Chapter 3569: Journey to the Pure Land, Nine Nines Return to Truth

When parting with Lin Wanan, An Chengxi felt extremely reluctant in her heart.

She felt that she had become extremely fond of this Laozu Sect-level young lady, to the point where she could even say she was overly fond.

If possible, she would be willing to sit knee-to-knee with Lin Wanan and talk for three days and three nights, pouring out all the words she had previously felt were hard to find a kindred spirit for and had kept hidden in her heart.

Lin Wanan also appreciated An Chengxi.

For hundreds of years, she had never had a true friend with whom she could speak freely and without reservation.

The adopted sons were always adopted sons; as the young lady who raised them, although she would tell them part of her secrets, there was still a gap in seniority and status, and as a traditional Huaxia woman, she had to maintain the stern posture of a mother.

But when facing Ye Chen, she lowered her status before him because Ye Chen had saved her life and they had shared physical intimacy.

An Chengxi was, in recent years, the first person who truly shared her wavelength.

As the saying goes, gold is easy to find but a true confidant is hard to meet; if she had ample time, chatting with An Chengxi for several days would surely be most satisfying, but time does not permit now, and it is indeed not the proper moment.

After all, Kongyin's passing left her deeply grieved; she only wanted to hurry back to the top-floor villa of Zijin Mountain Manor, cry alone, and vent her emotions.

So, she and An Chengxi lightly embraced and waved goodbye.

An Chengxi, with a face full of reluctance, urged her: "Senior, take care."

Lin Wanan also lightly nodded and instructed: "Lady Ye, likewise, be extra careful; we shall meet again."

An Chengxi respectfully said: "We shall meet again!"

Sun Jie, Tang Sihai, and Jingqing Fashi all looked at Lin Wanan with utmost respect and said in unison: "Senior, please take care."

Lin Wanan looked at Jingqing Fashi and said: "Please, Jingqing Fashi, attend to the aftermath of Zhengping's passing."

Jingqing Fashi immediately said respectfully: "Amitabha, please rest assured, Lady Lin; this humble monk will certainly do his utmost."

Lin Wanan nodded, glanced at the peacefully sleeping Kongyin, then looked at everyone, smiled, and said: "If so, then I bid you all farewell; you need not see me off—I will leave on my own."

Having spoken, she did not wait for a few people to respond, turned, and left.

Stepping out of the main hall, dazzling warm sunlight bathed Lin Wanan's face; a spring breeze carrying a hint of warmth brushed against her, mixed with a faint floral fragrance, causing her figure to involuntarily pause slightly.

She closed her eyes, savoring the moment of spring warmth and blossoming flowers, then undid her high single ponytail and skillfully rebraided it into the double ponytail she had when she arrived, her face returning to the youthful look she had upon arrival.

Although her mood remained heavy, the new green shoots on the treetops and the flower buds emerging from the flowerbeds on both sides once again made Lin Wanan feel the power and meaning of life.

Life is that every time spring warmth and blossoms arrive, new trees sprout and fresh flowers bloom; yet, those flowers and grasses that withered in the previous deep autumn winter are gone forever, just as Gong Zizhen wrote in his poem: fallen petals are not heartless things, but turn into spring soil to better nurture flowers.

Plants pass on this way generation after generation; humanity, as the highest known form of life, is even more so—generation after generation, advancing forward, inheriting the past and opening up the future.

Although her adopted son Zhengping Zhengping has passed, as a Japanese Buddhist master, Kongyin will continue to exist.

Although Kongyin did not attain the Dao in this life, in the future someone will surely be enlightened by him, enter the Buddhist gate, and awaken wisdom within the vast Buddhist teachings.

At the moment he stepped out of the Golden Pavilion Temple, a deep, resonant bell sound came from behind.

The bell rang one after another, continuing for several chimes with no sign of stopping.

The monks in the temple, each performing their duties, all froze in place when the bell exceeded thirteen chimes.

The bell of Golden Pavilion Temple rarely rings; it is only used to mark time on major days.

And the time-marking bell does not exceed twelve chimes.

Once the bell exceeds twelve chimes, all monks in the temple must immediately set aside their tasks and hurry to the main hall.

Because this bell will continue to toll ninety-nine times eighty-one, and the bell's sound signifies that the abbot has passed into nirvana.

Although Japanese monks are more secularized, the monks of Golden Pavilion Temple, under Kongyin's influence, are far more devout than ordinary Japanese monks.

In the Buddhist teachings, they are like a swaying small boat, needing a prominent flagship to guide them, and Kongyin is that flagship.

Now, with Kongyin's passing, for these highly devout monks, it is as if they have lost their guide in the vast ocean.

Many monks could not help but shed tears, quickly walking toward the main hall.

Hundreds of monks, eyes red, silently hurried toward the main hall with quick steps and small runs, not daring to run wildly, for fear of disturbing the abbot's journey to the Western Pure Land.

Hearing the bell, Lin Wanan stopped again.

Her thoughts returned to Kyoto over a hundred years ago.

At that time, her residence was not far from Golden Pavilion Temple.

One day, she brought her children to admire the cherry blossoms in the garden, told them the history of cherry blossoms, and informed them that although cherry blossoms are now seen everywhere in Japan and highly sought after, they were actually introduced from Huaxia over a thousand years ago during the Nara period, when Huaxia was in its prosperous Tang era.

Just as the children began asking questions based on this history, the bell of Golden Pavilion Temple rang continuously, just as it does today.

The children asked her why the bell of Golden Pavilion Temple kept ringing nonstop; she told them that ninety-nine times eighty-one bell tolls signify the return to truth through nine nines.

Japanese Buddhism originated from Huaxia Buddhism, which, after nearly two thousand years of sedimentation and indigenous development, also incorporated much wisdom from ancient Huaxia people.

The ancient Huaxia Book of Changes regards nine as the greatest yang number; in other words, nine is also the largest single digit in the decimal system.

Therefore, nine represents the utmost and completeness.

Eighty-one is nine squared, thus meaning even greater completeness upon completeness.

She did not pass on the concept of death to these children, but smiled and said: "The reason Golden Pavilion Temple must toll eighty-one bell chimes is because their abbot's merit is complete, and the entire temple, from top to bottom, is celebrating him."

At that time, a naive little boy looked at her and said innocently: "Miss, Zhengping will also become abbot in the future, and Zhengping also wants Golden Pavilion Temple to toll eighty-one bell chimes for him!"

Lin Wanan helplessly shook her head and laughed: "Among everyone, it's Zhengping you who is the most competitive, always wanting to win in everything."

The little boy, with his hands red from the cold, pointed at the largest snowman in the yard and proudly said: "Miss, Zhengping wants to do everything to the best, even the snowman must be built as big as possible! So Zhengping becoming abbot of Golden Pavilion Temple in the future is certainly no problem!"

The light and shadow of a hundred years ago flashed through her mind; Lin Wanan could not help but sigh inwardly: some things that seem like casual jokes and banter are actually, in the dark, already predetermined.

She lifted her head to gaze at the sky and murmured in her heart: "If there truly is a Western Pure Land in this world, I might just be the one with the strongest connections there; you are all good children, surely you have already gone there early, and surely you will all wait for me together there, right?"