Chapter 9: Heaven's Net Is Vast

A man and a woman turned into Mud Bottle Lane. The young man wore a tall crown and a jade pendant at his waist, resembling a wealthy young master more than the descendants of the wealthiest Lu family in town. The woman's age was hard to discern. At first glance, she looked like a maiden, with tender skin and a pointed chin like an icicle hanging from the eaves in winter. Yet, on second look, she possessed the allure of a thirty-year-old, with captivating phoenix eyes and a lithe figure. From head to toe, she exuded a captivating charm, her waist twisting with a grace the local women lacked.

The woman glanced around, full of curiosity, even reaching out to touch the mud walls. Finding no clues, she asked, "Fu Nanhua, is this truly one of the hidden blessed lands you mentioned? Why didn't my family's ancestor emphasize this alley in the geomantic map they provided?"

The young man evaded the question. "If we truly gain an unexpected boon here, how will you repay me?"

The woman turned, interlacing her fingers behind her back, accentuating her ample chest. She smiled, half-joking, half-seductive. "At your disposal, however you wish?"

The young man, taken aback by her directness, was momentarily flustered. Moreover, he was here to "visit relatives and seek friends," bearing the weight of his entire family's century-long prosperity, even their potential thousand-year glory. Despite his flirtatious nature, he dared not engage in a fleeting affair with the woman in this small town, "under the public gaze."

So, he quickly changed the subject, pointing towards the depths of the alley. "Fairy Cai, friends are friends, business is business. I must reiterate: as per our agreement, there are two households in this Mud Bottle Lane – a master and servant, and a mother and child. I will allow you to choose one to bet on. The stake is your Cloud Radiance Mountain's specialty, Cloud Root Stone, ten pieces delivered to our Old Dragon City annually."

The woman nodded, her smile enchanting. "Of course, that's acceptable."

The young man continued walking slowly, saying, "Furthermore, should you acquire any opportunity here beyond our family's expectations, that item must be appraised by our respective ancestors, who will determine a fair price. Afterward, your Cloud Radiance Mountain will provide half the value in Cloud Root Stone. Cai Jinjian, do you have any objections? Or, to be precise, can you assure me that after the benefits are reaped and safely secured, you can persuade your Cloud Radiance Mountain ancestors to agree to this wager?"

The woman's expression changed, becoming solemn and dignified, utterly different from before. It was as if a courtesan from a brothel had transformed into an empress ruling the world. This woman, known as Cai Jinjian of Cloud Radiance Mountain, declared decisively, "I can!"

The young man narrowed his eyes, his expression dark. He stopped and faced the woman, who was nearly as tall as himself. "Let's make this clear: our alliance today, this mutual benefit, is not born of any sudden infatuation or kindred spirits. It is the result of the incense offerings painstakingly accumulated by generations of ancestors from Old Dragon City and Cloud Radiance Mountain over centuries. If we botch this, incurring the wrath of those old fogeys, neither I, Fu Nanhua, nor you, Cai Jinjian, could bear the consequences, nor could our parents or masters!"

Cai Jinjian smiled. "Therefore, during our time in this town, we must be candid with each other and cooperate sincerely, correct?"

Fu Nanhua, even in this shadowy alley, radiated his handsome charm. "Besides that..."

Fu Nanhua glanced back, then lowered his voice after averting his gaze. "We must also be wary of those two. After all, they are not from Upright Sun Mountain, which is known for its good reputation. Moreover, I heard that those two have always been unconventional and disregard rules."

The tall woman narrowed her eloquent phoenix eyes, as if cooing. "That's precisely why Cai Jinjian chose you, Young Master Fu."

Fu Nanhua said softly, "Let's go. Although a sage is suppressing and balancing the various forces here, caution is still advised. It would be disastrous to fail at the last moment. In short, whether we become dragons or remain carp hinges on this."

This renowned prodigy, his Dao heart grew stronger. He silently recited in his heart, "The Great Dao is within reach; those who block my path, immortals and Buddhas may be slain!"

He looked into the depths of the alley and saw a slender young man walking towards them from the opposite end.

This was their second encounter.

The two continued forward leisurely, like a pair of celestial beings descended into the mortal realm.

The tall woman also saw the young man and teased, "At the gate, in the alley, we've bumped into him twice. Do you think this young man could be...?"

She left her sentence unfinished, but Fu Nanhua understood her implication. He gave a wry smile. "My dear Fairy Cai, this town has six hundred households, plus the slaves and servants raised by the ten great clans, nearly five thousand people. Even if the town is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, there are still limits. Moreover, over the years, those with good bones, good fortune, and deep origins have long been secretly divided up. The reason we can 'find a bargain' this time is simply because those unpredictable great power figures are deliberately selling it to us."

The woman also gave a self-deprecating smile, feeling embarrassed by her naive thought.

Hesitating for a moment, Fu Nanhua still said, "I don't know how your ancestor imparted heavenly secrets, but my father told me something: after entering this place, if someone makes you feel cold, you must retreat proactively, keep your distance, and never easily defy or provoke them. After all, this place is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, unfathomable in its depths. The person who makes you feel animosity is most likely your opponent in this treasure hunt in the town. As for those who make you feel close, they may be people with great fortune and blessings in this area, and they may become your opportunity. At that time, as long as you don't easily kill people and don't break those ironclad old rules, everything else, whether it's buying, deceiving, or forcibly seizing, depends on..."

Cai Jinjian's lips curled up. "Depends on our mood."

She suddenly frowned. "Young Master Fu, why didn't you let me bring the Zhao family's descendants who are rooted here? Although I also learned some of the local dialect before I left..."Fu Nanhua interrupted the woman, shaking his head, "Those prominent clans have secret channels to the outside world, allowing them to transmit insignificant messages under the Saint's nose without being seen as overstepping boundaries. Over generations, they have accumulated deep foundations. The true backing of these families is still slightly inferior to our Old Dragon City and Cloud Rosy Mountain. Moreover, relying on external forces is ultimately undesirable, prone to complications that could delay important matters. If you're unwilling to speak later, I'll take over."

She smiled, "It's just a few convoluted words. I'm not that delicate."

Fu Nanhua smiled noncommittally, and Cai Jinjian didn't say much either.

Ultimately, allies formed midway can't compare to family.

What's more, to those ambitious individuals seeking enlightenment, what do kinship ties matter?

Fu Nanhua's smile was gentle, his demeanor refined, like a scion of a top-tier aristocratic family.

The reason he divulged a secret, sharing his father's privately taught "mental cultivation method" with Cai Jinjian, was simple.

Compared to the two other companions who traveled with them earlier – the taciturn middle-aged man and the cold black-clad girl – Fu Nanhua, from the moment he stepped through the wooden gate into the small town, had harbored murderous intent towards his ally, Cai Jinjian of Cloud Rosy Mountain!

Fu Nanhua subconsciously reached for the jade pendant at his waist.

Old Dragon sprinkles rain, a marvel of craftsmanship.

A gentleman never parts with jade without a reason.

Cai Jinjian pondered, closed her eyes, and then opened them, saying, "Song Jixin, Gu Can... I choose Gu Can."

Fu Nanhua raised an eyebrow. "Good. It's settled!"

In their view, the youth weaved and skipped his way along the alley, about to unlock a door and enter.

Fu Nanhua, with Cai Jinjian in tow, quickly approached, smiling, "What a coincidence, we meet again."

The poorly dressed youth, Chen Ping'an, who had just left Gu Can's house, turned around upon hearing the voice and nodded, asking, "Is there something?"

Fu Nanhua spoke in the fluent local dialect of the small town, "This is Mud Bottle Lane, right? I want to ask if a person named Song Jixin lives here, and also a child named Gu Can. I'm from the capital, and my family has a longstanding friendship with Song Jixin's father. This elder sister beside me, surnamed Cai, is a relative of Gu Can's mother's family. So we two traveled together and happened to be in the same lane. Isn't that a coincidence? It feels like everything is coming together. It's truly a matter of fate."

Fu Nanhua's smile was composed. Even when speaking to a commoner youth, he maintained a slight bow to accommodate the youth's height, neither appearing affected nor suspicious, instead giving off an aura of gentleness, humility, and a gentleman's decorum.

The youth, craning his neck, hmm-ed and said with a shy smile, "It is quite a coincidence."

Fu Nanhua's smile deepened, and he said gently, "So, these two families live…?"

Unexpectedly, the youth shook his head. "I was an apprentice at a dragon kiln not long ago. I lived outside the town for many years and just moved here. I'm not familiar with the neighbors yet. Why don't you ask someone else?"

Fu Nanhua smiled, not rushing to speak, seemingly considering his words.

The tall woman laughed. "Little brother, lying isn't good. Do you think we look like bad people? Even if we were, what bad things could we do in broad daylight?"

Chen Ping'an blinked. "But I really don't know."

Cai Jinjian reverted to her usual tone and asked Fu Nanhua, "Does this child want a reward?"

Fu Nanhua's expression remained unchanged. "Doesn't seem like it."

A hint of impatience, barely concealed, flashed across the tall woman's eyes. "If we have to, we can ask every house, one by one. We'll find them eventually."

Fu Nanhua waved his hand at her, patiently trying to persuade the youth. "Help us with a small favor, and I'll give you something in return. How about that?"

The youth scratched his head, his figure thin, his eyes clear.

Fu Nanhua suddenly straightened up.

He saw a youth with a scholarly aura squatting on a wall not far away, observing them.

Near the elegantly dressed youth stood a girl, revealing the upper half of her face, clean and delicate, with eyebrows like ink.

At that moment, Fu Nanhua felt confident.

The youth before him was surely within his grasp.

The youth stood up and asked loudly, "Are you looking for someone?"

Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian could only look up. The former said, "Yes, I'm looking for you. This elder sister beside me is looking for Gu Can. Can you help?"

The youth frowned. "You know me?"

Fu Nanhua smiled. "Of course I don't know you, but I know Lord Song who is now working in the Ministry of Rites."

Song Jixin cut straight to the point. "Helping you find the snot-nosed Gu Can is fine. What's the reward?"

Without a word, Fu Nanhua removed the green jade pendant from his waist and tossed it high to the youth standing on the low wall. "It's yours."

Upon catching it, Song Jixin was slightly startled, but his expression remained unchanged. He lowered his head and said to the maid, Zhi Gui, "Go."

She nodded and left the courtyard. When the girl stood quietly in the narrow alley, the entire Mud Bottle Lane seemed to brighten instantly.

Fu Nanhua smiled at the grass-sandal youth. "Little fellow, I'll give you a saying: 'Though the rain from heaven is vast, it does not nourish rootless grass.'"

Then, he led the way towards the girl.

The tall woman didn't move, her eyes playful. She whispered to the youth, "Do you know what that means?"

Her eyes sparkled. Suddenly amused, she laughed before the youth could answer, "It's basically telling you that you missed a great opportunity. Just a little bit from that gentleman's fingernail clippings would be enough for you to live incredibly comfortably 'down the mountain' for the rest of your life. But luckily, you probably won't ever know what you missed today. A blessing in disguise. Otherwise, you'd be regretting it to your core."

Fu Nanhua, listening, thought she was wasting her breath.

Outside the small town, the difference between people, especially the high and low, was greater than the separation of yin and yang.

Cai Jinjian, walking backwards towards the maid, faced the grass-sandal youth. "'Though the rain from heaven is vast, it does not nourish rootless grass.' Remember that."

The youth hadn't shown any change in expression, but suddenly shouted, "Watch out behind you for…"

Cai Jinjian froze.

The youth lowered his voice, "…dog shit."