After Chen Ping’an left the mountain, he first headed to the blacksmith shop. As he walked across the stone arch bridge, the young man clasped his hands together, lowered his head, and hurried along with an incomparably solemn and sincere expression, muttering, “Old immortal, let’s talk things out nicely. Please don’t hit me! If you have any requests, you can come to me in a dream at night. Preferably not during the day, I’m really a bit afraid.”

Fortunately, when he reached the other side of the stone bridge, Chen Ping’an was safe and sound. The young man immediately beamed with joy and went bouncing off to find Master Ruan and Ruan Xiu.

The young man knew no sorrow.

Ruan Qiong still greeted Chen Ping’an under the eaves, with a small bamboo chair for each of them. Ruan Xiu stood behind her father, her face unable to conceal her delight.

Ruan Qiong saw the straw-shoe-wearing boy, covered in dust. He carefully placed the basket in front of him and gently pulled out the cloth bag containing the two landscape maps from under a pile of herbs. As he handed it over, he said apologetically, “When I was climbing Pick-Lamp Mountain, the path was blocked by a large waterfall. I found a place near the deep pool below the waterfall to hide the basket and built a small tree frame to protect it from the wind and rain. I didn’t expect that it rained heavily not long after I climbed to the top of the waterfall. The rain was too heavy! By the time I rushed down, the tree frame had collapsed, and the basket and cloth bag were soaked. Fortunately, the two maps were wrapped tightly in waxed paper. After the sun came out, I took them out to check. Only the edges of the maps were a little wet, but after drying, there were still noticeable marks…”

Ruan Qiong opened the cloth bag and waxed paper, and found that the two maps were almost perfectly intact. The slight damage was negligible. Besides, they were just copied maps. The kiln affairs supervisor and the Longquan County government had no intention of taking them back. But Ruan Qiong was unwilling to use this truth to comfort the boy. He glanced at Chen Ping’an, who was standing in front of him, looking uneasy, and asked, “You were climbing up and down the Dragon Waterfall on Pick-Lamp Mountain during a downpour? Are you trying to die?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said nothing.

Ruan Qiong waved his hand, signaling the boy to sit back down and stop blocking his view.

Chen Ping’an sat back on the lovely green bamboo chair. After returning the two maps to Master Ruan, he finally felt a sense of relief. If he hadn’t been afraid of ruining those two precious maps, this trip into and out of the mountains could have been at least three or four days shorter. Moreover, after so long of relying on each other, the sentimental young man actually felt a deep sense of attachment to the two maps. Whenever the weather was clear and the view was good, Chen Ping’an liked to choose a place with the widest view, then spread out the two maps, look at the mountains and rivers in the distance, and then look down at the map.

For over half a month, Chen Ping’an had never felt so fulfilled.

Ruan Qiong suddenly tossed the two maps lightly to Chen Ping’an. “The chair is not bad. I’ll make two more later. Consider the maps your reward. I’m giving them to you.”

Although Ruan Qiong still didn’t like the Mud Bottle Lane boy, he wouldn’t completely deny Chen Ping’an because of that.

Ruan Qiong could completely imagine the scene: in a torrential downpour, a worried, thin boy rushing down the waterfall, just to take a look at the maps and put his mind at ease.

Of course, in Ruan Qiong’s eyes, this kind of behavior wasn’t heroic at all; on the contrary, it was rigid and pedantic.

To be honest, compared to this miserable boy, Ruan Qiong admired Song Jixin, the crown prince of Great Li, who understood how to assess the situation at a young age, or Liu Xianyang, who was cheerful and carefree, or even Ma Kuxuan, who was sharp-tongued. Even Zhao Yao, the bookworm who had been following Qi Jingchun since childhood, was not as rigid and obtuse as Chen Ping’an.

The reason he temporarily changed his mind and gave the maps to Chen Ping’an on some pretext was because he had decided to draw a line with this boy. The blacksmith shop could accept him as a sword-forging apprentice, but it would never be his first disciple. In the future, he would protect the mountain that the boy bought, as promised, but the boy should never think of having any connection with his daughter.

In the end, Ruan Qiong didn’t look down on Chen Ping’an because of his origins, but because their paths were different and they couldn’t work together.

Ruan Qiong’s disciple had to be his kindred spirit, a friend as well as a teacher, someone who could work with him to build a thousand-year golden age for the sect. Therefore, compatibility was extremely important.

Chen Ping’an naturally didn’t know that Master Ruan’s thoughts had gone around in such a big circle. The boy simply caught the maps, hugged them to his chest, and asked, “Will the supervising officials at the county office have any objections?”

Ruan Qiong sneered, “For at least sixty years, I’m the supreme emperor of this Longquan County, so my rules are the biggest.”

Ruan Xiu muttered, “Dad, why are you so shamelessly boasting about yourself?”

Ruan Qiong ignored his daughter’s interruption and said to Chen Ping’an in a deep voice, “Let’s talk business. Which five mountains did you finally choose?”

Chen Ping’an subconsciously sat up straight. “Around Divine Show Mountain, I chose three: Treasure Records Mountain, Colorful Cloud Peak, and Immortal Herb Mountain.”

Ruan Qiong nodded. “Your taste is not bad. Treasure Records Mountain is very large, ranking among the top among the sixty-plus mountains, and it’s not just an empty shell. If I wasn’t considering the mountain-protecting formation for the future, I would have given up Horizontal Spear Peak to choose Treasure Records Mountain. After all, in this thousand miles of mountains and rivers, unless a mountain god is stationed there or there are hidden treasures, whoever occupies the largest territory and has the most spiritual energy will definitely have the advantage.”

“Immortal Herb Mountain is the only blessed place with the potential to give birth to grass and wood spirits. It’s just a pity that the place is too small. Even if one appears, its roots and quality probably won’t be very good. The reason is simple: how can a small pond raise a large flood dragon? As for Colorful Cloud Peak, it’s quite ordinary. Besides its high terrain and beautiful scenery, it’s not very helpful for cultivation unless you have the ability to bring Cloud Root Stones from Cloud Glow Mountain and place them in several mountain meridian points of Colorful Cloud Peak. Only then might it be a good deal.”

“Didn’t you go see the lake at Yellow Lake Mountain?”

Ruan Qiong’s last question made Chen Ping’an pause. “I did.”

“Continue. What are the other two mountains?”

Ruan Qiong stopped there and didn’t continue the previous topic, which was already benevolent and righteous enough, and he wouldn’t reveal any more secrets.

Because the small lake at Yellow Lake Mountain had the same charm as Immortal Herb Mountain. The difference was that Immortal Herb Mountain had the hope of producing grass and wood spirits, while Yellow Lake Mountain was occupied by a python as thick as a well opening, a veritable “local tyrant”. It had just regrettably lost in a “water war” against a small loach, missing a great opportunity that was right in front of it.

But the beauty of the Great Dao lies in the fact that it never cuts off all paths. Now that the Li Pearl Paradise had shattered and fallen, the golden carp that was captured by Dragon King Lou and taken to Great Sui, the fire dragon that had transformed into a bracelet on Ruan Xiu’s wrist, the loach beside Interception True Sovereign Liu Zhaomao, the wooden dragon that Zhao Yao had brought to life with a stroke of the brush, and the yellowish-brown four-legged snake that was desperately following Wang Zhu – these five little things were the five great opportunities that had truly accumulated in the Li Little Pearl Paradise before it reached the end of its three thousand years of life. As for the gourd for nurturing swords, the demon-revealing mirror, and other magical treasures, of course, they were certainly not bad, but they were still inferior to those five living fortunes.

And the big python at Yellow Lake Mountain had now benefited from misfortune. There was no opponent within a thousand miles who could compete with it, making it a hegemon in the area. In the future, once the mountain and river gods took up residence, if the big python was sensible enough to be recruited by one of them and obtained the official talisman of Great Li, it might have a smooth path from then on, truly embarking on the path of cultivation.

Chen Ping’an said, “I plan to buy True Pearl Mountain and Fallen Phoenix Mountain.”

Ruan Qiong paused, asking curiously, “True Pearl Mountain is fine; it’s just an early spring coin, a treasure that’s worth whatever you’re willing to pay for. But how did you take a fancy to that Fallen Phoenix Mountain? Logically speaking, this mountain is located on the southwestern border of Great Li’s Longquan County. According to your itinerary, you definitely haven’t been there before. It was also a forbidden mountain of Great Li in the past. Did you just choose it based on its name?”

Chen Ping’an was a little ashamed and didn’t want to say the reason.

At that time, Chen Ping’an was spreading out the map, hesitating about which mountain to choose. As a result, a flying bird passed overhead and actually dropped a pile of droppings on the landscape map. Chen Ping’an quickly wiped it clean and discovered that the location of the droppings was exactly on the three words “Fallen Phoenix Mountain”. Chen Ping’an didn’t think too much about it and resolutely chose Fallen Phoenix Mountain, regardless of whether the name was unlucky or not.

Old Yao once said that there were gods between the mountains and rivers.

So Chen Ping’an regarded it as a hint from the Mountain God.

Ruan Qiong thought for a moment. “Choosing Fallen Phoenix Mountain isn’t impossible. Then it’s settled. Fallen Phoenix Mountain, Treasure Records Mountain, Immortal Herb Mountain, Colorful Cloud Peak, and True Pearl Mountain. Five mountains, a term of three hundred years. During this period, even if you dig up and move away an entire mountain peak, no one will stop you. All the products of the mountains, whether herbs, spiritual medicines, birds, beasts, or even secret treasures that you accidentally obtain, belong to the name that is signed on the Great Li Mountains and Rivers Contract.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “I understand.”

Ruan Qiong patiently said, “Some things you need to pay attention to: First, before you die, you must notify the Great Li court through the Longquan County government that you need to change the name or names of the person or people who will inherit the five mountains. Of course, the Great Li Ministry of Revenue will keep a secret file. You can write down a beneficiary for each of the five mountains under your name, in case you suddenly die and don’t have time to explain your affairs or make a will before you die. Second, within three hundred years, if you want to sell the mountains, you can’t decide to do so at any time. You must have the agreement of at least three forces in the Great Li government before the transaction can be realized. And I don’t recommend that you sell these mountains because no matter what high price you sell them for, you will eventually find that you have lost out.”

Although Ruan Qiong was a military sage sitting in charge of one side, he was discussing matters with a newly wealthy boy from a slum on an equal footing. It seemed absurd, but it was actually quite reasonable. Involving the great cause of founding a sect and his daughter’s opportunity to attain the Dao, Ruan Qiong couldn’t help but earnestly explain the situation to the boy in front of him, breaking down the reasoning and situation bit by bit.

Ruan Qiong asked, “Chen Ping’an, do you have any questions you want to ask?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and smiled. “No, I don’t.”

Ruan Qiong nodded. “Then let’s leave it at that for now. I estimate that you still have some copper coins left. Later, I’ll help you keep an eye on the shop transactions in the town. You can also take the opportunity to buy one, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. In the future, the forces in the town will be mixed, so it’s enough to buy one or two old shops with relatively strong foundations.”

Chen Ping’an’s face flushed slightly. “Thank you, Master Ruan.”

Ruan Qiong mocked himself, “The gentleman cherishes virtue, the petty man cherishes land.”

Chen Ping’an was a little confused because he didn’t understand what that sentence meant.

Ruan Qiong waved his hand, chasing him away. “Go do your thing. Don’t worry about these pointless moans. Besides, you’re too young to talk about aspirations and realms.”

Chen Ping’an stood up, carried the basket on his back, and suddenly heard Ruan Qiong say a seemingly nonsensical remark, “After Mr. Qi leaves, there’s no problem with occasionally missing him. It’s human nature, but don’t let yourself get trapped in it, and don’t think about getting to the bottom of it. Once you buy the five mountains and one or two shops, you can lie down comfortably and collect money, get married, have children, and have descendants. That’s considered bringing honor to your ancestors. Whether it’s me, Ruan Qiong, or the Great Li court, we will watch over you and your family. Just like your name, peace and safety are more important than anything else. Maybe someday, when your luck comes, you’ll have the opportunity to walk the path of cultivation.”

Chen Ping’an silently left.

After the boy left the shop, Ruan Xiu sat on the bamboo chair and asked, “Dad, what did you mean by that sentence?”

Ruan Qiong said indifferently, “It means that a petty man whose thoughts and realm are not as good as a gentleman’s will only think about obtaining a peaceful place.”

Ruan Xiu said strangely, “What’s wrong with that? Settling down in one’s hometown is faultless, so why is it considered petty? Who said this sentence? I don’t think it makes sense.”

Ruan Qiong’s face darkened, and he said softly, “So the Confucian saint said again, ‘Where my heart is at peace is my hometown.'”

Ruan Xiu said angrily, “Scholars are so annoying! They’ve said all the truths in the world!”

Ruan Qiong said earnestly, “Xiu Xiu, that’s not a reason for you not to like reading.”

The girl with the ponytail feigned surprise and immediately stood up, saying, “Dad, why do I suddenly have so much strength? Then I’ll go smith!”

—————

Chen Ping’an rushed to the Yang family shop and handed the basket of various herbs to a shop assistant. After weighing the herbs, Chen Ping’an received two taels of silver. In fact, many rare herbs were sold to the shop at half price, and the young shop assistant didn’t recognize many of the herbs, which were actually important medicinal materials that Old Yang valued. These flowers and plants were the real treasures.

But Chen Ping’an’s trip to the mountains was just to pick herbs as a side job, and he didn’t think about making money at all. In fact, after Chen Ping’an learned to burn charcoal in the mountains, he almost always lost money every time he sold herbs to the Yang family shop’s shop assistant. Except for selling them to the honest man named Li Er in the shop, he lost money every time.

Old Yang would never accept Chen Ping’an’s medicinal materials. If Chen Ping’an dared to give them away for free, Old Yang would throw them into the street. But if he sold them to a shop assistant or a resident doctor, then no matter how outrageous the price was, the eccentric Old Yang would turn a blind eye.

Chen Ping’an didn’t see Old Yang this time.

After walking out of the shop, Chen Ping’an found that many people on the road were talking about how something big had happened near the Twelve-Legged Crab Archway. They said that the old supervisor had returned to the town in glory, the Lord Song who had built the covered bridge with his own money before leaving his post. And this time, he had returned with the impressive status of a secretary of the Ministry of Rites, bringing a group of pompous and imposing officials. They had taken a liking to the characters on the four plaques of the Crab Archway. After all, they were all scholars, which was understandable. But for some reason, after receiving the news, the supervisor’s office rushed into the mountains and notified Lord Wu, who had originally planned to go to Far Screen Peak to check on the logging. Then this God of Wealth, along with his staff and aides, hurriedly came out of the mountains and stopped the group of senior officials led by Lord Song.

Chen Ping’an, with nothing to do, followed the crowd to the archway building, standing far away outside the crowd.

He saw eight ladders set up under the four plaques of the archway, with ladders on both sides of each plaque. But at the moment, only two Confucians of vastly different ages were standing on the left and right sides of the “Duty-Bound” plaque. The older one was looking down, seemingly rebuking someone at his feet in harsh words, using the official Elegant Language of Great Li.

Someone patted Chen Ping’an on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Chen Ping’an, what a coincidence! You’re here to watch the excitement too?”

Chen Ping’an turned around and saw the talkative boy with a small cinnabar mole between his eyebrows. He was really a bit afraid of his rambling, so he said, “I’m just taking a look. It seems I can’t understand what they’re saying. I’m going home soon.”

The elegant and delicate-looking boy smiled and said, “Don’t go! If you don’t understand, I can explain it to you. This matter is very interesting! If you miss it, you’ll definitely regret it later! Your town magistrate, Lord Wu Yuan, is now in conflict with the lords of the Ministry of Rites, who are of a higher rank. The one standing on the ladder is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a veritable Great Li dignitary. On the other side, I guess it’s the former supervisor, Lord Song, who has a lot of experience. He patted his chest and boasted to people about the plaques, saying he would guarantee to keep the plaques for you folks, sending them back to your hometown is out of the question, but sending them to the Ministry of Rites is definitely a sure thing, so he became a fifth-rank secretary. So this time, the lords of the Ministry of Rites took the opportunity of conferring titles on the mountain and river gods to come and collect the things legitimately. On the other side, Lord Wu, who regards all the treasures of the town as his own private property, how could he agree when he heard that someone wanted to take away the town’s few remaining precious old objects? To take a step back, even if he was willing to put up with this humiliation, he knows that so many old foxes from the four surnames and ten clans are standing by watching him make a fool of himself. If he acted like a grandson at this time, he would probably have a hard time becoming the master of those large clans in the future. The already troubled selection of locations for the Civil and Military Temples will definitely fall through.”

Chen Ping’an listened carefully to the boy’s animated explanation and asked, “Who exactly are you? How do you know so much?”

The boy held up a finger, pointed at himself, and laughed. “Me? Haha, I’m not an official of the Great Li court. My surname is Cui, and my name is Chan. The word ‘Chan’ is relatively rare and difficult to write, which is very troublesome. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Chen Ping’an looked into the boy’s eyes.

The boy looked natural and said with a smile, “I’m older than you, so you can call me Uncle-Master Cui.”

Chen Ping’an smiled.

The boy also laughed, gently rubbing his cheeks with his hands. “It’s okay. I also have a nickname. It should be easier to say, call me Embroidered Tiger.”