Chapter 1600 - 10 Years

Su San quickly said, “His name is Wang Lin.”

“Give me his exam paper.” There was a hint of joy in Su Dao’s eyes.

Su San smiled when he heard this. He then proceeded to take out the exam paper. He had come here just so he could let Su Dao see this extraordinary exam paper.

However, after he came here, Su Dao wouldn’t look at it until today.

Holding Wang Lin’s paper, Su Dao took a closer look and nodded.

“This young man will be the last student this old man will take.” With a smile, Su Dao looked back at the boat. There was a willow leaf floating between him and the boat under the moonlight. It was impossible to know if Su Dao was looking at the willow or the boat.

Time would fly by, and when you wanted to pursue it, there would be no trace of it.

Several days later, Wang Lin left the boat with Big Fortune. He stood on the shore and looked at the boat he had lived on for more than a month and at the river where he waited for more than a month. He silently pondered for a very long time.

It wasn’t until half an hour later that Wang Lin shook his head and let out a sigh. He was about to turn and leave when a cry came from the sky. Wang Lin’s body trembled and he looked up at the sky.

He saw the familiar white bird circle in the sky. The bird gradually descended and landed on the bridge in the distance. It looked at Wang Lin before flying back into the clouds. Its white figure was like the willow flower.

Wang Lin murmured, “Is it you…”

Wang Lin didn’t participate in the exam in the city of Su. The day he left the boat, he was invited to the house of the great scholar Su Dao. The person that invited him was the old man inspector.

Su Dao’s house wasn’t large, but it was very elegant. It was quiet and gave one peace of mind. In the courtyard, Wang Lin saw the old man that had asked him the question on the bridge.

Big Fortune had to wait outside in the courtyard while Wang Lin and Su Dao drank osmanthus wine as they began to chat in the courtyard.

Only when the moon was high in the air did Wang Lin bow at Su Dao.

“This old man has had many disciples in my life, but I only have three true students. From now on, you will be my last student. This old man doesn’t want you to take the imperial exam, and you’re personality is not suited for that… This old man wants you to become the country of Zhao’s grand scholar once I die!

“Not only the country of Zhao, there are many countries on planet Suzaku. This old man wants you to become the grand scholar of the entire planet! This is a life without riches and glory or monstrous power, but you will be able to comprehend the world and have you own thoughts!

“In this world, since there are mortals like us, there are naturally immortals. Many immortals have come to me, asking me to walk the path of dao, but they were all rejected by me.

“This old man smiles and looks at the sky. I have my own ideals. I pursue no dao, but I comprehend the truth of the world. Although my body is fragile, my mind can live forever and break open the cage. Although these immortals can kill us mortals with just a finger, they still have to lower their noble heads before the world’s grand scholar!

“Immortals cultivate to defy the heavens, but us scholars comprehend the heavens. That is also defying the heavens!

“If the heavens have a spirit, then in its eyes, the immortals are just mortals like us! They are mortals and we are mortals. The only difference is that they have the power to make the mountains crumble and we have an understanding of the heavens. In the end, it all intersects.

“This teacher has taken in many students that are cultivators who came to Teacher in hopes of reaching the Soul Formation stage. Some pursued even deeper into the meaning of dao!

“This kind of life is ordinary but not ordinary. Wang Lin, are you willing to choose this path?” At this moment, although Su Dao was merely an ordinary old man under the moonlight, Wang Lin could feel a mighty aura from him.

This aura came from comprehending the truth of the world and having one’s own thoughts. It was this that allowed Su Dao to stand at the top.

That will was like a flame that burned inside Su Dao, and it was heaven-shaking.

“Scholar, Grand Scholar, and finally Lord Scholar!” Su Dao had his hands behind his back as he looked at Wang Lin.

Wang Lin silently pondered, and after a long time, he knelt and bowed at Su Dao.

At this moment, Wang Lin had just turned 19 and Su Dao was now 83.

Su Dao smiled as he grabbed Wang Lin’s hand and supported Wang Lin up from the ground. Their words echoed inside the courtyard.

“This old man entered the world as a boy and returned home middle-aged. I traveled all over Zhao and also went to many other countries. I saw mountains, I saw rivers, I saw life. At age 50, my wife died and this old man griefed before her grave. It was there that I gained enlightenment about the world. Every time I thought about life, I would remember the time that I knew her.

“After that, my thoughts turned to karma.

“What is this karma? Why does a karma cycle exist in this world…”

One night passed, and Wang Lin’s life changed on this night. He no longer pursued the imperial exam but pondered his own life’s desires. Aside from being filial to his parents, he wanted to understand the world and pursue that voice in his mind.   

“What is karma… What is life and death… What is true and false…”

He and Big Fortune lived inside Su Dao’s mansion and listened to Su Dao’s teachings every day. The aura of a great scholar became stronger and stronger inside his body.

Several dozen people received the title of Chosen Su and went to the imperial capital after the exam. Some rose and some fell, but none of this could move Wang Lin anymore.

He hadn’t entered the exam, but Wang Lin’s reputation had soared in the country of Zhao, surpassing those that had soared into the imperial capital. Although he hadn’t left the Su mansion, as time passed, people came to visit Su Dao, and Wang Lin was the one that came out to greet them.

Wang Lin had seen a lot of people, whether it was mortal students, rich royalty, and even cultivators. He became even more calm, he started loving wine even more, and he became even more leisurely.

In the blink of an eye, years passed. As the willow leaves fell, Wang Lin was about to become middle-aged. He stood in the courtyard where Su Dao had taken him as a student 10 years ago, watching the willow leaves cover the ground.

Su Dao’s body had become even older. Time had taken a lot from his body and left a lot on his body. He could no longer drink and talk all night with Wang Lin like 10 years ago. He sat in a chair with two servants helping him move. He watched the willow leaves fly with Wang Lin.

Wang Lin’s expression was calm. After sending the two servants away, he pushed Su Dao’s chair.

“Lin Er, look at these willow leaves. They are here year after year. Even if Teacher is gone, they will still come every season as if they have an agreement with heaven.” Su Dao’s voice was hoarse, but his spirit was very good. He lifted his right hand and one of the willow leaves fell in his palm.

Wang Lin softly said, “This willow leaf is life.”

Su Dao looked at the willow leaf and slowly said, “Life isn’t it just a ball of karma. It floats before you, but if you try to seize it, you can’t catch it. Only when it’s tired will it fall in your hand.”

As he spoke, a soft breeze came, causing the willow leaf in his palm to fly away.

“Karma, karma. Wang Lin, if you can find your own way among the countless willow leaves, then you will know what karma is.” Su Dao smiled and pointed at the sky.

“That ball of willow leaves is Teacher!”

Wang Lin looked up and looked at where Su Dao was pointing. However, there were many willow leaves in the sky, so he didn’t know which one Su Dao was pointing toward.

“You can’t see it because that willow leaf is my entire life…” Su Dao closed his eyes and two streams of tears rolled down.

“It is two willow leaves, they were tangled together due to the wind. That’s my life with her…” In Su Dao’s eyes, all the willow leaves had disappeared, all of them beside the two that were sticking together. They flew further and further away.

“That year, when the willow leaves flew through the sky, I saw you on the bridge. I saw the confusion in your eyes. I thought you were like a rootless willow leaf. You were very helpless and confused. It was as if there was a problem that you couldn’t understand.

“I saw you and saw the willow leaf that flew by. That was your life; it swirled before you, but you weren’t able to see it, so it came before me.

“I saw the willow leaf, but you must have thought I was looking at you… I asked the willow leaf the question, but you must have thought I was asking you...

“At that time, I was thinking I should help you.” Su Dao turned his head. His old face revealed a kind expression as he looked at Wang Lin.

Wang Lin’s body trembled.

“You are the last karma in my life. I’ve always felt like I’ve see you somewhere else before.” Su Dao turned around and looked at the sky.

“As years pass, people will see the willow leaves cover the city. They don’t understand that the willow leaves come to find the person they are connected to. Each willow leaf represents the entire life of a person...

“However, in the end, they land in the water, they land in the dust, and dissipate before our eyes… It’s not that they can’t find us, but we aren’t able to find the one that belongs to us.”

Wang Lin silently raised his head and looked at the flowing willow leaves in the sky, a scene that was just like 10 years ago.

He eventually saw a group of willow leaves. There were two that seem to be glued together. The willow leaves fluttered endlessly, and no matter how hard the wind blew, it wasn’t able to separate them.

Zither music seemed to come from somewhere, floating into this ears. It was as if a woman was waiting, and the only thing to accompanying her was the zither music.

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