Gathering

Footsteps could be heard from the direction of Song Jixin's house. Just as Liu Xianyang was about to jump down from the wall, before he could see the person, he heard a voice say warmly with a laugh, "Are you a disciple of Old Man Yao from Baoxi Kiln? Your surname is Liu?"

It was the Kiln Affairs Supervisor, dressed in white with a jade belt, who strode out of the doorway and looked up at the wall with a smiling face.

Liu Xianyang's body stiffened. He found himself unable to muster the strength to jump off the wall and said with a guilty chuckle, "Answering the Lord, it is I. When you came to our Dragon Kiln to open it, Master had me demonstrate a few things for you."

The man nodded, sized up the tall youth, and got straight to the point, "Young man, do you want to see the world outside? For example, join the army, fight on the battlefield. I guarantee that if you endure for ten years, you'll become a high official. I'll personally host a celebration banquet for you in the Capital City then. What do you say?"

Song Jixin, standing behind the man, had a face as dark as water, clutching the Old Dragon Spreads Rain jade pendant gifted by Fu Nanhua.

This scholar, who had carried the titles of "illegitimate son" and "bastard" for many years, now knew the true identity of the man beside him. Thus, the youth understood the weight of the man's words even more. The phrase "personally host a banquet" would be the most powerful talisman for protection in Great Li, the longest ladder to success in officialdom.

Liu Xianyang racked his brain for some flowery, pretentious words and stammered, "Thank you for your great kindness, Lord Supervising Official. I am overwhelmed with fear... but I have already promised to become an apprentice at Master Ruan's blacksmith shop, and it would be truly improper to go back on my word. I hope the Lord will not... The Lord will not hold it against..."

The tall youth's words got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't remember them no matter how hard he tried, his face turning red with anxiety.

Song Jixin, seemingly understanding, reminded him, "It's 'The Lord will not hold it against a petty person.'"

The white-robed man smiled and dismissed it, unconcerned. "It's fine. When you have the chance to leave this small town someday, you can go to the nearest Danyang Pass and find a martial artist named Liu Linxi. Tell him that Song Changjing from the Capital City recommended you to join the army here. If he doesn't believe you, tell him that Song Changjing said that you, Liu Linxi, still owe him the heads of thirty thousand Great Sui border cavalry."

Liu Xianyang nodded blankly, "Okay."

The man smiled and left. Song Jixin wanted to stop at the courtyard gate, but the man, as if he had predicted Song Jixin's thoughts, said without turning his head, "Come with me to the Supervising Official's yamen. I'll introduce you to someone."

Song Jixin's feet were rooted to the ground like nails. He said with a dark face, "I'm not going!"

That place, with its extremely high threshold for the townspeople, was a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, an insurmountable hurdle for the youth who had grown up listening to gossip.

The man, who always acted decisively outside, did not get angry at the youth's lack of foresight, nor did he stop. However, he slowed his pace considerably. "According to the records of the yamen's spies and informants, you have already met that Prince Gao from Great Sui, haven't you? Do you know that the Gao clan of Great Sui and our Song clan of Great Li are ancient enemies with an irreconcilable hatred? You are also a prince, yet he dares to come to this town deep within the enemy territory of Great Li, while you, Song Jixin, also a prince, dare not go to a mere official residence within the territory of your own country?"

Song Jixin's first reaction was not to ponder the deeper meaning of these words, but to immediately turn and look at Liu Xianyang. He saw the tall youth sitting on the wall, rubbing his hands and tapping his legs, as if he hadn't heard the man speak at all.

The white-robed vassal king of Great Li, walking down Mud Bottle Alley, curled his lips. The man had gained an unexpected surprise.

He's worthy of being called a descendant of our old Song family.

However, thinking that the youth was still the son of that woman, the powerful vassal king, the foremost martial arts grandmaster of Great Li, felt a bit vexed and troubled.

Song Jixin gritted his teeth and turned to Zhi Gui, who was standing at the courtyard door. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry about lunch for me."

As Song Jixin stepped out of the courtyard, he turned back and smiled, "Take the broken silver in the bag by my bed and go to Du's shop to buy that pair of Dragon and Phoenix incense pendants. We won't have to save money anymore anyway."

Zhi Gui nodded and made a small, careful gesture with her hands.

Song Jixin smiled happily and left with a flourish.

After Song Jixin had gone far, Liu Xianyang, who was sitting on the wall, cautiously asked, "Zhi Gui, what's Song Jixin's relationship with the Supervising Official?"

Zhi Gui looked at the tall youth with pity.

Liu Xianyang couldn't stand her gaze. "What is it? He just knows an official who manages kiln firing, is that a big deal?"

Zhi Gui twitched the corner of her mouth, went back into the house by herself to get food, and began feeding the old hen and the group of fluffy chicks.

Liu Xianyang felt inexplicably dejected. He jumped off the wall and shouted into the house, "Hey, Chen! Let's go to the blacksmith shop! I'm not taking this humiliation anymore."

The girl, with her back to the neighboring courtyard separated by a wall, giggled, "Buddhas fight for a stick of incense, people fight for a breath of pride. Unfortunately, the useless only have a belly full of uselessness."

Liu Xianyang's blood rushed to his head, and even the roots of his ears turned red. He walked to the yellow mud wall and punched it heavily, "Wang Zhu! Say that again if you dare!"

The maidservant dropped all the corn and vegetable leaves, clapped her hands, turned around, and said with a smile, "Who do you think you are, asking me to say it?"

Liu Xianyang looked at the girl whose figure was growing taller and more radiant, unable to speak. His heart felt empty, like a porcelain bowl that had fallen to the ground.

Chen Ping'an had actually been standing by the threshold for a while. After seeing this scene, he quickly walked into the courtyard and said softly, "Let's go."

The two youths walked side by side down the alley. The tall youth suddenly asked, "Chen Ping'an, am I very useless?"

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and said seriously, "The neighbors in the alley all say my mother is very kind, and they say my father is notoriously tight-lipped. So, I think whether you like someone or not might not have much to do with whether you are capable."

Liu Xianyang said mournfully, "Then I'm even more pathetic. Even if I build a Dragon Kiln myself in the future, or learn all of Master Ruan's skills, she still won't like me!"

Chen Ping'an wisely shut his mouth, lest he add fuel to the fire.

As Chen Ping'an walked through the familiar alley, he suddenly recalled a scene from years ago. He had followed Old Man Yao into the deep mountains along a stream and saw a small deer drinking water by the stream. It wasn't afraid when it saw him. After drinking, it lowered its head to look at the stream and didn't leave for a long time. On the surface of the stream, besides the deer's reflection, there was also a lingering fish.

Before leaving his ancestral home, Miss Ning had advised him that since he already had a Sophora Leaf, he should leave the town as soon as possible. With the invisible protection of the ancestral shade locust leaf, he wouldn't encounter any major accidents. It was best not to linger in the town for too long, as she didn't know if Liu Xianyang's situation would implicate him, Chen Ping'an.

However, Chen Ping'an insisted on personally witnessing Liu Xianyang being accepted as an apprentice by Master Ruan before he could leave with peace of mind.

Because without Liu Xianyang back then, he would have starved to death long ago.

Of course, Chen Ping'an also secretly hoped that the lady Ning could recover from her injuries in his home. However, the youth hadn't dared to say it out loud at the time, fearing she would think him impertinent.

Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "That Treasure Armor your grandfather left you, is it absolutely not for sale to outsiders?"

Liu Xianyang said as a matter of course, "Nonsense, of course, I'd rather die than sell it!"

He playfully punched the shoulder of the youth beside him and joked, "I'm not a money grubber like you."

The tall youth clasped his hands behind his head and said, "Some things you can earn with money if you don't have them for now, but some things, once lost, are gone forever."

Chen Ping'an murmured to himself, "I understand."

As they neared the entrance of Mud Bottle Alley, Liu Xianyang let out a curse. Chen Ping'an then snapped out of his thoughts, looked up, and his mood immediately became heavy.

It was Lu Zhengchun, the eldest young master of the Lu family from Fulu Street. It was this person who, years ago, had cornered Liu Xianyang in this alley with a group of his cronies and almost beat him to death. If Chen Ping'an hadn't run to shout for help, Liu Xianyang, who had no elders or relatives at home, would likely have been thrown into a mass grave.

Song Jixin had been squatting on the wall at the time, watching the commotion and even fanning the flames. Afterwards, he told Chen Ping'an, who was still shaken, that the actions of Lu Zhengchun and his gang were called "acting chivalrously out of boredom" outside the town.

Lu Zhengchun blocked Liu Xianyang's path, forcing a smile. "Don't be nervous. I'm not here to settle old scores today, but rather..."

Liu Xianyang interrupted the young master of the Lu family. "Again? A good dog doesn't block the road. Get out of my way!"

Lu Zhengchun's face turned awkward, but he maintained a forced smile. "Liu Xianyang, I genuinely have something to discuss with you this time. Last time, you ran off before we could finish speaking. That's not good. You should at least hear the terms I'm offering, right? If you really think about it, we two brothers aren't exactly strangers anymore. There's no need to make things so awkward. I and those guests are very sincere!"

Liu Xianyang tilted his head, sneering. "What, are you addicted to playing matchmaker? I find it strange. You, Lu Zhengchun, are the grandson of the wealthiest family in our town, so why do you like being a lackey for outsiders so much?"

Lu Zhengchun's face turned ashen, but he still had to maintain his smile, making him look rather comical and pathetic. He pleaded, "Liu Xianyang, just name your price, and they'll do their best to satisfy you. For example, money? Or perhaps you can name a sum. How about... one hundred and fifty strings of cash? Or even... two hundred strings, I can help you negotiate. Two hundred strings, that could buy you half a house on Fulu Street."

Liu Xianyang gazed at the man's eyes and expression, contemptuously saying, "Two hundred strings? Are you trying to bribe a beggar? And you call that sincerity? I advise you to stop with this nonsense. I have important business to attend to. Get lost!"

Around the corner outside Mud Bottle Alley, a delicately carved little girl sat on a burly old man's shoulders. A boy in a bright red robe was led by the hand by a woman. At an age meant for carefree innocence, his face already held a somber expression unsuited for his years. He spoke in his hometown dialect, "Is this Lu family member too stupid? What's the point of him coming..."

The woman shook her head and smiled softly. "When bestowing favors, one must understand the difference between a single handful of rice and a full measure. When conducting business, to maximize profit, one should do as Lu Zhengchun does, first probing the other party's psychological bottom line."

The child asked in confusion, "Do you need to go through so much trouble to do business with these commoners?"

The woman smiled. "Human nature is complex, and hearts are dark, not limited by the level of cultivation. People in small places, even if their vision is limited, aren't all fools. If you think like that, you'll suffer a loss sooner or later."

The child said, "Oh. Mother, since you understand people so well, why don't you negotiate directly?"

The woman patiently explained, "Look at our attire. No matter which shop you go to, if the seller is even slightly shrewd, they won't be able to resist overcharging us."

The child sighed. "It's just that our hesitation makes me so uncomfortable."

The woman squatted down, placing her hands on the child's cheeks. Looking at the face that so closely resembled his father's, she said seriously, "Remember, cultivating the mind is also a form of cultivation. In favorable circumstances, cultivate strength; in adversity, cultivate the mind. Neither can be neglected."

The child shook his head, breaking free from his mother's hands, and said irritably, "Here we go again with these empty platitudes. It's so annoying."

The woman felt a little helpless but didn't continue her earnest teachings. She felt her child had good talent and excellent roots, with the backing of two family lineages. His future path was long. Although his temperament was a bit stubborn and gloomy, it could be slowly tempered. Rushing things would be the biggest mistake.

Listening to the uninteresting conversation in the alley, the little girl looked worried. "Grandpa White Ape, what if that person absolutely refuses to sell the item? What do we do?"

The old man, whose arms reached his knees like an ape's, smiled. "Then let him die. This old servant came here precisely to deal with such worst-case scenarios. Otherwise, that money would be wasted, without even a ripple. However, the young lady's safety would be a bit troublesome then. I'd probably have to entrust it to the Song family or the Lu family."

Putting other things aside, if it came to killing, although the old man would be expelled by the Sage, it would still create a splash, like throwing a stone into water, compared to the money being silently wasted.

However, the old man would never resort to such a drastic measure unless absolutely necessary. After all, no matter how important the Sword Scripture was, or how precious it was to Zhengyang Mountain, it was ultimately far less significant than the path to immortality for the young lady on his shoulders. At least, that's how the old man saw it.

The four clans and ten tribes of the small town were led by the Lu clan.

But if placed outside, it was the opposite. In reality, the Lu clan was at the bottom. Following the downfall of a dynasty where the main branch of the Lu clan held power, after it was jointly annihilated by the two border armies of Great Li, the Lu clan's position in East Treasure Bottle Continent was precarious.

Over in the alley, Liu Xianyang listened to Lu Zhengchun talk about high officials, great wealth, and beautiful women. He became extremely annoyed, like facing Song Jixin who was showing off his knowledge. He stepped forward, pointed at Lu Zhengchun's nose, and declared resolutely, "That armor is an heirloom of my Liu family! It has nothing to do with money! Even if you let me move into your house today, and you, Lu Zhengchun, call me grandpa every day from now on, I still wouldn't bother with you! Lu, did you hear me clearly?!"

Lu Zhengchun, standing alone at the entrance of Mud Bottle Alley, stared intently at this defiant young man. It was clear that the barefoot wasn't afraid of the shod. The eldest young master of the Lu family felt like banging his head against a wall.

Previously, he had acted as a negotiator at the covered bridge, blocking Liu Xianyang's path to the blacksmith shop. The mission had been unsuccessful. Upon returning to his mansion on Fulu Street, after his grandfather had entertained those high-and-mighty distinguished guests, he had quietly called Lu Zhengchun into a secret room. He hadn't said any harsh words or spoken of grand family ambitions. He simply pointed to a corpse under a white cloth and said, "Zhengchun, your grandfather has no other requests. I only hope that your brother doesn't die with regrets. I hope that by the seventh day after his death, you will have already left this small town. Consider it seeing the scenery outside for him."

Lu Zhengchun's eyes suddenly welled up, and he choked out, "Liu Xianyang, please, I'm begging you, okay?"

Liu Xianyang was dumbfounded.

This young man, accustomed to luxury, became increasingly fragile and helpless, his lips trembling, unable to speak through his tears. "Okay? I'll kneel down for you, I'll apologize to you, is that alright?"

With a thud.

Lu Zhengchun knelt squarely on the muddy ground of Mud Bottle Alley and began to kowtow.

A man's knees are made of gold.

The young man kowtowed without holding back, the sounds echoing.

At the foot of the outer wall of Mud Bottle Alley, the little girl's feet gently kicked the old man's chest. She thought about the peaks she had taken a liking to on their journey and which one she should choose to move back to her hometown.

The boy asked with a hint of schadenfreude, "Mother, has this Lu fellow gone mad? Are we really going to take a lunatic away from this town later? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

The woman's expression was complex. She recalled many strange events she had witnessed firsthand and hesitated to speak. Finally, she shook her head. "No."

Liu Xianyang was somewhat flustered.

The tall young man couldn't fathom Lu Zhengchun acting this way. The legitimate eldest grandson of the wealthiest family in this small town was kneeling at his feet and kowtowing?

Liu Xianyang's face contorted with indecision. Just then, the straw-sandaled youth, who had been observing Liu Xianyang and Lu Zhengchun, suddenly tugged at his sleeve and subtly shook his head.

Liu Xianyang, unable to bear it, said, "This is too outrageous..."

Chen Ping'an's eyes were firm, his meaning unspoken.

The boisterous, tall young man was already showing signs of softening.

But in the eyes of the black-clothed girl, the kind-hearted straw-sandaled youth now appeared incredibly stone-hearted.

Chen Ping'an's intuition told him that if Liu Xianyang had agreed to the deal before Lu Zhengchun knelt, he might have only suffered some hardship, but his life would have been safe. But now, Liu Xianyang had fallen into the predicament he had encountered before. At that time, if Mr. Qi hadn't intervened, his fate would have been to kill Fu Nanhua and then be killed, either by the people of Cloud Mist Mountain or Old Dragon City.

And even more critically, according to the "rules" Miss Ning had told him, if Lu Zhengchun was a local of the town, Mr. Qi might not be able to intervene if he or the Lu family wanted to kill Liu Xianyang.

Chen Ping'an's mind raced. While Lu Zhengchun was still desperately kowtowing, he lowered his voice and said to Liu Xianyang, "If you absolutely have to, pretend to agree. Let's see Master Ruan first, and then we'll talk after you're accepted as a disciple."

Liu Xianyang nodded and said to Lu Zhengchun, "Brother, you should get up first. Let's talk after you get up! What kind of nonsense is this, you doing this!"

Lu Zhengchun did not get up. He raised his head, his swollen forehead covered in mud.

Liu Xianyang said helplessly, "But you need to go back first and discuss it properly with them, negotiate a fair price. Stop fooling me, I'm not an idiot. Two hundred strings of cash? Putting aside whether I'd lose my shirt, do you think those distinguished guests wouldn't find it beneath them?"

Lu Zhengchun slowly stood up and smiled. "That makes sense! As long as you're willing to agree, Liu Xianyang, from now on, I, Lu Zhengchun, will be your brother! It doesn't matter if you acknowledge me or not, I acknowledge you!"

Liu Xianyang walked over, slung an arm around Lu Zhengchun's shoulders, and they walked towards the alley entrance together. He comforted him, "Old Lu, you'll have to share the good fortune with your brother from now on. When this deal is settled, I'll definitely treat you to a good drink."

Lu Zhengchun wiped his forehead and said with a cheerful laugh, "Drinking is simple, what's so difficult about that? And I'm treating, so you can't possibly spend any money. It's settled then, or old brother here will get angry."

Liu Xianyang chuckled, "I knew you were a kind soul, Old Lu. It's definitely the right choice to follow you from now on!"

Chen Ping'an followed behind the two, keeping close to the alley wall, his eyes fixed on the movement at the alley entrance.

The man in the white robe, along with the young Song Jixin, was led by the elderly steward to the rear hall of the supervising official's yamen.

The steward mentioned that Mr. Li, a scholar from the Academy who had traveled from afar, had been waiting for over half an hour before deciding to visit an elder of the Confucian School at the academy.

Song Changjing said nothing to this, merely asking, "Have we found out which faction's pawn the assassin who died in the alley was?"

The steward hesitated.

Song Changjing frowned, "Hmm?"

The elderly man quickly bowed in fear and said, "It was the Song Family from Fulu Street."

Song Changjing sneered, "I didn't expect them to give me even a little surprise!"

Sweat poured down the elderly steward's face.

Song Jixin remained silent, his eyes burning with intensity.

Inside the academy, Qi Jingchun gently put down his book and turned to look. Standing at the entrance was a handsome young man in a tall hat and Confucian robes, smiling without speaking.

Qi Jingchun's expression was calm, and he did not smile.

In the small town, a bald man in strange clothes walked barefoot, his appearance withered. He came to the Iron Lock Well, looked down into the deep well, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and whispered, "A Buddha's bowl of water contains eighty-four thousand insects."

Outside the small town, on the peak of a mountain, someone stood on a thick branch of a towering ancient tree, gazing at the outline of the town. A tiger tally hung from his waist, and a long sword was slung across his back.

Beyond this world.

On a long, upward-sloping road that seemed to reach the heavens, clouds and mist swirled all around, obscuring any scenery.

A young yellow-robed Daoist nun rode a white deer, slowly ascending.

Beside her was a Daoist priest with a face like jade. His steps were light and agile, like flowing clouds and water. Two large fish, one red and one green, circled and swam around him.

Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and the Military were about to gather in the small town, the three teachings becoming one.

At the blacksmith shop by the stream south of the town, a father and daughter were forging iron, sparks flying like a brilliant rain of fire.

The man, holding a sword blank, said to the braided girl who was swinging the hammer, "Don't go into town for the next while."

The girl's swing immediately weakened significantly, feeling as if all her strength had drained away with the snacks and treats in town.

The man laughed, "Ambitious!"

The girl turned her grief and indignation into strength, delivering a heavy hammer blow onto the glowing red sword strip.

Under the illumination of the dazzling sparks, the girl looked like a fire god descending upon the world.