Chapter 462: Rain Again on the Small Street
(Out with the old, in with the new.)
The commotion near the bamboo building was simply too great. Pei Qian was startled awake. She immediately dressed, strapped on both sword and saber, gripped her mountain walking staff, and rushed out the door.
The pink-dressed girl child was half a step behind her, also opening her door. She caught sight of Pei Qian's nimble back as she swiftly ran out of the courtyard. The pink-dressed girl child noticed something off and quickly dashed to catch up to Pei Qian. Sure enough, she saw Pei Qian with a grim face, murderous aura emanating from her. As she ran, she muttered and grumbled. The pink-dressed girl child generally understood Pei Qian's temperament and hastened to advise, "Don't be impulsive! In the early years, the master was always like this when practicing his fists up on the mountain."
The pink-dressed girl child wasn't unsympathetic toward her own master. Rather, she understood the gravity of the situation and didn't want Pei Qian to suffer a loss over at the bamboo building. Besides, Old Mr. Cui truly meant no harm to the master.
Pei Qian lowered her head and charged forward, tightly gripping her mountain walking staff, fuming. "That old bastard is really asking for rebellion! This whole mountain peak belongs to my master, and the bamboo building is his too! The old man shamelessly occupied the second floor, and not even half a step after Master went up, he got knocked out with two or three punches. One eye open, we only talked for a little while, and before long, he took another punch! And now he's at it again! My master came back to his hometown to enjoy a peaceful life, not to be bullied by some old geezer!"
The more Pei Qian talked, the angrier she got, repeating over and over, "Infuriating! Infuriating!"
The pink-dressed girl child was, after all, a fire python spirit creature who had broken into the middle five realms. She floated lightly beside Pei Qian and said timidly, "If Old Mr. Cui is really rebelling, we have no way to deal with him. We can't beat him."
Pei Qian tilted her head and spat to the side without slowing her pace, grinding her teeth. "Then we won't fight. I'll go reason with the old bastard! I don't believe there's no justice under heaven! A guest this ungrateful—bullying my master because he's easy to talk to? I, Pei Qian, am no pushover! I am my master's senior disciple, the senior sister of Cui Dongshan!"
The pink-dressed girl child floated backward beside Pei Qian, glancing at the mountain walking staff in her hand and the bamboo saber and bamboo sword at her waist, wanting to say something but holding back.
Near Pei Qian's residence, the blue-clad child sat on the ridge of the roof, yawning. This little scuffle was nothing. Compared to the days when he carried Chen Ping'an, drenched in blood, down the stairs trip after trip, the kind of "sparring" happening on the second floor of the bamboo building now was like turning from a frontier fortress poem to a graceful lyric. Not worth mentioning. That dark-skinned Pei Qian still had too little experience in the martial world.
Zheng Dafeng and Zhu Lian were drinking in the courtyard, admiring the moon. They didn't talk about Chen Ping'an, only about women. Otherwise, two grown men chatting about another man late at night would be too improper.
Zhu Lian talked about Sui Youbian, who had traveled far to Tung Leaf Continent. He talked about Huang Ting, the female Daoist from Taiping Mountain. He talked about a seductive woman named Yao Jinzhi from the Daquan Dynasty. He talked about Jin Su, the maidservant beside Madam Gui. He talked about Fan Junmao, who had a bad temper.
Zheng Dafeng, in turn, talked about He Xiaoliang, who had already betrayed the Divine Edict Sect. He talked about Su Jia, the immortal maiden of Zhengyang Mountain, who had unfortunately fallen into the mud at the foot of the mountain. He talked about a palace consort from Great Li who was short in stature but full of charm. Then he digressed, talking about the outstanding women who had grown up in the town during his early days guarding the entrance to the Pearl Bead Paradise. There was the Gu woman from Mud Vase Alley. Decades earlier, there was a woman from Apricot Flower Alley who, in recent years, became the river goddess of Dragon Beard River. After becoming a mountain and river deity, she regained her youth and restored her youthful appearance. She was really quite good-looking, though her tongue was a bit sharp. When she argued, she was even more formidable than his sister-in-law.
Zheng Dafeng took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and wore a look of bliss. "Moonlit night, clear breeze, drinking freely with a dear friend, talking about beautiful women—this is a life of the immortals."
The celadon wine set on the table was quite old. It was clearly produced from one of the town's dragon kilns, nearly perfect. As a tribute item for the Great Li Song clan, by convention, any items with even slight flaws were strictly screened by the officials of the Kiln Affairs Supervisory Office, smashed, and discarded on Old Porcelain Mountain. Zheng Dafeng loved wine and was quick-witted. It wasn't hard for him to secretly get his hands on some porcelain that should have been stored in the Great Li imperial palace. For these kinds of petty, dirty tricks of Zheng Dafeng, Old Man Yang at the medicine shop probably couldn't be bothered to even bat an eyelid back then.
Zhu Lian was just lifting the wine pot to pour into an empty cup when he suddenly stopped. He set down the pot, but picked up the cup, held it to his ear, tilted his head, and listened intently. His eyes narrowed, and he said softly, "Wealthy households occasionally hear the sound of porcelain cracking. It's no less pleasing than the cries of apricot blossoms being sold in the alleys and streets."
After listening to that faint sound, Zhu Lian twisted the cup between his fingers and murmured with a smile, "Small vessels with large crackle patterns—like a village maiden on the verge of awakening to love, the fragrance of orchids and grasses. Large vessels with small crackle patterns—like a beauty who could topple cities, galloping with whip in hand."
Zheng Dafeng listened to this rather vinegary literati speech and found it not at all jarring. Instead, he joined Zhu Lian in feeling completely at ease.
By all rights, an old cook and a gatekeeper should only be talking about trivial, vulgar matters.
The bright moon hung high. The clear breeze blew gently.
The two men sat facing each other, hearts in perfect harmony.
There was no greater pleasure in the human world than this.
Zheng Dafeng chuckled. "Zhu Lian, be honest with me. In all those years you spent roaming the martial world in the Lotus Flower Paradise, did you ever truly fall for a woman?"
Zhu Lian gently set down his wine cup and said with emotion, "When one falls for a woman, how could one not be sincere? How would one dare not to be wholehearted? But in matters of family, state, and the martial world, one is always constrained by circumstances. When I was young, my heart was higher than the sky. I always felt that romance between men and women, even at its most exquisite, was still too trivial. To strategize, to achieve great merits, to turn the tide, to leave one's name in the annals of history—when I saw those words in books back then, it was like..."
Zheng Dafeng smoothly chimed in, "Like an old bachelor deep in the mountains suddenly glimpsing a picture of a beauty bathing. The blood rushes to the head in an instant."
Zhu Lian hurriedly refilled both their cups. For a remark like that, they had to drink a full cup.
They gently clinked glasses. Zhu Lian downed his drink, wiped his mouth, and laughed. "The sound of wine cups clinking with a dear friend is even more moving than the sound of a noble lady's garments rustling as she undresses for a bath!"
Zheng Dafeng asked, "You've really heard such a heavenly sound?"
Zhu Lian nodded. "Like floating clouds and passing smoke, all gone now."
Zheng Dafeng was sincerely impressed and gave a thumbs up. "A true master!"
The blue-clad child rolled his eyes. He couldn't understand why these two martial artists, whenever they got together, neither discussed martial arts nor ate meat in big bowls, but instead talked about women—something you can't eat and that costs the most money. Even if a woman was beautiful, so what? For ordinary mortals, even if they were as lovely as flowers, how long could the flowers bloom? How many years before beauty fades? Even for female cultivators on the mountains, no matter how good-looking they were, could beauty be eaten as food? Could it be used to buy magic treasures with immortal money? The blue-clad child felt that these two men's martial world was too vulgar and boring.
The key point was that both Zheng Dafeng and Zhu Lian were clearly the most outstanding pure martial artists on Vase Bottle Continent. If they admired feminine beauty so much, why was there not a single beauty by their side?
In the secular martial world, so-called martial arts masters, even if they were only at the sixth or seventh realm, could easily have women in their arms if they wanted to, right?
The blue-clad child leaned back, using both hands as a pillow.
He couldn't understand why Chen Ping'an could be friends with them.
And truly friends at that.
Over at the bamboo building, Pei Qian saw the barefoot old man standing on the second-floor corridor.
The old man smiled. "What, are you going to stand up for your master?"
Pei Qian blinked. "Old sir, we're all heroes of the martial world, so we must uphold righteousness and know how to repay kindness, right?"
The old man said nothing.
He looked down at the dark-skinned girl, who was clearly a natural vessel for martial fortune. He was a bit puzzled. Why was the kid inside unwilling to painstakingly carve this piece of peerless jade? Chen Ping'an, of all people, should have some discernment. He shouldn't fail to see Pei Qian's innate talent and bone structure. Why did he let this little lazybones beneath the building slack off the moment she couldn't endure the pain, instead of training hard in martial arts? She spent her days dreaming of mastering peerless sword techniques overnight and becoming invincible under heaven in two days.
But since the little girl had acknowledged Chen Ping'an as her master and was quite devoted, the old man felt it was inappropriate for him to interfere casually. That was true martial world righteousness. Even if the dark-skinned girl loafed around every day, wasting her talent, the old man would have to wait until Chen Ping'an returned to Luopo Mountain to have a word or two. As for how Chen Ping'an ultimately taught Pei Qian martial arts, that was still the pair's own business.
The old man didn't speak.
The more he didn't speak, the less confident Pei Qian became. She definitely couldn't beat him. Even calling on the old cook wouldn't help. It was still her fault that her wild sword style was too hard to master. Otherwise, how could she let this old bastard be so arrogant? She would have long beaten him until he knelt and kowtowed, apologizing to her master.
But Pei Qian was especially bold today. She simply refused to turn around and leave.
The pink-dressed girl child tugged at Pei Qian's sleeve, signaling that they should quit while they were ahead.
Pei Qian lightly slapped away the pink-dressed girl child's hand, stuck out her chest, and said loudly, "Old sir, let's play Gomoku. I set the rules. Whoever wins gets their way. Do you dare?!"
The old man said expressionlessly, "No, I don't."
Pei Qian was stunned on the spot.
The old man suddenly said, "If your master is beaten to death one day, will you then train seriously? And after a few days of training, when you find it too hard, you'll just give up. Then you'll visit his grave once a year, as dutifully as if you were visiting your master's parents' graves, and feel at ease with yourself?"
Pei Qian's eyes filled with tears. She pursed her lips tightly and reached out to grip the hilt of the saber at her waist.
Just then, a figure in blue robes stumbled out of the house, leaned against the railing, and waved at Pei Qian. "Go back to sleep. Don't listen to him. Your master isn't going to die."
Pei Qian's tears threatened to fall. "What if?"
Chen Ping'an laughed angrily. "Then come upstairs. Your master will have him stretch your sinews and bones, just like Sui Youbian did back in Old Dragon City. Want to try? I'll count to three. If you're not back in bed by then, I'll grab you and bring you up. You won't be able to run away. And from now on, your master won't care about you anymore. I'll leave everything to the old senior."
Chen Ping'an had just counted "three."
Pei Qian was already scampering off, shouting as she ran, "No 'what if'! What 'what if'? My master is amazing!"
The old man sneered. "Not an ounce of conscience either."
Chen Ping'an coughed a couple of times, his gaze tender as he watched the two little girls' retreating figures. He smiled. "For a kid her age, she's already very good. If we hope for more, that's our fault."
The old man shook his head. "For ordinary disciples, delaying is one thing. But Pei Qian is different. With such a good seedling, the earlier she suffers, the more hardship she endures, the greater her achievements. Thirteen or fourteen—that's not young. If I remember correctly, when you were her age, you had already obtained the Mountain Shaking Fist manual and started practicing."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Anyway, I'm Pei Qian's master. What you say doesn't count."
The old man looked at him sideways. "Oh? Are you really raising Pei Qian as a daughter? You need to think clearly: does Luopo Mountain need a lawless rich girl, or a martial fortune seedling with strong sinews and bones?"
Chen Ping'an rested both hands on the railing. "I don't think about those things. I just want Pei Qian, at this age, to have already done many things she doesn't like—transcribing books, walking the wooden stakes, practicing the saber and sword. That's enough. She's not really loafing around every day. So she should be allowed to do some things she enjoys."
The old man asked, "What's the deal with the little girl's eyes?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "It was like this after she came out of the Lotus Flower Paradise. The old abbot of the Dao Temple in the Eastern Sea seemed to have done something to her eyes, but it should be a good thing."
The old man wasn't one to dawdle. After asking this, regardless of whether the answer satisfied him, he immediately changed the subject. "When you went to Piyun Mountain this time, did you have an itchy hand again and give some gift to Wei Bo?"
Chen Ping'an felt a bit awkward. He didn't hide it and said softly, "A piece of Du Mao's glazed golden body fragment that fell to earth after his failed ascension."
The old man had seen the world. He asked directly, "How big?"
Chen Ping'an replied, "About the size of a child's fist."
Chen Ping'an expected the old man to scold him for being wasteful, but instead the old man nodded. "You can't just owe Wei Bo favors. Otherwise, in the future, everyone from Luopo Mountain will be dragged down by you in terms of their state of mind. They'll spend their whole lives living under someone else's shadow, never able to look Piyun Mountain in the eye."
The old man asked again, "Do you know why I knocked you down to the creek bank where Ruan Xiu was with those two punches?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head.
The old man said, "Ruan Xiu followed the Sticky Pole Boys to Letter Sea back then, right?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "We almost crossed paths."
The old man snorted. "Then do you know that she killed a boy that Great Li was determined to capture? Even Ruan Xiu herself isn't entirely clear about it. That boy was the disciple candidate that the princely vassal Song Changjing had his eye on. Back then on Hibiscus Mountain, when the situation was already settled, the Golden Core earthly immortal who had abducted the boy was already dead. The ancestral hall of Hibiscus Mountain had been dismantled. The wild cultivators were all killed. But the Great Li Sticky Pole Boys were completely unharmed. Think about it—why didn't they bring back that northern boy from Great Li, who should have had a bright future?"
Chen Ping'an truly didn't know this inside story. He fell into deep thought.
The old man revealed a bit of heavenly secrets. "The boy that Song Changjing had his eye on was naturally a martial genius that appears once in a century. The reason the Great Li Sticky Pole Boys found him was that when he broke through to a higher realm back then—it was still in the lower three realms of the martial path—it triggered anomalies in several Martial Temples. And since Great Li has always established its state on martial arts, the ebb and flow of martial fortune is of utmost importance. Although Ruan Xiu later helped the Sticky Pole Boys find three candidates to replace them, in Song Changjing's eyes, she had somewhat incurred a debt."
Chen Ping'an asked in confusion, "Does this have anything to do with me?"
The old man almost threw another punch to knock some sense into this guy.
Chen Ping'an sensed the movement and had already sidestepped several steps away, perfectly executing the six-step walking stance of the Mountain Shaking Fist in reverse, and doing so with complete naturalness.
The old man's anger subsided a little, and he didn't continue to strike. He said, "You only strive for 'the strongest,' not for martial fortune. But would Ruan Xiu think that way? All the silly girls under heaven want the men close to them to receive as many benefits as possible. In Ruan Xiu's eyes, if someone of the same generation appears and vies with you for martial fortune, then it's a battle for the Great Path. What did she do? She killed him, root and branch, to eliminate future trouble."
Chen Ping'an's expression darkened.
The old man placed one hand behind his back and stroked the railing with the other. "I'm not going to play matchmaker. But as an older person who has been through it, I hope you understand one thing: if you reject a girl, you should at least know what she did for you. Once you know, and you still reject her, and you explain it clearly to her, then it's no longer your fault. On the contrary, it's your strength, and proof that another girl had good judgment. But if you still don't know anything, and you just pretend to be heartless for the sake of your own clear conscience, you're not being strong—you're being stupid."
The old man turned his head. "Do you understand this reasoning?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I understand."
The old man asked again, "Then what should you do?"
Chen Ping'an said, "I don't know."
The old man's eyebrows shot up.
Seeing the danger, Chen Ping'an's figure floated up, he pushed off the railing with one hand, and shot out of the bamboo building.
But it wasn't a straight line. He suddenly executed a gravity drop, landing on the ground. At the same time, he unhesitatingly used a square-inch earth-shrinking talisman. He then slapped the Sword Nourishing Gourd, making Chuyi and Shiwu guard his back. He then stepped onto the Sword Immortal, stomping hard, his body like a galloping horse, standing on the flying sword. He resolutely did not fly up into the open cloud sea. Instead, he hugged the ground, weaving through the forest, zigzagging, and quickly fled.
A seamless sequence.
Clearly a pre-planned escape route.
The old man on the second floor didn't pursue with a punch. He said, "If you handled romance with even half the skill you show in running away, you'd have already had Ruan Qiong inviting you for drinks, laughing and calling you his good son-in-law by now."
---
In the night sky, at the end of the Hour of the Tiger.
Dawn was about to break.
Chen Ping'an sat alone on the steps near the summit of Luopo Mountain.
Zhu Lian, reeking of alcohol, walked up the steps and sat on the step below Chen Ping'an's feet. He turned his head and smiled. "Young master, having a home but not being able to return—that is indeed a bit miserable."
Chen Ping'an sighed. "I brought it upon myself. I can't blame anyone else."
Zhu Lian asked, "Dawn is near. If the young master isn't sleepy, why don't we go to the new Dragon Spring Prefectural City? We can go pick up that girl from outside who is now half a member of Luopo Mountain. To be honest, this old servant, with this mug of mine, argued until I was blue in the face, wore thin my tongue, before I convinced them that they were mountain folk of Luopo Mountain and that my words carried weight. But that family also made a request: they wanted the person in charge of Luopo Mountain to show up in person. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare let the girl leave home and enter the mountain. So the young master will have to go himself."
Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile. "Sure. We'll be passing by Wind Cool Mountain to the north anyway. Let's first check on Dong Shuijing's wonton stall, then go to that family to pick up the girl."
Zhu Lian chuckled. "Then we can also pass by the ancestral mountain of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect."
Chen Ping'an lightly kicked him. Zhu Lian didn't dodge, taking the hit with an "Ouch! This old waist of mine!"
Chen Ping'an stood up and whistled, a melodious sound.
The horse Ju Huang, which hadn't been tied up, soon galloped over.
Chen Ping'an didn't mount. Instead, he just led the horse by the reins and slowly descended the mountain.
He was just used to relying on Ju Huang as they traveled together, depending on each other.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Is Zheng Dafeng asleep?"
Zhu Lian rubbed his hands and grinned. "Probably not. Brother Dafeng is probably still lying in bed, reading one of those 'immortal books' I lent him."
Chen Ping'an's face darkened. He regretted asking.
He quickly changed the subject. "What's the name of that girl in the prefectural city?"
Zhu Lian replied, "Cen Yuanji."
Chen Ping'an said, "That's a rather odd name."
Zhu Lian continued, "She's a thirteen-year-old girl. Tall and slender. Taller than this old servant, actually. Looks slim at first glance, but after a careful look, you see she has just the right amount of flesh and is a natural clothes hanger. Especially her long legs..."
Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Are you selecting a disciple for Luopo Mountain or a wife for yourself?"
Zhu Lian sighed. "This old servant has the heart to kill a thief but lacks the strength."
Chen Ping'an glanced at him. "A martial artist at the Distant Journey realm, and you say that? Do you believe it yourself?"
Zhu Lian changed his tune. "Then let's say vigor in old age, with strength to kill a thief, but no heart for it?"
Chen Ping'an said, "When she gets to Luopo Mountain, don't you and Zheng Dafeng scare her."
Zhu Lian laughed. "Young master underestimates Brother Dafeng and me. We're the finest men under heaven."
Chen Ping'an stopped, took out the square-inch object, and handed it to Zhu Lian. "I'll go to the prefectural city myself to pick her up. I remember the address. Give this square-inch object to Zheng Dafeng. He knows the method to open the mountain. It was a gift from him, and I never re-refined it. Inside are some wines, some cursive calligraphy copies, and many small antique curios. They should be buried in various places. You, Zhu Lian, are the expert. Plan with Zheng Dafeng. I trust your judgment."
Zhu Lian took the plain white jade token that was the square-inch object and had no choice but to turn around and ascend the mountain. He kindly reminded, "After you pick up Cen Yuanji, young master, don't rush. It's a good time for an autumn stroll. Enjoy the scenery, take it slow. Don't miss the sights along the way. But... be careful not to let Master Ruan misunderstand."
Chen Ping'an was about to ask Zhu Lian to accompany him to Dragon Spring Prefectural City, but the stooped old man vanished like a wisp of smoke in the blink of an eye.
Chen Ping'an led his horse down the mountain, feeling anxious.
Then, man and horse crossed mountains and rivers. But compared to the days when he followed Old Man Yao, eating and sleeping in the open, climbing mountains and fording rivers, it was far too smooth. Unless Chen Ping'an deliberately wanted a bumpy ride and chose some treacherous, little-used paths on unclaimed mountain ranges, the road was completely smooth. Two kinds of scenery, each with its own gains and losses. Whether the sights entering his eyes were good or bad was hard to say.
One day at dusk, Chen Ping'an led his horse to the mid-slope of Wind Cool Mountain. He found the wonton stall and saw Dong Shuijing, who had grown even taller.
Dong Shuijing was all smiles. There wasn't much in the way of fussy greetings. He just said to wait a moment, went to the back kitchen to personally cook a big bowl of wontons, brought it to the table, sat down beside him, and watched Chen Ping'an eat slowly and carefully.
Chen Ping'an smiled and said with emotion, "Now, all I can hope is that the taste of these wontons never changes. Otherwise, it'll be like farmland left untilled, familiar faces in the town growing fewer, strange neighbors increasing, high-rise buildings everywhere. Good and not good."
Dong Shuijing smiled and didn't speak.
Besides Teacher Qi and Li Er, this young man in front of him was one of the few people in the early days who truly "looked up to" him, Dong Shuijing.
What was especially rare was that when Chen Ping'an had traveled far with Lin Shouyi back then, and Dong Shuijing had voluntarily given up the chance to study at the Great Sui Academy, logically speaking, Chen Ping'an should have been closer to Lin Shouyi. But when it came to dealing with Dong Shuijing, it was always just two words: sincerity. He neither deliberately tried to build a relationship with him nor was overly warm, nor did he distance himself or look down on Dong Shuijing, reeking of money as he was.
Dong Shuijing would cherish that.
Chen Ping'an was like the last time he returned home and met with Dong Shuijing. He talked about the recent news of those from the Cliff Academy, and also told some interesting stories from his travels to other continents.
Dong Shuijing also talked about his own affairs on Wind Cool Mountain and in Dragon Spring Prefectural City. After a long separation, the stories of old friends were all in that bowl of wontons.
When he heard that Chen Ping'an was going to Dragon Spring Prefectural City and that it was his first time there, Dong Shuijing planned to close shop a little early. But thinking that some pilgrims might be coming down the mountain late at night, he gave the keys to the shop assistant. Only then did he accompany Chen Ping'an to leave Wind Cool Mountain and head north toward the prefectural city, where lights blazed like daylight. From afar, it looked like a prosperous era of peace and prosperity.
Dong Shuijing then asked about the situation in the central part of Vase Bottle Continent following the southward campaign of the Great Li iron cavalry.
Chen Ping'an told him everything.
Dong Shuijing said softly, "After great chaos, business opportunities lie dormant. Unfortunately, my capital is too little, and I don't have much in the way of connections in the Great Li army. Otherwise, I'd really like to make a trip south."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "Over by Letter Sea, I know a friend named Guan Yiran. He's now a general, from quite a good noble family. I'll write a letter later and introduce you. You should get along."
Dong Shuijing said directly, "Fine. If the business deal goes through, I'll give you ten percent of my share."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "No problem."
Dong Shuijing laughed. "I was afraid you'd refuse."
Chen Ping'an smiled too. "Then how would I be able to stay friends with you in the future?"
Dong Shuijing hesitated. "If possible, I'd like to be involved in the management of the immortal ferry that the Bundle House of Ox Horn Mountain left behind. As for how to split the shares, you decide. You can drive a hard bargain. What I seek isn't immortal money, but the information that comes with the passengers traveling far and wide... all kinds of news. Chen Ping'an, I can promise you that I will do my best to manage the ferry, and I won't dare to be the least bit negligent. There's no need for you to worry. But there's a premise: if you have an estimate of the ferry's potential earnings, you can tell me. If I can make you earn more, then I'll take on this venture. If I can't, I won't bring it up. And you don't need to feel guilty."
Chen Ping'an considered it for a moment. "Alright. Let me discuss it with someone first. I'll give you a quote later. In business, we'll talk business. I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Dong Shuijing smiled faintly. "You're already being very polite with me."
Chen Ping'an was silent for a moment. He handed Dong Shuijing a jug of wine—one of the few precious ones he kept in his square-inch item. He took out his own Sword Nourishing Gourd, and they each drank. Chen Ping'an said, "Actually, back then when you didn't go to the Cliff Academy, I was pretty disappointed. I always felt that you and I were the most alike. Both from poor backgrounds. I never had the chance to study back then. So when you stayed behind in the town, I was a bit angry. Of course, that was very unreasonable. And looking back, I see that you did the right thing. That's why I have the chance to tell you this now. Otherwise, it would have stayed bottled up inside forever."
Dong Shuijing took a sip of wine. "I know my own limits. I'm decent at studying, not too bad, but definitely no match for Lin Shouyi. So it's better to do something I'm good at."
Chen Ping'an grinned. "You two are both so fond of Li Huai's older sister, huh."
Dong Shuijing's face reddened slightly, whether from the wine or not.
Dong Shuijing took a big gulp. "There's one thing I'm definitely better at than Lin Shouyi right now. If someday in the future, Li Liu doesn't take a liking to either me or Lin Shouyi, Lin Shouyi will be furious. I won't be. As long as Li Liu is happy, I'll still... be a little happy. Of course, not too happy. There's no point in lying about that. Talking nonsense would be a waste of this good wine. But I believe I can take it better than Lin Shouyi, anyway."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Dong Shuijing raised the wine jug. "Must be expensive?"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Really not cheap."
Dong Shuijing took another small sip. "Then it tastes better and better."
Chen Ping'an burst out laughing. "Just like me!"
The two fellow townsmen from similar backgrounds chatted idly like this, walking on foot all the way north.
When they reached the south gate of Dragon Spring Prefectural City, there were city garrison soldiers checking household registration. Chen Ping'an had his documents with him, but to his surprise, when they saw Dong Shuijing, Dong Shuijing only symbolically took out his household registration. The soldier leader didn't even take it. He just glanced at it casually, exchanged a few pleasantries with Dong Shuijing, and let the two of them straight into the city.
Chen Ping'an observed this silently.
Apparently, Dong Shuijing was doing better than he had imagined.
The prefectural governor, Wu Yuan, was a disciple of the national teacher Cui Chan, a talented official from a humble family. The Kiln Affairs Supervisor was from the Cao clan. The county magistrate was from the Yuan clan. The deity of the shrine atop Wind Cool Mountain. Several wealthy merchants in Dragon Spring Prefectural City.
And Dong Shuijing, the young man who had started out selling wontons, seemed familiar with all of them.
Dong Shuijing escorted Chen Ping'an to the street where the family lived. Then they parted ways. Dong Shuijing gave his own address and welcomed Chen Ping'an to visit whenever he had time.
Chen Ping'an watched the tall figure of the young man, bathed in the morning light, full of youthful vigor.
According to Dong Shuijing, in Dragon Spring Prefectural City these days, you could roughly gauge a person's wealth just by looking at which street they lived on.
The street Chen Ping'an was on was called Jiaze Street. Many ordinary but well-off families from Great Li came here to buy houses. Land prices were high, but the houses were small. It wasn't really a good deal, and there was a suspicion of trying to appear richer than one was. Dong Shuijing had also mentioned that further north, on more prosperous and imposing streets, the richest household was none other than the mother of Gu Can from Mud Vase Alley. Seeing how she bought up whole tracts of houses all at once, she clearly had no shortage of money. But she had come too late. Many of the most valuable, prime locations in the prefectural city—even a wealthy woman returning home in glory couldn't buy them. He had heard that she was now working on her connections with the prefectural governor's mansion, hoping to buy a large mansion on Dong Shuijing's street.
The woman had once taken her maidservants to Wind Cool Mountain to burn incense and worship the gods. On the way, she passed by Dong Shuijing's wonton stall. When she heard that Dong Shuijing had also attended a school in the past, she chatted with the young man for a few words. But there was arrogance in her speech. Dong Shuijing, as a businessman, had seen all kinds of customers. When you open your doors, you welcome all sorts of people. So he didn't mind. But it angered the two shop assistants. Dong Shuijing let the woman flaunt her splendor as she pleased. She even asked Dong Shuijing in turn if he had a place to stay in the prefectural city. If he had saved up some silver, she said she was well-acquainted with the prefectural governor's mansion and could help inquire. Dong Shuijing simply said he already had a place. Since he was a bachelor with no one to worry about, a small house was fine. The pity in the woman's eyes at that moment was quite obvious.
Later, a powerful official from the prefectural governor's mansion, one in charge of the entire prefecture's household registration, personally visited Dong Shuijing. He asked if he could sell that vacant large mansion. He said there was a woman named Gu, who was generous and foolish. The deal could be profitable. Dong Shuijing simply said that a high-ranking official from the capital had already taken an interest. He politely declined the official. Since he could either sell or not, Dong Shuijing chose not to sell.
That woman, Madam Gu, would never have imagined that even with such a high price, she couldn't buy an empty house.
These days in Dragon Spring Prefectural City, Dong Shuijing's wealth grew deeper and his network wider. But strangely, his reputation as "Dong Half-the-City" grew smaller and smaller. In just a year or two, it seemed that the prefectural city had forgotten about this great landowner.
That, in fact, was proof that Dong Shuijing had truly become rich.
At that small house, Chen Ping'an explained his situation to the gatekeeper. He said he was from Luopo Mountain, his name was Chen Ping'an, and he had come to pick up Cen Yuanji.
The gatekeeper was skeptical. Chen Ping'an had no choice but to produce his travel documents. He didn't hand them over, but opened them enough for the gatekeeper to see his name and place of origin. Otherwise, the seals and stamps from the various nations and continents on the rest of the document would have been too intimidating.
Only then did the gatekeeper go to report.
Soon, four people rushed to the gate together.
When they saw Chen Ping'an standing outside the gate, holding his horse, they hurriedly stepped over the threshold.
Three men and one woman—a middle-aged man, his two sons, and his daughter. They looked like a family. The middle-aged man was quite handsome. The two brothers, about five or six years apart, were also very good-looking. According to Zhu Lian, the girl, Cen Yuanji, was only thirteen, but she was already tall and graceful, with a slender figure that looked like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl. Her features were already developed, and her beauty had a certain resemblance to Sui Youbian, though not as cold. There was an added natural charm. No wonder, even at such a young age, she had attracted unwanted attention, leading her family to move away from the capital region.
Chen Ping'an introduced himself again, using the official Great Li dialect rather than the local Dragon Spring dialect.
The middle-aged man made a bow. "Ceng Zheng pays his respects to the Immortal Master Chen of Luopo Mountain."
After straightening up, the man apologized, "This matter is of great importance. I, Ceng Zheng, dared not speak the immortal master's name lightly to others in the family."
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No harm done."
Chen Ping'an turned to look at the girl. "Is there anything you want to say to your family? Once you're on Luopo Mountain, you won't be able to casually come down the mountain into the city. Even letters will have to follow some mountain rules. So if you have something to say, I can wait for you to finish."
Cen Yuanji shook her head.
Chen Ping'an turned his horse around. "Then let's go."
Without even stepping inside for a cup of tea, without giving the Cen men any reassurance, Chen Ping'an simply led the girl away from the street.
On another street, Chen Ping'an finally spoke his first words. He told the girl to watch the horse and wait outside.
The girl nodded silently. This mansion was called the Gu Mansion.
It was quite famous in Dragon Spring Prefectural City these days. It was said to belong to a very wealthy woman who had a great deal of backing in Great Li.
As soon as the gatekeeper heard the name "Chen Ping'an," he quickly led the unremarkable young man in blue robes directly into the mansion.
Chen Ping'an met the well-cared-for woman. He drank a cup of tea. At the woman's insistence, he let the maidservant, who had been from the Spring Court Prefecture and now looked at him with awe, pour him another cup. He slowly finished the tea. He talked in detail with the woman about Gu Can's experiences in the deep mountains south of Letter Sea, which set her mind at ease. Then he rose to take his leave. The woman personally escorted him to the mansion's main gate. After Chen Ping'an took his horse's reins, the woman even crossed the threshold and walked down the steps. Chen Ping'an said with a smile, "Auntie, you really don't need to see me off any further." Only then did the woman relent.
As the man and woman gradually walked away, the woman glanced at the girl's back—she didn't know her background—and seemed to have a realization. She turned and glared back at the gate. The pretty maidservant she had brought back from Green Gorge Island walked slowly back to the gate. The woman pinched the maidservant's ear and scolded with a laugh, "You useless little thing! Outshone by a country girl."
The young maidservant was actually quite attractive in appearance and looked a bit aggrieved.
Chen Ping'an led the girl named Cen Yuanji, originally from the capital region, southward back to the mountains. There was no verbal communication along the way.
The girl had been secretly observing this "Master of Luopo Mountain" that Old Immortal Zhu had spoken of.
But no matter how she looked, she couldn't see anything special.
She was a bit disappointed.
She had expected a wizened old immortal with an otherworldly aura, or at least an elegant, refined gentleman.
Who would have thought it would be a young man, looking haggard and worn-out. He didn't seem much older than her.
Along the way, Chen Ping'an walked ahead, letting the horse's reins hang loose, constantly pondering the contents of the letter Cui Dongshan had left for him.
The matter was of great importance. And with some things, a single thread could extend for thousands of miles. He completely forgot about the girl struggling to keep up behind him.
By the time Chen Ping'an came back to his senses, they were already deep in the mountains. He turned around and saw the girl limping along, her brow deeply furrowed. But from start to finish, she hadn't made a sound.
Chen Ping'an stopped, turned, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I was lost in thought."
Cen Yuanji pursed her lips and still didn't speak.
She was furious inside. She thought this guy must be deliberately using this clumsy tactic of retreating in order to advance. First, he pretended to mistreat her, so he could pretend he wasn't like those lecherous men.
She had to be very careful! Once she got to Luopo Mountain, she would try to stay as close to Old Immortal Zhu as possible, and stay away from this Chen young man's clutches!
As long as she saw the old immortal, she should be safe.
When Chen Ping'an saw she wasn't speaking, he had to ask, "Do you know how to ride a horse?"
She shook her head.
Even if she did, she wouldn't! Who knows if this seemingly honest but actually slick scoundrel was taking this opportunity to steal glances at what any man would want to see?
These mountain folk were truly deep and cunning. Compared to those shallow lechers in the capital, their methods were far more sophisticated.
The girl kept telling herself: Cen Yuanji, you have to be careful!
Chen Ping'an had no idea that the girl had gone completely off the rails in her thinking. He said, "Then let's walk slowly. If you want to rest, just tell me."
See? First, he acts the villain, then he shows tenderness. Strike after strike, an endless stream of tactics.
The girl was increasingly certain that this guy was bad news, no matter how you looked at him.
Chen Ping'an felt that the girl's gaze was strange and meaningful.
He turned around, leading the horse, and rubbed his face. Could it be that Zhu Lian was right? These days, when he walked the martial world, he had to be careful not to attract romantic entanglements?
Chen Ping'an took off his Sword Nourishing Gourd and took a sip of wine. He hesitated, wondering if he should let Cen Yuanji go to Luopo Mountain alone and he himself visit the medicine shop in town.
As soon as the girl saw him drinking, she looked around. They were in a desolate wilderness with no one in sight. She felt like crying but had no tears. Was this guy going to use the excuse of being drunk to do something wicked?
Chen Ping'an had learned from his mistakes. He noticed the girl's breathing was erratic and her steps unsteady, so he turned around. Sure enough, he saw her pale face. He put the Sword Nourishing Gourd back in its place and said, "Stop and rest for a moment."
As soon as Cen Yuanji saw him finish drinking and put away the gourd, she knew he was about to make a move.
She burst into tears, turned around, and ran. She staggered, running blindly without looking where she was going.
Chen Ping'an scratched his head and muttered, "Halfway there, and she's homesick?"
Chen Ping'an sighed. He had no choice but to lead the horse slowly. He couldn't just leave her alone in the deep mountains. He thought he would take her out of the mountains to the main road, let her go home by herself. Whenever she changed her mind, she could have her family accompany her to Luopo Mountain.
He was about to remind her to slow down when he saw Cen Yuanji stumble and fall flat on her face. Then she lay there, wailing loudly, repeating, "Don't come near me!" Finally, she turned around, sat on the ground, and started throwing pebbles at Chen Ping'an, cursing him as a lecher, a shameless thing, a rotten-to-the-core womanizer. She said she would fight him to the death, and even as a ghost, she would never let him go...
Chen Ping'an crouched at a distance, holding his forehead.
He stood up and lightly stamped his foot. "Wei Bo, give me a hand! I know you're watching. You've had your laugh, haven't you?"
In the blink of an eye.
Wei Bo, in white robes with golden rings in his ears, appeared with effortless grace. The mountain breeze swirled around him, his sleeves rippling like water.
Chen Ping'an didn't look at the girl anymore. He said to Wei Bo, "Trouble sending her to Luopo Mountain. And take me to Pearl Mountain. This horse Ju Huang, take it all the way to Luopo Mountain. It doesn't need to follow me."
Wei Bo stifled a laugh and snapped his fingers twice.
Chen Ping'an was already alone, standing at the summit of Pearl Mountain.
Wei Bo accompanied the utterly devastated girl to the foot of Luopo Mountain. The horse Ju Huang was the first to gallop up the mountain.
The girl, covered in dirt, was still shaken. She felt dizzy and bent over, dry-heaving.
Wei Bo didn't spare her a glance. He looked up at the heights of Luopo Mountain and said with a smile, "Cen Yuanji, you're the first and only one to mistake Chen Ping'an for a womanizer."
The girl took a few steps back and asked cautiously, "Sir, you are...?"
An ordinary person would have no right to know the name of the rightful deity of Great Li's mountains.
Wei Bo smiled without answering and started up the mountain first.
The girl hesitated, then kept a distance as she silently followed behind the white-robed immortal.
When they reached Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng's courtyard, Wei Bo, clearly relishing the misfortune, gave a rough account of the matter. Zheng Dafeng doubled over with laughter. Zhu Lian wiped his face, grief welling up inside him. He felt he was in for it now.
When Cen Yuanji saw the familiar Old Immortal Zhu, she finally felt at ease.
But for some reason, the three reclusive masters all had such different expressions on their faces.
---
Chen Ping'an descended Pearl Mountain and went to the town. This time, he wasn't turned away. He was led by a boy named Shi Lingshan into the back courtyard.
Old Man Yang was sitting on the steps, smoking his long-stemmed pipe, puffing out clouds of smoke.
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but wonder: had this old man been in this scene for a hundred years? A thousand years? Ten thousand years?
When he had chosen Luopo Mountain back then, why had this old man shown that expression when he mentioned Old Man Yao?
There were too many questions in Chen Ping'an's heart that he wanted to ask this old man.
Because Old Man Yang must know the answers. It just depended on whether the old man was willing to reveal them, or whether he would be willing to make a deal.
But in the end, what Chen Ping'an said was nothing more than, "What about Zheng Dafeng now?"
Old Man Yang said calmly, "Wait and see."
Chen Ping'an said no more. He just sat quietly.
The old man didn't chase him away.
Finally, a light rain began to fall. Soon it was pouring.
Chen Ping'an borrowed an umbrella from the reluctant medicine shop boy.
Chen Ping'an stood under the eaves of the medicine shop's entrance. He lingered for a long time, watching the desolate street.
Then he took a step and walked into the rain.