanyer said: "The struggle between Lady Ye and Wu Feiyan will likely continue for a long time, and moreover, this pill can still save lives at critical moments; you carrying it would be more useful than me carrying it."

An Chengxi shook her head again, smiling: "Senior, there's no need to insist; I, as the junior, cannot accept nor wish to accept it."

Lin Wanyer gave a bitter smile: "This Resurrection Pill is worth a city; wherever placed, it would draw a crowd to contend for it without regard for anything, yet I never expected to encounter cold here today, having sent it twice in succession, and still not having managed to give it away."

An Chengxi patted her back, smiling and soothing: "Senior, just keep the pill safe and bring it back; since Chen'er gave it to you, he must have his reasons."