Chapter 387: The Kite Rises, Birds Scatter
Since they were going to stay in the prefectural city for a day, Chen Ping'an took Pei Qian out to have some fun. At a kite shop, he bought a wooden hawk unique to the Qingluan Kingdom for Pei Qian; it was quite expensive. As Chen Ping'an was paying, Pei Qian felt her heart ache. She tugged at Chen Ping'an's sleeve and pointed to a pile of relatively cheaper butterfly kites inside the shop, saying that they actually looked quite nice too. Chen Ping'an patted Pei Qian on the head and smiled, "There's no need to skimp on this kind of silver. I have a clear idea of our daily expenses."
Before buying the wooden hawk, Pei Qian had looked on with both delight and heartache, but after buying it, there was only joy. With swords and knives clinking at her waist, she held the expensive wooden hawk in her hands, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
Chen Ping'an took Pei Qian to several scenic spots that visitors to the prefectural city absolutely had to see: the City God Temple Street, the Pagoda Temple Stele Forest, and the former residence of a prime minister from a previous dynasty. The morning passed leisurely.
At noon, Chen Ping'an took Pei Qian to a small restaurant for lunch. The food was good and cheap, but quite spicy. Pei Qian ate until her face was dripping with sweat, her eyes stinging from the perspiration, yet she still moved her chopsticks like the wind.
When there was little left of the three dishes on the table, Pei Qian, sweating profusely, wiped her dark face vigorously. She suddenly noticed that Chen Ping'an had already put down his chopsticks and was smiling at her. Pei Qian felt a bit embarrassed; her table manners were indeed terrible. She thought she should be more restrained in the future, otherwise, while traveling the world and walking the jianghu, she might accidentally embarrass her master.
Back at the immortal guesthouse, Chen Ping'an helped her pick an open space in the Hundred Flowers Garden, and Pei Qian began to fly the kite.
Chen Ping'an sat on a long bench in a pavilion, watching the thin little girl running and the kite drifting in the wind. He took small sips of a pot of osmanthus wine that was all that remained in his Scabbard of Close Things. His heart was at peace.
Pei Qian turned around and shouted, "Master, do you want to fly the kite too?"
Chen Ping'an waved his hand.
Pei Qian continued to sprint.
The Hundred Flowers Garden was a riot of color and beauty, each flower vying for attention.
Cui Dongshan led Sui Youbian toward the pavilion. After Cui Dongshan made a bow, he sat cross-legged on the bench, leaning against the vermilion-lacquered pillar. Sui Youbian did not sit down. She said, "Chen Ping'an, I plan to leave here and go ahead to the Jade Gui Sect in Tung Leaf Continent."
Chen Ping'an was not surprised. He nodded and said, "Safe travels."
Sui Youbian waited for him to continue. But after saying those four words, Chen Ping'an seemed to have said everything he had to say. Sui Youbian's face was cold. She neither left the pavilion nor spoke. They stood in an awkward standoff.
Chen Ping'an glanced at Cui Dongshan. The latter understood. He used a golden flying sword to draw a large circle around the pavilion, isolating a small world embryo to prevent any possible spying from inside or outside the guesthouse. It wasn't a true small world, and it might not be able to block the surveillance abilities of Earth Immortals. But if someone tried to look in, Cui Dongshan would sense it and have no trouble casually killing any so-called Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators in such a small place like Qingluan Kingdom. He wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Only then did Chen Ping'an speak. "Sui Youbian, let me say some practical things that might spoil the mood. Whether you like it or not, hear me out. First, the Heart Devoted Sword was lent to you; you have to return it. And that piece of Dragon-Slaying Platform; you still owe money for that. Second, joining the household registry of the Great Li Dynasty was settled between us before. You can't back out. So before you leave Bottle Gourd Continent, you need to let Cui Dongshan finalize it. You can't just walk away. Third, I'll leave the painting scroll behind, but after you switch from a pure martial artist to a sword cultivator and qi cultivator, I'm not sure if the gold essence copper coins will still allow you to come out of the painting. Neither of us is certain. So, besides being careful on your journey south and not acting on impulse, when you reach the Jade Gui Sect, you need to rein in your temper. As a sword cultivator, practicing the sword is cultivation, but cultivation isn't only about practicing the sword."
Sui Youbian looked at Chen Ping'an and slowly nodded.
Cui Dongshan wiped the corner of his eye, pretending to sob. "So touching. If I were a woman with a bit of conscience, I wouldn't leave."
He turned to look at the kite in the sky outside the pavilion. "The world only praises the carefree immortals; I say I envy not the immortals, but the mandarin ducks."
Neither Chen Ping'an nor Sui Youbian paid any attention to Cui Dongshan's interruption.
Sui Youbian remained silent.
Chen Ping'an said, "Did you prepare travel money on the way? Forget I asked; of course you didn't. You haven't had any means of earning money on this journey. So I'll prepare two money pouches for you. One pouch with common gold and silver, one pouch with snowflake coins. I don't have many summer coins left myself, and not a single rain coin. So when you go south to Tung Leaf Continent, you won't have the chance to be extravagant. You'll probably have to carefully plan your route and which immortal ferries to take. You definitely can't afford expensive rooms, or you might end up walking half the journey, which will only invite trouble."
Chen Ping'an suddenly changed his mind. "You can go to Old Dragon City first, find Fan Er, and tell him that I promised you he would lend you money."
Chen Ping'an held up one hand. "At most five rain coins! Five at most!"
The corner of Sui Youbian's mouth lifted slightly, but she still didn't speak.
Chen Ping'an thought she was mocking him for being stingy and money-grubbing. He said irritably, "No negotiation. At most, you can borrow five from Fan Er."
Sui Youbian nodded. "Alright."
Cui Dongshan thought for a moment, but he did not overstep his bounds and act as Chen Ping'an's generous benefactor. In small matters, he, the poor disciple doomed to be a money pouch, could take the lead for his master. But in big matters like this, involving life and death and separation, it was better left to his master to handle himself.
Nevertheless, two money pouches appeared out of nowhere in Cui Dongshan's hand. He tossed them to Sui Youbian, then turned to Chen Ping'an and said with a smile, "You can pay me back later."
Chen Ping'an had no objection, of course.
Both Chen Ping'an and Sui Youbian were not the type to drag things out, so there really was nothing more to say.
Sui Youbian turned and walked out of the pavilion. Cui Dongshan withdrew the golden lightning pool's prohibition. Sui Youbian walked down the steps without looking back. Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue. What a spendthrift woman, and a heartless one at that.
But Cui Dongshan smiled knowingly. He closed his eyes, made fists of both hands, and started counting. He silently counted "one" and raised one finger.
After leaving the pavilion, Sui Youbian found Pei Qian. Pei Qian quickly collected the kite and chatted with Sui Youbian. She nodded and shook her head, then immediately ran back to the pavilion, panting. "Master, Sister Sui said she wants you to see her off. Just to the guesthouse gate, no need to go far."
Cui Dongshan had just counted to ten. He opened his fists and spread his palms, laughing heartily. He winked at Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an thought it was only natural, so he quickly caught up with Sui Youbian, who had already walked some distance away.
Chen Ping'an caught up with Sui Youbian, and they walked in silence. When they reached the guesthouse gate, with two life-sized painted door gods on either side of the entrance, Sui Youbian stopped. Chen Ping'an also stopped.
Sui Youbian did not look at Chen Ping'an. She raised her head and gazed at the clear blue sky, speaking softly. "Do you always think I'm just a burden? So when I said I was leaving, you felt a lot lighter."
Chen Ping'an turned his head to look at her profile, and smiled. "Don't always think the worst of people."
It couldn't be denied that Sui Youbian was an extremely beautiful woman, especially when she occasionally wasn't so cold. It was like the brief blooming of an epiphyllum, stunningly beautiful.
Chen Ping'an wondered if Sui Youbian would meet a man she liked out in the martial world, or if she would become an immortal couple with someone at the Jade Gui Sect in Tung Leaf Continent. Most likely, it would be a young sword cultivator of equally extraordinary talent.
Chen Ping'an was quite curious about what kind of man Sui Youbian would fall for in the future. He also looked forward to meeting her again in Bottle Gourd Continent, perhaps standing side by side with someone, greeting him.
Imagining these hard-to-picture yet amusing scenes, Chen Ping'an couldn't help but smile.
Sui Youbian turned her head and asked with a strange look, "What are you laughing at?"
Chen Ping'an dared not speak his true thoughts; it would be too rude and frivolous. Sui Youbian was thin-skinned and had a fiery temper. It wouldn't do to have a perfectly good farewell turn into him getting stabbed by her one or two times.
He simply said, "Take care."
Sui Youbian strode away, leaving behind a softly spoken boast: "I'll become an Upper Five Realms sword immortal very soon."
When she reached the end of the street, Sui Youbian turned to look back. There was no trace of Chen Ping'an, only the two painted door gods.
A hint of a smile appeared on Sui Youbian's face, and she departed.
----
As if by prior arrangement, no sooner had Sui Youbian left than Lu Baixiang also came to take his leave. He said he wanted to visit all the major temples in the Qingluan Kingdom, including the White Water Temple, and then travel through the Qing Shan Kingdom and the Yunxiao Kingdom. He might not come to Chen Ping'an's hometown of Longquan Prefecture for a few years.
In the room, Chen Ping'an glanced at Cui Dongshan. The latter quickly explained, "It has nothing to do with this disciple! If I'm lying, may the Five Thunder True Method strike me dead!"
Lu Baixiang laughed. "Indeed, it has nothing to do with Mr. Cui. I want to be alone, like I was in the Lotus Flower Paradise, to enjoy the great rivers and mountains to my heart's content. I hope that within three years, besides reaching the Seventh Realm, I can also reach the Far Traveling Realm, so I can travel on the wind like a qi cultivator and see all the magnificent scenery on the mountains as well. After that, Lu Baixiang will settle down and faithfully follow you as a retainer, serving you until the day I feel a static urge to move and go out wandering again."
Chen Ping'an had just returned the two pouches of silver and immortal coins to Cui Dongshan, and now he had to take out money again. He laughed in exasperation. "Go ahead, how much do you need to borrow for travel expenses?"
Lu Baixiang laughed heartily. "I don't need any immortal coins. Just lend me some silver."
Nevertheless, Chen Ping'an gave him two pouches of money. "A single copper coin can bring a hero to his knees. Take this pouch of snowflake coins just in case, for emergencies."
Lu Baixiang didn't refuse politely. He took the money and said wryly, "If I go out and die on the road, wouldn't that be extremely awkward?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "You'll soon be a Seventh Realm martial artist, and you're not the impatient type. With both, you can travel safely across Bottle Gourd Continent."
Lu Baixiang stood up to take his leave. He cupped his fists and said, "Until we meet again, then?"
Chen Ping'an returned the salute. "Until we meet again."
Chen Ping'an teased, "This is the Haoran World, not the Lotus Flower Paradise. Don't go starting some demonic cult."
Cui Dongshan undercut him. "Lu Baixiang isn't an immortal from the mountains. There's no harm in establishing a sect or calling himself a patriarch in the martial world."
Pei Qian suddenly shouted, "Little Bai, wait for me!"
She turned her back, took out the sachet money pouch given to her by Madam Gui, fished out a snowflake coin, and ran up to Lu Baixiang. "Little Bai, hold out your hand."
Lu Baixiang smiled and opened one palm.
Pei Qian slapped the snowflake coin heavily into his palm and said solemnly, "Little Bai, this is for you. It's not a light gift, but the sentiment is even heavier!"
Lu Baixiang closed his hand around the snowflake coin. For this little money-hoarding demon to voluntarily give him an immortal coin, and as a gift rather than a loan, the sentiment truly was heavy. Lu Baixiang smiled. "Don't worry. While I'm traveling the martial world these few years, I'll keep an eye out for some good things, see if I can get my hands on them. I'll give them to you as a gift when we meet again."
Pei Qian nodded emphatically, speaking with mock seriousness. "Have your fun, but don't neglect your martial training on the way! In martial arts, it's like sailing against the current; you either forge ahead or fall behind. You should learn from me: practice walking the post every day, copy books, practice sword and knife techniques, diligently and persistently, letting the slow bird fly first!"
Lu Baixiang reached out his hand, smiling. "I know."
Pei Qian deftly dodged the hand reaching for her head, complaining, "I won't grow tall if you do that."
Then she smiled brilliantly at Chen Ping'an. "When Master pats my head, it's fine."
Lu Baixiang laughed heartily. Finally, he looked at the white-clothed young immortal sitting cross-legged beside Chen Ping'an, Cui Dongshan. Cui Dongshan raised a hand, signaling Lu Baixiang to keep his words to himself. "We're both men. No need for drawn-out farewells and sentimentality."
Lu Baixiang left with a flourish.
The room fell silent.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Do I need to prepare for this next? Will it be Zhu Lian or Wei Xian next?"
Cui Dongshan pointed at himself.
Pei Qian kept a straight face, struggling to hold back her laughter.
Cui Dongshan picked up a date, flicked his finger, and accurately hit Pei Qian on the forehead.
Pei Qian bent down and caught the date. This time, she didn't dare eat it, afraid that Cui Dongshan would use some dark trick to frighten her again. She only placed it back on the small plate on the table and sat beside Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Don't you want to see the debate between Buddhism and Daoism in Qingluan Kingdom?"
Cui Dongshan shook his head, revealing a bit of celestial knowledge. "Ordinary people will only see two groups arguing in the capital, stinky Daoists and old bald donkeys pointing fingers at each other and cursing. Not very interesting. The real contest is between the reincarnated Buddha son at the White Water Temple and the abbot of the White Cloud Temple in Qingluan Kingdom's capital. One was a venerable high monk with a great reputation in his past life, extremely talented in this life as well. The other is a middle-aged Daoist with no background, someone who only reads books and understands everything he reads. But only a few people will pay attention to their debate, and every one of them is a considerable nuisance: the Guanhu Academy, the Jiang family from Cloud Forest, and perhaps many idle clouds and wild cranes descending from the heavens, and a few old turtles who rarely crawl out of the water to breathe. For one thing, I've seen great spectacles, and I still look down on this debate. For another, I have too many enemies. It's not suitable for me to go there."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Caution is the mother of all safety."
Cui Dongshan stood up and made a bow of apology. "For this journey, I need to take Wei Xian with me, and I beseech my master to permit this."
Chen Ping'an chewed on a date and smiled. "Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?"
Cui Dongshan, for once, refrained from his usual insincere remarks. He placed his arms on the table, interlaced his fingers, and spoke slowly. "The current situation in central Bottle Gourd Continent is complicated. Both on and off the mountains are in a mess. Mountain and marsh rogue cultivators are taking advantage of the chaos, especially the ruthless ones. Many Earth Immortals are fishing in troubled waters, and quite a few of them come from orthodox immortal families, but their actions are far from proper. That Book and Lacquer Lake has always been a murky water tank, full of stinking fish and rotten shrimp. So I suggest that after leaving the capital of Qingluan Kingdom, Master should first go to the Cliff Academy in Great Sui, where you can refine the golden literary soul as your second natal object."
"I'll write a letter. Apart from the Great Li being able to directly deliver the remaining gold essence copper coins to the academy, Mao Xiaodong will help protect you during the ritual. This will be an added bonus for you, and for the Gao clan of Great Sui, it's like sending charcoal in the snow, though they won't perceive it that way. Master needn't feel you're taking too much advantage of them. Great Sui has always been a kingdom with a flourishing literary culture, and refining that top-quality golden literary soul is most suitable."
"After that, whether you revisit the lands of Cai Yi Kingdom and Shu Shui Kingdom, or return to Longquan Prefecture to look at the old house, it won't be a big problem."
"After that, it will be safe for Master to go to Book and Lacquer Lake. By then, central Bottle Gourd Continent will have stabilized. A 'Trouble-Free' plaque issued by the Great Li Ministry of Rites might be enough to make any Earth Immortal bow his head."
Chen Ping'an thought for a long time. He took down the Sword-Nourishing Gourd and drank a mouthful of the minor alchemical wine. Finally, he nodded. "Feasible. After leaving Qingluan Kingdom, I'll roughly follow the route you've planned."
Cui Dongshan made no effort to hide his relief. "Master, rest assured. There is absolutely no scheme to harm you in this. Besides, Master and I are now grasshoppers tied to the same rope, walking the same path. The higher Master's achievements, the more I, Cui Dongshan, can bask in Master's reflected glory, even if I'm lazy and idle all day. Master will drag me up by sheer force."
Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment. "How are you dealing with that person in the capital now?"
Cui Dongshan dropped his head heavily onto the table, looking like he wanted to die. He banged it three times, then lifted his head. "Just mentioning it makes my heart ache."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "You brought it on yourselves. You can't blame anyone else."
Cui Dongshan said indignantly, "But why does that old fellow get to enjoy himself, continuing to be the majestic and imposing Great Li National Teacher, while I don't even have the title 'Embroidered Tiger' anymore? Every time I have to go out, I end up eating in the wind and sleeping in the dew, hiding my head and skulking about?"
Chen Ping'an said with schadenfreude, "Be content with what you have. Besides all those magical treasures in the Scabbard of Close Things, you have this immortal relic that's even better than Du Mao's Yang God Outer Incarnation."
Cui Dongshan sighed, propped his chin on one hand, and looked up as if gazing at the sky. "True enough. Fortunately, I'm not very interested in fighting and killing these days. Young lads are easily bored. Outside the Great Sui Academy, it's fine, living day and night with Master, enjoying it. At that East Mountain, Little Baoping doesn't bother with me, Yu Lu and Xie Xie and the like annoy me, and Li Huai and Lin Shouyi don't have anything to talk about. What a miserable, bleak, and desolate life."
Chen Ping'an didn't bother to console him. Besides, did this Great Li Embroidered Tiger need anyone to lift his spirits? What a joke.
Cui Dongshan straightened up and smiled. "Master, the four people from the Lotus Flower Paradise painting scroll can be considered temporarily settled. Let me do a small review for Master, consider it teaching Master a game of 'chess outside the chessboard' before I leave."
Chen Ping'an instinctively sat up straight. Every time he studied chess with Cui Dongshan, he was this serious. "Please, go ahead."
Cui Dongshan found it amusing, yet also a little sad. But he concealed his emotions perfectly, showing no trace.
He first used his flying sword to draw a lightning pool.
"That Sui Youbian is a silly girl. A porcelain vase from a dragon kiln, beautiful and fragile. She shatters at a single blow. Silly as she is, she's indeed a natural-born sword embryo. As long as the Jade Gui Sect is willing to nurture her, becoming a Nascent Soul sword cultivator is no problem. But whether she can become an Upper Five Realms female sword immortal isn't up to her alone. She has to ask if this world permits it. Regardless, among the four from the painting scroll, she's the luckiest one. Master has protected her so well on this journey. After dying three times, Sui Youbian's heart-mind hasn't shattered; on the contrary, it's become even brighter."
Chen Ping'an gave him a strange look.
Cui Dongshan raised two fingers together and said decisively, "I swear to heaven, this disciple's words contain no double entendre, no hidden meaning whatsoever!"
Chen Ping'an handed Pei Qian a snow-white fragrant pear. Pei Qian cupped it with both hands, twisted it a few times to wipe it clean, and then began to nibble on it gently.
Cui Dongshan continued. "As for that hot potato Wei Xian... I've already smoothed things out for Master. He's just a simple-minded fellow, no need to say more."
Cui Dongshan originally wanted to elaborate on the subtle strategies involved, but when he saw Chen Ping'an signal him with a glance, Cui Dongshan, being sharp, understood immediately and changed his tune, glossing over it.
Cui Dongshan glanced sideways at Pei Qian, who was shaking her head and eating the fruit. "Eat, eat, eat. That's all you know how to do. No awareness at all..."
But under the table, Cui Dongshan received a kick from Chen Ping'an.
Cui Dongshan snorted. "Lu Baixiang's talent is extremely high. He has the potential to become a versatile genius. It's very difficult for him to reach the pinnacle of martial arts. The Ninth Realm won't be hard, but the Tenth Realm is not something to hope for, unless a great fortune falls from the sky. Of course, a Ninth Realm martial artist, even in the future Great Li Dynasty, would still be a transcendent figure with considerable martial luck. With Lu Baixiang's intelligence, teaching him a few crooked methods, he can still be a very capable good lackey... no, a good fighter, a good retainer."
Pei Qian glared at him. "In front of my master, your master, speak properly! Don't talk nonsense and disparage Old Wei and Little Bai like that."
Cui Dongshan said with a sly smile, "How about I tell you a story about a spirit related to that fragrant pear?"
Pei Qian immediately smiled. "Acknowledging one's mistakes and correcting them is a great virtue. It's a very good thing. Master is not at all demeaned by having a student like you."
Cui Dongshan mimicked Pei Qian's tone, gently shaking one hand in front of him and clicking his tongue. "My master is also very blessed to have such an iron-boned good disciple like you."
Pei Qian played dumb, smiling blankly.
Cui Dongshan's expression changed slightly, turning serious. "But this Zhu Lian, on the surface, appears to be the least constrained by dogma. He adapts to circumstances and can live comfortably anywhere. But that means his heart is the most volatile. Born into a noble family of bells and cauldrons in the Lotus Flower Paradise, he was once a peerlessly handsome scion of a powerful clan, but he chose to practice martial arts and actually managed to become the best under heaven. He is skilled in cooking, loves good food, and says he wishes to win a beauty's heart. He is also able to bend and stretch as needed. So among the four from the painting scroll, Zhu Lian has the highest vision and the highest pride."
Pei Qian nodded vigorously.
Of the four of them, she feared that stooped old man the most.
Cui Dongshan suddenly laughed. "This type of person, in fact, has no attachment. Master, if you teach him poorly, he might sell you out one day. But if you teach him well... there will be a pleasant surprise. Then, among the four, Zhu Lian will be the only one willing to die for Master. And he will die without hesitation, even if he has only one life left. The other three, I can manage. But Zhu Lian, I can't teach. Only Master can handle him."
Seeing Chen Ping'an look confused, Cui Dongshan patiently explained. "Sui Youbian won't work; she seeks the sword path. That's what she wants most. Lu Baixiang appears to have the most compatible temperament with Master, but actually, he is nearly heartless."
Then Cui Dongshan stopped speaking aloud and conveyed his thoughts to Chen Ping'an telepathically. "Wei Xian feels he cannot die because he hasn't yet fulfilled his desires. He is an emperor by birth. Apart from the one obsession in his heart, everyone in the world can be killed, and everything in the world can be bought and sold. Regarding this obsession, Master, don't blame me for meddling. I need to use my connections in Tung Leaf Continent to dig deep into the history of Wei Xian's imperial family during the early days of the Nanyuan Kingdom."
Chen Ping'an reminded him, "Be careful with that old Daoist from Guan Dao Temple."
Cui Dongshan smiled. "That stinky bull-nosed old Daoist, I'll definitely be extremely cautious. To be honest, even when I was at the peak of the Twelfth Realm as an Immortal, I wouldn't dare to provoke him easily. That old scholar, on the other hand, has some unconventional friendship with him."
Cui Dongshan was silent for a moment. He stood up, paced back and forth, rubbing his palms together as if teaching Chen Ping'an to "play chess," or as if reviewing the lineage of his own literary tradition. He spoke softly. "Master, remember this: disciples, students, and the entire mountain stronghold must be diverse. You can't have only one type of person. Most importantly, you can't have everyone be like Master."
"You can't have everyone be kind and virtuous like Master, adhering to the way of the gentleman. You can't have everyone only write moral essays and profound scholarship. You can't have everyone just use their brains and shout orders to kill."
"There must be someone like me, capable of doing things against one's conscience, adept at exploiting the loopholes in the rules, seeing the grand trends, knowing how to go with the flow, being a good, annoying villain, and highlighting Master's goodness. That way, Master's image will always be lofty and pure, like a mountain stream and a clear moon."
"There must be someone willing to only acknowledge Master. Master's life and death are their life and death. Even the former might carry more weight."
"There must be those who inherit Master's scholarship and mantle, true kindred spirits on the path of literary fortune. Good seedlings like that to uphold the scene."
"There must also be madmen to intimidate evil demons, heretics, petty scoundrels, and especially hypocrites. For example, Zhu Lian."
"There must be family wealth, like the one in the bamboo building on Fallen Mountain... Well, Master probably already knows. He is my grandfather."
"There must be clowns to amuse and display naivety and innocence, so that a mountain stronghold doesn't become too lifeless. For example, the water snake and fire python that I helped Master subdue in the Huangting Kingdom back then."
"In short, when reasoning with others, someone must stand up to help Master convince people with reason."
"When competing in the depth of the Great Way, someone must step forward to help Master convince people with virtue."
"If someone likes to use fists to fight when we want to reason, and when we're forced to fight back and our fists are bigger, they act pitiful, then someone must help Master beat them into submission first. In the end, Master can scold them a few times, maybe give some compensation to the black-and-blue opponent, toss them a date to eat. Then others won't be able to find fault with our mountain stronghold's family tradition, sect tradition, or literary tradition."
Cui Dongshan stopped, smiled, and said, "Just rambling. If Master is willing to pick and choose a few points, this disciple will be more than satisfied."
Chen Ping'an sat up straight and said, "I have been taught."
Cui Dongshan looked at Chen Ping'an's bright eyes, made a bow, and said with a smile, "As cutting and filing, as polishing and grinding."
Pei Qian, listening nearby, got a headache from all this.
Cui Dongshan suddenly changed the subject, leaping a thousand miles away. "There are two things in the capital of Qingluan Kingdom that Master must taste, if you have the chance. One is Buddha Jumping Over the Wall, and the other is the braised dishes sold in the deep alley old shops on the streets. One is expensive, one is cheap. Both are delicacies of the mortal world."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Alright."
Cui Dongshan said cautiously, "Master, I'd like to have a private word with Pei Qian, a fellow apprentice chat. Is that okay? After we're done, I'll take Wei Xian and leave. Master needn't see us off. After that, only Shi Rou and Zhu Lian will serve as attendants."
Chen Ping'an nodded and turned to look at Pei Qian. She suddenly stood up. "Who's afraid of who!"
Cui Dongshan smiled and walked out of the room. Pei Qian followed closely. As she stepped over the threshold, she turned to smile at Chen Ping'an, shaking her fist to bolster her courage.
But once she was in the corridor and out of Chen Ping'an's sight, Pei Qian immediately took out the treasure pagoda demon-repelling talisman and stuck it on her forehead before following that guy.
When she reached Cui Dongshan's room, she acted very obsequiously, helping him close the door, then sat beamingly at the table and reached for a fragrant pear. "You're my senior brother, aren't you? Let me wipe it for you. It can quench your thirst."
Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes. "Oh, cut it out. You call me senior brother? How about I call you senior sister?"
Pei Qian quickly waved her hands. "No, no. We're both disciples of the same master. We still need to respect seniority by order of arrival."
Cui Dongshan scoffed. "Look at your lack of ambition."
Pei Qian nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, yes, yes. I'm still too young now. My ambition isn't great."
Cui Dongshan stood up, took out the painting of time and flowing water, but didn't immediately unroll it. He asked, "What do you think your master was like when he was young?"
Pei Qian was startled. "From what my master told me, and what I heard him say when chatting with others, it seems he was pretty poor. He grew up in that Mud Vase Lane in the Pearly Pearl Cave Heaven."
Cui Dongshan slowly unrolled the painting and beckoned. "Come take a look."
On the painting scroll, first was the river outside the small town and the covered bridge that was eventually dismantled.
Cui Dongshan said slowly, "In this world, cultivators bully mountains but not water. This is because the sages of the Hundred Schools of Thought actually prefer water to mountains by a large margin. The highest good is like water. The wise delight in water. Buddha views the water in a bowl. You'll learn the distant truth of this later."
Then came that period of Chen Ping'an's childhood.
Flying kites at the Immortal Tomb. A dark-skinned child squatting far away, watching enviously as other children of the same age ran, their kites flying high in the sky.
Buying medicine at the Yang Family Pharmacy. Boiling the medicine at home. Standing on a small stool to cook. Sneaking to the Immortal Tomb to pray in front of the dilapidated divine statue.
Later, under the scorching sun, carrying a large basket almost as big as himself, going up the mountain to collect herbs. When his shoulders started to burn with pain, he would take off the basket and cry his heart out at the foot of the mountain.
Hungry, he would pace back and forth in Mud Vase Lane again and again. Finally, a woman opened her door.
Time flowed like a stream, and the images changed slowly.
From a child, he grew into a youth.
Finally, the image froze on that day at the east gate of the small town. Chen Ping'an stood inside the gate, waiting to run errands and deliver letters to earn copper coins.
Pei Qian watched intently, her expression changing, for nearly an hour.
During the viewing, she would sometimes mutter to herself. "Song Jixin and Zhi Gui both deserve to die. I happen to have a knife and a sword. Someday, I'll cut off their heads with the knife and pierce their hearts with the sword!"
"No wonder Master knows how to weave straw sandals and make book chests. He can do anything."
"Haha, Master's mouth also waters for candied hawthorns. Eh? Why did Master run away? That candied hawthorn seller was about to give Master a stick, wasn't he? I can't figure it out."
"This sissy man from the Dragon Kiln is a bit like that old man called Shi Rou."
"Is this tree on the grave the locust tree Master mentioned when chatting with Little Bai?"
"This Old Yao, why does he always like to scold Master? Is he blind?"
"Is this older sister outside the door the girl Master likes? She's not much prettier than Sui Youbian. She doesn't seem as good as that female Daoist Huang Ting who taught me swordsmanship and knife techniques."
Slap!
Cui Dongshan rolled up the painting and put it into the Scabbard of Close Things.
Pei Qian sat silently on the stool.
Cui Dongshan sat beside her, his expression indifferent. "When your master reviewed his journey in the Lotus Flower Paradise with me, he didn't drink much. But later, when he mentioned you, Pei Qian, he drank quite a bit. He said he originally thought that all parents in the world would gladly give all the best things to their children. Later, he learned this wasn't the case. How could there be a mother who secretly hides steamed buns and stealthily eats them alone in the dead of night, even when her daughter is starving to death, unwilling to share them?"
Pei Qian hung her head.
Cui Dongshan said flatly, "I have to thank you, Pei Qian, from beginning to end, for making my master see more clearly how many stupid and wicked people there are in this world."
Cui Dongshan asked, "Do you know the three hardest times your master had to endure when he was young in that small town?"
Pei Qian lay her head on the table, murmuring, "One was when that woman didn't open the door, so Master later treated that little snot-nosed kid especially well. Another was the first time he went up the mountain to collect herbs, so Master is especially grateful to that Old Yang. The last one, I can't figure out."
Cui Dongshan seemed somewhat satisfied. He smiled. "You, Pei Qian, could rack your brains and never guess it. It was that stick of candied hawthorns."
Pei Qian turned her head, her cheek flat against the table, looking at the mole between the eyebrows of that guy, a bit confused.
Cui Dongshan said softly, "If you had been there at that time, you could have eaten that stick of candied hawthorns. You could have eaten it to your heart's content. You could have begged on your knees, stolen it, snatched it, eaten a whole tray of candied hawthorns. No problem. But Chen Ping'an couldn't eat it. Not a single one. All the affairs of the world, all the hearts of men, seem complex on the surface. But if you look at the tiniest details, there are always threads to follow..."
Pei Qian suddenly snapped angrily, "Call him Master! How dare you speak our master's name directly! You're really bold! Careful, I'll tell on you!"
Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes and made a flicking gesture with his finger.
Pei Qian quickly sat up, protecting her forehead and her precious talisman with both hands.
Cui Dongshan clasped his hands in his sleeves, leaned sideways against the table, and looked out the window. He said softly, "We... must not always disappoint Master."
This statement confused Pei Qian a bit. Always?
But soon, she understood. Pei Qian casually counted on her fingers: she had indeed rarely made Chen Ping'an angry.
Cui Dongshan turned his neck and smiled at Pei Qian. "Heaven has the sun and moon to illuminate the myriad directions. Man has eyes to see the ten thousand forms. Pei Qian, you are very fortunate. Even more fortunate is that you met Chen Ping'an. This is like... Chen Ping'an meeting Qi Jingchun."
Cui Dongshan's eyes became distant, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. He murmured softly, "I remember an old scholar, in his most destitute days, said to me, to a not-so-bright guy, and to Master's revered Mr. Qi—the only three disciples we had at the time—that if a person lives with peace of mind, it doesn't matter whether they have money or not. Drinking water will taste sweet, and chewing on a plain steamed bun will taste like eating a roast chicken leg. At the time, that guy surnamed Zuo foolishly said he wouldn't starve to death drinking water and eating steamed buns his whole life, so it was fine. The old scholar was so angry he slapped the table and glared, saying, 'Have a little ambition! When you have no money, don't use these principles to stave off hunger. How else will you get by in life? There's no fool in the world who doesn't want a better life. When everyone wants to live well and can walk a straight and proper path, then this world can move forward...' Then that Qi Jingchun asked, 'Master, when will we be able to eat a proper meal with some oil and meat?' The master was stumped. He was silent for a long time, unable to speak. Finally, he could only point at me, the poor scapegoat, the so-called senior disciple of those two, and said with a grin, 'That all depends on when your senior brother's family sends money over...' But these everyday talks will never be known to later generations. They are all left behind in that small school in that humble alley. Later, the old scholar participated twice in the Three Teachings Debates. His disciples, registered and unregistered, were like clouds, drawing the world's attention. But we three actually don't like to think about those times often. It seems that after that, the old scholar was busy every day, running here and there, flustered and exhausted for the so-called people of the world. He had to visit every school and every academy, to teach and enlighten more fools. And we, his first three proud disciples, as time went by, each went our separate ways."
Pei Qian didn't hear it clearly. Cui Dongshan's voice was too soft.
Cui Dongshan took a deep breath. He rolled his sleeves like swirling snow, turned his head to Pei Qian, and smiled. "When the mind leaves the body, it is like a bird escaping its cage. Bright and pure, like a crystal. A bright moon hangs within, and the body and mind are joyous. Since Master's fist techniques are not suitable for you, and you have started practicing sword and knife, you must practice the 'Carefree Sword.' The fastest strike, like lightning, a single sword that can break ten thousand techniques. You must practice the 'Crisp Knife.' Hand rises and knife returns to sheath, and the enemy's head has already rolled to the ground!"
Pei Qian wrinkled her dark face. "You're not my master."
Cui Dongshan said with a sly smile, "But you're my senior sister. For now, I'll protect you. In the future, you'll protect me. That's a truly moving and epic friendship among fellow disciples."
Pei Qian blinked. "Don't try to trick me. Otherwise, I won't be your senior sister."
Cui Dongshan remembered something. He took out a small paper crane fold and said, "Keep this safe. When you accompany my master on this journey, you may only show it to him when he is at his angriest. But I hope that by the time I meet Master again, you still haven't shown it to him. Store it away, put it in your sachet money pouch. Remember, don't open it on your own, or the consequences will be on your own head."
Pei Qian said, "Oh," and carefully tucked it into her sachet money pouch.
Cui Dongshan pointed to the golden flowing lightning pool. "Don't you have a mountain-walking staff? Do you want to learn this divine ability of mine?"
Pei Qian said, "I don't have any money left. I gave it all to Little Bai as travel money."
Speaking of this was another sad thing. She had been cheated out of seven copper coins by this guy playing five-in-a-row.
Cui Dongshan waved his sleeve grandly and laughed. "Talking about money hurts feelings. It won't cost you a cent. Consider it payment for that little favor you did for me."
----
In the end, Chen Ping'an still saw Cui Dongshan off at the guesthouse gate.
Wei Xian and Pei Qian were chatting.
Zhu Lian and Shi Rou stood behind Chen Ping'an.
Cui Dongshan smiled at the two of them. "Both of you, please take good care of my master."
Zhu Lian nodded and smiled. "Your master is my master. There's no need to say more."
Shi Rou's feelings were complicated. When Cui Dongshan was around, she feared him like a tiger. When he left, she worried about the uncertain future ahead.
Cui Dongshan made a farewell bow. "Mountains and rivers stretch far, Master, take care."
After Cui Dongshan straightened up, Chen Ping'an suddenly raised his arm, fist pressed against his chest, and with his back to "Du Mao," he gave a thumbs-up and said in a low voice, "Well done! Zheng Dafeng and I both have to thank you."
Cui Dongshan was speechless for a long time. It was the first time he had so awkwardly tried to flatter someone, so he could only say stiffly, "Master is truly... a man of integrity."