Chapter 346: The Master Speaks of Order, the Water God Forms a Golden Core

Chapter 346: The Master Speaks of Order, the Water God Forms a Golden Core

First watch, second watch, third watch—ghosts roam; fourth watch, thieves; fifth watch, roosters crow, and the world turns bright.

Tonight, during the third watch, the submerged river water was thick with yin energy.

At the courier inn, perhaps due to the Yao family iron cavalry stationed there, the killing aura of weapons and armor silently blocked that chilling presence.

Yao Jinzhi was practicing the "Money Divination" method in her room, commonly known as the "Fire Pearl Forest," one of the secret techniques of the mountains. Though called a secret technique, it wasn't really considered proper. Yao Jinzhi had stumbled upon it in a book tower when she was young, and over the years she had only treated it as a pastime—using three copper coins, tossing them to ask the earth for divination, or the "Six Coin Questioning Method," placing six copper coins in a bamboo tube, then throwing them out to see heads or tails, asking about the future, judging good and bad fortune. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Yao Jinzhi herself didn't really believe in it.

Today, she used the three-coin method to ask about her prospects for entering the capital. It was greatly auspicious.

Then she used the six-coin method to test the length of the Great Spring Liu family's dynastic mandate.

Afterward, she picked up the copper coins one by one, her face full of confusion, unable to figure it out no matter how much she thought. She could only mock herself: "Asking not about the common people but about ghosts and gods—that's inherently wrong." She stopped worrying about these two results, stood up, and went to the window. She saw Yao Lingzhi practicing with his saber. A little farther away, a house still had its lamp lit. Without guessing, she knew it was Yao Xianzhi reading military texts by lamplight.

She sat back at the table, thinking that from now on she could often go find that Master Lu to play chess, could give that little girl named Pei Qian a few exquisite small trinkets, and would also need to find an opportunity to give that young Liu family consecrator something appropriate. Because as a woman, she could see the words hidden deep in the eyes of that Shao Yuanran—but even though she saw through him, she pretended not to understand. On this northern journey, she had only exchanged two or three sentences with that young Daoist, and had intentionally looked at his back once. As for that young consecrator, funny to say, he thought that by maintaining an indifferent expression in front of her, he could hide everything. She was certain that that "accidental" gaze of hers had been enough to stir ripples in the heart of a Dao-cultivator with lofty aspirations.

Yao Jinzhi had always believed this carried more weight than a thousand words. Besides, words themselves never needed to be many—whether they enter the ear is one thing, whether they fall into someone's heart is another. A woman with good looks and a man with great power naturally have an inherent advantage.

Thinking of this, Yao Jinzhi felt a little depressed. Why could that certain someone truly interact with her with such peace of mind?

---

From deep night until nearly dawn, Zhu He stayed by the submerged river, pacing back and forth without leaving.

Strange things had happened last night. First, the little girl Pei Qian had spouted nonsense, saying she saw a golden bridge over the river. Then Chen Ping'an stopped the sword furnace stance and told him and Pei Qian to go back to the inn first. Chen Ping'an leaped into the submerged river water, and Pei Qian, without saying a word, jumped in after him. After that, a whirlpool inexplicably appeared in the river, and the surface of the water was thick with spiritual energy, making Zhu He somewhat uncomfortable. The whirlpool engulfed Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian, appearing suddenly and vanishing just as suddenly, leaving Zhu He only with the blurry silhouette of a small woman.

He heard that Tongye Continent was just one of the nine great continents of this Bright Heaven World.

The world was vast, how vast indeed.

Cultivators, how lofty they were.

Earlier, Zhu He had felt somewhat gloomy. He was like a wealthy county gentry who suddenly entered the capital and found that the silver in his pocket couldn't buy anything—he was still a bit disappointed. But Zhu He quickly and cleanly put away those petty thoughts, instead filling himself with boldness and fighting spirit. Don't be fooled by Zhu He's perpetual smile or how he followed behind Chen Ping'an like a horse and rider—these days, his martial arts cultivation had advanced fiercely and steadily, without a moment's delay.

The other three were no less impressive than Zhu Lian. Wei Xian was carefully examining this world, seeing the grand truth in the smallest details. Sui Youbian was in the carriage meditating on swordsmanship. Lu Baixiang was even more of a genius, proficient in everything—qin, chess, calligraphy, painting.

This was the most intangible advantage of Zhu Lian and the other three.

Without exception, they had all once been invincible among men. As pure martial artists, their hearts were nearly flawless, most worthy of the word "pure."

Among the four of them, there was also a silent rivalry.

Who would break through the bottleneck of the seventh realm first?

As long as they reached the Golden Body Realm of martial artists, the eighth Wind Riding Realm and the ninth Mountain Summit Realm would no longer be major thresholds for them—just a matter of time.

Zhu He looked up at the sky, then began to walk back along the same path. He weighed a pebble in his palm, gently rubbing it, and fragments were continuously blown away by the riverside breeze.

Besides the martial bottleneck, none of the four were satisfied with their own shackles. After all, Wei Xian was the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom, Lu Baixiang was the founding ancestor of the Demon Sect, and Sui Youbian was a female sword immortal who even wanted to shatter the rules of the blessed land with a single sword. If you said the four of them were sincerely convinced and willing to be servants to that young man holding four scrolls—not to mention Chen Ping'an, even that child named Pei Qian wouldn't believe it.

But after the inn incident, the four had a deep impression of Chen Ping'an.

Zhu He clenched the stone in his palm and muttered to himself, "Looking at Chen Ping'an's naturally revealed attitude now, Lu Baixiang should be the first to reveal the truth. That's why the two of them are so close and relaxed?"

Zhong Kui finished drawing that startlingly brilliant Sword Suppressing Talisman and, together with his master, left the submerged river one after another. The landscape and spiritual energy of the Green Wandering Estate gradually stabilized. The young maidservant brought Pei Qian back to the main hall.

Earlier, by the screen wall, Pei Qian had just thrown that handful of submerged river essence back into the screen wall when she saw the image of incense smoke in chaos and river water churning, as if the water would burst out of the stone wall and flood the mansion. Pei Qian was terrified, shouting to go back to Chen Ping'an's side. That early water ghost maidservant, who had died unjustly in the submerged river, was expelled from the mansion by the Water God Goddess using her divine powers, leaving Pei Qian standing alone by the screen wall, wailing loudly until her voice was hoarse.

Now returning to the main hall, Pei Qian still had tear stains on her face. She stood timidly at the threshold, not daring to enter. She had enough sense to know that Chen Ping'an was discussing serious matters with someone. If she caused trouble again and angered Chen Ping'an—last time Zhong Kui had helped plead her case, but this time there was no one to speak up for her.

Chen Ping'an turned his head and asked, "What's wrong?"

Pei Qian dashed into the hall in a flash, sat down on the chair next to Chen Ping'an, and sat up straight. Somewhat wronged and guilty, she said, "I just returned that handful of water to the screen wall, and without knowing why, the ground shook and the mountains trembled. Chen Ping'an, I really didn't mean to, you can't get angry."

Chen Ping'an flicked his finger and tapped her on the forehead, smiling, "So you know to be afraid?"

Pei Qian felt greatly relieved. That terrifying phenomenon probably had nothing to do with her. With her confidence restored, she immediately straightened her back. The aroma from the wine table was tempting, and besides, having seen so many spirits and monsters, Pei Qian remembered how in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, the storytellers under the bridge would tell tales of supernatural beings, always talking about a cup of wine or a peach in the underwater dragon palaces or immortal mansions that could increase one's lifespan when eaten. So she tested the waters: "Can I have a small sip of wine?"

Chen Ping'an glared at her, and Pei Qian immediately pretended to realize, saying, "I'm still young, why would I drink? You should drink more, Chen Ping'an."

The naturally bold Water God Goddess was so amused by this clever little girl that she couldn't stop laughing. "There's still plenty of century-aged Water Bloom Wine in the mansion. Later, I'll send you a jar. Whether Chen Ping'an snatches it away to drink himself or leaves some for you, that's out of my hands."

With Chen Ping'an by her side, Pei Qian feared nothing in the world. She put on an air of maturity and said, "If you really want to give me wine, I'll thank you, but I'm still young and can't drink. Otherwise, it will hinder my studies. Next time we visit your home, when I'm old enough to drink, don't be stingy, or it won't befit your immortal status."

The Water God Goddess clicked her tongue in amazement, carefully examining Pei Qian's features, more and more intrigued. Half-jokingly and half-seriously, she said to Chen Ping'an, "Such a spirited little girl. Why not let her stay here in the Green Wandering Estate? I'll take care of her. In the future, this position of Submerged River Water God of my Green Wandering Estate will pass to her. I guarantee I'll teach her everything I know, and I'll forge two magical artifacts for her. In at most two hundred years, she can become the most powerful water god in the Great Spring Kingdom."

Pei Qian panicked, stood up, and said angrily, "Stop talking nonsense! I have to go to Bottle Gourd Prefecture's Dragon Spring Commandery to help put up spring couplets on our old house!"

Chen Ping'an declined the Water God Goddess's offer politely.

He simply couldn't rest easy if Pei Qian wasn't by his side.

The Water God Goddess didn't press the issue, but her words just now weren't a joke.

If Pei Qian, whose talent she had recognized at a glance, were to stay in the Green Wandering Estate, she would indeed do her utmost to let the girl inherit the position of Submerged River Water God. She would also help forge and refine two weapons of magical artifact quality. Even if it meant going against her nature and putting on a facade with the Great Spring Kingdom and the Great Hollow Academy, she would still strive to win a "Palace" designation for the Green Wandering Estate. Then she could go all out and slay that great demon that had been wreaking havoc in the submerged river for two hundred years, even if it meant mutual destruction. That would be a merit benefiting the nine hundred thousand people on both banks, worthy of the saintly principles she had read from the books of the Sage of Literature.

As for why this Water God Goddess felt such "affinity" for Pei Qian—there was even more to it.

As a long-established deity governing a region's water and soil, the Submerged River Water God herself had immense fortune. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to comprehend a secret art formula from an unnoticed rain-prayer stele, a formula that formed the foundation of a Upper Five Realm cultivator's Great Way. Just now, she had carefully used the deity's technique of observing qi. Not looking was one thing, but once she looked, she was shocked. She herself was already one of the lucky few with a "Gold Form" physique, but this dark, skinny little girl before her was even more exceptional—she possessed a top-tier deity body. In simple terms, if such a person didn't become a landscape deity enjoying incense, it would be a terrible waste of heaven's gift.

The so-called "Gold Form" physique was somewhat similar to a swordsman's innate sword embryo or a Buddhist's Buddha son—born with exceptional talent, making rapid progress on the right path. Those with Gold Form were often naturally small in stature but extremely hard-boned. There was a fortune-telling method that weighed and measured a person's "bone qi" in pounds and ounces. Gold Form was the heaviest kind, with a strong temperament, prone to impatience, decisive in killing, and especially since metal governs severity, they naturally possessed authority—born to be officials or generals.

But this Water God Goddess's eyesight, though good, still wasn't good enough.

Pei Qian's talent was far beyond the scope of the Five Elements. That was why Zhu He, observing Pei Qian, also thought the girl was a martial arts prodigy. Even Yao Jinzhi, who had bought the copper coins earlier, pondered that the little girl might have talent in divination—if she studied divination and fortune-telling with her, she could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Only the gentleman Zhong Kui saw things more comprehensively and deeply.

Unfortunately, Pei Qian had met Chen Ping'an. He wouldn't explain principles to her, and as for practicing martial arts or cultivating the Dao, Pei Qian shouldn't even think about it.

This little girl, now following Chen Ping'an through mountains and rivers, was overjoyed as long as she could stick a talisman worth a large mansion on her forehead to keep from getting tired while walking.

That was probably a case of "one thing subdues another."

Whether Pei Qian followed Zhu Lian in martial arts or stayed in the Green Wandering Estate as the next Submerged River Water God, no matter how high her achievements, she wouldn't be grateful to Zhu He or the Water God Goddess. If a conflict arose one day, she might just slap them to death without a second thought, feeling it was only natural: "You angered me, and I'm more powerful than you; if I don't kill you, should I keep you around to annoy me?"

But with Chen Ping'an, Pei Qian's thoughts were completely different—utterly unique.

However, both of them were in the middle of it and unaware of this.

The Water God Goddess waved her hand, and the maidservant silently withdrew.

The Water God Goddess then asked, "Chen Ping'an, I'm a straightforward person, and you're even more so. Otherwise, Zhong Kui wouldn't have such a personal connection with you. So, can I speak plainly?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Water God Goddess, please speak directly."

The Water God Goddess's expression turned serious, as if she were choosing her words carefully, preparing to discuss something significant.

Chen Ping'an wondered why. Logically, since Zhong Kui had already helped secure the mansion's upgrade to a palace, the Green Wandering Estate shouldn't have any major difficulties. But since she was so serious, Chen Ping'an waited for her to continue.

She slowly asked, "Chen Ping'an, you've met the Sage of Literature. Is he truly awe-inspiring, speaking in perfect sentences, making people admire him to the point of prostrating themselves? After hearing his profound yet simple truths, do you feel like later-born students like us should just kowtow endlessly?"

The Water God Goddess across the table was radiant.

Chen Ping'an, fortunately, hadn't been drinking, or he would have sprayed the wine right out.

Pei Qian didn't know who the "Sage of Literature" was, but from the tone, it seemed Chen Ping'an knew some impressive old man. She felt honored and crossed her arms proudly.

Chen Ping'an took a sip of the century-aged "Water Bloom Wine" from his Sword Nurturing Gourd. After a moment of hesitation, he couldn't bear to shatter the Water God Goddess's majestic image of the Sage of Literature. He chose his words carefully: "The old gentleman naturally has immense knowledge, an excellent temper, is kind to others, never puts on airs, and when out and about, he is very... approachable."

How could he not be approachable? Being short and small, traveling the world in the guise of a poor old scholar—"approachable" was more like "unremarkable." He was even worse than Zhong Kui at the inn. He liked to drag people into drinking, pretend to be drunk to avoid paying, and had poor drinking manners.

But Chen Ping'an couldn't bear to tell the Water God Goddess these truths.

He was afraid that if she heard them, her Dao heart might shatter.

This time, the Water God Goddess didn't even use the big white bowl to drink. She directly lifted the jar and took a big gulp. "The Sage of Literature is truly as I imagined—Heavens above! His knowledge reaches the sky, yet he is compassionate, walking among mortals, kind and gentle, treating the world well. How could the Sage of Literature only be ranked fourth in the Confucian Temple of the Central Earth Divine Continent, not allowed to be enshrined beside the Ultimate Sage? Outrageous!"

The Water God Goddess rambled on, constantly defending the Sage of Literature she admired so much.

Chen Ping'an didn't respond, but he thought of many true scholars and those who aspired to be scholars: his teacher Qi's teacher, Teacher Qi, Zhong Qiu in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land who was very much like Teacher Qi, him, Chen Ping'an, and the child Cao Qinglang who was very much like himself.

All kinds of reasoning and unreasonableness in the world would ultimately settle in one place: "Where my heart is at peace, that is my home."

Chen Ping'an didn't speak, just drank. With such good wine, thinking of such beautiful people and things—the Sage of Literature's theory of order, Teacher Qi's not being disappointed, Zhong Qiu's clear conscience, Cao Qinglang embracing hope—Chen Ping'an certainly wouldn't get drunk and disorderly today. Maybe, as A Liang said, he could really become a wine immortal.

One talked to herself, the other daydreamed to himself, both drinking without needing persuasion.

The Water Bloom Wine of the Green Wandering Estate—so-called cellar-aged—was stored within the essence of the submerged river. Left for a hundred years, naturally aged and mellow, it went down smoothly but had quite a kick.

The Water God Goddess was truly drunk, sitting cross-legged on the chair, her head swaying. She said she envied Chen Ping'an to death—he had met the Sage of Literature and was so familiar with the saintly gentleman, achieving great fulfillment in this life. She didn't have such luck. Every day she sat on the divine altar, seemingly surrounded by incense smoke in the Water God Temple, even more prosperous than the Mirage City. But amidst the incense were so many selfish desires—she didn't like a lot of it. People prayed for wealth, for high positions, for children, for power. She just wanted to ask the Sage of Literature face to face: the sages had said so many principles, the Confucian Temple had erected so many divine statues, and there were countless scholars who had read the sages' books. Why was the world still so unbearable, always making people more and more disappointed, making her like the human world less and less?

At the end of her rambling, the Water God Goddess counted on her fingers, reciting classic lines from the Sage of Literature's books, complaining: with such good principles, why wouldn't the world learn them? Was it because the Sage of Literature's teachings were too lofty that ordinary people couldn't grasp them? Finally, she scratched her head in bewilderment.

Pei Qian rolled her eyes. Well, she would never drink in the future. If women got as crazy as this goddess when drunk, it was just too ridiculous.

The best thing about Chen Ping'an's drinking was that, right up until the moment he was about to drink himself to death, his eyes got brighter and brighter, and he became entirely renewed, his brows flying with spirit—as if his boxing was no longer retracting but releasing, as if all his youthful and mature gloom was suppressed by the alcohol.

But that didn't mean Chen Ping'an was getting clearer-headed. It meant that when drunk, he couldn't suppress his true nature. Before drinking, he was cautious, as if covering a bronze mirror with both hands, or shielding the lamp of a humble room, unwilling to let outsiders see. After drinking, he let go, shining bright—why not illuminate all directions?

Chen Ping'an heavily set down his Sword Nurturing Gourd on the wine table and declared loudly, "How could the Sage of Literature's teachings be too lofty and useless? They are very useful! I will tell you: this doctrine applies everywhere in the world. Good people can learn it, evil people can learn it, emperors and generals can learn it, peddlers and porters can learn it, mountain immortals can learn it, demons and monsters can learn it, landscape deities can learn it! Whether they are willing to put it into practice is a matter after learning. First learn this doctrine, and it will be beneficial!"

Chen Ping'an unconsciously sat up straight, imitating the gentleman Zhong Kui, and even more, imitating Teacher Qi teaching in the school. "Once you learn true knowledge in the world, your heart-mind will have a living source! I believe that the essence of the old gentleman's doctrine, the two words 'order,' is a great doctrine, a true doctrine that everyone can learn! Will you learn it?!"

The Water God Goddess, dazed and confused, slammed the table and said, "If you say it, I'll give it a try!"

Chen Ping'an leaned forward slightly, writing the two words "order" on the table with his finger. "The gist of this doctrine is these two words! It opens a new path, beyond the order of etiquette and rules, another great river that benefits all living beings! I, Chen Ping'an, haven't learned deeply or much, but I will speak of what I know, the principles I understand, and the words that are correct! Now, I will use what the old gentleman told me that night to first tell you the introductory meaning of this theory of order!"

One by one, Chen Ping'an carefully recounted the opening content of the old master's sitting discourse that night, the key points. Fortunately, Chen Ping'an had a good memory, even when drunk, he didn't miss anything.

First part: Distinguish priority and sequence. All things in the world have a context, a cause and effect. No link can be skipped. If one only picks and chooses what they want to make a point, then the world's affairs will never be clearly right or wrong. Otherwise, it becomes only position without right or wrong—as if everyone in the world is both pitiable and hateful. Then how can one truly reason? Could it be that everyone talks their own talk, and when reasoning fails, they can only resort to fists? Utterly wrong!

Second part: Assess size. Right and wrong have degrees of importance, so one needs to borrow the ruler of Legalism's good laws and the ruler of technique's calculations.

Third part: Determine good and evil. Use etiquette and rules as the fundamental standard, combined with local customs and customs, as well as human heart-morality, to judge a person's right and wrong, merits and faults, and ask oneself about good and evil.

Fourth part: Unity of knowledge and action! Correct mistakes when found, encourage oneself when not.

Just these four parts, laid out in detail, took Chen Ping'an an hour.

"This doctrine of order is an excellent doctrine, but to put it into practice and adhere to its gist everywhere—how difficult it is!"

"Before, I didn't know why the Sage of Literature urged me to drink. I didn't know why Left and Right, without saying much, split the Rain Master's statue with a sword, and then with another sword, flattened the Dragon Trench. I didn't know why Zhong Kui, as a gentleman, was so unlike a academy gentleman. Why the old monk of Heart Appearance Temple said the world owes good people. Why the old Daoist, showing me around the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, always found that good people rarely get good rewards, and evil people rarely get evil retribution."

Speaking of many places, Chen Ping'an wanted to align his learning with his actions, to unify words and deeds, but he often started to negate himself as he spoke. He told the Water God Goddess across the table, who listened intently, that the principles he had figured out were still too small. Especially when it came to complex good and evil beyond major right and wrong, subtle human hearts, he was far from qualified to make final judgments.

Chen Ping'an sat there, often talking to himself.

Another hour passed. Time flowed like the river water outside the Green Wandering Estate.

The Water God Goddess had long stood up, respectfully and solemnly, slightly bowing, like a student listening to the master's instruction, engraving it in her heart, not daring to miss a single word.

Pei Qian seemed to have heard it, or maybe she was distracted. She lay on the table, her cheek pressed against the surface, watching Chen Ping'an, who had spoken so many great truths to someone else in one breath.

In her memory, except for Cao Qinglang, that battle on the street outside the alley—with Zhong Qiu the national master, the great demon Ding Ying—Chen Ping'an fought when he had to, fought to the death without many words.

After leaving the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, near the residence of Jin Huang in the Northern Jin border region, he split a green water buffalo with one sword. At the inn, with one self-reflection, he punched the arrogant young duke to death in three punches.

Chen Ping'an said he didn't understand many things before.

Actually, little Pei Qian also didn't understand, and understood even less.

Why in this vast world, Chen Ping'an, who was reasonable and kind to everyone, was only so harsh to her, had the worst temper with her—yet she still felt that staying by his side, even if she was scolded or hit, she didn't feel... wronged. She would take it for granted that this guy, whatever he told her to do, she would do. She didn't have to think about anything. Of course, she still felt very annoyed and troublesome, but these emotions were much better than when she was alone in the capital of the Southern Garden Kingdom, like a little lonely ghost, drifting year after year, feeling that one day she would freeze or starve to death and that was that.

Probably because of tonight, Chen Ping'an spoke of the knowledge he most recognized in his heart. He still said that what he said might not be the most reasonable or the most correct.

Chen Ping'an would see the goodness in everyone and everything in the world.

Pei Qian was only willing to see the bad in everyone and everything.

The Green Wandering Estate's plaque, with its three golden characters, shone brilliantly, golden light flowing.

The people and water ghosts inside the estate were shocked and delighted to find that the entire mansion was covered in faint golden light, flowing like water.

The submerged river outside the Green Wandering Estate sparkled, especially bright under the moonlight.

Many resentful water ghosts who had died unjustly involuntarily swam from the gloomy riverbed to the surface, bathed in moonlight, and dissipated one by one, as if released.

At the Water God Temple by the submerged river, the male and female believers waiting for dawn to open the doors and burn the first incense were in an uproar. Inside the temple, indistinctly, the golden statue of the Water God Goddess suddenly rose up, dozens of feet tall, overlooking the world. The clay gold body, the "golden body" became increasingly true to its name, imposing and awe-inspiring.

Deep in the submerged river, that great demon only a hair's breadth away from the Golden Core realm, hiding in its lair at the riverbed, which should have been most comfortable, now felt as if it were in a boiling cauldron, suffering immensely. Forced to flee, it burst out of its lair, roaring loudly, raising massive waves, and fled madly upstream along the submerged river. Every time it tried to go ashore and cause harm, the riverbeds on both sides seemed like cages, blocking its way at every turn, forcing it to crash around in the deepest part of the river, unable to harm the townspeople on either side.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

In the main hall of the Green Wandering Estate, the Water God Goddess's sleeves fluttered, golden light flickering around her body. Especially in the center of her chest, a golden pill spun round and round, illuminating the entire hall with golden light far surpassing the candles.

The books say: "Hearing the Way in the morning, one can die in the evening."

She never expected to have such immense fortune—hearing the Great Way at night, forming a Golden Core at dawn!

The Water God Goddess bowed deeply, grateful to the young man before her, her face covered in tears, crying tears of joy: "Since Little Master is the direct disciple of the Sage of Literature, why did you deceive me?"