Chapter 442: The Passes of the Human Heart, Linked Ring by Ring
The sword aura inside the house was piercingly cold, while outside the house, the heavy snow was bitterly frigid.
That celestial sword, which had pierced through Tan Xue's heart aperture and the house door, seemed to connect two separate worlds, one large and one small.
Tan Xue already knew that begging was useless, so she no longer spoke, and the two fell into a long silence.
The man before her, who also came from Nilin Lane, had gone from a long-winded, rambling discourse on principles to a sudden, fatal strike. What especially chilled her to the bone was his habit of replaying the game like a chess match after succeeding.
Almost all the cultivators on Green Gorge Island thought that this accountant at the mountain gate was good-tempered and easy to deal with.
They were all blind!
She took a light breath and immediately felt a piercing pain, a turbulent disorder deep within her soul. It wasn't just her physical body that had suffered severe damage.
All living beings fear death. Life—this is the most fundamental thing. This was what this fellow called the "small one." Tan Xue had actually understood this point, but she had pretended not to earlier.
Now, as she clearly felt her life slipping away, and could even perceive something as mysterious as the Great Dao slowly crumbling away bit by bit, she felt like the world's most miserly rich old man, watching helplessly as gold ingots fell to the ground one by one, unable to pick them up no matter how hard he tried.
Naturally, she began to struggle, as if she wanted to take a step forward, to forcibly pull her body—as tough as a pure martial artist at the ninth realm—out of this "wall" that was the house door, leaving only the celestial sword behind.
Then she would twist off that young man's neck with one hand, to vent the hatred in her heart.
But she quickly stopped moving. First, because even the slightest movement was heart-wrenching. But the more important reason was that the man who held the winning hand, this accountant who liked to take things step by step, showed not a trace of caution, but rather a more mocking smile.
Chen Ping'an didn't know if it was because he had swallowed four Water Temple secret elixirs in one go and was wielding a half-immortal weapon—both overly taboo actions—but his face was pale, with an unhealthy flush on his cheeks.
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "Although I haven't refined this celestial sword, carrying it for so long has allowed the sword aura to seep into my soul, creating a certain resonance. It's like a child who hasn't yet learned to speak."
Chen Ping'an pointed at the half of the sword blade exposed, "But it told me clearly that when you begged for mercy earlier, you had murderous intent, wanting to fight to the death and destroy us both. Now, however, you're just putting on an act. What, feeling humiliated by how badly I've outmaneuvered you, and want to save face?"
She remained silent.
Her heart was filled with sorrow.
Could it really be that she was wrong? Then where was she wrong?
As if seeing through her thoughts, Chen Ping'an said, "If I said you were wrong for being a servant of a true dragon's descendant, wrong for using your extremely powerful mind and will to subtly influence Gu Can's nature over time—in fact, Liu Zhimao never truly counted as Gu Can's master. Gu Can's mother, along with you beasts, were his real masters. Because Gu Can felt most at ease with you two. Toward Liu Zhimao, he was always on guard, so Liu Zhimao's influence on him was certainly not small. Gu Can's understanding of Shu Jian Lake and his way of handling things in this cesspool were largely learned from Liu Zhimao in secret. But compared to you two, it's far off. If I said that, you definitely wouldn't admit your mistake. So let's say you were wrong for being too stupid, thinking I was just like everyone else on Shu Jian Lake, that as long as my cultivation wasn't high enough, you could overpower me with brute force."
She asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"
Chen Ping'an said, "I'm thinking about how you'll die, and after you die, how to make the best use of everything."
She said, "I no longer doubt that I will die, but don't forget, I am after all a Nascent Soul cultivator. You will die too."
Chen Ping'an looked at her, his eyes full of disappointment.
She began to truly try to think from this man's perspective and standpoint, to consider the problem.
For the first time, she regarded him as an equal opponent in a game, trying to think a little about his chess theories and formations.
She asked, "I believe you have a method of self-preservation. I hope you can tell me, so I can completely give up hope. Don't fool me with those two flying swords. I know they aren't them."
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "There is a ferry called Osmanthus Island in Old Dragon City. Historically, there was a very famous old boatman who passed down a 'Dragon Subduing Artemisia,' inscribed with the four characters 'Zuò Shèn Wù Shèn' (Act accordingly), as one of the means for the ferry to safely cross the Dragon Trench. I saw it when I took a cross-continent ferry to the Inverted Mountain. Later generations of Osmanthus Island cultivators don't realize it is actually a 'Severing Lock Talisman' recorded in an ancient text. Adding the four ancient seal characters 'Yǔ Shī Chì Lìng' (Rain Master's Command) completes it into a full talisman. As it happens, I know this talisman, can write it, and its power is considerable. If I hadn't had this celestial sword pinning you to the door, I still couldn't kill you, and even trapping you would probably be difficult. But now, dealing with you is more than enough. After all, to write a Severing Lock Talisman with fully saturated talisman essence, I spent a long time on it one deep night earlier."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Earlier, I asked you to sit at the table. Regret not agreeing now? No need to be upset, because your mental path is too simple. I know it completely, but you don't know mine. Back then, you and Gu Can left Pear Blossom Cave Heaven and Nilin Lane early, so you don't know how I killed Cai Jinjian of Cloud Dawn Mountain before I even started learning martial arts, and how I almost killed Fu Nanhua of Old Dragon City."
Chen Ping'an pointed at his own head, "So your transformation into human form is just a superficial appearance, because you lack this."
Tan Xue felt a burning heat on her back against the door panel, and she suddenly realized, screaming, "You carved that talisman onto the door!"
Chen Ping'an raised a finger, signaling her not to shout so loudly.
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Isn't it strange? How could you not sense the existence of such a powerful talisman at all?"
Her heart was filled with utter desolation.
Chen Ping'an answered his own question, "Because the talisman was written incompletely, lacking a bit of talisman essence vitality. Firstly, the Severing Lock Talisman has a relatively high rank—I can write it now, but the cost is considerable. Secondly, if I had completed it, you, being a Nascent Soul cultivator, are extremely sensitive to the flow of heaven and earth's spiritual energy. You might have knocked on the door and then just not entered the house. You people call me the accountant, right? I thought I shouldn't let down Green Gorge Island's favor. Your heart's aperture blood just happened to complete the final crucial step of this talisman."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Did you think the name 'Tan Xue' was given to you for nothing? Now it's 'charcoal and snow in the same furnace,' but unfortunately I am not Gu Can, so I'm not close to you."
As Chen Ping'an spoke, he took out two talismans made of golden material from his A Measure Zone, "In fact, there are two more that were fully written. What will you do now? Still confident you can die with me? You said my trump cards are not the two flying swords. You're only half right. I have accompanied them all the way to today. When facing powerful enemies and fighting for life and death, I've done that more times than you can imagine."
The flying swords Chu Yi and Shi Wu flew out from the Sword Nurturing Gourd, their tips piercing the talisman essence centers of the two talismans. Spiritual light suddenly blazed, like two charcoal braziers radiating warm radiance.
One flying sword hovered at the center of Tan Xue's brow, at the Que Zhong acupoint.
The other hovered outside the Qi Sea in Tan Xue's abdomen.
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Don't mind. That last push of the sword wasn't aimed at you, but to invite a guest to visit. Also, let you see what 'making the best use of everything' means, so you don't think I'm bluffing you again."
Chen Ping'an stepped forward a few paces, completely ignoring her pinned to the door, and gently opened the door, saying with a smile, "I kept you waiting, True Lord."
It turned out that River-Cutting True Lord Liu Zhimao had long been standing outside in the snow.
When a great cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage deliberately conceals his aura within his own small domain, even Tan Xue would be completely unaware. Logically, Chen Ping'an shouldn't have known either.
But when that half-immortal weapon was drawn again, Liu Zhimao had already keenly sensed it at Cross Wave Mansion. However, he hesitated, unwilling to rashly go investigate.
Only when the tip of that sword pierced through the house door did Liu Zhimao finally lose his composure and quietly leave his mansion's secret chamber, coming to the mountain gate of Green Gorge Island.
Liu Zhimao had been standing outside the door for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Chen Ping'an stepped aside, "True Lord, please come inside and sit."
Liu Zhimao sighed inwardly, forcing a smile as he strode inside, bypassing that blue stone slab, and sat down at the table.
Chen Ping'an closed the door again. Although the actions of opening and closing the door were not large, poor Tan Xue was impaled by a celestial sword, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice abyss, and then suppressed by the talisman written on the door panel, it was like being thrown into a boiling oil cauldron. It was both adding frost to snow and pouring oil on fire, making her suffer unimaginable pain.
Chen Ping'an sat down opposite Liu Zhimao again.
Liu Zhimao once again took out that white bowl, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward slightly, clearly asking for wine again, "With a guest like Mr. Chen, there can be a host like me. A fortunate thing in life."
Chen Ping'an waved his hand, and the Sword Nurturing Gourd flew into his grasp. He poured a bowl of wine for Liu Zhimao. This time, unlike the first, he was very generous, filling the white bowl with the immortal wine Wu Ti Jiu, but he didn't immediately push it back. He asked, "Have you thought it through? Or have you discussed it with Grain Island's island master Tan Yuanyi?"
Liu Zhimao laughed and countered, "Can Mr. Chen not even guess whether Tan Yuanyi's trip to Palacial Willow Island ended in agreement or disagreement?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "I'm not a prophet who can foresee the future. I can't guess."
Liu Zhimao sighed emotionally, "If Mr. Chen had been to Grain Island and met Island Master Tan Yuanyi a few times by Black Dragon Pool, perhaps he could have traced the clues and gotten the answer. Sir excels in deduction, truly skilled in this art."
Chen Ping'an shook his head again, "This isn't being skilled in deduction. It's just that you haven't seen true mastery. I'll speak bluntly, don't take offense, True Lord."
Liu Zhimao took a deep breath and said, "To be honest, although Tan Yuanyi is the chief overseer of Great Li's Green Wave Pavilion in the central part of Bottle Gourd Continent, even after he went to the island to have a secret talk with Liu Laocheng, the result was still not pleasant. The conditions Tan Yuanyi offered were one empty and one solid."
Liu Zhimao paused for a moment. Seeing Chen Ping'an still calmly waiting for the next part, he felt somewhat melancholy. In fact, Chen Ping'an probably already knew the general truth from just those four words "one empty, one solid," but he still wouldn't say a word more, could wait, was willing to endure and be slow.
This subtlety of temperament was something that only old cultivators with sufficient cultivation and mind, like Liu Zhimao, could appreciate.
Liu Zhimao continued, "Great Li wants me to maintain the nominal status of a 'Jianghu Sovereign' (Rivers and Lakes Lord), but all the real benefits—every single one—will be handed over to Palacial Willow Island. Of the thousand-plus islands in Shu Jian Lake, I, the nominal leader of the Shu Jian Lake Alliance, will only select about thirty islands beyond the dozen or so vassal islands, linking them into a contiguous area similar to a 'capital region' in a secular dynasty. All the remaining islands will fall under Palacial Willow Island's jurisdiction. Of course, in future years, the Song clan of Great Li will certainly demand a share of the profits from Liu Laocheng. On this premise, Liu Laocheng cannot take any action against me or Green Gorge Island, either openly or covertly. But Tan Yuanyi will probably try to phrase this small demand as gently as possible when dealing with Liu Laocheng."
Liu Zhimao sighed, "Even with such concessions, Liu Laocheng still refused to nod. He wouldn't even grant me that nominal title of Jianghu Sovereign. He threw a remark to Tan Yuanyi, saying that in the future, there would be no Jianghu Sovereign in Shu Jian Lake, which is simply a laughingstock."
Chen Ping'an frowned.
For the moment, he couldn't figure out the connection.
Because he knew nothing about Xun Yuan of Jade Gui Sect's plan to establish a lower sect in Shu Jian Lake, or the alliance between Xun Yuan and Liu Laocheng, nor could he guess that Jiang Shangzhen, the "old acquaintance" who held the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, would soon become the first sect master of that lower sect.
As a lower sect of Jade Gui Sect, it would need to cover the entire Shu Jian Lake and still find it too small. It might even include neighboring vassals of the Zhu Ying Dynasty near Shu Jian Lake, such as Stone Ink State, into its jurisdiction.
By the side of one's bed, how could one tolerate others snoring? A rogue Nascent Soul cultivator like Liu Zhimao—what was he?
But Liu Zhimao didn't know, and neither did Tan Yuanyi of Grain Island.
National Teacher Cui Chan had deliberately concealed this from Tan Yuanyi for the sake of this chess game, to make Cui Dongshan admit defeat thoroughly and let the two split into primary and secondary roles. This would make Cui Dongshan willingly leave the Cliff Academy and serve Cui Chan, helping him and Great Li's iron cavalry stabilize half of Bottle Gourd Continent. Whether that half was in the south or north, whether it meant guarding the territory north of Guanhu Academy or conquering south of it, Cui Chan had given Cui Dongshan the choice—both were acceptable.
For a person like Cui Chan, nothing in the world could be trusted. But could he not even trust "himself"? Wouldn't that be questioning his own Great Dao? It was like how deep in his heart, Chen Ping'an rejected becoming a mountain-dwelling cultivator, so he couldn't even walk up the Longevity Bridge built across the river.
Although he had now split into two, and Cui Dongshan was only half of Cui Chan, neither Cui Chan nor Cui Dongshan was the type to only show off clever tricks or petty intelligence.
Once they truly decided to sit down and play the game, they would accept defeat if they lost, especially if it was to half of themselves.
Once Cui Dongshan emerged, fully supporting Great Li, it would be equivalent to Great Li dynasty gaining an additional Embroidery Tiger out of thin air!
At that time, before Cui Chan had left the tall building in Pond Water City, using Cui Dongshan's own half-joking words, "Even I think it's terrifying when I think about it. How can Great Li lose in Bottle Gourd Continent?"
Chen Ping'an remained silent. This news was a mixed blessing.
The good thing was that Liu Zhimao's bargaining power with Chen Ping'an had hit rock bottom. Liu Laocheng, stationed at Palacial Willow Island, was so tough. As for Spring Court Mansion and Red Silk Mansion on Green Gorge Island, Liu Zhimao's bargaining chips with Chen Ping'an would become lighter and lighter.
The bad thing was that to accomplish what he wanted in his heart, Chen Ping'an would need to pay more to Great Li. He even began to doubt whether Tan Yuanyi of Grain Island had enough influence to affect the central policy of Great Li, whether he could, as the Song clan's representative in Shu Jian Lake, negotiate with Chen Ping'an. Once Tan Yuanyi's voice wasn't loud enough, the energy Chen Ping'an spent on this person would be wasted. He was even more afraid that Tan Yuanyi, due to meritorious service, would be transferred elsewhere in Great Li, and Shu Jian Lake would get a new Great Li representative. The little "bond of incense" Chen Ping'an had built with Tan Yuanyi might backfire. His worst fear was that Tan Yuanyi would be sidelined by Liu Laocheng, causing the situation in Shu Jian Lake to change. After all, the ultimate credit for Shu Jian Lake's final ownership never belonged to Grain Island but to that Great Li iron cavalry on the border of Zhu Ying Dynasty. It was this cavalry's unstoppable advance that decided the surname of Shu Jian Lake. Once Great Li's upper pillars of the state in the court branded Tan Yuanyi as incompetent in handling affairs, then Chen Ping'an wouldn't even need to go to Grain Island, because Tan Yuanyi would be unable to save himself. He might even cling to Chen Ping'an as a lifeline, refusing to let go, hoping to use him as his last capital for survival. At that time, a Nascent Soul cultivator like Tan Yuanyi, who could overnight decide the fate of two great islands like Green Tomb and Heavenly Wife, would become even more terrifying and unscrupulous.
The reasoning was simple.
Tan Xue could be pinned to this door by Chen Ping'an right now.
Chen Ping'an could similarly become the next Tan Xue.
This was the true way of walking the jianghu—life and death were one's own responsibility.
Liu Zhimao had been patiently waiting for Chen Ping'an to speak, not interrupting this accountant's contemplation.
Chen Ping'an's first sentence was, "Trouble the True Lord to invite Tan Yuanyi to come to Green Gorge Island for a secret meeting with me as soon as possible."
Liu Zhimao breathed a sigh of relief.
But Chen Ping'an's next words made Liu Zhimao uneasy and extremely troubled.
"We both know that Tan Yuanyi hit a wall at Palacial Willow Island. Liu Laocheng definitely wasn't making an exorbitant demand to give you room to bargain back. Right now, Tan Yuanyi of Grain Island himself is a muddy pit. Wade into this murky water, and you'll end up covered in mud. So I have two conditions. First, the secret restrictions you placed on Gu Can's mother must be removed. Don't ask if I'll suspect you agreeing but not doing it. We both know each other's bottom lines, so there's no need for such boring tests. You know even better my current attitude toward Spring Court Mansion."
"The second condition: you give up your control over Hong Su of Red Silk Mansion and hand her over to me. If Tan Yuanyi is useless, let me go negotiate with Liu Laocheng myself."
Finally, Chen Ping'an said solemnly, "The second condition isn't even a real condition. Liu Zhimao, weigh it carefully! 'Where there's life, there's hope'—this isn't just the rule of Shu Jian Lake, it's a universal truth for all rogue cultivators and scattered immortals."
Liu Zhimao said without hesitation, "Agreed!"
Chen Ping'an seemed a bit surprised.
Liu Zhimao spread one palm.
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly and pushed the bowl full of wine toward Liu Zhimao. Liu Zhimao raised the bowl and took a sip, "Mr. Chen is my only confidant on Shu Jian Lake. Naturally, I must show some sincerity."
Liu Zhimao turned his head to glance at that little mud loach, then withdrew his gaze and pointed a finger at his own head, "I have this thing."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Your confidant? Isn't that an insult?"
Liu Zhimao wasn't annoyed at all, laughing heartily, "See? See? Still saying we're not confidants?"
Seemingly on the verge of death, Tan Xue turned her neck slightly, watching the two men "chatting happily," listening to their words that could probably decide the direction of Shu Jian Lake in just a few phrases.
At that moment.
She somewhat understood the meaning of Chen Ping'an's "words within and beyond."
Words within and beyond—she had them too, and could use them. For instance, that one which Chen Ping'an had exposed and pointed out: that when he was in Nilin Lane, he was still ignorant and innocent. Therefore, all causes and all sins, even after arriving at Shu Jian Lake, were just a matter of a little "waking up." So the current "meteoric rise" of Spring Court Mansion had little to do with her little mud loach; it was all the credit of that mother and son.
But compared to Chen Ping'an's words within and beyond, until Liu Zhimao walked in and sat down, as the master of Green Gorge Island, even whether he could drink a bowl of wine depended on the guest Chen Ping'an nodding first. And he finally got his wine bowl, drank the wine, and seemed quite happy. A Nascent Soul old cultivator whom even she was wary of had actually described that young man, still not twenty years old, as a "confidant."
Only then did she truly admit that in front of Chen Ping'an, she was really not clever enough.
Chen Ping'an pointed at Tan Xue and said to Liu Zhimao, "The Great Li National Teacher will like this Nascent Soul stage flood dragon's corpse. This is a bargaining chip I've just obtained. If I can close this deal, it will guarantee your life, Liu Zhimao. At the very least, I'll let you get your hands on a Great Li 'Peace and Safety Token,' allowing you to take refuge and migrate out of Shu Jian Lake, and later become a Great Li offering master. At the very least, there's hope. So even if both Grain Island and Liu Laocheng refuse to negotiate, I can still help you prevent that worst-case 'what if' from happening."
Liu Zhimao squinted and smiled, "Is Mr. Chen really willing to part with this beast?"
Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine from the Sword Nurturing Gourd and pointed at Tan Xue, "I gave her many chances. If she had taken even one, she wouldn't have ended up like this. Who is there to blame? Blame me for not having a bodhisattva's heart? Even to put it a million steps back, I am not a bodhisattva."
Liu Zhimao nodded gently, deeply agreeing.
If this young man didn't have this kind of skill and intellect, he wouldn't deserve to sit down and brazenly ask for a bowl of wine.
Back then when he first came here, why didn't Liu Zhimao nod immediately?
On one hand, he wasn't willing to give up hope. He hoped Tan Yuanyi of Grain Island could negotiate with Liu Laocheng, so that Liu Zhimao wouldn't need to bother with Chen Ping'an anymore, just stay out of each other's way.
Furthermore, Chen Ping'an could figure out many things—Hong Su, the hidden restrictions on the Spring Court Mansion woman, and so on—but these wouldn't truly make Liu Zhimao feel "at ease." Why do scholars say "all pursuits are lowly, only study is high," yet also slap their own faces by saying "a scholar is useless in a hundred ways"? Isn't it that thinking is one thing, and doing is another?
Therefore, how Chen Ping'an handled that beast with a heart higher than the sky but a fate thinner than paper was an invisible threshold. If he could cross it, do it well, cleanly and beautifully, then Liu Zhimao would dare to truly deal and trade with Chen Ping'an.
Killing and fighting must happen.
But how to kill and fight was an art.
That mud loach and Gu Can's actions, even those so-called young prodigies like Lü Caisang and Yuan Yuan, in Liu Zhimao's eyes, were just kids playing house. If they raised their voices a little louder, broke a few more porcelain jars, they'd think they were number two after the heavens. But Liu Zhimao didn't think this was bad at all. On the contrary, it was best. The more little fools obsessed with whether their fists were hard, not even clear about how many islands and how much ancestral prestige their tender fists relied on, the less Liu Zhimao had to worry. His own seat would only become more stable.
Unfortunately, now there was an even more seasoned rogue like Liu Laocheng.
Why give birth to Liu Zhimao if Liu Laocheng already existed?
The times are not on my side—Liu Zhimao could only sigh like this.
The reason he was so humbly subservient to this younger man before him was also compelled by the greater trend. Was it not because of that jade token? Was it not because of the Great Li iron cavalry? Was it not because of the shifting winds and clouds in central Bottle Gourd Continent?
However, what made Chen Ping'an different from others was that he understood all this perfectly, and every word and action seemed to adhere to some kind of... rule that even Liu Zhimao found extremely strange.
And when these sentences and small matters gradually accumulated into a rule that became clear, Liu Zhimao was willing to trust it.
Suddenly, Liu Zhimao laughed angrily, "First there's Ancestor Liu, then there's Mr. Chen. It seems I really am not suitable to stay in Shu Jian Lake anymore. Time to move—'a tree moves and dies, a man moves and lives.' If Mr. Chen can really get me a Peace and Safety Token, I will definitely offer a heavy gift in thanks!"
Chen Ping'an didn't take it seriously. These words might not be false, but how the speaker thought wasn't important. The key was that the listener couldn't take it too seriously. Affairs of the world are unpredictable. Today's sincere heart cannot withstand tomorrow's incidents.
Even a naturally good-natured person like Zeng Ye could go astray, mistakenly thinking Chen Ping'an was a good man, that a young man could safely rely on him, and then start to dream of a bright future—a protector, a master-disciple relationship, a Middle Five Realm cultivator, a promising Great Dao. When the time came, he would definitely ascend to Crescent Moon Island again, to see his master and that heart-poisoned ancestor...
Zeng Ye might never know that during that slight change in his own mind, the "great cultivator" next door, the accountant who could face Liu Laocheng with a calm heart, felt a fleeting chill in his heart at that moment.
And his life, which could have been on an upward path, had almost taken a downward turn again.
Chen Ping'an could even clearly predict that if that had happened, one day when Zeng Ye woke up, he would blame heaven and others, and he would be extremely justified.
Only he would not know that in the situation where he had no choice in his own life, if he couldn't even pass the barrier that Chen Ping'an represented, then even if he had other opportunities and other barriers to cross, could he really get through?
By luck? By fate? By the inexplicable favor of important people?
Chen Ping'an had never believed that his own way of handling people was the most suitable for Zeng Ye's life.
But almost everyone faces such a dilemma: "there is no choice."
Chen Ping'an was no exception.
In his hometown town, the herbs from Yang's Shop were Chen Ping'an's only choice. In the end, his mother still passed away.
In the smoke-filled Nilin Lane, only one woman had been willing to open her courtyard door. It was the best choice in Chen Ping'an's bitter life, and now it had become the worst.
One set of Mountain-Toppling Fist Scripture was also the straw-sandal boy's only choice at the time.
Fortunately, to this day, Chen Ping'an felt that was the best choice.
Life is often like this. Many times, there are no forks in the road to choose right from wrong, good from bad. The heavens would just press down on your head and make you move forward.
What a person can do in the present is simply walk the only path beneath their feet.
Only after walking through it do they have the chance to see forks in the road, the next opportunity to go from a sheep's trail or a single-log bridge to a broad avenue.
When observing Zeng Ye's line, seeing the youth's fluctuating mind, Chen Ping'an once again felt helpless, even weary.
"It's never too late to mend one's ways"—the real difficulty, it turned out, lay not in mending, but in knowing.
Gu Can was like that. Zeng Ye, whose temperament was at the other extreme of the yardstick, could also make mistakes.
The only exception was that Zeng Ye was still weak and immature, both in cultivation and mind, so he still had the chance to gradually improve.
Chen Ping'an wouldn't preach his own truths to Zeng Ye. Instead, he would teach him how to fundamentally perceive this world. The more he knew, the more it was like holding an umbrella of paulownia leaves or oilcloth, able to avoid more wind and rain. If he only preached to the youth without him knowing the complexity of the world, it would be like weaving a bamboo basket or backpack for Zeng Ye to carry, then forcing things into it—not making Zeng Ye's path smoother, but making him carry a heavier burden, making it increasingly difficult.
Preaching or not, either way, there was a price to pay.
Putting knowledge into the basket or backpack might not necessarily be a good thing either.
Words in the world have power. The knowledge formed by words has weight.
But this is like when Old Man Yang drew an "Eight Liang True Qi Talisman" on Chen Ping'an's leg back then. It made walking heavy for Chen Ping'an, but it could also temper his martial arts.
These were all Chen Ping'an's own insights that he started to figure out after the appearance of Zeng Ye's fifth line.
Before, he wasn't completely ignorant, but Chen Ping'an hadn't been thorough yet.
Walking too fast, the youth couldn't keep up.
It turned out that half-baked understanding was the most frightening. When you walk, it sloshes around, and the person carrying the bucket naturally finds it extremely difficult.
Suddenly, Liu Zhimao made an earth-shattering remark, "Mr. Chen, could it be that you are 'observing the Dao' and 'unifying with the Dao'?"
Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine, as if joking, "So the True Lord really is a confidant."
Liu Zhimao put down his wine bowl solemnly, cupped his fists in salute, "Our paths are different, and we were once mortal enemies. But just for the fact that Mr. Chen, with a cultivation below the fifth realm, can act like a Nascent Soul cultivator, I respect you."
Chen Ping'an teased, "If the True Lord could tell me about his life's path, helping me observe the Dao more, I would also be very grateful."
Liu Zhimao quickly waved his hand, "Confidants don't distinguish between enemies and friends. At this point, we are at most not enemies, at least not for now. If we clash again in the future, we'll each rely on our own abilities. Since we are not friends, why should I help Mr. Chen? If I remember correctly, Mr. Chen currently owes quite a bit of immortal money from our Green Gorge Island's secret treasury. If Mr. Chen is willing to gift me that jade token, or at least lend it to me for a hundred years, I would be generous and open, answering whatever you ask, and even if you don't ask, I will pour it all out like beans from a bamboo tube—things I should and shouldn't say, I'll say."
The original owner of that jade token was one of the seventy-two Confucian sages of the Central Earth Confucian Temple from the line of the Second Sage, and also the great sage who sat above the map of Bottle Gourd Continent.
Liu Zhimao certainly knew the weight of it.
He was both wary and covetous.
As to whether he could handle it, it was actually simple: it depended on whether Chen Ping'an dared to give it.
Because Liu Zhimao didn't truly understand the actual rules of the Confucian side; Chen Ping'an knew more.
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Don't think about that."
Liu Zhimao hadn't been hopeful, so naturally he wasn't disappointed.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "If I held the jade token and unrestrainedly absorbed the spiritual energy and water transport of Shu Jian Lake, draining the pond to catch everything, taking it all into my own pocket—would you, True Lord, or Liu Laocheng, or the Song clan behind you, stop me? Would you dare?"
Liu Zhimao's expression stiffened.
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Relax. This would be reasonable but not proper. Therefore, even if you wouldn't dare to stop me, I wouldn't dare to do it. Of course, if absolutely necessary, I might try to see if I could step into the Nascent Soul realm in one go."
Liu Zhimao cupped his fists again, "I earnestly beg Mr. Chen not to let both sides suffer, not to drain the pond to catch the fish in Shu Jian Lake, and also to completely lose this talisman of protection for yourself."
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "I am behind; Shu Jian Lake is in front. The order of precedence cannot be reversed."
Chen Ping'an stood up, "Let's go. Please accompany me, True Lord, to Spring Court Mansion for a meal of winter solstice dumplings from our hometown."
Liu Zhimao stood up as well, glancing at that pitiful little mud loach.
One half-immortal sword, two life-bound flying swords, three Severing Lock Talismans.
These were all excellent truths of our Shu Jian Lake.
Very practical.
Chen Ping'an didn't look at her, "On the way there, please trouble the True Lord to tell me about the method for stripping a flood dragon's corpse. After I come back, I'll listen to her last words. Who knows, maybe her reasoning can convince me?"
Liu Zhimao laughed heartily.
The two left the house.
At Spring Court Mansion, Gu Can's face was pale, and the woman was even more unable to conceal her panic.
Chen Ping'an only said one sentence, "Tan Xue is at my place, wanting to discuss her reasoning with me, so she won't come to eat dumplings."
After the meal of dumplings, Chen Ping'an put down his chopsticks, said he was full, and thanked the woman.
Liu Zhimao also put down his chopsticks, and they stood side by side, leaving together.
They parted ways.
Liu Zhimao first returned to Cross Wave Mansion, then quietly returned to Spring Court Mansion.
Chen Ping'an returned alone to his house.
A man returning home on a snowy night.
The tip of the celestial sword was still on the door.
Chen Ping'an opened the door, entered the house. Tan Xue spoke her first sentence, "I don't want to die."
Chen Ping'an closed the door and said, "So this is your reasoning?"
Chen Ping'an paid no more attention to her. He lit two lamps, one on the desk and one on the table, and took out the "Underworld" King Yan Hall from his bamboo box, placing it on the table.
He continued doing what he had been doing for the past half month.
She remained pinned to the door.
Until the dead of night.
Exhausted, Chen Ping'an took a drink of wine to refresh himself, then put away the wooden pavilion back into the bamboo box.
Holding a charcoal brazier, he walked to the window and looked out at Shu Jian Lake. The heavy snow had stopped.
Gazing at the cold, desolate scenery of an island covered in snow, he said softly, "Four pages of accounts, thirty-two names, and not even one yin spirit dared to speak up, asking me to kill you for revenge. So I think you deserve to die. I plan to change my mind and not do business with the Great Li National Teacher. At Spring Court Mansion, even after I finished a big bowl of dumplings, no one pleaded for you. Just like you said earlier, my golden virtuous gallbladder shattered on its own, and Gu Can didn't dare to ask. Tonight is the same—still doesn't dare. Right now, Liu Zhimao should be at Spring Court Mansion, helping Gu Can's mother remove her restrictions. She'll probably consider him the greatest benefactor with the best heart. As for me, from tonight onward, I'll be the ungrateful enemy of Spring Court Mansion."
Chen Ping'an, holding the charcoal brazier in one hand, walked over to her and reached out to grasp the hilt of the celestial sword.
Her face was covered in tears, her Dao heart nearly shattered, and she murmured repeatedly, "Chen Ping'an, I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong."
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "You just know you're going to die."
In the snowy night, another guest arrived.
A young man in a ink-green python robe ran over, kneeling in the snow outside the door.
Chen Ping'an swung the sword horizontally, cleaving her in two.
The golden sword tip outside the door moved sideways a short distance but was still not pulled out by the one holding it.
Then the house door was opened.
Chen Ping'an stood at the doorway, "Gu Can, I thought you would say that if Tan Xue died, you would also kill yourself in front of me. Before I opened the door, I was still wondering whether this was your own idea or a line your mother taught you."
Gu Can raised his head, crying silently.
This was the first time he had cried like the little snot-nosed kid from Nilin Lane back in those years since leaving his hometown for Shu Jian Lake.