Chapter 19: The Truth of Suffering is The Path

Time is like a golden thread in the dark starry sky of dead silence. As the sun descended in the west, its golden rays spilled like liquid gold, staining the horizon crimson. The crescent moon spring in the desert gleamed like a pearl embedded in the yellow sands.

On the banks of the crescent moon lake stood an ancient temple, towering in the morning light, as if time had frozen here, preserving the traces of years gone by. Legend had it that this temple was built by a Buddhist master a thousand years ago, who returned from the Southern Dipper Region with scriptures in hand, carrying the ancient wisdom and religious solemnity.

Stepping into the temple, one would be greeted by a middle-aged man seated in a tranquil meditation room. Ancient scrolls were piled around him like mountains, forming a vast ocean of knowledge, documenting the wisdom and history of thousands of years.

The light filtered through the lattice windows, casting a faint halo that illuminated the middle-aged man's focused expression. His gaze was profound, as if capable of piercing through the mists of time and understanding the vicissitudes of the years. Beside him, ancient scriptures lay heavily on the wooden desk, their pages yellowed, their edges worn, bearing the marks of time's passage.

In this tranquil place, the ancient temple exuded a serene and mysterious atmosphere, as if time had frozen, preserving this sacred ground in millennia of tranquility.

The middle-aged man was named Morlin, with a square face, graying temples, and a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose, engrossed in deciphering ancient scriptures after another.

Molin, an expert in ancient languages, had a passion for exploring old writings. His curiosity spread into many areas of study, much like roots spreading through soil. However, his work environment didn't share his enthusiasm. His boss, a pragmatic person, only valued traditional theories and research that could be published in classic journals.

Despite this, Molin refused to confine his life to interpreting ancient characters on pottery or stones. He found himself idle at work, but it was this limited freedom that opened up another world for him.

He became captivated by the "Book of Daniel," a part of the Bible filled with strange visions and predictions about the world's end. Equally fascinating was "Sumerian Literature," the earliest stories written on clay tablets using wedge-shaped symbols. These ancient writings ignited Molin's imagination, beckoning him to ponder the mysteries of time and existence.

His recent book list from China showed an ancient book called "The Classic of Mountains and Seas." The ancients seemed to have overlooked the earth from space, leisurely traversing the continents of Asia, Africa, and America, leaving detailed records of the local customs and people.

In the ancient tome 'Tui Bei Tu,' Molin found drawings and cryptic texts depicting events of the future, as foreseen by scholars from over 1400 years ago. The eerie accuracy of their visions sent a shiver down Molin's spine, hinting at a mysterious connection between past and present.

Turning his attention to the 'Huangji Jingshi,' Molin found himself drawn into a realm of mathematical precision and cosmic speculation. The ancient sages had meticulously charted universal events, their calculations echoing the enigmatic prophecies of Sumerian literature.

As Molin delved deeper into these ancient texts, he felt the weight of their revelations pressing down upon him. Each scroll seemed to hold a piece of the puzzle, offering glimpses into the mysteries of time and existence.

These books, which seem like myths, have greatly expanded Molin's horizons. He feels as if he has entered the abyss beneath the calm sea, seeing a new world that others would never believe to their last breath. This exploration has also opened the door to the deep fears within his heart.

His gaze was focused and profound, penetrating the pages of history, as he immersed himself in the sea of ​​books, unaware that more than a month had passed. Time was sometimes so long, and sometimes so short, especially when you were engrossed in something you were passionate about, decades could pass in the blink of an eye.

Before him flashed scenes of the Buddha preaching before his Nirvana, disciples solemnly kneeling before him. In the vast sea of ​​people, their faith was like a gentle breeze, soft yet unwavering. But the Buddha stayed silent, his manner lacking the brightness it once had, and the air around him became heavy.

Disciple Ananda was filled with unease, kneeling beside the Buddha, repeatedly inquiring, hoping to receive some guidance from his master. The Buddha's voice was filled with compassion as he described the future world he had seen.

In this world, The Buddha's teachings were being destroyed, Buddhist scriptures deliberately mixed with pseudo-scriptures. People worshipped mud and straw, coated with gold powder, in temples. This was an era known as the Age of Five Corruptions, in which the demon's path prospered, and countless practitioners fell into the wrong path, straying further and further.

In such an environment, people's spirits were suppressed, compassion and care seemed to be forgotten in this bleak world. Malice and ill-will spread like an invisible plague, omnipresent and ceaseless. Human life expectancy was doubly affected by war and life pressures, constantly diminishing.

In this chaotic age, natural disasters and diseases are causing widespread destruction and loss of life. Crops are failing, leading to further hardship. Skyrocketing prices had become a global crisis, the sharp rise in the cost of living making daily life increasingly difficult. Wars between nations continued unabated, people killing each other for power and resources. 

The hearts of the disciples were filled with sorrow and unease until the Buddha prophesied the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha, which would gradually restore order to this chaotic world.

Before his Nirvana, the Buddha handed over his two Dharma implements to the disciple, instructing him to pass them on to Maitreya Buddha in the future.

When Maitreya Buddha accepted the Dharma implements, he would awaken memories of past lives and begin a new preaching to save the world.

In the classroom, A-Lai turned alertly, twisting his head as his gaze searched through the darkness. Suddenly, a muffled wind sound struck him, and a gigantic shadow swept past.

A-Lai's pupils contracted sharply, sensing an immense threat.

He approached the window slowly, sticking his head out through the shattered gap. Suddenly, a dull "thud" echoed, and a villager fell to the ground like a heavy log, raising a cloud of dust.

Soon after, another villager fell into bad luck, as if they were meant to face a scary moment of great trouble.

Unable to wait any longer, a flame ignited in A-Lai's heart. He gently removed some of the tables and chairs blocking the window. The wooden furniture in his hands seemed to become heavier, as if each step was traversing the edge of a cliff.

Beside him, Little Fly's grandfather witnessed everything. He grabbed A-Lai's arm and shook his head vigorously, lowering his voice urgently, "A-Lai, your life is more precious than all of ours combined. Don't take risks!"

A-Lai's face registered a hint of confusion, but the next villager's agonizing scream seemed to dissipate his hesitation, even accelerating his movements.

"No one's life is more noble than another's!"

Sometimes, a hero is born not from careful thought, but from an instinctive reaction to the situation at hand.

Bounding onto the windowsill, A-Lai gripped the wooden frame with his left hand, while his right hand twirled a short spear like a turbo-charged drill, slamming it into the gigantic insect's body and creating a hole the size of a cereal bowl. Mysterious goo splattered all over him.

The huge bug let out a deep cry of pain, lifting its upper body in a threatening way. Lots of small eyes, located above its two main eyes, gave off hundreds of sharp red lights. A-Lai felt a strange feeling, as if he was the target of a hundred sniper rifles with heat-seeking scopes.

Reacting with instinctive agility, A-Lai executed a graceful spin, seamlessly drifting towards another window. In the aftermath, wooden splinters were sent scattering in all directions from the spot A-Lai had just vacated.

The severity of the situation became starkly evident as a pair of colossal pincers descended with lightning speed, ruthlessly transforming the window into a sizable hole. The once-intact structure now bore the scars of the monstrous insect's wrath, testifying to the destructive force unleashed upon it.

"Ah," a cry of surprise made A-Lai hesitate for a second, prompting him to nervously turn his head and glance back. When he caught sight of that familiar, beautiful face, now turned pale with nervousness, her eyes filled with concern. A-Lai gestured urgently for the girl to hide, but couldn't help the smile spreading across his face.

He kicked the window away with one foot, still thrusting with a single hand. His left hand had long been bleeding from the glass, but his right hand continued stabbing the monstrous insect, leaving several holes in its body, even flipping off several of its limbs.

Little Fly saw this and wanted to applaud excitedly, but his body was stiff with fear, and he couldn't even move his fingers.

Driven to madness by the stimuli, the monstrous insect elevated its upper body once more, launching into another frenzied assault. Numerous delicate limbs emerged from the windows, each with agile joints and tiny hairs, poised to ensnare the annoying one.

In the middle of all the crazy wreckage, A-Lai zipped around like a superhero. The air felt super tense as scared girls screamed and dashed under tables for safety. Amidst the chaos, nobody noticed where the grandpa had gone.

The monster creature's huge fangs repeatedly smashed against the window, effortlessly breaking through the wooden walls and creating bowl-sized holes. It was a terrifying display of its strength and lethality, each blow intensifying the fear.

In a flash, A-Lai sensed a wild wind warning him of trouble. He tried to dodge, but the huge bug was too quick. Its hard head crashed through the wall, making a big mess. Its big, glowing fangs swung through the air, making everything look scary.