Chapter 111: The Bamboo Hat
Ah Liang stopped drinking and fastened the small silver gourd, but still kept one leg crossed over the other. The bamboo sword, newly forged by the Earth Deity of Qidun Mountain, lay horizontally across the knee of the man in the conical hat. Ah Liang gently tapped the handle and the top of the scabbard, one up and one down, and said, "Along the way, I've actually been testing you, many times. Your choices determine how far I escort you. Simply put, the amount of road I can walk with you depends on how many obstacles you overcome."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Later on, I did start to get a sense of it, but I only felt you were holding back a lot of thoughts. As for what exactly you were thinking, I never figured it out."
Ah Liang wasn't surprised by this. He spoke openly, "The first time was by Longxu Stream. If back then I thought you were just a naive little brat, a good-for-nothing who acted on pure passion and impulse, I might have left you only a donkey, patted my butt, and taken off. Whether you could hold out until Wei Jin of the Snow Wind Temple made it out of seclusion—what the hell did I care? You'd die sooner or later anyway, and it would have been a waste of my feelings."
Ah Liang recounted details slowly as he recalled them. Chen Ping'an listened, utterly shocked. He had never imagined Ah Liang's mind could be so meticulous, nor could he fathom that there had been so many bizarre tests in his own life.
"The third from last time was the battle on the stone flatland at Qidun Mountain. If I hadn't deliberately provoked them, the Earth Deity Wei Bo and the two serpents wouldn't have acted so recklessly. I was hoping..."
"The second from last time was luring you back into the bamboo grove to cut down a few more bamboos."
"This time, unless something unexpected happens, is the last. I originally planned to escort you to Yefu Pass before leaving, but now some unexpected circumstances force me to leave early."
Ah Liang laughed heartily. "Some tests were deliberate, others were just going with the flow. During this time, some things you did struck me as terribly pedantic, while others made me feel completely satisfied. That's how it should be. This isn't like the imperial examinations of bookworms like Qi Jingchun and Cui Can, where the first priority is authenticity. I did all this, then stood back and watched your every word and action. It's the same method certain old immortals from various sects use when taking in their final disciples—they value character over talent."
Ah Liang laughed self-deprecatingly. "Do you think I'm just bored out of my mind? Or that I'm a scheming snake with a belly full of bad intentions?"
But he didn't wait for Chen Ping'an to respond before quickly answering himself, "Where would I find the free time for that? I'm a big shot, Ah Liang—I'm very busy, you know."
Chen Ping'an put his feet up on the bench, lazily sitting cross-legged, propping his cheeks with both hands, and asked, "Ah Liang, is it because I got to know Mr. Qi that you take such an interest in me?"
Ah Liang dropped his joking expression and said solemnly, "On the path of cultivation, there are too many temptations. Li Huai's 'Duan Shui Da Ya,' Lin Shouyi's talent for cultivation—both could be sold for money and become stepping stones for you, Chen Ping'an. Qi Jingchun's disciple should not end up so miserable. Especially Li Baoping, such a good little girl. When I think of her heart being broken by her trusted little master-uncle, my heart, Ah Liang's heart, nearly shatters."
Ah Liang barely stayed serious for long before his fox tail showed again. He grinned mischievously, "Ah, us old men—we can bear the weight of a shattered homeland or a sunken land, but we can't stand it when these little beauties are hurt."
Chen Ping'an picked up a sugar-coated hawthorn skewer from beside him that Ah Liang hadn't sat on, chewed it slowly, and mumbled indistinctly, "Ah Liang, how do you see me now? If you think I'm not up to it, maybe you could ask a friend to take Bao Ping and the others to Great Sui, okay? It's not that I'm afraid of hardship—I swear, it's the truth—I'm just afraid of disappointing Mr. Qi, afraid I can't protect Bao Ping and the others."
Ah Liang laughed and scolded, "Don't you dare try to run off, kid. This job is best suited for you. Qi Jingchun might be useless in other ways, but he's got good eyes. Unless it were the old man himself personally taking them on their travels... but let's not talk about that old turtle, always hiding in his shell, a miserly pedant—just thinking about him makes my blood boil..."
Ah Liang adjusted his conical hat, looked up, and whistled admiringly, "Oho, this Great Li emperor is pretty interesting. Pretty impressive. While I've still got some time, let me chat with you about the most useless things, and by the way, explain why I'm willing to spend so much time on you, kid."
Ah Liang also uncrossed his legs and sat cross-legged like Chen Ping'an, laying the sword across his knees. He spoke slowly, "Whether it's martial arts or qi training, the most taboo thing on the cultivation path is to be muddled and indecisive. So following your heart in dealing with people and affairs is a shortcut, but the hard part is always thinking one step further and asking 'why.' Military cultivators never 'think twice and retreat.' Most martial artists in the world can't escape this rut—they think going against the current is all about charging forward, fighting with fierce determination and advancing courageously, striding alone to the heavens. Daoists like to introspect, Buddhists like to ponder past and future lives, Confucians like to set rules and draw frameworks. Moists are more peculiar—they like to benefit the world, emphasize chivalry, and don't care much about longevity. Scholars, with their high ambitions but shallow skills, hope to craft a world on paper."
"This thing called the human heart is as fragile as glass, unable to withstand scrutiny. Qi Jingchun is both pedantic and self-righteous—a true gentleman who refuses to test others, so I have to do it for him. When it comes to passing down a lineage, it can't be child's play. If you, Chen Ping'an, were all show and no substance, or couldn't resist temptation, what then? Qi Jingchun would be dead and gone, but I, Ah Liang, would still be alive. If he couldn't see it and didn't have to worry, I'd be sick to death. Don't you know that being able to endure hardship and being able to resist temptation are two completely different things?"
Ah Liang sighed. "I guess this is what they mean by 'The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is'?"
Chen Ping'an said seriously, "Ah Liang, rest assured. I do love money, but I only love the money I earn with my own two hands. Other people's property—even if it's lying on the ground and I find it—I'll only look for the owner and never put it in my own pocket."
Ah Liang laughed. "I can't say you're wrong, but if you're really in urgent need, you should use it first to solve an immediate crisis. Just remember the debt in your heart, and when you have the ability to repay, give back more than you owe—both sides will be happy. That's what a truly good person does. Otherwise, are you really going to starve to death just to hold onto a little bit of money?"
Chen Ping'an asked, "Then how do I judge if it's an urgent need?"
Ah Liang pointed to his own heart, then to his head. "If you've passed both these levels, then that money can be used."
Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up with understanding. He nodded vigorously. "Ah Liang, you may not have studied much, but you've definitely walked a lot of roads. Now that you've said it, I get it."
Ah Liang rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That compliment didn't even feel as good as Li Huai's boot-licking."
Ah Liang leaned against the railing, looking out at the clear moonlit night beyond the corridor, and said with emotion, "You know, that pedantry of yours—in the words of bookworms like Qi Jingchun—is actually called integrity. Yes, real integrity—the mind and actions are united, the 'upstanding' of a gentleman, the 'straight path' of walking."
Ah Liang burst out laughing, pointing at the bewildered boy. "Haha, you know that yourself, you muddy-legged little miser, penny-pincher. But precisely because of that, you remind me a lot of the old man when he was young. Actually, when Qi Jingchun was your age, he had a terrible temper. The old man, who everyone agrees matured late, was just like you—heavy-hearted from a young age, good-natured, like a mud-bodhisattva, born to sit on an altar..."
Ah Liang's voice grew softer and softer, but suddenly rose. "Of course, I, Ah Liang, have always followed my whims, so I'm not really fond of your style. Back then, because of that feeling, I refused a request from a young man. Yes, he was about your age. I often think that if I had taken him along to walk the jianghu, things might have turned out better than they did. At the time, I told that boy, 'Trust me, you'll achieve more by studying. The jianghu is only so big—it's enough for me, Ah Liang, to fill it. But the sea of books is boundless—why follow behind Ah Liang eating dust?'"
The man in the conical hat grinned. "So this time, coming to Great Li, I wanted to have a few words with certain people. I want to tell them: what Qi Jingchun doesn't care about, someone else does."
Ah Liang casually flicked a finger for no apparent reason.
In the bookshop on Guanshui Street's small alley, the young gentleman who called himself Li Jin of the Chongdan River took a blow to his forehead as if struck by a heavy hammer. He flew backward, crashing through a wall of books, breaking through into the neighboring shop, frightening the shop assistant behind the counter into shivering silence.
Ah Liang muttered to himself, "When gods fight, just watch. Little koi fish, do you really think you've seen all the big waves and big rivers? I, Ah Liang, have seen more great rivers than Li Huai has eaten grains of rice—you think that's just a boast? In this life, I've never even known what boasting is."
Then he reached out to the empty air beside him and grabbed. From the distant courtyard wall, a miniature spirit in the shape of a blue fish, like a hooked fish, struggled desperately. Ah Liang pulled his hand back, and the qingming fish was confined in a space the size of his palm. What was even more extraordinary was that after cutting off its spiritual connection with its master, this creature, which should have been at death's door, instead became even more vibrant, swimming leisurely with a flick of its tail.
Ah Liang explained, "Let Li Huai keep it later in that 'Duan Shui Da Ya' book... Huh? Why do I feel like this little bastard has dogshit luck every single day? Does Li Huai step in dogshit every day in the town and never clean the soles of his shoes?"
From a distance, a young, high-pitched voice rang out, "Ah Liang, you're the one who steps in dogshit every day!"
Chen Ping'an looked at Ah Liang, who whispered with a grin, "It's fine. The three of them all got here not long ago. They don't know about Zhu He and Zhu Lu. As for that father and daughter's 'unexpected departure,' just make up some excuse later."
Ah Liang waved them over. "Don't eavesdrop anymore. Come, come, let's divvy up the spoils."
Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi arrived at the corridor one after another. Li Baoping sat to Chen Ping'an's right, Li Huai to his left, and ended up with the same problem as Ah Liang—cursing as he pulled a sugar-coated hawthorn skewer off his butt, then immediately beaming and tossing it into his mouth. Lin Shouyi silently sat down beside Ah Liang.
Ah Liang turned and handed Lin Shouyi a stack of yellow paper talismans. "Study these carefully. Don't waste them. Qi Jingchun once said that Fulu Street and Taoye Alley in your town hold great mysteries, and there's still a considerable opportunity hidden there."
Ah Liang patted the cold-faced boy on the shoulder. "No matter what, you, Lin Shouyi, are now the first among everyone to truly become a cultivator. Cherish your future even more."
Lin Shouyi nodded and carefully tucked the talismans away with his "Clouds Above Langlang Book" in his bosom.
Ah Liang turned his head and glared at the sneaky Li Huai. "What about that crappy book of yours? Take it out."
Li Huai snarled, "What do you want it for? Give me ten taels of silver first!"
Ah Liang snapped his fingers. The qingming fish, which had been hidden from sight, appeared before the four of them. Except for Chen Ping'an, the three children all stared wide-eyed.
Ah Liang said disdainfully, "Take out that rotten book, open it to any page, and just clamp this fish inside. As for how to raise it, figure it out yourself. I'm not your servant."
Li Huai jumped up, pulled out the "Duan Shui Da Ya," spread it open, and strode quickly toward the qingming fish before slamming it shut. A faint, sorrowful cry came from between the pages.
Ah Liang rubbed his forehead. "And the donkey—who wants it?"
Li Huai immediately raised his hand. "Me, me! Can I sell it for money? Or if we get really hungry, can we kill it for stew?"
Ah Liang didn't want to say anything.
Li Huai suddenly lowered his voice, timidly. "Ah Liang... you're not about to die, are you? Is this your way of leaving us a final message?"
Ah Liang rolled his eyes. "Get lost. The farther, the better."
Li Huai sighed and sat back down beside Chen Ping'an. "My mom, my dad, and my sister—they're all far enough away from here now."
But the child's next words carried a note of sadness. "So Ah Liang, please don't go, okay? I won't scold you anymore."
Ah Liang seemed to have something to say but held back. He took off his silver-white gourd and tossed it to Li Baoping. "Catch. This little gourd is one of the finest sword-nurturing gourds in the world—ordinary ones can't compare."
Ah Liang stood up and stretched. "No burdens, light and free."
He looked down at the green bamboo sword, then raised his head and asked with a grin, "Little Bao Ping, could I borrow your narrow saber, Xiangfu?"
Li Huai had a sudden inspiration. "Ah Liang? Are you going to fight? I'll help—"
Ah Liang shot him a skeptical look.
The child forced a smile. "I'll cheer for you!"
Li Baoping ran like a spinning top and was back in a flash, handing the narrow saber to Ah Liang with both hands.
Ah Liang hung the saber named Xiangfu at his waist.
At some point, Chen Ping'an, Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi had lined up opposite the man in the conical hat.
The man in the conical hat reached out two fingers, pinched the brim of his hat, and laughed heartily. "Before, when I told you how strong I was, how high my swordsmanship was, you never believed me. You even liked to accuse me of bragging. Ah, you kids are too young and ignorant—I was deliberately picking some trivial little things to tell you, so I wouldn't scare you, like 'I can swing my sword so fast not even water can get through.'"
Ah Liang finally asked with a sly smile, "You didn't believe me, did you?"
He first glanced into the shadows and instructed, "Protect them."
Someone nodded.
Then the man who had first appeared wearing a conical hat finally took it off and tossed it aside. But before it hit the ground, the hat turned to dust and vanished into thin air.
At the same time,
With the double-sworded man at the center,
The earth within a thousand li seemed to shake as if an ox had turned over, rumbling violently.
Ah Liang instinctively reached for his hat, only to realize it was gone. He scratched his head, coughed, and smiled, "My name is Ah Liang. The 'Liang' that means kind."
(End of Chapter)