Chen Ping'an woke up in his own courtyard, greeted by a sky full of stars.
He struggled to his feet.
The water vat in the yard had also been shattered, the water stains clearly visible. The fish he had tended with such care were already dead, having been out of the water for too long.
He could not understand why that tall, aloof outlander woman had suddenly attacked him. Was it simply because he had seen her step in dog shit?
At that moment, a noble young master followed by an imposing, elderly servant walked up outside the courtyard. The courtyard wall was low, and the young noble casually tossed out a pouch of coins. "I understand the principle of first come, first served. Today I snatched your golden carp, and this pouch of coins is to compensate you!"
With that, he left without a moment's hesitation. Chen Ping'an stood unsteadily, swaying as he walked, sensing something strange in his heart.
That tall, aloof outlander woman's mocking, so-called casual poke—she definitely had no good intentions!
Moreover, he had a strong premonition that with that final palm strike, the woman had meant to kill him, and his own days were numbered!
He struggled to put away the coin pouch. Even this simple action left him somewhat breathless.
Holding his breath and concentrating, he followed the breathing technique taught by Wang Jing. Only after three cycles did his body feel slightly better.
To his shock, Wang Jing had not yet returned. A terrifying thought suddenly arose in him, and he grew panicked. "These outlanders are all ruthless and merciless! Could Big Brother have already been murdered?!"
Filled with anxiety, he was about to burst out the door to search for Wang Jing.
At that moment, a voice rang out. It was Song Jixin from next door, sitting right atop the wall. "Two things. First, how did a poor wretch like you manage to get a pouch of gold-essence copper coins?
Second, Master Qi asked me to pass along a message: your good big brother Wang Jing was sent by Master Qi to stand facing the wall as punishment by the stream not far north of the Covered Bridge. Bring him some bedding and food, because he has to spend the night there."
Hearing this, the heavy stone in Chen Ping'an's heart suddenly dropped. Disregarding his physical discomfort, the fact that Wang Jing was not dead was incredible news!
Despicable as Song Jixin might be, he would never dare fabricate a message passed on by Master Qi!
Not daring to delay, Chen Ping'an hurried back inside, packed up quilts and bedding, shouldered a bundle of large and small items, and rushed toward the Covered Bridge.
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Gu Can's house had an uninvited guest. A hunched old man holding a large white bowl was seated in the main hall. Gu Can's mother was extremely deferential, serving tea and water, bustling about endlessly.
Gu Can was crouching in a corner, tightly clutching a bucket in his arms, inside which a loach was swimming leisurely.
The old man's voice was deep. "Gu Can, since the loach was given to you by Chen Ping'an, it's yours!"
Though wary of the old man, Gu Can still poked his head out and argued, "It was given by Chen Ping'an, so it's his!"
The old man laughed heartily. "In the contest for the Great Dao, it all comes down to contention. Whoever can contend for it makes it theirs!"
"It's Chen Ping'an's, it's Chen Ping'an's..."
Gu Can stubbornly insisted. Gu Can's mother's eyes welled with tears, seemingly unable to bear it any longer. Instead of scolding Gu Can, she apologized apologetically to the old man, "Forgive us, True Monarch River-Cutter. The child knows nothing and is making a fool of himself before you!"
True Monarch River-Cutter Liu Zhimou took a sip of tea, appearing entirely unconcerned. "A mother rises with her son. Ah, the pity of parental love! You two should just wait to follow me to Jianjian Lake to enjoy yourselves!"
Then, he pinched his fingers to divine. Cracks actually began to appear on his withered palm, and a look of astonishment crossed his face. He thought to himself, "The suppression of cultivation in this realm is far too heavy. Now that my goal has been achieved,
Gu Can and the water dragon are both securely in my grasp. It's just that Gu Can's guilt and obsession regarding Chen Ping'an run far too deep.
Therefore, to help my disciple cast off his inner demons, before I leave, I must meddle a little more right under Qi Jingchun's nose. Chen Ping'an has to die!"
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When Chen Ping'an arrived, Ruan Xiu and Liu Xianyang were still chatting with Wang Jing.
Drawing closer and seeing the dejected, bruised Wang Jing, Chen Ping'an asked anxiously,
"Big Brother Wang Jing, did Master Qi beat you?!"
The three of them burst into laughter. Liu Xianyang was beside himself with amusement. "Chen Ping'an, I always thought you were just wooden-headed, but I didn't expect you to actually be one. Hahaha!"
Ruan Xiu also laughed non-stop, saying earnestly, "Master Qi is a Confucian gentleman, refined and courteous. How could he casually beat people?"
Wang Jing cast a sideways glance. Suddenly noticing Chen Ping'an's pale complexion and the un-dried blood at the corner of his mouth, his smile instantly vanished, and anger slowly began to well up.
The carefree and oblivious Liu Xianyang completely failed to notice anything amiss with Chen Ping'an. He yawned lazily and said, "Chen Ping'an, keep Wang Jing company. I still have to forge iron tomorrow, so I'm heading back first."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiu also immediately took her leave. Her old man had laid down a rule for her: if she dared to return home in the middle of the night, he would break her legs!
"Chen Ping'an, who beat you?!"
Chen Ping'an touched the corner of his mouth. "It's nothing, I just bumped into something by accident..."
He immediately changed the subject. "What about you? Why did Master Qi trap you here? Was it because you bullied that little boy? And those injuries of yours are..."
Wang Jing sighed. "This is a bit of a long story, but I'll resolve it once I get out. Right, Chen Ping'an, none of these outlanders are any good. Stay away from them and don't go looking for trouble."
Chen Ping'an nodded, hesitating for a long time before saying, "Wang Jing, if you come out and find I'm gone, it must mean I went out to work... I left the town and went to a very far place. Could you help look after my house?
There's nothing much to it, just remember to put up Spring Festival couplets during the New Year and burn some incense for my parents... If you can't manage it, that's fine too; I'll mention it to Liu Xianyang..."
Wang Jing stared fixedly at Chen Ping'an. He understood—something was wrong, something was terribly wrong!
Listening to Chen Ping'an's rambling words, even though they were a genuine outpouring of emotion, Wang Jing found them deeply irritating. "Why are you acting like a woman? Tell me the truth, what the hell is going on?!"
Chen Ping'an kept his lips tightly sealed. Finally, with a pointed tone, he said, "Big Brother Wang Jing, my intuition is very strong, and I can tell good from bad! Normally, if someone bullies me, I let it go, but if anyone dares to take my life, I will never back down!"
With that, Chen Ping'an turned and bolted away. Halfway through, he suddenly paused, turned back, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I ran into Master Qi on the way, and he said you won't be in any danger here. I'm leaving now... Wang Jing, you'll always be my good big brother!"
As Chen Ping'an completely melted into the night, Wang Jing wore a look of utter dejection. He stared at the lights of the Covered Bridge and stayed awake the entire night.
The next day at noon, Chen Ping'an arrived carrying a food box. Traces of un-dried tears remained in his eyes, and a faint fragrance of medicine lingered around him.
"I originally wanted to leave early this morning, but a Daoist priest brought an injured woman over. She's hurt very badly, and the priest entrusted her to my care!"
Curious, Wang Jing asked, "Is the woman pretty?"
Chen Ping'an gave a silly grin. "Pretty. I'm not stupid—I only saved her because she looked pretty. I figured once you get out, I could play matchmaker for you two. Maybe she could become your wife."
Wang Jing asked, "How old is she?"
Chen Ping'an replied, "About our age..."
"Keep her for yourself. I like older women, preferably widows... they have more flavor!"
Chen Ping'an chuckled foolishly, but as he laughed, it seemed to touch a pain deep in his soul, and his tears could no longer be held back.
Wang Jing asked anxiously, "What is it now?!"
Chen Ping'an wiped his face. "It's nothing. Just that when I left home, smelling the medicine and seeing that woman lying in bed... she looked so much like my... mother... when she was gravely ill."