Chapter 870: What a Pity
Zhengyang Mountain, Guoyun Tower.
The rain had passed and the sky cleared, the atmosphere fresh and clean.
Beyond the mountain, at White Egret Ferry, clusters of reeds had already bloomed, and the rice in the terraced fields was a golden expanse.
Further away, several peaks of Zhengyang Mountain seemed quite busy, with construction and repairs underway.
In the most familiar Room Jia, there were no guests. Chen Ping'an went inside, moved a rattan chair to the observation deck and sat down, gazing into the distance at the nearest Green Mist Peak, gently shaking the Sword-Nurturing Gourd in his hand.
Some things, once started, are hard to quit—like liking someone, or like drinking alcohol.
At the wine table, Chen Ping'an had seen many facets of human nature and society. Drinking could make the taciturn become talkative, could make those who usually speak loudly murmur softly, could make a person smile while tears blurred their eyes without them knowing, could turn an old man into a child.
He wondered how his Chief Secretary Zhou was doing in the Wildlands, and what kind of stir he would cause.
A single willow leaf beheading an immortal.
As for Jiang Shangzhen's flying sword's innate divine ability, Chen Ping'an had never asked.
Cui Dongshan had casually mentioned it, saying that Chief Secretary Zhou's flying sword was of very high rank, razor-sharp, and could be rated as top-grade even at the Summer Resort Palace, capable of crossing mountains and rivers, breaking through armor.
What was somewhat unexpected was that Ni Yuerong, who should have been heading to the Central March territory of Great Li, was actually at the inn right now, seemingly checking the accounts.
Sensing the unusual energy fluctuations here, Ni Yuerong immediately put down the account book, which was becoming more heartbreaking the more she read, and hurried over to investigate. Before moving, she silently prayed in her heart, "Let it not be that person, please, let it not be that person..."
Probably because she hadn't burned enough incense at temples in her usual life, what she feared came. Ni Yuerong slightly turned sideways and performed a curtsey to the uninvited guest. After a moment's hesitation and careful thought, she deliberately used a more distant form of address, "I pay my respects to Immortal Master Cao."
Chen Ping'an turned his head, raised the Sword-Nurturing Gourd in his hand, and said, "First, I must congratulate Immortal Master Ni. Deservedly, you have become the God of Wealth for Zhengyang Mountain's subordinate sect."
Ni Yuerong quickly performed another curtsey.
If one really thought about it, her promotion to the third-in-command of the future subordinate sect was indeed thanks to the turmoil this sword immortal of Falling Mountain had caused.
Otherwise, with the fixed hierarchy, how could she, a Dragon Gate realm cultivator from Green Mist Peak who wasn't even a sword cultivator, occupy a key position in the subordinate sect? She wouldn't even dare dream of such a good thing.
She, the former manager of Guoyun Tower, like her senior brother Wei Yueshan, was not a sword cultivator. The two former senior and junior siblings, who used to be outwardly harmonious but inwardly at odds, had grown much closer now. The shared hardship of nearly seeing their sect destroyed had forged a deep bond between them. Before Ni Yuerong left the sect, they had an unprecedentedly frank heart-to-heart talk. They decided to support each other in the future: Wei Yueshan would hold down Green Mist Peak, and she, now managing the money in the subordinate sect, would do her best to take care of their peak.
Ni Yuerong said cautiously, "The matter of the subordinate sect has not yet been finalized."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Your Zhengyang Mountain is famous for having friends everywhere. This little matter is no trouble."
Ni Yuerong didn't seem particularly embarrassed. After years of dealing with people and socializing, her face had long become as thick as overlapping account books.
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "Why is Immortal Master Ni still here at Guoyun Tower?"
Logically, with the myriad tasks of establishing the subordinate sect, Ni Yuerong, as the person in charge of accounts and money, and being newly appointed, should be the busiest.
Ni Yuerong felt a bit dazed, a surreal feeling, as if they were just casually chatting about everyday matters. But right here before, when Chen Ping'an had met with Sect Leader Zhu Huang, she hadn't dared to breathe too loudly. At that time, the two sect leaders sat facing each other; either way, she hadn't dared to look too much.
Hearing the question, Ni Yuerong immediately collected her thoughts and carefully chose her words, "In reply to Immortal Master Cao, Yuerong is here on temporary business, needing to go to the upper sect's ancestral hall. It concerns the trade of Cloud Mist Incense. I wanted Sect Leader Zhu to make a decision, because the price offered by Cloud Mist Mountain..."
"Don't elaborate on specific matters. I'm an outsider, and I don't want to break your rules."
Chen Ping'an waved his hand, cutting off Ni Yuerong's words, and said casually, "It seems the inn's business has been a bit slow."
Ni Yuerong just softly hummed in agreement, not even daring to complain internally.
Why was business sluggish and customers scarce? Whose fault was it? Of course, it was hers, the manager, who didn't understand the way to generate wealth.
Otherwise, would she blame this courteous Mountain Lord Chen? That would be completely unreasonable.
The first sect leader of Zhengyang Mountain's future subordinate sect was Yuan Bai, a sword cultivator from the former Zhu Ying dynasty. Because he once had a sword duel with Huang He of Wind and Thunder Garden, Yuan Bai's foundational Dao was damaged. Barring any accidents, this genius sword cultivator, one of the twin jewels of old Zhu Ying, would stop at the Nascent Soul realm for the rest of his sword path.
Zhu Huang was indeed a person who could tolerate things. Yuan Bai, during a visit to observe a ceremony, had publicly declared in front of everyone that he was withdrawing from Zhengyang Mountain, making it clear that even if the ancestral hall of First Line Peak didn't remove his name from the registry, he would consider it as good as done.
Of course, it was still just a so-called subordinate sect. As Ni Yuerong said, it couldn't be considered a done deal yet. After that ceremony incident, there were even more unexpected developments.
Previously, during the discussions at the Central Earth Confucian Temple, Song Changjing had requested a minimum of three sect quotas from the Confucian Temple. Among the candidate sects in Bottle Gourd Continent, besides this Zhengyang Mountain, there were also Cloud Mist Mountain, which lacked only one Upper Five Realm cultivator; an ancient Buddhist temple near the Great and Small Dragon Pools of Yandang Mountain; a mountain Daoist temple where Lu Chen's direct disciple Cao Rong once lived; and Divine Edict Sect, which hoped to establish another subordinate sect. Additionally, there was the Great Li native immortal mansion, Eternal Spring Palace. In short, various forces were now competing for these three quotas.
Originally, Zhengyang Mountain had the best chance to add a sect-level subordinate immortal mansion. Although Great Li's Prince Song Mu seemed to be causing trouble, deliberately obstructing the matter, and putting on an act of no negotiation, it was actually a double act with the Great Li Emperor—one playing the tough guy, the other the nice guy. This was to prevent Zhengyang Mountain's cultivators from becoming too arrogant and hard to control in the future, while also forcing Zhengyang Mountain to cough up more of its genuine sect heritage. At the same time, it could alleviate some of the resentment from other mountain immortal mansions, especially the old sects, towards Great Li Song Clan's wholehearted support of Zhengyang Mountain.
Killing three birds with one stone, the Great Li court also had a hidden card up its sleeve.
It wasn't that the Great Li court favored Zhengyang Mountain, but that the Great Li Song Clan and Bottle Gourd Continent needed to gather more sword path fortunes scattered across the continent.
Therefore, the creation of Zhengyang Mountain's subordinate sect was actually not much in doubt.
In Chen Ping'an's view, it was Cloud Mist Mountain, which had the best reputation and the highest acclaim, that was most unlikely to formally become a sect. Not just because it lacked a Jade Pure realm cultivator to sit at its peak, but because Great Li had deeper plans.
Cliff Academy and Deer Forest Academy had already joined the ranks of the Confucian Temple's seventy-two academies. Adding a temple and a Daoist sect to the sect ranks would mean that the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—had truly taken root in Bottle Gourd Continent. The continent's mountain and river fortunes could gradually stabilize, and the celestial timing would fall into place.
The most critical point was that after the Three Teachings' patriarchs dispersed their Dao, Bottle Gourd Continent would receive an even greater gift of fortune. Chen Ping'an believed this was already within his senior brother Cui Chan's established plans.
Chen Ping'an considered himself like a chess player who had only memorized some so-called brilliant moves and standard patterns, piecing things together haphazardly on the board. He was better at dissecting and cutting apart than at mending and connecting.
This was also why, during the ceremony at Zhengyang Mountain, Chen Ping'an had to be so deliberate and strategic, ensuring he gained the advantage of the first move and placed his pieces on the board first.
So compared to his senior brother Cui Chan, Zheng Juzhong, and Wu Shuangjiang, he was far inferior.
Refining worldly wisdom without knowing it, being deeply calculating without leaving traces.
Even Song Jixin of Mud Vase Alley was growing.
It was said that several landscape gazettes in Central Earth Divine Continent had started specializing in studying the young people of Pearl Cluster Grotto-Heaven.
Like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, they grew strong and tall, forming a grove of fine bamboo.
Earlier, Ni Yuerong had mistakenly thought that Chen Ping'an's remark about creating a subordinate sect being a minor matter was sarcasm aimed at Zhengyang Mountain, rubbing salt into the wound.
But it really was a minor matter. Of course, the prerequisite was that Zhengyang Mountain itself stopped making trouble, humbly bowed its head and begged, spent money and sent people, with sword cultivators willingly enlisting as army-attached cultivators, following the Great Li Iron Cavalry to fight in the Wildlands. Then the matter of the subordinate sect would naturally fall into place.
It wasn't that Ni Yuerong wasn't smart, but that Guoyun Tower and Green Mist Peak weren't high enough. Even if a cultivator stood on the mountaintop, they couldn't see far.
The real surprise was that Chen Ping'an was determined to let Zhengyang Mountain die out on its own within a few hundred years. For instance, the location of Falling Mountain's subordinate sect was set in the Central March territory of Bottle Gourd Continent, not in Parasol Leaf Continent. Everywhere, it would confront Zhengyang Mountain head-on. The latter would soon become water without a source, living off its reserves.
Chen Ping'an couldn't yet compete with the smartest people in the world, but dealing with old sword immortals like Zhu Huang and Yan Chu, who liked to look at the world from the bottom of a well, was more than enough.
Ni Yuerong asked, "Immortal Master Cao, may I prepare some wine and fruit?"
She had recently been bestowed a storage artifact by the ancestral hall, called "Several Peaks Green." Inside was a scroll with a white jade roller. Her own Green Mist Peak had originally had one, but her senior brother was the peak master, not her.
According to the precedent of First Line Peak, all recorded mountain gate treasures were only for the use of direct disciples and still belonged to the ancestral hall.
Just like the former immortal Su Jia, whose sword heart was shattered by Huang He of Wind and Thunder Garden. Before she left the mountain in dejection back then, she had to return the priceless Sword-Nurturing Gourd.
Chen Ping'an declined, "No need for such formalities. I'm not here to freeload; just passing through."
In his field of vision, the peaks of Zhengyang Mountain after the rain each had their own scenery. Between Water Dragon Peak and Rain Foot Peak, which had relatively abundant water fortune, a rainbow even hung, painting a picture full of immortal aura.
First Line Peak, Great and Small Solitary Mountains, Immortal Backing Sword Peak, Full Moon Peak, Autumn Order Mountain, Water Dragon Peak, Cloud Parting Peak, Fluttering Peak, Jade Branch Peak, Rain Foot Peak, Dogwood Peak, Green Mist Peak...
This was Falling Mountain's first hostile sect.
Full Moon Peak of Xia Yuancui and Autumn Order Mountain, which Zhu Huang had strictly sealed off. Xia Yuancui and Tao Yanbo, an old Jade Pure and an old Nascent Soul sword immortal, had indeed formed an alliance.
Autumn Order Mountain had suffered the most severe damage. Tao Yanbo had resigned from his position as the sect's God of Wealth, publicly announcing he would reflect on his mistakes in seclusion for sixty years. Yan Chu of Water Dragon Peak stepped down as the ancestral hall's laws enforcer and transferred to oversee the sect's finances, essentially trading a title for real benefits. Xia Yuancui, the highest in seniority, took over Yan Chu's enforcer position. It was free benefits not to be taken.
Leng Qi, the woman ancestor of Jade Branch Peak, had already gone into secluded cultivation and refused visitors. Her peak was now essentially as good as sealed. Before "going into seclusion," Leng Qi had handed over many affairs to Liu Yu, the woman sword cultivator who had had the first sword duel with Liu Xianyang.
As for Yu Lin, the peak master of Rain Foot Peak, this promising young Golden Core sword immortal would probably never again have the spirit to ask for a duel with Dragon Spring Sword Sect.
Sima Wenying, from Full Moon Peak, had stooped to becoming a ghostly creature and still left just like that. In life and death, she had been infatuated with Li Tuanjing of Wind and Thunder Garden, but she didn't know that Li Tuanjing had been reborn through dissolution, far away yet right before her eyes—he was actually that talented youth brought up the mountain by Tian Wan of Dogwood Peak.
Zhu Huang had suddenly established a rule: during his tenure as sect leader of Zhengyang Mountain, First Line Peak would no longer establish the position of mountain guardian offering.
Chen Ping'an shook the vermilion wine gourd and smiled, "Then I'll have to go back on my word. Please trouble Immortal Master Ni to get two jugs of wine from the cellar."
Ni Yuerong immediately took her leave to fetch the wine.
Not daring to be slow, she was back quickly, bringing two jugs of Changchun wine that had been aged in Guoyun Tower for many years. But Chen Ping'an, who had been sitting in the rattan chair, only took one jug. With a flick of his sleeve, he moved a chair from inside the room to the observation deck.
Ni Yuerong thanked him, sat down, uncorked her jug, and took a small sip.
Chen Ping'an shook his wine jug, held it to his ear to listen to the sound of the wine bubbles, then smiled, "It's real wine. Too bad a lot of it has evaporated."
New grudges and old hatreds, new wine and old wine.
Perhaps some new grudges, after accumulating into long-standing hatreds, would also "evaporate," diminishing year by year without one knowing.
But some resentments, as Chief Secretary Zhou said, were like that old turtle's mouth—once it bit down, it wouldn't let go.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Has anyone from Zhengyang Mountain secretly gone to damage that stone tablet erected at the border?"
Ni Yuerong's heart tightened instantly. Sure enough, this return to Zhengyang Mountain meant Sword Immortal Chen had come to call him to account?
Was she drinking a "penalty wine"?
But then the one who had erected the tablet said something that Ni Yuerong couldn't have imagined in her wildest dreams: "That tablet must stand there for a long, long time. This is a rule established between Falling Mountain and Zhengyang Mountain. If anything happens beyond that, you don't need to be too nervous. For example, if it's shattered, First Line Peak will erect a new one. I won't have to spend money anyway, but don't drag it out too long. If it's thrown far away, just move it back. If the characters are erased by sword qi, remember to carve them again."
Ni Yuerong could only agree quietly.
Chen Ping'an had tasted the Changchun wine for the first time and said with a smile, "If Zhengyang Mountain is worried that I might find an excuse to make trouble and thus heavily punish someone, especially harshly—like breaking a disciple's Bridge of Longevity, removing their name from the landscape registry, expelling them from the mountain—then forget it."
Ni Yuerong's mind raced. She dared not agree immediately, naturally worried that this young man in blue was saying the opposite.
Chen Ping'an didn't care how Ni Yuerong might be overthinking. "Later, Immortal Master Ni, please pass a message to Zhu Huang for me. Tell him that these impetuous young people are probably where Zhengyang Mountain's future lies."
Ni Yuerong quickly glanced at the young sword immortal's profile. His expression didn't seem fake. She soon lowered her head to drink, feeling confused and absurd. For some reason, she felt as if this Mountain Lord of Falling Mountain was like her own sect leader of Zhengyang Mountain.
Chen Ping'an continued, "Of course, on the path of cultivation, accidents abound. One can't always be young and reckless, constantly making mistakes and causing trouble as if it were a skill. For example, if one day a direct disciple of Zhengyang Mountain, in a surge of hot blood, sneaks over to Falling Mountain and strikes a vicious blow or uses dirty tricks, and if they can't escape, it becomes a life-or-death struggle. You elders on the mountain would do best to avoid and prevent such things."
"If something like that really happens, then I'll trouble the newly appointed laws enforcer, Xia Yuancui, to personally go to Falling Mountain to collect the corpse, and then return here with a sword cultivator from Falling Mountain to receive a return gift."
"As for sword cultivators of Zhengyang Mountain traveling to Dragon Prefecture of Great Li to openly ascend the mountain and challenge Falling Mountain to a duel, that's another matter."
Ni Yuerong silently noted these important points. Then, on her own initiative, she took out the scroll from her storage artifact. She planned to find an excuse, grit her teeth and part with it, to ingratiate herself with Falling Mountain, or rather, with the young sword immortal before her, to curry favor and establish some personal connection, a bit of incense flame friendship. Even if the other party took the treasure without acknowledging the favor, it would be fine; she would just consider it as spending money to avert disaster. Since ancient times, one doesn't strike a smiling face.
Chen Ping'an looked straight ahead but seemed to see through her intentions. He smiled, "Cultivation isn't easy, and no one's money comes from a windfall or a flood."
Ni Yuerong sheepishly put away the scroll. Plucking up her courage, she asked a question that had been bothering her all this time: "Mountain Lord Chen, why are you... relatively polite... to Green Mist Peak and Guoyun Tower alone?"
Similarly, as a woman cultivator, Leng Qi of Jade Branch Peak was in a miserable situation, not much better than Tao Yanbo's Autumn Order Mountain. Now, Jade Branch Peak was more sealed than a sealed mountain, and its peak master ancestor Leng Qi was more in seclusion than in seclusion.
Chen Ping'an lay back in the rattan chair, hands tucked into his sleeves. "As I just said, cultivation isn't easy. For women to cultivate on Zhengyang Mountain is very difficult."
Then he sat up, gazing at the tranquil scenery near the ferry. "Some things can be understood, but that doesn't mean I think you were right. I won't look down on you, but I don't pity you either."
Ni Yuerong showed neither a grateful expression nor said anything.
She just stopped drinking. The woman's brows and eyes were gentle, her ten fingers interlaced. She sat quietly, gazing at the distant green mountains and white clouds.
Chen Ping'an planned to finish the jug of Changchun wine in his hand, then leave Zhengyang Mountain and continue his journey, traveling to the next place. He smiled, "I didn't intend to say so much. If Immortal Master Ni hadn't been here, I would have at most visited Water Dragon Peak to thank someone."
He meant that diligent and conscientious information manager on Water Dragon Peak, that genius brother.
Chen Ping'an asked casually, "Have you thought of a name for that subordinate sect?"
Ni Yuerong didn't think there was anything to hide about this. Without hesitation, she said, "The ancestral hall's intention is to name it 'Huang Mountain Sword Sect,' but it hasn't been formally confirmed. It's tentative for now."
Earlier, during the discussions at the First Line Peak ancestral hall, there wasn't much debate about this. After all, whether there would even be a subordinate sect was still uncertain.
Moreover, even if the creation of the subordinate sect was approved, the name of the sect would first have to pass muster with the Great Li court. If the Central Earth Confucian Temple ultimately didn't approve or nod, it would have to be renamed. It was said that in history, many sect names had been rejected by the Confucian Temple. For example, there was once a sword sect in North Juzhou that initially wanted to call itself "First Sword Sect," but was directly rejected. Fine, then the sect would give itself a less flashy name, so it submitted "Second Sword Sect" to the Confucian Temple...
As a result, a Confucian Temple accompanying sage stationed at the North Juzhou sky dome asked that Jade Pure realm sword cultivator who intended to establish the sect, "Are you out of your mind?"
Chen Ping'an smiled, "This shows that your sect leader has high hopes for this subordinate sect."
The subordinate sect was named "Huang Mountain"—full of bamboo—which was certainly a good omen.
Sect Leader Zhu Huang naturally had two selfish motives. One was to tell all future disciples of the two sects, upper and lower, that this subordinate sect was founded by him. The other was that "Zhu Huang" is homophonous with "huang" (bamboo grove), and "green bamboo fills the mountain" would gather the sword path fortunes flowing like water from the old Zhu Ying territory. Zhu Huang clearly intended to use the sword path fortune of the entire subordinate sect to help him break through the Jade Pure realm bottleneck in the future, ascend to Immortal realm, and become the second Immortal realm sword cultivator after the Great Sword Immortal Wei of Snow Wind Temple.
Just like Qi Tingji's Dragon Elephant Sword Sect in South Basuo Continent, and Master Ruan's Dragon Spring Sword Sect, as well as in North Juzhou, Taihui Sword Sect, Floating Duckweed Sword Lake... these sword sects mostly had a "sword" prefix, not merely to show off status but largely related to the matter of fortune. Similar to demons taking true names, or mountain and river spirits receiving imperial investiture, they all sought "legitimacy."
Regarding the naming of Falling Mountain's subordinate sect, the reason it remained undecided was that Cui Dongshan wanted the name to include the character "sword."
Then Falling Mountain's subordinate sect would legitimately become the first sword sect in the southern Parasol Leaf Continent's mountains and rivers, just as Ruan Qiong's Dragon Spring Sword Sect had become the "first seat" of the continent's sword path.
"When the time comes, heaven and earth lend their strength; one's spirit swallows thousands of miles like a tiger"—this wasn't some trivial, illusory matter. Dragon Spring Sword Sect wasn't established long ago, but it already had Liu Xianyang, Xie Ling, and Xu Xiaoqiao. If we add Yu Lin and Liu Yu, who had defected to Zhengyang Mountain midway, and with the Great Li court's support in carefully selecting sword immortal seeds, within at most two or three hundred years, Dragon Spring Sword Sect would become a truly famous sword sect with very few sword cultivators.
Just like naming children—one shouldn't give a child too grand a name for fear they can't bear it. But if a "grand name" was given, the child would usually also be given a "humble" nickname that elders would call out often as a buffer.
For example, Parasol Leaf Sect in Parasol Leaf Continent was a typical "grand name" in the mountain world, named after the entire continent.
In the past several thousand years of the Nine Continents of Haoran, many grand sects named in this way had successively disappeared, leaving only Parasol Leaf Sect.
Then came the Wildlands' attack on Haoran. In retrospect, Parasol Leaf Sect's early disintegration seemed like an omen of the entire Parasol Leaf Continent's sinking.
On the other hand, Xun Yuan, the old sect leader of Jade Gui Sect, had traveled to Bottle Gourd Continent back in the day. He didn't hesitate to incur the enmity of the Literary Sage lineage by establishing his subordinate sect in the Book and Bamboo Lake of Bottle Gourd Continent. One had to admit this was extremely farsighted.
And Jiang Shangzhen's friendship with Chen Ping'an, a direct disciple of the Literary Sage lineage, prevented the two sides from becoming mortal enemies. This was probably the old sect leader's experienced way of handling matters.
Ni Yuerong didn't know that her casual remark could lead the Mountain Lord of Falling Mountain to think so much.
Chen Ping'an drank silently.
Ni Yuerong seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Something on your mind?"
Ni Yuerong took a big gulp of wine to bolster her courage, then changed the address to "Mountain Lord Chen" as a start, speaking softly, "Our Green Mist Peak recently took in two young sword cultivators. Among them is a sword immortal seed with excellent talent. She deeply admires Mountain Lord Chen. Really, this is not Yuerong trying to curry favor. That little girl truly admires Mountain Lord Chen's sword immortal bearing. She was part of a batch of sword cultivators just recruited by our sect, so she missed that ceremony. She has a simple heart and doesn't overthink things. Senior brother actually reminded her about this, but the child doesn't listen, taking it as a deaf ear. Every time she practices the sword, she also learns some martial arts from the martial world. No matter how much we advise, she won't listen. Senior brother treats her like half his own daughter. He's almost tempted to steal some top-grade sword manuals from other peaks, just hoping she'll practice the sword well and form a golden core within sixty years, so she can preserve Green Mist Peak."
In the early days, Green Mist Peak relied on the incense flame connection between Ni Yuerong's master, Ji Yan, and Mountain Lord Zhu Huang. Occasionally, Zhu Huang would throw one or two sword cultivators Green Mist Peak's way, but Green Mist Peak couldn't keep them. As a result, for two hundred and forty years, Green Mist Peak hadn't had a single Earth Immortal sword cultivator sitting at its peak. Moreover, Ni Yuerong and her senior brother not only had no hope of forming golden cores but also weren't sword cultivators. If it weren't for the upheaval of that ceremony, according to First Line Peak's precedent, a peak that had no golden core sword cultivator for three hundred years would be delisted. Then she and her senior brother would be the greatest sinners, burying Green Mist Peak with their own hands.
Ni Yuerong suddenly realized her words had overstepped.
Excellent talent? Sword immortal seed?
To her, this was a big deal, but to the young Mountain Lord beside her, wouldn't it seem utterly ridiculous?
Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Why are you telling me this?"
To preserve Green Mist Peak's incense flame, Ni Yuerong wiped the sweat from her brow. She was past caring and braced herself to test the waters, "Yuerong dares not have any improper thoughts. I only hope that if Mountain Lord Chen passes by Green Mist Peak in the future, he might give her some guidance on swordsmanship, even just a few words."
Chen Ping'an waved his hand and stood up, "Don't even think about such things."
Last time he challenged Zhengyang Mountain, he hadn't felt the mountain and water were so treacherous.
Ni Yuerong sighed and had to give up.
Chen Ping'an looked at the terraced fields and asked out of nowhere, "Have you ever harvested rice?"
Ni Yuerong shook her head, "Only seen it from afar."
Chen Ping'an joked, "You could have the disciples of Green Mist Peak try their hand at it in their spare time."
But Ni Yuerong acted as if she had received an imperial decree, "When I return, I'll discuss this with senior brother and include it in Green Mist Peak's ancestral precepts."
Sword Immortal Chen's words, seemingly casual and light, must have profound meaning!
Chen Ping'an rubbed his brow, helpless. "I was just joking. Aren't you afraid other peaks will laugh at you?"
Ni Yuerong smiled instead, "Hasn't Green Mist Peak been laughed at enough? One more thing won't matter."
Hah, maybe later, Green Mist Peak would be the first to set a precedent, and other peaks would follow suit.
Before leaving, Chen Ping'an put the empty wine jug into his sleeve and said with a smile, "I hope I didn't drink Manager Ni's Guoyun Tower wine for nothing."
Ni Yuerong took it as a joke and didn't pay it much attention.
In an instant, the figure in blue was gone from the observation deck.
Ni Yuerong felt a huge weight off her shoulders.
A short while later, a streak of cyan sword light shot from First Line Peak straight to Guoyun Tower.
Zhu Huang landed gracefully and sheathed his sword.
Ni Yuerong immediately bowed, "I pay my respects to the sect leader."
"Have you lost your mind?"
Zhu Huang wore a smile as he cut straight to the point, "Daring to use a flying sword to send a message to the ancestral hall right under Mountain Lord Chen's nose?"
It turned out that when Ni Yuerong went to fetch the two jugs of Changchun wine for Mountain Lord Chen, after an intense internal struggle, she still risked her life by secretly sending a flying sword message to First Line Peak to tip off Sect Leader Zhu Huang.
Ni Yuerong was nervous. Would she be caught in Zhu Huang's wrath and lose her future position as third-in-command of the subordinate sect?
Zhu Huang asked, "And do you know that Mountain Lord Chen personally used his flying sword to help deliver your message to First Line Peak?"
Ni Yuerong was dumbfounded, terrified. Well, not only would she be in deep trouble, but Green Mist Peak would probably be implicated too.
But why, knowing this, did Sword Immortal Chen still accept that jug of wine? Was he waiting to see her make a fool of herself?
Had Sword Immortal Chen intentionally asked for wine just to wait for her to send the flying sword message?
And why did Sect Leader Zhu not seem angry, but instead relieved?
Zhu Huang looked at this woman who still didn't understand the key point, shaking his head. Was this what they called 'fools have foolish luck'?
Ni Yuerong asked quietly, "Should I repeat word for word what Mountain Lord Chen said to me?"
Zhu Huang shook his head, walked to the railing, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked at Green Mist Peak. "No need. This is your own fortune."
Ni Yuerong looked awkward, "But Mountain Lord Chen did have some messages for the sect leader to deliver."
Zhu Huang turned his head.
Ni Yuerong waited for the sect leader's cue.
Zhu Huang laughed angrily, "What, are you waiting for me to kneel down and beg you to speak?"
---
The business of Greenfinch Workshop at Dilong Mountain's immortal ferry was uniquely good.
In the central region of Bottle Gourd Continent, spanning over a dozen countries, the area where the final battle took place was actually much less damaged than Chen Ping'an had imagined. In fact, the entire southern half of Bottle Gourd Continent was in far better shape than the shattered, devastated Parasol Leaf Continent. The Wildlands army had landed along the coasts of Fuyao and Parasol Leaf Continents, and their passage was like a razor—most brutal, leaving no blade of grass. Later, as their forces spread across Parasol Leaf Continent, their passage was like a fine-toothed comb, systematically plundering everywhere, leaving ruins and corpses everywhere, utterly miserable. Especially those mountain sects with abundant spiritual energy and those wealthy mortal dynasties—almost none were spared. By the time they crossed the sea northward and breached Old Dragon City, their northward advance into Bottle Gourd Continent was like a comb.
This showed that the Wildlands military command had decided to rely on the entire southern territory, abandoning the idea of a quick victory. They intended to fight a grueling war of attrition with Great Li, each side pouring resources into the battlefield, seeing who could outlast whom—whether the Great Li Iron Cavalry, once gathered from the entire continent, would kill more enemies or suffer more deaths.
Greenfinch Workshop was still the same, a five-story building, but the wood was new, a new construction. Only the plaque and couplets were old.
Presumably, when they had fled north to take refuge back then, they couldn't bring too much. The Wildlands demons would certainly not spare such a precious immortal ferry.
Chen Ping'an looked at the couplet with some amusement.
"We cheat neither old nor young; our prices are fair. Put yourself in our shoes, and you'll come back again."
His own little tavern on Sword Qi Great Wall had a similar business philosophy.
In the main hall, five women were waiting for customers. A young girl in simple, elegant attire immediately stepped forward and asked, "Sir, would you like to request an appraisal or purchase one of our shop's treasures?"
Chen Ping'an looked at a woman who happened to glance his way. He first turned to apologize to the girl, then smiled, "This time, I've come to visit Mr. Hong. It would be fine if Cuiying could show me the way."
Because according to the workshop's rules, among the five women receiving customers in the hall, unless it was a returning customer of theirs, there was an order of precedence for who could step forward and speak.
The woman had a green fly, carved like jade, resting on her shoulder. She hurried over to the man in blue who had called her by name to lead the way. Her smile was enchanting, and her eyes held a hint of apology as she asked softly, "Forgive my poor eyesight, sir. You are?"
"Surnamed Chen."
Chen Ping'an explained with a smile, "Over twenty years ago, I came to Greenfinch Workshop with two friends. You were the one who led us to Mr. Hong."
But the woman couldn't recall it at all. Still, she pretended to remember, smiling charmingly, "Sir Chen, you look just as distinguished as ever."
In truth, at that meeting, the man before her was still a boy carrying a sword on his back. And Greenfinch Workshop had so much business and so many people coming and going. No matter how good her memory, how could she recognize him?
Chen Ping'an didn't expose her polite pretense. He followed her to the second floor. The corridor was covered with a large, colorful brocade rug from the Colored Clothes Kingdom, excellently embroidered, but it was a new item.
Chen Ping'an asked, "How much snow coin does this rug cost now?"
Cuiying smiled, "It's at least doubled in price compared to a few years ago. Black-hearted, isn't it? Now the Colored Clothes Kingdom relies on this and the Fighting Chicken Cups to fill its treasury. They really rake it in."
Chen Ping'an knew this was one of Dong Shuijing's many income streams. This fellow townsman had only one business principle: make money from the wealthy.
Cuiying gently pushed open the door and said softly, "Mr. Hong, a guest has arrived."
Standing at the threshold, Chen Ping'an clasped his hands and smiled, "Mr. Hong, we meet again."
Hong Yangbo was startled for a moment, then quickly rose, "Chen... Sir?"
He had initially wanted to respectfully address him as Sword Immortal Chen or Mountain Lord Chen, but with Cuiying present, he wanted to avoid any taboo regarding the mountains and rivers.
The first time they met, he had been a curious, slightly reserved boy. He would look around cautiously, but not in a sneaky way.
Back then, in Hong Yangbo's eyes, the traveling youth was at most a third-grade martial artist, just stepping into the martial world.
The second time they met, he had become a young man in a bamboo hat, blue-shirted with a sword on his back, like a wandering swordsman.
Now, he was the sect master of Falling Mountain.
Indeed, the boss's foresight was good.
Having only met him once, the boss had been certain that this was the young sword immortal who had driven back Su Lang in the territory of Comb Water Country.
Hong Yangbo had been skeptical back then, but now it seemed the boss truly had a unique eye, and he himself was just getting old and dim-sighted.
On the large desk, besides the small incense burner, there was a potted ancient cypress. A row of little green-clad boys sat on the branches, swinging their feet, refusing to get up.
The old man said helplessly, "The little ones are sulking with me."
Chen Ping'an's expression softened. He smiled and waved, actively greeting those green little figures, "Long time no see!"
Anyway, he had made up his mind: if the little ones didn't greet him with good news today, he wouldn't cross the threshold.
Fortunately, the little ones gave him face. They chirped and giggled, all stood up, bowed with folded hands, and in their childlike voices, said the joyful words Chen Ping'an could never tire of hearing, "Welcome, distinguished guest, to our shop and room. May you get rich!"
Only then did Chen Ping'an smile and step over the threshold. Turning to the young woman, he said, "No need to be busy here. Mr. Hong and I are old acquaintances. We'll do some business, and handle the commission and shares according to the usual rules. If you don't trust me, you should at least trust Mr. Hong. No need for tea; I've brought my own wine. I'll invite Mr. Hong to drink."
Hong Yangbo nodded to her. She smiled, performed a curtsey, wished Sir Chen success and prosperity, and then left.
Chen Ping'an didn't close the door. He walked straight toward the desk, stopping the old man who was about to move. "Mr. Hong, please don't stand on ceremony with me. I'm very familiar with this place. I won't act like a stranger. If you're too polite, won't that make me feel like an outsider?"
Chen Ping'an moved the chair himself—the same antique jujube-red chair as before.
Old people and young people alike cherished the past.
Hong Yangbo smiled and nodded, then didn't come around the desk. He sat back down.
Looking at the open door, the old man was deeply moved. He had only casually mentioned it back then, and so many years had passed. What a good memory, not just ordinary good.
Chen Ping'an suppressed a smile and got straight to the point, "Mr. Hong, are you truly unwilling to come and help me out?"
The pack-and-sack business at Oxhorn Mountain Ferry was expanding its scope, and they had always lacked a true manager. The acting managers of the two shops on Dragon Riding Lane, Shi Rou and Jia Sheng, weren't quite suitable.
Shi Rou preferred a stable life. As for Old Immortal Jia, he was actually better suited as a second-in-command.
Hong Yangbo waved his hand, apologetic, "Really can't. It's not that this old man is being difficult or trying to inflate his own value. But business, when it comes down to it, is about dealing with people. My old boss did me a great kindness in the early years, and the young boss, after taking over Greenfinch Workshop, has treated me very well."
The old man then added self-deprecatingly, "Talking about such big principles with Mountain Lord Chen might seem presumptuous."
The old man felt that his time at Greenfinch Workshop was like the space of a few drinks. In the blink of an eye, he had been here for nearly eighty years.
Chen Ping'an took out two jugs of Qingshen Mountain wine brewed at his own shop, handed one to the old man, then flicked his wrist to produce two wine cups—two Flower Spirit Cups from the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land. He joked with the old man, "Is the boss in the workshop? I'll discuss this matter with her directly. If that doesn't work, I'll just take you by force."
If one got used to making ill-gotten, crooked, or unjust gains, it was like drinking poison to quench thirst. The more wealth, the greater the calamity. It was better to believe in such things than not.
This was also why Chen Ping'an cared so much about the business of the two shops on Dragon Riding Lane. Whenever he was at Falling Mountain, he would personally go to Dragon Riding Lane and check the accounts on time. He didn't even have the two shops deliver the account books to Falling Mountain. Only when he, as the mountain lord, truly cared about this matter would the two managers, Shi Rou and Jia Sheng, take it seriously and not think nothing of a few taels of silver or a few snow coins.
Hong Yangbo's eyes lit up as he picked up the wine cup, "These Flower Spirit Cups don't seem to be imitations?"
This was like the pair of Qingshen Mountain bamboo chopsticks from earlier—a fine item with a price but no market.
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Whether they're genuine, I can't guarantee. I got them as a bargain. If Mr. Hong is willing to change his answer today, I'll directly give you a full set of Flower Spirit Cups as a welcome gift."
Hong Yangbo glared, "Annoying or not? I said I'm not going. This isn't a joke. If Sword Immortal Chen keeps pestering like this, I'll really have to kick you out. Hmm, but this wine cup will stay."
Chen Ping'an looked around and asked, "Does the shop have any new top-tier goods? And that imperial-grade Pine Smoke Ink and the 'Alas' Calligraphy—are both still here?"
In the mortal world, everything is connected by a single thread. Many times, one has to believe even if one doesn't want to. It's better to believe in such things than not.
That piece of Pine Smoke Ink had a deep connection with Divine Water Country, which in turn was related to the Great Mountain Lord Wei Pi of Piyun Mountain. Back then, Chen Ping'an didn't buy it not because he grudged the immortal money, but because he was worried that Wei Pi would be saddened by the sight of it. Now that time had passed, he no longer had such worries.
Hong Yangbo first shook his head, then nodded, "There are plenty of good items, but nothing that can be called top-tier. I won't embarrass myself by showing them to Sword Immortal Chen. Fortunately, the two items you mentioned are still here."
He admired the boss even more.
These two items weren't unsellable. Rather, the boss had intentionally asked him to keep them back then. She said that if one day the blue-shirted sword immortal came calling again, they could be used to curry favor.
Of course, 'currying favor' didn't mean giving the items away for free. That wasn't how business was done.
That rare calligraphy scroll, a copy from an ancient Shu sword immortal's hand, had characters as beautiful as a cicada's slough. Because it was almost as good as the original, it had the reputation of being "the next best true trace." Hong Yangbo had priced it at five Minor Heat coins back then. The young man was clearly tempted, but directly said three words: "Can't afford it."
In the end, he used five Grain Rain coins to buy the top-tier item—a complete set of four Heavenly Master Demon-Quelling Coins.
Hong Yangbo took out the imperial ink and the calligraphy scroll and said with a smile, "I'll calculate at the old price."
Chen Ping'an didn't hesitate. He took out the immortal money cleanly. Payment and goods were settled.
Both spoke in unison, "Can I get a little extra?"
The old man burst out laughing, and Chen Ping'an didn't feel embarrassed.
Hong Yangbo shook his head, "Still the old rule. No extras."
After that, the two drank and chatted.
When one travels far and returns home, one's horizons broaden, and one's hometown seems smaller. When one grows old, one's homeland seems to wither.
Life is short, the journey through the world is long. The human heart is narrow, but the wine cup is the widest.
How many partings and meetings in the human world? Drink slowly and take one more cup on your journey.
In the end, Chen Ping'an drank until his face was slightly flushed.
After leaving Greenfinch Workshop, last time at this ferry he had been leading a horse. He had encountered two sallow, skinny, short children and ended up spending twelve snow coins to buy three things from them: a "Forever Receive Good Fortune" tile-end inkstone, a pair of old-pit yellow frozen old seals, and a shallow bowl of red material. At market prices, of course, it wouldn't have cost that many snow coins.
He had probably been taken for a fool by those two children. As soon as they got the money, they ran off like the wind.
After the two children, light on their feet, had run far away, they began whispering to each other. Their childish faces were full of smiles.
Chen Ping'an didn't feel he had wasted his money.
Just like back in his hometown town, every time the straw-sandal boy delivered a letter, he would sprint to the next place.
Chen Ping'an had left those pessimistic emotions on the half of the city wall where he merged his Dao, along with... all his hope.
What was there to fear?
The old remains, yet the new can still come.
Hope is like the spring grass on the plain, growing ever more as one travels farther and farther.
Even if disappointment piles up like a mountain, hope will bloom in succession.
Chen Ping'an turned to look toward the third floor of Greenfinch Workshop. A woman was leaning against the railing—the boss of Greenfinch Workshop, who had once disguised herself as a shop maid back then, a woman sword cultivator who had deliberately concealed her own aura.
When she saw Chen Ping'an turn his head, she immediately turned and walked back into the room.
After meeting that young sword immortal last time, she had returned to Greenfinch Workshop and said a sentence to Hong Yangbo.
"At that moment, he was as still as a clay bodhisattva on a shrine."
Chen Ping'an withdrew his gaze and in an instant traveled a thousand miles.
Above a sea of golden clouds, he walked slowly. He took out the calligraphy scroll he had just bought from his sleeve and smiled wryly to himself.
Because the young Hidden Official in the Wildlands, wearing a lotus flower crown, had just made up his mind to challenge Tuoyue Mountain with his sword.
And the opening line of this "Alas" calligraphy was precisely what both Chen Ping'ans—the one in Haoran and the one in the Wildlands—were feeling at this moment.
"Alas, my sword technique is still crude."