Volume Two: Taking on a Task Chapter Seventeen: Integrity Is Also a Way of Life

Life is filled with many beautiful moments.

Sometimes, it is the gentle breeze accompanying the bright moon.

Sometimes, it is fine wine shared with a beloved companion.

Sometimes, it is the vast sea inviting fish to leap freely.

Sometimes, it is the parched fields receiving the autumn rain.

All these moments are imbued with a perfect balance of wonder—just right, precisely measured. Excess or deficiency cannot create the most exquisite moments.

Chen Chen carried the last task of this journey in his heart: to head south out of the ancient city of Qingfeng and confront the unrest within the Underworld Mountain.

Long before, when he battled the second ringleader of the kidnappers and his gang, Chen Chen had already sensed the disturbances within the Underworld Mountain.

After successfully rescuing the young maiden from the clutches of the second kidnapper, Chen Chen’s perception grew clearer, detecting the provocations of dark presences lurking within the mountain.

He pondered deeply the grave responsibility of venturing into the Underworld Mountain to quell its many turmoils.

The Underworld Mountain carries countless legends, said to have once been a place for nurturing the dead.

Some great beings of the world chose to be interred there, hoping that through the endless underworld energy, they might one day achieve immortality—a theoretical pursuit.

To see beyond life and death, to attain enlightenment and become immortal. Their unfulfilled wishes in life, their unattained longevity and transcendence, they hoped to continue pursuing after death.

In truth, the mountain has always existed, and what dwells there has always been the mountain itself.

Those mighty spirits who have passed may one day awaken to the truths of heaven, earth, and humanity, realizing that the mountain is still the mountain within the underworld—or perhaps, within the underworld, the mountain remains unchanged, yet sometimes it also dwells beyond its physical bounds.

Most of the departed buried there chose to bless and protect their descendants.

The greatest way in the world to safeguard one’s descendants is to leave the ancestral tomb undisturbed—a wisdom accumulated over many generations.

Such matters lie hidden within the realms of heaven, earth, and humanity. Many years ago, some believed that once a person dies, all grudges and debts cease, and the realms could last forever.

But in reality, despicable grave robbers never respect the virtues of their ancestors and commit foolish acts by plundering the treasures amassed by their forebears.

It is said that the virtues of ancestors bring prosperity to descendants.

Yet when that fortune is exhausted, who knows what changes may befall the ancestral tomb?

With some doubt, Chen Chen entered the Underworld Mountain.

The grudges and grievances accumulated at the gate of Qingfeng in the ancient city transformed, here in the mountain, into yet another set of enmities he needed to guard against.

When Chen Chen ascended the Underworld Mountain, many unexpected things appeared before him.

This mountain once held a great deal of silver coins, but gentlemen cherish wealth with propriety—taking only what is right—and Chen Chen understood this principle deeply.

One should not enter the mountain until the blessings are exhausted, and once inside, one must not be greedy.

Ancestors’ virtues bring prosperity to descendants; if descendants falter, check the ancestral tomb.

Being human means not succumbing to greed. Long ago, each family accumulated wealth and established thick family rules.

To this day, these rules remain the most precious legacy passed down through generations of each clan.

With the ancestral wisdom bestowed, only then can the fish see their fate.

The gold and silver treasures buried with each family’s tomb were the foundations they built in life.

It was not that the ancestors held mines or infinite blessings, but through their efforts, they created exemplary legacies to be passed down—a treasure far beyond mere riches.

They bore the burdens of life.

They faced challenges that many rising talents today have never even heard of.

Chen Chen simply walked through the Underworld Mountain. The corpses that had become zombies carried immense grievances within; their treasures could not be plundered without consequence.

Gold and silver treasures are no longer as scarce or as widely circulated as in those bygone eras.

The treasures buried with the deceased represent not so much their savings as the glory they forged through their journeys and struggles.

When people depart, their possessions follow them into the grave, carrying with them the era they lived through.

They stand like mighty guardians, watching over the gains and losses, the rights and wrongs, and the territories of their time.

The tomb is their territory—the patch of land painstakingly secured by their efforts.

Every mountain is examined in the Underworld Mountain; peace is sought in the resting places of the tombs.

If the mountain tombs are well-kept, the descendants thrive. If not, the progeny suffer.

Chen Chen had many versions of his story, but this time, his investigation of the Underworld Mountain concerned the peaceful coexistence of various clans.

Wealth is never-ending; sometimes, a simple meal and a cup of clear water suffice.

There are many ways to use silver coins in this world. Chen Chen, walking through the Underworld Mountain, knew he must accumulate virtuous deeds to ensure the well-being of all clans.

Many forms of wealth circulate in this world. As long as one works diligently, acts within the rules, and does not break the law, influential and wealthy patrons will recognize and favor them.

The means of acquiring wealth are largely similar; truly profitable ventures without loss are rare.

Some acquire wealth but lose their conscience.

Some gain riches but lose their humanity.

Some obtain money but forfeit the trust others place in them.

Some come into wealth only to find that their fortunes separate them from others.

It is not that money is easy to earn, nor that fools scatter it recklessly.

Countless years and countless fortunes flow through this world.

The wise seize the moment, steadily creating their fortunes without haste or delay.

Few are foolish enough to rely on overnight riches to solve life’s problems—that is a losing gamble.

Chen Chen inspected several sites within the Underworld Mountain and found a small mound with a gravestone—a humble, inconspicuous hillock that grave robbers would overlook.

Such tombs remain undisturbed, lying quietly. The thick mound of earth is a testament that the tomb owner lived honorably, with a green mountain to bury their loyal bones.

The higher one climbs the Underworld Mountain, the loftier the tombs become.

Chen Chen did not know if this mountain was indeed the one or if other mountains were truly other mountains.

This mountain is often accompanied by mountain spirits; other mountains’ lands are equally precious.

As Chen Chen ventured deeper, he saw evil gradually recede, sins slowly abate, and finally descended the mountain with joy.

Every mountain has its master; every mountain is as significant as this one.

If this mountain is safe, people need not fear; do not forget that other mountains are also Underworld Mountains.

The silent wars that rage on the Underworld Mountain have no smoke but are eternally fought deep within the human heart.

To covet or not to covet, to steal or not to steal.

When grievances are settled, it is easier to part ways; do not say that karma lacks cause and effect.

Yesterday’s drop of water nourished the grasses and trees; one day, the ripe fruit will hang on the branches.

The age-old practices, generation after generation,

are closely passed down, so descendants may live long and prosper.

As for the ancestors, their tombs still stand tall.

Their deeds are still told in the world; their virtues passed down through the ages.

They have already achieved a form of immortality in the hearts of their descendants.

Those who remember their ancestors’ kindness understand the ways of life early on.

Perhaps only those who have truly lived well know how arduous it is to sustain one’s body and nurture one’s descendants day by day.

Such hardships have been endured by generation after generation, giving rise to the flourishing of descendants for countless ages.

Until a new generation is born, their gratitude remains as towering as the mountains, as deep as the sea.