Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4 - 7 2018 | Page 105

The next day, Xuanzang left at nightfall, the golden doors slamming tightly behind him. With a wistful, final
glance back, he set off on the trail to complete his journey once again.
A bright orange flare lit up the dreary sky with a warm glow. Xuanzang had hiked all the way through the
night. Every step he took leading him further away from the comfort of the magnificent palace and its
succulent food, in the distance, he spotted a glinting light through the bushes. Curiously, he tore through
the thick shrubs and peered in. There it was. The sacred temple. Finally, after so many months of traveling,
he had reached his destination. It was everything he imagined it to be, and more. Red pagodas stretching
out for miles into the warm horizon, the soothing sound of chiming bells echoing throughout the temple
grounds. Xuanzang approached the wooden gates cautiously. Without warning, as if expecting him, the
gates swung open and what he saw next stunned him.
Standing in the middle of the doorway was the same beautiful young woman and next to her was the
mysterious old man, with an enigmatic look on his face. “Surprised to see us again?” The woman flashed
him another one of her charming smiles. “What are you doing here?” He was speechless.
The old man smiled. “Xuanzang, welcome to the Buddhism temple of Nanjing. My name is Shi-LuJiang, I
am the leader of this sacred temple. This is my beautiful assistant, MeiLeng.” Shocked, Xuanzang only
managed to utter a few words, “ You were the ones who stole from…” But before he could finish, a flash of
thought seared through his brain. “And Qu Wentai?” he whispered hoarsely, heart racing. ShiLujiang smiled
at him again. “Ah yes, Qu Wentai. How is my old friend? Was he as hospitable as he always is?” These
words hit him hard, his head reeling, spinning. But he finally understood. All those months of hardship,
loneliness, suffering and, of course, temptation. It had all been a test! Everything had been a test, leading up
to this very moment. In that instance, Xuanzang saw it, as clear as the beauty radiating from MeiLeng’s
translucent eyes; the true meaning of not only Buddhism, but of life itself. Perseverance.
In the corner of his eye, he saw MeiLeng gracefully moving towards him with her brilliant smile. She took
his hand in hers and led him outside the wooden gates towards the open ground. He shut his eyes, at peace
for the first time in so many months. Suddenly, he felt himself soaring through the sky, the wind softly
stroking his face. As if on the back of a beautiful dragon… as if in a dream.