Chapter 9: Though Heaven's Rain Is Wide

Chapter 9: Though Heaven's Rain Is Wide

A man and a woman turned into Mud Bottle Alley. The young man wore a tall crown and had a green pendant hanging at his waist. He looked more like a wealthy aristocrat's son than the descendants of the Lu Clan, the richest family in town. The woman's age was hard to tell. At first glance, she appeared as a young girl, with delicate, supple skin and a pointed chin like an icicle hanging from the eaves in winter. At another glance, she had the charm of a thirty-year-old, with phoenix eyes and a seductive figure, exuding an unrestrained elegance from head to toe. When she walked, her waist twisted with a grace utterly absent in the town's women.

The woman looked around, full of curiosity. She even reached out to touch the yellow-mud wall, but found no trace of anything out of the ordinary. She asked curiously, "Fu Nanhua, is this truly one of the hidden blessed lands you mentioned? Why did the feng shui map our ancestors provided not mark this alley prominently?"

The young man answered evasively, "If you and I truly find an unexpected treasure here, how will you repay me?"

The woman turned sideways, interlacing her fingers behind her back, which accentuated her full, ample chest. She smiled softly, half-jokingly, half-seriously, "At your disposal, how about that?"

The young man hadn't expected her to be so forthright, and it caught him off guard. Besides, their purpose here was "visiting relatives and seeking friends," bearing the weight of the clan's century-long prosperity—even a millennium of glory. No matter how frivolous his heart, he dared not engage in a fleeting romance with this woman in a town under "everyone's watchful eye."

So he quickly changed the subject, pointing deeper into the alley with a laugh. "Immortal Cai, friends are friends, business is business. I must reiterate: according to our agreement, in this Mud Bottle Alley there are two households—one with a master and servant, one with a mother and son. You can choose whichever you prefer. The wager is your Cloud Mist Mountain specialty, Cloud Root Stones, ten pieces delivered to our Old Dragon City every year."

The woman nodded, her smile seductive. "Of course, that's fine."

The young man walked slowly forward and continued, "Next, once you obtain an unexpected opportunity here, that item must be appraised by the founding patriarchs of both sides to set a fair price. Then your Cloud Mist Mountain will provide half the equivalent value in Cloud Root Stones. Cai Jinjian, do you have any objections? Or are you certain that, after agreeing to this here and now, once the benefits are in hand and safely secured, you can persuade the founding patriarchs of Cloud Mist Mountain to nod in approval of this gamble?"

The woman's expression had already changed—solemn and dignified, as if a different person entirely. She had transformed from a fallen brothel courtesan into a queen ruling the realm. This woman, known as Cai Jinjian of Cloud Mist Mountain, spoke with resolute certainty. "Agreed!"

The young man narrowed his eyes, his expression dark. He stopped walking and faced the woman, who was as tall as he was. "Let me speak plainly. The reason you and I can form an alliance today, benefiting each other, is not because of any love at first sight or shared spirit. It is solely the accumulated goodwill painstakingly built by generations of patriarchs and elders from Old Dragon City and Cloud Mist Mountain over hundreds of years. If we mess this up and provoke their thunderous wrath, neither I, Fu Nanhua, nor you, Cai Jinjian, nor even our parents or masters, can bear that responsibility!"

Cai Jinjian smiled. "So during our time in this town, we must be open with each other and cooperate sincerely, right?"

Fu Nanhua, standing in the gloomy alley, revealed his handsome charm. "Besides that…"

He glanced back, then lowered his voice. "The two of us also need to be wary of those two. After all, they're not from Sunny Mountain—they can't be called a reputable, righteous sect. And I hear those two fellows have always operated outside the rules, not really playing by the book."

The tall woman narrowed her expressive phoenix eyes, as if to say coquettishly, "That's why I, Cai Jinjian, chose you, Young Master Fu."

Fu Nanhua said softly, "Let's go. Although this place has a sage suppressing and balancing all factions, we still need to be cautious. It would be bad to capsize in a gutter. In short, whether you and I can leap over the dragon gate depends on this one move."

This proud son of heaven, renowned far and wide, strengthened his dao heart and silently recited, "My path to the Great Dao is within reach. Anyone who blocks my way—immortal or buddha—I will slay!"

He looked deeper into the alley and saw a thin, frail youth walking toward them from the distant opposite end.

This was their second meeting.

The two continued their leisurely stroll, like a pair of divine lovers descended to the mortal world.

The tall woman also spotted the youth and teased, "Over there, in the alley, we've met him twice now. Do you think this young man might…?"

She only spoke halfway. Fu Nanhua naturally understood her implication and said with a wry smile, "My dear great immortal Cai, there are six hundred households in this town, plus the servants and laborers kept by the ten great clans—nearly five thousand people. Even if this town hides crouching tigers and coiled dragons, over the years, all the good seeds with talent, fortune, and deep connections have long been secretly divided up. The only reason we can 'pick up leftovers' now is that some unfathomably powerful figures intentionally let these slip through."

The woman also laughed self-deprecatingly, embarrassed by her naive thought.

After a moment's hesitation, she still said, "I don't know how your patriarch bestows heavenly secrets, but my father once told me something: after entering this place, if someone makes you feel a chill in your heart, you must actively retreat, keep your distance, and never lightly oppose or provoke them. After all, this town hides crouching tigers and coiled dragons, unfathomably deep. Those who give you an evil feeling are likely opponents in this treasure hunt. As for those who make you feel drawn to them, they might be people with thick blessings and fortune in this region, and they might become your own opportunity. At that time, as long as you don't casually kill people or break those immutable old rules, beyond that—whether you buy, trick, or forcefully seize—it all depends on…"

Cai Jinjian's lips curled up. "It all depends on our mood."

She suddenly frowned. "Young Master Fu, why didn't you let me bring along a descendant of the local Zhao Clan? Even though I learned some of the local dialect before my departure…"

Fu Nanhua interrupted her, shaking his head. "Those great clans have secret channels that are still connected to the outside world, barely holding on. Under the sage's nose, they can transmit trivial, harmless messages without being seen as crossing the line. Accumulated over generations, their foundations are deep. The true backers of these clans are still a step ahead of Old Dragon City and Cloud Mist Mountain. Besides, relying on outside help is ultimately not ideal—it easily creates unforeseen complications and delays important matters. If you don't want to speak later, I'll do it for you."

She laughed. "It's fine. Just some tongue-twisting words. I'm not so delicate."

Fu Nanhua smiled dismissively, and Cai Jinjian said no more.

At the end of the day, friends forged in mid-journey are not like family.

Moreover, to certain ambitious people who seek to prove the Dao, what do grandfather, grandson, father, son, husband, wife, or brothers mean?

Fu Nanhua had a serene smile, elegant and noble, like a scion of the most prominent aristocratic family in the mortal world.

The reason he revealed the heavenly secret—the "mental method" his father had privately passed down to him—to Cai Jinjian was actually simple.

Compared to the other two companions who had traveled with him earlier—a taciturn middle-aged man and a cold, stern black-clad girl—the moment Fu Nanhua stepped through the town's fence gate, he had already felt a murderous intent toward his allied woman, Cai Jinjian of Cloud Mist Mountain!

Fu Nanhua instinctively reached for the green pendant at his waist.

The Old Dragon dispenses rain, with exquisite craftsmanship.

A gentleman does not remove his jade without reason.

Cai Jinjian thought for a moment, closed her eyes, then opened them and said, "Song Jixin, Gu Can… I'll choose Gu Can."

Fu Nanhua raised an eyebrow. "Good. It's settled!"

In their field of vision, the youth had turned left and jumped his way to a spot in the alley, where he was about to unlock a door and go inside.

Fu Nanhua led Cai Jinjian forward quickly, laughing, "What a coincidence! We meet again."

The shabby youth was none other than Chen Ping'an, who had just come out from Gu Can's house. Hearing the voice, he turned around and nodded. "Is there something?"

Fu Nanhua spoke fluently in the local town dialect, "This is called Mud Bottle Alley, right? I wanted to ask if a person named Song Jixin lives around here, and also a child named Gu Can. I'm from the capital. My family and Song Jixin's father are old family friends. The older sister beside me, her surname is Cai, and she's from Gu Can's mother's side. So the two of us are traveling together, and it just so happens that both of them live in the same alley. What a coincidence—everything seems to come together. Truly, a story has no twist without coincidence."

Fu Nanhua's smile was composed. Even when speaking to a straw-sandal-wearing youth from the bottom of society, the tall man bent slightly to accommodate the youth, maintaining this posture throughout the conversation. It didn't feel affected or malicious, but rather made him seem gentle, respectful, frugal, and deferential—a true gentleman.

The youth, tilting his head up, let out an "mm" and smiled shyly. "It is quite a coincidence."

Fu Nanhua's smile deepened. He said warmly, "So, where do these two families live?"

Unexpectedly, the youth shook his head. "I was an apprentice at a dragon kiln until recently. I lived outside town for many years. I just moved here, so I'm not familiar with the neighbors. Maybe you should ask someone else?"

Fu Nanhua smiled, not rushing to speak, as if considering his words.

The tall woman laughed. "Little brother, lying isn't good. Do we look like bad people to you? And even if we were, what bad things could we possibly do in broad daylight?"

Chen Ping'an blinked. "But I really don't know."

Cai Jinjian reverted to her usual speech and asked Fu Nanhua, "Do you think this kid wants a reward?"

Fu Nanhua's expression remained unchanged. "Doesn't seem like it."

The tall woman revealed a faint trace of irritation, barely concealed. "If it doesn't work, we can just go door to door and ask until we find them."

Fu Nanhua waved his hand at her, patiently coaxing the youth. "Help us with a small favor, and I'll give you something. How about that?"

The youth scratched his head, his body thin, his eyes clear.

Fu Nanhua suddenly straightened up.

He saw a youth full of bookishness crouching on a nearby wall, sizing them up.

Beside that plainly dressed youth stood a girl, the upper half of her face visible—fair, clean, with eyebrows like distant ink.

At that moment, Fu Nanhua felt greatly reassured.

That youth before him was surely now his prey.

The youth stood up and asked loudly, "Are you looking for someone?"

Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian had to look up. The former said, "Yes, I'm looking for you. The older sister beside me is looking for Gu Can. Can you help?"

The youth frowned. "You know me?"

Fu Nanhua laughed. "Of course I don't know you, but I know Lord Song, who currently serves in the Ministry of Rites."

Song Jixin got straight to the point. "Help you find the brat Gu Can, sure. What's in it for me?"

Fu Nanhua didn't hesitate. He took off the green pendant from his waist and tossed it high to the youth on the low wall. "It's yours now."

Song Jixin caught it, felt a slight shock inwardly, but showed no change in expression. He looked down at his maidservant Zhigui and said, "You go."

She nodded and left the courtyard. When the girl stood quietly in the narrow alley, the entire Mud Bottle Alley suddenly seemed to brighten.

Fu Nanhua smiled at the straw-sandal youth. "Little one, let me give you a saying: Though heaven's rain is wide, it does not nourish rootless grass."

Then he walked toward the girl first.

The tall woman didn't move. She looked at the youth with a playful expression and asked softly, "Do you know what that means?"

Her eyes sparkled, and for no reason, she felt interested. Before the youth could answer, she laughed heartily. "It means you've missed a great opportunity. That gentleman—just a scrap from between his fingernails would be enough for you to live extremely comfortably 'down the mountain' for the rest of your life. But luckily for you, you'll probably never know what you missed today. That's a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, you'd regret it for the rest of your life."

Fu Nanhua heard this and thought she was playing the lute to a cow.

Outside the town, the gap between people—especially the divide between high and low—was even greater than the gap between yin and yang.

Cai Jinjian backed toward the maidservant, so she was facing the straw-sandal youth. "Though heaven's rain is wide, it does not nourish rootless grass. Remember that."

The youth had shown no change in expression the whole time, but suddenly he called out loudly, "Watch out for the…"

Cai Jinjian's body stiffened abruptly.

The youth lowered his voice. "Dog shit."