Chapter 035 Bodhi
Wang Yue took me back to the bedroom, and I mustered up the courage to open the chest of drawers again. Inside was the puppet in red. I resisted the discomfort and moved the puppet away with my hands to check if there were any usable props inside.
Suddenly, the puppet's head fell to the ground with a "gulp". I was so scared that I almost had a heart attack. At this time, I saw a few words on the wall behind the puppet's head.
I quickly took the puppets down from the clothes hooks. It was dark inside, but the words were still clear: "Why are you trying to hurt me?"
This sentence was like the last straw that broke the camel's back. I completely collapsed and bowed towards the cupboard. Tears kept streaming down my face. I clasped my hands together and murmured, "Auntie, I'm sorry. I was too young at that time and I said something without thinking. Please forgive me!" I repeated this sentence over and over again. I was repenting from the bottom of my heart. I really, really regretted it.
At this time, Wang Yue said softly: "Lin Cong, there is something in the cabinet."
I wiped my tears and looked up. There was a long cylindrical object in the deepest part of the cabinet. I reached in and took it out. It turned out to be a red candle.
Wang Yue and I looked at each other, and Wang Yue breathed a sigh of relief: "With this lighting tool, we can get out."
In an instant, I felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders, and an indescribable tiredness swept over my whole body.
Wang Yue said: "It's still early before the 24-hour deadline, why don't you take a rest first."
"Where will we go after we get out? Will we be able to find my mother?" I asked.
Wang Yue said: "After we get out, there will be the second level. It may be my fourth level, or it may be your second level. We must pass seven levels here in a row to have a chance to find what we want. Take a rest. After we get out , there will be more difficult challenges waiting for us."
My eyelids became sticky and I nodded, "Take a break."
There happened to be such a big bed in the bedroom. My legs felt as if they were filled with lead. I moved to the bed with difficulty, fell on it, and fell into a deep sleep.
I didn't dream. This sleep was very sweet, like a fleeting moment, it seemed very short and yet very long. I was sleeping comfortably when Wang Yue woke me up. My whole mental state was very good.
Wang Yue said softly: "You have slept for ten hours, it's almost time, we should go."
I turned over and sat up in bed, waking up a little. Wang Yue lit the candle with the last match. The flame rose slowly and swayed from side to side, as if there was an invisible wind in the room.
Wang Yue was holding a candle in front, and I was at the back, holding hands, we walked one after the other to the dark corridor. I could see that she was very nervous, so she took a deep breath and took the first step.
The corridor was extremely dark, and I couldn't see my hand in front of me. The thick darkness became real and enveloped everything around me. Wang Yue and I walked forward slowly.
In such darkness, time and space are not the same as our usual perception. I don’t know how long I walked before Wang Yue suddenly squeezed my hand tightly. She was extremely nervous.
I saw a large group of very faint light points moving in the depths of the darkness, far away, like the eyes of a group of creatures. My heart skipped a beat and I suddenly became nervous. Could it be that the second level was ahead?
I couldn't see anything around me, only the flickering candle flames, which could only illuminate an area less than one meter away. In such an environment, stress and anxiety were multiplied.
There was a breeze blowing in front of me, and my skin felt cool. I asked Wang Yue softly what was ahead. Her face turned pale as paper, and she shook her head and said she didn't know.
We walked for a long time, and the light spots were always moving in front of us, up or down, left or right, always keeping a long distance from us. It felt like walking under the starry sky late at night.
The light ahead was very bright, as if we had reached the exit. Wang Yue held me tightly, and we were both extremely excited .
Walking towards the light, there was a wooden door in front of her. Wang Yue held up a candle and looked at it. The door was very old in style, with carved patterns all over it. It looked like a door in a temple.
An idea suddenly came to my mind. Wang Yue was about to push the door open and go out, so I grabbed her.
"What's wrong?" Wang Yue asked softly.
"I don't know why," I said, "but this door reminds me of that strange painting."
The content of the painting is about the experience of the geological exploration team exploring the ancient temple.
"What did you think of?" she asked.
I blinked. "Wang Yue, do you think if we open this door, will we enter the scene in the painting? Will we see my father and mother? When I see this wooden door, I always think of the ancient temple behind it."
Wang Yue was also a little hesitant. At this time, the candle flame had almost burned to the bottom, with only a short section left.
"No matter where we go, I believe we will get through it, right?" Wang Yue looked at me.
I sighed. It was impossible to turn back after coming here. I had to try even if there were many dangers ahead. Besides, it would be good to go to the ancient temple. I could investigate the strangeness and mystery of the temple and find out the reason why .
I put both hands on the door and pushed hard. The wooden door creaked open. Wang Yue and I looked out at the same time and were stunned.
What was outside was not the ancient temple as imagined, but an exquisite small courtyard.
There was a huge tree in the middle of the yard, with a twisted and thick trunk and many branches, twisted and knotted, spiraling upward. Looking up, the sky was a deep yellow like an oil painting, with no sun or moon, floating in the distance like a background.
The whole scene is magnificent, with an indescribable poetic feeling, as if you have walked into a painting by a master.
We walked into the yard, and the candle went out as we took a step forward, finally dissipating in a wisp of smoke.
The candle is a symbol, symbolizing that we have successfully passed the first level and everything is over.
We stood in the yard, looking up at the big tree, and Wang Yue said, "Lin Cong, do you know what kind of tree this is?"
I shook my head and asked her what tree it was.
Wang Yue said: "This is a Bodhi tree."
I was shocked and looked at it carefully. I had always heard of the Bodhi tree, the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment for seven days and seven nights. I never thought this was the Bodhi tree. I thought it was just a legendary tree.
The Bodhi tree in front of me is lush and green, like a crown. I don’t know if it’s a psychological effect, but it does feel otherworldly, with charm and aura.
"What's next?" I asked.
Wang Yue shook her head, indicating that she didn't know.
I said, "Then let's split up and search the yard to see if there is a door?"
Because the tree was in the middle, we split up and could only look for it one to the left and the other to the right. I was about to leave when Wang Yue suddenly called me: "Lin Cong, I remembered something."
I looked back at her.
"That year I went to Qinghai," she said. "I was lucky enough to see a Bodhi tree in an ancient temple. The tour guide told me that we could only walk clockwise and not counterclockwise when we walked by the Bodhi tree, otherwise it would be disrespectful. So we could only walk left and not right."
I looked at her and nodded after a long while, "Okay."
We started from the left side of the tree and walked around, observing the surrounding walls. After walking around, we found that there was no door in the yard. The whole yard was completely enclosed, with high walls on all four sides, and we couldn't get out .
We walked around again and still found nothing.
Wang Yue said she was a little tired and wanted to take a rest. We sat under the tree. It was neither too hot nor too cold, and there was no wind. It felt very comfortable. I leaned against the tree and saw the dim sky through the layers of leaves. I felt an indescribable sense of comfort, and my heart was completely empty.
Wang Yue leaned against me, she was also looking at the sky, and said softly: "Lin Cong, do you still remember the Yinwen I told you about?"
"I remember." I said, "You said that a book from the underworld was lost to the world of the living, which recorded many things about the underworld and the bardo. The Yin characters are words from the underworld. They have magic power and energy and can form a barrier. You also said that my mother has a Yin character barrier on her body."
"Yes." Wang Yue nodded: "In fact, after the book was lost in the world of the living, it was divided into two volumes, and I have the lower volume in my hand."
When I heard that, I immediately perked up, turned over and sat up to look at her.
Wang Yue said: "It's a pity that I can't decipher the Yinwen, and I don't know the mystery inside. I have been looking at it for many years and still can't figure it out. Now even if I can find your mother here, I can't decipher the Yinwen barrier, so it's also a question whether I can rescue her."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" I said.
Wang Yue smiled bitterly: "You are eager to save your mother. Besides, I never expected us to break through the seven levels in one go. This time I came here just to let you experience the mystery of the bardo realm."
I leaned against the tree dejectedly: "I really understand."
"After you get out, you need to find the first volume of the Yin text. I suspect there are annotations in the first volume." Wang Yue said, "Also, your current ability is not enough to pass the seven levels of the Yin. If you have the opportunity after you get out, learn some skills and come back again."
The more I listened, the more something didn't seem right. It sounded like she was making some arrangements for her funeral.
Wang Yue smiled and said, "Let's take a break first. We can't be in a hurry here."
"Are you hiding something from me?" I asked doubtfully.
