Chapter 426: Traveling South

Just when Zhu Lian thought that this ghost-hunting trip would probably have nothing to do with him anymore, the door of the mansion suddenly opened, with one person walking out.

Zhu Lian couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, is he the female ghost's lover? He appears quite impressive, and it appears that his position is no inferior to that of Lady Xiao Luan's position as river goddess of the White Swan River."

The person who walked out was solidly built and suited in armor, and there was a golden-eyed green snake coiled around his arm and releasing curling white mist into the air as it breathed. This looked much like the rising incense smoke in the temples.

Chen Ping'an recognized this person, having once seen him appear on the Embroidered Flower River with Xu Ruo. It was extremely likely that he was either the river god of the Embroidered Flower River or the Fine Wine River.

There were many interesting aspects about the Embroidered Flower River, the Fine Wine River, Go Table Mountain, and this mansion, and Wei Bo had once revealed that these places were all secretly used to suppress the remnant fortune of the destroyed Divine Water Nation. As such, the river gods of the Embroidered Flower River and the Fine Wine River enjoyed slightly higher statuses than the other river gods who ruled over jurisdictions of similar size and importance.

"Chen Ping'an, breaking through the mountain and water barrier without permission and wantonly barging into the Chu Clan's residence is a serious crime according to the mountain-sealing laws of the Great Li Empire!" the river god of the Embroidered Flower River scolded in a solemn voice. "Even an official immortal will lose their citizenship and recognition as an official immortal if they break this law! They'll also be banished to hundreds upon thousands of kilometers away!"

"Where is Lady Chu?" Chen Ping'an asked in puzzlement.

The river god waved a hand and replied, "She left the residence a long time ago. Moreover, this mansion already has a new owner. Seeing that you possess a Peace and Safety Tablet, this matter has already been recorded on the documents of the Ministry of Rites. I permit you to make haste and leave now. Don't let this happen again."

Chen Ping'an cupped his fists and asked, "Dare I ask, River God, where is Lady Chu now?"

The great river god that was walking the world with his godly body frowned slightly and glanced at the sword on Chen Ping'an's back before replying, "I only know that Lady Chu went to Lake View Academy. Some scholar died there, so she wants to head over to collect his corpse. In any case, she definitely won't return here anytime soon."

Chen Ping'an sighed upon hearing this. This was most likely going to end up as a wasted trip, so he started to feel slightly pained about wasting two yellow paper talismans. He apologized to the water god, saying, "I apologize for visiting so rashly; I'll definitely be more careful next time."

The water god chuckled coldly and asked, "There's still going to be a next time?"

Before Chen Ping'an could speak, the water god shot a sideways glance at the hunchbacked old man and continued, "What, you feel like you can wantonly do as you please just because you're a Far Roaming Tier martial artist?"

Zhu Lian suddenly rubbed his face, turning to Chen Ping'an and saying, "Young Master, I'm begging you, please let me fight against him. He's far too punchable, and he's asking for a beating. I'll definitely give Young Master a gold essence copper coin in return."

Chen Ping'an signaled with his eyes that there was no need for Zhu Lian to fight with the river god to verify the situation. The female ghost in the wedding dress was most likely not in the mansion.

Chen Ping'an smiled at the river god and said, "We'll take our leave now."

At this moment, a burst of rolling black smoke suddenly appeared behind the Chu Clan's residence, making a huge commotion as it surged over with vigor. It then landed on the ground and transformed into a person wearing a black robe.

"Master Gu, aren't you repairing the mountain roots and water veins?" the river god of the Embroidered Flower River asked expressionlessly.

Chen Ping'an had never imagined that the current master of the residence would be the yin god from the Gu Clan who had once protected him and his companions on a long stretch of their journey. Not only that, but he was also Gu Can's father.

The yin god nodded in acknowledgment to Chen Ping'an, after which he smiled faintly at the river god and explained, "I detected a cultivator shattering the barrier just then, but I initially paid no heed to the situation because I knew that Esteemed River God was coincidentally checking on the progress of things in the residence.

"However, upon recalling the chaotic situation of the Great Li Empire right now, I became worried that it might be a cultivator from the Great Sui Nation trying to forcefully damage the foundation of this land. Unexpectedly, it's actually a familiar face coming to visit.

The river god narrowed his eyes and said, "Master Gu accompanied Chen Ping'an to the Great Sui Nation back then, so it can indeed be said that he's a familiar face. Perhaps Master Gu wants to invite Chen Ping'an inside and prepare an extravagant meal to welcome him?"

The yin god from the Gu Clan laughed heartily and replied, "Since I'm the new master of this residence, I naturally don't dare to delay the proper matters at hand. I'll simply speak a few words with Chen Ping'an before seeing him out of the jurisdiction of the Chu Clan's residence."

"Repairing the mountain roots and water veins is a sensitive task that can't be paused. As such, I hope that Master Gu won't delay things for too long, or else I'll definitely fulfill my duty and record your dereliction of duty on the official documents," the river god said. He then turned around and strode into the mansion.

The yin god from the Gu Clan cupped his fists in gratitude before walking over to Chen Ping'an. Before the delighted Chen Ping'an could open his mouth and say anything, the yin god laughed loudly and said, "There's nothing I can do about this. After accompanying you to the Great Sui Nation back then, I was rewarded with a difficult position by the Ministry of Rites. I became a nondescript mountain god, so I'm unable to do as I please and therefore unable to invite you inside the mansion as a guest."

Chen Ping'an smiled and replied, "That's not a problem. There will be many opportunities in the future, and this place isn't too far away from the Dragon Spring Prefecture either."

The yin god suddenly bowed deeply, a look of sorrow on his face as he said, "I left without saying goodbye back then, and I didn't dare to mention a private matter because of the official task I was carrying out. Now that I'm a deity of the Great Li Empire, I can borrow this opportunity to reveal my secret even though I'm unable to freely leave this place due to my responsibilities. Revealing this secret will also make me feel more at ease."

A smile appeared on the yin god's face after he said this, and he channeled a mystical ability that caused his initially fuzzy appearance to become increasingly sharp and clear. "Who do I look like?" he asked.

Chen Ping'an observed his appearance for a moment before exclaiming in astonishment, "It can't be that...?"

The yin god laughed heartily, once again cupping his fists as he said, "Chen Ping'an, it was thanks to you that Gu Can managed to obtain such a huge fated opportunity! This is a huge debt of gratitude, and it's not an exaggeration to say that I'll be willing to do anything to repay you!"

Chen Ping'an took a long time to compose himself after hearing the astonishing revelation, and he murmured, "No wonder I had a nagging feeling that you were always watching me in secret. Back then, I thought you had some kind of ulterior motive. Uncle Gu, you should have told me right from the very beginning!"

Afterward, they chatted about some trivial matters regarding the people and events in Clay Vase Alley, and it wasn't long before they arrived near the mountain and water barrier concealing the mansion. There was a pained expression on the yin god's face as he said, "I didn't dare to break the rules. Oh, that's right, just as the river god said, the Chu Clan's residence is in a bad state, with the mountain roots and water veins severely damaged and barely keeping together. As such, I can't leave the residence for too long, so I won't be able to see you off any further than this. Let's say our goodbyes here."

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "I'm going to return home via Old Dragon City this time, but because Bamboo Scroll Lake is located in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent where war is raging, almost no immortal ship is willing to take the risk and sail over there. Even so, I plan to make a trip to Bamboo Scroll Lake soon to check in on Gu Can. Uncle Gu, do you know how Gu Can is doing right now? Is the River Severing True Lord treating him well?"

The yin god laughed heartily and replied, "Gu Can and his mother are doing extremely well. Little Can has already become the River Severing True Lord's direct disciple, and there's not a single thing for him to worry about. Otherwise, how could I feel at ease enough to stay here?"

Chen Ping'an nodded in understanding, cupping his fists and saying, "I wish Uncle Gu a swift journey up the godly ranks!"

"One other thing, Chen Ping'an," the yin god said in a quiet voice. "Have you heard about what's going on back in our hometown? Many immortal forces who bought mountains back then are starting to sell them at very low prices, so it's best that you make haste and return as soon as possible. If you're lucky, you might manage to buy one or two mountains for a very good price. Make sure not to let slip such an incredible opportunity."

Chen Ping'an smiled and replied, "I'm already aware of this, so I used a flying sword to deliver a message to Cloud Drape Mountain, asking Wei Bo to help me take a look."

The yin god waved a hand, causing a large door to materialize on the mountain and water barrier. Chen Ping'an stepped inside, turning around and cupping his fists in farewell as he did so.

As he walked along the mountain path, Chen Ping'an sighed with emotion and said, "I never would have expected that Uncle Gu actually became a yin god. Not only that, but he even became the master of the Chu Clan's residence. However, I wonder when his family of three will finally be able to reunite."

Zhu Lian smiled faintly and said, "Even though we didn't find the female ghost in the wedding dress, this trip to the mansion was definitely no waste. Just like Go Table Mountain that Young Master mentioned to me before, that was an unfortunate place where Wei Bo was reduced to nothing more than a mountain lord, one of the lowest-ranked deities. At the same time, however, it was also a miraculous place where Wei Bo rapidly rose to become the formal god of the Great Li Empire's Northern Mountain. This is the unpredictable nature of the world."

Chen Ping'an took a deep breath and said, "Let's go, it's time to head to Red Candle Town."

The two of them quickened their pace slightly, heading to Red Candle Town where Pei Qian and Shi Rou were waiting for them.

Chen Ping'an and Zhu Lian continued to casually chat with each other all the way until they were dozens of kilometers away from the mountain where the mansion was located. Zhu Lian slowed down, carefully compressing his voice into a thread using his power as a martial artist as he suddenly asked, "What should we do next, Young Master?"

Chen Ping'an's expression remained calm and composed as he also compressed his voice into a thread and replied, "There's no hurry. We'll plan the next steps when we arrive at Red Candle Town. Otherwise, Uncle Gu will definitely face grave danger."

————

At the entrance of the Chu Clan's mansion...

The river god of the Embroidered Flower River had a dark expression as he looked at the slowly returning yin god, and he scolded in a stern voice, "Gu Tao, I told you to obediently stay near the main water fortune vein in the mansion and not move a single step away! Yet, you actually dared to run out without my permission?!"

The solidly built water god who had a green snake coiled around his arm shook his arm and caused the snake to open its eyes. After the snake slithered to the ground, it coiled its body once more and transformed into a gigantic snake that was as thick as a water bucket. It then slowly slithered forward, using its body to create a large circle that contained both its master and Gu Tao. It then raised its head and coldly stared at the yin god.

The water god raised a hand and made a grabbing motion, causing a long lance to instantly materialize in his grip. The lance was refined and shimmering with a water-like golden glow, and the water god sneered, "The imperial preceptor said that I could destroy half of your soul if you dared to make any transgressions! If you're unwilling to yield and accept this punishment, then you can try to borrow the power of the Chu Clan's residence to resist."

Gu Tao remained motionless, with a look of helplessness on his face as he explained, "I only left the mansion because I wanted to reveal that secret to Chen Ping'an. It was stuck with me for far too long, and I felt like I had to get it off my chest. You've come here on an official mission this time, and you also warned me about this beforehand, so I accept my punishment! However, I hope you can answer one question before you punish me. Why am I not even allowed to see Chen Ping'an? I hope you can give me a good explanation for this. Otherwise, I'll feel dissatisfied even if I accept my punishment!"

The river god stared intently at the yin god. He wasn't hesitating about whether or not he should destroy half of Gu Tao's soul, and he was instead contemplating whether he should directly pulverize the entirety of Gu Tao's soul.

It was up to him whether he killed or spared Gu Tao.

Regardless, it was without a doubt that Gu Tao would definitely suffer severe pain and punishment.

However, the river god did indeed require Gu Tao's help to repair the fortune of the Chu Clan's residence right now.

In any case, this region belonged to the jurisdiction of the Northern Mountain, and as the first formal god of the Great Li Empire's Five Mountains, Wei Bo was displaying more and more of his might and dignity as a powerful god as the days went on. Because of this, the river god of the Embroidered Flower River needed to inform and seek guidance from the imperial preceptor regarding when he should punish Gu Tao and destroy half of his soul. At the same time, he also needed to report this matter to Wei Bo according to the laws of the Great Li Empire.

This was a case of seeking help from the directly responsible official being more practical than seeking help from a high-ranking official.

Gu Tao hadn't shown any signs of persuading Chen Ping'an to visit Bamboo Scroll Lake, and he had instead persuaded Chen Ping'an to return home to buy a few mountains for cheap. If it weren't for this, the river god would have already lashed out and obliterated Gu Tao's soul.

In fact, this was only reasonable. Gu Tao had secretly obtained news about Bamboo Scroll Lake from Red Candle Town several times, yet the news that he was given was nothing more than news that the spies of the Great Li Empire wanted him to know.

The river god suddenly launched his lance without warning, sending it through Gu Tao's abdomen and diagonally pinning him to the ground. Golden light erupted from the lance, directly searing a hole in Gu Tao's body. His body had transformed from that of a yin god into that of a deity, yet he still suffered a grave wound after being struck by the river god's attack.

Gu Tao was indeed a tough and unyielding person, and he refused to make a sound even as his face started to twist in pain. Plumes of black smoke rose from his body.

The river god waved a hand, unfurling a picture scroll and capturing all of the scenes within the jurisdiction of the Chu Clan's residence. The images on the picture scroll rapidly played out and transformed according to the river god's wishes, and the people and matters in the picture scroll were completely exposed down to the smallest detail.

The river god then unfurled another picture scroll, capturing the scenes within the jurisdiction of the Embroidered Flower River.

His voice was cold and harsh as he spat, "If there's just anything that leaves me with an inkling of doubt, then I would rather kill you than leave you alive, even if my suspicions are proven wrong."

Standing there with the golden lance still running through his abdomen, Gu Tao roared in anger, "Have you gone mad?! Will the imperial preceptor truly allow you to act with such wanton disregard? Do you think I'm unaware of the fact that you've already been attracted to Lady Chu for several hundred years?! What, you dislike me because I've taken over Lady Chu's residence, so you're hellbent on killing me now? If you want to condemn someone, you can always trump up a charge — is that how it is? Very well, very well indeed! You've allowed me to understand the magnanimity of the river god of the Embroidered Flower River!"

The river god paid no heed to the aggrieved and indignant exclamations of Gu Tao, and he simply lowered his head and focused on the speech and actions of Chen Ping'an and Zhu Lian in the picture scroll. He observed their expressions and conversations, and he was unwilling to let slip a single detail.

As for what the imperial preceptor was plotting, the river god of the Embroidered Flower River didn't care about this at all. In any case, he didn't dare to probe the plans of the imperial preceptor, not in the least.

During the past one hundred or so years in the Great Li Empire, the imperial preceptor had largely stood in the shadows of the emperor. Every time he walked out of the shadows, he would definitely bring with him gusts of sanguine wind and bursts of blood rain. Countless heads would roll, not discriminating between wealthy nobles or immortals from the mountain. No one could escape, not even pillar officials or powerful governors who held important positions, and not even earth immortals. One could either disappear without a trace or suffer a torturous fate worse than death.

The river god waved a hand and retrieved his long lance, saying, "Make haste and return to the underground of the mansion to continue repairing the fortune of the region. Await my command, and pray to the heavens if you want to stay alive."

Gu Tao clutched his stomach, with the damage to his godly body and cultivation base leaving him in agonizing pain.

"You should be roughly aware of my identity and background, so just know that this isn't going to be the end of this matter!" he roared.

"The strongest protection in the Great Li Empire is the laws that the imperial preceptor helped the emperor establish," the river god replied with an apathetic expression.

————

Chen Ping'an and his companions walked along the gently flowing Embroidered Flower River and arrived at the bustling Red Candle Town.

It was at a bookshop in this town that Chen Ping'an had once bought a book, the

Severed Water Cliff

, for Li Huai.

Pei Qian and Shi Rou were staying at the inn that Chen Ping'an had stayed at several years ago.

After entering the room, Pei Qian was just about to tell her master about all the fun and entertaining things in Red Candle Town. However, she immediately stopped herself after seeing Chen Ping'an's expression.

Zhu Lian closed the door and stood near the window.

Chen Ping'an remained solemn and silent.

When he finally spoke, he directly said, "I've changed my plans and won't return to Dragon Spring Prefecture first. Zhu Lian, you take care of Pei Qian and Shi Rou and head to Downtrodden Mountain. There's an immortal ferry station at the Yellow Court Nation, so I'll make my way there to test my luck. Maybe there'll be an immortal ship to Bamboo Scroll Lake. If there isn't, and if I'm left with no other option, then I'll travel to Bamboo Scroll Lake on foot. In any case, it will be very difficult for me to leave once I return to Dragon Spring Prefecture."

Zhu Lian thought for a moment before saying slowly, "I know an okay disguise technique, so why don't I disguise as Young Master while Young Master disguises as some other random person? We can then find a suitable opportunity for Young Master to leave Red Candle Town first, and the rest of us will stay here for a few more days. This will give us a slightly better chance at success. We might not be able to deceive our opponents, but giving it a go won't hurt."

Shi Rou was extremely puzzled.

Pei Qian was feeling even more baffled.

"Young Master, you always say this yourself: One shouldn't hurry, and one should always take things one step at a time," Zhu Lian added quietly.

Chen Ping'an smiled and replied, "Rest assured, I know what I'm doing."

Zhu Lian nodded and said, "Young Master is a careful and astute individual, after all. Otherwise, Cui Dongshan would have presumably lost this game of Go once Young Master arrived at the Dragon Spring Prefecture."

With the river god of the Embroidered Flower River appearing first and then Uncle Gu rushing over afterward, Chen Ping'an had noticed a hint of a familiar aura.

Thus, Chen Ping'an had chosen to remain silent at the time, waiting for Uncle Gu to speak first. He hadn't greeted Gu Tao and referred to him as Uncle Gu straight away.

Sure enough...

Uncle Gu had delivered a subtle message in his words, "revealing" his identity as Gu Can's father for the first time.

And thus, Chen Ping'an had cooperated with Uncle Gu and put on a performance for the river god.

Giving Chen Ping'an a friendly reminder to make haste and return to the Dragon Spring Prefecture to buy a few mountains?

Saying that Gu Can and his mother were doing very well at Bamboo Scroll Lake?

Chen Ping'an could take the reverse of these statements as true.

Moreover, there was a sense of tacit understanding between Chen Ping'an and Gu Tao, and the two of them made sure not to speak an extra word or make additional eye contact.

They knew that the river god was definitely watching them in secret.

Afterward, Zhu Lian helped Chen Ping'an go through the plan in more detail. For example, they would board a small boat and enjoy some unique flower wine served by the boat hostesses tonight. There were many people and many pairs of eyes in those places, making it the optimal location to get spied on.

Chen Ping'an took off his Dao robe, Golden Sweet Wine, which he definitely needed to wear to Bamboo Scroll Lake afterward, and he changed into azure robes in order to make it easier for Zhu Lian to disguise as him and head to Downtrodden Mountain later. Otherwise, it would appear far too abnormal if Zhu Lian suddenly traveled to Downtrodden Mountain without Golden Sweet Wine.

Just like this, Chen Ping'an and Zhu Lian continued to scrutinize and refine their plan.

Pei Qian obediently sat beside them, not disturbing them or making any untimely jokes.

Shi Rou stood guard near the window.

She didn't think that Zhu Lian was taking advantage of things for his own benefit by suggesting that he and Chen Ping'an drink flower wine.

At night, Chen Ping'an and Zhu Lian left the inn, enjoying some flower wine with the boat hostesses. Chen Ping'an sat prim and upright the entire time, while Zhu Lian took to the situation like a fish in water. He enjoyed an intimate conversation with the young boat hostess, making her feel regretful that she had been born too late.

The next day, Chen Ping'an strolled around Red Candle Town with Pei Qian, buying all kinds of goods. They were nearing home, and winter was also coming, so they were seemingly buying goods to prepare for the new year.

An ordinary-looking middle-aged man silently left Red Candle Town.

He didn't board a ship to travel down the Embroidered Flower River, and he instead chose a bustling official road to leave the town and head to the border. When approaching the border pass, he didn't show his passport or travel documents to enter the Yellow Court Nation through proper means. Rather, he was like an unfettered vagrant cultivator as he easily crossed the towering mountains and majestic peaks. Afterward, he traveled both day and night with little rest.

The travel-worn middle-aged man arrived at an immortal ferry station in the Yellow Court Nation, yet he didn't explicitly ask the station supervisor about immortal ships to Bamboo Scroll Lake. Rather, he obtained this information through a casual conversation, and he learned that there were no immortal ships traveling directly to his intended destination. In fact, this route had been canceled a long time ago.

Thus, the middle-aged boarded an immortal ship to a place called Gusu Mountain. It was said that he could take another immortal ship from Gusu Mountain to a vassal state of the Luminous Vermilion Empire. Afterward, he would have to travel to Bamboo Scroll Lake on foot.

He paid some immortal coins and obtained a one-person room on the immortal ship, barely ever venturing out during the entire journey.

However, the middle-aged man was hit with a piece of bad news after he arrived at Gusu Mountain — even the immortal ship to the vassal state of the Luminous Vermilion Empire had now been paused.

He stopped at Gusu Mountain for a day and wandered around, eventually paying a hefty sum of immortal coins — far more than the ordinary amount — to hire a private immortal ship that didn't want to adhere to the rules. He paid half the sum as a deposit, and he boarded the immortal ship under the obsequious gaze of the ship’s owner who was looking at him as if he were an idiot. He was the only passenger on the immortal ship.

He was surrounded by preying eyes.

Perhaps the man was inexperienced in the cultivation world and unaware of the dangers, or perhaps he was powerful and brave and purposely ignoring the threats.

When the ship’s owner notified the man that they were going to dock to replenish some necessities, the man finally stepped out of his room. He had changed into white robes, and he now had a sword on his back, a hairpin in his hair, and a wine gourd by his waist.

The man directly walked up to the Sea Observation Tier ship owner and patted his seemingly ordinary vermilion wine gourd, causing a flying sword to immediately soar out. "Immortal coins are easy to earn, but you only get one go at life."

The ship owner, an old cultivator, had already developed thoughts of killing the man to steal his treasures a long time ago. He had come from a rough background as well, so he gave up on trying to conceal his intentions since his passenger had already seen through him. He glanced at the wine gourd and chuckled, "Passenger, perhaps you're unaware of how people in my field view things. A Sword Nurturing Gourd is worth more to me than my life plus this entire ship. Do you think..."

However, the flying sword immediately vanished in a flash before the old cultivator could finish speaking.

The old cultivator was a vagrant cultivator who had climbed to the Sea Observation Tier, after all, so he was quite familiar with sword cultivators, one of the four most difficult breeds to deal with in the cultivation world. Moreover, he coincidentally had a spirit tool trump card that could somewhat rival bonded flying swords.

However, just when the old cultivator used his bonded tool to just barely block the flying sword, another flying sword shot out from the Sword Nurturing Gourd and pierced his glabella.

The flying sword didn't kill him, but if he dared to make any movements, the tip of the sword could easily push forward and end his life.

The Sea Observation Tier cultivator was stunned that this sword cultivator actually possessed two bonded flying swords.

It was also at this moment that a fist struck his body.

The powerful strike caused the spiritual energy in his acupoints to bubble like boiling water.

Another fist arrived.

The old cultivator could channel his spiritual energy to temper his physique, allowing the toughness of his body to rival that of fourth tier martial artists. Even so, he still heaved after being punched, and he quickly collapsed to the ground and became limp.

Two flying swords pierced into two of the old cultivator's bonded acupoints, hacking them to bits and causing the old cultivator to instantly drop from the Sea Observation Tier to the Abode Tier.

The old cultivator wailed in grief and agony.

The middle-aged man looked around before sitting down on a chair and saying to the other crew members, "Keep sailing to our destination."

Afterward, the old cultivator sat in the corner of the room that was relatively spacious, with the two flying swords slowly circling around him the entire time.

Meanwhile, his passenger surprisingly sat there and started to read.

The old cultivator mustered his courage and asked whether or not he could attend to his wounds, lest he fail to even stay at the Abode Tier.

The man nodded in response, not making any objections.

The man continued to read book after book, occasionally nodding off and occasionally standing up to unhurriedly walk around and slowly throw punches.

When the immortal ship arrived at the largest vassal state of the Luminous Vermilion Empire, the man paid the remaining half of the immortal coins before disembarking.

He asked the listless old cultivator for the approximate direction of Bamboo Scroll Lake, after which he removed the sword from his back and tossed it into the air, scabbard and all.

He was going to fly his sword to Bamboo Scroll Lake.