Chapter 534
This year, Yunlou City and Chishui City on Shujian Lake successively hosted a Water and Land Assembly and a Grand Cosmic Ritual, costing an immense amount of money. Because they invited many mountain immortals from the Buddhist and Daoist schools—not the kind who sought fame and reputation. This was also due to the special identities of the two organizers: one was the River-Cutting True Lord Liu Zhimao, who had gone from a prisoner of Gongliu Island to a consecrated offering elder of True Realm Sect, and the other was Guan Yiran, the defending general of Shujian Lake. Otherwise, the minimum price would have at least doubled. The karma of incense and fire needed to invite these mountain cultivators down the mountain was also a considerable expense. Of course, being able to accumulate personal merit while also getting to know Liu Zhimao and Guan Yiran was a fortunate thing, so each Daoist immortal and virtuous senior monk put great effort into the two ceremonies.
Among them, three figures who always hid behind the scenes were not conspicuous. But the military officials under Guan Yiran were somewhat impressed by the accounting skills of these three.
Those three were named Gu Can, Zeng Ye, and Ma Duyi.
The two grand events concluded smoothly, with everyone praising the boundless merits of Offering Elder Liu and General Guan.
That night, after a celebration banquet with General Guan's subordinate officials, a tall, thin youth in a blue shirt walked alone back to his lodging—a quiet alley in Chishui City, where he had rented a small house. A tall youth stood at the door, craning his neck in anticipation. Seeing the blue-shirted youth's figure, he breathed a sigh of relief. That tall youth was Zeng Ye, a lucky one who had been pulled out of the fire pit by the old cultivator Zhang Ye of Qingxia Island. Later, he worked as a servant at the mountain gate of Qingxia Island. During that time, he helped a ledger keeper clean a room, and later they traveled together through several countries' landscapes, advancing their cultivation through a heterodox method similar to spirit possession.
Ma Duyi hadn't slept either. She was originally a ghost, and nighttime cultivation was twice as effective. At the moment, a lamp was lit on the table, and she was calculating accounts on an abacus. The two Water and Land Assemblies and the Grand Cosmic Ritual spent money like water. Fortunately, the hunchbacked old man named Zhu Lian had sent two installments of Grain Rain coins. The first time, Zhu Lian himself came to see them, beaming with a kind face and easy to talk to. The second time, he entrusted a young man named Dong Shuijing to deliver the money to Yunlou City, handing it over to the three of them.
Ma Duyi was wearing the talisman fox fur from the Xu clan of Qingfeng City, looking wonderfully charming.
Gu Can stood outside the door, patted his clothes to dispel some alcohol fumes, gently knocked, and entered. He poured himself a cup of tea, sat opposite Ma Duyi, while Zeng Ye sat on a bench between them.
Ma Duyi didn't look up. "The officials from the general's mansion are much less greedy than the prefectural officials we dealt with back then. Apart from a bit of silver waste, there's almost no embezzlement."
Gu Can said calmly, "Not greedy? First, they don't have the guts—they wouldn't dare to be careless under General Guan's watch. Second, they have great future prospects; losing their official career for silver isn't worth it. Naturally, they need to first become high officials and then make big money. Without that bit of intelligence, how could they become General Guan's assistant officials? But there are indeed some civil officials who don't seek wealth, and that will be the case in the future."
Ma Duyi stretched lazily, and Gu Can had already handed her a cup of tea.
Natural and casual. After living together day and night, even Ma Duyi no longer felt any awkwardness. As for Zeng Ye, he had long since received his tea cup from Gu Can.
Gu Can smiled. "Everyone has worked hard."
Ma Duyi drank the tea in one gulp, rubbing her wrist, face glowing. "Finally, I have some free time to go bargain-hunting! I'm going to visit all the countries around Shujian Lake! The Kingdom of Shihao, the Kingdom of Meiyou—I'm going!"
Gu Can reminded her, "I'll give you the Peace and Safety Token later. When you tour these vassal states of Great Li, try to keep your route close to major cities and passes with Great Li garrisons. If trouble arises, you can seek help. But normally, it's best not to show the token to avoid hostility from cultivators of fallen states."
Ma Duyi rolled her eyes. "Nagging! Annoying or not? Do you need to teach me such basic reasoning? I walked the jianghu with Mr. Chen long before you!"
Gu Can was unperturbed, smiling. "Then I'll go rest first. Social banquets are the most tiring."
Gu Can left the side room and went to the study on one side of the main house. On the table were the ghost-way heavy artifact "Underworld Prison of Yama" that the ledger keeper had purchased on credit from Qingxia Island's secret treasury, and the imitation Glazed Pavilion that Qingxia Island offering elder Yu Gui had sold to the ledger keeper. Compared to the Underworld Prison, this Glazed Pavilion had only twelve rooms, eleven of which housed yin spirits, all former Middle Five Realm cultivators who had turned into fierce ghosts with deep obsessions. Over the years, about half of the residents remained.
Gu Can sat in a chair, staring at the Underworld Prison of Yama. His mind sank into it, his consciousness as small as a mustard seed—like Qingxia Island compared to the entire Shujian Lake. "Gu Can's" soul was placed within it. The ghosts and yin spirits willing to depart after the Water and Land Assembly and Grand Cosmic Ritual numbered over two hundred. Most of these beings were yin spirits whose wishes had been fulfilled, gradually coming and going. Some no longer cherished this life, hoping to be reborn into the next, changing their way of living.
But there were still ghosts and yin souls who chose to remain in this Underworld Prison, day after day, year after year, cursing and condemning him, the culprit. Many of them also viciously cursed the ledger keeper along with him.
Yet even so, Gu Can still adhered to the agreement with that man. Not only did he not casually annihilate any of the ghosts, but he also had to periodically throw immortal money into the Underworld Prison of Yama and the imitation Glazed Pavilion to keep a glimmer of their spiritual light, preventing them from degenerating into fierce ghosts.
Gu Can withdrew from the Underworld Prison and turned his mind to the Glazed Pavilion, walking through the rooms one by one. Inside the rooms it was pitch black, with no visible scenes. Only when he stood at the door of a fierce ghost could Gu Can meet its gaze.
At that moment, a female ghost in white clothes stood woodenly at the door. Even though they were only a foot apart, she showed no intention of attacking.
Because before the Glazed Pavilion was transferred to Gu Can, they had made an agreement with the emaciated ledger keeper: in the future, if Gu Can entered the Glazed Pavilion, they could kill him for revenge—no problem—but they would bear the consequences, and there would be only one chance.
Back then, none of the eleven yin spirits chose to strike. Now, two of them had made requests and chosen to completely leave the human world. One demanded that Gu Can agree to care for his family for at least a hundred years, ensuring they would be wealthy and noble, and free from great calamities. Gu Can agreed. The other demanded that Gu Can give her a legitimate disciple and a magic treasure, guaranteeing that the disciple would reach the Middle Five Realm, and that he would not restrict the disciple's cultivation. Gu Can could have no malicious intentions. Gu Can also agreed, but said the treasure would have to be owed first, and he could secretly help her disciple's cultivation path.
Three others chose to attach themselves to Gu Can as ghost generals, equivalent to being low-level offering elders on Gu Can's future mountain. Their future cultivation resources and status advancement would be determined by their future meritorious deeds. One of them was the old ghost who had left the imitation Glazed Pavilion earliest, helping Ma Duyi with appraising and bargain-hunting. Now he no longer frequently came to the Glazed Pavilion to cultivate, but simply acted as the steward of their three-person treasury.
Gu Can withdrew his mind from the Glazed Pavilion, closed his eyes to rest, half asleep, half awake.
In the side room, Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye were still sitting at the table.
Ma Duyi was still fantasizing about her future travels through the mortal world, calculating her current assets and personal treasury.
Zeng Ye hesitated, wanting to speak but not eager to leave.
Ma Duyi asked suspiciously, "Something on your mind?"
Zeng Ye inquired, "What are your plans for the future?"
Ma Duyi was taken aback. "What plans?"
Zeng Ye hesitated. "I heard that some cultivators from Zhuchai Island are moving to Mr. Chen's hometown. I also want to leave Shujian Lake."
Ma Duyi frowned. "Isn't it good now? It's not like the old days of Shujian Lake, where life and death were beyond one's control. The situation has changed now. Look, so many wild cultivators from mountains and marshes have become registered immortal masters of True Realm Sect. Of course, they are high-level, mostly from big islands. A nobody like you can't compare. But in fact, if you were willing to speak up and ask Gu Can to help you with connections and pave the way, you might become a registered ghost cultivator of True Realm Sect in a few days. Even if you don't go to True Realm Sect, as long as you focus on cultivation, you'll be fine. After all, we have a good relationship with the general's mansion in Chishui City. Zeng Ye, you're actually quite safe here in Shujian Lake."
Zeng Ye lowered his head. "I'm really afraid of Gu Can."
Ma Duyi laughed and scolded, "What a disappointment you are!"
After Zeng Ye left, Ma Duyi fell into deep thought.
Gu Can was becoming more and more like that ledger keeper. But Ma Duyi knew in her heart that it was only resemblance, nothing more.
So in fact, Ma Duyi was also afraid of Gu Can.
The general's mansion established within the Fan family compound in Chishui City. The main general Guan Yiran was still in the study, handling official documents under a lamp. After a knock, Guan Yiran closed a confidential memorial and said, "Come in."
The military retinue cultivator named Yu Shanfang strode boldly over the threshold, picked a chair, and slumped into it. He burped and laughed, "This drinking session was thorough! Thorough! That little bastard surnamed Gu, not old, but a real man for drinking. His toasting skill is even more formidable. Damn, two brothers and I set out to gang up on him, planning to get him under the table. But somehow, as we drank, the three of us started quarreling among ourselves. At two full tables of nearly twenty people, only I and that kid were still standing at the end. And he even carried several people back to their lodgings."
Guan Yiran asked, "What do you think of that youth?"
Yu Shanfang said, "I've heard so many rumors about Qingxia Island and this kid that my ears are calloused. But after a year of getting along, it's completely different!"
Guan Yiran nodded, saying nothing more.
Yu Shanfang didn't feel like dwelling on it. This rough man's military career had no twisted intestines; anyway, with Guan Yiran, his brother-in-arms of many years, backing him up, what was there to fear?
Guan Yiran asked, "Yu Shanfang, I'm planning to get closer to that young man named Dong Shuijing from Longquan Commandery. I want to help him connect with my family, to expand some small business a bit."
Yu Shanfang said gloomily, "Why are you telling me this? I'm not a ledger keeper, nor a watchdog guarding the house. Let me make it clear: don't ask me to be Dong Shuijing's bodyguard. I'm a legitimate military retinue cultivator of Great Li. That pitted talisman iron armor is my wife. If you dare to make me take off my armor to chase some damn wealth, that's like taking away my wife. Watch out—I'll kick you to death!"
Guan Yiran said calmly, "In the secular world, wealth from waterways—canal transport has always been silver flowing in water. In the immortal world, that's immortal ferry boats. In any secular dynasty with canal transport, the officials in charge hold no low rank, and they are all powerful regional governors with little fame but real authority. Now our Great Li court is about to establish a new department, managing the ferry routes and numerous docks across a prefecture. Its chief official is only one rank lower than the Minister of Revenue. Officials at court are already scrambling for seats. The Guan family got three. I can get the lowest one—that's what I deserve. No one inside or outside the family can find fault."
At this point, Guan Yiran asked, "Yu Shanfang, I don't want you to take off your armor and return to civilian life—that would only suffocate you. I know you. I just want to use this opportunity to send you to that new department. From then on, you'll operate in the open, and Dong Shuijing in the shadows. You'll help each other: you get promoted, he gets rich. Rest assured, it's all clean. Just consider it me helping. How about it?"
Yu Shanfang said sulkily, "I don't care about official positions. Forget it. Give this opportunity to someone else."
Guan Yiran asked, "Do you really want to die on the battlefield?"
Yu Shanfang grinned. "Where are the bloody battles now?"
Guan Yiran hesitated, then said tactfully, "The coming battles are just as dangerous, just not on horseback. I'll only tell you one thing—nothing classified, just my own speculation—that all military cultivators stationed outside Great Li's territory, including me Guan Yiran, could drop dead at any time, for no reason. Especially those near the tragic fallen vassal states, the closer to the old capital, or closer to a destroyed immortal sect, the higher the possibility of a military cultivator dying in battle. And I can assert that there will be many insidious assassinations, many, many."
Yu Shanfang said, "Oh, so then I shouldn't run off to be an official, right? With your lousy kung fu, without me, you'd have to worry about someone stabbing your ass even when you go to the toilet."
Guan Yiran angrily grabbed a bronze paperweight and threw it at the man.
Yu Shanfang caught it, grinning cheekily. "Oh, thank you, General, for the gift."
He stood up and dashed toward the door.
Guan Yiran stayed seated, annoyed. "A thing worth only two or three taels of silver—and you're shameless enough to snatch it?"
Yu Shanfang stopped, turned around, and threw back the bronze paperweight with disdain, cursing, "You, a member of the Guan clan from Yunzai Commandery in Yizhou, put such a piece of junk on your desk?! I'm embarrassed for Old Master Guan!"
Unexpectedly, Guan Yiran quickly reached out with both hands, caught the bronze paperweight, breathed on it gently, and carefully placed it on the table, beaming. "This is a scholarly ornament from the imperial study of the Zhuying Dynasty emperor, personally given to me by General Su Gaoshan. It's actually quite valuable."
Yu Shanfang had already opened the door, back to the future head of the Pillar State Guan family, raised his arm high, extended his middle finger, and after slamming the door, strode away.
———
An old man quietly landed in the courtyard of the small house in the alley.
Gu Can placed the Underworld Prison of Yama and the imitation Glazed Pavilion on the table into a bamboo box at his feet. He picked up a bamboo fan made of Divine Xia Bamboo from the table, tucked it into his waistband, smiled, left the study, and opened the main door.
The uninvited guest was, technically, his master.
Liu Zhimao of Qingxia Island, who had reportedly turned misfortune into fortune in the water prison and now had hope of breaking through the Nascent Soul bottleneck.
After opening the door, Gu Can bowed in salute. "Disciple Gu Can pays respects to Master."
Liu Zhimao smiled and nodded. "Between master and disciple, there's no need for such formality."
The two sat in the main hall. The plaque above bore the words left by the house's former owner: "Eternal Fragrance for a Hundred Generations." The couplets hanging on both sides were also very old, never replaced, with an antique flavor: "Open the door, mountains bright and waters clear nourish the eyes. Close the window, morality and writing cultivate the mind."
Liu Zhimao sat in the host seat, with Gu Can sitting to one side.
Liu Zhimao glanced around the room. "The place is a bit small, but at least it's quiet."
Gu Can asked, "Master, would you like some wine? There's no immortal brew here, but there's still quite a bit of glutinous rice wine from a friend. However, such common wine might not suit Master's taste."
Liu Zhimao waved his hand and smiled. "Forget the wine."
Gu Can didn't press further. He sat upright with a slight smile.
Liu Zhimao asked with a smile, "I recently traveled outside with a sect offering elder, and now I have a bit of a connection with Grand General Su Gaoshan. Would you like to join the army and seek a military official position?"
Gu Can shook his head with a smile. "Disciple won't waste Master's goodwill."
Liu Zhimao didn't insist. He suddenly sighed, "Gu Can, you're not yet fourteen, right?"
Gu Can nodded.
Liu Zhimao was silent for a moment. "If I successfully break through to the Upper Five Realm as an offering elder, I can make three requests to True Realm Sect, as agreed by Sect Leader Jiang long ago. I plan to ask True Realm Sect to cede Qingxia Island and Sulin Island, including their subordinate islands, and give them all to you."
Gu Can remained composed, not rushing to speak.
Liu Zhimao continued, "This isn't entirely for my outstanding disciple. I have selfish motives too. I don't want the incense fire of Qingxia Island's lineage to be cut off. With you on Qingxia Island, the ancestral hall won't close its doors. Even if Qingxia Island ends up with few people left, it doesn't matter. That way, I, as the island lord of Qingxia Island, can wholeheartedly serve Jiang Shangzhen and True Realm Sect."
Gu Can asked, "What does Master need from this disciple? Please speak frankly. This disciple doesn't dare to say flowery words like 'I would die a thousand deaths,' but what I can do, I will do, and I will try to do it well."
Liu Zhimao looked pleased, stroked his beard and smiled. After a moment's pondering, he said slowly, "Help the ancestral hall of Qingxia Island flourish and spread branches. That's all. But I'll say the ugly words first. Apart from that True Realm Sect Nascent Soul offering elder Li Fuqu, I'm not familiar with any of the other offering elders, big or small. There may even be potential enemies. Jiang Shangzhen has never truly opened his heart to me. So for you to take over the entire ancestral hall of Qingxia Island and several subordinate islands isn't entirely a good thing. You need to weigh the pros and cons carefully. A windfall of too much silver can also kill you. You are my only disciple worth noticing, which is why I'm being so straightforward with you."
Gu Can said, "Then let me think it over carefully. I'll give Master a clear answer within three days at the latest."
Liu Zhimao nodded. "That's best. Fear death, be cautious, plan before acting, don't hesitate to risk your life, bet big to win big—these are the foundations of survival for us wild cultivators of mountains and marshes."
Gu Can nodded. "Your disciple will keep Master's teachings in mind."
At this point, Gu Can smiled. "In earlier years, I thought I understood all truths, but actually I understood nothing but crap. I was stubborn and ignorant, and I made Master laugh."
Liu Zhimao laughed. "All those in the world who shout that they understand all truths are naturally the ones who understand the least. In fact, your past actions, seemingly lawless, were not as bad as you think. As long as you survived, all the great hardships you endured became the true capital of a mountain and marsh wild cultivator. The truth of 'swallowing one's teeth and drinking one's blood' is the truth that is truly understood."
Gu Can said, "Mm."
Liu Zhimao took out an ancient book that seemed to be made of gold and jade, its light flowing, misty and hazy. The title was written in four golden ancient seal characters: "True Scripture of River-Cutting."
Liu Zhimao extended his two fingers together and gently pushed the book toward the calm blue-shirted youth. The old man said gravely, "The Dao techniques I taught you before were the surface-level foundational techniques of Qingxia Island's ancestral hall. They were mere heterodox paths. Only this immortal secret manual is the true foundation of my Dao. To be honest, back then I really didn't dare, nor was I willing, to pass this technique to you. Naturally, I was afraid that you and the little loach would join forces and kill me."
After pushing out the manual that he had treasured for hundreds of years, Liu Zhimao didn't glance at it again. "Things are different now. If I break through to the Upper Five Realm, everything will be fine. If I unfortunately die and vanish, and there is no more Liu Zhimao in heaven and earth, then I won't have to worry about you settling old scores later."
Gu Can didn't take the ancient manual, worth almost half an "Upper Five Realm." He stood up again and bowed to Liu Zhimao.
Liu Zhimao sat upright at the main table and accepted this disciple's bow.
The scheming and strife between this master and disciple over the years had truly not been few.
Tonight's act of one gifting a book and the other bowing in reverence was actually very pure—it was the most pure transmission of Dao techniques on the path of cultivation in the world.
After tonight, the old accounts and calculations between master and disciple might still be a complex situation without any reduction.
Gu Can put the immortal secret manual into his sleeve.
Liu Zhimao laughed. "That Tian Hujun of yours and the other several senior brothers are all stupider than the next."
Gu Can smiled slightly. "Fortune and misfortune are self-sought; no one else is to blame."
Liu Zhimao thought for a moment. "Go get two jugs of wine. I'll chat with you a while longer. I'll drink on my own, no need to stand on ceremony."
The main door had never been closed, and moonlight entered the house.
Gu Can went to the kitchen, made two trips, and brought two jugs of hometown rice wine gifted by Dong Shuijing, two white bowls, and several small dishes of appetizers.
Liu Zhimao poured a bowl of wine, picked up a crispy small fish from Shujian Lake, chewed, and took a sip.
This was the taste of the human world.
Although the hope for breakthrough was great, Jiang Shangzhen would spare no effort to help him guard the formation, giving True Realm Sect an additional Jade Marrow Realm offering elder.
But nothing is absolute.
It was still possible that this common meal under the bright moon night was Liu Zhimao's last supper in the human world.
Liu Zhimao laughed. "Back then, you concocted the Ten Heroes of Shujian Lake. What people know well are actually just you nine. I bet even now, few have guessed that the last one was that ledger keeper at the mountain gate of Qingxia Island. A pity—it could have become a greater story."
Liu Zhimao stepped on a bench with one foot, squinted, sipped the wine, picked a few peanuts and threw them into his mouth, then extended one palm to count. "The demon king of Qingxia Island, Gu Can; Tian Hujun of Sulin Island; Fourth Senior Brother Qin Que; Sixth Senior Brother Chao Zhe; the young city lord of Chishui City, Fan Yan; Lu Caisang of Huangli Island; Yuan Yuan of Guming Island; the fallen prince Han Jingling; and the general's son Huang He."
Liu Zhimao smiled. "That Tian Hujun of yours went to Gongliu Island twice. I didn't see her. The first time, she lingered at the border for a whole day and night, returning disappointed. The second time, growing more afraid of death, she wanted to force her way into Gongliu Island, trying to exchange half her life temporarily for a full life later. Unfortunately, I, a hard-hearted master, still didn't bother to see her. Those half of her life were wasted for nothing. How do you plan to deal with her? Beat her? Kill her?"
Gu Can smiled. "Master's painstaking efforts—deliberately making Tian Hujun desperate and hopeless—ultimately still hope that this Gu Can and future Qingxia Island can have one more sensible and obedient usable talent."
Liu Zhimao said, "Mm. In dealing with Tian Hujun, your past methods of control weren't bad. But it's like..."
At this, Liu Zhimao pointed to the dishes on the table. "Just drinking without some appetizers—the flavor is much poorer. Combining kindness with authority—easy to say, hard to do. You can learn from me and my old brother Zhang Ye. This is one of my few kind-hearted acts left. As it turns out, compared to seeking ease and shortcuts, taking a one-size-fits-all approach, using tyrannical methods on everyone, luring with profit—the incense fire of a mountain can never last."
Gu Can nodded. "The same grain feeds a hundred kinds of people. Naturally, you need to lure them differently—fame, wealth, magic treasures, opportunities for cultivation. Fishing is a great study."
Liu Zhimao laughed heartily. "No wonder I heard even in Gongliu Island that you, kid, now like to go fishing by the lake alone. Even if you don't catch much, you go again every time."
What made Liu Zhimao happy wasn't such trivialities.
It was that Gu Can had finally learned proportion and timing—learned the appropriate heart-to-heart talk, rather than thinking that stripping off the luxurious Dragon-Shedding Dharma Robe of the past and putting on today's coarse blue shirt meant everyone would believe he had reformed and become a Bodhisattva-hearted good youth. If so, it would only mean that Gu Can had grown, but not much—he still habitually treated others as fools. What would the end be? A Fan Yan playing dumb in Chishui City, finding his emotional weak point, could have led him around like a dog back then.
Since Liu Zhimao could give the "True Scripture of River-Cutting," he could easily take it back when he left.
So Liu Zhimao still had a test of character for Gu Can.
That Tian Hujun, doomed to insignificance, at best an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator in the future as island lord of Sulin Island, was merely an optional appetizer on tonight's table.
But this River-Cutting True Lord was in no hurry.
They had only just started drinking.
Liu Zhimao said casually, "Fan Yan has long been the real power behind