Weed Grass

After Chen Ping'an returned to the courtyard, his eyelids kept twitching. A twitch in the left eye meant wealth; a twitch in the right meant disaster.

So Chen Ping'an sat on the threshold and began imagining himself throwing clay on the wheel. His hands hung in the air, and before long, the straw-sandaled youth entered a state of self-forgetfulness. The youth's diligence was one reason; more importantly, this helped him endure hunger. Thus, Chen Ping'an had developed the habit of throwing clay whenever he had something on his mind. Firing porcelain was a matter that depended greatly on Heaven's will. Before the kiln was opened, no one knew whether a piece of porcelain's glaze and form would ultimately suit their wishes; they could only leave it to fate. Yet before firing, throwing clay was undoubtedly the most crucial step. Old Man Yao considered Chen Ping'an poorly endowed, so he mostly had him do the laborious work of kneading clay. Chen Ping'an could only observe from the side with great care, then knead clay himself, throw clay himself, and search for the right feel.

The sound of a wooden gate opening came from the neighboring courtyard. Song Jixin had returned from the schoolhouse with his maidservant, Zhi Gui. The handsome youth sprinted forward and easily vaulted the low wall. Squatting atop it, he opened his palm to reveal pebbles no larger than fingernails, varied in color—mutton-fat white, bean green, white lotus root, and so on. Such worthless stones of differing sizes could be found everywhere along the town's streambanks. The most beloved were the vivid red ones, as if soaked through with chicken blood. Mr. Qi from the schoolhouse had carved one into a seal for his Disciple, Zhao Yao. Song Jixin found it quite pleasing to the eye and had tried several times to trade something for it, but that fellow stubbornly refused.

Song Jixin flicked out a pebble. It was not thrown hard, and it struck Chen Ping'an in the chest. The latter did not react.

He threw another one, this time hitting the straw-sandaled youth on the forehead. Chen Ping'an remained as immovable as a mountain.

Song Jixin was used to this. With a crackling volley, he threw all seven or eight pebbles in his hand one after another. Though he deliberately wanted Chen Ping'an to hurt and lose concentration, he still did not directly strike Chen Ping'an's arms or fingers, because Song Jixin felt that would be an unfair victory.

After Song Jixin had thrown all the pebbles, he clapped his hands. Chen Ping'an let out a long breath and shook his wrists, paying Song Jixin no heed at all. After thinking for a moment, he lowered his head, his five left fingers curled as though gripping a Carving Knife.

The art of jumping the knife was not any old kiln worker's exclusive secret, but whenever anyone saw Old Man Yao's jumping-knife technique, they would give him a thumbs-up.

Old Man Yao had taken in several apprentices, yet none had ever truly satisfied the elder. Only when Liu Xianyang came along did he believe he had found someone capable of inheriting his mantle. Whenever Liu Xianyang practiced in the past, so long as Chen Ping'an had nothing to do, he would squat nearby and stare with all his might.

Liu Xianyang cared most about face, and he knew Chen Ping'an kept a tight mouth. He often used Old Man Yao's secret mnemonic verses to intimidate him, such as, "If you want the knife's path to run steadily, your hand cannot be rigidly steady. In the end, it is the heart that must be steady."

But whenever Chen Ping'an pressed him on what it meant for the heart to be steady, Liu Xianyang was left grasping at air.

Song Jixin watched for a while, found it dull and tedious, then jumped down from the wall and entered the house.

Maidservant Zhi Gui stood by the wall. If she did not stand on tiptoe, only the upper half of her face showed above it. Even so, one could vaguely see that the Young Girl was a beauty embryo.

After thinking for a moment, she lightly rose onto her toes. Her gaze swept over the poor youth's surroundings before finally finding two stones she liked on the ground: one scarlet and translucent, the other snowy white and lustrous. Both had just been discarded by her young master.

She hesitated, then lowered her voice and timidly said, "Chen Ping'an, could you help me pick up those two pebbles? I rather like them."

Chen Ping'an slowly raised his head. His hands did not stop moving and remained steady as ever. His eyes signaled for her to wait a moment.

Zhi Gui gave a charming smile, like the first touch of green buds on branches after spring arrived—exquisitely beautiful.

But the youth had already lowered his head, missing that moving sight.

The corners of her lips curved upward. Flowing light and color shimmered in her eyes, as though tiny living things were leisurely swimming within them.

When Chen Ping'an finished what he was doing and asked which two pebbles they were, maidservant Zhi Gui's gaze had returned to normal, soft as spring mud after rain, just as always.

Following the direction of her pointing finger, Chen Ping'an picked up the two pebbles and walked to the wall. She had only just raised her hand when the straw-sandaled youth had already placed them on top of the wall.

She picked up the two pebbles and clenched them tightly in her palm.

When someone deliberately sought such a thing, it was like fishing a needle from the Vast Sea—something one might not encounter in ten years.

Yet for one destined to have it, even without seeking it, it was like worthless junk littering the streets, within easy reach. Whether they chose to take it depended entirely on their mood.

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Aren't you afraid that little snot-nose will block your gate and curse you out for half the day?"

She did not admit that her young master had stolen someone else's things, but she apparently lacked the nerve to deny the truth either. She merely smiled and said nothing.

A mother and son lived in Mud Bottle Alley. Their skill at cursing people out was without an Invincible Opponent in the entire town; only Song Jixin could trade blows with them. The child was especially naughty, with two streams of snot hanging from his nose year-round. He loved catching fish in the stream, collecting stones, and keeping all the fish he caught in a huge water vat, with the stones piled beside it. Song Jixin happened to enjoy provoking this little thornhead, swiping a few pebbles every few days. One or two days made no difference, but Song Jixin kept taking them. Once the child confirmed that some of his treasures were missing, he would bristle like a little wildcat whose tail had been stepped on, cursing outside the Courtyard Gate for an entire hour. His Mother never tried to stop him; instead, she fanned the flames with all her strength, deliberately exposing Song Jixin as the illegitimate child of the former Supervising Official. Several times, she enraged Song Jixin until his teeth itched, and he nearly went out carrying a stool to fight. Only after maidservant Zhi Gui talked him down did he refrain.

Suddenly, a shrill voice rang out. "Song Jixin, Song Jixin! Come catch an adulterer! Your maidservant is Exchange Meaningful Glances with Chen Ping'an—they've clearly hooked up! If you don't keep an eye on that bedchamber maidservant of yours, maybe she'll climb over the wall tonight and knock on Chen Ping'an's door! Get out here already! Tsk, tsk, tsk, Chen Ping'an's hand is already touching that young woman's face! You didn't see it—Chen Ping'an was smiling so disgustingly lecherously..."

Song Jixin did not show himself at all. From inside the house, he directly shouted, "What's that? Last night, I saw Chen Ping'an tugging and pulling at your Mother. After I caught him, Chen Ping'an had to use all his strength to 'pull' his claws out of your mother's collar! And really, you can only blame your Mother. That part of her was simply too spectacular and full. Poor Chen Ping'an was sweating all over from exhaustion..."

Someone in the alley viciously kicked Song Jixin's courtyard gate and angrily shouted, "Song Jixin, come out! One-on-one! If you lose, give Zhi Gui to me as a maidservant—she can feed me, make my bed, and wash my feet every day! If I lose, I'll give Chen Ping'an to you as a servant and menial! How about it? I just want to know whether you dare! Anyone who doesn't dare is a turtle with its head tucked in!"

Inside, Song Jixin lazily replied, "Go cool off somewhere! Your father checked the almanac. Today isn't suitable for beating a son, Gu Can. Consider yourself lucky!"

The child outside pounded on the gate. "Zhi Gui, following such a cowardly young master must be so stifling. You might as well run away with Liu Xianyang. The way that big fool looks at you, it's like he wants to devour you."

Maidservant Zhi Gui turned and headed into the house.

Inside, Song Jixin was carefully wiping a jade-green gourd. It was an old object of unknown age and one of the pieces of "family property" left behind by Lord Song. At first, Song Jixin had not thought much of it. Later, he accidentally discovered that every time there was a thunderstorm, the gourd would hum from within. Yet after Song Jixin removed the stopper, no matter how he swung or shook it, nothing slid out. He poured water into it, filled it with sand, and when he poured them back out, there was still exactly the same water and sand—not a bit more, not a bit less. Song Jixin had truly run out of options. Once, after Gu Can's fiery Mother outside the door cursed him over and over as an illegitimate child born to a mother but raised without a father, Song Jixin became so vexed that he hacked at the gourd with a knife. The result left the youth dumbstruck: the blade had curled, yet the gourd remained completely undamaged, without the slightest mark.

A letter Song Jixin had burned years ago read: "The gold, silver, and copper coins moved from the government office to the small courtyard will ensure that you and your servant never lack food or clothing. In your leisure time, you may gather antiques that please your eye, treating them as a means to cultivate your temperament. Though the town is small, coarse grains can nourish the stomach, books can nourish the spirit, scenery can nourish the eyes, and solitude can nourish the heart. From this day onward, do all that man can do and listen to Heaven's decree. Hidden Dragon in the Abyss; blessings will surely come in the future."

Though Song Jixin resented that man, money not spent was money that deserved to be struck by lightning. In this town of simple folkways, it was difficult to spend lavishly even if one wanted to. Over the years, Song Jixin had truly come to enjoy collecting junk. A large vermilion-lacquered chest was packed full of obscure curios like this jade-green gourd. Yet Song Jixin had a mysterious, almost mystical intuition. Among the more than thirty assorted items in that great chest, this gourd was the most precious. Next came a Rusted purple-gold bell. When shaken, he could clearly see its clapper striking the inner wall. It should have made a crisp sound, yet it was completely silent, leaving Song Jixin both horrified and astonished. Last came an ancient teapot bearing the signature "Mountain Goblin." Song Jixin's fondness for the other items was shallow; none stirred Love at First Sight.

The child named Gu Can stood outside the door, cursing at the top of his lungs.

Before long, the curses abruptly stopped.

Then Chen Ping'an saw that fellow violently push open his own courtyard gate, his face full of panic. After sliding home the bolt, he squatted by the gate and repeatedly signaled with his eyes for Chen Ping'an to squat beside him as well.

Chen Ping'an did not understand what was going on, but he ran in a crouch to the child's side. After squatting down, he softly asked, "Gu Can, what are you doing? Did you make your Mother angry again?"

The child sniffed hard and lowered his voice. "Chen Ping'an, let me tell you. Just now, I ran into a strange man. The white bowl in his hand could keep pouring out water. Look, it was only this big, but I saw him pour water for an entire hour! When that fellow passed the entrance to our Mud Bottle Alley just now, he seemed to stop. Could he have seen me? I'm done for, I'm done for..."

The child gestured with both hands to show the size of the white bowl, then patted his chest and sighed. "It scared Song Jixin's father half to death."

Chen Ping'an asked, "You mean that storyteller beneath the sophora tree?"

The child nodded vigorously. "Exactly! The old man's hands don't have much strength. Even I couldn't lift him, but that broken bowl is truly terrifying—terrifying as hell!"

The child suddenly grabbed Chen Ping'an's arm. "Chen Ping'an, I really wasn't lying to you this time! I can Swear an Oath: if I lied to you, let Song Jixin die a horrible death!"

Chen Ping'an raised one finger and made a gesture for silence.

The child immediately shut his mouth.

A series of footsteps sounded outside the gate, gradually growing louder, then gradually fading away.

One thing always subdued another.

The child, originally Fearless of Heaven and Earth, dropped onto the ground on his backside and wiped his face haphazardly. His face was pale. Clearly, this snot-nose named Gu Can had truly been scared half to death.

The child suddenly asked, "Chen Ping'an, that guy isn't going to my house, is he? What do we do?"

Chen Ping'an helplessly said, "Should I go back to your house with you and take a look?"

The child had probably been waiting for those very words. He sprang to his feet, then dejectedly sat back down, his face mournful. "Chen Ping'an, my legs are weak. I can't walk."

Chen Ping'an stood, bent down and seized the back of the child's collar. Holding the child aloft in one hand, he opened the gate bolt with the other and walked out of the courtyard.

The child's home was not far away, only about a hundred paces. Sure enough, Gu Can saw that old man in his family's courtyard, and his Mother had actually brought the old man a stool.

At that moment, the child felt as though the sky had collapsed. So he chose to hide behind Chen Ping'an and let the taller one stand in front.

Chen Ping'an did not disappoint the child either, intentionally or otherwise shielding him in front.

When the brat Gu Can gripped Chen Ping'an's sleeve, he immediately felt an inexplicable surge of heroic courage.

The elder paid this no mind. Sitting on the stool, he thought briefly, and the white bowl in his hand vanished into thin air.

Gu Can's legs immediately went weak again. He hid behind Chen Ping'an, trembling with fear.

The elder looked at the country woman, whose expression was strangely calm, then at the straw-sandaled youth with deeply furrowed brows. Finally, he said to the cowering child, "Little kid, do you know what you keep in your family's water vat?"

The child shouted from behind Chen Ping'an, "What else could it be? Fish, shrimp, and crabs I caught from the stream, plus loaches and eels I hooked in the fields! If you like them, take them. Don't be polite..."

The child's voice grew lower and lower, clearly lacking confidence.

The woman smoothed the hair at her temples and looked toward Chen Ping'an. "Ping'an."

Chen Ping'an understood what she meant. He rubbed Gu Can's head, then turned and left.

Deep in her eyes, the woman concealed a trace of guilt toward the straw-sandaled youth.

She cast aside her distracting thoughts, turned to the elder, and asked, "This immortal master who has come from afar, do you intend to buy this opportunity, or seize it?"

The elder shook his head with a smile. "Buy it? I cannot afford it. Seize it? I cannot seize it either."

The woman shook her head as well. "That may have been true before. It may not be true in the future."

The elder, who had been relaxed and composed, seemed struck by lightning upon hearing this. He suddenly swept his sleeve and rapidly calculated with his fingers.

The elder let out a long sigh. "Why must it come to this?"

The woman's face was cold as she sneered. "Does Immortal Master think there are many good people in this town?"

The elder rose to his feet and gave the bewildered child a deep look. It seemed he had made a decision of immense consequence. With a flick of his wrist, the white bowl reappeared.

The elder walked to the waist-high water vat and quickly scooped a bowl of water from it.

Though the woman pretended to be calm, her palms were covered in sweat.

The elder returned to the stool and beckoned to Gu Can. "Little kid, come take a look."

The child looked at his Mother. She nodded, her eyes full of encouragement.

After the child came closer, the elder gently blew upon the water's surface in the bowl, sending ripples spreading out in rings.

The elder smiled. "Open your mouth."

At the Same Time, with a casual swipe, the elder somehow drew a sophora leaf from the child's body.

He pinched it between two fingers without truly grasping it.

The child instinctively uttered an "Ah."

The elder flicked his finger, and the lush green sophora leaf entered the child's mouth.

The child froze, then realized there seemed to be nothing unusual in his mouth.

The elder gave him no chance to ask questions, instead pointing at the white bowl resting in his palm. "Look closely. What do you see?"

Gu Can widened his eyes and stared intently. First, he saw an exceedingly tiny Black Dot. Then it gradually became a somewhat more noticeable Black Line. In the end, it slowly grew larger, seeming to become an earth-yellow Little Loach joyfully tumbling amid the ripples on the white bowl's surface.

The muddle-headed child's mind suddenly flashed with insight, and he cried out, "I remember it! It's the one I got from Chen Ping'an's..."

The woman slapped her son across the face and angrily said, "Shut up!"

The elder was not surprised in the slightest. Calmly, he said, "We Cultivators defy all moral order in pursuit of proving immortality. This little contest over something is nothing. There is no need to be so nervous. What belongs to your son will not escape him; what does not belong to that youth cannot be kept by him."

This child called Gu Can weighed less than forty jin.

Yet the weight of his "bones and foundation" was beyond imagination.

Thus, when the bowl-bearing elder, who possessed supernatural abilities, had made an exception earlier and used his ancestral secret art to feel his bones and weigh him, he naturally could not lift Gu Can.

That was the prerequisite for taking him as a Disciple.

Otherwise, would a Three-year-old child carrying gold through the market not be seeking his own death?

The elder laughed freely, though his eyes were cold, and slowly said, "Of course, even if it originally belonged to that youth, so what? Now that this old man is personally standing guard, it no longer belongs to him."

The child was silent as a cicada in winter, his teeth chattering.

The woman felt as though a burden had been lifted.

The elder put on that kind and benevolent face again. "Child, this bowl contains the water of an entire river, and now it even raises a little flood dragon. From this moment onward, you are my Direct Disciple."

"This old man is a True Lord, only half a step away from becoming a Sect Founder. Though it is a lower sect... In any case, you will naturally understand the weight carried by the four words True Lord and Sect Founder in the future."

The elder laughed heartily. "It will only be heavier than this bowl of river water."

The child suddenly began to cry. "This is wrong! It belongs to Chen Ping'an!"

The woman flew into a rage from shame, raising her arm high to teach her foolish son another lesson, his mind clouded by lard.

The elder waved his hand, smiled, and lightly said, "Having such a heart is not entirely a bad thing."

The child lowered his head and wiped away his tears and snot with the back of his hand.

The woman quietly looked toward the elder.

The elder smiled knowingly and nodded.

Fellow Daoists; everything was understood without a word.

When the child raised his head, his Mother and the master who had inexplicably fallen from the sky were both wearing faint smiles.

The child turned his head. When Chen Ping'an left, he had not forgotten to close the courtyard gate.

The town was like a patch of farmland that had happened upon a bountiful year, a season of harvest.

But some people were merely a stalk of Weed Grass mixed among the rice, glanced at once and never granted a second look.

Like the straw-sandaled youth walking all alone through Mud Bottle Alley.