Alas, Liang ceased his imbibing, securing the silver gourd at his waist. Yet, he remained perched with legs crossed, the bamboo blade newly crafted by the Qidun Mountain Earth God resting across his lap. Liang gently patted the hilt and scabbard, rhythmically, up and down, declaring, “Along our journey, I have been testing you, repeatedly. Your choices dictate how far I escort you. Simply put, how much of the road I travel with you depends on how many trials you overcome.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Towards the end, I gleaned a hint of your intent, but I only perceived that you harbored many thoughts. What those thoughts specifically entailed, I couldn’t quite decipher.”

Liang was unsurprised, candidly admitting, “The first was by the Dragon Beard Stream. Had you struck me as a naive, immature lad, a fool driven by righteous indignation, I would have simply bequeathed you a donkey, slapped its rear, and departed. Whether you survived until Wei Jin’s emergence from seclusion at the Wind and Snow Temple would be of no concern to me. Early death or late death, all is death, and I wouldn’t waste my sentiment.”

Liang recounted the details, one by one, as Chen Ping’an listened, astounded. He never imagined Liang’s thoughts were so intricate, nor that so many peculiar trials had occurred within his own life.

“The third-to-last was the battle upon Qidun Mountain’s stone terrace. Were it not for my deliberate instigation, the Qidun Mountain Earth God, Wei Bo, and the two serpent pythons would not have acted so rashly. I hoped…”

“The second-to-last was luring you back to the bamboo grove, to fell more bamboo.”

“This time, barring unforeseen events, shall be the last. Originally, I intended to escort you to the Wild Man’s Pass before departing, but unforeseen circumstances necessitate an earlier leave.”

Liang laughed freely, “Some trials are deliberate, others opportunistic. During this time, some of your actions have greatly displeased me, overly virtuous, while others have filled me with delight. That is as it should be. This is not like the imperial examinations of scholars such as Qi Jingchun and Cui Chan, which emphasizes authenticity above all else. I did these things, then observed coldly, watching your every word and deed. It is akin to how some sect elders choose their disciples, focusing on character over innate talent.”

Liang chuckled self-deprecatingly, “Do you think I, Liang, am simply bored and meddlesome? Or that my heart is a den of treachery, filled with ill intentions?”

Without awaiting Chen Ping’an’s response, he swiftly answered himself, “Where would I find such leisure? I, Liang, am a great man, and quite busy, mind you.”

Chen Ping’an placed his legs upon the long chair, lazily sitting cross-legged, propping his cheeks with his hands, and inquired, “Liang, is it because of my acquaintance with Master Qi? Is that why you are so concerned for me?”

Liang shed his playful demeanor, his voice growing solemn, “Upon the path of cultivation, temptations abound. Li Huai’s ‘Broken Water Great Cliff,’ Lin Shouyi’s talent for Dao, all could be sold, transformed into stepping stones for your, Chen Ping’an’s, ascent. Qi Jingchun’s disciple should not suffer such misery. Especially Bao Ping, such a fine young girl. The mere thought of her heartbroken by a trusted junior uncle rends my, Liang’s, heart.”

Liang’s seriousness was short-lived, his fox-like tail soon reappearing as he smiled, “Alas, we old men can withstand shattered nations and collapsing mountains, but we are most vulnerable to these small, precious joys.”

Chen Ping’an picked up a candied hawthorn stick beside him, one untouched by Liang’s posterior, and slowly chewed, asking in a muffled voice, “Liang, what do you think of me now? If you deem me unfit, perhaps you could find a friend to escort Bao Ping and the others to the Great Sui? It’s not that I fear hardship, truly, I am just afraid of disappointing Master Qi, afraid that I cannot safeguard Bao Ping and the others.”

Liang scolded with a laugh, “Don’t even think about shirking your duty. You are the most suitable for this task. Qi Jingchun may be lacking in some areas, but his judgment is impeccable. Unless it were the Old Master himself leading them on a journey of learning… But enough about that old man, a cowardly tortoise, a miserly, impoverished scholar, just thinking about him ignites my anger…”

Liang adjusted his bamboo hat, gazing upwards and tutting, “Ha, this Great Li Emperor is interesting indeed, remarkable, remarkable. While there’s still time, let me discuss something utterly useless with you, and explain why I’m willing to invest so much time in you, lad.”

Liang likewise abandoned his crossed legs, sitting like Chen Ping’an, with his blade across his lap, and spoke slowly, “Whether practicing martial arts or cultivating Qi, the greatest taboo upon the path of cultivation is being indecisive. Thus, acting in accordance with one’s true heart is a shortcut, but the difficulty lies in pondering ‘why.’ Military cultivators do not ‘think a step back.’ The world’s martial artists largely cannot escape this pitfall, only believing that swimming against the current is a valiant advance, relying solely on courage and striving for rapid progress, seeking to ascend alone. Daoists enjoy introspection, Buddhists contemplate past and future lives, Confucianists enjoy rules and frameworks. Mohists are peculiar, advocating universal love and emphasizing chivalry, yet disinclined to discuss immortality. Novelists are unrealistic and ambitious, hoping to create a world on paper.”

“The human heart is as fragile as glass, unable to withstand scrutiny. Qi Jingchun is a both virtuous and self-assured gentleman, unwilling to test, so I shall do it for him. How can the inheritance of the literary lineage be treated as child’s play? What if you, Chen Ping’an, are just a pretty face, or someone easily swayed by temptation? Qi Jingchun will be dead, but I, Liang, will still be alive. Qi Jingchun won’t see it, so he won’t be bothered, but wouldn’t I be disgusted to death? Remember, being able to endure hardship is vastly different from being able to resist temptation.”

Liang sighed, “Is this a case of the eunuch being more anxious than the emperor?”

Chen Ping’an replied seriously, “Liang, rest assured, though I love money, I only love the money I earn with my own hands. Other people’s money, even if it falls on the ground, I will only seek the owner, never pocketing it myself.”

Liang laughed, “I wouldn’t say you’re wrong, but if you truly are in dire need, you can use it first, to resolve the immediate crisis. Just remember the debt, and repay it more generously when you have the means. Everyone wins. Otherwise, would you rather starve yourself to death while guarding that little bit of money?”

Chen Ping’an inquired, “How do I determine if I am in dire need?”

Liang pointed to his heart, then to his head, “If both of these barriers are overcome, then that money can be used.”
Chen Ping’an’s eyes lit up, as if struck by an epiphany, and he nodded vigorously, “A Liang, although you haven’t read any books, you’ve certainly traveled a lot. Now that you put it that way, it all makes sense!”

A Liang rubbed his temples, “Feels even worse than Li Huai’s flattery.”

Leaning against the railing, A Liang gazed at the bright moonlit night beyond the corridor, sighing, “You know, that stubbornness of yours, if Qi Jingchun and the other scholars were to describe it, they’d call it uprightness. Yes, true uprightness, where heart and action align, the uprightness of a noble person, walking the path of righteousness.”

A Liang burst into laughter, pointing at the bewildered young man, “Haha, you little rascal, you know all this yourself. A mud-covered peasant, a petty miser, a skinflint. But precisely because of this, you resemble the old coot when he was young. Actually, Qi Jingchun, when he was your age, had a terrible temper. On the contrary, the old coot, who was considered a late bloomer, was like you, burdened with heavy thoughts from a young age, with a gentle disposition, like a clay bodhisattva, destined to sit on the altar…”

A Liang’s voice grew softer as he spoke, only to suddenly rise again, “Of course, I, A Liang, have always done as I please, and I don’t particularly like your style. Back then, it was because of this feeling that I refused a young boy’s request. Hmm, that guy was about your age now. I often wonder if taking him along to roam the Jianghu would have been better than things are now. The last thing I told that boy was, ‘Believe me, you’ll have a greater future in reading. The Jianghu is only so big, A Liang alone is enough. But the sea of books is boundless, why follow behind A Liang and eat dust?'”

The man in the bamboo hat grinned, “So this trip to Great Li, I want to have a chat with some people. I want to tell them that the things Qi Jingchun didn’t care about, someone does.”

A Liang inexplicably reached out and flicked his finger casually.

In the bookshop on Guanshui Street, the young nobleman who called himself Li Jin of Chongdan River felt as if he’d been struck by a heavy hammer on the forehead. He flew backward, not only crashing into the book wall but breaking through it, falling into the neighboring shop, scaring the dozing shop assistant behind the counter speechless.

A Liang muttered, “Gods are fighting, just watch the show. Little Koi carp, you really think you’ve seen all the big rivers and oceans? The big rivers and oceans I’ve seen, A Liang, are more numerous than the grains of rice Li Huai has eaten. You really think that’s just bragging? I, A Liang, don’t even know what bragging is.”

He then reached out and grabbed empty air beside him. A miniature azure carp, resembling a living ornament, struggled desperately like a hooked fish. A Liang pulled his hand back, confining the azure fish to a palm-sized space. What was even more extraordinary was that after severing its connection with its master, the spiritual creature, instead of being on the verge of death, became even more spiritually vibrant than before, swimming leisurely.

A Liang explained, “Later, let Li Huai raise it in that book, ‘Broken Water Cliff’… Huh? Why do I feel like that little bastard has a dog’s luck every day? Does Li Huai step on dog poop every day in town and never wipe his shoes?”

A childish voice echoed from afar, “A Liang, you’re the one who steps on dog poop every day!”

Chen Ping’an looked at A Liang, who chuckled softly, “It’s nothing, the three of them all arrived here not long ago. They don’t know about the Zhu River or Zhu Lu affair. As for the ‘unannounced departure’ of that father and daughter, you can find an excuse to deal with it yourself later.”

A Liang waved his hand, “Stop eavesdropping at the wall. Come, come, let’s divide the spoils!”

Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi arrived at the corridor one after another. Li Baoping sat on Chen Ping’an’s right, and Li Huai sat on Chen Ping’an’s left. The result was the same as A Liang’s, cursing as he pulled the candied hawthorn off his butt, immediately beaming, and without saying a word, popped it into his mouth. Lin Shouyi silently sat beside A Liang.

A Liang turned and handed Lin Shouyi a stack of yellow paper talismans, “Study them well, don’t waste them easily. Qi Jingchun said that your town’s Fulou Street and Taoye Lane hold great mysteries, and still hide a significant opportunity.”

A Liang patted the cool and collected young man on the shoulder, “No matter what, you, Lin Shouyi, are now the first true cultivator among everyone. You must cherish your future even more.”

Lin Shouyi nodded slightly, solemnly putting away the stack of talismans, hiding them in his chest along with the “Cloud Lullaby Book”.

A Liang turned to look at the sneaky Li Huai, saying grumpily, “Where’s your tattered book? Bring it out.”

Li Huai cursed, “Why are you eyeing it? Unless you give me ten taels of silver first!”

A Liang snapped his fingers. The azure fish, which had been hidden, appeared before the four of them. Except for Chen Ping’an, the other three children stared wide-eyed.

A Liang said with a look of disgust, “Take out that tattered book, flip to any page, and clamp that fish in it. As for how to raise it, figure it out yourself, I’m not serving you.”

Li Huai jumped up, pulled out the “Broken Water Cliff”, opened it, and ran quickly, slamming the book shut on the azure fish. A faint sound of sorrow could be heard between the pages.

A Liang rubbed his forehead, “Who wants the remaining donkey?”

Li Huai immediately raised his hand, “Me, me, me! Can I sell it for money? Or if we’re starving, can we kill it and stew it?”

A Liang didn’t want to speak.

Li Huai suddenly lowered his voice, asking timidly, “A Liang, you’re not going to die, are you? Are you giving us your last words?”

A Liang rolled his eyes, “Get the hell out of here, as far as you can go.”

Li Huai sighed, sitting back beside Chen Ping’an, “My mother and father, and my sister, are already far enough away from here.”

But the child’s following words were somewhat sentimental, “So, A Liang, please don’t go, okay? I won’t scold you anymore, I promise.”

A Liang hesitated, not saying anything, took off the silver-white wine gourd, and tossed it to Li Baoping, “Catch! This little gourd is one of the best sword-nurturing gourds in the world. Ordinary sword-nurturing gourds can’t compare at all.”

A Liang stood up, stretching lazily, “Feels so much better to have no worries.”

He looked down at the green bamboo knife, then looked up, smiling and asking, “Little Baoping, can I borrow the narrow knife, Auspicious Talisman, for a moment?”

Li Huai had a flash of inspiration, “A Liang? Are you going to fight? I’ll help you…”

A Liang gave him a suspicious and questioning look.

The child chuckled dryly, “Help you cheer from the sidelines!”

Li Baoping scurried back and forth like wheels, quickly returning and handing the narrow knife to A Liang with both hands.
Ah Liang wore his famed saber, auspiciously named, “祥符” (Xiangfu).

Without anyone noticing, Chen Ping’an, Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi stood side-by-side, facing the man with the bamboo hat.

The bamboo-hatted man pinched the brim of his hat with two fingers and laughed heartily, “Before, when I told you all how strong my Ah Liang was, how superb his swordsmanship was, you never believed me, and always accused me of boasting. You youngsters are just too naive. I was afraid of scaring you, so I deliberately picked trivial things, like his sword being so fast that water couldn’t penetrate it, to tell you.”

Ah Liang finally asked with a smile, “You didn’t believe it, right?”

Ah Liang first looked into the shadows and instructed, “Protect them.”

Someone nodded in acknowledgment.

Then, this man, who they met for the first time wearing a bamboo hat, finally removed it and casually tossed it away. But before the hat could hit the ground, it turned into dust, dissipating into thin air.

At the same time,

Centered on the man carrying dual sabers,

Within a thousand miles, the earth shook violently, as if a giant ox had overturned it.

Ah Liang instinctively reached for his bamboo hat, only to realize it was gone. He scratched his head, coughed, and said with a smile, “I’m called Ah Liang, ‘Liang’ meaning good and kind.”