Chapter 178: I See a Mountain
Chen Ping'an did not enter the Great Li territory through the Wild Husband Pass this time. After walking out of that plank road and valley, Chen Ping'an and his two companions encountered a squad of elite cavalry.
Amidst the boundless wind and snow, the two sides faced off.
Most of those Great Li border elites had already silently turned their horses around, but suddenly one rider charged out, galloping swiftly to Chen Ping'an's side. It was a young, resolute face, full of vigilance and scrutiny. Deep in the eyes of this Great Li border scout, there was also a hint of determination that Chen Ping'an did not understand at the time.
When this rider suddenly emerged, the other comrades also gritted their teeth and followed, sending snow chips splashing everywhere, rushing toward them.
Chen Ping'an shouted in the Great Li official language, "We are from Dragon Spring County, returning from Yellow Court Country, entering through the Ox Fence Gate."
At the same time, Chen Ping'an took out the travel permit issued by the Dragon Spring County government from his bosom. Having traveled thousands of miles for study, it was covered with official seals from various countries, regions, and passes. Seeing that the cavalryman was about to dismount, Chen Ping'an took three steps as one, trotted forward, and reached up high to hand it over. The cavalryman's body became even more tense, and the entire squad of scouts narrowed their pupils slightly, as if facing a great enemy.
That scout bent down to take the travel permit, carefully examined it, and then suddenly broke into a brilliant smile. The hand that had been tightly gripping the knife handle secretly made a safety military gesture behind his back. The cavalryman still insisted on dismounting, returned the permit, and after Chen Ping'an carefully put it away, the young cavalryman laughed, "In such terrible weather, if you run into trouble, you can go to our beacon tower to rest for a while. We have food prepared. Wait until the wind and snow die down a bit before continuing on your journey."
Chen Ping'an felt the genuine sincerity from the cavalryman and immediately clasped his fists with a smile, "No need, I happen to take this opportunity to practice my fist stances. It's tough, but I can handle it."
Great Li revered martial arts, and its people were known for their fierce temperament, famous throughout the continent.
The straw-sandal youth's resilience quickly won the favor of this elite scout squad. Even a rough-faced, stern old squad leader grinned knowingly.
With that, they parted ways. The scouts continued south to reconnoiter, and Chen Ping'an continued north to return home.
The border cavalry squad leader looked back at the three figures heading north, restrained his smile, turned around, and scolded the cavalryman under his command, "What heroics were you trying to pull? Don't you value your life?! Not to mention the depth of that youth's skills, the two thin-clothed maidservant and book boy beside him are clearly cultivators of no meager cultivation base. Otherwise, how could they withstand such weather? When we got close just now, they had such good complexions—didn't you notice?
If the three were indeed enemy spies, this reckless advance of yours to question them wouldn't just get us all wiped out; it would also delay the transmission of intelligence!"
The young cavalryman stammered but still seemed a bit unconvinced, "Squad leader, we're Class B scouts of the border. This is still within Great Li territory. No matter where those Qi refiners come from, they have to follow our border army's rules, right? If they really dared to kill us, an investigation afterward would make them pay dearly. And even if the worst comes to worst, isn't there the Prince? I just don't believe anyone has the guts to tangle with the Prince."
The old squad leader, who had spent half his life in military service, was so angry he whipped at him, but the strike landed in the empty space beside the young cavalryman's shoulder—lots of sound but little substance. He laughed angrily, "If this were when I first joined the army, your behavior would be an insult to the Qi refiner masters, you know? You wouldn't even know how you died. If you met a generous and righteous general, at most he'd get you a few dozen taels of compensation silver. If not generous, he wouldn't give a damn whether you lived or died!"
To become a Class B scout in the Great Li border army was undoubtedly to be among the elite of the Great Li military; there were few fools. The young cavalryman quickly tried to remedy the situation, "Old squad leader, calm down. When we later fight all the way to Great Sui's Gao clan's lair, I'll use my military merits to trade you a delicate-skinned noble lady from a wealthy family to cool your fire..."
The old squad leader laughed and cursed, "Get lost! With your paltry military merits, you wouldn't even fill the gaps between my teeth. Cut the crap, continue the patrol! Higher-ups have said to be careful of Yellow Court Country jumping the wall in desperation. The worse the weather, the more we need to be vigilant. I'm not afraid of them rushing in headfirst to die, but after so many years of war, it's always been our horses trampling into others' lands. There's no reason to let others trample into our home."
The young cavalryman grinned cheekily, "Understood, understood. I'll take the lead now. I guarantee not a single fly will get into the Ox Spine Valley ahead."
The young cavalryman took a deep breath, pulled at his slightly stiff, thick sable hat, shook off some ice chips, and slowly rode forward.
A middle-aged scout couldn't help but ask, "Squad leader, with such a big commotion on the border between the two countries before, I heard that within Yellow Court Country, the sky was falling and the earth was splitting, many people died. But on our side, there was little loss. Is there some story behind this? You have a lot of inside information, squad leader. Many of our old comrades are now commandants. I know you went drinking with someone specifically before. Is there anything you can tell us?"
The old squad leader's expression was solemn. He didn't disclose any secrets, just grinned, his eyes blazing hot, his tone sinister, "Nothing much to say. Just that we'll soon have meat to eat. Good news!"
Over there, Chen Ping'an, walking against the wind and snow, said slowly, "I've seen the Great Sui cavalry before. They escorted us from the border to the capital. Compared to our Great Li cavalry, I always feel something is different... I can't quite put my finger on it."
The blue-clad boy said lazily, "Master, this is simple. The Great Sui cavalry are like watchdogs raised in deep courtyards. They look impressive, and if it really came to a fight, they'd probably manage. But your Great Li cavalry, especially the border cavalry, are like a pack of wild dogs, biting everywhere, their teeth already sharpened. If it were Yellow Court Country's border garrison soldiers, seeing the three of us, they'd have run far away long ago. They wouldn't have dared to come up and question us."
The blue-clad boy yawned and said casually, "Back in Imperial River, I heard a secret from my water god brother. More than ten years ago, a border army in northern Great Sui had a conflict with a group of mountain Qi refiners. The general was furious and mobilized six thousand elite troops. Along with his and his subordinates' military secretaries and borrowed accompanying army Qi refiners, they chased them for over eight hundred li. Out of the four murderous Qi refiners, they managed to kill three."
The pink-skirted girl was astonished, "In Yellow Court Country, neither local military nor the martial world below the mountains would dare to offend mountain Qi refiners. The reason the Zhilan Cao clan spared no effort in cultivating their youngest son was precisely to achieve 'one person attains the Dao, and all his family ascend to heaven,' so they wouldn't have to depend on others for everything."
"Yellow Court Country's Hong clan is rotten from top to bottom. When war comes, how can they be a match for the Great Li barbarians?"
The blue-clad boy, bored, stretched out his hands, repeatedly forming crystal-clear snowballs, then tossing them into the distance, "The Great Li border army also suffered heavy losses. Many military secretaries died in battle. In short, it was a huge mess. The Great Li Emperor was furious, recalled that third-rank military officer to the capital, and demoted him all the way to a common soldier to appease the mountain sects behind the four Qi refiners. But I heard that within a few years, that military man guarding the northern pass reappeared at the southern Wild Husband Pass and quickly regained his original rank. The border army unit he was in was awarded one of the new 'Iron Cavalry' honorary titles. Not only did the unit quickly return to full strength, but it also received many Class A warhorses and Class A elite soldiers. Now they're quite prominent."
Chen Ping'an thought of Great Sui's Cliff Academy and muttered to himself, "Please, no war."
The blue-clad boy flung a snowball high into the air, then shot a second snowball after it. They collided and shattered with a bang, "The arrow is already on the string; it has to be shot. I think this war of annihilation can't be avoided. The key is whether Great Sui can hold its own. But if the Great Li's White Jade Capital is really as formidable as rumored, I think most of Great Sui's originally advantageous mountain forces will choose to stay out of harm's way. After all, who wants to be instantly killed by a flying sword from the White Jade Capital within the protective formations of their cave dwelling? That would be a death without closing one's eyes. Who would be willing to test the killing power of the White Jade Capital's flying swords? The higher the realm, the more Qi refiners cherish their lives. Anyway, my water god brother said that if the White Jade Capital's flying swords have even half the power rumored, he'll surrender immediately. Given the Great Li court's style of conduct, they might even keep his position as the Imperial River Water God."
The pink-skirted girl looked confused, "What is the White Jade Capital? And flying swords come out of it?"
The blue-clad boy laughed heartily, flicked his finger gently, and a snowball hit the pink-skirted girl's forehead, "Swoosh! A flying sword will shoot out from the White Jade Capital in the Great Li capital. At the flying sword speed of a Land Sword Immortal above the fifth realm, in an instant it crosses thousands of mountains and rivers, and pierces right through your silly girl's head. Fun, huh?"
The pink-skirted girl covered her forehead with both hands, thoroughly frightened.
The blue-clad boy sneered, "With your meager cultivation, killing you wouldn't even require a White Jade Capital flying sword. You're a silly girl, but the Great Li court isn't stupid. The dozen or so flying swords in the White Jade Capital are currently targeting Qi refiners in Great Sui—specifically those old turtles and bastards hiding underwater. I guess that among those Qi refiners on the list, some have quietly left Great Sui's territory just to avoid the edge."
Although Chen Ping'an hadn't interjected, he listened silently to the Imperial River water snake's arguments and speculations, finding most of them reasonable and well-founded, and committed them to memory. So Chen Ping'an became even more puzzled: how could such a clever fellow, who saw problems so clearly, willingly take the blame for that scheming water god back in his hometown of Imperial River?
Could it be that the darkest place is under the candlestick?
Chen Ping'an didn't ask. This was the blue-clad boy's own business.
Chen Ping'an began to silently practice his fist stances, repeating them over and over again against the wind and snow.
In the knee-deep snow, the fist stances from the "Shake Mountain Fist Manual" had to be executed extremely slowly. From the mountain cliff plank road all the way here, the energy and spirit Chen Ping'an expended, the longer it went, the more it was ten or a hundred times greater than usual.
From the outside in, Chen Ping'an was almost frozen into a block of ice. So much so that in the later stages, he didn't even need to deliberately circulate the Eighteen Stops Sword Qi. That wondrous Qi mechanism, like a fire dragon patrolling a pass, would automatically move swiftly, helping Chen Ping'an barely maintain a single breath of true Qi from falling.
Every inhalation and exhalation was an excruciating torment that penetrated to the marrow.
The lazy blue-clad boy found it baffling and unreasonable. If you have poor talent, why can't you just accept your fate? Others advance a thousand li a day on the path of cultivation, while you, Chen Ping'an, toil here every day with half the effort for twice the result. How embarrassing.
The pink-skirted girl, on the other hand, watched with a heart aching.
After half a month, the wind and snow gradually subsided, making the journey less arduous.
During this time, the three bypassed two passes and a dozen or so large and small towering beacon towers.
Chen Ping'an still sought out hardship for himself. Besides practicing fist stances daily, he would actively spar with the blue-clad boy, often getting punched so hard he sank into the deep snow, disappearing from sight.
But he remained pitifully at the second realm. Chen Ping'an's martial arts progress was as unmoving as a rock.
The blue-clad boy, whether out of pity for his misfortune or anger at his lack of ambition, sometimes struck too hard, sending their thick-headed, single-minded master flying like a kite with a broken string. It would take him a long time to struggle to his feet. The pink-skirted girl, watching from the side, would turn away, unable to bear watching anymore.
In this monotonous journey home, the year's first snow came to an end. The three finally arrived at a town marked on the map as Elegant County. Because Chen Ping'an had chosen a return route leading to his hometown's Western Mountain, they did not take the route passing through Embroidery River, Red Candle Town, and Chess Mound Mountain.
Chen Ping'an wanted to pass through many unfamiliar places.
Read a few books, learn a thousand characters, travel ten thousand li, practice a million punches—this was Chen Ping'an's current wish. All needed to be taken step by step. Chen Ping'an found this return journey very fulfilling every day, though he certainly didn't escape hardship. Compared to the study tour to the Great Sui Academy, he could spare more time to temper his physique through fist practice and refine his soul through Qi circulation. Dripping water wears through stone; the swallow carries mud in its beak—every little bit adds up.
The blue-clad boy thought he was wasting time, but Chen Ping'an could clearly perceive the accumulation of small benefits. This feeling was like the porcelain-burning youth of Mud Vase Alley, working hard every day, earning a few more copper coins, his family fortune quietly increasing. Outsiders found it boring, but Chen Ping'an himself felt great!
As the year's end approached, they entered the bustling county market. Elegant County was different from other Great Li border cities; it had a stronger literary atmosphere, with noticeably more bookshops. Of course, one couldn't hope for rare editions—mostly cheap, crudely printed private editions with many missing and wrong characters. Both the blue-clad boy and the pink-skirted girl had high standards—one was wealthy and used to good things, the other had been in contact with scholarly books since childhood.
So only Chen Ping'an browsed the bookshops earnestly. He was utterly captivated by a set of twelve books titled "Jade Mountain Burning Snow Talks" on the shelf. Unfortunately, there wasn't much room left in his backpack, and it couldn't hold such a large set. Plus, the price was too high, so he had to settle for buying a single book titled "Iron Sword Light Notes," authored by one Cheng Shuidong.
The elderly shopkeeper sincerely praised the young gentleman's good eye and explained that the work of this former Yellow Court Country vice minister was definitely a safe investment. Market rumors had it that this man would soon be called out of retirement to serve as the vice headmaster of a new Great Li academy.
In the night, laden with his purchases, Chen Ping'an chose a simple inn, renting two adjacent rooms. The pink-skirted girl slept alone in one.
The blue-clad boy followed Chen Ping'an across the threshold and immediately wrinkled his nose in disgust, vigorously waving his hand in front of his nose to dispel the long-accumulated sour stench. True to his nature as a water snake that had cultivated into a spirit, he repeatedly expelled the odors that were hard to remove no matter how much they wiped, sending them out the window.
After Chen Ping'an closed the door, he spread out the map of the southern prefectures of Great Li on the table. These secret geographical maps were exclusively held by the government; private possession was a serious crime. Chen Ping'an looked at the distance between Elegant County and Dragon Spring County—only about six hundred li. Half of the route was an official road convenient for merchants, and the other half was the relatively difficult Chongdan River waterway. Compared to the long journey of coming and going, six hundred li was practically right next door.
After eating some food, Chen Ping'an began to practice the Sword Furnace stance.
From time to time, he heard a woman's scolding and the innkeeper's pleas for mercy.
How similar to the scenes in his hometown's Mud Vase Alley and Apricot Blossom Alley.
Except that back then, Gu Can's mother was still alive, and the sharp-tongued old woman Ma hadn't died yet. Every day, the sound of reading from the school could be heard far away at the Iron Lock Well.
By the time he returned this time, the old locust tree would be gone, the gatekeeper would no longer be there, and on New Year's Eve, the neighbor's gate in Mud Vase Alley would certainly not have a fresh, festive new Spring Festival couplet pasted on it.
Chen Ping'an sighed, withdrew from the Sword Furnace stance, and walked to the window. From the specially sewn pouch in his sleeve, he took out the small silver sword embryo, gently held it in his palm, and slowly rubbed it.
The blue-clad boy suddenly shouted angrily, "Looking for death!"
Chen Ping'an turned his head to look. The blue-clad boy was pinching a wisp of ethereal gray mist between two fingers. He pinched it sharply, and a faint crackling sound came from it. The gray mist gradually dissipated, with faint howls and hisses.
Seeing Chen Ping'an's puzzled expression, the blue-clad boy cheerfully boasted, "Master, this clueless little spirit has been crushed by me! It dared to act wild on your turf. It's tired of living!"
The blue-clad boy pointed at the dispersing mist, "It's called a Pillow Charm. It has no physical form. The faint wind it creates wherever it goes is one of the many evil winds in the world. It loves to chase after malicious, scolding shrews. Whenever they gossip, this kind of spirit will secretly appear to collect that kind of wind. It's best at sowing discord among family members, especially between husband and wife. The 'pillow wind' in common folk talk is their specialty."
Chen Ping'an sighed and smiled, "In the future, if you encounter this kind of spirit, just drive it away. No need to kill."
The blue-clad boy said "Oh," tilted his head, and asked, "Master, aren't you supposed to be kind-hearted? Why not punish this kind of evil spirit for the sake of heaven?"
Chen Ping'an found it both amusing and exasperating, "What 'punish for heaven'? I don't have that kind of ability..."
Chen Ping'an stopped mid-sentence and said no more.
The blue-clad boy felt a pang of loss for no reason.
Because he hadn't heard his goody-two-shoes master's grand principles.
He used to find them boring and annoying, but since the Martial Saint Temple incident, Chen Ping'an had never once brought them up. Now, strangely, he found it even more boring.
The blue-clad boy lay on the table for a while, felt he was seriously unwell, then simply climbed onto the table, lay spread-eagled on his back, stared lifelessly at the ceiling, and saw a small spider web with no master in residence. After staring for a long time, he started tossing and turning on the table.
The pink-skirted girl, after tidying up her bedding and mattress, came over to tidy up for the master, not forgetting to carry the book box that Cui Dongshan had given her. Throughout this journey of sleeping in the open, she had always protected the book box. It showed how much of a psychological shadow the white-clothed youth had left on her when he demonstrated his powers in the Zhilan Cao clan's library.
Chen Ping'an put away the "silver ingot" again and walked toward the table. The blue-clad boy quickly sat back on the stool. Chen Ping'an took out the "Iron Sword Light Notes," still with a strong smell of ink, from his backpack. The blue-clad boy hurriedly and obsequiously brought the oil lamp, helping to light the wick. The three of them, master and servants, sat on three sides.
The blue-clad boy didn't dare disturb Chen Ping'an, who was reading. He smiled at the pink-skirted girl sitting opposite, "Soon you'll be able to eat a Snake Gallstone and advance to the middle fifth realm. Are you happy?"
With Chen Ping'an by her side, the pink-skirted girl had much more courage, "Don't you dare think about my Snake Gallstone."
The blue-clad boy chuckled, "Master told me in private that Snake Gallstones come in different sizes and grades. You silly girl have no merit and no hardship on this journey. You're the most useless, so you'll only get the smallest and worst one. I've been feeding the master with my fists so many times, so the two I get are the biggest and best. One of mine is ten times the size of yours!"
The pink-skirted girl immediately turned to look at Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an turned a page and said with a faint smile, "Don't listen to his nonsense."
The pink-skirted girl glared at the blue-clad boy, who was fabricating information.
The blue-clad boy slapped the table, "Rebellion?!"
The pink-skirted girl moved a little closer to Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an was used to this and didn't deliberately take the small fire snake's side. He simply read quietly.
By the dim yellow light of the oil lamp, Chen Ping'an turned page after page of the reading notes. In between, he took out a remaining piece of bamboo slip from Chess Mound Mountain and the small carving knife given to him by the shopkeeper when he bought the jade hairpin. When he came across a particularly striking sentence, he would carve it stroke by stroke onto the bamboo slip.
The blue-clad boy pressed his cheek against the table, rolling his eyes on his own, acting mysterious.
The pink-skirted girl dared not meet his gaze, so she huddled next to her master, watching Chen Ping'an read or carve characters.
Chen Ping'an suddenly frowned. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "The book says that after becoming wealthy and successful, one should repair roads and build bridges, not build luxurious mansions or grand tombs."
The blue-clad boy scoffed at this but said nothing, maintaining his lifeless posture.
The pink-skirted girl nodded softly, "Master, some scholars do have this custom. They hope that after becoming rich, they can do good deeds and accumulate virtue, benefiting their hometown."
Chen Ping'an felt a bit helpless. He had originally planned to return home and, before the year's end, spend money to build a grand tomb for his parents, something magnificent, not even having a proper tombstone.
The blue-clad boy couldn't help but speak up, "Master, you're not a scholar now. Why bother with these things? Besides, if you're really worried, just do both—repair the roads and build the bridges. I'll help personally. Not only will we spend money, but we'll also put in the labor ourselves. Heaven certainly won't have anything to say."
Chen Ping'an was suddenly enlightened. The knot that had just formed in his heart quickly unraveled. He turned to the blue-clad boy, gave him a thumbs-up, and said happily, "Well said! Good job!"
The pink-skirted girl also rejoiced along with her master.
The blue-clad boy was stunned for a moment, then quickly lowered his head, his tears nearly falling.
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Walking and walking, passing through official roads and waterways, the harmonious group of one adult and two children finally saw the outline of a somewhat lonely tall mountain.
Chen Ping'an stopped, reached out to pat the heads of the blue-clad boy and the pink-skirted girl, one on each side, then pointed at that large mountain. He smiled at the mountain peak named Fallen Mountain. This time, Chen Ping'an's smile was anything but restrained. "Home! My home!"
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Volume 2, "Mountain and River Journeyman," ends.