# Chapter 953: Reunion of Old Acquaintances
In the Azure Dragon World, at the Xuan Du Guan Temple.
Within a peach blossom forest, an old Daoist master and a handsome young boy wearing a tiger-head hat walked side by side, followed by a fat man who looked around, checking if there were any peach branches on the ground that could be picked up.
That group of traveling sword cultivators from the Sword Qi Great Wall had settled separately in the Bi Yu Jing Shen Xiao City, the Sui Chu Gong Palace, and the Xuan Du Guan Temple of the Azure Dragon World.
The Xuan Du Guan only received this money-grubbing fat man, but the young sword cultivator got along quite well with the old temple master. Of course, it might have been a case of the latter assuming the affinity.
In any case, Yan Zhuo had been doing quite well in business over the years, secretly using the old temple master's name. For a behemoth like Xuan Du Guan, the affiliated mountain peaks were too numerous to count with both hands, not to mention the dozens of dynasties and vassal states that relied on it. Even speaking solely of the Xuan Du Guan lineage itself, the Daoist officials under its jurisdiction numbered nearly a hundred thousand.
The old temple master simply turned a blind eye to it. After all, the financial transactions were all benefits that stayed within the family. If that fat Yan could ever swindle money from the Bi Yu Jing, the old temple master would have no problem gifting him a gold-lettered plaque. He might even have Lu the Third inscribe and sign it.
The old temple master pondered for a long time, then finally spoke plainly, "Bai Ye, would you be willing to serve as the abbot of Xuan Du Guan in the future?"
Bai Ye didn't seem surprised. He shook his head and said directly, "Impossible."
The old temple master nodded. "I knew this would be your answer, but I couldn't help asking. Just in case."
The old temple master was silent for a moment, then asked, "You won't be the abbot, and you certainly won't be the superintendent, who has to deal with a mountain of worldly affairs—it's even more troublesome than being the abbot. How about being a Senior Seat?"
An abbot could be either a figurehead or someone with real power. If willing to manage things, they could oversee everything, no matter how trivial. If unwilling, it was merely an empty title, and they could hand everything over to the temple's superintendent. As for the Senior Seat, they were hailed as the pillar of Daoist temples and the model for the Daoist community. Only those with outstanding merits and a profound understanding of the law could qualify. They served as the exemplar for the entire temple community, the eyes and standards for all.
It was somewhat similar to the mountain sects of the Haoran World, combining the roles of chief patron and guest elder.
Bai Ye still shook his head. "I truly don't want to be distracted."
The old temple master sighed. "If I were to ask you to be just a regular deacon, even if you were willing, I wouldn't have the face to offer it. The Azure Dragon World would have a good laugh at my expense."
In larger Daoist temples, besides the eight major deacon positions, there were also the Three Capitals, Five Lords, and Eighteen Heads.
Yan Zhuo noticed the atmosphere was a bit dull, so he volunteered, "Old temple master, if you don't mind, how about someone like me for abbot or Senior Seat..."
The old temple master nodded and interrupted, "I mind."
Yan Zhuo wasn't insane; he wouldn't dare to covet the position of abbot or Senior Seat of Xuan Du Guan. But he had been scheming for years, thinking that given his deep friendship with the old temple master, he should at least aim for the position of the Hall Master of the Ten Directions Cloud and Water Hall. Though the position was responsible for accommodating itinerant Daoists and wasn't particularly lucrative, Yan Zhuo had his own methods to open up financial channels. Of course, he wouldn't stoop to crooked money.
The old temple master suddenly said, "Fat Yan, when you one day break through to the Jade Pu Realm, I'll find an opportunity to open an ancestral hall meeting. I'll casually mention your name and recommend you for the position of treasury deacon. But I'll warn you now: I haven't managed affairs for a long time and don't have much prestige within the temple, so it might not succeed. Don't get your hopes up too high. If it works out, that's best. If not, don't blame me for being useless."
Yan Zhuo rubbed his hands together and grinned. "I understand, I understand. No problem, no problem."
The treasury deacon was one of the eight major positions. Given Xuan Du Guan's immense scale and profound foundation, it was roughly equivalent to the Minister of Revenue of a large dynasty in the mortal world.
The old temple master turned his head to look in a certain direction, then took his leave. Bai Ye seemed about to say something but hesitated. The old temple master smiled knowingly and said, "If there's a chance, I'll plant more peach blossoms."
The old temple master shrunk the land beneath him and appeared in another part of the peach forest, beside a mountain stream. Standing there was a female Daoist with white hair but the face of a young girl.
The old temple master performed a Daoist salute and said solemnly, "Senior Sister."
The girl merely nodded in acknowledgment, then looked up at the sky.
Xuan Du Guan had always publicly stated that she was in seclusion.
In reality, she had been traveling far and wide, and now her merits were complete. Only then did she return to Xuan Du Guan.
She was waiting for the right heavenly timing, waiting for the rain.
It was both a far-reaching plan made in preparation for future events and a somewhat helpless course of action taken only because there was no other choice.
Thus, when she appeared this time, she didn't bother putting on the airs of a senior sister with her junior disciple.
The "girl" withdrew her gaze and looked down at the stream, murmuring, "The peach blossoms flow away with the water."
This line came from Bai Ye's piece "Answering a Commoner's Question in the Mountains."
Her name was Wang Sun, and her Daoist name was "Empty Mountain." She had been recognized as the most talented Daoist official in the history of Xuan Du Guan. It could even be said that her several junior disciples had been beaten up by her since childhood. Among them was the current temple master, Sun Huai Zhong.
"Knowing the Dao since childhood" was the praise the outside world had for her. "Achieving nothing even with white hair" was how she described herself.
At the Sui Chu Gong Temple, outside the Guan Que Tower, the river waters rolled eastward. There was a place called the Midstream Pillar, one of the few remaining Dragon Resting Stones in the world. Buildings lined the area, and there were many cliff carvings.
The old Nascent Soul sword cultivator Cheng Quan was now standing with an old acquaintance on a cliff by the river, watching the water. However, the height difference between the two was significant. Standing beside the old sword cultivator was a child with a young face but an old and experienced demeanor.
This was one of the top ten sword immortals from the Sword Qi Great Wall, Na Lan Shao Wei.
He had "appeared in the world" slightly later than Chen Xi of the Fei Sheng City. The reason was that the people at Sui Chu Gong were extremely hospitable. They had gone to great trouble to find him a transcendent immortal body of a Flying Ascension Realm great cultivator. What's more, it was a rare and precious relic left behind by a sword cultivator who had dissolved their physical form and departed from the world.
A young Daoist official stood by the railing in a high building by the river. He was full of scholarly air, staring blankly across the river. The river itself was like a heavenly moat.
On one side, people gathered like ants. On the other, only a few figures stood. In this person's eyes, it was as if this river formed a boundary: on one side were Fourteenth Realm great cultivators, and on the other were sentient beings below the Fourteenth Realm.
Na Lan Shao Wei glanced at the young Daoist official over by the Guan Que Tower. He looked quite like a scholar. Na Lan Shao Wei casually remarked, "Cultivators from Sui Chu Gong are either in seclusion or preparing for it. How come this fellow is always strolling around the tower?"
Cheng Quan said, "His name is Gao Ping. He has two Daoist names: 'Tai Hang' and 'Zou Ge.' They sound quite mysterious. Gao Ping is the registrar Daoist official of Sui Chu Gong. It seems he's held that position for many years without promotion. He's always been responsible for the register books and records of all temple Daoists, as well as the submission of certification requests. But besides his official position as registrar, Gao Ping also holds a unique title within Sui Chu Gong: 'Literary Scholar.' It was something I had never even heard of before. If the Hidden Official Lord were here, he would surely understand all these intricate matters."
Na Lan Shao Wei nodded. "It's an ancient official title from the Haoran World. It's quite old. The rank is very low, but without considerable learning, one couldn't hold that position. It's rarely used nowadays."
Cheng Quan looked at Na Lan Shao Wei with surprise.
Na Lan Shao Wei cursed with a laugh, "What kind of look is that? Is it so strange that I know the origin of 'Literary Scholar'? You're acting like you've discovered that Chen Ping An doesn't know something."
Cheng Quan chuckled. "If we're talking about sword techniques, I'll admit you're currently a cut above the Hidden Official Lord. But if we're comparing scholarly knowledge, you really can't match him. You just happened to stumble upon this piece of knowledge."
Na Lan Shao Wei changed the subject. "Have you had dealings with him?"
Cheng Quan nodded. "I've met him a few times in the tower and by the river. He's a very quiet person. We didn't talk much. There are some rumors about him within Sui Chu Gong. He only chats with the Night Watcher nicknamed Xiao Bai. He seems to enjoy playing chess. Palace Master Wu occasionally joins in, but there's a strange rule: they only play the first forty moves."
Na Lan Shao Wei nodded. "Back in the day, I used to play chess with Sun Ju Yuan and the others. I won more than I lost."
Cheng Quan asked, "Do you actually know how many lines there are on a chessboard?"
Na Lan Shao Wei laughed angrily. "You've got a smart mouth."
Cheng Quan smiled. "Want to have a go?"
Na Lan Shao Wei ignored this expert, who ranked among the top three trash-talkers of the Sword Qi Great Wall. Instead, he looked at the young-faced registrar Daoist official. He would find a chance to play a few games with him.
Over by the Guan Que Tower, Gao Ping said via sound transmission with a smile, "When Sword Immortal Na Lan has time, you're welcome to visit. I would like to discuss the final battle of the Sword Qi Great Wall with Sword Immortal Na Lan and go over it move by move."
Na Lan Shao Wei laughed. "I don't understand those fancy and vague things. You've found the wrong person. You need to talk to those young people at the Summer Resort about that."
Gao Ping smiled. "Sword Immortal Na Lan is being too modest. It's just a discussion on paper."
Na Lan Shao Wei made no reply.
Gao Ping performed a Daoist salute, then turned and walked into the Guan Que Tower. After closing the door, the registrar's vision fell upon a map of the nine provinces, which saw slight changes almost every year.
In the future, when Sui Chu Gong questioned the Bi Yu Jing, it was likely that Palace Master Wu Shuang Jiang would only account for half of the weight.
The other half would be this map encompassing the nine provinces of the world.
Blizzard raged, snowflakes as large as palms.
A barefoot monk in a purple robe walked without leaving a trace on the snow, traveling alone along the border between two provinces. He came to a barren, dangerous land where spiritual energy was almost nonexistent and gazed at a cliff.
A lofty person dwelled in the mountains.
A ninety-generation monk sat in a deep valley. A thousand ages, ten thousand autumns, his noble spirit would never fall.
After parting with Ya Xiang Yao Qing and leaving the Qing Shen Dynasty, Jiang Xiu had come here to listen to this person's opinion.
After receiving an ambiguous answer, Jiang Xiu simply smiled and dismissed it, continuing his travels.
He quietly entered the You Prefecture territory.
In a place called Jia Ma Camp, located in the Zhu Lu Commandery, which was said to be the site of an ancient battlefield, there was a Chan River Bridge.
A village woman walked out of a Bronze Camel Lane, carrying a pole over her shoulder as she crossed the bridge.
On each end of the pole hung a bamboo basket, with a child sitting in each basket.
Jiang Xiu smiled. "She's carrying around two little ancestors."
In a remote area of You Prefecture, there was a small Daoist temple called Zhu Xu Guan.
On the street outside the temple, not very wide, a book stall was set up at a street corner. It had martial arts novels, picture books, and comic strips. They were for rent only, not for sale. For a single copper coin, one could read a book.
On benches of various heights sat children in split-crotch pants, as well as a few idle young loafers, flipping through books and exchanging lewd jokes.
The stall owner was a young Daoist with a fair complexion, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He had a sturdy build and was named Mao Zhui. He didn't have a Daoist name yet.
Zhu Xu Guan was a small temple in a small county. Though small, it had all the necessary functions. Mao Zhui was the culinary official of that small temple, meaning he was in charge of meals.
But at least he was a Daoist official with a rank, even if lowly. When walking on the street, he could be addressed with the honorific "Lord."
And his master was the temple's receptionist Daoist, with a status second only to the temple master and the superintendent—the third seat.
The young Daoist official didn't make much money from this book stall. He had been a mountain runner since childhood, going into the mountains to gather herbs, catch centipedes, and weave cricket cages—anything that earned money he would do.
By all logic, being a Daoist official and not bad-looking, he shouldn't have been single. But the problem was that the neighbors all said this Culinary Official Master Mao seemed to have something wrong with his head. He would often stare blankly into space, or suddenly his face would be covered in tears while eating, without making a sound. Over time, no one dared to propose marriage to him. Otherwise, a Daoist official with an official certification would have been a hot commodity.
Mao Zhui held a piece of braised meat wrapped in oil paper in his palm, with seven or eight cloves of garlic inside. He was chewing slowly.
A young Daoist approached on the street. He wore a Hun Yuan crown with a hard brim, revealing his hair bun, which was held in place by a boxwood hairpin horizontally.
The out-of-town Daoist stopped, looked up at the plaque of the small temple, and smiled. "A fine name: Zhu Xu Guan, meaning 'to draw from abundance to supplement deficiency.'"
The way to hold onto abundance was to draw from it and diminish it, so as to avoid the regrets of an arrogant dragon and the transgressions of heaven and earth.
The young Daoist turned his head and smiled at Mao Zhui.
A large province, a small state; a large commandery, a small county; a small temple—yet here was a great cultivator.
It wasn't "but there was," but "but he was."
Because the temple's people and the temple itself were all manifestations of this very Daoist.
Mao Zhui turned his head and sighed. "Closing shop."
The children immediately became unhappy. Mao Zhui had no choice but to say, "Next time, each of you can read three books for free."
There wouldn't be a next time anyway.
The children cheered and scattered.
As for those young adults, they didn't make a fuss either. They stubbornly cursed a few times and left. Mainly, they felt that the out-of-town Daoist didn't look like someone to mess with.
The young Daoist smiled. "I went through a lot of trouble to find this place. No wonder Lord Lu can't find you."
Mao Zhui said, "It's not that he can't find me; it's that he doesn't need to find me for now."
The young Daoist smiled. "Same difference. I arrived first."
"The Qing Shen Dynasty couldn't protect you. Yao Qing had too many concerns and was lacking in cultivation realm. So he informed me."
"My Di Fei Mountain, once the grand formation is activated, and if you hide in the Huayang Palace ancestral cave, protecting you for a hundred years shouldn't be a problem. I can bill the Qing Shen Dynasty for all expenses of opening the mountain gate formation."
Mao Zhui sneered. "Aren't you afraid he'll show up right in front of you in the next moment?"
"First, my attainments in formations and my methods of obscuring heavenly secrets aren't too bad."
The young Daoist walked over to the stall, chose a long bench to sit on, and smiled. "Second, the ones 'openly' opposed to the Bi Yu Jing already include Xuan Du Guan and Sui Chu Gong. Adding one more, Di Fei Mountain, doesn't count for much. Truly invincible, after all."
Within a certain large country of You Prefecture, whose national power was not inferior to the Qing Shen Dynasty of Bing Prefecture, the Hong Nong Yang Clan had been the backbone of the court since ancient times. And the Yang Clan had always been the largest donor to Huayang Palace. It wasn't just about donations; many Daoist officials of Di Fei Mountain came from the Hong Nong Yang Clan.
If a matter fell within a certain hundred-year period under the Bi Yu Jing's jurisdiction, if it could be punished or not, punishment was certain; if someone could be killed or not, death was certain.
These things didn't matter much anyway. Everyone knew that Yu Dou never specifically targeted anyone; he just dealt with matters on their merits.
The problem was this Second Lord of the Dao. Every time he interrogated someone who had violated the rules, besides dealing with the matter itself and inflicting death or heavy punishment, he would also investigate "the fault of the teacher for poor instruction," forcing the entire mountain to bow its head. That wasn't a problem either. Once, a young man from Di Fei Mountain whose Daoist certification had been revoked, banned from serving as a Daoist official for life, refused to accept it. Not for himself, but for his master and his mountain. He insisted on demanding an explanation and justice from the Second Lord of the Dao.
This person not only came from the Hong Nong Yang Clan but was also the youngest disciple of this "young Daoist."
As a result of the disturbance, this former Daoist official surnamed Yang received an even heavier punishment. Furthermore, he implicated his family with "the fault of the father for poor instruction of the son." It didn't cripple the Hong Nong Yang Clan, but...
Back then, an old Daoist of high virtue, one of the ten people of the Azure Dragon World, stood at the border of the Bi Yu Jing, gazing from afar at the five cities and twelve towers of that sacred site.
And he was the ancestral master of Di Fei Mountain's Huayang Palace: Gao Gu, Daoist name "Ju Yue." He was recognized as the number one alchemist across multiple worlds.
Mao Zhui shook his head. "You still underestimate that person too much."
Gao Gu smiled. "Why not put it another way: It's that Gao Gu overestimates himself."
Mao Zhui twitched the corner of his mouth. "That's a pretty good joke."
"Daoist friend Chun Yang once said, 'A single golden elixir in my belly; I know my fate is not controlled by heaven.'"
Gao Gu said, "We are fortunate to be born as humans and can ascend the mountains to cultivate the Dao. What we seek, to put it bluntly and fundamentally, is to preserve our humanity. As for you, White Bone True Man, you are different from walking corpses and animated skeletons. You are seeking humanity, proving yourself on the path. What do you think, Daoist friend?"
Mao Zhui was silent for a moment, then said, "Let me finish my braised meat and garlic cloves first."
---
In the Yu Zhang Commandery of Hong Prefecture within Great Li, a new Logging Bureau had been established.
And in the Yu Prefecture, which connected to Hong Prefecture, a Weaving Bureau had been set up earlier. Nominally, it supervised the weaving of textiles for imperial and official use within the entire prefecture. The first chief officer was a young official named Li Bao Zhen, who had a military background and martial merits. But even the prefectural governor had no authority to access or review this person's files.
When Lord Weaver Li took office, he brought only two close attendants to serve as assistant officials in the Weaving Bureau. Both were surnamed Zhu.
According to local records, in the Yu Prefecture territory of Great Li, strange sounds as loud as thunder would often come from the sky for no reason around the noon hour. Hence the name Yu Prefecture.
Late tonight, Supervisor Li Bao Zhen, along with his two assistant officials, paid a visit to the Yu Zhang Commandery Logging Bureau.
The trio met Lin Zheng Cheng. Li Bao Zhen performed a bow as a junior, saying, "Uncle Lin, your nephew presumes upon your kindness with this visit."
Lin Zheng Cheng, who was sitting by the fire in the study keeping watch, simply nodded in acknowledgment.
Seeing that Li Bao Zhen seemed inclined to continue standing, Lin Zheng Cheng used tongs to stir the charcoal, then gestured for the three visitors to sit. "We're not talking about official business tonight anyway. We're all from the same hometown. Let's just sit and chat."
In reality, given their respective positions, it was impossible for them to discuss official business. The newly established Yu Prefecture Weaving Bureau and Hong Prefecture Logging Bureau were similar to the earliest Long Quan Commandery Kiln Supervision Office. They were both "downward" institutions of the Great Li court. Their memorials were delivered directly to the imperial ear. If the two chief officers were to meet privately and conspire about something, it would be a great taboo in the officialdom. But ordinary social interactions didn't require deliberate distancing. As for the control of this boundary, it depended on one's personal cultivation within the civil service. Just like tonight's meeting, both Lin Zheng Cheng and Li Bao Zhen would voluntarily file records. And even if they intended to conceal it, certain officials within the Weaving Bureau or Logging Bureau would surely inform His Majesty.
According to the newly compiled legal code of Great Li, the Yu Prefecture Weaving Bureau's official rank was much higher than the Yu Zhang Commandery Logging Bureau. Li Bao Zhen, as the chief officer of the Weaving Bureau, held a rank of Senior Fourth Grade. Adding some concealed powers, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Lord Weaver Li half a regional magnate.
The four of them sat around the fire. Above the brazier, an iron mesh held some golden-colored rice cakes and tofu pieces roasting—their late-night snack.
The father and daughter surnamed Zhu had long been freed from their lowly status. They had followed their master, young master Li Bao Zhen, out into the world for over twenty years. After the polishing of civil service and some different kinds of battles without the clashing of swords, Zhu He and his daughter Zhu Lu were now a Golden Body martial artist and a Sixth Realm martial artist respectively. The latter had just broken through at the beginning of this year.
The old martial artist was nearing sixty, with a touch of frost at his temples.
Lin Zheng Cheng turned to look at the old man and smiled. "Zhu He, it's been many years since we last met."
Zhu He smiled and nodded. "It must be at least twenty years since our last meeting."
Back then, Lin Zheng Cheng was among the earliest batch of native people to leave the Li Zhu Cave Heaven and move to the capital. Although Zhu He was a bodyguard of the Li family on Fu Lu Street, born into their household, in the early days of the town, Lin Zheng Cheng was an assistant official in the Kiln Supervision Office. He often accompanied the supervisor to inspect the kilns, and the Li family owned their own dragon kiln, with Zhu He managing the specific affairs. So they often met and were not strangers.
Lin Zheng Cheng turned to ask, "Zhu Lu, have you married?"
The woman seemed slightly restrained. She gently shook her head. "Not yet married."
Lin Zheng Cheng nodded. "I know you've always had high aspirations since you were young."
Zhu Lu's expression was one of embarrassment.
Li Bao Zhen was actually a bit envious of this father and daughter, able to reminisce with Lin Zheng Cheng. Unlike himself, who was only here at the Logging Bureau today to pay his respects.
Regarding Lin Zheng Cheng, this unassuming former official of the Kiln Supervision Office, Li Bao Zhen only needed one point to understand the depth of his background.
Just like how the Senior Third Grade Yu Prefecture Governor couldn't access the files of a Senior Fourth Grade weaving officer within his own territory—that was Li Bao Zhen's confidence.
And Li Bao Zhen, as the former chief of intelligence for the entire southeastern region of Vase Bottle Continent, had come into contact with numerous confidential intelligence files of Great Li. From Lin Zheng Cheng's seemingly detailed but mediocre resume, and from his subsequent service at the Great Li Capital's Victory Reporting Office, Li Bao Zhen had sniffed out an extremely hidden abnormality. It even led to a conclusion that chilled his spine: this Uncle Lin, who had been unsmiling and taciturn in his youth, was likely a key chess piece placed in the Li Zhu Cave Heaven by the National Teacher Cui Chan. And this seemingly insignificant piece might have influenced the direction of the entire Great Li court to some extent. This was Li Bao Zhen's official instinct.
Lin Zheng Cheng glanced at Lord Weaver Li, who was sitting upright. He wasn't young anymore—around forty, holding a Senior Fourth Grade position. If one set aside his status as the emperor's confidant, the Weaving Bureau was, after all, a specially established institution of the Great Li court. It was a "cold bench" office on the fringes of officialdom. So he wasn't as conspicuous as Cao Geng Xin, Yuan Zheng Ding, and other disciples of Pillar States families. But some people indeed seemed born for officialdom. Moreover, Li Bao Zhen was the only member of the deeply rooted Li family of Fu Lu Street to enter government service.
Lin Zheng Cheng used fire tongs to gently poke at the charcoal, which was buried under ash. He said calmly, "Using one's wisdom is like burning charcoal for warmth. One must learn to hide one's light to burn for a long time."
Li Bao Zhen nodded and smiled. "Besides being thrifty and saving charcoal, one must also increase wisdom. Going up the mountain to cut wood and burn charcoal is one way; buying charcoal from others is another. Also, when burning charcoal for warmth in the cold winter, besides controlling the heat yourself, you must also pay attention to the people sitting around the stove, trying to ensure no one finds the temperature too hot."
Lin Zheng Cheng nodded. Drawing inferences from one instance—this was a clever person; chatting with him was effortless.
The three siblings of the younger generation of the Li family on Fu Lu Street had indeed lived up to that prophecy.
Lin Zheng Cheng asked casually, "Having been an official for so many years, have you gained any insights?"
"One should never look down on anyone."
Li Bao Zhen said, "Emperors, generals, peddlers, porters, mountain immortals, ghosts, spirits, monsters—each has their merits. One must especially note that the lowest of the low may have the highest wisdom."
Zhu Lu hesitated for a moment, then softly said, "Uncle Lin, over the years, our young master has always preferred to deal with people from all walks of life. He hasn't had much interaction with Great Li officials."
Lin Zheng Cheng smiled. "A hidden dragon bides its time."
Li Bao Zhen's expression remained unchanged.
Lin Zheng Cheng said, "To earn the assessment of 'a dragon appears in the field' is still lacking something. Of course, I'm just a clerk at the Logging Bureau. I just happened to meet a junior from my hometown and couldn't help but say a few words based on my age and experience. I'm no high official of the Great Li Ministry of Rites. Lord Weaver, you don't have to take it too seriously."
Li Bao Zhen smiled. "It's precisely after leaving my hometown for many years that I understand how precious the elders' words from my hometown are."
Unlike people from ordinary places—the farther and longer they left home, the smaller they would feel their hometown was. For the young people from the Li Zhu Cave Heaven, the more accomplished they were, without exception, they all felt the "vastness" and unfathomable depth of their hometown town.
After about half an hour of casual chatting, Lin Zheng Cheng still spoke little. It was mostly Li Bao Zhen who kept the conversation going. Zhu He also interjected from time to time with old stories. Lin Zheng Cheng never showed any sign of impatience.
Li Bao Zhen took his leave, bringing Zhu He and Zhu Lu out of the Logging Bureau. After leaving the commandery city, Li Bao Zhen, to accommodate Zhu Lu, summoned a talisman boat and returned to Yu Prefecture, but not directly to the Weaving Bureau. Instead, they headed for a mountain peak.
The night was deep. Li Bao Zhen had nothing to do, so he sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, picking up a small ball of light formed from spiritual energy. The talisman boat sped through the night sky, leaving a trail like a firefly.
The father and daughter were silent, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Zhu He had been a Seventh Realm martial artist for many years. With a few more years of tempering his physique, he had hopes of traveling far as a pure martial artist. According to the Second Young Master's arrangement, once he became a Far Traveling Realm martial artist, he would be transferred from the Weaving Bureau to a local military position. The official rank wouldn't be too high, but with military merits and being a Far Traveling Realm martial artist, it probably wouldn't be too low either. Then, building an ancestral hall, compiling a family genealogy, and enshrining ancestral spirit tablets would no longer be a distant hope. Zhu He, a mere martial artist from a humble background, achieving this would bring glory to his family.
Zhu He had never been a man of great ambition. If not for repaying the Li family's kindness and needing to make long-term plans for his only daughter, Zhu Lu, Zhu He would have preferred to leave officialdom and settle in the martial world of some southern country of Vase Bottle Continent, far from the Great Li dynasty. He could either establish a sect or open a training hall to take disciples.
Zhu Lu's feelings were complicated.
Having left her hometown for many years and no longer a young girl, Zhu Lu occasionally wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn't left that study group back then.
Back then, a group of them left the town, crossed the Dragon Beard River and the Iron Talisman River, passed Qi Dun Mountain, and finally reached Red Candle Town. Then came that incident, and they went their separate ways.
If they hadn't split up, would she have gone with them to the Great Sui Academy?
Li Bao Ping, her and her father. Lin Shou Yi, Li Huai, and that person.
Zhu Lu felt that although the two groups had traveled together, they were fundamentally different kinds of people.
During that time, they met a man wearing a bamboo hat, carrying a saber, and leading a donkey. He called himself A Liang, the kind Liang, and claimed to be a swordsman.
He also claimed his swordsmanship was unmatched, unparalleled, and that even he found himself frightening when he was serious. He said his sword technique was so effortless that water couldn't penetrate it, and if a single corner of his clothes got wet, it meant his swordsmanship was lacking... So every time they passed a river, Li Huai would tell A Liang to stand on the bank, and he would go collect a pile of stones, asking A Liang to demonstrate his so-called swordsmanship, or he would count his fingers waiting for a rainy day.
There was constant noise and commotion, until even someone as honest as Zhu He began to wonder if that seemingly unfathomable swordsman was just a boastful charlatan.
In the end, at that place where three rivers converged, like the meeting and parting of river waters, it seemed to precisely split into three completely different life paths.
She and her father left Red Candle Town in disgrace, following the Second Young Master of the Li family on Fu Lu Street.
Li Bao Ping and her group continued on to the Great Sui Cliff Academy.
As for that good-for-nothing womanizer, he actually tore open the sky on that day and went to the Azure Dragon World. He even managed to both box and swords fight with the Second Master of the Bi Yu Jing. And then, as a sword cultivator, he entered the Fourteenth Realm...
Lin Shou Yi had served as the temple priest of the Central Great River. He was already a Nascent Soul cultivator, and it was said he had recently begun his seclusion.
Li Bao Ping was already a Gentleman of the Academy. Even that Li Huai had inexplicably become a Worthy of the Great Sui Cliff Academy.
As for that person, he was even more... on the "mountain path" of his future life, riding far ahead of everyone.
She had heard that later, at the border of Great Li, three more people joined the study group: the white-robed youth Cui Dong Shan and two remnants of the Lu Clan, Yu Lu and Xie Xie, traveled together to Great Sui.
Yu Lu was the deposed crown prince of the Lu Kingdom. He was already a Far Traveling Realm martial artist, and breaking through to the Mountain Summit Realm was almost certain. Xie Xie was also already a Land Immortal.
Besides Li Bao Ping, the young master of the Li family on Fu Lu Street, all the others were simply... monsters beyond reason.
Especially that surname Chen, the mud-legged boy with straw sandals and a firewood knife, who had once been a thin, dark-faced youth.
Later, she learned that he had successively acquired many mountain peaks, including the Declining Mountain, and it gradually took on the semblance of a mountain immortal's dwelling.
This gave rise to some concerns in her heart, but she felt that as long as she followed the Second Young Master, everything would be fine.
Later still, when the Declining Mountain visited Positive Sun Mountain, Zhu Lu was even more worried. But her father advised her not to be so concerned, saying that person had a simple and honest nature and would never settle old scores with them.
Then came a landscape gazetteer from the Haoran World's Mountain and Sea Sect, which completely panicked Zhu Lu.
Zhu He sensed his daughter's troubled mind. He softly asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Zhu Lu smiled and shook her head. "Nothing."
Within Yu Prefecture, there was a famous scenic spot called Heavenly Candle Peak.
A single peak stood tall. At sunrise and sunset, a golden sea of clouds would appear, creating a magnificent landscape.
A middle-aged military officer with real power but no wife yet was staying overnight in a mountain Daoist temple, planning to watch the sunrise here.
The man hailed from a vassal state of Great Li but had risen to the high position of Yu Prefecture General. With civil officials like Liu Qing Feng and military officials like Cao Mao, both were very famous high-ranking officials who didn't originally come from Great Li itself.
According to Great Li's legal code, the ultimate official position for a military officer was to serve as a Patrol Envoy, the highest rank, Senior First Grade. Once one reached this point, there was no higher official rank to bestow, only the varying degrees of posthumous titles and nominal positions. Next came the twelve generals: four who pacify, four who conquer, and four who stabilize. Half of them were now following Song Chang Jing to the Barren Wasteland World. The other half were stationed along the long border of central Vase Bottle Continent. Then came the prefectural generals. But not every prefecture had one. Great Li only established this position in strategically crucial locations like Yu Prefecture.
In the dead of night, Cao Mao left behind his few military attendants and a camp-following cultivator, leaving the imperially built mountain Daoist temple alone. He climbed to the top of Heavenly Candle Peak, found a flat spot, moved a stone to sit on, and sat in silence.
Cao Mao suddenly narrowed his eyes. A talisman boat arrived in an instant. It slightly altered its course, bypassing the Daoist temple, and increased its altitude before gently landing on the peak.
After Cao Mao identified the three people on the talisman boat, he remained unmoved, showing no intention of rising to greet them.
A Senior Fourth Grade weaving officer from the Li family on Fu Lu Street in the Li Zhu Cave Heaven. In terms of personal relations, there was nothing to speak of—they had only met a few times, not even enough for a nodding acquaintance. In terms of official business, both served in Yu Prefecture, but neither had authority over the other.
Li Bao Zhen clasped his fists and smiled. "Greetings, General Cao."
Cao Wu simply nodded, not even asking about the purpose of the other's visit.
Li Bao Zhen moved forward and crouched down nearby. Zhu He and his daughter Zhu Lu stood not far away.
Seeing that Lord Weaver Li seemed intent on playing the mute, Cao Wu was unwilling to have his peace disturbed by an outsider. He furrowed his brow and had no choice but to ask, "What business do you have?"
Li Bao Zhen smiled. "I just wanted to reminisce with someone who cherishes the past. Otherwise, I would have gone directly to the government office to see General Cao."
General Cao Wu of Yu Prefecture was under the command of Patrol Envoy Su Gao Shan. He had followed the Great Li iron cavalry southward all the way to the southernmost tip of the continent, Old Dragon City. After that, the Great Li dynasty, whose kingdom was now a continent, had no choice but to use Old Dragon City as a stronghold to resist the demon army of the Barren Wasteland World with the continent's full force. The Great Li border army had to fight and retreat all the way to the Central Great River of Vase Bottle Continent.
First southward, then northward—through these two continuous campaigns, Cao Mao had established a string of military merits.
Though not a native of the Great Li dynasty itself, he had ultimately stood out and become the most promising among General Su Gao Shan's old subordinates in terms of future prospects.
Every year in the first month, Cao Mao would set aside time. In the past, he would go to the Great Li capital to pay respects to the widow of the great general. Now, he would go to Su Gao Shan's ancestral hometown to offer New Year's greetings.
There were no lack of gossip in the capital's official circles. Some said he was putting on a show for the emperor's benefit, trying to take advantage of the opportunity to rally Su Gao Shan's old troops and establish his own faction. There were even harsher words, saying he was burning incense at a cold stove. Cao Mao didn't care about any of this. General Su had shown him great kindness in recognizing his talent. When General Su was alive, the Su residence on Chi'er Street was packed with people coming to pay respects and congratulate, so Cao Mao's presence wasn't missed then. But times had changed. General Su was gone. Among those who came to pay respects, no one could be absent more than him.
Cao Mao said, "Lord Weaver Li, it seems we're not close enough for that yet."
Li Bao Zhen smiled and asked, "General Cao, when will you return home in glory?"
Cao Mao smiled slightly. "Lord Weaver, what makes you say that?"
The current emperor of the Stone Mill Kingdom, Han Jing Ling, and the grand general Huang He and the like, facing someone like Cao Mao, a prefectural general of the Great Li court, were completely unable to treat him as an equal.
If Cao Mao were willing to reclaim his identity, even if he intended to discard his Yu Prefecture General position and go back to the Stone Mill Kingdom alone, it wouldn't be impossible for him to change the dynasty.
Li Bao Zhen had started as the head of Great Li's spy network, so he was well aware of the true identity of this Yu Prefecture General. "Cao Wu" was originally named Xu Mao. He came from the Stone Mill Kingdom, which had been a vassal state of the former Zhu Ying Dynasty. Before defecting to the Great Li court, he was a Senior Fourth Grade military officer attached to a certain young prince. Xu Mao possessed a family heirloom long lance. He was recognized as the number one cavalryman. Both the court and the populace of the Stone Mill Kingdom knew the title bestowed upon him by the previous emperor: "The Lance-Wielding Poet."
Xu Mao had been a trusted confidant of Prince Han Jing Xin. The Xu family was one of the pillars of the Stone Mill Kingdom's border army. But Xu Mao, as if losing his mind, took two heads, even killed his liege, and defected to the Great Li border iron cavalry. Under Su Gao Shan, he started as a scout squad leader and rose step by step through solid military merits to become the Yu Prefecture General. However, Xu Mao was smart enough to know to conceal his identity and had long used the pseudonym Cao Mao. Otherwise, given Xu Mao's actions, if it were leaked back then, he wouldn't have been able to survive in the Great Li border army. After all, the Stone Mill Kingdom had completely expended its border army to block the Great Li iron cavalry's southward advance, stubbornly defending its capital to the end. But the Great Li iron cavalry, from generals to colonels to common soldiers, instead held considerable respect for the Stone Mill Kingdom's soldiers who risked certain destruction.
Li Bao Zhen shook his head. "Brother Xu Mao, why ask knowingly?"
Cao Mao narrowed his eyes. "Is this the emperor's will?"
Li Bao Zhen couldn't help but laugh. He picked up a stone at his feet and gently tossed it off the cliff. "His Majesty has always trusted Brother Xu Mao implicitly. Moreover, in our Great Li border army, from the Patrol Envoy down to the common soldier, for the past hundred years, only military merits matter, not background. Why would His Majesty create complications over Brother Xu Mao's identity and needlessly lose a meritorious general and pillar of the border army?"
Cao Mao said, "I'm a soldier who leads troops. You're a weaver who manages textile manufacturing. Now that we're in peacetime without battles to fight, we don't exactly share the same bed."
Li Bao Zhen smiled. "In my hometown, we'd say you and I are 'old brothers.'"
Cao Mao sneered. "We're not from the same year or the same hometown. What gives you that idea?"
Li Bao Zhen said, "Brother Xu Mao and I share the same zodiac sign. In my hometown, even if you're not from the same year, even if you're both sons-in-law who married into the family, if you meet on the road, you still have to call each other 'old brother.'"
Zhu He kept a straight face. Zhu Lu suppressed a laugh. Their young master was talking nonsense again.
Cao Mao lost his patience. "If there's nothing important, don't make trouble."
Li Bao Zhen picked up a few more stones and tossed them off the cliff. "We've both encountered that person. We've both suffered losses at his hands."
Cao Mao was silent, his thoughts drifting far away.
In the early years, near the Stone Mill Kingdom adjacent to the Book and Bamboo Sea, two groups crossed paths in a blizzard.
A young man in a blue cotton-padded robe with two attendants. A ghost cultivator youth, Zeng Yi. A female ghost, Ma Du Yi, wearing a fox-skin talisman.
The prince who had not yet been enfeoffed, Han Jing Xin, with his personal bodyguard, Hu Han, the number one martial artist of the Stone Mill Kingdom, a Golden Body Realm fighter.
And two trusted attendants: the young military officer Xu Mao, known as the "Lance-Wielding Poet," and a household guest, Mr. Zeng.
After that incident, Xu Mao personally killed all of the forty-some cavalrymen who were the prince's elite personal guards.
Then he cut off Prince Han Jing Xin's head with his war saber and hung it at his waist. He selected three warhorses, intending to leave his homeland and seek a new path to make his fortune.
But Xu Mao didn't leave immediately in the blizzard. He sat on his horse, waiting for the man in the cotton robe who had gone to kill Hu Han to return.
The latter tossed Hu Han's head to Xu Mao. Xu Mao didn't stand on ceremony. He hung the head on the other side of his saddle. It was also a considerable military merit, which he used as a "letter of fealty."
At that time, the Stone Mill Kingdom, as one of the important vassal states of the former Zhu Ying Dynasty, from the emperor to the civil and military officials of the court, to the generals of various border armies, was almost entirely of the war faction. Though the disparity in national power was vast, the Stone Mill Kingdom couldn't inflict too many casualties on the Great Li iron cavalry. But even after the northern border army was completely wiped out and the capital was surrounded by Su Gao Shan's army, the kingdom refused to surrender to the Song family of Great Li, even at the cost of its dynastic heritage. For example, Prince Han Jing Xin had personally led Xu Mao's group to ambush and kill two Great Li border army scout units with accompanying cultivators. But the tide of events was irreversible, and the only outcome was to be an egg smashed against a rock.
Xu Mao, who incurred the blame for failing to protect his lord, even if he managed to survive and sneak into the capital to see the emperor of the Stone Mill Kingdom, would either be ordered to commit suicide or be thrown onto the battlefield under the guise of "redeeming his fault through merit." Either way, it would be death.
After all, the death of a prince who had a legitimate claim to the throne was no small matter.
So Xu Mao simply defected to the Great Li general Su Gao Shan.
Li Bao Zhen communicated via sound transmission. "Besides this, I have also met a credit-seller surnamed Zeng. He once promised me an official position. If I'm not mistaken, he also promised you an official position: the Great Li Patrol Envoy?"
Xu Mao retorted, "And you? A Pillar State surname?"
The Xu family had a family precept passed down through generations, roughly meaning that future generations of the Xu family would need to repay a benefactor who would "come to collect a debt." No matter what was demanded, no matter how much time had passed, a descendant of the Xu family holding the "Wind and Snow" lance, upon meeting this person and confirming their identity, would unconditionally repay the benefactor, even willing to die without regret. There was no room for negotiation.
This lance had been passed down to Xu Mao as the fifth generation. The Xu family of the Stone Mill Kingdom had been loyal for generations, shedding blood and fighting on the border to guard the kingdom for successive emperors of the Han family. When it came to Xu Mao's father, due to conflicts with powerful figures in the capital, he could only retire and return home, where he died in obscurity.
And that Mohist credit-seller, who had been hiding his identity as "Mr. Zeng," after the incident on that snowy night, had an open and honest conversation with Xu Mao. In the end, Xu Mao was allowed to keep the lance. Mr. Zeng also wished Xu Mao that he would one day become the Great Li Patrol Envoy.
Assessing the situation, if one couldn't become a hero, one had to settle for being a villain who rose with the times.
This Mr. Zeng, with his inscrutable thoughts and secretive methods, claimed that he was just drifting through the world, going wherever there was a meal to be had.
Li Bao Zhen continued via secret sound transmission. "I'm a bit different from you. Like my fellow townsman Dong Shui Jing, I am also a credit-seller. But we belong to different branches. We keep to our own business, neither interfering with the other."
Xu Mao asked, "My patience is limited. I'd appreciate it if Lord Weaver would speak plainly."
"I respectfully invite Brother Xu Mao to join me in the same boat. Actually, let me put it bluntly: I humbly beg Brother Xu Mao to be, along with me—more precisely, along with us—a cormorant, working together to catch a fish that has slipped through the net."
Li Bao Zhen said, "After it's done, I can guarantee that Brother Xu Mao will hold the highest official position in life and receive the utmost in posthumous honors. Furthermore, you can find another path, such as becoming one of the revered mountain spirits of Vase Bottle Continent. Whether you want to be a high-ranking mountain god of Great Li or a mountain lord of the Five Peaks of the Stone Mill Kingdom will be entirely up to you."
Li Bao Zhen finished throwing the stones in his hand and clapped his hands. "A hero in his twilight years, his strong heart still stirring? Is that enough? Far from enough."
Xu Mao pointed at the night sky and said calmly, "The common folk of the world are on horseback. The bright moon shines upon thousands of states across the land."
Li Bao Zhen sighed softly. "Consider that I was never here tonight."
Because that was Xu Mao's answer.
Whether it was Xu Mao, the Lance-Wielding Poet of the Stone Mill Kingdom, or Cao Wu, the Yu Prefecture General of the Great Li border army, he was always just a martial artist. His life, honor, and disgrace were all on horseback, on the battlefield.
---
In the Central Earth Confucian Temple, within a secret realm of the Merit Forest.
A prisoner sat by a lake, using distiller's grain corn to bait the water.
The man held a fishing rod, guarding a fish path. To disperse the bait into a cloud, he repeatedly cast and retrieved the line, always with an empty hook.
Today, the same youth came again. Liu Cha never asked for the other's name, nor did he concern himself with how a Confucian disciple of only the Lower Five Realms could come to this place.
Liu Cha also couldn't be bothered to explain. One look at the youth told him he was a complete novice.
The youth asked curiously, "I hear that different fish require different fishing rods."
Liu Cha chuckled. "A master needs only one rod. An amateur sets up a stall on the ground."
The youth nodded. "That sounds like something a master would say."
In the Barren Wasteland World, at the Ye Luo River.
Fei Fei had begun her seclusion.
Then a group of cultivators from other lands arrived.
It was as if they had agreed to come to the Ye Luo River on the same day to see Bai Ze.
It was like a necessary "audience."
Among them was one who was very eye-catching: youthful in appearance, with a thin build, wearing an old worn-out marten fur coat, and with two patches of rouge on their cheeks. The whole person exuded a lively energy.
The youth said in a clear voice, generously, "Lord Bai, how about we discuss a matter?"
It turned out to be a young woman who looked like a boy.
Bai Ze smiled. "Let's hear it."
She rarely showed a hint of bashfulness. "I plan to make a trip to the Haoran World. I won't actively cause trouble, but starting from the Sword Qi Great Wall, if anyone tries to stop me, I'll cut them down. Consider it my contribution to the Barren Wasteland World. If I can't cut through and get beaten, captured, or killed, I'll accept it as being outmatched. But if I manage to reach a certain continent of the Haoran World, say Vase Bottle Continent, I won't run rampant either... Anyway, that's roughly the idea. You're so smart, Lord Bai, I'm sure you know what I mean."
Bai Ze smiled. "You're going to find him?"
She grinned, her face radiant as the sun.
Bai Ze said, "Then let's make an agreement. In the future, when the day comes that I fight the Ritual Sage, you must find a way to return to the Barren Wasteland. So for this journey to Haoran, you must find a retreat route in advance. Even if you lose half your life, you must return to the Barren Wasteland World. Before that, I can speak with the Ritual Sage. As long as you promise not to be an enemy of the Barren Wasteland in the future, not to act recklessly and bully others in the Haoran World, and only travel within bounds, it shouldn't be a problem."
She was clearly very surprised. "Really?!"
She had just been talking casually. She had planned to just make a polite announcement to Bai Ze and then leave on her own. She hadn't expected Bai Ze to be so easy to talk to. It seemed that respectfully calling him "Lord Bai" wasn't a waste after all.
This "young woman" was none other than the most outstanding of the ancient demon sword cultivators. She had a long list of Daoist names: Bai Jing, Chao Yun, Wai Jing, Yao Ling...
Bai Ze smiled warmly and said softly, "It seems you truly like him."
"I'm not sure if it's really liking. It's just that he keeps avoiding me. I haven't managed to get my hands on him yet."
Bai Jing uncharacteristically blushed. "By the way, Lord Bai, my name now is Xie Gou. What do you think of this new name? Pretty decent, right?"
Bai Ze hummed and nodded. "I'm not good at naming things."
Bai Jing was fine, but the other ancient great demons who had awakened from their ten-thousand-year slumber were all trembling in their Dao hearts, shocked and alarmed, their expressions sour.
Anyone worthy of being respectfully called "Lord Bai" by a sword cultivator like Bai Jing—even if it was just a polite formality—had to have the qualifications to make Bai Jing bow and yield.
Bai Ze smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, all of you, including Bai Jing, agreed beforehand to see if you could form an alliance and make some kind of pact with me. For example, trying to persuade me not to interfere too much with you. That about right?"
Bai Jing laughed loudly. "Lord Bai, I've changed my mind now. I'm on Lord Bai's side. We both have the surname Bai. We're family."
The others stared at Bai Jing, this traitor who had turned on them. Such was the Barren Wasteland World.
"If you don't have a Fourteenth Realm leader, no matter how many of you there are, it doesn't mean much to me."
Bai Ze narrowed his eyes. "This is reasonable. Don't let it happen again."
Bai Jing didn't care about the fate of those "allies" at all. She just cheerfully muttered to herself, "Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo? That name is truly so-so."
---
At the Logging Bureau, Lin Zheng Cheng kept watch alone.
As the gatekeeper of the town in years past, Lin Zheng Cheng had seen many things. For example, Zhu Lu, who in her maiden days always liked to complain about her own lot, was still kept in the dark about her true origins.
She had always felt that the reason why her peers from back then had achieved what they did today was largely due to their backgrounds, talents, luck, and fortune. For instance, Yu Lu's identity as the deposed crown prince, or Chen Ping An's luck in meeting Ning Yao and Qi Dun Mountain's local earth god Wei Bo, and being fortunate enough to become the final disciple of the Wen Sheng lineage, which led to a series of subsequent opportunities...
In fact, in the Azure Dragon World, there was an idiom that wasn't widely circulated: "The good relations between Zhu and Chen." From this, a more obscure saying was derived: "The Zhu and Chen are one family, never to turn against each other."
Because in terms of background, Zhu Lu was quite good. It could even be said that among the younger generation of the town, aside from a very small group like Ruan Xiu, Li Liu, and Li Xi Sheng, she was undeniably a standout. She was even better than Xie Ling of Peach Leaf Lane or Hu Feng of the Happy Shop. This was because Zhu Lu was essentially a "foreigner" of the Li Zhu Cave Heaven.
As for opportunities, she had been given them too.
Earlier, when Lu Chen visited, he had revealed even more heavenly secrets to Lin Zheng Cheng. It turned out that Zhu Lu's previous life came from the ancient battlefield of the Azure Dragon World, in the Zhu Lu Commandery of You Prefecture.
So she was neither someone whose ambition outshone her destiny nor a servant girl trapped in a young lady's body.
Even her name had a great origin. It was somewhat similar to how Li Bao Ping of Fu Lu Street was named for Vase Bottle Continent. The person who bestowed the name "Zhu Lu" was a female Daoist from the Bi Yu Jing who possessed extremely profound Daoist magic and was highly respected even by Yu Dou.
Because she was the protector of the town arranged by Bi Yu Jing, or rather by Lu Chen, for his senior brother.
Of course, she might have been just "one of them." After all, beside the Shen Gao Temple Daoist Zhou Li, there would undoubtedly be another hidden protector. Lu Chen didn't say more about this.
But even if she was just one of three, given Lu Chen's respect for his senior master brother, it was enough to show that Zhu Lu's background was not ordinary and her talent for cultivation was excellent. So much so that Lu Chen didn't hesitate to deliberately obscure the heavenly secrets for Zhu Lu, who had entered the Li Zhu Cave Heaven a few years early.
Lin Zheng Cheng listened to the Third Master rambling mysteriously with a pained expression, muttering two lines: "The Zhu and Chen are one family. When Zhu meets Chen, she must be respectful and yielding."
Lin Zheng Cheng understood the implication of these words. Because Li Xi Sheng should have been surnamed "Chen." Thus, Zhu Lu, as a key chess piece that the Bi Yu Jing had spent considerable resources to send to the Haoran World, and also as Li Xi Sheng's protector on his ascension journey, was duty-bound to treat Li Xi Sheng with respect.
There was another line: "When man meets man, they are friends. When man meets woman, they marry. They form the good relations between Zhu and Chen, never to turn against each other."
Lin Zheng Cheng's expression turned strange at the time. Lu Chen smiled awkwardly and self-deprecatingly said that he had been recklessly playing matchmaker back then, trying to arrange a marriage for his future junior disciple, the Fourth Master of the Bi Yu Jing.
Since Li Xi Sheng had taken a portion of the town's Chen family fortune, Zhu Lu's appearance was supposed to be both a repayment of debt and a karmic bond of cause and effect, similar to the Buddhist saying: "Past lives' causes, this life's effects; this life's causes, future lives' effects." The phrase "When Zhu meets Chen, she must be respectful and yielding" was originally also applicable to Zhu Lu and Chen Ping An of Mud Vase Alley. Moreover, if Zhu Lu could escort Li Bao Ping all the way to Great Sui and study at the Cliff Academy in passing, it would be a considerable merit on Vase Bottle Continent. In the future, after the Three Teachings' Patriarchs scattered their teachings, when she returned to her hometown in the Azure Dragon World, another "reward" would presumably fall from the sky. In short, Bi Yu Jing would never let her make this journey to a foreign world in vain.
If Zhu Lu's life path could have progressed step by step, it would have been a beautiful story in the mountain sects.
But if the opportunity within reach wasn't grasped, then it was "no longer worth mentioning." Lu Chen would just pretend it never happened.
It was like Pang Ding's direct disciple from Ling Bao City. At the highest point of the Bi Yu Jing, the young Daoist official demonstrated a resilient Dao heart of "luckless but self-enlightened." Instead, Yu Dou and Lu Chen thought more highly of him.
Sun Jia Shu of Old Dragon City missed out on a fortune equivalent to "the entire Old Dragon City." But Sun Jia Shu didn't become despondent. Instead, he realized a valuable principle: "Fate is made by heaven; destiny is determined by oneself."
Lin Zheng Cheng couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush with Lu Chen. He directly asked how he planned to deal with Zhu Lu.
Would he just abandon her like this, or did he plan to take her back to the Azure Dragon World one day?
Lu Chen's answer was evasive. He only said one vague line.
There would be many results in life, but not a single "if."
Lin Zheng Cheng asked, "Lord Lu, don't you plan to tell her the truth?"
Lu Chen shook his head. "Let's talk about it later. Revealing the truth now won't help. If we look at things in the long run, right and wrong, good and bad, advantages and disadvantages—it will all become a mess."
Lin Zheng Cheng was puzzled. "Since Zhu Lu is so important, why did Lord Lu let her go and watch her walk down a divergent path that didn't match expectations?"
When that secret letter Li Bao Zhen sent to Zhu Lu arrived, it was a crucial turning point.
Lu Chen had neither taken precautions beforehand nor had any interaction with Zhu Lu during the years he ran his stall. It was as if he deliberately avoided examining Zhu Lu's temperament and didn't bother to polish an unrefined jade. During the incident at Red Candle Town, Lu Chen also took no remedial measures.
With Lu Chen's Daoist magic, it shouldn't have been impossible to deduce. Even just considering Zhu Lu's martial arts training, if Lu Chen had wanted to give some guidance, Zhu Lu definitely wouldn't have struggled so much in her first three realms of martial arts.
Because according to National Teacher Cui Chan's speculation, among the top ten martial arts masters of the Azure Dragon World, one of Lu Chen's avatars must occupy a place.
"But a divergent path that doesn't match my original intention might actually be the right path for this life's Zhu Lu. How should this kind of thing, this principle, be calculated?"
Lu Chen smiled. "Those who cultivate the Dao come into this world several times. Whether they become enlightened or not ultimately depends on themselves. They still need to seek their own blessings."
It seemed that looking forward ten thousand years, everything was inevitable. And looking backward ten thousand years, everything seemed accidental.
Principles could be like the Spring Festival couplets and "good fortune" characters that change every year. They could be a spring breeze and rain that quietly come and go. They could be the winter snow that always melts away. They could be the flowing water that never returns. They could be the old house patched up year after year. They could be the new house that seems to be demolished and rebuilt but always retains its foundation.
They could also be the streets and alleys of the Li Zhu Cave Heaven town. If you liked a door, you would visit. If you had quarreled with a house, you would take a detour if you didn't like it. They could be the grain shop, the cloth shop, the tavern, the funeral shop, the happy shop. They could be the blue stones of Fu Lu Street and Peach Leaf Lane, or the muddy road of Apricot Flower Lane. They could even be the chicken droppings on the table, the dog shit at the corner of the doorstep. They could be a wine cup covered in dust. They could be the water stain in the small alley that drips year after year. They could be a pair of green bamboo chopsticks that you never bother to wash and just wipe under your armpit before every meal...
But the truth would only be the scorching sun that burns the backs of the poor in the summer. It would be the burning sensation in everyone's eyes when they look up at the sun. No matter how many principles and reasons you have, whether you understand them or not, you have to endure it.
There was a local saying in the town that the elderly often repeated: "If your eyes are dim and your ears are deaf, you're already a bodhisattva."
On the surface, this was a self-deprecating statement. When a person was about to die, they were as good as a clay or wooden bodhisattva.
But if you looked deeper, it was a saying with profound meaning. It was just that the old saying had been passed down for too long, generation after generation. The young no longer took it seriously. They heard it and forgot it. Even the old people who said such things only treated it as a somewhat sad or completely carefree joke.
Perhaps the disappearance of a local dialect was the demise of a hometown. Just like the passing of an old man, returning to the earth for peace.
In the old days, at a certain dragon kiln in the town, there was an old master who was always impeccably clean after every work session. And there was a kiln apprentice who spent all year long living amidst charcoal, clay, and kiln fire.
Then, on the city wall of the Sword Qi Great Wall, there was a teacher with two students.
The teacher drank wine and spoke first, and his two proud disciples, Cui Dong Shan and Cao Qing Lang, responded in turn.
"The poor child's pearl within his robe is naturally round and bright."
"He doesn't seek it himself but counts others' treasures. Counting others' treasures is ultimately useless. Please listen to my words."
"Stains cannot taint it, its light is naturally bright. No dharma arises but from the mind. When words are spoken, it roars like a lion."
The lion's roar within Mud Vase Alley.