Parting

Outside a house in Mud Bottle Alley, a mischievous child with a snotty nose was viciously kicking the door and cursing, spitting everywhere. "Chen Ping'an! If you don't come out, I'll find someone to chop you to death and smash all the junk in your house! I know you're home, what are you busy with? Are you... doing that thing with Song Jixin's little wife, with Zhi Gui? It's broad daylight, don't you care about Song Jixin's feelings? Fine, fine, you're not coming out, right? I'm leaving, I'm really leaving? If I leave, you'll never see me again in your life. I was going to leave all my treasures to you, Chen Ping'an! Come out quickly!"

For some reason, by the end of his rant, the child's voice cracked with tears. He yanked his snotty nose back into its lair.

Gu Can suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and quickly turned around. Seeing the familiar face, the child cursed again, "Chen Ping'an! You bastard..."

The straw-sandaled youth's expression was grim. Gu Can quickly changed tack, adding, "Are you feeling alright?"

It was a smooth transition, a natural turn of events, not at all awkward.

Used to the brat's carefree nature, Chen Ping'an, carrying a new clay pot, retorted irritably, "You know whether I'm alright or not, don't you?"

Gu Can realized he had important business to attend to. He quickly pulled Chen Ping'an towards the courtyard gate and shoved two exquisitely embroidered bags into Chen Ping'an's hands. The child lowered his voice and asked, "Do you remember that little loach I asked you for last year?"

Chen Ping'an was bewildered, holding the heavy bags. The contents were not unfamiliar. The young man in fine clothes who had forcibly bought the golden carp later sent him a bag of copper coins. Chen Ping'an looked around. There were no pedestrians at either end of Mud Bottle Alley. He quickly opened the door and brought Gu Can into the courtyard. After setting the clay pot aside, he asked directly, "Did a stranger want to buy that loach from you, right?! Gu Can, I'm warning you, don't sell it! Don't sell it, no matter what! Don't you want your mother to have a good life in the future? You must keep that loach, do you understand?!"

Gu Can burst into tears, grabbing Chen Ping'an's sleeve with both hands and sobbing, "I wanted to give the loach back to you, but Mom wouldn't let me! She even slapped me. Mom has never hit me before. And that storyteller, I don't know if he's an immortal or a monster, he was so scary. First, he took me into a white bowl, and then that loach suddenly became very, very big, much thicker than our water vat..."

Chen Ping'an covered the child's mouth with his hand, his face serious as he glared, "The loach is yours now, it belongs to you! Gu Can, do you still want your mother to have a good life? To be able to eat meat every day, for your mother to have rouge and powder, to buy silk clothes that feel smooth and slippery?"

Gu Can sniffled and nodded vigorously.

Chen Ping'an released him, squatted down, and asked, "What's with these two bags of money? Did you steal them?"

Gu Can's eyes darted around. Just as he was about to lie, Chen Ping'an knew him too well. The little rascal's intentions were as clear as day. Chen Ping'an gave him another flick on the head and said sternly, "Take it back!"

Gu Can's stubbornness flared up. "No!"

Chen Ping'an's face turned ashen with anger. He raised his hand, ready to deliver a real flick on the head, but seeing the child's obstinate expression, Chen Ping'an softened slightly. He paused, then asked, "What exactly happened? Tell me."

Gu Can recounted the entire story. It was undeniable that the child was infuriating, but he was indeed intelligent and precocious. From the Old Scholar Tree to the Iron Lock Well, and then to the courtyard in Mud Bottle Alley, he clearly explained to Chen Ping'an the extraordinary encounter where the storyteller wanted to take him as a disciple. At this moment, Chen Ping'an had a general understanding. Gu Can was likely one of the people in the small town who had received ancestral blessings in the form of Sophora Leaves. Whether it was luck or a fortunate encounter as Mr. Qi and Daoist Master Lu had said, Gu Can would probably be taken away from the small town by that storyteller. However, when he thought of River-Cutting True Lord Liu Zhimao, Chen Ping'an's heart tightened. According to Mr. Qi, this person's character was truly despicable, and he wanted to get rid of himself, not hesitating to use immortal divine abilities to frame himself and Cai Jinjian. Was it a good thing that Gu Can recognized this person as his master? But then again, if this person was willing to take Gu Can as a disciple, rather than swindling or forcing a sale, could it be that Gu Can wouldn't be in mortal danger for the time being?

The cunning child's eyes darted around. While Chen Ping'an was lost in thought, he suddenly snatched the two money bags from Chen Ping'an's hand, threw them towards the house, and turned to run.

He was immediately grabbed by the collar by Chen Ping'an and pulled back.

Gu Can clasped his hands over his head, looking pitiful.

Although Chen Ping'an forcibly dragged the child back, he hesitated on how to deal with him. The matters involved were too significant, and Chen Ping'an was afraid of making the wrong choice and implicating Gu Can and his mother.

If it were just his own affair, this helpless straw-sandaled youth would likely have acted much more decisively.

The black-clothed girl had gotten out of bed at some point and was standing behind the threshold. "My mother once said that everyone has their own destiny. This child is clearly a troublemaker who will live a thousand years and will never lack good luck."

Gu Can's eyes lit up. He quickly wiped his snotty nose, grinned, revealing his missing teeth, and said fawningly, "Sister, you're so beautiful, just like my second sister! It's a small place here, why don't you come to my house and sit for a while?"

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "When did your mother remarry your father?"

Exposed, the child immediately rolled his eyes and changed his tone and expression. "Tsk tsk, Chen Ping'an, you've got some nerve. When did you abduct a woman home? Are you going to have a wedding night? Too bad I'll miss it, otherwise, I'd definitely squat in the corner and listen to you gods fighting in bed..."

Chen Ping'an placed a hand on Gu Can's head and apologized to the black-clothed girl, "He's just like this, don't be angry."

The girl glanced at the child. "Wimp!"

Gu Can was about to unleash his family's special skill, but he felt the hand on his head. He quietly increased the pressure, and immediately became weak and listless. "Sister, you're so lovely, everything you say is right."

The black-clothed girl ignored the child and turned to Chen Ping'an, saying meaningfully, "You'd better accept those two bags of copper coins, lest you turn against each other in the future. Moreover, if this child achieves success in cultivation later, and you don't let him offload some of his guilt today, you might very well harm his Dao heart, causing external demons to take advantage of the opening."

Gu Can liked hearing this. He gave the elder sister a thumbs-up. "Your hair is long, and your knowledge is long too. You're indeed more reliable than some little woman next door!"

The black-clothed girl raised an eyebrow and accepted the compliment with pleasure.

From a distance in Mud Bottle Alley, an urgent roar sounded, "Gu Can!"

The child's face paled slightly. "Let's go, let's go, Chen Ping'an, I'm leaving!"

He said he was leaving, but the child himself didn't realize that his fingers gripping Chen Ping'an's were tightening.

Perhaps subconsciously, Gu Can had already regarded Chen Ping'an as his only family besides his mother.

Chen Ping'an took the child out of the courtyard and squatted down, whispering, "Gu Can, remember to be careful of your master. And take good care of your mother. As a man, your mother can only rely on you from now on. Don't always make her worry."

Gu Can grunted.

Chen Ping'an added, "When you're out there, do more and talk less. Control your mouth. Suffer some losses, and just accept them. Don't always try to get the upper hand in arguments. People outside are not like us; they hold grudges."

The child's eyes reddened, and he retorted, "People here also hold grudges, but you don't."

Chen Ping'an was speechless, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face.

Chen Ping'an suddenly came to his senses and asked in a deep voice, "Gu Can, did you get any Sophora Leaves?"

If not, Chen Ping'an didn't believe Gu Can had received an immortal's favor. Perhaps the arrival of that storyteller was a death sentence.

The child's anger flared up at this question. He rustled through his pocket and pulled out a large handful. He habitually cursed, "I don't know which damned bastard secretly stuffed so many useless leaves into my pocket. I only found them just now when I sneaked out of the house to hide these two bags of money. It must have been Zhao Xiaopang or that girl Liu Mei! If my mother sees them when she does my laundry, she'll scold me for being a troublemaker again! It's a good thing I'm leaving soon, or I'd secretly throw rocks into their latrine..."

As the child ranted, Chen Ping'an was first dumbfounded, then relieved. Seeing the boy about to carelessly throw them on the ground, he quickly stopped him, his expression extremely solemn, "Gu Can, keep them safe! You must keep them safe! If possible, it's best not to let even your mother see these Sophora leaves. This is likely for her own good."

The child looked confused but still nodded. "Okay."

Chen Ping'an let out a long sigh and muttered to himself, "Now I can truly rest easy."

Gu Can suddenly leaned forward and bumped his forehead hard against Chen Ping'an's head, whimpering, "I'm sorry!"

Chen Ping'an rubbed his small head and laughed, scolding, "Silly boy!"

Gu Can suddenly whispered in his ear.

Chen Ping'an froze on the spot.

The child turned and ran, waving as he jogged, "That old man said he's taking me and my mom to a place called Book Scroll Lake, Qingxia Island. If you ever can't even afford a wife, come find me. I'm not bragging, but a slut like Zhi Gui next door, I can give you seventeen or eighteen of them if you want!"

Chen Ping'an stood in place and nodded.

He felt a pang of sadness.

After all, Gu Can was like a younger brother to him, so Chen Ping'an was willing to indulge Gu Can in everything.

The straw-sandaled youth gazed blankly at the child's receding figure.

His life was always like this; the people he truly cared about seemed impossible to hold onto.

The boy from Mud Bottle Alley grinned.

Heaven was quite stingy.

The gate of the neighboring courtyard opened gently, and a maidservant, Zhi Gui, emerged. She stood tall and graceful, like a lotus flower in a pond.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Did you hear what Gu Can said about you earlier?"

She blinked her autumn-clear eyes and replied, "I pretended not to hear. I can't win an argument against them anyway."

Chen Ping'an felt a bit awkward and decided to put in a good word for that rascal Gu Can, trying to smooth things over. "He's not a bad person, really. He just speaks a bit harshly."

Zhi Gui's lips twitched expressionlessly. "Whether Gu Can is good-hearted or not, I don't know. But his widowed mother is definitely not someone to be trifled with. I'm very sure about that."

Chen Ping'an didn't know how to respond, so he just applied what he'd just learned from her, pretending he hadn't heard anything.

She suddenly asked a perplexing question, "Chen Ping'an, do you truly have no regrets?"

Chen Ping'an blinked. "What?"

Seeing that he wasn't feigning ignorance, Zhi Gui sighed, turned, and returned to the courtyard, closing the wooden door.

Chen Ping'an, whose eyesight was excellent, had been standing in the alley the whole time. He finally saw the gate of Gu Can's house open in the distance. Three people emerged. The mother and son each carried bags of various sizes and slowly walked towards the other end of Mud Bottle Alley.

Chen Ping'an even clearly saw the storyteller turn his head, glance at him, and smile playfully.

After the three figures disappeared at the end of the alley, Chen Ping'an returned to his own courtyard. He saw that the black-clothed girl was already able to sit on the threshold by herself.

Was her body made of iron?

Chen Ping'an first placed the jade hairpin gifted by Mr. Qi, along with the two bags of copper coins brought by Gu Can, on the table. Then, he began to boil water, prepare herbs, and decoct medicine. He was skilled and practiced, not at all like someone from a kiln, but more like a long-time shop assistant in an apothecary.

The black-clothed girl looked a bit puzzled but didn't ask. Bored, she got up and went to the table. After a moment's thought, she took out a money bag that Chen Ping'an had hidden inside a bottle.

After she sat down, three bags of money and a jade hairpin were laid out on the table. Of course, there was also a spiritual long sword that wisely "retreated" to a corner.

Chen Ping'an didn't stop her from taking the money, but he turned and cautioned, "The jade hairpin was a gift from Mr. Qi. Miss Ning, please be careful with it."

As if fearing the girl might not take it seriously, Chen Ping'an bashfully added, "You really need to be careful."

The girl rolled her eyes.

Three bags of Golden Essence, Spring Welcoming Coins, Offering Coins, and Suppression Charm Coins – coincidentally, they were all there.

The girl propped her head on one hand and used her other index finger to play with three copper coins, asking casually, "How's your situation? Can you tell me about it?"

Chen Ping'an squatted by the wall near the window, carefully watching the heat of the fire and occasionally flipping through the three prescriptions. Hearing the question, he asked, "Is it appropriate to say?"

The girl frowned. "You're in such a pathetic state, and you're still worried about someone killing me after I hear your secrets? Chen Ping'an, I'm not trying to be mean, but I advise you, a soft-hearted person like you, to never leave this small town your entire life, or you won't know how you died."

The girl was full of pity for his misfortune and anger at his lack of ambition.

A young man with such a rigid personality, even if he were a powerful sword immortal with the golden body of an Arhat and the Daoist arts of a Heavenly Lord, if he were transported to her hometown, he would surely die within a year, leaving no trace behind.

The straw-sandaled youth chuckled, "Then I'll tell you about it?"

The girl pressed the three coins with her fingers, rubbing them back and forth on the table. "Tell me if you want, don't if you don't."

Chen Ping'an then recounted the events leading up to Mr. Qi's appearance, selectively omitting some details about what happened afterward.

After listening, the girl said nonchalantly, "Then that River-Cutting True Lord Liu Zhimao is clearly the main culprit. But Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua are no good either. If Mr. Qi hadn't stepped in to smooth things over, you would have been hunted and killed by those three factions no matter where you fled. To put it bluntly, killing you would have been easy. If it weren't for being in this small town, forget Liu Zhimao, even that woman from Cloud Mist Mountain could have crushed you into soul-scattered dust with a single finger."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I know."

The girl huffed angrily, "You know jack squat!"

Chen Ping'an didn't retort and continued to decoct the medicine.

She asked, "The reason you're in this tribulation is all because of that loach. Why didn't you tell that child the truth?"

This time, Chen Ping'an didn't remain silent or turn his head. Sitting on a small stool, he looked down at the red and green flames and said softly, "That wouldn't be right."

The girl hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself. In the end, she looked at his thin back and sighed, "Then do you know that if your fists aren't strong, no one will care about whether you're right or wrong?"

The young man shook his head. "Whether others listen or not, a principle is a principle."

He seemed a little unsure, so he turned and smiled, asking, "Right?"

The girl glared at him. "Right your head!"

The young man sheepishly turned back and continued to brew the medicine.

The black-clothed girl, a young woman from out of town named Ning Yao, picked up the jade hairpin and gazed at it intently. She discovered a line of small characters engraved on it.

She glanced at the young man named Chen Ping'an.

There were eight characters on the hairpin, which, even for the girl who was only roughly literate, were deeply moving.

Thinking of you, my lord, gentle as jade.