Chapter 86: Kindred Spirits

Chapter 86: Kindred Spirits

At the ancestral residence of the Yuan family in Erlang Lane, Cui Chan sat in a chair, drenched in blood. His hands formed the Vase Seal, barely managing to keep this mortal shell from collapsing. This was not only because this body had been extremely difficult to obtain, but also because it served as a prison, locking in his soul. In a short time, he could no longer travel far with his spirit between the Great Li capital and the mountains and rivers of Dragon Spring as he had before. Once this body was destroyed, he would become a broken man with his soul separated from his flesh, truly doomed to be a mud fish at the bottom of the middle fifth tier for the rest of his life. Those wolves and tigers who once trembled and groveled at his feet could now kill him with ease.

Though his body and mind were both severely wounded, after spitting out a mouthful of blood, Cui Chan still gripped the armrest and stood up, his hands and feet trembling. He knew deep down that the more this happened, the less he could afford to let that breath of will drop. Cui Chan looked up at the courtyard skywell, where the voice of the Military Sage Ruan Qiong had once fallen. But now he had even lost the magical technique to whisper secretly with Ruan Qiong.

Cui Chan said hoarsely, "Come out."

A young man with exquisite, flawless features emerged from the side room, his face full of fear. He walked to Cui Chan and stood there at a loss.

Cui Chan trusted the spies and death warriors lurking in the small town, but only believed in their unwavering loyalty to him, the Great Li Nation Master. He had no confidence in their strength, however, and did not expect them to safely escort him back to the capital. Perhaps before they even left the town, a piece placed by Song Changjing or that woman among the four surnames and ten clans would strike.

So Cui Chan ordered the young man, "Go to the blacksmith's shop and find Master Ruan. Ask him to come here. Just say that I, Cui Chan, have a request and want to make a big deal with him about the matter of enshrining the mountain god of Divine Elegance Mountain. Don't forget, it's an invitation. If Ruan Qiong refuses to come, you don't need to return to this house. The little bit of yin soul I've temporarily gathered and placed inside you can't withstand a few days of sunlight and yang wind."

The young man's face turned pale, and he nodded vigorously.

Cui Chan slumped back into his chair and instructed, "After you go out, keep your expression natural. Don't look like a mourning child who lost his parents, or even an idiot will know something is wrong with me."

The young man nodded timidly and left quickly.

But just as Cui Chan closed his eyes, it was truly absurd. He had fallen into a self-imposed prison, locking the exit of his soul, and now he had to help patch it up as a repairman.

A familiar sound of footsteps approached. Cui Chan's eyes flew open, and he was about to loudly scold this useless puppet for his incompetence.

But when he saw the uninvited guest beside the porcelain-like young man, Cui Chan immediately changed his expression. He smiled at the young man and said, "Go fetch a chair for Elder Yang, and bring a cup of tea."

The old man was smoking a long-stemmed pipe, one hand behind his back, looking around. He didn't spare a glance at the wretched young nation master. He chuckled, "The restrictions here were personally set by you, Cui Chan. Yet now someone has broken in, and the owner was still sound asleep. Nation Master, are you in some trouble? Need me to lend a hand?"

Cui Chan's expression was calm as he shook his head, "No need."

The old man sat in the chair the young man had brought. He was on the east side, while Cui Chan sat facing south toward the north, directly opposite the Yuan family's main hall plaque. The old man glanced at the young man, who was both restrained and curious, and said with emotion, "Your skill with souls is truly impressive."

Cui Chan asked, "Can Ruan Qiong hear us talking now?"

Old Man Yang smiled, "What kind of temperament does Ruan Qiong have? Would he bother spying on you unless he had nothing better to do? If you hadn't provoked him repeatedly, do you think he would bother with you?"

Cui Chan said in a low voice, "Better safe than sorry!"

This was the second time Cui Chan had said this to Elder Yang. The first time was at the Old Porcelain Mountain.

The old man puffed on his pipe, "Makes sense."

Cui Chan waited a moment, then asked, "Is it clear now?"

The old man nodded slightly, "Nation Master Cui, speak freely."

Cui Chan wiped the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and asked, "Should I address you as Senior Master as Green Boy Heavenly Lord? Or as the more famous one..."

The old man interrupted expressionlessly, "Enough."

Cui Chan indeed did not continue. He sighed with emotion, "To be honest, I yearn for that battle from the past."

Cui Chan laughed inexplicably, "I don't regret not seeing the gods; I only regret the gods never saw me. That was my heartfelt exclamation when I first learned the inside story while studying under my master. At the time, my master criticized me for not knowing my place and speaking recklessly. Now I think he was right, and I was wrong."

The old man waved his hand, "Whether your master and disciple turned against each other, or brothers-in-arms fought, I'm not interested."

Cui Chan sneered, "Then why are you here? Just to laugh at me?"

Old Man Yang asked, "I'm curious. Great Li's prince, Song Changjing, a martial artist aiming for the eleventh realm. Why are you so irreconcilable with him?"

Cui Chan shook his head, "It's not that I want a life-and-death struggle with Song Changjing. It's that there's a formidable woman in our Great Li who can't tolerate him. Breaking Chen Ping'an's destiny porcelain was her behind-the-scenes scheme. Even if the wealthy Ma family of Apricot Flower Lane hadn't been willing to act, there would have been the Liu family or the Song family. All to make it easier for her son to seize opportunities. Of course, I won't deny that later I used Chen Ping'an against Qi Jingchun, going with the flow. That was truly one of the few masterstrokes of my life. Qi Jingchun was one step ahead, and I admit defeat, but I still don't think this move was inferior."

Old Man Yang exhaled smoke, squinting, "Once the destiny porcelain shattered, that boy from Clay Vase Lane became like a candle flame, especially conspicuous. It naturally created a situation of moths flying into the fire. That woman's guess was correct. If not for that, the young girl formed from the remnant divine essence of the true dragon would have instinctively gone for Chen Ping'an. But after she escaped from that dragon-sealing well and reached Clay Vase Lane, staggering to the door of the two courtyards, she realized that in Song Jixin's room there was dense dragon aura. To her, that was the most delicious food in the world. So she desperately wanted to knock on his door, but she lacked the strength and collapsed in the snow pile at Chen Ping'an's doorstep. Later, Chen Ping'an naturally saved her, but when she woke up, she certainly didn't want to sign a contract with an ordinary mortal—that would be tantamount to suicide. So she claimed to be a new maidservant in Song Jixin's household, and Chen Ping'an foolishly handed over that greatest opportunity of the Bead Abyss Cave Heaven. But back then, Chen Ping'an, like a rebellious son of a noble clan or a treacherous minister of a great state, was indeed suppressed by the Heavenly Way, unable to keep any fortune."

The old man said, shaking his head, "Visible, touchable, but unholdable."

After quietly listening to the old man's account, Cui Chan returned to the main topic, "Even the Emperor believes his brother Song Changjing has never been interested in the dragon throne. But once, His Majesty asked me about Go, and that woman was also watching, giving advice to His Majesty to keep the game from ending early."

"His Majesty suddenly asked me whether this prince, with achievements too great to reward, would one day lead his troops toward the Great Li capital and demand that chair with his blade."

"Of course, I answered honestly, saying the prince would never do that. But, if one day, that large group of generals and martial artists under the prince, with their remarkable war records, started to have thoughts of becoming supporter-of-the-dragon ministers, and the prince had already reached the tenth realm, or even the legendary eleventh realm, and found life dull, and with everyone around him instigating, he might think wearing the dragon robe and sitting on the dragon throne wouldn't be bad—lest he disappoint the hearts of the troops."

"After I said that, the Great Li Emperor laughed. Finally, His Majesty turned to the woman beside him and asked, 'What do you think?' That woman told him, 'The Emperor's ambition isn't big enough; half a Eastern Vase Continent could fill his belly. Song Changjing is different. The higher his martial arts achievements, the more he will want to go higher.' After hearing her words, His Majesty laughed and said we were both talking nonsense, words that cut to the heart, ruining the pillars of Great Li, and deserved to be dragged out and beheaded. But since it was a good day, suitable for a game rather than execution, he would spare our two heads for now."

Old Man Yang smiled, "Song Changjing really ran into bad luck with you two as opponents. One woman whispers pillows talk, and one trusted subordinate pours dirty water."

Cui Chan asked directly, "What do you really want from me?"

Old Man Yang said something strange and incoherent, "We believe that generals and ministers are born to their station, wealth and rank have roots, and life and death are fated. You don't."

When it came to this matter, Cui Chan showed no retreat, completely lacking the cowardice of one whose life was in another's hands. He sneered, "I don't think this current batch is any better, but I also don't think you people are anything good."

Old Man Yang looked at Cui Chan, "Tell me, what exactly did Qi Jingchun choose Chen Ping'an to do?"

Cui Chan grinned, "Guess?"

Clearly, Cui Chan would never reveal the answer.

Because it involved his own Dao heart.

Old Man Yang asked, "Do you really think I won't kill you?"

Cui Chan nodded, "You dare not. Even a dog I raised myself might kill me at this moment for wealth and advancement, but you alone dare not."

Old Man Yang smiled, "You're so smart. How did you lose to Qi Jingchun?"

Cui Chan slumped back in his chair, laughing at himself, "Qi Jingchun once said something that can answer your question. 'In worldly matters, only a pure heart cannot be tested.'"

Old Man Yang shook his head, "See, this is the consequence of your disbelief in fate—pointless, ethereal, shrouded in mist, rootless and baseless."

Cui Chan laughed heartily, "What, Elder wants me to walk your path?"

Old Man Yang countered, "Don't you want to repair the mirror, return to the peak? Besides, you advocate the principle of achievement and deeds, and its essence is not incompatible with ours."

Cui Chan stretched out a trembling finger, pointing at Old Man Yang, almost laughing to tears. He mocked, "I, Cui Chan, may not compare to my master, nor to Qi Jingchun, but for the sake of so-called immortal golden body, to become a watchdog for someone, to be summoned and dismissed by those I once despised—am I crazy, or are you? Elder, not to be rude, but are you so desperate you'll try anything? Or are you, like me, caught in a sudden upheaval that ruined a long-laid plan?"

Old Man Yang said lightly, "Who do you think can summon and dismiss me?"

Cui Chan suddenly narrowed his eyes, his expression grave, and remained silent.

Old Man Yang sat cross-legged, looking at the skywell, his expression serene.

Everyone says there are gods three feet above the head.

But they were already gone long ago.

Cui Chan took a deep breath, "I advise you one thing. If you've tampered with that boy, stop it while you can."

Old Man Yang shook his head slowly, "No."

Cui Chan smiled, "I suspect Qi Jingchun cleaned up all loose ends before he died, and you and I are clean enough. So aside from that woman in the Great Li capital, who might still harbor ill intentions, Chen Ping'an has no more 'lofty' worries."

Old Man Yang suddenly said, "Since we can't be kindred spirits, that's fine. We can make a fair deal."

Cui Chan didn't even ask what it was, and agreed without hesitation, "I accept."

——

After walking five li, Chen Ping'an let the little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket rest for a while. Then after four li, they rested again at three li. The two sat on smooth rocks by the stream. They had to take a detour going south, generally following the stream's course, otherwise the mountain paths would be too difficult for Li Baoping to keep up. Although the little girl had extraordinary stamina far beyond her peers, she was still an eight- or nine-year-old child. No matter how well her foundation was laid, her body couldn't compare to an adult's. Chen Ping'an absolutely couldn't use his own pace to lead the girl.

Li Baoping sat there, sweating profusely, when she saw Chen Ping'an suddenly take off his straw sandals, roll up his trouser legs, and wade into the water. Probably because the stream had widened here, the water was only knee-deep, and she could see many green fish swimming around, extremely agile, mostly the length of a hand.

Li Baoping had dreamed of catching fish ever since her first time stepping into a stream, but fish were far more cunning than crabs or green shrimp. She had no way to catch them. She had once tried to imitate others by secretly cutting a green bamboo pole to make a fishing rod, but even with the rod, hook, line, and earthworms, she never caught a single fish in the stream. The little girl would often hide in the shade of riverside trees, squatting and fishing all afternoon with no catch. Others would string up fish on several stalks of dog's-tail grass or fill their small baskets, happily returning home to show their parents, while she always came back empty-handed.

So in the little girl's mind, Chen Ping'an, who seemed capable of anything—going into the mountains and water, making charcoal, gathering herbs, fishing, and catching snakes—cut a very tall figure. She had only shared these secrets with Shi Chunjia.

Now the little girl saw Chen Ping'an first find a spot near the bank where many fish seemed to gather and hide under the large bluestones. Then he began to build a "dam" slightly upstream, about as long as Li Baoping's height, all made from nearby stones of various sizes in the stream. Water still flowed through the gaps between the stones. Chen Ping'an didn't hurry to block the gaps with gravel and sand; instead, he built two more dams, one horizontal and one vertical, eventually forming a small pond.

Li Baoping came to the bank near the pond and squatted down, watching wide-eyed as Chen Ping'an began sealing the leaks, moving quickly and gracefully. She also noticed that when Chen Ping'an focused on his work, his expression was calm, his concentration deep, and he was completely absorbed.

It felt like when she first saw Mr. Qi pick up a brush to write in the village school—a comfortable feeling she couldn't quite describe.

As the upper dam became almost airtight and no water entered, the side dam was similar, and the downstream dam was only meant to prevent fish from escaping, so it wasn't plugged with handfuls of stream sand. The water level in this "fish pond" gradually dropped.

Li Baiping's little face was full of joy. She clenched her fists and muttered to herself, more nervous than Chen Ping'an, who was resting on a rock.

Chen Ping'an stepped into the pond and began scooping out water with his hands.

Li Baoping exclaimed, "Chen Ping'an, this is what they call draining the pond to catch all the fish. Oh no, that's a derogatory term. It should be 'removing the firewood from under the cauldron'!"

Chen Ping'an smiled and asked casually, "I used to see you fishing by the stream all the time. What's the longest fish you've caught?"

Li Baoping sighed, "The fish are too smart. I could only use a stalk of dog's-tail grass to trick crabs out of their holes. Fishing is so hard."

Chen Ping'an couldn't help laughing, "Did you make the fishing rod yourself?"

Li Baoping nodded vigorously, "Yes! There's a patch of purple bamboo in the back corner of my yard, supposedly planted by my grandfather's grandfather. My father and the others guarded it fiercely. When I asked to make a fishing rod, they refused. I had to secretly cut one and grind it down bit by bit with scissors. It was exhausting."

The pond water grew murkier, and fish began to flee, splashing. Chen Ping'an, used to this, looked up and smiled, "That bamboo wasn't thin to begin with, and you cut off both ends?"

Li Baoping looked confused, "Yeah. I was afraid the rod would be too thin and break if I caught a big fish. I didn't want to go back to the purple bamboo grove for another rod—even if my father didn't hit me, I didn't want to deal with those bamboos with scissors again."

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Who uses a bamboo stick to fish? The fish in this stream aren't big. If the rod is too thick, you can't feel whether they've bitten the hook or are just nibbling the bait. The first few times they nibble, they definitely won't bite the hook. Fish aren't stupid. If you jerk the rod too early, you'll never catch anything. For fishing, you need a rod of the right thickness, and it depends on the season, weather, and finding fish nests and cultivating them. Hooks and bait also have their tricks."

The little girl in the red jacket listened as if hearing a foreign language, her mouth wide open. She felt a bit embarrassed. There was another thing she hadn't told Chen Ping'an: the hook at the end of the fishing line on that bamboo stick was made by bending a sewing needle from home. It might have been a bit too big, making it hard for the fish to swallow the hook.

Li Baiping told herself, it's okay, I was young and ignorant, it's excusable.

Chen Ping'an saw the little girl looking a bit downcast and had to comfort her, "But the fact that you never caught a single fish all these years—I think that's even more impressive."

Li Baiping's eyes lit up. It seemed she had finally resolved a long-standing knot in her heart, and she perked up.

She asked curiously, "Why catch fish? We still have plenty of food."

Chen Ping'an explained, "Think about it. There's a saying: 'Sitting idle, one can eat a mountain bare.' If even a mountain can be eaten bare, so can our two small backpacks. So we need to be frugal. The road ahead is long."

Li Baiping nodded deeply, eager to learn. "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Things like this, and cutting bamboo to make rods and fishing—you can teach me later."

"Catch." Chen Ping'an easily grabbed a green-and-red patterned stone fish and gently tossed it to the little girl. Seeing her flustered, he said, "You're too young. Just do what you can. You don't have to compare to me in everything. I'm supposed to take care of you on your way to study at the Cliff Mountain Academy."

The little girl finally caught the fish with both hands and said earnestly, "Wrong, wrong. Mr. Qi said we must read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. I only have five books in my backpack, so the rest I need from the academy library, but traveling ten thousand miles is something a scholar must do. 'Journeying with a book box' means carrying a box of books, traveling through the mountains and rivers while cultivating moral learning. Both are essential; otherwise, it's like a lame person walking."

"There are many dog's-tail grass stalks around you. Thread them through the gills to string the fish. If you're afraid they'll break, you can twist two or three stalks together."

While teaching her how to handle the catch, Chen Ping'an asked, "'Journeying with a book box'—does that mean carrying a book box? Like the one Chen Songfeng of Dragon Tail Prefecture carries? Bamboo-woven ones are quite pretty. If we pass a bamboo grove later, I can make you one. I also need to make a fishing rod. We'll rely on water resources. Further downstream, the water will be deeper, and we can't catch fish the same way."

The little girl squatted by the bank, stringing the stone fish that had been tossed ashore. When she heard this, she jumped up with joy. "Really?!"

Chen Ping'an laughed, "Why would I lie to you? Hey, careful, careful, don't jump. You might end up in the stream with the fish. Fish can run away, but what if you catch a cold?"

The little girl in the red jacket squatted back down, beaming. "So happy! I'm finally going to have my own little book box!"

Chen Ping'an crouched in the nearly dry stream bed, his head close to the stones, reaching under the slabs to scoop out fish. "These fish, once dried, can be eaten raw. If you think it's dirty, I'll remove the innards. I never used to bother."

After an intense internal struggle, Li Baiping said timidly, "Maybe we should remove the innards?"

Chen Ping'an pulled out another stone fish and gently tossed it onto the grassy bank. "Whatever you say. I'll do it later."

The little girl, holding three strings of fish, quickly said, "Let me do it!"

Chen Ping'an nodded and continued feeling for fish under the rocks.

A moment later, with a splash, the little girl was standing in the stream not far away, crying loudly.

Chen Ping'an quickly stood up and rushed over, asking anxiously, "What's wrong?"

The little girl was sobbing heartbreakingly. "There was a fish. I took it off the dog's-tail grass. It looked like it was almost dead. But the moment I put it in the water, it flicked its tail and whoosh—it swam away! I couldn't catch it..."

Chen Ping'an couldn't help laughing. He first bent down to roll up her already soaked trouser legs, gently lifted her onto the bank, and told her to take off her shoes. He said he would handle the fish.

The little girl obediently took off her shoes, but she was still very sad, feeling she had done something terrible to let him down.

She felt like the sky was crumbling.

Chen Ping'an, with practiced skill, gutted the fish, squeezing out the innards. He struggled to suppress his laughter, thinking it was better not to rub salt in the little girl's wounds.

Finally, Chen Ping'an turned to the little girl and gently lifted up the three strings of cleaned fish.

A great harvest.

The little girl's tears turned into laughter. With a tear-streaked face, she chuckled, "Even though one got away, there are still so many!"

Chen Ping'an walked over and sat down beside her, handing her the three strings of fish. He ruffled her hair. "See? So next time something like this happens, don't be so sad."

The little girl held up the three strings of fish before her eyes, delighted. "Okay!"

Chen Ping'an said softly, "Later I'll weave you a few pairs of straw sandals that fit properly. They won't rub your feet."

The little girl's eyes sparkled. "Really?"

Chen Ping'an bent down and wrung the water from her trouser leg. "It's simple."

The little girl sighed. "You know everything. I know nothing."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "You can teach me to read and write later. I don't know many characters, maybe about five hundred."

Li Baoping immediately nodded like a pecking chick. "It's a deal!"

They sat side by side, watching the stream flow slowly. Li Baoping asked casually, "Do you know the name of this stream?"

"Dragon Whisker Stream."

"How did you know it's called Dragon Whisker Stream?"

"When I went into the mountains last time, I brought two maps. Master Ruan said they were topographical maps of Dragon Spring County. The stream was marked as Dragon Whisker Stream on the map, but after it turns from southeast to due south, the red line on the map gradually thickens and the name changes to Iron Talisman River."

"I see. Then let me tell you. Our Great Li court has six ministries. Among them, the Ministry of Rites has three offices: Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Earth Office is responsible for drawing these maps, but there are also geomancers from the Imperial Observatory who help lead the way, traveling through mountains, rivers, and streams. They measure the empire's territory, step by step, mile by mile, and then draw it inch by inch on the maps. Chen Ping'an, isn't that impressive?"

"What, do you want to become an Earth Officer of the Ministry of Rites or a geomancer of the Imperial Observatory when you grow up?"

"Chen Ping'an, don't you know? Women can't be officials. And it's not just like that in Great Li; it seems to be the same everywhere. Shi Chunjia and I can study, but I've never heard of a woman becoming a teacher or being called a master."

"I see."

"Oh, Chen Ping'an, you said that jade hairpin on your head was given by Mr. Qi's teacher to Mr. Qi, and then Mr. Qi gave it to you."

"That's right."

"Chen Ping'an, from today on, I'll call you Little Master!"

"Why?"

"If you become my Little Master, and someday you get angry with me and think about abandoning me, you'll surely ask yourself: 'I, Chen Ping'an, am Li Baoping's deeply beloved Little Master. Of course I should share hardships with such a good little girl.'"

"Can I not be your Little Master? Don't worry, I still won't abandon you."

"No way!"

"Then I won't make you a little bamboo box or straw sandals."

"That's fine. I'm not afraid. I'm going to call you Little Master!"

"Huh?"

"What kind of Little Master would refuse to make a little bamboo box and straw sandals?!"

"..."