Chapter 883: Regarding the Wine
A southbound ferry belonging to Eternal Spring Palace would make a stop at Oxhorn Ferry within Dragon Prefecture.
Cao Qinglang arrived outside Pei Qian's room, stood in the corridor, and gently knocked on the door. "It's me."
After Pei Qian opened the door, she continued her six-step stake walking inside the room and asked casually, "Looking for me?"
On this round trip between Fallen Mountain and the capital, Pei Qian had worn a young woman's face mask while traveling to avoid unnecessary medical expenses.
The six-step stake walking was one of the few "martial techniques" Chen Ping'an had never tried to hide when Pei Qian was a child.
Back then, though, the little charcoal had looked down on it, thinking it was silly. She spent her days dreaming of Old Wei and Little White giving her sixty years of cultivation—effortless, heaven-sent ultimate martial arts.
Cao Qinglang stood at the door. "Should I come back after you finish practicing?"
Pei Qian's expression was odd. "Except when I'm sleeping, I'm always practicing."
Cao Qinglang felt a bit awkward.
Pei Qian said, "Talking won't interrupt the stake walking."
Only then did Cao Qinglang step over the threshold, gently close the door, sit at the table, and pour himself a cup of water.
Except for Great Li military ferries, almost every immortal ferry had a rule for the clear water it supplied, often taken from various famous springs. In the early years, some busybody had supposedly divided the fine waters of a continent into seven grades.
For example, there was the Pearl Spring at White Water Temple in the Green Luan Kingdom, and a pool at Dragon Cluster Peak of Cloud Mist Mountain—it was said that when poured into a cup, the water could rise above the rim without spilling, and the pool water could even float copper coins. There was also the former Green Plum Temple at South Tang Lake. As for the pot of water on this table, it was a unique sacred spring from Eternal Spring Palace, said to greatly benefit a woman's appearance, removing crow's feet with miraculous effect...
Back when Zheng Dafeng was still a gatekeeper at Fallen Mountain and Cao Qinglang was about to go to the capital for the metropolitan examination, Zheng Dafeng had urged Cao Qinglang to make a detour to Eternal Spring Palace. If he could buy some, great; if not even money could buy it, then he should steal a few jugs of the sacred spring water to bring home. Then his brother Dafeng would reward him handsomely!
Cao Qinglang stated the purpose of his visit: "Besides that northern journey when you left the Lotus Flower Blessed Land with Master, you later traveled south alone to Parasol Leaf Continent. I'd like to ask you about the local customs and scenery along the way—the more detailed, the better. So it might take up half a day of your practice."
Pei Qian's memory was even more divine than Xun Qu's ability to read ten lines at a glance and never forget.
Cao Qinglang's memory wasn't bad; he could even hold his own against Xun Qu. But compared to Pei Qian, it would be self-inflicted humiliation.
According to Master and Junior Brother's plans, Fallen Mountain would choose a site in northern Parasol Leaf Continent by the end of this year, or at the latest by early spring next year, to formally establish a subordinate sect.
Within a single year, first establishing a superior sect and then a subordinate one—in the history of the Haoran Heaven, this had only happened twice before.
The two cultivators who accomplished this feat were Yu Xuan of the Talismanic Seal from the Central Earth Divine Continent, and Wan Yanlaojing, an old Flying Ascension realm cultivator from Golden Armor Continent who chose to betray during the great war.
Pei Qian said, "I'll write a booklet for you later?"
Cao Qinglang smiled, raised his arm in a fist salute, and gently shook it. "That would be even better. Many thanks to Senior Sister."
His original intent was for Pei Qian to dictate while he took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to transcribe that "travelogue."
Now both he and Pei Qian had a "minor cave heaven" gifted by Senior Xi Zhu, which was of higher rank than a foot-measure item, making travel much more convenient.
Pei Qian continued her stake walking without stopping, twitching the corner of her mouth. "You'll have to pay. Settle by word count—one copper coin per word. How about that?"
Cao Qinglang nodded. "No problem."
He should have known. Money was unavoidable.
During a pause in her six-step stake walking, Pei Qian pulled a large "account book" from her sleeve and casually tossed it to Cao Qinglang.
It was a sweeping two hundred thousand characters, all written in fine small regular script.
She had clearly prepared it in advance, just waiting for Cao Qinglang to ask.
Judging by the ink, it had likely been written on the spot in an inn in the Great Li capital.
After flipping through a few pages, Cao Qinglang was quite surprised. Besides describing the various countries' territories, mountains and rivers, local customs like military equipment, temples, and unusual phenomena, Pei Qian had even touched on local products like salt and iron. She had even copied several county gazetteer entries, interspersed with many official maps.
Pei Qian stopped her stake walking and sat at the table.
She wore her hair in a topknot, with a high forehead.
She looked clean and sharp, extremely spirited.
She stared quietly out the window.
She wasn't a very beautiful woman, but now Pei Qian was surely one that left a deep impression on anyone who saw her.
Outside the window, clouds drifted high and low. Pei Qian stared somewhat absentmindedly.
Master had once said that the essays in books were landscapes on a desk, while the mountains and rivers of the world were essays on the ground. Both could delight the eyes and cultivate the spirit. The latter, especially, was free to view!
The Great White Goose had also said that if you studied a great master and failed, you might still end up with something passable. But if you studied a famous teacher and failed, you'd end up with something dreadful. The two of us were incredibly lucky—my teacher and your master, where else could you find such a one?
Collecting herself, Pei Qian turned to look at Cao Qinglang.
Cao Qinglang noticed Pei Qian's strange expression and asked in confusion, "What is it?"
Pei Qian asked, "Junior Brother took the sect leader position from you—any emotional ups and downs?"
Cao Qinglang smiled freely. "Of course I felt a little disappointed, but more than that, it was a relief."
Cao Qinglang raised his hand and gently patted his shoulder. "I still lack the ability to shoulder such a heavy burden."
"Master became the Hidden Officer of Sword Qi Great Wall when he was your age."
Pei Qian twitched the corner of her mouth. "The sage's teaching says disciples don't have to be inferior to their teachers. I think you're in trouble."
Cao Qinglang suppressed a laugh. "That teaching from the sage actually shows that disciples are more often inferior to their teachers. Besides, the Grandmaster clearly wrote on the book that 'the student surpasses the master.' The reason a truth is a truth is that it's easy to say but hard to do."
Pei Qian didn't say anything more.
She was good at twisting logic.
Never mind. When it came to arguing properly, she couldn't outtalk this Cao Woodblock.
Ha. Second-place scholar.
Cao Qinglang prepared to take his leave. With this booklet, once he reached Parasol Leaf Continent and followed the routes in the book step by step, he would have a much clearer picture.
Pei Qian suddenly asked, "When do you plan to form your golden core? Will you ask Scholar Zhong to guard the seclusion?"
Cao Qinglang had no choice but to sit back down. "On our own mountain, there's no need for anyone to guard it. Once the site selection is settled and the sect ceremony is completed, I'll go into seclusion to form the golden core at the subordinate sect. As Junior Brother says, the moment the door opens, our mountain will immediately have a new golden core, which can help the subordinate sect get off to a flying start."
Pei Qian chuckled. "No wonder you're in no hurry at all."
Cao Qinglang let it go with a smile.
Forming a golden core between thirty and forty, cultivating a nascent soul between sixty and seventy, and reaching the Jade Pu stage between a hundred and two hundred years old.
That was a "mountain examination" given by Mr. Lu in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land in the early years.
Cao Qinglang had been cultivating step by step since his hometown.
With Scholar Zhong's guidance, his path up the mountain wasn't fast, but it was steady.
Three life-bound objects were considered rare in the former Lotus Flower Blessed Land, but compared to the orthodox disciples of Haoran Heaven's sects, their ranks were low and insignificant.
It wasn't that Cao Qinglang couldn't break through faster; it just wasn't necessary. And indeed, as Pei Qian said, there was no hurry.
Thus, compared to Pei Qian, who broke through realms one after another like a bamboo split, Cao Qinglang's path in cultivation seemed quite dim and unremarkable.
Pei Qian added, "Cultivation is similar to martial arts. As long as you have tenacity, you have stamina, and with stamina, you have the chance to strike later."
Just like the boxing principle Grandmaster Cui said: the simplest thing in the world is to practice boxing—you just need to throw one more punch than your opponent.
Back on the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Great White Goose had once taken the two of them to secretly visit that Left Uncle of theirs on the city wall.
On the way up, Junior Brother had made an analogy.
The drinkers of Haoran Heaven had never woken up. They drank wine like water.
The drinkers of Sword Qi Great Wall had never been drunk. They drank water like wine.
Pei Qian could tell that Left Uncle really liked Cao Qinglang as a nephew. On the city wall, he had pulled Cao Qinglang aside and asked him many questions.
Some of Cao Qinglang's answers made Left Uncle frown; some made him nod and smile. Finally, Cao Qinglang said something that made Left Uncle... surprised and laugh heartily.
At the time, Pei Qian and the Great White Goose were sitting a little farther away. She couldn't hear the specifics of the questions and answers.
So she asked the Great White Goose what Cao Qinglang had said at the end. The Great White Goose repeated a sentence that made Pei Qian's hair stand on end.
"To kill a person, the blade must enter at the throat."
It scared Pei Qian half to death.
What? Cao Woodblock, who seemed honest and simple—was he actually nursing grievances every day, waiting for the day to settle old scores with her?
Luckily, the Great White Goose explained that Left Uncle was discussing scholarship with Cao Qinglang.
At that time, Pei Qian was half-believing, half-doubting. She always felt that Cao Woodblock was secretly wicked. Later, at the Mistress's house, when everyone helped Master carve seals to earn money, and Master happened to give a treasured carving knife he had kept for years to Cao Qinglang, Little Charcoal was terrified.
Cao Qinglang said, "I thought you'd take the chance to say something sarcastic."
Pei Qian rubbed her cheeks and turned to look out the window, stretching. "I'm not a child anymore. Nothing interesting."
Cao Qinglang asked tentatively, "You're not going to keep a record of this chat, are you?"
Pei Qian chuckled. "How could that be?"
She didn't specify what she meant by "how could that be" or "how could that not be."
Pei Qian suddenly remembered that "junior sister" from Sword Qi Great Wall.
Guo Zhujiu, nicknamed Green Duan.
At the time, Guo Zhujiu was taller than Pei Qian. When they competed, Pei Qian always came out the loser. When talking, Guo Zhujiu liked to bend her knees to look Pei Qian in the eye.
Once, she even raised her arm and seriously asked Pei Qian if the immortal sisters in Haoran Heaven had armpit hair. If so, how often did they shave it, and with what...
What bothered Pei Qian most wasn't these dirty words—she was good at throwing harsh words and curses herself as a child, and could say things that cut deep. But she had stopped after growing up, and she didn't know when she had stopped saying those things. Pei Qian remembered everything, except this one thing—she seemed never to have thought about it and couldn't recall it.
And that junior sister Guo Zhujiu, every time she spoke or asked questions, was incredibly sincere. So Pei Qian had no way to deal with her back then.
Even now, when she thought about it, Pei Qian still felt a headache.
On Sword Qi Great Wall, Pei Qian had been infuriated by Guo Zhujiao many times, and most of the time, she suffered in silence. So she had once peeked into Guo Zhujiu's mind.
It was a large flock of colorful birds—either all silent and still, or all flapping and flying in a flock. How could Guo Zhujiu not have wild thoughts?
Cao Qinglang said softly, "Still worried about Master?"
Pei Qian shook her head. "With Mistress around, and Senior Xi Zhu by Master's side, I'm not worried."
Besides, the most reassuring person in the world was her own Master.
Cao Qinglang hesitated.
Master was too thorough. He had thought of many things early on.
For example, on Sword Qi Great Wall, he had privately told Cao Qinglang that if the two of them stood together, he would show more favoritism toward Pei Qian.
Actually, that wasn't a big deal.
What made Cao Qinglang laugh and cry was that Master quickly added, "Master really does seem to favor her more, doesn't he? Is there even a need to pretend?"
Finally, patting the young man's shoulder, Master suppressed a smile and said, "Don't blame Master, alright? She's a girl, and you're a boy."
Pei Qian snapped back to reality and keenly noticed Cao Qinglang's strange state of mind. She asked, "What's wrong?"
Cao Qinglang smiled. "Nothing."
On the ferry, someone used the martial technique of condensing sound into a thread.
"May I ask, are you the Martial Ancestor Zheng?"
Pei Qian frowned slightly and turned to look in a direction.
Seeing Cao Qinglang's inquiring gaze, Pei Qian explained, "It's that Yu Hong. Somehow he spotted me."
Cao Qinglang asked, "Did he deliberately follow you?"
Pei Qian shook her head. "Probably just a coincidence that we're on the same ferry south."
Actually, Pei Qian had been aware of Yu Hong when he boarded. This old martial celebrity from the former Zhu Ying Dynasty had deliberately restrained his ancestral aura, suppressing his realm to Far Traveling.
Pei Qian explained, "I heard that an early direct disciple of Yu Hong seemed to have some ambiguous romantic entanglement with the Water Goddess of our Jade Liquid River. There's an even stranger rumor that this favored disciple of Yu Hong had a red-sleeve confidante who was a husband-in-name but not in reality. The woman was a golden core earth immortal on the mountain, skilled in water techniques. Because there was an immortal cave beside the Jade Liquid River Water Mansion, a treasured land suitable for practicing water techniques, but somehow it ended with the martial artist, the earth immortal, and the water goddess all having a falling out and cutting off relations. But these messy rumors are all just small talk from the martial world, not reliable. So it's perfectly reasonable and not abrupt for Yu Hong to be on this ferry."
Cao Qinglang nodded. "The latter possibility is more likely."
Red Candle Town was a confluence of three rivers and was now one of Great Li's most important waterway hubs, known as a land of flowing gold and silver. However, the three rivers had different nature. Embroidery River was soft and gentle, with abundant and stable spiritual energy. Meanwhile, although it was named Blunt and Light River, its water transport was actually fierce, turbulent, and muddy. It had been prone to floods since ancient times, often with daytime thunder, and was the hardest to manage. According to the local prefectural and county gazetteers of Great Li, as well as the collection of several official and unofficial histories of the ancient Divine Water Kingdom that Cao Qinglang had gathered, there were miraculous records of "this water connects to the sea's qi." The divine seat of this river had been vacant for many years. The bookshop owner Li Jin, under the alias, served as the new correct water god of the Blunt and Light River, and he was one of the closest to Fallen Mountain.
The Jade Liquid River had the most winding riverbed, so its water nature was unpredictable. The richness of water transport in different sections varied greatly. There were stretches with spiritual energy so poor they were like "lawless lands," as well as scenic hidden lands with abundant spiritual energy. The Water Goddess Ye Qingzhu had opened several cultivation mansions, which brought considerable income to the Jade Liquid River.
Pei Qian glanced at Cao Qinglang.
You, a gentleman of virtue, know more about martial world gossip than I do?
Cao Qinglang had to explain, "I heard it from Uncle Zheng. When two women who were close turn against each other, there's usually only one reason—a man."
As for the address for Zheng Dafeng, according to Zheng Dafeng himself, he and Cao Qinglang were about the same age, and their appearances were even similar. If they stood together, they could easily be mistaken for long-lost brothers. So Cao Qinglang should just call him Brother Zheng. If he called him Uncle Zheng, it would make him sound old, and no one would believe it.
Mind you, at that time, Cao Qinglang had just left the Lotus Flower Blessed Land and was still a boy.
Anyway, Cao Qinglang was determined to only call him Uncle Zheng when they met.
Chen Lingjun, on the other hand, called him Brother Dafeng with great familiarity, arms slung over shoulders, often chatting for a few sentences before they'd look at each other, one big and one small, hands on hips, laughing.
Pei Qian said, "Uncle Zheng running a tavern at the Ascension City wine shop—he won't be lonely."
Pei Qian frowned again and spoke in her mind, "The other party is coming. Besides Yu Hong, there are four others, all martial artists, but none are high in realm. Two of them, based on their breathing and footsteps, should be martial artists from the same lineage as Yu Hong. As for whether they are Yu Hong's direct disciples or disciples' disciples, I can't say for now."
After a moment's thought and a careful search of her memory, Pei Qian seemed somewhat surprised. After hesitating, she removed her face mask, revealing her true appearance.
A group of people walked from the top floor of the ferry to the first deck.
At the front was an old man with white hair, tall and sturdy, with a strong aura. The old man was half a head taller than even men from the northern lands. He was one of the four great martial ancestors in the Bottle Gourd Continent martial arts evaluation: Yu Hong.
At the capital's Fire God Temple, in a ring match that shook the continent, Yu Hong had defeated Zhou Haijing.
This brought the old ancestor's martial world reputation to its peak.
It was said that no fewer than ten mountain sects and schools had enthusiastically invited Yu Hong to be a patron or guest elder.
At one hundred fifty years old, Yu Hong had been famous in the former Zhu Ying Dynasty for a long time. He was known throughout court and commonalty, his fame no less than those nascent soul sword immortals.
He had a large number of disciples and disciples' disciples, but still no so-called "closed-door disciple." Generally, when an elderly person didn't take a closed-door disciple, there were only two possibilities: either he believed he could live many more years, or he had never found a satisfactory candidate, someone worthy of inheriting his mantle. Whether on the mountain or below, among commoners or royalty, the youngest child was always the most favored—it was almost a fixed rule.
Yu Hong had not returned directly from the Great Li capital to his own sect in central Bottle Gourd Continent. Instead, he planned to visit Cloak Cloud Mountain and Jade Liquid River, then go to the Western March region. He had long admired the Northern March Lord Wei Po, whom he had never met. As for the Water Goddess Ye Qingzhu and the love-hate entanglements with one of his disciples, Yu Hong didn't intend to resolve them. His visit to the Water God Mansion was for a business deal. Several mountain friends from the south planned to cultivate together in the Jade Liquid River area for sixty years, essentially taking over those immortal caves. An ordinary mediator might not get Ye Qingzhu to agree. If Yu Hong showed up in person, he couldn't guarantee success, but his chances were much better.
Along the way, he could also pay a visit to that young sword immortal of Fallen Mountain.
A figure now famous in Bottle Gourd Continent, a romantic figure at the height of his glory.
A cultivator who could exchange punches with the Moving Mountain Old Ape—he must be a mountaintop realm martial artist without a doubt; otherwise, he couldn't withstand the fierce fists of that protectors of Positive Sun Mountain.
After all, that young mountain lord was also the master of "Zheng Qingming."
But whether the other party was a legendary stalemate realm martial artist, Yu Hong still had doubts.
Both a sword immortal and a stalemate realm? Not all the good things in the world could be taken by one person.
More likely, Chen Ping'an had extraordinary luck and found a disciple who surpassed the master in "Zheng Sanqian."
So if possible, Yu Hong intended to spar with that young mountain lord.
Of course, the prerequisite was that the other party agreed. If he was unwilling, Yu Hong could only give up. No matter how arrogant he was, Yu Hong didn't think that he, a first-class Great Li patron, could make a young sect leader of Haoran Heaven think highly of an old ninth-realm martial artist.
Moreover, the other party seemed to have a bad temper. There were already widespread rumors on the mountain that this man had done the deed of killing Yuan Zhenye in broad daylight.
Fortunately, Positive Sun Mountain had shut down its mirror flower water moon in time; otherwise, their cultivators would be even more humiliated now.
Yu Hong's two direct disciples, one male and one female, were both young, in their thirties.
Beside them were two other martial world figures, both old men with white hair. But compared to Yu Hong, they were still proper juniors, much like various heroes. They had been recruited to become members of Yu Hong's own sect.
Yu Hong and his group arrived at a corridor and saw a young woman waiting outside a door.
Yu Hong quickened his pace slightly, saluted with a fist, and smiled, "This uninvited visit is presumptuous. I hope Martial Ancestor Zheng will forgive me."
Pei Qian quickly scanned the other four pure martial artists, showing no expression, and returned the salute. "I am honored to meet Senior Yu."
Yu Hong mistakenly thought she had heard about his upcoming match with Zhou Haichao, so she had disguised herself, secretly entered the capital, and secretly watched the match.
Fists fear youth. Yu Hong had to admit his age.
Even if she had defeated Zhou Haijing, Yu Hong knew in his heart that within ten years, he would definitely not be Zhou Haijing's opponent anymore.
So, while his old bones still had some strength and spirit, he tried to pave the way for these direct disciples—in the martial world, official circles, and on the mountain.
Yu Hong smiled and extended his hand. "Let me introduce them. Yu Cangmang of Dragon Mountain Sect, Zhu Fengxian of Great Marsh Gang. They are old friends of mine from the martial world. Not long ago, I personally invited them to serve as elders in my sect."
Both were golden body realm martial artists.
Actually, this was Yu Hong helping them climb a high ladder. Yu Cangmang and Zhu Fengxian, though martial artists who had suppressed several nations and were widely renowned, didn't really warrant a "personal invitation" from Yu Hong. Unlike the dozen or so inner disciples who had started eight martial schools outside after finishing their training, Yu Hong's own Summer Shelter Hall had a very high threshold, always pursuing quality over quantity. Including direct disciples, elders, and various members, there were only about fifty people, more like a mountain immortal mansion's ancestral hall.
Yu Hong continued, "As for these two children, they are my unaccomplished disciples, Yan Guan and Huang Mei."
The young couple spoke in unison: "Greetings, Senior Zheng."
They were both filled with curiosity about this woman whose true name was "Pei Qian."
There was also a kind of awe-filled reverence.
Pei Qian said, "I don't dare claim the title 'Senior.' Just call me Pei Qian."
How could the two young sixth-realm martial artists dare to address the woman before them by her given name?
When a martial ancestor is polite to you, and you take it literally, that's not straightforward—it's stupid.
The age of the female martial artist known as "Zheng Sanqian" had always been a mystery.
Some said she was in her forties, others said half a century. Some even claimed she was nearly a hundred years old, like the Yellow Cloth Yun in the southern Parasol Leaf Continent, who maintained her youthful appearance through careful upkeep.
Anyway, she was a powerful figure who had burst onto the scene. When she first appeared on the Central River battlefield with a nearly invincible stance, her punches were heavy, her methods ruthless.
On the battlefield, she always seemed alone, deliberately choosing dangerous spots with dense barbarian formations.
For fear of accidentally injuring her own camp's cultivators.
The only exception was when she punched to save people, often forcefully carving out a bloody path to bring them out of the battlefield.
So now, "Zheng Qian" had such a good reputation in Bottle Gourd Continent that probably three Yu Hongs couldn't compare.
If the one asking Yu Hong for a fistfight was Zheng Qian instead of Zhou Haijing, forget the streets being packed—probably all the houses near Fire God Temple would be collapsed by spectators.
Especially among the noble sons and soldiers' children in the Great Li capital, whenever they mentioned "Zheng Qian," their admiration was beyond words. Whoever dared to say Zheng Qian wasn't beautiful would immediately be argued with.
Yan Guan, in particular, had once been fortunate enough to see "Zheng Qian" throwing punches on the battlefield.
In a barbarian formation where troops were gathered, a slender figure suddenly descended from the sky. In the blink of an eye, heaven and earth were clear. Within a hundred paces, all who fell were dead, their bodies mangled. The only one standing was the female martial artist.
So in Yan Guan's mind, the woman before him was like a celestial being.
Hence, when he had saluted earlier, Yan Guan's arm and voice trembled uncontrollably.
Pei Qian asked, "Senior Yu, do you have something to discuss?"
Yu Hong smiled. "Indeed, I have a matter to discuss with Martial Ancestor Zheng. We'll disembark at Oxhorn Mountain Ferry and plan to visit Fallen Mountain. I wonder if Sect Leader Chen is currently on the mountain?"
Pei Qian said, "My master likes to travel alone, his whereabouts uncertain. I'm not sure if Master is on Fallen Mountain at the moment."
Yu Hong nodded. "No matter. When the ferry docks, I'll first go to Cloak Cloud Mountain. Then, if you could trouble Martial Ancestor Zheng to send someone with a message."
Pei Qian smiled and nodded.
Send someone?
Who can I order?
The left and right guardians of Riding Dragon Alley?
Little Mi Li is timid and won't dare to go out. As for the other one, he spends all day wandering and is nowhere to be seen.
As for Great Li's Song Changjing, Yu Hong didn't even dare to ask for a fistfight—he would die.
Facing this Pei Qian, he was bound to lose anyway, and Yu Hong wasn't willing to hand over his reputation to her for nothing.
Fallen Mountain was truly unfathomable.
Guest Elder Wei Jin. Great sword immortal of Snow Wind Temple, the foremost sword cultivator in Bottle Gourd Continent.
And that sword immortal "Yu Mi," who delivered a sword at Old Dragon City battlefield.
Somehow, he had switched from Northern March Cloak Cloud Mountain to Fallen Mountain.
Plus that group of pure martial artists at least at Far Traveling realm.
Their martial fortune was so abundant that it surpassed the entire continent.
Such a sect was indeed worth Yu Hong lowering his stance to cultivate a connection.
Pei Qian glanced at that Zhu Fengxian, hesitated, but still said nothing.
The other party hadn't recognized her, but Pei Qian recognized this old gang leader of Great Marsh Gang.
Back when she followed Master on a trip to Gold Laurel Temple in the Green Luan Kingdom, they had coincidentally encountered the temple master Zhang Guo taking on disciples. While sheltering from the rain, they met two groups of martial world figures. One was from Rouge Studio in the Cloud Xiao Kingdom, and the other was from Great Marsh Gang of the Green Luan Kingdom, including the old gang leader Zhu Fengxian, a famous martial world demon head.
There were also two young girls, one named Zhu Ziyang and the other Liu Qingcheng. The former had an oval face and blushed easily when speaking. She carried a paper knife named "Trivial."
The other had a round face and spoke with a lot of bite, just like her grandfather.
On the Green Key Mountain of the Green Luan Kingdom, there was an ancient Gold Laurel Temple. Inside the temple grew six old laurel trees. A wandering immortal had once divined a heavenly secret: the moon is planted.
The stone table under the trees had a chessboard with eighteen lines, said to have been carved by Li Tuanjing of Wind Thunder Garden with his sword aura. The temple's Taoists would give away cassia umbrellas as gifts, which were quite valuable.
Yu Hong didn't even bother to sit down for tea or anything; he directly led his people away.
Just this one gesture gave "Zheng Qian" tremendous face.
Pei Qian accompanied them all the way, stopping only when they exited the corridor.
Huang Mei noticed that when Master returned, he seemed in a good mood.
Pei Qian returned to the room. Cao Qinglang was there, flipping through a book.
Before long, a figure in a blue robe slipped in through the ferry window, landed silently.
Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang both stood up, each calling out their title: "Master." "Teacher."
Xiao Mo then appeared out of thin air beside Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an sat on a chair. Cao Qinglang, like a piece of wood, didn't move. Pei Qian had already poured two bowls of water for Master and Senior Xi Zhu.
Xiao Mo thanked Pei Qian, picked up a water bowl from the table, held it with both hands, and stood drinking.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "It's nothing. I just came to see you off. I'll be returning to the capital soon."
Pei Qian said, "Master, I just met that old Zhu from Great Marsh Gang."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I saw you from the clouds with Xiao Mo earlier. I'll go say hello later."
In his many years of traveling, Chen Ping'an had experienced countless encounters in the martial world. Their realms were high and low, their characters good and bad, their ways refined and coarse, their temperaments varied—but in Chen Ping'an's eyes, they were all part of the martial world and its people.
Chen Ping'an held the bowl in one hand, propped his cheek with the other, and looked at Pei Qian, then at Cao Qinglang.
The man in the blue robe, acting as master and teacher, squinted and smiled.
Then Chen Ping'an unambiguously told them about the speculation from the Great Li palace. He instructed them to remind Cui Dongshan as soon as they returned to Fallen Mountain that the site selection for the Parasol Leaf Sect's subordinate sect required extreme caution. The more suitable a place seemed at first, the more they needed to reconsider, to avoid falling into the trap of the Central Earth Lu Clan. He also gave a rough account of the wine party.
Pei Qian silently noted the Central Earth Lu Clan and the name Lu Wei.
Cao Qinglang asked, "Doesn't this act of the Central Earth Lu Clan violate the prohibitions?"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Yin-yang experts are quite slippery. It's in a gray area. If both sides argue it out at the Literary Academy, it'll just be a messy affair. Even if we win the argument, the punishment for the Central Earth Lu Clan won't be severe."
He raised a hand. "So it's better to handle it ourselves. Then we can go argue at the Literary Academy."
Pei Qian grinned.
Chen Ping'an suddenly tilted his ear, finished the tea in his cup, stood up, and laughed. "Didn't expect there'd be some excitement. It seems Huang Mei got into a fight with someone. You go about your business. I'll watch the fun, then catch up with Old Gang Leader Zhu. I won't say goodbye when I get off the ferry."
Cao Qinglang also stood up and said mentally, "Teacher, that 'minor cave heaven' from Senior Xi Zhu that I have—it's actually not that significant, a bit oversupplied. Now that our Fallen Mountain's trade is booming, Teacher might as well give it to the future manager of the Wind Kite Ferry. It can be used to store precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures."
Chen Ping'an smiled and declined. "Teacher has his own plans. I don't need that one from you."
Then Chen Ping'an left the room with Xiao Mo to join the fun.
After Master left, Pei Qian asked suspiciously, "What did you whisper to Master just now?"
Cao Qinglang said seriously, "I just asked Teacher to take care of himself."
Pei Qian squinted. "Come on, tell me! Did you make false accusations about me to Master?"
Cao Qinglang waved his hand. "Senior Sister, you're wronging me."
Just as Pei Qian was about to speak, Cao Qinglang laughed. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Teacher yourself."
Walking in the corridor, Xiao Mo smiled. "When I saw that Yu Hong coming down the stairs earlier, his entrance had more presence than some old friends of mine."
Chen Ping'an said, "That's called looking down on everything and being self-satisfied. It sounds like a derogatory term, but for a martial artist, it's not a bad thing."
Xiao Mo nodded. "Learned."
So someone wanted to ask the old Martial Ancestor Yu for a fistfight, and had even brought a life-and-death agreement.
Actually, that middle-aged man was just a sixth-realm martial artist with a decent foundation, but in his small local country, he was considered a hero.
This was Yu Hong being a tall tree that catches the wind. There was no vendetta requiring a life-and-death agreement. The other party was convinced that the venerable Yu Hong wouldn't kill him, so he could earn a free boost in martial world reputation. Take a couple of punches, lie in bed for a month or so, spend some silver, and gain fame and conversation that ordinary martial artists couldn't accumulate in a lifetime—why not? But martial schools also had countermeasures. They would let their opening disciple handle the exchange of fists. So a sect's senior disciple was like the mountain gate, responsible for blocking demons and monsters. Today, Yu Hong dispatched Huang Mei, with Yan Guan overseeing. Yu Hong himself left, not even glancing at the utterly predictable match. The old ancestor just used sound condensation to secretly remind Huang Mei not to hit too hard.
Huang Mei understood: Master meant she shouldn't hit too lightly.
The first deck of the ferry was already packed. People even stood on the staircases. Chen Ping'an had to stand behind the crowd, tiptoeing to watch the match from afar.
If not for this match, Chen Ping'an wouldn't have known that Eternal Spring Palace's ferry business was so good.
An immortal ferry piercing clouds and mist—if they could fill all its rooms and cabins without relying on cargo transport revenue, that would be a dream come true. But it was rare. Averaged out over a year, even sixty percent capacity would make the ferry's income considerable. Chen Ping'an now owned two ferries: the Overturning Ink, which could cross half a continent, and the Wind Kite, which could travel across continents. The routes of these two ferries were two solid profit streams. Chen Ping'an had to expand his business even to the Southern Brahmaloka Continent, where there was a very thick leg to lean on—the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. So Chen Ping'an was considering asking the great sword immortal Mi to get a nominal patron status at the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, so he could just announce his name whenever something came up.
Xiao Mo wasn't interested in this kind of sparring. He yawned lightly.
Like two newborn chicks, pecking at each other.
His own master, though, seemed quite engaged, apparently interested in Huang Mei's boxing style.
Through this observation, Chen Ping'an saw some clues. Throwing a fierce punch and throwing a sinister punch were entirely different styles.
Once a martial artist developed fist intent, especially after forming a martial gall bladder at the sixth realm, each had their own aura.
Yan Guan used his own temperament to suppress the influence of his martial arts, while Huang Mei's temperament naturally aligned with the sect's inherited style. So as time went on, the gap in their skill would widen.
It showed that the martial artists who had left Summer Shelter Hall to branch out and form their own schools were not to be underestimated.
But the woman was from a famous orthodox sect, so although her punches weren't light, they were very measured. She deliberately avoided vital points and major acupoints, only hitting insignificant ones. After losing the match, the opponent probably wouldn't notice the hidden injuries and aftereffects—very stealthy.
When Huang Mei delivered the final punch, the middle-aged man nearly flew backward, but she smiled and grabbed his arm, saying "You're too kind." So he only staggered, suppressed a mouthful of clotted blood, and conceded with a fist salute.
Huang Mei let go. "Pardon my roughness."
The man didn't get to fistfight Yu Hong, but at least he sparred with his direct disciple. Though injured, he was satisfied.
But he remained oblivious to the accumulation of minor injuries that could suddenly form a chain reaction in his body.
As for the spectators on the ferry, almost all were qi refiners from the mountains who didn't understand martial combat. Besides, the bigger the excitement, the better.
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Zhu Fengxian and Yu Cangmang stood at the bow, chatting idly, paying no attention to the match.
When martial artists traveled, they mostly saw martial world affairs.
Earlier, when the ring match at the Fire God Temple in the Great Li capital took place, the two old friends hadn't gone to watch. Instead, they went to Calamus River to find flower wine. Unfortunately, the girls there were only clear entertainers—they could look but not touch. They said it depended on the customer's money whether they could take them away. Zhu Fengxian had plenty of silver notes, but the two young entertainers at the table seemed to find the two customers too old. They just smiled and said nothing, pretending not to understand Zhu Fengxian's hints.
In the Great Li capital, Zhu Fengxian didn't dare act rashly. He just took out a gold ingot as a tip, and in the process, touched the young woman's soft hand.
No choice. Earlier, when Zhu Fengxian tipped silver ingots, neither woman even batted an eye.
After leaving the restaurant with his old friend, walking along the Calamus River, Zhu Fengxian couldn't help sighing about how expensive they were—silver didn't catch their eyes.
At this moment, Yu Cangmang noticed Yan Guan and Huang Mei walking up the stairs and said mentally, "Suffocating. If I'd known it would end like this, I'd rather die than join Summer Shelter Hall. This is indeed my fault, dragging you into it."
They were called sect elders, but in reality, they had zero authority. Most of the time, they were just punching bags for those two kids.
Yan Guan was okay, with some restraint and a relatively generous nature. But that soft-eyed little woman—her methods were vicious. She treated them like walking wooden stakes.
But one had to admit that Huang Mei's martial arts achievements would definitely surpass senior brother Yan Guan's.
Though she was only at the sixth realm, she was heading for Far Traveling. Yan Guan, on the other hand, might be stuck at golden body realm for life, and at most be sent to some senior brother's sect, euphemistically called training in worldly affairs, but actually dealing with a mountain of mundane chores.
Zhu Fengxian laughed. "A man can bend and stretch. It's no big deal. Just earning a living. Look on the bright side: the person feeding you might have a bad expression, but the food on the table isn't bad, so that's fine."
At the bow, two uninvited guests slowly approached. They seemed to be heading straight for them.
One of them, in a blue robe, saluted first with a smile. "Old Gang Leader Zhu, it's been many years since we parted in the Green Luan Kingdom. Your presence is as impressive as ever."
The younger attendant, half a step behind, saluted as well.
Zhu Fengxian vaguely recognized something familiar about the other's features. He asked tentatively, "Could it be the Young Master Chen we met by chance at Gold Laurel Temple?"
Actually, it was "Immortal Chen" now, but Zhu Fengxian didn't think of him as a mountain deity. He felt the other was more like a martial world figure.
Back then, Zhu Fengxian had even invited the group of Immortal Chen to stay in a new residence his gang had built with their own money and labor. The two sides had gotten along quite well.
Chen Ping'an laughed heartily. "Old gang leader, good eyes!"
Zhu Fengxian laughed loudly and grabbed Chen Ping'an's arm. "Come, let's go to the second floor for a drink. I have some fine mountain wine in my room! Bought it in the Great Li capital. I couldn't bear to let Old Yu have any."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Is it that Eternal Spring Palace immortal brew you can't buy even with money?"
Second floor?
Master Yu Hong and his three disciples seemed to be staying on the third floor, with separate elegant rooms.
Of course, it might be that the third-floor rooms were too few, and even with immortal money, you couldn't get one.
Zhu Fengxian opened his eyes wide. "Young Master Chen, if you talk like that, we won't be friends."
Chen Ping'an, being dragged along, laughed. "The old gang leader doesn't have any, but I happen to have a few jars—though they're the cheapest kind."
Zhu Fengxian nodded. "Good. I'll consider Young Master Chen a new friend, and we're settled!"
Xiao Mo followed behind Chen Ping'an. When the pure martial artist named Yu Cangmang cast an inquiring glance at him, Xiao Mo smiled and nodded in greeting.
When they reached the second-floor room, and Chen Ping'an walked toward the wine table with the two martial world friends, Xiao Mo gently closed the door behind them.
After sitting down, Zhu Fengxian laughed. "Martial Ancestor Yu wanted us to stay upstairs, but Old Yu and I thought it wasn't worth the extra money. If we had our way, we'd stay on the first floor. But Martial Ancestor Yu wouldn't allow it. Young Master Chen, daily expenses on this Eternal Spring Palace ferry must be quite high, right?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "So like Old Gang Leader Zhu, I couldn't bear to stay on the top floor. The wind up there is too strong. If you're not careful, it'll blow the money out of your pocket."
Yu Cangmang, who had been silent, smiled knowingly.
Zhu Fengxian nodded deeply, clicking his tongue. "Money—it's not just 'a day in heaven is a year on earth.' It really can't compare to you mountain immortals."
Chen Ping'an turned and patted Xiao Mo's arm. "Xiao Mo, Old Gang Leader Zhu has an excellent capacity for liquor. Remember to help me fend off drinks."
Xiao Mo, who had intended to just stand, finally sat down.
Zhu Fengxian went to fetch two jars of wine. During the process, he glanced at Yu Cangmang, who subtly shook his head.
Zhu Fengxian poured four cups of wine. Xiao Mo leaned forward, took the cup with both hands, and thanked him.
At first, the conversation was reserved, mostly Chen Ping'an asking about Zhu Fengxian's recent years and his granddaughter's cultivation at Gold Laurel Temple.
After a few cups, they opened up. Zhu Fengxian raised his cup. "Old Yu and I are getting on in years. You and Brother Xiao Mo are both young. Regardless, since we're all still alive, we should have a good drink."
They each finished their cups, and Zhu Fengxian refilled them.
Chen Ping'an took a sip and asked, "Old gang leader, did you break through on the battlefield?"
Zhu Fengxian laughed freely. "Just luck. Not worth mentioning."
Then he pointed at Yu Cangmang. "This Old Yu is worth talking about. He killed a demon race earth immortal with his bare fists. A real man."
Yu Cangmang shook his head. "I just got lucky on the battlefield and picked up scraps. A laughingstock. If we had a one-on-one fight, we'd have to exchange merits."
A young immortal master who could buy Eternal Spring Palace's immortal brew with money, not just afford it.
Yu Cangmang had a rough idea of his background.
On the mountain, for a registered immortal master, the temporary level of cultivation didn't represent everything.
He heard the young man, who had known Zhu Fengxian for many years, toast to him voluntarily. "Picking up scraps from a pile of dead—how is that not real skill? Old Senior Yu, with that line, you have to finish a cup and then punish yourself with another."
Zhu Fengxian laughed and cursed. "Hurry up! Drink both cups clean. Don't shake your hand and leave a bit, dawdling like a woman."
Eternal Spring Palace's wine was said to be the best for healing injuries, better than ordinary immortal mansion brews for nurturing the body. On the mountain, it was a good thing that was available but had no price. Yu Cangmang had acquired chronic ailments from the battlefield that hadn't healed. That's why he had defected to Yu Hong. So today, every extra cup counted.
As for why they didn't go to the Great Li court to get a low-ranking patron position—every family has its own hard-to-read scripture.
In fact, the two jars of immortal brew on the table were healing medicinal wine that Zhu Fengxian had specially bought for Yu Cangmang in the Great Li capital. But he had forgotten the original purpose in the excitement of meeting a friend. That's why his eyes showed a hint of apology when he fetched the wine. But Old Yu was a generous man and didn't mind. Otherwise, they wouldn't be friends.
The two jars of wine were almost finished. Xiao Mo had barely drunk two cups. Chen Ping'an still had some left in his cup.
Chen Ping'an turned and smiled. "Xiao Mo."
Then Xiao Mo took out two jars of wine, gently placed them on the table, and stood up to pour.
Earlier, when Master patted his arm, he had quietly passed the two jars to him.
Zhu Fengxian and Yu Cangmang were old martial world hands. They pretended not to notice Xiao Mo's action of taking out the wine—it most likely came from storage items.
Zhu Fengxian lifted his cup, sniffed it, and asked with a smile, "Is it really Eternal Spring Palace wine?"
The female cultivators of Eternal Spring Palace were notoriously arrogant. The immortal mansion was located in Great Li's dragon-rising land. There were even rumors that the current Great Li Empress Dowager, when she was still the queen, had once lived in a thatched hut at Eternal Spring Palace to cultivate. So Eternal Spring Palace's registered cultivators naturally held their heads high when they went out. For instance, Zhu Fengxian, even as a golden body realm martial artist and able to scrape together enough immortal money, couldn't find a way to buy Eternal Spring Palace's immortal brew.
Chen Ping'an laughed. "I have many mountain friends. There's no help for it."
Zhu Fengxian was momentarily speechless. Damn it, these registered immortal masters sure knew how to annoy people.
Zhu Fengxian took a sip of the wine. "Young Master Chen, I didn't ask much back then. We hadn't known each other long. If I kept digging, it would seem I had ulterior motives. Now I have to be nosy—are you from some wealthy family down the mountain, or serving at some mountain immortal mansion?"
Chen Ping'an hesitated briefly, then changed his mind and chose to tell the truth. "I've always been on Fallen Mountain in Dragon Prefecture of Great Li."
Zhu Fengxian immediately sprayed out a mouthful of wine.
The old man was both shocked by the answer and distressed at losing that sip of immortal brew.
Xiao Mo gently waved his sleeve, dispersing the wine that had sprayed toward Master.
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Old Gang Leader and Mr. Yu, didn't you watch that mirror flower water moon?"
Zhu Fengxian shook his head. "That stuff costs too much, and in mountain immortal money. It's too flashy. Old Yu and I have neither the interest nor the spare money. And we don't have the face to mooch off someone else's mirror flower water moon. Martial Ancestor Yu's two high disciples, though, are into it. One watches fairies, the other watches sword immortals, having a great time. I heard that every time Huang Mei sees that Great Sword Immortal Wei from Snow Wind Temple, she gets all fluttery. In her room, she even hired a mountain painter to draw a portrait of Great Sword Immortal Wei..."
Yu Cangmang saw that Zhu Fengxian was going too far and gently kicked his old friend under the table to remind him not to talk nonsense when drunk.
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Makes sense."
Then he raised his cup. "Let's stop here for today."
Xiao Mo raised his cup as well.
Zhu Fengxian picked up his cup and asked cautiously, "Young Master Chen, are you a registered immortal master of Fallen Mountain? A direct disciple of the ancestral hall?"
"Don't rush to drink. Let me finish."
Chen Ping'an stretched out a hand to stop Zhu Fengxian from drinking. "I'm a registered immortal master, and also the mountain lord of Fallen Mountain."
Zhu Fengxian paused, then burst into laughter, unable to contain himself. He held his wine cup with one hand and pointed at the young master across from him with the other.
Good lad, very funny.
Zhu Fengxian said, "Young Master Chen, we've just started drinking. Take it easy with the stories."
Under the table, Yu Cangmang quickly kicked the silly Zhu Fengxian.
If the other party was an immortal master cultivating on the mountain, such matters couldn't be joked about.
Just like you, Zhu Fengxian—no matter how bold you are, you wouldn't dare go around saying you're Yu Hong.
So when the man in the blue robe finished his cup and covered it with his hand, saying he'd save the rest, Zhu Fengxian was still dreaming. He just stood up to see him off, forgetting to urge the other to keep drinking.
Chen Ping'an stepped over the threshold, walked to the door, and saluted with a fist. "Old Gang Leader Zhu, Senior Yu, no need to see me out."
In the end, Xiao Mo closed the door.
Inside the room, a moment later.
"Old Yu, come on, give me a punch."
"Yu Cangmang! I'll be damned, you actually hit me?!"
Walking down the stairs, Xiao Mo smiled. "Master, I have a question."
This time, Xiao Mo was smart enough not to say "May I ask?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Ask whatever you want."
Xiao Mo asked, "Master, does it ever feel tiring to care so much about others?"
The wine Master treated the two old martial artists to today seemed to be called Hundred Flowers Brew, not Eternal Spring Palace wine at all.
And it seemed that because he heard Yu Cangmang's story, Master chose to reveal his identity today. Not to show off, but because in a chance encounter in the martial world, one can set aside status and just look at the wine.
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh. "Of course not. How could that be tiring? Xiao Mo, your flattery this time was off your game."
Wearing straw sandals and carrying a bamboo basket, going up the mountain to pick herbs, leaving early and returning late—from that, he had to know the warmth and coldness of human hearts, the bitterness of heat and cold, the distance of the road.
Besides, none of those martial world roads were walked in vain.
"Master is a good man."
"That's a good word. I'll take it."