Chapter 569: The Mountain Lord Is Going on a Long Journey Again
With the completion of the Luopo Mountain Ancestral Hall, the remaining structures on Jise Peak had to follow suit—this was only natural.
Zhu Lian had long had a draft ready. Starting from the memorial archway at the foot of Jise Peak, going upward along the central axis, there were more than thirty buildings of various sizes, some bearing the characteristics of Taoist temples, others the elegance of gardens. He even had detailed descriptions of what the plaques and couplets should say. The ancillary rooms beyond the main halls and pavilions showed particular skill. Zheng Dafeng and Wei Bo also helped with planning and suggestions, but in the end, it was naturally up to Chen Ping'an, the Mountain Lord of Luopo Mountain, to make the final decisions.
The copy of "Ying Zao Fa Shi" (Treatise on Architectural Methods) that Chen Ping'an had brought from the Lotus Flower Paradise was obtained from the Ministry of Works treasury in the capital of Southern Garden Kingdom. Chen Ping'an held it in high esteem, and along with a large stack of copied drawings from the Immortal's Mansion ruins within North Pavilion Kingdom, he had given them all to Zhu Lian. Chen Ping'an had only one small request for the many auxiliary buildings of the Ancestral Hall: that there be a landscape pavilion modeled after Senior Song Yushao's mountain villa, which could be named "Knowing Spring Pavilion" or "Dragon Pavilion." Beyond that, Chen Ping'an had no further desires.
As a result, when Zhu Lian took the "Ying Zao Fa Shi," he smiled meaningfully. Only then did Chen Ping'an remember something—that this was a standard manual promulgated by the court of some kingdom in the history of the Lotus Flower Paradise. Zhu Lian laughed heartily, saying that he had indeed contributed some effort to the compilation of this book back then. Twenty to thirty percent of the building regulations in the book, including the rules for caissons and bracket sets, were actually his own work.
Chen Ping'an smiled and asked why the mansions halfway up the main peak of Luopo Mountain showed no trace of the "Fa Shi" style and were built so mediocrely. Zhu Lian replied with complete confidence. At that time, the family's resources were thin—even a clever woman can't cook a meal without rice. Besides, the young master lived in a bamboo building; the others should be grateful just to have a place to stay. If he, Zhu Lian, had really taken charge, it would have cost a lot of silver to build grand mansions, and there was no need for that.
Now, the buildings led by the Ancestral Hall were the face of Luopo Mountain and naturally did not fall into that category. Zhu Lian must handle them personally and would not allow mediocre craftsmen to ruin the scenery of Jise Peak.
In Zhu Lian's words: when you have no money, you should think about how to save money. Having no money itself is something to be ashamed of. If you then put on airs jingling the ten coins in your pocket, you'll only be despised for nothing. But when you have money, how you spend it also requires some thought.
Chen Ping'an thought this made a lot of sense, but still kept a straight face, suppressing a smile, and said that in the future, he shouldn't make decisions on his own anymore. How could they wrong their own people? Wouldn't that chill the hearts of all the warriors?
Even Pei Qian felt that her master's expression and words at that time were hardly sincere.
Pei Qian also felt that the old cook's subsequent look of wanting to die to atone for his sins was far less natural and smooth than her own.
The guests who had come to observe the ceremony had naturally already left Luopo Mountain. The honorary enshrined worshippers of Luopo Mountain, Du Wensi and Pang Lanxi of the Coir Raincoat Sect, had also returned to Skeleton Shoal on their own sect's ferryboat.
Chen Ping'an gave Pang Lanxi two pieces of cursive script calligraphy, which he had bought in his early years from a young county marshal in a small county town of the Meiyou Kingdom with a few pots of immortal brew. He asked Pang Lanxi to pass them on to his great-grandfather.
Lu Baixiang also took the siblings Yuan Bao and Yuan Lai and returned to the border of the former Zhu Ying Dynasty.
Chen Ping'an gifted each of the two direct disciples of the Ancestral Hall a set of Martialist’s precious armor, meticulously forged by the Three-Lang Temple in Northern Jambudvipa.
Zhong Qiu took Cao Qinglang and began to travel around the Lotus Flower Paradise. After finishing, they would return to Luopo Mountain and then travel through Bottle Gourd Continent.
When seeing off Cao Qinglang, Chen Ping'an, besides giving his student the Spring Grass Dharma Robe, which had cost many immortal coins to repair back to its original state, also gave Cao Qinglang many bamboo slips he had carved himself over the years, along with one sentence:
“Principles from books in study, conduct as a person outside of study.”
Outside the bamboo building, the student bowed to bid farewell to his master, and the master bowed in return to his student.
Sui Youbian had already gone down the mountain, heading to the True Mirror Sect at Letter Sea. Even though the sect master Jiang Shangzhen, under the guise of the wild cultivator Zhou Fei, was present at Luopo Mountain throughout, Sui Youbian did not speak much with him. She also did not mention much to others about the life-and-death grudges of the Jade Gui Sect. Earlier, while at Luopo Mountain, she stayed secluded day after day, only going out once to tour the vassal mountain peaks of Luopo Mountain, including Gray Misted Mountain and Yellow Lake Mountain. This improved her mood slightly, as if she had chosen a certain place and had some plans.
Chen Ping'an originally wanted to ask about the whereabouts of the Infatuated Sword—whether it had been broken in a life-and-death battle, or taken by someone else. At least there should be some explanation, right?
Unfortunately, since Sui Youbian didn't bring it up herself, Chen Ping'an felt embarrassed to ask.
Wei Xian took Pei Qian to the Lotus Flower Paradise, saying he wanted Pei Qian to know whether he, Wei Xian, really had a golden carrying pole at home.
Pei Qian then asked this founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom: if, when they reached the imperial palace, you didn't have a golden carrying pole at home, what would happen? Wei Xian said he would just give her one. Pei Qian widened her eyes at that, raised both hands, and gave two thumbs up. Oh wow, Old Wei, now that you're a Grand Official of Martial Propaganda, you're really generous! How about no matter whether you win or lose the bet, you give me a golden carrying pole anyway? Wei Xian chuckled.
As the sect master of the True Mirror Sect, Jiang Shangzhen should have been the busiest person. Yet he shamelessly stayed on Luopo Mountain without leaving. He picked out a mansion halfway up the main peak. Zhu Lian said there were no free residences at the moment—every house had an owner. If it really came to it, he would brace himself and specially build one for Enshrined Worshipper Zhou. Jiang Shangzhen then proposed simply building more immortal dwellings. Luopo Mountain didn't have much else, but it had plenty of idle land. Not just halfway up the main peak, but also the empty back mountain of the main peak—build them all up. Gray Misted Mountain and all the peaks under the Mountain Lord's name—don't leave any empty. He, Zhou Fei, would cover all expenses. Zhu Lian rubbed his hands and said that wasn't particularly appropriate, was it? Jiang Shangzhen waved his hand grandly and directly gave Zhu Lian a large handful of Grain Rain Coins, saying this was the responsibility of an enshrined worshipper, extremely appropriate.
Zhu Lian held the Grain Rain Coins in one palm, counted them carefully, and said, "Fifteen coins, an odd number. Perhaps I should return one to Enshrined Worshipper Zhou?"
Then he just stood there, making no move.
Jiang Shangzhen looked apologetic and said that indeed, good things should come in pairs, so he gave another three Grain Rain Coins.
Zhu Lian then accepted the money, carefully tucked it into his sleeve, and lamented that it would be hard to find another person as generous and straightforward as Enshrined Worshipper Zhou on Luopo Mountain.
Lately, Cui Dongshan had been busy creating suppression objects and mountain-and-water grand formations for mountain peaks like Gray Misted Mountain and Yellow Lake Mountain. For instance, the pair of Dragon King Baskets that Chen Ping'an had earned from Northern Jambudvipa—after being repaired to their original state by Fiery Dragon True Person—could now be perfectly placed at Yellow Lake Mountain. Chen Ping'an had gifted the Dragon King Baskets respectively to Chen Lingjun and Chen Ruchu, instructing them to refine them. However, Chen Lingjun initially didn't agree, hoping Chen Ping'an would instead give them to the black serpent at Chess Block Mountain, which was about to take human form. At the root of it, Chen Lingjun was still worried about the river-going journey at Jidu—if something went wrong and one Dragon King Basket was lost, it would damage the mountain-and-water fortune of Yellow Lake Mountain, and the protective grand formation built around the two baskets would also lose much of its power.
Chen Ping'an didn't agree either, telling Chen Lingjun not to worry about this and just to focus on refining them as his lifebound objects. After the river-going succeeded, he could still give back to Yellow Lake Mountain.
Chen Lingjun still hesitated, so Chen Ping'an had to say that the Dragon King Basket was such a precious mountain treasure—giving it to him, he was willing; giving it to someone else, his heart would ache.
Only then did Chen Lingjun accept it. When he left, his walk was a little floaty.
That day, by the cliffside of the bamboo building, Chen Ping'an sat drinking with Jiang Shangzhen, who was about to go down the mountain.
Naturally, they drank the immortal brew Jiang Shangzhen had brought.
Jiang Shangzhen asked, "Do you really want to give our True Mirror Sect one-tenth of the Lotus Flower Paradise's revenue, and permanent at that?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Not the True Mirror Sect, nor the Jade Gui Sect, but the head of the Jiang Clan, or rather Enshrined Worshipper Zhou Fei."
Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "Then I'll just sit back and wait for the money to roll in. Thinking about it gives me a headache."
He had no reason to refuse a benefit delivered to his doorstep.
Just as Jiang Shangzhen had given money and treasures to Luopo Mountain, Zhu Lian had accepted them without any soft-heartedness.
It was simply reciprocity.
Earlier, when Jiang Shangzhen first spoke with Luopo Mountain, he had asked for a permanent two-tenths of the paradise's revenue. The True Mirror Sect was willing to lend Luopo Mountain three sums of money. The first: a thousand Grain Rain Coins, to help elevate the Lotus Flower Paradise to a medium-grade paradise. After that, another two thousand coins to stabilize the mountain-and-water fortune of the paradise and boost the flow of spiritual energy. After it became a high-grade paradise, Jiang Shangzhen would need to provide three thousand Grain Rain Coins. These three sums of immortal money, all without interest, were to be repaid by Luopo Mountain within a hundred years, five hundred years, and a thousand years respectively. Otherwise, the True Mirror Sect would start charging usurious interest. Luopo Mountain could sell off its vassal mountain peaks to the True Mirror Sect at a discount, or if it didn't want to give up territory, it could pay with people instead.
This was straightforward business.
For Jiang Shangzhen, having a lot of money meant giving it away was one thing, but how to make money was another matter—there had to be rules.
During this time, besides giving Luopo Mountain six islands in Letter Sea, Jiang Shangzhen would also transfer capable personnel from the renowned Cloud Cavern Paradise to enter the Lotus Flower Paradise and handle specific operations. How much power the Jiang Clan disciples would have in this newly emerging medium-grade paradise would depend on how much Luopo Mountain was willing to grant.
But at that time, Zhu Lian insisted that Luopo Mountain could only give the True Mirror Sect one-tenth.
Wei Bo, the mighty North Peak Mountain Lord of Bottle Gourd Continent, had contributed money, effort, and personnel, worked like a horse, and only got one-tenth of the revenue. If Jiang Shangzhen opened his mouth too wide and Zhu Lian agreed to it, it would hurt Wei Bo's face. Wei Bo's proud and face-loving temperament was well known to all—if he became distant from Luopo Mountain over this, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Jiang Shangzhen hadn't really hoped for two-tenths in the first place. His bottom line was a permanent one-and-a-half-tenths dividend. If Zhu Lian insisted on one-tenth fixed, that was too little.
Moreover, Zhu Lian had hit the nail on the head for Jiang Shangzhen. The Lotus Flower Paradise's territory wasn't large. With the twenty million complete souls of the Southern Garden Kingdom and other sentient beings, plus the three regions of Songlai Kingdom, Northern Jin Kingdom, and the Outer Grassland—though everything, including human souls, seemed to be in a void, roughly divided into four parts—as time passed, as long as Luopo Mountain managed it well, once the paradise's population exceeded fifty million, it would become a rare medium-grade paradise known for its population. The Cloud Cavern Paradise, as one of the notable high-grade paradises, had been managed by the Jiang Clan of the Jade Gui Sect for generations, yet it had never broken through the bottleneck of ninety million people. Of course, this was also partly due to Jiang Shangzhen's "reckless and aggressive" actions—historically, there had been five great upheavals that had caused immense suffering, and three of them occurred under Jiang Shangzhen's watch, affecting both the mountain and mortal worlds without exception.
This was also Zhu Lian's amusing side.
His words were flowery and full of nonsense.
But he always secretly hid one or two sentences that carried great weight.
Chen Ping'an tapped the table lightly with his finger. "Immortal money, Golden Essence Copper Coins, mortal dynasty emperors."
These were the guiding principles for governing a paradise well.
The mountain-dwelling cultivators, the mountain-and-water deities situated between the mountain and mortal worlds, and the hearts of the people below.
If any link went wrong, and problems accumulated in a chain, then the paradise wouldn't be a cornucopia but a bottomless pit devouring countless resources, becoming a chicken rib that could even severely weaken a immortal sect's foundation.
Wei Bo had privately said a meaningful sentence to Chen Ping'an: "Having obtained a Lotus Flower Paradise with forty million people for now, you must be careful of your own heart."
Chen Ping'an told Wei Bo to rest assured.
Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "At first, it's just the painful matter of throwing money around and the troublesome affairs of managing mountain and mortal affairs. It's only after running it for a long time that the truly troubling things will come, waiting for you. The Mountain Lord should be mentally prepared."
The amount of immortal money poured into the paradise determined the number of cultivators and the height of the cultivation bottlenecks. In a low-grade paradise, no matter how outstanding your talent, it's hard to reach the Cave Dwelling Realm. Even someone like Yu Zhenyi of the Lake Mountain Sect, who in the Haoran World would be a definite Upper Five Realm cultivator, was stuck at the Dragon Gate Realm bottleneck in the Lotus Flower Paradise back then. After becoming a medium-grade paradise, cultivation prodigies could expect to reach Earth Immortal. And during a great calamity in the history of Cloud Cavern Paradise, Jiang Shangzhen was ambushed by a Jade Purity Realm cultivator who had secretly broken through, colluding with several Earth Immortals, setting aside their grudges to surround and kill Jiang Shangzhen—the "Old Man Heaven" of the paradise on an incognito inspection—trying to completely break free from the Jiang Clan's control, creating an unprecedented "Heaven-Man Separation" pattern.
Of course, there was also the meticulous planning of certain hostile forces targeting the Jade Gui Sect—otherwise, relying solely on paradise cultivators, they would never have been able to orchestrate such a scheme.
Jiang Shangzhen then narrated this secret history of the Cloud Cavern Paradise in detail.
Jiang Shangzhen gave his final verdict on that catastrophe: "Although I afterward stormed through the Cloud Cavern Paradise with thunderous fury, bringing people to kill all the way through, in truth, I don't hate those paradise's top cultivators who failed at the last step. On the contrary, I find them pitiable, respectable, and tragic. Pitiable because they spent a hundred or hundreds of years cultivating in hardship, some even reaching an unprecedented Jade Purity Realm, only to die like that. Respectable for their courage and spirit. Tragic because they mistakenly thought that if they succeeded, Cloud Cavern Paradise could be free without Jiang Shangzhen, not knowing that while the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is behind it. The head of the Jiang Clan could be replaced, could even be propped up as a puppet. Once the new official lights his first three fires, as the price of becoming the head of the Jiang Clan—whether repaying favors or debts—the Cloud Cavern Paradise would suffer at least a century of disaster."
Jiang Shangzhen sighed. "But this kind of reasoning, coming from me, Jiang Shangzhen, is untenable from the start, impossible to explain. I also think those proud and lofty children of heaven are not wrong at all. If I were in their shoes, I would have done the same. The only difference would be more patience, more comprehensive planning, and bargaining for more benefits from the paradise in dealing with the masterminds behind the scenes."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled at Chen Ping'an. "Things in this world are strange. Good things may not come, but bad things definitely will. It's not that I'm deliberately saying unlucky things, but the Mountain Lord can start thinking now about future countermeasures. Without long-term concerns, it's hard to earn big money."
Chen Ping'an said, "Thinking of mistakes first before acting is one of my few good habits."
Jiang Shangzhen nodded with a smile, finished his drink, and prepared to leave by wind-riding.
Over this period, Jiang Shangzhen had used various channels to buy more than a dozen of the sword talismans—the token items forged by the Dragon Spring Sword Sect—all at high prices.
Ruan Qiong's two direct disciples, Dong Gu and Xu Xiaoqiao, had almost decided to specially open a furnace and forge a batch of talisman swords for this unidentifiable wild cultivator enshrined worshipper, but were scolded bloody by Ruan Qiong, who rarely berated his disciples.
Chen Ping'an stopped Jiang Shangzhen and took out the Taoist Abstinence Token from his token's Within-Reach Pouch.
Jiang Shangzhen was surprised. "Is this the benefit of being an enshrined worshipper of Luopo Mountain?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "It's a gift for that child."
Jiang Shangzhen accepted the somewhat aged Mind-cleansing Token and clicked his tongue. "One item, two favors. The Mountain Lord's skill in making deals—I, Zhou Fei, am ashamed of my inferiority."
Chen Ping'an reminded him, "Don't raise a little demon king."
Jiang Shangzhen said, "In the Letter Sea today, there's no soil for another Gu Can to grow."
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "I hope so."
Jiang Shangzhen sighed. "The idle one is the wild cultivator Zhou Fei. The sect master of True Mirror Sect and the head of the Jiang Clan are still very busy. So when I return to Letter Sea this time, I might have my subordinates attend the alliance meeting on my behalf. Maybe Liu Laocheng, or Li Fuqu—definitely not our True Mirror Sect's River-Cutting True Man."
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "Both are fine."
Next, Chen Ping'an would board a ferry at Oxhorn Mountain Wharf, taking the next southbound cross-continent ferry of the Coir Raincoat Sect directly to Old Dragon City. On this southward journey, he had to meet two groups of people. The first group was the Coir Raincoat Sect and the Spring Dew Garden, to discuss the specific details of their tripartite cooperation. The second group was Jiang Shangzhen and the other allies formed around the Lotus Flower Paradise: Fan Er of Old Dragon City and Sun Jiashu. Since the paradise had now been elevated to a medium-grade one, there were many matters to renegotiate.
While waiting for the Coir Raincoat Sect's ferry to head south again, after Wei Xian and Pei Qian returned to Luopo Mountain, Cui Dongshan would take Wei Xian and leave Dragon Spring County together. Chen Ping'an planned to take his own dragon boat, bringing Pei Qian, to the Great Sui Mountain Cliff Academy.
He had to go.
Because with the completion of the Luopo Mountain Ancestral Hall, Chen Ping'an desperately wished that those who could have been present were Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie.
People are hard to satisfy, matters are hard to fulfill.
And Chen Ping'an had once told Lu Tai about his wish: that one day in the future, at Luopo Mountain or on one of their own mountain peaks in Dragon Spring County, those he had once accompanied step by step to the academy for study could devote themselves to scholarship. They weren't members of Luopo Mountain, not registered on the clan roster. Luopo Mountain would just have such a place—beautiful mountains, clear waters, many books. Every spring, there would be weeping willows and lush grass, with orioles flying. Let the five of them, during some period of their future life's journey—even if brief—still be close to the small school in the town. Then, if they wanted to travel, they could travel; if they wanted to gain experience, they could go down the mountain. Just that.
More than that, Chen Ping'an felt he probably couldn't do.
Because everyone was growing up.
The little girl in a red cotton jacket who used to run through the streets carrying a locust wood stick; Li Huai, who cried and screamed in the muddy mountain paths, insisting on carrying his little bamboo box; Lin Shouyi, who had good intentions but never said nice things at the immortal inn in Huangting Kingdom; Yu Lu, the crown prince of a fallen kingdom, who liked to take over from Chen Ping'an to keep watch at the second half of the night; Xie Xie, who always had a cold face but was actually full of fear for the whole world—all of them were like that.
That evening, Chen Ping'an lay on his desk in the first floor of the bamboo building, making a funny face at the little lotus figurine that was also lying on the desk, giggling.
---
On the back of the Cultivated Fish rented from Luopo Mountain, Liu Zhongrun, the island master of Hairpin Island, had not yet gone to Letter Sea. She was wandering alone on the mountaintop.
From the moment she decided to refine the Water Hall on the Cultivated Fish's back, the name "Hairpin Island" had already become a misnomer.
Liu Zhongrun returned to her quarters. On the table lay a geomancy map she had drawn by hand, encompassing the sixty-two mountain peaks of Dragon Spring County, including Cloud-draped Mountain.
Divine Beauty Mountain, where the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's Ancestral Hall was located, along with Lantern-lifting Mountain and Hengshuo Peak, formed a pincer stance. Additionally, there were three more mountain peaks rented from Luopo Mountain—Colorful Cloud Peak, Immortal Herb Mountain, and Precious Records Peak—just like the Cultivated Fish. These six peaks stretched into a continuous formation. With the many peaks the Dragon Spring Sword Sect had acquired later, although the number of peaks was roughly equal to Luopo Mountain, the advantage wasn't big. In fact, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's territory was still slightly superior. Moreover, it was said that the Great Li Dynasty intended to demarcate a large area from north of the capital all the way to the old Central Marchmount, to be given to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.
Beyond Ruan Qiong's Dragon Spring Sword Sect and Chen Ping'an's Luopo Mountain, the remaining forces were already insignificant. Even if they banded together and united, they clearly couldn't contend with those two behemoths.
Dragon Ridge Mountain, Withered Spring Mountain Range, Fragrant Fire Mountain, Distant Screen Peak, Earth True Mountain...
Liu Zhongrun lowered her head, staring at the distribution of the three forces on this geomancy map. The Cultivated Fish was clearly a third party outside the dual hegemony, but the mountain immortals of Great Li had obviously already placed Hairpin Island under the vassal category of Luopo Mountain. Before attending the ceremony, Liu Zhongrun had some reservations, because she had never wanted her Hairpin Island to become a vassal of any large mountain. But after watching that Luopo Mountain Ancestral Hall ceremony, she felt somewhat despondent.
That young man who had been an accountant at Green Gorge Island for a few years—unknowingly, he had already amassed such a deep foundation.
The North Peak Mountain Lord, who was so close to Luopo Mountain they might as well share a pair of pants—and Wei Bo never bothered to hide it. The three Night Tour Banquets came as suddenly and densely as plum rain. Before and after the Night Tour Banquets, on Cloud-draped Mountain, everyone wore bright smiles on their faces, but all complained bitterly in their hearts. Just the three sets of mountain-visiting gifts were hardly a negligible expense. Those without capital were probably already tightening their belts.
And a formal enshrined worshipper who was a Jade Purity Realm wild cultivator—this was simply shocking. Where had there ever been a non-sect-head immortal family that had an Upper Five Realm enshrined worshipper? Weren't they afraid of the guest overpowering the host?
On top of that, two direct lineage disciples from the Wood Garment Mountain Ancestral Hall of the Coir Raincoat Sect in Northern Jambudvipa serving as honorary enshrined worshippers—what kind of business was that?
As for the white-robed youth Cui Dongshan, who stood in the second row, Liu Zhongrun felt he was no easier to deal with than that "wild cultivator Zhou Fei."
And the four men and women standing in the third row—Zhu Lian, Lu Baixiang, Sui Youbian, and Wei Xian—which one was simple? Three of them, Liu Zhongrun knew; she had spent a considerable amount of time with them during the salvage of the Water Hall Dragon Boat. Each had their divine radiance concealed within, with extraordinary bearing. The remaining woman, whose momentum was not at all inferior to the three martial grandmasters, had a background that remained obscure. But since she could stand with the three of them, it meant Sui Youbian's combat power wouldn't be weak. At the very least, these four registered members of Luopo Mountain should be Golden Body Realm martial artists?
Where in the vast Bottle Gourd Continent could one find such a thing?
But what truly forced Liu Zhongrun to accept her fate was the younger generation of the Luopo Mountain Ancestral Hall—the atmosphere they had created. Pei Qian, who appeared often; the suddenly emerging youth Cao Qinglang; Cen Yuanniao; the siblings Yuan Bao and Yuan Lai...
Because these not-so-old second-generation disciples of Luopo Mountain determined the depth of Luopo Mountain's foundation and its future height.
Yet what shocked Liu Zhongrun the most was still not these, but two things.
One: the three portraits hanging in the Luopo Mountain Ancestral Hall.
This revealed where Luopo Mountain came from.
That day was the first time Liu Zhongrun learned of this, and at the same time, she understood that the mountain's name, Luopo, carried such profound meaning.
The second thing was the atmosphere within that not-large Ancestral Hall—a silence that spoke louder than words.
That young man in the blue shirt, wearing a jade hairpin, stood alone at the very front.
Behind him, everyone—regardless of realm, background, or temperament, whether direct disciple or enshrined worshipper—was solemn.
Especially when Chen Ping'an announced Zhou Mili's duties as mountain guardian, Liu Zhongrun, as an observer, carefully examined and perceived everyone's subtle expressions.
It wasn't just seeming—it was absolutely true. No one felt the young mountain lord was doing something ridiculous.
Thinking of this, Liu Zhongrun found it hard to breathe. She walked out of the house and began to pace in the courtyard.
Looking up toward Luopo Mountain, Liu Zhongrun's mood was complicated.
---
At the Mountain Cliff Academy.
After class, Li Huai found that his sister was standing outside the schoolhouse door.
Graceful and poised.
He didn't deny that his sister looked pretty good.
Li Huai laughed. "Sis, I just ran into Lin Shouyi today, and I was talking about you a few times, and here you are."
Li Liu looked at her brother, who was already taller than her, and said softly, "I received a letter from home. Mother heard from your letter that your studies were heavy, so she couldn't rest easy. She insisted I come and see you."
Li Huai opened the door to the schoolhouse, poured a cup of tea for Li Liu, and said helplessly, "I was just casually complaining. Mother doesn't know, but you do. For me, ever since I first went to the school for lessons, when wasn't my studies heavy?"
Li Liu took off her bundle and placed it on the table, sitting beside him, and nodded. "The only difference is that you've grown up."
Li Huai rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not grow up, just like Pei Qian—eat a lot but don't grow taller. I'm not good at studying, and it's really tiring. Only when I go on journeys with my masters and teachers, walking thousands of miles, my legs are tired, but my heart isn't. Compared to suffering in the school doing scholarship, it's actually easier. So I'm more suited to being a wandering hero. I'll never amount to much in academics."
Li Liu patted the bundle. "There are some things inside. Keep them well. If you need money later, you can ask Academy Head Mao to sell them for you."
"Are you kidding? I'd never dare to go to Academy Head Mao. I avoid him as much as I can."
Li Huai leaned on the table, opened the bundle, and picked through it, grumbling, "I told you, Sis, you've been a maid for the old immortal master at Lion Peak for just a few years—you couldn't have saved up anything good. Look, not a single treasure with divine light soaring. Way worse than what Chen Ping'an gave me. Sis, work harder! Cultivate well, and become a Middle Five Realm immortal of Cave Dwelling Realm soon. You don't know, Lin Shouyi is so popular now, the girls in the Great Sui capital are almost fighting over him."
Li Liu smiled gently and didn't reply.
The things in the bundle were naturally dull because the secret restrictions hadn't been opened yet. She was afraid that if the academy and Mao Xiaodong weren't careful, they wouldn't be able to conceal that aura.
Li Huai sighed, shook his head, put down the items, and re-tied the bundle. He could only help Lin Shouyi this far.
As for why Lin Shouyi had to like his sister Li Liu, Li Huai couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried. Dong Shuijing liking his sister was one thing—he ran a wonton shop in Dragon Spring County, a pretty good match for their family. But you, Lin Shouyi, are now a famous cultivation jade throughout Great Sui. What's so good about my sister? Is it worth pining for her all these years?
Li Huai lifted the bundle. Ooh, pretty heavy.
Then Li Huai looked at his sister, who was holding the cup with both hands and slowly drinking tea, and couldn't help speaking earnestly: "Sis, I won't say much today. Anyway, you're not married yet. As a family, giving things around means the silver just rotates within the household. But after you get married, you absolutely can't give me things like this anymore. Cultivating on the mountain isn't easy to begin with. You got into Lion Peak through connections. People on the mountain are bound to gossip about you behind your back. You should save more silver for yourself. It's enough if you can help Mom and Dad with the shop a bit. Mom and Dad don't expect these things from you, anyway. If Mom says anything, just blame it on me. Honestly, you're not young anymore—almost an old maid. You should start thinking about your own marriage. A thick dowry will at least make your in-laws' faces look better."
Li Liu narrowed her eyes and smiled. "You've really grown up. Now you're thinking about your sister."
Li Huai sat cross-legged on a long bench, poured some soybeans into a bowl, pushed it to his sister, grabbed a handful for himself, and chewed them, laughing. "Sis, that's heartless. I've been worrying about you since I was a kid. I've been trying hard to find a brother-in-law for you. Like my good brother A Liang, or Chen Ping'an, whom I admire most. But neither worked out. Blame yourself, not me."
Li Liu threw a soybean at him. "There's no younger brother who talks about his own sister like that."
Li Huai caught it, added it to the handful in his palm, and tossed them all into his mouth. "Joking aside, after you get married, if you keep giving things away and filling up the maiden home, that won't do. Your husband won't be happy. Don't always listen to Mom's nagging. I'll take care of my own future. Relying on my brother-in-law and sister isn't right. You'll just be looked down on by your husband's family."
Li Huai felt more and more that he was right. "Even if your future husband is generous and doesn't mind, you still shouldn't do this."
Li Liu smiled and asked, "Why?"
Li Huai said impatiently, "Sis, you're so annoying. If I tell you to do it, just do it. Who has the final say in our family? Me. Mom listens to me, Dad listens to Mom, you listen to Dad. So whose words carry the most weight?"
Li Liu laughed.
Li Huai blinked. "Okay, I admit the earlier words were something I discussed with Chen Ping'an back then. But we've seen so little of each other over the years, I've been saving them up without a chance to nag you. As for the question at the end, Chen Ping'an didn't teach me how to argue it with you. If you really want to know the answer, I'll ask him when I see him."
Li Liu asked, "How do you know Chen Ping'an is definitely right?"
Li Huai asked back, "Did Chen Ping'an say something wrong?"
Li Liu smiled. "No."
Li Huai snorted. "Li Liu! Your little brother is the kind who would stab himself twice for brotherly loyalty."
Li Huai extended his thumb and pointed at his chest.
Li Liu laughed, leaned forward, gently moved Li Huai's hand away, and pointed at his ribs. "The books say 'stab in the ribs.' That's here. Don't stab yourself in the heart. In the future, even for your best friends..."
Li Huai glared. "Sis, you're a girl—what do you know about the martial world? Don't lecture me about this, or I'll get angry."
Li Liu smiled and said nothing.
Did Li Liu understand the martial world?
This was a very interesting question.
Legend has it that in ancient times, there was only one world under heaven.
The five lakes and four seas, the great rivers.
There once was a group of high-ranking celestial female officials, whose ranks and authority surpassed even the Rain Master, River Earls, and many Dragon Kings. They were called Dragon-Slaying Envoys, tasked with patrolling, supervising, and commanding all flood dragons under heaven.
And these powerful beings answered only to one ancient deity, who was hence called the Lord of the Rivers and Lakes.
Li Liu suddenly asked, "How were your several trips for study tours?"
Li Huai gradually restrained his smile and said quietly, "When I was little, I just followed Li Baoping and the others and made a fuss, reading aloud without knowing what I was actually reading. There were so many words in history books that I used to memorize by rote but could never remember. After traveling more and seeing more people, I suddenly found it hard to forget even if I wanted to. 'Mountain hermits seek the obscure, practice strange and crooked ways, cultivate fame in hopes of reputation.' 'A general's innate talent, leading elite troops, punishing the rebellious—a strategy for a hundred victories in a hundred battles.' 'The survivors on the frontier, gaunt and starving, falling into ravines one after another.'"
Li Huai forced a smile. "Sis, let's not talk about this."
Li Liu nodded. "Then let's talk about Li Baoping?"
Li Huai's head ached. "Don't. Talking about her gives me even more of a headache. Now when I see Li Baoping, it's no fun at all. Every day she just reads, saying she wants to 'read through ten thousand scrolls.' She's still very busy, no longer running around crazily like before. Guess what? She's even harder to find than Lin Shouyi. Sis, isn't that strange? I used to think the Li Baoping of our childhood was already the most terrifying existence under heaven. Now I think the current Li Baoping is even worse than before. When Chen Ping'an gets to the academy, I'll risk death to petition him and have a good talk about this Li Baoping. There's no other way—I guess only he, as her little master uncle, can control Li Baoping."
Li Huai shook his head vigorously. "Let's not talk about her. My head hurts. Yu Lu and Xie Xie—I don't really see them much either. Everyone's like this. But our relationship is still okay. When I do see them occasionally, I can still feel it."
After Li Liu left, Lin Shouyi came.
When he learned that Li Liu had come and gone in a hurry, Lin Shouyi was silent for a while.
Li Huai had no way to handle it—he couldn't really comfort him.
If he comforted him right, he might not end up as his brother-in-law anyway. If he comforted him wrong, it would just rub salt in the wound.
After Lin Shouyi left, Li Huai sighed long and hard. Why bother liking a girl so early? It was better to be like himself.
He went back to his room, placed the little bamboo box on the table, put his sister's bundle inside, and then carefully wiped the box.
Finally, Li Huai rubbed his chin and felt he needed to use his trump card.
He poured a bowl of tea, dipped his finger in it, and randomly chanted, "Heavenly spirit, earthly spirit," then wrote down Chen Ping'an's name.
After doing this, Li Huai assumed a posture of sinking his energy into his dantian, looked at the traces on the table, nodded, quite satisfied. Good handwriting—a hundred A Liangs couldn't compare to him.
---
At the onset of winter.
Chen Ping'an, with Pei Qian, prepared to board their own dragon boat at Oxhorn Mountain Wharf to go to the Great Sui Academy. Zhou Mili, even though she had already handed over the two Mountain-trekking Staffs, still carried a Golden Carrying Pole on her shoulder.
Cui Dongshan and Wei Xian were also leaving Dragon Spring County, but on a passing Great Li military ferry.
Wei Xian was chatting with Pei Qian.
Cui Dongshan only said two parting remarks.
"Master, you've been carrying mountains all these years. The mountains you've earned with your own skills—you can actually lean on them a little now."
"The road is long and difficult. Master, please take it easy."
(End of this chapter)