Chapter 449: Where Lies the Gentleman's Sword
According to the customs of the small town in Lizhu Cave Heaven, on the first day of the new year, every household would set their brooms upside down, and it was not suitable to travel far.
Chen Ping'an thus had Ma Duyi instruct Zeng Ye in his cultivation. After spending days and nights together during this period, Chen Ping'an had considered the matter and, at the end of the previous year, handed over the paper recording the secret art of ghost cultivation to Ma Duyi, allowing her to browse it freely. If she had any doubts or confusion, she could ask Zeng Ye. Both were cultivators, yet the difference in their aptitude was immediately apparent. Regarding the cultivation of this secret art, Ma Duyi quickly surpassed the one who came before, and within less than a month, she was able to guide Zeng Ye, helping him break through his bottlenecks.
Fortunately, Zeng Ye was accustomed to this. Far from feeling discouraged, disappointed, or jealous, he became even more diligent in his cultivation, increasingly convinced of the value of compensating for his lack of talent with hard work.
This brought Chen Ping'an some comfort. To accept one's fate while not resigning to it was an extremely valuable temperament in a cultivator. As long as one persevered, achieving greatness later in life was not just a wishful hope.
Today, Chen Ping'an sat alone in the inn's deserted courtyard, basking in the sun. He opened the bookbox that had been left behind in the muddy snow and recorded each book inside. He thought that if the opportunity arose, he could later have Zeng Ye return them to their original owners. The books all bore private ownership seals with the inscriptions "Flowing Water and Lingering Clouds" and "Craggy Old Man." Zeng Ye could trace these clues later and find the scholarly family that had fled south as refugees; it shouldn't be too difficult.
At noon, Chen Ping'an received a flying sword message from Qingxia Island. It said that a flying sword from Piyun Mountain in Longquan, Greater Li, had arrived, but since Chen Ping'an was not at Shujian Lake, it had to be temporarily kept in Qingxia Island's sword pavilion. Liu Zhimao had used a flying sword to ask Chen Ping'an how to handle it. Chen Ping'an replied, informing Liu Zhimao of the current whereabouts of their group of three riders and asking the island master to personally make the trip and bring the messaging flying sword.
That evening, on the first day of the new year, Liu Zhimao arrived at the prefectural city inn and personally delivered to Chen Ping'an the flying sword message from the Northern Marchmount God of Greater Li.
Chen Ping'an did not open the Piyun Mountain flying sword in front of Liu Zhimao. A nascent soul earth immortal, especially one like Liu Zhimao, an old nascent soul who had hopes of reaching the fifth realm, possessed an endless array of divine abilities and techniques. The two were merely allies brought together by profit, not friends. Their relationship was not close enough for such trust.
The two sat facing each other in the inn room.
Liu Zhimao got straight to the point: "As per Mr. Chen's instructions before leaving Qingxia Island, I have secretly lifted the restrictions on Hongsu at Zhuxian Manor, but I have not actively sent her to Gongliu Island to curry favor with Liu Laocheng. Now, Liu Laocheng and Mr. Chen are also allies. While a friend's friend is not necessarily a friend, the relationship between Qingxia Island and Gongliu Island has improved somewhat thanks to Mr. Chen's influence. Tan Yuanyi made a special visit to Qingxia Island, clearly showing greater respect for Mr. Chen. Therefore, besides personally delivering this Greater Li messaging flying sword, I have also brought a small gift as Qingxia Island's New Year's greeting to Mr. Chen. Please do not refuse. It has long been a tradition on Qingxia Island that during the first month, every island elder receives something."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "I know all of Qingxia Island's rules, big and small, old and new, well enough. So even if Island Master Liu hadn't offered, I would have reminded you."
Liu Zhimao took out a somewhat sparse walnut bracelet. It looked aged and poorly preserved, with over half the walnuts missing; only eight remained, each carved with the likenesses of ancient deities such as the Rain Master, Thunder God, and Lightning Mother. Each walnut was the size of a thumb, exuding an air of antiquity, with vivid depictions of ancient gods. Liu Zhimao smiled faintly. "Just pick one off and throw it to the ground; it can respectively summon wind, rain, thunder, lightning, fire, and so on. The explosive force of one walnut is equivalent to a full-force strike from an ordinary golden core earth immortal. However, each walnut is destroyed upon use, so it's not an exceptional magic treasure. But given that Mr. Chen's physical and spiritual state is currently impaired and it's not convenient for him to frequently engage in combat, this item is quite suitable."
Chen Ping'an lightly tucked it into his sleeve and expressed his thanks. "Indeed, it is. Island Master Liu is very thoughtful."
Liu Zhimao smiled slightly. "Three major events have recently shaken the Zhuying Dynasty and all its vassal states. One is that the ninth-realm sword cultivator who had been hiding in Shujian Lake was pursued for over a thousand li by a woman in green and a youth in white, who then killed him in a joint effort. The woman in green is the anonymous cultivator who destroyed the ancestral hall of Furong Mountain during the Gongliu Island alliance. Rumor has it that her identity is a Sticky Pole Boy of Greater Li. As for the youth in white, who appeared out of nowhere, his Dao arts are extraordinary, and his magical treasures are dazzling. He pursued as if strolling through a garden, making the ninth-realm sword cultivator look utterly pathetic."
As he spoke, Liu Zhimao looked at Chen Ping'an with a meaningful smile.
Chen Ping'an asked, "What does Huangli Island say?"
Liu Zhimao replied, "The earth immortal couple of Huangli Island visited Tan Yuanyi on the very day they received the news, begging for protection, effectively surrendering entirely to Greater Li."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "That's good news."
Liu Zhimao continued, "The second event is that Grand General Su Gaoshan declared that before the Lantern Festival of this first month, he will breach the capital of Shiguo Kingdom. Anyone who does not wish to be buried with the Han clan of Shiguo need only, within the first month, post the portraits of the two door gods Yuan and Cao of Greater Li on the gates of any family where a member holds an official position, and they will be spared from the ravages of war. If, when the Greater Li iron cavalry breaks the city, the gates of noble and powerful households still lack these door gods, they will be considered remnants of the Han clan. After the city is taken, within three days, if the common folk in the markets and alleys replace their door gods with Greater Li's, they will also be spared all harassment. After three days, any house or courtyard without the Greater Li door gods hanging will be recorded for retribution at a later date."
Chen Ping'an murmured, "Planning ahead, attacking the heart first."
Liu Zhimao's gaze was inscrutable. "As for the third event, if this were a time of peace, it would be quite a stir. But right now, it's not so conspicuous. Han Jingxin, the most favored prince of Shiguo's emperor, died suddenly in a desolate wilderness; his corpse was incomplete. The imperial guardian, Mr. Zeng, has vanished. Hu Han, the top martial artist of Shiguo, had his head taken as well. It is said that the 'Hengshuo Fushi Lang' Xu Mao offered the two heads as a token of allegiance to Greater Li's commanding general Su Gaoshan on a snowy night, and was promoted to the rank of Chief Ox General of Greater Li, a fourth-rank official—a meteoric rise. It's not easy to earn military merit in Greater Li these days."
Liu Zhimao placed two wine bowls on the table. Chen Ping'an took off his Sword-Nurturing Gourd and smiled. Liu Zhimao wisely put away one bowl. Knowing full well that the account-keeper opposite him would not use his wine bowl, such table manners were still necessary. Chen Ping'an poured a bowl of wine for Liu Zhimao, then used his own gourd to drink.
Taking a sip, Chen Ping'an said slowly, "Island Master Liu need not doubt it any longer: the man was killed by me. As for the two heads, Xu Mao took them. I didn't kill Xu Mao; he helped me bear the blame. We each got what we wanted."
"So that's how it is." Liu Zhimao laughed heartily. "Shiguo Kingdom is neither big nor small. For Han Jingxin to crash into the tip of Mr. Chen's sword, it means he simply wasn't fated to be emperor. But to be honest, among the princes, Han Jingxin was the one the Shiguo emperor had the highest hopes for; he had the deepest cunning and the best opportunities. Unfortunately, the little brat sought his own death. Nothing to be done about that."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Island Master Liu, there is one thing I've never understood. Why do so many vassal states of the Zhuying Dynasty, including Shiguo, insist on fighting to the death against the Greater Li iron cavalry? In Baoping Prefecture, as dependent states of a major dynasty, they shouldn't be so resolute. The opposition in their courts is far too weak. From the Sui dynasty's vassal Huangting Kingdom to the north of Guanhu Academy, across the entire northern map of Baoping Prefecture..." Chen Ping'an tapped the table with his finger. "Only here does it defy common sense."
Liu Zhimao hesitated for a moment, then raised his wine bowl and took a sip. He said slowly, "The hundred schools of thought each have their bets. Baoping Prefecture is small, but Greater Li has won over the main lineage of Mohism, the School of Yin-Yang, and the Baoping Prefecture military school led by Zhenwu Mountain, among others. They all chose the Song clan of Greater Li. So, it makes sense that the Zhuying Dynasty, the most powerful state in central Baoping Prefecture, has the support of the major and minor branches of the hundred schools. As far as I know, it has the strong backing of the Agricultural School, the Medical School, the Commercial School, the School of Vertical and Horizontal Alliances, and others. The Zhuying Dynasty is teeming with sword cultivators and brimming with qi. It is close to Guanhu Academy. It's no surprise that the Greater Li iron cavalry has met resistance here."
Chen Ping'an felt a dawning realization. He raised his Sword-Nurturing Gourd, and Liu Zhimao lifted his bowl. They each drank.
Liu Zhimao was dressed in plain white linen, seemingly austere, like a hermit living in a mountain forest, but upon closer inspection, he had the air of an immortal.
Chen Ping'an suddenly remarked, "Before I knew it, I had almost forgotten that Island Master Liu is a nascent soul cultivator."
Liu Zhimao drank slowly, leisurely content. Through the window, he could see the snow still covering the rooftiles. He smiled. "Before I knew it, I had almost forgotten that Mr. Chen came from Mud Vase Alley."
Chen Ping'an abruptly leaned forward and offered his Sword-Nurturing Gourd. Liu Zhimao was startled for a moment, then clinked his bowl against it.
Chen Ping'an took a hearty gulp and said earnestly, "I was wrong earlier. You and I can indeed be considered half-soulmates, regardless of whether we are friends or foes."
Liu Zhimao withdrew his bowl without drinking immediately. He gazed at the young man in the blue cotton robe, whose form and spirit were increasingly withered, but whose once extremely clear and bright eyes were growing darker and deeper—not the murky kind, nor the kind of dark currents of deep scheming. Liu Zhimao drained his bowl in one gulp, stood up, and said, "I won't delay Mr. Chen's important matters. If Shujian Lake can be resolved peacefully, then don't hope for friendship between us. I only hope that when we meet again in the future, we can still sit down for a drink, chat a little, part ways when the fun is over, and drink again when we meet years later. That is all."
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Once Island Master Liu leaves Shujian Lake and breaks into the fifth realm, you'll have a different world and state of mind. You might not retain this mood then."
Liu Zhimao laughed. "By then, Mr. Chen's cultivation of the mind will have advanced by leaps and bounds, and you might not have today's state of mind either."
Both said in unison, "Soulmates indeed."
---
After Liu Zhimao left, Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye timidly came over to sit down.
Liu Zhimao had not used earth immortal divine powers to isolate a small world, and Chen Ping'an had not deliberately hidden their conversation. So Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye could still faintly hear the laughter and talk from earlier.
Ma Duyi's expression was complex.
Zeng Ye looked puzzled.
Chen Ping'an did not explain much. He simply asked about the obstacles Zeng Ye had encountered in his cultivation and explained them thoroughly for the youth, sometimes offering high-level insights that cut to the heart of the matter. Although Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye encouraged each other and Ma Duyi could even clear up Zeng Ye's doubts, she was still somewhat lacking compared to Chen Ping'an—at least, that was how Chen Ping'an felt. But the words he considered commonplace fell on Ma Duyi's ears, which had better aptitude than Zeng Ye's, opening up countless new understandings.
It was as if an immortal were leading a waterfall, while she and Zeng Ye could only stand beneath it, using a basin and a bowl to catch water to drink.
After Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye left, Chen Ping'an finally opened the restrictions on the Greater Li Piyun Mountain flying sword.
It was an unexpected message.
A Minister of Rites from the Greater Li Song clan had personally arrived in Longquan Commandery. Besides inspecting matters concerning the civil and military temples in Longquan, he had secretly met with the mountain god Wei Bo and proposed a new idea.
The Greater Li court had recently "redeemed" many mountain peaks abandoned by various immortal sects, and they intended to use these to make a big deal with Chen Ping'an. The remaining gold essence copper coins that Greater Li owed Chen Ping'an could be used by him to purchase those "mature" peaks, where immortal residences had already been built and mountain-protecting formations were ready. If Chen Ping'an agreed, and with his existing peaks including the Fallen Mountain and Pearl Mountain, he would control nearly thirty percent of the western mountain territory of Longquan Commandery. While this might not match the quality of spiritual qi each peak contained, in terms of scale alone, Chen Ping'an, as a "big landowner," could almost rival the sage Ruan Qiong.
In his secret letter, Wei Bo candidly stated that while this was a tremendous opportunity, it also harbored considerable hidden dangers. Chen Ping'an's entanglements with the Greater Li Song clan would deepen, making it far more difficult to sever ties later, unlike with the Xu clan of Qingfeng City, who had simply sold off their peaks at low prices when trouble arose. The Greater Li court had also made it clear upfront that once Chen Ping'an owned such a vast territory within Longquan Commandery—demoted from a cave heaven to a blessed land—a special contract would need to be signed, with the Northern Marchmount Piyun Mountain as the object of a mountain oath. The Greater Li court, Wei Bo, and Chen Ping'an would jointly sign a pact of the second highest rank in the dynasty. The highest rank would require the simultaneous presence of the Five Marchmount Mountain Gods and the imprint of the Greater Li emperor's jade seal, allied with a cultivator. Such a high-spec alliance was only used for fifth-realm cultivators involved in the Song clan's national destiny, requiring such a grand mobilization.
Wei Bo frankly stated that whether Chen Ping'an trusted him, Wei Bo, should be one factor in deciding whether to sign the mountain oath, but that factor should not carry too much weight.
When it came to the Dao, one must be extremely cautious.
At the end of the secret letter, Wei Bo said there was no rush. He could help delay things for half a year to a year, allowing Chen Ping'an to think it over slowly. Even if, by then, the situation in Baoping Prefecture had become clear—the Greater Li Song clan had breached the Zhuying Dynasty and continued southward—then he, Wei Bo, as the middleman, or Chen Ping'an, as the buyer, could simply be a bit shameless and pester Greater Li to sign the contract. That was how business was done, both on the mountain and off; there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
Chen Ping'an opened the small wooden box and sent a flying sword message to Liu Zhimao's exclusive small sword tomb, asking the island master to relay it to Piyun Mountain. The reply in the letter was just two words: "Agreed."
After doing this, Chen Ping'an went to the window. Characters like the long-spear general Xu Mao of Shiguo were ambitious and ruthless. In times of chaos, their rise was highly likely. Once Greater Li conquered the Zhuying Dynasty and continued south, Xu Mao, now a middle-ranking military officer with real power in Greater Li, could command an elite cavalry unit—a force multiplier. On the army's southward march, there would be plenty of military merit for him to seize. The key was that Xu Mao's temperament and skills far surpassed those of Prince Han Jingxin. The only thing Xu Mao lacked was an inborn status.
Su Gaoshan, it was said, also came from a humble borderland clan, much like Xu Mao of Shiguo. It was believed that Xu Mao's extraordinary promotion was related to this. If he had surrendered to Cao Ping, the commander of another major army and one of the Grand Pillar families, he would also have received rewards, but probably not a direct appointment as a fourth-rank military official. He might have been valued later, but his climb in the military and officialdom would have been significantly slower.
On this northward journey, Chen Ping'an passed through many prefectural and county cities. The iron cavalry under Su Gaoshan could not be said to have perfect discipline, but the many rules of the Greater Li border army were faintly visible. For instance, in the ruined prefectural city where Zhou Guonian's hometown was located, a violent conflict occurred when a Shiguo righteous man risked death to assassinate a civil secretary. Afterwards, Greater Li swiftly dispatched an elite cavalry to reinforce the city. Working with the army's attached cultivators, they executed the captured ringleaders on the spot, hanging their heads from the city walls. The accomplices within the city, including several high-ranking local officials of Shiguo, from the prefect to the vice-governor, were all imprisoned pending trial, and their families were confined to their residences. There were no unnecessary entanglements. During this time, an incident occurred that made Chen Ping'an view Su Gaoshan with particular admiration. One snowy night, a youth climbed onto the city wall and stole the head of his mentor, which had been displayed there. The Greater Li soldiers on the wall discovered him, but the martial youth managed to escape. However, he was soon intercepted by two civil secretaries. The matter could have been minor or major; it was an isolated case during the army's southward campaign. The report went up the chain of command and eventually reached Grand General Su Gaoshan. Su Gaoshan had the martial youth of Shiguo brought before the main general's tent. After a brief conversation, he threw a large pouch of silver to the youth, allowing him to bury his mentor's whole body respectfully. But he demanded one thing: the youth must know that the real culprit was Su Gaoshan himself. He was not to seek trouble with the Greater Li border troops, especially not the civil officials. If he wanted revenge, he should have the skill to come directly for Su Gaoshan in the future.
This story spread widely through the officialdom and martial underworld of central Shiguo.
Then came the first major event Liu Zhimao had mentioned.
The woman in green and the youth in white.
Chen Ping'an smiled.
His mind stirred slightly. He leaped onto the windowsill, then lightly tapped his toes and vaulted onto the roof ridge. He walked slowly, aimlessly, strolling from rooftop to rooftop.
His Sword-Nurturing Gourd was still on the table, and he had not brought his bamboo knife or the imitation Canal-Plowing Yellow Sword.
He followed his heart without overstepping bounds.
All heaven and earth were open to him.
Finally, Chen Ping'an stopped. He stood on a roof ridge with upturned eaves, closed his eyes, and began to practice the sword furnace standing technique. But he soon gave up. He pricked up his ears and listened. It seemed he could hear the sound of melting snow between heaven and earth.
A Greater Li civil secretary stationed in this city—a military cultivator attached to the army, possibly from the military academy of Zhenwu Mountain, one of the ancestral homes of the Baoping military school—was a young man in light armor. He too was walking along the rooftops. Having no duties today and not currently on military duty, he carried a flask of wine he had warmed on the stove indoors. He stopped at the eaves a few dozen paces away and, speaking in the refined language of the continent, reminded Chen Ping'an with a smile, "It's fine to enjoy the view, even if you want to go to the prefectural city walls. I happen to be out strolling as well, so I can accompany you."
This was a very kind offer. With the Greater Li iron cavalry sweeping all before them, everyone outside Greater Li was a foreigner, a vassal or dependent. But the young cultivator's words also carried a hint of warning.
Chen Ping'an smiled and shook his head. "No need. I'll be going back shortly."
The young cultivator was startled, then burst into laughter. He raised his wine flask high. It turned out the young man in the blue cotton robe had spoken in the most fluent Greater Li official dialect.
So this young civil secretary, who had been on the battlefield for nearly ten years despite his youth, announced loudly, "Xunzhou, Yunjun Commandery, Guan Yiran!"
Chen Ping'an hesitated, unsure if he should give his own name. He simply cupped his hands in apology and smiled.
Guan Yiran laughed heartily. "If you ever run into trouble in the future, you can come to us, the Greater Li iron cavalry! Wherever our horses' hooves reach is Greater Li territory!"
Chen Ping'an was dazed and didn't know how to answer.
---
On the third day of the first month, Chen Ping'an and his two companions left this city and continued north, gradually approaching the northern border of Shiguo Kingdom.
The snow melted.
Spring light urged the willow's green, sunlight colored the smoke over locust trees.
Along the way, Zeng Ye picked up many good things: for example, a seal of a Shiguo commander-in-chief engraved with "Manufactured by the Ministry of Rites," many antique treasures that had been discarded by the roadside like broken pots and jars—mostly large vessels or miniature items scattered chaotically. The medium-sized, easily portable items had probably already been picked up by refugees. During peacetime, these would have been worth dozens or hundreds of gold pieces, but now they were discarded like worn-out sandals. There were also precious paintings and calligraphy scrolls that had been soaked through by mud and nearly destroyed, or treasured items that had been pawned cheaply in counties and prefectures untouched by war. Unexpectedly, Ma Duyi was a bit of a treasure hunter, and Zeng Ye even more so. Every time they set up a porridge stall or a medicine stall in a local area, whenever they had free time, the two would go hunting for bargains. They had already borrowed money from Chen Ping'an twice. The amount in immortal spirit coins wasn't large—in total, just twelve snow coins—but converting them into the gold and silver of the secular world wasn't easy. They had to go to immortal ferry crossings or spirit inns. Fortunately, the female specter of one of the vixen beauty talismans came from a first-rate, though not top-tier, immortal cave in Shiguo. After Chen Ping'an fulfilled her wish, he exchanged some spirit coins with that immortal sect for gold and silver, then handed it over to Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye to handle themselves. Ma Duyi even pestered Chen Ping'an to make a large bamboo box specifically for storing the gold and silver.
Chen Ping'an had no objection. As long as it didn't interfere with their cultivation and proper tasks, he let them do as they pleased.
That day, in a small commandery city near the border, after Chen Ping'an coordinated with the local authorities, Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi, who were now familiar with the drill, began setting up the porridge and medicine stalls. They dared not be the least bit careless in this. Only after finishing their daily duties did they happily run off to the various pawnshops to hunt for bargains. Although Mr. Chen did not interfere in specific matters and rarely spoke, after spending so much time with this account-keeper, they knew his ways. Mr. Chen saw everything, and his insight was always deeper than theirs.
As for the antiques and treasures they acquired with money borrowed and recorded in Mr. Chen's ledger, they were temporarily stored in his Storage and Measurement object.
This was thanks to Ma Duyi's background; she had been born into a noble clan and, in her past life, had been a minor manager in her island's treasure pavilion. Her eye was far superior to that of the youth Zeng Ye.
Later, Chen Ping'an worried that Ma Duyi might make mistakes, as the items they bought were mostly miscellaneous items that had flowed out from the wealthy households of Shiguo, all sorts of strange things. So he brought out a middle-upper fifth realm cultivator's ghost soul residing in the imitation Colored Glaze Pavilion to help Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye appraise. The ghost, which had been originally refined by Ma Yuanzhi of Zhuxian Manor into a well-dwelling ghost general, immediately got hooked. First, he thoroughly disparaged everything Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye had found as worthless. Then he insisted on leaving the imitation Colored Glaze Pavilion in person to help these two fools buy really good things. To this end, he was even willing to appear using the face of the female specter from the vixen talisman. An old man who had been at the Observing Sea realm in his lifetime was willing to make such a sacrifice. It seemed that Chen Ping'an's record in the ledger was no lie: this was indeed a man obsessed with collecting antiques—what the cultivators of Shujian Lake considered "junk." The ledger also recorded a comment from an earth immortal from years past, that if this perpetually cash-strapped Observing Sea cultivator hadn't squandered so much on those objects, he might have already reached the Dragon Gate realm.
Chen Ping'an let the old cultivator do as he pleased. Every day, despite having the appearance of a graceful beauty, he would sit with the bold posture of a warrior. After all, Chen Ping'an had seen similar scenes before. Honestly, that earlier scene, where "Du Mao" spent every day mincing around, swaying his slender waist, was even more disgusting.
At dusk that day, Zeng Ye and the others—one human and two ghosts—went hunting for bargains in the city's various pawnshops again. Walking by the river often leads to wet shoes, as the saying goes. For a ghost of the Observing Sea realm to deem something worthy, even the wandering wild cultivators would be interested, and even registered immortal masters would travel to war-torn kingdoms, seeing this as a rare opportunity to earn money. Many hereditary treasures from wealthy families did contain spiritual items that the families themselves had overlooked. Once found, they could earn a dozen or even hundreds of snow coins. So Zeng Ye and the others sometimes encountered fellow cultivators. Previously, in a large city, they nearly clashed with a few registered immortal masters from a top-tier cave dwelling in Shiguo. Each side had their own arguments; neither could be accused of outright theft. In the end, Chen Ping'an had to clean up the mess. He had Zeng Ye and the others voluntarily give up the spiritual item, and the other side also backed down, inviting the wandering cultivator "Mr. Chen" for a drink. They had a pleasant conversation, but Ma Duyi privately grumbled about Chen Ping'an for a long time afterward.
Chen Ping'an went to a dog meat shop in the marketplace. This was his second time there. In truth, Chen Ping'an didn't like dog meat. In fact, he had never eaten it.
But the shop also sold other food. So there he was, a foreigner who didn't eat dog meat, sitting alone at a table, not drinking, speaking faltering Shiguo official dialect. At the neighboring tables, dog meat hot pots steamed, and people ate heartily, drinking and clinking cups. This young man in the blue cotton robe stood out rather conspicuously. Fortunately, the shop was a century-old establishment passed down through several generations, with no snobbishness. The old man was the front-counter boss, his son was the cook, and his grandson was a schoolboy reputed to be a little scholar in the nearby alleys. Customers often teased the old man about how the shop would manage in the future. The genial old man and the taciturn cook would only say, "It's fate. What can we do?" But even the stoic, taciturn man, upon hearing such teasing, would show a hint of pride on his face. His family had finally produced a promising seed of learning who could hope to pass the imperial exams. Was there anything more fortunate under heaven?
No matter how chaotic the world, there would always be a day when it calmed down.
That evening, the dog meat shop in the humble alley was packed with customers. Business was quite good. When the Greater Li barbarians had broken the city the previous summer, there had hardly been any deaths. The army continued south, leaving only a few Greater Li men who were said to be extremely fluent in the Shiguo official dialect to guard the commandery governor's residence, rarely showing their faces. This was also thanks to the local governor's fear of death; he had packed up his valuables and fled, reportedly even leaving his official seal behind. On a deep night when the Greater Li horses were still far away, he changed into a blue Confucian robe and, escorted by his personal guards, quietly left the city and traveled far south. He clearly had no intention of returning to serve as an official.
The shop had a dark-skinned, mute teenage boy as an apprentice. He was thin and dull, responsible for greeting customers and serving tea and water, not at all clever.
It was said he was a refugee from the border. The old shopkeeper, kind-hearted, had taken the boy in as a shop assistant. After more than half a year, the boy was still not well-liked. Regular customers didn't like dealing with him.
In the twilight of that day, when the customers had thinned out, the shop still held the aroma of dog meat.
Chen Ping'an ordered a pot of local wine from the commandery and sat near the entrance. The old shopkeeper was drinking with a regular customer, already roaring drunk, his face flushed red. He spoke of his precious grandson, and two or three bowls of wine made the old man, who normally had a one-bowl capacity, feel like he could drink ten. As he drank, he still remembered to silently remind himself not to drink too much and shortchange himself. The times were hard; whether in the commandery city or the nearby countryside, it was difficult to buy dogs. Customers were fewer, and the silver in their pockets was far less. So he had to be more careful. His grandson's studies cost a lot; he couldn't let the child be looked down upon by his classmates.
Gentlemen who studied all valued their face.
The skinny, dark teenage apprentice was still busy, clearing the leftover wine and food from a table, his back to Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an had finished his dishes and two bowls of rice. He had ordered a few more small plates to go with his wine. He didn't drink much, but his chopsticks kept moving, and the plates were nearly empty.
Chen Ping'an suddenly called out the boy's name and asked, "I'll be receiving a guest soon. Besides the free-range chicken, is there a fresh river carp in the water tank in the backyard?"
The boy nodded expressionlessly.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Then go tell the cook to start cooking. When the dishes are ready, my friend can take his seat. Oh, and add a serving of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork."
The boy nodded again and went to the backyard, where the cook was resting in the kitchen. Through a series of gestures, the cook, who had been catching his breath, laughed and cursed, shaking his head as he stood up to slaughter a chicken and clean a fish, getting back to work. After all, who in business would turn away money? The boy watched the cook's back as he went to check the water tank, his expression complex. He quietly left the kitchen, went to the chicken coop, and grabbed the biggest one. The cook cursed with a laugh, saying that one was meant to nourish his son—pick another. So the boy went back and picked the smallest one. The cook still wasn't satisfied, saying that for the same price, the customer might notice the portion size, and in business, one should be honest. The cook picked a larger chicken himself and handed it to the boy, telling him to kill it—something the boy was familiar with. The cook then went to fish out a lively river carp.
The boy glanced at the dog cage in the corner and quickly looked away.
The first dish, braised river carp, was brought to the table.
The boy noticed that the friend the customer had mentioned hadn't arrived yet.
Chen Ping'an only said to wait a little longer, until the second dish was served.
When the stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork and the chicken with ginger and scallions were brought up, the boy saw that the friend still hadn't arrived.
The boy was about to leave.
Then the sickly-looking man in the cotton robe suddenly smiled and said, "The dishes are all ready. I've been waiting for you to take your seat."
The boy looked bewildered.
Only one table of customers remained in the dog meat shop. The old shopkeeper was already slurring his words, still enthusiastically urging the other to drink, and he himself had drunk plenty. It seemed he had completely forgotten about not giving discounts.
Chen Ping'an said to the boy, "You must already know that I've figured out your identity. And you've also guessed that I am a cultivator. Otherwise, last time, besides bringing the wine and food to the table, you would have deliberately avoided me and refused to meet my eyes. So, inviting you to a meal isn't really such a big deal. The food and drink were all served by you. I should be the one afraid, not you."
The boy hesitated.
Chen Ping'an glanced at the distant table and smiled. "Don't worry. The old shopkeeper is very drunk, and the customers there are ordinary folk. They can't hear us."
The boy sat down across from Chen Ping'an but didn't pick up his chopsticks.
Chen Ping'an picked up a piece of river carp with his chopsticks, leaned forward, and placed it in the boy's rice bowl. Then he added some bamboo shoots and pork, and some braised chicken, all into the boy's bowl.
The boy frowned, staring intently at this strange out-of-town guest.
Chen Ping'an then helped himself to a bite, took a mouthful of rice, chewed slowly, and then asked, "How many people do you intend to kill? The cook, definitely. The old shopkeeper, who has a knack for 'dog-finding' and has spent his life either buying dogs from shops or stealing them from the countryside, he'll surely die too. But what about the schoolboy? Will you kill him? And those familiar faces who have eaten dog meat here—how many have you remembered, and will you kill them too?"
The boy placed his hands on his knees, clenching his fists. His eyes were icy, and he lowered his voice, hoarse. "Are you going to stop me?"
Chen Ping'an asked in return, "What if I stop you? And what if I don't?"
The boy said darkly, "If you dare stop me, I'll dare to kill you!"
Chen Ping'an, still holding his chopsticks, used his free hand to gesture for the boy to eat. "Let's set aside whether your meager cultivation can actually kill me. For now, let's just eat and drink our fill. Then we can try to settle life and death. This table of dishes, at today's market prices, must be worth at least seven or eight taels of silver. And that's because this shop is fair-priced. In a fancy restaurant on the main street, they would dare to charge one or two taels and five silver coins and say, 'Take it or leave it. No money, get out.'"
The boy stared into the young man's eyes for a moment, then began to eat, helping himself generously to the dishes. If this cultivator did cut him down today to eliminate evil, at least he'd have had a good meal.
Once the boy started eating, Chen Ping'an stopped. He poured the last of the wine from the flask into his cup and sipped it slowly, using two fingers to pick up the last of the peanuts from the dish.
Chen Ping'an finished his wine and the accompanying dishes. He sat with his hands in his sleeves.
The boy wiped his mouth and put down his bowl and chopsticks.
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "I can understand that when you see dogs being killed in a shop and customers eating their meat, you want to kill them. But I do not accept it."
The boy sneered.
Chen Ping'an continued, "Because you have your reasons and your reasoning, and you're even willing to pay with your life. But I hope you learn a bit more about this world. For example, in this one meal, you've eaten river carp, free-range chicken, and pork. Once you set foot on the path of cultivation, you'll eat countless more delicacies. As a half-mountain immortal, unless you perish body and soul, you'll attend one banquet after another, sometimes as guest, sometimes as host. You'll have fish and meat aplenty for the rest of your life—except dog meat. Am I right?"
The boy stared blankly.
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "If you take this step today, even if I don't stop you, you'll be hunted down by the Greater Li army's attached cultivators who monitor the entire city. You'll die for sure. And even if you manage to escape this commandery, how many people who kill and eat dogs will you have to kill? Ten or dozens tonight, then a hundred or a thousand later? Either way, you don't regret it, right?"
The boy lowered his head.
Chen Ping'an said, "Since I've seen this, I won't let you kill anyone here. You might think I'm unreasonable, that I'm bullying the weak. That's fine. In this world, reasoning is a very complicated and unpleasant thing. Actually, it's the same the other way around. In your eyes, the people in this dog meat shop—the old shopkeeper, his son, the customers who died inexplicably, and the child who might survive but can no longer study—they would all think you are unreasonable, extremely unreasonable. This little truth, you should know before you kill."
The boy looked up.
The man seemed to truly begrudge the silver. Seeing that the boy wasn't eating, he picked up his chopsticks again, helped himself to a piece of bamboo shoots and pork, then a piece of braised river carp. He said, "I'm doing all this and telling you this because I saw hesitation and struggle in you. You think that the old shopkeeper and the cook, who deserve to die, also have a good side. You know, I've met many, many people, even humans, who, compared to you—an enlightened spirit working so hard to become human—are far less human. They are not even as good as you, not by a long shot. So I'm willing to buy you this meal, and..."
Chen Ping'an smiled. He took out a piece of silver and placed it on the table, then produced a Small Heat coin and set it down as well. With a flick of his finger, it slid right next to the boy's rice bowl. "Let me offer you a possibility. This Small Heat coin is my loan to you. Whether you repay it or not is up to you. You could even repay it in ten or a hundred years. But for now, if you don't kill anyone and endure this inner torment—I know it will be hard—you can use the money to save more of your kind. There are many ways. For example, with your cultivation, you could first become the 'mountain immortal' in the eyes of a county magistrate, helping him handle minor ghostly or monstrous affairs. In small places, you won't run into cultivators like me, who are 'unreasonable.' The ghosts and goblins that cause trouble, you can handle. So you can take the opportunity to tell the magistrate that no dog meat is to be sold within his jurisdiction... You could also become a wealthy merchant or squire, buy up all the dogs in a prefecture or county at high prices, forcing many dog meat shops to change their trade... You could cultivate diligently, found your own mountain sect, and within a radius of a hundred or a thousand li, set your own rules, one of which is to treat dogs well..."
The boy asked, "Why are you doing this?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and smiled. "I am very disappointed with this world, and also very disappointed with myself. But I only recently realized that no matter how costly it is to reason, one must still reason."
The boy asked again, "Is the gentleman a Confucian disciple?"
Chen Ping'an was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Not yet, for now. But I am a swordsman."
The boy was slightly startled.
"If the money isn't enough, you can borrow more from me. But after that, we'll have to settle accounts clearly."
Chen Ping'an slowly stood up. "Think it over. I hope you won't be repaying me that Small Heat coin too soon. Even if you're smart enough to move to a distant commandery, as long as I don't hear about it or see it, that's fine. But if you can find another path, I'll be very happy I bought you this meal—that my money wasn't wasted."
Chen Ping'an walked out of the dog meat shop and strolled alone down the alley.
The boy suddenly ran out of the shop and caught up. "Sir, you said I could borrow money from you later. But you didn't tell me your name or where you're from. If I run out of money, how will I find you?"
"Ah, that."
Chen Ping'an stopped and scratched his head. "I was just being polite, saying some nice words that don't cost anything."
The boy smiled brilliantly.
It was the first time, since its chance transformation into human form, that it had laughed so freely.
Chen Ping'an reached out and tousled the boy's hair. "My name is Chen Ping'an. I'm wandering in Shiguo for now. Later, I'll return to Qingxia Island in Shujian Lake. Cultivate well."
Chen Ping'an continued on his way.
The boy shouted, "Mr. Chen, the old shopkeeper and his family are actually good people. So I'll first offer them a very, very high price they can't refuse, and buy their shop from them. Their grandson and son can then study properly, have their own tutoring and library, and hire good teachers! After that, I'll return to the mountains and cultivate well!"
The man in the cotton robe, who carried no sword on his back and said he was a swordsman, simply raised his arm high behind him, thumb up.
The boy called out one last time, "Sir, where is your sword?"
The man strode forward, saying, "In my heart."
He paused slightly, then the young swordsman laughed and walked away, adding a few words.
In the night, only three words echoed softly in the humble alley.
"Very fast!"