## Chapter 107: The Fishing Net

Having strolled through Observation Water Street and acquired all the desired items, Chen Pingan prepared to return home. However, A-Liang suggested an evening boat ride on the Rush Pale River, a proposal met with little enthusiasm. Only Lin Shouyi nodded in agreement.

Chen Pingan wouldn’t have minded seeing that treacherous rapid after putting away the purchases. But Li Bao’ping tugged at his sleeve, and Chen Pingan understood perfectly. He weighed the coin purse in his hand; the loose copper coins would be enough for a few candied haws.

Zhu Lu dragged her father, Zhu He, off to browse weapon shops, while Li Huai complained of hunger. A-Liang instructed the innkeeper to take him back to Pillow Inn for a late-night snack.

And so, the group parted ways.

Lin Shouyi walked alongside the bamboo-hatted man, asking softly, “Senior said Li Huai possesses the greatest fortune. Is that newly-carved *Broken Water Cliff* book the most valuable?”

A-Liang nodded subtly, betraying a secret. “It only looks new. It’s actually quite old. The writings themselves are worthless, a jumbled mess of water-based cultivation methods deliberately designed to mislead. But the material of the book is quite precious. It won’t be damaged by insects even after centuries of storage.”

A-Liang uncorked his little gourd and took a swig of wine. “And if I’m not mistaken, a few bookworms have already hatched inside. Of course, you can’t see them with the naked eye. They’re a type of spirit creature, incredibly tiny, swimming through the lines of text like living fish in a river. These bookworms feed on the spiritual essence contained within the words. Once they mature, they’ll be no thicker than a strand of hair. There are many types of bookworm in the world, and the ones in that book are quite ordinary. But if you were to sell them to some eccentric noble with a taste for the bizarre, you could fetch at least three thousand taels of silver. That makes it one of the most valuable books in that shop.”

The youth gasped.

Bookworms so small they were invisible could be sold for three thousand taels of silver? Was money the most worthless thing in the world outside the small town?

A-Liang seemed to read the youth’s thoughts. He chuckled. “Once you truly embark on the path of cultivation, you’ll understand that the gold and silver of common folk, even if piled into mountains, can vanish in the blink of an eye when you need to spend them. That said, the fact that you need to spend it like water also proves that these vulgar coins *are* valuable.”

Lin Shouyi nodded slowly.

A-Liang laughed. “Chen Pingan wouldn’t necessarily understand any of this.”

Lin Shouyi shook his head. “When it comes to money, he definitely understands.”

A-Liang roared with laughter and led the youth to the Red Candle Town riverbank. It was bustling with noise. The youth, accustomed to the quiet nights of his hometown, felt somewhat overwhelmed, especially by the heavy scent of rouge and powder in the air. At first, it seemed fragrant, but after a while, it became cloying.

As they passed through a narrow alley and emerged on the riverbank, the view opened up dramatically. Both sides of the river were lined with thick flagstone paths, filled with elegant women and cheerful laughter. Many beautiful ladies leaned against the railings of tall buildings, revealing their lotus-root-like arms. The women wore dresses of scarlet and emerald green, and strings of lanterns hung from the buildings, illuminating their faces and making them appear even more alluring and vibrant.

Large and small painted boats floated slowly along the riverbanks, their bamboo curtains drawn. Most were occupied by two women, one at the bow and one at the stern, along with a boatman.

Compared to the bold and boisterous ladies in the high buildings, who loudly solicited customers, the boat women, though dressed in revealing clothing, possessed a more tranquil demeanor.

The younger maidens resembled demure girls next door, while the older women were like refined ladies of noble birth. From time to time, the women in the high buildings would mock and taunt the boat women competing for business, throwing fruits and vegetables at them. The boat women were used to this, rarely reacting, unless struck directly. Only then would they rise to their feet and glare back angrily.

Whenever a conflict erupted between the boat women and the brothel women, it always provoked cheers of raucous delight from the men, who seemed to revel in the chaos.

Lin Shouyi felt a prickling on his scalp. “Senior A-Liang, weren’t we going to Rush Pale River to enjoy the scenery?”

A-Liang played the rogue. “Since it’s a confluence of three rivers, this definitely counts as Rush Pale River.”

Lin Shouyi was speechless.

A-Liang squatted by the riverbank, watching the painted boats glide by inches away. Each time a boat woman cast a flirtatious glance or greeted him with soft, melodious words, A-Liang would silently take a drink of wine and mutter to himself. Lin Shouyi crouched down, straining to hear snippets like “chaste as jade,” “true gentleman,” and “lust is a blade hanging over your head.” Lin Shouyi couldn’t help but grin. So, Senior A-Liang wasn’t any better than him?

A-Liang turned his head slightly, looking at a small painted boat not far away. A woman of unremarkable appearance sat at the bow, openly surveying her surroundings. She didn’t seem like a woman of the flesh trade; rather, she resembled a wealthy lady out for an evening cruise. Behind her, however, the sixteen-year-old girl rowing the boat possessed an exquisite beauty.

A-Liang stood up, and as the boat drew near, he suddenly pulled out a conspicuous gold ingot. “Is this enough?”

The woman’s smile was gentle, neither nodding nor shaking her head. The rowing girl, however, stared wide-eyed, yearning to accept the deal on the woman’s behalf.

The woman’s gaze passed over the bamboo-hatted man and fell on the youth, Lin Shouyi. “Young master, you may board alone.”

A-Liang quickly put away the gold ingot. “This kid is penniless! Absolutely broke!”

The woman said softly, “I won’t charge him any silver.”

Following the woman’s gaze, the girl saw a young man whose face was flushed red, with rosy lips and pearly white teeth, a scholar if she ever saw one. She smiled shyly.

The bamboo-hatted man, unable to spend his money, was left on the side, looking utterly perplexed. He thought to himself, *Is this woman blind, or just picky? How can she not find me, a handsome and able-bodied man, appealing? If that’s the case, if I brought over the even thinner Chen Pingan, would she have to pay us?*

A-Liang murmured, “This is hurting my feelings.”

The woman smiled at the youth. For some reason, the woman, usually plain, now had a hint of foxy allure. “Won’t you board?”

Lin Shouyi shook his head.

A-Liang sat down on the steps, taking a swig of his drink. “Kid, hurry up and get on the boat. The worst that can happen is that you won’t get to drink my gourd wine anymore. What wine in the world tastes better than flower wine? Don’t miss this chance.”

Lin Shouyi didn’t budge, but he rolled his eyes at the bamboo-hatted man’s back.

The painted boat could only continue onward, as its companions were already urging it along.

The woman turned around, flashing the youth one last smile.

The youth remained unmoved, staring coldly back at her.

Painted boats continued to float past them, the boat women, of all shapes and sizes, unfolding like a painted scroll of beauties.

Lin Shouyi asked softly, “A-Liang, were you waiting for her specifically?”

A-Liang adjusted his bamboo hat, shaking his head and laughing. “Just a whim. I simply wanted to know how big this fishing net really is.”

The young scholar sat beside him, openly gazing at the powdered women.

Along the flagstone path lining the riverbank, children ran back and forth, carrying baskets, their clear voices calling out, “Apricot blossoms for sale!” one ringing out on the east, another echoing from the west.

—

Zhu Lu wanted to choose a dagger for self-defense, one that was both sharp and aesthetically pleasing. Unexpectedly, the weapon shop was already closed. The girl stood silently in front of the door, her spirits low.

Zhu He consoled her. “We can come back tomorrow.”

The girl leaned against the hitching post outside the shop, looking up at the night sky.

Zhu He asked softly, “Is something on your mind?”

Zhu Lu shook her head.

Zhu He asked carefully, “During the last leg of our journey leaving Chess Mound Mountain, Miss took the initiative to ride the same mountain tortoise with you. Did she say anything to you?”

Zhu Lu nodded listlessly. “Miss wants me to be polite and respectful to everyone.”

Zhu He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling. “Miss is right. When you’re away from home, it’s important to be amicable to make money.”

Zhu Lu said softly, “That A-Liang is fine, since he’s from the Wind and Snow Temple. Although he’s nothing like the immortals I imagined, immortals are still immortals. Even if I find him annoying, I can tolerate him. But what about Lin Shouyi and Li Huai? They just take advantage of the fact that they were classmates with Miss for several years, acting like they’re not outsiders. A bastard child born to a lowly maidservant, the son of a good-for-nothing… What right do they have to be on equal footing with our Miss? Especially that…”

Seeing that she was unwilling to continue, Zhu He took over the conversation. “Chen Pingan?”

The girl pursed her lips.

Zhu He sighed. “There’s no one else here. What I’m about to say might not be what you want to hear…”

The girl suddenly perked up, interrupting the man. “Father, in the letter that Young Master sent to Miss, he specially wrote several pages of notes just for me. Young Master’s cursive and regular scripts are becoming more and more refined. In the letter, he wrote about his thrilling experiences of personally tracking down a band of bandits, and that he met the eldest grandson of a Chen family Pillar of State. He also described the spectacle of the Peaceful Fire, saying that everything is possible in the Dali capital. People even ride snakes and cranes down the street, and the people of the capital have long been accustomed to it. Young Master also said that at the northern gate of the Dali capital’s imperial city, there are living golden-armored door gods on the left and right. They say they were given to Dali as the founding gift of a Daoist sect, and they’re four or five zhang tall, Father! Isn’t that amazing?”

Zhu He said helplessly, “It’s safer to call him Second Young Master.”

The girl beamed. “The First Young Master isn’t here, and besides, he’s so simple and honest. He wouldn’t be angry even if he heard it.”

Zhu He said sternly, “Don’t be rude!”

Zhu Lu lowered her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

Zhu Lu said softly, “Young Master, um, Second Young Master, once said to us servants that people with good lives can enjoy happiness even while lying down, while people with bad lives are just suffering when they walk this earth. Li Huai has a good life, and Lin Shouyi has a good life too. They’ve become students of Cliffside Academy, and in the future, they’ll most likely become famous and successful. Even if they don’t, they can live as wealthy men with overflowing money.”

The girl slowly raised her head. “Chen Pingan’s life isn’t bad either. At least he doesn’t have to call other people Miss and Young Master.”

Zhu He couldn’t quite meet his daughter’s gaze.

A hereditary servant was a hereditary servant from the moment they were born.

Zhu He hesitated.

The girl’s eyes were determined, her tone resolute. “Father, it doesn’t matter. Second Young Master said that there are plenty of ways to escape servitude when we get to the Dali capital. Besides, the Dali border army is willing to recruit female martial artists. If we accumulate enough military merits, we might even become titled ladies.”

Zhu He looked at the girl before him, so unfamiliar, yet so filled with hope. He nodded. “Then we’ll both join the army together. That way, we can look out for each other. Now that Second Young Master has gained a foothold in the capital, we’ll ask him to help us choose a better border army, one that doesn’t have too many difficult battles and where merits aren’t too hard to come by. In any case, before we escape servitude, we must not tarnish the reputation of the Longquan Li family. Even if we truly become independent in the future, we must always be grateful to the Li family…”

The girl laughed, quickly stepping forward and taking Zhu He’s arm, pulling him back towards Pillow Inn, teasing him. “I know, I know! When did you become so talkative, Father?”

Zhu He ruffled his daughter’s hair, hesitating for a moment before deciding to speak his mind. “If you have the chance, apologize to Chen Pingan. In the battle at the top of Chess Mound Mountain, no matter what the intention was, if something was done wrong, then it was wrong. We should apologize and make amends.”

Zhu Lu was silent for a moment, perhaps because she was in such a good mood tonight. She smiled brightly and said, “Okay!”

—

Following Dali customs, Red Candle Town had both a literary and a martial temple. The not-so-small Wenchang Pavilion and Martial Saint Temple respectively housed a civil official holding a jade tablet and a armored general holding a sword, with a leopard under his feet.

The two temples of Red Candle Town were built in the south of the city, not far apart, about five or six hundred steps apart.

As the night deepened, the two statues shook almost simultaneously, dust falling from their bodies, ripples of pale gold undulating across their surfaces.

At the same time, the river god temples on both sides of the Embroidery River and Jade Fluid River also had similar scenes with their clay-sculpted gold statues.

North of Red Candle Town, in the Chess Mound Mountain range, a bare-chested man, carrying a wine gourd in his hand and three more hanging from his waist, was stumbling along, reeking of alcohol. But with each step he took, the distance covered was five or six zhang, as if walking on flat ground. He soon arrived at the stone square at the summit of Chess Mound Mountain, burped loudly, and stomped his foot heavily.

The Chess Mound Mountain Land God, Wei Bo, appeared not far away.

The man glanced at the handsome youth holding a green staff and laughed. “Congratulations. You’ve finally broken the magical restraint on your body. Not only have you restored your true form as a land god, but you also have a chance to become a mountain god on your own. It seems you’ve received a great opportunity recently.”

Wei Bo’s face was dark. “Speak your mind.”

The man wiped his mouth and asked directly, “How strong is that swordsman named A-Liang?”

Wei Bo was silent.

The man said casually, “This is important. I don’t have the mood or the time to waste with you. If you don’t speak, I’ll smash your golden body. You won’t even have a chance to be resurrected.”

Wei Bo asked, “Before I answer, can I know why?”

The man nodded. “That person killed two top assassins of our Dali, Li Hou of the seventh martial realm and Hu Yinglin, an eighth-floor Qi cultivator. Both were Class A experts of the Bamboo Leaf Pavilion under that lady. When His Majesty heard the news, he was very unhappy. He thinks this person broke the rules first, so Dali wants to demand an explanation from him.”

Wei Bo’s heart grew heavy.

The man’s tone was sinister. “I advise you not to interfere. It’s best to clear your name. If you can’t, you might have to go back to the Rush Pale River to wash yourself again. But I can guarantee that this time, no one will be willing to risk their soul being scattered to retrieve the fragments from the bottom of the river, piece them back together, and secretly bring them back to Chess Mound Mountain for you. Right, Northern Mountain True God of the Divine Water Dynasty?”

Wei Bo smiled miserably.