Chapter 952: The Literary Saint Lineage
The prefectural city of Chuzhou, sharing the same seat of government as the Longquan Commandery's prefectural city, was naturally far more bustling than Hongzhu Town, that confluence of three rivers.
A woman of fine clothes and rich food, having returned to her hometown and lived in comfort and leisure for these past years, carried herself with an air of elegant grace. If one only looked at her face, setting aside the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, she appeared to be around thirty years old. Calling her a well-preserved middle-aged beauty would not be against one's conscience in the slightest. If not for those who knew her background, they would all mistakenly believe she was a noblewoman born on Fulu Street.
The residence had underfloor heating installed, so there was no need for braziers at her feet, and even the charcoal hand warmer could be dispensed with.
In her early years, after returning home from the Qingxia Island of Shujian Lake, she had directly purchased several residences in this prefectural city. As it turned out, that gritted-teeth splurge back then had not been money down the drain; on the contrary, it had yielded considerable profits. Just the annual rent from those shops alone brought in a large amount of silver. Of course, she had long since looked down on such gold and silver; immortal money was the real currency.
These years, when the woman went to the residence in Huaihuang County, it was mostly for Qingming ancestral worship, and she would only sit for a while on Niping Lane.
All her thoughts were still on this new home. For instance, within the residence, everything had to be established with a proper system, with clear distinctions between high and low, the noble and the base, only then could it be considered managing the household well.
There was an immortal inn on the mountain within the prefectural city, and she would have her household steward regularly go there to purchase landscape gazettes.
This was a considerable expense, after all, it required spending immortal money. But the woman did not feel the slightest bit of heartache. Firstly, she wanted to inquire about news from the Middle Earth Divine Continent, especially White Emperor City. Secondly, it could demonstrate her family's noble status.
Inside the room, the woman sat by the fire with several maidservants, chatting about household matters. They were drinking warmed glutinous rice wine, each sipping a little. On the small table were laid out all kinds of snacks for nibbling.
A well-endowed senior maidservant lowered her head and took a sip of the rice wine, then smiled charmingly, "Madam, given the young master's cultivation aptitude, plus his status as a direct disciple of the White Emperor City, when he returns to his hometown in the future, it won't even be difficult for him to establish a sect."
Back then, the woman had brought several close maidservants from the Hengbo Residence on Qingxia Island. They had also adapted to local customs here. Today, they followed the madam in pasting Spring Festival couplets, burning incense to invite the door gods, and worshiping the Kitchen God. There were many customs in the madam's hometown, but practice made perfect, and year after year, they had gotten used to it. For example, tomorrow being the first day of the first lunar month, they would have to follow the madam to the mountain god temple on Fengliang Mountain to burn incense. When they first moved to the prefectural city, the madam would even think about setting off on New Year's Eve, to get an early start and burn the first incense of the new year. She even wanted to stay overnight in the temple. But ever since the last time Gu Can returned home and had a talk with the madam, she no longer deliberately vied for the first incense. She said that her Gu Can had explained that according to Buddhist teachings, the so-called "first incense" had two interpretations. One was sincerity of heart—a single petal of incense from the heart, whether burned in the temple or at home, it’s all the same. The other was devout devotion to Buddha; then every time one offers incense, they are burning the first incense themselves, without needing to compete with others.
The woman laughed, "Little Can is only one of City Lord Zheng's direct disciples. Even if White Emperor City establishes a subsidiary sect, according to what the gazettes write, it will most likely be in Fuyao Continent, not here in our Vase Bottle Continent."
Over the years, through the mountain gazettes from that immortal inn, the woman had learned many things about the world. Moreover, the gazettes from that inn were said to have a broader source than even the Prefectural City God Temple.
The woman suddenly had a look of regret, "It's just that I've wronged you girls. Who could have predicted that a True Mirror Sect would suddenly appear by Shujian Lake? If you hadn't followed me here back then, who knows, maybe today you'd already be registered immortals in the sect. Out and about, you'd be addressed as 'Fairy.' Unlike now, you can only be cooped up in such a tiny residence, being maidservants to a woman like me."
She knew that for these cultivators, to have their names recorded on the golden jade register of a sect-level immortal mansion was something worthy of ancestral graves smoking.
Originally, there were two taboos in the household: one was Shujian Lake, the other was the surnamed Chen accountant.
That place and that person—neither could be discussed.
Who would have thought that tonight the madam would actually bring up Shujian Lake herself.
The two close maidservants inside the room exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. The relatively slender one immediately said with a smile, "Madam, that statement is not correct."
The woman asked with a grin, "Oh? Tell me, how is it incorrect?"
The maidservant said seriously, "Looking at it up close back then, it was the madam herself who pulled us out of the fire pit. Looking at it from a long-term perspective now, even if we had been in that True Mirror Sect as outer disciples just muddling along, what future would that have been? But staying by the madam's side, the young master is the most filial person under heaven. Will he shortchange our opportunities in the future? The young master is blessed with immense good fortune; he is a top-tier favored son of heaven. Not to mention the young master's master, City Lord Zheng, just his martial aunt Han Qiaose alone is an immortal. There's also Liu Daochun, the owner of the Colored Glaze Pavilion and his junior uncle, and his senior brother Fu Jin, who is a great sword immortal. Which of them is not a top-tier mountain figure? If any one of them were to grace Vase Bottle Continent, forget the True Mirror Sect, even if they went to the Divine Edict Sect and met Heavenly Lord Qi, they would still address each other as fellow Daoist and be treated as an honored guest."
Regarding Gu Can's cultivation at White Emperor City, the only ones in the household who knew the truth, besides the madam, were them, the close maidservants.
This was a heartfelt remark.
But she hadn't said everything.
The height of Gu Can's Dao achievements was only one aspect. Which of them wasn't afraid of that Gu Can? Afraid of the little demon king of Shujian Lake? They were simply scared to the bone.
Strangely enough, when Gu Can grew up and seemed to have turned into a Confucian scholar, during his last return home, even though his demeanor was gentle, they were even more afraid of him, their hearts trembling more and more.
If the Gu Can who was the disciple of Liu Zhimao, the River-Cutting True Lord of Qingxia Island, was a little madman who could erupt and kill at any moment, a natural-born rogue cultivator.
Then the later young Gu Can seemed to have turned into a person of deep scheming and unfathomable thoughts. Even standing face to face with him, it was as if one could never know what he was thinking.
The Gu Can who had walked out of Shujian Lake, whether in terms of realm, temperament, or methods, was severely mismatched with his age.
Before leaving his hometown, Gu Can had privately called them together. He didn't put on airs, nor did he have any of that youthful arrogance from his younger days. Instead, he was amiable and spoke to them politely. He set three rules with them, with clear rewards and punishments, and even allowed them to make a mistake or two. But he required them to send a flying sword message to White Emperor City every year. As for what to write in the letter, it was up to them; even if it was just to ask about some difficult cultivation bottlenecks, it was perfectly fine. Moreover, he would cover the expenses of these mountain letters. He just advised them not to tell his mother about this matter.
Finally, Gu Can said to them with a smile, "I've spoken some words from the bottom of my heart to you. Don't take them lightly."
Among the three rules they agreed upon, one was that they were not allowed to fan the flames on his mother's side, turning a small matter into a troublesome affair that required alerting the Commandery Governor's residence or the Great Li court. They were not allowed to actively cause trouble outside. But if others provoked them, regardless of who it was or what background they had, as long as they were in the right, then they need not fear the trouble. He, Gu Can, would take care of it. Because they were now considered half of his own family.
Finally, Gu Can even stood up and bowed to them with clasped fists, thanking them and saying that from now on, he would trouble them to take good care of his mother's daily needs.
The woman listened to the maidservant's sincere words and was overjoyed. She laughed, picked up a pastry from the plate, and gently handed it over, "My little Can has been able to endure hardship since he was a child. Now he's just finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It's not as exaggerated as you say."
Yes, that seemingly endless bitter life had actually been endured by the two of them, day by day, until they finally got through it.
Thinking of this, the woman's eyes reddened. She took a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
The two maidservants quickly offered a few words of comfort.
The woman waved her hand with a smile, "I'm just remembering the bitter and savoring the sweet. Anyway, the past is past."
In recent years, many people had come to her, trying to claim kinship.
In fact, they were all distant relatives, most of whom were given some money and sent away, just enough to avoid turning those swindlers away empty-handed.
So as not to let it get out that she had forgotten her roots, that she had become rich and turned her back on people.
Before Gu Can left home last time, he and his mother, who had depended on each other, had a private talk.
The woman felt both gratified and heartbroken, and also a bit of strangeness.
Gratified that her son had truly grown up and could shoulder the family's responsibilities. Heartbroken that her son was so young and yet so mature.
Strangeness that this son seemed somewhat different from the one from the Niping Lane days and the later Qingxia Island period. To be precise, too different.
During that chat, Gu Can had told his mother some principles beyond books. At the time, the young man in Confucian robes had even joked, saying these were words he had picked up from the ground in the alley outside their door.
"Only when you've been poor do you know that the people around you are almost all ghosts."
"But as soon as you become rich, even walking alone at night, not to mention the people you see, even the ghosts you meet on the road are all good ghosts."
"But people can become ghosts; ghosts will never become people."
"Mother, now that our family is rich, and will only have more money in the future, don't be too frugal. As for the servants in the household, the rules must be clear and strict. There cannot be any ambiguity. You can't be extra kind to all outsiders just because you're happy, and then get angry at the people around you whenever you're in a bad mood. Over time, servants who figure out the pattern will look down on you. So, mother must not handle household affairs as 'yourself'; let the 'rules' handle them."
"But outside the family rules, mother can be polite to them. There are two kinds of favor here. One is money, the most tangible. And through money, you can grant positions, status, and titles. The other is intangible—it's you, as the head of the family, saying a few words to them in daily interactions, or even just a look. Neither kind alone can buy people's hearts. Only by having both, combined with rules and family law, can our family last long and be stable."
"Of course, if mother feels a lump in her throat, thinking that after so many years of hardship, you've finally struggled to see the light, why should you be good to them? That's fine too. If mother thinks what I said makes sense and is willing to genuinely treat them well, to see them as people, not as servants, that would be best. Even in the worst case, as long as I'm around, even if I'm not by mother's side back home, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly. But I hope mother can promise me one thing: in the future, if someone in the family makes a mistake, and I, or someone I send, deal with that person, mother must not sing a different tune."
"When we already know everything and still choose to act a certain way, that is living freely. But when we know nothing and still choose to act a certain way, we will suffer for nothing."
"In the final analysis, how to deal with the world and how to be a person are two different things."
"I think that if a person can go through life without harming others, there are only two possibilities. One is that they are purely good and have never had a harmful thought. The other is that they are truly strong, because they don't need to harm others to live well. I hope mother can be kind to the former and respect the latter."
The woman had just listened quietly to her son speak.
Gu Can spoke in a calm, offhand tone, explaining principles she could all understand.
Her son had grown up, and he was even teaching her how to conduct herself in the world.
The woman snapped back to reality and teased, "Do either of you have someone you've taken a liking to?"
The two maidservants exchanged a smile and both shook their heads, saying no.
Every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, rain or shine, the woman would go to the Fengliang Mountain temple, which had abundant incense offerings, to burn incense and make wishes, praying for her son's smooth cultivation and that his wishes would come true.
And every time she reached the foot of the mountain, the woman would stop the carriage and hike up on foot, seeking sincerity for spiritual response.
The reason she often went to Fengliang Mountain to burn incense, besides it being close to the prefectural city residence, was that the woman had a little thought of her own.
Thinking back to those days on Niping Lane, she had heard far too many heart-wrenching "cold words" (idle gossip).
The woman murmured to herself, "If she could see the scene today, how happy would she be?"
Shujian Lake, Qingxia Island.
At the mountain gate, one room was locked. In the next room, a lamp was lit, bright as day.
Those on night duty were Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi, and it was almost like this every year, no surprise.
That kid Zeng Ye had hit a lucky streak ever since he set foot on Qingxia Island. No wonder he was nostalgic; such a piece of "dragon-raising land" was worth visiting often.
As for that little girl named Ma Duyi, she was a ghost creature. Over the years, she had been wearing fox-skin talismans and seemed to enjoy frequently buying cosmetics to reward herself.
Liu Zhimao, with his hands behind his back, walked over to the mountain gate archway but didn't go into the room to sit. He just glanced at the couplets and the "福" (fortune) character pasted on the door.
It seemed they had been put up by the Qingxia Island second-class offering master, the ghost cultivator from the Zhuxian Residence who was formerly a porter, along with his doorman Hong Su.
Liu Zhimao walked straight toward the ferry. A gentle breeze brushed by, and an uninvited guest appeared beside him.
Liu Zhimao turned his head and smiled, "Sect Leader, you have such leisure."
The old man at the ferry nodded, "Have you really made up your mind? Not considering it anymore? Not thinking that next time you visit Gongliu Island, I'll be the one saying this?"
Liu Laocheng, now the Sect Leader of the True Mirror Sect, was also the first mountain-and-wild rogue cultivator in Vase Bottle Continent to break into the Upper Five Realms.
The implication was that if he agreed to what was being proposed, Liu Zhimao would become the fourth Sect Leader in the history of the True Mirror Sect.
Liu Zhimao shook his head, "This lowly life of mine just can't handle being the top leader. I previously wanted to succeed the Sect Leader and become the common lord of Shujian Lake. I racked my brains, planned so much before and after, and still ended up with an empty basket. If I hadn't known a bit about the principle of leaving some leeway in dealing with people, I might have lost my life. Even now, when I think back, I still feel lingering fear. Sect Leader, please don't put me in a difficult position."
Liu Laocheng nodded, "Then I'll make other arrangements."
Liu Zhimao sighed with emotion for no reason, "Same weather, same clothes as of old, yet they say a new year brings a new look."
Liu Laocheng smiled slightly, "People of the mountain should not speak the words of the foothills."
Liu Zhimao tentatively asked through heart-to-heart communication, "Is the new Lake Lord easy to deal with?"
Liu Laocheng replied, "It's bearable for now. It will definitely get harder in the future. But compared to the back-and-forth scheming with that young accountant back then, it will always be a bit easier."
Liu Zhimao suddenly burst into laughter, "I really can't imagine that I would be night-roaming together with Liu Laocheng of Gongliu Island, without the slightest worry of being beaten to death."
Liu Laocheng smiled and turned his head to look at the lake, where islands were like unmoving boats.
Waves washing sand, a boat sailing by night, fragrant grass and beauties dare not sing, for fear of dragons overhearing.
In the early days of Shujian Lake, everyone had to be extra careful. The only rule was that there were no rules. It wasn't easy to even get a good night's sleep.
Over at the mountain gate room, the ghost cultivator Ma Yuanzhi, along with the doorman Hong Su, were on night duty here.
In one room, they were all of similar mountain backgrounds, naturally feeling a bit closer.
Zeng Yi talked about past events, but they always revolved around two people: the earlier Mr. Chen, and the later Gu Can.
Whenever Zeng Yi mentioned the latter, Ma Duyi couldn't help but tease him. It was hard to remember that she used to be scared to death of Gu Can. Then, at the final farewell back then, someone had started silently crying. Was it extreme grief, or extreme joy?
Zeng Yi's face was awkward; he could never win an argument with Ma Duyi. He could only mutter, "Who would have thought Gu Can's temperament would change so drastically? Before and after, he's like two different people."
"Mr. Chen once said that we become our parents' children, and later become our children's parents. It could be a form of debt collection, or it could be a form of debt repayment."
"When Mr. Chen said this, he laughed and said that he himself was a brat who came to collect debts."
The room fell silent, and a faint crackling sound of charcoal splitting came from the brazier.
Ma Duyi suddenly said angrily, "How come I didn't know Mr. Chen talked to you about this?"
Zeng Yi said helplessly, "I always had time alone with Mr. Chen."
Ma Duyi complained, "When Mr. Chen was alone with me, why didn't he talk about this?"
They were drinking, all rice wine from Hong Su's hometown. Zeng Yi mentioned some casual remarks Mr. Chen had made about drinking, saying that there were two things in life with the most chew: reuniting with old friends after a long separation, and being half-drunk, looking back on one's life. Tea has a sweet aftertaste.
Ma Yuanzhi's face showed a bit of reluctance, and he said, "That kid Chen Ping'an does have some learning. People who have eaten ink are indeed a bit different."
Hong Su blinked her eyes and laughed, "Why aren't you calling him Master Chen anymore?"
Ma Yuanzhi spat, "He promised to write a book for me, to properly tell the story of me and her Highness the Eldest Princess. But he's been dawdling; I don't even know if he's finished the first few thousand words of the opening."
Ma Duyi turned to look at Hong Su, who only dared to shake her head furtively, indicating that it wasn't anything like that.
Zeng Yi suddenly thought of a woman. So many years had passed, and he still missed her often.
Perhaps so-called "longing" is hanging a portrait of a beloved woman in the door of one's heart, never forgetting to think of her.
Ma Duyi asked casually, "Did Mr. Chen ever say what it is to become a married couple in this lifetime?"
Zeng Yi smiled and nodded, giving an answer.
"It is a fulfilling of a wish."
---
At the top-floor corridor of the tallest building in the Demon-Suppressing Tower, the Pure Yang Daoist bearing a whisk and carrying a sword, along with Xiao Mo and Qing Tong, almost simultaneously saw an anomaly.
Taking the building they stood on as the center, one by one figures of landscape deities and cultivators appeared in the air, burning incense in a respectful posture. They stood with their backs to the top-floor corridor, arranged in a row, as if dozens of mirror-flower-water-moon projections had been opened simultaneously, or like an unprecedented "Patriarch Hall" meeting. Their minds were as one, discussing only one matter, doing only one thing.
The River God of Chongdan River, Li Jin, after obtaining two gilded scrolls, left the bookshop and returned to his water mansion. He bathed, changed into the official robe of a river orthodox deity, lit a stick of water incense, and paid respects to the Tongye Continent to the south. He raised his thoughts and made a wish, silently praying in his heart for peace for the departed spirits of a continent and safety for the living.
The River God of Embroidery River, a river orthodox deity with a green snake coiled around her arm, reverently lit incense, wishing for the shattered mountains and rivers of Tongye Continent to be restored, and for the heroic spirits on the battlefields of the continent to be reborn.
The River God of Jade Liquid River, Ye Qingzhu, after lighting a stick of water incense, murmured: "The great man does not bear grudges for minor offenses. I wish to do my meager part for Tongye Continent. May the territory of the continent enjoy peace and prosperity."
Within the Lotus Root Paradise of Luo Po Mountain, led by the water dragon Hong Xia, a group of river and water gods from the paradise each lit a stick of pure incense. The incense smoke rose gracefully and suddenly drifted as one toward the south.
From the Ji River of the Northern Reed Continent—the water god of the old Ji River Middle Shrine, now the Dragon Pavilion Marquis Li Yuan, a black-robed youth with a pair of golden eyes—in his great marquis residence, he spoke his wish aloud: May the Tongye Continent enjoy favorable weather.
From the Chongxuan Office, Xiaoyao Palace of Dayuan Dynasty, State Preceptor Yang Qingkong, the old true person held a whisk engraved with the two characters "Wind God" and lit three sticks of pure incense.
Beside the old true person was Yang Houjue, a Jade Pool realm cultivator with the Dao name "Tuanni". He looked respectful and, together with the Yang Clan's ancestor, held incense with both hands, facing south.
From the Swaying River of Bone Beach, River Earl Xue Yuansheng, no longer in the guise of an old boatman, revealed his golden body, donned a dharma robe, and lit a stick of water incense.
The Great River Lingyuan Duke Shen Lin, the old water god of Nanxun Water Palace. Like a hibiscus flower from a distant mountain, she stood gracefully at the entrance of her mansion, her back to the plaque reading "Virtue Wandering Palace". Shen Lin faced south, wishing the Tongye Continent a time of peace and bountiful harvests.
Within the territory of Yinping State, the Lake Lord Cangyun Lake Cangyun Hou, who governed one lake, three rivers, and two canals, a lake lord wearing a purple-red dharma robe, across the Vase Bottle Continent, held incense with both hands and paid respects to Tongye Continent, wishing it a return of spring to the land and a renewal of all things.
On Mixue Peak of Xiandu Mountain, Yu Fushan from Mo Line Ferry lit incense and hoped that the people of Tongye Continent would live in peace, with timely rain and sunshine, abundant harvests, and both internal and external peace and good fortune.
From the Chilin River, Qiu Du, the old dragon from the Great River Dragon Palace, a former instructor specifically tasked with teaching the dragon sons and granddaughters about etiquette and rules, held incense and murmured, wishing the Tongye Continent in the new year a sea calm and rivers clear, peace under heaven. She hoped the new people of Tongye Continent would have their young educated and their old supported.
From the Maihe River, Biyou Palace of Daquan Dynasty, Water God Fairy Liu Rou. She hoped that in the future, there would be no more war in Tongye Continent, that the common people could eat their fill and wear warm clothes, and that the immortal lords on the mountains would stop putting on airs and talk more about reason.
The master of the entire land-based water transport of Hao Ran World, the Fairy Dan Dan, with the Dao name "Qingzhong", prayed for Tongye Continent: may the wind and sun be gentle, and when the granaries are full, people know propriety.
The South Sea Water Lord Li Yihou lit incense, hoping that the mountains and rivers of Tongye Continent would revive like withered trees meeting spring, that the people would live and work in peace, that the various states would have good governance and harmony, and that a time of peace and prosperity would be welcomed.
The previous Sect Leader of the Rain Dragon Sect, now the Patriarch of Law, the female cultivator Yun Qian, made a wish. She hoped that in the countries of Tongye Continent, the sound of books would be loud, that everyone would have ample food and clothing, that the nation would be prosperous and the people at peace, and that all living beings would be blessed.
From the place rumored to be the Dao Ancestor's alchemy furnace, the woman in the small wine shop, the former throne great demon Yang Zhi, together with her newly accepted direct disciple, Gan Zhou, the old woman of Chaoqiu River, they all held water incense and prayed for Tongye Continent to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, for timely wind and rain, abundant harvests of the five grains, and the peace of the state.
The Changchun Marquis of Qi Ferry in Vase Bottle Continent, Water God Yang Hua, lit water incense and silently recited: when all things are abundant and the people are loyal and filial, then timely peace and abundant years follow; therefore, after "Hua Shu", when the year is abundant, millet and sorghum are appropriate.
The Qin Lake Lord of Nantang Lake burned incense and prayed with a sincere heart. He wished that the five grains would ripen abundantly in Tongye Continent and that the harvest would fill the homes.
The Tiaobo River had already been renamed and promoted to Old Fish Lake. Cen Wenqian had already filed the records with the Changchun Marquis's residence and the Great Li court, formally promoted to a lake lord. After fasting and purification, Cen Wenqian lit a stick of water incense and paid respects from afar to the mountains and rivers of Tongye Continent. She wished that this landmass in the southeastern corner of Hao Ran World would henceforth be far from calamity, rich and noble, healthy and peaceful.
Furthermore, from Vase Bottle Continent, the Linli Earl of Qi Ferry, the former Qiantang Chief Cao Yong. Within Huangting State, the founding patriarch of Ziyang Mansion, the old dragon's eldest daughter Wu Yi. The former River God of Tiequan River, Gao Niang. The River God of Baihu River, Xiao Luan... they all appeared one by one.
Above the subsidiary capital of Vase Bottle Continent, the Imitation White Jade Capital.
Back then, Cui Chan had borrowed the two sacred characters "Mountain" and "Water" from people. The "Mountain" character was the life-bound character of the Grand Sacrificial Wine of the Book of Rites Academy.
As Chen Ping'an had guessed, the "Water" character that Senior Brother Cui Chan borrowed was, of course, from this old senior who had his temple on Shujian Lake and had written the piece "Asking Heaven".
He had once given the four pieces "Mountain Ghost", "Crossing the River", "Lord of the East", and "Summoning the Soul" to the Literary Saint.
This old gentleman was not within the lineage of the Temple of Literature's Dao tradition; he had established his own school. Therefore, that stick of "heart incense" from this old master would be the most efficacious stick of water incense between heaven and earth.
It seemed that the matter of the water gods of each continent lighting incense would be concluded by this old gentleman.
The scholar once again invited all gentlemen to enter his dream, and borrowed ten thousand mountains from you.
Roaming through the Six Classics, his spirit crossed the seas and condensed thoughts on mountains and peaks. I will be the host.
From the Northern Sacred Mountain of Vase Bottle Continent, Piyun Mountain, Wei Bo. The Central Sacred Mountain Lord, Jin Qing. The Southern Sacred Mountain Lord, Fan Junmao. They each lit a stick of mountain incense to pray for blessings and disaster relief for Tongye Continent.
From Middle Earth Divine Continent, within the Dayong Dynasty, the Jiuxian Immortal Pavilion. Immortal Yun Miao and his Dao companion Wei Zi, in a broken paradise overrun with miasma and haunted by ghosts, jointly lit incense to pay respects to Tongye Continent.
From Sui Mountain in Middle Earth, with the divine title "Great Sacrifice", the Mountain Lord Zhou You manifested his majestic golden dharma image, facing the southeast direction of Hao Ran World, holding incense with both hands.
One of the two "storage mountains" of the Great Sacred Mountain Juxu, the Land Immortal of Bird-Lift Mountain, Daoist Feng Jun.
The old Mountain Lord of Xiangfei Mountain, Gong Xinzhou.
Vase Bottle Continent. The Mountain Lord of Diedie Cloud Ridge, Dou Yan. The Mountain Lord of Fen Shui Ridge, Wei Wei. Leading the two accompanying goddesses of the mountain god temple, they faced south and paid respects from afar.
The last person, who seemed to be the one concluding the "mountain incense" for the heroic spirits of the world's mountains and peaks, was the Pure Yang Daoist Lü Yan, whose "true body" was in Vase Bottle Continent.
On the top-floor corridor of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, Xiao Mo and Qing Tong both bowed with clasped fists to thank the Pure Yang Daoist beside them. Lü Yan smiled, made a ritual hand gesture, and returned the greeting.
The incense smoke rose gracefully, and starlight twinkled.
Drops of water converge to form rivers and seas. Accumulated earth becomes a mountain; wind and rain arise from it.
The Saint of Sages watched those gradually fading figures, stroked his beard, and laughed, "Later, tell the Temple of Literature to record them and this matter in the books."
Chen Ping'an couldn't very well say anything about that.
The Saint of Sages asked, "How much merit do you have left on hand now?"
Chen Ping'an nodded, roughly estimating about thirty percent remaining.
"Loud thunder, but the raindrops can't be said to be small either. To be honest, it's already quite a grand spectacle. You've completely solved the most pressing problem for Tongye Continent. That may sound ordinary, but it's actually quite remarkable. It's like when you pure martial artists switch a breath of true qi—it's not like using medicine to prolong life, but truly coming back to life."
The Saint of Sages turned his head to look at Chen Ping'an, chuckled, and said, "But if you end it here, won't you inevitably feel a regret every time you think back on it in the future?"
Chen Ping'an was puzzled. What more could he possibly do? Could it be that the Saint of Sages was willing to help bridge the connection and donate the remaining thirty percent of merit to those landscape deities he wasn't familiar with?
The Saint of Sages smiled, "You've thought wrong. For one thing, I can no longer interfere in any specific matters now. Otherwise, it would definitely not be a good thing for Hao Ran World. Besides, is my face so worthless that I need to personally go out, thick-skinned, and knock on doors one by one to ask them if they want to do business with you? What kind of nonsense is that?"
Chen Ping'an was even more confused and could only wait for an explanation.
The Saint of Sages didn't beat around the bush either. He smiled and said, "Birds of a feather flock together. You disciples of the Literary Saint lineage, although your innate temperaments are vastly different, there are always a few things on which you will be especially telepathically in tune."
"The earliest was Qi Jingchun, who entrusted Bai Ye with a matter. Then came Zuo You from the Sword Qi Great Wall, who entrusted Chen Qingdu with a matter. Next was Jun Qian, before he left for the Azure Underworld, who entrusted the scripture scholar Xiping with a matter. Finally, Cui Chan... he said nothing, but his meaning? The Temple of Literature all understood."
"In fact, it was the same matter: they donated their Temple of Literature merits to their junior brother for him to handle."
The Saint of Sages patted the young man's shoulder, "So, besides being given hope, which is something that makes you feel you are not alone, walking the great Dao alongside others must also be the same."
It wasn't just that these senior brothers trusted their Master's last disciple to be able to shoulder the future of the Literary Saint lineage and protect the Dao for their Master's second-generation disciples.
It was more a kind of telepathic understanding among the five direct disciples of the Literary Saint lineage, requiring no words.
Perhaps we have all felt disappointed with this world, but we are all willing to place hope in this world.