Chapter 172: Seeing Injustice on the Jianghu Road
Without Cui Dongshan's deliberate guidance twice over, the path Chen Ping'an walked after that was actually on the jianghu, not on the mountain of gods and monsters.
But Chen Ping'an was completely unaware of this, only feeling a bit regretful that he hadn't encountered any more eye-opening spirits and ghosts. Now that he no longer needed to worry about the safety of Li Baoping and the others on their study tour, and with a pair of snake and python who had attained the Dao accompanying him as escorts, Chen Ping'an hoped to run into more unusual things—of course, the best scenario would be to observe from afar, gaining experience without falling into danger.
Unfortunately, they were about to leave the territory of the Huangting Kingdom, and the journey had remained remarkably dull.
One evening, after finishing his stake-walking practice on the water snake's back, Chen Ping'an rested in a dilapidated temple beside a quiet mountain path and began to light a fire to cook.
Although Chen Ping'an deliberately chose desolate wilderness on his way back to the Great Li, he still encountered many men and women traveling through the forests. Most wore mink fur and brocade, carried swords or sabers, and exuded an aura of the jianghu. Some looked quite ferocious, with fierce faces that clearly indicated they were not righteous folk. But fortunately, upon meeting Chen Ping'an and his companions, they at most gave a few sidelong glances, and no real trouble arose.
When traveling the jianghu, if you encounter an old monk, a young Daoist, or a beautiful nun—characters that seem easy to bully—it's best not to provoke them at all. This is a principle passed down through generations by countless jianghu predecessors who capsized in the ditch.
Chen Ping'an owed this to the presence of the green-clad child and the pink-skirted girl by his side. After all, few normal people would bring along two children, both of whom were exquisitely cute, wandering through deep mountain forests where wild beasts roamed. Only someone with at least a bit of sense would not easily attack.
In fact, they had encountered a band of ruffians roaming the area who indeed had malicious intentions. They cautiously followed the trio, looking for the right moment to strike. But in the end, they witnessed the green-clad child, who looked like he could be crushed with a single finger, transform into his terrifying true form—a long snake that crossed mountains and valleys, snapping large trees along the way. That scared the group so badly they nearly wet their pants.
The pink-skirted girl helped Chen Ping'an gather dead branches, busying herself tirelessly. The green-clad child, a lazybones who loved to have food prepared for him, crouched outside the temple yawning and said lazily, "Master, there are two groups of people on the mountain path coming toward each other, about to clash soon. The one on the left is fighting and killing—looks like fun. The one on the right is all in fancy clothes and fine horses, and there's a long-legged pretty woman among them. If you're interested, Master, I'll snatch her for you as a wife. Once you've played with her, you can let her go home. At worst, I'll give her some treasures and opportunities—she might even be grateful to you for it..."
Chen Ping'an was crouching, blowing on the sparks in the large firewood pile, and said casually, "When you meet them, don't stir up trouble."
The green-clad child boredly rubbed his cheeks and said huffily, "Master, if I don't stretch my bones soon, my limbs will be moldy!"
Chen Ping'an ignored him.
From one end of the mountain path outside the dilapidated temple, shouts erupted.
A group of grimy men was chasing a panicked beautiful woman. A tall, burly man laughed loudly:
"You bitch! Run! Keep running! I've caught you now. I'll strip you naked and see all that white, plump flesh. I'll have to think carefully about where to take the first bite!"
The bald burly man and the five or six people beside him laughed with delight, their grins ferocious, full of pleasure and hatred.
"A venomous woman like that—just boil her in a pot and eat the meat. Throw in some scallions, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns—mm, it'll be delicious. This body must weigh a hundred catties, enough for us to feast on for several meals."
"Don't fight me over this—I've loved eating pigeon since I was a child!"
The green-clad child's eyes lit up.
Chen Ping'an let the pink-skirted girl help with the cooking, stood up, and walked to the temple entrance. The green-clad child was eager, but Chen Ping'an pressed his head down, forcing him to stay put.
On the other side of the mountain path, there was the sound of horse hooves and cheerful laughter. Soon they noticed something unusual on the road. Upon hearing the filthy talk from the bandit-like men, a young woman carrying a longbow on her back immediately turned cold-faced, clearly displeased. She glanced at the staggering, voluptuous woman, then quickly looked away and stared at the waving swords and brandished weapons of the bandits. She snorted, squeezed her horse's flanks with her long legs, suddenly sped up, and charged forward first. "I'll save her!"
A young man with a sword adorned with a silver tassel immediately followed the woman, spurring his horse to ride alongside her. He smiled and said in a low voice, "Lan Zhi, with outsiders around earlier, I couldn't say much. But according to our prefecture's secret records, this Centipede Ridge mountain range has always been plagued by demons and evil spirits. Some of the big demons on several peaks even support each other, making them extremely troublesome. If the government hadn't recently led a sweep through Centipede Ridge, I wouldn't have dared to agree to let you enter the mountains."
The woman, in addition to carrying a silver longbow engraved with ancient runes on her back, had a narrow saber in a black scabbard at her waist. She pressed her hand on the saber hilt and said coldly, "If it really is a demon, then good. Slaying demons and vanquishing evil isn't something only the mountain immortals can do—we can too!"
The young man smiled helplessly and said nothing more, urging his horse forward. He only hoped that this act of chivalry wouldn't lead to any trouble. Unlike the woman, who had just left her sect and was new to the world, he was the son of an official family with a decent background and had more experience with the dangers of the world.
The woman's clothes were torn and barely covered her body, revealing large patches of fair, tender skin. She looked pitiful. Although she was a martial artist, after being chased for so long, she was already at the end of her strength, her steps faltering. Seeing the man and woman galloping toward her, she mustered the last of her energy and cried out, "I beg you two righteous heroes to save me!"
The young woman took off her cloak and threw it to the woman. Skillfully controlling her horse, she passed by the woman, drew her narrow saber, reined in her horse, and glared fiercely at the bandits. "Get lost!"
The young man stopped his horse beside the woman and said with a smile, "Madam, you're shaken."
The woman wrapped the cloak around her body, panting heavily, her face pale. Trembling, she said fearfully, "Sir, you must be careful of those mountain bandits. They claim to be cultivators and indeed possess some Dao magic and powers. It would be best if you and that young lady could hold them off for a moment so I can continue on my way. As for this cloak, I'm sorry to the chivalrous young lady..."
The young man had been secretly observing the woman. After hearing her words and finding no obvious flaws, he said with a smile, "Madam, there's no need to flee in such a hurry. In broad daylight, they wouldn't dare commit crimes. Even if they are hardened outlaws who have practiced cultivation in the mountains, you needn't worry too much. We have our own plans. Just rest assured."
The woman opened her mouth as if to say something, then stopped herself. She didn't argue further. Instead, she said pitifully, "Sir, you should still be careful. Those villains will do any evil deed, and their foul language is commonplace. It might dirty your ears."
The young man relaxed his guard a little and nodded with a smile. "Madam, with such a kind heart, you should not have suffered this calamity."
Hearing this, the woman bit her lip hard. Suddenly, a look of deep sorrow crossed her face, and she lowered her head, sobbing uncontrollably. "It's just a pity for my husband and daughter... My daughter is only twelve years old... I don't want to live anymore..."
Several horsemen had already come to the side of the young man and the pitiful woman. Hearing her words, how could they not understand what a terrible tragedy had occurred? Traveling in such harsh terrain, bandits robbing for money and women was not common in the Huangting Kingdom, but it was by no means rare.
A young man, who was deliberately growing a bristly beard despite his youth, immediately flew into a rage. Although he was not an easy person to deal with even in his sect or the jianghu, he could not stand seeing the weak being bullied. He raised his whip and charged forward. "Lan Zhi, I'll help you! These damned bandits deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
Up ahead, the group of men saw the young woman called Lan Zhi. Seeing that the woman was about to escape, the leading burly man's eyes turned red with anger. He cursed, "Blind little bitch! You tell me to get lost?!"
Seeing the fierce expression on the young woman's face, the burly man laughed angrily. "Get out of the way! You're all snot-nosed brats still sucking on your mothers' milk, and you want to play hero? If your sect elders were here, I'd slap them across the face. Make way now! That woman is a hundred-year-old demon who has done nothing but evil. Once I skin her alive, you'll know whether she's human or demon!"
The bearded young man galloped alone to the front, drew his longsword, and pointed it at the group. He laughed loudly, "Oh? The villain complains first?"
An old man in a blue robe behind the burly man frowned. "Pointing your sword at someone? Who taught you such manners?"
The bearded young man glared. "Your ancestor!"
The old man in blue sneered. "Old Song, you go capture the demoness first. I'll teach this youngster a lesson."
"Don't take too long. The old demon still has tricks up her sleeve. You'll need your revitalization technique just in case." The burly man nodded solemnly, then led his men charging forward, completely ignoring the woman and the young man blocking the road.
The mountain path was not wide, allowing only three horses to ride abreast. The young woman with the narrow saber and a beautiful face said sternly, "Stop right there?!"
The burly man rushed through between the young woman and the bearded young man. The woman tried to block him with her saber, but the man grabbed the blade gently and pushed it away, sending her stumbling. The woman, who considered herself a minor martial arts master, stood there stunned. The bearded young man, even more hot-tempered, slashed down fiercely with his saber. The burly man ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on the woman ahead, casually grabbed the saber with his hand, and tossed it down the mountain.
The two young heroes who had descended the mountain with such high spirits now stood like a pair of dazed door gods on either side, letting the bandits gallop past.
The old man in blue slowly urged his horse forward, looked at the stunned young swordsman, and sneered. "A Third Realm martial artist dares to act recklessly? Little child, you don't know your place. Do you know how many cultivators below the Fifth Realm that old demoness has killed? More than you can count with both hands. And you think you can protect her? She's probably already scheming in her belly about how to swallow you alive, piece by piece!"
The old man curled his lip. "Then again, it's hard to say. That old demoness is skilled in a sinister dual cultivation technique and likes to feast on the blood essence of strong young men. Someone like you, a little rabbit with three legs, would die beneath the peony flowers—be a ghost even in death, and quite romantic at that."
The bearded young man's face turned beet red. Furious and humiliated, he shouted, "You old bastard, you go too far!"
The old man raised his arm and slapped the air. Even though he was some distance from the bearded young man, a sharp slap rang out loudly on the latter's face. The young man was knocked off his horse, spun twice in the air, and hit the ground.
This kind of technique, by jianghu standards, was a skill that only a Fourth or Fifth Realm minor grandmaster could possess. Those in the Sixth or Seventh Realm were all grandmasters qualified to establish their own sects within a kingdom. As for the legendary Eighth or Ninth Realm? Hard even to meet—every one of them was a guest of honor for emperors and kings. They had long since transcended the jianghu.
The young woman, quick-witted, immediately turned to warn her friend. "Be careful of that woman!"
In the blink of an eye, the woman wrapped in the cloak suddenly looked up. She reached out, grabbed the young man beside her, pulled him off his horse, and firmly grasped his arm. She said seductively, "I thought you might at least hold them off a little, but you're all just useless ants. In that case, help me, your Lady of Green Bud Mountain!"
But just as the woman began to circulate her qi, absorbing the young man's blood essence to nourish her own qi palaces, she caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye of the straw-sandaled youth who had been watching coldly from the dilapidated temple. His movements were far quicker than she had imagined. He sprang up like a startled rabbit, leaped into the air, and brought a fist down toward her head. The woman smiled seductively, taking him for a naive little fool. She didn't even bother to dodge the punch, not believing it could even wrinkle her clothes.
But as she enjoyed the intoxicating feeling of replenishing her qi with the young man's essence, that punch landed like a hammer on her temple. It sent her head swinging violently to the side. Although her temple wasn't broken, her skin burned with pain. The woman's fingers, hooked like claws, dug deep into the young man's arm, making him shriek as if his soul were being torn apart.
After landing the hit, the youth used the momentum to leap back, putting some distance between himself and the woman. Once his feet touched the ground, his qi circulated rapidly through his body, smoothly passing through a series of qi palaces along the six-stop path. As he launched another punch, he growled, "Attack together!"
The burly man was startled by the straw-sandaled youth's decisive strike. He feared that a coordinated attack from his side might harm innocents, so he hesitated for a moment. He made a gesture for his allies to surround the old demoness first. He himself moved closer, lest the youth fail to kill the demon and instead become bait for her to strengthen her own qi.
Compared to those rash young jianghu juniors, the burly man found this youth, who had seemed to watch from the sidelines but now attacked with such ferocity, far more agreeable.
Traveling through wild mountains and lakes, it was inevitable to encounter evil spirits and monsters. Having good judgment was often more important than strength. One should only take on tasks commensurate with one's ability; otherwise, it's best not to cause trouble. That was the key to a long life.
The burly man appreciated the warm-heartedness of those young men and women, but he was truly annoyed by their recklessness and ignorance.
The seductive woman still refused to release the young man's arm. After suffering a loss, she no longer underestimated the youth. She quickly turned sideways, and as that hateful boy threw another punch, she kicked at him with tremendous force, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder. Even a boulder on the cliff would have been dented by such a kick.
The youth, his face resolute, moved with extraordinary lightness. Instead of going straight forward, he sidestepped instantly, dodging the fierce kick. At the same time, he lowered his body, raising one arm to guard his shoulder in case the woman swept at him, and continued forward, punching at the woman.
Only then did the woman clearly see the youth's strange nature. This punch, though seemingly unadorned, actually flowed with the true essence of fist techniques. No wonder it had hurt her earlier.
The burly man roared, "Don't hurt anyone!"
He threw a punch through the air, and a fist blast tore through the space, heading straight for the woman's head.
A snow-white chain, not quite physical, extended from the sleeve of a man behind the burly man, rattling as it shot out.
Another man, carrying a peachwood sword on his back, pressed his fingers together and shouted "Go!" at the woman. The ready peachwood sword leaped from its sheath, flew high into the air, traced an arc, and descended toward the woman's neck.
"Don't think I'm easy to bully! Do you think I endured this pursuit for two hundred li of mountain road for nothing?!" the woman laughed wildly. As the straw-sandaled youth had expected, she swept her leg toward his shoulder. At the same time, behind her, three long, fox-like crimson tails materialized from nothing. They intercepted the burly man's fist blast, the chain from the sleeve, and the peachwood sword. Although the tails were drenched in blood from the impact, they managed to block the fierce combined attack.
She casually tossed aside the young man's arm, which was now so badly injured that the bone was visible. Fully freeing her hands, she grabbed the youth's fist with one hand, enduring the burning pain in her palm. With the other hand, she stabbed a finger toward his glabella. She thought angrily about piercing right through his skull to vent her anger. She was somewhat wary of the youth, but her true deadly enemy was not him. She looked past him toward the distance behind the dilapidated temple and said teasingly, "Old flame, are you really going to watch your woman be bullied by outsiders?!"
But the youth was far too cunning. With his fist still held firmly by the woman, he leaned his body back and kicked her in the abdomen. Slightly pained, the woman instinctively pulled back her hand. She did not pursue the youth, instead throwing a flirtatious glance. "I'll deal with you properly later. Your lady is known for her kind heart. I guarantee you'll experience pleasure beyond belief and only regret that you don't have more lives to enjoy!"
The burly man sighed in relief. He couldn't help but give the youth a thumbs up and laughed in praise, "Beautiful!"
After Chen Ping'an retreated safely, he took a deep breath. The pink-skirted girl, who had already rushed out of the dilapidated temple, was almost in tears. "Master, master! That guy told me to protect you while he dealt with the stronger one, but I really don't know how to fight! I'm so worried! Master, I'm sorry—I'm useless..."
Chen Ping'an kept his eyes fixed on the woman but reached out to gently pat the pink-skirted girl's head. "It's okay. Just pay attention next time."
The girl, who had spent all her life cultivating in a library, felt even more guilty and burst into loud sobs.
The burly man said in a low voice, "There are still high-level demon cultivators on Centipede Ridge. We'll act according to the situation. If worst comes to worst, we'll at least protect these kids and retreat."
Everyone nodded. Though they knew that facing such a worst-case scenario would be like climbing to heaven, they had no objections.
If it hadn't been for the danger of the chase—the revitalization technique of the old man in blue had already prevented casualties in their group—and the demon's heinous crimes, they wouldn't have been so "rude" to the woman when the situation was already under control. Their hatred was so deep that they truly wanted to boil her in a pot to feel satisfied.
After the woman's triumphant teasing, she noticed there was no movement from afar. That stupid bear should have made a grand, earth-shattering entrance by now. She immediately grew anxious and screeched, "Where are you?!"
In the distant forest behind the temple, a burly man over ten feet tall, wielding twin axes, looked at the green-clad child a dozen paces away. The child was grinning at him, making a comical expression as if drooling over a delicious meal.
The massive mountain demon, as big as a hill, gulped, then turned and fled. He ran wildly, smashing through mountains and felling trees as he went. Finally, he dropped his axes altogether, reverted to his true form, and scrambled away on all fours like a giant bear, fleeing in sheer panic.
The woman, who had expected the terrifying bear spirit to back her up, was caught off guard. In the ensuing battle of cultivators, she was hit by the burly man's fist blast. She fell to the ground, and the peachwood sword quickly pinned her shoulder. Chains wrapped around her body. More magical artifacts were applied to her, and finally, the burly man, whose fist techniques were transcendent, stomped several times on her forehead, forcibly dispersing the flow of qi in her palaces. He stomped her head into the muddy road.
Finally, the burly man produced a silver dagger, drove it completely into her chest, and grabbed her by the neck, throwing her over his horse. He glanced with a complicated expression at the green-clad child squatting on the temple roof, then looked at the thin youth beside the pink-skirted girl. He cupped his hands and said with a laugh, "When you travel the jianghu in the future, young master, you also need to be cautious. Not everyone on the mountain is like us."
Chen Ping'an quickly understood the man's meaning: the mountain immortals, upon seeing the true forms of his snake and python, would likely attack without asking questions, unlike these people who would not act unless they saw evil deeds. Chen Ping'an cupped his hands in return. "I'll be careful."
The burly man mounted his horse, glanced back to confirm the woman was still unconscious, then said to Chen Ping'an with a hearty laugh, "Nice fist technique! Keep it up!"
Thinking the man was teasing him, Chen Ping'an smiled sheepishly. "Senior, your fist technique is truly impressive."
The burly man laughed heartily, said no more, cupped his hands to the youth once again, then turned his horse and led his men back the way they had come. This demon-hunting expedition had not been smooth. It had taken over half a month just to lure out the target, and the chase had lasted two days and two nights. Even as a Fifth Realm pure martial artist, his mind and body were exhausted. For the rest of the party, all qi refiners, it was even worse. They needed to quickly report to the prefectural authorities. Not to mention the generous rewards from the Huangting Kingdom's imperial court, returning to their respective sects would also bring them great merit.
As the burly man rode past the young woman, he said irritably, "Good people and bad people don't have characters carved on their foreheads for you to see. Don't be so rash in the future. It's commendable that you chose to come down the mountain for training, but do fewer stupid things that require your sect to clean up after you."
The two groups parted ways.
The bearded young man retrieved his saber. The young man whose arm the woman had grabbed was in the worst state. Even after applying medicine to stop the bleeding, he was still wailing in agony. His arm was a bloody mess, and it was obvious it was likely ruined.
One person, his face pale and unable to bear watching his friend's suffering any longer, suddenly noticed the youth turning back toward the temple. He stood up and shouted angrily, "What's wrong with you?! Why didn't you strike sooner?! If you saw through the demon's disguise this whole time, why didn't you even give a warning?! Were you just waiting to watch a good show?!"
Soon someone else chimed in with a trembling voice, "You're the one who harmed Brother Ma!"
Chen Ping'an stopped walking. He turned around and looked at the two men without a word.
One of them stepped back in fear. The other mustered his courage and glared back. "What, are you guilty? Are you going to attack us too?!"
Chen Ping'an still said nothing. He simply pointed to his head, then to his heart. Then he turned back to the fire, crouched down, and looked at the small pot of cooking rice.
The man wouldn't let it go. He muttered about prefectural soldiers, lawlessness, and the general's cavalry, until the young master with the silver sword tassel stopped him. Only then did he stop. The group mounted their horses. One of them shared a horse with the injured man, tying them together with ropes so the latter wouldn't fall from the pain.
Standing at the temple entrance, the green-clad child watched the retreating figures. His eyes gleamed green light. "Master, why didn't you let me teach those ungrateful wretches a lesson? I'm about to explode with anger! How infuriating! I need to calm down!"
The green-clad child used a water-gathering technique, summoning a large water orb above his head, drenching himself and making him look like a drowned chicken.
The pink-skirted girl, crouching beside Chen Ping'an, agreed for once. "It is infuriating!"
Chen Ping'an said softly, "Just because others are unreasonable doesn't mean we have to be unreasonable too. If our own conscience is clear, that's enough."
Chen Ping'an suddenly smiled. "We won't see them again anyway, and we're not their parents. We don't have to explain everything to them. Those principles I just learned—they weren't easy to get from books. Why should I teach them for free?"
The pink-skirted girl covered her mouth and giggled.
The green-clad child snapped his fingers, and his soaked green clothes instantly became dry. He walked back into the temple, stretched out his hands to the fire, and said, "Master, I didn't say I wanted to reason with them. I wanted to swallow them whole..."
Seeing Chen Ping'an's gaze, he quickly changed his tune. "Of course, that's impossible! Alas, Master, I just wanted to teach them a little lesson—like beating them black and blue until even their parents wouldn't recognize them. Well, that long-legged girl can be spared. I'll leave her to you to figure out."
Chen Ping'an opened the pot lid. The aroma of rice filled the air. The pink-skirted girl obediently handed him a rice ladle and three small white bowls stacked together.
The three of them crouched together and ate, using pickled vegetables as a side. Out of nowhere, Chen Ping'an thought of someone who used to knock his bowl with chopsticks and shout for meat, and the words that person had said. He said to the green-clad child, "A truly strong person is willing to take the weak person's freedom as his boundary."
The green-clad child was shoveling rice into his mouth, making loud noises, but in truth, he had only eaten a tiny bit the whole time. He blinked, then said with utter sincerity, "Wow, Master, your magnanimity is even wider than the Imperial River! I'm in awe! It moves heaven and earth! What a pity you're not a scholar; otherwise, you'd have been appointed a nobleman by the academies long ago."
Though he caught the sarcasm in the green-clad child's words, Chen Ping'an sighed and thought to himself. "That wasn't my line."
The green-clad child didn't dare push his luck. He turned his flattery far more sincere. "I'll just pretend it was your line, Master. Your noble character is a perfect match for those words!"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Where did you learn all these flattering words? Don't you normally cultivate?"
"I do cultivate! When I cultivate in earnest, I scare even myself..." The green-clad child snorted. "I'm diligent as hell. I just occasionally come out for some fresh air, drink wine and eat meat with my water-god brothers. That's what my subordinates always say about me. I'm just borrowing it."
The green-clad child looked at Chen Ping'an, wagging his head. "Before, I might have had a tiny doubt—were those little ones just saying that for rewards? But now that I've met you, Master, I feel sure they meant it. Because my feelings for you couldn't be more genuine. Ah, if I'd known, I should have given them more goodies, even if I had to go into debt with the water-god brother. I've chilled the hearts of my troops. Right, Master? When subordinates have sincere hearts, superiors need to cherish them!"
So all this roundabout talk was just him coming to Chen Ping'an to ask for a reward?
Chen Ping'an chuckled. "You want a snake gallbladder stone? There really is one in my hometown—more than one, actually. But I'm not giving it to you."
The green-clad child immediately knelt down, holding his bowl above his head. "Heavens above, bear witness! Master, you old man, have pity on me! On this journey, if I have no merit, I have at least put in hard work. It's been very hard every day resisting the urge to eat that silly girl!"
The pink-skirted girl hid a little closer to Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "Alright. When we reach my hometown, you'll each get one snake gallbladder stone."
The green-clad child jerked his head up, looking indignant. "Why does she get one too? Master, if you must give her one, then I want two!"
She didn't dare argue, but her face was full of grievance on the verge of tears.
Chen Ping'an held up two fingers to the green-clad child. "Two, is it?"
The latter nodded like a pecking chick.
Chen Ping'an withdrew his fingers. "All gone."
The green-clad child put down his bowl at his feet, threw himself forward, hugged Chen Ping'an's calf, and rolled around on the ground. "Master, I know I was wrong! One is fine!"
Chen Ping'an ignored him. He looked toward the sky outside the small temple and murmured, "Is it going to snow soon?"