After that, the journey down the Embroidery River for over two hundred *li* was smooth and uneventful.

When Chen Pingan and his companions disembarked, Li Huai and Lin Shiyi both carried their book boxes, along with Li Baoping. Their scholarly travels became even more authentic. As a result, the straw sandal-wearing youth looked even more like a servant boy from a wealthy family. If one hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, it would have been hard to imagine that the straw sandal-wearing youth was a martial arts practitioner who could defeat a martial arts secretary from a Dali upper county without any chance of retaliation. Upon disembarking, the martial arts secretary was still being carried away on a stretcher.

Before disembarking, Chen Pingan had carefully studied the topographic map. He didn’t plan to pass through Wanping County but rather to bypass the city to the south and then traverse a range of majestic mountains. He estimated that it would take more than half a month’s journey on foot. Chen Pingan had asked the locals on the boat, and they said that there were mountain paths, but they were much more difficult to traverse than the bluestone post road of Qidun Mountain. They were not suitable for carriages, mostly for mules and donkeys carrying goods.

If they didn’t take the mountain road, they would have to pass through a prefectural city. Lin Shiyi said that he hadn’t yet comprehended the method of the Pure Yang Talisman and couldn’t allow the Yin spirit to conceal its innate Yin impurity. It probably couldn’t enter the city openly. According to Ah Liang, the City God Pavilion, the Temple of Literature and Martial Arts, and the residence of a general in the prefectural city would all inherently repel the Yin spirit. If there were experts stationed there, it would easily cause complications.

The group inquired for directions as they traveled. In the meantime, Chen Pingan tentatively inquired to the villagers and women whether there were any strange legends about those mountains, or whether mountain spirits haunted them. The locals saw that the four children were all young and carried book boxes, so they assumed they were scholars from wealthy families who had run off to travel the mountains and rivers. They laughed and told Chen Pingan that the mountains and rivers there didn’t even have names, so how could there be any gods or monsters? They had never heard of any. In the end, most of them didn’t forget to recommend the River God Shrine on the Embroidery River to the four, saying that seeking fortunes and worshiping the gods there was very effective. They even suggested there might really be a River God, and every year the county magistrate would lead people to worship at the riverbank with firecrackers bursting and the scene very lively.

It was noon when the four entered the mountains. Li Huai stood at the foot of the mountain, bowed and paid his respects three times. He looked up and saw that Chen Pingan hadn’t moved, so he asked strangely, “Chen Pingan, you bowed on Qidun Mountain last time, saying you were worshiping the mountain god. Why are you slacking off this time?”

Chen Pingan hesitated for a moment, but still answered, “I used to go into the mountains with the old people often, and I learned a little about reading the mountains and eating the soil. When the old people were in a good mood, they would talk about the direction of the mountain, what place would be where the mountain god would put his golden statue, there was a lot of attention to it. Roughly speaking, you can see a little bit of a clue before you enter the mountain as to whether there is a mountain god sitting in a chair. Plus, the locals said that there were no such legends here, so you can roughly determine that the mountain road we are going to take is not the territory of the mountain god.”

Lin Shiyi’s mind stirred slightly, and he said, “The Yin spirit senior said that the mountain and water deities of a dynasty are limited in number. It’s impossible for there to be gods everywhere, otherwise it would become rampant and cause the local fortune to be a mess. Plus, the struggle for mountains and waters is similar to the struggle for fields and water sources down the mountain, which is detrimental to the dynasty. So, in general, there can be no mountain gods where the local county records do not explicitly record mountain temples.”

Li Huai was a little disappointed. “Alas, I wanted a few more painted wooden puppets.”

It turned out that he had gained a blessing in disguise on Qidun Mountain and received a lifelike painted wooden puppet for nothing, which made Li Huai look forward to it very much. He wished he could get one every time he passed a mountain, so that by the time he got to the Great Sui Academy, his small book box would be full of them, wouldn’t it? Otherwise, in the end, there would only be a wooden puppet and a book in the bamboo box on his back, which would be too “poverty-stricken.”

Lin Shiyi laughed angrily, “What kind of face do you have to call Chen Pingan a money-grubber?”

Li Huai looked innocent. “I didn’t say that. I only said that Chen Pingan’s wealth is that of a gentleman, obtained in a proper way.”

Lin Shiyi snorted coldly, “Sycophant!”

Li Huai was furious. “If I hadn’t begged bitterly, would you have a small book box? Lin Shiyi, do you have any conscience?”

Li Baoping said unhappily, “Shut up.”

When there was no one around, Chen Pingan would practice walking the stance, because he was carrying a large basket on his back, he didn’t dare to make too much noise. He made himself restrain his strength and posture, and tried to walk slowly. After all, Ah Liang taught the method of transporting *qi* in the Eighteen Stops at Pillow Station, and said that a slow word is the essence of the Eighteen Stops. Chen Pingan is now stuck between the sixth and seventh stops, and he can’t get past this hurdle. He just happened to use the walking stance of the Earth-Shaking Fist manual to practice.

After walking for about two hours on the mountain road, Li Huai was already panting, as was Li Baoping.

Chen Pingan knew that this was the end of the so-called “one breath.” He just happened to pick a place next to a stream to rest. Lin Shiyi was worthy of being an immortal who had climbed one foot into the mountains. He was calm and composed, only his forehead was slightly sweating, not as much as Chen Pingan. They each found a place to sit down. Chen Pingan took out Li Baoping’s knife from his large basket, the narrow knife that Ah Liang called “Auspicious Talisman.” Although Ah Liang mentioned the word “bottom” at the time, Chen Pingan wasn’t blind. He was someone who was used to kitchen knives and wood knives, and he even borrowed Ning’s skirt-pressing knife for a while. He knew that this knife was definitely extremely valuable, so as long as there was no one around, he would take out the strangely appearing small Dragon-Slaying Platform to carefully sharpen the blade.

After drawing the knife out of its sheath, he first lightly dipped the black and shiny Dragon-Slaying Platform in water. Chen Pingan squatted by the stream and began to slowly sharpen the knife, his movements were gentle, unhurried, and unhurried, as if he was treating the most precious and fragile tribute porcelain in the town.

Chen Pingan likes to focus on doing one thing, especially something he can do well.