A group of women and young girls were washing clothes by the water’s edge. Where the mountains met the water, short orchid sprouts were submerged in the stream, and the pine and cypress trees on the mountains were lush and verdant.

The woman, whom Chen Ping An called Aunt Liu, was spreading clothes on the bluestone slabs by the stream with her daughter, Li Liu.

The small town at the foot of Lion Peak consisted of four or five hundred households. It was quite populous, seemingly bordering Lion Peak, but in reality, there was a world of difference between them. They rarely interacted. Over the centuries, they had grown accustomed to it. Moreover, the mountain path to Lion Peak was some distance from the town. Even the most mischievous children would only run to the mountain gate before stopping. No one dared to offend the immortal ascetics on the mountain. If they did, their elders would drag them home and beat their bottoms on the long bench until they cried.

In the town, those who were familiar to everyone were either from families who worked in the county government, made a fortune outside, and returned home to build a mansion; or whose younger generations were destined to study; or were charming widows who attracted trouble; or, like Aunt Liu, ran a shop, welcoming and seeing off customers. In the rough countryside, people with sharp tongues were not spared by others. Back and forth, they all became acquainted with the woman surnamed Liu. The women in this town used to laugh at the woman surnamed Liu, not believing her when she often said her son was a student at a prestigious academy. They didn’t even want to believe she had given birth to a son at all. So what if her daughter was beautiful? Married daughters were like spilled water. She already had such a beautiful daughter, a sign of good fortune from her ancestors, who was said to have gone to Lion Peak to be a maidservant for some old immortal. If she also had a son with prospects of scholarly fame, she would have all the good fortune to herself. How could they live with that? How could they be happy?

Recently, a kind-looking young man came to the cloth shop. He helped carry water for the shop several times, and his manners were impeccable. He looked like a scholar, had considerable strength, and would help some elderly women draw water. He even remembered people’s faces. After chatting casually one day, he would greet them warmly the next. When he first arrived in town, he brought many gifts when he visited people’s homes. It was said that he was a distant relative of that Li wooden-head (referring to Li Er), but the women didn’t think so. They suspected he was Li Liu’s lover. Some relatively well-off women even went to the shop to see for themselves. Well, not only did they not find fault with the young man, but they all spent a lot of money there, buying a lot of cloth to take home, only to be scolded by their husbands for being spendthrifts.

If the young man had been glib and only cared about helping the shop earn dirty money, they could have joined forces to criticize the woman surnamed Liu behind her back for finding such a money-grubbing son-in-law who was unworthy of respect. They would have had an excuse to scold the woman and the shop to their faces. However, after being complained about by their husbands, the women would touch the cloth themselves. The price was not cheap, but it wasn’t really a rip-off either. They were all used to dealing with firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Couldn’t they tell what was good and bad? The young man helped them choose cotton cloth and silk, never intentionally pushing them to buy expensive things. If they really liked something but it was expensive and not practical, the young man would stop them from wasting their money. That young man had sharp eyes, selling cloth according to their figures, clothes, and hairpins. Those women who had daughters also thought it was good, saying it could make their mothers look several years younger. The price was fair; compared to other shops, this one was clearly selling at a discount.

Therefore, the women didn’t feel that the Liu woman had found a son-in-law too good to be true. After all, he didn’t dress flamboyantly, didn’t have the airs of rich scholars when speaking to people, and looked people directly in the eye when chatting. People with shifty eyes were untrustworthy. These were simple principles that people in the marketplace valued most.

So, the Li family shop chose such a son-in-law, not good enough to make the neighbors envious or jealous, but they had to admit that this young man was not bad and could live a long and stable life.

The women felt differently about the Li family shop’s son-in-law being not too good, but not bad either.

Li Liu listened to her mother chatting leisurely with people, feeling comfortable, and thought about these things while doing laundry, thinking from small things to big things. Small things happened in the shop and the town, while big things were not limited to just one Vast Heaven.

Her being in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven in this life was a carefully arranged plan by the Yang family shop. She knew that this time would be different; otherwise, she wouldn’t be so close to the Yang family shop. In fact, that was the case. When she went to the shop with her father, Li Er, Li Er worked as a handyman, and she went to the backyard. Old Man Yang spoke sternly to her for the first time, saying that if she continued to cultivate in the same way as before, changing her appearance and identity every time, climbing the mountain quickly, only circling around the summit, even if she accumulated for ten lifetimes and passed a thousand years, she would still be a half-baked person who couldn’t even act like a human, and she would still be stuck at the bottleneck of the Immortal Realm. Even if she cultivated to the Ascension Realm in this life, so what? How big could her fist be? Furthermore, with so many Sages in the Confucian academies, would they really give Li Liu a chance to show her skills? After one performance, she would die again. This cycle of dying and being reborn was meaningless. It only meant that every time she died, she accumulated some merit or broke the rules, and the Wen Miao would record it.

In those years in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, Li Liu didn’t show her face much. The impression she gave to the neighbors in the west of the town, besides being a bit prettier, resembling her mother in appearance, but her temperament resembling Li Er, was that she was diligent and didn’t talk much. It seemed like there was nothing else worth mentioning. She didn’t have any particularly close friends of her age, nor did she give the elders anything to criticize.

Li Liu often went to the school to pick up Li Huai after school, but she never spoke to Mr. Qi.

When Mr. Qi was lecturing, he would glance at the girl outside the classroom, at most smiling and nodding slightly.

It seemed like he was just treating her with courtesy, or perhaps regarding her as a person?

Li Liu had seen all kinds of strange things in the world. Coupled with her background, she had long been accustomed to ignoring the world. At first, she didn’t think much about it, just regarding this academy mountain master, who could only tell stories from books to the children in the countryside all year round, as an ordinary Confucian Sage sitting in a small world.

Li Liu had asked the Yang family shop if this schoolteacher, who could only tell stories from books to the children in the countryside all year round, knew her origins. Old Man Yang didn’t give an answer back then.

The only time Mr. Qi spoke to her was when he visited their home and drank with her father, Li Er.
As she placed the simple dishes of snacks on the table, Mister Qi smiled and spoke to her, “Li Liu, we are born between heaven and earth, and in truth, there’s not much difference between us all. It’s just that this long journey, a pursuit of knowledge that feels like there’s no return to our homeland, ultimately decides who we become. It’s not this decaying flesh, but only how we think. It’s not even about what we want, or how far we wish to travel. It’s simply the learning and effort in the word ‘how’. Life is short, and there will be a point where our strength can no longer propel us forward. When we look back then, the path we took will be the ‘how’, step by step, that reveals what we have become.”

Then, Mister Qi gently picked up the large white bowl filled with homemade, inferior wine, “I raise a toast to you all, for only with you do we have this vast world, and only then can Qi Jingchun drink here.”

Mister Qi drained the bowl in one gulp.

Li Liu said nothing, but followed suit and drank a bowl as well.

Inside the house, the woman’s usual thunderous snores filled the air. A child named Li Huai was muttering in his sleep, perhaps still worried about neglecting his studies while playing today. He was likely pondering what excuse to use tomorrow at the school to fool the strict teacher.

Walking back to the shop with her mother, Li Liu carried a bamboo basket. On the way, some townsmen whistled at her.

The woman grumbled about Li Huai, saying he was heartless for not sending a letter home after so long. She wondered if he had forgotten his mother while gallivanting outside, but then worried about him being alone, whether he was eating and dressing warmly enough, and if others were bullying him. Outsiders, she thought, didn’t just stop at simple arguments. If Li Huai suffered, and had no one to support him, what would he do?

Li Liu comforted her mother with kind words, but the woman turned on her, saying she was the most heartless. Li Huai was far from home and couldn’t be filial, but she, as a sister, was just enjoying herself alone on the mountain, while her parents toiled daily at the foot of the mountain to earn a meager living.

Li Liu felt helpless. It seemed Chen Pingan was better at this, as he could put people at ease with just a few words.

On the mirror surface of the Lion Peak Cave Abode,

Li Er wasn’t in a hurry to have Chen Pingan throw a punch today. Instead, he surprisingly began to talk about the principles of boxing.

Li Er cut straight to the point, “We martial practitioners, in the end, cultivate the spirit for breaking enemies and fighting. Even ignorant children probably wish they could shatter walls with a single punch and kill someone. It’s human nature. That’s why I, Li Er, never believe in the inherent goodness of humanity. It’s just that the Confucianists are good at teaching, making people believe that being a ‘good person,’ no matter how confusing, is a good thing. As for whether to do it, that’s another matter. Therefore, when villains commit evil deeds, and many martial artists bully others, they often know they are doing something wrong. That is the merit of scholars.”

Li Er grinned at Chen Pingan, “Don’t think that just because I don’t read and I’m a crude farmer who only deals with the fields, I don’t know anything. I still understand a few principles. It’s just that martial artists are often taciturn. A village that is good at calling cats is often bad at catching mice. My junior brother, Zheng Dafeng, is not good at this. He chatters like a woman all day long. There’s no helping it. People who are smart can’t help but overthink and talk too much. Don’t think Zheng Dafeng is irresponsible. He’s actually quite learned, but unfortunately, he knows too much and it’s not pure enough. So his fists are stained with mud, and he can’t be fast.”

“It’s rare to teach boxing, so I’ll say a bit more to you, Chen Pingan, just this once.”

Li Er looked at Chen Pingan standing not far away, then raised his foot and gently rubbed the ground, “You and I are standing here. You, facing me, Li Er, must maintain an invincible position, even if you are at the sixth realm against a tenth-realm martial artist. The difference in realms doesn’t mean you can’t lose to me, but when facing a strong enemy, if your heart is in chaos before your body and fists move, you’ve lost before the battle even begins, and you’re just courting death.”

Li Er seemed to have made no movements.

Chen Pingan immediately slid back several yards.

The surrounding water on the huge mirror surface briefly froze and even showed signs of flowing backward.

This was caused by Li Er’s boxing intent.

“Having the desire to compete and survive doesn’t mean you have to be a reckless fool who doesn’t know what’s important. Retreating to amplify the boxing intent doesn’t count as taking half a step back.”

Li Er nodded and continued, “If ordinary townsfolk see blades often, they naturally won’t fear sticks. Therefore, pure martial artists sharpen their great path by seeking out peers to spar with, or by going to the battlefield, facing ten or a hundred enemies with swords and spears. In addition to people, they face many weapons, all to train their ability to see in all directions and hear from all sides, and to find a martial spirit. No matter who it is, they dare to throw a punch.”

Li Er smiled, “Before learning real skill, you must suffer and get beaten. It’s not just about making a martial artist’s body and bones strong and resilient, but also about hoping that when there’s a difference in strength, they won’t be afraid. However, if you become obsessed with the art of killing after mastering a set of fighting techniques, you will eventually suffer from it.”

Chen Pingan nodded, “Don’t throw a punch casually.”

Chen Pingan quickly added, “Don’t throw it lightly.”

Only then did Li Er withdraw his hand. If Chen Pingan had only said “Don’t throw a punch casually,” he would have been hit with a solid punch, at least at the tenth-realm Qi Accumulation stage.

Practicing boxing and martial arts is hard work. If you only think about not throwing a punch if you don’t have to, it’s not right.

Li Er stood in place, breathing normally, and extended his left arm, gently patting his left wrist, forearm, joints, and muscles with his right hand, slowly saying, “A person’s muscles and bones are like dragon veins and mountain roots, and every muscle is like mountain peaks. Tempering the muscles and bones and refining the body is about honing every tiny area to the extreme, then adding them together without conflict. A punch down can open a city gate if it’s not already open, and shatter a mountain even if it’s not already broken!”

Li Er withdrew his right hand, and his left arm suddenly shook.

A strong wind rose, causing Chen Pingan’s green robe to flutter.

The water around the mirror surface flowed backward even more.

Chen Pingan listened most attentively to what Li Er said. This was similar to Qi Refiners opening as many abodes as possible to accumulate spiritual energy.

It was about being able to win by overwhelming force in an ostensibly equal contest.

Li Er slowly assumed a boxing stance.
Eventually, the fist form became a fixed pattern. Li Er said, “Feet, hands, eyes, stance, power, Qi, intent, the unity of inner and outer, this is what Qi refiners call creating their own small world. We martial artists, with a single breath of pure true Qi, are like an iron cavalry, expanding territories. Qi refiners, however, pursue guarding their land, like majestic cities and fortresses, deploying troops and arranging formations. Of course, this is what Zheng Dafeng said; I can’t come up with such flowery words.”

Li Er lightly stomped his foot, “If the legs lack strength, it’s like being trapped in a ghost wall. If you take a wrong step at the beginning of martial arts training, it’s like drawing ghost symbols. Don’t even think about reaching that state of ‘divine essence filling the body, a person is complete.'”

Li Er casually extended his finger, gently curved it, and pointed to his own eyes, “To enter the hall of martial arts, you must train your eyes to be clear, anticipate the enemy in your heart, and see the fist with your eyes.”

In an instant, Chen Pingan was struck in the chest by a barrage of fists, flying backward. In mid-air, he twisted his body, his hands grabbing the ground, his five fingers like hooks. Sparks flew from the surface of the mirror. Only then did Chen Pingan stop his backward momentum, preventing himself from falling into the water.

Li Er stood where Chen Pingan had been, saying, “My fist wasn’t heavy or fast, yet you still couldn’t block it. Why? Because your eyes and heart are not trained enough. When facing a powerful enemy, it’s a matter of life and death. Many instincts can save you, but they can also lead you astray. Just now, with my movement, you, Chen Pingan, instinctively looked at my finger and eyes. This is human instinct. Even if you, Chen Pingan, are careful enough, you’re still a fraction of a second late. But this fraction is what determines life and death for a martial artist. Fighting to the death is not like traveling through mountains and rivers; it won’t give you time to think carefully. Furthermore, if your heart arrives but your hand doesn’t, it’s a serious flaw in martial arts training.”

Li Er, after saying this, asked, “Chen Pingan, do you think you’re observant? Are you always careful and cautious?”

Chen Pingan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his palm and nodded.

Li Er said, “This is where the flaw lies in your fist intent. You always think this skill is enough, but on the contrary, it’s far from enough. You probably don’t understand yet that the life-and-death battles of eighth and ninth realm martial artists often end in their own areas of expertise. Why? Because they’re more careful about their weaknesses, but they inevitably become complacent about their strengths without realizing it.”

Li Er then assumed a fist stance, a starting position for a fist technique.

It was actually the School Great Dragon and the Divine Man Beats the Drum stance, with which Chen Pingan was extremely familiar and most skilled.

Li Er said, “The martial arts proverb ‘three heads and six arms are supernatural powers’ is not just a common joke. The world’s fists are divided into thousands, with different fist forms, fist stances, and fist techniques. The stance is the foundation, the stance is the ground, and the techniques are the facade. Combining the three creates different types of fists, creating countless martial arts manuals. You’ve traveled a lot, so you should know that people in the streets often call ordinary Jianghu wanderers ‘martial showmen’; this is the reason.”

Li Er stretched his body and casually delivered a Divine Man Beats the Drum fist. Although it was the same Divine Man Beats the Drum fist, in Li Er’s hands, it seemed gentle but was full of spirit. In Chen Pingan’s eyes, it was vastly different from his own.

Li Er delivered another Divine Man Beats the Drum fist, but with a different fist intent, as rapid as thunder. He suddenly stopped his fist and laughed, “When martial artists fight, as long as the realms aren’t too disparate, and the fist principles are different, there are countless possibilities for victory or defeat. But once they become martial showmen, they’re just flashy and useless. The fist fears youth? A disorderly fist can kill a master? The master doesn’t block or parry, but with just one move, the martial showman, who has been shouting and showing off for half a day, is dead.”

Chen Pingan’s head snapped to the side.

Li Er was already standing in front of him, with a tenth-realm fist held horizontally next to Chen Pingan’s cheek.

Li Er laughed, “You learn when you’re taught, and you do it when you understand. Very good.”

This fist, still “not fast” but with considerable force, if Chen Pingan hadn’t dodged it, the fist-feeding session would have ended there, and Li Er would have had to pole back.

Li Er retracted his fist. Although Chen Pingan dodged the fist that should have landed squarely on his forehead, he still had a blood streak on his face from the dense wind, and it bled continuously.

Li Er said, “You’re good at stealing punches. I’ve been feeding you punches for so long; try to learn the meaning of my fist stance.”

Chen Pingan nodded and delivered a punch, imitating Li Er.

Li Er stood aside, following Chen Pingan’s punch, pointing out some flaws in the fist stance. He lightly kicked Chen Pingan’s calf, and then used his two fingers together, curved, to gently tap Chen Pingan’s wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Finally, he said, “Don’t learn the fist stance rigidly. Everyone’s physique is very different. Just our height is different. Although you deliberately changed the fist into your own and made some changes, it’s still far from enough. Dead strength is not precious; the principles and standards of the fist intent are the highest, because they are alive. The fist is alive; it’s like our pure martial artist’s second life, more important than the Qi refiner’s Yang Spirit body outside the body, the Yin Spirit that travels far away.”

Chen Pingan closed his eyes. After a moment, he delivered the punch again.

“The direction is right.”

Li Er nodded, “Practicing the fist is not cultivating the Dao. No matter how high your realm rises, if you don’t start from the details, then the bones will decay, the Qi and blood will decline, and the spirit will be poor. These things will all happen. The martial showmen at the foot of the mountain injure their bodies by practicing fists, especially external martial arts. They are just exchanging their lives for strength. If the fist doesn’t understand the profound, it’s just seeking death. Pure martial artists can only rely on fist intent to nourish their lives, but this thing is unspeakable and unclear.”

Saying this, Li Er sat cross-legged and waved Chen Pingan to sit down with him.

Li Er was silent for a long time, seemingly recalling some past events, and was rarely sentimental, “‘Beyond realism, the meaning beyond the image,’ this is what Zheng Dafeng said after learning the fist back then. He repeated it many times. I didn’t think much about it, but I remembered it. Listen to it and see if it’s helpful. Zheng Dafeng and I have different approaches to learning the fist. In fact, there’s no superior or inferior in the two principles. If you have the chance, when you return to the Fallen Mountain, you can chat with him. Zheng Dafeng’s fist intent is just lower than mine, so his fist techniques seem inferior to his senior brother. In the early years of learning the fist, Zheng Dafeng always complained that the master was biased, always thinking that the master’s choice of the path of learning the fist for our brothers was deliberately trying to make Zheng Dafeng one step slower, step by step slower. Later, he actually figured it out, but he just didn’t admit it. So I’m annoyed by his broken mouth. A doorkeeper’s mouth is just not guarded all day long. So when we spar, I beat him a lot.”
Li Er clenched his fists, leaning forward slightly. This habitual movement alone gave him the imposing aura of a mountain rising from his back.

It was all intent of the fist.

Li Er slowly said, “Achieving minor success in fist practice, one’s entire body is infused with the intent of the fist during deep sleep. Forewarned of danger, one awakens before an enemy strikes, as if blessed by divine spirits. If it’s like this even in sleep, what need does a martial artist have for protective treasures? This is the same principle as a swordsman needing no other weapon for attack.”

Li Er smiled, lightly tapping the mirror surface with a fist, then loosening it into a palm, and then feigning a fist. “Head to the blue sky and feet to the ground, retracting the fist like cradling an infant. This is the balance of hardness and softness. Blindly pursuing an extreme is never the true essence of fist principles. Over time, the longer one practices the fist, the more one can connect every posture, freely controlling expansion and contraction. Why do I think Cui Cheng’s Divine Man Drumming Fist is a good fist? Even among the best fist techniques in the world? Because while seemingly fierce, it truly captures the meaning of ‘man striking with the fist,’ not man following the fist.”

Chen Ping’an was somewhat puzzled and curious, but the question in his heart was not appropriate to ask.

Because Chen Ping’an wanted to know, in Li Er’s eyes, what kind of pure martial artist was the old Senior Cui from the second floor of Fallen Mountain.

Since the topic of Divine Man Drumming Fist came up, naturally they had to talk about that old man. Li Er looked into the distance and said, “Old Senior Cui Cheng is an extraordinary man. His teaching of the fist to you can be called true transmission. It’s not just feeding you punches and teaching you techniques. Cui Cheng seemingly only taught you the most unyielding and fierce fist methods, but in reality, he complements your Chen Ping’an’s flowing water nature, which is not at all unfeeling. This is the demeanor of a first-rate grandmaster. I, Li Er, cannot do that.”

Speaking of this, Li Er shook his head and repeated, “I definitely can’t.”

Chen Ping’an sighed.

Speaking only of torment and suffering, back in the bamboo building’s second floor, even someone as fearless as Chen Ping’an had to obediently lie on the wooden bed on the first floor, curled up in the blankets and secretly cry once.

Li Er said, “So your fist learning really can only let Cui Cheng teach you the fundamental principles first, and I, Li Er, can only help mend the intent of the fist. If I taught you first, and then Cui Cheng came along, it would be like using ten pounds of strength to farm, only yielding seven or eight pounds of harvest. Meaningless, little prospect.”

Chen Ping’an had a new question.

Why didn’t Li Er spar with Cui Cheng in fist techniques?

After Li Er left the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, he had

Returned to Dragon Spring County once.

But the two tenth-realm martial artists, both standing at the pinnacle of martial arts in the world, did not exchange blows.

Unfortunately, Li Er didn’t talk about that.

Li Er patted his knees, got up, and laughed, “I’ve said just about everything. The words I’ve spoken today are more than all the words I’ve said combined since I came to Northern Entire Reed Continent these years. So next, I will only use the strength of a ninth-realm martial artist to learn from you about the Mountain-Shaking Fist. Don’t worry, I won’t mix in any tenth-realm fist force. But I advise you not to get too happy too soon, this ninth realm is very solid. Your Aunt Liu in the shop wanted to keep you for a few more days, but I couldn’t agree. Wouldn’t want to delay your journey, right? But since feeding you punches was your own choice, if I beat you until you can only slowly recover for two or three months, and it’s difficult to even walk, you, Chen Ping’an, can’t blame anyone else.”

Chen Ping’an was dumbfounded.

This works too?

As a result, a punch came right at him.

Even though Chen Ping’an knew it was bad news and tried to block with his arms, this punch still sent him tumbling, directly falling off the mirror surface and plunging into the water.

That day, Cui Cheng not only didn’t teach Pei Qian fist techniques, but instead put on a Confucian robe, no longer barefoot, and also wore the boots that Chen Rouchu had prepared for the old man long ago. He walked out of the second floor, stood on the first floor, with his hands behind his back, looking at the words on the bamboo building wall, which were written by Li Xisheng drawing talismans in his early years. The characters were excellent. Cui Cheng, as the old patriarch of the Cui Clan in Treasure Bottle Continent, whose grandson Cui Chan’s early learning was, after all, built upon the foundation laid by the old man, certainly knew the high and low quality of worldly essays, and the good and bad of handwriting.

The meaning of these words on the bamboo building was extremely profound, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to make the entire Fallen Mountain sink by several feet.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to maintain a clear mind on Fallen Mountain, no longer that pitiful madman who had been insane for nearly a hundred years.

Pei Qian had already gone to play, followed by the little tag-along Zhou Mili, saying she was going to Riding Dragon Lane to see if the business had lost money without her Pei Qian, and she had to carefully look at the account books to prevent Shi Rou, the nominal shopkeeper, from abusing her power for personal gain.

The old man didn’t stop her. A little kid, without a bit of liveliness and vigor, would she want to learn their old and dying ways, becoming lifeless all day long?

Cui Cheng pushed open the bamboo door on the first floor, which was both a study and had a wooden bed.

It had been cleaned up spotlessly by that girl Chen Rouchu, not a speck of dust.

After Cui Cheng left the room, he went to the Linlu Academy on Piyun Mountain on foot. After returning, he sat by the stone table on the cliff. Chen Rouchu didn’t go down the mountain with Pei Qian. There were many things to do on the mountain, and she was punctual, with many things that she couldn’t finish. Seeing Old Mr. Cui leave the bamboo building, Chen Rouchu quickly brought a large red-lacquered food box over and placed the wine pot and dishes one by one. Cui Cheng asked with a smile why there were no melon seeds. The pink-skirted girl smiled shyly and took out several large handfuls of melon seeds from her pocket and placed them on the table.

Chen Lingjun still liked to wander around alone. Today, he saw the old man sitting on a stone stool drinking alone, and rubbed his eyes hard, only to realize that he had not seen it wrong.

Chen Lingjun didn’t dare to get close to this old man. He was the kind of person who could kill him with one punch in Dragon Spring County.

Unexpectedly, Cui Cheng waved his hand, “Come and sit.”

Chen Lingjun had a bitter face, “Old Senior, if I don’t go over, will you beat people?”

Cui Cheng nodded.

Chen Lingjun immediately ran over. A great man can bend and stretch, otherwise, how could he have survived in Dragon Spring County until today, relying on cultivation?

Cui Cheng smiled, “Deliberately losing money every now and then, is it fun?”

Chen Lingjun blinked, “Huh?”

Cui Cheng saw him pretending to be stupid, and didn’t say anything more. He casually asked, “Has Chen Ping’an never advised you to draw a clear line between you and your Yujiang Water God brothers?”

Chen Lingjun shook his head, gently raised his sleeves, wiping the tabletop cleaner than a mirror, “He’s an even worse softie than me, foolishly talking about loyalty and throwing money around randomly, he wouldn’t say that to me. He even helps me put on a brave face to look impressive.”

Cui Cheng said, “Chen Ping’an’s trip to Northern Entire Reed Continent is half for you. Walking along the Ji River for tens of thousands of miles is not an easy thing.”

Chen Lingjun was silent.

Cui Cheng picked up a spare wine cup, poured wine, and handed it to the green-robed little boy sitting opposite him.
Chen Lingjun, filled with trepidation, said, “Esteemed Senior, is this not a punishment, perchance? Here in Luopo Mountain, I toil diligently, working like an ox or horse. Truly, I have done no ill!”

Cui Cheng chuckled, “Drink up.”

Chen Lingjun received the cup, looking pathetic. He took a tiny sip.

Cui Cheng inquired, “Chen Ping’an treats you thus. Can you, in the future, treat others even half as well?”

Chen Lingjun mumbled, “Perhaps… maybe?”

Cui Cheng smiled, “That is sufficient.”

Now it was Chen Lingjun’s turn to be puzzled. “That is sufficient?”

Cui Cheng merely smiled, offering no explanation.

Chen Lingjun muttered, “You aren’t Chen Ping’an. Your words might hold no water.”

Cui Cheng teased, “Care to wager?”

Chen Lingjun howled, “I truly have little spare coin! Only my wife’s dowry remains, untouched by lightning. Not a single copper can be moved. Truly, I cannot!”

Cui Cheng stated, “Have you ever considered why you feign such fear of me, yet you aren’t *truly* that afraid? Should you encounter individuals or matters you cannot handle, might you even dare to request my assistance?”

Chen Lingjun lowered his head, his fist circling the wine cup. He softly said, “Because of that kind-hearted master of mine.”

Cui Cheng further inquired, “Then have you considered why Chen Ping’an is willing to keep you on Luopo Mountain, treating you no differently than others?”

Chen Lingjun grumbled, “He’s just a soft touch.”

Cui Cheng chuckled, “Because in his eyes, Chen Ping’an, you are not lacking.”

Chen Lingjun whispered, “Bull.”

Cui Cheng: “What was that?”

Chen Lingjun immediately lifted his head, holding the cup with both hands, a radiant smile upon his face. “Old-timer, shall we brothers share a drink?”

The words caught in Chen Lingjun’s throat.

“We brothers?”

Was he courting death?

Alas, his petty pugilistic airs always made him a laughingstock, not to mention endangering his life.

To Chen Lingjun’s utter astonishment, Cui Cheng not only showed no anger but raised his cup and laughed, “Then let us drink.”

After finishing the wine, Chen Lingjun still felt uneasy.

Cui Cheng didn’t detain the little rascal further. “Chen Ping’an is not one to exchange pleasantries with those close to him. Therefore, you might consider whether you are underestimating yourself. There are always some things about you that Chen Ping’an feels he cannot achieve.”

Chen Lingjun nodded vigorously, stood up, and respectfully bowed in farewell. He slowly departed, then suddenly broke into a run. However, after running a long distance, he couldn’t resist stopping and turning back to look.

It seemed Old Cui was acting somewhat strange today.

Cui Cheng drank alone.

In his youth, he felt his heart was a whetstone, its sharpness unmatched, enduring for all eternity.

After another session of martial arts practice.

Chen Ping’an, rarely, was merely covered in blood, yet still able to sit and even use a water technique to scoop water to wash his face.

Li Er sat beside him.

Chen Ping’an retrieved two jars of glutinous rice wine, one for each of them, and they chatted casually.

Because Li Er said he didn’t need any immortal wine.

Though termed a casual chat, it was mostly Chen Ping’an reminiscing about the past.

Unconsciously, he went from the Northern Ju Lu Continent to the Tongye Continent, then to the Treasure Bottle Continent and his hometown.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I remember the first time I went to Fulv Street and Taoye Lane to deliver letters and earn copper coins. Accustomed to the muddy paths of Niping Lane and the Dragon Kiln, I first stepped onto those bluestone slabs, and I was so afraid my straw sandals would dirty the road that I almost didn’t know how to lift my feet. Later, when I sent Bao Ping and Li Huai to the Great Sui, I was a guest at the home of an old Secretary in the Huangting Kingdom, and I felt much the same at the dinner table. The first time I stayed at an immortal inn, I feigned composure, keeping my eyes from wandering. It was somewhat tiring.”

“There was a dinner party at Shujian Lake, organized by Gu Can. There were exiled princes of noble lineage, the sons of great generals, and disciples of immortal masters. If I set aside my disappointment in Gu Can, looking at that composed and natural little snot-nosed kid, I would feel, deep down, somewhat pleased. That’s the selfishness Fire Dragon True Man spoke of. At the time, I felt that the little snot-nosed kid at the end of Niping Lane, even without him, Chen Ping’an, could live well. At Shujian Lake, that was the only time I most wanted to leave and ignore everything, more so than anything that happened afterward.”

“Many things, I’m not adapted to. It’s not a matter of like or dislike, I can only adapt.”

“What is Jianghu, what are Immortals?”

“I opened my eyes wide, diligently observing all the unfamiliar people and things. There were many things I didn’t understand at first, and some things I understood later but still couldn’t accept.”

Li Er spoke up, asking, “Was it difficult?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “It’s just that there’s some discomfort in my heart. But sometimes I also think, along the way, it hasn’t only been difficult things. Besides, I’ve seen so many people in this world who have suffered more than me, yet still haven’t lived better, and have to live as if suffering has no end, so who can they reason with? They can only endure it, getting through one day at a time. If they can’t get through it, like many people in my hometown’s alleys, a serious illness comes, they make a token effort, grab some medicine, boil a few bowls, and then they die. Family members understand, and the person suffering in bed understands even more. It’s not that they’re not sad, it’s just that they truly can’t say anything.”

“If one day, I must leave this world, I must make people remember me. They might be sad, but there absolutely must not be only sadness. When they are no longer so sad, living their own lives, they can occasionally think about how they once knew a person named Chen Ping’an. Between heaven and earth, some things, whether big or small, only Chen Ping’an would do, and would succeed in doing.”

Finally, Chen Ping’an drank his wine, gazing into the distance, and smiled slightly, “Just thinking about being able to eat a plate of stir-fried winter bamboo shoots and meat every winter makes me very happy. It’s like putting down my chopsticks, and winter has already passed and spring has come.”

Li Er turned his head, looking at this young man.

A familiar sight.

(End of Chapter)