Chapter 144: One Sits in the Well, One Gazes at the Sky
The Autumn Reed Inn, not far from the pavilion, by the old well.
A straw-sandaled youth sat there quietly, as if waiting for someone.
Inside his room, the child Li Huai was already fast asleep, the lamp on the table extinguished.
Earlier, the youth had put away a stack of mountain and river maps—some of the southern prefectures and commanderies of Great Li, others of the Great Sui territory. All of them had been given to him by Ruan Xiu.
After placing these maps back into his bamboo basket, he sat by the table and began pondering the same question again.
Miss Ruan was absolutely beyond suspicion.
But the young man with a mole between his brows, the county magistrate Wu Yuan, had once appeared together at the blacksmith's shop.
And these maps, according to Miss Ruan's casual remark at the time, had been generously provided by the county magistrate's office.
His group had been traveling southward. They met outside Wildman Pass, the two parties converged, and together they entered the Yellow Court Kingdom. What they saw and heard along the way was a mix of gods and monsters.
In the end, Chen Ping'an once again walked toward the pavilion, came to the well, and sat on the well's rim to wait for someone.
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Inside the Grand Water Mansion, a pall of gloom hung heavy. The hall floor was drenched in blood.
What had once been a lively hall filled with song and dance now had few people left.
The white-robed youth still sat high on the white jade throne, his mind wandering thousands of miles away.
The blue-robed man stood below the hall, using water magic to disperse the bloodstains and the smell of blood from his body. Those young maidservants of the Grand Water Mansion, whether they were drowning ghosts from the Cold Food River or living people, had all been dealt with cleanly by the blue-robed man. If a ruler is not discreet, he loses his ministers; if a matter is not secret, one loses one's life. This simple truth was something the blue-robed man, who dominated eighteen rivers in the northern part of the Yellow Court Kingdom and had forged this small domain into an impregnable fortress, understood deeply.
Among his two trusted confidants, the military advisor of the Grand Water Mansion—a scholar in Confucian robes—sat upright, neither drinking nor eating meat, like a lifeless clay bodhisattva. The fat River-Blocking Toad sat listlessly in his seat, looking as if he had been frightened by today's tragic events.
Tang Jiang, the Green Bamboo Pavilion deathsworn of Great Li, sat in his original seat, holding chopsticks in one hand and a cup in the other, eating the gradually cooling delicacies with great relish.
How many years had it been since he had felt this free?
If he had bent his back a few more years, he would have completely gotten used to being a lackey and a grandson. Perhaps even if Great Li's iron cavalry hoofs ground the Yellow Court Kingdom's territory into dust, he would no longer know how to stand tall and be a proper man.
That renegade cultivator from the Spiritual Charm Sect, though not dead, was already sweating profusely.
In addition, two fortunate souls had survived.
They were two young sword cultivators of vastly different backgrounds. The white-robed youth had given them a chance to live earlier. In the hall, there were also two beasts left behind by the Spiritual Charm Sect cultivators. The two sword cultivators, who had not yet reached the middle five realms, could become true honored guests of the Grand Water Mansion if they could slay one beast each using only their natal flying swords, without drawing their swords.
The white-robed youth even promised that they could become sworn brothers with the Water God of the Cold Food River. This honor would undoubtedly help them leap over the dragon gate and become powerful figures in the northern Yellow Court Kingdom. Especially that qi refiner from the Crouching Dragon Temple. Previously, he was just one of the sect leader's beloved disciples. From now on, he would most likely be the designated next sect leader, with no one daring to contend.
Both sword cultivators were at the peak of the third realm. Their natal flying swords were still weak and short of power. The battle with the two beasts was fraught with danger, barely a pyrrhic victory. They were both heavily injured, but fortunately, their natal flying swords suffered little damage.
The white-robed youth sat in a daze, lost in thought. No one dared to disturb him.
But it couldn't stay silent forever. The blue-robed man had to ask softly, "True Immortal?"
Cui Chan came back to his senses. He looked around and said to the two sword cultivators, "Since you won, it means you are qualified to continue walking the great path. Go down and heal your wounds. The Grand Water Mansion will provide you with the best pills and all the materials you need for sword forging. As for the rogue sword cultivator, you can stay here as a low-level retainer. As for the sword cultivator from the Crouching Dragon Temple, after you return, tell your greedy and lustful master that the Crouching Dragon Temple's upgrade to a palace will be supported by the two levels of prefectural and commandery officialdom, the Cold Food River Mansion, and a few cabinet elders in the court. Just wait at home for the good news."
The two were overjoyed and thanked him profusely before taking their leave.
Cui Chan turned to Tang Jiang and said, "After you return, don't add anything unnecessary. You and the other agents and deathsworn, just continue to lie low."
Tang Jiang quickly stood up to accept the order.
Just as he was about to leave, the white-robed youth said with a hint of annoyance, "Don't you know enough to take some of the Grand Water Mansion's Gold and Jade Liquid left on the tables?"
Tang Jiang hesitated.
Cui Chan said impatiently, "Just consider it as what Great Li owes you. If you don't take it, it's a waste."
A strange radiance bloomed on Tang Jiang's otherwise unremarkable face. He cupped his fists, turned around, and strode away. When he crossed the threshold, this man, facing away from the white-robed youth on the main seat, raised his fists high above one shoulder, never daring to turn around. His eyes red, he looked into the distance and said loudly, "My lord, Great Li has never owed Tang Jiang a single thing! Even if I can only watch from afar as my Great Li grows stronger day by day, its national power flourishing—tsk, tsk—this feeling is a thousand times better than Gold and Jade Liquid?!"
The youth laughed and cursed, "Oh ho, your flattery is getting pretty refined! Too bad I don't buy that crap. Get lost, get lost."
Outside the threshold, that man of Great Li, no longer young, under a foreign sky, walked with vigor and laughed heartily.
Cui Chan looked at the empty hall and said, "My surname is Cui, from the Great Li capital."
The fat man, whose true form was the River-Blocking Toad, looked bewildered.
The blue-robed man was slightly stunned.
The Confucian-robed scholar, who was originally a yin creature and ghost, quickly rose and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings to the National Grandmaster!"
The blue-robed man was filled with shock and said with heartfelt admiration, "So it is the Grand Nationalmaster of Great Li who honors my humble abode."
The slow-witted River-Blocking Toad prostrated himself on the ground again, kowtowing with full sincerity, the thuds loud and clear.
Cui Chan asked, "Does the prefect surnamed Wei have any hidden background? Is there any chance he could become a stumbling block in the future?"
The blue-robed man shook his head, saying, "That Wei Li is just from a humble family in the southern part of the Yellow Court Kingdom. He has no major backing in the officialdom. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been playing along with me in this prefecture, forcing himself to go against his own scholarly temperament to flatter the Grand Water Mansion."
Cui Chan propped his cheek with one hand and tapped the chair armrest with the fingers of the other, slowly saying, "When Great Li previously annexed the northern kingdoms, it was about swift and decisive action. Those who didn't surrender were killed without mercy. Song Changjing led the army in massacres and mass graves—that was to establish authority. But now, moving south, we can't just keep being so ruthless. The Yellow Court Kingdom is the first major stumbling block, so we can't leave it riddled with holes. After all, the entire region from north of the Guanhu Academy in Vase Bottle Continent to south of Great Li's Wildman Pass—all the dynastic states—are watching the situation unfold. People like Wei Li, loyal ministers and filial sons, will only become more numerous. The key is whether people like Wei Li occupy more important positions in the court, or whether people like the assistant prefect are more numerous. Depending on the situation, the Great Li border army's offensive will vary in intensity and speed."
The Confucian-robed scholar under the hall nodded slightly.
Cui Chan suddenly looked at the scholar. "Give me your assessment of Wei Li."
The scholar smiled and said, "Wei Li is clever, but not clever enough. If he were truly clever, he wouldn't have tried to straddle both sides in the previous turmoil, wanting to have a clear conscience while also wishing for a smooth official career. Such a good thing doesn't exist in this world. At least, not within the jurisdiction of my Grand Water Mansion."
He pointed at the trembling renegade from the Spiritual Charm Sect. "I used a little inducement and intimidation on this man..."
Cui Chan interrupted the river god scholar, laughing, "A little? That's putting it lightly. After all, there are all kinds of people in this world. Not everyone can be like you, Sui Bin, loyal to your old kingdom, unyielding, facing death with righteousness, not only dying yourself but dragging your entire family along with you."
The scholar's expression remained unchanged. He cupped his fists and said, "The Grand Nationalmaster flatters me too much."
Cui Chan gestured for the scholar to continue.
The scholar spoke unhurriedly, "In this prefecture, the home base of the Grand Water Mansion, over the past few centuries, many things have happened. For instance, we secretly caused the great river to breach its banks, or caused droughts and floods in a certain commandery. Not only did that surnamed Wei know about it, but the previous provincial governors and prefects probably also had their suspicions. They just never had irrefutable evidence. Combined with their fear of the Water God's power, peace was maintained. Just take the official archives at the prefectural mansion. The river flooded many times, and the fires burned many things. What was written on those documents? Anyway, our Grand Water Mansion certainly wouldn't want to make them public. It's not that we fear an official crackdown, but the bad reputation it would bring if it got out."
At this point, the scholar turned to the blue-robed man and smiled, "Our master still cares about his reputation."
The Water God of the Cold Food River laughed angrily, "You, Sui Bin, do you mock your savior like this? Back then, when your remnant soul wandered over the river, if I hadn't collected your yin soul and reshaped your body, you would have reincarnated countless times by now."
The scholar merely made a gesture of pleading for mercy, showing not the slightest fear of the Water God's overwhelming authority.
This dark-complexioned scholar, under the white-robed youth's watchful eye, bent down, picked up a wine cup, took a sip, and then continued, "Wei Li is ambitious and capable. He rose to the high position of prefect on his own, and he is willing to bow his head and endure. Such a man, once he slips out of our control, becomes a provincial governor, enters the capital to become a high official in a ministry—especially the Ministry of Rites—and becomes the emperor's trusted confidant, while also holding a belly full of grievances from his early years in the provinces. Then one might worry that, in a fit of ruthlessness, he might turn his spearhead against this Grand Water Mansion. That is why I told the Water God: such an official can be used, but as long as there is still a trace of... righteousness in his heart, he must never be given great power."
The white-robed youth squinted at the Confucian-robed scholar. "A damn good psychological attack. If you had gone to cultivate on the mountains back then instead of being an official, you might have had a chance to reach the Tenth Realm."
The river god scholar smiled freely, "Alas, there's no cure for regrets in this world."
Cui Chan stood up, shook his sleeves, and from the sleeve opening slid out half a stick of incense.
This puzzled the humans, gods, demons, and ghosts below the hall. What was the Great Li National Grandmaster, appearing as a youth, up to?
The youth placed that half-burned incense stick in midair, making it float stationary, then snapped his fingers.
The incense ignited, and smoke curled upward.
The smoke did not dissipate in the air but slowly condensed into the graceful figure of a young woman.
The river god scholar's expression changed drastically. He could no longer maintain his calm state of mind. "Impossible?!"
The blue-robed man squinted, glancing sideways at his trusted strategist. Though surprised by the youth's profound magical powers, he mostly maintained a detached, watchful attitude.
The woman's figure gradually stabilized, her face becoming clearer. Finally, she floated down into the hall. She was the woman enshrined in the Green Lady Temple on Mount Hengshan, who had once played chess with Lin Shouyi and had finally been asked by the white-robed youth to receive a stick of incense from Lu.
It must be known that even Old Man Yang from the small town had sincerely praised the youth, saying he was "skilled in the art of manipulating souls." Thus, it was certain that Cui Chan had used his unique secret technique to "steal" the woman away.
Such unorthodox shrines not recognized by the court, especially those with a very low female deity status and shallow cultivation, would normally find it impossible to leave their domain.
The scholar formerly known as Sui Bin flew into a rage, his face turning even darker. He pointed at the woman, his finger trembling, his scholarly features twisting into a terrifying grimace. "Shameless wretch! You still have the face to leave Mount Hengshan? Have you forgotten your oath? Truly a monster, betraying your country, betraying loyalty and filial piety—you are a monster who has betrayed everything!"
Upon seeing the scholar, the young woman's face was filled with panic and fear. She timidly said, "Father..."
After uttering that word, the woman was overcome with shame, covering her face and weeping, pitiful and helpless.
The white-robed youth sat cross-legged on the chair, gloating, "Surprised?"
He then turned to the blue-robed man and laughed, "I once read a book called 'Trivial Accounts of the Shu Kingdom.' It recorded strange tales and anecdotes, one of which mentioned the Green Lady Temple on Mount Hengshan. It said that a certain former court minister carrying his family had committed suicide for his country at the ancient cypress tree on Mount Hengshan. His family didn't want to die with him and ran away, all except his youngest daughter, who followed her father, drew her sword, and slit her own throat. Her blood splattered onto the ancient cypress tree, allowing her soul to reside within it, eventually becoming the Green Lady of Mount Hengshan. Truly a tear-jerking, heroic story!"
The blue-robed man picked an empty seat and sat down, smiling, "That's just a false rumor. The truth is the opposite. When Sui Bin decided to stop fleeing at that small temple and die to make his point, his entire family followed this fallen minister in death. The women mostly hanged themselves; others hit the wall or swallowed gold. Only his youngest daughter didn't want to die. She ran out of the temple and was caught by Sui Bin, who killed her with a single sword strike under the ancient cypress tree. She became a vengeful spirit, but a spark of her light lingered. After death, she was still kind, secretly protecting ordinary people, which is how she got a good reputation in that 'Trivial Accounts' book."
The blue-robed man took a sip of wine. "Later, her father became a ghost under my command, and later, at my recommendation, became the river god of a river near Mount Hengshan. Whether out of guilt or something else, Sui Bin secretly helped her—a vengeful spirit that was about to be scattered by the wind and sunlight—by commissioning a clay statue with a golden body, which allowed her to survive to this day."
The white-robed youth exclaimed in wonder.
The river god Sui Bin grew even more furious. "Worse than a beast! I, Sui Bin, have lived a life of integrity. The Sui family's virtuous tradition has lasted three hundred years, and yet it ends with a wretch like you!"
The white-robed youth resumed his lazy posture, leaning sideways with his cheek in his hand. He watched the pitiful scene of the father and daughter turning against each other, then suddenly said, "Sui Bin, that's enough."
The river god scholar, in his fury, forgot all about the youth being a national grandmaster and retorted, "How is it improper for me, Sui Bin, to discipline my daughter?!"
The youth said calmly, "Because I say it's enough. How's that for a reason?"
"Sui Bin, don't be rude! Say one more word, and I'll knock your teeth out!"
The blue-robed man, for the first time that night, actively interceded for his subordinate. He stood up again and bowed his head to the white-robed youth, pleading, "I beg the Grand Nationalmaster not to take offense at Sui Bin's rudeness."
The white-robed youth jumped down from the chair and stretched, "Time to go, time to go. If I stay any longer, people will start to wonder."
He walked around the large desk, descended the steps, and, facing the woman who still dared not raise her head, the youth clasped his hands in his sleeves and chuckled, "Don't listen to your father's nonsense. A delicate young woman of your age—shouldn't you be learning things like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? When your heart stirs with spring, you hide in your boudoir and secretly think of your lover. That's the right way. As for mountains and rivers shattered, families and nations destroyed—that's the fault of useless men like your father. So it's Sui Bin who has no shame, and he even had the nerve to drag you to die with him. What do you have to be ashamed of? It's your father who should be ashamed enough to hang himself. Don't worry. In the future, the Water God will protect you. If your father scolds you, just ask the Water God to slap him."
The river god scholar stood dumbfounded.
The blue-robed man had a headache.
The woman summoned her courage and raised her head, quickly glancing at the face of the Confucian-robed scholar, then lowered her head again, sobbing quietly, and whispered, "Father, it is I who am unfilial."
The white-robed youth was so angry he strode over and slapped the woman on the head, laughing as he cursed, "You hopeless child."
Seeing that the Great Li National Grandmaster was about to leave, the blue-robed man quickly followed behind and asked softly, "Does the Grand Nationalmaster not wish to rest here tonight?"
The white-robed youth said, "There's so much killing intent here. I'm scared."
The blue-robed man didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
When he reached the threshold, the white-robed youth first glanced at the silent father and daughter, then said to the Cold Food River Water God, "You're much luckier than her. You have a father who isn't so pedantic and rigid."
The blue-robed man became even more deferential. "Has the Grand Nationalmaster met my father?"
The white-robed youth nodded. "The old gentleman even treated us to a few meals of wild seasonal delicacies. I have to say, that's far better than your big fish and meat paired with vulgar beauties."
The blue-robed man smiled. "How dare I compare myself to my father."
The white-robed youth stopped, patted the Water God's shoulder, and said, "As for my two feet of loss, once Great Li swallows the Yellow Court Kingdom, you will be compensated even more. That white jade throne is somewhat useful to your clan. I'm giving it to you."
The blue-robed man, bowing deeply, said in a low voice, "I am willing to die for the Grand Nationalmaster!"
The Great Li National Grandmaster clearly didn't take it seriously. He told the blue-robed man not to see him off, walked out of the Grand Water Mansion alone, and leaped into the Cold Food River.
Inside the river, the white-robed youth moved nimbly without any visible movement of his hands or feet, drifting with an elegant posture, like a white flood dragon from ancient times that once lived on the territory of the ancient Shu Kingdom.
Finally, following the current, he arrived at the bottom of the old well at the site of the former City God Temple. He did not immediately go up to the nearby Autumn Reed Inn. Instead, he stopped and remained motionless for a long time.
The white-robed youth stood with his hands behind his back in the well, looking up at the sky.
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Suddenly, a voice came from the well opening above: "Why don't you come up?"
The white-robed youth laughed and said, "I dare not."