The current state of the small town was like a sand table crafted by the generals of Great Li, the war already concluded, deemed useless, and casually covered with a black cloth.

Chen Ping’an lit an oil lamp in his own house, starting to count his possessions: three bags of refined copper coins—one bag each of offering money, welcoming-spring money, and warding-off-evil money. One bag was a gift from the Great Sui prince, who said it was to thank him for encountering the golden carp. The two bags left by Gu Can were payment for the mudfish.

As for the two bags of coins originally meant to thank Chen Ping’an, he had implored Chen Dui to pass them on to Liu Xianyang during his journey out of the mountains. Although Chen Dui was puzzled, she didn’t refuse. Perhaps she was surprised by the lowly alleyway boy’s choice, or maybe she was in a good mood after the successful ancestral rites. Chen Dui, breaking the norm, revealed a smile and said some heartfelt words in a gentle voice, assuring Chen Ping’an that her promise as a direct descendant of the Yingyin Chen clan was far more valuable than two bags of refined copper coins. Chen Ping’an was skeptical, not fully believing it, but Ning Yao, after hearing about the “direct descendant of the Yingyin Chen clan,” privately told Chen Ping’an to relax.

Mr. Qi had gifted him seals on two separate occasions, totaling four. The first two seals, “Serene Mind, Deeper Understanding” and “Chen Shiyi,” were Mr. Qi’s own cherished snake-gallstone carvings. The latter two seals were carved by Mr. Qi based on the snake-gallstones gifted by Chen Ping’an, following their natural shapes. One was in small seal script, the other in clerical script. Coincidentally, the two seals could be combined to form a landscape painting of green hills and clear waters, one robust and one delicate. Mr. Qi carved the characters “Mountain” and “Water” on them, respectively. According to Ning Yao, they could probably be called a pair of “Mountain-Water Seals.”

Chen Ping’an placed Lu Daoren’s two prescriptions, three sheets of paper, on the table.

Ning Yao had once criticized Lu Daoren’s handwriting as bland and tasteless, lacking human spirit, talent, worldliness, or immortal aura—nothing at all. It was like the examination-obsessed “pavilion style” of the secular dynasty’s scholars, rigidly obedient and obsequious.

Chen Ping’an naturally couldn’t discern the depth and quality of the young Daoist’s calligraphy, nor would he look down on those three sheets of paper simply because Ning Yao’s evaluation was low. Moreover, Lu Daoren had said before leaving that it wasn’t easy to learn to read and write in the small town, and that Chen Ping’an could start learning calligraphy from his prescriptions.

At this moment, Chen Ping’an carefully picked up the last sheet of paper. He had seen the “Lu Chen Edict” seal at the end before and hadn’t given it much thought, but now that he himself possessed as many as four seals, he found those few small characters particularly endearing. Chen Ping’an imagined that in the future, when he had some spare money, he would buy books and add them to his home collection, then gently stamp the “Chen Shiyi” seal in cinnabar on the title page or the last page. The thought of this made Chen Ping’an grin.

However, he soon encountered a dilemma: with seals, he would need ink. The New Year’s cake shop in Riding Dragon Alley had a general store next door that sold everything, with a sign bearing the characters “Herb Head.” Song Jixin and the maid Zhi Gui frequented this shop, and it was where they bought their so-called Four Treasures of the Study and scholarly paraphernalia.

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, deciding that he would wait until he could read and write, and until he encountered a book that he fell in love with, before buying a box of ink.

Besides these, there was also a hemp bag of carefully selected snake-gallstones, seven or eight of them, of various colors, but whose colors remained vibrant even after being out of the water for so long. The bag’s mouth was open on the table, revealing stones as large as an adult’s palm, as medium as a child’s fist, and as small as a pigeon egg, nestled together in an endearing manner.

Chen Ping’an had originally hoped to give them to Liu Xianyang. Song Jixin, although a sharp-tongued bookworm, had made a very insightful point. He had said that the same small item, sold by a vendor outside Mud Bottle Alley, would sell for a few coins, but with great effort, whereas if it were placed in a cabinet in the Herb Head shop, it would start at three or four taels of silver, and the customer could either buy it or get lost if they didn’t have the money.

Though the speaker hadn’t meant anything by it, Chen Ping’an thought that Song Jixin’s words made a lot of sense. Therefore, the snake-gallstones, kept here in the small town, would probably not fetch a high price, but if they were given to Liu Xianyang, who was going to the great place of the Yingyin Chen clan, even if he was cheated and undersold, he would definitely get more money than Chen Ping’an could.

As for whether it was better for him to hold onto a thatched cottage or for his friend to win a mountain of gold and silver, there was no need for Chen Ping’an to consider the question.

Otherwise, why be friends with Liu Xianyang?

So even though Liu Baqiao of Wind and Thunder Garden seemed like a decent person, Chen Ping’an would never take him seriously, no matter how much Liu Baqiao called him brother.

Finally, Chen Ping’an picked up the jade hairpin, which Mr. Qi had said was a gift from his teacher in his early years and was an ordinary object, not a rare treasure.

Eight small characters were engraved on the jade hairpin.

Ning Yao had explained the meaning of the phrase “Thinking of the gentleman, his virtue is as warm as jade.”

Gentleman.

Even though Chen Ping’an had never studied, he still felt that this word must be a very weighty title.

Ning Yao’s voice came from the doorway, “Why don’t you wear the hairpin? Since they were willing to give it to you, they naturally hope that you’ll make good use of it.”

Startled from his reverie, Chen Ping’an looked up and asked with a smile, “What brings you here?”

Ning Yao sat across the table from Chen Ping’an, glancing at the hairpin in Chen Ping’an’s hand. “I’ve examined it carefully. It really is just an ordinary hairpin, with no hidden mechanisms. At first, I thought it was a small grotto-heaven.”

Chen Ping’an was confused. “What?”

Ning Yao looked at Chen Ping’an’s “bottom-of-the-trunk heirloom” on the table and explained, “A grotto-heaven, you’ve heard of that term, right? Ordinary people just think it’s a figure of speech used by scholars, not to be taken seriously. But it’s actually quite significant. There are two types of grotto-heavens in the world. One type is like the Jade Pearl Grotto-Heaven we’re in, which belongs to one of the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens and Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto-Heavens, the ‘grotto-heaven blessed land’ kind. Some of them have vast territories, thousands or even tens of thousands of miles wide. Legend has it that the Dao Ancestor possesses a Lotus Grotto-Heaven, which is one of the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto-Heavens, but the surface of just one lotus leaf is larger than the capital of your Great Li Dynasty.”

Chen Ping’an was taken aback, doubting it. “Impossible, right?”

Ning Yao smiled and pointed her thumb at herself, confidently saying, “I don’t believe it either, so I’ll go see it with my own eyes in the future and come back and tell you if it’s true!”

Chen Ping’an said softly, “Such strange and bizarre places, not just anyone can enter them, right?”

Ning Yao chuckled. “Who do you think I am?”

Chen Ping’an quickly changed the subject. “Miss Ning, please continue talking about grotto-heavens.”

Ning Yao casually picked up a small, exquisite snake-gallstone, peach-colored, and fondled it in her palm, saying, “Any great grotto-heaven can connect heaven and earth, with abundant spiritual energy. That’s a true immortal abode. A cultivator’s training is twice as effective within. The master of a grotto-heaven must be someone with great fortune, and they have long been divided up among the leaders of the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools, allowing no one else to interfere. The Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto-Heavens are more like hidden secret realms, like a woman partially covering her face with a pipa. Among them, the Peach Blossom Spring Grotto-Heaven has the most beautiful scenery, the Gale Wind Grotto-Heaven is the most secluded and dangerous, and the Jade Pearl Grotto-Heaven…”

Chen Ping’an asked curiously, “What’s wrong with our place?”

Ning Yao’s lips curved upward, and she pinched her fingers lightly. “The smallest, just this big, a tiny place, not worth mentioning.”

Chen Ping’an simply sat cross-legged, lounging lazily, leaning on the table, and then raised a fist, sequentially raising each finger, and said softly with a smile, “But here, I met Mr. Qi, Old Man Yang, Liu Xianyang, Gu Can, and of course you, Miss Ning.”

Ning Yao also smiled. “There’s also another type of small grotto-heaven, which is a place for storing items. Buddhists have the saying ‘a mustard seed can contain Mount Sumeru,’ while Daoists have ‘a universe in their sleeves.’ The other Hundred Schools also have their own variations. The gist of it is ‘a small space can contain heaven and earth.’ In short, it means that a tiny object can hold many things. However, compared to true grotto-heaven blessed lands, these treasures with the title ‘grotto-heaven’ cannot hold living beings. One of my mother’s most valuable dowry gifts was a jade bracelet, and the grotto-heaven inside was about the size of this house.”

The grass-shoe boy, ignorant of the vast world, was a bit disappointed. “So small? Look at the Dao Ancestor’s lotus leaf, it’s as big as a city.”

Ning Yao became angry, leaned forward, and reached out to slap Chen Ping’an’s head. Chen Ping’an quickly leaned back, dodging left and right.

Ning Yao tried several times but failed. Suddenly inspired, she pretended to throw the peach-colored snake-gallstone in her hand.

Chen Ping’an quickly panicked. “Don’t throw it, don’t throw it! If the edges get chipped, it’ll definitely be worth a lot less copper coins!”

Ning Yao pouted, put down the snake-gallstone, but then suddenly and swiftly raised her hand again.

Chen Ping’an quickly closed his eyes, unable to bear to watch.

With a thud, she slammed the stone heavily on the table, and Ning Yao burst into laughter.

After opening his eyes, Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “Miss Ning, can you not be so childish?”

Ning Yao raised a narrow eyebrow, and with a sweep of her elbow, the stone was knocked off the table.

Chen Ping’an scratched his head with both hands, looking miserable.

It was impossible to reason with Miss Ning.

Ning Yao chuckled and reached out with her other hand from under the table. The stone, which should have fallen to the ground, was lying in her fair palm.

Chen Ping’an still held his head in his hands, looking pitiful.

Ning Yao stopped teasing Chen Ping’an and asked seriously, “What will you do in the future?”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment and answered honestly, “After I finish the heavy work for Master Ruan, I want to go into the mountains to burn charcoal myself, and I can also pick herbs and sell them to the Yang family’s shop.”

Ning Yao hesitated and asked, “Then what about the Mountain-Moving Ape on Mount Zhengyang, the woman from the Xu family in Qingfeng City, the River-Intercepting True Lord Liu Zhimao, and Cloud Radiance Mountain and Old Dragon City behind Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua? What will you do if they come looking for trouble? Where will you run?”

Before Chen Ping’an could speak, Ning Yao said in a deep voice, “So Lu Daoren told you that no matter what, you have to shamelessly stay in the blacksmith shop, that’s the right path.”

Chen Ping’an worriedly said, “What if it brings a lot of trouble to Master Ruan?”

Ning Yao sneered, “A sage who presides over the operation of a small grotto-heaven, would he be afraid of this trouble?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Then I’ll ask Master Ruan later, tell him all the facts, and see if he’s still willing to take me as a long-term apprentice.”

Ning Yao supported her cheek with one hand and flipped through the snake-gallstones with the other. “In this small town, there’s nothing that a bag of refined copper coins can’t solve. If there is, then two bags.”

Chen Ping’an said with a miserable face, “It hurts my heart.”

Ning Yao glanced sideways at him. “When you were planning to give them all to Liu Xianyang, why didn’t your heart hurt?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “Two different things, can’t be compared.”

Ning Yao rolled her eyes. “In the future, which woman, unfortunately, becomes your wife, I estimate she’ll want to slap you to death every day.”

Chen Ping’an said earnestly, “If I really have a wife, that’s another matter entirely. I’m not stupid, I won’t let my wife be wronged.”

Ning Yao didn’t believe it at all, with a face full of sarcasm.

The charcoal-like boy crossed his arms and sat cross-legged, showing a rare bit of arrogance, humming, “If my wife is wronged, not to mention the old ape of Mount Zhengyang, even that Dao Ancestor you mentioned, I’ll kill him! I don’t know if I can kill him, but I’ll kill him first anyway!”

Ning Yao was very surprised, dumbfounded.

She had always thought that Chen Ping’an wasn’t a stubborn person, of course, except for killing Cai Jinjian and fighting the Mountain-Moving Ape. Usually, Chen Ping’an never seemed to get angry, and his temperament wasn’t biased either, a warm, good temper.

If Fu Nanhua or Song Jixin, those proud children of heaven, said these words, Ning Yao would have thought it was natural and not surprising, but coming from Chen Ping’an’s mouth, Ning Yao couldn’t quite believe it, so she couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

Chen Ping’an grinned. “My dad only fought with people once in his life, and it was for my mom, because someone in Riding Dragon Alley scolded my mom. My dad couldn’t stand it, so he went and had a big fight. When he came back, my mom complained for a long time, but my dad told me privately, whether you can win or not is one thing, whether you fight or not is another. What’s the point of a man marrying a wife if he doesn’t protect her?!”

Ning Yao felt a little strange. “Hmm?”

Chen Ping’an scratched his head, embarrassed. “My dad’s good at firing porcelain, but he’s not good at fighting. When he came home, he was bruised and swollen, beaten badly.”

Ning Yao reached out and held her forehead, not wanting to speak.

She was silent for a moment, then stood up and said, “Let’s go, back to the shop.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Shall I take you to the mouth of Mud Bottle Alley?”

Ning Yao said unpleasantly, “No need.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t insist, but only took Ning Yao to the courtyard door.

Ning Yao didn’t turn her head, but knew that the boy was still standing at the door.

Good people who aren’t pedantic, their hearts will be especially warm and bright, like plants that face the sun.

This itself is a very beautiful thing.

The orphaned and helpless boy from Mud Bottle Alley, called dirt-legs and lowly lives by those outsiders, earth-grubbing ants in the marketplace.

But the boy ultimately has his own life to live, and he also wants to live well, not for greed of enjoyment. In fact, the boy has been a very hardworking child since he was young. He just simply thinks that if his parents knew in the afterlife, they would definitely be relieved, even though the Chen family only has Chen Ping’an alone, but one person can still live a good life, which means that the family passed down from his parents is still good, even if the family only has one person left.

Even if he has money to buy Spring Festival couplets, he needs to paste them himself, and no one will tell Chen Ping’an whether they are crooked or straight. The character “Happiness” pasted on the door needs himself to set up a ladder, with no one to help.

A person lives a lifetime, responsible for their own life and death, not wanting to ask anything from God.

So these people seem to have a good temper, but their bones are especially hard. Their fate will also be especially hard.

Walking out of Mud Bottle Alley, the girl suddenly felt a little lost, and also a little guilty.

For leaving without saying goodbye.

After Chen Ping’an returned to the house, he stared blankly at the oil lamp.

Dazed, Chen Ping’an seemed to be half-asleep, half-dreaming.

He seemed to have inexplicably walked to the southern end of the covered bridge, only vaguely remembering that it was pitch black all the way, and he couldn’t even see a few feet away.

But when he stepped onto the stairs, the heavens and the earth suddenly burst into light.

Chen Ping’an walked dazedly along the corridor of the covered bridge, suddenly a dazzling white light bloomed in the center of the corridor, seemingly even more blinding than the light before, containing a more noble meaning of the Dao. Chen Ping’an was clearly tearing up from the pain in his eyes, but for some reason, he could see the strange scenery there even more clearly.

A tall figure, with a blurred face, was standing in the middle of the covered bridge.

Somewhat similar to Mr. Qi when Chen Ping’an first saw him in the alley, with flowing sleeves, all white, like a god or an immortal.

But in the wild and unbridled subconscious, Chen Ping’an was absolutely sure that the figure in front of him was more ethereal than Mr. Qi, as if he or she was further away from the human world.

Chen Ping’an moved forward slowly, and he seemed to hear the soft whispers of a fox-like woman in his ear, bewitching people, “Kneel down, and you will have great luck.”

Then someone shouted majestically, shaking people’s hearts: “Mortal, why don’t you kneel down quickly!”

Then a neutral and peaceful voice said indifferently: “As worldly people, you need to kneel to heaven, earth, monarch, parents, and teachers, what harm is there in kneeling, in exchange for reaching the top of the Great Dao.”

There was also a vicissitudes and hoarse voice, “This kneeling is equivalent to walking across the Longevity Bridge, climbing the Azure Cloud Ladder, and crossing the Heavenly Trench, don’t hesitate, kneel quickly, if heaven gives you something and you don’t take it, you will be blamed!”

A familiar voice shouted desperately, “Chen Ping’an, stop quickly! Neither move forward, nor turn around, and never kneel. Just persist in place for a stick of incense, how much spiritual energy and will can you, a mortal body, bear? Don’t act against heaven…”

It sounded a bit like Old Man Yang’s scolding and warning.

Only the old man’s voice became lower and lower later.

At the same time, someone smiled gently: “Chen Ping’an, why not stand up straight and take a few steps forward to try?”

It sounded like Mr. Qi.

Chen Ping’an instinctively straightened his back, stopped, and looked around blankly.

He only knew that he had many questions he wanted to ask Mr. Qi.

Many noisy voices rose and fell, “This is Ma Kuxuan’s deserved opportunity! You quickly get out of here!”

“Even if Ma Kuxuan can’t get it, it should fall into the hands of that celestial-being Ning Yao, what are you!”

“Your Chen clan is just a pile of mud that can’t be supported, you should have had your incense extinguished long ago, yet you dare to covet the divine object, shameless little bastard!”

“Chen Ping’an, don’t you care a lot about Ning Yao and Liu Xianyang and the others, turn around and return to the town, leave the opportunity to your friends, wouldn’t that be better? Qi Jingchun has already used his death to exchange for the stability of you mortals, in the future, live in peace as a rich man, marry and have children, and there will be an afterlife, wouldn’t that be very good?”

“If you dare take another step forward, I will grind your bones into ashes!”

Chen Ping’an took a step out.

The covered bridge shook violently.

Heaven and earth were silent, and the noise disappeared.

There were sighs, fear, panic, awe, and sighs, a mess.

After Chen Ping’an took a step, he naturally took a second step forward, and at this time he realized that Mr. Qi was walking side by side with him.

The entire covered bridge and outside the covered bridge suddenly became pitch black again.

When the boy stopped before, he was no longer tearing up from the light, but at this moment he choked up for no reason, and asked at the urging of his spirit, “Mr. Qi, are you leaving?”

“Yes, I’m leaving. Too many people outside want me to die, and I can’t make my own choice.”

“Mr. Qi, who are we going to see?”

“Not ‘we’, it’s you. The person you are going to see is an… old man?”

With a loud bang.

Mr. Qi seemed to have been knocked away by a single blow, but Mr. Qi laughed heartily, and finally did not forget to say in a deep voice: “Chen Ping’an, the Great Dao is under your feet, go!”

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath, raised his foot and prepared to take the third step.

A voice sounded from a place extremely far and high, instantly piercing through layers of heaven and earth, and smiled: “No more than three times, stop when you’ve had enough.”

Someone snorted coldly in the middle of the covered bridge.

Chen Ping’an suddenly woke up, and found that he was lying on the table, the oil lamp was still burning, and the boy subconsciously turned to look out the window.

It was dawn.