Chapter 3286: The Ferryman
Chapter 3286: The Ferryman
Destina was unfazed by Sage Yajna's insistence on leaving. "You can leave, it doesn’t matter."
Sage Yajna gratefully left.
Once the old man was gone, Destina looked back at Lu Yin. "My master was the first to enter the Mirari Realm and also the first to visit its forbidden regions. After she left that place, she dispersed her cultivation. She would have been the first to become a Progenitor, but instead, she chose to recultivate from the very beginning, changing to the power of destiny, which eventually led her to becoming Destiny. Dao Monarch, you already know this much."
"Wait, wasn’t Senior Chu Yi the first to enter the Mirari Realm?" Lu Yin remembered hearing Hongyan Mavis say that.
Destina replied, "It was my master. Let me put it this way, the Origin Progenitor gave my master special treatment."
Lu Yin was surprised. The Origin Progenitor really had been... indulgent.
"What I’m saying is that my master was the first of the Three Realms and Six Daos to enter the Mirari Realm, but when she entered that place, there was already someone else there: Wei Nu. She is the Ferryman of the River of Aeons."
Lu Yin was caught off guard. "The Ferryman of the River of Aeons?"
Destina nodded. "Yes. I can’t really understand why the River of Aeons has a Ferryman. All I can explain is the outcome.
"While in the Mirari Realm, my master met Wei Nu in a forbidden region. Wei Nu was the one who coerced my master into dispersing her cultivation. She even learned the power of destiny from Wei Nu. That’s why Destiny can be considered a person, a legacy, or even Wei Nu herself."
"Wei Nu is the Ferryman of the River of Aeons and the greatest wielder of the power of time. My master wasn’t wrong to recultivate with destiny, as not even the Origin Progenitor objected to that. However, Wei Nu had ulterior motives in teaching my master. She wanted to use the power of destiny to escape from the Mirari Realm and shed her status as Ferryman. At least, that is what my master told me. Some of the information regarding the Mirari Realm came from my master, while other parts came from Wei Nu."
Lu Yin finally understood. This explained why Hongyan Mavis and the others had learned of a path to the Immortal realm in the Mirari Realm’s forbidden regions, only for it to prove to be a deadly trap. Destiny had not been the one to share that, but rather Wei Nu.
The Origin Progenitor had only seen Destiny, whom he knew as Lassy. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Destiny was Destiny, while Wei Nu was Wei Nu.
They both cultivated the power of destiny, but were ultimately different people.
"It’s not easy for Wei Nu to escape from the Mirari Realm and escape from her identity as the River of Aeons’s Ferryman. It isn’t enough to simply leave. She needs to overcome Dukkha and break through to Immortality, just like any other. No one, not even Wei Nu, is exempt from overcoming Dukkha.
"However, the way she chose to overcome Dukkha was unique. She split her Dukkha into multiple parts." At this point in her explanation, Destina hesitated.
Mister Mu interjected, "Just explain it to us as you were told by Destiny. There’s no need for you to understand it yourself."
Destina sighed. She knew that, as a Semi-Progenitor, she was incapable of fully comprehending such concepts. "Alright, this is how my master explained it. Essentially, the Wei Nu that the Origin Progenitor and others saw was only one part of Wei Nu’s Dukkha. Aside from my master, more fragments of Wei Nu’s Dukkha will appear over time. What those fragments do will depend on Wei Nu’s choices. Not even my master knows what they might do."
She looked at Mister Mu.
Lu Yin also turned to look at Mister Mu.
The man gestured for Destina to continue. “The Origin Progenitor was unaware that my master was being pressured by Wei Nu because Wei Nu had set her sights on the Origin Progenitor. The only person that my master confided in was Mister Mu, but only now is it the proper time for him to intervene. No matter what happened in the past, there was no need for Mister Mu to show himself.”
"It all starts and ends with a cup of tea?" Lu Yin was still puzzled.
Destina nodded. "The Great Sovereign once met with Sage Yajna and Wei Nu, and at that time, Wei Nu brewed tea for them. Of course, the person who prepared that tea was not the one you know as Zhao Ran. Even when Wei Nu personally brews tea, it looks just as unpleasant, and even deadly. My master marked that tea as the start, and she commented that, when Sage Yajna drinks Wei Nu’s tea again, it would be the end. That would be the moment for Mister Mu to act.
"Wei Nu pushed my master, but she also underestimated my master. My master was able to master the power of destiny in a very short time, quickly becoming a Progenitor and even Destiny. Her talent far exceeded what Wei Nu expected, but even then, my master was unable to defeat Wei Nu when it came to the power of destiny. That’s because Wei Nu has lived for far too long, and her understanding of the River of Aeons is too profound.
"That’s not to say that my master is inferior. She simply has her own comprehension of the River of Aeons, and her understanding was built on Wei Nu’s contempt for the River of Aeons."
Destina suddenly raised a finger. "Dao Monarch, this is one."
Lu Yin quietly watched.
"Dao Monarch, if you knew in advance that I would show one finger, and then you made that gesture first, do you think that I would still proceed according to plan?" Destina asked.
Lu Yin frowned. "That would depend on the conditions."
"During a fight."
"Are you saying that, during a fight, I would know what you plan to do in advance and then act first?"
"Exactly."
"Then, of course, you wouldn’t make such a move."
"That is how my master is using the power of destiny against Wei Nu. My master built a bridge to look into the future, and she managed to see some of the things that Wei Nu would do. My master then had to do those things first. For example, letting other Dukkhan approach you, Dao Monarch, and me transforming me into a thread of Destiny and disappearing. Both of these events were supposed to have been done by Wei Nu, but my master did them first.
"That’s also where I come in. I acted before Wei Nu, so that she would be able to perform certain tasks."
"What’s the point of that?" Lu Yin asked, confused.
Destina replied, "To create a branch in the River of Aeons."
Lu Yin's expression changed. "Is that possible?"
Destina pursed her lips, as she herself did not know. Such things were beyond her understanding.
Mister Mu spoke up. "It is possible."
Lu Yin looked at Mister Mu. "If that’s done, what will happen?"
Mister Mu exhaled. "This is a battle with the power of destiny."
Lu Yin still did not understand.
Mister Mu slowly began to speak, "Wei Nu is the Ferryman of the River of Aeons. Destiny acted early, doing things that should have happened further along in the future. Not only that, but they were also actions that she should not have performed at all. This created a time paradox. The events still happened, but the process was different. So, what does that mean? Is it real or fake? The Ferryman is needed to determine just that.
"The River of Aeons’s Ferryman has responsibilities. It is not some position that others can appoint, but rather something that one becomes by using the River of Aeons as their foundation. They cultivate the great power of aeons, which is the power of destiny. They can see through the past, present, and future. The price that they pay is that they must forever remain within the River of Aeons. If a problem appears in the River of Aeons, the Ferryman is the one who must restore order.
"Destiny created both real and false futures for the River of Aeons, which is the same as creating a branch in the river. This is her way of counterattacking against the River of Aeons’s Ferryman. If the Ferryman fails to notice the attack, they will fall to a disadvantage. If they do notice, they will restore order, and all that has happened will be reset."
Lu Yin understood. "And Destiny wants to use this to defeat Wei Nu? Is that actually feasible?"
Mister Mu smiled. "Why do you think Zhao Ran lost her memory?"
Lu Yin’s body shook. "Because of Destiny?"
"My master has tried more than once. Some of the bits of Wei Nu’s Dukkha that split off have disappeared, and others have lost their memories. That was my master's doing. She hasn’t appeared because she has been fighting against Wei Nu within the River of Aeons," Destina proudly stated.
Lu Yin was astonished. "Has the Origin Progenitor been unaware of this the whole time?"
Mister Mu shook his head. "If he knew, Wei Nu would also know. Wei Nu doesn’t know what’s happening, as it’s a sneak attack. If the River of Aeons’s Ferryman learns that a branching stream is being used to attack her, then all of those efforts will end up in vain."
Lu Yin looked at Destina. "When you deliberately failed your tribulation and vanished into a thread of Destiny, did Wei Nu really not realize that Destiny is still around?"
Destina explained, "Destiny has always been around. Wei Nu never thought that Destiny was dead, but she didn’t know that Destiny was laying an ambush for her.
"Zhao Ran is an aspect of Wei Nu’s Dukkha that was successfully attacked. If there was enough time, my master could attack more aspects of Wei Nu’s Dukkha until she loses all her memories. My master said that she would then throw her back into the River of Aeons to resume her task of being its Ferryman. The River of Aeons must have a Ferryman, or else anyone and everyone would be able to interfere in the River of Aeons, undoing time whenever they wished and fishing up whatever they wanted. The entire megaverse would fall into chaos."
That made sense. Lu Yin nodded. He also believed that not just anyone should be allowed to meddle with the River of Aeons. Allowing that would create too much chaos. Still, he had meddled with the river more than anyone.
Lu Yin had attacked Professor Wei by sending the Origin Progenitor’s sword to the past through the River of Aeons. While fishing, he had also seen the scene of Ancient God not killing Yi Wei. If any expert was able to touch the River of Aeons, then what events in the past, present, or future would not be able to be changed?
This was the reason why a Ferryman was needed, right?
Something still confused Lu Yin. "Since Destiny has been attacking Wei Nu all this time, why are you telling me about it now? Also, what is the meaning of ‘it all starts and ends with a cup of tea?’"
Destina shook her head. "I don’t know why my master stopped attacking Wei Nu, but she gave me the temporal coordinates for the phrase ‘it all starts and ends with a cup of tea’ and instructed me to tell you everything at that time. She also asked me to give you a message.
"I’ve always believed that my master sent me from the Heavens Sect era to this era to do more than just ambush Wei Nu. I believe that my most important task is to deliver this message to you."
Lu Yin’s expression grew serious. A message sent from Destiny in the distant past, and it was for him?
"Did Destiny see my future?"
"Not exactly. My master asked me to deliver a message to the one capable of leading humanity out of despair. She didn’t specify you, Dao Monarch, but right now, there is no one else who qualifies for that description," Destina replied.
Lu Yin stared at the woman, and she met his gaze. "’I am giving you the chance to start again.’"
Lightning flashed through Lu Yin's mind. Start again?
Start again.
Restore order.
Let everything return to how it was.
Three phrases kept echoing in Lu Yin’s mind.
Destina stared at Lu Yin, but she said nothing more.
Silence reigned in the area until Zhao Ran returned, carrying tea.
Destina left, but she did not leave the Heavens Sect. She needed to ensure that the next tributary would branch off at the right moment.
Mister Mu did not leave, and he instead sat at the stone table.
Zhao Ran felt a bit curious, as this was not the same guest who had been present earlier, but she did not ask about the change. Instead, she simply set the tea down before Mister Mu and watched him expectantly.
Mister Mu took a sip and praised the tea. "Delicious."
Zhao Ran smiled happily. "Thank you!"
Lu Yin looked at Zhao Ran in a completely different manner. He had thought that the girl was connected to Destiny, but it turned out she was actually a piece of Wei Nu’s Dukkha.
"Your Highness?" Zhao Ran asked, puzzled by the attention.
Her question startled Lu Yin. "It’s nothing. You can go now."
"Oh." Zhao Ran glanced back at Mister Mu, and when she saw him drinking her tea, she smiled and left, happy.
Lu Yin stared at Zhao Ran’s back as she left, and then he turned to Mister Mu. "Master, when did you realize Zhao Ran is actually a part of Wei Nu’s Dukkha?"
"Just now."
Lu Yin was surprised. "Just now?"
Mister Mu chuckled. "Do you believe me to be omniscient? When it comes to many things, I am no different from an ordinary person. Not even I can fully comprehend the power of destiny. It’s also not impossible for an ordinary human to scheme against a cultivator. If not, how could Destiny have managed to attack Wei Nu, the River of Aeons’s Ferryman?"