Chapter 438: Hearts Like Water Flow to Low Places

Chapter 438: Hearts Like Water Flow to Low Places

During the deep winter season, the lake spread vast and gray, the chill penetrating to the bone.

Gu Can had been unconscious for three days and three nights. Every day, Chen Ping'an would go sit by his sickbed for a while, breathing in the thick medicinal aroma.

Just like before, when Gu Can and the little loach would go to the house outside the mountain gate and bask in the sun.

Inside the room, Chen Ping'an would occasionally get up and sit at the head of the bed, checking Gu Can's pulse. Having been ill for so long that he'd become something of a physician himself, Chen Ping'an was no complete layman. He could tell whether the injuries were worsening or healing. The miraculous elixir that Liu Zhimao had sent via Tian Hujun was remarkably effective, most likely a rare pill similar to those Lu Yong of Green Tiger Palace specially refined for earthly immortals.

That day, Gu Can woke up and saw Chen Ping'an sitting in that chair. Gu Can grinned, but soon fell back asleep, his breathing already much steadier.

After Chen Ping'an left Chunting Manor, the woman hesitated for a moment, then asked the old steward, a Dragon Gate realm cultivator, to go invite Liu Zhimao, saying she had matters to discuss.

The woman sat by the bedside, gently holding Gu Can's still somewhat hot hand, on the verge of tears.

Her mind wandered a thousand miles, and finally she let out a soft sigh.

Fortunately, Can Can's life was no longer in danger. It was just a pity that they had missed the "Immortal's Meal" that Chunting Manor had so carefully prepared.

For cultivators, eating was extremely particular. Among the Hundred Schools, the Medicine School had made great contributions in this regard. The common saying that food is the paramount necessity of the people applied just as well to cultivators as mountain dwellers.

Using the twenty-four solar terms of the year as major nodes, there was a complete and very refined system of seasonal medicinal tonics. These could benefit a cultivator's physical body and spiritual soul. For cultivators, medicinal tonics were similar to the food tonics of wealthy households.

Of course, to maintain the cycle and enhance cultivation, one needed to do it day after day, year after year. So one had to be wealthy, very wealthy.

Soon, a determined look returned to the woman's eyes.

A woman's resilience in the face of life's hardships, a mother's persistence in worrying about her son's future, a widow's shrewdness in having to account for every copper coin—these were like the bricks and tiles that had pieced together the ancestral home on Mud Vase Alley, sheltering the mother and son who depended on each other from wind and rain.

She walked softly, stepping over the threshold. Outside the door, a young maidservant with an open-fronted dress wanted to help close the door, but the woman shot her a glare, and she quickly withdrew her hand. The woman gently closed the door herself.

In a magnificently appointed guest hall of Chunting Manor, the woman met with the recently arrived River-Severing True Lord, now the sovereign of Shujian Lake's jianghu.

The transcendent immortal who had once led the mother and son out of Mud Vase Alley, Liu Zhimao.

Looking at the woman before him—from a seductive village woman still carrying the rustic flavor of the countryside, step by step transforming into the current female master of Chunting Manor on Qingxia Island—three years had passed, and her beauty had not diminished; on the contrary, it had gained much in wealth and nobility. Her skin was like a young girl's. Liu Zhimao also knew that she loved it when the manor's maidservants said she was now more noble and elegant than the titled ladies of Stone Hao Kingdom. Liu Zhimao took a cup of hot tea carefully handed to him by the manor's steward, gently swirling the lid. He rather regretted it—if he had taken her by force back then, things might not have come to this pass today, where a master was instead wary of his own disciple.

Because once the woman was subdued by him, Liu Zhimao, she would have countless reasons and excuses to fully convince herself.

Perhaps then he could have used her to better control Gu Can.

As long as he continuously brought her wealth and honor, she would cling to it with all her might, hold it tightly in her grasp, guard this family estate, and think only of leaving it all to her son in the future.

That would have made the best ally on Qingxia Island.

Not like now, where her appetite was growing ever larger. Living in Chunting Manor, which was already no less than a prince's mansion, she now stared covetously at his Hengbo Manor. From initially fawning over Tian Hujun and trying to read his thoughts, she had now become superficially cordial but with an underlying air of ordering others about. Not only that, but this once-vulgar village woman had even started reading books, and furthermore, she had begun to dabble in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, asking several young maidservants from noble families to teach her high-society etiquette and complicated formalities.

Liu Zhimao found it amusing to watch. Truly a fascinating woman.

But that hint of regret in his heart came and went quickly.

Liu Zhimao asked with a smile, "Madam, you wanted to discuss something with me?"

The woman nodded. "I want to confirm one thing with the True Lord. Why did Chen Ping'an come to our Qingxia Island this time? Is it really not to snatch that little loach back from Can Can? Also, the little loach said that Chen Ping'an gave you a jade token back then. What exactly is its origin?"

Liu Zhimao didn't drink the tea. He gently set the lid aside. The tea in the cup sent up a wisp of fragrant steam. He smiled. "So it's about these things. I thought you were going to call me to account, asking why I, Gu Can's master, didn't step forward to protect my disciple."

The woman said, "Let's not discuss that. I believe the True Lord must have had difficulties he couldn't voice, so I certainly won't bear any grudge. I can even guarantee that I'll speak some words of conscience on the True Lord's behalf to Can Can. Otherwise, wouldn't we be letting the wolves and tigers lurking all around take advantage?"

Liu Zhimao gave a knowing smile. Who said women had long hair but short knowledge?

Liu Zhimao nodded. "That jade token has a significant origin. I'm not at liberty to reveal the heavenly secrets. As for Chen Ping'an's purpose in coming to Shujian Lake, it's truly hard to guess. To be honest, I've been puzzled myself. Ever since he became our Qingxia Island's accountant, I've understood even less. But I believe Chen Ping'an means no harm to Gu Can."

The woman frowned slightly, seeming a bit puzzled. She felt that today Liu Zhimao was being too evasive. In the past, when discussing secret matters with him, he had never been so hesitant. Could it be that after scheming to become the lord of Shujian Lake, he hadn't enjoyed it for a few days before Liu Laocheng's disturbance on Qingxia Island scared the wits out of him? After great joy and great sorrow, had he lost his composure? Could it be that Liu Zhimao, a scheming hegemon, actually had a weaker temperament than her, a mere woman?

Liu Zhimao narrowed his eyes and smiled. "You know Chen Ping'an's temperament better than I do, Madam. He cherishes old bonds. Toward Gu Can, whom he watched grow up, he is wholeheartedly devoted, wishing he could give him all the good things. But times have changed. After leaving that Mud Vase Alley covered in chicken and dog droppings, people change. Chen Ping'an has probably joined the Confucian school, so he likes to reason. But that might not suit Shujian Lake. That's why he slapped Gu Can twice at Pond Water City. In my view, it's precisely because he truly cares about Gu Can and remembers his goodness that he did it. For an ordinary person, seeing a friend or relative rise to power, they'd only be overjoyed and ignore everything else. For example, if it were Lü Caisang, he would see Gu Can's wealth as ability, and his hardened fists as a good thing."

The woman curled her lip.

Liu Zhimao sighed. "That said, Chen Ping'an's thinking isn't wrong. It's just that he doesn't understand Shujian Lake. He doesn't know how dangerous our jianghu is here. Luckily, after spending some time here, he seems to have finally learned some of the rules of Shujian Lake, so he no longer interferes with Gu Can. Madam, let's reverse the logic. Clearly, for someone like Chen Ping'an, appealing to emotions works better than anything else. It depends on the person and the circumstances."

The woman was thoughtful. She felt that what Liu Zhimao said just now was fairly reasonable. Before that, it had all been empty pleasantries.

No wonder he was the one who never lost an argument back in that town. She understood things once they were pointed out.

She felt a pang of regret. According to Liu Zhimao's reasoning, that night—from seeing Chen Ping'an carrying Gu Can back to Chunting Manor, to his eventual departure from the room—she had indeed handled things poorly.

If she had known what Liu Zhimao was saying now, she would never have acted or spoken so wrongly on that occasion.

In the past two years, whenever she had free time, she liked to have the maidservants nearby, massaging her shoulders, tapping her back, fanning her to cool her, or holding the brazier to warm her. Along with that, she would invariably have a maidservant—said to be the daughter of a Ministry of Rites vice minister—read aloud various books. She had also listened to those grand principles extolled by scholar-officials and refined men of letters, but she just didn't like hearing them. However, some anecdotes often inspired her greatly. For instance, she heard about a man whose house caught fire. When asked, he first inquired if anyone was hurt, not about the losses. This man instantly became famous as a benevolent gentleman among scholars. What she learned was that she too could use such methods if given the chance. That was the highest art of winning people's hearts. Then there were those meritorious generals who, in their high positions, were willing to suck pus from their soldiers' wounds, after which the entire army was willing to die for them. Things like that gave her her own insights.

The woman wished she could slap herself. What Liu Zhimao said was exactly the principle from those books. She knew it, had remembered it in her heart, but when the moment came, she hadn't acted on it!

Liu Zhimao noticed the woman's unusual expression and asked, "Madam, what's wrong?"

The woman forced a smile. "Nothing. Then may I ask the True Lord, how should we proceed in our words and actions from now on? Will that Liu Laocheng of Gongliu Island still attack our Qingxia Island?"

Liu Zhimao comforted her, "Liu Laocheng is a foremost hero in the history of our Shujian Lake. Even his enemies must admire him. He acts decisively in killing. When he came to Qingxia Island, no one could have stopped him from killing Gu Can. But now that he has spared Gu Can, again no one can stop that, nor can anyone change Liu Laocheng's decision. He will definitely not come back to Qingxia Island again. So Gu Can and Chunting Manor are no longer in danger. In fact, I can give you a firm guarantee: after that night's battle, Gu Can is truly safe. In today's Shujian Lake, no one dares to kill someone whom Liu Laocheng himself has spared!"

The woman was dubious.

Liu Zhimao didn't say much more. For this woman, half a tale was enough. Let her figure it out herself. Whether true or false, if he stated it too definitively, she would become suspicious and choose not to believe.

The woman turned and picked up her teacup, took a sip, her posture elegant and graceful, with no trace of rustic flavor left.

Liu Zhimao suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Madam, why are you so... uneasy about Chen Ping'an?"

The woman's eyes were dark and unclear. "As the True Lord just said, people change."

Liu Zhimao stroked his beard and smiled.

The woman asked, "True Lord, tell me, in Shujian Lake, can I be considered a bad person?"

Liu Zhimao shook his head. "Naturally not. You count as a good person. You are clear in rewards and punishments, and you don't mistreat servants and maids."

The woman asked, "Even bad people have occasional good intentions. Is it strange that I did what I did back then for Chen Ping'an, merely giving him a meal? And now I guard against Chen Ping'an for Can Can's lifelong matters, for his path of cultivation. I'm not trying to harm Chen Ping'an. Is that strange either?"

Liu Zhimao acted enlightened. "Now that you put it that way, Madam, I understand."

The woman covered her mouth with a laugh, then her moist eyes flickered with charm. "True Lord, do you look down on the tea of our Chunting Manor? You haven't taken a single sip. If I remember correctly, this is immortal tea from Rainbow Drink Island, personally sent by Tian Hujun. Could it be that the True Lord's manor has better tea hidden away?"

"Your words wound me, Madam. Very well, I'll spend the money to have people search far and wide and bring a few catties of tea better than Rainbow Drink Island's to Chunting Manor."

Liu Zhimao pointed at the woman and laughed heartily. He gently placed the lid back on the teacup, took his leave, and told her not to see him out.

The woman stood up, then sat back down. After a moment's thought, she rose and left.

The old steward, who had been standing far away at the courtyard gate rather than the hall door, quickly walked into the guest hall. Normally, he would have let the maidservants clean up, but today was different. The island lord had come in person, and he felt he should handle it himself.

When this old cultivator gathered up Liu Zhimao's cup of tea, not a single drop of the tea liquid remained. Only a few pieces of emerald-green immortal tea leaves lay at the bottom of the cup.

The old cultivator sighed with emotion. The island lord still had unwavering trust in Chunting Manor and its mistress.

---

After leaving Chunting Manor, Liu Zhimao returned directly to his own manor, first instructing someone to go to the capital of Zhu Ying Dynasty and buy a few catties of the most expensive tea.

This River-Severing True Lord, the most promising candidate to reach the Upper Five Realms in Shujian Lake, sat on a priceless meditation cushion in his secret chamber. He opened his palm, revealing a small, crystal-clear orb of water. From his sleeve, he took out a white bowl and placed the water orb into the bowl.

He remained seated in stillness until late into the night. Then, employing his divine abilities, he appeared before the house at the mountain gate and knocked gently.

He pushed the door open and entered. Chen Ping'an had already come out from behind the desk and was sitting at the table. He gestured for Liu Zhimao to sit down.

This young man from the Great Li, who had grown up on Mud Vase Alley, did not point at his nose and immediately start cursing. That was both a good thing and a bad thing.

Liu Zhimao sat opposite Chen Ping'an and explained with a smile, "Earlier, Mr. Chen said he didn't want me to disturb him, so I refrained from playing the host. Now that Mr. Chen has said he wants to see me, naturally I didn't dare make you walk far, so I came to visit. Not having informed you beforehand, I hope Mr. Chen will forgive me."

An old Nascent Soul stage cultivator, and on his own turf of Qingxia Island, lowering himself to speak like this—truly one who could bend and stretch.

Chen Ping'an's face was expressionless. He extended his hand.

Liu Zhimao quickly twisted his wrist, and a translucent jade token hovered above his palm. He didn't even dare to touch it. With a gentle push, Chen Ping'an took it.

Liu Zhimao then produced a water bowl, pushing it across the table with his finger until it stopped in the center. He said with a smile, "Gu Can's mother came to see me. There were some words I hoped Mr. Chen could hear. This sort of petty behavior on my part is naturally despicable, but I offer it as a token of my sincerity."

Ripples stirred on the surface of the water in the white bowl.

Soon, the voices of Liu Zhimao and the woman, from the guest hall of Chunting Manor, began to emanate.

But unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an reached out his arm, covered the bowl's mouth with his palm, and shattered the ripples. The white bowl, which held the Echo Water, fell silent.

In his other hand—the one that had gripped the quasi-immortal sword that night—even after applying the elixir refined by the Lu Clan of the Central Continent, a gift from Lu Tai, which could heal wounds down to the bone and regenerate flesh, it still looked shocking, a ghastly sight.

A look of genuine admiration appeared on Liu Zhimao's face. "Mr. Chen is truly a man of integrity. I, Liu Zhimao, have been judging a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind."

Chen Ping'an withdrew his hand and tucked both hands into his sleeves. "I know what kind of person she is. I know what she thinks. Perhaps what she said is even worse than I imagined. But from the moment I moved out of Chunting Manor, her words and actions have little to do with me anymore."

Liu Zhimao nodded, indicating understanding.

Chen Ping'an said slowly, "Back in Mud Vase Alley, in order to help Gu Can, whom you had chosen, and to keep the opportunity tied to that little loach, you first used a secret technique to bewitch Cai Jinjian of Cloud-Ridge Mountain, and then used a sinister, heterodox method to secretly inscribe the words 'seeking death' in my heart. You wanted to provoke me into assassinating Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua, like a stone smashing an egg, so that I would disappear completely."

Liu Zhimao said, "I admit to that. I won't deny it. Mr. Chen has a quasi-immortal sword, doesn't he? You can stab me in the heart or the head with it, and I won't fight back. From then on, all grievances between us will be wiped clean! After that, if Mr. Chen still refuses to let it go, then you can try."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I've learned another lesson about the way things are done in your Shujian Lake. It's never boring to watch. Every day brings something new."

Liu Zhimao put on a stern face, saying nothing.

In reality, aside from Gu Can and the woman, Liu Zhimao's usual impression on others in Shujian Lake was one of silence and reticence, sparing with words. He only ever smiled at everyone. Especially in the eyes of his direct disciples like Tian Hujun and his vassal "ministers" like Yu Gui, Liu Zhimao's sanctimony and ruthlessness were truly intimidating.

A person who is habitually silent and taciturn is either simple and honest and not good with words, or else they have a mind full of schemes.

That was why the old island lord of Heavenly Mother Island, who disliked Liu Zhimao the most—once the only eighth-tier sword cultivator in Shujian Lake, now a pitiful wretch whose soul had been completely destroyed—had given Liu Zhimao the acerbic evaluation: "False True Lord, smiling Buddha, hiding a butcher's knife in the sleeve."

Chen Ping'an then did something that made even Liu Zhimao's eyelids twitch slightly. He raised his cotton-wrapped hand from his sleeve, took down the Sword-Nurturing Gourd from his waist, and poured about half a bowl of Crow-Cry Wine into the white bowl in the middle of the table. He pushed it back to Liu Zhimao, then placed the Sword-Nurturing Gourd on the edge of the table. He smiled. "What good would stabbing you do? Setting aside whether I could even wound the True Lord, even if I could, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. I know that the immortals on the mountains have methods of death-substitution, and not just one."

Liu Zhimao took the white bowl and generously drank all the wine in it. "Mr. Chen is naturally intelligent and deeply blessed by fortune. Back then, I, Liu Zhimao, had poor judgment. I accept the punishment. Mr. Chen can name your conditions."

Chen Ping'an said, "If I say 'let bygones be bygones,' you won't believe me, and I don't believe it myself."

Liu Zhimao laughed heartily and pushed the empty bowl forward. "For that remarkably candid statement from Mr. Chen, let me ask for another bowl of wine."

Chen Ping'an indeed poured Liu Zhimao another bowl of wine, this time about half full.

Liu Zhimao downed it in one gulp.

If any cultivator from Qingxia Island had witnessed this scene, they would probably have thought it a perfect meeting of host and guest, a smile to reconcile all enmity, a drink to wash away all grudges.

Chen Ping'an said, "Before I name my conditions, I have a question for the True Lord."

Liu Zhimao nodded. "I will speak without reservation."

Chen Ping'an asked, "What is the root of the True Lord's cultivation of the mind?"

Liu Zhimao answered without hesitation, "A Taoist cultivator naturally seeks the truth."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Could you be a bit more specific? Talk about your own methods?"

Liu Zhimao hesitated briefly, then spoke, "The seven emotions and six desires are a tangled mess. So one must unravel the silk, sort them into categories..."

He pointed at the row of cabinets behind the desk. "Just as Mr. Chen arranges different secret files here."

Liu Zhimao continued, "After that, cultivators who choose to walk this deviant path each make their own choices, each having their own paths to follow. Either shrink desires to the size of mustard seeds and set them aside, or expand them into mountains and continually stabilize them. Both are methods of cultivation. As for how many mustard seeds are condensed, how many mountains are piled up—that depends on each person's aptitude and talent for the Tao. There are countless barriers and obstacles along the way. To deal with those mustard seeds, for example, one can derive from them the ancient technique of severing the Three Corpses, or the path of inner alchemy and golden elixir. As for how to build mountains, there are methods like drinking the morning mist and dew, or taking external elixirs. The speed of cultivation and the height of bottlenecks depend on the quality of the cultivation techniques passed down by one's sect."

Liu Zhimao stopped there. "I can only go into this much detail. If I say any more, it would touch upon the fundamental Great Way, and that would truly be 'seeking death.' It would be better to let Mr. Chen stab me one more time."

He then asked, "I know Mr. Chen already has a plan. Could you give me a straightforward answer?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "No hurry. I have one more question. Liu Laocheng, like a mantis stalking the cicada from behind, has driven Qingxia Island's centuries of influence in Shujian Lake, along with the little loach, down to the bottom of the lake overnight. Can the True Lord still hold onto this jianghu sovereign position? Will the True Lord spit out the fat that was already in his mouth and offer it with both hands to Liu Laocheng, sealing off a dozen or so island sects to become a vassal king in Shujian Lake, or does he intend to fight? If Liu Laocheng is the oriole behind the mantis, does the True Lord have the Great Li slingshot waiting even further behind?"

Liu Zhimao didn't answer directly. Instead, he sounded both emotional and aggrieved, and said helplessly, "I'm afraid that Great Li has already quietly switched its support to Liu Laocheng. Without backing, Qingxia Island is too weak to stir up any trouble. In Liu Laocheng's eyes, I, Liu Zhimao, am no better than those open-fronted maids on the island. Stripping off a few layers of clothes? Ha, stripping off skin and pulling out sinews would be just as easy!"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I hear that the True Lord brews an excellent cup of tea and also enjoys cheap wine. I'm not like that—I can't get used to drinking tea no matter what. I only know a few things from reading."

Liu Zhimao said, a bit humiliated, "Mr. Chen's instruction is noted. I, Liu Zhimao, will remember it."

Chen Ping'an's smile faded. "The grievances between you and me—if you want to put them behind us once and for all, it can be done. But you must hand one person over to me."

Liu Zhimao shook his head directly. "That won't do, Mr. Chen. Don't even think about it."

Liu Zhimao smiled. "To be honest, it's just a woman who is half-human, half-ghost from Vermilion String Manor. If Liu Laocheng had forcibly taken her away that night, or if he had asked me for her, just like you are doing now, would I have dared not to give her? But why didn't Liu Laocheng do that? Have you thought about it?"

Chen Ping'an sat quietly opposite Liu Zhimao, hands tucked in his sleeves, like a dilapidated, faded deity statue in a place with thin spiritual energy.

Liu Zhimao asked curiously, "This secret matter—not only is she completely in the dark about it, even the ghost cultivator Ma Yuanzhi of Vermilion String Manor doesn't know—how did you figure it out?"

Chen Ping'an didn't hide it. "First, the origin of the name 'Vermilion String Manor.' Then, the name of a wine."

Liu Zhimao was even more puzzled and respectfully addressed Chen Ping'an as "Mr. Chen" again. "Please enlighten me, Mr. Chen."

Chen Ping'an said slowly, "The ghost cultivator Ma Yuanzhi, who came from a 'Rice-Carrier' background, was deeply in love with Liu Chongrun of Pearl Hairpin Island. I heard him tell the old story himself. When he talked about Vermilion String Manor, he was quite proud, but he refused to give the answer. So I went to Pearl Hairpin Island and used the three characters 'Vermilion String Manor' to test Liu Chongrun. The female cultivator immediately became furious. Although she didn't reveal the truth, she called Ma Yuanzhi a 'shameless scoundrel.' Then I made a special trip to Pond Water City. On Ape-Cry Street, under the pretext of buying ancient books, I asked the old shopkeepers of several bookstores. Only then did I learn that in the former kingdom of Liu Chongrun and Ma Yuanzhi, there was a relatively obscure line of poetry: 'Chongrun strums the vermilion strings.' That solved the riddle. Ma Yuanzhi's smugness lay in naming his manor 'Vermilion Strings,' and the word 'strum' sounds like 'yearn' in their old tongue."

Liu Zhimao clapped his hands and laughed. "Marvelous! If not for Mr. Chen unraveling this mystery, I wouldn't have known that Ma Yuanzhi, a lowly 'Rice-Carrier' by birth, had such refined tastes."

Chen Ping'an said, "Yellow Vine Wine, Palace Wall Willows. The official wine from Red Village's homeland, Gongliu Island in Shujian Lake, and the intense, stubborn murderous aura that clings to Crimson's body—upon close examination, it is filled with persistent grief, resentment, and hatred. I didn't even need to look through the unofficial histories and secret records of Shujian Lake. The story of the abortive romance between Liu Laocheng and his female disciple back then, her sudden violent death, and Liu Laocheng's departure from Shujian Lake—these are all well-known to the world. Then, considering your caution, Liu Zhimao, you naturally knew that the greatest opponent to becoming the lord of Shujian Lake was not the Heavenly Mother and Heavens Tomb islands, which you had as internal allies with Grain Sand Island and Great Li, but rather Liu Laocheng, who had never shown himself. You dared to contend for this jianghu sovereign position. Aside from Great Li being your mountain backing and helping you gather momentum, you must also have had some shady means to protect yourself, to leave a retreat, to ensure that Liu Laocheng, a cultivator of the Upper Five Realms, would at the very least not kill you once he returned to Shujian Lake."

Liu Zhimao laughed heartily.

Truly a soulmate!

Who would have thought that in the vast Shujian Lake, in the end, it would be this young stranger who would be his, Liu Zhimao's, soulmate!

A look of fatigue appeared on Chen Ping'an's face. "I'll make half a request first. You have definitely done something to Gu Can's mother. Remove it. Now Gu Can poses no threat to you. And your most pressing concern right now is Liu Laocheng of Gongliu Island, and how to keep your position as jianghu sovereign. As for Great Li's side, I'll try to work something out for you behind the scenes. At the very least, I won't let you be discarded as a pawn, paving the way for Liu Laocheng's ascent."

Liu Zhimao frowned. "Crimson's life and death are still in my hands."

The young accountant, whose cheeks were slightly sunken, picked up his Sword-Nurturing Gourd, took a sip of wine, coughed a few times, and said, "What if? What if Liu Laocheng is no longer the same island lord of Gongliu Island from back then? What if it involves his own advancement on the Great Way? Would Crimson really be that important? He couldn't let go back then—are you sure he still can't let go now? Perhaps one day, when that 'what if' really comes, he will simply end Crimson's life and then punch you to death for daring to touch his reverse scale. So, Liu Zhimao, you choose. I'm just giving you a way to prevent the worst outcome."

Liu Zhimao asked a key question. "Mr. Chen, do you really have the ability to influence the decisions of Great Li's higher-ups?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I can, but it's limited. However, let me make it clear to you: the Song Clan of Great Li still owes me some things."

Liu Zhimao looked at this young man.

A hundred emotions mingled in his heart.

Liu Zhimao put away the white bowl, stood up, and said, "Within three days, I'll give Mr. Chen a definite answer."

Chen Ping'an did not rise. "I hope the True Lord can seek the truth when it comes to matters involving the direction of his Great Way and his own life and death."

Liu Zhimao's lips twitched. "I will."

After Liu Zhimao left, Chen Ping'an coughed continuously.

Forcibly wielding that sword immortal that night.

The hidden dangers were endless.

With one of his life-attribute acupoints already damaged, this was like frost on top of snow.

But none of that mattered.

Chen Ping'an had never been afraid of becoming poor again, of having four bare walls once more.

But.

It was those small, subtle things that others didn't care about—the little losses here and there.

They even made Chen Ping'an afraid to drink wine.

Chen Ping'an walked out of the house, passed through the mountain gate, picked up some pebbles, crouched on the bank of the ferry, and tossed them into the lake one by one.

Gu Can, what I want is not that loach. That has never been the case. Otherwise, after you said those words back on Mud Vase Alley, I could have disregarded Auntie's kindness in giving me that meal.

But I know that precisely because you are aware of this, you said those things. You had to get a definite answer from me so that you could completely rest assured in your most vulnerable moment.

That was Gu Can's cleverness. It was also where Gu Can was not clever enough.

This isn't to say that Gu Can was being bad to Chen Ping'an. In fact, Chen Ping'an still held a very important place in Gu Can's heart. As long as it didn't touch upon fundamental interests, Chen Ping'an could slap Gu Can twice or even twenty times, and Gu Can wouldn't fight back.

The truth was simple. Chen Ping'an was still the straw-sandaled boy from Mud Vase Alley, and Gu Can was still the little snot-nosed kid. It was just that back then, the straw-sandaled boy and the little snot-nose could only depend on each other for survival, and neither had fully understood their own hearts or the other's heart. As the river of time flowed slowly forward, there would inevitably be meetings and partings, hearts drawing together and drifting apart.

What Chen Ping'an wanted was just for Gu Can or Auntie to ask him, even casually, "Chen Ping'an, are you badly hurt? Are you okay?"

Chen Ping'an finished throwing the pebbles in his hand.

He crouched there, raised his head, and let out a soft breath. In the deep winter, it came out as a misty cloud.

Chen Ping'an hunched his shoulders slightly, lowered his head, cupped his hands together, and gently breathed on them for warmth.

---

On the much-watched Gongliu Island.

Liu Laocheng had already sent word to all of Shujian Lake: no one was allowed to approach within a thousand zhang of the island.

No one dared to defy this order.

That day, after Gao Mian, who still had terrible drinking manners, had passed out from a heavy drinking bout, only Xun Yuan and Liu Laocheng remained, drinking together in a dilapidated pavilion.

For those whom mortals considered terrestrial immortals, what mattered was the millennia of longevity; the bitter cold or scorching heat of a single year meant nothing to them.

The two men didn't talk much.

Xun Yuan suddenly smiled. "It's about time to go back."

Liu Laocheng nodded. "Tongyezhou can't do without your steady hand, Old Xun."

Xun Yuan shook his head. "Gao Mian doesn't think about things much. He thinks this trip of mine to Treasure Bottle Continent was all about him. Actually, only half of it was. It's different with you. Now you're considered one of our own in the Jade Gui Sect. So there are some secret matters I should be open with you about."

Liu Laocheng, who was practically the god of Shujian Lake, said solemnly, "Old Xun, please speak."

Xun Yuan had once given Zhu Lian a "book of gifted scholars and beauties fighting" at the Dust and Ashes Medicine Shop in Old Dragon City. He had been humble and meek with Gao Mian, practically acting as the little follower of the old chief of the Invincible Fist Gang, carrying the money pouch the whole way. Xun Yuan had enjoyed it all along; it wasn't an act or a scheme for something.

But with Liu Laocheng.

Facing Xun Yuan was like looking up at a mountain.

Xun Yuan said softly, "The truth is, I had a good chance. I just didn't feel like breaking into the Thirteenth Realm. Too many restrictions. It's not as free as my current Immortal Realm. When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up, right? For example, in our Tongyezhou, it used to be Tongye Sect, and the tall one was Du Mao. But now, even if I don't want to admit it, I have to. As for why I didn't take that step forward into the Flying Ascension Realm, I'm not sure if it's right or wrong yet. You'll understand in time."

Xun Yuan twisted the wine cup in his hand. "But after all, I am the sect master of the Jade Gui Sect. I have to think about my own people. With Du Mao's death, his entire Great Way collapsed and scattered. It wasn't just you, Liu Laocheng, who grabbed pieces of his glazed golden body. There were also those intangible, unspeakable things—what we cultivators call opportunities. So Jiang Shangzhen, taking from what should have been my share of that opportunity—how much he can intercept, and how much he can snatch from the Tongye Sect cultivators—that depends on his skill and his fortune."

"If Jiang Shangzhen gets nothing and is driven away to this Shujian Lake in disgrace, then you, Liu Laocheng, will just have to do more and help out that waste."

"If Jiang Shangzhen does okay, that's also good. A subordinate sect of the Jade Gui Sect based in Treasure Bottle Continent, with two people potentially reaching the Immortal Realm—I believe that even Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen, the neighboring Guanhu Academy, and the Song Clan of Great Li wouldn't dare to slight you."

Liu Laocheng nodded.

These were honest words.

The reason Liu Laocheng himself hadn't established a sect in Shujian Lake wasn't just because he was disheartened. The intricacies involved were extremely dangerous and extremely distracting, heavy with karmic consequences. One misstep could delay or even hinder his ascent on the Great Way. Moreover, every time he ascended—whether in realm or cultivation—taking one more step upward, the thoughts of those closest to him were filled with unspeakable difficulties and indescribable bitterness. Liu Laocheng had suffered greatly, fallen hard. Back then, he had nearly lost his life.

Yellow Vine Wine, buried beneath palace wall willows.

That was a very old, unsettled account, a messy account.

Even a heart of iron and stone like Liu Laocheng's was unwilling to bring up old matters.

If he hadn't thought it through completely, and if the Jade Gui Sect's subordinate sect hadn't been established in Shujian Lake, Liu Laocheng probably would never have returned to this place of heartbreak in his entire life.

The longer he spent with Xun Yuan, the more alarmed Liu Laocheng became.

This wasn't just because Xun Yuan was a veteran Immortal Realm pinnacle cultivator.

It was an intuition that had seen Liu Laocheng through many a peril.

Why hadn't he killed that clever Liu Zhimao, or that young accountant? There was another reason, one Liu Laocheng hadn't told Gao Mian or Xun Yuan. Because it would have put him in a very passive position. Having leverage left with Liu Zhimao was a minor irritation. But if that leverage fell into the hands of Xun Yuan and Jiang Shangzhen, Liu Laocheng would be skinned alive, and he would have to take it lying down. Otherwise, it would be an all-out rupture, a lose-lose situation.

After Liu Laocheng broke into the Upper Five Realms, he had become even more withdrawn. The reason was that when the grand tapestry of the world unfolded before his eyes, he discovered a brutal truth that chilled him to the bone every time he pondered it deeply.

The struggle for the Great Way.

It sounded very vague.

But when a mountain-and-lake rogue cultivator of sufficient realm and vision looked down at the width of the path under his own feet, and then compared it to the paths under the feet of registered immortal masters of the Upper Five Realms at the same height...

It was the difference between a bumpy goat track and a broad highway.

Did Liu Laocheng truly not wish to become a great sect master like Xun Yuan? Did he not think about truly determining the course of a continent?

He had the desire, but not the ability. He simply couldn't do it.

Xun Yuan smiled as he looked at this rogue cultivator from Treasure Bottle Continent.

In Xun Yuan's eyes, Liu Laocheng was a person blessed with fortune and momentum. Extremely rare. An exceptionally outstanding Jade Perfection Realm cultivator. Even Jiang Shangzhen, who excelled in one-on-one combat and possessed a lethal lifebound object, might not be his match.

But once he entered the Twelfth Realm, the Immortal Realm, Jiang Shangzhen would be able to turn the tables.

So it was just right for Liu Laocheng to serve as the chief offering elder of the Jade Gui Sect's subordinate sect. Jiang Shangzhen was not a bad sort at heart; he was full of cunning. At his core, he was the same type as Liu Laocheng—a born mountain-and-lake rogue cultivator. The more chaotic the times, the more they thrived.

Xun Yuan said with a smile, "Liu Laocheng, relax. I'll make sure you break into the Immortal Realm steadily. Then it won't be you constantly toasting me. Whenever there's a drinking party, big or small, I'll raise my cup in return."

Liu Laocheng raised his cup and smiled. "Then let me offer you another toast of thanks, Old Xun!"

Xun Yuan lightly clinked his cup against Liu Laocheng's. They both drank. Naturally, Liu Laocheng finished his first, while Xun Yuan drank slowly.

---

In the spacious top-floor room of the tall building in Pond Water City, Cui Dongshan had tried several times to step out of that Thunder Pond, only to pull his foot back each time.

He hopped up and down, flapping his sleeves vigorously.

Like a big white goose flapping its wings wildly.

On the mist-shrouded Gongliu Island, the landscape scroll left by Cui Chan had become completely unobservable.

If a Confucian sage stationed above the skies of Treasure Bottle Continent wanted to see, of course he could. But as long as it didn't involve major matters of right and wrong, such an act would be considered "discourteous," not even a matter of "principle."

And this principle, elevated to the ritual propriety of "propriety," was precisely the ironclad rule that Ritual Sage had established for his Confucian school—a shackle specially placed upon Confucian sages. It was very restrictive, very amusing.

In fact, in the long years since Confucians had taken charge of Haoran Heaven, there had been many shocking secret plots—from various schools of thought, from twelfth- and thirteenth-realm grand cultivators, from demons, monsters, mountain spirits, and deities. Some had died in the womb, but more had caused immense destruction and left deep-seated problems.

But this rule remained unshakable, firmly binding Confucian scholars themselves who sat upon the divine thrones.

Isn't that incredible?

Don't think this irrationality applies only to Ritual Sage. The Jade Capital and the Lotus Buddha Kingdom also have similar lines drawn.

Cui Dongshan stopped moving, crossed his legs again, and sat before the chessboard. He plunged both hands into the go stone containers and stirred them randomly, producing a crisp sound from the collision of the Cloud-and-Rain stones.

Even though Cui Dongshan couldn't see what was happening on Gongliu Island, he still had to praise Xun Yuan's words and actions from that night. "Old ginger is always spicier. Liu Laocheng is still too green."

Cui Dongshan picked out a Cloud-and-Rain stone and tapped it heavily on the chessboard.

"He gave Liu Laocheng some pointers. How to choose was both a test of the offering elder's mental fortitude and a favor sold to Liu Laocheng."

"But these are minor matters. Now, with this territory of Shujian Lake facing a surging tide, it's the fat meat before the Great Li iron cavalry and the chicken rib for the Zhu Ying Dynasty. The battle that will truly determine the ownership of the entire central part of Treasure Bottle Continent is about to erupt. So, the one above us—one of the Seventy-Two Sages of the Central Confucian Temple—will definitely be watching this place without blinking. Since Liu Laocheng is a rogue cultivator by origin, even if he has an intuition for the grand trends of the world, the inside information, transactions, and undercurrents he can access firsthand are far inferior to the Great Li National Master's."

Cui Dongshan stared at the piece and sneered, "Old Man Liu, your understanding of Xun Yuan's depth is still too shallow."

Those few words spoken at the peak of the vassal island.

They were meant for the true power behind the scenes. Some were direct, some indirect.

Cui Dongshan muttered to himself, "First, Xun Yuan warned you, Liu Laocheng. The implication already carried a certain leaning. So whether you beat Chen Ping'an to death or showed him mercy, you would still be grateful to Xun Yuan. That's human nature. Even my master, if he knew about this process, might be grateful to the 'righteous' Xun Yuan."

Cui Dongshan picked out another stone and placed it on the board. "Second, by not killing my master, Xun Yuan has gained, in a small way, the goodwill of the dilapidated and precarious lineage of Wen Sheng, which is barely holding on. He gets a favor for free. Even if Wen Sheng sees through human hearts, the facts are there. He'll have to swallow it and acknowledge it. That's the way of a gentleman, of a scholar. There's no helping it."

Cui Dongshan took out another stone and casually tossed it onto the board. "Third, this is where the real substance lies, on a large, immeasurable scale. Xun Yuan is speaking to the overseeing sage above, with whom he has dealt before. And he's even more speaking to that sage who almost didn't even get cold pork head meat. As long as there is a struggle for the Great Way, even if Xun Yuan knows of the tall woman standing behind Chen Ping'an, he will still kill."

"Do you really think that one of the Seventy-Two Sages, who only gave up a jade token inscribed with 'I am skilled at nourishing my vast, flowing qi,' isn't angry? Of course, he's not angry at my master. On the contrary, this sage is extremely magnanimous, otherwise he wouldn't have spoken such generous words back in Old Dragon City. But precisely because of that, as one of the sages overseeing Treasure Bottle Continent, he is even more dissatisfied with a woman who dared to draw her sword and try to poke the biggest hole in the sky."

"If even a sage with such magnanimity and chivalrous spirit thinks this way, how much more delighted must that pitiful wretch who was dragged by the Secondary Sage to the Confucian Temple for closed-door reflection be? Won't he think highly of Xun Yuan?"

"Establishing a subordinate sect from a main sect has always been extremely difficult. It's not about money, and not about having the hardest fists. It's simply about whether the Confucian academies will allow it."

Cui Dongshan's gaze shifted from the chessboard. He glanced at the blurry image of Gongliu Island on the scroll. "Liu Laocheng, oh Liu Laocheng. In total, how many words did Xun Yuan speak? How many sentences? And in the end, how much value did the Jade Gui Sect gain?"

Cui Dongshan slapped the chessboard. Four stones flew high into the air and then fell softly back down.

Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue. "Cultivating the mind in the pursuit of the Tao? Useless?"

Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeve, sending the four stones flying horizontally. He roared angrily, "Damn it! All of you, including that old bastard, had better go burn incense and kowtow. Don't let my master get through this heart tribulation, or not a single one of you will escape! Shujian Lake, Zhengyang Mountain, Clear Wind City, True Martial Mountain, Tongye Sect, Jade Gui Sect, the Song Clan of Great Li, the Jade Capital..."

Cui Dongshan's voice grew lower and lower, and finally he stared blankly for a long time. Then, unexpectedly, he wailed, "That old bastard was right. My master truly has too many worries!"

---

Xun Yuan quietly left Shujian Lake and went directly to the sea, instead of heading to the southernmost Old Dragon City. He rode the wind over the ocean, thus returning to Tongyezhou.

Liu Zhimao and the island lord of Grain Sand Island paid a joint visit to Gongliu Island.

Both stopped on the lake surface a thousand zhang from the island.

Liu Laocheng met with the latter but told the former to get lost.

Inside the tall building of Pond Water City, Cui Dongshan watched and laughed heartily, rolling around on the floor.

After his amusement subsided, Cui Dongshan's face fell again. He "crawled" to the edge of the golden Thunder Pond in a breaststroke position, sighing. Truly, he had woven his own trap.

He needed to find some amusement to pass the time.

Cui Dongshan sat up, tossing go stones onto the board. He made a definitive assessment, calculating how much goodwill the people his master had met had initially felt toward him.

Qi Jingchun. Cui Dongshan tossed ten stones onto the board, then rolled his eyes. "Fine, you have the best judgment, alright?"

Then he swept the stones off the board with his sleeve.

The Sword Spirit. Cui Dongshan didn't toss a single one. He rolled his eyes again and muttered, "Still, you, Qi Jingchun, are more formidable, alright?"

Then he tossed six stones down.

Again he swept them off.

Old Man Yang. One stone.

A Liang. Five stones.

Cui Dongshan thought for a moment. "If we get to Red Candle Town..."

He added four more stones.

Zuo You. Three stones. Out of respect for Qi Jingchun, he added three more.

Wei Jin. None.

Ruan Qiong. Two stones.

Cui Dongshan calculated almost everyone Chen Ping'an had ever known on the chessboard.

Then, suddenly, Cui Dongshan flew into a rage, remembering he had omitted the most detestable person. "That most ungrateful old scholar! You're always the one playing favorites!"

He picked up an entire go stone container with both hands and poured it all out onto the chessboard.

Cui Dongshan frowned, rolled up the landscape scroll, gathered all the stones back into the containers, and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

The owners of this tall building, the city lord of Pond Water City, Fan and his wife, along with their foolish son, Fan Yan, filed into the room.

Fan Yan walked with his head lowered and his back bent, trembling, following behind his parents. There were no chairs in the room.

Since Cui Dongshan was sitting, they felt awkward standing to speak, so they also followed him and sat down on the floor—in a kneeling posture.

Cui Dongshan yawned.

The Fan family of Pond Water City had previously been double agents, selling intelligence between the Song Clan of Great Li and the Zhu Ying Dynasty. As for the truthfulness of each intelligence report and how much was fabricated, it depended on whether the Great Li Green Wave Pavilion spy chief, who operated in this area of Shujian Lake, offered a higher price and was better at manipulating people, or whether that bunch of idiots from the Zhu Ying Dynasty was more formidable. As it turned out, the island lord of Grain Sand Island was much more intelligent than the intelligence chief the Zhu Ying Dynasty had assigned to this region. In the end, the Fan family of Pond Water City chose to completely throw in their lot with the Great Li iron cavalry.

The city lord, the man, remained silent.

Instead, it was the woman of the Fan family, supposedly known only for spending money and doting on her son, who began to speak in a measured, orderly fashion, laying out the situation in Shujian Lake and the recent state of the Zhu Ying Dynasty's border troops.

Cui Dongshan remained expressionless.

The woman dared not show the slightest negligence.

Because the Great Li National Master had left a very weighty statement before his departure, equating that boy on the rooftop to a left or right vice minister of the Great Li Six Ministries.

After discussing it with her husband, the woman had concluded that the fellow on the rooftop must at least be a Great Li earthly immortal cultivator, or perhaps a direct descendant of some pillar-state surname.

The woman glanced at her husband beside her.

The city lord of Pond Water City quickly stood up, walked to the edge of that strange and mysterious golden Thunder Pond, bent down, and with both hands presented a sealed letter that the Great Li National Master had given to the Fan family. He said softly, "His Excellency the National Master instructed me that if you, young master, had not yet left the top floor by today, I was to present this letter."

Cui Dongshan grabbed the letter with a wave of his hand, ripped open the envelope, casually tossed it aside, and opened the sealed letter. His face darkened.

Seeing this, the Fan couple's eyelids twitched violently.

A confidential letter from the Great Li National Master, treated in such a manner?

If they had been granted such an honor, they would have enshrined it like an imperial edict.

Cui Dongshan crumpled the letter into a ball, clenched it in his fist, and cursed.

The content of the letter read: "Earlier I said your memory was bad. You definitely weren't convinced. What about now?"

"This circle was drawn by you, Cui Dongshan. Did I argue with you over this matter? I finally told you that 'stepping over the Thunder Pond and not keeping the rules' would be directed at you. So if you stay within the circle and keep the rules, what can I do? It's you who are stuck in a corner, making a prison for yourself without realizing it. How is that different from Chen Ping'an? Chen Ping'an can't get out. As his disciple, you've truly learned well. Birds of a feather flock together. When did you degenerate to the point where you needed a Thunder Pond to keep the rules?"

"Since you're so pitiful, I'll send you this letter. Eat it. If you're still hungry, you can ask the Fan family for more."

Cui Dongshan indeed stuffed the paper ball into his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it.

Ai yo. It tasted like regular paper. Pretty good.

Cui Dongshan shook his head, pointed at the couple who continued to kneel side by side, and said, "Fan Yan, right? Get out here. Playing dumb and pretending to be stupid—is that fun? Tell me, what do you think of that fool Gu Can?"

The tall young man stood up, made a bow, then stepped forward and sat in a row with his parents. His parents were clearly nervous, even showing a hint of fear toward this "foolish" son.

Fan Yan's expression was calm. He looked directly at the white-robed youth with a mole between his eyebrows, showing no stage fright. He smiled slightly. "That Gu Can? He's very simple. You just need to act a bit stupid, show deep and simple feelings for your parents, be willing to endure hardship and suffer losses. Over time, you cover it up well. With the right measure, that kid will believe you. Selling him? I was just waiting for someone who could pay the price. I didn't expect Liu Laocheng to cost me a huge amount of immortal money, and I have no one to complain to."

Cui Dongshan laughed. "A clever man."

Fan Yan said, "But lacking in great wisdom."

Cui Dongshan was amused. "Do you really think that?"

Fan Yan was slightly taken aback.

Cui Dongshan stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, kicked his way to the edge of the golden Thunder Pond, and looked down at the young man from on high. "If you want to live high and mighty, you have to be able to endure both greater good and greater evil."

"If you want to live easily, there are two ways: one is to play dumb, the other is to be truly dumb. Which one are you, Fan Yan? Think about it slowly. If you answer wrong, tomorrow the city lord's manor of Pond Water City can hold a funeral where the white-haired mourn the black-haired. Oh, excuse me, Lord and Lady City Lord, you still look quite young."

Fan Yan's face turned pale.

Cui Dongshan kept smiling at him.

Unexpectedly, Fan Yan suddenly smiled, with no trace of fear left.

Cui Dongshan tilted his head, staring coldly at this Fan Yan, who had completely manipulated Gu Can's heart. "Is it that old bastard, who told you long ago that you didn't have to worry about me taking my anger out on you? That you wouldn't die? Then do you know what he was really thinking? You can't even guess that? You don't even know who I am? Who gave you the guts to speak to me like that?"

Only at this moment did Fan Yan begin to truly feel nervous.

Cui Dongshan sneered. "Great Li swallowing Shujian Lake is no longer in doubt. You, a mole who sold intelligence, have indeed been useful to us Great Li in the past, and you've made considerable contributions. But we haven't shorted you a single copper coin of the benefits you deserve. As for the Fan family's shady dealings with the Zhu Ying Dynasty, do you really think the Great Li Green Wave Pavilion has no records? What makes you think you have a life amulet? Your face, huh?!"

He took one step out of that golden Thunder Pond, and the entire tall building shook with a bang.

A Nascent Soul cultivator!

Cui Dongshan walked up to Fan Yan, held out two fingers pressed together, and looked down at him with a cold sneer. "Crushing a piece of trash like you would dirty my hands. And you dare to show off your cleverness in front of me?"

Cui Dongshan turned his head toward the door and spat. "Old bastard, I know what you're thinking. You want this little bastard to provoke the thunderous rage I've been building up, so that I'll help you kill that Ninth Realm sword cultivator of the Zhu Ying Dynasty, right?"

Cui Dongshan glared at the trembling couple beside him. "Teaching a waste like this. You, the parents, teach your son properly now. It's not too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. First, give him a dozen or two slaps. Make sure they're loud. Otherwise, I'll just slap the three of you to death. Damn it, in your Shujian Lake, don't you all like to have the whole family reunited, both above and below ground? With these low, unsavory rules, you're addicted to them."

Slaps rang out one after another in the room.

More pleasant to the ear than the sound of go stones rattling.

Cui Dongshan felt much better.

Cui Dongshan walked out of the room and came to the railing of the corridor. His expression was somber. "Gu Can, oh Gu Can. Do you really think you're so formidable? Do you really know how vicious this world is? Do you really know how Chen Ping'an has managed to survive until today? Even with that little loach, you were destined not to survive in Shujian Lake. Who gave you the nerve to think that your path could go very far? Did your master Liu Zhimao teach you that? Did your mother teach you that? Do you know how much my master has paid for you?"

---

In the twilight.

Chen Ping'an carried the jug of Yellow Vine Wine that had been sitting in his trinket storage all along. He strolled to the front gate of Vermilion String Manor.

Crimson smiled and walked out from the side room, waving. "Mr. Chen!"

Just like that day when she had listened to his story and he had written hers, they sat down together on the threshold.

Crimson's eyes sparkled. She turned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Mr. Chen, this!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes were dark. His lips moved, but he still couldn't bring himself to speak the truth that would cut like a knife through the woman's heart.

Things in this world are never simple.

It's not just a matter of telling the truth and doing good deeds to get the best result.

For now, the gatekeeper Crimson had at least avoided life-and-death concerns.

Would knowing the truth make her life better? Would it not make her live in constant fear?

In this life, Crimson was still a soft-hearted, kind woman. She saw that the accountant seemed sad, and she mistakenly assumed that the tumultuous, soul-stirring battle had left Mr. Chen badly injured. That was why he seemed more dispirited than when they had last met. And besides, there was that overbearing, terrifying, invincible enemy now residing on Gongliu Island, staring at Qingxia Island. So Mr. Chen was surely worried about his future.

Chen Ping'an raised the jug of Yellow Vine Wine that Crimson had given him and forced a smile. "I couldn't bear to drink it before. Do you have a cup or a bowl? Shall we drink some of your hometown's... 'extra meal' wine?"

Crimson said sheepishly, "I only have one bowl."

She asked, "Should I go to the main house and ask for some drinking vessels?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "No need. You use the bowl. I'll just drink straight from the jug."

Crimson beamed. With light steps, she went into the dim side room and brought out a white bowl. She sat down, and Chen Ping'an had already removed the yellow paper seal and the clay seal. He leaned over and poured a little wine into Crimson's bowl.

Crimson's expression was odd. She stifled a laugh.

This Mr. Chen, really. He'd poured such a tiny amount of wine? A one-ounce white bowl, and after he poured, it weighed maybe one and a half ounces?

This was the wine she had given him, after all!

He looked at her, then at the wine bowl, and poured a bit more.

Finally, Crimson couldn't hold it in any longer. With one hand holding the bowl and the other covering her mouth, her unstoppable laughter seeped through her fingers.

Chen Ping'an laughed along with her. This time, he poured the bowl full.

Crimson's lively eyes crinkled into crescent moons. Holding the white bowl in both hands, she took small sips.

Chen Ping'an tilted his head back and drank some Yellow Vine Wine.

They didn't talk much.

Crimson was a bit curious. This fine Mr. Chen—last time she had teased him, and he had shyly nodded about that young lady—where was she now?

If she saw Mr. Chen so alone now, wouldn't she feel very sorry for him?

Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine and gazed into the distance. Softly, he said, "Crimson, we're friends, right?"

Crimson nodded vigorously.

Chen Ping'an hummed in acknowledgment. It sounded like he was talking to her, and also like he was telling himself. "So, no matter what happens in the future, don't be afraid first. No matter how big the matter is, quickly remember one thing: near the mountain gate, there's an accountant named Chen who is your friend."

Crimson found it a bit odd, but she was still very happy. She secretly turned her head to look. Beside her, the accountant, as the winter cold grew heavier, had unknowably changed into a thick, dark blue cotton long gown.