(Still six chapters behind.)
Chen Ping'an did not return directly to Liu Xianyang's house. Instead, he first went back to Mud Bottle Alley and told Ning Yao about Liu Xianyang's plans.
After hearing him out, Ning Yao offered no opinion. She merely said that this was a matter between them; she was only taking money to ward off disaster for someone else. If Liu Xianyang could escape this calamity without her intervention, she would naturally return the three bags of Golden Essence copper coins. Chen Ping'an said it was not about the money, only for Ning Yao to reply icily, "Then do you want to talk feelings with me? Are we at that stage already?" Chen Ping'an nearly choked on her words and could only squat by the threshold, scratching his head.
Ning Yao glanced at the pastries Chen Ping'an had brought back. There were cheap but delicious glutinous rice date cakes, as well as the relatively expensive Rain Dew Dumplings. This had surely been the youth's utmost hospitality. For once, the girl felt somewhat softhearted and guilty, thinking she had been a little unfair. She ate his food and lived under his roof; when trouble arose, even if she could not offer much help, she should not add fuel to the fire. So she asked, "Could Liu Xianyang have faced a genuine threat to his person at the smithy, forcing him to sell that blue-black Wart Armor? For instance, could there be lackeys of the Four Clans and Ten Tribes hidden in the shop, who secretly taught Liu Xianyang a lesson?"
After considering it for a moment, Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No. Liu Xianyang definitely isn't the sort to bow his head and admit defeat just because he's threatened. When I first met him, even after those people from Fulu Street beat him until he vomited blood, he never said a single word of surrender. He just endured it, and he nearly got beaten to death for real. After all these years, Liu Xianyang's temperament hasn't changed."
Ning Yao asked again, "Hot-blooded courage, reckless spirit, valuing promises over life and death—there has never been any shortage of such wandering youths in alleys and lanes. Along my journey, I have witnessed quite a few myself. But when great profit lies before him, when temptation takes another form, can Liu Xianyang truly hold fast to his original heart?"
Chen Ping'an fell into thought again. In the end, his gaze hardened with resolve. "Liu Xianyang wouldn't become a wastrel just because outsiders gave him something. He cared deeply for his grandfather. Unless it really was as he said—unless his grandfather told him on his deathbed that the Treasure Armor could be sold, but not cheaply, while that Sword Scripture absolutely had to remain with the Liu Family and be passed down to future generations."
Ning Yao said, "From what I know, that Wart Armor is of decent quality, but it cannot be considered particularly rare. That Sword Scripture, however—since Zhengyang Mountain has coveted it for so long and even sent two people here to seek the treasure, plainly treating it as something already in their pocket—it must be something good. So selling the Treasure Armor while keeping the Sword Scripture is a decision that makes sense."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Ning Yao stroked the green scabbard, her gaze frosty. "To be safe, I'll go with you to Liu Xianyang's house. We'll first send that woman away. Since Liu Xianyang himself said he wanted to sell it, then let them move the chest containing the Treasure Armor. Afterward, I'll go with you to the Ruan Family shop, see Liu Xianyang, and ask what exactly he has in mind. If it truly was his grandfather's dying wish, then neither you nor I need to point fingers. Every household has its own scripture too difficult to recite. If it's not your business, don't meddle blindly. But if it isn't, then make him explain his hardship. At worst, I'll just snatch that chest back!"
Chen Ping'an asked worriedly, "Miss Ning, is your health alright?"
Ning Yao sneered. "If I were dealing with Zhengyang Mountain's Mountain-Moving Old Ape, I'd surely end up covered in dust and grime. But that bitch? In this little town, one hand is enough."
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "A Mountain-Moving Ape?"
Ning Yao answered perfunctorily, "A descendant of ancient ferocious beasts left behind in this world. Its true form is a gigantic ape as large as a mountain peak. Legend says that once it reveals its true form, it can uproot an entire mountain, hoist it onto its back, and carry it away. But those are only rumors; after all, no one has actually seen it. Zhengyang Mountain has endured in silence these past few centuries, but its foundations run deep. Though its sect does not rank highly on East Treasure Bottle Continent, it cannot be underestimated. So it would be best if we did not come into conflict with them. If we do..."
Chen Ping'an cautiously asked, "What if we do?"
Ning Yao stood up and pushed her thumb against the blade, drawing it an inch or so from its sheath. Looking at the straw-sandaled youth as if he were an idiot, the girl said as though it were only natural, "What else? Cut them to death!"
Chen Ping'an swallowed.
After that, the youth carried his basket and led the girl, who had put her Veiled Hat back on and wore the green blade at her waist, slowly toward Liu Xianyang's ancestral home.
Ning Yao turned her head and glanced at the youth's basket. "Why are there so few today?"
Chen Ping'an sighed. "Ma Kuxuan—oh, Granny Ma's grandson from Apricot Blossom Alley. He's about my age. He seems to have become a completely different person now. According to him, the town's feng shui has changed, so the stones in these little streams are becoming less and less able to retain their 'qi.'"
Ning Yao's expression grew grave, and she said heavily, "He's right. The sky is about to change over this town. You should settle this matter as soon as possible and leave the town quickly. Even if you return after leaving, that would be better than staying here the whole time."
Chen Ping'an was not the sort to refuse to turn back until he struck Nan Qiang. Having lived alone since childhood, he understood all the more clearly the warmth and chill of human hearts, as well as what mattered most and what could wait. He nodded and smiled. "I will. Once I see Liu Xianyang drink the apprenticeship tea with Master Ruan, I'll leave immediately. It would be best if, by then, Master Ruan also agrees to forge a sword for you."
Watching the fellow's face light up with joy, Ning Yao asked in puzzlement, "Something that has nothing to do with you is worth being so happy about? If I call you a foolishly kind person, what right do you have to object?"
Perhaps because he felt they had become somewhat familiar, Chen Ping'an no longer spoke as evasively as before. He said with perfect confidence, "Liu Xianyang, Gu Can, and Miss Ning—you. Think about it. Out of everyone under heaven, there are only three people whose well-being I care about. How does that make me foolishly kind?"
Ning Yao asked with a smile, "Among those three, where do I rank?"
Chen Ping'an answered both sincerely and sheepishly, "Third for now."
Ning Yao removed her blade and casually held it in her hand, lightly tapping the youth's shoulder with the scabbard. Smiling without any warmth in her eyes, she said, "Chen Ping'an, you should thank me for sparing your life."
Chen Ping'an asked inexplicably, "Don't you find decocting medicine annoying?"
Ning Yao froze for a moment, then understood what he meant. "Chen Ping'an, I suddenly realized that even after you go outside, you'll probably live quite well."
Chen Ping'an was not greedy in the slightest. With complete sincerity, he said, "As long as it's as good as it is now."
Ning Yao neither agreed nor disagreed. She gently swayed the green blade in her hand, like a country girl swaying a flowering branch.
At the corner of the alley leading to Liu Xianyang's house, a black shadow suddenly darted out. Ning Yao nearly drew her blade, but fortunately held herself back in time. It was only a yellow dog, circling Chen Ping'an affectionately. Chen Ping'an bent down and rubbed the yellow dog's head. After standing back up, he smiled. "It belongs to the people next door to Liu Xianyang. His name is Lai Fu. It's been many years. He's especially timid. Liu Xianyang and I used to take him up the mountain all the time, but he would only follow behind our backs to join in the excitement. Liu Xianyang always complained that he couldn't catch mountain rabbits or pheasants, always saying Lai Fu wasn't even as good as a cat. Like the cat Ma Kuxuan's family keeps—someone saw it often carrying wild chickens and snakes home in its mouth. But Lai Fu is old now. Ten years or so. Very old."
As he spoke, the straw-sandaled youth could not help bending down again to stroke Lai Fu's head. He said softly, "At your age, you need to admit you're old, right? Don't worry. Once I make a lot of money, I definitely won't let you go hungry."
Ning Yao shook her head. This was something she could not truly empathize with.
Even though she had seen many people and many things along her journey—immortal family masters high above, ordinary townsfolk of flesh and blood, wealthy young nobles in embroidered clothes upon fine steeds, immortals riding the wind through the sky—she had witnessed countless partings and reunions, joys and sorrows.
Ning Yao
had seen Buddhist wanderers walking barefoot through fierce wind and rain at night, bowl in hand, chanting the Buddha's name with unwavering steps. She had seen poor scholars bound for the capital examinations gently paint the brows of fox demons wearing human skin in ruined ancient temples; when they set off again, though they knew their temples had already frosted over, they bore no regrets.
She had seen young Daoist priests bearing the title of Celestial Master walk alone through ancient battlefields and mass graves, silently reciting "Boundless Heavenly Worthy of Blessed Life," sparing no cultivation to guide lonely ghosts and wandering spirits onto a path of transcendence. She had seen middle-aged civil officials, upon first taking office, personally ban the licentious Dragon King Temple; with cracked lips bleeding, they set up an incense table beside a dried riverbed and hoarsely recited the "Dragon King Prayer for Rain." In the end, for the sake of the people within their jurisdiction, they knelt before the Dragon King Temple and begged forgiveness.
She had seen old officials of the previous dynasty, men of seventy, unwilling to bring along sons who had entered service under the new dynasty, taking only their grandsons studying Elementary Education to climb high and compose verse. Facing the old mountains and rivers of a shattered nation, tears streamed down their aged faces as they told their beloved grandsons what those prefectures and counties, now renamed, should originally have been called. She had seen a lone skiff drift downstream through a thousand-li-long gorge, and scholars amid the cries of apes on both shores, brimming with spirit, reading until their eyes delighted and hearts understood, then throwing back their heads in a long howl. She had seen peerless women in armor, their faces hidden behind helmets, galloping on horseback and drinking wine in their most breathtaking beauty after the smoke of war had settled.
All along the way, she saw, heard, and came to understand. Ning Yao's heart toward the Dao had always stood firm as a boulder, without the slightest trace of hesitation or entanglement.
Now, Ning Yao saw one more scene.
A lonely youth from a shabby alley, basket on his back and Fish Basket at his waist, stroking an old dog's head, his heart full of hope for the future.
Not long after the two returned to Liu Xianyang's house, someone knocked on the courtyard gate. Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao exchanged a glance. Chen Ping'an went to answer it, while Ning Yao merely stood at the doorway, though she glanced back at the longsword lying quietly on the counter.
The person knocking was Lu Zhengchun. Naturally, the woman took the lead, accompanied by two loyal servants of the Lu clan.
Lu Zhengchun wore a kind expression as he asked softly, "You're Liu Xianyang's friend, Chen Ping'an, correct? We've come to move the chest. Liu Xianyang should have told you already. So please accept this bag of money without worry. Besides that, the conditions our mistress promised Liu Xianyang will be delivered to him in full in the future."
Chen Ping'an accepted the bag of money and stepped aside. The poised and graceful woman entered the courtyard first, followed by Lu Zhengchun and the two servants. The woman personally opened the red-lacquered wooden chest that had been placed in the main hall. Squatting down, she reached out and stroked the ugly-looking Treasure Armor. Her eyes drifted for an instant, then blazed with an irrepressible heat and longing. But the woman quickly restrained that emotion and returned to normal. Once she stood, she gestured for Lu Zhengchun to move the chest. It was not heavy; after all, there was only one suit of armor inside.
The woman was the last to leave the house. When she reached the threshold, she turned back to glance at the straw-sandaled youth and smiled. "Liu Xianyang truly considers you a friend."
Unable to discern the deeper meaning, Chen Ping'an could only remain silent and watch their group leave the courtyard.
At last, Chen Ping'an stood outside the gate, unwilling to move for a long time. Ning Yao came to stand beside him.
The woman walked behind Lu Zhengchun and the other two. Reaching the end of the alley, she turned around and saw the youth and girl standing shoulder to shoulder. She smiled with amusement. "Youth is wonderful. But you still need to stay alive."
Inside the Covered Bridge spanning the creek, a tall youth lay in a pool of blood. His body convulsed as he continuously spat out bloody water.
But this time, the tall youth could no longer hear that dark, skinny fellow screaming "Someone's dead!" over and over in heart-rending cries.
At the steps by the bridgehead on the Covered Bridge's northern end, heads crowded together as people discussed the matter, watching the spectacle from afar. Yet no one dared approach the youth, afraid of bringing trouble upon themselves.
Two people hurried into the Covered Bridge. The man crouched down and took the youth's wrist to feel his pulse. His expression grew increasingly grave.
The green-clothed girl was beside herself with hatred, gnashing her teeth. "One punch smashed his chest to pieces. What vicious methods!"
The man said nothing.
The green-clothed girl with a ponytail flared up. "Father! Are you just going to watch Liu Xianyang get beaten to death? Liu Xianyang is half your disciple!"
The man never released the youth's wrist. Expressionless, he said calmly, "How was I supposed to know that dignified Zhengyang Mountain would be so utterly without rules this time?"
The girl abruptly stood. "If you won't intervene, I will!"
The man raised his head and slowly asked, "Ruan Xiu, do you want your father to collect your corpse?"
The girl strode forward in great steps, moving onward without hesitation. She said in a low voice, "I, Ruan Xiu, am not someone who only knows how to eat! I can kill people too!"
A hint of thunderous fury appeared between the man's brows.
Part of it was because of his daughter's foolhardy stubbornness, but more of it naturally came from the vicious strike of that Old Ape from Zhengyang Mountain.
The man thought for a moment. Since he had not yet formally taken over Qi Jingchun's position, did that mean he did not need to be so reasonable either?
The green-clothed girl suddenly stopped.
The girl suddenly saw a thin youth racing wildly from the other end of the Covered Bridge toward her.
She saw that familiar figure, wearing a pair of straw sandals, his face expressionless, calm as an Ancient Well.
In an instant, the two brushed past each other. The girl wanted to say something, but could not get the words out. For no reason at all, she felt deeply wronged, and tears suddenly streamed down her face.
When the straw-sandaled youth sat beside him and reached out to grasp one of the tall youth's hands, Liu Xianyang, whose vision had long since blurred, seemed to regain a little spirit. Trying to force out a smile, he said in broken fragments, "That bitch said that if I didn't hand over the Treasure Armor, she could kill you... She also said that since only the two of them, mother and son, came to our town, getting one of them expelled was a price she could afford. I was scared, really scared she'd actually go kill you... What I told you before wasn't entirely a lie. My grandfather really did tell me those things, so I thought selling it was just selling it, no big deal... But just now, she sent someone to find me again. She said that old man had gone mad. The moment he heard I didn't have the Sword Scripture, he insisted on killing you first, then me. I was really worried about you, so I wanted to warn you... I ran all the way here, then that old turtle punched me. It hurt a little..."
The straw-sandaled youth lowered his head and gently wiped the blood from Liu Xianyang's mouth. The youth's dark, thin face was tightly furrowed as he whispered, "Don't be afraid. It's alright. Trust me. Stop talking. I'll take you home..."
The tall youth's forcibly sustained spirit gradually faded. His gaze wandered as he muttered, "I don't regret it. Don't blame yourself either, really... It's just... I'm just a little scared. So it turns out I'm afraid of death too."
At last, the tall youth gripped his only friend's hand with all his strength and sobbed, "Chen Ping'an, I'm really afraid of dying."
The straw-sandaled youth sat on the ground, one hand gripping Liu Xianyang's hand with all his strength, the other clenched into a fist and braced against his knee.
He panted in great gulps, desperately trying to breathe.
Though so young, at this moment, the youth was like an old dog.
The straw-sandaled youth's eyes were red-rimmed.
When he wanted to demand justice from Heaven, he looked even more like a dog.
Chen Ping'an didn't want this. He never wanted to be like this again for the rest of his life!
Before you continue