Chapter 17: Speaking Out Against Injustice

Lord Fu Nanhua, the young master of Old Dragon City, sat across from the young man surnamed Song, his hands carefully cradling a small teapot with a "mountain spirit" mark on the bottom. He scrutinized the inscription as if admiring the captivating form of a peerless beauty, never tiring of the examination. For over half an hour, Fu Nanhua had been turning it over and over, caressing it, breathing on it, completely captivated. There are always people or objects that inspire love at first sight, sparking instant joy. For Fu Nanhua, with his discerning eye, this "nourishing heart" teapot was such a treasure. Although the line between discovering a bargain and being deceived is thin, Fu Nanhua was convinced this was the former, and a significant one at that. His Old Dragon City was among the top sects in the southern part of Eastern Treasure Continent. Thus, Fu Nanhua had truly witnessed immense wealth as a scion of a prominent immortal family, which explained Cai Jinjian's constant deference earlier.

Song Jixin yawned, slouching in his chair, adjusting himself for greater comfort. He lazily asked, "Brother Fu, now that the authenticity of the item has been confirmed, shouldn't we discuss the price?"

Fu Nanhua, rarely addressed so familiarly, suppressed a slight feeling of unease. Reluctantly setting down the mountain spirit teapot, he smiled and said, "Brother Song is surely aware of my sincerity. Otherwise, I would never have been so open, revealing the true value of this teapot from the outset. Nor would I have lingered so long, so obviously displaying my desire for it, all to avoid protracted haggling that wastes time and damages our budding friendship. Brother Song, I, Fu Nanhua, already consider you a kindred spirit on the path of cultivation. We can trust each other in this transaction. Whether we will share fortune or misfortune in the future, even entrusting each other with our lives, depends on how firmly we tread this first step today."

Song Jixin extended a finger, pointing it at the earnest, high-crowned young master. He said with a grin, "Brother Fu, I'm a very worldly person, obsessed with money. Of course, I value friendship too. But when it comes to sitting down and doing business, if someone starts talking to me about brotherly affection, I can't help but wonder if they're secretly calculating how to exploit that affection later on."

Fu Nanhua's expression turned cold. He leaned back in his chair, a finger gently tapping on the table, the motion soft and silent.

Seemingly oblivious to Fu Nanhua's change in demeanor, Song Jixin continued, "Calling you 'Brother Fu' and showing you this teapot is my sincerity. Since we both want to make a deal, let's be direct. You give me your price, and I'll either nod or shake my head. I'll give you two chances to bid. After that, it's like missing the boat. No matter how much gold and silver you promise, I'm sorry, brother, I won't sell."

"The jade pendant earlier was my introductory gift, named 'Old Dragon Brings Rain.' It's not a powerful immortal treasure, but it can ward off heat, clear the mind, and repel impurities. It's especially beneficial for meditation. If combined with a secret incantation passed down by a prominent Daoist sect, the effect will be doubled."

Fu Nanhua's smile was sincere, his face devoid of any arrogant or condescending expression. He placed an embroidered pouch on the table, pushing it towards Song Jixin with his palm. He solemnly said, "These copper coins are called 'offering money,' one of many types of incense money in the world. They are usually offered to the statues of deities in city god temples or Wenchang Pavilions. They can be held in the mouth, hidden in the stomach, or carried in the palm, each with its own nuances and uses. But none of that is the most important thing. The truly crucial aspect is that these coins, which look like gold, are actually 'golden essence,' far more valuable than gold. As immortals say, 'Azure water may be gathered, but the secret of golden essence must not be discussed,' referring to this very substance. This pouch of golden essence offering money, as payment for the teapot, may not be excessively generous, but it's ultimately a fair price. If you add the Old Dragon pendant, I, Fu Nanhua, dare say that Brother Song, you're absolutely making a profit."

Having spoken these "heartfelt words," Fu Nanhua waited for a response.

Song Jixin was silent for a moment, then blinked and asked, "Is that it?"

Fu Nanhua said with a wry smile, "That's it."

The youth suddenly changed his expression, slamming his hand on the table. "Fu, get out of here! Do you think I'm some gullible three-year-old?! Before you entered the town, you had three bags of copper coins. After deducting one bag for passage, you're supposed to give out a bag for every treasure you obtain, no matter how small. Each bag contains thirty coins at most, and twenty at least. But this shriveled-up pouch of yours, does it even have twelve coins?! When doing business, you can't even uphold this basic level of honesty? And you dare to try and exchange for opportunity from me?"

Fu Nanhua increased the force of his fingers, tapping the table faster and faster.

Song Jixin's heart skipped a beat. He felt inexplicably short of breath, his face flushed red, the whites of his eyes bloodshot. The youth quickly reached out and pressed his hand to his chest. His heart was pounding violently like a drum, nearly bursting out of his chest.

Fu Nanhua gradually slowed the speed of his tapping. The youth's complexion improved. Fu Nanhua smiled and asked, "Since we didn't reach an agreement with the first price, I'll offer another one. Twenty-four golden essence offering coins. Will you sell your mountain spirit teapot?"

Song Jixin, drenched in sweat, hesitated. Seeing that the other party was about to act, the youth was about to say something to defuse the situation, but the young master of Old Dragon City, accustomed to being the center of attention, once again accelerated the tapping speed, like a sudden summer rainstorm.

Song Jixin pressed both hands to his chest, his handsome face twisted, a hint of ruthless laughter mixed with his grimace.

Fu Nanhua almost couldn't resist killing this little wolf cub. But at the last moment, the immense allure of ascending to immortality, reaching the peak of cultivation, still outweighed his personal dislike. So, he stopped tapping and spared the youth's life.

Song Jixin gasped for air, his eyes burning, a raspy laugh escaping his lips.

Fu Nanhua was completely baffled. There seemed to be no hatred in the youth's eyes. Fu Nanhua didn't find this particularly shocking. The path of cultivation was filled with bizarre and wondrous things, with many strange and unique individuals. He simply asked in confusion, "What are you laughing at?"

Song Jixin's breathing became more stable. He slumped back in his chair, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with shining eyes, "I'm laughing because I'm thinking that in the near future, I'll also have abilities like yours, able to kill with a flick of the finger. I'm incredibly happy."

Fu Nanhua dismissed it with a smile. He thought to himself, *Truly a kindred spirit.*Such people are the easiest to deal with, as long as you're in a better position than them. But they can also be the most difficult, once they climb above you.

However, the young city lord of Old Dragon City didn't believe that after successfully intercepting this opportunity, he would be inferior to a boy who hadn't left his small town before the age of nine.

Song Jixin glanced at the small pot and the half-bag of copper coins on the table, then looked up and said, "Fu Nanhua, I have two conditions. If you agree, I'll not only sell you this Mountain Goblin Pot, but also bring out an antique that's no less valuable."

Fu Nanhua suppressed his excitement, trying to keep his tone calm, "Let's hear them."

Song Jixin didn't beat around the bush, dropping a bombshell, "First, I want three bags of Gold Essence coins, not two!"

Fu Nanhua agreed without hesitation, "Acceptable!"

Song Jixin stared intently into his eyes.

Fu Nanhua smiled, "Believe it or not. But before I leave today, you must show me the item worth two bags of Gold Essence coins and let me examine it personally."

Song Jixin nodded, "Of course!"

Fu Nanhua asked, "What's the second condition?"

Song Jixin slowly said, "Kill someone for me."

Fu Nanhua shook his head, "Since you know how many copper coins are in a bag, you should also know that we 'outsiders' aren't allowed to kill people here at will. Otherwise, we'll be immediately expelled from the town, and might even have a portion of our foundation severed. The Sage would then use immortal means to strip away the related opportunities, a truly gruesome fate, and it would also cause our families to lose all opportunities here."

Song Jixin's lips curled up, "Don't rush to refuse. You can wait and see what happens, how about it?"

Fu Nanhua asked with a smile, "I'm curious, who do you want to kill?"

Song Jixin said, half-joking, half-serious, "I'm still thinking about it."

Fu Nanhua picked up the small pot again, feeling the smooth texture of the pot, and casually said, "Then I'll wait and see."

Across the table, the boy subconsciously rubbed his neck, his face extremely unpleasant.

Earlier, when Zhigui escorted Cai Jinjian to the entrance of the Gu family's courtyard, Song Jixin's maid went shopping on her own. After Cai Jinjian pushed open the door, she was struck as if by lightning, standing frozen in place, looking at the old man sitting on the long bench, and tremblingly asked, "Senior, are you the River-Cutting True Lord who cultivates in seclusion at Shujian Lake?"

The old man asked, "How did you recognize me?"

Cai Jinjian respectfully said, "Junior Cai Jinjian of Yunxia Mountain, ten years ago, I followed my father to Shujian Lake to witness the spectacle of the ancient tortoise carrying the stone tablet out of the water. I was fortunate enough to see Senior's demeanor from afar, and the memory is still fresh in my mind."

The old man nodded, "Understood."

Cai Jinjian's mood was slightly heavy, "True Lord, I wanted to..."

The "Storyteller," who was called "River-Cutting True Lord," glanced at her and said indifferently, "For the sake of Old Ancestor Songxia, I won't hold your uninvited visit against you, but don't let it happen again. Remember to close the door when you leave the courtyard."

Cai Jinjian remained silent for a moment, then nodded, "Junior takes her leave."

She really left like that, and didn't forget to obediently close the door, moving gently and flawlessly.

Inside the courtyard, the woman looked towards the courtyard door with worry and asked, "Immortal Master, she doesn't seem like she'll let it go easily. Will there be any trouble?"

The old man, who possessed the title of "True Lord," scoffed, "Entering the town, even a breath or a fart might cause trouble. Should we give up the opportunity because of that?"

The woman was speechless.

The old man laughed, "Let me ask you, Gu Clan, if you could choose, would you rather let Gu Can go to Yunxia Mountain for cultivation, or follow me to Shujian Lake?"

"Don't rush to answer."

The old man waved his hand, telling the woman not to rush to express her opinion, and slowly said, "Yunxia Mountain is the bottom-ranked second-rate sect in my Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent. But if you think Yunxia Mountain is insignificant, then you are greatly mistaken. The Cloud Root Stone produced by Yunxia Mountain is a true treasure of heaven and earth. Not to mention Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent, it's the only one in the entire world. Therefore, Yunxia Mountain has a detached status, and everyone is willing to give it respect, especially the Daoist Dan Ding sect's monasteries and temples, which have had a relationship with Yunxia Mountain for thousands of years. As for me, I'm just one of the cultivators in Shujian Lake, occupying only a lake island, with only a handful of disciples and less than a hundred servants."

The woman, Gu Clan, smiled sweetly, her charm undiminished despite her age, "The difference between me and the woman from Yunxia Mountain is the same as the difference between her and you, Immortal Master. How could I let Gu Can not live in a blessed land and cave heaven, and instead follow that woman to till the fields for food?"

The old man laughed heartily, suddenly remembering something, and said in a deep voice, "What about that boy's background? Gu Clan, tell me in detail, just in case."

The woman was stunned for a moment, then smoothed the hair at her temples before softly saying, "That poor child is called Chen Ping'an. His parents were both born and raised in the town. His mother was quite close to me, her appearance was average, but her personality was truly good. I don't think I've ever seen her argue with anyone. His father's appearance wasn't presentable, and he wasn't quite worthy of her, but his porcelain-making skills were good. If he hadn't died young, he might have become the kiln master of the Great Dragon Kiln in twenty years. As for how he died, some say it was that stormy night, afraid of losing the kiln fire, he hurried on the road and accidentally fell into the stream. Others say he went to cut firewood and charcoal, greedy for a small advantage, trespassed into a mountain sealed by the imperial court, and was dragged into the deep mountains by wild animals. In short, his body was never found. That man, a silent gourd who couldn't be squeezed for a fart, was good to his own child. Every time he returned to town, he would bring back small gifts, small drums, sugar figurines, old broken porcelain. Generally speaking, that family of three lived a stable life before the man died."

"After Chen Ping'an's father died, his mother probably had a mental illness, and her spirit couldn't hold on for long. Her body, which wasn't strong to begin with, collapsed quickly. In less than a year, she fell ill, becoming skin and bones, making us old neighbors panic when we saw her. We couldn't recognize her as the beautiful woman she once was. At that time, it was Chen Ping'an who took care of her. Such a small child, buying medicine, decocting medicine, cooking, everything. The child was too short at the time, and had to stand on a stool to cook. Also, to save money to buy medicine for his mother, he would search for some easily found medicinal herbs all over the mountains. If he found too much, he would sell it to the pharmacy.""I reckon it was after eating the wrong herb once, carrying his basket back to Mud Bottle Alley, when that boy suddenly collapsed on the ground, foaming at the mouth, thrashing around. Scared us all half to death, thought the whole family was done for. My late mother-in-law even said it'd be better if they all went, save anyone from suffering. If they all went, they could have a family reunion in the underworld. Later, the boy somehow recovered on his own, made it through the illness, but his mother didn't survive the winter. Oh, right, Immortal Master, Chen Ping'an was born on the fifth day of the fifth month. The older folks in our alley all say that's the unluckiest day of the year, easily attracts unclean things, and can bring misfortune to the family, so after the boy's parents passed, there wasn't a single copper coin left in the house. Even those little trinkets his father gave him were mostly traded for food with kids in other parts of town..."

The woman trailed off, and the old man finally spoke, "Fifth day of the fifth month? Interesting. Allow me to calculate."

His fingers danced in a complex pattern, his sleeves seeming to hold a universe within.

Seeing the woman staring blankly, the old man smiled, "Continue speaking."

The woman responded with an "Oh," and continued, "Out of neighborly affection for so many years, those of us living in Mud Bottle Alley, while not daring to bring Chen Ping'an into our homes, would occasionally give him some help, send over a few bowls of food. We could manage that much. Hearts are made of flesh, after all. Truth be told, if it weren't for the boy's birthday, which really made people apprehensive, no one wouldn't feel sorry for that sensible child from the bottom of their hearts. Of course, there were also some unkind folks in the neighborhood, those who couldn't bear to see others doing well, who liked to deliberately mistreat the boy, forcing him to become a kiln worker apprentice in the end. You see, his mother, before her death, made him promise that even if he had to be a beggar, he must never work in the dragon kiln. For him, such an obedient and filial child to break his vow, it must have been no ordinary matter."

The old man inquired, "The young one's parents, their names and birthdates, do you know them?"

The woman said she only knew their names; no one knew their birthdates. The old man said it didn't matter and, after a moment, coldly laughed, "Petty tricks, ghostly schemes!"

The woman was bewildered.

The old man explained, "That man died an unnatural death, most likely because he unintentionally discovered a secret of the town. Unfortunately, his luck was far worse than your family's, and his ancestral blessings couldn't compare. In the end, the man secretly shattered his natal porcelain bottle for his son's safety. By doing so, he naturally foiled a certain sect outside the town, causing them to lose a considerable investment. A mere kiln worker, how could he possibly compensate? He had to pay with his life. One life wasn't enough, so they added his wife's. Ironically, it seems that the kiln worker's death was too insignificant for some, and they were too lazy to expend extra effort. Therefore, the concealing art used to deceive heaven and earth was performed so crudely, they clearly didn't take it seriously."

The woman's face darkened.

The old man saw through her thoughts and asked with a smile, "What, feeling guilty and regretful?"

The woman gave a bitter smile, "Guilty, yes. He was a child I watched grow up, of course, I feel guilty. But regret? Absolutely not!"

The old man nodded, "I can see that."

The woman muttered to herself, "If it were Chen Ping'an's mother in my position, I believe she would do the same."

The old man shook his head, "That's not necessarily true."

The woman suddenly exclaimed, "She definitely would!"

The old man wasn't angered by her rudeness, he simply sighed, "The hearts of parents are the same everywhere."

The straw-sandal-clad youth sat on the doorstep, "Miss Ning, may I ask you some questions?"

The black-clad girl leaned against the wall, cross-legged, her narrow, green-sheathed blade lying across her lap. "Of course. But I won't answer anything involving secrets or taboo topics."

Chen Ping'an asked, "When you come here, how long do you usually stay before leaving?"

The girl frowned, "It's not certain. Some people are lucky, they might return the same day. Others are unlucky, they'll spend their entire lives here. If you insist on me giving you a guess, I can, but it might not be accurate. You can judge for yourself. For example, in our group, there are eight of us, two are loaded fools, all money and no brains. They don't seem like the type to come and go quickly. They'll probably stay in town for a few days. That young master wearing a tall crown and jade pendant, I reckon he'll have a relatively smooth journey. There's also a big oaf, focused entirely on dealing with that water well. Whether he succeeds or not depends on whether the heavens are willing to feed him that bowl of rice."

Chen Ping'an pressed, "What about the other person?"

"Who?"

"The tall woman, not very old."

"You like her?"

Chen Ping'an smiled at the doorway, not taking it seriously at all.

The black-clad girl probably realized she told a bad joke, and her expression turned serious, "I actually overheard your conversation with Daoist Lu. You have a grudge against her, so you want...revenge?"

She sighed, "Let me give you a piece of advice. People like you, halfway up the mountain, are no different from those at the foot of the mountain in the eyes of those at the summit. It's not just that they're arrogant, they genuinely have the right to look down on you. After arriving at this 'age of declining Dharma,' not to mention that woman from Cloud Radiance Mountain, even that little child in the red robe, one punch to your chest would make you vomit a bowl of blood. Conversely, if you hit him with all your might, I wouldn't say it'd tickle him, but at most, it'd just make him feel a bit stifled. It definitely wouldn't injure his organs. As for the reason, it's hard to explain clearly. Mainly because I'm not good at explaining this sort of thing."

Chen Ping'an, facing away from the house, looked towards the doorway, and said, "I want to know, why does she want to kill me? We've only just met."

The girl prepared herself for a while before speaking, "She might not be the type to kill innocent people indiscriminately. How should I put it? On the path of cultivation, traversing mountains and rivers, there are wide roads and narrow paths, sunny avenues and single-plank bridges. If you walk too fast, you might accidentally step on ants. If you're hungry, you might catch a few fish from the river. When your mastery of the Dao reaches a small level, casting spells carelessly, you might accidentally kill birds, snakes, or rats. I'm not explaining it very well, but do you understand what I mean?"

Chen Ping'an gave a sound of "Mmm," and said, "I understand, roughly."

Then the youth became somewhat somber, looking back towards the courtyard gate.

In truth, he didn't understand at all. He didn't understand why those people could be so indifferent to the lives of others.Long after, Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled, "If the young lady doesn't mind, you can stay here. Just let me know if you need anything."

"What about you?"

"I know someone. I'll go stay with him for the next few days. Don't worry, his name is Liu Xianyang. He's my... friend. A good friend!"

The young lady watched the thin back on the doorstep and smiled, "Thank you!"

The young man grinned, scratched his head, and didn't say any polite words. He hesitated for a moment, finally mustered his courage, and turned his head again, "Miss Ning, if one day I don't return, please give that bag of golden copper coins to Liu Xianyang. Let him take care of this house for me in the future. He doesn't need to clean it. Just occasionally repair it, add some new tiles, and keep it from leaking. Also, make sure the walls don't collapse, and the courtyard gate doesn't get too dilapidated. If he could put up door gods and Spring Festival couplets during the New Year's Eve, that would be the best! If you think it's too much trouble, it's okay if he doesn't do it."

The young lady saw an unusual light shining in Chen Ping'an's eyes when he mentioned the door gods and Spring Festival couplets.

Obviously, this orphan from Mud Bottle Alley had been hoping for many, many years to have door gods on his gate and a Spring character on his lintel during the New Year.

For as many years as his parents had been dead, he had been thinking about it.

So, when that carefree and unburdened young man gently exhaled a mouthful of foul air, patted his knees, and slowly stood up...

The sheathed flying sword placed on the table in the house suddenly hummed.