Chapter 1134: All Were Once Young Wanderers
At dusk, great swaths of fiery clouds filled the sky. Upon the earth, a river wound like a golden serpent.
Three sword beams dragged long trails of fireflies. Wherever they passed, there was a dull thunderous roar within the sea of clouds.
As for the qi circulation method of the Eighteen Stops of Sword Qi, Deng Jianping learned it at a pace neither fast nor slow. It wasn't fast because, compared to that crop of outstanding sword geniuses from the Sword Qi Great Wall, he was nothing special. It wasn't slow probably because back then there was Chen Ping'an at the very bottom to serve as a baseline.
Chen Ping'an didn't treat Xie Gou as an outsider, and she was the typical type who understood upon first hearing and mastered it upon first trying. She quickly demonstrated it several times, the sword qi circulating without any stagnation.
When it came to talent in practicing the sword, Ning Yao and Xie Gou were indeed in a league of their own among geniuses. After Xie Gou learned this skill, she praised the foundations of the Sword Qi Great Wall a few times, which put pressure on Deng Jianping, who felt he hadn't truly grasped the method yet. Using heart voice, he asked Chen Ping'an if his aptitude was insufficient. Chen Ping'an was momentarily speechless. You compare aptitude with anyone but choose to compare with Xie the Second Seat? So he comforted his newly accepted disciple, telling him not to be impatient, to advance step by step, like arranging troops and formations, steadily and surely.
While riding the wind, Xie Gou eyed the green bamboo staff with envy. "Mountain Lord, can you give me a walking stick too? We're both people who write travel journals every day now, aren't we?"
Chen Ping'an politely declined. "No need. You're not someone who likes to meddle in others' affairs."
Xie Gou refused to give up, vowing solemnly, "I can meddle more from now on."
Chen Ping'an said bluntly, "Is it possible that with the idle matters you encounter, it's better not to meddle at all?"
Xie Gou was a bit sulky, humming and hawing, and with her fists and palms she created countless holes or straight lines in the sea of clouds.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "If you're truly envious, whenever you go out alone in the future and feel you've handled one or two idle matters well, come back to the mountain and ask me for it then."
But Chen Ping'an didn't think Xie Gou would really care about this item. After all, how many people, matters, and things had she been obsessed with today only to forget them by tomorrow after waking up? Chen Ping'an turned to Deng Jianping and said, "We'll take a short rest at Qingjing Mountain, then continue our journey. Neither sword flying across the sea nor taking a ferry — I will teach you an ancient secret Three Mountains Talisman that can instantly shrink distances boundlessly for cross-continent travel. Your current realm is Golden Core, so it might be a bit strenuous, but with Xie Gou and me by your side, it won't be too big a problem. When we arrive at the Southern Sacred Mountain of Bottle Gourd Continent, the turbulence of your spirit and soul will be just right for examining the subtleties of your soul, Yang Spirit, and Yin Spirit, to see if there are any gaps that need filling."
After teaching the talisman and the secret techniques, Chen Ping'an carefully explained the rules and taboos for using the Three Mountains Talisman to Deng Jianping, and finally reminded him, "The Eighteen Stops of Sword Qi and the Three Mountains Talisman are both secret transmissions of Fallen Mountain. Don't easily leak them."
Deng Jianping naturally kept this in mind. Before entering the mountain, he only felt the mountain was towering; after entering, he realized there were gods at the summit.
Xie Gou said via heart voice, "Mountain Lord, you really did pick up a bargain. Deng Jianping's aptitude is average, but he's very much like an ancient Daoist — his heart for seeking the Dao is firm, his mind for attaining the Dao is pure. As long as the day comes when he suddenly awakens, his sword practice will become fast."
Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "Then give him more pointers in the future. Since you're trying to lure Chai Wu to be your direct disciple, when the chance comes, let Jianping sit in on those lessons too. Teach the same content to two people at once — profit."
Xie Gou knew about her Mountain Lord's embarrassing history with his own direct disciples, and laughed heartily. "The Mountain Lord can't teach geniuses, and I can't teach those who aren't geniuses. Pretty complementary. Fallen Mountain is awesome."
Chen Ping'an chuckled. "I've seen flattery before, but I've never seen such a uniquely angled way to brown-nose."
Deng Jianping couldn't hear their heart voice exchange, but from the corner of his eye he caught their subtle expressions and guessed that Master and Xie the Second Seat were discussing something important. He sighed again in admiration: the atmosphere at Fallen Mountain was truly wonderful.
Xie Gou suddenly asked out of nowhere, "Mountain Lord, you're still so young, and already you have Zhao Shuxia as your last disciple in fist techniques. Is Deng Jianping going to be your last direct disciple in the sword?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I have seven personal disciples now. I'll try to have around ten or more in the future. There's no need for too many."
Cui Dongshan, Pei Qian, Cao Qinglang, Zhao Shuxia, Guo Zhujiu, Ning Ji, Deng Jianping.
Of the seven student-disciples, only Pei Qian and Zhao Shuxia studied fist techniques with Chen Ping'an. Chen Ping'an suddenly remembered something and felt he had to remind Deng Jianping, "You have a junior brother named Cui Dongshan, the first sect leader of the Green Ping Sword Sect. If he ever says he wants to escort you on your path or something, or wants to have a heart-to-heart with you, talk about life goals and such, don't pay him any attention. Just bring up Master, or you can go complain to Senior Sister Pei and Senior Brother Cao."
Deng Jianping, though puzzled, obediently agreed.
During this time, Chen Ping'an received a flying sword message.
Xie Gou craned her neck and glanced at the contents. It was a secret letter from their good neighbor, the Night Travel God Lord Wei, asking Chen Ping'an to set a specific date as soon as possible. At the end of the letter, Xie Gou could almost feel the resentment radiating from it. It seemed that Wei Yeyou was reminding him not to drag it out any longer — if he truly insisted on stalling, that was fine too, but then Chen the Mountain Lord should go tell the Emperor himself, and not leave Wei Bo (Wei Pili) in such an unappreciated position.
In short, as long as Chen Ping'an set a date, the Great Li court would immediately arrange the specific itinerary. The long-vacant position of National Teacher, that old chair in the Imperial Study's small court meeting, would finally have a legitimate new owner.
Chen Ping'an silently tucked the secret letter into his sleeve. Xie Gou tested the waters, "Mountain Lord, aren't you going to reply right away? Just scribble a few perfunctory lines — Wei Yeyou hasn't had it easy."
Old Master Zhu had even said a fair word: Wei Yeyou was practically working as a long-term laborer for Fallen Mountain, and the landlord never paid wages.
Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "I'll set the date as soon as I get back to the Fuyang Deer practice ground. Hah, he's already the Night Travel God Lord — what's the hurry?"
It would definitely be before the fifth day of the fifth month, at the very latest no later than that day.
Xie Gou suddenly saw the light. It seemed that back then, the Mountain Lord tried every way to persuade Wei Bo to report his Night Travel God title to the Middle Earth Confucian Temple, but to no avail — and look now?
Chen Ping'an said, "You know the Great Li court made a request, hoping I'd put on a bit of a show and bring some capable fighters. But I'm hesitating about whether to bring Jianping and the others."
Xie Gou habitually frowned slightly, tilting her head. What did that mean?
Whenever Chen Ping'an saw that expression, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. On Fallen Mountain, this was the signature move of the little green-robed boy.
Zhu Lian's assessment was very apt: the landlord's silly son, with a clear, bottomless innocence in his eyes.
Chen Ping'an explained, "How things were before is old history; what matters now is the future. Pei Qian, Ning Ji, Chai Wu, and Jianping — they are Fallen Mountain's future."
Xie Gou had indeed joined the mountain late, so she had missed the previous Fallen Mountain ceremony at Zhengyang Mountain. This time she couldn't miss it. Little Mi Li often boasted proudly about it, saying how she stood on that mountain peak, arms crossed, face serious, feeling at least ten feet tall! On Fallen Mountain, aside from wandering around with the white-haired boy — whether sudden rain pelted the new lotus or the moonlight was like frost or the new moon like a hook — the marten-hatted girl, who didn't know where home was, also liked to chat idly with the black-clad little girl, listen to the green-robed boy's shameless bragging, and go shopping with the pink-skirted little girl in the markets outside the mountain.
They landed at the border of Qingjing Mountain. Chen Ping'an slowed his pace and walked toward the main mountain where the Green Tiger Temple was located, letting Deng Jianping stabilize his qi.
At Green Tiger Temple, Chen Ping'an was an old acquaintance, and soon some Daoists from the lower temple went to report to the main mountain temple.
Throughout the Qingjing Mountain territory, itinerant Daoists were allowed to build thatched huts on the various peaks for quiet cultivation, as long as they brought some local mountain products as gifts during festivals to the Green Tiger Temple as a courtesy.
In earlier years, before the Green Tiger Temple Daoists moved to Bottle Gourd Continent, they weren't so easygoing. After moving back to Qingjing Mountain, many of their policies became much more magnanimous.
Daoism always emphasized nurturing the body and even more so the spirit. Along the mountain path, one often saw Daoists doing qi-nurturing exercises to train their physique. Though the movements seemed slow, they were all flowing in one continuous breath. Whether the onlooker practiced martial arts or qi cultivation or not, it was always a pleasing sight.
Deng Jianping seemed hesitant to speak. Xie Gou couldn't stand it — grown men shouldn't be so unmanly. She wanted to give him a few pointers.
Chen Ping'an guessed what Deng Jianping was thinking and asked with a smile, "You want to ask about Cao Ci?"
Deng Jianping looked embarrassed but honestly nodded in admission.
Xie Gou gave a thumbs up and praised, "Heroic! A true man of valor. Just after becoming a disciple, you ask your master about someone he's lost several times to. What, you want to help him get revenge? Ambitious!"
Deng Jianping became even more mortified.
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then said, "You don't need to know Cao Ci. Never meeting him, never speaking with him, and certainly not asking for a boxing match — we all know he's definitely a proud man."
Deng Jianping nodded. A pure martial artist — every achievement, every deed was like a divine miracle. Outsiders could easily imagine Cao Ci's demeanor.
Chen Ping'an added, "After truly getting familiar with Cao Ci, you'll be surprised at how un-proud he can be, how ordinary his mind remains."
Deng Jianping was very taken aback. His master actually held the same-aged Cao Ci in such high regard? Back in his homeland of North Juzhou, martial artists would never admit defeat in a fistfight, even if their hearts were convinced, their mouths wouldn't give in.
The ordinary-mindedness of martial artist Cao Ci, the open-mindedness of sword cultivator Chou Miao, the pragmatism of Confucian scholar Wen Yu, and so on — Chen Ping'an sincerely admired them all. And of course, there was the land-bound wine immortal Liu Jinglong.
Xie Gou lightly patted her chest. "Hah, Mountain Lord, so Cao Ci and I are very alike — neither of us shows our true colors when out and about, easy to get along with."
Deng Jianping felt a strange mix of emotions and boldly asked, "Master, are you and Cao Ci in a relationship of both friend and foe on the martial path?"
Chen Ping'an was silent for a long time. For the first time, he spoke his true feelings on the matter. Slowly he said, "I want to beat him, but I'm afraid of him losing."
Deng Jianping couldn't understand his master's feelings for a moment. Xie Gou adjusted her marten hat and explained on his behalf, "Wanting to win badly — that's just the way of all martial artists. Who doesn't want to be number one? Who's content to be second? Not wanting him to lose — that's fearing that the highest point of the martial path has already been reached, that it ends here. If I'm very strong, but there's still someone stronger up ahead, then this great path hasn't been climbed to its peak yet, and I can keep going. Only someone who truly loves practicing fist techniques would say something like that."
Deng Jianping wasn't stupid, and soon caught a certain "flaw" in the logic. "But if you're number one, can't you still raise the height of martial arts?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded.
Xie Gou sighed and shook her head. "That's why I said you weren't cut out for martial arts. Dao techniques you cultivate inwardly; martial arts you seek outwardly. A world without rivals and tough opponents is boring — it becomes an adult bullying a bunch of children."
Chen Ping'an admitted frankly, "In the end, it's still a lack of confidence in beating Cao Ci."
Xie Gou sidestepped and walked sideways, imitating Little Mi Li, raising both hands with thumbs up at her Mountain Lord. "Great capacity!"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "When drinking, don't be too Wei Xian."
Xie Gou burst out laughing, holding her stomach. Wei Xian was amusing — he often said Chai Wu's talent was as good as his own drinking capacity, which left Chai Wu, who had just advanced to Jade Pure Realm, more confused than anyone.
Word came that the Mountain Lord of Fallen Mountain had come calling again. The Daoists inside Green Tiger Temple were suddenly complicated in mood. Their temple's founder didn't seem to have an alchemy furnace going recently.
The temple master Lu Yong was fishing by the Old Dragon Pool with a young Daoist boy of disciple-grandson generation. His disciple Zhao Zhao, with the Dao name "Xianxiu," rushed over to report the news. Zhao Zhao was the senior true person's most promising favored disciple, and that young boy was in turn Zhao Zhao's most valued direct disciple. The child had been brought up the mountain a few years ago during a wandering journey, kind-hearted and innocent. He had been cultivating Dao for only five years, but Lu Yong often personally taught him, saying the child had patience and was suitable for alchemy. The boy was simple-minded. The temple Daoists all said that the grandmaster had a close relationship with that young Hidden Official, and his master had become a guest elder of Fallen Mountain, so naturally the child felt close to Chen the Sword Immortal. Held by his grandmaster's hand, the boy looked up and asked seriously, "Grandmaster, do we have any elixirs left in stock? Don't let Chen the Mountain Lord leave empty-handed."
Lu Yong looked embarrassed and gave a rough explanation: alchemy had many rules, requiring the right time, place, and people — lacking any one of these would be like trying to cook without rice.
Zhao Zhao gently patted the child's Dao topknot, wanting to say something but holding back.
The senior true person stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then laughed. "The child happens to be here with me right now, and the Hidden Official happens to be coming up the mountain at this time. This must be the child's karmic connection. No need for you and me to be overly formal."
Zhao Zhao nodded at that, the gloom on his brow lightening a bit.
Lu Yong led a group of supervising Daoists out to receive the guest.
Chen Ping'an gave a Daoist salute, smiling broadly. "Senior true person, rest assured. I'm just passing by, looking for a cup of wine. I'm not here for elixirs or to freeload."
The senior true person burst into laughter, reaching out to grab Chen Ping'an's arm. "A troublesome guest arrives, a troublesome guest arrives. First thing, you start indirectly scolding the host for being stingy."
Deng Jianping watched this scene and understood that the relationship between Fallen Mountain and Qingjing Mountain was extraordinary.
Earlier, when passing through the Qingjing Mountain territory, they hadn't climbed the mountain. His brother-in-law had casually mentioned that this place had dense Daoist aura, uniquely favored by heaven, and was a rare "dragon-emerging" ground.
Chen Ping'an introduced Deng Jianping's status as a personal disciple. Lu Yong and the Daoists naturally offered sincere congratulations. The young man was blessed to be able to learn swordsmanship and Dao under the Hidden Official.
Zhao Zhao, being a guest elder of Fallen Mountain, also introduced his own disciple's situation. Gan Xing, no Dao name yet. The young Daoist boy was not shy and explained to Chen the Sword Immortal that "Xing" meant prosperity, not the heart word.
Xie Gou suddenly said, "Mountain Lord, strange. This child next to Guest Elder Zhao has decent cultivation bone talent, but why is the deathly aura on him so heavy? It clings tenaciously, seems deeply ingrained, already entangled with his life fate. Dealing with it is quite troublesome. I could cut off this death aura with a single sword, but it would damage the child's Dao foundation. It would be better if Daoist Pure Yang were here."
Chen Ping'an had also noticed the strange aura on the young Daoist boy. "The human body is like a temple. If the spirit doesn't occupy it, wild ghosts come to claim territory. Over time, it's like an unauthorized shrine, taking a deviant path. If he hadn't come up the mountain to cultivate Dao, and remained a mortal, he might even have some unorthodox luck. But entering Green Tiger Temple puts him in conflict with the invisible, heavy Daoist aura here. Fortunately, Qingjing Mountain's clouds and waters are light and clear, its earth qi rich and mellow, so the two sides don't exactly fight, but it's like they're constantly bickering. In the long run, the child will become exhausted, his spirit weaker and weaker. The senior true person seems to have tried some remedial measures, but they only treat symptoms, not the root. I'm afraid if it drags on any longer, the child will have to be sent down the mountain."
Xie Gou asked, "Doesn't Green Tiger Temple specialize in refining Transformation Pills? Shouldn't that be just the right medicine?"
Chen Ping'an said, "I'm afraid he's already taken them, just barely maintaining his current state."
Xie Gou asked, "Does the Mountain Lord want to intervene? Are you confident?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Since it's a major matter, I need to make some preparations first."
Xie Gou grinned. Since the Mountain Lord said that, it was solid.
Xie Gou turned to Deng Jianping and said earnestly, "Jianping, our Mountain Lord knows a lot. Learn slowly. We who painstakingly cultivate the Dao should not enter a treasure mountain and return empty-handed."
Adding the suffix "ah" to names — this habit, she didn't know who had started on the mountain. But Xie Gou found it very smooth.
Deng Jianping nodded vigorously. During this sword-flying journey, he had grown increasingly respectful toward this maiden-like Second Seat Dedicated Supplicant. High talent, good temper, broad-minded.
Chen Ping'an first asked Zhao Zhao for the child's birth date and time, then bent down and smiled at the young Daoist boy named Gan Xing. "Let me see your hand."
The bewildered boy extended his hand. Chen Ping'an first held the child's hand, gently weighed it, and felt the bones. Then he pressed two fingers together and wrote a character on the child's palm: "Chi" (an imperial decree talisman).
The characters on the palm glowed with golden light, flashing once. The sound of gold and jade rang out loudly.
At the same time, Chen Ping'an silently recited in his heart, "Disperse."
Chen Ping'an withdrew his hand, like a kindly elder, and rubbed the child's head. Then he said with a smile, "Living quietly in the mountains, we who cultivate the Dao should be vigorous in spirit and diligent in practice."
The boy nodded blankly.
In his heart, the child was puzzled. He looked up at the man with a gentle smile. Was he really such a good-tempered Sword Immortal who had killed far and wide? He had heard that there was a landscape dedicated supplicant on their Qingjing Mountain territory who had rendered great service, diligently protecting the mountain for several hundred years, very high in seniority. In recent years, he had stopped attending even the ancestor hall meetings. He had even begged the grandmaster and the others to notify him in advance whenever a certain person climbed the mountain, just so he could hide from this "Hidden Official." The grandmaster had tried to persuade him several times, but it didn't work.
Chen Ping'an spoke via heart voice to the senior true person and Zhao Zhao: "I've only stabilized Gan Xing's spirit with talisman techniques for now. The 'Chi' character talisman has three meanings — mountain, water, thunder. I tried to take a gentle route, not daring to make too much noise within the child's microcosm. So later, Zhao Zhao, you'll need to take Gan Xing to Bottle Gourd Continent, directly to Fuyang Deer to find me. I have a temporary practice ground there."
The senior true person gave a Daoist salute in thanks. "Much obliged, Mountain Lord Chen."
Zhao Zhao then had the child join him in thanking the Mountain Lord.
Upon hearing that he could soon go down the mountain to play and take a long trip, the child was overjoyed.
Inside Green Tiger Temple, Chen Ping'an didn't even drink. After a few idle words, he rose to take his leave. Those idle words weren't all trivialities and polite pleasantries — more it was a matter of mindset and position. For instance, Chen Ping'an asked the senior true person about his impressions of the old cultivators and old sects in the southern part of Bottle Gourd Continent. Lu Yong also wanted the disciples of Zhao Zhao's generation to take the younger ones out for training, and walking along the Central Great River would be a good choice. In addition, the Green Ping Sword Sect, Taiping Mountain, the Great Spring Dynasty, and the Jade Court Sect — these were all places they would definitely visit.
The young boy's face was flushed red, as if he wanted to speak but didn't dare.
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Gan Xing, is there something?"
The boy secretly glanced at his master and grandmaster. The senior true person stroked his beard and encouraged, "Go ahead and say it. When the Mountain Lord Chen comes to our Green Tiger Temple, it's like family visiting."
The boy said, "Sword Immortal Chen, let me tell you something. We have a mountain-protecting dedicated supplicant who is a native yao cultivator. He seems very afraid of you. As soon as he heard you were climbing the mountain, he went out to take a walk again."
Chen Ping'an found it both amusing and puzzling. "Old Lu, Daoist Xianxiu, haven't you told this dedicated supplicant about the situation at Fallen Mountain?"
Zhao Zhao said helplessly, "We have. It didn't work. This mountain-protecting dedicated supplicant of ours has a simple mind and likes to stick to his guns. Not only does he not listen to reason, but he says that we are only familiar with Chen Ping'an, the Mountain Lord, but not really with the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall. When that fellow Chen gets rough, he wants to chop him — he won't be able to run away, lose his life, and drag Green Tiger Temple's relationship with Fallen Mountain into the mud. It's not worth it. Better to avoid him each time. That fellow Chen can't come to Qingjing Mountain as a guest every few days, can he?"
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh and quipped, "He sounds quite reasonable."
The senior true person laughed heartily, smoothing things over a bit. "The ignorant are not to blame."
Xie Gou was even more amused. Did he know that their Mountain Lord had two flying swords named First Day and Fifteenth Day?
Chen Ping'an glanced at Xie Gou, and the marten-hatted girl habitually tilted her head, her eyes instantly becoming clear. Chen Ping'an had to ignore Xie Gou — she was carefree, and in front of them, he directly said to the child, "Gan Xing, you can tell that mountain-protecting dedicated supplicant clearly: the Second Seat Dedicated Supplicant beside me is a barbarian sword cultivator, and her Dao partner is of the same identity."
Gan Xing nodded. "Sword Immortal Chen, I understand!"
Xie Gou suddenly made claws and a scary face to frighten the child.
Gan Xing didn't flinch, just looked at her curiously. What was she doing?
Xie Gou was first a bit embarrassed, then delighted. Oh my, being too pretty could be a problem — couldn't even scare a child.
At parting, Chen Ping'an gave the young Daoist boy a tiny sword pendant, hastily forged on the spot. He smiled and said, "This is a custom from my hometown. Old master swordsmiths, based on their experience, would give out different small swords according to a child's temperament and aura. It's not some immortal treasure — just asking for good luck. Almost every household has one. You can keep it in your study or carry it with you."
Later, after Deng Jianping activated the Three Mountains Talisman, they crossed continents in one step and arrived directly at the Southern Sacred Mountain of Bottle Gourd Continent.
At Green Tiger Temple, the senior true person smiled and asked the child to let him see the small sword. On the blade was engraved a line of text with excellent meaning. It was clearly the young Hidden Official's handwriting — upright. The text read: "I am skilled in cultivating the vast, righteous qi."
The young boy saw his grandmaster reluctant to part with the sword and reminded him, "Grandmaster, remember to give it back to me?"
The senior true person returned the small sword to the child and scolded with a laugh, "Little miser."
The child wasn't afraid of his grandmaster at all. He carefully put away the small sword and made a face.
Bottle Gourd Continent's Five Sacred Mountains: the Southern Sacred Mountain, Zitong Mountain, had only one "Reserve Mountain" named Caizhi Mountain.
Fan Junmao not only gave himself the divine title "Cuiwei" (Jade Green), which received recognition and confirmation from the Confucian Temple, but also had an unexpected joy: receiving a plaque inscribed with "Azure Mountains of the World."
That plaque hung high at the mountain-foot archway, very much in Fan Junmao's style — high-profile, ostentatious, neither subtle nor pretentious.
Pilgrims coming to pay respects came in an endless stream. Without exception, they would stop here, look up at the plaque, and many elders would teach their children to read the characters.
By the roadside, a young man with a sword on his back was squatting and dry heaving, propping himself up with a single bamboo staff. Beside him stood a man with his hands in his sleeves and a marten-hatted girl.
Xie Gou said, "His foundation is indeed weaker than expected." Qingjing Mountain was at the northern end of Tongye Continent, and the Southern Sacred Mountain Zitong was at the southernmost tip of Bottle Gourd Continent. Plus, during this process, Xie Gou had been helping Deng Jianping stabilize his Dao aura, so the cross-continent journey using the Three Mountains Talisman was somewhat "watered down."
Chen Ping'an said, "Before reaching twenty, Jianping mostly drifted from place to place. To have such a physical foundation now is not easy."
They had about the time of one incense stick to linger here.
Last time at the Great Li capital's imperial study meeting, Fan Junmao had acted as a spokesperson for the southern nations, but had been rather clumsy, not very competent.
Setting aside cultivation, when it came to official tactics, how could Fan Junmao compete with old foxes like Minister of War Shen Chen and Minister of Rites Zhao Duanjin?
Once the joint letter from the Great Li Rites and War Ministries was issued, which nation's court or which immortal mansion would dare go north to the Great Li capital and ask the Court of State Ceremonies to arrange accommodation?
Xie Gou asked, "Go find Fan Junmao to catch up?"
Chen Ping'an caught the double meaning and asked, "Had dealings with Lord Fan's previous divine existence?"
Xie Gou grinned slyly. "Back then, she was quite combative. I wasn't bad either. So we saw eye to eye, like a turtle meeting a bean."
Chen Ping'an was puzzled. "Then why didn't Lord Fan recognize you last time in the Great Li capital?"
At that time, Xie Gou and Xiao Mo were in the corridor outside the room. Xie Gou lifted her head proudly and laughed, "These days I barely recognize myself. How could she recognize someone she just had a fight with once? Besides, unless it's a high-rank god's reincarnation, most lose some memories. And these so-called memories are the key to ancient gods' divine positions. That so-and-so — you know, Xiao Mo's friend, Old Third Lu — speculated that a vague but omnipresent river of time might be the aggregation and arrangement of countless billions of trivial memories..."
Chen Ping'an lightly waved his hand, signaling Xie Gou to stop this topic. Our Principal Lu really did like to open his heart to friends.
Xie Gou asked, "Are we just going to stand at the foot of the mountain?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Last time at the imperial study meeting, I made her lose face a bit. I'm afraid even if we send someone to announce our visit, we'll still be refused entry. She might even make the Rites Department female official reply, 'Lord Fan just said she's not on the mountain.'"
Xie Gou laughed. "That's her old temper — not surprising at all."
Chen Ping'an teased, "Your attitude toward Lord Fan and Green Tong is quite different, Xie the Second Seat."
Xie Gou curled her lip. "I don't care about background when I approve or disapprove of someone."
Unexpectedly, just as Chen Ping'an was about to lead Xie Gou and Deng Jianping to the market streets near the mountain foot, Fan Junmao cast a concealment technique and actually came out in person to receive the guests.
But she didn't go up the mountain. Instead, Fan Junmao followed the direction Chen Ping'an and the others had taken, heading toward the bustling streets where incense shops, storytelling venues, taverns, and inns lined the road.
Nothing eventful on the mountain, peace under heaven.
Chen Ping'an, hands in sleeves, smiled. "A rare treat."
Fan Junmao looked irritated. "Greeting people, sending them off, official documents full of nonsense — not a moment's peace. The Rites Department is full of good-for-nothings. They dare bring anyone up the mountain, all for the sake of face. Damn it, isn't my face as Cuiwei Lord God worth anything? Every day I see this one and that one. Tomorrow and the day after are all arranged. They want me to approve it — approve your grandpa! All of them are irrelevant. Seeing you lot is still better than seeing them."
Fan Junmao was indeed frustrated. Now the main officers and managers of the Southern Sacred Mountain's various departments were all those who had fought alongside her back in the day. Their conduct was impeccable, but their ability to handle mundane affairs was truly worrying.
Deng Jianping was speechless. This famous Cuiwei Lord God was certainly... distinctive in character.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Negotiate with the Rites Department first. Work hard like this for seven or eight years, then from then on, no matter which country's emperor or crown prince, whose sect leader or disciplinary officer, refuse them all."
"Good people don't necessarily make good officials. That's not to say official seats should be given to bad people. But many corrupt officials started out intending to be honest officials who would benefit their region and leave their names in history. Once you're in officialdom, cultivating in the public arena — whether on the mountain or off — it all comes down to the Confucian concepts of 'name' and 'substance.' It's the same principle, just working on human nature and the human heart."
"As the lord of a sacred mountain, overseeing countless landscapes, this is your duty. In the early stages, these cumbersome formalities are unavoidable. Being too aloof won't work, and it will make the Rites Department's job difficult. But once people get used to your easygoing manner, they'll start to be difficult themselves. The Rites Department is just one of more than twenty offices under the Southern Sacred Mountain. You can remind them not to forget who's big and who's small, who comes first and who comes second."
Fan Junmao didn't seem to be listening, but her expression was reluctant. "You're the big official now, I'll listen to you for now."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "If you really want to save trouble, energy, work, and time, I have a convenient method. Want to hear it?"
Fan Junmao said, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Resign from being Lord God. No official position, no burdens."
Fan Junmao glared. "Chen Ping'an, have you been eating too much spoiled rice, coming up with such lousy ideas?!"
Just obtaining the divine title for the Southern Sacred Mountain and then resigning — even if Fan Junmao didn't care about rules, she wouldn't dare wrestle with the Middle Earth Confucian Temple like that.
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Then lower your sights. Find a helper who can win the support of everyone inside and out, and you can relax and be a hands-off boss."
Fan Junmao said helplessly, "Where do I find such a person? I was just a mountain lord myself. To whom should I burn incense and make wishes?"
Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "Isn't that the answer?"
Fan Junmao said irritably, "I came down the mountain this time just to relax, not to play word games with you."
Chen Ping'an didn't reply.
Xie Gou suddenly started getting chummy. "Junmao ah, you really didn't need to use the concealment technique. If you just swaggered down the street, I guarantee no one would recognize you. At most, they'd think some girl — not very pretty, but really blessed-looking, a bit like Lady Lord God."
Whether it was being called "Junmao" that dumbfounded her or the later remarks that angered her, Fan Junmao didn't respond.
Xie Gou didn't mind. If someone she fancied had no temper at all, wouldn't that prove her own judgment was off?
Fan Junmao said via heart voice, "Putting aside our identities for now, don't you think the Great Li court is reaching too far? The old history of one country ruling one continent is already in the past. If I remember correctly, the Confucians like to have a just cause for their actions. The Song clan of Great Li is no longer the legitimate ruler of a continent, and that's thanks to the Embroidery Tiger leaving you such a mess — promising to allow the restoration of kingdoms after the war. If they hadn't brought that up in the first place, who would have dared to object back then? The entire Bottle Gourd Continent only had the Song clan qualified to wear dragon robes. Even if we step back, they could have stipulated that after the war, the southern kingdoms must always acknowledge Great Li as the suzerain — that would have been better than the current restlessness. Since they were already acting despotically, the Embroidery Tiger and Great Li should have followed through to the end. But then they switched to the kingly way halfway. What was the Embroidery Tiger thinking? He's not the type to seek posthumous fame — there was no need for such redundancy, right?"
Chen Ping'an hummed in acknowledgment, then slowly replied, "You were angry at the time, so you might have missed a certain thing I said. Bottle Gourd Continent must be mentally prepared for a second great war within thirty to fifty years. I suspect many of those present thought I was exaggerating. But you were definitely an exception."
Fan Junmao nodded. People used to peaceful times tend to take peace for granted.
Chen Ping'an continued, "Song He came to see me privately once, on a country lane. We talked very openly. I asked him directly if he wanted to restore the Great Li dynasty's peak territory. He probably knew he had to answer very carefully. After a long hesitation, he finally said he did want to, but perhaps he and the Great Li Iron Cavalry could no longer achieve it. When he said this honest line, Song He actually used a bit of rhetoric, and he looked into my eyes, trying to find my true thoughts. That's normal — he's someone who's been emperor for too long. So I asked him, with one country half a continent, what could Song He do? With one country one continent, what could Great Li do? He clearly had a prepared answer, watertight. So I asked him again, what are the things in Bottle Gourd Continent that we all take for granted but are actually wrong? Since he knew he couldn't brush that off easily, he couldn't answer, and said he needed to think more. Then I asked him, why did the Sword Qi Great Wall, which held for ten thousand years, fall, yet Bottle Gourd Continent, the smallest of the nine vast continents, manage to repel the barbarian yao? Did he have any unique insights? He looked a bit nervous, so I said it was just a bonus question, something to think about, no need for an answer."
Fan Junmao was silent.
Xie Gou said via heart voice, "Jianping, did you hear that? Lord Fan has already been led around in circles — she forgot her original question. Our Mountain Lord, your new master, is pretty impressive, right?"
Deng Jianping snapped back to attention, chewing over the words carefully. "Master did give an answer, just without using... rhetoric."
The street was bustling with traffic. Chen Ping'an occasionally stepped aside to let people pass, or others stepped aside for him.
Chen Ping'an, hands in sleeves, said calmly, "But alas, in this mortal world, under this heaven, in this age, there are far too many bastards who become immortals on the mountain and stop acting like humans. Especially south of Qi Ferry."
Fan Junmao nodded. "Those who fear power but not virtue have always been as numerous as silver carp crossing a river. Both on the mountain and off, the Dao should reign over power."
Chen Ping'an changed the subject, smiling. "Earlier, I was copying sutras in an ancient Vinaya monastery. A group of major donors asked the abbot about the way of nurturing life. The old monk only said that wealthy young masters, with no worries about food or clothing, who want to strengthen their bodies, don't need any profound cultivation knowledge — just ride less in palanquins and walk more, drink less fancy wine and eat more vegetables. By the temple's release pond, there was an old tree that had sprouted new life from withered wood. Some lay devotee asked the abbot if it was due to the monk's profound Dao power. The old monk calmly replied, 'Water it more.'"
Fan Junmao smiled knowingly. "True Buddhas speak only ordinary words."
Chen Ping'an said, "We need to continue our journey, so we won't disturb the Lord Fan in returning to the mountain to continue receiving guests."
Fan Junmao stopped and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead and mock me. When you become the Great Li National Teacher, we'll see what my attitude will be. Hah, one boat goes east, another goes west — favorable and adverse winds differ. Ask the passenger on the favorable-wind boat, will the wind direction still be the same tomorrow?"
Xie Gou quickly steadied her marten hat, pretending to be shocked. "Jianping, what do we do? This woman is putting on airs with literary talk. I wasn't prepared — I can't out-literature her."
Deng Jianping said helplessly, "Second Seat Xie knows I've never been good with words."
Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "Waves rise and fall, winds come and go. The mind changes with circumstances, but remains unmoving like a mountain."
Fan Junmao waved it off with a laugh and headed back to the mountain.
Deng Jianping's expression was sincere, his tone unusually firm. "Master, you don't have to ask us to do anything for the sect lineage or Fallen Mountain. But as a disciple, receiving teachings from a master and learning the Dao on the mountain, I cannot be without the desire to repay this kindness. This disciple is dull. I humbly ask Master to give me a few requirements, so I can focus single-mindedly and work hard."
Xie Gou looked at Deng Jianping with new respect. This stiff young man usually seemed silent and withdrawn, but he had quite the guts. He'd been a disciple for only a few days and he was already telling his master what to do?
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then said, "From now on, whenever you go down the mountain with your sword, traveling the world, make many friends and mind your business well."
Mind your business well.
Deng Jianping silently repeated this a few times in his heart.
Afterward, Chen Ping'an and the others arrived at a mountain near Xianyou County.
They knocked on the door of a martial arts school in the county town. Deng Jianping followed his master inside and found a group of young martial artists practicing boxing and walking piles, training their muscles and bones, shouting and yelling.
But there was an old man, probably the owner of this small martial arts school, lying on a rattan chair, holding a palm-leaf fan, actually fast asleep, snoring loudly with considerable presence.
Those who had paid money to learn martial arts seemed used to it. As long as senior brothers guided them, they didn't need the master's few clichéd, repetitive words. Many of the strong young men in the school recognized this green-robed visitor. He had been here before and had a good relationship with the master. Occasionally, when the master drank and bragged, he would say that the three of them had once roamed the world together, passing through countless landscapes, joining forces to slay demons and monsters along the way. They had seen plenty of strange things. Back then, he was the one looking after two greenhorns fresh out in the world. Now when they called him Big Brother Xu, it was well deserved...
Chen Ping'an gestured for them not to wake their master. He familiarly dragged over a bamboo chair, placed it next to the rattan chair, leaned back comfortably, crossed his legs, and started smoking his long pipe. Smoke curled around, blurring his face. Several times he turned his head, wanting to laugh and tell that old bearded wanderer to get up and drink. He would say to him, that travel journal you've revised again and again and refused to have printed — I've already asked Suzi for a preface, and poems from Bai Ye and Xin Ji'an. Aren't I impressive? You should finish a few bowls of wine first...
Putting away the pipe, Chen Ping'an clasped his hands behind his head, stretched his legs straight, and leaned lazily on the bamboo chair. He closed his eyes, wanting to take a short nap, stealing a moment of leisure.
Deng Jianping glanced at Second Seat Xie. What now?
Xie Gou grinned. "No big deal. Let's just handle it — I'll send you to Fallen Mountain first."
Same as usual.
When Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, he was surprised to find it was already deep night. Someone had also placed a garment over him.
Deng Jianping had surely already arrived at Fallen Mountain, but Xie Gou was lying on the adjoining rattan chair, deliberately pretending to be worldly-wise, waving the palm-leaf fan leisurely.
Chen Ping'an asked, "How long did I sleep?"
Xie Gou looked refreshed. "Just a little while. Nothing's delayed."
Chen Ping'an let out a surprised "Eh?"
Xie Gou laughed heartily. "Xiao Mo came home! He's in the kitchen helping Chef Xu with prep. Those two men wearing aprons — what a sight!"
Chen Ping'an squinted and smiled, leaning back on the bamboo chair. "Then we'll wait for dinner."
Xie Gou used the fan to cover her mouth and lowered her voice. "Mountain Lord, I'm not trying to stir trouble, but when Chef Xu saw you sleeping like a log, he called you a 'little brat' and scolded you lightly many times."
Chen Ping'an said softly, "Afraid I'd wake up and scold him back."
Xie Gou nodded vigorously. "Exactly!"
The mortal world is rugged and travel is hard. With a true friend, one can take things in stride. Middle age is middle age, old age is old age. We were all once young wanderers, carrying osmanthus blossoms and wine. Drunk, we tugged at the big beard, wet our Daoist sleeves, and raised our straw sandals high.