Chapter 26: Easy to Talk To
Decocting medicinal herbs was a delicate task, like threading a needle through an eye. Chen Ping'an performed it methodically, immersing himself in the process. The young man exuded an inexplicable sense of joy.
But the black-clothed girl was not one for patience. In fact, aside from practicing with blades and swords, she had little interest in anything. Having left her hometown at a young age, she roamed the world alone, living a rough life. So the destitute little house of the straw-sandaled youth caused her no discomfort. She had endured far too many days and nights out in the open, braving wind and rain. Even the most fastidious person would become utterly unfussy under such conditions.
The girl asked, “Is your left hand all right?”
Chen Ping'an, whose left hand was wrapped in cotton strips, brought a bowl of medicine with both hands. After the girl took it, he smiled and said, “It’s fine. Before I came back to the alley, I found some medicinal herbs, mashed them up, and applied them to the wound. When I worked as a kiln worker, I used this for any sprains, falls, or cuts. It works every time. An old man from the Yang Family Shop told me the recipe long ago, but I promised him I wouldn’t spread it. Otherwise, Miss Ning, since you travel far and wide, you might find it useful. If you want it, I can go find the old man from the Yang Family Shop and ask him for permission. But today I went to the pharmacy in a hurry and didn’t see him. I just hope he stepped out temporarily.”
As the girl drank the medicine, her long eyebrows—not like willow leaves but more like narrow blades—furrowed slightly. Still, she finished the concoction without changing her expression. After returning the porcelain bowl to the waiting straw-sandaled youth, she muttered, “What a softhearted fool. No wonder you’re dirt poor. You deserve to get bullied.”
Before the youth could react, she added, “Don’t mind me. I’m pretty blunt when I speak.”
The girl probably didn’t realize that the second sentence hurt even more.
Chen Ping'an opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped.
The black-clothed girl wiped the remnants of the medicinal broth from her lips with her thumb, then sat up straight and said solemnly, “Now, the sage who currently presides over this realm, the one you call the schoolmaster—he might be willing to clean up after you so that you can live without worry from now on. But you have to understand, human strength has its limits. Even a sage is no exception. Besides, that Mr. Qi is in a rather tricky spot himself, like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river—barely able to save himself. I’m afraid he might not be able to look out for your life and death later on. As for me, Ning Yao, in my dealings with others, a single drop of kindness I repay with a gushing spring. If someone glares at me, I’ll repay that glare with a vengeance.”
Human strength has its limits, a gushing spring repayment, an eye for an eye, a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river…
At this moment, the girl’s heart swelled with a secret pride. Listen, don’t I sound quite learned saying all that?
Unfortunately, Chen Ping'an’s neighbor was a true scholar of considerable learning. Almost every day at dawn and dusk, the neighbor would recite the words of sages to clarify his ambitions. As Song Jixin himself put it, “I am skilled at cultivating righteous energy.” So Chen Ping'an, though not a scholar himself, had seen enough to be familiar with the flowery language of bookish types. Even if some obscure terms were hard to grasp, he could infer their meaning from context.
The girl stared intently at Chen Ping'an, trying to find shock, admiration, or confusion on the youth’s face. But Chen Ping'an wore an expression that practically said, “I understand. Go on, miss,” which was just asking for a beating.
The girl felt deeply disheartened. The heroic aura she had carried diminished sharply. In a huff, she said, “For example, you saved my life. I’ll take care of it afterward by killing Fu Nanhua of Old Dragon City or Liu Zhimao of Book Gourd Lake. But if you want both dead to eliminate all future trouble, you’ll have to pay up. After all, we just met by chance; we don’t have that deep a bond. So you’ll need to offer a pouch of gold essence copper coins as payment.”
She quickly pointed to the pouch of Spring Greeting coins. “For instance, this pouch I really like. The other two pouches, the Offering coins and Suppressing Evil coins, aren’t as nice—the designs are ugly, and the engravings aren’t pleasing either.”
Then the girl lifted her chin slightly. “If, on top of this deal, you’re willing to give me two more pouches of copper coins, I’ll help you take care of Old Dragon City and Cloud Mist Mountain. Of course, if I die early at the hands of Liu Zhimao, then forget it. After all, my cultivation isn’t high now. In the Nine Realms of martial arts, I’ve only just reached the Sixth Realm. As a pure martial artist, my physical toughness isn’t yet substantial. As for the fifteen levels of cultivation climbing the tower, I’ve only reached the Dragon Gate Realm within the middle five realms. Inside my alchemy chamber, I have six paintings that still need the finishing touch of drawing the dragons’ eyes and making the celestial maidens ascend…”
By this point, Chen Ping'an was truly lost. A fog of confusion settled over him.
The girl was suddenly furious and humiliated. Her low realm had always been a source of shame to her. Chen Ping'an’s dazed look—like he was saying, “Miss, could you explain that again?”—touched her most tender wound.
Seeing the girl’s darkened expression, Chen Ping'an, even if he were a fool, knew the situation was dire. He quickly changed the subject. “How is it that you were so badly injured before, but now you seem mostly recovered?”
The girl lowered her gaze slightly, crossed her arms over her chest, and said in a hoarse voice, “I really was about to die then. If Daoist Lu hadn’t saved me, I would have… Anyway, I owe you a huge favor. And I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you by demanding three pouches of gold essence copper coins. My life, Ning Yao’s life, is not something that people like Liu Zhimao can compare to. So it was my fault. Just pretend I said nothing. After I leave the town, I’ll do my best to help you resolve those worries. But let me warn you: I, Ning Yao, will only act within my capabilities. I won’t knowingly walk into death just to fight someone… or trade lives.”
Probably because the girl rarely admitted fault, the act itself was so rare that she felt extremely dejected.
Chen Ping'an asked, “Which pouch is the Offering coins?”
The girl pointed to one of the yellow embroidered pouches.
Chen Ping'an took three coins from it, held them in his palm, then pushed all three pouches across the table with his arm. He smiled and said, “These are for you.”
The girl was stunned. After a long pause, she asked, “Chen Ping'an, did you get your head smashed by a door when you were little?”
Chen Ping'an replied helplessly, “No. When I was a kid herding cattle, I got hit by cow tails now and then.”
The girl suddenly slammed the table in fury. “Are you in love with me?!”
Chen Ping'an stood frozen like a wooden chicken.
The girl grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. “Good taste!”
Then she bent her thumb and pointed at herself, beaming. “But I won’t accept it. The man I, Ning Yao, love must be the most powerful sword immortal in the entire world! The entire world! The most powerful! A great sword immortal! The Dao Ancestor, the Buddha, even the Confucian Supreme Sage—all of them must bow before his sword and make way!”
Chen Ping'an’s face flushed red. He scratched his head and said, “Miss Ning, you’re mistaken. I don’t have feelings for you…”
The girl raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, then leaned forward. She squinted one eye and raised a hand, holding her thumb and forefinger a tiny distance apart. She asked, with a hint of guilt, “Not even this much?”
Chen Ping'an replied firmly, without hesitation, “No! Miss Ning, rest assured!”
The girl withdrew her hand and heaved a heavy sigh. With pity, she said, “Chen Ping'an, even if you somehow get yourself a wife later, you’ll probably be a bit simpleminded.”
Chen Ping'an sat across the table and said cheerfully, “As long as she’s a good person, that’s enough.”
The girl made no comment.
Slogging through life, being content with small wealth, or rising to prominence—as her mother used to say, it all depends on one’s fate. There’s no inherent superiority or inferiority.
However, her father had a different opinion: if something isn’t meant to be, don’t force it. Not forcing doesn’t mean not seeking at all. One should still seek a little. If seeking still fails, that’s another matter.
Of course, her father would never dare say this in front of her mother.
Chen Ping'an asked casually, “Miss Ning, did you come to our town seeking fortune as well?”
The girl did not hide anything. She replied, “I used up all the treasures I had accumulated through adventures, plus one favor, just to get this spot to enter the town. But I’m different from those people. I’m not after fortune or fate. I just want to have someone forge a sword for me. Ideally, one that suits my heart. Whether it’s sharp or can hold a vast amount of sword aura is secondary.”
Chen Ping'an asked, puzzled, “Forge a sword?”
The girl said, “That Master Ruan, the blacksmith. He has a great reputation here. He has a rule that ‘even iron cannot move him’—he only forges one sword every thirty years. The reason he agreed to come here and replace Qi Jingchun is that he thinks this place is suitable for opening a furnace to forge swords. I’m going to take a chance and see if he’s willing to forge a sword for me. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just consider myself unlucky.”
Chen Ping'an smiled and said, “Good people will be rewarded.”
The girl said listlessly, “No luck.”
She glanced at the youth. “Your left hand doesn’t hurt?”
Chen Ping'an was taken aback. “It hurts.”
She asked suspiciously, “Then why don’t you look like it hurts?”
Chen Ping'an said matter-of-factly, “Even if I roll on the ground and scream, it won’t stop hurting.”
The girl slapped her forehead. “I’m truly at a loss. You’re just like my father, but you’re far less capable than him.”
Chen Ping'an smiled silently and gazed quietly at the yard outside the house.
The girl pushed the three pouches of coins back. “I don’t want them.”
Chen Ping'an withdrew his gaze and said softly, “Miss Ning, have you considered that keeping them might not be a good thing for me? After meeting Mr. Qi, I became even more certain of that.”
Once the girl decided on something, she never changed her mind. She shook her head. “That’s your business. It has nothing to do with me. I’ve made up my mind. I will repay the life-saving debt in the future, and I won’t cut corners. I will live up to the name ‘Ning Yao’! But you must stay safe during these years. Don’t die on me. If you can just get through this period…”
The youth, who had always been easy to talk to, interrupted her for the first time. “It was Daoist Lu who saved you, Miss Ning. So you don’t owe me anything. If I hadn’t thought I was going to die back then and wanted to do something more for my parents through Daoist Lu, I wouldn’t have opened the door at all.”
The girl snorted coldly. “That’s your business!”
The youth repeated her words with a smile. “That’s your business.”
They stared at each other.
To his surprise, the girl was the first to back down. She rubbed her temples in distress and said, “If you really like me, I really can’t accept it.”
Chen Ping'an held his head in his hands.
Dealing with such a stubborn, peculiar girl—he was at his wit’s end too.
Just then, someone climbed over the wall into the yard. There was no doubt who it was—Liu Xianyang. He trotted to the threshold and was about to shout, but then he suddenly looked like someone had grabbed his throat; not a word came out.
Chen Ping'an quickly stood up and went over to Liu Xianyang. In a low voice, he said, “Can I stay at your place for a couple of days? This young lady might need to stay here.”
Liu Xianyang shoved Chen Ping'an’s head aside. Rubbing his hands together like a fly, he said eagerly, “Miss, my house is bigger and fully furnished. If you don’t mind, why not stay at my place?”
The black-clothed girl, her back to them, said flatly, “I do mind.”
Liu Xianyang grinned, looking at the slender, moving silhouette with the saber at her waist. Unwilling to give up, he said, “Miss, you don’t know this, but two groups of people blocked me on the covered bridge earlier, crying and begging me to sell them my family heirloom. I didn’t agree. Damn it, those people almost got me scolded to death by Master Ruan. I can tell you’re an outsider here to try your luck. I, Liu Xianyang, might not sell it to you, but I’d let you take a look, broaden your horizons. No problem at all!”
Ning Yao said coldly, “Not interested.”
Liu Xianyang sat down in the seat where Chen Ping'an had been. Seeing the black-clothed girl’s face, his eyes lit up. “Miss, don’t be so distant. Chen Ping'an and I can squeeze into this shabby house. If you go to my big house, you won’t feel cramped, like you don’t even have room to stretch your arms and legs.”
Ning Yao replied sternly, “Thanks but no thanks. Go cool off somewhere!”
Liu Xianyang didn’t feel embarrassed. He stood up and said, “Alright. A golden nest or a silver nest is no match for your own thatched nest. I get it.”
He pulled Chen Ping'an outside the threshold and nudged him with his elbow. “What’s going on?”
Chen Ping'an said awkwardly, “It’s a long story. Just tell me, can I stay at your place or not?”
Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes. “Why wouldn’t you be able to? But you have to promise me—keep an eye on Zhigui for me. Don’t let that little bastard Song Jixin do anything to her. You’ve got to protect my future wife’s purity!”
Chen Ping'an said without hesitation, “Don’t even think about it!”
Liu Xianyang patted Chen Ping'an’s shoulder and said earnestly, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Inside the house, the black-clothed girl suddenly turned her head and said, “Do you know that you are a natural sword embryo? The reason the Charm-Purchaser didn’t take you away when you were nine was probably because she wanted you to absorb more spiritual energy here. That choice was correct. So with Master Ruan, you must seize the opportunity to make him accept you as his disciple. Remember, at least a direct disciple, preferably a personal disciple. As for a closed-door disciple, don’t hope for it. Your bone structure and talent aren’t that extraordinary.”
Liu Xianyang grinned and nodded vigorously, saying “Good, good,” then turned to Chen Ping'an, pointed at the girl inside, and tapped his own temple.
Chen Ping'an said, “She’s telling the truth. Don’t take it lightly.”
Liu Xianyang stopped grinning. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, “Something feels off. Those two groups on the covered bridge—guess who led them? That bastard Lu Zhengchun from Fortune Street! It’s like a weasel coming to pay a chicken a visit—nothing good. I’m not that money-hungry. Why would I do business with them? Besides, that armor is an heirloom passed down through generations in my family. If I sold it, my grandfather would scold me half to death in my dreams!”
Chen Ping'an was alarmed. “You need to be careful. Lu Zhengchun and those outsiders are not to be trifled with!”
He turned and asked, “Miss Ning, do you know where those people are from?”
The black-clothed girl nodded. “The old man and the little girl are from Zhengyang Mountain. They count as a legitimate sect in your East Treasured Vase Continent. The old man is not human… In short, he’s a hundred times more formidable than Fu Nanhua or Cai Jinjian. The woman and her son are also not simple. Anyone who can enter the town as a group must be more than just the usual wealthy. The woman is very deep, and the little boy doesn’t seem kind-hearted either. So I advise your friend to have Master Ruan accept him as a disciple as soon as possible. That would be like having a life-saving charm. In this town, no matter how high one’s backing or how thick one’s background, no one dares to challenge a sage.”
Chen Ping'an asked Liu Xianyang, “Do you have a chance of becoming Master Ruan’s apprentice?”
Liu Xianyang hesitated, stammering, “Well, when I first went to be an apprentice helper, Master Ruan looked at me the same way Old Yao did back then. Probably observing me for a while before deciding whether to take me on. But…”
Chen Ping'an glared at him.
Liu Xianyang forced a laugh. “But Master Ruan has a daughter who’s a big eater. She shocked me, so I made a few jokes. I didn’t expect that when she forged iron, she was ferocious and overbearing with the hammer. But normally she’s very shy and bashful. I never thought she couldn’t take a joke. I made her cry, and then her father happened to see it. After that, the way he looked at me changed. There’s no chance of becoming his apprentice now. Anyway, I didn’t want to be someone’s servant apprentice. I had enough of waiting on that cranky old Yao. So I was just hoping to get a meal ticket at the blacksmith’s shop…”
Chen Ping'an lifted his head, his face dark.
Liu Xianyang, who was half a head taller than the straw-sandaled youth, lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes.
This scene puzzled Ning Yao.
It was also the first time she saw Chen Ping'an truly angry.
Chen Ping'an asked in a low voice, “When you passed by the old locust tree, did you find any locust leaves mysteriously appearing on you?”
Liu Xianyang shook his head. “No. But that fortune-telling Daoist who keeps sneaking glances at the woman said some unlucky things to me. I almost smashed his stall.”
Chen Ping'an’s expression changed. He frowned deeply and turned to the girl inside. “Miss Ning, as an exchange, would three pouches of gold essence copper coins be enough? Also, would it cause you major trouble? Please be sure to tell me clearly beforehand.”
The black-clothed girl thought carefully. “It’s no small trouble, but it’s manageable. Still, you need to be careful these next two days. Tell your friend not to wander the streets, because my current situation isn’t too good.”
She added, “Two pouches for the two groups of people. One more pouch for getting Master Ruan to accept him as a disciple. In short, for each thing accomplished, I take one pouch. Don’t worry—since I’ve agreed, that’s at least two pouches guaranteed.”
Chen Ping'an ran into the house and quickly pushed two pouches, including the Spring Greeting coins, toward the girl. “Take them.”
The girl was not one to dillydally. She didn’t refuse. After pocketing the two pouches of coins, she gave a stiff smile. “There are plenty of people in the world who love stuffing their purses, but you’re the first I’ve seen who likes playing the Money-Scattering Boy.”
This time, the youth didn’t argue. He nodded and smiled. “Money is very important. Very, very important.”
Liu Xianyang, who had been kept in the dark, said urgently, “Chen Ping'an, have you gone mad? Why are you giving her money? Two whole pouches of copper coins—how long could that last you?”
Chen Ping'an retorted, “It’s my money. What’s it to you?”
Liu Xianyang said with righteous indignation, “Your money is my money! Think about it—if I borrowed money from you, would you have the nerve to demand it back?”
Chen Ping'an said nothing, lost in thought.
Liu Xianyang realized his joking was out of place and shut his mouth.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the house was heavy.
Chen Ping'an finally asked, “Miss Ning, are you sure you won’t…”
The black-clothed girl glanced at the white-sheathed sword on the table and nodded. “No problem!”
Then she couldn’t help adding, “So indecisive! You’re annoying! And you still say you’re not a softhearted fool?”
Chen Ping'an smiled.
Liu Xianyang thought for a moment and said nothing.
Finally, he kept his words to himself: Miss, you probably haven’t seen the other side of this guy.
Chen Ping'an rarely turned hard to deal with. But when he did, he really, really wasn’t easy to talk to.
Liu Xianyang had seen it.
Their neighbor Song Jixin had probably seen it too.