The young scholar, Yang Ningxing, found his face flushed crimson, gasping for air as he desperately clawed at the arm constricting his throat. Surely, this was a misunderstanding; why the unwarranted violence from a stranger?

But the white-clad youth seemed consumed by an inner fire, for instead of loosening his grip, he shifted his stance, rooted himself, and with a surge of power, yanked Yang Ningxing backward until his spine nearly kissed the earth.

“Good Master Zheng,” Yang Ningxing choked out, his vision blurring, “Intervene! I beg you! This… student of yours… possesses the strength of a demon! He intends to kill me!”

The fair-faced youth, a crimson birthmark upon his brow, regarded Zheng Daifeng with eyes alight with mischief. With a vicious twist of the wrist, he tightened his hold until Yang Ningxing’s eyes rolled back in his head. Then, heedless of his victim’s distress, he grinned. “Daifeng brother!”

Zheng Daifeng chuckled. “Cui, old friend! You remain as youthful as ever.”

Truth be told, Zheng Daifeng was closer to the grizzled old chef and Wei Shanjun. The trio treated this “Great White Goose” with a wary distance, neither intimately familiar nor openly hostile.

“What brings you to these parts, old friend?” Zheng Daifeng inquired.

Cui Dongshan grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “A mountain man has his secrets, Daifeng!”

Chen Pingan offered a gentle reprimand: “Dongshan, enough. Soon, Wood Mao will feign death and send me a bill for his ‘ailments.'”

With a sigh, Cui Dongshan released the scholar, helping him to his feet. Yang Ningxing massaged his throbbing neck, coughing fitfully. Cui Dongshan patted his back, all smiles. “Forgive me, Wood Mao brother! My enthusiasm got the better of me. I’ve long admired you, and the sight of you overwhelmed me. You hold no grudge, do you?”

Yang Ningxing forced a weak smile. “Of course not.”

To a cultivator and a mortal scholar, there exists two vastly disparate worlds.

The moment a cultivator treads the path of ascension, a new reality unfolds.

Clarity dawns, the mind’s eye opens. Each individual, every detail is rendered with stunning clarity. Eyelashes flutter, the weave of garments expands into a fisherman’s net. The delicate lines around a maiden’s eyes, the subtle creases formed by rouge on her face, stretch across her skin like miniature plowed fields.

Nearby footsteps, the rhythm of breathing, the pulse of a heartbeat, echo in the cultivator’s ears like the thunder of drums.

Thus, every cultivator must first acclimatize to this overwhelming sensory deluge.

Furthermore, every spell, every incantation, even the flight of a swordsman’s blade, stirs the very air, leaving behind delicate ripples.

To those with trained eyes, these invisible threads are as visible as a stone cast into a placid pond.

This was why Yang Ningxing found it unsettling enough that someone could approach so stealthily. That he could be ambushed and throttled with no chance to retaliate sent a shiver of dread down his spine.

This was the Five Colors world, a place where cultivators of the Upper Five Realms were few. This was not the Northern Continent, where dragons and serpents slumbered at every turn.

*What use is my nascent core in such a place?!*

Around the rough wooden table, Chen Pingan, Zheng Daifeng, Cui Dongshan, and Yang Ningxing sat upon long benches, though Cui Dongshan squashed himself beside the scholar. With an exaggerated jostle, he bumped shoulders with Yang, smiling ingratiatingly. “Wood Mao brother! I possess some skill in physiognomy. Your luck runs high; fortune smiles upon you. You are destined for great things in this world! Let us cast aside pretense, set up a stall, and barter in an exchange of trinkets. What say you?”

Yang Ningxing blushed, embarrassed. “I fear I have little to offer…”

With lightning swiftness, Cui Dongshan seized the scholar by the neck once more, twisting his body in a blur of motion.

Yang Ningxing blurted out: “I misspoke! My shame is less severe than it seemed. I have acquired things of worth. I can barter!”

*Damnation! This student surpasses his master in sheer unpredictability!* Chen Pingan thought. *In the Valley of Ghosts, even Master Zheng was never so cavalier with justice.*

Chen Pingan merely raised his wine bowl in a silent toast to Zheng Daifeng, taking a sip and allowing the spectacle to serve as entertainment.

*Evil men have their own tormentors. Like brine to tofu, one thing is bound to subdue another.*

Cui Dongshan reclaimed his seat. “We shall not rush. First, we must drown our sorrows in wine.”

His master rarely spoke of his journeys. When he did recount tales of the mountains and rivers, his words were swift and few. But he had spoken of this Wood Mao with an unusual fondness, a hint of mirth playing on his lips when discussing the black-clad scholar.

Long ago, upon reuniting with Jiang Shangzhen, Chen Pingan had learned the truth: that Yang Ningxing, the “Little Heavenly Sovereign” of Cloud Summit Palace, was a natural Dao seed. He would attempt the perilous act of severing the three corpses, condensing his darkest thoughts into a single seed of the spirit. By excising this seed, Yang Ningxing hoped to mitigate the perils of heart-demons when ascending from the Nascent Core to the Jade Purity stage.

Severing the Three Corpses was an act of heavenly ascension, and one unique to the Daoists. The Buddhists had their own path, taming the monkey of the heart – a similar, yet distinct path.

Chen Pingan had witnessed both; not only Yang Ningxing, but also a white-robed monk in the wilderness, tending a wild monkey within a cave carved into the cliff face.

The black-clad scholar claimed that he had fought alongside Chen Pingan, sharing the spoils of war. This was not untrue. They had schemed and plotted in the Valley of Ghosts, finally emerging with their own riches. Yang Ningxing had acquired the “valuable” golden carp from the Old Dragon’s lair, an opinion voiced by Jiang Shangzhen himself.

And if Jiang Shangzhen deemed something valuable, then it was a treasure beyond measure.

Chen Pingan had held a grudge, wondering if this Wood Mao had tricked him out of his fair share.

Yang Ningxing watched as the white-clad youth produced a folding fan of jade bamboo. With a flourish, he snapped it open, revealing four bold characters: REASONING WITH VIRTUE.

*Could it be? Am I in the presence of a like-minded soul?*

“Wood Mao brother,” Cui Dongshan declared, “I possess a secret art that can liberate you from Yang Ningxing’s control. Otherwise, you will remain a puppet, a dish on someone else’s table. Why waste your existence on a table?”

With a face of grave sincerity, Cui Dongshan pressed his point. “Let us strike a bargain, brother! Such a treasure is found but once in a lifetime. Cherish this moment, for opportunity knocks only once!”

Yang Ningxing chuckled. “Cui brother jests. Even the Great Swordsman Bai Chang cannot sever this causal thread.”

Cui Dongshan scoffed, waving the fan dismissively. “Bai Chang is but a blade of grass. *Skill is specialiazation, specialization is mastery.*”

Yang Wood Mao turned to Chen Pingan, a quizzical look on his face. “Good Master Zheng, is this truly your student? Or is he the master that guides you?”

Chen Pingan laughed. “A student, without a doubt.”

Cui Dongshan flipped the fan, revealing the other side.

DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR.

Yang Ningxing gasped, recoiling in mock terror. Clasping his hands, he cried: “At long last, a kindred spirit! Cui brother, your words pierce my very soul. The essence of Yang Wood Mao, the very core of my being, is contained within these eight characters!”

Cui Dongshan drew from his sleeve a small porcelain dish. With a shake, a scattering of candied peach slices tumbled into it. He looked at Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan shook his head. Cui Dongshan popped one of the slices into his mouth, then thrust the dish towards Zheng Daifeng. “Daifeng brother, taste! A delicacy, rare and soon to vanish from this world!”

Zheng Daifeng needed no encouragement, grabbing a handful of the slices. After chewing, he smiled with appreciation. “Delicious indeed.”

Chen Pingan offered the dish to Yang Ningxing, who took a candied slice with reverent care. Chen Pingan returned the dish to Zheng Daifeng. “Wood Mao brother, what are your plans?”

Yang Ningxing savored the slice, his eyes alight. It was as if a long drought had broken, nourishing his very essence. Glancing covetously at the three remaining candied slices, he answered: “I shall wander further. Having come from the south, I now venture north, seeking a visionary ruler to serve as court advisor. Should you pass through, Good Master Zheng, I insist on repaying your hospitality!”

Chen Pingan nodded.

“Good Master Zheng, after this exchange with Cui brother, I shall truly depart,” Yang Ningxing persisted.

Chen Pingan nodded again.

Seeing that he could not be swayed, Yang Ningxing swallowed his pride. “Will you not invite me to your Retreating Summer Palace? Who knows, I might accept! While I am no swordsman, I could serve as an advisor, aiding the Flying Ascension City and the Hidden Official lineage in whatever small way I can.”

Chen Pingan took a sip of wine, smiling wryly. “The Retreating Summer Palace is but a humble abode, hardly fit to house one as wise as you. A forced melon is seldom sweet. I see no need to linger on the thought.”

“Sweet? Why not? A treat such as this, enjoyed but twice or thrice a year, could sweeten even the bitterest melon! And you know that I am happy to bear burden if there’s reward at the end of the trail. I would not even require a salary as an advisor!”

Yang Ningxing devoured the remnants of the candied slice, secretly channelling Qi to the essence and storage of the remnants. As he reached for another slice, Cui Dongshan slammed the fan down upon his hand, sending him recoiling with a grimace.

“Why seek afar when opportunity lies so near? Take advantage of a windfall.” Cui Dongshan fanned himself idly, smiling. “If I am not mistaken, after you travel north, becoming a Protector of the Realm, gaining your own land and a puppet king, you will seek to align yourself with a scion of Yao Qing of the Azure Heaven dynasty. You seek protection, while the Azure Heaven Dynasty shall acquire land and influence. With your luck, Wood Mao brother, such dreams are not far off. I am certain it will have some great impact.”

Yang Ningxing fell silent, his expression unreadable.

Cui Dongshan pressed his advantage. “But the gates to that opportunity are years away. You travel, a Nascent Core cultivator, seemingly unbothered… but you should feel unease. If I, Cui Dongshan, am a sign of good fortune, what other things might you encounter? You should be afraid! I speak this with caution, to be sure. So you will think yourself safe.”

Chen Pingan allowed Cui Dongshan to continue his manipulations.

Cui Dongshan spoke the truth: the black-clad scholar was blessed by fortune. Were it otherwise, his seed would have long ago vanished.

This was why Chen Pingan felt an unspoken sense of farewell when he parted ways with the black-clad scholar, the fear that this was the last they would see each other.

Yang Ningxing laughed, turning to Chen Pingan. “Good Master Zheng, I trust you more. Speak frankly: does this Cui brother truly offer a mutually beneficial path?”

Chen Pingan nodded. “He does. Though it is not an everlasting solution, it will grant you centuries of advancement without relying on that ‘Yao Qing’. What you do with that time, how you navigate your relationship with Yang Ningxing, and whether you ascend to Jade Purity or beyond – those are things that will rely entirely on your fortunes.”

A weight lifted from Yang Ningxing’s shoulders. “Good Master Zheng has earned his reputation as an honest merchant.”

Master Zheng was overly cautious, but never malicious.

The true reason for Wood Mao’s travels was a desire to find his true road, aligning himself with Yao Qing. Such a journey would provide benefit to the rest of the split spirit.

Chen Pingan asked, “Has the real Yang Ningxing already arrived in the Five Colors world, then secretly journeyed to the Azure Heaven world?”

The black-clad scholar turned and drained his bowl, wiping his lips with his sleeve. His eyes gleamed with unknown light. “Evidently, that bastard has cut off any route of retreat. Given his nature, he would never allow me to be. He must be in the Azure Heaven world, undertaking study.”

He lifted his bowl. “Though the wine is choice, it remains but a bowl. But there is no regret. In the end, the drink was good.”

Cui Dongshan sighed. “Yao Qing has great potential, while Yang Ningxing has less. From the Northern Continent, the Little Heavenly Sovereign lacks the gifts of Yao Qing. I advise Wood Mao brother to be prepared for that.”

The Daoist technique of severing the three corpses was a dangerous game. Many who had sought to walk this path had fallen short, suffering grievous consequences.

Even success was but a half measure, as the three splits usually died shortly afterward.

Daoist history spoke of a few exceptions: Yao Qing, often invited to the Jade Crown city, had successfully severed his three spirits, elevating them to celestial status. He had acquired three allies of immortality through this.

And as for Yao Qing himself, he had reached the peak of ascension.

Chen Pingan asked, “Will Yang Ningzhen become a Mountain Peak cultivator, then ask Bai Ou for a little tough love?”

Yang Ningxing chuckled. “His plans are never known. The sky is the only limit.”

Bai Ou, a warrior without equal, always wore a hand halberd. She was the best martial fighter in all of the land.

Yang Ningxing made his decision. “The bargain is struck! It is better to sever the ties than be a puppet. In such a way, I will grow, and Yang Ningxing will be at peace.”

Xiao Mo, after having been silent, looked through the scrolls in the shop.

Cui Dongshan beckoned him out. “Xiao Mo! Quickly!”

Xiao Mo walked out with a smile. “What is the matter, Mr. Cui?”

Cui Dongshan asked, “Can you see the causal threads, Xiao Mo?”

Xiao Mo nodded. “A golden causal thread extends to another person, to another world.”

Xiao Mo never sought such information. He cared nothing for power, and had no need to.

Many gods had fallen over the millennia. Some had fallen due to circumstance, or their own desires.

And it fell to the gods who had fallen the task of cleaning up.

The heaven drew threads between all things.

That was the way of things.

Cui Dongshan asked, “Can it be broken?”

Xiao Mo nodded. “With heaven uncaring, I can break the thread, and allow either Yang Ningxing and Wood Mao to decide their fates. I can steal the spiritual core, to be granted to another. And I can even destroy it, to ruin his potential forever.”

Chen Pingan smiled. “Wood Mao brother, what do you say?”

The scholar looked around, and rubbed his hands together. “Just sever the thread for now. I don’t want to burn any bridges.”

Chen Pingan smiled. “That is wise.”

Wood Mao steeled himself, and prepared for the worst, for his very spiritual self to shatter. The objects of blessing were ready to assist, to help, and to gather Qi.

Xiao Mo stepped forward, and seemed to tug the top of his head.

He then stepped away, and the scholar did nothing.

The black-clad scholar asked, “Is that it?”

Chen Pingan smiled. “Feel the change, Yang brother. See if you can detect any change.”

Cui Dongshan stepped behind Xiao Mo, and smiled. “It was hard. It was so hard!”

Xiao Mo wanted to tell him it wasn’t, but he refrained.

Shortly thereafter, Yang brother gasped. “How can I repay this great boon?”

Chen Pingan smiled. “Whenever I travel to your land, be a good host.”

The black-clad scholar held out his hand. “If I become a Protector of the Realm, I will gift the Ascension City with fifty thousand people.”

Cui Dongshan looked at Chen Pingan. Was it a good trade?

Chen Pingan nodded.

Relief washed over the scholar. “From this day, I am Yang Wood Mao.”

Chen Pingan smiled. “Wood Mao, you are now burdened with a responsibility. Do not force me to correct the wrongs of your actions.”

Yang Mao smiled, and laughed. “That is a promise.”

Zheng Daifeng drew the drink. “Each one of us will take a drink.”

After a sip, Chen Pingan asked, “Has the idiot Shu come to the city?”

Yang Mao shook his head. “If he had, it would be known. Shuzhong Shu is different than us. If he had made the effort, he would want to brag.”

“Shuzhong Shu is an amazing man. One night, we were drinking, and he became a Jade Purity cultivator. Then, it simply happened! He is either really talented, or I have no idea what’s going on.”

“But they can’t reach the mountain peaks,” Chen Pingan said. “They can’t be the greatest.”

“It is for the best,” Yang Mao smiled.

Chen Pingan asked, “What does he think of the city?”

Yang Mao smiled. “He loves it! His one regret is not having traveled to the Sword Qi Fortress! He was forbidden as a boy! He wants to travel and see them someday.”

“Is he a sword?” Chen Pingan asked.

Yang Mao nodded. “He is.”

He had two swords, the Third Volt, and the Yellow Plum Rain, named after the worst droughts and storms in the province. They were not truly the equal of a personal world.

Chen Pingan looked at Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo nodded.

Chen Pingan asked, “Will you tell Shu that the Transcendence Terrace wants to come to a binding agreement with the Ascendency City?”

Yang Mao shrugged. “I can ask him, but Shu might not.”

“There is only one way to get him involved. He needs to ask. Then he won’t be lazy anymore!”

“Extreme?” Chen Pingan asked. “Give me an example.”

Yang Mao smiled. “He loves rote memorization, such as the Daoist canon.”

Chen Pingan asked, “All of it?”

Yang Mao nodded. “All of it. Twelve hundred scrolls. Millions of words. He made his mother cry when he memorized the entire thing.”

Cui Dongshan nodded. “He has ambition.”

Zheng Daifeng smiled. “These days, the kids are ambitious and full of life.”

Chen Pingan nodded. It was similar to Liu Mao.

Yang Mao smiled. “Daoist Yu once crossed paths with the memorizing boy. However, the family of Shu didn’t want him to travel to the Daoist. Since he would eventually need to inherit the mountain.”

To be adopted by Yu Xuan would be an unimaginable fortune.

Yang Mao said, “But his problem is that he is afraid of the name of the villa, with the word ‘Summer’ in it. Since his name has to do with Summer, he can’t visit.”

Chen Pingan waved his hand. “I don’t want to get involved in the sales. I’m broke.”

Cui Dongshan grabbed Yang Mao, and went to the back of the shop, to trade. Soon, they were on their way, arm in arm.

After a flask of wine, Yang Mao left, traveling north.

Chen Pingan led them on a walk. Cui Dongshan and Xiao Mo followed.

“You may stop now,” Yang Mao smiled.

Chen Pingan wished him well, clasped hands, and stayed behind.

Yang Mao clasped hands in respect. “I will never forget you. Someday, I will be able to repay the debts of Xiao Mo.”

Chen Pingan said, “He will be remembered fondly.”

Yang Mao was nonchalant. “I would be remiss not to do so.”

Xiao Mo smiled. “Yang Daoyou, you are the friend of Mr. Chen, and now my friend. If you ever need anything, just ask.”

But it was more than that. Mr. Chen and Yang Mao had met previously, and had struck a chord.

Perhaps, in the past, they had been the greatest of friends.

Yang Mao looked at the young sword. “How strong is that?”

Xiao Mo answered, “Not level 14.”

Cui Dongshan laughed.

Yang Mao recognized it as an immortal sword, and a bodyguard. Yang Mao sighed. “It has been a long time coming. I now see the truth and justice of the world.”

Chen Pingan smiled. “I feel bad for the old you, and the life that you lived. This is not the way things should be.”

Yang Mao asked, “Are you telling me that I should forget it, or that I must never forget it?”

Chen Pingan smiled. “How about both.”

Yang Mao asked, “Who has my one hundred eye robe?”

Chen Pingan patted him on the back. “You aren’t even drunk. What is that?”

Yang Mao laughed, and was no more.

Chen Pingan returned to the city. “Dongshan, give the cottage back to the Xuandu Taoist Temple.”

He had come here to visit Ning Yao. Now, he planned to visit his student.

The Old Scholar had given him an address. The route was tricky.

He said that they would have to visit their friend Bai Ye, and clean.

Cui Dongshan nodded. “I will only be around for a little while. I will give it back to the temple as soon as possible.”

Student and teacher smiled knowingly.

It would be a perfect opportunity for Sun to repay the favor.

Long Shuang, had once asked Cui Dongshan where he was.

He hadn’t lied, and said that he was helping clean the home of Bai Ye.

Bai Ye had once built a temporary home in the Five Colors world.

A peach tree grew there, deep and wide, and one of the great wonders of the world.

Once, Bai Ye had traveled to the newest land, and built. He was blessed, to have created the land.

But the home wasn’t for him, but the Taoist temple, to thank them for letting him borrow a sword. But Bai Ye had soon returned to the land, sword in hand.

The sword was not given, to their great despair.

But the next year, the Old Scholar adopted a child from them, to be taught in the temple.

Before then, the Old Scholar had traveled to the hermitage, and gathered every peach petal to make wine. Since Bai Ye didn’t know how to make it himself. And Bai Zhi made thousands of papers out of the remnants.

He also dug up the earth, until the ground was two inches lower.

And then, he broke off a bunch of peach branches.

This was the reason why Bai Ye had come.

Chen Pingan asked, “Did you take the San Shan talisman to get here?”

Cui Dongshan nodded.

His split spirit traveled freely, under the guise of a commoner.

He had traveled the world, and found the place that he wanted for his sect, and named it “Eastern Mountain”.

When he was free, he painted two pictures. One named “Grain of Mustard Seed”, and the other “Rivers and Mountains”.

He had a thousand rivers and mountains, and the other had only a single dot.

Cui Dongshan scratched his face. “I tried to find lovers who were worthy, but I could never get it done. I was always one step too late. I could only watch the opportunity come and go.”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “You will always be one step too late. I tried to help other worlds. The way of heaven cannot be discerned. I could not change it. I am just a small part, and should not force it.”

Chen Pingan looked at the sky. “The way of heaven cannot be ignored.”

Cui Dongshan nodded. “I can’t do a thing, and would be sent back. I cannot force the path of destiny.”

Chen Pingan laughed. “If you want to do something, then it might be fun. It might be something unexpected.”

Cui Dongshan said, “I will do as Master says.”

Heaven and earth were born.

It was like a child, finding the way.

It had its own wonders, and its own path.

The first ancestral hall, for the new sects, was in the Ascendency city.

The disciples of the town were protected, as the heavens smiled.

If not for the heavens, the disciples would have been destroyed by the land and the secrets of the world.

The first Jade Purity, and immortal, and the ascended, were all from this land.

And it also recognized the master of the world.

They were given to Ning Yao.

And the land made her a sword.

There was nobody else to oppose her!

Cui Dongshan asked, “Did you find the golden coins? Is there progress?”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “I still have a ways to go.”

For swords, there were two ways to improve. The first was to temper them. For example, the Dragonslaying Terrace was a good example. The second was to find new techniques. Chen Pingan had increased the value of the Cagebird, and now the Well Moon, to create more blades. Now he had a rough estimate, that it would have a million blades.

But his cagebird, had not been improved.

While in meditation, he had discovered a way, but it was impossible, because he was poor.

And this would be a bottomless pit.

It wasn’t three golden coins, but a true golden coin, the essence of nature and magic.

They couldn’t find them. When Du Mao failed to ascend, Qizhen of the Pantheon Sect had tried to steal the fragments.

It was simply that Haoran did not have them. Each dynasty wanted the coins. How would he ever be able to buy them?

Chen Pingan wanted the cagebird to become part of a true path.

This would require Chen Pingan to build a true path of time.

Who wouldn’t be in the cage?

Liu Cai had two swords, that were made to counter him.

He wanted to find him.

Cui Dongshan smiled. “The palm is not an outsider.”

Chen Pingan nodded. “I will not be kind to him.”

Cui Dongshan laughed. “I’m afraid that he will give everything!”

Chen Pingan said, “If I said this to anyone, they would beat me up.”

Cui Dongshan asked, “What about Da Li song?”

Chen Pingan said, “Of course, but they will have to give it to me freely, not the sort of treatment they give Gao.”

Cui Dongshan asked, “What about the old maidens?”

Chen Pingan said nothing.

There was something wrong with her killing the demons.

Of course, there was also the Streamer Continent, which was untouched by war. This meant that all of the fragments were there. Liu in the Aiai continent was a famous merchant. As was Shuzhong Shu. Fairy Cang Qian. They all had the fragments, but would not be sold easily. They would all be valued to the moon, or a very high sum.

Cui Dongshan sighed. “If not for the world, there would be many fragments to plunder.”

Chen Pingan smiled. “Then don’t even think about it.”

Cui Dongshan asked, “When will you return to Xiantu mountain?”

Chen Pingan said, “Tonight.”

Cui Dongshan fell silent.

Chen Pingan said, “I will return to the Wutong tree before Spring.”

There were many trees in the world, and some had to be destroyed.

This was a symbol of balance.

But the tree also needed the care of Taoist from the Eastern Ocean Taoist temple.

Cui Dongshan fell silent.

It was a sign that he did not approve.

It was an act of man, and not fate.

Cui Dongshan was depressed.

Chen Pingan sat on the hill.

The old men always fell.

But Chen Pingan had no such words.

“I do not think it is correct.”

Cui Dongshan fell to the ground.

Xiao Mo sat next to him, watching.

Chen Pingan simply sat.

“All the things that Master had acquired are worthless.”

But with his life, he would make the land more better.

Cui Dongshan chewed on the plant, and asked, “What should you do?”

Chen Pingan asked, “Is this not life?”

Cui Dongshan couldn’t help it.

Xiao Mo asked, “Cui Dongshan, what are you talking about?”

Cui Dongshan sighed. “12 years is a cycle.”

Xiao Mo was confused.

Cui Dongshan explained, “Long ago, when the Leaf continent fell, all the bad things came out. The worst of it was the children. Whose kids were they, really? Weren’t they just products of the war? They were born in sin. All the bad happened, and there were no choices.

“If we are not to care, there will always be children who are born that way.

“But they did not choose to be born that way!”

“If we do not care, nothing will change.”

Cui Dongshan fell to the ground, silent.

Xiao Mo sat, and turned.

Chen Pingan sat on the ridge.

He said simply, “I think this is wrong.”