Chapter 1201: Since Deeds Are a Kind of Merit, What Counts as Repayment?
Though it was called a three-courtyard compound, it actually occupied a vast area, with a layout and scale comparable to a princely mansion. It featured a main hall with ornamental ridge-end finials, covered in green glazed tiles, and the main reception hall was seven bays wide.
Upon entering the National Teacher’s residence and reaching the eastern side hall of the third courtyard, which was used for discussions and receiving guests, Chen Ping'an moved two chairs and sat down, facing each other.
They had swapped roles as host and guest. Back then, it had been difficult to set foot on Qingxia Island, but Chen Ping'an had finally made it. Now, the National Teacher’s residence was hard to enter, yet Liu Laocheng still took his seat.
Liu Laocheng had already cast an illusion, temporarily draping a spare dharma robe over himself to conceal his shocking injuries, and was also circulating a water technique to mask the heavy smell of blood.
He couldn’t be said to be anything but wretched. Since breaking into the upper five realms, he had never suffered so much.
Xie Gou followed into the house. She didn’t move a chair to sit down but went over to a towering bookshelf, pulled out a book, and pretended to flip through it.
Chen Ping'an signaled with his eyes that she didn’t need to stay here. Xie Gou said seriously, “If this fellow harbors resentment and suddenly attacks to kill, I can protect the National Teacher.”
Liu Laocheng’s eyelids twitched slightly.
Chen Ping'an waved his hand, and Xie Gou had no choice but to tuck the book into her sleeve. It seemed to be a secret manual from the Great Li Capital’s Imperial Observatory, a precious unique copy that money couldn’t buy. Chen Ping'an glared, and Xie Gou had to put the book back.
After Xie Gou left the room, Chen Ping'an shook out his blue long gown, crossed his legs, and said, “Island Master Liu, make yourself at ease. We can chat for a quarter of an hour.”
Liu Laocheng remained silent. He reached up to cover his heart, where the weasel-hat girl had stabbed him several times from behind. Though they were “external injuries” and not fatal, they had still damaged his yin spirit and yang spirit. One more stab, and it might have affected the very foundation of his Great Dao, risking a drop in realm—and certainly not just by one realm.
From this, it seemed that this Lushan Mountain second-ritual offering, Xie Gou, who could stand behind the fourteenth-realm Xiao Mo, was even more powerful in Daoist cultivation than Liu Laocheng had expected for a peak flying ascension realm sword cultivator.
First, he had fought a dharma battle with Liu Tui’s yang spirit external incarnation, then been chased by Liu Tui’s true body, and finally been attacked by Xie Gou. The hard-earned cultivation Liu Laocheng had painstakingly accumulated since breaking into the immortal realm had all gone down the drain. Some of his last-resort life-saving and desperate-fight methods were almost used up. It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel heartache, and now Liu Laocheng literally had heart pain.
In fact, on the run, Liu Laocheng had already figured it out: this ambush and killing setup was the doing of the Jiang family head of Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, acting without authorization—it had nothing to do with Chen Ping'an.
Liu Laocheng said, “Don’t sour your relationship with Gao Mian.”
Chen Ping'an said, “Of course.”
For a moment, Liu Laocheng didn’t know how to start. He slumped back against the chair, feeling as if he had survived a disaster and was separated from the world by an era.
Chen Ping'an had no intention of killing him. Jiang Shangzhen might have deliberately been leaning on him to drive down the price and get the maximum benefit he wanted. But that mad dog Liu Tui of Tianyao Township really wanted to kill Liu Laocheng. If near the Flower God Temple’s private residence, Liu Tui was still weighing Liu Laocheng’s cultivation level, then by the time his true body appeared in the capital region, the two had completely formed a deadly grudge.
Liu Tui was indeed extraordinary. During the dharma battle in the capital region, this dragon crossing the river from Fuyang Prefecture exuded a cold, ruthless Dao aura. He had none of the cautious, weighing-pros-and-cons manner of a registered cultivator, nor did he care about the face or style of a prefecture Dao master. In summary: today, I’m going to kill you!
Having been toyed with twice by Liu Laocheng, Liu Tui wouldn’t let it go easily. Liu Laocheng didn’t feel much resentment or anger about this. He wasn’t afraid of Liu Tui and wouldn’t live in fear from now on, nor did he hate Jiang Shangzhen. After all, he himself wasn’t a good person.
Jiang Shangzhen was inherently a multi-faceted person with an unpredictable nature. The Lushan Mountain chief ritual offering Zhou Fei, the former sect master of the Jade Gui Sect, the head of the Yunlin Jiang clan—depending on the identity, Jiang Shangzhen would say different things and do different things.
As for Xie Gou’s attack, it was probably like a child in a commoner household, kicking a table or stool in a sulk.
Otherwise, if she really wanted to draw her sword and kill, Liu Laocheng would have no choice but to accept his fate.
Liu Laocheng took a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, poured out a few immortal pills, threw them into his mouth, and chewed loudly.
For a rogue cultivator of his temperament, going through this storm and still not dying was not discouraging; instead, he found it exhilarating and wanted to drink alone!
Chen Ping'an knew the situation at the residence near the Flower God Temple like the back of his hand. Not only was he now at the flying ascension realm, but with Song Yunjian stationed at the National Teacher’s residence, the entire capital’s scenery was laid out before him, more useful than any divine ability to observe mountains and rivers. But he hadn’t stopped Liu Tui from acting; he would only have Xiao Mo or Xie Gou intervene at critical moments. Shujian Lake was your Shujian Lake, Liu Laocheng—but the Great Li capital isn’t my Great Li capital?
Liu Laocheng silently circulated his energy, using secret techniques to mend his body’s mountains and rivers and heal his flesh. Under the two dharma robes, sinews and blood visibly churned, and white bones grew new flesh.
Seeing that Liu Laocheng didn’t seem inclined to speak, Chen Ping'an took the initiative: “For Shujian Lake, not only will the True Mirror Sect be replaced, but the current Lake Lord will also be changed. However, Jiang Shangzhen acted a bit hastily.”
If one said Jiang Shangzhen was acting recklessly, that would be unjust. Jiang Shangzhen wanted to strike while the iron was hot, because the newly ascended Chen Ping'an still carried some of the luck of Bottle Gourd Prefecture. So any decision made now, whether by the Great Li court or Lushan Mountain, especially if deeply tied to Chen Ping'an, would achieve twice the result with half the effort. Such a once-in-a-millennium opportunity wouldn’t wait. If missed, even if the same decision were made tomorrow, it might still succeed but with twice the effort. Jiang Shangzhen was a businessman; spending money was a matter of whim, but how to make money—he had his own obsessions.
Mortals couldn’t sense the ethereal national fortune and luck, but grand cultivators had their own subtle awareness.
Liu Laocheng was recovering his Dao power as quickly as possible. He had taken the initiative to come to the National Teacher’s residence, blocking Liu Tui outside the capital’s grand formation. He had only obtained a temporary life-saving talisman. Today, when he left the National Teacher’s residence, what would happen? Whether he could even walk out of the Great Li capital was still uncertain.
Chen Ping'an smiled. “Your temper is a bit too hot too. At least hear Jiang Shangzhen out, see where he plans to exile you to lie low.”
“That doesn’t seem like your usual style.”
“By the way, in broad daylight, being suspicious and jumpy—that’s always a guilty conscience. If there’s no ghost in your heart, why fear the dark?”
Hearing this, Liu Laocheng hesitated, then roughly explained: “I used a heterodox method imitating the Confucian life-character, sacrificing those two civil and military temple spirits. Actually, I couldn’t sustain it for too long. The moment I saw Jiang Shangzhen, I had already activated this divine power. I neither had the mood nor dared to keep exchanging nonsense with Jiang Shangzhen. I was afraid that he knew the inside story and also understood my temper, deliberately stalling for time.”
Chen Ping'an nodded. He didn’t dig into the “life-character” matter but changed the subject: “If I may ask, what is the origin of those counterfeit Zhang Suo sword-seal talismans?”
Liu Laocheng said, “I have a disciple, a concubine-born of the Yunlin Jiang clan, named Jiang Yun. You must remember him, National Teacher. He has an authentic sword-seal talisman by Old Master Yu. I studied it painstakingly for decades before barely being able to replicate it.”
Chen Ping'an said, “Island Master Liu’s attainments in the talisman Dao aren’t top-notch.”
Liu Laocheng twitched the corner of his mouth. After a moment of silence, he said, “Aren’t you going to ask how I managed to imitate the life-character divine power? Not to overestimate myself, but no matter how carefully you observe, trying to steal the technique is futile.”
Chen Ping'an said, “Then I would really be insulting you.”
After a pause, Chen Ping'an added with a smile, “And I won’t do this trade with you.”
In the National Teacher’s residence, if I take your trump card by force, it’s an insult to the former Lake Lord of Shujian Lake. But if you think you can voluntarily offer this Dao technique in exchange for a talisman of protection from me—don’t even think about it.
Liu Laocheng turned to look at a peach blossom tree and a golden-crowned Daoist in the courtyard, saying softly, “Believe it or not, that last sentence outside the door was my honest opinion.”
Thinking back to that year, the young accountant on Qingxia Island carried a jade tablet engraved with “I am good at nurturing my vast, righteous qi” to be allowed on the island, to leave Gongliu Island alive.
Chen Ping'an nodded. “I believe you. But I still say we both share the blame.”
Liu Laocheng sneered. No matter how deep his schemes, how good his opportunities, how fast he broke through realms—at heart, he was still a scholar.
Rong Yu stood at the study door and said softly, “National Teacher, Xiao Pu of the Bamboo Basket Hall is here.”
Chen Ping'an nodded. “Tell her to wait a moment.”
Liu Laocheng said, “Give me a straight answer. How do you plan to deal with me?”
Chen Ping'an said, “First, go back to your Shujian Lake and continue as you were.”
Liu Laocheng frowned. “That counts as a straight answer?”
Chen Ping'an said, “Then let me put it differently. Before the xu hour tomorrow, Liu Laocheng must arrive at Gongliu Island to await sentencing. Is that straight enough?”
Liu Laocheng was momentarily speechless.
Chen Ping'an said, “For now, I’ve only thought of a rough plan. Be patient. Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait too long.”
Liu Laocheng sighed. It was hard to imagine what it would be like when this man set foot on Shujian Lake again.
Chen Ping'an looked at the scene in the courtyard and said calmly, “Each looks at a corner’s gap; few gaze upon the thoroughfare.”
Chen Ping'an stood up, and Liu Laocheng had no choice but to follow, even though Chen Ping'an hadn’t made things entirely clear from start to finish.
Chen Ping'an smiled. “Island Master Liu isn’t worried about the road back?”
The implication was: Liu Laocheng, won’t you soften and lower your head, ask me to accompany you to the National Teacher’s gate, or even drag me along back to the Flower God Temple side?
For example, as soon as he left the capital, Liu Tui, who had gathered his yin and yang spirits, might block his way. Or, not daring to face Liu Tui outside the city, he might instead be caught by Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen, forced to give up his secrets.
Liu Laocheng cursed with a laugh, “Damn, you really hold a grudge.”
Chen Ping'an stepped over the threshold first. Liu Laocheng followed out of the house, cupped his hands in farewell. Chen Ping'an nodded, hands tucked into his sleeves.
Liu Laocheng strode down the steps but was hit on the back of the head with a slap, staggering.
Liu Laocheng turned in surprise, then understood—good heavens, this is what they call true grudges!
It turned out that back then, Liu Laocheng had once slapped Chen Ping'an on the head.
After that, between the vast sky and boundless water, on a small boat, two specks of dust. The young man with sunken cheeks, dressed in cotton clothes, handled the pole to punt the boat while Liu Laocheng toured the lake scenery, letting the former borrow his authority. During the trip, the boat stopped at the lake’s center, and they fished together, taking out their wanderer’s gear and stewing five palm-sized winter crucians. At one moment, they were mortal enemies; on the boat, they drank and laughed together.
Chen Ping'an said, “When I go to Shujian Lake later, I’ll return a winter crucian to Island Master Liu.”
Liu Laocheng felt greatly relieved. “What about Jiang Shangzhen and Cui Dongshan?”
Chen Ping'an smiled. “I call the shots.”
Liu Laocheng continued, “And Liu Tui?”
Chen Ping'an said, “Still, I call the shots.”
Walking back into the house, Rong Yu soon brought Xiao Pu, who wore a wooden hairpin and cloth skirt like a common market woman.
The three lines of the Blood Reckoners: besides the main hall, the West Mountain Sword Hermit line, headed by Liu Taozhi. The Cherry Blossom Blue line of assassins, with the chief position vacant for many years, where the Bamboo Basket Hall’s Xiao Pu had been unable to fill the gap. The Bowl Menders, unknown.
Xiao Pu said, “The roster has been handed to Rong Yu.”
Chen Ping'an said with a seemingly joking air, “No omissions, I hope?”
Xiao Pu was about to vouch for it but hesitated and changed her words: “Then I’ll contact the main hall again to cross-check the secret files, to avoid any misunderstandings.”
Chen Ping'an got straight to the point: “I allow you to enter Bottle Gourd Prefecture, but there are two conditions.”
Xiao Pu’s spirits lifted. “National Teacher, please speak.”
Chen Ping'an said, “First, you must operate secretly south of the Great River. Second, you must maintain communication with the Great Li Ministry of Justice, such as a confidential meeting every three years.”
Xiao Pu grinned, thought for a moment, and said, “Just right—two matters to report to the main hall at once. National Teacher, will you wait for my news?”
Chen Ping'an nodded. “Hall Master Xiao, can you give me a definite answer before the you hour?”
Xiao Pu said, “Yes!”
Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, “And the repayment?”
Xiao Pu countered, “Isn’t the National Teacher’s second condition itself a form of repayment?”
Chen Ping'an nodded. “Of course it’s repayment. And then?”
Xiao Pu said helplessly, “Looks like I need to report three things to the main hall now.”
Chen Ping'an said, “It seems you’re not used to negotiating trades.”
Xiao Pu felt a bit stifled, as if she had been led by the nose.
Chen Ping'an said slowly, “Let me make it clear in advance: you only have one chance to name your price. If we can agree, this matter is settled. Both sides can maintain a relationship of ‘well water and river water don’t interfere,’ while also exchanging what we have, gathering for profit, parting when profit ends—clean and simple. No talk of righteousness, no talk of national or family sentiments. But if I’m not satisfied with your price, don’t come looking for me to negotiate again.”
“You’re busy, and I’m not idle either.”
“You already know me inside and out, but to me, you’re still like flowers in a fog. If the Blood Reckoners think my price is too high and can’t agree, and decide to bypass the Great Li dynasty to settle in the south, the Great Li dynasty can’t manage southern affairs—it wouldn’t be proper. If you insist on reaching into southern Bottle Gourd Prefecture, and disputes arise, and the Blood Reckoners’ main hall thinks this fight can be taken to the Middle Earth Confucian Temple without losing ground, then we’ll… just try it?”
Xiao Pu smiled wryly. “I should have let Senior Brother Liu negotiate with you. He’s better with words and has a thicker skin.”
Chen Ping'an rubbed his forehead. Also? Here you go again—all of you, long since in cahoots.
Xiao Pu asked tentatively, “Can’t you really give us a second chance to set a price?”
Chen Ping'an said, “Sure. Not just a second time—you could even set a hundred or two hundred prices by the Bottle Gourd Prefecture coast, testing which spot has better feng shui.”
Far from taking it as a threat, Xiao Pu found his words amusing and laughed heartily, giving a thumbs-up. “A straightforward man!”
Chen Ping'an lightly clapped his hands and asked with a smile, “Over at the Taoist temple in the Yuxuan Kingdom’s capital, does it need any help from Great Li with a guardian ceremony? Can’t help with big matters, but small ones are manageable.”
Xiao Pu almost blurted out, “You, the Great Li dynasty, especially you, the young Hidden Officer—why can’t you help with big matters?”
Xiao Pu of the Bamboo Basket Hall needed to communicate with the main hall, so she soon took her leave from the National Teacher’s residence. The Phoenix Flower Goddess also visited alone, bringing a gift for the young National Teacher, who lived a simple lifestyle.
She hadn’t expected Qi Huazhu to entrust her with such an important task. Walking earlier on the solemn thousand-step corridor street, Wu Cai was so nervous her palms were sweaty.
After all, it was the civil and military officials in these government offices who had devised the plans that allowed the Great Li dynasty to withstand the barbarian demons.
The Great Li Song clan had once made a single state a single prefecture—an unprecedented feat in Haoran history.
Arriving at the National Teacher’s residence, Wu Cai followed the beautiful sister named Rong Yu through one courtyard after another. The young flower goddess’s eyes were full of curiosity—so this was where Sword Immortal Chen worked.
A square-inch object in the shape of a flower hairpin contained a full twelve sets of the Twelve Months Blue-and-White Five-Colored Flower Goddess Cups, plus three sets of the most precious Hundred Flowers Cups.
Wu Cai lowered her voice. “Sword Immortal Chen, I just remembered—the Flower Lord didn’t say whether to bring this square-inch object back. What do you think?”
Chen Ping'an said playfully, “How do I recall that Flower Goddess Wu didn’t bring a square-inch object on this visit? She was lugging big bags and small bundles, panting from exhaustion. The National Teacher’s residence felt the sincerity was very strong.”
Wu Cai was startled, then gave a thumbs-up. The weasel-hat girl at the door chimed in with a laugh, “Awesome.”
Xie Gou volunteered to take on the task from Sister Rong Yu of seeing off guests. When she heard that Wu Cai was a seventh-rank, three-fate flower goddess, she was shocked: “That high?” Wu Cai: “Huh? Is it high?”
The weasel-hat girl raised both thumbs. “It must be high! Very strong.” Wu Cai felt bashful and made the self-proclaimed “Doggy” girl take back one thumb, saying she was only moderately strong.
Chen Ping'an smiled and walked back inside, asking Rong Yu to bring archives regarding the Changchun Palace. After reading a large pile of secret records, it was the third ke of the si hour (around 10:45 AM).
After the celebration ended, Song Yushao and the others had left the capital. It seemed the old man had drunk many kinds of wine in his life but couldn’t stomach a jar of “troubling others.”
From Northern Ju Crater Prefecture, besides the group of He Xiaoliang and her disciples from Qingliang Sect, there were also another group of “observation” cultivators from sect-level origins.
They clearly weren’t short on money and stayed at the most famous immortal guesthouse in the Great Li capital in recent years. It wasn’t the largest, but certainly had the best “reputation.” Outland cultivators often came out of curiosity; it wasn’t that they left disappointed. This guesthouse, reportedly run by a female manager and a female second-in-command, had a mixed reputation in the Great Li dynasty. Those who complained said the prices were outrageous, a total rip-off; those who praised said at least the prices were clear, and they didn’t cheat locals—only out-of-town rich folks. The guesthouse would check travel permits; if a guest was a local Great Li cultivator, they would quietly remind them: “Staying here costs a lot—don’t misunderstand, it’s not that we look down on you, but we locals should save for our own people…” Coupled with the fact that the attendants were stunning young women with soft voices and sincere eyes, it made some men take a deep breath. After staying and leaving, they would sincerely remark, “Damn, that’s expensive!”
Since the group was from Northern Ju Crater Prefecture, the guesthouse treated them as locals, but the visitors didn’t appreciate it.
Because their sect registry had Drifting Porthole on it, the guesthouse found the third manager to negotiate prices. After returning, they said they could offer a fifty percent discount, but unexpectedly the guests still refused.
This group was a batch of direct disciples of Li Cai, the sect master of Drifting Porthole: senior disciple Rong Chang, Sui Jingcheng, Chen Li, Gao Youqing. Plus the only outsider, Du Yu of Ghost Axe Palace.
Rong Chang had worried it might be a wasted trip.
He had been scolded bloody by Li Cai: “Do you think the Great Li Song clan is stupid? If they wouldn’t pick the Hidden Officer as National Teacher, would they pick you, Sword Immortal Rong?”
Of course, Rong Chang didn’t dare talk back. He just wondered why his master wasn’t coming to the capital. Li Cai said, “If it turns out not to be the Hidden Officer as National Teacher, then I’d be celebrating for an outsider—that would be bad luck!”
Rong Chang still didn’t dare say anything, only repeatedly agreeing she was right.
The trip wasn’t in vain; they hadn’t wasted their money. The guesthouse had temporarily set up several tall buildings—no wonder outsiders speculated that this guesthouse had extraordinary connections; otherwise, how would it dare such “overstepping”?
The guesthouse also made it clear to all paying guests: as soon as the ceremony ended, the spell would be removed immediately. If you wanted to climb high and see the entire ceremony, of course, you had to pay extra—after all, the guesthouse wasn’t holding a knife to anyone’s throat forcing them to pay. Don’t go filing frivolous complaints to the authorities! The guesthouse made money honestly and never engaged in fraud. They had absolutely no relation to that Vice Minister Cao of the Ministry of Personnel…
Back and forth, over time, talk spread in the capital.
So much so that during a family council meeting in the Cao clan, Cao Gengxin’s father bluntly asked him, “Are you that short of money?!”
Cao Gengxin was bewildered, and he was indeed guilty. After all, Vice Minister Cao was the kind who would send a flying sword letter to Lushan Mountain, sending Chen Shanzhu his share of the tea garden profits.
Today, a slovenly, scruffy man, extremely bored, left the guesthouse run by Dong Bancheng and came to this guesthouse’s high-rise to enjoy the view.
Coincidentally, a sword cultivator about to head to Tongye Prefecture, just passing through the Great Li capital, had checked into this guesthouse early, so they met on the same high floor.
The Daoist Gao Jianfu, one of the candidates for sect master of Shengao Sect. The sword cultivator Xu Xuan, the only personal disciple of the flying ascension realm sword cultivator Bai Chang.
Seeing each other, both had complex expressions; neither knew whether to feel mutual pity or mutual appreciation.
Xu Xuan spoke first: “Coward.”
Gao Jianfu sneered: “Hothead!”
They hadn’t come to watch the National Teacher ceremony. When they spotted a group of graceful female Daoists leaving the outer city from afar, they each went downstairs.
At that time, on the top floor of a neighboring tall building, Rong Chang laughed: “With such a grand scene, we’ve all heard and seen it. Whether we get to meet the new Great Li National Teacher depends on whose face is bigger?”
He remembered the first time he met Chen Ping'an was at a seaside inn. The most vivid impression was of a one-track mind?
Gao Youqing was radiant and blurted out, “The Hidden Officer is so imposing!”
Our Sword Qi Great Wall’s Hidden Officer—it’s right for him to finally return home. This is how it should be.
Chen Li said, “It’s what the Hidden Officer deserves.”
It was the kind of public glory earned from swallowing bitter gourd in silence.
Gao Youqing had always been afraid of Chen Li, so he said no more.
Unlike Bai Xuan, who spoke with an air of maturity, Chen Li, nicknamed “Little Hidden Officer,” was very steady in both speech and action. Even when Li Cai, her master, encountered medium or small problems, she would ask Chen Li for advice.
With a crisp *pa*, Du Yu slapped himself.
Rong Chang asked knowingly, “Daoist Du, what’s wrong?”
Du Yu smiled awkwardly and sheepishly said, “I’m just afraid this is a dream.”
A few years ago while wandering the jianghu, Du Yu casually bought a crudely copied “Hundred Sword Immortal Seal Manual” and was surprised to find a seal with the inscription “Yield Three Moves.”
This kind of textual affinity had once made Du Yu feel that coincidences in the world were wonderfully marvelous.
At the time, he had chuckled, wondering which great sword immortal or heroic master could have inspired such an idea in the Hidden Officer.
In the end, Du Yu discovered—good heavens! It turned out to be me?!
On the street, Fu Nanhua, Cai Jinjian, and Huang Zhonghou walked side by side, each lost in thought.
Old Dragon City and Cloud Gorge Mountain were typical mountain-world hereditary friends; otherwise, Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian wouldn’t have traveled together to Li Zhu Cave Heaven, going down that Nipin Alley. After leaving that small town, each had their own fortunes. Fu Nanhua first married a legitimate daughter of the Yunlin Jiang clan and was now the city lord of Old Dragon City.
Cai Jinjian was also already a Nascent Soul, the peak master of Green Cypress Peak. As for Huang Zhonghou of Plow Cloud Peak, despite only being at the Golden Core realm, he had surprisingly taken the lead to become the new mountain master. Outside the mountain, there was much gossip, with many feeling sorry for Cai Jinjian. In truth, Huang Zhonghou himself found it baffling. After thinking it over, he seemed to owe it all to two fellows he had met: a slick-talking, mysterious young Daoist, and an even slicker-talking, never-honest wine lover.
Fu Nanhua asked with a smile, “What do you think?”
Cai Jinjian smiled. “Not bad, I guess.”
She had met Chen Ping'an at her own Green Cypress Peak estate.
Back then, the barbarian demons first occupied Tongye Prefecture, then crossed the sea to attack Bottle Gourd Prefecture. The war was brutal, and Old Dragon City was completely destroyed—literally wiped out. After the war ended, the Fu clan and several major families didn’t ask the Great Li dynasty for any manpower or money; they simply rebuilt Old Dragon City by throwing money at it.
Old Dragon City, at the southernmost tip of Bottle Gourd Prefecture, kept an extremely close relationship with the Great Li court, especially the auxiliary capital Luo Jing, openly, not secretly.
The Great Li Song emperor had never made a royal visit to Old Dragon City; only Prince Song Mu was there. But everyone on the prefecture’s mountains and plains knew that Old Dragon City was more like the Great Li “temporary capital” than a temporary capital.
Huang Zhonghou brought a jug of Plow Cloud Peak’s Spring Sleep wine, intending to give it to the matchmaker who had helped tie the knot, but given the disparity in their statuses, he might not get to meet him.
Fu Nanhua muttered to himself, “What was once a feat has become a joke. What was once an embarrassment has become a beautiful tale.”
If Embroidered Tiger Cui Jin had always used the greatest rationality to restrain his greatest anger.
Then Chen Ping'an, his successor—what was his true Dao heart? Probably unknown to outsiders. Heaven knows.
At the National Teacher’s residence, Chen Ping'an suddenly set aside the matters at hand and stood at the door, looking at the building opposite—his senior brother Cui Jin’s study.
Since returning from the Azure Underworld to the Great Li capital, he had been pondering a very critical question.
Under the peach blossom, Song Yunjian turned his head and asked, “National Teacher, thinking about something important?”
After a long silence, Chen Ping'an relaxed his brow, raised his hands, and breathed a puff of air.
Since deeds are a kind of merit, what counts as repayment?
Since the first root of the study of deeds and efficiency established by Cui Jin was never to be stingy with repayment, even exceeding expectations.
Then senior brother must have left him a repayment. It must exist. It’s like a puzzle, but he, the junior brother, must find the answer himself.
What was certain: once Chen Ping'an found it, the answer would be very frightening.