117: Chapter 117 Bai Ze's Support
After dawn, Li Haoran was still sitting on that rock.
His complexion was better than yesterday, but still pale. The consumption of Noble Spirit was too great; it couldn't be recovered in a short time.
Lin Yuan sat beside him, leaning against his shoulder and falling asleep.
Li Haoran didn't move.
He just gazed at those corpses, at that heart lamp still burning, and at the gradually brightening sky.
Footsteps approached.
He looked back.
Bai Ze walked over and lay down beside him.
Li Haoran looked at it.
"Senior."
Bai Ze nodded.
"That lamp, is it your disciple's?"
Li Haoran nodded.
"Yes. His name is Zhang Qingyuan."
Bai Ze looked at the lamp.
"The lamp is good. It can steady the heart."
Li Haoran was silent for a moment.
"Did Senior come to find me for something?"
Bai Ze looked at him.
"I did."
It paused.
"That Noble Spirit of yours, can it still be used?"
Li Haoran felt inside his body.
"I can. It's just very weak."
Bai Ze nodded.
"Weak is fine. As long as it can be used."
It looked toward those who were still alive.
"Next, I need you to do me a favor."
Li Haoran looked at it.
"What favor?"
Bai Ze said softly:
"Support."
Bai Ze stood up and walked to the center of the ruins.
Those who were alive saw it and gathered around.
Daoists from Longhu Mountain, martial monks from Shaolin, Confucian scholars from Yuelu, swordsmen from Qingcheng, those Loose Cultivators—over four hundred people formed a circle and looked at it.
Bai Ze looked at those people.
"You fought a hard battle yesterday."
No one spoke.
Bai Ze continued:
"Forty-three brothers died. Over a hundred were injured. The rest are also exhausted."
It paused.
"But today, there are still today's matters."
Someone asked:
"What matters?"
Bai Ze looked toward the direction of The Rift.
"The Demon Tide has receded, but The Rift is still there. The core of resentment is still there. The next wave of the Demon Tide could come at any time."
It looked at those people.
"Do you want to live?"
Those people looked at each other.
Bai Ze asked:
"Do you want to live?"
Someone nodded.
Someone hesitated.
Someone looked at their hands, which were still shaking.
Bai Ze smiled.
"It's right to want to live. Those who don't want to live are madmen."
It looked at those people.
"But just wanting to live isn't enough to survive. You have to know how to live."
It walked up to a young Daoist.
"You, what's your name?"
The Daoist was startled.
"I... my name is Qingfeng."
Bai Ze nodded.
"Qingfeng, how many demon soldiers did you kill yesterday?"
Qingfeng thought for a moment.
"Five... or six? I can't remember clearly."
Bai Ze asked:
"Are you tired?"
Qingfeng nodded.
"I am."
Bai Ze asked:
"Are you afraid?"
Qingfeng was silent for a moment.
"I am."
Bai Ze smiled.
"It's right to be afraid. Those who aren't afraid don't live long."
It turned and looked at everyone.
"You are afraid, you are tired, and you want to live. None of that is wrong."
It paused.
"But do you know why you were able to survive yesterday?"
No one answered.
Bai Ze continued on its own.
"Because you weren't alone."
It looked at those people.
"You had Talisman Arrays to trap the enemy, Arhat Arrays to block the enemy, Noble Spirit to protect you, and Sword Arrays to seal the path. There were over four hundred of you, fighting together."
It paused.
"One person cannot defeat three thousand demon soldiers. But over four hundred people can."
Those people listened, lost in thought.
Bai Ze continued:
"It's the same today. One person cannot guard this Rift. But over four hundred people can."
It looked at those people.
"But four hundred people are not just four hundred individuals. They are four hundred people walking together."
It paused.
"People walking together must watch each other's backs."
Li Haoran stood outside the crowd, listening to Bai Ze's words.
He remembered what Lu Mingyuan had said—'A person walking the path does not walk alone.'
He thought of those who had died, those who were alive, and those who were still on the road.
He thought of what he had said to his students—'Character is standing up when it's time to stand up.'
He looked at Bai Ze.
That Divine Beast, who had lived for countless years, was using the simplest words to tell these people the most fundamental truths.
He suddenly understood something.
Bai Ze wasn't giving a lecture.
It was providing support.
Supporting these people's hearts.
He took a deep breath and walked to Bai Ze's side.
"Senior, let me."
Bai Ze looked at him.
"Can you do it?"
Li Haoran nodded.
"I can."
He turned around to face the people.
Noble Spirit surged from his body; though it was weak, it was indeed Noble Spirit.
He looked at them and spoke.
"Everyone."
He said.
"Senior Bai Ze is right. We are not alone."
He looked at those young faces.
"Yesterday, forty-three of our brothers died. But we won. Why did we win?"
He paused.
"Because we fought together. When the Talisman Array trapped the enemy, someone was protecting the rear. When the Arhat Array blocked the enemy, someone was holding the front. When the Noble Spirit protected us, someone was supporting it with their life. When the Sword Array sealed the path, someone was sealing it with their life."
He looked at those people.
"This is what it means to walk together."
He paused.
"Today, tomorrow, the day after—as long as this Rift remains, we must walk together. Guard together. Watch each other's backs."
He looked into their eyes.
"Are you willing?"
Silence.
The wind blew past, and their robes fluttered gently.
Then, someone spoke.
"I am."
It was Qingfeng.
He stepped out and stood beside Li Haoran.
Then came the second, the third, the fourth—
One by one, those people stepped out and stood in a line.
Over four hundred people stood together.
Li Haoran looked at them, his eyes growing hot.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing would come out.
Bai Ze walked to his side.
"That's enough."
It said.
"Their hearts are steadied."
Lu Mingyuan stood in the distance, watching all this.
Zhang Qingyuan held the heart lamp and stood beside him.
"Master, what is Senior Bai Ze doing?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"Providing support."
Zhang Qingyuan asked:
"Supporting what?"
Lu Mingyuan looked at those people.
"Supporting their hearts."
He paused.
"After a battle, people tend to scatter. If the heart scatters, the people scatter. Bai Ze is helping them gather their hearts back together."
Zhang Qingyuan nodded, half-understanding.
He looked at those people, watched them stand in a line, and saw the expressions on their faces.
Those expressions were different from yesterday.
Yesterday's expression was the exhaustion and bewilderment after a battle.
Today's expression was the determination of knowing what to do next.
He suddenly understood one thing.
Fighting the battle wasn't the hardest part.
The hardest part was continuing to guard after the battle was over.
He looked at Bai Ze, at that Divine Beast lying in the center of the crowd.
It hadn't done anything but say a few words.
But those few words were more effective than anything else.
He remembered what Bai Ze had said—'I am Bai Ze. I understand the feelings of all things.'
Understanding the feelings of all things wasn't just about knowing what the dead lacked.
It was also about knowing what the living needed.
He held the lamp and stood there, suddenly feeling that this lamp's light had become more meaningful.
Bai Ze lay there, squinting its eyes.
After the people dispersed, Li Haoran walked to its side.
"Senior."
Bai Ze opened its eyes.
"Hmm?"
Li Haoran was silent for a moment.
"Thank you."
Bai Ze looked at him.
"For what?"
Li Haoran thought for a moment.
"For helping me steady them."
Bai Ze smiled.
"I wasn't helping you. I was helping myself."
It looked at those people.
"If they live, I live. If they die, I won't live long either."
It paused.
"So, helping them is helping myself."
Li Haoran was stunned.
He looked at Bai Ze, at that Divine Beast that had lived for countless years.
When it said this, its tone was very calm.
But beneath that calmness, something was surging.
He thought of those who had died.
When they died, did they ever think about what would happen to others once they were gone?
He didn't know.
But he knew one thing—
Bai Ze was worried.
Worried that these people wouldn't be able to hold on, worried that they would die, worried that it would lose them.
It had lived for so long and seen so many people; it should have gotten used to it long ago.
But it hadn't.
It still cared.
He looked at Bai Ze and suddenly felt that this Divine Beast was... more human than he had imagined.
Bai Ze looked at him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Li Haoran shook his head.
"Nothing."
Bai Ze smiled.
"You can't fool me. I am Bai Ze. I understand the feelings of all things."
It paused.
"You're wondering why I care, right?"
Li Haoran remained silent.
Bai Ze looked into the distance.
"Because I care, I am alive."
It said softly.
"Those who don't care have long since died. Died in the long years, died in the endless loneliness. Those who are alive are all those who care."
Li Haoran was stunned.
He looked at Bai Ze for a long, long time.
Then, he bowed deeply.
"Senior, thank you for the lesson."
Bai Ze waved a paw.
"Go on. There are still things to do over there."
Li Haoran nodded and turned to leave.
Bai Ze lay there, watching his receding back.
Then, it closed its eyes.
The sunlight fell on it, warm and pleasant.
It suddenly remembered a long time ago, when someone had asked it a question.
That person said, 'Bai Ze, you've lived so long and seen so many people. What do you fear most?'
It hadn't answered then.
Now it knew the answer.
What it feared most was watching these people it cared about die one by one.
It opened its eyes and looked toward Lu Mingyuan's direction.
That man was talking to Zhang Qingyuan.
The sunlight shone on him, making his silhouette exceptionally clear.
It looked at that man and suddenly smiled.
This person was worth caring about.
At dusk, Bai Ze gathered everyone together.
It stood on a giant rock, looking at those people.
"Today, I'm going to teach you one thing."
Those people looked at it, waiting for it to continue.
Bai Ze paused.
"Support."
It said.
"Not the support of battle. The support of the heart."
It looked at those people.
"You fought a hard battle yesterday. Forty-three brothers died. Over a hundred were injured. The rest are also exhausted."
It paused.
"But today, you are still here. Why?"
No one answered.
Bai Ze continued on its own.
"Because you watch each other's backs."
It looked at those people.
"That one drawing talismans—when he trapped the demon soldiers, was there someone protecting him?"
Someone nodded.
"That little monk—when he blocked the demon soldiers, was there someone helping him?"
Another person nodded.
"That scholar—when his Noble Spirit protected everyone, was there someone watching him?"
More people nodded.
Bai Ze smiled.
"That's it."
It said.
"You watch each other's backs. Therefore, you are all alive."
It paused.
"From today on, you must continue to watch each other's backs. Not for one day, not for two days, but for every day."
It looked at those people.
"Can you do it?"
Silence.
Then, someone spoke.
"We can."
It was Qingfeng.
He stepped out and looked at Bai Ze.
"Senior, we can."
Bai Ze looked at him and nodded.
"Good."
It jumped down from the giant rock.
"Then remember today's words."
It walked into the distance.
After a few steps, it suddenly stopped.
"By the way."
It turned back to look at them.
"That lamp of yours is very good. Keep it lit."
It paused.
"As long as it's lit, there's a path."
Having said that, it continued walking forward.
Those people stood there, watching its receding back for a long, long time.
Then, they turned and dispersed.
But they knew that from this day forward, they were no longer four hundred-plus scattered soldiers.
They were—the Zhenyi Alliance.
They were people who watched each other's backs.
At night, Bai Ze lie beside Lu Mingyuan.
Lu Mingyuan looked at it.
"You said a lot today."
Bai Ze nodded.
"I did."
Lu Mingyuan asked:
"Are you tired?"
Bai Ze thought for a moment.
"A little."
Lu Mingyuan smiled.
"That's rare."
Bai Ze also smiled.
"Rare indeed."
It looked at the night sky.
"You know, I've lived for so long, but I've rarely spoken this much."
Lu Mingyuan looked at it.
"Why?"
Bai Ze was silent for a moment.
"Because speaking was useless."
It looked toward the direction of the people.
"But today, it seems to have been of some use."
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"It was very useful."
Bai Ze smiled.
"That's good then."
It closed its eyes.
Lu Mingyuan looked at it, at the scars on its body that hadn't completely healed.
Then, he said softly:
"Bai Ze."
Bai Ze opened its eyes.
"Hmm?"
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment.
"Thank you."
Bai Ze looked at him.
"For what?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"For helping me watch over them."
Bai Ze smiled.
"No need to thank me. I am your Divine Beast. Those you care about, I care about too."
It closed its eyes.
"Sleep. Tomorrow has tomorrow's matters."
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
He leaned against the rock, gazing at the night sky.
There were many stars, and they were very bright.
He thought of those who had died, those who were alive, and those who were still on the road.
Then, he closed his eyes.
In his ears was the sound of the night wind, the chirping of insects in the grass, and the faint sound of people breathing.
It was very quiet.
But he knew that this quietness was bought with the lives of many.
He took a deep breath.
Tomorrow, the guarding must continue.