〈Epic Fantasy Novel:  The Paradise Inn〉35

[Chapter Thirty-Four] The Solution to the Spell Is Actually Very Simple

Huang Lihua returned to Switzerland, weary and dusty from travel, and immediately went to the bank to wire a sum of cash. Afterwards, he returned to the Heaven Hotel. Seeing Huang Lihua come back alone, Manager Wilson immediately knew that he had not completed the mission entrusted by the princess.

Wilson reminded him: “Lihua, the princess is waiting for you at the castle.”

“After I put down my luggage and rest for a bit, I’ll go to the castle to pay my respects to the princess,” Huang Lihua replied, picking up his suitcase and heading toward the stairs.

Huang Lihua entered the Sky Castle, where Maria was already waiting for him in the main hall. Standing beside the princess were the Dragon Knight and the Archmage Rufus.

Lihua approached the foot of the steps, bowed his hands together, and said, “Princess, I was unable to complete this mission. I have failed in my duties. Please punish me.”

The princess turned at his words, speaking calmly: “I know you did your best. Even you could not convince that couple to return, which shows that I truly hurt David’s heart deeply.”

Hearing the self-reproach in the princess’s words, Lihua felt a sense of relief in his heart. But, as expected, Rufus said: “David and Erin are unwilling to return. Surely there must be some hidden reasons. I am willing to make a special trip to try and persuade them to come back and serve the princess.”

The Dragon Knight, however, was not optimistic and warned: “Archmage, although your magic is powerful, David and Erin are no longer the same as before. If you try to force them, you might not succeed.”

Rufus gave a bitter smile: “Of course, I won’t use force against David and Erin. I know my skills cannot surpass David’s. However, if I go and still cannot convince them to return, then the princess may consider using…”

Before Rufus could finish, Maria waved her hand, and Rufus wisely fell silent immediately.

“I will not treat David that way. In his previous life, he already saved a life for my father, and in this life, he helped me eliminate Anderson. I will not, and cannot bear to, harm him again,” the princess said, her eyes starting to glisten with tears.

Seeing this, a weight in Huang Lihua’s heart quietly lifted, and he thought to himself: “So, the solution to the spell is simply ‘compassion.’ The princess truly is a heroine who values loyalty and affection.”

Rufus sighed: “Sigh… since the princess has no intention of using her trump card, then even if I find David and Erin, I can only try to persuade the couple with earnest words. And my persuasion may very well be in vain.”

The princess said: “Will you still make the trip? Archmage Rufus, please deliver a handwritten letter to David for me.”

Rufus replied: “Very well. I hope this journey will help the princess resolve a matter weighing on her heart.”

The princess beckoned Huang Lihua: “Painter, since you understand Chinese, I’d like you to come to my study to help me write this letter.”

Huang Lihua bowed: “Please, princess, lead the way. I shall follow.”

The princess waved her hand: “You may all take your leave and rest.” Rufus and the Dragon Knight immediately bowed and turned to leave the hall.

The princess and her attendant walked one after the other, two palace servants following behind, into the princess’s study.

The circular room had white marble walls and a waist-high stained glass window facing the courtyard garden. Along the walls was a circular bookshelf neatly filled with many classical texts. In one corner stood a harp made of ivory, and beneath the window was an oval desk inlaid with amethyst, accompanied by a long bench. On the desk lay two Buddhist sutras from the East. A servant brought over a tall chair. Huang Lihua glanced at the two Chinese Buddhist texts, the Diamond Sutra and the Shurangama Sutra, thinking: “The princess even takes the initiative to study Eastern Buddhist classics—no wonder her insight is extraordinary.”

The princess picked up the Shurangama Sutra from the desk. Each section had a translation. She opened to the marked page and pointed to a passage: “Painter, please help me copy this Chinese passage.”

Huang Lihua took the sutra, focused his mind, and read the passage alongside its translation:

“You carry my destiny. I still owe you a debt. Thus, through countless eons, we remain entangled in the cycle of life and death. Your love is in my heart, and I have compassion for your form. Through countless eons, we continue to be bound by this karmic connection. As a result, the cycle of karma and its consequences persists.”

The servant promptly prepared silk paper and a quill, laying them flat on the desk. Huang Lihua adjusted his breath and began to copy, yet his mind could not help but churn with thoughts: “So, the princess’s heart is so full of anguish. How she longs for David’s companionship… Oh! The princess’s heart belongs only to Xiaoyang…”

After finishing this passage, the princess took out a handkerchief and said: “Painter, this poem is written by me for David. Please have Father John translate it into Chinese, and include it in this letter to be delivered to Archmage Rufus.”

Knowing Each Other in This Life

But once having met, we know each other; meeting is no better than not meeting.
How can we part, avoiding each other, to prevent life and death from making us pine? — “The Sentimental Monk” Tsangyang Gyatso

In the turbulent world, amidst the vast sea of people,
I once thought that entering the monastic path in this life
Would sever all desire, leaving neither sorrow nor joy.
After ellipses, there should be blank space.
Until meeting you, I realized
You are the unavoidable lesson of my remaining life.

In the valleys, I am the wandering, weary evening cloud.
You are the ray of sunlight, clearing the shadows of my heart,
Illuminating the entire valley, as the morning bell rings softly.
Echoes knock back and forth upon the mountains; I am a pinecone,
Hanging on the branch, plucked and opened by you,
Revealing the seeds of love in this life.
You tenderly protect them, saying you will accompany me,
Like sunshine and rain, waiting for my heart to return,
Awakening, letting the remaining life
Sprout tender green buds, bearing the fruits of wisdom.

If heaven has feeling, should I believe in reincarnation?
I believe in you, to guide me to the shore of wisdom.
Though I once worried that love could harm my ascetic practice,
In truth, how fortunate I am to know you.
Across rivers and mountains, hand in hand we travel,
“Faithful to Buddha, faithful to you.”
I finally awaken; indeed, without emotion or love,
This lifetime of practice would never meet the Buddha.

Huang Lihua read the poem line by line, deeply sensing Princess Maria’s profound and steadfast love for David, a love that transcends past and present lives. Tears welled in his eyes, moved by the fate that toyed with this couple destined to love yet remain apart.

Archmage Rufus, carrying the princess’s handwritten letter, journeyed to Taiwan, weary from travel. From large cities to small villages, from the coast to the mountains, even in disguise, Rufus could not sense David’s presence. Even on the relatively small island of Taiwan, finding this couple was no easy task. Standing on the golden banks of the Tamsui River, Rufus stared blankly at the far end of Guanyin Mountain, mostly shrouded in clouds, thinking: “In such a vast sea of people, finding Lin Xiaoyang and his wife may only be a matter of luck.”

Meanwhile, at an uninhabited island harbor in Penghu, a small yacht was moored. On the deck, the Xiaoyang couple were busy hanging cleaned fish on net ropes. These sun-dried fish, suitable for long-term storage, were their provisions.

“Minhua, have you gotten used to this life away from the noise of the world?”

“Very well! Every day has a different taste of the sea, with seabirds as companions. When idle, I paint and sketch. I have nothing to complain about in such a life.”

“Following me across the ends of the earth must truly be hard on you.”

Minhua smiled: “I don’t feel wronged at all! With you by my side, every corner of the earth is paradise.”

~The End~