Chapter 68: A Sudden Awakening

It is true that historians know Wu Cheng'en’s Ming Dynasty novel *Journey to the West* was derived from the Tang Dynasty’s *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions*. Yet, there must be some connection between a work of fiction and historical reality; it cannot be mere groundless speculation. Otherwise, why would *Journey to the West* stand alone among the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, despite the history of the nation being filled with so many bizarre and supernatural tales?

What, then, was the interpretation held by Princess Zhaoge, who had the *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions* carved here? What was the link between her lifelong pursuit of "demon-slaying" and *Journey to the West*? Tracing further back into history, what of the "demon-suppression" of one king and two princesses? And what of the fragments of the *Tibet Demon-Suppression Map* that had turned into raging flames beside Master Tianjiu? How were they all intertwined with the origins of *Journey to the West*?

Various plot points rushed into Guan Wen’s mind, crowding his thoughts as if he were trapped in a vast library containing an endless ocean of books. He was surrounded by billions of texts and open scrolls; even with the ability to read ten lines at a glance and possess an eidetic memory, he would still have to read them volume by volume. The time required would be astronomical—even if he spent his entire life, he could not finish a ten-thousandth of them.

"Stop, stop! Alright, stop right there—" He felt as though his head were about to explode and could not help but shout with all his might.

Guan Wen opened his eyes, only to realize he was in a surreal, kaleidoscopic world. Light of various colors streamed in from the east window, taking on the shapes of the frames—circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, diamonds, cloud-heads, and stars. All this light projected onto the white stone floor of the meditation chamber, refracting in every direction, scattering and filling every corner of the room.

It turned out that the floor was not paved with ordinary stone, but with massive blocks of white agate. Their surfaces were carved with tiny, multifaceted facets. Each half-inch square facet acted as a mirror under the intense light, creating both refraction and diffusion. They processed the already complex pillars of colored light, transforming the meditation chamber into a world of fantasy.

Guan Wen’s eyes gradually adapted to the changing light, and he saw Baoling standing before the window. She was looking upward, her arms spread wide, embracing the rays of light as if they were music from the heavens.

"Baoling," he called her name.

"The changes within the cycle of reincarnation are as countless as the sands of the Ganges, like the stars on a moonlit night. I do not know how many errors I had to pass through before standing here, silently listening to the teachings from the beyond. To wait for this moment, I have traversed mountains and rivers, traveled ten thousand miles, and broken through the barriers of time and space. Now, I am here, listening quietly, accepting the guidance of the gods. As long as I draw breath, I will carry on the great cause of demon-slaying—wave after wave, until death or victory." Baoling's voice transformed into another type of colored light, weaving and merging with the light from outside the window.

Guan Wen knew that sound could be represented as jumping wave patterns via an oscilloscope, but Baoling, without any such device, had turned her own voice into visible light. By the same token, the light streaming in must be another form of "language" that only she could "hear."

This strange form of communication made Guan Wen feel as if he were in a dream—it was more direct and profound than his own use of a "paintbrush" to describe the dreams of others.

"Since the Rakshasa Demoness has transcended the limits of time, we must pass the torch from generation to generation, never ceasing to make 'demon-slaying' our mission. As long as the demoness lives, this mission will continue. No matter how great the sacrifice, it will lead to a perfect conclusion. Please rest assured, I have attained enlightenment and will not fail this trust." Baoling leaned forward and bowed.

For a moment, the light seemed to pierce through her body, entering her chest and exiting her back. Her form became nearly transparent, merging with the colored rays. She was not a Buddha, yet there she stood, within the light, with the light within her, looking exactly like the deities in Buddhist scriptures who are illuminated by divine radiance.

The light made no sound, and Guan Wen, struck by overwhelming awe, forgot to speak, simply staring at everything before him.

"This is my vow in this life: to become a lotus, without resentment or fear, to slay demons and defend the path. This is my vow in this life: to be undistracted, unfeeling, unyielding, and unhesitating, to fulfill the destiny arranged in the cycle of reincarnation, to meet the world’s calamities through my own, and to trade my own blood for the peace of the world. May the gods of the void grant me infinite wisdom with their boundless power, to part the clouds and see the sun, to cut down demons and evil..."

Baoling’s voice remained steady and calm, while the light from the window flickered and changed, forming countless dancing spots of light in the void.

Guan Wen understood that these spots of light were a coded language, and only Baoling could decipher their meaning.

"Baoling!" Guan Wen called out again, fearing the light might harm her.

The radiance from the east window dimmed, and the reflections in the meditation chamber faded along with it.

"I am fine," Baoling said, slowly rising and bowing deeply toward the east window, her hair falling down to the floor.

"You have just received enlightenment from Princess Zhaoge, haven't you?" Guan Wen asked, full of hope.

The light had vanished completely, and the stained glass of the east window, deprived of the sun, returned to its ordinary state. If one hadn't seen it with their own eyes, no one would believe that the window had once glowed with such brilliance.

Baoling shook her head. "No, what I saw was the true demon-slayer; she guided me toward the right path. Now, let us go to the library."

Guan Wen frowned and smiled bitterly. "Are these teachings something only you can understand? If that demon-slayer wasn't Princess Zhaoge, then who was it?"

Before dawn, he had been deeply anxious, fearing that Baoling might become a different person after her epiphany. Now, her mind remained the same, but her temperament had changed. She was no longer timid or easily swayed, but resolute, decisive, and determined to follow her own path.

"It is hard to explain in a few words for now; you will understand in time." Baoling strode to the door, opened it, and walked out.

Standing outside were Gu Qingcheng, Xiao Huo, and Kaler. The expressions in their eyes were identical: suspicion, anxiety, hope, and disappointment.

"Baoling, you should at least explain something! We are a team; everyone has the right to know what those rays of light told you." Guan Wen persisted, calling out after her.

Baoling did not look back, walking straight ahead as the three outside exchanged glances.

"Hey, Baoling—" Guan Wen wanted to stop her. The illusory images in the meditation chamber had been fleeting, and he hoped Baoling could clarify things so they could all be on the same page, make a plan, and act together. If everyone acted alone like her, it would surely lead to unimaginable trouble.

"Guan Wen, did you... spend the whole night standing here?" Gu Qingcheng was the first to regain her composure, pushing her way into the meditation chamber. She had every reason to suspect that something had happened between Guan Wen and Baoling, a man and a woman alone together, and the thought stung her deeply.

"Yes," Guan Wen said with a bitter smile.

The meditation chamber had lost all its mystery with Baoling’s departure. It seemed that if he wanted to witness that surreal world again, he would have to wait until tomorrow morning. He wanted to be like Baoling, to let the colored light enter his body, to converse with the mysterious power that arrived with it, and to listen to the enlightenment filled with wisdom.

"But it seems there is nothing in this room worth—" The now-dull colored window did not hold Gu Qingcheng's attention for long; instead, the text of the *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions* carved into the walls caught her eye.

She turned, read only a few lines, and exclaimed, "This is the *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions*? Why would they carve Tang Dynasty Buddhist texts here? And why is the library outside filled with history books about Princess Wencheng of the Tang and King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet, rather than books from Nepal?"

Guan Wen could not answer; after all, he was not Baoling, merely a passing guest in the Summer Palace.

"Are you alright?" Getting no answer, Gu Qingcheng looked up at him, suspicious.

Xiao Huo remained where he was, not entering, while Kaler followed Baoling toward the library.

"After this night, what have you realized?" Gu Qingcheng pressed.

Guan Wen shook his head. "It was Baoling who truly attained enlightenment; I was merely a bystander. Qingcheng, you were right to ask—why would someone carve the *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions* here? Only Baoling can answer that, yet she chooses to remain silent."

He walked toward the east window and looked up. Without its light source, the colored glass looked utterly ordinary.

"How did she attain enlightenment? Was it from that colored window?" Gu Qingcheng asked again.

Guan Wen couldn't help but doubt: "Was the moment when the light converged upon Baoling just an illusion of mine?"

Human beings could experience various unexplainable auditory and visual hallucinations in specific environments; there were countless precedents for this.

"Why don't you chase after her and ask? We've come all this way, and there are so many doubts and questions. No one has stood up to explain why we had to come to the Summer Palace! Tell me, how much longer are we going to be kept in the dark—how long? How long..." Gu Qingcheng suddenly exploded, shouting question after question. Her voice was so loud that it echoed throughout the meditation chamber, the word "long" reverberating continuously, refusing to fade.

Startled, Xiao Huo hurried inside toward Gu Qingcheng.

He held a bottle of mineral water, carefully unscrewed the cap, and offered it to her.

Gu Qingcheng suddenly raised her hand, knocking the bottle away, then flung her arms wide and let out a sharp, piercing shriek. It was clear that the frustration in her heart had spiraled out of control; if she could not release it, she would surely suffer internal damage that would be hard to heal.

"Sister Gu, don't scream—" Xiao Huo began, but his words were immediately drowned out by the shriek.

Guan Wen’s eardrums ached from the intensity, and he had to raise his hands to cover his ears.

The first shriek lasted for about a minute, followed by a second and a third, each more piercing than the last. In the end, the entire building began to tremble with the sound.

With a crash, the blue curved glass at the very top of the east window broke loose, flying several meters outward and shattering into dozens of pieces on the ground. As the frame emptied, sunlight streamed in directly, hitting Gu Qingcheng’s face and outlining her pale, weary features with countless brilliant golden threads.

"Stop screaming, Qingcheng, you've ruined the window!" Guan Wen exclaimed in shock, for the east window had been the source of all of Baoling’s inspiration. With the glass destroyed, the *feng shui* of the meditation chamber was broken, and it had lost its special spiritual energy. Before his voice had even faded, more glass flew outward, the sound of crashing and shattering echoing incessantly, with fragments scattering everywhere.