The author of the book "The Book of the Dead"

Chapter 97: Thousand Years of Loneliness, Transformed into a Butterfly after Death

Inside the alchemy room, the lights were bright.

The Taoist held the stone carving and studied it carefully.

The first piece of information indicates that the contents of the tablet are true.

It accurately predicted that spiritual energy would revive in two thousand years.

"The heyday of the Dharma Ending Period should be about 1,800 to 2,500 years after the revival of spiritual energy. During this period, all laws were banned and the Dao did not flourish. This is the era of mortals."

The mortal era is of no benefit to cultivation. A cultivator in the mortal era is like a fish exposed to the scorching sun on the shore. The higher the level of cultivation, the faster he dies.

"As spiritual energy is about to revive, a small amount of spiritual energy is gradually generated outside the domain and in the center of the earth, and merges into the vast land."

"This spiritual energy is extremely thin. Mortals cannot use it to practice, but it can give life to plants, trees, metals, and stones. Mortals can use it to train their bodies to be strong, fight, and integrate external plants, trees, metals, and stones, and practice the secular energy."

"Strong physique, extraordinary abilities, but no immortality. This is the age of human immortals."

The rise of inner strength may be a precursor to the era of human immortality.

However, Guangchengzi said in secret that the era of human immortals might be around 1,700 years after the revival of spiritual energy.

That is about a hundred years later.

According to the calendar of previous lives, it should be 530 years.

It is now 432, and there are still ninety-eight years to go.

“I can’t practice, but the environment has changed?”

Liang Yue murmured to himself, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

This is actually a good thing. As the saying goes, a good cook cannot cook without rice. As his cultivation level improved, he found that practicing in the Dharma-Ending Age was extremely difficult.

For example, regarding the way of talismans, the "lifespan" of a talisman will not exceed three days. After three days, the talisman will turn into waste paper.

The efficacy of some elixirs is always unsatisfactory. Most of the elixirs Liang Yue is currently refining are "high-end foods" and do not have any miraculous effects.

If something appears spiritual, doesn't that mean there could be more powerful spells?
Liang Yue continued to read.

The Age of Human Immortals lasted about five hundred years, and after about five hundred years, it became the Age of Earthly Immortals.

In the era of earthly immortals, a small amount of spiritual energy was first produced in the blessed land of caves and heavens, and the cultivators on earth could practice in the caves and heavens’ mansions.

If one does not understand the great way, he will only achieve small success. He cannot see the merit, but only live long in the world and become an immortal wandering on land.

"The era of earthly immortals..." Liang Yue thought of the zombie movies in his past life. The powerful Maoshan Taoist priests would also age, get sick, and die.

Perhaps this is the method of earthly immortals.

After that, the year 2234 will be the celestial age when spiritual energy will fully recover.

"The mortal age is like the desert, and the earthly immortal age is like the water tank."

Liang Yue roughly came to the conclusion.

Seeing this, he actually felt relieved.

It turns out that the spiritual energy did not go from annihilation to full recovery all at once, but was gradually unleashed.

There is always a way out. There may still be a chance for a breakthrough in the third and fourth lives.

"In the future, I will guard the corpse of Qin Palace, take the cave world as my foundation, and watch the ups and downs of the world."

"There is finally a glimmer of hope ahead."

Two thousand years of eternal life is too lonely.

When faced with the timing, life span, and history, I always feel at a loss.

When Liang Yue came to his senses and looked up, the others had already gone far away.

The era of earthly immortals will be at least six hundred years later.

Six hundred years, if we use the stars as pens and the Milky Way as paper, is nothing more than a faint trace of ink in the universe, just a few reincarnations.

In the eyes of human beings, six hundred years is a long wait, countless days and nights of anticipation and waiting, like a long river, witnessing countless reunions and partings.

The people of today are probably no longer around.

"Forget it, let's go to sleep." Liang Yue lay on the ground, unwilling to think about what would happen after death.

The bright candlelight illuminates the heart of Tao.

Time goes by faster and faster.

In the ninth year of Yongjia (435), the Northern Expedition had been going on for six years. In this year, after three years of conquering and suppressing rebellions, the Southern Dynasty completely controlled the area south of the Yellow River. The army was reorganized and the people were able to catch their breath.

Liang Yue is sixty-nine years old.

This year, New Year's Day.

The morning dew has not yet dissipated, and the morning dew is crystal clear.

The sound of firecrackers woke up the sleeping people.

"Hurry up, it's time to hang the peach charms!"

"Dad, please arrange a dinner party!"

Xiao Xianrong greeted everyone early in the morning, and the quiet Liuzhuang suddenly became busy.

Thousands of families always exchange new peaches for old ones.

It's spring again.

Several grandchildren were running around. Bao Zhao and Xiao Daocheng were already seven or eight years old, and now was the age when they loved to play.

"Hongwen, to achieve the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, one must have a firm and unshakable mindset, only then can one achieve the ability of the Great Circulation of Heaven."

Forty-year-old Liang Jingming, who had the same short beard as his father, was instructing Li Hongwen in martial arts.

"Master, is this so?" Li Hongwen asked humbly, sweating profusely but not complaining of being tired.

"Almost there. Come with me to the Wuming Temple Waterfall tomorrow. If you can get soaked by the waterfall and feel peaceful in your heart, then you are not far from the Great Circulation Heaven."

In the pavilion by the lake, two old people, Liang Yue and Zhu Yingtai, watched everything quietly.

My old friends have grown old or passed away, and there are only a few close friends left. The second generation people like Xu Xianzhi, Liu Yifeng, Jingming and others all have their own careers and it is impossible for them to travel hundreds of miles to have a meal with us.

Liang Yue drank up the tea, the warm tea warmed his stomach.

As he approaches seventy years of age, his spirit and soul have become increasingly degraded, and he now needs to take medicinal pills every day to barely keep his body in shape.

The upper limit is being lowered little by little. It is estimated that in a few years, the true energy will be very little.

But by then I had almost died.

"Yingtai, this year's new tea is good, you should try it."

"Oh, I can't eat anymore. I'm old, and my appetite has decreased." Zhu Yingtai was too lazy to move.

Although there are elixirs to nourish the body, they cannot maintain life span or solve the natural aging of the internal organs.

Liang Yue looked at his old lover with mixed feelings. He sighed and said, "Yingtai, you have suffered a lot these years."

Zhu Yingtai looked at her husband suspiciously, as if he were a stranger, and asked, "Have I ever suffered?"

"That's right. You wealthy and powerful people don't have to suffer so much..."

Liang Yue laughed at himself and thought that Yingtai's most difficult time must have been the three years she spent studying in the academy.

At that time, the scale of academies was not as large as it is now. Generally, there were two people in one room. Perhaps it was also meant to allow children of wealthy families to communicate with each other.

Later, Zhu Yingtai returned home and then married herself.

A rough calculation showed that she had not suffered at all.

"Have you ever suffered? You are the laziest..." After Zhu Yingtai said this, she seemed to be absent-minded for a moment, and there seemed to be a trace of sadness in her eyes.

When a person dies, everything ends, which may be even more painful for the living.

At this time, an old man walked over slowly, holding some freshly baked cakes.

The person who came was Bao Qian.

"You kid, weren't I telling you to take care of yourself in old age? Why are you still working?"

Liang Yue seemed to be blaming him, but in fact he was concerned.

"I can't stay idle. I really can't stay idle." Bao Qian said with a simple smile.

"Just find a place to sit down. We are old now, so don't bother with all these complicated formalities."

"okay."

"grandparents!"

At this moment, a loud shout interrupted the conversation between the three people.

"coming!"

The door is decorated with red and the house is decorated with embroidered patterns. There is a banquet in the hall, and on the table are delicacies and delicious food, including Tusu and jade liquor.

When everyone arrived, Xie Lingyun, the guy who always eats for free, would definitely not be absent. His nickname was Ke'er, and he grew up in Liuzhuang. The two sides have long been like family.

Liang Yue sat in the main seat.

At this time, the servant brought an old man.

This old man is nearly ninety years old. His steps are steady and calm, and his eyes are bright.

"Master is here, please sit down!" Liang Jingming stepped forward and greeted him.

The visitor was none other than Jie Kong from the Wuming Temple at the foot of the mountain.

Jie Kong should be the person with the most seniority in Liuzhuang.

"Shanbo, Yingtai, long time no see."

"You are finally here, please take a seat."

The two men invited Jie Kong to sit down.

"Come on, let's eat first." Liang Yue picked up his chopsticks and greeted everyone.

This kind of meal has been eaten simply for decades.

During the banquet, there was a lot of drinking and laughter. In the evening, the guests and hosts had a great time and said goodbye to each other reluctantly.

Three days after returning, Jie Kong passed away and passed on his skills to his disciples.

Jie Kong's teachings were quite popular in the south, and Wuming Temple had strict rules for accepting disciples, so there were only a dozen or so people accepted.

The Northern Buddhism is called "Shi" and the Southern Buddhism is called "Xie". A month later, Bao Qian passed away.

The back mountain, which was a desolate and barren mountain in the past, now has more than ten old graves standing there.

Liang Yue filled the new grave with a handful of soil.

As his old friends gradually faded away, he seemed to realize something and began to record his later years.

"Lingyun, leave your calligraphy, the kind with a stamp."

"Huh?" Xie Lingyun was puzzled, but he did as he was told.

"Bao Zhao, leave your calligraphy..."

"What is calligraphy? Grandpa Liang..." the child asked puzzled.

"never mind."

Liang Yue went back and lay down.

Life in his later years was very slow, consisting of traveling and watching his grandchildren grow up.

Or they may be taking advantage of their seniority and talking nonsense.

"You can't look at the sun, or you'll wet your bed. You can't look at the moon at night, or the heavenly dog will eat your ears."

……

The twelfth year of Yuanjia.

The Yellow River, two armies facing off.

"kill!"

The Southern Dynasty army crossed the Yellow River and broke up the Xianbei and Hu camp with their iron hooves.

New official roads were built and vehicles loaded with food were transported to the front line.

The army crossed the Yellow River and successively captured several large cities of the Hu Lu.

Inside the tent, Tan Daoji let out a long sigh.

"It's finally done!"

After several decades, the Han people once again set foot north of the Yellow River.

The noble families in the north surrendered and submitted, and the barbarians either surrendered or migrated north.

"General, how do we deal with these barbarians?"

"Accept surrender first, and then slowly win them over and divide them." Before going on the expedition, Tan Daoji remembered the emperor's instructions.

The country's strength had reached its limit, with refugees rebelling in the south. The wealth left over from more than ten years of Yongchu was almost gone, and the treasury was empty, making it impossible to support a long war.

Therefore, we must fight quickly and decisively, and not provoke the barbarians to resist.

"Report! The envoy from Wei is here!"

Tan Daoji looked at the generals and ministers and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The Hu Lu envoys came to seek peace.

The negotiations were left to the ministers of both sides.

The Song State did not have the spare energy to annihilate the Hu Lu in one fell swoop, but it had to appear aggressive at the negotiation table.

There were also conflicts between the Sinicized Xianbei and the tribal Xianbei on the Hu Lu side.

The two sides negotiated peace and divided the border.

At this point, the First Northern Expedition lasted for nine years.

Except for the Youji area, the world is almost unified.

The news quickly spread to Jiankang.

Late at night, the palace was brightly lit.

Looking at the memorials sent from the front, Liu Yifu, who was in his fifties at the time, relaxed his tense mind. He looked at his wife beside him and said with a smile, "Finally, it succeeded."

After recuperating for a few more years, he recovered Youji in one fell swoop.

You can accomplish the great task of unifying the world, and there is no need to worry about other minor details.

"Come here, call a court meeting! Sacrifice to the ancestors!"

The news came out like snowflakes.

The ceasefire news from the front gave the people a chance to breathe.

The literati praised Liu Yifeng's achievements, but they did not mean it sincerely. Instead, they hoped that the emperor would stop enjoying himself.

Liu Yifeng invited old friends from all over the world.

This day, Jiankang Palace.

The barbarians came to pay homage in formal attire.

At the top of the Taiji Hall, Liu Yifeng was as majestic as Liu Yu. He had been on the throne for eleven years, and had been engaged in northern expeditions for nine years, with great military achievements.

He looked at his ministers, his heart filled with joy.

Within the court meeting.

Liu Yifeng sat on the dragon throne and gave seats to his ministers.

"Who is this case in front of you?"

"I don't know, it should be the prince's."

"The prince is sitting next to you."

The ministers were whispering to each other, and in front of them was an empty jade table.

Only the old man at that time seemed to be thinking about something.

"The Duke of Changle has arrived!"

The eunuch delivered the message in a loud voice.

In an instant, all the civil and military officials turned their heads back.

Outside the palace gate, the white light was dazzling.

A figure came in slowly.

He has white hair and beard, wears a Taoist robe and a wide scarf, has no purple gold sash, and no official crown or robe, but he has an extraordinary, godlike temperament.

The person coming towards him was none other than the Duke of Changle, the emperor's uncle, father-in-law, imperial teacher, prime minister in the mountains, and hermit Liang Yue.

The emperor was fostered by Liang since he was young, and the two were like father and son.

"Master, please take a seat." Liu Yifu said with a smile.

The banquet started and it was very lively.

This was Liang Yue’s last time to participate in the event and witness new history.

Liu Yifeng finally lived up to his expectations and achieved greater achievements than his father.

After the banquet, Liu Yifeng announced the relocation of the capital to Luoyang.

Liang Yue, escorted by his son and apprentice Li Hongwen, first went to see several grandchildren and then set off.

"Father, where are we going next?" Liang Jingming asked.

Liang Yue raised his head, looked at the mountains in the distance, and said with a smile: "Go home."

In later years.

Liang Yue took Zhu Yingtai to revisit the old place again.

Even go to Mount Li to see the underground heaven.

"It's... a bit eerie here." Zhu Yingtai shuddered.

It’s like the afterlife, silent and lonely, eternally alone.

"Then go out." Liang Yue said with a smile.

This year, he was seventy-nine years old.

His hair was gray, his eyes were cloudy, and he looked like a man in his fifties.

My wife still looks the same as she did back then.

"By the way, does this palace have a name?"

"Not yet."

"Let's call it Biyou Palace."

"it is good."

The two returned to their hometown, rode a horse together, and strolled along the ancient road.

The setting sun is golden, mulberry trees are lining the road, and the sky is filled with rosy clouds.

The two figures were stretched out very long.

After an unknown amount of time, the gate of Liuzhuang appeared faintly in front of us.

On horseback, Zhu Yingtai felt a little sleepy, her eyelids felt heavy, and she could hardly open her eyes. She leaned against Liang Yue and asked:
"What is the world like after death? Is it as gloomy as the heaven below? Are there wandering ghosts?"

Liang Yue shook his head and said with a smile: "No, after death, people turn into butterflies and fly to another world. That is a paradise, free from worries, without hatred and resentment, with relatives and friends, and laughter."

"Flowers are in full bloom, birds are singing, and flowers are fragrant."

As Liang Yue spoke, he carried his wife horizontally and came to Wutong Garden.

In late autumn, the leaves of the phoenix tree are falling, the willows are swaying, and the mandarin ducks are playing in the water.

"Is that true?"

Zhu Yingtai couldn't believe it and looked into her husband's eyes, as if to see if he was lying.

"Of course." A plum blossom pattern faintly appeared in Liang Yue's eyes.

In an instant, Zhu Yingtai seemed to see the infinitely gorgeous world.

(End of this chapter)