Chapter 39: Always Cultivating Separately
Clouds draped over Piyun Mountain.
A considerable number of devout men and women had already set out early along the sacred path up the mountain to offer incense, wandering through the clouds as if ascending to immortality.
Amidst the lush ancient trees, Wei Po spotted Chen Ping'an sitting on a long stone bench by the roadside, enjoying his leisure. Without disturbing this busy man's woodland reverie, Wei Po silently walked over and sat down. Chen Ping'an snapped back to reality and asked, "Why are you here?"
Wei Po complained, "Since you're already at Piyun Mountain, why not walk a few more steps?"
Chen Ping'an reached out to part the mist, strands of white clouds swirling around his fingertips. "The old saying goes, 'Check the sky when you go out, check the face when you enter.' Arriving empty-handed at Lord Wei's territory already makes me feel quite uneasy."
Wei Po crossed his legs, shook his snow-white robe, and said testily, "How pretentious."
Chen Ping'an teased, "I heard a few new government offices have been built on the mountain, with a large batch of capable officials added. What's this, 'Teach the wife when she first arrives'?"
In the eyes of ordinary people, a temple crowded with worshippers, shoulders brushing against shoulders, was considered lively. If a cultivator had even a basic understanding of qi observation, they could see some "truths." If the smoke rose like churning clouds, pure and not turbid, lingering in the air for a long time without dispersing, only then could it be considered true flourishing of incense in a sacred site.
Nowadays, the number of those wanting to enter the mountain and water spirits of the Five Peaks and one River, including Piyun Mountain, was like countless fish swimming upstream. Entering meant crossing the dragon gate.
Those who settled for less targeted the "reserve sovereign mountains," such as the Western Peak's female mountain lord Huai Lu and her Marriage Bureau at Luan Mountain, or the Tender Bureau of the Tiefu River Water God's Mansion, both extremely favored by women. To hold a post in these "hot" offices was a hundred times better than serving in some cold, neglected department.
Wei Po rubbed his brow, his head aching. "We should have been like Luopo Mountain—few people, no distractions. Every day, official documents pile up like mountains. Countless confusing accounts and a plethora of favor-seeking lawsuits. Reprimanding one, promoting another, and an endless stream of correspondence. Just guess how many complaints from commoners and mountain spirits, reporting injustices from all over, arrive each day?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I can't guess."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Since it's so vexing, why not resign your post? Why act like a caged bird every day, all cramped and anxious?"
Wei Po, who also frequently visited Luopo Mountain, sighed. "As an official, one must benefit the people. How can I just abandon my responsibilities?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Then what are you complaining about? Look at my constant rushing about and compare it to your own. You should count your blessings."
True enough. Wei Po clasped his hands behind his head, lounging leisurely, and asked, "Didn't the National Teacher leave a couple of calligraphy pieces for Piyun Temple?"
Chen Ping'an replied, "The Daoist priest didn't ask, so I couldn't exactly push to have the temple prepare ink and brushes for me."
Wei Po teased, "Now there are some rumors about you circulating in the markets of Great Li. Want to hear them?"
Chen Ping'an said with interest, "What do they say?"
Wei Po said, "They say you came from a humble alley, your family too poor to afford schooling, but once a wandering fortune teller skilled in physiognomy passed by and saw your house filled with yellow and purple qi, predicting you would become extraordinarily noble. Sure enough, at a young age, you were already talented and extraordinary, with great ambitions for longevity. Just by listening to a few lines of recitation outside a school, you grasped the profound meaning of Confucian sages. By firing pottery, you tempered your muscles and bones, letting the essence of boxing settle into your body. A few glances at Ruan Sage's blacksmithing and sword forging gave you divine inspiration to refine your lifebound flying sword..."
Chen Ping'an laughed helplessly. Apart from the fact that he indeed couldn't afford schooling, there wasn't a single true word.
A person's reputation is always like lacquerware, built up layer by layer, embellished with gold, silver, pearls, and mother-of-pearl. In the end, only the red lacquer is visible, not the wood.
Seizing a bit of free time before the Great Li morning court, Chen Ping'an gave Wei Po a rough account of his journey to the Wilderness.
Wei Po unconsciously sat up straight, listening with his heart pounding. If the listener felt this way, how must the one who experienced it feel?
As if suffocating, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and asked tentatively, "Are we really going to fight a 'ring match'?"
It sounded like a child's game of picking generals, but once it actually started, how brutal it would be.
Chen Ping'an said, "I'm waiting for exact news from the Confucian Temple. Generally speaking, even if Bai Ze from the Wilderness agrees, and several great cultivators like Yan Shi are willing to follow, people like Fei Fei and Zhu Yan—whether old or new thrones—might not agree. After all, there's no benefit for them. Ultimately, it depends on Fei Ran, the Wilderness's common ruler."
Wei Po asked, "Did Xiao Xun defect from the Sword Qi Great Wall because of her demon race identity?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "That wasn't the reason. She simply hates the Righteous Qi world."
Wei Po said cautiously, "What kind of outcome does Zheng... Mr. Zheng truly want?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Perhaps he wants a world where everyone who steps out the door is a peaceful person. Or maybe he pursues his ideal of the world. Hard to say."
Since even Chen Ping'an couldn't grasp Zheng Juzhong's true intentions, Wei Po wondered if anyone in the world dared claim to understand Zheng.
Chen Ping'an said, "As long as Lord Wei's golden body is solid enough, I believe one day you'll get to see that answer."
On the field of the human world, whether the crops are rice or weeds, whether the harvest is abundant or meager, one must patiently wait and see.
Wei Po worried, "Having met with the Teaching Master of Lu, what are your plans?"
Chen Ping'an leaned forward, rubbing his face vigorously. "I can only take one step at a time. If I can see a few more steps ahead, that's a pleasant surprise."
Too bad he had no wine or pipe at hand. Indeed, cultivation was wonderful—the divine ability of "sleeve universe" was so convenient.
Chen Ping'an sighed. "Yan Shi said that after over ten thousand years of cultivation, he could finally dispel the two words 'long life' from his heart."
Wei Po smiled. "A true man of nature. Think of all the scholars down the mountain who spend their whole lives unable to dispel the two words 'Zhuangyuan' (top scholar)."
Chen Ping'an nodded. Now in the National Teacher's residence, wasn't there a certain Lin Yupu preparing for examinations? Even though that guy said he'd be satisfied with a regular Jinshi status and didn't dare hope for the top three, given Lin Shouyi's personality, didn't he want to show off in front of his father?
Thinking back to the study tour to the Shanya Academy in Great Sui, Lin Shouyi was, in a sense, the first cultivator to ascend the mountain.
In the mist along the mountain path, the sound of hooves came from afar. Wei Po raised his brows, retracted the golden earring, and saw several richly dressed youths with spirited eyes. They were whipping fine horses, not taking the sacred path of Piyun Mountain but choosing remote trails for a pleasure ride.
Earlier, on the official road outside the mountain, married women who saw them couldn't help but take a few extra glances, wondering whose sons were so handsome. Young maidens with pretty faces, not as bold as married women, lowered their heads, hiding their faces behind oil-paper umbrellas.
The riders suddenly reined in. One youth raised his horsewhip, pointing at the end of the mountain path. "Hey, if we follow this small road further, can we find the source of the Dragon Beard River and Tiefu River?"
In their view, two people sat side by side on the stone bench by the roadside. One was a strikingly handsome young man, his appearance so good he didn't even look human.
Given that this was Piyun Mountain, the Northern Peak of the continent, it was fine. If it were some desolate wilderness, they might have mistaken him for some kind of malevolent spirit.
As for the middle-aged man with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his bearing and appearance were quite ordinary. He was probably just an attendant or follower.
Wei Po smiled ambiguously and said nothing.
Seeing the other party remain silent, just pretending to be deaf and dumb, the youth, unaccustomed to such disregard, frowned and said, "Are you deaf? I asked you a question!"
Wei Po waved his sleeve. "Go play elsewhere."
The youth's face darkened. His peer beside him immediately burst out angrily, "Do you know who you're talking to?!"
Wei Po chuckled. "I really don't. Tell me, I'm all ears. If you can scare me, I'll definitely show you the way, even guide you there."
Chen Ping'an silently watched the spectacle.
Probably a thousand or ten thousand years from now, similar words and the same rhetoric would still emerge endlessly across the human world.
The youth, full of aggression, was about to reveal his friend's illustrious family background. But the leading youth showed displeasure, flicked his horsewhip, and stopped his friend from speaking carelessly. On Piyun Mountain territory, where mountain and water spirits were as numerous as ox hairs, especially under the very eyes of a great mountain god, why bring up such trivial matters with outsiders?
He had brought a few fearless friends on this secret trip, disregarding family admonitions. He intended to go personally to the Northern Peak's main hall, where the golden statue of the Night Wandering Lord was enshrined, to lodge a complaint and plead for his wrongfully accused father. He wanted the City God Temple's Investigation Bureau to withdraw their verdict and have the Merit Bureau make amends.
This was because, a few days ago, his father had a dream. In his sleep, a majestic golden-armored god, leading several yellow-turbaned divine soldiers, stormed into the house. He claimed to come from the Chuzhou City God's Investigation Bureau, having received complaints from commoners. After verification by the Assessment Bureau, the charges were confirmed, so he came to impose punishment. Before his father could argue, a yellow-turbaned soldier dragged him from the bed, grabbed his hair, stepped on his back, and pulled out several of his bones, deducting "one tael and two qian" of his merit and fortune. That wasn't all. The god and his soldiers also went to the family ancestral hall to interrogate them... As for the specific punishment and how it affected his ancestors, his father was so terrified he shook like a sieve, shivering in the summer heat, but absolutely refused to say another word.
Wei Po smiled. "I advise you not to go to the main hall of Piyun Mountain to embarrass yourselves."
As a mountain god, Wei Po didn't need the youths to state their names or families. Through his innate divine abilities, he easily knew their ancestors' eighteen generations' worth of virtue records, merits and demerits. For example, the leading youth was named Feng Yulu. The Chuzhou City God Temple's Merit Bureau had even written a few lines of silver-inked annotations about him: his general life fortune, where he would serve as an official throughout his life, and many other secrets, all clearly recorded.
As for that Liu Chuanqing, a rich kid whose ancestors rose to wealth by being lawsuit-mongers, the brat was young but already adept at drinking, whoring, gambling, cheating, and swindling—everything but being a decent person.
Feng Yulu's expression wavered between surprise and suspicion. Could this guy read fortunes?
Wei Po pointed upward and smiled. "Three feet above the head, there are spirits. Merits increase or decrease, fortune multiplies or divides—all are recorded and calculated."
Feng Yulu already felt a bit of fear. He inadvertently recalled a dispute between his grandfather and father a few years ago. His grandfather had said similar things: "Man proposes, Heaven disposes. Earn a bit less ill-gotten money, or retribution will come..." Finally, in great anger, his grandfather coughed violently, poking the ancestral hall's stone floor with his cane, saying, "I don't care if retribution falls on you, but don't harm my grandson! Yulu is a scholar seed. He will earn fame and honor for the family with his true ability!"
The problem was that his father had managed the family business for so many years, well-respected among peers, and had a good public reputation. In Chuzhou, he had done many visible good deeds. Whenever the youth traveled in fine clothes, he always heard praise for his family.
Wei Po pointed at the three peers beside him. "Stay away from them from now on. Don't let them drag you down and become the one who brings down your family's roof. If you take this advice, then this trip won't be wasted."
Feng Yulu hesitated and didn't say anything. But Liu Chuanqing and the others already looked grim. What else was this but cutting off their source of income?
The Feng family of Chuzhou was immensely wealthy, a huge cornucopia. So they had "coincidentally" befriended Feng Yulu over the years, constantly flattering and catering to his every whim.
Outsiders said the Feng family's wealth was second only to the legendary figure Dong Bancheng, who was shrouded in mystery and rarely appeared, rumored to have some "incense that could reach Heaven."
Feng Yulu was the eldest grandson. Since childhood, he loved reading chivalrous tales and was especially obsessed with a certain travelogue about mountains and rivers.
These hangers-on had secretly hired some thugs to stage a harassment scene, allowing Feng Yulu to play the hero saving the beauty.
Chen Ping'an looked at the Feng youth's face and noticed a certain resemblance. Back when he was an apprentice, there was a shrewd but honest middle-aged kiln worker next door. He seemed to be named Feng. He was good at firing pottery and earned more pay. He lived frugally but was generous when helping fellow workers in need, lending money without ever demanding repayment. Liu Xianyang had once said that such a person was bound to succeed, or there was no justice.
Chen Ping'an asked telepathically, "Is the problem on his grandfather's side?"
Wei Po replied telepathically, "If not for his grandfather, his family would have collapsed long ago. It's the boy's father. He does good deeds on the surface but loses virtue in secret. He's very skilled at fishing for fame. He makes money too ruthlessly."
Chen Ping'an nodded. He looked at the youth and said, "Practice good deeds diligently. No need to burn incense or bow to Buddha. Accumulate hidden virtue; that's better than kowtowing to gods."
Feng Yulu wanted to speak but stopped. He wanted to say that his family's tradition was honest and kind; how could they be so humiliated by the City God Temple, subjected to such abuse by the Investigation Bureau? Moreover, people around his father always whispered that it was jealous competitors, unable to outdo the upright Feng family through fair means, who had sought advice from some hidden expert to trip up the Feng family in the shadows through the City God Temple's minor officials and the dark laws. The youth found this reasonable, his blood boiling, and finally couldn't hold back, coming to Piyun Mountain. Since the City God Temple was unjust, surely there was collusion among officials, so he might as well go directly to the Northern Peak and demand justice from the majestic god.
Furthermore, in that old travelogue he had read to tatters, Lord Wei and young hero Chen Ping'an had become close friends at first sight. Such a virtuous mountain god would surely act impartially.
Feng Yulu seemed to have made up his mind. He murmured to himself, as if to bolster his courage, "The book says there are gods three feet above our heads. It is up to me to pursue good fortune and avoid disaster. Now that my family is in trouble and my father is wronged, I cannot shrink back."
His father often told close official friends a secret: that when his own father was a kiln worker, he frequently interacted with Sword Immortal Liu of the Dragon Abyss Sword Sect and was best friends with him. "To be honest, Sword Immortal Liu still owes my father a few coins... Anyway, such trifles, just listen and forget. Don't spread it outside. My father has a stubborn temper. If he heard about this, he'd break my unfilial legs..." The speaker seemed casual, the listeners took it to heart. Every time the conversation reached this point, the guests left happy, the room filled with laughter.
But when Feng Yulu personally asked his grandfather, he said there was no such thing. Never lent money, not once. He didn't know Sword Immortal Liu, and Sword Immortal Liu didn't know him.
Liu Chuanqing and the others exchanged glances. If that white-robed young master looked like a proper gentleman, possibly a wandering son of a noble family, Liu Chuanqing would have been somewhat wary. But when he heard that blue-robed man with his hands in his sleeves, like a country bumpkin, dare to spout nonsense here, he immediately shouted, "Who do you think you are, spouting such irrelevant dogshit reasoning! Do you even have a scholarly title? Playing the village pedant in front of me!"
Wei Po held back for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. Well, "scholarly title" and "village pedant" were both quite accurate. Wei Po wiped his eyes, noticed that National Teacher Chen was looking at him sideways, finally managed to stop laughing, coughed a couple of times, and said, "You're busy. Don't delay your important affairs. I've got some free time to chat with them a bit more, have a heart-to-heart."
Chen Ping'an stood up. Since he hadn't been able to wait for Zouzi here in the Wilderness, and Lord Lu of Heavenly Capital Peak hadn't come either, he'd go sign in at the National Teacher's residence.
Wei Po crossed his legs again and pointed at Liu Chuanqing and the other idle rich kids. "You lot are even bolder, walking right into the trap."
Just then, Lord Lu emerged from the Heavenly Capital Peak dojo, steeling himself to teleport to Piyun Mountain in one step. It wasn't that this head of the Yin-Yang School Lu family was putting on airs, but he was uncertain whether to meet or not.
Liu Chuanqing rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things. He focused and was horrified to see that amidst the white mist, the white-robed nobleman and the shabby scholar had vanished. The ancient, towering trees on the mountain path were also gone. He felt as if he were in his family's ancestral hall, with rows of ancestral portraits hanging high above. But oddly, the portraits were blank. As the mist sank, Liu Chuanqing's heart almost stopped. He saw that most of his ancestors were kneeling on the ground, desperately kowtowing to him, their lips moving, tears and snot streaming. Though he couldn't hear what they said, he could clearly see their terrified expressions.
A few ancestors stood, raging, eyes bulging, pointing accusingly at Liu Chuanqing, their descendant.
The beams and pillars of the "hall" emitted harsh cracking sounds; the ancestors' portraits of different materials—paper, silk—also made faint tearing noises.
The gilded plaque with the family hall name had only a trace of dim gold on the last stroke. Now, it had completely turned gray.
Above the portraits, a majestic god sat solemnly, crowned, with blinding light, his true face unseen. He glanced down at Liu Chuanqing, who had collapsed in fear, and said mockingly, "An unfilial descendant, but not entirely unworthy, is that right?
"Very well, consider it settling accounts a few years early with you lawsuit-mongering Liu family."
On the mountain path, Feng Yulu saw the blue-robed man get up and walk away side by side with a passing young Daoist.
Unconsciously, a mountain breeze blew, and Feng Yulu realized he was drenched in sweat. The next moment, Liu Chuanqing and the others, as if possessed, fell off their horses one after another. Feng Yulu quickly dismounted to help them, but they backed away as if they'd seen a ghost, leading their horses and running off. After gaining some distance on foot, they remembered to mount and return the same way. On horseback, they descended the mountain even faster, leaving Feng Yulu behind. After a moment of dumbfounded shock, Feng Yulu decided to ride up the mountain alone to the main hall and pay respects to the god. Even if he learned the truth and was punished for his offense, he would accept it.
The youth simply clung to the principle that "filial piety is the first of all virtues."
Wei Po nodded. The boy could be taught.
Lord Lu made a Daoist salute. "Greetings, National Teacher Chen."
Chen Ping'an returned the gesture with cupped hands. "Fellow Daoist Lu, no need for formality."
Lord Lu said, "Calling me 'fellow Daoist' is itself a formality."
Chen Ping'an dismissed it with a smile, didn't beat around the bush, and directly told Lord Lu about the matter of "Xu Xie leaking secrets involving the Lu family."
According to Sword Immortal Xu Jun of Golden Armor Continent, within the Lu family, in charge of the Astrology lineage, one Lu Xu with the Dao name Huangyu had a seat in that "Ancestral Hall."
Lord Lu, hearing such straightforward talk, felt his heart tighten but also relaxed a bit, knowing the situation hadn't reached an irredeemable point. Lord Lu didn't waste words like "What does the National Teacher want?" Instead, he said directly, "I'll personally make a trip to the Central Continent soon and settle accounts with Lu Xu properly. Before I return to the family, I'll leave the deed to Heavenly Capital Peak. If a letter reaches the National Teacher's residence in the future, and National Teacher Chen is unsatisfied with the outcome, consider Heavenly Capital Peak an advance apology. Anyway, it's better to give it away for free than to have it snatched away."
Although Chen Ping'an had expected something like this, he was still rendered speechless by Lord Lu's "marketplace talk."
Lord Lu looked at the sky, feeling enlightened, gaining new insights into timing, location, and harmony.
Chen Ping'an said, "First, due to the 'Scattering the Dao' matter, the Three Teachings Debate had to be postponed. Then came the 'Heaven and Earth Unification.' And now the Green Shroud Heaven has also shifted from peace to chaos. So, the Ritual Sage has an idea: turn the Three Teachings Debate into a Hundred Schools of Thought Contention. The specific time is yet to be determined; it's hard to say now."
Lord Lu was greatly startled. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Who will represent the Military School?"
Chen Ping'an answered evasively, "You should also prepare early."
Lord Lu saluted in thanks and asked an inopportune question, "May I inform others of this?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "It's not something shameful. Fellow Daoist Lu can chat about it with anyone."
Lord Lu then planned to handle his family affairs first and then travel the world.
Seeing the two figures ahead, Feng Yulu chose the edge of the path and slowed his horse to pass them.
After riding out more than ten zhang, before speeding up, the youth, who valued chivalry over scholarly fame, couldn't help turning to look back at the blue-robed man.
Feng Yulu always felt that this man, though ordinary in appearance and clothing, upon careful consideration, seemed like an official in the government.
After the youth rode away, and Lord Lu had returned to Heavenly Capital Peak, Wei Po caught up with Chen Ping'an and asked curiously, "Can a martial artist at the eleventh realm defeat a cultivator at the fourteenth realm?"
Chen Ping'an glanced at this wandering god, who was neither a martial artist nor a cultivator.
Wei Po said lazily, "Who doesn't want to know the answer? They just don't have the chance to ask. I do."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and said, "After all, talk is cheap. I'd have to fight to know."
When he threw that punch at Xiao Xun, he hadn't held back at all. But the resilience of Xiao Xun's body was indeed beyond imagination.
Wei Po asked, "What are your plans for the near future?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Besides doing my duty as Great Li's National Teacher, first, continue collecting gold essence copper coins and combine them with the dragon-slaying platforms to refine swords and improve their quality. Second, mass-produce items, use quantity to win. For instance, I just squeezed quite a few stored treasures from His Majesty, enough for now. I'll try to take a step up from the 'Retaining the Human Realm.' Third, consolidate my martial arts realm."
Wei Po said, "I have some private collection, a bit of a nest egg. Scattered pieces, probably about fifty items. The quality certainly isn't high, but it's not too shabby either. If you need them, take them all."
Wei Po quickly added two more sentences, "Including two gifts given to me by Xiao Mo.
"I am a true mountain god. My golden body is tempered by incense. I have no use for such external things."
Remembering something, Chen Ping'an grinned and rubbed the corner of his mouth.
If you attended the Night Banquet at Piyun Mountain, even a rooster would have to lay two eggs before leaving.
It took quite a bit to pressure those mountain immortals to the point where they came up with such a colloquial saying.
Chen Ping'an felt a bit guilty. As the mountain lord of Luopo Mountain, did he have any idea how these Night Banquets came about?
Seeing Chen Ping'an's strange expression, Wei Po pressed, "Do you want them or not? Give me a straight answer?"
Chen Ping'an patted Wei Po's shoulder. "Why would I be polite with you? I'll take everything, no IOU needed."
Wei Po said, "Apart from Cao Ci, sparring with other martial artists probably won't benefit you much anymore. Tofu can't be used as a whetstone."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Don't belittle the 'Consummation Realm' and 'Peak Realm' so much."
Wei Po said, "I'll escort His Majesty to the northernmost tip of Vase Bottle Continent as per custom. Why don't you ask the Confucian Temple for a 'Mountain God Water Travel Permit'? Let me take a rare opportunity to bend the rules and visit the Northern Reed Continent, which I've longed for."
Chen Ping'an laughed angrily. "Lord Wei knows it's bending the rules?"
Wei Po said matter-of-factly, "Good laws are not beyond human feelings. Besides, you have a big face and thick skin at the Confucian Temple, so what are you afraid of?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Is this how you ask for a favor, by insulting me in the same breath?"
Wei Po smiled. Within the Northern Peak territory, especially on Piyun Mountain, countless heartfelt wishes—prayers for disaster relief, wealth, and fame—surged like a great river, all converging on that golden statue in the main hall. Among common folk, "If you don't play deaf and blind, you can't be the head of the household." But mountain and water gods officially appointed by the court had no such luxury.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Even now, I find it hard to connect you with that scruffy Earth Deity back then. Why did you choose that appearance to show the world? Apart from being disheartened and wanting to distance yourself from your past identity, were there other reasons?"
Besides the famous Night Banquets, Lord Wei's appearance and bearing were also very renowned in Vase Bottle Continent.
Wei Po countered, "Don't you understand?"
Chen Ping'an said, "I really don't."
Wei Po said, "Think of Zhu Lian."
Not to mention himself, take Wei Jin of the Snow Wind Temple, who was unkempt but seen as untrammeled, or Mi Yu, who was uninhibited, or Cao Ci—none of them cared about their appearance, let alone Zhu Lian.
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I understand."
Understanding was one thing, but Chen Ping'an couldn't help muttering a few curses.
Wei Po was amused, saying that a man with a decent face was similar to saying a woman with a delicate appearance?
But to be fair, when Chen Ping'an was a youth, apart from his dark skin, he was actually not bad-looking. Later, as he learned boxing and swordsmanship, read more, and gained insight, he could even slightly associate with the saying "having an air of learning in one's belly."
When Chen Ping'an arrived at the National Teacher's residence, Song Yunjian, who had been counting peach blossoms under the tree, finally relaxed.
Pei Qian and Guo Zhujiu were recording their battlefield experiences indoors, not missing a single detail.
Xie Gou stayed up all night lying on the floor of the top floor of the Duobao Pavilion, with a large stack of imaginative hand-drawn blueprints beside her. The hardworking Chief Xie naturally didn't forget to have Sister Rongyu send up a midnight snack to reward herself.
Cao Qinglang and Lin Shouyi were arguing over some philosophical principle in a certain classic, with no regard for fellow disciples, almost coming to blows.
Shen Yi was reading with admirable diligence, immersed in the loves and hates of the characters, occasionally slapping the table in admiration or weeping.
In a cold, remote mountain temple, an old Daoist priest, speaking casually, used what he had learned from his temple master years ago to explain to a visitor who had arrived early that morning why "Heaven has no favorites but always aids the good." The visitor, surnamed Chen, thought it over seriously and said he had been taught. The old priest said it was just his own opinion. The visitor said it was right view, and the old priest quickly said he didn't deserve such praise. They had a very harmonious and congenial conversation. After parting, each went their own way to cultivate, agreeing to chat over tea when free, still knowing only each other's surnames, not names.
The "Dao" of heaven and earth is a forced name; the "goodness" of all beings is likewise. On the road forged by heaven and earth since antiquity, goodness is merely close to Dao. If a person does good, they naturally approach Dao. Since the sages have already clearly perceived this principle, later generations need only practice it with confidence.
At the city gates of Great Li's capital, people were constantly coming and going. Some resigned and returned to their hometowns; others entered the capital seeking fame. The roads were bustling. Some looked back with disappointment at the ups and downs of yesterday; others faced today with ardent hope. Within the city, the Trumpet Creeper flowers of high officials and nobles bloomed in high places; outside the city, wildflowers on the ridges clustered together. People's joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, poverty and wealth, success and failure—all passed through this one human world.