# Chapter 652: Standing in the Bright Moonlight
A tall young man and a strikingly beautiful woman entered the Dragon Province territory of the Great Li Dynasty together—that blessed land of feng shui where the Lizhu Cave Heaven had once shattered and taken root in the earth.
This place was rich in tales of mountains and waters, and was considered a first-rate cultivation ground on Vase Bottle Continent.
Yet all the landscapes, people, and events seemed tinged with mountain mist and water fog, impossible to see clearly.
When the pair followed the Tie Fu River all the way to Huaihuang County, passing by a Water Goddess shrine with thriving incense offerings, neither of them dared to enter and burn incense—constrained by their identities and cultivation backgrounds. When they finally caught sight of the eastern gate of the county town, the young man sighed with relief. "We've finally arrived, Miss Ma. Should we first visit Mr. Chen's mountain, or go to Gu Can's house in the prefectural city? Luopo Mountain might be harder to find, but the prefectural city should be easier to navigate."
This pair's journey north through Dragon Province had not been easy. The main reason was that Gu Can had suddenly told them to travel north on their own. He and that strange scholar named Liu Chicheng had to go to the Xu clan in Qingfeng City, which made the cowardly Zeng Ye extremely anxious. In his early years, the manager Zhang Ye of Qingxia Island had dragged him out of that great fire pit of Maoyue Island and brought him to the thatched hut at the mountain gate, where he met that bookkeeper. Zeng Ye's life had then undergone earth-shattering changes. Later he got to know Gu Can, going from fear to closeness, and now to dependence—all within just a few years. For a cultivator who loved quiet meditation, it seemed like the snap of a finger.
There was a time when being casually glanced at by Gu Can would give Zeng Ye nightmares. But now, without Gu Can by his side, he felt uncomfortable everywhere—wandering through mountains and rivers, every step unsteady.
In truth, Zeng Ye, who was naturally suited for ghost path cultivation, had not been slow in breaking through realms in recent years. In fact, he could be said to be extremely fast. It was just that having Gu Can beside him made him seem less conspicuous.
Zeng Ye was now a veritable Observation Sea Realm Qi Refiner. In the martial world and mountains of ordinary vassal states, he would be regarded as a "Middle Five Realms Immortal Master."
Because he practiced heterodox techniques with heavy yin energy, during this northern journey, when Gu Can was with them, Zeng Ye could still approach those mountain and water shrines and immortal mountain peaks. But after parting ways with Gu Can, he no longer had the courage. Moreover, Ma Duyi beside him was even more of a ghostly spirit—she could only walk among mortals by relying on that fox-fur talisman. In the eyes of those mountain immortals with profound Daoist arts, both Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi could easily be seen as filthy and heretical existences.
Ma Duyi wore a jade token at her waist—a Peace Talisman left by Gu Can as their protective charm. She thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Let's go to Luopo Mountain first. We're so familiar with Mr. Chen; we shouldn't be turned away. Even if Mr. Chen isn't there, it shouldn't be hard to get a cup of tea from someone, right?"
Zeng Ye grinned. "Fine, that's what I was thinking too."
There were always some people who, just by thinking of them, could put one at ease.
After passing Huaihuang County, they asked the locals for directions, but the language was unintelligible—completely like playing a lute to a cow. They finally found a shopkeeper who could speak the Great Li official language, but even he couldn't give the exact location of Luopo Mountain. He only gave a rough idea: after passing a small town, find the Zhenzhu Mountain first—a small hill—and then ask the mountain immortals there for directions.
Entering the continuous great mountains rich with spiritual energy, the two searched for a good while before finally finding the Huimeng Mountain, a subsidiary territory of Luopo Mountain. Heading south, they ended up at the foot of Luopo Mountain on the cliff side, not too far from the main mountain gate to the south. But then Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi witnessed something unbelievable. First, they saw a little girl in black clothes, her back to them, looking up at the high cliff where clouds hung suspended like a white belt tied around the mountain. The little girl had a small golden carrying pole on one shoulder and a green bamboo walking staff on the other. She yelled loudly, "Pei Qian, Pei Qian! Don't jump crooked this time—filling pits is such a hassle!"
Zeng Ye glanced around the little girl. The ground was full of holes.
The green bamboo walking staff on the little girl's shoulder looked very familiar!
The black-clad little girl suddenly turned her head, looked at the two strangers standing still, and made a swift escape with lightning speed.
Zeng Ye jerked his head up to look.
A black dot broke through the clouds, bringing a whistling sound as it plummeted. In an instant, a not-very-tall, thin figure slammed heavily into the ground. A loud crash, the earth trembled, and dust flew everywhere.
Zeng Ye concentrated and stared into the distance.
In the middle of a large pit, a girl with slightly dark skin and a slim build slowly rose from a slight crouch. She turned to look at the black-clad little girl squatting at the edge of the pit with her head in her hands, and complained, "Milili, what's going on? If I hadn't been sharp-eyed and changed my landing path, you would have fallen into the pit. What if you got hurt? Weren't you supposed to stay put..."
As she spoke, the girl with shocking behavior took a few seemingly casual steps, walked over to the little girl, and then, intentionally or not, positioned herself between Zhou Mili and the two strangers.
Ma Duyi noticed that the girl was wearing a pair of roughly woven straw sandals, and blood was flowing from them.
Ma Duyi couldn't help glancing at the cliff, then back at the girl.
Was she jumping off a cliff to commit suicide, or just playing around?
Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi, after all, were not pure martial artists; they didn't understand the many subtleties of the girl's "ground-slamming" cliff jump.
Asking fists!
The girl was asking fists with her body and the earth.
She had to restrain all the fist intent that was like divine protection, using her pure physical body, relying on the momentum of falling—as if delivering the "heaviest punch" from the sky to the human world.
In the girl's own words, she wanted to give the earth's little head a good hammer strike!
This was a fist-training method the girl had come up with herself. Chen Nuanshu naturally disagreed, thinking it was too dangerous—Pei Qian was only at the bottleneck of the Fifth Realm, and her physical body wasn't tough enough yet. Milili thought it was feasible, and with two against one, it could be done. Chen Nuanshu wanted to ask the old cook, but Pei Qian stepped on the six green bricks laid outside the bamboo building, opened the path with six steps of walking stakes, leaped, and disappeared.
Zhou Mili lay prone on the cliff, her butt sticking up. Chen Nuanshu was extremely anxious. The old cook had already appeared at the cliff edge without anyone noticing. He glanced at the ground and clicked his tongue.
Chen Nuanshu sighed in relief. It seemed nothing serious.
Later, Pei Qian quickly climbed up the cliff wall, limping, her eyes shining brightly. She laughed loudly, "Awesome, awesome!"
Zhu Lian said nothing and turned to leave.
And so, more and more big pits appeared on the earth.
Zhou Mili secretly made a diving gesture at Pei Qian, which earned her a scolding from Chen Nuanshu, who rarely got angry.
Thus, Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi saw this scene today.
If this was the hospitality of Luopo Mountain, it was certainly unique.
Pei Qian took a few more looks at the two strangers from afar and asked, "Is the abacus sound to the left or the right?"
Zeng Ye was completely confused.
Ma Duyi replied, "Facing the mountain gate, the bookkeeper's room is on the left."
Pei Qian finally smiled and clasped her fists. "Pei Qian, the founding disciple of Luopo Mountain, greets Fellow Daoist Zeng and Sister Ma!"
Ma Duyi sighed inwardly. What a clever girl. And with even better eyesight! Gu Can had said privately that Liu Chicheng had cast an illusion spell on the two of them to help conceal their yin aura. But Gu Can also said there was no need to tell Zeng Ye—let him be careful when traveling outside. Ma Duyi had laughed and scolded Gu Can at the time: "You're worried I'll go around causing trouble, right?" Gu Can just smiled without speaking, then handed over that invaluable Peace Talisman.
Ma Duyi decided not to argue with Gu Can. When it came down to it, Gu Can was just more thoughtful, more worldly-wise. Sometimes, when she and Zeng Ye were alone without Gu Can, she would also marvel at how quickly Gu Can learned things—whether cultivation, local dialects, riding and chatting with chance-met martial heroes, enjoyable conversations with spring-outing officials, or small talk with woodcutters and townsfolk. It seemed Gu could adapt to local customs everywhere, leaving Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye far behind.
Now Zhou Mili stood beside Pei Qian, tilting her head and frowning. Then she pretended to suddenly understand, nodding slightly, behaving as if she were a seasoned wanderer who understood everything.
Since they were receiving guests, they couldn't take the cliff path home. Pei Qian led the two guests on a detour toward the mountain gate.
Of course, she didn't forget to introduce Milili, the Right Protector of Luopo Mountain.
Zhou Mili whispered a reminder, "I'm the Right Protector of Luopo Mountain, and before that, I was the Right Protector of Qilong Alley. Now I've ceded the position to..."
Pei Qian coughed.
Zhou Mili immediately shut her mouth, stood on tiptoe, and covered her mouth with her hand. "Don't write it down, don't write it down. I didn't slip up, did I?"
Pei Qian rubbed her little head and said nothing. Write down what? Neither Milili nor Nuanshu had any ledger of debts; they only had a merit book. But she couldn't say that, or Milili would get cocky.
Ma Duyi heard this and kept a straight face, but inside she was stunned for a long time. Zeng Ye, on the other hand, was fine—Mr. Chen had always taken things calmly as long as they didn't violate principles.
At the mountain gate, Zheng Dafeng was no longer there.
These days, the youth Yuan Lai was staying there, in charge of the gate.
Cen Yuanji had just finished her fist practice from the mountaintop to the foot. She was now a Fourth Realm martial artist, having broken through the Third Realm bottleneck somewhat bumpily. Not too good, not too bad—the old cook said it was quite good. But Cen Yuanji herself wasn't satisfied. No matter how good her relationship was with her peer Yuan Bao, both of them were pure martial artists, so there was bound to be rivalry. Women were often like this—even the best of friends would hide a little competitive edge behind lovely brows and smiling faces. It was only human nature, and actually more subtle and moving than men's aggressive competition.
Moreover, Yuan Bao and her brother Yuan Lai were disciples of Lu Baixiang, while Cen Yuanji had always regarded Old Mr. Zhu as her mentor. Old Mr. Zhu and Lu Baixiang seemed to be of the same generation on Luopo Mountain. The two seniors didn't compete, so as their disciples, she and Yuan Bao still had to compete.
The young man in blue, Yuan Lai, was taking advantage of his sister's absence to read a book under the wall. When Cen Yuanji reached the mountain foot with her six-step walking stakes, he lost interest in reading and watched Miss Cen instead.
Before Uncle Zheng went on his far journey, he had left many books for Yuan Lai in the study of the residence, and had earnestly told the youth that when he was older, he could go to the old cook's private library, where the real knowledge was. The youth was somewhat enchanted.
Seeing Pei Qian and her group, the youth had to pull his mind away from Miss Cen's beautiful eyes and quickly walk toward the mountain gate archway. After Pei Qian's introductions, he bowed deeply to the two foreign guests who were old friends of the young mountain master. The youth suddenly realized that this was a scholar's courtesy; if his sister found out, he would get scolded again. Yuan Lai hastily clasped his fists and smiled.
After greeting them, Cen Yuanji continued her fist practice up the mountain alone.
Old Mr. Zhu had once admonished her: once the path under your feet is correct, diligence can compensate for lack of talent. Don't train your fists to death. If you want fist intent to enter your body, you must find a living source within the fist techniques—this is what martial artists call "ascending the heights of fist practice, first establish an intention in the heart." Finally, Old Mr. Zhu told Cen Yuanji to think carefully about what she sought from fist practice. Once she understood, training would no longer be a hardship.
When they reached the mountain, Pei Qian found that the old cook was not home.
Fortunately, Chen Nuanshu was there, so there was no need to worry about neglecting the guests.
On Luopo Mountain, no guest was treated according to status.
——
Zhu Lian had gone to the Baijian Platform.
The sword cultivator Cui Wei, the youths Zhang Jiazhen and Jiang Qu, were all staying there now.
Wei Bo stood at the foot of the mountain and slowly ascended together with Zhu Lian, whom he had summoned in a hurry.
Wei Bo smiled. "Fortunately, the person in charge of the Longquan Sword Sect now is not Master Ruan, but Miss Xiuxiu. Otherwise, even I might not be able to conceal everything."
Zhu Lian did not look relaxed. "Is the woman's identity confirmed?"
Wei Bo nodded. "She's the ferryboat woman we were looking for on Chen Ping'an's behalf. Chunshui of the Dajiao Mountain ferry."
Back when that cross-continent ferry crashed within Zhuying Dynasty's borders, she had survived by luck, changed her name to Shi Qiu, and on a small immortal mountain, exposed through a mirror-flower-water-moon that Heavenly Lord Xie Shi had colluded with the Great Li Song clan to frame the Zhuying Dynasty.
Regarding this matter, even the Great Li Emperor's private study had discussed it at length. If it weren't for National Master Cui Can thinking that such a leak didn't matter—or rather, that Cui Can hoped to use this incident to lure a big fish to bite—even if that ferry maidservant had been quietly taken away, with the Great Li's intelligence network now woven like a web, a Lower Five Realm female cultivator, even with help from a master, would still be hard-pressed to escape death.
Zhu Lian asked, "This is quite troublesome."
Wei Bo laughed. "Of course it is. If it weren't troublesome, why would I call you? Things like this, seemingly trivial but ultimately taboo."
Zhu Lian said, "It's not that troublesome. I just need to confirm one thing."
Wei Bo nodded. "As long as you know what you're doing. My reputation is already ruined anyway, so I don't mind one more."
Zhu Lian shook his head. "It's not that simple. Alright, I know the way. I'll go myself. You go back to Piyun Mountain and pretend you know nothing."
Wei Bo frowned.
Zhu Lian said, "If you want incense affection to last, don't waste it. Brother Wei, we are friends, and one thing is one thing. Since we are friends, there are things you shouldn't be dragged into."
Wei Bo smiled. "Then I'll keep an eye on the area around Baijian Platform. If there's any sign of trouble, we'll discuss a plan."
Zhu Lian nodded.
A friend is generous; repay generosity with generosity.
That was the code of the martial world.
Wei Bo, who had earlier "detained" the group from the border of the Northern Yue territory and brought them to Baijian Platform, dissolved his form and disappeared.
Zhu Lian saw the dusty group.
Cui Wei, the Golden Core bottleneck sword cultivator from the Sword Qi Great Wall, was completely baffled, just guarding the group that had inexplicably appeared on the mountain.
A young master with the compound surname Dugu, his maidservant Meng Long, and a woman named Shi Qiu.
After Zhu Lian arrived, he nodded at Cui Wei, who departed on his flying sword.
Zhu Lian looked at the woman whose real name was Chunshui. "Miss Chunshui, I have just two questions. Please answer honestly."
The maidservant Meng Long looked displeased.
The young master with the pale complexion, however, remained composed.
Chunshui nodded.
Zhu Lian's expression was kind, and he smiled as he asked, "First, did Miss Chunshui come to find my young master of your own accord? Second, when did you first have this idea? Was it after the ferry crashed, wanting to find the only trustworthy person in a foreign land, or now that you're at the end of your rope, forced to do so?"
Chunshui's eyes were clear. "I never thought of finding Chen Ping'an before. The reason I changed my mind now is because I've implicated Young Master Dugu, who's being hunted. I only hope that Young Master Dugu can survive. Chen Ping'an can hand me over to the Great Li Dynasty."
Chunshui paused slightly, then smiled sincerely. "It might sound naive, but it's the truth."
Zhu Lian nodded and smiled. "I believe you, Miss Chunshui."
Then the stooped old man turned his head, still smiling. "A refugee royal scion of the Zhuying Dynasty, wandering in all directions, correct?"
Young Master Dugu nodded. "Indeed. I dare not deceive you, elder. My real name is Dugu Duanshun. I now go by the alias 'Shao Po Xian.' As a man whose kingdom has fallen, I simply do not wish to die yet, so I resorted to this desperate measure—using obligation to coerce Miss Shi Qiu into bringing me to Luopo Mountain to seek refuge."
Zhu Lian asked, "Do you think you can definitely survive at Luopo Mountain, or are you just consulting a doctor out of desperation?"
Young Master Dugu said, "The latter."
The three of them had experienced two ambushes during their escape: one was an accidental encounter on a narrow path; the other was a prepared interception by Great Li's army-attached cultivators.
Zhu Lian smiled. "What obligation do you have toward Miss Chunshui? Please tell me. I only handle trivial matters on Luopo Mountain. I've read little and seen little, so I truly need to learn from you, Young Master Dugu."
Dugu Duanshun fell silent.
The reason he had risked saving "Shi Qiu" was, of course, impure—far from any noble act of chivalry.
The maidservant Meng Long's face was bitter.
How had her young master fallen to such a state?
Zhu Lian was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where did the last battle take place?"
Dugu Duanshun said, "Around the Nanjian Kingdom, very far from Great Li's Dragon Province. The reason we were intercepted was that among the Great Li army-attached cultivators, someone carried the imperial seal of the Zhuying Dynasty, which could track me by following traces. After the battle, I first pretended to go south. Midway, I forcibly interrupted the dragon vein within my personal small heaven and earth, then quietly headed north. I shouldn't have been tailed by the Great Li."
The young man's words were concise.
As for the extreme danger and the price paid, they were not for outsiders to know.
Zhu Lian asked, "Shao Po Xian, would you rather eke out an existence in a small corner, or die a martyr for your country?"
Dugu Duanshun smiled. "Elder, that question is unnecessary."
Zhu Lian nodded, then looked at the female cultivator from Beiju Continent with her tragic background. He smiled. "Miss Chunshui, do you realize that doing this will cause my young master great trouble?"
Chunshui was about to speak.
But Zhu Lian had already smiled and said, "I've already heard what you think. My memory is good, so I know. Now I'm just stating a fact."
Chunshui nodded, biting her lip until it bled.
She had one hand hidden in her sleeve, clutching something tightly, her arm trembling slightly.
Beyond repaying Young Master Dugu's life-saving kindness, she had a selfish motive.
She hoped to deliver something to Luopo Mountain. After that, even if Luopo Mountain handed her over to the Great Li Song clan as a trophy, it didn't matter.
Zhu Lian smiled and looked around.
Baijian Platform had many wild persimmon trees. In winter, the fruits hung on high branches, red and adorable.
In his hometown in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, persimmons had a unique nickname: Frost-Resistant Lord.
Finally, Zhu Lian said to the disoriented young woman, "If my young master were here, he would be very happy to meet Miss Chunshui again after so long apart."
After saying this, Zhu Lian left Baijian Platform.
The maidservant Meng Long asked softly, "Young master, what does this mean?"
Dugu Duanshun smiled magnanimously. "Living under someone else's roof, begging for a meal—it's not bad."
After Zhu Lian walked down Baijian Platform, Wei Bo appeared beside him.
Zhu Lian said with a mix of anger and amusement, "Do you really have to barge into trouble like this, Great Mountain Lord?"
Wei Bo smiled. "I'm bored anyway."
Zhu Lian clasped his hands behind his back and said slowly, "We must save Miss 'Shi Qiu,' to be sure. As for the other two, we just need to figure out one thing."
Wei Bo said, "That is, who told them that by coming to this little-known Luopo Mountain, they could all survive?"
Zhu Lian looked shocked. "Brother Wei, what an insight!"
Wei Bo responded with a polite smile.
Zhu Lian scratched his head and chuckled. "Alright, I can find something to do. I can't always be a cook wearing an apron, getting complaints every day that the food is too salty or too bland. It's time for our Luopo Mountain to take the initiative in solving problems. Otherwise, unnecessary trouble will only pile up."
Zhu Lian sneered. "Picking the soft persimmons?"
Wei Bo smiled knowingly.
So he still hadn't gotten over the matter of the Water Goddess of Yuye River.
Wei Bo looked toward Luopo Mountain. "Coincidentally, we have more guests arriving."
The two vanished and reappeared on Luopo Mountain.
Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi then saw that divine being of jade-like grace.
As for the kindly old man beside him—compared to the handsome man with gold earrings, the old man was far less eye-catching.
Chen Nuanshu quickly stood up and introduced Zhu Lian and Wei Bo: Old Mr. Zhu, the steward of Luopo Mountain, and Lord Wei, the Northern Yue Mountain Lord.
Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi were scared half to death.
Nowadays, among the Five Yue Mountain Lords of one continent, Wei Bo had the highest realm and the greatest fame!
Pei Qian reminded, "Old cook, it's almost mealtime. Bring out all your signature dishes."
Milili wiped her mouth. "Can't not."
Zhu Lian softly called out, "Right away!" and immediately went to the back courtyard kitchen to busy himself.
It seemed that small kitchen was Zhu Lian's own little world.
Wei Bo sighed inwardly.
A man more capable than Jiang Shangzhen of coasting on his looks, yet he insisted on being a cook.
——
At the New Year's Shop in Qilong Alley, there was also a reunion of old friends.
Dong Shuijing. Lin Shouyi.
And the young girl who once worried that the nickname "Little Stone" would spread—after moving with her family to the Great Li capital, she was now married.
Shi Jiachun.
Li Baoping's closest friend from the old days.
The New Year's Shop and the neighboring herbal shop in Qilong Alley had once been Shi Jiachun's ancestral property.
And Shi Jiachun had some familial relation with Shi Lingshan, who came from Taoye Alley, though Shi Jiachun was of a higher generation. If they ever met, Shi Lingshan would have to call her aunt.
Unexpectedly, the old classmates, after parting in the small town and scattering in all directions, now had completely different identities more than a decade later.
Shi Jiachun now happily focused on supporting her husband and raising children. Her husband was from a noble family, named Bian Wenmao. His clan had no connection to that master painter whose works were kept in the imperial study. Bian Wenmao's family had settled in the Great Li capital for centuries; their ancestor had been a powerful clan of the Lu Dynasty. Perhaps because ancestral blessings ran long, and because "a tree moves and dies, a man moves and lives," the family had taken root in Great Li. Their official positions were not particularly prominent, but most held very pure and noble titles. The family had many guest advisors and aides, all scholars who had been somewhat famous in the early Great Li literary circles.
Additionally, the family had registered offerings from mountain immortals—two notable ones were an elder of the Changchun Palace's patriarch hall, and another who had been unlucky. In his early years, while flying over the Lizhu Cave Heaven territory with several Daoist friends who lived deep in the mountains, he had inexplicably clashed with the sage Ruan Qiong. The outcome wasn't good, but at least he kept his life—still more fortunate than another friend who had perished on the spot.
This meeting came about because Dong Shuijing had once gone to the Great Li capital for business and visited Shi Jiachun. She wanted to arrange a time for old classmates to gather in their hometown of Huaihuang Town.
Unfortunately, Li Baoping had gone south on a journey and missed it.
So now Shi Jiachun was complaining bitterly about Baoping.
The group sat in the back courtyard of the shop chatting. The shopkeeper Shi Rou brought tables and stools, served tea and pastries, then quickly left.
Dong Shuijing listened to Shi Jiachun's chatter and said with a smile, "Baoping not even giving you face—that really is unforgivable."
Lin Shouyi nodded. "I'll have Li Huai scold her later."
Shi Jiachun rolled her eyes. "Li Huai? Give me a break! With a guts the size of a needle's eye, would he dare to breathe heavily in front of my Baoping?"
Suddenly realizing her husband was beside her, Shi Jiachun quickly sat up straight and composed herself.
Bian Wenmao was a dashing, talented scholar. His elders had given him an excellent name. He now compiled history books in the Hanlin Academy, one of the pure and refined talents among Great Li's native officials. Not the most outstanding, but young as he was, he had already established a foothold in the literary circles of the Great Li capital and held a post in the Hanlin Academy—the "cradle of prime ministers." Once sent to the provinces, his future official position would not be small.
Only in this Huaihuang County, where the Cao and Yuan families vied for dominance, did he find himself less esteemed. Elsewhere, Bian Wenmao was always a guest of honor at government offices.
Bian Wenmao's impression of the two young men was: one very ordinary, the other passable.
The ordinary one was Dong Shuijing, a merchant.
The passable one was Lin Shouyi, who studied at the Cliff Academy of Great Sui.
As for their family backgrounds, Shi Jiachun had roughly mentioned them, but neither man had said much. Dong Shuijing's family circumstances weren't great, but he had established his career early. As for marriage, that was still uncertain.
Lin Shouyi's father had served under three different Dragon Kiln Supervisors. He was said to be currently employed in the Great Li capital, but had no dealings with the Shi family. Bian Wenmao didn't think it worthwhile to cultivate relations with the Lin family, which was an outside arrival. However, Lin Shouyi, studying at the Cliff Academy, would probably not do too poorly if he entered the Great Li officialdom in the future.
Li Huai strode briskly into the back courtyard. "Well, well! Goat-horn little Stone, haven't seen you for years, and the first thing you do is badmouth me?"
Shi Jiachun turned around and stared for a long time. That reckless, brash Li Huai—how had he suddenly grown into such a tall young man?
Lin Shouyi and Dong Shuijing: the former had changed little—always that same demeanor—and Dong Shuijing was also about the same. But Li Huai? He was completely different from his childhood image.
Back then, when Li Baoping threw his underpants onto a tree branch, Li Huai would roll on the ground and wail, just to get Teacher Qi to come.
Shi Jiachun stood up and teased, "Li Huai? These years, you haven't skimped on meals, have you?"
Bian Wenmao slowly rose and smiled without speaking.
Li Huai was one of the classmates his wife talked about most, speaking without restraint about many embarrassing incidents. So he was also the one Bian Wenmao was least interested in. To him, Li Huai was obviously a stubborn blockhead who couldn't get the hang of studying—only got into Cliff Academy because of his ancestors' merit. Such a person, even if given a few steps up, wouldn't be able to hold his ground and would eventually fall back down. Dong Shuijing at least had a skill; there were vague rumors that he had attached himself to both Supervisor Cao and Prefect Yuan. If so, his business couldn't be too small.
Li Huai first greeted Bian Wenmao. It was clear the man wasn't very warm toward him—polite but distant. But Li Huai couldn't let his good friend Shi Jiachun lose face, so he put on a smile.
Then he plopped down opposite Shi Jiachun, grabbed a pastry, and said indistinctly, "Baoping said before she left that she'd visit the capital to find you before returning to the academy."
Shi Jiachun smiled. "At least she has a bit of a conscience."
Lin Shouyi and Dong Shuijing sat facing each other. The two had always gotten along well, but they were always at odds. Shi Jiachun found it amusing; the reason was simple—they both liked Li Huai's elder sister.
Shi Jiachun didn't think that just because Lin Shouyi had a better background or was a scholar, Li Liu would necessarily like him.
Shi Jiachun had always felt that Li Liu, who often picked up her little brother from school, was a bit strange, but she couldn't pinpoint why. Logically, Li Liu was older back then, already a teenage girl. She was gentle and soft with everyone, which was the opposite of Zhigui, the maidservant beside Song Jixin of Niping Alley. Both were beauties in the making, but Shi Jiachun felt that if it came down to dealing with them, Zhigui—who never smiled at anyone—might actually be easier to get along with than Li Liu.
Bian Wenmao had a social engagement with friends in the prefectural city, but his wife rarely left the capital to return to her hometown, and these were her childhood friends. So this third-ranked scholar endured, showing no sign of impatience.
Shi Jiachun was considerate. After staying at the New Year's Shop for about half an hour, she got up to leave for the prefectural city. A carriage from her husband's friend was waiting at Qilong Alley.
Li Huai and the others walked them to the shop entrance. Yu Lu and Xie Xie had also come down from Linlu Academy and were at Qilong Alley, planning to go to Luopo Mountain together.
Earlier, Li Huai had gone alone first, then returned to Piyun Mountain Academy, repeatedly muttering about a narrow defeat.
Bian Wenmao didn't pay much attention. He politely bid farewell to everyone, helped his wife into the carriage, and finally made a bow before leaving.
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, everyone went back to the back courtyard for more chatting. Li Huai, arms folded behind his head, said, "That Bian Wenmao has quite the airs."
Lin Shouyi said calmly, "Shi Jiachun is looking for a husband. As long as Bian Wenmao truly likes her, that's enough. Shi Jiachun isn't finding a close friend for us."
Dong Shuijing nodded.
Li Huai pouted. "I just think Shi Jiachun could have found someone better."
Lin Shouyi shook his head. "There's no reasoning about it."
Li Huai suddenly grew worried. "Baoping walking the jianghu alone—will she be all right? She's not a cultivator, after all."
Lin Shouyi hesitated, then chose not to reveal the secret.
Yu Lu and Xie Xie felt much the same.
The only one kept in the dark was probably Li Huai, whose luck depended on whether he stepped in dog shit or not.
Before going to Luopo Mountain, Lin Shouyi asked Li Huai and the others to wait. He went to the ancestral home, swept the courtyard and the ancestral hall, and the young scholar, alone, silently recited the family precepts.
Finally, he lit three sticks of incense and murmured, "In gratitude to the sages and worthies."
Li Huai, being impatient, said he would head to Zhenzhu Mountain first to wait.
At the small hill not far from his ancestral home, Pei Qian and Zhou Mili were already waiting.
Pei Qian said, "Defeated general!"
Li Huai quickly replied, "Though defeated, still honored—I dare not boast of courage!"
Pei Qian nodded. He knew the ropes.
Pei Qian asked, "What about those two underlings from our branch?"
Li Huai said guiltily, "Those two essays went completely wrong—the master scolded them bloody. Right now they're chewing on their brush handles."
Pei Qian shook her head, then pointed at Milili beside her. "Zhou Mili will be the vice branch chief of our branch from now on."
Zhou Mili was stunned. A blessing from heaven! She had so many official titles now!
Li Huai was overjoyed.
The branch, which had only three people, now finally seemed to be gaining strength.
Afterward, everyone set off in force for Luopo Mountain.
At the mountain, Yu Lu stopped at the gate, saying he would come up later to chat with the gatekeeping youth Yuan Lai, who was reading.
Xie Xie also wandered off on his own. At the shrine on the mountaintop, he encountered Cen Yuanji practicing walking stakes and the girl Yuan Bao standing in a stake stance.
Xie Xie was somewhat dazed.
It was like seeing his younger self, cultivating on the mountain without a care.
Afterward, with the nod of the old cook and Wei Bo, Pei Qian took Milili to the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. They traveled along the paths they had walked before, over mountains and rivers, until they reached the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom.
They passed by Zhuangyuan Alley, visited a temple to burn incense, and then sat in the corridor, lost in thought.
Zhou Mili just accompanied Pei Qian. When Pei Qian was happy, Milili talked more; when Pei Qian was unhappy, she stayed silent.
In the end, Pei Qian chose a private residence—one she had secretly bought with money. The old cook knew about it, of course, but turned a blind eye.
That residence was the quiet mansion where the great demon Ding Ying had once stayed with Crow Girl and the spring-tide palace garland-wearer Zhou Shi.
Pei Qian sat cross-legged there, imitating her master by rolling up her sleeves. She closed her eyes to rest and nurture her fist intent.
She came here to break through her martial realm bottleneck.
As for the martial luck of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, she, Pei Qian, would rely on her own ability to take back what she could.
And when the time came, Wei Bo would open the door to the blessed land, and Pei Qian would scatter all the martial luck she had won from the Haoran World, just like her master, and give it back to nourish the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.
Grandpa Cui had left, and that was that. There was no way to go home.
So she would take the martial luck Grandpa Cui had left behind here and bring it back to Luopo Mountain.
——
In the central region of Vase Bottle Continent, construction had begun on an unprecedented great river channel flowing into the sea, involving more than a dozen rivers and dozens of mountain peaks with mountain god shrines and earth god temples.
Such a heaven-defying grand project moved even the fallen kingdom's loyalists to sigh deeply. Those Great Li barbarians truly dared to think what others dared not think and do what others could not do.
The Great Li court's labor and expense were so immense. Wasn't the young emperor too greedy for achievement and grandeur? Wasn't he afraid of rising swiftly and falling swiftly? In the end, wouldn't it be the common people who suffered?
Yet it was said that Lakeview Academy, the well-reputed new Central Yue, and the historically ancient Yunlin-Jiang clan would all participate, which made people even more emotional.
Could it be that the entire Vase Bottle Continent would henceforth bear the surname Song? Become the domain of a single clan?
The Great Li court had selected three officials from the provinces to oversee the great river's construction: Guan Yiran, the direct great-grandson of the Pillar of State Guan family; Liu Xunmei, a military scion from Chicheng Street in the capital; and Liu Qingfeng, a civil official from Qingluan Kingdom.
Except for the last one, whom no one had heard of, the Great Li capital's officialdom was not unfamiliar with Guan Yiran and Liu Xunmei, both young men. First, both came from prestigious families; second, both were outstanding figures among the younger generation. Guan Yiran, especially, had early joined the border forces as an army-attached cultivator, growing up among the dead. Liu Xunmei was no slouch either—he had earned his official rank through real combat all the way south.
The Guan family had overseen the Great Li Ministry of Personnel for so many years that the minister was revered as immovable as a mountain, while vice ministers and directors came and went like flowing water.
Generally, a vice minister—especially the left vice minister—being transferred to a local post as a regional governor, even if the rank was equivalent, was considered a demotion.
Thus, there were many jokes in Great Li officialdom about the left vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel. It was said that two former left vice ministers, both now regional governors of adjacent territories, had met and smiled wryly.
However, the Great Li court knew almost nothing about Liu Qingfeng. Even the Ministry of Personnel, overseen by Old Master Guan, couldn't find much about him after scouring the archives.
The reopening of canal transport in the vassal state of Qingluan Kingdom had received only a "fair" evaluation from the ministry—no great merit, but some hardship, which allowed Liu Qingfeng to govern a region. The court had transferred him to a border prefecture as prefect. But before his seat had even warmed, he was immediately called north to deal with a bunch of lofty mountain gods and immortals, promoted from rank 4a to rank 3b. The Great Li court had created a temporary position: Grand Supervisor of the Great River. Since Guan Yiran and Liu Xunmei hadn't changed ranks, they seemed to have become deputies to a civil official from a vassal state.
But Liu Qingfeng was not the first to be suddenly elevated from a vassal official to a major Great Li official. Wei Li, a prefect of Huangting Kingdom—a former Great Sui vassal—had been jumped several ranks and promoted to Dragon Province governor. Among mountain and water spirits, an earth god at the confluence of three rivers in the Red Candle Town area had been raised to the rank of city god of a prefecture. All were oddities in officialdom.
Wei Liang, the Grand Commander of Qingluan Kingdom, was also rumored to be up for promotion, with some wind already leaking from the Great Li Ministry of Personnel.
Qingluan Kingdom, in the southeast of Vase Bottle Continent, had inexplicably turned from a remote corner into a blessed land of official fortune.
Officials were divided into pure and turbid streams. Now the biggest distinction in Vase Bottle Continent was whether one was a native of Great Li.
But compared to Wei Bo—the earth god of Qidun Mountain, a remnant deity of the Shenshui Kingdom, who was first promoted to the mountain god of Piyun Mountain for the entire kingdom, then smoothly became the Northern Yue Mountain Lord of the entire continent—these official changes were nothing to get excited about.
The Great Li iron cavalry had campaigned southward for many years, and there were many young faces among the military officers promoted. Besides the descendants of military families, there were also those from humble market origins.
But the Great Li border army had high mortality rates and fast promotions. After more than a hundred years of immersion, the Great Li people had grown accustomed to it. The civil official and mountain-water registry systems had always operated rigorously, so when someone suddenly emerged, it was relatively eye-catching.
Today was the first meeting of the three chief officials in charge of the great river construction. There was no welcome banquet—just a gathering by a great river.
Liu Qingfeng, with his attendant Wang Yifu.
Guan Yiran, the scion of the Pillar of State family, was also confused. According to his great-grandfather, he should have been in charge of a north-south ferry route for mountain immortals, with friends already arranged. But he had ended up here, naturally earning a scolding.
Liu Xunmei, with his two guards, Cao Jun and Wei Xian.
Wei Xian, following the sword immortal embryo Cao Jun—whose ancestral home was in Niping Alley—and then following Liu Xunmei, who was nothing like a typical noble scion, had managed to thrive.
As an army-attached cultivator, Wei Xian had earned a military merit title through real battle achievements. He now held actual power, and together with Cao Jun, they were Liu Xunmei's left and right arms.
It was said that Wei Xian was even known to Cao Ping, the second Patrol Envoy of Great Li.
As for Cao Jun, he was quite famous in the Great Li military.
The three introduced themselves.
In fact, Guan Yiran and Liu Xunmei were close friends.
So the only one they needed to get to know was the suddenly emerged Liu Qingfeng.
Then, not far away, a young boy in white walked over, riding on a child's back and brandishing a tree branch, shouting "Giddy-up, giddy-up!"
As he approached the group, the boy laughed loudly. "I have a little donkey that never gets hungry!"
——
At Qingfeng City, a woman in red led a horse out of the city. In the night, she entered a mountain hollow thirty li outside the city.
In the deep winter, the road was unexpectedly full of blooming peach blossoms.
Li Baoping led the horse slowly, looking around. The scenery was charming.
Green mountains on all sides, white clouds constantly rising from within.
Not far ahead was the destination of this journey to Qingfeng City—a thatched cottage with green water meeting the brushwood gate.
Li Baoping looked up at the sky. A large round jade plate hung high—was that the biggest mooncake of all?
Thinking of this, Li Baoping suddenly laughed.
It was as if she had become that little girl who once walked through green mountains and clear waters with her little uncle, her head full of such thoughts.
But back then, she also had a little bamboo backpack swinging behind her and wore small straw sandals.
A little girl in a red cotton jacket, who loved to circle around her little uncle, not afraid of any distance, no matter how far.
Li Baoping lowered her head and glanced at the snowy white narrow knife at her waist and the sword-nurturing gourd.
Li Baoping stood still.
A face like a peach blossom, standing in the bright moonlight.