Chapter 194: Housewarming, Revolution
Absent from work for a day.
Dusk was closing in.
Chen Shun’an only went to Crouching Tiger Well after his shift was nearly over.
He settled today’s accounts, collected the water fee, then found Shopkeeper Li to plan tomorrow’s Sweet Dew Lottery matters.
Seeking the Dao from Qingchen, cultivating together the Mercurial Dragon Lead Tiger Red Pill Method, though beneficial for suppressing yin dregs and corpse qi.
But selling water was equally important.
Chen Shun’an naturally would not favor one over the other.
With Cheng Bin as a lesson from the past, Chen Shun’an now wanted to avoid girls of unknown origin, or even those from flower boats and brothels, as much as possible.
Unless necessary, he absolutely would not get involved.
So Qingchen, alone and pure as ice and jade with simple relationships, put Chen Shun’an very much at ease.
Chen Shun’an straightened his collar and headed toward Chaodou Hutong.
For some reason, halfway there, Chen Shun’an faintly felt a bit guilty.
He checked himself over several times, finding no lingering fragrance left by Qingchen.
Then he stopped in front of a stall selling cosmetics.
“Sir, buy a box of face powder for your wife? Freshly arrived Yangzhou goose egg powder, so fine and smooth.”
The stall owner was a shrewd woman who, seeing Chen Shun’an’s attire, immediately smiled and called out to him.
“Give me two boxes.”
Chen Shun’an tossed down some silver.
Thus, on the short journey home.
By the time he reached Chaodou Hutong, Chen Shun’an was carrying cosmetics in one hand, a bag of pine nut candy and poria cakes that Wan Niang loved most in the other, with several bolts of new cloth tucked under his arm.
But upon seeing the familiar door in front of him, Chen Shun’an suddenly returned to normal, calm as ever, then shook his head with a wry smile and said,
“Really, what is there to feel guilty about…”
He pushed the door and entered the house.
Wan Niang was sweeping snow; the roof had been renovated recently, with decayed beams and purlins partially replaced, and new tiles put on.
But after all these years, exposed to wind and sun, every heavy snow season required daily clearing of snow from the rooftop, or it might collapse the house if not careful.
Every year in Wuqing County, quite a few people were crushed to death in collapsed houses while sleeping at night.
This year, Wan Niang had even heard of several such incidents early on.
Seeing Chen Shun’an.
Wan Niang was somewhat surprised.
“Why did brother buy so many gifts for himself today?”
Chen Shun’an moved forward and lifted Wan Niang down from the ladder.
“No need to repair or sweep snow anymore.”
Chen Shun’an smiled and said, “We’ll move house tomorrow, to a big residence.”
……
The next day.
Auspicious day with Jade Hall and lucky spirits protecting the home, family harmony.
Suitable for construction, relocation, and raising the beam.
Early in the morning, half the street’s neighbors gathered in front of Chen Shun’an’s old courtyard gate.
He was directing several water carriers to move the last chest of belongings when Li Shi pulled Li Dongyang over and handed him a red cloth bag embroidered with “Long Life and Great Wealth.”
Inside was wrapped a small handful of grains and cereals; Li Shi said cautiously,
“Eldest Brother Chen, congratulations on moving to your new home… When leaving the old house, you must scatter this: rice, millet, panicled millet, wheat, and soybeans. Scatter it in front of the old courtyard’s threshold, then in front of the new home’s stove, to ensure Eldest Brother Chen you have bountiful harvests of the five grains!”
Chen Shun’an smiled: “Thanks, Li girl.”
He grabbed a handful of the five grains from the red cloth bag, scattered half in front of the stove, then walked to the threshold and scattered the rest along the door crack.
The snowground was immediately dotted with fine golden yellow.
Chen Shun’an hesitated, then took a thread-bound martial arts practice annotation from the wooden box behind him—all his own summarized experiences and insights from practicing martial arts to this day.
It did not involve specific techniques but implicitly contained martial path principles and the three refinements’ truths.
Even so, with Chen Shun’an’s current discernment and strength, this annotation was equivalent to a martial arts canon.
It could found a martial path school, ensuring it lasted for generations without decline.
Chen Shun’an handed this annotation to Li Dongyang and smiled,
“In the future, don’t eavesdrop at walls anymore; others may not be as magnanimous as your Master Chen. Keep this book safe; I wrote it myself. Do not share it except with the closest people.”
Li Dongyang took it with both hands, clutched it tightly to his chest, bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly,
“Thank you, Master Chen!”
The neighbors watched, some pursing their lips, some kicking at the snow with heads down.
The large Chaodou Hutong had nearly twenty households.
Now seeing the Chen family moving, to Mianyi Residence of the county east’s Nine Great Families no less.
Envy, jealousy, melancholy, sourness—most felt these.
Only Li Shi’s family had some genuine emotion, sincerely happy for them.
This was human nature.
Not to mention unrelated neighbors, even blood kin would show ugly faces when someone rose high—more jealous than supporters.
But nearly every household gave Chen Shun’an a gift, as per the custom of “not forgetting the old nest’s sweetness when leaving.”
Chen Shun’an returned each gift in kind, unwilling to take advantage.
When Zhang Sanniang’s family arrived and received from Chen Shun’an poria cakes and capital-style eight-piece sets worth several times their own gift,
Zhang Sanniang’s smile was somewhat forced.
Zhang Wangyue stood silently beside Zhang Sanniang, mouth opening as if to say something to Chen Shun’an.
Seeing this, Zhang Sanniang immediately pulled him back behind her.
Zhang Sanniang forced a fawning smile and said,
“Master Chen, about before…”
Chen Shun’an waved it off, unconcerned, turned, and mounted his horse.
These alley grudges and family trivialities, Chen Shun’an no longer cared about.
Wan Niang bid farewell to Li Shi, inviting her to visit Mianyi Residence for tea when free, then boarded the horse-drawn carriage.
“Giddyup!”
The coachman cracked the whip, and the carriage wheels turned.
Chen Shun’an looked back, seeing the snow falling even heavier.
The neighbors stood in the snowground, most sallow-faced in patched clothes, occasionally coughing.
Though a few were martial artists, they lacked any martial artist’s drive for progress, instead bent by hard days, eyes numb.
Li Dongyang looked down, flipping through the annotation from Chen Shun’an, face lit with joy, animatedly saying something to Zhang Wangyue beside him.
Zhang Wangyue was silent, quietly clenching his fist.
Watching Chen Shun’an, who rose from Chaodou Hutong to prominence, this great figure depart.
Some sorrowful, some joyful, some resentful toward each other.
Every household seemed to have its own joys and sorrows, all covered and obscured by the flying snow like cut jade floss.
Then, Chen Shun’an looked up at the sky again.
Summer had prolonged drought under blazing sun, dark clouds for half a month without rain.
Winter had scorching heat and flying snow, sudden extreme cold without letup.
Times were hard.
Against one’s will, people live on.
……
“Chen Shun’an moved house; why didn’t you go see him off?”
In Chaodou Martial Arts School, Bai Manlou glanced outside the window, then withdrew his gaze and silently wiped the sword body, maintaining the precious sword.
Xiao Qingchou added some coal to the fire basin, set a pot of water boiling nearby, and said gravely,
“Neither you nor I are innocent folk; why entangle innocents further and drag them down with us? It’s good he moved away—mutual non-interference.”
Bai Manlou shrugged, the cloth sliding from sword tip to hilt; he said little more.
Xiao Qingchou’s gaze was profound, lost in thought over something.
To this day, Xiao Qingchou actually somewhat suspected Chen Shun’an’s identity.
Or rather, felt this man had another identity.
Chen Shun’an’s rise was too fast, too… logical.
Each time he emerged, it seemed tied to some major event.
The Lingguan Intercepting Meeting was like that, and reclaiming the exposed corpses was too.
Perfectly timed.
Moreover, Xiao Qingchou’s fate was unique, a killing invitation food control pattern, allowing brief control of the Divine Might Purple Thunder Cannon.
Occasionally, intuition struck, sensing Chen Shun’an silently watching him and Bai Manlou.
His gaze carried intense scrutiny, spying, even…
A sense of looking down.
As if Chen Shun’an had long seen through their identities.
Thus, a thought quietly surfaced in Xiao Qingchou’s mind.
“Huff…”
Xiao Qingchou snapped back, breathing roughly; he clenched his fist, knuckles white, to suppress the absurd guess in his heart.
Moments later, Xiao Qingchou glanced at Bai Manlou and said,
“Word from the palace.”
Bai Manlou’s movement halted abruptly, the long sword ‘clang’ sheathed.
He looked up sharply, eyes urgent: “What did they say?”
Their Guo Lu Society’s trip to the capital was first to eradicate the upstream channels of hibiscus paste fire, second to deliver evidence collected on the South Sea’s Thirteen Factories colluding with Qianning Country to smuggle hibiscus paste fire, via palace insiders to His Majesty the Emperor.
But the palace had delayed reply for over two months.
Xiao Qingchou lowered his head, expression complex, and said gravely,
“The man in the palace said… he saw Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Profundity, military affairs minister upper walker Feimo Han Yu, with a glass pipe at his waist, holding hibiscus paste fire, introducing its benefits to other ministers in the palace multiple times. Then he safely left the imperial palace.”
Bai Manlou’s face stiffened upon hearing this.
The Sacred Dynasty stood for nine hundred years, establishing four halls and two pavilions, of which the Hall of Literary Profundity was one.
Feimo Han Yu held high position and great power, not mentioned by Bai Shan Ren, and hailed from Yue Shan Daoist Academy.
Likely, he already had intricate ties with the Pounding House, Tian Xuan Saint, and such forces.
Most critically…
The imperial palace was strictly guarded; none could evade His Majesty the Emperor’s eyes and ears.
Yet Feimo Han Yu dared promote hibiscus paste fire in the palace, even with His Majesty the Emperor’s tacit approval…
Moreover, since Feimo Han Yu was promoting hibiscus paste fire,
It proved they had found another way to smuggle hibiscus paste fire, bypassing customs inspection, substituting for Azure Gang Yang Huo.
In an instant, these months’ experiences flashed before Bai Manlou like a lantern show.
Risking death entering the capital, disrupting the Lingguan ritual, cannon blasting Zheng Shicheng, fierce battle with Tian Xuan Saint…
Event after event, face after face.
Their own, those righteous persons who died in battle, and that elusive mysterious expert who aided them multiple times in secret…
In other words, under their Guo Lu Society’s huge cost, brothers’ lives, and many righteous persons’ secret aid…
They had only delayed the flood of hibiscus paste fire by a few months.
The trend was unstoppable.
Bai Manlou vaguely understood something, painfully closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and said,
“Old era’s ways of saving the country can no longer save the Sacred Dynasty. Only a fierce medicine can save our people!”
Saving the people, not the Sacred Dynasty.
Xiao Qingchou vaguely understood, face slightly changing,
“You mean…”
“Slay foreign envoys, slay the Qianning Envoy Mission!”
“You’re mad!!”
Xiao Qingchou shot up in horror, instinctively looking outside, fearing someone heard such treasonous words.
Two countries’ diplomacy does not kill envoys.
If the Qianning Country mission truly met mishap on Sacred Dynasty soil, especially in the capital region,
It would not affect just one province or place.
It would shake both nations’ fortunes, tearing faces completely and declaring war!
Hibiscus paste fire’s spread would slowly drag down the Sacred Dynasty, exhausting people and wealth, taking decades to show effect.
But killing the Qianning mission would flip the table—no one plays anymore.
“Tang-Wu revolution, responding to heaven and according with the people!”
Bai Manlou drew his sword, the sword wind scattering coals from the fire basin.
He was murderous, tone stern as he said,
“Born in end times, how can we hesitate! Better to let the world choose for themselves than watch them drag the Sacred Dynasty to ruin…”
At this, he instinctively looked down at the precious sword in his hand.
He had practiced sword from youth, later taught the Zhou Tian Liu Qi Sword by a hermit expert.
To this day, Bai Manlou had long guessed.
That hermit expert was likely the legendary Shu Mountain sword immortal.
Xiao Qingchou was silent for a long time, tone obscure as he said,
“This matter… we cannot decide. Must consult Red Fifth Master.”
Red Fifth Master?
At mention of Red Fifth Master, Bai Manlou frowned slightly.
Red Fifth Master had suddenly vanished two days ago.
Disappearing with him was Tian Xuan Saint.
They had gone to Yanziwu, finding only a site of intense combat.
On site, three auras remained.
Two naturally Red Fifth Master’s and Tian Xuan Saint’s.
The third was extremely unfamiliar.
And equally vast and majestic, extremely powerful.
But fortunately, Red Fifth Master had no life threat.
The Guo Lu Society had internal means to sense Red Fifth Master’s qi and life.
A few days ago it was fading near death, but now steady and strong as before.
Even trending toward breaking and then establishing, stepping into a new realm.
Just, his whereabouts unknown.
“Master Xiao, I’m here to practice fists.”
At this time, a clear voice came.
Li Dongyang, stepping through ankle-deep snow, entered the martial arts school and lifted the door curtain.
He first bowed to the two masters inside, then placed his miscellaneous items, a basket of eggs, and the annotation from Chen Shun’an on the counter.
Xiao Qingchou nodded, saying nothing more.
In the courtyard, snow was swept to the corner in small mounds; the exposed stone slabs were iced over, slippery.
Li Dongyang wore only thin cyan tight-fitting clothes; the chill pierced instantly, making him shiver.
He deeply inhaled the icy air, slowly assuming a fist stance.
In this freezing weather, with county prices soaring—even basics like firewood, rice, oil, salt rising several fold—
Boys coming daily to Chaodou Hutong to practice martial arts were few and far between.
Persisting longest, coming every day, was only Li Dongyang.
Inside, Xiao Qingchou glanced at Li Dongyang’s fist stance, seeing he had grasped the essence with solid foundation, then withdrew his gaze.
He casually picked up the nameless annotation Li Dongyang left on the wooden counter.
He flipped through briefly, unconcerned, sneering,
“This kid always buys unknown books on the street, thinking they’re peerless divine skills or immortality cultivation methods, really…”
Before finishing, as if throat gripped, he swallowed the rest, eyes fixed on the open page, frozen in place.
Bai Manlou noticed something off, leaned in, and saw on the rough-textured page, written in charcoal pen with hasty but forceful strokes penetrating the paper, beginning with—
“At fifty, I realized the first forty-nine years were all wrong; one moment of enlightenment saved a hundred years of others’ hard training.”
Such big talk?
Bai Manlou couldn’t help sneering, then shifted gaze below to the following meridian diagram.
It detailed nine orifices and hundred meridians, three hundred sixty bone joints, eighty-four thousand pores, precise to an unimaginable degree for ordinary people.
Even superior martial arts rarely had such a meridian diagram!
