Chapter 64: Three Chens
Chen Ping'an changed his identity and became a temporary apprentice at the blacksmith shop. According to Master Ruan's reasoning, someone needed to take over Liu Xianyang's workload—digging wells, building houses, chiseling canals—all required hands. He wasn't about to support that Master Liu for free without getting something in return.
Thus Chen Ping'an became the busiest person in the shop. When it came to physical labor, the straw-sandal youth truly didn't lose out to any able-bodied young man. During breaks from work, Chen Ping'an would go to that house to visit Liu Xianyang. The tall youth, who had taken a spin around the gates of hell, didn't know if he was still shaken from narrowly escaping death, or if the Mountain Moving Ape's punch had damaged his vitality and spirit. He had become somewhat taciturn and listless, often lying in bed staring blankly at the ceiling. Apart from Chen Ping'an being able to chat with him a few sentences, Liu Xianyang hardly spoke to anyone. Chen Ping'an was at a loss about what to do. Fortunately, although Liu Xianyang was severely injured, the wound on his chest healed much faster than even Chen Ping'an's left hand.
Ning Yao still lived in the house on Clay Bottle Alley. The man she called Master Ruan had unexpectedly agreed to forge a sword for her. Even more surprising was Master Ruan's statement that this sword forging, if luck was good, could be finished in half a year; if luck was bad, it might not succeed even after ten years. Ning Yao was very relaxed about this, smiling as she said her luck was never bad, and she would just wait half a year.
Although Ning Yao lived in Chen Ping'an's ancestral house every day, she had moved things like the medicine pot to the shop to save Chen Ping'an from running back and forth. Chen Ping'an was staying at Liu Xianyang's house, mainly because he was worried about thieves breaking into his own place. Previously, in the middle of the night, Chen Ping'an had gone to the stream to search for stones, but ended up empty-handed. Even the deep pit at Green Ox's Back yielded no snake gallbladder stones. According to Ning Yao, snake gallbladder stones were like people—they needed essence, energy, and spirit. Without it, they were just elegant ornaments in wealthy households, at best usable as an inkstone. But with essence, energy, and spirit, they were like a person wearing a dragon robe—the difference between the two was like heaven and earth.
This made Chen Ping'an couldn't help but sigh every time he walked by the stream.
Ning Yao brought back an old set of keys for Chen Ping'an, saying someone had thrown them into the yard. Then she tried them, and sure enough, they were the keys to Song Jixin's house next door, from the courtyard gate to the house door to the room doors—all could be opened. Chen Ping'an couldn't guess what Song Jixin was trying to do. Logically, given his lavish and careless nature, he probably wouldn't think to have Chen Ping'an help clean the house. After all, based on Song Jixin's temper, even if the house collapsed, he wouldn't want outsiders entering his territory.
Chen Ping'an understood Song Jixin better than anyone.
Song Jixin was a very generous person. Whether spending on himself or even on the young maidservant Zhigui, if he had ten copper coins in his pocket, he dared to throw them all out. At the same time, Song Jixin was also a very stingy person. As long as it was something he wanted to monopolize, he wouldn't give a single bit of it away. In short, if Song Jixin wanted to give something to someone, throwing away a thousand gold was no big deal, but if someone else asked him for something, he definitely wouldn't be willing. In a good mood, he was willing to add flowers to brocade for others, but regardless of his mood, Song Jixin would never offer charcoal in the snow.
Or was it Zhigui who deliberately threw the keys into his yard?
Chen Ping'an thought that possibility was small.
During this time, when Chen Ping'an heard Ning Yao say she had used the keys to open the door, he was dumbfounded, opening his mouth but hesitating to speak.
So Ning Yao narrowed her eyes. Her long, narrow eyebrows were especially imposing. She stared at Chen Ping'an intently.
At that moment, Ruan Xiu was not far away, watching the scene blankly, secretly eating the snacks Chen Ping'an had helped buy from the small town.
In the end, Ning Yao was the first to turn and leave. That day, she didn't let Chen Ping'an decoct the medicine. She carried the clay pot to the empty ground behind the blacksmith shop and busied herself for half the day. The girl ended up with her face covered in soot like a big flower face, and she even boiled a whole potful of charcoal. The young woman in green with a ponytail walked by from a distance, munching on melon seeds as she went, thoroughly enjoying the sight.
Ning Yao squatted on the ground, glaring fiercely at that pot of medicinal herbs. She felt this was much harder than practicing swordsmanship or saber arts. The girl was indignant. Was there really something in this world that even Ning Yao couldn't do well? It seemed that decocting medicine shouldn't even exist in this world!
Chen Ping'an silently walked over to her and helped her re-decoct the medicine with skilled movements.
Ning Yao's lips moved slightly, but she didn't stop him. She just wiped her face when she thought Chen Ping'an wasn't looking.
The youth squatted beside the medicine pot, carefully watching the heat, his hands stacked on his knees, his chin resting on his arms.
Ning Yao snorted coldly, "If you want to laugh, just laugh!"
Chen Ping'an didn't mock her. He still stared at the gently flickering blue flame and said softly, "It's not that I think Miss Ning would do anything bad, but the keys are ultimately someone else's. No matter why they ended up in our yard, it's not right to use them to open the door. Even if Song Jixin and Zhigui never return to the small town in their lives, next door is still their house. We are all outsiders."
Ning Yao pouted. "Goody two-shoes, rigid-minded, too many rules, nag nag nag!"
Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao almost simultaneously turned their heads to see a young man, tall and slender, with a refined and elegant demeanor.
Chen Ping'an noticed that this person's gaze toward him was very strange. It wasn't like the condescension of the Mountain Moving Ape from Zhengyang Mountain or Fu Nanhua from Old Dragon City, nor was it like Daoist Lu or Miss Ning. That young man's expression was very complicated and contradictory, seemingly showing pity, appreciation, and also a trace of disdain.
That young man ultimately chose to leave in silence.
Ning Yao frowned. "It's obvious he came for you. What's going on?"
Chen Ping'an was also puzzled and shook his head. "I don't understand."
After being interrupted by that inexplicable outsider, the slight sulk between the youth and girl—which wasn't even really a grudge or a rift—quickly dissipated.
But soon that person returned, accompanied by a young woman with very long legs, and for some reason, Ruan Xiu was also there.
Ruan Xiu explained, "They said they don't speak the local dialect, so they asked me to help translate. Chen Ping'an, this elder sister is the one who saved Liu Xianyang. Her surname is also Chen, like yours, but she's not from our East Treasure Bottle Continent. The person beside Sister Chen is the eldest grandson of the Chen clan from Dragon Tail Commandery, named Chen Songfeng. According to Sister Chen, Chen Songfeng might be a distant relative of your branch of the Chen family from a few hundred years ago. As for Sister Chen, even if you trace back one or two thousand years, there's no relation. This time, Sister Chen came to pay respects at her ancestral graves, but in the small town, from the supervisory office to the big families on Fortune and Prosperity Street and Peach Leaf Alley, no one knows where her family's graves are anymore. Liu Xianyang mentioned you, saying you're now the person in the small town most familiar with the surrounding landscape, so finding you would be right. Sister Chen said that if you can help, she can pay you—a bag of gold essence copper coins. I think you should agree..."
At this point, the green-clad girl secretly brought her fingers together and shook them at her waist, and her mouth also formed the words "two bags."
Ruan Xiu was clearly hinting for Chen Ping'an to ask for a huge price, saying that if he missed this opportunity, there wouldn't be another.
After careful thought, Chen Ping'an smiled. "I have a place in mind that might be the one she's looking for. As for payment, forget it. It's just a few steps of walking."
Ruan Xiu looked a bit anxious.
Ning Yao had already stepped forward and said in the orthodox elegant language of East Treasure Bottle Continent, "Having Chen Ping'an take you to find the grave for ancestor worship is fine, but you have to come up with two bags of gold essence copper coins. No negotiation! He's badly injured right now, and long-distance travel isn't easy. As you know, Master Qi is telling people to leave the small town quickly. Chen Ping'an is just a mortal, but he has to speed up his journey. One bag isn't enough."
Chen Dui and Chen Songfeng both had their eyes light up when they first saw the girl.
She was so refined that one forgot the mundane upon seeing her.
Like finding a single orchid in a barren rice field, standing tall and graceful.
Chen Dui openly examined the girl before her: a green robe, a saber and sword at her waist—a pleasing sight. Chen Dui's gloomy mood also improved a bit, and she smiled. "As long as you find my family's ancestral graves, then it's two bags. But let me warn you upfront: if you don't find them, I won't give you a single bag. How about that?"
Ning Yao said solemnly, "It's a deal!"
From start to finish, it seemed as if none of this involved Chen Ping'an.
Ning Yao stared at Chen Ping'an, her eyes full of the meaning "Don't you nag me, or I might actually chop someone."
Chen Ping'an held back his laughter, thought seriously for a moment, and said to Ruan Xiu, "Please tell them that I need to finish decocting Miss Ning's medicine first. It will take about another quarter of an hour. Then I need to go talk to Liu Xianyang. Finally, I also need to ask Miss Ruan to tell Master Ruan that whatever work I'm behind on today, I'll make up for tomorrow."
Hearing that they couldn't set off immediately, Chen Dui looked displeased. She stared at this ungrateful straw-sandal youth, her expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty.
Chen Ping'an did not hesitate or back down.
Ning Yao, arms crossed, smiled coldly.
Chen Dui suppressed her inner displeasure, silently reciting to herself that the greater plan was what mattered. She smiled at Ruan Xiu and said, "Xiu Xiu, tell him we'll wait for him at the Covered Bridge. At most half an hour. If he doesn't show up by then, let him face the consequences himself."
Ruan Xiu responded with a noncommittal "Mm."
Chen Dui and Chen Songfeng left together.
Ruan Xiu said, "I'll go tell my father."
After Chen Ping'an finished decocting Ning Yao's medicine, he went to find Liu Xianyang.
In the herb-scented room, Liu Xianyang, lying in bed, heard footsteps and turned his head to look. His complexion was still not rosy, but it was much better than before, when it was deathly pale.
Liu Xianyang squeezed out a smile and said hoarsely, "That woman named Chen Dui came to find you?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'm going to take them into the mountains soon."
Liu Xianyang thought for a moment. "I'm going to leave with her, to a place that's said to be even bigger than our East Treasure Bottle Continent."
Actually, Chen Dui had approached Liu Xianyang once before, but after that, Liu Xianyang hadn't been very interested, nor had he wanted to discuss with Chen Ping'an what she had said.
Liu Xianyang twitched the corner of his mouth. "Actually, I don't even know what East Treasure Bottle Continent is."
Chen Ping'an bent down to straighten his bedding and said with a smile, "You think I do?"
Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes and asked, "Do you know what I'm most worried about?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head.
Liu Xianyang turned his head back to look at the ceiling. "Here, at least you can help me out of bed. I can grit my teeth and manage. But once I leave the small town, what do I do on the road when I need to relieve myself? Am I supposed to say, 'Hey, one of you, give me a hand'?"
Chen Ping'an sat on the stool, scratching his head.
Liu Xianyang suddenly laughed. "But then I think again, I've already been through dying. Am I still afraid of this?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Life will get better and better, trust me. Didn't Old Man Yao say that one who survives a great disaster will surely have good fortune?"
Mentioning Old Man Yao made Liu Xianyang a bit sad. "Old Man Yao never said a few good words in his life. Pessimistic words, unlucky words, curse words—he had baskets and baskets of them."
Ning Yao stood outside the door, saying nothing.
Chen Ping'an once again helped Liu Xianyang tuck in the blanket, then stood up. "I'm going to take them into the mountains. Get some good rest."
Liu Xianyang nodded. "Be careful."
Chen Ping'an walked out of the room quietly. Ning Yao walked shoulder to shoulder with him. Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "You're coming into the mountains too?"
Ning Yao frowned. "I don't trust those two Chens."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Right. It's always good to be careful."
The two walked quickly along the stream. Ning Yao said, "The outsiders in the small town have mostly left now."
The spring thunder rumbled, stirring hibernating insects to emerge.
The two groups met at the southern end of the Covered Bridge.
Besides Ning Yao and the Wind and Thunder Garden sword cultivator Liu Baqiao, who had come to join the excitement, there were three others: Chen Dui from another continent, Chen Songfeng from Dragon Tail Commandery of this continent, and Chen Ping'an from Clay Bottle Alley in the small town.