Chapter 1199: Ten Thousand Mountains Pay Court
At the Ji Se Peak of the Fallen Mountain, a lazy man draped his clothes over his shoulders, and with practiced ease, picked a toothpick from a bamboo tube on the table, putting it between his lips. He stepped outside into the radiant daylight, where the great sun had already risen high and bright.
People were already waiting in the courtyard. Besides Zheng Dafeng and Wen Zixi, who taught boxing at the Leaping Fish Mountain, there was also a young Daoist with a wooden hairpin and a solemn-looking young boy in blue. They were all waiting for Zhong Qian.
Zhong Qian’s gaze swept across their faces. He took the lead, walking in front. This martial artist at the Golden Body Stage carried a silent, unique momentum, summed up in four words: follow the big brother!
Wen Zixi and the other meal buddies silently followed their leading brother, whose momentum was strong, strides steady, and state of mind even better. They charged toward the old chef, determined to eat and drink their fill today, leaving not a single soldier in the bowls and plates!
Since they had entered the Fallen Mountain, three meals a day were guaranteed. But the reason Zhong Qian was so highly respected was that he had earned them a nightly midnight snack through his own efforts.
The group grew larger and larger. Xiaomili and the white-haired boy, who had just finished their mountain patrol, became the tail end of the team. Nuan Shu, who rose at dawn every day to sweep the courtyard, had also finished her chores and walked over to join them.
Chen Lingjun whispered, “Compilation Officer, about those blinding sword lights that went to the Sword Worship Platform earlier—what’s the deal? Give us the details. If they’re tough cookies, I’ll go dig up some info.”
The white-haired boy replied, “They seem to be sword immortals from the Great Wall of Sword Qi. In the past, they followed the old sword immortal Qi, and now they follow our mountain master.”
Chen Lingjun suddenly understood. “So they’re family. Since the mountain master isn’t here, after breakfast, I’ll go over and entertain the honored guests.”
A large group of sword immortals, after attending the Great Li celebration, had temporarily settled at the Sword Worship Platform.
Due to the celestial phenomena that occurred in the Great Li capital, Xie Gou, Xiaomo, and Ning Yao had all turned back along their original paths.
Earlier, when they learned that Chen Ping’an had attained the Flying Ascension, and that the young Hidden Officer would also cross two worlds, they were all reluctant to head straight for the Fallen Mountain’s territory.
What? Go to the Qingming World to admire the scenery of the White Jade Capital? A pleasant surprise, truly a pleasant surprise! After attending the Great Li celebration, such a wonderful opportunity awaited them?!
Gao Shuang and the likes, who loved to watch the excitement, were itching to go, eager to follow the young Hidden Officer as guests to the Qingming World. Would they become the spectacle in others’ eyes instead of just watching? Gao Shuang and his group of sword cultivators—afraid? For ten thousand years, the dictionary of sword cultivators on the Great Wall of Sword Qi had words like “life” and “death,” “loss” and “victory,” “glory” and “shame,” but it seemed there really were no words for “fear” or “cowardice.”
Mei Dandang was especially radiant. As a native demon of the Barbaric World, since ancient times, it couldn’t be said that no great demon had secretly infiltrated the Qingming World, but he had never heard of any demon sword cultivator openly setting foot in the Qingming World, approaching the White Jade Capital that stood at the center of heaven and earth. If he could be the first in the Barbaric World to do so?
Not to mention Lu Zhi’s eyes lighting up, even the seasoned and scheming Qi Tingji had the idea of taking an impromptu long journey.
It was Xie Gou who dissuaded Xiaomo and Ning Yao, and then Ning Yao in turn dissuaded the other sword cultivators.
Qi Tingji’s considerations were certainly the most far-sighted. If both Ning Yao and Xiaomo, two Fourteen Realm sword cultivators, followed, even without Chen Ping’an’s greeting, they would have immediately and unhesitatingly flown their swords on a long journey to the Qingming World. Once a big fight broke out with the White Jade Capital and they completely fell out, it would mean that the Fallen Mountain and several other sects, even the entire Great Li Dynasty, from that moment on, would be at odds with the White Jade Capital. If so, the choice of the Ascension City in the Colorful Five World would be even clearer! Once the sword cultivators of Ascension City chose to strike first, the fate of the White Jade Capital’s forces in the Colorful Five World would be predictable. Either these Dao officials would have to completely abandon their territory and urgently find a way to retreat to the White Jade Capital in the Qingming World, or they wouldn’t be able to leave at all. With the Suichu Temple, Xuan Du Temple, Difei Mountain, and other top Daoist sects encircling them like a pack of wolves, would the title of the young disciple of the Dao Ancestor in the Green Mountain be enough to bear the burden?
It was like Chen Ping’an had thrown an enormous problem to the White Jade Capital: can you endure it?! If you can’t, then don’t try to scare anyone—let’s fight.
Suddenly, Qi Tingji sent a heart-message to Ning Yao, who was already in the capital, “If a fight breaks out with the White Jade Capital, it’s simple. You and Xiaomo take the lead, we’ll follow, and we’ll all go all out and raise hell in the White Jade Capital.”
“But if no fight breaks out and the Hidden Officer and Xie Gou return safely, remember to remind him to be wary of the White Jade Capital’s secret lines. People like Jiang and Pang are not the kind to be arrogant and wait for death. Perhaps back when the Pear Blossom Cave Heaven was shattered and fell to earth, they had already taken the opportunity to leave clues in the Bottle Gourd Continent. For instance, I have always suspected that the rise of Huang Zhen was pulled by some behind-the-scenes strings. Just the appearance of that Yin-Yang fish descendant, and it happened to fall into Huang Zhen’s hands. This kind of opportunity—Huang Zhen’s chance—might be someone else’s inevitability.”
“Regardless, before I go to the Barbaric World, let’s have a private meeting among a few of us to discuss whether we can find one or two deadly undercurrents. Even if we can’t find any clues for now, we should prepare and be vigilant early.”
At the time, Ning Yao was strolling through the streets of the Great Li capital. Upon hearing Qi Tingji’s reminder, she immediately agreed.
The Sword Worship Platform consisted of thatched cottages, somewhat crude. Before the private swords arrived at the Fallen Mountain, they inevitably worried whether the children’s sword-training ground would be too full of immortal aura—jade towers, carved beams, and ornate pillars, luxuries far surpassing human kings and nobles. They feared the children were too young, that in a foreign land, they would forget their homeland in a few years, and the spirit of comparison over material things would overshadow the pure competitive spirit of sword refinement. But when they saw this scene—cottage after cottage, small bamboo chairs placed under the eaves, a withered pine trunk serving as a bench, only stone tables and benches in the open space—they felt a pang of heartache.
The homeland of these old-timers had city walls rising ten thousand feet high, with white clouds beneath their feet like an ocean.
Here and now, the sun was warm, the ground was warm, not far away was a babbling brook, green mountains and white clouds amidst the thatched cottages.
They looked for a long time. It seemed… okay.
Then they saw a child carrying a purple clay pot standing by the stone table, staring blankly at them.
The child rubbed his eyes, hardly believing it. Why had Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi both come?
If you added the old deaf man who now taught at Leaping Fish Mountain, that would make three of the former top ten sword immortals on the city wall!
Zhu Su asked with a smile, “What’s your name?”
The child showed no timidity. He tilted his head back, took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, and said with an air of experience, “Bai Xuan. Bai as in Bai Ye, Xuan as in Yu Xuan. And you, big sister?”
Zhu Su said, “Zhu as in bamboo, Su as in plain. My name is Zhu Su.”
Bai Xuan asked a blunt question that picked up exactly where it shouldn’t, “So what relation are you to the rebel Zhu An?”
Zhu Su said, “Relatives.”
Bai Xuan nodded, “A family misfortune.”
Zhu Su was momentarily speechless.
Gao Shuang and Huang Ling, a few sword cultivators, almost burst out laughing. Listening to this conversation, they all felt that this kid Bai Xuan was just like them—perfect material for being a lifelong bachelor!
Zhu Su wasn’t angry, though, and asked curiously, “Now that you’re here, who have you accepted as your master?”
Bai Xuan said, “I already have a master. I haven’t formally taken anyone else as master. Mi Xiuhua Cui Pasi and the others have been eyeing it for a long time, but unfortunately, they don’t have the fate to be my master.”
In the matter of giving nicknames, Bai Xuan had an extraordinary talent, not inferior to Chef Cao’s skill at naming.
Mi Yu glared and said, “You little brat, change Senior Sword Warden Cui’s nickname.”
Bai Xuan said slowly, “Fine, fine, fine. How about Cui Daredare?”
Mi Yu was furious. This new nickname was even uglier than Cui Afraid-of-Death. It was really stabbing a sword into Cui Wei’s heart.
Just then, the Green Lotus Sword Sect’s Sect Leader Cui gave a surprised “eh.” Bai Xuan immediately spoke up, “Everyone has their own aspirations. No need to force it. Senior Sword Warden Cui is now assisting Sect Leader Cui at the subordinate sect… Hey now, I just realized you’re both named Cui! Same family, no less! Good, what a coincidence! Excellent! It seems Senior Sword Warden Cui’s chances for future achievements are definitely plenty. I believe one day…”
Cui Dongshan grabbed Bai Xuan by the ear and yanked it upward. Bai Xuan tilted his head, stood on tiptoe, and yelled, “Ow, ow, ow! Sect Leader Cui, there are so many people here. Give me some face!”
Previously, during the sword flight, Zhu Su had already carefully observed the overall appearance of the western mountain ranges. Earlier at the Great Li imperial palace, they had to make way for the Hidden Officer’s path, so Zhu Su needed to choose a place for her secluded meditation—breaking through the realm hinged on this. After much thought, there seemed to be a lake that had no established meditation ground or immortal mansion. It looked quite appealing to her. Why not build a thatched hut there?
Zhu Su asked, “What tea is that?”
Bai Xuan said, “Wolfberry tea.”
Zhu Su thought she had misheard, “What?”
Bai Xuan rubbed his ear, raised a finger, and traced the characters for “wolfberry” in the air.
Zhu Su was a sword cultivator and a woman. She deliberately chatted with Bai Xuan to satisfy some small intentions. Children’s eyes and temperament always spoke the truth; they were the hardest to deceive.
At the door of one thatched hut, a little girl with dead-fish eyes and a blank expression stood still. She wasn’t good at dealing with people and didn’t like overly lively scenes. She hesitated to speak several times. Finally, she couldn’t help but send a heart-message to Lu Zhi, “Lu Zhi, didn’t the mountain master’s wife come along?”
On the Great Wall of Sword Qi, where they didn’t bother with Daoist titles, it was safest to call sword cultivators directly by name. Calling them “sword immortal” could easily offend.
Lu Zhi smiled and said, “The Hidden Officer attained Flying Ascension at the Great Li capital. He also needs to go to the Qingming World. Your master was worried, so she went back to the capital.”
Earlier, at the imperial Dragon Wall, Ning Yao had entrusted her to take good care of Sun Chunwang. Lu Zhi had seen this little girl in person and indeed liked her.
Sun Chunwang shook her head, “The mountain master’s wife is not yet my master. She thinks my aptitude is a bit lacking, my temperament not firm enough, and my understanding of the sword path still too crude.”
Lu Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, “Did Ning Yao tell you that herself?”
Sun Chunwang shook her head again, “The mountain master’s wife didn’t say these things, but I saw these facts in her eyes.”
Lu Zhi said, “Comparing yourself to Ning Yao in terms of aptitude—isn’t that asking for trouble? Why don’t you compare your cheek thickness with the Hidden Officer?”
Sun Chunwang said, “Master Cao wasn’t thick-skinned. Back then, on a small boat at sea, Master Cao squatted at the stern, his back to us. Even eating a bowl of rice could bring tears to his eyes.”
Lu Zhi was puzzled, “Master Cao?”
Sun Chunwang explained, “Master Cao Mo, the Hidden Officer’s alias from his adventures in the martial world.”
Using aliases, covering his face, lowering his realm, playing the grandson to eventually be the grandfather—when it came to real fighting, his punches had to be fierce, his sword strikes fast. He had to be able to take a beating and also escape… These were said to be Master Cao’s unspoken secrets of walking the martial path.
The more Lu Zhi looked at Sun Chunwang, the more she liked her. The little girl’s gaze was indifferent, her tone calm, her expression blank, her state of mind serene—everything seemed cold and indifferent. Very much like herself.
Lu Zhi teased, “Why don’t you take me as your master? Ning Yao will eventually have to return to the Colorful Five World, for decades at a time. Although my realm isn’t as high as Ning Yao’s, my ability to teach sword techniques might not be inferior to hers.”
Sun Chunwang shook her head, “Lu Zhi has no attachments in her heart. Seeking death is for seeking inscriptions. The mountain master’s wife has Master Cao in her heart, so she always wants to live, to become stronger. I’m timid. I fear pain, hardship, and even more so death. So I want to learn swordsmanship from Ning Yao. If I take you as my master, my sword techniques will definitely improve quickly, but I’m afraid I won’t live long. Unless I never venture out until I become a sword immortal, but hiding in the mountains like that for so long would be boring. A sword heart cannot be bound by a mountain-and-water meditation ground.”
Lu Zhi was amazed, “Who told you all this?”
Sun Chunwang said, “I figured it out myself. Besides practicing swords, I also read books. Because Master Cao always says the number one good thing in the world is to spend the least money and earn the most, and that is still reading. I’m not interested in making money, but it’s foolish to pass up a bargain.”
Lu Zhi nodded. The little girl really suited her taste. Before taking any disciples, Lu Zhi had no thought of becoming anyone’s master. But after she had her first disciple, she looked at everyone as if they could be her next personal disciple?
Sun Chunwang looked at those sword cultivators from her homeland, who were now whispering among themselves, looking around… Suddenly, a nameless anger rose in the little girl’s heart.
Earlier, she had heard Chen Lingjun chatting with Bai Xuan, mentioning that a group of private swords had chosen the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect in the Southern Bodhisattva Continent, refusing to go to the Green Lotus Sword Sect. She had always just listened without speaking. Bai Xuan had then spoken up for Master Cao, but Chen Lingjun didn’t care and even advised Bai Xuan a few words. Sun Chunwang hadn’t chimed in either. Now, they were coming to her doorstep? What for? To throw their weight around in front of Master Cao? Or were they afraid that Master Cao wouldn’t care enough about them, and when they found a flaw, they would start criticizing Master Cao?
Sun Chunwang stepped forward a few paces, her gaze sharp and cold, “We’re all fine. You don’t need to interfere. Guests are just guests.”
“We merely happened to be reincarnated from the Great Wall of Sword Qi. Beyond that, we have no connection. Master Cao takes care of us. If you’re willing to trust him, fine. If not, keep it to yourselves.”
“Master Cao has a good temper. Maybe he won’t get angry no matter what you say. But I advise you: don’t come to the Sword Worship Platform and complain. If we hear you, sorry, but we won’t appreciate it.”
Hearing this, Bai Xuan sucked in a cold breath. How had the dead-fish girl blurted out exactly what he was thinking? Usually a silent gourd, but at the critical moment, she didn’t hold back! He gave her a thumbs up.
The little girl’s face was bright red. Just because they were from the homeland, did that make them special? Everyone has a native place and a hometown. Master Cao is our family! You have no right to criticize him!
Others thought that being the last Hidden Officer of the Great Wall of Sword Qi was a great achievement, and any sacrifice was worth it. How could you, how could you.
When you arrived in the Haoran World, why didn’t you come to see Master Cao sooner? Even if you just said outright that you wouldn’t join the Fallen Mountain or the Green Lotus Sword Sect’s registry, and just said “thank you for your hard work” to Master Cao—was that so hard?
It was Master Cao who brought them across the sea on a boat, who brought them onto that immortal ferry, who led them ashore on the Tongye Continent.
During the journeys through the unfamiliar landscapes, when they were bored, he would suggest playing the game of eagle catching chicks. When the man played the protective mother hen, he was always flustered. When he played the eagle, he always took a long time to catch anyone. Sun Chunwang hated chatting the most; she thought the most awkward thing in the world was making small talk. Master Cao, though, kept finding opportunities to talk to them. So she often wondered: a grown man, not even married with kids, how could he have such patience?
Sun Chunwang took a deep breath and immediately steadied her mind. The turbulent landscape of her heart lake instantly became as calm as a still mirror. “From now on, let’s each practice our swords!”
You are seniors, older, higher in realm. Then let’s meet again in a hundred or two hundred years and see who has the higher realm and stronger sword technique.
Bai Xuan raised the tea pot, “I’ll toast to that. I second the motion.”
Gao Shuang, Jin Gao, and the other private swords felt very complicated, as if they’d been scolded into silence by the little girl and couldn’t find a way to refute.
Qi Tingji smiled slightly, “My fault.”
Sun Chunwang gave a cold “hmph.”
Cui Dongshan said cheerfully, “Sun Chunwang, the entire Dragon Elephant Sword Sect of Old Sword Immortal Qi has already been merged into our Fallen Mountain! Everyone standing on the Sword Worship Platform today is family.”
Sun Chunwang was stunned. Bai Xuan, who had just taken a big gulp of tea, started choking and coughing. But Sun Chunwang didn’t regret a thing. She simply went straight back to her thatched hut and began practicing swords.
The hut door wasn’t closed. Bai Xuan stood by the doorway, not calling her nickname, and sent a heart-message, “Sun Chunwang, I think what you said today was awesome. It made you look really pretty.”
Sun Chunwang snapped, “You pervert!”
Bai Xuan felt horribly wronged. A good man loses neither the fight nor the spirit. Since he had already burned his bridges, he went along with her topic, “Heh! From now on, I’ll call you Sun’s Wife. Wife, haha!”
Cui Dongshan grabbed the silly kid by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back, cursing with a laugh, “You little bastard, don’t get yourself beaten a hundred times because of a joke!”
With one hand covering his mouth, the Great White Goose spoke to the room inside, “Sun Chunwang, Bai Xuan really likes you. Think about it—why does he always deliberately provoke you? It’s because he wants to talk to you more.”
Bai Xuan saw Sun Chunwang already showing signs of drawing her sword to kill him. He immediately closed his eyes, tilted his head, and played dead. Forget it, forget it. Bai the Great’s illustrious reputation was destroyed in an instant.
Ling Xun murmured softly, “I never knew the Hidden Officer was so good with children.”
Guo Du laughed, “That’s great. When we have kids, we can ask the Hidden Officer to be their tutor, an informal disciple?”
Ling Xun blushed slightly and gently pinched his arm.
Old Deafy, upon learning that Qi Tingji and the others had arrived, dismissed the barely passable cultivation seedlings in the classroom to practice Qi on their own, and hurriedly flew on the wind to the Sword Worship Platform.
Bai Xuan and Sun Chunwang were too young to recognize those private swords from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, but Old Deafy knew them, even if he had never spoken to them, he had at least seen them a few times.
Old Deafy cupped his hands and exchanged pleasantries with them, showing off some half-baked literary flair. The bystanders found it quite pleasant to the ear. The sword cultivators were puzzled—when had Old Deafy become so talkative?
Could it be that the Fallen Mountain wasn’t just a place for cultivation, but also taught people how to speak?
Gan Yiban, Gan the Offering, who had once said to his disciple You You that he didn’t suit the Fallen Mountain’s climate or customs, now felt he had grasped some tricks.
They still hadn’t seen the figure of the girl in the sable hat. Guo Du was both worried about the young Hidden Officer’s situation in the Qingming World and also impatient, because Bai Jing wanted Ling Xun to go to the Fallen Mountain and then come see her once.
Ling Xun sensed her companion’s state of mind and asked via heart-message, “Can’t we just not see her?”
Guo Du laughed in exasperation, “It’s okay to fear the sword cultivator Bai Jing—I fear her too—but why fear Xie Gou, Xie the Vice Chief? The wonders of creation and opportunities—if Heaven gives and you don’t take it, you’ll suffer the consequences. Don’t hide!”
Ling Xun said, “Your fear is different from my fear. You don’t know some rumors—even the wild demons of the Barbaric World who specialize in devouring cultivators’ true bodies as Dao nourishment would almost seem to want to burn incense upon hearing her name. Before I met you, I once encountered a demon at the Immortal Realm, cruel and savage, who claimed he had only learned a bit of superficial skill from that Senior Bai Jing and had luckily gotten a fragment of her writings. If he had the chance to receive her direct instruction, he would have already reached the Flying Ascension Realm.”
Fame casts a long shadow.
Some of the prominent names and Daoist titles on old calendars were beyond the reach of ordinary Barbaric cultivators. Only those with good Dao lineages, high-ranking sect elders, or strong personal cultivation and extensive experience had the chance to learn of those hidden secrets. Moreover, certain deeds were mostly passed down by word of mouth, with no guarantee of truth. When these ancient demons awakened by Lord Bai Ze first appeared, the Barbaric World was actually unfamiliar with them, even completely ignorant. For example, Xiaomo’s few Dao veins he had spread in the Barbaric World in earlier times had almost all withered away, so his fame wasn’t great.
But Bai Jing was different. The reason was simple: her ferocious reputation was notorious. In ancient times, every time her Daoist title changed hands, it was a thrilling tale.
Even if she wasn’t the founding mother of later wild cultivators, she was certainly one of their patriarchs.
Her fierce aura, domineering strength, insidious methods, combined with extremely high aptitude and rapid realm-breaking speed, caused the vast majority of ancient Daoist lineages she targeted to be completely severed along with the change of her Dao title. However, some lineages that had already branched out widely in those days did not dissipate entirely just because one old patriarch’s Dao title vanished. Thus, the deeds of “Bai Jing” were passed down generation after generation, becoming… more and more monstrous.
Imagine an ordinary mortal walking alone on a vast plain under a dark, misty night. Suddenly the mist parts, and they come face to face with a colossal creature like a mountain, staring at them. What would you think?
It was a suffocating pressure. The Haoran cultivators seldom experienced it, but almost all Barbaric demons had personally gone through it.
Seeing her still hesitating, Guo Du had to say, “Even if you don’t trust Bai Jing, you have to trust the Hidden Officer.”
Only then did Ling Xun nod.
Mei Kan sent a heart-message, “What are you standing there for? Take the initiative to offer to protect Zhu Su during her meditation.”
Mei Dandang replied helplessly, “This is the Fallen Mountain. What need is there for protection? Besides, Zhu Su breaking through is a foregone conclusion.”
Mei Kan was even more helpless, “You blockhead.”
Mei Dandang was the most helpless.
In fact, Mei Dandang knew that many sword cultivators thought his master was a woman who wore her shrewdness on her sleeve. But to Mei Dandang, what did it matter?
He had already gotten a “reassuring pill” from the young Hidden Officer, who permitted him to change his allegiance to take Mr. Xiaomo as his master. After that, his relationship with his master Mei Kan would be… that of Dao companions.
A young boy in blue used his natal water magic to ride a white cloud, hurrying toward the Sword Worship Platform. From afar, he saw the hazy aura caused by that overwhelming sword intent, and immediately turned back.
—
The streets of the Great Li capital were crowded and bustling. In Chen Ping’an’s eyes, there was no one else.
He smiled, took the candied hawthorn stick from Ning Yao’s hand, and walked side by side with her.
Xiaomo, tactful, had already slowed down and followed them at a distance.
Ning Yao relayed Qi Tingji’s reminder. Chen Ping’an nodded, “Very reasonable.”
Ning Yao asked, “Your method of Flying Ascension, with this combination of paths—there’s really no precedent for reference. Shouldn’t you hurry back to Fuyoo Slope and go into seclusion for a while to stabilize your realm?”
Chen Ping’an chewed on a candied hawthorn and said indistinctly, “I definitely need a long, uninterrupted seclusion. But for now, I simply can’t get away. It’s not like being at the Fallen Mountain, where I can comfortably play the absentee boss. How many officials does the Great Li Dynasty have? They’re all watching me right now. I just showed my face at the celebration—I can’t be absent from the morning court the next day.”
Ning Yao said, “True.”
Chen Ping’an smiled, “Besides, in a few days it’s Liu Xianyang and She Yue’s wedding, and we’re both supposed to be best man and maid of honor. When all that’s done, I’ll go into serious seclusion.”
Ning Yao asked, “The timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony—how exactly are they calculated?”
She could be certain that Chen Ping’an had not separately harmonized the earthly advantage.
Chen Ping’an thought for a moment and said, “Barely counts as having all three: timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony.”
Ning Yao frowned.
A picture of a person’s Flying Ascension within the Great Li Dynasty—if it got tangled up with timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony—would be much harder to extract himself from than it was now for Chen Ping’an to slip away to the Fallen Mountain for seclusion.
If the Great Li’s national fortune kept rising, then when Chen Ping’an eventually stepped down as national master, it would fit the Dao of withdrawing when the task is done, a perfect and virtuous parting.
But if the Great Li’s national fortune started to decline under Chen Ping’an’s watch, then his future Flying Ascension Realm would be greatly implicated. If by then Chen Ping’an had already reached the Fourteen Realm, it would be manageable—he might lose some Dao power and cultivation, but he wouldn’t necessarily fall in realm. If he remained stuck in the Flying Ascension Realm, even if he was at the peak of Flying Ascension, only half a step away from the Fourteen Realm, he would be in for a world of suffering.
Ning Yao didn’t know how she could help him. She had already finished her candied hawthorn, holding the stick between two fingers, listlessly swinging it back and forth.
Chen Ping’an gnawed on a candied hawthorn, chewing slowly, and said unhurriedly, “No other way. I weighed the pros and cons before, and I came to a conclusion: since I’m destined never to be a true pure swordsman in the strictest sense, being impure to an extreme impurity is also the closest to ‘pure’ that I can get?”
Ning Yao was silent.
Chen Ping’an smiled, “I’m not in a hurry, and you shouldn’t worry either. The reason is simple: I’m still young.”
The three words “still young” were the greatest hope.
Ning Yao, for some reason, lightly poked his shoulder with the bamboo stick. Seeing him turn his head with a full smile, she felt childish and was about to throw the stick away.
Chen Ping’an, with the candied hawthorn in his mouth, snatched the stick from her hand, raised it high, and said with feigned surprise, “Miss, seeking a fortune in marriage? Oh, a low-lot fortune?”
Ning Yao deliberately ignored the “low-lot fortune,” clasped her hands behind her back with fingers interlaced, and said, “Pretending to be a Daoist, setting up a stall to swindle people with fortune-telling—you’re getting addicted.”
Chen Ping’an quickly ate the last candied hawthorn, then picked up his own bamboo stick, took a look, and exclaimed, “Hey, how is my stick a high-lot fortune?!”
He put both sticks into his sleeve, quickened his pace to walk in front of Ning Yao, turned around, and walked backwards, grinning, “Miss Ning, you should think it over carefully. Do you want to be united with Young Master Chen, growing old together till your hair turns white?”
Ning Yao rolled her eyes, “Smooth-tongued and slick-talking.”
A nearby man, misunderstanding Chen Ping’an as a hooligan harassing a girl, was about to ask, “Miss, do you want me to teach this scoundrel a lesson?”
But Xiaomo had already slung an arm around his shoulders and dragged him into a nearby alley for a chat.
Ning Yao looked at that face. Once a dark-skinned straw-sandaled youth, now with such bright, clear eyes.
He believed:
Ning Yao meeting Chen Ping’an was a low-lot fortune. Chen Ping’an meeting Ning Yao was a high-lot fortune.
But she thought:
That wasn’t it. In fact, it was the opposite.
If it weren’t for meeting her, all these years, he wouldn’t have lived so restlessly, so bitterly. The higher his realm, the heavier the invisible sack he carried on his back. It seemed it would always be this way.
Ning Yao stood still, her eyes reddening.
Chen Ping’an clearly hadn’t expected this reaction from Ning Yao. He quickly stopped, flustered, at a loss, scratching his head, his eyes full of guilt.
Ning Yao strode forward, turned around, linked her arm with his, leaned against him, and they walked back the way they came.
“Chen Ping’an, even if it makes your life very hard, you still have to keep loving Ning Yao.”
“First, I shouldn’t make you cry. Second, Ning Yao’s thinking is wrong. Third, Chen Ping’an will love Ning Yao for ten thousand years!”
Nearby, in a lane, two heads popped out—one in a yellow hat, one in a sable hat.
Xie Gou muttered, “Whoa, I’m finally sure: the mountain master’s wife isn’t lacking in wits. Back then, she was clearly tricked by the mountain master’s sweet talk.”
Xiaomo, breaking his usual habit, nodded in agreement. “Mm.”
—
A single Fallen Mountain already possessed two sword sects across two continents. When a third subordinate sect would appear was hard to say.
In the mountain, there were ancient monsters with a Dao age of ten thousand years—Xiaomo and Xie Gou—and little monsters like Chai Wu.
Bai Xuan and Sun Chunwang’s aptitude for sword practice was actually very good, but it was overshadowed by Chai Wu’s too-dazzling brilliance.
On clear days, from the peak of Ji Se, you could see very far.
Not going to the Sword Worship Platform, Pei Qian brought Chai Wu here to drink, sitting together on the railing. They did have things to talk about. Among the four scroll people of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Pei Qian had the best relationship with Wei Xian when she was little. Of course, Wei Xian was also the easiest to get along with in Pei Qian’s eyes. Whenever he had free time, he would take Pei Qian out to wander the streets, eating and drinking well. Little Charcoal’s mind was always whimsical, while Wei Xian’s words were always like clods of earth. The big and the small, oddly enough, got along well.
Pei Qian smiled and asked, “Any worries? Like worrying about not getting along with Sun Chunwang and Bai Xuan?”
Chai Wu shook her head, “I only worry that my realm is a hollow frame. I’m afraid that when I go outside, I’ll run into some non-sword-cultivating Earth Immortal and get thoroughly beaten.”
Pei Qian nodded, “You do need to find a suitable senior to practice with.”
Pei Qian held a bowl in one hand and shook a gourd of wine she had hoarded for years with the other, asking, “Do you know why my master has tried several times to transmit the Dao to you?”
Chai Wu was a bit confused. The little girl had never thought about this question.
Pei Qian said, “Although my master likes to say he has a bad habit of being fond of teaching others, in truth, when it comes to transmitting the Dao and resolving doubts, Master is always extremely careful, never forcing himself or demanding others.”
Chai Wu thought for a moment, “I think I understand.”
Pei Qian rubbed her head and said softly, “Seems like we’re very alike.”
Chai Wu’s eyes reddened. She sniffled, raised her head, and drained the bowl in one gulp.
Childhood is our shadow. It follows low to the ground, persistently. Occasionally, when we look back at our lives, we see its silent figure, watching us who can’t be ourselves.
Zhu Lian had arrived at some point, leaning on the railing beside them. Next to him stood Zhong Qian, still with a toothpick in his mouth.
After a hearty breakfast, the old chef had said he needed to have a private word with Zhong Qian. Zheng Dafeng and the others had sensed murderous intent and wanted to protect Zhong the First.
But Zhong Qian waved them off, signaling no panic—a small scene. He had exchanged blows with that Jiang guy; what storms hadn’t he seen? The midnight snack tradition of the Fallen Mountain would be maintained even if the Heavenly King himself came. He followed behind Zhu Lian, turned into the divine path steps, and climbed the mountain in silence. The old chef wore cloth shoes, hands behind his back, and never spoke. Finally, Zhong Qian couldn’t help but speak first, saying that beating him was fine, he wouldn’t fight back, but the midnight snack must continue, and also, don’t hit the face… Listening to Zhong Qian’s increasingly hesitant muttering, Zhu Lian finally smiled and said that Zhong Qian should watch over them during his travels. Not out of any sense of responsibility or conscience, but just for the sake of those few midnight snacks.
Zhong Qian was stunned. Then this martial artist, called a sissy in his hometown, neither made a firm promise nor beat his chest with bold declarations. He only said that when they returned to the mountain, the old chef must prepare several jars of good wine just for him. If he, Zhong Qian, couldn’t drink them, then save them for Jing Qing and the others. Zhu Lian waved his hand, telling him to stop talking such unlucky words.
At the top of the mountain, they happened to hear Pei Qian’s question. Zhong Qian used sound condensation into thread to whisper, “Old chef, is it that our mountain master had a unique eye and recognized Chai Wu’s potential early on, and thus cherished that talent?”
Zhu Lian smiled, “And you—are you a promising talent?”
Zhong Qian said, “Definitely not.”
Zhu Lian said, “You can be.”
Zhong Qian was silent for a moment, then said, “Old chef, I don’t know how I got to where I am today. I dare not let anyone place expectations on me. So they’re right to call me a sissy.”
Zhu Lian walked ahead, shook his head, and smiled, “A sissy? What do you know about sissies? Those who grovel and speak soft words before power, who spend their whole lives bullying the weak—they are the real sissies. Zhong Qian, ask yourself: do you even have the face to call yourself a sissy? Are you worthy?”
Zhong Qian rubbed his chin, “Old chef, how do you manage to scold someone and praise them at the same time? Teach me.”
Not long ago, he had heard a refined phrase from a junior from his hometown named Yuan Huang.
The inspiration of talent is like orioles flitting among branches, like a swan’s footprint on snow. The accumulation of knowledge is like the migration of birds, the confluence of rivers.
Zhong Qian felt that Zhu Lian deserved such an evaluation. But when the old chef was young, if he was really as good-looking as the rumors said, then I suppose literary talent didn’t matter much?
That face of his was the best love letter, wasn’t it?
Damn it, how infuriating. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Zhu Lian said to himself, “‘The strong have ambition’—these are very powerful words. Only when a person has ambition and perseverance can they achieve a truly earth-shattering and heroic career.”
“Some people do not long resent the world for its cruelty and debts owed to them. On the contrary, when they grow up, they give others even more and greater kindness and gentleness.”
“They share a common name: ‘good people.’ Of course, others also call them ‘fools.’”
Zhong Qian looked at the stooped, gaunt old man walking ahead, hesitated, and asked, “Old chef, the stories about you back home—those mysterious tales—are they all true?”
Zhu Lian smiled, “The moon in the water, flowers in the mist, the affairs of a floating life, a boat on the sea of suffering, pitiful souls drifting without freedom—what is true, what is false?”
Zhong Qian said, “Old chef, you know I haven’t read much. When you start showing off your literary flair, I’m lost.”
Zhu Lian said, “‘Food is the heaven of the people.’ Just knowing that the midnight snack to reward the five viscera is real is enough.”
They reached Pei Qian and the others. Zhong Qian, still with the toothpick in his mouth, leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance. He didn’t throw the toothpick away but put it into his sleeve.
A thought came to him unbidden.
For this world to have this mountain is truly a high-lot fortune.
Pei Qian turned her head and asked, “Old chef, don’t you want to follow Xiaomili and the others on their journey out of the mountain?”
Zhu Lian smiled, “I have a method of travel while lying down: stand with both feet planted and watch the human world.”
Pei Qian said in exasperation, “Sourer than pickled cabbage.”
The old chef slapped his thigh and scrambled down the mountain. He had to rush to the back yard to check on the quality of those pickled cabbage jars.
The Daoist Xian Wei patted his stomach gently, burped a few times, and walked down the mountain alone.
About whether Brother Zhong was scolded or beaten by the old chef, whether he would emerge with a bruised face and limping, and whether there would be midnight snacks from today on… Zheng Dafeng, Wen Zixi, and the others each had their bets. Xian Wei fished a few bits of silver from his sleeve, held them loosely in his clasped hands, shook them vigorously, and muttered about small bets for fun, finally joining the wager.
Wind rose outside the Fallen Mountain, passed over a river winding like a thread, over green mountains that looked like ant mounds from afar, brushed across layered fields, ruffled the feathers of birds, and came to visit this mountain. The clear breeze surged from the mountain gate toward the summit, carrying the fragrance of wild mountain flowers and trees.
A young Daoist in a green Daoist robe walked against the wind, descending the steps step by step, his twin sleeves fluttering like auspicious clouds.
The young Daoist stopped, raised a finger, and gently straightened the wooden hairpin secured in his topknot.
Throughout the mortal world, countless green mountains seemed to flicker, their phantom images shaking once. Following that straightened hairpin, they were about to return to their proper positions, along with the earth itself.