ENG
The board is earth, the pieces sky,
Colors of Yin and Yang comply.
In subtle moves, revolutions blend,
Laughing, praise the game that will never end.
Maitreya had been in the Great Pagoda for an unknown length of time.
When the Sacred Divinity arrived, the mural was still unfinished.
"I knew you would come," Maitreya said with a smile.
The Sacred Divinity cupped his hands in salute, "Your wisdom is unparalleled, Venerable One. You must have foreseen this day back on Mount Huaguo. Therefore, I beseech you, please, relieve me of my inner turmoil."
"Since your turmoil stem from Sun Wukong, he should be the one to answer them."
"He is dead," the Sacred Divinity said, his voice faltering as if unwilling to utter the word.
"I have already opened the path for you. No one will disturb you there. Take your time to ponder," Maitreya said, stepping aside. Instantly, wind and snow swirled in from the opposite wall, casting a chill throughout the pagoda.
The Sacred Divinity stepped forward as instructed, stopping at the edge of the void. He turned back and said, "By stepping into this painted Mount Mei today, the Celestial Court will not be able to find me. Venerable One, would Mount Lingshan know of your deeds?"
Maitreya laughed, "Have we met before? The Erlang Shen I know is much uglier than you."
Hearing this, the Sacred Divinity said no more and strode into the wind and snow.
The opening lines set the mood: the world here is compared to a game of balance between opposing forces. That image frames the scene but doesn’t change what actually happens in the story that follows.
Maitreya is an elderly, wise figure staying in the Great Pagoda. He has been there for a long time and is painting a large mural that is still unfinished. The Sacred Divinity arrives at the pagoda seeking help. He greets Maitreya with respect and asks Maitreya to relieve the inner turmoil that has been troubling him.
The Sacred Divinity’s trouble is linked to Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Maitreya says that because the problem comes from Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong should be the one to answer for it. The Sacred Divinity replies that Sun Wukong is dead, which shocks him and makes it hard for him to speak the word.
Maitreya then reveals that he has already prepared an escape: he has opened a path inside the mural to a painted Mount Mei. He tells the Sacred Divinity that no one will disturb him there and that he can take his time to think. As Maitreya steps aside, the mural’s image becomes real enough that wind and snow sweep from it into the pagoda, creating a chill.
Before stepping into the painted Mount Mei, the Sacred Divinity worries that the Celestial Court might still find him and asks if Mount Lingshan would know of Maitreya’s action. Maitreya replies with a laugh and a dismissive comment about Erlang Shen’s appearance, which ends the conversation. The Sacred Divinity says nothing more and walks into the wind and snow, entering the painted world to hide and contemplate, effectively removing himself from the reach of the Celestial Court.