Chapter 772: Brandishing Sword and Ascending

Chapter 772: Brandishing Sword and Ascending

Chen Ping'an found a bustling inn to stay at. They still needed to settle bills with gold and silver. For three people staying three days, the total came to two taels and eight qian of silver. The shop assistant skillfully took out a steelyard balance and used small scissors to cut fragments of silver.

Seeing this object, Chen Ping'an was reminded for no particular reason of that set of tools from the old Yang Family Shop back in the day. Besides being used to cut silver fragments during transactions, they would also specifically weigh certain expensive rare medicinal herbs. So when Chen Ping'an was a child, whenever he saw the shop assistant willing to make a big production of taking out this object to weigh some herb, the kid carrying a large bamboo basket and standing below the tall counter would purse his lips tightly, grip the ropes on both shoulders with all his might, his eyes especially bright, feeling that a whole day's hard work, the wind and sun and rain, none of it mattered anymore.

A flurry of thoughts raced and couldn't be restrained, because this steelyard balance before him was a weighing instrument, which made Chen Ping'an think of the measurement of time and the weights and measures of the current Bright World, and naturally, he remembered those "crossing the river" Qi refiners that Song Jixin had mentioned at the Dawei Shrine. Because on the inn counter, this steelyard balance's pan and ebony rod, along with several small white copper weights, were clearly ordinary worldly items. So after a glance, Chen Ping'an found that like the Item City books, they weren't real objects, so he didn't look or think further.

Pei Qian herself had a complete set of steelyard balances, with two weights inscribed with "Never Lose Money" and "Only Earn Money." So right now, it was like a distant relative, like meeting an old friend in a foreign land—an instinctive closeness. Pei Qian was more attentive than Chen Ping'an, observing carefully. She suddenly said quietly to Chen Ping'an, "Master, this set of balances uses a horn rod, which ordinary families can't afford."

Chen Ping'an said in his mind with a smile, "Most likely, a wealthy family has declined, and this has ended up among common goods. Unfortunately, no matter how precious the material, this object is just an illusion; we can't take it away."

Pei Qian nodded, thought for a moment, then asked, "On the rod, there's a line of small characters: 'Shanyang Dafang, Imperial Treasury Respectfully Made.' Is there any meaning behind this, Master?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head, "Not sure. But since it was made in the imperial treasury, it must be a palace item. Just don't know which specific dynasty."

Pei Qian asked, "Master, after we settle in at the inn, should I make a separate trip to the prefectural records bookshop to look up what 'Shanyang Dafang' is?"

Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh. The breadth of knowledge in the world was truly vast—an endless ocean of learning. But since Pei Qian was willing to explore, Chen Ping'an naturally wouldn't refuse her eagerness to learn. He nodded, "Alright."

They requested two rooms from the inn. Chen Ping'an had one to himself. After sitting down in his room, he opened the cotton cloth bundle and spread it on the table. Pei Qian came over to bid farewell to her master, then left the inn alone, heading to the Item City bookshop to investigate the origin of that strange inscription "Shanyang Dafang." Little Rice Grain ran into the room, placed her beloved green bamboo staff on the table, and stood on a long bench beside Chen Ping'an, accompanying the Good Mountain Master as he examined the treasures they had picked up. The little girl's eyes were covetous, and she asked if she could play with them. Chen Ping'an was flipping through the booklet gifted by the Bearded Man and nodded with a smile. So Little Rice Grain handled them carefully. She wasn't interested in the scroll or the paperweight and eventually began admiring the narcissus basin she had taken a liking to at first sight. She held it up high with both hands, praising it endlessly, and even rubbed her cheek against the slightly cool porcelain basin. Cool, how cool!

Chen Ping'an turned a page of the booklet and said with a smile, "If you like it, it's yours. But I'll tell you in advance, the little basin is fake; you can't take it away. You can only play with it for a few days on the ferry, so don't be sad when the time comes."

This porcelain basin had an extraordinary origin. In the booklet gifted by the Bearded Man, it was hailed as a "Narcissus Cultivation Cave" with the bottom mark "Eight Hundred Water Descendants." It seemed somewhat related to the gilded small water tank, like a "relative," and could be considered a natural water mansion, similar to how Liu Chongrun of Zhucha Island had secretly salvaged water palaces and dragon boats with the help of Zhu Lian and the others back in the day. Unfortunately, the narcissus basin was also a kind of illusory phantom refined by immortal masters.

Little Rice Grain held the narcissus basin, shaking her head vigorously, "I just like looking at it, so I want to get a good long look. Even if the little basin were real, I wouldn't take it. If I brought it to Fallen Mountain, I'd worry every day about thieves stealing it, and that would interfere with my mountain patrols."

Chen Ping'an flipped through the booklet several times. The content wasn't much anyway, and he had nothing else to do.

According to the detailed records in the booklet about these items, not only the narcissus basin, but also the bundle of withered plum branches, the "Shuye"-inscribed ebony paperweight, the oddly shaped flower vase for scooping the moon, and the "Dressing" scroll were all just one link in a chain of opportunities, serving as a bridge connecting the other two matters. This itinerant peddler Zhang San with the thick beard actually only had one genuine item: the ancient "Yunmeng Changsong" bow, which Chen Ping'an had already obtained. However, its current grade was still difficult to determine, and Chen Ping'an felt that this bow was a bit hot to handle.

As for the gilded small water tank that served as a palace "door sea," the Green Ox Daoist had somehow, without breaking the rules, transferred it to the talkative Shao Baojuan. Then, for a tangible opportunity in Drooping Bow City, where emperors and monarchs gathered, Shao Baojuan could request a "seal of approval" in a certain sense, allowing the water tank to transform from illusion to reality. The depth of the water in the tank would depend on Shao Baojuan's ability to "utter imperial edicts" when petitioning some emperor in Drooping Bow City. The booklet stated that this item could complement the "Dragon King's Creel," which suppressed all flood dragons under heaven, while the Door Sea could use dragon qi as bait to nurture aquatic creatures under heaven. Raised in the water tank, this was what mountain folk called "half-dragon walking"—catching one and raising one, a seamless fit.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "When we get to the Mute Lake in Northern Juju Continent later, we can stay there for a few extra days. Are you happy or not?"

Little Rice Grain was grinning from ear to ear but said, "So-so. Happiness is the size of a bowl."

She placed the narcissus basin on the table, leaned on it, and added, "When I'm back at Fallen Mountain, it'll be the size of a table."

Chen Ping'an teased, "My Senior Brother Zuo doesn't have the best temper, especially with strangers. It's hard to talk to him. Even with me, his junior brother, Senior Brother Zuo has never cracked a smile. So he really thought highly of you, Little Rice Grain."

Little Rice Grain rested her chin on her arms and asked softly, "Good Mountain Master, do you miss the Mountain Master's wife?"

Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh and nodded, "Of course I miss her."

Little Rice Grain's eyes curved into crescents, and she said, "I don't think so."

Chen Ping'an put down the booklet, picked up the ebony paperweight, and played with it, as if joking, "You have to make yourself not miss her so much, so that you can miss her less. What do you think—does that count as missing her or not?"

Little Rice Grain frowned and took the easy way out, "Whatever the Mountain Master says."

Chen Ping'an had finished reading the booklet. In fact, he had now inherited the Bearded Man's itinerant peddler's stock and could set up a stall on the ferry to receive customers.

He stood up, put down the ebony paperweight, took out a Lamp-Lighting Talisman, suspended it in the air, and let it burn slowly. Then he walked to the window. Earlier, in the book he had handed out, there had been a talisman tucked inside. The Bearded Man had been fully aware when he took the book but had helped cover it up without removing and returning the talisman to Chen Ping'an. This meant that Chen Ping'an's action hadn't violated the rules of the Night Boat. After the Bearded Man rode his donkey out of the city, the talisman in the book vanished without a trace, like a clay ox entering the sea.

Without hitting a wall, you wouldn't know where the boundaries of the rules lay.

This time, after boarding the Night Boat, Chen Ping'an again followed local customs, mostly adhering to the rules. But some subtle matters still needed to be tested. In fact, it was a lot like fishing—you needed to chum the water to attract the fish, and you also needed to know the depth first. Fishing for big game had its own knowledge; fishing for small fry had its own tricks. Initially, Chen Ping'an's goal was simple: within a month, rescue all the cultivators on the Northern Juju Continent ferry and leave the Night Boat together to return to the Bright World. But here in Item City, first Shao Baojuan set traps repeatedly, then Li Shilang received him with a cold face. Chen Ping'an really didn't believe it was impossible. So let's arm-wrestle and see.

Chen Ping'an counted silently in his heart. When he turned around, a Lamp-Lighting Talisman had just burned out, exactly as it had when he first entered the city, with no deviation whatsoever.

Earlier, on the path in the cave-like Bird Lift Mountain belonging to the Daoist Feng Jun, their paths had crossed. Probably because Chen Ping'an had always shown great respect to the elder, he had accumulated some intangible luck. After some back and forth, they didn't end up sparring with swordsmanship or Dao techniques. After a cordial conversation focused on harmony and prosperity, Chen Ping'an instead used a hastily drawn True Form Diagram of the Five Sacred Mountains to make a deal with the Green Ox Daoist. The diagram Chen Ping'an drew was extremely ancient in form and style, quite different from all later versions of the Five Sacred Mountains Diagram in the Bright World. The original Five Sacred Mountains Diagram had first been obtained by Saint Zhong in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, then put in the care of Cao Qinglang, and later placed in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land on Fallen Mountain. Chen Ping'an was, of course, no stranger to it.

Feng Jun finally got what he wanted and was greatly relieved. The gaunt old Daoist was even more impressed by Chen Ping'an, this young man who seemed like a lucky star visiting his home. As a trade, and after learning that Feng Jun was only traveling to another city, Chen Ping'an asked the old Daoist to take his longsword "Night Travel" to another city. Not only that, but the old Daoist, in high spirits, actively offered to make a few extra small deals with Chen Ping'an. They each asked and answered questions, and Feng Jun told Chen Ping'an several secrets about the ferry, but only what was permissible to say—like the way off the ship, the method of changing cities, how Shao Baojuan had become a city lord, and what privileges a city lord had. The old immortal just smiled and kept silent about those.

Chen Ping'an had always been able to sense the longsword "Night Travel," which was no longer by his side. It was like seeing a single flickering lamp in the distant night from afar—a clear sight for the traveler Chen Ping'an.

If Chen Ping'an went all out and used the sword to cleave the ferry's heaven and earth, with the two resonating from afar, he was confident that he could let Pei Qian and Little Rice Grain leave the ferry first while also going to the city where Feng Jun was, staying on this Night Boat to keep exploring. Then he could have Pei Qian return to the Pima Sect ferry and directly send flying sword messages to Taihui Sword Sect and Prostrate Peak. In Northern Juju Continent, Chen Ping'an actually knew quite a few friends and respected many elders.

Little Rice Grain stood on the long bench, remembering something that made her extremely happy. She covered her mouth with both little hands and laughed, "Good Mountain Master, we're traveling the jianghu together again! This time, let's go visit those mountain immortals in that celestial mansion again. Don't let yourself get kicked out again for not being able to recite poetry!"

Chen Ping'an said with a serious face, "How could that be? I've improved greatly in poetry over the years. I'm not afraid of anyone. Little Rice Grain, I'm not bragging to you. Back on the Sword Qi Great Wall, I met an old cultivator who considered himself a scholar. He was even at the Fourteen Realm level. He went by the alias Lu Fayen or something. Anyway, he admired my poetry reputation so much that he came to the city wall to find me on his own, saying my poems were rhythmic and had astonishing tonal patterns. He was full of admiration and willingly admitted defeat. So whenever he saw me, he'd get anxious."

Little Rice Grain was startled and amazed, hurriedly clapping her hands, beaming, "Amazing! Amazing!"

Alas, it was a pity that her eighteen martial arts had no place to be used. Because on this trip to her hometown at Mute Lake, Little Rice Grain had secretly asked Old Chef for quite a few poems and had written them all in a book. Old Chef was truly meticulous! At the time, he had asked her if these poems were really composed by Little Rice Grain herself. Little Rice Grain was dazed and confused. What kind of question was that? How would she know? Zhu Lian had told her to copy them onto slips of paper herself, otherwise, the ruse would be exposed. Little Rice Grain had a sudden epiphany. While she copied the poems one by one by lamplight, Old Chef sat nearby cracking melon seeds and patiently answering Little Rice Grain's questions about how certain characters in the poems were pronounced and what they meant.

Little Rice Grain had asked Old Chef if these were all copied directly from books. Old Chef said no, he had thought them up on the spot—improvised works, the trivial offshoots of scholarship. At that time, Little Rice Grain had gotten anxious and said not to embarrass her and Good Mountain Master. Old Chef said no, no, and added that back in his hometown, many people said his poems were like fishing the bright moon out of water, like breaking willow branches at a ferry crossing, like scooping them up from a wine jar—so they did have some weight. His carefree improvisations were the very immortal words that many famous poets spent their whole lives striving for but could never achieve.

Little Rice Grain was dubious but ended up believing Old Chef.

That night, by the lamplight on the table, the little girl copied the words while swinging her legs, and Old Chef cracked melon seeds while rambling on.

That was why Fallen Mountain was so beloved by Zhou Mi Li. Even though Good Mountain Master was often away, there were still Pei Qian and Old Chef, Warm Tree Sister, Jing Qing, Jing Qing...

For this Cave Abode Realm Right Protector of Fallen Mountain, the Sword Qi Great Wall was also a very good place. In Zhou Mi Li's heart, it was the third-best place in the world, just after Fallen Mountain and Mute Lake!

One was a hometown with countless friends, one was a hometown where the jianghu was small and not too big, and one was the place where she, the Great Water Monster of Mute Lake, had inadvertently made a name for herself across two worlds.

Chen Ping'an gestured with his hand to Little Rice Grain, who was standing on the bench, motioning for her to sit down. "When we're out and about, traveling the jianghu, we need to be steady and reserved."

Little Rice Grain plopped down on the long bench, leaned on the table again, looked a bit troubled, furrowed her faint brows, and said quietly, "Good Mountain Master, I feel like I can't help with anything. Outside Fallen Mountain..."

Here, the little girl in black scratched her head and refused to go on, feeling a bit embarrassed. Some people said she was just a puny little Cave Abode Realm, a little goblin of unknown origin who had become a Mountain-Protecting Overseer of Fallen Mountain—a huge joke. For quite a few years, she had been quite sad, because those gossipy remarks were nothing but the truth. She was just afraid of making Warm Tree Sister and the others worry, so she pretended everything was fine.

Chen Ping'an smiled and reached out to rub Little Rice Grain's head. He guessed the general idea and asked tentatively, "Did some outsiders laugh at you for not having a high enough realm and gossip behind your back?"

After returning to Fallen Mountain, no one had actually told Chen Ping'an about this. Such a big thing, and no one said a word. He would have to keep a mental note of this, from Cui Dongshan to Pei Qian to Old Chef, and Chen Lingjun too. Not one of them would escape. Only Little Warm Tree would be let off.

Little Rice Grain hummed in acknowledgment and said cautiously, "Good Mountain Master, it's not that I'm afraid of taking on the burden. I carry the golden carrying pole on my patrols every day precisely to secretly remind myself that my duties are heavy. But this is such a big official position. Maybe we should pass it to someone else. I think Jing Qing would be perfect. He likes being an official. Let him be this Mountain-Protecting Overseer. I think it would suit him. It would sound better too—Jing Qing is at the Nascent Soul Realm."

Chen Ping'an laughed and said, "Let him be the Mountain-Protecting Overseer of Fallen Mountain? Our Elder Chen would never dare to have such an idea, even if he had the nerve. And Ling Jun wouldn't want to compete with you for this official title either."

Even if Chen Lingjun dared to be the Sect Master of the Lower Sect, in the Ancestral Hall meetings, facing a bunch of family members who could either kill him with one sword or beat him to death with a few punches, he could still put on a show of "if not me, then who." But he absolutely wouldn't dare to be the Mountain-Protecting Overseer. Chen Lingjun had one good quality: he valued jianghu loyalty above all. If something was no one's, he would fight for anything—like the position of Lower Sect Master—and he was also willing to give anything away. Back when Fallen Mountain was most short of money, Chen Lingjun had found ways to dig into his own savings. According to Zhu Lian, in those years, Elder Chen was truly strapped for cash, poor as a church mouse, to the point that he couldn't hold his head high in front of Mountain Lord Wei. But he would never take what already belonged to someone else. Forget about Little Rice Grain's position as Mountain-Protecting Overseer—even the smallest benefits and advantages on Fallen Mountain, trivial as sesame seeds or beans, Chen Lingjun wouldn't touch. In short, Chen Lingjun was an old jianghu wanderer who would rather suffer than lose face.

Perhaps even Chen Lingjun himself didn't know that he was held in very high regard both by Mountain Lord Wei Bole, who had an endless ledger of his debts, and by Confucian Scholar Zhong Qiu, with whom he had little interaction.

And deep in Chen Ping'an's heart, the left protector's seat on Fallen Mountain, which had always been empty, had long been prepared for Chen Lingjun. In a secret letter he had sent to Cao Qinglang back then, he had mentioned this matter, saying that he would only finalize the appointment after this fellow successfully completed his "river-walking" endeavor, if Fallen Mountain confirmed that Chen Ping'an couldn't return home. But later, when Chen Ping'an returned to the Bright World and arrived at Fallen Mountain, he saw that Chen Lingjun was indeed walking a bit too arrogantly, so he deliberately didn't bring it up. After all, good things are worth the wait. Let this "friend-making everywhere" Elder Chen stew for a few more days.

Chen Ping'an comforted her, "On Fallen Mountain, who has the highest rank? Who has the final say?"

Little Rice Grain grinned, "Of course it's Good Mountain Master!"

Chen Ping'an smiled faintly, "On Fallen Mountain, rank doesn't depend on realm level. It depends on... reputation! So you tell me, who else could be the Mountain-Protecting Overseer and win everyone's approval?"

Little Rice Grain's face lit up, but she deliberately sighed heavily, crossed her arms, and lifted her little head high, "This is a bit worrying. Not being an official just won't do."

Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile, "Exactly."

Pei Qian returned to the inn and knocked before entering.

Chen Ping'an happened to be casually asking Little Rice Grain why she wanted to go to Red Candle Town together. Logically speaking, Red Candle Town was very close to Fallen Mountain. The town's bookshop owner, the Chongdan River Water God Li Jin, had quite a bit of friendly connection with Fallen Mountain. Chess Pier Mountain was the "place of rise" for Northern Sacred Mountain Lord Wei Bole. And the Embroidery River Water God, through the connection with the Bridal Ghost, was not a stranger to either the Gu family of Mud Vase Alley or Chen Ping'an. So there shouldn't be any surprises. Add to that the Iron Talisman River Water God Yang Hua, who had a rather complicated relationship with Chen Ping'an—including debts and grudges—and the fact that the Incense Fire Little Man who regularly checked in at Fallen Mountain came from the Prefectural City God's Pavilion. So, within the entire realm of Dragon Prefecture, only one river, the Jade Liquid River, remained. All other mountain and river powers had extremely intricate connections with Fallen Mountain.

Pei Qian immediately looked embarrassed. Chen Ping'an, who hadn't thought much of it before, now started to think more. He glanced at his senior disciple. Pei Qian's eyes darted around, just like when she was little and had gotten into trouble and been caught by Chen Ping'an.

Little Rice Grain quickly put on a confused expression and played dumb, "Why exactly do we need to go to Red Candle Town together? Is there another reason? Hmm, this is a little question, the size of a melon seed. Haha, I already gave an answer earlier, didn't I? Good Mountain Master has a bad memory. Actually, it's just that I don't have much money in my pocket and can't afford melon seeds..."

At this point, the little girl really couldn't make up anything more. She had to look at Pei Qian with a pitiful expression.

Pei Qian had no choice but to use sound condensation into a line and tell her master all about the Jade Liquid River incident: Chen Lingjun's offering of the Dragon King's Creel, Old Chef's fist-fight with the Water God, and later the Little Senior Brother's visit to the Water Mansion. Of course, that Water God had indeed come to apologize in person afterward. But she couldn't help herself and also mentioned Little Rice Grain wandering alone on the mountain, how Little Rice Grain was truly carefree and simple-minded, grabbing handfuls of green leaves to stuff in her mouth while walking on the mountain path, looking around to make sure no one was watching before taking big bites and chewing the leaves—probably to disperse bruises. From beginning to end, Pei Qian neither deliberately concealed nor exaggerated anything. She just reported the facts.

After hearing this, Chen Ping'an nodded and said only three words, "Noted."

He pretended he hadn't heard Pei Qian's explanation and just rubbed Little Rice Grain's head, saying with a smile, "When we go back to our hometown later, we'll visit Red Candle Town together. While we're at it, we'll drop by some shrines and water mansions too."

Little Rice Grain beamed and continued playing with the narcissus basin.

Pei Qian took out several books, each with folded page corners, and said seriously, "Master, I found the origin. It's Liu Cheng'ai, a native of Shanyang, styled Dafang. There are many records in the official histories and prefectural gazetteers. This person appears under many entries—Famous Officials, Literary Garden, Water Conservancy, and others—but none of the entries are very long. According to the books, regarding the matter of the steelyard balance, it seems this person was the first to refine money down to the li level, making this worldly measuring instrument more precise."

Chen Ping'an started flipping through the books. Since Pei Qian had already folded the pages, he found the information quickly. It seemed this ancient worthy, along with Zhu Lian and the Great Spring Forbidden City's Third Prince Liu Mao of the Yellow Flower Temple, could be considered kindred spirits—experts in various calculations and regulations.

When Chen Ping'an came across the entry for temples and observatories, he found that this person had once been ordered to oversee the construction of the Yuqing Zhaoying Palace, serving as Deputy Commissioner. Additionally, when the emperor performed the Fen Yin ritual, he sent Liu Cheng'ai to supervise the transport of supplies, and this person had once opened a water route.

Chen Ping'an understood in his heart. He instantly realized why he had seen the steelyard balance at the inn and why he had almost missed the opportunity related to it. Chen Ping'an's Great Way was close to water, and the several books on mathematical calculations in his Storage Item might have been one of the threads. But today, giving away that Daoist book in Item City was likely the root cause of why he had seen this connection without recognizing it, why he hadn't even looked twice. If Pei Qian hadn't insisted on going to look up the books, Chen Ping'an definitely wouldn't have paid attention to that steelyard balance and wouldn't have seen the inscription on the rod.

And the fact that Pei Qian had her own complete set of steelyard balances was another cause and effect of hers, another opportunity. That was why she had seen the inscription.

That Yunmeng Changsong small bow was indeed hot to handle. Could it be said that many causal threads that were intangible and seemingly inconsequential in the Bright World would be greatly magnified on the Night Boat? For example, the Green Ox Daoist, Zhao Yao riding the green ox cart out of Lizhu Cave Heaven, the old abbot of the Guandao Temple in the East Sea, and the ancient True Form Diagram of the Five Sacred Mountains in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. The Bearded Man, the lame donkey whose jianghu stories Pei Qian had read in historical romances—Pei Qian had yearned for a donkey of her own when she was little, to travel the jianghu together. The Fifth Pine of the Weapon Shop, the tip of Bai Ye's immortal sword Taibai, the sword Night Travel...

Pei Qian watched her master, who was lost in thought, and asked softly, "Trouble?"

Chen Ping'an snapped out of it, shook his head, and smiled, "Quite the opposite. It's solved a considerable doubt in my mind. I'm beginning to get an inkling of how this ferry operates."

Originally, the tangled mess of Item City had obscured a certain hypothesis Chen Ping'an had earlier.

Now he was increasingly certain that the key to this Night Boat ultimately lay in those scholars debating loudly in the night, especially that monk traveling on the same boat, stretching his legs.

And the boatman, whom no one would think too much about!

Chen Ping'an reopened the booklet the Bearded Man had given him and slowly began to ponder.

The Night Boat had a total of twelve cities, including the Upper Four Cities, which should mean there were also the Middle Four Cities and the Lower Four Cities.

Item City had City Lord Li Shilang and a Deputy City Lord. The other cities were probably similar, with main and deputy positions.

Drooping Bow City, with its countless emperors, had a summer resort on the northern side of Mount Li, which hid the next opportunity connected to that scroll. Chicken and Dog City, where "Smoke Pine Inspector" Dragon Guest resided, held the clues to the opportunity of the "Guangling Zhixi Score."

In the famous masters' shop, the young shopkeeper who had once had a "Hao Liang Debate" with the Third Sect Leader of the Jade Capital, Lu Chen, had even suggested using a Hao Liang Sword-Nurturing Gourd to help Chen Ping'an open a new city. This meant that the number of cities on the ferry might not be fixed. The possibility of a one-for-one trade was too small, as it would go against the Night Boat's fundamental purpose of collecting all knowledge under heaven. Adding to this Shao Baojuan's fragmentary remarks, especially the karmic connection with the shoulder-pole-carrying monk and the old woman selling cakes, which revealed some of the heavenly and earthly principles and Daoist rules, most of the living immortals on the ferry seemed to act in cycles, their words and movements repeating. Only a very small number of the ferry's local residents, like Feng Jun of this Item City, the Bearded Man, and Fifth Pine of the Weapon Shop, were exceptions.

But if that were the case, this small group of people seemed even more trapped in a cage of landscapes and written words. Year after year, century after century, it was like continuously reading the same book, only occasionally having a few words added or deleted when outsiders boarded the ship. For these old immortals and elders who had lived for ages, wasn't that even more frustrating?

Chen Ping'an took out a piece of white paper from his Storage Item and wrote down all the people he had seen, the places he knew, key terms, and the origins and directions of all the opportunity clues.

Earlier, when Pei Qian first entered the city, she had seen three extraordinary figures: a palace maid hanging up lanterns, a silk-fan woman in a small mansion on a hill, and a boy with deer antlers and silver eyes standing on a corridor bridge between colorful towers. These were likely important figures from cities other than Item City. They were either deputy city lords or close attendants to city lords, like Dragon Guest and Qin Zidu.

Pei Qian watched as her master filled a white sheet of paper with dense writing. Then her master put his hands in his sleeves and stared at the paper, deep in thought.

Pei Qian said softly, "Master, that Mountain Sale Certificate that Li Shilang gave you."

This was a question, but not really a question.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "It means we already have a foothold in Item City, like that Gui Vein house on Osmanthus Island. Since the mountain sale certificate was modified into a mountain purchase certificate, it's equivalent to an officially verified land deed from the worldly government. But I don't plan to live there. If the opportunity arises, I'll probably sell it back to Li Shilang. Otherwise, forcibly carving out a mountain territory on his turf, swaggering around—it would be hard for the City Lord to ignore, even if he wanted to. It would ultimately harm our cordial relations."

Pei Qian frowned, sensing something amiss. She quickly took out the green paper mountain purchase certificate from her sleeve and found three characters, "Qie Ting Ting," had appeared on the back. At the same time, a voice rang out in the room: "If Sword Immortal Chen doesn't go buy that steelyard balance soon, it will be too late again."

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "City Lord Li, look but don't see, listen but don't hear—isn't that right?"

Li Shilang laughed and replied, "Is knowledge under heaven something that cannot be seen? Is it a good thing for everyone to hoard their own knowledge? As for listening without hearing, that's not the case. You and I both know the truth. No need for these cryptic exchanges. You deliberately mentioned me first, and I'm just helping you verify this matter. For the next three days, take care of yourself."

Pei Qian looked at Chen Ping'an, wanting to ask if this Item City City Lord's words could be trusted. After all, Li Shilang, seemingly without reason, had shown little favor toward her master from the start. On the other hand, the city where Dragon Guest was seemed to know about her master's Hidden Official identity and had even made a special trip to Item City to request a complete set of seal impressions.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "It's better to believe in books than to have no books at all."

Pei Qian asked, "Master, what about the steelyard balance?"

In fact, Pei Qian didn't understand why Li Shilang had only mentioned this matter. If her master said this object was illusory, what was the point of gaining or losing it? But it didn't make sense for an Item City City Lord to deliberately try to swindle them out of their money—that would be too boring and low-class.

Chen Ping'an explained, "The value of the steelyard balance isn't in the physical object itself. It's in the meticulously engraved scales created by Liu Cheng'ai and the various weights. To someone who knows their worth, they can become very valuable. Even if I can't take the balance with me, I can help you accurately trace the scale intervals according to the original specifications and restore the slightly worn large and small weights. That's why Li Shilang gave that reminder."

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then said seriously to Pei Qian, "But this is your opportunity to make money. Whether you seize it or not is entirely up to you."

Pei Qian said without hesitation, "I'll pass. I can't be bothered to make another trip."

Zhou Mi Li immediately said, "Pei Qian, Pei Qian! I still have plenty of gold ingots and silver nuggets in my pouch! Lines of heroes and good men are just waiting for my command to go out and show their skills! Don't tell me you're worried we don't have enough money!"

Pei Qian pinched Little Rice Grain's cheek and said, "That's not the issue."

Chen Ping'an told Pei Qian to stay in the room. He walked out alone. At the inn counter, he saw a group of people.

He was somewhat surprised, because like himself, they were clearly outsiders who had just boarded the ship not long ago.

There was a young Confucian scholar with a book chest on his back. His face looked like that of a young man in his early twenties, with a calm expression. He wore a gentleman's jade pendant from an academy at his waist.

Chen Ping'an was no stranger to this. Zhong Kui and the gentleman Wang Zai of the Sword Qi Great Wall both had them. The style was the same, but the seal script varied.

That Confucian scholar was negotiating with the shop assistant about buying the steelyard balance.

There was also a young Daoist with a peachwood sword on his back, accompanied by a young monk carrying a Buddhist shrine covered in cloth—a personal Buddha statue.

The young Daoist was particularly handsome and dashing. He was whispering to his companion, the young monk, with a smile, "I've heard there's a city on this ferry where a guy claims to be the reincarnation of some Buddha. That's definitely a heretical false view, no doubt about it. Should we ditch the bookworm and go slay some demons and devils?"

The young monk remained silent.

When the three saw Chen Ping'an, none of them showed any surprise.

Chen Ping'an's attention, however, was more focused on an old man with a sword standing not far away on the street outside the inn. He was undoubtedly a sword immortal, possibly even at the Immortal Realm.

The young Daoist with the peachwood sword, however, had already slipped his hand into his sleeve, counting on his fingers. He immediately shuddered, as if his fingers had touched a hot coal. With a wry smile, he took the initiative to bow and apologize to Chen Ping'an, "This is my rudeness. My apologies for any offense. It's just that this place is too strange. Everyone seems suspicious. I've been on edge the whole way, making it hard to walk."

It was indeed strange. Although their identities were special and their duties necessitated unimpeded access on this ferry, changing cities still required solving puzzles and passing through layers of barriers. There were no shortcuts. Fortunately, Yuan Pang seemed to know everything, allowing them to advance like splitting bamboo, following the increasingly clear thread all the way to this Item City, which was the hardest for outsiders to enter.

Otherwise, this noble figure in yellow and purple from the Celestial Master Mansion of Mount Longhu felt that if he had traveled this ferry alone, even with a life-preserving talisman, it would take at least seventy or eighty years to leave. He would be stuck here, wandering in endless circles, at most visiting scenic spots. Those few cities were each as vast as a dynasty's territory. On the journey, someone carried a lantern inscribed with the four characters "Three Officials Great Emperor," red and black alternating, hanging it at the door to ward off calamities. Someone used a small stool to insert incense and offer candles, prostrating themselves with each step, devoutly offering incense all the way to the mountain peak.

There was a long-faced wine seller who, when drunk, would go berserk at the tavern's accountant, threatening to exterminate his entire clan.

There was a madman named Bu Zhun who clutched a large bundle of charred bamboo slips and asked everyone he met if they could restore the text, promising a generous reward.

There were couriers departing from the capital, whipping their horses, pasting imperial edicts on the snow-white walls of post stations and roadside pavilions, intertwining with poems left by traveling scholars and officials. There were sedan chair bearers sweating profusely during the day, gambling late into the night, tirelessly staying up all night, causing the official studying by lamplight in a neighboring house to shake his head in dismay. Especially in Penetration City, which came before Item City, the young Daoist had witnessed, on a cliff by a river with rolling yellow sands, a large group of high-ranking officials from pristine backgrounds being thrown like dumplings into the raging river by armored warriors, while a scholar stood in the distance, smiling with satisfaction.

Chen Ping'an nodded in acknowledgment and said with a smile, "No harm done. Just watching the fun, not joining in."

"Magnanimous!"

This young Celestial Master from Mount Longhu praised the man in blue, then lightly elbowed the young monk's shoulder and said, "You two would get along. Say something."

The young monk continued his practice of the silent meditation, but he took an extra look at Chen Ping'an. The young monk pressed his palms together, and Chen Ping'an returned the gesture.

That Confucian scholar spent a few taels of silver and bought the steelyard balance from the inn. The young Daoist asked, "How is it?"

The Confucian scholar shook his head, "Not much to it. Barely worth having."

The three of them walked out of the inn. On the street, the old sword immortal silently followed the three young people as they headed toward the city gate. But this time, unlike the monk with the shoulder pole or the Bearded Man on the donkey, they were escorted by a patrol of riders.

Chen Ping'an stood at the inn door with his hands in his sleeves, just as he had said—just watching the excitement. He watched the four of them from afar, clearly leaving this Night Boat directly.

Inside Item City, outside a small pavilion, Li Shilang looked at the plaque inscribed "Qie Ting Ting" and sighed. There were over a dozen maidservants around him, but Qin Zidu was just one of them.

Apart from them, there was only a white-haired old scholar in blue robes. He asked with a smile, "City Lord, since you're so pained by this, and that young sword immortal said he's willing to sell, why don't you just buy it? If you're not good at these business matters, who is? What's this—for the first time ever, you're too embarrassed to make money? That doesn't seem like your usual style."

Li Shilang said, "That young man reeks of pedantic rigidity, full of rules and regulations. He's unpleasant to deal with, and doing business with him is truly annoying. That later Confucian scholar was much better."

The white-haired scholar laughed heartily, "Don't give me that nonsense. It's clearly that the young sword immortal is too shrewd in business, causing some kind of conflict on the Great Way with you, making you worried and pained. If you're not careful, who knows if this Item City City Lord's position might fall into someone else's hands? Otherwise, why would Shilang be so flustered as to rush out an expulsion order? Letting a young junior look down on your magnanimity—how does that feel? Pinching your nose and handing over the mountain sale certificate, only to be met with cold sarcasm—does that feel good?"

When it came to making money by selling writing, if you ignored the amount of money earned and only considered the style of conduct, the person beside him, this Li Shilang, was truly one of a kind in the world.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have uttered that earth-shattering statement: "I plow and they eat—how can I bear it? I swear to fight to the death!"

Li Shilang said angrily, "From your tone, it sounds like you really want Item City to have a new City Lord?"

The white-haired scholar said, "I just want to step down and stop being this damned deputy city lord. I'll follow Zhang San's example—leave and be done with it."

In the unseen realm, this Item City main and deputy city lords, possibly along with Scholar Du and a few others, all believed that the Bearded Man had already known that the moment of leaving the city would be the moment his last spark of spiritual light would dissipate.

The great-bearded wanderer with a longsword at his waist, riding a lame donkey and drinking fine wine, had departed, silently bidding farewell to this heaven and earth. His demeanor was heroic and admirable, without any regret.

But on the ferry, there were far more people trying every possible method to eke out an existence, living from day to day. For example, Li Shilang never hid the fact that he thoroughly enjoyed his time on the ferry.

So Li Shilang didn't speak at this moment. This old friend was different from him. His old friend was merely using fine wine and women to escape the ritual teachings in his heart. And serving as deputy city lord came with more restrictions than being an itinerant peddler like the Bearded Man, making it harder to leave the city.

Within Item City, there were countless books.

Astronomy, geography, the three teachings and nine schools, the hundred schools of thought. Human relations, military affairs, politics, alchemists, techniques, laws, regulations, and rituals. Ghosts, monsters, divine beings, rare treasures, plants, and flowers.

From the Night Boat's earliest collection of just over four thousand entries, it had evolved into over four million entries today.

Li Shilang suddenly said, "If you really don't want to be this deputy city lord anymore, that young woman beside him might be an opportunity. Perhaps your only chance."

The white-haired old scholar shook his head and laughed, "A taboo at the wine table is to force someone to drink. That would spoil the fun."

Li Shilang said indignantly, "A young man so lacking in romantic sensibility is unlikely to find a fairy couple! No wonder they're separated by heaven and earth! He deserves it!"

The old scholar laughed, "The travel notes about mountains and waters with Chen Ping'an aren't exactly lacking in romantic scenes under the moonlight."

Li Shilang said, "If that were true, then it would be fine. If the person written about in the book had such a temperament, I would gladly give him another Mountain Sale Certificate! Forget a single Qie Ting Ting—I'd give him the Mustard Seed Garden without hesitation."

The old scholar undercut him, "The mountain certificate earlier wasn't a gift from Shilang. He earned it through his own ability. Friendship is friendship, but the truth is the truth."

Li Shilang had no choice but to look at the small pavilion and sigh, "What a pity for this pavilion's breeze and moonlight."

In Chicken and Dog City, by a great river, a tall-hatted man strolled slowly. Not far from the bank stood an academy, and by the river was an erected stone tablet inscribed with "Ferry Crossing." In the surging river, there was a pillar-like rock in the center of the water, with a monkey cage placed on top of it.

Dragon Guest asked softly, "City Lord, back then, that white-robed monk traveled the ferry and left only this object behind, saying he was waiting for a destined person. Could it be that Chen Ping'an? A sword immortal who is also a scholar—that doesn't seem to fit."

The tall-hatted man smiled and said, "It cannot be said. If said, it is not right."

Dragon Guest glanced at a male attendant following them from a distance and asked cautiously, "Could it be that he wants to challenge with a sword?"

The tall-hatted man said, "We'll see."

In White Eye City, also known as Useless City, in a rural area, Feng Jun, who had left Item City, rode his ox. A longsword was hung on the ox's horn. The old Daoist sang as he rode, hugging a watermelon he had apparently picked up from somewhere. He sang about how the Green Ox Daoist could prolong a dying life, and the White Deer True Person could bring withered bones back to life... He was then pelted with mud clumps by a group of mischievous country kids, who chased after him, telling this shameless thief to leave the watermelon behind. It was a noisy scene with dust flying everywhere. The old Daoist swayed on the ox's back, stroking his beard and laughing. What could he do? Having received a favor, he had to do the job. Suffering a little hardship was nothing.

In this White Eye City, under the night sky of the city proper, a scholar stood at a bustling bridge. In the sky, there was only a single star shining like the moon.

The scholar sighed softly, wondering when and who would be able to break the useless situation of White Eye City.

Inside the Item City inn, the three sat at the table. Pei Qian was copying books, and Little Rice Grain was cracking melon seeds with Good Mountain Master.

Chen Ping'an tapped the table lightly with his folded fingers and suddenly said, "Earlier, that girl, Qin something, hmm?"

Pei Qian finished writing a sentence, put down her brush, looked up, and blinked, "I don't know her name. I might not have seen her. Anyway, I can't remember clearly."

Chen Ping'an nodded.

But Little Rice Grain said, "She's called Bi Yu. I know! And there were those two books too. I remember those. Wait, let me think. Don't rush!"

Little Rice Grain stopped cracking melon seeds, crossed her arms, furrowed her brow, and began to seriously think about the titles of those two books.

Chen Ping'an shot a look at Pei Qian. Pei Qian immediately smiled at Little Rice Grain and said, "What's the point of remembering that? There's no such thing."

Little Rice Grain looked bewildered.

Pei Qian picked up her brush and made a horizontal wiping motion.

Little Rice Grain looked at Pei Qian, then at Good Mountain Master, sighed, and said, "Alright, alright. I can't remember anymore."

Pei Qian continued copying her book, and Little Rice Grain went back to cracking melon seeds.

Only Chen Ping'an walked to the window, looked up at the night sky, and turned his back to them, his thoughts unknown.

Little Rice Grain was about to speak, but Pei Qian looked up, continuing to copy without stopping, signaling with her eyes for Little Rice Grain to stay quiet.

Little Rice Grain had no choice but to continue cracking melon seeds.

The Night Boat had twelve cities.

How could they compare to that Ascension City?

Chen Ping'an suddenly looked up and murmured, "Could this be a dream?"

In the Bright World, the sky was cleaved open by a single sword strike. Someone had ascended from another world, sword in hand, to this place.

That Ascension Realm sword cultivator, following the pull of that sword tip's radiance, that woman with an unstoppable momentum, flew straight on her sword to the vast sea between Northern Juju Continent and Bottle Gourd Continent. With a casual swing of her sword, she cut through the restrictions.

In an instant, she landed on the territory of White Eye City.

All the twelve city lords of the Night Boat, including the Item City lord, sensed this shocking anomaly. But without exception, none of them went to provoke that furious woman.

The Green Ox Daoist was the most pitiful, because he was the closest to that female sword immortal. The gaunt, short old Daoist stood dumbfounded, staring at the young woman before him. An Ascension Realm sword immortal?!

The old Daoist squeezed out a smile, trying to appear calm, and asked, "Who are you?"

The woman reached out, grabbed the longsword Night Travel hanging from the ox's horn, held it in her hand, squinted at Feng Jun, and asked, "Where is Chen Ping'an?!"