Chapter 481: The Mountain Blessed by the Most Moonlight

The three of them arrived on the cliff before sitting down at the stone table. Neither Cui Dongshan nor Pei Qian were willing to take the seat across from Chen Ping'an as that would mean staying a little further away from him than the other.

The three of them peered into the distance together, and ironically, the most senior figure of the three was the one least capable of seeing afar. Even with the assistance of the moonlight, Chen Ping'an was still unable to see very far, yet Pei Qian was able to see the faint lights in Red Candle Town and the hints of green on Go Table Mountain from the courage bamboo planted by Wei Bo.

As a Nascent Tier earth immortal, Cui Dongshan was naturally able to see even further, with his gaze reaching all the way to the Embroidered Flower, Rushing Tranquil, and Fine Wine Rivers.

Pei Qian pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds from her pocket before placing them onto the stone table. Sharing was caring, but she made sure to place the sunflower seeds closer to herself and her master.

Upon hearing the faint sound of the sunflower seeds striking the table, Cui Dongshan was reminded of something, and he flipped a hand over to produce four pouches of different sizes, which he gently set down onto the ground. The pouches were glowing with lights of different colors, basking them in a layer of five-colored light that easily outshone the light of the moon.

He then turned to Chen Ping'an as he said, "These pouches contain five-colored soil from four of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent's future Five Mountains. They may not be very large, but they're extremely heavy, and even the smallest pouch weighs over twenty kilograms. All of the soil has been dug up from the ancestral mountain roots of their respective mountains, and the only one missing is soil from Cloud Drape Mountain."

"Thank you for going to the trouble of collecting them," Chen Ping'an said with a smile.

"It was hardly any trouble at all," Cui Dongshan replied with a smile. "If I didn't have this to look forward to, I would've been bored to death on this trip."

"Can I open them and take a look?" Pei Qian asked in an eager manner.

"Go ahead," Cui Dongshan said with a sweep of his sleeve. "Don't blame me if you start crying out of shame! Take a look at what I've done for my teacher, then take a look at yourself. You are my teacher's first-ever disciple, yet all you do is slack off all day long, content with earning a few taels of silver on Dragon Riding Alley per month.

“If I were you, I would be too embarrassed to tell anyone unless I was earning at least twenty to thirty taels of silver of revenue per month. If you can earn three hundred taels of silver a year and purchase a decent small house in the Dragon Spring Prefectural City, then you can brag a little about your achievements."

Pei Qian crossed her arms as she grumbled, "Forget it. What's there to see in a few dumb pouches of soil anyway!"

"What if I beg you to take a look?" Cui Dongshan asked with a smile.

"You're a good man!" Pei Qian praised as she gave him a thumbs-up.

Then, before Cui Dongshan had a chance to rescind his offer, she raced around Chen Ping'an before opening the pouches of five-colored soil one by one. She crouched down as she stared into the pouches of soil with wide eyes, and the amazement on her face was illuminated by their glow.

Her master had once told her that there were records of a type of kaolin soil in an immortal book, soil that could be eaten as food, and she couldn't help but wonder if this five-colored soil could also be eaten.

Cui Dongshan gave Pei Qian a kick on the backside as he said, "Don't be so enamored by everything that you see. Otherwise, you could easily get swindled into becoming the wife of some sweet-talking scholar."

Pei Qian didn't even turn around as she rubbed her own backside and scoffed, "If someone like that dares to try and make me their wife, I'll beat them until their mother doesn't even recognize them anymore!"

Cui Dongshan began to discuss the important matters at hand, turning his gaze to Chen Ping'an as he said, "You can take some soil from Wei Bo with you on your trip to the Northern Complete Reed Continent and wait for further updates over there. It'll take roughly a year and a half to two years, but once the Song Clan officially appoints the other four mountains, that will be the ideal time for you to refine this soil.

“You can refine the soil later than that, but do not do so early. Ideally, you would refine the five-colored soil on the future Central Mountain as that would net you the most benefits and give you the best chance of triggering phenomena and bequeathments, but let's not go that far. Otherwise, we would be giving the Song Clan too hearty a slap to the face in front of the entire officialdom.

“Song He has only recently inherited the throne, becoming the emperor holding the most territory in the history of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and he could easily be goaded into doing something hot-headed by those below him. Even if the old bastard can hold him back, it's not going to have positive implications on the future of Downtrodden Mountain. After all, when the time comes, the old bastard is going to be very busy.

“The more one does, the more mistakes they'll make, and the more resented they'll be. This has always been the case throughout history. Once the Great Li Empire fully conquers the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the old bastard will be facing many restrictions from the Middle Earth Divine Continent, and that's going to be quite troublesome for him.

“In contrast, people like Song He won't have to do anything, and when people don't have any duties or responsibilities, they become prone to resentment."

"I know what needs to be done when it comes to refining the five-colored soil," Chen Ping'an replied with a nod, following which a concerned look appeared on his face. "Once the Great Li Empire conquers the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, a period of complacency will inevitably set in, and that would not be a good time to reveal the precarious situation that the Majestic World is in to them, but time is of the essence, so such a revelation can't be left too late. That will be the most stern test for you and Cui Chan."

Cui Dongshan smiled as he replied, "There will definitely be many bothersome matters to attend to when the time comes, but there won't be any major catastrophes. As long as the foundation and framework of a new house are solid, then it's not going to collapse.

“Maybe there's going to be some broken windows or fallen tiles from the elements, but those are all just minor repairs. Once the new house becomes an old house that's infested with termites and rats, it will no longer be something for me and the old bastard to be concerned about."

Chen Ping'an nodded in response and didn't speak any further on the subject. Cui Dongshan was far superior to him when it came to hatching plots and attention to detail, so he was certain that Cui Dongshan already had everything figured out.

Cui Dongshan cast his gaze toward the bamboo building, then turned his gaze back to Chen Ping'an as he said, "Right now, Downtrodden Mountain is probably already about as good as it'll ever be, so it's time to focus on the other mountains. Have you already chosen the subjugation treasures to be buried on the other mountains?"

A wry smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face as he replied, "I have some thoughts on the matter, but I don't have the resources to make it happen."

The grain rain coins that had been reserved for setting up the mountain-protection formations of Downtrodden Mountain had already been tapped into, and he couldn't continue to rely on that stash. Hence, aside from training his sword techniques, he also had to emulate vagrant cultivators on his journey to the Northern Complete Reed Continent, exploring immortal abode ruins and secret areas to see if he could earn some money.

Cui Dongshan was just about to speak when Chen Ping'an interjected, "Those are two different matters. Even blood-related brothers must keep clear accounts when it comes to financial matters."

A sheepish look appeared on Cui Dongshan's face upon hearing this. If he were willing to become a walking charity like his teacher, perhaps the only one in the Majestic World that could compete with him would be the man with the Liu surname on the Pure White Continent.

"How is Wei Xian progressing in his cultivation base?" Chen Ping'an asked.

Cui Dongshan shook his head as he replied, "After leaving the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Wei Xian's aspirations no longer lie in reaching the pinnacle of martial arts. At the moment, I have barely any worthy talents at my disposal. Seeing as Wei Xian has the ambition, I'll give him a little push in the right direction.

“Once I return to Lake View Academy, I'll throw him into the Great Li Empire's military. As for whether he should ally himself with Su Gaoshan or Cao Ping, we'll have to wait and see for now, but there's no particular urgency in making the decision.

“The Great Li Empire's forces won't encounter too much more resistance on the level of the Luminous Vermilion Empire on its southward march, but there are still going to be many tough battles ahead that Wei Xian can take part in. In particular, I'm sure they'll be met with fierce resistance from the immortal powers that have grown accustomed to being the dominant force in the south, and that will be Wei Xian's chance to shine.

“Even if Downtrodden Mountain becomes an immortal abode in the future, it's still important to forge and maintain some connections with the mortal empires. Wei Xian will be climbing up the ranks in the officialdom, Lu Baixiang will be exploring the cultivation world, while Zhu Lian will remain by your side. Each of them is doing a job, and this seems to be the best arrangement for the moment."

Chen Ping'an nodded in response.

"What about Big Sister Sui?" Pei Qian asked.

Cui Dongshan ignored her as he consoled, "Don't worry, Teacher."

"The phrase that you included in your letter, the one stating that significant feats must be carried out slowly and patiently, is actually applicable to many things," Chen Ping'an replied with a nod.

He had originally planned to travel straight to Stalactite Mountain after exploring the Northern Complete Reed Continent, but looking at the current state of affairs, once he returned from the Sword Qi Great Wall, he would have to make a trip to the Parasol Leaf Continent instead of returning to Old Dragon City.

Cui Dongshan hesitated momentarily, then raised a hand with all five fingers spread out as he said, "Both the old bastard and I think that we have this much time to prepare at the very least."

Fifty years.

Chen Ping'an turned and cast his gaze toward the west. At the moment, his line of sight was obstructed by the bamboo building and Downtrodden Mountain, so he wasn't able to see Dragonspine Mountain.

Sage Ruan Qiong's mountain-opening endeavors with True Martial Mountain and the Wind Snow Temple had always been extremely well concealed over the years, and Dragonspine Mountain was the closely guarded mountain of the western mountains. No matter how close Wei Bo and Chen Ping'an became, there was no way he would bring up anything about Dragonspine Mountain to him.

Cui Dongshan took a glance up at the sky, then interlaced his fingers behind the back of his head as he leaned back in a dazed manner.

Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian were snacking on sunflower seeds, and the latter asked, "Do you want me to deshell the sunflower seeds for you, Master? That way, you'll be able to put a bunch of sunflower seeds into your mouth at once and eat them in one go!"

"It's alright, you don't have to do that," Chen Ping'an said with a smile.

"Teacher doesn't want to eat your saliva," Cui Dongshan scoffed.

Pei Qian was like a little hamster, gently deshelling the sunflower seeds with her teeth, and even though she didn't appear to have been moving all that quickly, a small mountain of sunflower seed shells had already taken shape on the table beside her.

"Have you heard of the expression 'the power of dragons and elephants?' If you have, then have you personally witnessed flood dragons and elephants? I'm talking about elephants with long tusks. The books say that flood dragons are the strongest beings in water, while elephants are the strongest on land. Little Bai has the character for elephant in his name." [1]

Chen Ping'an had no idea what she was trying to say.

However, Cui Dongshan was able to instantly see through her intentions, and he said, "If you want to call me a dog that can't produce ivory, then just say so. There's no need to go at it in such a roundabout way." [2]

"I didn't say that, but I'm glad you have some self-awareness," Pei Qian said in a smug manner.

An amused smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face.

Cui Dongshan pretended to throw a sunflower seed at Pei Qian, but the latter didn't even flinch as she scoffed, "You're so childish!"

With a gentle flick of his finger, Chen Ping'an sent a sunflower seed flying into Pei Qian's forehead, and she grimaced as she praised, "You're so accurate, Master! I wanted to dodge that, but I couldn't!"

An amazed look appeared on Cui Dongshan's face upon hearing this, and he exclaimed, "Let's change Downtrodden Mountain's name to Suck-Up Mountain from now on, and you can be the new mountain master! Gray Veil Mountain is abundant with scholarly fortune, so that can be Little Baoping and Chen Ruchu's new home, and it can be renamed Principle Mountain.

“Ao Back Ridge has more martial fortune, so Zhu Lian can go there and have it renamed Face-Slapping Mountain, with all of the disciples on the mountain pure martial artists who are extremely aggressive and unreasonable. On that mountain, no one would even dare to speak up unless they were at least at the Vajra Body Tier.

“As for Sword Worship Plateau, that's more suited to swordsmen, and it can compete with Ao Back Ridge for the name of Face-Slapping Mountain Otherwise, it'll have to settle for the name of Mute Mountain because the principles of swordsmen should only ever be in their scabbards."

"I'm not a suck-up!" Pei Qian protested angrily. "I'm going to claim the Sword Worship Plateau tomorrow, and no one is allowed to try and take it from me aside from Master! I'll master unmatched swordsmanship there, and if anyone dares to try and take the Sword Worship Plateau from me, then I'll..."

Chen Ping'an continued to snack on sunflower seeds in a leisurely fashion as he turned to Pei Qian and interrupted, "Make sure to go to school first. If I hear that you haven't been diligent in your studies the next time I return to Downtrodden Mountain, I'm not going to be pleased."

Pei Qian's excitement instantly faded away as she gave an affirmative response in a sullen manner. At the same time, she was lamenting the fact that she was going to have to establish good relations with the teachers of the school so that they didn't badmouth her to Chen Ping'an. At the very least, she had to ensure that they delivered a neutral appraisal of her.

However, if she did study diligently, only for the teachers to badmouth her anyway, then she would have to make them pay! As the saying went, when journeying through the cultivation world, one was responsible for one's own life and death!

"Do you have to go?" Chen Ping'an asked as he turned to Cui Dongshan.

Cui Dongshan nodded in response with a glum expression.

"I feel like my heart is being wrenched into knots when I think of my obligation to travel southward, while you travel to the north."

Chen Ping'an smiled as he said, "Hold on a second, I'll go fetch a couple of things, and you can set off after that."

With that, Chen Ping'an rose to his feet and entered the bamboo building.

Cui Dongshan turned an inquisitive gaze to Pei Qian, who shook her head with a puzzled expression.

Shortly thereafter, Chen Ping'an returned with a small brocade pouch and a bayberry core. After sitting back down, he set the two objects onto the table, then opened the pouch to reveal some green seeds that were as round and thin as coins.

He smiled and said, "These are elm tree blossom seeds purchased for me by a good friend from Sky Calling Street in the Parasol Leaf Continent's Planchette Writing Sect. I've never had a chance to plant them on Downtrodden Mountain, but I've heard that there's a chance they'll be able to sprout in three to five years as long as they're planted somewhere with good feng shui and sun exposure."

Cui Dongshan picked up one of the seeds, then nodded as he said, "These are not ordinary immortal elm tree blossom seeds. Instead, these were produced by the ancestral elm tree on the Middle Earth Divine Continent. If I'm not mistaken, this is not something that can be purchased in the Planchette Writing Sect.

“Instead, that friend of yours most likely fabricated the story as he was concerned that you wouldn't be willing to accept the gift. Compared with ordinary elm tree blossom seeds, these ones are much more likely to give rise to elm coin spirits. Given how many of them there are in this pouch, even if you have terrible luck, you should still get at least two or three golden spirits.

“The rest of the elm trees will also be able to help gather and consolidate mountain and water fortune, making these seeds extremely sought after, just like the golden mountain crossing carp that you captured in the past."

Chen Ping'an felt a little exasperated upon hearing this.

This was indeed something that Lu Tai would do.

Chen Ping'an could only tell himself that seeing as he had already accepted the gift, he had no choice but to keep it. He pointed at the bayberry core, but before he had a chance to say anything, Pei Qian beat him to it.

"I know where that came from! It was given to my master by the head of the Purple Sun Residence on behalf of that thin reed stick by the name of Wu Yi. I was worried that Wu Yi would try to screw my master over by giving him something worthless, so I took it to Wei Bo in secret for an appraisal. He told me that in a year, it'll be able to grow into a thousand-year-old bayberry tree that'll be at least half as tall as the bamboo building.

“It's also known as the solar term bayberry as the tree will release a lot of spiritual energy on the days of the twenty-four solar terms, making it perfect for Qi refiners to cultivate under. Wei Bo also says that this bayberry core is the most precious of the four gifts from the Purple Sun Residence for official immortals who already have set mountains."

Chen Ping'an smiled as he said, "Let's plant all of them tonight."

"You can choose first," Cui Dongshan said to Pei Qian.

Pei Qian grinned as she said, "No matter how good that bayberry core is, there's only one, so of course I choose the elm tree blossom seeds... right?"

She snuck a glance at Chen Ping'an as she spoke, and the latter gave her a slight nod.

Reassured by this gesture of approval, Pei Qian turned back to Cui Dongshan as she declared in a categorical manner, "You can have this precious bayberry core, but let me make this clear: once it grows into a plum tree, it'll still belong to my master, so you can't stop me if I want to go and climb the tree with Big Sister Baoping!"

Cui Dongshan heaved a faint sigh.

She could truly be quite a pain to deal with, and his teacher was the only one who could keep her in check. Even Zhu Lian or Cui Cheng wouldn't be able to accomplish such a feat, let alone Wei Bo and the others.

Downtrodden Mountain was actually a very big place.

As the southern gate of the Jewel Small World, it spanned an enormous area and reached all the up into the clouds.

Due to the fact that the bamboo building was on the southern side of the mountain, Chen Ping'an hadn't explored its northern parts much at all.

Somewhere on the mountain in between the bamboo building and the gate that Zheng Dafeng was keeping, Cui Dongshan picked out two ideal locations to plant the bayberry core and the elm tree blossom seeds.

After the job was done, Pei Qian leaned against her hoe for support, sweating profusely with a wide smile on her face.

Cui Dongshan's white robes remained immaculate, and in terms of looks, perhaps only Wei Bo, Lu Tai, and Cao Ci could compare.

"Hopefully, these will all have sprouted by the time we're reunited here again," Chen Ping'an said.

Cui Dongshan extended a deep bow toward him as he said, "Farewell, Teacher. I wish you safe and bountiful travels."

After Cui Dongshan stood up straight again, Chen Ping'an pulled a bamboo slip out of his sleeve, which he had prepared in advance, then smiled and said, "I don't think I've ever given you a present before. This is just an ordinary piece of bamboo material that's completely worthless, I hope you don't mind.

“I never felt like I had the right to be your teacher, and even though I've often thought about the question that you posed to me during the three years that I was in Bamboo Scroll Lake, I'm still struggling to come up with an answer. However, seeing as you've referred to me as your teacher for so many years, I suppose it's only right that I give you a small parting gift."

Cui Dongshan accepted the already yellow bamboo slip to find that it was etched on both sides.

On one side was engraved the phrase "Principles must be learned in sequence, but they can be learned from anyone."

This inscription was clearly quite an old one, while the inscription on the other side was clearly far fresher, having most likely been engraved just now, when Chen Ping'an had entered the bamboo building to fetch the elm tree blossom seeds and bayberry core.

Despite this, the handwriting remained impeccable, and it read "Indigo is extracted from bluegrass but darker than bluegrass." [3]

Pei Qian cleared her throat as she put on a serious expression and said, "As your senior sister, I must warn you not to take this gift lightly, Cui Dongshan. It may not have any monetary value, but Master cherishes these bamboo slips greatly."

"I will be sure to remember the words engraved upon this bamboo slip, Teacher. I also have a present for you," Cui Dongshan said as he reached into his sleeve, then pulled out an antiquated, bamboo folded fan that was very simplistic, yet not lacking in elegance.

He offered up the fan to Chen Ping'an with both hands as he said, "This was once the most beloved possession of the one who lost Golden Autumn to me. The fan is blank, and it'll be perfect for warding off the heat during summer on your travels."

Chen Ping'an accepted the fan, which was as light as a goose feather, and he jibed, "You must be from Ao Back Ridge if you're giving me such a valuable present."

Pei Qian thought about this for a moment and recalled that Cui Dongshan had referred to Ao Back Ridge as Face-Slapping Mountain earlier, and she was quite pleased by this as clearly, her master had just received a far more valuable present in exchange for his bamboo slip. However, she then felt a little dismayed at Cui Dongshan.

Cui Dongshan burst into laughter upon hearing this, then said, "I'm going now, Teacher."

For some reason, as he turned to depart, he surreptitiously raised a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture toward Pei Qian, who looked back at him and played dumb with a blank expression.

Cui Dongshan looked directly back at her, and after a brief staring contest, Pei Qian lost her nerve as she stomped a foot down in frustration and relented, "Alright, I won't tell. We're even now!"

Cui Dongshan swiveled around with his baggy sleeves swirling around him, then shot up from Downtrodden Mountain as a streak of white light, quickly disappearing out of sight.

Following his departure, Chen Ping'an scaled the mountain with Pei Qian, taking her hoe in the process.

Pei Qian was silent for a long while before asking in a quiet voice, "Master, you're not going to ask me what the big white goose doesn't want me to tell you? If you ask, then I'm obligated to tell you as your disciple, and that way, you'll know the answer, while I technically haven't broken my promise."

Chen Ping'an patted Pei Qian on the head and gave her a silent smile.

Pei Qian skipped along beside him, quickly putting the matter out of her mind.

As it turned out, back when Cui Dongshan had planted that bayberry core earlier, she had witnessed a small plum tree emerge alongside those passages of golden text on the bank of the deep pool in his heart.

All of a sudden, Chen Ping'an asked, "Did your previous abuse of the geese on the streets of the small town have anything to do with your decision to give Cui Dongshan the nickname of big white goose?"

Pei Qian wiped the sweat from her forehead, then shook her head vigorously as she replied, "Not at all, Master! I definitely wasn't likening Cui Dongshan to those geese! Regardless of whether I was fighting those geese or riding them as I patrolled the streets and alleys, I never even once thought of Cui Dongshan!"

"Tell me the truth," Chen Ping'an said in a stern manner as he fought to suppress his amusement.

Pei Qian held onto her hiking pole with one hand while tugging on Chen Ping'an's sleeve as she put on a pitiable display and said, "Planting those elm tree blossom seeds just now was really tiring, Master. Right now, I can't think of anything without my head hurting."

Chen Ping'an latched onto her hand with a smile as he said, "It's fine, I won't tell on you."

A vibrant smile appeared on Pei Qian's face as she raised her head to look up at him and said, "It's alright, even if you do tell on me, I won't begrudge you in the slightest. You're already the best master in the whole, wide world. If you were any better than you are now, then that would be too much!"

"I won't be returning from my journey anytime soon, so there's no need for you to exercise too much self-restraint, whether it be when going to school or wandering around nearby. However, you're not allowed to be too naughty, either. Having said that, if you're in the right, then don't be afraid to stand up for yourself.

“No matter how much the situation may escalate, there are people who will have your back. In my absence, you can go to Senior Cui, Zhu Lian, Zheng Dafeng, Wei Bo... All of them will help you. However, you must also listen obediently when they lecture you after the event. Sometimes, you can't avoid a lecture just because you didn't do anything wrong."

"Alright, Master, don't you worry about me. Even if something bad happens, as long as it's not too bad, I can just imagine that you're by my side, and I won't feel angry or sad anymore."

"I can't say anything now that nothing has happened, but after I leave, you go and ask Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng what overkill means, then mull it over by yourself. Even if you're in the right, no one on Downtrodden Mountain is allowed to excessively take advantage of others.

“However, that doesn't mean that good people should suffer in silence. You may not fully understand what I'm saying now, but there's no hurry, just think about it in your own time. There are many principles that can't be found in books.

“Everyone has their own principles to impart, including Big Sister Shi Rou and even Cen Yuanji. You have to see and think as much as possible. The best deal under the heavens is to pick up a good habit or principle from someone else as you're benefiting for no cost to yourself."

"Master..."

"I know your head is starting to hurt again, so that's all I'm going to say. You're most likely not going to be able to hear my lectures even if you wanted to over the next few years."

"That's not it, Master, I'm just hungry. Take a listen, Master, my stomach is growling. I'm telling the truth!"

"A martial artist had no need for meals at night. Just endure it."

"Master, make sure to send lots of letters back when you reach the Northern Complete Reed Continent so I can tell Big Sister Baoping, Li Huai, and the others that you're safe and well. Ha! Safe, like your name, right, Master?" [4]

"..."

With her master holding onto her hand, Pei Qian was instilled with immense confidence, and she swaggered along with her chest puffed out in a fearless manner, daring any demonic entities to appear in her path.

The two of them continued to scale the mountain under the moonlight, and in this moment, it was as if this mountain were the one that was blessed with the most moonlight.

1. Pei Qian is referring to Lu Baixiang, in which "xiang (象)" is the character for elephant. ☜

2. There's a saying in China that translates to "no ivory can come out of a dog's mouth." Ivory, being derived primarily from elephant tusks, is considered to be a valuable material, and naturally, no ivory can come out of a dog's mouth, so here, Pei Qian is indirectly insulting Cui Dongshan as a dog with nothing good able to come out of his mouth. ☜

3. This is an adage that describes a student that has surpassed the master, or anything that has come from an origin, but has since surpassed that origin. ☜

4. Reminder that Chen Ping'an's name literally translates to Chen Safe. ☜