Chapter 800: Tying the Red Thread
Feng Xuedao asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
For a great cultivator at the Flying Ascension stage of the Bright World to ascend to another world required numerous strict protocols. First, permission was needed from the Literary Academy, and then a Confucian sage stationed at the Celestial Canopy had to help open the door. Otherwise, it was very easy to get lost and accidentally end up in all sorts of strange outer-realm secret realms, making it extremely difficult to find one's way back. Moreover, during the process of ascending and traveling far away, cultivators faced great danger, having to deal with that River of Time manifesting from the Grand Dao, brilliant with the colors of seven rainbows. One wrong move could wear down one's cultivation base considerably and shorten one's lifespan. So this time, because he was "joining hands" with that A Liang to travel far to the Sword Qi Great Wall, and because A Liang was clearing the way, Feng Xuedao traveled very easily. As for why A Liang didn't go through the gate at the Inverted Mountain ruins to reach this Untamed World, Feng Xuedao couldn't be bothered to ask. He just took it as this bastard showing off his superb swordsmanship.
A Liang said, "You're still not quite the same as that Green Palace Grand Guardian."
Feng Xuedao sneered, "Not the same? Not the same for having taken the left and right's sword?"
A Liang clicked his tongue in admiration. "Quite a temper, huh?"
Nan Guangzhao, Jing Hao, Feng Xuedao.
The Daoist titles of these three Flying Ascension stage cultivators were Heavenly Interest, Green Palace Grand Guardian, and Green Secret. Each one more domineering than the last.
I don't have one.
Thinking about this made A Liang a little sad.
The Feng Xuedao beneath his feet had a personal grudge with the old Sword Immortal Zhou Shenzhi of the Central Earth Divine Continent. Feng Xuedao was a mountain-and-marsh wild cultivator by origin. Throughout his lifetime of cultivation, his Daoist title, Green Secret, wasn't undeserved. He certainly wouldn't have done few shady or immoral things.
Jing Hao, on the other hand, was a true lineage-record immortal master by birth. Born in the mountains, a natural cultivation prodigy, his life of cultivation had been extremely smooth. Back then, when the Yao race of the Untamed World crushed the mountains and rivers of the Golden Armor Continent and crossed the sea to land on the southern end of the Floating Cloud Continent, the ancestral hall of Jing Hao's sect held a discussion. The initial consensus was that at least half of the sect's cultivators above the Dragon Gate stage should descend the mountain, determined to rush south and fight to the death. Among them were older cultivators with no hope of breaking through to the next realm, and also many cultivators whose relatives and friends had died on the Floating Cloud Continent. So this time, going down the mountain to kill demons was both for the greater good and for personal revenge.
But this leading sect of the Floating Cloud Continent unexpectedly chose to seal the mountain and refuse to emerge. Not only did the outside world criticize them endlessly afterward, even within the sect, people were baffled.
It was said that the sect leader, who had been prepared to personally lead the team down the mountain, suddenly changed his tune at the end of that ancestral hall discussion. Because he had received secret instructions from the old patriarch Jing Hao to preserve their strength. It would be better to wait until the demon army advanced north and reached their own mountain gate before making a move. This way, they could take advantage of their geographical position, learn from Liu Tui's Celestial Ballad Village in the Floating Cloud Continent, or the Lotus Flower City in the Parasol Leaf Continent, and defend their mountain stronghold tenaciously. Acting more cautiously would still earn them merit for their homeland.
If the Floating Cloud Continent lost, they would strive for self-preservation; if the Bright World won, then with the vast southern territory of the continent cleared of various mountain immortal families, it would be a golden opportunity for the sect to expand, open up new territories, and gather vassals, an opportunity that comes once in a thousand years.
As for how the outside world learned of this "it is said" that was not meant to be passed around, it was because that sect leader, immediately after the old patriarch emerged from seclusion, lost his position as sect leader and was punished. Nominally, it was for delaying the battle; as sect leader, he showed no responsibility and shamed the ancestors on the portraits. He had to face the wall in introspection for a hundred years.
Feng Xuedao asked, "Can you come down and talk?"
At this ruined site of the Sword Qi Great Wall, besides a Confucian sage from the Literary Academy acting as an attendant, there were several great cultivators from various continents stationed there, all watching the show.
A Liang complained, "You telling me to come down, and I just come down? Don't I need face? You're just stupid; if you had told me not to come down, you'd see whether I came down or not?"
Feng Xuedao had no choice but to pick up his old identity as a wild cultivator. Anyway, I'm a wild cultivator. What do I need face for?
A Liang didn't make things too awkward for Feng Xuedao. He floated down to the ground, sat on the edge of the wall, lightly tapped his heels against the wall surface, and took out a jug of wine.
Feng Xuedao hesitated for a moment, then crouched down, looking towards a place in the south. "Is that the old blind man's Ten Thousand Mountains?"
A Liang nodded. "Consider it my territory. I often go there to drink and eat meat. The old blind man took eighteen of my swords back then and was extremely impressed with my swordsmanship. He said that if I weren't so handsome and young, he would have mistaken it for Chen Qingdu putting all his strength into his sword strikes."
Feng Xuedao let all this go in one ear and out the other, just saying to himself, "A Liang, why did you stop the left and right from striking with their swords? I would rather just stand still and take one sword stroke; at worst, I'd drop in realm."
A Liang said, "In my impression, you wild cultivators are all very good at calculating. If you're going to drop in realm, go south. What's the point of doing it in the Bright World? It doesn't look good for your reputation."
Feng Xuedao asked, "So I can't figure out why you wanted to help me."
A Liang said, "Do you remember the Autumn Hunt sixteenth year of some dynasty in the Central Earth Divine Continent? That dynasty decreed that several vassal states, along with several neighboring countries, all their lineage-record immortal masters, plus the mountain-and-water spirits, would hold a grand mountain-search hunt in full force, massacring spirits and ghosts?"
Feng Xuedao's face was expressionless. "I don't remember."
A Liang said, "I remember. There was a passing mountain-and-marsh wild cultivator who had a big fight, beat two Celestial Immortals, and made those lineage-record immortal masters look pretty shabby."
Feng Xuedao asked doubtfully, "Why mention such a trivial matter?"
He just couldn't stand the ways of those lineage-record immortal masters. Young as they were, they all put on airs of being old and experienced, were scheming and slick, and good at currying favor.
A Liang drank his wine and said casually, "If immortal sects formed by gathered Dao cultivators are just moving the officialdom from the foot of the mountain to the mountain, I think it's pretty boring."
Feng Xuedao just crouched there, feeling a bit bored.
A Liang turned his head. "Do you have the guts to prove that the Literary Academy was wrong about you, that the left and right struck the wrong person with their swords?"
Feng Xuedao sneered coldly. "Forget it. To be honest, I don't think I was wrong, but I also don't think they were."
A Liang rubbed his chin and sighed, "There isn't a single wild cultivator in the Upper Fifth Realm under heaven."
Feng Xuedao felt a pang of shared sentiment.
This son of a bitch, if he was willing to talk seriously, he wasn't as bad as the outside world rumored.
A Liang asked, "Have you ever had any sword cultivator friends in your life?"
Feng Xuedao shook his head. "Plenty of fair-weather friends for drinking and eating meat. Soulmates, none."
To be precise, there were none left. A long time ago, he had had one.
A Liang stood up and laughed loudly. "Then I'm going to congratulate you!"
Feng Xuedao knew something bad was coming.
Sure enough, A Liang said with a serious face, "As long as you fight your way through the Untamed World with me, you'll have a sword cultivator friend."
Feng Xuedao smiled bitterly. "Do I have a choice?"
Fight his way through the Untamed World? He, Feng Xuedao, was no Bai Ye.
A Liang said earnestly, "Don't worry. Can't I even protect a Flying Ascension stage cultivator?"
Feng Xuedao let out a long sigh and started thinking about how to run away. But then he thought about this Untamed World, where this son of a bitch beside him seemed to know it far better than he did. How could he run?
That man threw away the empty wine jug and pressed his hands against his forehead. "The one who bore through the Untamed World from the Bright World, Sword Cultivator A Liang."
He wouldn't wait for Sister Lu Zhi; he had to leave a dashing and majestic silhouette for her.
Feng Xuedao gathered his scattered thoughts, sighed, raised an eyebrow, and gazed into the distance to the south. After a moment of silence, with a hint of a smile, imitating A Liang's way of speaking, he muttered to himself, "Wild Cultivator Green Secret, Feng Xuedao of the White Snow Continent."
---
Over at the Parrot Island Baozha Hut, after browsing through the ninety-nine rooms, Chen Ping'an wasn't exactly returning with a full load, but he had made some decent gains.
Chen Ping'an asked Liu Chicheng if he could help find a place to stay on the island; he planned to cook a meal for everyone. Liu Chicheng said of course it was no problem. He had countless friends on the mountain. There weren't many who didn't know him, and there was no one who hadn't heard of him.
That tree spirit old man who called himself the Southern City Heavenly Lord seemed to have some kind of immortal prohibition on him and couldn't temporarily restore his true form. He was about three inches tall, sitting on the tender Daoist's shoulder drinking gloomily, squinting sideways at that boastful Liu Chicheng, dressed in flashy clothes. He cursed him for being sissy.
As a result, Liu Chicheng grabbed him, squeezed and twisted him in his palm, then threw him back onto the tender Daoist's shoulder. The old tree spirit, drunk and dizzy, asked Li Huai, "Hey, Li, your trusted man is being bullied. Aren't you going to do something?" Li Huai said he couldn't handle it.
The old tree spirit immediately stood up, tucked the wine gourd at his waist, straightened his clothes, made a bow and said, "This immortal master, your pink robe is truly unique, like a peerless beauty standing alone in the world..." Liu Chicheng found it extremely annoying and gently slapped him. The old tree spirit raised his hands as if holding up a mountain, complaining bitterly. Li Huai had to plead for mercy before Liu Chicheng stopped. The willow tree spirit didn't dare curse the pink-robed immortal master. He turned his head, spat, then suddenly remembered it was the tender Daoist's territory and quickly wiped it with his toe.
Li Huai remembered something and spoke to Chen Ping'an through mind voice: "At the Yang Family Medicine Shop, the old man left a package for you. The letter said for you to go to his room and get it yourself."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Li Huai took out a yellowed book from his sleeve. "When the Fallen Mountain became a sect, I wasn't there for the ceremony. It must have been lackluster, wouldn't you say, a blemish on an otherwise perfect event? The old man gave this to me. It's full of messy, ghostly scribbles. I don't want to learn them, and I can't learn them anyway. Just looking at them gives me a headache. I'm giving it to you. Don't refuse."
Chen Ping'an didn't stand on ceremony. He took it and said, "Consider it a loan. I'll return it after I finish reading."
Li Huai said angrily, "Give it back."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "I haven't finished reading it yet."
Chen Ping'an suddenly stopped walking and turned to look.
It was the old sword cultivator Yu Yue and that group of young nobles from powerful clans, who had also finished browsing the Baozha Hut. Besides the Mi Yun Xie clan, there was also a young woman from the Fair Cloud Zhu clan, but she wasn't as likeable as the sword cultivator Zhu Mei. He didn't know how their seniority was calculated.
Yu Yue chuckled and said to the young man beside him, "Xie Yuan, I'm in a good mood today. I'll tell you a secret. Can you keep your mouth shut?"
This young man of the Mi Yun Xie clan of the White Snow Continent was a bit of a rogue. He said to his clan's chief guest elder, "I'll agree to Mr. Yu first. As for whether I can keep it shut, I'll decide after I hear it. After all, the mouth doesn't always obey the heart."
Yu Yue said, "The person you most wanted to see on this trip to the Literary Academy to join in the fun, far away yet right before your eyes."
Xie Yuan walked quickly. This elegant and unrestrained young noble seemed to have no doubts at all. He made a deep bow to the young sword immortal in blue but said nothing. Silence at that moment was more meaningful than words.
This was Xie Yuan bowing his life to the Hidden Official.
Chen Ping'an glanced at Yu Yue. The old sword cultivator's mind voice laughed: "Hidden Official, rest assured. Xie Yuan seems unreliable, but this kid actually knows what's important. Otherwise, the Xie clan wouldn't be grooming him as the next clan head. He learned about the Hidden Official's deeds through secret family channels early on and admires you greatly. Especially the battle at the Spring Fan Studio in the Inverted Mountain, he even wrote a romance book about it. Madam Tuo Yan of the Plum Garden, Nalan Caihuan of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the female sword immortal Song Pin of the Golden Armor Continent, all were swept up by the Hidden Official in one go. Hidden Official, you might not know this, but among the most widely circulated mountain romance books in the White Snow Continent over the past ten years, ten out of four or five were written by Xie Yuan. The number of female cultivators who want to beat him up is at least eighty, if not a hundred."
Chen Ping'an returned the young man's bow with a cupped fist salute, but really wanted to punch this "Jiang Shangzhen of the White Snow Continent" to the ground.
Xie Yuan straightened up and suddenly reached out, probably trying to grab Chen Ping'an's sleeve, but he failed. The young dandy said dejectedly, "I wanted to touch a bit of your immortal aura so my writing would be inspired."
Chen Ping'an smiled and reminded him, "Master Xie, some books shouldn't be circulated outside."
Xie Yuan glanced at Madam Tuo Yan beside the young Hidden Official and nodded. As men, they understood each other perfectly.
They parted ways. Xie Yuan was going to visit an elder family friend staying on Parrot Island.
The flower god nicknamed Rui Feng'er, a young girl, flew over to Parrot Island with a face full of joy. She curtsied to the young Hidden Official and sincerely thanked him, saying that Master Zhang wasn't angry at all, but actually very happy.
Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile and invited this flower god to visit the Fallen Mountain as a guest in the future.
In fact, in his hometown town, near the entrance of Liu Xianyang's ancestral home, there was a small ditch running by. Among the crevices of the stones, a single touch-me-not flower grew seemingly suspended in midair. It bloomed with five colors. In the early years, many girls from the town seemed to like picking the flowers and crushing them to dye their fingernails bright red. At the time, Chen Ping'an didn't think it looked particularly beautiful. Liu Xianyang used to keep talking about this flower, growing at his doorstep. The old folks said it had significance, related to feng shui. In the end, a snot-nosed little kid coveted it and crept up at night with a small hoe and dug it up. After dawn, Liu Xianyang crouched at his door, dumbfounded for a long time, cursing and swearing. That same night, the snot-nosed kid, who had secretly replanted the flower somewhere else, was dragged back by the ear to return it. For Liu Xianyang, who was kept in the dark, the touch-me-not at his door seemed to have grown legs, ran away from home for a trip, and then came back. Having lost and regained it, Liu Xianyang was very happy anyway, saying this flower was indeed strange. At the time, Chen Ping'an nodded, and the snot-nosed kid rolled her eyes and made faces.
Actually, later on, when Liu Xianyang and Chen Ping'an went to study and traveled far away, and then returned home, having become mountain people, they knew that the beautiful touch-me-not from back then was actually just an ordinary flower.
Madam Tuo Yan bid farewell to Chen Ping'an and left, taking the touch-me-not flower god to browse the Baozha Hut again. She had secretly taken a fancy to a few items earlier.
Liu Chicheng walked to the entrance of a mansion halfway up Parrot Island and heavily struck the door-knocker in the shape of a ring.
A timid woman walked out. Her elders and several mountain friends were all on high alert, not daring to come out to meet this Liu Daochun of White Emperor City, so in the end, they sent her.
As for that blue-robed sword immortal and that tender Daoist, the young female cultivator didn't even dare to look at them. Even though she came from a lineage-record sect, facing such fierce figures who could rival major sect leaders, how could she dare to be reckless?
Liu Chicheng smiled gently. "Miss, I am a close friend of your elders. Could you vacate this residence? I need to borrow this place to entertain some friends."
The female cultivator nodded vigorously. Her master had said that whatever Liu Daochun asked for, she should agree.
Liu Chicheng pinched out a Grain Rain coin between two fingers. "Miss, after you take the Grain Rain coin, remember to return me two Small Summer coins."
Her eyes were full of confusion, but she didn't dare disobey. After accepting the Grain Rain coin, she took out two Small Summer coins from her sleeve and tremblingly handed them to the famous master of the Glazed Pavilion.
Liu Chicheng laughed. "If ten Small Summer coins represent full beauty, then miss, you possess an eight-coin countenance. Meeting you today is no small fate connection. My eyes are refreshed, a true feast for the eyes. Dare I ask miss's fragrant name, where you dwell, where you cultivate, and whether you currently have a Dao companion..."
Chen Ping'an walked over to Liu Chicheng and slapped the back of his head directly, then said apologetically to the young female cultivator, "Sorry for the disturbance."
If he had known Liu Chicheng was such a person with mountain friends everywhere, he wouldn't have asked.
The woman shook her head, said nothing, and just cleared the doorway.
The cultivators inside the residence had already left through the side door, not even daring to fly. They gathered with the young woman at the ferry and took a ferryboat directly away from Parrot Island.
The woman was anxious, but her master's mind voice laughed and said, "You've done a meritorious deed. The ancestral hall will record it in the books later."
Entering the residence, in a secluded courtyard shaded by cypress trees, Chen Ping'an first took out the bamboo fish basket from his sleeve, then opened the Ruler of Distance, skillfully took out his tools, and acted as the cook, preparing to show off his skills for Li Baoping and Li Huai.
Li Huai and the tender Daoist brought tables and chairs, and Liu Chicheng took out a few jugs of immortal-brewed wine.
A table full of dishes, several golden carps from the Mandarin Duck Shoal, steamed, braised, and stewed. The color, aroma, and taste were all excellent.
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "How is it?"
Li Baoping nodded. "Delicious."
Li Huai said, "Much better than Pei Qian's cooking."
Liu Chicheng and the tender Daoist exchanged a glance, both feeling they had to show some integrity and not speak against their consciences.
Chen Ping'an glanced at the two fellows who had been rendered speechless by the delicious food and nodded contentedly. Perhaps this was the most beautiful wordlessness.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Chen Ping'an had already put down his chopsticks. Li Baoping was still eating slowly and methodically, while Li Huai was still wolfing down his food.
Li Huai suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. He leaned close to Chen Ping'an and lowered his voice, saying, "Chen Ping'an, I've read a few books too. Can I spout some bookish wisdom at you? If I'm wrong, just pretend you didn't hear it, alright?"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Of course, go ahead."
Li Huai seemed to lack confidence even now. He only dared to use sound condensation to transmit his voice secretly to Chen Ping'an. "The book says that when a person has both world-changing achievements and unique, far-sighted thoughts, they tend to live a more tiring life. Because externally, they expend physical effort, and internally, they expend mental effort. You have a ton of titles and identities now, so I hope you can find some ways to relax in your usual time. For example... liking to fish is a good thing."
At this moment, the young man in the Confucian robe had eyes full of worry.
Li Huai had never been good at reasoning with people. Today, he was trying his utmost.
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Such good reasoning, I will definitely take it to heart."
Li Huai roared with laughter. Being able to reason with Chen Ping'an, if he didn't become a worthy himself, it really would be a pity.
Chen Ping'an made a fist and lightly tapped his belly. "All the good reasoning I've read in books and heard with my ears, once it enters my stomach, it becomes my reasoning."
Li Huai looked at him. "Chen Ping'an."
Chen Ping'an asked doubtfully, "What is it?"
Li Huai grinned. "Your name is Chen Ping'an, so you have to be safe and peaceful. When you're around, we think, we should find a chance to get together. Even if there's nothing much to talk about, we still want to gather."
When Chen Ping'an wasn't around, it seemed like everyone just went their separate ways, taking things as they come. Of course, they were still friends with each other, but it just didn't feel as necessary to reunite.
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded.
Li Huai lowered his head and continued shoveling rice.
No need to stand on ceremony. Lin Shouyi, of course he was a good friend, but his temperament was a bit too light, not very particular about things like reunions after a long separation.
And that Yu Lu, the reversed homophone was Yu Lu, probably meaning "the remaining descendants of the Lu family," or perhaps it was a declaration of intent, never forgetting his origins, Yu Lu constantly reminding himself that "I am a descendant of the Lu family"? Back then, only Yu Lu would take the initiative to stand guard with Chen Ping'an. Plus, when he stood up for Chen Ping'an at the Great Sui Academy back then, he struck the hardest. Li Huai had always remembered that.
Actually, Li Huai missed them quite a bit. Of course, also Shi Jiachun, with her little abacus. He'd heard that even her child had reached the age for marriage.
Back during the journey far away, Li Huai was closest to Chen Ping'an, but also most afraid of him. Because as a child, Li Huai had an intuition that Chen Ping'an had great patience, a good temper, was the most generous, and was the most willing to give things to others, always putting others first. If such a good-tempered person started to get angry and ignored him, then he really wouldn't make it far on that journey.
No water in the mountains, the sun blazing down. Finding a stream was really hard. Dry mouth and tongue, chapped lips. The straw-sandaled boy with billhook in hand said he would go look. When Chen Ping'an returned, over half an hour had passed. He was covered in bamboo tubes, all filled with water.
Li Huai would forget many trivial things, but he could never forget the feeling Chen Ping'an gave him. It was as if he was saying, with me here, it's alright.
Back then, Li Huai thought Chen Ping'an was older and had been used to hardship since childhood, so he understood everything naturally. Naturally, he knew more than children from wealthy families like Lin Shouyi about climbing mountains and wading through rivers, and how to make a living from the heavens.
When Li Huai himself turned fourteen, he realized that wasn't really the case. Later, even when he grew ten years older, by the time he was twenty-four...
No one was willing to deal with those petty, patience-wasting trivialities every day.
Li Huai had always felt that taking care of others was a very tiring thing.
He couldn't do it himself, and he didn't have the patience.
Fortunately, Teacher Qi had brought them a Chen Ping'an.
On the journey far away, there would always be a straw-sandaled boy with a billhook at his waist, walking at the very front, clearing the path.
On the road of life, walking alongside Chen Ping'an made the journey very stable. Because Chen Ping'an always seemed to be the first one to think of trouble, to see trouble, and to solve trouble.
Cui Dongshan had once said, the simpler the reasoning, the easier it is to know, yet at the same time, the harder it is to be one's own reasoning. Because it goes in the ear, passes through the mouth, but doesn't touch the heart.
This guy had also said, many people get ahead by luck. Many people, by relying on their true abilities, get more and more unlucky with their lives.
Liu Chicheng glanced at the girl in red, then at Li Huai.
This master of the Glazed Pavilion, who feared nothing in heaven or earth, felt a flood of emotions for a moment.
The younger generation of the Pearl Grotto Heaven was gradually being regarded by the mountains of the Vase Continent as the "Door-Opening Generation."
Only because the mountain intelligence gazettes weren't comprehensive enough, they were currently missing quite a few people.
But Liu Chicheng was different. Back then, he had taken his old brother Dragon Earl and personally walked through that small town of Huaihuang County. He had personally seen that group of young people with their varied auras.
If we don't talk about Li Liu and that woman.
There were still Chen Ping'an of the Fallen Mountain, Liu Xianyang of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, Gu Can of the White Emperor City. Ma Kuxuan of the Apricot Flower Lane.
Song Jixin of the Mud Vase Lane, the Great Li feudatory lord. Zhao Yao of the Fortune and Blessing Street, a vice minister of the Ministry of Justice in the Great Li capital. Xie Ling of the Peach Leaf Lane, a direct descendant of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect. Lin Shouyi, who came from the Supervisorate of Works.
And of course, Li Baoping of the Cliff Academy, and Li Huai.
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Baoping, what have you been reading lately?"
Li Baoping shook her head. "I haven't been reading. Just thinking about some things."
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "What things?"
Li Baoping said, "One thing was trying to figure out why I lost that argument with Yuan Pang last time. I figured it out on the way here. There are two other things, but they're more difficult."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Tell me about them."
Li Baoping thought for a moment and pointed at the table. "For example, books all say that literary thoughts gush like a spring. I've been pondering how a scholarly person's literary thoughts actually come about. So I thought of a method. In my mind, I imagine a chessboard. Then, in each square, I put a vocabulary word to live there, like living in a house. Words like sadness, joy, solitude, grief... After I finally fill up one chessboard, I have another problem. Because all these words visiting each other's houses is very troublesome. Does one word move one square at a time, like Little Master Uncle walking on Mud Vase Lane and having to greet neighbor Song Jixin? Or can it take several steps in a row, directly walking to Gu Can's or the Cao family ancestral home's doorstep? Or can it just jump squares? Can Little Master Uncle jump directly from Mud Vase Lane to Apricot Flower Lane, to the doorstep of my house on Fortune and Blessing Street? Or if he wants to see peach blossoms, can he go directly to Sister Peach Blossom's Peach Leaf Lane? I haven't been able to figure out a set of rules for this. Besides this, if sadness and grief visit each other, it's addition. But if sadness and joy meet, is it subtraction? These additions and subtractions also need a set of rules..."
Li Baoping made a horizontal stroke, then raised both hands vertically, and then tilted them as if overlapping two worlds. "Besides emotions, I thought of a second chessboard. This one has more concrete vocabulary. Like small bridge, flowing water, big gate, friend, book... So I have another chessboard. Because many thoughts, besides staying in their squares, like thinking alone at home, you must see something to have that synesthesia, transference, and imagination..."
"While I was thinking about these things, I thought of something else, which is even harder. For example, books say 'the Dao gives birth to one.' I assume this 'one' is a point. Little Master Uncle, like this..."
Li Baoping's thoughts were very jumpy, and combined with her fast speech, they seemed very unconstrained.
When she said "the Dao gives birth to one," Li Baoping pressed her thumb and index finger together as if holding a mustard seed. She reached out and placed it in the air.
At the moment she said "one gives birth to two," Li Baoping suddenly let go. Immediately, a horizontal and a vertical line passed through that mustard seed. In an instant, countless more straight lines suddenly sprouted forth...
Chen Ping'an instantly sacrificed the Sparrow in a Cage.
---
This immortal inn built on the high mountain of Egret Ferry was called the Cloud-Crossing Pavilion.
At the ferry at the foot of the mountain, besides the reed marshes, there were large areas of terraced rice fields nearby. Egrets circled, sparrows clung to reed stalks. It was peaceful and quiet, full of rustic charm.
Fishing old men on the water, farmers in the fields were long accustomed to the coming and going of immortal ferryboats. Egret Ferry was only a hundred miles from the nearest Green Mist Peak. These mundane people at the foot of the mountain had lived in the Pure Sun Mountain area for generations and had seen too many mountain immortals.
Cui Dongshan personally brewed tea to entertain his guests. The white-clothed youth was like a cloud, making one forget the mundane upon seeing him.
Tian Wan sat down and received a cup of tea from Cui Dongshan, but didn't dare drink it. After all, she was appearing today with her true form. Earlier, she had used every means at her disposal, using her yin spirit to travel far, her yang spirit to use a body-separating escape, plus illusionary techniques. But one by one, they were intercepted by the two people before her. And the other party seemed to have long been certain that her true form was still in the Pure Sun Mountain. This made Tian Wan feel extremely powerless. For years, she had manipulated red threads and played with people's hearts on the Vase Continent. For the first time, she felt that her calculations were no match for the calculations of heaven.
Cui Dongshan laughed. "This is some tea that my master brought back from Immortal Wandering County, Clear Source Commandery. It's very precious, worth a fortune. I usually can't bear to drink it. Sister Tian Wan, give it a try. If it's good, you don't have to pay. If it's bad, you pay. After you've had your tea, we'll talk business."
Tian Wan sneered coldly. "Aren't you afraid I'll send someone to that Immortal Wandering County to follow the trail?"
Cui Dongshan said helplessly, "Smart people don't talk nonsense. Sister Tian Wan, this shows a lack of sincerity."
Tian Wan's cleverness lay in the fact that she never did anything superfluous. This was also her foundation for hiding in plain sight within the Pure Sun Mountain on the Vase Continent.
This junior fellow disciple of Zou Zi could make many clever people think she only had some petty cleverness.
The Pure Sun Mountain's sect leader, Zhu Huang. The old ancestor of the Jade Abyss realm, Xia Yuancui. The old ancestor of the Tao family, Tao Yanbo. The sect's disciplinary elder, Yan Chu. These old sword immortals, famous throughout a continent, all felt that Tian Wan's seat in the Pure Sun Mountain's ancestral hall was actually dispensable.
Jiang Shangzhen wasn't over there drinking tea. He stood alone by the railing of the observation deck, gazing from afar at the children playing and frolicking by the water. A group of children had formed a circle, playing a tug-of-war with a kind of grass commonly called "shy girl." A little girl with rosy cheeks won against her peers, grinned, revealing a decayed tooth. Jiang Shangzhen squinted his eyes into a smile, leaning on the railing, his gaze tender. He said softly, "Won the grass fight today, laughter blossoms from both cheeks."
Cui Dongshan extended a hand to signal that Tian Wan shouldn't be ungrateful. "If you refuse the tea offered respectfully, does Sister Tian Wan insist on drinking the 'penalty' wine?"
Tian Wan had no choice but to steel herself and drink the tea. A moment later, her face turned ashen. Even though she had been prepared, having used a mountain-sealing secret technique to gather spiritual energy in several of her life-bound acupoints, ready for the worst-case scenario of abandoning her fleshly body, the residual spiritual energy remaining in her meridians was just a trace. It was originally completely negligible. But when this spiritual energy froze like ice, there was a piercing pain. In the end, this frozen spiritual energy, like rows of huge wooden rafts, gathered one by one, charging and colliding on the "rivers" within the human body's small world, causing Tian Wan to slightly furrow her brow.
Jiang Shangzhen turned his head and laughed. "Old-time weather, old-time clothes. Egrets spy on fish, frozen, unaware."
Cui Dongshan cursed loudly. "What's with the pretentious bullshit? You think Sister Tian Wan can understand that?!"
The next moment, Tian Wan's face lost all color. She abruptly raised her head and stared fixedly at this white-clothed youth. "Aren't you afraid I'll burn everything to the ground with you?!"
It turned out that at the very front of those "floating rafts and ferries" was a manifested form of the white-clothed youth's heart essence. Like a boatman punting a boat with a bamboo pole, wearing a green bamboo hat and green straw raincoat, it was loudly singing a poem about fishing boats and evening song.
Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes.
Within Tian Wan's heart lake, that boatman took out a green bamboo fishing rod from nowhere, cast the line, and lifted the rod. He actually directly pulled a "mind thought" out of the heart lake.
Tian Wan immediately felt a heart-gouging pain and couldn't help but clutch her chest.
That young boatman grasped the "swimming fish," looked at it closely, clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Really, just bluffing."
Cui Dongshan crushed that mind thought carelessly and threw it back into the water. He continued to steer the ever-accumulating giant wooden rafts beneath his feet, traveling far away.
What a nice phrase. Egrets spy on fish, frozen, unaware.
Cui Dongshan said, "Shall we start talking business?"
Tian Wan was about to speak.
Deep within her heart lake, that boatman cast his line and lifted the rod again, grabbing another swimming fish. He roared with laughter. "'With elder brother here, everything will be fine'? Sister Tian Wan, that's not very nice."
Tian Wan had no choice but to hurriedly activate a Daoist divine ability called the "Mind Abstinence." In her heart lake, the surging river water froze for a thousand miles. The row of floating rafts, which had been swiftly traveling far away, solidified and stopped.
That young boatman clapped his hands together, did a fish dive, and hit the ground headfirst with a thud. He gave a light shout, flipped head over heels, and landed on his hands with outstretched arms, then planted his feet on the ground. Colored ripples spread on the ice surface. He crouched down, tapped a few times with his finger, then side-shuffled to another spot and tapped a few more times, seemingly searching for a suitable fishing spot to hammer open a hole and cast his line to catch a big fish.
This one mind thought of Cui Dongshan turned his head and smiled. Finally, it's here.
A sedan chair covered in gold foil appeared in the distance, somewhat resembling what the common folk called the "ten-thousand-work sedan chair," extremely luxurious and exquisite.
No one carried it. The flower-decked sedan drifted over on its own.
Cui Dongshan stood up and said with a beaming smile, "If I don't lift the lid on your bottom-of-the-trunk dowry, Sister Tian Wan will only be convinced in words, not in heart."
He looked around and asked loudly, "Li Tuanjing and his Dao companion, where are they?"
A corner of the sedan's curtain was lifted, revealing half of Tian Wan's face. She clutched a mutton-fat white jade drinking-rule token in her palm. "Here. I have every advantage of time, place, and people. Are you really sure you can win against a Flying Ascension stage sword cultivator?"
Inside the sedan chair, it was like a magnificent woman's boudoir. There was a gold-thread nanmu clothes rack, a cypress wood blessing-character hanging screen. On the painting desk was spread a copy of Su Shi's authentic work, the Bamboo and Stone Painting. There was also a calligraphy copy, which was Lu Chen's "On the Sword Chapter" from the White Jade Capital's Third Sect Leader, and a seal of unknown origin hovering in mid-air within the carriage. The bottom seal was engraved with four characters: My path is not lonely.
That mind-essence manifested young boatman ran wildly around the sedan chair, shouting, "Don't kill me, don't kill me."
Outside the Heart Lake, Cui Dongshan said with a face full of shock, "Chief Jiang, what do we do? Sister Tian Wan says we definitely can't beat a Flying Ascension stage sword cultivator!"
The white-clothed youth opposite Tian Wan held his teacup, trembling slightly.
Tian Wan really couldn't stand this guy's atrocious acting. Is this even fun?
Jiang Shangzhen turned around, leaning his back against the railing, and asked with a smile, "Tian Wan, since when could our sword cultivators' combat power be calculated by simple addition on paper? A bunch of Nascent Infant sword cultivators stacked together make a Jade Abyss? A few Jade Abyss cultivators make a Celestial Immortal? And finally, this Flying Ascension stage is just a Flying Ascension stage? I didn't study much and I've seen little, so don't try to fool me!"
Regarding Tian Wan's trump card, Cui Dongshan had estimated it long ago. Half a Flying Ascension stage sword cultivator. Chief Jiang alone was enough. But to firmly catch this big fish Tian Wan, he still needed to lend a hand.
Cui Dongshan put down his teacup. "No more nonsense. Let's talk business."
Tian Wan was about to ask a question.
Cui Dongshan grinned. "Yes."
Tian Wan was about to speak again.
Jiang Shangzhen took out a folding fan and gently fanned it, bringing a cool breeze. He smiled, "Brother Cui is a prized disciple of our mountain master. His word stands."
Jiang Shangzhen added, "And even if it didn't stand, what could you do about it?"
Before Tian Wan could speak.
Cui Dongshan said again, "You have no room to maneuver. If you want a way out, you have to agree to one thing."
Jiang Shangzhen closed the folding fan and pointed at his own wrist. "You like manipulating fate marriages and randomly pairing people up, don't you? Excellent. Refine this red string and aim it at me. Brother Jiang will bear it all alone. You'll be responsible for the consequences."
Tian Wan, who hadn't had a chance to speak, had a face ashen as iron. "Idiotic dream!"
This move by the other party could truly be described as hitting the snake at its vitals, grabbing her Dao foundation's lifeblood.
What Tian Wan feared most was, of course, that Jiang Shangzhen seemed romantic but was actually the most heartless.
If it were an ordinary man, like Wei Jin, Liu Baqiao, these lovesick types, even if she tied the red thread with them, she would still have a way to escape. She might even gain some benefit.
But once she got entangled with Jiang Shangzhen, her end would definitely not be good. Especially involving her Dao foundation, it meant that no matter how far apart they were, for Tian Wan, no matter where she fled, even to another world, at every moment, she would be in the cage of this "emotion." The most terrifying thing was that the longer the time dragged on, the deeper she would be drawn in.
It was like a willow tree by the water and a pillar in the middle of a raging torrent, bound together with an iron chain. The one who suffers definitely won't be the pillar.
Not to mention that Jiang Shangzhen's Dao heart was as firm as a rock, there was also the raging torrent. She would be the only one to bear the loss and the hardship.
Jiang Shangzhen said mournfully, "I'm not bad-looking, I have a bit of family property, I'm single now, and I don't have any mountain oath-bound Dao companions. Why am I not good enough for Sister Tian Wan?"
Cui Dongshan snickered. "I told you long ago, Chief Jiang's return to the Flying Ascension stage wouldn't be that difficult. Isn't that right?"
Jiang Shangzhen performed a cupped fist salute, raising it high and shaking it vigorously. "Convinced wholeheartedly!"
It seemed Tian Wan was flipping through the Fate Marriage Registry and randomly tying red threads, disrupting the sword Dao fortune of a continent. But once she tied a red thread with Jiang Shangzhen, their relationship would be more like Dao companions than Dao companions. It was somewhat similar to the contract Chen Ping'an had with Zhi Gui. If he hadn't dissolved that contract, he could now share the water fortune and reap the benefits without effort. Moreover, Chen Ping'an's Great Dao was inherently close to water, so the benefit would have been immense, making his progress far more efficient. So Tian Wan had always felt that young man was not right in the head.
It seemed to fit perfectly. Only this kind of person would have such a student and disciple, and the Fallen Mountain would have such a chief offering.
Tian Wan sighed and said, "I can give you all the information and all the secrets of the Pure Sun Mountain in exchange for my freedom. This is as compensation for plotting against Liu Xianyang. I will also offer a secret realm not recorded in any annals as compensation to your Fallen Mountain."
Cui Dongshan laughed. "A secret realm with no name? Since it's not among the seventy-two minor secret realms, you have the nerve to offer it?"
Tian Wan's face darkened. "This secret realm, though not well-known, can sustain the cultivation of a Flying Ascension stage cultivator. Within it, there is a Vermilion Pavilion Immortal Mansion with even more mysteries. In addition, there is a Cinnabar Stream, whose flowing water is extremely heavy, gloomy like jade, most suitable for alchemy. There is also a Red Pine Mountain, abundant in poria, lingzhi, ginseng, many spirit trees and immortal flowers, and heavenly materials and earthly treasures everywhere. I know the Fallen Mountain needs money, a lot of immortal currency."
Jiang Shangzhen said with a shocked expression, "Money?"
Cui Dongshan frowned deeply, pretending to be deep in thought. "Brother, do we lack it?"
Tian Wan was truly sickened by this pair of comedians.
Cui Dongshan narrowed his eyes. "Stop with this nonsense. If you bring out that Cicada Shell Secret Realm, I might be willing to consider it."
Tian Wan shook her head. "It's not on me."
A Cicada Shell Secret Realm was one of the most important ruins of the ancient Shu kingdom. Legend has it that many ancient sword immortals had shed their bodies like cicada shells there, achieving flight and ascending to immortality during the day. Their immortal hearts were cast off, leaving behind their fleshly bodies like cicada shells.
Cui Dongshan sighed mournfully. "Then there's nothing to discuss."
Tian Wan was silent for a long time, then asked, "What are you really after?"
Cui Dongshan crossed his arms. "My master said, you must return the swordsmanship and fortune to the Vase Continent. Everything must go back to where it came from."
Tian Wan sneered. "Return it to the Vase Continent? You mean hand it over to the Fallen Mountain, right?"
Cui Dongshan shook his head, his gaze pitying. "A frog in a well speaks of the sea; a summer insect discusses frost with ice. Is it the season? Or is it the mind?"