The rain cascaded down from the skies.
Each drop akin to a needle piercing through the low hanging clouds of Bai Lu Mountain.
The rain mixed into the breeze of the vast cliffs, weaving through the stalks of the jade green bamboo covering the damp soil.
It was already late in the night, and the moon glowed in the darkness.
And yet, Bai Lu Mountain was anything but dark.
From the base and side of the mountain, dozen of lantern lights flickered like scattered gold throughout the night.
The lights shone from the straw huts, wooden sheds and open courtyards. Each representing a spark of life and basic unit of civilization.
Settled on the grand peaks, was Leng Yue Village.
The village has clung onto the mountain ever since the whispers of the ancient times, the village itself being famous for herbal medicine and bamboo wine.
Being more than just a simple settlement but a cradle of forgotten traditions.
At the heart of Leng Yue Village stood the Dharma Bell, its surface etched with bronze and rustic symbols of praying monks.
It is said that the bell rang not by hand, but only when the winds streamed down from the highest of peaks to warn the sleeping gods of an incoming change.
Simple hay roofed homes and weathered wooden halls lined the narrow paths carved into the rock, frost condensed onto the oiled paper windows even in the late autumn season of the year.
And in the pale mist of the night, the breath of wandering villagers rose akin to incense.
Despite the cold, life still remained and went on for most, lanterns hung onto the outside of walls swaying in the breeze, casting light onto the stone paved roads.
Families huddled within the humble hearths of their quiet households, children sat together captivated by the sparks of burning pine and the bed time stories told by the whims of their folks.
For most, a simple life is all that is needed.
Not rich, yet nor poor.
Not full, yet not hungry.
Not smitten with toil, nor lazy in spirit.
The people of Bai Lu Mountain have lived as such for long. Like grass in the wind, bent but not broken.
But not all are as fortunate in their destiny.
Some are left bereft in their lives.
Beneath one of the old balconies of the Flame Spirit Monastery and beneath the slanted roof where rainwater streamed down like falling threads, a boy sat.
Skin and bones.
Wrapped in damp rags which could barely be called clothing, the boy stood out in the rain. Arms wrapped in his knees, his bare feet pressed against the cold moss lined stone.
Each of his breaths barely visible in the air, swallowed by the raindrops.
His name was Long Wei.
Once a beggar, now...still a beggar in all but name.
An orphan left behind by war, with no memory of his kin, only hunger, cold and the weight of empty days.
The boy has been found near a riverbank, beneath the roots of a dead tree. Clinging to his life in the bite of the weather.
He was found by the monks of the monastery and brought up the cliffs half unconscious and barely hanging on to his life
It is not uncommon for monks to take in orphans, sick or the elderly.
Since then, the boy has lived among them, not as a disciple but as something between a younger brother and stray dog.
The monks would feed him porridge in the morning, rice water at noon and if it was a good day he would be given a bowl of sweet mountain milk when the winter winds howled at the walls of the monastery.
No name was asked of him, as he himself didn't remember one.
But one day, a dream came to him and so did his his name.
Everyday he would wake up and sweep up the leaves from the steps of the monastery and then help feed the old ox that turned the grinding wheel.
This would always take him through the end of the day, at which he always like to sit out here and enjoy the view.
The balcony of the monastery which the boy liked to rest out on, has a perfect bird like view of the whole village itself.
Long Wei sat there just beneath the eaves of the balcony, his shoulders trembling beneath his damp hemp clothing.
The chill of the rain clung to his bones, and yet there was a stubborn light in his eyes, a dim flickering light refusing to go out.
Whenever he would sit here his gaze would often drift into the mist shrouded peaks far into the distance. Beyond the range of the Bai Lu Mountain, far beyond it.
Even in this downpour, the mountain was beautiful, distant but beckoning.
And in the drifting clouds his imagination would take over and the stories he heard from the monks would suddenly gain color.
Stories whispered by the elder monks about wandering traders.
Of swordsman who split clouds and skies with a simple sweep of their blade.
Of fellow monks who walk on air.
Of mortals who carved rivers with their bare hands.
Of spirits.
Of demons.
Of mortals who climbed higher than even gods.
But he? He had nothing.
He was stuck on this mountain, in this village and inside this monastery.
He has never stuck a single step outside the limits of Bai Lu Mountain, and why would he? He never had much but he always felt like he had just enough.
He has long since grown satisfied in the security of his small world.
On this mountain? The damp clothing on his back was his.
The rain was his, and the warmth of yesterdays porridge still clinging just faintly to his stomach was his.
His fate has already been decided, growing old on this mountain, becoming a simple kind monk and then having his ashes spread into the eastern winds of the cliffs.
This was his fate, and he has long since prepared himself to follow it all the way to the end.
The rain grew heavier and heavier.
A single drop of rain slipped past the roof and landed on his brow, but the boy remained still.
Suddenly, a soft creak echoed as the wooden door behind Long Wei slid open.
With light footsteps a monk wearing a grey hemp robe stepped out, a dim lantern in his right hand.
His straw sandals approached with slow and deliberate steps. Calm and steady.
''Still out here?''
The monks voice was clear, akin to a bell ringing.
Distinct and crisp, with a hint of friendly familiarity.
This was Hui Seng, an elderly monk of the monastery.
The same monk who found Long Wei underneath that riverbank and then saved his life when he brought him back to the monastery.
The old man has taken care of the young boy ever since, to Long Wei this man was the closest to family he ever had.
A father figure, or at least a role model of minimal standards expected in society.
A face similar to a gentle map of age, high cheekbones, lean jaw softened by the years of his life and deep smile lines etched at the corners of his eyes. His skin was weathered with a slight bronze tinge from his dawns spent in silent prayer.
His eyes were cloudy, yet, carried with them a steady glow.
Long Wei didn't look away. his gaze still lingered out through the vast pouring rains.
"Where else would I go? Your room?" Long Wei mumbled, still shivering.
"I'd freeze faster in that icebox'' He continued.
The monk snorted in response, lowering himself and sitting down beside him with a grunt, his old joints creaking like stubborn temple doors. His robes rustled in the wind as he tucked them beneath himself.
''At least my bed doesn't smell like wet dogs and bad decisions''
''Says the man with the shining bald head and a full moon reflection'' Long Wei responded through his chattering teeth.
The monk gave him a sideways glance, irritated at the attack on his dignified bald head.
''Bold words from someone dressed in rice sacks, If I'm the moon then you're a moldy turnip trying to join the clergy''
''A very handsome turnip'' Long Wei added, curling up tighter into his clothes for warmth.
Monk Hui Seng rolled his eyes, but reached into the sleeves of his robes and pulled out a cloth bundle. He tossed the bundle to Long Wei with all the grace a monk could gather whilst flicking crumbs off his robe.
''What's this?'' Long Wei asked.
''A steamed bun'' The monk said flatly. ''Tried to eat it myself, but it started speaking, said it preferred orphan boys with tragic backstories, and you're the first one who came to mind''
Long Wei snorted, already unwrapping the cloth bundle, the heat of the bun hit his fingers like a bonfire.
''You sure this isn't poisoned? Or part of some secret monk ceremony where you fatten me up for a sacrifice?''
Monk Hui Seng didn't miss a beat.
''Child, If I wanted to offer you to the gods, I'd at least wait until you have some meat on those toothpick limbs of yours. Right now you'd be more of a liability''
Long Wei laughed mid chewing.
''I'm a limited edition offering, spiritually blessed''
''You're spiritually annoying if anything, you brat!! Just be grateful I don't throw you off the edge of this balcony right now!!''
''What kind of monk are you really? What kind of monk talks like this?''
''A hell of a good one, I'll say''
The two of them burst out laughing at this point, after all what kind of monk would use words such as 'hell' so lightly.
Their laughs made the sound of the falling rain just a bit dimmer, the kind of laugh that would make your stomach ache.
They calmed down after a few seconds, leaving nothing but the hush of the rain against the bamboo and whistling of the wind through the leaves and the damp moss.
''Do monks always carry food in their sleeves?'' The boy asked.
''No'' The monk answered. ''Sometime we carry rocks, depends on the mood''
Long Wei chuckled as he finished the bun.
Then silence.
The kind that feels comfortable, like a warm robe thrown over you in the winter snow. Only the rain and swaying bamboo stalks remained somewhere.
After a while Hui Seng spoke again.
''You have a dream again last night''
Every now and then the boy would have these dreams of travelling the world, and everytime he did he would share them with Hui Seing.
Long Wei nodded. ''Yeah, last night''
''How did you know?'' The boy asked.
The monk sighed as if he was asked if the sun rises in the east.
''I could tell because your face looks like it has been through a landslide, its not that hard to work out"
Silence again.
''Just what kind of monk are you really?"
"You're like 60 years old, are you not ashamed to talk like this? Aren't most monks full of wisdom?"
"Where's your compassion for abandoned orphans? I'm literally one of them"
"I've plenty of compassion" Hui Seng said, shifting slightly to scratch the wax out his left ear. "Just not for a walking sack of faeces like you"
This time the silence was absurd. Even the sound of crickets in the rain went silent.
"How did you even become a monk? Who let you pass the rites?" Long Wei questioned.
To answer the boy's question, the monk sniffed the ear wax he scratched out his ear and then flicked it onto the floor with monk like serenity.
"They said I was too stubborn to be a bandit and too old to be a beggar, monk hood was the only option for me at the time"
Before even letting the boy answer, he gave him a sidelong glance. "And before you answer, the abbot regrets it daily"
He folded his arms into his sleeves with a sage like manner and sighed in self pity.
"But here I am, cranky and enlightened more than Buddha himself and still stuck babysitting a sentient orphan of a mop with abandonment issues"
Long Wei blinked...."I'm not a mop"
"No" Hui Seng said. "A mop is useful"
Even the rain seemed to pause in disbelief.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu"
"Have you gone mad boy? What are you doing? Don't make me hit you with my sandals!"
"I'm praying for you and myself, dont distract me" Long Wei replied and then kept chanting again with his palms clasped together.
"And you think that's gonna help either of us?" The monk snickered from the side.
"Well good luck with that then, hope it helps, but in the meanwhile tell me what dream you had again"
Long Wei stopped his chanting, persuaded it will work and earn him a nice spot in the Blessed Land.
Maybe not the corrupted monk beside him but him? He still has a chance.
"I had the same dream again, I was standing at the summit of the mountain"
"And?"
"That's it, I was standing there all by myself, I was above all the clouds and just kept smiling. What do you think it means"
Monk Hei Sung stared into the distance unimpressed, shrugging his shoulders
"Probably just gas"
Long Wei rolled his eyes, but his chuckle still remained.
The monk leaned back, resting his weight on his palms as a way to take some of the toll off his back. ''What do you care so much about me? I'm an old corrupted monk, instead of wasting your time with the elderly, you should be out chasing skirts or jumping down some hills"
''Chasing skirts? With all due respect, you're the one who was caught flirting with the old statue of the goddess out in the west side of the monastery''
The monk gasped, nearly chocking on his own spit. ''I was making an offering, you brat!''
''Sure you were'' Long Wei grinned. ''And I suppose the bottle of plum wine you left at her feet was what? Incense?"
The monk rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed to himself. ''A man gets sentimental in old age''
''You mean drunk'' The boy responded.
''What would you know? Wine is what makes this body of mine still work, makes my day a bit better and my steps a bit lighter'' The monk defended himself.
''I bet, remember when you barged into the the middle of the new years festival all drunk?''
''You vomited all over abbot Wu Zhen, and then passed out drunk''
The monk chuckled to himself as he remembered the night. ''Hahahaha, ahhh yes... That was a night to remember or forget, depending on who you ask''
Long Wei smirked, crossing his arms. ''You were so drunk you started talking to the walls, Abbot Wu Zhen looked like he was ready to hang you up on the walls like a painting''
Monk Hei Seng shrugged, rubbing his chin. ''A man's got to celebrate somehow, especially with the turning of the new year''
''You're just lucky the head monk has a forgiving heart, most wouldn't stand for such behavior, and definitely not from an elder monk'' Long Wei pointed out.
''What can I say, he's a wise man'' The monk rubbed his chin, as if being in the right.
''Speaking of, you still set on becoming a monk?'' The alcoholic monk asked.
''Still am yeah, what could be better'' Long Wei answered the question.
''You should think it through, there's more to life than just this monastery''
''Why should I? Besides, I own it to everyone here, to all the other monks who took care of me, to you even'' The boy commented.
The monk couldn't help but laugh. ''Hahahaha, that's the stupidest thing I ever heard!''
''I don't expect you to understand, to me this whole mountain is my home, even the goats and the old ox who pushes that god awful grinding wheel''
Suddenly, the monk shifted his sleeves and his right hand reached out hitting the boy beside him in the head.
''LET ME MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR TO YOU!! YOU DON'T OWE ANY OF US ANYTHING'' the monks voice turned dark, and his brows furrowed together in anger. Even the rain seemed to grow deeper, slowly becoming a storm and not just a simple downpour.
The wind screamed, and with an updraft the branches of trees started swaying.
''You don't owe anyone anything, you're too young to to care about any of us and too lacking in any wisdom or experience to think like this!'' The old monk heaved in anger.
The boy grew astounded in the monks tone, never before has he seen this side of him.
''YOU ARE TO GROW UP, TRAVEL AND SEE THE SKIES BEYOND THE BAI LU MOUNTAIN!!''
''FIND A NICE GIRL, GET MARRIED, GET DRUNK TOGETHER AND MAKE SOME NICE KIDS!'' the monk of the Flame Spirit Monastery shouted at the young boy beside him.
The boy grew in fear and shock, he wasn't sure what to say to the monk.
The monk calmed down as his lungs started heaving.
Seeing the look on the boy beside him, he couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself.
''I apologize child, I didn't mean to raise my voice at you'' The monks voice was sincere.
''I hope you can forgive an old monk like me''
Long Wei could sense the shame in the monks voice beside him.
And so he blinked a few times, still slightly wide eyed, then he cracked a grin.
''Sheesh, monk...I've never had a mother but you definitely yell like one!''
''If this is what old age does to you, remind me to meditate more, might help me dodge this phase''
He paused, then added.
''But thanks, even if your delivery could use some work''
The monk may have shouted, but Long Wei knew that behind the anger and wine soaked wisdom there was something rare in that outburst of his, genuine care.
It warmed his heart, he wasn't used to such affection.
The monk sighed at the boy's acceptance.
''Thank you...I do not often fall to anger''
The monk exhaled slowly, eyes gazing toward the distant horizon as if searching for something long lost.
"But seeing you like this… so uncertain, so aimless it stirs old winds within me.''
''Makes me feel as though I could snap like a dry reed in a storm."
He folded his hands into his sleeves, voice lower now, weighted with age and quiet sorrow.
"I carry many regrets, child, heavy stones I cannot set down.''
''And it is my deepest wish that you do not follow the same path."
He turned to Long Wei, his tone suddenly solemn and clear, like a temple bell in the dawn.
"I do not wish for you to wither in these mountains as I did, praying for purpose in silence, growing old watching the world pass by beyond the monastery gates."
''Do you understand, boy?''
Long Wei didn't know much about the old monk beside him, as he never spoke of his life outside his duty at the monastery.
He wasn't sure what kind of life he had led up to now, but he was certain the monk wasn't evil or meant any harm to him. Matter of fact, ever since the day he was brought here, the monk has taken care of him like his son.
He made clothes for him in the winter, when heavy snow covered the cliffs.
He always made sure he was fed and clean.
He teached him how to read and write, and how to act in society.
He even teached the boy all the Buddhist Texts, from the Four Noble Truths to the Vinaya Code of Monks.
And so...
Long Wei nodded his head, slow and quiet. His dark damp hair swaying in the breeze of the downpour, eyes steady as he looked out in the horizon where the mountain turned to mist.
"…I understand," he said, his voice not loud but certain.
The monk watched him for a long moment, saying nothing. His face usually filled with humour, or drunk lazy wisdom now seemed carved in stone, similar to one of the weathered statues that lined the courtyards of the monasteries.
But behind his eyes flickered a soft light, of relief, of hope or maybe just simple peace.
He let out a long sigh, as though something unspoken had finally been released.
''I cannot force my will upon you, Long Wei'' the monk said, folding his arms deeper into his sleeves.
''The path a man walks must be his own, even Buddha himself could not push a man toward enlightenment, only point the way''
He turned his gaze back toward the horizon in the rain.
''But...I hope you'll carry my words with you, not as a burden but as a guide when the roads ahead might not be as easy.''
Long Wei looked down at his hands, they were young, but somehow they felt heavier in this moment.
''...You're the closest thing I've had to a father'' the boy said, or whispered.
''I can't promise I'll follow your path, but I'll remember your words''
The monk didn't say anything at first, then gave out a soft grunt and for a moment it almost sounded like he was about to cry, but instead he just chuckled.
''Bah...don't go making an old monk sentimental again'' he muttered, brushing the corner of his eyes with his eyes. ''You'll ruin my reputation''
They said there in the silence for a breath longer, letting the rain speak in their place.
The monk scratched his chin, wondering how he got pulled into such a awkward setting. His tone suddenly lightened, like a cloud lifting just enough for the sun to peek through.
''Oh and before I forget'' The monk said. ''There's a martial artist passing through tomorrow, he's holding some kind of presentation near the market square''
Long Wei glanced over, curious. ''Presentation?''
''Mmm, one of those wandering types, you know. Loud, flashy and probably shirtless, likes to shout about technique and spirit while kicking wooden boards in half.'' The monk waved his hands lazily as if to imitate.
''Abbot Wu Zhen insisted we attend, says it might 'broaden our horizons' whatever that means'' He gave Long Wei a sideways glance as if to hint at the message.
''Frankly, I think it's just his way of getting you out of the monastery before you turn into a prayer bracelet with legs'' The monk snickered.
Long Wei snorted back. ''And what? You think watching some sweaty man punch the air is the answer?''
The monk shrugged. ''Better than watching you waste your time on the steps of the gates.''
''What even is the point of you sweeping those steps? By the time you're done I could have easily died and turned over in my grave'' The monk laughed.
Long Wei rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. ''I'll go, but if the guy starts yelling about inner balance or chakras I'm leaving, and I'm blaming you''
The monk ignored him and went back to searching for gold in his ears. ''Oh, please do, wouldn't want you spreading the orphan disease to the masses''
The two continued continued on talking deep into the night, and when the rain started getting worse and a storm became unavoidable they finally walked back inside.
What they didn't know was that the Dharma Bell standing in the center of the village rang out loud. After a thousand years of silence, it rang.
It's sound being drawn out by the sound of the pouring rain.
Mistook for thunder in the storm, the bell seemed unimportant.
Northern azure winds of intense light streamed down from the highest of skies, amidst the gaps and the broken teeth of jagged peaks and between the frost of the narrow ice where even birds dared not nest.
The light of the wind moved, rippling akin to silk in water and yet sharper than blade.
Through the fog and thunderclouds, spiraling down through the minuscule of gaps left by the endless streams of raindrops the wind find its way into the heart of Leng Yue Village.
The wind carried no scent.
And when that formless wind touched the bronze skin of the Dharma Bell, it rang out. A single note of mournful resonance and hum.
The villagers continued their night, unaware. Yet beasts in the wild froze mid step and their fur rose in sight, even the incense ashed beneath temple altars trembled.
The Dharma Bell had rung, and its sound beckoned the oncoming of a grand change.
With its sound, the ancient shifted.
Beyond the reach of mortal breath.
In ruins long lost, gods once buried in sand stirred, blinking open forgotten eyes.
For the bell rang not for man nor beast.
It had rung for them.