Hidden Assassin 180

Volume 3 Cohabitation Era – Chapter 6 Azure Sky Below – Section 180 The Chain of Cause and Effect

2013-02-08

Sichuan, a small nunnery on the side of the scenic area of Mount Emei. It was close to the Dadu River.

Mount Emei is renowned for its beauty and is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China. The entire scenic area has dozens of temples, large and small. Thanks to the boost from tourism, each temple enjoys a good income from incense offerings. However, this old Qing Shui Temple, located on the side of the scenic area, has always been desolate and quiet. There wasn’t much to see in the surrounding area, and there was a dilapidated private factory nearby. Tourists were scarce, so naturally, the nunnery couldn’t expect any incense offerings.

However, “the farther you are from the world, the closer you are to yourself.” At a time when many monks and nuns were merely focused on making money, perhaps this desolate little temple housed someone who truly sought enlightenment. The abbess of the nunnery was an old nun in her sixties. Over ten years ago, she took in a sickly blind little girl, raising her until she grew up. Perhaps because of her compassionate nature, people from the surrounding villages occasionally visited her, seeking talismans or herbal remedies, leaving behind offerings to barely keep the temple afloat.

Though the little girl couldn’t see, by the time she reached her teens, she had grown into a beautiful, delicate young woman, with a serene temperament that surpassed any other girl in the surrounding villages.

Although she never went far, every morning and evening, she would take a leisurely stroll around the temple or sit on the steps in front of it. During those times, some of the boys from nearby would pretend to bump into her, chatting with her and offering to help. The girl was not talkative, but no matter who she was with, she always smiled and replied politely in a soft and gentle voice. As a result, many of the boys considered themselves her good friends, dreaming of one day marrying this serene girl who practiced Buddhism with her hair still tied up. Rural people married young, so they ignored the girl’s frail body and blindness, and this year, someone had even come to the temple to propose marriage. Naturally, the abbess refused such an abrupt request.

However, a few months ago – two days after that family’s proposal – this girl, whose nickname was Ruo Ruo, had just turned sixteen and suddenly fell seriously ill. She was taken to a big city for treatment. This caused great concern among the eligible bachelors in the surrounding villages, and most believed that the family’s rash proposal had caused her illness. The man who had proposed marriage was secretly beaten up with black fists and was still in the hospital months later. Of course, Ruo Ruo recovered within a month and resumed her daily routine, sitting in front of the temple, breathing in the rising and setting sun.

A group of people who considered themselves “good friends” had already come to inquire about her health, and some of them had noticed that since Ruo Ruo’s return, there seemed to be more people coming and going from the private factory nearby, all dressed neatly and driving luxury vehicles. The owner said that Ruo Ruo’s return had brought him good fortune, and he had recently received several new orders. The people coming here were all executives from big companies.

Many people didn’t even know what this small factory actually produced. Naturally, they weren’t interested in this matter. However, if anyone truly understood the domestic financial situation, they would be shocked to see the lineup of people here: Fang Zitian, Lei Xiaoyuan, Han Luo… They were all individuals standing at the top of their respective fields in the country, although most of them worked behind the scenes.

On a June evening, as the blood-red setting sun slowly descended from the western horizon, the girl, dressed in a simple white dress, hugged her knees and sat on the steps in front of the temple, lost in thought. A boy came over to talk to her, but he had only spoken a few words when the girl’s smiling face suddenly contorted in pain, and she rolled on the ground, clutching her head. She was in excruciating agony. Hearing the commotion, the old nun rushed out and picked up the girl. The boy seemed frightened and stood there for a long time, speechless, before turning around and heading back, ready to tell his companions that Ruo Ruo was sick again. Of course, he didn’t know that at least five people, armed with various deadly weapons, were following him on his way back. They were ready to strike at any moment if he did anything unusual.

Days later, the recovered Ruo Ruo girl would occasionally appear in front of the temple again. However, in the more than a month from June to July, her pain had recurred three times. On August 5th, while sitting quietly in meditation in the temple, her head suddenly started to ache again. The old nun hurriedly picked her up and took her into the inner room. This was the fourth time she had fallen ill.

On the evening of August 6th, at the small factory next to the temple, a worker hurried out of the warehouse and reported something to Fang Zitian and the others who were staying in a row of simple houses. Then, they went into the warehouse one by one, and from there entered a tunnel.

After passing through a white, spacious passageway, they reached a large underground room. It was an underground complex resembling a research institute. Led by a researcher wearing a white coat and a mask, they walked into the side ward. They asked the others to wait outside while Fang Zitian entered the innermost ward. Dongfang Ruo, dressed in a patient’s gown, was sitting on the bed, with the old nun by her side.

“Ruo Ruo, are you feeling better?”

Sitting down by the bed, Fang Zitian asked gently.

“Yes, Uncle.” Dongfang Ruo nodded softly. “I’m fine now.”

“Ah…” Relieved, Fang Zitian took the girl’s warm left hand and gently placed it on his forehead. “Don’t think too much about things. You’re not feeling well. The most important thing is to rest properly.”

“But…” Her soft fingers explored his face until they reached his slightly damp eyes. “But… aren’t the people outside all hoping that I can see the future? … It’ll be very difficult for you to do this, Uncle.”

The ability to fathom cause and effect and clearly discern the trajectory of the future only existed in legends. However, after the incident on May 10th, Dongfang Ruo had somehow glimpsed fragments of the future. For a time, the leaders of Yan Huang Jue Xing (Yan Huang Awakening) had shown great interest in her, and everyone who had spoken to Dongfang Ruo in recent days had inevitably expressed a desire to tap into her full potential. Perhaps the little girl was too sensitive. She had read many romance novels and saw the interests between people as too blatant. Fang Zitian smiled lightly.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay. They’re all reasonable people and will understand that some things cannot be forced. Always thinking about these things is too taxing on your body. Promise your Uncle, you won’t think about it anymore, okay?” He paused. “If I had known the consequences, I shouldn’t have sent you to Jiang Hai City…”

Dongfang Ruo remained silent for a long time before smiling and saying, “No, Uncle. Didn’t you say before that if it’s a field you love, you can die for it? That’s how I feel. This time in Jiang Hai City, I saw a world that others will never be able to see. Although I still can’t understand why things changed so much…”

“Destiny can be changed, can’t it?”

“But…” Dongfang Ruo furrowed her brow. “I’ve been thinking about it these past few days, there’s been too much change. I saw the assassins coming just before they arrived. Although it was a change, it should have been a change within the scope of my actions. But at that time… that Flower-Picking Great Thief Yujinxia… Miss?”

“Yes, Yujinxia?”

“Yes, because… I saw that Mr. James… was killed by someone called Yuan Lai Chao Chuang, and not by a sniper…” Dongfang Ruo furrowed her brow, struggling to analyze. Fang Zitian wanted to stop her, but considering the girl’s stubborn nature, it was better to let her clear her mind under the monitoring of the instruments. He also furrowed his brow, trying to help her analyze.

“So, even if you hadn’t made your prediction, James wouldn’t have been killed by the assassins outside. He would have waited until Yuan Lai Chao Chuang came. At that time…”

“But at that time, that Flower-Picking Great Thief Yujinxia… Miss… would have already arrived…”

“That means, if you hadn’t made your prediction, Yuan Lai Chao Chuang would have killed James in the presence of Yujinxia… Hmm, would she have defeated him?”

“No, no…” Dongfang Ruo shook her head again, with difficulty. “It’s… that Flower-Picking Great Thief Yujinxia… Miss… she… I can’t sense her at all. Although the fragments I saw earlier weren’t clear, I can at least sense anyone involved in this incident. But… I can’t see where she is. That means… she shouldn’t have appeared…”

Fang Zitian was stunned for a moment. The old nun beside him also frowned. After a while, she clasped her hands together and said, “Amitabha.”

Dongfang Ruo said softly, “Grandma, is that possible?”

“It’s almost impossible. However, in Buddhism, there is a saying that all things in this world are in a cycle of reincarnation. If we use this to explain what you saw, then…” She paused. “Then… unless she has transcended the three realms, escaped the five elements, and is no longer subject to reincarnation, you wouldn’t be able to see her in the chain of cause and effect…”

Transcended the three realms, escaped the five elements.

This Buddhist concept was truly astounding. And psychic abilities weren’t like those in myths, where people could fly, teleport, and wreak havoc in the palace. Whether the ability to see the future worked through the so-called chain of cause and effect was also unverified. As an atheist, the first thing that came to Fang Zitian’s mind was: “Natural Evolutionary.”

The room fell silent for a long time. Soon, Fang Zitian smiled. “That means she must be a Natural Evolutionary, that’s why you can’t see her, Ruo Ruo. But… why do you always seem hesitant when you talk about Miss Yujinxia?”

“Yes.” Dongfang Ruo blushed. “I… I thought she would be a man. Because… you all told me that she was so powerful…”

“Oh? You… you didn’t see…”

Dongfang Ruo hesitated for a while. “I met her twice. But… I didn’t dare to look. She was so terrifying at that time. I couldn’t bring myself to look. Later… later you all said she was a woman, right? Um… It’s just that when I first heard her name, I thought she should be a man…”

Dongfang Ruo’s psychic ability was extremely strong. If she had used her psychic ability to confirm that the other person was not a woman, then things would have been worth pondering. But now, after hearing her answer and looking at a Braille romance novel next to her pillow, Fang Zitian finally smiled in understanding. Although Dongfang Ruo had lived in the nunnery since she was a child, Fang Zitian felt guilty towards this little niece and had always sent her various toys or books that blind people could use from all over the world. When she was younger, it was fairy tales, and as she got older, it was more mature stories. Considering she was a girl, he sent her even more romance novels. Even if she was blind, girls would always have romantic fantasies, and this was nothing unusual. This was the first time she had ever traveled far, and it was natural for her to have some fantasies. With that thought, Fang Zitian joked, “And… she’s a handsome hunk?”

“I… um…” Dongfang Ruo was taken aback. The little girl, who had a small social circle, was naturally shy, and her face quickly turned red. After a moment, she pursed her lips, turned around and went to sleep under the covers. “Humph… I won’t talk to you anymore!”

“Hey, hey, don’t do that, it was just a joke. Uncle apologizes, okay, Ruo Ruo? … Hey… Okay, get some good sleep…”

Fang Zitian stepped out of the room and greeted the people in the corridor. He mentioned Dongfang Ruo’s speculations, and after a while, the old nun also came out. Everyone bowed respectfully, then Fang Zitian asked hesitantly, “Teacher Hui Qing… Ruo Ruo’s health…”

“You’ve seen the results of the treatment these past few days. Her psychic ability has indeed been triggered and is on the verge of collapse. Although we can still suppress it using the old methods, we can no longer control this chaotic force. As it becomes more and more violent, at most two years… three years…”

“Is… is it being triggered by that Natural Evolutionary? Teacher Hui Qing, do you think Yujinxia might have a solution?”

“Not necessarily. Leaving her usual place of residence for the first time and going to a strange city is already a huge stimulus. Moreover, you also had her use her psychic ability to work for you.” Having lived with Dongfang Ruo for over ten years, Teacher Hui Qing had a close relationship with her, like a grandmother and granddaughter. Speaking of Fang Zitian asking the girl to help them, she couldn’t contain her anger. For a moment, the people around them felt somewhat ashamed. Teacher Hui Qing was considered one of the founders of Yan Huang Jue Xing. They dared not act recklessly in front of her. “After these stimulations, it’s expected that psychic abilities might produce something uncontrollable. As for that elusive Natural Evolutionary…”

She paused. “If she really is a Natural Evolutionary, she wouldn’t actually need to rely on Yan Huang Jue Xing for power. Moreover, she is actually acquainted with Yuan Lai Chao Chuang… Sigh, you can go and ask her directly, request her help, but… don’t get your hopes up too high…”

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