(Farewell to the old, welcome the new.)

The commotion at the bamboo building was too great. Awakened, Pei Qian hastily donned her clothes, equipped herself with her paired sabers and swords, and, wielding her mountain walking staff, rushed out the door.

The pink-skirted girl was half a step behind her, also opening her door. Seeing Pei Qian’s nimble figure quickly darting out of the courtyard, the pink-skirted girl sensed something amiss. She hurried to catch up with Pei Qian and, as expected, saw Pei Qian wearing a stern face, radiating murderous intent, while muttering to herself. Knowing Pei Qian’s temperament fairly well, the pink-skirted girl hastily advised, “Don’t be rash! Master has always practiced his fist techniques like this on the mountain in past years.”

It wasn’t that the pink-skirted girl didn’t care about her master, but she knew what was important and didn’t want Pei Qian to suffer any losses at the bamboo building, especially since Elder Cui harbored no ill intentions towards Master.

Pei Qian, head down and running wildly, gripped her mountain walking staff tightly, fuming, “That old turtle is really plotting a rebellion! This entire mountain belongs to my Shifu, and the bamboo building is even more so! The old geezer shamelessly occupies the second floor. My Shifu had just arrived on the mountain, and he was already knocked unconscious by two or three punches. When he opened his eyes, he only chatted with us for a while before getting punched again! My Shifu came home to enjoy his twilight years, not to be bullied by that old geezer!”

The more Pei Qian spoke, the more exasperated she became, repeatedly saying, “It infuriates me, it infuriates me…”

The pink-skirted girl, after all, was a fire python spirit who had entered the Middle Five Realms. She floated lightly beside Pei Qian, cautiously saying, “If Elder Cui really wants to rebel, there’s nothing we can do. We can’t beat him.”

Pei Qian tilted her head and spat, not slowing her pace, gritting her teeth, “Then we won’t fight! I’ll reason with that old turtle! I refuse to believe it. How can there be such an impolite guest in the world, taking advantage of my Shifu’s good nature? I, Pei Qian, am no pushover! I am my Shifu’s first disciple, the eldest martial sister of Cui Dongshan!”

The pink-skirted girl floated backwards beside Pei Qian, glancing at the mountain walking staff in Pei Qian’s hand and the bamboo saber and bamboo sword at her waist, hesitating to speak.

Near Pei Qian’s residence, the blue-robed little boy sat on the roof ridge, yawning. This small-scale ruckus was nothing. Compared to the past when he carried Chen Pingan down the stairs covered in blood time and time again, the current “sparring” on the second floor of the bamboo building was like shifting from heroic frontier poetry to delicate, melancholic verse, unworthy of mention. Pei Qian, this dark charcoal, still had shallow worldly experience.

Zheng Dafeng and Zhu Lian were drinking wine and enjoying the moon in the courtyard, not talking about Chen Pingan, but only about women. Otherwise, two grown men talking about another man late at night would be too inappropriate.

Zhu Lian spoke of Sui Youbian, who had traveled far to Tongye Continent, of the female Taoist Huang Ting of Taiping Mountain, of a fox-like woman named Yao Jinzhi in the Daquan Dynasty, of the servant girl Jin Su by Madam Gui’s side, and of the hot-tempered Fan Junmao.

Zheng Dafeng then spoke of He Xiaoliang, who had already defected from the Divine Inscription Sect, of Su Jia, the righteous Yang Mountain fairy who unfortunately fell into the mud below the mountain, and of the petite but charming palace concubine of the Great Li Dynasty. Later, he went further afield, even talking about the outstanding women born and raised in the small town back when he was guarding the gate of Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, including Gu of Mud Bottle Lane, and even earlier, a woman in Apricot Blossom Lane decades ago, who had only recently become the River Wife of Dragon Beard River, becoming a Mountain and Water Goddess, allowing her to regain her youth, restoring her youthful appearance. She was truly beautiful, but her mouth was a bit sharp, and when she argued, she was even more formidable than his sister-in-law.

Zheng Dafeng took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and said with a face full of intoxication, “A clear moonlit night, drinking with close friends, talking about alluring beauties, truly a heavenly life.”

The set of celadon wine vessels on the table was quite old, clearly produced by a dragon kiln in the small town. Almost perfect, as the imperial tribute of the Great Li Song Clan, according to convention, slightly flawed rejects would be strictly screened out by the officials of the kiln affairs supervisory office, smashed, and discarded on the old porcelain mountain. Zheng Dafeng loved to drink and had a sharp mind, so it wasn’t difficult for him to secretly obtain some porcelain that should have been placed in the Great Li Imperial Palace. Yang, the old apothecary, probably wouldn’t have bothered to even glance at Zheng Dafeng’s trivial matters back then.

Zhu Lian was just lifting the wine pot to pour wine into the empty wine cups when he suddenly stopped, put down the wine pot, but picked up a wine cup, placed it next to his ear, tilted his head, listened attentively, narrowed his eyes, and said softly, “In wealthy households, the sound of porcelain cracking is sometimes heard, no less appealing than the apricot blossom hawkers’ cries in the market alleys.”

After hearing that subtle sound, Zhu Lian pinched the wine cup with two fingers and murmured with a smile, “A small vessel with large crazing, like a country girl, newly in love, fragrant as orchids and herbs. A large vessel with small crazing, like a captivating beauty, whipping her horse and brandishing her whip.”

Listening to these rather pretentious scholarly words, Zheng Dafeng didn’t find them awkward at all, instead feeling at ease along with Zhu Lian.

Logically speaking, an old cook and a gatekeeper should only talk about excrement, urine, and trivial matters.

The bright moon shone brightly, and the clear breeze blew gently.

The two men sat facing each other, understanding each other tacitly.

Such is the beauty of life.

Zheng Dafeng smiled, “Zhu Lian, tell me honestly, during those years of wandering the pugilistic world in Lotus Root Paradise, did you ever truly love any woman?”

Zhu Lian gently put down his wine cup and said with emotion, “When one loves a woman, how can one not be sincere, how dare one not be attentive. It’s just that family, country, and the pugilistic world, everywhere, everything, is beyond one’s control. When I was young, my ambitions were higher than the sky, and I always felt that romantic love, even at its most extravagant, was still too small. Commanding troops and strategizing, achieving great feats, turning the tide, leaving a name in history, when I saw these words in books early on, it was like…”

Zheng Dafeng interjected smoothly, “Like an old bachelor in the deep mountains seeing a beauty bathing, his blood rushing to his head all at once.”

Zhu Lian quickly filled both of their cups, saying that just for that sentence, they should drink a full cup.

The two gently clinked their cups together, Zhu Lian drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and laughed, “The sound of clinking cups with a close friend is even more moving than the sound of a wealthy woman undressing for a bath.”

Zheng Dafeng asked, “Such heavenly music, have you really heard it?”

Zhu Lian nodded, “Past glories, all gone.”

Zheng Dafeng was sincerely impressed and gave a thumbs up, “A master!”

The blue-robed little boy rolled his eyes, unable to understand why these two martial artists, whenever they were together, didn’t talk about martial arts or eat meat in large bowls, but insisted on talking about women who couldn’t be eaten and were the most expensive. No matter how beautiful women were, what good were they? Mortal husbands, even if they were as beautiful as flowers, how long could the flowers bloom?
How many years until a woman fades and her beauty wanes? Even if those female cultivators on the mountain are fair, can beauty be eaten? Can it buy magical treasures with immortal coins? The young boy in blue robes found the interactions between those two utterly mundane and uninteresting.

The key point was that both Zheng Dafeng and Zhu Lian were clearly the most outstanding pure martial artists in the Precious Bottle Continent. If they so adored female beauty, why didn’t they have a single beauty by their side?

In the secular world, even a so-called grandmaster of martial arts, even if only at the sixth or seventh realm, wouldn’t it be simple to indulge in wine and women?

The boy in blue robes leaned back, using his hands as a pillow.

He couldn’t understand why Chen Ping’an could be friends with them.

And truly be friends.

Over at the bamboo building, Pei Qian saw the barefoot old man standing on the second-floor veranda.

The old man smiled and asked, “What, here to stand up for your Shifu?”

Pei Qian blinked. “Old Sir, we’re all heroes and chivalrous individuals of the martial world, so we must uphold righteousness and repay kindness, right?”

The old man said nothing.

He looked down at the charcoal-skinned girl, who appeared to be a natural for martial cultivation, and was puzzled. Why was the kid inside unwilling to painstakingly hone this perfect jade? Chen Ping’an, whatever else he might lack, had some discernment. He shouldn’t be blind to Pei Qian’s innate talent. Why was he letting this lazy little brat be unable to bear pain, and truly not making her diligently practice martial arts, constantly dreaming of overnight mastery of peerless swordsmanship, becoming invincible in two days?

However, the little girl had accepted Chen Ping’an as her Shifu and was utterly devoted, so the old man couldn’t casually interfere. That was true martial world ethics. Even if the little charcoal girl idled away her time every day, squandering her talent, the old man could only wait for Chen Ping’an to return to the Fallen Mountain before broaching the subject. As for how Chen Ping’an would ultimately instruct Pei Qian in martial arts, that was still a matter for those two disciples.

The old man remained silent.

The more silent the old man was, the more uncertain Pei Qian became. She definitely couldn’t win in a fight, and even calling on Old Chef wouldn’t help. It was all because her Frenzied Demon Swordplay was too difficult to master. Otherwise, how could she allow this old tortoise to be so arrogant and domineering? She would have beaten him to his knees, kowtowing and apologizing to her Shifu.

However, Pei Qian was unusually bold today, unwilling to turn and leave.

The girl in the pink dress tugged at Pei Qian’s sleeve, signaling them to quit while they were ahead.

Pei Qian lightly brushed off the girl’s hand, held her head high, and said loudly, “Old Sir, let’s play a game of Gomoku. I’ll set the rules. Whoever wins gets to decide. Do you dare?!”

The old man said expressionlessly, “I dare not.”

Pei Qian was stunned.

The old man suddenly said, “Is it only when your Shifu is beaten to death that you’ll diligently practice martial arts? And then after practicing for a few days, you’ll find it unbearable and just give up, only going to your Shifu’s and parents’ graves every year, as if being diligent there can set your mind at ease?”

Pei Qian’s eyes welled with tears. She pressed her lips tightly together and reached out to tightly grasp the hilt of the saber at her waist.

Just then, a figure in a blue robe swayed out of the room, leaned against the railing, and waved to Pei Qian. “Go back to sleep. Don’t listen to him. Shifu won’t die.”

Pei Qian said, on the verge of tears, “What if he does?”

Chen Ping’an laughed in exasperation. “Then come upstairs. Shifu will have him massage and loosen your muscles, just like Sui Youbian did back in Old Dragon City. Do you want that? I’ll count to three. If you don’t go back to sleep, I’ll drag you up here. You won’t be able to escape. Shifu won’t care about you anymore, and everything will be left to the old senior to handle.”

Chen Ping’an had just counted to three.

Pei Qian took off running, shouting as she went, “There’s no what-if. There’s no such thing as a what-if. My Shifu is amazing!”

The old man sneered, “Not much conscience to speak of.”

Chen Ping’an coughed a few times, his eyes gentle as he watched the departing figures of the two little girls. He smiled and said, “For kids this age, they’re already very good. To expect more would be wrong of us.”

The old man shook his head. “For ordinary disciples, later is just later. Pei Qian is different. The better the talent, the earlier she suffers, and the greater the suffering, the more successful she’ll be. Thirteen or fourteen is not young. If I remember correctly, you were about that age when you got that Shattering Mountain Fist manual and started practicing.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Anyway, I’m Pei Qian’s Shifu. What you say doesn’t count.”

The old man squinted. “What, you’re really raising Pei Qian as a daughter? You need to think clearly about whether Fallen Mountain needs a lawless, rich young miss or a martial arts prodigy with resilient bones.”

Chen Ping’an put his hands on the railing. “I don’t think about these things. I just think that at this age, since Pei Qian has already done many things she doesn’t like, copying books, walking the stakes, practicing the saber and sword, she’s already busy enough. She’s not really idling around every day. So, she should do some things she likes.”

The old man asked, “What exactly is going on with the little girl’s eyes?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “They’ve been like this since coming out of the Lotus Root Paradise. The old abbot of the Eastern Sea View Taoist temple seems to have done something to her eyes, but it should be a good thing.”

The old man was not one to beat around the bush. After asking that question, regardless of whether he was satisfied with the answer, he immediately changed the subject. “After going to Pīyún Mountain this time, did you get itchy hands again and give Wei Bo some gift?”

Chen Ping’an was a little embarrassed and didn’t hide it, saying softly, “A fragment of a shattered glazed golden body that fell into the mortal world after Du Mao failed his ascension.”

The old man had seen the world and directly asked, “How big?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “About the size of a child’s fist.”

Chen Ping’an thought the old man would scold him for being a spendthrift, but unexpectedly, the old man nodded and said, “We can’t only owe Wei Bo favors. Otherwise, in the future, the people of Fallen Mountain will be implicated by you in their mental state, forever living under someone else’s roof and unable to hold their heads up to look at that Pīyún Mountain.”

The old man asked again, “Do you know why I punched you twice to Ruan Xiu’s side by the stream?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head.

The old man said, “Ruan Xiu followed the Sticky Pole Banner to Book-of-Bamboo Lake that year, did you know that?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Almost ran into her.”

The old man scoffed, “Then do you know that she killed a young man that Great Li was determined to have? Even Ruan Xiu herself wasn’t quite clear, but that young man was a disciple prospect that Prince Song Changjing had set his sights on. Back then on Hibiscus Mountain, the situation was already set, the Golden Core Earth Immortal who had abducted the young man was already dead, the ancestral hall of Hibiscus Mountain was dismantled,

The wild cultivators were already dead, but the Great Li Sticky Pole Banner were unscathed, think about it, why didn’t they bring back that promising young man from Great Li’s Northern Territory who should have had a bright future?”
Chen Ping’an was truly unaware of this inside story, falling into deep thought.

The old man divulged some heavenly secrets, “The young man favored by Song Changjing is naturally a martial arts prodigy, one in a hundred years. The reason the Grand Li Stick-and-Carrot Gang (Zhan Gan Lang) sought him out was that when this person broke through his realm early on, still within the lower three stages of martial arts, he attracted the phenomena of several martial temples. Grand Li has always established itself through martial prowess, and the rise and fall of martial luck is undoubtedly of utmost importance. Although Ruan Xiu eventually helped the Stick-and-Carrot Gang find three candidates, Song Changjing, to some extent, held that against her.”

Chen Ping’an asked, puzzled, “Does this have something to do with me?”

The old man almost delivered another punch, wanting to knock some sense into this fellow.

Chen Ping’an seemed to understand something, already shifting several steps away, surprisingly executing the six-step stance of the Mountain-Shaking Fist in reverse, and with utter naturalness.

The old man calmed down slightly and didn’t continue to attack, saying, “You only strive for the title of ‘strongest’, not martial luck, but will Ruan Xiu think that way? Aren’t all foolish daughters in the world hoping that the men they are close to will receive all possible benefits? In Ruan Xiu’s view, if someone of the same age emerges to compete with you for martial luck, then that is a battle for the Great Dao. What did she do? Beat them to death, eradicate them completely, and prevent any future trouble.”

Chen Ping’an’s expression turned somber.

The old man put one hand behind his back and stroked the railing with the other, “I don’t meddle with matchmaking, but as an experienced person who’s getting on in years, I hope you understand one thing: when you reject a girl, you should know what she has done for you. Once you know, if you still reject her, and explain it clearly to her, then it’s no longer your fault, but rather your skill, and another woman’s good judgment. But if you don’t know anything and only pursue your own peace of mind, appearing to be cold-hearted, you are actually being foolish.”

The old man turned his head and asked, “Do you understand this principle?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I understand.”

The old man asked again, “Then what should you do?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I don’t know.”

The old man raised an eyebrow.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Chen Ping’an floated up, supported himself on the railing with one hand, and leaped out of the bamboo building.

But it wasn’t a straight trajectory; he suddenly used a Thousand-Catty Drop, landing on the ground. At the same time, he didn’t hesitate to use a Square-Inch Shrinking Earth Talisman, and patted his Sword-Nurturing Gourd, letting Chu Yi and Shi Wu protect him from behind. Then, he drove the Sword Immortal to move ahead, heavily stomping on the ground, his body like a galloping horse, treading on the Sword Immortal. He resolutely didn’t ride the sword into the open sea of clouds, but instead hugged the ground, winding and turning through the mountains and forests, quickly fleeing.

All done in one breath.

Clearly, he had long prepared this escape route.

The old man on the second floor didn’t give chase, saying, “If you had half of this running ability when it comes to love between men and women, you would have been invited by Ruan Qiong to drink, laughing and calling you his good son-in-law by now.”

In the night, at the end of Yin Shi (around 4:00 AM).

The sky was about to dawn.

Chen Ping’an sat alone on the steps near the summit of Mount Luopo.

Zhu Lian, smelling of alcohol, climbed the steps and sat on the step beside Chen Ping’an’s feet, turning his head and laughing, “Young Master, it’s indeed a bit miserable to have a home but not be able to return.”

Chen Ping’an sighed, “I brought it on myself, can’t blame anyone else.”

Zhu Lian asked, “The sky is almost dawn. If the Young Master isn’t sleepy, how about we go to Longquan New County Town together? To pick up that foreign girl who is now considered half a disciple of Mount Luopo. To be honest, this old servant had to sweet-talk and wear down my lips to convince them that I am a Mount Luopo mountain man, and my words are still considered accurate. But that family also made a request, hoping that the person in charge of Mount Luopo can show their face, otherwise, they won’t dare to let the girl leave home and enter the mountain just like that. So, Young Master, you still have to make the trip yourself.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled, “Alright, it just so happens we’ll pass by the Fengliang Mountain in the north. Let’s go to Dong Shui Jing’s wonton shop first, and then go to that family to pick up the person.”

Zhu Lian chuckled, “Then we can also pass by the ancestral mountain of the Longquan Sword Sect.”

Chen Ping’an lightly kicked him. Zhu Lian didn’t dodge and took the hit, crying out, “Oh, my old back.”

Chen Ping’an stood up, blew a whistle, the sound long and melodious.

The piebald horse, which wasn’t tied up, quickly galloped over.

Chen Ping’an didn’t mount the horse, but just led it, slowly descending the mountain.

He was used to relying on the horse and traveling around.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Is Zheng Dafeng asleep?”

Zhu Lian rubbed his hands and smiled, “Not necessarily. I guess Brother Dafeng is still lying in bed, reading a book of immortals that I lent him.”

Chen Ping’an’s face darkened, regretting having asked.

He quickly changed the subject, “What’s the county town girl’s name?”

Zhu Lian replied, “Cen Yuanji.”

Chen Ping’an said, “It’s quite a strange name.”

Zhu Lian continued, “Such a maiden, tall and slender, even taller than this old servant. She looks thin, but upon closer inspection, you’ll find that she’s perfectly proportioned, a natural clothes hanger, especially her long legs…”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “Are you choosing a disciple for Mount Luopo, or are you choosing a wife for yourself?”

Zhu Lian sighed, “This old servant has the heart to kill the enemy, but lacks the strength.”

Chen Ping’an glanced at Zhu Lian, “A martial artist in the Distant Journey Realm, do you even believe that yourself?”

Zhu Lian changed his words, “Then it’s that I’m old but strong, I have the strength to kill the enemy, but I am self-disciplined and have no intention of killing the enemy?”

Chen Ping’an said, “After she arrives at Mount Luopo, don’t scare her, you and Zheng Dafeng.”

Zhu Lian smiled, “Young Master underestimates Brother Dafeng and me too much. We are the best men in the world.”

Chen Ping’an stopped, handing the Within-Inches Object to Zhu Lian, “I’ll go to the county town to pick her up myself. I remember the address. Give the Within-Inches Object to Zheng Dafeng. He knows the method of opening the mountain, it was originally a gift from him to me, and I haven’t re-refined it. The wine inside, as well as some cursive calligraphy, and many small antique treasures, each should be buried in what place, put in what place, you Zhu Lian are an expert, plan it together with Zheng Dafeng, I trust your vision.”

Zhu Lian took the plain white jade Within-Inches Object,

He had to turn around and climb the mountain, kindly reminding, “After picking up Cen Yuanji, Young Master doesn’t need to rush on the road, it’s suitable for hiking in the autumn, enjoying the scenery and walking slowly, don’t miss the scenery along the way. It’s just… be careful that Master Ruan misunderstands the Young Master.”
Just as Chen Ping An intended for Zhu Lian to accompany him to Longquan County, the hunched old man vanished like a wisp of green smoke in the blink of an eye.

Chen Ping An led his horse down the mountain, his brow furrowed with concern.

Then, man and steed embarked on their journey, traversing mountains and rivers. Compared to the days of wind-swept meals and dewy sleeps alongside Old Man Yao, their path was far smoother. Unless Chen Ping An deliberately sought out the jarring bumps of the saddle, choosing perilous trails through unclaimed mountain ranges, their journey was mostly on well-trodden paths. Each landscape had its own gains and losses, and whether the sights that greeted them were good or bad was hard to say.

One evening, as dusk fell, Chen Ping An led his horse to the mountainside of Windbreak Mountain and found the wonton shop. He saw Dong Shui Jing, who had grown even taller.

Dong Shui Jing’s face was beaming. Without many pleasantries, he simply told him to wait a moment before heading to the kitchen to personally cook a large bowl of wontons. He brought it to the table, sat down, and watched Chen Ping An savor each bite.

Chen Ping An chuckled and sighed, “Now I can only hope that this wonton’s flavor doesn’t change. Otherwise, with the fields uncultivated, fewer familiar faces in town, more and more unfamiliar neighbors, and tall buildings springing up everywhere, it’s both good and bad.”

Dong Shui Jing simply smiled, remaining silent.

Besides Mister Qi, Li Er, and this young man before him were among the few who truly “looked up to” him, Dong Shui Jing, in those early days.

What was especially precious was that when Chen Ping An traveled afar with Lin Shouyi, Dong Shui Jing chose to forgo the opportunity to study at the Great Sui Academy. Logically, Chen Ping An should be closer to Lin Shouyi, but when interacting with Dong Shui Jing, he was still genuine. He didn’t try to force a closer relationship or be overly enthusiastic, nor did he distance himself or look down on Dong Shui Jing for his money-grubbing ways.

Dong Shui Jing would cherish this.

Chen Ping An, as he did during his last return home and reunion with Dong Shui Jing, talked about the recent happenings with the group from Cliff Academy and shared amusing anecdotes from his travels to other continents.

Dong Shui Jing also spoke about his affairs in Windbreak Mountain and Longquan County. After a long absence, the stories of their shared acquaintances were all contained within a bowl of wontons.

Hearing that Chen Ping An was heading to Longquan County and that it was his first time there, Dong Shui Jing planned to close up shop earlier than usual. But then he remembered that some pilgrims might be traveling down the mountain late at night, so he handed the keys to the shop assistant. Only then did he accompany Chen Ping An as they left Windbreak Mountain and headed north towards the county town. There, the lights shone brilliantly like daylight, and from afar, it looked like a scene of prosperous peace with song and dance.

Dong Shui Jing asked about the situation in the central part of Treasure Continent with the southward advance of the Great Li Iron Cavalry.

Chen Ping An told him everything in detail.

Dong Shui Jing softly said, “After great chaos, business opportunities lie dormant within. It’s a pity that I have too little capital and don’t have any connections within the Great Li military. Otherwise, I would really want to take a trip south.”

Chen Ping An thought for a moment. “Near Book Brief Lake, I know a friend named Guan Yiran. He’s now a general and a very decent son of a noble family. I’ll write a letter later and introduce you two. You should get along well.”

Dong Shui Jing straightforwardly replied, “Alright, if we really make a deal, I’ll give you ten percent from my side.”

Chen Ping An nodded. “No problem.”

Dong Shui Jing chuckled, “I was worried you would refuse.”

Chen Ping An smiled. “How could I be friends with you then?”

Dong Shui Jing hesitated for a moment. “If possible, I would like to participate in managing the immortal ferry crossing left behind by the Ox Horn Mountain Parcel Post. You decide how to split the profits, and you can bargain as much as you want. What I seek isn’t immortal money, but the… the bits of news that accompany the passengers traveling from north to south. Chen Ping An, I can guarantee that I will do my best to manage the ferry crossing well and won’t be negligent in the slightest, so you don’t need to worry. There’s one condition: if you have an estimate of the ferry crossing’s potential profits, you can tell me. If I can make you earn even more, then I’ll take on the business. If I can’t, then I won’t mention it, and you don’t need to feel guilty.”

Chen Ping An considered this for a moment. “Alright, then I’ll discuss it with someone first and give you a quote later. Business is business, and I won’t be polite with you.”

Dong Shui Jing smiled slightly. “You’re already being very polite with me.”

Chen Ping An was silent for a moment, then handed Dong Shui Jing a small jar of wine he had sparingly kept in his miniature world. He took down his sword-nurturing gourd, and they each drank. Chen Ping An said, “Actually, I was quite disappointed that you didn’t go to Cliff Academy back then. I always felt like we were the most similar, both coming from poverty. I didn’t have the opportunity to study back then, so I was a little angry when you stayed in town. Of course, that was very unreasonable. Looking back, I realized that you actually did very well, so I have the opportunity to tell you these thoughts of mine. Otherwise, I would have had to keep it bottled up inside.”

Dong Shui Jing took a sip of wine. “I know my own limits. I’m decent at studying, not too bad, but I’m definitely not as good as Lin Shouyi. It’s better to do something I’m good at.”

Chen Ping An chuckled. “You two are so infatuated with Li Huai’s sister.”

Dong Shui Jing’s face turned slightly red, whether from the few sips of wine or something else.

Dong Shui Jing took a big gulp of wine and softly said, “There’s one thing I’m definitely better at than Lin Shouyi right now. If someday Li Liu doesn’t take a fancy to either me or Lin Shouyi, then Lin Shouyi will definitely be furious. I won’t. As long as Li Liu is doing well, I’ll still be… somewhat happy. Of course, not too happy. There’s no need to spout such deceiving nonsense, which would just ruin this good wine. But I believe I’ll be more clear-headed than Lin Shouyi.”

Chen Ping An nodded.

Dong Shui Jing raised the wine jar in his hand. “It’s very expensive, isn’t it?”

Chen Ping An laughed. “It’s really not cheap.”

Dong Shui Jing took a small sip. “Then it’ll only taste better and better.”

Chen Ping An laughed heartily. “Just like me!”

The two fellow villagers with similar backgrounds walked side by side, chatting idly as they made their way north.

When they reached the south gate of Longquan County, there were city gate guards checking registers. Chen Ping An had his registration papers with him, but unexpectedly, when they saw Dong Shui Jing, Dong Shui Jing only symbolically took out his household registration document. The city gate guard’s small leader didn’t even take it.