Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1787 - 1281: The Sage and Shaokang

"Sage grandfather, my father, your King... what kind of person was he?..."

"Shaokang, I have neither the right nor the ability to judge your father. He embodies too many incomprehensible contradictions and too many incredible miracles... He's like the mist of the Smoke Mirror and the puzzle of destiny..."

"If there's anything unchanging about him, something I can judge... it is that he has an exceptionally clear path! Few people can be as clear about the future as he is. It's as if he has a pair of the Cloud Divine's eyes, able to see through the mists of fate and time... So, every step he takes is incredibly decisive, and surprisingly, he is often right..."

The crisp sound of the copper bell lightly chimes from high in the Palace of Wind. Silent footsteps proceed deep within the palace. When the heavy stone door is pushed open by the guard, the heritage murals and panels reappear in the dust-laden stone chamber. An elderly and young figure walk slowly inside, as if stepping into a bygone history and also towards an imprinted future.

"Father's path... Sage grandfather, then what is your path?..."

"Me? My path, ah, before I've taken many steps, it's already come to its end. So, there's no point in speaking about it..."

Sage Jatili hunches over, old as a wrinkled ancient tree. He slowly raises his head, like an old tree, gazing up at the unseen sun. He stands countless times within the heritage stone chamber, seemingly seeing the past years that have gone by here — his youth, middle age, and old age, and the first meeting with Xiulote... After a long while, he softly sighs.

"At the beginning, my life was like a fresh leaf. The leaf was a blank slate, the sunlight was good, and the rain was good too... But now, as death approaches, it is inscribed with traces everywhere, be it body or spirit, both are old and heavily scarred..."

"All possessions will be lost in the passage of time. All continuations will ultimately lead to death... The start of everyone's path is seeing oneself. The end of everyone's path is seeing death..."

"Sage grandfather, what is death... and what is a path?..."

Young Shaokang's face shows confusion and contemplation. This kind of contemplation clearly does not belong to this age, nor to a carefree childhood. But as the inheritor of the King, sometimes he has no choice.

"Shaokang, death is a firefly that guides your life from beginning to end. When you know death, look at it, face its flickering eyes, feel its creeping terror... only then can you think profoundly, consider what you want to pursue in your limited life..."

"This is the first step on the path. Many people never take this step in their lifetime, only struggling to live. Afterward comes the direction of the path. Many people spend their entire life going in circles, confused by the Divine Monkey's desires. The fog of this world rises from within you; to see the direction clearly, you must climb the tallest tree... But when I finally managed to climb to the top of the tree, I suddenly realized that my time was nearing its end. The firefly of death is about to take me to the sky!..."

"Ah! Sage grandfather, you..."

Young Shaokang shows worry, grabbing Sage Jatili's sleeve, wanting to say something. The elder lets out a gentle laugh and waves his hand.

"Destiny is set, let's not talk about this! Shaokang, I brought you here today at the request of your teacher, my disciple, Jia Wenshu... These are the most treasured inheritances of the Tarasco royal family; every mural, every stone slab contains images and their stories..."

"From today on, you can choose one mural or stone slab each day... and I will tell you those ancient stories... You can only choose one, and I will only tell one."

"I don't know what to choose... Sage grandfather..."

"Choose, Shaokang. You must make your choices."

Young Shaokang remains silent, looking at the rustic images and abstract and mysterious heroic deities. Suddenly, his eyes light up at the sight of the boundless Great Lake and a bird flying over it...

"Sage grandfather, I want to hear this one! The story of the Great Lake and the bird..."

"Oh! This one! The doomsday rains in the lake and the Chager Bird flying south..."

Sage Jatili is momentarily stunned, his hunched back quietly straightens. He gazes at the ancient carvings, pondering for a moment, and responds meaningfully.

"This is a story from the beginning of the Fourth Epoch... The Heavenly Divine sent endless rain, the Great Lake submerged all the valleys... The old Kingdom of the Lake sacrificed the revered King and Prince, yet still it was engulfed by the flood... The endless Barbarians marched southward from the North, arriving after the flood and devouring the surviving highlands... And a beautiful Chager Bird rose from its birthplace in the lake. It left its nest in the lake, avoiding the Barbarians' hunting, and flew towards the far South..."

"The far South? Sage grandfather, how far is that? What is there?..."

"Haha! How far? Very far. What is there? There's a new lake and trees by the lake. And beyond... only the Chager Bird knows..."

After telling the ancient story, Sage Jatili smiles, gently rubbing Shaokang's hair, smilingly asking.

"Shaokang, do you want to keep a beautiful Chager Bird?"

"Ah! Sage grandfather? I, I really like birds. Mother likes them too and sings me songs of many birds. She also told me about the Chager Bird, saying it's the most sacred and beautiful spirit. I think... wow! Wow! What a beautiful bird, with feathers like the sky and leaves!"

In Shaokang's incredulous exclamation, Sage Jatili waves his hand and retrieves a wooden bird cage from a prepared guard. Inside, a fairy-like Chager Bird gracefully tucks its magnificent long feathers, resting quietly and melancholically.

"Ah!"

"Shaokang, hold this bird cage... it is yours now."

"Ah!!..."

Shaokang happily hugged the bird cage, embracing the spirit inside, his young face full of joy, even stammering with excitement.

"Sage teacher... is it... really... for me?... "

"Yes! It is for you! But you must care for it yourself, nurture it. No one will help you; you must take responsibility for your own obligations!..."

"I... yes!... I will, teacher!..."

"Alright, the story ends here for today! Shaokang, you may go home now! Tomorrow at the same time, don't forget to come... Haha! Take the bird cage and go down!... "

Sage Jatili amiably waved his hand, allowing the leaping and bounding Shaokang to go home. This young child had been coming here for several months and was happy for the first time. Alas...

As Shaokang's figure receded, the sage's smile gradually faded. Jia Wenshu, beside him, lowered his head, silent for a moment before softly asking.

"Teacher... the Chager Bird, a beautiful and free spirit, is unwilling to be tamed... If you let Shaokang care for it, I'm afraid in less than two months, the Chager Bird will die... and Shaokang, who is so happy now, will be just as sad then..."

"Wenshu, to approach death is the meaning of this Chager Bird. It will become a lightning bug, illuminating death for this child for the first time..."

Sage Jatili looked solemnly, neither happy nor sad, like an old tree. The rustling of the leaves carried the tune of seeing through everything, recounting many similar futures.

"That is destiny. It will captivate you like a spirit, make you unforgettable, make you pour all of your heart out, and light up the flame of life... then, it will die gloriously, spread its wings and fly away, leaving only the remaining feathers..."

"After experiencing all these, through the pain of death and parting, you will gain enlightenment. Death is a firefly, illuminating the original self. The pain of this awakening, the sooner it comes the better!... And this child, Shaokang, he must find his path early, before I pass away..."

Once again Jia Wenshu fell silent. He wanted to grasp the teacher's thin hand, but the teacher gently slapped his hand away, opening his grip. After a while, Jia Wenshu lowered his head and carefully asked softly.

"Teacher, do you think he... will become our Purpecha people's king?..."

"Wenshu!"

Sage Jatili turned his head and sternly glanced at his disciple. But he knew, this question was not only his disciple's, but a common doubt among the entire civil officials of the Purpecha. This child appearing before him in this manner already said too much...

"Chief Divine as my witness! Who can say clearly about the future? I am not a king of prophecy; I am just an aging sage. I won't live for many years, nor can I manage matters after my death... Chief Divine bless!... "

Sage Jatili shook his head, rarely praying a word to the Chief Divine. Then, he gazed into the disciple's eyes, filled with deep meaning, warning him.

"Wenshu, as a mortal, don't crave a too good future. As long as it doesn't grow worse, that is already the best result..."

"This child is a raw jade. I will cultivate him in the manner of a king, guiding him to walk his own path..."

"As for the direction of this path, whether it will be that of a king, a sage, or a fool... will depend solely on his steps and destiny's gift..."

"And you all... and you... do not rush, nor must you rush... even if I die, you are not allowed to rush!... You all, walk a little slower. Don't let me look back from the Divine Kingdom only to see you all there..."

"Yes! I understand, teacher!..."

Jia Wenshu remained standing for a long time, bowed deeply in respect, before hastily rising to find the disciple Shaokang. Behind him, the aging sage lightly sighed.

"A lifetime held in hand, yet at last, often cannot be grasped..."

"Wind blows too fiercely, rain falls into a lake. The sun is too bright and bristling, like the end of an Era..."

"Future's path... put my eyes high on the altar..."