Chapter 655 (2): No One at the Pinnacle

Pei Qian suddenly recalled a warning from the old cook before she had left for the Lotus Root Blessed Land. She shouldn't emulate her master all the time, and she had her own martial world to explore and experience. Her master would be forever worried if she were too similar to him, and he would continue to view her as a child who needed his guidance and support.

Pei Qian raised a brow, thinking that this was very reasonable. Looking at Wang Guangjing again, she seemed to have transformed into a different person, and she no longer carried the same demeanor as before, when she had spoken with Dong Zhongxia.

"Stop trying to curry favor with Downtrodden Mountain," she said bluntly. "I won't get involved with the matters of the Wei Clan, and you should make haste and take your leave. You should diligently focus on your cultivation, guest elder of the prince's residence. Remember this: I only speak my reasons once, and you should listen carefully when others give you good advice. If you bear ill intentions in the future and try to test me out with some lowly trick..."

She raised a fist and lightly shook it back and forth, continuing, "I'm afraid that you won't be able to catch my fist."

Wang Guangjing purposely feigned exasperation as he said, "I've heard that Sword Immortal Chen is most fond of speaking reason. As a half-local and a half-otherworldly immortal, Miss Pei, you should..."

"Master said before that using grand principles to repulse good people is actually very similar to using might to bully other people."

Pei Qian stomped a foot and instantly arrived before Wang Guangjing. The young man was unable to dodge in time, and there was deep fear in his heart as the young woman's fist stopped a mere inch away from his forehead.

"You're still not leaving?" Pei Qian asked. "Perhaps you like to enjoy fortune lying down? Maybe you want to be carried away by other people?"

A soft glow emanated from Wang Guangjing's white jade sword, which was short and looked much like a paperweight belonging to a study desk.

Pei Qian didn't so much as glance at the sword as she asked, "Do you truly want to pit your sword against my fist? Do you know how many sword cultivators and sword immortals I've seen before?!"

Wang Guangjing took a step back and replied with a smile, "So be it if you are unwilling to accept the generous invitation of the prince's residence. We're all cultivators, and there's still much time in the future. Perhaps we'll still have the opportunity to become friends at some later time."

Pei Qian retracted her fist and glanced at the scenery in Wang Guangjing's mind lake. Her aura changed again, and she said in a solemn voice, "Grandpa Cui said before that if the fists of a martial artist can disperse some sinister thoughts of a bad person and quash the courage of an evil individual, then they should resolutely unleash their fists."

Wang Guangjing smiled bitterly and asked, "Why must you be so overbearing and take things so far, Miss Pei? Perhaps you want me to kowtow and apologize? Did I display even an ounce of disrespect toward you just then?"

Pei Qian felt slightly conflicted. She was afraid that her thoughts were correct and her judgment was correct, but she would still fail to control the strength of her punch and end up making a mistake.

This was the same conundrum she had faced when standing before the water goddess shrine of the Fine Wine River.

The doubt in her mind made her even less decisive than Chen Lingjun.

Pei Qian vigorously looked up.

A figure in flowing gray robes flew over and gracefully landed on the roof, placing a hand on Wang Guangjing's head before flicking his wrist and sending the young man spiraling into the street below.

Zhu Lian stood with his back facing Wang Guangjing as he casually raised a hand and made a backward waving motion. Wang Guangjing was yet to stand still when a hammer blow struck his head, sending him flying backward before skidding dozens of meters along the street. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell unconscious.

"It doesn't make sense to eternally guard against thieves," Zhu Lian said with a chuckle. "Perhaps one mouse dropping will ruin a whole pot of porridge."

He leaned slightly backward and looked elsewhere, where there were cultivators waiting in hiding and preparing to rescue Wang Guangjing.

"Do people from the prince's residence all like to bring chicken litter and dog shit home?" Zhu Lian asked.

Wei Yun had already been causing trouble for a long time.

As for Former Emperor Wei Liang, he was further displaying the disposition of a ruler. Even though he intended to cultivate and pursue Dao, he ultimately hadn't witnessed the scenery of the Majestic World before. He had already abdicated the throne and taken off his dragon robe, but he had yet to achieve any success in cultivation. At the same time, he was also continuing to make small moves against his son, the new emperor. Of course, he naturally had thoughts of using this as a bargaining chip against Downtrodden Mountain.

If it weren't for Emperor Wei Yan being relatively generous, the Lotus Root Blessed Land would have quickly become a miasmic mess. At that time, it would have been Mr. Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang who felt the most frustrated and upset.

Pei Qian compressed her voice to a thread and asked in puzzlement, "Why did you change your appearance, Old Cook?"

"The mountain wind was too strong and blew my old appearance away," Zhu Lian replied in helplessness.

He then silently turned around and looked at the young immortal lying on the street and taking a nap.

"Old Cook, do you feel a lack of freedom at Downtrodden Mountain?" Pei Qian suddenly asked.

"Sure enough, you've already grown up, allowing you to ask this kind of question," Zhu Lian remarked with emotion. "I initially thought that you would only ask this question after Young Master returned home."

"I'm just asking casually. You can tell Master the answer in the future," Pei Qian said with a smile.

"Perhaps I don't have much freedom to unleash my fists," Zhu Lian said slowly. "However, there's the freedom to speak without restraint, the freedom to cook rice and make dishes, the freedom to earn and spend money, the freedom to read and enjoy scenery, the freedom to play Go with friends and not care about winning or losing, and the freedom to watch my juniors slowly grow up. There are many other freedoms in life."

Pei Qian was slightly unaccustomed to the old man being anything besides the old cook, so she quickly changed the topic and asked, "What are we going to do with that Wang Guangjing who's playing dead?"

"Yu Lu and Xie Xie have already requested leave from Mountain Master Mao, and they'll spend the next two years traveling and training in the Lotus Root Blessed Land," Zhu Lian said. "They can borrow personnel from Wei Yun when they arrive, and Wang Guangjing can lead the way for them. Cultivating the mind won't be difficult with Yu Lu around."

"Li Huai isn't here to join the fun?" Pei Qian asked in curiosity.

Zhu Lian shook his head and responded, "In Brother Dafeng's words, the cultivators in the Lotus Root Blessed Land can forget about encountering any major fated opportunities if Li Huai decides to come."

Pei Qian had a thought, but she didn't dare to voice it.

"You want to visit the Northern Complete Reed Continent's Lion Peak to look for Li Huai's father?" Zhu Lian asked.

Pei Qian nodded and replied, "Senior Gu is no longer with us, but Uncle Li's fist skills are also very lofty. He's also taught Master before, so I want to go there to practice fist techniques. Li Huai coincidentally wants to visit his parents and his big sister over there as well."

Zhu Lian thought for a moment before replying, "That's okay with me."

Pei Qian sat on the edge of the eaves, feeling slightly downcast as she said, "Master should have been the only one who could approve or reject these requests."

Zhu Lian squatted down beside her, comforting her by saying, "Young Master would definitely agree to your request if he were present."

A young girl carrying a shoulder pole with two sacks of roasted seeds ran over along the street, and Zhu Lian didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. "Are the two of you going to eat roasted seeds like they're nuts?" he asked.

Pei Qian leaped forward and landed on the street.

Zhou Mili carefully avoided the collapsed Wang Guangjing as she ran over, making sure her back was facing him the entire time. She hadn't seen him, so he hadn't seen her either — they were both members of the martial world, so they should mind their own business and refrain from interfering with each other. Zhou Mili immediately sped up after passing the napping young man, causing the two sacks on her shoulder pole to sway back and forth.

She then stood still and stabilized the two sacks with her hands, asking in a quiet voice, "Old Cook, I saw Pei Qian chatting with him in the distance, so why did you suddenly launch a sneak attack on him? That's not good enough. You should give some warning before attacking next time, or else you'll gain a bad reputation in the martial world. Let me snack on some roasted seeds to boost my courage. I'll then shout a few times and wake that person up, and then you can maybe try again?"

Zhu Lian emulated the young girl's mannerisms as he nodded and replied with a smile, "Of course. I approve."

He had only launched a very gentle attack, so Wang Guangjing had already regained consciousness when Zhou Mili walked past him. Right now, his ears were pricked as he listened to the young girl's seemingly conscientious but completely unreasonable proposal. The young immortal, who was both a guest elder of the prince's residence and a military adviser behind the scenes, almost shed tears.

Pei Qian pinched Zhou Mili's cheek and dragged her forward, causing the young girl to immediately cock her head and stand on her tippy-toes. Zhou Mili lightly smacked Pei Qian's fingers and said in a muffled voice, "There's no need to do that. There's no need to try again."

Zhu Lian stomped his foot.

Wang Guangjing's entire body bounced up, and he no longer dared to feign unconsciousness as he stood still and said in a shaky voice, "My respects to Old Immortal."

Zhu Lian nodded in acknowledgment, and his expression was kind as he reached forward and made a smacking motion.

Wang Guangjing was directly sent flying to the end of the street.

"This strike should have quashed his courage," Zhu Lian said with a smile.

He then looked around and murmured to himself, "It's a pity that Ding Ying was only a baby when I encountered him back then. After finally returning here following much struggle, however, he's no longer in this world. Otherwise, I could have taught him his place as a junior."

He wasn't a martial arts maniac uttering nonsense.

In reality, Ding Ying's actions in the later stages of his life were roughly following the same old path that Zhu Lian had already trodden. Long before Ding Ying's time, Zhu Lian had already battled against nine people by himself during the conclusion of a sixty-year period, managing to kill more than half of the martial arts grandmasters belonging to the Upper Ten Elites.

The reason why Zhu Lian hadn't killed Ding Ying was that he had felt like there was only an incredibly slim chance of him ascending from the blessed land. At that particular moment, he had also felt like it was largely pointless for him to ascend to a different world. Thus, he had purposely gifted a victim, as well as the corresponding martial fortune, to Ding Ying, who was slightly better than an eyesore.

As such, it could be said that Ding Ying's eventual success and achievements on the path of the Great Dao — be that his martial arts cultivation or the growth of his heart — were in large part thanks to Zhu Lian.

When Zhu Lian was still alive in this world, he had been the paragon of both the literary world and martial arts.

"Let's head back now?" Pei Qian asked.

Zhu Lian nodded and replied, "We can discuss that after you finish one sack of roasted seeds. Otherwise, Nuanshu will probably complain about the two of you buying too much."

After returning to her residence in the blessed land, Pei Qian asked the old cook how she should overcome the barrier to the sixth tier, and how she should treat martial fortune in the Northern Complete Reed Continent.

Standing next to Pei Qian, Zhou Mili reminded her friend to ask about the seventh tier and eighth tier as well.

Pei Qian shot a glare at her and chided, "Will impatience allow you to eat boiling tofu sooner?"

Zhou Mili was slightly befuddled. Regardless of how boiling hot the tofu was, couldn't it be swallowed in a single bite?

Zhu Lian listed out several things for Pei Qian to keep in mind.

After providing this guidance, it wasn't long before Zhu Lian returned to Downtrodden Mountain.

Pei Qian said she needed to complete a few tasks. She first visited Cao Qinglang's ancestral residence and cleaned up with Little Mili, after which they visited the night market outside the White River Temple to gorge themselves on the hot and numbing dish that Chen Ping'an had talked about.

Pei Qian directly ordered two portions for Little Mili, and after they ate their fill, they glanced at the scripture library for officials in the distance, where Chen Ping'an had once borrowed books to read. Pei Qian told Little Mili that this scripture library was several Little Milis shorter than the scripture library in Nuanshu's hometown.

Afterward, Pei Qian went to visit the person who had matured into a young girl and then a young woman before her. They were the same age, and the young woman had married an outsider scholar several years ago, with the scholar being a successful candidate in the imperial examination who was now enjoying a smooth career in officialdom.

The young woman and her family traveled on horse-drawn carriages to pray and offer incense at a temple in the capital, and Pei Qian simply followed them from a distance, choosing not to show herself.

And finally, Pei Qian somewhat helped her master as she visited Champion Scholar Alley. This was the place where a story between an impoverished scholar attending the imperial examination and a pipa woman from the martial world had taken place, with the two lovers ultimately failing to become a couple and live a joyful life.

After asking a local bookshop owner some questions, Pei Qian learned that the impoverished scholar had failed to pass the imperial examination twice. He had wept bitterly, and as if completely giving up, he had returned home to open a private school.

Would that scholar fall in love with another maiden in this lifetime?

Who knew?

On the last day before leaving the Southern Garden Nation, Pei Qian climbed onto the roof late at night.

Zhou Mili climbed up behind her.

The young, skinny woman lay down on the roof ridge with the relatively old young girl, gazing at the full moon together.

Zhou Mili snacked on roasted seeds and asked in a casual voice, "Why is it that the more you practice fist techniques, the less you dare to unleash your fists?"

"Master treats the life and death of other people like fragile porcelain wares that shatter at the slightest bump. Master didn't say this, but I've observed it with my own eyes the entire time," Pei Qian replied.

Zhou Mili nodded vigorously and concurred, "That's very good! Then there's no hurry to unleash your fists, Pei Qian. There's no need for us to hurry at all."

Pei Qian smiled and said, "What do you mean 'for us'? You don't even practice fist techniques. That's also good, seeing how challenging and painful the process is. See, Master told me not to practice fist techniques too early back then, and the only time I didn't listen to Master, I ended up suffering greatly. Which is to say, it's imperative to listen to Master."

Hearing Pei Qian say these distant and sad things, Zhou Mili secretly shifted her hand, which was holding a small pile of roasted seeds, away. Pei Qian reached over and grabbed fresh air. The young girl roared with laughter before hurriedly moving her hand back to its original spot.

Pei Qian gazed at the sky, scratching her head as she smiled. She had initially thought that she would see Grandpa Cui if she unleashed a punch at the zenith of the world.

"Pei Qian, remember to take a look at Mute Lake for me when you arrive at the Northern Complete Reed Continent," Zhou Mili said in a quiet voice.

"Don't you want to go together?" Pei Qian asked.

"I don't have friends over there," Zhou Mili replied with a shake of her head.

Pei Qian patted Little Mili's head and said, "Your brain gets all muddled by small matters, but it's bloody clever when it comes to big matters."

Zhou Mili suddenly heaved a forlorn sigh.

"What's wrong? Is there something on your mind?" Pei Qian asked.

Zhou Mili shook her head and replied with a serious expression, "I'm anxious because there's nothing weighing on my mind."

Pei Qian rewarded her with a knuckle to the head.

Zhou Mili pretended to be hurt as she clutched her head and rolled around on the roof, finding it greatly amusing as she did so.

Pei Qian quietly lay there and extended a gentle punch toward the sky, murmuring to herself, "It looks like I need to go even higher."