Chapter 445: Charcoal Basket and Stove, a Chilly Heart

Chapter 445: Charcoal Basket and Stove, a Chilly Heart

Arriving at a lake surface, Chen Ping'an stopped rowing, set down the bamboo pole, and took out some dry rations from his Summoning Object to stave off hunger.

Liu Laocheng suddenly asked with a smile if Chen Ping'an liked fishing, saying that there were three delicacies unique to the Bamboo Slip Lake, all of which were rare treats at the banquets of the Zhu Ying dynasty's nobles. Among them was a type of fish caught in winter. The colder and snowier it was, the more delicious this fish, called winter crucian, became. Liu Laocheng pointed to the bottom of the lake, saying that they were abundant in this area. Before he could say more, Chen Ping'an had already taken out the fishing rod from Purple Bamboo Island, which he had never had a chance to use, and produced a small jar of fermented corn.

Liu Laocheng did the same, his movements skillful, though his bait was slightly different. His fishing rod was a special green bamboo, lush and dripping with spiritual energy.

In the end, Liu Laocheng caught three palm-sized winter crucians, while Chen Ping'an caught two. They put away their rods at about the same time. After that, each of them showed their prowess, producing cutting boards, stoves, clay pots, firewood, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, sugar, and so on.

One at the bow of the boat, the other at the stern. Each cooked their own fish.

Steam rose. They sat cross-legged, holding chopsticks in one hand and a wine flask in the other.

They exchanged a smile and began to eat and chat casually.

Scheming and hidden dangers were temporarily put aside amidst the laughter and conversation.

After the laughter and talk, they had just finished cleaning up the stove and clay pot when Chen Ping'an slapped his Sword Nurturing Gourd. Flying Sword Fifteen shot out. In front of Liu Laocheng, Chen Ping'an said, "Go ahead to Green Gorge Island and inform Liu Zhimao that Liu Laocheng of Palatial Willow Island is with me. Tell him to activate the mountain-protecting formation. I will go ashore alone."

Liu Laocheng asked, "Just giving orders without making up an excuse? Otherwise, Liu Zhimao will surely be suspicious."

Chen Ping'an replied, "If I say too much, he'll be even less likely to activate the formation."

Liu Laocheng nodded. "Straight to the point—either scare the opponent or tear away all pretense. That suits someone like Liu Zhimao. They can't be given any room for maneuver."

Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up.

Liu Laocheng chuckled. "What, I said it offhandedly, and you've already gained insight?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I had a vague sense that this was the right approach, but I couldn't articulate it as clearly as Island Master Liu did. Hmm, it's like you've placed a ruler in front of me. In dealing with people, I used to aim for the middle ground, avoiding extremes. But you've taught me that when dealing with someone like Liu Zhimao, it's the opposite—you need to push them toward either end."

Liu Laocheng nodded in agreement, but then said, "In conversation, reveal only seven or eight parts of your mind, never your whole heart. Between you and me, we are still enemies. When could we ever bare our souls? Have you misunderstood something?"

Chen Ping'an leaned on the bamboo pole. "That's a different matter. If I only wanted us to fight to the death, I wouldn't have bothered making this trip to Palatial Willow Island. In the end, I still hope for a win-win situation. Island Master Liu will still get that big benefit, and I'll just have some peace of mind. I won't compete with you for money."

Liu Laocheng made no comment, slowly drinking his wine.

Chen Ping'an smiled. "When I was learning to play chess from someone, I really had no talent. I was slow to learn anything. Even a fixed pattern that had already been analyzed to death by predecessors would take me ages to ponder, and I still couldn't grasp the essence. So I liked to daydream, wondering if there could be a chessboard where everyone could win, where it wasn't just about victory or defeat, but about winning more or less."

Liu Laocheng shook his head. "Don't talk to me about chess. It gives me a headache. I've never liked it. Skill at chess has nothing to do with how well you handle affairs."

Chen Ping'an was about to speak, probably wanting to argue with the old cultivator further. After all, Liu Laocheng himself had said that when one has leisure, one becomes the master of mountains and rivers. The reason he insisted on rowing slowly back to Green Gorge Island was precisely to learn more about Liu Laocheng's character. Although the success or failure of the plan lay in larger, higher matters...

Liu Laocheng raised his hand. "Stop. Don't push your luck and act like a schoolteacher. At most, you're a bookkeeper who's good with an abacus. The ferry is only this big. With you nagging like this, I have to listen whether I want to or not. If I want peace and quiet, I'll just have to slap you into the lake. With your current physical condition, you can't withstand much more trouble. You're only holding on by relying on one Life-Connected Aperture. If that mansion shatters, your Longevity Bridge will probably break again. By the way, how did it break before? I'm curious."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Back in the day, in the alley in my hometown, it was broken by a female cultivator from the mountains. But most of it was because of Liu Zhimao's machinations. It was quite a dangerous tribulation. Liu Zhimao even tampered with my heart at the time. If not for good luck, the female cultivator and I would have died without knowing why. A confusing fight to the death. You mountain immortals, besides being vastly powerful, also love to kill without leaving a trace."

This was the first time Chen Ping'an had told Liu Laocheng about his own affairs.

It counted as a gesture of sincerity.

Otherwise, Chen Ping'an was really worried that he might have angered the unpredictable old cultivator before even reaching Green Gorge Island.

Liu Laocheng seemed somewhat moved. "Mountain cultivators are very afraid of getting entangled in the mortal world. On the Bamboo Slip Lake, I should be the most qualified to say that. That's why military cultivators are envied by other Qi Practitioners. No matter how many people they kill, they don't have to fear karmic entanglement. That's why they prefer to cultivate in the mortal world more than the Legalist, Strategist, Merchant, Agricultural, and other schools. Swordsmen are also comfortable among the four major troublesome mountain ghosts, with fewer restrictions."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I've met Legalist cultivators and Master Dagger-Room Taoists. All that's left is to experience the Mo School's Debt Collectors."

Liu Laocheng sneered. "I advise you not to provoke the Debt Collectors. They are the most troublesome of the troublesome ghosts, like the little ghosts guarding the gates for King Yan."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'll be careful."

The road was long, but it eventually came to an end.

The ferry passed several vassal islands, including Plain Scale Island, and entered the territory of Green Gorge Island. Sure enough, the mountain and water formation had already been activated by Liu Zhimao.

In Liu Zhimao's view, this would naturally incur Liu Laocheng's displeasure. But since he and Chen Ping'an were in the same boat, refusing Chen Ping'an's request would bring corresponding consequences. He had to choose the lesser of two evils. Moreover, although Liu Zhimao couldn't figure out why Old Ancestor Liu was willing to accompany Chen Ping'an back to Green Gorge Island, he kept telling himself that Chen Ping'an did things by the rules. No matter what Liu Laocheng intended to do, since Chen Ping'an had brought him, he might not be able to resolve everything, but at the very least, he would help Green Gorge Island clean up the mess, rather than washing his hands of it and walking away.

This was the intangible influence of a so-called "good person," like the spring breeze seeping into the night, moistening everything silently.

Even a thoroughly evil person like Liu Zhimao had to acknowledge this.

Liu Laocheng kept his promise, hovering in the air above the lake surface away from the ferry dock.

Chen Ping'an tied up the ferry boat, went to the mountain gate building, and after a moment, the jade token stopped absorbing the spiritual energy of the Bamboo Slip Lake.

Chen Ping'an went to Scarlet String Manor, but when he returned, he did not bring Red Su with him. He returned to the dock alone.

Liu Laocheng frowned.

Chen Ping'an said, "I don't want to see Red Su die right in front of me while I can do nothing. That's the one 'what if' I fear most."

Liu Laocheng laughed heartily, giving Chen Ping'an a thumbs up. He soared into the air, turning into a rainbow light as he returned to Palatial Willow Island, leaving behind a series of rumbling explosions like thunder in winter.

Chen Ping'an stood at the dock for a long time. Only after Liu Laocheng had completely disappeared did he let out a breath of relief and wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Liu Zhimao arrived at the dock and said bitterly, "Mr. Chen, can you tell me the truth? What is this all about?"

Chen Ping'an said, "On the way here, Liu Laocheng and I kept chatting, probing each other. I've come to a conclusion: it seems Liu Laocheng has never met with Da Li's military general, Su Gaoshan."

Liu Zhimao's expression changed slightly.

Both were smart people. The speaker had intent, and the listener understood.

Su Gaoshan, the main general of the Da Li iron cavalry that had already reached the capital region of Stone Hao Nation, was a mountain that even Tan Yuanyi of Grain Island could not cross. When the three of them had formed an alliance at Transverse Wave Manor, they all felt that Liu Laocheng had already made contact with Su Gaoshan. That was why he couldn't be bothered to discuss major matters with Tan Yuanyi, a spy chief of Green Wave Pavilion. Palatial Willow Island had directly obtained some kind of response from the Da Li court through Su Gaoshan, which explained their overbearing behavior and complete disregard for the conditions offered by Liu Zhimao and Tan Yuanyi. If that were the case, Liu Laocheng's current position was roughly on par with Su Gaoshan.

Now it seemed that all three had guessed wrong. They had underestimated this Upper Fifth Realm cultivator. Liu Laocheng didn't even consider General Su Gaoshan worth his attention. Palatial Willow Island must have a higher, more concealed line of communication, perhaps directly connected to the Da Li Song Clan or even the Da Li National Teacher.

Liu Zhimao's face grew even more bitter. "Mr. Chen, could it be that you're assessing the situation and planning to abandon Green Gorge Island for Palatial Willow Island?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "If I were going to do that, I wouldn't be telling you this. Besides, Island Master Liu has sharp eyes. You must have noticed that although Liu Laocheng and I seem to get along, we're not nearly as close as the cultivators on the Bamboo Slip Lake imagine. It's not a case of hitting it off right away or regretting not meeting sooner. To be honest, if it weren't for that jade token making Liu Laocheng cautious, Palatial Willow Island could have been my burial ground."

Liu Zhimao smiled. "Then I'm relieved. If Mr. Chen had chosen to join forces with Liu Laocheng, I'm afraid even if I had two more legs, I wouldn't be able to escape the Bamboo Slip Lake."

Chen Ping'an joked, "After the New Year, when spring comes next year, I might often leave Green Gorge Island, even go beyond the Bamboo Slip Lake territory. Island Master Liu doesn't need to worry that I'm sneaking around behind your back to scheme with Tan Yuanyi. But it's possible I could run into Su Gaoshan on the way. Island Master Liu doesn't need to be suspicious either. The alliance at Transverse Wave Manor is something I value even more than both of you. However, I want to make it clear in advance: if either of you changes your mind and wants to withdraw, just tell me directly, and we can still discuss it. But if either of you breaks faith first for any reason, I'll make sure you regret it."

Liu Zhimao smiled bitterly. "I can only promise that if I do change my mind, I'll definitely inform Mr. Chen in advance. As for Tan Yuanyi, I'll pass on these words to Grain Island verbatim."

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Liu Zhimao didn't deny that when Liu Laocheng accompanied Chen Ping'an to Green Gorge Island this time, the more straightforward and clear Chen Ping'an was in disassociating himself from Palatial Willow Island, the more uneasy he, Liu Zhimao, felt. His mind was unsettled.

Because that was the "one what if."

What if Chen Ping'an, relying on his courage and ability, had gained another option? What if Chen Ping'an himself broke faith? What if he turned out to be even more ruthless than Liu Zhimao and Tan Yuanyi?

After all, he knew very well how that arrogant little loach had jumped into the fire pit, how it had suffered, and how Chen Ping'an had handled the aftermath.

Suddenly, Liu Zhimao regretted whether he should have never stepped into Chen Ping'an's "rules" at all. Would he one day suddenly wake up and realize that he had ended up no better than that little loach?

Chen Ping'an put his hands in his sleeves, gazing into the distance at the lake and mountains, and said with a smile, "Island Master Liu, you no longer have a choice. So don't let your mind wander. Otherwise, you'll only add to your troubles. That's not the state of mind befitting a Nascent Soul cultivator."

Liu Zhimao sighed. "Your words have awakened me from a dream. I've been taught another lesson."

Chen Ping'an teased, "I wouldn't dare. I'm no master or teacher. I'm just a down-and-out bookkeeper on Green Gorge Island, living under someone else's roof. I still need Island Master Liu's care."

Liu Zhimao also joked, "Occasionally, I have the wicked thought that it might be better if Mr. Chen were inexplicably beaten to death by someone one day."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Likewise."

After Liu Zhimao left the dock, Chen Ping'an returned to his house. He took down the Sword Immortal painting from the wall, took off the Golden Nectar robe, and only wore a thick cotton robe to barely keep warm. He threw some charcoal into the small charcoal basket, lit the fire, and carried it for warmth as he paced around the room.

Zeng Ye came running to knock on the door and greet him. Chen Ping'an opened the door and asked about the details of Zeng Ye's cultivation progress. After talking, Chen Ping'an was fairly satisfied. He estimated that by the end of the year, Zeng Ye should be able to use his physical body as a vessel for ghostly souls and walk freely in the mortal world. Then Zeng Ye could use this superior secret art and his special bone structure to hone and improve his cultivation. Perhaps his breakthrough speed would be extremely fast, even faster than the sinister and crooked method of Mao Moon Island that was like over-forcing seedlings to grow. He could become a Cave Abode realm cultivator, crossing the first major threshold of the Middle Five Realms, even earlier.

Seeing that Zeng Ye seemed reluctant to leave, Chen Ping'an asked, "Are you wondering why I fought Liu Laocheng to the death not long ago, and now we can be like friends of different generations, touring the Bamboo Slip Lake together?"

Zeng Ye felt a bit embarrassed but nodded.

Even though he firmly remembered that on Green Gorge Island, he should observe more, think more, and talk less, this tall young man was genuinely curious and couldn't hold back.

Chen Ping'an smiled. "It's a bit complicated, and not something that can be told as a casual anecdote or interesting story."

Zeng Ye quickly stood up and said, "Mr. Chen, I'll go back to cultivate now."

Chen Ping'an said to him, "When the day comes that it can be told, you can invite me for a drink, and I'll tell you."

Zeng Ye gently closed the door, a broad smile on his face. Through the last crack of the door, he said happily, "Mr. Chen, it's a deal!"

---

After that, many islands on the Bamboo Slip Lake hadn't even finished melting the snow when another heavy snowfall came, like goose feathers.

It was truly strange.

What was going on this year? After not long an interval, there had already been two heavy snowfalls that were rare in decades.

But no one minded. It meant that the already abundant spiritual energy of the entire Bamboo Slip Lake was getting a supplement. This was what they called Heaven giving them a meal.

In the past few days, there was a lot of buzz. Almost all cultivators were talking about the bookkeeper from Green Gorge Island, and even the four lakeside cities—Pool Water, Cloud Tower, and the others—were no exception.

Yu Gui came to the mountain gate of Green Gorge Island for the first time and sat for a while in Chen Ping'an's house. In the meantime, he made a small deal, selling Chen Ping'an a superior spiritual artifact that was only one step away from being a true Dharma treasure. Its function was similar to that of the "Lower Prison" King Yan Hall. It was a pavilion modeled after the "Glazed Pavilion" of White Emperor City in the Central Continent. Although it didn't have many "rooms" for harboring ghostly beings—only twelve, far fewer than the King Yan Hall from Green Gorge Island's secret vault—the quality of the rooms was better. Even the ghost generals cultivated by the ghost cultivators of Scarlet String Manor through soul-summoning banners could be nurtured within them with ease.

Chen Ping'an was a bit helpless. The item was certainly excellent, but he had no money. He would have to go into debt with Crescent Island. When Yu Gui heard this, he was amused. He said that Mr. Chen was being dishonest. At such a low price, he still wanted to write an IOU? Wasn't he embarrassed? Chen Ping'an laughed and said he was indeed embarrassed, but with Island Master Yu, there was no need for formalities. Yu Gui laughed even more. But friendship was friendship, business was business. He pressed Chen Ping'an to have the secret vault supervisor, Zhang Yan, write the IOU in Green Gorge Island's name; otherwise, he wouldn't be at ease. He even asked Old Mr. Zhang to keep an eye on Chen Ping'an, saying that then he, Yu Gui, and the vault would be brothers in hardship.

Zhang Yan smiled and agreed. He didn't lend Chen Ping'an the money to pay for the little Glazed Pavilion, since Chen Ping'an already owed Green Gorge Island a mountain of debt. But Zhang Yan agreed to write the IOU. Only then was Yu Gui satisfied. He also took the opportunity to invite Old Mr. Zhang to visit Crescent Island sometime. Zhang Yan nodded in agreement without any reluctance, and they directly set a time.

In the end, Chen Ping'an felt like an outsider.

The island master of Purple Bamboo Island arrived joyfully, riding a spiritual artifact ferry boat. He brought three giant purple bamboos from the island's ancestral lineage, looking happier giving money than receiving it. After entering Chen Ping'an's house, he only drank a cup of hot water without even any tea leaves, then left. Chen Ping'an accompanied him all the way to the dock, clasping his hands in farewell.

Many other island masters who had previously refused Chen Ping'an entry or whom he had visited without meeting the island master all seemed to have made an appointment to visit Green Gorge Island one after another.

The heavy snow stopped.

At noon that day, Liu Zhimao came to the house and knocked but didn't enter.

Chen Ping'an walked out carrying the charcoal basket, looking tired.

They took a walk together.

Liu Zhimao was somewhat gloating. "Do you want me to help you turn those people away? I can find any excuse, like saying Green Gorge Island is sealing its mountain."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No need. I find joy in the midst of hardship, and I'm even enjoying it. Dealing with these island masters actually teaches me a lot. But it's truly tiring. Exchanging pleasantries and saying polite words—that's always been my weakest point. I'll treat it as filling in the gaps, practicing the internal arts of dealing with people."

Liu Zhimao smiled. "Actually, everyone has to go through a day like this. Later, when you have your own mountain, you'll have to take care of everything. It'll be even more exhausting. Getting used to it early is indeed a good thing."

They had already walked a good distance from the mountain gate building. Liu Zhimao looked back, suppressing a laugh. "Chen Ping'an, your aunt has come out of Spring Court Manor to find you. If I remember correctly, this is the first time she's come to see you since you moved out of Spring Court Manor. Should we turn back?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Let's walk a bit more."

Liu Zhimao nodded. "If you were truly as hard-hearted as us cultivators, you wouldn't need to go through all this trouble."

Chen Ping'an carried the charcoal basket and said with a smile, "I'm hoping for a decent parting. Even after the goodwill of past favors has faded, I still hope the other person's life can be better."

Liu Zhimao said, "Some half-baked family matters—whether in a cramped alley, a grand mansion, or a big mountain like our Green Gorge Island—if you want to do good deeds, it's hard to be a good person. Chen Ping'an, let me give you one more piece of unpleasant advice. Maybe in a few years or a decade, that woman still won't understand your good intentions now. She'll only remember your faults. Whether she's living well or poorly at that time, it'll be the same. Perhaps if she lives poorly, she'll remember some of your kindness. The better she lives, the deeper her resentment toward you will be."

Chen Ping'an said calmly, "Does that have anything to do with me?"

Liu Zhimao laughed loudly. "True."

Liu Zhimao then asked with a sly smile, "Guess whether Gu Can's mother brought any maidservants with her on this trip?"

Liu Zhimao quickly added, "I'm not trying to stir things up."

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "Is it possible that she brought maidservants halfway, then thought it was inappropriate and sent them back to Spring Court Manor? My aunt is very clever. Otherwise, back in Mud Vase Alley, it would have been hard for her to raise Gu Can by herself. But... there is no but. In Mud Vase Alley, she truly did the best she could."

Liu Zhimao clicked his tongue in admiration. "Impressive!"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Did I guess right?"

Liu Zhimao nodded. "When she left Spring Court Manor's gate, she brought two of the most pleasing and obedient maidservants. But after walking a short distance, she realized that this wasn't the right posture for someone trying to appear pitiful. She quickly sent the maidservants back, and also had them take away the valuable fox-fur coat she was wearing. So, if we keep walking, by the time we go back, she'll definitely be shivering outside the door, her lips blue from cold. When she enters the house, she'll probably be unable to speak clearly. How about it? Should we turn around immediately and deprive her of this chance to truly look pitiful?"

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Let's go back."

Liu Zhimao chuckled. "Actually, you're harder-hearted than I imagined."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Anyway, I already know everything. Why make her suffer for nothing? Being petty is the most boring thing."

Liu Zhimao asked, "Shall we go back together, like that time we went to Spring Court Manor?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Not this time. I'm not that important to trouble Island Master Liu every time. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to act like the Green Gorge Island's honored guest."

Liu Zhimao didn't insist and vanished in a flash. "Don't worry, I won't eavesdrop on your conversation. Anyway, I can roughly guess what she's going to say."

When Chen Ping'an returned to the house, the woman was shivering like a quail, her hands hugging her shoulders. When she could see Chen Ping'an from a distance, she hesitated for a moment, then immediately let her hands drop.

She was just a woman, and she could already see Chen Ping'an.

Of course, Chen Ping'an would have seen her even earlier.

Sure enough.

As he approached the mountain gate, Chen Ping'an quickened his pace. When he saw the woman, he first handed her the charcoal basket, then opened the door while saying, "Aunt, why did you come? If you had sent word, I could have gone to Spring Court Manor."

The woman entered the house and sat at the table, placing both hands on the charcoal basket. She forced a smile and said, "Ping'an, the little loach is dead. I don't dare say much, but the little loach has been with us mother and son all these years. Without it, not to mention Spring Court Manor, even if we only had a thatched hut on Green Gorge Island, we might not have survived. So, could you return the little loach's body to us? We'll find a place to bury it. If this request is too much, Auntie won't say anything, and she won't blame you. Just like Gu Can has always said all these years—besides me, his mother, you're the only one in the world who truly cares about him. In Mud Vase Alley all those years, even just a bowl of rice, you helped us with so many things, big and small. Things we saw and things we didn't see—you did them all..."

At this point, the woman covered her face and sobbed. "Ending up like this is fate. Auntie truly doesn't blame you. Really..."

Chen Ping'an listened patiently until the woman couldn't speak anymore.

He went to the desk, silently moved out the large stove that was placed underneath, then went to the corner, opened the big bag of charcoal, added charcoal to the stove, lit it with a special fire starter, and crouched down to slide it under the table where they were sitting, so the woman could rest her feet on the edge of the stove to warm herself.

After doing all this, Chen Ping'an sat down on a long bench and still didn't speak.

The woman quickly wiped away her tears. Under the table, she gently lifted her foot and placed it on the edge of the stove. Her face was pale and miserable. "It's okay if you can't do it. The little loach came from the water anyway. It doesn't need to be like us, so particular about 'entering the earth in peace' after death."

Chen Ping'an's gaze was distant.

He vaguely remembered.

Once, in the alley, when he was protecting her after she had quarreled and fought with those gossiping women, they sat on the steps at the courtyard gate. She was just silently crying, her hands clutching the hem of her patched clothes, not saying a word. When she saw her mischievous son swaggering in from the entrance of Mud Vase Alley, she quickly turned away, wiped her tears, smoothed her clothes, and combed her hair with her fingers.

Even now, Chen Ping'an still thought that the aunt of those days was Gu Can's best mother.

She asked softly, "Ping'an, I heard you went to Palatial Willow Island this time and met Old Ancestor Liu. Was it dangerous?"

Chen Ping'an clenched his fists and rested them lightly on his knees.

There was no longer any extreme sorrow, only helplessness.

"To see the fish in the deep is inauspicious."

Chen Ping'an took a deep breath, released his fists, and extended a finger, pointing to his eyes. "Aunt, if we're truly family, there's no need for words. It's all here. That year when Aunt opened the courtyard door and handed me a bowl of rice, I saw it. That year after the quarrel, when Aunt sat at the courtyard gate and signaled me with her eyes to keep it secret from Gu Can, so he wouldn't worry about his mother being wronged—I saw that too."

The woman wanted to speak but hesitated.

Under the table, she tightly gripped the bamboo handle of the small charcoal basket.

Chen Ping'an wanted to tell her.

"Aunt, you probably don't know that back in Mud Vase Alley, I already knew that for the sake of that little loach, you wanted me dead. You hoped Liu Zhimao would kill me."

"Aunt, you might also not know that that night when you invited Liu Zhimao to Spring Court Manor to inquire about my background, Liu Zhimao didn't actually drink that cup of tea, but he took the water in the cup away. He used a mountain secret technique called Echo Water to collect the tea, then placed it in a bowl and set it on this table. I only shattered the lingering ripples of your conversation."

"Aunt also doesn't know that taking off the fox fur, sending the maidservants back, and even the little move of immediately letting go of your hands when you saw me earlier—all that scheming, and the words you said after entering the house, all the implications—I know them all. I understand them completely."

But Chen Ping'an swallowed every single one of those words back into his stomach. In the end, all he said was, "Aunt, the Bamboo Slip Lake in the future might be different from what it is now. Then you and Gu Can won't have to be so afraid all the time, wondering when you might lose your family fortune, or when an assassin might come seeking revenge, forcing Gu Can to kill again and again. But before that day truly arrives, I still hope that Aunt can try to stay in Spring Court Manor as much as possible."

The woman nodded gently.

Chen Ping'an looked at her and said slowly, "The Bamboo Slip Lake will become very different. And when that day finally comes, I hope Aunt, just like when you moved from Mud Vase Alley to Green Gorge Island, can be very careful, observe more, and figure out how to help Gu Can expand Spring Court Manor's family fortune. Since it's for Gu Can's good, I think, after enduring so much hardship in Mud Vase Alley for so many years, and after the three years of hardship just after arriving on Green Gorge Island, can you, for Gu Can's sake, endure a little longer? There will always be a day when it pays off. Just like when you raised Gu Can from a little snot-nosed kid, he never lacked anything compared to other neighbor children in terms of clothes or food. Just like how the ancestral home in Mud Vase Alley turned into a Spring Court Manor. In the future, it might become an entire island, and not just a Transverse Wave Manor slightly bigger than Spring Court Manor, right? Besides, Gu Can's father might be able to come to the Bamboo Slip Lake to see you all sometime."

The woman nodded vigorously, her eyes moist and slightly red.

Chen Ping'an said no more.

The woman sat for a while longer, then took her leave. Chen Ping'an saw her to the door, but the woman refused to take the charcoal basket, saying it wasn't necessary—this bit of wind and cold was nothing. In Mud Vase Alley, they had endured all kinds of hardships; they were used to it.

Chen Ping'an watched her disappear into the distance, then returned to the house.

The woman walked the whole way with difficulty but without complaint.

When she neared Spring Court Manor, her face immediately stiffened. Her lips moved slightly, but when the maidservants hurried out, the woman quickly put on a smile.

Chen Ping'an sat at the table, staring blankly, muttering to himself, "It's useless, isn't it, Chen Ping'an?"

He rubbed his cheeks. "Then do something useful."

Chen Ping'an bent down, moved the stove a little, stepped on it, and still held the charcoal basket. He lay on the table, dozing off in a daze.

Half-asleep, half-awake, it was as if he had returned to his hometown.

A dog barking in the middle of the night at a firewood gate, the sound of a crying child disturbing people's dreams, the sound of an old woman pounding clothes with a pestle.

Many people would find it annoying.

Chen Ping'an, back in Mud Vase Alley, was the same. He just had to endure it.

But in the end, they were all small matters.

And he increasingly felt they were small matters. Now, thinking back, he actually missed them a little.

With a crack, the charcoal basket fell to the ground. Chen Ping'an woke up with a start, picked it up, and placed it beside the long bench.

He went to sleep.

When he woke up, it was already late at night. The sound of knocking had woken him.

Chen Ping'an went to open the door, barely holding back from cursing loudly.

It was the island master of Pearl Hairpin Island, Liu Chongrun.

Chen Ping'an opened the door but didn't step aside.

Liu Chongrun raised an eyebrow. "What, not even allowed in?"

Chen Ping'an countered, "If I let you in, how can I face Ma Yuanzhi from Scarlet String Manor in the future?"

Liu Chongrun waved the porcelain bottle in her hand. "For such an important matter, are we going to discuss it at the doorstep?"

Chen Ping'an frowned. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

Liu Chongrun nodded with a grin.

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Island Master Liu, what are you thinking? This isn't the way to do business, you know?"

Liu Chongrun laughed. "Don't argue with a woman."

Chen Ping'an was stunned for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "That makes sense."

He stepped aside, and Liu Chongrun entered the house. Chen Ping'an didn't dare close the door, but Liu Chongrun raised her foot and kicked it shut behind her.

Liu Chongrun looked down at the large blue stone slab, glanced at the book box in the corner and the six purple bamboos split in half leaning against the wall, then finally looked back at the stone slab. "Big Mr. Chen hides here all day just to mess around with these gloomy things?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Liu Chongrun walked to the table, looked down at the stove, and said, "This thing—quite rare."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Commoners who see the heated floors in wealthy households think they're even rarer."

Liu Chongrun, a Golden Core Earth Immortal who had deliberately laid low on the Bamboo Slip Lake, sat down and put her feet on the stove. "Oh, it's quite warm. I'll get one for my Treasure Light Pavilion when I get back."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Island Master Liu, have you made your decision?"

Liu Chongrun was still looking around curiously and said casually, "I've decided. A bookkeeper whom Old Ancestor Liu personally escorted—how could I dare to slight him? Am I looking for death?"

Chen Ping'an, however, said, "Our business might need to be put on hold for now."

Liu Chongrun angrily said, "Chen Ping'an, are you playing with me? You're the one who came to Treasure Light Pavilion to propose a deal, and now that I've come to give you my answer in person, you start putting on airs? What, now that you've latched onto Old Ancestor Liu, you want to raise the price? Fine, name your price! Let's see if you have the face to talk about getting both the person and the money."

Chen Ping'an stared at this fallen princess of a lost kingdom. "If it weren't for the fact that so many island masters have already visited Green Gorge Island before you, tonight's trip wouldn't have ended with me letting you sit here and yell at me. I would have drawn a clear line with you. Do you really not know, or are you pretending to be clueless? You could have waited patiently on Pearl Hairpin Island. This superfluous move of yours will only drag Pearl Hairpin Island into a vortex. If I fail, Pearl Hairpin Island won't even be able to keep its current assets, let alone move out of the Bamboo Slip Lake! Liu Chongrun, let me ask you the same question again: what are you thinking?"

Liu Chongrun smiled. "I've survived the fall of my kingdom. Now I don't have a kingdom to fall anymore. At worst, it's just the fall of my family. What's there to fear?"

Chen Ping'an's mind stirred slightly, and he looked toward the door.

Liu Chongrun was slightly surprised. Could Chen Ping'an really be a Golden Core swordsman, as rumor had it? Otherwise, how could he be so perceptive?

Because outside, an uninvited guest had arrived, sneaking around like a shady character who often eavesdropped on other people's conversations.

Chen Ping'an winked at Liu Chongrun, then said coldly, "Island Master Liu, let me reiterate: I will not accept female cultivators from Pearl Hairpin Island as personal maidservants! This is not a matter of how much immortal money is involved..."

But Liu Chongrun didn't pick up on the cue. Instead, she said mournfully, "I never thought you, Chen Ping'an, would be such a heartless man. I misjudged you!"

Liu Chongrun suddenly stood up, opened the door, and vanished in a flash.

Chen Ping'an stood there dumbfounded.

He steeled himself, stood up, and went to the door. After a moment, the ghost cultivator from Scarlet String Manor, Ma Yuanzhi, came walking over with a grin.

Chen Ping'an was about to explain, but Ma Yuanzhi was already bursting with joy and excitement. He slapped Chen Ping'an hard on the shoulder. "No need to explain. I know. Her Highness the Princess was deliberately trying to make me jealous. Chen Ping'an, I owe you one for this. When the Princess and I become Dao companions in the future, you'll be the number one contributor!"

Ma Yuanzhi rubbed his hands together and left laughing.

Chen Ping'an stood there, muttering to himself, "That works too?"

He clicked his tongue in admiration.

He walked to the lakeside dock, crouched down, and rolled a snowball. After thinking for a moment, he simply built a snowman, embedding a few charcoal pieces for its nose and eyes. He clapped his hands.

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and built another one next to it, making it look slightly "slimmer and more delicate."

Only then was he satisfied.

Regarding the love between men and women, Chen Ping'an had never truly understood the "principles" behind it. He could only act on his instincts. Even after his two distant travels, one of which included three hundred years of flowing time in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, he only became more confused. Especially with that Zhou Fei from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land—now Jiang Shangzhen of the Jade Gui Sect—Chen Ping'an was utterly baffled as to why so many outstanding women from the Spring Tide Palace in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land were willing to be devoted to such a womanizer, genuinely liking him.

Now he understood a little.

It was like mastering one principle and understanding all.

When the person by your side was unreasonable, and that person also had the strength to bully outsiders, you felt especially at ease.

In markets and alleys, in the court and the jianghu, on the mountains and in the secular world, throughout history and into the future, there would always be many such people.

The Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Spring Tide Palace's Zhou Fei, notorious in the jianghu—why could he ultimately make so many women devoted to him? This was one of the reasons.

The world both detests and admires the strong.

This is one of the fundamental aspects of human nature.

It wasn't to say that all women were like this, but rather those women in Spring Tide Palace. Deep in their hearts, it was as if there was an echo resonating outside the door of their hearts. The seduction of that sound was like the most devout monk chanting sutras, like the most diligent scholar studying. That voice constantly told them that by offering their "one" wholeheartedly to Zhou Fei, Zhou Fei could actually take more "ones" from elsewhere. In fact, in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, where martial arts bottlenecks were not high, the truth was exactly that, and they were right. Even moving Spring Tide Palace from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land to the Indus Leaf Continent, with Zhou Fei becoming Jiang Shangzhen, still applied.

Unless Jiang Shangzhen provoked someone like Du Mao or Zuo You.

Just like how Gu Can's actions could completely convince himself, and even those around him.

Gu Can's reasoning was seamless to himself, so even Chen Ping'an, whom Gu Can cared so much about, couldn't persuade him. Not until Gu Can and the little loach encountered Liu Laocheng of Palatial Willow Island.

If you like being unreasonable, you might live exceptionally well within a certain set of rules. But the Dao is long. Eventually, there will come a day when, no matter how big your fists are, there will be someone with even bigger fists who can casually beat you to death.

Chen Ping'an encountering Du Mao was both chance and inevitability.

Gu Can encountering Liu Laocheng was pure inevitability. It was just that Liu Laocheng appeared early that time, so early that even Chen Ping'an was caught off guard.

But no matter the human heart, as Liu Laocheng said on the ferry, no one knows whether their fate with others will bear good or evil fruit.

If Gu Can meeting Liu Laocheng was inevitable, then Chen Ping'an's own arrival at the Bamboo Slip Lake, sinking into a deadlock and bringing trouble upon himself—was that not also inevitable?

Yes, it was.

And in the future, there would be all kinds of inevitabilities, quietly waiting for Chen Ping'an to face them—some good, some bad.

This is what the Daoists call "blessings and misfortunes have no door; only man himself invites them."

But regarding the complex matter of being reasonable or not, Chen Ping'an had only recently understood. It was that day when he stopped the boat in the middle of the lake, knocked on the bowl and chopsticks, and the cool wind filled him. That was when he figured it out.

That is, the most interesting thing about the Grand Haoran World is that the people with the biggest fists are the Supreme Sage and the Ritual Sage, and they happen to be the most reasonable people in the world.

At that moment, even though Chen Ping'an had been greatly disappointed by human hearts after arriving at the Bamboo Slip Lake, and then had some faint glimmers of hope, regardless of that, at that instant, Chen Ping'an suddenly began to like this world.

He wanted, someday, after he had already been to the Northern Reed Continent, and then to the Inverted Suspension Mountain and the Sword Qi Great Wall, after all that, he would go to the Central Continent Divine Land, meet Old Master Wensheng again, and tell him about his experiences and joys and sorrows since they parted. Next time, he would be sure to have a good drink with the old master, no longer letting him drink alone in loneliness.

He might even muster the courage to ask the old master if he could meet the two even older masters. Of course, he could wait until the two sages were free.

Thinking of this seemingly audacious and presumptuous thought, a smile spread across the young bookkeeper's face.

How is the world? Is it important? Very important.

Is it that important? Not necessarily.

In the night, Chen Ping'an crouched down, looking at the two snowmen standing shoulder to shoulder. He smiled brilliantly and made a funny face at them. "Right, Chen Surname and Miss Ning? Hey? Why aren't you saying anything? Don't just be all lovey-dovey. I know you like each other a lot..."

---

It was nearing the end of the year, almost New Year's Eve. The bookkeeper of Green Gorge Island, along with a tall young man named Zeng Ye, set out on his third journey.

And they directly left the territory of the Bamboo Slip Lake, passing through the southern border pass of Stone Hao Nation and heading north.

That day, they spent the night in an Spirit Official Temple.