Chapter 452: Riding South Alone

Chapter 452: Riding South Alone

Along the murmuring river that flowed like an emerald-green ribbon, Zhang Ye, who had come from afar, and Chen Ping'an, who was leading his horse by the reins, walked side by side in a leisurely manner.

Perhaps it was because this secluded paradise was so picturesque, tranquil, and peaceful, or perhaps it was because he now had the company of an accountant who was practically family, the old cultivator Zhang Ye, who had weathered countless storms, gradually calmed his mind. He began to narrate the events of Shujian Lake to Chen Ping'an, slowly and deliberately.

It turned out that everyone had underestimated Su Gaoshan's appetite. This general of the Great Li Iron Cavalry, whose gaze had always been fixed on the Zhuying Dynasty, had taken the capital of Shihao Kingdom with almost no effort. Not only did he turn his horse around, but his iron cavalry then drove straight into another vassal state of Zhuying. Even though the battle was equally brutal, he still had the "leisure and elegance" to personally appear at the shores of Shujian Lake. He openly declared that he would sweep Shujian Lake clean. Those who followed would prosper, those who opposed would perish—the principle was that simple. The so-called "following" and "opposing" were even more straightforward: the rogue cultivators of Shujian Lake who were willing to hand over all their sect's assets could live, "leaving with nothing," and depart from Shujian Lake. Those who were willing to hand over half their possessions and become the lowest-ranked military cultivators of Great Li, joining the campaign against the Zhuying Dynasty, could temporarily remain in Shujian Lake. However, the ownership of the various mountain strongholds and whether they needed to relocate their mountain gates and ancestral halls would still be subject to the orders of the Great Li Iron Cavalry.

Over at Gongliu Island, around the end of spring, a group of secretive out-of-town cultivators had arrived and become honored guests. With Su Gaoshan's public appearance and his big talk aimed at the tens of thousands of rogue cultivators across the entire Shujian Lake, just last night, under the personal leadership of Liu Laocheng, they launched an unexpected joint assault on Qingxia Island. Among them was an old cultivator who, after Liu Laocheng broke through Qingxia Island's mountain-and-river grand formation, displayed astonishing mastery of magical techniques—he was undoubtedly an Upper Five Realm cultivator. With a single, all-out strike, he nearly shattered the entire Hengbo Manor. Subsequently, this cultivator, working together with others who had been lying in wait, used over a dozen magical treasures to form a formation, intercepting and capturing Liu Zhimao, who, realizing he could not win, had tried to flee far away. They escorted him to Gongliu Island. Zhang Ye, seeing that the situation was dire, did not go to his death. He escaped through a secret underwater passage on Qingxia Island and rushed posthaste to Shihao Kingdom, relying on the jade token of a worshipped elder to find Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an listened in silence to all of Zhang Ye's account, then asked, "What is Liu Laocheng's attitude?"

Zhang Ye shook his head. "From what I learned afterward, from the time those cultivators—almost all of whom were Earth Immortals—set foot on Gongliu Island until they captured our island master and brought him back, Liu Laocheng never spoke a single word, nor did he meet with any local cultivator from Shujian Lake."

Zhang Ye sighed emotionally. "Although I hate Liu Laocheng to the core, I have to admit that this is exactly the kind of tactics one would expect from an Upper Five Realm rogue cultivator."

Chen Ping'an said, "By now, there should be many rogue cultivators in Shujian Lake cursing Liu Laocheng under their breath, calling him a traitor to the lake and a running dog of Great Li."

Zhang Ye smiled bitterly. "Over a thousand islands, tens of thousands of rogue cultivators—everyone is too busy looking after themselves. They're practically scared out of their wits. I reckon that just mentioning Liu Laocheng and Su Gaoshan's names makes people tremble."

Zhang Ye shook his head gently. "Whatever little backbone and integrity remained in Shujian Lake are completely finished now. The earlier, perilously rare collaboration—where they worked together sincerely to kill foreign Nascent Soul cultivators and Golden Core sword cultivators—will never be brought up again at drinking tables. Liu Laocheng, that old thief! I really can't imagine what enormous benefits could drive Liu Laocheng to act this way, to betray the entire Shujian Lake. The gatekeeper woman at Zhuxian Manor, Hongsu—years ago, it was I who was sent out on orders, searched painstakingly for nearly ten years, and finally found the reincarnation of the previous female martial sovereign of the rivers and lakes, bringing her back to Qingxia Island. So I know that Liu Laocheng's feelings for Shujian Lake are not as indifferent and emotionless as the outside rumors suggest."

Zhang Ye's expression was bleak. He stopped walking, crouched by the river, cupped water to wash his face, and looked dazed.

His current predicament seemed even more heart-wrenching and helpless to Zhang Ye than the early days when he and Liu Zhimao first struggled in Shujian Lake, and their island was sunk to the bottom of the lake by an Earth Immortal.

Getting old inevitably dampens one's spirit.

Especially now that Zhang Ye only had about sixty years of life left. Even if he wanted to smash jade and jade together—to go down in a blaze of glory—he, Zhang Ye, might be willing to risk everything, but would they agree? With just a flick of their finger, they could reduce him, a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator who was still somewhat respectable in Shujian Lake, to ashes on the spot.

Chen Ping'an led his horse, with a sword and a saber at his waist. He said calmly, "People like Liu Laocheng, once they make up their minds to return to Shujian Lake, definitely won't do it for the sake of a lakes and rivers sovereign. When he went to Qingxia Island to suppress Gu Can and that true dragon descendant, it was nothing more than a dispensable smokescreen. In fact, whether or not that move happened, all you rogue cultivators of Shujian Lake could only wait to die, to be slaughtered at will. Because apart from Liu Zhimao, almost no one saw the great trend sweeping through Bottle Gourd Continent. They still thought Shujian Lake could stay out of it, maybe even thought it was good that the outside world was in chaos—easier to fish in troubled waters. Like this time with the war in Shihao Kingdom, how many rogue cultivators from Shujian Lake took the opportunity to infiltrate? I'm sure quite a few feasted well, only to realize that they had just made a profit and now someone was coming to confiscate everything. After a hundred years, or several hundred years, of painstaking accumulation, they don't even know who they were working for."

Zhang Ye, still crouching by the river, said helplessly, "It's not entirely fair to blame Shujian Lake for being blind. To put it bluntly, besides our Qingxia Island and the rival camps of Qingzhong Island and Tianmu Island, even if we wanted to cling to the Great Li Iron Cavalry's coattails, we'd have to see if they were willing to stretch out a leg, and whether we could even get through the temple gate with our offerings."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "That's true."

Zhang Ye stood up and exhaled a breath of turbid air. "But if someone was truly smart and willing to bet big, came early to Shihao Kingdom to contact the Great Li Iron Cavalry, proactively submitted a letter of fealty, and got on a friendly footing with some general, then had their name registered by the Great Li Green Wave Pavilion spies, they'd be sitting pretty by now. When Shujian Lake's power structures are redrawn later, there will be plenty of benefits—that's the real fat feast, a venture that pays off a thousandfold. Our Qingxia Island actually did quite well; what we lost on was never being able to get in touch with Su Gaoshan directly, stopping only at Tan Yuanyi on Lisu Island. Then Liu Laocheng butted in, and we fell short of success at the last step."

Chen Ping'an frowned deeply, lost in thought. After a moment of silence, he asked with confusion, "Senior Zhang, do you know if any major sect-level immortal mansions on Bottle Gourd Continent have wanted to relocate their sect site in the last ten years? Even just a hint, a rumor, have you heard anything like that?"

Zhang Ye shook his head dejectedly. "No. For instance, the leading force on our continent's mountains, the Divine Edict Sect—Old Sect Master Qi just recently stepped into the Celestial Lord realm, as stable as a mountain. The Divine Edict Sect is a group of Daoist immortals cultivating purity; they've never shown any signs of external expansion. I remember hearing the island master mention in casual talk that the Divine Edict Sect seemed to have recalled a batch of registered Daoists, which was very unusual. The island master even guessed whether the Divine Edict Sect had discovered a new blessed land or cave heaven and needed people to enter it. Also, True Martial Mountain, Snow Wind Temple, the Jiang clan at Cloud Forest, and Old Dragon City don't seem to have such intentions either."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I understand."

Zhang Ye went from having his heartstrings tightly stretched to suddenly relaxing. He was extremely weary, his expression haggard.

But when he looked at the accountant beside him, Zhang Ye smiled. If Mr. Chen wasn't complaining about hardship, how could he, having lived for several hundred years, put on the airs of a delicate young lady?

So Zhang Ye told Chen Ping'an about his last conversation with Liu Zhimao in Hengbo Manor. He wasn't trying to speak well of Liu Zhimao; he just told it as it was.

The old-timers of Shujian Lake had left one by one, and the newcomers were more domineering than the last. Zhang Ye, who originally came from a proper registered immortal master background, had long since found no one to talk to. Who would have thought that at the very end, he would run into another "cultivator" who, like himself, went unrewarded for his efforts? Once the floodgates opened, he talked a lot. He kept an eye on that thin young man's expression, and only relaxed when he saw no sign of impatience.

Chen Ping'an listened patiently the whole time.

When Zhang Ye had nothing left to say, Chen Ping'an gently reminded him, "Senior Zhang, it's best you don't return to Shujian Lake. Nothing you do there will make a difference. It's better to stay somewhere farther away and watch how things develop."

Zhang Ye shook his head and sighed, "Where can I go? Qingxia Island is my home. If this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have minded finding a summer resort around Shujian Lake, like the ones human princes and nobles enjoy, and spending my remaining years in peace."

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment. "Senior Zhang, let me ask an off-topic question. In the eyes of old cultivators at your Dragon Gate Realm, or did Liu Zhimao ever mention it—when passing through a certain time or place, can you sense something, vaguely make out a little... aura?"

Zhang Ye shook his head. "The island master never mentioned such a thing, and I, at least, have never had that ability. Discerning the flow of a location's destiny is the specialty of mountain and river deities. I imagine even Earth Immortals can't see it clearly. As for the island master, a great cultivator just one step away from the Upper Five Realm—whether he could do it or not, I can't say. After all, even immortals who oversee mountains and rivers can only see physical objects and scenes; it doesn't involve the ethereal aspect of destiny."

Chen Ping'an hesitated, on the verge of speaking but stopping himself.

Zhang Ye suddenly burst into laughter. "What, Mr. Chen? Is it so hard to be a good person? Even when it's about doing something for someone else's sake, you're more cautious than if it were your own affairs? Mr. Chen, there's something I wanted to say before, but we weren't close enough. Now, we're not exactly friends, but since I might not have a tomorrow, I'll be blunt with you. I want to have a word with you."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Senior Zhang, please go ahead."

Zhang Ye stared at the young man before him for a long time without speaking. Then he let out a "heh" and said, "Suddenly, I have nothing to say. What now?"

Chen Ping'an was speechless. He took off his Nourish-Sword Gourd and took a drink to refresh himself.

Just hearing about the upheaval at Qingxia Island was mentally exhausting; a single move affected the whole network. The subsequent calculations were even more taxing.

Chen Ping'an said, "There's a small mountain peak that recently moved to the easternmost part of Hulushan Mountain. I noticed some unusual aura there. If Senior Zhang trusts me, you might settle there for now, consider it a change of scenery. At worst, Liu Zhimao might end up dead at Gongliu Island, made an example of. What you should do then, no one can stop you, and I won't. It's better than going back now, which might be seen as a form of provocation, and you'd be thrown into Gongliu Island's water prison too. You might not fear that—in fact, you might be glad to see Liu Zhimao again. But since only Hengbo Manor on Qingxia Island has been devastated, and the island hasn't completely collapsed, not even Sulin Island and other vassal islands have been affected, that means if a turning point appears later, Qingxia Island will need someone to step up. I can't do it, and I won't. But you, Zhang Ye, as the old-timer Liu Zhimao trusted most, even if your cultivation isn't high, you can still command respect."

Zhang Ye thought it over carefully and nodded, self-deprecatingly saying, "I'm just destined for a life of toil."

Suddenly, Zhang Ye transmitted a voice directly to Chen Ping'an's mind: "Be careful of Gongliu Island; someone might be using me as bait. If that's true, why would they go to such trouble instead of simply using Gu Can and Chunting Manor as bait? I can't figure it out, but there must be a reason for such twists and turns. Of course, Mr. Chen has probably already thought of this. I'm just being cheeky, trying to ease my own conscience. The burden, the moment I left Qingxia Island, I already placed it on your shoulders."

Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly and replied aloud, "Sometimes, a few polite words are necessary, at the very least to make the other person feel better. That's a small lesson I just learned from a certain young man surnamed Guan."

Zhang Ye teased, "Mr. Chen still has to learn lessons from others?"

Chen Ping'an pointed at Zhang Ye, then gestured behind him toward Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye, and finally made a sweeping circle toward the village at the foot of Hulushan Mountain. "There are countless principles beyond books. Take a small matter just now—even village folk know to yield when crossing a bridge. How many lofty mountain cultivators are willing to practice such a small principle, right?"

Zhang Ye's pent-up gloom lifted slightly. "Then I'll go to that small mountain peak you mentioned, take a look around, and see if I can find any principles?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Why not?"

Zhang Ye looked around. How many years had it been since he had last calmed down to appreciate the worldly scenery at the foot of the mountains?

Chen Ping'an said, "I won't rush back to Shujian Lake for Liu Zhimao's sake. I have my own matters to attend to. Even if I do go back, I'll only do what I can."

Zhang Ye nodded. "If we had just met and I heard this answer, I would have been frantic. But now, I've lost all my ambition. I don't dare and won't force you. Mr. Chen, just do things according to your own plans."

Chen Ping'an and Zhang Ye said in unison, "Polite words still need to be said."

They both smiled.

Zhang Ye straightened his collar, took his leave, and walked away. He did not transform into a rainbow and fly on the wind. He crossed a small bridge and slowly departed.

Chen Ping'an led Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye along the bluestone path through the village. After ascending the mountain, they passed through Hulushan Mountain's mountain gate—it wasn't unwelcoming, just a small memorial archway, and there wasn't even a gate-keeping cultivator. The Hulushan Mountain lineage was passed down through a single disciple, and even though the ancestral hall had more than one branch, they could be counted on one hand. Altogether, excluding worshipped elders and guest retainers, the actual cultivators of Hulushan Mountain probably numbered less than twenty. However, on Hulushan Mountain, there was a place similar to Cry-Heaven Street on Tongye Continent or Ape-Cry Street in Pool Water City. After all, cultivators pursuing the Dao needed silver to pave the way—a principle that had held true for tens of thousands of years. So Hulushan Mountain wasn't too desolate.

Chen Ping'an looked back.

Zhang Ye was already out of sight.

If Zhang Ye hadn't gotten the answer he wanted from Chen Ping'an—with Liu Zhimao imprisoned as a captive at Gongliu Island, and even possibly facing the end of his Dao path—wasn't Zhang Ye disappointed? He must have been extremely disappointed.

But.

Disappointment was one thing. After disappointment, what needed to be done still had to be done. That revealed one's true nature and skill even more.

That was why Chen Ping'an held people like Zhang Ye, Guan Yiran, that ghostly general of Shihao Kingdom he had met by chance at the Spiritual Officer Temple, and Su Xinzai of Huangli Mountain in such high regard.

We never know, when walking on a muddy road full of suffering, whether we will encounter even greater storms and snow, or whether we will meet one or two good people, like flickering lamps along the way.

Chen Ping'an summoned the ghost of the former Guanhai Realm cultivator to keep an eye on Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye, to prevent them from...

On that street at Hulushan Mountain, Ma Duyi visited all the shops, big and small, comparing prices. She both sold and bought magical artifacts. She and Zeng Ye had long since "divided the spoils," and she would even help Zeng Ye strategize, advising him on which artifact was the best deal at his current cultivation level—not to blindly pursue quality and grade. Although Zeng Ye's eyes were dazzled and he often coveted things, he still listened to Ma Duyi's advice. In this way, the human and the ghost had become true friends.

Chen Ping'an watched them, smiling inwardly.

Because these were immortal shops, some mundane treasures that had gathered dust for decades or centuries, or had been recently acquired cheaply, were often given as bonuses or toss-ins when making deals involving immortal money. It was similar to when Chen Ping'an bought the painting of a lady and the imitation Qu Huang Sword at Ape-Cry Street, and the old shopkeeper gave him three small items for free. At times like this, the old ghost would step in. Cultivators who had cut off worldly ties, even if they engaged in trade, often couldn't accurately judge the quality and value of antique treasures from the secular dynasties. So Chen Ping'an and his group managed to make some bargains.

They returned fully loaded.

They left Hulushan Mountain.

Chen Ping'an still followed the planned route, walking along the border of Shihao Kingdom, passing through cities and passes, and fulfilling the wishes of various yin spirits and ghosts, big or small.

During this time, he kept a close watch on developments at Shujian Lake. Occasionally, he would buy a stack of old official gazettes from cultivators at shops in Hulushan Mountain, but the news about Shujian Lake mostly consisted of trivial rumors.

Around the "Small Full" period of April—if he were back in his hometown of Pearl Ridge Cave Heaven, this would be the time to pay close attention to water disputes in the fields; otherwise, it would affect the year's harvest.

Just as Chen Ping'an was about to return to Shujian Lake, he obtained an immortal gazette that was widely circulated in the northern region of Shihao Kingdom. It recorded several earth-shattering pieces of news.

Another Great Li Iron Cavalry general, Cao Ping, had used extremely bold maneuvers. He daringly divided his forces into three units. He left only the central army stationed in place, confronting the border army of the Zhuying Dynasty, while the other two cavalry units successively broke through two vassal states of the Zhuying Dynasty. Of course, it wasn't annexation, but they completely scattered the field armies of those two vassal states. Many troops had to continuously withdraw, relying on fortified cities and towns, each holding their ground in isolation. This gave Cao Ping's iron cavalry even more freedom.

Refugees from both states poured madly into the border regions of the Zhuying Dynasty. Envoys from the vassal state courts repeatedly went to the Zhuying capital, crying out for their parents, kowtowing until they bled, pitiful and sorrowful, begging the Zhuying army to save the people from disaster and decisively engage the Great Li barbarians in battle outside the cities. As a result, the great general stationed at the Zhuying border, confronting Cao Ping, came under heavy criticism. The accusation of cowardice spread throughout Zhuying's court and public. There were even rumors of him colluding with Great Li, stirring up a storm. The Zhuying court was forced to split into two factions: those advocating for battle and those for defense. Civil and military officials were mixed up, as were mountain and secular forces. In the court, the arguments became so heated that the Zhuying emperor flew into a rage several times, simply shaking his sleeves and adjourning the court to discuss later.

If this were merely mundane affairs.

Then a shocking event occurred in the mountains around the beginning of summer.

Wei Jin of Snow Wind Temple's Immortal Platform found the out-of-continent great cultivator who had temporarily built a thatched hut for cultivation in the central region of Bottle Gourd Continent—Northern Juzhou Continent's Celestial Lord Xie Shi.

After the battle, Wei Jin left Bottle Gourd Continent alone, flying his sword to Hanging Mountain.

The outcome of that mountain-top battle, witnessed by only a few onlookers, was not leaked. But since Xie Shi remained on Bottle Gourd Continent, this Daoist Celestial Lord, who had already incurred the wrath of the entire continent, certainly did not lose.

Even though Wei Jin failed to defeat Xie Shi with a single sword strike, the cultivators of Bottle Gourd Continent had no complaints about that newly ascended Upper Five Realm land sword immortal. Instead, they felt pride for having such a cultivator from their own continent. Sword cultivators of Bottle Gourd Continent, in particular, were extremely proud.

This was a matter of continent-wide attention in the mountains.

Among these, there was another mountain affair that drew attention in the central region of Bottle Gourd Continent.

A True Martial Mountain cultivator named Ma Kuxuan, not yet twenty years old, who had only been cultivating for a few years, had fought two deadly battles and killed two Golden Core sword cultivators. It was said that Ma Kuxuan had even hidden his trump cards. The Zhuying Dynasty chose to remain silent about this, because during both battles, Ma Kuxuan's True Martial Mountain Dao-protector was present, as well as members of the Zhuying royal family watching closely. Ma Kuxuan's actions were completely justified—open and aboveboard.

For a time, Ma Kuxuan's name spread across the entire Bottle Gourd Continent.

After Small Full, especially when the rainy season began, damp and evil qi abounds. Both Dao cultivators and ordinary mortals must be careful, nurturing yang qi and righteous qi to ward off dampness and evil.

When Chen Ping'an had traveled north with his two companions, he took a route east of the Shihao Kingdom capital. Now, heading south, he took a different path.

One day, amid a torrential downpour, Chen Ping'an, Ma Duyi, and Zeng Ye led their horses to rest in a dilapidated pavilion. Chen Ping'an felt a tremor in his heartstrings, and the wooden box in his sleeve trembled and grew warm.

A transmission flying sword that should not have appeared had arrived.

Liu Zhimao was already imprisoned in the water prison; there was absolutely no way he could still control his own sword tomb's flying sword to send a message to Chen Ping'an right under the noses of Liu Laocheng and that group of strange cultivators.

Chen Ping'an even considered ignoring it.

But after weighing the pros and cons, he carefully put away the flying sword that was indeed Liu Zhimao's and opened its restrictions.

The secret message contained only three sentences:

"Be careful when you return to Shujian Lake this time."

"The reason for this warning has nothing to do with you, Chen Ping'an, nor with our established dealings. It's purely because I can't stand certain faces. To show sincerity, I borrowed Liu Zhimao's flying sword."

"The sword has been intercepted; no reply is needed."

Chen Ping'an put away the wooden box and sank into thought.

It was undoubtedly the handiwork of Liu Laocheng at Gongliu Island, but his motives were worth investigating.

Liu Laocheng's so-called "warning" would not simply be about the drastic change in the situation at Shujian Lake—that was something Chen Ping'an could see with his own eyes and hear with his own ears, especially since Zhang Ye had already come to report. With Liu Laocheng's meticulousness and ambition, he would never do something so superfluous. So the warning and caution from Liu Laocheng must refer to something more subtle, most likely something closely related to Chen Ping'an himself.

Chen Ping'an stood at the edge of the leaky little pavilion, looking out at the gloomy curtain of rain. Now, an even worse outcome awaited him.

Zhang Ye's escape from Shujian Lake through one of Qingxia Island's secret tunnels—the proverbial rabbit with three burrows—might have been exactly what the people behind the scenes had anticipated and calculated.

Why hadn't they directly targeted Gu Can and Chunting Manor? Why hadn't they chosen a simpler, more direct, and effective method to force him to rush to Shujian Lake and kill him outright?

Chen Ping'an sighed softly and murmured, "Is it another Dao path conflict? Then it makes sense that it's not a sect of Bottle Gourd Continent making a move. Is it from Tongye Sect, where Du Mao was? Or... Taiping Mountain, definitely not. The first major sect I passed when I set foot on Tongye Continent, Fuzi Sect? But at that time, Lu Tai and I were just passing through and had no entanglements. A Dao path conflict also has distinctions of high and low, broad and narrow. For them to pursue me all the way to Bottle Gourd Continent, the other party must be an Upper Five Realm cultivator, so the possibility of Fuzi Sect is low."

Chen Ping'an frowned deeply. "But to say it's that old temple master of profound Dao arts—no, it doesn't fit either. For someone like him, the Dao path wouldn't be so narrow."

Chen Ping'an suddenly turned his head and said, "Zeng Ye, Ma Duyi, you don't need to accompany me back to Shujian Lake. Go directly to the border between Shihao Kingdom and Meiyou Kingdom, and wait for me at Liuxia Pass."

Zeng Ye wanted to speak, but Ma Duyi tugged at his sleeve.

Chen Ping'an turned back and continued to gaze at the curtain of rain.

Parting ways at the pavilion.

Riding south alone.

The thick, padded blue cotton robe was replaced by a thin, well-fitted blue shirt.

Chen Ping'an arrived at Green Parasol Tree City on the borders of Shujian Lake without any trouble.

Green Parasol Tree City was, after all, a marginal power on the edge of Shujian Lake. The undercurrents and upheavals in the lake area, as well as Su Gaoshan's shocking words and actions at Pool Water City—for the local residents of Green Parasol Tree City, whether they were scattered cultivators who had failed to claim an island and establish a sect, or common folk just trying to get by—often, the bigger the event, the quieter things became. Because under the overwhelming trend, what could they do but accept their fate? Especially the native common folk. The world outside was so chaotic; even if they had some savings, where could they move to? Would they dare?

Green Parasol Tree City was known for its delicious food.

Chen Ping'an randomly found a bun shop and had a pleasant surprise. He bought two buns, liked them, and bought two more. It had been a long time since Chen Ping'an had felt even nine-tenths full.

The shop was newly opened, and the owner was a young man who had just passed his youth.

Business was decent.

On his way from Green Parasol Tree City to Pool Water City, skirting the border of Shujian Lake, Chen Ping'an gathered more news. Compared to war-torn Shihao Kingdom, the rumors here were likely closer to the truth.

At the familiar ferry dock at Pool Water City, the ferryboat was still quietly moored at the shore, unchanged after more than half a year.

Even though Liu Zhimao of Qingxia Island had completely lost power, Chen Ping'an's identity as a top-ranked worshipped elder still carried some weight.

On the way here, he had left the horse at an inn, paying the innkeeper to feed it.

When the handle of the Big Dipper points to the third of the twelve earthly branches, it is Great Heat. The entire Shujian Lake steamed like a giant cauldron.

It was hard to imagine that when he left Shujian Lake, the place was a snow-white landscape painting.

Chen Ping'an rowed a small boat alone back to Qingxia Island.

After mooring the boat and going ashore, he passed through the mountain gate. The old gatekeeper cultivator was still listless, but when he saw the returning accountant, his smile was the same as before.

It seemed that the disappearance of Island Master Liu Zhimao, the ruins of Hengbo Manor, and the Great Li general's threatening presence at Shujian Lake had not affected this old gatekeeper's leisurely life.

Chen Ping'an greeted the old gatekeeper, exchanged a few pleasantries, and opened the door to his residence. There was nothing unusual, just a bit of dust, because before leaving Qingxia Island, he had said there was no need to clean this place.

First, Chen Ping'an went to the site of Hengbo Manor, which had become ruins with no hope of reconstruction. He stood at the edge of the rubble, silent for a moment, then turned and walked toward Chunting Manor, which still stood proudly.

Now that Qingxia Island had no leader, and the situation was barely being held together, Zhang Ye had vanished. Tian Hujun, Liu Zhimao's senior disciple on Sulin Island and a local Golden Core cultivator, had chosen to go into seclusion at this critical juncture. Moreover, Gu Can had lost that little loach. Among Liu Zhimao's direct disciples and the worshipped elders on the vassal islands, like Yu Gui, secret dealings and schemes were increasing.

I imagine that during this time, Chunting Manor—no longer under the heavy pressure of Hengbo Manor and Liu Zhimao—seemed glorious on the surface but was actually suffering greatly.

When the sky falls, the tallest bear the brunt. Now that Liu Zhimao was gone, who would be next?

Everyone in Chunting Manor, no matter how oblivious to the larger trends, would understand this.

Gu Can's mother, accompanied by two beautiful and capable maidservants, was already waiting at the main gate.

Chunting Manor still had its informants.

The woman walked quickly toward Chen Ping'an and said softly, "Ping'an, you're getting thinner."

Chen Ping'an sighed inwardly but still smiled. "I've been wandering around Shihao Kingdom, often sleeping in the open, but I'm used to it. Actually, it's fine. Where's Gu Can?"

The woman smiled. "After you left Qingxia Island, he liked to take walks alone. Right now, who knows where he's wandered off to. A leopard can't change its spots—he's been like that since he was little. At meal times, I used to have to yell loudly to call him back. Not anymore—no matter how loud I shout, if he's far away, he can't hear. I still haven't gotten used to it."

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "I'll wait for him here. After I talk to him, I'll have to leave Shujian Lake immediately."

The woman looked disappointed. "So soon?"

Chen Ping'an hummed in affirmation.

The woman kept chatting with him, mostly reminiscing about the old difficult days and the sweet ones, gossip from their days on Mud Vase Alley and Apricot Alley. Chen Ping'an also told her about Ma Kuxuan's recent situation.

The woman sighed with emotion, saying she never imagined that the little fool who had been bullied so badly back then would now be so accomplished. It was just a pity that Granny Ma, the one with the sharpest tongue, hadn't lived to see her grandson's success—she wasn't fated to enjoy it. Speaking of this, the woman seemed moved by the scene, and she turned away to wipe the corner of her eye with a silk handkerchief.

About half an hour later, Gu Can slowly returned to Chunting Manor.

Seeing his mother and Chen Ping'an waiting at the gate, the boy, who was tall like a northern youth and easily made one forget his real age—the notorious troublemaker of Shujian Lake—still did not quicken his pace.

When he reached the gate, Gu Can greeted the woman and then looked directly at Chen Ping'an. He said softly, "You're back?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I've heard about what happened at Qingxia Island. There are things I need to tell you."

The woman tactfully took her leave.

Chen Ping'an led Gu Can toward the ruins of Hengbo Manor, speaking slowly. "The more chaotic it is, the more you must not panic. Rushing leads to mistakes—that's the worst approach."

Gu Can nodded.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Do you know that Yuan Yuan of Yellow Oriole Island has defected to Great Li?"

Gu Can nodded again. "I heard. There's no such thing as a wall that doesn't leak. After I last saw you, Lu Cai sang didn't come even once, but Han Jingling and Huang He specially came to Qingxia Island after Su Gaoshan showed up and Liu Zhimao was taken down. Huang He even wanted to take a look inside your room; I refused him. His expression wasn't too pleasant at the time."

Chen Ping'an looked at Gu Can.

Gu Can smiled. "I know I'm not smart, but I'm not that stupid, right?"

Chen Ping'an hummed. "Don't be disappointed in people like Han Jingling and Huang He—that would be stupid. At the same time, don't be disappointed in Lu Cai sang—that would lack wisdom. You are true friends. Since you're friends, you must put yourself in the other's shoes and consider their circumstances. Lu Cai sang has his own sect and responsibilities. True friends should be understanding. The world is complicated; don't expect perfection. If you get it, that's best. If not, just leave that affection aside. Maybe one day in the future, you'll find the best kind of friendship, and when it comes, it will be like a jar of fine aged wine—you can drink heartily then."

Gu Can was silent for a moment. "Chen Ping'an, is it too late for me to take your words to heart now?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "It's not too late."

Gu Can said, "But I'm still the same Gu Can. What then?"

Chen Ping'an said, "A little improvement is still an improvement. One more principle is still one more."

They walked in silence until they reached the site of the ruined Hengbo Manor, now a field of rubble.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Do you want to leave Shujian Lake with me? You can come back, just like I did this time."

Gu Can countered, "What about my mother?"

Chen Ping'an gave no answer.

He only offered a choice.

Gu Can shook his head. "I know you mean well for me, but I won't leave. If I leave, I can't rest easy. Even if staying here is useless, if I just left like this, my conscience wouldn't allow it. I've already let you down, and I've let down the little loach. I can't let my mother down too. I still won't regret it, Chen Ping'an. If you want to scold me, go ahead."

Chen Ping'an did not insist on his own view, nor did he scold Gu Can.

Gu Can found this strange.

Chen Ping'an clasped his hands inside his sleeves, looking at the bewildered Gu Can. He said softly, "Did Chen Ping'an ever scold the little brat with the runny nose from Mud Vase Alley?"

Gu Can smiled.

And he also cried.

So that was it. Chen Ping'an's principles were that simple.