Chen Ping’an settled back into his seat, only to hear Lu Chen and Zheng Dafeng engaged in idle chatter.

“Brother Dafeng, were he within the hallowed halls of the Confucian scholars, his Daoist might would rival the venerated Dong and Han, those esteemed patriarchs.”

“Such pronouncements you should bellow at the very gates of the Middle-Earth Literary Shrine to prove your sincerity. Dare you?”

“The Confucian tenets are many and binding, Brother Dafeng. Might you consider a prestigious post in the Azure-Heavens? This humble Daoist would gladly proffer a letter of introduction, with the Jade Capital and its environs at your whim.”

“The lady of my continent is far too fierce of temper, and perhaps a bit advanced in years. I might not be able to hold her sway. Chao Ge already has a Daoist companion, and if memory serves, they have even celebrated their union. The Two Capitals Mountain and the Grand Tide Sect are now wed, and to intrude would be unseemly, lest Xu Juan suffer a heartbreak from which he might never recover. Perhaps the Jade Signet Dynasty of the elder sister Zhu Xuan?! Or the Azure-Lotus Sister’s Azure-Spirit Dynasty?”

As they spoke, the two moved to sit upon a single long bench, their heads bent close in whispered confidences. It was clear their friendship spanned years.

As Chen Ping’an began to rise, Lu Chen hastily produced a tin of tea, its surface etched with intricate sigils and marked with the seal of the Exquisite Dew Pavilion. He offered it to the Mountain Master and Zheng Dafeng, refreshing their cups with steaming water. “Taste this cloud tea from Mount Kuanglu. I expended considerable effort to ‘acquire’ this small quantity, and not without cost. Now there stands a monument at my sect entrance dedicated to my deeds. We are all practitioners of the Dao; why such fiery tempers over a few catties of tea leaves? Chen Ping’an, what are your plans? Should fate align, perhaps we might travel a stretch of the mountain path together, companionship against the solitude.”

Chen Ping’an deftly changed the subject. “Zhang Fenghai of Jade Pivot City, has he departed the Smoke-Mist Grotto of the Town-Warding Palace?”

Lu Chen nodded. “He will participate in the Trilateral Debate, and the Jade Capital grants him passage. However, that lad is headstrong, possessed of a stubborn streak. He has even severed his ties to the Jade Capital’s Daoist registry, casting aside his Jade Pivot City credentials as well. Those two city lord brothers, who have always considered him as their own son, are both pleased and angered, unable to find their errant junior brother Zhang Fenghai, they vent their frustrations upon this humble Daoist, using me as a punching bag! They even stormed my Southern Splendor City, as if I were a mere vegetarian! Who cannot hurl insults like a fishwife? I once peddled goods in the town of Huaihuang for ten years!”

As Lu Chen mentioned hurling insults, Chen Ping’an inquired, “Cheng Quan?”

Years ago, upon the city walls, the elder sword cultivators Cheng Quan and Zhao Geyi had both expressed their admiration for the Second Proprietor, not for his swordsmanship, but because the young Hidden Officer, a newcomer, had utterly surpassed them in their own area of expertise.

Lu Chen chuckled. “He and Nalan Shaowei now use the Reclining-Dragon Stone at the Water-Midst Pavilion of Year-End Palace as their swordsmithing forge, and they are flourishing. The Year-End Palace is renowned for its insularity and protectiveness. In their travels, they will stride across the Fourteen Provinces without fear. As for Dong Heitan and Yan Pangzi, you need not concern yourself with them. With the Criminal Officer Hao Su holding court, they will only bully others.”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

Lu Chen lowered his voice conspiratorially. “You owe Yu Xuan three hundred gold-refined copper coins. I have a modest accumulation, and I cannot bear the sight of a friend’s unpaid debt. It gnaws at me. So I have already settled it on behalf of Falling Phoenix Mountain. Between the bond we share, such a trifling sum is not worth mentioning!”

Chen Ping’an gave a wry smile.

Lu Chen retreated, crestfallen. “Very well, I shall be honest. I had to plead and cajole the Old Immortal Yu for quite some time to have that debt forgiven. The Old Scholar had a discourse with him, and the benefits to the Great Dao were immense. In comparison, the gold-refined copper coins were nothing, completely written off. The phrase, ‘such a trifling sum is not worth mentioning,’ was but a message I carried for Old Immortal Yu. He even said that next time Mountain Master Chen graces the Middle-Earth Divine Continent, even if he, Yu Xuan, is not within the sect, you can borrow another three… five or six hundred gold-refined copper coins from the Gold-Filling Peak. He has already notified the two direct disciples in charge of finances at the Upright Sect and the Ascendant Sect. Mountain Master Chen need only ask, and the money shall be yours.”

Seeing the peculiar glint in Chen Ping’an’s eyes as he uttered “three,” Lu Chen immediately understood, revising the number directly to five or six hundred coins.

This burden, this act of unparalleled loyalty for my brother’s sake, I shall bear it!

Lu Chen tentatively inquired, “Six avatars, constrained by the grade of their talismanic forms, and thus not of high cultivation. Do you truly not require my protection?”

“It is unnecessary.”

Chen Ping’an rose to take his leave, silently ascending the mountain.

If Lu Chen spoke the truth, Falling Phoenix Mountain would unexpectedly gain three hundred gold-refined copper coins. If refined, though it might not elevate the grade of the “Well-Mouth Moon” flying sword, the number of swords produced in its image could be significantly increased.

Afterwards, in the journey to Yu Province, beyond meeting with His Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Li, he wondered how many gold-refined copper coins remained in the Great Li’s national treasury.

Of course, he must also visit the Felling Yard of Yuzhang Prefecture. Only after confirming that Lin Shuyi’s father had not participated in the past grievances did Chen Ping’an feel a sense of relief beyond description.

This year, on the Qingming Festival, in the capital city of the Jade Proclamation Kingdom, should Ma Kuxuan seek to obstruct him, let him try.

Whether it involves the True Martial Mountain or the West Mountain Spirit Office of the Jade Bottle Continent, it matters not.

Furthermore, he had promised Zhang Caiqin and Hong Yangbo at Ox-Horn Mountain to attend the investiture ceremony of the Azure Apricot Kingdom mid-year.

As for the Great Conduit excavation in Tung Leaf Continent, Chen Ping’an had decided to relinquish all involvement, leaving Cui Dongshan and the Azure-Ripple Sword Sect to negotiate with all parties.

Earlier, beyond the heavens, Chen Ping’an had confirmed that the Literary Shrine would indeed bestow titles upon the Five Peaks of the Jade Bottle Continent. Wei Bo and Jin Qing, among the five mountain spirits, would soon be granted divine titles.

As for the Trilateral Debate, Chen Ping’an remained undecided. Should he attend as an observer? And if so, should he bring the Immortal Guard?

His immediate priority, of course, was to return to the Jade Purity Realm.

He had planned to travel the Vast Expanse with Liu the Wine Immortal. The Liu Clan of the Snowy-White Continent and Pei Axiang’s Thunder God Temple were mandatory stops. However, Chen Ping’an was now disinclined to visit the Liu Clan. He was not close enough to warrant such a visit, merely a nominal guest.

At the mountain gate, as soon as the Mountain Master departed, Xiao Mo and Xie Gou quickly appeared.

Lu Chen looked at the sable-capped girl. She curled two fingers, pointing to her eyes, warning the young Daoist with the lotus crown to control his roving gaze.

Lu Chen said, his thoughts clear. “The rise and fall of all things is natural. The old is ever inferior to the new. However, for Lady Xie to steal the heavens and thus attain union with the Dao, it seems to this humble Daoist, to be exceedingly difficult.”

Xie Gou grinned. “It is through effort that things are made possible.”

Then Xie Gou said pitifully, “Xiao Mo, this Daoist is secretly harassing me. His thoughts just now were quite obscene.”

Zheng Dafeng immediately raised his white bowl. “I can vouch for the integrity of Daoist Lu with my own head. It is something he is capable of doing.”

Xiao Mo smiled, clearly not taking it seriously. “I trust Daoist Lu.”

Lu Chen gave Xiao Mo a thumbs-up, drinking some tea to calm his nerves. “Besides, a profane prayer is better than a pure curse.”

Xie Gou scoffed. “You, a Daoist, would chant sutras?”

Lu Chen nodded. “When I encounter difficulties, when I cannot overcome a hurdle, I always silently chant the Buddha’s blessing, Amitabha.”

Xie Gou was puzzled. The Daoist before him, could it be the Third Patriarch of the Jade Capital, Lu Chen?

How difficult would it be to kill him? How very difficult?

Lu Chen turned to look towards Falling Phoenix Mountain.

Upon the mountain, there was a hunched old man whom Pei Qian described as “the best fighter among the cooks, and the best cook among the martial artists,” who was smiling towards the mountain foot.

After separation, one knows not if you are near or far, in my drunkeness I have forgotten the road I took.

All was silent, save for the faint rustling of pages from the bamboo chair by the mountain gate.

Inside the bamboo house, Chen Ping’an continued to “copy the book.”

Upon the shores of the Mind Lake, where Chen Ping’an’s true self resided, stood dozens of figures: Xiahou Zan, Liang Yuping, their postures and expressions slowly shifting like flowing water, their clothes and adornments rendered in meticulous detail. Even a Great Cultivator could gaze upon them, and every fray of every thread of their robes would conform to “the principle,” for they were all real things that had been scoured by the river of time and hence had no flaws. And every word they had ever spoken floated in the air like a flock of birds circling a high mountain, loath to depart.

—

Falling Phoenix Mountain and the Azure-Ripple Sword Sect.

The Ascendant Sect had the Lotus Blessed Land of Gathering-Spirit Peak, the Descendant Sect had the Everlasting-Spring Grotto-Heaven of Secret-Snow Peak.

Within the Grotto-Heaven there was a mountain called Crimson-Pine, for the ancient pines that grew there. As Cui Dongshan explained, the previous master, being of pure heart and fond of solitude, had cast a “mountain sealing” spell of great efficacy, such that no vegetation had ever awakened within it. Of course, Cui Dongshan had now lifted the sealing, and soon awakened ancient pine spirits would begin to appear within the mountain, but the path from awakening to incarnation, particularly for vegetation, was exceedingly difficult.

Yu Xiehui and He Gu, who had previously been cultivating here in simple dwellings, were now traveling the world, attending to important matters. They said that they could provide some aid for the Great Conduit excavation.

Only Chai Wu, Bai Xuan, Sun Chunwang, and Cheng Chaolu remained.

Chai Wu had attained the Jade Purity Realm and was now the most idle of them all.

Bai Xuan and the others had rarely gathered together during their sword training and decided to join her.

Seeing the little girl holding a wine gourd, Bai Xuan bowed, clasping his hands. “Oh dear, if it isn’t Immortal ‘You Na’! What winds have blown your esteemed presence here? Your arrival brings light to our humble abode. This junior is of low cultivation and meager means; there is no wine in this poor dwelling to properly greet you. Forgive us, forgive us. Little Chef Cheng, what are you doing standing there? Quickly kowtow a few times to Immortal ‘You Na’ to beg forgiveness…”

Sun Chunwang, sitting nearby, glanced at the acidic Bai Xuan. He was always like this, endlessly. It was fortunate that Chai Wu had a good temper. If it were her, she would not indulge Bai Xuan.

Bai Xuan was simply feeling frustrated and indulging in some verbal sparring. It wasn’t as if he truly envied Chai Wu or wished her ill. He wasn’t that petty.

What sort of person did he, Bai the Great, aspire to be, to ascend to immortality?!

It was just that ever since Chai Wu had attained the Jade Purity Realm, Bai Xuan had felt that he had completely lost any connection to the word “genius.”

After all, even with that Chen Li, who was known as the “Little Hidden Officer,” Bai Xuan didn’t feel that the gap between them was too large. With a bit more effort, he could surpass him in cultivation.

But then Chai Wu had directly leapt from the Qi Cultivation Realm’s three stages of Willow-Sinew to the Jade Purity Realm! What was Bai the Great supposed to do?

Should he steel his heart and have the Hidden Officer hack at him with his sword a few times, first cutting him back from the Cave Abode Realm to the Third Stage? The problem was, even then, he, Bai the Great, would only be emulating that “grass and wood” little girl. Wouldn’t he still lose to her in terms of momentum?

Feeling bored, Bai Xuan drew a booklet from his sleeve, placing it on the table with solemnity. Rubbing his hands together, he slowly opened this register of heroes.

On the first page was the sword cultivator Qiu Zhi of Nine-Yi Peak, whom he had only recently met. Good brother.

No wonder the Hidden Officer liked to travel far, wandering the lands. Apparently, this was how one made friends. They didn’t fall from the sky; they depended on fate, on actively seeking them out and befriending them.

Bai Xuan turned and said, “Little Chef, you should also learn boxing…”

Cheng Chaolu immediately shook his head vigorously, as if it were a rattle drum. “I’ll pass. My talent for boxing is too poor; I’m simply not cut out for it. I won’t pad the ranks!”

Out of consideration for their shared hometown, Bai Xuan continued to urge him. “Little Chef, why must you be so self-deprecating? Even just cheering from the sidelines is good!”

Bai Xuan saw the fatty was still shaking his head.

Oh well, it wasn’t as if they were lacking one Cheng Chaolu. He was the same as that Bai Shou from Whirling Peak, completely lacking in courage, a coward.

Especially Bai Shou. It was fortunate that they shared the same surname Bai. The Bai family were all heroes. The next time they met, he would have to urge him to change his surname.

—

South of the Jade Bottle Continent, on the northeastern border of the Cloud-Soar Dynasty,

A young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, accompanied by a young Daoist nun with a whisk in hand, came to a halt at the foot of a mountain.

The nun smiled. “Shui Jing, why did your friend choose such a spirit-impoverished place to establish his sect?”

Dong Shui Jing said, “That’s just the kind of person he is. He dislikes crowds, wishing that no one knew him, and only likes to make money in silence.”

The master of the mountain and his law-keeper made their way down to welcome their esteemed guests.

On their way down, Wu Tijing joked, “No visit without a purpose. Headmaster Hu, you must be cautious, lest you are tricked and end up counting the money for them.”

Hu Feng said, “Dong Shui Jing and you are much alike, so don’t be so greedy. They both can be trusted.”

Hu Feng had only one and a half friends in this life. Wu Tijing counted as one, and the fellow townsman Dong Shui Jing at the foot of the mountain counted as half.

Wu Tijing raised his chin. “That Daoist nun next to Dong Shui Jing, she seems quite extraordinary.”

Hu Feng said, “If there are no surprises, then it is the current palace lord of the Spirit-Flight Palace.”

Sure enough, after the two parties met, Dong Shui Jing introduced the nun, Huang Li, the current palace lord of the Spirit-Flight Palace, whose Daoist title was “Dong Ting.”

The Spirit-Flight Monastery, formerly of the Old White-Frost Dynasty, was conquered by the Great Li Iron Cavalry marching south, and the dynasty was extinguished. It had now become the Cloud-Soar Dynasty, which was slightly smaller in landmass.

Not long ago, the Spirit-Flight Monastery had also been elevated to a palace, though it was not within the borders of the Cloud-Soar Dynasty.

Or rather, it was precisely because of the existence of this Daoist temple and her role as the kingdom’s protector-sage that the Cloud-Soar Dynasty was unable to annex this small kingdom.

It was rumored that this Jade Purity nun was highly skilled in azure-text incantations, cultivating the six-armored higher path, able to invite gods and descend spirits, command myriad ghosts, and urge on yin soldiers.

Beyond the palace grounds, she had opened an ancient battlefield with a large number of yin soldiers on the borders of the two kingdoms, using it as her second temple, which now had great momentum. The Cloud-Soar Dynasty was greatly troubled by this.

Dong Shui Jing’s first business partner was actually Hu Feng.

In that old Dragon Prefecture and new Chu Prefecture, Dong Shui Jing had a nickname “Dong the Half-City.” Hu Feng deserves a lot of credit for that.

After they met, Dong Shui Jing did not engage in any polite greetings, going straight to the point. “Hu Feng, do you remember the amount of capital you entrusted to me, and our profit-sharing agreement back then?”

Hu Feng nodded.

Born in poverty, he was not the kind of person who spent money like water and didn’t see money as money. So, although Hu Feng wasn’t particularly concerned about the money, he definitely remembered the accounts clearly, he just couldn’t be bothered to urge him.

The two groups ascended the mountain together, chatting as they walked.

Back then, Hu Feng had found eight snake-gallstones of excellent quality in the Dragon-Beard River. He sold them to the Li Clan of Prosperity Street and an old man in Peach-Leaf Lane. Although Hu Feng was young, he was experienced. He divided the snake-gallstones equally so that he did not offend either side and received two large piles of silver notes. Hu Feng then spent only a small part of the money to buy a whole street of houses in the prefecture city, obtaining more than thirty land deeds transferred by the yamen household registry. At that time, the residences in the prefecture city were still at a very low price, plus the Great Li court intentionally “filled” the old Dragon Prefecture from the Hong Prefecture and Yun Prefecture. In order to encourage the rich and common people from other states to immigrate here, many of the policies of the Dragon Prefecture government were uniquely beneficial to the people. Hu Feng entrusted all his remaining money to Dong Shui Jing to manage, as an investment. In addition, because he often followed his grandfather through the streets and alleys when he was young, Hu Feng collected a lot of “junk,” mostly inconspicuous items such as bronze mirrors and ancient coins. All of these were handed over to Dong Shui Jing to help sell them. Hu Feng never asked about selling them at a high price or a low price. In any case, Dong Shui Jing was only responsible for doing business, and it didn’t matter if he lost everything. If he made money, the two sides would share the profits later.

That year, Dong Shui Jing sold these “junk goods” at a high price. After converting them into snowflake coins, Hu Feng’s two fortunes accounted for about 30% of Dong Shui Jing’s assets.

Dong Shui Jing smiled. “Now there are two ways. First, we will break up here, and you will take back the principal and dividends. Second, the principal will continue to be kept, and you will first collect the first dividend. I will send someone to your door every year. If you find it troublesome, it can be every ten years, every sixty years.”

Hu Feng said without hesitation, “The second one, once every ten years is fine.”

Wu Tijing asked casually, “If Headmaster Hu chooses the first method, how many Valley-Rain coins can he get?”

Hu Feng was also a little curious, dozens of them? That’s a little less. One hundred, hundreds?

In any case, as long as there are more than one hundred Valley-Rain coins, the sect can easily overcome the current difficulties.

Dong Shui Jing smiled and gave a number.

Two thousand and two hundred Valley-Rain coins.

Hu Feng mistakenly thought he had misheard.

Wu Tijing had only one feeling, could it be that making money was such an easy thing? Brother Dong, could you bring me along in the future?

Dong Shui Jing took out a square object from his sleeve, which was a folded fan. “There are two hundred Valley-Rain coins inside. As for this square object, it’s my congratulations to Headmaster Hu and Law-Keeper Wu for opening a sect. This fan has no restrictions. Opening it is like opening a door. The fan has good karma, a homophone of good and good karma. It’s a good omen, and I hope that our cooperation can last a long time.”

Hu Feng didn’t act pretentious and directly accepted the fan.

Wu Tijing’s impression of Dong Shui Jing had improved again, he was indeed a straightforward person.

Hu Feng rarely made jokes. “If I had known I could make so much money, I wouldn’t have spent money to buy those houses in the state capital back then.”

Dong Shui Jing teased, “According to the current profit-sharing, you spent almost one Valley-Rain coin as a snowflake coin back then.”

Speaking of which, Dong Shui Jing gave a thumbs up. “As expected of someone who is the headmaster, he showed his extravagance when he was young.”

Dong Shui Jing asked, “Hu Feng, are you willing to sell those broken porcelain pieces you picked up on the Old Porcelain Mountain back then?”

Hu Feng shook his head.

Then Hu Feng added with a smile, “If you had said this first, without mentioning the profit-sharing, I would have gritted my teeth and sold it.”

Dong Shui Jing smiled. “That may be the way to do business with others, but I won’t play these tricks with you. Hometown friendship is something we have to talk about.”

Hu Feng also laughed. Some people might find the hometown friendship funny, but Hu Feng wouldn’t. Dong Shui Jing really cared, and Hu Feng also sincerely believed it.

Dong Shui Jing said directly, “Then let’s discuss something else, I want to buy that Cicada-Molting Grotto-Heaven from you.”

Although it had been missing for a long time, this grotto-heaven had always been one of the thirty-six minor grotto-heavens.

Hu Feng shook his head.

As for how Dong Shui Jing knew that this grotto-heaven was in his hands, Hu Feng didn’t want to ask too much, and he also believed that Dong Shui Jing didn’t have any malicious intentions.

Some people seemed to be born with the ability to make others trust them.

In fact, Hu Feng looked at Dong Shui Jing in this way, and Dong Shui Jing and Wu Tijing also looked at him Hu Feng in the same way.

Otherwise, ordinary Qi practitioners would have become suspicious, and as for the mountain and marsh cultivators, it was estimated that they would have already started planning on how to kill people and silence them.

Wu Tijing glanced at the nun beside Dong Shui Jing.

Huang Li smiled back at the young sword cultivator.

Dong Shui Jing smiled. “Don’t rush to refuse, first listen to my asking price. First, I offer ten thousand Valley-Rain coins to buy Cicada-Molting Grotto-Heaven.”

“Second, to be precise, I am only buying the ownership of Cicada-Molting Grotto-Heaven from you. Within six hundred years, I will not interfere with your right to use it. Even if you empty all the natural treasures in Grotto-Heaven, I don’t care. It’s okay if only an empty shell is left. After six hundred years, I will take back this grotto-heaven. Of course, if you think the time limit is too short, we can talk more, eight hundred years is fine.”

“Third, I certainly don’t have that much cash, ten thousand Valley-Rain coins is not a small amount after all. So it will be paid in three installments, the first installment, three thousand Valley-Rain coins, can be given to you now. The second installment, four thousand after one hundred years. The third installment, will be paid in full after three hundred years. These four hundred years, will be regarded as overdue payment, the interest will be calculated separately, how about it?”

Wu Tijing was amazed, and even if he didn’t take money seriously, he was shocked by Dong Shui Jing’s generosity. He couldn’t help but elbow Hu Feng. Wu Tijing didn’t even bother to use his thoughts, and said bluntly, “Hu Feng, I think we can talk about it!”

Not to mention eight hundred years, six hundred years, with his and Hu Feng’s cultivation talent, even without touching those sword immortal relics, can’t we learn sword intent?

Hu Feng shook his head. “We’re not talking about this.”

Dong Shui Jing didn’t want to force anyone, and smiled, “It’s okay, if you change your mind one day, remember to look for me first, you can always agree to this, right?”

Hu Feng nodded. “This is no problem.”

Before the group had reached the two adjacent thatched huts halfway up the mountain, Dong Shui Jing stopped, clasped his hands, and said goodbye, “I’m going back, Palace Lord Huang still has a lot of business to deal with. Hu Feng, to be honest, I can’t even bear to look at it. Even someone like me who is already very uncouth thinks that your sect is too shabby. Just say that my wonton shop back then might be stronger than yours.”

Hu Feng smiled. “The next time you come here, it will definitely be different.”

Dong Shui Jing chatted about things without even drinking a sip of water, and left with the nun Huang Li. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, she sacrificed a talisman boat, soared into the clouds, and drifted away.

It could be said that he came and went in a hurry, resolute and vigorous.

Wu Tijing rarely agreed with someone. “This Dong Shui Jing is a kind person.”

Hu Feng nodded. “My grandfather once said that being shrewd, clever, and wise are different realms, and that someone born with wisdom roots can easily be infected by secular life, but as long as they have wisdom roots, they can more easily ‘change their minds’ and ‘turn around.’ When Grandpa went to the Old Porcelain Mountain to find me, he looked at Dong Shui Jing’s face at first glance and said that you can tell when he is three years old that he will definitely be a person who is not short of money in the future, and that the greatest ability is to earn a lot of money and still be able to keep the money.”

“In fact, Dong Shui Jing stopped reading a long time ago and made his fortune by opening a wonton shop and selling glutinous rice wine.”

“Before that, I also advised him to stay with Mr. Qi to study, but Dong Shui Jing had his mind made up and said that since he couldn’t read better than Lin Shuyi anyway, he might as well make money earlier.”

Wu Tijing smiled. “It can be seen that Huang Li of the Spirit-Flight Palace is very polite to Dong Shui Jing.”

As a direct disciple of Immortal Lord Cao Rong and the successor of the Spirit-Flight Palace, according to the Taoist hierarchy, she would be the great-granddaughter of the Third Patriarch of the Jade Capital Lu Chen.

To be able to have such a Taoist fairy who has backing and cultivation and seems to be acting as his escort accompanying him up the mountain.

It can be seen that Dong Shui Jing is really rich.

Clouds billowed, and on the talisman boat, the nun asked with a smile, “Shui Jing, won’t you come with me to see the Golden Immortal Temple on Clear-Wonderful Peak?”

Dong Shui Jing shook his head. “I’m going to Miao Mountain.”

“The loan-knife man is busy.”

“People are busy but their hearts aren’t.”

—

Within the Great Li’s Yu Province, on the banks of the Jing Brook, stood an ancient temple whose incense could only be described as mediocre. Though a millennium-old monastery, it belonged to the Vinaya school, which placed great emphasis on monastic rules and regulations. Even on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, the number of pilgrims was not particularly high.

This was only in recent years, as the Great Li court had begun to order the construction of temples and promote Buddhism throughout the land. Before this, the temple must have faced a dire situation, its incense hanging by a thread.

Yet, were it in the Middle Earth Divine Continent or the Flowing-Sunset Continent, where Buddhism flourished, given this temple’s exalted status as the foremost Vinaya mountain on the Jade Bottle Continent, the incense would undoubtedly be abundant.

As a boy, when accompanying Master Yao into the mountains to seek suitable porcelain clay, the old man had murmured, “A tree dies when moved, a man thrives when he travels. Soil, when moved, becomes Buddha.”

An aging scholar with temples touched by frost, appearing to be in his twilight years, his features refined, had been lodging here for many days, frequently seeking the Great Monk’s instruction on Vinaya doctrines, particularly the *Four-Part Vinaya*.

It was said that the founding ancestor of this temple had once served as the Abbot of a renowned temple in the Middle Earth Divine Continent and had even participated in a translator’s forum led by a Tripitaka master.

Earlier, when Chen Ping’an had gathered his scattered thoughts, this “layman” had not wished to be seen within the temple and had immediately cast a geomancy spell, finding a mountain cave in which to “shed his mortal form” into a talismanic paper. Only when Chen Ping’an had once again dispersed his thoughts did he quietly return to the temple, pass through the mountain gate, enter his guest room, and light his lamp to copy sutras.

Today, at midday, dark clouds gathered, and heavy rain threatened, shrouding the day in a twilight gloom.

The Confucian scholar, adorned with a wooden hairpin, sat upon a rush mat in the corridor, holding a string of prayer beads, lightly manipulating them.

Having resided in this ancient temple for months, the scholar was accompanied by no page or servant, only a few belongings: a chest of clothes and a book box, all kept simple.

The temple possessed a rich collection of books, though many were incomplete, worm-eaten, and decaying. Before the Great Hall, a small pond teemed with dozens of golden carp and crucian carp, their scales shimmering. According to the mountain annals, there were tales of immortal beings and extraordinary men who had kept small dragons, each about a foot long with serpent heads and four claws, within the pond. Pilgrims from nearby, from childhood to their twilight years, had made a habit of glancing at the pond whenever they visited the temple, yet never saw any of the dragons grow or die. It was said that thieves had repeatedly attempted to capture the dragons at night, but they would always escape and return to the temple’s pond, defying any attempts at sealing. Alas, after a heavy rain, the dragons had all ascended into the sky with the clouds, never to be seen again. It was now said that the golden carp and crucian carp were imbued with dragon aura, which had transformed them from their original dark color to gold. They had long listened to the temple’s chants, the morning bells and evening drums, seeking enlightenment and striving to transform into human form.

The Confucian scholar was a generous patron of the temple. The monks, initially impressed by his refined speech and pure capital accent, had suspected him to be a high-ranking official and frequently sought to engage him in conversation, attempting to glean information. However, after the scholar repeatedly explained that he was not from an official family, the monks’ respectful demeanor waned, replaced by a sense of haughty distance. One novice monk, however, remained convinced that the scholar was a wealthy merchant and often inquired about matters from distant provinces, frequently inviting the scholar to ascend the mountain to admire the scenery. A particular cliff face was often shrouded in wide, jade-like clouds that resembled a sea of snow. The novice only needed to knock on the scholar’s window and say the words “clouds rise,” and the scholar would don straw sandals, take up two staffs made from mountain bamboo roots, lend one to the novice, and together they would ascend the mountain. The clouds swirled around them, and it was impossible to tell whether they were ascending into the clouds or whether the clouds were descending to meet them.

The temple had a clear, cold spring whose water was channeled into the kitchen through a bamboo pipe, making the tea sweet. The elderly scholar had been residing here for some time, copying sutras every day, using an ancient inkstone he had brought with him. He would often carry the inkstone to the bamboo pipe himself, drawing water to grind the ink. Behind the mountain was an Imperial Stele Pavilion, erected by a previous emperor to accumulate merit for the empress dowager. Along the path outside the pavilion were dozens of stone steles, mostly erected by local officials seeking rain. The inscriptions all spoke of the temple’s efficacy in bringing rain and requesting acres of temple land from the court.

Within Yu Province, every hundred *li* had its own weather. Since ancient times, there had been strange phenomena of thunder during clear days at noon. The abundant moisture would encounter the high mountains, causing heavy rain to fall, often lasting for a short time before the skies cleared again. The locals said that a hidden dragon was carrying rain to the world, dragging its tail across the mountain.

Throughout history, the ancient temple had suffered repeatedly from war and lightning strikes, each time destroyed and rebuilt, as meticulously recorded on the temple’s merit steles.

One night patrol monk had witnessed a strange scene, a ball of interwoven lightning and fire entering through the window and racing up the eaves. The heavenly fire scorched the gilded face of a deity inside, leaving tear-like streaks, while the beams and windows of the hall remained unharmed. Another statue of a Buddha riding a lion was broken, its gilded surface melted like water, while the other colors remained unchanged.

When the current abbot came to reside here, he began to expound the Dharma. Soon after, whenever there was lightning at night, the spire of one of the pagodas would release golden rays like shooting stars scattering in all directions.

Yet there were no other strange phenomena, and the temple’s incense briefly flourished, with devout men and women bypassing other temples to offer incense here.

Unexpectedly, this monk began to explain in detail to the monks and pilgrims why the roof ridge, which he had personally designed and built, could prevent lightning strikes and heavenly fire, why the pagoda’s spire was plated with gold and silver, and what the material was for the central pillar that reached deep into the earth, which was called a lightning rod in ancient books, and what the purpose was for building the “dragon cave” underground… In short, according to the old monk, it wasn’t so mystical and had nothing to do with ghosts, demons, or auspicious omens.

After that, whether they understood it or not, they all felt that lightning strikes and heavenly fire were no longer meaningful.

Strange things became commonplace when revealed, and mystical things became worthless when understood.

However, the old monk’s actions directly led to the incense, which had been improving, becoming deserted again.

It wasn’t that there was no complaint from the monks in the temple, but the old monk was the abbot appointed by the Great Li court. It was easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away.

The Chen Layman, who was lodging in the temple, had also curiously asked why the Great Monk was being so “unnecessary.”

The old monk’s explanation was simple. “The Dharma should not be shown through supernatural powers.”

To be more direct and unpleasant, he would have simply said “bewitching people’s hearts.”

The Layman then curiously asked, “Aren’t supernatural powers in Buddhism a convenient method?”

The old monk smiled. “In the end, they are only a convenient method, not the only method.”

The scholar with frosted temples nodded. “Well said.”

“Since the Layman also believes in Buddhism, then this poor monk has a question.”

“Great Monk, please ask.”

“Do you think Buddhism is a pessimistic method?”

“The Tathagata spoke of the world, which is not the world, and is therefore called the world.”

The Layman was silent for a moment, before giving this three-sentence meaning used to embolden oneself and as a reassurance, “If limited to the world in which we dwell, Buddhism… is naturally pessimistic.”

The old monk nodded lightly and left with a smile.

With the great rain approaching, the scholar stood up and saluted.

An old monk stopped and returned the greeting, entering the corridor.

The old monk smiled. “So Chen Layman is a Taoist, practicing thunder techniques?”

The scholar nodded. “I wouldn’t dare say I’ve mastered it, just a smattering of knowledge.”

“There are many records in books of