Chapter 18: 18

Chapter 18: Three Out of Five

When Fu Nanhua walked out of the house, he noticed the dainty maid sitting on a small bench in the yard. She was feeding some chickens with the corn in her hand. A mother hen led her group of fluffy yellow chicks. They pecked at the corn.

Fu Nanhua smiled slightly at her. The girl returned his smile by slightly curling her lips.

He saw Cai Jinjian waiting in the alley in low spirits. He exited the yard and closed the door to the yard. As he closed the door, he saw a face peek through the gap. This supposedly poor mortal maid actually had a pair of gorgeous eyes. It was like the blossoms blooming in spring, a little mesmerizing. However, Fu Nanhua did not pay much mind to it. For the young master of Dragon City, he had seen too many beautiful women.

Fu Nanhua walked to Cai Jinjian’s side and asked, “Something went wrong? Good fortune is always full of twists and turns. Things are not set in stone yet. Don’t be discouraged.”

Cai Jinjian’s slender body emanated charm. The internal impurities in her body had been removed due to cultivation. She was unlike mortal women. Mortals, no matter how beautiful they were at first glance, still have yet to get rid of the filth in their bodies.

The immortal of Alpenglow Mountain had an unpleasant expression on her face. She held back her anger while waiting in the alley before finally venting to Fu Nanhua. “That snake of Shujian Lake, the River Severing True Monarch Liu Zhimao, came before me. He did not leave me any room for negotiation. He immediately brought up the patriarch of Alpenglow Mountain. I could only get in a few words before being forced out of Gu Can’s yard.”

Fu Nanhua reminded, “Let’s not talk about this in Muddyrun.”

Cai Jinjian replied, skeptical, “Aren’t all mystic arts forbidden here?”

Fu Nanhua smiled and said, “Of those who come for treasure, who doesn’t have some tricks up their sleeve? Although the closer one is to the saint realm the weaker they become, who’s to say that the masters of Dao can’t sacrifice a bit to use their divine powers?”

Cai Jinjian retorted, “There is a saint here. Does the River Severing True Monarch dare to attack me so brazenly?”

Fu Nanhua said, “We are here to find good fortune, not to form enmity. Even if our lives are not at stake, having a bad relationship with our Seniors is never good.”

Cai Jinjian was not a stubborn person. She nodded and said, “Your judgment is sound.” She still had an unwilling face and groaned, “But it still hurts. I have given you ten cloud stones. If I don’t get anything, how will I explain it to the elders?”

After walking out of Muddyrun, Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian felt a jolt through their bodies. The two of them looked at each other and then quickly turned away.

Fu Nanhua felt like a bucket of cold water poured over him. He began analyzing his trip to this alley. There was nothing wrong with his alliance with Cai Jinjian, and the deal with Song Jixin complied with the rules of the town. There was no reason for the saint who oversaw the town to intervene. So where did this pressure come from? Could it be that River Severing True Monarch who didn’t even know his name? 

Compared to Fu Nanhua’s complex thought process, Cai Jinjian’s was much more simple. As Fu Nanhua said, the True Monarch had indeed used some sort of divine power to monitor her. Fortunately, she only grumbled a bit about him and never said anything too disrespectful.

Left to their own thoughts, the pair walked through the street. The farther they were from Muddyrun, the less uneasy they felt. 

Fu Nanhua looked up at the archway in the distance and asked, “River Severing True Monarch of Shujian Lake, why haven’t I heard of him? Even though Dragon City is in the far south, I should at least know something about someone who holds the impressive position of True Monarch.”

Cai Jinjian lowered her voice and jeered, “What True Monarch. Just a daoist who holds a senior position in the unorthodox sects. Acts like he’s all important, but he’s no True Monarch, doesn’t deserve to be. Just is called that for flattery. Emperor Yuan would not confer the title of True Monarch to such a person. Each person has their own place. There are only two spots for the position of True Monarch left due to the generosity of the Emperor’s ancestors. I doubt he would give that title to some greedy unorthodox cultivator.”

Fu Nanhua said in understanding, “I see.”

In a dynasty, every true monarch served the emperor. A true monarch of taoism held one of the highest positions in the imperial court, in the same league as the Imperial Preceptor.

Cai Jinjian asked in passing, “How is Song Jixin?”

Fu Nanhua replied, “The boy is ambitious, smart, and has a strong backing, it’s just his world-view is—”

Cai Jinjian smiled and said, “Not big?” 

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Fu Nanhua chuckled. “You can’t say it’s not big, it just isn’t big enough.”

The pair walked to the archway. In high spirits, Fu Nanhua murmured, “How things are working in my favor.”

Cai Jinjian looked up at the plaque that read “Look within one’s self.” There was a hollow feeling in her heart. It was as if the epiphany she had in Muddyrun had been rendered null.

This made her restless.

…

Song Jixin’s estate was quite big compared to its neighbors. There was a main room, with side rooms on both sides.

A plaque hung in the main room that read “Huaiyuan Hall.” Song Jixin felt that the calligraphy on this plaque was subpar.

The master and servant were in the main room. The boy was rummaging through boxes and cabinets. The maid stood at the door and asked softly, Young master, was the deal unsuccessful?”

Song Jixin put down a string of bells, sat back in a chair, put his hands on the back of his head, and crossed his legs. “Fu Nanhua isn’t a complete idiot. He didn’t take me for an ignorant fool, but I still wouldn’t call him smart. Tried to make friends with me, how funny, after being outplayed by me, he tried to scare me into submission with violence. Trying to bluff this young master with violence and words, the distance between him and the elusive Sir Qi is millions of miles apart.”

Zhi Gui said, “Millions? You exaggerate, Young Master.”

Song Jixin made a face and said, “Then the distance is ten Muddyruns!”

The boy threw a bag to Zhi Gui. “Take a look, these are the copper coins mentioned in the letter. That Chen neighbor also got a bag, maybe him getting such a fortune was a poisoned chalice. Yes, didn’t he annoy that couple? It seems Chen will only suffer in the future. Oh yeah, Zhi Gui, let me tell you, the guy who came to our house claims to be the young master of Dragon City. By the way he carries himself, he seems to be a big deal. The jade pendant “Dragon Rain” must be valuable!”

Song Jixin touched the lovely green jade pendant that hung on his waist. He felt like he was one step closer to being a scholar like Sir Qi.

Zhi Gui opened the embroidered bag and asked, “Young Master, how about getting more?”

Song Jixin asked with a smile, “You like them?”

Zhi Gui twirled a golden copper coin between her fingers with a happy smile. “So shiny, so pretty, so festive.”

Song Jixin chuckled. “All right, since you like them, I’ll get a few more bags. This money is offering money found in temples and around statues. Of course, immortals have their own methods.”

Zhi Gui looked up with amusement, her eyes like crescent moons. She asked, “Chen Pingan’s bag?”

Song Jixin frowned, “Him?”

The maid noticed her young master’s strange demeanor. She put away the copper coins, fastened the bag, and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Song Jixin put a hand around his neck. Scratch. He said calmly, “Nothing, just thought of some bad things. That Chen, no rush, don’t want to get in trouble. But Zhao Yao probably will also get some copper coins. He’s easy to trick, I’ll get another bag for you.”

Song Jixin did continue to explain seeing his maid acting a little weird. The girl did ask any more questions seeing her master not wanting to talk.

Zhi Gui walked out of the house and came to the yard. She saw a four-legged snake lying on the ground, basking in the sun, rolling around. It seemed to be enjoying itself.

The angry girl walked over and stepped in the snake’s head. It wriggled under her toes.

It cried pitifully.

She raised her foot and the four-legged snake scampered away, running around the yard, constantly bumping into walls.

Her dirt-yellow four-legged snake.

The golden carp that strayed into the fish basket.

The black loach that Gu Can kept.

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Three out of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

She looked at the four-legged snake with horns and smirked. “Stupid thing!”

…

In the yard of Gu Can’s house, the old man and woman were sitting opposite each other. The old man looked at the lines on his palm. He felt uneasy.

The old man looked up and asked “Mrs. Gu, are there many women like you who married a man outside of town?”

Mrs. Gu shook her head. “There shouldn’t be many. I’m the only one I know of in Muddyrun and Peach Leaf Lane.”

The old man paused for a moment before letting her in on a heavenly secret. “For girls, it’s the ages six and twelve, for boys, it’s nine and eighteen, these are two big hurdles. The first hurdle needs to be crossed by oneself, while the second one can be crossed with some external help. A wealthy family is superior in this regard. There are three steps, open, form, and grow. The first two steps are up to fate, especially the first step. Success is up to the heavens.”

The woman’s eyes shined. “Since Gu Can has caught Immortal’s eyes, is he someone who can take the first step by himself?”

The old man replied, “If one grows up in this small town, it means their bone quality cannot be too extraordinary. Although he isn’t nine yet, Gu Can is no exception.”

She looked on with dismay.

The old man stomped on the ground and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, the quality of bone is important but it is not the end all be all. Heaven is merciful, even a strand of grass on the side of the road has the chance to pursue Dao and ascend. This town made an exception and let so many outsiders enter as a last resort. No matter how good the soil and land is, all things must decline. Indeed, decline it did after a thousand years of plowing, harvesting, and fishing. There will inevitably be a day when this land becomes barren. Based on the signs, the time is fast approaching. A person on their last breaths can die in a blaze of glory, their spirit dazzling. Gu Can can use this. He has great fortune, far surpassing those talented little children from before.”

The woman’s lips trembled, her eyes watering. 

The old man glanced at her. “Of course, don’t be greedy, your son is not the only one who is blessed with this great fortune. Good fortune is never exclusive.”

The woman clasped her hands over her heart and muttered, “Enough, enough.”

The old man thought of the woman from Alpenglow Mountain and said in a biting tone, “Works so hard yet gets so little, so material, so stupid,  missed the bigger picture.” The old man smiled to himself. “Heh, those oldies in Alpenglow Mountain are so narrow-minded. Otherwise, this old man wouldn’t have gotten such an opportunity. So much treasure yet they have been reduced to the point they need to rely on a disciple of a disciple to address this situation.”

Inside the house, the child who had been punching and kicking the door for a long time stood up on a stool and whined, “Mother, let me out, please, I won’t do anything!”

The woman glanced at the immortal who nodded.

She opened the door, took the child’s hand, and walked to the yard together. She said softly, “Gu Can, behave yourself, understand? Mother will have to hit you again if you misbehave again.”

Gu Can groaned and dropped his head. He moved to a small bench and sat down. A mother, her child, and an old man formed a triangle. He put his hands on his cheeks and said, “Mother, what were you talking about with the storyteller? I couldn’t hear it inside.”

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The old man thought for a bit and flicked his wrist. A big white bowl appeared in the palm of his hand. He lowered his head and stared at it. Ripples and splashes. A black line wriggled around in the bowl, hitting the bowl from time to time. The old man murmured, “Enough.”

To accept this disciple in Muddyrun, the old man had sacrificed decades of his cultivation to act three times.

The first time was when the woman stepped in shit.

The third time was when he used a secret art to make the woman think she was obtaining enlightenment. If it was outside this town, such an act would be impossible, even for a real True Monarch. However, in the town, Cai Jinjian was a mortal, and the old man took advantage of that fact by paying a huge price.

The second time was the most cunning, even the old man was impressed with himself. The old man had purposely slowed down the boy’s mouth so the woman would misunderstand the boy’s kind reminder as a form of malice. The timing was perfect.

To think the boy’s kindness would lead to this. On the road of cultivation, there was a thin line between good and bad karma. It just took a little push to change it.

At this time, Mrs. Gu’s heart was taut. She was afraid.

Out of the corner of his eye, the old man saw the boy run towards the gate.

The mother screamed.

Holding the white bowl in his hands, the old man stood up. “Disciple, your master will open your eyes to the extent of this world in hopes you learn the severity of it all, in hopes you do not spoil our future.”

The mother’s vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.

The old man flicked his sleeve.

Gu Can who was making a run for it staggered and fell to the ground. His surroundings blurred and the world began to spin. Finally, he raised his head and looked at the storyteller. “Where am I?”

His hands clasped behind him, the old man said calmly, “In the bowl.”

The boy became more confused. Suddenly, he heard the old man yell, “Get up!”

The boy instinctively stood up and stood still.

Gu Can realized he was standing on the edge of a cliff. In front of him was a sea of clouds.

The child stared in horror as a body of black pierced through the clouds. It was too big, its face hidden.

The child was about to take a step back in fright but was grabbed by the old man. “If you take a step back, you will be unable to take a step forward on the path of cultivation! Stand with me!”

Tears flowed down Gu Can’s face. This naughty child could not speak and did not dare make a sound. However, he could not control his body. His legs shook uncontrollably and his lips shook.

The sea of clouds rumbled, engulfed by black. Large. Long. Black. Could that be… the loach in my water tank? 

An inexplicable thought popped up in the child’s mind.

In a strange daze, Gu Can took a step forward and stretched out his little arms, facing the sky.

A head the size of a mountain swam through the clouds. 

The child looked on with amazement, not afraid anymore. He waved and shouted, “Come, come, you’ve grown up so much. So big, so that’s why all the fish I put in the tank keep disappearing.”

Standing behind Gu Can, the master looked on with mixed feelings, a little envious but also grateful.

Although I cannot possess such great fortune, my disciple can. This trip has been worth it.

As he saw the head approach, the old man muttered, “A wonder of the world.”

…

Chen Pingan suddenly told the girl in black that he wanted to go into the house. He entered, went to a corner, and grabbed something. His back towards her, he hid something in his hands.

After leaving the house, he told her he was going to buy her a clay pot to make the medicine.

After the boy left, the girl glanced at the corner. There was an old jar.

The girl was quite perceptive.

The thing in Chen Pingan’s hand was a shard of porcelain. It was extremely sharp.

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