The second day of the second month marks the Dragon’s Ascent.

The Big Dipper points due east, revealing the first glimmer of the Horn constellation. Winter’s grip loosens, and the breath of spring revives all things, signaling a surge of life throughout creation. Beasts sprout horns, and plants crack their husks, stirring the first stirrings of springtime cultivation in the fields.

In kingdoms across the land, royal courts convene in grand assemblies. The Ministers of Rites and War, followed by a throng of officials, present the agricultural records alongside their monarch, a gesture honoring the foundation of the realm, embodying the principle: “The great affairs of the kingdom lie in ceremony and defense,” yet stressing that “the bedrock of the nation resides in agriculture and the land.”

The Emperor hosts a banquet for his assembled court, offering them Yi Chun wine, brewed according to ancient methods, as well as bestowed gifts crafted in the imperial workshops – knives and rulers fashioned from pure white jade, symbols reminding the assembled lords of their virtuous natures and their solemn duty to carefully measure and weigh the affairs of the state. The Empress, in turn, presents to the assembled noble ladies a number of “Azure Pouches,” each claimed to be sewn by her own hand, without the aid of palace maids. These verdant satchels are filled with seeds of various grains, fruits, and vegetables, meant to be gifted to relatives and children within their families, to ensure a bountiful harvest and a year of abundant crops. It serves as a reminder that within noble and scholarly houses, a full granary begets propriety.

In the humble town of Huai Huang, an age-old custom dictates that every household must begin the day with a bowl of Dragon Whisker Noodles. Flatbread baked on this day is christened “Dragon Scales.” Upon this day, women of the town and maidens awaiting marriage must cease all sewing, for ancient lore claims that as the Dragon first lifts its head, the passage of thread and needle might injure its eyes, drawing forth its displeasure.

Sturdy men of the town, accompanied by their children, take up bamboo poles or wooden staffs, and tap upon the beams of their houses, upon their beds, and even within their kitchens, a ritual known as rousing the Dragon to greet the spring. They chant time-honored phrases and ancient proverbs, like “May the great granary be as full as a mountain, taller than the western peaks, and the small granary overflow like a river, kept only for our own fields.” In Fu Lu Street and Tao Ye Lane, the recitations grow more refined, their meanings swelling with hope for bountiful seasons, a kingdom at peace, and the departure of serpents and venomous creatures, so they bring no harm.

Three or four decades past, a “Broom Star” emerged from Mud Bottle Lane. Words of joy usually associated with “peace” became a small taboo, seldom spoken. Now, the concept of ensuring peace in the region carries a deeper weight. Some families, having ascended to wealth and moved from the town to the cities beyond, deliberately break a porcelain vessel on this day, chanting thrice the phrase “Sui Sui Ping An,” a near homophone for “Peace All Year,” in hopes of a prosperous omen.

At the break of dawn, the women and maidens of the town journey to the Iron Lock Well to draw water. It is on this day that the folk of Fu Lu Street and Tao Ye Lane are most likely to encounter the common folk, for wealthy youths and maidens in fine silks, lantern in hand, depart their homes as dawn paints the sky, carrying exquisite celadon ewers. As the two groups meet, the youth make their way to the well, resembling a serpentine procession, draw their water, and return home, a ritual known as guiding the Money Dragon through the door, and inviting fortune and blessings home.

As dawn painted the sky on this Dragon’s Ascent day, Chen Ping An, with the boy in azure robes and the girl in a pink skirt, and Mi Li, journeyed down the mountain to their ancestral home in Mud Bottle Lane.

Each had their task. Chen Ping An, using a bamboo pole, tapped the beams and bedframes before taking a bucket and heading to the Iron Lock Well with Chen Ling Jun to draw water. Nuan Shu and Mi Li stayed at the house, stoking the hearth to cook noodles and bake flatbread.

Following an order from the prefecture of Chu, the county seat of Huai Huang posted a notice. The long-forbidden Iron Lock Well would, on this day, be opened for the townspeople to draw water.

Guo Zhu Jiu was deep in slumber, lost in a world of her own making. So Chen Ping An did not disturb her. It was not sword practice, nor cultivation, but merely sleep that held her in its embrace.

As Chen Ping An left Mud Bottle Lane, Chen Ling Jun, bucket in hand, whispered, “The well is opened. Was it the Old Master’s doing? Did he personally speak with the county seat, then the court, to allow it?”

The rules set forth by the Great Li Dynasty hold great weight, not only in Chu, but across all Treasure Bottle Continent. Even the mountain immortals dare not disobey, much less alter them.

Chen Ping An shook his head. “I did not mention it. I had planned to bring it up with the court this year, to implement the change next. So it was likely Zhao Yao’s doing. He has long striven to restore old customs. If the Great Li’s Song clan had not returned half the land south of Da Du, Zhao Yao, as Vice Minister of Punishments, would have even more to contend with. Though the Ministry of Revenue will surely denounce him as a spendthrift, and the Ministry of Rites will chide him for overstepping.”

Chen Ling Jun, acting beyond his years, said, “That is mere theory. The Great Li officials prize practical accomplishment above all else. Zhao Yao’s meddling will earn him no favors.”

A tiny incense figure, dutifully striking his chimes on time, mentioned that the compilation of local chronicles across the prefectures and counties of the Great Li had been incorporated into the court’s local evaluations, an idea that reportedly came from Vice Minister Zhao. This required the collection of local idioms, which demanded cooperation from the cultivators of each region. The chronicles were divided in two, one held in the capital, infused with immortal energy. The locals grumbled, viewing it as a wasteful measure, a superficial attempt to paint a rosy picture.

Chen Ping An chuckled, “Long-term merit. The shift between the intangible and the real is a profound matter, like the exchange rate between silver and copper coins. There is premium and loss. If there is no smooth channel for ‘circulation’ between the two, there is a grave problem. The Great Li Dynasty would become like any other powerful nation, known for its elite cavalry and martial strength, eventually fading into the masses. It would cease to be the unique Great Li of Treasure Bottle Continent and all lands. Had Senior Brother Cui Chan still been in power, Zhao Yao’s actions would mirror those of a national preceptor.”

Chen Ling Jun confessed, “Old Master, I do not understand. But it sounds full of wisdom. It seems Zhao Yao possesses genuine ability.”

Otherwise, he could not have become an unnamed disciple of Bai Ye. In his youth, Zhao Yao left his home, sailing across the seas. Accidentally stumbling upon an island far from the central lands, the very place where Bai Ye cultivated.

Later, Bai Ye, journeying alone to Fu Yao Continent, gifted fragments of the shattered immortal sword, “Tai Bai,” to four individuals. Zhao Yao was among them.

Chen Ling Jun mischievously inquired, “By the lineage of the literary pulse, Vice Minister Zhao should call Old Master ‘Uncle-Master,’ correct?”

Chen Ping An nodded. “Undoubtedly.”

Wu Yuan, the current prefect of Chu, once an inner-door disciple of Senior Brother Cui Chan, must likewise address Chen Ping An as “Uncle-Master.”

Several of these junior nephews held high positions in the capital, truly pillars of the Great Li court.

Within the town, narrower roads could be found than even Mud Bottle Lane, like the alleyway that cut short to Lock Dragon Well. Men of sturdy build must lower their heads to avoid the low eaves. The alley was short, but the walls crowded close. Chen Ping An used to pass this way to draw water from Lock Dragon Well, saving much effort. But it was shadowy and unsettling. Townspeople dared not tread this path. But Chen Ping An did not fear these things. Especially during the winter snows, when the mud path iced over. Chen Ping An would place the bucket down at the alley’s mouth, gently push it forward, and then run, accelerating into a gliding step, as both he and the bucket crossed the ice and met at the end of the lane. It was one of the few youthful joys, though he had to take care to avoid the icicles hanging from the eaves.

Leading Chen Ling Jun out of the nameless alley, there was a small well. But its mouth was small and the water shallow. In the past, three or four households nearby drew their water here each morning, saving themselves a long trek. The waters ran dry as the sky began to clear, before Chen Ping An of Mud Bottle Lane could gain any advantage. Once, he was scolded for drawing water as he passed through, mistaken for a water thief. Later, Chen Ping An found the phrase, “Suspicions of Melon Fields and Plum Trees” in a book. He understood the principle, but had not seen it articulated so clearly.

Next to the well was a vegetable garden, but the soil was poor, producing thin vegetables with a harsh taste. Now, the garden lay barren, piled high with rubble and overgrown with weeds, gray and green intertwined.

Chen Ling Jun never paid attention to these common sights. But he suddenly saw Chen Ping An stop. Chen Ping An quickened his pace and chuckled, “If I were to tend to this garden, the soil would be much better. The vegetables would not be so rough and the taste would be much sweeter.”

Chen Ling Jun laughed. “Of course. Old Master is diligent. You worked as a kiln apprentice, and you know about earth. If you fertilize and tend the soil, the vegetables would grow as tall as a man.”

As they walked, Chen Ling Jun suddenly paused. He carefully glanced at the Old Master beside him.

Chen Ping An smiled and patted the boy’s head. “It is good that you understand. Do not tell Mi Li and the others, or the whole mountain will know.”

Chen Ling Jun nodded. “The fellow who fishes at Yellow Lake Mountain calls himself Fu Hu. He’s from the capital. The magistrate of Pingnan County. He said Old Master invited him to fish. Does he know Old Master?”

A magistrate of the seventh rank dares to fish at Yellow Lake Mountain? It was where the water dragon Hong Xia had cultivated. Chen Ling Jun had caught him in the act.

Chen Ping An nodded. “We fished together in Pingnan County. Magistrate Fu gave me some fish. He is easy to talk to, without airs.”

Fu Hu himself did not understand how he had been transferred from the capital and gained the solid position of a county magistrate, especially the superior county of Pingnan. He must have known that the court had intentions of using him. Chen Ping An was aware that Fu Hu was working with Lin Zhengcheng and that their relationship was good. Before Lin Zhengcheng left the capital to head the Hong Prefecture Logging Office, he had said a few good words for Fu Hu. Chen Ping An had intended to “intercept” Fu Hu at the river, thinking that his character was good.

Chen Ling Jun said, “Magistrate Fu’s speech is flowery. I cannot keep up.”

The two spoke a few words, but Chen Ling Jun felt nothing in common, like two strangers. He had never encountered the likes.

Chen Ping An chuckled, “Fu Hu is more than capable of being a pure official.”

It was difficult for many poor children to enter officialdom. Gold and silver was a treacherous barrier.

It was difficult for children from noble families to understand hardship, lacking experience and understanding of the people.

The path widened. The ancient locust tree still stood, with wooden benches and stone stools placed below, for people to rest in the summer and bask in the winter sun. In the spring, birds gathered, blending with the leaves. Only their chirping gave them away. The more mischievous children would take out their slings. Gu Can was a master, with patience to match.

Though the government posted a notice, only a few came to draw water from Iron Lock Well, mostly the elderly. They were cautious when they saw Chen Ping An and the boy. They held no familiarity from the past. Two elders intentionally moved aside to allow the Chen Mountain Master to draw water first. Chen Ping An smiled and used the local dialect, to let them draw water first. They could be addressed as uncles or grandfathers. If Chen Ling Jun spoke, he must address them as “Great Grandfathers” or “Great Grandmothers,” a term used in the town regardless of gender.

After Chen Ping An drew his water, the two elders whispered.

“How old is Chen Ping An?”

“At least forty. He looks to be thirty.”

“I saw Chen De Quan in the prefecture capital. According to their Chen clan genealogy, Chen Ping An must call him ‘Great Grandfather.'”

The other spat, using an old curse.

Chen Ling Jun chuckled. He understood the town dialect well.

The greatest trait of the town dialect was the flat tone, with few inflections. Although customs and accents changed every ten li or hundred li, the town’s was unique.

Chen Ping An did not mind their words.

He recalled that at Lotus Flower Paradise, he always had Pei Qian draw water. He guessed that she only drew half a bucket, if that. Back at Cao Qing Lang’s residence, she’d sway the bucket to make it seem heavier, hiding the waterline. She would then tiptoe, raising the bucket to pour it into the water vat, to make a louder splash.

Along the way, Chen Ping An saw an old man sprinkling ash on the ground as he walked. Twenty years made one generation, so it had been nearly thirty years since the opening of Li Zhu Paradise.

Chen Ling Jun asked, “Old Master, why do we never scatter ash to summon the dragon?”

Since coming to Fallen Mountain, Chen Ping An had never done so.

Chen Ping An chuckled. “My family used to. But I do not know the details. It requires many ancient sayings. I fear I might violate a taboo. So I thought better of it.”

On the second day of the second month, the elders would be busy. But they could not act blindly. There were specifics. After dawn, the town could summon the dragon. If the sky was overcast or rainy, they must wait patiently. If it rained all day, there was nothing to be done.

There were five ways to summon the dragon. The wealthier and larger families knew many. The poorer families knew two at most.

Drawing water from Iron Lock Well was one method. The simplest, as everyone could do it. Similar to the opening words of an essay. In addition, there were more elaborate rituals, performed by the elders familiar with customs. Ash would be sprinkled around an old locust tree, or a large stone near the home. The youngest child, regardless of gender, would hold a red thread tied to a copper coin and place it inside the circle. If the family was wealthy, the thread would be tied to gold or silver. The child would drag the coin or precious metal home, breaking the circle to allow the treasure to enter. The treasure would then be placed in a celadon pot, sealed by the head of the household. With wealth secured, the family would have no worries for the year.

Some elders recited incantations, sprinkling ash at the door in a line, to ward off disaster, or sprinkle it in the shape of dragons and snakes in the corners, to block evil. Ash would be scattered around piles of grain in the courtyard, like water encircling a mountain, to ensure a bountiful harvest. Wealthier families who owned many fields would have two people, one scattering ash to the Dragon Whisker River and the other scattering chaff to lead the dragon home. It meant summoning the field dragon, and sending away the god of poverty while welcoming the god of wealth.

In the past, Chen Ling Jun would listen and forget. But today was different.

Chen Ping An had not lied. As a youth, he did not know of the customs. But the reason was that, back then, he may have been a taboo himself.

Chen Ping An asked with a smile, “Have you figured it out?”

Chen Ling Jun looked confused. “Figured what?”

Chen Ping An said, “Burning grass and wood to ash, raising mountains, leading water, tying wood, pulling money. It involves the five elements. Every family had a different method to summon the dragon, one that matched their elemental fate. A large family could combine all five. A smaller family could only choose two or three.”

Chen Ling Jun nodded. “Old Master, I figured that out long ago. I thought you were going to say something mysterious.”

Chen Ping An knocked him on the head.

Every village had a fool, and Chen Ling Jun acted as if he was that fool.

Chen Ping An walked back to Mud Bottle Lane, passing the ancestral home of the Cao family, and Chen Ping An’s ancestral home. He and Chen Ling Jun poured the water into the vat.

Nuan Shu and Mi Li had set out bowls and chopsticks. They sat at the table in the main room, eating Dragon Whisker Noodles. Nuan Shu had brought wild vegetables that she had picked and dried.

The old house, located near Qi Long Lane, still had a good view. At least no one could be found hanging around on the hillside above.

The old couple would need to move houses, otherwise, they would be easily disturbed by the many tourists. Although the old couple didn’t mind the business, it was still noisy. Furthermore, both Old Chen and Madam Li did not like meeting people. They found it annoying.

The old couple liked being undisturbed.

Chen Ling Jun coughed and lightly tapped his chopsticks, gesturing for one of the girls to show some awareness. Chen Ping An pushed his empty bowl. Chen Ling Jun immediately rose, one bowl in each hand, to head to the kitchen.

Chen Ling Jun, while twirling noodles, asked, “Is Zheng Dafeng really going to Immortal Capital Mountain?”

Zheng Dafeng had only returned to Fallen Mountain before leaving again. Chen Ling Jun was upset.

Chen Ping An said, “I will try to persuade him again.”

Cui Dong Shan’s invitation gave Zheng Dafeng an excuse to convince Chen Ping An and Immortal Guard.

Chen Ling Jun was relieved. If the Old Master was willing to intervene, there would be a chance to keep Brother Dafeng.

Chen Ling Jun said, “Li Huai took Nen Daoyou from the Dragon Boat ferry to the academy midway because we weren’t sure when you were coming back.”

Li Huai and Nen Daoyou did not return with Chen Ling Jun and Guo Zhu Jiu after the Yellow Millet Sect’s opening ceremony. Li Huai needed to make a trip to Cliff Mountain Academy.

In addition, Chen Ping An wrote back to Brother Mao, to have Li Huai give Nen Daoyou an invitation to participate in opening Da Du on Tong Ye Continent in the name of Cliff Mountain Academy. Taoist Nen had the hidden identity of Li Huai’s retainer. Mao Xiao Dong contacted the academy to discuss this matter.

Chen Ling Jun said, “Li Huai is a wise man now. That is such good fortune.”

Nuan Shu glanced at Chen Ling Jun, and Mi Li sighed.

Chen Ling Jun ignored them. What do they know.

Chen Ping An smiled.

While going to Cliff Mountain Academy, Li Huai told Chen Ping An that Li Liu had beaten him for dragging the red thread and turning the circle during a summoning ceremony.
Chen Ping An was now walking with them to Qi Long Lane.

During a visit to Chu Prefecture, you will find all the barbers busy that day, with children being dragged along.

Chen Ling Jun said, “Brother Jia is a busy man now. A second in command. He’s always flying through the skies. He’ll make new friends and forget about me.”

“Elder Daoist Jia remembers old friends.”

Chen Ping An smiled and said: “Cui Dong Shan plans to bring Elder Daoist Jia to the Green Sprout Sword Sect to join the precepts and teach others how to travel.”

Chen Ling Jun became excited. “Old Master, Elder Jia cannot be poached! We need to stop The White Goose! Furthermore, if Elder Jia goes, Zhao Deng Gao and Jiu’er will need to follow. We cannot have more members in the lower sect than us.”

Chen Ping An nodded, “Cui Dong Shan will do something like that.”

Chen Ling Jun said: “I’d be pissed.”

Chen Ping An turned to Nuan Shu and Mi Li, “What do you think?”

Mi Li frowned. “I’d be mad.

Nuan Shu said, “Old Master, there is little activity on the mountain.”

Chen Ping An nodded. “Don’t worry.”

Chen Ping An heard that they had the same opinions, so he went to Qi Long Lane to visit the Grass Head shop and the Toy shop.

It was thanks to Qi Long Lane’s Elder Immortals to maintain such old town customs.

Old Immortal Jia could be found helping with town functions. His name spread across the town, and he was often called to help by the prefecture.

The townspeople would often ask what day the firecrackers should be lit during the New Year celebrations. Even the prefecture would inquire about that.

Old Immortal Jia explained that the second day of the second month was also the birth date of the Land Deity. And that the local people had their own ways of worship. So under the guidance of Old Immortal Jia, people would often buy items for the Land Deity and burn incense to it.

He noticed that Shi Rou and Zhou Jun Chen were eating noodles at the Toy shop. Shi Rou invited them to eat. Chen Ping An did not refuse and ate another bowl.

Returning to Fallen Mountain, Chen Ping An saw Immortal Guard sitting in the courtyard, saying that Zheng Dafeng was not awake yet. Chen Ping An knocked on Zheng Dafeng’s door.

Chen Ping An and Zheng Dafeng climbed the mountain and looked down at the town.

One looked at the old private school in the town, the other looked at the backyard of Yang’s medicine shop.

Zheng Dafeng sighed.

Familiar faces were missing in the town. Even Huang Er Niang’s tavern had moved to the city, likely so her son could study and take the Imperial examinations.

Zheng Dafeng asked, “I heard you want to be a teacher?”

Chen Ping An nodded. “I already have a place.

Zheng Dafeng asked, “God? Who?”

Chen Ping An said: “The water god Gao Liang, from Ji Xiang Temple.”

Zheng Dafeng chuckled.

Chen Ping An said: “Those tutors hired by the Chen family in Dragon Tail Brook will soon be leaving Huai Huang County. The future academy masters will be chosen through the county.

Chen Ping An was silent, as he walked with Zheng Dafeng towards the mountain peak.

From there, the town could be seen and memories began to be heard.

Zheng Dafeng slouched and said, “If I was one of those scholars, I’d also feel like this was a bad deal. The cost is too great. Teaching kids to write?”

It was now the second day of the second month, and the celebration for the scholar was tomorrow. And so all would gather.

However, many ceremonies were missing.

In the past, the children would gather under Teacher Qi to climb trees and hang red clothes. He would write it all.

Zheng Dafeng looked towards the town and sighed: “That old tree was not supposed to have been cut. Otherwise, we would have a treasure to make. Why didn’t Teacher Qi stop this? And Master. Cui Chan used everything, but to what cost?”

Chen Ping An said: “Maybe it was a sacrifice.”

Zheng Dafeng said: “And so that’s why I tell you not to be a national teacher, easy to enter, hard to leave.”

Chen Ping An smiled. “And that’s why I am asking you to stay.”

Zheng Dafeng sneered.

Chen Ping An pulled out two pots of wine. He handed one to Zheng Dafeng, “Said and unsaid words were very important to the heart, but sometimes, the heart did not say.”

Zheng Dafeng frowned.

Zheng Dafeng held the pot, “Then, why is a man born into this world.

There were many questions that Zheng Dafeng had as a youth.

Now Zheng Dafeng was helpless, and opened the pot, “The wine is good!”

Chen Ping An smiled, “If you stay, I’d bring you some more.”

Zheng Dafeng laughed.

Zheng Dafeng said, “I heard that Lin Shou Yi is in closed door.”

Chen Ping An nodded, “Before that, Lin Shou Yi said he’d be accepting the New Year.”

Zheng Dafeng laughed and said that this friendship would last.

As Chen Ping An heard this, he didn’t do anything. He just waited, and hoped.

Zheng Dafeng shook his head and said something shocking.

“Do you know that Lin Shou Yi was going to be it?”

Chen Ping An drank some wine.

Zheng Dafeng laughed: “So I’m saying. Master was not willing to allow Li Huai. This would only make life worse, even if everything was in good shape.”

“He was so close!”

Zheng Dafeng looked at Chen Ping An and realized that Chen Ping An was acting strange. There was no grief. Zheng Dafeng realized what that meant.

Man had seven emotions.

Many questions, whether that be young or old, came up, as people became confused. So compared to any man in the town, Zheng Dafeng was the most beautiful. Zheng Dafeng was the best player in chess.

Zheng Dafeng sighed: “You are making life worse. And nothing will change what you are.

Chen Ping An should have cut away several feelings. Zheng Dafeng had not asked what they were.

Each family has its own problems, and it must be closed off and locked.

This was why Chen Ping An was still at the Yuan stage.

Chen Ping An cupped his hands together. “I’m just choosing my own Dao.

Time flew by.

Zheng Dafeng laughed mischievously: “Gao Jun changed her mind, and is staying!”

Chen Ping An said, “It’s no use. She will stay with you, so what’s the point?”

Zheng Dafeng’s words were being used by Zhu Lian.

He also wondered if Wei Bai would admire Zheng Dafeng.

Chen Ping An asked, “Brother Cui?”

Then Zheng Dafeng spun around and looked at the hall that was once the mountain deity temple, and said, “I heard that Lin Shou Yi is in seclusion?”

Chen Ping An nodded, “Before the seclusion, Lin Shou Yi sent me a secret letter. “During the first month of the new year, you can visit the Logging Court.”

Zheng Dafeng laughed, “Are you not relieved that this friendship has not ended?”

Chen Ping An took out two pots of wine from his sleeves, handed one to Zheng Dafeng, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that I feel relieved.”

Zheng Dafeng did not drink the wine, but shook the pot, and suddenly said something that stunned Chen Ping An.

“Do you know that, in fact, Lin Shou Yi was going to be the one.”

Chen Ping An took a sip of wine.

Zheng Dafeng laughed, “Do you think Li Huai is more like it?”

Chen Ping An shook his head, “I thought that Li Huai was the least likely from the beginning.”

“That means that you know the old man better than me very early on.”

Zheng Dafeng nodded, “How could Master bear to have Li Huai be such a thing, and he only wants this brat to be carefree for the rest of his life, and only needs to have an occasional flash of inspiration to live a stable life.”

“Don’t think that you snatched anything, it is the best fate for Lin Shou Yi to finally fail to guard this one, otherwise he would probably have been eaten by some guy who ascended to heaven now, if you don’t believe it, you can find an opportunity and find Lin Shou Yi to ask in person, his answer will definitely be calm and with a firm Dao heart. I think Lin Shou Yi has been a ‘Daoist’ and a ‘scholar’ since he was a child, so his future achievements will be very high.”

“Anyway, deducing back from the results, Cui Chan must have been the first person to notice a clue through his own life-bound porcelain, so he immediately came to Li Zhu Paradise back then and personally gave Lin Shou Yi this name, and then invited Lin Zhengcheng, who was only one of the kiln affairs supervisors, to be a doorman. Of course, it is absolutely impossible to do such a thing with external force and manpower, but only through Li Zhu Paradise’s internal additions and subtractions, Lin Shou Yi in this life is equivalent to relying entirely on his own past lives and reincarnation abilities to accumulate and be reborn in such a good fetus. Therefore, he and you are two extremes. Looking all over the long river of light and shadow in Li Zhu Paradise, you, Chen Ping An, and many other ordinary people from this town are, relatively speaking, too unremarkable, especially when your life-bound porcelain is verified and found to be of Earth Immortal quality, and then shattered, then it is even less you. On this matter, the master was convinced of it back then. To be precise, the master probably treated you as a ‘person’ early on.”

“But Cui Chan’s mind is treacherous, and he deliberately used the name ‘Lin Shou Yi’ to disrupt the secrets of heaven. Not only me, but even the master himself did not understand Cui Chan’s intentions. Before I went to the Colorful World, I had a private chat with the master about this matter. The master also shook his head and said that he could not see clearly, and to this day, he does not know whether Cui Chan hopes that Lin Shou Yi, who had a prototype of ‘one’ early on, will become that one in the future, or does not want him to obtain such a creation. Chen Ping An, you should have heard an old saying, if a person is roughly determined to have a good life, then don’t let others tell their fortune casually, it will get thinner and thinner as you calculate. But to say that Cui Chan only judged from the fact that he named ‘Lin Shou Yi’ that his intention was to promote it, or to stop it, there seems to be no answer, and I always feel that any guess is the opposite result, but if you guess first and then think that the answer is reversed, it is wrong again. This may be where Cui Chan is really powerful.”

“Back then, everyone in Li Zhu Paradise was one, and the flow of luck had nothing to do with good or evil, and even less to do with whether one was a cultivator or not. It only depended on the mutual recognition and negation between people. Whoever recognized someone, the person who was recognized would add a few points, and whoever was negated would subtract a few points. In this way, whether looking at it from the surface or looking at people’s hearts from the eyes of a cultivator on the mountain, shouldn’t you, the broom star from Mud Bottle Lane, be the one who should not become one the most? Chen Ping An, you are wrong, completely wrong, because you still do not know enough about the true scenery deep in people’s hearts. The real likes and dislikes are never on our faces, or even in our ‘hearts’. As for where it exists, this question is very profound, more complex than the questions of where the heart voice comes from, who says the heart voice, and the relationship between people and memories, whether the souls of all sentient beings originate from a common source of water.”

Zheng Dafeng was parched from saying so much, so he opened the pot of wine, raised his head and drank, wiped his mouth, and couldn’t help but laugh angrily: “You’re just using Dong Shui Jing’s glutinous rice wine to send me away?!”

Chen Ping An laughed: “If you stay in Fallen Mountain, I will snatch you a few jars of Hundred Flowers Wine even if I have to steal them!”

Zheng Dafeng’s eyes lit up, and he啧啧啧啧said in wonder: “The ancient tribute Hundred Flowers Wine of Hundred Flowers Paradise?”

Chen Ping An nodded and said: “You know your stuff!”

Zheng Dafeng said: “Don’t they say that it is no longer brewed? It seems that the difficulty is not ordinary.”

Chen Ping An, who was honest, said without a doubt: “Otherwise, how can I show my sincerity?!”