CH 85

Chapter 85 Butterfly

“Shizi,” the gray-haired abbot sat on the low couch, closed his eyes, and did not look at the person kneeling in front of him, he only asked, “Zhou’s dream is the butterfly, and the butterfly’s dream is Zhou, can Shizi understand? “

Liu Zhongming put his hands together, and answered piously: “Zhuang Zhou turned into a butterfly, and the butterfly is also Zhuang Zhou. The two bodies are one, the figure and shadow follow each other.”

“Foolish son.” The abbot used a water droplet to tap his forehead: “He has never changed into a butterfly, so how can there be two bodies?”

Liu Zhongming was silent, knowing that his answer was not in line with the abbot’s thoughts.

Although he bowed his head, he didn’t care.

It was not only the abbot, but even Qu Chenzhou had said it. The past life has nothing to do with him, even if they were both Liu Zhongming, they were not the same person.

But he didn’t agree. Things may be different, but people will never change, which is why he never forgot Qu Chenzhou’s true body.

The abbot ignored him, but said behind him, “Come here.”

Qu Chenzhou walked forward on his knees, kneeling on the ground and bowing deeply: “I greet Master Zen.”

When he looked up, he saw the abbot’s hand stretched out in front of him, as if to excuse him from the etiquette. At the web between the thumb and forefinger of the hand, a dark red cinnabar mole was born.

His heart jumped and it swept away the contempt before entering the door. This hand with a cinnabar mole once let him see two doors in a desperate situation, how could he forget it?

“This is the truth, this is the lie,” the man looked like a teenager. He curled his hair with his fingers, and asked him with a smile in front of the two doors, “Which one do you choose?”

He chose the truth.

“Why?” Before he entered the door, the man asked him, “Why did you choose this side? If you choose the lying side, you can break free from your natural shackles, right?”

He stopped in front of the door for a moment then pushed it open.

At that time, he was already in a state of death, and he was destined to not be able to retreat completely. His only wish before death was to be able to help Zhongming scout out even more secrets and he also harbored a little selfishness.

He wanted to ask Zhongming one last thing when he saw him again – have you thought about me all these years?

It’s a pity that things were unpredictable. Before seeing him one last time, he was poisoned and turned mute, and he couldn’t ask any more questions.

“It’s you…it’s you,” Qu Chenzhou murmured a few times, then stood up suddenly and asked sharply, “Who are you!”

Liu Zhongming was surprised and immediately grabbed him: “Chenzhou, don’t be unreasonable to the abbot!”

Qu Chenzhou’s heart was filled with fear and hope. He himself was a monster, then what was this person in front of him? This person not only knew his past and present life, but was even his only savior in the realm of nothingness.

He wanted to break free from the cocoon of the past, but he couldn’t cut the messy thread.

Half of him was frantically trying to understand, and half of him was trying his best to get rid of it.

He wanted to hear Liu Zhongming calling out his name when he was happy, and that name was corroding his three souls and seven souls like a deadly poison.

He can walk through the thorns, but he can’t cross the hurdle of Liu Zhongming.

“Master Zen!” Qu Chenzhou threw off Liu Zhongming’s hand, walked over to him as if he was a life-saving straw, and held his hand: “Master Zen.”

He didn’t dare to say more, for fear that the abbot would leak his background in front of Zhongming. He could only clench his hands tightly, and his voice gradually came close to pleading: “Master Zen.”

The abbot stroked his hair with his other hand, and asked the same question just now: “Zhou’s dream is the butterfly, the butterfly’s dream is Zhou, do you understand?”

Qu Chenzhou was stunned for a long time and replied softly: “That is a human being, this is a butterfly, the butterfly is me, and the human is also me.”

The abbot nodded and smiled, and then asked: “How is being a human being? How is being a butterfly?”

Qu Chenzhou seemed to have turned insane being asked this. His past and present lives were mixed up, and it was difficult to distinguish each other. How could he know how it is being a human being and how it is being a butterfly?

“When you are a human, you eat fire and swallow smoke, not wanting to fly.” The abbot also gave him a purified water droplet on the forehead: “When you are a butterfly, you linger in the sea of flowers, not attached to the human world. If you are obsessed with persisting in the wrong way, you will end up swallowing the bitter fruit.”

Liu Zhongming immediately noticed that something was wrong. Qu Chenzhou was almost the same as his answer just now, but the abbot did not refute it. He naturally knew about Qu Chenzhou’s bizarre background, what about the abbot?

No wonder Qu Chenzhou asked “Who are you” with a look of horror just now, but what was that “it’s you”?

Before he could ask a question, the little novice monk next to him brought a tray with a jade ornamental ring on the velvet. This was the end of the meditation, and the two of them were invited out.

Liu Zhongming hurriedly stepped forward and repeatedly asked: “Abbot, he has been in a trance in his daily life lately, can you also give him an protective amulet?”

The abbot looked at him with a smile: “His protective amulet, hasn’t Shizi already prepared it?”

Before he could speak again, the abbot came down from the couch and went back to his room.

The Buddhist Temple was a clean place, and the two people’s residences at night will definitely not be arranged in the same area. Moreover, Bai Shilei was very curious about Qu Chenzhou’s affairs, so he had to squeeze into the room and ask questions. The moon was in the middle of the sky.

Liu Zhongming put on his cloak in the moonlight and came out, holding the things in his arms, and wandering around the courtyard of the parlor for a long time, afraid of disturbing the people who were already lying down and sleeping.

But his heart was messy, he was afraid of lying down and dreaming of things he shouldn’t see.

He understood what the abbot said.

The abbot allowed him to separate reality and dreams, and not be swayed by that illusory and unknown self. The abbot also made Qu Chenzhou distinguish between the past and the present, the past will pass away, this life will be a butterfly, and there will be no turning back.

Can he do it? Can Qu Chenzhou do it? If he was willing to step back, can Qu Chenzhou… also soften?

Seeing the moon shadow drifting under his feet, Liu Zhongming closed his cloak, summoned up his courage and knocked three times, and soon heard a response from the door.

“Coming.”

A pair of feet stopped inside the threshold in cloth shoes, without socks. Thin porcelain-white ankles extended out of the trousers, and the straight calves were extraordinarily slender.

Liu Zhongming was even more distracted by those feet. His eyes gradually moved upward, and he gradually became quiet again in the eyes of the other.

This person always had such power, making him feel turbulent casually, but his indifferent look taught him to be calm. His ups and downs were all in this person’s frowns and smiles.

“You haven’t slept yet?”

“Shizi hasn’t slept yet?” Qu Chenzhou moved his body to the side: “The night is cold and dew is heavy, Shizi come in and sit down.”

With Qu Chenzhou’s current status, he can be in a single room, but it cannot be compared with Liu Zhongming’s residence.

Liu Zhongming walked around the room and saw that the fire was dim and the room was freezing cold, so he took off his cloak and wrapped it around Qu Chenzhou.

“Wear it, this is an order.” Seeing that Qu Chenzhou seemed to want to break free, he scolded him and sat down at the table with his hands in his arms.

It was not good to take out the things directly, so he first asked: “Huai Wang intends to save Ren Rui? Ren Rui was taken by Qi Wang. If Huai Wang sticks his head out, he will face Qi Wang face to face, wouldn’t the previous gesture be a waste? “

Qu Chenzhou sat down with the cloak closed, and even the soles of his feet were covered in the furry warmth. After a moment’s daze, he gently twisted the lining that was still warm, and answered slowly.

“Huai Wang rarely shows up in person when doing things. This is a bad thing and a good thing. Shizi can just see who he will mobilize.”

“I will keep an eye on it,” Liu Zhongming glanced up. His cloak was very large, wrapping the person in a circle and a half. It made him look thin, making people want to love him dearly. He He asked: “Ren Rui is very important to Huai Wang?”

“Shizi has family background and money, but I still recommend the Shizi putting  Jinxiu Ying into the bag,” Qu Chenzhou stretched out a hand from his cloak, placed two teacups on the table, and twirled his fingers on the third piece: “The same is true for Huai Wang.”

Liu Zhongming’s heart moved: “Huai Wang covets military power?”

“Who doesn’t?” Qu Chenzhou asked him back: “In the past dynasties of the Tang family, they have always been scholarly officials. Ning Wang was like that. Even if he wanted to take it, he couldn’t bear it, but Huai Wang is different.”

Although Huai Wang was not in the ranks as often as Qi Wang, he was well-known in court who respected the wise, using different means to obtain the same result. Not only would he not be overwhelmed, but he would be even more powerful.

“The capital is at the foot of the emperor, and the jurisdiction inside and outside the palace city is clearly divided. Huai Wang has no way to make a move, so naturally he can only have ideas outside. Ren Rui will not be the only military power that supports Huai Wang.”

“Ren Rui is this person. …” Liu Zhongming felt a little chill. He poked the stove with tongs, sparks came out, he stretched out his hand to warm it up, frowned and said, “Shilei told me that Ren Rui is a lunatic.”

Chenzhou naturally knew, otherwise he would not have suggested Ren Rui to pursue Liu Zhongming.

In the battle of Yingshan City, Ren Rui brought a 70,000-strong army to help, but the commander in chief in front of the battle wanted to keep quiet and defend the situation. Ren Rui endured for a few days, then suddenly mutiny, beheaded his own commander-in-chief, and stormed Yingshan City, day and night.

When the city gate opened, Liu Zhongming was drowned in the chaotic army and left in disguise. Ren Rui only led 5,000 people to chase after him. He was frustrated and had nowhere to vent. Along the way, he massacred a village but when passing by Jinnan government, due to long-standing grievances, he was beheaded by a former subordinate.

If Ren Rui is a lunatic, Qu Chenzhou is a fugitive.

“Shizi, the matter of Ren Rui can no longer be changed. Shizi is now unstable in the court, and cannot intervene. You should stand by and watch. Once you get a seat in Jinxiu Ying, stand beside the emperor, and can protect the concubine to give birth to a prince, then the rest won’t be too late to figure out.”

“I understand.” Liu Zhongming rubbed his hands, watching the fire quickly dim again.

Qu Chenzhou also caught sight of it, grabbed the cloak and stood up, persuading him, “You don’t need to worry. The big things won’t be within one or two days. Shizi should go back to his room to rest first, and then…”

He didn’t finish his words, suddenly his body was light, he had already been picked up.

Liu Zhongming weighed him, wrapped his cloak tightly, and knocked open the door with his shoulder: “It’s cold here, go and sleep in my room.”

Qu Chenzhou didn’t struggle, he buried his face in the snow cap, so he couldn’t see his face clearly.

It was cold in the middle of the night, and it was naturally colder outside than inside, but holding the light and soft little guy in his arms, Liu Zhongming was in a very happy mood, and a little coolness was nothing to worry about. Unexpectedly, he hummed a tune.

“One watch drum sounds, the March flowers bloom, the cuckoo screams in disorder, the small swallows fly, and the east wind calls every day… After changing the color of the horizon, it slowly returns to the streets.”

The man in his arms suddenly shook, and then slowly he relaxed his body, a very small voice, harmonized with him.

“Two watch drum sounds, the screen is idle and spread out, spring and autumn clouds, drunken farewell to the west building, little by little walking. The red candle is no good and the half moon is leaning against the window.”

This is a song they all knew, even with closed eyes. Even if they don’t think about it deliberately, they could sing.

“Three watch drums, hundred generations in court at sunset, the water flows, the flowers wither, the north and south diverge, and the radiance of spring is missed. The flute leaves late from the pavilion, and the lord goes to Xiao Xiang.”

At this rare time, the little wild cat also hid its sharp teeth. Liu Zhongming couldn’t help slow down his footsteps.

“Four watch drum sounds, the wine in front of the bottle is cold, the railings are beaten all over, and one sings loudly to mutually inquire as if affectionate and ruthless. Tomorrow, across the mountains, the affairs of life will be boundless.”

The moonlight was just right, a gift from God.

“”Five watch drums sound, the bead curtains are all wet, the snow is all over the Sky and Mountains, the clouds are thousands of miles away, and there are thousands of guests in the cloud. Drinking one’s fill has a different intestine, no need to complain about the sorrow.”

After singing to the end of five watch drums, the singer was reluctant to leave and they were just entering the door, still together.

Qu Chenzhou applauded softly under the cloak: “Shizi has a good memory. You have only heard it once, but you can remember it so well.”

“I can’t afford the compliment.” Liu Zhongming held in his laugh, “I’m not going to lie to you, I knew this song from my mother’s womb, so it was not the first time I heard it when you sang it.”

Qu Chenzhou stuck his head out of the snow cap in surprise.

Seeing his expression, Liu Zhongming was even more surprised: “What? You only know now? I thought you learned it from me.”

“No…”

Qu Chenzhou’s hand on his chest was shaking slightly. Zhongming never told him, but only in this way did it make sense, why Zhongming was so inexplicably surprised at the beginning.

He suddenly felt that he might be thinking something wrong.

The divination that he saw when he first met Zhongming, twice, the man of heaven, may not mean that Zhongming is a person destined to gain the world.

Liu Zhongming took off his shirt, squeezed onto the bed, and pulled off the cloak for him. Seeing his hands curled up and grasping the front of the shirt, he couldn’t help but smile and touch it: “Why are you shaking like this? Are you afraid of me, or cold? “

An embroidered quilt was pulled over to cover the two.

“Don’t worry, this Shizi will do you a favor today and won’t touch you,” Liu Zhongming raised his body to blow out the candle and laid down with his back to him: “Sleep.”

With the quilt wrapped around encompassing two bodies of heat, it quickly warmed up. The cold that had been driven away left a numb itching on his hands and feet.

Qu Chenzhou looked up at the curtain, his eyes were sour.

——When he was a butterfly, he lingered in the sea of flowers, not attached to the world.

When he came out of the Chan Fang*, he had repeatedly chewed on this sentence. He had turned into a butterfly. He also wanted to put aside the past and face Zhongming frankly, but he did not dare.

* Room in a buddhist monastery

Just as he was tossing and turning in the room, he made a bet with himself on a whim—if Zhongming came to him tonight and they don’t quarrel, he will try to… put down his guard.

And in this life, God doesn’t seem to have given him such bad luck again.

“Chenzhou.”

The person beside him suddenly turned his face, startling him: “Shizi…”

“That person from the past… What made you like him?” Liu Zhongming’s face was half under the quilt so his voice was muffled.

Qu Chenzhou opened his mouth, many words stuck in his throat. He thought for a long time before slowly answering: “He didn’t let me be lonely, didn’t let me suffer, didn’t let me wander around, and didn’t let me have no branches to rely on.”

Liu Zhongming was speechless for a long time and only threw an item over.

“This is to make up for your birthday gift, wear it close to your body, and use it as a protective talisman, so as not to make outsiders think you are crazy.” He turned around and pulled the quilt up for Qu Chenzhou: “Go to sleep.”

The muffled sound died on the quilt, and Qu Chenzhou groped and held it in his hand. It was a shape he was most familiar with. The small jade pendant was decorated with hollow jade bells.

With his current status, he can’t wear jade at will, unless his master deliberately gave it to him.

Qu Chenzhou gently rubbed the jade pendant with his fingertips. In addition to the patterns he had touched countless times, there were also three tiny characters engraved on the back. Even if he couldn’t feel it out, he could guess what it was.

– Liu Zhongming.

He smiled silently in the dark.