Chapter 658: Flipping Through the Old Almanac
Gu Can arrived at the main gate of the mansion in the prefectural city. Flanking the gate were two jade white lions, crafted by immortal hands, their bearing so imposing that even a starving beggar would lose any courage to approach and beg.
Gu Can was in no hurry to knock on the door.
Liu Chicheng and Chai Bofu had no choice but to stand in the street, eating the northwest wind.
Gu Can stepped onto the spotless stone stairs, reached out to grasp the beast-head door ring, then paused, his fingers lingering for a moment. The ring was a gold-lacquered Jiaotu-style knocker, the kind only found on the gates of marquises and dukes. Gu Can sighed inwardly. Such presumption was wrong. Even though there was a Peace and Safety Plaque enshrined in the house to ward off trouble, the prefectural governor's residence must have received secret documents from the Kiln Affairs Bureau, which was why they hadn't made an issue of this mansion. Still, he needed to mention this to his mother—there was no need to be so extravagant with the gate; it would only invite unnecessary complications.
Gu Can knocked on the door ring, then stepped back. A gatekeeper dressed in expensive clothes opened the door. Seeing Gu Can in his plain attire, the man frowned and asked, "Which family's young master in the city? Or an official from the yamen?"
Gu Can was momentarily taken aback before remembering how much his appearance had changed. It was only natural that this man, who wasn't one of the old hands from Qingxia Island, wouldn't recognize him. Back then, when his mother had left Shujian Lake, she had taken her personal maidservants with her. Over the years, their cultivation had gone smoothly, and they had both become Middle Five Realms Qi refiners—not high in realm, but not the type to meddle in household affairs. As for their cultivation, Gu Can had given detailed guidance in his letters to his mother over the years, even helping select several mountain treasures for them. All they had to do was follow the prescribed path of cultivation, refine their destined objects, and break through their realms.
The gatekeeper quickly glanced at the two people standing behind the young man on the steps—one was a frail-looking scholar, the other a child with prematurely white hair. In an instant, he thought he had measured the worth of all three.
The gatekeeper was a pure martial artist who had concealed his true strength. At the fifth realm, he was indeed a formidable fighter in the ordinary martial world. In any vassal state, he could have founded a sect. To serve as a gatekeeper or guard was beneath his station. Likely, it was a case of "money makes the ghost turn the mill," or perhaps he was a fugitive hiding out here. The worst possibility was that he had ulterior motives, playing a long game to hook a big fish, colluding with mountain wild cultivators to covet the mansion's wealth. Gu Can had traveled the jianghu for years and seen many intricate frauds. He had even stood at a distance, observing two complete "bee" and "sparrow" schemes from beginning to end. One family, wealthy but unkind, was ruined. When the gang of bandits was dividing the spoils, Gu Can appeared and asked them about their methods. They were evasive and uncooperative, so Gu Can had Zeng Ye use sorcery to seize the initiative, taking over as the cuckoo in the magpie's nest and extracting their knowledge. Another family, whose demeanor seemed decent, Gu Can casually helped out of their predicament.
Gu Can smiled and said, "My name is Gu Can. This is my home."
The gatekeeper immediately changed his expression, bowing and stepping aside. "Greetings, young master. I'll go inform the madam at once."
Gu Can stepped over the threshold and waved his hand. "No need. It's just a few steps. I won't trouble you to announce me."
The gatekeeper smirked obsequiously. "At first glance, I almost mistook the young master for an exemplary scholar of the academy."
The gatekeeper had already sized up the household. The master was a cultivator who had been traveling for years without returning—the household was vague about it, probably something unsavory. The young master was a scholar studying abroad, leaving only a woman who loved finery and had plenty of money. Every time she mentioned her son, she was full of pride. If not for the two personal maidservants beside her, who were accomplished Qi refiners, they would have acted long ago. Such a windfall would be enough to spend for several lifetimes. So over the past year, they had deliberately recruited a friend from the same trade to worm his way into the affections of one of those maidservants.
Gu Can smiled. "Good eye."
Liu Chicheng nodded. "Truly excellent."
Chai Bofu glanced at the pure martial artist. Pitiful, truly pitiful. With so many ways to get rich, he had to crash headfirst into this household. A den of foxes thinking themselves clever, blundering into a dragon's pool and a tiger's den—what was that if not suicide?
Liu Chicheng smacked Chai Bofu on the head. "Brother Longbo, what's the matter? Silent? You don't think our young master Gu deserves to be called an exemplary scholar?"
Chai Bofu felt as if five thunderbolts had struck him. His vital energy organs trembled, and the Dragon Gate realm he had only recently stabilized was now in jeopardy! He quickly said, "Young master Gu deserves it. He deserves it."
Ordinary villains would shout a few threats before making a move, but this eccentric senior beside him always acted first and reasoned later.
Still, after spending time together, Chai Bofu's resolve to pursue the Dao grew stronger. He was determined to become a registered disciple of White Emperor City in the Central Earth Divine Continent.
The gatekeeper closed the door, then suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. Gu Can, with his tall frame, had reached out and grabbed the man's neck, pressing his head against the door. Between Gu Can's fingers, threads of blood were already seeping—a clear sign of ruthlessness. Gu Can asked quietly, "Now that the door is shut, we don't have to worry about outsiders seeing a joke. Tell me, inside and out, how many of you are there? And who is the highest in realm?"
Gu Can suddenly withdrew his hand, turned around, and smiled toward the distance, leaving his back exposed to the pure martial artist.
A woman came running quickly, tripping on her trailing skirt several times. Seeing Gu Can, whom she hadn't seen in years, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
Enduring hardship to live, enjoying wealth to earn money—in the end, wasn't it all for this heartless little bastard who only sent letters home?
Gu Can walked quickly toward her. The woman embraced her son, sobbing. Gu Can patted his mother's back gently, his expression calm, smiling at the two maidservants—the ones who owed all their luxury and wealth to him.
The two young women met Gu Can's gaze for only a moment before lowering their heads, their hands and feet cold, as if plunged into an ice cavern.
The woman released Gu Can, wiped her tears, and began to scrutinize her son. At first, she was gratified, but then, perhaps thinking of the hardships Gu Can must have endured alone out there, she covered her mouth and sobbed again. In her heart, she blamed herself, blamed that inexplicable man who had become a great mountain god, blamed Chen Ping'an for abandoning Gu Can and killing Tanxue, and blamed heaven for being blind to let Gu Can suffer so much disaster and pain.
After Gu Can and his mother went to the main hall to catch up, he finally set foot in his own study for the first time. Liu Chicheng took Brother Longbo to wander around the mansion. Gu Can summoned the two maidservants and the gatekeeper, who had been too afraid to fight to the death.
Gu Can pulled a chair over, sat with his back to the window, elbow on the armrest, cheek resting on his hand. "A tall tree catches the wind—it can't be helped. I won't be too harsh on you two about this, since there are things my mother did wrong as well. But forgetting one's roots is not good. Did my mother know that outsiders had infiltrated the residence to set up a scheme?"
The two maidservants were already kneeling.
One looked completely bewildered.
The other nodded. "I told the madam. She said it was just something to relieve the boredom."
Gu Can hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did my father arrange any contingency plans?"
The maidservant said solemnly, "The master was very worried about the madam's safety. Not only did he greet the City God of the local prefecture, but he also applied supernatural powers to the door gods at one of the courtyard gates. There is also a seventh-realm martial artist in the residence, an old man who was once a border soldier. His hometown is in the old mountain region of Great Li, so he knew the master. The master invited him here. He now lives incognito as a guard, keeping an eye on the gatekeeper and his gang."
The gatekeeper's mind went blank.
A "cultivator" who could have connections with the City God of Dragon Prefecture and hire a seventh-realm grandmaster as a guard?
Why did that petty woman keep cursing him as a useless dead man?
Gu Can was exasperated. What kind of incense-friendship was that? All pure martial artists of the seventh realm in Great Li were registered and closely watched by the court. This old man was probably much like Song Yuzhang, the mountain god of Luopo Mountain—yes, he was protecting the Gu residence, but it was also a form of blatant surveillance. The mountain god father, whom Gu Can no longer remembered, naturally wouldn't reveal such inside information and cause her unnecessary worry.
Gu Can looked at the pure martial artist, who was still trying to figure out how to stay alive, and said out of nowhere, "The mastermind might truly be a master. But you—forget it. You probably still don't know who set this whole thing up, or even if there was a setup in the first place."
Gu Can muttered to himself, "Men die for wealth, birds die for food. Why are there so many fools under heaven?"
A smiling voice sounded. "Isn't that a good thing? On a chessboard, if you throw your pieces around randomly, what place is there for the first move? Only the younger clever ones can rise above the rest, the latecomers surpassing the former."
Gu Can stood up respectfully. There was no one in the room, but still he made a deep bow with his hands clasped.
A man in white appeared beside Gu Can. "Get yourself sorted. You're coming with me to White Emperor City. Before we leave, go with Liu Chicheng to Huanghu Mountain and see the old Daoist whose current incarnation is Jia Sheng. If he is willing to show himself, you will be my junior apprentice brother. If he is unwilling to see you, then you can settle for being my nominal disciple."
The white-clad man held a scroll in his hand—an old, tattered "Painting of the Mountain Search." He handed it to Gu Can. "Take this to Huanghu Mountain."
Before coming to this residence, the man had retrieved this painting from Lin Shouyi. As a return gift, he had helped Lin Shouyi complete the "Clouds Above the Clouds" book, which originally came from White Emperor City, by giving him the middle and lower volumes. Although Lin Shouyi was an academy student, his cultivation had advanced very rapidly. He had entered the Cavern Dwelling realm quickly, and focusing on the upper volume of the "Clouds Above" for the lower five realms had been immensely beneficial. The thunder methods recorded in the scripture were authentic Five Thunder True Methods, but that was not the greatest subtlety of the book. The true essence of "Clouds Above the Clouds" was to open the great path and cultivate without obstruction. The author of this book was none other than the lord of White Emperor City, who had personally experienced the thunder methods of Dragon Tiger Mountain. He had edited, refined, and trimmed away many superfluous branches.
Where in the world is most above the clouds?
Naturally, White Emperor City.
As for how the upper volume of the Daoist scripture had ended up in Lin Shouyi's hands, that was Ah Liang's doing—a scholar borrowing a book with no intention of returning. So when Lin Shouyi first set eyes on this book, it could be said that his Daoist affinity was excellent.
Since it was a gift from Ah Liang, White Emperor City wouldn't hold Lin Shouyi's "unintentional act of secretly learning" against him, even though it was a taboo among mountain sects.
However, that Lin Shouyi, even after the white-clad man had announced his name, still refused to say a single word about the origin of the mountain search painting.
That was why the lord of White Emperor City had given the final volume of the "Clouds Above" book. Originally, giving only the middle volume would have made Lin Shouyi a pawn, subject to a calamity.
Upon hearing this, Gu Can's face was expressionless, but his heart was shaken. He knew who Jia Sheng was!
A nominal offering elder of Luopo Mountain, a blind old Daoist who could barely get by on Qilong Lane only because of his luck. He had two disciples who kept to themselves: a lame young man named Zhao Denggao, who was a demon, and Tian Jiuer, whose blood was the best material for talismans. It was said that in recent years, Jia Sheng had moved to Huanghu Mountain to build a thatched hut and cultivate.
Luopo Mountain had such a person lying low all along, and Zhu Lian and Wei Bo had never detected even a trace of him?
"If I hadn't come here, no one in Luopo Mountain would ever have known such a person existed. Jia Sheng would have died as just Jia Sheng. Perhaps, in the middle of his cultivation, he would have naturally gone to the fifth world. When the day came for him to die and be reborn, he would have done it over and over, taking endless delight in it."
The white-clad man smiled. "Don't overthink it. It's just his usual way of amusing himself in the world. After he sheathed his sword back then, he became a completely different person. He excels at self-deception and dislikes deceiving others. He has died many times from disasters in the mountains and the mortal world, yet he never once raised a hand to defend himself. He would spend several hundred years in each continent of the nine continents of Haoran. Besides, although I am his nominal disciple, White Emperor City was founded by me alone, and has nothing to do with him."
Gu Can suddenly said, "Then I don't need to visit Huanghu Mountain. I won't disturb the old senior's secluded cultivation. I'll just follow the city lord to Central Earth Divine Continent."
The white-clad man smiled. "If you can say that, then you really should go see him."
Gu Can asked, "What about the three people in this room? How should they be dealt with?"
The two maidservants and the gatekeeper stood motionless.
The white-clad man glanced at them, then stretched out a hand. The three, including the pure martial artist, were forced to send their yin spirits wandering far away. They became dazed and dull, their feet lifting off the ground as they drifted slowly until they stopped in front of the white-clad man. He casually pointed twice at each of their foreheads. Their yin spirits returned to their bodies one after another. Gu Can focused and saw that starting from each person's brow, threads began to spread.
Then the three suddenly "awoke." The pure martial artist burst into tears, fell to his knees, and cried, "Young master!"
One maidservant kowtowed vigorously. "Your slave pays respects to the sect master!"
The other maidservant prostrated herself on the ground, heartbroken. "Master, forgive me."
The white-clad man flicked his sleeve, and the three fell unconscious on the spot. He explained with a smile, "It's as if they have been sleeping deeply. When they wake up, they will still be the same people, only their life experiences have been both deleted and supplemented."
Gu Can broke out in a cold sweat.
So this was the demonic means of White Emperor City!
Only at this moment did he understand why Liu Chicheng was always so awed whenever he mentioned this man.
With such casual ease, this man could make a person no longer be who they were, yet make them believe with all their heart that they were still themselves.
Then what were all those grudges and enmities, what were the pursuits of the Great Dao worth?
The white-clad man smiled. "Is life and death the greatest matter? Then what exactly is life and death? I understood this, and for that reason, there are people who would rather I never leave White Emperor City."
He concluded, "That old man came to this Lizhu Cave Heaven, and it wasn't to completely sever karmic ties. He just came to wander? Finally, my master has shown me something unexpected."
Beside a thatched hut on Huanghu Mountain.
Deep in the mountains, water flowed in winding curves.
The blind old Daoist took a break from his cultivation, walked out of the hut, and sighed deeply. Ever since his good brother Chen Lingjun had gone traveling, there was no one left to shoot the breeze with him. It was truly lonely.
This so-called devoted cultivation was nothing more than an excuse to move. No longer holed up in that thatched shop on Qilong Lane, but at least closer to Luopo Mountain. Later, when he returned to Qilong Lane, this back-and-forth would only solidify his status as a nominal offering elder. That fellow owner of the Yansui Shop next door—when he saw him again, would he still dare to turn up his nose? Wouldn't he have to lower his head?
Jia Sheng suddenly felt a chill.
He vaguely sensed a ripple in front of him, as if a guest had arrived.
Jia Sheng braced himself and called out loudly, "Two guests, coming uninvited and not announcing yourselves—that's not quite proper, is it?"
Liu Chicheng nearly popped his eyes out.
Sometimes when you looked at a person, their appearance, soul, aura, and so on could all be disguised to fool people, making them unrecognizable even at close range.
But certain subtle details, if you scrutinized them, would leave traces—such as this blind old Daoist's stance, the angle of his fingers when he formed hand seals, and so on.
Add to that the fact that his senior brother had sent him and Gu Can here without explaining why, and Liu Chicheng immediately thought of the most unlikely "what if." He prostrated himself on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Disciple pays respects to Master!"
Jia Sheng felt a bit guilty. Where did this wild disciple come from?
Liu Chicheng pressed his forehead to the ground, speaking with great grievance. "Master, senior brother has treated me abysmally. First, he expelled me from White Emperor City over a minor matter. Then he stood by while the Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain chased me with a sword. As a result, your poor disciple has been trapped here in this little Bottle Gourd Continent for a thousand years, neglected and forgotten. My senior brother has no regard for the fellowship of our sect. Master, you must do justice for me!"
It wasn't that Liu Chicheng was lying. Master had always doted on him, his last disciple, and that was precisely why many senior brothers and sisters harbored secret hostility toward him.
The old Daoist nearly jumped up and cursed. What White Emperor City? What Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain? Had there ever been such a fraud in the world? If you were lying, at least make it believable! If I, Jia Sheng, were really your master, I would have to be blind to accept a disciple like you... Jia Sheng suddenly froze. Well, he really was blind.
Gu Can was somewhat impressed by Liu Chicheng's thick skin. When he met a great figure, he'd bring up the White Emperor City lord as his senior brother; when he met that senior brother in person, he'd bring up the master.
Gu Can raised the scroll of the "Mountain Search" in his hand and said solemnly, "Old senior, returning this to its rightful owner."
Jia Sheng naturally opened his eyes, saw the scroll, and sighed. "Taking on such a great disciple—I really didn't check the old almanac."
Then Jia Sheng froze again, gently shaking his head. What strange thoughts? The old Daoist blinked hard. Heaven and earth were clear, all things were seen. Back then, he had cultivated the strange thunder method of his own mountain, which was a heterodox path. The cost was enormous: first it injured his internal organs, then it blinded him. He hadn't seen anything for many years.
After a moment of disorientation, the old Daoist Jia Sheng retreated, his mind shrinking like a mustard seed, falling into a deep sleep. Another person took over all his consciousness.
The old man lowered his head, tugged at his Daoist robe, then turned to glance at the Grand Scholar's Arch in Huaihuang County. His gaze shifted, taking in True Pearl Mountain and all the dragon kilns. His expression was complex. Then, ignoring both Liu Chicheng and Gu Can, he fell into deep contemplation.
The old man opened his palm, stared at the lines for a moment, and finally murmured, "This life is a small dream. Waking up, Lu Chen has delayed me greatly."
He took a step forward. The blind old Daoist Jia Sheng remained standing where he was, still sleeping soundly.
The old man resumed his true form: a gaunt, tall, elderly man. It was faintly visible that in his youth, he must have been a handsome man of extraordinary bearing.
His path of cultivation in Haoran Heaven had been like a dazzling meteor—rising swiftly and falling even faster compared to the leisurely flow of time.
So much so that even the fact that the lord of White Emperor City was his first disciple was known to only a handful of people in the entire world.
This old man was both Jia Sheng and far more than Jia Sheng. But from now on, Jia Sheng would only be Jia Sheng.
In his entire life, he had done only one thing, and it was known to all under heaven.
He drew his longsword and slew all the flood dragons.
Until only one true dragon remained in the world.
The old almanac of an entire Haoran Heaven had had many pages torn out because of one man's sword!
When the old man appeared, the giant python in Huanghu Lake—the one that had once lost its water transport to Gu Can's little loach—was pressed down as if by the might of heaven. It sank swiftly, lurking at the bottom of the lake, trembling in fear, wishing it could bury its head in the roots of the mountain.
The old man looked at Gu Can, reached out to take the scroll, tucked it into his sleeve, and casually patted Gu Can on the shoulder. Then he nodded and smiled. "Good bones. A fine seedling. I'll take you in on behalf of my master."
Liu Chicheng sat on the ground as if struck by lightning, no longer wailing.
This couldn't be. Please, not this.
Once Gu Can had such an identity, the next moment, he, Liu Chicheng, might walk the Yellow Springs road before Brother Longbo!
The white-clad man appeared out of thin air.
The old man glanced at him sideways. "Your master is now half a cripple. I can't beat you, my founding disciple. But the master-disciple bond still exists. What, you're not satisfied? Want to kill your master and destroy your ancestors? I never taught you that, along with sword techniques."
The white-clad man said nothing, but a hint of killing intent was faintly perceptible.
Unexpectedly, the old man pressed his advantage, completely unconcerned about the killing intent of a White Emperor City lord. Instead, he asked, "What are you standing there for? Call him 'junior master uncle.'"
The white-clad man showed no respect for the master-disciple hierarchy. He simply asked, "Are you sure this is for Gu Can's good?"
Gu Can knelt down, bowed his head, and said solemnly, "Gu Can pays respects to Grandmaster."
The old man laughed heartily.
He transformed into a flash of sword light and instantly shot a thousand miles away, heading for Northern Juzhou to find his good brother Chen Lingjun and have some fun.
But when they next met, neither of them would recognize the other.
The white-clad man looked up at the sword light heading north and smiled. "I suppose you do treat your last disciple better."
Liu Chicheng breathed a sigh of relief. At least Gu Can was only his junior brother.
If the seniority were any higher, with Gu Can's temperament—utterly unforgiving of the past—he would do anything without a twinge of conscience.
---
Lin Shouyi sat in his ancestral residence. No matter how hard he tried to focus his mind and stabilize his breath, he remained unsettled. He had no choice but to go to the ancestral hall where the spirit tablets had already been moved to the Great Li capital. Only then did he feel a bit more at ease.
Lin Shouyi took out three incense sticks and made a distant offering to his ancestors.
After that, he turned and walked toward the main door of the hall. Just as he closed it, he found an old Confucian scholar standing beside him.
Lin Shouyi, sharp as ever, immediately made a bow. "Lin Shouyi of Cliffside Academy pays respects to Grandmaster Senior Uncle."
Cui Chan smiled. "I have long since left the line of the Sage of Literature. I am not worthy of such a greeting."
Lin Shouyi straightened up and then made another formal bow. "Disciple of the Lin clan of Great Li pays respects to His Excellency the National Preceptor."
Cui Chan nodded. "On your study tour in your early years, your performance was already outstanding. You were the first to realize that Ah Liang was extraordinary. You were the first to gain an opportunity. All of this was you, Lin Shouyi. It was no easy feat. And now, getting that person to act within the great rules—that was the result of your steady scholarship, your accumulated efforts, and a flash of inspiration."
Cui Chan led Lin Shouyi for a walk through the empty residence, letting the young man walk beside him without too much restraint.
Cui Chan said, "Your father has his difficulties. He will never take the initiative to tell you much. Back then, he was the first to tell Chen Ping'an's father about the inside story of the destiny porcelain. It was out of kindness, of course, and he also told Chen Ping'an's father about the consequences. The two of them hit it off immediately, despite their vastly different statuses, and became close friends. So your father also helped clean up the mess later on. Otherwise, Chen Ping'an might not have survived. That is why, when Chen Ping'an later gave you the 'Mountain Search' painting on his study tour, there was some karmic inevitability in it. But your father, with his good intentions, did not want you to be too entangled with Chen Ping'an, lest you be swept up by the overwhelming tide before you had grown and perish prematurely. That is why he seemed so indifferent to your attending the Great Sui Academy."
Lin Shouyi was stunned.
Cui Chan said, "Hard to believe? Then think carefully. Could a man who served as deputy to three successive Kiln Affairs Supervisors really be simple? Would he really care so much about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate sons? Do you know that before the current Supervisor Cao set out for Huaihuang Town, after leaving the late emperor's study, his only visit for consultation was to your father, who keeps a low profile in the capital? How did the family of your classmate Shi Chunjia finally weather their crisis? The Shi family themselves had no idea, and even harbored some resentment. Do you think your father cared?"
Cui Chan put one hand behind his back, and with the other, he brought two fingers together as if picking up an object. "Shi Chunjia valued old ties, so you valued old ties. When you value old ties, all your classmates follow suit. Bian Wenmao had high ambitions but low abilities, yet he truly treated his wife, Shi Chunjia, who came from a humble background, with kindness. So you understood Bian Wenmao. This Hanlin scholar of Great Li's capital will one day face difficulties, and you will be willing to help him. If you choose to act, even if you are inexperienced and make mistakes, would your father just stand by? Threads connect to threads, forming a net. But don't forget—if you are like this, so are the people of the world. Every level of cultivation attracts its corresponding karma. The realm of cultivation is very useful in ordinary times, but it is most useless at critical moments. Lin Shouyi, let me ask you—are you still willing to meddle in other people's business?"
Cui Chan lightly pushed his two fingers apart, as if brushing away all those threads.
Lin Shouyi thought for a moment and replied, "Since things have come to this and are right in front of me, I still have to handle them one by one."
Lin Shouyi sighed. "But I'll meddle less in the future."
Cui Chan smiled knowingly. "It's not in vain that your father made such a fuss, threatening and cajoling me into giving you such a good name."
Lin Shouyi suddenly stopped, bowed again, gathered his courage, and asked in a trembling voice, "May I ask, Senior Uncle, why did you stand by and do nothing back then, letting my teacher go to his death alone?"
This question had been suffocating Lin Shouyi for so long that he had to spit it out.
Even if it angered this National Preceptor, who refused to acknowledge the title of senior uncle, Lin Shouyi was determined to ask today!
Cui Chan was not displeased. He did not seem annoyed by the young man's presumption; on the contrary, he seemed gratified. He said, "If you can talk about great principles without paying a great price, then what value do they have? Who can't talk about them? What is the meaning of reading books? When it is one's duty, one must not yield. Such foolish things are not innate; one usually needs to read books to learn them. But there are books inside and books outside. The Confucian teachings—where are they not sages' books spread open?"
Cui Chan gently patted the young man's shoulder and smiled. "So in life, you should curse half-baked scholars more and curse the sages' books less."
Cui Chan looked around. "On your early study tour, you had a bad impression of your father. Chen Ping'an was traveling with you then and took note of it early on. So later, even when Chen Ping'an had enough confidence to dig up old grudges—rummaging through all the old almanacs of the Ma family in Apricot Flower Lane—he hesitated when it came to Supervisor Lin of the Kiln Affairs Bureau. It was precisely because he trusted you. He was afraid that the rumors might be unspeakable, and he trusted even less the hearts of men he had not seen with his own eyes. His greatest fear was that uncovering the truth would leave his friend Lin Shouyi bleeding. That is what they mean by 'once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a coiled rope.' The suffering he endured at Shujian Lake made him unwilling to go through it again in his hometown."
Cui Chan smiled. "Though Chen Ping'an's suspicion was misplaced, it was a good thing. With his temperament, if he had become stubborn and investigated the truth, even if he had found it out and gotten a sigh of relief, successfully bypassing you and your father, then Luopo Mountain would have clashed early on with the Great Li Song clan and sustained heavy losses. He would certainly still be at home, chasing this matter down, making enemies everywhere, and wasting his strength. He would never have become the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall. The Xu clan of Clear Wind City, the Zhengyang Mountain, and many other forces would have spared no effort in hitting Luopo Mountain while it was down."
Cui Chan said, "You don't need to return to Cliffside Academy for now. Ask Li Baoping, Li Huai, and the others. Find out who still has that character 'Qi' from the old days. Including yours, collect all of them. Then go find Cui Dongshan and give all the 'Qi' characters to him. After that, go to Shujian Lake and retrieve the bamboo slips that Chen Ping'an threw into the lake."
Lin Shouyi didn't understand, but he nodded in agreement.
Cui Chan looked up at the fleeting, magnificent sword light. "It's easy to invite the gods but hard to send them away. At least he's finally gone."
---
The Great Li dynasty's project of digging the great watercourse was in full swing, with great bustling activity.
The powerful scion Gongsun Guan Yiran and the general's son Liu Xunmei had suddenly become the newest hot figures of power in Great Li.
As for the prefect Liu Qingfeng, who had come out of nowhere from the former Qingluan Kingdom, once the initial excitement in the Great Li capital's official circles had passed—combined with some deliberate behind-the-scenes arrangements—people quickly lost interest in investigating him.
He came from a scholarly family in a remote small state, was definitely not a Qi refiner, and was destined for a short life. In his early years, his administrative achievements in Qingluan were passable, but his reputation was terrible. So in his current position, he might have a future, but it would be hard to achieve great things. After all, he was not a capital official of Great Li. As to how he had leaped to prominence overnight, heaven only knew. Some in the Great Li capital speculated that he was a puppet propped up by the Yunlin Jiang clan, since the estuary of the new great watercourse was right at the Jiang clan's doorstep.
An extraordinarily handsome young man in white squatted on a ridge between fields, watching a bloody clan feud over water rights in the distance with great interest. Beside him squatted a gaunt, expressionless child.
Liu Qingfeng sat on the ridge. His attendants Wang Yifu and the youth Liu Suo stood at a distance. Liu Suo was not too afraid of that strange young man he had dealt with before. Aside from being a bit muddle-headed, there was nothing much to say about him. But Wang Yifu had warned Liu Suo not to get close to that "youth."
Liu Qingfeng turned to look at the young man, who was chewing a blade of grass. "When it comes to digging the great watercourse, all matters large and small simply proceed step by step. Master Cui shouldn't need to watch over it personally."
Cui Dongshan was still watching the fight—hoes and carrying poles flying. He didn't take his eyes off it when he heard Liu Qingfeng's question. He said casually, "The watercourse is named 'Qi.' That's reason enough."
Liu Qingfeng smiled and nodded, showing that he understood.
A carriage stopped on a country path. Li Baozhen stepped down from the carriage, walked over, and bowed. "Master Cui."
Cui Dongshan ignored him.
Li Baozhen stood up and turned to Liu Qingfeng with a smile. "Master Liu."
Liu Qingfeng smiled and gestured for him to sit down.
Li Baozhen sat down beside Liu Qingfeng.
Cui Dongshan turned his head and teased, "When you meet, you talk of hardships—that's the jianghu."
"I won't disturb you two good brothers catching up. I'll go find some amusement myself." Cui Dongshan stood up, grabbed the child beside him by the collar, and flew away on the wind.
Cui Dongshan landed silently in a city at the foot of a mountain, hundreds of miles away. He took his little brother Gao and sat side by side in the shade of trees, surrounded by a crowd of people. They watched a roadside game of folk chess for a full hour. It wasn't go; the board was simpler. Otherwise, the common folk, who had never even touched a game manual, wouldn't have been able to attract so many onlookers.
When the folk chess player had won a big pile of copper coins and loose silver, the crowd dispersed. The man decided to pack up for the day. This was the old adage: "one trick is worth a thousand." But when he saw that the white-clad youth still wasn't moving, he sized him up. The boy looked like a rich young master, so he smiled and asked, "Do you like chess?"
Cui Dongshan was eager to try, rubbing his hands. "I do, I do! Not just this kind; I can even play go. But I left home in a hurry and didn't bring much cash. I've seen through your trick—I'm sure I can beat you."
The folk chess player smiled. This was one of the top ten famous folk chess setups: "Earthworm Lures the Dragon." He wasn't afraid of people seeing through it—the more the better. What he was afraid of was that people would think the setup was unsolvable and refuse to take the bait.
Cui Dongshan slapped the child on the head. "Hurry up and win some money for us by playing chess!"
The man laughed heartily, packed up his stall quickly, and couldn't be bothered to argue with this young fellow.
Cui Dongshan didn't stop him. He shuffled over a bit and crouched opposite the child, stretching out his neck to stare at him. Then he raised both hands and pulled at the child's cheeks. "How did I know you were a chess expert? I didn't even tell that guy your surname was Gao."
The child remained expressionless.
Cui Dongshan pulled for a while and got bored. He stood up and led the child wandering through the city. They came across a young "capital drifter"—one of those sent out from the capital of this vassal state to scout for bargains. Usually, they were apprentices trusted by the managers of antique shops, sent from the capital to various places to search for rare treasures and antiques. To be a capital drifter, you needed sharp eyes and a strong character. Otherwise, if you got your hands on a treasure worth a thousand gold, you'd just run off and set up your own shop.
Cui Dongshan followed this capital drifter around the stalls. Whenever the drifter weighed an item or quietly took note of it, Cui Dongshan would also go weigh it and stare at it, which greatly annoyed the drifter. Finally, in a quiet spot, the drifter stopped and said helplessly, "Young man, if you're short on cash, I can give you some. Just stop following me and making fun of me. You might think it's fun, but you're ruining my livelihood."
Cui Dongshan looked at the young man's eyes and expression, and felt a faint familiarity for no reason. He suddenly smiled. "Don't worry. I promise I won't cause any more trouble."
The young man was dubious, but he couldn't very well chase him away. Fortunately, the youth was indeed quiet for the rest of their walk. But that gave the young man another worry: could this be some sinister jianghu trick? Was the youth targeting him? There were so many tricks in the jianghu that one could never be too careful. But then the youth casually bought a porcelain bowl, placed it on the child's head, and said goodbye to the drifter, saying he had to take his simple-minded little brother back to the school for dinner. After all, when you're away from home studying, the teacher is more important than anything else. If a student was gone too long, the teacher would worry.
The young capital drifter was immensely relieved.
The youth took the white bowl off the child's head, tossed it far to the young man, and said with a bright smile, "I learned a few new little tricks from you about buying old things. I've nothing to thank you with, so I'm giving you this bowl."
The young man was about to refuse. A broken bowl—what use was it? It would just take up space. Besides, that youth studying abroad was richly dressed, but when he paid, he counted out copper coins one by one, so he didn't seem particularly well-off... But before the young man could say a word, the youth grabbed the child by one arm and ran off. He ran really fast. That child looked a bit pitiful.
As the sun set on a muddy road outside the city, the houses of a village squatted one after another along a river.
Cui Dongshan muttered to himself, "My master, when he was young, was influenced by a certain incident. He became wary of standing up for justice and drawing his sword to help the downtrodden. On top of that, my master always thought that because he hadn't read many books, he was being thorough. He assumed that most old jianghu hands were like that too. But in truth, of course, my master was being too demanding of jianghu people."
"Which is more frightening: doing good with the wrong intentions, or making a mistake in one's heart? One has to choose."
"But my master was precocious and took on everything with heart and effort. As his student, how could I bear to say these things?"
While Cui Dongshan was muttering to himself,
a child returning home from herding cattle sat on the back of an ox.
Cui Dongshan, for his part, was riding on the child's back.
Cui Dongshan swayed his shoulders, making the poor child stagger. "Floating clouds at heaven's edge, willows by the roadside, the sound of selling apricot blossoms in the alleys."
Then Cui Dongshan slapped the child's cheeks with both hands. "Little brother Gao! I'm struck with poetic inspiration! You come up with the next line!"
The child blinked.
Cui Dongshan increased the pressure, threatening, "You don't want to give me face?"
The child mumbled indistinctly, "Country smoke from cooking fires, a shepherd boy on an ox, a bamboo flute playing an old song of peace."
"Little brother Gao, you're a genius!"
Cui Dongshan wrapped one arm around the child's neck and slapped the back of his head with the other, laughing loudly. "What virtue do I have to deserve knowing you?!"
The ox-riding shepherd boy turned to look at the two, then quickly urged his mount to speed up.
Cui Dongshan covered the child's eyes with both hands. "Gather your strength! Run!"
Finally, the child, whose vision was blocked, stumbled forward and ran straight into the river.
Midair, Cui Dongshan let go of his hands and flapped his sleeves wildly. Just as they were about to hit the water, the youth laughed heartily. "The wise delight in water! Here comes Dongshan!"