Chapter 377: Eating Stinky Tofu, Yo
By the side of a mountain lake, they actually found a bamboo hut that had been abandoned for years, its original appearance still faintly discernible. It must have been quite exquisite when first built, most likely financed by a reclusive scholar from a wealthy family, and he definitely must have enjoyed fishing.
The group settled there, each with their own tasks. Chen Ping'an went to cut two slender, aged bamboo poles, one long and one short. When he returned, Zhu Lian had already lit a bonfire. Chen Ping'an crouched by the fire, using the heat to slowly smoke and cure the bamboo poles, increasing their flexibility for fishing rods. Otherwise, if a big fish in the water saw the light, a slight tug would snap the pole. Chen Ping'an handed the short bamboo pole to Pei Qian, instructing her to follow his lead.
Inside the bamboo hut, Zhu Lian and the big-bearded man were exchanging knowledge, sitting a bit far from the others. Zhu Lian seemed to be showing off that "immortal book" given by the old man surnamed Xun, about men and women fighting, drenched in sweat.
The young Daoist was sitting on the ground with Lu Baixiang, playing a game of Go, while Wei Xian crouched nearby, still waiting for the outcome of the match.
The yellow earth ox was scouting the surrounding mountain forest near the bamboo hut.
Facing the beautiful landscape, taking advantage of the solitude, Sui Youbian left the bamboo hut. At the edge of the "foundation" that resembled a bamboo raft, she took off her boots, sat down, and placed her pair of snow-white jade feet into the water. The Heart-Bound Sword lay horizontally across her knees, her hands resting on both ends of the scabbard as she gazed into the distance, the fresh mountain air refreshing her spirit.
Having made the long and short fishing rods, Chen Ping'an cast a few times to test the arc, and Pei Qian stood beside him, mimicking his every move.
Master and apprentice, one big and one small, came outside the bamboo hut. Chen Ping'an began to tie the fishing line and hook, and Pei Qian again followed suit, though she made some mistakes in the details. Chen Ping'an would help her retie the knots and secure the hook.
Then he took Pei Qian to a distant part of the lakeshore to lift stones, searching underneath for a type of aquatic insect that resembled a mole cricket.
In the end, Chen Ping'an didn't fish himself; he only let Pei Qian fish alone. He put the long fishing rod into the "Cunbu" jade pendant given by Zheng Dafeng. Inside it, there were worn-out straw sandals that hadn't been discarded, unremarkable market items like fishhooks and lines, some valuable wines like the Well Immortal Brew, and that yellowed parasol tree leaf that supposedly contained two sets of mountain-guarding grand formations derived from Taiping Mountain and the Fuzhi Sect, along with a large pile of Guyu Coins repaid by the Tongye Sect.
Pei Qian wasn't naturally very patient, but with Chen Ping'an by her side, and after so much time copying books and practicing calligraphy, she had managed to cultivate some patience. She sat quietly, staring at the water's surface, wishing she could immediately drag a hundred-catty black carp onto the shore.
Chen Ping'an was contemplating the fourth stance of the Mountain-Shaking Fist Manual, named "Heaven and Earth Stance." It was a boastfully named boxing stance. Besides detailing the method of true qi circulation, this stance, which combined movement and stillness, had an extremely odd posture. It required three levels of mastery for later practitioners of the Mountain-Shaking Fist: to practice boxing while standing on their hands, then on their fists, and finally on a single finger, and then "walk."
Regarding this Heaven and Earth Stance, the manual grandly declared: "A true man stands upright between heaven and earth; those who practice my fist technique shall make heaven and earth flip along with my fists."
No wonder the barefoot old man, after perusing the Mountain-Shaking Fist Manual, had said this unremarkable secret manual was good for nothing except its big talk and high ambition.
Chen Ping'an lightly patted the ground, flipped his body gracefully, and supported himself on the bamboo floor with one palm.
Pei Qian turned her head, saw this, and wanted to laugh.
Chen Ping'an, now upside down, pointed with his free hand toward the water, signaling Pei Qian to focus on fishing.
Pei Qian obediently turned back. Chen Ping'an changed his palm into a fist, standing on it like a "foot on the ground," then supported himself with just one finger, his body slightly elevated. There was no difficulty at all in circulating the true qi according to the Heaven and Earth Stance of the Mountain-Shaking Fist.
Chen Ping'an closed his eyes. Besides supporting himself with one finger, he held the other hand with two fingers together in front of his chest. As for the Eighteen Stops of Sword Qi taught by A Liang, the final bottleneck between the twelfth and thirteenth stops was on the verge of breaking but not yet broken. Chen Ping'an hadn't been in a hurry, but after teaching Pei Qian the Eighteen Stops at the Dust Medicine Shop in Old Dragon City, not long after leaving Bee Tail Ferry, Pei Qian had told him, with the air of someone who had only earned two or three copper coins—slightly delighted but not thinking much of it—that she could already freely circulate up to the twelfth stop. This made Chen Ping'an a bit helpless. He could only continue to remind Pei Qian to guard against arrogance and impatience, to tread steadily.
Chen Ping'an couldn't help feeling a bit anxious, or rather, worried.
If Pei Qian climbed the martial path at such an astonishing speed, one day she, his first disciple in name but for fun, would walk side by side with her master Chen Ping'an. After that, she would go further and further away, standing alone at the heights, looking down upon the world.
Disciples need not be inferior to their masters—this was what Chen Ping'an had told Zheng Dafeng. And the blue dye from indigo but bluer than indigo was a classic argument from the Sage of Letters' "Exhortation to Learning." Chen Ping'an wasn't concerned that Pei Qian's martial path would go further and higher than his own; rather, he worried that he was Pei Qian's guide and protector. If one day Pei Qian's Great Path went astray, how would he handle it? Would he be like that young flood dragon at Dragon-Trench, who tossed away the snake gallstones and said indifferently, "If it's a karmic bond, cut it with one sword"? Could Chen Ping'an do that? Even if he had that hard-heartedness, by then Pei Qian's martial arts might be so high that Chen Ping'an couldn't even catch up, so how could he sever ties?
In the Blessed Land of Lotus Flower, under the guidance of the old Daoist from the Eastern Sea, he had traveled over thousands of mountains and waters, once observing a court of so-called noblemen factions over eighty years. He saw how they started caring for the country and the people, step by step, until the atmosphere turned murky, integrity decayed, and everyone labeled themselves as gentlemen. If one person was exiled from court, they would completely ignore right and wrong, rage against political enemies on court, console that "good friend," see him off with willow branches, drink to soothe his worldly woes, lament the degenerate times and wolves in power. In the scholarly world of distant reclusion, disciples and students would steer public opinion, fabricating all sorts of scandalous or baseless unofficial histories about political foes.
Since Chen Ping'an had the intention of founding a sect, he had to prevent this worst-case scenario.
If he couldn't even teach Pei Qian, who was closest to him, properly, how could he dare claim that his future sect wouldn't become a second Tongye Sect in a thousand years? That he himself wouldn't become a second Du Mao?
Read books to know propriety, practice martial arts to strengthen the body.
That was Chen Ping'an's original intention for Pei Qian.
Normally, this was like walking on two legs, stable and balanced, no problem. But the key was that Pei Qian's martial talent was too high, her martial fortune too great. One day, if she felt that book learning was just a chore to satisfy Chen Ping'an, and if she thought reasoning with people was too troublesome and boring, she would feel that she had her fists, her waist had her blades and swords, and she could follow her own desires without restraint—not understanding self-discipline or the restraint of ritual. Chen Ping'an had once spent fifty Lesser Heat Coins without batting an eye to create a Golden Core great demon that would be kind to the world. If he later created a Ninth-Level or even Tenth-Level martial artist who only cared about personal interests and never listened to right or wrong, not even fifty Lesser Heat Coins, not even fifty or five hundred Guyu Coins, would be enough to remedy it.
Chen Ping'an, standing upside down, closed his eyes in deep thought. He turned it over and over but couldn't find a perfect solution.
Would he have to personally interrupt Pei Qian's martial path for that "one in ten thousand" future?
Earlier, in the mountain hollow, facing the wilderness cultivators who harbored malicious intentions but had not yet caused tragedy, Chen Ping'an had said, "The difficulty lies in the worst outcome not having occurred, so reason can still be spoken." Otherwise, why would Chen Ping'an have been so roundabout? They could have just fought it out.
This was a change Chen Ping'an made after the battle at the border inn, where he proposed "self-examination." Then, after the Old Dragon City battle, learning about the subsequent turmoil at the Tongye Sect from the female Daoist Huang Ting, Chen Ping'an felt he should take a small step back, adapting to the place and the person, studying this "small step" more deeply. Otherwise, people everywhere use "clear conscience" as an excuse, still muddling right and wrong.
Pei Qian, frustrated that the fish weren't biting, suddenly felt her cheek sting slightly. She saw Sui Youbian signaling her. Following Sui Youbian's gaze, Pei Qian saw Chen Ping'an nearby, frowning deeply, unlike his usual self.
Sui Youbian withdrew the finger she had used to flick a water droplet at Pei Qian's cheek and continued gazing into the distance.
Pei Qian gently put down her fishing rod, tiptoed over to Chen Ping'an, crouched beside him, staring at her master's furrowed brow.
Could it be that Master was just now starting to feel the pain of those fifty Lesser Heat Coins going to waste?
Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, looking at the charcoal-black face that hadn't gotten lighter despite sun and wind, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Pei Qian thought for a moment. "Master, something troubling? Tell me about it."
Chen Ping'an exerted a little force with his wrist, flipped his body back into a normal standing position, then sat cross-legged, somewhat hesitant.
The matter was too distant, the truth too great.
Was Pei Qian still too young right now? Would his words and emotions feel like heavy boulders on her shoulders?
Chen Ping'an took off the Sword-Nurturing Gourd, took a sip of Small Alchemy Wine. The gentle breeze met the landscape, brushing his face lightly, making his mood slightly lighter.
A man's life is less than a hundred years, yet he often carries worries of a thousand years.
After drinking, Chen Ping'an squinted and smiled, inwardly mocking himself. Was he now somewhat like a scholar?
He turned his head and said with a smile, "It's about you. Want to hear?"
Pei Qian swallowed, immediately began reviewing her misdeeds on this journey. She probably knew it wasn't a trivial matter of getting a few knuckles to the head, so she grimaced and said, "Can I not listen? When I'm older and more sensible, then you can tell me, Master?"
Chen Ping'an patted her little head. "It's nothing good or bad, just some of my innermost thoughts. Don't worry about getting knuckles or ear twists."
Relieved, Pei Qian immediately sat up straight, facing Chen Ping'an, who was sitting sideways. Her eyes smiled, and she adjusted the two bamboo "blades and swords" at her waist, putting on an air of formality. "Master, please speak! Your disciple is all ears."
Chen Ping'an also turned slightly, sitting face to face with her. He asked, "If one day, your saber techniques, sword arts, and fists are all better than Master's, and you encounter a situation where Master says it's right, but you think it's wrong, what would you do?"
Pei Qian answered without hesitation, "Listen to Master, of course. What else?"
Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "Think about it more carefully."
Pei Qian began scratching her head, looking distressed. "But I just feel that what Master says is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong."
Chen Ping'an remained silent.
Pei Qian had no choice but to keep pondering, letting her thoughts wander far away. After all, Master didn't seem to be in a hurry.
Pei Qian suddenly asked with a smile, "If one day I become stronger than Master, how strong would that be?"
Chen Ping'an said, "For example, the old thief Du that Huang Ting mentioned, Du Mao of the Tongye Sect, a Flying Ascension Stage cultivator."
Chen Ping'an added with a smile, "Let's just talk about cultivation level for now, not good or evil."
Pei Qian's mouth fell open in awe. "Wow, if I'm that strong, there must be mountains of gold and silver at home, right? Would I have time to count all that money? Counting money is too tiring, but if I don't count it clearly, I'd be afraid someone might steal a few coins. Ah, the troubles of the rich... when will I ever have them?"
Chen Ping'an looked at the increasingly troubled little charcoal face, chuckled softly. He leaned forward and gently patted Pei Qian's head. "In my hometown, there was a military sage, Master Ruan, who forged swords and tools. Looking back, there's one thing he did really well regarding taking disciples. Master Ruan didn't just look at talent; he looked for kindred spirits, whether they could walk the same path. He didn't seek disciples with great talent but incompatible temperaments, nor those who would just rush into fights when their master had a conflict."
Pei Qian seemed about to speak but held back, remaining silent in the end.
Chen Ping'an continued, "Going back to the first question, if you and Master have a dispute, what should you do? Not blindly thinking Master is always right. Master is not a sage; he can make mistakes too. We should be like today, sitting across from each other, each stating our own right and wrong, and listen to the one who is reasonable. I, Chen Ping'an, will not suppress your reasoning with my status as your master. You, Pei Qian, if you become very powerful and could kill me with a casual punch, you also cannot act on whim, disregarding the reason I present to you."
Pei Qian's eyes glistened with tears.
She didn't fully understand, but she felt this was something very sad.
Especially when Pei Qian heard Chen Ping'an say "kill me with a casual punch," she was almost heartbroken.
Pei Qian turned around sullenly, secretly shedding tears, not looking at this nonsense-talking Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an sat back in his original position, facing the lake. The spring breeze rippled the water. He raised his hand, repeatedly elevating it. "Reasons actually have levels, just like the flower garlands on the mountaintop earlier. They also have sizes. Master once encountered a little fox spirit in a dilapidated temple in a place called Colorful Garment Kingdom. That fox loved to read tales of talented scholars and beautiful ladies, liked to cause trouble and scare people, but never actually harmed anyone; instead, it helped shield against wind and rain. This time, we encountered that yellow earth ox that would rather die than turn back. Doesn't that mean that during the demon attack on the Sword Qi Great Wall, we could skip over the tragic sacrifices of those sword cultivators whose sword tips have pointed south for millennia, and instead pity and question why those sword cultivators were so cruel? Could there not be kind-hearted beings among demons?"
Pei Qian, still with her back to him, sniffled and said, "I know that. Those people don't distinguish right from wrong in order, don't distinguish the size of reason."
Chen Ping'an drew the largest circle with one hand and raised the other hand above his head. "But the Sage of Letters, and Lord Bai, who is said to have helped humanity cast the great tripod and draw the Mountain-Searching Picture, I think they have the right to speak of 'immutable truths.' We are far from that. But why were they imprisoned in the Forest of Merit and confined in the Grand Suppression Tower? Because of that, should we feel that reasoning is useless? That there is truly no retribution for good and evil in the world?"
Pei Qian turned around, sat beside Chen Ping'an, and hung her head. "But some bad people live better than good people."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "That's why, in the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom, the old monk at the Heart-Mark Temple said that the world forever owes good people."
Pei Qian whispered, "What to do about it?"
Chen Ping'an didn't drink from the Sword-Nurturing Gourd; instead, he took out a jar of osmanthus wine from the Cunbu pendant. He uncorked it, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Probably we have to look for it in books."
Deep in the forest, the yellow earth ox lay prostrate, deep in thought.
Sui Youbian, though her expression was indifferent, had been listening intently all along.
Pei Qian wiped her tears and said with a smile, "Master, not long after we left Bee Tail Ferry, when cooking, how did you hum that folk song from your hometown? There were no lyrics, right? Hum it again, I really want to learn."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "That was taught to me by my best friend. You can make up any lyrics. In my hometown, you can use it to tease and scold people, to relax during work, or to... accompany drinking."
Chen Ping'an took a sip of the osmanthus wine and began to hum softly. He smiled and pointed at Pei Qian. "Shopkeeper, I've read some books, learned a lot of characters, stored up a bellyful of knowledge, but it's not worth a few copper coins."
Ouch.
That was about her, Pei Qian.
Pei Qian was overjoyed and blurted out, "Stinky tofu is delicious but too expensive to buy, yo!"
Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly. "On the mountains are goblins and monsters, in the lakes and rivers are water ghosts. I turn my head in fright, and it's been many years since I left home."
Pei Qian chimed in, "Eat stinky tofu, yo!"
Chen Ping'an took another drink of wine, casually pointing elsewhere. By bad luck, it was toward Sui Youbian, but he didn't care. "Whose little girl is that, carrying the scent of orchids? Why is her face stained with tears? Tell me, isn't that pitiful?"
Pei Qian nodded vigorously. "Can't eat stinky tofu, truly pitiful, yo!"
Chen Ping'an squinted and smiled, pointing upward. He hummed softly, "I ask the master teacher what to do—a little paper kite is hanging on a branch, sunning itself."
Pei Qian clutched her belly and laughed. "Eat stinky tofu, yo! Stinky tofu is fragrant, yo!"
Over at the bamboo hut, Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia exchanged smiles.
Zhu Lian closed his eyes and smiled, shaking his head.
Lu Baixiang gently patted his knees.
Sui Youbian, for a change, wasn't angry. Instead, she covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes squinting into crescents.
Wei Xian propped his cheek with one hand, tilted his head, crouching at the bamboo hut's doorway, staring at the little charcoal figure's back.
Master and apprentice, one singing, one responding, amidst the green mountains and clear waters.