Chapter 1040: Reporting the News of the Plum Blossoms

Chapter 1040: Reporting the News of the Plum Blossoms

Chen Ping'an stood in the alley outside his ancestral home, looking at the neighboring houses on either side.

Xiao Mo understood in his heart and asked, "Master, are the life-bound porcelain fragments hidden nearby?"

Chen Ping'an nodded and smiled, "Just don't know if it's in the house on the left or the right."

Hidden quite well. Truly, one could say it was far away yet right before one's eyes.

At the border of Hongzhou, the group stopped at a post station. Because they were officials with "official business," the station made arrangements according to the rules. Everything was done methodically and orderly as more than a dozen officials settled into this Caozhe Station. If familiar faces from officialdom were staying and wanted to sleep well, the station's official lodging rooms had their own rules—one had to stay according to official rank, going from highest to lowest. If it was full, jumping the queue was out of the question. But eating well was no problem. For example, the station master could pay out of his own pocket to have the cook prepare a private feast. Such matters weren't considered violations. A good national law is not merely harsh but must be reasonable, something National Teacher Cui Chan had repeatedly emphasized.

Entering the official lodging, Emperor Song He wiped his hand across the tabletop and lifted it—no dust. He went to the windowsill and wiped it gently—also clean and spotless. He smiled, "Back then, Lord Guan questioned you face to face, saying that you, National Teacher, handle major matters well—that's real skill. But overseeing too many minor matters too finely is inappropriate. Don't you trust the Six Ministries and their offices?"

Song He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together lightly, "Facts have proved that those 'minor matters' that you repeatedly deliberated and subtly adjusted back then were handled very well by you, National Teacher. The effects accumulate over time, and the further you go, the stronger the momentum."

Xiu Hu Cui Chan, besides being the Great Li National Teacher, was actually Song He's teaching master. In a certain sense, Wu Yuan and the Emperor could be considered fellow disciples of the same scholarly lineage.

Though this lineage of fellow disciples had nothing to do with the Sage of Literature's lineage.

Yu Mi lowered his voice and asked curiously, "Your Majesty, you still haven't told us how the National Teacher answered Lord Guan back then."

Song He smiled slightly, "I remember the National Teacher only replied with one sentence: 'I trust your intentions and original aspirations, but I don't trust your methods and perseverance.' Just this one sentence left our Lord Guan completely speechless."

Beside the station's stable, the old coachman looked at the young Taoist sitting on the railing.

The old man felt powerless and was about to speak when the Taoist, wearing a lotus crown, made a finger-across-lips gesture, signaling him not to talk.

Lu Chen rested his hands on the railing and smiled, "Rest assured a hundred or a thousand times. This poor Taoist isn't here to reminisce with you. I'm looking for someone else."

The old man hesitated, then had a guess.

Lu Chen immediately gave a thumbs up, then cupped his hands and shook them, "Senior truly deserves to be the top seat of the Thunder Department's Execution and Investigation Bureau. This junior admires you greatly."

The old man smiled, "It's best if you, Lord Lu, take her away. Consider it finding some amusement for that Chen fellow. In the future, when two townsmen meet in a foreign land, enemies' eyes will meet and burn especially red—that'll be interesting."

Lu Chen had set up a fortune-telling stall in Lizhu Cave Heaven for over a decade, so they weren't strangers to each other.

Poor Lu Wei, still a Dao Ancestor realm Yin-Yang master, scheming and calculating endlessly, yet couldn't even calculate that his own ancestor was right under his nose.

Lu Chen complained, "We agreed not to chat. What's wrong with you, Senior?"

The old man laughed heartily, "Lord Lu is someone very easy to talk to. He won't mind these things."

Lu Chen's eyes turned resentful, "So all of you just bully the easygoing ones, right?"

The old man shook his head, "Ten years in the town is but a snap of the fingers for mountain Qi Refiners. Lord Lu and I parted on good terms. She's coming, so I won't delay your catching up with old acquaintances."

The old man left.

A father and daughter led their horses over.

Lu Chen shifted his seat, landed on the ground, and waved vigorously at the father and daughter, calling out eagerly, "Over here, over here."

Of course, he used some illusion techniques to make himself look less youthful. As A Liang would say, he now had more of a mature man's weathered charm!

Zhu He felt that the "middle-aged Taoist" with his face full of smiles looked somewhat familiar.

The Taoist quickly gestured a few times, finally making a motion of shaking a fortune-telling tube, and smiled, "Remember now? It's me. The one who set up a stall by the main street in Huaihuang County."

Zhu He's face lit up with surprise, and he smiled, "Taoist Lu?!"

Zhu Lu actually recognized him at a glance, but she still pretended not to know this fortune-telling Taoist.

Father and daughter. Back in the town, they had both visited his stall to have their fortunes told, though for different reasons—one wanting to know when his daughter's luck would turn, the other fortune-telling for her own marriage prospects.

Lu Chen smiled, "You're called Zhu He, right? Brother Zhu, I have a friend who asked me to ask you a question."

Though somewhat confused, Zhu He still laughed heartily, "Taoist Lu, please go ahead."

Lu Chen said with a slight smile, "He just wants to know one thing. During that study tour when you left the town back then, how exactly did you make Chen Ping'an think you were an expert? That friend of mine says he's racked his brains over this question and it's puzzled him for years."

Zhu He was completely bewildered. What was what? How was he an expert, and what connection did this have with this Taoist Lu's friend?

Zhu Lu's expression darkened.

She crossed her arms, instinctively adopting a defensive posture, wanting to see what this fortune-teller, who had left a bad impression on her back then, was really up to today.

Within the Weaving Bureau, Zhu He was nominally the second-in-command, second only to Director Li. Zhu He managed a group of clerks and artisans including office officials and chief experts, helping the chief official oversee various specific weaving matters. Nowadays, his status was somewhat similar to Lin Zhengcheng, the former assistant official of the Kiln Affairs Supervisory Office back home. So Zhu He was essentially in a leisurely semi-retirement state.

But his daughter Zhu Lu was completely different. All the money, grain, official governance, and scholar gatherings within the entire prefecture would be secretly recorded in registers. The group of personnel she managed were truly "eating imperial grain," but not through the Ministry of Revenue. The secret memorial that the Weaving Bureau periodically submitted to the Imperial Study in the capital was almost entirely written by her. The Weaving Director Li Baozhen was only responsible for polishing the prose.

Lu Chen leaned back against the railing, smiling as he looked at them.

Zhu He, nearing sixty, had been tempering his physique in the Golden Body realm for many years and had hopes of reaching the Far Travel realm. Zhu Lu had just become a sixth-realm martial artist this year.

If he hadn't appeared, following their master's arrangements and paving, or rather, following their predetermined life trajectory, Zhu He would become a Far Travel realm grandmaster and then transfer to a local military position—that would be considered bringing glory to his ancestors. Of course, if following Zhu He's own heart, he would prefer to go south, to some small country outside Great Li, establish a sect, take disciples, and teach martial arts. As for Zhu Lu, she would break through realms step by step, and one day, she would grow old and die at the Far Travel realm of martial arts. She would blame heaven and others, forever feeling unfulfilled.

On her life path, there were always two figures ahead of her. One was seemingly within reach yet forever unattainable—the person in her heart, her master, Li Baozhen.

The other was a distant, unattainable figure in a blue shirt—the same age as her from Nipin Alley, seemingly forever wearing a pair of straw sandals, with dark skin, holding a billhook, forever the mud-legged youth from back then.

Zhu Lu was creeped out by that Taoist's gaze; it made her hair stand on end.

Lu Chen smiled and asked, "Miss Zhu, have you ever heard of the saying, 'Zhu and Chen are one family, never turning against each other'?"

Zhu Lu's face was taut as she shook her head.

Lu Chen said with a slight smile, "This is an idiom from the Qingming Heaven side. It's not widely spread; only in a place called Zhuolu Commandery in Youzhou is it known to everyone. So it's strange that you've never heard of it."

Zhu He was completely confused. Had Taoist Lu misspoken?

So, it's strange? Shouldn't the ending be "it's not strange"?

Lu Chen said slowly, "When it comes to background, you started early. In fact, you're better off than Changmei'er of Taoye Alley, Xie Ling of the Longquan Sword Sect who's already a Jade Capital realm sword cultivator, Hu Feng whose grandfather ran the wedding shop in the town but is actually Cai Daohuang, the master of the world's marriage registry, and many, many of your peers in the town. Much better. So Zhu Lu, all these years you've been complaining about your bad luck, blaming heaven and others—that's wrong, completely wrong."

"Because in a certain sense, although you were born in Lizhu Cave Heaven, you are an outsider with immense background and history. You don't even need any backing. Your backing is your past life. It is yourself."

"You even entered the town earlier than I did, being reborn early into the Li family of Fortune Street, all so that one day, when the time was ripe, you could go with the flow... Yes, that's the phrase—go with the flow—and escort your eldest master, Li Xisheng, on his path of Dao protection. In this process, you would continuously grow and ascend quickly. To give an analogy, however fast Ma Kuxuan, Liu Xianyang, and the others have been breaking through realms in recent years, you would only be faster, never slower."

Lu Chen raised two fingers held together, "I can swear that if even one word is false, may heaven strike me down with lightning!"

In the distance, the old coachman who had once guarded the Thunder Department's Execution and Investigation Bureau was at a loss with this Third Lord of the Jade Capital.

Actually, on the Qingming Heaven side, there was a less widely spread idiom called "Zhu Chen's Mutual Affection," from which a more obscure saying, "Zhu and Chen are one family, never turning against each other," was derived.

Because in terms of background, Lu Chen hadn't spoken a single false word today. Even in the old coachman's view, Zhu Lu had an excellent "origin." It could even be said that among the younger generation of the town, setting aside Ruan Xiu, Li Liu, Li Xisheng, and this small handful of people, she was undoubtedly a standout. She was indeed better than Xie Ling of Taoye Alley, Hu Feng of the wedding shop, and others, because Zhu Lu was half an "outsider" of Lizhu Cave Heaven.

As for opportunities, they had been given to her early on.

Even Chen Ping'an might not know this yet. Among the few young people that the old coachman, Aunt Feng, Lu Wei, and other old antiques most often chatted about in their spare time, Zhu Lu was one of them.

They were all guessing her origins. Though shrouded in mist, that itself was very telling. If her background weren't significant, why would the mountains and rivers be so hazy that even they felt like they were looking at flowers through fog?

It was just that because she was born in the Li family of Fortune Street, with Li Xisheng's "substitution of the peach for the plum" first, and then Lord Lu Chen entering Lizhu Cave Heaven, no one dared to act rashly. Put another way, no one could bear this Daoist karmic consequence.

Zhu He had a complex expression.

Zhu Lu clenched her teeth so hard they creaked. Her fists were tight, and the veins on the backs of her hands bulged.

"On the Qingming Heaven side, Youzhou can be considered equivalent to a prefecture here in Haoran Heaven. For example..." The Taoist stomped his foot, "the Bottle Gourd Prefecture we're standing on. Actually, this analogy isn't quite accurate either."

Lu Chen pointed north, "It should be said to be the larger Bei Ju Lu Prefecture, because Youzhou on the Qingming Heaven side is a first-class great prefecture."

"In Youzhou territory, there are two most famous places. One is the Huayang Palace at Difei Mountain, where Taoist Gao Gu is currently the eighth ranked under heaven on the Qingming Heaven side."

"The other is that ancient battlefield in Zhuolu Commandery."

"And your past life was a local Daoist official there. The biggest thing your past self accomplished was turning Zhuolu Commandery into a battlefield ruin. The last Daoist official to fight you was this forced-down-the-mountain Gao Gu. When it comes to being aggressive, you've always been an expert among experts."

Zhu He gently grabbed Zhu Lu's arm, signaling her not to be afraid with his eyes.

Zhu Lu's face was expressionless as she stared fixedly at the Taoist, spitting out words through clenched teeth, "Who... exactly... are... you?!"

Lu Chen just continued on his own, "Let me give you another analogy, poor Taoist. There was once a gambling table. Some people only brought a few copper coins as their stake, some had a few pieces of silver in their pockets, and you carried a sack full of gold and silver ingots."

"And then? With a clatter, you bet wrong, and soon it was all gambled away. Lost everything."

"Following a certain thread of development, you would first get to know Li Huai, go through some experiences, then follow Li Xisheng to travel through Bei Ju Lu Prefecture. You would also obtain a dagger inscribed with 'Zhuolu,' and that would only be one of the many opportunities you deserved."

"Think back carefully. When you were young and left Fortune Street, did you encounter a poor child with a tigerish head and a tigerish brain, who might have still been wearing open-crotch pants at the time? Yes, you saw him later too, but you still didn't like him. You couldn't like him no matter what."

"Yes, earlier on, you were definitely by Li Baozhen's side."

"I suspect that back in the Li family mansion, you must have repeatedly weighed the options, engaged in heavenly battles within yourself, and finally chose the second son, whom the lady of the house favored more, rather than the eldest son. Perhaps it was because Li Xisheng's name didn't have a 'Bao' character in it."

"Because this is your tribulation."

"Much of our knowledge in this life comes from the books we read in our past lives. Of course, what's inside books and what's outside books are both books. So the books we read in this life are not only for this life but also for our next life."

"In your past life, it was because of this kind of cleverness—being too clever—that you accumulated continuously until at some point it blossomed and bore fruit, causing you to lose the big for the small, ultimately missing a rightful opportunity to merge with the Dao, and instead creating a great calamity. It was the First Lord of the Jade Capital who interceded for you, and then helped you make amends and correct your mistakes, sparing you from death. So in this life, you are starting over. You can both redeem your faults and... continue as before."

"See? You're too clever. So clever that you're not wise at all. At this very moment, you're starting to resent in your heart why I didn't enlighten you earlier, why I stood by and did nothing?"

"You need to understand that by the time I went to set up my stall in Lizhu Cave Heaven, how old were you already? Do you think a person's established nature is so easy to change? Otherwise, why would there be the old saying, 'Rivers and mountains are easy to change, but a person's nature is hard to shift'?"

"Besides, what relation are you to me? Am I your father?"

"You still prefer to blame others. You never like to look for problems within yourself. With you like this, even if I had entered the town ten years earlier... perhaps it would have worked. But unfortunately, I only have so much ability. My arms and legs are thin. Do you think I could enter Lizhu Cave Heaven just because I wanted to? Could I help you just because I wanted to? Besides, we humans always need to encounter things, suffer hardships, and then change our minds on our own, generate thoughts and vows, and seek our own blessings. Always thinking about meeting a noble benefactor on the road and relying on them—that kind of mindset is no good."

"In the books of sages that Li Baozhen reads, there must be this sentence: 'When actions fail to achieve results, reflect on yourself; when you are upright in your own person, the whole world will submit to you.' Moreover, isn't there a four-character inscription, 'Do Not Seek Outside,' on your hometown's Crab Workshop?"

Lu Chen shifted his gaze and smiled slightly, "Zhu He, Zhu He. You're a good person in every way—honest and simple, kind-hearted. There's just one thing you need to change: the habit of taking the blame for others. Change that from now on. It's never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. Maybe, perhaps, probably."

An old man, even to this day, still harbored deep guilt towards that teenage boy from back then. He was genuinely happy for the achievements the youth from Nipin Alley had later attained, yet he dared not show the slightest bit of true emotion in front of his own daughter. So over all these years, it had actually been quite difficult for him.

Lu Chen placed his hands horizontally, lightly patting the railing, and looked up into the distance.

What was a gambling table?

What you all didn't want, someone took it all.

Zhu Lu asked, "Who are you?"

Lu Chen smiled, "This poor Taoist's surname is Lu. Think big, think high."

Zhu Lu was oblivious, tears streaming down her face.

Lu Chen said with a cheeky grin, "Miss Zhu, no need to cry so sadly. It's never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost! Why else would I come looking for you? To tell you the truth just to make you regret it intensely? I'm a big shot who can be counted on among the mountains, and I'm very busy!"

The old coachman spat.

To say he was one of the few great cultivators across several heavens—there was no problem with that statement. But you, Lu Chen, were busy?

"Walking through life step by step is like reading a book, composing an essay, or writing characters. You must make every stroke with seriousness and write unhurriedly."

Lu Chen lifted one foot, gently twisting the tip against the ground, "They say three years old shows the man. But it's just that each person has their own smooth or rough prose, their own fast or slow pace. By and large, although it doesn't relate to character or intelligence, it can still reveal a person's fortune and achievements. Besides, if one is truly willing to use their heart, a slow person will be willing to watch and learn some clever ways of the world, and a clever person will be willing to use slow methods to conduct themselves. According to your hometown's saying, when your skill reaches the door, you won't be seen through too early. With steady progress, there will naturally be a new heaven and earth, something that can surprise others, can give them a real shock."

Lu Chen straightened up, stretched, and smiled, "Someone had a saying that was incredibly good. 'When the wind and waves are fierce, the weeds stand tall and spirited.' There's no other way. That's all. Let you, me, him, and her all encourage each other."

"Alright, alright. Stop looking at me with that murderous glare. I'll give you one more choice and opportunity. Say a proper goodbye to your father, and then follow me... back home."

"Zhu Lu, I've spoken to you with such candor, laying all the cards on the table. Let me warn you: if you still can't cherish it, then I'll just have to say, 'Ha ha, and then ha ha'!"

Lu Chen lifted one sleeve, shook it, and said lazily, "Do you know what this is? I advise you, it's best if you never find out."

Along this journey together, Empress Dowager Nan Zan found that she quite enjoyed chatting with Yu Yu. So she pulled the girl into the room. As she was pouring water, Yu Yu asked a question that probably only she could have asked. She made a gesture of tilting her head back and holding a cup, and asked quietly, "Empress Dowager, do you have any of that Eternal Spring Palace rice wine? The journey has been tiring, I'm a bit weary. Drinking a little wine, perking up the spirits, then I can chat properly with you!"

"For the time being, let wine raise our spirits. Let's just use bowls to drink."

Nan Zan smiled and nodded. She took two jars of immortal brew from her sleeve, then cast a prohibition technique to prevent eavesdropping. She lightly clinked her wine bowl with the girl's and drank it down in one gulp. The woman took the initiative to talk about some inside details of the banquet she had set up last time to entertain "Hidden Officer Chen." Of course, these were all modified versions of what happened, mixed with truth and falsehood to confuse things. For example, she said she was extremely sincere and had offered Chen Ping'an a very high "price" at the time—the Great Li Song family was willing to exhaust all their manpower, material resources, and financial resources to help him cultivate and ascend, all the way to the bottleneck of the Flying Ascension realm...

As Nan Zan spoke, her eyes became red, with glistening teardrops seemingly in her eye sockets. She took a sip of wine, stretched out her hand, and lightly brushed it across the tabletop, murmuring, "Yu Yu, tell me, with things like this, why couldn't we reach an agreement?"

Previously, during the face-to-face discussion with Chen Ping'an, she had said she was at the Golden Core realm, but she was actually at the Nascent Soul realm. Yet Chen Ping'an had still seen through her realm at a glance.

Yu Yu really dared to say it. "Empress Dowager, don't get angry when you hear this. Honestly, you shouldn't have talked that way. With businessmen, talk about money and business. With scholars, talk about the principles of the sages. Once the relationship is familiar, then find an opportunity to talk about feelings with the businessmen, and do business with the scholars."

Nan Zan was stunned for a moment, then looked up and smiled. "That seems reasonable."

Yu Yu asked cautiously, "Empress Dowager, the Hidden Officer Lord didn't do anything inappropriate, did he?"

That guy—when he was easy to talk to, he was really easy to talk to. When he wasn't, well... She didn't want to think about it, didn't dare to think about it, so she just wouldn't think about it.

Nan Zan chatted casually with Yu Yu for a long time, each finishing a jar of wine. In the end, the girl managed to weasel two more jars of Eternal Spring Palace immortal brew out of her with the phrase "good things come in pairs." Only then did Yu Yu stride out of the room feeling refreshed.

Nan Zan sat alone in the room, looking around. She was filled with indignation. She pinched the white bowl between two fingers, raised it high, ready to slam it heavily on the table.

But after a moment's thought, Nan Zan gently put it down. No point getting angry at a white bowl.

She subconsciously leaned back and almost fell over before remembering that the seat she was on was just a bench, not the chair she had been used to for years.

The woman grew so irritated that she flicked her sleeve vigorously, sending the white bowl flying toward the wall. Then she sighed in defeat and, just before the bowl would have shattered, controlled it back onto the table.

She stared blankly at the empty bowl, and the more she thought about how aggrieved she was, the more her chest heaved with fury.

At the time, she had been certain the other party wouldn't dare to cause trouble in the capital. He was the closed-door disciple of the Sage of Literature. How could he act against the proper order? And most importantly, if he had any sense or brains, how could he bear to let the thriving Great Li foundation—especially the achievements built by his senior brother Cui Chan—go to waste in the hands of you, Chen Ping'an?

The result was that Nan Zan's head was chopped off by him. If she hadn't immediately used a "family heirloom" secret technique of the Lu family...

Thinking of this, Nan Zan couldn't help rubbing her forehead, then reached out and gently brushed her neck.

This guy who had stepped in dog shit and suddenly become wealthy had gone soft in the bones! He brought along a young attendant in a yellow hat and blue shoes and entered the palace. At that time, the person leading the way was none other than Lu Wei, who claimed to be "half a fellow townsman" of Chen Ping'an. This ancestor, along with Nan Zan (whose original name was Lu Jiang) and Lu Tai, all came from the main branch of the Lu family. That Chen fellow not only lit a Lamp-Picking Talisman for her and offered a Cloud-Mist Incense to Lu Wei. After cutting off Nan Zan's head, he even held her head down and forced her to kowtow like a garlic clove, finally overturning the table.

This time, Nan Zan had voluntarily asked to leave the capital with the Emperor. It wasn't for sightseeing but for two private matters, both of which involved Chen Ping'an.

One matter was to confirm with Chen Ping'an how many spirit-communication pearls were still usable on the bracelet she was wearing.

The second matter was that she wanted to know if she could break away from the Central Earth Yin-Yang School Lu family and completely sever ties with that monstrous entity that made her tremble with fear.

Just like the old coachman earlier at the Fire God Temple, when Aunt Feng teased him, saying that if worse came to worst, he could just admit defeat to Chen Ping'an, curry favor with him, and expose Lu Wei's secrets at the same time. The old coachman had been tempted, but he still abandoned the idea. He truly felt that it was better to provoke a sword cultivator than to make an enemy of a fortune-teller. Provoking a sword cultivator just meant getting stabbed a few times. If you could survive it, it would pass. But making an enemy of a Yin-Yang school Qi Refiner, especially the Central Earth Lu family, wasn't a matter of just one or two lifetimes. If even the old coachman was so wary of the Yin-Yang school, it was even more terrifying for Nan Zan, the insider who had become a mere chess piece on the board.

Yet for some reason, ever since Lu Wei returned to the family, it was as if he had completely forgotten about her, this "Lu Jiang."

Today, Nan Zan's hair was fastened with an ordinary green bamboo hairpin.

Yu Yu had noticed it but didn't probe deeper, assuming it was just the Empress Dowager's leisure and elegance, after all, it looked quite simple and refined.

Back in the palace, she hadn't dared to deceive that shrewd young Hidden Officer. It was true.

She had indeed secretly put that piece of life-bound porcelain back in Lizhu Cave Heaven.

As Nan Zan's expression flickered and her mind wandered, a strange voice suddenly rang in her ears.

"A minor official of the Weaving Bureau who was just eating dust behind the carriage a moment ago suddenly gets to sit on equal footing with the Empress Dowager of a great nation. How does that feel?"

Nan Zan slowly lifted her head and saw a young Taoist wearing a lotus crown. As for the woman beside the Taoist, she seemed to be named Zhu? The maidservant of the Weaving Director Li Baozhen?

She didn't even glance at her.

The woman was only dazed for a moment before quickly returning to normal. Then, with tears streaming down her face, she quickly stood up, retreated step by step, steadied herself, and then dropped to her knees, kowtowing with a thud.

Just as she was thinking about severing ties with "Lu Jiang," she had no such thoughts left. With tears and a sobbing voice, she cried out, "Lu Jiang pays respects to the ancestor!"

Lu Chen jumped sideways, extending his hand, "Stop! Please don't try to acknowledge kinship with me. I'm already up to my ears in debts."

Other than that child Lu Tai, whose karma was clear, whose words were witty, and who was somewhat filial, there really weren't many people who could truly give this ancestor peace of mind.

When they encountered problems, they just liked to burn incense and kowtow to the ancestor. "Ancestor, we're in trouble. We'll kowtow to you, won't that work?" Since it wouldn't work anyway, why blame anyone?

Lu Jiang ignored this and just continued kowtowing vigorously.

Lu Chen pulled a bench over and sat down, crossing his legs. He smiled, "Enough. Kowtowing without a shred of sincerity—what's the point? Do you really think the ancestors in the portraits are all dead?"

Lu Jiang still wouldn't listen, just kept kowtowing. Perhaps to show her sincerity, her forehead was already swollen.

Lu Chen patted his knees and said, "Afraid of you. Get up. I won't let you kowtow for nothing. As compensation, I'll have a word with Lu Shen. From now on, the name Lu Jiang will be struck from the Lu family register. I'll count to three. If you're not up by then, I'm leaving. Consider this visit never happened. If you think you can use 'Lu Jiang' to get close to me, Nan Zan, you'd better be careful you're not just dreaming. You'll end up with nothing but an empty basket fetching water. One, two..."

Nan Zan quickly stood up.

Lu Chen smiled and asked, "I wasn't planning to come here, but there's something I'm really curious about. Tell me, where did you order Yang Hua to place that piece of life-bound porcelain?"

Nan Zan didn't dare to conceal anything. Her voice still carried a sob as she said tremulously, "Replying to Ancestor... Lord Lu, that piece of life-bound porcelain, I already had Yang Hua secretly place it next to Chen Ping'an's ancestral home in Nipin Alley."

"Oh?"

Lu Chen's eyes lit up, and he grinned broadly. "Next door. Left or right?"

Nan Zan said, "It's in the drawer of Song Mu's study, sandwiched inside a children's primer."

Lu Chen seemed somewhat disappointed. He curled his lip, stood up, and said, "Heading back, heading back."

Nan Zan wanted to speak but stopped.

Lu Chen reached out his finger, tapped the corner of his eye, and smiled. "Nan Zan, one more word for you: stop cursing Chen Ping'an in your heart. He can actually hear it. He just can't be bothered to care."

Nan Zan felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

Now she was truly panicked.

When it came to memory and the ability to endure—especially the ability to hold a grudge—that guy had certainly made Nan Zan sit up and take notice.

Lu Chen laughed heartily. "And you actually believed that!"

Nan Zan was bewildered.

Lu Chen nodded to himself. "You can believe it."

"If you don't believe, you might suffer. If you believe, you won't suffer at all, and you might even gain. Why not believe?"

Lu Chen kicked the bench back into place. "The hardest knowledge in the world is aboard a night boat."

Leading Zhu Lu, he walked straight through the wall as if it didn't exist, his hands tucked in his sleeves. "I, however, very much disagree with that."

"In my opinion, the hardest thing is bending down to pick up money all over the ground."

"It's clearly there for the taking, yet almost no one is willing to pick it up. They just won't put it in their own pockets. This world—everyone should be laden with coin, everywhere dragons and serpents on land. How strange is that?"

"Friend, do you know that if the copper coins scattered all over the ground have a symbolic meaning, what would it be?"

Zhu Lu had a flash of insight, and her expression darkened as she murmured, "Principles."

"Saying that isn't wrong either."

Lu Chen smiled. "So you knew after all."

Heaven was kind enough to give us the opportunity to make mistakes.

"Walking slowly and hesitantly, my heart is at odds. Time to go back, time to go back."

Lu Chen stretched. "The Taoist in the mountains reports the news of the plum blossoms."

At the capital outskirts of the Qingxing Kingdom, a quiet Taoist temple surrounded by ancient cypresses stood in lonely grandeur, as if no one ever came to burn incense there.

Cheng Qian, though a state-protecting true man, had never served as a national teacher. He lived in seclusion here, practicing Daoism, far from the turmoil of officialdom, which suited him perfectly.

Wen Zixi had been resting and recuperating in this temple for some time.

Old True Man Cheng, who looked like a child, had bathed and changed clothes today, then went to the Patriarch Hall to light three incense sticks. As purple smoke curled upward, a woman emerged from a painting scroll. She was the Palace Lord of the Lingfei Palace, the Cave Court founder.

Walking out of the Patriarch Hall together, Cheng Qian detailed recent events with the Xiang Lord founder. It turned out that not long ago, a troublemaker had suddenly appeared, seemingly intent on contending with the Lingfei Temple for the Hehuan Mountain territory.

Apart from Qingxing Kingdom's Emperor Liu, the monarchs of the two neighboring countries around Hehuan Mountain had all shown signs of changing their stance.

Cheng Qian said, "The three of them are currently in the capital's imperial palace, discussing with His Majesty about purchasing the mountain range. The palace sent word to the temple about this."

Xiang Jun said with some doubt, "What background do they have? Didn't they reveal any clues before?"

As for their plan to develop Hehuan Mountain into a private dojo and have the Lingfei Temple descend the mountain being intercepted halfway, Xiang Jun wasn't particularly angry; she was more curious.

Cheng Qian explained, "The first two times, this group operated even more covertly, with no leaks. They would go directly to the Emperor for secret, face-to-face discussions. This time, they seemed to deliberately let the temple know, which is why I could inform the Palace Lord. One man and two women, all outsiders, all using illusion techniques. It's clear they made a very high offer. Otherwise, the emperors of those two countries wouldn't risk enmity with us for the sake of earning such hot-handed immortal money."

They arrived at an elegant courtyard where Wen Zixi was waiting. He was reaching out to tease a koi in a water tank. This martial arts grandmaster, who had been somewhat listless lately, sneered, "Quite bold. They know it's our Lingfei Temple's business. Unless they're deaf, they must have heard that Patriarch Cao made an appearance at Hehuan Mountain recently. Yet they still dare to swagger around like this and openly compete with us for territory. I'm just wondering, what gives them the right?"

Xiang Jun pretended not to hear, and Cheng Qian didn't mind. Wen Zixi had been in a bad mood lately, and there was a reason for it. Although Cheng Qian wasn't clear about the details of the sparring match outside Fenwan Manor, Wen Zixi had been "brought" here by Xing Zi of the Golden Immortal Nunnery to recover from his injuries. He was wounded, though not fatally. It hadn't damaged the foundation of his Great Path. Taking elixirs and medicinal meals and carefully recuperating for a few months was unavoidable. But one thing caught Cheng Qian's attention: during this period, Wen Zixi had tried several times to enter a state of sitting forgetfulness and condense his spirit and Qi, but each time he failed. After repeated failures, his entire demeanor had become increasingly irritable.

Inside the room was a set of go equipment and some old go manuals. Two jars of stones, both carefully polished from black and white pebbles from the mountain stream. The material was utterly ordinary, but the craftsmanship was meticulous.

Xiang Jun took off her boots outside and stepped into the room, which was covered with bamboo mats. She sat down on one side of the go board and extended her hand in invitation. "Cheng Qian, let's play a game."

Cheng Qian sat down and smiled. "I'd be honored."

Wen Zixi didn't take off his shoes. He sat by the doorway with his back to the two players, his mind wandering, his brow deeply furrowed, his expression extremely gloomy.

If he weren't in someone else's temple, Wen Zixi would have been cursing up a storm by now, possibly even getting drunk. Taking advantage of the alcohol, he would fly to some remote mountain wilderness and beat it to pieces.

Because lately, he had been in agony. Every time he closed his eyes to do his Daoist lessons and tried to concentrate, the face of that woman would appear in his mind—her slightly mocking expression, especially her contradictory gaze, both scorching hot and ice cold. This forced Wen Zixi to retreat from a single grain of mustard seed's worth of mind-consolidation every time he began his sitting forgetfulness. As a result, his injury recovery was slower than he had expected by at least a day or two.

A young Taoist wearing a golden flower crown arrived with light, flowing footsteps. He stopped at the doorway without looking further into the courtyard, made a Daoist bow, and said respectfully, "Temple master, guests have arrived. Three of them, one woman and two men, all Qi Refiners. The disciple cannot discern their cultivation levels. They say they have come to discuss a business matter with the temple master."

Cheng Qian's two fingers pinched a stone, holding it in midair. He looked at Xiang Jun, who nodded.

Cheng Qian gently placed the stone on the board with a crisp sound. "Bring them here."

Wen Zixi, bored out of his mind, perked up. Listening to the footsteps and breathing sounds—they didn't seem like accomplished cultivators. Could they be some country bumpkins with a few stinking coins, who, because they were too far from the mountain peak, dared to disregard the newly promoted Lingfei Temple as a true sect? A moment later, Wen Zixi saw the figures of the three people. The leader was a young man in a Confucian robe, with a jade hairpin, a gentle smile, a decent appearance, and a commendable bearing. On his left was a woman who looked like a country village wife. On his right was someone who made Wen Zixi do a double take—her hair was coiled like a snail's shell, her figure was graceful, and she wore a green robe of no small rank. Her slender, breathtaking waist seemed too delicate for the weight of the immortal attire.

Xiang Jun took one look at them and knew these were no ordinary people. They were unmistakably dragons crossing the river.

Just the green robe on the young female cultivator—even Xiang Jun had only seen it described in Daoist scriptures. It was called the "Tushita Palace Robe," extremely costly in materials and exceedingly difficult to forge.

According to the texts, this kind of immortal robe, said to be "dusted once a century," had only appeared in a batch during those ancient times when the various earthly true men each had their own domains. It was said to help Qi Refiners come into contact with the river of time. With the passage of time and the changes of the world, almost no female cultivator wore them anymore.

Since Cheng Qian, as a local power, might not be able to suppress them, Xiang Jun, as the founder of the superior sect, didn't think about testing them. She placed her stone back in the jar and smiled. "Lingfei Temple, Xiang Jun, Dao name Cave Court. And you are?"

The young man at the lead had a genial expression as he bowed. "White Emperor City, Gu Can. Paying respects to Founder Xiang Jun, True Man Cheng, Grandmaster Wen."

The maidservant beside him, her eyes full of autumn ripples, silently offered a curtsy. Just this silent action was full of a thousand charms.

Only the village-woman-looking figure remained utterly still.

Wen Zixi thought he had misheard. "You are Gu Can?!"

The high disciple of White Emperor City's Zheng Juzhong had come all the way here to snatch a piece of godforsaken territory? As for Gu Can's origins from Lizhu Cave Heaven in the Great Li dynasty, Wen Zixi had certainly heard of it long ago. Gu Can's actions in the Book-Weaving Lake back in his youth were known to everyone both on and off the mountains in Bottle Gourd Prefecture, thanks to a certain travelogue. What, had the prodigal son returned?

Gu Can, having completed his bow and risen, smiled and nodded. "I am."

Wen Zixi clicked his tongue in amazement. "You recognized me?"

Gu Can nodded. "There are many rumors in the martial world. It's hard not to hear about you."

Wen Zixi asked suspiciously, "You don't seem that arrogant. Why does everyone call you a 'madman'?"

Gu Can smiled. "If you still think so after today's business is concluded, Grandmaster Wen, that would be wonderful."

Wen Zixi burst out laughing and gave Gu Can a thumbs up. "Now that's starting to sound like a madman."

Xiang Jun didn't stop Wen Zixi's chitchat with Gu Can. By observing his words and actions, she could learn a bit more about his character. It wouldn't hurt.

Since he was indeed Gu Can, that explained the previous doubts. In Haoran Heaven, the direct disciple of White Emperor City's Mr. Zheng really didn't need to sell any favors to the Lingfei Temple.

Gu Can glanced at the go game inside the room and said, "I wouldn't dare to delay Founder Xiang Jun and True Man Cheng's game, so I'll get straight to the point."

Xiang Jun smiled and nodded. "Please, go ahead."

Standing in the courtyard, Gu Can was calm and unhurried as he spoke slowly. "Founder Xiang Jun and Lingfei Temple have only reached a preliminary intention with Qingxing Kingdom's Emperor Liu and the others. It's not yet signed in black and white. Since it's not a done deal, I still have a chance. Business under heaven is simply a matter of mutual willingness, with the highest bidder getting it."

"Moreover, I am determined to acquire the Hehuan Mountain territory. It's not a matter of artificially inflating the price. Whenever you make an offer, I'll simply outbid you by one Guyu coin."

"So if you're unhappy about it, you can keep raising the price and make me waste more money. Only stop when you've calmed down."

Xiang Jun frowned slightly.

Cheng Qian was even more displeased. Did you, Gu Can, think you were your master, Mr. Zheng? Could you make such wild claims?

Wen Zixi was amused into speaking first. "Since when is the face of our Lingfei Temple worth only one Guyu coin?"

Gu Can said, "Grandmaster Wen should focus on recovering from his injuries."

The implication was that Wen Zixi had no right to interfere in the matters under discussion.

The maidservant, who went by the alias Ling Yan and the Dao name Spring Night, covered her mouth and giggled.

Had the book-reading one learned to insinuate and speak with a barbed tongue? So caustic?

Hearing the charming giggle, Wen Zixi turned his gaze toward Ling Yan.

In an instant, Wen Zixi's vision blurred, his mind unsettled, and his Dao heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cavern. His Qi flow was blocked. His face flushed red. Fortunately, he quickly returned to normal, but his forehead was beaded with fine sweat.

Gu Can glanced at Ling Yan's current "face." He squinted, withdrew his gaze, and his expression was playful. Speaking with his mind, he said, "Founder Xiang Jun, a Qi Refiner of Wen Zixi's aptitude would be carefully cultivated by any sect. The mountain winds are strong, and the roads are treacherous. You'd better be careful that he doesn't just suddenly wither and die."

Xiang Jun's expression was calm. "Are you threatening me?"

Gu Can shook his head. "This junior is just stating the facts and discussing a possibility."

"Moreover, as long as neither of us calls for reinforcements and goes back to bother our masters, do you think I would need to waste half a sentence with you? This is just business, plain and simple—just comparing who has more money. Coming here today, I've already done the Lingfei Temple and Heavenly Lord Cao face."

"Hehuan Mountain, a little Book-Weaving Lake? If it were still the Book-Weaving Lake, I'd set down a life-or-death contract. Hah, I'd twist all your heads off."

Han Qiao Se had the highest cultivation realm and was one of White Emperor City's great cultivators. She could hear both sides of the conversation. Clicking her tongue in amazement, she couldn't help but ask Ling Yan mentally, "Weren't we supposed to talk nicely to that Xiang Jun? Why did you change your mind? Gu Can doesn't seem like himself."

Ling Yan's mental voice smiled charmingly. "It seems that through Wen Zixi's eyes, the Master saw someone he knew. And that person has a significant connection with that other person. So he got angry. Very angry. Of course, that, combined with the fierce battle we fought in the Barren Wasteland and the second fight he stupidly went to have with Cao Ci, adding injury to injury—it's bound to unsettle his Dao heart. And the fact that he's breaking through from the Jade Capital realm to the Immortal realm is itself a process of 'seeking truth,' so the connection is even stronger."

Han Qiao Se smiled. "You little slut. You know Gu Can that well?"

Ling Yan giggled. "Don't put it so harshly. I might have to call you 'elder sister' one day. Don't worry, you can be the wife proper. I'll be the concubine."

Han Qiao Se stepped over to Ling Yan, pinched her smooth, slippery neck, and shook her. "Little strumpet, you can't control your mouth? You're spewing filth. Are you shitting from your mouth?"

In an instant, the entire courtyard was filled with a murderous intent as solid as frost.

Ling Yan shrank her neck and begged repeatedly for mercy, saying she wouldn't dare anymore.

Cheng Qian was somewhat shocked.

Infighting already?

Truly worthy of being cultivators who walked out of White Emperor City.

Gu Can said, "Let's get down to business."

Han Qiao Se released her fingers. Ling Yan rubbed her neck and spoke timidly, "Master, it's not my fault. Your martial aunt is the one bullying me."

Wen Zixi was distracted.

Cheng Qian's face paled slightly at the words.

Gu Can's martial aunt? That would be Mr. Zheng's junior sister of White Emperor City, the Immortal Han Qiao Se?!

In the mountains, whether a Qi Refiner of a certain realm could be called outstanding actually had a very simple threshold: whether they could be considered a sword cultivator.

The founding patriarch of Lingfei Temple, Daoist Heavenly Lord Cao Rong, was certainly in this category. And White Emperor City's Han Qiao Se was as well.

There was an unverifiable rumor in the mountains that Han Qiao Se had once vowed to cultivate twelve different great Dao arts, and each path she had chosen was a mountain-climbing path that the registered disciples of White Emperor City would shrink from. Regardless of whether the rumor was true or false, the outside world generally agreed that Han Qiao Se would definitely reach the Flying Ascension realm.

Xiang Jun smiled slightly. "I'll cede the Hehuan Mountain territory to you, Friend Gu. You don't have to waste that extra Guyu coin."

Gu Can was mildly surprised. After a moment's hesitation, he took a Guyu coin from his sleeve, pinched it between two fingers, and walked straight into the room, his feet barely touching the ground. He crouched beside the go board, picked up a stone from Cheng Qian's jar, and placed it on the board. Then he set the Guyu coin on the edge of the board, looked up, and smiled. "Consider this one favor I owe the Lingfei Temple. Whether you use it or not, I'll remember it. The Great Path is high and far, and worldly affairs are unpredictable. For Heavenly Lord Cao, who has long aspired to ascend, or for you, Founder Xiang Jun, who will most likely go to the Jade Capital to cultivate and realize the Dao, or for Wen Zixi, who may or may not be the next Palace Lord—mountains and waters will meet again. There will always be a chance to see each other again."

Gu Can paused for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Does the senior require me to crush this Guyu coin, so you don't have to see it and get annoyed?"

Xiang Jun's smile remained unchanged. She shook her head. "No need. Keep it. As you said, whether I go to White Emperor City in the future, or you go to the Jade Capital, I believe there will always be a chance to meet again."

Gu Can's eyes burned like two braziers as he stared intently at this female Daoist, whose Dao name was Cave Court.

Xiang Jun actually shifted her gaze, as if avoiding his sharp edge.

But before she could say anything, Gu Can had already smiled, stood up, and walked out of the courtyard. He turned and made a deep bow. "This junior was presumptuous. I beg your pardon."

After leaving the temple, Han Qiao Se asked, "Little Can, have you decided? Are you going to establish a sect here?"

Gu Can shook his head. "Not yet decided. I'm just buying a piece of land. The expense isn't great."

Han Qiao Se smiled. "Oh?"

Gu Can found it both funny and frustrating. "That's not what I meant. What are you thinking?"

Han Qiao Se really didn't care much about matters of love between men and women. She just felt a bit sorry for Gu Can.

Back when Gu Can had gone into closed-door cultivation to break through from the Nascent Soul realm to the Jade Capital realm, Han Qiao Se had been his guardian.

He had failed once. But what had made Han Qiao Se's heart ache even more was what she saw when she opened the door: that gaunt young man, his face covered in tears and snot.

As for what Gu Can's inner demon was, Han Qiao Se had already guessed it.

At that time, the young man, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, had his hands clenched into fists, resting on his knees. He sat there, utterly dejected, muttering to himself.

"I don't actually like these... principles. I just can't defeat them, so I have to bow my head and surrender to them."

"I am who I am. Gu Can will always be Gu Can. I can correct my mistakes, but I will not admit I was wrong. I have done nothing wrong!"

"You know I have never lied to you since I was a child... I have never changed. It was you who changed."

Han Qiao Se had no idea how to comfort him. She could only stand at the door, watching the heartbroken young man, like a wounded beast licking its wounds alone in a dark corner.

Then Zheng Juzhong appeared at the door. Han Qiao Se steeled herself and wanted to ask her senior brother to lend a hand, to help Gu Can get through this, to cross this heart tribulation.

Zheng Juzhong just smiled and said, "With this kind of character, you dare to say you want to cultivate the Great Path to its peak at White Emperor City, just to prove that Chen Ping'an was wrong and you weren't?"

What Gu Can did next startled even Han Qiao Se.

The young man forcibly suppressed his rage, remaining seated without moving, and just cursed, "Go to hell!"

Han Qiao Se was stunned at the time. No one dared to speak to her senior brother like that. Had anyone ever? Possibly. But the consequences were predictable.

Fortunately, the senior brother didn't get angry. He just shook his head and smiled. "A poor man has short ambitions; a narrow river makes fierce currents. Truly pitiful."

Gu Can just hung his head, breathing heavily. The aftereffects of his failed cultivation appeared, his face covered in blood, flowing continuously from his seven orifices, washing away the tears and snot.

Zheng Juzhong stepped onto the threshold with one foot. "No willfulness, no certainty, no obstinacy, no ego. Take the Dao as your measure, therefore you will not be capricious."

Gu Can slowly lifted his head and turned his neck. His eyes were dark and deep as he stared at his master, the world's foremost demonic cultivator.

Zheng Juzhong smiled. "This is what Chen Ping'an might say to you if he saw you in this state. Because he would pity you. But neither you nor he has ever dared to admit that as long as Gu Can lives, Chen Ping'an will never be able to leave the Book-Weaving Lake. Why don't you pity him instead? Because you don't even have the ability to pity him. You obviously hate him to the core, but you don't even dare to hate him. Not even a little."

Listening to this, Han Qiao Se felt a chill run down her spine. As an Immortal Realm cultivator, she actually got goosebumps on the spot.

In that moment, it seemed as if all the spirit and drive had drained out of Gu Can.

But it was in that very moment that Zheng Juzhong had already turned and left. He only asked his disciple one question and gave him an answer that wasn't really an answer.

"If you don't kill the inner demon Chen Ping'an today, how will you protect Chen Ping'an in the future? Rely on Gu Can's Nascent Soul realm?"

"You must go higher. Crawl if you have to, but get to the highest place. One day, when the debt is paid, tell Chen Ping'an: You were wrong. I was right."

Zheng Juzhong was already far away. There was silence in the room for a long time. Finally, Gu Can spoke hoarsely, "Help me close the door. I need to cultivate in seclusion."

Han Qiao Se remembered very clearly that day. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Gu Can, who had just failed his seclusion, had already successfully emerged from it.

On the Qingming Heaven side, Mizhou Prefecture, a vast, endless plain. A solitary Leap Month Peak stood in isolation.

Someone had built a few thatched huts on the summit. Since childhood, he had been here, rolling his eyes at the blue sky.

Because Leap Month Peak was so toweringly high, the Weak Water River at its foot meandered below like a small snake.

Xin Ku, the martial artist who worked hard and was the bottom of the current top ten under heaven. Though he was at the bottom, he was still clearly ahead of the candidates.

This normally quiet mountain had been unusually lively lately. So lively that even Xin Ku, who usually had little emotional fluctuation, found it a bit annoying.

The first Qi Refiner to climb the mountain was a fellow named Lu Tai, who was leading a mangy dog he had apparently picked up from some rural roadside, naming it Lu Chen, with the nickname of Little Six.

The woman who climbed the mountain with Lu Tai was Yuan Ying. Her Daoist age was very short, but her status was quite remarkable. If it weren't for Chun Qing, who was still young in the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven, Yuan Ying would have been the youngest among the young candidate top ten across several heavens.

The mountain's restriction was the fist intent aura of the martial artist Xin Ku.

And this fist intent was in harmony with the cycle of the sun and moon. During the day, the fist intent was yang, vigorous, and powerful. When the moonlight fell to the ground like water, it turned into a yin aspect that was soft and dense.

Generally speaking, only Flying Ascension realm cultivators and Apex realm martial artists could climb the mountain.

Of course, there were exceptions. Roughly speaking, Heaven does not let down those who work hard. Over the years, a few people of not particularly high realms had managed to sneak up the mountain, though this was also related to Xin Ku's unwillingness to harm the innocent.

For the living beings of the mortal world, the martial artist Xin Ku had a certain indescribable affinity. He was close to everyone, especially cultivators.

Xin Ku lived alone in his thatched hut on this peak. This unkempt young martial artist was gaunt, with a face full of beard stubble, slovenly and unkempt. No one knew where he came from or where he was going.

When he was a child, as far as he could remember, all memories before that were blank. He had been walking in the plains of Mizhou Prefecture in a daze. Just because he looked up and saw this high mountain, he felt a closeness to it, and he kept walking to the bank of the Weak Water River. He didn't feel the slightest bit tired. It was only much later that the child realized how strange he was: not everyone could breathe and refine Qi at the same time. Just walking caused fist intent to come to him on its own, continuously growing, as if there were no end.

His only hobby was making ink. This process didn't interfere with his fist practice.

Earlier, right under Xin Ku's nose, a young couple who looked like divine immortals had climbed the mountain with their dog.

Xin Ku didn't pay much attention at first. Whatever immortal means they used, if they could climb the mountain, it was their skill. As long as they didn't stay on Leap Month Peak for too long, Xin Ku generally wouldn't bother.

But he glanced at the handsome young man in white. It seemed to be an out-of-body travel state of the Yin Spirit.

As for the young female cultivator beside him, who seemed not as handsome as the young man, she had good aptitude. According to Lu Chen's saying, there was always a small group of chosen ones—others climb the mountain, but the mountain comes to them.

The ancient pines on the mountain formed a dense forest. Walking along the path, the visitors' sleeves were tinted green.

Yuan Ying sighed in admiration. "Wow, such beautiful scenery! So nice to look at!"

Lu Tai led Lu Chen with one hand and held a green bamboo staff in the other as he teased her. "You're the only direct inheritor of Liu Qi and Cao Zu. You see a beautiful scene, and all you can say is 'wow, wow, wow'?"

Yuan Ying grinned. "Isn't it because you're here? It's not my turn to show off my literary skills."

She was only in her twenties. She came from the Word Card Blessed Land, also known as the "Poetry Surplus Blessed Land." Yuan Ying had two masters, Liu Qi and Cao Zu, both Haoran Heaven cultivators who had traveled to Qingming Heaven. The masters had already returned home. Although Yuan Ying was at the Jade Capital realm, she was not a Daoist official. When she made the list, she hadn't even turned twenty yet. She had gone straight from the Willow Sinew realm to the Jade Capital realm in one leap.

With Lu Tai, a few years ago, near a ferry market at a fishing port, they had partnered to open a tavern. Yuan Ying had always considered herself the landlady. Anyone who called her "landlady" automatically got a twenty percent discount! If someone asked her when the wedding feast was, they got a forty percent discount!

They had wandered all the way to the summit of Leap Month Peak. At that time, Xin Ku was in one of the thatched huts making lampblack ink. Lu Tai, holding his green bamboo staff, leaned against the doorframe, just smiling and not saying a word.

Yuan Ying, with her lively personality, dashed straight to a pile of rubble near the cliff. Among the stones, a strange one sat atop another, on which was carved in red lacquer four characters: "Longevity Dao Ground." This spot was known as "The Ancestor's Resting Place." Yuan Ying lightly touched the tip of her foot and floated toward this stepping stone, hopping on it a couple of times before laughing heartily.

Lu Tai smiled. "Let me introduce myself. I am Lu Tai, from the Central Earth Lu family of Haoran Heaven. My cultivation level is very low, but I am very witty. My ability to lighten the mood is second to none in the world."

The mongrel dog obediently lay at Lu Tai's feet.

The young man inside the house just sat behind the table, focused on making ink.

Lu Tai took out an ink stick from his sleeve and gently tossed it onto the table. "These are ancient pines from Qianyang County in Mount Zhongnan. The wood quality is better than those pines on your Leap Month Peak. Let me be clear: this isn't a gift. After you've had a look, remember to give it back."

The young man glanced at the ink stick and nodded. "Indeed, very good. Worthy of its reputation."

Lu Tai grinned. "You can take the good and stop. Your realm is high. I'll consider this as rent paid to you, the landlord."

The young man shook his head, just focusing intently on repeatedly pounding the soot mixture.

Lu Tai asked, "On the mountain, besides your homemade pine blossom wine, is there anything to eat?"

Judging by the look of it, it would only be things like pine nuts, taros, and poria mushrooms. Wouldn't the flavors be too light?

Xin Ku was silent.

Lu Tai glanced at an old bamboo flute placed on the table and casually asked, "Still can't beat that Master Lin?"

Xin Ku ignored him. Only the sound of pounding came from the dimly lit room.

Lu Tai lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his foot. "Doggie, let's find some fun. Go howl a couple of times for Brother Xin Ku."

The mongrel dog let out a muffled bark. The food on the mountain was a bit lacking, so it was somewhat listless.

Xin Ku looked up, puzzled.

You, a descendant of the Lu family, why are you picking a fight with your own ancestor?

After that, Lu Tai shamelessly stayed on. Xin Ku hesitated, but pleasant persuasion didn't work, and throwing him out was equally ineffective. Xin Ku pretty much picked them up like chicks—Lu Tai, Yuan Ying, and of course the mongrel dog—and tossed them down to the foot of the mountain. But Lu Tai and his companions immediately climbed back up with smug looks. Xin Ku wanted to teach them a lesson, but that guy would simply fall backward, lie flat on the ground, and play dead. Xin Ku was naturally puzzled and asked him what he wanted. Lu Tai said he was waiting for someone. Xin Ku asked how long he would need to wait. Lu Tai said at most a month. Xin Ku said no more.

A month passed, but the person Lu Tai was waiting for still hadn't arrived.

Xin Ku felt the guy might be making up an excuse to freeload. But Lu Tai raised his arm with two fingers together and swore, "Heaven is my witness. If I'm lying, from my ancestor down to me, may we all be struck by lightning!" The female cultivator named Yuan Ying chimed in from the sidelines, making rumbling sounds with her mouth.

Xin Ku said he would let them stay another half a month. If the person still hadn't arrived by then, they would have to go down the mountain, and they would never be allowed to climb it again. Believe it or not.

Lu Tai nodded vigorously, agreeing very readily, and sat down on the doorstep. He said earnestly, "Brother Xin Ku, you really can't keep your Leap Month Peak like this. All sorts of people, relying on their identities and high realms, come and go as they please. Do you think this is a brothel? And they freeload!"

Xin Ku glanced at this bastard. What about you?

Lu Tai said firmly, "I'm not leaving!" He stamped his foot heavily. "Roots planted. I'm not budging."

From inside the house, Xin Ku said calmly, "Then you're still freeloading."

Lu Tai clapped his hands. "I knew you and I were kindred spirits, Brother Xin Ku. Such affinity, it's a shame we aren't sworn brothers."

Xin Ku said, "Only one day left. If your person still hasn't arrived, don't blame me for being rude."

Lu Tai nodded and actually went to burn incense.

Whether by accident or design, someone actually climbed the mountain the next day. And not just one.

Xin Ku rarely came out of his hut. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Lu Tai at the cliff's edge, looking down at the foot of the mountain.

Yuan Ying was crouching nearby, playing with the dog.

There were three people climbing the mountain. Lu Tai smiled and started introducing them. "Zhang Fenghai of the Jade Capital's Jade Pivot City. Half a step from the Fourteenth Realm. When the season of heavy rain arrives, I expect he'll cross that remaining half step. Impressive, right? Walking behind Zhang Fenghai is the candidate loose immortal of the world, Lü Bixia. Or I might call her Nie Bixia. She's a hair's breadth away from the peak of the Flying Ascension realm. The one with the lowest cultivation, yet walking side by side with Zhang Fenghai, is the female founder of the Immortal Staff Sect, Shi Xingyuan. Her Dao name is 'She Yun'... Wow, what a great beauty."

Yuan Ying immediately stood up and ran to Lu Tai's side. "Where, where?"

Lu Tai pointed. On the mountain path, beside Zhang Fenghai, was a woman with a slender figure, adorned with a wooden hairpin, dressed in rough linen and straw sandals. And because of years of hard labor in the Smoke Cloud Cave of the Town Yue Palace, her skin was dark. She could be considered a beauty, but coming from Lu Tai's mouth—a man of outstanding beauty—it seemed a bit of a stretch.

Shi Xingyuan had the lowest cultivation level of the three, so she could not hear the conversation at the summit.

Lü Bixia, however, looked up and saw that the androgynous character had absconded.

She had disappeared from the Qingming Heaven side for a long time, having long since borrowed or, rather, concealed herself within the soul of "Shi Xingyuan."

As for Shi Xingyuan, she had found a way to enter the Smoke Cloud Cave on her own.

Leaving that prison, Shi Xingyuan was secretly relieved. She never wanted to revisit that place again.

Inside the Smoke Cloud Cave, Shi Xingyuan's Immortal realm had been gradually worn down to the Jade Capital realm.

There was only one thing she regretted: that flourishing wheat field, whose yield had been thirty percent better than in previous years. She would never see it again.

Lu Tai crouched on the ground, rubbing the mongrel dog's head. He looked up and smiled. "Brother Xin Ku, how about we make a bet?"

Xin Ku shook his head.

Lu Tai was a chatterbox. Even if no one paid him any attention, he would keep talking. Even after spending so much time together, Xin Ku still hadn't gotten used to it.

So Lu Tai tried a different approach. He made a bet with that Zhang Fenghai that he would definitely get what he wished for. When he did, he would have to promise to do Lu Tai a small favor.

Zhang Fenghai agreed to this without a moment's hesitation. This cultivator, who had voluntarily given up his status as a Daoist official of the Jade Capital, didn't even bother to ask who the other person was or what the small favor would be.

Lu Tai was deeply impressed. "Truly worthy of our Sect Leader Zhang. So magnanimous! Following him, we'll definitely be able to eat our fill!"

After that, Zhang Fenghai walked to the mountaintop, knocked the stone known as the "Ancestor's Resting Place" off the mountain, and sent it rolling into the weak water. Then he went into the hut to discuss business with Xin Ku.

Not to mention Shi Xingyuan, even the seasoned Lü Bixia and the perpetually easy-going Yuan Ying were taken aback.

Only Lu Tai's look of surprise was feigned. He gave Zhang Fenghai's retreating figure a thumbs up. "Sect Leader Zhang! Overwhelmingly domineering!"

Xin Ku sat behind the table. On the table in front of him was a row of formed ink sticks, each struck a hundred thousand times. Zhang Fenghai stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. He said, "I plan to establish our sect's location at Leap Month Peak. What do you think?"

Xin Ku frowned. "Let's talk about this after you've reached the Fourteenth Realm."

Zhang Fenghai smiled. "You don't have to be the sect leader. You're not suited for it. You wouldn't be good at it even if you were. You just need to have your name registered on the sect's roster. I'll be the leader."

Xin Ku stood up.

Zhang Fenghai said, "Don't be angry. The change is coming to the Qingming Heaven side after the Ancestor's scattering of the Dao. You can't avoid it. Better to seize the initiative than to wait."

Xin Ku asked, "Did you and Lu Tai arrange this in advance?"

Zhang Fenghai shook his head. "First time meeting."

Lu Tai chimed in at the top of his voice. "Heaven and earth bear witness!"

Xin Ku sneered. "If I remember correctly, the Ancestor himself said that I possess three treasures which I hold and cherish: compassion, frugality, and daring not to put myself ahead of the world."

Zhang Fenghai was silent for a moment. "Your mind isn't very sharp."

Lu Tai jumped up in anger. "Sect Leader Zhang, how dare you! You must not speak of my Brother Xin Ku like that!"

Zhang Fenghai smiled. "But his temper is really good. He's even managed to put up with you for this long."

Lu Tai leaned against the windowsill and explained, "Our Sect Leader's meaning isn't complicated. He's already left the Jade Capital. He's even abandoned his Daoist registry from Jade Pivot City. It's debatable whether he's even a Daoist anymore. As for the golden rules and precious precepts spoken by the Ancestor, they apply to everyone on the Qingming Heaven side. Everyone must listen. Those who aren't convinced must endure it. It's best if they are sincerely convinced. But you, Xin Ku, who do everything without finding it the least bit arduous, are the only one who can disregard them. You and only you. That's why I came here. The Sect Leader has the same reason, but I have a more selfish motive: I just want to have a grand place to receive guests. Then when I reunite with friends in the future, I'll have face. The Sect Leader... he's very just. He wants to take the place of the Ancestor and put certain things that he feels are wrong back on the right track."

Lü Bixia took a deep breath.

Shi Xingyuan's Dao heart was especially unstable.

If that guy hadn't revealed the secrets, they wouldn't have even known what Zhang Fenghai really intended.

On the mountaintop, only the sound of pines rustled like tidal waves.

It was that guy who broke the silence. "Sect Leader Zhang, after all, this is the Ancestor's resting place. Let's put that stone back where it was. If you think it would be a loss of face, I can call Sister Lü and we can go fish the stone out of the weak water together."

Hearing this reckless talk, Lü Bixia, Shi Xingyuan, and Yuan Ying almost breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief.

Xin Ku said, "Let's talk about this after you've reached the Fourteenth Realm."

Zhang Fenghai nodded. "Agreed."

It was actually the same sentence, but with two different meanings.

Previously, it meant waiting for Zhang Fenghai to reach the Fourteenth Realm before having a fight.

Now, Xin Ku's meaning was that if he could reach the Fourteenth Realm, he would be qualified to establish a sect at Leap Month Peak.

Lu Tai rubbed his hands together. "Good. Since you've reached an agreement, we should celebrate. How about we kill the dog and eat it? Stewed dog meat in winter—now that's a flavor..."

It was the first time Yuan Ying had disagreed with Lu Tai. She glared at him. "Lu Tai!"

Lu Tai grinned. "I was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Look how tense you all are."

After that, the two groups settled in.

With Lu Tai around, the two sides quickly became familiar with each other.

Perhaps, besides the Jade Capital, this was the closest place under heaven to the moon.

One night, Lu Tai pulled Xin Ku aside. The group casually chose a rock to sit on, each drinking their wine. Led by Lu Tai, they began to look forward to the future.

Six people, gathered together for no apparent reason, in order of appearance: Xin Ku; Lu Tai, Yuan Ying; Zhang Fenghai; Lü Bixia, Shi Xingyuan.

On a mountain peak with no sect name yet: one pure martial artist and five Qi refiners.

According to Lu Tai's plan, Zhang Fenghai must be the sect leader; Lü Bixia would be the disciplinary patriarch; and Shi Xingyuan would be in charge of finances.

The chief honored elder should have been Xin Ku. But this second-ranked martial artist under heaven in the Qingming Heaven side directly refused.

So Lu Chen offered himself as a self-nominated candidate and accepted the role without hesitation. Yuan Ying thus became the second honored elder.

"Our sect will have ten people. That's enough. Any more, and we'd be keeping useless people. Sister Shi, why are you glaring at me? I wasn't talking about you."

Shi Xingyuan sighed helplessly. "I wasn't even looking at you. Why are you making things up?"

She really didn't think Lu Tai had said anything offensive.

"Then I must have misunderstood Sister Shi." Lu Tai said, "Oh. In the future, our sect will have at most, at most, a total of eleven people. Then every hundred years, we will eliminate one person and add one."

"Those who have made it into the top ten under heaven, or the candidate top ten, can stay put. Becoming a top ten pure martial artist under heaven also earns the same treatment."

"One day, our sect will be composed entirely of experts. Don't just stand there gawking. Give me some applause."

Zhang Fenghai simply raised his wine jug high.

Lü Bixia smiled faintly. This... was indeed something to look forward to.

Shi Xingyuan looked up at the two moons in the sky, her eyes shining brightly. It seemed she would have to cultivate diligently.

Only Yuan Ying clapped enthusiastically.

Then Lu Tai said something that killed the mood. "Sister Shi, on such a bright moonlit night, it makes your skin look even darker."

Shi Xingyuan laughed angrily. "You always pick on me. You only know how to bully the weak. If you have the guts, say that to Lü Bixia!"

Lu Tai said sheepishly, "That phrasing is a bit too... spicy. It could easily be misunderstood."

Shi Xingyuan snorted. "A blowhard who only talks a good game."

Lü Bixia nodded. "All bark and no bite. I'd wager that after a couple of moves, he'd have to say, 'Hold on, let me rest a moment.'"

Lu Tai clasped his hands in salute. "I concede. I'm no match for you."

Zhang Fenghai laughed heartily.

Xin Ku kept a straight face, but there was a hint of laughter in his eyes.

Lu Tai tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine, then wiped his mouth. "The sages of old are the substitutes of heaven and earth. The heroes of today are the emanations of the stars. Tonight, I am fortunate to drink with you all. But it's not enough, not nearly enough. Let's make an appointment to drink again on this day and this moon a thousand years from now. I will get drunk first!"

With a thud, Lu Tai fell backward and went to sleep.

Yuan Ying said awkwardly, "My husband has excellent drinking manners. His capacity is just average."

On the city wall of the Great Li capital, an old man was enjoying the view. Xun Qu, who had hurried over in confusion, stopped and bowed. "Subordinate Xun Qu pays respects to Director Hong."

The old man, with a gaunt, clear-eyed face, nodded. "I called you here today because someone has just arrived in the capital. It's more appropriate for you to receive them."

The old man wasn't wearing an official robe. In fact, except when attending court sessions, this chief director of the Ritual Ministry's Sacrificial and Purification Department, a full fifth-rank official, didn't need to be so constrained.

This was a special case in the Great Li officialdom. Among the capital's many directors, there were only three who enjoyed the reputation of being both "clean and noble." Besides the Ministry of Personnel's Merit Evaluation Department and the Ministry of War's Military Selection Department, it was the old man's Ritual Ministry's Sacrificial and Purification Department. Nominally, the two vice ministers of the Ritual Ministry could jointly decide on the merits and demerits of the various mountain and river deities of the Great Li dynasty, but the one who actually managed the specific affairs was the Sacrificial and Purification Department. So the old man's prominent position was known as the "Little Heavenly Official."

Xun Qu asked via mental voice, "Master, is this person connected to Mr. Chen?"

The old man nodded and pointed to a young foreign cultivator walking on the street. "His name is Zeng Ye. Strictly speaking, he isn't a cultivator of Luo Po Mountain. But back when Chen Ping'an was at the Book-Weaving Lake, he always kept Zeng Ye by his side. He is a neighbor of Qing Xia Island. Through luck and his own efforts, Zeng Ye is now the sect leader of the Five Island Sect. At the very least, he's the top authority of an immortal mansion. So when he entered the capital this time, the Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Justice had already sent the report to our Sacrificial and Purification Department. Because he has this connection with Chen Ping'an, I think it's more suitable for you to receive him. The Ritual Ministry and the Ministry of Justice didn't object much. The dissent is minimal. Once or twice of this, let's consider it an established precedent accepted by the various departments. It's not a bad thing."

Xun Qu smiled. "So there is still dissent."

The old man twitched the corner of his mouth. "Everyone is following the rules. It's nothing. Who doesn't have a bit of selfishness?"

Wu Yuan was now the governor of Chuzhou. He was not only the son-in-law of the Shangzhuguo Yuan family but also one of the few students of National Teacher Cui Chan.

The new Kiln Affairs Supervisor, who replaced Cao Gengxin, was Jian Feng, a full fourth-rank official. Former Ministry of Revenue's Qingli Department official Jing Kuan had recently left the capital to serve as the prefect of Baoxi Commandery.

Things like this—competition and arguments in the court and between departments—were common. The mountain and river officialdom was no exception.

Xun Qu asked, "Master, should I go meet Sect Leader Zeng now?"

The old man said, "Impatient! Can't you wait a little longer? He's just set foot in the capital. If you go block his way immediately, aren't you clearly telling Zeng Ye that the court is monitoring his movements?"

Xun Qu smiled slightly. "I said that on purpose. It's been a long time since I've heard your teachings."

The old man couldn't help but smile. Not long ago, Xun Qu was just a low-level ninth-rank minor official in Nanxun Quarter, an usher in the Court of State Ceremonial temporarily overseeing the repair of Capital temples.