[A Devout Little Taoist and a Defeated, Fallen Woman General]
"I invited him down the mountain with a song at a banquet, but he swore to devote himself to the Dao and crushed every hope I had!"
In the Battle of Hua Mountain, Nanyue was defeated, and its commander, a woman general, vanished from the battlefield. Wanting to save a life, a young Taoist brought the general, who still had a faint breath, back to his temple. She unexpectedly lost her memory and was taken in, staying at the temple and practicing alongside him. As they spent day after day together, she fell for him, but in a temple devoted to cultivating the heart, she could not say so.
Then one day, she remembered everything from her past. With war breaking out again, she had no choice but to descend the mountain and don her armor once more. On the night before she left, the woman general bowed again and again before the Buddha, then entered the young Taoist's room.
Raising an eyebrow at the pure and unsullied young Taoist before her, she asked quietly, "I have strayed from the Dao, and my heart belongs to you. Before I leave, I want to ask you one thing: if you had the chance, would you come down the mountain with me?"
The candle flickered. With his eyes closed, the young Taoist said softly, "I swore to devote myself to cultivation. I have no wish to leave the mountain..."
Before she could hear the rest of his words, she turned and left the room. That rainy night, she descended the mountain ahead of schedule. She fought a great battle, with not the slightest hope of survival...
Seven days and seven nights later, she still died at the foot of Hua Mountain.
How could she have known that the young Taoist's unfinished words were, "How could I refuse a beauty's invitation? I'd gladly lay down my life to accompany you..."
Later, the temple lost a young Taoist, and the world lost a great woman general.
Theme: Meeting you in this life is also a form of cultivation.
