Chapter 349: Mai River Consecration, Martial Temple Sword Borrowing, White Ape Carrying a Sword
(Ten-Thousand-Word Chapter)
A short woman, wearing an imperial decree ceremonial robe, appeared out of nowhere on the bank of the Mai River, walking slowly.
As her realm and cultivation surged dramatically, the Mai River God Lady's control over the water transport on both banks grew increasingly adept. It was like a military general expanding territory; wherever the horse's hooves trod, that was the nation's land.
The Mai River was originally a large river that ran almost horizontally across the western half of the Great Spring Dynasty. Previously, she had relied on a set of refined weapons to barely maintain the river's prestige. Even facing a river demon that had not yet reached the Golden Core realm had been quite strenuous. If she rashly upgraded the Biyou Manor to Biyou Palace, and the Great Spring court was unwilling to part with a portion of its national fortune for the Imperial Observatory cultivators to bring and place inside the Water God Temple...
This was also one of the reasons the Water God Lady was unwilling to agree. Once the plaque on the manor was replaced with "Biyou Palace," covetous and envious eyes would appear from all directions. It was very possible that both the manor and palace plaques would one day be burned as firewood.
She was naturally generous and had a fiery temper, that was true. But being able to guard the Mai River for several centuries, grasping every opportunity firmly in her hands, she was certainly not foolish or simple-minded.
She crouched down and scooped up a handful of water from the Mai River. Under the moonlight, the water in her palm rippled gently. Compared to the past, the spiritual energy within it was vastly richer.
Before coming to the courier station, an excess of fragrant essence that the Water God Temple could not contain had first flowed back, all surging into the shrine. The originally silver-white fragrant essence had turned a light gold, wisps and strands drifting towards the clay statue adorned with a gold body inside the main hall. A "gold body" was not a gilding or gold-plating technique of a statue craftsman, but the very foundation of a landscape god's divine path, a manifestation of the Great Way. The dense, light-gold fragrant essence slowly smoked and dyed the gold body statue on the altar. In the divine path, this was known as "gilding with gold." This phenomenon only occurred in two situations: one was when an Imperial Observatory cultivator, bearing an imperial edict, used an imperial brush dipped in gold to depict the gold body of a god, which was mostly just "several instances of enlightenment"; the other was when a Confucian sage "pointed out the landscape" to the gold body. And these Confucian sages were definitely at least on the level of a mountain master of the Seventy-Two Academies.
Besides the Mai River Water God Temple inexplicably receiving this immense blessing, the Biyou Manor also experienced a surge in water transport, with auspicious clouds gathering like a ceremonial canopy.
It could almost be considered a cave heaven and blessed land for cultivation!
This act was regarded as Consecration!
Truly and genuinely recognized by the orthodox Hao Ran Heaven and Earth!
No matter how carefree the River God Lady was, she knew that this immense favor, which caught her off guard, was no less significant than Chen Xiaofuzi's first teaching and dispelling of doubts.
When she joked about offering herself in return at the courier station, it was truly because she didn't know how else to repay the debt.
The jade slip itself was already what she called the treasured heirloom of the Biyou Manor.
In ancient times, the Mai River was once the main branch of one of the three great rivers on Tongye Continent that flowed into the sea. As the seas changed and mulberry fields shifted, rivers changed course, silted up, became blocked, and underwent various other transformations. That great river's grandeur shrank more and more until only a section remained, which was the Mai River. The predecessor of the Biyou Manor was the ruins of a "River God's Dragon Palace," and that jade slip was a supreme treasure she found from the dilapidated Dragon Palace. It had not changed color for ten thousand years. It was the essence of river and lake waters condensed into a solid form, and more so the manifestation of a region's water transport, further refined into a jade slip by the old Dragon King. Presumably, even in the distant years when the Dragon Palace still existed, this jade slip was a cherished item the Dragon King couldn't bear to part with.
When she told Chen Ping'an to remember the immortal sect's Dao technique and then immediately destroy the jade slip, it was actually a bit of playfulness on her part.
Unless Chen Ping'an was a mid-upper five realms immortal, he would have no ability to destroy the jade slip.
However, refining it into a natal object, since he now possessed that "one step to immortality" Dao technique, she believed that as long as Chen Ping'an was diligent, his chances were not small.
She stepped into the Mai River, walking on the water's surface, like a goddess from strange records.
The only blemish was that the river demon had likely colluded with a nearby mountain god, climbed ashore, and hidden within the mountain fortune of some place, leaving no trace.
The Water God Lady leaned back and fell straight onto the water, floating face up as she drifted downstream with the current.
Drowned ghosts from the river, numerous and mighty, followed the Water God Lady underwater, drifting towards the Water God Temple.
She suddenly covered her face, a coy and innocent expression on her face. "Those shameless words are not what an unmarried maiden should be saying!"
But soon, her fighting spirit returned. She sat up and exclaimed cheerfully, "I must quickly send someone to the Mirage City to hire craftsmen and reshape the divine statue! A person relies on clothes, a god relies on gold! The curves on the statue's chest can be a bit exaggerated, you know! And the legs can be a bit longer!"
Some of the wandering water ghosts at the bottom of the river, who had opened their spiritual wisdom, felt they had truly gained insight. So, there existed such an... interesting Water God Lady in the world.
---
The Yao family's northward journey encountered many ludicrous events.
A somewhat famous martial arts hero, carrying a refined iron Eight Treasures Exquisite Spear, came seeking fame, claiming he wanted to test his skills against the Yao family's spear technique, renowned for its might at the border.
He gathered his friends, and over a dozen riders came thundering down the official road. He sat high on his horse and flourished a fancy spear flower. It couldn't be called mere flashy moves. As a second or third-rate martial artist, he had put in over a decade of steady effort. But such sparring and fighting among martial artists in the martial world was, of course, not on the same level as the Yao family's iron spear. The latter could determine life and death in an instant.
At the time, Yao Zhen was inside the carriage reading a book on military strategy. He found it amusing and didn't bother with these idle champions who were desperate for fame. With a single command from Yao Jinzhi, the Yao family riders silently unholstered their light crossbows, startling that group. The heroes immediately bolted off the official road. Once the Yao family's procession had passed, they chattered endlessly, complaining that the Yao family's iron cavalry were just showpieces, holding fame without substance, lacking the courage to actually compete in spear techniques.
That very day, the group was arrested by the prefectural government and thrown into a solid jail cell, where they ate a hearty meal of prison food.
Later, a wild cultivator in the lower five realms, no older than twenty, tried to become a follow-along retainer for the Yao army. He didn't dare act rashly. He explained his general background and modestly boasted about his immortal arts, then crouched outside the courier station where the party was staying, chewing on dry flatbread and swigging cheap liquor, waiting for their decision. Yao Zhen sent someone to give him a hundred taels of silver. The wild cultivator's face turned red, but he still accepted the silver before leaving.
As they got closer to Mirage City, news that Yao Zhen was about to assume the post of Minister of War spread like wildfire through the court and the countryside.
Then a down-on-his-luck military cultivator, in the prime of his life and of sturdy build, blocked the road. He announced that if anyone from the Yao family could defeat him, he would leave immediately. So Shao Yuanran showed his skill, and the man promptly left.
What truly piqued the curiosity of the Yao family's procession were two consecutive strange events: a mountain god crossing water and a water god climbing a mountain.
However, the ranks of these two landscape gods were far lower than the Mai River God's. They were the most insignificant local spirits. The mountain god governed a territory of a hundred square miles, while the water god was a river lord in charge of a two-hundred-mile river. Their lands adjoined, but their relationship was not harmonious, with frequent friction. In the past, it was just minor skirmishes and shouting matches across their borders. But recently, a major visitor of incense had switched temples, from the Mountain God Temple to the Water God Shrine. This involved an annual income of nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver. Concerned about whose pocket it would fall into, the petty mountain god secretly sent an underling Earth God to persuade the visitor to change his mind. Unexpectedly, the River Lord caught them in the act and beat the Earth God so badly he fled with his tail between his legs. Enraged, the mountain god directly crossed the border into the water. With two large battle axes, he stirred up huge waves over a dozen miles of river, terrifying the people. The Water God, unable to swallow this humiliation, gathered the river waters and flowed backward up the mountain, charging straight for the Mountain God Temple.
The Yao family's procession happened to be travelling near the riverbank at the time. Two retainers and the family's follow-along cultivators escorted Yao Zhen and the Three Yaos to watch the spectacle.
Chen Ping'an followed along, accompanied only by Pei Qian and Zhu Lian.
And so, they witnessed the scene of the River Lord wreaking havoc at the Mountain God Temple.
The two fought fiercely. The mountain god, holding the advantage of terrain, drove the River Lord back into the water. The River Lord then summoned the muddy river waters, fighting with increasing ferocity.
Back and forth they went, each displaying their divine powers. A once beautiful, verdant peak was thoroughly flooded and ruined; countless towering trees were broken and fell.
Outside the battlefield, the Earth God and mountain sprites on the hill, and the crab generals, shrimp soldiers, and water ghost servants by the river, cheered and shouted themselves hoarse. They seemed more exhausted than those actually fighting, and they competed with each other. By the river, a red-skinned drum was set up, and they drummed thunderously to encourage their Lord River. On the mountain, they hurriedly brought out a banner several zhang tall, waving it vigorously so it snapped loudly in the wind.
Shao Yuanran stood beside Yao Jinzhi, explaining the intricacies of landscape gods in an engaging manner. The young lady Yao Lingzhi listened with great interest beside them, though it was hard to tell what the veiled Yao Jinzhi was thinking.
Pei Qian was busy by the riverbank, collecting the lively fish that had been washed ashore. This was much easier than trying to fish them herself.
This farce was interrupted by a City God from the prefectural capital, his face ashen. He flew in on the wind, hovering in mid-air, and cursed both gods up and down.
This City God wore the official robe specially manufactured by the Ministry of Rites of Great Spring. The front and back rank badges followed the same protocol as those for living officials. A specific rank corresponded to a specific design. However, City God robes were always black, signifying that they walked the underworld for the mortal monarch, restraining the numerous ghosts and spirits that emerged at night. Compared to the illicit temples scattered across the land, which were constantly banned but never fully eradicated, the City God needed the court's enfeoffment even more, and situations of "improper naming" almost never occurred. Any ruling surname controlling a state could most easily control the City God, who had to be rooted in a city. Moreover, the City God was naturally loyal to the court.
Chen Ping'an watched the chaotic scene of this landscape with a peaceful mind.
Compared to his own experiences in the Longquan Town and what he had seen on his two previous journeys, this was ultimately just a minor squabble. Not ridiculous, but it was hard to recreate the feeling he had when he first climbed Township Cloud Mountain near his hometown and witnessed the majestic rivers and mountains.
Zhu Lian stood right next to Chen Ping'an. Among the four followers, the Yao family had a deep impression of this man. Because, compared to the other three, this hunched old man really looked like a servant. They had also heard of the four's performance in the inn brawl and vaguely knew that the sword-carrying beauty was a Swordmaster, the imposing Mr. Lu was a Saber Grandmaster, and the silent Wei Xian was the one who held the door against the royal Qi Refiners' group assault. But this kindly-looking little old man was the most vicious in his attacks. When the great battle ended, the ground around where the old man stood was littered with severed limbs and remains.
Zhu Lian did not look at Chen Ping'an.
Many times, the human heart does not need to be seen with the eyes.
Zhu Lian became increasingly curious about that Longquan County and its predecessor, the Lizhu Cave Heaven. What a gathering of hidden dragons and tigers it must have been, to allow a man as young as Chen Ping'an to have already seen the great storms of the mortal world, making it difficult for the waves in his heart to rise again.
So young, yet possessing a calm like an ancient well.
This inevitably suggested the suspicion of being world-weary or calculating.
But Zhu Lian didn't think so. The Chen Ping'an, who was kind to everyone, gave him a vague feeling. It was like deep inside that well of a heart, there was a faint shadow of an evil flood dragon swimming at the bottom, its figure indistinct.
But this unknown flood dragon was probably tightly bound to the bottom of the well by ritual, propriety, the distinction between good and evil, and so on. It couldn't even manage to surface and raise its head.
Zhu Lian dared not speculate further. He only confirmed one thing: that there must be one or two extremely heavy obsessions in the deepest part of Chen Ping'an's heart, that he couldn't let go of.
The City God, having traveled hundreds of miles by cloud to mediate this dispute, toiled and soured his mood. He wished he could stamp the River Lord Temple and the Mountain God Temple flat, one kick each.
The matter of a mountain god crossing borders was extremely sensitive. If someone reported it to the Ministry of Rites in the capital, a City God like him, who just sat at home while calamity fell from the sky, would fare no better than those two fools who didn't know their limits.
The City God dismissed the two terrified bastards who were slinking back to their temples. He then noticed the Yao family group by the river. Using his qi observation technique, he took a look and found it somewhat dazzling. Shocked in his heart, he immediately wanted to descend and probe their depths. But those people were arrogantly lawless. Two cultivators directly drew their blades, warning him not to approach, or it would be considered an assassination attempt. The City God was so angry he almost called back the two subordinate gods under his jurisdiction. Fortunately, after having consumed incense for several hundred years, he had some skill in nurturing his temperament. In the end, he just firmly memorized those unfamiliar faces and, with a dark expression, returned to the prefectural capital.
On the way back to the main group, Yao Zhen came to Yao Jinzhi's side and asked softly, "Why so unfriendly?"
Yao Jinzhi replied helplessly, "Official socializing along the way is inevitable, with toasts and banquets. But if it involves city gods and spirits, things can't be explained away easily. Grandfather wouldn't want to be impeached by a secret memorial from a supervisory censor before we even enter Mirage City, would he? Even if His Majesty treats it as a joke, it will inevitably stir up strange rumors from officialdom to the marketplace in the capital. And who in the world doesn't like a good story? Aren't we here to watch a story ourselves? Would we care about the right or wrong of those two mountain and river gods?"
Yao Zhen understood immediately and deeply agreed.
The old general couldn't help but sigh with regret. If Yao Jinzhi were a man, he would leave her at the border. That would be reassuring.
Pei Qian had caught a large pile of river fish, but Chen Ping'an didn't want to keep them. So she had to grab them by the tails and fling them back into the river one by one, leaving her drenched in sweat.
When they reached Ride-the-Crane City, a city that served as both a prefectural capital and a county seat, they were only a hair's breadth away from the Great Spring capital.
This county city had a long history. Its name came from the legend that a Daoist master had once ascended to immortality by riding a crane here, making it widely famous. Within the county was a small hill with unremarkable scenery, but because it was the site of the crane-riding immortality ascension, countless literary men and poets came to visit every year. Around the small hill were mansions built by influential people from the capital, where land was as precious as gold.
The City God from earlier was probably in this city, but Yao Zhen wasn't intimidated by a mere prefectural capital City God.
The Minister of Rites, who controlled the promotions and demotions of all city gods in the nation, had the same rank and salary as him. Besides, the Great Spring Dynasty revered martial arts. The Minister of War was not a meaningless post, otherwise it wouldn't be the top chair for all military generals in their retirement.
They again stayed at the courier station. This was a rule of the court. The station within the city occupied a vast area, rivaling a prince's mansion. To welcome Yao Zhen, trusted aides from both the Provincial Governor's and the Prefect's mansions made several trips to the station, practically emptying it of other guests.
Since it had come to this, Yao Zhen could only accept the favor and pretend not to know. "When the water is too clear, there are no fish," and this was especially true in officialdom.
Generally speaking, a royal court could tolerate loyal ministers and treacherous ones, capable officials and corrupt ones, and many fence-sitters. But it alone could not tolerate someone resembling a moral saint.
That would be like a high-hanging demon-revealing mirror in the court, exposing every flaw of the nation's pillars.
The old general sighed with deep emotion. These principles of dealing with people and the world were something his granddaughter Yao Jinzhi had said when she was fourteen or fifteen.
Sometimes, Yao Zhen would mock himself. All the life experience he had accumulated over so many years—had he just fed it to his war horses like fodder?
Fortunately, there was still Chen Ping'an in the group.
During this northward journey, Yao Zhen liked to chat idly with this young man.
Earlier, Chen Ping'an had sparred with Yao Xianzhi as agreed, offering some guidance. Yao Xianzhi had taken Chen Ping'an's words as the ultimate truth. When he went back to confide in his grandfather, he was quite melancholic, saying that all his life's martial arts practice had been for nothing. Yao Zhen asked him, how many decades was this "whole life" of yours? Yao Xianzhi was speechless, which amused Yao Jinzhi, who was brewing tea nearby. Although Yao Jinzhi had never won a game of go against Lu Baixiang, she was a national master when it came to tea tasting.
In the harsh, wind-swept borderlands, where for generations both men and women of the Yao family were valiant, how did they raise such a woman of exquisite grace?
Yao Xianzhi blurted out for no reason, "Sister Jinzhi, I don't like that Shao Yuanran. I like Chen Ping'an."
Yao Jinzhi smiled faintly. "What do I care about who you like or don't like?"
Yao Xianzhi wanted to say more, but a glare from Yao Jinzhi made him swallow the words back down.
Yao Zhen laughed in a way unbefitting the head of a family.
Yao Jinzhi said lightly, "Grandfather, if nothing unexpected happens, the court will soon send a secret envoy to Ride-the-Crane City. Let's see if Grandfather can still laugh then."
Yao Zhen stopped laughing.
Dealing with these people who had soaked in the dye vat of officialdom for decades, turning into old fox spirits through their cultivation in public service, playing their tricks, was truly a headache for the old man.
In his own room, Chen Ping'an practiced the Six-Step Stance, holding an empty sword posture with his eyes closed, visualizing sword cultivators each displaying their unique sword techniques.
On the table, a bamboo tube was placed. The bamboo was ordinary green bamboo, casually cut from a bamboo grove along a green mountain on the route.
Chen Ping'an intended to carve a brush pot from it as a farewell gift for Old General Yao.
Pei Qian came running over, saying she wanted to go out for a walk. Chen Ping'an told her to ask Lu Baixiang if he was willing to take her out. If not, she should stay put in the room and study. He had given her a second Confucian classic, which Pei Qian had memorized perfectly. Once, she had come to Chen Ping'an's room with a cheerful face, saying she could even recite it backwards. Chen Ping'an picked up the book and told her to try. She actually recited over a thousand words without a single mistake. Then Chen Ping'an grabbed her ear and sent her back to her room for self-reflection, saying only, "You need to use your heart when studying. Did my words go in one ear and out the other?"
That time, Pei Qian stomped back to her room, stood on a chair, and looked down at the shabby book on the table. She pinched her chin and frowned. Use my heart? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Weren't I using my heart enough? It took her an entire incense stick's time to memorize that book backwards! She crouched down and looked at the name of the sage who wrote this damn book. She remembered it. Once she mastered her sword techniques and fist arts, she was definitely going to beat this old bastard until he cried for his mommy.
She stood up again, pondered for a long time, but couldn't figure out the answer. So she jumped off the chair, picked up her trusty walking stick, which had been with her through thick and thin, and practiced a bout of madman's staff technique.
After finishing, she threw the walking stick aside and immediately felt that she was a step closer to being the world's number one master. Her mood improved, and she threw herself onto the bed, snoring away.
Today, having received Chen Ping'an's permission, she scampered off to find Lu Baixiang, whom she had privately nicknamed "Little White." But Lu Baixiang was playing a game of go with Sui Youbian and said to wait half an hour. So Pei Qian turned and looked at Wei Xian, who was sitting off to the side, not understanding the game but waiting for the outcome. Before she could speak, Wei Xian, staring intently at the board, suddenly said "Let's go" and stood up. Pei Qian caught on immediately, and the two left the station together to go shopping.
Pei Qian asked with a grin, "Old Wei, did you bring any money?"
Among the four, Pei Qian feared Wei Xian the least, calling him "Old Wei" and he never gave her a harsh look. In fact, he simply didn't care.
Wei Xian was silent.
Pei Qian complained, "Well, then what's the point of going window shopping? We can't afford any pretty things or good food."
Wei Xian suddenly said, "I have some silver."
Pei Qian frowned. "Where did you get it? Stole it? Robbed it? Split it with me, and I won't tell Chen Ping'an."
Wei Xian said, "Taught a little cripple at the inn a set of fists. Got a few taels. Recently, taught Yao Xianzhi the fist stance. Got over ten more taels."
Pei Qian looked envious. "Old Wei, you're something else! You can make big money wherever you go. I have to hand it to you for that."
Pei Qian put her hands behind her back, puffed out her chest, and strutted. Soon, she clicked her tongue. "But Old Wei, tricking the little cripple out of his money isn't very nice. If you're going to trick someone, trick Ninth Girl; she's the one with real money in her pocket. Too bad, Old Wei, your face isn't likable. You're nowhere near as handsome as my dad was when he was young. Old Wei, with a face like that, do you resent your parents?"
An entire founding emperor, being talked to like this by a little girl. Fortunately, Wei Xian could remain unmoved.
The short, stocky man said flatly, "When the court painters painted my portrait back then, they all praised my majestic appearance. I believe they spoke from their hearts."
Pei Qian was shocked. "Old Wei, is it your heart that's muddled, or were their eyeballs growing out of their asses?"
Wei Xian resumed his silent meditation.
Ride-the-Crane City had no night curfew. The city was filled with wealthy people who were generous spenders.
After leaving the courier station and turning down one street, the big and the small walked through the bustling crowds. Pei Qian didn't have a single copper coin in her pocket, but she walked with the air of a millionaire.
It wasn't surprising. In the unfamiliar Fox'er Town, she had tricked a whole group of kids her age into believing she was a real princess fallen among commoners. In the end, she even managed to confuse a group of shrewd, slick constables into respectfully escorting her back to the inn.
Pei Qian suddenly asked, "Old Wei, I always feel that the woman who doesn't dare show her face every day looks at my dad with a strange look in her eyes."
Wei Xian said calmly, "That is the art of imperial statecraft."
Pei Qian was confused. "What are you saying?"
Wei Xian didn't speak another word.
Pei Qian didn't press him any further. She swallowed her saliva, feeling a bit hungry. She said with a grin, "Old Wei, can you buy me a sugar figure?"
Wei Xian shook his head.
Pei Qian said angrily, "Old Wei, why are you so stingy?"
Wei Xian showed a rare hint of a smile. "I don't have the skill or patience of Chen Ping'an. I can't tame you."
Pei Qian was bewildered and looked pitiful. "Then can I borrow money from you to buy a sugar figure?"
Wei Xian nodded. "A thirty percent interest."
Pei Qian's face fell. "Even though I know what kind of rule thirty percent interest is, I think I'd better pass. If I don't eat it, I won't die of hunger."
Saying this, she dashed over to a stall where a man was blowing sugar figures. She planted her feet and refused to budge.
Wei Xian couldn't just leave Pei Qian here alone.
If he lost Pei Qian, a man like Chen Ping'an would definitely come after him with his fists.
At the stall, the old man blowing sugar figures was very skilled. Children were crowded around, wide-eyed and drooling. Those whose elders were nearby all got the sugar figures of various shapes they wanted.
The stall had a long rectangular cabinet with a round wooden cage underneath holding a small charcoal stove. The old man used a large spoon to pour down thick, golden-brown sugar syrup, twisting and turning, instantly creating all kinds of sugar figures.
Wei Xian took out some money and bought two sticks. Pei Qian stared at Wei Xian, who was holding one stick in each hand, her mouth watering.
Wei Xian handed them to Pei Qian. "My gift to you."
His tone was like an emperor granting a large fiefdom to a subject.
Pei Qian was all smiles. "When I get back, I'll put in a good word for you with my dad every day. I'm half a scholar now! My word is my bond!"
The big and the small, gnawing on sugar figures, were an unremarkable sight in the sea of people.
---
Back at the courier station, the game on the board had been decided, with Sui Youbian losing once again.
Sui Youbian had no desire to win at playing Go.
Lu Baixiang was replaying the game in his room, staring at the board. He held a spare stone between his fingers, pressed it on the table, and slid it gently.
In the room not far away, Chen Ping'an was carving the bamboo tube. He intended to chisel a whole piece of saintly writing onto the outside of the brush pot.
Fortunately, over the years, he had been carving words on bamboo slips; only practice made perfect. With the foundation of throwing pottery in his youth beneath him, the carved words could not be said to have soaring spirit, the spaces between the lines contained a sense of uprightness. While it lacked the majestic momentum of forceful strokes and depth, it was still as enduring as a long stream, showing a little something, at least.
Someone once said that cultivators in the Lower Five Realms cultivated for longevity, those in the Middle Five Realms sought immortality, and those in the Upper Five Realms walked their path alone at higher and more distant places, almost never pausing for a moment.
Chen Ping'an thought this was fine. Busy and fulfilling, not wasting time. But occasionally, one still needed to stop, or slow down, calm the heart, and enjoy the scenery along the path of cultivation.
Carving beautiful words onto bamboo slips was like this. Making a brush pot by hand, worthless but full of intention, was also like this.
The night passed without incident.
Chen Ping'an stayed up late, carving most of the brush pot.
He slept for two hours before getting up again, continuing his fist and stance practice while holding the empty sword posture.
Winter was approaching.
He wondered if he would have the luck to encounter the first heavy snowfall of the year when they reached the ferry outside Mirage City.
Mirage City shrouded in heavy snow was said to be like a fairyland.
During breakfast, Chen Ping'an learned that the Yao family's procession would rest for two days in Ride-the-Crane City. He didn't pay it much mind.
Yao Xianzhi came running to find Chen Ping'an, saying that a group had agreed to go sightseeing at the small hill where the immortal had ascended by riding a crane. Moreover, the Provincial Governor's mansion had long since notified the courier station that, whether Old General Yao went or not, the area around the small hill would be cordoned off today, and no one would be allowed to climb it.
When they gathered, Chen Ping'an found quite a few people: the three younger Yaos, the Daoist in green robes Shao Yuanran, and, surprisingly, Sui Youbian, who rarely showed herself in public.
Wei Xian and Lu Baixiang chose to stay at the courier station. But it was unusual that the old general, who had been enjoying the sights along the journey, did not show up this time.
Today, when Chen Ping'an went out, he had changed into the higher-ranked Dharma robe, Golden Nectar, so he appeared in white robes. An observant person would have noticed the white jade hairpin stuck in his hair bun.
In the Great Li Dynasty, at the northernmost tip of Bottle Gourd Continent, the grown men were inherently tall, at least half a head taller than those in the southern Old Dragon City. It was common for boys of fifteen or sixteen in the cities and villages of Bottle Gourd Continent to marry and start a family. Only in powerful aristocratic families and scholarly lineages would one bother to wait until the age of twenty for the capping ceremony.
After Chen Ping'an started practicing his fists, his height had been shooting up. Unknowingly, he already had the proper appearance of a young man.
Behind him followed the dark, skinny Pei Qian.
As long as she was by Chen Ping'an's side, she wasn't so afraid of Zhu Lian.
The group headed towards the small hill in the center of the city. Passing by the prefectural capital's Martial Temple gate, they saw a strange person and a strange incident occurred.
It was a tall, sturdy youth covered in blood and grime. He rushed into the Martial Temple, but was quickly seized by the temple's steward and some men, who threw him out the main gate.
The Civil and Martial Temples of a prefectural capital were not places for idle people to cause trouble.
The youth, after being thrown out, kowtowed insistently towards the Martial Temple, his forehead thudding against the ground, begging the temple.
The steward was a tall, thin old man. Standing at the top of the steps, he sternly said to the youth, "The sword wielded by the Sage of the Martial Temple is not something a mere mortal can touch! I will overlook your intrusion into the temple out of your youth and ignorance. Leave at once and stop your wishful thinking!"
So, he was a young man who had barged into the temple, wanting to borrow a sword from the Sage.
The youth's forehead was red and swollen from kowtowing, and blood had begun to seep through. He looked up, his face covered in tears of despair, and said hoarsely, "My master, for the sake of the people of this county, was determined to kill a demon and eliminate this scourge. Now, he is trapped within a forest barrier, his life hanging in the balance! After sending me out of the mountain's miasma, he said that only by borrowing the long sword from His Excellency the Temple Sage could he have a chance to slay that fierce, calamitous great demon! Steward, I beg you! This is a virtuous deed! The Martial Sage Lord will not be angered..."
The imposing old man sneered coldly. "Whether the Martial Sage Lord is angered or not is not for you to decide! According to the laws of Great Spring, what do you think the punishment is for unauthorized use of a Martial Temple Sage's weapon?! The local magistrate would be immediately dismissed! The prefect would be demoted by one rank! The provincial governor would have his salary docked for three years!"
The youth was heartbroken and murmured, "The local officials won't deal with the demons that plague the land. Now, even the Martial Sage Lord is unwilling to intervene?"
On the surface, the old man appeared harsh and indifferent, his gaze cold. But in his heart, he sighed.
Young man, things in this world are never that simple.
Zhu Lian raised his eyelids slightly, casting a glance at Chen Ping'an standing in front of him.
Just as Chen Ping'an was about to take a step, Shao Yuanran had already strode forward, so Chen Ping'an quietly retracted his move.
Shao Yuanran came to the youth's side, crouched down, and asked, "Where is your master trapped? Do you know roughly how high the demon's cultivation is?"
The youth explained everything.
Shao Yuanran reached out and helped the youth to his feet, gripping his shoulder. He said with a smile, "I will go rescue your master and help him eliminate the demon."
Shao Yuanran turned his head, looking towards the veiled Yao Jinzhi, and said apologetically, "Miss Yao, it seems I won't be able to go to the small hill."
Yao Lingzhi nodded slightly, her face unreadable.
Shao Yuanran grabbed the ecstatic youth and whisked him away, leaping onto a distant rooftop. After a few skips like a dragonfly touching water, he vanished from sight.
The saber-carrying girl Yao Xianzhi was filled with admiration, her impression of Shao Yuanran, the young retainer of Great Spring, improving even more.
Pei Qian had been squinting at that Shao fellow the whole time. She tilted her head, staring in silence.
After this commotion, the subsequent trip to climb the small hill lost much of its appeal. Moreover, the hill was indeed too small, without any remarkable features.
Only the sword-carrying Sui Youbian, standing on the mountaintop, gazed up at the sky, a burning intensity in her eyes.
Chen Ping'an showed little emotion, other than some regret that the scenery here was so unremarkable.
---
Whether it was the Great Spring mountain god crossing water and the water god climbing a mountain, or the youth borrowing a sword from the Martial Temple in Ride-the-Crane City, these were ultimately insignificant ripples.
The great affair was the Great Fu Academy joining forces with the sect master of Taiping Mountain to jointly intercept the escape of the twelfth realm great demon into the sea.
And the fact that the Junzi Zhong Kui went to the Taiping Mountain sect gate was no small matter either.
Besides the other two Junzis, three Xianrens, and over twenty academy disciples from Great Fu Academy, the number of scholars from the even more southerly Wen Yuan Academy who came to Taiping Mountain was even larger, over fifty people. Unfortunately, they were only led by an elderly Junzi. The remaining academy disciples' cultivation levels were far below those of Great Fu Academy.
This was Wen Yuan Academy's awkward position. The academy was not renowned, being the one that produced the least talent among the Four Great Academies of Tongye Continent. There were often rumors that Wen Yuan Academy might have its title of one of the Seventy-Two Academies stripped away. Because the academy hadn't produced a new Junzi in nearly a hundred years. And the three mountain masters, chief and deputy, didn't have many impressive philosophical writings to show for it. When people visited Wen Yuan Academy, they weren't going for the sages, but for the Wen Yuan Pavilion, which housed countless books.
When Zhong Kui arrived at Taiping Mountain's sect gate, he faithfully followed his master's instructions, telling all the Great Fu Academy disciples to obey the arrangements of the Taiping Mountain Daoists and not to act on their own.
Although troubles arose from all directions, the Daoists of Taiping Mountain, regardless of seniority, showed no signs of panic. Their decisions were orderly. Groups of Qi Refiners descended the mountain to suppress demons all over the region. There were losses and casualties. Most of those killed in battle were Taiping Mountain Daoists. This earned the respect of the scholars from both academies and the Qi Refiners from various immortal caves and mansions, who cooperated with increasing sincerity. Amidst the intervals of fierce fighting, the person most talked about by this united group from different places was certainly the once-unknown young handyman of the Fu Ji Sect who had made a name for himself in one fell swoop. It was said that the Fu Ji Sect's leader had already accepted him as a closed-door disciple, bestowing upon him a half-immortal artifact that had been refined by the sect leader's former Dao partner for a hundred years.
If this young man hadn't uncovered the scheme of that twelfth realm great demon, forcing it to launch its attack prematurely, the consequences would have been unthinkable. The well-prison suppressing demons on Taiping Mountain might not have just seen a majority escape, but all of them seeing the light of day again. Especially the few great demons in the deepest levels, who possessed profound Dao conduct, at least at the Nascent Soul level.
Over the last ten days, demons lurking in various places had continuously surfaced, causing widespread chaos. This wave of demons was mostly at the Dragon Gate and Golden Core realms, making them extremely difficult to suppress.
Taiping Mountain dared not be negligent. Almost all its members, whether native Daoists or allies who had come to reinforce them, were dispatched.
Only the Junzi Zhong Kui chose to stay on Taiping Mountain.
No one objected. During this journey to slay demons across the lands, Zhong Kui had killed the most enemies. And he hadn't just protected his academy's disciples. Descending the mountain for several dangerous battles, he had actively joined groups of Qi Refiners from other sects and schools. So before personally descending the mountain, the Taiping Mountain Nascent Soul Earth Immortal in charge of the overall situation had joked to Zhong Kui, saying the sect gate would be temporarily entrusted to Mr. Zhong.
That Nascent Soul Earth Immortal had privately revealed to Zhong Kui that their Taiping Mountain's founding patriarch would be returning soon. He would likely even bring back that female Daoist Huan Ting from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.
Zhong Kui had laughed heartily, saying it was good that they would be back soon, so he wouldn't have to stare at that well-prison every day.
After that, Zhong Kui inspected the bottom level of the well-prison alone every day.
Late that night, he had just walked out of the well-prison when he saw a... great demon he had heard of but never met.
In fact, not just an outsider like him, even many high-ranking Daoists of Taiping Mountain had never seen this great demon, which cultivated right on their mountain.
It was a white ape carrying a sword on its back, dressed in black.
Its body was the same height as an adult man. But the white ape, of a very high realm, had not transformed into a human form, always retaining its original appearance.
Although this old ape was a famous great demon on Tongye Continent, it was also Taiping Mountain's town mountain retainer. Not counting its years of cultivation before, just its act of guarding and protecting the gate for Taiping Mountain had already lasted three thousand years.
This old ape was even older than Taiping Mountain's sole surviving patriarch, who was currently down the mountain. The creation of the well-prison was the grand masterstroke of Taiping Mountain's founder. But in the long years after that, the task of guarding the prison was entrusted to this white ape, who liked to carry a sword and rarely appeared in the world. Historically, on the few occasions when great demons escaped, every single one was personally dealt with by the white ape, who handled them so cleanly that even many of Taiping Mountain's Earth Immortals never heard of it.
During this great upheaval, the old ape, a Jade Purity realm sword cultivator, was in closed-door cultivation, attempting to break through the bottleneck of the Immortal realm.
Unexpectedly, after only three or five years in seclusion, the old ape had emerged. Had it sensed the disturbances outside, forcing it to appear ahead of time?
The autumn wind was killing, the mountain forest silent.
Even just standing there, the old ape was like a towering mountain.
Zhong Kui, still in the same green robe from the inn at the Great Spring border, asked, "It was you, wasn't it?"
The sword-carrying white ape did not speak.
It only answered with the sword qi rising behind its back, like a rainbow.