Chapter 133: Journeying Together

Chapter 133: Journeying Together

The young man was not surprised by this and began to patiently persuade him. "I know you, sir, are uneasy and think I am someone with ulterior motives, but you can test me for a while before deciding whether to take me as your first disciple. As for me, Cui Dongshan, my cultivation is not high at present, but I have seen much and know many things, and I do have some learning. Moreover, I am thoroughly familiar with the customs and practices of Great Sui. Whether I am with you on this journey to Great Sui or not, it will be as different as heaven and earth."

Seeing that the young man from Mud Vase Alley remained unmoved, Cui Chan was undeterred and continued volubly, "Furthermore, I did not come to seek apprenticeship empty-handed. I brought a very generous gift for taking a master. For example, there is the 'Map of Blessed Spirits,' a book that nearly every Middle Five Realm cultivator carries when traveling the world. My copy is especially rare and valuable, having naturally bred five or six types of spirit beings."

The young man counted on his fingers, itemizing them one by one. "Also, there is a set of four treasures of the study. The brush is a purple tube brush that hides an ink-eating fish inside. Whether writing or painting, after use there is no need to clean it; the little fish will help itself to the remaining ink until it's dry and clean. What do you think? Isn't it amazing? It can be considered a top-tier literati's pure offering, can't it?"

"The ink is three ingots of pine wave ink. Tap it lightly with a finger, and it will emit a pleasant rustling sound like wind in pines. Words written with it, even if the brush is very dry with little ink, the fragrance can linger for years. The inkstone is an ancient one left by a nameless old monk from another continent, named 'Release Pond.' It holds great mystery—aren't you tempted?"

"The paper is gold and stone paper. Even a nation's emperor uses it when conferring titles on mountain and river spirits, as it appears more orthodox."

Having said this, the young man took a deep breath. "The most important treasure I've saved for last is a half-dead life-bound flying sword! Its quality is excellent, razor-sharp, and its greatest advantage is that its successor does not need to cultivate its sword qi or develop its sword intent; it can almost be used right away. When I obtained it by chance years ago, I kept it for many years without refining it. It's not that I didn't value it, but rather that I do not walk the path of a sword cultivator, and I feared spoiling such a divine object..."

As he spoke, the originally excited Cui Chan's voice grew lower and lower, because he noticed that the young man from the humble alley opposite him, as his offering grew more generous, only became more determined in his refusal.

The handsome young man with a vermillion mark between his brows wore a face full of grievance. He clasped his hands to his chest and asked pitifully, testing, "Really not possible? I am sincere in wanting to take you as my master. If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath. If I have any bad intentions toward you, Chen Ping'an, may I be struck by lightning from heaven!"

Chen Ping'an shook his head and said decisively, "No!"

The first time Chen Ping'an saw this young man in town was at Master Ruan's blacksmith shop. He had mistaken him for the county magistrate's attendant scholar. The second time, the young man who called himself "Senior Uncle Cui Chan" took the initiative to speak to him near the memorial archway, telling Chen Ping'an many strange and unusual secrets. Afterwards, he followed Chen Ping'an all the way to Mud Vase Alley and even stole the Spring Festival couplets that Song Jixin had pasted on his doorstep.

Although Chen Ping'an had never detected any killing intent like that of Cai Jinjian, the immortal from Cloud Gorge Mountain, from the young man, he absolutely could not trust him. He hoped to keep his distance respectfully. But he never imagined that by the time they were nearly at the border of Great Li, the young man would shamelessly chase after him. Chen Ping'an was not stupid. When a weasel comes to pay respects to the chicken, what else could it want but something?

Cui Chan stealthily glanced at the young man's hair bun. The jade hairpin was no longer there.

According to their previous agreement, the old man should have helped pave the way for him, or at least not expose his identity as the Great Li National Teacher, nor reveal his schemes involving Chen Ping'an and Qi Jingchun. As for why the old man had so magnanimously let him off, or why he had left the Forest of Merit even though the situation was already settled, Cui Chan simply couldn't be bothered to calculate or deduce. Trying to compete with a true sage in such matters was pure arrogance. Especially now that his spirit and soul were separated, both his cultivation and mental strength had greatly declined. He feared that if he delved too deep into deduction and inadvertently touched upon the fundamental rules set by the old man, he might end up in the same state as the original owner of this body—a complete idiot.

Cui Chan asked, "Chen Ping'an, when you were near Red Candle Town and Pillow Post, didn't you encounter an impoverished old scholar? Didn't he explain the general situation to you?"

Chen Ping'an frowned.

Cui Chan studied Chen Ping'an carefully and felt that the young man's expression did not seem fake. "Alright, then I have no choice but to use my trump card. But let me say this in advance, Chen Ping'an—I am so sincere in seeking to be your disciple, yet you refuse so stubbornly. From now on, my apprenticeship gift will be halved. I'll give you one last chance!"

Without saying a word, Chen Ping'an turned to leave. Cui Chan quickly pulled a black chess piece from his sleeve and tossed it high into an empty area beside the post road. "This is a message from Old Man Yang. Crush it, and you'll understand the whole picture. Then you can help prove my innocence and tell Chen Ping'an that I am not here out of greed, but truly want to establish a master-disciple relationship with him."

The shadow spirit did not reveal its true form. The black chess piece, which could retain spoken words, shattered in midair with a bang, instantly turning to dust.

Soon, Lin Shouyi came to Chen Ping'an's side with a strange expression and whispered, "The shadow spirit senior says that Old Man Yang from Yang's Shop wants you to trust this fellow named Cui Dongshan. He won't cause harm secretly. On the way to the Great Sui Academy, feel free to make him work like a horse or an ox, order him around as you please. Such a disciple, if not taken, would be a waste; if not used, would be a waste. He also said that this person's honor and disgrace will be tied to yours, life and death related, and he would not dare to harbor bad intentions toward you."

Chen Ping'an nodded and asked, "And they are?"

Cui Chan beamed with joy. "They? The big lunk is called Yu Lu—Lu as in fortune. The dark-skinned little girl is called Xie Xie—surname Xie, given name Xie. I don't know who gave her that name, but it's truly unique."

Then, with a sorrowful expression that even a blind man wouldn't believe, Cui Chan sighed and said, "Both are descendants of convicts from the Lu dynasty, with pitiful backgrounds. Xie Xie once studied at the Cliff Academy for a while. Yu Lu had worse luck—not long after leaving his hometown, our Great Li launched that great war. Both had to return to their homes. Now that their country is destroyed, their identities as academy students have become their life-saving talismans. If I hadn't brought them out, they would surely have died in the western mountains of your Longquan County. Either they'd be killed by some mountain immortal who takes a disliking to them, or they'd waste away from exposure and exhaustion, dying before they turn thirty from sheer fatigue. So now they are very grateful and insist on calling me 'Master' or 'Young Lord.' No matter how I try to persuade them, I can't."

Unexpectedly, the dark-skinned girl smiled and said, "Since our address has become a burden to you, young master, then I won't call you that anymore."

Fortunately, Yu Lu did not add insult to injury. He smiled and said, "I'll continue calling you young master. I'm used to it."

Cui Chan turned to her with a chuckle. "Miss Xie Xie, thank you so much."

Lin Shouyi paused for a moment, as if receiving another secret tip from the shadow spirit, and whispered, "Old Man Yang says that it's best to take these two, as it will bring only benefit and no harm. If you really don't like the one surnamed Cui, you can use them as scapegoats in the future. Whenever there's trouble, just let him take the brunt of it. He's hiding a 'Cun Xu' item on him, so he has a thick foundation and can withstand the waste."

Cui Chan, who had been eavesdropping with his ears pricked, changed color and jumped up, cursing, "Old Man Yang, you old tortoise bastard! Is this how you screw people over?!"

Chen Ping'an lowered his voice and asked with a smile, "If we take these two, will they be considered our classmates in the future?"

Lin Shouyi smiled bitterly. "Probably. Actually, Li Baoping and I don't really know the true situation at Cliff Academy. When Old Master Ma took us away from the town, he didn't mention these things."

Li Huai kept stealing glances at the tall young man named Yu Lu, thinking he seemed easy to get along with, definitely more approachable than the irritable Li Baoping and the cold Lin Shouyi. Yu Lu, carrying a heavy pack, noticed Li Huai's gaze and smiled, nodding in greeting.

The little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket carrying a small green bookcase kept exchanging glances with the tall, dark-skinned girl, over and over. Unlike the encounter with the blind old Taoist and his three disciples, where Li Baoping had taken an immediate liking to the round-faced girl nicknamed Wine, she felt no liking at all for this strangely named girl.

Although Xie Xie wore a smile that revealed none of her true emotions, she inwardly disliked the girl who was half a head shorter than her.

This subtle feeling between the little girl and the young girl upon first meeting seemed unrelated to any logical reasoning.

Chen Ping'an looked at Cui Chan and said, "Yu Lu and Xie Xie can join us, but you cannot."

Cui Chan's expression hardened. "Why?"

Chen Ping'an replied, "Because I think you are not a good person."

On the post road, no one found this statement ridiculous. Even Li Huai, who was usually carefree, felt an oppressive pressure as if a storm was coming.

Yu Lu turned his head to look behind. Dust rose in the distance, and the rhythmic pounding of horse hooves sent dull tremors through the ground. The earth seemed like a beaten commoner, gasping for breath, silently enduring.

The imposing military prestige of a Great Li cavalry troop swept over them. Even though it was only a group of thirty to forty light cavalry, they still exuded a rough, formidable aura of slaughter.

The tall young man couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

On this side, Cui Chan extended both palms in a gesture of lowering his energy to the dantian, trying to speak calmly. "The reason I came here is that an old scholar insisted that I learn how to conduct myself from you. If you won't take me as a student, that's fine. I'll just follow you all as the master of Yu Lu and Xie Xie, on this journey to study far away. Just pretend I don't exist, how about it?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "As long as you don't provoke me or spout nonsense about 'master' and 'student,' it's fine."

Cui Chan was about to speak when the Great Li cavalry roared past with a thunderous sound.

Yu Lu, who had been observing every detail of the cavalry, had already lowered his head and even used his arm to shield himself from the wind and dust.

Xie Xie had long since stepped off the post road.

The young man with the cinnabar mole on his forehead, Cui Dongshan, happened to be wearing an immaculate white robe.

The majestic Great Li cavalry swept by. Cui Chan stood silent in place. The usually talkative young man was covered in dust, his mouth agape, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Li Huai could only find this scene unbearably pathetic. He muttered softly, "That's tough, really tough."

The white-robed young man, covered in dust, belatedly raised a hand to wipe his face. His eyes were dazed as he murmured, "This life is impossible."

———

According to the rules established by Ruan Qiong, idle cultivators crossing the border now must not fly or ride swords in the sky above the former Lizhu Cave Heaven without a special amnesty from the Great Li court. After a group of renowned qi refiners lost their lives, the various mountain powers in Great Li have largely accepted this somewhat unreasonable rule.

Liu Baqiao, a cultivator from the Wind and Thunder Academy, landed his flying sword outside the territory, paid the fare, and took a luxurious carriage provided by the post station exclusively for cultivators. He rushed to the county seat and found the new academy established by the Chen clan of Dragon Tail Commandery. He discovered his friend Chen Songfeng personally teaching a dozen children. When Chen Songfeng spotted Liu Baqiao standing outside the window, he wanted to find someone to take over his class. Liu Baqiao quickly waved his hand, indicating he would wait.

Half an hour later, Teacher Chen Songfeng, after the children had made their respectful bows, hurried out of the classroom and walked side by side with Liu Baqiao. Chen Songfeng glanced at the sword and asked curiously, "Is this one of the top Daoist talisman swords, the 'Talisman' from the Well of Locked Dragons in Great Li's capital?"

Liu Baqiao rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, clasped his hands behind his head, and said, "That bastard Song Changjing! He promised to leave the talisman sword for me, saying I could pull it out. But as I traveled north, all I heard was news that someone in Great Li's capital had taken the sword. I didn't believe it—I thought Song Changjing was using a diversionary tactic from the military manuals to pave the way for me. But when I got to the capital, sure enough, a tough woman named Yang Hua had already beaten me to it!"

The more Liu Baqiao spoke, the angrier he got. "I went to Song Changjing to demand an explanation. Do you know what he did? He just had someone send me a message: if I had the ability, I should go find Yang Hua myself and take the talisman back. I've never seen such a shameless consummate grandmaster in my life! Later, I heard through the grapevine that this woman is now on your side at Iron Talisman River, serving as a water god receiving incense offerings. What fate!"

Chen Songfeng was taken aback. "So you've come to Longquan County to retrieve the talisman from that water goddess?"

Liu Baqiao wagged his head. "Do I look like that kind of person?!"

Chen Songfeng grew more puzzled. "If not to see that female water god, then why are you in Longquan County?"

Liu Baqiao sighed. "I was on my way back to Wind and Thunder Academy when I took a slight detour and ended up here. I'd heard many things about this Longquan County, including that the Chen clan of Dragon Tail Commandery had opened an academy here, so I thought I'd come see you. I really didn't come for Yang Hua and that talisman."

Chen Songfeng smiled. "I'm teaching the children here now. At first, I was so uncomfortable I wanted to slam the table and walk away. Now it's a bit better. I keep telling myself to use it to temper my character."

Liu Baqiao nodded. "It's good to settle down and do scholarly work. By the way, about that incident that started around Red Candle Town and ended in Great Li's capital—did you hear about it?"

Chen Songfeng nodded. "Of course, I've heard various rumors, but within the clan, opinions differ. The inside information from different channels is contradictory, and in the end, no one can make sense of it."

Liu Baqiao chuckled slyly. "Have you forgotten? I was in Great Li's capital at the time. Do you want to know the truth?"

Chen Songfeng shook his head. "No. I'm not a cultivator, so I'm not interested in your long lives and eternal matters."

Chen Songfeng had once traveled with scholars and climbed heights to compose poems more than once. He was no feeble bookworm. But back when he followed that woman from Yingyin Chen into the mountains, his stamina and physical strength couldn't even match a young alley boy, to the point that Chen Dui kicked him out of the team in disdain.

Having set up a teaser with no one taking the bait, Liu Baqiao was naturally a bit unhappy. He jabbed, "Young, yet so gloomy and lifeless—no wonder that little girl Chen Dui looks down on you."

Chen Songfeng laughed loudly. "Hey, hey, hey! Hitting someone without hitting the face—what kind of hero digs up old wounds?"

Liu Baqiao lowered his voice mysteriously. "Then do you want to know about a shocking secret concerning Inverted Mountain?"

Chen Songfeng answered without hesitation, "Speak!"

Liu Baqiao teased, "Tsk tsk, didn't you just say you're not a cultivator? Why would you be curious about this?"

Chen Songfeng looked weary. He chose his words carefully. "Any news from Inverted Mountain will only concern that other world. And the movements in that place might determine the pattern of this entire world. Even if the ripple that reaches our Bottle Gourd Continent is tiny, knowing about it earlier might allow us to respond correctly, even if the gain is small. It's better than doing nothing."

Liu Baqiao felt helpless about it. Each person had their own identity and stance. Sometimes, no matter how comforting another's words were, they still sounded like someone speaking from a comfortable position. In this sword cultivator of Wind and Thunder Academy's view, a true friend is one who is invisible when you're riding high, but the moment you're in big trouble and need someone to step up, without you even saying anything, they'll already be by your side.

After the trouble is resolved, no thanks needed. If Liu Baqiao dies in that trouble, you don't need to feel guilty.

Liu Baqiao pointed toward the northeast. "I don't actually know much. I only know that in the northeasternmost continent of our world, considered the last stronghold of sword cultivators, almost half of them, at the call of two great sword immortals from the area, rushed to Inverted Mountain. For some reason, when these sword cultivators passed over Lizhu Cave Heaven, the two great sword immortals briefly lifted the concealment of their aura, allowing us in East Bottle Gourd Continent to catch a glimpse of their spectacular, locust-like appearance."

Chen Songfeng laughed. "Like a plague of locusts? That's not exactly a flattering description."

Liu Baqiao guffawed. "So what if it's unpleasant? Think about it—is there a better analogy? A swarm of locusts passing through leaves nothing behind. That's real momentum."

Chen Songfeng hesitated, then decided to be honest and shared a secret. "Chen Dui once said that there, about every hundred years, a great battle occurs beneath that wall."

Liu Baqiao nodded, evidently already aware. "So I thought I'd go and contribute. At the very least, I also had the selfish desire to temper my sword through battle. But Wind and Thunder Academy quickly sent back a flying sword with a reply. From grandmaster to master to senior brother, everyone cursed me up and down."

Chen Songfeng laughed with schadenfreude.

Liu Baqiao suddenly asked, "Is that kid Chen Ping'an still in the town?"

Chen Songfeng shook his head. "No. That young man is amazing now. I heard he alone owns four mountain peaks, including one called Fallen Mountain, where a newly enfeoffed mountain god by the Great Li court resides. He's a genuine rich man. You had a good impression of him, didn't you? When you meet again, you can have him treat you to wine and meat."

Liu Baqiao wiped his mouth. "His pickled vegetables were really good. They nearly salted me to death at the time, but when I was eating delicacies every day in Great Li's capital, the more I ate, the more I missed that flavor."

Chen Songfeng said irritably, "Try eating pickled vegetables every day—see if you'll start missing the delicacies of Great Li's capital!"

Liu Baqiao laughed. "Then I'll stick to plenty of meat and fish, with an occasional meal of pickled vegetables. Otherwise, if I turn pale and thin, and I ever meet my Fairy Su, I'd scare her. That would be very awkward."

Chen Songfeng asked, "I've never understood: with your family background and cultivation, no matter how outstanding Su Jia from Sunlit Mountain is, leaving aside the feud between Wind and Thunder Academy and Sunlit Mountain, you two should be a good match. Why don't you even dare to say hello to her?"

Liu Baqiao thought deeply. "Maybe I'm afraid that once she sees me, she won't like me."

Chen Songfeng was even more baffled. "But if you never even meet, wouldn't she still not like you?"

Liu Baqiao turned to Chen Songfeng, winking and grinning. "It's different. As long as we haven't met, I can still look forward to that future meeting with anticipation and hope."

Chen Songfeng shook his head. "You're truly boring. Aren't you afraid that the next meeting will be for Fairy Su Jia's wedding?"

Liu Baqiao looked as if struck by lightning. He threw his arm around Chen Songfeng's neck and said fiercely, "Chen Songfeng, are you asking for it?! Child's nonsense, child's nonsense... Heaven, don't listen to him. And Moon Lord, don't take it seriously..."

———

After crossing the border at Yefu Pass, they officially left Great Li territory.

Before reaching Great Sui, they still had to pass through the northwestern region of the Huangting Kingdom, a vassal of Great Sui, covering roughly twelve hundred li.

Compared to the common folk of Great Li who preferred speaking the Great Li official dialect and were often not very familiar with the orthodox elegant language of the continent, the literary atmosphere in Great Sui and Huangting was much stronger. Almost everyone could speak the continent's elegant language, with only differences in local accents.

A carriage slowly followed behind a group. The driver was the tall young man Yu Lu, while Cui Chan spent all day inside the carriage sleeping soundly.

The girl Xie Xie had completely integrated into the study group led by Chen Ping'an. She was becoming increasingly distant from Yu Lu and Cui Chan. She could play chess with Lin Shouyi—calling it a match was polite, but in reality, it was a massacre. Her offensive was fierce; she would often slaughter a dragon, leaving Lin Shouyi disarmed and defeated in nearly every game. She could also chat idly with Li Huai, freely letting her imagination run wild, and together they would arrange troops using painted puppets and five clay figurines, enjoying themselves immensely. Only with Li Baoping did Xie Xie refuse to speak, and the feeling was mutual.

Chen Ping'an treated both her and Yu Lu courteously, but completely ignored the white-robed young man named Cui. Along the way, Cui Chan exhausted every method: rolling on the ground, throwing tantrums, acting shameless—only stopping short of hugging Chen Ping'an's leg and wailing. He also tried to bribe Li Huai and the other two with gifts, hoping these "founding members" would plead on his behalf. He would go to Chen Ping'an, offering solicitous care, reasoning with emotion and principle, but he was repeatedly shut out.

Finally, in desperation, the young man threatened Chen Ping'an: if he still refused to accept him as a disciple, he would burn everything to the ground together with Chen Ping'an. Chen Ping'an simply replied, "You can try. Your name is Cui Dongshan, mine is Chen Ping'an. There will only be one tombstone. Whoever survives will write the other's name." This immediately silenced the white-robed young man, almost giving him internal injuries. He wanted to slap Chen Ping'an to death, but every time he harbored that thought, his palm would be stung by some unknown spell from the old scholar, like being whacked with a feather duster until it was bright red and swollen.

As dusk approached, the carriage moved slowly along a mountain road. The white-robed young man, unusually, lifted the carriage curtain and sat behind the driver Yu Lu, speaking loudly, "Hey there, Chen Ping'an! Chen Big Brother! Chen Grandfather! Chen Ancestor! This mountain is called Hengshan. We need to be careful. Before the Huangting Kingdom, this area belonged to the Later Shu Kingdom. According to a Later Shu literary scholar's notebook, 'Trivial Records of Shu,' there is a Green Lady Temple on Hengshan. In front of the temple stands an ancient cypress of unknown age. Wishing there is said to be extremely effective, so later people built the temple. Legend has it that a minister of a former dynasty died a martyr for his country. His family scattered, but his young daughter refused to leave. She drew her sword and killed herself. Her blood soaked the roots of the cypress, and her soul attached itself to the old tree. Since then, many strange occurrences have happened. But fortunately, most stories have good endings. Everyone, don't be too nervous. Just treat it as visiting a scenic spot with a story."

Chen Ping'an's heart tightened. After the incident with the bridal ghost, any mention of ghosts and spirits made him wary. It was like once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a rope.

Not only Chen Ping'an, but Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, and even the shadow spirit—none of them dared to be careless.

So, before dusk fully enveloped the mountain, they stopped and chose a clearing on the mountainside as their campsite.

After a simple but filling dinner, Li Baoping used the firelight to read her favorite travelogue of mountains and waters. Lin Shouyi generally wouldn't take out "The Books Read Aloud in the Clouds" in front of Yu Lu and Xie Xie; instead, he opened "The Mountain Search Picture Book," given by the blind old Taoist, admiring the vivid mountain spirits and goblins. Li Huai, meanwhile, continued to fiddle with his little toys, and usually only Xie Xie was willing to join him. Today was no exception.

Yu Lu, acting strangely today, took the initiative to ask Lin Shouyi for a game of chess. Lin Shouyi naturally didn't refuse and found it interesting. Playing with Xie Xie earlier, the gap in skill was too great—like a mountain pressing down. Although Lin Shouyi controlled his emotions well, every time Xie Xie left and he reviewed the game alone, he felt somewhat dejected. But playing chess with the gentle-tempered Yu Lu was different. The tall young man's playing style matched his personality: mild and steady, neither making glaring blunders nor producing brilliant, eye-catching moves. Everything was balanced. They played two games, and Lin Shouyi lost both, each time by a mere hair. Both times, before Yu Lu's final move, the board had looked evenly matched, the outcome unclear.

While the two young men were playing, the white-robed youth Cui Dongshan stood with his hands behind his back. He glanced at the chessboard, rolled his eyes, and was about to look away. But with nowhere else to go, he kept coming back to the board, either standing behind Lin Shouyi rolling his eyes or behind Yu Lu, rolling them identically. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he said to Lin Shouyi, who was silently reviewing the game, "Yu Lu, that seemingly honest little scoundrel, is deliberately leading you by the nose like a dog. Can't you tell? Do you want to beat Yu Lu and Xie Xie? With just one-tenth of my ability, you could win ten games out of ten!"

Lin Shouyi looked up with a faint smile. "Talk to me again after you've become Chen Ping'an's student."

But out of the corner of his eye, Lin Shouyi couldn't help glancing at the tall young man who was hiding his skill. The latter smiled back at him, his eyes clear, then lowered his head and began tidying his luggage with tireless patience.

The white-robed youth Cui Dongshan beat his chest with both hands, utterly heartbroken.

In the distance, a straw-sandaled youth stood on a branch jutting out from a big tree. The branch bent under his weight. He exhaled a breath of foul air, slowly closed his eyes, and for the thousandth time began his practice of standing like a sword furnace.

The mountain wind caressed his face.

It was as if the mountain itself was murmuring, while the youth remained silent.

(End of this chapter)