Chapter 8: The Youth

Chapter 8: The Youth

The Golden Carp was like a magnificent figure from ancient poetry, only she had used a concealment technique to mask her supremely beautiful features.

Her true appearance was not inferior to Yin Ni, and Yin Ni was one of the Ten Beauties of Haoran, famed alongside Song Pin and Nie Cui'e.

In the Great Shou Dynasty, from the nobility to the capital's powerful clans to the local gentry, debauchery was the norm. If one happened to acquire a beautiful concubine or maidservant, it was considered an honor, and far from hiding her away in a golden house, they feared the world might not know.

Earlier, they had left the mountains, skirted the Imperial City, and chosen this tavern in the bustling marketplace. They could always see drunken men on the streets, arms draped over each other's shoulders, calling each other brothers. The young ladies from official families, unbound by any boudoir etiquette, boldly strolled through the streets in their finery, carrying various round silk fans and flower lanterns. The stall keepers who had already packed up pushed their carts, their faces bearing a hint of weariness. Smelling the aromas of wine and braised meat, a conflicted look in their eyes, they could only lower their heads and quickly push their carts past. Without night grass, a horse won't get fat, after all. The lazy yamen clerks earned some illicit extra income, and could even sneak off to visit the clandestine prostitutes in their own district, pulling up their trousers as they walked into the alley where business was being hawked, then complaining to the madam at the entrance about how it had been so long since they'd seen any fresh faces... The Great Shou Dynasty's empty shell was still a shell; for the most part, this world still appeared peaceful and prosperous.

Only occasionally could one spot some fierce-looking men in plainclothes, their eyes sharp and vigilant, hurrying back and forth along the streets.

The Great Shou Dynasty wasn't on the verge of changing; it had already changed. Among the aristocratic clans and powerful families who had, over the past century, tended to the cold stove of National Teacher Liu Rao, some secretly rejoiced, believing their family's younger generation would soon rise through the ranks. Others were filled with deep regret, feeling they had been blind to have associated with Liu Rao. Still others were indifferent—let the Great Shou court be a stage where one player exits and another enters; what did they, the aristocratic clans and scholar-officials, have to fear?

Liu Cha drank wine in large bowls, thoroughly enjoying himself. After leaving the Merit Grove of the Confucian Temple, he felt immensely satisfied. Being dispatched by the Confucian Temple to serve as a personal bodyguard to the young Hidden Official for a few years was hardly a grievance to bear.

Chen Ping'an raised his bowl and took a sip of wine, then looked across at Wang Zhu and asked, "Acting so recklessly, how many realms did you drop?"

Wang Zhu replied, "Not bad. I managed to preserve the Immortal realm."

Jin Li couldn't help but want to defend her princess. She had gone to save you out of kindness, and yet you don't appreciate it, calling it reckless behavior? A scholar—damn dog!

Wang Zhu knew her temperament and signaled with her eyes for her to speak less and drink more. Jin Li then picked up a piece of the capital's specialty drunken braised meat with her chopsticks and placed it on the princess's plate.

Chen Ping'an nodded and said, "The Confucian Temple will likely render a verdict of merits offsetting faults."

Wang Zhu said, "If that's truly the case, it exceeds expectations."

Unauthorized appropriation of a sea's water transport was a serious crime. In ancient times, it was a capital offense, punishable by being sent to the Dragon-Slaying Platform, subjected to the suffering of tendon-pulling, skinning, and beheading, with the bones and flesh thrown into the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Chen Ping'an said, "The humanity of those in power has always been a double-edged sword. You are not just a single sea's Water Lord, but also a role model for billions of aquatic descendants across the world. Ponder this principle well."

Jin Li deeply agreed. This statement carried some weight. Their princess was now the backbone of countless dragons and leviathans—she must not make any mistakes or give the Confucian Temple any leverage.

Wang Zhu said, "I understand."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "What do you understand? Tell me."

Wang Zhu snorted coldly. "Getting addicted to being a schoolteacher, are you?"

Jin Li added, "National Teacher Chen is meddling too much. It's one thing to govern the vassal state of Great Shou, but now you're butting into our Water Mansion's affairs?"

Chen Ping'an chuckled. "If I hadn't meddled, Fellow Daoist Jin Li might not even know which path she'd be walking right now."

Jin Li was momentarily speechless. Indeed, there had been quite a few extraordinary individuals who had just descended upon the Jade Marble Palace at the mountain summit. If the princess hadn't arrived in time, and she had acted impulsively, wouldn't that have implicated the East Sea Water Mansion?

Chen Ping'an raised his wine bowl. "Besides, I've already managed affairs in the heavens. Can't I manage an East Sea Water Mansion?"

Jin Li, far from being angered into humiliation, instead gave this sharp-tongued young man a thumbs-up. "I dare only rebel against the Confucian Temple, but you dare rebel against the Heavenly Lord himself. I concede defeat to you!"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Zhou Mi isn't the Heavenly Lord. I merely acted along the way."

Jin Li smiled radiantly. "Since the princess has subdued me, a land-based rebel, shouldn't the Confucian Temple credit the East Sea Water Mansion with a merit?"

She was self-aware: Zhou Mi was the celestial-grade rebel.

Liu Rao's personal disciple—that young girl Jin Li, who was about to become the new empress of Great Shou—had merely, through a twist of fate, absorbed some of her Great Dao aura.

And that female mountain lord, Yin Ni, who was indeed the reincarnation of an ancient Heavenly Court Weaver Girl, Jin Li had left a portion of her Great Dao gift upon each of them.

Consider it a farewell gift for this temporary stay in another's Dao field, a rent payment for leaving the Great Shou Dynasty. She, Jin Li, distinguished between kindness and enmity, handled matters cleanly, and prioritized righteousness!

Let's just say that back when the aquatic race's momentum was overwhelming, all the tangible benefits went to her brothers and sisters who followed her. When the enterprise ultimately failed, she bore the brunt of the blame and consequences alone.

If Wang Zhu hadn't come looking for her, she wouldn't have dared to show her face and actively go to the Water Mansion to find her. A rebel lurking among the common folk, paying a visit to a vassal king's mansion—if not to plot rebellion, what else could it mean?

Back then, when the princess restored her true dragon identity and the Confucian Temple formally enfeoffed her as the East Sea Water Lord, she had been very surprised. What she feared most was that the Central Earth Confucian Temple, in name, was granting the princess her freedom, while having the sages stationed at the heavenly screens monitor her every move, nitpicking, waiting for the right opportunity to strike under the guise of acting on Heaven's behalf... She didn't trust the Confucian Temple, nor did she trust the Embroidery Tiger of Great Li who excelled at maximizing profits. But she was willing to trust a scholar who had risked his life to protect all the mortals of the entire Pearl Fire Grotto-Heaven; also willing to trust an uneducated bookkeeper who had been walking in circles in the Book and Bamboo Lake; a young mountain lord who had personally forged the Fallen Mountain Sect and made that little spirit a mountain-guarding elder; a foreign swordsman whom Chen Qingdu had recognized for his character and entrusted with heavy responsibility.

Chen Ping'an said, "When Fellow Daoist Jin Li goes to the Water Mansion, don't spend all your time trying to incite Wang Zhu to rebel."

Jin Li pouted and smiled. "National Teacher Chen, that's a shallow and ignorant thing to say. Flip through the history books of any dynasty; when a human dynasty fell, wasn't it always the emperor rebelling against himself? What rebellion can others start? What rebellion can they possibly start?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Incompetent rulers and treacherous ministers always achieve greatness together, so they can go down in history as a pair."

Jin Li was stunned. She racked her brains but couldn't find a retort, so she said grudgingly, "There's some twisted logic there."

Wang Zhu couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly she felt that this annoying chatterbox Jin Li wasn't entirely without merit.

Liu Cha raised his head, glanced at a suspicious old Daoist lurking at the street corner, then turned away without another look and continued drinking.

Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "Senior Immortal Cha, come over and have a drink."

The old Daoist rubbed his hands together, somewhat embarrassed to sit beside Wang Zhu or Jin Li—gossip would spread easily, and Madam Gui might suspect he was having second thoughts.

So Gu Qingsong reached out and pushed the big-bearded wanderer sitting cross-legged on the long bench. Liu Cha remained unmoved. The old boatman then began to unleash his innate divine ability, loudly cursing Liu Cha: "Got your crotch glued to the bench with your own shit? After reading a few books in the Merit Grove of the Confucian Temple, you've learned propriety and shame? Afraid you'll stink up the tavern and spoil the customers' paid-for misery? With such miraculous effect, lock you up for a few more days, and you'll go from sitting on a cold bench to eating pig head meat! If that day comes, I'll definitely go to every Confucian Temple and kowtow a few times to your portrait, slap myself a few times—how could I have ever had the face to drink at the same table as the sage Liu Cha..."

Liu Cha couldn't very well beat him up, nor could he engage in a street cursing match with this man. So he had no choice but to shift his butt and drink a bowl of wine in silence.

As soon as Gu Qingsong sat down, he said, "Chen Ping'an, I won't mince words with you. I'm shamelessly crowding in here tonight, not for the drink, but to discuss something."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Don't worry. When I get to the Barren Wastelands, I'll definitely go visit Lu Chen."

Gu Qingsong asked, "Just a visit? Can't you lend a righteous hand and save him?"

This was probably the first time Gu Qingsong had spoken so carefully and without any arrogance to anyone other than Madam Gui.

Chen Ping'an said, "I'll certainly act within my means. Don't set your expectations too high. Be sure to lower your hopes."

Gu Qingsong understood. A verbal promise like this was enough! Young friend Chen always spoke and acted with such caution; no wonder he was so adept at understanding a woman's heart. Jiang Shangzhen, Mi Yu, and their ilk—what were they but flashy peacocks? Compared to young friend Chen, the gap was more than just a few miles... The old boatman was in a great mood and intended to ask Chen Ping'an for a few more clever strategies. His good marriage with Madam Gui had been delayed by the world for so long. Although after Chen Ping'an's guidance, he had gotten a foot in the door, he was still lacking a bit of finishing touch. The old boatman made up his mind, raised his arm, and called out, "Boss! Bring out the good wine!"

The old Daoist soon got drunk, crying and sniffling profusely. But strangely, in his drunken ugliness, the old Daoist became as silent as a mute, just drinking bowl after bowl.

Chen Ping'an tried several times to persuade him to stop, but failed. Finally, he had to pull out his trump card: "If you keep drinking like this, I'll go tattle to someone..." The old Daoian shuddered, immediately stood up to take his leave, and didn't forget to settle the bill with the shopkeeper, who was leaning on the counter admiring the scenery.

The old man, now without his bamboo pole, staggered along the land path, stubbornly refusing to let the wine's vapor and effect dissipate, gradually disappearing into the noisy, bustling streets.

Once upon a time, in the sunset, with the west wind howling, a young Daoist who would one day say "Dao techniques will split the world apart" led an old, frail, skinny horse, swaying slowly along an ancient road leading to the sea.

From the land to the seashore, he set the horse free in the mountains. With an empty purse, the Daoist borrowed money to hire a boatman, sailed out to sea, saw the brightest moon and starry sky, witnessed the most magnificent sunrise on the Eastern Sea and the evening clouds on the horizon, and ate one difficult-to-swallow pot of stewed fish after another. So when the Daoist rode the wind and left his hometown world, like a bright moon rising over the sea on earth, the boatman who had failed to become his disciple wailed loudly, heartbroken.

When Gu Qingsong finally deigned to leave the table, a white-clad youth tiptoed over stealthily and exclaimed in awe, "Wow! Liu Cha! A living person, eh."

Liu Cha didn't even look up. Cui Dongshan used one of his snow-white sleeves to lightly wipe the table and asked with a smile, "Liu Cha, if I asked you to take out Yang Zhi, would you do it?"

Liu Cha said, "I'm just a bodyguard, not an assassin who takes money for jobs. I believe Chen Ping'an wouldn't stoop to hiring a hitman either."

Cui Dongshan tilted his shoulder towards Liu Cha, reached over to cover his mouth, and lowered his voice. "Let me correct you: neither you nor Yang Zhi are human."

Liu Cha twitched the corner of his mouth but didn't bother with this foul-mouthed white-clad youth. If he really had any skills, why didn't he sit at the same table as Gu Qingsong?

Jin Li similarly didn't take offense at the "Embroidery Tiger's" insinuations. She just sighed, "If you had been born three thousand years earlier and joined my rebellion back then, who knows whether we'd have succeeded or failed."

Wang Zhu laughed angrily. "Is your head full of the word 'rebellion'?"

Jin Li said seriously, "It seems I should engage in the gentleman's daily self-reflection."

Cui Dongshan exclaimed in mock amazement, "The capital of Great Shou is truly a blessed land of feng shui—scholar seeds everywhere you look!"

Jin Li remembered that the youth across the table was also a counterfeit Cui Chan, so she endured Cui Dongshan's provocation. She just asked curiously, "Is that old man Han really at ease letting me go to the princess's Water Mansion?"

That was the Eastern Sea region where she had risen to power! Not to boast of her achievements and reputation, but for all the incense lineages of the five lakes and four seas, compared to the relatively stable immortal sects on land, how many underwater palaces and aquatic-led sects still secretly hung her ancestral portrait in their secret chambers?

Chen Ping'an said, "Of course he's not at ease."

Jin Li grew even more puzzled. She squinted at the big-bearded man. "Is the Confucian Temple fishing for a big catch here?"

Liu Cha smiled. Cui Dongshan clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Brilliant! You've got mud in your crotch—even if you don't, it sure looks like it."

Chen Ping'an raised his wine bowl. "As long as you don't overstep, the Central Earth Confucian Temple won't deliberately stir up trouble or play those 'nipping in the bud' conspiracies. Similarly, as long as the Confucian Temple doesn't cause you trouble, don't you go making rash moves and treating the Confucian Temple like fools. Fellow Daoist Jin Li, whether it's a toast or a penalty, is entirely in your hands."

Jin Li was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled like a blooming flower. She raised her wine bowl. "Come now, I'll be so bold as to ask Mr. Chen to make a toast to me."

Chen Ping'an smiled and extended his bowl, lightly clinking it against hers. Each drank it all in one gulp. Jin Li poured herself another full bowl. "Whoever toasts me, I'll toast them back even more. Chen Ping'an, I'll do three in a row."

Wang Zhu's eyes were unfathomable as she said, "Am I just a decoration here, to be manipulated and led around by Jin Li?"

Jin Li looked terrified. "Princess, those words are piercing. How would this lowly servant dare to overstep?"

Chen Ping'an said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Jin Li, the reason the Confucian Temple was willing to let you return to the solid foundation of the East Sea waters wasn't because they trusted you, but because they trusted me. In short, I am the guarantor for the East Sea Water Mansion at the Confucian Temple. If one day you refuse wine and choose the penalty, making me feel I cannot escape blame and must go to the Confucian Temple to apologize with a thorned branch on my back, then I will certainly hang a head on those thorns first."

Jin Li raised her palm. Chen Ping'an was taken aback. She laughed heartily. "What are you standing there for? Clap hands on the oath!"

Chen Ping'an had no choice but to raise his hand and clap hers. Unexpectedly, Jin Li grasped his hand for a moment and laughed. "Stealing a little feel."

Cui Dongshan kept his eyes on his nose and nose on his heart, pretending he hadn't seen anything. This woman was truly born to be a rebel.

Seeing that his master seemed to be pondering something, Cui Dongshan asked, "Master, what are you thinking about?"

Chen Ping'an said, "The candidate for the next National Teacher of Great Li."

Cui Dongshan was a bit embarrassed.

Chen Ping'an's first choice was, of course, Cui Dongshan.

Cui Dongshan tried to make amends. "What does Master think of Cao Qinglang?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. It wasn't that he absolutely had to make Cao Qinglang the next sect leader of the Green Lotus Sword Sect, but rather that his most accomplished student was the most likely to become a first-class orthodox Confucian.

Cui Dongshan offered two more names. "Cao Gengxin, or Yuan Zhengding?"

These two, who had been rivals in family and officialdom, had long been cultivated as reserve prime ministers. In fact, some other young men had quietly been eliminated.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Are there any young officials who aren't natives of Great Li, around the age of thirty-five?"

Cui Dongshan asked, "Is there no similar file with Rong Yu?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No."

Cui Dongshan said, "I'll go talk it over with that Grand Commander when I get back. He's always had a good relationship with Liu Qingfeng. Maybe he'll have some insights."

The old deaf man, along with Zhang Ying—his newly accepted but temporarily unregistered disciple—came over. He informed his mountain lord via mental voice that Lu Zhi and that group of sword cultivators had already set off to return to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect in Southern Bodhi Continent.

Qi Tingji had already rushed to the Return to Ruins Ferry, waiting for Mi Yu to join him there so they could head to the Barren Wastelands together.

Among them, Huang Ling and Xuanyang, based on clues provided by the stink locust tree Daoist from the Slanted Seal Palace, planned to go together in the near future to the ancient ruins of Mount Mang in the Golden Armor Continent, to secretly find that female ghost immortal whose Dao name was Qingmiao and whose real name was Zhou Song. If they could also manage to trick that famous "Sword Immortal Xu Jun" into joining the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, that would be best.

Wang Zhu stood up. "I'm leaving."

Jin Li also stood up and stretched. Heaven and earth were vast, the blue waves stretched for ten thousand li. She would definitely assist the princess in making the East Sea Water Mansion the premier water-method Dao field.

Chen Ping'an nodded. "A scholar must be resolute and broad-minded, for the burden is heavy and the road is long."

Jin Li's eyes were bright, her teeth white. She cast a sidelong glance, then slowly performed a curtsy. With a charming smile, she said, "Mr. Chen, take care of yourself. Remember to come visit the Water Mansion often. Your maidservant looks forward to it immensely."

Chen Ping'an ignored her with a dark face.

Liu Cha drank and watched the show for free. He found it amusing—even Hidden Official Chen had moments of being put in his place.

At the wine table.

The young master from an aristocratic family, full of wild ideas and thinking all the way about how to first learn the immortal's invisibility technique and then the mountain-climbing wall-penetration technique, became timid when he actually saw a proper, dignified beauty.

An old man who looked like a steward arrived, accompanied by several strong, muscular family servants. Spotting the youth by the street-side table, he hurried over. "Young Master Ying, we've found you. Quickly, come home. The master is furious and has declared that if you aren't brought back within an hour, he'll break all three of your legs."

Zhang Ying, however, understood that it was the deranged National Teacher Liu Rao who was about to ensure that the Great Shou capital would have no more romantic, beautiful nights for the next ten or even decades.

The youth couldn't guess the identities of the strange individuals at the table, but he introduced them to the family steward. "I just acknowledged a master and am going to follow him into the mountains to cultivate immortal arts."

The old steward didn't listen to these irresponsible words. He just urged, "Young Master Ying, it's a good thing to acknowledge a master and learn immortal arts. But first, come home with us."

The old deaf man glanced at the mountain lord. Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Accompany the youth home. Let his family be at ease. Convince them that leaving home to climb the mountain is a departure with a clear purpose. If they truly don't believe your words and fear the youth might go astray, wasting his examination prospects and even losing his life, you can reveal your identity as a second-rank elder."

The dignitaries of Great Shou, regardless of their family backgrounds, always had high standards. The old deaf man nodded. "Judging from Zhang Ying's behavior and his family's style, they're probably shrewd people who won't let the hawk go without seeing the rabbit. Without revealing this identity, there's absolutely no way to take him out of Great Shou."

Zhang Ying was extremely curious—which Dao field, which sect's second-rank elder? But the youth couldn't help feeling disappointed. If a second-rank elder was only an earth immortal, that mountain peak must not be very high?

Maybe he shouldn't go. He'd heard that cultivating immortality in the mountains was both leisurely and boring, very uninteresting. What could compare to the joy on the plains, being fondled by the ladies? The well-off young master had a peculiar hobby: when he went to the brothels, he always called for the most unpopular lady, spending money to seek misery. So at a young age, he had earned the reputation of "Timely Rain of the Brothels, the Righteous One of the Alleys."

The old steward, accustomed to welcoming and seeing off guests, had sharp eyes. He had long developed a pair of fiery golden eyes. With just a glance, he had identified the gracefully dressed man in blue as the one in charge at this table. As he pondered how to pull strings with the City Patrol Office to investigate these immortals' credentials, he clasped his hands and bowed respectfully. "Please forgive us, honored immortals, for the poor hospitality. Tomorrow, our mansion will definitely host a banquet to welcome our honored guests. The matter of Young Master Ying acknowledging a master is of great importance. The family head would never dare to be negligent, but we must discuss it thoroughly."

Chen Ping'an stood up and smiled. "There's no need for a banquet. I have to return to my Dao field tonight. Let Elder Gan accompany your Young Master Ying home. As for whether they become master and disciple and when to learn mountain-climbing methods, that depends on their karmic affinity."

Liu Cha stood up. From now on, he would have to hang around Chen Ping'an.

The old steward signaled with his eyes, and a servant went to the counter to settle the bill, only to be told someone had already paid.

The youth suddenly made up his mind: he wouldn't go to the mountains to become an immortal.

Once chaos came, what could those poor women do? He could take care of one at a time. But the youth also had his doubts. With clashing blades and flashing swords, iron armor clanking and horses galloping, even the plaques of countless wealthy families might be smashed to pieces. A rich son from a noble family had nowhere to stand—could he really take care of them? With his fair skin and rosy lips, his handsome face, he might end up selling his ass... Maybe he should go up the mountain with his half-baked master to escape the chaos? The youth was extremely conflicted inside. He went to the table, poured a bowl of wine, and boldly downed this unfamiliar fiery liquor. He wished he could just get drunk and, when he opened his eyes again, see a peaceful and prosperous world once more.

Cui Dongshan laughed. "The old deaf man has good luck, taking on a fine disciple."

The old deaf man chuckled without a word. It seemed that besides teaching in the mountains, he should also come down to the plains more often.

Chen Ping'an said, "Zhang Ying, you should go to Liu Rao's place first for a few years. When to follow Gan Tang up the mountain does indeed need careful consideration."

The old steward was stunned. Such shoddy deceptions were common these days. But Zhang Ying asked, "Which Liu Rao?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "The one you think is insane. He just returned to his National Teacher's mansion. If you go to him now, it will benefit you, your family, and Great Shou."

Zhang Ying said helplessly, "You speak without knowing the pain. The threshold of the National Teacher's mansion is so high; how could a bottom-feeder like me cross it? Who's paying the medical bills if I get beaten out with sticks?"

Chen Ping'an didn't explain further. He produced the Three Mountains Talisman and, with Liu Cha, directly left the Great Shou capital. Cui Dongshan and the old deaf man needed to stay a bit longer and would return to Fallen Mountain later.

The old deaf man's eyes grew even more kind. This disciple spoke bluntly, just like his master. Truly, like attracts like.

Cui Dongshan laughed heartily, pointing towards the National Teacher's mansion. "Liu Rao's threshold is that high, and he doesn't even know it himself. Liu Rao! Liu Rao! Don't play deaf and dumb. Come quickly and pay your respects to the boldest man in Great Shou. You've found a treasure; don't let him slip away to outsiders..."

When the stern-faced Liu Rao actually appeared on the scene, the clever youth suddenly realized that the gentle, blue-robed wine drinker was none other than the Great Li National Teacher Chen Ping'an, who had been in the Golden Throne Hall earlier!