Chapter 159: Seeing You Off for Thousands of Miles
After staying at the Qiulu Inn for three days, it was Lin Shouyi who finally said that continuing to stay served little purpose—they could no longer absorb much spiritual energy. Especially since, for some unknown reason, after spending a long time breathing and meditating in the pavilion, he would feel a sharpness as if emitted by a blade, and his physical body and soul could barely withstand it. Lin Shouyi, rarely making a joke, told Chen Ping'an to go check the bottom of the well for treasure.
Chen Ping'an roughly guessed the truth: it must have been the two strands of sword intent that had left his qi repository during his fight with Cui Chan, which had damaged the landscape's qi and luck at this old City God ruins. Since it involved the sword spirit, Chen Ping'an couldn't say much, so when leaving the inn, he simply glanced at Cui Chan a few times. The latter, who had been in excellent spirits the past two days, walking as if the wind carried him, immediately became much more subdued after those looks from Chen Ping'an. Cui Chan was baffled and began to reflect on which of his misdeeds had brought about this retribution.
As the group was leaving the inn, someone was just preparing to check into the Qiulu Inn. Cui Chan looked straight ahead without turning his head, but Li Baoping and the other two children were quite surprised. It turned out to be the former vice minister of the Huangting Kingdom, traveling with his family and servants, leisurely making his way to the prefectural city. Three carriages were parked in the alley outside the inn.
Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, the old vice minister of the Board of Revenue laughed heartily. Especially seeing that Li Baoping, Li Huai, and the other children had all exchanged their straw sandals for boots and were wearing new clothes, full of youthful vigor, the old man grew even more gratified and insisted on seeing them out of the city.
Among the old vice minister's family, a woman dressed elegantly in simple attire, with a dignified bearing, and a blue-robed man with an imposing presence were the most eye-catching. The old man introduced them as his eldest daughter and youngest son, saying that neither had achieved much in their studies, so hoping for them to bring glory to the family through scholarship was a vain wish. Hearing his father complain about him in front of strangers, the blue-robed man remained expressionless. The mature woman smiled as she looked at the youths and children, finally fixing her gaze on Yu Lu. Her smile deepened, as if she had accidentally discovered the most delicious mountain delicacy. As if unable to suppress a cough, she quickly turned sideways and lowered her head, raising her sleeve to cover her crimson lips as she gave two dry coughs.
Inside her wide sleeve, the real scene was the woman secretly swallowing saliva, extending her tongue to lick the corner of her mouth.
Chen Ping'an frowned.
The tall youth acting as the coachman smiled as usual, turning to Cui Chan. "Young master, when do we set out?"
Cui Chan said coldly, "Let's go."
The old vice minister laughed heartily. "This old bones of mine caught a chill recently and really can't take the wind and sun anymore. I'll ride in the same carriage as Young Master Cui and take the opportunity to ask his advice on the cliff inscriptions. You two, follow behind. If you don't want to walk out of the city, you may ride in the carriage or not as you please."
Two carriages drove out of Flowing Cloud and Running Water Lane. Inside the front carriage, Cui Chan and the old vice minister sat facing each other, the atmosphere heavy.
The old man, whose surface identity was the vice minister of the Huangting Kingdom, clasped his fists. "This old man has come uninvited. I hope the Grand Tutor will forgive my transgression."
The white-robed youth with a vermilion dot between his brows rubbed the jade pendant at his waist with two fingers, staring at the old man with great discourtesy, even speaking offensively. "Was it that little bastard of yours who instigated you to come and test the waters? To see if I have the ability to kill you father and son?"
The old man who, on that night, had drunkenly boated to the River of Stars was not angered. His expression was genial. "Grand Tutor, my youngest son has little ability but no shortage of petty schemes. This time, he was truly both afraid and overjoyed, losing his composure. That's why he informed me, hoping I would help him devise a plan on how best to cooperate with you and Great Li. How could this be considered a test? The Grand Tutor misunderstands and overestimates this worthless son of mine."
Cui Chan shook his head. "I don't care what you think. I only care about what you do and the final outcome. Since that little bastard broke my rules first, I naturally have a way to teach him a lesson later. You, his father, that old crawling insect—if you're dissatisfied and intend to tear up the alliance, refusing to become the mountain master of the new Piyunshan Academy, then by all means, let us scheme slowly. We'll see who is higher in the Way and who is mightier in magic."
The old flood-dragon disguised as the vice minister had a gloomy expression. "Grand Tutor, why must you be so aggressive? Even if my youngest son's actions crossed the line a bit, for a Grand Tutor who holds great power, shouldn't the greater picture take precedence? Don't I have even this bit of face, not worth the Grand Tutor's leniency and accommodation?"
"People like you, who treat deception and intrigue as everyday fare, might think this kind of probing is normal. I used to think so too, but now things are a bit different." Cui Chan narrowed his eyes. "My teacher has just taught me a lesson: sometimes you cannot take even a single step forward, or else you'll get beaten."
Cui Chan leaned forward, looking at the weather-beaten face that shifted between overcast and clear, sneering coldly. "Do you really think you're qualified to ride in the same carriage as me? Do you even know that your true form—that old, skinny little flood-dragon on the inkstone of Fulong Temple—is already in my hands?"
The old man smiled bitterly. "Grand Tutor, must it come to this? Even between allies, small disputes don't need to touch the foundation of the Great Way, do they?"
The old man's expression hardened, his eyes revealing the cruel nature beneath. "Originally a tremendous blessing—aren't you afraid of a broken net and dead fish? Both sides ending up with nothing but an empty basket?"
Cui Chan stared intently into the old man's eyes, which had not yet dropped their disguise magic. His wording became increasingly overbearing, but his tone was unusually calm, like the broadest, most vast river—all his power hidden beneath the surface. "You're not worthy of lecturing me with your reasoning. You need to carefully ponder Cui Chan's reasoning, understand? Next, I will use ancient thunder methods to strike the sleeping old flood-dragon on that inkstone—that is, your true form—until I've scattered about three hundred years of your cultivation. So you see, I don't need to deal with your little bastard personally. Naturally, in the end, you will vent your anger on him."
The old flood-dragon's gaze was heavy with murderous intent, and he shouted in a low voice, "Cui Chan! Don't go too far!"
Cui Chan laughed loudly. "Going too far? Are you, an old crawling insect, even human? Your whole family isn't human. Look at your wretched state, and then look at that bastard youngest son of yours—still talking about bringing glory to the family? Especially that one outside, the founding ancestor of Ziyang Manor. When she saw Yu Lu, who is thick with dragon aura, she could barely walk, could she? With a family like yours, even if I dared to prop you up to high places, would you be able to sit steadily and stand firm?!"
Cui Chan extended two fingers pressed together and waved them in front of himself. "You can't do it."
Before the old flood-dragon could speak, Cui Chan pointed his two fingers out the window. "Get out. Looking at you dirties my eyes. If I don't receive a satisfactory answer within three days, I won't give you any reply. Then you're welcome to come and kill me."
The old flood-dragon was silent for a long time before finally bowing with clasped hands and retreating backward.
From beginning to end, there was hardly a ripple in Cui Chan's heart-lake, let alone any bluster disguising inner weakness.
When the carriage paused briefly and then continued forward, Cui Chan closed his eyes, flourishing.
The corners of Cui Chan's mouth curled up, and he murmured, "Three."
Inside the carriage, without warning, a gentle breeze stirred. The white-robed youth's wide-sleeved garment seemed to flow like a slowly moving creek on its surface.
By the roadside, after the old man left the carriage, he exchanged a few pleasantries with the children, then remained behind alone, watching the group depart from the prefectural city.
From the rear carriage descended the blue-robed man and the dignified woman, both looking puzzled.
The old man stared at the carriage until the end, then dejectedly withdrew his gaze. Not only had he found no flaws, he had witnessed a terrifying and unbelievable sight.
Leaping in cultivation realm!
The Confucian-robed old man turned to look at his daughter and son, speaking with a smile. "Only one missing—that counts as a small family reunion. Your father is very pleased."
The woman, who as the founding ancestor of Ziyang Manor clearly had keener intuition, being of the flood-dragon kind and having some natural insight into the heart-lake movements of other species—perhaps thanks to the word 'lake' in her nature—had already sensed something off about the old flood-dragon's state of mind. Without hesitation, she shot up from the ground, transforming into a rainbow light to flee the prefectural city. But she forgot that her gap with this father was not merely a matter of seniority.
The Confucian-robed old man was clearly burning with fury, caring not whether the prefectural city would be caught in the blast. Besides, it was merely a small prefectural city—even the entire Huangting Kingdom, what right did it have to claim hidden dragons and crouching tigers? A few small cats and snakes, perhaps, but nothing to impress an old flood-dragon. Now that the Great Li iron cavalry was heading south, a foregone conclusion, he no longer needed to stay so concealed. But this was based on the premise of a solid alliance with Great Li.
The reason he had gone to this unnecessary trouble, causing complications and angering Grand Tutor Cui Chan, was ultimately that the old man had been truly terrified. His state of mind had fluctuated so greatly that he lost his composure, not much better than the youngest son of the Hanshi River God. After all, he and Cui Minghuang of the Guanhu Academy had personally witnessed that "Thunder Pond" atop the cliff inscriptions, and that old scholar who had waved his sleeve to make them leave the Thunder Pond. Afterwards, a string of golden characters had appeared in his palm.
In the secret letter sent from the great water mansion by the blue-robed man, the father had described the young-looking Grand Tutor of Great Li, detailing Cui Chan's various actions, and said he now had no cultivation realm left, no power at all. There was no malice in the Hanshi River God's words; he simply hoped his father would come to test the waters a bit, to see if he could extract more benefits for the great water mansion. After all, what great water mansion would dare to arm-wrestle with Cui Chan? Even if they killed Cui Chan, what benefit would there be? When Great Li marched south, wouldn't the great water mansion be destroyed?
The blue-robed man asked in a trembling voice, "Father, why is this? Did eldest sister do something wrong?"
The old man extended a withered hand, hooking his five fingers and slowly dragging them downward. His face was cold. "It doesn't have much to do with your sister. The main reason is your unnecessary addition, which cost me three hundred years of cultivation for nothing and will cause many more complications. Your father is not in a good mood. Is that reason enough?!"
Between the old man's fingers, little crimson blood blossoms burst forth. They looked delicate and lovely, but were far from gentle.
Because high in the sky, the same thing happened. On the woman's body, five huge bloody gashes appeared, worse than pork on a chopping block—one cut revealing wounds deep enough to see bone.
Not only that, but the woman, who had already fled a hundred zhang in an instant, was quickly pulled back toward the prefectural city.
However, since the horror unfolded silently in the high sky, the city's residents were unaware, except for a few who happened to look up and were left stunned. No great commotion arose.
In the end, the woman crashed back to the ground with a bang, her body a bloody mess. Her talisman robe, originally of excellent quality, was torn and tattered, barely covering her body. Curled up on the ground, she wailed in agony, pleading bitterly with the old flood-dragon.
The esteemed head of Ziyang Manor, one of the few qi refiners in the Huangting Kingdom, a great cultivator on the verge of reaching the tenth realm—there she was, rolling on the ground.
The Confucian-robed old man waved his hand casually, and the woman's entire body was flung sideways into a shop by the roadside. She smashed a pillar, then collapsed like mud at the base of the wall.
The blue-robed man's face turned pale. "Is it the Grand Tutor who is angry? For such a trivial probe—even if I was wrong, is it worth this much fuss? Isn't he afraid we'll simply defect to Great Sui?"
The Confucian-robed old man stared at his terrified youngest son, sighed, and flicked his sleeve as he left, refraining from punishing him, merely leaving two words: "Worthless."
The Hanshi River God went to pick up his dying sister and carried her back to the carriage. The coachman was the river god's scholar-advisor from the great water mansion. As the blue-robed man lifted the curtain, his back to the scholar, he said with some regret, "Sui Bin, you were right. I shouldn't have been so reckless."
The scholar flicked the whip, slowly driving the carriage back toward the Qiulu Inn, and said softly, "Fortune and disaster are intertwined. It's not all bad. Now you know the Grand Tutor's bottom line, so dealing with him in the future will be easier. Suffering a small loss now is better than later, when the Water God Lord might become complacent and get himself killed without knowing why."
The blue-robed man placed his sister inside the carriage, then sat behind the scholar, speaking in a mix of anger and humiliation. "A small loss?! My father lost three hundred years of cultivation! With his foul temper, I'll have hell to pay from now on! You may not know, Sui Bin, but do you know how my seven or eight siblings died?"
The scholar Sui Bin smiled calmly. "Death is good. When enough die that only three remain, the living won't have to die anymore. In other times, I'd be collecting the Water God Lord's corpse. Mm, I might even need to piece it together—pick up a piece here, a piece there. Some trouble."
If Sui Bin, the behind-the-scenes strategist, had kept offering words of comfort, the blue-robed man might have grown increasingly uneasy, unable to stay even in the prefectural city, perhaps not daring to linger at the great water mansion, wanting to flee thousands of li to avoid the storm. But now, hearing Sui Bin's sharp, sarcastic remarks, the man actually felt somewhat reassured. He glanced at the back of this river god who was a water ghost by nature, and thought to himself: No wonder he and the prefectural governor Wei Li were both valued by that young Grand Tutor.
"Don't keep calling me 'Water God Lord.' I'm not used to it. All these years, I've treated you with special regard, and you've never groveled before me. That's fine. Don't let us share hardship but not prosperity."
Finally, the blue-robed man said indignantly, "Sui Bin, you tell me—my father has studied for so many years, no less than the Confucian sages. His private library collection is the finest in the Huangting Kingdom. So why is his temper still so bad?"
Sui Bin laughed. "Your father has a very good temper with those young scholars. And genuinely good, too."
The blue-robed man could do nothing about this.
Sui Bin hesitated for a moment. "Actually, the reason your father is so furious might still be related to the opportunity of the Great Way. Although you deliberately concealed this from me, that Grand Tutor of Great Li must have known your father was aware. Seeing so far ahead, he may have used this to sow discord between you and your father."
The blue-robed man felt a chill of terror in his heart.
From inside the carriage came an unexpected, timeworn voice. "Sui Bin, being so clever may not be a good thing."
Sui Bin laughed heartily. "Old sir, I was once a scholar too. Mm, now I've become a scholar ghost. Since I don't fear death, what can threaten me with death?"
The mysterious old flood-dragon smiled. "With a blockhead like this having your guidance, I can rest assured."
The blue-robed man could barely breathe.
A good bird chooses its tree to perch on.
If before, the father had looked down on the minor river god, or perhaps was carefully lying low and didn't need outsiders, then from now on, they would be "conquering territory." Wouldn't more "civil officials and military generals" under his command be all the better?
Sui Bin seemed to see through the Hanshi River God's thoughts, smiled slightly, and teased, "Don't worry. I won't change my allegiance. Even as a ghost, I still have some backbone."
Inside the carriage, the old flood-dragon glanced coldly at his daughter, who was curled up in a corner, then turned his gaze toward the carriage curtain. His expression shifted to a heartfelt, genial smile. "I've heard about your daughter's situation. Do you want me to use some influence to help her become the mountain god of Hengshan?"
Sui Bin shook his head. "Let that beastly wretch fend for herself—live or die as she pleases."
The old flood-dragon laughed heartily. "That temper of yours is like mine."
Outside, the blue-robed man and inside, the severely injured woman, both felt a chill of desolation in their hearts.
Every family has its own difficult scriptures to chant.
Whether the Hanshi River God or the founding ancestor of Ziyang Manor—both only one step away from the tenth realm—they were exalted in their own domains, wielding power over life and death, more carefree than secular kings.
But so what?
---
Leaving the prefectural city, the group and carriages continued westward.
Cui Chan stepped down from his carriage and approached Chen Ping'an. First, he said to Li Huai, "Do you want to ride in my carriage? It's spacious and comfortable—you can even lie down and sleep."
Li Huai was eager but didn't dare act on his own. Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly. "Go on."
Cui Chan lowered his voice. "Teacher, learning your way of dealing with people has indeed been useful to me. I've benefited greatly. How can I thank you?"
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Cui Chan was overjoyed. "Teacher, just say the word! Although I can't open the treasure vault in my storage item right now and can't take anything out, last time I entered the city, I bought out that spendthrift's belongings. There were actually two good items—for example, that little glass figurine. It actually hides a secret. If you infuse it with spiritual energy or true qi, it will dance gracefully, so lifelike. It can also sing melodious songs..."
Chen Ping'an said to him, "Disappear."
Cui Chan was deeply grieved. He silently left and went to pester Lin Shouyi and Li Baoping, but both gave him the cold shoulder. Finally, he had to return to his carriage, crestfallen. Seeing Li Huai happily rolling around inside, Cui Chan crouched down, opened a bundle, and pulled out the dull-colored glass figurine. He shook it at Li Huai. "Want it?"
Li Huai stared fixedly at the exquisitely beautiful glass woman, about half a foot tall. The child said words that didn't match his heart. "Not at all."
Cui Chan squeezed slightly, and from within, the glass began to emit a soft radiance. He then set it on the carriage floor. Soon, the glass beauty emitted creaking sounds. After a moment of stillness, it suddenly came to life, beginning to dance gracefully while humming an unfamiliar ancient ballad. It wasn't the official language of Great Li or Great Sui, nor the orthodox refined speech of Baoping Continent, so Li Huai couldn't understand what she sang, but the sight was so pleasing that the child couldn't help lying on the floor, staring in fascination at the glass beauty's enchanting dance.
When the light flowing within the glass faded, the glass beauty returned to stillness, once again a rigid, lifeless object.
Cui Chan coaxed, "You won't take it even for free? What are you afraid of? You're friends with Chen Ping'an, and I'm Chen Ping'an's student. We're this close. What could I want from you? Besides, what do you have that's worth me coveting, right?"
Li Huai withdrew his gaze, looked at Cui Chan, and said angrily, "Bullshit! I have plenty of treasures on me! Do you have insect silver? Can it turn into grasshoppers and dragonflies?"
Cui Chan laughed despite himself. "I gave you that, didn't I?"
Li Huai nodded. "Right, now it's mine. So you don't have any, do you?"
Cui Chan sat down against the carriage wall, holding his stomach and laughing. "As expected, you little bastards from the Lizhu Cave Heaven—especially those who relied on your own luck and fortune to become Qi Jingchun's last batch of personal disciples—none of you are simple. Shi Chunjia and Dong Shuijing fall a bit short—not much better than Yu Lu and Xie Xie."
Cui Chan tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling. "Tsk tsk, truly 'heaven's will works in mysterious ways.'"
He withdrew his gaze and looked at the child lying on the floor, dazed. Curious, he asked, "Really don't want it?"
Li Huai hummed in affirmation. "Don't want it. Last night before sleeping, Chen Ping'an told me that after we get to the Great Sui Academy, I can't casually accept favors from others."
Cui Chan teased, "But we're still a few hundred li from the Great Sui border! Even after entering Great Sui territory, to reach that new Cliff Academy is another seven or eight hundred li. Together, that's at least a thousand li of road. Li Huai, why are you in such a hurry?"
Li Huai stared at the ceiling. "Chen Ping'an said he won't stay at the academy to study. After he sees us there, he'll turn around and go home."
Cui Chan laughed. "Isn't that something you all knew from the beginning?"
Li Huai folded his hands under his head as a pillow and said softly, "As we walked along, I forgot."
Cui Chan was momentarily stunned.
He smiled with schadenfreude. "It's fine. I'm not staying at the academy either. I'll accompany Chen Ping'an back to the small town then. Li Huai, aren't you envious?"
Li Huai turned his head in surprise. Cui Chan looked smug.
Li Huai suddenly sat up, threw open the carriage curtain, and with a face full of grievance, bellowed, "Chen Ping'an! This Cui Chan guy tried to cheat me out of my money!"
Cui Chan hurriedly scrambled to grab the little brat, not letting him continue to slander, and wailed at Chen Ping'an, "I'm innocent!"
Moments later, Chen Ping'an charged into the carriage and brought Li Huai out with him.
Li Huai said cautiously, "Chen Ping'an, I lied to you."
Chen Ping'an said quietly, "I know. I just don't like that guy."
Inside the carriage, the white-robed youth lay bruised and battered, but instead of looking dejected, there was a hint of a smile on his face.
---
At the northwestern border of the Huangting Kingdom, by the bank of a river, after visiting a Water God temple that was far less grand than the Hanshi River temple, the group walked another twenty-plus li before stopping to rest and prepare lunch.
Now that Yu Lu handled the fire and cooking, and Xie Xie was no longer completely idle, with their help, Chen Ping'an could peacefully go fishing by the river. "Fish on ridges in spring, in deep water in summer, in shade in autumn, in sun in winter"—that was a saying handed down from the small town. In late autumn, Chen Ping'an trotted along until he found a moderate river bend in the wind, then began to fish.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Ping'an successfully caught a green river fish over a foot long. But just dragging it ashore, for fear of breaking the rod or losing the fish, took another quarter of an hour. Cui Chan had been crouching nearby, watching intently the whole time. On the way back, he insisted on carrying the fish. As a result, that evening's meal included a pot of rich, delicious stewed fish. Cui Chan, feeling he deserved the credit, ate with lightning speed, arguing heatedly with Li Huai over the pieces.
After eating, Chen Ping'an helped Yu Lu clean up. Once free, he began practicing stake-walking along the river.
Yu Lu borrowed the fishing rod and went to find his own spot.
Lin Shouyi and Xie Xie played chess. Li Baoping was absorbed in her book. In Li Huai's book chest, there was now a glass beauty—he had won it from Cui Chan in a bet. It wasn't that Cui Chan had thrown the match. They had bet on whether the number of black or white Go stones was greater. For fairness, Yu Lu, with his back to them, grabbed a handful. The result: Cui Chan won two, lost three, and lost the glass beauty. Li Huai not only kept his insect silver but also gained a "fierce general" under his command.
Chen Ping'an practiced stake-walking a long way off, finally sitting alone on a rocky cliff by the river, facing the river wind. On the cliff, combining the breathing method of the Eighteen Pauses, the youth attempted the slowest pace of stake-walking.
Between movement and stillness, his qi was calm and his spirit at ease.
---
Not long after leaving the water route, on a mountain peak far from human habitation, they encountered a group of bandits who were no match at all. Lin Shouyi demonstrated his recently acquired Thunder Method, and the villains fled in terror.
One night, Chen Ping'an went night-fishing and caught a large green fish half a man's length. He had to go into the water to successfully land the rare fish. Overjoyed, he returned to the campfire, grinning broadly at Yu Lu, who was on night watch. Yu Lu looked at the dripping-wet fellow and gave him a thumbs-up.
Later, when passing through a chaotic burial ground thick with resentment, ghosts attacked. Lin Shouyi, now proficient in the Thunder Method, displayed great power. Each time he struck, there was a faint rumble of thunder, and his face gleamed. A thin purple aura coiled around his entire body, making him look like a thunder god general. After several dozen ghosts were killed by the thunder method, a light appeared deep in the burial ground, accompanied by a chilling shout. A large sedan chair with lanterns hanging from its four corners drifted over, exuding a sinister aura.
With Chen Ping'an and Xie Xie guarding the others, Lin Shouyi relied on his not-yet-proficient Thunder Method to hold out for a while, but he was still no match for the local tyrant of the burial ground—a ghost entity that had cultivated for a hundred years and condensed a true spirit.
Then Yu Lu, who had never made a move, suddenly dashed forward. With one punch, he easily dispersed all the ghost's spiritual energy, blasting it into nothingness.
After that, Lin Shouyi consulted the "Cloudy Book of Clear Chanting" more frequently.
Thus, they finally arrived at the Great Sui border pass. They smoothly passed through the pass gate, which was not particularly imposing. Li Huai muttered that this place really couldn't compare to their Great Li's Yefu Pass—far inferior.
But the next moment, on the street inside the pass, hoofbeats sounded, growing closer and more thunderous.
Chen Ping'an told everyone to stay by the roadside and clear the way.
Then twenty-plus elite cavalry galloped in at lightning speed, led by a burly general in silver armor holding a spear. Also present were an old Daoist with an immortal aura, carrying a peachwood sword on his back, and a pale-skinned, beardless old man sitting calmly on his horse with his hands in his sleeves. These two reclusive masters, like old gods, flanked a young man with a jade-like complexion.
When Chen Ping'an saw that young man, his heart jolted.
Afraid of what, that's what comes.
That young man in brocade, who had once appeared in the small town, spotted Chen Ping'an's group and laughed loudly as he galloped ahead of the cavalry. He reined in a dozen paces before reaching them, dismounted with practiced ease, and strode forward. After sweeping his gaze over them, he fixed his eyes on Chen Ping'an and smiled. "We meet again!"
Holding a horsewhip, the youth tapped it against his palm and continued without waiting for a reply. "Do you know that because of that golden carp and that treasure I later learned was called the 'Dragon King's Basket,' I nearly died on the border of Great Li?"
The youth suddenly burst out laughing. "But I'm still very grateful to you! Even though I gave you a pouch of gold-essence copper coins at the time, looking back now, I still got the better of you greatly. I swore that next time we met, I'd give you even more compensation..."
The youth slapped his forehead, looking a bit embarrassed, and introduced himself, "I'm from the Gao clan of Yiyang Commandery in Great Sui. You can just call me Gao Xuan."
The beardless old man, who had also met Chen Ping'an before, was about to speak, but the young man named Gao Xuan waved his hand. "No matter. Names are meant to be called anyway."
The youth looked at them and smiled. "I've come personally to escort you to our Great Sui Cliff Academy."
---
From that day on, the escort force grew from the thirty-some Imperial Guards brought by the Gao youth, to over two hundred elite border cavalry, and finally to a retinue of over a thousand. They traveled grandly through the territories of two states and seven commanderies, swiftly heading toward the Great Sui capital.
That traveling study group no longer trudged step by step over mountains and rivers. Even Li Huai sat openly in a carriage, flanked front and back by sturdy Great Sui cavalry. Occasionally, gazes fell upon the carriage, filled with a reverence and envy that Li Huai couldn't quite understand.
All along the way, until the outline of the Great Sui capital's city walls came into view, Li Huai felt as if he were being enshrined like a bodhisattva.
At first, Li Huai found it novel and amusing. But the closer they got to the destination, the more uncomfortable he became.
Li Baoping grew increasingly silent, clinging to Chen Ping'an every day.
Lin Shouyi seemed oblivious to everything, spending each day in his private carriage, focused on cultivation.
Yu Lu, still driving Cui Chan's carriage, showed no visible change in mood.
In the rear carriage, Cui Chan was bored to death, either sleeping in or yawning, listless. He had to call Xie Xie into the carriage for a game of Go.
In the end, only about a hundred cavalry entered the capital. Li Huai was shocked to see the extremely wide imperial avenue packed with Great Sui citizens, so densely crowded that the city seemed emptied, all gathered to gawk at them.
Lin Shouyi opened his eyes, ceasing his cultivation. He lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked out at the sea of heads. The youth sighed.
So this was what it meant to be Qi Jingchun's personal disciple.
The new Cliff Academy, relocated to Great Sui, was built on the most scenic Eastern Flowery Mountain in the capital. The academy was constructed along the mountainside, rising in tiers, far larger than the Great Li Academy had been.
It was said that the Gao Emperor had not only invited the most learned Confucian scholars of Great Sui but had also dispatched half of the Ministry of Rites, led by the Left Vice Minister, to personally extend grand invitations to famous literati across all allied kingdoms and states. In the end, they had recruited over thirty literary masters—heads of schools of thought from various countries, renowned scholars and erudites, revered both in court and among the people—to come to Eastern Flowery Mountain in the Great Sui capital to serve as teaching professors at the new academy.
But from the Emperor down to the commoners, everyone knew that Cliff Academy with Qi Jingchun was one thing, without him another.
Now that Mountain Master Qi Jingchun had vanished without a trace, rumored to have died of illness, having his direct disciples "preside" over the academy became paramount. Otherwise, it would lack legitimacy and struggle to win over the public.
Now they had come, like a timely snowfall bringing charcoal in winter, arrived at the Great Sui capital. The Great Sui Emperor felt that no matter how grand the ceremony, it could not be excessive.
Though there were only three children, that was enough!
They were Lin Shouyi, Li Huai, and Li Baoping.
Additionally, there were two non-personal students, far lesser in weight than the first three, but still considered frosting on the cake.
Yu Lu and Xie Xie.
---
The streets leading to Eastern Flowery Mountain had already been cleared, no one allowed to walk them freely. Even the children of powerful clans only dared to watch from high towers on either side, gazing from afar at the momentous carriage procession.
The Great Sui Gao Emperor, wearing the most formal bright-yellow court robe with a coiled dragon, stood at the foot of the mountain outside the academy gates, smiling kindly at the five children who descended from two carriages.
Behind the Emperor stood the most powerful handful of people in Great Sui.
The entire Eastern Flowery Mountain was solemn and imposing.
Just the tenth-realm qi refiners, originally aloof from worldly affairs, numbered as many as six near Eastern Flowery Mountain, all hidden in the shadows to guard against unforeseen incidents.
Li Baoping asked, "Where is Little Uncle Master?"
Even Yu Lu looked around in bewilderment.
And so these children simply left the Great Sui Emperor standing there, cooled off.
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On a certain street in the Great Sui capital, a handsome, jade-like white-robed youth was walking backward, looking at the similarly aged youth carrying a bamboo backpack. He asked curiously, "You've changed clothes, put on boots, and stuck in your hairpin—why aren't you entering the academy with them?"
The youth who no longer wore straw sandals remained silent, simply turning his head to look back.