Chapter 481: The Moonlight Under Heaven, Most Abundant on This Mountain
The three of them arrived at the stone cliff edge and each took a seat. Chen Ping'an's seat had the one opposing him, but neither Cui Dongshan nor Pei Qian were willing to sit there—it was too far from their teacher or master.
The moonlight in noble houses was less than that of lanterns, but the clear radiance in the wilds was especially charming.
The three of them gazed into the distance together. The person of the highest seniority was actually the one with the narrowest field of vision. Even with the moonlight, Chen Ping'an could not see very far. Pei Qian, however, could make out the faint lights near Red Candle Town and the pale green of Qidun Mountain—that was the clutch of Qingshen Mountain's Bravery Bamboo that Wei Bo had planted back then, the lingering grace left behind in the mountain's mist and clouds. Cui Dongshan, as a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal, could naturally see even farther. The general outlines of the Xiuhua, Chongdan, and Yuye Rivers—their twists and turns—were fully within his sight.
Pei Qian pulled a handful of melon seeds from her pocket and placed them on the stone table. Joy shared was joy doubled, but the placement was a bit deliberate—closer to herself and her master.
Cui Dongshan heard the faint sound of the seeds landing and snapped out of his thoughts. Remembering something, he twisted his wrist and produced four cloth bags of varying sizes, gently setting them on the ground. A flowing fluorescent light swirled over them, their colors distinct, casting a layer of rainbow-hued shadows that easily enveloped the moonlight. Cui Dongshan smiled. "Master, these are the Five-Color Soils from the four sacred mountains of future Bottle Gourd Continent. Though the bags may not look big, their weight is considerable. The smallest bag alone weighs over forty catties. I dug them from the ancestral mountain roots of each major peak. Except for the Northern Sacred Mountain, Piyun Mountain, they are now complete."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Hard work."
Cui Dongshan chuckled. "What hardship? If not for such a goal, I'd be suffocated to death on this trip out of seclusion."
Pei Qian lifted her rear and craned her neck. "Can I open them for a look?"
Cui Dongshan waved grandly. "Go ahead, go ahead. Let you, a worthless brat, feel ashamed. Look at how this student of mine worries for his master. Then look at yourself—the master's first disciple, loafing around all day, satisfied with earning a dozen or so silver taels a month in Qilong Alley? If you can't net at least twenty or thirty silver taels a month, are you even fit to boast? Earning three hundred silver taels a year and buying a decent little house in Longquan Prefecture City—that would be about right."
Pei Qian crossed her arms. "Look at what? Not looking anymore."
Cui Dongshan grinned. "Then I'll beg you to look. Will you look?"
Pei Qian stuck out her thumb. "Truly magnanimous!"
Not giving Cui Dongshan a chance to take it back, Pei Qian rose and dashed around Chen Ping'an to open the legendary Five-Color Soil bags one by one. She crouched there, eyes wide, her face illuminated by the gleaming colors, clicking her tongue in wonder. Master had once said that a certain book of immortals recorded a kind of Guanyin clay that could be eaten when hungry. She wondered if this colorful mud could be eaten too.
Cui Dongshan gave Pei Qian's bottom a kick. "A little girl with such shallow eyes. Be careful when you travel the martial world. If you run into some sweet-talking scholar, you'll be lured away."
Pei Qian reached back to pat her bottom, not even turning her head. "If I don't crack their heads open, I'd be a chivalrous soul letting them off easy."
Cui Dongshan began discussing serious matters. He turned to Chen Ping'an and said slowly, "Master, this trip north to North Julu Continent—I'll take along the portion for Wei Bo as well. You can wait there for the news to arrive. It will take about a year and a half to two years. Once the Great Li Song clan formally enfeoffs the other four sacred mountains, that will be the best time for you to refine these Five-Color Soils. This refining cannot be done early, but it can be done late. Actually, setting aside taboos, refining the Five-Color Soil at the future Central Sacred Mountain would yield the greatest benefit, easily attracting unusual phenomena and gifts. But we should still leave some face for the Great Li Song clan. Otherwise, it would be too much of a slap in the face. The entire court of civil and military officials will be watching. That kid Song He has just ascended the throne and has already become the most territory-expanding emperor in Bottle Gourd Continent's history. It could easily go to his head. If the subordinates stir him up, even if the old bastard can hold things down, it will still be a hidden danger for Fallen Mountain in the future. After all, the old bastard will be very busy by then. Such is the nature of the world: those who do things always make more mistakes and earn less gratitude. When the unification of Bottle Gourd Continent is complete, the old bastard will face many constraints from the Central Plains Divine Continent—troubles that will not be small. In contrast, people like Song He who do nothing will enjoy pure blessings. Once people have idle time, they are prone to resentment."
"I have a clear understanding of the Five-Color Soil refining."
After nodding, Chen Ping'an said with concern, "When the Great Li iron cavalry unifies Bottle Gourd Continent in one go, the many meritorious officials will inevitably slack off after receiving their rewards. And they won't be able to share the heavenly secrets with them for a while. That will be the time that truly tests your and Cui Chan's skills in governing a state and controlling men."
Cui Dongshan laughed. "At that time, there will certainly be many troubles, but no major disasters. A new house—if the foundation is solid and the framework is set, as long as the beams and pillars don't go wrong, there's no fear of wind or rain. The window paper might tear, a roof tile might crack—those are just minor repairs. When the new house becomes old, the door hinges rotted, the corridor pillars cracked, white ants and snakes and rats inside—then I and the old bastard won't be the ones worrying about those things anymore."
Chen Ping'an nodded and said nothing more. In the path of practical achievement, meticulous work was essential. He remembered that this very fellow before him was the originator of that discipline.
Cui Dongshan turned his head to glance at the bamboo building, then looked back and asked, "Now that we have many mountain peaks—Fallen Mountain goes without saying, it's already as good as it can be. The rest, like Huimeng Mountain, Aoyu Bei, Sword Worship Platform, and so on—have you chosen the suppressing objects to bury in each place?"
Chen Ping'an smiled bitterly. "Even an expert housewife can't cook without rice. I have some ideas, but no suitable objects."
The Grain Rain coins originally used to build Fallen Mountain's protective grand formation had already been spent beyond their means—this was not sustainable in the long term. So on this trip to North Julu Continent, besides practicing the sword, he really needed to try becoming a true wild cultivator. He would climb mountains to search for ancient immortal dwelling sites, dive into rivers to seek dragon palace secret realms, and see if he could earn some unexpected wealth to supplement the household income.
Cui Dongshan was about to speak.
Chen Ping'an had already raised his hand to stop him. "Two different matters. Even brothers in a family need to settle accounts openly."
Cui Dongshan looked a bit dejected. If he were willing to imitate his master and act as a wealth-giving boy, he suspected that in the entire Haoran world, only that fellow surnamed Liu from Aiai Island could match him.
Chen Ping'an asked casually, "Wei Xian has been following you. What is his cultivation level now?"
Cui Dongshan shook his head. "After Wei Xian left the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, his ambition was not to reach the pinnacle of martial arts. The talents currently available at my side are pitifully few—I can count them on one hand. Since Wei Xian has that ambition, I'll push him along. When I return to Guanhu Academy this time, I'll soon throw Wei Xian into the Great Li military. Whether he chooses to attach himself to Su Gaoshan or Cao Ping, we'll see. No rush. When the Great Li goes south, there won't be many hard-fought death battles like those with the Zhuying Dynasty, but there will still be plenty of tough fights. Wei Xian will be in time for them. Especially in the south, many mountain immortals who have long lorded it over all—those millennia-old manor houses—will be even harder nuts to crack. That's where Wei Xian's chance to shine will come. Master, in the future, even if Fallen Mountain becomes a mountain cave paradise with abundant celestial qi, its relationship with the human dynasties, between the mountain and the mortal world, will still need a few bridges. Wei Xian in the court, Lu Baixiang roaming the martial world, and Zhu Lian staying by your side—each fulfilling their duties—currently seems the best arrangement."
Chen Ping'an hummed in acknowledgment.
Pei Qian asked, "And Sister Sui?"
Cui Dongshan did not answer Pei Qian's question. He said seriously, "Master, don't rush."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "That line in your previous letter—'To shake the great and break the firm, take it slowly.' Actually, it can apply to many things."
Tongye Continent, Inverted Mountain, and the Sword Qi Great Wall.