Chapter 329: The Mountain and Water Conflict
Chen Ping'an put down his fishing rod and came to Pei Qian's side.
Over there, the old woman was already smiling at the skinny little girl, her eyes full of amusement. She raised a slender arm, and the sedan chair came to an abrupt halt. Along with the bone-white swordsman, all the mountain spirits and strange creatures looked over, their yin aura dense and chilling.
Chen Ping'an cupped his fists in salute, proactively expressing his apologies to this bridal procession.
Birds have their paths, mice have their trails, and above all, yin and yang are distinct, the world has its order. Just like this chance encounter—if not for Pei Qian committing a taboo by openly staring, this mountain god's bridal procession wouldn't have paid any attention to Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian's existence. They would have simply passed by. This is also why many woodcutters and fishermen in the world, who live near mountains and lakes for generations, rarely encounter calamities.
Seeing that Chen Ping'an was quite sensible, the old woman nodded, then waved again. The grand and mighty procession resumed beating drums and gongs, continuing on to welcome the mountain god's wife.
The skinny little girl had nearly caused a huge disaster, but this time Chen Ping'an didn't blame Pei Qian. She wasn't a cultivator and didn't understand the rules of cultivation. It was understandable, and it was his failure in teaching, not hers. But if Chen Ping'an had already explained the principles and she still acted so recklessly, that would be another matter.
Chen Ping'an asked softly, "Can you see them? Hear the drum and gong music?"
Pei Qian's small face was pale. She nodded. "I heard the noise and got up. I thought it was a dream. Too scary."
Chen Ping'an extended a finger and gently pressed it against Pei Qian's forehead, helping to stabilize her soul.
If ordinary people accidentally encounter filthy yin things, even if they can't see them and the things have no intention to harm, if the person's own yang qi isn't strong, their soul can easily become unsettled, invisibly damaging their fundamental vitality. Many ghost stories among the common folk—people being possessed, falling ill and never recovering—often stem from such situations, a clash of yin and yang.
Fortunately, Pei Qian was unharmed. Chen Ping'an admonished, "I'm not sure why you can see them, but if you encounter them again, you must turn a blind eye and a deaf ear. Otherwise, you'll easily invite trouble, be seen as provoking them. Fortunately, tonight's bridal procession has a relatively orthodox background—probably akin to a local official in the yang world—so they didn't bother with us."
Pei Qian, still shaken, could only nod vigorously.
Chen Ping'an asked, "During your years in Nanyuan Kingdom, did you ever see any lonely ghosts or wild spirits inside or outside the city?"
Pei Qian, with a tearful face, shook her head vigorously. "I've never seen such dirty things before! Not once!"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then instructed, "When traveling outside, whether up mountains or down into waters, don't rashly call them 'dirty things.'"
Pei Qian said, "Oh, got it."
Chen Ping'an sighed and comforted, "Go back to sleep. I'm keeping watch, so nothing will happen."
Pei Qian didn't dare sleep anymore and insisted on following Chen Ping'an to the stream. She was now completely subdued, listless and weak, not daring to ask for new clothes or shoes anymore. She felt that just being able to eat and drink her fill by Chen Ping'an's side was already the happiest thing.
Chen Ping'an picked up his fishing rod again. Pei Qian took a stone and absently drew circles on the ground. Once bitten, twice shy. She didn't dare look up around her now, feeling that strange, terrifying things were lurking in the shadows. She asked, "In the book you gave me, it said 'See no evil, hear no evil.' Is that the same principle?"
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but smile. It seemed she had to suffer consequences before she could learn. Although that saying from the sages shouldn't be interpreted that way, he didn't want to refute the understanding she had painstakingly gleaned from the book. So he said, "That saying contains great principles. Your understanding isn't wrong, but it's far from enough. When you learn more characters and read more, you'll naturally grasp the deeper meaning."
Pei Qian wanted to chat more with Chen Ping'an to suppress her fear, so she asked casually, "Then why does the book also say 'The Master did not speak of strange forces, disorder, or spirits'? You just talked about so many strange things. Are the teachings of the sages wrong, or are you wrong?"
Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "If you read more, you'll know whether I'm wrong or the sages are wrong."
Pei Qian was a bit unhappy and fell silent. After a long pause, she finally blurted out a question, "Can you beat them?"
Chen Ping'an laughed dryly. "Since we were in the wrong first, does it matter whether I can beat them?"
Pei Qian looked up, her eyes sparkling. "If you could beat them, you wouldn't have to bow and apologize to them. It should be them apologizing to us, making way for us. Like, they were banging drums and gongs, making so much noise, so they should apologize to me. Even better if they're willing to pay compensation."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Even if I could beat them, what does that have to do with you?"
Pei Qian was stunned for a moment, then squeezed out a smile. "We're on the same side."
Chen Ping'an kept his eyes on the stream and fishing line, as if talking to himself. "Right and wrong don't depend on closeness."
From beginning to end, he never gave a clear answer about whether he could defeat the mountain and water spirits of that area. He was afraid that if she knew the truth, she would lose all caution and become reckless.
Regarding the mountain god waiting at home for his bride, Chen Ping'an had a rough idea of his cultivation level.
Whether it was a county magistrate of the secular government or a City God in charge of underworld affairs, when they went on patrol, they had ceremonial processions, including the custom of clearing the way with gongs. The higher their rank, the more gongs. This time, because it was a bridal procession, the continuous drum and gong noise was mostly celebratory, and the ghostly attendants didn't carry the "Silence" or "Make Way" signs, nor the most conspicuous official rank plaque. But at regular intervals, they still followed official protocols—for instance, according to etiquette, nine gongs to clear the way. This was likely due to the "mountain god's" desire for face, showing off to the neighboring spirits and the ghosts under his jurisdiction.
This indicated that the mountain god, after death, held an official position equivalent to a Prefect. Besides his mountain temple and gilded statue, he was also qualified to establish his own mansion. In Bottle Gourd Continent and Parasol Leaf Continent, such a figure was like a regional governor in a secluded landscape, similar to that blue-clad boy's brother who served as the River God of the Imperial River.
At the very least, he was at the sixth realm of Qi refiners, possibly the seventh realm, the Dragon Gate Realm.
As for whether Chen Ping'an could defeat him, it was simple: Yu Zhenyi, even in Lotus Flower Blessed Land with thin spiritual energy, had already cultivated to the Dragon Gate Realm.
Why was Chen Ping'an willing to stake four scrolls? Besides valuing the current martial arts realms of figures like founding emperor Wei Xian and martial madman Zhu Lian, he was even more interested in their innate talent.
In fact, Zhou Fei of Spring Tide Palace had already made this clear: a Nanyuan Kingdom national advisor like Zhong Qiu had the potential to reach the ninth martial realm within thirty to forty years.
The true body of the "banished immortal" Zhou Fei was the head of the Jade Tassel Clan's Jiang family, and an eleventh realm Jade Pu Qi Refiner, so his judgment couldn't be wrong.
However, "potential" was far from a sure thing. The path of martial arts was not smooth; one could die at any time.
But even so, Chen Ping'an's initial decision to stake ten Grain Rain Coins on each scroll to buy that "potential" was absolutely worth it.
Pei Qian didn't understand the appeal of fishing—sitting for most of the day with little reward. She began to make conversation. "Is it common to meet so many strange creatures in your hometown? Then wouldn't someone like me be very dangerous? From now on, I won't stray far from you."
Chen Ping'an focused on fishing.
It was also a form of cultivation.
Whether big fish or small, when they nibbled at the bait, the line would tremble slightly, transmitting sensation through the rod to his palm. Then, with a flick, he'd hook the fish. This was no different from facing a martial artist's protective qi in terms of technique and force—only the magnitude of strength differed. The skill lay entirely in the subtle details. Moreover, Chen Ping'an had deliberately chosen a slender bamboo rod. Fishing in mountain streams and ponds was fine, but in a large river or lake, when contesting a fish over seven or eight pounds, if he wasn't careful, the line could snap, or even the rod could break.
This was very much like the pottery wheel back then. Chen Ping'an enjoyed this familiar feeling.
Although he didn't respond to the little girl, Chen Ping'an found himself thinking about her, and realized he wasn't much different from her.
Back in Mud Vase Alley, or in the then-ignorant days of Pear Blossom Cave Heaven, the dangers weren't from mountain spirits or immortal cultivators, but from daily meals, poverty, a chance cold, the harsh winter.
Having left Pear Blossom Cave Heaven, just as she left Lotus Flower Blessed Land, the world became wider, but more unimaginable dangers came one after another, the storms greater—a person could die at any time.
Their situations were similar, but their conduct was very different.
She didn't know to cherish blessings. As soon as she had a few copper coins, she'd spend them lavishly. Chen Ping'an, on the other hand, carefully guarded every hard-won surplus. She liked the new and disliked the old; when her clothes or shoes were worn or torn, she never lamented but immediately hoped something new would fall from the sky. She wasn't ashamed of others' charity, even prayed for it, but felt no gratitude. Chen Ping'an still remembered every ounce of pity and help from the neighbors in Mud Vase Alley, writing each one down in his heart, and was meticulous about repaying kindness, afraid that too much would harm others' simple family customs and fortune.
She was lazy, unwilling to improve, and liked to lie. To survive, she felt whatever she did was right, and for the problem of survival, she chose what seemed the easiest path—but in the long run, it wasn't easy at all. Deep down, she was hostile to everything good; if she couldn't have it, she'd rather destroy it.
Pei Qian repaid the world that gave her malice with her own greatest malice. She was good at reading faces and sensing others' kindness or cruelty, but this rare talent from heaven was used by her to bully the weaker and flatter the stronger.
So, Chen Ping'an, who rarely hated anyone, truly hated Pei Qian.
But now that he lived with her day and night, he started watching her and then looking back at himself.
In Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Zhong Qiu had been worried about Yu Zhenyi becoming the kind of banished immortal they most detested.
Lu Tai had once said, without approaching evil, one doesn't know good.
Chen Ping'an certainly didn't want to keep her by his side; the old Daoist had forcefully thrown her out of Lotus Flower Blessed Land. If Chen Ping'an had a choice, he would rather have taken Cao Qinglang. If Zhong Qiu were willing to lay down his burdens, Chen Ping'an would rather have brought Zhong Qiu to see the scenery of the Grand World, not some Wei Xian or Zhu Lian.
With the big environment already unchangeable, even though learning to read and speak the elegant official language was necessary for survival, she still refused to put in the effort.
Chen Ping'an found it hard to imagine what she would choose if their positions were swapped.
Would he inwardly detest and envy Song Jixin, yet outwardly cling to that wealthy neighbor? Watch Liu Xianyang be beaten to death without intervening? Bully Gu Can for fun? Like everyone else at the Dragon Kiln, gleefully mock that sissy?
Flatter Master Qi, A Liang, the Old Scholar of Literary Sage?
But even if such a "Chen Ping'an" existed, he still would have been lucky to meet them in the river of time. It would just be a series of brushes, fleeting encounters.
So Old Man Yao was absolutely right.
All kinds of good connections and opportunities in the world are nothing more than what one's own hands can grasp or let slip. Small things slip through the cracks; how can one have the ability to fight for bigger ones?
But then again, there was another "but."
He remembered his parents' kindness and later firmly etched Old Man Yao's few words in his heart.
What about her?
It seemed no one had taught her anything right.
But now Chen Ping'an had taught her a lot. Wasn't she still heartless and hard to change?
Chen Ping'an was a bit annoyed.
Back when he took Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi to Great Sui, and later added Cui Dongshan, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie, he hadn't been so frustrated.
Chen Ping'an put away his fishing rod.
Pei Qian propped her chin on her hand. "Why stop fishing? No fish yet. Fish soup is delicious, and dried fish is good too."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then swallowed the words he wanted to say.
He had wanted to be frank with her about some things. For example, if Cao Qinglang were here, he would willingly teach him martial arts, wholeheartedly teach him swordsmanship. If Cao Qinglang even wanted to become a cultivator, he could help him. Grain Rain Coins, magical treasures—whatever he had, he could give them to him one by one, step by step. But you, Pei Qian, even if you have talent for martial arts, I, Chen Ping'an, wouldn't even let you look at the six-step foundation of the Mountain-Shaking Fist.
Chen Ping'an thought of that time when A Liang appeared.
And then their journey together.
Had A Liang looked at him the same way he now looked at Pei Qian, or the way he had looked at Cao Qinglang in the courtyard back then?
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked her, "Want to learn how to fish?"
Pei Qian said quietly, "Can I not? I have to memorize texts and practice calligraphy every day. I'm afraid I won't learn what you teach well."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "If you don't want to learn, then don't. Go back to sleep. If nothing unexpected happens, the bridal procession will return later with the bride to meet the Mountain God Prefect. Remember to pretend to be asleep then. Starting tomorrow, you'll be in charge of the bundle and the fishing rod."
Pei Qian, thinking of the dirty things passing by tonight, didn't dare refuse Chen Ping'an. She reluctantly returned to the tent, tossed and turned for a long time, and then fell into a light sleep.
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and quietly pasted a Heart-Calming Talisman on the outside of her tent.
About an hour later, the bridal procession carrying the bride in a grand eight-person sedan returned by the same route, even more boisterous than before. Behind it followed many "bride's relatives" and mountain wild spirits. Some had taken human form; others still walked in their true forms, including a pitch-black spider as large as a millstone, two robust apes darting through the forest, and a female ghost with a blood-stained face dressed in burial clothes.
Seeing Chen Ping'an reading a book by the stream, many were stirred with restless intent.
But quite a few ghostly officials in the procession suppressed these impulses.
Chen Ping'an suddenly stood up. A maid carrying a lantern, wearing a pomegranate-red skirt, floated over without touching the ground. After seeing Chen Ping'an, she curtsied and said softly, "Esteemed one, our Prefect is celebrating his happy day today. The matriarch sent me to ask if you'd be interested in attending tonight's banquet? Rest assured, our Prefect is known throughout the world for his fairness and strictness. If you attend the banquet, you won't lose any lifespan; on the contrary, you'll receive gifts."
Chen Ping'an shook his head and smiled. "I truly dare not disturb the Prefect. Please thank the matriarch for her generous invitation on my behalf."
The maid was not angered by his refusal; she smiled gracefully. "Then I wish the young master a smooth journey. Within eight hundred miles, if you encounter any trouble, you can use our Prefect 'Jin Huang's' name, and your journey will be safe."
Chen Ping'an cupped his fists in thanks. "Here, I extend my congratulations to the Prefect on his happy occasion."
The maid smiled radiantly and drifted away, wafting a fragrant breeze.
When the maid returned to report, the old woman dismissed Chen Ping'an's refusal with a wave, merely regretting that the young man had missed a great blessing.
Their Prefect was famously generous. All banquet attendees could drink a cup of Orchid Brew and take home a small piece of thousand-year ginseng essence. Others would break their heads for a chance to celebrate at the mansion, but this fellow was unappreciative. Ah well, they couldn't force a knife to his neck and beg him to accept gifts.
On the grand eight-person sedan, a fair, lotus-white arm gently lifted the embroidered curtain. She wore a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, a red silk covering her head so her face wasn't visible. Through the red gauze, she looked out at the old woman.
The old woman bowed slightly and smiled. "Young Miss, do you have any instructions?"
A soft, sweet voice came through the red veil. "How much longer until we stop and enter the mansion?"
She was an ordinary woman from a literary family. Years ago, she had encountered the Prefect during his "incognito" visit to the prefectural city and fell in love at first sight. But to be formally married by a mountain god, while alive, would damage her own yin virtue and the Prefect's merit. She was infatuated with him, served his parents for three years, and with the Prefect's secret help, paved a bright path for her family. Then she didn't hesitate to slit her wrists and die, entering the Jin Huang mansion as a yin body, properly and without overstepping rites. Thus, this matter was celebrated as a beautiful story.
A magnificent mansion built in a mountain hollow was brightly lit. One night of feasting, cups clinking, lasting until dawn.
The groom, wearing a golden robe, sat majestically in the main seat, with his newlywed wife by his side, clinging to him.
The bone-white swordsman seemed to hold a high position within this mountain god's mansion. But being merely a skeleton, naturally unable to drink, he stood solemnly under a pillar in the main hall. As the Jin Huang Prefect, tipsy from wine, looked up and glanced at the sky outside the hall, he secretly gave the bone-white swordsman a meaningful look. The latter nodded in understanding and left the hall.
The majestic man sneered, "Gentlemen, you've had your wedding wine. Now it's time for some of you to drink penalty wine. I kindly entertained my friends, but many of you dared to collude with a lowly water demon from an unauthorized shrine, attempting to attack my Jin Huang mansion. Do you really think I was completely unaware?"
The gates rumbled shut.
The man turned to his wife, gave a gentle smile, and patted her cold hand. "Don't be afraid."
He smiled apologetically and sighed. "This time, I've done you wrong. I've turned our wedding feast into such a mess."
The woman was not afraid of her mountain god husband. She teased, "Would I have to marry you again? Just treat me well for the next hundred or thousand years."
The man laughed heartily. A wife like this—what more could he ask for?
Aside from the bone-white skeleton leading the mansion's elite forces, who were lying in wait, there was another group resting elsewhere, mostly Qi refiners. The two armies converged and left the mountain god mansion, which had moments ago been filled with song and joy, to intercept the army that planned to attack at dawn. Meanwhile, inside the main hall, many of the mansion's deputy officials and ghostly attendants, who had seemed dead drunk, immediately sat up straight, pulled weapons from under the tables, and watched with hawk-like vigilance.
North of the Beijin border, not only did the mountain range stretch far, there was also a vast lake said to be eight hundred miles wide. On a large island in the lake stood a shrine not recognized by the court, large and popular, its incense thriving. A great demon of the lake had proclaimed itself a water god. The neighboring kingdom's court was helpless and let it be. For two hundred years, that Water God's mansion and the Jin Huang mansion had been hostile, with constant conflicts. Neither had the strength to leave its own territory and destroy the other.
This was a true, irreconcilable struggle between mountain and water.
The victor would inevitably smash the other's golden body, destroy their temple, and cut off their incense. The loser would sink into oblivion; if their golden body was smashed, even reincarnation became a luxury.
Two great battles began almost simultaneously: the deception in the grand hall of the Jin Huang mansion and the confrontation outside the mountain hollow.
Inside the hall, the Jin Huang Prefect sat in person. Immediately, some opportunists kowtowed and begged for mercy. The skirmish was scattered, the situation one-sided.
At the mountain hollow, a man in golden armor and a dark green inner robe led hundreds of lake spirits, clashing with the mountain god's forces in a heaven-shaking battle.
The bone-white skeleton, with its rusted sword, had been a seventh-realm martial artist in life. After death, its soul didn't disperse, and though its peak combat power was diminished, its murderous aura remained fierce. It rampaged through the water demon army like it was uninhabited.
The Water God stood on a large chariot pulled by water dragons, holding an iron spear inscribed with ancient seal script—an immortal treasure left at the bottom of the lake.
For centuries, it had run rampant, seizing everything by force. Although its golden body was created a hundred years later than the Jin Huang Prefect's, and the court didn't recognize it as orthodox, its realm surpassed the Prefect's. This time, taking advantage of the mountain god's wedding, it had won over many wild mountain spirits with heavy bribes. Its overall strength had already surpassed the Prefect's, so it dared to leave the lake and lead its army ashore, determined to wipe out the Jin Huang mansion.
This great battle between mountain and water would be decided by who had higher cultivation and whose plans were deeper.
Chen Ping'an woke Pei Qian early in the morning. They ate some dry rations and began traveling, deliberately avoiding the direction of the Jin Huang mansion.
Chen Ping'an took a quick step, swiftly leaped onto a high branch, and climbed to the treetop to look far into the distance, his expression grave.
Why had a mountain god's wedding feast turned into such a fierce battle?
A dozen miles away, a man in golden armor was casting spells, causing floodwaters to spread across the land. He stood on the back of a giant green fish, holding an iron spear.
The bone-white swordsman had already lost an arm. Despite fighting desperately and secretly winning over a group of Qi refiners, he and the Prefect's other retainers were still at a disadvantage against this great water demon that could summon wind and rain. However, the Jin Huang mansion held the advantage of terrain, so both sides suffered heavy casualties.
A man in a golden robe left the main hall, where the result was already decided. He strode out, his figure swelling—two zhang, three zhang, five zhang—until he reached the mouth of the mountain hollow, now a ten-zhang-tall, radiant golden body. He leapt, crossing the brutal battlefield in a single bound, and punched the head of the giant green fish spirit.
Chen Ping'an didn't continue watching. He jumped back to the ground and said solemnly, "Let's go."
Pei Qian tentatively asked, "I think I heard thunder... a rumbling sound in my ears."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then took out a Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman he had already drawn. He pinched it with two fingers and gently pressed it onto Pei Qian's head, slightly to the right so it wouldn't block her vision. He reminded her, "Just keep walking. It won't fall off, but don't tear it off either. With this on, ordinary demons and specters will see you and avoid you."
Just then, a tremendous roar like thunder came from the battlefield.
She flinched in fear, her face crumpled. Her legs felt weak and she couldn't move. She said in a trembling voice, "I'm scared. My feet won't listen. I can't walk."
She was genuinely afraid of those mountain and wild ghosts that she always felt would eat her flesh. This wasn't an act for Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an sighed helplessly, then took out a Yang Qi Lantern-Lighting Talisman and gave it to Pei Qian to hold. "These two talismans are both immortal objects. They will surely protect you."
Pei Qian glanced at the Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman dangling in front of her eyes, then at the Yang Qi Lantern-Lighting Talisman in her hand, and sniffled. "Maybe give me one more? I can hold one in each hand."
Chen Ping'an had no choice but to give her another Lantern-Lighting Talisman. Pei Qian held one in each hand, took two steps, wobbling, still lacking strength, terrified.
Chen Ping'an said, "The two talismans in your hands are worth a lot of silver. Hold them tight. The one on your forehead is even more precious—it could easily buy a large house in the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom. If you can walk on your own and steadily follow me, I might consider giving one to you."
The skinny little girl looked like she was about to cry, her dark face wrinkled, full of grievance. "You're not lying?"
Chen Ping'an nodded.
She took a deep breath, then shot forward. Her arms spread wide like she was carrying water, clutching tightly to the two Yang Qi Lantern-Lighting Talismans, with the Demon-Suppressing Talisman stuck on her forehead—a very comical sight.
After running a short distance, she didn't see Chen Ping'an, so she immediately turned back and said tearfully, "Run a bit faster! If we get caught, you're bigger, so they'll eat you first..."
Chen Ping'an wiped his face and silently followed.
Well, the name "Pei Qian" wasn't given in vain.
This time, the skinny little girl didn't dare slack off. She ran very fast and didn't complain of fatigue.
Chen Ping'an took out a sword called Chi Heart and hung it at his waist, balancing it with the Sword-Nurturing Gourd on his left.
He slung his bundle diagonally, still holding the fishing rod, and matched Pei Qian's running pace, always staying by her side.
Chen Ping'an wasn't really worried about safety; as long as they weren't in the center of the battlefield, there was little risk.
Pei Qian's steps were hurried, her running speed uneven, but for the sake of escape, she used all her wits. She managed to run two or three miles of mountain road straight. Mountain paths were much harder than city streets. After that, she didn't stop to rest but, without Chen Ping'an urging, continued at a brisk walk. When she recovered, she started running again. She repeated this cycle.
This made Chen Ping'an, who was secretly observing the little girl, pause for a long time.
He had to admit, her talent for martial arts was excellent.
And this wasn't the judgment of Chen Ping'an from the time in Pear Blossom Cave Heaven.
It was the judgment of Chen Ping'an, a fifth-realm martial artist who had killed Ding Ying.
But in matters of cultivation, just like Ruan Qiong's attitude toward Chen Ping'an back then—if he didn't regard someone as a fellow traveler, he wouldn't casually pass on even a single word or sentence, and couldn't become a master-disciple. Even the martial arts school beside Zhuangyuan Lane in Lotus Flower Blessed Land, where the old master wasn't a great expert, insisted that disciples without martial virtue should never be taught profound techniques—just enough to make a living.
Chen Ping'an had no intention of teaching Pei Qian any martial arts at all.
If one's nature couldn't keep up with their cultivation, once they learned martial arts or high-level Dao techniques, besides bullying others and doing evil, determining life and death by their own will, what else could they do? Yu Zhenyi would kill someone for being called "shorty." When experts in high positions flick their sleeves, for mortals below the mountain, it becomes a matter of life and death.
Human strength is ultimately limited. No matter how talented Pei Qian was, she was still a nine-year-old child, physically weak. After running seven or eight miles, she was utterly exhausted, unable to move another step. She stood there, crying mournfully, her eyes blurry as she looked at the white-robed figure. Her first thought was that this guy would definitely abandon her.
Judging others by herself.
Pei Qian couldn't speak anymore.
But she was terrified that this person would just leave.
Chen Ping'an crouched beside her. Pei Qian immediately climbed onto his back. When he stood up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her face covered in tears.
Chen Ping'an walked slowly along the forest path and said softly, "As long as you don't do bad things, I won't abandon you."
The little girl nodded vigorously. No longer needing to run herself, she regained some spirit. Sniffling, she said, "Alright! From today on, I'm going to be a great good person."
After saying that, she rubbed her small face firmly against his shoulder, back and forth twice, to wipe off her snot and tears.
Chen Ping'an grimaced.
Taking advantage of the little girl's momentarily unguarded heart, Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "You always think that since I have money, I should give you silver. Why is that? What does my having money have to do with you? Even if I have a mountain of gold and silver, do I have to give you a single copper coin?"
The little girl answered straightforwardly, "Of course! Why wouldn't you? Aren't you a good person? Giving me a few dozen taels of silver is like plucking a hair from your head, right? I know you're a good person. Good people should do good deeds."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and changed his approach. "If you were very rich, and one day I had no money left, would you casually give me silver?"
She was silent.
In her heart, she thought, "I'd be good if I didn't just pelt you with silver ingots."
Then she'd pick up each big silver ingot, take them all home—they'd all be hers!
She wouldn't even pay for your burial.
But these thoughts, she didn't dare say aloud.
However, as she thought about it, she finally realized that getting free silver from this guy wasn't likely.
Where did he get so many annoying principles? Did he really read them in books? She felt that every character in those books was pretty annoying.
The two were silent for a while.
Lying on Chen Ping'an's warm back, Pei Qian was silent for a long time, then asked quietly, "You're a good person. Good people in the world are just like you, right?"
Chen Ping'an didn't reply.
Not far away, the forest shook as a huge creature rolled through with alarming noise, accompanied by the sound of trees snapping.
It was heading straight for Chen Ping'an—a green water buffalo with a broken horn, dripping with blood, its back split open. Its back was already taller than a sturdy man by a full head. It roared in a human voice, "Get out of the way!"
Chen Ping'an had already anticipated its path cutting across the small trail, so he stopped.
Although the water buffalo exuded a fierce, murderous aura, as if countless wronged souls clung to it—clearly not accumulated in just one battle—Chen Ping'an still had no intention of acting.
The water buffalo, now utterly vicious, its eyes bloodshot, actually changed course and charged fiercely at the eye-catching man.
Even if it was at its last breath, a mortal would be crushed to a pulp under such a charge.
Chen Ping'an reached back over his shoulder, plucked the Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman from Pei Qian's forehead, and tossed it at the beast that had been forced back to its original form.
Then he drew his sword in an instant.
One slash.
The green water buffalo, suppressed by the Demon-Suppressing Talisman, slowed its charge. Sensing danger, it tried to veer away, but a sword aura had already cleaved down.
With a loud bang, the massive creature, its eyes as large as bronze bells, was split in two.
Chen Ping'an sheathed his sword, deftly retrieved the talisman, which had lost its spiritual energy, and tucked it into his sleeve.
Without even glancing at the two halves of the corpse, he continued carrying the little girl forward.
Not far away, the Jin Huang Prefect, who had rushed over swiftly, was also covered in wounds. He stopped abruptly near the Water God's corpse, holding the great demon's magical iron spear in his hand. The mountain god swallowed hard, his mind full of shock but not much fear—rather, a measure of genuine respect. With a solemn expression, he cupped his fists. "Farewell, Immortal Master."
Chen Ping'an didn't stop walking but turned his head toward the righteous local deity and waved with a smile. "It was a small favor, hardly worth mentioning. Next time you host a banquet like this, don't casually invite others. Though well-intentioned, the path of cultivation is full of unexpected accidents. But if I pass by here again, I will definitely trouble the Prefect for a cup of wine."
Fortune and misfortune seem far apart, but in reality, they are separated only by a single drink and a single peck.
The mountain god Prefect said in shame, "I have received your teaching."
Chen Ping'an carried Pei Qian for another ten-plus miles, then set her down. The one large, one small, one tall, one short, looked at each other.
She looked confused, pretending to be foolish.
Chen Ping'an extended his hand.
She wrinkled her face and slapped the two Lantern-Lighting Talismans into his palm. "Can't you give me even one? I ran so far on that mountain road, and in the end, I really couldn't run any more."
Chen Ping'an walked on slowly. "Then do better in the future."
The little girl said "Oh" and silently walked beside him.
Heart of stone.
What "great good person"? Bah, I'm just blind.
Chen Ping'an reached out and pinched her ear. "Running your mouth with bad thoughts about others all day long—that's not good."
Pei Qian stood on tiptoe, yelping, "I won't dare! I won't dare!"
Chen Ping'an let go.
A moment later, he grabbed her ear again.
The little girl's eyes turned red. She swore solemnly, "This time I really won't dare!"
After another dozen steps, as soon as Chen Ping'an reached out, Pei Qian fell to the ground and burst into loud sobs.
Chen Ping'an walked on without looking back.
Seeing that he had no intention of stopping, she quickly stopped crying, stood up, and timidly followed. To keep herself from cursing him in her heart, she found a way to control her thoughts: she began muttering the contents of those books, a truly miserable sight.
Chen Ping'an ignored her.
He walked through the vast, lush forest.
Thinking of that Mountain Seal, he grew even more silent.