The journey north was marked by calm winds and tranquil seas.

The Great Spring Dynasty enjoyed a period of thriving military fortune. In recent decades, it was only their border troops who bullied others. The Northern Jin to the south and the Southern Qi to the north had both suffered greatly. Were it not for the three princes engaging in a power struggle for the dragon throne, which had almost escalated into open conflict and consumed much of the eldest prince’s energy, this eldest son of the Liu family, who held sway in the north, would have had to halt a planned northern expedition. He feared that accidentally conquering a thousand miles of Southern Qi territory would leave him weakened and ultimately benefit the new emperor in Mirage City.

Furthermore, the four or five small nations bordering them to the east and west were either vassals or treated the Great Spring emperor, Liu Zhen, as their “uncle emperor.”

The convoy stopped every thirty leagues to wash the warhorses’ noses. During these breaks, Yao Zhen would often leave his carriage to chat with Chen Ping’an.

As time passed, his grandson, Yao Xianzhi, became acquainted with Chen Ping’an. However, this “uncut jade of the Yao family” appeared quite reserved in Chen Ping’an’s presence.

Yao Xianzhi was only fourteen years old but had already served in the border army for three years. He became an official scout in his second year and was later promoted to squad leader through military merit. He had studied the art of war since childhood under a tutor but disliked empty talk, displaying a maturity beyond his years. He was highly valued by the family head, Yao Zhen.

Yao Xianzhi made no attempt to hide his admiration for Chen Ping’an. He remembered when they were ambushed in the valley by two mountain cultivators, and Chen Ping’an had appeared out of nowhere, saving the border soldiers, including his grandfather Yao Zhen. With a single punch, he had sent that terrifying master wearing Dew Armor reeling backward, and he had handled an incredibly lethal sword cultivator with ease.

Yao Xianzhi also heard from Yao Lingzhi about Chen Ping’an’s exploits at the inn, where he had killed the son of the Duke of Shen with three thunderous blows and dared to confront Li Li, the Imperial Stud Supervisor. Yao Xianzhi was filled with even greater admiration, wishing he could groom and feed Chen Ping’an’s horse every day.

Chen Ping’an had a good impression of Yao Xianzhi. The resolute look in the armored youth’s eyes during the bloody battle in the valley had left a lasting impression.

However, Yao Xianzhi, perhaps to get closer to him, would often try to start conversations and crack jokes that weren’t very funny. For example, he would point out the irony of Southern Qi being in the north and Northern Jin being in the south. He also mentioned that some renowned poets specializing in border themes longed to join the Yao family’s iron cavalry in the Great Spring army. One prominent poet had even offered to exchange his poems for a top-grade warhorse, but his grandfather had refused. The poet, harboring a grudge, returned to the capital and slandered the Yao family’s border troops for ten years. Yao Xianzhi vowed that once he reached Mirage City, he would seek out that writer.

Chen Ping’an didn’t engage much in these conversations, but he wasn’t annoyed either.

Yao Lingzhi, the most talented martial artist of Yao’s younger generation, had mixed feelings about Chen Ping’an, feeling gratitude, awe, and a hint of defiance. As a young woman in her prime, she was unwilling to join Yao Xianzhi in approaching Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an had ridden horses before, even accompanying the old Taoist on donkeys in Lotus Flower Paradise. Therefore, he knew that the tales of traveling a thousand miles a day, as told by storytellers and in operas, were exaggerated. In ordinary worldly dynasties, express military reports could indeed travel eight hundred li in a hurry, but this required changing riders and horses. Anyone who died by being hit on the postal route would not be held accountable. However, such a journey would severely injure the horse. Even with horseshoes, the hooves could still be ruined.

The officials at the relay stations along the way and the local county governments were very attentive, as this was a Great General with the rank of “Conqueror,” the old patriarch of the Yao family’s iron cavalry. Moreover, this was not a retirement; he was going to the capital to take office as the Minister of War. The emperor valued him highly, and the pillar of the border had become a pillar of the court. The Old General Yao could crush several small county magistrates with a flick of his little finger, so who would dare to be disrespectful?

Yao Zhen was busy with welcomes and send-offs, too preoccupied to be overly enthusiastic about the local officials, but he didn’t show any arrogance. He rarely refused any invitations from the provincial governors for banquets. As for the enthusiastic invitations from prefectural governors, he would occasionally decline with an excuse. County magistrates, of course, didn’t have the gall to host a welcome banquet for a Minister of War without authorization.

Chen Ping’an didn’t attend these banquets, but Pei Qian was eager to squeeze her way in. Once, after hearing Yao Xianzhi describe the dishes, she started drooling. Strangely, Yao Zhen always brought Yao Lingzhi and Yao Xianzhi, while ignoring Yao Jinzhi, who seemed to treat the carriage as her own secluded courtyard.

As they passed through an obscure prefectural city, they were greeted with a “clean streets” welcome. Chen Ping’an still didn’t participate. Instead, he left the relay station with Pei Qian and Zhu Lian to purchase some small items, such as a jade hairpin. However, Yao Jinzhi uncharacteristically left the relay station and wanted to stroll the streets with Chen Ping’an and the others.

She still wore that simple veiled hat that covered her from her head to her shoulders. Actually, when the convoy stopped, Yao Jinzhi would remove her hat as long as there were no outsiders present. Chen Ping’an had seen her face many times and found her remarkably beautiful, even more so than the female sword immortal, Sui Youbian. Following Zhu Lian’s jest, he had never encountered such a devastatingly beautiful woman like Miss Yao during his decades of being a bully in Lotus Flower Paradise. He wondered if the Mirror Heart Pavilion’s little girl named Tong Qingqing could compare to Yao Jinzhi. Chen Ping’an had agreed.

Zhu Lian then stated that if the beauty of the women in the world was calculated with one hundred coins, then Yao Jinzhi and Tong Qingqing should both be worth over ninety.

Chen Ping’an didn’t like to discuss the appearance of others behind their backs. He only thought that even if these women were born with such great beauty, they were still only worth a hundred coins. In his heart, Miss Yao was worth more than just a rainy season coin, or a Golden Essence Bronze coin.

So, Chen Ping’an simply treated encountering a girl like Yao Jinzhi as just that – an encounter.

Chen Ping’an wanted to buy a hairpin, and Yao Jinzhi mentioned that there was a Children’s Lane in the prefectural city that specialized in selling antiques and curios. She had heard a rumor that she could find roof tiles and an old kind of New Year’s money called “Cherishing Mirror” there. Zhu Lian liked tales of the strange and supernatural, and as for Pei Qian, she liked anything valuable and wanted it all. However, being by Chen Ping’an’s side had seemed to wear away much of her inherent mischievousness, and she was now content with Chen Ping’an letting her be his accountant, like Zhong Kui at the inn, even if she only had a few taels of silver in her pocket.

Chen Ping’an completely ignored her. “With ten coins on his waist, he must make his sleeves rustle,” that was Pei Qian.
This county city put in a lot of effort to welcome Yao Zhen. On the way to Children’s Lane, Yao Jinzhi explained the reasons to Chen Ping’an. The city governor came from Yao’s border army. By chance, after leaving the border army, he began his official career in the local area. According to the inn’s Third Master, he was a very ambitious young man back then.

Walking into the extremely long Children’s Lane, there were all kinds of shops. Besides legitimate shops, there were also many peddlers with cloths spread on the ground. The poor scholars mostly looked like they came from declining families. The sneaky ones usually had items of questionable origin, obtained through unorthodox means, or were simply “gentlemen on the roof beams.”

Chen Ping’an found these under-the-table transactions in Children’s Lane interesting. Once the two parties had a buying intention, they would go to a secluded corner and negotiate the price without speaking, only using hand gestures within their sleeves. Yao Jinzhi jokingly called this “conversation in a cage.” Besides the unique gestures for copper coins and silver, the numbers were also particular. A hooked index finger meant nine, and an index finger overlapping a middle finger meant ten.

In this Children’s Lane, Chen Ping’an and the others all gained something, except for Pei Qian.

Yao Jinzhi got her wish and bought a pile of ancient copper coins from different dynasties, known as “famous springs.” The prices varied, which was nothing. When Yao Jinzhi found a few roof tiles in a small shop, with patterns of Taotie, auspicious sayings, and even a complete set of Four Divine Beasts tiles, Chen Ping’an could feel her surprise even through her veiled hat.

After leaving the shop, she had an extra package. Chen Ping’an said politely that he would help carry it, but Yao Jinzhi quickly refused.

Zhu Lian bought two books of romantic tales disguised as strange stories.

Chen Ping’an bought a white jade Chilong hairpin, plain and without inscriptions. The dragon pattern was simple and smooth. Chen Ping’an fell in love with it at first sight, but thought it was a bit expensive. The shopkeeper quoted eighty taels of silver, saying it was the work of a master jade carver from the previous dynasty, but it wasn’t signed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t sell it for three hundred taels. If it were back when he was studying in Great Sui, Chen Ping’an would have turned around and left. Before today, he would have gritted his teeth and bought it anyway.

Fortunately, Yao Jinzhi stepped in and bargained the price down to thirty taels of silver. She roughly said that she had a jade carving of a daffodil by that master in her collection, which was exquisite and ingenious. She was very familiar with the carver’s techniques and also devalued the Chilong jade hairpin’s material. She left the shopkeeper speechless and reluctantly cut the price in half for the young lady, selling the jade hairpin to Chen Ping’an.

After leaving the shop, Chen Ping’an took the small brocade box, first thanking Yao Jinzhi for helping him bargain, then couldn’t help but smile bitterly, “After what Miss Yao said, how does it seem like this hairpin isn’t even worth thirty taels of silver?”

Yao Jinzhi was silent for a moment. When they had walked far away from the shop, she said softly with a smile, “The hairpin is indeed the work of that master jade carver. Not to mention three hundred taels of silver, it’s worth collecting for five hundred taels. Moreover, this person advocates not carving inferior jade. Your hairpin is of excellent material, so good that he believes it’s ‘the best jade material, the diamond blade dares not fall on a beauty’s face.’ It’s just that everyone can see whether the jade is good or not, but it’s hard to say how good it is. Besides, everyone’s tastes are different, so it’s hard to have a definite conclusion.”

Zhu Lian smiled and nodded, not knowing whether he was praising Yao Jinzhi’s knowledge or agreeing with the master jade carver’s attitude towards beautiful jade.

Chen Ping’an put the brocade box into his sleeve and asked with a smile, “Does Miss Yao really have that jade daffodil?”

Yao Jinzhi smiled, “Those words were all copied from books.”

So she didn’t have it.

Pei Qian rolled her eyes. She had originally thought about sucking up to Yao Jinzhi in the future. Maybe one day Yao Jinzhi would be happy and give her the daffodil jade carving.

Yao Jinzhi added, “The words are indeed from books, but that jade carving is one of my little aunt’s dowries.”

Chen Ping’an could only offer a polite smile.

In this respect, Miss Yao was actually quite similar to her younger brother Yao Xianzhi, except her skills were deeper, so it wasn’t too awkward.

From this, it could be seen that Yao Jinzhi was not difficult to get along with.

Pei Qian had already begun to flatter her, asking sweetly, “Sister Yao, are you tired? Let me carry the package for you. I’m very familiar with carrying things. I’ve been carrying it all the way. I guarantee I won’t break your treasures.”

Yao Jinzhi shook her head with a smile. The white veil of her hat swayed gently.

Pei Qian was a little disappointed, but still unwilling to give up, “Then Sister Yao, you must tell me when you feel tired. There are still more than five thousand six hundred steps from this lane to the post station. Sister Yao, you have long legs, so it’s probably about four thousand seven hundred steps.”

Yao Jinzhi had to nod.

What a strange little girl.

As the four walked in the bustling Children’s Lane, Zhu Lian lowered his head and asked with a smile, “You remember the number of steps so clearly?”

Pei Qian sighed, “I’m bored. Anyway, you won’t let me spend money, so I have to find something to do, what else can I do?”

Zhu Lian laughed heartily.

In the twilight, they returned to the post station where they were staying and went for a walk in the backyard. Chen Ping’an found Lu Baixiang and Sui Youbian playing chess in a small pavilion, having found a chessboard from somewhere. Wei Xian was watching the game.

Chen Ping’an entered the pavilion. They had just finished the game, and Lu Baixiang had won by a small margin.

Sui Youbian’s chess moves were extremely aggressive, with a strong aura. Lu Baixiang, as a man, was not as decisive as Sui Youbian.

Zhu Lian also came over. Sui Youbian said goodbye to Chen Ping’an and left. Lu Baixiang then challenged Zhu Lian, but the hunched old man shook his head with a smile, saying that he was a terrible chess player and didn’t dare to show off. When Lu Baixiang looked at Wei Xian, he said that he wasn’t even a terrible chess player, he just didn’t understand it at all. He just wanted to know the outcome of their chess game because he was bored.

With no one playing chess, Wei Xian left, and Zhu Lian followed closely behind.

Only Chen Ping’an and Lu Baixiang, who was packing up the chess pieces, were left.

Chen Ping’an leaned against the railing, drinking the plum wine from his gourd. Lu Baixiang pinched the pieces with two fingers and quickly put them into the chess box. Even such an inconspicuous movement, coupled with the crisp sound of the pieces colliding and tapping, was not only not boring but also pleasing to the eye.

Chen Ping’an admired him.

If he didn’t lack talent in chess and felt that playing chess was too time-consuming and would delay his fist and sword practice, Chen Ping’an would have really wanted to study how to play chess.

Yao Jinzhi came late. She took off her hat in the post station. After sitting down, she said to Lu Baixiang, who was almost finished packing up the chess pieces, “Mr. Lu, shall we play a game?”
Lu Baixiang glanced at the sky and chuckled, “I reckon this will be a long and arduous battle of wits. Playing chess after dark is no problem for me, but I wonder if Miss Yao will be able to make out the board by then?”

Yao Jinzhi nodded. “With the full moon on the fifteenth, the moonlight should be sufficient for me to barely see. Master Lu need not worry about that.”

They drew lots to decide who went first.

Lu Baixiang took the white stones, and Yao Jinzhi the black.

Chen Pingan stood up, observed the opening moves of both sides, but couldn’t fathom the depths or discern any advantages or disadvantages. So, he returned to the long bench, sat cross-legged, and slowly drank his wine.

Since there were two Grand Quan cultivators in the group, Chen Pingan was reluctant to reveal the secrets of his “Jiang Hu” wine gourd. He couldn’t drink as freely as he’d like during the day. After all, cultivators and martial arts grandmasters had keen eyes, and even a slight gesture of raising the gourd to drink could reveal clues. Chen Pingan’s thoughts wandered far away, and before he knew it, Yao Jinzhi had already left, and Lu Baixiang was tidying up alone.

As he gathered the chess pieces, Lu Baixiang said with a smile, “I hope that one day I can visit that White Emperor City, nestled amongst the colorful clouds. ‘Yielding the first move to all under heaven’ – what a magnificent sentiment, it fills one’s heart with longing.”

Chen Pingan blurted out, “I have… a student who is very skilled at chess. If you ever meet, you can exchange pointers.”

The young Cui Chan, or rather, Cui Dongshan, was a grandmaster who had once played ten games with the Lord of White Emperor City himself!

However, acknowledging Cui Dongshan as his disciple made Chen Pingan feel a bit awkward. After all, he couldn’t exactly call him a friend.

Lu Baixiang didn’t dwell on it too much. Whether it was Sui Youbian or Yao Jinzhi, neither game had forced him to use even seventy or eighty percent of his strength on this Chessboard Mountain. Sui Youbian had genuinely lost, but Yao Jinzhi had concealed her true skill. Even if she had given it her all, she would still have lost. Lu Baixiang was almost arrogant about his chess skills. In those distant hundred years of the martial world, as the founding patriarch of the Demon Sect, Lu Baixiang was not only unrivaled in martial arts, but also invincible in chess.

What Lu Baixiang was truly curious about was how Chen Pingan, despite his young age and not being a Confucian scholar from this Vast Brightness World, already had students and disciples.

After chatting briefly about the customs and local conditions of the prefecture city, Lu Baixiang went to return the chessboard and box, leaving Chen Pingan alone in the pavilion.

It was already late autumn. According to the team’s itinerary, they would reach the ferry outside Mirage City around the start of winter.

He had heard that Mirage City after a heavy snowfall was a rare and beautiful sight in the world.

Chen Pingan’s mind was at peace. In terms of martial arts, compared to his expectations when he left Upside-Down Mountain, progressing to the Seventh Realm, the Golden Body Realm, in ten years could be considered extremely rapid, far exceeding his expectations. This was thanks to the two life-and-death battles both inside and outside Falcon Fortress, followed by a series of fights in Lotus Flower Paradise and the Border Inn. Not only had he successfully reached the Fifth Realm, but he had also laid a solid foundation. Even if he broke through the bottleneck now and entered the Sixth Realm in one fell swoop, Chen Pingan wouldn’t feel like he was rushing things.

Not to mention the “planting seeds” process, Chen Pingan didn’t win easily against any of the others, such as the Golden Core cultivator wearing the Five Peaks Crown, Ding Ying, the number one person in the Paradise, or Li Li, the Guardian Locust Tree of the Grand Quan Dynasty.

Chen Pingan couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to go from the Sixth Realm to the Seventh Realm, or what kind of opportunity and foundation would be required. After the Seventh Realm was the Ascension Realm, also known as the Distant Wanderer Realm, where a pure martial artist would truly ascend to the heavens in one step, able to travel far and wide like a mountain immortal.

There were nine realms for pure martial artists, plus the secret, unrevealed True Apex Realm, making a total of ten.

Among them, the Eighth Realm, the Distant Wanderer Realm, was what Chen Pingan yearned for the most.

In the cold and desolate night, even Chen Pingan, who usually diligently practiced the Eighteen Sword Stances even while riding a horse, decided to slack off for once, simply sitting in the pavilion, drinking and lost in thought.

It wasn’t until Yao Zhen and his granddaughter Yao Jinzhi came for a stroll that Chen Pingan stood up. He noticed that the old man’s face was not very pleasant. Yao Jinzhi said softly, “The prefect of this place only talked to grandfather about battlefield matters during the banquet. Grandfather drank his fill, but the prefect’s office secretly sent a generous gift to the post station, hoping that grandfather would look after his protégé in the imperial court after entering the capital. This has made grandfather quite upset.”

Yao Zhen gently slapped his knee, his expression forlorn, and sighed, “What a fine young man he was back then, full of vigor and righteousness, never afraid to fight on the battlefield. How could he have changed so much after only a decade or so in officialdom?”

Yao Jinzhi smiled and said, “Grandfather, ten years is not a short time. ‘A slight change in cap brings a change in mood, a quick climb to high office, a fresh new face.'”

Yao Zhen snorted coldly, “Adding feet to a snake! Don’t expect me to say half a word against my conscience for this brat in the imperial court.”

Yao Jinzhi asked with a smile, “Does that mean that if he hadn’t sent a gift, you would have spoken well of him out of the friendship you’ve accumulated? Obviously not. Since you wouldn’t do it either way, he might as well take a gamble, betting that you understand the helplessness of officialdom and will have to follow the local customs. He also bets that after you enter the Ministry of War, you will need to rally a group of old military colleagues to avoid being ostracized by the court officials and nobles. When you’re isolated and helpless, and forced by circumstances, the first name you might remember would be the local prefect.”

Yao Zhen smiled wryly.

Chen Pingan didn’t interrupt. However, the fact that the grandfather and granddaughter were willing to discuss these intricate officialdom rules in front of an outsider, Chen Pingan simply treated it as a valuable lesson that was hard to come by, listening attentively.

Once they crossed the Buried River, which traversed the Grand Quan territory, they would have completed half of their journey north.

The Yao family’s team stayed at a post station on the south bank of the Buried River that evening, less than half a mile from the river. Yao Zhen pulled Chen Pingan along to the river to enjoy the scenery and relax.

The hard dish at dinner, Buried River Carp, was exceptional. The carp in this great river had golden scales and red tails, and whether steamed, sweet and sour, or braised in soy sauce, it had no fishy taste at all, but was extremely delicious. It was one of the tributes of the Grand Quan Dynasty.

Unfortunately, the famous Buried River Water God Temple, which moved the court and the common people, was some distance from the post station and the ferry, more than three hundred miles away. Literary figures from several dynasties had left valuable calligraphy on the walls of that Water God Temple. The earliest could be traced back six hundred years, and there were even poems and rhymes of great literary masters from different eras, responding to each other, complementing each other, and secretly competing on the same subject. Coupled with the comments of famous scholars from later generations, the Water God Temple was radiant and shining, and the splendor of its literature and the richness of its literary fortune were even more exaggerated than the Temple of Literature in Mirage City.

The strolling group was divided into three groups. Yao Zhen and Chen Pingan walked side by side in the lead, with Pei Qian following behind with her mountain-walking staff.

The two Grand Quan cultivators who served as accompanying cultivators were with Yao’s “Three of.”
Two cultivators, a pair of Daoist master and disciple, had disguised themselves for this covert mission. Instead of wearing eye-catching Daoist robes, they wore the standard sabers of border troops to blend in. Throughout the journey, the master and disciple kept their distance from the others. The young Daoist had a face like jade, a gentle temperament, like a noble young master from a wealthy family.

Wei Xian, Zhu Lian, Lu Baixiang, and Sui Youbian rarely appeared together as they did now.

Yao Zhen genuinely enjoyed spending time with Chen Ping’an, even though Chen Ping’an was usually quiet. The old general, who was usually stern in his family and the army, became much more talkative around Chen Ping’an. Just then, he was introducing Chen Ping’an to the ranks of the mountain and river deities of the Daquan Dynasty. Besides the orthodox gods of the Five Sacred Mountains, the highest was the Water God of this Buried River, a Grand Protector with the authority to establish a manor, the scale of which was equal to a secular prince.

However, the Water God’s manor was closed year-round, and the Buried River Water God rarely interacted with the world. In the past two centuries, he had only revealed his true form a few times, mostly appearing as a蛟 dragon in the clouds, sometimes visible, sometimes not. Because the incense offerings were so abundant, even surpassing the most orthodox and lofty gods of the Five Sacred Mountains, tens of thousands of people gathered from the north and south on the banks of the Buried River during temple fairs, making the golden statue enshrined in the Water God Temple seem to be shrouded in mist all year round.

Yao Zhen said with a hearty laugh, “Whenever there is a drought, His Majesty the Emperor will personally come to the Water God Temple to pray for rain. Even if he cannot come in person, he will send a member of the Liu clan and the Minister of Rites together to the south. It is extremely effective. The Buried River Water God has never disappointed the people of Daquan.”

After Yao Zhen’s explanation, Chen Ping’an even regretted not being able to pass by the Water God Temple. Otherwise, he could drink plum wine and carve his observations on bamboo slips.

Going down the rolling Buried River for four or five miles, they came across an old man squatting by the river, staring blankly at the water.

Yao Zhen looked back at the old retainer, who nodded slightly. The old general then strode towards the old man.

The old man had a dull expression but a strong physique. However, he was intimidated by the sight of Yao Zhen and his group. He stood up in a panic, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously. He timidly called out “Official Sirs” and then didn’t know how to respond, unsure where to put his hands.

Yao Zhen called him “Brother,” telling him not to be nervous. He casually asked him where he lived and what he did for a living. The old man didn’t dare to hide anything, honestly answering one by one. The final answer was surprising: besides being a farmer, the old man also worked as a corpse retriever, often wandering along the Buried River, calling himself a “Water Ghost” according to old traditions.

Yao Zhen was curious and asked in detail about the Water Ghosts and corpse retrieval. The old man hesitated, probably feeling that this matter was difficult to talk about, afraid that these dignitaries would be displeased. Yao Zhen comforted him kindly, and the old man haltingly spoke about the local customs. There were indeed many unknown secrets. It turned out that these boatmen who called themselves Water Ghosts were paid to search for corpses in the river, or if they encountered a corpse, they would retrieve it. If someone came to claim it, they couldn’t actively ask for money. If the living person was willing to give it, they would accept it; if not, they would consider it as accumulating a merit. Otherwise, they would be plagued by bad luck for at least three years. However, if the family of the deceased didn’t give money and didn’t even offer a meal, they were guaranteed to have bad luck.

Perhaps because Yao Zhen and Chen Ping’an looked friendly, the old man gradually lost his restraint after starting to talk. His indistinct Daquan dialect became smoother, and he actively told Yao Zhen about the corpse retrieval customs. There was even a hint of a smile in the simple old man’s words and expressions. “Perhaps the officials don’t know, but if a man drowns, he will definitely be face down in the water, and a woman will be face up. There are no exceptions. Just look at the riverbank, and you’ll know whether it’s a man or a woman. After pulling them ashore, if no one comes to claim the body, you have to help bury them in a place not far from the Water God’s Temple and then burn three incense sticks in the temple. Then, ask for a strip of red cloth outside the temple and tie it on your wrist, which counts as doing a good deed, and you will be rewarded in the future.”

The old man glanced at the surface of the Buried River, his face becoming heavy. “But there are two types that you can’t retrieve. One is if the corpse is standing straight in the river after death, regardless of whether it’s a man or a woman, we can’t go to retrieve it. If the hair is floating on the river surface, and you can’t see the face, we wouldn’t dare to go, no matter how much money is offered. The other is some young maidens who committed suicide by drowning. If you try to scoop them up with a bamboo pole three times and fail to get them on the boat, then we can’t interfere anymore. As long as you touch them, no one will have good fortune.”

Pei Qian was fascinated at first, but later, her scalp tingled, and she didn’t dare to look at the Buried River again.

The old man’s brow relaxed, and he smiled憨厚地. “When I stop being a Water Ghost, I will find a time when the sun is high and come to this bank to wash my hands, as a greeting to the Water God.”

Yao Zhen nodded and asked, “How many people have you retrieved over the years, old brother?”

The old man thought for a while and shook his head. “I can’t remember.”

Yao Zhen said in a deep voice, “Good people are rewarded. Old brother, don’t feel that corpse retrieval is a dishonorable profession. Accumulating merit and doing good deeds is a very good thing.”

The old man smiled bashfully. “You must be a good official, an upright magistrate.”

This was already the most sincere praise the old man could offer.

It was getting late, and Yao Zhen smiled and bid farewell to the old man.

Chen Ping’an said he would stay for a while longer.

In the end, only the corpse retriever old man, Chen Ping’an, Pei Qian, and Zhu Lian remained. Everyone else returned to the inn.

Zhu Lian continued downstream.

Chen Ping’an sat next to the old man, smiling as he handed over a wine gourd. “Can you drink, old man?”

The old man quickly waved his hand. “Young master, don’t waste such a good thing. Keep it for yourself.”

Chen Ping’an stretched out his arm. “Then you can drink.”

The old man still didn’t dare to accept the wine gourd. Chen Ping’an said softly with a smile, “Old man might not believe it, but I also came from a poor background. I was a kiln worker for many years.”

Seeing that the young master didn’t intend to take back the wine gourd, the old man had no choice but to carefully take it, raise it high, and take a gulp, then quickly return it to Chen Ping’an.

After swallowing the wine, he probably didn’t taste anything, but the old man’s face was already flushed, and he was very happy.

Chen Ping’an took a sip of plum wine himself and asked, “Are you here today to see if there are any corpses floating by, old man?”

The old man shook his head. “The river is dry right now, so it’s not easy to see corpses.”

Saying this, the old man seemed to realize he had said something wrong and felt a little embarrassed. “It’s better not to see them.”

Chen Ping’an hummed in agreement and silently drank his wine.
The old man was a man of few words to begin with. Today, he had chattered so much with Yao Zhen that it was probably more than he spoke in an entire year normally.

Chen Pingan looked at the waters of the Buried River before him, and he was reminded of the Dragon Whiskers River and the Iron Amulet River back home.

The old man suddenly turned his head and smiled, “Young Master, you’ve finally made it through the tough times and are destined for great things.”

Chen Pingan scratched his head, not knowing how to respond. If he said he was penniless, it would sound like he was speaking from a position of privilege. But to admit that he was destined for great things felt a bit off.

Pei Qian was puzzled. Strange, what was there to talk about with such an old man? She thought, you don’t talk much to Yao Laotou, who’s a great general!

The three of them were silent for a long time. The old man, squatting by the riverbank, suddenly sighed and looked at the surface of the Buried River, “I’m going to say some inauspicious words that might not be to your liking, Young Master, but please don’t be offended.”

Chen Pingan nodded and said, “Uncle, please speak your mind.”

The old man said softly, “When my boy was about the same age as you, Young Master, he came across a pitiful soul that shouldn’t have been rescued. He didn’t listen to my advice and pulled him ashore. A few days later, he was gone. I should have stopped him.”

When he spoke of these things, there wasn’t much sadness on the old man’s face.

In the end, when the old man left, he thanked Chen Pingan, saying that the wine was good, the best he had ever tasted in his life.

Chen Pingan stood up and watched the old man walk further and further away.

Pei Qian still didn’t dare to look at the surface of the Buried River.

Zhu Lian had already turned back the way they came. Only then did Pei Qian feel a bit braver.

Chen Pingan sat cross-legged, gazing at the river and the opposite bank, telling Zhu Lian to take Pei Qian back to the post station first. But Pei Qian refused, insisting on staying by Chen Pingan’s side, so Zhu Lian had no choice but to stay with her by the riverbank.

Chen Pingan closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep.

Pei Qian picked up pebbles one by one, bored, but didn’t dare to throw them into the Buried River, afraid of accidentally hitting a corpse standing in the water. Just thinking about a female corpse with her hair floating on the surface of the water gave her goosebumps. Pei Qian subconsciously moved closer to Chen Pingan, gripped the Walking Mountain Staff in her hand, and began to silently recite the chapters of that book, to bolster her courage.

Zhu Lian, his back hunched, squinted and looked into the distance.

What mountain spirits, river deities, ghosts and demons.

The martial madman Zhu Lian naturally didn’t take them seriously.

After a long time, as night deepened, Pei Qian exclaimed in surprise, “Why is there a bridge over the river?”

Zhu Lian was stunned for a moment, and followed Pei Qian’s gaze. Where was any bridge? Only the surging river water.

Pei Qian’s eyes, wide and round, shone brightly, “Wow, a golden bridge!”

Zhu Lian first glanced at Chen Pingan’s back, and there was nothing unusual about him.

The old man was a little dumbfounded, taking it as the mischievous girl’s nonsense. Even if you lied about a corpse in the river, it would be more believable than a golden bridge appearing over the river.

Pei Qian was somewhat puzzled, her expression blank.

Because she seemed to hear Chen Pingan’s voice reading, and the content Chen Pingan was reading was exactly the passage he wanted her to memorize by rote. It was the only thing he wanted her to remember besides that Confucian classic, and he had even written it specifically at the end of the book with a small snow awl, so Pei Qian remembered it deeply.

He never wanted to tell her any principles. Chen Pingan only told Cao Qinglang about the principles outside of books. Pei Qian felt that these words were probably the only thing she was better at than that little bookworm.

At this moment, full of grievances, she loudly recited it.

It was that “The stars follow their courses, the sun and moon shine in turn, the four seasons are governed, the yin and yang transform, the wind and rain bestow widely…”

It was that “The gentleman does not act rashly; when he acts, he acts according to principle. The gentleman does not speak idly; when he speaks, he speaks with reason. The gentleman does not seek recklessly; when he seeks, he seeks with righteousness. The gentleman does not walk aimlessly; when he walks, he walks with integrity!”