Chapter 404: Yearning of the Heart
Cui Dongshan casually set down the chopsticks, lowered his head, and arranged them neatly side by side. Raising his head, he smiled. "So you're certain I won't go on a killing spree here?"
Cui Dongshan clapped his hands and laughed, slowly rising to his feet. "You guessed right. I really won't indulge myself in indiscriminate slaughter. After all, I still have to return to Shanya Academy. Ah well, descendants have their own fortunes. This old ancestor can only help you this far."
Cai Jingshen, however, motioned for Cui Dongshan to sit back down, asking, "How do you prove that your words carry weight—both in Great Sui's court and in Great Li's halls of power?"
Cui Dongshan lounged lazily against the chair, reaching up to fiddle with his topknot, twisting it gently. "Hard to prove."
Cai Jingshen had no choice but to back down. After hesitating a moment, he said solemnly, "Then how do you plan to extract Cai Feng cleanly, without leaving any future trouble for his official career? I must caution you: you cannot let Cai Feng betray his allies or sell out his friends for personal gain. That would block his path to being enshrined as a deity after death. For the next century or millennium, Cai Feng's fate will be intimately tied to Great Sui's national destiny, literary fortune, and feng shui. If he does something so vile, he might enjoy honor in life, but after death, he will be rejected by Great Sui's incense offerings."
Cui Dongshan smiled slightly. "The mountain hermit has a clever plan. Rest assured, I guarantee that during his lifetime, Cai Feng will rise to Minister of one of the Six Boards—except the Ministry of Rites, that position is too important, and I'm not the Great Li Emperor. As for after death, within a century he'll become a City God lord of a major prefecture, excluding the Longxing lands of Gaoshi Geyang. How about that?"
Cai Jingshen probed, "And what of my Cai family's choices and reputation?"
Cui Dongshan laughed. "When the time comes, I'll have you and your family put on two 'bitter flesh' schemes. Everyone will give you, Cai Jingshen, a thumbs-up, and future history books will surely sing your praises."
Cai Jingshen seemed about to speak but stopped.
Cui Dongshan sneered. "Between you and me, are you thinking of signing a mountain-water covenant worthy of earth immortals? Cai Jingshen, I advise you not to go to such unnecessary trouble."
Cai Jingshen recalled those vertical golden pupils, and his heart shuddered. Though he and the Cai family were being led by the nose, feeling stifled, compared to the unbearable consequences—dragging the entire clan into the abyss because of one Cai Feng, and even implicating his own cultivation as the old ancestor—this current frustration was not hard to endure.
Now that they were temporary allies, Cai Jingshen wanted to show some sincerity. "Back then, Mr. Cui was in the academy, assassinated with a golden thread, and escaped by a hair's breadth using a death-substitution talisman. Mr. Cui, do you not wish to know who was behind it? Or do you think it was just one group?"
Cui Dongshan glanced sideways at Cai Jingshen.
The look made Cai Jingshen feel extremely uncomfortable, though he didn't understand what he had said wrong.
Cui Dongshan stood up, grabbed an unsealed jar of aged wine from the table. "Back then, I was so bored at the academy that I almost went to the mountaintop to hang myself. I waited forever for something interesting to happen. Look what I did afterward? I waited a long time, but they didn't come to assassinate me again. So I had to take the initiative to go to Qingxiao Ferry and stick my neck out. And what happened? No one dared to make a move. I had to haul several cartloads of Qingxiao green bamboo back to the academy to lay the floor. I paid the exact price in Minor Summer coins. Why? I was grateful for the distraction! I had planned so many countermeasures for the second assassination, even though I never got to use them. But the process of using my brain was still a great way to pass the dull time."
Cui Dongshan walked around the table and patted Cai Jingshen on the shoulder. "Little Cai, you're still too young. You don't know my temper yet. After spending more time together, you'll discover you've recognized a good ancestor. When you have time, go take a look at your ancestral graves—I'm sure there will be wisps of green smoke rising. If any of your Cai ancestors appear in your dreams soon, crying with gratitude, tell them there's no need to thank me. Being charitable and fond of good deeds has always been the foundation of my scholarship."
Cai Jingshen kept a straight face, pretending not to hear.
The yellow ox demon, a type of earth-ox creature, had already gone to the "ox pen" to rest.
Wei Xian, however, had been sitting at the same table as Cui Dongshan and Cai Jingshen all along, saying nothing, just drinking.
Wei Xian followed Cui Dongshan to their lodgings.
After the two were seated, Cui Dongshan used his golden flying sword to draw a thunder pool, blocking Cai Jingshen's prying.
Cui Dongshan kicked off his boots, sat cross-legged on the chair, and asked with a smile, "Come on, give me a one- or two-sentence verdict."
Wei Xian said slowly, "High-flying birds die for good food. Deep-water fish die for fragrant bait."
In Wei Xian's view, people like Cai Jingshen, who wavered between two sides, were not worth mentioning.
Under the great current, the surging torrent would make even a Nascent Soul earth immortal like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Before entering the prefectural capital, Cui Dongshan had shown Wei Xian numerous intelligence reports on Great Sui's internal affairs. The secret plot in the capital involving Cai Feng was trivial compared to the hidden secrets of the Gao clan's old worshiper, Cai Jingshen himself.
Back then, Gao of Great Sui had been able to join hands with Lu's dynasty to suppress the rise of Great Li, which had National Teacher Cui Chan and Shanya Academy, delaying it for decades.
It wasn't simply because Great Sui's Gao Emperor was far-sighted.
Great Li had once had a branch of the Mo School and a master from the Yin-Yang School, Lu, to help build that imitation White Jade Capital. Great Sui and Lu also had figures from the Hundred Schools of Philosophy hiding behind the scenes, pulling strings.
Cai Jingshen was a relatively deep-planted and important pawn.
Don't be fooled by how timid Cai Jingshen seemed tonight, with Cui Dongshan holding all the cards. In fact, even Cai Jingshen's "resignation in a fit of pique" and moving his entire family out of the capital—apparently unable to bear the humiliation—was likely ordered by some higher-up.
Now that Great Sui and Great Li had concluded the highest-grade mountain-water covenant, with one side using Shanya Academy's Donghua Mountain (where the dragon vein and kingly energy gathered) and the other using the new northern sacred mountain, Piyun Mountain, as the sites for the covenant's sacrificial rituals to Heaven. On the surface, it was a win-win: Great Sui didn't have to fight Great Li's iron cavalry head-on, buying over a century of recovery time, merely ceding vassal states like Huangting Kingdom. Great Li could preserve its strength to go all-out south, slaughtering its way to the borders of Zhuying Dynasty.
But behind the apparent peace, the Song clan of Great Li and the Gao clan of Great Sui naturally had their own agendas.
Especially after Emperor Song Zhengchun of Great Li died—even if Great Li's central government kept it secret—it was likely that Great Sui had already caught wind of it, which was why they were beginning to stir.
Now, although Great Li's iron cavalry was advancing unstoppably, occupying half of Vase Bottle Continent, it was not stable. If fires broke out in both Great Li and Great Sui's backyards at the same time, and Guanhu Academy and Zhuying Dynasty suddenly exerted force, this seemingly favorable chess game for Great Li would immediately see its great dragon slaughtered. Then the entire northern territory trampled by Great Li's cavalry would become, in the eyes of the behind-the-scenes powers who would win by striking later, juicy pieces of fat they could justifiably devour.
Cui Dongshan's journey here, as he frankly told Wei Xian, had no fixed goal. It would vary with circumstances: to recruit, to suppress, or to use as bait—it all depended on how Cai Jingshen responded.
Wei Xian dared not say that Cui Dongshan would definitely outmatch those behind-the-scenes mountain-top figures.
But a single Cai Jingshen was certainly no match; he would only be toyed with by Cui Dongshan.
Hence Wei Xian's remark about birds and fish coveting bait.
Cui Dongshan shook his head. He extended two fingers together and wrote the same sixteen characters in the air.
"The tiger lowers its posture, about to strike. The cat shrinks its body, about to pounce."
Wei Xian frowned. "If Great Sui really tears up the covenant and goes all-in, do they intend to replace Great Li?"
Cui Dongshan laughed heartily, pointing at himself.
Wei Xian was taken aback, then cupped his fists. "National Teacher's deep foresight is beyond ordinary people's reach."
Cui Dongshan complained a little, "From now on, just call me Mr. Cui. Calling me National Teacher all the time makes me feel like you, the founding emperor of Nanyuan Kingdom, are taking advantage of me."
Wei Xian sighed. "My little Nanyuan was just a few prefectures the size of Great Li. Back then, a banished immortal left some fragmentary words, so I ordered Nanyuan's alchemists to go into the mountains and seek hermits, to go out to sea and visit immortals. But it's only by truly coming to Haoran Heaven that I can imagine the vastness of the real world."
Cui Dongshan smiled. "In the Central Earth Divine Continent, there's a very impressive scholar who once sighed about a millet in the sea and a mustard seed on land. If we get the chance later, I'll take you to meet him. Then you can make your 'frog at the bottom of a well' lament, which will be quite timely."
Cui Dongshan grabbed the armrests of the chair with both hands, rocking back and forth, causing the chair to "walk." He bounced along as if riding a horse, looking extremely comical.
But Wei Xian, having spent time with Cui Dongshan day and night, was already accustomed to it. In this regard, Wei Xian and Yu Lu were far quicker to adapt than Xie Xie.
Such was perhaps the breadth of mind of an emperor or crown prince.
Cui Dongshan said slowly, "I've already told you the answer. The people behind Great Sui and Great Li are both competing in hidden moves. The life or death of pawns like Cai Feng, or the defection of people like Cai Jingshen, won't make waves. So the reason I'm lingering in the prefectural capital instead of going to the capital's academy isn't as complicated as you think. My master dotes on Little Baoping the most. Mao Xiaodong can't keep anything to himself—he'll definitely tell Master about this dishonorable conspiracy in Great Sui. If I barge in right now, I'll certainly be scolded for shirking my duties."
"If I talk to Master about the grand affairs of state, that won't please him either. I might even lose my place as his student. But I still have to do what needs to be done. I can't exactly say, 'Master, rest assured, Baoping, Li Huai, and those kids will be fine.' Master's scholarship is becoming more and more complete now—from the order of original intentions, to the goodness or badness of ultimate goals, and the choice of paths along the way—he has a rough framework. My rather cold-blooded and mercantile rhetoric of accomplishments is a real struggle to deal with."
"So it's better for me to hide out here, make up for my mistakes, show some tangible results, help cut off some connections, and then go to the academy to accept punishment. Worst case, I get beaten up. That's better than letting Master develop a grudge. That would be the end of me. Once he decides you're up to no good, even the gods can't save you. Even if Old Scholar pleads for mercy, it might not work."
Wei Xian thought for a moment and was about to speak.
Cui Dongshan had already moved his chair to the window, his back to Wei Xian, waving his hand. "For now, you, Wei Xian, are not qualified to comment on the entanglement between me and my master. So listen more and talk less."
Cui Dongshan murmured to himself, "Prefect Wu Yuan of Longquan, Wei Li of Huangting Kingdom, Liu Qingfeng of Qingluan Kingdom, Grand Commander Wei Liang, and you, Wei Xian—all of you are good saplings selected by us... Of you, you and Wei Liang started at the highest point, but how far you go in the future depends on your own abilities. As for Wei Liang, he's a carefree cloud and crane, not really a chess piece in the true sense—more of a complementary path. But Wu Yuan and Liu Qingfeng were carefully cultivated by my master, while you and Wei Li were chosen by me. Later, the four of you will be the ones to spar on our behalf."
The talk was somewhat veiled, and Wei Xian silently committed it to memory.
Cui Dongshan suddenly slapped the armrest. "That idiot Shi Rou probably still doesn't know that the words on the folded paper inside the brocade pouch were my heartfelt advice, sincere and earnest, every word bleeding with tears—the most precious experience of a man who's been through it all. If I see her at the academy next time and there's been no improvement, watch how I'll deal with her! Hmph! Du Mao's immortal remains don't need to eat, drink, or excrete, so she can tolerate the disgust. When I get my hands on her, I'll make her eat, drink, and take baths all at once—do it all over again! And I'll make her know what a real man is!"
Wei Xian took his leave.
Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeve, dispelling the golden-ringed thunder pool barrier.
Wei Xian felt genuine admiration and awe for this man.
Admiration, because Great Li had reached its current momentum—from a vassal state of Lu's dynasty to this scale in less than a hundred years—through "creating something from nothing."
But that alone was not enough to make Wei Xian feel awe toward National Teacher Cui Chan. This man, even while conquering the realm, was already racking his brains over how to govern it.
Wei Xian felt this was true chess-playing.
After Wei Xian left, Cui Dongshan flicked his wrist, summoning the wine jar from the table into his hand, and took small sips.
During his tumultuous travels, he had seen too many people and events, read even more books, and witnessed countless landscapes.
In that heart-stopping conflict between the "Three" and the "Four" back then, there was an obscure civil official, insignificant in life or death, who had uttered a sentence that probably no one else remembered. Yet it had always moved Cui Chan, and he remembered it to this day.
"Heaven and Earth bestow life; all born must die. Grass and trees have their springs and autumns; all flourishing must wither—this is the Heavenly Principle! You cultivators who disregard laws, treat human lives as grass, and view the common people as ants—you mountain-top immortals—how are you any different from the demon race?!"
Cui Dongshan twisted the wine jar between two fingers, slumping back in his chair, muttering to himself in a voice faint as a mosquito's buzz, fragmentary: "I was once the banished immortal, drinking the celestial brew from the Heavenly Court's springs, descending to White Emperor City's multicolored cloud scores... I looked upon the iron-faced waves, yet never found ease... Penniless, dining on clouds and drinking dew, the cool wind a full meal. Lighting lanterns and serving wine, I could withstand the aura of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning... Master, drunk, shook his head, raised his empty cup, and asked which came first, Heavenly principle or human heart. The boy had no answer, hung his head and slept, but heard only the insects chirping on all four walls, harmonizing with Master's smacking lips... Master took off his coat and covered the boy with it. He stumbled, fell inside the broken hut, slept on the floor, snored like thunder—a thousand years of human dreams..."
Cui Dongshan suddenly scratched his cheek. "That's boring. Let's switch. Switch to what? Hmm, got it!"
He began to hum a nameless rustic folk tune: "One frog, one mouth. Two frogs, four legs. Splish-splash, jump in the water. The frog doesn't drink water, peaceful year. The frog doesn't drink water, peaceful year..."
---
At the Cai family mansion in the capital.
Carriages and horses arrived silently; honored guests gathered, worthies assembled.
Cai Feng, the second-place scholar now serving in the Imperial Academy, was already considered a standout.
Yet tonight, among the seven or eight people, Cai Feng was the lowest-ranking official.
Left Vice Minister of Rites Guo Xin, Right Vice Minister of War Tao Jiu, General Miao Ren of the Dragon Ox Guard (descendant of meritorious officials), Deputy Commander of the Capital's Infantry Office Song Shan...
Most were young and middle-aged officials of Great Sui's capital, not old in years. The oldest, like Tao Jiu, was only forty-five.
Cai Feng was a tall, handsome young man with an imposing bearing. Even facing these high officials, he did not lose his presence.
This was both confidence in his own learning and related to the surname of this mansion. The old ancestor of the Cai family, Cai Jingshen, no matter how much he had become a laughingstock, was still an old Nascent Soul immortal who had protected Great Sui's capital for many years.
The group, either sipping tea or drinking wine, had already completed their plotting. It was highly possible that the future direction of Great Sui, perhaps even the entire future of Vase Bottle Continent, would be decided tonight in this Cai mansion.
Half a month later, the Emperor would host the Thousand Elderly Banquet. Before and after that, they could act!
Cai Feng stood up and declared loudly, "Diligently reading the books of the sages, to complete the mountains and rivers, to ensure the people are not humiliated, to protect the imperial surname from being overridden by foreign surnames—we scholars, sacrificing ourselves for righteousness, the time is now!"
Another man, the newly crowned Number One Scholar still in the Hanlin Academy, suddenly stood up, threw his wine cup to the ground, shattering it, and said solemnly, "A son has no two fathers; a subject has no two lords. Better to be a shattered gem than an intact tile! Among the thirty-six generals who founded Great Sui, more than half were Confucian scholars!"
The atmosphere was heated, passions high.
Someone raised his arm and shouted, "Swear to kill the demon writer Mao Xiaodong!"
Someone else wept, slapping the armrest again and again, "How can Great Sui bow and scrape to those barbarians of Song, cede territory and seek peace, suffer defeat without a fight—an utter disgrace!"
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Cai Feng did not see anyone off; that would be too conspicuous.
Although Song Shan had arranged everything, clearing the night curfew near the Cai mansion—all his trusted officers and soldiers—it was still better to be cautious.
Cai Feng stayed alone in the desolate banquet hall, the scent of wine still lingering in the air.
Cai Feng's eyes burned with fervor.
To turn the tide and save the day—who else but Cai Feng?!
Miao Ren and the newly titled Number One Scholar, Zhang Dai, rode away in the same carriage.
The two sat facing each other in the carriage.
Miao Ren looked at the composed young man, feeling some self-mockery. He, a seasoned general, was less composed than a young man not yet twenty. Truly worthy of the reputation of a prime ministerial caliber. Along with Li Changying, the future gentleman of Shanya Academy, Chu Dong of Nanxi, and Cai Feng, these four were known as the Four Spirits of the capital—the cream of Great Sui's younger generation. Additionally, there were the Four Champions, including Pan Yuanchun, son of the late General Pan Maozhen. But those were all military offspring; after the youngest, Pan Yuanchun, left the academy to join the border forces, the Four Champions were all in the army.
These Four Spirits and Four Champions totaled eight people. Among them were descendants of powerful clans and meritorious families—like Chu Dong and Pan Yuanchun, four in total. And four who had risen from humble origins, such as Zhang Dai and Li Changying.
Miao Ren knew that among those swept into this conspiracy, as many as three were these promising, inevitably successful young men.
Therefore, Miao Ren believed that all the spirits of Great Sui would bless them to succeed.
Miao Ren lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside. The night was deep; dawn was still far away.
---
On the way back, Chen Ping'an was still mulling over what Lin Shouyi had told him. But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure out what he had done to deserve Lin Shouyi's heartfelt gratitude.
If it were Li Baoping and Li Huai constantly thinking about it, Chen Ping'an wouldn't be surprised—they were young, after all.
But Lin Shouyi was different. Probably due to his sensitive background, he had always been delicate-minded, very opinionated, and had lofty ambitions. So it wasn't surprising to Chen Ping'an that Lin Shouyi had embarked on the path of cultivation early in his studies.
Zhu Lian, with his keen intuition, did not return directly to their inn but followed Chen Ping'an into the room and asked softly, "Trouble?"
The nominal master and servant, after successive fierce battles and desperate fights, had developed a tacit understanding.
Chen Ping'an did not hide anything from Zhu Lian. After pouring two bowls of wine, he nodded. "Academy Head Mao told me that someone in Great Sui's capital is planning to target academy students during the critical period of the Emperor's Thousand Elderly Banquet. With Great Li's envoys attending the event, if something happens to the academy, it could stir up public anger in both countries, breaking the delicate balance and possibly igniting border war. Over the past two years, public sentiment in Great Sui—from humiliated civil and military officials to indignant literati and the puzzled common people—has been brewing a simmering rage against the Emperor of Gao for groveling to what they see as barbaric Great Li. Just give them a trigger, and..."
Zhu Lian interjected, "A single spark can start a prairie fire, and there will be no turning back for Great Sui. Even the Gao Emperor will be forced to tear up the mountain-water covenant."
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "These court matters—'seeking benevolence, one gets it without resentment'—I understand. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't meddle. 'Not in that position, not seeking its governance' is the same principle as us wanderers bearing our own fates in the martial world. But it involves Baoping and the others…"
Chen Ping'an drained the bowl of wine in one gulp and fell silent.
Zhu Lian was slightly surprised.
Such strong killing intent.
A fierce aura roiled within the lake of his heart.
Zhu Lian wanted to speak but hesitated.
Chen Ping'an's expression remained calm. "I know."
He poured another bowl of wine. "The more I practice the sword, the more I'm influenced by Sword Immortal Wei Jin's night-splitting sword slash back then, and Zuo You's great massacre at Jiaolong Trench. I'm a timid person; I dare not act on impulse. But after being severely wounded by Du Mao's Swallowing Sword Boat piercing my abdomen, and later encountering my enemy Li Baozhen, I've come to realize more clearly that something is wrong with my state of mind. It might even be closely related to the breaking of my Destiny Porcelain way back. In short, it's very troublesome."
Zhu Lian asked worriedly, "Then how will the young master handle this? It seems to involve a knot in the heart… or perhaps a demon in the heart of a cultivator?"
Chen Ping'an raised his wine bowl and clinked it with Zhu Lian's, smiling. "Read more books."
Seeing Zhu Lian's incredulous expression, Chen Ping'an said wryly, "I'm not joking."
Zhu Lian took a sip of wine and shook his head.
If that wasn't a joke, then what was?
Chen Ping'an said softly, "Before I arrived at Donghua Mountain Academy, I had already started to read deeply and carefully the books of the sages. Why did I go to read Legalist texts in Qingluan Kingdom? Because I found that reading only Confucian texts didn't fully align with some indefinable aspect of my original heart. The effect wasn't great. So, on Cui Dongshan's advice, I wanted to cross-verify Confucian moral essays with Legalist fundamental teachings. Looking back, it has been somewhat useful. When I reached the academy and saw Mao Xiaodong's waist ruler, saw the inscribed words on it, I suddenly saw the light. I felt I was on the right path. But earlier, I was groping in the dark, acting on intuition, not knowing where I was headed. I'm most afraid of that kind of... "
Chen Ping'an began to search for the right words.
Zhu Lian ventured, "'Drawing my sword, I look around, my heart bewildered.'"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Something like that. As long as I can see someone standing in the distance or up high—no matter how far or how high—I'm not afraid."
Chen Ping'an used his finger to write on the table, slowly. "The sage said: 'Follow the heart's desire without overstepping the bounds.' That's the cure."
Zhu Lian held his wine bowl, unsure whether to drink or not.
Chen Ping'an laughed loudly. "Do you need a reason to drink? Cheers!"
The two drained their bowls.
Chen Ping'an thought that if martial arts practice benefits from life-and-death battles, then as a Qi refiner, he could use this to temper his mind, find joy in hardship, and treat it as a beheading platform for cultivation. Why not?
Just like back in Chengtian Kingdom's Zhongyue, on the flying ship, when Zhu Lian threw a punch at Pei Qian, and Pei Qian dodged it.
Shi Rou was not a pure martial artist and didn't know the wonder of Pei Qian using "instinct" to break through and dodge a fourth-realm punch.
Similarly, Zhu Lian was not a cultivator and didn't understand the terror with which earth immortals viewed inner demons, so he couldn't comprehend how high Chen Ping'an's sought-after realm was.
After drinking, Zhu Lian began his habitual calculations. "According to Shi Rou, last time on the wall of Lion Garden, the young master almost came to blows with that woman Liu Boqi of Shi Fang. You nearly drew the long sword on your back. But Shi Rou was behind you and noticed that even just gripping the hilt burned your palm. Afterwards, you had to hide your hand in your sleeve so Liu Boqi wouldn't discover the truth?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I can't help it. A semi-immortal weapon is that difficult to handle."
Zhu Lian looked puzzled.
Regarding the battle between the Lotus Flower Paradise and Ding Ying, Chen Ping'an had spoken in detail before—it was a post-game review between master and servant.
Chen Ping'an explained, "Earlier, I told you about that sword 'Long Qi.' Although its rank was higher, the old Sword Immortal had broken through most of its restrictions. Otherwise, I would never have been able to draw it in the first place. The Fu family of Old Dragon City gave me 'Sword Immortal' as compensation. On one hand, they were just watching the drama—they knew that giving it to me meant that for a long time, the so-called semi-immortal weapon would be a chicken rib. On the other hand, it was within the rules: they unlocked all its restrictions, meaning this immortal sword was like a house with the front door key gone. In my hands, I could use it; if it fell into someone else's hands, they could also enter and leave freely. It was actually a malicious act."
Chen Ping'an reached out and grabbed the immortal sword from the bed. "I've been using the Minor Refinement Method to unravel those secret restrictions thread by thread. Progress is slow. I'll probably need to reach the seventh realm of martial arts to break all the restrictions and wield it freely, like an extension of my arm. Drawing it now would be like killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of my own. Best not to use it unless absolutely necessary."
Zhu Lian understood, took a sip of wine, and then said slowly, "Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, Xie Xie. All five are from Great Li. Assassinating Yu Lu would be meaningless. Xie Xie has already revealed his identity as a remnant of the Lu Dynasty; although he was a cultivation genius from the Lu clan's number one immortal mansion, that identity makes him insignificant. The first three all come from Lizhu Cave Heaven and were the direct disciples carefully taught by Master Qi. Among them, Li Baoping and Li Huai have the best backgrounds: one's clan elder is already a Great Li enshrined Nascent Soul; the other's father is a Grandmaster of the Stopping Realm. If anything happens to either, Great Li will not let it go—one because they won't allow it, the other because they dare not."
Chen Ping'an hadn't told Zhu Lian about Li Xisheng, so Zhu Lian attributed the "dare not" to Li Huai, whose father was Li Er.
Back in the day, at Niping Lane, Li Xisheng, a sixth-realm Qi refiner, had faced a ninth-realm sword cultivator who was an innate Sword Embryo, defending flawlessly and not losing ground.
Later, on the bamboo tower of Luopo Mountain, when he drew talismans, each stroke weighed ten thousand jun, causing the entire Luopo Mountain to sink.
But none of that mattered to Chen Ping'an.
Li Baoping's safety mattered most.
Chen Ping'an poured another bowl of wine for Zhu Lian. "Why do I feel like you've never had a peaceful day since following me?"
Zhu Lian took a big gulp, wiped his mouth, and laughed. "If the young master had entered Lotus Flower Paradise earlier and seen this old servant in his heyday, you wouldn't say that. Life and death have always been decided in the blink of an eye."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "My victory over Ding Ying back then was partly because he was too arrogant. If I had faced someone as unconcerned with martial arts decorum as you, I'd probably be dead."
Zhu Lian quickly finished his wine and held out his bowl with a fawning smile. "For that one sentence from the young master, this old servant deserves an extra bowl of punishment wine."
Chen Ping'an actually poured Zhu Lian another bowl, feeling sentimental. "I hope that in ten years or a hundred years, you and I can often have such drinking sessions."
Zhu Lian grinned. "What's so hard about that?"
Chen Ping'an had drunk a lot tonight, far more than usual.
After the two parted, Chen Ping'an went to Mao Xiaodong's study. No matter how detailed the discussion on refining his lifebound object, it couldn't be too thorough.
In the night.
Chen Ping'an walked alone.
---
Before lights out in the dormitory.
Pei Qian said sheepishly, "Baoping-jie, I have kind of bad sleeping posture."
Li Baoping thought for a moment, then went to the small mountain of copied books occupying one bed and moved them to pile on top of the other small mountain of books.
The two lay in their own bedding. Li Baoping laid straight, said "sleep," and in an instant was fast asleep.
Pei Qian tossed and turned carefully, only dozing off very late.
When she woke up the next morning, she found herself wrapped like a dumpling in a warm quilt, the corners neatly tucked. She turned her head and saw Li Baoping's quilt was folded as neatly as a tofu block cut with a knife. Pei Qian thought of her own casual way of folding quilts—just a big jumble—and felt a bit guilty. So she comfortably went back to sleep. With her energy restored, she could continue to fool that dull Li Huai and the two even dumber ones today.
As for arm-wrestling with Li Baoping, Pei Qian felt she would wait until she was as big as Li Baoping before talking about it. Anyway, she was younger; losing to Li Baoping wasn't shameful.
Next year she'd be twelve, Li Baoping thirteen—still a year older. Pei Qian didn't care. Next year and next year, so many next years; that was fine.
Li Baoping got up early and went straight to find Chen Ping'an. The inn was empty, so she ran to Academy Head Mao's courtyard.
She waited at the gate.
Mao Xiaodong, as the Confucian sage overseeing the academy, could see everything within it if he wished. So he had to tell Chen Ping'an that Li Baoping was waiting outside.
Chen Ping'an left the study and went to bring Li Baoping back. On the way, he said that visiting the Great Sui capital would have to wait until another day.
When Li Baoping learned that Chen Ping'an would be at the academy for at least a month, she wasn't in a rush. She thought she'd take Pei Qian to visit some places she hadn't been yet. But Chen Ping'an suggested that today she should first take Pei Qian to see the entire academy—the Master's Hall, the Library Tower, the Flying Bird Pavilion, and other famous Donghua Mountain sites. Li Baoping thought that was a good idea. Before even reaching the study, she ran off, saying she had to have breakfast with Pei Qian.
Mao Xiaodong laughed. "Both worried about them going out and encountering assassins, and reluctant to disappoint Li Baoping. Troublesome, isn't it?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'm very torn."
Mao Xiaodong asked, "Aren't you going to ask whether I know which powerful clans and nobles in Great Sui are plotting this?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Even this academy is still on Great Sui's soil."
"The priority now is your refining of the lifebound object."
Mao Xiaodong waved his hand. "Cui Dongshan talks a lot of crap, but he did say one decent thing: our academy's foundation—our lives, our reputations, and our scholarship—rests on a single word: 'action'."
Mao Xiaodong stood up and paced slowly. "Buddhism says that by letting go of attachments, one's sufferings in this life no longer feel like suffering—a great freedom. Daoism pursues purity and tranquility; suffering is like a flying boat crossing the void, avoiding the human world early—a true unfetteredness. But we Confucians face difficulties head-on. In this life, we neither flee nor avoid suffering. On the path, one sacred book after another is like a lantern to show the way."
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but say softly, "Though thousands stand against me, I go."
Mao Xiaodong stopped, deeply agreeing, and sighed. "That is exactly the principle!"
---
In just two hours, Li Baoping had taken Pei Qian on a full tour of the academy. If she hadn't needed to patiently explain things, she could have done it in one hour.
Finally, Li Baoping took her to the towering tree at the peak of East Mountain. They climbed up the branches one after another, looking far into the distance. Li Baoping pointed out various places in the Great Sui capital—where the fun places and good food were—reciting them as if they were part of her own courtyard. Her bearing made it seem like the entire capital was her family's garden.
Pei Qian shot a glance at Li Baoping.
She could imagine Baoping-jie, in her red ruqun or red padded jacket, standing here over the years, waiting for Little Master Uncle.
The two sat on a branch. Li Baoping took out a red handkerchief, opened it to reveal two soft pastries. They each ate one.
Pei Qian said she could explore on her own in the afternoon.
Li Baoping agreed, saying that in the afternoon, an old scholar from outside the academy—very famous, and reportedly even more famous for his big mouth—was coming to give a lecture. He was a master of exegesis on a Confucian classic. Since Little Master Uncle was busy today and they didn't need to go to the capital, she wanted to listen and see if that old scholar from the distant south was really as learned as people said.
Pei Qian, who didn't even know what exegesis was, asked timidly, "Baoping-jie, can you understand it?"
Li Baoping nodded and shook her head at the same time. "Actually, the books I've copied all talk about it. But I have many questions I can't figure out. The academy teachers either tell me not to aim too high—saying that only someone like Li Changying in the academy would be qualified to ask such questions, and that even if they explained now, I wouldn't understand. But I don't really get it: how do they know I won't understand without even trying? Forget it, they're teachers, so I can't say that. I can only let those words churn in my belly. Or some teachers just talk around the subject. None of them are like Master Qi, who always gave me an answer. And not like Little Master Uncle, who tells me what he knows and frankly says he doesn't know what he doesn't. So I like to go outside the academy often. You probably don't know, but the first academy head of our school—the one who taught me, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi the basics—Master Qi—said that all learning must ultimately fall on the word 'action.' How to interpret 'action'? Two layers: one is to travel ten thousand miles and broaden your horizons; the other is to integrate and apply what you've learned to cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world. I'm still young, so I can only do more running around."
While saying this, Pei Qian noticed that Li Baoping rarely frowned a little.
Pei Qian sincerely sighed, "Baoping-jie, you really think a lot."
Seeing that Pei Qian still hadn't finished her pastry, nibbling it like a mouse eating corn, Li Baoping smiled and patted her shoulder. "Little Master Uncle thinks even more."
Li Baoping swung her feet, speaking seriously. "Cui Dongshan once said that one day, my Little Master Uncle would meet the girl he likes most, and I would only be second in his heart. Maybe someday I'll meet someone I like even more, and Little Master Uncle will become second in my heart. I think Cui Dongshan is talking nonsense. I don't mind if Little Master Uncle has a girl he likes, but how could I ever like someone more than Little Master Uncle? Right, Pei Qian?"
Pei Qian quickly nodded.
Li Baoping was very satisfied with Pei Qian's attitude. She patted her shoulder again and said earnestly, "When you travel the martial world with Little Master Uncle in the future, you must keep improving and be more sensible. It's okay to be mischievous, but not always. Don't make Little Master Uncle worry and work hard. My Little Master Uncle—your master—didn't fall from the sky. He has worries too, and sorrows that require wine to drown. So you need to be more sensible. Can you do that? Back then, Little Master Uncle didn't even drink. Now he does. That shows that you, as his first disciple, haven't done well enough in some aspects, right?"
Pei Qian nodded again, convinced.
On the topic of lending Li Baoping the silver gourd and the narrow knife Xiangfu, Chen Ping'an had said something similar to what he had told Zhong Kui.
At that moment, Pei Qian admitted that there was a reason Li Baoping called Chen Ping'an Little Master Uncle.
The two slid down the big tree one after another.
Li Baoping ran off to listen to the out-of-town scholar's lecture. Among the group of old teachers and young academy students, Li Baoping was undoubtedly the youngest, and her patch of red was extremely conspicuous.
Pei Qian timed it to the end of Li Huai and the others' classes and went to their dormitory.
The three were still together.
Liu Guan asked, "Ma Lian, tell me: if someone in your family is an official and receives an imperial edict, is it really as particular about how it's displayed as Pei Qian said? All those rules?"
Ma Lian nodded vigorously. "A few small differences, but generally it was just as she described."
"And she said the canopy bed she slept on when she was little was really that big, and could hold so much junk?"
Ma Lian nodded again. "Right! My sister has one!"
Liu Guan sighed. "Alright, she really is a royal princess! So next time we see her, how should we bow? Is a deep bow enough? Or do we have to kneel and kowtow?"
Ma Lian looked troubled. "The Emperor and princes and princesses have been to my house, but I was too young then—I don't remember at all."
Li Huai said cheerfully, "So what if she's a princess? She's still Chen Ping'an's disciple. It's fine. When you see her, just treat her like me—think of it as a chance encounter in the martial world. Equal footing, a cupped-fist salute."
Liu Guan nodded. "That's good. Since she says she's a martial wanderer, we don't have to lower ourselves."
At the door, they saw Pei Qian.
The three of them together cupped their fists.
Pei Qian raised an eyebrow and returned the gesture.
They entered the dormitory.
Soon, Pei Qian began to vividly describe a martial world conflict.
A group of ignorant road bandits jumped out from both sides of the grass. Dozens of burly men with a full arsenal of weapons: knives, spears, clubs, staves.
At the head was a man wielding a massive battle-axe. He raised his arm, pointing the blade at my master, and bellowed like a thunderclap: 'This road was opened by me. If you want to pass, leave your money for your life!' Put yourselves in that situation—tell me, would you be scared?"
Ma Lian nodded.
Liu Guan chuckled. "Anyway, with your master protecting you, what's a bunch of mountain bandits to fear?"
Pei Qian crossed her arms and shot Liu Guan a look. "My master just asked: 'And if I don't pay, what then?' You have no idea what my master was like at that moment—such a grand chivalrous demeanor. The mountain wind blew; even though my master hadn't moved a step, he already had the bearing of a grandmaster who could 'take the enemy general's head from amidst ten thousand troops as easily as picking something from a pocket.' As for those countless bandits, they were mere 'mud chickens and pottery dogs, selling their heads at the market gate!'"
Internally, Pei Qian admired herself for having read all those martial arts and battlefield novels. Now it paid off.
Liu Guan couldn't wait. "We've already heard a lot about your master's prowess—unmatched fists, invincible swordplay. He's both a sword immortal and a martial arts grandmaster. I know all that. What I want to know is how things developed next. Was it a bloody battle?"
Pei Qian glared. "Do you think the martial world is just about crude, rough fighting and killing? Whether they're outlaws of the greenwood or gentlemen of the rooftops, regardless of their cultivation level, they're all living people! And no one is stupid!"
Liu Guan, having been scolded, for once didn't talk back.
Pei Qian jumped off the stool and walked to one side. "That chief bandit flew into a rage. He hefted his huge axe—weighing seventy or eighty catties—and snarled, 'Kid, are you tired of living? Do you not want to live anymore?'"
Pei Qian trotted a few steps, then turned around. "My master just calmly said one word: 'I do.' In that instant, the wind and clouds shifted. The bandits clamored and roared, full of menace."
Liu Guan and Ma Lian listened with rapt attention.
Li Huai was cracking melon seeds.
He had seen great sights with Chen Ping'an—even dealt with a bride ghost. A piddling group of bandits was nothing in his eyes.
Pei Qian ran forward again, put on a ferocious face, and turned. "That bastard said harshly, 'Good kid, do you know how to write the character for death?'"
Pei Qian ran back along the same path. "My master said two more words: 'I do.'"
Then Pei Qian immediately used her finger as a brush, drawing the character for 'death' in the air. She turned to the three: "I made this gesture right then. How was it?"
Ma Lian's expression was blank.
Liu Guan clapped in approval.
Pei Qian walked to the table. Ma Lian had prepared tea earlier. She took a sip to moisten her throat, then continued. "Those bandits were so angry they howled, beat their chests, and stomped their feet like war drums. The leader roared to the sky, his eyes bulging bigger than copper bells. He gave orders to his underlings: 'Brothers, grab your weapons! Kill this pretentious bastard! Especially that girl with the knife and sword on her waist—don't be fooled by her age, she looks like a seasoned wanderer, cultivation unfathomable, not to be underestimated...'"
Pei Qian suddenly stopped her "storytelling."
A warm hand had landed on her head.
Pei Qian turned around, smiling awkwardly. "Master, you're here. I was telling Li Huai and them..."
She had intended to confess that she was talking nonsense.
But Chen Ping'an had already smiled. "Alright, Li Huai and the others are still academy students. Don't talk too much about these martial world matters. If possible, when they later travel with their studies, you can go with them and recount these things in detail."
Pei Qian hummed heavily, overjoyed.
Chen Ping'an told Li Huai to go eat with his friends first and to come find him at the inn later. He then took Pei Qian to find Li Baoping.
On the way, Chen Ping'an whispered, "If you ever really get the chance to travel with Li Huai and the others, remember this: you must clearly tell them how much martial arts you really have and how deep your experience of the martial world really is. Don't just brag and take on too much responsibility, making them think the martial world is nothing special. That could easily lead to trouble. Got it?"
Pei Qian nodded. "Got it!"
Chen Ping'an said seriously, "Keep it in your heart."
Pei Qian grinned. "I'll carve it on a bamboo slip word for word when I get back!"
Walking along a quiet path in the academy, Chen Ping'an felt something and said softly, "Why do we walk the martial world? It's not just to chase beautiful scenery, or to practice boxing to make ourselves stronger. It's also to see martial wanderers who are better than ourselves."
"Take your master, for example. On the boat at Dajiao Mountain, I saw a hungry Zhang Shanfeng; I saw Xu Yuanxia, bursting with chivalry, charging into a haunted mansion; at a dilapidated ancient temple, I met the old Sword Saint of Shushui Kingdom; I met that seemingly terrifying but loving couple of ghosts and spirits; Fan Er of Old Dragon City; Liu Youzhou of Inverted Mountain's Yuanrou Mansion... Your master sometimes feels shame, admiration, envy, and even a little jealousy."
Pei Qian was surprised. "Master feels that way too?"
Chen Ping'an rubbed her little head. "What did you think? Your master has the seven emotions and six desires too, and plenty of bad habits. There are never few people who don't like or don't think highly of your master. But when you see better people, you can't just look at them for nothing. You must look up to them like a mountain. Even if you can't reach them, your heart should yearn for them..."
Pei Qian's steps grew slower and slower.
After walking a dozen paces, Chen Ping'an turned and saw the little charcoal stick standing still. He asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Pei Qian laughed. "Baoping-jie said her Little Master Uncle didn't fall from the sky. But I think Master fell from the sky back then."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Go tell that to your Baoping-jie if you've got the guts?"
Pei Qian ran quickly toward Chen Ping'an. "I'm not stupid!"
Earlier, looking at her master's back, Pei Qian had suddenly felt a touch of sadness.
Traveling through the mountains and rivers on their long journey, they had once encountered a pile of fallen stones on a rain-soaked, muddy official road.
Pei Qian thought they could just go around them.
But Master had stopped in the heavy rain and moved the stones one by one off the road.
In the pitch-black rain, the figure in white robes was busy, busy.
They had also stopped by a wooden bridge on the Tea Horse Road that had long needed repair. Master silly stood there for a long time staring at the bridge. Then he went alone into the deep mountains, cut down large trees, and carried them back. He split them into planks, swapped the hatchet for a hammer, and went ding-dong, ding-dong, mending the bridge.