In a secluded courtyard, Mao Xiaodong found Cui Dongshan, a white-robed youth humming a tune, lounging on a stone stool. He was deeply engrossed in a game of chess, hands poised over the black and white boxes, fingers drumming a staccato rhythm against the pieces as he pondered his next move.

As the towering elder approached, Cui Dongshan inquired without looking up, “Well? Did Old Man Li manage to tear down the imperial palace?”

Mao Xiaodong walked to the stone table, glancing at the chessboard where victory seemed to be leaning towards one side. Unable to discern any great strategy, he lost interest and sat down. “What exactly are you, or rather, the two of you, planning?”

Cui Dongshan, still not turning his head, clucked his tongue. “You’ve barely spent a few days on Donghua Mountain, and already you’re fretting about the fate of the Great Sui dynasty? Xiaodong, it’s not my place to say, but changing your allegiances is one thing, but switching sides this quickly is rather ungracious.”

Mao Xiaodong slammed his palm on the stone table.

All the chess pieces leaped from the board, suspended in mid-air, black pieces hovering higher than the white, forming two stacked images. But no matter how Mao Xiaodong scrutinized them, he couldn’t decipher any hidden meaning. With a cold snort, the pieces instantly fell back into their original positions, not a single one out of place.

Cui Dongshan remained in his strange posture. “The Cliff Academy should proceed as it always has. We’ll just meet soldiers with barriers and water with dams, why worry so much? Even if the Great Li annexes the Great Sui, will the Cliff Academy disappear? I don’t think so. Since the Great Sui couldn’t grant you one of the seventy-two academy statuses, you can always rely on the Great Li again. You’ll be under someone else’s roof, but it won’t be much different from what you have now.”

Mao Xiaodong’s voice sharpened. “An academy’s strength lies in its students and its instructors, not merely in the four characters of ‘Cliff Academy’! Forget the Great Sui students, even the children who followed me from the Great Li are still young. How can their spirits withstand such constant upheaval?”

Cui Dongshan slowly retracted his hands, clenching a handful of chess pieces that rattled in his palm. He turned to face the furious Mao Xiaodong.

His expression remained unchanged as he smiled. “You speak with such righteousness, but alas, your learning is limited, and your thinking is too shallow.”

The towering elder sneered. “Of course, only you, Cui, can think so deeply and plan so far ahead.”

Cui Dongshan stood up, clutching the chess pieces, and began to pace around the stone stool, jesting, “The temple doesn’t reside in the monks, but in the sutras; the sutras don’t hold it, but the Dharma does; and if not the Dharma, then Buddha himself.”

He tilted his head back, one hand behind his back, the other gently twisting at the wrist, ambling along. “All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow. When you truly understand the meaning of the academy’s existence, the Cliff Academy will have found an unassailable position, regardless of whose land it resides on.”

Mao Xiaodong scoffed. “Do you think the Cliff Academy is like the Imperial Academy, able to withstand any storm?”

Cui Dongshan stopped, gazing at the towering elder across the stone table and chessboard. “Why not?”

He took a step forward. “Care to take a gamble?”

Mao Xiaodong’s expression was grave as he shook his head. “It’s easy for you to say.”

Cui Dongshan also shook his head, clucking. “You should really meet my teacher, Chen Pingan.”

The early winter sun hung high in the sky, its warm rays bathing the elder, who smiled. “For Qi Jingchun to entrust him with such responsibility, Chen Pingan must be exceptional. But you, Cui, are surely up to no good, scheming something.”

Cui Dongshan chuckled and scolded, “Hey, hey, hey, Xiaodong, your education has gone to the dogs! Fine, no problem, but don’t include me in that assessment.”

Mao Xiaodong refused to engage in further mental sparring. He stood up. “The scraps of your learning aren’t even fit for dogs to sniff at.”

Cui Dongshan laughed. “Jealousy, jealousy.”

Mao Xiaodong strode away, his back to Cui Dongshan. “Li Er’s intrusion into the palace was timed perfectly. Don’t push your luck. If any trouble arises afterward, I’ll hold you accountable. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Cui Dongshan gazed at the retreating figure, feigning awkwardness. “That’s not fair, is it? How can I, a mere ninth-realm ant, stop what Old Man Li wants to do? If my teacher were here, it wouldn’t be difficult. He’s better at reasoning calmly than I am.”

Mao Xiaodong turned back to the fellow wearing a face of manufactured awkwardness, and “reasoned calmly”, “If I could, I’d smash your head open to see what’s inside.”

Cui Dongshan raised a hand, extending his fingers delicately. “Oh, stop it!”

Mao Xiaodong turned and left with a dark face. The elder looked as if he had stepped in dog excrement.

After Mao Xiaodong left, Cui Dongshan returned to the stone stool, his fist full of chess pieces hovering over the board. He released them, one by one, dropping seven or eight white pieces onto the board, breaking the rules of the game. Finally, his hands empty, he squatted on the stone stool, chin resting on his knees, lost in thought.

As Mao Xiaodong had said, few in the world could fathom what “Cui Chan” was thinking.

Perhaps only Qi Jingchun was the exception.

From the direction of the courtyard gate came the soft, steady sound of footsteps. Xie Xie had returned from class and, after putting down her belongings, began to sweep the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

The broom brushed against the ground, stirring up gentle breezes.

Cui Dongshan murmured, “Both rose from humble beginnings. A man’s wind sweeps across the land, with thunderous echoes, rolling stones, and felling trees, depleting itself in the end, yet its energy remains. A woman’s wind, however, merely meanders through narrow alleys, stirring sand, blowing dead ashes, impure and weak. Though at its peak, it is still insignificant. Xie Xie, do you think the Great Li is better, or the Great Sui?”

It was the first time Cui Dongshan had ever directly asked the girl a question. Overjoyed, she clasped the broom to her chest, uneasy. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and had resolved to not overthink things in her daily interactions with the young master, as dwelling was futile. It was better to be direct, to say and do whatever came to mind. She answered, “The Great Sui is suitable for settling down and establishing a career, life here is comfortable. The Great Li is fit for ambitious individuals and schemers, because nowadays it cultivates both internally and externally, therefore it is much more powerful, full of vitality, and filled with aggression. The most terrifying thing is that the Great Li has begun to gradually control the mountain forces within its territory, increasingly approaching the ideal of a true sovereign state.”
Cui Dongshan nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but surprisingly refrained from mocking the young girl.

The girl felt relieved; this approach seemed to work! Yu Lu was right, dealing with this person required thinking only of the present and forcing oneself to be shortsighted.

Suddenly, Cui Dongshan asked, “Why haven’t you hanged yourself yet? I’ve been waiting to help you collect your corpse for ages. Then I could carry your body down the mountain, shedding tears of grief, and denouncing that old turtle, Cai Jing Shen, for being so shameless! He actually infiltrated the academy and preyed on even a girl as ugly as you, driving you to suicide out of shame. That way, I’d have a reason to fight him again and avenge you!”

The girl was dumbstruck.

Cui Dongshan turned his head. “Because I publicly declared you as my disciple that night, I had to lend you so many magical treasures. It’s eating at my heart, young master’s, it is.”

The girl, with a green bamboo flute hanging from her waist, continued sweeping the courtyard with her head down.

Cui Dongshan glanced at the girl’s graceful figure and suddenly added, “If my grandson, Cai Jing Shen, climbed the mountain late at night and broke into your room, he wouldn’t exactly be at a loss, you know.”

The girl raised her head, staring blankly at Cui Dongshan.

Cui Dongshan gazed into her beautiful eyes with regret. “Only those eyes of yours are worthy of the name Xie Lingyue anymore.”

The girl’s eyes welled up, but she lowered her head in silence, continuing to sweep the ground.

Cui Dongshan sighed softly and waved his hand, taking the chessboard and chess box into the spatial jade seal within his sleeve. “You’re not sweeping the ground; you’re sweeping away your young master’s mood. Enough, enough. I’ll go back inside to read.”

He entered the empty main room. On a large straw mat was a cattail hassock. Cui Dongshan waved his sleeve and pulled out a Confucian classic from a small mountain of books in the corner, placing it quietly before him. Then, a whirlwind of turning pages appeared, swirling around the handsome, otherworldly white-robed youth.

The whirlwind of turning pages began flipping through the book.

Cui Dongshan began to read.

Whenever this happened, the girl, Xie Xie, would sit quietly by the door, her heart at peace. Only then would that fellow not target her. Moreover, it was not only the first time she had witnessed it firsthand but even the first time she had heard of anyone who could read out such a strange and magnificent world merely by reading.

Just like today.

After the whirlwind of turning pages flipped the first page, with Cui Dongshan’s uniquely rhythmic recitation, words like tangible raindrops fell on the page. Then, among the pages, a lotus flower appeared, swaying gracefully, full of vitality.

Page after page turned, time flowing slowly.

Between the lines on the pages appeared a scene of two armies facing each other. Each general and soldier was far smaller than a grain of rice, yet their aura was one of metal and horses, spanning the world. Yellow fog filled the air above the pages, like the dust and sand raised on a real battlefield.

Then, a graceful woman, no more than an inch tall, carrying a flower basket, came gracefully from the pages.

There was also a burly man with a large beard, bare-chested and bellied, singing with rhythmic clapping.

On the pages, an old woman was pounding clothes, listening intently, and one could indeed hear the subtle sounds of her mallet.

Two young children were riding bamboo horses, chasing and playing.

A skeleton, armed with a sword and saber, walked among the graves and tombs.

A scholar sat upright, stroking his beard in contemplation, as if pondering the text.

The girl Xie Xie by the door, no matter how much she hated and feared this Great Li national preceptor, had to admit that the white-robed youth, when focused on reading, possessed an air of elegance and integrity.

She couldn’t understand one thing: why could such a bad person possess the aura of a sage while reading?

While Xie Xie was lost in thought, she didn’t notice that Cui Dongshan, today, showed a different expression as he flipped through the final pages. His eyes were burning, but his face was full of pain and struggle.

It turned out that his reading had conjured a vision: three figures appeared on the same page, their faces blurred, but of vastly different ages.

An old man in a long robe stood by the riverbank, intently watching the water.

Nearby was a gaunt middle-aged man, looking across the river, his face full of contemplation.

A young boy was riding an ox, tilting his head to look at the sky, a book hanging from the ox’s horns, the boy drowsy.

Finally, Cui Dongshan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and the strange vision on the pages vanished like smoke.

The girl looked at Cui Dongshan in alarm.

He wiped away the blood with a blank expression and muttered to himself, “No way, the difference is too great.”

The girl Xie Xie asked worriedly, “Young Master, are you alright?”

Cui Dongshan covered his heart with one hand, clenched the other into a fist, and said with a strained voice, “Bring me that *Water Scroll* I lent you, quickly.”

Xie Xie quickly got up, went to her room to retrieve an ancient painting, unrolled it, and laid it before Cui Dongshan. Then, she quickly ran back to the door.

Cui Dongshan’s throat moved slightly, and he gratefully raised his arm, using the back of his hand to cover his mouth. After a long time, he lowered his hand and took a deep breath. There were twelve *Water Scrolls* in the world, each depicting one of the twelve great rivers of the four realms. The one before him was the *Water of Heaven*, taken from the spectacle of “a sword cleaving open the Small Heaven, the Yellow River flowing from the sky.”

Back then, when Cui Chan, still the first disciple of the Literary Saint, played Go with the Lord of White Emperor City among the colorful clouds, Cui Chan lost with honor. The great demon then gifted him this invaluable painting. Cui Chan held the demonic giant, who guarded White Emperor City, in high esteem.

Cui Dongshan watched the water with a concentrated mind, but thought of mountains.

He recalled the year when the old Cui Chan traveled alone, with straw sandals and a bamboo staff, walking the most treacherous mountain roads under heaven, where climbing was harder than ascending to the heavens.

The young Cui Dongshan couldn’t help but clap his knees and shout, “Alas! How perilous and high!”

Suddenly, he froze.

On the *Water Scroll*, a small stone cliff had appeared out of nowhere, not very noticeable. But on the cliff stood a familiar, thin figure, facing the wind. He stood by the water, forming hand seals, looking into the distance.

The girl Xie Xie, seeing this from afar, was even more shocked.

How did Chen Ping’an secretly run onto this *Water Scroll*, carrying a stone cliff with him?

Cui Dongshan had already regained his composure. He clasped his hands together and said with a mischievous grin, “Master, your student bows to you.”
Then, Cui Dongshan tumbled backward, rolling sideways several times, muttering, “Those who abandon me, yesterday’s day cannot be retained. Those who trouble my heart, today’s day is full of worries. Worries, oh so many worries, worries to the extreme!”

The young girl sat by the doorway, unable to resist glancing at the sky, which showed no signs of thunder, a slight disappointment.

A short, sturdy man emerged from Donghua Mountain Academy, making his way to a secluded residence nearby and knocking on the door.

No response.

This courtyard had long been rented out. The elderly resident usually lived in seclusion, rarely showing his face. However, the earth-shattering battle between immortals the previous night had alerted perceptive individuals to the presence of a hidden dragon in this place.

Although the clash, initiated by the white-clad youth claiming to be the Cui family’s ancestor, who displayed overwhelming power atop Donghua Mountain, showering down countless magical treasures, the burly old man’s responses were equally remarkable. Even seasoned experts of high cultivation admitted that, if they were in the old man’s position, facing the white-clad youth who tossed out magical artifacts as if they were worthless cabbages, they wouldn’t have lasted until dawn.

The man kicked open the gate and strode inside. He saw a grim-faced, imposing old man, none other than the tenth-realm Qi cultivator, Cai Jingshen, standing in the courtyard. On the table was a pot of wine and a variety of exquisite snacks. To him, a land-bound immortal in the eyes of mortals, this meager enjoyment was insignificant.

Cai Jingshen had been an observer of the palace battle the previous day. Seeing the martial artist at the pinnacle of his craft enter, he naturally felt a lack of confidence. However, lacking confidence didn’t mean he would bow his head. With a composed demeanor, he asked, “I have no grievances with you. Why do you barge in? What is your purpose?”

Li Er, upon seeing Cai Jingshen, remained silent and unleashed a swift punch. The caught-off-guard old man was sent flying into the inner room, spitting blood as he crashed through the doorway and table, collapsing against the wall beneath the hall’s plaque.

Li Er turned and left.

Cai Jingshen was somewhat dazed, leaning against the wall as he sat up. He had thought he would at least exchange a few words before engaging in combat. Even a “heated argument” still required “words,” didn’t it? Where did this unreasonable man come from? Wasn’t this just using strength to bully others? A dignified tenth-realm Qi cultivator, the old ancestor of the powerful Sui Dynasty Cai family, couldn’t help but curse, “Come back if you have the guts!”

Then, the man walked into the courtyard again, through the now doorless entrance, and stood there, gazing at Cai Jingshen inside.

The old man swallowed hard, “I was talking to that white-clad youth from that day. It has nothing to do with you.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, the old man wished he could dig a hole and bury himself.

The man had an empty wine gourd hanging from his waist. He asked a strange question, “How much for the wine on your table?”

The white-haired, burly old man was bewildered, then filled with indignation. He thought, ‘I just wanted to enjoy a pot of wine, what did I do to offend you?’ Still, he honestly replied, “I don’t know the exact price, but probably at least thirty or forty taels of silver.”

Li Er pondered, “Then I’ll suppress my cultivation to the eighth realm, and we’ll fight again.”

Cai Jingshen was completely enraged. I just wanted a drink, how did I provoke you?!

The old man wasn’t one to be bullied without retaliating. He was known among the Sui Dynasty’s grand cultivators for his fiery temper and exceptional combat prowess. He stood up and shouted furiously, “Fight if you want, afraid of what?!”

A moment later, Li Er left the courtyard and returned to the academy.

The old man lay in the courtyard. Though not seriously injured, he was destined to be unable to stand up for a while.

The old man stared at the sky. For the first time in his life, he felt so aggrieved and bitter, feeling like life was unbearable.

My surname is Cai, not the “vegetable” Cai of side dishes!

Once I recover, I’ll go to the imperial palace to meet the Emperor, asking to leave this unlucky Donghua Mountain, far away from the Cliff Academy, and even the Sui Dynasty capital!

Li Er said he wanted to wander around the academy, so Li Huai went back first. He found Li Bao Ping and Lin Shouyi there. They had just arrived, and Li Bao Ping was chatting with Li Huai’s mother, “Auntie, how long will you stay at the academy? Would you like me to show you around the capital? I’ve carefully studied the Sui Dynasty capital’s map. The library can be hard to find, I spent ages searching for it. I know the way to wherever you want to go.”

After arriving at the academy, the first thing Li Bao Ping did was to understand the academy’s complicated rules, what punishments were given for what infractions. The second thing she did was to look up the layout of the Sui Dynasty capital, thinking that when her Junior Uncle came to the academy to find her, she could take him shopping.

The woman praised with a smile, “Little Bao Ping is so clever. Our Huai Zi is lucky to have you, otherwise he would have been bullied.”

Li Huai almost popped his eyes out. Li Bao Ping had bullied him the most on this trip. Not to mention how he called the wind and rain with Ah Liang, and was on brotherly terms with him, he hadn’t even suffered any losses with Chen Ping An.

Besides, how did Li Bao Ping hang his pants on a tree at the village school? Didn’t his mother know? At that time, she even took him to Fu Lu Street, wanting to argue with Li Bao Ping’s elders. But as soon as she saw the pair of stone lions, she didn’t dare knock on the Li family’s door at all.

Li Bao Ping chatted with his mother about this and that, making Li Huai’s head hurt. They were talking about completely different things, so how could they talk as if they were getting along? One asked how many houses she had in her big house in Fu Lu Street, and one answered that there were many academy dormitories, more than her houses…

The girl Li Liu was annoyed by her brother, and could only promise to quickly sew a new pair of cloth shoes. She sat quietly by the bed, stitching the soles carefully, biting off the thread with her head tilted occasionally, smiling at her mother and brother. If she met Lin Shouyi’s eyes, she would nod and smile, and the boy would blush, feeling an indescribable shyness.

This was the second time the boy had been so grateful that he chose to leave the town and follow Chen Ping An and Li Bao Ping to study abroad, after drinking Ah Liang’s gourd wine.

Li Er returned to his residence, Li Bao Ping had just left. Seeing the man, the girl, who had been rushing like the wind, suddenly stopped and greeted with a smile, “Hello, Uncle Li!”
The tongue-tied Li Er responded with a series of “Ais,” overjoyed. In his younger years in the small town, he hadn’t frequented the schoolhouse much. Back then, Li Huai would complain that his father was an embarrassment, so Li Er stopped going. But this little girl, always dressed in red, was the only student who would greet him with a “Uncle Li.”

The little girl sighed, a little discouraged, her thoughts as always, wandering far and wide, and she offered an apology that seemed to come from nowhere. “Uncle Li, I’m sorry.”

Li Er was simple, but not stupid. He immediately understood what the little girl in the red coat meant. She must feel that she hadn’t taken good care of Li Huai. The honest man quickly shook his head. “Don’t say that.”

Li Bao Ping said earnestly, “Uncle Li, Li Huai is actually more diligent in his studies than I am now. The teacher said that diligence can make up for clumsiness, and that great talent matures late. So don’t be disappointed in Li Huai. Studying is a lifelong pursuit. Don’t rush!”

Saying this, the little girl raised her fist, emphasizing her words, “Don’t rush!”

Li Er was overjoyed. Such a little girl was truly likable. The man nodded. “I’m not rushing Li Huai’s studies.”

In his heart, however, the man quietly resolved that there was one thing he could do, as for how far his son could ultimately go, it would all depend on him.

Li Bao Ping grinned and dashed off.

Like a cheerful oriole.

Li Er stood watching the little girl’s back, and only turned around and walked forward with a smile after she had disappeared from view.

At the door, he happened to meet Lin Shouyi leaving the house. The boy called out “Uncle Li” and took his leave.

Faced with other people, even the father of the young girl Li Liu, Lin Shouyi still didn’t know how to respond with enthusiasm.

Li Er walked into the house. His wife was lecturing their son. “This little girl is not bad, but her personality is a bit too tomboyish, not like someone who would take care of people. I think that Shi Chun Jia is quite good. Although her family isn’t as rich and powerful as Li Bao Ping’s, they do own a shop, which is a decent match for our family. If Li Huai marries Shi Chun Jia, he won’t be looked down upon. That girl Shi Chun Jia, she looks cheerful, and her two little braids are tied…”

Li Er chuckled, “I still like Miss Li more.”

Li Huai said helplessly, “Father, Mother, have you ever considered whether they like me or not?”

His wife said impatiently, “How could they not like you? Those two little girls aren’t stupid!”

Li Huai slapped his forehead. “My dear mother, don’t ever say such things to others, or I really will be beaten to death by Li Bao Ping. Although Shi Chun Jia wouldn’t dare to hit me, with her constant mental calculations, she will definitely hold a grudge against me for life. She’s so vengeful. I only pulled her braid once, and she complained to Teacher Qi ten times, making it sound so real every time. Like, ‘Li Huai didn’t do his homework today, and the teacher hit his palm, so I laughed at him, and he pulled my braid.’ Or, ‘Li Huai was late today, and I kindly said a few words to him, and he pulled my braid.’ And, ‘Li Huai can’t beat Li Bao Ping, so he comes and pulls my braid…’ Heavens, if that little vixen Shi Chun Jia becomes my wife, I’ll cry myself to death.”

His wife teased, “Then what kind of wife do you want to find?”

Li Huai thought for a moment, “Marrying a wife is too troublesome. I think I’ll pass. When I grow up, I’ll wait until I meet a girl I like.”

His wife asked with a smile, “If your little wife bullies your mother, who will you help?”

Li Huai chuckled, “Of course I’ll help my wife. Don’t you have my father helping you? Isn’t that enough?”

His wife feigned anger. “You heartless thing!”

The wife got up, reaching out to pinch her son’s ear, and Li Huai ran around the room.

The wife glanced at the man. “Where did you go?”

Li Er said in a low voice, “Needed to pee, went to the outhouse.”

The wife had sharp eyes. She immediately noticed the wine flask on the man’s waist, and after sniffing it, she said angrily, “Does it take so long to take a leak? Did you fall into the outhouse? And instead of containing excrement, the outhouse contains wine?”

Li Er was dumbfounded, turning to look at his son, pleading for help.

Li Huai added fuel to the fire, “Father must have seen a dazzling little fox spirit.”

“Look at you, acting all guilty.”

The wife rolled her eyes at the frightened man, surprisingly not digging any deeper, and sat down beside her daughter, stroking Li Liu’s hair, and sighed, “You’ve all grown up, and your parents are getting old.”

Li Liu put down her shoe sole and gently held her mother’s hand.

Li Huai flattered her, “Mother, you’re not old at all. You look the same as when you gave birth to me! If you go out with Li Liu, people might mistake you for sisters.”

The wife laughed heartily. “Go, go, go, save those words for your future wife.”

Li Liu suddenly said, “Mother, I want to buy a box of rouge.”

Although the wife nagged and complained that her daughter was a spendthrift, she still got up and went out with her daughter.

Only the father and son were left in the house. Li Er smiled and asked, “Son, want to have a drink with Dad?”

Li Huai widened his eyes, “I can drink alcohol?”

After only drinking half a bowl of wine, Li Huai was soon dizzy and drowsy, dozing off at the table.

Li Er reached out and held Li Huai’s wrist, taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, and silently chanting, “Divine Lord, open mountains and create cave heavens!”

As the wife led Li Liu down the mountain, they brushed past a young man in white robes beneath the archway at the foot of the mountain.

The girl looked back, and just happened to meet the young man’s eyes.

The girl, who always gave the impression of being gentle and delicate, in that instant, quickly withdrew her smile and, to the Great Li’s esteemed Grand Preceptor, whom she had long heard of from her teacher in the small town, secretly made a concealed and alarming warning gesture.

A slender hand drawn across her throat.

Cui Dong Shan, who had deliberately come to meet her, clicked his tongue in wonder, and exclaimed, “Strange talents every year, but especially many this year!”