Chapter 485: Old Friends and Old Stories Meet Again
The Immortal Ferry at Haigu Beach was a crucial hub in the southern part of Beiju Luzhou, bustling with trade and crowded with people. In Chen Ping'an's eyes, they were all walking immortal coins, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of longing for the future of his own Niujiao Mountain Ferry.
The ferryboat slowly docked. The impatient guests couldn't wait a moment longer and scrambled off in a chaotic rush. According to the rules, when boarding or disembarking at a ferry, regardless of one's realm or status, one should walk. This was the case in Baoping Zhou, Tongye Zhou, and the mixed-crowd Daoxuan Mountain. But here, it was different. Even those who followed the rules competed furiously. Many more rode away on flying swords, turning into streaks of rainbow light; others soared on magic treasures, rode off on immortal birds, or simply leaped down from the ship. It was a complete mess, noisy and chaotic. The supervisors on the Pima Sect ferryboat and the staff on the dock cursed at those damn rule-breakers again. A Guanhai Realm cultivator in charge of dock security got so furious that he directly struck down a Qi refiner who flew over his head, sending him crashing to the ground.
Chen Ping'an found the scene both amusing and exasperating. This was right under the nose of the Pima Sect. In other places, how chaotic would it be?
Chen Ping'an was in no hurry to disembark. The old shopkeeper was still telling him about several must-visit places in Haigu Beach. Since the man was kindly introducing the local attractions, Chen Ping'an felt it would be rude to cut him off mid-sentence. So he patiently listened to the old shopkeeper's explanations. Although Chen Ping'an was curious about the disembarkation scene, he had understood since childhood that when someone was speaking earnestly to you, looking around was a sign of poor upbringing. So he only glanced a couple of times before turning his attention back.
The old shopkeeper had been running a ferryboat store for two or three hundred years, welcoming and seeing off guests, and had developed a keen eye. He quickly ended the previous topic and smiled as he explained, "Our Beiju Luzhou may seem chaotic, but after you've been here a while, you find it refreshing instead. It's true that you can easily make enemies by accident, but there are also plenty of instances where strangers make a promise worth a thousand gold and entrust each other with life and death. I believe Young Master Chen will come to understand this in time."
As the old shopkeeper spoke, his weathered face, which had seen countless storms, was filled with undisguisable pride.
Chen Ping'an was not unfamiliar with this sentiment, and his heart tightened with a touch of sadness. Someone once proudly claimed Beiju Luzhou as their homeland in the same way, even though they were merely a lower-five-realm Qi refiner, only a maidservant on the Dajiao Mountain Ferry.
The old shopkeeper hesitated, recalling his private meeting with the Dali Northern Mountain True God Wei Bo, and then said softly, "Young Master Chen, may I speak a few words that might not be pleasant to hear?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Shopkeeper Huang, please go ahead."
The old shopkeeper spoke slowly, "Beiju Luzhou is quite xenophobic and prone to internal strife. But when it comes to dealing with outsiders, they are especially united. They dislike three types of outsiders the most: one is Confucian scholars traveling here, whom they find full of sour pedantry and can't stand. The second is immortal clan children from other continents, who all look down on everyone else. The last is sword cultivators from outside, who they think are arrogant and have the audacity to come to Beiju Luzhou to hone their swords."
The old man leaned on the railing, sighed, and said with emotion, "Among these three, the second type is the most despised. Throughout history, countless young people who could command the wind and rain in their own hometowns, relying on their family ancestors or the illustrious status of their mentors, didn't pay attention to how they spoke or acted. But almost none of them could gain any benefit. They left Beiju Luzhou in disgrace—if they were lucky. Many even had their cultivation paths severed, or died here. Among them were Purple and Yellow nobles from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Mansion, direct disciples of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, the closed-door disciple of a Flying Ascension Realm patriarch from the immortal clans of Liuxia Zhou, and even the younger brother of the God of Wealth from Ai'ai Zhou, who was beaten to death here. The list goes on. Many of these old debts are numerous, and even now, the cultivators from other continents who lost their relatives or disciples still haven't figured out who their enemies are."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Shopkeeper Huang's reminder will stay with me."
The old shopkeeper resumed his smile, clasped his fists, and said loudly, "These taboos are like a few hemp ropes from the market—they won't bind a true dragon among men. Beiju Luzhou never rejects true heroes. So, I wish Young Master Chen great success in making a name for himself here!"
Chen Ping'an clasped his fists in return. "I'll borrow your auspicious words, Shopkeeper Huang!"
Chen Ping'an put on his bamboo hat, wore his sword on his back in his green robes, and left the Pima Sect ferryboat.
According to Old Shopkeeper Huang, there were three places in Haigu Beach that one absolutely had to visit, or else the trip would be a waste.
The first was the Yaoye River Temple, which, though not of high rank, was enormous in scale. The river god's temple, housing his golden statue, was even more imposing than the water god temples of most ten-thousand-mile rivers in Beiju Luzhou.
The second was a huge city that extended from the foot of the Pima Sect mountain all the way down into the depths of the earth, called the Mural City. Beneath the city were eight towering walls, each painted with the image of a beautiful celestial maiden from ancient times. They were lifelike, every detail visible. It was said that there was a great fortune that "ignored cultivation and only looked at fate," waiting for the destined one to come. These eight celestial maidens were the remnants of the essence of female officials from a certain palace in the ancient Heavenly Court. If someone among the viewers caught their fancy, they would step out of the mural and serve that person for life. Their cultivation levels varied. Now, only three of the eight celestial maidens remained. The other five murals had already lost their spiritual energy. The highest among them was at the Jade Marrow Realm of the upper five realms, and the lowest was a Golden Core earth immortal. Moreover, on the murals, there were magic treasures that would be brought along by the maidens when they left. The Pima Sect had invited various experts to try to copy the treasures from the murals using immortal stele-rubbing techniques, but the murals were full of profound mysteries, and they had never succeeded.
Besides the opportunity of the three remaining murals, the city also sold many items and spirits that ghost cultivators dreamed of. Even ordinary immortal mansions were willing to come here to bid on well-trained spirit puppets. These could serve as unique gate guardians for the mountain or as defensive heavyweights willing to die for their masters, accompanying them in their travels. Moreover, the Mural City was home to many loose cultivators and wild cultivators. In their transactions, heavy treasures were often hidden. A young sword immortal who had now gone to Sword Qi Great Wall made his fortune by picking up a half-immortal weapon from a wild cultivator at a bargain.
The last was the "Ghost Realm Valley," which most attracted sword cultivators and pure martial artists. The Pima Sect intentionally drove and gathered the fierce ghosts that were difficult to refine into one place. After outsiders paid a toll, they were on their own.
Chen Ping'an decided to head to the Mural City first, as it was the closest.
After Chen Ping'an was far from the ferryboat, an old cultivator from the Pima Sect, responsible for the intercontinental ferryboat, completely suppressed his Qi, not letting a single drop of spiritual energy leak from his Qi mansion. He was a Nascent Soul cultivator, long renowned in Haigu Beach, and held a very high seniority in the Pima Sect's ancestral hall. However, he usually disliked showing his face and hated socializing the most. This old cultivator appeared beside Shopkeeper Huang and said with a smile, "For someone who does business, that speech of yours wasn't just unpleasant—it was downright annoying."
A young man who could make the Dali Northern Mountain True God show up and who alone held thirty percent of the mountain peaks in Lizhu Cave Heaven was bound to be related to the three types of people the shopkeeper had mentioned. At least he fit one of them. Any young man with a bit of pride would likely take the shopkeeper's good intentions the wrong way, thinking it was a warning.
The old shopkeeper stroked his beard and smiled. Although his cultivation level was far inferior to his old friend the Nascent Soul cultivator, they interacted casually. "If he were a young man who cared about face and was impatient, he wouldn't have been so reclusive on the ferryboat. He would have taken his leave the moment he heard about the Mural City and the other two places, not waste time with an old man like me. In that case, I wouldn't need to say those words at all."
The old Nascent Soul said casually, "You can know a person's face, but not their heart."
The old shopkeeper laughed heartily. "It's just business. If I can accumulate a bit of goodwill, that's profit. So I say, Old Su, you're not cut out for business. The Pima Sect putting you in charge of this ferryboat is a waste of a mountain of gold and silver. How many relationships and connections that could be cultivated run right in front of you, yet you don't bother to grab any."
"Is networking on all sides really a good thing for a cultivator?"
The old Nascent Soul sneered. "If an earth immortal with a chance to reach the upper five realms wasted their time like this, wouldn't that be even more of a waste?"
The old shopkeeper pretended not to understand the implication. He rested his elbows on the railing and gazed at the scenery of his homeland. The intercontinental ferry business never lacked opportunities to enjoy the sights of mountains and rivers along the way, but no matter how much he saw, he still felt his own land was the best. Listening to the Nascent Soul Great Cultivator's words, the old shopkeeper said cheerfully, "Don't treat me like a basket. I don't accept complaints here."
The old Nascent Soul didn't mind. He recalled something and frowned. "What exactly is going on with the Yuguizong? Why did they move their subsidiary sect to Baoping Zhou? According to common sense, with Du Mao of Tongye Sect dead, they're barely holding together and haven't scattered like a tree with its roots cut. As long as Xun Yuan simply places the subsidiary sect north of Tongye Sect, taking advantage of their weakness, the Tongye Sect would be finished in no time. Why doesn't Xun Yuan take such an easy gain? The subsidiary sect's location in Baoping Zhou—no matter how great its potential—can it compare to devouring most of Tongye Sect whole? This old man Xun Yuan was said to be a playboy in his youth. Could it be that his brains were crushed between some woman's thighs?"
The shopkeeper surnamed Huang from Xuhui Firm shook his head. "Anyone in the Yuguizong could be a fool, but not Xun Yuan. Even without ever dealing with him, just the fact that this old senior could tame Jiang Shangzhen proves he's no simpleton. Jiang Shangzhen's temper? When he was only at the Golden Core realm, he traveled alone through our Beiju Luzhou and caused how many mountain peaks and female immortals to suffer? And in the end, he walked away clean after getting what he wanted. I've had no major grievances in my life, except for one—the lingering death of my little martial aunt! She once protected and guided me on the path. Without her care, I would have been three feet under long ago. That damned Jiang Shangzhen! When I think of my little martial aunt—such a good woman—ah... Damn it! Every time I mention that bastard, I'm both furious and somewhat in awe."
The old shopkeeper's usual speech was quite refined, unlike typical Beiju Luzhou cultivators. But when he mentioned Jiang Shangzhen, he seemed to grit his teeth.
The old Nascent Soul cultivator said gloatingly, "My basket is full."
The old shopkeeper spat, as if trying to expel the pent-up frustration along with the saliva.
He asked curiously, "From the looks of it, the Dali Song clan seems intent on elevating the Niujiao Mountain Ferry. They have no intention of expanding the Changchun Palace Ferry. So when the time comes, Old Su, which local snake will you have to deal with? Dali military generals or their enshrined cultivators?"
The old Nascent Soul cultivator shook his head. "The Dali is most wary of outsiders spying on their intelligence. Our ancestral hall specifically warned us—many of the methods we're used to employing are not to be used within the Dali Northern Mountain territory, lest we cause discord. The Dali isn't what it used to be; they have the leverage to block the Haigu Beach ferries from going south. So I still don't know who their candidate is. But it doesn't matter anyway. I have no interest in fussing over this. As long as both sides maintain face, that's fine."
The old Nascent Soul clicked his tongue. "Look at how quickly things change. Not many years ago, when the Dali's first immortal ferry capable of receiving intercontinental ships officially started operating, the stationed cultivators and generals were all top-notch talents in the Dali—every one of them was a powerful and influential figure. But when they saw us, they all smiled obsequiously and never straightened their backs from start to finish. You've seen it too. And now? Look at the Northern Mountain True God, Wei Bo, right? Did he ever bow his back? No. Times change. Soon, we'll be the ones begging them."
The old Nascent Soul cultivator's heart suddenly tightened. He gave the shopkeeper a signal with his eyes. The latter became alert, but the old cultivator shook his head, indicating not to be too nervous. As long as they were within Haigu Beach territory, nothing too serious would happen. Did they think the Pima Sect's protective mountain formation was for show?
The two turned their heads together and saw a "guest" walking against the flow of passengers getting off. He appeared middle-aged, wearing a purple-gold crown and a white jade belt, very dashing. He walked slowly, looking around, seemingly a bit regretful. Finally, he appeared not far behind the chatting pair, smiled, and looked at the old shopkeeper. "What was your little martial aunt's name? Maybe I know her."
Anything else could be discussed, but when it came to personal privacy, especially about his little martial aunt, the old shopkeeper wouldn't be polite. His face darkened. "Who the hell are you? Which hole did you crawl out of? Go back to where you came from!"
The man spoke in fluent, polished Beiju Luzhou dialect, nodding. "I go by my real name and never change it. Below, I am Zhou Fei of Chunchao Palace."
The old shopkeeper said angrily, "If you're not Jiang Shangzhen, then get the hell out of here."
The middle-aged cultivator thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "Alright, I'll get going."
He actually turned around and went straight down the ship.
The old shopkeeper looked at the old Nascent Soul cultivator beside him, whose expression was grim. "Could it be that he's a Nascent Soul big shot like you, Old Su?"
The old Nascent Soul raised a finger and pointed upward.
The old shopkeeper was not particularly afraid, at least not panicked. He rubbed his chin. "How about I go hide in your ancestral hall for a month or two? If a fight really breaks out and the Pima Sect's ancestral hall gets damaged, I'll pay whatever it costs. But with our old friendship, can I get a twenty percent discount?"
The old Nascent Soul patted his shoulder. "That guy is clearly not a good person. You'll have to pray for your own good fortune. He hasn't gone far. How about you go apologize to him? I say, you're a businessman—since you dared to say I'm not cut out for it, why care about face?"
The old shopkeeper spat. "If that bastard has any real skill, let him kill me in front of you, Old Su!"
The old Nascent Soul said he wouldn't meddle, but in an instant, the Pima Sect expert's entire body glowed with treasure light. He brought his two fingers together, as if trying to grab something.
But he was still a step too slow.
A single emerald-green willow leaf stopped right in front of the old shopkeeper's heart.
A voice sounded by the ship railing. "You've already used up that bit of karmic goodwill. If you keep chattering, you'll really get a hole through your heart."
The willow leaf flashed and disappeared.
After a moment, the old Nascent Soul said, "He's already far away."
The old shopkeeper had a complicated look in his eyes. After a long silence, he asked, "If I spread this news, how many immortal coins could I earn?"
The old Nascent Soul smiled. "I advise you not to get impulsive. You'd earn the money but wouldn't live to spend it."
The old shopkeeper held back for a long time, then slapped the railing hard, wishing he could shout at the top of his lungs: That damned Jiang Shangzhen is back in Beiju Luzhou to ruin young wives again!
---
At the entrance to the Mural City at the foot of the Pima Sect mountain, it was packed. Chen Ping'an walked for half an incense stick of time before finding a relatively quiet spot. He took off his bamboo hat, sat at a street stall, and ate a makeshift lunch. Just as he was about to get up to pay, he saw a familiar face who had appeared from nowhere and had already taken the initiative to pay for him.
Chen Ping'an picked up his bamboo hat and asked, "Did you come specifically to ambush me?"
The man laughed. "There are some things I really needed to run over here and explain properly, so as not to leave a knot in our relationship and ruin our brotherly friendship."
Chen Ping'an was startled.
Whether in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land or at the Qinghu Palace in Tongye Zhou, this man had never been so overly familiar and enthusiastic on the surface.
Jiang Shangzhen laughed heartily. "Sorry, sorry! I spent some time in Beiju Luzhou in the past. Returning to an old haunt, I follow local customs and can't help it. I just like to call people brothers now."
The two walked together toward the entrance of the Mural City. Jiang Shangzhen communicated with Chen Ping'an via heart lake ripples.
Just as they reached the entrance, Jiang Shangzhen finished speaking and then took his leave, saying that the Shujian Lake area was in ruins and needed his attention to return.
After Jiang Shangzhen parted ways with Chen Ping'an, he went back to the Pima Sect ferryboat, found the old shopkeeper, and had a proper "heart-to-heart" talk, moving him with emotion and reasoning with logic. After ensuring there were no lingering aftereffects, Jiang Shangzhen then boarded his own magic treasure ferryboat and returned to Baoping Zhou.
Chen Ping'an followed a barely perceptible ten-mile-long slope down into the underground Mural City. On both sides of the path hung lanterns specially made by immortal masters, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day. The light was soft and natural, like the gentle sunlight of a winter day.
Chen Ping'an silently pondered Jiang Shangzhen's words.
He sidestepped two steps to avoid a woman hurrying past with a porcelain vase in her arms. Chen Ping'an, almost without any distraction, continued walking forward.
Unexpectedly, the woman behind him fell to the ground, wailing loudly, surrounded by broken porcelain pieces.
Chen Ping'an leaned his body back slightly and instantly retreated to the woman's side. He slapped her across the face, shocking her so much that she was dazed. Then he slapped her again, making her face sting with burning pain.
The woman, who had been about to grab his leg and begin her proficient act of hysterics, didn't dare to continue her wailing. She looked timidly toward four or five accomplices by the roadside, feeling that two slaps for nothing couldn't be left alone. Shouldn't they all rush in and make him pay at least two Snowflake Coins? Besides, that vase, which she had claimed was an authentic "Liuxia Vase worth three Small Summer Coins," had only cost her two taels of silver anyway.
But in the end, the woman only received another kick from a strong man, which made her head wobble. He threw down a parting remark: "You come back and pay us back these three taels of silver."
The woman complained bitterly, "Wasn't the cost two taels of silver?"
But as soon as she spoke, she got another kick to the face. The man sneered, "Your brothers' travel expenses aren't worth even one tael?"
As the group of men left, they whispered among themselves. One of them had also ordered a bowl of wontons at the stall earlier and thought the young wanderer with the bamboo hat was an easy target.
On the road, the woman didn't bother to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. Since the place was crowded with people, offending a true immortal lord would mean more than just two kicks and a few slaps. She quickly pulled a large cotton cloth from her sleeve, gathered up the broken porcelain pieces, and hurried away.
Leaving the sloped entrance to the Mural City, she entered an alley. There were slightly faded door gods and couplets pasted on the doors, and at the top, a spring character.
She rubbed her cheeks, adjusted her clothes, forced a smile, and pushed open the door. Inside the courtyard, two children were playing.
The woman closed the courtyard gate and went to the kitchen to start a fire and cook. Looking at the rice jar, which had only a thin layer at the bottom, she sighed softly.
After she finished preparing a meager meal, a child suddenly came running in joyfully, followed by a younger one. The child held out his hands, offering two small white coin-sized objects. His eyes shone as he asked, "Mommy, Mommy! There were two coins at the door. Look, look! Did the door god spit them out?"
The woman stood frozen.
Where did two Snowflake Coins come from?
No rich person would bother teasing her little family. She had no beauty, and her two children were ordinary. So what was going on?
A young man in a green robe and bamboo hat walked out of the alley, muttering to himself, "Only this once. From now on, I don't need to know these other people's stories."
He walked slowly, then turned his head to look. He saw two small children running with all their might, laughing and shouting that they were going to buy sugar-coated hawthorns. They had sugar-coated hawthorns to eat!
The green-robed swordsman smiled too and adjusted his bamboo hat. His eyes, which had been so gloomy and silent over the years, rarely showed such warmth. "Then... let me know one more time?"
For some reason, after deciding to meddle one more time, the young foreign swordsman walking forward felt that his heart was no longer heavy and stagnant with burdens. Instead, he felt that the sky was vast and the earth wide. This version of himself was truly capable of going anywhere.
(End of this chapter)