Chapter 801: Why Ask About Fist
At the Parrot Islet residence, when the blue-shirted figure and that woman in red suddenly vanished, Nen Taoist and Liu Chicheng exchanged a glance. This move by Chen Ping'an was no simple matter.
Li Huai was using a toothpick to pick meat from his teeth, seemingly oblivious to it all. If he didn't understand something, he simply wouldn't think too much about it.
Liu Chicheng, however, was quite startled and asked curiously, "Friend Nen, when did Chen Ping'an become able to casually raise up a small heaven and earth?"
As for the strange phenomena brought about by Li Baoping's few casual words, Liu Chicheng had absolutely no interest.
Nen Taoist grabbed a large mouthful of food with his chopsticks, chewing the fish meat with bulging cheeks, and revealed the secret in one sentence: "It's not a celestial technique that relies on realm comparison, but the innate divine ability of one of this kid's flying swords. Over at the Sword Qi Great Wall, there are all sorts of bizarre flying swords. Chen Ping'an is the Hidden Officer, so Fellow Daoist Liu need not be so astonished."
Nen Taoist picked up his chopsticks again, then casually tossed them. The chopsticks shot out like flying swords, darting around the courtyard at lightning speed. A moment later, Nen Taoist reached out and caught them, frowning slightly as he poked at the remaining half of the braised carp on his plate. Originally, Nen Taoist had intended to locate the barrier of this small heaven and earth, then say to Liu Chicheng, "See that? That's the Sword Qi fence. I can break it with ease." But unexpectedly, this small heaven and earth of the young Hidden Officer was unusually odd, as if it completely bypassed the river of time? Nen Taoist wasn't entirely unable to find any clues, but doing so would essentially be akin to challenging the sword. The loss would outweigh the gain. Nen Taoist made up his mind: once Chen Ping'an stepped into the Ascension Realm, he would make sure to stay far, far away. Forget the ten percent returns and the ledgers — to hell with all that. Let Fallen Mountain keep owing him a favor.
Liu Chicheng didn't understand the deeper meaning behind Nen Taoist's display of sword control, so he asked, "Friend Nen, what was that?"
Nen Taoist laughed heartily and said, "Just helping the Hidden Officer guard the Dao a little, so that no reckless Ascension Realm old scoundrels use the trick of 'observing mountains and rivers' to spy on this place."
Liu Chicheng was skeptical. These days, the Ascension Realm grand cultivators near the Literary Temple, especially those not qualified to participate in the discussions, were either half-dead like Nan Guangzhao and Jing Hao, or had been dragged off to another world by A Liang like Feng Xuetao. The rest had their courage shattered, all keeping their tails between their legs. Who knows, if a Haoran "Nen Taoist" withdrew, maybe an "Old Taoist" would pop up? Left and Right, and A Liang, had already made their moves. Would Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi, these sword cultivators, follow suit and join the fun?
The Classicist Xiping, who guarded the gates of the Literary Temple, had never once interfered from beginning to end, letting these peak mountain cultivators settle their own grudges.
Thus, at the various ferry crossings now, the wind and rain seemed heavy with obstacles. Many grand cultivators were belatedly realizing that the Literary Temple was no longer the same.
Ripples spread beside the table, and Chen Ping'an and Li Baoping reappeared in place.
Chen Ping'an acted as if nothing had happened and began to clear the dishes.
Li Baoping was lost in thought, as if pondering something.
Li Huai glanced at Li Baoping, accustomed to this. She had been like this since childhood — always with endless questions and unsolvable problems. Maybe that's what people called a "seed of learning"?
But Li Huai felt that Li Baoping was cuter when she was younger. There were times when no one knew how she had twisted her ankle, and she'd be hobbling around on crutches with a cast on her leg to the school. Yet after class, it was still Li Baoping who walked the fastest — believe it or not?
Liu Chicheng felt that playing dumb didn't seem to work with Chen Ping'an, so he tentatively said, "Chen Ping'an, such brilliant techniques are best kept as a trump card. So when you use them, you need to be extremely cautious — don't casually leak information. Rest assured, aside from my senior brother, I won't breathe a word to anyone. And I guarantee that unless my senior brother asks first, I absolutely won't say anything."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Liu Chicheng's words showed considerable sincerity.
Nen Taoist began to put on the airs of a senior on the cultivation path and said, "Friend Liu's words are golden and jade. Honest advice grates on the ear, but Chen Ping'an, you must take it to heart. Don't brush it off."
Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "A strong wind tests the strength of the grass. I have a good measure of Fellow Daoist Liu's character."
Nen Taoist suddenly asked, "What are your plans from now on? If you're going to the Barbarian Wild Heaven, the three of us can travel together."
Chen Ping'an replied, "I'll take it one step at a time. No long-term plans. I'm not planning to return to the Sword Qi Great Wall for now. You and Liu Chicheng must be careful on your own."
For example, first go to Northern Jambu Continent, then to Tongye Continent, travel through Central God Continent, then go to the Multicolored Heaven's Ascension City, go to Blue Heaven, visit Suichu Palace, Great Xuan Capital Abbey, and White Jade Capital — all these places he would call on... In summary, these were things to be done step by step.
Reading a map of the five sacred mountains, thinking oneself knowledgeable about mountains, is not as good as the foot of a woodcutter.
A mountain dweller does not believe there is a fish as big as a tree; a sea dweller does not believe there is a tree as big as a fish. Actually, once you've seen it with your own eyes, you'll believe.
After clearing the table, Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "Would you like some tea?"
At Spring Dew Garden's Jade Cliff, he had learned a skill for brewing tea that seemed ethereal and immortal from his good friend Liu Zhiqing.
Liu Chicheng nodded. "I'll try some."
Nen Taoist took out a flask of wine for himself. "I'll pass."
Chen Ping'an took out a tea set from his portable item, began to brew tea, and drew talismans on the table with his finger, using two talisman fire dragons to boil the tea.
The matter before his eyes, the matter at hand, the matter in his heart — all were waiting for Chen Ping'an to resolve one by one. Some things would be dealt with quickly, just a few fists or a few swords. What were once great troubles had gradually ceased to be troubles. Other things required more thought and a slower pace.
Chen Ping'an handed a cup of tea to each of Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Liu Chicheng, then suddenly asked Liu Chicheng, "Is it very difficult to build a mountain ferry boat?"
Liu Chicheng nodded. "Building a boat isn't hard. Find a few Mohist or Artificer Qi Practitioners — as long as they're not swindlers — and you can piece one together. The hard part is actually making money. There's a lot of deep knowledge and even deeper pitfalls in that. As for cross-continent ferries, the threshold is even higher. Among the immortal mountain sects in Haoran that make a living from this, only about a dozen can build such ferries — a handful at best. What, does Fallen Mountain need its own cross-continent ferry? Chen Ping'an, I'm not trying to discourage you, but I advise you not to wade into these muddy waters. It consumes immortal money terribly. It's much easier to just buy one from someone else. I can help make the connections — it'll save you effort, worry, and money."
Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Like the knocking on the door today? That kind of 'saving effort and worry,' I'll respectfully decline."
Chen Ping'an indeed needed to help Fallen Mountain find new sources of income. Once a subordinate sect was established in another continent, the mountain owning a cross-continent ferry would become an urgent necessity.
Liu Chicheng complained, "You underestimate me, don't you? Have you forgotten that I'm still a Pavilion Master at White Emperor City? Before the fall of Vase Continent, I personally handled a huge volume of mountain business dealings — greeting and seeing off guests."
As he said this, seeing that Chen Ping'an remained unmoved, Liu Chicheng suddenly became smug. He tapped the table with his finger, narrowed his eyes, and smiled. "Chen Ping'an, let me secretly tell you a peak secret. A few years ago, Fire Dragon True Person sold me a batch of glazed tiles he'd gathered from who knows where. The quality was excellent, easily ranked as first-class treasures of the Glazed Tile Pavilion. A full hundred pieces — a hundred pieces of emerald green glazed tiles! And Fire Dragon True Person only asked for one thousand five hundred Grain Rain coins. Now, thanks to that opportunity, my Glazed Tile Pavilion has finally refined a flawless immortal weapon. Every time after rain clears, the sky opens with seven-colored radiance, a treasure light dazzling and beautiful. In future selections for the Haoran Ten Scenes, the Glazed Tile Pavilion, which has failed many times, will surely secure a spot. Even a venerable immortal like Fire Dragon True Person is willing to do business with me — let alone other sect cultivators?"
Chen Ping'an's expression was strange.
Liu Chicheng preened. "I'm not boasting, but my senior brother hadn't set foot in the Glazed Tile Pavilion for two thousand years. Before he left for Fuyao Continent, he specially ascended to the top of the pavilion to enjoy the view."
Chen Ping'an declined, "Forget it. I won't trouble you about the cross-continent ferry. I'll find my own way."
He remembered that back in the Dragon Palace Cave Heaven, he had sold a hundred and twenty pieces of emerald glazed tiles to Fire Dragon True Person at half price, earning six hundred Grain Rain coins. Well, the old immortal had then sold them for one thousand five hundred coins, and apparently kept twenty pieces for himself?
Nen Taoist exclaimed in admiration, "To get a bargain out of Fire Dragon True Person — Friend Liu is truly a rare business genius. I think Brother Liu could serve as a wealth god at Fallen Mountain, and then Chen Ping'an wouldn't have to go to such trouble begging left and right for a broken ferry. It's pitiful for an outsider like me to watch."
Liu Chicheng glanced at Chen Ping'an, eager to try. He could indeed serve as an honorary accountant at Fallen Mountain — a great talent doing small work, but it was fine.
Chen Ping'an twitched the corner of his mouth and said nothing.
Li Huai remarked casually, "This Literary Temple conference brought so many big shots. With your good connections with elders, Chen Ping'an, and your fair dealings in business — Pei Qian says that everyone who partners with you makes money — surely you won't lack a cross-continent ferry? I don't think so."
Chen Ping'an dismissed it with a smile.
Watching Chen Ping'an, who had come to enjoy drinking and had learned to brew tea, Liu Chicheng unexpectedly sighed with emotion.
He had known Chen Ping'an very early on.
It seemed like in a daze, in an instant, they were no longer youths.
A visitor arrived — an elderly man dressed like a wealthy merchant, Yu Panshui, accompanied by a richly clad youth, the emperor of Xuanmi Dynasty, Yuan Zhou.
In fact, both groups were merely guests of this residence.
Chen Ping'an immediately went to the door, opened it, and made a bow. "Greetings, Mr. Yu. It should have been this junior who called on you."
Li Baoping smiled and called out, "Grandpa Yu."
Li Huai hesitated, then addressed the man as "Mr. Yu" following Chen Ping'an's lead, though he had no idea who this person was. The only notable Yu he knew was a certain Yu Panshui, said to be the retired emperor of Xuanmi Dynasty, a formidable man with a velvet glove and iron fist, a smiling tiger. As for his appearance, he had heard he was a thin old scholar with elegant bearing — nothing like the plump old gentleman before him.
Yu Panshui nodded to each of them, his smile so wide his eyes disappeared. Finally, he looked at Chen Ping'an and nodded, like a kind and affectionate elder from home seeing a promising young family member who had returned from a long journey — both gratified at the youth's achievements and chiding him for being distant. "Why be so formal with me? This is so distant, it's heartrending."
They had never met before, yet they got along as if they were from the same family.
After the two groups sat down, Yu Panshui asked with a chuckle, "Do you play chess? How about we chat over a game?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I'm a layman when it comes to the game of chess."
Yu Panshui expressed regret but didn't insist.
The young emperor stared wide-eyed, feeling that the blue-shirted sword immortal before him was a fake Hidden Officer. How could he be so gentle, refined, and modest? Sitting opposite the old fat Yu, he was respectful and deferential, acting the junior. Chess? He should have summoned those flying swords with a swoosh and stopped them over Old Yu's head, teaching him how to play — making Old Yu place his stones wherever he wanted. Outsiders might not know, but he certainly did: every time Old Yu won at chess, it was because he cheated in collusion with that maidservant known as the "Wood Fox."
Yu Panshui pointed at the Yuan Zhou beside him and said with a smile, "The main reason for this visit is that His Majesty wanted to see you."
Chen Ping'an smiled, clasped his fists, and gently shook them. "A mere commoner greets His Majesty."
Yuan Zhou finally wasn't disappointed. If the young Hidden Officer had stood up and bowed, he would have lost all interest in speaking. The spirited youth clasped his fists and said, "Hidden Officer, my name is Yuan Zhou. I sincerely invite you to visit our domain, take a look around. If you see a place of excellent feng shui, establish a sect. If you find a seedling suited for cultivation, take them as disciples. The Xuanmi Dynasty, from the court to the mountains, will open all doors for you. If you deign to be the Imperial Tutor, even better — whatever you do will be in a proper name."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Thank you for your generous offer, Your Majesty. But specialization has its place: a knife and sword for carving wood are not as good as an axe. Xuanmi's national power is rising daily; the court is filled with civil and martial talent, generals and ministers complement each other. There's no need for an outsider sword cultivator to meddle. It wouldn't be appropriate, and I don't have the face to make a spectacle of myself. However, if I ever travel through Central God Continent, I will certainly make a prolonged stay in Xuanmi Dynasty."
Yuan Zhou was deeply disappointed but still unwilling to give up. He tentatively asked, "Hidden Officer, is there anything I can help you with?"
Chen Ping'an handed him a cup of tea and said, "When I come to Xuanmi Dynasty, I'm sure I'll have matters that require Your Majesty's assistance."
Yuan Zhou was about to speak again, but Yu Panshui smiled and said, "A Son of Heaven like yourself, don't act like a woman."
Yuan Zhou wasn't angered. He sighed mournfully, took the tea from Chen Ping'an, and downed it in one gulp. The heat made him jump up, yelping and flailing, before finally dropping into a horse stance, his face flushed red, his breath sinking into his dantian.
Li Huai was amazed. This youth was the emperor of one of the ten great dynasties of Haoran? He looked like he had a lot of promise.
Yu Panshui asked with a smile, "There's an idle ferry in our Xuanmi armory, gathering dust. I wonder if Fallen Mountain has any need for it?"
Yuan Zhou said indistinctly, "If they need it, I'll just give it to the Hidden Officer. That ferry is recorded as my personal property; no one can interfere. If those old fellows in the Clan Affairs Office start nagging, I'll have Grandpa Yu reason with them."
Yu Panshui nodded with a smile. "His Majesty speaks true. Chen Ping'an, what do you think?"
Chen Ping'an said, "One should not accept rewards without merit. Fallen Mountain can buy it. May I ask how many Grain Rain coins it costs?"
Yu Panshui raised two fingers and said, "Not many, just this many Grain Rain coins. Let me be upfront: this cross-continent ferry, named 'Wind Kite,' is quite old. To travel across continents, withstand wind and rain, and even sword immortals hacking at it, it may need some repairs — that will be a considerable amount of Grain Rain coins."
Chen Ping'an's eyelids twitched.
He could afford to buy the Wind Kite cross-continent ferry. The Fallen Mountain treasury, managed by Wei Wenlong, had some savings. But if he used all the money to buy the boat, establishing the subordinate sect would become very tight. And the repair costs — since even Yu Panshui said they were "considerable" — Chen Ping'an really didn't have the confidence.
Yu Panshui enjoyed the sight. Still being coy? If it were the Embroidered Tiger, he would never talk about "no reward without merit." If you dare to give it for free, he'd dare to take it.
Chen Ping'an put down his teacup, smiled, and said, "Then let's start over from your words, 'His Majesty speaks true.'"
Then Chen Ping'an said with sincere eyes, "Fallen Mountain does need this ferry. As for the repair costs, I'll have to run a tab with Xuanmi Dynasty for now."
Yu Panshui was momentarily speechless.
The young emperor felt that this was the Hidden Officer he was familiar with.
---
At Egret Ferry, Tian Wan still insisted on not being tied to Jiang Shangzhen by a red thread, only willing to offer a cave heaven realm that could provide enough wealth for a cultivator to break through to the Ascension Realm.
Cui Dongshan wasn't in a hurry, and Jiang Shangzhen sat beside Tian Wan, taking out a floral and bird colored paper for watching mirror flowers and water moon. Mist rose, and a landscape painting appeared on the table.
Tian Wan said, "My bottom line is to protect my own Great Path. After a thousand years of hardship, I can't let it all go to waste — otherwise, how is that different from death? Aside from that, any material possessions I have, you can take them all. I only ask that you not push your luck and force me against my will. I also don't believe that the two of you came all this way specifically to find me and go through all this trouble just to end up with an empty basket."
Cui Dongshan laughed. "What if we just came for the fun of it?"
Tian Wan shook her head. "My mind is made up. Kill me or cut me up, do as you please."
Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeve, taking out one spirit and one soul of Tian Wan from his snow-white sleeve. He twisted them with his fingers into a lamp wick.
Though she was within arm's reach, Tian Wan still didn't dare to snatch them back. The spiritual connection caused her to tremble in pain, but she clenched her teeth and remained silent.
Jiang Shangzhen was absorbed in the painting. Cui Dongshan glanced at the mirror flowers water moon and exclaimed in shock, "Chief Zhou, your taste is a bit heavy!"
In the painting, a heavily made-up fat woman with her head full of ornaments was posturing flirtatiously.
Jiang Shangzhen sighed. "Brother Cui, this is where you fall short of the Old Chef."
The woman paid no attention and began to dance, raising her orchid fingers, spinning, and then suddenly turning back with a coquettish smile.
Someone threw down immortal money and started cursing wildly.
Jiang Shangzhen tossed down a Minor Heat coin, expertly changed his voice, and shouted loudly, "Sister Golden Lotus, you're especially beautiful today!"
The woman laughed and scolded, "You rascal, you heartless thing, how long has it been since you came to see your sister?"
After that, the woman chatted about the Wind Snow Temple sword immortal Wei Jin, her words dripping with admiration. Many men started cursing again.
And many previously silent female immortals began to argue back with those men. They were all female cultivators of the great sword immortal Wei.
Jiang Shangzhen, while helping sisters argue with men, also took out an inkstone and started another mirror flowers water moon session.
In that painting, a burly man sat on a chair like a gold-bladed horse, laughing loudly: "Everyone, that thief Jiang was successfully usurped by Wei Ying. Not only did he fail to become the Jade Gui Sect's sect leader, he couldn't even keep his position in the subsidiary True Realm Sect. His fortunes are surely on the decline. A great relief! Let's all have a drink?"
Cheers and sounds of drinking rose and fell. Those who could speak, of course, did so by spending money — clearly not short of funds.
Among them was Jiang Shangzhen.
Someone threw money and asked the man in confusion, "Sect Leader, that lecher Jiang was only an Immortal back then. How could he run rampant all over Tongye Continent without getting killed? What's the real story?"
Jiang Shangzhen immediately chimed in, throwing money and shouting at the top of his lungs, "How unreasonable! It's collapsing, collapsing! I'm furious!"
"Good, good, good! 'Falling True Lord' is here too!"
"Vice Chair Jiang, long time no see. What a pleasure."
Jiang Shangzhen kept throwing money, greeting his acquaintances one by one.
Someone asked, "Falling True Lord, your son must be a deeply hidden barbarian rebel. Yuan Shou, Fei Fei, and those Throne-ranked great demons deliberately held back. Right?"
Jiang Shangzhen sneered, "Once the landscape reports are unsealed, we can speak a few fair words and teach that old Sect Leader Jiang to correct his mistakes if he has any, and to be more cautious if not. As Jiang the thief's father, I must show no partiality even to my own kin!"
Someone exclaimed in admiration, "Falling True Lord is truly kind-hearted."
Falling True Lord? Vice Chair Jiang? Jiang Shangzhen's father?
Even Cui Dongshan looked confused.
Jiang Shangzhen said solemnly, "This faction is called the 'Overthrow Jiang Sect.' It gathers heroes from all over — cultivators from Tongye, Vase, and Northern Jambu Continents. I've contributed money and effort, worked my way up, and after about thirty years of hard work, I finally became a Second-Class Offering. Initially, because my surname was Jiang, I was heavily misunderstood. It took me a long time to explain."
Someone suddenly cursed, "Damn it! Earlier, I was traveling in Tongye Continent, not even in Jiang the thief's Cloud Cavern Blessed Land — just a vassal mountain of Jade Gui Sect. I just cursed a few times that Jiang the thief was a waste and a spendthrift, and some guy jumped out and argued with me..."
Someone asked, "Did you fight?"
"Fought. Got beaten. And they held a grudge, forbidding me from ever using those ferries again."
Jiang Shangzhen immediately threw money. "Heroic! They outnumbered you, brother. Even in defeat, you're still glorious."
"Vice Chair Jiang speaks bluntly."
"The cultivators of Jade Gui Sect are all bad apples. The top beam is crooked, so the bottom beams are crooked too. They throw their weight around but have no real skill. If they had any real ability, why didn't they just kill Yuan Shou back then?"
"All that credit goes to that thief Jiang. Yuan Shou is a Throne-ranked great demon, and yet he couldn't even kill that ant who had fallen in realm. How infuriating!"
"That thief Jiang actually has no real skill. Old Sect Leader Xun was old and blind, so he picked Jiang as sect leader. He's just riding on the big tree of Jade Gui Sect, and that's why the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land has any small glory today."
Jiang Shangzhen immediately urged the heroes, "Fellow brothers, who among you is proficient in illusion techniques or escape arts? Why not go to Cloud Cavern Blessed Land and do something quietly?"
At once, discussions and plans flew back and forth.
Unexpectedly, the sect leader waved his hand grandly. "We heroes may curse and fight, but we don't stoop to base tricks."
Jiang Shangzhen threw down a Minor Heat coin. "The sect leader truly is righteous and noble!"
Tian Wan watched in stunned silence, listening speechless.
Were these people truly that convinced, or were they just playing around together?
Cui Dongshan clasped his hands behind his head, gently rocking his bamboo chair, and said with a smile, "Compared to that bookshop I wandered around with Old Scholar back then, this is actually better."
Jiang Shangzhen nodded. He had heard that story — at the ruins of Peace Mountain, Chen Ping'an had casually mentioned it.
Some people are like the sun at high noon, surrounded by rosy clouds.
Some people are solely engaged in shady dealings.
Some people broaden their horizons with the sun and calm their hearts with the moon.
Some people only know how to bow their heads and scratch for food.
Some people regret not reading and writing enough to reach the ancients' excellence.
Some people live a hard life, not daring to speak of a peaceful place, only seeking a foothold.
A good person might do something wrong one day; a bad person might do something good one day.
Perhaps the best student in the school becomes successful, becomes a high official, and never returns home.
Perhaps the naughty student from the school, mixing in the market, running wild in the countryside, one day meets the teacher in a dirty alley and respectfully makes way.
Life has many certainties, but just as many contingencies, all kinds of possibilities, big and small, like stars hanging in the sky, bright and dim, uncertain.
The one like the sun at high noon might suddenly fall into the mud, bearing the footprints of passersby.
The one engaged in shady dealings might still provide a patch of shade for those close to them.
The one who has broadened their horizons might suddenly one day become deeply disappointed with the world and start their life's descent.
The one who just bows their head to scratch for food might, by chance, look up, give birth to hope for life, and walk toward the distance and the heights.
Some people feel life is meaningless, dull, and only want it to be interesting.
Some people feel life is uninteresting, bitter, but it must have meaning.
Some youths are dispirited; some old men are full of youthful vigor.
Some people have a big dream and never wake up. Some people suffer terribly and can hardly find a drunk's respite.
Some people think that only the sages in books can speak of reason; some people think that a farmer's hard labor is itself reason. A lonely, helpless old woman can also live her life with composure.
Some people think they understand all reason but still can't live well, so they blame reason.
If they can't live well for a lifetime, they gnash their teeth and curse heaven and others. A wasted journey.
Some people think they don't understand anything, can't live well, because they still know too little of reason.
If they still can't live well for a lifetime, they say to themselves, "So be it." After all, they have walked this path.
Some people have never themselves experienced willow branches brushing the bank or the meadow's spring warblers, yet on the path of life, they have been laying bridges and paving roads all along, planting willows along the way.
Some people open their eyes wide, exhausting their strength, searching for the shadows of this world. When the night falls heavy, they sleep soundly; when the sun rises high, they get up again.
Moonlit mountaintops, thorny forests, green ponds, spring waves and peach blossoms. The same rice feeds a hundred kinds of people. On different life paths, in last night's dreams, flowers bloom and the moon is spring.
——
The other Chen Ping'an bid farewell to Zheng Juzhong. After leaving Asking Ford, he found a martial artist from the Great Duan Dynasty and said he wanted to ask about fist.
The man looked puzzled. "Why?"
Chen Ping'an said, "No reason."