https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-737-The-Tuberculosis-Ghost-s-Wedding/12919922/
Chapter 736: Three Shadows
Chapter 736: Three Shadows
The sudden appearance of Si Zhou also brought the entire caravan to a halt.
Kindness Fairy was startled and quickly rummaged through her bundle to find her dust brush. After a while, she found it and cautiously peered out the window.
Si Zhou's eyes widened as she saw the carriage curtain slowly lift, revealing half of Hu Ma's face. Hu Ma stared at her intently and asked, "What happened?"
"I was about to ask you..."
Si Zhou's heart raced, but seeing Hu Ma's calm demeanor, she didn't know what to say.
Her face turned slightly red, and she waved her hand, saying, "I must have been mistaken. What...what do you want to eat for lunch?"
"Anything is fine!" Hu Ma replied nonchalantly, then lowered the carriage curtain.
Si Zhou returned to her carriage, her mind filled with astonishment. The Kindness Fairy, with whom she had been chatting happily just moments ago, now stared at her in silence. Soon, Si Zhou quietly exited her carriage and returned to her own.
"You're quite perceptive..." Hu Ma sighed softly. He had already seen what he needed to see on the bridge.
He had borrowed the Longevity Gate Dao to observe, after all, he had the foundation of a Longevity practitioner, making it more controllable.
Initially, he thought crossing the bridge was an extremely complex matter, but now it seemed that once everything was in place, even the most complex task could become the simplest. And with just a glance, he had already seen enough...
At this moment, he struggled to describe his feelings.
In that brief glance, he saw more than he had felt in years of cultivation.
"This..." He carefully recalled the scene he had witnessed, his emotions stirred. "Is this fate?"
Indeed, it was something he needed to see for himself.
No matter how much Old Abacus explained or how many others spoke of it, the concept of fate remained vague and uncertain.
Until that moment! In that instant, Hu Ma felt as if he suddenly leaned back, his posture resembling that of the Malevolent Spirit Great Swordmaster, Cui Magu, who had come to Old Yin Mountain to kill him.
But this time, he didn't fall out of the carriage; instead, he seemed to leave this world. For a fleeting moment, he felt detached from reality, as if he had ascended to a realm slightly higher than the mortal world, observing his earthly self.
He could sense his body and soul witnessing the intricate changes in this world, even faintly touching upon its transformations. He watched his earthly self, confined within a solid realm, following its predetermined path.
It was like standing on the shore, leaning over to observe fish in the water.
For that brief moment, he seemed to have entered a different dimension, looking down upon his earthly self.
"You..."
As he pondered, Old Abacus's terrified voice suddenly rang out from outside the carriage, "Don't tell me you've already seen it?"
Hu Ma slowly nodded, "Yes!"
"Oh my..."
Old Abacus was so shocked he nearly fell off the donkey's back, "Is there really someone with such a profound foundation?"
"Does crossing the bridge mean detaching from this world?"
Hu Ma didn't explain, not even to the Malevolent Spirit Great Swordmaster. He slowly said, "When a Longevity practitioner cultivates, they can look within and see their own cultivation and techniques. This bridge-crossing method is the opposite; it's looking outward."
"You stand in a different dimension, observing your earthly self..."
"I..."
In his entire life, Old Abacus had never imagined he would need to discuss bridge-crossing with anyone.
His voice trembled as he struggled to find the right words, "I don't know about other things, but I've heard people say that crossing the bridge is about transcendence."
"The further you are from the mortal world, the clearer you can see your earthly self, just like a chess piece outside the board can see the entire game. When a ghost or deity leaves its physical body, it can perceive cause and effect..."
"A person's abilities reach their peak after opening the Three Mansion Doors, but it is precisely by taking this step that they gain a clearer vision, and with heightened insight, they acquire many abilities they didn't possess before."
"The further away you are, the clearer your vision becomes. You can even perceive the workings of heaven and earth, and with a single thought, winds blow and rains fall. You can see others' spells before they reach you."
"However, this distance is limited."
"The further you go on the bridge, the less likely you are to be harmed by mortal spells, but the further you are from the mortal world, the harder it is to return or move on..."
"..."
Lacking personal experience, Old Abacus could only relay what he had heard from others to Hu Ma. But as he spoke, he paused.
Tentatively, he asked, "Did you just see your fate?"
Hu Ma took a deep breath and said, "Fate is the space given to you by the mystical heavens."
"In this world, how many steps you can take, how much wealth you can accumulate, when you will be born and die, how long you will live, how much fortune and fate you will have, and how much weight you can bear—all of these are predetermined..."
Old Abacus's voice trembled as he whispered, "I've heard that human fate is like a shadow..."
"The heavens have their plans, and everything is predetermined. Humans can calculate the heavens, and the heavens can calculate humans."
"At this moment, Hu Ma did not respond to his words but was instead engulfed by the terror that the previous glance had brought.
He also understood the words of the person from the Daozai Sect who had spoken to him earlier.
As the person retreated back onto the bridge, they could see their human self, as if the blazing sun was shining upon them, and the shadow it cast was their own trajectory, their fate in this world. This was the meaning behind the saying, 'A person's fate is like their shadow.'
But why...
...did they see three shadows with just one glance?
One real, two illusory, like bone-eating maggots, entwining and enveloping.
As if... sewn together!
An invisible panic crowded his heart, as if it was about to overflow.
Lao Abacus outside the carriage thought Hu Ma wouldn't ask him again and was about to make a quick escape when he suddenly heard Hu Ma's hoarse voice asking from inside the carriage, "You mentioned killing yourself and taking fate from heaven and earth. What kind of method is that?"
Lao Abacus's heart trembled, and he became somewhat worried, subconsciously not wanting to tell Hu Ma.
But in the end, he didn't have the courage, and slowly explained, "Life and death are destined. People are born according to their fate, and they should also die according to their fate. That time in Guazhou, the Yan family's elder took the pill to prolong his life, precisely to take fate from heaven and earth."
"However, he ultimately sought external means and fell into a lower realm. In the eyes of others, it was a joke. But what if he hadn't taken the pill and instead relied on his own abilities to break through this realm?"
"..."
Hu Ma was taken aback and said, "But he lived nearly a hundred years; he was already at the end of his life."
"The same goes for you and me."
Lao Abacus spoke softly, "People have their natural lifespan, and there are also those who die prematurely. Originally, dying of old age is the proper way, but nowadays, the heavens have changed, and those who die prematurely are also counted. The mystical heavens take notice and calculate your fate."
"So, if one can first enter the intermediate realm and attract the mystical calculations, then forcefully return to the living, they can take their fate. Compared to the method of crossing the bridge, one is to hide, and the other is to change, but the purpose is the same—in the end, it's just to take one more step."
"But... this method is difficult, and you can't pretend. You must face a real life-threatening situation to deceive heaven and earth."
"..."
"Enter the intermediate realm and change the mystical calculations..."
As Hu Ma listened to the method, it became more and more familiar. Suddenly, he realized, "The method you're talking about, how is it so similar to the Meng family's method?"
Seeing that Hu Ma had figured it out, Lao Abacus smiled bitterly and nodded, saying softly, "There are already many deviant methods among the various sects in the world. And among them, the most practical one is precisely the Meng family's."
"The Meng family's method is not orthodox, but it requires them to rely on the most evil and impure ancestor. This, in turn, makes them extremely demanding of their own Dao practice. Other sects can get by with less effort, but this Dao practice method cannot afford any mistakes."
"The Dalaofa Religion's Human Gateway method is derived from various sects. The one they borrowed the most from is precisely the Meng family's method!"
"..."
"..."
Hu Ma had no intention of doing so but patiently listened, his heart feeling like a turbulent sea with towering waves.
Amidst the surprise in his heart, he quickly changed the topic, not mentioning that he not only understood the Meng family's method but had also obtained their secret.
He carefully compared it to the intermediate realm fate-taking method that Lao Abacus had mentioned, noting the differences, and his heart gradually began to beat with excitement.
He was naturally wary of the Dalaofa Religion's methods, but now, as he listened, he couldn't find any flaws.
Amidst this dilemma, he contemplated inside the carriage while the group outside continued on horseback, unaware that the sun had already begun to set in the west. Ahead, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air.
A scout came to report that the four directions were under military attack, and many villages had been abandoned. Only a village ahead still had people, and they were holding a lively wedding celebration with drumming and trumpeting. Guests were invited to join the festivities.
After sitting in the carriage all day, Kindness Fairy was tired and wanted to rest. At this moment, Xiao Douguan poked his head out and said, "In times like these, who would hold such a grand celebration?"
"Moreover, I see dark winds and blood energy surging ahead. There must be demons causing trouble!"
"..."
Kindness Fairy said, "Then what do you suggest? We've been traveling all day, and even the Supreme Teacher is exhausted."
Xiao Douguan thought for a moment and said, "The road is narrow, and they're blocking our way. We're escorting a funeral procession and can't turn back, or the deceased's spirit might harm the house. Let's go straight ahead!"
"If they're celebrating, we'll celebrate too. We'll raise our white pennant, and when they see we're a funeral procession, they might let us pass!"
"..."
Kindness Fairy agreed and gave the order. The servants were well-prepared and quickly wrapped white hemp cloth around their heads, while others took out suona horns, gongs, and drums, creating a lively commotion.
As the sun's rays faded behind the mountains, a dazzling red light shone ahead, contrasting with the somber white procession and its mournful music. The two groups approached each other, one joyous and the other sorrowful.
(End of Chapter)
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