Chapter 23

On the Two Worlds Mountain, Lu Zheng was immersed in a complex state of mind when he suddenly heard what the ascetic monk was saying and was about to ask about the fence. Suddenly, a few bird calls came from the distance, mournful and heart-wrenching, touching the soul. The two of them followed the sound and saw a pair of large birds slowly flying towards them from the horizon.

The ascetic monk, seeing the pair of birds from afar, frowned and shook his head in sighs. Lu Zheng was puzzled, only seeing that the pair of birds were one black and one white. He did not know why their calls were so mournful and touching. But because the distance was too great, he could not see clearly. As soon as this thought crossed his mind, his minor supernatural power activated on its own, and his vision instantly became stronger. In an instant, the patterns on the feathers of the two large birds far away fell into his eyes.

Lu Zheng had never seen such beautiful large birds before. One was pitch black like the night, and the other was as white as snow. The black bird had a streak of white feathers on its head, while the white bird had a streak of black feathers on its head. Both birds had claws as red as blood, with no mixed feathers on their bodies. The patterns on their feathers were symmetrical and spiral, forming vortices, exquisitely detailed and beautiful.

The two large birds flew side by side, frequently looking at each other, gently spreading their wings, and cuddling affectionately. The black and white alternated, and the golden glow of the sunset shone on them, creating a flowing beauty. The patterns on their feathers formed a rare and magnificent picture, leaving a mysterious feeling in the sky. It made people lose themselves in admiration, marveling at the ingenuity of creation!

However, upon closer inspection, the white bird seemed to be injured, with its left wing curled up weakly, relying only on its right wing to fly, barely managing to stay in the air. Several times it almost fell, but the black bird was always there to support it. Whenever the white bird faltered, the black bird would quickly fly beneath it to lift it up, allowing the white bird to rest, and the two birds cooperated with great默契.

At the same time, the black bird often let out mournful and painful cries, as if grieving for the white bird, while the white bird continuously emitted gentle calls to comfort the black bird. It seemed they were a pair of birds, and the white bird was injured. It was unknown where they had come from or where they were going.

Lu Zheng was captivated and murmured, "Great monk, what beautiful birds!"

The ascetic monk explained, "These are love hawks, also known as devoted birds! They are extremely rare even in the cultivation world and are never seen in the human realm. When these birds appear, they are always in pairs, with the black one being the male and the white one the female. It is said that these birds are the most devoted, nesting together and traveling together, truly living and dying together. If one of them dies, the other will not survive, but will die by striking its head against a cliff, often shattering its skull, showing the intensity of their devotion."

Lu Zheng was shocked and exclaimed, "There are actually such birds, truly amazing!"

The ascetic monk sighed, "It is said that these birds are the transformation of a devoted couple from long ago, hence they always appear in pairs, never abandoning each other, and are thus called love hawks. Though they may seem foolish, they are touching. From the way the white bird is flapping its wings, it seems to be seriously injured and may not live much longer."

No wonder the ascetic monk kept shaking his head and sighing. Lu Zheng hurriedly asked, "Great monk, according to what you said, if the white bird dies, will the black bird commit suicide?" The ascetic monk nodded.

Lu Zheng, looking at the birds supporting each other, thought of Tang Xiaojiu and felt that their situation was like his and Brother Jiu's. He felt very sorry for them and pleaded, "Great monk, the large bird is injured. You are so capable, can you save them?"

The ascetic monk recited a Buddhist chant, his eyes showing reluctance, and said helplessly, "This poor monk has no way to help."

Lu Zheng said, "I heard from Mingkong that Buddhism saves all beings, and you, great monk, are so capable, how can you not have a way?"

The ascetic monk's tone was full of regret as he replied, "All things are difficult to perfect, this is called the Saha world. What Buddhism saves is delusion, ignorance, greed, and anger. Little benefactor, you must understand that many things in the world cannot be solved by supernatural powers. For example, to save this bird, this poor monk is also powerless. Not to mention that the bird will not allow anyone to approach, and from the white bird's calls, it seems it is too late, and it will soon..."

As they spoke, they kept watching the pair of birds flying farther away. Just as the ascetic monk said, "It will soon..." the injured white bird let out a call to the black bird. There was no sadness in the call, as if it was a farewell. After a final flap of its remaining wing, it stopped moving and fell directly from the sky. Lu Zheng's gaze followed it downward, exclaiming, "Oh no, this is bad!"

The black bird let out a sharp cry, turned its large wings, and dived rapidly towards the falling white bird. It passed beneath the white bird, lifting its mate onto its back, and then flew back to its original direction. As it flew, it continuously flapped its wings, causing a slight up-and-down vibration to try to rouse the white bird, but the white bird remained stiff and motionless on its back.

The black bird circled in the air, calling anxiously, trying to rouse the white bird and hoping for a response. Unfortunately, the white bird remained still and silent, giving no response. After circling a few more times, the black bird finally confirmed that its companion was dead and slowed its wings.

The ascetic monk knew what was about to happen and pulled Lu Zheng's hand, saying, "Don't look anymore, let's go!" Lu Zheng pulled his arm, anxious, "No, I want to watch them. These birds are so pitiful. Great monk, can we wait a little longer, please?"

The ascetic monk thought, "This child has just parted from his companion and now sees such a scene of parting and death. Perhaps it is a sign from heaven that this child has a connection with Buddhism, showing him the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death. But I wonder if his emotions will worsen the spread of the poison." After a moment of thought, he said, "Alright, but this poor monk must warn you, the black bird is about to die for the white bird. If you insist on watching, do not be surprised or afraid, and do not turn away or cover your eyes. You must understand that this is the suffering of parting in the human world. The birds' devotion is worthy of respect."

Lu Zheng nodded and said firmly, "Okay," still staring intently at the black bird in the sky. The black bird let out several mournful cries, touching the heart, and then spread its wings, flying into the clouds.

At this moment, Lu Zheng still did not understand what the black bird was going to do, but the ascetic monk had already half-closed his eyes, reciting a mantra he had not taught Lu Zheng, the mantra for the dead.

The black bird flew very high, becoming a black dot in the sky. Lu Zheng tilted his head back, straining his eyes, but for some reason, he could not enhance his vision this time. He suddenly remembered that the ascetic monk had said that the minor supernatural power was a hallucination created by his own mind, and everything was something he had seen before. But he had clearly never seen these love hawks before, so why did he trigger the minor heavenly eye power just now?

As he pondered, the black dot in the sky grew larger, and the black bird suddenly dived from the high sky, its determination bringing a terrifying firmness. It was going to crash to the ground with the white bird on its back.

The ascetic monk clasped his hands together, and the sound of the mantra for the dead grew louder, deep and powerful, echoing in the mountain wind, ethereal and profound.

Lu Zheng suddenly understood what the black bird was going to do and let out a cry. A vivid hallucination of Tang Xiaojiu being pierced through the throat by the snake demon's tongue appeared in his mind, and he could hear Tang Xiaojiu's screams. The hallucination and sound vanished, and he saw the black bird diving towards the ground. Unable to bear it, Lu Zheng closed his eyes tightly, turned his head away, and completely forgot his promise to the ascetic monk.

He closed his eyes with all his might, crouched to one side, and covered his ears with his hands. For a moment, he could only hear his heartbeat like a drum, pounding in his ears, hoping everything would pass quickly. Just as his heart was pounding so intensely that it felt like it would leap out of his throat, a profound silence suddenly enveloped his heart. Lu Zheng felt a strange sense of relief and opened his eyes. The surroundings had become eerily quiet, and the cold wind that had been blowing in his face had suddenly disappeared. The tension in his heart also vanished, but a special sense of loneliness spread throughout the world, mirroring his lonely heart.

In the stillness, Lu Zheng heard a clear, uneven breathing, tense and rapid, and realized it was his own. A sense of indescribable heaviness welled up in his heart, and he suddenly looked up to find the sky as black as ink!

In the deepest darkness, a white light, like a divine force from the heavens, was rapidly emerging from the darkness. At this moment, Lu Zheng's heart was as vast as the world, and the world was as vast as his heart. In the profound connection with the world, he truly felt the terrifying power contained in that white light, capable of cleaving the heavens and earth!

The white light streaked across the sky like a meteor, speeding towards the black bird. As it approached the black bird, it suddenly slowed down. Lu Zheng then noticed that the black bird, which had been diving from the sky, was now motionless in mid-air. The white light, as it approached the black bird, seemed to encounter some invisible resistance and also slowed down, but it continued to approach the black bird.

This strange and eerie scene made Lu Zheng open his mouth wide in surprise. After a while, he reacted and wanted to ask the ascetic monk for an explanation, but found that the ascetic monk had stopped reciting the mantra for the dead and was standing with his eyes closed and hands clasped, motionless. At this moment, a deeply lonely sigh echoed in the void. Lu Zheng wondered, "Is there someone else around?"

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sudden change occurred!