He wore a dark cyan python robe, crafted from the shed skin after the Little Loach ascended to the Nascent Soul realm. It was a Dharma Robe that True Lord Jiejian had spent a fortune on, secretly commissioning a master craftsman to create.

Gu Can no longer kept his hands tucked in his sleeves, no longer the unfathomable Mischief King in the eyes of countless rogue cultivators of Shujian Lake. He opened his arms and jumped in place, “Chen Ping’an, you’ve gotten so tall! I thought I’d be as tall as you when we met!”

But the middle-aged man remained silent.

The crowd of onlookers from Chisui City held their breath. Even Lu Caisang, who was as arrogant as Gu Can, felt inexplicably uneasy.

Gu Can scratched his head.

Chen Ping’an finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “Is Auntie well?”

Gu Can nodded vigorously, “Yes! Very well!”

Chen Ping’an said, “I want to see Auntie, may I?”

Gu Can looked aggrieved, “What’s this ‘may I’ business? My mother often mentions you, Chen Ping’an. Why are you being so distant?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I’ll wait for you at the ferry. Finish your crab with your friends first, then take me to Qingxia Island.”

Gu Can chuckled, “Why bother with them? Just leave them hanging. Let’s go, let’s go! I’ll take you to Qingxia Island right now. Mother and I have a big house now, much richer than Clay Tile Lane. Not to mention carriages, even the Little Loach can come and go freely! Imagine how big the road must be, how grand the house is, right?”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Aren’t you going to tell Fan Yan and Yuan Yuan?”

Gu Can shook his head, “No need. They’re just drinking buddies, not worth a fart.”

Chen Ping’an said nothing, but glanced at the “Little Loach” behind Gu Can, the one he had fished out from the rice paddies years ago.

Now, it had manifested in human form, resembling an ordinary young woman. However, upon closer inspection, its golden eyes with vertical pupils betrayed its non-human origin.

When Chen Ping’an looked at it, this descendant of the five True Dragons of Lizhu Cave, who didn’t even respect Liu Zhimao in Shujian Lake, didn’t step back as it had at their first meeting. However, it still lowered its eyes, seemingly不敢 to meet Chen Ping’an’s gaze.

Chen Ping’an said nothing and turned to leave, heading towards the ferry.

Gu Can quickly followed, glanced at Chen Ping’an’s back, thought for a moment, and told Lu Caisang to inform Fan Yan and the others, and to have the Little Loach bring the Golden Core Earth Immortal assassin woman.

Lu Caisang hesitated, but Gu Can’s gaze was icy. Lu Caisang snorted and left.

Gu Can then swaggered after Chen Ping’an, very happy, his large python robe sleeves flapping in the wind, creating gusts of Yin energy.

If it hadn’t been for seeing Chen Ping’an, the woman would have died today, and the execution of her nine generations would have been more than just a joke; they would have been reunited in the underworld.

Gu Can saw that Chen Ping’an didn’t stop as he passed the carriage. Gu Can called out, “Chen Ping’an, aren’t you riding the carriage?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t stop or turn around. “I have my own feet, and I can keep up with the carriage.”

Gu Can then had the Little Loach take the assassin to the carriage, and he followed Chen Ping’an to the Qingxia Island pleasure boat at the ferry.

Along the way, Gu Can neither asked Chen Ping’an why he had slapped him twice, nor did he boast about his power in Shujian Lake. He simply chatted with Chen Ping’an about interesting things he had heard about Longquan County.

However, the closer they got to Shujian Lake, the more dejected Gu Can became.

Just like how he ignored his friends, Chen Ping’an didn’t say a single word to him during this journey. But what was most strange to Gu Can was that Chen Ping’an didn’t seem to be filled with滔天 anger. Instead, he seemed absent-minded, or rather, Chen Ping’an’s mind was immersed in his own affairs, which relieved Gu Can a little.

Gu Can feared most that Chen Ping’an would say nothing, see him, slap him twice, and then leave without a word.

Never to meet again in this life, and if they did happen to meet again in the future, they would be strangers.

When boarding the ship, the Little Loach followed behind with the Golden Core woman. Gu Can cautiously asked, “Chen Ping’an, how about I let that assassin go? I’m in a good mood today; it doesn’t matter if I let her go.”

Chen Ping’an paused slightly, but still didn’t stop, continuing forward.

Gu Can clearly sensed Chen Ping’an’s anger and… disappointment at that moment.

But Gu Can didn’t understand why he had said that, why he had done that… but in Chen Ping’an’s eyes, he was wrong again.

So Gu Can turned his head, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and while still walking, twisted his neck and coldly looked at the woman.

It was all because of this bitch who dared to assassinate him today that he had angered Chen Ping’an! She deserved to die a thousand times; the execution of her nine generations wasn’t enough!

Arriving at the bow of the ship, Chen Ping’an stood still, gazing at the distant lake scenery alone.

Gu Can felt both aggrieved and wanted to be closer to Chen Ping’an, so he had to stand a few steps behind him. He even lacked the confidence to stand side by side with Chen Ping’an.

Just then, the assassin woman, who finally felt a glimmer of hope, suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily to Chen Ping’an. “Please, please let me go! I know you are a good person, a living Bodhisattva with a compassionate heart. Please say a word to Gu Can and let me go this time. As long as you don’t kill me, I will build a memorial arch and a temple for you, my benefactor, and offer incense and kowtow to you every day. Even if you ask me to be a beast of burden for Gu Can, I am willing…”

The Little Loach’s fingers twitched slightly.

Gu Can smiled instead, turned around, and shook his head at the Little Loach, allowing the assassin to kowtow and beg for mercy, the sound echoing on the deck.

Chen Ping’an tremblingly took down his Sword Nurturing Gourd and took a large gulp of wine. Then, he turned around, but not to look at the woman who called him a good person and a living Bodhisattva, but at Gu Can, asking, “Why not just kill her?”

Gu Can said earnestly, “Just killing her won’t work. There are too many people in Shujian Lake who like to seek death. Chen Ping’an, you may not know, in our lawless Shujian Lake, if someone kills me, I only kill them. That would truly be the greatest Bodhisattva heart, and it would be looked down upon and laughed at by all the tens of thousands of rogue cultivators and those cities by the lake that depend on the island owners.”

Gu Can was probably afraid that Chen Ping’an wouldn’t believe him, so he turned to ask the Little Loach, “Is that right? I’m not lying to Chen Ping’an, am I?”

The Little Loach, the most unrestrained one in Shujian Lake, nodded timidly.
This woman, capable of becoming a Golden Core Earth Immortal, and bold enough to attempt assassinating Gu Can, was no fool. She instantly understood the hidden meaning behind that potential lifeline: Could she be killed? She felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss. Her eyes darted around, filled with uncertainty as she lowered her head.

Chen Pingan looked at her and asked, “If I could guarantee that by killing you, everyone connected to you would be spared, what would you do?”

The woman raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, “I know you’re a good person. Why can’t you just let me go too? I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have tried to assassinate Gu Can. I promise that from now on, whenever I see Gu Can, I’ll go out of my way to avoid him. I beg you to save me! Saving a life is more virtuous than building a seven-story pagoda. Please, I beg you!”

Chen Pingan slowly said, “If you had succeeded in assassinating him today, and Gu Can were kneeling on the ground, begging you to spare him and his mother, would you have agreed? Just tell me the truth.”

The woman wiped away her tears and said, “Even if I were willing to spare Gu Can, that sword cultivator from the Vermillion Dynasty would definitely kill him. But if Gu Can begged me, I would definitely spare Gu Can’s mother. I would step forward to protect that innocent woman and never let her be bullied.”

Gu Can smiled brightly.

Of course, he knew this woman was spouting nonsense. To save her own life, there was no lie she wouldn’t tell. Gu Can wasn’t surprised in the slightest. But what did it matter? As long as Chen Pingan was willing to nod, willing to stop being angry with him, and willing to spare one or two ants like her, it was no big deal. He, Gu Can, didn’t care about her cheap life as a Golden Core Earth Immortal, or even her entire clan. These ants, whose initial intentions, promises, and cultivation were worthless, were beneath his notice. Wasn’t the whole point of deliberately detouring to the banquet location this time just for fun? To tease these fellows who mistakenly believed they had the upper hand?

Chen Pingan said slowly to Gu Can, “Killing her in the street, I didn’t think it was wrong. Killing her here is fine too. Killing her after we reach Green Cliff Island, that’s all the same.”

Gu Can was stunned for a moment.

Chen Pingan asked, “What did you call her back in the street?”

Gu Can thought for a moment, “Auntie.”

Chen Pingan asked, “What do I call your mother?”

Gu Can said sullenly, “Also, Auntie.”

Chen Pingan murmured, “A family should be complete. A family should be together.”

Gu Can’s eyes suddenly turned red, and he lowered his head. “Then what exactly do you want me to do? Kill her or let her go? Tell me, so you won’t be angry, won’t get mad, and won’t ignore me like this anymore, Chen Pingan. Tell me, and I’ll do it.”

Chen Pingan turned around. “Up to you. I’ll go to Green Cliff Island to see Auntie, and maybe leave after saying what needs to be said.”

Chen Pingan stopped talking.

Gu Can gritted his teeth, his eyes welled with tears, and his fists clenched tightly.

Gu Can and Little Mud Loach were connected in mind. Without Gu Can saying a word, Little Mud Loach grabbed the Golden Core Earth Immortal as if she were a chick and locked her in a secret room in the ship’s hold.

Chen Pingan stood at the bow of the ship.

During this time, Gu Can went to the top floor of the ship, feeling agitated. He smashed all the cups on the table. Several scantily clad maids trembled, not knowing why their usually smiling little master was so irritable today.

Little Mud Loach stood aside, equally feeling stifled and depressed.

Gu Can raised his head, stared at Little Mud Loach, and laughed, beaming with pride. “Little Mud Loach, don’t be afraid. Chen Pingan is just sulking with me. He was always like this when we were kids. Whenever I made him unhappy, no matter how much I followed him around, trying to butter him up, he wouldn’t pay me any attention, just like today. But every time he saw me or my mother being bullied by the neighbors or the bad guys in town, he would still help us. And then, after I cried and made a fuss, Chen Pingan would be sure to stop being angry. Alas, it’s a pity I don’t have those two snotty noses anymore. That was my greatest weapon, you know? Every time Chen Pingan helped me and my mother, as soon as he saw me wiping my nose, he wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face and would start laughing. After that, he would never be angry with me again.”

Little Mud Loach nodded.

Gu Can and it alone knew why it had taken a step back in the street back then.

It was truly afraid.

It was a kind of awe and dread that touched the very foundation of its Great Dao.

Probably not even Chen Pingan himself, nor the entire Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, nor even Gu Can’s current master, the Intercepting River True Lord Liu Zhimao, knew the reason.

Because this Little Mud Loach was different from the golden carp that was put in the Dragon King’s basket by Li Er, and the five-legged snake in Song Jixin’s yard. The great opportunity to successfully capture the Little Mud Loach was Chen Pingan’s own fortune! It was Chen Pingan’s only chance in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven to seize an opportunity on his own and keep it firmly in his grasp! But Chen Pingan, with his inherent kindness, gave it to Gu Can, who, at the time, was also acting on instinct, shamelessly asking Chen Pingan for the mud loach. This was equivalent to giving away his own opportunity, which then transformed into Gu Can’s own Great Dao opportunity.

But this didn’t change the fact that, to Little Mud Loach, Chen Pingan was still half its master!

Although Chen Pingan was certainly unable to control the Little Mud Loach, which was now at the Nascent Soul stage, it wouldn’t dare to attack Chen Pingan unless its current master, Gu Can, gave it a death order.

Gu Can suddenly collapsed on the table. “Little Mud Loach, besides my mother, only Chen Pingan is truly willing to give me all his best things. Whether he was a kiln worker or after he became one, Chen Pingan was always like this. As long as he had a little bit of money, he wouldn’t buy it for himself. But if I was craving something, he wouldn’t even bat an eye, and would even lie to me, telling me he had made a lot of money. I only found out later from Liu Xianyang that he was lying. Little Mud Loach, tell me, why is Chen Pingan angry?”

Little Mud Loach shook its head.

Gu Can turned around, resting his head on the table and folding his hands in his sleeves. “Then tell me, how long will Chen Pingan be angry this time? Alas, I don’t even dare to tell him about these scantily clad maids now. What should I do?”
Gu Can was streaming with tears, “I know, this time Chen Ping’an is different. Before, others bullied me and my mother, so when he saw it, he would feel sorry for me. So no matter how ignorant I am, how angry I am, he wouldn’t disown me as his brother. But now it’s different. My mother and I are already doing very well. Chen Ping’an will think that even without him, Chen Ping’an, we can still live well, so he will keep being angry and won’t pay attention to me for the rest of his life. But I want to tell him, it’s not like that. Without Chen Ping’an, I will be very sad, I will be sad for a lifetime. If Chen Ping’an doesn’t care about me, I won’t stop him, I’ll just tell him, if you dare to not care about me, I’ll become a bigger villain, I’ll do more bad things, so that Chen Ping’an can hear Gu Can’s name no matter where he goes in Bao Ping Continent, Tong Ye Continent, or the Central Earth Divine Continent!”

Gu Can stretched out his hands and covered his face.

This was the second time Gu Can revealed such a weak side after arriving at Shujian Lake. The first time was during the Mid-Autumn Festival on Qingxia Island with his mother, when Chen Ping’an was also mentioned.

The little loach was connected to Gu Can’s heart, and all the joys and sorrows were shared. It also shed tears.

The ship finally arrived at Qingxia Island.

When disembarking, Chen Ping’an took out a jade token and handed it to the little loach. Chen Ping’an said in a deep voice, “Give this to Liu Zhimao. Tell him to keep it for now, and return it to me when I leave Qingxia Island. Also, tell him one thing: while I’m on Qingxia Island, don’t let me see him even once.”

When it took the token, it was as if a child had grabbed a piece of red-hot charcoal. Suddenly, a sharp cry resounded through the sky, and it almost transformed into its true form as a hundreds-of-zhang-long Flood Dragon, wishing it could smash the Qingxia Island dock into dust with one claw.

Just as it was about to throw it away, Chen Ping’an said expressionlessly, “Hold it tight!”

The little loach was filled with fear and endured the intense pain, still tightly clenching the strange jade token engraved with “I am good at cultivating the majestic aura.” It went to find the True Lord Intercepting the River.

People had been waiting at the dock for a long time, each one bowing and scraping, flattering Gu Can endlessly.

Chen Ping’an said to Gu Can, “Please tell Auntie that I want to have another simple home-cooked meal. A bowl of rice on the table will do.”

Gu Can nodded vigorously. As long as Chen Ping’an was willing to sit down and eat, it would be fine. He told an old cultivator steward on Qingxia Island to quickly notify his mother at home, that there was no need for delicacies, just prepare an ordinary table of home-cooked food!

Gu Can led the way, and Chen Ping’an walked beside him, walking slowly.

Gu Can thought that Chen Ping’an wanted to eat as soon as he arrived at the mansion, so he wished he could stroll around a little longer, and deliberately slowed down his pace.

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “I’ve been in Chi Shui City these past few days, asking about you and Qingxia Island, asking many people, and hearing many things.”

Gu Can lowered his head, “I guessed it.”

Chen Ping’an continued, “Some words, I’m afraid I won’t be able to say them at the dinner table, so I dare not say them. So before I see Auntie, I might say some things you don’t like to hear. I hope that whether you like to hear them or not, whether you think they are nonsense or not, you listen to me first, okay? After I finish speaking, you can tell me what’s on your mind. I also hope that you won’t be like that assassin, don’t worry about whether I like to hear it or not. I just want to hear what’s on your mind, say whatever you’re thinking.”

Gu Can nodded, “You talk, I’m listening.”

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “I’m sorry, I came late.”

Gu Can suddenly stopped walking.

Chen Ping’an also stopped. In the eyes of all the curious cultivators on Qingxia Island, this was a dispirited “middle-aged man.” His face couldn’t be seen clearly, but the eyes revealed a person’s heart. That kind of fatigue couldn’t be concealed.

Back then, the boy in straw sandals and the snot-nosed kid’s farewell in Ni Ping Lane was too rushed. Besides Gu Can’s big bag of locust leaves and being careful of Liu Zhimao, and the need for such a young child to take care of his mother, Chen Ping’an didn’t have time to say many things.

Chen Ping’an raised his head and looked towards the top of Qingxia Island, “After that snot-nosed kid left his hometown, I also left soon after, and started to wander the world. There were all kinds of bumps and bruises, so I was very afraid of one thing. I was afraid that the snot-nosed kid would become you, and that I, Chen Ping’an, would become the kind of person we disliked the most back then: a big, strong man who liked to bully women without men in the house, and if he was stronger, he would bully the woman’s son. After drinking, he would kick a passing child, kicking the child to roll on the ground. So every time I thought of Gu Can, the first thing I worried about was whether the snot-nosed kid was doing well in a strange place. The second thing was whether, after doing well, that most vengeful snot-nosed kid would slowly become someone who, if he had strength and ability, could kick a child when he was in a bad mood, regardless of the child’s life or death. Whether that child would die in pain, whether Chen Ping’an would save him and then when he returned home, the child’s mother would feel sorry for him and have to spend some copper coins at Yang’s shop to get medicine, making life even more difficult for the next ten days or half a month. I was very afraid of that.”

“But you can’t blame others, it’s my fault. The first time I returned to the small town from Great Sui, the second time I wandered the world, I was clearly going south to Old Dragon City. Why was I willing to deliver swords for people a little slower, why wasn’t I willing to take a detour, only delaying a few months, to go see that snot-nosed kid, to see with my own eyes whether he and his mother were doing well, instead of relying on some news, knowing that their lives were safe and that they seemed to be doing well, and thinking that it wouldn’t be too late to go later, until I had made a name for myself and could give that snot-nosed kid more things.”

“Wandering the world, one is responsible for one’s own life and death. You kill the Qingxia Island offering, kill your senior brother, kill today’s assassin. As long as I, Chen Ping’an, am present, if you don’t kill them, if you can’t kill them, I will help you kill them! No matter how many such people come, I will kill them all. If one comes, I will kill one. If ten thousand come, if I can only kill nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, I will only blame my own fists for not being strong enough, and my sword for not being fast enough! Because I promised you, promised myself, protecting that snot-nosed kid is the most natural thing for me, Chen Ping’an. There’s no need to reason, there’s no need at all!”
“But, Gu Can, you have a thousand, ten thousand reasons to tell yourself, to tell me, Chen Ping’an, that Shujian Lake is just this kind of filthy place, the world is just this kind of wretched world. If I don’t kill to establish authority, others will come and kill me. None of these are reasons for you, Gu Can, to wantonly kill the innocent. So many people died inexplicably, without even knowing why. After killing them, can you, Gu Can, get past that hurdle in your heart? I, Chen Ping’an, cannot. I will think, so many people, dozens, hundreds, they are just dozens, hundreds of little snot-nosed kids who followed behind a mud-legged Chen Ping’an in Niping Lane back then, just dozens, hundreds of that mud-legged kiln worker. And then so many people, they all died. That Chen Ping’an who was almost starving to death in Niping Lane and didn’t want to knock on doors, who walked through Niping Lane again and again, didn’t die. That little snot-nosed kid who was kicked by a drunken bastard back then, didn’t die.”

Chen Ping’an stopped speaking and patted Gu Can’s shoulder beside him. “Let’s go, Auntie is still waiting for us. No matter how difficult the road is, we still have to walk it.”

The two walked forward shoulder to shoulder.

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “I, Chen Ping’an, don’t want to be a moral saint, but not being that kind of moral saint doesn’t mean we can be completely unreasonable.”

“I don’t care whether others are reasonable or not. But you, Gu Can, I will care about. Whether caring is useful or not, I will always try. After my parents died, I lost all my relatives. Liu Xianyang, and you, Gu Can, the two of you are my relatives. The world is so big, in the little town over there, I only have you and Liu Xianyang as relatives. I don’t care if the sky collapses anywhere else, but even if the sky really collapses, as long as it falls on you, no matter how capable I, Chen Ping’an, am, I will try to carry the collapsed sky back! Even if I can’t carry it back, can’t lift it up, then I, Chen Ping’an, will die, but I will still seek justice for you!”

Back then in Lizhu Grotto-Heaven.

For Liu Xianyang, Chen Ping’an had tried, planning to die if he had to, to seek justice for Liu Xianyang.

Now, in Shujian Lake, Chen Ping’an felt that just saying these words had exhausted all his spirit and energy.

Different experiences.

The same as what made Chen Ping’an sit alone like a dog by the roadside.

“If I didn’t know you, Gu Can, even if you caused a great disturbance in Shujian Lake, if I just heard about it, I wouldn’t care, wouldn’t come to Chi Shui City, wouldn’t come to Qingxia Island, because I, Chen Ping’an, can’t manage everything. I, Chen Ping’an, only have so much ability. In the mansion of the Weeding Woman Ghost, I didn’t care. In a prefecture city of Huang Ting Country, seeing those sword cultivators, I didn’t care. In Jiaolong Ravine, I cared, and I lost the Mountain Seal that Mr. Qi gave me. In Old Dragon City, I cared, and I had my abdomen pierced by a cultivator. In this world, if you reason with people, you have to pay a price. But not reasoning is the same! The old Jiaolong in Jiaolong Ravine was almost flattened by the sword cultivators! Du Mao was beaten half to death! They are like this, and you, Gu Can, are the same. You live well today, but what about tomorrow? The day after? Next year, the year after that?! Today you can let someone else’s family reunite, tomorrow they can let your mother keep you company, reunited below!”

“If possible, I only wanted a little snot-nosed kid named Gu Can to always live at the end of Niping Lane. I don’t want to have given you that little loach back then. I just want you to live over there in Niping Lane, so that I can see you and Auntie whenever I return home. Whether your family is a little richer, or I, Chen Ping’an, am richer, you mother and son can afford nice clothes, can afford delicious food, and just live a stable life like that.”

Approaching that brightly lit mansion, no less than the home of a prince or marquis.

Chen Ping’an’s eyes dimmed, and he softly said, “I’ve finished speaking, and I don’t have the strength to say anything else. So when we get to the dinner table, you say what you want to say, and I will listen.”

Gu Can raised his arm and wiped his face, without saying a word.

The mansion was very large. After passing through the main gate, it took a long time just to walk to the dining area.

When Chen Ping’an stepped over the threshold, he removed the mask carefully crafted by Zhu Lian, revealing his true face.

A woman dressed in luxurious clothing stood at the entrance of the main hall, eagerly awaiting their arrival. Seeing Chen Ping’an beside Gu Can, her eyes instantly reddened. She quickly walked down the steps and came to Chen Ping’an’s side, carefully examining the youth who had grown much taller. A myriad of emotions welled up within her, and she covered her mouth, unable to utter a single word. In the depths of her heart, the woman felt immense guilt. Back then, when Liu Zhi Mao came to visit and told her about the little loach, she had harbored a venomous thought. As long as she could preserve that opportunity for Can’er, she hoped that the Niping Lane neighbor boy who had helped her and her son so much over the years…

Would just die.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Auntie.”

The woman choked with sobs, “Good, good, good, both of you are doing well, like my Can’er. That’s better than anything else. Hurry inside. The island steward told me in a hurry, so Auntie could only cook two dishes, and the rest were made by the servants in the mansion. But they all followed the flavors of our hometown, so they are definitely authentic home-style dishes. Chen Ping’an, you won’t be unaccustomed to them.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Thank you for your trouble, Auntie.”

The woman glared at him, “Don’t say such nonsense!”

Chen Ping’an stopped speaking.

The mother and son, along with someone whom neither of them regarded as an outsider, entered the house together and took their seats.

Although they were home-style dishes, they were still extremely lavish, filling the entire table.

The woman had also prepared the rarest immortal Uti Wine from Shujian Lake, a world apart from the so-called Uti Wine sold in the marketplace of Chi Shui City.

The woman filled a cup for Chen Ping’an, but Chen Ping’an couldn’t stop her no matter how much he tried to dissuade her.

Gu Can, who didn’t particularly like drinking, especially at home, also asked his mother for a cup of wine today.

The woman was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and poured him a cup.

At the large round table, the woman sat in the head seat, Chen Ping’an sat with his back to the door, and Gu Can sat in the seat between the two of them.

Gu Can turned to his mother and said, “Before we eat, I want to say some things to Chen Ping’an.”

The woman was already skilled at reading people’s expressions and had sensed that something was amiss, but her smile remained unchanged. “Alright, you guys talk. After you finish drinking, I’ll help you pour more wine.”
Gu Can drained his cup of wine, then covered it with his hand, signaling he wouldn’t drink anymore. He turned to Chen Ping’an and said, “Chen Ping’an, how do you think I, Gu Can, can best protect my mother? Do you know how many times my mother and I almost died on Green Gorge Island?”

The woman’s heart trembled, her expression stiff. She sat there, her hands under the table twisting the hem of her clothes.

Gu Can continued, “Just by killing the person who harmed me? What about the mastermind behind the assassin? What about the sneaky villains hiding even further away?”

“Should I seek them out one by one, introduce myself first? Tell them, ‘I, Gu Can, am very powerful, and Mud Carp is even more powerful, so don’t provoke me, or I’ll beat you to death’?”

“Do you think those assassinations on Green Gorge Island were all done by outsiders? Enemies courting death?”

“Do you think it’s impossible that Liu Zhimao, my good teacher, arranged them? Hidden within those murders?”

“You, Chen Ping’an, might say that it’s not necessarily so. Yes, that’s right, I wouldn’t lie to you, saying that Liu Zhimao definitely participated in it! But my mother is one of a kind, and I, Gu Can, only have one life. Why should I gamble on that ‘not necessarily’?”

Gu Can stood up, enraged. “Chen Ping’an! You can beat me to death today, and I won’t fight back, but before you beat me to death, I have to tell you, I, Gu Can, haven’t done anything wrong! Even if I’m wrong, I won’t admit it! I won’t change! I’ll never change in this lifetime! Not even in death!”

Gu Can’s face was twisted, but not with the hatred he usually directed at someone. It was the immense grievance of hating himself, hating the entire Jianjian Lake, hating everyone, and not being understood by the person he cared about most.

“Being here is like consorting with a tiger! If I don’t tear off their skin and wear it, I’ll freeze to death. If I don’t drink their blood and eat their flesh, my mother and I will starve to death! Chen Ping’an, I’m telling you, this isn’t our Mud Bottle Alley, where only those disgusting adults would steal my mother’s clothes. The people here will devour my mother, leaving not even her bones behind, and make her wish she were dead! I won’t just encounter a drunken bastard in the alleyway who doesn’t like the look of me and kicks me!”

“Do you know how scared I am here?”

“Do you know how much I wish you could be by my side, protecting me like you used to? Protecting my mother?”

“Chen Ping’an, you don’t know!”

“All you do is beat me and scold me!”

Finally, Gu Can was covered in tears, sobbing. “I don’t want you, Chen Ping’an, to come to Jianjian Lake next time to build our graves! I still want to see you, Chen Ping’an…”

Gu Can choked with sobs as he walked out of the room, but he didn’t go far. He plopped down on the doorstep.

Chen Ping’an sat there, lifting his head. He said hoarsely to the woman, “Auntie, I won’t drink wine. Can you get me a bowl of rice?”

The anxious woman quickly wiped away her tears, nodded, and got up to bring Chen Ping’an a bowl of rice. Chen Ping’an got up, took the bowl of rice, gently placed it on the table, and then sat down.

There was another bowl of rice on the table.

Back in Mud Bottle Alley, in someone else’s home, Chen Ping’an was a child even younger than Gu Can was now. There was also a bowl of rice, placed just like this on the table.

Chen Ping’an raised a hand, trembling slightly. In the end, he didn’t pick up the chopsticks. Instead, he took out a book from his pocket and placed it next to the bowl of rice.

A book, an old, yellowed boxing manual.

Chen Ping’an reached out and gently smoothed it.

It had accompanied him across mountains and rivers, seen the myriad wonders of the vast world, and witnessed all of Chen Ping’an’s joys and sorrows.

Having been read so many times, it was still neat and tidy, with almost no creases.

He had only shown it to the old man in the Bamboo Lodge on Fallen Phoenix Mountain once, but that time, Chen Ping’an wished the old man would be careful with every page he turned, nagging him countless times. As a result, the old man rewarded him with another beating, scolding him for clinging to a tattered book and still wanting to encompass the world in his boxing intent?

He had shown it to the girl he loved, back when they didn’t yet like each other. He gave it to her because she needed to learn to read, to know what the boxing manual was about. That time, it similarly caused her displeasure, as she mistakenly thought that Chen Ping’an looked down on her, thinking she coveted the manual’s boxing techniques and would steal them.

The kindness of a meal is the kindness of saving a life.

A boxing manual is also the kindness of saving a life.

Chen Ping’an bit his lip, not turning his head. He said softly, “Gu Can, we agreed back then that this boxing manual was borrowed from you, and one day I would return it to you.”

Gu Can suddenly stood up, roaring, “I don’t want it! What’s given to you is yours! I didn’t agree back then that you had to return it! You have to be reasonable!”

Gu Can finally pleaded tearfully, “Chen Ping’an, don’t do this. I’m scared…”

In the eyes of a child who was both extreme and extremely precocious, only Chen Ping’an was reasonable in the world. It had always been like this.

Chen Ping’an didn’t speak, picking up the chopsticks and bowing his head to eat the rice.

He didn’t lift his head again until he had finished the bowl of rice.