Chapter 754: Site Selection
Jiang Shangzhen did not return directly to Cloud Basket Peak. Instead of disturbing Chen Ping'an and the other two as they caught up, he remained at Yellow Crane Rock, quietly making his way to Snail Shell and taking lodging in a Jiang clan private residence within a blessed land, reserved only for honored guests. The maids and servants in the manor were all fox-spirit beauties similar to those of the Xu clan in Pure Breeze City. The scenery and sky of this secluded landscape matched that of the blessed land. Jiang Shangzhen took out a string of keys, unlocked the mountain and water restrictions, and after entering, ascended to a high vantage point to lean on the railing and gaze into the distance. The wonders of the Snail Shell manor immediately revealed themselves. A vast sea of clouds rolled and surged, with only the manor beneath his feet rising high above them, like an immortal island suspended alone in the sea. All other manors were hidden within the white clouds, appearing and disappearing, as tiny as floating mustard seeds. Jiang Shangzhen held a faded old palm-leaf fan in one hand, the handle fitted with a section of old bamboo from Azure God Mountain. He gently fanned a cool breeze. In his other hand, he held a half-moon teapot fired from green taro clay, slowly sipping tea. With a wide field of vision, he had a complete view of the scenery around Yellow Crane Rock.
Jiang Shangzhen was waiting for an old friend to come and unburden his grievances. But the old ferryman who had long wielded a bamboo pole had yet to show himself. With excellent patience, since he had nothing to do, he had to find something to occupy himself. So Jiang Shangzhen muttered "not looking at improprieties" while letting his gaze wander, deploying the divine ability of "Gazing at Rivers and Mountains." He first located the manor where Yellow-clad Yun lived alone. Worried that the hospitality at Yellow Crane Rock might be insufficient and neglect Sister Ye, Jiang Shangzhen's original intention was to check if anything was lacking in Sister Ye's residence, so he could have someone prepare it. Instead, he found Sister Ye practicing fist techniques in the courtyard, using a portrait of an immortal stepping on the Big Dipper inherited from the Pus—n Mountain. Jiang Shangzhen craned his neck and widened his eyes, as if he wished to press his face against Yellow-clad Yun's fist. Yellow-clad Yun sensed something and slightly frowned, thrusting out an elbow. The surging fist intent, within the landscape forbidden area of Snail Shell, hung in the air like a white rainbow. It struck Jiang Shangzhen, who hurriedly covered his face with his fan. The fan slammed hard against his face. Jiang Shangzhen staggered back a few steps, then lightly waved the fan to dispel the condensed rainbow-like fist intent hanging in the void.
A martial artist at the Ultimate Realm was indeed this troublesome—their divine sense was far too acute.
Jiang Shangzhen quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere. A rather famous immortal maiden, expected to make it onto the newly evaluated supplementary list of Flower God Mountain, was on the other side, opening a mirror-flower-water-moon session at Yellow Crane Rock. She was painting at a desk, a meticulous brushwork portrait of a beauty. Using mountain techniques, brushstrokes gave rise to rising rosy clouds. She spoke about how she had met Yellow-clad Yun of Pus—n Mountain's Cloud Herb Hall today and had even managed to exchange a few words with Mount Huang's master. For a moment, the spiritual ripples around her manor were continuous, clearly indicating she had spent a great deal of money. It seemed that besides a pile of Snow Flower Coins, there was even a bold guest who had tossed down a Minor Summer Coin. Jiang Shangzhen waved his fan, trying to disperse some of the rising rosy clouds from the painting, because when the immortal maiden bent over to paint, especially when she held one hand horizontally in front of her and used two fingers to pinch the sleeve of the hand holding the brush, the scenery was most beautiful.
Jiang Shangzhen took a sip of tea and admired Sister Wei immensely. She actually managed to "exchange a few words" with Yellow-clad Yun, the second-ranked martial artist in the entire continent. That was almost as good as his own treatment.
If she dared to say it, people really dared to believe it.
The registered female cultivator, named Wei Qiongxian, came from a southern immortal sect. Her master's sect had once had an excellent relationship with Jade Zhigang.
Thinking of that Jade Zhigang, Jiang Shangzhen also felt somewhat helpless. It was a murky account, with the same outcome as the former Yuanju Sect, which had been crowded with female cultivators. The Water-Viewing Terrace at Xizhu Rock and the Thunder-Winding Hall on the mountain—they were gone just like that. Regarding the reconstruction of Jade Zhigang and Yuanju Sect, the continuation of the incense fires in the Patriarch Hall and the recompilation of the roster had led to not only endless disputes among the mountain cultivators but also a war of words within the Academy.
Probably because Yellow-clad Yun's appearance at Yellow Crane Rock was so rare and hard to come by, and there had been an unexpected mountain storm that almost provoked her to throw a punch, there were countless mirror-flower-water-moon sessions all over the cloud-sea manors of Snail Shell. Jiang Shangzhen found them too numerous to take in all at once. Finally, he saw a chubby young girl. She wore a mountain robe, refined by a female cultivator from Peach and Plum Garden. The colors were quite bright, but the rank was actually not high—the kind of entry-level robe that registered female cultivators might not be able to afford but was a basic garment for mirror-flower-water-moon immortals. She was all alone, staying in the cheapest manor, having opened a mirror-flower-water-moon session at Yellow Crane Rock. She kept talking to herself, stumbling over her words, often having to pause and take a long time to muster a phrase she thought was funny. But it seemed no one was watching her session. After persisting for about two incense sticks' time, sweat had already formed on her forehead. She was extremely nervous—scaring herself, actually. Finally, she made an unnecessary curtsy and hastily closed the Yellow Crane Rock mirror-flower-water-moon.
She plopped down on a stone bench in the small courtyard, rubbed her hands together, secretly wiping the sweat from her palms. Then she raised her hand to wipe her forehead. Taking a stack of small notes from her sleeve, covered with copied poems and verses, she carefully "reviewed" that mirror-flower-water-moon session. Occasionally she scratched her face, occasionally she was annoyed, occasionally she blushed. Finally, she put away the notes and raised her fist to give herself encouragement. But in the end, she still seemed a bit deflated. The chubby girl pressed her face against the stone table, slightly frowned, and sighed softly. She probably thought she was very ugly and that making money was very, very hard.
The naive girl took out several immortal tools for watching others' mirror-flower-water-moon sessions. Biting the bullet, she selected a small, exquisite coral tree. Red light flowed, indicating that the mirror-flower-water-moon was starting. She pursed her lips and carefully took out a Snow Flower Coin, refining it into pure spiritual energy, like watering a coral tree. Slowly, a landscape painting unfolded—it was precisely that painting immortal who was temporarily her neighbor in Snail Shell. The girl took a deep breath, sat up straight, concentrated, and didn't even blink as she carefully watched every word, every smile, every frown of that immortal sister.
She had spent a Snow Flower Coin. Earning money wasn't easy, but spending it flowed like water. How could she not be serious?
But the more the girl watched, the sadder she became, because she always felt she would never learn this in her lifetime.
Jiang Shangzhen put away his teapot, rested his cheek on one hand, and gently shook his fan, gazing from afar at that young girl. The former sect master of the Jade Zhigang Sect narrowed his phoenix eyes, his smile tender.
The old ferryman Ni Yuanzan appeared outside the manor gate, which was not closed. He stepped inside in one stride and then took another step to stand beside Jiang Shangzhen. Laughing, he said, "The manor head is still as leisurely as ever."
Jiang Shangzhen took a sip of tea from his pot, then teased, "Why did you have to provoke my old friend? Did the Old Man Longevity suddenly want to taste arsenic—tired of living? Or do you think showing off your 'Jianghuai Mosquito-Slaying' once makes you invincible in swordsmanship? Now that you've lost your bamboo pole, how will you manage as a ferryman anymore?"
Ni Yuanzan said, "Back then, we had an agreement. I was just an unregistered guest elder of Yellow Crane Rock in Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, waiting for a destined person to take that ancient Golden Core. As for everything else, whether I came or went, there were no constraints."
Jiang Shangzhen nodded. "Over the years, thanks to that three-legged golden toad perched on your shoulder, you've gathered quite a bit of fortune for my blessed land. I need to thank you for that. But when you urged me to take Lu Fang to Lotus Flower Blessed Land, saying it might help him untie his heart knot, you actually had hidden calculations. Not to mention your original intent, just looking at the result, it harmed my friendship with him by separating us across different lands. I keep clear accounts of kindness and enmity, so we're just even."
Ni Yuanzan, who earlier had seemed like an immortal undergoing dissolution, leaving behind a crane-feather robe as a relic on the boat, glanced at the river and ferry where there were no more boats. Sighing, he said, "My body and mind have long been in a cage. Now that I've returned to nature, I unexpectedly find myself somewhat unaccustomed to it."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled. "Now that the general trend has arisen in the Haoran world, after you've sent away that hot potato of a Golden Core, haven't you thought about doing something? Like going to see Sui Youbian?"
After all, those who left Lotus Flower Blessed Land were not limited to the "four people in the painting" around Chen Ping'an.
The Old Temple Master, being one of the oldest cultivators under heaven, and an unattainable Fourteen Realm cultivator besides, was able to use the blessed land as a Dao domain, discussing Dao techniques with the Dao Ancestor. His Dao skills were very high.
Ni Yuanzan asked, "Aren't you curious who I'm going to give that Golden Core to?"
Jiang Shangzhen laughed it off and put away the half-moon teapot. It might not look impressive, but if he had truly been able to kill the Moon Borrower with a single willow leaf back then, the moon hanging high over Cloud Cavern Blessed Land today would be the purest moon among the Ten Great Caves, Thirty-Six Minor Caves, and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. As for now, to be honest, if it weren't for coveting the position of Chief Supplicant of Fallen Mountain, Jiang Shangzhen really wouldn't be willing to go to Great Li. Because the Moon Borrower was now living in Chen Ping'an's hometown town. With a large amount of battle merit, she was not only recognized by the Central Earth Confucian Temple but was more than qualified to establish a sect in the Haoran world.
Since Ni Yuanzan had said as much, and earlier on the boat he had absolutely refused to hand over the precious Golden Core hidden in Yellow Crane Rock to Cui Dongshan, it meant that Ni Yuanzan's proud disciple in Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Sui Youbian, was indeed not the destined person.
Jiang Shangzhen gently shook his fan. "It's just a matter of where an immortal artifact ends up. It's not enough to make me curious."
Those who become Golden Core cultivators are truly my kind of people.
But even among Golden Core cultivators, the quality of a Golden Core could be as different as clouds and mud. It was like how there were thousands of beautiful women in a continent, but only thirty-six could make it onto the Rouge Chart of Flower God Mountain.
Ni Yuanzan took the initiative to reveal the secret. "Building a tower with grass to observe stars and gaze at energy; the ancient land of Zhaoting, profound through the ages."
In the northern lands, the Golden Summit Temple's Dao lineage originated from the Tower-Gazing Sect of Daoism. Among the magnificent mountains, the Zhongnan Mountains were the most scenic. Among its thousand peaks, the Tower-Gazing Sect was the most famous. In ancient times, the Zhongnan Mountains were one of the Five Sacred Mountains, and the hardest to find, standing alongside the ancestral mountain of the Ten-Thousand Yao Sect in the three blessed lands of Penglai. And the ancient land of Zhaoting had a great connection with the Zhongnan Mountains. The surname Shao was as ancient as Jiang Shangzhen's Jiang, and the Jiang of Cloud Forest Jiang clan in Bottle Gourd Continent—both were among the few archaic surnames.
Jiang Shangzhen clicked his tongue in admiration. "Old Temple Master Du of the Golden Summit Temple has good fortune. Among his grand-disciples, there's a Shao Yuanran. I thought earlier that this kid's fortune was strange everywhere—good without being eye-catching. That's even rarer than being young and brilliant. Not only did he find a good master willing to cultivate him wholeheartedly, he also latched onto a hidden Dao lineage like Golden Summit Temple. Finally, he even managed to connect with the Great Spring Dynasty's imperial legacy, which was preserved intact despite the overturned nest. One thing after another, large and small advantages, he's never missed out. And now, just by sitting at home, he can wait for Brother Ni to personally deliver an opportunity. Mountain immortal fate is indeed wonderfully indescribable—even I'm envious. But for Shao Yuanran, it's a great blessing; for Brother Ni, it may not be the same. Wading into muddy waters, involuntarily, returning to the cage."
Ni Yuanzan said, "I know you have a poor impression of the Golden Summit Temple. I won't ask much. I only ask that Shao Yuanran's Dao practice go smoothly for a hundred or two hundred years. After that, when he reaches the upper five realms, whether it's fortune or calamity will be his own Dao fortune."
"No guarantees."
Jiang Shangzhen shook his head. "Brother Ni left his bamboo pole and crane-feather robe tonight. So the greeting gift wasn't free. You saw early on the entanglement between my brother Cao Mo and the Golden Summit Temple's lineage. You reclusive masters, you always like to lay out hidden threads, which is annoying. A Dao practitioner, riding a boat along that river of time, with the years flowing leisurely downstream—everything was fine, we minded our own business. But then, from time to time, at some downstream ferry, you see the same person's silhouette. Once or twice, it's tolerable. But three, four times, endless—it's not just Cao Mo; even someone as good-tempered as me would find it unreasonable."
Ni Yuanzan's expression grew serious. "By the manor head's meaning, you want to stop me from giving away the Golden Core?"
Jiang Shangzhen nodded. "If Shao Yuanran dares to come to Yellow Crane Rock, I'll have him die before your eyes. If you dare to go to the Great Spring Dynasty to deliver the Golden Core, I'll have him take the Golden Core to complete his Dao intent, reach the legendary first-grade Golden Core, but never have the chance to break through to the Nascent Soul realm."
Ni Yuanzan sneered. "Do you think that because the East Sea's Observing Dao Temple is no longer in the Haoran world, you can compete with the Old Temple Master in Dao techniques?"
Jiang Shangzhen smiled. "Across another world, what do I have to fear?"
Ni Yuanzan said meaningfully, "Oh? Brother Zhou of the Spring Tide Palace, full of boldness and spirit, just as always."
Jiang Shangzhen blinked, leaning back against the railing, his body tilted back, a fan half-covering his face. "Don't tell me the Old Temple Master himself has graced Cloud Cavern Blessed Land?"
Ni Yuanzan sneered without stopping.
A willow leaf, flickering past. A sharp sword light pierced through the old ferryman's forehead from between his brows.
Ni Yuanzan pressed a finger against his forehead, holding the railing with one hand, and angrily said, "Jiang Shangzhen, you have a dog's gall!"
Jiang Shangzhen laughed heartily. "Brother Ni is still a novice at this 'pretending to be a ghost or god' business. If the Old Temple Master really wanted to leave a sliver of his mind in the Haoran world, would he waste it on me, who always does good with everyone and yields when in the right?"
Ni Yuanzan sighed deeply, his expression dim. "I'll just stay at Yellow Crane Rock and help you increase the fortune of the blessed land. We'll discuss the Golden Core's ownership later."
Jiang Shangzhen comforted him. "Brother Ni is an upright gentleman. Being schemed against by someone like me actually proves your integrity all the more. Why be sad? You should be happy. What's wrong with Cloud Cavern Blessed Land? One door separates heaven and earth. Outside in the Haoran world, there are many more shrewd types who are even more petty than Jiang Shangzhen. You can find them everywhere by the roadside. If it's not Han Yushu, it's Du Hanling, or Lu Ying and the like. Every one of them is a master at scheming. Brother Ni would waste his energy and easily suffer losses. In the end, it's better to be a fisherman here, chanting by the water shores, poling boats under the bright moon, while the whole world is muddy and you alone are clear."
Jiang Shangzhen nodded vigorously. "That's right, that's right. When you're under someone else's roof, you have to have the awareness of being under someone's roof. By the way, tonight I've seen many new faces and new events, and it reminded me of some old stories. It made me feel poetic for once, but after racking my brains, I only came up with two lines. Brother Ni, will you add the rest?"
Ni Yuanzan sneered. "I think it's better not to. Manor head Jiang, your talent is as high as eight dou. How dare I add a dog's tail to a sable? That would only make a fool of myself."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, Ni Yuanzan, you've held back after all. You didn't give the Golden Core to Sui Youbian, but for your only proud disciple in your life, you secretly kept a good sword from Observing Dao Temple. I always said, there's no master who doesn't consider his direct disciple's Dao path. You need to know, back when I went to Lotus Flower Blessed Land, I wasted sixty years there just to let Lu Fang become one of the sixty-year top ten, so that I could get a suitable weapon from the Old Temple Master."
Jiang Shangzhen gazed down at the river, the moon, and the night, speaking to himself. "Today I wish to borrow the master's sword, to spit out light when heaven and earth are dark."
Ni Yuanzan frowned deeply and shook his head. "I have no such sword. I'm not deceiving you."
Jiang Shangzhen glanced at the old ferryman. "You yourself are the sword."
Ni Yuanzan angrily said, "Are you insulting me?"
Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "Master Ni need not act so flustered, trying to show weakness to me everywhere. I've seriously gone through various historical records and secret records of Lotus Flower Blessed Land. Master Ni is well-versed in the three teachings. Although limited by the blessed land's rank at the time, you could not ascend the mountain to practice, and ultimately failed in ascension. Yet you actually had the embryonic form of a clear Dao heart. Otherwise, the Old Temple Master would not have invited you out of the blessed land. If Ding Ying was carefully cultivated by the Old Temple Master using the martial madman Zhu Lian as a prototype, then Hu Mountain Sect's Yu Zhenyi should, after a few hundred years, respectfully call Master Ni 'teacher' from afar."
Ni Yuanzan sighed. "All that glory is past."
Jiang Shangzhen knew there was nothing more to dig out of Ni Yuanzan. So he continued his "Gazing at Rivers and Mountains" to watch Wei Qiongxian's mirror-flower-water-moon session. Using immortal divine power, he imperceptibly tossed a Minor Summer Coin into the Snail Shell manor and said, "I am Jiang Shangzhen of Dragon Prefecture."
Wei Qiongxian still remained unmoved, continuing to paint. A Minor Summer Coin was not enough to surprise an immortal who was expected to make it onto the Rouge Chart.
All the qi refiners watching the session heard Jiang Shangzhen's words. Soon, a cultivator also threw money and laughed loudly. "I am Jiang Shangzhen of Red Garment Mountain here!"
Another followed. "Jiang Shangzhen of Poyang is here! All you fake Jiang Shangzens, get out of Sister Wei's mirror-flower-water-moon immediately!"
In the mirror-flower-water-moon sessions of Tongye Continent these days, there were many "Jiang Shangzhen of [place name]."
---
At dawn, on a small bamboo chair under the eaves, Chen Ping'an sat with his eyes closed, his hands stacked, palms upward, just splitting a sliver of his mind to immerse in the minor heaven and earth within his body.
Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly. For no particular reason, he recalled a passage from a scholar's notebook describing successful immortal-seeking Dao cultivation, purely imagined by the scholar. "The Golden Core is bright and clear, with multicolored flowing light. Cloud-like liquid moistens the six viscera; sweet dew nourishes the hundred bones. One feels as light as a swallow pecking at fallen leaves, the body and form as if sinking into clouds and fog. The mind and spirit roam the heavens with the birds. The sound of pines and bamboo waves is endless. For about the time it takes to cook a meal, one levitates and rises. Suddenly, one returns to awareness, standing solidly on the ground. Only then does one know that immortals truly exist on the mountains, and that there are truly Dao arts in the human world."
At Peace Mountain, that half-fist from the Eleventh Realm seemed to have composed a fist manual without words. The manual was split in two. Half was on the immortal's abandoned body of Han Yushu, and half was embedded in Chen Ping'an's own landscape.
Earlier, while sleeping soundly in the bamboo hut, Chen Ping'an had been diligently studying that fist manual. Postures, momentum, divine intent—layer by layer, from the principle of the fist to the method of the fist, nothing was missed. He benefited greatly.
The Tenth Realm of martial arts was truly the Ultimate Realm. The three levels—Qi Flourishing, Returning to Truth, and Divine Path—each level's difference was as vast as the difference between one realm before.
So a half-fist from the Eleventh Realm could leave Chen Ping'an, in the Tenth Realm Qi Flourishing, with only the ability to defend, without any power to counterattack.
Chen Ping'an withdrew that sliver of mind, like returning home from a distant journey, slowly exiting the thousands of miles of mountains and rivers within his body's meridians. He said with his heart voice, "Awake?"
Cui Dongshan sat up, sleepily rubbing his eyes. He was a bit dazed and stretched hugely. "Is Senior Sister still asleep? She's like a child."
Chen Ping'an nodded softly. "Her heartstrings have been too tight for too long. When she slept on the boat crossing the river before, the time was too short. Still far from enough."
Cui Dongshan lay on his side. "Master, on this journey back to Bottle Gourd Continent, and for the future site selection of the branch sect in Tongye Continent, there will be no shortage of troublesome things."
"I'll just stand by reason."
Chen Ping'an lifted one foot and silently set it down. Slowly, he said, "The world is more or less still the same. Reasoning easily annoys people. What is studying the sword and practicing the fist for? Naturally, it is to make people more patient—to make them, who wouldn't listen to a single word, force themselves to listen to a few; to make them, who would only listen to a few complaints, be willing to hear the whole story from beginning to end."
Cui Dongshan seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "There are distinctions between close and distant, it's unavoidable in human nature. I will handle it with proper measure."
Chen Ping'an stood up and began to practice the stake-standing with six steps, his fist movements extremely slow, making Cui Dongshan feel sleepy again.
"It's not that I'm worried about this."
Cui Dongshan shook his head, a bit disheartened. "That old bastard is insane. He detained and imprisoned me in the Great Du Shrine for many years. I racked my brains but couldn't escape. It wasn't until the end of last year, when I received a decree from Lin Shouyi, who was acting as the shrine priest, allowing me to leave the shrine. When I showed myself, I found that the old bastard was ruthlessly thorough. He even set a trap for me. So now, besides my realm, I have nothing left. The Great Li court seems to have never had anyone named Cui Dongshan. I've lost all my identities, open and secret, in the Great Li dynasty. The old bastard deliberately turned me from an insider in the continent's situation into a complete outsider during the endgame, and from half an outsider in Fallen Mountain into a true insider. Master, don't you think this guy has a problem in the head?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "It is for your own good, and for the good of Fallen Mountain. Otherwise, while it might seem like we have the advantage in everything, we'd be too entangled with Great Li, and that wouldn't be clean. When I reason with Great Li, if they talk about incense bond, if I talk about right and wrong, if they talk about the bigger picture, that would be the real trouble."
Cui Dongshan said helplessly, "I understand the logic. Before coming to see you, I consoled myself with the same reasoning. But when you mentioned Han Yushu of the Ten-Thousand Yao Sect, I started to get uneasy again. For an immortal to disregard even his ancestral foundation and resolve to fight you to the death, just to gain merit—what does that mean? It means behind Han Yushu, there is at least one or two Flying Ascension realm grand cultivators. The fear is that even the Central Earth Confucian Temple can't find evidence against them. I can conclude that in the past few years, the old bastard was clearly aware of this, yet deliberately said nothing to me."
"It's fine. Those old accounts will be settled slowly. We'll unravel them one by one, no need to rush. Shake the great, break the firm, take it slowly. Treat it as a dangerous puzzle-solving. The reason I deliberately left Pure Breeze City and Zhengyang Mountain untouched for so long was because I was afraid of alerting the enemy too early. Otherwise, before my last distant journey, with Fallen Mountain's resources, I actually had the confidence to wrestle with Pure Breeze City."
Chen Ping'an stopped his stake practice in the middle, sat back down on the small bamboo chair, raised his palm, and lightly tapped his fingertips together. Smiling, he said, "From my and Liu Xianyang's destiny porcelain, to the real masterminds behind Zhengyang Mountain and Pure Breeze City, to this chance encounter with Han Yushu, and possibly even the battle on the Sword Qi Great Wall—these are all branches from a single vein, with different streams. At the very beginning, they weren't deliberately targeting me. An orphan from Mud Vase Alley in Li Zhu Cave Heaven wasn't worth their attention. But when I became the Hidden Officer and returned alive to the Haoran world, they couldn't afford to ignore me."
Cui Dongshan's expression turned strange. He craned his neck to look toward Pei Qian, as if hoping Senior Sister would poke the hornet's nest.
Chen Ping'an asked doubtfully, "What, has Liu Xianyang already locked horns with Pure Breeze City and Zhengyang Mountain?"
Cui Dongshan shook his head, then said timidly, "The old chef moved the entire Fox Kingdom into Lotus Flower Blessed Land."
Chen Ping'an was stunned for a long moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "The fox kingdom's ruler, Pei Xiang, is a Nascent Soul cultivator, right? She was that easy to deceive? What about the hidden hand Pure Breeze City's Xu clan planted in the fox kingdom? Were the hidden dangers resolved?"
"Of course, it wasn't easy to deceive. But the old chef is even better at dealing with women than Brother Jiang."
Cui Dongshan nodded vigorously. "As for that hidden danger, the old chef and I did indeed eliminate it together. Someone had tampered with Pei Xiang's soul. That person is very likely..."
At this point, Cui Dongshan's face turned pale, sweat pouring down his back. He used a finger to press against his forehead.
"Certain thoughts are sealed like mountains. The hardest enemy is oneself. If you won't let yourself speak, then it's better not to speak at all."
Chen Ping'an reached out and patted the armrest of the reclining chair beside him, signaling Cui Dongshan not to force himself. Smiling, he said, "I've actually had some guesses about this behind-the-scenes figure for a while. He is probably of a similar origin and method to Han Yushu, fond of secretly manipulating the great trends of a continent. The flow of sword qi fortune in Bottle Gourd Continent is very strange. From Li Bojing of the Wind and Thunder Garden, to Wei Jin of the Wind and Snow Temple, and possibly Liu Baqiao, and of course me and Liu Xianyang—clearly someone tampered with us in matters of emotion. In my early years, my relationship with He Xiaoliang of the Cooling Sect seemed to be like the matchmaker flipping through the marriage registry, secretly tying red strings behind our backs. So it's not hard to guess. Seven ancestral sword-nurturing gourds, two of which ended up in the small Bottle Gourd Continent—isn't that strange? And the one that Su Jia of Zhengyang Mountain used to wear? Its origin is also shrouded in mystery. If I follow this clue and visit the Patriarch Hall of Zhengyang Mountain, just flipping through a few pages of the old merit register will be enough to bring me close to the truth. The only thing I worry about now is that before Liu Xianyang and I go to ask for a sword duel, that person might have already quietly left the mountain and traveled to another continent."
Cui Dongshan gritted his teeth and bent two fingers, as if about to scrape a thought out of his soul that had been locked away by "himself and Cui Chan."
Chen Ping'an put two fingers together and lightly tapped the armrest of the reclining chair, using his fist intent to interrupt Cui Dongshan's dangerous move. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, Cui Dongshan was immediately thrown backward, leaning against the chair. Chen Ping'an smiled. "If only I had a ruler."
Cui Dongshan let out a breath. "Your student is useless."
Chen Ping'an said, "Do you know what I admire most about Master Ruan? It's that when Ruan Master takes disciples, besides valuing their nature, he also believes that taking disciples is so that the master can pass down the Dao, and the disciples can practice swordsmanship in peace. It's not so that a sect can argue with others or band together to fight with strength in numbers. I think this point of Ruan Master's is most admirable. The master leads the disciple in, but cultivation is personal. Disciples who enter the gate don't need to completely ignore the Patriarch Hall's reputation, but they don't need to be overly mindful of the master-disciple title and act impulsively because of it. In the end, cultivation is a personal matter. On Fallen Mountain, I don't think Pei Qian has to be like anyone. She doesn't even have to be like me. Fallen Mountain doesn't need everyone to be like me or like Pei Qian. You already explained this thoroughly back then. Enough, tell me something happy."
Cui Dongshan turned sideways, put his palms together, pressed them against his cheek, curled up, lazily. He chuckled. "Master, now Lotus Flower Blessed Land is at the bottleneck of an upper-grade blessed land. Wealth is rolling in, and profits are enormous. Although it's still far from Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, compared to other upper-grade blessed lands among the seventy-two, it definitely won't be at the bottom. As for all the medium-grade blessed lands, even if they've been managed by sect-level immortal families for hundreds or thousands of years, they still can't compare to Lotus Flower Blessed Land."
But Chen Ping'an didn't show much joy; instead, he felt a bit unsettled. Cui Dongshan, understanding, quickly handed over a ledger compiled by Wei Wenlong. "It's an old ledger I got before I was imprisoned in the Ji Du Shrine."
After reading through how Lotus Flower Blessed Land had become an upper-grade blessed land, Chen Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief. It was a combination of favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony. But inevitably, he had incurred quite a few debts of gratitude. No matter—mountain interpersonal debts, unlike those down the mountain, didn't require worrying about twenty or thirty years passing.
Within the blessed land, mountain and water spirits, ghosts, foxes, immortals, tree spirits, wood sprites, rare materials, martial and literary fortunes, immortal opportunities—all emerged layer upon layer, appearing one after another.
Chen Ping'an's eyes sparkled as he carefully flipped through the account book. He casually asked, "The Great Du? Was it for Zhi Gui to undergo the transformation into a dragon?"
Cui Dongshan said softly, "The great river that runs through the middle of Bottle Gourd Continent is called Qi Du."
Chen Ping'an paused in turning the page, nodded calmly, and continued flipping. His tone was flat. "I remember back then, Li Huai and the others each received a character calligraphy scroll. Otherwise, on the Sword Qi Great Wall, I wouldn't have been so decisive in severing the contract with Zhi Gui. The cost to break the contract was considerable."
Cui Dongshan regretted it. "If Master hadn't severed the contract, you could now be receiving a continuous stream of water fortune income. For the next hundred or thousand years, you could sit back at Fallen Mountain and collect dividends every day, even if Zhi Gui was unwilling."
Chen Ping'an didn't mind. He joked, "To be reasonable, to be a good person—and then require others to pay extra for it? When I first understood this logic, I did find it hard to accept. But after experiencing a few more things, truly thinking it through and accepting it, it actually makes it easier to let go of many troubling matters. Because it's hard to be reasonable, it's not easy to be a good person—that's exactly why it's more precious."
Cui Dongshan murmured, "The affairs of the world are nothing but gain and loss. Distinguishing between active and passive in gain and loss is the way of the world and the human heart."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Reasonable."
Nalan Yudie and Yao Xiaoyan walked out of the house together and came over.
Chen Ping'an put a finger to his lips, signaling them not to speak loudly.
Pei Qian was still fast asleep.
Nalan Yudie said with her heart voice, "Master Cao, are we going to Inkstone Mountain today? If there's something else, we can go tomorrow morning."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'll let you know before we leave."
Nalan Yudie took Yao Xiaoyan and left to admire the mountain of inkstone materials that had piled up.
Chen Ping'an looked at that small mountain of stone, silent for a moment. He hesitated, then asked with his heart voice, "Do you know a woman named the Moon Borrower? I heard she's in our Bottle Gourd Continent now?"
Cui Dongshan nodded. "Yes, she's very close with Xiao Mili. Master, why do you ask? Do you know her?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I don't know her."
Just as Cui Dongshan was about to say more, Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "In the future, remember to remind me often: when I'm chatting with our own people or engaging in heart-questioning sparring, I need to speak fewer strange words to shock people. The only benefit of the Fallen Mountain's culture, which you and Pei Qian have skewed, is probably that I'm now quite immune to any flattery from others."
Earlier, Yellow-clad Yun had shown signs of asking for a fist duel at Yellow Crane Rock.
Yellow-clad Yun herself was nothing. She had her reasons for asking for a fist duel. Chen Ping'an still had a good impression of her and the Pus—n Mountain Cloud Herb Hall. A pure martial artist who could focus on honing her own martial path, willing to do something for a continent's landscape, even at the risk of betting the entire Pus—n Mountain's honor and fortune—that was truly remarkable. Actually, the reason Chen Ping'an was unwilling to "accept the fist" was something even Jiang Shangzhen hadn't guessed. The women of the Sword Qi Great Wall were also many heroes. The Ultimate Realm martial artist Yellow-clad Yun of Tongye Continent, and the female immortal Cong Qian of Flowing Sunset Continent he had met at sea—both made him feel as if he had returned to the Sword Qi Great Wall.
But the mountain spectators who emerged from the Snail Shell manors, their eyes burning with anticipation, only cared about one thing: the result of the fist duel—who would win, lose, live, or die. It wasn't just bystanders enjoying the excitement. A fist duel could cause injury, even death. Especially when Yellow-clad Yun made a move, it seemed to be something that didn't merit questioning why; it was taken for granted, natural and justified.
"Right, right, right! Master speaks very truly. The skill of being cautious alone is terrifyingly profound, even more so than the martial artist's Ultimate Realm."
Seeing the bad turn, Cui Dongshan quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. "It's like Yu Panshui, that terrible chess player. When he plays chess, the spectators applaud a lot, clapping vigorously. The scariest thing is that those spectators truly believe that Old Yu, who constantly makes bad moves on the board, has made some amazing divine move. Old Yu himself knows well enough how much he's worth. But in this world, how many people, just because they have one skill, gradually delude themselves into thinking they excel at everything? A cultivator with achievements becomes a national chess master in a few days. After another few days, he's a painting saint. He goes down the mountain, says a few words, and becomes a strategist with persuasive power, a brilliant talker. He tells a bad joke, and the whole table roars with laughter."
Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled, saying nothing. The transition was a bit clumsy.
Cui Dongshan said plaintively, "Senior Sister, that's not fair."
Pei Qian had actually already woken up, but she was still pretending to sleep.
Cui Dongshan pressed on. "Senior Sister, wake up. According to the agreement, you have to help Yudie sort that mountain of inkstone into grades."
Pei Qian had no choice but to open her eyes and yawn, but she still lay still.
Jiang Shangzhen arrived.
Pei Qian stood up and walked over to Nalan Yudie to help separate the stone materials by grade.
Chen Ping'an planned to visit Old Lord Mountain that day, and of course, he wouldn't miss Inkstone Mountain, the mountain of the Crown Prince's residence.
Jiang Shangzhen entered this place, carrying a bamboo-carved brush holder. Cui Dongshan's eyes lit up. Generous, generous. Truly worthy of Brother Zhou, righteous and bold.
Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "Let's make a deal, Mountain Lord. Don't go to Inkstone Mountain."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Why not? I'm not asking the blessed land to make any exceptions for me. I'll go up and down the mountain according to the rules."
Jiang Shangzhen raised the bamboo-carved brush holder in his hand and said seriously, "In business, this deal will obviously make the blessed land lose money big time. I can't stand to see it."
If Chen Ping'an made money from Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, it would indeed make Jiang Shangzhen uncomfortable.
The small items Nalan Yudie had were one thing. But Pei Qian? Brother Cui? The young mountain lord himself?! Which of them didn't have a portable dimension? Besides, those few old quarry pits—could they withstand the three of them rummaging through?
If this group set foot on Inkstone Mountain, given Chen Ping'an's temper, he would indeed move half the mountain of fine stones and good materials without batting an eye.
But when Jiang Shangzhen spent money himself, he felt good. Although gifting this bamboo-carved brush holder, which was equivalent to a landscape forbidden area, meant Jiang Shangzhen would spend even more than the blessed land's Inkstone Mountain would lose, it was a different matter.
It was the landscape forbidden area where Chen Ping'an had been recuperating earlier.
Chen Ping'an accepted it gracefully and tucked the brush holder into his sleeve. If he wanted to be the Chief Supplicant, he had to show some sincerity. When the Clear Color Peak Patriarch Hall held a meeting, he would have to argue hard to push it through.
This secluded landscape, with its bamboo grove and thatched hut, was beautiful. Chen Ping'an had some selfish motives. He planned to return to Fallen Mountain and have Wei Bo help connect it with the mountain roots and water fortune, using it as his own retreat for secluded cultivation.
Bai Xuan, for the first time, said he was going to practice swords diligently. In the end, only Nalan Yudie, Yao Xiaoyan, and Cheng Chaolu followed Chen Ping'an and the others to Old Lord Mountain.
Jiang Shangzhen agreed to let the three children continue to try their luck at Inkstone Mountain.
The group left Cloud Basket Peak and went to Old Lord Mountain, entering that painting of thousands of miles of landscapes. Pei Qian said she wanted to go with Nalan Yudie. Chen Ping'an nodded in agreement. Although there wouldn't be any accidents in Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, having Pei Qian by the children's side... Thinking of this, Chen Ping'an was momentarily lost. When did Pei Qian become capable of protecting others on the path? When had Pei Qian stopped being a child? So Chen Ping'an couldn't help but look at his senior disciple's back and said a very superfluous sentence, "You must be careful yourself too. If anything happens, come find your master."
Pei Qian turned around, grinned, and made a motion of lightly tapping her forehead.
At the summit of Old Lord Mountain, within the thousand-mile landscape painting, there were over a hundred scenic spots of mountains and waters. Chen Ping'an spared no effort, spending a full half-day traveling from the southernmost Quzhou's Drive Mountain Ferry, heading north all the way, walking through each one, touring every single one.
During this time, Chen Ping'an visited the Great Spring's Mirage Mirror City, which he had never truly set foot on before, and of course, the northern major sects' Heaven Que Peak and Golden Summit Temple. Especially at Golden Summit Temple, Chen Ping'an almost did not use the earth-shrinking technique; he walked extremely slowly. Finally, he returned to one place for the first time, standing at a subsidiary mountain of Golden Summit Temple that had once been part of the Peach Leaf Alliance. Chen Ping'an stopped and took out a unique jade slip from the Jiang clan of Cloud Cavern, specially made for Old Lord Mountain. He infused a trace of spiritual energy into a few place names engraved on the jade slip, causing over a dozen immortal mountain peaks in the landscape painting to suddenly enlarge and rise from the ground. Chen Ping'an held the jade slip, and on the earth, more than a dozen auspicious sites rose up one after another. He looked around, then withdrew some spiritual energy, causing half of the mountain scenes to shrink back into the painting.
Chen Ping'an pressed his palm against his narrow saber, Zhan Kan, lightly tapping the hilt, lost in thought.
The Summer Resort's library was extremely rich. Chen Ping'an had once spent a great deal of effort alone to categorize all the archives and secret manuals. Among them, he had carefully read the twenty-four volumes of the "Cloud Basket Seven Signs," which included a section on the sun, moon, and stars. It mentioned that besides the Big Dipper's seven stars, there were also the Assistant Star and the Deputy Star, "two hidden stars." In the Haoran world, mountain and lake spirits often worshipped the moon to refine their forms, and some cultivators were skilled at drawing on star essence to nourish their energy palaces.
But over the past ten thousand years, the Big Dipper had gradually formed a strange pattern of "seven visible, two hidden." Chen Ping'an had flipped through old almanacs and knew the truth: it was because back then, Ritual Sage had led a group of Confucian Temple attendant sages and peak grand cultivators on a joint expedition beyond the heavens to actively hunt down the remnants of the gods.
The line of Yasheng had suffered heavy losses. The Great Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain had also fallen beyond the heavens.
The reason the Assistant and Deputy stars had inexplicably disappeared was that they had been one of the battlefields between grand cultivators and ancient gods.
Cui Dongshan crouched at Chen Ping'an's feet, the white-clad youth like a large white cloud that had landed on the mountaintop to rest.
"This Old Temple Master Du, long heard of but never seen, is full of immortal aura."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "The reason the Little Dragon Qiu did not participate in the Peach Leaf Alliance—claiming to deduce the residual Dao charm of the ancient mirror and refine a new Bright Moon Mirror—was both a real benefit and a smokescreen. Little Dragon Qiu might have already secretly contacted the Golden Summit Temple. Once Little Dragon Qiu successfully occupied Peace Mountain and then turned to form a mountain alliance with Golden Summit Temple, they could obtain some promise and secretly extract a profit. The biggest winner would still be Golden Summit Temple. Once the mountain protection formation takes shape, encompassing a small half of Tongye Continent, it would be comparable to your Jade Zhigang Sect's mountain and water formation, right?"
"Probably close to the truth."
Jiang Shangzhen nodded. "If Peace Mountain and Heaven Que Peak were not included, and replaced by two other mountains, it would only be a general 'seven visible, two hidden.' Even if the grand configuration of the Big Dipper nine stars' heaven-and-earth correspondence was achieved, it would still be slightly lacking. After all, there's only one Golden Summit Temple, and its foundation isn't strong enough."
"It's already astonishingly bold. Du Hanling, a Nascent Soul cultivator, and Golden Summit Temple, a sect candidate—to think so big and act so boldly. Impressive, impressive."
Chen Ping'an clicked his tongue. "Du Hanling is worthy of being the mountain sovereign of your Tongye Continent. He's both a hero in troubled times, able to preserve himself wisely, and a hero in peaceful times, able to rise with the trend. The Perfect Truth Daoist and Shao Yuanran are lucky to have such a temple master."
Jiang Shangzhen sighed with emotion. "The mountain lord and I share the same view."
Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes.
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "Peace Mountain, Golden Summit Temple, and Little Dragon Qiu—forget about them. As for Heaven Que Peak and Azure Tiger Palace? Might Old Immortal Lu take the opportunity to move to a bigger mountain?"
Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "Lu Yong is an old friend of ours. He's a nostalgic man. Now he's one of the very few old immortals who can be considered to have returned to his hometown in glory from another continent. In Bottle Gourd Continent, he's latched onto the thighs of the Great Li Iron Cavalry and the vassal king Song Mu. It's unlikely he'll ally with Golden Summit Temple."
Chen Ping'an put his hands in his sleeves, squinting. "The Pivot is Heaven, the Dipper is Earth, the Jade is Man, the Authority is Time. Among them, Heavenly Authority is the darkest, and the literary star Wenqu is precisely the junction where the dipper body and handle meet."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and asked, "Does the mountain lord have a grudge against Golden Summit Temple?"
But Chen Ping'an's thoughts took a very sudden leap. "The Great Spring Dynasty has a prefectural city called Crane-Riding City. Legend has it that ancient immortals rode cranes on their ascension. It's actually just a small hill. The surrounding land is extremely expensive. Does it have anything to do with that old gentleman Ni?"
In that city, there had been a disturbance when a young man borrowed a saber from the Martial Temple.
Of course, he had also met a very worldly-wise earth god. At the time, Chen Ping'an wanted to give a Minor Summer Coin as a reward, but the old man didn't accept it.
As for Du Hanling's direct disciple, the Perfect Truth Daoist Yin Miaofeng, and his grand-disciple Shao Yuanran—Chen Ping'an was not unfamiliar with either master or disciple. They had been Great Spring's chief supplicants, responsible for helping the Liu emperor keep an eye on the Yao family's border troops. But Chen Ping'an still wasn't sure that the Perfect Truth Daoist had resigned from the supplicant position a few years ago and was in seclusion at Golden Summit Temple, still unable to break through the Dragon Gate realm bottleneck. However, his disciple Shao Yuanran had already become the Great Spring Dynasty's top supplicant, a young Golden Core earth immortal.
Jiang Shangzhen clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "The mountain lord can guess even that!"
Indeed, it was the lingering aura of the "ascension" of Master Ni from Lotus Flower Blessed Land into the Haoran world that created that immortal relic, which was later much talked about.
Chen Ping'an said, "Back then, when I was besieged and hunted in the Great Spring Dynasty, I always felt something was off afterward. I suspect the Golden Summit Temple was actually involved, but for some reason, they never showed their faces. In light of the current situation in Tongye Continent, after the great war, Du Hanling was still able to carefully select seven mountain peaks to build a grand formation. I almost suspect this old temple master had secret collusion with the barbarian world's military tents back then."
Jiang Shangzhen said, "Of course, you can guess that. But there's no evidence, not a single shred."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not stupid enough to make an enemy of half of Tongye Continent's cultivators because of a Du Hanling I've never even met."
Now, Du Hanling's realm might not be high, but he was the center of hearts for Tongye Continent's mountain cultivators. To make an enemy of Golden Summit Temple was to make an enemy of the entire Peach Leaf Alliance.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Do you have a copy of this landscape painting? I need to look at it more. The site selection of the branch sect is of great importance."
He believed Jiang Shangzhen had certainly already guessed his intentions. Besides, there was nothing to hide from his own supplicant.
Maybe even Yellow-clad Yun's appearance at Yellow Crane Rock earlier had been deliberately orchestrated by Jiang Shangzhen to connect Fallen Mountain and Pus—n Mountain.
Jiang Shangzhen said, "A copy of the landscape painting would be a bit taboo, but I can have someone make a hurried copy."
Chen Ping'an swallowed the words he was about to say. He had originally wanted to say he could pay for it.
The group left Old Lord Mountain's territory and flew on the wind to Inkstone Mountain, about a dozen miles away. Chen Ping'an kept his promise and did not go up the mountain to plunder. He just waited patiently at the foot.
Cui Dongshan, having received a heart-voice reminder from his master, suddenly spoke up loudly. "Master, a girl named the Moon Borrower has settled in a blacksmith's shop on Dragon Beard River. She seems to be on good terms with Liu Xianyang."
Chen Ping'an turned his head and looked at Jiang Shangzhen.
He had thought the Moon Borrower had only passed near his hometown. He never expected it to go this far. With Liu Xianyang's character, whether there was something between him and the Moon Borrower or not, when he returned to Fallen Mountain, would he be able to bear it?
Jiang Shangzhen played dumb, waving his hand magnanimously. "Let's go up the mountain! I know two old quarry pits with very beautiful inkstone materials."
Chen Ping'an extended his hand.
Jiang Shangzhen looked puzzled. "Mountain lord?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Borrow a few portable dimensions from you."
Jiang Shangzhen resigned himself to his fate and began to search his sleeve. But unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "Dongshan, isolate heaven and earth."
Cui Dongshan immediately used his flying sword, Gold Tassel, to draw a golden thunder pond, isolating the area. Chen Ping'an tossed Han Yushu's immortal abandoned body out of his sleeve. Jiang Shangzhen laughed heartily and stored it away in a portable dimension within his sleeve. In the future, when traveling the jianghu, he would have an excellent skin.
Chen Ping'an reminded him, "When you think the time is right, appear in the guise of Han Yushu. And make sure it's inside a cave heaven or blessed land, never in the Haoran world. Over time, the Ten-Thousand Yao Sect's Patriarch Hall and Han Jiangshu will become suspicious. Let me be clear: this matter carries huge risks. I'll owe you a favor. As for this immortal abandoned body and half a fist manual, consider them payment."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled. "I understand."
In the end, Chen Ping'an did not set foot on Inkstone Mountain. Pei Qian and the others came down with their loads full.
Nalan Yudie hopped and skipped down the mountain. At the mountain gate, she deliberately complained, "Sister Pei, why are you so poor? Don't even have a portable dimension on you."
Pei Qian smiled and nodded.
Jiang Shangzhen looked as if he suddenly understood.
Chen Ping'an rubbed his forehead. The little girl had added an unnecessary touch; her jianghu experience was still shallow.
Back at Cloud Basket Peak, Jiang Shangzhen took his leave, going to have someone copy the landscape painting. Cui Dongshan went along for the fun.
Chen Ping'an looked at the even larger mountain of inkstone materials that had been piled up and didn't know what to say. Bai Xuan, seeing that Cui Dongshan had disappeared, immediately put his hands behind his back, swaggered out of the house, and stood beside Chen Ping'an. Diligent sword practice? Little master with this talent, this understanding, did he need it?
Chen Ping'an called Cheng Chaolu over and beckoned to Pei Qian. "Come help him practice fist feeding?"
Pei Qian scratched her head. "Better for Master to do it. I don't know how to teach fist."
Chen Ping'an smiled, called Bai Xuan, and led Cheng Chaolu to an open space. He got straight to the point. "To learn fist, you must learn to listen to the fist."
Bai Xuan hummed and nodded. "Not bad. There's some flavor to it. Master Cao does have some scholarship. Little cook boy, you should listen carefully."
Pei Qian, busy sorting inkstones, turned her head and looked at Bai Xuan.
Bai Xuan noticed Pei Qian's gaze and asked puzzledly, "Sister Pei, what is it?"
Pei Qian smiled faintly.
Bai Xuan, still unaware of the importance of the situation, smiled back at Pei Qian.
Chen Ping'an continued, "Whether one truly enters the martial path depends on whether one has fist intent on the body. What is 'fist intent on the body'? It's not actually illusory. It's just the word 'memory.' Human flesh, blood, bones, tendons, and meridians have memory. To succeed in learning fist, you must first be able to take hits. Otherwise, no matter how many fist stances and techniques you have, they're just paper tigers. So the most feared thing in fist practice is taking hits without remembering them."
Nalan Yudie, forgetting to pick inkstones, quickly took out paper and pen to start copying.
Pei Qian patted the little girl's head.
Chen Ping'an turned to Bai Xuan. "I'll suppress my realm. You just go all out with your flying sword. Don't be afraid of hurting people."
Bai Xuan was about to say that little master was afraid of cutting someone dead with one sword.
But looking at Master Cao's smiling eyes, he immediately swallowed his words.
Chen Ping'an dodged his head slightly, and Bai Xuan's flying sword flashed past.
Bai Xuan's flying sword made a wide arc and thrust toward Chen Ping'an's forehead.
This time, Chen Ping'an didn't move at all.
Bai Xuan frowned. "How did you know I would stop the flying sword? And what if I changed my mind?"
Chen Ping'an extended a finger and gently brushed aside the flying sword in front of him. He pointed at Bai Xuan and then said to Cheng Chaolu, "Listening to the fist: the first level is to determine the direction, force, and trajectory of a punch. The second level is to observe the person—look at the arm, shoulder, frame, intent, eyes, expression, even the thoughts of the one throwing the punch. The third level is to accurately calculate the timing, terrain, and human factors—all must be 'listened' to carefully and accurately."
Little Fatty whispered to Bai Xuan, "Even if you changed your mind, Master Cao would know. But because Master Cao knew you hadn't changed your mind, he didn't move."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "That's right."
Bai Xuan sneered, put his hands behind his back, and walked slowly, imitating Chen Ping'an's words. "Similarly, whether it's martial combat, sparring, or a life-or-death duel, the same applies. For sword dueling too, you can't just stare at the opponent's fists or flying sword. You have to divide your attention. In one-on-one combat, seeking victory is an extremely complex chess game. Judging the opponent's moves, divine abilities, number of Dharma robes, offensive and defensive treasures, realm level, amount of spiritual energy, whether they also practice heretical arts, hidden trump cards, whether they've been used or not—these all need careful consideration. The mind must race faster than the fist or the sword. Ultimately, it's to allow martial artists and sword cultivators to reach a state of foreknowledge."
Cheng Chaolu listened in a daze.
Chen Ping'an reached out and patted Bai Xuan on the head, praising him. "Not bad. You do have understanding. Much better than when I first learned fist."
Bai Xuan waved his hand. "Average level, nothing worth mentioning."
Pei Qian smiled. "It's a pity you don't learn fist."
Bai Xuan grinned and cupped his fists. "I'll have a chance to spar with Sister Pei."
Pei Qian smiled and nodded. "We'll see."
Chen Ping'an didn't stop Bai Xuan from gleefully jumping into a certain account book. He estimated that when Bai Xuan eventually reached Fallen Mountain, he would gradually understand how heroic he was now. Chen Ping'an had Cheng Chaolu walk the stake stance back and forth, pointing out some flaws in the details of the fist frames.
Cheng Chaolu was actually learning fists quickly. Chen Ping'an had Little Fatty continue with the stake stance and went to lie down on the bamboo chair.
Pei Qian sat beside him on a small bamboo chair, seeming to want to say something but holding back.
Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "Something on your mind?"
Pei Qian's eyes were dark and unclear. She lowered her head. "I've seen a replica of the White Jade Capital."
Chen Ping'an asked, puzzled, "And then?"
Pei Qian clenched her fists. "I've heard the master say, 'Don't look too much into others' minds,' so for the minds of those close to me, I've only looked once at most. For the old chef, also only once."
For example, Cui Dongshan's mind was a deep, dark pool with scattered golden books on the bank. For example, the old chef Zhu Lian's bloody storm had only a towering building, with someone standing leaning on the railing.
When Zhu Lian returned to his hometown, he had laughed with Pei Xiang, "Who will tell me if heaven and earth are real?" And he had sighed, "Waking up is a cliff jump."
The noble son Zhu Lian had, as early as his first journey in the jianghu, outside a village inn, glanced at a roadside dog and could never let it go. It was as if in a dream, not knowing he was a guest. Flowing water, fallen petals, spring gone. Heaven above, human world. Bright moon, high tower.
Chen Ping'an knew none of these things. Pei Qian didn't know either. Pei Qian had only seen that replica of the White Jade Capital of the Great Li dynasty, and she could no longer feel at ease.
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, put his hands in his sleeves, his expression calm. He looked up at the sky and said softly, with a smile, "You have to trust the old chef, and I will trust Zhu Lian."
Pei Qian seemed relieved. "I trust my master."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Get ready to go home."