The Middle Earth of Sui Mountain.

Upon its peak, a golden-armored god-man, hands resting upon a sheathed sword, slowly opened his eyes. This mountain sovereign, whose true name was Zhou You, bearing the divine title of Great Sacrifice, was the foremost amongst all mountain gods of the vast Nine Provinces.

Zhou You gazed upon the azure-robed swordsman standing leagues away. Not too near, nor too far, the figure lingered precisely upon the border of the Northern Mountain domain, attended by a lone retainer.

A furrow creased Zhou You’s brow. With a thought, the dream shattered, a faint sound of cracking porcelain echoing through the heavens. He called out across the distance, “How have you achieved this?”

To forcibly drag a Great Mountain Sovereign of Middle Earth into a phantasmal realm was a feat beyond even a peak Ascendant Realm cultivator. And why would anyone engage in such folly? It was no jest for idle amusement. Save, perhaps, for the Fire Dragon True Man of the Northern Continent, who had done so twice. The first, as an act of proving one’s Dao when ascending from Immortal to Ascendant. The second, out of sheer boredom, using the same excuse: *’This Daoist is poor, unable to afford a transcontinental ferry. Thus, I resort to obscure magic to behold the beauty of your lands.’*

The young Hidden Official, his expression earnest, replied, “Perhaps it is a matter of sincere heart, that when the moment arrives, heaven and earth lend their strength?”

The burly, golden-clad god-man took a deep breath, chuckled, and lightly patted the hilt of his sword. “By the heavens, that sounds familiar! It’s the very tone of that old scholar.”

Zhou You and Chen Ping’an had met many times. The last was at a Wen Miao council, where no words passed between them. The young Hidden Official seemed somewhat sheepish, reluctant to strike up a conversation with the great Sui Mountain god. After all, during his first “visit” to Sui Mountain, Chen Ping’an, then a naive sandal-wearing boy, had cleft Sui Mountain’s natural defenses with his sword, an act of profound disrespect.

The incident had aroused suspicion amongst the Middle Earth’s mountaintop cultivators. The temple had received a deluge of roundabout inquiries, which Zhou You had disregarded. Could it have been the peerless champion of the Azure Sky, venturing forth from Jade Capital to test his blade against Sui Mountain? Or perhaps the old sword immortals of Sword Qi Great Wall, settling an old score? No native swordsman of the Great Bright Empire would dare such insolence, unless they yearned for confinement and a diet of Confucian texts.

There was also another occasion when Chen Ping’an was forcibly brought to Sui Mountain to meet with the Sage Ancestor, though the two never crossed paths. Zhou You had deemed it unwise to reveal himself, lest he divulge celestial secrets.

Chen Ping’an bowed apologetically. “In my youth, I acted rashly and caused much offense.”

Zhou You shook his head. “It was an unintentional act. Do not dwell on it.” The grievance was not with the sandal-wearing boy, but with the old scholar who had arranged the whole affair. Besides, the old codger had shamelessly pilfered an ancient sword pellet called “Little Fengdu” from Sui Mountain.

This item, similar to the “Mud Pellet” sword seed gifted by Wu Yi of Violet Sun Prefecture, was a treasure forged by a resident True Man of the Five Sacred Mountains. It possessed mystical powers and served as a token of authority. One bearing it formed a benevolent connection with the mountain. Holding the token, they could enter the ruins of the True Man’s cave dwelling. What fortunes one might find, whether the cultivator left empty-handed or laden with treasures, was uncertain.

Alas, Chen Ping’an had failed to grasp the proper methods or seize the opportunity to make use of it. He had merely forged it into a personal talisman, falling short of becoming a true swordsman. The innocent boy from Li Zhu Grottoes had failed to decipher the old scholar’s subtle hints and never ventured to Sui Mountain with the pellet. Had he visited Middle Earth and Sui Mountain to cultivate the Immortal arts before his second journey to Sword Qi Great Wall, he would have avoided many trials.

The old scholar and Zhou You had later discussed the matter. The old scholar was consumed with regret. He wrung his hands and cried, “A mistake! A grave mistake! It is all my fault!”

For Chen Ping’an had yet to taste wine. He had only heard the Sage of Culture praise Sui Mountain’s flower-fruit wine as unparalleled. The shy boy, burdened with the knowledge of his impromptu assault on the mountain’s defenses, could not bring himself to ask for a drink. Had the old scholar casually mentioned that the Great God of Sui Mountain was a generous soul, a magnanimous figure with a fondness for the mundane world, whose mountain was strewn with divine coins, Chen Ping’an would have been scrambling to Sui Mountain, seeking the Dao and visiting the immortals.

Zhou You had endured the old scholar’s lamentations, but eventually silenced him with, “A winding path and the taste of hardship are not without merit.”

This only enraged the old scholar further. “Nonsense! You, with your towering stature and greater abilities, speak so lightly! Hardship? How much more must that child endure?!”

Zhou You countered, “Born in a humble alley, orphaned at a young age, unable to study, alone and adrift, struggling to survive… Honestly, these trials are but small things. Within my Central Mountain domain, I could find hundreds, no, thousands, of his peers who have endured similar hardships.”

The old scholar sighed, unwilling to continue the discussion. He ended the conversation with a curt, “You are numb, you know nothing.”

To find joy in hardship is a skill for navigating the world. But to be unaware of the hardship itself, that is the path to self-realization.

Middle Earth’s Sui Mountain, magnificent and unparalleled, nurturing all things, towering into the heavens.

The Five Sacred Mountains must aspire to lofty heights, reaching for the heavens, while waterways should be deep and wide, with sources running far and connected to the sea.

Thus did a Confucian Sage annotate: “The Way of the Sage is lofty, like a mountain, reaching to the heavens.”

Standing beside Chen Ping’an, this was Qing Tong’s first glimpse of Sui Mountain’s grandeur, truly unique within all of the Great Bright Empire. No wonder the Sage Ancestor had chosen this place as a temporary “study”, a Daoist field to spar with the Grand Ancestor of Holding Moon Mountain.

Qing Tong had traveled to the Five Sacred Mountains of Precious Bottle Continent with Chen Ping’an. In comparison, the spirit and energy of those lands were like those of low-ranking immortals of the Middle Five Realms, meeting an Ascendant Realm cultivator.

Sui Mountain’s flower-fruit wine was renowned throughout the Nine Provinces, alongside the jade bamboo grove’s Green God wine and Hundred Flower Blessed Land’s Hundred Flower brew. The temple’s vegetarian fare was equally famous. Zhou You, bearing the divine title “Great Sacrifice,” was believed to hold a position of great reverence and possess powers exceeding those of the other four Middle Earth Mountain Sovereigns.

According to the old abbot, within the bounds of Sui Mountain, Zhou You could be considered the better part of a Fourteenth Realm cultivator, second only to the scripture scholar Xi Ping, ensconced in the Hall of Merit.

Zhou You said to Chen Ping’an, “Let us meet at the mountain gate.”

Chen Ping’an produced a mountain walking staff. Nodding, he stepped forward and crossed the leagues of mountain and stream as if over a bridge of ephemeral time, a sign of Zhou You’s acceptance.

Within this dream, if Qing Tong desired to conceal his presence, his relationship to Chen Ping’an would be akin to a night-sailing vessel upon the Great Bright Empire.

Qing Tong began to move, but halted under the scrutiny of the golden god-man’s gaze. He adjusted the edge of his bamboo hat in apology. Did one from Green Leaf Continent presume to tread upon the sacred path of Sui Mountain? Where was the passport issued by the Middle Earth Wen Miao? Perhaps he should request an oral decree from the Sage of Rites.

Zhou You appeared at the mountain gate, beside a towering stone tablet inscribed with the words “Heaven Above Us.”

They ascended the steps, passing scenic vistas and ancient steles carved with dragons, phoenixes, and celestial runes, eroded by the river of time. Few could decipher their true meaning. Sui Mountain’s stone carvings, both in quantity and quality, were unrivaled. Thousands of extant steles and tens of thousands of inscriptions adorned the cliffs.

It was said that all Sui Mountain rubbings from the hands of ranked cultivators were to be shared with the Mountain Sovereign’s palace. Zhou You shared a similar agreement with Li Yehou, the Water Sovereign of the South Sea, although the Sui Mountain god was more explicit.

“Do you know that the currency of future merit will become exceedingly precious? No longer a triviality. Ascendant Realm cultivators with battle achievements will regard it as a key to breaking through to higher realms. Protected by merit, they will be as if situated in a celestial blessed realm, doubling the effect of their cultivation. Even if they fail to break through, they will suffer few consequences. For the likes of Zhao Tianlai and Liu Jubao of Dragon Tiger Mountain, this offers the hope of reaching new heights. For Wei She of Snowy White Continent, it is rain after a long drought, a new dawn.”

“Consider the upcoming Dispersion of the Dao of the Three Ancestors. You, with your great merit, would receive a bounty so vast, even I would envy you.”

“Furthermore, the sinking of the Southeast is now inevitable. While others may not understand the hidden mysteries, you must know that the empire’s fortune will naturally shift from the eight continents, especially from the Northwest, towards Green Leaf Continent. This is the Way of the Great Dao, like water flowing downhill. This is why Qing Tong can stand idly by with such assurance. I cannot understand why you are so anxious when you are fully aware.”

“You are essentially exchanging three or four tenths of your merit for one or two tenths of Green Leaf Continent’s gain! Can you not comprehend this?”

“Chen Ping’an, tell me what you are thinking. Let me laugh.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. Only an elder of the family would voice such disappointed criticism.

The golden god-man caught the young man’s expression. “My familiarity with the old scholar does not imply familiarity with you.”

“The Dao is impartial, the Law falls like rain.”

Chen Ping’an explained softly, “I am within this rain, I cannot be an exception. I could sit and wait for blessings, but I am a cultivator, a swordsman. Breakthroughs bought with merit, even rapid successions from Nascent Soul to Jade Polished and then Immortal, would ultimately be a loss to a true swordsman. Consider this.”

He raised his walking staff, pointing first to the mountain’s waist and then to its peak. “To walk quickly is to spin in circles there. To walk more slowly is to reach the summit.”

Zhou You smiled. “Is a great sword immortal so worthless in the eyes of the Hidden Official?”

Chen Ping’an’s thinking was not entirely wrong. It was a sort of roundabout approach. But the problem remained: even in Middle Earth, an Immortal Realm swordsman was a rare find.

Chen Ping’an gave the final answer. “I wish to become a Fourteenth Realm pure swordsman.”

Zhou You turned his head, speechless.

Fourteenth Realm cultivators were rare. Fourteenth Realm swordsmen were terrifying. But a pure Fourteenth Realm swordsman?

Had not Pei Min, one of the Great Bright Empire’s three marvels of the sword, been barred by that word “pure” for thousands of years?

Chen Ping’an continued, “If I could decide how to use that merit, if I could exchange it for a vast sum of divine coins, or win some treasures for Fallen Mountain and Immortal Capital Mountain, I would set aside a small portion. On this dream journey, I would ‘visit only the waters and their gods, not the mountains and their sovereigns.'”

Zhou You said, “That could be considered a noble’s love of wealth, with proper use. By the way, at the last Wen Miao council, why did you not secure a single Sage?” Li Baoping was already a Junzi, a true female master. Li Huai and Dali chamberlain Zhao Yao held the title of worthy. Even Chen Ping’an’s student, that seed of a scholar Cao Qinglang, seemed unlike his master and his ancestral master.

Chen Ping’an said, “If you are willing to recommend one or two, to speak a few fair words at the Wen Miao, I would be forever grateful.”

Zhou You smiled. “To recommend one’s own, that is not for me to do.” Of all the Sage’s descendants, only this youngest one would say such things.

No wonder the old scholar favored his last disciple. He was most like him – fond of drink, thick-skinned, and blessed with the affections of his elders. Chen Ping’an had even found a wife. His accomplishments were surpassing that of his teacher.

Take his relations with elders. Cui Chan, the old Sage’s first disciple, had too much talent and gave an imposing impression despite his gentle manner. Qi Jingchun rarely ventured out. Liu Shiliu’s age made it impossible to treat him like a junior. As for Zuo You, the most troublesome, his was a naturally cold face before he had taken up the sword.

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Could you allow Daoist Qing Tong to enter the mountain and partake of its vegetarian fare? He has long desired it.”

Zhou You smiled noncommittally. “How did it become ‘our Sui Mountain’?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Since you are familiar with my teacher, we must be at least ‘acquainted.'”

Zhou You warned, “If that is so, then you must not touch the inscriptions.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “The mountain incense?”

Zhou You nodded. “No problem.”

The old scholar had indeed found a good student.

When the truth of the repair of the earthly defect was known, the old scholar would pester the sages of Wen Miao. Perhaps he would fall into rare silence, like one savoring a good book, unwilling to share.

Qing Tong, standing obediently, heard a decree from Sui Mountain in his mind. He was permitted to ascend the mountain and partake in a bowl of vegetarian noodles. The god-man, immaculate in his golden form, possessed an aura that Qing Tong likened to the towering height of heaven itself. Qing Tong felt that, standing on the border of the Central Mountain, should Zhou You strike with his sword, he would not return to Green Leaf Continent. To be allowed to eat the noodles and leave was a gift. He bowed respectfully to Zhou You and walked to the foot of the mountain, entering a dreamlike landscape. Despite it being New Year’s Eve, pilgrims thronged the main path.

Qing Tong donned his bamboo hat and hid amongst the common folk, taking to the crowded path, self-satisfied. To follow Zheng Juzhong meant to lack for nothing! Even the Great God of Sui Mountain had to give him some face.

Zhou You led Chen Ping’an to the summit. From there, all other mountains seemed small. It was said that the divine way was unified. Others said that theirs was a way that threaded all.

Zhou You asked, “Why does Qing Tong think you are Zheng Juzhong?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “He was misled by Yun Miao of Nine True Immortals Hall.”

Zhou You smiled. “Smart people seem to fear Zheng Juzhong.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “The most intelligent people fear the most intelligent person.”

Zhou You glanced sideways at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “I will never reach the mental state of my senior and Zheng.”

Qing Tong, who had not dared to dawdle, was already seated in a noodle shop near the mountain temple, eating a bowl of steaming vegetarian noodles, delicious as its reputation suggested.

Zhou You said, “The opportunity of the ‘Little Fengdu’ sword pellet has passed to another.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “That which is not meant to be, is not meant to be.”

Zhou You nodded. “Unlike the other eight continents, Middle Earth is the most formal. A youthful spirit and disregard for rules are two different things. I will warn the other Mountain Sovereign palaces that you will be traveling through the Five Sacred Mountains.”

Chen Ping’an thanked him. Just enough time for Qing Tong to finish his noodles.

Before departing, Chen Ping’an cupped his fist and bowed to Zhou You. “Sui Mountain is the only place where my teacher can happily drink. Should Fallen Mountain and Green Plume Sword Sect be of any use, I am at your command.”

Zhou You did not stand on ceremony. He was more magnanimous than the old scholar. He did not think that Chen Ping’an was merely saying empty words. A new era was dawning. Those unrestrained Fourteenth Realm cultivators would show themselves and act. Schemes and conspiracies abounded.

Before the Sage Ancestor left Sui Mountain, he told the Sage of Rites, “After I depart, the schemes against you will begin. Be careful.”

The Five Sacred Mountains of Middle Earth were Sui Mountain, Gui Mountain, Jiu Yi Mountain, Yan Zhi Mountain, and Ju Xu Mountain. The female mountain sovereign of Yan Zhi Mountain, named Zhu Yuxian, bore the strange title of Bitter Vegetable. She had sent a gift in congratulations of his recovery of his Wen Miao position, a paper swallow. Jiu Yi Mountain had sent a pot of literary calamus. But the sovereigns of Gui Mountain and Ju Xu Mountain had only attended the Wen Miao council.

Gui Mountain had an old grievance against the Sage’s lineage. As one of a continent’s Five Sacred Mountains, Gui Mountain had many subordinates. The old scholar had once visited one of them on account of his disciple Jun Qian. The sovereign of Ju Xu Mountain, Huai Lian, never involved himself in such worldly matters. However, he had great respect for Sword Qi Great Wall, declaring that their battles meant fewer wars for the Great Bright Empire.

As Chen Ping’an and Qing Tong continued their journey, they met with little success, but they were unsurprised. If not for his teacher and Zhou You’s words, lawsuits would have been filed at the Wen Miao. Zhu Yuxian had invited Chen Ping’an to drink tea at the temple, while the god of Jiu Yi Mountain reminded Chen Ping’an at the mountain gate that such behavior should not be repeated. He invited Madame Tuo Yan to visit Jiu Yi Mountain. Chen Ping’an accepted with a smile, for “The world has only two and a half plum blossoms. One is in Jiu Yi Mountain.”

The sovereign of Gui Mountain, bearing the title Heavenly Tendon, did not meet with Chen Ping’an. He only sent a temple steward to the foot of the mountain to say, “No visitors. The Hidden Official may return home.” Standing outside the mountain gate, Chen Ping’an did not leave. The steward did not dare to drive him away, while the god stared intently at the mountain gate.

The Ju Xu Mountain god appeared, scowling, and said, “Not even an Ascendant Realm swordsman. When you are, will any mountain be your own domain, to come and go as you please?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Unless I seek, how will I know if there is a chance?”

Of all the Middle Earth’s mountains, had one more, like the Ju Xu Mountain god Huai Lian, agreed to light the incense, then Chen Ping’an would have run back through Gui Mountain, Yan Zhi Mountain, and Jiu Yi Mountain. But he had only Zhou You. Could he not offer more merits? Or perhaps fame and fortune?

Chen Ping’an mocked himself, “A hybrid.” Cui Chan, Zheng Juzhong, Wu Shuangjiang… hard to imitate. Were his senior Cui Chan to travel the Five Sacred Mountains, with the same level of cultivation and the same identity, the five gods would agree.

Inside the Moonfall of Gui Mountain was an uninvited guest, Gu Qingsong, an unregistered disciple of Third Headmaster Lu Chen. He complained to the god, “Why do you not listen to good advice? After becoming a god, have you lost your ability to understand?”

The god listened with a face of stone. Gu Qingsong said, “You have a bad habit of forgetting lessons. Remember when the substitute mountain peak was not allowed to complain to the Wen Miao, how did it end? Cui Chan listed nearly a hundred charges. The mountain peak could not recover and it went to eat prison food at the Hall of Merit. You should have dug a tunnel at the Wen Miao. Now the old scholar favors Chen Ping’an. Are you seeking trouble?”

The god frowned. “Is there an end?”

Gu Qingsong spat. “If I did not need something from you, I would not bother with these words.”

The god said, “I received an order from the Wen Miao.”

Gu Qingsong asked, “Did the sub-sage ask you to trip Chen Ping’an?”

The god raged. “Careful!”

Gu Qingsong said, “That is not possible. The sub-sage and the Sage of Culture only disagree over studies. A Liang is a strategist of the Sage’s lineage. Their relationship is not so bad. Otherwise, which Wen Miao teacher ordered it? Now the old scholar has recovered his godhood. Who is so tough-headed?”

The god said, “The order was unsigned.”

Gu Qingsong rubbed his chin. “That is strange. The small master is an honest man. And it can’t be the sub-sage. Could it be that the Sage Ancestor wants something from Heavenly Tendon like I do?”

The god roared. “Gu Qingsong, cease your babbling! Begone from this mountain!” Gu Qingsong brushed his sleeves and vanished. But he soon reappeared, and said, “I have been driven out of this mountain twice. This is my third visit. If you do not give me any face, I will start swearing.”

Even the god’s cultivation could not stand against Gu Qingsong’s lies. Gu Qingsong shook his head. “You cannot endure like a forty year old. Are you living for a dog’s sake?” At least half of the cultivation “nicknames” came from Gu Qingsong. It was a miracle he was alive.

In Ju Xu Mountain, a wine shop had opened but had few customers. The shop was tended by the old shopkeeper and a helper, Xu Jia. The only customer was the god, Huai Lian.

An old Daoist was drinking. A string of bamboo pipes hung at his waist. He had saved enough money to drink again. He was Feng Jun, a land immortal. The Three Ancestors of the mountain used to be here. When the Sage of Rites got rid of the ancestral seats, Feng Jun left. But he was hunted by Sword Master Pei Min and was forced to hide on the ship.

He placed the ox outside and entered. Greeting the god Huai Lian, he asked the old shopkeeper for a bottle of Forget Worry wine. He had made a trade with the Hidden Official and received a diagram. He had always wanted a painting. That Chen Ping’an had not been able to climb the mountain was a shame. Seeing the old Daoist, the canary in the cage called, “Trash, trash.”

The Daoist said, “I’m an immortal, not a warrior.”

Xu Jia said, “The god said the demon’s tower has a sycamore, an ascendant level, a warrior god.”

Feng Jun smiled. “Why should I compete with a sycamore?”

The shopkeeper said, “I could not see the Hidden Official’s prowess.”

At the mention of the Hidden Official, Xu Jia grew angry. “The nameless brand in Qi Jian Great Wall was learned from us.”

Feng Jun said, “I bonded with Chen at the ship. His saying, ‘The world’s laws are perfect, the street priests bear leaky cups,’ is too perfect.”

Xu Jia said, “He just has good luck.”

The shopkeeper shook his head. Xu Jia was always unpleasant with Chen Ping’an, because he was friends with Cao Ci. Feng Jun shook his head. “You underestimate Chen. A hungry man can eat nine steamed buns. To an ordinary man, eating buns is hard. But the first bun and ninth bun taste the same to the trained man.

Huai Lian said, “Ask what you want.”

One had pulled to Chen Ping’an, one had helped. They were curious why he had rejected Chen Ping’an.

Feng Jun asked, “The Hidden Official has few enemies. Why do you say such harsh words?”

Huai Lian said, “Does a swordsman depend on identity?”

Feng Jun asked, “Is that a reason not to let him up?”

Huai Lian said, “The reason has been given. Believe it or not, I don’t care.”

Feng Jun said, “Had I known, I would have bet Chen Ping’an would beat Cao Ci.”

Feng Jun said, “But you can learn from Chen Ping’an, not from Cao Ci.”

Chen Ping’an and Qing Tong went to the Precious Bottle Continent. Qing Tong said, “Is it truly over once we visit this earth spirit temple?” Chen Ping’an nodded.

Mother Earth Goddess Wei Wei came out. She was embarrassed. Mr. Chen, Mr. Swordsman, Land Master, Hidden Official? She hadn’t seen the end of Chen for four visits! In thirty years! Don’t tell me. She remembered his words.

He had no pity for what was precious, only merciless destruction of flowers. Now the earth spirit temple was rich, prosperous. Thanks to him. The teachings from the swordsman had been useful.

Chen Ping’an laughed. “All beginnings are hard. But from that, all is easy.”

Wei Wei said, “Had I not been busy, I would have come to the temple, but my foundations are unsteady and it’s hard to move, or I would have thanked you.”

Chen Ping’an reminded, “Read more of the sages. Read less of the useless books.” Wei Wei didn’t know that Chen Ping’an had been there four times. Only the last time had he seen Wei Wei chatting with the servants, talking about a travel book. The mother goddess was laughing.

Wei Wei could only nod.

The goddess now was illuminated by ten earth spirit lamps.

In the temple were high ranking doors, and humble places. Chen Ping’an laughed. “Is it easy to pay back and borrow again?” Wei Wei owed the city gods. It was a debt that had to be paid. She now had literary luck, so there was no need to pay back. “I want to pay back. I want to be clean, but the city gods are not in a hurry and the state city god said I could borrow.” Chen Ping’an laughed. “Yes, help those in an emergency. Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”

Wei Wei said, “He helped the poor.” She built a temple and some visitors donated. The goddess asked an old crone to stay at the temple.

Chen Ping’an noted the name. Wei Wei started and he’ll sign? To the gods? Wei Wei knew that the city gods would be paid. “I built this on a temple site. Is it okay?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Do not worry. If you do, then hold a temple fair on the first and fifteenth to help the temple.” Wei Wei’s eyes were bright. “A fair?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Rent a shop and collect rent. Depend on it. Collect bit by bit. Invite craftsmen and build an Arhat’s hall. That’s your reward. Build one with five hundred, let people see and count and be blessed.”

Wei Wei said, “That can be?” Wei Wei was sighing. Chen Ping’an, why be a swordsman or land master when you should be a merchant? I will make you my second in command!

Chen Ping’an said, “Not me. This is the saying.”

He was once traveling with Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang when they came across a temple. Wei Wei happily put her hands together. “A sincere heart! A sincere heart.” Chen Ping’an stood up and wondered where to use the merit. A voice sounded in his heart, asking, “How do you view the three and four dispute?” Chen Ping’an hesitated. The man said, “Good, you may leave.”

In the tower, Lu Yan asked, “What answer would the sage be pleased with?” As the old student of the sage, it was hard to answer. The sage chuckled. “Chen Ping’an said only one sentence: “Confucius said, in teaching there should be no distinction of classes.””

Lu Yan was taken aback. Thinking, he patted the handrail and laughed. “I sigh that I am not his equal.”