Chapter 639: One Person Mumbles, Mountains Echo
(There will be another chapter in the evening.)
Plum Blossom Garden was the most winding and circuitous of the four private estates on Inverted Suspension Mountain. Of course, what it was most famous for were its plum trees. However, the plum trees planted within the garden grew naturally, not forced into the twisted, sickly shapes of artificial cultivation—some sparse, some dense, some straight, some twisted, all following their own nature. Yet even so, it was renowned far and wide, naturally because Plum Blossom Garden had purchased many immortal plum trees from the eight-continent ferries at great expense and transplanted them into the garden.
The best place to admire the view in Plum Blossom Garden was the pavilion bearing the plaque "Contend Not for Spring."
Lady Tuoyan knelt upright on a mat made of Azure Spirit Mountain's green bamboo, her hands folded on her knees. Her appearance was charming, her face carrying a smile.
She looked at the three sword cultivators slowly ascending the steps to the pavilion and said with a smile, "Since the matter has already been exposed, I am willing to accept punishment. I only beg the great sword immortal Lu Zhi to make her sword strike clean."
Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged on the ground, facing Lady Tuoyan, and asked, "Won't you try to make amends? For a grass-tree essence to reach the fifth-tier upper realm, how difficult the cultivation must be."
In the entire history of Bottle Gourd Continent, not a single grass-tree essence had ever reached the fifth-tier upper realm.
Lady Tuoyan shook her head. "Since even Borderland was found and killed, I am destined not to live. I won't put on a false show."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Is the true body of that great demon of the Flying Ascension realm buried here in Plum Blossom Garden? Otherwise, how would you know that Borderland is dead?"
Lady Tuoyan smiled without answering, then extended a palm toward the tall, slender woman. "Someone once said that among the women of Sword Qi Great Wall, the sword immortal Lu Zhi has the finest appearance, most capable of toppling cities, and her person and her sword are most fitting for each other. Today I see it for myself—the reputation lives up to the reality."
Lu Zhi frowned.
Sword Immortal Chou Miao, however, sighed. Because he knew who had said those words.
Chen Ping'an said, "Then I'll ask you just one thing. You grew up in Haoran Heaven, so why are you so yearnful for Barren Wild Heaven?"
Lady Tuoyan smiled. "The rules established by Saint Li are good, but later generations of cultivators haven't done well at all. After going up the mountain and achieving the Dao, there are tens of thousands of immortal figures. How many of them treat us grass-tree essences who have been lucky enough to take human form as human beings? I won't speak of my own suffering. After I finally escaped that sea of bitterness, I looked around and saw that for thousands of years, there have been almost no exceptions in the human world. So I have harbored resentment for a long time."
She turned her head to look in the direction of a gate near Plum Blossom Garden. After withdrawing her gaze, she said with a smile, "It's not that I really like Barren Wild Heaven. A bunch of uncivilized beasts ruling the roost in such a remote heaven—how could it be any better than Haoran Heaven? I just want to see for myself Haoran Heaven, where all people, both on the mountain and off, are dead. Among them, cultivators will die out first, while only the grass and trees remain as before, one year’s withering and one year’s flourishing, endlessly renewing. Is that reason enough, Hidden Lord?"
Chen Ping'an said, "If you say it's enough, then it's enough."
Sword Immortal Chou Miao felt that this trip to Plum Blossom Garden had been unexpectedly smooth.
Lu Zhi suddenly spoke up. "I have accumulated quite a bit of battle merits. It's useless to keep them. I'll exchange them for her life. From now on, I'll keep her by my side. Hidden Lord, what do you say?"
Chou Miao was surprised.
Lady Tuoyan was even more stunned.
Just moments ago, she had indeed been resolved to die.
She had calculated everything in advance: either die, or live a fate worse than death. Since that was the case, her luck wasn't the worst—at least among the sword immortals there was a woman. It wasn't all just those filthy men. So she might as well be straightforward.
Lady Tuoyan never expected Lu Zhi to say such a thing.
Lu Zhi said to Lady Tuoyan, "From now on, you will follow me in cultivation. You don't have to be a servant or a maid."
Then Lu Zhi looked at Chen Ping'an, waiting for his answer.
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine."
Lady Tuoyan collapsed onto the ground, on the verge of tears.
Throughout the entire Plum Blossom Garden, countless plum blossoms burst into bloom on every tree. This was because Lady Tuoyan's life force was connected to the entire small world, drawing forth celestial phenomena.
Lu Zhi frowned. "Tuoyan, I have only one requirement for you. In the future, when facing life-or-death moments, as long as there are men before you, do not appear like this. Of course, if others want you dead, it won't be easy."
Lady Tuoyan prostrated herself before Lu Zhi. "Tuoyan thanks you, fellow Daoist Lu Zhi!"
Lady Tuoyan stood up and walked gracefully to stand beside Lu Zhi.
Even Chou Miao had to admit that Lady Tuoyan was a born seductress.
And the young Hidden Lord was already crouched on the ground, rolling up that priceless green bamboo mat from Azure Spirit Mountain.
More authentic than his own Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine, that was for sure.
Sword Immortal Chou Miao pretended not to see anything.
Lady Tuoyan hesitated for a moment, watching the young man who moved step by step as he rolled up the bamboo mat. She couldn't help but ask Lu Zhi via heart-to-heart voice: "What is this?"
Lu Zhi laughed. "Our Hidden Lord is too embarrassed to scrape the earth clean at Spring Banner Studio, so the ownerless Plum Blossom Garden is about to suffer a calamity."
Chou Miao grew even more puzzled.
From the tone of Great Sword Immortal Lu Zhi, it seemed her impression of this Hidden Lord was not too bad now?
Chen Ping'an finished rolling up the mat, tucked it under his arm, and stood up. "Lu Zhi, I'll say this in advance. Plum Blossom Garden's ability to take root on Inverted Suspension Mountain is not solely due to Lady Tuoyan's realm. Her schemes and tactics happen to be what you are not good at."
Lu Zhi glanced at Lady Tuoyan. "It doesn't matter. As long as one doesn't cherish one's life, whether it's a cultivator or a grass-tree essence, it's just a matter of one sword strike."
Having said that, Lu Zhi added, "Chen Ping'an, you're good at all those messy calculations. In the future, keep an eye on her for me."
Then Lu Zhi said to Lady Tuoyan, "I'll be honest with you. For now, I don't trust you. But I can guarantee that after a thousand years, you will regain your freedom. If my Great Path is cut short and I die within a thousand years, I will leave you in Chen Ping'an's hands. Tuoyan, if you think a thousand years is too long, you can bargain with me. I just won't agree."
Lady Tuoyan smiled radiantly and curtsied gracefully to Lu Zhi.
For a sword cultivator of Lu Zhi's realm, the sword heart was exceptionally clear. Coupled with all the stories and deeds of Lu Zhi, Lady Tuoyan was indeed willing to trust her.
Chou Miao gave the Hidden Lord a thumbs-up.
Indeed, it was more suitable for a woman to reason with another woman.
Chen Ping'an put the bamboo mat into his Inch-Long Object, then asked Lu Zhi and Chou Miao to leave for a moment, saying he needed to ask Lady Tuoyan some questions.
The two sword immortals left the pavilion.
Lady Tuoyan let out a soft "Eh" and looked around. "Hidden Lord, you've been hiding it deep. A few years ago, you weren't a sword cultivator, and now you are? And this flying sword's innate divine ability is so rare."
It was like heaven and earth with Lu Zhi by her side or not.
Chen Ping'an wasn't surprised at all. He asked, "When Jiang Heng of Jade Tablet Sect came to Inverted Suspension Mountain back then and stayed at Plum Blossom Garden, what did this eldest son of the Jiang family seek?"
Lady Tuoyan countered, "Why not ask directly about the Osmanthus Island of Old Dragon City? Is it that you can't bear to ask but have to, or that you don't intend to ask because you dare not?"
Chen Ping'an frowned. "There's no need to ask about that."
Lady Tuoyan smiled again. "May I ask the Hidden Lord, if you were to go to Osmanthus Island now, would you address her as Aunt Cassia or Lady Cassia?"
Chen Ping'an gave an evasive answer. "In the future, when you are by Lu Zhi's side, think more for her. Sword immortals cultivate their hearts, and being too pure is fine, but without this sword heart, Lu Zhi wouldn't be the Lu Zhi of today. However, when she goes to Haoran Heaven in the future, she may not have everything go her way."
Lady Tuoyan's eyes lit up. "So I don't have to stay at Sword Qi Great Wall forever?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "In the future, you will accompany Lu Zhi to Southern Bodhisattva Continent."
Lady Tuoyan smiled. "Since I can not only live but also have no worries, then I'll answer whatever you ask, telling everything I know without reservation. Let's start with Jiang Heng. He truly has great ambition but little talent—far inferior to Borderland. Jiang Heng first set his sights on the Fan family's Osmanthus Island, but Lady Cassia didn't agree. Then he deluded himself into thinking he could win over my Plum Blossom Garden to help the Jade Tablet Sect open a new shipping route, with the transfer port being Reed Flower Island, which is known for pearl fishing by Qi refiners."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Why not the Rain Dragon Sect?"
Lady Tuoyan gave him a sideways glance. "Is the Hidden Lord truly unaware, or is he pretending to be confused?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Please go on."
Lady Tuoyan laughed. "There was a female patriarch of the Rain Dragon Sect who once traveled to Parasol Leaf Continent. Jiang Shangzhen shattered her heart and liver, causing her to directly drop in realm and return. She was a promising seedling at the Immortal realm, and only after several hundred years did she barely manage to reach the Jade Pu realm. As Jiang Shangzhen's son, would Jiang Heng dare to go to the Rain Dragon Sect and court death? But times have changed. If Jiang Heng went to the Rain Dragon Sect now, even if he sincerely sought death, it would be hard for him to die."
Chen Ping'an sat on a bench and rubbed his temples.
Whenever Jiang Shangzhen was involved, it was all those baffling surprises.
How many stewards in the world would go out of their way to send money to cover a mountain's expenses?
But the biggest surprise was that Jiang Shangzhen had now become the sect leader of Jade Tablet Sect!
That man Xun Yuan was truly terrifying.
In Chen Ping'an's mind, for Jiang Shangzhen to have everything he had today, Xun Yuan's contribution was indispensable.
Setting aside personal grudges, in Chen Ping'an's view, when it came to being a sect leader, Xun Yuan was the most formidable.
That time Xun Yuan schemed against him still gave Chen Ping'an lingering fear.
Lady Tuoyan made a hand seal, and an old man's appearance appeared in the pavilion. Chen Ping'an also put it into his Inch-Long Object.
The subsequent questions and answers in the pavilion were all straightforward, without any dragging.
Finally, the group left Plum Blossom Garden.
According to the heavenly secrets Lady Tuoyan had previously disclosed, Plum Blossom Garden could indeed grow legs and run away. But where could it run to now? Besides, Lady Tuoyan was now by Lu Zhi's side.
Lu Zhi directly took her to Sword Qi Great Wall.
Lu Zhi had a private residence south of the city wall, where Lady Tuoyan would stay temporarily.
Chen Ping'an went with Chou Miao to Spring Banner Studio. Lady Tuoyan had agreed to record all the treasures of Plum Blossom Garden in a ledger. The ledger would probably be quite thick and would be sent to the Summer Retreat Palace later.
The nominal owner of Plum Blossom Garden was merely a puppet that Lady Tuoyan had propped up.
The story behind it was so complex and winding that if Lady Tuoyan was willing to tell it, and the young Hidden Lord had the leisure to record it, he could probably compile a bizarre and supernatural chronicle full of twists and turns.
When Chen Ping'an arrived at Spring Banner Studio, Mi Yu and the other two had gone to the main hall for a meeting. Shao Yunyan arrived at Inverted Suspension Mountain later than Lu Zhi and had not yet returned.
It wasn't that Sword Immortal Shao didn't want to return with Lu Zhi; it was simply that his flying sword couldn't catch up to Lu Zhi. Traveling from Fuyao Continent to Inverted Suspension Mountain by flying sword, without taking a ferry, was no easy task.
Tonight, among the managers of the twelve ferries that visited Spring Banner Studio, not everyone could take away a jade token. But as long as their relationships weren't that close, these ship owners, who had seen plenty of dangers in the martial world, would not easily speak of the matter if they had obtained a token. Those who didn't get one probably wished others would think they had received it.
Chen Ping'an didn't go to the main hall. He found Wei Wenlong in the accounting room.
Chou Miao didn't want to face a pile of account books. Even in the Summer Retreat Palace, Chou Miao had done plenty of reading and accounting. As Cao Gun said, when he leaves the Summer Retreat Palace, he never wants to look at a single page of a book again in his life.
But Chen Ping'an dragged Chou Miao to sit down with him.
Wei Wenlong grew even more fearful upon seeing the young Hidden Lord and Sword Immortal Chou Miao.
Wei Wenlong had brought some miscellaneous books here. Chen Ping'an picked one up and opened it. He was pleasantly surprised. A connoisseur knows at a glance—if Wei Wenlong were just a show-off, Chen Ping'an felt he could eat that book in his hand.
Because this "miscellaneous book" that Wei Wenlong used to pass the time was actually a secret archive of the Ministry of Revenue from the old Lu Dynasty of Bottle Gourd Continent. It must have come from the cross-continent ferries of Old Dragon City.
Wei Wenlong was a bit uneasy but forced himself to explain in a low voice, "Hidden Lord, whenever I have free time and no accounting to do, I read these records from the Ministries of Revenue of fallen dynasties across the continents. They weren't expensive—I bought them by the sackful. Compared to rare treasures, they cost just a few snowflake coins. And thanks to my master's connections, the six ferries of Old Dragon City were very gracious, selling them at half price or even giving them away."
Chen Ping'an slapped Wei Wenlong on the shoulder and said with a bright smile, "I've met a true expert!"
Wei Wenlong stumbled, more from fright than anything else.
He smiled awkwardly, his heart full of trepidation. Truly worthy of the great sword immortal Hidden Lord—his hand strength was terrifying.
Chen Ping'an pulled up a chair and sat near Wei Wenlong, then began asking about the taxation situation of the Great Li Dynasty over the years.
Wei Wenlong answered fluently, even mentioning some minor tricks the Ministry of Revenue officials had pulled in the early years. But he also said that the fiscal and tax records of the Great Li Dynasty's Ministry of Revenue had become increasingly murky over the past century. For such a great dynasty, the numbers in the ledgers were all illusory. The key was the secret landscape ledgers hidden away. Otherwise, forget about the imitation White Jade Capital in the Great Li capital city—just the mountain-like ferries and sword boats built by Mohist mechanism masters for Great Li would have required an astronomical amount of immortal money. Wei Wenlong guessed that behind the scenes, aside from the Mohists, there must be merchant families supporting Great Li's financial operations. Otherwise, from immortal money on the mountains to gold, silver, and copper coins off the mountains, everything would have long since collapsed into chaos.
Wei Wenlong clearly understood that to truly master financial matters, one must thoroughly study the related rules.
Chen Ping'an mostly asked very narrow, specific questions, then let Wei Wenlong speak freely.
When it came to money, Wei Wenlong became a different person.
He was clear in reasoning, well-versed in laws and regulations, and skilled in writing and calculation.
Chen Ping'an listened with rapt attention.
This knowledge was truly valuable.
Sword Immortal Chou Miao was seeing the young Hidden Lord in such high spirits for the first time.
Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "Manage goods to perfection, let no coin lie idle."
Wei Wenlong was taken aback, then said softly, "What is the way to govern a state?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Benefit both agriculture and commerce, regulate grain prices, keep markets and passes well-supplied."
Wei Wenlong asked again, "And what is the core principle?"
Chen Ping'an replied, "Let wealth and currency flow like water!"
Wei Wenlong grinned, unable to contain himself. He pressed his hands on the desk, overjoyed. "A fellow Daoist, truly a fellow Daoist!"
Then Wei Wenlong became extremely embarrassed. He grudgingly withdrew his hands and tried to rein in his expression, making himself as respectful as possible. He said softly, "Hidden Lord, I have offended you greatly."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "People of the same path—offend your grandmother's 'offend.' From now on, just call me Fellow Daoist Chen! Or Good Man Brother will do."
Chou Miao couldn't help but ask, "Are you two discussing the merchant school of learning?"
Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "It's related, but they must never be conflated."
Wei Wenlong glanced at the dumbfounded Chou Miao, who sat there like a wooden man. Wei Wenlong almost couldn't hold back a roll of his eyes. One sentence and you could tell he was a greenhorn, an utter outsider. Hah, and he was a sword immortal too.
No wonder he couldn't become the Hidden Lord of Sword Qi Great Wall.
Chen Ping'an looked at the sky outside the window. He left a pot of osmanthus wine on the table, stood up, and said with a smile, "You're always welcome to visit our Summer Retreat Palace. If you'd like to stay long-term, even better. I'll clear out a residence for you. But the earliest we can do that is after the eight-continent ferry trade is on track. We don't want to interfere with important matters. No rush. Once I return to the Summer Retreat Palace, I'll get a single-family residence cleaned out for you."
Wei Wenlong stood up, flustered. "Hidden Lord, this really won't do. It won't do."
Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "It's settled."
Leaving the room, in the late winter weather, Chen Ping'an habitually rubbed his hands for warmth.
Sword Immortal Chou Miao laughed. "In a good mood?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "In a very good mood."
If he ever got the chance, he would definitely lure Wei Wenlong to Fallen Mountain.
He could even use that Lotus Root Blessed Land to let Wei Wenlong practice.
Chou Miao watched the grinning young Hidden Lord and asked with a smile, "Is Wei Wenlong really that impressive?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I wouldn't trade him even for a Spring Banner Studio."
Chou Miao asked, "What about adding a Plum Blossom Garden on top?"
Chen Ping'an complained, "Great Sword Immortal Chou Miao, this is no way to chat."
Chou Miao suddenly spoke via heart-to-heart voice: "All these schemes of the Hidden Lord lineage have had some effect, buying us an extra half year. If the eight-continent ferry trade goes without major mishap, we might get another year. So we're still a year and a half short."
Chou Miao was considered the best candidate, or one of them, for the next Hidden Lord. Naturally, this wasn't without reason.
Chen Ping'an cursed under his breath.
Chou Miao asked with a smile, "Who are you cursing?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Not the old sword immortal, anyway."
Chou Miao smiled and said, "I advise the Hidden Lord not to treat me like Great Sword Immortal Mi Yu."
Chen Ping'an said, "Never again. Or let's say three strikes and you're out."
Chou Miao said, "That Wei Wenlong's last look at me seemed a bit off."
Chen Ping'an said, "Impossible. Wei Wenlong looked at you with full admiration. The only thing missing was him treating Great Sword Immortal Chou Miao as a stunning beauty."
Chou Miao laughed. "Hidden Lord, do you want to return to the Summer Retreat Palace with a swollen face, or do you want me to chop Wei Wenlong half to death?"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Three strikes."
Before becoming the new Hidden Lord, in the thatched hut, there had been a conversation between him and the old sword immortal.
"You, as Hidden Lord, need only buy Sword Qi Great Wall an extra three years. That's enough."
"Only?"
"Otherwise, do you want to drag it out for thirty years? If you think you can do it, say yes now, and I'll go to the Ning and Yao mansions to propose marriage for you right away."
"Fine, no problem."
"Get lost."
---
After bidding farewell to Bao Ping at the Mountain Cliff Academy, Pei Qian and Cui Dongshan left the Great Sui capital together.
They traveled over mountains and rivers, about to reach the border of the former Great Sui vassal state, Huangting Kingdom. As the white goose said, "Leisurely and carefree, following the Great Path."
Along the way, Pei Qian, holding a walking staff and carrying a small bamboo box on her back, besides her daily routine of copying texts, would practice that set of Demonic Sword Technique against Cui Dongshan. So far, she had never lost.
Otherwise, she would stare blankly at that cluster of golden strands—the pure sword intent given to Pei Qian by Zhou Cheng, the female sword immortal who swung on a swing at Sword Qi Great Wall.
Pei Qian had asked the white goose many times: Can't you really eat this thing? In the martial arts novels that Sister Bao Ping and Li Huai liked to read, such treasures gifted by elders could increase one's internal power if eaten.
Cui Dongshan said she really couldn't eat it. If she did, she'd be in for a gut-busting mess. A whole lot of intestines would spill out, and even with both hands, she wouldn't be able to hold them in. Would she put them in her little book box? How gruesome.
Today, the two were by a river. Cui Dongshan was fishing, while Pei Qian crouched nearby copying texts, using her small bamboo box as a makeshift desk.
The small bamboo box was made of green bamboo, crafted by Cui Dongshan himself. Pei Qian reluctantly accepted it but was rather disdainful. She didn't directly say she thought the box was the wrong shade of green; instead, she asked Cui Dongshan if he knew what "verdant and dripping with green" meant.
Cui Dongshan pretended not to hear the endless stream of insinuations.
As he fished, Cui Dongshan rambled on about some flashy knowledge that Pei Qian would only let in one ear and out the other.
Things like: In the art of calligraphy, imitating the ancients is like ghosts enjoying sacrifices—they only absorb the essence, not the substance. Learning from the ancients values spiritual resonance; that's considered passing the threshold.
Or: When a child first picks up a brush, seek only rigorous structure and clear strokes. Never speak loftily of the divine and mysterious. Remember, it's not about writing a lot; uninterrupted practice is best.
And: When writing small standard script, it should be clear and full.
Pei Qian was extremely focused when copying texts. During pauses in her writing, she didn't like listening to the white goose's nonsense.
White Goose, your calligraphy is nowhere near as good as Master's. Have you seen Master spout so much smoke and mirrors? Are you just showing off, thinking I haven't copied enough texts?
Cui Dongshan turned his head and looked at the senior disciple who was completely absorbed in copying and writing. He smiled.
Was his own calligraphy any good? Did it have style? Look at a calligraphy piece the size of two or three palms—how many Grain Rain coins did it sell for?
But it was hard to bring that up, or the senior disciple would probably immediately go up the mountain, chop down and make seven or eight large bamboo boxes, and have him fill them all up before letting him go.
Besides, not every brushstroke could be called a calligraphy piece.
After finishing her copying, Pei Qian crouched on the ground, leaning against her small bamboo box, quiet and still, waiting for the fish to bite. When it came to stewing fish, she had received her master's true teachings.
Cui Dongshan suddenly asked Pei Qian if she wanted to wander the jianghu alone, taking her time to return to her hometown, Fallen Mountain.
Pei Qian naturally didn't dare. Could the white goose's brain have been addled by the walking staff? Asking such a question really killed the mood.
Pei Qian immediately said no, no. She needed her master's permission before she, as the senior disciple, could venture down the mountain alone. And she would need that little donkey to accompany her as they traveled the mountains and rivers.
Cui Dongshan said that if they went further ahead, there was the Imperial River in Huangting Kingdom, which was Chen Lingjun's place of origin. And there was the Cao Family's Orchid Pavilion, which was Nuan Shu's half-hometown. Didn't she want to go take a look?
Pei Qian put on her bamboo box, stood up, and began to pace beside the white goose. With one hand holding the strap of the box and the other gripping her walking staff, she said, "So much nonsense. Traveling is a small matter; getting home quickly is the big thing. If I'm not there keeping an eye on things, the old cook's culinary skills will go to waste. Besides, if I'm not watching the pressure-year shop, Sister Shi Rou will secretly buy rouge and powder. How do I know she's not embezzling public funds for private use?"
Cui Dongshan laughed. "Shi Rou buying rouge and powder? For what? To smear on her face and scare people to death first, then scare ghosts?"
Pei Qian frowned. "White Goose, don't talk about Sister Shi Rou like that. It's hard enough for her to secretly buy rouge and powder, and she has to hide it carefully so I won't see it, afraid I'll laugh at her..."
Cui Dongshan chuckled. "And did you laugh at her?"
Pei Qian kept a straight face, holding back a smile.
Cui Dongshan said, "The Master isn't here."
Pei Qian burst out laughing. "At that time, I was young and small, didn't know any better! I almost laughed myself to death. My belly ached from laughing. I almost pounded a few holes in the counter."
Pei Qian quickly added, "But I only laughed. I didn't say a single disrespectful word. Not one word! Heaven and Earth as my witness!"
Cui Dongshan laughed. "Were you too busy laughing to speak?"
Pei Qian slapped Cui Dongshan on the head, grinning from ear to ear. "You get me, Little Senior! Look at how clever you are. You've caught a fish. Let's stew a big pot of it. After we eat and drink our fill, we'll hit the road together."
Then Pei Qian felt a little sad. "Sister Shi Rou is quite pitiful. Don't bully her in the future. Reason with her, like Master does. She's not stupid; she'll listen. Of course, I'm just saying this casually..."
Pei Qian said softly, "Little Senior and Master are both people who think a lot before doing things. I don't bother with too much. I can't even keep up with copying all the texts."
Cui Dongshan stared at the water's surface, raised his hand to rub his head, and said with a "tch," "Master was even younger than you when he dared to leave Great Sui alone and walk back to his hometown."
Pei Qian said doubtfully, "Is it so strange that the disciple is not as good as the master?"
Cui Dongshan said, "The disciple does not necessarily have to be inferior to the master—that is a sage's teaching in black and white on paper."
Pei Qian pouted. "I only listen to Master."
Cui Dongshan said helplessly, "I really have an urgent matter. I need to go to the Great Li capital immediately. Even taking a ferry is too slow. If I delay any longer, it might be hard to see the senior disciple again. Who knows when."
Pei Qian thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. If you had begged me like that earlier, it would have been done. Go on. It's a trivial matter for me to walk back to Fallen Mountain alone!"
She pulled out a yellow paper talisman from her sleeve but didn't immediately stick it on her forehead. She carefully tucked it back into her sleeve.
She had walked thousands of miles with her master. This talisman had accompanied her for about as long.
With it there, she feared nothing.
Cui Dongshan asked with a smile, "Then I'm really going?"
Pei Qian said impatiently, "So much nonsense! Do you think my Demonic Sword Technique is just for show?"
Cui Dongshan sighed. "Forget it, forget it. I'll still accompany the senior disciple a bit further. Otherwise, when Master finds out later, he'll blame me."
Pei Qian stood beside the white goose. "Go on, go on. Don't worry about me. I wasn't afraid of Sword Qi Great Wall with all those sword cultivators. Why would I be afraid of a Huangting Kingdom?"
Cui Dongshan put away his fishing rod.
"I'll see you off a little. See that stone cliff over there? I'll take you there."
Pei Qian and Cui Dongshan walked along the riverbank. She said softly, "White Goose, do you want to hear what's on my mind?"
"Sure."
"Actually, Master worries that I might be unreasonable in the future. I understand that. But Master also worries that I might become like him. I just can't figure that out. What's wrong with being like Master?"
"Why don't you tell Master directly?"
"Master is already worried. If I say that, Master will worry even more. If Master worries more, I'll worry even more. Then my most beloved senior disciple, Master, will worry even more, and then I'll worry and worry..."
Cui Dongshan looked at the distant green mountains and smiled. "Heart pure and still, laugh at white clouds for meddling, casually as rain emerges from the mountains."
Pei Qian frowned. "Are you making fun of me in a roundabout way?"
"Praising you."
"Heaven and Earth as your witness?"
"Heaven and Earth as my witness!"
Finally, Pei Qian stopped and said solemnly, "Little Senior, take care on the road!"
Cui Dongshan smiled and nodded. "If I hadn't met Master, where would I have gotten such a good senior disciple?"
Cui Dongshan shot up into the air, like a white cloud returning home.
But Cui Dongshan didn't actually leave. He used an illusion technique and looked down at the riverbank.
Pei Qian stood there for a long time. Finally, she was willing to move. She swung her arms, each step trying to be huge but slow. At this pace, it would take her a hundred years to reach Chess Pier Mountain.
Cui Dongshan rubbed his forehead. What was she doing?
He watched for a long time. The senior disciple seemed to have had an epiphany. She took a deep breath, stomped heavily on the ground, and in an instant, she shot forward like thunder, disappearing in a flash.
Cui Dongshan grew even more worried.
With the senior disciple's mouse-sized courage, if she really encountered any mountain spirits or ghosts, it would be a case of "you scare me, I scare you"—neither would lose, and they'd scare each other to death.
Cui Dongshan looked around, flew through the wind at lightning speed, but silently. He went to a larger river, stamped his foot, and directly shook the river's water god out of his lair. He grabbed the water god's head, twisted his wrist to make the god face the distant small figure carrying a bamboo box on her back. Cui Dongshan said calmly, "See that? My senior disciple. Escort her all the way to Red Candle Town. Don't show yourself, don't leave any trace. After that, you can return. Count it as a merit. You will receive a Great Li Trouble-Free Token. The Great Li Ministry of Rites will send it to you. Just wait at home. But if there is the slightest mistake, I will shatter your golden body."
As he spoke, Cui Dongshan's five fingers tightened slightly. The golden body of a water god directly cracked like an exploding firecracker, instantly bursting into countless fissures. He withdrew his hand. "I always felt you were unreliable. Afraid you wouldn't take it seriously, I shattered half your golden body first. After the deed is done, go find Yang Hua, the water god of Iron Talisman River, and have her help repair your golden body. Then get the Trouble-Free Token."
The water god then heard the white-clothed boy muttering to himself, "Half the golden body shattered, so no crooked thoughts. But his abilities are even worse, making him even less reliable?"
The water god almost completely collapsed on his own.
This old immortal, whose techniques reached the heavens and whose tone was even bigger—what exactly do you want me to do, master? From beginning to end, this minor god hasn't said a word or done a single thing!
Cui Dongshan loosened his five fingers and lightly patted the water god's head. The crisscrossing cracks on his golden body instantly closed and returned to normal.
Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeves and looked at the dumbfounded water god. "What are you gaping for? Golden body shattered and repaired—tastes too good? Want to go through it again?"
The water god swallowed his saliva and was about to fly after that so-called "senior disciple."
But the white-clothed boy slapped him back into the river, splashing countless waves. "Going like that? I told you to leave no trace!"
Cui Dongshan slapped his head. "I should have found the mountain god. My fault. Sorry. Go back to where you came from."
Unexpectedly, the water god wasn't too stupid. Enduring the pain from the golden body change and the additional kick, he knelt on the water's surface and kowtowed. "Minor god pays respects to the immortal master."
Cui Dongshan laughed. "As expected of someone who, when first a minor river god, dared to hold a halberd and draw a line on the ground, saying to the neighboring mountain god, 'In Lord Liu's territory, no one dares to trespass.' General Liu, get up and speak. Look at you, so clever. Not bad. I believe that even as a water god, if you enter the mountains, you won't be any worse. But to be safe, I'll give you a Water God Mountain-Crossing Talisman."
Cui Dongshan joined two fingers, and a talisman made of golden material appeared in the air. He dropped it lightly, and the water god caught it with both hands.
When he looked up again, the white-clothed boy was gone.
This water god, whose surname was Liu, received a "Water God Mountain-Crossing Talisman" that he had never even heard of. When he slightly activated his spiritual energy, it merged with his golden body.
After cautiously going ashore, he found himself even more at ease than in his own jurisdiction.
The water god felt as if in a dream.
He immediately concealed his aura and went to catch up with that young girl.
The water god had just breathed a sigh of relief when his heart lake rippled violently, like a huge wave. The water god had to stop to resist it. It was the white-clothed boy's voice again. "Remember, don't get within a hundred zhang of my senior disciple. Even with the talisman on you, you'll still be discovered. Think about the consequences. Then this talisman will be either a life-saving charm or a death warrant. Hard to say."
The water god immediately bowed with fists and accepted the order.
After that, following the girl who was running all the way, the water god had only one feeling.
The girl didn't look old, but she could really run.
When hungry, she would take off her bamboo box while running, open it, take out dry rations, put the box back on, eat it hastily, and keep running.
At first, the water god thought the girl was hiding from something.
But no matter how much he searched, there was no sign.
The water god grew even more puzzled. This girl wasn't a cultivator of Daoist arts, so how could she be a martial arts grandmaster who had honed her physique the most?
Along the way, when the girl encountered a cave that could shelter her from the wind and rain, she avoided it. An abandoned broken temple, she avoided it. Any place with slightly more spiritual energy, she avoided even more.
When she finally got tired and rested, she would deliberately choose broad daylight. She would use her walking staff to draw a big circle, mumble something, then doze off for a while, take a nap, and quickly get up and resume her journey.
Once, when she jumped onto a high branch and saw the outline of a city in the distance, the girl's face scrunched up as if she were about to cry.
The water god had just started to feel sorry for her.
Then he saw the girl land on the ground, swaggering along, swinging her walking staff with abandon, humming, "Eat stinky tofu, oh, stinky tofu is delicious, oh."
The water god naturally didn't know.
On a high branch, the white-clothed boy stood silently, his expression soft, watching Pei Qian from afar.
Only Cui Dongshan understood why.
When Master was not by her side, or when she was not at Master's home.
Then all the places she walked alone were like the Lotus Flower Blessed Land of her childhood, exactly the same. All the people she met alone would be like the people she met in the streets and alleys of Lotus Flower Blessed Land, no different.
Cui Dongshan looked around. Green mountains after green mountains.
One person mumbles, mountains echo.
He hoped it would be so.
Cui Dongshan sighed.
Finally, he was willing to leave.
He still had to go see a big shot for that old bastard.
A flash of white robes shot into the sky, smashing through the entire sea of clouds. A series of thunderous booms rumbled in the sky, as if bidding farewell.
Pei Qian, walking in the forest and happily muttering "walk arrogantly, demons panic," paused, quickly turned around, looked up, and jumped up and down, waving goodbye vigorously.
The water god noticed that even when the girl reached county towns and market towns, she never stayed in inns.
At most, she bought some snacks to stuff in her pockets, but more of them went into her small bamboo box.
She would also visit various mountain and river shrines to pay respects. If she encountered Taoist temples or Buddhist monasteries, she would also go in to burn incense.
Apart from that, she hardly spoke to anyone. Just walked slower than in the mountains and forests, not burying her head in running.
The only time she lingered in one place for long was when she crouched on a low yellow-earth wall, watching a group of jianghu heroes on horseback riding far away. The girl seemed a bit envious.
But it wasn't the dashing men of the martial world that caught her eye—it was their mounts.
Near the Imperial River in Huangting Kingdom, the girl took one look and bolted. Near the Cao Family's Orchid Pavilion, it was the same: she snuck a couple of furtive glances on the main street, then ran.
Finally, she reached the territory of Red Candle Town.
The water god breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a bit amused. With this girl so cautious and careful, why did he need him to escort her all the way?
Could he really have gotten that rare talisman for nothing, and still get a Great Li Trouble-Free Token?
The water god didn't dare believe it. No matter, he would follow that white-clothed immortal master's orders: stop here and turn back!
The water god turned and left.
Throughout the journey, apart from a very few chance encounters with Qi refiners of the fifth-tier middle realm, no one knew that this great river god had traveled so far inland. Those cultivators who saw him didn't even dare to take a second look.
A river god openly breaking the rules to go ashore—how could that be simple? The landscape laws of Great Li were now extremely harsh.
The water god suddenly turned his head.
He found that the young girl had run all the way here. She stopped at a distance, thrust her walking staff heavily into the ground, then clasped her fists in a smile at him before bowing in salute.
After the girl straightened up, the water god just smiled and returned the salute with clasped fists. Forgoing the formal bow.
The girl grinned and said, "My master is the mountain master of Fallen Mountain. You're welcome to visit my home anytime, Water God!"
The water god was stunned for a long moment, then nodded.
This little girl had forgotten to give her own name!
But the girl had already pulled up her walking staff and turned away, hopping and skipping, the small bamboo box on her back swaying.