Chapter 659 (2): Like a Blazing Sun

Inside the study of the feudal lord's residence in Old Dragon City...

There were some official history books from different dynasties on the table, along with literary compilations and calligraphy work compilations. However, there was not a single immortal decoration on the table.

There was a four-piece screen behind the study desk, one with the old map of the Great Li Empire, one with the map of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and two with maps showing the distribution of immortal forces in the Parasol Leaf Continent and the Northern Complete Reed Continent, respectively.

Song Jixin had just returned to his jurisdiction in the south from his hometown in the north, and he shuffled his chair a bit as he sat by himself in the study, turning around to face the four-piece screen.

There was a small and exquisite heart-nourishing teapot in his hands, marked with the character "mandrill" on its underside, and he gently spun it around.

Song Jixin played with the small teapot, which he had regained after losing. This item was now back with its original owner, yet the process of retrieving it hadn't been very honorable. However, Song Jixin couldn't care less about what Fu Nanhua thought.

When Fu Nanhua had entered the Jewel Small World back then, he had used a pouch of gold essence copper coins and an Old Dragon Rainbringer pendant to purchase the small teapot from Song Jixin. This transaction hadn't actually been a fair one, and Fu Nanhua had relied on his abilities to pick up a bargain.

Unlike many immortal treasures in the mountains that possessed high grades but were actually useless to earth immortal cultivators, the mandrill teapot was an extremely rare immortal treasure and possessed an extremely high grade, also being most suitable for earth immortals cultivating their Dao Hearts and nurturing their acupoints.

Not only that, but there was also an isolated area in the small teapot, allowing it to function as a pocket treasure. Fu Nanhua had asked someone to appraise the mandrill teapot after obtaining it, and the results had filled him with delight, causing him to adore and cherish the small teapot even more.

Fu Nanhua and the young feudal lord had "reminisced about the past" yesterday, and Song Jixin had made a few mentions about the small teapot. And thus, Fu Nanhua had instructed someone to deliver the small teapot to Feudal Lord Song Jixin today.

Song Jixin didn't genuinely care about regaining the mandrill teapot, but rather, his mindset had undergone an unconscious shift when he returned to his hometown. He had appeared like a diligent official in Old Dragon City, but in reality, he had simply been a young feudal lord muddling along. After arriving in the small town, however, he had finally transformed from Clay Vase Alley's Song Jixin — who didn't seek to impress but instead sought to make no mistakes — into the Great Li Empire's Feudal Lord Song Mu.

Song Jixin took one hand off the small teapot and gently weighed it in his palm. This was the weight of power and influence outside the mountains.

Immortal forces had always looked down on royals and nobles.

The current Great Li Empire was different, however, and it had already suppressed, constrained, and deterred all of the immortal forces on the continent, giving them little room to breathe. What did it matter that they were sect-level forces like the Divine Edict Sect or the True Realm Sect? So what if they had colossal backers in other continents?

When these mighty beings participated in the small assemblies in Emperor Song He's imperial study, they would still have to position themselves as half-officials of the empire. They needed to act according to the emperor's mood and obediently sit down or stand up as instructed.

Song Jixin casually tossed the incredibly expensive mandrill teapot between his hands.

There were two secret documents on the study desk behind him, intelligence which he had instructed the Copper Person Dew-Holding Platform to collect. Song Jixin didn't trust the Green Ripple Pavilion at all, given that the first owner of this intelligence network was that imperial concubine, now the empress dowager. Of course, she was also Song Jixin's mother.

Even though the Green Ripple Pavilion and the Cattle and Horse Pen both fell under the control of the imperial preceptor now, Song Jixin was well aware of how many of the officials in the Green Ripple Pavilion — who hadn't been cleaned out — would think and act. Indeed, even blind fools would know to choose between the powerful emperor and empress dowager, and the feudal lord with little support and lacking power.

However, the Copper Person Dew-Holding Platform belonged to the military and only reported to Song Changjing. This was an intelligence network that even Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan hadn't interfered with.

Song Jixin turned around and glanced at the two documents. One was a detailed list of Upper Five Tier cultivators in the Northern Complete Reed Continent, and the other was an extremely brief description of the young Cui Dongshan.

There was Ground Lying Peak's Spiritual Master Fire Dragon, the already deceased Li Yu of the Profound Dawn Branch, the Secret Profound Peak's Yuan Lingdian, and thankfully, only a single Nascent Tier cultivator from the White Cloud Peak and Peach Mountain Branch. Otherwise, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon's immortal force would genuinely be very terrifying.

There was Heavenly Lord Xie Shi.

There was Sect Leader Zhu Quan and the two old ancestors from Skeleton Shoal's Flax Robe Sect.

There was Gao Cheng in Malicious Ghost Valley's Skeleton Wall City.

A Daoist temple and a Buddhist temple remained hidden and elusive in a peach forest, so their strength was currently unknown.

Sword Immortal Li Cai of Duckweed Sword Lake had already traveled afar to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

The Great Emblem Sword Sect had Sect Leader Han Huaizi, Old Ancestor Huang Tong, and Unpolished Jade Tier Sword Immortal Liu Jinglong. Among them, Han Huaizi had already remained at the Sword Qi Great Wall for many years.

There was Sword Immortal Bai Shang, the number one sword immortal in the north and Xu Xuan's esteemed master.

Ape Call Mountain's Ji Yue had already died in battle, taking Tenth Tier Martial Artist Gu You along with him. This was a huge loss for the Northern Complete Reed Continent.

Looking at the Water Dragon Sect, there were the Northern Sect's Sun Jie and the Southern Sect's Shao Jingzhi.

There was the sect leader of the Jade Forest Sect.

There was the clan leader of the Yang Clan, which belonged to the Lofty Cloud Palace of the Great Origin Empire's Esteemed Mystery Department.

There was the Refreshing Sect's He Xiaoliang.

There was the Immortal Tier vagrant cultivator, Huang Juran, whose life and death were currently unknown.

Apart from these forces and individuals, there were many others that remained largely hidden, like the Daoist temple and the Buddhist temple in the peach forest. In addition, there were also the lofty figures who seldom appeared in the world and spent most of their time secretly cultivating in seclusion.

It was extremely difficult for the intelligence networks of the Great Li Empire to truly extend their tendrils into the heart of the Northern Complete Reed Continent, where they could investigate the truths that had already been buried and sealed for a very long time. There were also some secret historical records that detailed the journeys of sword immortals, whether they were still alive or already dead, to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

As for Cui Dongshan, the Copper Person Dew-Holding Platform had offered Feudal Lord Song Jixin a document that was essentially a blank piece of paper.

However, there were two pieces of paper from the Ministry of Justice, with one providing basic information about where Cui Dongshan had appeared before, where he had stayed before, and his speech and actions.

Most of this information corresponded to the time he had been seeking knowledge in the Confucian academy, but there was also information about the first time he had appeared in the Jewel Small World before it had collapsed, his journey with Yu Lu and Xie Xie to the academy in the Great Sui Nation, his conflict with the Gao Clan's Guest Elder Cai Jingshen in the Great Sui Nation, which had caused a spectacular rain of immortal treasures in the capital, and his pursuit of a sword cultivator at the peak stage of the Nascent Tier with Ruan Xiu in the Luminous Vermilion Empire, where they had eventually killed the sword cultivator at the border of the empire.

The conclusion on the first page said that this person advanced extremely quickly, had a huge number of immortal treasures, and possessed a very strange temperament.

The second piece of paper was filled with information about his immortal treasures.

Song Jixin retracted his gaze, turning around and continuing to observe the four-piece screen. All kinds of cultivators from the mountains were visiting the feudal lord's residence now, with many having hidden identities. If these people didn't reveal their identities, then Song Jixin wouldn't be able to guess, no matter how hard he racked his brains.

There were secret guest elders from the ancestral hall of the Parasol Leaf Sect who had lurked in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent for many years, and there were also members of the Northern Complete Reed Continent's Jade Forest Sect managing businesses in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

Song Jixin had appeared like a fool in the beginning, only able to speak in a seemly and befitting manner. When reviewing his interactions, however, he had suddenly discovered that he was completely mistaken, and he had actually been speaking in the most unseemly and least befitting way. Perhaps many of the mighty figures who had taken the risk to reveal their identities had felt like speaking to this young feudal lord was a complete waste of time. It was as if they were talking to a brick wall.

This was because Song Jixin had never thought about or understood what he wanted.

Did he want to change his name back to Song Mu? Did he want to challenge his younger brother for the throne? Song Jixin was uninterested in these matters. To be more precise, he was very afraid of repeating past mistakes. Those who had read a few history books would all be aware of how much death and destruction would take place when brothers challenged each other for the throne. Moreover, both the current emperor and the empress dowager were his closest family, after all.

Song Jixin discovered that he had always been hesitant and undecided in life. He never loved someone with absolute purity and sincerity, and he never resented anyone with every fiber of his being. In the end, he was returning the debts one by one, to Kiln Supervision Official Song Yuzhang, to his neighbor Chen Ping'an, to his maidservant Zhi Gui, and so on and so forth...

He couldn't allow this to continue.

Song Jixin tightly gripped the mandrill teapot and vigorously stood up.

Zhi Gui had actually been standing at the door in silence for a very long time already, and only at this moment did she say, "Someone is requesting an audience with you, Young Master, and they've already been waiting for a long time. It's the daughter of the Cloud Forest Jiang Clan, the in-name wife of Fu Nanhua. Mhm, she looks a bit plump, but that's because of an illusion technique cast by a powerful cultivator. Her true appearance is somewhat passable."

Song Jixin smiled and walked to the door.

When walking side by side with Zhi Gui, he asked in a quiet voice, "How many snake gall pebbles and gold essence copper coins do you need?"

Zhi Gui's eyes lit up, and she replied with a smile, "Naturally, the same as before, Young Master. The more, the better. However, the imperial court maintains extremely strict control over these resources now, and they won't be retrieved from the imperial treasury in the capital for no reason."

"Rest assured, this is only a small matter, and I can easily make up an excuse," Song Jixin replied with a smile. "I can make a transaction with the mountain god of the Southern Mountain, using Fan Junmao as a cover. At that time, I can strive to redirect half of the resources to you."

Zhi Gui was seemingly surprised, and she secretly stole a glance at Song Jixin. Her young master appeared slightly different nowadays.

Her gaze continued to drift around, but she didn't reveal any secrets.

Very few people in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent could make her feel apprehensive now, but there was coincidentally one in Song Jixin's study.

After Song Jixin left the study and walked far away, a young boy in white walked out from behind the four-piece screen. Squatting at the base of the wall was an expressionless little child who didn't need to breathe.

Cui Dongshan used a folding fan to lightly tap his back, and he used his other hand to manifest a calligraphy brush, after which he drew circles and made annotations on one of the four screen segments. Looking at the list pertaining to the Northern Complete Reed Continent, he provided some help and wrote the names of a few more Upper Five Tier cultivators.

After doing this, Cui Dongshan lay down on the table and flipped through the three pieces of paper with intelligence about him. He looked through the two pages from the Ministry of Justice first, correcting the lines where the names of the immortal treasures were unknown. In the end, he grabbed the blank sheet of paper from the Cattle and Horse Pen and wrote: Cui Chan is an old bastard — ask him if you don't believe me.

He was quite pleased with his handiwork.

Cui Dongshan beckoned for Brother Gao to walk over, after which he bent down and started to draw on the little boy's face.

Without needing to look up, he then said with a faint smile, "Ma Kuxuan, you'll eventually suffer greatly one day after enjoying the benefits of not following the rules and not speaking reason for so long."

Ma Kuxuan showed himself and leaned against the doorframe, asking, "And how much will I suffer? Will I die? Or will I be riddled with karmic fate? So be it if others aren't aware, Imperial Preceptor, seeing that they're frogs at the bottom of the well. However, you're most definitely aware that I'm least afraid of these things, no?"

Cui Dongshan continued to draw a turtle on Brother Gao's face as he continued, "I saw a vigorously righteous scholar while traveling here, and he was fairly capable when it came to observing the human heart and the great trend. He feigned a willingness to heroically martyr himself for his nation when he faced the swords and spears of the Great Li Empire's heavy cavalry, and he was just a pinky finger away from earning a grand reputation.

"Thus, I ordered a soldier to sheathe his weapon and only use the hilt of his saber to crush one of the scholar's fingers. I said a few words to that official, saying that there was more to life than just simple life and death. However, there exist numerous tribulations between the two extremes of life and death.

"If he could endure the pain of having ten fingers completely crushed, then he could rest assured that I would uphold my promise to him. While alive, he could become the leader of the literary world in that small vassal nation, and after death, he could enjoy the posthumous title of Wenzhen. Guess what he did?"[1]

Ma Kuxuan furrowed his brows.

Cui Dongshan completed his illustration and nodded in satisfaction, clearly happy with his divine illustration skills. This was as expected of the manifestation of his accumulated abilities. Only then did he turn around and continue with a smile, "I believe you when you say that you aren't afraid of death, but to say that you don't understand the power of karmic fate? Does a frog at the bottom of the well have the right to say that it isn't afraid in front of me?

"Focusing on just Ma Lanhua alone, who was responsible for planning those matters? I'm not trying to scare you, but how many people can kill me if it's just about having a higher cultivation base and lofty abilities? I can still make you suffer for hundreds of thousands of years even if you reach a paramount cultivation base in the future. It won't be difficult at all.

"So, wise up and save me some trouble. Otherwise, when you truly learn to feel fear one day, how will that benefit me? The doctrine of practical ability encourages people not to act stupidly, such that they can obtain the benefits that they seek."

Ma Kuxuan nodded and concurred, "That makes sense."

Cui Dongshan sat down and spun the folding fan in his hand, saying with a grin, "Having not been beaten for a few days, you're now running around to beat beggars. Don't you find this amusing?"

Ma Kuxuan smiled and replied, "I can beat beggars today, so I might be able to beat wealthy nobles tomorrow. People need to have ambition, or else they might as well remain beggars for their entire life."

Cui Dongshan feigned realization, and he nodded vigorously and concurred, "That makes sense."

Ma Kuxuan cupped his fists and said, "Hopefully I can still listen to Imperial Preceptor's teachings in the future."

Cui Dongshan rocked his folding fan after Ma Kuxuan left, appearing carefree and relaxed. There were four large characters written on the face of the fan, reading: Subdue others through reason.

He extended a finger and casually drew in the air, most likely writing some characters. He appeared extremely pleased with himself as he remarked, "Three vertical strokes, becoming a mountain eight thousand feet tall. A rapid horizontal stroke, and a streak of light soars through the sky..."

Cui Dongshan turned around and looked at the little boy who was silently standing beside the study desk. "Which family is this handsome boy from?"

The little boy, whose face was filled with scribbles, suddenly said, "I want to learn Go, Master."

Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes and replied, "Teaching fist stances and fist techniques causes one's master to starve to death, but what benefit is there for me to teach you Go?"

"I can play Go with you, Master, when you want," the little boy replied.

Cui Dongshan shook his head and didn't offer a firm response. Instead, he made a strange remark that didn't make any sense. "The lost hairpin and the old sword will eventually return one day."

Marking the boat to find the dropped sword wasn't foolish, and worrying about the sky falling down wasn't laughable.

Cui Dongshan closed his eyes and rested his mind.

The little boy started to zone out.

Song Jixin returned to the study by himself after one hour, with Zhi Gui saying that she was going to wander around outside the city.

He stopped for a moment when he saw the young boy in white who had taken over his study, after which he continued to walk forward. He sat down and commented with a smile, "Mr. Cui, you are truly making yourself feel at home."

Old Dragon City wasn't a place where cultivators could freely stroll around without restraint.

Cui Dongshan opened his eyes and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

Song Jixin nodded and replied, "I have some speculations."

Cui Dongshan tapped his shoulder with his folding fan and instructed, "Brother Gao, tell him who I am. I'm afraid that his speculations are wrong."

"My Master is Dongshan, of course," the little boy said without a hint of emotion.

Cui Dongshan put away his folding fan before clutching his belly and roaring with laughter, causing his chair to rock chaotically as a result.

However, he suddenly stopped laughing and stood up.

Stunned by the young boy's aura and intangibly influenced by his actions, Song Jixin involuntarily stood up straight away.

"Things have already come to this, so I won't mess around with you anymore," Cui Dongshan said in a solemn voice. "My name is Cui Dongshan, and Cui Chan is my least talented unofficial grand-disciple."

Song Jixin bowed in respect, saying in a soft voice, "There's no need for such humbleness and self-deprecation, Imperial Preceptor."

Cui Dongshan used his hand as a fan, causing a gentle breeze to brush over his face as he replied, "How can one alleviate their worries, bar self-deprecation?"

The three pieces of paper on the study desk disintegrated into ashes, blown away by the gentle breeze.

Cui Dongshan walked around the study desk and made his way to a window close to Song Jixin, asking in a quiet voice, "Qi Jingchun had relatively high hopes for you, so why have you been so uncaring these past years?"

Song Jixin remained silent.

Cui Dongshan sighed in grief and lamented, "Song Jixin, oh, Song Jixin, do you understand that in many of the novels I read, you'll be the first one appearing in the opening chapter, or perhaps the last one appearing in the final chapter? Why are you so feeble and pathetic? Why is your little brain so slow?

"Take a look at Apricot Blossom Alley's Ma Kuxuan, who only has a cat by his side. You're even more impressive, and you brought Wang Zhu with you before leaving home. And taking a look at Peach Leaf Alley's Xie Ling, his old ancestor was even able to step out from the pages of the genealogical records. People like you are all the destined ones chosen by the heavens!"

Song Jixin's expression became dark. What nonsense was this?

Cui Dongshan looked up and pretended that he was silently shedding tears. Feeling like the atmosphere wasn't good enough, however, he snapped his fingers loudly.

Brother Gao understood his master's intentions, and he immediately started to sing a cheerful song about how delicious and fragrant stinky tofu was.

In Cui Dongshan's eyes, there were two ways for people to live well. One way involved being raised by the heavens, where one would have small worries but no great anxieties. Opening their eyes during the day and closing them at night, they would enjoy peace and comfort every single day.

The other way involved being raised by the old ancestors, and one wouldn't need to worry about the brutal world if they had one outstanding skill. They would have enough money to enjoy candied hawthorn and stinky tofu. In fact, they could hold a skewer in each hand, taking a bite of candied hawthorn before taking a bite of stinky tofu.

The young and pitiful feudal lord was rooted to the spot, his feelings and thoughts unknown.

1. Wenzhen (文贞) means having outstanding scholarly talent and having an upright character. ☜

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