Without Cui Dongshan’s deliberate guidance on two occasions, Chen Ping’an’s subsequent journey truly unfolded within the mundane world, rather than the mystical mountains.

However, Chen Ping’an remained unaware, merely feeling somewhat disappointed that he hadn’t encountered any more eye-opening spirits or demons. Now that he no longer needed to worry about Li Bao Ping and the others’ safety during their travels, and with a pair of enlightened serpent guardians by his side, Chen Ping’an hoped to encounter more strange occurrences. Of course, he preferred to observe from a safe distance, both to broaden his horizons and avoid being drawn into dangerous situations.

Unfortunately, even as he approached the border of the Huang Ting Kingdom, his journey remained remarkably uneventful.

One evening, after finishing his footwork practice on the water serpent’s back, Chen Ping’an decided to rest at a dilapidated temple beside a secluded mountain path, and began to build a fire for cooking.

Although Chen Ping’an had deliberately chosen desolate wilderness to return to Great Li, he still encountered many men and women traveling through the forests. Most of them wore sable furs and brocade robes, carried sabers and swords, exuding a strong Jianghu (Martial World) aura. Some appeared particularly sinister, their faces covered in橫肉(fleshy, rough appearance), clearly not righteous individuals. Fortunately, after encountering Chen Ping’an and his companions, they merely cast a few sidelong glances, and no real trouble arose.

When traversing the Jianghu, it was best to avoid provoking seemingly vulnerable individuals, such as old monks, young Daoists, or beautiful nuns. This was a lesson passed down through generations of Jianghu veterans who had capsized in the gutter.

Chen Ping’an benefited from the presence of the azure-clad boy and the pink-skirted girl. After all, few sane people would travel through dangerous mountain forests teeming with beasts, accompanied by two children, especially ones as exquisitely beautiful as jade carvings. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would not rashly attack.

In fact, a band of roaming criminals had harbored malicious intentions, cautiously trailing the trio, hoping to find an opportunity to strike. However, they ultimately discovered that the azure-clad boy, who looked as if he could be crushed with a finger, could transform into a terrifying true form, a long serpent that traversed mountains and forests, snapping trees along the way. The sight nearly caused the criminals to wet their pants.

The pink-skirted girl diligently helped Chen Ping’an gather firewood, while the azure-clad boy was a lazybones who only wanted to be fed. He squatted outside the dilapidated temple, yawning languidly, and said, “Master, there are two groups of people approaching from opposite ends of the mountain path. They’ll clash soon. The ones on the left are fighting and killing, looks quite fun. The ones on the right are all dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited steeds, and there’s a long-legged, pretty woman among them. Master, if you’re interested, I can snatch her for you as a bride, play with her for a while, then send her home. I’ll even give her some treasures and opportunities, and she might even be grateful to you…”

Chen Ping’an, who was squatting with his butt in the air, blowing on the embers in the large woodpile, casually replied, “When they meet, don’t cause any trouble.”

The azure-clad boy rubbed his cheeks listlessly, sulking, “Master, if I don’t stretch my muscles, my limbs will get moldy.”

Chen Ping’an ignored him.

Outside the dilapidated temple, shouts arose from one end of the mountain path.

A group of disheveled men chased after a panicked beauty, a tall, burly man roaring with laughter:

“Bitch, run! Keep running! We’ve finally caught you this time, haven’t we? I’ll strip you naked. Then, I’ll have to think carefully about where to start with all that plump, white flesh!”

The bald man’s five or six companions laughed gleefully, their expressions twisted with malice, filled with satisfaction and resentment.

“This kind of venomous woman should be stewed and eaten. Add some scallions, garlic, and peppercorns, and the taste will be amazing. She must weigh over a hundred pounds, enough for us to feast on for several meals.”

“Don’t fight me for it! I’ve loved eating squab since I was a kid!”

The azure-clad boy’s eyes lit up.

Chen Ping’an had the pink-skirted girl help with cooking, while he stood up and walked to the entrance of the dilapidated temple. The azure-clad boy was eager to try his hand, but Chen Ping’an held his head down, forcing him to stand obediently in place.

On the other side of the mountain path, the sound of hooves thundered, accompanied by laughter. They soon noticed the commotion on the road. Upon hearing the crude words of the bandit-like men, a young woman carrying a longbow immediately wore a frosty expression, her face filled with displeasure. She glanced at the staggering, plump woman, quickly averted her gaze, looked at the bandits wielding knives and swords, coldly snorted, squeezed her long legs against her horse’s flanks, abruptly accelerated, and charged forward, “I’ll save her!”

A young man with a sword and silver tassel hanging from his waist immediately followed the woman, galloping alongside her, smiling and softly reminding her, “Lan Zhi, I didn’t want to say much in front of outsiders, but according to our county’s secret files, the Centipede Ridge mountain range has always been plagued by妖物邪祟(demons and evil spirits), and the妖物(demons) on several of the peaks even know how to support each other, making them extremely troublesome. If the officials hadn’t recently led a sweep of Centipede Ridge, I wouldn’t have agreed to let you come into the mountains.”

In addition to carrying a silver longbow engraved with ancient runes, the woman had a black-sheathed narrow sword hanging from her waist. She pressed her hand on the hilt and coldly said, “If it’s really妖物(demons), that’s even better.斬妖除魔(Slaying demons and eliminating evil) isn’t something only mountain gods can do, we can do it too!”

The young man smiled helplessly and said nothing more, spurring his horse onward, only hoping that this act of chivalry wouldn’t lead to any trouble. Unlike the woman, who was fresh out of her master’s gate, he was the son of a wealthy official family and had a greater understanding of the world’s dangers.

The woman’s clothes were torn, barely covering her body, exposing large patches of fair, delicate skin. She looked miserable. Although she was a martial artist, she had been chased for a long time and was already at her limit, her steps faltering. Seeing the man and woman riding toward her, she mustered her last bit of strength and cried out, “I beg the two heroes to save my life!”

The young woman took off her cloak and threw it to the woman, skillfully riding her horse, just brushing past the woman, drawing her narrow sword, reining in her horse, and glaring angrily, “Get away from here!”

The man stopped his horse beside the woman and smiled, “Madam, you’ve been frightened.”
The woman, cloaked in the cloak, gasped for breath, her face as white as snow. Still shaken, she spoke in a trembling voice, “Young masters, you must be cautious of those mountain bandits. They claim to be cultivators and possess some Taoist techniques. You should warn your friend not to act rashly. If it truly comes to it, perhaps you and that young lady could help me delay them for a moment or two. I must continue my journey. As for the cloak, I must apologize to that chivalrous young lady…”

The young man had been observing the woman secretly. Upon hearing her words and finding no obvious flaws in her story, he chuckled, “Madam, there’s no need to rush your escape. In broad daylight, surely they wouldn’t dare act recklessly. Even if they are mountain bandits who have cultivated, you needn’t worry too much. We have our own means of dealing with them. Just set your mind at ease, madam.”

The woman hesitated, wanting to say more but refraining. She simply said, her voice filled with pitifulness, “Young masters, please be careful. Those villains are capable of any evil deed. Foul language is commonplace for them. I fear your ears might be tainted.”

The young man relaxed his guard slightly and nodded with a smile. “A kind-hearted woman like yourself shouldn’t suffer such misfortune.”

Hearing this, the woman bit her lip, a sudden wave of grief washing over her. She lowered her head, sobbing, “It’s just… My poor husband and daughter… My daughter is only twelve years old… I might as well be dead…”

Several riders had already reached the young man and the pitiable woman. Hearing her words, they immediately understood the horrific tragedy that had befallen her. In these harsh and lawless lands, bandits robbing travelers was not uncommon in the Yellow Court Kingdom.

A young man, trying to appear older with a deliberately unkempt beard, was instantly enraged. Although not known for his gentle nature in his sect or the martial world, he couldn’t stand the sight of the weak being bullied. He angrily lashed his whip forward, charging ahead. “Zhilan, I’m coming to help you! These damnable bandits deserve to die a thousand deaths!”

Ahead, the band of burly men had spotted the woman called Zhilan. Seeing the woman about to escape, the lead bandit’s eyes turned bloodshot. He roared, “Are you blind, little wench? Telling me to scram?”

The bandit saw the murderous look on the young woman’s face and sneered, “Get out of here! A bunch of milk-fed pups barely out of diapers, daring to play the hero? If your elders were here, I would have slapped them aside long ago. Make way now! That woman is an ancient demon who has committed countless evil deeds. Once I skin her alive, we’ll know whether she’s human or monster!”

The bearded young man, riding alone, drew his longsword, the tip pointed at the bandits. He laughed, “Oh, so you’re playing the victim now?”

An old man in a green robe frowned from behind the burly man. “Pointing a sword at someone? Who taught you such manners?”

The bearded young man glared, “Your ancestor!”

The old man in green sneered, “Old Song, take the others to capture the demon woman. I’ll teach this young whelp some manners.”

“Don’t delay too long. The old demon is clearly hiding a trump card. We’ll need your healing arts as a precaution.” The burly man nodded gravely and spurred his horse forward with his men, completely ignoring the woman and young man blocking the way.

The mountain path wasn’t wide, barely allowing three horses to ride abreast. The woman with the beautiful face and narrow saber shouted sternly, “Will you not stop?!”

The burly man rode his horse straight between the woman with the saber and the bearded young man, charging ahead. The woman tried to block him with her blade, but with a light lift of the blade in the man’s hand, she was pushed aside. The woman, who believed she had achieved some level of martial skill, stood there stunned, her face filled with disbelief. The equally skilled bearded young man was even more hot-tempered. He swung his saber down with furious speed, but the burly man ignored him, focusing only on the woman ahead. He casually grabbed the blade in his hand and tossed it down the mountain.

The two young martial artists, so full of vigor when they descended the mountain, stood like two dumbfounded gate guardians, watching as the mountain bandits galloped past.

The old man in green, bringing up the rear, slowly urged his horse forward. He glanced at the young saber wielder, his face still etched with shock, and chuckled, “A third-realm martial artist, daring to be presumptuous? Ignorant child, do you know how many Qi Refiners of the lower five realms have died at the hands of that old demon? More than you can count on both hands! You think you can protect her? She’s probably already plotting how to devour you, her saviors, bit by bit!”

The old man smirked. “Then again, perhaps not. The old demon is skilled in a vicious dual cultivation technique, delighting in consuming the essence and blood of young men. A little rabbit like you, with his three legs, can die under the peony tree and be a romantic ghost.”

The bearded young man’s face flushed red with rage, “You old wretch, you’ve gone too far!”

The old man in green raised his arm and slapped the air. Although he was a great distance from the bearded young man, a loud, crisp sound echoed on the latter’s face. He was knocked off his horse, spinning twice in the air before crashing to the ground.

Such a supernatural ability, as known in the martial world, could only be possessed by grandmasters of the fourth or fifth realm at the very least. Those of the sixth or seventh realm were all grandmasters qualified to establish their own sects within a kingdom. As for the legendary eighth and ninth realms? They were rarely seen. Which of them wasn’t a guest of honor to emperors and kings of secular dynasties? They had long transcended the martial world.

The young woman, after all, possessed a decent spirit. She immediately turned her head to warn her friend, “Be careful of that woman!”

No sooner said than done, the woman in the cloak suddenly raised her head. Reaching out, she grabbed a young man beside her, pulling him off his horse and clutching his arm tightly. She giggled seductively, “I thought you might at least help me delay them for a moment. I never thought you were all just useless ants. Since that’s the case, then help the mistress of Qingya Mountain!”

But as soon as the woman began to circulate her energy, drawing the young man’s blood and Qi to nourish her Qi Sea, she caught a glimpse of the barefoot boy, who had been watching silently from the ruined temple, suddenly moving with agility beyond all expectation. He moved like a freed rabbit, leaping into the air, his fist smashing down on her head. The woman smiled seductively, dismissing him as a naive little fool, completely disregarding the fist. She refused to believe that it could even ruffle her clothes, let alone hurt her.
But she was just savoring the intoxicating energy of youthful blood replenishing her Qi Reservoir when a fist, like an iron hammer, slammed into her temple. The force sent her head reeling violently to the side. Though the temple wasn’t ruptured, a searing pain radiated from the point of impact. The woman’s fingers, which had been gripping the young man’s arm, turned into hooks, digging viciously into his flesh. The man shrieked in agony, as if his very soul was being torn apart.

Having landed a successful blow, the boy in straw sandals used the momentum to spring back, creating some distance between himself and the woman. His feet firmly planted, he swiftly circulated his inner energy, skillfully navigating a series of Qi Reservoirs along the six established pathways. As he threw another punch, he spoke in a deep voice, “Attack together!”

The brawny man was caught off guard by the boy’s lightning-fast actions. He was also hesitant to unleash the full force of their combined attack, fearing they might harm innocents. Torn between these concerns, he signaled to his companions to first restrain the old demon, while he himself continued to close the distance. He didn’t want the boy to inadvertently become a meal for the old hag, strengthening her vital energies.

Compared to those impetuous young martial artists, the brawny man found this seemingly aloof, yet ruthlessly efficient, young lad far more agreeable.

Wandering through mountains and marshes, one inevitably encounters malevolent spirits. Having keen discernment is often more crucial than possessing great skill. One should only take on challenges that match one’s capabilities, and avoid meddling in affairs beyond one’s grasp – that is the secret to a long and prosperous life.

The brawny man admired the fervor of those young men and women, but was truly exasperated by their recklessness and ignorance.

The enchantingly beautiful woman, unwilling to release the man’s arm, had learned her lesson. This time, she dared not be careless. She swiftly dodged aside, and as the hateful boy launched another punch, she retaliated with a powerful kick, accompanied by the sound of thunder. Even a rock on the mountainside would be left with a crater after such a blow.

The boy’s face remained resolute, his footwork exceptionally light. Instead of charging straight ahead, he swiftly sidestepped the savage kick. Simultaneously, he lowered his stance, raising an arm to shield his shoulder from a potential sweeping attack. He continued to press forward, his fist aimed at the woman.

It was then that the woman recognized the boy’s hidden strength. The seemingly simple punch carried a profound essence of martial arts, explaining how he had managed to injure her earlier.

The brawny man bellowed, “Don’t hurt him!”

With a powerful strike, the brawny man unleashed a fist from afar, a surge of martial energy tore through the air, hurtling towards the woman’s head.

In addition, a snow-white chain, seemingly incorporeal, emerged from the sleeve of someone behind the brawny man, unfurling with a rustling sound.

And a man carrying a peach wood sword on his back, fingers joined together, shouted the word “Hasten!” at the woman. The prepared peach wood sword shot out of its scabbard, soared into the sky, drew an arc, and plummeted toward the woman’s neck.

“Do you truly think this old woman is so easily bullied?! Why do you think I’ve endured you for the past two hundred miles?!”

The woman burst into unrestrained laughter. As the boy in straw sandals had predicted, her kick failed, and she swept towards the boy’s shoulder. At the same moment, three phantom-like, crimson tails, resembling those of a fox, materialized behind her. They intercepted the brawny man’s energy fist, the chain from the sleeve, and the peach wood sword slicing through the air. Although the tails were stained with blood, they managed to withstand the initial onslaught.

She casually tossed aside the man’s arm, its bone exposed by the wound, freeing her hands completely. With one hand, she gripped the boy’s fist, enduring the burning pain in her palm. With the other, she lightly tapped the boy’s brow. She vengefully thought about piercing his skull with her finger to ease her hatred. While she was wary of the boy, the true life-and-death enemy was still elsewhere. Her gaze shifted past the dilapidated temple to the distance, and she said with a flirtatious smile, “Old flame, are you just going to stand by and watch your woman be bullied by outsiders?!”

Unexpectedly, the boy was cunning and difficult to deal with. His fist firmly gripped by the woman, his body arched backwards, his legs thrust towards the woman’s abdomen. Slightly pained, the woman instinctively recoiled her hand, and didn’t pursue the boy, instead giving him a seductive glance, “I’ll deal with you later, this lady is known for having a bodhisattva’s heart, I guarantee you’ll be in ecstasy, and before you die, you’ll only regret not having more lives to enjoy the bliss!”

The brawny man sighed with relief, unable to resist giving the boy a thumbs up, praising him with a hearty laugh, “Beautiful!”

Chen Ping’an, having retreated safely, took a deep breath. The girl in the pink dress, who had rushed out of the dilapidated temple long ago, was almost in tears, “Master, Master, that man said I should protect you while he deals with the stronger one, but I really don’t know how to fight! I’m so anxious! I’m sorry Master, I’m useless…”

Chen Ping’an kept his eyes fixed on the woman, but reached out and gently patted the girl’s head, comforting her, “It’s alright, just be careful next time.”

Having spent her youth diligently studying in the book tower, the girl in the pink dress felt even more guilty, and burst into tears.

The brawny man whispered a reminder, “There are still highly skilled demon cultivators on Centipede Ridge. We’ll play it by ear, and if things get too dangerous, we’ll protect these children and retreat.”

The others nodded, knowing that achieving this in the worst-case scenario would be incredibly difficult, but they all agreed nonetheless.

If the pursuit of the demon hadn’t been so dangerous, and if it weren’t for the old man in green’s healing arts preventing casualties in the group, and if the demon’s crimes weren’t so egregious, they wouldn’t have been so “disrespectful” to the woman, despite knowing the overall situation was under control. Their hatred ran so deep that they truly wanted to boil her alive to vent their anger.

After her triumphant teasing, the woman noticed that there was no movement in the distance. Judging by that stupid bear’s behavior, he should have made a grand entrance with earth-shattering fanfare. She suddenly became anxious, shouting, “Where is he?!”

In the distant forest behind the ruined temple, a burly man over ten feet tall, wielding two axes, was staring at the small boy in blue robes a dozen steps away, baring his teeth and revealing a comical expression of gluttony.

The mountain spirit demon, as robust as a small hill, swallowed hard, then turned and fled. He ran madly, splitting mountains and felling trees along the way. Finally, he dropped his axes and revealed his true form – a massive bear, scurrying away on all fours in a frenzy.
The woman’s scheme faltered when the fearsome bear spirit she anticipated didn’t arrive. Losing her composure, she was struck by the brawny man’s fist aura during the ensuing battle, collapsing to the ground. A peachwood sword swiftly pinned her shoulder, iron chains ensnared her, and a barrage of mystical artifacts descended upon her. Finally, the burly man, a master of fist techniques, stomped on her forehead, forcibly disrupting the flow of her qi reservoir, burying her head in the muddy road.

The strongman then produced a silver dagger, plunging it into the woman’s heart. He hoisted her body over his shoulder by the neck, casually tossing her behind a horse. He glanced at the green-robed child perched on the dilapidated temple roof with a complex expression. Turning towards the slender youth beside the pink-skirted girl, he cupped his fist in salute and said with a smile, “Young master, be cautious on your travels. Not everyone on the mountains is like us.”

Chen Ping An quickly understood the man’s meaning. He was implying that mountain deities, upon seeing the true form of the snake and python spirits, might act without reason, unlike them, who only intervened when witnessing evil deeds. Chen Ping An returned the salute, saying, “I will be careful.”

The strongman mounted his horse. Seeing that the woman showed no sign of awakening, he laughed heartily at Chen Ping An, “Not bad fist techniques! Keep practicing!”

Chen Ping An, thinking the man was teasing him, smiled sheepishly and said, “Senior’s fist techniques are truly formidable.”

The strongman laughed heartily and said no more. He saluted the young man again before turning his horse and returning the way he came with his group. Their demon-slaying expedition had been far from smooth. Luring the enemy had taken them half a month, and the chase had lasted for two days and nights. Even his physique, that of a fifth-realm pure martial artist, felt weary, not to mention the other Qi refiners in the group. They needed to report to the state city government for the reward from the Yellow Court Dynasty. Upon returning to their respective sects, it would also be considered a significant meritorious deed.

As the strongman passed the young woman, he said disapprovingly, “Good people and bad people don’t have labels on their foreheads for you to see. Don’t be so rash in the future. It’s admirable to choose to train down the mountain, but try not to do anything stupid that requires your sect to clean up after you.”

The two groups parted ways.

The bearded man retrieved his saber. The young man whose arm had been grabbed by the woman was in the worst condition. Even after applying medicine to stop the bleeding, he still wailed in pain, his arm a bloody mess, seemingly ruined beyond repair.

One person, pale-faced, unable to bear seeing his friend’s suffering, suddenly noticed the young boy turning to walk towards the dilapidated temple. He stood up and angrily cursed, “What’s wrong with you? Why didn’t you act sooner! If you saw through the demon’s disguise earlier, why didn’t you even offer a warning?! Were you deliberately waiting to see a good show?!”

Soon, someone echoed in a trembling voice, “You harmed Brother Ma!”

Chen Ping An stopped, turned his head, and looked at the two people without saying a word.

One person retreated a few steps in fear, while the other, emboldened, glared and said, “What? Are you feeling guilty and want to hurt people?!”

Chen Ping An still didn’t speak, but pointed to his head and then his heart before turning back towards the fire and squatting down to watch the small pot of rice cooking.

The person still wouldn’t let it go, muttering about city guards, lawlessness, and the general’s cavalry. Finally, the young nobleman with the silver sword tassel stopped him, and he ceased his babbling. The group mounted their horses, one person sharing a horse with the injured man, tying them together with rope to prevent the latter from falling due to pain.

Standing at the temple entrance, the green-robed child watched the group disappear into the distance, his eyes glowing with a verdant light. He asked, “Master, why didn’t you let me teach those ingrates a lesson? I was so angry I was about to explode! I need to cool down!”

The green-robed child performed a water-gathering spell, creating a large water ball above his head and drenching himself, turning himself into a drowned chicken.

The pink-skirted girl, squatting beside Chen Ping An, unusually agreed, “It’s very infuriating!”

Chen Ping An said softly, “Just because others are unreasonable doesn’t mean we should be. Just be clear in your own conscience.”

Chen Ping An suddenly smiled, “We’ll probably never see them again anyway, and we’re not their parents. We don’t need to explain everything clearly. Many of the principles I’ve only just understood, and with great difficulty learned from books, why should I teach them to them?”

The pink-skirted girl covered her mouth and giggled.

The green-robed child snapped his fingers, and his wet green robes instantly dried. He turned and walked back into the temple, reaching out to warm himself by the fire. “Master, I didn’t say I wanted to reason with them. I wanted to swallow them whole…”

Seeing Chen Ping An look up at him, he quickly changed his tune, “Of course, that’s impossible! Sigh, Master, I just wanted to teach them a small lesson, like beating them until they were unrecognizable, parents and all. Well, except for that long-legged girl, I’ll leave her for you to deal with, Master.”

Chen Ping An opened the pot lid, and the aroma of rice filled the air. The pink-skirted girl had already obediently handed him a rice ladle and three small white bowls stacked together.

The three squatted together, eating rice with pickled vegetables. Chen Ping An inexplicably thought of someone who often tapped his bowl with chopsticks, demanding meat, and the words he once said. So he said to the green-robed child, “True strength lies in respecting the freedom of the weak as a boundary.”

The green-robed child shoveled rice into his mouth, watching intently, making a cracking sound, but actually only ate a small bite. He blinked and then said with a sincere face, “Wow, Master’s magnanimity is even broader than the Imperial River! I admire you, I’m moved to tears. It’s a good thing Master isn’t a scholar, or he would have already been appointed a gentleman by the academy.”

Although he detected the sarcastic undertones in the green-robed child’s words, Chen Ping An sighed and thought about his own affairs, slowly saying, “Those words weren’t mine.”

The green-robed child didn’t dare to push his luck. His next flattery was much more sincere. He laughed and said, “I’ll just pretend Master said them. Master’s noble character is perfectly suited to those words!”

Chen Ping An smiled, “Where did you learn so much flattery? Don’t you practice cultivation?”

“I do cultivate. When I cultivate seriously, even I find myself terrifying…”
The green-robed lad snorted, “I’m diligent beyond compare! In truth, I just occasionally come out for a breath of fresh air, to drink wine and eat meat with my brother, the Water God. That’s what the underlings say about me, or rather, I’m just borrowing their words.”

The green-robed lad looked at Chen Ping’an, shaking his head knowingly, “In the past, I might have had a sliver of doubt whether those little fellows were purely flattering me for rewards, saying such nauseating things. But now that I know Old Master, I feel they must have been sincere, because my sincerity towards Old Master is beyond compare. Alas, if only I had bestowed more good things back then, even if I had to borrow from my brother, the Water God! Alas, I have disappointed the hearts of my warriors. Right, Old Master? The sincerity of those below must be cherished by those above!”

Turns out, after beating around the bush for so long, making such a wide detour, he was trying to wheedle a reward out of Chen Ping’an!

Chen Ping’an chuckled, “You want Serpent Gallstones? My hometown does have them, and more than just one, but I’m not giving you any.”

The green-robed lad immediately knelt down, holding a rice bowl above his head, “Heaven and Earth bear witness! Old Master, please have pity on me. Along this journey, even if I have no merits, I have endured hardships! Every day, I forcefully restrain myself from eating that silly girl, it’s very exhausting!”

The pink-skirted girl hid closer to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “Alright, when we arrive in my hometown, you will each get one Serpent Gallstone.”

The green-robed lad suddenly raised his head, his face filled with indignation, “Why does she get one too? Old Master, if you absolutely must give her one, then I must have two!”

She didn’t dare retort, only looked aggrieved, on the verge of tears.

Chen Ping’an held up two fingers towards the green-robed lad, “Two, is it?”

The latter nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice.

Chen Ping’an retracted his fingers, “All gone.”

The green-robed lad placed the rice bowl at his feet, then lunged forward, hugging Chen Ping’an’s leg, throwing a tantrum, “Old Master, I know I was wrong, one is fine, one is fine.”

Chen Ping’an ignored the green-robed lad, looking towards the sky outside the small temple, murmuring, “It’s going to snow soon, isn’t it?”