Chapter 574: Once You Step Out, You Have to Fight a Few Times
After practicing his fists, Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, but still left the house and returned to the pavilion on Dragon-Slaying Cliff. He stood there, cupped his fists, and deliberately released a burst of fist intent.
An old woman hobbled over, slowly climbing up this small hill that the entire Sword Qi Great Wall had long coveted. She smiled and asked, "Young Master Chen, is there something you wish to ask?"
Chen Ping'an said apologetically, "Although I've only just arrived, there are some things I can't help but ask, so I have to bother Mama Bai for her rest."
The old woman nodded with a smile. "Those of one family don't speak like outsiders. If Young Master Chen isn't too polite, this old woman will be happy. But if you're too polite, I'll be displeased."
After the old woman sat down, Chen Ping'an sat up straight and asked softly, "After the two seniors passed away, the Ning Residence became so cold and quiet. What about the Yao family?"
The old woman was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "This involves an old matter. Back then, the Madam insisted on marrying into the declining Ning family. The entire Yao family disagreed. At that time, the Master's realm wasn't high, and he didn't have the momentum to become a Sword Immortal overnight. If it were just that, the Yao family wouldn't have been so snobbish as to insist on stopping the Madam from marrying an unremarkable man. The problem was that the Yao family asked that Daoist sage stationed on the city wall to calculate the Master and Madam's fortune based on their birth characters. The result wasn't good. So even when the Ning Residence wanted to offer this Dragon-Slaying Platform as a betrothal gift to the Yao family, the Madam's family didn't agree. When the Madam got married, there wasn't any splendor at all. The Master never said much about it, but in those years, he always felt guilty toward the Madam, always feeling he had wronged her. Even later, when the Master entered the Upper Five Realms, the Yao family still remained lukewarm. There was nothing he could do about it—there was a thorn in their hearts. What could the Master do? He still felt guilty. No matter how much the Master tried to persuade her, the Madam rarely returned to her parents' home. The number of times she went could be counted on one hand, and when she did go, it was only to discuss serious matters. They lived just two streets apart, yet they had less contact than sworn enemies. It wasn't until later, when the Ning Residence had our young miss, that the relationship between the two families improved. But unfortunately, the Master and Madam both passed away. The Yao family, especially the young miss's grandparents, had very complicated feelings toward her. They felt both pity and worry—if they didn't see her, they'd be concerned, and if they did see her, they'd be pained. Although the young miss doesn't look much like the Madam, her brows and eyes are exactly the same, as if carved from the same mold. Speaking frankly about the Master and Madam's marriage, even I, a servant who came from the Yao family, felt some resentment. But when it comes to the young miss, I can't really blame the Yao family too much. They did what they could. It's just that the elders' words lacked the usual warmth and care of ordinary relatives. Young Master Chen, this is the story of the Ning Residence and the Yao family. There isn't much worth elaborating on. In fact, the Yao family are all kind-hearted people; otherwise, they couldn't have raised a remarkable woman like the Madam."
Chen Ping'an silently noted this.
The old woman sighed emotionally. "When the young miss was born, the Master almost named her Yao Ning, saying it was more auspicious and had a better meaning than Ning Yao. The Madam didn't agree. The two of them, who had never argued before, had a disagreement over this. Later, when the young miss drew lots, the Master came up with a plan. He placed two items: a beautiful dress sword and a small piece of the Dragon-Slaying Platform. The former was one of the Madam's dowry items. The Master said that if his daughter grabbed the sword first, she would take the surname Yao. The young miss looked left and right and ended up grabbing that heavy piece of Dragon-Slaying Platform first—the very one later given to Young Master Chen. The Madam was especially happy at that moment."
The old woman grew a bit sad. "The Madam never liked to laugh from childhood. She didn't laugh much in her whole life. A slight curl of the lips or a grin was probably the extent of her smiles. In contrast, the Master, whose family circumstances were not as good as the Yao family's, had been sensible since childhood. He single-handedly propped up the declining Ning Residence and stubbornly held onto that Dragon-Slaying Cliff. The family property was considerable, but his cultivation realm couldn't keep up in the early years. When the Master was young, he suffered a lot, both in public and in private. Yet he always smiled warmly and treated everyone with courtesy. So you see, the young miss resembles both the Master and the Madam."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I saw Senior Ning and Madam Yao once at Inverted Mountain."
The old woman smiled. "Just once?"
Chen Ping'an was baffled.
But the old woman didn't reveal the mystery. She changed the subject. "I've been rambling about old stories for so long that I almost forgot you had something to ask. Please, go on."
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "Miss Ning can take care of herself. She's like that here, and she was like that when she traveled through the Haoran World. So I'm worried that if I come here, not only will I be unable to help, but I might also distract her and cause unexpected trouble. That's why I have to trouble Mama Bai and Grandpa Nalan to be even more careful."
Chen Ping'an stood up, cupped his fists in apology, and said sincerely, "If there are any assassins who can harm Mama Bai again, I, Chen Ping'an, am not afraid to die. But I'm afraid that even if I die, I still won't be able to protect Ning Yao."
The old woman seemed a bit surprised. After a moment, she smiled. "Speaking bluntly is good. That means we're indeed one family who don't speak like outsiders. Being willing to lose face and think more about the young miss—that's the kind of magnanimity a future son-in-law should have. This is very much like our Master, really very much like him."
The white-haired old woman lowered her head and rubbed her eyes.
Chen Ping'an clenched his fists tightly against his knees, his voice trembling. "After all these years, what have I really done for Ning Yao other than just thinking about things day and night?"
Suddenly, an old man's hoarse voice came from outside the pavilion. "Rubbish talk!"
It was the old steward who had guarded the Ning Residence's main gate his entire life.
Chen Ping'an looked up at the old man walking up the steps and remained silent.
The old man sat down in the pavilion. "You kept the ten-year promise, didn't you? For the next hundred or thousand years, as long as you live, are you willing to use your fists and your sword for our young miss when you encounter injustice? If you ask yourself honestly, Chen Ping'an, can you claim that? Then why still feel guilty? Do you think being together all day, whispering sweet nothings, is true affection? Back then, I told the Master that we should have kept you on the Sword Qi Great Wall to be properly tempered. You should have tempered out a lifebound flying sword at the very least. If you're not a sword cultivator, how can you become a Sword Immortal..."
Before the old man could finish, the old woman punched him on the shoulder. Lowering her voice but seething with anger, she said, "What are you yelling about? Are you trying to wake up the young miss? What, on this Sword Qi Great Wall, the one with the loudest voice gets to make the rules? Then why don't you go howl on the city wall in the middle of the night, huh? What about yourself in your twenties? Did you have any real ability? If I had thrown that gentle punch just now, you'd have flown seven or eight zhang away, rolling on the ground and wailing. You old bastard, shut up and go sit over there..."
The old man's momentum and arrogance vanished instantly, turning back into that dim-eyed, tottering decrepit old man. He quietly raised his hand to rub his shoulder.
It wasn't that he thought he was wrong; he just knew that reasoning with an angry woman was asking to be scolded. Even if a Sword Immortal had a hundred lifebound flying swords, it wouldn't help.
Chen Ping'an took a deep breath and smiled. "Mama Bai, I have another question."
The old woman immediately stopped cursing, instantly becoming amiable. She said softly, "Young Master Chen, just ask. For old things like us, time is the least valuable thing. Especially a crippled sword cultivator like Nalan Yexing—if anyone talks about cultivation with him, he gets annoyed."
The old man was clearly used to Bai Lianshuang's sarcasm. Such piercing words were so familiar that he didn't even bother getting angry or pretending to be mad.
Chen Ping'an said, "If—and I'm just talking about the worst-case scenario—if the Sword Qi Great Wall can't be held, what happens to the Ning Residence?"
The old woman and the old man exchanged glances.
"This is just a one-in-ten-thousand possibility," Chen Ping'an said slowly. "So I'll stay here with Miss Ning first. In the next demon tribe siege, I'll go down from the city to fight and personally experience the demon tribe's abilities. Mama Bai, Grandpa Nalan, please rest assured. My ability to kill enemies may be ordinary, but I have ways to protect myself. I absolutely won't do anything superfluous. With me by Miss Ning's side, consider it an extra layer of support."
The old woman looked worried. "It's not that I look down on Young Master Chen, but on the battlefield south of the Sword Qi Great Wall, there are too many unexpected things. The fighting is completely different from that in the Haoran World. Let me just say one thing: outside of minor skirmishes and battlefields, have you ever experienced a situation where you're all alone, surrounded by enemies on all sides? Here, once you leave the city wall and go south, if you're not careful, you'll be swarmed by thousands of enemies."
Chen Ping'an stood up and smiled. "Earlier, Mama Bai held back too much and was too polite. How about from start to finish, you teach me some fist techniques at the peak of the Distant Journey realm?"
The old man snorted with laughter. "A fine 'too polite' indeed."
The old woman didn't turn her head but shot out a punch. The old man tilted his head just in time to dodge.
The old woman stood up. "Young Master Chen, then this old woman will have to offend you. Even if the young miss blames me later, I'll have to use a few more pounds of strength to entertain you."
Chen Ping'an nodded, leaning back slightly. His blue robe drifted outside the pavilion. As he landed, he rolled up his sleeves and took a fist stance. "Mama Bai, this time I'll also use all my strength in my punches."
The old woman, after all, was a martial arts grandmaster. She didn't leave the pavilion in a hurry. Instead, she instinctively rubbed the ground with her toes and chuckled. "Then it depends on whether Young Master Chen has the chance to punch."
The old man stood up and glanced at the young man on the training ground below. He nodded inwardly. On the Sword Qi Great Wall, native pure martial artists were quite rare.
This kid clearly wasn't just putting on a show. That was especially commendable. Among the talented young people in the world, as long as their luck wasn't too bad, just their realm alone could be quite intimidating.
The key was whether that realm was solid or not. In the history of the Sword Qi Great Wall, there had been countless sword cultivator geniuses who came here and ended up disgraced. Most of them were from Beiju Continent, so-called innate sword embryos. They had lofty aspirations and looked down on everyone. But when they arrived at the Sword Qi Great Wall, even before setting foot on the city wall, they were beaten into submission within the city itself. There was an unwritten rule: only those of the same realm could fight. If an outsider could win one match, it might be due to luck or accident, which was still considered decent. If they could win two matches, they had some real skill. Only if they could win a third match would the Sword Qi Great Wall recognize them as a true genius.
The young martial artist Cao Ci had been no exception back then. He had faced that white-clothed youth, who defeated three opponents in a row with just one hand.
However, there was a natural disadvantage for the young sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall. At most, they could choose Cave Realm sword cultivators to fight. These brash youngsters often hadn't been to any battlefield outside the Sword Qi Great Wall. They relied solely on their lifebound flying swords to charge recklessly. The third person who faced Cao Ci back then was a true sword cultivator genius, one who had already participated in fierce battles south of the city wall. Yet he still lost to Cao Ci, who fought with one hand.
That youthful scuffle didn't cause much of a stir on the Sword Qi Great Wall, after all, Cao Ci's martial arts realm was still low at the time.
What truly surprised the Sword Immortals of the Sword Qi Great Wall was what happened afterward: Cao Ci built a thatched hut on the city wall and practiced his fists back and forth every day. That continuous flow of fist intent was something to behold.
Now, Chen Ping'an had come to the Sword Qi Great Wall as a Golden Body realm martial artist and, under everyone's gaze, walked into the Ning Residence. That was certainly a wonderful thing, but it was also a considerable source of trouble.
Chen Ping'an was staying in the Ning Residence, and his relationship with their young miss was almost an open secret. Nalan Yexing found it hard to truly feel at ease.
Once Chen Ping'an stepped outside, given the temper of those hot-headed youngsters eyeing him, conflict was inevitable. Chen Ping'an could choose to avoid it, but then he'd be looked down upon and become a laughingstock across the Sword Qi Great Wall. If he chose to confront them head-on, even if he passed the first two rounds, the third person to challenge him wouldn't be easy. At the very least, it would be a young Golden Core sword cultivator of the same caliber as Yan Zhuo or Chen Sanqiu, perhaps even better. And he would be under thirty years old, at most under thirty-five. That person was bound to be a certain innate sword embryo with extremely rich combat experience—for example, that arrogant little brat from the Qi family who had been full of himself since childhood.
Nalan Yexing glanced at the old woman beside him.
Bai Lianshuang was a woman of great martial destiny, but she was stubborn. She had been loyal to the Madam and the Yao family her entire life. Otherwise, with her martial arts cultivation, if she had chosen any other family in her early years, she would have become a "Madam Bai" in a high-ranking household. Instead, step by step, she went from being a rather pretty young lady to an old maid with a perpetually stern face, and then to a white-haired old crone.
Nalan Yexing, older and of a higher generation, had seen it all.
He mostly felt sorry for her.
So many minor arguments, he gave way to her.
Otherwise, the Ning Residence's Dragon-Slaying Platform beneath their feet would never have been held before the Master grew up.
The old woman tapped her toes and floated out of the pavilion atop the small hill. At first, she drifted slowly, then in an instant, she landed heavily, and the ground shook with a bang. Her figure transformed into a wisp of smoke.
The old man squinted, carefully observing the battle.
He was used to watching sword cultivators spar. Martial artist duels, especially Bai Lianshuang's punches, were a rare sight.
They exchanged a punch and a kick.
The blue-robed figure slid backward, his elbows lightly pressing against the wall behind him before he walked forward slowly.
So, old Bai had been kicked by the kid? Although it wasn't heavy and Bai Lianshuang had easily dispersed the residual force with her abundant Qi, a kick that landed versus one that didn't was a world of difference.
What was especially interesting and worth chewing over wasn't that Chen Ping'an's strike was as fast as a peak Distant Journey realm martial artist, but that he had completely predicted Bai Lianshuang's landing spot and punch trajectory.
The old man smiled. "Good kid. You really aren't polite with your Mama Bai."
Chen Ping'an walked slowly, not directly forward but deviating slightly from a straight line. He smiled. "It's just that Mama Bai was careless."
Bai Lianshuang had an unprecedented spark of fighting spirit. Before this, in the hallway test and in the punch just now, she had simply regarded Chen Ping'an as a future son-in-law. How could she have put her real heart into her punches?
No wonder he had taken three punches from a Tenth Realm martial artist. This martial arts junior was something else.
The old woman took a step forward, a very small step. Her fist stance was compact yet grand, filled with vast intent. She smiled. "Chen Ping'an, do you dare to close in and punch?"
Chen Ping'an took six steps in his walking stance, and on the final step, he stomped hard, releasing his entire fist intent like a waterfall.
The old woman twisted her body, brushing away Chen Ping'an's fist with one hand and pushing her palm against his forehead. It looked light and effortless, but the sound was as muffled as a large hammer wrapped in cloth striking a bell.
Even Nalan Yexing felt that this slap wasn't exactly holding back.
Chen Ping'an was sent flying backward by the slap, but his fist intent didn't break. Instead, it became more condensed and heavy, flowing through his body like silent deep water.
He twisted in midair, landing one foot first and sliding a few feet without any hesitation. As both feet touched the ground, he made several tiny adjustments with his steps, his shoulders shifting slightly. His blue robe rippled, invisibly dissipating the remaining Qi from the old woman's palm. At the same time, he adjusted his own fist stance—the Divine Man Beats Drum—borrowing from Mama Bai's fist intent, slightly bringing his hands closer together. He was trying to achieve a state of fist intent that could both gather and release more.
The old woman couldn't help but laugh. "Young Master Chen, even now you're sneaking a look at my fist stance? You really don't take this old woman, a fallen Ninth Realm martial artist, seriously?"
Chen Ping'an smiled wryly. "It's a habit."
He was about to stretch his fists back into the Divine Man Beats Drum stance.
But the old woman seized that fleeting gap. In a flash, she was there. One fist landed on his belly, and the other went straight for his face, momentum like a rainbow.
Unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an, who had been lying in wait, exchanged punch for punch. His face took a solid hit, but his fist also landed squarely on the old woman's forehead.
The old woman sank her feet, her form solidifying like a statue. But on her forehead, there was a slight bruise.
Chen Ping'an, still leaning against the wall with his knees slightly bent, opened and closed his fist stance. His back vibrated like a dragon's spine, dispersing the old woman's fist Qi once more.
As for the blood slowly seeping from his face, Chen Ping'an didn't seem to care at all. In fact, it gave him a familiar sense of ease.
So Chen Ping'an said, "Mama Bai, how about you use your Ninth Realm physique to deliver punches at the peak of the Distant Journey realm?"
Nalan Yexing suppressed a laugh in the pavilion.
The old woman also smiled, not showing any anger. She asked curiously, "Chen Ping'an, tell me honestly: besides the three Ninth Realm punches from that Tenth Realm martial artist, how many other grandmasters' beatings have you taken?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "I've also had two Tenth Realm martial artists feed me punches. The shortest time was about a month. During that period, they gave me punches and I took them, without pause. Almost every time, I was barely alive and had to be dragged into a medicinal vat."
Nalan Yexing didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The old woman shook her head and withdrew her fist stance. "Then there's no need for me to punch further. I'd be making a fool of myself. I can't very well prepare a medicinal vat in the middle of the night just for a sparring session."
Although she had once been a Tenth Realm martial artist, she had been stuck at the Qi Sheng stage. It had nothing to do with her talent or training. It was simply because she was born on the Sword Qi Great Wall, which naturally suppressed such advancement. She had been lucky to break through to the Tenth Realm at all. If sword cultivators from the outside Haoran World were considered insignificant in the eyes of the Sword Qi Great Wall, she had also heard a sage once say that pure martial artists from the Haoran World were as good as gold and silver. Every Tenth Realm peak martial artist had a foundation as solid as a mountain.
So Bai Lianshuang had no great regrets in her life. Her only shortcoming was never having sparred with a Tenth Realm martial artist.
Chen Ping'an actually regretted saying what he did. He immediately nodded. "That's enough. Mama Bai's fist intent and stance alone have already benefited me greatly. It's a brand new martial arts picture I've never seen before."
Nalan Yexing nodded lightly.
This kid has good eyes. And he knows how to talk.
The old woman beamed.
Suddenly, Chen Ping'an turned sideways.
The old woman turned her head and cursed, "You old immortal, what kind of sneak attack is that?"
Nalan Yexing just looked at Chen Ping'an and smiled. "This is the speed of a flying sword from a Jade Purity realm sword cultivator. It's normal that you couldn't dodge it. But just having the thought to dodge is already quite good."
Chen Ping'an cupped his fists in salute.
From beginning to end, Chen Ping'an never even saw that flying sword.
The old man waved his hand. "Young Master Chen, get some rest early."
He vanished from the pavilion.
The old woman was about to take her leave as well.
But Chen Ping'an smiled and stopped her. "Could I talk a little more with Mama Bai?"
The old woman smiled fully, and together with Chen Ping'an, they flew into the pavilion. Chen Ping'an had already wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. He asked softly, "Mama Bai, can I have a drink?"
The old woman laughed. "What's there not to allow? Drink as you please. If the young miss complains, I'll speak up for you."
Chen Ping'an took out a jug of glutinous rice wine, took a few sips, then set down the jug and began telling the old woman about pure martial artists in the Haoran World, and of course, his experiences in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land's martial world.
Occasionally, he would stand up, put down the jug, and demonstrate some fist stances he had learned.
The old woman mostly listened to the energetic young man speak. She smiled faintly, nodded gently, and said little.
The young man had a steady temperament, yet his spirit was soaring.
Nalan Yexing stood in the distant night, watching the scene on the hilltop pavilion. He smiled. "The young miss's judgment is just as good as the Madam's back then."
Ning Yao, standing beside him, kept a stern face, but her eyes sparkled. "Maybe even better!"
---
On the Sword Qi Great Wall, parting—unless it was a matter of life and death—was never too far away.
Yesterday afternoon, the row of heads on the city wall had left the Ning Residence and returned to their own homes.
Yan Zhuo swaggered back to his own magnificent mansion. He put his arm around the shoulder of the aging gatekeeper steward, chattering for a long time, before entering a secret room filled with Mohist mechanisms. There, he forsook his lifebound flying sword and fought three puppets whose combat strength was equivalent to Golden Core sword cultivators—or rather, he took a vicious beating. Then he went to feast on rare medicinal meals carefully prepared by the Agricultural and Medical schools, eating bowl after bowl of fairy money. Fortunately, the Yan family was never short of cash.
After eating and drinking his fill, Yan Zhuo pinched the flesh on his chin, feeling melancholy. A Liang had once said that he, Yan Zhuo, was good in every way: rich at such a young age, with a good temper and a pleasing appearance. If only he could lose a little weight, he'd be even more handsome. Those two words, "handsome," were practically tailor-made for him. At the time, Yan Zhuo had been so moved he nearly wept, thinking that A Liang was the most honest and discerning man in the world. A Liang had then weighed the rather heavy money pouch in his hand, his smile radiant.
The first time Yan Zhuo followed Ning Yao and the others off the city wall to fight among the piles of corpses, he discovered that those beasts from the Barbaric World, even if their realms were lower than the mechanical puppets in his secret room, had far more bizarre methods. They scared him to the bone. So that time, the two sword masters his family had placed by his side both died because of him. When he returned to his home north of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the dazed pudgy young man, upon hearing he no longer had to go kill demons and didn't even have to go to the city wall, was both sad and felt that was for the best. But later, A Liang came to his house, and after some conversation with the elders, Yan Zhuo was given another chance. When he climbed the city wall again, his legs went weak again, his sword heart trembled, and his lifebound flying sword couldn't even be kept steady, let alone used to kill. Then, before leaving the city wall, A Liang came specially to stand beside the pudgy youth and said a single sentence: "When you go down from the city wall, just lower your head and fight. You won't die. I, A Liang, won't kill demons for you, but I can guarantee you won't die. But if you still don't dare to use your sword with all your might, then just stay home and be a rich young master. And I, A Liang, will never borrow money from you to buy wine again. Borrowing money from a coward like you—even the most expensive wine, bought with it, has no taste."
In the end, that time when he went out of the city to fight demons, Yan Zhuo's performance surprised everyone. Even those old fossils in his family who always looked at him sideways and couldn't stand him stopped making snide remarks. At least, they no longer called him, to his face, a pig that the Yan family had carefully fattened up, wondering which demon in the Barbaric World would be lucky enough to kill him with a single effortless knife stroke. They said that just the pig's blood alone would fetch a good price—a good deal indeed.
That was also the first time his mother had cried so unreservedly while looking at her son lying sick in bed.
Before, every time he caused trouble outside, even if he was bullied or beaten black and blue, his father would say little. He wouldn't even bother to look at his son. That armless man, who had lost his hands early on in city wall battles, would at most glance sideways at the woman and sneer coldly. But that time when Yan Zhuo left the city wall, the taciturn man, who hadn't set foot on the city wall for as many years as he had been without hands, bent down as much as he could to carry his son back to the city wall.
Later, when Yan Zhuo returned home and lay on his sickbed, A Liang leaned against the doorway, squinting at Yan Zhuo. He gave a thumbs-up to the tearful, pain-stricken youth.
Now, the eldest young master of the Yan family wasn't the highest in realm, didn't have the fastest flying sword, and didn't kill the most enemies. But he was definitely the most troublesome to deal with, because he had the most ways to save his own life.
One-armed Diezhang parted ways with her friends and returned to a messy, shabby alley. Using the fairy money she had saved over the years, she bought a small house. That was the biggest dream of Diezhang's life: to have a place to shelter from the wind and rain. Now, she had no other desires.
Diezhang never thought that dream would come true, until she met that disheveled man named A Liang.
When she was young, she loved running errands to buy wine for him. She would run through the streets and alleys to buy all kinds of wine. A Liang said that when one's mood was different, one should drink different wine. Some wine could forget sorrow, turning unhappiness into happiness. Some could cheer you up, making joy even greater. The best wine was the kind that made you think of nothing, where drinking was just drinking.
At that time, Diezhang was too young to understand such things, and she didn't care. She only cared about whether she could save up some silver coins for each errand. Maybe she'd even run up a wine debt. After she got to know A Liang, he said that since a girl had grown up and was so pretty, she should have some responsibility. So some of the wine money was charged to Diezhang's account. Would a man like A Liang renege on a debt? If he ever got the chance, he could ask around in the Haoran World, ask if anyone didn't know the man named A Liang, ask if A Liang ever defaulted on a debt. At that time, the young girl Diezhang, whose arm hadn't been cut off by a demon yet, believed him after seeing A Liang thump his chest and make a big promise.
In fact, the name Diezhang had been given to her by A Liang. He said that the scenery in the Haoran World was far better than this godforsaken place—the overlapping mountain ranges, lush and green, breathtakingly beautiful. Each green mountain was like a graceful, slender woman, so tall that men couldn't help but look at them.
Diezhang opened her door and sat in the courtyard. Perhaps it was because she had seen Sister Ning reunited with her loved one.
She remembered that Confucian scholar who had taken away that sword called "Haoran Qi." He had been a worthy man back then, who came to the Sword Qi Great Wall for training. When he returned, he became a Gentleman of the Academy.
She wondered if she would ever see him again before this house lost its owner. Some things in her heart, whether or not it was useful to say them, she should let him know.
The surnames Dong and Chen were unquestionably the great clans of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Fatty Yan's family might rely on mountains of gold and fairy money, but families like Dong Huafu's and Chen Sanqiu's relied on generations of Sword Immortals.
Dong Huafu's home was very close to Chen Sanqiu's. Their two mansions were on the same street.
Many young ladies, as they grew up, naturally had round faces that, over the years of spring breezes and autumn moons, would become sharper-chinned and slimmer. But Dong Huafu's sister was different. After so many years, she still had a round face. Still, many people openly admired and secretly loved this Dong Bude, because her swordsmanship was very high, and her killing power was outstanding. Among them all, Dong Bude loved to risk her life the most when fighting, which allowed her to settle life-and-death matters faster. Even Ning Yao, as proud a great sword embryo as she was, respected her.
Dong Huafu wasn't interested in matters of the heart, and he couldn't make heads or tails of them anyway. But he knew that his good friend Chen Sanqiu had always liked his sister Dong Bude. They were about the same age, and he'd heard they had a childhood sweetheart relationship. Unfortunately, his sister didn't like Chen Sanqiu. When they talked privately, his sister said that Chen Sanqiu was too good-looking for her taste. Even Dong Huafu, a blockhead, found that reason flimsy. He was afraid that the day his sister really married someone else, Chen Sanqiu would be so heartbroken he'd become a drunkard. Chen Sanqiu had loved to tag along with A Liang to mooch drinks since he was a child. He'd learned very little swordsmanship but had picked up a whole bunch of bad habits. Strangely enough, though Chen Sanqiu was hopelessly devoted to Dong Huafu's sister, he was very popular with many other girls who were obviously prettier than his sister. Especially in recent years, whenever those women selling wine saw Chen Sanqiu, their eyes would light up, and they'd let him run up any tab he wanted.
At the Dong family's gate stood his sister Dong Bude and an excited woman—the siblings' mother.
Dong Huafu's head began to ache. He knew that the two of them had heard the news and wanted to get more information out of him about Chen Ping'an. Did all women in the world love gossip so much?
Dong Huafu turned to look at Chen Sanqiu standing motionless on the street, then back at his sister, who was frantically waving at him.
Dong Huafu felt a pang of sadness. Chen Sanqiu really wasn't a bad guy. Why didn't his sister like him?
Dong Huafu walked over slowly, trying not to cause himself more trouble. He said directly, "I'm not saying anything about Sister Ning and that Chen Ping'an. If you want to know, go to the Ning Residence and ask yourselves."
Dong Huafu had learned from his mistakes. Back then, after Chen Ping'an left the city wall, during a break for drinks between two major battles, Sister Ning got a little too drunk and accidentally let slip that she could beat a hundred Chen Ping'ans with one hand. Dong Huafu thought it was funny, so he went home and casually told his sister Dong Bude. Well, that was it. His sister found out, his mother found out, and pretty much all the girls and women on the Sword Qi Great Wall knew about it.
In the end, Sister Ning was so furious that when he visited the Ning Residence, she wouldn't even let him in. Fatty Yan and the others gloated as they sauntered in. If it hadn't been for Dong Huafu's quick thinking—standing still and offering to let Sister Ning cut him a few times as an apology—he probably still wouldn't be allowed near the Dragon-Slaying Cliff on the Ning grounds to see the view. Sister Ning usually didn't get angry, but when she did, it was hell. Even A Liang had no way to deal with it back then. The time Sister Ning secretly left the Sword Qi Great Wall alone, A Liang went to Inverted Mountain but still couldn't stop her. When he returned to the city, he drank sulkily for several days without a smile. It wasn't until Yan Zhuo said there really was no more money that A Liang suddenly beamed and said drinking really worked. After drinking, there were no sorrows for ten thousand years. Then he grabbed Chen Sanqiu's arm and said that after drinking wine to drown their sorrows, they should go drink wine that erased all worries.
Thinking of this, Dong Huafu felt a genuine admiration for that man surnamed Chen. It seemed that even when Sister Ning was truly angry, that guy could make her calm down quickly.
Dong Bude blinked and asked anxiously, "I heard he's here. How is he? How is he?"
To uphold his friendship, Dong Huafu had to use his trump card. "Aren't you the one who likes A Liang? Why are you asking about Chen Ping'an? Have you changed your mind? You can't compete with Sister Ning anyway."
The woman pinched her daughter's forehead with two fingers and smiled. "You dead girl, work hard. You have to make sure A Liang becomes your mother's son-in-law."
Thinking of that heartless, blind man one day toasting her as his mother-in-law, the woman was beside herself with joy. She touched her face and said, "How embarrassing."
Dong Bude smiled. "Mother, just wait. That day will come."
Dong Huafu was utterly defeated by this mother-daughter pair.
His mother's former crush on A Liang was known throughout the entire Sword Qi Great Wall. Nowadays, some aunties who liked to visit would purposely bring it up in front of his father. Fortunately, his father had his own way of dealing with it. Those aunties, or someone in their families, also had their own A Liang admirers—there were plenty to go around. And Dong Huafu's father was the only sword cultivator who had challenged A Liang three consecutive times. Of course, the outcome was that he was carried home flat on his back all three times. It was said that such a clumsy method won the beauty's heart. After that, a flood of bachelors rushed to demand sword challenges from A Liang. A Liang was generous and said that sword challenges were allowed, but they had to pay a sparring fee in fairy money first. Otherwise, all these heroes, if they injured him, A Liang, he'd need money for medicine and treatment. In one day, A Liang made a fortune in fairy money. And in one night, he almost paid off all his wine debts. After that, A Liang ran up onto the Sword Qi Great Wall's city wall, cupped his fists, and shouted, "I admit defeat, gentlemen! You're all incredibly impressive. I wish you all great success in winning your beauties. A night of spring is worth a thousand gold pieces. No need to thank me, your matchmaker. If you insist on thanking me, I won't stop you. Then you can buy me a drink. If you all remain silent, I'll take it as a 'no.' If there's a response, then we have a deal."
After A Liang finished, the city in the night was dead silent for a moment. Then, in an instant, no one knew who started it, but the whole city erupted in uproar. Sword cultivators cursed and flew into the air on their swords, intending to fight that shameless bastard. But A Liang had already vanished, going alone with his sword into the depths of the Barbaric World.
The united men on the city wall looked at each other in dismay. Not only had they each lost money, but when they returned to the city, it was even worse. The women blamed them for forcing A Liang to take such a dangerous risk. If anything happened to him, it wouldn't be over!
The most infuriating thing wasn't even that. It was learning afterward that the first person to start the commotion that night, the one who shouted, "A Liang, please don't go! The men of the Sword Qi Great Wall aren't as responsible as you!" was a naive little girl. Apparently, A Liang had deliberately encouraged her to say those maddening words. A bunch of grown men couldn't very well argue with an innocent girl. So they had to swallow their bitterness, sharpen their swords and blades, and wait for A Liang to return to the Sword Qi Great Wall from the Barbaric World. They weren't going to fight him one-on-one; they were going to gang up on him and chop that bastard to pieces for his insane trick to get wine money.
A Liang did return.
But he was being chased by a few Flying Ascension realm great demons.
That time, the Sword Immortals of the Sword Qi Great Wall all went out together to fight the enemy.
It seemed that with A Liang around, the gloomy Sword Qi Great Wall became a little more lively.
It was a pity that man had not only left the Sword Qi Great Wall but had also left the Haoran World entirely.
Word had it that he even exchanged a punch with the Second Old Master of the Qingming World.
As for which families had women who liked A Liang, that wasn't really a big deal—it was more of an amusing thing.
Because everyone understood that A Liang wouldn't fall in love with anyone. And within a few years of A Liang's arrival on the Sword Qi Great Wall, almost everyone knew that the man named A Liang, who liked to sit alone on the Great Wall drinking, would one day quietly leave the Sword Qi Great Wall. So liking A Liang was just a fun pastime for many girls. Some bold ones, when they saw A Liang drinking at a roadside stall, would even tease him, saying things spicier than the dishes on the table. That man would pretend to be shy, putting on a straight face and spouting nonsense like, "I, A Liang, am so blessed by your favor, my conscience is uneasy. Please, miss, do your worst and make my conscience even more uneasy."
Chen Sanqiu waited until the Dong residence's door was closed before slowly walking away.
Truth be told, the girl he liked didn't like him back. Chen Sanqiu wasn't too heartbroken.
Because Chen Sanqiu remembered that before A Liang left, he had specially sought him out for a drink. Some of the things A Liang said at the table were very true.
If a good girl doesn't like you, it's because you're not good enough. When you finally feel you're good enough, she might have already married someone else. Even her children might be old enough to go buy wine, and when they meet you on the street, they'll call you Uncle Chen. Don't be sad then—it was fate that went wrong, not your love that was wrong. Remember, after that girl marries, don't pester her. Keep that affection hidden, put it in the wine. Every time you drink, wish that she lives her future life well. Don't keep thinking that if her life goes poorly, she'll come back to you. That's how a man truly loves a girl.
So Chen Sanqiu remembered these words. Instead of going home, he went to a tavern, got drunk, and shouted that A Liang had it easy. He wished he had never heard such bullshit, so he could shamelessly, heartlessly keep liking her. A Liang, give me back my wine money, take back these words...
The tavern was used to this. The young master of the Chen family was having another drunken fit. It didn't matter. He always ended up staggering home on his own.
On the way back, the young master would occasionally bang his head against a wall and yell, "Open the door!"
On the street, no one found it strange.
Once in a while, the young master would put on such a show.
Like when his good friend Little Cricket died.
Like when his first escort sword master died for him.
Like later, when another elder of the Chen family died south of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Or like tonight, when he deeply missed the Dong girl, who was so close yet seemed so far away.
Every time Chen Sanqiu sobered up, he would say that he, like A Liang, was just born to love drinking.
Because some people are born to spend their whole lives dealing with wine. That's fate.
---
On the Sword Qi Great Wall when there was no fighting, young people with nothing to do loved to look for fights.
Arranging fights was as normal as could be. Duels were common, and group brawls weren't rare. The only rule was that they couldn't damage each other's cultivation foundations. Beyond that, torn skin and bloody messes—even the Dong family matron, once famous for doting on her son throughout the city, wouldn't say much. At most, she would tell her son Dong Huafu at home that there was nothing fun outside, that there was plenty of money at home to buy anything, and that he should just play by himself.
Early this morning,
Yan Zhuo and the others came to the gate of the Ning Residence almost simultaneously.
Dong Huafu, dark as charcoal, had a gloomy face. There were already a few people on the street who had come to watch, as if waiting for someone to come out of the Ning Residence.
Chen Sanqiu kept shaking his head. He had drunk too much yesterday, and he hadn't had enough hangover wine this morning, so he was feeling worse.
Only Diezhang hadn't come.
That girl had opened a small shop not far from her alley, selling odds and ends that only earned her a pittance.
There was one thing that was Diezhang's bottom line. After she got to know Ning Yao and the others, friendship was friendship. On the battlefield, they could die for each other. But if they had money, that was their business. She, Diezhang, didn't need favors in the trivial matters of daily life. Yan Zhuo had once felt hurt and said in anger, "Didn't A Liang help you a lot, giving you the little foundation you have now and a meager livelihood? So we friends aren't friends anymore? I, Yan Zhuo, want to help you, Diezhang, and I don't think any less of you. Is it wrong for me to want my friends to live better lives?"
Diezhang had bit her lip and said nothing.
Then Yan Zhuo was beaten up by Ning Yao, fleeing with his head in his hands. For a long time, Yan Zhuo didn't talk to Diezhang, and Ning Yao didn't say a word to Yan Zhuo either. Everyone was at a loss for conversation.
Finally, one day, Yan Zhuo inexplicably crouched in a corner of the street, watching the one-armed girl busy at her shop for a long time, until he understood the reasoning.
Yan Zhuo was thin-skinned and didn't apologize. But one day, it was Diezhang who apologized to him instead, leaving Yan Zhuo baffled. Then he got beaten up by Chen Sanqiu and Dong Heitan. But after that, they made up as if nothing had happened.
The three entered the Ning Residence and happened to meet Ning Yao and Chen Ping'an walking together.
Yan Zhuo whispered, "See? Did I predict it or not? When they see us, they definitely won't be holding hands."
Chen Sanqiu sighed helplessly. "Fine, fine, next round's on me."
Dong Huafu said, "As per the rules: if someone else is treating, I only drink Konghou wine and Conghui wine."
Ning Yao asked, "Are you all that eager to drink?"
Dong Huafu, walking in the middle, pointed to both sides. "Sister Ning, I actually don't want to drink. It's them who insist on treating. I can't stop them."
Yan Zhuo sighed. "Good brother."
Chen Sanqiu nodded. "Such loyalty."
Dong Huafu was about to reveal another secret when Yan Zhuo covered his mouth and Chen Sanqiu grabbed his neck, pulling him back. Chen Sanqiu laughed. "We won't disturb you two. We'll be off now. If anything comes up, just call."
Ning Yao watched the three come and go in a hurry and frowned. "What's that about?"
Chen Ping'an chuckled. "They must have bet on where I slept last night."
Ning Yao asked, "Are they begging for death?"
As she said this, she stared hard at Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an wiped his forehead. "Probably... yes."
Ning Yao continued walking. "Since you can already handle Mama Bai's punches, aren't you thinking of going out for a stroll? Even if you lose a fight, it won't be too bad."
Chen Ping'an had already regained his composure. "Being liked by you isn't something to flaunt outside."
Ning Yao snorted and turned away.
Chen Ping'an turned to follow. The Ning Residence was large—a good thing. They walked around once, then walked again, leaving no trace.
In one corner of the residence, the old woman, holding a broom, was sweeping the yard. She glanced at the old man nearby, who was eavesdropping. "Can that shameless old thing have a little face?"
The old man said, "It's broad daylight. That kid won't say anything too over the line or do anything too improper."
Then the old man clicked his tongue in admiration. "Good kid. Impressive."
Now it was the old woman's turn to be curious. She couldn't help asking, "What did the young miss and Young Master Chen talk about?"
The old man was going to keep it a secret, but when he saw that the old lady was about to hit him, he had to recount the conversation.
The old woman smiled faintly, satisfied. "Our future son-in-law is just a good person. It's not about being impressive or not."
The old man sighed helplessly. He wanted to continue eavesdropping, but the old woman's broom came flying at him, and he had to give up.
Over there, after hearing that Diezhang had opened a general store, Chen Ping'an immediately said, "That's a good thing. If I get the chance, I'd like to talk to Diezhang about going into business together."
Ning Yao shook her head. "Forget it. Diezhang is a sensitive girl. She can't stand that kind of thing. Fatty Yan almost lost her as a friend because of it back then."
"You don't need to go into detail. I know what Yan Zhuo's problem was."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Don't worry. Who am I? I'm a mud-legged kid from Mud Vase Lane. I've been a peddler for years. I'll definitely make sure Diezhang earns her money fairly and with a clear conscience, and I'll also make a little honest money through that shop."
Ning Yao glanced at him. "Mm, you really understand women's hearts. No wonder you didn't waste your time in the martial world. I don't mean anything by that, just stating a fact."
Chen Ping'an's head suddenly felt as big as a winnowing basket.
Ning Yao laughed. "Alright, I'm just joking. If you can help out Diezhang's shop without making her overthink it, I'll be very happy. Diezhang is a little money-grubber. Her biggest wish now is to buy a bigger house on her own."
Chen Ping'an had just relaxed when Ning Yao, hands behind her back, eyes forward, said with a smile, "A clear conscience doesn't fear the knock of a ghost at the door. Why so nervous?"
Chen Ping'an looked at her profile, suddenly stopped, and then pounced like a hungry tiger.
Ning Yao dodged quickly, her cheeks slightly flushed. She turned and said angrily, "Chen Ping'an! Behave yourself!"
Chen Ping'an quickly lowered his voice. "Keep it down!"
Ning Yao, as if even more flustered than Chen Ping'an, pursed her lips.
When Ning Yao snapped back to reality,
Chen Ping'an had already retreated backward, running. Ning Yao first wanted to chase him down, but then she faltered, lost in thought.
She looked at Chen Ping'an, whose face was full of warm smiles.
Why did she suddenly think he was actually very good-looking?