Chapter 157: Since Ancient Times, Sages Have Been Lonely
To the carefree little girl, this bustling prefectural city in the northern part of the Huangting Kingdom was a place of liveliness, a gathering of so many hometown markets that even if you added them all together, they couldn't compare.
But to the old scholar who had seen mountains and seas far and wide, he naturally saw farther and more abstractly. He might have already foreseen the bleak scene of iron cavalry sweeping south and war flames rising everywhere. Those bustling sounds of laughter and joy would become the roots of heart-wrenching sorrow in the future. On the other hand, the tattered beggars by the roadside would suffer lighter and shallower hardships. As for the local thugs and rogues, they were more likely to rise up in the chaos, perhaps even becoming new officials or military generals in the Huangting Kingdom's court.
Yet the old scholar, weathered by countless experiences, naturally wouldn't show such emotions on his face, lest he ruin the joy of the young man and the little girl as they strolled around.
The old man led them through twists and turns until they found an old bookstore. He paid out of his own pocket to buy a few books for the two. The shopkeeper was an old scholar who had failed the imperial examinations and usually looked down on everyone. But when he encountered the eloquent and impoverished old scholar, it was a case of heroes recognizing each other. Coupled with his admiration for the old scholar's learning and virtue, the book cost nearly twenty taels of silver, yet he agreed to ten taels. After leaving the shop, the old scholar looked at Chen Ping'an and Li Baoping, who were full of admiration, and laughed, "See? Studying is useful, isn't it? Today we just saved over eight taels of silver! That's why they say, 'Within books, there are houses of gold...'"
At this point, the old scholar lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "And don't even get me started. Down south, in a place—not the south of your Baoping Continent, mind you—there's the Chen family of Pure Confucianism. There's an old stick-in-the-mud who couldn't stand me. When he was young, he studied day and night, year after year. After probably decades, his sincerity must have moved something, because one day he actually read a house of gold and a beauty like jade out of a book."
Chen Ping'an's eyes widened as he swallowed, "How big was that house of gold?"
Li Baoping, curious, asked, "And how beautiful was that beauty like jade?"
The old scholar laughed heartily, pointing at the two children, "If you get the chance, go see for yourselves in the future. I won't tell you. Hearsay is false; seeing is believing. Scenic mountains, rivers, and beautiful sights are described in books, but nothing compares to seeing them with your own eyes."
Li Baoping suddenly asked, "Literary Saint sir, why did you buy those books for my little uncle? They're really basic. Even Lin Shouyi and I could teach him. Isn't that a waste of money?"
The old scholar's smile faded, and he became serious. "It's different, very different. The most learned books in the world are those that explain profound truths in simple terms and are best for enlightening the masses. Do you know why these books are actually the cheapest? For example, the Five Thousand Words of the Dao Ancestor—how cheap it is! If you want to read it, anyone can afford it. If you're willing to read it, anyone can learn something from it."
Li Baoping said, half-understanding, "Because there are many prints and many buyers, so it's cheap."
The old scholar nodded and smiled, "Half right. If the truth in books were too expensive, who would be willing to pay? Why not buy food instead, since you can fill your stomach? The other half is that if those lofty moral sages want to spread their teachings more widely and make them the orthodox learning of a state, a province, a continent, or even the entire world, how many disciples can they teach in person? Better to cast a wide net and imprint their teachings in books. When the threshold is low, more people will enter. If the threshold is too high to climb over, in the end, how many proud disciples or students will they have?"
Chen Ping'an sighed softly.
The old scholar asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Feeling it's pointless? That won't do. You still need to study."
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "I just think this is a bit like commoners opening shops to compete for business. Back at home on Qilong Alley, I have two shops that friends are helping me look after. I don't know if they're making a profit or a loss now."
The old scholar seemed to recall some old, trivial matters and sighed. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Come on, let's get some drinks. Chen Ping'an, if you're really craving, you can have a little. Baoping is too young, so no drinking for you."
It was still early, and many taverns hadn't opened yet. Fortunately, the old scholar found a small wine shop at a street corner. It was greasy and dirty, but none of the three minded. If Cui Chan, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie were present, they would have frowned—one had high standards, another had a cleanliness obsession, and the third had been pampered since childhood. None of them would ever drink in such a place.
The old man ordered a catty of loose wine and a plate of salted peanuts. Chen Ping'an insisted that as a martial artist, he couldn't drink. Li Baoping actually wanted a little, but with her little uncle beside her, she didn't dare ask. She just stared at the old scholar drinking with envy.
Having spent so much time with Chen Ping'an, from Li Baoping to Lin Shouyi and Li Huai, they all knew by osmosis what they could and couldn't do. Sometimes Li Baoping felt her little uncle was too strict, but looking at the beautiful little bookcase and the thick, soft straw sandals, she didn't say more.
Lin Shouyi, having become a mountain immortal with lofty aspirations, had his own thoughts about Chen Ping'an, but standing higher and seeing farther, he felt the trivial matters under his nose weren't worth his attention, so he never said anything.
Li Huai was the most outspoken, but most of his complaints were unreasonable. Before Chen Ping'an could respond, Li Baoping had already suppressed him. So on this journey of learning, there had never been irreconcilable differences, maintaining a delicate balance. Later, when Zhu He and Zhu Lu left, and at Yefu Pass, Cui Chan brought two people into the group, the original four became more united, and their bond grew tighter.
The old scholar drank, and after half a catty, he was already tipsy. Probably stirred by the scene, he didn't bother using his powers, allowing himself this rare relaxation. He scanned the surroundings and said softly, "I had a friend I knew since childhood. His family was poor, so he dropped out of school. Later, he opened a small wine shop, about this size. From the time he married at eighteen to his death at sixty-five, he ran that shop for nearly forty years, selling wine for nearly forty years."
The old scholar gently swirled his wine bowl, "Whenever I had spare money and wanted to drink, I'd go to him to buy wine, no matter how far I had to travel."
He smiled sadly, "But one day, the shop was closed. I asked the neighbors and found out my friend had died. Since the shop was shut, I had to buy wine elsewhere. That's when I learned that the wine he sold me was more expensive than what others charged."
Li Baoping said indignantly, "Literary Saint sir, you treated him as a friend, but he didn't seem to treat you the same way."
Chen Ping'an said nothing.
The old man took a sip, "But years later, I found out that the wine he sold me was brewed from herbs he personally gathered from the mountains. He spared no expense, using the best ingredients. He sold it at a loss."
Li Baoping's mouth fell open, and her heart was instantly filled with guilt.
The old man picked up a peanut, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly, "For forty years, I went from a poor scholar barely passing the county exam to... achieving some skill and fame. Every time that friend saw me, he only ever urged me to drink. He never mentioned his children's education or his wife's family's squabbles. He just urged me to drink. Every time, he sat in your seat, Baoping, across from me, as far away as possible, but when he looked up, he could see me. He always smiled foolishly."
Li Baoping thought for a moment, silently moved from her seat, and sat opposite Chen Ping'an, grinning.
Chen Ping'an made a funny face at her.
The old scholar continued slowly, "Later, I found out that his children either became high-ranking officials in the local court, tyrannical and corrupt, harming the state and people, or became noble ladies at a young age, beating and killing servants at will. His wife's family, suddenly wealthy, became a prominent clan in the prefecture. The whole family was rotten, doing every evil deed, harming countless innocent people."
The old scholar stared blankly at the empty seat opposite, "But you insisted on staying in that shabby little wine shop, brewing wine year after year, until you died of old age."
Li Baoping's mouth fell open again, utterly incredulous.
The old scholar withdrew his gaze, drank the cheap wine, and ate the salted peanuts. He said to Chen Ping'an, "In the future, focus on your martial arts and swordsmanship. Don't try to reason with everyone about everything. Don't always follow the principles in books. Learn to adapt. Otherwise, you'll tire yourself out, and in the end, you might be the only one left, with no friends at all. Since ancient times, the higher the divine status of sages, the more they've set examples by doing things that defy common sense, right?"
The old scholar traced a line on the table with his finger, finally stretching his arm as if to draw a path beyond the table. "Think about it. Some paths, you can walk alone for a year—fine. Ten years? A hundred years? A thousand years? But here's the problem: some people are stubborn and insist on walking that road. So what do you do? You must do the right things at the right times. Don't be too prematurely worldly. When you've experienced everything, you won't regret walking the great path alone. Instead, you'll feel..."
The old scholar was truly drunk. He pointed his thumb at himself, "I'm really damn awesome!"
After this bold statement, *bang*—the old scholar's head fell forward, thudding heavily onto the table.
The young man paid the shopkeeper, then carried the old scholar on his back and walked out.
The little girl snickered to herself.
So the Literary Saint could get drunk too, and he even rambled on and on.
"Chen Ping'an! A man who doesn't indulge his youth is a waste. You must drink! Drinking is good!"
"Little Baoping, remember this: cherish this kind fool Chen Ping'an. Don't drift away from him just because he does things too perfectly and seems aloof. Otherwise, one day you'll regret it. Chen Ping'an will become a second Xiao Qi. When something happens, either no one will know, or they'll know but won't dare to help. How tragic would that be..."
"Little Ping'an, we reason with people not to make ourselves miserable. We slowly accumulate it. If one day, the entire world suddenly becomes unreasonable, you'll have the confidence and spirit to shout to it, 'You're all wrong!'"
The old man reeked of alcohol, slapping the young man's head hard as he spoke.
Chen Ping'an, carrying the old scholar on his back, grimaced and nodded vigorously.
The old man belched, straightened his neck, and seemed to be looking for the girl with the green bamboo bookcase. Li Baoping quickly jumped up and down, "I'm here!"
The old man grunted in acknowledgment, then gave Chen Ping'an's head another hard slap. "Little Ping'an, I ask you: as you study more, you'll find the truths in books more and more convincing. But if one day, all the scholars of the entire... or half of the Haoran World start pointing fingers at Baoping, calling her shameless for liking her little uncle, what would you do?"
The little girl didn't take it seriously. She said indignantly, "What's wrong with me liking my little uncle? How did these people study their books?"
The young man, having grown up in the alleys struggling to survive, thought further and knew more about the ugly side of the world. He said without hesitation, "If that day really comes, if they want to curse Baoping, they'll have to get past my fists first."
Chen Ping'an turned to the little girl and smiled, "Little uncle has fists now, and I'll have a sword too. So if that day comes, you must tell me. Even if I'm far away, I'll rush to protect you!"
The old man muttered drunkenly, "But what if the little girl thinks you can't beat those people, is afraid you'll get hurt, and deliberately doesn't call you? Then you, Chen Ping'an, only find out about the miserable outcome afterward? What would you do? At that point, would you just go around killing those scholars indiscriminately?"
Chen Ping'an stopped walking and looked at the little girl, "Baoping, would you rather have me go on a killing spree for you after the fact, getting cursed and killed myself? Or would you rather we face those villains together, openly and honorably, so that even if we die, we die with justification and no regrets?"
The little girl was flustered, "Little uncle, it sounds like the latter choice is slightly better?"
The old man laughed heartily, "It's not as tragic as you think. Scholars still have some face. It won't come to life and death. There will just be some hardships."
Finally, the old scholar clicked his tongue, "Order and sequence—you picked it up fast, using what you've learned. Impressive."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Old sir, is it a bit too much to scare us and then pretend to be drunk just to avoid paying?"
The old man's head immediately went limp, and he snored like thunder.
Li Baoping was still a little shaken. She grabbed Chen Ping'an's sleeve.
Chen Ping'an joked, "What's there to fear? In the future, study hard and win them over by reasoning. If that's not enough, little uncle will train even harder from today on—both fists and sword. When the time comes, little uncle will fly on his sword, *whoosh*, from ten thousand miles away to your side. Imagine it: everyone will look up, eyes wide, staring at your little uncle. Just like when we saw Wei Jin of Wind Snow Temple. Then you can tell them, 'This is my little uncle! Pretty cool, right? Impressive, right?'"
The little girl nodded vigorously, laughing heartily as she jumped, "Wow, so cool, so cool!"
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