Chapter 15

As the young man walked out of Niping Alley, he happened to meet Song Jixin's maid, Zhigui. After sending the tall woman to Gu Can's house, she did not rush home but instead wandered through the apricot blossom alley, browsing the small shops. Although she did not buy anything, her mood was still quite good, and she skipped along happily and lightly.

Growing up in the countryside, the girl seemed to carry a scent of fresh grass, which was quite different from the well-bred young ladies from high-roofed mansions and deep courtyards.

When she saw the young man in straw sandals, she did not lower her eyes and pass by as she usually did, but instead stopped and gazed at this neighbor she rarely interacted with, hesitating to speak.

Chen Ping'an smiled at her and ran past, then ran faster and faster.

Zhigui stood quietly at the entrance of Niping Alley, turned her head, and watched the poor young man running in the sunlight. He looked like a resilient stray cat, darting around, not very good-looking, but also not likely to starve to death.

The girl was not very popular in the town. Due to the peculiar temperament of the young master Song Jixin, the maid named Zhigui, whether fetching water from the Iron Lock Well, shopping at the market, or buying stationery for her young master, always gave people a sense of being out of place. She had no playmates of her own age and never liked to talk much when she met acquaintances. For the town's people, who preferred lively and festive atmospheres, such a girl was hard to get close to.

In this regard, Chen Ping'an's situation was somewhat similar to the maid Zhigui. The difference was that although the young man did not like to talk much, his personality was not at all unpleasant. On the contrary, he was gentle and friendly, never showing any sharp edges. However, due to his family's decline and his early departure to the Dragon Kiln to earn a living, his relationship with his neighbors was not as close. Of course, the neighbors in Niping Alley had a certain uneasiness about the young man's birthday, which fell on the fifth day of the fifth month, a day considered inauspicious in the town's customs, associated with the emergence of the five poisons. With the deaths of his parents, Chen Ping'an had become the last remaining member of his family, which naturally made people feel uneasy, especially the elderly who liked to gather under the old locust tree. They were particularly distant from the young man from Niping Alley and would privately warn their children not to approach him. However, when the children asked why, the elders could not give a clear reason.

At this moment, a tall figure walked out of the alley and stood beside the girl. The maid Zhigui turned her head, said nothing, and just walked forward. The man turned and walked alongside her in Niping Alley. It was Mr. Qi Jingchun, the only scholar in the town and a genuine Confucian disciple.

The girl did not stop walking, her face cold. "Isn't it better if we keep to our own lanes and don't interfere with each other? And Mr. Qi, don't forget that before, you had the advantage of time, place, and people, and I, a lowly servant, had to endure it. But recently, it seems that the Daoist temple far away from here has some problems, right? So now, you are just the well water, and I am the river water!"

Mr. Qi Jingchun smiled slightly and said, "Wang Zhu, let's just follow local customs and call you Zhigui for now. Zhigui, have you ever thought that although you are favored by heaven and born in the right time, do you really think I have no means to counter you? Or do you think that the four sages who appeared thousands of years ago, personally established the rules here, and left no backup plan? In the end, you are just looking at the sky from the bottom of a well. The vastness of the sky and the breadth of the earth are far beyond what you can see from the well's mouth."

The girl frowned. "Mr. Qi, don't try to scare me. I am not my young master Song Jixin. I am not interested in your grand and noble words, and I never believe them. Mr. Qi, why don't you speak plainly? Whether we fight to the death or part ways amicably, I am ready."

The middle-aged scholar slowly said, "I advise you not to overstep your bounds after leaving this place. It is not beneficial for anyone, especially when you and he embark on the path of cultivation. Whether or not you become cultivation partners, you should restrain your sharpness and not be arrogant and tyrannical. This is not a threat but some heartfelt advice and a kind reminder as we part ways."

Logically, the maid Zhigui and the scholar had vastly different statuses, yet she was not at all humble or submissive. In fact, her aura seemed to subtly surpass the scholar's. She sneered, "Kindness? For thousands of years, you cultivators have been high and mighty, confining this place as a field, harvesting one crop this year and another next year, year after year, unchanged for a thousand years. Why only now do you start thinking about being kind to me, a sinner? Ha, my young master once said something that many of you hold as a principle: 'Those not of our kind must have different hearts.' So it's not surprising, Mr. Qi, after all..."

Mr. Qi Jingchun continued walking, taking a light step, half-smiling, "Oh?"

After one step.

The maid Zhigui's expression changed slightly.

Suddenly, they found themselves in a place where it was pitch black, with only a few rays of light with a sacred aura falling from far above.

They were as if at the bottom of a deep well, with golden sunlight slowly descending from the well's mouth.

The middle-aged scholar, dressed in a green robe, had a radiant glow on his clothes, flowing continuously.

The aura of righteousness and brightness was overwhelming.

The girl's face first twisted in anger but quickly returned to a numb, indifferent expression. She murmured, "Sixty years of Buddhist chants, like thunder in my ears, never ceasing. Sixty years of Daoist talismans, like leeches, biting relentlessly. Sixty years of righteous energy, blocking the sky, leaving no place to hide. Sixty years of military sword qi, like an earthquake, splashing everywhere. Each sixty years is a cycle, and it has been three thousand years, with no peace... I just want to know where your so-called great path's roots are. I can see and hear the words in your books and the profound meanings you impart, but I cannot find them..."

She gazed at the righteous middle-aged man, who was both a humble teacher in a remote village and a scholar from the Confucian Cliff Academy, respected even by the powerful eunuchs of the Great Sui Dynasty.

The girl suddenly smiled and asked, "Mr. Qi, how do you teach me to be good? If I remember correctly, your Confucian sage and one of the Daoist patriarchs both proposed 'education without discrimination'?"

The man shook his head. "It's useless to tell you ten thousand teachings of the sages."

The girl seemed to be chatting casually with the scholar, but in reality, she was like a taut bow, constantly scanning her surroundings for any clues to break the situation.

The scholar ignored this and sneered, "I know you have boundless anger, resentment, and murderous intent. I am not intolerant of different kinds, but you must understand that showing pity and indiscriminately performing acts of kindness is not the true teaching of the three religions."

"Our young master often says that arguing with scholars is the most boring thing," the girl said, pulling the corners of her mouth and narrowing her eerie golden eyes. "It seems Mr. Qi is really in his last moments, naturally more formidable than before..."

He laughed it off. "It's fine if we can't reason with you, but as long as I, Qi Jingchun, am alive, I have the authority to keep you in check. You, the ungrateful sinner, will not be allowed to act recklessly!"

The girl pointed at herself and laughed, "Ungrateful?"

The middle-aged scholar said angrily, "Who saved you in the snowstorm in Niping Alley when you were at your weakest and had to bow your head and make a contract with someone? And who has been gradually depleting his remaining luck over the years?"

The girl laughed. "When you're hungry, you need to find something to eat and fill your stomach. Isn't that a natural thing? Besides, he didn't have much good fortune to begin with. Dying early and being reborn might give him a slim chance in the next life. If he were left in the town, he would just be a rootless reed, heh..."

The scholar waved his sleeve and softly shouted, "Shut up!"

The scholar angrily scolded, "The great path is profound, and the heavenly principles are clear. How can you make such a judgment? Each person has their own destiny and connections. What right do you have to make choices for others?"

Above the girl's head, a brilliant golden hand appeared, majestic and solemn, like a Buddha's hand subduing demons or a Daoist patriarch suppressing evil. It swiftly pressed down on the girl's head, forcing her to kneel and bang her forehead on the ground.

The sound of her head hitting the ground was loud.

The girl, with her head lowered, supported herself with her hands, struggling to get up. Her face was hidden, but she let out a sinister laugh, "You can force me to bow, but I will never admit I'm wrong!"

The powerful golden hand grabbed her head, lifting and pressing it down again, causing her to bow once more.

This time, the sound was as heavy as a spring thunder.

The scholar said sternly, "Don't forget! This sliver of life is given to you by the sages, not something you earned! Otherwise, suppressing you for thirty thousand years would be no problem!"

The girl, whose head was still pressed down, said hoarsely, "Your so-called great path, I refuse to follow!"

The scholar raised his arm and struck the air in front of him, "Impudent! Suppress her!"

In the center of the golden light descending from the well's mouth, a white jade seal appeared, about ten feet long and wide, square and inscribed with eight ancient characters, some of which were extremely red and glaring. Purple lightning surrounded the seal, crackling.

At Qi Jingchun's command, the seal, as if following his words, descended and struck the girl's back, who was already kneeling.

The seal, containing the pressure of the heavenly path, seemed not to be a physical object. It did not crush the girl to the ground but quickly embedded itself into the earth, disappearing without a trace, like a small thunderclap.

But in an instant, the girl's entire body seemed to be shattered by a heavy blow, collapsing like a pile of mud, in a pitiful state.

Even so, one of her hands, with fingers like hooks, struggled to scratch the ground.

Qi Jingchun's expression was cold as he said, "Three bows are to show respect to heaven, the people, and the great path."

The girl's eyes were blank, and she did not respond.

Qi Jingchun lightly waved his sleeve, dispelling the overwhelming pressure, and said, "I, Qi Jingchun, am just a scholar in the sages' school, yet I can make you bow three times. If you act recklessly after leaving, are you not afraid of encountering a more unreasonable existence that could crush you with a single finger?"

Qi Jingchun sighed, "You are indeed suppressed here, but have you ever thought that there is no absolute freedom in the world? The rituals and norms established by the Confucian sage are also a way to seek another kind of freedom for all beings. As long as you do not overstep the boundaries and follow the rules, one day, the world will be vast, and there will be no place you cannot go."

The girl raised her head and stared at the middle-aged scholar.

Qi Jingchun took a step forward.

The world returned to normal, and he and the maid Zhigui returned to Niping Alley, where the sun was warm and the spring breeze gentle.

The girl wobbled to her feet, her smile pale, and her teeth slightly bared, "I will remember Mr. Qi's teachings, maid."

Qi Jingchun said no more and turned to leave.

She suddenly asked, "Even if I was ungrateful to Chen Ping'an, why, as an outstanding disciple of the sages, did you stand by and watch? Why did you favor your disciple Zhao Ruo and my young master, but treat the ordinary Chen Ping'an indifferently? Isn't this the same as doing business, carefully cultivating valuable goods and treating inferior goods carelessly, not caring whether they can be sold at a good price?"

Qi Jingchun laughed, "Heaven moves, and the gentleman strives without ceasing."

The girl was puzzled.

As the middle-aged scholar's figure disappeared at the end of the alley, the girl's face showed disdain, and she spat.

She limped back to her courtyard, passing by Chen Ping'an's house, wrinkling her nose and frowning. She was a bit confused. Due to the breakdown of the scholar's Daoist powers, the town was now leaking heavenly secrets, like a leaking boat. She was busy planning for the future and did not want to dwell on the details.

When she pushed open the courtyard gate, a small, unremarkable four-legged snake darted out from a corner and was kicked away by her in a huff.

---

In Chen Ping'an's house, a young Daoist sat at the table, eyes closed and focused.

The black-clad girl, who was nearly dead not long ago, was now sitting on the bed, cross-legged, without her veil, revealing a face that was memorable.

Not because she was exceptionally beautiful, but because her strong and spirited demeanor overshadowed her good looks.

Her eyebrows were not like willow leaves but more like sharp knives.

When she looked at the young Daoist with a scrutinizing gaze, he felt unusually uneasy, even though he had done nothing wrong, feeling somewhat guilty.

The young Daoist coughed and quickly clarified, "Miss, to be clear, I saved you, but carrying you into the house, removing your veil, and washing your face were all done by someone else. His name is Chen Ping'an, the owner of this dilapidated house, a poor young man with a blackened face, both of whose parents are dead. He used to be a kiln worker and once asked me for a talisman. That's about it. If you have any other questions, I will answer them honestly."

The young man in straw sandals was completely sold out.

The girl nodded, not angry, but sincerely said, "Thank you, Daoist, for saving my life."

The young Daoist, even more nervous, laughed dryly, "No problem, no problem. It was a small effort, and I'm glad you are well."

The black-clad girl asked, "Daoist, are you not from the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent?"

The young Daoist countered, "And you are not, right?"

She nodded.

The Daoist also nodded.

The young Daoist, wearing a lotus crown, smiled, "I am named Lu Chen, and I have no Daoist name. You can call me Daoist Lu."

The girl nodded slightly, glancing at the Daoist's crown.

The young Daoist hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage, "The young man, although he did some things that were not proper, acted out of necessity. I also did not expect you to recover so quickly, so I hope you will not blame him for any indiscretions."

The girl smiled, "Daoist Lu, I am not unreasonable."

The young Daoist laughed awkwardly, "That's good, that's good."

The girl raised an eyebrow, and the young Daoist's smile became stiff.

She looked around, her expression calm.

She casually said, "I heard that the best swordsmith on this continent, Master Ruan, plans to open a furnace here to forge swords. I followed him here, hoping he could make a sword for me."

The young Daoist sighed, "If it's really him, it won't be easy to get him to forge a sword."

The black-clad girl clearly had some worries, "It is difficult."

At this moment, the young man, holding a bag of herbs in one hand and a small package in the other, knocked on the door symbolically before quickly stepping inside and placing the herbs on the table, saying softly, "Daoist, please check if there are any mistakes. If there are, I will go and replace them."

The young man, still holding the package, turned to look at the black-clad girl sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed, and their eyes met.

The black-clad girl said calmly, "Hello, my father's surname is Ning, and my mother's surname is Yao, so I am called Ning Yao."

The young man instinctively said, "Hello, my father's surname is Chen, and my mother's surname is also Chen, so..."

The young man's expression was a bit awkward, but he soon smiled frankly, "I am called Chen Ping'an!"