Draped in a dark cyan python robe, crafted from the shed skin of the little loach after it ascended to the Nascent Soul stage, a magic garment forged by the River Interception True Lord at great cost, employing a reclusive master alchemist.

Gu Can no longer clasped his hands in his sleeves, no longer the unfathomable demon king of Shujian Lake. He stretched out his arms, bouncing on the spot. “Chen Ping’an, you’ve gotten so tall! I thought I’d be your height when we met!”

But the middle-aged man remained silent.

The crowd from Lotus Pond City, gathered to watch the spectacle, held their breaths. Even the audacious Lü Caisang felt inexplicably uneasy.

Gu Can scratched his head.

Chen Ping’an finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “How is Auntie?”

Gu Can nodded vigorously. “She’s well!”

Chen Ping’an said, “I want to see her. May I?”

Gu Can looked aggrieved. “What’s with all this ‘may I’? My mother always talks about you. Chen Ping’an, why are you being so distant?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I’ll wait for you at the ferry. Finish your crab feast with your friends, then take me to Azure Gorge Isle.”

Gu Can chuckled. “Why bother with them? Just leave them hanging. Let’s go, let’s go! I’ll take you to Azure Gorge Isle now. My mother and I have a big house now, much grander than Mud Bottle Alley! Not just a carriage, even Little Loach can come and go freely. Can you imagine how big the road must be, how imposing the mansion? Right?”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Aren’t you going to let Fan Yan and Yuan Yuan know?”

Gu Can shook his head. “No need. Those fair-weather friends aren’t worth a fart.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t say anything more, but glanced at the “little loach” behind Gu Can, the one he had fished out of the rice paddies back then.

Now it had manifested as a human, resembling a common young woman. But upon closer inspection, its golden pupils, vertically slit like a serpent’s, betrayed its true nature to any cultivator.

When Chen Ping’an looked at it, one of the five true dragon descendants of the Lychee Pearl Grotto-Heaven, an entity that even Liu Zhimao didn’t dare offend in Shujian Lake, this time it didn’t retreat like before, but still lowered its gaze, seemingly afraid to meet Chen Ping’an’s eyes.

Chen Ping’an said nothing and turned away, heading towards the ferry.

Gu Can quickly caught up, glanced at Chen Ping’an’s back, and after some deliberation, had Lü Caisang inform Fan Yan and the others, and instructed Little Loach to bring the Golden Core stage assassin woman.

Lü Caisang hesitated, but Gu Can’s gaze turned icy. Lü Caisang snorted and departed.

Only then did Gu Can swagger after Chen Ping’an, overjoyed, his large python robe sleeves billowing, carrying gusts of chilly wind.

If it weren’t for seeing Chen Ping’an, the woman would have died today, and the execution of her nine generations wouldn’t have been a joke, they would definitely be reunited in the underworld.

Seeing Chen Ping’an passing the carriage without stopping, Gu Can called out, “Chen Ping’an, aren’t you riding in the carriage?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t stop or turn around. “I have my own two feet, and I can keep up with the carriage.”

Gu Can then had Little Loach take the assassin to the carriage, while he followed Chen Ping’an, heading towards the Azure Gorge Isle ship at the ferry.

Along the way, Gu Can neither questioned Chen Ping’an about the two slaps he had received, nor boasted about his dominance in Shujian Lake. He simply chatted with Chen Ping’an about the interesting stories he had heard about Dragon Spring County.

But the closer they got to Shujian Lake, the more dejected Gu Can became.

Because, much like how he ignored those drinking buddies, Chen Ping’an hadn’t said a word to him during the entire journey. However, what puzzled Gu Can the most about Chen Ping’an was that he didn’t seem to be filled with towering rage. Instead, he seemed distracted, or rather, Chen Ping’an’s mind was preoccupied with his own matters, which relieved Gu Can somewhat.

What Gu Can feared most was that Chen Ping’an would remain silent, give him two big slaps, and then leave without a word.

Never to meet again in this life, and if they happened to cross paths again in the future, they would only be strangers.

As they boarded the ship, Little Loach followed behind with the Golden Core woman. Gu Can cautiously asked, “Chen Ping’an, how about I just release that assassin? I’m in a good mood today, it’s fine to let her go.”

Chen Ping’an’s steps faltered slightly, but he still didn’t stop, continuing forward.

Gu Can clearly sensed Chen Ping’an’s anger and… disappointment at that moment.

But Gu Can didn’t understand why he had said and done those things… but in Chen Ping’an’s eyes, he had erred again.

So Gu Can turned his head, clasped his hands in his sleeves, and while continuing to walk, twisted his neck, coldly glaring at the woman.

It was all because of this meddlesome woman who dared to assassinate him today that he had angered Chen Ping’an. She deserved to die a thousand times, and the execution of her nine generations wouldn’t be enough!

Arriving at the bow of the ship, Chen Ping’an stopped, gazing alone at the distant lake scenery.

Gu Can, feeling both wronged and resentful, wanted to stay close to Chen Ping’an, so he could only stand a few steps behind him, not even daring to stand beside Chen Ping’an.

At that moment, the assassin woman, feeling a glimmer of hope, knelt down and kowtowed heavily to Chen Ping’an. “Please, please spare me! I know you’re a good person, a living Bodhisattva with a compassionate heart. Please, please tell Gu Can to spare me this time! As long as you don’t kill me, I’ll build arches and temples for you, my great benefactor, and offer incense and kowtow to you every day. Even if you want me to be a beast of burden for Gu Can…”

Little Loach’s fingers twitched slightly.

Gu Can, on the other hand, smiled and turned to Little Loach, shaking his head, allowing the assassin to kowtow and beg for mercy, the sound echoing on the deck.

Chen Ping’an shakily took down the sword-nurturing gourd and took a big gulp of wine before turning around, not to look at the woman who called him a good person and a living Bodhisattva, but at Gu Can, asking, “Why not just kill her?”

Gu Can said earnestly, “Just killing her won’t solve anything. There are too many people in Shujian Lake who are looking for death. Chen Ping’an, you might not know this, but in this lawless Shujian Lake, if someone tries to kill me, I’ll only kill them. That would truly be the greatest act of Bodhisattva-like compassion, and everyone would look down on me, including the tens of thousands of wild cultivators and those who depend on the island lords on the lakeshore.”

Gu Can, perhaps afraid that Chen Ping’an wouldn’t believe him, turned to Little Loach and asked, “Isn’t that right? I’m not lying to Chen Ping’an, am I?”

The little loach, the most lawless entity in Shujian Lake, nodded timidly.
This woman, capable of achieving the Golden Core Earth Immortal realm, wouldn’t be foolish enough to attempt assassinating Gu Can. Instantly, she deciphered the meaning behind the lifeline he offered. Could she be killed? A chill ran down her spine, and she lowered her head, her eyes darting about nervously.

Chen Ping’an looked at her and asked, “If I were to guarantee that by killing you, everyone connected to you would live, what would you do?”

The woman raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “I know you’re a good person. Why can’t you let me go as well? I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have tried to assassinate Gu Can. I promise to take a detour whenever I see him in the future. Please, save me! Saving a life is better than building a seven-tiered pagoda. I beg you!”

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “If you had succeeded in killing Gu Can today, and he knelt on the ground, begging you to spare him and his mother, would you have agreed? Just answer me honestly.”

The woman wiped away her tears and said, “Even if I were willing to let Gu Can go, that sword cultivator from the Vermilion Dynasty would definitely kill him. However, if Gu Can begged me, I would definitely spare his mother. I would step forward to protect that innocent woman, and I would never allow her to be bullied.”

Gu Can smiled brightly.

Of course, he knew this woman was spouting nonsense. To survive, what lies wouldn’t she tell? Gu Can wasn’t surprised in the slightest. But what did it matter? As long as Chen Ping’an was willing to nod, willing not to be angry with him, and willing to let go of one or two ants like her, what was the big deal? Not just her paltry Golden Core Earth Immortal life, but even her nine generations of kin were insignificant. These ants, whose intentions, promises, and cultivation were worthless, weren’t worth a thought to Gu Can. Just like how he deliberately detoured to the banquet, wasn’t it all for fun? To tease these guys who mistakenly thought they had victory in their grasp?

Chen Ping’an slowly said to Gu Can, “Killing her in the street, I didn’t think was wrong. Killing her here is fine too. Killing her on Azure Gorge Island is also acceptable.”

Gu Can was taken aback.

Chen Ping’an asked, “What did you call her back on the street?”

Gu Can thought for a moment. “Aunt.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “What do I call your mother?”

Gu Can mumbled, “Also Aunt.”

Chen Ping’an murmured, “A family should be complete. A family should be together.”

Gu Can’s eyes suddenly turned red, and he lowered his head. “Then what do you want me to do? Kill her, or let her go? What will it take for you not to be angry, not to be upset, not to ignore me like this? Chen Ping’an, tell me, and I’ll do it.”

Chen Ping’an turned around. “It’s up to you. I’ll go to Azure Gorge Island to see Aunt. I might leave after a word or two.”

Chen Ping’an said no more.

Gu Can gritted his teeth, his eyes welled with tears, and his fists clenched tightly.

Gu Can and the Little Mud Loach were of one mind. Without Gu Can saying a word, the Little Mud Loach grabbed the Golden Core Earth Immortal like a chick and locked her in a secret cabin.

Chen Ping’an remained standing at the bow of the ship.

Gu Can went to the top floor of the ship, frustrated and agitated. He smashed all the cups on the table. The lightly dressed courtesans trembled, not knowing why their usually smiling young master was so volatile today.

The Little Mud Loach stood aside, equally stifled and depressed.

Gu Can raised his head, stared at the Little Mud Loach, and laughed, gloating. “Little Mud Loach, don’t be afraid. Chen Ping’an is just sulking with me. He was always like this when we were kids. After I made him unhappy, no matter how much I followed him around, saying nice things, he wouldn’t pay attention to me. It’s just like today. But whenever he saw me or Mom being bullied by the neighbors or the town bullies, he would still help us. After that, if I cried and made a fuss, Chen Ping’an would definitely stop being angry. Alas, it’s a pity I don’t have those two snot streaks anymore. That was my greatest treasure, you know? Every time Chen Ping’an helped Mom and me, as soon as he saw me sniffling, he couldn’t keep a straight face and would start to laugh. After that, he wouldn’t be angry with me anymore.”

The Little Mud Loach nodded.

Only Gu Can and itself knew why it had retreated back on the street.

It was truly afraid.

It was a kind of awe and fear that touched the very foundation of its Dao.

Perhaps even Chen Ping’an himself, the entire Jade Pith Grotto-Heaven, and even Gu Can’s current master, the River Intercepting True Lord Liu Zhimao, didn’t know the reason.

Because this Little Mud Loach, unlike Li Er’s golden carp kept in the Dragon King’s basket, and unlike the five-legged snake in Song Jixin’s courtyard, was very different. Successfully capturing the Little Mud Loach was a tremendous opportunity, and it was Chen Ping’an’s own fortune! It was Chen Ping’an’s only chance in the Jade Pith Grotto-Heaven to seize an opportunity with his own strength and hold onto it tightly! But Chen Ping’an, driven by his true heart, gave it to Gu Can, who, also driven by his true heart and a touch of audacity, begged Chen Ping’an for the mud loach. In essence, he gave away the opportunity, turning it into Gu Can’s own Dao opportunity.

But that didn’t change the fact that, for the Little Mud Loach, Chen Ping’an was still half its master!

Although Chen Ping’an certainly couldn’t control the Little Mud Loach, who was now in the nascent soul realm, it wouldn’t dare to attack Chen Ping’an unless its current master, Gu Can, gave a death order.

Gu Can suddenly slumped onto the table. “Little Mud Loach, besides Mom, only Chen Ping’an is truly willing to give me all his best things. Whether he was a kiln worker or not, Chen Ping’an has always been like this. As long as he had a little money, even if he wasn’t willing to buy it for himself, if I craved it, he wouldn’t even frown. He would even lie to me, saying he had made a lot of money. I only found out later from Liu Xianyang that he was stretching the truth. Little Mud Loach, why do you think Chen Ping’an is angry?”

The Little Mud Loach shook its head.

Gu Can turned over, his head resting on the table, his hands tucked into his sleeves. “Then, how long do you think Chen Ping’an will be angry this time? Sigh, I don’t even dare to tell him about these lightly dressed courtesans now. What should I do?”
Gu Can was shedding tears, “I know, Chen Ping’an is different this time. Before, others bullied me and my mother, so he would feel sorry for me as soon as he saw it. So no matter how insensible I was, no matter how angry I got, he would never disown me as his younger brother. But it’s different now. My mother and I are already doing very well. Chen Ping’an will think that even without him, Chen Ping’an, we can still live well. So he will keep being angry, and he won’t pay attention to me for the rest of his life. But I want to tell him, it’s not like that. Without Chen Ping’an, I will be very sad, I will be sad for the rest of my life. If Chen Ping’an doesn’t care about me anymore, I won’t stop him. I will just tell him, if you dare to ignore me, I will become an even bigger villain. I will do more bad things, so that Chen Ping’an, wherever you go in Bao Ping Continent, Tong Ye Continent, or the Central Earth Divine Continent, you will hear the name Gu Can!”

Gu Can stretched out his hands and covered his face.

This was the second time Gu Can showed such a vulnerable side after arriving at Shujian Lake. The first time was during the Mid-Autumn Festival on Qingxia Island with his mother, when he also spoke of Chen Ping’an.

The little loach was connected to Gu Can’s heart, and all his joys and sorrows would be shared. It also shed tears.

The pavilion boat finally arrived at Qingxia Island.

When disembarking, Chen Ping’an took out a jade tablet and handed it to the little loach. Chen Ping’an said in a deep voice, “Take this to Liu Zhimao, and tell him to keep it for now, and return it to me when I leave Qingxia Island. Also tell him one thing, while I am on Qingxia Island, I don’t want to see him even once.”

When it took the jade tablet, it was as if a child had grabbed a piece of red-hot charcoal. Suddenly, a sharp scream resounded through the clouds. It almost transformed into its true form as a several-hundred-foot-long dragon, wishing it could shatter the Qingxia Island pier with one claw.

Just as it wanted to throw it away, Chen Ping’an said expressionlessly, “Hold it tight!”

The little loach was filled with fear, enduring the excruciating pain, and still tightly clenched the strange jade tablet engraved with “I am good at cultivating the righteous spirit,” and went to find the Intercepting River True Lord.

Someone was already waiting at the pier, fawning over Gu Can in a humble manner.

Chen Ping’an said to Gu Can, “Please tell your aunt, I would like to have another home-cooked meal, even just a bowl of rice will do.”

Gu Can nodded vigorously, as long as Chen Ping’an was willing to sit down and eat, he would be satisfied. He immediately asked an old cultivator steward from Qingxia Island to rush back to the mansion to inform his mother, there was no need for delicacies, just prepare an ordinary home-cooked meal!

Gu Can led the way, and Chen Ping’an walked beside him, walking slowly.

Gu Can thought that Chen Ping’an wanted to eat as soon as he arrived at the mansion, so he wished he could stroll around a little longer, and deliberately slowed down his pace.

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “I have been in Chi Shui City these days, asking about you and Qingxia Island, asking many people, and hearing many things.”

Gu Can drooped his head, “I guessed it.”

Chen Ping’an said again, “There are some things that I’m afraid I won’t be able to say at the dinner table, so I don’t dare to say them. So before seeing your aunt, I might say some things you don’t like to hear. I hope that whether you like to hear them or not, no matter whether you think they are nonsense, please listen to me first, okay? After I finish speaking, you can tell me what’s on your mind. I also hope that you don’t have to worry about whether I like to hear them or not, just like that assassin. I just want to hear what’s on your mind, say what you think.”

Gu Can grunted, “You speak, I’m listening.”

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “I’m sorry, I’m late.”

Gu Can stopped abruptly.

Chen Ping’an also stopped. In the eyes of all the curious cultivators on Qingxia Island, this was a dispirited “middle-aged man.” His face was unreadable, but his eyes revealed his heart. The kind of exhaustion was impossible to hide.

Back then, the straw sandal boy and the snot-nosed kid were separated in Mud Bottle Lane too hastily. Besides Gu Can’s big bag of locust leaves, and being careful of Liu Zhimao, and the young child taking good care of his mother, Chen Ping’an didn’t have time to say many things.

Chen Ping’an raised his head and looked at the top of Qingxia Island, “After that snot-nosed kid left his hometown, I also left soon and started wandering the world, encountering all kinds of bumps and scrapes. So I’m very afraid of one thing, afraid that the snot-nosed kid will become like you, and Chen Ping’an will become the kind of person we disliked the most back then. A big man who likes to bully women without men in their families, and if they’re stronger, they’ll bully the woman’s son. After drinking, they’ll kick any passing child, kicking the child to the ground. So every time I think of Gu Can, the first thing is to worry about whether the snot-nosed kid is doing well in a strange place, and the second thing is to worry that after doing well, that most vindictive snot-nosed kid will slowly become someone who, when they have more strength and more ability, can kick a child when they’re in a bad mood, regardless of whether the child lives or dies. Will that child die of pain? Will Chen Ping’an save him, and then when he returns home, will the child’s mother, besides feeling sorry for him, have to spend some copper coins at the Yang family’s shop to get medicine, making their livelihood even more difficult for the next ten days or half a month? I’m very afraid of that.”

“But it’s no one else’s fault, it’s my fault. After I first returned to the small town from the Great Sui, why was I unwilling to take a detour on my second journey, even if it meant delivering swords to others more slowly, why didn’t I want to take a detour, just a few months, to see how that snot-nosed kid and his mother were doing, instead of just knowing through some news that they were both safe and sound, and seemed to be doing well, and thinking it wouldn’t be too late to go later, to wait until I had made something of myself, and could give that snot-nosed kid more things, before going to see him.”

“Wandering the world, one is responsible for one’s own life and death. You killed Qingxia Island’s offerings, your eldest martial brother, today’s assassin. As long as Chen Ping’an is present, if you don’t kill them, if you can’t kill them, I will help you kill them! I will kill any number of these kinds of people that come! If one comes, I will kill one, if ten thousand come, if I can only kill nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, then I will only blame Chen Ping’an for not having strong enough fists and a fast enough sword! Because I promised you, promised myself, that protecting that snot-nosed kid is Chen Ping’an’s most natural and righteous duty, no need to reason about it, no need at all!”
“But, Gu Can, you have a thousand, ten thousand reasons to tell yourself, to tell me, Chen Ping’an, that Shujian Lake is just a place of filth and wickedness, that the world is a dog-eat-dog world, and if I don’t kill to establish my authority, others will kill me. These are not reasons for you, Gu Can, to slaughter innocents. So many people died inexplicably, people who didn’t even know why. After killing them, that hurdle in your heart, Gu Can, you can get over it, but I, Chen Ping’an, cannot. I will think, so many people, dozens, hundreds, are just dozens or hundreds of snot-nosed kids who followed a mud-legged Chen Ping’an in Niping Lane, just dozens or hundreds of those mud-legged kiln workers. And then so many people, all dead. That Chen Ping’an, who was almost starved to death in Niping Lane and refused to knock on doors, walked through Niping Lane again and again and didn’t die. That snot-nosed kid who was kicked by a drunken bastard didn’t die.”

Chen Ping’an stopped speaking, patted Gu Can’s shoulder beside him, “Let’s go, Auntie is still waiting for us. No matter how difficult the road is, we still have to walk it.”

The two walked forward side by side.

Chen Ping’an said slowly, “I, Chen Ping’an, don’t want to be a moral paragon, but not being that kind of moral paragon doesn’t mean we can ignore all reason.”

“I don’t care whether others are reasonable or not. You, Gu Can, I will care about. Whether it’s useful to care, I’ll still try. After my parents died, I lost all my relatives. Liu Xianyang, and you, Gu Can, the two of you are my relatives. The world is so big, in that little town, I only have you and Liu Xianyang as relatives. I don’t care if any other place collapses, but even if the sky really collapses, as long as it falls on you, no matter how capable I am, Chen Ping’an, I will try to carry the collapsed sky back! Even if I can’t carry it back, can’t lift it, then I, Chen Ping’an, will die, but I will still seek justice for you!”

Back in the Lizhu Cave Heaven.

For Liu Xianyang, Chen Ping’an had tried, intending to die if he had to, just to seek justice for Liu Xianyang.

Now in Shujian Lake, Chen Ping’an felt that just saying these words had exhausted all his spirit and energy.

Different experiences.

The same experiences that once left Chen Ping’an sitting there alone, like a stray dog by the roadside.

“If I didn’t know you, Gu Can, even if you stirred up a hornet’s nest in Shujian Lake, I would just hear about it and wouldn’t care, wouldn’t come to Chishui City, wouldn’t come to Qingxia Island, because I, Chen Ping’an, can’t manage everything. I, Chen Ping’an, am only capable of so much. In the mansion of the Bride Ghost, I didn’t care. In a county city of Huangting Kingdom, I saw those sword cultivators, I didn’t care. In Jiao Long Gulch, I cared, and I lost the Mountain Seal that Mr. Qi gave me. In Old Dragon City, I cared, and I had my abdomen pierced by a cultivator. In this world, if you reason with people, you have to pay a price. But if you don’t reason with people, it’s the same! The old flood dragon in Jiao Long Gulch was almost leveled by the sword cultivators, and Du Mao was beaten half to death! They are like that, and you, Gu Can, are the same. You live well today, but what about tomorrow? The day after? Next year, the year after?! Today you can let other families have a joyful reunion, but tomorrow others can let your mother accompany you in the underworld for a joyful reunion!”

“If possible, I just want a snot-nosed kid named Gu Can to always live at the end of Niping Lane. I don’t want to give you that little loach back then at all. I just want you to live in Niping Lane, so that whenever I return home, I can see you and Auntie. Whether your family is a little richer, or I, Chen Ping’an, am rich, you mother and son can afford to buy beautiful clothes, afford to buy delicious food, and just live a stable life like that.”

Approaching the brightly lit mansion, no less grand than a royal residence.

Chen Ping’an’s eyes dimmed, and he said softly, “I’ve said everything I wanted to say, and I don’t have the strength to say anything more. So when we get to the dinner table, you say what you want to say, and I will listen.”

Gu Can raised his arm, wiped his face, and didn’t say a word.

The mansion was very large. After passing through the main gate, it took a long time to walk to the dining area.

As Chen Ping’an crossed the threshold, he removed the meticulously crafted mask Zhu Lian had made, revealing his true face.

A richly dressed woman stood at the entrance of the hall, eagerly awaiting their arrival. When she saw Chen Ping’an beside Gu Can, her eyes instantly reddened. She quickly walked down the steps, came to Chen Ping’an’s side, and carefully examined the now much taller Chen Ping’an. At that moment, a myriad of emotions welled up inside her, and she covered her mouth, unable to utter a single word. In fact, the woman felt extremely guilty deep down. When Liu Zhimao came to visit and told her about the little loach, she had been ruthless. As long as she could keep that opportunity for Can’er, she hoped that the Niping Lane neighbor boy who had helped her and her son so much over the years…

Would just die.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Auntie.”

The woman choked up and said, “Good, good, just like my Can’er, doing well, that’s better than anything else. Hurry up and come inside. The island steward told me in a hurry, so Auntie could only cook two dishes, and the rest was done by the servants in the mansion. But they all cooked according to our hometown’s flavors, so they’re definitely authentic home-style dishes. Chen Ping’an, you won’t be unaccustomed to them.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Thank you, Auntie.”

The woman glared at him and said, “What nonsense are you talking about!”

Chen Ping’an stopped speaking.

The mother and son, along with a person whom neither of them would consider an outsider, entered the house together and took their seats.

Although they were home-style dishes, they were still extremely lavish, filling a large table.

The woman had also prepared the rarest immortal Wuti Wine from Shujian Lake, a world apart from the so-called Wuti Wine sold in the Chishui City marketplace.

The woman filled a cup of wine for Chen Ping’an, but Chen Ping’an couldn’t stop her no matter how he tried to dissuade her.

Gu Can, who didn’t particularly like to drink, especially never drank at home, also asked his mother for a cup of wine today.

The woman was stunned for a moment, then smiled and poured him a cup.

At the large round table, the woman sat in the main seat, Chen Ping’an sat in the seat facing away from the door, and Gu Can sat in the seat between the two of them.

Gu Can turned to his mother and said, “Before we eat, I want to say a few words to Chen Ping’an.”

The woman was already skilled at observing people’s expressions and had sensed that something was wrong, but her smile remained unchanged. “Alright, you guys talk. After you finish your wine, I’ll pour more for you.”
Gu Can drained his cup, then covered it with his hand, signaling he was finished drinking. He turned to Chen Ping’an and said, “Chen Ping’an, how do you think I, Gu Can, can best protect my mother? Do you know how many times my mother and I almost died on Azure Gorge Island?”

The woman’s heart trembled. Her expression stiffened as she sat, her hands twisting the hem of her clothes beneath the table.

Gu Can continued, “Just by killing the one who harmed me? What about the mastermind behind the assassins? What about those villains hiding further away in the shadows?”

“Should I go find them one by one, and politely introduce myself? Tell them, ‘I’m Gu Can, and Little Loach is even more formidable, so you shouldn’t provoke me, or I’ll beat you to death’?”

“Do you think those assassination attempts on Azure Gorge Island were all the work of outsiders? That my enemies were courting death?”

“Do you think it’s impossible that Liu Zhimao, my dear teacher, orchestrated them? Hidden amongst those murder plots?”

“You, Chen Ping’an, might say it’s not necessarily so. You’re right, it’s not definite, and I wouldn’t lie to you and claim that Liu Zhimao was definitely involved! But I only have one mother, and I only have one life. Why should I gamble on that ‘maybe’?”

Gu Can stood up, enraged. “Chen Ping’an! You can beat me to death today, and I won’t retaliate, but before you beat me to death, I’ll tell you, I, Gu Can, am not wrong! Even if I am wrong, I won’t admit it! I won’t change! I’ll never change! I’d rather die!”

Gu Can’s face was contorted, but not with his usual hatred directed at a specific person. It was the kind of hatred born from self-loathing, from hating the entire Bamboo Scroll Lake, hating everyone, and the immense feeling of being misunderstood by the person he cared for most.

“Being here is like dealing with tigers. If I don’t tear off their hides and wear them myself, I’ll freeze to death. If I don’t drink their blood and eat their flesh, my mother and I will starve and thirst to death! Chen Ping’an, I’m telling you, this isn’t our Mud Bottle Alley. It’s not just disgusting adults who steal my mother’s clothes. The people here will devour my mother, leaving not even bones behind, making her wish she were dead! I won’t just encounter some drunken bastard in an alleyway who doesn’t like the look of me and kicks me!”

“Do you know how afraid I am here?”

“Do you know how much I wish you could be by my side, like before, protecting me? Protecting my mother?”

“Chen Ping’an, you don’t know!”

“You only ever beat me and scold me!”

Finally, Gu Can, his face covered in tears, sobbed, “I don’t want the next time you see my mother and me to be when you’re visiting our graves here in Bamboo Scroll Lake! I still want to see you, Chen Ping’an…”

Gu Can whimpered as he walked out of the room, but didn’t go far. He slumped down on the doorstep.

Chen Ping’an sat in his place, looking up at the woman, his voice hoarse. “Auntie, I won’t drink any wine. Could you get me a bowl of rice?”

The woman, filled with apprehension, quickly wiped away her tears, nodded, and got up to bring Chen Ping’an a bowl of rice. Chen Ping’an rose to take the bowl, gently placed it on the table, and sat back down.

There was another bowl of rice on the table.

Back in the Mud Bottle Alley, in someone else’s home, Chen Ping’an, still a child even younger than Gu Can was now, also had a bowl of rice placed on the table like this.

Chen Ping’an raised a hand, trembling slightly, but ultimately didn’t pick up the chopsticks. Instead, he took a book from his chest and placed it next to the bowl of rice.

A book, an old, yellowed manual of boxing techniques.

Chen Ping’an reached out and gently smoothed it.

It had accompanied him across mountains and rivers, witnessed the wonders of the vast world, and witnessed all of Chen Ping’an’s joys and sorrows.

It had been flipped through countless times, yet it remained intact, almost without any creases.

He’d only shown it to the old man in the Fallen Phoenix Mountain bamboo house once, but that time, Chen Ping’an wished the old man would be careful with every page he turned, nagging him endlessly, only to be rewarded with another beating from the old man, who lectured him that if a martial artist couldn’t even let go of a tattered book, how could he possibly contain the world within his martial intent?

He had shown it to the girl he loved, back when they weren’t mutually in love. He had only shown it to her because he wanted to learn to read, to understand what the manual actually said, which had initially annoyed her, as she mistakenly thought Chen Ping’an was looking down on her, thinking she coveted the manual’s techniques and would steal them.

A bowl of rice was an act of kindness that saved a life.

A boxing manual was an act of kindness that saved a life.

Chen Ping’an bit his lip, not turning around, and said softly, “Gu Can, we agreed back then that this boxing manual was something I borrowed from you, and that one day I would return it.”

Gu Can suddenly stood up, roaring, “I don’t want it! It’s yours if I gave it to you! I never agreed to let you return it! You have to be reasonable!”

Gu Can finally pleaded, crying, “Chen Ping’an, don’t do this, I’m scared…”

In the eyes of a child who was both precocious and extremely volatile, Chen Ping’an was the only one in the world who was reasonable, and always had been.

Chen Ping’an didn’t speak. He picked up the chopsticks and lowered his head to eat the rice.

He didn’t look up again until he had finished the bowl of rice.