Chapter 347: A True Master Indeed
After the Water Goddess spoke, she waited a long time for an answer. When she looked up, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. That young Master Chen had actually fallen asleep sitting up, with only a soft snoring sound.
She smiled knowingly. This young Master Chen's ease of mind and lack of concern appeared somewhat careless, but in her eyes, it was in no way inferior to those bold heroes of the mortal world who "kill one person every ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles."
This Water Goddess of the Mai River thought for a moment, then decided to carry Chen Ping'an on her back and take him to a guest room in the mansion to rest. Pei Qian, as if facing a great enemy, quickly moved to guard Chen Ping'an and asked, "What are you doing?"
The Water Goddess rolled her eyes and said, "What, do you expect him to sleep here until the sun is high in the sky? He at least needs a comfortable big bed to lie on, or else what kind of hospitality would my Bixiu Mansion be showing?"
Pei Qian said "Oh," then cautioned, "Be careful, and don't wake up my father."
At the same time, Pei Qian carefully re-hung the Sword-Nurturing Gourd by Chen Ping'an's waist.
If she lost this wine gourd, she figured she'd either be beaten to death by Chen Ping'an or scolded to death.
No way around it—in Chen Ping'an's heart, she was the least valuable.
The Water Goddess didn't bother arguing with the little girl about the address. She could tell at a glance that Chen Ping'an and this little girl had no blood relation. As for why the two of them—one big, one small—were traveling together through the martial world, she supposed it was fate. Fate gathers and fate scatters, fate comes and fate goes—most wonderfully ineffable. Just like from last night to this morning, who could have imagined that Chen Ping'an, visiting Bixiu Mansion for the first time, would bring her such a great opportunity? She had to understand that the path of the gods could almost only advance through the accumulated influence of incense and worship over a long time. Compared to Qi refiners and pure martial artists, it was even harder to improve. Consider this: for mountain and river deities to advance, besides receiving court conferment or an imperial edict using a nation's fortune to elevate a deity's rank, they could only gather bit by bit the essence of incense from devout male and female worshippers in their temples—a penny, an ounce, a pound at a time.
The Water Goddess moved gently, carrying this young man who had the best drinking manners under heaven on her back. He wasn't heavy, and she didn't use her divine powers to shrink the ground and teleport directly to the small courtyard. Instead, she carried Chen Ping'an and walked step by step. For the impatient Water Goddess of the Mai River, this was an unprecedented display of patience. She was very curious: how could such a young man have so much knowledge stored in his belly? How could he have been regarded by the Sage of Literature and Qi Jingchun as the successor to their literary lineage? At that time, he should still have been a youth, right?
If he truly had attained the Way as a youth, then what an excellent background and what great talent he must have! Could he be one of those legendary reincarnated gods, a heaven's favored son born with knowledge?
But upon thinking this, she felt something was off. The Sage of Literature—what geniuses hadn't he seen? He probably wouldn't be as vulgar as she was.
Pei Qian walked beside the Water Goddess, constantly looking up at her expression. Seeing that the mansion's owner was smiling somewhat strangely, the little girl finally couldn't help asking, "You're not falling in love with my father, are you?"
The Water Goddess shook her head and said softly, "No, I neither like him nor feel worthy of him. If I had to choose a scholar in this world to be my husband and grow old together, I'd probably prefer that unkempt gentleman more. Marrying a man like that would mean I could live a proper life. Someone like Young Master Chen... that would be difficult."
If the Water Goddess had said she liked Chen Ping'an, Pei Qian would have been angry. But when she heard the Water Goddess say she didn't like him, Pei Qian became even angrier and blurted out, "Are you blind?!"
The Water Goddess turned her head to look at the furious little girl and laughed. "Oho, must every woman under heaven like Chen Ping'an for her not to be blind?"
Pei Qian snorted coldly, wearing an arrogant expression that seemed to say, "You're a woman with long hair but short knowledge—I won't bother arguing with you."
The Water Goddess was already in a good mood, and seeing Pei Qian like this only made her laugh out loud. Feeling belittled, Pei Qian grew even angrier. "What are you laughing at? My father is your benefactor, and I am his daughter, so I am your little benefactor. Show some respect!"
The Water Goddess walked slowly and asked softly, "How about I give you a thank-you gift?"
Pei Qian's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed. She said weakly, "Forget it. Send it to Chen Ping'an yourself. I wouldn't dare accept gifts recklessly. If he wakes up, he'll definitely complain that I'm uncultured and don't understand etiquette again. I'd be helping someone and getting no thanks—why would I bother? Don't you think?"
The Water Goddess couldn't help but laugh, barely managing to suppress it. She said seriously, "It's fine. I have valuable things to give Chen Ping'an. As for you, since you're 'Chen Ping'an's daughter,' I'm a half-elder. Meeting you for the first time, giving you some things—even if you hide them from Chen Ping'an—isn't really a big deal. It's not a matter of right and wrong. Besides, it's not like you'll use them to do evil. Even if Chen Ping'an finds out later, he'll at most scold you a few times. Nothing serious. What's there to be afraid of?"
Pei Qian was slightly tempted, but then quickly sneered. "How do you know I won't do bad things? I'm very bad indeed. If I got some extremely powerful immortal treasure or learned some incredible divine arts, and I saw someone I didn't like, I'd just 'crack' them on the spot, and even Chen Ping'an couldn't stop me! But then, if Chen Ping'an couldn't defeat me, I'd take care of his face and only kill when I'm alone. Kill, kill, kill—I'd be even quicker than that big bad old man named Zhu, or that ugly woman named 'Right' who always has a sour face. Just like when I'm hungry and eat, in the blink of an eye, I'd have Chen Ping'an fill another big bowl of white rice for me!"
The little girl grew happier as she spoke.
The Water Goddess was shocked.
Only at this moment did she realize what kind of little freak Chen Ping'an had brought with him.
She spoke of killing as if it were eating, and it wasn't the kind of exaggerated talk that ignorant children liked to sound scary.
The Water Goddess's expression changed as she carefully observed Pei Qian again.
Pei Qian suddenly shouted angrily, "You Water Goddess, you really have a bad heart! Repaying kindness with enmity! Are you deliberately trying to trap me, hoping Chen Ping'an will catch me making a big mistake and kick me out so you can play the good guy and take me in, making me your little maid to serve tea and water in this Bixiu Mansion?"
The Water Goddess remained silent, carrying the sleeping Chen Ping'an while looking down at the dark-skinned, petite little girl.
She deliberately made her eyes cold, with some deliberate concealment and some leakage, and asked with a smile, "Is that how you see me?"
Sure enough, Pei Qian immediately stepped back and said with a forced smile, "Water Goddess, I was just joking with you."
The Water Goddess understood in her heart.
This little girl, gifted with a golden form, had an absolutely extraordinary background, and there was almost no hope of controlling her temperament.
The Water Goddess suddenly remembered how when Pei Qian had brought water earlier, Chen Ping'an had said one soft sentence, and the little girl immediately went back to return that handful of water essence. And it seemed completely natural, without any hint of defiance.
The Water Goddess finally began to chew on this clue.
Then, in her heart, she sighed in admiration for the young man on her back.
Pei Qian was pleased. "You were trying to scare me just now."
The Water Goddess felt somewhat helpless. This little girl really had a sharp intuition for sensing fluctuations in people's hearts? If someone had to live with her day and night, how exhausting would that be?
She delivered Chen Ping'an to the most elegant standalone courtyard in Bixiu Mansion. The courtyard gate and room doors opened on their own. She placed him on the bed with luxurious bedding. Pei Qian shouted, "Move, move!" and helped take off Chen Ping'an's boots, then tucked him in. Only then did she plop down on the edge of the bed and glare at the Water Goddess. The latter laughed and said, "You have your own place to sleep. I'll take you there."
Pei Qian shook her head vigorously. "I have to keep watch for my father and guard against bad people."
The Water Goddess joked, "Alright, stop trying to suck up. Chen Ping'an really is fast asleep."
Pei Qian looked doubtfully back at Chen Ping'an, then stood up and said cheerfully, "Then take me to nap for a bit. I'm dead tired. But remember to let me know as soon as my dad wakes up. We're in a hurry to catch up. We agreed to rejoin the big group after daybreak. My dad always keeps his word."
The Water Goddess was completely fed up with this little wiseacre. As she led Pei Qian out of the room, she asked curiously, "Big group? What's that about?"
Pei Qian hesitated, then roughly explained the situation with the Yao family's caravan.
The Water Goddess nodded. "No problem. You two rest for two hours. Then I'll send you upstream on the Mai River, just like last night."
Pei Qian was relieved. Following this extremely wealthy short-woman to a nearby courtyard, she complained about everything and showed disdain on her face, but in her heart, she was immensely envious. She thought that when she had a lot of silver in the future, she would definitely have a mansion this big, with such grand and imposing rooms. She would pave the floor with gold and silver and plaster the walls with those yellow paper talismans.
After settling Chen Ping'an and the cunning little girl, the Water Goddess took one step and appeared outside the main gate of Bixiu Mansion. She looked up at the plaque, lost in thought.
Then she took another step backward and instantly arrived at the Water Goddess Temple that housed her golden statue. There was still about a quarter of an hour before the temple opened to receive worshippers. She strode into the main hall.
Earlier, when she had formed her Golden Core realm, the heavens had displayed unusual phenomena, causing hundreds of worshippers outside the door to kowtow with utmost sincerity. From her distant Bixiu Mansion, she had also sensed it and gained some understanding of the incense of the divine path.
The clay statue on the altar in the main hall had returned to its original state, no longer radiating divine light that illuminated the Mai River. The statue actually only had about forty to fifty percent resemblance to her actual appearance. Moreover, the statue was of a woman with a graceful figure, flowing sleeves, and dynamic lines, like a deity draped in heavenly garments, making the whole wall seem to stir with wind.
She had always felt it wasn't really her—it overly beautified her appearance. But that was the rule for mountain and river deities and their temple statues. The first temple matron, a woman she had saved from drowning, had renounced her worldly wealth and status to serve as the temple matron at the Water Goddess Temple. She had served for fifty years, from a young woman to a white-haired old crone, living to the age of eighty without any aptitude for cultivation. It was this temple matron who had diligently traveled far and wide, gathering followers for her, year after year setting up porridge stalls to relieve the poor. On her deathbed, the old woman had grasped the Water Goddess's jade-like hand and said hoarsely, "Your Ladyship is still so beautiful. The artisans who made your golden statue were still not skilled enough; they could not capture even one ten-thousandth of your beauty. It is I, your temple matron, who have failed in my duty." Finally, with tears streaming, the old woman asked the Water Goddess a question, just four words: "Has it been dispelled yet?"
Before the Water Goddess could answer, the old woman had already passed away.
That temple matron, who was devout until death, had not initially been a good person in the eyes of the world. In her youth, her husband was a traveling merchant who was often away. Unable to bear the loneliness, she had taken other lovers. When her affair was exposed, she even conspired with her lover to kill her husband. She then successfully remarried, seized all her late husband's property, and bullied his family. After enjoying a few years of happiness, the evil fate caught up with her. During a spring outing, her new husband, who had grown tired of her, beat her half to death and threw her into the Mai River.
It was then that she, who was at that time just a minor water deity of a licentious shrine on the Mai River, had saved her.
For all these reasons, this Water Goddess had never been able to find clarity.
It was only after reading the Sage of Literature's moral essays, which spoke of human nature being inherently evil and of teaching towards goodness, that the Mai River Water Goddess suddenly saw the light.
As the Water Goddess of the Mai River, she could use incense to see into people's hearts. Originally, she had detested the ugliness of the human heart and even rejected the wafting incense, always feeling that every time she granted a wish, she incurred a little more evil karma. After that, her state of mind began to change. She governed the waters of the Mai River with authority, suppressing evil thoughts, and repeatedly manifested herself in cooperation with several city god temples along the riverbanks. She spared no effort in using her divine powers to bring rain when the court prayed for it, even at the cost of reducing her cultivation and dimming her golden statue. She strove to always answer prayers, whether the incense came from good or greedy thoughts, at least ensuring she had a clear conscience.
But after hundreds of years, even patience can run out. She began to enter the Water Goddess Temple less and less, preferring to stay in the closed Bixiu Mansion, focusing her mind on using that immortal's oral formula to diligently refine one weapon after another, thus passing her dull divine existence. There was also a more important reason: that ancient inherited formula could not only refine weapons but also refine the waters of the Mai River, and even refine the incense of the mortal world. It was truly a great divine ability of immortals, where one method leads to all methods.
She had originally thought that since the little girl named Pei Qian had come here by fate and had such excellent aptitude, perhaps it was the will of heaven. Pei Qian could inherit her divine position and this supreme formula. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be the case, so she would have to wait again. The transmission of a divine position, like a Qi refiner taking on a disciple, was never a trivial matter. One misstep, and not only would the disciple suffer disaster, but the master would also be implicated, either dying or having their cultivation destroyed, or else raising an ungrateful wolf who would defy the master and betray the ancestors.
For example, the Sage of Literature, whom she admired and respected most—how great was his learning? Yet even he had taught a Cui Chan.
In the main hall, where morning light streamed through the windows onto the floor, the Water Goddess withdrew her gaze and let out a soft sigh.
The old temple matron stood at the door, her wrinkled, aged face streaming with excited, joyful tears. This was truly great news.
With the Water Goddess's elevation in divine rank, everyone in the Mai River Water Goddess Temple naturally benefited from her rise. From now on, not only would that river demon have to tuck its tail and dare not cause trouble, but from the governor's mansion in the prefectural city down to the county offices, everyone would likely put on an even more respectful face. Even that arrogant governor, who prided himself on being a benefactor, might become much more polite to her in the future.
The old temple matron asked nervously, "Your Ladyship, the local city gods, earth gods, and some minor river earls near the Mai River have almost all come to congratulate you. They know your temperament and dare not disturb Bixiu Mansion, so they've prepared heavy gifts and are waiting outside the temple. Should you see them or not? If you are tired, I can make excuses for you. They wouldn't dare say anything."
The Water Goddess said calmly, "I still have some time. I'll see them. Protecting the fortune of the region and educating the nine hundred thousand people in the jurisdiction is not something our single Water Goddess Temple can accomplish alone. We need to work together."
The old temple matron was inwardly astonished, wondering why this previously lazy Water Goddess had changed her temperament. But it was a good thing, so she immediately turned to relay the order.
As long as the Water Goddess was willing to put in some effort to attract various mountain and river deities, the Mai River Water Goddess Temple would surely be able to rally a following and become the true foremost water god of the great springs!
Since the death of that first temple matron, the Water Goddess Temple had changed one temple matron after another, but she had never felt much attachment to any of them. They came and went, lived and died, and that was that.
At this moment, alone, the Water Goddess seemed to be speaking to an old friend. She smiled and said, "I've heard that in Mirage City, two families are best at crafting divine statues. The Zhang family's style is said to be 'short-faced but beautiful,' adding more charm. The Cao family's style is described as 'clothes floating, seeming to drift like immortals.' Which one do you think suits me better? Which family's artisans would you prefer?"
The corners of her mouth curled up, and she squinted with a smile, waving her hand grandly. "Don't bother thinking about it. Whichever family has the bigger talk and the higher price, we'll choose them. Now we don't have to worry about money!"
---
At dawn, at the riverside courier station, Old General Yao Zhen found it strange that Chen Ping'an hadn't appeared for breakfast. Zhu Lian smiled and explained that the young master was on a sightseeing trip and hadn't returned yet. He had taken a spontaneous decision last night to visit the Mai River Water Goddess Temple. The old general could set off first; the young master would definitely catch up.
Yao Zhen laughed and said that fellow was really unreliable. If he had known, he should have dragged him along last night. What did it matter to delay the trip by a day or two?
Zhu Lian didn't add anything unnecessary. He laughed, bowed, and withdrew, then sat at a table with Lu Baixiang and the other two.
Lu Baixiang looked at him. Zhu Lian shook his head and smiled. "Don't ask me. The young master didn't ask me to follow. He just said he'd return early and told me to inform the courier station."
Wei Xian just buried his head in his porridge, eating quickly.
Sui Youbian stood out among the four "attendants" for both her sitting posture and her manner of eating.
Even the most carefree among the Yao family's accompanying cavalry felt that this stunningly beautiful, sword-carrying woman was no ordinary person. She was not the kind of retainer any wealthy family in the Great Springs could possess.
Lu Baixiang frowned.
Zhu Lian smiled slightly. "What, you don't trust me? Even if I had the intention, do I have the ability?"
Seeing that Lu Baixiang didn't want to talk to him, Zhu Lian smiled even more.
Sitting in the farthest corner were the Daoist master and disciple, Yin Miaofeng and Shao Yuanran. They exchanged a glance but said nothing.
However, voices sounded between their minds.
Shao Yuanran drank a bowl of millet porridge and asked telepathically, "Could the unusual phenomena at the Mai River Water Goddess Temple in the latter half of the night be related to this person?"
Yin Miaofeng replied, "Hard to say. Logically, it shouldn't be possible. The heavenly resonance that the Water Goddess attracted was on the scale of forming a Golden Core. Even the gentleman Zhong Kui might not have that ability to help her. But this Young Master Chen's origins are truly unfathomable. We don't need to bother with it. As long as there are no complications, we can report to the Great Springs Liu clan satisfactorily. That Bixiu Mansion can be upgraded to a palace or not—there will always be a gentleman from the academy to take responsibility, which is already fortunate. Now that the Mai River Water Goddess has advanced on her own, we can even mention our visit last night to share some of the glory. Maybe I can get some benefit for you."
Shao Yuanran nodded. The corner of his eye glanced at the Yao woman, who had put her veiled hat back on, but he said nothing.
Yao Xianzhi and Yao Lingzhi were direct descendants of the Yao family and highly valued, but they still didn't have the right to sit at the same table as their grandfather Yao Zhen. The three seats there were occupied by old soldiers who had followed Yao Zhen through most of his campaigns, regardless of rank. Yao Zhen considered this natural, and the three battle-hardened veterans also saw nothing wrong.
Yao Xianzhi winked at Yao Lingzhi and gestured with his chin.
Yao Lingzhi asked, "What?"
Yao Xianzhi lowered his voice. "Do you think Young Master Chen might have run into some reckless guy and gone on a killing spree, slaying demons? Imagine Young Master Chen single-handedly beating down demons for hundreds of miles along the Mai River, making them all wail like ghosts and howl like wolves—doesn't that scene have a real heroic spirit?"
Yao Lingzhi said impatiently, "You still haven't woken up, have you? Still dreaming in broad daylight?"
Yao Xianzhi raised an eyebrow. "You don't think Young Master Chen can do it?"
Yao Lingzhi said, "I just think there aren't that many ghosts and monsters on the Mai River, since the Water Goddess Temple keeps them in check."
Yao Xianzhi laughed heartily. "So I was right—you actually do believe Young Master Chen has that ability."
Yao Lingzhi glared at him. "Drink your porridge!"
Yao Xianzhi said happily, "Today's porridge is especially good!"
What young man doesn't admire true heroes?
---
Chen Ping'an woke with a start. Sitting up in bed, he was drenched in sweat.
After thinking it over carefully, he felt a little more at ease. As far as he could remember, he had only talked about the order of the old Sage of Literature's disciples, without touching too much on the dispute between the third and fourth disciples, nor saying much about Master Qi. Even so, when he saw the Mai River Water Goddess later, he would need to remind her a few things. It was fine to speak freely behind closed doors, but once the door was open, they should no longer discuss these matters. Otherwise, he, Chen Ping'an, could just leave and return to Bottle Gourd Continent, but she, the Water Goddess, was bound to Bixiu Mansion and the temple's golden statue—she couldn't move.
He glanced at his boots under the bed and was taken aback. They were placed with the toes pointing inward. Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Well, well, as if I wouldn't know you helped me take them off. You're full of cleverness, so why won't you put more effort into your studies?"
Leaving the room, Chen Ping'an stood in the courtyard. It was probably around the end of the Chen hour (7-9 AM). The Yao family's caravan should have already set out. He and Pei Qian would need to hurry. Even without considering the three-hundred-li water journey back to the courier station, they were already more than an hour behind.
But after drinking that hundred-year-aged Water Blossom Wine last night, he now felt refreshed and clear-headed. His body, which had mostly recovered from the battle at the courier station, now also felt a sense of lightness in his heart. It was like an old room that had accumulated too many odds and ends. Even if the owner cherished them all, when they were finally tidied up and he looked around, everything would certainly look more pleasing to the eye.
At the courtyard gate stood a young maidservant. It was the water ghost from the mansion who had led Pei Qian to see the screen wall last night. She smiled at Chen Ping'an. "Young Master Chen, the Goddess instructed me to wait here and take you to the hall where you drank last night as soon as you woke."
Chen Ping'an smiled and walked quickly, asking, "And the little girl I brought with me?"
The maidservant pursed her lips in a smile and carefully chose her words. "That young miss woke up earlier. She slept for less than an hour and then got up. I took her on a tour of Bixiu Mansion. The young miss is lively and cheerful; everyone in the mansion likes her very much."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then asked bluntly, "She didn't ask you all for anything, did she?"
The maidservant quickly shook her head. "No, no, really not."
She was also not good at lying.
Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "If she asked for something too valuable, we won't take it. If it's something ordinary, I can pay for it."
The maidservant said nervously, "She only asked for some brushes and paper that Bixiu Mansion bought from the marketplace. She said she was going to learn to draw talismans starting today, and that she would pay the money back to Bixiu Mansion eventually. Young Master Chen, it's just ordinary brushes and paper, really not worth anything. I beg you not to blame the young miss. If you could just consider it a gift from me to her? You don't know, but I haven't interacted with people for many years. The young miss was willing to talk with me, and I was very happy. It felt like the New Year when I was still alive."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Then I'll consider it a gift from you to her. But I'll have her thank you properly."
The maidservant beamed and curtsied sideways. "Young Master Chen is very considerate. I hope you can come to Bixiu Mansion often as a guest."
When he saw Pei Qian, she had a bright smile on her face.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Is there anything you want to say?"
Pei Qian glared at the female ghost behind Chen Ping'an, then reluctantly pulled a small rabbit-hair brush from her sleeve. Then she lifted her outer garment, revealing a large stack of rice paper hidden against her body.
She quickly said, "I told Sister Xuanhua that the brush and paper are a loan from Bixiu Mansion, and I'll pay it back later! I just hid them because I was afraid you wouldn't agree."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Even if you earn money in the future, do you know how far Bottle Gourd Continent is from Parasol Leaf Continent? How will you pay it back? If you have it delivered through an immortal ferry, the shipping costs alone could buy you a house in the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom. Can you guarantee you'll earn that much silver?"
Pei Qian looked completely bewildered.
Chen Ping'an sneered. "Maybe that's exactly why you said you'd pay it back, right?"
Pei Qian's smile was awkward, her gaze shifting, unable to meet Chen Ping'an's eyes.
Chen Ping'an reached out his hand.
Pei Qian said with a mournful face, "Don't hit my head, don't pull my ears! You can hit anywhere else!"
Chen Ping'an laughed angrily. "Put those brushes and paper away. That sister just said she's giving them to you as a parting gift."
Pei Qian handed the brush and paper to Chen Ping'an, then looked at the pretty female ghost who was covering her mouth and laughing. With an expression of gratitude, she said, "Sister Xuanhua, you're such a good person. No, I mean, you're such a good ghost. You should be the Water Goddess!"
Chen Ping'an put the items into the Sword-Nurturing Gourd's stored space and glanced at Pei Qian.
Pei Qian immediately understood and bowed to the maidservant in thanks.
The three of them—two humans and one female ghost—arrived at the hall, where the Water Goddess had been waiting for a while.
Compared to the carefree, hearty Water Goddess of the Mai River from before, today she finally looked a bit more like a proper Water Goddess, dressed in luxurious brocade robes similar to those worn by imperial noblewomen.
After the maidservant Xuanhua withdrew, the Water Goddess got straight to the point. In a deep voice, she said, "Chen Ping'an, a drop of kindness should be repaid like a gushing spring, and this is a kindness greater than heaven. I must give you something, or I won't be able to live with myself. I've thought it over. Bixiu Mansion has nothing that would catch your eye. The weapons I've refined myself are passable in quality, but two of them are magic treasures and my life-bound items, so I can't give them to you. The other weapons are of insufficient rank. Besides, even if I gave you everything, it still wouldn't be enough to repay the favor. So I want to give you that immortal refining formula from the rain-praying stele outside the temple."
The Water Goddess produced a jade slip. "I hope that after you memorize this formula, you will destroy it immediately. It's not that I'm being stingy. The content on the stele involves the fundamental dao of an ancient immortal. The opportunity is great, but so is the karma. Casually passing it on wouldn't necessarily be a good thing. If you can't bear the burden, it could bring disaster instead."
Without a word, Chen Ping'an nodded, smiled, and took the jade slip, promptly storing it inside his fifteenth flying sword.
The Water Goddess was surprised. "Aren't you going to decline a bit and be polite with me? A little back-and-forth would make it more heartfelt, you know."
Chen Ping'an suppressed a smile. "To be honest, I really do need a top-tier refining formula. Back then, I ended up wandering out of my body as a Yin Spirit for no apparent reason. As soon as the thought arose, I went straight to your Water Goddess Temple. The opportunity Zhong Kui mentioned must be this. 'If heaven offers it and you do not take it, you will suffer the consequences.'"
The Water Goddess scratched her head. "That reasoning is sound, but I still feel something's missing. If you had righteously refused, insisting that a gentleman acts without expecting reward, and then I had made a scene, begging and pleading, insisting you take it, and you had reluctantly accepted, and we had parted on good terms—that would have been much more interesting."
Chen Ping'an smiled and said nothing.
After that, the Water Goddess was about to take them to the Mai River, using the same divine power as before to send them near the courier station upstream. Traversing thousands of miles of mountains and rivers in a single thought—this was one of the divine arts that mountain and river deities possessed that Qi refiners most envied. Another was that, as long as a deity was within their own incense temple, they enjoyed additional authority, much like a Confucian sage in an academy or a true person in a Daoist temple.
The Water Goddess seemed reluctant to part too quickly, so she walked with them towards the main gate of Bixiu Mansion.
Near the gate, she suddenly asked, "Chen Ping'an, do you have any works or classics by the Sage of Literature? Preferably one that the Sage gave you personally. Don't worry, I won't openly enshrine it in the Water Temple—I'm not that foolhardy. I'll just hide it in Bixiu Mansion, alongside a memorial tablet I've secretly carved. This is both my greatest wish and my self-interest. Now that I've taken a big step forward in the divine path and my cultivation has skyrocketed, from now on I need to truly bring the Sage of Literature's moral teachings to life, to read a dead book in a living way. My intuition tells me that if I succeed, I can go even further, and perhaps even the Five Peaks Orthodox Deity Temples of the Great Springs Kingdom won't compare to my Mai River Water Goddess Temple."
Seeing that Chen Ping'an remained silent, the Water Goddess stopped. For the first time, a pleading expression appeared on her face. "Chen Ping'an, I beg you."
Chen Ping'an thought for a long time. "The old master gave me a Confucian introductory book, but not one of his own works."
The Water Goddess's face lit up with delight. "As long as it's a book that passed through the Sage of Literature's hands, that's enough! I'm not foolish—there must be profound truth in the book!"
Chen Ping'an recalled the first sight of this short woman, wielding a saber and carrying a sword, holding an iron spear nearly twice her height as she fought the river demon at the bottom of the Mai River—her heroic posture, full of vigor. He also remembered her words when she appeared outside the Water Goddess Temple and spoke to him and Zhong Kui. Throughout, there was no arrogance at all—she was as balanced and peaceful as a true scholar, not like a deity.
Chen Ping'an sighed, turned to the little girl, and said, "Pei Qian, you should have memorized that book I told you to read repeatedly. Why don't you give it to the Water Goddess?"
The Water Goddess was taken aback. He was asking in a questioning tone?
Then a scene that left the Water Goddess even more baffled occurred.
Pei Qian bit her lips tightly, refusing to speak, refusing to nod.
Chen Ping'an took down the Sword-Nurturing Gourd and took a sip of wine.
The Water Goddess gritted her teeth and said, "Bixiu Mansion actually has another treasure, extremely rare, certainly no less valuable than that immortal formula. If you are willing to give me the book, I will reciprocate!"
Then she smiled at Pei Qian. "Besides repaying Chen Ping'an, I'll also give you a good gift. I wouldn't dare say it's priceless, but it is a top-notch rare treasure."
But Pei Qian just stood there, not speaking or nodding, her small hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes.
She was afraid that Chen Ping'an would be angry with her and dislike her even more, but also afraid that Chen Ping'an would nod and agree to the Water Goddess.
At this moment, Chen Ping'an put away the Sword-Nurturing Gourd, bent down, and actually smiled at Pei Qian. He gently patted her head. "If you don't want to, then forget it."
Pei Qian hugged Chen Ping'an and burst into tears.
Chen Ping'an had no idea what was going through her mind or why she was crying. He smiled apologetically at the Water Goddess. "Sorry. But when I return to Bottle Gourd Continent, I'll try to find you a copy and send it to you. As for repayment, there's no need."
The Water Goddess sighed mournfully. She looked at Chen Ping'an, then at Pei Qian, and said regretfully, "Then it will have to be that way."
They arrived at the banks of the Mai River. Chen Ping'an carried Pei Qian on his back and jumped into the water.
The Water Goddess swept her sleeve, and once again a strange whirlpool appeared in the Mai River, just like the one Zhu Lian had seen earlier.
In the next moment, she and Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian were standing in the Mai River three hundred li away. One person drifted, the other stepped onto the shore.
The Water Goddess stood on the bank.
Chen Ping'an bid farewell and left. After walking a short distance, he seemed to say something to Pei Qian. The little girl, her face stained with tears, turned around and waved goodbye to the Water Goddess.
The Water Goddess smiled and waved back.
They walked further and further away.
Behind him, Pei Qian continued to sob.
Chen Ping'an laughed. "You didn't do anything wrong, so why are you crying?"
The little girl pressed her head against Chen Ping'an's back. "I'm sorry."
Chen Ping'an: "Hm?"
The little girl said sorrowfully, "You're right. I'm just an expense with no return."
Chen Ping'an laughed angrily. "Nonsense. Remember to study hard in the future. Be diligent."
Pei Qian sniffled and nodded vigorously.
Chen Ping'an said crossly, "Don't wipe your snot on me."
Pei Qian leaned back a little, helped wipe the tears and snot from Chen Ping'an's back, and let out a small laugh. "Hey!"
Only after the figures of the tall and the small had disappeared into the distance did the Water Goddess burst into hearty laughter.
This was indeed the Sage of Literature's true disciple!
Chen Ping'an had intended to give the book all along. If he had heard that there was a precious treasure to be exchanged for it, how many people in the world would truly care about the wishes of a little girl beside him?
She stopped laughing, her expression solemn, and made a deep bow towards the direction Chen Ping'an had departed.
Truly, in the pursuit of the Way, order comes first. Last night they had sat and discussed the Way; today, they put it into practice. This was the unity of knowledge and action.
Chen Ping'an was indeed a master, a true master!