The Book of the Hermit
奇幻短篇小說《隱士之書》
1: The Bookstore and the Ancient Book
Huang Zhihua was a young bookstore clerk at a bookstore in the city center.
The bookstore was located in a narrow alley in a bustling downtown district. The red bricks on the exterior walls had weathered and peeled away over time, as if they were whispering about the glory of the past.
Zhihua loved the quietness of this place, especially when he was alone organizing stacks of books. It felt as though he had entered another world.
One drizzly afternoon, the store manager asked him to clean up the old books covered with dust in the basement storage room.
In the shadows at the bottom shelf of a bookshelf, he discovered an ancient book with yellowed, mottled pages.
Silver letters were printed on its cover:
The Book of the Hermit.
He opened the pages.
The paper had already become fragile, like dried leaves.
The book recorded a long-lost hermit philosophy. It explored the mysterious connection between the universe and the self, as well as the path of cultivation toward the Realm of Supreme Goodness.
Zhihua could not suppress his curiosity.
The contents of this book seemed to be calling out to him.
2: The Land of the Hermit
Through his reading, Zhihua learned that the origin of the hermit philosophy came from a hermit named Ying Wuchou.
He lived in a remote valley somewhere far away, refusing all visitors and speaking only with those who truly sought the truth.
Zhihua made up his mind to travel to that valley in search of Ying Wuchou.
During his journey, he encountered several important figures:
Lin Wanjun — a woman skilled in astrology. She predicted that Zhihua’s journey would be filled with trials and choices.
Guo Zilong — an old man who claimed he had once met Ying Wuchou, yet he remained filled with regret because he had failed to pass the trials.
The Man in Black — a mysterious figure who constantly watched Zhihua from the shadows, seemingly with hidden intentions.
Zhihua traveled through alternating landscapes of barren wilderness, dense forests, glaciers, and volcanoes.
Gradually, he came to understand that this journey was not merely a search for the hermit.
It was also an exploration of his own inner world.
3: Ying Wuchou
In a quiet and secluded valley, Zhihua finally found Ying Wuchou.
The hermit was a silver-haired old man with a peaceful face, yet his eyes were as deep and unfathomable as the ocean.
Ying Wuchou told him:
“Wisdom does not come from books. It comes from exploring the depths of your own heart.
Your journey has been long, but your true cultivation has only just begun.”
Under the hermit’s guidance, Zhihua learned how to search for answers within himself rather than relying on books or external knowledge.
What the hermit taught him was not a specific skill.
It was a kind of wisdom:
the wisdom of ‘acting through non-action.’
4: The Return
After returning to the city, Zhihua let go of his obsession with books and turned his attention toward his own inner cultivation.
He began writing down his insights and sharing these experiences with those who longed to discover their true selves.
Inside the bookstore, he opened The Book of the Hermit once again.
However, he discovered that the words inside the book were gradually fading away.
It was as if this book had existed only to guide him toward finding Ying Wuchou.
At that moment, the Man in Black appeared inside the bookstore.
“It seems that you have completed this journey.”
The Man in Black spoke in a low voice, revealing a strange smile.
5: The Unexpected Twist
The Man in Black revealed his true identity:
He was none other than Ying Wuchou.
The so-called valley and the hermit had never existed.
Everything had been an illusion created by Ying Wuchou to test Zhihua.
“True wisdom has never been somewhere far away.
It lies in the choices you make when facing illusions.”
Ying Wuchou spoke calmly.
It turned out that all the fantastical scenes and characters encountered during the journey were spiritual projections created within Zhihua’s mind under Ying Wuchou’s guidance through the philosophy of the book.
Lin Wanjun, Guo Zilong, and even the image of the hermit were all manifestations of different parts of his own inner self.
Zhihua was astonished, yet suddenly enlightened.
After Ying Wuchou departed, the bookstore returned to its former tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.
Huang Zhihua placed The Book of the Hermit deep inside the bookstore.
Yet he knew that the true Book of the Hermit had already unfolded within his own heart.
(The End)
