Chapter 477: There Must Be Sun and Moon in One's Heart

Chapter 477: There Must Be Sun and Moon in One's Heart

Tiefu River's water god Yang Hua did not lose her temper, but the scrutinizing look flowing from her golden eyes was somewhat unscrupulous as she once again sized up the young sword immortal before her.

The night was heavy. Yang Hua, as a deity, manifested in her golden body. A layer of golden light radiated from her plain elegant dress, making her, already of outstanding beauty, even more dazzling. The moon over the river seemed like an ornament for this female river god. In contrast, the young man opposite her was far from being so "aloof from the world."

Back then, Yang Hua had also looked at Chen Ping'an with this kind of gaze. At that time, he was a straw-sandaled youth. She only saw a smell of poverty and a faint fist intent. Now, apart from a few external items, it seemed she couldn't see anything else—such as the sword-nurturing gourd at his waist, chosen by Wei Po, or the cyan robe that didn't qualify as a Dharma robe. Of course, the most important thing was the sword behind Chen Ping'an.

Yang Hua had always been extremely proud of her swordsmanship. The long sword with a golden tassel in her arms was no ordinary item; it was a divine weapon that had nearly been placed in that imitation White Jade Capital. Not being able to see through him—that was the real trouble. Of course, for Yang Hua, it was precisely a reason to draw her sword.

Between the two, without any warning, a ripple of mountain wind and mist spread. A white-robed figure with gold earrings, Wei Po, appeared, smiling. "Even though the Sage Ruan Qiong isn't here, the rules still stand. Don't make things difficult for me."

As soon as Wei Po arrived, Yang Hua's dazzling brilliance was immediately suppressed. Yang Hua didn't look sideways, her eyes fixed only on the young sword immortal who had been wandering abroad for years. She said, "As long as a life-and-death pact is signed, it will be within the rules."

Chen Ping'an said calmly, "It's a pity your master doesn't seem like someone who likes to follow rules."

Yang Hua finally showed a hint of anger. If the master is humiliated, the subject dies. Her lady had saved her life and later imparted teachings to her. Otherwise, with just a word from her lady, she would have abandoned everything in the mortal world, endured nine deaths and one chance at life, suffering the agony of wasting away, just to become the water god of Tiefu River. Even if deep down she had some words she wanted to say to her lady face-to-face one day, an outsider dared to make judgments about her lady's conduct? That bastard from Nilpotent Alley, suddenly coming into wealth, had become light-boned!

Wei Po seemed somewhat surprised, but quickly understood. More roguish than the two confronting parties, he said, "As long as I'm here, you won't be able to fight. If you two end up swinging at each other, each missing, making a spectacle for others, then go ahead and make your moves."

Chen Ping'an smiled at Wei Po. "I never wanted to talk to her anyway. Since that's the case, I'll leave first. Send me to Pei Qian's side."

Wei Po nodded.

Yang Hua added a remark, "Chen Ping'an, why not trouble Mountain God Wei to send you directly to the bamboo building on Luopo Mountain? Hiding under the nose of old martial arts master Cui Cheng, wouldn't that be safer? I certainly wouldn't dare chase you there."

Chen Ping'an replied, "What, could it be you've taken a liking to me? Why else would you be so persistent?"

Yang Hua's face turned icy cold. A dense aura of water swirled around her. As the river god, the normally deep and nearly silent Tiefu River suddenly boiled, with faint thunder rumbling beneath the water.

Wei Po had a massive headache. Without a second word, he quickly activated his innate divine ability and sent Chen Ping'an to Qilong Alley. Otherwise, even he and Sage Ruan Qiong together might not be able to stop this stubborn man and woman.

Only then did Yang Hua shift her gaze slightly, staring at this mountain god whose temperament was becoming increasingly "detached from the world." Her eyes were cold, without a shred of respect.

Wei Po smiled bitterly. "Caught between two sides, why am I even running this errand?"

Yang Hua asked directly, "Back then, when you, Xu Ruo, and the others rode strange creatures past this place and looked at me with strange eyes, why was that?"

Wei Po laughed. "Don't forget, although I was just the land god of Qidun Mountain back then, I had once been a mountain god of a nation. Naturally, I could see that your golden body's rank was too high, unusual. I couldn't help but glance a few more times."

Yang Hua shook her head. "You're lying."

Wei Po didn't dwell on this topic with her. He said softly, "Care to walk with me?"

Wei Po took the first step. After a few paces, he turned back and said, "Living people navigate officialdom; we dead ones navigate incense offerings. Don't we all need to follow some rules? Ruan Qiong isn't here, so why would Chen Ping'an give up the easier option of flying on his sword and choose to walk back to the town instead?"

Yang Hua finally began to move, walking one behind the other, one mountain and one river deity, along the now-calm banks of the Tiefu River.

Wei Po clasped his hands behind his back and said slowly, "If I'm not mistaken, you stopped Chen Ping'an purely out of competitiveness. At its root, you still can't let go of your identity as a sword cultivator in the yang world. Now that your golden body hasn't stabilized and you've only been consuming incense for a short time, it's not enough to put a significant gap in rank between you and the water gods of Xiuhua, Yuye, and Chongdan. So your provocation of Chen Ping'an has a very simple aim—just a spar, without suppressing him with your realm. Since that's the case, when it's such a simple matter, why can't you just speak properly? Do you really think Chen Ping'an wouldn't dare kill you? Believe me, even if Chen Ping'an killed you, you'd die for nothing. Perhaps the first person to speak well of Chen Ping'an would be that lady in the palace who wants to let bygones be bygones."

Yang Hua remained silent.

Mountains higher than water—this was common knowledge in the Haoran world. The rank and position of a nation's Five Sacred Mountain God were higher than any water god. But Yang Hua clearly had no respect for Wei Po.

Wei Po didn't mind, as if talking to himself. "How close is one thought to another? The moment you have a thought, even across thousands of mountains and rivers, someone will sense it—reaching both the highest heavens and the deepest underworld. And sometimes, how far can one thought be from another?"

Yang Hua stopped and sneered. "I have no mood to listen to your riddles here. As long as I fulfill the duties of Tiefu River's water god without the slightest negligence, if you want to flaunt the authority of the Northern Sacred Mountain God, you've found the wrong person. If you want to suppress me and the Tiefu River like you suppressed the Song Mountain God of Luopo Mountain, just come. I'll meet your challenge."

Wei Po turned and smiled. "If you replaced 'mood' with 'effort,' it would be better—more tactful. The implication wouldn't be stubbornness and great disrespect to a superior, but rather that you need to forge your golden body and absorb the essence of incense. To my ears, it would just sound like you're inexperienced in the ways of the world, which is still forgivable."

Yang Hua stopped again. "Are you done lecturing?"

Wei Po nodded, his smile charming. "Let's end it here for tonight. I'll come chat with you again in the future."

Yang Hua's face darkened.

Wei Po held up a finger to his lips. "Some hurtful words that are on the tip of your tongue—if you can avoid saying them, don't. Remember this."

Yang Hua, having been a close attendant to the lady of the Great Li kingdom, was not one to back down. Instead, she said bluntly, "Do you really not know what some high-ranking deities of Great Li—like a few old mountain gods and those near the capital—say about you behind your back? I didn't think much of it before, but after tonight, I see that you, Wei Po, are indeed a speculator and schemer..."

Wei Po waved his hand with a smile. "I know what you're about to say. But just because others say something, does that make it true? Do you think you're a sage whose words are law, or a celestial lord whose words come true? Just now Chen Ping'an said you had taken a liking to him, hence your pestering—is that really the case?"

Wei Po lowered his hand. "Don't try to provoke me with this method, hoping we'll sever all ties and you can have some peace. The times I chat with you in the future won't be many, and I'll focus on the point. I won't hinder your cultivation."

Yang Hua was helpless, still with fire in her heart. She couldn't help but mock, "You're so sycophantic toward that Chen Ping'an, aren't you ashamed? Do you know that many mountain and river deities, both in Great Li proper and its vassal states, who don't know the truth, have heard rumors and are secretly laughing at you?"

Wei Po made a very childish gesture. He extended his thumb and index finger, spread them, pressed them to his cheek, and gently pulled upward to create a smile. "As long as they show me a happy face when they see me, that's enough. As for what they say behind my back or think in their minds, I have no interest in knowing."

Yang Hua curled her lips, holding her sword. She clearly didn't believe Wei Po's nonsense.

Wei Po sighed. "You suffered some hardships when you achieved your deity's golden body. But when you one day experience ups and downs like I have, you'll understand that these common human emotions are just that—common human emotions."

Wei Po concluded, "The path is long, cultivation is not easy. When you encounter people and events, think carefully. Success or failure in worldly matters ultimately comes down to dealing with people."

Yang Hua still retorted sharply, "If you love giving lectures so much, why not go to the Forest Deer Academy or the Chen Family School and become a teacher?"

Wei Po suddenly tilted his head and asked with a smile, "Is it that good advice, when properly spoken, never seems like advice? You just can't take it to heart?"

Yang Hua sensed something was wrong.

Wei Po raised his hands and gently flicked his sleeves, the wide sleeves fluttering like snowflakes—marvelous.

The essence of incense from the river god's temple and the essence of water transport from the Tiefu River coalesced into two spheres of golden and green light, respectively. Wei Po pocketed them.

Wei Po walked away triumphantly.

Yang Hua stood rooted to the spot. Could it be that this Northern Sacred Mountain God, as gentle as mud, also had a temper and was now angrily embarrassed?

But the white-robed deity didn't stop walking. He turned his head and explained with a smile, "I'm not angry. Honest truth. If I'm lying, I'm a dog."

----

Chen Ping'an gently knocked on the door of the Suinian Shop on Qilong Alley.

Since Wei Po had sent him here, it meant Pei Qian was likely staying here for the night. No surprise there. Pei Qian didn't like dealing with Cui Cheng. On Luopo Mountain, where there were few people, how could it compare to the liveliness of the town? Her own shop had pastries, and if she craved a candied hawthorn stick, it was just a few steps away. Chen Ping'an never said anything about this. As long as she continued copying books and wasn't too naughty, he let Pei Qian do as she pleased. Besides, she was attentive to shop business on a daily basis. He just didn't know how she felt about attending the school yet.

The one who opened the door was Shi Rou. Yin creatures and ghosts didn't need sleep and rest entirely, but it was the opposite of living people—they were active at night and slept during the day. Even the deep sleep that benefited the soul often only took two or three hours. It was said that because yin creatures had much purer souls than living people, as the harsh winds blew and the sun scorched the earth—these were both hardships and a form of intangible cultivation.

Shi Rou smiled. "Young master, you're back."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Is Pei Qian sleeping here?"

Shi Rou said softly, "She and Miss Li from Fulu Street finished copying books, put out the lights, and chatted for a while before falling asleep. A few days ago, they went to Qidun Mountain and got badly stung by hornets. Even after getting herbal medicine from the Yang family shop and applying it, they still have trouble falling asleep."

As they closed the shop door together, Shi Rou asked, "Should I go wake them up?"

Shi Rou looked a bit troubled. Although the backyard of Suinian Shop had three rooms, the main room was taken by Pei Qian and Li Baoping, one side room was filled with goods, and only one room remained, nominally hers. It was cluttered with personal items bought from the market streets—things she couldn't show others. Now that she was inhabiting a male immortal's discarded body, with tables full of rouge and powder, even she found it awkward at times. That brat Pei Qian had even deliberately given her a bronze mirror as a gift.

Chen Ping'an lowered his voice. "No need. I'll sit in the courtyard for the night; consider it practice for standing post. Later, tell me about the recent situation in Longquan Commandery."

Under the eaves near Shi Rou's side room, one sat and one stood. Shi Rou brought out a long bench for Chen Ping'an. There were chairs, but she didn't sit.

Shi Rou talked about the Night Parade and various matters on Luopo Mountain, big and small.

The students from the Cliff Academy continued their journey north. They would first go to the Great Li capital to visit the academy's former site, then continue north to the seaside at the northernmost point of Bottle Gourd Continent. But Li Baoping, for some reason, had persuaded the academy's sage Mao Xiaodong to let her stay in the town. Shi Rou guessed that the Li family's ancestors had gone to plead with Master Mao.

Liu Qingshan and Liu Boqi had already left Longquan Commandery. Before leaving, this immortal couple, who had traveled half the continent together, specially found Zhu Lian for a drink and became sworn siblings.

Chen Ping'an was startled when he heard this. Liu Qingshan didn't seem like the type to swear brotherhood with someone, unlike his own eldest disciple.

Shi Rou smiled and revealed the truth. It turned out that Liu Boqi had recognized Zhu Lian as her elder brother, insisting that Zhu Lian must come to Qingluan Kingdom for her and Liu Qingshan's wedding feast.

Chen Ping'an rubbed his brow. What on earth was this?

There were also a few significant matters. Shi Rou didn't elaborate too much, hoping instead that Chen Ping'an would chat casually with Zhu Lian. She had to admit that Zhu Lian handled things, big or small, with steadiness. It was just that his foul mouth was annoying, and his gaze, which even she, as a female ghost, found creepy.

One matter was that Liu Chongrun from Zhu Hairpin Island in the Book-Sign Lake hadn't come in person but had sent a trusted disciple with gifts to visit Luopo Mountain. At the time, Wei Po took the initiative to show himself, startling the young woman—only at the Cave Abode realm—so much that she stammered when speaking later.

Another matter was that the water gods of the Imperial River and the White Crane River in Huangting Kingdom had visited Luopo Mountain one after another, with Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng receiving them.

Various bits and pieces, big and small. After listening to Shi Rou's orderly account, Chen Ping'an pointed toward the main room and asked with a smile, "How are those two girls' faces?"

Shi Rou was taken aback, then said helplessly, "Pei Qian is mischievous enough, but I didn't expect Miss Li to indulge her. Young master, you don't know—when I saw their pitiful state at the shop, I felt just like that girl from Zhu Hairpin Island. But they were quite happy about it. They even made plans to each master some martial arts skills and then tackle the dragon's pool and tiger's den again."

Chen Ping'an was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Shi Rou, for some reason, seemed more at ease after settling at the shop than on Luopo Mountain. She even dared to tease Chen Ping'an. "Young master, on this journey, did you bring gifts for anyone again?"

Chen Ping'an hummed in affirmation. With a flick of his wrist, he produced the three small items bought at the Dilongshan Ferry. He handed Shi Rou the red-glazed shallow bowl and the tile-end inkstone, while he held the pair of seals—crafted by a master seal carver from some southeastern kingdom—to his ear and tapped them lightly, listening to the crisp sound. Tilting his head, he smiled. "Three items cost me twelve Snowflake Coins. If you like any, you can pick one. I'll just tell Pei Qian I only bought two later."

Shi Rou's eyes lingered on the adorable red-glazed shallow bowl for a moment, but she still shook her head. "Forget it."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Gifts are often given in pairs. An odd number isn't good. I'll be leaving on a long journey soon and won't be back for a while. Consider it your New Year's red envelope for next year."

Shi Rou gently raised her palm, holding the bowl. "Then this one?"

Chen Ping'an nodded and reminded her, "Don't let it slip later. The little girl likes to keep accounts. She wouldn't dare nag me, but she'll definitely pester you for years."

Shi Rou put away the small bowl and returned the "Eternal Blessings" tile-end inkstone to Chen Ping'an.

Shi Rou asked curiously, "Young master really likes giving gifts to people?"

Chen Ping'an laughed. "You might not know this, but from a young age, I've always loved earning money and saving it. Back then, I painstakingly saved up copper coins one by one. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night, so I'd pick up my little pottery jar and shake it gently—the sound of those copper coins clinking together. You've probably never heard that, have you? Later, when Zheng Dafeng was still guarding the east gate of the town, I made a deal with him: every letter I delivered to a household in town earned me one copper coin. Every time I went to get letters from him, I wished he'd just toss me a big basket. But in the end, I didn't earn much. Then, after some things happened, I left my hometown."

Shi Rou shook her head with a smile.

Chen Ping'an clasped his hands in his sleeves, leaning forward. "Not that I'm extravagant now that I have money. It's that the reason I was so money-grubbing back then was so that one day, I wouldn't have to haggle over small things, wouldn't have to be restrained every time I needed to spend. For example, when visiting my parents' graves, I could buy better offerings. At New Year's, I wouldn't be unable to afford couplets and have to go to the next courtyard to steal a few glances, pretending I had them too. That kind of embarrassment I was used to, and that bittersweet joy—probably anyone seeing it would think it was childish."

Shi Rou didn't know how to respond.

Chen Ping'an was silent for a moment, then thought for a while. "Some words might spoil the mood, but since I'm about to leave Longquan Commandery anyway, just bear with me and listen. Once you've heard them, you won't be troubled by me for at least three years."

Shi Rou smiled. "Please, young master, speak."

Chen Ping'an pointed at Shi Rou. "This immortal's discarded body—I never thought you were taking too much advantage. But blessings in this world, when they pass through a door, like feng shui circulating, are more often than not impossible to keep. Since you've accepted this opportunity, first of all, don't harbor any resentment in your heart. How to hold it steady—that's the real skill. Of course, whether you believe it or not, whether you think I'm deliberately saying nice things to curry favor, I must say this: I don't expect you, Shi Rou, to use this discarded body to do anything for Luopo Mountain in the future. I only hope that wherever you are—on Luopo Mountain or in this little shop on Qilong Alley—you get along with others harmoniously. Don't always feel like you don't fit in and blame it on others. Learn to adapt to local customs. Of course, that's not easy; it's a patient task of dripping water wearing away stone. But isn't that how all of us live? Right?"

Shi Rou pondered for a moment. "Young master speaks sincerely and generously. I'll think about it more."

Chen Ping'an put away the pair of seals and the tile-end inkstone, took off the sword-nurturing gourd, and drank some wine. "Have you noticed that on Luopo Mountain, or in the ancestral house on Nilpotent Alley, there are so many people now, with varying status and realms, but closeness isn't determined by that. I'm telling you this, Shi Rou, not because I want to turn you into a certain kind of person, but because I don't want you to feel wronged inside. The wronged feeling is real, but you might be mistaken about the truth."

Shi Rou asked, "Chen Ping'an, in the future, when Luopo Mountain has more people, will you open your heart to everyone like this?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "If I really have my own mountain sect in the future, with dozens or hundreds of people, I won't be able to attend to everyone. But that's fine—I have all of you. And I've always believed that truth doesn't have to be spoken. If you conduct yourself rightly and have a good mindset, you, Zhu Lian, Zheng Dafeng—each of you with your own merits—the truth will naturally be there..."

Chen Ping'an suddenly raised his arm, extending his hand. "Like the spring breeze entering the night, moistening things silently—this is better than someone like me, who isn't even a scholar, babbling on endlessly."

Shi Rou stared at the young man's profile, speechless.

After that, Chen Ping'an began practicing the sword furnace standing post, and Shi Rou returned to her room.

Wei Po appeared under the eaves, smiling. "Take your time. I can wait."

Half an hour later, Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and sighed. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Wei Po asked, "What's going on?"

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Actually, when I first boarded Consort Willow Island and met the Upper Five Realm cultivator Liu Laocheng, I heard him recount his experience with inner demons, and I sensed something was off about my own state of mind. It was like forced growth. Later, Senior Cui also said that in the Book-Sign Lake's trial of conscience, which should have been a tribulation reserved for Golden Core or even Nascent Soul cultivators, the biggest problem was that after my destiny porcelain shattered back then, my state of mind also fell apart. The experiences, knowledge, and insights from my travels helped piece it together bit by bit, but there was still a significant gap before I could rebuild a Bridge of Long Life that could withstand storms. Then, on Green Gorge Island, I shattered my literary courage, adding insult to injury. Although I eventually convinced myself in Book-Sign Lake, the process itself placed many burdens on me. The crux of the problem is a fundamental conflict between matters and principles. This has nothing to do with Book-Sign Lake—it's a personal matter."

Chen Ping'an took another drink of wine, this time truly drowning his sorrows. "I once firmly believed that the more truths I understood, the faster I could punch and strike with my sword—faster and faster."

Chen Ping'an murmured, "But as I learned more about the complexity of this world and the difficulty in determining good and evil in people's hearts, I earnestly hoped that before acting, I could see the other person's line, or several lines, and think through as many possibilities as possible—the best, the worst—then cut and define them with my sword techniques. Only then could I achieve what I considered faultlessness. Only then could I strike quickly."

Chen Ping'an continued to himself, "But when something happens suddenly, forcing an immediate judgment of right and wrong, life and death, without allowing me to slowly delve into people's hearts and the truth through sequential reasoning—what do I do then?"

Wei Po nodded. "The more correct a principle in this world, the heavier it is. As a pure martial artist, you've tied yourself down. Because you know very clearly and understand completely that you feel... constricted. Think back to those days when you, Chen Ping'an, were poorest—that was when your state of mind was the most relaxed. Because at that time, you were absolutely certain that the truths you had to hold on to were just a few: endure what you could, fight tooth and nail for what you couldn't. So whether it was facing Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua, or later the Mountain-Shifting Ape of Zhengyang Mountain and Ma Kuxuan of Apricot Flower Alley, you delivered as much fist intent as you had. Without guilt, pure intent, life and death taken lightly—you threw the first punch."

Chen Ping'an said solemnly, "Yes!"

Wei Po leaned against the porch pillar. "So you wanted to go to the North Reed Continent, hoping for freedom, hoping that the sword cultivators and martial artists there truly didn't care about reason and only acted arrogantly. This was the solution you devised after leaving Book-Sign Lake. But when you left Luopo Mountain, revisited old places, saw old friends, and looked at the world with a different perspective, you found yourself wavering. You thought even in the North Reed Continent, things would be just as messy. Because at the end of the day, people are people—everyone has their own joys and sorrows, partings and reunions. Pitiable people have their hateful aspects, and hateful people have their pitiable aspects. No matter how vast the world, the human heart is the same."

Chen Ping'an was silent, taking a deep gulp of wine.

Wei Po said softly, "It seems like an unsolvable dead end. Either become a different Chen Ping'an, or you have to stagger forward, practicing fist and sword, even if it keeps up with your rising realm, you'll never achieve the 'speed' you envision."

Wei Po changed the subject. "Suddenly feels like, no matter how far you go, no matter how much you see, something in this world just doesn't seem right. But you can't quite put your finger on it, so you have to bottle it up. This nagging doubt, drinking won't help, and you can't even talk about it."

Chen Ping'an's eyes widened. Wei Po's words hit the nail on the head!

But Wei Po remained in that lazy posture, looking up at the bright moon. "A person's heart must have both the sun and the moon."

Wei Po squinted, smiling. "Both are indispensable."

Chen Ping'an fell into deep thought.

Wei Po turned his head and smiled. "Since the general direction is correct, what's there to fear in hardship? Are you, Chen Ping'an, afraid of suffering? Compared to when you had nothing back then, now that life seems to have hope, have you started carrying the burden of a strong man? Try examining yourself with the dumbest method. First, being reasonable is never a bad thing. Being good at reasoning is even rarer. Second, if you now feel that principles hinder your punching and sword strikes, don't doubt that your 'first point' is wrong. It only means you haven't done well enough, haven't understood the principles thoroughly enough, and your current punches and sword strikes still aren't fast enough."

Chen Ping'an's eyes brightened a bit, but he smiled bitterly. "Easier said than done."

Wei Po spread his hands. "That's your problem, none of mine."

Chen Ping'an laughed in relief. "Listening to your words is worth more than ten years of reading."

Wei Po clicked his tongue. "Truly the mountain lord of Flattery Mountain."

Chen Ping'an laughed heartily. "So you see Luopo Mountain that way too?"

Chen Ping'an quickly suppressed his laughter so as not to disturb the people in the main room.

Wei Po suddenly said, "Regarding the promotion of Gu Can's father, the Great Li court has been arguing fiercely. It's not a big official position. Initially, the Ministry of Rites wanted to promote this yin spirit from the prefectural office to the city god of a prefecture. But the two pillar state elders, Yuan and Cao, naturally wouldn't allow that. So the Ministry of Punishments and the Ministry of Revenue, for once, joined forces against the Ministry of Rites. Now things have changed again. Old Master Guan's Ministry of War has also waded into the muddy waters. None expected a mere prefectural city god to stir up such a whirlpool in the court, drawing in all factions. Obviously, no one wants the prince and the state teacher Cui Chan—with maybe the lady in the palace added—to settle it among the three of them."

Chen Ping'an patted the bench beneath him and asked tentatively, "For that vacant position?"

Wei Po nodded. "It's been vacant too long, which is against ritual law. So the three Great Li iron cavalry divisions in the middle of Bottle Gourd Continent are getting a bit restless."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I don't care about these things."

Wei Po smiled. "I'm only telling you this so you know every household has its hard-to-recite scriptures. You're not the only one having a tough time."

Chen Ping'an said, "Stop standing there and talking without feeling the backache."

Wei Po glanced at Chen Ping'an. "A sitting fellow like you has the nerve to say that to me, a standing one?"

Wei Po straightened up. "Alright, that's enough chatting. Don't worry about Tiefu River—I'll straighten her out."

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Chen Ping'an recalled something and mentioned the Divine Water Kingdom's imperial pine-soot inkstone from the Qingfu Pavilion at the Dilongshan Ferry.

Wei Po smiled. "If the asking price was five Minor Heat Coins, that's a bargain. The people at Qingfu Pavilion are shortsighted; they don't know its value. But we can't blame them—few people today know the true merit of this item. I'll send someone to run to Qingfu Pavilion soon."

Chen Ping'an said, "This round trip will have its expenses. That immortal money has to be accounted for in it."

Wei Po smiled. "What does that have to do with me? I don't have to pay. Want to guess how many people in the Northern Sacred Realm would gladly waste that money to run this errand for me? Dozens? A hundred? Conversely, whether I spend five Minor Heat Coins or ten, for me to give out this favor is like giving a dose of reassurance—the other party stands to profit immensely."

By now, Chen Ping'an understood immediately.

Wei Po flickered and vanished, but before leaving, he reminded Chen Ping'an that the cross-continent ferry would arrive soon and not to miss the time.

Arriving at the majestic mountain temple on the peak of Piyun Mountain, Wei Po lay down on the eaves, using the sky as his blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

Where great rivers gather, winding water turns, tall mountains lean against each other, a thousand-mile dragon comes to rest.

Deep waters gather fish; dense forests harbor birds. Clear mountains, beautiful waters—a land of outstanding people.

----

Just before dawn.

Pei Qian pushed open the door, still bleary-eyed. Holding the Walking Mountain Staff, she swaggered across the threshold, then looked up at the sky and said flippantly, "Heavenly Lord, I'll make a bet with you. If I don't master some peerless sword technique today, my master will appear right in front of me. How about it? Dare to bet?"

Pei Qian nodded to herself. "No talking? That means you agree! If you go back on your word after losing, you're not a good Heavenly Lord!"

With a hop, she jumped into the courtyard and froze on the spot.

Under the eaves of Shi Rou's side room, her master seemed to be sitting there looking at her?

Chen Ping'an watched that dark face—still swollen like a steamed bun. This was after applying some medicine to reduce the swelling. He could only imagine how pitiful she must have looked when she first ran back to Longquan Commandery from Qidun Mountain.

Pei Qian rubbed her eyes. "Master? Am I dreaming?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Then slap yourself."

Pei Qian blinked, then chuckled. "I'm not stupid."

She turned toward the main room and shouted, "Sister Baoping! My master is here!"

A graceful girl in red hurried out of the room. Her face was even more swollen than Pei Qian's, so at first glance, she didn't look as pretty. But she wasn't at all shy about her face. She swung her arms, trotted over to Chen Ping'an, stopped abruptly, and beamed. "Little Master!"

Chen Ping'an stood in front of the two, who were about the same age as him. He stretched out both hands and gestured to compare their heights.

Pei Qian's face fell.

How come Sister Baoping is like this, and Master is too?

In truth, Chen Ping'an was a bit shocked when he first saw Little Baoping. How had that little girl in the red cotton jacket grown so tall in the blink of an eye?

Shi Rou brought out two chairs. Pei Qian wanted to sit with her master on the long bench, but one look from Li Baoping, who was already seated in a chair, made Pei Qian immediately lift her bottom and sit beside Li Baoping.

Chen Ping'an looked at the two swollen faces, holding back his laughter. "Has Li Huai already followed Academy Master Mao to the north?"

Li Baoping nodded vigorously. "My grandfather will personally take me to catch up with the group later. Little Master, don't worry."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Have you seen Dong Shuijing?"

Li Baoping smiled. "Pei Qian and I went to Fengliang Mountain. The wontons at his shop were okay, but not as good as Little Master's."

Pei Qian sat stiffly, unmoving.

This charcoal-headed girl muttered to herself. She remembered that at Dong Shuijing's wonton shop, Sister Baoping had eaten two big bowls. But of course, she wouldn't dare say that in front of Sister Baoping. What if Sister Baoping thought she talked too much and didn't want to play with her anymore? What then?

Chen Ping'an advised, "When you pass through the capital, make sure to find Shi Chunjia."

Li Baoping hummed in acknowledgment. "I've already sent a letter. The Horned Girl is waiting for me."

Then Chen Ping'an turned to Pei Qian. "Have you decided? Do you want to go to school to study?"

Pei Qian hung her head. "I've decided. Sister Baoping wants me to go to school. She even dragged me to the school a few times for several days, saying we need to scout out the situation. Know yourself and know your enemy. We have to figure out every teacher's temperament first, so I can avoid getting hit with a ruler or having to copy books as punishment. Sister Baoping also told me not to show off my book chest at school, not to stick talisman paper on my forehead when going to school, and lots and lots of other rules. Sister Baoping copied them all down on paper and made me copy them every day."

Li Baoping patted Pei Qian's head. "This is called 'first hard, then easy.' At school, don't be afraid of the teachers. If you have questions, ask them. If classmates bully you, don't just come back crying to Sister Shi Rou. Solve it with your own skills at school. What's the most important thing at school? What is it?"

Pei Qian said listlessly, "Learn the principles of being a good person from the teachers. The specific content in the books is just technique, not the Way. The best is to have both. If I can't, then I should take the Way and discard the technique. I absolutely must not pick up sesame seeds and lose the watermelon."

Li Baoping nodded in satisfaction.

Pei Qian looked up, her face scrunched in a pitiful expression. "Master." She looked at Chen Ping'an with a pleading gaze, full of grievance.

Li Baoping reached out and pressed Pei Qian's head down. Pei Qian immediately forced a smile. "Sister Baoping, I know. I have a great memory!"

Chen Ping'an took out the tile-end inkstone and the pair of seals, handed them to Pei Qian, and smiled. "A gift I bought for you on the road. As for Baoping's, I didn't find anything suitable. Let your little master owe you first."

Pei Qian was overjoyed. She hesitated, then held up the inkstone in one hand and the seal pair in the other, turned to Li Baoping, and asked, "Sister Baoping, you pick one? I'll give it to you!"

Li Baoping shook her head. "No need. I just like reading travelogues of mountains and rivers."

Pei Qian said "oh," a little disappointed.

Chen Ping'an suddenly took out a stack of ancient books and handed them to Li Baoping. "I picked these at Guanshui Street in Red Candle Town. They weren't expensive. Don't mind them."

Li Baoping's face lit up. She hugged them to her chest and grinned. "Little Master, you're lying."

Her laugh was very unladylike, but it was much like when she was a child.

Chen Ping'an started putting on the airs of a master and little master. "From now on, don't go poking hornet nests. But if you must, make sure to plan your escape route in advance, and always carry herbal medicine with you."

Li Baoping folded her arms and nodded emphatically.

Pei Qian sighed and poked the ground with her Walking Mountain Staff. "It's all my fault. This crazy sword technique of mine is still too weak."

Shi Rou had already opened the shop's front door to receive customers. She walked into the backyard and found Chen Ping'an nodding to show he understood.

Shi Rou was not surprised.

"My young master excels at seeing nature and effort in the smallest details. His state of mind is as vast as mountains and rivers, yet his field of vision sees even the smallest seed."

That was Zhu Lian's flattery.

Shi Rou felt it wasn't entirely fawning.

Chen Ping'an stood up and said, "Baoping, your grandfather is here."

Li Baoping stood up too, bouncing a little. "Little Master, the next time we meet, I'll be this tall."

Pei Qian's mouth fell open. She had nothing to say to that, so she wisely kept quiet.

Chen Ping'an took out the clay figurine of the female musician and smiled. "Give this to Li Huai."

Li Baoping carefully put it away.

Chen Ping'an led them to the shop entrance and saw the elder Li, a Nascent Soul realm earth immortal. He cupped his hands. "Greetings, Grandpa Li."

The old man smiled and nodded, pleased. "Very good, very good—you've made something of yourself. Otherwise, people would think our Lizhu Cave Heaven only produced a wolf cub like Ma Kuxuan. How embarrassing!"

Chen Ping'an seemed to want to say something.

The old man shook his head. "No rush. Take it slow. Dwellings and mansions may differ in size, but as for family traditions, it's only about being upright, not about the width or height of the gate. Neither of our families is lacking in tradition. So let's both just be comfortable. If one day you need something, whether it's you or me, just ask."

Chen Ping'an agreed. This was best for both parties.

Li Baoping left with her grandfather, but she walked backward, waving goodbye.

Chen Ping'an smiled and waved lightly.

Pei Qian suddenly blurted out with emotion, "The moon waxes and wanes, people gather and part. It really makes you want to tear your hair out in sorrow!"

Chen Ping'an gave her a rap on the head.

Suddenly, sorrow didn't matter. Pei Qian winced and cried out in pain.

----

While Chen Ping'an was taking Pei Qian to Luopo Mountain.

Pei Qian had her saber and short sword strapped to her back, holding her Walking Mountain Staff as she ran circles around her master, bragging about her recent exploits. Of course, poking hornet nests didn't count—that was carelessness on her part.

On Luopo Mountain, Zhu Lian was painting a picture of a beautiful woman. It was a minor deity he had glimpsed by chance during the Night Parade.

Beside him, Zheng Dafeng wore a strange smile.

The young girl Zhu Lian had brought up the mountain felt only awe—Old Immortal Zhu seemed to be skilled in everything.

On the southern border of Huangting Kingdom, a tall, slender man dressed in snow-white, elegant and dashing, wore a narrow saber at his waist. Beside him were a pair of twin siblings, around twelve or thirteen years old, both with delicate features. The sibling pair looked similar, but the girl's eyes were sharp—she was completely sharp and aggressive, carrying a self-made wooden spear diagonally across her back. The boy beside her was more like a gentle, studious lad, carrying a book chest and a water bottle slung over his shoulder.

These twins were disciples he had taken in during his travels, both talented in martial arts.

Tongye Continent.

Jade Gui Sect.

On a remote mountain peak yet to "open its peak," soaring high into the clouds, a stunning woman carried a sword on her back, watching the sea of clouds.

On a neighboring peak, within a celestial mansion shrouded in immortal mist, a handsome young man wearing a high crown, with a noble bearing, leaned on a railing. He gazed into the distance at that woman. He felt that his Dao companion for life was her—it could only be her.

In the central part of Bottle Gourd Continent, on a wild mountain path leading to Guanhu Academy.

A stocky man walked behind a yellow ox. He missed that mischievous charcoal-headed little girl.

As for the yellow ox, which had a pair of long water buffalo horns, one horn was hung with calligraphy, paintings, and scrolls. On the other horn hung a white-robed boy, his legs tucked up and his hands gripping the horn. He had a beauty mark between his brows, an air of elegance, and a face so fine it was like an immortal banished from the heavens. But at the moment, this white-robed youth had an expression of utter boredom, wailing loudly, "Wei Xian! I miss Master so much! What do I do? Just thinking about Master not having me by his side to serve him, I'm burning with anxiety..."

Wei Xian didn't say anything.

Just get used to it. This happened every few days. No matter how much Wei Xian admired and respected this guy, it was still annoying.

Along the way, aside from business, when there was nothing to do, this fellow loved to stir up trouble. He had a bloody hand, naturally, and his manipulation of people's hearts gave Wei Xian the chills. But there were also certain words and deeds mixed in that gave Wei Xian a headache. For example, earlier, when they passed a well-hidden ghost cultivator sect, this guy not only toyed with a group of heretical cultivators, but from the Lower Five Realms to the Cave Abode realm, then slowly rising to the Nascent Soul realm, each battle was a feigned brush with death. He practically played the entire sect to death.

After usurping their stronghold, he temporarily acted as the mountain king, throwing a grand feast and inviting all the heroes. At the banquet, he started talking nonsense again. When he brought up his master, he dropped a line that left the survivors scrambling for how to flatter him. Then, after an awkward silence, he casually slapped two more to death. What was it? "To be honest, if I accidentally angered my master and we fought, I'm not bragging—it wouldn't take half a stick of incense before I'd make my master beg me not to kill him."

"Autumn is leaving, winter will arrive. Kui pities millipedes, millipedes pity snakes, snakes pity wind, wind pities the eye, the eye pities the heart, Master pity your student..."

The boy was still hanging from the cow's horn, kicking his legs wildly, still howling, startling countless birds from the forest.