Chapter 448: Urging the Horse Up the Mound
Amidst wind and snow, the three riders pushed onward into the heart of the Stone Hair Kingdom.
Many of the towering cities that were strategic military strongholds had already been reduced to scenes of utter devastation. In contrast, the rural countryside had mostly been spared the scourge of war. Yet refugees fled in all directions, leaving their homes behind, only to encounter three heavy snowfalls after the onset of winter. Along the official roads of various prefectures, the emaciated corpses of those who had frozen to death lay everywhere—young men, women, and children alike.
Ma Duyi was kind-hearted, and Zeng Ye was simple and honest. Neither of them, be they human or ghost, truly resembled the typical rogue cultivators of Shujian Lake. So when Chen Ping'an, passing through a commandery city, said he would spend money to hire locals to set up porridge stalls and medicine stalls, and that they would continue their journey only after completing this task, both Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye were especially delighted.
Chen Ping'an then took out the offering jade token of Qingxia Island and hung it on the other side of his waist, opposite the Saber and Sword Prong. He went to find the local government office. Ma Duyi wore a draped hat to conceal her face and, redundantly, put on a thick cotton-padded jacket, even hiding the graceful figure of the fox-fur beauty.
Before this, they had already passed through many commanderies and counties. The closer they got to the central part of the Stone Hair Kingdom, the further north they went, the more dead people they saw. They could already see more troops and horses—some were scattered remnants of the Stone Hair army fleeing south, while others were soldiers with brand-new, gleaming armor. At a glance, they looked quite impressive. Zeng Ye thought that those Stone Hair soldiers heading to the northern battlefield might be able to hold their own against the Great Li iron cavalry.
But Chen Ping'an knew very well that once fighting began, these soldiers—donning armor newly taken from various armories and wielding weapons that had been dust-covered for years but still looked new—would die very quickly. Only a few lucky ones would have the chance to gradually transform from recruits who "had no idea how they died" into veterans who "knew how to survive."
In the river of time within the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Chen Ping'an had personally witnessed many brutal battles that determined the fate of four kingdoms.
In the Haoran World, Chen Ping'an had also personally seen the military appearance of the scouts in the southern border army of Great Li. By observing the small, he could understand the big—why the Great Li border army had the reputation of being "Champions of the Mound." They were the hundred-battle veterans who had survived from the mounds of corpses. Perhaps, in the past hundred years, a twenty-year-old young border soldier of Great Li had fought more battles and seen more dead people than a forty- or fifty-year-old powerful general in the Stone Hair Kingdom.
Chen Ping'an was actually thinking even further ahead. The Stone Hair Kingdom, as one of the vassal states of the Zhu Ying Dynasty—not to mention people like Huang He and Han Jingling—most of these vassal states, like that prince Han Jingxin who died at Chen Ping'an's hands, would personally engage in combat with the Great Li scouts who had two accompanying military cultivators. The northern border army, where the yin creature General Wei came from, had been completely wiped out. Yet the Stone Hair Emperor still tried his best to withdraw troops from various border passes, stubbornly blocking the Great Li army's southward advance. Now the capital was besieged, yet they still showed a posture of fighting to the death.
Why was the Stone Hair Kingdom willing to act this way? To use so many lives as stumbling blocks, just to slightly slow down Su Gaoshan's Great Li iron cavalry?
The literati wrote in books: "In winter, it is fitting to have heavy snow, with the sound of jade shattering."
Chen Ping'an looked into the distance. The roads were covered in snow, the mountains were covered in snow, as if the heavens had pressed a heavy burden upon the mortal world.
Chen Ping'an sighed. But then he thought of the clanging of iron armor in the Lingguan Temple that night, and he felt slightly relieved.
Throughout this northward journey, Ma Duyi, having been a registered
immortal master
and a proper rogue cultivator of Shujian Lake, was naturally saddened, but not overly shocked. However, seeing scenes of hell on earth day after day, even Zeng Ye, who had often silently wept at first, became somewhat numb.
During this time, Zeng Ye was repeatedly possessed by male yin creatures. Some had their wishes fulfilled, while others were left with only regrets. Their homeland and hometown had long since changed beyond recognition.
Meanwhile, the female yin creatures dwelling in the fox-fur talisman paper beauties departed from the mortal world one by one, like Su Xinzai. New female yin creatures would continuously use the talisman paper to walk the mortal world. Each piece of talisman paper was like an inn, like a ferry crossing, coming and going, with joyful and sorrowful reunions, with farewells across the boundary of yin and yang. According to their own choices, their words held truths and concealments.
That day, Chen Ping'an led Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye to visit the prefectural governor's official residence, gaining unimpeded access.
The local prefectural governor was a fat old man with eyes that were almost invisible. In official circles, he liked to smile at everyone, and when he smiled, his eyes became even harder to see.
This past year, the old man had not had a single peaceful day. With the chaos of war, aside from spending a large sum to hire an immortal master from the nearest immortal cave dwelling to come down the mountain as his protector, he had, in a panic, also recruited two cultivators of unknown origin. To put it bluntly, they were the kinds of mountain and marsh rogue cultivators in the lower five realms that he used to look down on. The registered immortal master, who was also in the lower five realms, was so angry that he almost directly returned to the mountain. The prefectural governor had to use all his eloquence and add three Snowflake Coins to his monthly salary before he managed to keep that mountain immortal who disdained to associate with rogue cultivators. The prefectural governor's heart ached, but luckily, as soon as Chen Ping'an arrived, he immediately felt that the extra monthly expense of three Snowflake Coins was worth it. That registered immortal master, worthy of being a true immortal that rogue cultivators couldn't compare to, recognized the jade token at a glance—a head offering token from Qingxia Island that was as significant as the heavens. Trembling with fear, he almost knelt and kowtowed to the young immortal from Shujian Lake.
After that, things were easy. The self-proclaimed Master Chen, the offering elder, said he wanted to set up porridge and medicine stalls within the commandery city to relieve the suffering of the common people. He would pay for it, but he needed the government to provide the manpower. The money would still be accounted for. At that moment, Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye finally saw the old prefectural governor's eyes—they were wide open, quite large indeed. He probably found it unbelievable. The registered immortal master beside him was not much better. A great philanthropist from Shujian Lake? That was about as likely as a great demon opening a mansion and calling himself an immortal master.
As for the two mountain and marsh rogue cultivators, who appeared respectful and timid, they exchanged a glance but said nothing.
After that, things got even stranger. The young offering elder surnamed Chen had the old prefectural governor summon a group of officials and clerks from the government office who were skilled in household registration, taxation, and merchant calculations. They all sat down together and began to discuss the details carefully. The current market price of rice and medicine, the amount in the government granaries, the approximate number of local poor and refugees, the locations of the porridge and medicine stalls, how many idle hands the commandery government could spare and dispatch without delaying official business—matters like these were meticulously considered one by one, putting those seasoned old government hands on edge.
After the discussion ended, the prefectural governor's office began working that very night, with officials and clerks scattering in all directions.
Chen Ping'an and his companions stayed in the back courtyard of the government office. Late that night, the two mountain and marsh rogue cultivators secretly came to visit. They showed not the slightest fear towards the self-proclaimed "head offering elder of Qingxia Island," completely contrary to their obedient and cautious behavior during the day. One of them rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, smiling as he asked Chen Ping'an if he should pay them some hush money. As for what "Offering Elder Chen" was scheming for in this commandery city—whether it was people, money, or magical treasures—they wouldn't interfere.
Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye were still in Chen Ping'an's room at the time, having a rare chat.
Even someone as slow-witted as Zeng Ye could see that Mr. Chen was gradually doing what he wanted to do. Although there would be setbacks and imperfections, and times when he would return empty-handed—even some small wishes could not be fulfilled—in the end, quite a few yin creatures and ghosts that had appeared in the Stone Hair Kingdom, like Miss Su, had departed with fewer regrets.
Logically, Mr. Chen's state of mind should have become lighter and lighter.
But that wasn't the case.
So, Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye would, without disturbing Mr. Chen as he pondered things, keep him company by sitting with him. She and Zeng Ye would often chatter about this and that. Mr. Chen never seemed annoyed, but he was rather quiet. Occasionally, when he heard them arguing over trivial matters or spouting nonsense just to pass the time, Mr. Chen would smile. Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye were often baffled. They'd say something they thought was funny, and Mr. Chen would have no reaction, but then he'd laugh at something that wasn't funny at all.
At that moment, the human and the ghost—one warming her feet on the small stove under the table, the other cracking melon seeds—found the two mountain and marsh rogue cultivators' self-righteousness particularly amusing.
Ma Duyi's eyes sparkled with mischief. She was very curious about how the bookkeeper would handle this.
Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "So, how many Snowflake Coins do you think would be a fair price for your silence?"
One of the rogue cultivators, having prepared his answer, said, "Little brother, you managed to forge a Qingxia Island offering token and even deceived a registered immortal master right under his nose. That's quite an undertaking. Just tonight, you've sunk a considerable amount of real gold and silver into setting up porridge and medicine stalls. So, this hush money should be at least... forty or fifty Snowflake Coins, wouldn't you say? What do you think, little brother? Would you be willing to part with this small sum to ensure you can make your big money safely?"
Chen Ping'an reached out with both hands and placed them on the shoulders of the two rogue cultivators. "Now that I've been seen through by you two seniors, I suppose I'll have to silence you. Why bother paying hush money? If you take the money and then go back and scheme for more, it'll be troublesome. And it might even ruin my big plans. So it's better to do something straightforward. What do you two think?"
The two mountain and marsh rogue cultivators were terrified. The moment their shoulders were pressed, their qi palaces trembled and their spiritual energy stagnated.
Before they could beg for mercy, Chen Ping'an put on a stern face and said, "I have a very grand scheme. You two might be able to help with some small matters. But if you want to leave this commandery city alive, you'll first have to pay a ransom. Although you're only cultivators in the lower five realms, you should at least have... forty-five Snowflake Coins?"
The two rogue cultivators, who were far from wealthy, looked as if they were attending a funeral. They scraped together thirty-two Snowflake Coins, swearing that was all they had.
Chen Ping'an took the immortal's money and waved his hand. "Go back and keep quiet. Wait for my news. If you behave yourselves, when things are done, I'll give you a share of the leftovers. If you try anything shady, I'll strip away the true destiny items that are actually worth something directly from your vital qi palaces. Then you'll call out to heaven and earth with no response, and you'll regret ever setting foot in this prefectural government."
The two rogue cultivators, relieved to have avoided being "robbed clean and belt-buckled" by their fellow cultivator, were also pleasantly surprised. Could they actually turn misfortune into fortune? After returning to their quarters and discussing it, they still felt it was a bit risky, but they didn't dare to flee, and they also couldn't bear to part with the more than thirty Snowflake Coins they had painstakingly saved up. For a while, they were filled with anxiety, sighing deeply.
Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye laughed heartily.
Chen Ping'an sat at the table. "When we leave the commandery city, I'll return the Snowflake Coins to them."
Then Chen Ping'an turned to Zeng Ye. "Later, when we get to northern prefectures and cities, there might be more porridge and medicine stalls to set up. But doing it every time we arrive depends on the timing and the situation. We won't talk about that now; I have my own calculations. You don't need to worry about these things. However, the next time there's business with porridge and medicine stalls, Zeng Ye, you'll handle it. You'll deal with all sorts of people from the government. In the process, don't worry about making mistakes or spending too much silver. Those aren't matters worth fretting over. Moreover, although I won't interfere directly, I'll be watching over you from the sidelines."
Zeng Ye nodded vigorously, then seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Chen Ping'an said, "Everything is difficult at the start, but you have to make a start eventually."
Zeng Ye didn't say anything more. He felt both anxious and excited.
It seemed that this pleased the young man even more than the matter of cultivation.
Chen Ping'an added, "When you feel tired or fed up, remember, don't be shy about telling me. After all, now you're mainly cultivating strength."
Zeng Ye nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "Rest assured, Mr. Chen, I will never neglect my cultivation."
Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly.
In truth, the young man was likely to become even more diligent and attentive.
After that, the porridge and medicine stalls, which had been properly located in the commandery city, were set up quickly and efficiently. This was partly because the government was familiar with such matters, but even more so because the prefectural governor himself was overseeing the work. As for the identity of the young man in the cotton-padded jacket, the old prefectural governor spoke in vague and mysterious terms, never revealing it to anyone, which inspired a certain amount of awe.
Three days later, Chen Ping'an had Ma Duyi quietly place the thirty-two Snowflake Coins in the room of the two mountain and marsh rogue cultivators.
Then the three riders came to a porridge stall near the city gate. They stopped their horses at a distance and dismounted. Chen Ping'an asked the registered immortal master, who had been seeing them off, to watch over them for a moment.
At the porridge stall, Ma Duyi was unwilling to act like a "beggar," and Zeng Ye didn't think he needed to drink a bowl of watery rice gruel. So Chen Ping'an went alone to patiently queue up. He asked for a bowl of rice porridge that was just barely thick, along with two steamed buns. He squatted by the roadside outside the queue, eating the buns with the porridge. From time to time, he could hear the shouting of government clerks. The clerks would loudly instruct the local poor and the refugees who had drifted there about the rules: no taking more than your share, the porridge must be divided according to headcount, and when eating the porridge and buns, don't go too fast—hurrying would only cause problems.
Chen Ping'an looked at the long lines of people. Among them were many local able-bodied men wearing relatively thick clothing, some holding the hands of their children, who were eating candied hawthorn sticks.
Not far from where Chen Ping'an was, there was a small group of local men. They showed no signs of malnutrition. As they ate and drank, they complained that the food was worse than pig slop.
Chen Ping'an just chewed slowly and silently, his mind as calm as an ancient well. He knew that this was the way of the world. Things that cost nothing were hard to appreciate. If you paid money, even for the same porridge and buns, they might taste better, or at least people wouldn't complain so bitterly.
He returned the porridge bowl and walked towards Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye. "Let's go."
The three riders left the city.
Ma Duyi was meticulous. Over the past few days, as she accompanied Zeng Ye on his visits to the porridge and medicine stalls, she had noticed some irregularities. After leaving the city, she finally couldn't help but complain. "Mr. Chen, at least thirty percent of the silver we spent ended up in the pockets of those oily government officials. I saw it clearly. How could you not see it? Why didn't you scold that old prefectural governor?"
Chen Ping'an just said, "Is that so."
Ma Duyi was almost furious.
Zeng Ye looked utterly shocked.
The young man truly hadn't known. How could he see through all these official scheming ways?
Ma Duyi, seeing that the bookkeeper had nothing else to say, grew even more indignant. "Mr. Chen! If you keep this up, I won't help next time! Just let this simpleton Zeng Ye handle everything himself. See if he ends up messing things up for you!"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and gave Ma Duyi something that was less an explanation and more a justification. He said slowly, "Since we're doing good deeds, and the deed is largely accomplished—just not perfectly—there's no need to be too demanding. I was mentally prepared for thirty percent to be embezzled. In fact, my threshold was even lower. If the officials handling this took forty percent, I could accept it. Thirty percent or forty percent, just consider it their reward for doing a real good deed."
Ma Duyi had never expected such an answer. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't quite muster it, so she simply fell silent.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "If it makes you feel bad, as long as you're willing to help Zeng Ye, I can lower my threshold from forty percent to twenty percent. How about that?"
Ma Duyi was finally satisfied. She nudged her horse closer to Zeng Ye and began to patiently explain her insights and tricks to the block-headed young man.
Chen Ping'an suddenly slowed his horse slightly. He took a long, narrow wooden box from his sleeve. The box was engraved with ancient seal script. It was a small item given by Tan Yuanyi of Li Su Island as a token of their alliance. It was quite rare—a small sword tomb, only about a finger's length, extremely compact and portable. It was used to carry messenger flying swords, but it wasn't as flexible as a large sword chamber; it was rigid in its rules and could only send and receive one messenger sword at a time. The consumption of spiritual energy required to nurture the flying sword was far greater than that of a sword chamber. Even so, if Chen Ping'an wished, he could easily sell it for a Grain Rain Coin. So, of course, Chen Ping'an wouldn't refuse Tan Yuanyi's goodwill.
Opening the small wooden box, which had been constantly vibrating, Chen Ping'an retrieved a messenger flying sword from Qingxia Island. The secret message stated that Liu Laocheng of Gongliu Island, having learned that Chen Ping'an was already in the Stone Hair Kingdom, had sent word to Qingxia Island with just one sentence: "Come to my Gongliu Island later to discuss the price in detail."
Chen Ping'an gripped a Snowflake Coin. Spiritual energy dripped like water into one of the sword grooves in the wooden box. He pressed a cleverly concealed mechanism, and the Qingxia Island flying sword shot out of the box's sword groove, flashing away as it returned to Shujian Lake.
Zeng Ye watched with fixed attention.
Back then, at the crude sword chamber on Maoyue Island, he had done odd jobs. But this was his first time seeing a small sword tomb like this, which he had only heard of but never seen. It was truly wondrous.
Ma Duyi was just as amazed.
Chen Ping'an put the wooden box back into his sleeve. He cupped his hands and breathed out. This was very good news.
As he had said to Zeng Ye, everything in the world is difficult, and the first step is the hardest. Whether you can take that step and stand firm is crucial.
Chen Ping'an had formed an alliance with Liu Zhimao, who was supposed to be his enemy, and Tan Yuanyi, a Great Li spy from Li Su Island with no prior connection.
He had then gone to Gongliu Island, putting himself in danger to deal with Liu Laocheng.
And through this opportunity to travel through the Stone Hair Kingdom, "correcting mistakes one by one," he was learning more about the kingdom's national situation.
Naturally, he had his own goals.
Back in the house near the Qingxia Island mountain gate, Chen Ping'an had had a conversation with Gu Can's mother. But at the time, the woman probably hadn't listened carefully. Many things Chen Ping'an said casually, she likely didn't ponder deeply, and might not even have taken them seriously. Her nature wasn't complicated. She just hoped that, in the suddenly changed Shujian Lake, Chen Ping'an would protect her and Gu Can, and that the bookkeeper would remember old ties and not let the name "Ping'an" come to nothing.
Among those words were a few about how "Shujian Lake might be different in the future."
The woman probably didn't think much about it.
But Chen Ping'an had already been working towards it.
Chen Ping'an was going to act step by step, living up to the half-serious, half-joking words Liu Laocheng had said to him on the ferry: "Spare no means." "Such great ambition."
Because Liu Laocheng had already sensed something and guessed that Chen Ping'an truly wanted to change the rules of Shujian Lake from the very roots.
Borrowing things and leveraging circumstances, doing his utmost.
Chen Ping'an wasn't talking about good and evil for now. He was simply doing one thing: treating everyone as pieces on a chessboard, trying to draw a larger formation that belonged to him—from pieces to formation, then to momentum.
He hoped that in the future, within the great rules of Shujian Lake, he could at least participate in making those rules.
So when Liu Laocheng had asked Chen Ping'an if he had learned chess from Mr. Qi of the Pearl Sword Cave Heaven, this was the reasoning.
Throughout their conversation, they had been locked in a tug-of-war.
The undercurrents, the scheming, the search for each other's blunders on the chessboard, the playing of unreasonable moves, the playing of inspired moves—each had their own finesse.
Whether facing the Upper Five Realm cultivator Liu Laocheng of Gongliu Island, or even the Nascent Soul cultivator Liu Zhimao, Chen Ping'an couldn't rely on his fists. If he crossed the line, strayed into a conflict over the Dao, and blocked the path of either of them, it would be tantamount to seeking death. Given such a disparity in realms, not only was reasoning with words useless, but "reasoning with fists" was even more suicidal. And since Chen Ping'an had his own goals, what could he do? He had to put in hard work on the matter of "cultivating the heart," carefully gauging the weight of all the intangible, hidden pieces, their respective desires, bottom lines, natures, and rules.
If possible, he would try to do business with the fugitive prince Han Jingling of Shujian Lake, the son of the border army general Huang He, and even the Great Li military officer Su Gaoshan, who carried great momentum.
The difficulty was that, compared to the various "mistake corrections" he made for the sake of easing his conscience—fulfilling the wishes of those yin creatures and ghosts—this other chess game he was secretly planning was far more arduous. This was the first time Chen Ping'an was trying to act as a chess player, to craft a chessboard. The key was that he couldn't make a single mistake. One careless move and the whole game would be lost. This was equivalent to Chen Ping'an making the biggest blunder.
As for the former—stopping the unrepentant Gu Can from making mistakes, and then taking over the corrections himself—Chen Ping'an, apart from expending mental energy, effort, and money, actually had little more to lose. So that wasn't as fraught with peril.
But why was Chen Ping'an, who was incredibly adept at hiding his emotions, such that even Zeng Ye had detected subtle fluctuations in his state of mind?
It was because, after seeing off Su Xinzai and the others, he had been haunted by an even greater, seemingly unsolvable disappointment that lingered in his heart and refused to leave.
That feeling was different from before, when he was in that somewhat gloomy Qingxia Island house. At that time, before he had summoned all the resentful spirits, just looking at the Infernal Hell Hall on the table, whenever he closed his eyes to rest or lay down to sleep, it was as if there were countless wronged souls and fierce ghosts at the wicker gate of his heart, howling and weeping, desperately knocking, loudly proclaiming their grievances and cursing.
After the farewells, Chen Ping'an's disappointment stemmed from a sudden realization. He discovered that among the names of those who had died unjustly in the account books, those he truly felt the most guilt towards—such as Su Xinzai, who had never stopped thinking about Huangli Mountain and her master—had simply let go of their obsessions and chosen to completely leave the mortal world. On the other hand, there were many names and yin creatures for whom Chen Ping'an's initial guilt was less than for Su Xinzai. These had more demands, made exorbitant wishes, displayed greed that was common to both humans and ghosts, and harbored even deeper resentment after death. Many of them were still dwelling in that Infernal Hell Hall, that imitation Liu Li Pavilion.
Actually, after Chen Ping'an had made up his mind, he hadn't felt much guilt anymore. But Su Xinzai and the others made him feel guilty again, even more and heavier than at the very beginning.
That feeling also lingered outside the wicker gate of his heart. But those on the outside—those who had decided to leave the mortal world—had no complaints, no curses. It was as if they had knocked gently, so softly, as if worried about disturbing the person inside. And then they just said the same parting words: "Mr. Chen, I'm off."
At that very moment.
Chen Ping'an suddenly spurred his horse and galloped forward. He left the muddy official road and took a detour towards a small hill.
He urged the horse up the mound, the road uneven with high and low spots.
Chen Ping'an reined in his horse at the top of the mound.
Zeng Ye wanted to spur his horse to follow, but Ma Duyi stopped him.
Chen Ping'an looked around in confusion.
At his waist hung the Sword Nurturing Gourd and the Saber and Sword Prong. He could gallop through the wind and snow of the martial world.
But in truth.
He was alone, with nothing to rely on.
Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye stopped their horses at the foot of the mound. They waited for a long time, but saw no sign of Chen Ping'an turning his horse around.
Ma Duyi, who had earlier stopped Zeng Ye from going up, was now anxious. Conversely, Zeng Ye remained patient and calm.
Ma Duyi couldn't stand Zeng Ye's "fools have fortune" and "blessed without knowing it" attitude. She said in exasperation, "You heartless thing, full and content, nothing to worry about!"
Zeng Ye was just a timid, tongue-tied, and dull-witted young man. He didn't dare talk back, and moreover, he didn't think Miss Ma was wrong.
Ma Duyi was about to speak again when Chen Ping'an rode down the slope. As he came into Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye's view, his expression seemed different.
No longer burdened with worries, the gloom had cleared, and he even looked somewhat happy?
Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye exchanged bewildered looks.
Chen Ping'an took off the Sword Nurturing Gourd, had a sip of wine, and smiled. "Let's keep going."
---
The three riders wound their way northward.
The snow on the road was deep and melted very slowly. The mountains and rivers showed almost no trace of green. However, there was finally some warm sunlight.
Along the way, Zeng Ye saw many things. He saw the legendary border scouts of Great Li—their bows, swords, and old armor. The faces of the individual riders showed neither arrogance nor any murderous intent. They were like water under ice, flowing silently. The Great Li scouts simply glanced at the three of them and then galloped past. The tall young man, whose heart had been in his throat, didn't dare breathe normally until the scout troop was dozens of paces away.
He also saw long, continuous lines of wealthy family carriages fleeing south in panic. From the attendants to the coachmen, and the faces that occasionally lifted the carriage curtains to peek at the three riders by the roadside, everyone was in a state of fear.
Zeng Ye saw Mr. Chen stop his horse by the roadside, waiting until the carriage procession had passed before continuing. Then, on the road, he spotted a small box that had fallen and been abandoned by its owner. Chen Ping'an dismounted and opened the box. Inside, it contained ancient texts. He casually opened one of them. It had several library stamps—from different dynasties, different scripts, different scholars. Chen Ping'an hugged the box and looked back. He thought for a moment, then decided not to return this discarded book box. He temporarily put it into his Handbreadth Object and got back on the horse to continue.
Ma Duyi, trying to make conversation, teased, "Oh, I didn't know you were this kind of person. Just taking it for yourself?"
Zeng Ye, for once, had the courage to speak up in defense. "It's something someone else threw away. And they're books. Should they just be left in the mud to rot?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "They're fleeing for their lives. Even if you delay their journey for a moment, there could be unpredictable consequences."
Zeng Ye glanced at Ma Duyi.
Ma Duyi rolled her eyes.
After that, a female yin creature, dwelling in a fox-fur beauty talisman paper, arrived in a small commandery city that had not suffered from the war. Using the local dialect, which she spoke somewhat haltingly, she asked around until she found a high-gate mansion. Then the group of four found an inn to stay at. That night, Chen Ping'an first put away the talisman paper, quietly infiltrated the mansion, and then took it out again. He let her appear, and she finally saw that handsome scholar who had left his hometown to take the imperial examinations in the capital all those years ago.
The scholar was now a nearly fifty-year-old old Confucian scholar. He was holding a slightly dozing young legitimate son, clinking cups with some friends from officialdom. His brows were raised in high spirits. His friends were offering congratulations, celebrating how he had turned misfortune into fortune by getting to know a Great Li colonel, leading to his promotion to the third-highest seat in this commandery city. The friends joked that in his newfound wealth and status, he hadn't forgotten old friends. The old Confucian scholar, who wasn't wearing his new official uniform, laughed heartily.
The fox-fur female yin creature's expression darkened. She seemed unable to recognize the scholar who had been her childhood sweetheart. Perhaps it was because he was no longer young.
After leaving the mansion, the fox-fur beauty yin creature walked with Mr. Chen down the silent streets.
Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "That child looks more like his father, don't you think?"
The woman hummed in agreement, then suddenly became happy. "It seems so!"
After that, they left that small commandery city, which the Great Li iron cavalry didn't even deign to glance at. The three riders continued northward.
In a small county town where they needed to stop to buy odds and ends, Chen Ping'an passed by a rather large gold and silver shop. He had already walked past it when he hesitated, turned around, and entered.
Inside, there were two old men and two young boys, all shop assistants, each busy with their own tasks.
Chen Ping'an took out a Stone Hair Kingdom official gold ingot and exchanged it for official silver and a pile of copper coins.
The two master craftsmen in the shop didn't interfere. They let their respective young apprentices handle the work. The master teaches the trade, but the apprentice learns on his own. In the marketplace, even parents raising a son hope that he will support them in their old age and give them a proper funeral. So, of course, a master taking on an apprentice would prefer to train a capable disciple with nimble hands and a quick mind. The two boys were about the same age. One was tongue-tied and dull-witted, similar to Zeng Ye. The other had quick-witted eyes. As soon as Chen Ping'an stepped over the threshold, the clever boy sized him up from head to toe, twice.
Chen Ping'an handed over the gold ingot. According to the current market rate in the Stone Hair Kingdom, he took a slightly overvalued amount of official silver and copper coins. When speaking, he first used the official language of the Zhu Ying Dynasty. The two boys looked confused. Then Chen Ping'an spoke in the equally rusty official language of the Stone Hair Kingdom, and the transaction went smoothly. Chen Ping'an left the shop.
Inside the shop, after the man in the cotton-padded jacket had left.
The dull-witted boy was still immersed in the joy of having earned the shop some money. Then he was kicked by his good friend, who had grown up with him. Following his friend's gaze, the dull-witted boy noticed that their two masters, who were always bickering, had, for once, sat down together and were seriously discussing something.
After Chen Ping'an returned to Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye, Ma Duyi asked with a smile, "In such a small county town, such a tiny shop, and yet there are two Qi Refiners?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "They're probably selecting disciples. Each has his eye on one boy."
Ma Duyi curled her lip. "Two old cultivators, at most in the Cave Dwelling realm. How good can the seedlings they find be?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "It's more appropriate for me to say that kind of thing, isn't it?"
Ma Duyi snorted coldly.
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then said, "If I'm not mistaken, one of the two old men is probably in the Viewing Ocean realm, and the other might even be a Dragon Gate realm cultivator. However, they sensed you early on and quickly concealed their qi, deliberately letting you mistake them for Cave Dwelling realm cultivators. As for why they didn't just pretend to be ordinary old men, it's probably because they thought that, in this remote place with thin spiritual energy, two Cave Dwelling realm cultivators would be enough to intimidate us 'river dragons' without being too shocking. They're both old hands at this."
Ma Duyi's eyes lit up. "Mr. Chen, what if they think we're after them? Like trying to poach their disciples? I think it was inappropriate for you to enter that shop."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "So we, as outsiders, will buy our odds and ends and then immediately set off. Also, let me say this in advance: when we leave the county town gate, make sure you don't look around. Just focus on the road ahead, so as not to make them suspicious."
Ma Duyi was a bit puzzled. She still didn't understand why Chen Ping'an had entered that shop. It wasn't his usual style.
Chen Ping'an sent Zeng Ye to buy something alone at another shop. He led the horses and waited with Ma Duyi on the street outside. In a low voice, he explained, "What if the two old men weren't there to take in disciples? What if they weren't registered immortal masters at all, but rather heretical cultivators among the mountain and marsh rogue cultivators? So I went into the shop to take a closer look. They didn't seem like sinister, evil cultivators or ghost cultivators. As for anything more, since I couldn't tell, I won't interfere."
Ma Duyi sighed, a smile in her eyes. "Mr. Chen, thinking so much every day—aren't you tired? I get tired just listening to it."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Thinking about these things doesn't tire me. But thinking about how you shamelessly refuse to go back into the talisman paper every day, and I have to count on my fingers how many extra Snowflake Coins I'm spending—that annoys me."
Ma Duyi blushed in anger. "No fun at all!"
Chen Ping'an put his hands in his sleeves and smiled without speaking.
When Zeng Ye finished buying his sundries, Chen Ping'an told them a little anecdote. He said that at the shop, the higher-cultivation Dragon Gate realm cultivator had chosen the dull-witted boy, while the Viewing Ocean realm cultivator had chosen the clever boy.
These were trivial matters to outsiders.
But to those two boys, who were still ignorant of it all, when they finally set foot on the path of cultivation in the future, they would understand that this was a monumental event.
Just like when the three riders had parted ways with Xu Mao.
There was a young woodcutter who happened to pass by and tripped. When he brushed away the snow, the scene underneath scared him half to death.
Perhaps it was fate. The young man, who was barely getting through his hard life, gritted his teeth, plucked up his courage, and dug through the snow.
When he left, trembling, he had an extra jade pendant on him that radiated warmth.
That jade pendant, which Han Jingxin had loved as a hand-piece, had the three ancient seal characters "Yunxia Mountain" on one side and a Daoist verse from Yunxia Mountain on the other.
On the Great Dao, fortune and calamity are unpredictable. A single drink, a single peck, can make the difference between heaven and mud.
After that, Chen Ping'an and his companions continued their journey. A few days later, at dusk, on a relatively secluded road, Chen Ping'an suddenly dismounted. He walked off the road, a dozen or so paces away, to a snow-covered area with a very strong smell of blood. He flicked his sleeve, scattering the snow to reveal a gruesome scene beneath. There were dismembered limbs and severed torsos, and all the chests had been cut open, the internal organs scooped out. The deaths were horrific. And it hadn't happened long ago—at most a day earlier. Yet the area, which should have been filled with the harsh aura of yin and resentment, showed no signs.
This was the work of a cultivator with a unique secret technique.
Ma Duyi couldn't bear to look. Zeng Ye ran off to the side to dry heave.
Chen Ping'an buried the bodies a little way off the road. Before that, he tried his best to piece the poor souls' bodies together into complete corpses.
After doing this, and confirming that no one was nearby, Chen Ping'an took out the imitation Liu Li Pavilion from his Handbreadth Object and summoned a yin creature that had been a Dragon Gate realm cultivator in life and had been turned into a ghost general by Yu Gui after death.
Then this ghost general, who retained his intelligence, spent a good part of the day leading the three riders to a remote mountain range. At the border of the territory, Chen Ping'an put Ma Duyi back into the talisman paper and had the ghost general inhabit Zeng Ye's body.
They began to climb the mountain. Eventually, they found a mountain cave dwelling with the characters "Zhuo Qin" (Carving the Zither) carved into the cliff.
The natural landscape itself was quite beautiful, and the location of the cave dwelling was like the finishing touch.
However, the cultivator who had originally opened this cultivation cave dwelling was long gone, and it had been taken over by mountain spirits and ghosts.
Chen Ping'an and "Zeng Ye" entered.
After a hundred or so paces, the view opened up into a bright, spacious stone chamber. The chamber was lit with candles and torches. There were a dozen or so mountain and marsh spirits that hadn't fully taken human form, along with a deep mountain great demon seated on a throne. If he stood up, he would probably be over two zhang tall, as large as a small mountain. He was draped in a yellow robe and golden armor, with a crown askew on his head. Two scantily clad, seductive women leaned against the throne, massaging and kneading the great demon's calves. Beside the throne was a rosewood official's hat chair, on which sat a man in a blue gown with a knowing smile.
Both humans and demons alike seemed to be waiting for the two fools who had walked right into their trap.
The yellow-robed, armored great demon still had its true form's leopard head. It leaned lazily on the back of the throne, swirling a large wine glass in its hand. When some blood-red wine splashed onto the ground, it lightly lifted its foot and stepped on the head of one of the seductive women. The woman immediately lay down and licked up the wine. When she looked up, her face was filled with ecstasy.
The man in the blue gown turned around, gave a thumbs-up, and praised, "Great King, you truly have the bearing of 'a general holding a cup, watching the snow fly'!"
The great demon grinned, revealing its fangs. "What snow flying? Where the hell is the flying snow? Not even outside my cave dwelling has snowed for a long time."
The man smiled and pointed at a voluptuous woman's full chest. "The Great King just needs to lower his head and he can see it."
The great demon laughed heartily.
The entire cavern erupted in noise.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Are you done chatting?"
The overbearing great demon squinted. "In such a hurry to get thrown into the oil pot?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "We still have to travel. In a bit of a rush."
The man in the blue gown smiled. "The world is so chaotic. Die early for an early reincarnation?"
Chen Ping'an nodded again. "Makes sense."
Half an hour later.
Chen Ping'an and the real Zeng Ye left this cave dwelling.
The ghost general, who had chosen to stay in this "Zhuo Qin" mansion, saw them off at the entrance.
As for what was behind them in the cave dwelling...
The Viewing Ocean realm "great demon" in the yellow robe and golden armor was deader than dead. As for the military advisor in the blue gown, he wasn't a spirit or a ghost; he was human. He had died even before the great demon, and his soul had been completely devoured by the ghost general.
Of the two women, who were also human, after the secret restrictions were lifted, one chose to attach herself to the new master, the ghost general, while the other committed suicide by bashing her head against the wall. However, according to the agreement made with her earlier, Chen Ping'an collected her soul and put it into the imitation Liu Li Pavilion that had originally been the ghost general's dwelling.
As for the mountain spirits and strange creatures, some were killed, but not all were dead.
Because Chen Ping'an, the bona fide head bookkeeper of Qingxia Island, had taken less than a quarter of an incense stick's time from the moment he started throwing punches to the end. The half hour had been spent on taking accounts.
Chen Ping'an said to the ghost general, "Before I leave Shujian Lake, I'll come to check on you. In the future, Zeng Ye will also come."
The ghost general nodded. "I will cultivate peacefully here and will not disturb ordinary mortals. With the Stone Hair Kingdom in such chaos, there will be no shortage of fierce ghosts and evil spirits that are hard to find in normal times."
Chen Ping'an asked, "What about ten or a hundred years from now?"
The ghost general was taken aback.
Chen Ping'an said, "Strive to obtain the status of a mountain god, even if it's just a minor shrine not recognized by the imperial court at first."
The ghost general was overwhelmed with gratitude. He clasped his hands and bowed. "I will remember Mr. Chen's great kindness!"
But Chen Ping'an said nothing more. He simply led Zeng Ye down the mountain and far away.
Halfway down, Chen Ping'an took out the talisman paper, and Ma Duyi was able to see the light of day again.
She immediately began to chat eagerly with Zeng Ye.
Chen Ping'an shook his head helplessly.
After that, the horses continued onward without stopping, heading north. However, unlike in the southern part of the Stone Hair Kingdom, where they could choose the main official roads, Chen Ping'an now began to select smaller paths as much as possible.
One day at dusk, the three riders barely managed to enter a prefectural city just before the gates were closed. After their household registration was checked by the vigilant gate soldiers, they hurried into the city.
This "battered and bruised" northern heavy city was now in the hands of the Great Li iron cavalry. However, Great Li had not left too many troops to garrison the city—only about a hundred riders, which was insufficient even to guard a single city gate. In addition, there was only a group of literary secretaries serving as accompanying civil officials, along with martial secretaries serving as attendants and bodyguards. After entering the city, they had to walk nearly halfway across it before finally finding a small inn to stay at.
The reason was simple: first, after the great battle had ended, the casualties were heavy. Later, there had been an incident where assassins attacked a Great Li civil official. Second, the day after tomorrow was New Year's Eve. With the current state of the people's livelihood, business was already sluggish. Add in the New Year, and Chen Ping'an and his companions were quite lucky to have found this inn at all.
The next day, Zeng Ye was possessed by a male yin creature. He led Chen Ping'an to find a martial arts sect that had its roots in the prefectural city. Throughout the entire Stone Hair Kingdom's martial world, this sect was only a third-rate force. But for the common people who were native to this prefectural city, it was an unshakable behemoth. The yin creature had once been one of those common people. His sister, who was his only family, had caught the eye of the son of the sect's leader, this local despot. Together with her fiancé, a poor and unknown teacher, they had both drowned in the river one day. The woman's clothes were disheveled, but after being soaked in the water, who would dare take a second look? The man died even more horribly, as if his legs had been broken before he "fell into the river."
After spending all the family's savings to bury his sister and the man he already considered his brother-in-law, a young boy secretly left the prefectural city. He wandered his way to the Shujian Lake area and became a handyman at an immortal's mansion. He had no talent for cultivation, not even for martial arts. And then, like his sister and brother-in-law before him, he died.
"Zeng Ye" stood outside a gate that had already had its plaque replaced.
On the way there, this yin creature had already been in a state of utter despair. Now, he looked even more dazed.
This grudge was from thirty years ago.
That wasn't even the worst part. Before leaving the inn, when they asked the innkeeper for directions, the old man sighed, saying that the men of that household—everyone in the martial sect who practiced with staves and spears—had been heroes who could hold up heaven and earth. But good men don't have good luck. They all died. One hundred and twenty-odd men from a single martial sect had vowed to defend a city gate. After they were all killed, the mansion had hardly any men left, except for the children.
"Zeng Ye" was in agony. He squatted on the ground, clutching his head, muttering over and over, "How could this happen? How could this happen..."
Chen Ping'an squatted beside him. Even as "Zeng Ye"'s expression grew more ferocious and his eyes more sinister, Chen Ping'an remained quiet. He just drank his wine in small sips.
A moment later, "Zeng Ye"'s eyes gradually cleared. He sobbed, then finally propped himself up with his hands on the ground, lowering his head and panting heavily. He couldn't even cry anymore.
Chen Ping'an spoke then. "I felt my worst was similar to yours. I felt like a dog, worse than a dog even. But in the end, we are still human."
Chen Ping'an gave a bitter smile. "Of course, I got through it. I didn't eat shit, but I had a lot of dumb luck. I'm way better off than you."
"Zeng Ye" took a few deep breaths, then sat down on the ground. He reached out his hand. "Mr. Chen, can I have a few sips of your wine? I've never had any wine in my life."
Chen Ping'an handed over the Sword Nurturing Gourd. "There's plenty. I'm just afraid you can't hold your liquor."
"Zeng Ye" tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine. He coughed violently, his whole body trembling. He was about to hand it back to the bookkeeper.
But that man had already put his hands in his sleeves and was squatting there, like the most ordinary of common folk, soaking up the sun on a warm winter day.
He shook his head. "Try again. Maybe if you have a few more sips, you'll get used to it and understand the joy of drinking."
"Zeng Ye" did indeed drink again. But he frowned, wiped his mouth, and shook his head. "Still tastes terrible."
Only then did Chen Ping'an take back the Sword Nurturing Gourd. He took a sip himself and then lightly hung it at his waist.
"Zeng Ye" sat on the ground, looked at the mansion, and his face contorted in pain again. Several times he tried to speak but swallowed his words. He covered his face with his hands.
Chen Ping'an turned his head and asked, "What, you want me to write down the names of those people from that household, to be included when I hold the Grand Cosmic Ritual and the Water and Land Dharma Assembly in the future?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head gently. "I won't agree to that. I'll write your name. I'll write your sister's name and your brother-in-law's name. But the names of those people, I won't write a single one. Because I don't know them. But I know you."
"Zeng Ye" choked out, "Am I very stupid?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Extremely stupid."
"Zeng Ye" wiped his face. His eyes were resolute. "A useless waste like me, how could I have the face to go pay respects at my sister's and brother-in-law's graves? Mr. Chen, could you go burn incense and offer wine for me? I've already told you the exact location of their graves... I won't go."
Chen Ping'an asked softly, "Are you sure? You know that in this life, there's no chance to regret."
"Zeng Ye" nodded. "I'm sure."
Chen Ping'an hummed in acknowledgment.
"Zeng Ye" suddenly said, "Mr. Chen, when you go to the grave, could you tell my sister and brother-in-law that you are my friend?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "No problem."
"Zeng Ye" insisted that this bookkeeper kowtow.
Chen Ping'an refused.
But "Zeng Ye" insisted, saying that otherwise he couldn't leave in peace.
Chen Ping'an looked at him—whose real name was "Zhou Guonian"—speechless.
---
New Year's Eve.
On a small hillside a dozen li outside the prefectural city.
In front of a small grave mound, someone was burning incense and offering wine.
That young foreigner in the blue cotton-padded jacket recounted the truth of the matter from beginning to end. He even mentioned how "Zeng Ye" had asked him to pretend to be his friend.
Finally, Chen Ping'an looked at the small burial mound and said softly, "To have a younger brother like that, to have a brother-in-law like that, and to have someone like me, Chen Ping'an, as a friend like Zhou Guonian—that is all a very remarkable thing."
---
At the inn in the prefectural city, the night was deep.
It was New Year's Eve.
The three guests didn't spend money to have someone prepare a New Year's Eve dinner, much to the innkeeper's disappointment.
Chen Ping'an just asked the innkeeper for a stove and a bag of charcoal. Ma Duyi and the downcast Zeng Ye sat with Chen Ping'an until around midnight.
They didn't have a fireside chat. There was no conversation.
After that, Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye returned to their rooms.
Chen Ping'an, in a foreign land, stayed awake alone until dawn.
And so, a year passed.