Chapter 140: The Stone Tablet

After a moment, the elderly man surnamed Liu stood up and continued, "Nephew Ye, follow me inside!" With that, he turned and walked toward the inner room. The young man surnamed Zhou smiled warmly at Ye Hua and said, "Brother Ye, Uncle Liu is likely going to perform the incantation for you now! Hurry along and follow him. I shall wait here for the good news."

Ye Hua nodded, stood up, and followed the elderly man into the inner room. The interior was furnished quite simply, with only a few sticks of incense burning on an offering table. On the floor was carved a Taiji Bagua diagram about a zhang in diameter, revealing nothing particularly unusual at first glance.

The elderly man stood right in the center of the Taiji diagram. Seeing Ye Hua walk in, he smiled faintly and asked, "Nephew Ye, do you know the origin of this Zhenwu Taiji of mine?"

Ye Hua turned his gaze to the diagram on the floor and stared at it for a long time, sensing nothing extraordinary about it. He thought to himself inwardly:
"The Zhenwu Taiji is spread throughout the world, and there is no one under heaven who does not practice it. Asking me to guess its origin is exceedingly difficult! Yet... if one speaks of the true source of the Zhenwu Taiji, it must be the Taihe Palace on Mount Wudang in the Two Lakes region. In the past, the Dark Heaven Zhenwu Great Emperor passed down seventy-two peak lineages, thirty-six cliff branches, twenty-four torrent systems, eleven grotto-heavens, and three pool gates, dominating the realm...! It is highly likely that this Senior Liu originated from there!"

Bowing his head, Ye Hua said, "Could Senior be a descendant of Mount Wudang? Though which branch disciple, this junior cannot tell!"

The elderly man surnamed Liu gave a hollow laugh, reached out, and suddenly tapped downward. A soft white light shot forth, landing precisely in the exact center of the floor's Taiji diagram. For some inexplicable reason, the carved diagram suddenly flared with light, coming alive as it began to slowly revolve. The Yin-Yang fish, originally black and white, mysteriously shifted in color as the diagram spun, transforming into shades of blood-red and crimson gold.

A look of astonishment flashed across Ye Hua's face. After pondering for a long moment, he said, "This golden-red Taiji is something this junior has never witnessed before. It's just... it's just..."

The elderly man smiled lightly and asked, "Just what?"

Ye Hua murmured, "This junior seems to have heard others say that the Yuxu Palace of the Wudang lineage cultivates a Taiji of pure gold, the Zixiao Palace cultivates a crimson-red Taiji, the Xuanyue Gate cultivates a red-and-white Taiji diagram, and the Golden Summit cultivates an ink-black Taiji. As for these golden-red hues..."

The elderly man laughed heartily and waved his hand. The Taiji diagram suddenly burst with dazzling light. Ye Hua felt a flash of crimson and gold before his eyes, followed instantly by a wave of dizziness in his head. He faintly heard the elderly man say, "...The brat actually knows..." Just as he tried to strain and listen clearly, he vaguely heard someone chanting in a low voice:

"Within the ring is the Taiji; on both sides, black and white alternate. White is Yang, black is Yin. Yin culminates in the north, while Yang rises to press against it; thus Master Shao says, 'Zhen begins to intersect with Yin, and Yang is born.' From Zhen to Li, to Dui, and finally to Qian, Yang thereby reaches its zenith. In the northeast, Zhen has one part white and two parts black, forming one undivided and two divided lines. In the southeast, Dui has two parts white and one part black, forming two undivided and one divided line. Directly south, Qian is entirely white, forming three undivided lines of pure Yang. Directly east, Li takes the black dot within the western white, forming two undivided lines containing one divided; hence it is said, 'the opposite Yin lies within the Yang.' Yang culminates in the south, while Yin comes to meet it; thus Master Shao says, 'Xun begins to dissipate Yang, and Yin is born.' From Xun to Kan, to Gen, and finally to Kun, Yin thereby reaches its zenith. In the southwest, Xun has one part black and two parts white, forming one divided and two undivided lines. In the northwest, Gen has two parts black and one part white, forming two divided and one undivided line. Directly north, Kun is entirely black, forming three divided lines of pure Yin. Directly west, Kan takes the white dot within the eastern black, forming two divided lines containing one undivided; hence it is said, 'the opposite Yang lies within the Yin.' Kan and Li act as the sun and moon, ascending and descending between Qian and Kun without a fixed position. Na Jia relies on Wu and Ji of the central palace; thus the eastern and western exchanges differ from the six trigrams. The undivided and divided lines of the eight directions and three strokes, together with the substance of black and white, correspond sequentially, capturing the natural and spontaneous wonder of Yin and Yang's creation. Yet, having the distinction of black and white and fulfilling the function of Yin and Yang, this is already not the ultimate truth of the Taiji..."

...

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed when Ye Hua slowly opened his eyes. Greeting his vision was a charming and delightful smiling face—skin like powdered jade, delicate brows like distant mountains, gazing at him with a beaming smile. It was precisely the young woman surnamed Liu. Hearing her speak with joyful laughter, she said, "Senior Brother Ye, you're finally awake! I've stayed here keeping you company for two whole days and a night!"

A flush crept across Ye Hua's face as he struggled to sit up. The young woman hurriedly reached out to press him back down, smiling as she said, "Father gave instructions that you must rest in bed for a full three days before getting up! Why, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Let me help you!"

Seeing the young woman looking alternately spirited and charming, her bright eyes clear as autumn stars and gazing at him with deep concern, Ye Hua felt even more bashful. His face flushing brightly, he fidgeted and stammered, "Junior Sister Liu, you..."

The young woman smiled and replied, "You can just call me Ruoming; don't call me Junior Sister Liu anymore! Given how vast Mount Wutai is, who knows how many Junior Sister Lius you might have? Hehe!"

Amused by her laughter, Ye Hua became so flustered and shy that he could not speak for a long time. As he wondered how to reply, he heard someone laughing heartily from outside: "Junior Sister, are you here acting mischievously and bullying Junior Brother Ye?" Immediately after, three figures walked into the bedroom, led by none other than Elder Brother Zhou!

The young woman stood up, turned back, and smiled, "Eldest Senior Brother, how would I dare bully Senior Brother Ye? After all, he is my savior!" With that, she made a playful grimace at the newcomers.

A sense of relief washed over Ye Hua as he joyfully called out, "Elder Brother Zhou, you've come!"

The young man surnamed Zhou chuckled and said, "Junior Brother Ye, you've finally woken up! Uncle Liu has already given instructions that you require three days of quiet recuperation, so we can only wrong you by letting you spend a few days in hardship here!"

Gratefully, Ye Hua replied, "I have yet to properly thank Senior Liu for saving my life; how could I dare utter the word 'hardship'!"

The young man surnamed Zhou nodded. "Uncle Liu has already hurried off to Cold City. Before leaving, he mentioned that he could only seal your Blood-Crow Six Curses for three years. Once those three years pass, there is fear it may relapse, so I earnestly hope Brother Ye will keep it in mind and be cautious!"

Liu Ruoming smiled and said, "Three years is more than enough! Mount Wutai's Golden World is revered as the foremost of the five great Buddhist lands. The teachings of the Buddha are profound and vast, and countless senior masters reside there, naturally capable of resolving your blood curse! You have no need to worry at all!"

Ye Hua and the young man surnamed Zhou exchanged smiles and both shook their heads.

Several days later, a group of handsome young men and fair maidens stood by the shores of Northern Peace Lake. The leader pointed toward the small island at the center of the lake and asked, "Does Junior Brother Ye know the origin of the three characters 'Hall of Awakening'? Once you go over there, you will understand. I wonder if Junior Brother Ye wishes to take a stroll over?"

Another young man nearby replied, "Wonderful! I was just pondering the profound meaning behind the characters 'Hall of Awakening'. With Elder Brother Zhou's great talent, establishing the Hall of Awakening here must surely carry a deep significance!"

The young man surnamed Zhou laughed heartily. "Junior Brother Ye flatters this elder brother!" With that, he leaped up, gliding gracefully across the lake's surface, and moments later landed gently on the small island in the middle, closely followed by Ye Hua and the others.

Once Ye Hua landed and cast his gaze around, he saw that the island in the lake was quite small, spanning no more than a few mu in area. At its exact center stood several towering, verdant trees, beneath which rested a square stone platform about a zhang wide. Erected upon the platform was a white jade stele two to three zhang in height, inscribed with the three large characters: "Hall of Awakening." Carved onto the base of the stele were several rows of small characters, which read:

Fifth: Zhou Ziyuan, Wu Hao; Ninth: Zhao Guangchen, Nai Yin; Eleventh: Xue Hanyue, Shi Yi; Eighteenth: Guan Xibin, Shi Ba; Nineteenth: Pan Shilun, Shi Jiu; Twentieth: Hu Weixian, Nian Hao; Twenty-eighth: Li Zhenying, Nian Ba; Twenty-ninth: Ma Jun, Nian Jiu; Forty-first: Chen Xiaocen, Shi Yi; Fiftieth: Chen Zhidu, Wuling.

First: Deng Chao, Yi Hao; Third: Zhou Zhilian, Shan; Thirteenth: Dong Longzhen, Shi Shan; Twenty-fifth: Liu Qingyang, Nian Wu; Twenty-sixth: Wu Ruiyan, Nian Liu; Thirty-first: Li Xijin, Shan Yi; Thirty-fourth: Zheng Jiqing, Shan Zhi; Thirty-sixth: Liu Ruoming, Shan Lu; Thirty-seventh: Zhang Sijing, Shan Qi; Forty-third: Li Yitao, Zhi Shan.