Chen Ping’an underwent a transformation, becoming a temporary apprentice at the blacksmith shop. According to Master Ruan, someone was needed to take over Liu Xianyang’s tasks. Digging wells, building houses, and excavating channels all required manpower, and he had no reason to support that old man Liu for free.

Thus, Chen Ping’an became the busiest person in the shop. When it came to physical labor, the straw sandal-clad youth was not inferior to any able-bodied man. During breaks, Chen Ping’an would visit Liu Xianyang in the house. The tall youth, who had brushed with death, was either still shaken from his near-death experience or had his vitality damaged by the mountain ape’s punch. He had become somewhat taciturn, often lying in bed staring blankly at the ceiling. Apart from Chen Ping’an, who could exchange a few words with him, Liu Xianyang barely spoke to anyone. Chen Ping’an was helpless in this regard. Fortunately, although Liu Xianyang was severely injured, the healing rate of the wound on his chest was even faster than Chen Ping’an’s left hand.

Ning Yao still resided in the house in Mud Bottle Lane. The man she called Master Ruan surprisingly agreed to forge a sword for her. Even more unexpected was that Master Ruan said that if luck was on their side, the sword could be completed in half a year; if not, it might take ten years. Ning Yao was quite carefree about this, smiling and saying that her luck had always been good, and half a year would be fine.

Although Ning Yao lived in Chen Ping’an’s ancestral home, she moved her medicinal herbs and paraphernalia to the blacksmith shop to save Chen Ping’an the trouble of going back and forth. Chen Ping’an, on the other hand, lived in Liu Xianyang’s house, mainly to prevent theft. Chen Ping’an had gone to the stream again late at night to search for stones, but he ended up empty-handed. Even the deep pit behind Green Ox Back yielded no snake gallstones. According to Ning Yao, snake gallstones were like people; they needed essence, energy, and spirit. Without it, they were just ordinary ornaments for wealthy families, suitable only as inkstones. But with essence, energy, and spirit, they were like someone wearing a dragon robe, the difference between heaven and earth.

This made Chen Ping’an sigh whenever he walked by the stream.

Ning Yao brought back a set of old keys, saying someone had left them in the courtyard. She tried them, and they indeed belonged to the Song Jixin family next door, opening everything from the yard gate to the house door to the room door. Chen Ping’an couldn’t guess what Song Jixin was planning. Logically, with his extravagant style, he wouldn’t think of asking him to help clean the house. After all, with Song Jixin’s temperament, he would rather the house collapse than let outsiders enter his territory.

Chen Ping’an understood Song Jixin better than anyone.

Song Jixin was a very generous person, whether it was for himself or even for his young maid, Guihua. If he had ten copper coins in his pocket, he would spend them all. At the same time, Song Jixin was also a very stingy person. He wouldn’t give away even a little of what he wanted to possess exclusively. In short, Song Jixin would spend lavishly on whomever he wanted to give something to, but he would definitely not be happy if someone asked him for something. He was willing to add flowers to brocade for those in good standing, but he would never offer help in times of need, regardless of his mood.

Or had Zhi Gui deliberately dropped the keys in his yard?

Chen Ping’an thought the possibility was slim.

During this time, when Chen Ping’an heard Ning Yao say that she had used the keys to open the door, he was stunned and hesitant.

Ning Yao narrowed her eyes, her long, narrow eyebrows radiating an imposing aura. She stared intently at Chen Ping’an.

Ruan Xiu, not far away, watched this scene blankly, secretly eating the snacks that Chen Ping’an had helped her buy from the town.

Finally, Ning Yao turned and left. That day, she didn’t let Chen Ping’an decoct the medicine. Holding the pottery pot, she went to the open space behind the blacksmith shop and busied herself for a long time. The young woman’s face was covered in soot, and she ended up boiling a large pot of burnt charcoal. A green-clad girl with braided pigtails passed by, cracking melon seeds and enjoying herself.

Ning Yao squatted on the ground, glaring fiercely at the pot of herbs, feeling that this was much harder than practicing swordsmanship or saber techniques. The young woman was filled with indignation. “Is there really something that I, Ning Yao, can’t do? It seems that decocting medicine shouldn’t exist in this world!”

Chen Ping’an silently walked to her side and helped her decoct the medicine again, his movements skilled.

Ning Yao’s lips moved slightly, but she didn’t stop him. She just wiped her face when Chen Ping’an wasn’t paying attention.

The youth squatted beside the medicine pot, carefully watching the fire, his hands folded on his knees, his chin resting on his arms.

Ning Yao snorted. “If you want to laugh, then laugh!”

Chen Ping’an didn’t make fun of her. He continued to stare at the gently flickering blue flames, and said softly, “It’s not that I think you would do anything bad, Ning-guniang, but the keys ultimately belong to someone else. No matter why they ended up in our yard, it’s not good to use them to open the door. Even if Song Jixin and Zhi Gui never return to the town, the next yard is still his. We are all outsiders.”

Ning Yao pouted. “Rotten good guy, stubborn, fussy, always nagging!”

Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao turned their heads almost simultaneously, seeing a young man. He was tall and slender, with a refined air, clearly a foreigner and a scholar.

Chen Ping’an noticed that the man’s gaze towards him was very strange. It wasn’t arrogant like the mountain ape from the Zhengyang Mountain or Fu Nanhua from Old Dragon City, nor was it like Lu Daoren or Ning-guniang. The young man’s gaze was very complex and contradictory, seemingly containing pity, appreciation, and even a hint of disgust.

The young man ultimately chose to leave in silence.

Ning Yao frowned and said, “He clearly came for you. What’s going on?”

Chen Ping’an was also puzzled, shaking his head and saying, “I don’t understand.”

After being interrupted by the inexplicable foreigner, the slight resentment between the young man and woman, which didn’t even qualify as a misunderstanding, quickly dissipated.

However, the man soon returned, accompanied by a young woman with extremely long legs. For some reason, Ruan Xiu was also with them.

Ruan Xiu explained, “They said they don’t speak the town’s dialect, so they asked me to help. Chen Ping’an, this older sister is the one who saved Liu Xianyang. She shares your surname, Chen, but she’s not from our Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent. The person next to Chen-jiejie is the eldest grandson of the Chen family in Longwei Prefecture, named Chen Songfeng. According to Chen-jiejie, Chen Songfeng seems to be a distant relative of your branch of the Chen family from several hundred years ago. As for Chen-jiejie, even if you trace your lineage back one or two thousand years, there’s no connection. Chen-jiejie came to pay respects to her ancestors, but no one in the town, from the supervising officials to the wealthy families in Peach Leaf Lane, knows where her family’s graves are. Liu Xianyang mentioned you, saying that you are now the most familiar with the surrounding mountains and rivers in the town, so you’re sure to know. Chen-jiejie said that if you can help, she can pay a reward, a bag of golden essence copper coins. I think you can agree…”

As she said this, the green-clad girl secretly put her index and middle fingers together and shook them at her waist. In addition, her mouth formed the words “two bags.”

Ruan Xiu was clearly reminding Chen Ping’an to ask for a high price, or he would miss this opportunity.

After careful consideration, Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “I know of a place that might be where she’s looking for. As for the reward, forget it. It’s just a matter of walking a few steps.”

Ruan Xiu was a little anxious.

Ning Yao had already taken a step forward and said in fluent Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent Standard Language, “It’s no problem for Chen Ping’an to take you to find the ancestral graves, but you have to offer two bags of golden essence copper coins. There’s no room for negotiation! He’s seriously injured right now and shouldn’t travel long distances. You also know that Master Qi has ordered everyone to leave the town as soon as possible. Chen Ping’an is just an ordinary man, but he has to hurry on his way. One bag of money isn’t enough.”

Chen Dui and Chen Songfeng were both impressed when they first saw the girl.

She was captivating.

Like seeing an orchid growing upright in a barren rice field.

Chen Dui openly sized up the girl in front of her, admiring her green robe, hanging saber, and sword. Chen Dui’s gloomy mood also improved a bit, and she smiled and said, “As long as you can find my family’s ancestral graves, I’ll give you two bags of money. But let me say this beforehand, if you can’t find them, I won’t give you even one bag. What do you say?”

Ning Yao said in a deep voice, “It’s a deal!”

From beginning to end, it was as if Chen Ping’an had nothing to do with it.

Ning Yao stared at Chen Ping’an, her eyes full of the meaning, “Don’t you dare nag me, or I’ll really cut you!”

Chen Ping’an resisted the urge to laugh, thought seriously, and said to Ruan Xiu, “Please tell them that I need to finish decocting the medicine for Ning-guniang first, which will take about two quarters of an hour. Then, I’ll go talk to Liu Xianyang. Finally, I need Ruan-guniang to help me tell Master Ruan that I’ll definitely make up for the work I’ve fallen behind on today, tomorrow.”

Hearing that he couldn’t leave immediately, Chen Dui looked displeased. She looked at the grass-shoe boy who didn’t know what was good for him, her expression uncertain.

Chen Ping’an didn’t hesitate or flinch.

Ning Yao even crossed her arms, her smile indifferent.

Chen Dui endured her displeasure, muttered to herself that the overall situation was important, and smiled at Ruan Xiu, “Xiuxiu, tell him that we’ll wait for him at the covered bridge, for half an hour at most. If we don’t see him by then, let that guy bear the consequences.”

Ruan Xiu gave a lukewarm “hmm.”

Chen Dui and Chen Songfeng left together.

Ruan Xiu smiled and said, “I’ll go tell my father.”

After Chen Ping’an finished decocting the medicine for Ning Yao, he went to see Liu Xianyang.

In the room filled with the smell of medicine, Liu Xianyang, who was lying in bed, turned his head when he heard footsteps. His face was still not rosy, but it was much better than the previous paleness.

Liu Xianyang forced a smile and said hoarsely, “Did the woman named Chen Dui look for you?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “I’m going to take them into the mountains later.”

Liu Xianyang thought for a moment and said, “I’ll leave with her, to a place that is said to be bigger than our Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent.”

In fact, Chen Dui had looked for Liu Xianyang once before, but after that, Liu Xianyang wasn’t very interested and didn’t intend to talk to Chen Ping’an about what she had said.

Liu Xianyang tugged at the corners of his mouth and said, “Actually, I don’t even know what Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent is.”

Chen Ping’an bent down and helped him arrange the bedding, smiling and saying, “Do you think I know?”

Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes and asked, “Do you know what I’m most worried about?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head.

Liu Xianyang turned his head and looked at the roof again. “Here, at least you can help me get out of bed, and then I can grit my teeth and take care of myself. What am I going to do if I need to poop or pee along the way after leaving the town? Am I going to have to say to them, ‘Hey, you, whoever you are, come and give me a hand?'”

Chen Ping’an sat on the stool and could only scratch his head.

Liu Xianyang suddenly laughed. “But then I thought, I’ve even been through death, so what am I afraid of?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Things are going to get better eventually. Don’t worry, didn’t Yao-laotou say that after surviving a great disaster, you’re sure to have good fortune?”

Speaking of Yao-laotou, Liu Xianyang felt a little sentimental. “Yao-laotou has never said a few kind words in his life. Discouraging words, unlucky words, scolding words, on the other hand, come by the basketful.”

Ning Yao stood outside the door, not saying anything.

Chen Ping’an once again helped Liu Xianyang cover the quilt and stood up, saying, “I’m going to take them into the mountains now. You rest well.”

Liu Xianyang nodded. “Remember to be careful.”

Chen Ping’an gently walked out of the house. Ning Yao walked alongside him. Chen Ping’an asked curiously, “Are you going to the mountain too?”

Ning Yao frowned and said, “I don’t trust those two named Chen.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “That’s right, it’s always good to be careful.”

The two walked quickly along the stream. Ning Yao said, “Most of the foreigners in the town have left.”

Spring thunder rumbled, startling the hibernating creatures to emerge and leave.

The two groups met at the south end of the covered bridge.

Besides Ning Yao and Liu Baqiao, the sword cultivator from the Wind and Thunder Garden who came to join the fun, the other three were Chen Dui from another continent, Chen Songfeng from Longwei Prefecture in this continent, and Chen Ping’an from Mud Bottle Lane in the town.