Chapter 606: When Speaking, Make a Lion's Roar
A young man with an unfamiliar face showed up at the tavern, ordering the cheapest jug of wine. Business at the shop today was exceptionally quiet, a rare occurrence. Hence, the strikingly handsome white-robed youth, who looked like an otherworldly immortal, was quite fortunate to have a table to sit at. However, his face was slightly pale, as if he were unwell.
Zhang Jiazhen brought over a jug of wine, a wine bowl, and a dish of pickled vegetables, saying, "Guest, please wait a moment. There'll also be a bowl of plain noodles on the house."
The guest uncorked the wine jug, gave it a strong sniff, then held up the wine bowl, glanced at the pickled vegetables, and looked up, speaking in the authentic Sword Qi Great Wall dialect: "Such a big wine bowl, such fragrant immortal wine, and free pickled vegetables and plain noodles?! Are you telling me this isn't a Minor Heat coin, but just a single Snowflake coin?! Is there a tavern in the world that does business like this? Let me make it clear to you, young shop assistant: my cultivation is high, and my backing is even greater. If you're trying to pull some trick on me, there's no way."
Zhang Jiazhen had heard plenty of complaints from drinkers and drunkards before, but this was the first time someone complained that the wine was too cheap. This must be an outsider from the Haoran World. Back in their hometown, even sword immortals drinking or the high-born youth from Taixiang Street and Xuanhu Street, no matter which tavern or restaurant, would only complain about high prices and poor wine quality. So Zhang Jiazhen smiled and said, "Guest, rest assured and drink. It really is just one Snowflake coin."
The white-robed youth pushed the wine jug farther away, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and shook his head. "I dare not drink this wine. It's too cheap—there's definitely a trick!"
An old sword cultivator at a neighboring table, seeing that there weren't many people around, took his empty wine bowl and sat down next to the white-robed youth. He chuckled, "You outsider brat, even though you can speak our dialect, you look unfamiliar. If you won't drink, then I'll buy this jug."
The youth, upon hearing this, reached out and pressed the wine jug. "You say buy it? Do I look like someone short on money?"
The old sword cultivator felt a bit helpless. The second shopkeeper had always had a sharp eye and a ruthless heart—how had he picked such a novice who couldn't distinguish good from bad as a shill? The old sword cultivator could only use his mind voice to ask, "Little fellow cultivator, you're one of us, right? Ah, look at the mess you're making. Your words are far too obvious. Did you come up with this plan yourself? The second shopkeeper surely wouldn't have taught you to say such things."
Sure enough, an old drunkard and old gambler who preferred to squat by the roadside and drink rather than sit at a table sneered, "Where did that black-hearted second shopkeeper find such a greenhorn helper? Is this your first time doing something so shameless? Didn't the second shopkeeper give you explicit instructions? Ah, that's right. Now that he's raking in mountains of immortal money, he's probably hiding in some corner counting his coins, too busy to train 'wine shills' like you. I find it strange—on the Sword Qi Great Wall, there have never been any gambling shills. Well, the second shopkeeper comes along and breaks new ground! Why doesn't he just go and start his own sect..."
At this point, the old gambler, who had just lost a large sum of idle money today, turned his head and laughed, "Diezhang, I'm not talking about you. If it weren't for you being the chief shopkeeper, even if I were so poor I could only drink water, I still wouldn't want to come here to drink."
Diezhang smiled and didn't take it to heart. As Chen Ping'an would say, if the drinkers scold his second shopkeeper, let them scold all they want; it only makes them thirsty and drink more wine. But those who curse once and never come back to drink are just spending one Snowflake coin to throw a tantrum. In that case, he would trouble the chief shopkeeper to note down their names or appearances, and later the second shopkeeper would find an opportunity to make amends, resolving the grievance with a smile.
Soon, a drinker at a nearby table shook his head and said, "I think our second shopkeeper is indeed a bit lacking in virtue, but he's not so stupid as to be this oblivious. This is probably a shill from another tavern, sent here to mess with him. Come, come, I'll toast you one bowl. Although your methods are a bit clumsy, you're still young and reckless enough to go toe-to-toe with the second shopkeeper—a true hero worthy of this toast."
The chief shopkeeper Diezhang happened to pass by that table and lightly tapped it with her finger.
The drinker reluctantly set down his wine bowl, forced a smile, and said, "Miss Diezhang, we truly have no ill will toward you. It's just a pity you've fallen in with bad company. Forget it, I'll fine myself one bowl."
After drinking a bowl, the man felt wronged. He had been personally instructed by the second shopkeeper! He had received a secret plan from the second shopkeeper, focusing entirely on the immortal mantra: "Over white becomes black, over black returns to white; black and white transform, unfathomable even to immortals." He was a genuine insider!
But then he thought, forget it. Every time the second shopkeeper secretly handled operations, he made a lot of money, and afterward, he would secretly share the spoils—no, the dividends. As for how much money he'd eventually get, the rule was also strange: it was entirely up to the second shopkeeper. Insiders like this man just collected the money. The second shopkeeper had made it clear from the start: if you get more, no need to thank him—just come to the shop and spend more on wine. If you get less, don't complain. Sharing is a favor; not sharing is the norm. If anyone doesn't play by the rules, then they'd better be careful walking on a dark night—stumbling is easy when drunk and bleary-eyed.
These days, drinking at this little tavern required some mindfulness. But after a while, those who could figure out the ins and outs found it quite interesting. For instance, now everyone drinking here liked to glance at each other, searching for clues, trying to tell friend from foe.
This man felt he should be among the second shopkeeper's numerous shills—one of the higher seniority, higher cultivation, and better comprehension. Otherwise, the second shopkeeper wouldn't have hinted that he should let trusted insiders handle the betting, specializing in wagering on who was a shill and who wasn't. There was no reason to let outsiders earn that money. As for the truth and falsehood in all this, at least it would ensure that some insiders forced to temporarily stop their work wouldn't lose money. After being exposed, they could receive a large "severance payment." At the same time, it allowed some insiders to remain even more hidden. As for how the betting maker earned money, it was simple: he would temporarily coordinate with certain non-insider sword immortal seniors, using his genuine connections and face to get them to help lay false trails. In any case, it wouldn't ruin the betting maker's reputation or gambling ethics. The logic was simple: all one-time deals in the world are bad deals. For cultivators like us, destined to be sword immortals, with endless time, how could we get by without solid character?
Except for the second shopkeeper's last sentence, the man hadn't had the face to agree with it at the time. But everything before that, he found very reasonable.
The man drank his wine, basking in the sun. For some reason, at first he only thought the wine here wasn't expensive and he could afford it. Now he truly felt that this Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine had a pretty good taste.
Cui Dongshan took out a Snowflake coin and gently placed it on the table before starting to drink.
When it came to probing the subtleties of the human heart, not only the drunkards and gamblers present, but even his teacher Chen Ping'an, had never dared to claim he could match Cui Dongshan.
As for the human heart, over time, one can only feed oneself; it can never be fully satisfied.
In Cui Dongshan's view, his teacher's actions over the past year or so on the Sword Qi Great Wall might seem messy and erratic, but they were actually quite simple and without any hesitation when it came to the human heart.
It was nothing more than two things: leveraging external objects and leveraging circumstances.
This was a different person from the Chen Ping'an before the Shujian Lake incident.
Leveraging external objects: the tavern, the wine, the pickled vegetables, the plain noodles, the couplets and horizontal scrolls, the wall full of wish plaques. The seal prints of a hundred sword immortals, the seal prints of two hundred sword immortals, the folding fans and round fans.
Leveraging circumstances: the four gatekeepers including Qi Shou and Pang Yuanji, the high-born descendants like Chen Sanqiu and Yan Zhuo, the entire Ning Manor, the title of disciple of the Sage of Literature, his senior brother Zuo You, all the sword immortals who came to drink and inscribed wish plaques, and the even greater number of sword cultivators. The woman Yu Juanfu from a powerful clan in the Central Plains Divine Continent. All those Sword Qi Great Wall natives who had spent money buying seals and fans.
By accomplishing these two things, he could do more beyond just protecting himself.
Protecting himself meant protecting his life and his family, but even more so, protecting his original heart. Whether he was willing to think more—whether his words and actions caused no harm to the world—not to mention whether he could ultimately achieve it, just the willingness itself would create a world of difference between people. Those who didn't think about these things might not necessarily harm others, but those who were willing to think would naturally do better.
However, in Cui Dongshan's view, his teacher was still stuck on the level where good gives birth to good and evil gives birth to evil, going around in circles. It seemed like walking in circles, only able to endure the worries and anxieties himself, but that was a good thing.
As for the possibility of good giving birth to evil and evil giving birth to good, his teacher hadn't thought much about it yet. Back then, outside the ancestral home in Niping Alley, he, as a student, had deliberately raised the matter of the woman in the wedding dress ghost, making a simple matter seem complicated, adding weeds and branches to make it difficult for his teacher. Why had Cui Dongshan done that? Of course it wasn't because he had nothing better to do. He had his intentions. His teacher surely knew that his intentions weren't bad, but he didn't yet understand the deeper meaning.
But that didn't matter. As long as his teacher took steady steps, moving slowly was fine. Every action would naturally bring a clear breeze into his sleeves and moonlight upon his shoulders.
To benefit others, you couldn't just give to them; you absolutely couldn't have any hint of charity. Otherwise, even if you gave, others might not hold onto it, and it would only add unnecessary karma.
To benefit the world, on the Sword Qi Great Wall, you could only rely on fate—or rather, on whether the Barren Wasteland World would agree.
Do not violate your original heart, grasp the measure, proceed step by step, leave no loose ends in your thoughts, do your utmost, know when to advance and when to withdraw, and act with ease.
At first glance, it had a lot of substance.
Was Teacher Chen Ping'an more like Qi Jingchun, or more like Cui Chan?
Why had that old bastard Cui Chan later set up the Shujian Lake conscience trial, trying to have another tug-of-war with Qi Jingchun to determine a true winner?
Wasn't it because he saw that Cui Dongshan's teacher, in the end, seemed to be becoming a true kindred spirit with him, Cui Chan? Wouldn't that be the most interesting thing in the world? So Cui Chan intended to make the dead Qi Jingchun unable to concede defeat, but in Cui Chan's mind, he could legitimately win one round. Could you, Qi Jingchun, have ever imagined that after all your picking and choosing, you ended up picking another "senior brother Cui Chan"?
At that time, Cui Chan could mock Qi Jingchun for pondering for sixty years in Lizhu Cave Heaven and ultimately concluding that the one who "can save himself and save others" was not Qi Jingchun himself, but someone like him, Cui Chan. Who wins, who loses—clear at a glance.
Why had the old scholar earlier separated the "Chan" character of that old bastard Cui Chan from Cui Dongshan's soul? Wasn't it also a case of returning the favor? To let Cui Chan know that what he thought and believed still wasn't entirely correct?
Perhaps that was the old scholar's unique chess skill, which he had kept hidden and never revealed his whole life, like a poor chess player.
And Pei Qian, who came from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, was also the old scholar's unreasonable move.
Cui Dongshan drank a bowl of wine, took a bite of the pickled vegetables—they were indeed a bit too salty. His teacher was too honest in business; he used too much salt.
Guan Dao Guan.
Dao Guan Dao.
Did the old scholar hope that his last closed-door disciple only observed the good and evil in the human heart?
Far from it.
What good was it to know the good and evil of the human heart? His teacher, Cui Dongshan's, had long ago set off on a path where he was his own enemy. Knowing was just knowing—the benefit was certainly not small, but still not great enough.
The old scholar's true good intentions were also to see the speed of the human heart, and the myriad possibilities that extended from it. The good and bad within these possibilities actually touched on the more complex and profound, seemingly more unreasonable, good giving birth to evil, and evil giving birth to good.
This in turn touched on an old, dusty matter from earlier years.
Back then, Qi Jingchun no longer wanted to play chess with his senior brother Cui Chan. He went to ask their teacher: in the world, was there a kind of chess game where both sides could win?
At that time, the old scholar was drinking alone. He had just quietly put a leg down from the bench and was putting on his teacher's airs. Hearing this question, he laughed heartily and choked on his drink several times. Whether it was from joy or from the sting of the wine, he almost shed tears.
At that time, a big simpleton was eyeing the teacher's wine and said casually, "If you don't play chess, you won't lose. Not losing is winning. It's the same as not spending money is earning money."
Zuo You, who was just then keeping an eye on the big simpleton to prevent him from stealing wine, answered, "With high enough chess skill, I win the game but can lose in a way that gods and ghosts don't detect. Then both are considered wins."
Cui Chan sat on the threshold, leaning against the door, and said with a smile, "Without breaking the rules, only if the chessboard is infinitely large is such a possibility possible. Otherwise, don't even think about it."
At that time, the only other person in the room, a youth in a blue robe, simply looked at his teacher.
The old scholar then laughed and said, "This question is a bit big. If I want to answer it well, I'll need to think a bit more."
Qi Jingchun nodded. "I implore Teacher to finish his drink quickly."
The implication was that once the teacher finished his drink, he should have an answer.
The old scholar smilingly nodded, looking confident. But as soon as he finished drinking, he staggered to his feet, forced a red face to pretend drunkenness, and went for his afternoon nap.
Cui Dongshan put down his chopsticks, looked at the square table that resembled a chessboard, at the wine jug and bowl on it, let out a soft sigh, stood up, and left.
At the gate of the Ning Manor, the white-robed youth, holding a simple green bamboo walking stick, knocked gently.
Nalan Yexing opened the door.
The youth laughed, "Grandpa Nalan, my teacher must have often mentioned me. I'm Dongshan."
Nalan Yexing only knew that this person was his master's student, but he didn't know that he was good-looking and a bit dim-witted—what a pity.
The two disciples and students that his master had previously brought in had all seemed very good to him.
After Nalan Yexing closed the door, Cui Dongshan said with a puzzled expression, "Grandpa Nalan is clearly of Flying Ascension realm sword cultivator quality, so how come he's only in Jade Capital realm? Could it be that he was sneak-attacked by some ancient monster that hasn't appeared in ten thousand years, and seriously wounded? Why hasn't such a feat spread throughout the Haoran World?"
Nalan Yexing chuckled, not stooping to argue with someone obviously mentally deficient.
Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeve and pulled out a round, yellowish, ancient-looking bead, handing it to Nalan Yexing. "What a coincidence. I picked up a pill by the roadside. It'll be hard to help Grandpa Nalan return to the Immortal realm, but patching up his Jade Capital realm might be possible."
Nalan Yexing glanced at it, unable to discern the pill's quality. If the gift was too heavy, there was no reason to accept it; if too light, there was no need to be polite. So he smiled and said, "I appreciate the sentiment. Keep it."
Cui Dongshan didn't withdraw his hand but added with a smile, "I picked it up on Colorful Cloud Road in White Emperor City."
Nalan Yexing snatched the pill from the white-robed youth's hand with lightning speed, tucked it into his sleeve, then after a moment's thought, decided to put it into his bosom instead. The old man complained, "Dongshan, you really are something. Giving gifts to Grandpa Nalan? That's too formal."
Cui Dongshan looked surprised and extended his hand. "Too formal? So I'm overstepping? Give it back then."
Nalan Yexing gently pushed the youth's hand away and said earnestly, "Dongshan, see? Doing this makes us even more formal, doesn't it?"
The youth seemed persuaded. He turned and ran to the gate, opened it himself, stepped over the threshold, then turned back and extended his hand. "Give it back."
Nalan Yexing sucked in a cold breath. Good heavens, no doubt about it—this was indeed his master's prized student, probably the one who had received the full transmission of his teachings.
Nalan Yexing pretended to be deaf, mute, and blind, and turned to leave. Whether this person wanted to enter the manor or not, whether the door was open or closed, he didn't care.
Cui Dongshan entered, closed the door, and quickly caught up to Nalan Yexing, saying softly, "Grandpa Nalan, now do you know who I am?"
Nalan Yexing smiled. "Dongshan, are you the most accomplished student among your master's disciples?"
Cui Dongshan said ruefully, "It's a pity I only picked up one pill on Colorful Cloud Road in White Emperor City."
In an instant.
Cui Dongshan extended two fingers, blocking them at the side of his head.
Nalan Yexing smiled. "This way, I can accept it with peace of mind."
Cui Dongshan withdrew his hand and whispered, "I beg Grandpa Nalan not to spread the fact that I'm a Flying Ascension realm cultivator. I wouldn't want the sword immortals to look down on me for my low realm and embarrass my teacher."
Nalan Yexing felt somewhat exhausted. It wasn't even about the pill itself, but that since they met, he hadn't guessed a single one of Cui Dongshan's actions or words.
Just now, he had sent out a flying sword to frighten the youth. Since the other party's realm was extremely high, he could have simply ignored it or exerted himself to block the flying sword.
But this guy had insisted on extending his hand to block it, deliberately moving a beat too slow, using two fingers to touch the flying sword, not at the tip or the blade, but only at the hilt.
Nalan Yexing was deeply worried.
Cui Dongshan walked side by side with the old man, looking around, grinning, and said casually, "Since I am my teacher's student, is Grandpa Nalan worried that I'm too bad a person, or that my teacher isn't good enough? Does he believe that I, Cui Dongshan, am dim-witted, or that my master's thoughts are flawless? Is he worried about the mist and confusion I, an outsider, bring, or about the depth of the Ning Manor—whether the sword immortals inside and out, with their flying swords, can break through the clouds? Should a down-and-out upper five realm sword cultivator trust more in his own flying sword's killing power, or in his sword heart being clear and spotless? After I've said all this, will Grandpa Nalan, who might have believed before, now believe a little less?"
Nalan Yexing's expression turned grave.
Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue in admiration. "The strong always think they can get by with less effort. That's not good."
Nalan Yexing frowned deeply.
Cui Dongshan glanced at the nearby Dragon-Slaying Cliff. "With teacher here, there's nothing to worry about. Elder brother Nalan, we brothers need to cherish this."
Nalan Yexing remained silent the whole way.
When they reached his master's residence, Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang were also there. Cui Dongshan made a bow and thanked them, addressing Nalan as "Grandpa Nalan."
Nalan Yexing smiled and nodded, saying to Chen Ping'an, who had just risen from his seat, "Dongshan and I hit it off right away just now. We almost swore brotherhood."
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "Alright, Grandpa Nalan, I understand."
Pei Qian secretly stuck out her thumb toward the white goose at the door.
Cui Dongshan looked confused. "Grandpa Nalan, I didn't say that."
Nalan Yexing said with a sly smile, "Now, does your teacher believe me, Elder Nalan, or you, Brother Cui?"
Cui Dongshan covered his forehead with one hand, staggering. "I drank too much at the tavern just now. What did I say? Where am I? Who am I..."
Pei Qian, who had just put her thumb down, raised it again—this time both thumbs up.
Nalan Yexing left, feeling immensely pleased.
Chen Ping'an glared at Cui Dongshan.
Cui Dongshan sat on the threshold. "Teacher, allow me to sit here and cool off, sober up."
Chen Ping'an returned to his seat and continued writing on the fan. Cao Qinglang was also helping.
Pei Qian wanted to help too, but her master wouldn't allow it.
So she sat alone at the neighboring table, facing the door and the white goose. She made faces and gestures, pointing to the two items on the table that her senior sister had given her earlier.
Pei Qian hadn't been shy with her senior sister. She had generously chosen two gifts: a string of prayer beads of unknown material, with one hundred and eight figures engraved, ancient and elegant.
And a pair of go stone containers. When opened, the container with white stones had a magnificent cloud-and-mist aura, while the one with black stones was densely clouded, faintly depicting an old dragon summoning rain.
The prayer beads had many beads, the go containers even more stones. Ranks and such didn't matter at all. Pei Qian had always felt that her assets should win by quantity.
Next time she fought with Li Huai, how could Li Huai possibly win?
Cui Dongshan smiled and nodded, raising one hand to make a light clapping gesture. Pei Qian had long been in sync with him, so she raised her hand for a distant high-five.
Pei Qian sat cross-legged on the bench, shaking her head and shoulders.
From behind, Chen Ping'an said, "Sit properly—forgotten?"
Pei Qian immediately froze as if under a body-binding spell.
Cui Dongshan leaned against the doorframe, smiling as he watched the three inside.
Pei Qian was amusing herself.
Nowadays, whenever she encountered a temple, she would go and kowtow to the Bodhisattva.
It was said that she often went to the Xinxiang Temple in the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom. But for some reason, when she put her hands together in prayer, she didn't press her palms tightly, as if carefully holding something.
He had also heard from Zhong Qiu that she now had a first friend who wasn't a friend—of course, not counting her still-close friends Chen Nuan Shu and Zhou Mili, nor the old cook, Old Wei, or Xiao Bai. But a girl native to the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom, who had married just a few years ago. Before leaving the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Pei Qian went to find her and admitted her mistake. But that girl didn't seem to accept or reject Pei Qian's apology, though she clearly recognized Pei Qian's appearance and height. The wealthy girl just pretended not to know her, because she was afraid. After Pei Qian left, she secretly found Zhong Qiu behind Cao Qinglang's back, asking and requesting that Master Zhong do something for her. Zhong Qiu agreed. Pei Qian then asked if this was the right thing to do. Zhong Qiu said it wasn't wrong, but didn't say it was good, nor whether this act could truly correct the mistake. He only said that she should go ask her teacher herself. At that time, Pei Qian said she still didn't dare to talk about this yet. When she had more courage, and when her teacher liked her a bit more, then she would dare to speak.
Cao Qinglang was writing carefully.
He looked a lot like someone.
Always serious about everything he did.
So it was even more necessary for someone to teach him that there were things he shouldn't be so serious about, and that he must never get stuck in a rut.
But did Cao Qinglang know why his teacher had become a wandering sack merchant, and why he was so serious? How much of that seriousness was due to guilt toward him, Cao Qinglang, even though the suffering in Cao Qinglang's life had nothing to do with his teacher?
There were many things and many words that Cui Dongshan wouldn't say much about. With a teacher imparting knowledge and resolving doubts, the students and disciples only needed to listen and observe.
As for the teacher, was he still thinking about how to make money right now?
In that room of three people, there was something very similar about a certain matter.
That moment when their parents left for a distant land, never to return—at that time, they had all still been children.
The teacher's parents had left the earliest. Then Pei Qian, then Cao Qinglang.
The three in the room probably all hadn't wanted to grow up, but had no choice.
So Cui Dongshan didn't enter the room. He just sat on the threshold, laid the walking stick across his knees, and alone, for once, stole some leisure to sit in a daze.
Chen Ping'an slammed the table, making both Cao Qinglang and Pei Qian jump. Then they heard their teacher and master say in exasperation, "The one who writes best is the one most lazy!"
Cao Qinglang looked enlightened and nodded. "Makes sense."
Pei Qian slammed the table too. "Outrageous!"
Cui Dongshan quickly stood up, took his walking stick, and stepped over the threshold. "Got it!"
Chen Ping'an stood up, sat down next to Pei Qian, and said with a smile, "Teacher will teach you to play go."
Pei Qian nodded vigorously, opened the go stone container, extended both hands, and gently shook it. "Got it! The white goose... what's that? Little Senior Brother! Little Senior Brother taught me to play go before. I learn really slowly. If he gives me a ten-stone handicap, I can beat him."
Chen Ping'an's smile remained unchanged, but he had just sat down and now stood up. "Then we'll play another time. Teacher's going to write. What are you staring at? Hurry and get your little book box—time to copy books!"
Pei Qian said "Oh!" and dashed out.
Soon she came back carrying the little bamboo box.
But she found her teacher standing at the door, looking at her.
Pei Qian stopped abruptly at the entrance, looked up in confusion. "Teacher, were you waiting for me?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "I remember a certain someone who went to fetch water with a bucket wasn't this fast."
Pei Qian looked a bit flustered.
Chen Ping'an reached out and rubbed her head, saying with a smile, "Teacher and Cao Qinglang could wait for you to come home back then. Of course we can wait even more now."
Cui Dongshan looked up and said plaintively, "I'm the one who met teacher the earliest!"
Pei Qian immediately laughed happily. "I'm earlier than Cao Qinglang!"
Cao Qinglang turned to look at the door, just smiling.
Pei Qian immediately said to the white goose, "Is that worth arguing about, huh?!"
Cui Dongshan raised both hands. "The senior sister is right."
Chen Ping'an patted Pei Qian's head. "Go copy books."
In the end, it was Chen Ping'an who sat on the threshold, took out his sword-nurturing gourd, and started drinking.
The three inside each glanced at the back figure at the door and went back to their own tasks.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Cao Qinglang, later I'll make you a walking stick too."
Cao Qinglang turned his head. "Teacher, the student has one."
Chen Ping'an didn't turn around but smiled. "But that wasn't a gift from the teacher. If you don't mind, take the one in the opposite wing room first."
Cao Qinglang thought for a moment. "Anything is fine, as long as it's not straw sandals."
Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes and muttered, "Comparing people drives you mad."
Pei Qian finished writing a sentence, and in the pause, she also secretly made a face, muttering, "So angering, so angering."
Then she glanced at the little bamboo box on the table, feeling delighted. Anyway, this little book box is mine alone.
Chen Ping'an, with his back to them, squinted happily, looking through the courtyard at the sky. Today's Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine was still good. Such fine wine should not be on credit.
Chen Ping'an took a sip, holding the wine jug in one hand and lightly tapping his knee with the other, murmuring to himself, "The pearl in the poor child's garment, originally round and bright."
Cui Dongshan smiled, also as if talking to himself, "Not seeking for oneself, but counting others' treasures. Counting others' treasures is ultimately useless. Please listen to my words."
Cao Qinglang also smiled knowingly and softly continued the passage: "Defilement cannot stain, light shines by itself. The Dharma arises from the heart; when speaking, make a lion's roar."
Pei Qian stopped writing and pricked up her ears. She was almost dying of grievance. She had no idea what her teacher and they were talking about! She definitely hadn't read it in any book, or she would have remembered.
Pei Qian sighed. "Then I'll just say stinky tofu is delicious."
Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up. He slapped his knee hard and laughed loudly. "Plain noodles can be free, but the stinky tofu has to be charged for!"