Chapter 235: Homeland's Yellow Flowers
Longquan Commandery, the Xie Clan in the small town.
A long-browed youth clutching several books in his hands ran into the courtyard, beaming, "Ancestor, today I learned a new sword technique from my master."
Heavenly Lord Xie Shi nodded, setting down the book he was holding.
Whenever speaking with someone, even a junior many generations removed like this youth, Xie Shi would always act with such gravity, never looking around distractedly or letting his mind wander.
The youth still did not yet understand the significance of this bearing. Instead, he thought more about his ancestor's title as a Daoist Heavenly Lord, about the great enterprise of returning south to their homeland, and was immersed in the immense joy of the Xie Clan's inevitable rise. Being young, he paid little attention to such minor details.
Xie Shi took the books, placed them on the stone table, and gestured for the youth to sit.
After the youth sat down lightly, he asked, "Ancestor, would these be worthy of your attention?"
Xie Shi patted the books gently and smiled, "How could they not be worthy? If I were to take the imperial examinations, even qualifying for the metropolitan exam would be questionable."
Although Xie Shi had a rough, rustic appearance, no different from a village farmer, he was in fact widely read and well-versed in the teachings of the three doctrines. During his stay at the Xie Clan's old residence, he spent his time reading in the small courtyard. Every day after the long-browed youth finished forging iron and swords at the Ruan family shop, he would bring back a few books purchased from the new bookstore in town. Xie Shi had long told the long-browed youth not to limit himself to Daoist classics—he could buy any books he wished.
Xie Shi suddenly stood up, and the long-browed youth naturally rose as well. The two of them, one tall and one small, stood there for about the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense.
Only then did the youth startledly discover that his mother, smiling cheerfully, was leading a "young Daoist" into the courtyard.
After the woman left, Xie Shi was about to speak, but the lotus-hat Daoist who had come to visit gestured for him to sit.
Lu Chen plopped down onto a stone stool, using his palm as a fan to slowly waft a breeze, as if chatting idly. He instructed Xie Shi, "Once the matters on Baoping Continent are settled, after you return to Julou Continent for sixty years, keep a closer eye on He Xiaoliang. No need to help her much—just make sure she doesn't die. Once she establishes a foothold and founds her own sect, then you can add the finishing touches. Whether it's people, money, or magical artifacts, the more the better. This way, the two of you will have forged a good karmic connection."
Xie Shi rose again, bowing with cupped hands, "I humbly obey the Grandmaster's decree!"
"Such a stubborn temperament; truly not likable."
Lu Chen teased him, then turned to the youth with a grin, "Long-Brow, come here, come here. Let me give you a parting gift."
The long-browed youth was both excited and awed, trembling as he quickly looked to his ancestor Xie Shi for guidance.
Xie Shi nodded, signaling that he could accept the gift without worry.
Even cultivators at the Jade Pellets Realm of the Upper Five Realms were wary of casually bestowing blessings on others.
But when Grandmaster Lu Chen gave something, whether good or bad, it was already predetermined—never a mistake.
With Xie Shi present, how could giving something to the youth be a bad thing?
It was destined to be one of the finest fortunes under heaven!
This was indeed a great blessing for the youth.
Lu Chen flipped his wrist, and soon a crystal-clear, seven-colored pagoda appeared in his palm, its radiance flowing exquisitely, indescribably beautiful.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the little pagoda, barely half a foot tall, had as many as thirty-six plaques hanging on various parts.
Xie Shi, who had just sat down, leapt to his feet again and said sternly to the youth, "Kneel and give thanks!"
This time, Lu Chen did not object. He let the confused youth, cradling the little pagoda, kneel down and thump his head three times on the ground in kowtows.
Lu Chen smiled faintly, "I know you have a gentle nature, so I'm not worried about you bullying others. This little pagoda can suppress all evil spirits and yin entities below the Upper Five Realms in the world. It barely counts as a half-immortal artifact. But remember one thing: visible evil spirits, yin entities, and ghosts are not necessarily the worst. In the subtle ripples of the human heart, inner demons can arise more easily."
The youth flushed and declared loudly, "I will always remember this!"
Lu Chen still wore that lazy expression, chuckling, "Later, when you have mastered sword practice with Ruan Qiong, and since you are a sword cultivator, you will inevitably travel the four directions. At that time, observe human hearts more. The reason I gave you this pagoda is so that you do not have to worry too much about external matters and can instead ponder your own affairs. The Buddhist school has a saying: 'One who is self-sufficient.' Quite interesting. Oh, right, Xie Shi, remember to find this child a decent 'non-far-near' artifact. Not stunting growth through overreaching is good, but if an elder is too stingy, that's not good either."
Xie Shi was about to stand up to accept the order again.
Lu Chen laughed angrily, "Believe me, I'll slap you dead if you keep this up! Enough already!"
Xie Shi had no choice but to sit still.
Lu Chen thought for a moment, fell silent briefly, then stood up. His smile vanished, and he said gravely, "From now on, remember to protect Li Xisheng. If anything goes wrong, even if I have to break the rules on both sides, I will return from the White Jade Capital to this Haoran World, and I will hold you, Xie Shi, accountable!"
Having already been scolded, Xie Shi didn't know whether to sit or stand.
Lu Chen slapped his forehead, "With such obtuse disciples and descendants like you, it's no wonder the incense of my lineage is not flourishing."
Lu Chen looked up, raised his arm, and flicked the lotus hat lightly with his finger. Smiling, he said softly, "Hey, hey, hey, Seventy! Are you there? If you are, please open the door and see me out!"
Xie Shi's expression changed slightly as he hurriedly followed the Grandmaster's gaze and looked up.
Even with his vast Daoist cultivation as the master of a continent, he could only barely see some ripples and waves through layers of clouds, finally at a point on the sky's dome.
Lu Chen vanished in a flash.
Instantly, the "small door" that had opened on the sky dome closed shut.
Lu Chen, the third disciple under the Dao Ancestor, had silently left the Haoran World and returned to the Qingming World.
Lu Chen's departure from the Haoran World caused almost no stir, but the commotion he made on the Qingming World side was truly tremendous.
On that side, it was also the sky dome, but in the Qingming World ruled by Daoism, a golden cloud hole as large as a mountain broke open. A golden rainbow as thick as a peak crashed down, landing straight on the top of a ten-thousand-foot-tall tower.
An elderly scholar, carrying a bamboo staff and a book chest on his back, walked through the endless mountain ranges of the Qingming World. A newly taken young book-boy followed him. The gaunt old man raised his hand to shield his eyes, looked up, and smiled, "Seems like Qi Jingchun gave him quite a scolding."
The boy asked curiously, "Master, who is Qi Jingchun?"
The gaunt old man laughed, "A scholar from my hometown. Not very old, but his learning is very profound."
The boy's next question was childlike, "How profound?"
The old man thought for a moment, then gave an answer that seemed somewhat perfunctory, "Isn't there a saying in your hometown? 'A flood cannot drown a duck's back.'"
The boy muttered, "So not that profound."
The old man laughed heartily, "The true skill of a scholar cannot be only about seeking lofty and distant knowledge. The learning one acquires must be able to lead the common people across mountains and rivers. A scholar must not only find a place of peace for himself but also for the common people. Otherwise, no matter how high a person's learning is, no matter how beautifully they write essays, it benefits themselves but does nothing for the world."
The boy said helplessly, "Master, I think your reasoning is quite lofty."
The old man rapped the boy on the head with his knuckles, then sighed to himself.
The boy, bored with nothing to do, sighed along with the old gentleman.
The old man was thinking about the season in his hometown, where the earth must be covered in yellow flowers.
Xie Shi, after Grandmaster Lu Chen left this world, had to admit that although he felt very disappointed, his state of mind had clearly become much lighter.
With Lu Chen present in the town, Xie Shi had been very anxious, afraid of doing something wrong that would catch the Grandmaster's eye and be remembered.
Xie Shi let out a soft breath; his entire aura changed. Standing in the courtyard, he looked toward the distant Wutong Mountain ferry in the western mountains. Soon, a huge ferry boat, unmatched in the Northern Julou Continent, would appear there. On board would be several figures who stirred the entire continent. This time, the Dipper Altar Mountain kun ship was destroyed in the middle of Baoping Continent. Apart from the several founding patriarchs of Dipper Altar Mountain mobilizing in full force, several major powers had also come south together. Nominally, it was to jointly investigate the sinking incident. As for the truth, only Dipper Altar Mountain, the least powerful among them, remained completely in the dark. Xie Shi knew, Grand Scholar Cui Chan of Great Li knew, and the two big shots on the new ferry knew it too.
Sword Jar Master was the most critical chess piece, a death warrior.
Even in the Northern Julou Continent, only a very few knew that the scattered cultivator's sable hat was actually the magical artifact "Sword Jar." While helping people nurture flying swords, it also gave birth to countless strands of sword qi. Over hundreds of years, the sword qi inside the jar had accumulated densely. Therefore, Sword Jar Master's all-out attack, at the cost of completely destroying the magical artifact "Sword Jar," was almost equivalent to the full-power strike of a Jade Pellets Realm sword cultivator.
Enough to sink that Dipper Altar Mountain kun ship.
All of this was to allow Xie Shi to take the second step seamlessly, for this Daoist Heavenly Lord of the Northern Julou Continent to personally go to the area north of Observation Lake Academy, take up a position there, and completely cut off contact between the north and south of Baoping Continent, ensuring no mishaps occurred in Great Li's "great momentum" of annexing the entire northern part of Baoping Continent.
Xie Shi patted the youth's shoulder, "Come with me somewhere."
The long-browed youth followed his ancestor to the Yang Family Shop. When they came out, he had a so-called "non-far-near" artifact on him, along with a promise from Old Man Yang.
What they gave in return was also a promise from Heavenly Lord Xie Shi.
Back at the small courtyard, Xie Shi told the youth the general outline of the kun ship incident.
Seeing his ancestor's grave expression, the youth asked curiously, "Ancestor, since our Baoping Continent is the smallest continent in the Haoran World, and you are the master of such a large continent as the Northern Julou, is there still anything to worry about?"
Xie Shi shook his head and laughed, "You think matters of the world are too simple. In the future, countless people will shout, 'Is this the Northern Julou bullying us, the people of Baoping Continent?' Most of them will just wave banners and watch from a safe distance. A small portion will stir restlessly. Among that small portion, another group will, for various reasons and intentions, rush over from all directions. Hidden among those people will be true experts… for example, some figures like Wei Jin of the Wind Snow Temple. And such people will only increase in the end. But for now, you just need to wait and see. In short, no matter how this matter develops, before you become a cultivator of the Upper Five Realms, do not get involved. Calmly follow Ruan Qiong in cultivating the sword path."
The long-browed youth was burdened with worries. Xie Shi chuckled, "Even if the worst outcome happens, it won't appear in a year or two. What are you worrying about?"
The youth, feeling gloomy, turned and walked toward the courtyard gate, "Ancestor, I'm going to practice swordsmanship."
Xie Shi sat alone by the stone table, closing his eyes to rest, silently calculating and deducing the direction of the great momentum on Baoping Continent.
Not long after Xie Shi and the youth left the Yang Family Shop, Cao Xi went to the medicine shop. The shop assistants didn't think much of it—nowadays, the town was prosperous, and they had seen plenty of rich people; this fat man was no exception.
Cao Xi smiled and asked if Old Man Yang lived in the back courtyard. A young assistant, weighing herbs at the cabinet, glanced at the overweight wealthy man, gestured with his chin toward the back door of the main hall where a bamboo curtain hung, and didn't bother saying much. Cao Xi thanked him and walked slowly over, lifting the curtain. There was a square courtyard with corridors running under the eaves on four sides. It was somewhat more imposing than the ancestral home of the Cao Clan.
On the corridor opposite the main building in the back courtyard, a long bench was placed, as if prepared especially for visitors like Cao Xi.
Outside the main building opposite, Old Man Yang was sitting on a stool, smoking a dry pipe. The green bamboo pipe had long been polished yellow and worn. Through the smoke, the old man looked at the sword immortal who had crossed the sea from the South Popa Continent. They certainly knew each other; Cao Xi was already quite old when he left the town. However, Cao Xi had only a very faint memory of this Old Man Yang, who stayed behind the medicine shop year after year like a frog at the bottom of a well. Still, he believed Old Man Yang was definitely no stranger to him. Perhaps even his successful departure from Pearly Pearl Cave Heaven back then was arranged behind the scenes by the old man.
Cao Xi of course had not come to repay a debt. He was never the type to repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring. Even if Old Man Yang came to his door, Cao Xi might not bother to entertain him. In Pearly Pearl Cave Heaven, or rather Longquan Commandery, everyone had to give Old Man Yang some face. But Cao Xi, after finishing this one-time deal, would return to Popa Continent, shamelessly ask the founder of the Yingyin Chen Clan for his reward, and then what did he care if Old Man Yang's identity was ever so mysterious, or how influential he became in the Eastern Baoping Continent in the future?
As for the branch of the Cao Clan that remained in Great Li as pillar ministers, whether they would face fortune or calamity in the future depended on their own fate. At most, Cao Xi would offer a symbolic bit of help before leaving. As for whether Emperor Song of Great Li appreciated it, it didn't matter. Cao Xi had countless descendants. Moreover, cultivating the Dao was never about cultivating a multitude of children and grandchildren or having one's entire household ascend to immortality. Those were just extra bonuses.
Cao Xi's first question was, "Old Man Yang, in the thousands of years of this world's cave heavens, among the figures who walked out from under your nose in the smallest, Pearly Pearl Cave Heaven, whose achievements were the highest?"
Old Man Yang retorted, "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Cao Xi raised his wrist, revealing a pale, plump wrist tied with a green string, and laughed heartily, "Here, I do have 'one hell' of a thing."
Old Man Yang said impatiently, "If you have something to say, spit it out."
Cao Xi lowered his arm, immediately changing his expression, rubbing his hands obsequiously, "Old Man Yang, I've heard that you have great magical powers. May I ask if you know where my mother's soul went? Did it dissipate into the world around her grave? Was it reincarnated? Or… did you quietly collect it, planning to sell it at a good price?!"
Old Man Yang ignored the hidden murderous intent in the land sword immortal's latter words and said bluntly, "Are you, Cao Xi, trying to buy it? If you can pay the price, I can get your mother's soul for you—no problem. Even your father's."
Cao Xi burst into loud laughter, pointing a finger at the puffing old man and gesturing a few times in the air, "Old Man Yang, you're truly straightforward! Good, good, good! This trip wasn't a waste after all! Hehe, I wonder how much one of your lives is worth?"
Old Man Yang said flatly, "If you want to do business, welcome. If you come to my door and see me but aren't willing to pay, then get the hell out right now."
Hearing this, Cao Xi narrowed his eyes, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together, doing the same with both hands, a very comical posture.
Murderous intent was exposed.
Old Man Yang was completely unaffected.
Cao Xi suddenly laughed loudly, "Business can be done. I, Cao Xi, have always loved doing business with people. I just hope your price isn't too high. If it is, I won't buy. You might not know what kind of person I am, Old Man Yang. For the sake of cultivation, I would sell even my own son or grandson for money. But now that I'm well-off and successful, returning home in splendor and seeing old things stirs up fond memories, I've developed a bit of nostalgia."
Old Man Yang said slowly, "There's a girl named Li Liu. She went with her parents to the Northern Julou Continent. The souls of your parents are now with her. If you want a fair deal, I'll do business with you. I guarantee no mistakes. I'll deliver them intact. Of course, if you go back on your word and want to take them by force, you can turn around and leave now. But then whatever happens later, you'll bear the consequences."
Cao Xi grimaced, "Intact... Old Man Yang, you sure know how to put things. Fine, you can name your price."
Old Man Yang pointed at Cao Xi's wrist with his pipe stem.
Cao Xi flew into a rage, "What the hell? You want me to give this natal flying sword of mine to that Li Liu?! Old Man Yang, have you lost your mind?"
Old Man Yang glanced at him sideways and continued, "The flying sword you had before you refined that great river—you've kept it, haven't you? You can take it out and give it to Li Liu. And remember to teach her your sword technique as well."
Cao Xi's expression flickered uncertainly.
Old Man Yang sneered, "Don't think you're losing out. You've never had a good disciple in your life. I'm basically finding you one for free. Maybe in the future, whenever anyone mentions Cao Xi, they'll say, 'Cao Xi? Oh, he's Li Liu's master.'"
Cao Xi became a bit interested, rubbing his hands and smacking his lips, "That girl is that impressive?"
Old Man Yang twitched the corner of his mouth, "You'd better go find her yourself. When you hand over that flying sword, I believe you'll do it willingly."
"This deal, I'm in! If I'm going to gamble, I'll gamble big. That's befitting of my status as the great sword immortal Cao!"
Cao Xi slapped his thigh, lowering his voice slightly, "Besides that? What other business is there between you and me?"
Old Man Yang said coldly, "Your father's soul."
Cao Xi was stunned, then rolled his eyes, "Forget it, forget it. I wouldn't take it even if you gave it to me."
Old Man Yang began to puff smoke, "Fine then. Let's switch to another. Go find Ma Kuxuan of Zhenwu Mountain and become his protector. In the next twenty years, you don't need to be watching constantly. Just make sure you accumulate ten years of time, Cao Xi."
Cao Xi smiled thinly, "A sword immortal on the verge of entering the twelfth realm becomes a protector for a child?! I, Cao Xi, don't care much about face. I'm famous in Popa Continent for being shameless. But I still need some face!"
Old Man Yang said sternly, "Let Cao Jun join the Great Li army. Let him sharpen his broken sword heart on the battlefield. I can have someone secretly protect him for twenty years until his sword heart is fully mended."
Cao Xi's expression grew serious.
Old Man Yang snickered, "Stop being so smug here. Your little bit of face, vs your clan gaining an extra land sword immortal—which is more valuable?"
Cao Xi looked troubled, "That kid Cao Jun is a total ingrate. If he becomes a land sword immortal, won't he rebel? The Cao family would be impressive, sure—two sword immortals in one family! That would let us hold our heads high anywhere. Oh no, I mean be like gods. But then I, the ancestor, might end up being settled accounts with by that kid after the autumn harvest..."
Old Man Yang didn't take the bait and said directly, "After Cao Jun becomes a land sword immortal, he must promise to do one thing for me. Don't worry, I won't ask him to die. For Cao Jun at that time, it won't be too difficult."
Cao Xi was a bit suspicious, asking, "Old Man Yang, why don't you just approach Cao Jun directly? Is there some scheme in this? We two are half fellow-townsmen, aren't we? When fellow-townsmen meet, even if we don't shed tears, we shouldn't harm each other, right?"
Old Man Yang said bluntly, "Cao Jun is not qualified to negotiate with me right now. You, Cao Xi, are."
Cao Xi was speechless for a long time.
Finally, as he left the Yang Family Shop, Cao Xi stood on the street, looked back at the medicine shop, and muttered to himself, "I wonder if these things were also calculated by that old man Chen Chun'an?"
In Mud Bottle Alley.
Late at night, a richly dressed brocade-clad youth sat in the courtyard in a daze.
Before that great Yin-Yang sect cultivator was beaten to death in the capital by the imperial uncle Song Changjing, he had secretly found this youth and had some earth-shattering words.
The old man even confessed openly about his enormous conspiracy against the current emperor of Great Li. He had caused the emperor to practice cultivation on his own, violating the rules set by the Confucian sages. Not only did the emperor secretly break into the Middle Five Realms, but he even advanced unimpeded all the way to the Tenth Realm.
The emperor's goal was to see the Great Li dynasty swallow an entire continent with his own eyes. The great Yin-Yang cultivator, on the other hand, aimed to turn the Great Li emperor—Song Jixin's father—into a puppet on strings. Because when the Great Li emperor formally went into seclusion to break through to the Upper Five Realms, that would be the moment he completely lost his intellect and became a puppet.
A Liang's arrival interrupted the Great Li emperor's Longevity Bridge. At the moment when the Longevity Bridge shattered, it was highly likely that the emperor saw clues—those various mechanisms and seeds originally hidden within the bridge—which were very likely exposed. Although the Great Li emperor concealed it extremely well on the square outside the White Jade Tower at that time, he never expected that his own son, Song Jixin, had also been tampered with.
But regardless, A Liang's punch completely disrupted the century-plus meticulous and far-reaching schemes of this lineage of Yin-Yang cultivators.
However, this was far from over.
At this moment, Song Jixin recalled those words, his heart sinking heavily.
His maidservant Zhigui wrapped a coat around herself and came out, asking, "Master, is something on your mind?"
Song Jixin turned and smiled, "Just can't sleep."
Zhigui made an "oh" sound, grabbed a small stool, and sat beside Song Jixin.
Song Jixin suddenly suggested, "The moon is bright and the stars are sparse. The scenery is lovely. How about we take a walk?"
Zhigui said lazily, "Sure. Whatever master says."
Still master and servant, the two walked through the streets and alleys of the town. At the old study where Mr. Qi had taught, beside the stone table in the back courtyard where they used to play Go, Song Jixin ran his hand over the cool surface. He had always sat on the north side, and Zhao Yao on the south. At the time, he didn't know why they arranged it that way. Now that everything had come to light, he understood it was all for a reason. Song Jixin smiled, "I wonder how Zhao Yao is doing."
Here, Zhigui was somewhat quiet.
After that, the two continued walking, aimlessly and freely.
At the Iron Lock Well, the iron chain had been taken by an out-of-town man—that was a celestial opportunity.
At Apricot Flower Lane, the black cat seemed to have followed that simpleton Ma Kuxuan out of town.
The covered bridge had been dismantled, restoring the stone arch bridge to its original appearance. The old sword plaque under the bridge had vanished without a trace.
Word was that the sage Ruan Qiong was about to establish his own sect on some major mountain soon. It would certainly be a grand event. The Ministry of Rites of Great Li was treating this as the top priority for the end of this spring, meticulously preparing it.
The Year-Pressing Shop and the Grass-Head Shop adjacent to Riding Dragon Lane were both now owned by the Chen family. This was a rare occurrence. In the town, people surnamed Chen were nearly all servants and maids of the four surnames and ten clans.
The Immortal Grave and the two temples, civil and military, on Old Porcelain Mountain had been completed, dedicated to the ancestors of the Yuan and Cao families. These two pillars of the Great Li restoration in past years had finally returned to their roots.
A series of couplets had been written by famous masters. Even a renowned literary elder from the distant Nanjian Kingdom had sent handwritten couplets, with strokes like iron hooks and silver lines, full of unyielding spirit.
Outside the temple dedicated to the sages, Song Jixin twitched the corner of his mouth, "Ha, unyielding spirit."
Finally, this scion of the Great Li Song clan turned his gaze toward the distant western mountains, seemingly in the direction of the Fallen Mountain.
There, a mountain spirit temple with very poor incense offerings.
Staring toward the Fallen Mountain, the youth's expression was dim, somewhat listless and dejected.
Apart from the "great temple" of the Northern Peak Main God on Piyun Mountain, there were ordinary mountain spirit temples in the western mountains. The one with the most prosperous incense was Wind-Cool Mountain in the far north, because it was close to the Longquan Commandery seat. The spirit path there was the widest and smoothest, making it easy to enter the mountains. Tea stalls and taverns along the way, as well as various inns for male and female devotees to rest halfway, had sprung up like bamboo shoots after spring rain.
At the foot of the mountain was a market selling all kinds of tea, wine, noodles, flowers, birds, fish, and insects—everything one could want. As a result, many children in town, upon hearing that their parents were going there to burn incense, were delighted, almost as happy as during the New Year. Because there were fragrant freshly baked meat pies sold there, and an old man who made dough figurines. Many kids, having received New Year's money, secretly went in groups to have a great time. When they got home, most of them got a thorough scolding from their parents.
A youth named Dong Shuijing had set up a stall there, selling only wontons.
Shrimp, spring bamboo shoots, dried tofu—all full of flavor. Finally, he sprinkled a handful of chopped green onions, along with a small dish of chili sauce he made himself. The taste was absolutely superb.
The youth had originally studied at the new school established by the Longwei Creek Chen Clan. But for some reason, even though it didn't cost money, he still dropped out. He sold one of his two old houses in town and bought a brand new large residence near the new commandery seat, just over ten miles from Wind-Cool Mountain.
The wonton stall opened from early morning until dusk, with no fixed closing time. As long as there were customers, even if it got late, the youth would wait for them to finish eating slowly before packing up and pushing his cart home. The commandery seat now had no night curfew, and everywhere was bustling with dust and activity. If one looked from the mountain spirit temple atop Wind-Cool Mountain at night, the commandery seat looked like a large lantern placed on the earth.
As night fell that day, the tall youth Dong Shuijing had started clearing his wonton stall, preparing to head home.
Unexpectedly, a strange man came from afar. He did not carry his sword at his waist or on his back, but rather held it horizontally behind him. He walked to the stall and asked with a smile, "Shopkeeper, still selling wontons?"
Dong Shuijing grinned, "Yes! Why wouldn't I? Just need to boil water. You'll have to wait a bit, guest."
The man smiled and sat at the table, which had been wiped clean with no grease stains. On the table were homemade bamboo tubes filled with long green bamboo chopsticks. It seemed the young shopkeeper was also quite handy.
The man waited for a large steaming bowl of wontons. The green onions floating in the red soup looked very tempting. Dong Shuijing asked if he could eat spicy food. The man said the spicier the better. The youth handed him a full small dish of chili sauce. The man took out a pair of chopsticks but didn't rush to dig in. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and sniffed the aroma, smacking his lips, "Ah, this smell is spot on!"
The man casually asked, "Do you know about the Mohist School?"
Dong Shuijing, sitting not far away, nodded, "Of course. My former teacher said the Mohist School was once one of the four major schools of thought. The doctrines they advocated were remarkable, but knowing them is not easy, and practicing them is even harder. It really tests the temperament of the school's disciples. Also, it's easy to become inflexible. My teacher said they were quite... 'lovable.'"
At this, Dong Shuijing scratched his head and gave a naive smile, "That's what my teacher said."
The man chewed a wonton and nodded vigorously, "Well said."
He then asked, "Have you ever heard of the 'Knife Creditors' among the Mohist wanderers? 'Knife' as in the knife of debt, 'creditor' as in credit."
Dong Shuijing looked confused and shook his head slightly.
Mr. Qi had never mentioned this.
The man put down his chopsticks, patted his stomach, and let out a heavy breath, looking very content. Then he smiled, "So, would you like to become a Knife Creditor?"
Dong Shuijing's eyes sharpened briefly but quickly returned to normal. He shook his head with a smile, "Selling wontons is pretty good. I can make money, and it's stable."
Back then, he, Li Baoping, Lin Shouyi, Li Huai, and Shi Chunjia—the five disciples of the study—had completely fooled the coachman who was actually a death warrior of Great Li. Although Li Baoping and Lin Shouyi had come up with the plans and caught the loopholes, in truth, if any one of them had shown the slightest flaw, all their efforts would have been wasted. So the five children who eventually became direct disciples of Qi Jingchun were no pushovers.
Take Dong Shuijing, for example. At his age, he knew to find Miss Ruan Xiu and have her help him sell his old house in town at a sky-high price. Then he quickly bought a large residence in the commandery seat—not just one house, but an entire street!
Money that fell from heaven had its way of being spent—money could generate money.
And small money for making a living also had its way of being earned—if you didn't spend, that was equivalent to earning. The two didn't conflict.
"Don't be in a hurry to answer me."
The man waved his hand and smiled gently, "As for why I chose you, Dong Shuijing, I've been observing you for quite a while. In every aspect, you may not be the best, but there's nothing wrong. That's enough."
Dong Shuijing said helplessly, "Who are you?"
The man didn't hide anything and came straight to the point, "My name is Xu Ruo. I'm a Mohist disciple, from the Central Earth Continent. Of course, I'm not a Knife Creditor. But I have a very good friend. Before he died, he made me promise to help him choose a suitable disciple to inherit his legacy. He was the founding master of the previous generation of Knife Creditors. A very impressive fellow. He drank many times with A Liang and always paid for the drinks. When A Liang traveled through the Central Earth Continent and ran up a mountain of debts, it was this friend who helped him pay them off."
"Who is A Liang?"
"The son of your teacher's teacher's mortal enemy."
"What?!"
Dong Shuijing was dumbfounded. What kind of relationship was that?
The man stood up, "I'll come again next time. You think it over carefully."
Dong Shuijing suddenly shouted, "Wait!"
The man smiled, "Consider this bowl of wontons a debt. Maybe if you agree to become a Knife Creditor later..."
Dong Shuijing insisted, "That won't do. In business, even brothers must settle accounts clearly."
The man nodded, fished out a few copper coins, and laughed, "Haha, just like a Knife Creditor's style."
As the sun set in the west, Xu Ruo walked away without looking back.
Dong Shuijing sat there, watching the Mohist wanderer disappear into the distance. He raised his arm and wiped the sweat from his brow.
The reason he had boldly asked for those few copper coins was not because Dong Shuijing was stubborn or a reckless fool. It was a way of testing human nature, full of the wisdom of the streets.
Dong Shuijing sat silently at the table, motionless, lost in thought. There was no wild joy of a windfall, but rather some confusion.
The youth actually didn't like this feeling.
His ambition wasn't great. He just thought that in the future, after earning money, he would have food and clothing without worry. In the residence where he lived, there would be a well to draw water, with a willow tree planted beside it. Every spring, it would sprout tender leaves. When the wind blew, the willow branches would sway. It would be... lovely.