Chapter 62: The Tree Falls
Ning Yao slowly woke up, having slept deeply and sweetly. Blinking in confusion, she found herself sitting on a stool. After a moment of daze, she stood up and pushed open the door of the room. Outside, on the corridor, sat an old man and a young boy, two silent gourds, neither speaking. Hearing Ning Yao's footsteps, Chen Ping'an turned his head and laughed, "Awake? You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't call you earlier."
Ning Yao nodded, not particularly concerned about it, and asked, "Old Yang?"
The old man said crossly, "What's this? Afraid that Chen Ping'an might take advantage of you while you were asleep? Don't worry, I was keeping an eye on him. That kid has the thief's heart but not the thief's nerve."
Chen Ping'an quickly explained, "Miss Ning, don't listen to Grandpa Yang's nonsense. I swear I don't even have a thief's heart!"
Ning Yao made a gesture of settling her breath into her lower abdomen, telling herself, "A great person has great tolerance."
The old man glanced sidelong at the straw-sandaled youth and chuckled maliciously, "Seven orifices, six are open, but one is blocked — totally ignorant."
The rain had already become light. The old man said bluntly, "When you come back, bring that bag of offering money over. Then this little girl and your subsequent medicine will be settled together."
Ning Yao frowned, "What kind of medicinal herbs does Yang Family Shop have, that are so expensive?!"
The old man said flatly, "When a person is about to starve to death, how much is the steamed bun in my hand worth?"
Ning Yao said in a deep voice, "You're robbing someone while their house is on fire!"
The old man smoked his dry pipe fiercely, so much so that his entire upper body was shrouded in faint smoke. From within the "sea of clouds" came his hoarse, cold voice: "Quoting an exorbitant price and letting the customer bargain is the business of cheap merchants. I don't do that. My rule here is final — only one price. Take it or leave it, buy it or don't."
Ning Yao was about to say something more, but found Chen Ping'an tugging at her sleeve and secretly signaling her. In the end, she swallowed her anger.
Those herbs and medicinal plants produced in this minor blessed land were indeed of excellent quality, but this Li Zhu Minor Blessed Land, renowned throughout East Treasured Vase Continent, was never famous for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, but rather for its "porcelain" and opportunities for treasures, which shook the world. So even if Yang Family Shop had mountains of medicinal materials piled up, they wouldn't be worth several Gold Essence Copper Coins.
The old man shook his pipe stem, "The rain has stopped. You two stop exchanging glances here — shameless."
Chen Ping'an pulled Ning Yao's arm and stepped down the stairs. Passing through the front hall of the shop and out onto the street, Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Can't figure it out? It's fine. Grandpa Yang is just like that. He doesn't like to talk about personal feelings. Everything he does is... fair. Yes, very fair." Ning Yao sneered, "Fair? Everyone has a scale in their heart. What makes him think he's fair? Just because he's old?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "I don't feel like I've been taken for a fool by spending a bag of copper coins."
Ning Yao glanced at the youth. "If you can repeat that sentence with your chest puffed out after surviving on the outside for ten years, then you win!"
Chen Ping'an smiled, "We'll talk about that when the time comes."
Ning Yao sighed. She really had no way with him. "Where to next?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "Let's go to the shop and see how Liu Xianyang is doing. Also, let's pull your knife out of the ground."
Ning Yao said decisively, "Then lead the way."
She suddenly asked, "Are you okay? Your body?"
Chen Ping'an grinned. "No major problems, but besides practicing boxing, from now on I have to boil and drink medicine every day, just like you. Grandpa Yang said if the effect isn't good, I might have to spend more money."
Ning Yao asked doubtfully, "You really believe that?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and shook his head, as if he simply couldn't be bothered to argue with her about such things.
After leaving the town, he rolled up his sleeves, took off the Clothes-weighting Dagger, and handed it back to the girl.
She hid the dagger away, then retrieved the Narrow Blade that the Mountain Moving Ape had stomped into the ground. As for the Sword Sheath she had given away, it was temporarily stored with Ning Yao. She hung it on her waist, and so the Flying Sword finally had a place to stay.
When Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao reached the southern end of the corridor bridge, they saw a young girl in blue with a ponytail sitting on the top step, her cheeks resting on her hands, gazing into the distance, leaving them with only her back.
——
In the back courtyard of Yang Family Shop, the old man, now alone, put away his pipe. Waving his hand to disperse the surrounding smoke, he said, "Don't worry. After the matter is accomplished, I promise to give you an immortal form as a River Goddess. As for whether you can truly achieve a true divine position in the future and be promoted to a proper River God, that will depend on your own fate."
Finally, the old man lightly tapped the ground with his pipe stem, looked up towards the direction of the Old Locust Tree in the town, and clicked his tongue. "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter."
——
Three carriages drove one after another towards Mud Vase Alley.
The Grand Prince of Great Li simply couldn't understand why this nephew of his would stubbornly compete with a youth from a shabby alley.
He had even developed a knot in his heart.
Song Changjing laughed. "Anyway, this messy account between you and Chen Ping'an — since I've already interfered once, I won't stir it up again. You'll settle it yourself."
Finally, Song Changjing warned, "You can have private dealings with Zhengyang Mountain, but don't get too deeply involved."
Song Jixin was amused. "Private dealings? You mean that little girl? Haha, just a bit of fun. It's not what you'd call a relationship."
Song Changjing smiled. "Just a bit of fun, and you casually give away a Sword-nurturing Gourd?"
Song Jixin fell silent, looking a bit embarrassed.
The carriages couldn't enter the alley, and Song Changjing didn't want to get out either. Song Jixin got off alone. He found that it was raining, still a fine spring drizzle, misty and hazy, but with a tendency to get heavier.
He hurried into Mud Vase Alley, arrived at his own courtyard, and pushed open the door. He saw Zhigui sitting on the threshold of the main house, staring blankly.
Song Jixin laughed and called out, "Let's go! Your master is taking you to the Great Li capital to see the world!"
Zhigui snapped back to reality. "Ah? So soon?"
Song Jixin nodded. "Anyway, the things have been packed for a long time. I have two big boxes in my room, plus your small box. Everything in our house that can be taken or we want to take hasn't been left behind. Leaving early or late makes no difference."
Zhigui rested her chin on her knees, feeling sad. "That's right, this is our home."
Song Jixin sighed and sat down on the threshold with her. Wiping the rain from his forehead, he said softly, "What, reluctant to leave? If you really can't bear to, we can leave a little later. It's fine. I'll go tell them."
Zhigui suddenly smiled. She extended her small fist and shook it vigorously. "No need! If we're going, we're going. Who's afraid of who?!"
Song Jixin reminded her, "Don't forget that four-legged snake."
Zhigui immediately became furious. Huffing with anger, she said, "That damned fool sneaked into the bottom of my box and lay there yesterday! It made me search for half a day. When I finally found it, several of my cosmetic boxes at the bottom were all dirty! Unforgivable! A capital crime!"
Song Jixin began to worry about the fate of the four-legged snake. He asked tentatively, "That fool... you didn't kill it, did you?"
Zhigui shook her head. "Not yet. I'll spare its little life for now. When we get to the capital, I'll settle accounts with it then. Oh, by the way, Master, when we get to the capital, let's keep a few more old hens, okay? At least five!"
Song Jixin found it strange. "We have enough eggs to eat. Why buy more? Don't you always complain that our old hen is too noisy?"
Zhigui said seriously, "Then I'll tie a rope to each old hen's foot, and tie the other ends to that fool's four legs and head. Whenever I'm unhappy, I just go chase the old hens. Otherwise, that four-legged snake is stupid, but it runs fast. I used to exhaust myself to death chasing it, and it only made me angrier..."
Listening to his maid's endless muttering, Song Jixin's mind was filled with that scene of execution. He muttered to himself, "Wouldn't that be dismemberment by five horses... oh no, dismemberment by five chickens."
Song Jixin burst into laughter.
Zhigui was used to her master's wild and unfettered way of thinking and wasn't surprised. She just asked, "Master, the boxes are so heavy. How are the two of us going to carry them? And there are still some things we haven't thrown away but should."
Song Jixin stood up and snapped his fingers. "Come on out. I know you're hiding nearby. Trouble you to carry the boxes to the carriages."
There was no response from the surroundings.
Song Jixin was silent for a long time, his face dark. "Get the hell out! Don't you believe I'll make my uncle come and carry them himself?!"
After a moment, several hidden figures dropped from the rooftops across Mud Vase Alley into the alley, or appeared silently within the lane outside the courtyard gate.
A total of five black-clad death warriors. After their leader pushed open the door, they filed in.
The leader hesitated for a moment, then cupped his fists and said in a low voice, "Before, it was our duty, we dared not reveal ourselves without permission. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."
Song Jixin said expressionlessly, "Get on with your work."
The man kept his head bowed. "Your subordinate presumes to beg Your Highness to put in a good word for us with the Prince."
Song Jixin said impatiently, "Do you think my uncle would bother with such trivial matters?!"
The five figures stood motionless in the yard, letting the fine rain fall on them, stubbornly refusing to move.
Song Jixin relented. "Fine. I'll explain the situation for you."
Only then did the five enter the house. Three of the black-clad men effortlessly hoisted the boxes onto their shoulders. The first and last men, empty-handed, guarded the front and rear. After slowly walking into Mud Vase Alley, they all sprinted away.
Song Jixin was lost in thought.
Zhigui opened an oilpaper umbrella and handed a larger one to Song Jixin. After locking the main house door, the kitchen door, and the courtyard gate, master and servant stood under their umbrellas at the entrance. Song Jixin looked at the red background with black characters of the Spring Festival couplets and the painted door gods, and said softly, "I wonder if we'll see these couplets when we come back next time."
Zhigui said, "We've left. Why come back?"
Song Jixin scoffed at himself. "True. If I do well, I'll have no one to show off to when I come back. If I fail, there will be no shortage of people to laugh at me."
The rain didn't let up. The lane gradually became muddy. Zhigui really didn't want to stay any longer. She urged, "Let's go, let's go."
Song Jixin nodded. The two walked one after another towards the mouth of Mud Vase Alley.
Zhigui walked in front, her steps hurried.
Song Jixin walked behind her, his steps slow. When he passed a high wall of the lane opposite a courtyard gate, Song Jixin, holding his umbrella, stopped and turned to look.
The youth stared at the yellow mud wall that was in no way remarkable, lost in thought.
Up ahead, Zhigui turned her head and couldn't help but complain, "Master! If we don't hurry up, the rain will get heavier!"
Under the umbrella, the youth's expression was unclear. He raised his arm and made a motion. After acknowledging his maid's call, he finally began to walk faster.
——
Inside the carriage on the street outside Mud Vase Alley, the Grand Prince of Great Li, Song Changjing, was resting with his eyes closed.
The supervisory office established a secret file every day, observed and recorded by nine of Great Li's most top-tier death warrior spies. Everything written in it was about the daily trifles of "Supervisor Song's illegitimate son": what streets he visited with his maid that day, how much money he spent and what food and goods he bought, which sage's book he recited during his morning recitation, when he first secretly drank alcohol, with whom he flew kites and caught crickets outside the town, what matters caused him to quarrel with whom and where, etc. Nothing was too trivial to be recorded. Then every three months, they were sent to the Great Li capital, placed on the desk of the imperial study in the palace, and finally compiled into a book, which the elder brother, who loved to play with words, personally named "The Minor Daily Records." From Minor Daily Records One to the current Minor Daily Records Fifteen. A fifteen-year-old youth from a shabby alley, fifteen years of bits and pieces, written into fifteen books.
Before coming to the town, Song Changjing had flipped through those books full of trivial matters, but he keenly noticed that one of them, "Seven," was missing a page. Obviously, it had been torn out. This should mean that during the summer and autumn of Song Jixin's twelfth year, a great change had occurred.
Before coming to the town, Song Changjing thought it was a bloody assassination that originated in the Great Li capital, involving certain figures whom even his elder brother could only swallow bitterness like a mute eating bitter herbs. But later, Song Changjing realized that the story recorded on that page was probably not a pleasant memory for the young Song Jixin at all, and must have been related to Chen Ping'an of Mud Vase Alley.
Song Changjing began to organize his thoughts. This number one Grand Prince of Great Li, who rarely had leisure time, carefully recalled the details of the conversations between the two youths recorded in the files, as well as the scenes and images at the time.
Song Changjing opened his eyes, pushed aside the carriage curtain, and first saw the slender figure of the maid holding an umbrella, followed by his nephew Song Jixin. Master and servant walked towards the second carriage. The three boxes had already been loaded onto the last carriage.
Song Changjing said softly, "Move out."
The carriages began to roll slowly.
The carriages suddenly stopped. Not long after, Song Jixin rushed into the carriage in a rage, his face full of anger. "What do you mean?!"
Song Changjing asked, "You mean the corpse on your carriage?"
Song Jixin's face was ashen. He stared intently at Song Changjing.
Song Changjing's expression was calm. "Do you know the identity of the corpse? There are seven intelligence agencies in Great Li. I control three of them, mainly used to infiltrate the courts of various countries, spy on important military intelligence, and bribe enemy civil and military officials. The National Tutor, Embroidery Tiger, controls three, mainly targeting the public sentiment of the dynasty and the trends of the martial world, especially needing to watch every move in the capital. The last one is specifically responsible for dealing with mountain cultivators, directly under the command of... someone. There are nine Great Li spies in this town, coming from these seven places, all to ensure your safety, with absolutely no mistakes."
Song Jixin said in a low voice, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Song Changjing laughed. "The twists and turns in this, who that person was truly loyal to, a whole mess of murky truths. It's probably hard for me to explain clearly to you. Anyway, this man deserved to die. But you need to remember one thing: outsiders now regard you as the Highness of Great Li, as a precious imperial heir. Whether they show you awe or flattery on the surface, you can accept it all, but don't forget why they do so."
Song Jixin sneered. "Oh? Why?"
Song Changjing smiled slightly. "Do you really think you're that important? It's simply because I am staying by your side. Afraid you might forget this matter, I took this opportunity to make you a little more sharp-minded. Staying with a dead person is very unpleasant. But it's still better than next time when I need to stay beside your corpse."
Song Jixin's face turned bright red.
Song Changjing glanced at the youth and said coldly, "Get off."
Song Jixin instantly swallowed the words that had reached his lips. He turned around in silence and left with gritted teeth.
After the youth got off the carriage, Song Changjing dismissed it with a shrug. "With just this little bit of skill, once you get to the capital, won't those toothless old tigers and foxes immediately set their sights on you, eager to tear off a few pieces of flesh from you?"
This Grand Prince, at the thought of going to the capital, also had a headache.
——
Inside the carriage, the dead person took up the most space.
Song Jixin felt very uncomfortable, but his maid Zhigui's expression was normal. He casually asked, "By the way, Zhigui, did you bring our old house keys?"
She looked puzzled. "No. I left them in my room casually. I don't want to go back. What's up? Master, why do you ask? Besides, don't you also have a set of keys to the house?"
Song Jixin said "Oh" and laughed. "I left mine in the room too."
——
The three carriages drove past the Old Locust Tree, out of the town, and finally bumped along the muddy road, heading east all the way.
When passing the eastern railing gate of the town, the gatekeeper Zheng Dafeng, sheltering from the rain in his own mud hut, was squatting at the door with his hands tucked into his sleeves, watching the three carriages. This old bachelor yawned.
About half an hour later, Song Changjing said in a deep voice, "Stop!"
Song Changjing got out of the carriage. On the carriage behind, Song Jixin and Zhigui lifted the curtain, their two heads squeezed together, looking curiously at Song Changjing's side.
Song Changjing waved his hand. Song Jixin pulled Zhigui back inside.
Song Changjing walked forward. Not far ahead, a middle-aged man with a sturdy, unremarkable appearance stood blocking the middle of the road. His straw sandals and trouser legs were covered in mud.
Song Changjing laughed as he walked forward. "I really didn't expect that a figure like you would be hidden in this town. It seems our Great Li spies are truly useless, eating but not working."
This Grand Prince's originally spotless white robe was also covered in mud, and his boots were even more so beyond help.
Song Changjing finally stopped ten paces away from the man. "Since you didn't start fighting the moment we met, why don't you tell me exactly what you want?"
The town man, whose own roof had been stomped in by the Mountain Moving Ape, now facing this Grand Prince of Great Li, had none of his earlier pitiful demeanor of squatting on the ground in a huff. He said in a deep voice, "Song Changjing, if you can still stay alive after we fight, you'll naturally know the answer!"
Song Changjing frowned. The man understood. "Let the carriages pass first, no problem."
Song Changjing nodded with a smile. Without turning around, always staring at the man, he shouted loudly, "Carriages, go first. Just keep moving forward."
The man walked to the side of the road, letting the three carriages pass unimpeded.
Song Changjing waited until the carriages completely disappeared from sight before turning to look at the patient waiting man.
This man's cultivation level was higher than his own, and not by a little.
But the gap between the two men was limited.
Song Changjing had no fear. On the contrary, his fighting spirit was high, his blood boiling. He tugged at his collar.
This man before him, though unknown, was absolutely the best whetstone for honing the martial path.
Song Changjing's intuition told him that whether he lived or died today, and whether his level was ninth or tenth tomorrow, all depended on this one move!