３２

  I and Xile came out of the post station, stood on high ground, and looked around. The place where we spent ten years together was at the top of the mountain, and because this is the largest and most prosperous temple, a small village has gradually formed at the foot of the mountain, consisting of a post station, an inn, a pawnshop, a blacksmith shop, three guesthouses, and a general store. It's just two streets, intersecting in a cross shape, with the front leading to Chang'an, the back to Shaolin, the left towards the Silk Road, and the right towards the sea. In the center, a couplet was hung, extremely unrefined on the surface, the top line read: "Don't want". The bottom line read: "Turn back". The horizontal inscription was neatly written in four characters: "Don't turn back".

  This kind of pretentious profundity should be seen in the context where it appears, in a place where Zen machines infinitely emit Buddha light, that is truth. Anything that can be thought about carefully is better not to think about, because I really don't understand, this means either don't look back or don't turn back.

  But the wind and sand that invaded from somewhere have already filled this small town, which is a sacred place standing in the wilderness, especially under the sunset. Many people who don't understand the truth start to kowtow there without looking back, and everything seems to be blown away by a strong gust of wind and sand.

  The outside seems calm too, but everyone knows that after the last martial arts competition, the relationship between the rivers and lakes has become subtle, and the imperial court also has a subtle reaction. Some places may have been too stable for too long, and the sound of killing has become one piece.

  Under such a bleak sunset, the girl next to me is called Xile, which is okay, but the key is that the horse is also called Xiao Bian, which really can't make people feel heroic.

  But Lao San and I will have to leave this place sooner or later, it's just that nobody knows where we're going, nor has anyone ever said what we'll do. I asked Lao San, "Which direction should we go?" I thought, Lao San must be even more clueless than me.

  Xi Le said: We can go to Chang'an, it's big over there, we can go buy some clothes.

  I racked my brains to recall if Master Fangzhang had entrusted me with anything before I left, but all they said was: You can go.