Chapter 451: Crossing the Bridge
(There are so many things this month, a myriad of them, so I can only strive to update between 120,000 and 150,000 words.)
Spring in the city brings deep grass and trees, but throughout the entire northern region of Stone Mill Kingdom, one could scarcely find any noble young masters out on spring excursions.
The three riders, stopping and starting, traveled northward, and before they knew it, summer had arrived.
On this day, on a mountain ridge path at a border pass of Stone Mill Kingdom, the three riders stopped to rest. Zeng Ye was busy cooking, Ma Duyi was applying makeup in front of a mirror, humming a tune in good spirits. The small copper mirror with green lacquer in her hand was a lucky find—a suppression spirit artifact, a relatively rare "Sun-Moon Glow Continuous Arc Mirror." She had haggled it from a shopkeeper at a pawnshop for less than two silver taels, thanks to the shopkeeper's poor eyesight. According to the old ghost general who acted as the appraiser at the immortal ferry, it could fetch at least forty or fifty Snow Flower Coins at a fairy port.
Chen Ping'an sat to one side, flipping through an account book. Beneath most names, a light stroke of red ink had been drawn—these were those whose long-cherished wishes had been fulfilled. But some lingering spirits' last wishes could only be shelved for now. In fact, both Chen Ping'an and they knew deep down that those wishes were likely to become what Buddhists call "past-life wishes"—difficult to achieve in this life, whether in the yang realm or the yin. Some spirits had their hearts tied in deadly knots; in their grief and anger, they could not restrain themselves, their resentment surging, nearly turning them into vengeful ghosts. Only by relying on the few Clarity Mind Talismans posted in the Underground Prison of Yama's Hall could they maintain their remaining rationality.
Ma Duyi, who was "diligent and thrifty in managing the household," did not complain about Mr. Chen repeatedly writing Clarity Mind Talismans. As soon as the spiritual energy was exhausted, he would replenish them, constantly spending immortal coins—it was practically a bottomless pit.
Along the way, they encountered many scattered remnants of Stone Mill Kingdom's defeated armies. They were dispersed throughout the wilderness and dense forests, forming bandit gangs that gathered and scattered unpredictably, frantically plundering the supply lines behind the Great Li army. Some, in order to survive and uphold the righteous cause in their hearts, had no choice but to turn their blades against the local people of Stone Mill Kingdom's counties. At the end of last year, three consecutive heavy snowfalls, coupled with the chaos of war, had brought ruin to the people's livelihoods in the northern territories of Stone Mill Kingdom. Even though these troops—no more than three or four hundred at most—only sought a small amount of grain, the scattered, impoverished counties along the border had every family relying on their meager reserves to survive until the next harvest. They simply could not support the appetites of Stone Mill Kingdom's soldiers. Thus, conflicts were inevitable. Time and again, one side fought to avoid starvation, the other to live for the sake of their homeland and righteousness, and the clashes grew increasingly fierce.
Chen Ping'an and his two riders encountered a conflict that nearly turned into bloody slaughter. One young soldier in shattered armor almost brought his blade down on the shoulder of an emaciated old man. Chen Ping'an rushed in and grabbed the Stone Mill Kingdom-standard saber. In an instant, dozens of Stone Mill Kingdom's routed cavalry surged toward him. Chen Ping'an stomped his foot, sending men and horses tumbling. He tossed the saber back, sheathing it into the young soldier's scabbard, but the immense force from the impact sent him staggering backward.
After that, Chen Ping'an said nothing. He simply stood in the town street holding his horse, while the starving soldiers silently withdrew from the county town.
Chen Ping'an and his two riders also slowly departed.
Behind them, the local people began loudly cursing those soldiers of their own kingdom. All kinds of harsh words were thrown around—how they had no ability to fight the Great Li barbarians, but when it came to bullying their own people, they were more imposing than anyone. They should have died on the battlefield and been done with it, so they wouldn't come back to harm their own. Some even suggested informing the Great Li iron cavalry in a nearby large county town, perhaps earning a reward.
After that cavalry unit left the county town, the young soldier suddenly burst into loud sobs.
An old military officer who looked like a captain stopped his horse and wept mournfully. The entire unit—sallow-faced, emaciated, and nearly all wounded—also halted, filled with fear and confusion.
Chen Ping'an told Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye to stay put, and he rode alone toward them.
At its peak, this famous old battalion of the Stone Mill Kingdom's border cavalry had over two thousand elite riders. Now it had been reduced to fewer than eighty, and they all looked as if they were facing a great enemy.
Chen Ping'an tossed out a heavy large bag and said in increasingly fluent Stone Mill Kingdom official language, "Disperse. Take off your armor, remove your horses' barding. Use this money as travel expenses to return home and settle down."
That old military officer caught the bag and opened it. Inside were all official gold ingots. The old man looked up, his face full of confusion.
Chen Ping'an said, "If you're unwilling to give up just like that, you can pick a few smart brothers, disguise yourselves as merchants, and go to the counties that have already stabilized to buy grain. Try to avoid Great Li spies and scouts. Buy only small amounts each time, or else it will arouse the suspicion of the local authorities. As for who exactly are your own people now, I believe you yourselves can't tell anymore."
The old officer asked, "That's all? Do you want something in return?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "You have no choice right now. Since this is already the worst situation, you might as well give it a try. Besides, if I wanted to use your dozens of heads to claim a reward from the prefectural governments that have already surrendered to Great Li, I wouldn't need to go through all this trouble. Your soldiers might not see it, but as a Fourth Realm pure martial artist, you should understand clearly."
The old officer hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.
Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "That's as much help as I'll give. I'm not some Child of Wealth, so don't take me for a fool."
The old officer felt chagrined and had to give up that indeed unkind thought. He generously put away the bag of life-saving gold ingots, then clasped his fists in thanks to the thin man in the blue cotton robe. "Sir, your righteousness is great!"
Chen Ping'an returned the gesture and left. As for what decision that Stone Mill Kingdom cavalry unit finally made, he did not watch from beginning to end like he had done with the dog meat shop in the previous prefectural city regarding the choice of the young shop assistant.
The old officer felt a bit thwarted—he hadn't even asked for his name yet.
Ma Duyi saw Mr. Chen returning on horseback and teased, "You say you're not a Child of Wealth, but really?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Seeing something but not saying it outright is an excellent habit in dealing with people."
Ma Duyi was about to retort sharply with a few words, but Chen Ping'an had already spurred his horse forward, so she had to hastily follow with Zeng Ye.
The hooves of the three horses lightly trod upon the vast spring land of blooming flowers.
At this moment, Ma Duyi put down the copper mirror and turned to look at Chen Ping'an, who had already closed the account book. She asked, "Mr. Chen, can we return to the Scroll Writing Lake before autumn?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Probably."
Ma Duyi stretched, accidentally bumping into the large bamboo chest behind her. She quickly reached out to steady it. Inside was packed full with valuable items bought cheaply in the last three cities. Even though they were wrapped in silk and padded with cotton cloth, she still worried about damaging those particularly delicate pieces. According to the old ghostly appraiser who lived in the Imitation Glazed Pavilion, these were mostly trinkets favored by wealthy human households. In times of chaos, they were far less valuable than gold or silver, but once peace and prosperity returned, even a tiny birdseed jar among them could be worth two or three hundred silver taels. If they encountered a wealthy connoisseur, doubling the price would not be difficult.
These items could actually be put into Mr. Chen's "within-reach object," but Ma Duyi liked to open the box and rummage through it every time they stopped. Just like that beloved little copper mirror, she would take it out to feast her eyes on it, then voluntarily suffer the burden by carrying it herself.
Zeng Ye was now a bona fide Fourth Realm cultivator, and Ma Duyi, with even better comprehension and aptitude, was a Fifth Realm yin spirit.
However, in terms of true foundational cultivation, Zeng Ye still had the advantage—that was the importance of innate bone structure.
One didn't mind being slow, the other didn't mind being fast. Now Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi got along more and more harmoniously, developing some tacit understanding.
While eating, Chen Ping'an still habitually chewed slowly and swallowed carefully. Zeng Ye squatted nearby, shoveling rice into his mouth, and asked casually, "Mr. Chen, how is my fist stance coming along?"
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "Scattered and loose."
Zeng Ye sighed in dismay. He himself had originally thought that his six-step stance practice was at least somewhat smooth—if not completely proficient, then at least getting better with practice.
Ma Duyi added fuel to the fire: "You're just not cut out for martial arts. Even a layman like me can see clearly that your fist frame is hollow and loose—you haven't even entered the gate. Zeng Ye, do you actually think you're decent?"
Chen Ping'an comforted Zeng Ye: "Since martial arts isn't your main pursuit, a little physical training to strengthen your body and help stretch your sinews and nourish your bones is sufficient. If you generate a strand of pure true qi, it might clash with the spiritual qi in your aperture, which wouldn't be good."
Zeng Ye said gloomily, "Either I can't learn anything, or I learn everything slowly. Mr. Chen, why aren't you worried?"
Chen Ping'an was amused. "If worrying helped, I'd be panicking right along with you."
Ma Duyi was holding back mischief, about to speak.
Chen Ping'an had already raised his hand. "Shut up. No more making fun of Zeng Ye's cultivation. And as for the quality of Zeng Ye's fist frame, you couldn't possibly tell—that was Senior's offhand comment that you borrowed, wasn't it?"
Ma Duyi smiled, her long autumn-water eyes narrowing, saying nothing in tacit admission.
The three continued forward, traveling along the border of Stone Mill Kingdom.
They arrived at a prestigious sect called Huluo Mountain in the northern territory. Green mountains stretched endlessly, the scenery was beautiful, and the spiritual qi was fairly abundant. Both Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye, as cultivators, felt refreshed and couldn't help taking a few extra breaths.
In many places with sparse spiritual qi, common people might never meet a cultivator in their entire lives—that was the reason. Merchants bustled about seeking profit, and cultivators traveling the mortal world would also subconsciously avoid areas where spiritual qi was nearly nonexistent. After all, the path of cultivation required meticulous effort and gradual polishing. Especially for cultivators below the Fifth Realm and those between the Earth Immortal and Middle Five Realms, wasting precious time in a place without spiritual qi for thousands of li around was itself a form of extravagance.
Earlier, the continuous warfare had affected the mountains of Stone Mill Kingdom. Later, somehow, many small sects gathered together, vaguely taking Huluo Mountain as their leader. Huluo Mountain occupied a large area, and previously it had followed a single-hereditary-line immortal tradition—a mountain sect with a large estate but few members. So it divided many of its peaks and leased them to the low-level cultivator sects of Stone Mill Kingdom that came to seek shelter and allegiance.
In just two short years, Huluo Mountain had gained considerable momentum.
It was said that many immortal shops had opened here, which was the reason for Chen Ping'an's trip. Since they were passing by, he let Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi try to sell the dozen or so miscellaneous spirit artifacts they had found at bargain prices, to see if they could get a good price. All the immortal coins obtained would be theirs to keep. As for how to "divide the spoils" afterwards, Chen Ping'an didn't care—he left it to Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi to discuss. But he guessed that no matter what, Zeng Ye would end up at a considerable disadvantage. With Ma Duyi's shrewd abacus-clicking cleverness, three Zeng Yes wouldn't be a match for her.
Chen Ping'an thought that if he ever opened a shop and went into business in the future, Ma Duyi would be a good helper.
When they reached a hill on the outskirts of Huluo Mountain's territory, Chen Ping'an discovered that many refugees had gathered. A market had been built in decent shape, bustling with noise. Along the way, there were many places under construction, bustling with activity. Besides relatively strong young men, there were also many women and children who had managed to survive and reach Huluo Mountain, all contributing their labor. What surprised Chen Ping'an most was that a Stone Mill Kingdom Martial Temple had already been completed. Though crude, it lacked none of the proper court ritual structures. In addition, there were cultivators busy building mountain-protection formations.
This was probably the earliest prototype of an immortal ferry or a mountain sect.
Two cultivators saw Chen Ping'an and his companions leading their horses. Facing these three unfamiliar faces, their eyes showed wariness. They secretly communicated, and fellow disciples gathered from all directions, clustering together to intimidate this group of outsiders.
Chen Ping'an no longer wore the Green Gorge Island worshipper jade token, so he had no choice. He asked one of the cultivators for directions, saying they wanted to go to the peak where Huluo Mountain's Ancestral Hall was located.
That group of fellow cultivators, led by an old Cave Dwelling Realm cultivator, pointed out the way. They did not relax until Chen Ping'an and his two companions left the market, then continued busily constructing the mountain-and-water formation.
No help for it—they were just a low-level sect. Even after taking refuge and moving to Huluo Mountain, compared to the other wealthy immortal estates, they simply couldn't scrape together enough immortal coins. So they were dumped here by Huluo Mountain's Ancestral Hall to act as gatekeepers for the eastern entrance. As soon as trouble came—for example, if the Great Li iron cavalry took a disliking to Huluo Mountain and came slaughtering—they would naturally be the first to suffer, yet they had to steel themselves to block disasters for Huluo Mountain.
The founding, rise, and inheritance of any mountain sect inevitably involve hardship, suffering, humiliation, and danger.
That old cultivator, who was already a "founding ancestor" of the sect at the Cave Dwelling Realm, stood on a high platform. His gaze quietly lingered on a refugee child who was helping his parents wipe sweat. The old man revealed a knowing smile—this was a good seedling. Huluo Mountain's Ancestral Hall, slow to realize, intended to pay one Small Summer Coin and a mountain peak of over ten li in radius to exchange for this family's household registration on the mountain. But he overruled all objections and rejected Huluo Mountain's offer, planning instead to personally take this child as his direct disciple. Perhaps in sixty years or a century, his sect would gain another Cave Dwelling Realm cultivator. Maybe even reaching the Observation Sea Realm of the sect's revivalist ancestor was not a pipe dream. Thinking of this, the old man felt quite gratified. His fellow disciples in the Ancestral Hall had argued fiercely at first, after all, one Small Summer Coin and an extra mountain peak for free was enormously significant in the current times. Yet after truly rejecting Huluo Mountain's proposal, they became united. Even the most stingy junior disciple decided that on the day the child performed the apprenticeship ceremony, he would bring out a long-cherished spirit artifact as a gift for his future nephew.
After leaving the market, Chen Ping'an suddenly looked back into the distance and asked, "Did you notice anything?"
Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi found it inexplicable.
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Nothing, maybe my eyes deceived me."
Ma Duyi teased, "Mr. Chen, saying only half of it isn't nice, is it?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "When you're old enough to handle things on your own, you'll understand that saying only half is a great subject worth studying."
Ma Duyi clicked her tongue. "Mr. Chen's way of indirectly boasting about his own abilities is becoming more and more refined."
Chen Ping'an turned around on his horse and clasped his fists. "Overpraising, overpraising."
Ma Duyi laughed in exasperation. "Mr. Chen, if you keep this up, you won't be the Mr. Chen in my mind anymore!"
Zeng Ye shook his head and said, "Not at all, not at all."
Clearly this young man was still more on Mr. Chen's side.
As a result, he received a sudden flick of Ma Duyi's sleeve across his face, stinging painfully.
Zeng Ye said angrily, "A gentleman uses words, not hands."
This time it was Ma Duyi's turn to shake her head. "Only petty people and women are hard to raise—said by the sage. Don't you understand this simple truth?"
Chen Ping'an smiled wryly. "That's not how the saying is understood, but since you're willing to disparage yourself like that, I think it's fine."
Laughing and joking along the way, the three riders arrived at the true mountain gate of Huluo Mountain.
Compared to the two immortal peaks they had passed along the way, this place had an imposing atmosphere and a hidden paradise. The spiritual qi was even stronger than Yellow Fence Mountain.
At the foot of the mountain was a peaceful small town nestled against the mountain and beside water, or perhaps a large village. Judging by the houses and buildings, it probably housed over a thousand people.
The so-called grandeur of the mountains, without the mortal world, would over time become a pavilion in the air, a stream without a source.
But many immortal masters who have not yet reached the summit are too lazy or scornful to think this way.
To go to that village at the foot of the mountain and then up to the mountain, they had to cross a river. It was not an arched bridge, but rather lay quietly in the river like a slender snake dragon. On its back, a villager led an ox, presumably going to work in the nearby fields. Behind the young man and the water buffalo was a child riding a green bamboo stick, shouting "Giddy-up, giddy-up" as if driving a horse.
Chen Ping'an was the first to stop and lead his horse aside, making way for the villager and the ox with curved horns.
After the villager and the water buffalo stepped off the small bridge, it was clear they were seasoned—they didn't pay much attention to the three outsiders. But the child riding the bamboo horse saw the real horses and was very curious. Chen Ping'an smiled at the child, and the child shyly grinned back before following his father and the ox to continue on their way.
Zeng Ye found it amusing.
Above Huluo Mountain, shrouded in clouds and mist, sword lights and rainbow lights often streaked across the sky.
But the child was clearly completely indifferent to that, and instead was more curious about the horses beside them. The child riding the bamboo horse kept looking back.
Chen Ping'an was the first to lead his horse onto the low stone bridge that rose only a little above the river.
Halfway across, there were also villagers on the other side waiting quietly to cross.
After stepping off the stone bridge, Chen Ping'an nodded to them in thanks, and the villagers smiled and nodded back.
Zeng Ye seemed lost in thought.
Ma Duyi was the same.
Just then, Chen Ping'an abruptly turned his head to look at the sky.
The small wooden box containing the Sword Graveyard in his sleeve and the Green Gorge Island worshipper jade token grew hot almost simultaneously.
Regarding this matter, Liu Zhimao had not concealed it back then—he could use them to track Chen Ping'an's whereabouts.
Chen Ping'an had no objection to that.
A streak of snow-white rainbow light, from a cultivator swiftly riding the wind, broke through the air from outside Huluo Mountain and crashed to the ground.
It was an old cultivator from Green Gorge Island, Zhang Yan, who was in charge of the Secret Vault and Fishing departments. His expression was panicked and his spiritual qi was chaotic.
This secret northward journey had nearly exhausted the spiritual qi reserves in several of Zhang Yan's lifebound acupoints. It was a reckless act that harmed the foundation of the Great Path, much like an express messenger riding eight hundred li in a day would inevitably injure the horse, even running successive mounts to death.
Zeng Ye was initially overjoyed—after all, Zhang Yan was the benefactor who had personally pulled him out of the fiery pit of Mao Yue Island. But when the young man saw Zhang Yan's expression, he immediately fell silent.
Chen Ping'an supported the tottering Zhang Yan and asked softly, "Has something happened at Scroll Writing Lake?"
Zhang Yan said bitterly, "The sky has changed!"
Chen Ping'an sighed. He had actually anticipated this situation, but since it wasn't the worst possible outcome, he hadn't prepared many countermeasures. In fact, he couldn't have come up with many effective actions.
After all, human power has its limits.
It was simple: either the Great Li commander Su Gaoshan had made his move, or the person behind Liu Laocheng of Willow Palace Island had entered the game.
Or perhaps they had simply joined forces.
That Tan Yuanyi of Grain Island had defected, seeking only self-preservation, betraying the alliance. Liu Zhimao was unwilling to give up Green Gorge Island's foundation, had been outmaneuvered, and was now in danger—all of this was normal.
But for Chen Ping'an in the present moment, this was definitely not good news.
Originally, Chen Ping'an had grasped the pulse of the situation at Scroll Writing Lake. But the board he had painstakingly set up might have been casually overturned by later players.
Zhang Yan fell to his knees with a thud. "I beg Mr. Chen to save the island master!"
Chen Ping'an shook his head and asked directly, "Have Gu Can and his mother been secretly detained by Elder Zhang?"
Zhang Yan, still kneeling, looked up. "The matter was sudden. Green Gorge Island could not do such a thing. Even if it could, I would not act that way, because I know it would only backfire. The only one who can save the island master is Mr. Chen."
Chen Ping'an helped Zhang Yan up and said slowly, "Elder Zhang, please rise and speak. Let me hear the details first. But rescuing Liu Zhimao is almost impossible. I believe Elder Zhang already understood that on the way here. That you made this trip is merely a matter of doing your best and leaving the rest to fate."
Zhang Yan nodded slightly, smiling bitterly, with a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
Chen Ping'an, on the other hand, had a headache.
In front of Zhang Yan, some words, like the joke he had with Ma Duyi earlier, were only half said—seeing through but not exposing.
Zhang Yan was naturally doing his best, but it was highly likely that Zhang Yan also knew perfectly well that his whereabouts had already been noticed by certain interested parties, perhaps someone was overlooking this place from somewhere on Huluo Mountain.
So Chen Ping'an did not take advantage of the situation to strike him down.
In fact, that was already the utmost of benevolence and righteousness.
Chen Ping'an said, "Let's talk as we walk."
Zhang Yan steadied his mind. His first sentence caused Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye, who were pricking up their ears, to tremble in their heart-lakes: "Our island master was no match for an unidentified cultivator. He was severely injured and is now imprisoned in the water dungeon of Willow Palace Island. Not only that, but the Great Li iron cavalry commander Su Gaoshan has personally arrived at Cloud Tower City on the shores of Scroll Writing Lake. He threw his whip into the lake and declared that all the rogue cultivators of Scroll Writing Lake who refuse to submit will be completely exterminated within a month."
Chen Ping'an's first thought was that the great cultivator who had so forcefully suppressed Liu Zhimao was either the Mohist knight-errant Xu Ruo or the sage Ruan Qiong.