Green Mountain

A boatman looked at Old Ears and brought up old stories again: "Old Ears, I’ve finished my story earlier, now it’s your turn."

Old Ears sat among the crowd, peeling peanuts and striking a pose: "You told your story to just one person, but my story is for several dozen people to hear, that’s a big loss for me."

But then Chen Ji laughed on the side and said: "You’ve traveled far and wide, much more than us, let us have a bit of a treat."

The boatmen surrounded Old Ears, provoking: "Exactly, exactly, you’re so incredible, why bother arguing over these things with us."

"A brave man can’t withstand a tortoise’s praise," Old Ears chuckled and squinted at them: "Come on, what do you want to hear?"

A young boatman sat up straight: "We heard from Old Li that you have been to Japan and Korea, are there any impressive Executive Officers over there?"

Old Ears shook his head: "No."

Another boatman asked: "We heard you used to travel between the Jing and Ning Dynasties, meeting many sky-high figures in Jing Dynasty... Do you know the Mountain Master Lu Yang?"

Old Ears rolled his eyes: "Where would I know him from?"

The boatman scratched his head: "Then tell us about the Executives Officers in Jing Dynasty, who are the remarkable figures?"

Old Ears rubbed the red skin off the peanuts, disinterested: "I thought you wanted to hear something interesting, what’s there to talk about this?"

The young boatman’s eyes sparkled brightly: "These are the most popular stories in tea houses, whenever the storytellers speak of them, the tea house is always packed... Among the Executives in the Ning and Jing Dynasties, who is the most formidable?"

Old Ears sneered: "Isn’t that obvious? Of course, it’s Lu Yang, the Mountain Master of Martial Temple, the unrivaled master of the world."

The boatman said with a smile: "We all know that, we’re asking besides Mountain Master Lu Yang, who else is impressive?"

Old Ears tossed the peanut into his mouth: "In literature, there’s no first place, in martial arts, there’s no second place, with Lu Yang around, what’s the point of discussing other heroes?"

Chen Ji leaned in closer: "We country folk don’t have your experiences, won’t you tell us a bit more?"

The boatmen coaxed: "Yeah, share more with us."

Old Ears patted the peanut skins off his hands, reluctantly: "Besides Lu Yang, there’s Chan Zhao of Kujue Temple who counts as a figure. He used to have an amazingly talented disciple who had a chance to become a Great Grandmaster, but unfortunately, the monk was delayed by a woman named Lu Ye in the past, now he’s in seclusion at Kujue Temple, hasn’t left for over twenty years."

Chen Ji suddenly felt a shock, Lu Ye?

Lu Ye, isn’t that his mother’s name? How is it connected to Kujue Temple? Indeed, he previously heard that Xiao Man and Third Master Hu’s Official Gateway Mandala Seal also came from Kujue Temple.

Chen Ji hurriedly asked: "Old Ears, could you explain this in detail?"

Old Ears glanced at him in surprise, smiling: "You like listening to these stories too? I told you, these vendettas and orgins are more interesting than discussing Executive Officers, right?"

Chen Ji nodded: "Interesting."

But Old Ears changed the topic: "But this story costs extra, you need to trade for it with another intriguing tale."

Chen Ji: "..."

A nearby boatman queried: "Haven’t you talked about the Executive Officers of Ning Dynasty yet?"

Old Ears pondered: "The Apostle of Huangshan Dao Court is mediocre, relying on external forces is unworthy of mention. Cen Yunzi of Laojun Mountain Dao Court is decent, he accidentally cultivated a Nascent Soul, due to perseverance despite poor talent. Whether he achieves immortal fame relies on how far he advances towards becoming an Immortal."

The boatman asked confusedly: "What do you mean, in Jianghu, everyone says Cen Yunzi is already a Great Grandmaster, an Earth Immortal of the era, how come he needs to become an Immortal?"

Old Ears scoffed: "What do you know? What’s he counted as an Immortal now? Even among Immortals, there are ranks. Upper Soldiers take shape and rise to the void, known as Heavenly Immortals, Middle Soldiers travel famous mountains, known as Earth Immortals, Lower Soldiers die first then transform, known as Corpse Dissolving Immortals... Even among Corpse Dissolving Immortals, there’s a hierarchy."

The boatmen became curious: "What’s the difference?"

Old Ears peeled another peanut calmly: "Soldier Resolution means dying by the blade, mortal body perishes, Nascent Soul sheds; Water Resolution means drowning, borrowing water to transform, true form enters the heavenly realms of rivers and seas; Fire Resolution means refining with Pure Yang Fire to cleanse the mortal form, Nascent Soul escapes the flame... These three have the least prospects."

"How do you count as promising?"

Old Ears tossed the peanut into his mouth: "Sword Resolution is the orthodox of Daoist Sect, dying embracing the sword, sword dissolves the body, Primordial Spirit flies away on the sword, in the coffin only the sword remains, not the person; Staff Resolution substitutes body with bamboo staff, wooden staff, after death the staff remains but person doesn’t; Clothes Hat Resolution leaves only clothes and hat, body fully vanished, a Clothes Hat Grave... But these aren’t the most bizarre."

Like a storyteller, Old Ears had twists at the end of every sentence. The boatmen were intrigued and puzzled: "What’s the most bizarre?"

Old Ears laughed: "The most bizarre is Taiyin Refining Form, after death the coffin is placed atop the emperor’s coffin, borrowing external items to keep the body uncorrupted, reviving after a hundred years, this is Earth Dissolution."

The boatmen exclaimed: "That’s so creepy?"

Old Ears suddenly lowered his voice, pretending to be mysterious: "Although Ning and Jing Dynasties agreed under Chongli Pass alliance to each have only two Great Grandmasters, Ning Dynasty actually has more than those mentioned, with one hidden deeply. Jing Dynasty’s Imperial Palace should also have one, who practices an Evil Technique, only possible for those with heavenly and earthly defects."

The boatmen questioned skeptically: "Really? We’ve never heard of that, aren’t you making this up?"

Old Ears chuckled: "Listen if you want, believe it if you want. But wanting to hear this story also costs extra, you can’t afford it."

The boatmen murmured and then curiously asked: "You mentioned these Great Grandmasters, what about the Executive Officers below them?"

Old Ears scanned them: "How many questions have you all asked?"

The boatmen shamelessly said: "We’ll pay up tomorrow, tell the story first."

Old Ears pulled another handful of roasted peanuts from his sleeve: "Under the Divine Realm, what heroes are there? The Deputy Director of the Observatory in the Ning Dynasty, Xu Shu, is lost in a drunken stupor; the Director of the Imperial Observatory, Hu Junyan, is cunning as can be, always suppressing his realm and hiding his whereabouts..."

The boatmen were puzzled: "Why suppress the realm?"

Old Ears sneered: "The heroes of this world are suffocated by the great mountain of the Mountain Master Lu Yang. Many who have the ability to step into the Divine Realm actually suppress their realm, afraid Lu Yang would come knocking at their doors; they’re just waiting for Lu Yang to pass away before daring to step into the Divine Realm."

The boatmen suddenly understood: "So that’s why. If it were me, I’d also avoid running into the Mountain Master’s path."

Old Ears continued to list: "There was a Liang Gou’er in the Ning Dynasty who was quite perceptive, but unfortunately mired in emotions... There’s also a little monk called Rochusaga who’s not bad, just don’t know if he’ll succeed in this life."

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "How to succeed?"

Old Ears looked back at him, mocking: "There are eighty-four thousand questions in this world, not everything can be taught; he has to experience it himself. Instead of chanting scriptures and cultivating Buddhism, he’d be better off diving into the mundane world, for love is the best Esoteric Master, not the Lotus Buddha."

Chen Ji asked again: "What about the Jing Dynasty? Any formidable figures?"

Old Ears thought for a moment: "There’s a girl named Jiang Liuxian who’s not bad, and that Yuan Hengli Zhen is also decent, but neither have settled minds. The Instructor of the Twelve Forbidden Army in the Jing Dynasty, Yuan Xingzhi, is somewhat interesting. He seems inconspicuous, but this old man thinks he’s stronger than Yuan Hengli Zhen. In the Temple of Martial Arts, there’s also a Wu Kezhi. Though he’s a bit dull, he has the benefit of Mountain Master Lu Yang’s careful guidance..."

Before finishing his words, Old Ears suddenly said meaningfully: "Almost forgot, the Ning Dynasty also had a Chen Ji with good talent, but unfortunately, he died a bit early."

Chen Ji rolled his eyes.

The boatmen, unaware of Chen Ji’s death, looked at each other in surprise: "Chen Ji died?"

Old Ears intentionally or otherwise glanced at Chen Ji: "Dead, married a pretty wife and then just died, what a pity. That lady once saved him at the Qi family’s door, but now she’s young and has to live as a widow. Tsk tsk, but you know what, it’s not that simple..."

Chen Ji smirked from the side: "It’s a pity you didn’t become a storyteller."

Old Ears laughed loudly: "Storytelling isn’t as interesting as sailing everywhere, embracing the vibrant world, you have to see it all."

Old Li stood on the stern tower, teasing: "Old Ears, are you an Executive Officer pointing fingers at the landscape, what realm are you in?"

Old Ears chuckled: "The abilities of this old man would scare you to death if spoken out. Didn’t get the chance to duel with Lu Yang, otherwise the title of Taide of the world should be changed."

Old Li laughed heartily too: "Then why still sail? Haven’t heard you brag for years, kind of missed it."

At this time, the winds and waves grew stronger over the river.

Old Li looked at the swaying sails, stood on the stern tower and cursed loudly: "The portside brace is loose, who the hell tied it? Gousheng, go tighten the brace! Stop chatting, get your asses to work!"

On the deck, Gousheng didn’t say a word, clenching a piece of hemp rope between his teeth, and clambered up the rope ladder to the mast in a few agile steps.

Using both hands and feet, he climbed up like a monkey, making the rope ladder rattle.

Under the mast, four boatmen lined up, each clutching a brace, squatting low as Old Li counted: "One, two, pull!"

The four exerted force simultaneously, their back muscles tensed sharply, and the sailcloth made a dull flapping sound, like a great eagle suddenly spreading its wings.

Before the boatmen could catch their breath, Old Li’s scolding came crashing down from the stern tower: "Starboard, the starboard sail is slow!"

A young boatman was frantically pulling on the rope, his face turning red but unable to move it.

Chen Ji saw Old Ears run over, take the rope from him, and tighten it quickly, making the sailcloth snap taut, full of wind.

The big ship sailed into a narrow mountain pass.

After tightening the starboard brace, Old Ears ran off to help secure the goods on deck. After securing the cargo, he ran to help steer the helm. Once steering was stable, he climbed to the top of the mast lookout, shouting commands loudly.

Busy as a bee.

Everyone worked through the night, until early morning (5 to 7 AM), when the Anlan sailed into a wide river, the wind gradually settled, and the sky in the distance slowly brightened.

Every boatman collapsed on the deck, panting heavily, too drained to speak.

A mist drifted over the gray-brown river as Old Li shouted hoarsely: "Tie the sail properly, Gousheng start cooking, the rest come collect your wages!"

Old Li weighed the broken silver on a scale on the stern tower, and all the boatmen lined up to receive their pay, a day’s work earned a day’s food and silver.

The daily rate was one hundred twenty cents, with an additional sixty cents if working overnight, paid in broken silver, without delays. If ever withheld, the boatmen would sling their packs at the next port and find work on another ship.

While Chen Ji was in line to collect silver, he heard Old Ears’ voice behind him: "Running a ship is quite fun, no schemes or calculations, no need for intrigue, you reap what you sow. Usually just wait for the wind, but you never know when storms come, it’s up to the heavens’ mood."

Chen Ji turned around, startled: "Are you talking to me?"

Old Ears smiled warmly: "To cultivate with bold and diligent progress, one’s heart must remain undistracted. In the arena of fame and profit, the heart can’t settle."

Chen Ji responded calmly: "What should be done?"

Old Ears chuckled: "Better to play like a child in the world, getting muddy and then jumping into the river for a wash, eating when hungry, sleeping when tired, understanding the world without all the twists and turns."

Chen Ji nodded: "I’ve been enlightened."