Chapter 1033: Collating Books in the Human World

Chapter 1033: Collating Books in the Human World

After eating and drinking their fill, Zhao Shuxia cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, and Ning Ji moved away the small table.

The bright moon hung in the sky, its light filling the human world, making it seem like a crystal realm. The night air was fresh, and a cool breeze brushed against their sleeves. With such moods and such a sky, stealing a moment of leisure was like being an immortal.

Three chairs were lined up under the eaves. The old scholar sat in the middle, crossed his legs, and lightly tapped his knees while humming a folk song. A gentle breeze brushed past the old man's snowy white temples.

Chen Ping'an gently waved a palm-leaf fan. By his master's side, whether drinking or chatting idly, Chen Ping'an was neither as upright and solemn as his senior brother Zuo You, nor as taciturn as his senior brother Jun Qian.

Lu Chen sat with his hands tucked into his sleeves, leaning against the chair back, stretching his legs long, his demeanor leisurely. The affairs of the world and of the household, distant matters and immediate tasks, all grudges and grievances were temporarily set aside.

They casually talked about the Confucian Temple's enfeoffment of the Five Sacred Mountain Lords of Treasure Bottle Continent and the granting of divine titles. According to the old scholar, there was a bit of trouble. Since the divine ranks of a continent's mountain lords had no distinction of high or low, if the Confucian Temple were to dispatch a particular saint to preside over the enfeoffment ceremony alone, then the order in which the enfeoffment ceremonies for the Five Sacred Mountains were held would become a significant issue. But if they were to be held simultaneously, it would also be difficult for the Confucian Temple to dispatch five accompanying sage-venerators, given the heavy workload. The Confucian Temple simply couldn't spare that many Confucian sages all at once, and they would all need to be present in Treasure Bottle Continent at the same time.

This was officialdom, after all, the same on the mountain as off it.

Off the mountain, when the imperial court bestowed purple kasayas upon eminent monks of the Buddhist tradition, or granted titles to Daoist adepts, or when the emperor or the Ministry of Rites enfeoffed mountain and river spirits, there was always a set of established protocols and rituals.

Since ancient times, fame and fortune could not be separated. People did not worry about scarcity but about inequality. Therefore, for the Confucian Temple to treat everyone equally, giving all the mountain lords sufficient face while not causing anyone to lose face, was a difficult task.

If the heads of the five Confucian academies were to preside over the enfeoffment ceremonies, it would be slightly lacking in weight, and the courtesy would seem shallow.

If a particular saint were to use a method of splitting their self, it would ultimately be somewhat improper, and it would also make it seem like the Confucian Temple did not attach enough importance to the matter. After all, obtaining a "divine title" for a mountain lord, as the old scholar had joked with Yu Xuan earlier beyond the heavens, was a joyful event rarer than becoming a groom. It was destined to happen only once, and everyone would want it to be as grand as possible. Ask Wei Bo, the Central Mountain Lord Jin Qing, and the others, if they heard that the Primordial Sage himself was willing to attend, would they utter a single word of politeness to the Confucian Temple?

Lu Chen laughed: "Just have the two Vice-Cult Leaders of the Confucian Temple, plus the Grand Sacrificers of the three Academies, take the time to make a trip to Treasure Bottle Continent."

The old scholar stroked his beard and said: "But the Vice-Cult Leaders and the Academy Sacrificers still have a difference in official rank. These mountain god lords are all old hands who have been navigating officialdom for hundreds or even thousands of years. They might not say anything openly about this difference, but they will have their own opinions in their hearts."

Lu Chen, as if temporarily acting as the dog-headed strategist for the Literary Saint lineage, began offering advice again: "After all, the matter of granting divine titles to mountain lords was initiated by you, old scholar. If it really comes down to it, the Confucian Temple could issue a decree, telling the five mountain lords to each choose an auspicious day that aligns with the Five Elements and doesn't conflict with each other. You, old scholar, are capable, so you can take on the extra work. Just make a trip to each mountain within a year."

The old scholar said indignantly: "Nonsense! How was it initiated by me? It was clearly a certain Academy Director from a Treasure Bottle Continent academy who felt that the Five Sacred Mountains of Treasure Bottle Continent had performed exceptionally well in that great war, and that the Confucian Temple must give them some recognition."

Lu Chen first put on a show of sudden understanding, then a face full of doubt: "Did I hear wrong? Don't people outside all say that Mao Xiaodong, this second-in-command of the Rites Academy, is someone whose heart belongs to the Literary Saint lineage even though his body is in the Ritual Saint lineage?"

The old scholar quickly grabbed Lu Chen's sleeve, leaned sideways, and whispered: "This kind of baseless nonsense must not be spread carelessly. If it gets out, it could easily cause misunderstandings. If the rather rigid Sacrificer of the Rites Academy hears it, with his stubborn temper, he'll insist on arguing with you, Chief Lu. At that time, if I don't speak up for you, it would go against the principles of friendship, but if I do speak up for you, it would only be adding fuel to the fire."

Lu Chen quickly changed the subject and laughed: "If this were in the Azure Underworld, it would be simple."

The Jade Capital had five cities and twelve towers. Although the seventeen city towers differed in height, their positions in the ancestral Daoist registry had no distinction of superiority. When encountering similar situations, the Cult Leader could simply pick out any five city lords or tower masters. Not even five enfeoffment ceremonies, but even twice that number, would not leave the Jade Capital stretched thin.

Lu Chen smiled: "Regardless of how the Confucian Temple arranges things, it doesn't matter elsewhere. I have no karmic ties with those mountain lords. But as for Wei Bo's Cloaked Cloud Mountain, I would really like to join in the fun. Old scholar, do you need me to show my face and shout a few words on the side, just to support our Mountain Lord Wei?"

Chen Ping'an asked: "Master, regarding the divine titles for the five mountain lords, has the Confucian Temple already made a decision, to be announced at the ceremony? Or can it be like submitting names for candidate sects, where they can draft their own and submit it to the Confucian Temple for approval? If it passes, can they use it?"

Lu Chen smiled knowingly. To help a friend, he was really willing to go all out. Judging by Chen Ping'an's implication, it was most likely that he wanted to do a small favor for Wei Bo and Cloaked Cloud Mountain.

The old scholar smiled faintly and said: "Generally speaking, the divine titles for the Five Sacred Mountain Lords and the Great River Water Lords are drafted by the Confucian Temple and then issued. However, there is no written rule in the Confucian Temple on this matter. If the law doesn't forbid it, it can be done. So it's not impossible to negotiate. But throughout the history of the Haoran World, since ancient times, mountain and river deities have always followed the Confucian Temple's decrees. They accepted whatever was given and were generally satisfied."

This kind of thing was similar to giving a courtesy name to one's own child or a young person from another family on the mountain. It was full of meaning, and almost no one would find it inappropriate. From then on, the courtesy name and the given name accompanied them for life.

Having said this, the old scholar turned his head and asked: "What, does our Mountain Lord Wei have a divine title he particularly fancies?"

Chen Ping'an smiled: "There is indeed a divine title that everyone expects, but I don't know if Mountain Lord Wei fancies it himself."

The old scholar nodded. "If he can truly monopolize 'Night Journey' and solidify this divine title, it would be a great boon for Wei Bo and Cloaked Cloud Mountain. Ping'an, you can go and advise Wei Bo when you get back. As long as he doesn't find this divine title particularly... disgusting, he should consider it. Of course, don't force it. It's not difficult for the Confucian Temple to pick some words and come up with a good divine title."

Whenever mountain and river deities in the Haoran World held celebrations, because they needed to accommodate the numerous civil and military heroic spirits and city god officials within their jurisdiction, they were mostly held at night, hence they were collectively called the Night Journey Feast.

Lu Chen nodded and chimed in: "Just like Yu Xuan's monopoly on the word 'Talisman,' if it can command universal acceptance, there will be many unexpected benefits. The mystery of this is not something that can be explained to outsiders."

The old scholar clasped his hands around his knees, nodded and smiled: "To possess both a high reputation and a high position, with meritorious deeds and moral integrity matching the position, is to be justified in name and in reality, to deserve it without qualms, and one can accept it with peace of mind."

For example, his old friend on South Bodhi Continent, the pure Confucian Chen Chun'an.

And of course, there was the old scholar's own "Literary Saint" Wen.

Chen Ping'an said: "Then I'll go and talk it over with Wei Bo when I get back and try to persuade him a bit."

Perhaps the matter of the divine title was precisely the opportunity for Wei Bo's golden body to take a further step.

For mountain and river spirits, the way to enhance the golden body height of a temple's main deity was not like there were so many paths to ascending the mountain for Qi refiners. There was only one path: accumulating merit and refining incense.

Lu Chen chuckled: "This is what they call 'when the time comes, all under heaven works together.'"

In the past, Wei Bo was the number one mountain lord of the Divine Water Kingdom. After the kingdom was destroyed, his golden body was shattered and he sank to the bottom of the Three Rivers near Red Candle Town. Later, a woman fished up part of his golden body. Wei Bo barely survived from then on, reduced to a lonely ghost, wandering around the ruins of his old temple. When the Great Li Song Clan's territory kept expanding southward, incorporating the lands of Embroidered, Jade Liquid, and Chong Dan rivers, the Great Li court, which knew the ins and outs of Wei Bo's identity and history, only made him the local earth god of Chess Mound Mountain. Looking back now, it seemed more like a deliberate act by the Great Li Song Clan.

First, he ascended in one step, taking over Cloaked Cloud Mountain and becoming the new Northern Mountain Lord of Great Li. Then, he became one of the continent's mountain lords. The height of his pure golden body also rose from the Jade Capital realm to the Immortal realm.

Now, with the gift of Ning Yao from the Five-Colored Sky, the enfeoffment and divine title from the Confucian Temple, and the push from the Great Li court, Wei Bo's "three consecutive successes" in the history of Treasure Bottle Continent were all but guaranteed.

The old scholar stroked his beard and smiled: "What a treasure! This fellow Daoist Lingjun is a real treasure!"

As the old saying goes, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Having such a blue-robed child on Fallen Mountain who liked to pat people on the shoulder was indeed a unique asset.

Before tonight, when Chen Ping'an saw his master's scroll of time beyond the heavens, he actually didn't know that Chen Lingjun had met the Three Patriarchs. Seeing them in town, what they said and did, were all shrouded in mystery.

Because Chen Lingjun was in an indescribable, mysterious state afterwards. If he even wanted to mention the word "Dao Ancestor," he couldn't. So Chen Ping'an didn't know the specifics of the process and wouldn't try to get to the bottom of it. However, knowing Chen Lingjun's usual style, Chen Ping'an could roughly guess a few things. But just regarding the "hosting" of the old temple master…

The old scholar laughed heartily: "Chief Lu, do you dare to face Zheng Juzhong and call him 'Nephew Zheng'?"

Lu Chen quickly reached out and touched his lotus crown to calm himself down.

The old scholar smiled: "A fool has fool's luck. No matter how smart a person is, they can't learn the word 'simple'."

Lu Chen nodded: "The human heart is unsettled, worldly affairs are impermanent. Good people can do wrong things, and bad people can do good things. The most difficult thing is to have a childlike heart, unstained by worldly affairs."

Chen Ping'an mentioned that Chen Lingjun had previously refused Lu Chen's offer to go to the Azure Underworld to "reap the benefits," showing no interest in the easily attainable Flying Ascension realm.

The old scholar stroked his beard and smiled: "Using kingfisher-green silk and cassia-scented bait only makes one lose the fish."

Lu Chen nodded vigorously like a chick pecking rice: "This is what is called 'cleverness may overreach itself.' It was my miscalculation."

The old scholar dismissed it with a smile. At the root of it all, Lu Chen didn't really think Chen Lingjun needed to go to the Azure Underworld.

To some extent, it could even be said that the blue-robed child's final choice was in fact the choice Lu Chen had given him. Neither one made things difficult for the other; each followed their own karmic chance, each fulfilled their own wish.

The old scholar sighed sincerely: "Chief Lu's 'Treatise on the Equality of Things,' in my view, is truly the most profound knowledge."

Lu Chen laughed heartily: "Won't the Literary Saint add the suffix 'one of'?"

The old scholar shook his head and remained silent.

All sages are distinguished by the unconditioned dharma.

Lu Chen's knowledge was vast, oh so vast!

Just take his friend Bai Ye, such a proud man. Many years ago, the old scholar had privately gone to Bai Ye to scrounge some drinks and asked Bai Ye who he would most like to see if he went to the Azure Underworld.

At the time, Bai Ye didn't hesitate and answered that it was to visit Lu Chen in Nanhua City.

No wonder some Confucian scholars in the Haoran World and Daoist officials in the Jade Capital shared a common view: Bai Ye had written countless poems, but no matter how well he wrote, unfortunately, he had never been able to escape Lu Chen's mold.

At that time, the old scholar, fueled by alcohol, told Bai Ye this derogatory opinion. After all, this kind of troublemaking was something only the old scholar would do. And of course, only the old scholar could do it.

When Bai Ye heard this, he was silent for a moment, then finally said with a smile, "They're not wrong."

Of course, it could be interpreted as Bai Ye agreeing with this statement, or it could be understood as "not wrong, but not right either."

Lu Chen raised his sleeve, cupped his hands and shook them slightly: "To be praised like this by the Literary Saint outside of a drinking table, this trip back home, even if it accomplishes nothing, is still not a wasted journey."

The old scholar waved his hand: "I never casually praise people."

If someone was said by Chen Lingjun to have good drinking manners, it meant their drinking style was truly excellent, never slacking off at the table.

For example, Liu Jinglong, who was considered by Chen Ping'an, who was persistent in "reasoning well," to be good at reasoning, meant that Liu Jinglong's reasoning was both well-spoken and not annoying.

And if someone was praised by the elder sword immortal as having decent swordsmanship?

Then, in the realm of knowledge, being so admired by the old scholar naturally meant they truly possessed learning.

Lu Chen laughed with Chen Ping'an: "In the fox kingdom of your Lotus Root Paradise, there is a little girl. Who she is and when she will appear, I won't reveal the heavenly secrets. You find her yourself. The day you find her, perhaps when she enters the Middle Five Realms, you can give her a Daoist name. Call it 'Pure White.' I believe her future achievements will not be low. If you, as the mountain lord, have a bit more courage, and Fallen Mountain has a bit more luck, and you find her early, when she is just beginning to awaken and doesn't yet have a true name, and you pass on the Dao to her, naming her with it, the benefits for both of you will be even greater."

This matter had come from Lu Chen's idle chatter with his "uncle."

The old scholar said: "Once the fasting period in the Bright Moon Daoist Field is complete, the high cage brings out the White Cloud Department. By the way, did the old temple master take any disciples at your place?"

Lu Chen said: "He did. From the looks of it, he's both the founding disciple and the closing disciple. My uncle thinks highly of that Wang Yuanlu. My uncle might take more disciples in the future, but the number won't be small. However, there probably won't be any formal master-disciple relationship. It's more of a half-master, half-fellow Daoist relationship. Anyway, my uncle's Daoist temple will be established for sure. The Jade Capital is happy to see this happen."

The old scholar clicked his tongue: "Now that the Dao Ancestor has appeared, the bearing of the Jade Capital is truly different."

Lu Chen said somewhat resentfully: "My generosity when I was in charge of the Jade Capital wasn't small either."

Let nature take its course, meddle in nothing. The countless Daoist officials on and off the mountain all had praise for this!

Chen Ping'an asked doubtfully: "As a member of the fox clan, isn't giving her this Daoist name a bit too grand?"

A sage once said that there is no pure white fox in the world. For a vixen to be named "Pure White" would generally be considered inappropriate.

But Lu Chen's words were never without a target. It definitely wasn't the kind of bad idea meant to deliberately harm someone.

The Daoist names of mountain Qi refiners were similar to the names of ordinary people on the mountain. If a name was too grand, it would be difficult to "withstand."

It was somewhat similar to the saying, "A noble and bright abode invites the ghost to peer into its room." This wasn't absolute. It didn't mean that taking such a name or Daoist name was necessarily bad. But for mountain cultivation, harboring wishful thinking wasn't a good habit.

Lu Chen said with a grin: "With you to bear the burden, what's there to fear?"

For example, stamping a fox skin with the seal of a Celestial Master from Dragon Tiger Mountain could fend off heavenly tribulations. This was a universally accepted fact on the mountain.

By a similar principle, that vixen, who might not even be born yet, would in the future be given a true name by a young mountain lord whose robe was embroidered with the true names of great demons. It was indeed a fortunate opportunity with no worries about future consequences.

Perhaps when she later cultivated and broke through realms on the mountain, reaching the Golden Core or Upper Five Realms, Chen Ping'an could help share the heavenly tribulation. Being a protector of the Dao like this could be considered quite stable.

Chen Ping'an looked at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen quickly clarified: "This is not some haphazard matchmaking. When cultivating on the mountain, how can everything be reduced to matters of love between men and women? That would be too petty!"

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Are you going to travel to the Great Li capital to see Aunt Feng?"

Lu Chen sighed, nodded, and said: "I need to go. As for whether I'll be able to drink with her, I'll have to rely on luck."

Because of that long-buried old Dragon Palace incident, Aunt Feng held no small grudge against this Jade Capital Cult Leader who had left things behind and walked away. She was standing up for that Dragon Maiden.

If Lu Chen had been willing to intervene, that battle of dragon slaying wouldn't have occurred.

In ancient times, there were two Rain Masters, neither of whom were among the twelve high-ranking deities. Similar to Aunt Feng, their divine positions and duties had been divided up.

Afterwards, they chatted about some secret histories and confidential matters of the Azure Underworld. For example, the unknown grudges and passions of that Kongshan Lake, or why Long Xinpu had fallen for the "Royal Heir" senior sister of Sun Changsheng, how he admired her, and how the mountain world had rumored about it, and so on. The old scholar and Chief Lu would often look at each other and chuckle.

The old scholar had drunk a bit too much tonight, and with Chen Ping'an's urging to stay, he simply slept in his closing disciple's room. The old man didn't snore and slept soundly.

For Qi refiners, especially those who had attained the Dao, true sweet sleep was dreamless.

This was also a puzzle that had troubled the world until now, with no solution.

For cultivators, it seemed the higher their realm, the fewer their dreams.

Lu Chen stood with his hands in his sleeves, looking up at the bright moon.

Since ancient times, people mostly used alcohol to drown their sorrows. It wasn't like tonight, where the three of them could use the scenery to dispel the effects of the alcohol. They slept a single sleep, and when the sun rose tomorrow, each would go about their own busy affairs.

Lu Chen suddenly stood up and laughed: "Want to take a stroll?"

Chen Ping'an rose as well and accompanied Lu Chen for a walk. They walked on a small path by the stream. The earth was soft, their steps silent.

Lu Chen sighed for no reason: "If it were just empty talk, it's a real shame that the Barren Wastes couldn't take Treasure Bottle Continent in one fell swoop."

The Jade Capital had been conducting a post-war analysis of this campaign in recent years. The final conclusion they reached was different from what many mountain-top cultivators in the Haoran World thought, even diametrically opposite.

Lu Chen laughed: "If we quantify advantages of timing, terrain, and human unity, and say the Barren Wastes' strength is one hundred, Chen Ping'an, what number do you think the Haoran World is?"

As if Chen Ping'an had already prepared an answer to this question, he said: "At least one hundred and fifty. If we also factor in a certain... principle, such as taking into account the human heart, the Haoran World side would be halved, while the Barren Wastes side wouldn't decrease much. That's why that battle was fought so bitterly and tragically."

Lu Chen nodded: "That's why I said in the Jade Capital, to those puzzled old Daoist officials, just one sentence: The young people of the Haoran World are the greatest variable."

After a pause, Lu Chen added: "Zhou Shenzhi, Bai Ye, Yu Xuan, Chen Chun'an, and the others, at certain moments, were all considered young people too. On the Sword Qi Great Wall side, Dong San'geng, Chou Miao, and the others, including those foreign swordsmen who ultimately did or did not return to the Haoran World, were the same."

After saying this, which sounded like a final judgment, Lu Chen added another remark akin to a prophecy: "But you must know, whether it's repaying debts or the wheel of fortune turning, the Barren Wastes will also have its own... young people in the future. If the Confucian Temple does not make a timely and bold decision, both worlds will sink into the mire together, just like..."

Chen Ping'an took over the words: "Collating books."

Lu Chen gave him a slap: "This metaphor is good."

"Collating books" is also called "collating against the text," used to describe one person holding the original text and another reading aloud, the two facing each other as enemies, meeting like adversaries, mutually hostile.

Lu Chen said: "White Emperor City is about to take two steps in a row and directly advance to become an Orthodox sect."

Since it was becoming an Orthodox "Patriarchal Court," it naturally meant that White Emperor City would simultaneously have an upper sect and a lower sect.

Given the several meritorious deeds Zheng Juzhong had accumulated one after another, it couldn't be said that the Confucian Temple was opening a back door for White Emperor City. To mention only the period of confrontation between the two worlds, in full view of everyone, Zheng Juzhong had killed an Immortal realm great demon on Crescent Moon Mountain. Later, he directly moved the entire Golden Jade City away from the Barren Wastes, and nearly killed the great demon of the Barren Wastes who fully possessed the qualifications for a throne, "Hu Tu," right under the nose of Bai Ze. These were only the matters on the surface. As for Zheng Juzhong, who had chosen to secretly merge with the Dao at the fourteenth realm in the Barren Wastes, who knew how many things he had secretly plotted and how many foreshadowings he had laid.

The biggest hidden danger for that Hu Tu now was that Zheng Juzhong had obtained two portions of his original lifeblood essence.

It was unknown whether Bai Ze could help eliminate this hidden danger. If Bai Ze let it be and let Hu Tu solve it himself, Chen Ping'an believed that with Zheng Juzhong's methods, Hu Tu would sooner or later become the latter's puppet.

Just mentioning two obscure incidents could show the terrifying nature of Zheng Juzhong.

One was that back then, the Confucian Temple and the Ritual Saint made a special exception for him, allowing Zheng Juzhong not to participate in the riverbank discussion where all fourteenth-realm cultivators gathered.

Another was that the Primordial Sage seemed to have said that before he scattered the Dao, he definitely wanted to have a good talk with Zheng Juzhong.

Chen Ping'an nodded: "Perhaps Mr. Zheng intends to clear out the entire White Emperor City, leaving only himself, so that he no longer needs to be distracted and can concentrate on cultivating the Dao."

Lu Chen clicked his tongue and laughed: "A figure like Mr. Zheng still needs to concentrate on cultivating the Dao?"

Apart from Cui Chan, those who had played chess with Zheng Juzhong generally had a few gradually deepening realizations.

How did I lose? Can go be played like this? Was I really playing chess with Zheng Juzhong?

Lu Chen asked with a smile: "When it comes down to it, why didn't you drag him into the water?"

Wu Shuangjiang and the Suichu Palace had a death feud with Yu Dou and the Jade Capital that everyone in the Azure Underworld knew about, so that couldn't be considered dragging him into the water. Zheng Juzhong was different.

Chen Ping'an didn't give an answer. There was a small stone on the path. He gently nudged it aside with his toe and continued walking forward, walking on the road.

Lu Chen chuckled. Good lad, you really believe that you can walk all the way to the Jade Capital... and to that top floor relying on yourself alone?

Chen Ping'an said in a calm tone: "It's not because of who I am that I can definitely do something or accomplish something. It's because I am who I am that I will inevitably do certain things. The two are cause and effect. As for certain things, big or small, whether they succeed or not, it's nothing more than doing one's best and leaving the rest to fate."

Lu Chen hummed in acknowledgment with a smile, clasped his hands behind his head, and walked shoulder to shoulder with Chen Ping'an. "Understand, fully understand. You have always been this way; this point hasn't changed."

If there was one truly tricky figure that even Lu Chen felt the need to keep his distance from, Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City could definitely be considered one, and he was ranked very high, definitely in the top three.

Last time, when returning from Crescent Moon Mountain to the Sword Qi Great Wall, Lu Chen had nearly fallen into a sinister ambush carefully orchestrated by Xiu Hu. To be honest, what really made Lu Chen feel lingering fear was Zheng Juzhong, who was colluding with Wu Shuangjiang. Once Zheng Juzhong took over this matter from Chen Ping'an, or more precisely from Cui Chan, then given Zheng Juzhong's style of conduct, he would absolutely never give up until he achieved his goal.

It was like a chess game directed against Lu Chen. The size of the chessboard was the entire world, the whole human realm. Before a victor emerged between him and Lu Chen, it could be a hundred or even several thousand years. Cui Chan was only responsible for creating a chessboard, at most letting his junior brother Chen Ping'an enter the game and "help him Cui Chan" to make that first move. Afterwards, there was the Suichu Palace's Wu Shuangjiang, that group of swordsmen from the Sword Qi Great Wall, Ning Yao's Ascension City, and besides, places like the Duckweed Sword Lake and Xie Songhua of the Aiai Continent. They seemed like outsiders, but perhaps they would play all the way into the mid-game. For example, Qi Tingji and the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect had already secretly taken in several old men from the Sword Qi Great Wall who had been hiding in the Barren Wastes for years. Lu Zhi and the Executioner Hao Su certainly wouldn't go to the Divine Dawn City of the White Jade Capital to practice swordsmanship... But the one truly controlling the overall situation and concluding the game behind the scenes was still Zheng Juzhong.

Lu Chen even suspected that Cui Chan had earlier secretly discussed matters with Zheng Juzhong, perhaps encouraging Zheng Juzhong that by merely eliminating Lu Chen, he could then have a broad Dao path and be able to advance to the fifteenth realm using a method of merging with the Dao that wasn't connected to the Three Patriarchs.

Within the Daoist field of that new bright moon in the Azure Underworld, the old temple master, whom Lu Chen called "uncle," had once used the human world as a chessboard, deducing myriad threads of fate and displaying them to Lu Cheng.

If one were to speak of Lu Chen's most formidable aspect, it was ultimately the evaluation that Sun Changsheng of the Mysterious Capital Temple had penetratingly revealed: "No one can defeat him. No one can defeat him."

To be precise, it needed a prefix and a suffix: No one can defeat Lu Chen; Lu Chen can defeat no one.

At the same time, these two statements were mutually prerequisite, which further highlighted Lu Chen's "difference" from everyone else in the human world.

In the Azure Underworld, even outside the Jade Capital, Lu Chen almost never argued with any Daoist. If someone was bold enough to attack Lu Chen and seek to question the Dao, Lu Chen would directly admit defeat or run away.

Simply put, for over three thousand years, whether in the Haoran World or the Azure Underworld, Lu Chen had no enemies or foes in the ordinary sense.

Take that Mysterious Capital Temple, for example. Besides Lu Chen, who would dare to go there and bounce around every now and then? Just talking about that female Daoist who guarded the gate, although she was annoyed when she saw Chief Lu, in the depths of her heart, she never regarded Lu Chen as an enemy, even though he was from the Jade Capital, a city lord, and a cult leader.

Therefore, Chen Ping'an's earlier analogy of "collating books" could be considered a double entendre that hit the mark.

If the entire universe were a book, Lu Chen, on the other hand, held no animosity towards it, forever keeping well water separate from river water.

So, within a round bright moon, the old temple master pointed at the chessboard and teased Lu Chen: "If that's the case, you'll be lucky to escape with at least half your life."

It turned out that on the chessboard, all the "chess pieces" that had various karmic ties with Chen Ping'an, including Fallen Mountain, were scattered here and there. Together with their respective sects, immortal mansions, and close friends, they seemed to be in patches, piece by piece... constantly cutting up the world. Between every two chess pieces on the board, there were various threads connecting them. Therefore, many pieces seemed superficially to have nothing to do with Chen Ping'an at all. For example, the female Daoist Yang Qing of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, who had gone beyond the heavens this time, and Xu Mian, who had asked the Literary Saint for a seal and a fan, and so on, including Wang Yuanlu, Zhang Fenghai, etc... Finally, without hiding his schadenfreude, the old temple master even set the chessboard, which was covered with two kinds of pieces—human cultivator names and mountain sect names, upright, forming a wall right in front of Lu Chen's eyes, and leisurely asked him: "Doesn't it look like a wall covered in poems and lyrics, a disgusting 'scabby wall'?"

Thus, Lu Chen spoke words that Chen Ping'an couldn't yet fathom the reasons for: "If you follow the plan your senior brother Cui Chan set out, you could originally have cultivated a sword technique to its ultimate extreme. This path might have been your way to merge with the Dao and reach the fourteenth realm."

Chen Ping'an said: "I suppose every action has its reward or its price."

"One cannot easily forgive oneself."

Lu Chen smiled faintly: "Nor can one make others forgive me."

Chen Ping'an said somewhat impatiently: "I have long since left Sighing Bamboo Lake."

Lu Chen smiled: "The Daoists speak of Heaven and Earth, the Buddhists speak of the World. World, world, time and space. If you say that, it means you are still not far from Sighing Bamboo Lake. Perhaps as years pass and you travel further, you might also come closer again. Who knows? Perhaps you will suddenly go very far, and then suddenly be very close..."

Chen Ping'an said with a faint smile: "Since Chief Lu himself says we are friends, I advise you to think of me kindly."

Lu Chen nodded vigorously, put his palms together, and said with a solemn face: "I only wish that the hearts of people in this world were all like the Sighing Bamboo Lake of today."

Then Lu Chen muttered to himself: "I imagine that Palace Master Wu is quite similar to my uncle. There is more than one path to merge with the Dao."

Chen Ping'an held his breath and concentrated but didn't say a word.

Lu Chen and the Jade Capital, you can guess all you want. Chen Ping'an and Fallen Mountain will just take good care of that path.

Unbeknownst to them, the straw-sandaled youth from Mud Vase Alley had gradually become the "Mountain Lord," "Elder," and "Hidden Official" in the hearts of many.

Back then, when they walked from the Sword Qi Great Wall to the Inverted Suspension Mountain, the children scattered throughout the Haoran, besides the masters and sects carefully chosen for them by the young Hidden Official, also had this "Second Boss" who now possessed two sects, one upper and one lower, as their invisible support. The name "Sword Qi Great Wall" was their greatest talisman.

This was probably also the root cause of why Chen Ping'an merged with half of the Sword Qi Great Wall but had been delaying its purification.

Ascension City in the Five-Colored Sky had Chen Ping'an, this closing disciple of the Literary Saint lineage, here. If some truly enormous matter occurred in the future, the Confucian Temple could be considered their semi-maternal home. In certain situations, even if Ning Yao couldn't solve them, the Confucian Temple could wrestle with the Jade Capital on equal terms.

As for the Great Li dynasty, the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall was itself an invisible pillar of support.

This was also the reason why Emperor Song He had appeared at that wedding feast and personally invited Chen Ping'an to assume the vacant position of National Preceptor.

It wasn't that the Great Li dynasty, whose national strength was still unmatched on the continent's map, really couldn't handle those restless southern kingdoms. But just as when Chen Ping'an returned to Fallen Mountain, without needing the Great Li Song family to use any diplomatic language, those southern kingdoms that had been trying to pull down the mountain-top stone tablets quieted down of their own accord.

"Do they not say fortune and misfortune are intertwined, life and death are neighbors? The ancients who obtained the Dao were all open-minded about fortune, misfortune, life, and death. The anger of a common man only sheds blood three feet and strikes his head on the ground. I believe that the exceptionally talented Palace Master Wu will only seek something larger."

Lu Chen continued: "As for the retreat path Wu Shuangjiang has paved for himself, I can't guess it for now, and I'm too lazy to guess. Someday the truth will come out eventually. As for the schemes of this master military strategist Wu Shuangjiang, they are not complicated. Along with those like-minded peers from the Suichu Palace who have all left their names in history, he aims to stir up wars across the Azure Underworld. What he ultimately seeks is to turn my Senior Brother Yu into... a fish big enough to swallow a boat where Lu Chu can swim."

The Haoran World and the Azure Underworld each had their own internal and external troubles. The external trouble of the latter was naturally the never-ending Outer-World Celestial Demons beyond the heavens.

Not long ago, the Dao Ancestor personally took action, seemingly reaching some kind of agreement with an Outer-World Celestial Demon beyond the heavens. With this, the Jade Capital only had internal troubles left.

Lu Chen smiled faintly: "Those with the same desires and aspirations resent and hate each other; those with the same worries and principles love and cherish each other."

"Palace Master Wu naturally found several like-minded master military strategists. One of them is so brilliant in the art of war that it's almost unbelievable."

Having said this, Lu Chen stretched out a palm and waved it: "In the past ten thousand years, regardless of who is enshrined in the Martial Temple, in terms of military achievements and the use of troops, no matter how later generations try to rank their favorite military strategists, this man must be in the top five. He excels at defeating a larger force with a smaller one. He can also do that, and he likes to fight battles that leave his opponents utterly bewildered and defeated."

"This man has a youthful appearance, goes by the alias Huan Jing, and has the Daoist name 'Wu Yang'."

"But the Jade Capital side isn't without its experts. For example, in a certain city, under the jurisdiction of a certain Armistice Palace, which in turn oversaw a certain Pasturing Horse Temple, there is an unknown small Daoist temple named Ling Xian Temple. Its temple master currently has the face of an old man. He has been writing military texts for many years, only cultivating alongside his Daoist partner, aloof from worldly strife, and not bothering with mundane affairs. He never leaves the boundaries of the Pasturing Horse Office, only occasionally wandering around the areas near the temple, holding a staff made from Guoshan's ling shou wood, walking alone on the white path amidst the clouds. This man is the complete opposite of Huan Jing. In his era, he was invincible, invincible to such an extent that when later generations look back at that period of history, they feel it must have been because there were no famous generals in his time that he could win so many battles, and every victory was so easy it was almost unbelievable."

Lu Chen stretched lazily, stopping under a tree by the river: "I envy some people. They can meet by chance, need not know each other's names, and with just a word of mutual affinity, can swear brotherhood unto death."

Chen Ping'an asked: "What's the point of telling me these things that are so far away, beyond the horizon?"

Lu Chen said seriously: "How do you know it's not something right before your eyes?"

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile: "Right before my eyes? I myself don't know that."

Lu Chen said: "True."

After this, they walked in silence all the way to the schoolhouse and back along the same path.

A collator of the books of landscapes in the human world.

Green locust shade, bright moonlight. When the spring breeze sweeps over, all flowers vie for beauty.