Chapter 601: Pei Qian's Little Money Pouch

Chapter 601: Pei Qian's Little Money Pouch

The outline of that inverted mountain was already faintly visible.

Cao Qinglang raised his head to gaze into the distance, saying incredulously, "This is actually a Mountain Seal?"

Zhong Qiu sighed emotionally, "Foreign lands, magnificent scenery—how abundant they are."

Pei Qian and Cui Dongshan sat on the railing. She turned and whispered, "Two teachers have less knowledge than I do. Look at me—do I find that inverted mountain strange? Not at all. Ultimately, it's the trouble caused by reading books without traveling. I'm different. I keep copying books, and I've followed my master over a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers. Has Teacher Zhong ever been to such a large Tongye Continent? Has he ever been to the Qingluan Kingdom in Baoping Continent? Besides, I copy books every day. When it comes to copying books into mountains under heaven, besides Baoping Sister, if I claim to be third, no one dares to claim second!"

Cui Dongshan looked puzzled and said, "Elder Senior Sister just now saw the inverted mountain and seemed to drool. She was fixated on moving it back to Fallen Mountain, thinking that whoever doesn't obey in the future will get their head bashed in with this seal."

Pei Qian was a bit embarrassed. "Who wouldn't covet such a big treasure when they see it?"

"Regarding the matter of copying books, that old cook whom you look down on for his knowledge is actually quite formidable. In his early years, he worked for the court compiling historical records. He enlisted over a dozen renowned ministers and great scholars, and more than twenty vigorous young scholars from the Hanlin Academy, who copied and compiled day and night, ultimately producing tens of millions of characters. Among them, Zhu Lian's regular script was truly exquisite—superb is not an exaggeration. Even the most popular official script styles in Haoran World today cannot compare to Zhu Lian's early handwriting. This compilation was the most interesting scholarly summary in the history of the Lotus Flower Paradise. Unfortunately, a certain old Daoist priest found it displeasing and moved his little finger, causing a national disaster. It was like lighting a character-respecting furnace in some local customs of Haoran World, specifically for burning waste paper and ceramic shards with words, destroying seventy to eighty percent of it. The scholars' efforts and the knowledge on paper were thus largely returned to heaven and earth."

Cui Dongshan was bored and talked about some thin, old history from a small place, waving his sleeves up and down casually. "If you only look but don't remember, you're like duckweed spinning in place, drifting with the current. That's not as good as others who see one thing and know it as one, see two and know it as two, and when they see three, they know thousands. Proceeding step by step, you become a pillar in the middle of the stream, stirring up ten-thousand-foot waves in the long river of time."

Pei Qian glared and said, "Big White Goose, whose side are you on? You always seem to turn your elbow outward. How about I help you twist it back? I've now achieved great success in martial arts, probably about one-tenth of my master's skill. I don't have a light touch when I strike. With a snap, it'll break just like that. When you get to my master's side, don't go tattling on me."

As for the old cook's knowledge or calligraphy—forget it.

Her master only needed one hand and a few words to make the old cook willingly admit defeat and be content to cook in the kitchen.

Cui Dongshan reached out his hand and said, "Lend me a yellow paper talisman to stick on my forehead. I need to calm myself down—I'm scared to death by Elder Senior Sister."

Pei Qian frowned and said, "Don't mess around. Master said that when we're out, we shouldn't casually show off our wealth with talismans. In places where cultivators gather, it's easy to make people envious. Envy leads to trouble. Even if you're not wrong, others will find fault. Then even if you're not wrong, fighting and bickering can never truly be said to be 'I am not at fault.' And in places where mountain deities and spirits gather, it's even seen as a provocation. I'm not just saying this. Back then, when Master and I were in Tongye Continent, in a desolate wilderness on a moonless night, we encountered a mountain god's wedding procession. I just took one more look—really just one look—and those goblins and ghosts all glared at me. Good heavens, guess what happened? Seeing me so wronged, Master immediately glared back. Those mountain and water spirits, who had been so arrogant, looked as if struck by lightning, and then they all fell to the ground, kneeling and begging for mercy. Even the sedan chair carrying that beautiful bride, who might have been human or ghost, was left unattended. She was probably thrown around and stunned. After all these years, I still feel quite sorry about it."

Cui Dongshan smiled slightly. "Now that you've told the truth, tell me the fake version."

Pei Qian let out an "oh." "A fake version? There is one too. It's that Master stood up, apologized proactively to an old matron leading the wedding procession, and sincerely congratulated them. Afterwards, he scolded me and said that such things should not happen more than three times. It had already been twice, and if I made another mistake, he wouldn't be so polite."

Pei Qian rubbed her eyes and pretended, "Even if it's a fake story, thinking about it still makes me sad and want to cry."

Cui Dongshan grinned and said, "Remember to keep the eye boogers; don't rub them away."

Pei Qian threw a punch that stopped an inch from Cui Dongshan's head. She withdrew her fist and giggled, "Scared?"

Cui Dongshan paused for a moment, then rolled his eyes, started shaking like a rattle, his body trembling violently. He mumbled indistinctly, "Such domineering fist force. I must have suffered severe internal injuries."

Pei Qian pressed two fingers together and poked him. "Freeze!"

Cui Dongshan immediately stood motionless.

Pei Qian took a deep breath. This guy just needed to be taught a lesson.

After a moment, Cui Dongshan said frantically, "Elder Senior Sister, quickly withdraw your divine power!"

Pei Qian cupped her cheeks with both hands, gazing into the distance. She said softly and slowly, "Don't talk to me; you'll distract me. I need to focus on thinking about Master."

From then on, Cui Dongshan was indeed as steady as a rock, just looking up at the inverted mountain. Where his heart yearned was no longer at the inverted mountain, nor in Haoran World, nor in the even more distant Qingming World, but in the heavens beyond—those extraterrestrial demons whose roots even Ascension Realm cultivators could not fathom.

Not far away, Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang, the two teachers, big and small, had grown accustomed to the antics of those two.

Whenever Cao Qinglang encountered obstacles in his cultivation that Zhong Qiu could not resolve, he would also proactively ask Cui Dongshan, who was from the same sect and generation. Each time, Cui Dongshan would only address the matter at hand, and after finishing, he would issue a dismissal. Cao Qinglang would then thank him and take his leave, recurring each time the same way.

Cao Qinglang was actually among the earliest batch of cultivation seedlings to sense the change in heaven and earth's spiritual energy, following Yu Zhenyi, who had been determined to become an immortal in the Lotus Flower Paradise. Among this small group of cultivation gems, Cao Qinglang was undoubtedly one who lacked nothing in talent, bone structure, or opportunity. So when he met Pei Qian for the second time, having already embarked on the path of cultivation, he frankly admitted that even if Pei Qian had really made a move during their first reunion, she would not have succeeded. Later, in the Heart-Phase Temple next to the humble alley, Cao Qinglang's interventions to stop Pei Qian several times were actually quite... immortal-like.

Zhong Qiu had taken Cao Qinglang on a journey through the entire Lotus Flower World. Setting aside the hanging of portraits and incense offering ceremony in Fallen Mountain's Ancestral Hall, this was actually their first time setting foot in Haoran World. In the truest sense, they had left that small world where, historically, banished immortals often descended to the mortal realm, and arrived at this great world of Haoran, which was the homeland of many banished immortals. Sure enough, here there were the Three Teachings, a hundred schools of thought contending, and a vast ocean of sage literature. Fortunately, the Northern Peak Grand Mountain Lord Wei Bo had taken the initiative to lend Zhong Qiu a storage artifact at Oxhorn Mountain Ferry. Otherwise, just the matter of selecting and buying books in Old Dragon City would have put Zhong Qiu in an awkward position of trying to cover too much at once.

Back when they were preparing to leave the Lotus Flower Paradise after returning to the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom, Zhong Qiu had spoken earnestly to Cao Qinglang: "The higher the sky and the wider the earth, the more one must remember the four words 'travel with purpose.'"

The reason they had to traverse the entire paradise before leaving their homeland was not only because Zhong Qiu, who had been confined to the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom for most of his life, wanted to personally experience the customs of the four countries, but also because along the way, he and Cao Qinglang had personally drawn hundreds of topographic maps. Zhong Qiu had told Cao Qinglang clearly that in the future, this world would undergo an unprecedented upheaval and new order. There would be an endless stream of cultivators entering mountains to seek immortals and climbing high to seek truth. There would also be many mountain and water deities and temples rising one after another. There would be many goblins and ghosts, like fish that slipped through the net, causing havoc in the human world.

"Your master, Chen Ping'an, cannot spend too much time and energy monitoring this territory. He needs someone to share his worries and offer him advice. Even more, he needs someone willing to speak a few unpleasant but honest words by his side." Then Zhong Qiu asked Cao Qinglang, "If that day really comes, would you be willing to speak? Would you dare to say it?"

The young man smiled and nodded. "Willing and dare."

Zhong Qiu asked again, "What if you and your master cannot agree, each having their own reason?"

The young man replied, "Arguments should not be for the sake of arguing. You need to learn from each other's words, take strengths to cover weaknesses, and find the truth. Mutual encouragement might lead to a great path in Lotus Flower Paradise where all beings under heaven can attain freedom."

Zhong Qiu asked finally, "But what if the future paths of both of you are destined only for debate, with no result? If you must choose one and abandon the other, what should you do?"

Cao Qinglang answered at last, "Proceed while observing, think while proceeding."

Zhong Qiu was gratified and stopped questioning his heart.

Now, Teacher Zhong's main concern was still about how to pursue knowledge and scholarship after the two of them left the Lotus Flower Paradise and Fallen Mountain of Great Li Kingdom. As for the matter of Qi cultivators' cultivation, Zhong Qiu would not interfere too much with Cao Qinglang. Cultivation to attain the Way and seek immortality was not his forte, so he would try not to meddle in Cao Qinglang's affairs.

In truth, Cao Qinglang was indeed a very reliable student. But since Zhong Qiu himself had never experienced the scenery of that greater world, and because he had high hopes for Cao Qinglang, he inevitably spoke a few harsh words.

The two worlds, big and small, had different scenery but the same principles. Every exploration and search for beauty on the path of life—whether it involved major issues of settling down and getting on with life, or slightly narrower strategies for pursuing knowledge—would present various problems. Zhong Qiu did not believe that his own meager knowledge, especially his meager martial arts realm, could protect or teach Cao Qinglang much in Haoran World. As a native of the Lotus Flower Paradise in the past, aside from Ding Ying, he and his former close friend Yu Zhenyi were among the very few who had been able to steadily climb their respective paths from the bottom of the well to its mouth, truly comprehending the vastness of heaven and earth and imagining the height of the Dharma.

When the ferry arrived at the Inverted Mountain, Cui Dongshan directly led the three of them to the Lingzhi Studio's inn. First, reluctantly, he picked four of the most expensive rooms and asked if there were any even more expensive and better ones, leaving the female cultivator of Lingzhi Studio both amused and exasperated. There were plenty of wealthy patrons at the Inverted Mountain who didn't lack for immortal money, but few spoke so bluntly. So the female cultivator said no, probably unable to stand the picky gaze of the white-robed youth. To act so bored at the Inverted Mountain, did he really think himself a big shot? The golden core female cultivator in charge of daily inn affairs laughed and replied that in the Inverted Mountain, the only places better than their inn were the four private residences: Ape Trample Manor, Spring Banner Studio, Plum Garden, and Aquamarine Palace.

The youth clapped his fist into his palm and said, "Why didn't you say so earlier!" Then he directly led the other three out of the Lingzhi Studio inn. Pei Qian was baffled as she followed the Big White Goose out of the inn. She had actually been quite satisfied with the inn. At a glance, the wall hangings, floor coverings, and even the woman's attire all seemed valuable. So she quietly asked if he knew those four private residences. Cui Dongshan grinned and said not all, but he had dealt with Ape Trample Manor's Wealth God Liu and the owner of Plum Garden in his early years. They would meet, have friendly chats, and toast each other heartily, all while secretly wishing the other would die soon—such good friends he, Cui Dongshan, had in abundance in Haoran World.

Pei Qian grew even more puzzled. How could they go freeload then? In the end, Cui Dongshan led them in circles into a small alley and checked into the Stork Inn!

Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang naturally didn't care about these things.

Pei Qian was a bit sulky at first, but then Cui Dongshan sat in her room, poured himself a cup of tea, and came out with this: "A student's money is the teacher's money, right? The teacher's money is your master's money, right? And your master's money—shouldn't you, as his disciple, be frugal with it?"

Pei Qian's eyes immediately lit up. Interlocking, seamless, utterly reasonable!

She promptly shouted, grabbed her mountain-walking staff, and happily performed a frenzied sword technique in the room.

Later, Cui Dongshan snuck out of the Stork Inn stealthily.

Pei Qian couldn't be bothered with him. If the Big White Goose got bullied outside and came crying to his elder senior sister, it would be useless.

Because she was an emotionless killing machine.

By the time Cui Dongshan sneaked back to the inn, it was deep into the night. Standing in the hallway outside Pei Qian's door, he found her still walking the stake inside.

Pei Qian paced slowly, half-asleep, half-awake. The surrounding dust and moonlight, barely visible to the naked eye, seemed twisted and warped by her fist intent.

Suddenly, the window opened on its own, and a large patch of white fell down, revealing a hanging corpse with a twisted face, head down and tongue out.

Still a bit groggy, Pei Qian instinctively slapped a talisman on her forehead, stepped forward in a flash, grabbed the mountain-walking staff leaning against the table, and used it as a sword. She thrust it, hitting the hanging corpse between the eyebrows. With a bang, the white-clad corpse was knocked back. Pei Qian leaped over the windowsill without the staff, formed a fist stance, and prepared to throw a punch. Naturally, she would lead with the Iron Cavalry Breach Formation and decide the outcome with the Divine Man Drum Beat. Victory or defeat, life or death depended solely on how long she could hold out, not on the opponent, because Grandmaster Cui had said that when a martial artist throws a punch, there should be no one in front.

Flawless and smooth, like flowing water. Perhaps for Pei Qian, it was thoughtless and thus especially pure.

Then she saw the yawning Big White Goose. Cui Dongshan looked left and right. "Elder Senior Sister, what are you doing? Not sleeping at this late hour, out sightseeing?"

Pei Qian snapped angrily, "Playing tricks in the dead of night—if I accidentally punch you to death, who's to blame?"

Cui Dongshan chuckled and asked, "Throwing a punch too fast, faster than the martial artist's own thoughts—is that necessarily good? Then who exactly is the one throwing the punch?"

Pei Qian was taken aback and asked suspiciously, "What the hammer are you talking about?"

Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes. "I'll go tell Master that you hit me."

Pei Qian fumed, "You scared me first!"

In the end, the two made up and sat together on the courtyard wall, looking at the full moon over Haoran World.

Cui Dongshan smiled. He had heard that things were quite interesting at the Sword Qi Great Wall these days. Some dared to say that besides Zuo You, what did it matter if the Wen Sheng lineage had gained a Chen Ping'an? Wen Sheng this, Wen Sheng that. As for the even more pitiful literary lineage, was there any incense left to speak of?

Cui Dongshan chuckled and said to Pei Qian, "Let's take a stroll around the Inverted Mountain tomorrow. The day after, we'll go to the Sword Qi Great Wall, and you can see Master."

Pei Qian said, "What's there to see at the Inverted Mountain? Let's go to the Sword Qi Great Wall tomorrow."

Cui Dongshan laughed. "There are so many good things at the Inverted Mountain. Shouldn't we buy some gifts?"

Pei Qian thought that made sense. Carefully, she pulled out the sachet money pouch that Aunt Gui from Old Dragon City had given her and started counting money.

Cui Dongshan put both hands behind his head and said, "I have money. You don't need to spend yours."

Pei Qian didn't miss a single copper coin or grain of silver, meticulously counting. After all, among her household savings and private money, there were very few spirit coins—pitifully few, and not many companions. So every time she counted them, she had to touch them more, whisper to them quietly. Hearing Cui Dongshan's words, she didn't look up. She shook her head and said softly, "These are for buying gifts for Master. I don't want your spirit coins."

Cui Dongshan teased, "You've kept company with these little copper coins, little silver pieces, and spirit coins for so long. Can you bear to let them leave your sachet nest? Once they're separated, you might never see them again in this life. Don't you feel sorry? Don't you feel sad?"

Pei Qian picked up a Snowflake Coin she had privately nicknamed, held it high, shook it gently, and said, "What can I do? If these little ones want to go, they'll go. I'll still miss them anyway. I have a little account book where I've written down each of their names. Even if they leave, I can still find students and disciples for them. My sachet is like a little Ancestral Hall. You didn't know that, did you? I've only told Master before, not even Nuan Shu or Mili. Master praised me at the time, saying I was very thoughtful. You just don't know. So of course, Master is the most important. I can't lose Master."

Pei Qian put away the Snowflake Coin and tucked the little sachet back into her sleeve, dangling her feet. "So I thank the heavens for giving me a master."

Pei Qian thought for a moment. "But if the heavens dare to take Master back..."

At this point, Pei Qian imitated Mili, opened her mouth wide and let out an "aww," then said angrily, "I can be fierce!"