Chapter 39: Mourning the Locust Tree

Chen Pingan planned that if he were to feel for stones during the day, he would start from Liu Xianyang's spot and move upstream to the covered bridge. Therefore, tonight he chose a location further upstream than his first dip, putting him far from the bridge and the blue stone cliff known locally as "Azure Ox Back," where he first met the girl in green. This meant he missed the meeting with Song Jixin and the supervising official.

At the covered bridge, a plaque hung high, bearing the words "Wind Arises, Water Flourishes."

The man in white robes and jade belt was nominally the Dragon Kiln Supervising Official, but in reality, he was the most powerful prince of the Great Li Dynasty. Under his guidance, Song Jixin arrived at the bottom of the bridge's steps. Before coming, he had not only bathed and changed in the official residence but also wore a sachet and a dragon-shaped jade pendant of ordinary material, its color dull and inconspicuous. Conversely, the old "Dragon Dispensing Rain" jade pendant, far superior in texture, quality, and meaning, had been forcibly removed by the man, absolutely forbidden to be worn.

Song Jixin held three lit incense sticks, the young man standing at the bottom of the steps, at a loss.

Song Changjing, the prince of the Great Li, turned around, extended a hand, and lightly rubbed the tops of the three incense sticks with two fingers, igniting them.

The man casually said, "Kneel down, face the plaque, kowtow three times, stick the incense into the ground, and you're done."

Although Song Jixin was full of doubts, he followed what this "uncle" who had descended from the heavens told him, kneeling and kowtowing three times while holding the incense.

Although the man spoke lightly, his expression became solemn and extremely complex after the young man knelt, looking at the ground where the boy kowtowed, revealing a deeply hidden loathing.

After sticking the three incense sticks into the ground, Song Jixin stood up and asked, "Is it alright to offer incense here?"

The man smiled, "It's just a formality, don't take it too seriously. Starting now, learn to play along, or you might be overwhelmed later."

The man's smile faded. "Just don't forget, this covered bridge is your... place of Dragon Ascension."

Song Jixin's lips were blue, perhaps frostbitten by the late spring chill. The young man pretended to be relaxed, "Those four words shouldn't be used casually, right?"

The man patted his stomach with one hand and supported the white jade belt around his waist with the other, laughing loudly, "It's naturally so in the capital, but it doesn't matter here. There are no watchdog officials or stray Jianghu dogs, no one to bite at this prince."

Song Jixin curiously asked, "Are you afraid of being criticized?"

The man retorted, "This prince is unmatched, both on and off the mountain, in the Great Li Dynasty. If I had nothing to fear, wouldn't I be more comfortable than the one sitting on the dragon throne? Boy, do you think that's appropriate?"

Song Jixin thought for a moment, hesitated, and then made up his mind to ask, "Are you biding your time? Or cultivating enemies to maintain your power?"

The man chuckled, pointed at the sharp-edged young man, and shook his head, "You dare to speak such treasonous words, you truly don't know the severity of things. Whether you go to the capital later or seek temporary refuge in a celestial abode on the mountain, this prince advises you, don't be so uninhibited in your speech, or you'll definitely suffer great misfortune."

Song Jixin nodded, "I'll remember that."

The man pointed to the gilded plaque, "Wind Arises, Water Flourishes. This prince asks you, how does the water 'flourish'?"

Song Jixin bluntly said, "I don't know."

The man muttered, "To know is to know, to not know is to not know, this is true knowledge. What bullshit, scholars are just full of tricks, even a fart has to be elaborate and convoluted."

However, facing the young man, the man became slightly more refined, "If this prince remembers correctly, in your small town, for three thousand years, no matter how great the floods, the highest water level of this small stream has never been higher than the tip of the rusted sword."

Song Jixin asked in confusion, "The old folks living near Iron Lock Well in Apricot Blossom Lane often tell us this under the locust tree. Is there truly a secret to it?"

The man pointed to the far distance, to the exit of the small stream from the mountains, and smiled, "In the forests, snakes have their paths; inside houses, rats have their routes. As for these rivers and streams, dragons have their ways."

The man retracted his finger and patiently explained, "Many other places in the Great Li Dynasty also have the custom of hanging swords under bridges. However, those copper coin swords, peach wood swords, or talisman swords often only block the entry of mountain dragons and forest serpents into the river once, and can't block it a second time. Many of those who hang such swords have shallow cultivation, and can't withstand the power of a single dragon crossing the river, instead enraging the dragons in the flood. Therefore, after the flood passes, bridges that didn't need to collapse do, and the swords disappear without a trace. Only this sword in this place…"

The man paused, halfway through his words.

Song Jixin patiently waited without pressing him.

The man sighed and said, "Only this sword, from the first day it was hung under the bridge, wasn't aimed at blocking any dragons crossing the river, but was used by a Sage to suppress the exit of that Dragon Locking Well. The so-called exit is that deep pool under the bridge, preventing the dragon qi from leaking and dissipating too quickly, so as not to forcibly tear apart this small world."

Song Jixin cut to the chase and asked, "Did the last true dragon in the world really die?"

Song Changjing smiled, "In that Dragon Slaying War three thousand years ago, countless cultivators died, and even Sages of the Three Teachings and Grandmasters of the Hundred Schools fell. Do you think they were all fools, or that Sages lived such long lives only to become useless? Would they deliberately keep the last true dragon alive to be raised as a common pet?"

Song Jixin retorted, "Maybe they couldn't completely kill the true dragon? They could only use delaying tactics and methods of gradual erosion. Although I don't know the original intentions and plans of the Sages thousands of years ago, I can guess that that true dragon was definitely not simple!"

The man shook his head and then nodded, "You're half right. The true dragon is undoubtedly dead, but as for its true identity and symbolic meaning, the words 'not simple' are definitely not enough to encompass it."

Song Jixin hesitated to speak.

"In short, all of the Great Li's plans, and the countless efforts expended, are only for 'Wind Arises, Water Flourishes,' for the future grand undertaking of moving south."

The man took the lead in walking up the steps, slowly saying, "If you were to ask this prince why the Sages of three thousand years ago had to slay the dragon, I wouldn't be able to answer you. But if you were to ask why you were abandoned here, and why you are a noble prince born of the Great Li lineage, this prince can tell you the truth, in detail."Song Jixing kept his head down, his expression unreadable.

The youth didn't inquire, and the man naturally didn't presume. After reaching the top step, he turned to face the town, "In the future, cultivate a broader mind. Engaging in petty squabbles, even harboring murderous intent, towards someone like Liu Xianyang, don't you think it demeans you?"

Song Jixing sat on the top step, gazing northward alongside the man, and asked a seemingly unrelated question, "Is our Great Li located at the northernmost tip of the Eastern Treasury Continent?"

The man nodded, "Indeed. We've been regarded as northern barbarians for nearly a thousand years. Only now, with sufficient strength, have we earned a modicum of respect."

Song Jixing still kept his head down, but his eyes burned with fervor.

The man, named Song Changjing, said calmly, "Upon reaching the capital, be wary of a man nicknamed 'Embroidered Tiger'."

Song Jixing was bewildered.

Song Changjing chuckled, "He is currently the Great Li's Imperial Preceptor, and also your half-brother's esteemed teacher. Great Li's expansion in the last fifty years, from its initial seventy prefectures and eight hundred cities to the current one hundred and forty prefectures and one thousand five hundred cities, is half due to his efforts."

Song Jixing abruptly looked up.

The man smiled, "You guessed correctly, boy."

The man also sat on the steps, resting his hands on his knees, gazing into the distance.

The other meritorious contributor to Great Li's territorial expansion was self-evident, seemingly distant yet right before his eyes.

At that moment, Song Jixing trembled, his scalp tingling.

They remained silent for a long while. Finally, Song Jixing suddenly said, "Uncle, although I harbored murderous intent toward Liu Xianyang, and even considered making a deal with Fu Nanhua of Old Dragon City to find a way to kill him, I never believed, in my heart, that Liu Xianyang was worthy of being my equal, even with his ancient family heritage. I wanted to kill him simply because I felt I wouldn't pay too high a price for it, nothing more."

Song Changjing showed some interest, "So, you have another grievance?"

The youth touched his neck, silent.

Deep in the night, all was quiet.

A figure walked along the street in the town. She was slender and lightly dressed. As she passed the locked well in Apricot Blossom Lane, she gnashed her teeth. When she passed the paifang, she kicked the stone pillar hard. Finally, she arrived under the old locust tree with its lush foliage. According to the elders, this tree had lived for countless years, and its falling branches never harmed anyone, making it exceedingly spiritual.

The young woman who swaggered to the base of the tree, of course, dismissed these claims with utter disdain.

She opened the ancient book she had borrowed from her young master and began to "follow the map".

She recited names one by one, like a general reviewing troops on an autumn field.

When she became somewhat hoarse, she stopped calling names, holding the local gazetteer, which Song Jixing called the "book from beyond the wall," in one hand and pointing at the locust tree with the other, raising her head and cursing, "Are you asking for it?!"

All was silent, with no reply.

The young woman immediately stomped her foot and burst into curses, "The Four Great Clans and Ten Lineages, starting with the Four Great Clans, Lu, Li, Zhao, and Song! Be smart, be cooperative! Each clan, drop at least three locust leaves! One less leaf, and Wang Zhu will never let you rest for the rest of my life! After I get out, I'll deal with you one by one, whether you're young, strong, women, or children! You're all ungrateful wretches who bite the hand that feeds you! You've forgotten what's right?!"

The young woman cursed until she was breathless, placing a hand on her hip, still muttering, "The Song clan, who do you think was the greatest contributor to the Great Li Dynasty being named Song? Don't you know in your hearts? Are you pretending to be stupid? Believe me, once I get out, I'll make sure Great Li is named Lu, Zhao, anything but Song!"

"The Ten Lineages, two locust leaves per clan! The other ordinary clans, at least one! Of course, if anyone has the guts to bet more, the more the better! I'll definitely make sure they make a fortune in return!"

"The Cao family from the Ten Lineages, yes, the Cao family that produced the bastard Cao Xi! That little brat was evil from the start! He was full of bad intentions even when he was wearing open-crotch pants! You have to give me an extra leaf besides the two, as compensation! Otherwise, Wang Zhu swears that after I get out, I'll make sure Cao Xi has no descendants! How did such a depraved ghost, who dared to pee in the well, become a True Lord of a country?!"

"And the Xie family! You have someone named Xie Shi in your clan, right? Well, I have a little connection with him. If it weren't for me back then, he would have been washed away by the flood. So, shouldn't you give me an extra locust leaf?"

In the distance, Qi Jingchun quietly watched the scene under the locust tree, silent.

Like a strict father who can only spank his children, he looked at a child who was growing more spoiled, feeling somewhat helpless.

But when he saw the young woman constantly flipping through the book, and then the locust leaves leaving the branches and falling between the pages, Qi Jingchun felt some comfort.

After much thought, Qi Jingchun finally murmured, "Take care of yourself after you leave home."

The young woman seemed to sense something, suddenly looking back.

There was no one there.

The young woman was dispirited, shook her head, and stopped thinking about it. She turned back and continued to curse the locust tree.