Chapter 983: The Worried Person Resolves Their Own Worries

Chapter 983: The Worried Person Resolves Their Own Worries

They hiked back together, heading toward the stone arch bridge, climbing the steps. Chen Ping'an walked to the center of the arch bridge, suddenly stopped, sat down, and let his legs dangle over the bridge.

The white-haired boy followed suit, sitting down beside him just the same.

Chen Ping'an turned his head to look toward Luopo Mountain. It seemed Little Mi Li had just finished her mountain patrol and was near the Patriarch Hall on Jise Peak, walking not very fast.

The Right Protector of Luopo Mountain was famously diligent in her mountain patrols, making two rounds every morning and evening without fail. As regular as clockwork, she never once overslept or shirked her duty.

It was just like the Vermilion-Robed Boy reporting for duty on time every month, who admitted that he was far inferior to Deputy Chief Zhou's daily mountain patrols. Along the patrol route, whenever there was no one around, Little Mi Li would start practicing a set of martial arts ultimate techniques. It was that Crazy Devil Sword Technique passed down by Pei Qian, except Pei Qian wielded the sword with one hand. Little Mi Li was different—one hand holding a walking staff, the other carrying a golden carrying pole, wielding both like swords, doubling the power!

Don't envy her. Envy wouldn't do you any good anyway, because this was what they called self-taught talent.

Then she'd go to the streams, overturn rocks to find crabs for rock-paper-scissors. Boring. She always won, never lost. No suspense at all. This kind of behavior was indeed a bit childish, not quite proper.

Next time, she wouldn't bully those defeated opponents anymore. She'd catch a fish instead. She, the Patrol Envoy, would first put out paper, then gently press on its belly. The fish would open its mouth—that was rock. Sigh, another sure victory.

When the good mountain master wasn't at home, Little Mi Li's patrols were fast. She was always running here and there.

When the good mountain master was home, she patrolled slowly, leisurely, without any hurry. The time she spent on the mountain paths at least doubled.

It was as if, as long as she ran fast, the good mountain master could come home sooner.

By the same logic, as long as she walked slowly, the good mountain master could delay his departure down the mountain for his distant travels a little longer.

Chen Ping'an smiled and withdrew his gaze. He lifted his foot, took off his cloth shoe, sat cross-legged, brushed off some dirt from the sole, and gently patted the shoe's fabric a few times before asking, "That fist technique manual?"

The white-haired boy seemed to share a telepathic connection with the Hidden Officer Ancestor. With a completely indifferent expression, he said, "As long as you don't let greed cloud your judgment and hand it over to some mountain publisher to print and sell for money, it's fine."

Chen Ping'an laughed. "I'm being serious."

In the mountains, the reason Golden Jade Registers used the prefix "golden jade" had always had two layers of meaning. One was abstract—reminding cultivators that their register status was hard-won. The other was concrete—golden books and jade registers, whose very materials were extremely exquisite. And that fist technique manual, just like a sect's secret precious Dao scriptures, was made of ordinary paper that simply couldn't bear that thick Dao intent. In short, making copies was extremely difficult, at most producing a secondary-grade replica of the original manual. Perhaps it would even require Chen Ping'an to set up layers of mountain-river restrictions.

If using a metaphor, this fist technique manual was a mountain peak, with Dao energy inside the mountain that required a mountain-protecting formation to stabilize the heaven and earth spiritual energy, preventing the fist intent within the book from leaking and dissipating.

The white-haired boy said, "Besides the Hidden Officer Ancestor himself studying and practicing it, in the future, disciples of the two sects—Luopo Mountain and Xiandu Mountain—whether they're the Ancestor's direct disciples like Pei Qian and Zhao Shuxia, secondary disciples like Zhou Junchen, or further branches spreading out—third-generation disciples and fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh generations—as long as they're registered direct descendants, they can all browse this fist technique manual. But it cannot be passed outside, and you cannot teach the fist outside the sect."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Consider this a favor I owe you."

This definitely wasn't an instruction from Wu Shuangjiang. Palace Master Wu didn't have that kind of leisure and elegance. It must have been the idea of this outer sect miscellaneous duty disciple beside him.

Of course, it could also be that Wu Shuangjiang had deliberately arranged it, intending for Chen Ping'an to owe her, rather than Luopo Mountain owing him and the Suichu Palace a favor. The former was neither here nor there; the latter was completely unnecessary.

The white-haired boy's eyes darted around rapidly. He tested the waters. "Hidden Officer Ancestor, I have an extremely far-sighted suggestion. I'm not sure if I should speak or not."

If it were in the past, the conversation could have ended right there. But since taking advantage of someone's generosity made one's position weak, Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Let's hear it."

The white-haired boy was brimming with energy. "As an outer sect miscellaneous duty disciple, I am still a part of Luopo Mountain. It's only right that I contribute what little I can. I was thinking of devoting myself wholeheartedly, working day and night, to compile a detailed, elegantly worded, and wonderfully rich chronicle of the Hidden Officer Ancestor and the many bigwigs of Luopo Mountain's Jise Peak Patriarch Hall!"

Both mountain literati and mountain sects had the habit of compiling chronicles. The former mostly recorded the life stories of ancestral sages, centered around the subject of the chronicle, using years and months as the warp and weft framework. The latter was similar but broader. According to customary rules, top-tier sects could record the resumes of all Upper Five Realm cultivators. Ordinary sects and larger immortal mansions only recorded Golden Core cultivators. General sects recorded Qi Refiners of the Middle Five Realms, including the Cavern Dwelling Realm. In short, there was always a certain threshold.

Luopo Mountain had certainly been qualified to do this long ago. The reason they hadn't started writing was probably because the mountain master himself never brought it up, so everyone else pretended it wasn't an issue.

The person holding the pen was somewhat like the court historians and Diarists of mountain dynasties, often a cultivator from the disciplinary lineage within a sect.

Chen Ping'an didn't say anything. He lowered his head and began searching his sleeve.

First, he'd return the fist technique manual, then settle accounts with you.

Earlier, at the wooden bench in Qilong Lane, the two of them had some old scores to settle.

The white-haired boy quickly grabbed the Hidden Officer Ancestor's arm. "Don't, don't. There's no rush to compile the chronicle. The Hidden Officer Ancestor doesn't need to send me blank books so urgently."

Chen Ping'an was about to stand up when the white-haired boy picked up one of the cloth shoes that the Hidden Officer Ancestor had neatly placed between them. He examined it carefully. "Good craftsmanship. It's clear this was made with great care."

Chen Ping'an took the shoe back and put it back in its original place, as if he'd changed his mind. He said, "Compiling a chronicle is no small matter in the mountains. Next time I discuss matters at the Jise Peak Patriarch Hall, I'll include this on the agenda. If no one raises any objections, you'll be in charge of the compilation."

The white-haired boy began to push his luck, testing the waters. "When I compile the Luopo Mountain chronicle, can I have my name on it?"

Chen Ping'an started searching his sleeve again.

The white-haired boy slapped the stone bridge and said sternly, "Fine, fine. Do a good deed without leaving a name."

Chen Ping'an shook his sleeve and said, "It's fine for you to compile the sect's chronicle. I only have two requirements. One is that the writing must emphasize simplicity, the wording should be concise, and the records must be factual. No embellishments. In particular, no glossing over faults, and no need to avoid mentioning the revered's shortcomings. The second requirement is to start compiling the chronicle from the time I was fourteen years old as the preface. Don't write anything about what happened before that. There's nothing worth writing about anyway."

The white-haired boy nodded eagerly, rubbing his hands together. He was planning to make great achievements. With this merit, becoming a deputy chief or something would be a foregone conclusion, right?

Chen Ping'an was silent for a moment, then laughed. "If you hadn't brought this up yourself, I would have actually reminded you. You can put your name on the chronicle."

The white-haired boy was filled with regret, scratching his head with both hands. "I gilded the lily. I underestimated the Hidden Officer Ancestor's magnanimity. It's my fault. I can't blame the Hidden Officer Ancestor's pettiness."

Chen Ping'an reminded him, "If you keep acting like this, you really won't get your name on it."

The white-haired boy immediately composed his expression, straightened his back, turned to look at the large mountain to the west, and asked curiously, "That Zhenzhu Mountain—was it really bought with just one Golden Essence Copper Coin?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "You can see its mystery because of your high realm. Back then, who would be willing to spend that kind of wasted money to buy a small hill with nothing on it?"

The white-haired boy asked, "Did the Hidden Officer Ancestor secretly receive guidance from an expert?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "At the time, I just thought that Luopo Mountain and Zhenzhu Mountain sounded about the same."

"Also, Zhenzhu Mountain was the closest to the town, easiest for the town to see. And if anyone wanted to enter the mountains, Zhenzhu Mountain was a necessary route. I wanted to take this opportunity, in a way that didn't require raising my voice, to quietly tell the entire town: Chen Ping'an of the Mud Vase Alley is rich now. Whether you're happy or not, whether you care or not, you have to accept this rock-solid fact."

"This is an aside. Don't write it in the chronicle."

The white-haired boy, for once, didn't act playful. He simply nodded in agreement.

Life might not have true shared sorrow or joy. Perhaps two people were just two different worlds.

Each had their own thoughts, mutual willingness, ebb and flow. It left no room for arrangement in the human world.

Having spent a long time in Qilong Lane, the white-haired boy was quite familiar with Chen Ping'an's and Luopo Mountain's general rise to fortune. Chen Lingjun often went drinking and shooting the breeze with Jia Sheng—one a cyan-clothed boy who always boasted that a true hero doesn't brag about past glory, and one a flattery-master old Daoist who would complain that since there were no outsiders at the drinking table, if the heroic exploits and hardships of their brotherly bond couldn't be used as a small dish of drinking snacks, then what could they be?

So the white-haired boy would sit on the doorstep, cracking melon seeds, listening to those two clowns showing off and praising each other. Occasionally, when they got drunk, they'd even hug each other and cry—real crying. The old man and the boy would sit under the table, and after crying, they'd look for more wine.

Luopo Mountain and Zhenzhu Mountain, plus Baolu Mountain—which had been leased to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect for three hundred years—and Caiyun Peak and Xiancao Mountain, were the five mountain peaks Chen Ping'an bought with his first purchase.

It seemed that year, Chen Ping'an was fourteen.

After that, he bought Huimeng Mountain, adjacent to Luopo Mountain to the north; Niujiao Mountain, voluntarily vacated by the Baohezhou Baggage Villa; Zhusha Mountain, voluntarily abandoned by the Qingfeng City Xu Clan; as well as Aoyu Bei and Weixia Peak, and finally, located at the westernmost part of the mountain range, Baijian Tai. Plus, through Chen Lingjun's connections, he also bought a Huanghu Mountain.

This was the second "expansion" of Luopo Mountain's territory. Luopo Mountain now had eleven vassal mountain peaks.

The later acquisitions, including Zhaodu Gang, constituted the third round of "recruiting troops and buying horses."

The white-haired boy asked cautiously, "Hidden Officer Ancestor, what's the current status of the three mountain peaks, including Baolu Mountain?"

Not long ago, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect suddenly changed its Sect Leader to Liu Xianyang. As a result, even the ancestral mountain was relocated, but those three mountain peaks remained untouched.

Chen Ping'an said, "I used twenty-seven Guyu Coins to lease back the three mountain peaks from the Dragon Spring Sword Sect for two hundred and seventy years."

The white-haired boy rolled his eyes. He felt this was nothing more than taking off one's pants to fart. Was that Ruan Qiong's brain full of holes?

No wonder Chen Lingjun often boasted about how he and the Sage Ruan had hit it off like old friends despite the age gap. They really were two of a kind.

Chen Ping'an stood up. "Go back to the shop in Qilong Lane. I'll take a shortcut along the Dragon Beard River to Luopo Mountain."

After that, Chen Ping'an walked upstream along the Dragon Beard River. Along the way, he passed the stone cliff the locals called Green Ox Back. Then he took a detour, passed by Zhenzhu Mountain, which had never been developed, and then hiked into the large western mountains. Instead of returning directly to Luopo Mountain, he planned to first visit Yidai Peak. A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Then he'd go down the mountain to visit the Pearl Hairpin Island at Aoyu Bei. That flood dragon boat Fan Mo and the shop left by the Niujiao Du Baggage Villa—over the years, they had actually been managed by Liu Chongrun and the female registered cultivators of Pearl Hairpin Island.

Strangely enough, Chen Ping'an couldn't say he wasn't surprised by the staggering amounts of immortal money in income, like the congratulatory gifts received by the Qingping Sword Sect, with the Chongchongzhou Liu Clan alone sending him so many Guyu Coins. But he never really got too worked up about it. However, for any steady, trickling income, no matter how small, Chen Ping'an always paid extra attention.

But he never mentioned this to anyone. If he did, he figured he'd just get a bunch of flattery.

But if Liu Xianyang heard it, he'd definitely laugh and curse, joking that you were just poor when you were young and never had a concept of big money. You only thought small money was real.

In the early days in Baohezhou, whenever mountain discussions touched upon the rise of Mud Vase Alley's Chen Ping'an, they could never avoid Bei Yue's Piyun Mountain and the Dragon Spring Sword Sect—more accurately, they couldn't avoid Wei Bo and Ruan Qiong.

Including Bei Yue's Piyun Mountain, to the west of the town, there had originally been a total of sixty-two mountain peaks. Naturally, they had all found their owners long ago.

The reason it was "originally" was because the last Military Sage Ruan Qiong, who had guarded the Lizhu Cave Heaven, stepped down from the position of Sect Leader, letting his disciple Liu Xianyang take over.

Then the Dragon Spring Sword Sect moved Shenxiu Mountain, where the Patriarch Hall was located, along with all their own peaks, including Tiaodeng Mountain and Hengshuo Peak, north to the capital region of the old Northern Sacred Mountain. But they left behind the three peaks that had originally been leased to Luopo Mountain. To outsiders, they guessed it might be the will of the Dali Song Clan, unwilling to have two sects too close together, to prevent a situation where one mountain couldn't accommodate two tigers. Or perhaps some unknown rift had indeed emerged between the two mountains. After all, if the rumors were correct, Chen Ping'an, this rising star native to Lizhu Cave Heaven, had once worked as a short-term laborer in a sword-forging shop by the Dragon Beard River. But he had never attended any sect celebrations of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, nor had he shown up even when his good friend Liu Xianyang succeeded as Sect Leader. As for Luopo Mountain, when it first established its sect, it hadn't invited the Dragon Spring Sword Sect either. Later, when it upgraded to Sect status, it still hadn't invited Ruan Qiong. It was said that only Liu Xianyang himself had shown up at Jise Peak...

Chen Ping'an arrived at the foot of a mountain. There was no mountain gate to show its identity. There weren't many cultivators on Yidai Peak. Since there was no mountain gate, there was no gatekeeper cultivator responsible for receiving guests. Only a small stone tablet stood at the foot of the mountain, engraved with eight characters: "No Business, Stop Here. Each Cultivates Their Own Path."

It was mainly used to remind Qi Refiners: Don't wander around here if you have nothing to do; we don't receive guests.

But local people cutting firewood or gathering herbs were completely unbothered. Yidai Peak thus became one of the few peaks in the western mountains where townsfolk could still be seen.

On this Yidai Peak, ancient trees reached the sky, as if green pines had transformed into dragons and emerald cypresses into luan birds. It was indeed an extremely quiet and auspicious land.

Actually, back then, Chen Ping'an had also had his eye on this peak. It had many types of medicinal herbs, and the soil was suitable for making porcelain. But at the time, he only had that many Golden Essence Copper Coins, and the price for buying this mountain was much higher than for Xiancao Mountain. In the end, between buying Yidai Peak and buying both Xiancao Mountain and Caiyun Peak, Chen Ping'an chose the latter.

The mountain master was Liu Hongwen, an old Golden Core cultivator from the Huangliang Sect. By seniority, the old man was the current Sect Leader Gao Zhen's martial uncle.

It was Liu Hongwen who had insisted on using the remaining bag of Golden Essence Copper Coins to buy this Yidai Peak, saying he wanted to cultivate here in peace and quiet, so he wouldn't be annoying if he stayed in the Huangliang Sect.

The old man's granddaughter, Liu Runyun, raised a young white fox. She had been encouraged by some people to host a Mirror Flower, Water Moon performance, with very few viewers. Yet it seemed she had actually earned some immortal money.

Liu Hongwen had once brought a group of direct disciples, including Song Yuan, to visit the young mountain master at Luopo Mountain. But that was many years ago, back when Luopo Mountain hadn't yet attained Sect status. Liu Hongwen and the Grand Steward Zhu Lian often arranged to drink together. He'd invite the other to Yidai Peak to cook a few dishes to go with the wine. Often, an entire afternoon would pass leisurely in idle chat. Later, when Luopo Mountain became a famous scenic spot known throughout the world, the old cultivator deliberately kept his distance from Luopo Mountain. He even stopped making drinking appointments with Zhu Lian.

The young mountain master was often away from home, traveling far and wide all year round, so they rarely saw each other.

However, every festival, the pink-skirted girl named Chen Nuannuan, the little steward on Luopo Mountain, would still make a point to come to Yidai Peak, bringing gifts like specialty pastries from Qilong Lane or tea leaves personally roasted by Zhu Lian. In the earliest days, Chen Nuannuan was accompanied by a little charcoal-black girl. Later, a black-clad little girl appeared, carrying a walking staff and a golden carrying pole on her shoulder. Even later, that child named Pei Qian stopped coming along. It was said she needed to practice her fist techniques. And then, Little Mi Li also stopped climbing the mountain. It seemed she had caused some trouble at Hongzhu Town and had become timid, not daring to leave Luopo Mountain too much.

A Huangliang Sect, originally a second-rate, bottom-tier immortal mansion in Baohezhou, now had its founder Liu Hongwen, its Sect Leader Gao Zhen, and its newly inaugurated Patriarch Hall direct disciple. The Huangliang Sect now had three Golden Core Earth Immortals simultaneously, especially Gao Zhen, who was also a Sword Cultivator.

With this, the Huangliang Sect had stabilized its position at the forefront of Baohezhou's second-rate immortal mansions. All it lacked was a Nascent Soul cultivator.

As for the Jade Pure Realm, it was still something they dared not hope for.

The old immortal master held a boxwood Ganoderma lucidum in his hand, welcomed him with a smile, and made a hand seal with one hand as a gesture of respect. "Liu Hongwen of the Huangliang Sect pays respects to Mountain Master Chen."

Chen Ping'an clasped his hands in return. "Junior pays respects to Senior Immortal Master Liu."

Liu Hongwen laughed. "I dare not accept that. Seniority in the mountains isn't determined by age. Mountain Master Chen may address me as a fellow Daoist."

Earlier, when Chen Lingjun and Guo Zhujiu attended the inauguration ceremony, Gao Zhen had actually been worried that Martial Uncle Liu, up on Yidai Peak, might have spoken ill of him and the Huangliang Sect to Luopo Mountain. Given Martial Uncle Liu's temper, Gao Zhen thought he was capable of saying anything unpleasant. But what he didn't know was that here on Yidai Peak, even when introducing himself, Liu Hongwen didn't say "Yidai Peak" but only "Huangliang Sect."

Chen Ping'an took the initiative to apologize. "Over the years, I've rarely come to Yidai Peak to visit Senior Immortal Master Liu. It really isn't..."

Liu Hongwen laughed freely. "It's nothing. Mountain Master Chen doesn't need to worry about such things. Precisely because we're so close, as if just a few steps away, I don't feel the need to rush to meet. If you keep putting it off, down the mountain it often becomes regret. But up the mountain, it's fine. If we met too often, we'd run out of things to say. Then the next time we meet, we'd only be able to exchange awkward pleasantries about the nice weather. That wouldn't be good. Mountain Master Chen doesn't need to force anything in the future either. Just let things be as they are. Like today—when you have free time and are in the mood, just come and wander around Yidai Peak."

The old man spoke sincerely and casually.

It was obvious that this old Golden Core cultivator didn't attach too much importance to Chen Ping'an's new identities. The friendship of a gentleman is as bland as water. He simply felt that in a few hundred years, among the immortal sects that had purchased mountain peaks with Golden Essence Copper Coins in these western mountains, aside from the female cultivators of Pearl Hairpin Island at Aoyu Bei, and perhaps Ruan Qiong's Dragon Spring Sword Sect, Yidai Peak had the closest relationship with Luopo Mountain. Now, throughout Baohezhou's mountain circles, Old Immortal Master Liu had gained a reputation for "burning a good cold stove"—not exactly a compliment. In any case, everyone was envious of Liu Hongwen and Yidai Peak.

The old cultivator's residence had an empty space in front of it, bordered by a small river. The water was clear and slightly sweet, perfect for brewing tea.

Bamboo fences surrounded the house, planted with over a hundred varieties of grasses and trees, arranged in a mix of styles. Flowers bloomed and withered in different seasons, their intensity and sparseness all having their own charm.

The climbing trumpet vine on the rocks bloomed as large as fists. It was a ancient relic of over a hundred years on the mountain.

Among them, a goose-yellow peony by the corner wall had three main branches, extremely tall and lush. Its leaves and branches spread out, jutting over the eaves and gutters, providing shade from the scorching sun. During the oppressive summer heat, the flower shadows covered the ground, cool and refreshing.

In Chen Ping'an's eyes, Old Immortal Master Liu of Yidai Peak was a pure cultivator of the Dao.

His cultivation realm might not be considered too high, but he consistently practiced pure cultivation. His eyes had never seen right and wrong, making him a free man in the cultivation of the Dao.

Because of that inauguration ceremony, the old immortal master's granddaughter, Liu Runyun, and his proud disciple, Song Yuan, hadn't yet returned to the mountain. They were probably still traveling back to Niujiao Du on the ferry with Chen Lingjun and Guo Zhujiu.

Liu Hongwen took out a pot of wine brewed on the mountain and two celadon wine cups fired in Dragon Spring County.

The old immortal master first filled Chen Ping'an's cup to the brim, then laughed. "Let's each drink at our own pace. If you feel you've reached your limit, no need to force it."

It seemed the old man had learned quite a bit of local dialect from the town from Zhu Lian.

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded, holding the cup with both hands. "For this first cup, I must make up for all the courtesy I've owed over the years. I'll drink to you, Senior Immortal Master."

Liu Hongwen had to hold his cup with both hands as well. The two cups gently clinked together. The person making the toast kept his cup slightly lower. Each tilted their head back and downed the wine in one gulp. Chen Ping'an refilled the cups, and Liu Hongwen laughed. "It's a good thing Mountain Master Chen was willing to take time out of his busy schedule to personally attend this Huangliang Sect inauguration ceremony. You've given me great face. Not long ago, Gao Zhen sent a reply saying that he would come to Yidai Peak to visit me, his martial uncle, with a few Patriarch Hall elders, at the latest by late spring this year."

Anyway, knowing the ins and outs, the old cultivator didn't need to pretend in front of Chen Ping'an that there was harmony and good relations within the sect.

Chen Ping'an laughed. "Sect Leader Gao manages a large sect and sits in the first seat of the Patriarch Hall. Besides attending to his own cultivation, he also needs to balance all aspects, both inside and out. I imagine it's not easy. There are many things he can't just do as he pleases."

Liu Hongwen said, "It seems Mountain Master Chen has a fairly good impression of Gao Zhen."

Chen Ping'an joked, "We're both people who often have to ask for favors from others, so it's easy for us to sympathize with each other."

Liu Hongwen seemed to have resolved a knot in his heart. Mentioning Gao Zhen, a martial nephew he had once found mutually detestable, no longer held any resentment for the old man. He nodded and laughed. "Gao Zhen is indeed the most suitable person to be Sect Leader. I never doubted my junior brother's decision on that matter. If someone else had become Sect Leader, I probably wouldn't have come to Yidai Peak. I would have been too worried to leave. Even knowing I'd be annoying, I would have stayed there, spewing nonsense."

Chen Ping'an laughed. "The day you can't even be bothered to curse is the day you're truly disappointed."

Liu Hongwen nodded. "That's the kind of truth that's crude but not without reason."

When that Gao Zhen fellow comes to the mountain, he'd have to teach this martial nephew that lesson.

After that, they each drank their wine. When the pot was empty, they'd had roughly half each. But the old man, who hadn't been urging him to drink, went inside and came back with another pot. That's probably what real drinking encouragement was all about.

The old immortal master took a brocade box from his sleeve and placed it on the table. Opening it, there was a white jade poem plaque strung with a vermilion silk thread, with a small bead dangling from it. The old man gently pushed the box toward Chen Ping'an, laughing. "We can't just drink and forget the real business. This is a gift to congratulate Luopo Mountain on becoming a Sect. To be honest, I couldn't bear to give it away. Not because the gift itself is precious—it's not worth much immortal money—but because I'm extremely fond of it. The carving on this jade poem plaque is excellent workmanship, and the poem itself is even better. Take it. Hurry up. Don't start spouting nonsense about a gentleman not taking what someone treasures."

My goodness. Before the old immortal master could finish speaking, the young mountain master had already expressed his thanks and pocketed it.

Then the young sword immortal actually began to inquire about cultivation matters. The old Golden Core cultivator, emboldened by the wine, simply answered with whatever was on his mind.

"Dare I ask, Senior, what is cultivation?"

"Walking your own path, passing through the trials of your own heart alone."

"What is attaining the Dao?"

"Everyone is well. What does this mean? Not some deliberate mystification. It's just an ordinary saying. Nothing more than having a road when you leave the door, having a bridge when you cross water. You come, I go, with no one blocking the way."

"Senior must have read many scriptures of the Three Teachings."

"Not many."

"Then Senior must have the bearing of an ancient sage. When you read a book, you truly understand it. You never skim the surface."

"That's not an overstatement. Mountain Master Chen is no slouch either. If you didn't have some insight in your reading, how could you have achieved your present fortune? Others say you are deeply blessed. I say you cherish your blessings."

"Far less than Senior."

"At most, we differ by a hair's breadth. No need to be overly modest. I have quite a collection of books here. Feel free to borrow them anytime."

In the end, Old Immortal Master Liu brought out another pot of wine.

Finally, Chen Ping'an was slightly tipsy, his face flushed as he walked down Yidai Peak.

Shut the door and read books for many years, the planted pines grow old, their bark like dragon scales. Flourish the brush and let it fall on paper, flowing like clouds and smoke. Words—what need for two or three sentences? The mind must encompass several thousand years.

When Chen Ping'an reached Aoyu Bei, he scooped up some water from a mountain stream to wash his face.

Back then, Liu Chongrun had signed a mountain-river contract with Luopo Mountain, bringing twelve direct disciples from the Shujian Lake. She had spent thirty Guyu Coins to lease Aoyu Bei from Luopo Mountain for three hundred years.

This was, of course, the result of Liu Chongrun's feigned poverty. When doing business, if you don't haggle, are you even a woman?

After that, she spent her own money, generously hiring Mohist craftsmen and mechanism masters to create a series of connected mansions, clustered tightly like fish scales. Because of this, Aoyu Bei's continuous architecture, combined with the special materials used, made the roofs of the mountain buildings sparkle brilliantly under sunlight and moonlight—one golden and brilliant, one silver-white like snow—absolutely magnificent. This accidentally turned Aoyu Bei into a minor scenic spot, somewhat famous.

In fact, at the time, Pearl Hairpin Island only had a few registered cultivators. Many houses were left vacant. Liu Chongrun didn't care. She was perfectly willing to throw money at this aspect alone, and even less willing to lease those buildings out. In fact, many sects that owned peaks in this area made a considerable amount of immortal money from such matters. Many Baohezhou sects and registered cultivators were willing to pay a hefty rent to nominally own a house on some peak in these western mountains, giving their own disciples or friends from the mountains a place to stay during their travels. Living in the mountains was always a matter of face.

At that time, Chen Ping'an wasn't home. Zheng Dafeng was still a gatekeeper and hadn't gone to the Five Colors World yet. He had once complained to Liu Chongrun in person, "Sister Chongrun, don't do this next time. Really. Picking on a straightforward and simple guy like Brother Dafeng—what kind of game is that? These mountain buildings are worth far more than thirty Guyu Coins. You can cheat me out of my money, but you can't break my heart."

If, by some misstep, the world lost one honest and reliable good man and gained one philandering playboy, who would be responsible? Sister Chongrun, if you're willing to be responsible, let's settle this marriage right here and now. I'll pack my bags and go live at Aoyu Bei...

In fact, the contribution of Luopo Mountain's Chief Elder "Zhou Fei" alone was far more than thirty Guyu Coins.

Back then, Chief Zhou was wealthy and generous. He spent his own money, taking out four mountain treasures of considerable rank in one go as the suppression talismans for Huimeng Mountain, Zhusha Mountain, Weixia Peak, and Aoyu Bei. These heavy treasures took root, tightly linked to the mountain's roots and water veins. Later, when Liu Chongrun salvaged that water palace relic from her former kingdom, they complemented each other perfectly, making Aoyu Bei's water veins even richer.

Liu Chongrun planned to sign a new land deed with Luopo Mountain as soon as possible. Pearl Hairpin Island wanted to renew the lease, on top of the original three hundred years... for another six hundred!

Because according to the first contract, when the three hundred years expired, the cultivators of Pearl Hairpin Island would have to move off the mountain. But they couldn't take those buildings with them. They couldn't dismantle the immortal wood used as beams or relocate the immortal flowers and plants in the mountains. Everything would automatically become Luopo Mountain's property.

There was no helping it. This contract was signed by Zhu Lian as the main decision-maker. Black on white, article by article, written clearly.

The female cultivators of Pearl Hairpin Island had complained quite a bit about this back then. If the bookkeeper from the Qingxia Island had come in person to negotiate with the Island Master, how could he have been so harsh and penny-pinching? Absolutely impossible.

Aoyu Bei in Chuzhou, plus Pearl Hairpin Island on Shujian Lake—it was somewhat similar to the Huangliang Sect, having both an up-mountain and a down-mountain.

As compensation for helping salvage the ruins under the nose of the Dali Dynasty, Liu Chongrun gave a flood dragon boat to Luopo Mountain. Additionally, there was a verbal promise to split everything fifty-fifty.

As a treasure trove of the old kingdom, besides the water palace and the flood dragon boat—two immortal heavy treasures—there were actually quite a few other hidden treasures. According to Zhu Lian's estimation at the time, Liu Chongrun's income from this should be around five or six hundred Guyu Coins. However, Zhu Lian deliberately turned a blind eye to this back then. Liu Chongrun was happy to go with the flow and pretend it wasn't an issue. Later, Liu Chongrun's willingness to volunteer as the manager of the Fan Mo flood dragon boat stemmed largely from this matter. It was a way of repaying a favor, helping Pearl Hairpin Island make up for a debt of gratitude.

As for that water palace heavy treasure, refined by an Immortal, it was now placed near the Baozhu Pavilion of the Patriarch Hall by Liu Chongrun.

Today, the young mountain master of Luopo Mountain was taking the initiative to visit Aoyu Bei. It seemed this was a rare event. The main reason was Chen Ping'an's long absence from home.

The happiest person was definitely not Liu Chongrun, who had been agonizing over how to bring up the contract renewal. It was the young female cultivators who were already familiar with the bookkeeper from Qingxia Island.

A few years ago, Luopo Mountain proactively reached out, allowing Liu Chongrun of Aoyu Bei to select a few steady, outstanding direct disciples to go to that Lotus Root Blessed Land for focused cultivation.

A ten-year term. In two treasured lands, the water energy had become absurdly abundant—perfect for water-method Qi Refiners. It was practically a tailor-made ideal Dao field for their Pearl Hairpin Island cultivators. These places naturally had significant origins, all from Beiju Luzhou: one was part of the Nanxun Water Palace gifted by Ji Du Lingyuan Gong Shen Lin, and the other was a stream gifted by Longting Hou Li Yuan.

In recent years, because she had already reached the Golden Core realm, Liu Chongrun found it very difficult to make further progress. So she had made two external journeys and took on a new batch of disciples.

For small sects and minor schools, the requirements for a cultivation seedling's aptitude weren't high. Taking in a disciple with the potential to reach the Middle Five Realms was already considered quite a find.

Additionally, among Liu Chongrun's direct disciples, many had taken in young orphan girls from down the mountain as maidservants. In name, they were maids or servant girls. In reality, they were at Aoyu Bei to cultivate if they could, and they'd have the chance to join the registry. Those who couldn't cultivate would receive a monthly salary. When spread out over their families and relatives outside the mountain, it came to about several tens of silver taels per month—a blessing they wouldn't have dared to dream of.

With female cultivators plus the maids of various mansions, the number approached a hundred. With so many chirping girls, Aoyu Bei became even livelier.

Those who came from hardship weren't necessarily kind after making it big—they could even become worse. But Liu Chongrun was strict in her management. She didn't have high requirements for her disciples' cultivation aptitude, but she was extremely particular about their character. So at Aoyu Bei, no one dared to cheat those above or bully those below. The sect's atmosphere was very good.

Chen Ping'an walked along the mountain path. The gatekeeper female cultivator had already reported to the Patriarch Hall.

Seeing the cyan-clothed figure, one after another, three female cultivators arrived, speaking in unison: "Mr. Chen!"

They were still accustomed to addressing him as Mr. Chen.

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. He remembered their names clearly. "Liuxia, Guan Qing, Bai Que. Hello."

Of course, this was just because Chen Ping'an had a good memory.

The bookkeeper of Qingxia Island was famously unromantic. His words and actions were rigid and formal. He only knew how to ruin the mood.

Besides, back then at Shujian Lake, because that Tuofan Ren was a ghost cultivator, Chen Ping'an, who had come as a mediator, was repeatedly shut out at the Pearl Hairpin Island ferry. Not only couldn't he see Island Master Liu, but he couldn't even ascend the mountain.

Actually, this was a matter that was often relished among the women of Pearl Hairpin Island. Ha! Our Pearl Hairpin Island may be a small sect, but our mountain gate has a big attitude! Try asking any mountain peak in the world—which one could repeatedly block Mr. Chen from ascending? Zhengyang Mountain? Sheng'ao Sect? Certainly not. They wouldn't dare.

However, Liu Chongrun's discipline was strict. No one dared to spread this outside, because anyone caught doing so would be immediately removed from the registry and expelled from the mountain, with no room for negotiation.

Chen Ping'an chatted briefly with the three female cultivators before taking his leave.

Back then, every time he was shut out at Pearl Hairpin Island and went to the Zhu Xian Mansion on Qingxia Island, Chen Ping'an might have to endure Ma Yuanzhi's verbal stabs: "We're fellow sufferers in the same boat, brothers in misery. Both of us suffered the disadvantage of not having handsome faces in front of women. Chen Ping'an, come visit my mansion more often. Seeing you, who's uglier than me, makes me feel much better." Or else Ma would force Chen Ping'an to swear a venomous oath: "You have to swear to me—a friend's wife is not to be trifled with. Don't let your ugly face cause trouble. Don't harbor any crooked thoughts. Don't give me any of that 'don't stand on ceremony' nonsense. Even though Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess hasn't married me yet, she's your future sister-in-law. When you see her, keep your eyes in line. Don't sneak glances. We're both men with something between our legs; do you think I don't know what you're thinking? ... Chen Ping'an, tell me honestly, when you see Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess, do you have any ideas? No? Really nothing? Fine, I'll believe you this once. But to see a goddess among goddesses like the Eldest Princess and not have a single lustful thought—pfft, you're not a man. You're really not a proper person..."

After Mr. Chen walked away, Bai Que burst out laughing. She held out her hand. "Pay up if you lose the bet. Hurry up, hand over the money!"

Liuxia was Liu Chongrun's second disciple, and Bai Que was her youngest. Back then, a few of them had used Chen Ping'an as a bet. Liuxia had lost ten Snowflower Coins. Bai Que still had the same youthful appearance as back then. She was the only one who had won money, because that time, only she had bet that Chen Ping'an could ascend the mountain. And she had won everything!

Chen Ping'an stopped and turned around.

The laughter immediately stopped over there.

After all, times had changed. Mr. Chen had acquired many identities, each more intimidating than the last. Mountain Master of Luopo Mountain, closed-door disciple of the Literary Sage, little junior brother of Xuanhu Cui Chan, Dao partner of Ning Yao, the number one in the Five Colors World, a Martial Artist who had exchanged blows with Cao Ci, a forty-something Jade Pure Sword Immortal... What they could do before was no longer appropriate, especially to his face. And now they had been caught red-handed.

Chen Ping'an stood still, smiled playfully, and said, "Guan Qing, take my advice. First, don't gamble with Junior Sister Bai Que. Her gambling luck is really good. Second, even if you absolutely must gamble, don't bet alongside Senior Sister Liuxia. Bet against whatever Senior Sister bets on."

They were momentarily speechless.

Only when the cyan-clothed figure had walked far away did the three harmonious fellow disciples burst into laughter.

The usually rigid and formal Mr. Chen could be quite amusing when he occasionally made witty remarks.

Just like back when Liuxia complained that Chen Ping'an had caused her to lose ten Snowflower Coins. Mr. Chen had simply asked, "If I say 'serves you right,' can I still see the Island Master?" After Liuxia unwillingly said yes, the bookkeeper had indeed dropped a single line: "Serves you right."

Bai Que raised her hand and made a waving gesture, muttering to herself, "So handsome!"

Back then, a girl who had earned so much money she could barely hold it all in her hands had called out a laughing thank-you to the young bookkeeper's retreating back. The man in the blue cotton coat hadn't turned around. He had just raised his hand and waved, probably signaling that no thanks were necessary.

Bai Que clenched her fists and shook them, full of Snowflower Coins. She said cheerfully, "Ha, Master must never find out about this."

Earning money was fun. But meeting Mr. Chen again—and finding him still "the same"—seemed like an even more joyous thing.

"Why are we afraid of Master but not of Mr. Chen?"

"I think even if Mr. Chen reaches an even higher realm in the future, when we meet again, I still won't be afraid of him."

"Is it because Mr. Chen, like us, came from poverty, so he doesn't put on airs with us? And it's not that fake approachability?"

"But not everyone who becomes wealthy and noble acts like this. Take Shujian Lake, for example. How many people, once their realm is higher, turn their backs on others? Are there few of them? When they start trampling on others, aren't they even fiercer and crueler? They have every imaginable trick up their sleeves. We can't even think of half of them. Even now, so far from Shujian Lake, just thinking about it gives me shivers."

"Then why is that?"

"Because Mr. Chen was born a good person."

"You came up with that reason... But when you think about it carefully, it seems to fit."

The Patriarch Hall of Pearl Hairpin Island was called the Baozhu Pavilion.

Liu Chongrun stood alone at the entrance, waiting for Chen Ping'an to appear.

She wore her hair in a high bun. Her figure was full and generous. Her forehead was square, her cheeks full.

Liu Chongrun habitually narrowed her extremely long and narrow phoenix eyes, watching the cyan-clothed figure approach.

This former princess regent who had governed court affairs from behind a screen for many years, managing an entire kingdom's government, had originally been expected to become the first female emperor of Baohezhou, had she not been relentlessly pestered by that Sword Cultivator who was a member of the old Zhuying Dynasty's royal family.

Strictly speaking, the first sect to formally establish a mountain alliance with Luopo Mountain was Liu Chongrun's Pearl Hairpin Island.

Everything is difficult at the start. This bond of incense and fire was not insignificant.

Back then, all the direct disciples of Pearl Hairpin Island's Patriarch Hall had followed the highly decisive Liu Chongrun in relocating to Longzhou, settling at Aoyu Bei, establishing their sect and school. They had effectively abandoned their old patrimony and started from scratch.

Liu Chongrun had never slackened in her cultivation for even a moment over the years. Coupled with using the water palace as her Dao field, she was currently at the bottleneck of the Golden Core realm. She primarily cultivated water methods, with talismans as a secondary focus.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken a liking to Aoyu Bei among the vassal mountain peaks. It was simply because this place had the richest water veins.

At that time, Luopo Mountain hadn't yet purchased Huanghu Mountain. Otherwise, Pearl Hairpin Island's Patriarch Hall might not be at Aoyu Bei today.

In the warm spring sunshine, Liu Chongrun had set a low table directly in the white jade square, with a basin of fruits and various pastries on it. She personally brewed a pot of tea to entertain her guest.

Liu Chongrun handed Chen Ping'an a cup of immortal tea wreathed in mist. Sunlight shone on it, and a miniature rainbow appeared on the water's surface.

People with deep feelings all like to cherish the past.

Chen Ping'an took the teacup, expressed his thanks, and laughed. "Nowadays, this Hongyin tea is monopolized by the Zhenjing Sect. It's priced by the tael. Ordinary immortal mansions can't buy it even if they have the money."

They had just started drinking tea when a lively young girl who was completely unafraid of strangers came bouncing over, walking with a breeze, completely uninhibited.

Liu Chongrun smiled and introduced her. "This is a newly accepted disciple of mine. Her name is Yunxiang."

No wonder the girl was so bold, daring to crash this gathering without permission. It could only be explained by the saying "the emperor favors the youngest child." Liuxia and the others would absolutely never dare to come over and join the fun.

After Yunxiang had paid her respects to Chen Ping'an, Liu Chongrun told her to go fetch an embroidered stool for herself.

Liu Chongrun got straight to the point. "Mountain Master Chen honors us with your presence. Do you have any instructions?"

Chen Ping'an laughed. "I have no requests. Island Master Liu doesn't need to be nervous. I'm just taking a casual stroll, visiting neighbors, that's all. Pearl Hairpin Island has helped enough already. I wouldn't dare..."

Liu Chongrun was momentarily speechless.

Yunxiang, sitting stiffly upright beside her, blinked.

Tsk, tsk. Listen to that. Mr. Chen really knows how to talk.

Master's words hid a needle in cotton. It was no wonder Master spoke with hidden meaning. Master had practically become Luopo Mountain's second steward.

Nowadays in Baohezhou, Pearl Hairpin Island, whose Patriarch Hall had relocated to Aoyu Bei, was widely regarded as a vassal sect of Luopo Mountain. We Pearl Hairpin Island Qi Refiners actually didn't mind this. It's good to have a big tree to lean on for shade. Besides, Luopo Mountain's atmosphere was so good. No matter what gossip circulated in Baohezhou, there was one thing: no one ever said that Pearl Hairpin Island's female cultivators had used their looks to curry favor with Luopo Mountain.

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Island Master Liu, among your direct disciples, is anyone close to forming a Golden Core recently?"

Liu Chongrun's irritation flared at this. She sneered, "Do you think all mountain peaks are like your Luopo Mountain?"

This Luopo Mountain seemed to treat even a Nascent Soul realm cultivator as nothing special.

Because she had disciples cultivating in the Lotus Root Blessed Land, Liu Chongrun was in regular contact with Hongxia and Peixiang.

Chen Ping'an was momentarily speechless, then smiled wryly.

Besides Chen Ping'an himself, perhaps no outsider knew that the little charcoal-black girl he had brought out of the blessed land to travel the world had once sincerely admired two people.

One was Wu Yi, the founding patriarch of Ziyang Mansion. The first time she followed her master there for a free meal, she saw over a thousand people—cultivators, maidservants, and miscellaneous duty disciples—gather in the square, kneel and kowtow, shouting "Patriarch Grandfather." Damn! That kind of spectacle, that kind of scene, immediately awed Pei Qian. Domineering! Domineering! The little charcoal-black girl made a secret decision: when she roamed the world in the future, what was real success? How did you know you'd truly made a name for yourself? You had to measure it by this standard: a thousand underlings, and when they saw you, they'd all kneel down in a big pile, shouting "Patriarch Pei" so loud it would shake the heavens, like thunder!

The other was Liu Chongrun of Pearl Hairpin Island. Pei Qian had heard the old cook say that this Island Master Liu had once been a princess regent ruling from behind the screen. The little charcoal-black girl found that simply amazing. In a grand court hall, on the left stood a long row of civilian officials droning on about classics, on the right stood generals who killed people in battle as easily as cutting vegetables. All were officials, and big ones at that. "I, this wandering princess from the people, am a fake, only good for bluffing people casually. Auntie Liu is completely different!"

Additionally, Liu Chongrun had managed the flood dragon boat ferry for many years. Using the shop left by the Niujiao Du Baggage Villa, she was responsible for helping Luopo Mountain resell goods shipped from Beiju Luzhou. According to Nuannuan, the sect's treasury brought in a huge amount of immortal money every quarter! It was second only to the docking fees collected from various ferries at Niujiao Mountain. So back then, Pei Qian felt especially close to Liu Chongrun. From the bottom of her heart, she felt that this Auntie Liu had a sense of loyalty, was dedicated to her work, was incredibly good at making money, and really knew how to conduct herself! Admirable! Absolutely admirable!

Little Pei Qian was lazy in her childhood. If she could lie down, she wouldn't stand. If she could stand, she wouldn't take a step.

But whenever Nuannuan went to Aoyu Bei for visits and gift-giving, Pei Qian was always especially diligent. She would definitely tag along. When she saw Liu Chongrun, she'd call out "Auntie Liu" warmly and affectionately.

And Liu Chongrun never disappointed her. She always had a gift ready.

There was a certain small peak on Luopo Mountain, the Bamboo Tower lineage, which had its own registry. The threshold was so high that even Chen Ping'an, the mountain master, hadn't been able to join. Let alone Chen Lingjun.

There weren't many people who could simultaneously earn Pei Qian's admiration, Nuannuan's gratitude, and Little Mi Li's closeness. Liu Chongrun of Pearl Hairpin Island was one of them.

In the end, doing things is about being a person. Over time, you see the heart. To this day, generally speaking, Pearl Hairpin Island might not be able to bulldoze its way through Baohezhou, but at the very least, it never had to worry about getting into trouble.

Besides, earlier on the flood dragon boat ferry, Great Sword Immortal Mi and Liu Chongrun had become familiar faces. Although they basically never chatted, the female cultivators of Pearl Hairpin Island all liked to chat a bit more with that guy named "Yu Mi." A man who looked that good—what harm was there in a few more words? It wasn't a loss. It was a pity that Yu Mi was too taciturn and didn't like to talk much. He was just too thin-skinned. So they liked to tease him even more, making a few jokes. Shy, he'd even blush occasionally.

Liu Chongrun actually wasn't too keen on discussing business with Chen Ping'an. But since he had come to the mountain, she endured her discomfort and steeled herself to speak up. "I want to renew the lease on Aoyu Bei with Luopo Mountain for six hundred years."

Added together, that would be nine hundred years. Occupying a Dao field for nearly a thousand years was essentially equivalent to directly purchasing Aoyu Bei from Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an had just raised his teacup and taken a sip of Hongyin tea.

In Beiju Luzhou, within the Dragon Palace Small Cave Heaven, Chen Ping'an had bought an island called Fushui Island, which held special significance for him. It had cost him eighty Guyu Coins. Of course, this was an extremely low price. With the help of Lingyuan Gong Shen Lin, Longting Hou Li Yuan, and Sword Immortal Li Cai's Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, these high-ranking figures were all potential pressure on the Water Dragon Sect. Besides, the Water Dragon Sect itself was willing to establish a friendship of incense and fire with Chen Ping'an through this transaction.

So Liu Chongrun was too embarrassed to name a price. She thought that if Chen Ping'an flatly refused, she would offer a water elixir recipe from the water palace's secret collection as a trade.

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then said, "The previous three hundred years were thirty Guyu Coins. For the renewal of six hundred, let's use the same price. Give us Luopo Mountain another sixty Guyu Coins. Island Master Liu, what do you think? This price is, of course, very low. But as I said earlier, Pearl Hairpin Island has helped us immensely over the years, contributing both people and effort. Luopo Mountain cannot ignore this bond of friendship."

If he were still a teenager, he would have just given the entire Aoyu Bei to Pearl Hairpin Island, let alone leasing it for six hundred years.

But as he grew older, he came to understand a truth more and more: even when giving goodwill to others, there's a difference between "I feel no guilt in my heart, I didn't think much about this matter" and "the other person's mind is full of twists and turns, pondering repeatedly." The same matter would be viewed with different mindsets. Understanding this wasn't called resignation; it was called growth. Taking care of others' inner feelings was never a simple thing.

Liu Chongrun could hardly hide her surprise and delight. She hesitated for a long time before tentatively asking, "You don't want to add a few more Guyu Coins?"

Chen Ping'an gave a thumbs up and praised, "Island Master Liu, you really know how to do business. I've seen people trying every trick to haggle down the price, but I've never seen someone voluntarily raising the price."

Island Master Liu narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I was just feeling a little guilty about my conscience."

Chen Ping'an pretended not to have heard anything and just chuckled, lowering his head to drink his tea.

After that, the two simply drank tea and chatted idly, their demeanor relaxed and elegant. To the quietly observing young girl, it was like a beautiful painting: her master and him, not involved in romantic love, yet both were immortals among mortals.

After leaving Aoyu Bei, nearing Luopo Mountain, Chen Ping'an stopped. By the roadside was a rest pavilion with a table set up inside, which had never been removed.

He had heard that Bai Xuan had made the acquaintance of quite a few heroes of the martial world here, eventually compiling a book of heroes.

Bai Shou hadn't agreed. He had suffered enough hardships and setbacks in succession. But Qiu Zhi of Jiuyi Peak, who had only met Bai Xuan once, had muddle-headedly "made it onto the list."

Chen Ping'an walked into the rest pavilion and sat down for a short rest.

But life isn't like wandering the western mountains. If you've wandered them today, you can wander them again tomorrow or the day after. The rest pavilion wouldn't move. Life keeps moving forward.

Like going to Aoyu Bei, it made Chen Ping'an miss Pei Qian, his first disciple whom he had watched grow up, very much.

When Chen Ping'an wasn't home back then, Pei Qian would go to the private school every day. Near Qilong Lane, there had once been a persistent woman who claimed Pei Qian had beaten her white goose to death. The little charcoal-black girl had paid compensation, but she had insisted on one point: she hadn't killed the white goose. Chen Ping'an could even perfectly imagine the little girl pulling out the money, her face full of stubbornness.

That might have been the first time Pei Qian had saved up some money and then given it away.

Was her heart aching?

And those clay dolls she had hidden somewhere.

According to what Pei Qian told Zhu Lian and Shi Rou at the time, there had been a heavy rain. She had accidentally forgotten about them, hadn't sounded the retreat in time. The torrential rain had washed them away, scattering them.

But Chen Ping'an knew very well that they had been smashed by other children. They hadn't just been thrown far away. They had been deliberately smashed and scattered all over the ground, left there.

Was she angry?

But perhaps in the little charcoal-black girl's heart, no matter how painful it was, it couldn't compare to the time during her childhood escape, when her mother, one night, had hidden some steamed buns from her and her father and then secretly eaten them herself.

Many hardships, difficulties, and setbacks can be fought against with a beautiful childhood, and you won't lose. Just like you can resist a harsh winter by longing for a warm spring. Hard times will eventually pass.

Perhaps many of the hard work and silent sacrifices people make later in life are engaged in an unknown, difficult tug-of-war in their hearts against their less-than-beautiful childhoods. This battle might accompany them for a lifetime. At best, they can fight to a draw. There's absolutely no chance of winning.

Actually, Chen Ping'an himself had endured it, so he had more patience and compassion than the average person. But what truly made Chen Ping'an's heart soften the most was that... understanding.

Like Little Mi Li, who had suffered grievances but didn't think much of them.

And Pei Qian, who was still a mischievous little charcoal-black girl back then. It was the first time Chen Ping'an had received a gift on the fifth day of the fifth month.

So Chen Ping'an had treasured it carefully all these years, keeping it in his square-inch pouch rather than his arm's-reach pouch, always carrying it with him.

When he was young and drank, he always liked to use that Sword-Nourishing Gourd. After he grew up, it seemed the number of times he took out the Sword-Nourishing Gourd to drink decreased.

Beyond myself and myself is the boundary between heaven and earth.

Some people have had romantic entanglements and arguments with this world; others have had grudges and reconciliations with this world like enemies.

A girl in a mink hat with flushed cheeks suddenly appeared outside the rest pavilion, looking at the cyan-clothed man who was resting his chin on his hand on the table, lost in thought.

Chen Ping'an turned his head and asked with a smile, "Miss Xie, what do you think of the scenery at Baijian Tai?"

Xie Gou chuckled. "Not bad. Pretty damn good."

Chen Ping'an took out two flasks of wine and said with a smile, "Do you mind drinking standing up?"

Xie Gou narrowed her eyes and smiled, striding into the rest pavilion. "I'm used to walking the streets and countryside, a child of the martial world. I'm not fussy about formalities. As long as I get free booze, what else is there to complain about?"

Somehow, seeing that "Chen Ping'an" earlier, and she wasn't stupid, of course she felt immense pressure. Don't be fooled—while she was in that vortex of flowing time in Qilong Lane, she had been carefully on guard against the sword-wielder the entire time. But actually, by instinct, she was even more wary of that guy who called Xiao Mo "Young Master."

But now, seeing this young mountain master with his genial expression, strange as it was, she felt even more pressure!

Xie Gou asked seemingly casually, "Do you remember what happened before?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Knowing what I see is also a kind of cultivation."

Xie Gou took a drink, nodded, not sure if it was because the wine tasted good or if she thought the statement made sense. "So, in Mountain Master Chen's view, how should one settle the infinite mind?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I won't discuss this with Miss Xie. It would tire me out and waste your wine. Hmm, it seems it would be my wine that gets wasted."

Xie Gou chuckled. "You think I'm an outsider? Or a 'self-sufficient man'? That we can't see eye to eye?"

If it were someone else, she would have said something like "we can't even piss in the same pot."

But now, living under someone else's roof, she had to be more careful with her words.

Wasn't it precisely because of her improper speech that she had been driven down the mountain by Old Man Zhu? If she angered this true master of the house, the Hidden Officer himself, wouldn't she be in a sorry state?

And where could she be driven to? Buy a house in Huaihuang County? Wouldn't that be even worse off than that white-haired dwarf?

Then she might as well spend the money to buy up three mountain peaks, including Tiandu Peak. Sigh, but those three sects were asking for a high price. They were taking advantage of her ignorance of the mountain market, trying to fleece her.

Chen Ping'an clearly didn't want to talk about this with her. He changed the subject, asking with a smile, "Seriously, I've always been curious. Why are you so fixated on Xiao Mo in particular?"

Xie Gou's face first showed deep sorrow, then finally relief. The complexity of her expression and the progression of her emotions were like a clear mountain stream winding down a hill. She took a big gulp of wine, sighed faintly, and gave an answer in a single sentence that completely floored Chen Ping'an. Were the Great Demons of the Barren Wasteland Heaven all this literarily accomplished nowadays?!

"This body originally knew not sorrow, finding it most fearsome to encounter tenderness even once."