Mundane Lives: Akelus

Ting!...

[Shuijing Senlin Temple Shaolin]

Wind Chimes were clinking along the blowing breeze, a soothing metallic sound. There were few lit lamps, with some incense sticks lit, providing a calming and comforting fragrance of lotus.

A man lay on a bed, with the moon shining brightly on him, and the wind ruffling his hair. His well-tanned face calm and serene. Blank with no emotions on them. His glistening snow white hair, slightly charred yet shining brightly in the darkness.

Akelus was sleeping, heavily injured as he was, his arms bandaged and his right leg plastered. All the open wounds on his body were stitched and a green paste covered them. There were a few monks beside him, some tending to his festering wounds due to Patriarch Jieshu's poison, while the rest were feeding him with pills and potions.

Divine Lotus Haoqi Xin was supervising, with his arms crossed as he leaned against a wall facing the unconscious Akelus.

"Graaurrgh", groaned Akelus as he woke up, startled.

He was greeted by the monks who were tending him, with a smile on their faces. 

"Where am I?", Akelus questioned.

"You are in the Crystal Forest of the Shaolin.", replied Haoqi Xin, as he walked towards Akelus.

Akelus grinned, as he said, "Are the Shaolin confident enough to face backlash from every faction of Murim, Just for Helping me?".

"No", retorted the Divine Lotus Xin. "We are not, if not for the high priest requesting us to save you we wouldn't have done so."

"Ouch, that was harsh." Akelus smirked. "Isn't compassion what you monks always preach about.".

"Forgive me, Golden Boy of fortune, I feel no compassion nor sympathy towards you, only disdain.", replied Haoqi Xin. "It might be due to my inexperience, that I cannot understand you or your intentions like the High Priest does."

Addressing to the monks, The Divine lotus Xin said, "Elders, it's about time. He is awake now. The High Priest would like to meet him."

The monks nodded, completing dressing Akelus up in bandages, covering him in a monk's garb.

They gave him a wooden cane to help him walk. It had a Taijitu symbol etched onto it.

Akelus held onto the cane and stood up. Haoqi Xin led Akelus to the glistening crystal verandah, as Akelus limped behind him.

At the center of the place, sat an aged monk, with a serene smile on his face, sipping tea.

"Elder, he is awake now." , said Haoqi Xin.

"I can see that apprentice, you may leave now.", replied the High priest Juda Lijie.

The Divine Lotus bowed and departed.

The High Priest Lijie gestured Akelus to sit down. 

Akelus stood for a bit staring blankly at the monk, and then sat down.

"Tea?", asked The High Priest.

"No thanks, Old man.", said Akelus. "Let's get to the point, why did you save me?, Do you also want "your" piece of the treasure?".

"Oh no no, young man.", chuckled the Old Monk. "I may not have enlightened myself as much as the Great Buddha did, but I have aged enough to understand the significance of desire and the essence of irony."

"Whatever, do you want it or not?", sighed Akelus.

"I have made myself clear, I do not.", said The High Priest Juda Lijie. "As for why you were saved, let's just say, your intentions as pure as they may be, they are misguided. You are special you know."

"Why do you monks have to be so cryptic, huh, can't you just say things bluntly.", Akelus said. "And what was that about my intentions being misguided, are you here to have me embrace the ways of Buddha."

"No, the essence of Buddha's teachings are to live in Irony, embracing both chaos and order." said The High Priest. "The middle path is not one for you, Oh Golden Boy of Fortune. You are attached to this world and that is noble. That is good. You cherish this world, and you want to live in it. You have no intention of breaking through the cycle of reincarnation."

"If not sermons, then why am I here, why did you save me?", asked Akelus.

"To guide you, Akelus.", said The Great Monk Juda Lijie, with a stern look on his face. "You want to live in this world yes, but you are very frivolous. You relish this world, wanting live in it with utmost freedom, Akleus. That, is a noble ambition."

"Don't speak to me as if you know me, old man.", reprimanded Akelus.

"I am not, Akelus. In fact even if you tell me about your whole life, I may barely know who you truly are.", said The High Priest Lijie, with a smile on his face. "But one thing is certain you want to relish this world don't you, you want to cherish everything it has to offer don't you. Be genuine to yourself Akelus, what is it that you truly want from this world?".

"I want it to leave me alone.", said Akelus. "I want to do whatever I want, whenever I want to."

"You yearn for freedom, from the society, from the people suppressing you, you want to truly live in this world, don't you. With no shackles, nor any obligation, binding you holding you back.", said the Smiling Monk Juda Lijie.

"I...", Akelus grimaced.

"You don't have to answer me Akelus, you just have to be genuine with what you want.", said The Great Monk Juda Lijie. "Living the path of Buddha is difficult, Buddha preaches of having no desires, yet sometimes people pursue Buddhism with the desire to be enlightened, to break free from the cycle of reincarnation. The middle path is a path of irony, Akelus. You may desire nothing from this world, but you must cherish everything it has to offer including your own life, your friends, your family, your people, the world around you. You may detach yourself from this world but you must learn to live in harmony with it."

'So you are basically asking me to make some friends.", said Akelus.

"... Yes and no.", said The High Priest Lijie. "What I am telling you Akelus, is that you should cherish every relation you make with another person. You yearn for freedom Akelus, yes. But detachment from the world is not the way, it will only isolate you. Akelus cherish everything that you create, and give the world a reason to cherish it as well."

"....", Akelus stared at the monk, deep in his own thoughts.

"Even Buddha himself didn't detach from the world, after being enlightened he returned to his world. He lived the path of Buddhism to it's truest sense. Something I have not achieved, but I am striving towards it. I just need to understand my desire to be enlightened.", said The Great Monk Juda Lijie."

"Akelus yearn for freedom, but don't forget yourself in solitude". The monk continued. "Remember this Akelus, you are not alone in this world, there are many like you, who yearn for freedom and cherish this world. They genuinely love this world."

"Thanks old man.", Akelus stood up with help of the came, bowing to the great Monk.

"You should go back to the [Forest of Guluan], Akelus. There is nothing left for you in this world. You have achieved what you should have. I hope you do the same in your next one. You have my blessings.", said The Great Monk Juda Lijie, as he got up, raising his palm forward and placing it on Akelus' head. The Taijitu mark on the cane glowed brightly.

"And don't worry, you have quite the Humble Entity looking after you.", said the Old Monk, while smirking at the Dark-Silver Shadow looming over Akelus.

Akelus, with tears welling up his eyes said, " Thanks... Old man. Thank you."

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Whoosh... Tssshhhh... Whoosh...

[Forest of Guluan]

It was stormy and windy, with rain gushing down from the heavy clouds, and thunder crackling with it's heavenly might. It was as if the whole forest was crying, lamenting and wailing in pain.

A young man limped towards the forest with the help of a cane. Tears rolling down his face. His magnificent white hair flailing in the wind, as he strode forward. The moon shone brightly on him.

He looked at his golden ring, and entered the sentient forest. He kneeled on the ground surrendering to it's might. The vines sprouted forth binding, dragging him along with his cane to his muddy coffin, where he finally rested in solitude.

The forest wailed, and cried and rumbled.

************** **************** **************

[Unknown Space]

"Ahem, Akelus it's about time that you wake up.", said a Dark-Silver Shadow, it had a human face, and wore silver shades.

"Huh, where am I?", said the startled Akelus.

"Well, you see, you died.", answered the shadow. "But good news is that you ascended, you got close to your origin. And have successfully qualified to become a part of [MYRIAD]. The culmination of all creation. Here's the Invitation. And it also means you are a part of the noble cause of warding off Ragnarok. The end of all realms. So, I humbly ask you will you join this grand cause or will you continue with your-"

"I'm in.", said Akelus.

"W-wait, what, I have not explained-", said the Shadow.

"I'm in, Culmination of all Creation, a grand cause, this is like it's straight out of a fable!.", exclaimed Akelus. "I am not passing that up. Like the old man said I am going to live my life to the fullest, cherishing everything that I create."

"Very well then.", smirked the Shadow. "You have my good will."

The Dark-Silver Shadow tore the invitation apart. And the space around Akelus distorted and warped.

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