Chapter 500: Some Encounters
Chen Ping'an put away the military manual and opened a book similar to the Pima Sect's "Peace of Mind Collection," titled "Spring Dew in Winter." It was a small pamphlet introducing the history and heritage of the mountain sect that owned the ferry boat. It was quite interesting—which Beiju Continent sword immortals had stayed at the mountain, which Earth Immortals had drunk tea and discussed the Dao at scenic spots, what poems and calligraphy literati and scholars had left behind—all covered in varying detail.
The ferry beneath Chen Ping'an's feet belonged to Spring Dew Garden. Its main source of income came from selling exotic flowers and herbs cultivated by the sect along the way. Three types of immortal flowers were nearly monopolized by the Wood Garments Mountain of the Pima Sect, representing a major revenue stream for Spring Dew Garden. Thus, the ferry route ran back and forth between Skeleton Beach and the Jiamu Mountain Range where Spring Dew Garden was located. Spring Dew Garden belonged to the Agricultural School among the Hundred Schools of Thought, had mostly female cultivators, and was gentle in temperament. The Jiamu Mountain Range, rich in rare trees and floral spirits, was a second-rate force with considerable assets in southeastern Julu Continent. With its wide network of friends and few feuds, it was a must-visit destination for many young registered wandering immortal masters from the south.
Chen Ping'an chose this ferry for three reasons. First, it completely bypassed Skeleton Beach. Second, Spring Dew Garden had inherited three unique treasures, one of which was a ten-thousand-year-old locust tree growing in the Jiamu Mountain Range, tens of feet tall. Chen Ping'an wanted to see it and compare it to the old locust tree in his hometown. Third, around the year-end, Spring Dew Garden held a New Year's Eve banquet, where thousands of itinerant merchants would gather to trade—a grand event where immortal money flowed freely. Chen Ping'an planned to do some small business there.
This small pamphlet from Spring Dew Garden was actually not thin, but compared to the exhaustive detail of "Peace of Mind Collection," which rambled like an elder family member, it fell short in page count.
Chen Ping'an actually regretted not being able to collect similar pamphlets from sects like the Supporting Sect in Tongye Continent.
After reading the pamphlet, Chen Ping'an began practicing the six-step stake walking, eventually entering a state half-asleep, half-awake as he punched, shuttling between the door and window without missing a step.
At dawn, Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, stopped his boxing stance, and sat back at the table. After a moment, when someone knocked on the corridor door, he stood up and opened it. It was a ferry steward, a relatively rare male cultivator from Spring Dew Garden—an old Golden Core cultivator, heavy with the aura of decline, far inferior to the Pima Sect's Du Wensi or Yang Lin. Even at the same realm, there could be a vast difference in skill; in a fight, the outcome would likely be decided quickly. This wasn't because Spring Dew Garden cultivators were useless—it was because Pima Sect cultivators were anomalies; life-and-death battles were as common as eating and drinking for them.
After Chen Ping'an opened the door, the old man said apologetically, "Sorry to disturb your rest, Daoist friend."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Senior Song, you're too polite. I just woke up too. According to the pamphlet, we should be nearing Gold Light Peak and Moon Flower Mountain, the so-called Couple Peaks. I planned to go out and try my luck, see if I could spot a Golden-Backed Goose or a Drum-Croaking Frog."
The old cultivator smiled. "That's exactly why I'm here. I wanted to remind Young Master Chen that in about two hours, we'll enter the territory of Gold Light Peak."
The Golden Core Earth Immortal subtly shifted to a more familiar form of address.
Returning the favor, Chen Ping'an quickly made way. "Senior Song, please come in."
The old cultivator smiled knowingly. Among mountain cultivators, if realms were not too far apart—like one at Ocean Observing and another at Dragon Gate—calling each other 'Daoist friend' sufficed. But if a Lower Five Realm cultivator faced a Middle Five Realm, or someone at Cave Abode, Ocean Observing, or Dragon Gate faced a Golden Core or Nascent Soul Earth Immortal, they should respectfully address them as Immortal Master or Senior. The Golden Core stage was a threshold—after all, the mountain rule "Only those who form a Golden Core are truly one of us" applied everywhere.
Of course, if one was bold enough, a Lower Five Realm cultivator could still casually call an Earth Immortal, or even an Upper Five Realm peak cultivator, 'Daoist friend'—provided they weren't afraid of getting slapped half to death.
As an old Golden Core cultivator addressing this young guest as 'Daoist friend,' it was clearly deliberate.
The young man had been accompanied to the ferry by Pang Lanxi, a direct disciple of the Pima Sect's Ancestral Hall—a famously talented youth rumored to possibly make the next list of the Top Ten Young Cultivators of Beiju Continent within sixty years. If other sects boasted about their disciples like this, it was usually a mountain's reputation-building tactic, best taken as a joke. When met in person, one would nod along politely while thinking, 'Get lost, you shameless bastard.' But Spring Dew Garden was a regular at Skeleton Beach and knew the Pima Sect cultivators were different. These cultivators didn't brag; they did ruthless things.
If it were just Pang Lanxi seeing off a guest on behalf of the Pima Sect, that wouldn't be too alarming—nothing like Sect Leader Zhu Quan or Mural City's Yang Lin showing up, which would be far more intimidating. But the old Golden Core cultivator had spent years traveling, not one of those secluded immortals who closed up for decades. He had developed sharp eyes. Pang Lanxi's words and demeanor at the dock showed genuine admiration for this foreign wanderer, whose depth the old cultivator couldn't gauge. That made him think carefully. Combined with the earth-shattering events at Ghost Domain Valley and Skeleton Beach—where Gao Cheng of Skull View City manifested his White Bone Dharma Aspect and personally pursued a fleeing sword light toward Wood Garments Mountain's Ancestral Hall—the old cultivator wasn't stupid. He began to piece things together.
For two mountain cultivators who had met by chance, one taking the initiative to invite the other inside to sit was a sign of great sincerity.
For Dao practitioners to avoid the mundane world was no mere joke.
The old Golden Core cultivator was named Song Lanqiao. According to the Ancestral Hall's lineage, he was of the 'Lan' generation of Spring Dew Garden. Since Spring Dew Garden had almost all female cultivators, having 'Lan' in the name wasn't unusual, but for a male disciple, it was a bit odd. So Song Lanqiao's teacher added 'Qiao' (firewood) to suppress the femininity.
Chen Ping'an had only heard from Pang Lanxi that Gold Light Peak and Moon Flower Mountain were Couple Peaks with special significance. With luck, one could see rare spiritual birds and creatures from the ferry, so he had been keeping an eye out.
Coincidentally, Song Lanqiao came to remind him and explain.
It turned out that around Gold Light Peak, Golden-Backed Geese occasionally appeared. These creatures flew as fast as a sword immortal's flying sword. They only lingered at the unique Gold Light Peak. Unless one was at the Nascent Soul stage, most cultivators couldn't hope to catch them. Moreover, Golden-Backed Geese were fierce; if captured, they would self-immolate, leaving no gain.
Golden-Backed Geese loved to soar high above the clouds, especially basking in sunlight. Because their backs were exposed to the sun for years, they absorbed solar essence innately. Thus, an adult Golden-Backed Goose could grow one golden feather; two were rare, three even rarer. In southern Beiju Continent, there was a long-established rogue Nascent Soul cultivator who, by chance, had been recognized by an old ancestral Golden-Backed Goose covered in golden feathers when he was still in the Lower Five Realm. That feathered beast had combat power equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator. When it flapped its wings, it was like a blazing sun rising. The rogue cultivator loved ambushes, blinding countless cultivators below Earth Immortal. After reaching Nascent Soul, he preferred stillness over activity, becoming a thousand-year turtle, and the Golden-Backed Goose's trail disappeared.
As for Moon Flower Mountain, on the first and fifteenth of every month, a giant frog as white as snow and as large as a hill would lead its offspring to the peak, drumming and croaking like Qi cultivators breathing and absorbing lunar essence. Around Mid-Autumn Festival, the mountain would be filled with frog calls, shaking the heavens, earning it the nickname Thunder Mountain. Not that cultivators hadn't tried to tame the giant frog, but it had a natural talent for earth-escape techniques, able to shrink its enormous body to the size of a mustard seed and hide within the mountain's veins. At the same time, Moon Flower Mountain would become as heavy as the Five Sacred Mountains, making it impossible for even Nascent Soul cultivators to use mountain-moving divine powers. So cultivators mostly tried to catch a few century-old snow frogs on Moon Flower Mountain. If they succeeded, it was already lucky, because the ancestral snow frog was extremely protective of its own. Many Middle Five Realm cultivators had died on Moon Flower Mountain.
Song Lanqiao narrated many amusing stories about cultivators at Gold Light Peak and Moon Flower Mountain, and Chen Ping'an listened with great interest.
Once, someone set up a net and caught a Golden-Backed Goose, but several others picked up the net and flew higher. The cultivator refused to let go and was dragged into the highest clouds. When he finally let go, the geese pecked him all over, leaving him naked and exposed—a disgraceful sight with no heavy treasures like a Fangcun Tomb to protect his modesty. The Qi cultivators watching from Gold Light Peak hooted endlessly. That cultivator was actually an Ocean Observing Realm female cultivator from a major mountain sect. After that incident, she never descended the mountain to travel again.
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "Don't cultivators build caves on Gold Light Peak or Moon Flower Mountain?"
Song Lanqiao stroked his beard and smiled. "The solar essence on Gold Light Peak is too scorching, especially the condensed solar essence there. It shifts constantly without pattern, so it's not a good place. Only Earth Immortal cultivators can barely stay there long-term. Ordinary Qi cultivators building a thatched hut to cultivate there would find it extremely difficult, just wasting spiritual energy. As for Moon Flower Mountain, it's actually a feng shui treasure land with complete Five Elements. But that giant frog occupies the mountain as its king, with thousands of descendants. The frog—already awakened—hates Qi cultivators the most and won't allow us to cultivate on the mountain."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Various mountain and river spirits each have their own ways of survival."
Song Lanqiao seemed to agree deeply and smiled as he took his leave.
Warmth and politeness were necessary, but too much would be vulgar. Forcing a connection would put one at a disadvantage. He was, after all, a Golden Core cultivator and had some face to maintain. Asking for favors was a different matter.
After leaving the room, Song Lanqiao shook his head. This young cultivator still saw things too shallowly. The Golden-Backed Geese of Gold Light Peak and the giant frog of Moon Flower Mountain were not caged—they were the minority. How many wild mountain spirits were killed for money? Take the grass spirits and tree spirits of the Jiamu Mountain Range—how many were trafficked and died young? Being raised in a wealthy household of a mundane dynasty was already great luck.
When the ferry passed Gold Light Peak, it hovered for an hour, but no Golden-Backed Goose appeared.
Song Lanqiao stood beside the young cultivator and explained that many cultivators who coveted these spiritual birds had waited here for years and still rarely saw them.
Then the Spring Dew Garden ferry slowly moved on, passing Moon Flower Mountain at night, not daring to get too close. It circled the mountain from seven or eight li away. Since it wasn't the first or fifteenth, the giant frog didn't appear. Song Lanqiao was a bit embarrassed, as the frog sometimes showed up on ordinary days, perched at the peak absorbing lunar essence. So Song Lanqiao didn't even show himself this time.
He saw the young cultivator, wearing a bamboo hat, standing until the ferry was far from Moon Flower Mountain before returning to his room.
Song Lanqiao smiled bitterly. This guy had pretty bad luck.
For ordinary ferries passing these Couple Peaks, seeing a Golden-Backed Goose was out of the question. In the two hundred years he had managed this ferry, encounters were rare. But the Moon Flower Mountain frog—passengers had about a fifty-fifty chance of seeing it.
After another two days, the ferry slowly rose higher.
The young cultivator proactively found Song Lanqiao and asked why. Song Lanqiao didn't hide it. This was a semi-public secret of ferry routes, not a mountain taboo. Every stable route developed over years had many tricks. When passing through spiritually rich landscapes, the ferry often lowered its altitude to absorb heaven and earth's spiritual energy, slightly reducing immortal money consumption. When passing through "lawless lands" with poor spiritual energy, being closer to the ground consumed more immortal money, so they needed to rise. How to take advantage within immortal sect rules, "skimming a little oil," was a seasoned navigator's specialty, requiring considerable skill in managing human relationships.
Song Lanqiao shared these not-so-taboo secrets with the young cultivator without holding back.
Consider it a small token of goodwill, since it cost nothing.
Because of this, Song Lanqiao speculated that this foreign wanderer was probably a core disciple from a major sect, devoted solely to cultivation and ignorant of mundane affairs. He probably hadn't traveled much, otherwise he wouldn't be unaware of such basic ferry insiders' knowledge. After all, a mountain's depth could be judged by how far its ferry could go—a few thousand li, half a continent, or even cross-continent—was a very intuitive clue.
When asking for advice, Chen Ping'an took out a jug of immortal wine bought from Skeleton Beach. It wasn't as famous as Yin Chen Tea, called Wind Hail Wine, and was very strong.
One day, Song Lanqiao suddenly left his room, ordered the ferry to descend, and half an incense stick later, stood at the bow, leaning on the railing, squinting down at the land below. He could vaguely see an anomaly and couldn't help but marvel.
The ferry wasn't too high off the ground, and with clear weather, visibility was excellent. The rivers and mountain ranges below were clearly visible. But that particular strange sight—ordinary cultivators wouldn't notice a thing.
Song Lanqiao was just watching for curiosity's sake; he wouldn't interfere. This was technically using public resources for private interest, but the half-incense stick's extra cost of a few dozen snow coins—even if Spring Dew Garden's financial elder knew, they'd only ask what interesting thing Song Lanqiao saw, not quibble over a few snow coins. A Golden Core cultivator wasting time on a ferry was clearly a pitiable soul whose path to the Great Dao was cut off. Most people didn't dare provoke a ferry steward, especially an Earth Immortal.
Chen Ping'an walked over to the old Golden Core cultivator, looking at a city shrouded in black mist. "Senior Song, why is there a black mist covering the city?"
"You have good eyes, Young Master Chen. Even I have some difficulty seeing clearly."
Song Lanqiao stroked his beard and smiled. "That's a prefectural city of the Silver Screen Kingdom. It seems a disaster is about to befall it, which is why the external manifestation is so obvious. Two possibilities: either a demonic entity is causing trouble, or the local mountain and river deities, city gods, and other officials enshrined by the court have reached the point where their golden bodies are decaying and collapsing. The Silver Screen Kingdom looks vast in territory, but in southeastern Beiju Continent, it's truly a small country. The land's spiritual energy is not abundant, so it produces no Qi cultivators. Even if there are any, they work for others. So this kind of impoverished backwater kingdom is just an empty shell. Qi cultivators don't like to go there."
This clearly treated the young cultivator as a novice just starting out. Song Lanqiao quickly realized his phrasing was inappropriate, but when he cautiously observed the young man's expression—still listening intently—he breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, this was a noble from a sect's Ancestral Hall in another continent. Fortunately, he came from Spring Dew Garden, a sect known for being friendly. If it were a ferry from a major sect in central or northern Beiju, once they saw through his identity, they might toy with him. If conflict arose and tempers flared, they wouldn't kill him outright but would find an opportunity to play rogue cultivators and destroy the evidence. This happened often.
Song Lanqiao hesitated, then swallowed the warning that had reached his lips.
Big sect disciples cared most about face. He shouldn't add unnecessary touches, lest the other party not appreciate it and even hold a grudge.
Chen Ping'an looked around, adjusted his bamboo hat, and smiled. "Senior Song, I have nothing to do anyway and feel a bit stuffy. I'll go down for some fun. I might be late getting to Spring Dew Garden. I'll find you for a drink then. Leaving the ferry now might affect its formation a bit."
Song Lanqiao was taken aback, a bit surprised. But cultivators acted as they pleased, so the old Golden Core didn't say much, just offered some auspicious words.
Then the old cultivator saw the foreign cultivator surnamed Chen seem a bit embarrassed.
Why not fly on a sword? Even if it drew too much attention, flying with wind was easy enough?
Chen Ping'an had no choice but to pat his Sword Nurturing Gourd, grip the railing with one hand, and vault over. He casually struck the ferry's formation with his palm, piercing through it. His body shot out like an arrow, then his feet seemed to step on the tip of a faint green sword light. He bent his knees slightly, suddenly exerted force, and his figure rapidly descended at an angle. Ripples shook violently around him, booming loudly. The Golden Core cultivator's eyelids twitched. Good heavens—a young sword immortal was one thing, but his physique was as tough as a Golden Body Realm martial artist, wasn't it?
Damn it all, a sword cultivator!
Chen Ping'an landed on a mountain peak and waved goodbye from afar.
Song Lanqiao did the same. At least he had manners—hard to dislike.
For mountain cultivators, parting amicably was rare.
Chen Ping'an took out a bamboo box and strapped it to his back.
The sword immortal unwilling to draw his sword was clearly pouting over not having a satisfying fight back at Ghost Domain Valley.
As for the sword embryo First Frost, originally named "Little Fengdu," Chen Ping'an didn't dare let it leave the Sword Nurturing Gourd easily.
Chen Ping'an took out the string of walnuts and put them on his hand, then placed the three Cloud Sky Palace talismans into his left sleeve.
Not seeing the Golden-Backed Goose or the giant frog at Gold Light Peak and Moon Flower Mountain was a good thing.
The hidden reason for choosing this Spring Dew Garden ferry was precisely this.
Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then didn't rush to move. Instead, he found a secluded spot and began to refine the longest golden lightning whip from Accumulated Cloud Mountain. After about two hours, he had refined it into a rough form. Holding a walking staff, he started walking toward the Silver Screen Kingdom's prefectural city, about fifty or sixty li away by mountain road.
Earlier, when parting with Pang Lanxi at the dock, the youth had given him two sets of "Corridor Filling" copybooks of Goddess Paintings—his great-grandfather's most prized works, truly priceless. One set was valued at one Grain Rain coin, and even then, it was hard to find. But Pang Lanxi said Chen Ping'an didn't need to pay, because his great-grandfather said Chen Ping'an's heartfelt words at the mansion were refreshingly original, like an orchid in an empty valley, not at all like flattery.
Chen Ping'an shamelessly accepted the two sets of Goddess Paintings, smiling at Pang Lanxi, saying when he returned to Skeleton Beach, he must drink with his great-grandfather.
Pang Lanxi, a straightforward person, said, "My great-grandfather only had three sets left. He gave two to you and one to the Ancestral Hall's Law Enforcement Ancestor. If you want to exchange flattery for more Corridor Filling copies, you'd be making it hard for him."
Chen Ping'an, with a sincere expression, said, "Your great-grandfather has mountains and ravines in his heart. He's thoroughly familiar with the spirit and charm of the Mural City goddesses. His brush moves like ghosts and gods aiding him. From heart to hand, from hand to paper, the goddesses on paper are naturally lifelike, as if sharing a spiritual connection with him. Everything flows naturally, a masterpiece..."
Pang Lanxi was dumbfounded.
But when the ferry carrying Chen Ping'an sailed away, the youth felt a bit reluctant.
He wanted to hear more of the principles that fellow spouted while drinking.
At that time, far from the ferry, the Pima Sect's Ancestral Master was staring at his palm.
Beside him, Pang Shanling nodded and smiled. "It suits my heart perfectly."
The Ancestral Master held back for a long time but couldn't come up with any fancy words, so he gave up and asked, "You actually believe that kind of cliché flattery?"
Pang Shanling raised an eyebrow. "In your Pima Sect, do I ever hear such things?"
The Ancestral Master was furious, cursing that young wanderer as shameless. If not for his relatively proper attitude toward women, he might well be a second Jiang Shangzhen.
Chen Ping'an had no idea that the Pima Sect Ancestral Master and Pang Shanling were watching him and Pang Lanxi with their divine powers of observing mountains and rivers. He also didn't know about the Ancestral Master's anger.
A young wanderer in blue robes, carrying a bamboo box, walked with a walking staff along a desolate winter mountain path.
He hoped that little mouse spirit guarding the gate of the Sheep Intestine Palace would have countless books to read in this life, safely traveling between Ghost Domain Valley and Skeleton Beach, returning with a full book box every time.
He hoped the two demons on the chain bridge would cultivate diligently, do no evil, and attain the Great Dao of longevity.
He hoped that old turtle, who had returned to the temple to listen to Buddhist scriptures, could make amends and achieve the right result.
He wondered if the young fox spirit with a low face hidden under a green umbrella on Precious Mirror Mountain could find a lover who would hold the umbrella to shield her from the rain.
Would that White Bone swordsman named Pu Rang, besides wielding a blue sword in the world of martial arts, one day appear in the world as a woman, with a relaxed brow and a happy face?
Chen Ping'an didn't know if these things would happen.
Just as he didn't know that in the eyes of the naive Pang Lanxi, in the eyes of that little mouse spirit, and in the eyes of that scholar Cao Qinglang from the Lotus Pod Blessed Land farther away, meeting him, Chen Ping'an, was like how he, as a youth, had met A Liang, had met Mr. Qi.