Chapter 1030: Meeting in the Jianghu, Exchanging Greetings of Hardship
Beyond the sky, the Silver River stretched vast and boundless, with countless stars shining brightly.
A short old man in a purple Daoist robe sat atop a giant gourd that seemed to float among the river of stars. Beside him, an old scholar stroked his beard and smiled, assuming a posture of eagerly looking forward, and spoke in a negotiating tone that seemed slightly lacking in confidence, "Brother Yu, you are now a Fourteenth Realm Grand Cultivator unparalleled in history. It's said that at this realm, external possessions are burdens. In a little while, when friends and relatives come to congratulate you, how about I help collect the congratulatory gifts?"
Yu Xuan had already achieved the Dao here and obtained a roll of brilliant river diagram that shimmered with treasure light.
The diagram emerged from the river of stars; the river diagram was likewise a star chart. Since ancient times, only moral sages had ever seen it, and even then, only had the fortune to behold it.
Thus, Yu Xuan acquiring this item was absolutely an unexpected joy, truly that legendary "mandate of heaven, gift of the Great Dao."
Even Yu Xuan, who had never known poverty in his life and wouldn't blink at immortal weapons, could barely conceal a smile. Originally, Yu Xuan had a bit of self-mockery—after all, he ultimately hadn't achieved the state of not being pleased by external things. Fortunately, the old scholar had earlier tossed out a remark: "Brother Yu is indeed a Dao-completer with a cultivated heart. If it were me, I would have long been carried away, grinning from ear to ear. My breadth of mind and realm can't compare to Brother Yu's. I'm truly ashamed."
The old Daoist, holding the scroll in his hand, raised his arm and said with a hearty laugh, "If it weren't for the Confucian Sage, how could I have obtained this? If any Daoist friends truly come here, all congratulatory gifts shall go to the Confucian Sage."
As for the old scholar being a "so-called" Fourteenth Realm, and that self-contradictory claim, Yu Xuan couldn't be bothered to argue.
Not to mention that this time, the Confucian Sage's assistance was practically a personal hand in helping Yu Xuan achieve the Dao here early. Just the fact that the old Daoist now held a river diagram, a primordial supreme treasure—how could it be measured by immortal coins?
The old scholar pulled two flasks of liquor from his sleeve, seemingly stolen from somewhere. He tossed one to Yu Xuan and took a drink from the other, saying sheepishly, "Brother, I'm so poor I can't even keep my pot boiling. Embarrassing, truly embarrassing for Brother Yu."
Yu Xuan laughed. "A gentleman seeks the Dao, not food."
The old scholar nodded vigorously. "Exactly! A gentleman worries about the Dao, not poverty."
Taking a gulp of wine, the old scholar craned his neck to look toward the human world and quickly warned, "Brother Yu, seems like someone's coming. Put it away, hurry and put that river diagram away, lest people misunderstand you're showing off your wealth."
Yu Xuan replied helplessly, "Confucian Sage, to be honest, I can't manage that for now. I have to hold it in my hand."
Having just succeeded in achieving the Dao, Yu Xuan temporarily couldn't "store" this river diagram, not even using an illusion spell on it.
He couldn't even put it into his sleeve, let alone refine it as a lifebound object. In fact, Yu Xuan was destined to never be able to refine this diagram; he could only keep it temporarily.
People are like bookshelves storing books.
But even so, Yu Xuan could, over the long years of cultivation ahead, repeatedly flip through and observe this diagram at any time, gaining extraordinary benefits to the Great Dao.
This old Daoist's mastery in talismans had reached a pinnacle beyond which further progress seemed impossible, but now he could take another step forward on the hundred-foot pole. That step was precisely the difference between heaven and earth.
For example, right now, Yu Xuan had only done a bit of deduction and calculation, and he found that he could draw over a dozen grand talismans that previously seemed like castles in the air.
The old scholar said, "Let me give it a try."
Yu Xuan didn't hesitate and lightly tossed the star chart toward the Confucian Sage.
The old scholar raised his sleeve and stored the star chart inside.
Yu Xuan was stunned.
The old scholar shrank his neck, holding his sleeve with one hand, and immediately lifted his bottom, looking like he was about to run off with the treasure.
Yu Xuan remained calm.
The old scholar sat back down dejectedly, his face full of guilt. "Forgive me, forgive me. This happens every time I drink too much. A habit, purely a habit."
The first visitor from the human world was exceptionally handsome, with a willow branch tucked at his waist.
It was Liu Qi, the one who stayed at Sunset Crossing in the Barren Wild World.
The old scholar snickered. Liu Qi making this long journey beyond the sky, leaving behind his friend Cao Zu to come alone, wasn't surprising.
It must be known that this Liu Qi was originally named Liu Sanbian.
Though he came from an official family, why he took such a name had an unsubstantiated rumor on the mountains—that the scholar Zou had calculated his fate and chosen the name.
And this river diagram, temporarily owned by Yu Xuan, had appeared only a few times in ten thousand years of history. There was once a high-ranking Daoist, said to be the unacknowledged master of Fire Dragon True Person, with the Dao name "White Cloud" (real name unknown). Legend had it that he had personally witnessed the star chart emerging from the river, and later leaked celestial secrets to human cultivators, leaving behind the mysterious "Dragon Diagram Three Changes" theory and two obscure diagrams.
Liu Qi arrived as a rainbow of light, saw the Confucian Sage and Yu Xuan, then stopped midair, bowed, and said with a smile, "Greetings to the Confucian Sage. Congratulations, True Person Yu."
Yu Xuan rose and returned the greeting with a Daoist salute.
The old scholar jumped up and bowed in return.
Earlier at the Confucian Temple, the old scholar had asked Su Zi and the brilliantly talented Liu Qi for calligraphy pieces. What were they worth? They were all scholars; talking about money was so vulgar!
Liu Qi had once pioneered the Liu Sinew Realm, also known as the controversial "Retain Others Realm," which had delayed countless self-proclaimed cultivation geniuses—though it was, of course, a self-inflicted error.
As one of the most underestimated Grand Cultivators across the worlds, Liu Qi had indeed earned newfound respect from the human world after this battle.
On the vast sea where Yang Zhi held absolute geographical advantage, Liu Qi had actually overwhelmed Yang Zhi's water method lifebound divine ability with his own techniques. This made countless cultivators in the Haoran World long for such power.
Chen Qingliu, the Dragon-Slayer, had visited the Grove of Merit and Virtue during the earlier Confucian Temple assembly, proactively seeking out the old scholar who had been restored to his Confucian Temple divine position.
This man, the founding teacher of Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, couldn't resist the old scholar's urging to drink and had a few cups, then spoke a few heartfelt words. One of them made the old scholar slap the table in admiration.
According to Chen Qingliu, if he had encountered Yang Zhi on the sea back then instead of Liu Qi, there would have been no need to trouble the Confucian Temple to escort her to the Central Earth Divine Continent.
Implicitly, if he had been the one to draw his sword, Yang Zhi, one of the old throne great demons, wouldn't have survived.
The old scholar naturally wouldn't think the man was bragging without basis, because what Chen Qingliu said was true, absolutely true.
Besides, since this fellow could be Zheng Juzhong's master, what did it matter if he bragged a little?
If anyone was unconvinced, they had the guts to go to White Emperor City and find Zheng Juzhong, saying, "Your master is bragging, and I can't stand it…"
At the time, Chen Qingliu seemed to ask casually, "Did Liu Qi really use over three hundred types of techniques?"
The old scholar nodded. Outside, it was said to be three hundred and fifty-six. The Confucian Temple couldn't determine the exact number either—somewhere under four hundred.
Chen Qingliu then smiled and said, "He does have some skill after all."
Of course, the old scholar knew full well that Liu Qi would definitely ascend to the Fourteenth Realm.
As for Su Zi, because of Bai Ye, and Grand Heavenly Master Zhao Tianlai, because of the Pure Yang Lu Yan, whether they could ascend to the Fourteenth Realm was uncertain.
Regardless, the little girl named Chai Wu had been able to take a step to heaven at Green Ping Sword Sect, jumping directly from the Retain Others Realm to the Upper Fifth Realm. Liu Qi's contribution was immense.
So the old scholar said with a heartfelt voice, "It's better to be lucky than early, and there's no time like the present. I also wish Master Liu a smooth Dao completion."
Liu Qi was startled and bowed again in thanks.
This trip was worthwhile.
Thus, he didn't stay long.
The old scholar sat back on the gourd and continued drinking. Not receiving a congratulatory gift from Liu Qi was a small regret.
Then, an old boatman holding a bamboo pole came rowing leisurely among the river of stars.
It was Gu Qingsong, the one treated as the senior disciple by Cao Rong and others but not recognized by Lu Chen. His Dao name was Xiancha.
The Milky Way was splendid. On earth, boats had reached the end of the road. Since ancient times, only by riding the immortal raft could one ascend the heavenly river.
The old scholar hurriedly rose to welcome him, striding over and stepping directly onto the boat's bow, saying eagerly, "Oh, isn't this Senior Xiancha? Long time no see! What's wrong? You don't seem particularly spirited. What, have you been sparring in Dao techniques with some eminent figure again? Want me to help say a few fair words?"
Gu Qingsong was a bit confused for a moment. In truth, before today, he had no interaction with this Confucian Sage, who held the fourth-highest divine position in the Confucian Temple. It seemed they had never even exchanged half a sentence of idle chat.
First, the old scholar had risen to fame too fast. It felt like he had burst onto the scene and gained renown in just a few years. In the blink of an eye, he was eating cold pig head meat at the Confucian Temple. For Gu Qingsong, who spent years traveling at sea, it was like another blink, and the old scholar had gone to eat prison food in the Grove of Merit and Virtue. In previous years, Gu Qingsong had heard these things and treated them as side dishes for wine. But how come the old scholar's tone sounded like they were close friends reuniting after a long separation? Had he lost his memory? What had he missed?
Just last time, Gu Qingsong sneaked into the Grove of Merit and Virtue only to meet Chen Ping'an, that veteran of romantic affairs with unique insights into love between men and women.
And that meeting, he made a deal with the young man named Chen. He taught Chen Ping'an a unique escape technique, and Chen Ping'an imparted a brilliant strategy to him. It was indeed extraordinary and useful!
The old scholar grabbed Gu Qingsong's hand and shook it vigorously. "I've long heard of your great name and yearned for it! Daoist Xiancha is truly a person of character and feeling! Admirable, admirable!"
Gu Qingsong figured it out. Chen Ping'an must have spoken a few heartfelt, honest words on his behalf to the Confucian Sage.
So the old boatman, who generally didn't speak well of anyone, nodded and said, "Chen Ping'an and I can barely be considered kindred spirits. Old Scholar, you don't need to be so affected. Stop right there. If you say more, you'll waste your saliva, and I'll get goosebumps. Not worth it."
Having said that, Gu Qingsong turned to look at Yu Xuan and started showing off a famous lifebound divine ability. "Old Yu, looks like you've stumbled into luck again? To be honest, if you gave me half your luck—maybe not even half—I'd have long gone to the Jade Capital on the Azure World to pay respects to my master."
Yu Xuan kept a straight face and didn't respond.
The old Daoist had suffered losses at Gu Qingsong's hands before.
Gu Qingsong asked, "Why the sour face? Such a big attitude, thinking you're at the Fifteenth Realm?"
The old scholar was thoroughly entertained. The reputation of a man, the shadow of a tree—truly well-deserved.
He had seen people who could talk, but rarely had he seen anyone speak quite like this.
It seemed that Lu Chen hadn't accepted Daoist Xiancha as a disciple not because he was unwilling, but because he simply didn't dare?
Yu Xuan gave a dry laugh.
Gu Qingsong said with irritation, "A young Fourteenth Realm who's lived a few thousand years, and look how proud you are. If I remember correctly, or if the Confucian Temple wasn't lying back then, it took the old scholar only a few decades to become Fourteenth Realm. Look at him—this is our first meeting, and has he put on airs?"
Yu Xuan rubbed his brow, helpless. "I'm afraid of you."
The old boatman said goodbye to the old scholar, turned his boat, and spat heavily. "I came all the way with good intentions to offer you a few congratulations, but you've got your eyes on top of your head. Annoying. Not a decent fellow."
Yu Xuan smiled bitterly but didn't dare curse back.
The old scholar kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, hardly daring to breathe.
Gu Qingsong suddenly turned his head and said, "Old Scholar, you're a pretty good person. Compared to someone, your positions should actually be reversed. That would truly be fitting—one heaven, one earth. If only you didn't have a friend like that, it would be even better. Come find me later. You and I will have a good drink, and we won't stop until we're drunk. Who knows, maybe you'll be drinking at my wedding feast."
The old scholar quickly replied, "Well said! Certainly! Without fail!"
When Gu Qingsong rowed back to the human world, heading straight for that osmanthus island ferry boat.
The old scholar returned to Yu Xuan's side and asked with a smile, "What's going on? Did you offend Daoist Xiancha before?"
Yu Xuan said with a look of grievance, "The problem is, even now, I don't know why that fellow came to block my door and curse me out back then."
The old scholar asked curiously, "What did he curse you for?"
Yu Xuan said, "The gist of it was cursing that I had a crooked upper beam and a crooked lower beam."
The old scholar laughed. "Who told you to have so many disciples and descendants? Being cursed like that by Daoist Xiancha, you really have to be a bit guilty."
Yu Xuan sighed.
The third congratulator was Master Xu, the Word Sage from Zhaoling, renowned throughout the world. Although the old man was not among the sacrificial sages of the Confucian Temple and wasn't within the Confucian orthodoxy, Master Xu was a scholar of great virtue. Like the old man now stationed at the Imitation Jade Capital in Vase Continent, he was a true hermit.
After Master Xu finished polite exchanges with Yu Xuan, the old scholar finally had a chance to speak. He gave a thumbs-up and said solemnly, "Master Xu, you don't know this, but my last disciple, every time he mentions you, his admiration is beyond words. Like this!"
Master Xu said with a faint smile, "The Confucian Sage can just call me by my name. Besides, I don't deserve the praise of the Hidden Officer Chen."
The old scholar cried out, "Ai! What 'Hidden Officer Chen'? That's being distant, isn't it? Since we're considering ourselves as brothers of the same generation, just treat Chen Ping'an as a junior of the family. When you meet him in the future, just call him Nephew."
Hearing this, Master Xu didn't know how to respond.
The Confucian Sage's temperament and his protectiveness of his own were known throughout the world. If you were polite with him, he wouldn't be polite with you.
Next came Cheng Longzhou, the current head of the Great Fu Academy on Tongye Continent. He was a ten-thousand-year-old flood dragon by origin.
He had been a frequent visitor beyond the sky.
Naturally, the conversation turned to the excavation of the grand river on Tongye Continent.
The old scholar was overjoyed. "When it comes to bold words and heroic deeds, my last disciple says little but does more."
Cheng Longzhou laughed. "The Hidden Officer Chen's work in filling the gaps on Tongye Continent is admirable."
The old scholar was silent for a moment, then laughed. "Not at all. A student should not yield to his teacher. The disciple surpasses the master."
After that came Wei She from Huge Bear Continent, a genius cultivator once thought to have the Fourteenth Realm within his grasp.
After this master of seventy-two peaks left, Grand Cultivators came one after another to offer congratulations, including several Daoist Flying Ascension cultivators from the Azure World.
The last congratulator was the monk Shen Qing, nicknamed the Chicken Soup Monk.
"Great monk, we must first have right and wrong in our hearts. Must have correct and incorrect, right?"
"I suppose."
----
On Luopo Mountain, at the cliffside stone table outside the bamboo building.
The bright moon hung in the sky like a wealthy family's large jade plate.
A little girl in a pink dress and a black-clad little girl with a cotton cloth bag slung across her body were admiring the moon together, chatting in whispers that seemed endless.
Tonight's snacking wasn't cakes or melon seeds, but petals of mountain azaleas—the spoils of the Right Protector's solo patrol tonight.
The stone stools by the table were not low. Warm Tree could touch the ground with her feet, but the slightly shorter girl had to have her boots dangling in the air.
Xiao Mili suddenly lay down on the table and asked Warm Tree to extend her hand. Warm Tree didn't understand but still stretched out her palm. Xiao Mili raised her own hand, gently blew on it, then made a fist and shook it vigorously a few times. Finally, she slapped it onto Warm Tree's hand and said solemnly, "Pei Qian says those top-tier masters who walk on walls and leap over roofs can pass on sixty years or a hundred years of inner energy to others. As for me, I'm not good at martial arts, BUT! This hand of mine has immortal aura! Sister Warm Tree, I'm giving it to you. Keep it safe!"
Warm Tree was still puzzled but clenched her fist and said softly with a smile, "Received."
The little girl nodded, crossed her arms, turned sideways to face the cliff, and swung her legs, her heels tapping the stone stool repeatedly. She said huffily, "Actually, I was going to give it to Pei Qian, but she hasn't come home in so long, so it's not my fault!"
Saying this, Xiao Mili turned her head to explain, "Because Pei Qian only went to school for a few days and liked to skip class. Unlike Sister Warm Tree, you read every day, so you don't need this immortal aura I scraped off those calligraphy pieces."
It turned out that last time, the good mountain lord had spread out the two calligraphy pieces by Su Zi and Liu Qi on the table in front of Xiao Mili. They were unquestionably genuine.
After all, their own master had personally asked for them. If these could be fake, then nothing in the world was real.
At the time, Xiao Mili had touched both pieces and felt she must have absorbed some immortal aura.
It was late. One had to rise early to sweep the courtyard, and the other had to patrol the mountain, so they returned to their quarters together.
Before leaving the stone table, they saw the light of a lamp still glowing on the first floor of the bamboo building. The good mountain lord was still reading by lamplight. Warm Tree raised a finger to her lips, and Xiao Mili nodded vigorously. Got it.
Warm Tree first walked Xiao Mili to the courtyard gate. After saying goodbye to Warm Tree, Xiao Mili didn't hurry to move. When Warm Tree was far away, she approached the gate, bent her knees slightly as if in a horse stance, and with both hands making a gesture of sinking qi into the dantian, she slowly pushed out a palm. Her palm pressed against the gate, and with a light shout, she "burst open" the unlocked courtyard gate. Listening to the creaking sound of the door opening, the black-clad little girl withdrew her hand, straightened her back, stepped across the threshold with large strides, nodded in satisfaction, and thought that according to Pei Qian's old talk about martial arts novels, this palm of hers must have at least thirty years of inner strength.
The Right Protector never bolted the door when returning home and never locked it when going out. The lock was just for show. In the past, it was to make it easy for Pei Qian to come over; later, it became a habit.
Arriving at her quarters, Xiao Mili's room was also a study. She swayed her head as she walked to the desk, lit the oil lamp, and plopped down onto the chair. Heh! She stomped her feet heavily on the ground!
The furniture in the room, all small, was made by the old cook himself.
There were few books on the table, neatly stacked. Most were ones Pei Qian had read in childhood and then given to Xiao Mili.
Xiao Mili tilted her head, took off her beloved cotton cloth bag, which she carried with her every day, placed it on the table, patted it gently, and grinned. "Rolling in it!"
At the Dali Old North March territory, Longquan Sword Sect, Youyi Peak.
Liu Xianyang was in seclusion.
It was called seclusion, but actually, he had just closed the door to sleep, though not the usual drowsing.
Disguised as Yu Qian Yue, She Yue understood very well that this seclusion of Liu Xianyang's was unusual and critical, so she simply stayed outside his room, never leaving his side.
After all, with her Dao foundation and realm, she wouldn't feel tired even if she didn't sleep for a year or two.
The boy named Li Shenyuan ultimately chose to apprentice under Xu Xiaoqiao and cultivate on the Sea-Boiling Peak.
Liu Xianyang had said earlier that after coming out of seclusion, he would go to Hongzhou, not only because that was where ancient Shu sword immortals had jointly ascended and left their immortal shells, but also because Hongzhou's Yuzhang Prefecture produced giant trees and preserved some ancient traditions of entertaining gods and sacrifices.
She Yue heard footsteps. She turned her head. A taciturn man climbed the mountain on foot and arrived at Youyi Peak. Seeing the round-faced girl who wore cotton clothes all year round, he nodded. In front of Yu Qian Yue, the man surnamed Ruan, whom Liu Xianyang called Blacksmith Ruan, did have a smile.
Ruan Qiong walked with his hands behind his back, his steps light. When he arrived, he only asked via divine sense, "Is he in seclusion?"
She Yue nodded and explained, "This time is different from before. It might be quite dangerous."
Ruan Qiong also nodded. If it weren't so, he wouldn't have made this trip to Youyi Peak. But the man still said in a seemingly casual tone, "Xianyang is just someone who can't stay idle. Miss Yu, please be patient with him in the future."
She Yue recalled the conversation she had with Liu Xianyang before his seclusion. She blushed slightly, feeling rare embarrassment, but she wasn't the type to be coy. She said, "Mr. Ruan, if I really do become Liu Xianyang's Dao companion, would it cause unnecessary trouble for Longquan Sword Sect?"
Ruan Qiong shook his head. "No."
She Yue replied softly, "Mm."
Ruan Qiong looked at the house. He had only been there a short while, then turned to leave. It seemed he remembered something. He didn't turn his head, still with hands behind his back, but he slowed his steps a bit and said, "If—I'm just saying if—in the future, this boy Xianyang does something wrong, and he's read a few books and has plenty of twisted logic, if you can't win a quarrel with him, or if he's stubborn and cares too much about face and won't admit his mistake and apologize, just tell me. Even if I'm no longer the sect master, I'm still his master. I can always scold him a few times."
She Yue smiled brightly. "Got it."
In She Yue's impression, Master Ruan had never spoken so much to anyone.
Ruan Qiong was about to quicken his pace, but after a few steps, he hesitated. The man stopped. "According to the customs of our town, weddings usually have two feasts. One is held in the groom's hometown, and one in the bride's home. So, one feast will be held in Huaihuang County. As for the other, Miss Yu, if you don't mind, we'll set it up here at Longquan Sword Sect. You can pick any mountain peak outside Youyi Peak. After the wedding feast, that peak will be your Dao field. Consider it a small token from me as an elder. As for Xianyang's best man, according to custom, he has to follow the groom to drink at both feasts. He can help Xianyang fend off the wine."
She Yue, hearing this, looked at the back of the man who seemed to have used great effort to utter these homely words. For some reason, she felt a pang of sadness.
----
At Shujian Lake, on Plain Scale Island, the island lord Tian Hujun was still somewhat dazed and frightened after that young cultivator—whom she didn't know if she could still call Junior Brother—had left.
On Willow Palace Island, the young female cultivator Zhou Caizhen, taking a moonlit stroll, learned that the seemingly gentle young man in Confucian robes was the infamous and notorious Gu Can. Especially when he said in a very casual tone that shocking statement—"Settle old and new accounts together, kill Old Sect Leader Liu?"—Zhou Caizhen was terrified pale. Intuition told her he wasn't joking. But when he revealed his identity, his last words were exactly that: "I was joking. Don't take it seriously."
Gu Can summoned a talisman boat and poled away from Willow Palace Island. On Willow Palace Island, where the Patriarch Hall of True Realm Sect was located, the immortal Liu Laocheng and the White Emperor City female cultivator Han Qiaose sat facing each other.
But at the door, the young woman who claimed she needed to work for Gu Can for a hundred years had already vanished, completely ignoring the barrier formations personally set by Liu Laocheng. She appeared on Gu Can's talisman boat, looked at the young man in Confucian robes sitting cross-legged at the bow, and laughed. "The sects in the Haoran World are much more particular about rules and institutions than in my homeland. So many chaotic departments, I can't even remember them."
Gu Can asked, "My master's aunt won't start fighting with Sect Leader Liu over a disagreement, will she? I left you there to mediate. Why are you here?"
She smiled charmingly. "Fighting? How? Where?"
Gu Can said indifferently, "Lingyan, if a joke isn't funny, it's better not to tell it."
She pouted. This guy was definitely biased toward Han Qiaose.
This barbarian female cultivator from the Barren Wild World, who acted as Gu Can's maidservant, had the Dao name "Chunxiao" (Spring Night). Now going by the pseudonym Lingyan (Efficacious), which Gu Can had recently helped her choose, she was very satisfied with it.
In the Barren Wild World, she was called Ziwu Meng (Noon Dream). That, too, was a pseudonym. The last person to name her was Wenhai Zhou Mi.
She walked from the stern to the bow, sat beside Gu Can, and leaned her head toward his shoulder. After a moment, having secretly used her unique technique, she found it boring. She sat up straight, glanced at Gu Can's crotch, and cursed inwardly. A heart of stone and iron—no trace of lustful thoughts.
On Willow Palace Island, in that secret realm that was Liu Laocheng's Dao field, she had been dressed like a common maidservant from wealthy families. Now, she had transformed into a Daoist nun's attire, extremely elegant.
Her thin sleeves fluttered like blue clouds. Her waist was slender, and between her brows and eyes, there was a thousand charms.
She asked, "Gu Can, how do you do it?"
Gu Can said, "In the embroidered bed curtains, the phoenix and the dragon reverse, the love of the quilt and pillow, the joy of fish in water, utmost tenderness—in such enchanting situations, just regard it all as a vision of white bones. Guard one method, expel the two illnesses, slash the three corpses, chase away the five ghosts, subdue the six desires and seven emotions."
She leaned back. "Being with you is no fun at all."
Better than that smooth-talking Collapsed True Monarch—at least when he saw her, he had to steady his Dao heart a bit and mutter a few hypocritical words like "a man stands between heaven and earth, unbowed."
As one of the Heavenly Stem cultivators carefully chosen by Zhou Mi, her true appearance on the mountain was actually wearing a mask and carrying a lute case on her back. Almost no one had ever seen her real face.
Of course, her various appearances now were transformations she made freely after taking off that mask. Unlike ordinary illusions, as long as she wished, what others saw—her appearance, figure, clothing, and demeanor—would become the person they longed for day and night. Both in form and spirit, almost indistinguishable.
That's why when Jiang Shangzhen first saw this female cultivator—not sure if she was an aunt or an elder sister—in the Barren Wild World, his first impression was that she was good at bearing children, with a perfect figure, truly round and full.
But at that time, within her small world, the Dao technique she manifested was truly chilling. Even someone like Jiang Shangzhen, bold as he was, felt as if doused with cold water.
Behind Ziwu Meng, countless hanged corpses hung in the air, suspended between heaven and earth, slowly drifting. One of her lifebound objects was a silk fan painted with thousands of ladies, all lifelike, with loving glances. They murmured softly in the painting, but they were all beautiful faces with white-bone skeletons. As a sword cultivator, Ziwu Meng's zither was the flying sword "Mound of Skulls." One of this flying sword's lifebound divine abilities was to weave a dream. She could visualize a Boundless River so close to reality and cause the long river of time—or rather, a Boundless River—to come to a halt within a certain range.
Earlier at White Emperor City, as soon as Han Qiaose saw her, she felt displeased.
The reason was simple: this little wench was just too beautiful!
She might cause Gu Can to wallow in sensual pleasures. If this woman became Gu Can's Dao companion along the way, Han Qiaose wouldn't care much. For someone like Gu Can, it would be a pity if he didn't have a bevy of beauties around him.
What Han Qiaose couldn't stand most was Gu Can not responding, so she found another topic. "This True Realm Sect is just a subsidiary of the Jade Gui Sect on Tongye Continent, right? Do you know how many departments it has? Over twenty! Under the Patriarch Hall's law-enforcing cultivators alone, there are seven or eight. Under the treasury master's charge, there seem to be another ten... government offices? I can't figure out what difference there is between the True Realm Sect's Regulation Bureau and the Rites Department. And the Expenditure Division, the Operations Division, the Treasure Vault Bureau—aren't they all just managing that bit of immortal money? Why do they have to split it up?"
Gu Can ignored her, just closing his eyes, breathing slowly, silently studying a water method.
The female cultivator lying at the bow crossed her legs and gently swung one leg, asking casually, "Revisiting old haunts, what do you think?"
Gu Can remained composed, smiling. "Penalty liquor is bitter to drink."
Ziwu Meng curled her lip. "Finally willing to stop playing dumb?"
Gu Can continued, "Take the Regulation Bureau and the Rites Department, for example. Similar mountain government offices are actually very simple. To make an analogy, one decides how many chairs to put in the Patriarch Hall, and the other decides who is qualified to sit in them. Of course, the Rites Department is also responsible for managing the golden jade registry of an immortal sect. So, the cultivators who serve in this department hold a fine office, a bit more noble than those in the Regulation Bureau."
Ziwu Meng suddenly understood. "Now I get it. Interesting."
Gu Can said indifferently, "A mountain, whether it's a sect with 'sect' in its name or a small school like the Five Island School, having many people requires one arrangement, having few people requires another. What's feared is bloated institutions and redundant staff, and even more so, people with nothing better to do having to find something to do, as if that's the only way to live up to their titles and identities. That's very troublesome."
Ziwu Meng wasn't very interested in these things. In the Barren Wild World, she always operated alone. The throne great demons Yang Zhi and Fei Fei had both tried to recruit her, but because she had that protective charm on her, even when she stole the Boundless River and refined it, Yang Zhi and Fei Fei had to swallow their anger, fearing it was secretly authorized by Wenhai Zhou Mi.
She turned around, propped her chin on her hand, and poked Gu Can's arm with her finger. "Tell me, why did you have to fight Cao Ci like that? You knew you would definitely lose. What were you after? Besides, you're a Qi practitioner, why bother competing with a pure martial artist?"
Regarding this "master," Ziwu Meng knew very little. Besides being the junior brother of that companion Fu Jin and the direct disciple of Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, about Gu Can's hometown, at most she knew from the conversations between Han Qiaose and Liu Laocheng that Gu Can had cultivated here for a few years in his youth and seemed to have been the close-door disciple of a True Realm Sect chief offering with the Dao name "River-Severing True Lord." Shujian Lake was considered his place of rise. Beyond that, she knew nothing. Even when Gu Can went to see a broken golden core female cultivator earlier, he wasn't willing to take her along, just leaving her with Han Qiaose. Mediate? How? Although she was a genuine Jade Purity realm sword cultivator, Han Qiaose and Liu Laocheng, both immortal realm, were not the ordinary types she had killed in her homeland. But she hadn't wasted time as a door god either. Not to mention that in Han Qiaose's eyes, she was undoubtedly Gu Can, and in Liu Laocheng's eyes, there was also a woman that Ziwu Meng had copied. But that woman's form was blurry, flashing by.
Gu Can said, "No reason. I just don't like how Cao Ci looks."
Ziwu Meng feigned surprise. "I'm even more curious now. Cao Ci doesn't seem like an annoying guy to me. Even I would feel it's an honor to become his Dao companion. Honestly, if Cao Ci is willing, I'd offer myself to him. Say, you won't be angry, will you?"
Gu Can finally opened his eyes, seeming to think her statement wasn't just nonsense.
Ziwu Meng immediately put on a look of shame and indignation. "Gu Can, are you even a man?!"
Gu Can just looked straight ahead, expressionless, hands folded on his abdomen. The breeze brushed his face. The young man in Confucian robes wore a jet-black jade hairpin, and the strands of hair at his temples fluttered slightly, making him seem even more ethereal and otherworldly. He said, "I'll say this upfront: at least for the next hundred years, don't fall in love with me. After a hundred years, when our debts are settled, you and I can each go our separate ways."
Ziwu Meng immediately retracted her act, sighed, and her gaze became melancholy. Her face changed, becoming that of a very beautiful, very delicate young girl with autumn ripples in her eyes full of tenderness.
Then, perhaps due to a shift in her mood, in just a few blinks, she displayed seven or eight different appearances and expressions. But in the end, she returned to the previous Daoist nun form, let out a faint sigh, and said in a gentle voice, "Gu Can, you're only a little over thirty years old. I really don't know how you tempered your Dao heart like this."
Gu Can said, "Drinking bitter wine doesn't get you drunk."
She was silent for a long time, then asked, "Who are we going to see now?"
Gu Can stood up. "Going to Oriole Island to see a senior, Dao name 'Zaiyang' (Carrying Sun), who cultivates fire techniques. He's been a long-time rival of my former master. Now he's a registered cultivator of True Realm Sect, the type with a seat in the Willow Palace Island Patriarch Hall."
She asked, "Senior? What realm?"
Gu Can said, "Nascent Soul."
She laughed silently.
They arrived at an island. The surrounding scenery was misty and vast, the atmosphere open and clear.
"Perhaps where water nymphs comb their hair, a single spiral of green ink in the mirror's heart."
Gu Can put away the talisman boat, dispelled the illusion, and revealed their forms. Then, with a single step of ground-shrinking, he brought Ziwu Meng directly to a tall building.
Zhong Su, the former island lord of Oriole Island, sensed the two unusual auras. He had already walked out to the top floor, leaning on the railing, squinting, looking down at the young man in the square.
His little junior brother really liked this little bastard, but Zhong Su had never thought highly of this person, not even today, still the same.
If it were any other White Emperor City cultivator visiting Oriole Island, Zhong Su would have been willing to greet them proactively.
The handsome, elegant young scholar in green robes performed a junior's salute toward the rooftop. "Gu Can pays respects to Mr. Zhong."
Zhong Su sneered. "You're already at Jade Purity realm, a high disciple of Mr. Zheng of White Emperor City. I'm just a Nascent Soul cultivator with a decaying mortal shell. On the path of cultivation, the one who reaches farther comes first. I don't deserve it."
Gu Can remained looking up, smiling. "On the path of cultivating the heart, Gu Can is always a junior."
Zhong Su snorted coldly. "No need to be so hypocritical. A leopard can't change its spots. You Gu Can might fool the whole world, but you can't fool an old-timer like me from Shujian Lake."
Gu Can smiled. "Mr. Zhong is still being tactful and polite. Probably you wanted to say, 'A dog can't stop eating shit'?"
Zhong Su nodded. "At least you have a bit of self-awareness. It seems your ascension to the Upper Fifth Realm isn't entirely thanks to Mr. Zheng."
Gu Can said, "I have the audacity to visit tonight to discuss a matter with Mr. Zhong."
Zhong Su frowned. "Stop wasting words and get the hell out."
The female cultivator who seemed to be Gu Can's maidservant raised her hand and yawned.
Nascent Soul cultivators in the Haoran World were all so bold?
Gu Can lowered his head, rubbed his neck, then looked up again and laughed. "I implore Mr. Zhong to hear me out on this matter before you kick me out."
To his surprise, Zhong Su simply turned and walked back into the room.
Gu Can smiled, turned, and walked away from Oriole Island.
Ziwu Meng was shocked. "You're just leaving like that?"
Gu Can asked, "Otherwise?"
Ziwu Meng said, "Kill him."
Gu Can rarely joked. "This isn't your homeland. This habit of wanting to kill and fight all the time—I'm not running a coffin shop. You should change it in the future."
Ziwu Meng suddenly beamed like a flower, looped her arm through Gu Can's, and whispered, "Is it soft? Is it big?"
Gu Can remained indifferent, not pulling his arm away. He said, "To be honest, in my homeland, this kind of dirty talk is at the level of a child in a village school."
She threw off his arm indignantly. "A blockhead who doesn't understand romance. On the bed, you wouldn't even know how to move your hips."
Gu Can smiled faintly.
Ziwu Meng turned in surprise, looking at Gu Can's expression and eyes, which seemed somewhat unfamiliar, as if he was in a better mood.
Thinking of his homeland?
The boat drifted across the lake, moonlight covering the water's surface. Ziwu Meng asked, "Are you... trying to recruit a conscript?"
Gu Can nodded. "If Zhong Su would agree to serve as the Law-Enforcing Patriarch of my sect, it would be a good choice for both sides."
Since the conversation had turned to that sect, Ziwu Meng asked, "So, do you think Liu Youzhou will accept your invitation?"
Gu Can said, "Only a fool would say yes."
Ziwu Meng laughed. "Then have you thought of a name for the sect?"
Since Gu Can said that, Liu Youzhou was most likely willing to be the deputy sect master.
Gu Can nodded. "I have."
Ziwu Meng asked, "Let's hear it."
"You misunderstood me. Liu Youzhou isn't a fool, so he won't agree. Unless I go see him once, it might be possible to dispel the doubts in his heart."
Gu Can said, "As for the name of the sect, the answer is far away in the sky, yet right before your eyes."
Ziwu Meng understood. It would be called Shujian Lake.
She asked, "Where to next?"
Gu Can smiled. "Going to a city by the shore to see someone who can't really be called a friend. Back then, he was still a child, and I often talked with him."
This time, she was genuinely shocked. She blurted out, "Gu Can, someone like you has friends?!"
Gu Can's expression darkened. He whispered, "Of course I do. But it's also like having none."
He leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head, staring blankly.
Clouds and waters folded a thousand times, a single moon in the sky, the moon a single sky.
The young man sniffled.
----
In Dali's Yanzhou Prefecture, at the source of a stream, under the eaves of a village school, Chen Ping'an, lounging in a rattan chair with a cattail leaf fan in hand, sat up.
The night was deep. In Zhao Shuxia's vision, two people appeared out of nowhere, stepping forward. One was a young Daoist holding a mountain-traveling staff, and the other a thin young man with a green bamboo staff.
The Daoist smiled. "Meeting again in the jianghu, fine wine at hand, an old friend encountered. By the moon with flowers, if we don't drink, when will we?"
Looking at the young martial artist, the Daoist patted the young man beside him and laughed. "Zhao Shuxia, let me introduce you. His name is Ning Ji. He's your junior brother."
In the middle of Vase Continent, on Joyful Harmony Mountain, within Pink Pill Mansion.
The young Daoist was beating around the bush, trying to incite the sword-carrying youth. Even if you, Chen Ping'an, won't do it yourself, to beat that guy nicknamed "Gentle Youth" but with shifty eyes, at least let your last disciple, our Miss Pei, give him a good thrashing, so he learns what it means to press down on an opponent's domain and ask for a fight, why one must check the almanac before going out, and what it means that the jianghu is treacherous.
It seemed that Patriarch Lu, when ruthless, would even trick his own disciples.
Wen Zixi had long noticed that Daoist glancing at him from time to time, always with furtive sidelong glances or slightly provocative stares.
Wen Zixi didn't intend to argue with this cotton-robed Daoist, but he found it amusing, so he asked via divine sense, "Daoist, do you know me?"
To his surprise, the Daoist, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, though somewhat shabby-looking, had a fairly decent face, but his temper was anything but mild. He shot back, "I know your ancestor!"
Wen Zixi had no idea that the shabby Daoist in his eyes was actually a young monk in the eyes of the palace master. But being a land immortal and a martial arts grandmaster, he maintained his smile after being cursed. Why bother getting angry at an ant at the Lower Fifth Realm at the foot of the mountain? He glanced at the young woman with a bun beside the sword-carrying youth, then looked away and asked, "What, do you like this young lady?"
The Daoist cursed, "You crooked, rotten lowlife! Keep your eyes in check! What are you staring at..."
Wen Zixi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Had he run into a simpleton with a loose screw?
The Daoist took a sip of wine, wet his throat, and asked doubtfully, "Aren't you going to say back, 'What if I stare?'"
Wen Zixi could confirm it: a real idiot. He thought, "If I exchange another word with this idiot, I'm the idiot."
The Daoist continued cursing. "If I were your master's ancestral master, then Daoist Grandpa is the master of your ancestral master."
Wen Zixi raised an eyebrow and said with a grin, "Keep cursing. Go on."
The Daoist swayed his shoulders, started fooling around with a mocking grin, and said cheekily, "Hey, no way. Who do you think you are? You want me to curse, and I'll curse? Get lost. Hurry up and have your ancestral master come. As his master, I'd be glad to open my golden mouth and teach him a few lessons. If he drinks a few cups of penalty wine, I'll be magnanimous and let it slide."
Wen Zixi found it absurd. After a moment's hesitation, he asked via divine sense, "Palace Master, can you see through this shifty-eyed little Daoist's true realm?"
The palace master of Lingfei Palace, the Xiangjun Ancestral Master, had just received a decree from her master and was telling an old woman beside her that her master had personally agreed to restore someone's registry status.
"Speak carefully! Do you think the rules of the Patriarch Hall are just for show?!"
Hearing Wen Zixi's question, Xiangjun frowned slightly. He had used a term "little bald donkey," so she first said a few words to him via divine sense, then answered the question. "No doubt about it, Lower Fifth Realm."
Wen Zixi was a bit bewildered. He didn't know why the Palace Master had to elevate it to the level of Patriarch Hall rules just because he had given a "shifty-eyed" comment to the young Daoist.
He didn't bother to dig deeper. He smiled at the Daoist. "Lay down a path. Want to have a contest?"
The Daoist rolled up one sleeve, raised his arm, rested his elbow on the wine table, and shook his wrist, muttering endlessly, "Come on, you ignorant little turtle bastard. Let's arm-wrestle with Daoist Grandpa! If we compete in strength, it might hurt our feelings. Whoever loses is the other's granddaddy..."
Wen Zixi felt as if he had stepped in dog shit. In a certain local dialect, this guy was clearly a fool.
Xiangjun glanced at the young monk, then at Wen Zixi. What are you two doing?
Chen Ping'an, in the appearance of the sword-carrying youth, completely ignored the divine sense conversation over there, even though Patriarch Lu had deliberately made it audible to Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian.
Pei Qian also ignored it, because she was talking with her master about something.
"Master, there are a few mountains near Luopo Mountain. To the north is Grey Mist Mountain, which is already our vassal mountain. There's also Heavenly Capital Peak, Leaping Fish Mountain, and Ambling Foot Hill. They're all close neighbors."
Chen Ping'an gathered his voice into a line and asked with a smile, "Of course I know. Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
Pei Qian scratched her head, seeming a bit embarrassed.
Chen Ping'an held back his laughter and asked, "What, did you have a private grudge with the cultivators on those mountains from when you were little? Male or female?"
After all, she was his first disciple. When it came to holding grudges, the disciple surpassed the master.
As for Little Charcoal when she grew up, she probably wouldn't bother with the Qi practitioners on those neighboring mountains.
Pei Qian said, "A few years ago, during my travels, I saved up some money. On my own, I secretly bought Ambling Foot Hill. I have the deed. Didn't tell the old cook or the others."
Chen Ping'an found it a bit strange, but laughed. "Good thing. Nothing to be embarrassed about."
Almost everyone on Luopo Mountain knew that Pei Qian and the others saved money. For instance, she, Xiao Mili, and Warm Tree each had their own money jars.
Chen Ping'an laughed. "How many immortal coins did it cost? Was the price reasonable? Are you planning to use it as your own training ground in the future? Do you need Master's help building a residence? I've got free time now, and truth be told, my construction skills aren't inferior to the old cook's."
"It wasn't expensive. The seller was very easy to deal with and gave a very fair price."
Pei Qian scratched her head again, then said softly, "Master, from the very beginning, I never thought about moving there."
This time, Chen Ping'an was puzzled. He asked gently, "What do you mean?"
Pei Qian looked up at her master, grinning. "Master, I just thought that it's been so many years since I gave you a birthday gift. When I was a kid, I kept saving money, but I never had enough to buy anything valuable. Nothing worth presenting. Later, I learned boxing and went out traveling, earning a bit of money. When I came home alone, I bought Ambling Foot Hill. At the time, I thought maybe next year on the fifth of May, I could tell you about it. But it's been delayed until now. And this year, I'll most likely stay on Tongye Continent, busy with the great river excavation. So, I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you."
Back then, the young girl thought, "Next year, Master will probably return to the Haoran World." But many "next years" passed, and Master still hadn't come home.
Chen Ping'an nodded vigorously with a laugh, unable to hide his smile. "Good, good. Master is just as happy receiving this gift as the last one."
But Pei Qian lowered her head again. "I just thought that for so many years, Master never had a place to truly be alone. Whenever I think about that, I feel sad."
On Luopo Mountain, Master lived on the first floor of the bamboo building.
And the second floor was where Master learned boxing.
No matter what others thought, Pei Qian knew that since Grandpa Cui left, Master hadn't felt good inside.
It seemed that since Master first left home at age fourteen, he had been running around tirelessly, always seriously considering others' needs and taking care of them.
Chen Ping'an's gaze was gentle. He reached out and rubbed her head. "So that's how it is."