Chapter 210
"I never said you did anything wrong."
Hebe smiled and gestured for Kama to sit beside her. Then, quite casually, she lay down on her side and rested her head on her lap!
"!"
Kama's cheeks flushed crimson with shock, joy, and lingering fear.
Her heart pounded, a mixture of joy and worry welling up inside her, and a tingling, trembling sound escaped her tongue:
"... World Honored One!"
However, Hebe did not respond to her.
The sage girl with long flaxen hair slept peacefully with her head resting on Kama's lap.
The large Great Radiant Light revolved around her, much like the Earth orbiting a star.
In a daze, Kama realized that Hebe had indeed not truly closed his eyes to sleep for many, many years.
"Sita! Sita! Where have you gone?"
The mother's calls echoed throughout half the village.
"Mom, I'm here! Why are you shouting so loudly?"
A girl, about six or seven years old, jumped off the roof, which was several meters off the ground.
Her golden-red hair, unbound by a headscarf, fluttered in the wind like flames.
The women around them chuckled, but not maliciously; they were just watching with amusement.
The girl in front of me, named Sita, is the village chief's only daughter, but her personality is more like that of a boy than a girl.
Not only do they spend all day going up and down mountains and down into the water to catch fish and shrimp, but they also like to go into the forest and stay there all day.
It's fair to say that the village chief and his wife spend at least a quarter of their day searching for their daughter.
"You've climbed onto someone's roof again!" the woman gritted her teeth, dragging Sita to another woman. "Apologize to them!"
"I'm sorry... I was wrong, I'll never do it again." Sita lowered his head, his expression unreadable.
"It's alright, it's alright." The woman smiled, took a piece of candy from her pocket and put it in Sita's hand, then patted the little guy's head.
"Thank you, sister!" Sita said, lifting her face.
The woman's eyes narrowed as she laughed.
Who doesn't love a cute and sweet-talking child?
As dusk fell, the woman took Sita's hand and walked with her on the way home.
The conversation between the mother and daughter was as swift as the wind.
"Where did you go today?"
"I went lobster fishing at the lake with Ravi and the others."
"You went to the lake again?"
"We came back later. Then I climbed onto Sister Agali's roof..."
"That's not what I'm asking..." the woman sighed. "Agali is older than me, how can you call her 'sister'? Next time, call her 'auntie'."
"But if I call Agali 'Auntie,' she won't give me candy." Sita blinked. "Besides, Agali's house is the tallest in the village, and I can see the farthest from it."
"Sigh..." The woman shook her head.
As they neared home, the woman saw her husband talking to Hanuman.
Upon seeing the mother and daughter, the monkey approached with a smile and clasped its hands together, saying, "Sister-in-law, and little Sita, good afternoon."
"What, did you go to see Xiao Sita again, sister-in-law?"
"She climbed onto someone's roof..." the woman said weakly. "If this keeps up, I think Agali might start Sita as her daughter..."
"I'll definitely come back earlier next time," Sita said.
"There will be a next time, huh?!"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't yell at the child." The village chief quickly stepped forward to comfort his wife.
He knew that ever since Agali's house was taller than his, his wife and Agali had never gotten along.
But then again, what difference does it make what kind of house you live in? A room with a five-meter ceiling isn't necessarily more comfortable than a room with a three-meter ceiling.
Hanuman smiled helplessly. Since he began to temporarily teach in the village in place of Kama, he had also begun to see many details that had not been noticed before.
Although these details are insignificant, the nameless village remains his Shangri-La. However, if the nameless village is to become a kingdom under Sita's leadership in the future, these minor disagreements will turn into huge rifts.
To put it another way, if Sita to become king, then the village chief and his wife would inevitably become royalty.
So what should be done to Agali, who offended them today?
Each and every one of these matters should not be underestimated.
Although Hanuman trusted Hebe implicitly, his only vision for the future of the nation and civilization was a combination of "wise ruler, virtuous ministers, good generals, and obedient people."
What path will Sita choose Sita the future? What will the patriarch say when he meets her?
Hanuman was deep in thought when his eyes met Sita's curious gaze.
To avoid revealing his secret, Hanuman made an excuse and left in a hurry.
Sita gazed at Hanuman's departing figure without uttering a word.
The parents were arguing, so neither of them saw their daughter's eyes.
It was a clear, optimistic, and mature look that seemed beyond her years.
Sita knew that he should have another name.
Compared to "Sita," the name she had forgotten possessed power, authority, and a destiny that should have been inherited.
But she had forgotten the name and couldn't remember it no matter what she did.
About a year ago, while playing with her companions by the lake, she witnessed a spectacle she had never seen before.
Throughout history, both Kama in the past and Hanuman in the present have always avoided discussing what lies deep within the lake.
With the villagers' current skills and courage, they are far from being able to completely leave the lakeshore and venture deep into the mist where reality and illusion are indistinguishable.
But at that time, Sita saw it clearly and distinctly.
Golden sunlight filtered through the trees and fell on the rippling lake. The lingering mist that had been hanging over the lake suddenly dissipated, revealing a mountain that defied description. On that mountain stood a building she had never seen before.
In front of that building stands a stone tablet.
Sita had never seen the inscription on the stone tablet before, yet she was able to understand and read it.
That is "Spiritual Terrace, Square Inch Mountain, Slanting Moon, Three Stars Cave".
She had a strange feeling that she would eventually go to that mountain and enter that building.
But when Sita came to her senses, everything had already vanished into mist again. And when she asked the others who were present, she received the same answer every time.
There were no mountains there, no Daoist temples or stone tablets, and there wasn't even any sunlight that day.
Sita knew he couldn't ask any more questions.
It's nothing unusual for a child to say something unusual by chance.
But if you keep arguing and shouting about abnormal issues, the villagers will probably think you've lost your mind.
After that, Sita stopped asking questions and relying on others, and instead often explored on her own. Fishing for lobsters and going into the forest were just excuses; she would eventually return to that old place and watch the mist churning on the lake.
The same logic applies to climbing onto Agali's roof. Her house is high enough to offer a good view.
But today, Sita felt something was strange.
Hanuman looked at his own expression, which seemed to have a deeper meaning.
Nothing can withstand excessive scrutiny, and as Sita began to ponder, traces of the past were revealed.
For example, when he was listening to lectures, Hanuman never made eye contact with him; for example, Hanuman had a close relationship with his parents, but he never visited when he was at home; for example, Hanuman always appeared and disappeared mysteriously, so where did he live?
The suspicious gaze gradually shifted from Hanuman to his parents.
If Hanuman knew something, did his parents also know something?
When Sita came to her senses, the room had fallen silent. She looked up and saw her parents' worried eyes.
"Child, what's wrong? Are you angry because of what your mother just said?" The woman frowned with concern.
"No, I was just thinking about what bait to use to catch lobsters tomorrow," Sita replied casually. "Is Dad any good at this? The bait he gave me is so useless."
"Hey, you kid..." Now it was the village chief's turn to get anxious.
The next morning, after making sure he wouldn't climb onto Agali's roof again, Sita, carrying his fish basket, did not head towards the lake.
She blocked Hanuman at the edge of the village fields.
The latter's expression showed both surprise and a hint of relief.
"Master Hanuman," Sita, pressing his palms together, "It seems you already know why I have come."
"Sita." This time Hanuman didn't add a nickname before his name. "Come with me."
The monkey led the girl to the lake.
After Sita selectively expressed some of his doubts, Hanuman sighed.
"I don't know anything about your background either," Hanuman replied sincerely.
Meeting Sita's disappointed gaze, Hanuman shook his head again. "But the 'Founder' must know."
"'Ancestor'?" Sita slurred out the unfamiliar word.
Strangely enough, she was certain she had never heard the word before.
But when she said it, she felt a strange sense of familiarity and warmth, as if she had once been very close to that "ancestor".
"Yes, Master." Hanuman clasped his hands together devoutly and bowed towards the mist.
A path leading into the depths of the mist suddenly appeared on the originally gently rippling lake surface.
The entire lake surface was divided into two distinct sections—the two sides were still rippling water, while the water in the middle was flat and waveless, like a road surface.
"Sita, let's go," Hanuman said. "If the patriarch wishes to see you, you will pass through the mist."
"But if you fail, don't be discouraged. It just means that your time to meet the patriarch has not yet come."
280 Whose Demon Child?
The fog was deep and hazy.
The lake water was crystal clear and waveless, stretching all the way into the depths of the mist.
Sita walked on the path formed by the lake water, a strange feeling welled up inside her: she was certain that she had never walked this path before, yet it carried an extremely strong sense of familiarity.
She walked unimpeded into the depths of the fog, where, amidst the churning lake and white mist, her vision finally became blurred, making it impossible to discern distances.
The only real sensation came from her feet; only the tactile sensation from her soles told her that she was still on the right path.
After walking for an unknown amount of time and distance, Sita's feet finally touched the ground.
The fog in front of her vanished in an instant, and her eyes widened.
The sacred mountain and fairyland she had seen a year ago were now right before her eyes... no, she was already inside it.
In the lush, flower-filled fields, the land is divided, and blue stones rise up, piecing together a long, winding path.
Sita stepped forward, feeling as if he were riding the wind and clouds, or as if he were riding the waves.
Looking down carefully, it was indeed the case.
He himself was not actually moving; it was the cobblestone path beneath his feet that was moving—it was carrying Sita uphill at a steady pace.
Sita was fortunate to live in a good era, taking the "elevator" along the way and changing scenery at every turn, completely absorbed in the sights.
When Kama entered, if it weren't for the white deer guiding her, she would have long been lost in the ever-changing illusions outside Fangcun Mountain.
The clouds lingering halfway up the mountain curiously approached, clinging to Sita's side like living creatures.