Chapter 523: Encountering a Land Dragon by the Great River
The Northern Yan Kingdom had flat terrain. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he worked diligently to strengthen the state, and with two horse-breeding grounds, his cavalry's combat power far surpassed that of Jingnan and Wuling. Further north lay the Green Oriole Kingdom, where tales of immortals had been passed down since ancient times. The writings and records of literati and strange tales were mostly related to water spirits and dragons.
Sui Jingcheng wore a veiled hat and a bamboo robe over her dharma robe. Although it was the height of summer, with the scorching sun beating down, riding by day was still not a problem. Instead, it was more a matter of the person taking care of the horse.
That day, the two riders stopped by the riverbank under the shade of a tree. The river water was clear, and there was no one around. She removed her veiled hat, took off her boots and socks, and as her feet sank into the water, she let out a long breath.
The senior was sitting not far away, taking out a jade bamboo folding fan. He didn't fan the breeze; instead, he opened the fan and gently swayed it. On it were characters that looked like duckweed floating in a mountain stream. She had seen it once before, and the senior said it was immortal script peeled from a talisman treasure ship in a mountain mansion called the Spring Dew Garden.
Sui Jingcheng was actually a bit worried about the senior's injuries. His left shoulder had been pierced directly by a strong arrow from a cultivator, and then entangled by a talisman formation. Sui Jingcheng couldn't imagine why the senior seemed unfazed. Along the journey, the senior only occasionally rubbed his right hand.
Sui Jingcheng turned her head and asked, "Senior, were those assassins sent by Master Cao Fu and the Golden Scale Palace?"
Chen Ping'an nodded, "It's only the most likely possibility. That group of assassins had clear characteristics, from a well-known cultivation sect in the south of Beiju Continent. They call it a sect, but apart from the name Deer Cutting Mountain, they have no mountain foundation. All assassins are called 'Faceless Ones.' Practitioners from all three teachings and nine schools can join, but I've heard there are quite a few rules. How to join, how to kill, how much to charge—all have regulations."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Deer Cutting Mountain also has a biggest rule: once they take money and send an assassin, they only strike once. If they fail, they only keep half the deposit. No matter how heavy the casualties, they won't ask the employer for the remaining half. And after that, Deer Cutting Mountain will never again target the person they failed to kill. So for now, at least, we don't have to worry about harassment from Deer Cutting Mountain."
Sui Jingcheng sighed, feeling a mix of sadness and guilt. "In the end, it's all because of me."
Although the senior seemed carefree along the way, Sui Jingcheng was meticulous and knew that he hadn't handled that assassination lightly.
Chen Ping'an closed the fan and said slowly, "On the path of cultivation, fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Most Qi practitioners endure such trials. The hardships may vary in size, but the magnitude of suffering depends on the person. I once saw a Daoist couple at the lower five realms. The female practitioner couldn't break through her bottleneck because she lacked a few hundred Snow Flower coins. If she delayed any longer, good would turn to bad, and her life would be in danger. So the couple had to risk entering the Bone Beach in the south to seek fortune. The torment they endured on that journey—would you say it wasn't suffering? It was, and it was no small matter. They didn't have an easier time than you on your journey."
Sui Jingcheng smiled, "Senior, did you happen to meet them and lend them a hand?"
Chen Ping'an didn't say anything.
Sui Jingcheng knew the answer.
Chen Ping'an pointed his fan at Sui Jingcheng.
Sui Jingcheng smiled knowingly, sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, concentrated her mind, and began to breathe and practice the immortal method recorded in the *Most Mysterious Collection Above All*.
When cultivators practice breathing, subtle ripples of Qi emanate around them, keeping mosquitoes and flies away, and they can resist cold and heat on their own.
Although Sui Jingcheng hadn't yet achieved success in cultivation, she already had the embryonic form of this phenomenon. This was rare, like when Chen Ping'an practiced the Mountain Collapsing Fist in the small town back then. Although his fist stance wasn't stable, his entire body flowed with fist intent, and he himself was unaware of it, which was why Ma Kuxuan's protector on True Martial Mountain saw through him at a glance. So Sui Jingcheng's talent was truly good. It was just a mystery why the wandering master who gave her the three gifts decades ago had never returned since, disappearing like a stone dropped into the sea. This year was clearly a great calamity on Sui Jingcheng's cultivation path. Logically, even if that master was millions of miles away, there should still be some mysterious and profound connection in the unseen.
As for the master's appearance and voice, it was even stranger, similar to that small booklet. Sui Jingcheng could look at it but couldn't read it; otherwise, her Qi would become chaotic and she would feel dizzy.
In previous years, Sui Jingcheng asked the elders in her household, and they all said they couldn't recall clearly. Even the old Vice Minister Sui Xinyu, who had a photographic memory since childhood, was no exception.
Chen Ping'an knew this was no ordinary mountain illusion technique.
Half an hour passed before Sui Jingcheng opened her eyes. Glowing light flowed over her body, and spiritual energy seeped from her bamboo dharma robe as well. The two colors complemented each other, like water and fire merging. But ordinary people could only see a blur; Chen Ping'an could see more. When Sui Jingcheng stopped her Qi circulation, the phenomenon on her body instantly dissipated. Clearly, that bamboo dharma robe was carefully chosen by the master, allowing Sui Jingcheng to practice the immortal method recorded in the booklet with doubled results. It was a painstaking effort.
The phenomenon was lofty and bright, open and aboveboard.
So Chen Ping'an was more inclined to believe that the master had no ill intentions toward Sui Jingcheng.
But he still had to take it step by step. On the path of cultivation, ten thousand cautions might be undone by one carelessness.
The two hadn't deliberately hidden their tracks; instead, they had left clues along the way, like in the small town where the Sweeping Mountain Villa was. If they walked all the way to the Green Oriole Kingdom and the master still hadn't appeared, Chen Ping'an would have to put Sui Jingcheng on an immortal ferry to the Bone Beach to join the Cloak and Linen Sect, then go to the Oxhorn Mountain ferry in Precious Vase Continent. According to Sui Jingcheng's own wishes, she would be registered as a nominal disciple under Cui Dongshan and cultivate with him. He believed that if the fate was truly meant to be, Sui Jingcheng would meet the master again and continue their teacher-student destiny.
When they reached the Green Oriole Kingdom ferry that Old Senior Wang Dun had pointed out, Chen Ping'an's most wanted piece of information was about the stirrings of the Jade Seal River Water Dragon near the Grand Seal capital.
Had the sword immortal Ji Yue from Ape Cry Mountain already fought that Tenth Realm martial artist?
Sui Jingcheng put on her socks and boots, stood up, and looked up at the sky. Earlier, the sun was blazing and the heat was oppressive, but now dark clouds had gathered, and there were signs of a heavy rain.
Chen Ping'an had already walked ahead to where the horses were tied, reminding her, "Let's keep moving. It'll rain in at most an incense stick's time. You can put on your straw rain cape directly."
Sui Jingcheng trotted over and asked with a smile, "Senior, can you predict the weather? Earlier in Xingting, you also calculated exactly when the rain would stop. My father said that only the experts from the Wuling Kingdom's Imperial Observatory have such skill."
Chen Ping'an put on his bamboo hat and straw cape, mounted his horse, and said, "Do you want to learn this divine ability?"
Sui Jingcheng nodded, "Of course!"
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Go work in the fields for ten-plus years, depending on the heavens for your livelihood year-round, and you'll naturally learn to read the signs."
Sui Jingcheng was speechless.
Chen Ping'an had only given half the answer. The other half was related to martial artists. They could keenly perceive many subtle things in heaven and earth, like wind blowing leaves, mosquitoes flapping their wings, dragonflies skimming the water. In Chen Ping'an's eyes and ears, these were all considerable disturbances. To explain this to Sui Jingcheng, a cultivator, would be pointless.
A torrential rain arrived as predicted.
The two riders moved forward slowly, not deliberately seeking shelter. Sui Jingcheng never complained or asked about the sun, wind, or rain on their northern journey. Soon she realized this was also cultivation. If she could find a suitable way to breathe and regulate her Qi even while jolting on horseback, she could maintain clear vision even in heavy rain. During the sweltering heat, she could even occasionally see the subtle "water currents" hidden in the mist. The senior said those were the world's spiritual energy. So Sui Jingcheng often zigzagged while riding, trying to catch those fleeting threads of spiritual energy. Of course, she couldn't catch them, but her bamboo dharma robe could absorb them.
The heavy rain didn't last long; it came and went quickly.
The two took off their straw capes and continued on their way.
Before the night curfew, they stopped at a county city called Wraith Water City. Because there was a Water God Temple upstream, but that wasn't the most compelling reason to visit. The main reason was that the river, named Obscure River, and the mountain, Lofty Mountain, were close to each other, and the temples for the mountain and water gods were less than three li apart. The senior said this was an extremely rare sight and must be seen. Sui Jingcheng never quite understood why the senior loved visiting historical sites so much, but she was afraid there might be some mountain-related significance, so she kept it to herself.
In the Northern Yan Kingdom, cricket fighting was a popular trend.
Many commoners would go out to the wilderness to catch crickets overnight and sell them for money. There were many poems and songs about crickets among the literati, mostly criticizing current affairs and hiding sarcasm. But no matter how many dynasties of scholars worried and expressed their concerns through poetry, in the mansions of high officials and the narrow courtyards of commoners, the hobby continued unabated. The chirping of crickets resonated throughout the court and the countryside.
So when the two riders entered the city earlier, there were far more people leaving than entering, each carrying various cricket cages. It was quite a peculiar sight.
The inn they stayed at was quite large, reportedly converted from a dismantled post station. The current owner was a young noble from the capital who had bought it cheaply, invested heavily in renovations, and now business was booming. Many walls still bore the calligraphy of scholars, and there was a bamboo grove and pond in the back.
At night, Chen Ping'an walked out of his room and strolled along the path by the pond with the willows. When he returned to his room to practice his fist techniques, Sui Jingcheng, wearing her veiled hat, stood on the path. Chen Ping'an said, "It's fine. You can walk alone if you like."
Sui Jingcheng nodded, watched him leave, walked around once, and then returned to her room.
Chen Ping'an continued practicing the Six-Step Stance and circulating the Eighteen Stops of Sword Qi, but he still couldn't break through the last bottleneck.
Sometimes Chen Ping'an would idly wonder: was his talent for practicing the sword really that poor? When he passed the Inverted Mountain back then, those young geniuses on the Sword Qi Great Wall seemed to grasp the essence of the Eighteen Stops quite quickly.
But Chen Ping'an also had a reason to comfort himself. Among the key acupoints in the Eighteen Stops, three of the "minuscule sword qi" dwelt, causing great obstruction. The final bottleneck was blocked at one of these points. Every time his qi reached this pass, it would stall.
He stopped his fist stance and began drawing talismans. The talisman paper was the most common yellow paper. Compared to ordinary lower-five-realm wandering Daoists, who could only use gold and silver powder as "ink" for drawing talismans, Chen Ping'an had bought quite a lot of mountain cinnabar from Old Acacia Street in the Spring Dew Garden. He had a pile of bottles and jars, mostly costing two or three Snow Flower coins per bottle. The most expensive large ceramic jar was worth one Minor Summer coin. On this journey, Chen Ping'an had used up quite a few of his three hundred various talismans. The battle in the valley proved that sometimes, overwhelming quantity had its merits.
Sui Jingcheng had been lucky. From the formation master's body, she had found two secret manuals: one was a talisman diagram manual, one was a true explanation of formations with missing pages, and the other was a notebook of insights. It recorded all the formation master's experiences since learning talismans. Chen Ping'an valued this notebook the most.
Of course, there was also the burly man's set of divine armor, the Deva Armor of Dew, which was of no small rank, along with the great bow and all the talisman arrows.
Plus the female assassin's two talisman blades, inscribed with "Morning Dew" and "Evening Glow" respectively.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a single Snow Flower coin in terms of immortal money.
This sudden battle was the closest Chen Ping'an had come to the atmosphere of the siege in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.
He had been heavily injured, but he had also benefited greatly.
When they had idly reviewed the battle like a game of chess, Sui Jingcheng had asked curiously, "Senior, are you actually left-handed?"
Chen Ping'an had nodded, "I've been left-handed since childhood. But after I started practicing fist techniques and left my hometown, I pretended otherwise."
The leader of that group of Deer Cutting Mountain assassins, the sword cultivator on the river, had watched calmly to be absolutely sure. He had examined the distribution of the Northern Yan Kingdom cavalrymen's corpses on the ground, and seeing that Chen Ping'an stabbed the Northern Yan cavalry commander with his right hand, he was certain he had seen the truth. He had then ordered the assassin with the hidden trump card to use a Buddhist divine ability to imprison Chen Ping'an's right hand. The power of this secret technique, and its severe aftereffects, were evident from the fact that Chen Ping'an was still somewhat affected.
Chen Ping'an had no idea that mountain cultivators had such strange secret techniques.
So it seemed Chen Ping'an had stumbled upon a bit of luck, causing the enemy to miscalculate.
But in fact, this was Chen Ping'an's way of navigating the world. He always seemed to immerse himself in a siege.
Sui Jingcheng couldn't help but ask, "Senior, isn't this tiring?"
Chen Ping'an had smiled, "Habit becomes nature. As I said before, complex principles might seem mentally taxing, but once you're familiar with them, they become easier. Then when you throw a punch or make a sword strike, you'll get closer and closer to the realm of being unrestrained by heaven and earth. It's not just about the killing power of your fist or sword... it's about heaven and earth recognizing you, aligning with the Great Dao."
Back then, Sui Jingcheng certainly couldn't understand what "unrestrained by heaven and earth" looked like, nor could she grasp the profound meaning of "aligning with the Great Dao."
The next day, they visited the two adjacent mountain and water god temples and then continued their journey.
They were not far from the Green Oriole Kingdom, located on the eastern coast of Beiju Continent.
The two riders moved slowly. Chen Ping'an sighed, "Heaven and earth are a great kiln, burning with yang charcoal, melting all things. No one can escape."
Sui Jingcheng was drowsy, but when she heard the senior speak, she perked up, "Senior, is this an immortal saying? Does it have any deep meaning?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile, "It's something my best friend heard from an old master who taught us how to fire kilns. We were young then, and we just thought it was an amusing saying. The old man never said anything like this to me. In fact, to be precise, he almost never spoke to me willingly. Even when we went deep into the mountains to find suitable soil for firing porcelain, we might stay in the mountains for ten days or half a month and exchange only two or three sentences."
Sui Jingcheng was surprised, "Senior, your sect also fired porcelain? Is there such an immortal mansion in the mountains?"
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, there is."
Sui Jingcheng asked cautiously, "So, that best friend of yours must have even higher talent for cultivation?"
Chen Ping'an smiled, "It's hard to say about talent for cultivation. But when it comes to firing porcelain, I'll never catch up to him in this lifetime. He could learn by just looking a few times; I might need to fumble for a month and still not be as good as him."
Sui Jingcheng asked again, "Senior, wouldn't it be stressful to have such a person as a friend?"
Chen Ping'an laughed it off.
The two passed the border between Northern Yan and Green Oriole Kingdoms, and now there were only a little over two hundred li left to the immortal ferry.
The ferry was called Dragon Head Ferry, a private territory of the Rain Grain Sect, a first-class immortal sect in the Green Oriole Kingdom. It was said that the founding patriarch of the Rain Grain Sect had once played a game of chess with the founding emperor of the Green Oriole Kingdom, and through his exceptional skill, he had "lost" a mountain.
The sect had nothing to do with the Rain Grain Coin among immortal money. Rather, it produced two items: "Rain Grain Stickers" and "Rain Grain Tablets," which were popular among mortals. The former were sold to wealthy families in secular dynasties, coming in two types: calligraphy stickers and painting stickers. They had rudimentary effects of immortal talismans, better than the door gods posted on ordinary doors for warding off evil spirits and demonic aura. As for the Rain Grain Tablets, people wore them at the waist. Their rank was higher, and they were essential items for Qi practitioners of lower realms in the area around the Green Oriole Kingdom when going up mountains or into waters. They were expensive; even the ministers and nobles of the Green Oriole Kingdom each possessed one. During court sessions, the emperor did not prohibit high officials from wearing them, and the emperor often bestowed them on meritorious ministers.
Dragon Head Ferry was a large ferry. Because in the dozen or so kingdoms to the south, including the Grand Seal Dynasty, the number of Qi practitioners was sparse. Apart from a small ferry with a short route in the Grand Seal Dynasty and another at the Golden Scale Palace, there were no other immortal ferries. As the hub of the easternmost part of Beiju Continent, the small Green Oriole Kingdom's court and people were very familiar with mountain cultivators. This was a world of difference from the Grand Seal ten-plus kingdoms, where martial artists ran rampant and immortals gave way.
The two sold their horses to a local escort agency in the county city.
They traveled on foot. Chen Ping'an gave Sui Jingcheng the walking stick.
Chen Ping'an's attire was now very simple: a bamboo hat and green shirt. He had put away his hairpin. He no longer carried the bamboo box, and he had put away the Sword Nurturing Gourd and the Sword Immortal.
Sui Jingcheng's words became fewer and fewer.
They walked along a river that flowed into the sea. The river was several li wide, but this was not the famous great river that flowed into the sea. It was said that the water of that great river was so vast you couldn't see the other shore. Many people in the Green Oriole Kingdom never had the chance to cross it in their lifetime.
The river breeze brushed the faces of travelers, and the heat vanished.
Sui Jingcheng asked, "Senior, if that secluded master never appears, I still hope I can become your disciple, first as a nominal disciple. When you think I'm qualified someday, you can remove the 'nominal' title. As for that Senior Cui, whether he's willing to teach me immortal methods or guide me, I won't force it. I've cultivated on my own for thirty years; I don't mind waiting until you finish your travels and return home."
Chen Ping'an turned to look at the surging river and smiled, "If you don't become his disciple, you'll regret it. I can guarantee that."
Sui Jingcheng shook her head decisively, "No, I won't!"
Chen Ping'an said, "Let's assume your Dao mentor never shows up again. Then the person I'm asking you to recognize as your master is a true immortal. In terms of cultivation, character, insight—whatever you can think of—he is far superior to me."
Of course, no matter how high that guy's cultivation was, he was still Chen Ping'an's disciple and student. In the past, Chen Ping'an hadn't thought much of it, often seeing it as a burden. Now looking back, it felt... pretty great?
Sui Jingcheng said firmly, "Is there really such a person in the world? I don't believe it!"
Chen Ping'an said, "Believe it or not. Hearing is not seeing. When you meet him, you'll understand."
Sui Jingcheng, wearing her veiled hat and holding the walking stick, was skeptical. But she still felt frustrated. Even if that Senior Cui was such a divine immortal, a mountain immortal, so what?
Sui Jingcheng knew how time-consuming cultivation was. Could a few decades or even hundreds of years of mountain cultivation really compare to the experiences of a wanderer in the world? Would there be as many stories? Up in the mountains, one could sit in a cave and go into seclusion for years or decades. When going down the mountain for training, they had to avoid worldly entanglements, passing through alone and returning to the mountain without dragging anything with them. Was such a long life of cultivation truly free from worries? And it wasn't that a Qi practitioner could cultivate peacefully without encountering disasters on the path to immortality. It was still possible to die. There were many barriers and bottlenecks. The mountain scenery that ordinary people couldn't appreciate, no matter how magnificent and extraordinary, after seeing it for decades or a century, wouldn't one get tired of it?
Sui Jingcheng felt a bit flustered.
Chen Ping'an stopped, picked up a few pebbles, and tossed them casually into the river.
Sui Jingcheng faced the river. The strong wind pressed the thin gauze of her veiled hat against her face, and her dress fluttered to one side.
There were many travelers on this riverside road, mostly Qi practitioners going to and from Dragon Head Ferry.
A big man rode past, his eyes lighting up. He abruptly reined in his horse, slapped his chest, and laughed, "Hey, lady, why not come with me and enjoy the good life? That pale-faced pretty boy beside you looks useless."
Sui Jingcheng ignored him.
The man leaped off his horse and landed beside Sui Jingcheng, reaching out with one hand to grab her.
Before he could succeed, the next moment he was thrown into the river.
Chen Ping'an had pressed down on his head and pushed him gently, sending him tumbling heavily into the water.
This pebble stirred up quite a splash.
The man splashed his way upstream, howling. He whistled, and his horse galloped forward without turning back. He showed no intention of seeking revenge.
Sui Jingcheng tensed up, "Is this another test from assassins?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "No, just a lecher who couldn't control his hands."
Sui Jingcheng said aggrievedly, "Senior, if this is what happens even on the roadside, what if I board an immortal ferry and all the cultivators there have ill intentions? What will I do if you're not with me?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Didn't I tell you before? At Dragon Head Ferry, I'll make arrangements."
Sui Jingcheng looked at him with a plaintive gaze, "But on the path of cultivation, there are so many 'ifs' and accidents."
Chen Ping'an didn't say much, just kept walking.
Sui Jingcheng caught up and walked alongside him. She said, "Senior, are these immortal ferries similar to ordinary river boats?"
Chen Ping'an nodded, "Similar. When encountering heavenly winds, they'll toss about a bit like ordinary boats, but nothing major. Even in thunder and rain, the ferry will pass through safely. Just treat it as sightseeing. The scenery among the clouds is quite nice. Sometimes immortal cranes might follow. When passing by immortal sects, you can see various mountainous phenomena from their protective formations."
Sui Jingcheng smiled, "Senior, don't worry. I'll take care of myself."
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "The original mind on the Great Dao is like uncut jade. Every time you carve and polish, it's bound to hurt. But if you endure it, that's what they call 'achievement in cultivation.' This is as important as your gradual practice of immortal methods in the future; otherwise, it's like walking with a limp, and you'll easily fall off the mountain. Worldly affairs value force over reason. People cultivate force but not the mind. Many do this, and many can be content, reaching a balance with the world. You can be at ease. As for right and wrong, you need to observe more and think more. Good people have bad habits; evil people can have good reasons. Just remember one thing: always ask your original mind. This general principle was something I learned from a person I once wanted to kill."
Sui Jingcheng nodded, "I'll remember."
Chen Ping'an walked on, pointing with his finger in two directions ahead. "The strangeness of the world lies in this. You and I meet, and the path of cultivation I point out will differ from anyone else's guidance. For example, if that half-mentor who gave you the three opportunities in your early years, that wandering master, were to personally guide you..."
"In the end, it would become two Sui Jingchengs. The more choices, the more Sui Jingchengs."
Chen Ping'an pointed to one direction, then the other. "At present, whether it's me as an observer or you yourself, no one knows which of the two Sui Jingchengs will achieve more or live longer. But do you know what the original mind is? Because this is something you can know in every single moment."
Chen Ping'an walked a dozen steps along one path, then stopped and pointed to the other, "Walking this way and then that, whether enduring hardship or enjoying happiness, you'll always walk with firm steps. Then at some crucial point, especially after great suffering, you'll inevitably doubt yourself. You'll look around, see the other possibilities you once abandoned. After careful thought and deliberation, the answer you reach at that moment is the original mind. How to proceed from there is asking your heart."
"But I tell you, at that moment, there will be a delusion. We'll all subconsciously do one thing: use the principles we're best at to convince ourselves. That's a very easy thing. Because as long as a person hasn't died and can endure to any point on life's path, everyone has something commendable. The hard part is keeping the original mind unchanged while the principles change."
Sui Jingcheng asked timidly, "What if a person's original mind is evil? The more they persist, the worse it is for the world, isn't it? Especially if such people learn from their lessons, don't they become worse and worse?"
Chen Ping'an nodded, "Of course. So I only say these things to myself and to those close to me. There's no need to say them to ordinary people. As for some, a fist and a sword are enough."
Sui Jingcheng was stunned into silence.
After a long silence, the two walked slowly. Sui Jingcheng asked, "What do we do?"
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "That's a question for the Confucian academies and the hundred schools of sages to consider."
"The three teachings and the hundred schools—so many principles, like rain falling on the mortal world. At different times and places, it might be sweet rain after a long drought, but it could also be a flood."
"What we can do ourselves is, in every time and place, let our hearts be like flowers and trees, turning toward the sun."
A young man in a Confucian robe, who had just passed by them on the road, stopped and turned around. He smiled, "Sir, I find that argument reasonable, but not entirely correct."
Chen Ping'an stopped and turned, smiling, "How so?"
Sui Jingcheng was immediately on alert and quickly stood behind Chen Ping'an.
The young man smiled, "In the streets and alleys, there are also great principles. If an ordinary person practices those principles throughout their life, they become people who can stand tall even when meeting sages, immortals, or true Buddhas."
Chen Ping'an asked, "What if a fist smashes down, leaving them bruised and battered? Do those principles still hold? Are they still useful? Might makes right—isn't that the most natural principle?"
The young man laughed, "Principles aren't just for eating or for blocking fists. The world has much suffering, that's a fact. But since when has there been a lack of peaceful people living in peace? Why do so many people who don't have big fists still live in peace and contentment? Why do mountain cultivators endlessly pursue absolute freedom, yet the secular kingdoms below still largely live stable lives?"
Chen Ping'an smiled again, "But if one has big fists, they don't need to talk about principles, and countless weaklings follow them like shadows. How do you explain that? If you deny that this principle is a principle, then are principles always just in the hands of a few strong ones?"
The young man shook his head, "That's just appearances. Sir clearly has the answer in his heart. Why ask this question?"
Chen Ping'an smiled.
The young man said, "My name is Qi Jinglong. But according to our sect's ancestral hall records, it's Liu Jinglong. It involves family matters, so I won't explain further to you."
Sui Jingcheng was baffled.
Because she had never heard the name "Liu Jinglong."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Shall we talk as we walk?"
Qi Jinglong smiled and walked alongside them as they continued along the river.
Chen Ping'an said, "As for 'appearances,' I'd like you to enlighten me, Mr. Qi... Liu. Even if I already have an answer in my heart, I hope Mr. Liu's answer can cross-validate with mine."
Qi Jinglong nodded, "Rather than saying the fist is the principle, it's better to say there's a difference in order. The big fist belongs only to the latter. There's a crucial truth hidden before that."
Chen Ping'an narrowed his eyes but didn't speak.
Qi Jinglong continued seriously, "What is truly powerful are... rules, regulations. Knowing them and being able to use them. Is the emperor a strong person? But why do kingdoms break and mountains collapse all over the world? Why do some ministers and nobles die well while others die badly? Are cultivators on the immortal sect's ancestral records, powerful descendants of noble families, and wealthy scions strong? If you look at the long thread of history, look at the founding emperors of past dynasties, the founders of those families, the first person on their ancestral tablets. How did they establish their enterprises? Because these existences are not truly powerful. They rose because of rules and trends, and they fell because they broke the rules, like a flash in the pan, unable to last, like cultivators who cannot achieve immortality."
Then Qi Jinglong explained his insights to the two strangers he had just met.
First, truly understand the rules, know their power and complexity—the more, the better—as well as the various loopholes within the framework.
Second, abide by the rules, or rather, cling to the rules.
For example, blindly loyal ministers, restless military governors of feudal domains.
Third, make your own rules, or of course, break them.
Fourth, uphold the rules.
Commoners, kings and generals, wild cultivators, registered immortal masters, ghosts and spirits—none are exceptions.
During this time, truly powerful rules will protect countless weak individuals. Of course, this "rule" is very complex, created jointly by the mountains and the secular world, the court and the martial arts world, the streets and the countryside.
Thus, the emperor must self-reflect with "Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it." Mountain cultivators must fear the "one in ten thousand." Usurping martial artists must worry about their legitimacy. Martial artists in the world tirelessly pursue fame and reputation. Merchants seek a golden signboard. So, nascent soul cultivators must merge with the Dao, immortal realm cultivators must seek truth, and flying ascent realm cultivators must make the Great Dao of heaven and earth nod in tacit approval, making the sages of the three teachings feel that it doesn't conflict with their own teachings, but rather opens a path for them to climb higher.
Sui Jingcheng listened in confusion, not daring to speak. She clutched her walking stick, her palms sweaty.
She just secretly glanced at the senior in the green shirt and bamboo hat beside her, who remained calm.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Mr. Liu, do you have any insights regarding the tenets of the three teachings?"
Qi Jinglong said, "A bit, but still shallow. Buddhism teaches non-attachment, pursuing a world where no one holds a butcher's knife. Why is there a division between Small Vehicle and Great Vehicle? Because the world isn't good enough; self-salvation is far from enough; we must save others. Daoism seeks purity and inaction. If everyone in the world could be pure and desireless, naturally it would be a peaceful and worry-free utopia for all eternity. But the Dao Ancestor's Dao is too lofty. It's good, truly good. Unfortunately, as people's wisdom awakens but is not yet complete, clever people do clever things, and it becomes more and more. The Daoist methods are left empty. Buddhism is vast and boundless, almost able to cover the sea of suffering. Unfortunately, the monks spreading the Dharma may not have the true Dharma. Daoists see no one outside themselves; even if their entire family ascends to heaven, how many can they take? Only Confucianism is the most difficult. Its principles in the books are contradictory. While it seems like the shade of a big tree where people can rest, if you look up, it's like everything is at odds, easily making people feel lost."
Chen Ping'an nodded and asked, "If I remember correctly, Mr. Liu is not a Confucian disciple. So on your path of cultivation, are you pursuing 'No worldly dharma can constrain me' or 'Follow your heart's desires without overstepping the bounds'?"
Qi Jinglong smiled, "The former is hard to achieve, and I'm not particularly willing, so it's the latter. Sir's earlier statement, 'The original mind remains unchanged while principles change,' deeply resonated with me. People change, the world changes. Even what we call 'immovable as a mountain'—mountains themselves change. So this statement, 'Follow your heart's desires without overstepping the bounds,' has always been a sage realm highly praised by Confucianism. But in the end, it's still a limited freedom. On the other hand, many mountain cultivators, especially those closer to the peak, tirelessly pursue absolute freedom. I don't think all these people are bad. It's not that simple. In fact, those who can truly achieve absolute freedom are all genuine strong men."
Qi Jinglong sighed, "These strong men who enjoy absolute freedom, without exception, possess extremely tenacious wills and extremely formidable cultivation. In other words, both their cultivation and their strength have reached the extreme."
After getting this answer, Chen Ping'an asked a question he hadn't been able to pursue with Sui Jingcheng: "If the world is like a rickety, wobbling table and stool, and cultivators are no longer within the circle of that table and stool, what should be done?"
Qi Jinglong answered without hesitation, "First, give it a steadying hand. If you have the heart and the strength, you can carefully hammer in a nail or two, or squat beside it and do some mending."
Qi Jinglong, moved by his own words, looked at the river rolling into the sea and said with emotion, "Immortality is certainly an impressive thing. But is it really an interesting thing? I don't think so."
It's not that only good people speak reason.
Bad people do too, and often they're even better at it.
The Cangyun Lake Lord, to avoid war and survive, controlled the clouds and set up a posture of flooding his territory.
Chen Ping'an had to hold back because of his concern for the hostages.
That was the Lake Lord's reasoning. Chen Ping'an had to listen.
During the Xingting incident, Sui Jingcheng had bet that Chen Ping'an would follow them.
That was Sui Jingcheng's own reasoning.
Chen Ping'an listened to that too.
In Xingting, the old Vice Minister Sui Xinyu and the Turbid River Dragon Yang Yuan, two people of vastly different identities, both unconsciously said something similar.
Sui Xinyu said, "This is Wuling Kingdom's territory," reminding the outlaws not to act recklessly. That was a pursuit of the invisible protection of rules.
And this rule implicitly contained the dignity of the Wuling Kingdom's emperor and court, the chivalry of the martial world, and especially the borrowed fist of Wang Dun, the number one in Wuling Kingdom.
In the Golden Screen Kingdom, before and after the summit town of Zhengrong Peak, Chen Ping'an twice stood by and didn't intervene. A sword immortal watched silently and thereby acknowledged Chen Ping'an's reasoning, so Chen Ping'an survived both times.
Previously in Suijia City, a golden-bodied deity of the Fire God Temple, knowing it was futile, chose to die courageously just to help Chen Ping'an a little. Because what Chen Ping'an did was something the Fire God Temple deemed reasonable—it was the rule.
Was Du Mao of the Indus Leaf Sect not strong? Yet when he wanted to leave the Indus Continent, he still had to follow the rules, or rather, exploit loopholes in the rules, to get to Precious Vase Continent.
Was Hu Xinfeng, a martial artist from Wuling Kingdom, weak? Yet before he died, he brought up the rule about not harming family members. Why? Because this was a real rule in Wuling Kingdom. Since Hu Xinfeng said it, it meant this rule had, year after year, protected countless women, children, and elderly in the martial world. Every sharp-edged newcomer to the martial world, no matter how bloody a path they eventually cut, always paid a higher price. Because this was the rule's quiet gift in return for their fists. And these lucky few who reached the top would one day become old-timers who automatically maintained the existing rules, becoming conservative veterans of the martial world.
Ahead was a riverside waterside pavilion.
Chen Ping'an stopped, clasped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Liu, for enlightening me."
Qi Jinglong smiled, "And thank you, Mr. Chen, for agreeing with this view."
Chen Ping'an shook his head, his eyes clear and sincere, "Many things I think about are not as clearly articulated as Mr. Liu's explanation."
Qi Jinglong waved his hand, "How you think and how you act are still two different things."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then asked tentatively, "Could I treat you to a drink?"
Qi Jinglong thought for a moment, then shook his head helplessly, "I never drink."
Chen Ping'an looked a bit embarrassed.
Sui Jingcheng found this more interesting than their conversation that soared into the clouds and sank into the mud.
Chen Ping'an grabbed the man's arm, "It's fine. Once you drink once, from then on you're unrestrained by heaven and earth."
Qi Jinglong said reluctantly, "Forget it, forget it. How about this: you drink, and I'll have tea."
The three arrived at the waterside pavilion, which jutted out over the river.
They sat opposite each other on long benches. The river breeze blew. Sui Jingcheng stood outside the pavilion with her walking stick, not entering.
Qi Jinglong explained, "I have a friend named Lu Zhuo, a disciple of Old Senior Wang Dun at the Sweeping Mountain Villa. He sent me a letter saying I might get along well with you, so I came to try my luck."
Chen Ping'an took off his bamboo hat and set it aside, nodding, "You and that female Daoist had a fight at the Whetstone Mountain. How did that start? I think the two of you should get along. Even if you didn't become friends, a life-or-death battle seems unnecessary."
Qi Jinglong smiled, "Just a misunderstanding. She encountered a group of cultivators doing evil in the mortal world and wanted to kill them all. I felt some of them didn't deserve death, so I stopped her. That led to the battle at Whetstone Mountain. It was a minor matter, but between her and me, neither would take a step back. It inexplicably formed the rudiment of a Great Dao conflict. What could we do?"
Qi Jinglong asked, "What, is she a friend of yours?"
Chen Ping'an nodded, "We trained together in a blessed land."
Qi Jinglong joked, "Sir, you wouldn't beat me up for your friend, would you?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and shook his head, "Just because someone is a friend doesn't mean they're always right."
Even the highly respected Old Senior Song Yushao, back in the dilapidated temple, had used the reasoning "Kill a hundred mountain spirits and demons, and if I wrong one, that's still not drawing the sword? Let the harm continue?" to justify slaying that fox spirit with a single sword strike.
Chen Ping'an had stopped him then and blocked Old Senior Song's sword.
As for Gu Can at the Book and Bamboo Lake, there was no need to mention that.
Many principles can calm the heart, but many also make one's steps heavy and burdensome.
Outside the waterside pavilion, there were signs of rain. The river surface was shrouded in mist.
Qi Jinglong said he only drank tea, not alcohol, but that was just an excuse. He had no dimensional storage items or close-at-hand items. Every time he went down the mountain, he only had his natal flying sword with him.
Since he didn't want to drink, Chen Ping'an didn't press him to make an exception, feeling his persuasive skills weren't up to par.
Qi Jinglong looked at the river and smiled, "A fine rain drifts in, clouds dense and hard to part."
Chen Ping'an drank and turned to look, "It will always clear up after the rain."
Qi Jinglong nodded, but then looked up, "But I'm afraid the weather might change."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "In this small pavilion, there are two of us. Add the one outside, and that's three. And heaven and earth are vast—what's there to fear?"
Qi Jinglong sat up straight, hands gently resting on his knees. His eyes brightened, and he reached out, "Give me the wine!"
Chen Ping'an tossed him a flagon, sat cross-legged, and said with a bright smile, "This flagon shall be a toast for Mr. Liu's breakthrough to the upper five realms."
"Fighting her at Whetstone Mountain was a great gain. There is indeed some hope."
Qi Jinglong also imitated the other and sat cross-legged, took a sip, and frowned, "Indeed, not drinking was the right choice."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "If you still don't like it after a few more flagons, then I lose."
Qi Jinglong shook his head helplessly, but took two more small sips.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "How old is Mr. Liu this year?"
Qi Jinglong smiled, "In the mortal world, I'd be an octogenarian."
Outside the pavilion, Sui Jingcheng was stunned. The senior had told her roughly about the realms of mountain immortals. Was this a half-jade realm this young?! Strange, but not strange.
Because the "scholar" in the pavilion was the land dragon of Beiju Continent, Sword Cultivator Liu Jinglong.
A being who had once made Yang Ningzhen, the strongest Sixth Realm martial artist in the world, feel almost hopeless.
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and nodded in praise, "Impressive, impressive."
Qi Jinglong's expression turned strange. He took a big gulp of wine, wiped his mouth, and laughed, "You're not even thirty yet, and you swear at me like that?"
Sui Jingcheng felt like that fox spirit woman who had been struck by lightning. She turned to look into the pavilion, dumbfounded, "Senior, didn't you say you were three hundred years old?"
Chen Ping'an blinked, "Did I say that?"
Sui Jingcheng's face tightened, "At least twice!"
Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine, "That's not very nice."
Qi Jinglong also took a sip of wine, glanced at the green-shirted swordsman opposite him, then at the veiled woman outside, and said with a chuckle, "Indeed, not very nice."