Chapter 34: Gathering

Footsteps echoed near Song Jixing's doorstep. Liu Xianyang, poised to leap from the wall, was halted by a voice preceding its owner. A gentle, smiling inquiry drifted over: "Are you the apprentice of old Yao from Baoxi Kiln? Surname Liu?"

It was the Imperial Kiln Overseer, clad in white robes cinched with a jade belt. He strode through the threshold, his smiling gaze fixed on the wall.

Liu Xianyang froze, his strength abandoning him. He offered a sheepish chuckle. "Reporting to the esteemed official, it is I. When you graced our dragon kiln with your presence during the firing, my master tasked me with demonstrating a few skills."

The man nodded, scrutinizing the tall youth. He cut straight to the chase. "Young man, how would you like to see the world outside? Perhaps join the military, taste the thrill of battle? I guarantee, survive ten years, and you'll rise to high rank. I'll personally host a grand celebration in the capital for your success, what do you say?"

Behind the man, Song Jixing's face darkened, his hand gripping the old Dragon Rain Jade Pendant given by Fu Nanhua.

The scholarly youth, burdened for years by the titles of "bastard" and "illegitimate son," now understood the man's true identity, and thus the weight of his words. "Personally host a celebration" – these words were the ultimate life-saving charm in Great Li, the longest ladder to power in the officialdom.

Liu Xianyang wracked his brain for eloquent excuses, stammering, "Thank you, esteemed Kiln Overseer, for your favor, I am deeply humbled... However, I have already pledged myself as an apprentice to Master Ruan's blacksmith shop, it would be wrong to break my word. I hope the esteemed official will not... esteemed official does not..."

The tall youth's words caught in his throat, utterly forgotten, leaving him flushed and agitated.

Song Jixing, seemingly understanding, offered a reminder: "…hold a grudge against petty men."

The white-robed man smiled, unperturbed. "No matter. Should you ever have the opportunity to leave this small town, seek out a martial artist named Liu Linxi at the Danyang Pass. Tell him Song Changjing of the capital recommended you join the army. If he disbelieves you, tell him Song Changjing said Liu Linxi still owes him thirty thousand Sui Dynasty cavalry heads."

Liu Xianyang nodded blankly. "Yes, I will."

The man departed with a smile. Song Jixing wanted to stop at the courtyard gate, but the man, as if reading his mind, spoke without turning back: "Accompany me to the Kiln Overseer's office. I'll introduce you to someone."

Song Jixing's feet were rooted to the ground, his face grim. "I won't go!"

That place, intimidating to the townspeople, was to the youth who had grown up hearing whispers, a dragon's den, a tiger's lair, an insurmountable mental barrier.

The man, usually decisive and swift, did not become angry at the youth's uncooperative attitude. He slowed his pace but did not stop. "According to the records of the office's spies, you have already met that Prince Gao of the Sui Dynasty, haven't you? Do you know that the Gao family of Sui and our Song family of Great Li are age-old enemies with an unshakeable hatred? He, a prince, dares to come to this small town deep within the enemy Great Li's territory. And you, Song Jixing, also a prince, dare not visit a small official residence on your own empire's lands?"

Song Jixing did not immediately ponder the deeper meaning of these words. Instead, he whirled around to look at Liu Xianyang, who was sitting on the wall, rubbing his hands and stretching his legs, seemingly oblivious to the man's words.

The Great Li white-robed Prince, walking through Mud Bottle Alley, smiled. He had gained an unexpected pleasure.

Indeed, the blood of the old Song family flowed within him.

However, the mighty Prince, Great Li's foremost martial arts master, felt a surge of annoyance and trouble when he thought that the youth was still that woman's son.

Song Jixing gritted his teeth and turned to Zhigui, who stood at the doorway of the house. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry about lunch for me."

Song Jixing turned and smiled. "Take the pouch of silver fragments from my bedside and buy the Dragon and Phoenix incense pendants from Du's shop. We won't need to save money anymore anyway."

Zhigui nodded and made a careful sign in sign language.

Song Jixing smiled happily and left with a flourish.

Once Song Jixing was far away, Liu Xianyang cautiously asked from his perch on the wall, "Zhigui, what exactly is Song Jixing's relationship with the Kiln Overseer?"

Zhigui looked at the tall youth with pity.

Liu Xianyang couldn't stand that look. "What? So he knows some official who manages the firing of porcelain, so what?"

Zhigui twitched her lips and went back into the house to fetch food and start feeding the old hen and her fluffy chicks.

Liu Xianyang felt disheartened for no reason. He jumped off the wall and shouted into the house, "Chen, we're going to the blacksmith shop! I won't take this lying down."

The girl, her back to the neighboring courtyard separated by a wall, giggled. "The Buddha vies for a stick of incense, a man strives for a breath, but a wimp only has a belly full of wimp air."

Liu Xianyang's blood rushed to his head, and even his ears turned red. He walked to the mud wall and punched the top of the wall hard. "Wang Zhu! Say that again if you dare!"

The maid threw away all the corn and vegetable leaves, clapped her hands, and turned to smile sweetly. "Who do you think you are, making me say it just because you want me to?"

Liu Xianyang looked at the girl, whose figure was growing more slender and beautiful, and couldn't say a word. His heart felt empty, like a porcelain bowl that had fallen to the ground.

Chen Ping'an had actually been standing at the threshold for some time. Seeing this scene, he quickly walked into the courtyard and said softly, "Let's go."

The two youths walked side by side in the alley. The tall youth suddenly asked, "Chen Ping'an, am I very useless?"

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and said seriously, "The neighbors in the alley all say my mother is very good, and they also say my father is a famous silent gourd, so I think whether you like someone or not may not have that much to do with whether you are successful."

Liu Xianyang looked dejected. "Then I'm even more miserable. Even if I build my own dragon kiln in the future, or learn all of Master Ruan's skills, she still won't like me, will she!"

Chen Ping'an wisely kept silent to avoid adding fuel to the fire.

Chen Ping'an walked through the familiar alley and suddenly remembered a scene. Earlier, he had followed Old Yao along the stream into the deep mountains and saw a young deer drinking water by the stream. It was not afraid of him. After drinking the water, it lowered its head and looked at the stream for a long time without leaving. Besides the deer's reflection, there was also a wandering fish in the water.Before leaving his ancestral home, the maiden Ning suggested that since he possessed a locust leaf, he should leave the town as soon as possible. With the invisible protection of the ancestral locust leaf, he wouldn't encounter any major accidents. It was best not to linger in the town for too long, as she didn't know if Liu Xianyang's situation would affect Chen Pingan.

However, Chen Pingan insisted on witnessing Liu Xianyang being accepted as a disciple by Master Ruan before leaving with peace of mind.

Because if it hadn't been for Liu Xianyang back then, he would have starved to death long ago.

Of course, Chen Pingan also hoped that the maiden Ning could recover from her injuries at his home, but at the time, the young man didn't dare to say it, fearing she would think he was being frivolous.

Chen Pingan suddenly asked, "That suit of treasured armor your grandfather left you, you wouldn't sell it to outsiders, would you?"

Liu Xianyang said as if it were a matter of course, "Nonsense, I wouldn't sell it even if it killed me!"

He punched the young man beside him on the shoulder and joked, "I'm not a money-grubber like you."

The tall youth held the back of his head with both hands, "Some things you don't have now, you can earn with money, but some things, once they're gone, they're gone forever."

Chen Pingan muttered to himself, "I understand."

As they were about to reach the entrance of Mud Bottle Lane, Liu Xianyang swore. Chen Pingan immediately snapped out of his thoughts, looked up, and his mood instantly became heavy.

It was Lu Zhengchun, the young master of the Lu family from Fortune Street. It was this person who had led a group of cronies to block Liu Xianyang in this alley back then, almost beating him to death. If Chen Pingan hadn't run to shout, Liu Xianyang, who had no elders or relatives, would probably have been thrown into the mass grave.

Song Jixin was squatting on the wall watching the fun at the time and kept adding fuel to the fire. Afterwards, he told the lingering Chen Pingan that Lu Zhengchun and his ilk's behavior was called "acting chivalrously for the sake of anger" outside the town.

Lu Zhengchun blocked Liu Xianyang's path, forcing a smile, "Don't be nervous, I'm not here to settle old scores today, but rather..."

Liu Xianyang interrupted the Lu family's young master, "Here again? A good dog doesn't block the road, get out of my way!"

Lu Zhengchun's face was awkward, and he forced a smile and said, "Liu Xianyang, I really have something to discuss with you this time. Last time, you ran away before we could finish speaking, which isn't good. You should at least listen to the conditions we're offering, right? To be honest, we brothers can be considered to have made acquaintance through fighting, there's no need to make things so tense. I and those guests are very sincere!"

Liu Xianyang tilted his head and ridiculed, "What, you're addicted to being a matchmaker for others? I find it strange, you Lu Zhengchun, you're the grandson of the wealthiest family in our town, why do you like being a lackey for outsiders so much?"

Lu Zhengchun's face was livid, but he still had to maintain the smile on his face, making him look ridiculous and pathetic. He almost pleaded, "Liu Xianyang, as long as you speak, they will try their best to satisfy you, for example, copper coins? Otherwise, name a number, how about it? For example... one hundred and fifty strings of coins? Even... two hundred strings, I can help you bargain, two hundred strings! That's enough for you to buy half a house in our Fortune Street."

Liu Xianyang stared at the person's eyes and face, and said with contempt, "Two hundred strings, you're treating me like a beggar? Sincerity? I advise you not to waste your breath here with me, I'm busy with serious matters, get out of my way!"

Outside the corner of Mud Bottle Lane, a delicate little girl was riding on the shoulders of a burly old man. A boy in a large red robe was being led by a woman. At an age when they should be innocent and carefree, his face already had a sinister look that didn't match his age. He spoke in the dialect of his hometown, "Is this Lu family member too stupid? What's the use of him..."

The woman shook her head and smiled softly, "When giving grace to others, you must understand how a small favor can turn into a large debt. When negotiating a deal, if you want to maximize profit, you should act like Lu Zhengchun, first testing the other party's bottom line for their psychological price."

The child asked doubtfully, "Do we need to go through so much trouble to do business with these country bumpkins?"

The woman smiled, "Human nature is complex, and the human heart is dark, regardless of the level of cultivation. People in small places, even if they have limited knowledge, are not all fools. If you think that way, you will suffer sooner or later."

The child said "Oh," "Since Mother is so familiar with the human heart, why not come forward and negotiate directly?"

The woman patiently explained, "Look at our attire. No matter which store you go to buy something, as long as the seller is slightly shrewd, they can't help but try to overcharge us."

The child sighed, "It's just that we're being so coy, it's too uncomfortable."

The woman squatted down, held the child's cheeks with both hands, and looked at the face that resembled his father's. She said solemnly, "Remember, cultivating the mind is also part of cultivation. Cultivate strength in favorable circumstances, cultivate the mind in adverse circumstances, neither is dispensable."

The child shook his head, broke free from the woman's hands, and said irritably, "Here we go again with those empty principles, it's so annoying."

The woman was a little helpless, but she didn't continue to impart principles earnestly. She only felt that her child had good talent, good foundation, and the backing of two powerful families, so the road ahead was still long. Although his temperament was slightly biased and gloomy, it could be slowly cultivated. Trying to force growth would be the most inappropriate.

Listening to the boring conversation in the alley, the little girl was a little worried, "Grandpa White Ape, what if that person refuses to sell the thing no matter what? What do we do?"

The old man, whose hands reached his knees like a monkey, smiled, "Then let him die. This old servant came here to deal with the worst-case scenario. Otherwise, that money would be as good as throwing it into the water without even a splash. But at that time, Miss's safety will be a little troublesome, I estimate we'll have to entrust her to the Song family, or the Li family."

Putting everything else aside, if it came to killing, although the old man would be expelled from the country by the Saint, compared to throwing money into the water without a sound, it would be like throwing a stone into the water, at least a little splash would be made.

However, the old man would never resort to such a move unless it was absolutely necessary. After all, no matter how important that sword scripture was, no matter how much Zheng Yang Mountain treasured it, it was ultimately far inferior to the young lady's path to immortality on his shoulders, at least that's what the old man thought.

The town had four surnames and ten clans, with the Lu clan as the head.

But if placed outside, it would be the opposite, in fact, the Lu clan was at the bottom. This stemmed from the fact that after a dynasty ruled by the Lu clan's main branch was destroyed by the Great Li's two border armies, the Lu clan's status in Eastern Treasure Continent was already in jeopardy.Across the alley, Liu Xianyang, listening to Lu Zhengchun rattle on about high office, boundless wealth, and bevies of beauties, felt as if he were facing a bookworm like Song Jixin all over again. Utterly exasperated, he stepped forward, pointing a finger squarely at Lu Zhengchun's nose and declaring, "That armor is a family heirloom, passed down through generations! It has nothing to do with money! Even if you let me move into your house today, even if you, Lu Zhengchun, called me 'Grandfather' every day, I wouldn't give you the time of day! Get it through your thick skull, Lu!"

Lu Zhengchun, standing alone at the mouth of the Mud Bottle Alley, stared intently at this defiant, reckless youth. It was clear that Liu Xianyang had nothing to lose. The young master of the Lu family felt like bashing his head against the wall right then and there.

Previously, he had acted as a negotiator at the covered bridge, blocking Liu Xianyang's path to the blacksmith shop. His efforts were unsuccessful. Returning to the mansion on Prosperity Street, he found that his grandfather had already entertained those lofty, esteemed guests. Without revealing any trace of his feelings, his grandfather had called him into the secret chamber, uttering neither harsh words nor grand pronouncements about the family's future. He simply pointed to the body beneath a white cloth. "Zhengchun, I have no other request. I only hope your brother doesn't die with unfinished business. I hope that by the seventh day after his death, you will have already left this town, as if seeing the world outside on his behalf."

Suddenly, Lu Zhengchun's eyes welled up with tears. His voice trembled with emotion as he pleaded, "Liu Xianyang, I'm begging you, please? Just tell me what you want?"

Liu Xianyang was dumbfounded.

The pampered young man seemed increasingly fragile and helpless, his lips quivering, sobbing uncontrollably. "Please? I'll kneel to you, I'll admit I was wrong, will that work?"

With a thud, Lu Zhengchun knelt squarely on the muddy ground of Mud Bottle Alley, beginning to kowtow.

A man doesn't kneel easily.

The young man's kowtows were loud and clear, each impact echoing through the alley.

Near the base of the outer wall of Mud Bottle Alley, the little girl gently tapped the old man's chest with her toes, musing about which picturesque peaks she had seen on their journey and considering which one she should choose to move back to her hometown.

The boy, somewhat gleefully, asked, "Mother, is this Lu fellow crazy? We're not really going to take a lunatic with us when we leave this town, are we? That would be so embarrassing!"

The woman's expression was complicated. Recalling the many strange and extraordinary events she had witnessed with her own eyes, she hesitated, finally shaking her head. "It won't happen."

Liu Xianyang felt at a loss.

He couldn't have imagined that Lu Zhengchun would act this way, that the eldest grandson of the wealthiest family in town would kneel at his feet and kowtow.

Liu Xianyang's face was troubled. Just then, the straw-sandaled boy, who had been observing both Liu Xianyang and Lu Zhengchun, tugged at his sleeve, gently shaking his head.

Liu Xianyang, feeling a pang of sympathy, said, "This is just too much…"

Chen Ping'an's gaze was unwavering, his meaning clear.

The straw-sandaled boy, whom the black-clad girl considered a soft touch, now seemed incredibly hard-hearted.

Chen Ping'an's intuition told him that if Liu Xianyang had agreed to the deal before Lu Zhengchun knelt, he might have suffered some hardship, but his life would have been safe. But now Liu Xianyang was facing the same dilemma he had encountered before. If not for Mr. Qi's intervention, his fate would have been to kill Fu Nanhua, and then be killed, either by the people from Cloud Peak or Old Dragon City.

Moreover, and more crucially, according to the "rules" that Miss Ning had told him, if Lu Zhengchun himself was from the town, then he or the Lu family could kill Liu Xianyang, and Mr. Qi would likely be powerless to intervene.

Chen Ping'an's mind raced. Taking advantage of Lu Zhengchun's continued kowtowing, he whispered to Liu Xianyang, "If you have to, just pretend to agree. Let's meet Master Ruan first, and wait until you're accepted as his disciple."

Liu Xianyang nodded, saying to Lu Zhengchun, "Buddy, you should get up first, let's talk standing up! What the hell is this all about?!"

Lu Zhengchun didn't rise. He raised his head, his swollen forehead covered in mud.

Liu Xianyang said helplessly, "But you need to go back first, and talk it over with them, figure out a fair price. Don't try to trick me again, I'm not stupid. Two hundred strings of copper coins? Forget whether I'd be losing out big time, wouldn't those esteemed guests think that's a low price to offer?"

Lu Zhengchun slowly stood up, smiling. "That's the way it should be! As long as you're willing to consider it, Liu Xianyang, from now on I, Lu Zhengchun, am your brother! Whether you acknowledge it or not is your business, but I've decided to!"

Liu Xianyang walked over, putting an arm around Lu Zhengchun's shoulders, and together they walked towards the mouth of the alley. He comforted, "Old Lu, in the future you must share the good life with your brother. Once this deal is done, I definitely owe you a good drinking session."

Lu Zhengchun wiped his forehead as he cheerfully replied, "Drinking? That's easy! What's so difficult about that? And I'll pay, how could I let you spend the money? It's settled then, or else this old brother of yours will get angry."

Liu Xianyang laughed heartily. "I knew you were a stand-up guy, Old Lu. I'm sure I'll be fine following you!"

Chen Ping'an followed behind them, staying close to the wall of the alley, his eyes fixed on the activity at the alley entrance.

The white-robed man, accompanied by the young Song Jixin, was being led by an elderly steward towards the rear hall of the Director's Office.

The steward said that the visiting Mr. Li from the academy had been waiting for about half an hour, and then decided to go visit a Confucian elder at the school.

Song Changjing didn't comment, only asking, "Has the assassin who died in the alley been identified as a pawn of any particular faction?"

The steward hesitated.

Song Changjing frowned. "Hmm?"

The elderly man quickly bowed in fear. "It was the Song family from Prosperity Street."

Song Changjing sneered. "They can't even give this Prince a little surprise!"

The elderly steward was drenched in sweat.

Song Jixin remained silent, his eyes burning.

Inside the school, Qi Jingchun gently closed his book and turned to look. A handsome young man in scholarly robes stood at the door, smiling silently.

Qi Jingchun's expression was calm, his face stern.

In the town, a bald man wearing strange clothes, walking barefoot, with a withered expression, came to the iron-chained well. Looking into the deep well, he put his hands together, closed his eyes, and whispered, "The Buddha sees a bowl of water, teeming with hundreds of thousands of insects."

Outside the town, on the summit of a mountain, someone stood on the sturdy branch of a towering ancient tree, gazing at the town's outline, a tiger tally hanging from his waist, and a long sword strapped to his back.

Beyond this world.

On a long, sloping path that seemed to reach the heavens, surrounded by swirling clouds and mist, there was no scenery to be seen.A young Taoist nun, barely past her youth, astride a white deer, ascended the heights with serene grace. Beside her, a Taoist priest with a face like polished jade moved with effortless agility, like flowing clouds and running water. Two magnificent carp, one crimson and one azure, circled and danced around him.

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, along with the martial arts, were about to converge upon the small town.

South of the town, by the creek, in a blacksmith's shop, a father and daughter hammered iron, sparks flying like a dazzling rain of fire.

The man, holding a sword blank, said to the ponytail-wearing girl wielding the hammer, "Don't go to town these next few days."

The girl's hammer blow immediately weakened, as if all her strength had drained away with the thought of the town's delicacies.

The man chuckled, "You glutton!"

The girl channeled her sorrow into strength, bringing the hammer down heavily, smashing it onto the red-hot sword.

Illuminated by the brilliant sparks, the girl looked like a goddess of fire descended to earth.