Chapter 180: Like a Divine Being
(There will be another chapter today, a little later.)
One large and two small walked down the mountain and returned to the small town. The young boy in blue robes had seen the wealth and grandeur of Luopo Mountain and the bamboo tower, and found that going along with local customs wasn't bad. His longing for home had faded somewhat. He said cheerfully, "Master, where are we going next? The ancestral home on Niping Alley? Master, why don't we just buy up the entire Niping Alley? If you're short on funds, no problem — I have money! I won't boast about huge sums, but if you convert those assets into gold and silver, it's a vast amount. Master, you can trade me snake gallbladder stones for it. Ordinary ones will do!"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "What would we do by buying up Niping Alley? There's no need to waste silver like that."
The young boy in blue wasn't too convinced, but he didn't dare argue with Chen Ping'an. He felt his own little calculations were perfectly sound and shrewd — wasn't he just angling for those snake gallbladder stones?
Seeing the young boy in blue get put in his place, the girl in the pink skirt was somewhat delighted. She also had her own little plans, thinking that when they got to Niping Alley, she would help the master clean up the ancestral home, making it spotless and tidy.
When they reached the banks of Dragon Beard River, which flowed from a creek into a river, Chen Ping'an told them a few stories about this river from before. The young boy in blue listened half-heartedly, then suddenly opened his eyes wide and glared angrily at a certain spot in the river. With a leap, though he didn't reveal his terrifying true form, he displayed considerable skill in his water-controlling divine ability.
Each time his fist struck the river's surface, it was like digging a well, creating huge, surging whirlpools. The originally calm and slow-flowing river was churned into chaos. The young boy in blue walked on the river as if on solid ground, as if chasing something hidden at the bottom, shouting, "You blind shrimp soldiers and crab generals, how dare you covet my beauty?!"
Chen Ping'an didn't stop him. First, the boy's move was completely without warning — too late to intervene. Second, because before leaving the town, when he was doing his stake-walking exercises by the bank, he had indeed sensed something in the river staring at him, sending a chill down his spine, carrying an unpleasant, gloomy aura. But at that time, Chen Ping'an had just started practicing boxing, so he didn't dare investigate further and could only keep his distance.
Seeing the young boy in blue's violent temper again, the girl in the pink skirt found it headache-inducing. She whispered a reminder to Chen Ping'an, "Master, has the Great Li court appointed any deities for this Dragon Beard River? Like a river goddess or river god? If there's a river god of higher rank, we shouldn't be so relentless. The book says, 'A county magistrate is not as good as the current overseer.' It also says, 'A close neighbor is better than a distant relative.'"
This actually stumped Chen Ping'an. He looked around and thought carefully, "If it were a river god, there should be a temple, right? Along the way, I haven't seen any."
Chen Ping'an sighed inwardly, recalling a phrase he had personally engraved on a bamboo slip in his basket: "Haste makes waste." He decided to give up this indirect probing and shouted to the young boy in blue, who was growing increasingly fierce, "Come back!"
The young boy in blue was fighting fiercely on the distant river surface, with streaks of rainbow light shooting out from his sleeves as magical treasures flew about. He laughed loudly, "Master, wait a moment, just a little while! I'll catch this slippery little loach soon! Trying to match me in water-fighting skills, huh... Ouch! You've got some decent stuff there! That magical treasure has a pretty good quality! Unfortunately, as long as I'm touching water, I'm blessed with an invulnerable physique. Damn woman, your skills are far from enough! Wahaha, once I catch you, I'll toss you onto my master's bed. Snake gallbladder stones will be mine for sure!"
The young boy in blue and the yin creature at the bottom of the river exchanged blows back and forth, with both sides unleashing magical treasures. The Dragon Beard River glittered with treasure light. Of course, this was because the boy in blue was toying with her. Otherwise, with his formidable physique and considerable cultivation, even without using his true form, he could have heavily wounded the opponent through brute force.
A moment later, the young boy in blue turned and jogged back toward Chen Ping'an, dragging a large handful of... black hair?
When he reached the bank near Chen Ping'an and the girl in the pink skirt, he let go and said smugly, "Master, this woman's not bad looking. Her buttocks are nice and round — one of hers is as big as two of that silly girl's! How about taking her as a maidservant?"
The girl in the pink skirt flushed bright red, utterly humiliated and furious.
At the river's edge by the boy's feet, a head and a stretch of fair neck emerged. This river yin spirit, in the form of a matronly woman, had a plump face and a pitiful expression. Her crow-black waterfall of hair spread out on the water, swaying with the violently churning river.
When she saw Chen Ping'an, he seemed to have grown a bit taller, still as shabby as ever, but somehow, his ancestral graves must have emitted green smoke, as he had taken in such a formidable underling as the young boy in blue. The woman's eyes flickered with an obscure light. She quickly gathered her complex thoughts, lowered her head slightly, and said, on the verge of tears, "I am the newly appointed river god of Dragon Beard River. By regulation, I must inspect all who pass along the riverbanks. It's my duty. If I inadvertently offended you, I beg you three immortals to show mercy and not take it to heart."
Chen Ping'an told the young boy in blue to come ashore quickly. He cupped his fists in apology to the unfamiliar river god, "It is we who have offended you, Madam River God. My name is Chen Ping'an, a native of Longquan. May I ask where you hail from, Madam River God?"
A strange glint passed through the woman's eyes. She soon said timidly, "Since one becomes a mountain or river spirit deity, one must sever all mundane ties. This is the same as monks not speaking their names and Daoists not speaking their ages. So please, young master, do not ask about my origins. In any case, I have no intention of harming anyone. On the contrary, I will protect the water transport of this Dragon Beard River."
The young boy in blue flew into a rage. "You're being ungrateful, aren't you? Thinking my master is easy to push around?"
Chen Ping'an reached out and pressed the young boy in blue's head, stopping him from jumping back into the water and openly clashing with a dignified river god. He nodded to the woman with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, Madam River God."
The woman quickly raised one arm, pale as a peeled lotus root, and waved her hand. "I dare not, I dare not. This time, it's 'no fight, no acquaintance.' Young Master Chen need not be suspicious. If you ever have business in the future, send someone to the river to inform me, and I certainly won't refuse."
Chen Ping'an didn't continue the strained pleasantries with the river god. That was never his strong suit. Besides, her repeated use of "Young Master Chen" made him uneasy. So he took the young boy in blue and the girl in the pink skirt and hurried away. Soon they approached the blacksmith's shop by the river. Chen Ping'an hesitated, wondering whether to go in and greet the sage Ruan Qiong and Miss Ruan, or to head straight back to Niping Alley in the town.
The woman, who had been promoted from river goddess to river god but still lacked a temple and incense, slowly sank back to the bottom of the river. Her expression turned sinister, her face full of rage. She stomped to death an old turtle in the mud at the river's bottom, then added another stomp, crushing its shell to pieces before she was satisfied. Then, fickle-minded as she was, she immediately regretted it. That millstone-sized old turtle had lived nearly two hundred years. Now that the energies of Lizhu Cave Heaven were dispersing everywhere, many creatures — plants, birds, beasts — were all benefiting. The turtle had already gained a spark of intelligence. Perhaps in another two or three hundred years, if it succeeded in opening its spiritual aperture, it could have become a useful soldier under her command.
The woman sighed, bent down, and said to the pile of broken shell fragments, "If you want to blame someone, blame that mud-legged kid surnamed Chen. He brought disaster upon you. He is the real culprit. 'Young Master Chen,' my foot! That little bastard who brought death to his parents — you two are cut from the same cloth. Why didn't he just die on his study tour, trampled to a pulp..."
The woman was filled with hatred for the youth of Niping Alley. She muttered curses as she walked gracefully along the riverbed, dragging behind her a length of black hair over ten feet long, like the long train of a wealthy noblewoman's gown. Unconsciously, she drifted downstream. When she came to her senses, she had already reached the junction of Dragon Beard River and Iron Talisman River, right at the edge of a steep, plunging waterfall.
Terrified, she turned and fled.
During this past year, Longquan County had been bustling. Countless demons and spirits had poured in from all directions, hoping to cultivate here and absorb spiritual energy. If she, the Dragon Beard River god, was just taking advantage of the chaos, collecting tolls from passing monsters to build up some resources for her descendants, then the fierce deity down in Iron Talisman River — a true great river proper god — had a truly fearsome killing intent and a heavy bloodlust. The number of rogue cultivators she had killed could not be counted on two hands. Strangely, the Great Li court and Longquan County government had never uttered a word about it, which made the woman envious. And so she grew even more eager for that river god temple that was so slow in coming.
Over at the blacksmith's shop, Chen Ping'an was still hesitating whether to call on them when he saw a figure of a girl in blue robes approaching from the direction of the stone arch bridge.
She saw him. After confirming it was indeed him, she paused for a moment, then quickened her pace.
Chen Ping'an led the two little ones toward her, greeting her from a distance with a smile, "Miss Ruan!"
Ruan Xiu responded with a soft "Hmm." She trotted up to Chen Ping'an, stopped, and said gently, "You're back."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'm back!"
For a moment, neither spoke.
The young boy in blue widened his eyes.
Wow, no wonder she was the daughter of a sage from Wind Snow Temple. She was truly beautiful.
Pity, though — you can't judge by appearances. She seemed to have a bit of a temper. It was entirely possible she could beat him to death on a whim, so he dared not call her "madam."
The girl in the pink skirt blinked, full of curiosity and admiration, thinking that when she grew up, she wanted to look just like this delicate older sister in blue.
Ruan Xiu broke the silence first, smiling. "First, come to the shop for a cup of hot water. Then, I'll help you move the things you left at my place back to Niping Alley?"
Chen Ping'an hummed in agreement.
After that, Ruan Xiu chatted about trivial matters in the town. She mentioned that the house on Niping Alley, whose owner was unknown, she had already helped repair. But the business at the Thatched Head Shop and the New Year's Money Shop wasn't too good. When she said this, she looked apologetic and a bit embarrassed. She had also taken the liberty of bringing the hen and chicks from Chen Ping'an's neighbor's place to the blacksmith's shop to raise, but unfortunately, a wild cat had snatched two of the chicks. Ruan Xiu was even more dejected about this. Chen Ping'an found this amusing and quickly comforted her. "That's nothing to worry about. Tomorrow we can kill the old hen and make chicken soup. My cooking has improved a lot now; it'll definitely taste good." Ruan Xiu was flustered and said, "No, no, don't kill them! They're well-behaved. The big and little ones, they even have names now."
Chen Ping'an laughed heartily.
Only then did he realize he had been teasing her on purpose. The gentle Miss Xiu gave him a light glare.
The young boy in blue finally understood. So the master had been setting himself up all along. What bad temper did this elder sister have?!
What a loss! The young boy in blue felt that this missed snake gallbladder stone — even if he had to roll around, throw a tantrum, hang himself, or jump into the water — he would have to steal it to get it. Otherwise, his heart would never be at peace!
When they entered the well-ordered blacksmith's shop, the young boy in blue, who had been walking lightly, immediately turned pale with fright. The girl in the pink skirt hid behind Chen Ping'an.
Seven wells.
Scattered like stars.
From each well, sword qi shot straight into the sky.
Just a single glance made the young boy in blue and the girl in the pink skirt feel sharp pain in their eyes, almost causing them to shed tears in agony. They desperately wanted to reveal their true forms to resist the invisible pressure and vast sword intent. Trembling, the two little ones had their excitement and agitation from arriving at Longquan vanish in an instant. They felt that this place was fraught with danger everywhere — a veritable human realm of lightning pools, most suited for suppressing the remnants of creatures like dragon-snake lineages.
Only when Chen Ping'an told them to sit on bamboo chairs in front of a thatched cottage, and he and Ruan Xiu went to a yellow mud hut not far away to move things, did the two little ones breathe a little easier. They looked at each other and saw sweat on each other's foreheads.
The young boy in blue crossed his legs, pretending to be at ease, and taunted, "Silly girl, coward, no backbone!"
The girl in the pink skirt whispered, "You're not much better."
The young boy in blue folded his arms across his chest and said smugly, "This is what I call showing weakness to the enemy. What do you know?"
The girl in the pink skirt saw a middle-aged man striding over. He was unremarkable in appearance. Out of politeness, she quickly stood up and said, "Hello, uncle. I am the maidservant of my master, Chen Ping'an."
The man nodded, pulled up a chair not far away, and sat down. He looked toward the mud hut, his expression grim.
The young boy in blue sized him up. Not seeing anything special, he assumed the man was just a laborer at the blacksmith's shop. "What are you staring at? Let me warn you — Miss Xiu is my master's old flame. If you dare have any improper thoughts, I'll punch you to death... Forget it, my master told me to be kind to others. Count yourself lucky — I'll only beat you half to death!"
The man's face grew even darker. He said nothing.
The young boy in blue thought he had discerned something. Since there was an annoying girl in the pink skirt between them, he leaned out, turned his head, and stared at the man. "You have designs on my master's betrothed, don't you? Damn it, how old are you? This pisses me off! I've been wandering the jianghu for so many years, and I've never seen a shameless bastard like you. Come on, let's spar. I'll allow you to bully the smaller!"
Behind him, Chen Ping'an's basket, now mostly empty, had been filled with a heavy cloth rucksack. He walked over side by side with Ruan Xiu.
When he saw the middle-aged man, Chen Ping'an respectfully called out, "Master Ruan." The man didn't even acknowledge him.
Ruan Xiu smiled and called out, "Dad!" The man then grudgingly nodded.
Dad?
The young boy in blue felt like a thunderbolt had struck his head. Without a second thought, he leaped onto the ground in front of the middle-aged man, knelt down with a thud, and began kowtowing. "Great sage above, please receive the three bows and nine prostrations from this humble one!"
This river snake from the Imperial River kowtowed with all his might, without hesitation, but his heart was full of bitter complaints. You're a lofty military sage. Can't you at least have a bit of sage-like demeanor? You should be at the mountain peak, inhaling and exhaling the sun and moon, or by the great river, throwing punches like thunder! But instead, you come and sit beside me like a piece of wood — what's that about?!
A venerable eleventh-level figure from Wind Snow Temple, the military sage overseeing Lizhu Cave Heaven, the renowned swordsmith of East Bottle Gourd Continent. If you're not going to engrave "Ruan Qiong" on your forehead, fine. But could you at least look a bit extraordinary? To put it bluntly, your appearance is far too ordinary! And if you're going to walk, at least walk like a dragon! If you're going to sit, at least sit with the dignity of a deep abyss!
Feeling he had been blind as a dog, the young boy in blue finished his kowtows but still didn't dare rise. He put on a martyr's expression, but his face was a mess of tears streaming down. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at his master, hoping he would put in a good word for him.
This time, he truly felt like jumping into the river to drown himself.
Somewhat puzzled by the young boy in blue's strange behavior, Ruan Xiu didn't ask. She just said, "Dad, I'll accompany Chen Ping'an to the town."
Ruan Qiong held back for a long time before finally uttering, "Come back early to do the smithing."
Ruan Xiu asked, "Dad, the timing for lighting the forge and casting swords doesn't seem right. What's going on?"
The man stood up. "I'll decide that. Don't ask too many questions."
Ruan Xiu replied with an "Oh."
Only after Ruan Qiong's figure disappeared from sight did the young boy in blue dare to stand up, staggering slightly. He wiped the tears and cold sweat from his face, still shaken, muttering to himself, "After great disaster comes great fortune."
The group walked out of the profoundly mysterious blacksmith's shop and crossed the thousand-year-old stone arch bridge spanning the river. Chen Ping'an suddenly turned to the girl in blue robes and said, "Thank you."
Ruan Xiu turned her head and smiled. "You've become so polite."
Chen Ping'an said sincerely, "After being outside, I've come to understand some things. So it's not just me being polite."
Ruan Xiu asked with a smile, "Are you praising me?"
Chen Ping'an beamed. "Of course!"
Ruan Xiu gazed at the young man's smiling face, then turned her eyes toward the town. She said something that seemed baffling, "You haven't changed. That's good."
Only the sage Ruan Qiong would know the weight and depth of those words.
Or perhaps the previous sage, Qi Jingchun, knew everything. Maybe some old man had vaguely guessed something, but they would never say anything.
Ruan Qiong's daughter, Ruan Xiu, had been exceptionally gifted since childhood — truly once in a millennium, not comparable to ordinary cultivation prodigies. So much so that Ruan Qiong had to break away from Wind Snow Temple and come to suffer in Lizhu Cave Heaven just to use the forbidden magic of this realm to hide Ruan Xiu's brilliance, or rather, to delay as long as possible the time when she would "stand out in the forest, peak out among the mountains."
This girl in blue robes, with a fire serpent coiled around her wrist like a bracelet, was not merely a fire spirit body.
Because in her eyes, the world and its affairs looked completely different from everyone else's.
She could directly see the black and white of people's hearts, discern the good and evil of cause and effect, and perceive the depth of destiny.
In the girl's eyes, the world between heaven and earth was a riot of colors.
This meant that Ruan Xiu's path to enlightenment would be even more arduous. But once she succeeded, her achievements and great Dao would be immeasurable.
That was why, back at the Green Ox's Back, when Ruan Xiu first saw the youth by the shore, she didn't retreat. She saw Chen Ping'an's "purity."
In all the vast Lizhu Cave Heaven, with all its myriad human affairs, only this Chen Ping'an stood alone, spotless as a brand-new mirror.
So she enjoyed being with him, loved secretly observing the subtle ripples in Chen Ping'an's heart-lake, quietly feeling his joys and sorrows.
For this food-loving girl, the youth was like the most delicious "pastry." She adored him, loved him so much she couldn't bear to eat him.
She had been worried that after this long journey, Chen Ping'an's heart might change — that his heart-lake would become murky, his heart-path muddy, stained with bad habits and tangled causes and effects.
Now it seemed that Chen Ping'an had indeed changed a little, but he was still very good.
Ruan Xiu felt relieved, and her fondness for Chen Ping'an only grew.
See? I knew he wouldn't disappoint!
All the way to Niping Alley, they entered that narrow, dim alley. Even though the young boy in blue had mentally prepared himself, he was still dumbfounded. This was where his master grew up?
Ruan Xiu skillfully unlocked the door and pushed it open. After opening the courtyard door and then the house door, she handed Chen Ping'an all three sets of keys — including those for the houses of Liu Xianyang and Song Jixin.
Chen Ping'an took them and stepped over the threshold. Looking at the house he knew so well, it was very clean. On the windowsill, there was even a small, unknown potted plant, green and lush in the dead of winter — a pleasantly surprising sight.
Chen Ping'an was about to speak when Ruan Xiu smiled first. "Don't say thank you again."
Somewhat embarrassed, Chen Ping'an put his basket down on the ground, took out the heavy rucksack, and placed it on the table. He crouched down, fumbled around, and finally pulled out a small bamboo slip. Standing up, he handed it to Ruan Xiu. "I didn't know what to give you. There are lots of food items in the towns outside, but I was afraid they'd get crushed or spoil over time. So I made this. Don't mind it, okay?"
Ruan Xiu was surprised. She took the palm-sized green bamboo slip. It felt cool to the touch. She lowered her head and saw a line of small characters engraved on it: "Mountains and waters will meet again." The writing was neat and careful.
Ruan Xiu narrowed her eyes with a smile, gently rubbing the engraved characters with her fingertip, and said softly, "I really like it."
The young boy in blue stared blankly. This worked?
The sage's only daughter liked a shabby bamboo slip with a line of shabby writing?
Had he been wasting the last few hundred years in the jianghu?
He remembered before, when a water god friend had taken a fancy to a lofty mountain woman. He gave her piles of treasure — even borrowed quite a few decent magical treasures from him — but he'd never seen that woman crack a smile. She took everything but never gave a good expression.
In front of Ruan Xiu, Chen Ping'an opened the cloth rucksack. It was full of stones, scattered about, at least eighty or ninety of them. There was also a smaller cloth bag inside. When opened, it too contained stones, but these were of various brilliant colors and different sizes — only about a dozen or so.
The girl in the pink skirt felt as if she'd been struck by lightning.
The young boy in blue's eyes gleamed. He gulped greedily, wanting to pounce like a hungry tiger and swallow them all. Perhaps after walking out of this broken alley, he would truly be a big shot. A little mountain of snake gallbladder stones like this — even ninth or tenth level was within reach! But thinking that the sage's daughter was still standing nearby, he suppressed his urge to kill and rob.
Chen Ping'an picked out two snake gallbladder stones that hadn't faded since coming ashore. One was peach-red, glittering and translucent; the other was dark green and heavy. He gave one to the girl in the pink skirt and one to the young boy in blue. Then he took out four ordinary snake gallbladder stones, splitting them equally between the two little ones, who clutched them as if they'd found a treasure.
The girl in the pink skirt was still carrying the book box on her back. Now, holding three snake gallbladder stones in one hand, she suddenly burst into tears, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her hand.
The young boy in blue stared fixedly at the stones in his hand, intoxicated and obsessed.
Chen Ping'an slapped his forehead, grinned, and went to get another pair of high-quality snake gallbladder stones, similar in appearance and color — a bright, delicate yellow, with a texture as fine as frozen lamb fat. Once again, he gave one to each.
The young boy in blue remembered that he was supposed to have two. He took them and chuckled foolishly.
The girl in the pink skirt didn't dare reach out. "Master, we agreed. I only get one good snake gallbladder stone."
Chen Ping'an patted her little head. "Who am I? I'm your master. Do I need a reason to give you something? Put it away quickly."
The girl in the pink skirt took it carefully and cried even harder.
The young boy in blue had a conflicted expression, a mix of ecstasy and resentment. He tested the waters, "Master, can you give me one more too?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "If you stop bullying her from now on, I'll give you one."
The young boy in blue nodded vigorously. "I definitely won't bully the silly girl today. Can you give it to me tomorrow? Or the day after? The day after at the latest. Master, is that okay?"
Chen Ping'an retorted, "What do you think?"
The young boy in blue gritted his teeth, turned to the girl in the pink skirt, and said solemnly, "Silly girl, I won't bully you for the next month."
Chen Ping'an laughed and smacked him on the head. "At least a year."
The young boy in blue pretended to be wronged, but inwardly he was gloating. For us dragon-snake types, what's a year? A hundred years isn't long.
Chen Ping'an wasn't really stupid; he just couldn't be bothered to fuss over the young boy's little schemes. After all, traveling with them had made the journey not at all lonely. He was actually very grateful to them both. He turned around and repacked the cloth bags. By then, Ruan Xiu had also put away her gift. Inside the house, two adults and two children sat around the table, each on one side.
Ruan Xiu suggested, "Should we go see the shops?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "After seeing the shops, I'll go to the Li family mansion on Fulu Street. I have something to give to Li Baoping's elder brother."
It was that golden mountain-crossing crucian carp.
They locked up and left the courtyard together. The lively crucian carp was placed in a small pottery jar filled with well water from the Iron Lock Well, which Ruan Xiu had fetched. The fish was finally in its element — swimming around wildly inside, splashing water everywhere. The young boy in blue had just swallowed an ordinary snake gallbladder stone and wanted to show off, so he eagerly took the jar. When he got splashed, he suddenly exclaimed in shock, "This well water... it's special."
Ruan Xiu nodded. "Unfortunately, the Iron Lock Well has been bought by some outsiders now. Ordinary people can no longer fetch water from it, or even get close."
She, of course, had no trouble fetching water.
After being frightened at the blacksmith's shop, the young boy in blue was as skittish as a bird that had heard a bow twang. He no longer dared to act recklessly. Hearing the bad news, he nearly beat his chest in regret and could only grumble about why Chen Ping'an hadn't bought the well earlier.
Ruan Xiu asked softly, "Should I go talk to someone about it? If you're willing, maybe we could buy the Iron Lock Well."
Chen Ping'an quickly shook his head. "No need. Besides, I'm out of money now."
Ruan Xiu seemed about to say something, but seeing Chen Ping'an's determined expression, she dropped the thought.
As they approached Qilong Alley, Chen Ping'an said, "There's a little girl named Shi Chunjia. She seemed to be the daughter of one of the shopkeepers."
Ruan Xiu looked confused. "I don't know."
There were many things the girl didn't care about.
When the shop assistants and masters of the two establishments heard that the real owner had shown up, they came over to have a look. Most were honest women and girls. Seeing Chen Ping'an, they couldn't hide their disappointment and gradually returned to work. But when they addressed Ruan Xiu as "boss," the girl felt a bit shy.
Chen Ping'an sat in the New Year's Money Shop for a while, drinking hot tea. He felt completely out of place, not knowing what to do or say. Ruan Xiu, on the other hand, calmly asked about relevant matters — income, profits. Watching the serious-faced girl in blue, Chen Ping'an scratched his head and began to feel that the gift he had given was too careless and half-hearted.
Before heading to Fulu Street, Ruan Xiu glanced at the young boy in blue and the girl in the pink skirt, then whispered to Chen Ping'an, "Fulu Street and Taoye Alley have changed a lot. Many outsiders have moved in. The Li family is special — their patriarch recently broke into the tenth level. According to the late Great Li emperor's decree of rewards, the current emperor granted the Li family two exemptions, allowing two direct descendants to obtain official positions in the Qingliu faction. For some reason, one became an official in the capital, but the one who stayed home refused. So the atmosphere on Fulu Street has been a bit strange lately."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, told the two children to stay at the shop, and carried the pottery jar to Fulu Street alone, without letting Ruan Xiu guide him. Ruan Xiu didn't insist and returned to the blacksmith's shop.
The girl left the town and walked toward the stone arch bridge she had crossed countless times. The covered bridge had long been demolished, and the old sword rod had vanished. Some busybodies had tried to search for it, hoping for a meager opportunity, but in vain.
For the bustling, undercurrent-filled Longquan County, too many strange things had happened, and countless great enterprises were being plotted — who had time for such trivial matters?
Ruan Xiu walked onto the stone bridge, unable to resist taking out the bamboo slip. She held it up high.
Five small characters. She could look at them a hundred times and never tire.
Suddenly, she thought it would be even better if there were another line carved on the back.
For example, "Chen Ping'an presents to Ruan Xiu"?
In the town.
Chen Ping'an once again treaded the blue stone road. Rows of grand mansions stretched like mountain ranges. Compared to his previous errands delivering letters, looking back now, he naturally saw more meaning.
He had just reached the Li family gate when he saw a man in blue robes standing there, smiling at him.
For some reason, seeing this bookish young man made Chen Ping'an think of that time he went to deliver a letter at the school, and when he looked back, he saw Master Qi standing at the school gate.
Exactly the same demeanor.
Like a divine being.