Chapter 191: Doing Business is Also a Kind of Cultivation

Chapter 191: Doing Business is Also a Kind of Cultivation

Although Chen Ping'an's Longevity Bridge had been severed and he could not cultivate for the time being, the jianghu was full of swordsmen. There were even grandmasters whose sword techniques were said to be divine. Even when facing Qi refiners who could move mountains and drain seas, they could still go toe-to-toe with them.

Among the pure martial artists of the world, the most unrestrained and elegant were always swordsmen. When two martial arts experts of comparable strength, bearing, and appearance faced off, one using fists and the other a longsword, the latter always won more favor.

Using fists meant striking flesh and bone, beating an opponent until their skin split and their flesh opened, or even directly smashing a person's skull or making their guts burst out. How could that compare to using a sword?

"With the courage of ten thousand men, one carries this heroic spirit. Smiling, I drain a cup of wine, and slay men in the market."

"Your sword art is complete—take it and go. Where there are coiled dragons, slay the coiled dragons."

Wasn't that unrestrained? Wasn't that romantic? Of course!

Even someone as dull and rigid as Chen Ping'an, upon hearing Cui Dongshan recite this poem by the great cliffs and mighty waters, could not help but yearn for it in his heart.

Previously, when Chen Ping'an practiced fist techniques, he at least had the Mountain-Shaking Manual. Even if Miss Ning looked down on it, it still pointed him down a path of martial arts.

Now, if he wanted to practice the sword, there should be something like a Sword Sutra. Otherwise, Chen Ping'an felt that with his limited talent and understanding, he could practice until the end of time and still not achieve anything impressive.

This made Chen Ping'an somewhat worried.

Outside the bamboo lodge, someone walked over from a distance, holding a bamboo staff and with a peachwood talisman hanging at his waist. He called out loudly, "Chen Ping'an."

Chen Ping'an, who was worrying on the second floor, turned to look and replied loudly, "Brother Li, why are you here?"

Chen Ping'an ran all the way downstairs.

Li Xisheng, along with the youth Cui Ci, who was considered half his disciple, had specially climbed Luopo Mountain to visit its master, Chen Ping'an.

Li Xisheng took off the peachwood talisman from his waist and got straight to the point, "I might have to leave the town soon, so I hurried over to give you something. I didn't want to rush at the last moment and not even be able to explain things clearly."

Chen Ping'an did not reach out to take it. It wasn't that he suspected the man before him of harboring ill intentions, but he was used to the principle of not accepting rewards without merit. He simply didn't have the nerve to take things for nothing.

Li Xisheng said, "My younger brother Li Baozhen—you know him, right?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Li Xisheng continued, "Zhu Lu's attempt to commit murder at Zhentou Station was secretly instigated by him. He was clearly in the wrong. By the time I found out, it was already too late to stop it. Li Baozhen has never been the type to admit his mistakes since childhood, but there's no helping it. He is Baoping's second brother, and I am his eldest brother. Family is family. Since he did wrong and refused to repent, I had to come and make amends on his behalf."

Seeing the still-silent dark-skinned youth, Li Xisheng smiled and said, "Don't worry. To be fair, this peachwood talisman is only related to the assassination matter. After I leave the town, you'll have to be careful of Li Baozhen. If you have a clear upper hand, Chen Ping'an, I beg you to give him a chance to live, a chance to turn over a new leaf. Just one chance, that's all."

"Of course, if the situation is evenly matched and it's a life-or-death struggle, you don't need to show mercy. In all matters, prioritize self-preservation."

Chen Ping'an thought carefully for a moment, then said slowly, "Alright!"

Li Xisheng handed over the peachwood talisman with a warm smile. "Since that's settled, accept this with peace of mind. It's just a small thing, nothing worth mentioning."

"Brother Li, you don't need to give me anything. And rest assured, I will definitely keep my promise to you."

Chen Ping'an waved his hand and laughed. "For Brother Li to travel such a long way just to deliver something to me in person, it must be very precious. And besides..."

At this point, Chen Ping'an didn't say anything more.

In fact, A Liang had once mentioned that the true great opportunities of Lizhu Cave Heaven were still hidden on Fulu Street and Taoye Lane.

Intuition told Chen Ping'an that it might be related to Li Xisheng's peachwood talisman.

Seeing the youth's adamant refusal, Li Xisheng hesitated for a moment. "Can we talk alone?"

---

After Longquan was upgraded from a county to a prefecture, the original county name of Longquan, which carried a dragon aura, was changed to the relatively ordinary Huaihuang County. The prefectural government was established north of the great mountains, while the county yamen remained in the town. The magistrate was a young official surnamed Yuan. Unlike the previous hands-on parent official, Wu Yuan, Magistrate Yuan rarely showed his face. Strangely, before Wu Yuan was promoted, many stalled matters—such as the selection of sites for the Old Porcelain Mountain and the Immortal Tomb to build the Civil and Martial Temples—had already begun to proceed in an orderly fashion. Thus, many felt that Wu Yuan, that embroidered pillow with nothing inside, didn't deserve such a leap in rank.

The newly appointed Kiln Affairs Superintendent was a young man surnamed Cao, similar in age to Magistrate Yuan. He also bore a Supreme Pillar of State surname. Unlike the elusive Yuan, Superintendent Cao was much more willing to appear in public. Not only did he proactively visit the wealthy households on Fulu Street and Taoye Lane, but he was also frequently seen at the school run by the Longwei Prefecture Chen clan. In particular, whenever Li Xisheng, the teaching assistant, gave a lecture, Superintendent Cao would attend as a silent observer whenever he had free time. He would take off his official robes, put on a scholar's gown, and sit openly at the very back of the classroom, in the same room as a bunch of children learning their first characters, never finding it shameful.

On the eastern post road of Huaihuang County, the station closest to the county town was called Huaizhai Station. It wasn't large in scale, but though small, it had everything necessary. All five post horses were B-class warhorses. For small stations in other prefectures and counties, this was a dream they wouldn't even dare to entertain.

Today, Huaizhai Station received groups of distinguished guests. At dawn, Prefect Wu Yuan had already traveled from the western prefectural government. He brought only two trusted secretaries, one civil and one military. Then Magistrate Yuan arrived by carriage. When he saw his superior Wu Yuan waiting by the post road, he didn't even bother to greet him. He walked straight into the station, ordered a pot of tea, and sat down to drink alone.

Afterwards, Superintendent Cao rode up alone, reeking of alcohol. He swayed as he dismounted, hiccupped, and led his horse on foot. Most likely, he had been drinking heavily the night before and was using more liquor to sober up in the morning. When he saw Wu Yuan, he hastily slapped his clothes in a guilty attempt to dispel the smell of alcohol, led the horse over to the prefect, and bowed with a smile, "Subordinate Cao Mao pays respects to the Prefect."

Wu Yuan had been promoted to a high position but showed no signs of being prideful. He said politely, "Superintendent Cao is a direct appointee of the Ministry of Rites. You don't actually need to perform the bowing ceremony when you see me."

Kiln Affairs Superintendent Cao Mao had a face like polished jade and a tall, slender figure, truly worthy of being called the "Jade Tree of the Cao Clan." His words and demeanor made others feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze. He said, "How could that be? When the official with the smaller hat sees one with a bigger hat, he must show respect. Besides, if you, Lord Wu, later become a son-in-law of the Yuan clan, it will be like a fish meeting the wind and changing into a dragon. Your official career will advance with unstoppable force. I wouldn't dare to be even slightly negligent."

Cao Mao put himself in a lowly position, but his words were unrestrained. These remarks were not in line with official etiquette and didn't show much respect for Wu Yuan, the governor who governed an entire prefecture.

This wasn't surprising. As the legitimate eldest son of the Cao clan's main branch, on whom they placed great hopes, Cao Mao had plenty of reasons to dislike Wu Yuan, who was a son-in-law of the Yuan clan.

The two Supreme Pillar of State surnames in the capital, Yuan and Cao, had once been closely tied families with deep marital connections. But in the last hundred years, they had become irreconcilable. The ancestors who had brought glory to both families had been steadfast allies who fought side by side their entire lives and were crucial pillars in the rise of Great Li. Because Cao Hang and Yuan Xie, the two Supreme Pillars, were from the same hometown, they were hailed in history books as "The Two Who Are One, Civil and Martial Dual Jades." To this day, many legendary tales about them were still widely circulated in the countryside and marketplaces of Great Li.

Now, all door gods within Longquan Prefecture were uniformly regulated, hanging the images of that pair of civil and martial door gods, which were actually portraits of the Cao and Yuan ancestors, Cao Hang and Yuan Xie.

As for whether the two clans sent their direct descendants here to serve as officials under the guidance of some mountain-top master, or with the intention of inheriting some ancestral blessings, no one knew. After all, the old locust tree had already fallen, its branches destroyed and leaves scattered. Whether this "dragon-rising land" of the Cao and Yuan surnames still had any ancestral locust shade left was hard to say.

Soon, several people arrived together, all elderly.

There was an old woman from the Zhao clan, leaning on a cane. Her grandson Zhao Yao, who had been Qi Jingchun's book boy, had already left his hometown in an ox cart before the upheaval in the town.

There was also the old patriarch of the Li clan, whose spirit was contained and restrained. After the restrictions of Lizhu Cave Heaven dissipated, the old man successfully advanced to the tenth realm, earning his family two official positions bestowed by imperial grace. However, his eldest legitimate grandson, Li Xisheng, refused them, while Li Baozhen chose to accept them, smoothly joining the ranks of clean-handed officials in the capital of Great Li.

The remaining slot was left "pending," to be reserved for a future promising descendant of the Li clan.

There was also a short old man who lived in a house on the corner of Taoye Lane. Kind-faced and benevolent, when Chen Ping'an had helped deliver letters before, this old man had wanted to invite the youth into his home for a drink, but the mud-legged fellow from Niping Alley hadn't dared to agree.

The other elderly men were also patriarchs of the four surnames and ten clans of the town. They held varying numbers of dragon kilns, large tracts of fertile land, and ordinary hills. They were the true local landlords of the town.

An old man in Confucian robes with a tall crown gently lifted the carriage curtain and descended from the carriage. He squinted as he looked around, instantly making everyone feel a stifling oppressive force.

A man's reputation is like the shadow of a tree.

This old man held countless titles brimming with immense power: the foremost disciple of the Literary Sage, Qi Jingchun's eldest senior brother, Grand Preceptor of Great Li, a Confucian sage, a go grandmaster who had played a game with the city lord of White Emperor City in the Cloud Pavilion...

East Bottle Gourd Continent was the smallest of the Nine Continents, but the appearance of Grand Preceptor Cui Chan had drawn the attention of many behind-the-scenes powerhouses to this small continent.

When Cui Chan descended from the carriage and stood, everyone bowed in unison.

As the crowd slowly straightened up and raised their heads, they were astonished to see a beautiful young girl dressed as a palace maid following behind the powerful old man. This caught some of the well-informed off guard.

Cui Chan said calmly, "Everyone, go back."

No one dared to raise any objection, let alone show the slightest hint of anger.

Cui Chan rubbed a jade pendant at his waist with two fingers and walked toward Huaizhai Station. The young girl followed closely behind with a cold expression.

Cui Chan sat down at a table and ordered three jars of wine from the station. When the station master and his subordinates carried the jars over, their mouths and throats were dry with nervousness.

Cui Chan waved his hand, dismissing them from waiting on him. He opened the seal on the wine himself and, at the same time, pressed his palm downward, signaling for the girl standing stiffly by the table to sit down. He smiled and said, "No need to be so tense. This trip, I'm just here to escort you. You are the master of this small world."

Cui Chan picked up a large white bowl, took a sip of the mediocre local wine, and didn't mind. Back when he had betrayed his master and traveled the four corners of the world alone, sword in hand, what hardships hadn't he endured? Cui Chan had always considered himself someone who could endure suffering and enjoy blessings, which was why he was still alive today.

Cui Chan looked at the uneasy young girl and asked with a smile, "Zhigui, I've read every word of the records you gave to the Imperial Observatory. Are there any small stories you haven't told? Trivial ones will do. For example, when Xie Shi and Cao Xi were young, were there any interesting peers around them? Or someone who suffered a calamity but survived against all odds? Someone who was particularly isolated since childhood?"

So it turned out that the girl was the maidservant of the Great Li prince Song Jixin. Her name was Zhigui, her true name Wang Zhu. Her true form was peculiar—she was actually a bead condensed from the soul of the last true dragon in the world.

Zhigui thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No."

Cui Chan let out a wry laugh. He wasn't angry, though. He continued drinking alone.

Before long, three people walked into the station: Cao Xi, dressed like a wealthy old man; Xie Shi, a simple and honest-looking man; and Xu Ruo, a Mohist ranger.

The two big shots who had walked out of Lizhu Cave Heaven looked at the girl, confirming her aura. Cao Xi was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, pointing at her. "Damn it, what a loss of face! The thing that scared me half to death back then was actually a weak little girl like this?"

Xie Shi clasped his fists and bowed to the girl. "Xie Shi of Taoye Lane thanks you, miss, for your two life-saving graces!"

Zhigui kept a cold expression, only nodding slightly at Xie Shi. As for Cao Xi, she didn't even glance at him.

Xu Ruo stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the door, and began to meditate with his eyes closed.

If things were settled today, it wouldn't concern him. If they fell through, it would probably be a big deal.

Cao Xi kept laughing, plopped himself down across from the girl, and stared at her with a look that practically begged for a beating. He said with a grin, "Back then, I was standing at the mouth of the Iron Lock Well, about to pee down into it. But after only half a stream of piss, the iron lock started rattling like crazy, and the well water suddenly rose to the edge. Scared me so much I didn't even dare to finish peeing. I didn't even bother to pull up my pants. What a scene! A real case of pissing my pants and shitting myself! I've done a lot of embarrassing things in my life, but this one definitely makes the top three!"

Zhigui couldn't keep a straight face anymore. She glared at him and said, "If you hadn't run so fast, I would have made you drink well water until your stomach burst!"

Cao Xi rubbed his beard with a finger, gloating. "I remember for a whole month afterward, I stood about two zhang away from the Iron Lock Well and threw rocks into it as hard as I could. Did any of them hit you? I must have hit you at least once, right?"

Zhigui stared at him, then sneered. "Born rotten to the core! I regret not drowning you in the creek!"

Cao Xi, instead of getting angry, laughed. "I was a bit naughty as a kid, haha, just childish nature, you know. Whenever I went swimming with kids my age, I used to fart a lot. Nothing I could do about it—I've always loved watching bubbles rise to the surface behind me. But I was still pretty decent. That time I peed in the well, I was really scared out of my wits. My family even had someone perform a soul-summoning ritual for me. It was so embarrassing! They went beating gongs and drums all the way from Niping Alley to the Iron Lock Well, calling out 'Cao Xi!' and I had to answer. You have no idea—my classmates at school made fun of me for years..."

At this point, Cao Xi chuckled to himself, poured himself a bowl of wine, and sighed. "Those classmates of mine, their bones must have rotted away underground by now. But I still remember all their names."

Zhigui sneered. "And who was it that secretly poured half a bucket of black dog blood into the Iron Lock Well in the middle of the night?"

Cao Xi gave an awkward laugh. "I heard old folks say black dog blood could ward off evil, okay?"

Zhigui found this guy annoying. She disliked him when he was a child, and she disliked him even more now that he was old.

Xie Shi remained silent the whole time.

Zhigui hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Which one of you actually became a True Lord? Who became a Sword Immortal?"

Cao Xi raised his white bowl and pointed at Xie Shi, who was sitting across from the Grand Preceptor of Great Li. "He's the True Lord of Julu Continent, about to become a Daoist Heavenly Lord. Several dynasties have branches of his sect's temples on their sacred mountains. In all of Julu Continent, among Daoist sects, his is the sole dominant power. The rest are just insignificant heterodoxies. Those so-called Sect Leaders and National True Lords don't even deserve to carry our True Lord Xie's shoes. Before our fellow townsman Xie Shi, they're all grandsons, without exception."

Xie Shi's expression darkened. "Shut up."

Cao Xi backed down. "Fine, fine, I won't say anything more. After all, you're a Daoist Heavenly Lord, while I'm just a lowly wild cultivator. I can't afford to provoke you."

Within a dynasty, the appointment of a Daoist National True Lord required not only the nomination and recommendation of the emperor but also the approval of the continent's Daoist Patriarch. For example, Qi Zhen, the patriarch of the Shengao Sect on East Bottle Gourd Continent, was the Daoist Patriarch. Then, over half of the Heavenly Lords on the continent had to nod in agreement. Finally, a decree had to be obtained from a certain sect on the Central Earth Divine Continent for the appointment to be legitimate.

And the Daoist Patriarch of Julu Continent was none other than Xie Shi himself. His sect's headquarters was the Incense Lord Temple. Add to that the fact that sword cultivators flourished on Julu Continent, and Buddhist incense far outweighed Daoist influence. As a result, there wasn't a single Heavenly Lord there—only half of one, which was Xie Shi himself.

Of course, Bottle Gourd Continent wasn't much better off. As the smallest of the Nine Continents in territory, even though Daoist power far surpassed Buddhism, Bottle Gourd Continent still only had one Heavenly Lord. And that Heavenly Lord had just recently broken through to the twelfth realm. It was Qi Zhen of the Shengao Sect in the Southern Jian Kingdom. Just like Xie Shi, all the selections of True Lords in that continent were decided by a single person in a single judgment.

But in other continents, such as the Central Earth Divine Continent (needless to say) or the vast Southern Posa Continent, the number of Daoist Heavenly Lords could be counted on both hands.

"Let's get straight to the point," Xie Shi said bluntly. "As for that broken Destiny Porcelain, we can let bygones be bygones. But I need to ask Great Li for three people."

Cui Chan set down his wine bowl and smiled. "Wait a moment. What do you mean by 'let bygones be bygones'? Regarding the breaking of Chen Ping'an's Destiny Porcelain, although it was initially a dereliction of duty by our Great Li's Kiln Affairs Supervisory Office, first, Chen Ping'an's qualifications had been verified and confirmed by the porcelain buyer long ago. There was nothing special about him—his aptitude was assessed as lower-middle. This was confirmed without error. Second, after the Destiny Porcelain was broken, Great Li immediately pursued accountability where due and made compensation where required. The porcelain buyer also acknowledged this and accepted the compensation without complaint. Xie Shi, your claim of 'letting bygones be bygones' simply holds no ground."

Xie Shi said calmly, "Of course, the porcelain buyer has no right to make trouble unreasonably. But the forces behind the porcelain buyer do have the qualification to be unreasonable with your Great Li."

Cui Chan laughed heartily and nodded without hesitation. He picked up his wine bowl again, took a small sip, and clicked his tongue. "Such is the helplessness of the world."

Cao Xi bared his teeth in a grin.

Zhigui's eyes flickered, as if she had heard something interesting.

Cui Chan asked, "And what if Great Li refuses?"

Xie Shi showed no sign of feeling trapped despite being surrounded. He continued, "Great Li's southward expansion is a settled matter. If you don't agree, you'll have to worry about fires starting in your own backyard."

A worry for the rear? Great Li's northern territory already extended to the northern seashore.

Cao Xi's expression turned thoughtful. It seemed certain big shots on Julu Continent considered these three people as already within their grasp. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so aggressive.

Obviously, Xie Shi's implication was that cultivators from Julu Continent would take advantage of Great Li's iron cavalry marching south to openly cross the sea southward and harass Great Li's northern border.

As for the matter of that youth named Chen Ping'an's Destiny Porcelain being broken, in the final analysis, it was just a trivial matter that had already been settled. But to certain people, it was a clumsy excuse.

Because when big shots began to plot the great trends of the world, small matters were no longer small.

Cui Chan sighed softly. This was how mountain-top people behaved when they were unreasonable: just like children playing house and fighting. Once they got into a temper, they would go all out, fighting to the death. It was terrifying, yet not really terrifying.

Cui Chan wasn't unfamiliar with this. On the contrary, he had experienced it many times, so he remained especially calm.

Cui Chan had no choice but to yield one step first. He turned to inquire, "Which three people do you want to take away?"

Xie Shi drank his first mouthful of wine since sitting down. "He Xiaoliang, Ma Kuxuan, and Li Xisheng. The order of importance is as listed. How many people Great Li can hand over will determine the corresponding returns you receive."

Cui Chan laughed heartily. "Returns? More like thunderous wrath, wouldn't you say?"

Xie Shi remained silent.

Li Xisheng was a native of Longquan, Great Li, and the easiest one to negotiate over.

Ma Kuxuan was already a disciple of True Martial Mountain. In just one year, he had made a name for himself with a fierce killing intent and astonishing talent, improving by leaps and bounds.

He Xiaoliang was an outstanding student of the Shengao Sect, with breathtaking natural talent and even more frightening fortune. Aside from the little-known Confucian scholar Li Xisheng, the other two were the hopes of their respective masters and sects. One was a place of military strategist lineage, the other a Daoist sacred ground. Even if Great Li had already taken half the continent, it might still be reluctant to antagonize either of them. And that was before the Great Sui had even been destroyed.

Once the Shengao Sect and True Martial Mountain raised the call, Great Li would face the hostility of half the military cultivators and most of the Daoist priests on Bottle Gourd Continent.

No matter how you looked at it, this deal was a loss.

Cui Chan felt there was no point in further negotiation.

He figured that after returning to the capital of Great Li, regarding the replenishment of flying swords at the White Jade Capital, he would need to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

But then Xie Shi suddenly spoke. "As long as you agree to this, I will lead people to the Summer Resort Mountain near Guanhu Academy to help you deter the Academy and the entire southern forces. Rest assured, I won't just be putting on a show. Just as your refusal would mean Julu Continent cultivators invading Great Li's northern border for real, once Great Li nods, we won't let you suffer even the slightest loss. This is the promise of several top cultivators from Julu Continent, including myself."

Cao Xi was stunned.

Now this was interesting.

If Xie Shi was truly willing to lead people to hold the Summer Resort Mountain for real, rather than playing tricks, then this single move would cut off half of Great Sui's lifeline before it even went to war with Great Li.

It was even possible to say that half the territory of East Bottle Gourd Continent had already fallen into the hands of Great Li's Song clan.

Cui Chan sighed emotionally. "So it's actually such a huge gamble. This is a bit beyond my expectations. I'll have to inform His Majesty."

Xie Shi nodded. "That's reasonable. I can wait. You have at most half a month—the emperor of Great Li must give me an answer."

Cui Chan suddenly pointed at Zhigui. "She saved your life twice, Xie Shi. Are you not going to show any gratitude?"

Xie Shi laughed heartily. "Of course. If you refuse this deal, I won't take part in the harassment of the north. If you agree, I will accept two or three direct disciples from Great Li and train them with the utmost care, no ambiguity. You should know—and I'll say it bluntly—I will soon be promoted to Heavenly Lord. Given my age, among all the Daoist Heavenly Lords of the Nine Continents, I can only be considered in my prime. To put it shamelessly, I truly have a long path of the Dao ahead of me. Moreover, in the thousand years since I established my sect, I have only taken three direct disciples!"

Cui Chan pointed at Zhigui. "Count her as one?"

Xie Shi shook his head. "She doesn't count. But if she is willing, she can be one of the slots outside those three."

Cui Chan pondered in silence.

Zhigui was somewhat distracted.

She was anxious, thinking about returning to the yard in Niping Alley to take a look. Even if that cage full of fluffy little chicks had starved to death, she had to see their dead bodies with her own eyes before she could give up hope.

If they were still alive, then this time she saw them, she would have to personally crush them to death. As little things she had raised, if they ended up dying in the mouths of wild cats or dogs, how disgraceful would that be?