Chapter 339: Strange People, Strange Dreams

Chapter 339: Strange People, Strange Dreams

(Sorry to have kept you waiting.)

There had to be a full twenty men and women blocking the inn entrance and hurling insults. The sturdy young men were furious, the women stood with hands on hips, cursing, while the children were carefree as ever—some tilted their heads, licking sugarcoated hawthorn skewers, others secretly shot slingshots at the wine flag.

Chen Ping'an stood in the crowd for a while but couldn't understand a word, since they were speaking the local dialect of Hu'er Town. But when he caught a glimpse of Pei Qian upstairs looking flustered at the sight of him, he had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Pei Qian had been squatting by the railing on the second floor, either picking her nose or digging out earwax, acting completely unconcerned. In fact, she was deliberately putting on a smug attitude to annoy people. The louder the cursing outside, the more she grinned.

Thankfully, none of those men and women from Hu'er Town dared to actually enter the inn. The little cripple, annoyed by the ruckus, kept his head down and busied himself clearing the leftover food and drinks from the tables. The old hunchback sat at a distance, smoking his dry pipe. Ninth Lady sat behind the counter, cracking sunflower seeds, unbothered by the commotion. The down-and-out scholar who served as the half-baked bookkeeper had wanted to play peacemaker, but a man shoved him hard, sending him stumbling back into the inn. Crestfallen, he retreated to the woman's side, where he pretentiously picked up a pristine white ledger, earning a glare from Ninth Lady.

As soon as Chen Ping'an stepped across the threshold with a stern face, Pei Qian tried to slip back into her room, but he called out and ordered her downstairs.

Pei Qian crept down the stairs hesitantly. Before Chen Ping'an could even ask, she poured everything out like a confession from a bamboo tube. According to her, she had gone to Hu'er Town to find an apothecary and buy some medicinal herbs for Chen Ping'an. The local kids her age started picking on her, a foreigner, ganging up to bully her. First, they snatched the sugarcoated hawthorn skewer she'd meant to save for Chen Ping'an. She held back, claiming she'd learned a lot from books and understood the value of harmony. They followed her around saying nasty things, formed a group, and even threw stones at her. She ignored them. Then, after she bought a dragonfly-shaped kite, someone got jealous, grabbed it, and let go. With a whoosh, the kite flew straight out of Hu'er Town and vanished completely. She got mad and got into a fight with them. Five or six people—couldn't beat her—so they ran home crying to get their parents and elders to come teach her a lesson. She wasn't stupid, so she bolted. Besides, that dragonfly kite cost twenty coppers! Just gone like that. She was heartbroken and spent half the day searching for it outside Hu'er Town...

Pei Qian herself lacked confidence in her story. As she lied, she kept an eye on Chen Ping'an's expression, ready to be beaten at any moment. She'd just protect her head; if he kicked her in the stomach or pinched her arm, that was fine. A full meal and she'd be as good as new.

But Chen Ping'an just listened quietly to Pei Qian's explanation before saying, "After you've finished lying, tell me the truth once more. If you won't, you can stay here at the inn. You won't starve."

Pei Qian said nothing.

Chen Ping'an went to the counter. Ninth Lady glanced at the scrawny little girl by the staircase and said with a light laugh, "Master Chen, how did you end up raising such a little demon? She nearly turned an entire lane of Hu'er Town upside down. First, she tricked the local kids out of their snacks, scaring those mud-pie-playing youngsters half to death. They actually believed she was a princess from our Great Spring capital, fallen among commoners and destined to return to the palace one day. Once she got chummy with them, she led them in wild games and became their queen. Then she fell out with them over a kite, fought tooth and nail, and in the end, an adult came and hit her a couple of times. For an ordinary person, that would be a lesson learned, but your girl? She called herself my distant relative, and using that, she hired a few local thugs from Hu'er Town to ambush that man in the dark. After that, she ran wild. The kids were all neighbors on the same lane. Ghosts at night—even adults were scared enough to keep their lamps burning. As you know, Master Chen, Hu'er Town really does have a ghost problem now. The constables stayed up all night trying to catch the little troublemaker, but your girl somehow intimidated them. Who knows what she said, but they politely escorted her back. You have to admit, a bunch of constables in uniform protecting a little girl walking into the inn—it really did look like a princess."

Chen Ping'an's head spun. He turned to look at Pei Qian, but only saw her legs; she must be sitting on the staircase landing.

Ninth Lady covered her mouth with a chuckle. "Money will settle it all—what's the big deal? At most ten taels of silver. Don't you get involved, I'll handle it. With your mild temper, those people will only push harder. A trivial matter like this, they'll blow it up into a catastrophe."

Chen Ping'an sighed helplessly. "Put it on the account, settle it together with the room fees."

Ninth Lady's smile faded, and she said seriously, "Master Chen, you have a life-saving favor for our entire Yao clan. If I were to squabble over such trifles, I would be mortified."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "That's different."

Ninth Lady was about to say more, but Chen Ping'an continued, "For today's matter, I'll trouble you, madam."

Ninth Lady nodded and agreed. She sauntered out from behind the counter, elbowed the bookkeeper aside, took some loose silver from the drawer, and headed to the inn entrance to smooth things over.

Located on the border, Hu'er Town was a mix of all sorts. Not everyone was particularly skilled, but they certainly had sharp eyes. They'd heard of all kinds of strange things from travelers, and they had a bit of pride. There might even be hidden masters among them, like Ninth Lady and Third Master Yao.

Earlier, the commotion at the inn had been eye-catching, especially the clash between Wei Xian and those cultivators. It had the aura of immortals doing battle. Seen from Hu'er Town, it was both spectacular and awe-inspiring. Later, that fierce cavalry detachment had skirted north, and rumors had spread. Some said Ninth Lady, the fox-spirit-like woman who liked to seduce men, really was a fox spirit—this was mostly the opinion of the wives in Hu'er Town. Others spoke more darkly, saying the recent unrest in Hu'er Town was due to a demon lurking there, and a true dragon had passed through, causing a clash of demon and dragon aura that led to the exorcism.

Ninth Lady swayed her hips as she stood at the entrance, and the crowd's arrogance immediately diminished.

The scholar Zhong Kui asked with a smile, "When did the Green Locust Continent have such a large worldly martial sect? One equivalent to a top-tier immortal clan?"

He laughed to himself, as if finding his own phrasing novel and amusing.

That formidable warrior who stood like a one-man gate, that bloodthirsty, stooped old man, that blade-wielding fellow who had used the Great Spring general Xu Qingzhou as a sparring partner, that stunning woman who had suppressed Immortal Master Xu Tong with her flying sword technique—all four of them.

And crucially, during the battle, their momentum and cultivation had both been rising.

Not to mention that young gentleman who wasn't a qi refiner yet could fly a sword—a bit too handsome, and he'd stolen his thunder with Ninth Lady. Otherwise, Zhong Kui would have clapped him on the back and called him brother.

Chen Ping'an hesitated, then chose to be straightforward. "We're not from the Green Locust Continent."

Zhong Kui hummed in acknowledgment. "From the Firmament Continent?"

The Firmament Continent was very famous. Even though the Green Locust Continent was a place where people tended to look down on the world's heroes, they did respect the Firmament Continent, the closest one to Inverted Suspension Mountain. That was because it had the Yingyin Chen Clan and Chen Chun'an, who almost single-handedly owned the title of "Pure Confucian."

Zhong Kui had long admired the Firmament Continent, but his status at the academy and his teacher's teachings had kept him from making the journey.

Besides the Yingyin Chen Clan, the Firmament Continent had many famous scenic spots recorded in history. Zhong Kui wanted to visit them all—the Green Locust Continent was too stifling, whether it was the common people or the cultivators on the mountains; no one liked to move.

Chen Ping'an pointed north.

Zhong Kui's eyes lit up. "Do you know Mr. Qi of Mountain Cliff Academy?"

Chen Ping'an was taken aback and didn't know how to answer.

Zhong Kui laughed heartily. "Probably you know Mr. Qi, but Mr. Qi doesn't know you, right? No matter, same here."

As for the nearest northern neighbor, Vase Continent, Zhong Kui didn't think much of it. Probably only that pair of master and disciple: the knowledge of Qi Jingchun of Mountain Cliff Academy and the chess skill of Grand Secretary Cui Chan of Great Li. He'd heard that after the fall of the Bead Abyss Paradise, Mr. Qi had died. Even Zhong Kui's teacher had expressed regret, saying privately that if Qi Jingchun had been on the Green Locust Continent, he wouldn't have been so humiliated, and at the very least, he wouldn't have ended up alone, facing the entire world as an enemy.

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "How about we talk over a drink?"

Just for Zhong Kui's mention of "Mr. Qi," Chen Ping'an was willing to share a pot of wine with him.

Zhong Kui glanced at the woman who was currently grandly directing affairs at the entrance and lowered his voice. "Drinking is fine, but if Ninth Lady complains about it later, you'll put in a good word for me."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Naturally."

Zhong Kui picked up two jugs of green plum wine and, in his capacity as an accountant, ordered the little cripple to bring them a few plates of appetizers.

Zhong Kui sat cross-legged on the long bench, slouching unceremoniously.

Chen Ping'an asked, "I heard you're from the Great Abyss Academy?"

Zhong Kui didn't take it seriously and said offhandedly, "That's right. And I'm even a noble man. Impressive, isn't it?"

Chen Ping'an raised a bowl of wine in a toast.

A toast to the word "noble."

Zhong Kui quickly reached out to stop him, but Chen Ping'an had already drained the bowl. The wandering academy noble man sighed. "That's worth a toast? I think you just wanted to drink."

Chen Ping'an remembered the academy worthy he had encountered in the Land of the Combing Water Kingdom—Zhou Ju. He was very different from the noble man before him. Back then, at Senior Song's Sword-Water Manor, Zhou Ju recited poems that could decide life and death. Spoken words carried the law of heaven.

Scholars who read different books probably had different styles.

Zhong Kui suddenly remembered something. "That man who blocked the cultivators outside the door that night—the Sweet Dew Armor he was wearing, if I'm not mistaken, should be the 'Western Peak' recorded in military classics. It's one of the eight ancestral armors of the Sweet Dew Armor. Was it passed down from your family?"

Chen Ping'an's heart stirred slightly. He shook his head. "I bought it at Lingzhi Studio on Inverted Suspension Mountain."

"How many Grain Rain coins did it cost?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head again. "Just a few Small Heat coins. It wasn't expensive. I plan to give it away later."

Zhong Kui smiled. "Lingzhi Studio didn't recognize its value. You got a huge bargain. That's normal though—Western Peak has restrictions set by some expert. If it weren't for the fact that our academy has a nearly crumbling ancient text on the inner workings of these armor inheritance secrets, and I stared at it hard for a long time, I wouldn't have recognized it either. I advise you to keep it. Such a valuable item, and it has so many stories. It would be a shame to just give it away."

Chen Ping'an didn't say whether he would give it away or not, but asked curiously, "Eight ancestral armors?"

Zhong Kui picked up a peanut and tossed it into his mouth. "The Sweet Dew Armor's full name is Divine Man Dew-Bearing Armor. I ask you, what divine man? Bearing what dew?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head, not knowing.

Zhong Kui smiled. "Besides Western Peak, the other seven earliest Sweet Dew Armors are Buddha Land, Flower Bud, Mountain Ghost, Water Immortal, Twilight Light, Colored Clothes, and Cloud Sea. Most were destroyed in wars, completely gone. Very few remain. The only two that can be verified are Mountain Ghost and Colored Clothes. Don't look down on the Western Peak you have—even though it's damaged, compared to the two that barely survived, it's already in good shape. If you run into someone who knows their stuff, you can name your price and make a fortune. But these ancestral armors have lost their foundation; the divine abilities that protect their owner are not even a tenth of what they once were. Truly regrettable. For that, we should drink a bowl."

Zhong Kui raised his wine bowl and downed it first.

Chen Ping'an had no choice but to follow suit.

Zhong Kui himself brought up the earlier turmoil. "Those two princes aren't decent fellows. If you're still staying in Great Spring, watch your step. The mortal world has its own rules, and there are plenty of experts down here. That third prince you ran into—he learned that there are always mountains beyond mountains, that's why he got a bucket of dog blood poured on him."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "That's the truth."

Zhong Kui suddenly laughed. "Thinking back to your fight with the Great Spring Court Huanbei that night, and now you're so agreeable with me at the table, it's a bit jarring. Did you have a bad experience with academies back home, so you're wary of this 'noble man' title?"

Chen Ping'an was speechless and just smiled wryly.

Zhong Kui continued, "The other day you said that anyone's reasoning can be reasoning—I thought that was well said. As for telling that young duke to look into his own heart, while it sounded more domineering and made perfect sense, it was actually... a bit impolite."

Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine. "I had no choice."

Zhong Kui nodded. "Indeed, that's how the world is. When you're stuck in a cesspit, you think eating shit is perfectly natural. Someone brings a plate of food, and they won't touch it."

Chen Ping'an was taken aback.

Was this the kind of "reasoning" a Confucian noble man would use?

Zhong Kui mused, "But even if this world has rotted into a cesspit, that's no reason for us to eat shit either."

At this point, Chen Ping'an was holding a piece of appetizer in one hand and a wine bowl in the other, feeling somewhat awkward.

Zhong Kui noticed Chen Ping'an's discomfort and quickly reassured him, "What we're eating and drinking isn't shit and piss—it's good wine and good food. Rest assured."

Chen Ping'an silently began to drink and eat.

Chatting with this guy was hard to keep up with.

For a moment, Chen Ping'an missed Little Bao Ping.

At the entrance, Ninth Lady had gone out and quickly resolved the trouble.

Now, in the eyes of the Hu'er Town people, the inn was both mysterious and sinister, so they didn't even have the courage to come inside and shout.

Chen Ping'an thanked the woman and went to the staircase. Pei Qian was still sitting there, drawing circles and lines on the ground. Chen Ping'an said, "Come with me," and she obediently followed, looking dejected and seemingly repentant. But Chen Ping'an knew with his gut that the little girl behind him was secretly laughing. He could even perfectly imagine how smug Pei Qian would be the next time she went to Hu'er Town.

Once in the room, Chen Ping'an sat down. Pei Qian didn't dare to sit; she closed the door and stood across from the table.

Chen Ping'an got straight to the point. "You'll stay here from now on. I'll leave some money with the inn."

Pei Qian's head shot up, fury in her eyes. But when she saw Chen Ping'an's cold expression, she lowered her head again. "I know I was wrong. I won't do it again. I'll go back to Hu'er Town and give Little Mei a new kite—a forty-copper one, a big butterfly, all colorful, way prettier than a dragonfly. Little Mei and the others have been craving it for a long time, but those poor brats who treat a sugarcoated hawthorn like New Year's can't afford it. This time they'll get lucky."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Where did you get the money?"

Pei Qian looked up, blinking. "Borrowed it from Ninth Lady. Not much, just two taels total."

"And how will you pay it back?"

Pei Qian said timidly, "Add it to the account for now. I'll be your beast of burden and slowly pay you back."

Chen Ping'an said, "You'll stay here. You can work as a helper for the inn and slowly repay Ninth Lady."

Pei Qian's face crumpled, on the verge of tears.

Chen Ping'an pointed at the door and said flatly, "Get out."

Pei Qian roughly wiped her eyes and shouted, "I know! You've only ever liked that scholarly dullard Cao Qinglang! You've been worried about him! If you had the choice, you'd never want me, you'd only keep Cao Qinglang by your side. If he made a mistake, you wouldn't act like this. You'd just reason with him nicely and tell him not to become someone like me! Chen Ping'an, you've always been trying to get rid of me!"

Pei Qian turned and ran out, slamming the door hard, and went back to her room.

Chen Ping'an began to think about their northward journey through the Green Locust Continent. The immortal ferry that led to Old Dragon City in Vase Continent was in the northern territory of Great Spring. If they took a detour, it would add two to three thousand li. Now that they had made an enemy of the Great Spring Liu clan's third prince—a relationship that was essentially irreconcilable—if they paraded straight north, the third prince, who had led troops deep into enemy territory to kill foreign prefects and water gods, wouldn't tolerate it. Even if he had been scared off by Chen Ping'an and that noble man from Great Abyss Academy, he would likely cause them plenty of trouble.

If worst came to worst, they'd have to take a detour.

On the same floor, ignoring Pei Qian who was "in seclusion," Wei Xian was flipping through a miscellaneous book he'd bought in Hu'er Town. The founding emperor hadn't been hard on himself—there was wine and meat on the table, and next to him lay that military armor pill. After pondering it for a while following the battle, Wei Xian had to marvel at the divine techniques of the Righteous Qi Refiners in this world and the bizarre treasures of heaven and earth.

Next door was the room of the madman Zhu Lian. He was walking in circles around the table, hands clasped behind his back, bent over.

Lu Baixiang stood at his room's window, gazing into the distance. At his waist hung the narrow saber "Snowstill," temporarily kept by him, said to be the relic of a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal. It was indeed incomparable to the so-called divine weapons of his homeland.

Sui Youbian sat cross-legged on the bed, breathing and exhaling. The sword "Devoted Heart" lay on the table.

Chen Ping'an took out a blank scroll. Thinking of the flicker of killing intent that night, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

One shouldn't have a harmful heart, but one must have a guarding heart.

That evening, Chen Ping'an went downstairs for dinner. Among the four figures from the painting upstairs, only Zhu Lian arrived on time and sat with Chen Ping'an, even pouring wine. Lu Baixiang and the other two didn't leave their rooms. As for Pei Qian, she stayed in her room without a sound. Chen Ping'an went out alone, walking slowly along the official road toward Hu'er Town.

On the bumpy, muddy path, Chen Ping'an turned to look west once, then turned back toward the inn.

He and a group of people arrived at the inn entrance at almost the same time. It was the injured head of the Yao clan, Grand General Yao Zhen, accompanied by the youth who had been trapped in danger with him before. In addition, there was the martial prodigy Yao Lingzhi, who had personally experienced the inn's upheaval, and a young woman with a veiled hat. Behind these people were five or six riders—not Yao family border cavalry, but military cultivators who didn't need to wear armor. These mountain dwellers who had joined the army would be called military secretaries in Great Li.

Seeing Chen Ping'an in his blue robe, the old general, although weary, dismounted and quickly strode over. He cupped his hands and said, "Righteous hero, you have saved us twice. Our Yao family is overwhelmed with gratitude! Tonight, I visit my benefactor. Please allow me, Yao Zhen, to bow!"

The old man was about to make a deep bow, but Chen Ping'an stopped him by holding his arm.

But even as Chen Ping'an stopped Yao Zhen, the other Yao clan members and the military cultivators who were united with the Yao family had already bowed in unison.

The old man's face was pale. He was a straightforward man tempered on the battlefield, and he asked directly, "May I ask how the Yao family can repay you?"

Seeing Chen Ping'an remain silent, the old man smiled. "It's not that I underestimate your chivalrous heart, but with such great kindness, if the entire Yao clan turned a blind eye, the character 'Yao' on our border army's banner would have no face left to fly."

Chen Ping'an didn't stand on ceremony. "Old general, do you have a way to bypass the court's eyes and get me to Heaven's Que Peak on the northern border?"

Yao Zhen asked, "How many people does my benefactor have?"

Chen Ping'an was about to say six, but changed it at the last moment. "Five."

Yao Zhen thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes. If my benefactor trusts the Yao family, please wait here for a few days. Afterwards, I guarantee that you five will safely reach Heaven's Que Peak in the north."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Will this cause you trouble?"

Yao Zhen laughed heartily. "We've weathered the greatest troubles. Nothing now deserves to be called bother."

When the old general said this, he seemed completely at ease. Although his injuries were serious and riding had aggravated them, his words carried a tone of relief.

But the people behind Yao Zhen looked heavy-hearted, with intense reluctance.

Yao Zhen didn't seem keen on entering the inn and suggested walking with Chen Ping'an on the official road. Chen Ping'an had no objection. They walked a dozen paces ahead of the others, and Yao Zhen spoke quietly, revealing secrets. "I won't deceive my benefactor. I've spent my life fighting, and this time, His Majesty has graciously allowed me to return to the capital to retire, taking the post of Minister of War. I can bring my family and over a hundred attendants. So my benefactor can be among them. I'll need a few days to arrange proper identities for you in the military. To be honest, the court will thoroughly investigate these hundred-plus people, one by one. So my benefactor will have to endure some inconvenience."

The old man looked apologetic.

Chen Ping'an thought it over and nodded in agreement.

Escorting the old general to the capital would give Chen Ping'an some peace of mind.

The old man's first words had actually been somewhat improper for officialdom. Going to the capital to become Minister of War was a lateral move, certainly not a demotion. In the Great Spring dynasty, the Minister of War was a genuinely important position in the court—a seat many great generals dreamed of. But for Yao Zhen, taking off his armor and dismounting meant retirement.

Moreover, he had to leave the southern border where the Yao family had been rooted for generations and go to the capital, Mirage City. That counted as leaving his homeland. At Yao Zhen's age and given his status as the anchor of the Great Spring's southern border, Emperor Liu Zhen's decision gave the court and the public plenty to chew on.

But one thing was certain: the court was preparing to protect the Yao family, or rather, the emperor had decided to pull the Yao family out of the whirlpool, giving Yao Zhen a good outcome where he could protect himself and enjoy his old age.

Although the Great Spring Liu clan had reached this generation, the struggle among the princes had become unusually intense. Even the eldest prince, who had been stationed in the north since a young age, valued his reputation among the court and the public. To put it bluntly, if Yao Zhen died of old age on the border, fell in battle, or suddenly dropped dead, that would be nothing special. But he could not die in Mirage City under the emperor's shadow.

Because it was said that a deeply learned noble man from the Great Abyss Academy had left the academy and taught in Mirage City for many years.

Yao Zhen didn't want Chen Ping'an to think that traveling together to Mirage City meant Chen Ping'an's group was escorting the Yao family north. So he explained the structure of the Great Spring court for Chen Ping'an, detailing the Yao family's current situation and how they had already extricated themselves from danger. This was partly due to the academy noble man in the capital, but even more so to the invisible deterrent of the young noble man at the inn.

Chen Ping'an barely spoke, mostly listening to the old general.

He asked only once, about the third prince transporting prisoners.

Yao Zhen had originally been a rigid man, even more particular about monarch-subject and father-son relationships than a stubborn Confucian scholar. But this ordeal had truly broken his heart, and his style had changed a lot. Many things he would never have told anyone about Great Spring's internal affairs he now recounted lightly. Apart from the heartbreak, the old man seemed relieved—relieved enough to settle down and enjoy retirement.

The earlier conflict between the Northern Jin Golden Emblem Prefect and the Pine Needle Lake Water God had left both sides crippled, damaging the foundation of the Northern Jin kingdom's fate. Among the dozen or so prison carts that had been seen, one held the foremost mountain god beneath the five sacred mountains of Northern Jin. The third prince had plotted this for seven or eight years, mobilizing a large number of the Great Spring dynasty's secret forces. If he could successfully bring that mountain god prefect back, it would be an unprecedented achievement in Mirage City's eyes, no different from a general expanding the territory by a thousand li. Unfortunately, it all fell apart at that border town inn. Imperial Horse Superintendent Li Li died, and the only son of the Duke of Shen was also killed. For all that effort over ten years, they gained face but lost substance.

In the night, the two walked along the official road. Yao Zhen chatted casually, treating Chen Ping'an as a benefactor and not feeling awkward about his age.

While Chen Ping'an and the old general were chatting outside, the atmosphere inside the inn was strange.

Ninth Lady leaned against the door frame. The old hunchback, for the first time, was drinking some wine. The scholar Zhong Kui sat on the threshold, looking up at the woman's profile.

There was only one table of guests in the inn: a sword-carrying beauty, a dignified man with a saber, and a lean fellow claiming to have an enormous capacity for alcohol. None of them drank. They casually ordered three dishes from the inn. The little cripple was also hungry, so when he saw an empty seat, he sat down with them to eat, not taking any of the food, just scooping rice from his bowl.

The little cripple occasionally stole glances at the woman across from him.

She was much prettier than the innkeeper. How could there be such a beautiful woman in the world?

She carried a sword on her back—this must be a wandering female knight.

He wondered if she would ever pass by the inn again. By then, he might be a head cook, no longer having to sweep floors, wipe tables, or serve tea and wine.

At that thought, the boy felt that the rice in his bowl was no worse than the so-called delicacies that scholar Zhong talked about.

When Chen Ping'an returned to the inn, it had already closed for the night. Only Zhong Kui was still there, waiting to lock up.

After locking the door, Zhong Kui proactively invited Chen Ping'an to drink, but they didn't chat much. Each drank on his own. When they finished, Zhong Kui made a bed on the floor by the counter, and Chen Ping'an went up to the second floor to rest. As a parting comment, Zhong Kui cheerfully said the wine money could be added to the tab. Chen Ping'an felt helpless at that moment, wondering why a Confucian noble man with such profound cultivation would choose to impose on others and live so ignobly. In his travels, Chen Ping'an had met many so-called experts, but none had been so careless. Mrs. Gui, who hid her abilities well, the sword-carrying gatekeeper of Inverted Suspension Mountain, and the old Golden Core sword cultivator who had served as his and Fan Er's carriage driver—none of them had been easy to get close to.

Zhong Kui then left with a final line: "On the road, money is hard to earn, shit is hard to eat. As long as you're not spending money to eat shit, it's a good life."

On the official road, the Yao family group grew farther from the inn.

One rider rode side by side with Yao Zhen. It was the young woman in the veiled hat. She lifted the hat, revealing a naturally bewitching, stunningly beautiful face. She must be the one Zhong Kui had called the Yao family's femme fatale. Although her features were alluring, her temperament was cold, and her peach-blossom eyes held an innate, amorous spring spirit all year round.

The old man, injured, did not urge his horse to gallop. The lifelong general was increasingly feeling his age.

The young woman asked softly, "Grandfather, why didn't you go in to see Aunt Ninth? So many years have passed, and now we're going to the capital. Can't we even meet once?"

Yao Zhen shook his head. "Let it be."

The young woman turned to look at the saber-carrying girl and the silent youth. "Lingzhi and Xianzhi are both feeling terrible right now."

Yao Zhen smiled. "Good. They used to think they were the best in the world. They need to learn humility. When they get to Mirage City, they'll have more setbacks."

The young woman seemed to want to say something but stopped.

After a moment of silence, the old man said, "This is fine."

She couldn't help but ask, "Grandfather, do you truly not blame Aunt and Uncle at all?"

The old man didn't answer.

In the darkness, he suddenly laughed. "You once told me about the different grades of talent: profound and solid, clever and eloquent, bold and heroic. Which is which again?"

The young woman was puzzled, not knowing why her grandfather was bringing this up, but she answered anyway, "First, third, and second, respectively."

The old man asked with a smile, "So what grade do you think our benefactor is?"

The woman shook her head. "I wouldn't dare to rashly judge someone who has been kind to us."

The old man nodded, then turned his head. "Jinzhi, you shouldn't go to Mirage City. Won't you reconsider? It's not too late to change your mind now."

The young woman, named Yao Jinzhi, smiled. "Since the fortune-teller said..."

Before she could finish, Yao Zhen glared at her. "Don't say it! And once you're in the capital, even more so!"

Yao Jinzhi gave a coy smile and lowered the veil of her hat again, concealing her face.

For the next two days, the inn and Hu'er Town were peaceful.

The little girl Pei Qian rarely came out. When she did go looking for food, she deliberately avoided running into Chen Ping'an.

During this time, Chen Ping'an sat on the threshold with Zhong Kui, drinking. The scholar said he had to keep an eye on Hu'er Town, but that wasn't the most important thing. He hoped he could watch Ninth Lady every day.

Chen Ping'an asked him why he liked Ninth Lady so much. Zhong Kui thought for a long time and could only explain it with the phrase "possessed."

Chen Ping'an joked about how much he liked her. Zhong Kui sighed, saying it wasn't that much, just that much. So he always felt he was letting Ninth Lady down.

Chen Ping'an was at a loss.

What a strange man.

Before the Yao family procession arrived at the inn, Sui Youbian knocked on Chen Ping'an's door, saying she had some messages to pass on.

The two sat facing each other. Sui Youbian said slowly, "After the Longevity Bridge is rebuilt, if you want to ascend to the Fifth Realm, you'll need to refine five Dharma treasures, corresponding to the Five Elements. Once the Five Elements are complete, the higher the quality of the refined items, the greater your achievements in cultivation."

Chen Ping'an asked, "For example?"

Sui Youbian seemed to have anticipated this, or rather, the person who sent her had calculated everything. She answered Chen Ping'an almost verbatim: "For example, for Metal of the Five Elements, there could be that pouch of Golden Essence Coins or that golden literary gallstone. For Wood, there could be the locust tree from Bead Abyss Paradise or the bamboo of Green Mountain God. For Water, there could be that Water-character seal. For Earth, there could be the Dragon-Slaying Platform or the Five Sacred Mountains' soil of Great Li. For Fire, there could be certain snake gallstones, or even a fire dragon on your wrist."

Finally, Sui Youbian said, "These are just 'examples.' The specific items to refine, how to refine them, and when to refine them—that's for you to decide on your own."

After seeing Sui Youbian out of the room, Chen Ping'an began practicing his sword furnace standing posture.

That night, he fell into a deep sleep using the Eternal Autumn Sleeping Stance and had a strange dream. In the dream, someone stood in front of him, arms already broken and dripping blood. This person was hunched over, back to Chen Ping'an, biting the hilt of a saber in his mouth—a cross-saber stance beyond imagination.

Chen Ping'an woke with a start, opening his eyes. He tried hard to remember the dream but could only recall a blurry back.

While Chen Ping'an was lying in bed, still disoriented, far outside the inn, a big and a small figure were building a small mound of earth. Zhong Kui and Pei Qian. He crouched and watched while she, after piling dirt, patted it into a little grave-like mound. She also found a thin, flat stone and stuck it in front of the "grave." When she was done, the little girl, face smeared with mud, turned to Zhong Kui and said solemnly, "This is Chen Ping'an's grave. From now on, every year on this day, the two of us will come and pay our respects!"

Zhong Kui was bewildered. "What's all this about?"

Pei Qian plopped down on the ground, arms crossed, and said through gritted teeth, "In my heart, Chen Ping'an is already dead!"

Zhong Kui said, "Oh, I see. So this tiny mound could be called a cenotaph."

Pei Qian frowned. "What does that mean?"

Zhong Kui rested his chin on his arm, staring blankly at the little grave and the tiny tombstone, though his peripheral vision was actually fixed on Pei Qian's bright eyes.

Lost in thought, he seemed to grasp something.