Chapter 1047: Parasol Tree with Drizzle
In the small capital of Cloudrock Kingdom, extraordinary individuals and strange beings could be found everywhere—mountain immortals riding clouds and mists, a veritable gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Add to that the nobles, generals, ministers, and dukes from various countries who had come to partake in the grand event, and the streets were now filled with outsiders who all held status. It seemed that everyone regarded each other as not to be trifled with? Perhaps that was why things remained so peaceful and calm? As for those qi practitioners who could summon wind and rain, they seemed to follow an unspoken agreement, behaving with remarkable restraint, their words and actions extremely law-abiding, coexisting peacefully with the common folk. Up to now, the Ministry of Justice of Cloudrock Kingdom had not received a single dispute requiring their intervention. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial had even begun to find ways to claim credit before the Emperor in the court.
A humble eatery tucked away in a shabby alley, its signature dish being grilled fish. All the tables were full. The diners inside spoke in loud voices, mostly discussing big deals worth thousands or tens of thousands of silver taels. At the table where the voices were lowest, they had ordered a serving of grilled fish and a few catties of the capital's specialty yarrow wine. The one who seemed to be treating had specially followed the waiter to the backyard to pick the fish, being very particular about it, and finally said that for four servings, the green carp they fished up didn't need to be too heavy. Not generous—clearly someone with little money in his pocket, rarely going out to eat to improve their diet. This man had one foot on the bench, his whole body hunched over. He raised his bowl, took a sip of wine, and said with a small smile, "I heard the Old Ancestor personally took Fat Wu on a trip to the Green Lotus Sword Sect?" Across the table sat a middle-aged couple. The woman frowned slightly as she pushed aside the garnish of cilantro. Hearing this, she smiled charmingly and said, "The Patriarch is clearly helping this fat guy redeem himself through good deeds. But according to Brother Spirit Horn's temperament, once there, he probably won't have an easy time—likely will suffer from being out of his element. As for other sects and immortal mansions, hard to say, but I definitely know what kind of atmosphere the Hidden Official's sect has." The man picked up all the cilantro into his own bowl and said quietly, "Let's not rub salt into Fat Wu's wounds." Then he added, "We're still counting on him to pick up this tab. That guy is a master at pretending to be drunk or escaping to the latrine to avoid paying." He and the woman were indeed a Daoist couple from the mountains, named Tao Hongxing and Luo Jin respectively. They were from the Bundle Beggar's Shop and now handled matters for Parasol Leaf Continent. As for the young cultivator across from them, he was the accountant of the Parasol Leaf Continent Bundle Beggar's Shop, responsible for books and budgets. His name was Guo Manqian. The three of them had a relationship of both making money together and mutually supervising each other. The founding patriarch of the Bundle Beggar's Shop in the Haoran World, Zhang Zhi, had previously told Chen Ping'an at Green Shirt Ferry that these three held the Hidden Official in such high esteem that he dared not bring them along, lest business dealings become personal favors. At the time, Chen Ping'an took it as polite business talk, but there was no exaggeration in it. Before coming to Parasol Leaf Continent, Tao Hongxing had good relations with most of the shipowners and stewards of the cross-continental ferries that used to go to Inverted Mountain for business. Guo Manqian himself came from a top-ranked powerful clan in the Central Continent. His family owned a cross-continental ferry registered under his name, so he was fully aware of the entire process and outcome of that famous Sword Immortal meeting at Spring Banner Studio back then. Thinking about it now, though he hadn't been there, his heart yearned for it.
Guo Manqian smiled slyly, deliberately picking a piece of fish and putting it in the woman's bowl. Tao Hongxing hastily knocked it away with his chopsticks and glared, "She's your sister-in-law! Behave!" Guo Manqian withdrew his chopsticks, put them in his own mouth and chewed, then asked, "Does the Patriarch really have that much faith in the financial prospects after the great river is dug? If it were me, even if I could spend money as I pleased, I probably wouldn't have such boldness—a full six thousand Grain Rain coins." Earlier at the Green Lotus Sword Sect, the Patriarch had promised to contribute six thousand Grain Rain coins, half of which were Zhang Zhi's personal savings. Nominally, the Green Lotus Sword Sect, the Jade Gui Sect, and the Great Spring Dynasty, among others, were the joint sponsors. But anyone with eyes could see that it was actually the young Hidden Official using the Green Lotus Sword Sect's name to lead and put together the project. For digging the great river on Parasol Leaf Continent, the first installment of immortal money was already an astronomical figure. The Green Lotus Sword Sect had given three thousand Grain Rain coins. The Jade Gui Sect's treasury had paid five thousand. The Great Spring Yao clan contributed two thousand, reportedly borrowed interest-free from the Green Lotus Sword Sect and the Jade Gui Sect. The Liu clan of Aiai Continent and the Yu clan of Profound Mystery Dynasty gave ten thousand and two thousand respectively. All had been received in installments. Plus the Bundle Beggar's Shop's six thousand. Additionally, it seemed that Cloak Cloud Mountain of Vase Continent's Northern Marchmount Lord Wei Bo, who liked hosting night revels, had recently also taken out two thousand Grain Rain coins? In worldly affairs, with money paving the way, the difficult becomes not so difficult.
Tao Hongxing was full of admiration, "Truly a grand gesture, truly a grand gesture. Worthy of the God of Wealth Liu, making a magnificent move." It turned out that the Liu clan of Aiai Continent, besides contributing money, had also promised within a year to transfer ferries from several continents, sending three hundred mountain ferries and talisman boats of various sizes to Parasol Leaf Continent. Guo Manqian said sourly, "Since the God of Wealth Liu is so capable, why not just send the immortal masters to operate the boats as well, and waive the immortal money for spiritual energy consumption?" The Guo clan of Jun County in Central Continent and the Liu clan of Aiai Continent had conflicts in business. Each showed their prowess, but the Guo clan was inferior, and the result was that the latter lost the financial resources of a major dynasty and several medium-sized countries. On paper, the Liu and Yu clans contributed the most money, and reportedly they didn't even draft a written agreement, relying only on verbal promises—a true gentleman's agreement. Furthermore, according to the terms, the Liu and Yu families would only earn a 10% return on principal. Once they recouped their costs and received the agreed dividends, regardless of whether the Parasol Leaf great river yielded long-term steady profits or eye-popping windfall gains, it would have nothing to do with them anymore.
Luo Jin laughed, "Doesn't that mean just the goodwill of Chen the Hidden Official is worth eleven thousand Grain Rain coins in Liu Jubao's eyes?" Tao Hongxing nodded, "It's worth that much." Luo Jin found it strange, "It's been over a month now. Since the Green Lotus Sword Sect's ferry docked at Fish Scale Ferry, Mi Yu has been staying on the ferry the whole time without getting off. It's as if this great sword immortal is deliberately giving the limelight to the accountant Zhong Qiu and Jingxing Peak's Cao Qinglang." Guo Manqian smiled meaningfully and glanced at Tao Hongxing. Mi Yu of the Sword Great Wall had a handsome appearance and the bearing of a sword immortal. Brother Tao, you'd better be careful. I've heard that Mi the Sword Immortal's talent for philandering is no less than his swordsmanship. The man grinned, looking completely unconcerned, "A man looks at a woman's figure, a woman loves good looks—it's only human nature. Can't control the heart, no big deal. As long as I can control your sister-in-law's body, fine. Even if she's thinking about Mi Yu while we're in bed, so what." The woman looked at him with affectionate eyes, reached out with two fingers, and twisted her man's arm hard, "You devil!" Guo Manqian made a terrified expression, sucked in a cold breath, quickly stood up, bent over, and poured a large bowl of wine for Tao Hongxing. Then he smiled fawningly, "Sister-in-law, what do you think of my looks?" The woman glanced sideways at the young man, "Skinny little thing, go cool off somewhere." Guo Manqian picked up his wine bowl and slurped it down, "Let's make a deal—later on, let me be the sect leader for a while. Then when I go out, I'll have a title to show off. Otherwise, every time I go home to attend clan council meetings, I can't hold my head up." To break through to the Upper Five Realm, one could try to report to the Confucian Temple and establish a sect. There was also a process similar to the Ministry of Personnel's selection in the mortal court. Only those in the Upper Five Realm could establish a sect—this was a prerequisite, but it didn't mean that as long as one reached the Jade Pure Realm, they could definitely create a sect. The Confucian Temple in Central Continent would have a review process. The Bundle Beggar's Shop had thought about establishing a subordinate sect, but the problem was that even the Bundle Beggar's Shop itself wasn't yet a "sect"-level sect. At the mention of sects, Tao Hongxing let out a long sigh. Every family has its own difficulties. The Bundle Beggar's Shop might make a lot of money, but when it came to status in the mountains, not to mention the Bundle Beggar's Shop, what was the reputation of the entire Merchant family in the Haoran World? Back then, the Merchant family was almost removed from the Hundred Schools of Philosophy by the Confucian Temple. Could money move the gods? Useless in front of the Confucian Temple.
Guo Manqian gloated, "If I went to the Green Lotus Sword Sect, I wouldn't need the Patriarch to accompany me. At least I could walk up Immortal Capital Mountain. I wouldn't be stuck at the ferry landing." Luo Jin warned, "Better shut up now. Fat Wu is coming." Among the three, the woman was actually the highest in realm. A fat man with a bundle slung diagonally entered the eatery and sat next to Guo Manqian, complaining, "Why did you guys pick a place like this? Took me forever to find. If you'd chosen a restaurant, it would be more spacious. We could drink happily while enjoying the capital's night view—wouldn't that be better?" Guo Manqian asked the waiter for another bowl and chopsticks, smiling, "If you don't like this small place, we can have a second round." Wu Shou sat down, making the long bench creak, "Forget it. I've already made appointments with two other groups. We'll get together another time." Treating outsiders to drinks and discussing business—all expenses could be reimbursed from Guo Manqian the accountant. But treating Guo Manqian and the others to drinks meant Wu Shou had to pay out of his own pocket. For the Parasol Leaf Continent Bundle Beggar's Shop, just like Liu Jubao and Yu Panshui, if they lost money, it was just money down the drain; if they made money, they only took a 10% return on principal. The total of six thousand Grain Rain coins had already been deposited in the temporarily established Patriarch Hall. In the future, that 10% profit—six hundred Grain Rain coins—would naturally go into Zhang Zhi's pocket. And the Parasol Leaf Continent Bundle Beggar's Shop wouldn't be working for nothing either. Even ignoring the book profits, just considering that along this future great river, at various ferry landings, both new and old, Bundle Beggar Shops would be established. According to Patriarch Zhang Zhi's instructions, when negotiating with various national governments and local immortal mansion sects, they must only sell, not lease—fixing a one-time deal. So during this period, Tao Hongxing, Wu Shou, and others had been dividing the work, negotiating this matter, often attending several banquets a day, going nonstop from morning till night. Although the price offered by the Bundle Beggar's Shop was not high, and the contracts signed were at least three to five hundred years long, stipulating that renegotiation would only occur if the dynasty changed, the national governments and mountain sects could gain an extra sum of immortal money and help gather popularity for their ferry landings. For those forces that were nearly broke, the Bundle Beggar's Shop's willingness to take root locally was a godsend—why not? The Bundle Beggar's Shop was obviously grabbing prime land. But as Zhang Zhi had explained earlier, any immortal ferry landing, with or without a Bundle Beggar's Shop, had a completely different level of popularity. It could be mutually beneficial with the landowners.
Luo Jin sighed softly, "Not to mention the good name of benefiting future generations, just in the next dozen years or so, even if the central part of Parasol Leaf Continent encounters famine years, it won't lead to utter destitution and corpses strewn across the land." Guo Manqian nodded. This was similar to how a certain Confucian sage famous for his poetry had once successfully remedied a famine by launching major public works projects.
Tao Hongxing asked, "I heard those mountain recluses who never meddle in worldly affairs have finally agreed to come out of retirement?" Regarding the lineage of Luoyang Wood Guest, this was a taboo topic tacitly understood among the many cultivators of the Bundle Beggar's Shop. Because the founder of the Bundle Beggar's Shop, Master Zhang Zhi, was originally from the Luoyang Wood Guest lineage, and a traitor who had rejected his own sect. Wu Shou said cautiously, "We're finally having a late-night snack. Let's not talk about such unpleasant things, okay?" Guo Manqian took off his boots, sat cross-legged, and looked under the table. Fortunately, there was no unsightly scene. Under the table, an embroidered shoe suddenly lifted as if to kick him in the face. Luo Jin scolded with a laugh, "What dirty things are your dog eyes looking at?" Guo Manqian smiled, "I was just worried that Sister-in-law and Brother Tao might be overcome with passion regardless of the occasion. Word would get out and it wouldn't look good." Wu Shou was used to this and just chuckled, picking up a big piece of fish and stuffing it into his mouth. He took a big sip of the slightly bland yarrow wine. "I wonder which troublemaker is spreading rumors on purpose, saying that the Great Spring Empress Yao Jinzhi, Pushan's Huang Yiyun, Yu Juanfu, and the female great grandmaster from Aiai Continent, Liu Suiyu, are all gathered here, along with a dozen or so famous beauties. In just two months, a huge crowd of lecherous cultivators and refined scholars from countries neighboring Cloudrock Kingdom have flooded in." Although Wu Shou had deliberately acted complacent since returning from the Green Lotus Sword Sect, in fact, at that mountain ferry landing, the young Hidden Official had been very amiable, and the tea at Green Shirt Ferry was good too. But for some reason, Wu Shou now had a catchphrase: "Give me a moment to catch my breath."
Guo Manqian truly admired Chen Ping'an—the young mountain lord who came from poverty, built up a huge fortune by the time he was forty, and now had one main sect and one subordinate sect. Among the Daoist couple from the Bundle Beggar's Shop, Tao Hongxing admired the young Hidden Official's deeds at the Sword Great Wall, while the woman most appreciated Chen Ping'an's "fear of his wife." There were rumors circulating with vivid detail, saying that often in the early morning, one could see the second shopkeeper sitting alone by the main gate of the Ning residence.
Outside the eatery, in the alley, a white-clad youth with a mole between his eyebrows passed by, shaking his sleeves. He suddenly leaned back, widened his eyes, and stared into the eatery. Then he turned around, strode across the threshold, and said with a mischievous grin, "In life, there are always a few meddlesome, useless efforts: curing a dead horse, propping up rotten mud, carving rotten wood, persuading a prostitute to reform, asking a butcher to put down his knife, and telling merchants not to be black-hearted." The youth entered the eatery and slapped the fat man heavily on the shoulder, looking utterly shocked. "Brother Spirit Horn! Are you so broad-minded that you can still hide here drinking?!" The fat man named Wu Shou, with his bloated figure, stiffened, his heart tight. He turned his head with a bitter smile. "Sect Leader Cui, what wind has blown you here?" Cui Dongshan laughed. "I heard that since leaving Green Shirt Ferry, you've been eating and drinking well every day. Finally recovered, huh?" Wu Shou forced a smile. "Sect Leader Cui jokes." Cui Dongshan grabbed the fat man's shoulder hard. "Jokes? Brother Spirit Horn is insinuating that I am frivolous?" Wu Shou quickly apologized, "No, no, it's a misunderstanding." Cui Dongshan moved over, pushed Wu Shou and Guo Manqian aside, and forcibly sat down on the bench between them. Guo Manqian frowned slightly but said nothing. This white-clad youth who seemed to have popped out of nowhere—the subordinate sect leader of Fallen Mountain and the direct disciple of Mountain Lord Chen—even the well-informed Bundle Beggar's Shop couldn't find any clues about him. Not long ago, Patriarch Zhang Zhi had specifically warned them not to try to track the slightest trace of Cui Dongshan's cultivation background, but to keep their distance. So today, when Cui Dongshan came to them on his own, apart from Wu Shou, who had already suffered, the others were all surprised. "Do you recognize these?" The white-clad youth raised his sleeve and took out three immortal coins, placing them on the table. They were the three types of mountain coins: Snowflake coins, Lesser Heat coins, and Grain Rain coins. Cui Dongshan stretched out his hand and pressed a finger on each coin, smiling. "I don't think any of you recognize them. What do you think?" Tao Hongxing smiled. "If Sect Leader Cui thinks so, then let it be." Some people you click with at first sight, a good eye connection. Others, you just don't want to see a second time—like this pretentious Sect Leader Cui. It was a pity that Mountain Lord Chen had chosen such a direct disciple to be the subordinate sect leader. Better to have that well-regarded senior disciple Pei Qian. But then again, she was a pure martial artist, unable to establish a sect in the mountains.
Cui Dongyang curled three fingers and lightly tapped the immortal coins on the table, grinning. "My master always believed that stating a principle without an example is like being a rogue. So let me give an example. For instance, if you know Mr. Fan, but Mr. Fan doesn't know any of you, then you and Mr. Fan don't really know each other, right? Same principle." Guo Manqian sneered. "What, do these three immortal coins know Sect Leader Cui?" Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeve and put the immortal coins back. "Never mind. It's like talking to a chicken and a duck—simply can't teach you. If Zhang Zhi were here, he would probably understand." Including the man with the Dao name "Pine Resin," a total of seven groups of Luoyang Wood Guests had begun to descend from the mountains to travel, choosing locations across the continents to settle down. It was said that Mr. Fan of the Merchant family had personally climbed the mountain to persuade these Wood Guests to break their ancestral teachings and come out. In Cui Dongshan's eyes, whether it was the Bundle Beggar's Shop or the Luoyang Wood Guests, they were just working for others. Those "others" were two: first, the Merchant family's founder, Mr. Fan; second, the God of Wealth Liu Jubao of Aiai Continent, who traded across the world. At the last Confucian Temple council, Ritual Sage finally opened his mouth, effectively lifting a layer of restriction. From then on, the founders of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy would have no bottlenecks in their cultivation. The ultimate height they could reach, the scope of their Dao, would depend on their own abilities.
Luo Jin smiled. "If the Green Lotus Sword Sect is full of lofty figures like Sect Leader Cui, then the Fallen Mountain that my husband and I have been longing for all these years—we might as well not go." Cui Dongshan was momentarily speechless. Well, well, being bested by a woman. She was using my most respected master to intimidate me, huh? Fine, I'm afraid. After all, we're half-allies now. So I'll treat you with sincerity and speak plainly—say a few truly valuable words that you couldn't buy with money. "Some businesses are destined not to make big money. For example, grain." "Do you know why the Bundle Beggar's Shop is so rich, and Zhang Zhi is so good at networking, yet you still can't get a 'sect' title? Haven't you ever wondered?" "The mistake lies with the predecessors' bad morals, and you descendants suffer the consequences. Remember, back in the early days, the Bundle Beggar's Shop's second-in-command was too aggressive in making money, too capable, dared to earn any coin. As a result, his name was recorded at the Confucian Temple. Zhang Zhi has long since removed him from the registry, so you might not have even heard his name. Poor Zhang Zhi, no matter what he did to remedy the situation, no matter how many doors he knocked on at Merits Forest, he couldn't get it done. In the end, he didn't even get to see any of the three heads of the Confucian Temple. This kind of family scandal is not to be aired in public, so Zhang Zhi was naturally too embarrassed to mention it. That's why you all are mostly in the dark." "This is called: if your heart isn't hard, you can't make money; if your heart is too cruel, you can't keep it. Truly a hard lot for you businessmen—handling money like flowing water, coming and going in a rush." "Only on his last trip to the Confucian Temple did Zhang Zhi finally not waste his time. At the gate of Merits Forest, he heard a piece of advice from the scholar Xiping: 'The predecessors plant trees, the descendants enjoy the shade.'" "So for many years, the Bundle Beggar's Shop has been running a few businesses at a loss, honestly making up for it with other revenue streams. And there are some trades they never touch." "Good, good. It's not in vain that your Patriarch Zhang Zhi has endured so much. The long-suffering daughter-in-law is finally about to become the mother-in-law. Spending just three thousand Grain Rain coins for a good reputation—worth it!"
Guo Manqian turned sideways and cupped his hands. "Sect Leader Cui is truly exceptionally knowledgeable. Even these hidden secrets of other sects and the inner workings of the Confucian Temple—you can enumerate them like counting family treasures?" Cui Dongshan said seriously, "What's so special about that? I even know the story between your esteemed old matriarch and Wei She of Aiai Continent—how in her early days she dream-walked into Yinghua Cave Heaven, how she came to know Wei She, who was also traveling via yin spirit projection, through a fight, and why they eventually cut off contact, regretting that they couldn't become Dao companions. Scared? I'm asking if you're scared." Guo Manqian was momentarily speechless. Even he, a direct descendant of the Guo clan of Jun County, had only heard vague rumors, which didn't quite match what this Sect Leader Cui said. Within the family, it was said that the great cultivator who styled himself "Master of Seventy-Two Peaks" had fallen in love at first sight with their matriarch. But at that time, the clan was in a precarious state, and the matriarch didn't want to leave behind a mess to marry into another continent. Wei She, then already a Flying Ascension realm cultivator, naturally couldn't marry into the Guo clan of Jun County. That was why this mountain marriage never came to fruition. As for Yinghua Cave Heaven, which had never been claimed, it was a renowned scenic spot in the mountains. Because the flow of time there differed from the outside world, the gestation and growth of celestial materials and treasures were far faster than any other blessed land. No wonder a great cultivator once commented, "On this tiny patch of land, just apply a little fertilizer and water a little, and everything that grows is gold and silver." "Following Zhang Zhi, you go hungry for three days out of nine. You can't even sit on a seat in the Patriarch Hall of a sect-level sect. What's the point? Now, on my side, I'm in need of talent, and we're short on capable people and strange beings. I think you all have real skills—how about you join me in close cooperation, hacking through the brambles... Forget all that fancy talk. In one word, the most practical: Brothers, let's make a fortune quietly?"
Wu Shou sat with his eyes fixed on his nose and his nose fixed on his heart, saying nothing. So, a dragon crossing the river meets a local snake, huh? Was this the young Hidden Official's intent, or was Cui Dongshan acting on his own? Tao Hongxing and Guo Manqian exchanged a glance, both looking grim. A bad guest doesn't come for good reasons? Had they inadvertently boarded a pirate ship, and now the captain was pressing his luck? The atmosphere suddenly became tense. It was Luo Jin who broke the silence, speaking first. "Is Sect Leader Cui telling a joke?" "Yes! Of course! Otherwise, it would be unseemly for me to openly poach like this, right?" Cui Dongshan nodded. "Wasn't Brother here thinking you weren't eating or drinking, so I wanted to lighten the mood, ease the awkwardness." Guo Manqian and the others all thought the same thing: This guy is insane, right? Wu Shou could roughly guess his colleagues' thoughts: So you just realized that Sect Leader Cui needs to see a doctor? Cui Dongshan didn't stoop to their level. "I won't sit and freeload. This plate of grilled fish for four people—if an extra pair of chopsticks appears, you might not mind, but I wouldn't feel right about it. I came here today to discuss something with you. Don't be nervous, it's small potatoes. You're straightforward people, and I'm an honest guy who says what he means. We'll settle it quickly, no need to go around Zhang Zhi. For instance, in the future, any merchandise my sect sells—every Bundle Beggar shop built along the great river in Parasol Leaf Continent—each and every one must set aside a few shelves to help sell our goods. Whatever we earn, we earn—no commission for the shop. These will be the kind of treasures that make people unable to look away, that make their legs refuse to move—top-notch, authentic stuff. Think how much foot traffic it'll bring you! Of course, you don't have to thank me. We're friends at first sight. Talking about money hurts feelings. If you absolutely insist on paying, no problem—it'll hurt my feelings, but I guess I can reluctantly accept." So this is blatantly demanding protection money from our Parasol Leaf Branch? "Furthermore, since the Bundle Beggar's Shop is open for business, greeting visitors every day—you'll probably run into some cultivation prodigies with good aptitude. I'll trouble you all to put in a good word for me and make some introductions. If there are any young genius swordsmen, even better." "Now, for the third point, it's divided into a few small notes. Ah, forget it—my back hurts standing here talking. I'll sit down and we'll chat over a drink..." Fine, Sect Leader Cui, so this is your "discussion"?
Cui Dongshan smiled. "Neighborly harmony is the most important thing." Luo Jin said, "No need to talk about the third matter. I can tell you plainly right now: No deal." Cui Dongshan said, "Doing business—don't be emotional. Set a sky-high price and let them haggle. Back and forth, that's the fun." Tao Hongxing shook his head. "No need." Guo Manqian sneered. "I've really learned something today." Wu Shou, rare for him, stood his ground. "Sect Leader Cui's sincerity is lacking. It's indeed hard to continue the conversation. But business aside, friendship remains. Let's not hurt the relationship." Cui Dongshan asked, "Don't you want to hear the third thing?" Luo Jin said, "Let's just not hurt the relationship." That was a clear dismissal, warning Cui Dongshan that if he kept pushing, the Parasol Leaf Branch and the Green Lotus Sword Sect might break ties. Cui Dongshan casually took one chopstick from Wu Shou and one from Guo Manqian. Then he leaned over the table and took a pot of yarrow wine from beside Luo Jin and a wine bowl from in front of Tao Hongxing. The white-clad youth filled the bowl with wine, then placed the chopsticks across the bowl. He smiled. "Tonight we have fish to eat—a good omen. It means we'll have abundance year after year."
A "youth" holding a mountain-walking staff entered the eatery and said with a smile, "Sect Leader Cui, by all means, tell us the third matter. They don't have the patience, but I'd be happy to listen." The main party had finally arrived. Cui Dongshan smiled. "In the future, with dozens of immortal ferry landings along the great river in central Parasol Leaf, and dozens of Bundle Beggar Shops—will you be able to eat your fill?" Zhang Zhi sat down at the opposite table and asked with a smile, "What do you mean?" Cui Dongshan said, "How about making it so that every ferry landing on Parasol Leaf Continent has a Bundle Beggar Shop?" Zhang Zhi asked, "Any conditions?" Cui Dongshan said, "For example, let the same apply to the capitals of every country on the continent." Zhang Zhi asked further, "Anything else?" Cui Dongshan said, "And similarly, let it be the same on Blessing Shake Continent." Zhang Zhi was silent. Cui Dongshan smiled. "Afraid of eating too much? What you can't swallow now, you can save for later. Save from this year to next, and every year will be better than the last." Zhang Zhi smiled. "Can you guarantee it?" Cui Dongshan asked, "Aren't you going to ask who I am?" Zhang Zhi, sure enough, asked, "Who are you?" Cui Dongshan pulled out a fan. "I am my master's proud student, Cui Dongshan." Zhang Zhi laughed. "Master Chen has good taste in choosing students, and Sect Leader Cui has good taste in choosing a master. It seems." Cui Dongshan looked skeptical. "Are you being sarcastic?" Zhang Zhi laughed. "I mean it sincerely."
A young cultivator of exceedingly handsome features, wearing a green dharma robe, walked alone through the brilliantly lit capital city. His face was so outstanding it was androgynous; he could be called a "beauty." As he walked, both men and women turned to look. This was Qing Tong, a Flying Ascension realm cultivator from the Demon-Suppressing Tower of Parasol Leaf Continent. With nothing else to do, he'd come to join the excitement. Along the way, not far into his walk, Qing Tong sensed several heavy concentrations of qi near and far. "Ha, shallow waters with many turtles," he muttered. Initially, Emperor Qin of Cloudrock Kingdom and his court officials had worried that the sudden influx of so many qi practitioners into the capital, the "first place of goodness," might lead to conflicts where they, as hosts, would be caught in the middle. But it turned out their worries were unfounded. So far, there hadn't been a single case of foreign cultivators bullying locals. The officials of the Ministry of Rites and Justice had been on pins and needles, fearing some trouble under the Emperor's nose tonight that would get them demoted at tomorrow's court session. Now they finally felt they could relax.
Qing Tong suddenly stopped, looking incredulous. Why her? What was she doing here? Wasn't she afraid of getting killed? Ahead on the road, at a roadside barbecue stall, sat a plain-looking woman in humble attire of thorn hairpins and coarse cloth, accompanied by a young girl who seemed to be from a spirit race. The woman ate with restraint, while the girl ate with oily lips, clutching large skewers of grilled meat in both hands, her face radiant with happiness. The woman turned her head and smiled gently. "Brother Qing Tong, we meet again." The old great demon of the former king's seat, Yang Zhi, and the little river witch Ganzhou, now her nominal disciple. A Flying Ascension realm cultivator's ability to conceal aura could be called perfect. Even among peers, it was difficult to discern the truth through methods like "viewing mountains and rivers in the palm." Qing Tong immediately suppressed the ripples in his heart and sat down at the table, momentarily unsure how to begin. The girl, her cheeks bulging, said indistinctly, "Senior Qing Tong, what a coincidence! Eat up, my treat!" Qing Tong shook his head and declined with a smile, "I'll pass. I'm not used to such greasy food." "Boss, ten more grilled squid skewers!" The girl, proving the excellence of street food with her actions, continued to persuade, "It's absolutely delicious, Senior Qing Tong! You have to try it. You won't know till you try, and once you try, you'll be amazed!" Qing Tong wanted to speak but stopped. Because he wasn't sure about the agreement between Yang Zhi and Chen Ping'an, he worried about overstepping and displeasing both sides. Better to say nothing. Yang Zhi said, "I'm not stupid. I know perfectly well." Qing Tong's expression was complex. "Then why are you still here?" Wouldn't it be better to obediently hide within the thousand-li radius that young Master Xiao had designated for you? Yang Zhi said calmly, "If I only hide, do you believe that one day he will come to find me on his own? How many years can I hide there? A hundred? A thousand? If I assume that duel will eventually come, I might as well go out now and enjoy myself, eat the local delicacies." Qing Tong couldn't help asking, "Aren't you afraid of meeting that Mi Yu on the road?" Yang Zhi smiled. "After all, for now he's just an immortal. Who can he kill?" Qing Tong sighed helplessly. "You are quite open-minded." Yang Zhi turned and called out to the barbecue stall owner, "Add ten skewers each of lamb and duck gizzard. More pepper powder!" The stall owner boomed, "Coming right up, sir!" Yang Zhi withdrew her gaze. "Really won't try some? The taste is decent." Qing Tong still shook his head. "Don't push it. It's not like this is table wine." Yang Zhi teased, "My disciple here wants you, a wealthy senior, to pick up the tab later. I'm different; I'm genuinely recommending this food to you." The young river witch, having her little scheme exposed by her master, just lowered her head and pretended not to hear anything. Qing Tong asked, "So you are that Jing Xing?" Yang Zhi nodded. "When traveling abroad, one needs a convenient identity." It turned out that Yang Zhi, under the alias "Jing Xing," had become a nominal offering of the Great Spring Dynasty. Outsiders only knew her as a Jade Pure realm female cultivator from Central Continent. Since the number one martial artist of Golden Armor Continent, Han Guanghu, had traveled across continents to serve as the Great Spring Yao's national teacher, this sudden appearance of "Jing Xing" hadn't caused much of a stir. Even if mountain cultivators heard of it, they just assumed it was a sign of the Great Spring Dynasty's flourishing destiny and thought nothing of it. Yang Zhi suddenly said, "Tao Ting also came." That guy deliberately let out a bit of his Dao aura, not completely concealing it, so Yang Zhi immediately sensed his presence. Qing Tong smiled. "In terms of Dao age, he's our junior, right?" Yang Zhi said, "I can say that to his face, but you'd better not." Qing Tong crossed his arms. "A courtyard tree and a watchdog—neither is better than the other. Why can't I say it?" Yang Zhi mocked herself, "Plus a prisoner."
A spirited old man in yellow robes, hands clasped behind his back, strolled through the capital's night market. He looked calm, secretly probing the real strength of various qi practitioners, occasionally muttering commentary: this one's useless—a paper Jade Pure; this one's too weak—a Haoran nascent soul is only as good as a barbarian golden core... Oh, this one has some chew—a ghost cultivator at the immortal realm? The two by his side are no slouches either. Which mountain sect on Parasol Leaf has this depth? It was the barbarian Tao Ting, now famously known as the "Tender Daoist" in the Haoran world, who had left Li Huai's side. For this "unauthorized" trip to Parasol Leaf, the Tender Daoist had insisted on having Li Huai clear it with the Old Blind Man first, and Li Huai had to come up with a bunch of legitimate excuses. Otherwise, the Tender Daoist wouldn't have dared leave Vase Continent. He feared that if he took more than a few steps away from Li Huai, the all-powerful Old Blind Man would drag him into a dream. As for the consequences, the Tender Daoist didn't even want to think about it. Since the Tender Daoist was going to Parasol Leaf to help Chen Ping'an with a major task, Li Huai naturally had no objection. He used a secret technique the Old Blind Man had taught him to contact the Hundred Thousand Mountains. The Old Blind Man, upon hearing those messy reasons, was clearly displeased—they didn't sound like things his disciple would say. Fortunately, Li Huai sensed the situation was bad and used his own words: Since you assigned the Tender Daoist as my attendant, can't I order him around? The Old Blind Man thought that made sense and just had Li Huai pass a message to that watchdog: If anything happens to Li Huai in the meantime, whether the Haoran Tender Daoist or the barbarian Tao Ting, they should go to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, dig a hole, and bury themselves. Outside the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Tender Daoist was arrogant in speech and action; but in front of the Old Blind Man, he was as fawning as a dog, tucking his tail between his legs.
In an inconspicuous private residence in the capital, Li Ba was studying a map of central Parasol Leaf Continent hanging on the wall. The ghost immortal Huang Man sat nearby, his heart stirring slightly. Li Ba asked, "Is someone spying on this place?" Huang Man drawled, "Can't be sure." The East Sea Water Lord's mansion had thirty-six departments. Li Ba was the head of the Economic System Department, while Huang Man was in charge of the Incense Fire Department. On the second day of the second month, the Dragon Raises Head day, right here in the palm-sized capital of Cloudrock Kingdom, an unusual mountain Patriarch Hall had been established. Now Li Ba, with the Dao name "Quenching Palm," had a seat in that hall. Previously, after they had landed as if on a sightseeing trip and left the Accumulated Green Temple in the Yu clan's capital, the East Sea Water Lord Wang Zhu, due to her duties, still had to watch the Guixu ferry channel. She had taken away Gong Yan and Wang Qiongju and returned to the sea. She then left Li Ba, the ghost immortal Yu Daoist Huang Man, and the martial artist Stream Barbarian in the Cloudrock capital. According to their prior agreement with Cui Dongshan, only Li Ba of their Water Lord's mansion needed a chair in that ridiculous Patriarch Hall. The immortal realm Huang Man and the ninth-level martial artist Stream Barbarian didn't have to squat there doing nothing. Wang Zhu had made a stunning move, directly tossing Cui Dongshan a blue-glazed brush washer—a "hands-breadth" item containing over fifteen thousand Grain Rain coins. This meant that the medium-term immortal money needed for the great river excavation was already secured. Besides that, Wang Zhu had made a request: use the extra Grain Rain coins to help the Water Lord's mansion build a summer retreat villa on land near Accumulated Green Temple. That damn Cui Dongshan had simply assigned the Accumulated Green Temple directly to the East Sea Water Lord's Mansion.
Stream Barbarian, practicing his fist techniques in the courtyard, laughed. "Huang Man, can't find the trace? Want me to go have a look?" Huang Man said, "The cultivator's divine sense swept by and left no trace. It's not impossible to trace it back, but it wouldn't be easy. I'd have to use some unique methods." Li Ba shook his head. "Forget it. Better to do less than more." Huang Man grinned. "Is the Yu Dynasty matter really just dropped like that? Yu Linyou is still staying nearby, living in fear." Li Ba said, "The master herself said it was just a boring move. Let's not make a big deal out of it." Huang Man said, "Then that crown prince has had a scare for nothing." Crown Prince Yu Linyou of the Yu Dynasty was indeed in the capital. He had earlier heeded his wife's advice not to rush into sending a letter of complaint to the Tianmu Academy. As it turned out, that was the absolutely correct choice. The East Sea Water Lord, whose status was revered but temperament unpredictable, seemed to have simply forgotten about that matter. This matter, which could have shaken the very foundation of the Yu Dynasty, just fizzled out? The true dragon Wang Zhu had been aggressive earlier. Far from being grateful for the Yu Dynasty's new era name "Divine Dragon," she had spoken rudely, demanding that the Yu court force the meritorious general Huang Shanshou into retirement! She even threatened Yu Linyou that if he didn't comply, he wouldn't need to be crown prince anymore. The implication was clear: if he couldn't even be the heir, how could he sit on the dragon throne? This time, Yu Linyou had gathered his courage to come to the Cloudrock capital, perhaps not without the intention of proactively showing goodwill to the East Sea Water Lord's Mansion.
At the night market, the yellow-robed old man narrowed his eyes. Walking toward him was a middle-aged man with a look of concern for his country—not bad, some real Dao cultivation. Another immortal? Uncommon. In his hometown on the Barbarian Continent, this guy would be among the more formidable immortals. Hard to tell—Parasol Leaf actually produces some talent. As they said in his master's hometown: "Gold comes out of dung heaps?" That person spoke via heart voice with a smile. "Are you Daoist Tender?" The Tender Daoist squinted. "You are?" The other introduced himself, "I am from the Great Dragon Pond of Central Continent. My name is Sima Mengjing, Dao name Dragon Beard. I am currently the acting mountain lord of the Little Dragon Pond on Parasol Leaf." The Tender Daoist nodded. "Oh, the Great and Little Dragon Ponds. I've heard of them." It seemed the battle at Mandarin Duck Islet had made quite a name, already known to the world. Maybe he should find a chance to pick a fight with another Flying Ascension old cultivator? Having stayed with his master for so long, he had picked up some habits. Otherwise, this perfunctory reply would have included a 'not' character. The Tender Daoist suddenly asked suspiciously, "I heard that Little Dragon Pond has sealed its mountain? Why then, Mountain Lord Sima?" Probably thinking that asking this would be a slap in the other's face, but with his solid realm, he wasn't afraid of an immortal thinking too much. However, times were different. If he spoke and acted too carelessly, it would bring a bad name to Li Huai. If Li Huai suffered any grievance, the Old Blind Man would be unhappy. If the Old Blind Man was unhappy, he, the Tender Daoist, would be half dead even if not dead. That was the logic. So the Tender Daoist immediately changed his expression, forced a sincere smile, suppressed his temper, cupped his hands, and said politely, "I was just asking casually. Don't take it to heart, friend. If I've offended, I apologize here to Brother Dragon Beard, sincerely and truly." In fact, Sima Mengjing was also puzzled. The Tender Daoist, who had almost beaten Nan Guangzhao to death at Mandarin Duck Islet, was now so easygoing and well-versed in mountain etiquette. Sima Mengjing suppressed his confusion and smiled, explaining, "Little Dragon Pond is indeed sealed, but when the Great Dragon Pond heard about the great river excavation here, it wanted to contribute what it could. I'm handling some sect affairs here and will soon return to Little Dragon Pond." The Tender Daoist laughed heartily. "Brother Dragon Beard, why rush back to your mountain? Coincidentally, I just arrived and don't have many acquaintances here. Why don't you stay for a few more days, and we'll have a few good drinks? May I ask where you're staying? Do you have a spare room? If it's convenient, I won't have to bother finding lodgings." On this trip, he wanted to make more mountain friends. Then when he accompanied Li Huai on travels in the future, he'd be welcome everywhere. Perhaps the Tender Daoist was being too warm, catching Sima Mengjing off guard. But after a moment's thought, Sima Mengjing still invited the Tender Daoist to his lodgings for a drink. A Flying Ascension cultivator who was now surely being watched by the Confucian Temple—there was no reason for him to bear a grudge and scheme against him or the Dragon Ponds.
Some time ago, a flying sword message from the Snow Hidden Peak of Immortal Capital Mountain of the Green Lotus Sword Sect had been sent to the Heart's Intent Peak of Little Dragon Pond, which had indeed announced its sealing. Reading the letter signed by Cui Dongshan of the Green Lotus Sword Sect, Sima Mengjing found it both laughable and perplexing. Sect Leader Cui, are you collecting junk? But thinking of the commotion about the great river excavation, Sima Mengjing quickly understood the Sect Leader Cui's intention. In the letter, Cui suggested that Little Dragon Pond need not rush to publicly expel the two mountain-protecting offerings that had been struck from the sect registry. Instead, they could be sent to Cloudrock Kingdom and given a chance to redeem themselves by laboring for a dozen years or so without pay. This would be a minor punishment as a warning. This was a gift-wrapped favor. If Sima Mengjing were just a cultivator of Great Dragon Pond, he might find it awkward and unwilling to accommodate. He had already expelled them; there was no reason to revoke the decree. But as the mountain lord of Little Dragon Pond, he suppressed his discomfort and replied, agreeing to the matter, along with a word of thanks to Cui Dongshan. If not for the sealing, participating in the great river excavation would have been a good choice for Little Dragon Pond. Following this line of thought, Sima Mengjing soon wrote a letter to the Great Dragon Pond in Central Continent, asking the Patriarch Hall to send a few mirror-work earth immortals, each leading a group of direct disciples and outer disciples, to come to Parasol Leaf and assist in the excavation. It wouldn't be a huge contribution, but it would show goodwill and help Little Dragon Pond recover some mountain reputation. The barbarian Tao Ting, who now possessed half of the "Mountain Refining Method," and the famous Haoran Tender Daoist, coupled with the secretly arrived former master of the Trailing River, the former king's seat great demon Yang Zhi—both Flying Ascension grand demons—one moving mountains, the other overturning seas, each with their most adept innate divine abilities.
At Fish Scale Ferry, a large ferry named "Tung Yin" was particularly conspicuous. Not only because the ferry itself was striking, but also because a sword immortal named Mi was stationed aboard, responsible for guarding it. Sword Immortal Mi only occasionally came out on deck to relax, leaning on the railing, white-robed and sword-bearing, with unparalleled elegance. At the ferry landing, there were often female cultivators from various immortal mansions lingering, mostly young women, hoping for a glimpse of Mi Yu. Every time Mi Yu appeared, there would be screams from the women. As one of the initiators of the great river excavation, the Green Lotus Sword Sect's current appearance was quite impressive. Led by the account-keeper Zhong Qiu and head offering Mi Yu, accompanied by Jingxing Peak's Cao Qinglang, golden core sword cultivator Tao Ran, young sword cultivator He Gu and Yu Xishe. The old flood dragon Qiu Du, an nascent soul realm, plus from the upper sect, the water flood dragon Hong Xia, also nascent soul, and Yun Zi, temporarily still at the Dragon Gate realm. There were also the puppets including Golden Master, Mo Yu'er, and Stone-Carrier, along with a large group of talisman power-servants for opening mountains and digging river channels. Tonight, Mi Yu was personally receiving guests. Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang really weren't suitable. The guests were two sword cultivators from his homeland—one looking like a youth, the other like an old woman. Their names were Xing Yun and Liu Shui. They had arrived on Parasol Leaf not long ago, first gone to Immortal Capital Mountain, and after striking out, come straight to Cloudrock capital. Inside the room, Xing Yun laughed, "So you're Mi Yu?" Mi Yu nodded. "I am." Fortunately, Mi Yu had served at the Summer Retreat Palace and often helped the Hidden Official with clerical tasks like archiving secret records. Otherwise, an ordinary sword cultivator from the Sword Great Wall might not have known about these two old sword cultivators. These two old sword cultivators, who had left home for many years, had shown Mi Yu their respective natal flying swords and handed him a letter from Qi Tingji. The letter's seal at the end was in Qi Tingji's sword energy. Mi Yu verified it and confirmed their identities. Then he sent a flying sword message to Fallen Mountain's Clear Color Peak. Xing Yun asked suspiciously, "I remember Mi Hu looked pretty rough as a kid." Liu Shui nodded bluntly, "Quite ugly." Xing Yun couldn't help asking, "Are you two really full brothers?" Mi Yu smiled. "We are." He'd heard such unpleasant remarks in his homeland so often his ears were calloused; he never took them to heart. Besides, the native sword cultivators of the Sword Great Wall were all crude in speech. Someone like Sun Juyuan, who enjoyed pretending to be refined, was a rare exception. As for Chen Xi, the head of the Tai Xiang Street Chen clan, he was genuinely learned. But Mi Yu was more curious about one thing: Xing Yun and Liu Shui were from the same generation of sword cultivators, similar in age. Their natal flying swords—"High Candle" and "New Moon," "Temple" and "Incense"—were perfect matches. Yet they couldn't stand each other. According to the secret records of the Summer Retreat Palace, if they became Dao companions, their respective realms would rise significantly. But the reason they left the Sword Great Wall back then was that they didn't want to see each other. Liu Shui hesitated a moment, then admitted, "In the Barbarian Continent, I saw the Hidden Official Xiao Xun. She didn't make things difficult for me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lived to see the city wall." Xing Yun, hearing this for the first time, sneered, "Who doesn't know you were the Hidden Official Xiao Xun's shadow as a child? It's no surprise she let you go." They still seemed used to calling Xiao Xun "Hidden Official." Liu Shui sneered back, "You're not any better. You're always flattering Old Dong, begging him to teach you advanced sword techniques. Did he teach you? How much did you learn?" Mi Yu didn't want to get involved in their bickering. The room fell silent. Xing Yun said slowly, "How did Gao Cheng die?" Liu Shui said, "Why don't you talk about how Zhou Cheng died? You're probably heartbroken now." Xing Yun fell silent again. Mi Yu asked, "Some wine?" Liu Shui pointed her chin toward Xing Yun. "Give him two jugs, let him drown his sorrows." Xing Yun snorted coldly, stood up, and left the room to get some air on the bow. The old crone glanced at a sword hanging on the wall, a look of approval in her eyes. "Not bad." Mi Yu said, "The Confucian scholar Chen Chun'an once gifted me moonshine and helped refine the sword, giving my sword its current quality." The old crone asked doubtfully, "A scholar like Chen Chun'an would associate with someone like you?" Mi Yu smiled. "Thanks to the Hidden Official." The old crone asked, "You seem to approve of Chen Ping'an?" Mi Yu said, "Senior Liu would do well to address him as Hidden Official Chen." The old crone chuckled. "Because he's the sect leader of your upper sect?" Mi Yu answered indirectly, "In terms of military merit, according to the Summer Retreat Palace's calculation methods, the two of you combined can't match me alone. In terms of realm, I am a sword immortal; you and Xing Yun are only Jade Pure realm sword cultivators." The old crone feigned sudden realization. "Ah, I see." Mi Yu smiled. "At the Sword Great Wall, Dao age can't feed you or buy you drink." The old crone stood up. Mi Yu stood as well. "Two seniors, what are your plans next?" He hoped his poor hospitality hadn't driven Liu Shui and Xing Yun to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. Liu Shui smiled. "We'll see." At the stern, the old crone raised her hand and gently smoothed her temple hair. Who wasn't a beauty in their youth?
At one of the official guesthouses under the capital's Court of State Ceremonial, Liu Youzhou changed his "snail shell" Dao field to a different scenic location almost every few days. In the study, a bamboo mat was spread on the floor. Liu Youzhou was sitting there, one hand holding chopsticks, the other holding a bowl of snail noodles, wolfing it down, but his eyes were fixed on a map on the wall. A future great river's winding course was marked on the map in different colors, like a multicolored rope. Each segment, like a bamboo node, represented a stretch of water. Various forces were each responsible for excavating their assigned sections, with deadlines they could not delay. If a force progressed smoothly, they could be invited to help others who were struggling—paying money to avoid trouble, to avoid being penalized by the Patriarch Hall for delays. As for the "joining" of the sections, the Patriarch Hall had assigned specialized immortal masters to oversee it. At the time, the officials from various countries present were almost all sharpened individuals. They quickly calculated and realized that this method of evaluating merit greatly favored them, the mortal-side forces. They looked at the mountain immortals sitting across from them in the Patriarch Hall: Don't you have any objections? The Ministry of Rites and Justice would provide offering immortal masters; the Ministry of Works would dispatch various craftsmen and conscripted laborers; the Ministry of Revenue would pay for it all. The great river's route avoided the Five Marchmounts and various mountain god temples as much as possible, to avoid the taboo of clashing mountains and waters. Unless a country was willing to relocate its sites. Large and small, the great river would pass through fifty-two countries. Even if new countries were established soon, it wouldn't exceed sixty. Among them, thirty-four were vassal dynasties with suzerain states, and unless under special circumstances, they could not participate in Patriarch Hall deliberations. So at this "Patriarch Hall" meeting, many small-country monarchs, generals, ministers, and officials had come, either to curry favor with their suzerain states in hopes of gaining a seat, or to protest—some even cursed. The Great River Academy in the central part of the continent had sent Vice Mountain Master Lu Gao, accompanied by a worthy named Yang Pu. The Southern Five Creek Academy had sent Vice Mountain Master Wang Zai with a nobleman. Only the Northern Tianmu Academy was odd—it sent only a nobleman. In reason, the aggressive Vice Mountain Master Wen Yu should have shown up, whether for public or private reasons. But these vice mountain masters, noblemen, and worthies from the three Parasol Leaf academies were just going through the motions—attending only as observers. As expected, except for Yang Pu, they had already left Cloudrock Kingdom one after another. There were also a few unexpected interesting things. For instance, Little Dragon Pond had invited a group of mirror workers from its upper sect, Great Dragon Pond. And Peace Mountain, which now had only a mountain lord and two offerings, had also shown up with a batch of qi practitioners of unusual bearing. Their realms seemed high, and they were definitely from other continents—they had just started learning the Parasol Leaf Continental dialect. But the most conspicuous was still the Green Lotus Sword Sect, which had transformed from a passing dragon to a local snake. Normally, an outside force establishing a sect on a continent had no easy time gaining a foothold. But this was Parasol Leaf: in the north, the Parasol Leaf Sect was effectively sealed; the once-grand "Peach Leaf Alliance" had become awkward. The Great Spring Dynasty and Pushan's Cloud Grass Hall, along with the Golden Summit Temple and White Dragon Cave, seemed to be excluded, showing signs of division in spirit if not in fact. And once they missed this grand event, the Golden Summit Temple and others would naturally have their voices in the mountains greatly diminished. Those who already had two seats in the Patriarch Hall were all expected. So the ones who had been added as extra seats midway attracted more attention—for example, Yu Juanfu, a female martial artist from the Profound Mystery Dynasty's Yu clan of Central Continent. And especially Liu Youzhou. Good heavens, this was the sole heir of the Liu clan of Aiai Continent, the God of Wealth Liu Jubao! Some gossipers commented that if the idle men who'd come were all after Pushan's Huang Yiyun and the Great Spring Empress, then at least half the female immortals were after Liu Youzhou! What's a little "bagging the top scholars from the exam list" matter? Can that compare to becoming a daughter-in-law of the Liu clan? Also present was Shi Yuyan, Vice Minister of Public Works of the Great Chong Dynasty, a former lovestruck fool who had supposedly turned over a new leaf. He had once used public funds to support a fairy from the Cloud Grotto Blessed Land's Flower God Mountain's rouge list, nearly getting himself beheaded by the furious Emperor. This young man, born into a family of officials, should have been delicate, but he had tanned dark and become sturdy, making him hard to recognize at first. In the study was also Liu Suiyu, the only Ultimate Realm martial artist from Aiai Continent, a disciple of Pei Axiang, and a female grandmaster from the Thunder God Temple. She stood by the table, looking at a "masterpiece" painted by Liu Youzhou. She smiled. "If Chen Ping'an or Cao Ci saw this painting, you'd be in for it." It turned out Liu Youzhou had painted a famous scene from Merits Forest: "The Green-White Struggle." White-clothed Cao and green-clothed Chen—two Ultimate Realm martial artists—were brawling like common street thugs, and Cao Ci had a black eye and swollen face. Liu Youzhou grinned. Liu Suiyu asked, "Did you finish negotiating with Emperor Qin of Cloudrock? You really intend to corner the entire country's ink-stick production?" Liu Youzhou nodded. "Cloudrock's ink is unmatched on the continent. Such good ink will definitely sell. The problem before was that the sales channels were too limited. Our Liu clan never lacks trade routes—I'll just add Cloudrock ink to the family ferry's cargo list. It won't take up much space. I've roughly calculated the profits are decent. My only worry is that in a few decades, when the market is fully open, Cloudrock's ink production might not keep up." Liu Suiyu teased, "Is your business sense innate?" Liu Youzhou smiled. "I've just seen a lot." Liu Suiyu let it go. Then Liu Youzhou asked, "Aunt Liu, besides a few continents that want revenge on the Barbarian Continent, the Central Continent and Drifting Cloud Continent—why do so many people want war? Why aren't they afraid of death?" Liu Suiyu said casually, "Bloodlust, profit, honor—everyone has their reasons. For qi practitioners in the mountains, having their names recorded in the Patriarch Hall's annals is no small incentive. For mortal court soldiers and generals, they naturally want to make their mark on the battlefield, probably thinking that being recorded in the clan genealogy and local county records is a great honor for the family." Liu Youzhou sighed softly, continuing to eat his snail noodles with a slurping sound. Liu Suiyu asked curiously, "What about that matter Gu Can mentioned? Have you considered it?" Liu Youzhou said, "Still waiting." Liu Suiyu hesitated, then said, "I'll add one more word: it's best not to get too close to someone like Gu Can. If you weren't Liu Youzhou, it might be different." Liu Youzhou said, "If I weren't Liu Youzhou, Gu Can wouldn't come to me." Lately, Liu Suiyu had gotten more details from Yu Juanfu about the inside story. In that narrow encounter on the Barbarian Continent, on the Haoran side, Cao Ci had taken the lead, unstoppable. But the one who closed the deal and secured victory was Gu Can of White Emperor City. His miraculous move, combined with Cao Ci's eleventh-realm punch, had broken the deadlock. Even the resolute Yu Juanfu had a lingering fear when chatting with Liu Suiyu about it, showing how dangerous that battle was. The Barbarian Continent side had all the advantages of time and place, with Zhu Zhi, Liu Bai, Qiu Yun, Yu Su, Yao Tiao, Zi Wu Meng, Jin Dan, Yuan Ying, Yu Pu, and Lian Yan. The Haoran side only had a relative advantage in manpower, with Cao Ci, Fu Jin, Yuan Pang, Gu Can, Yu Juanfu, Chun Qing, Zhao Yaoguang, Xu Mi, and Xu Bai. Plus a Daoist with the title "Collapsed True Lord," Jiang Shangzhen, and a Flying Ascension loose immortal with the Dao name "Qing Secret," Feng Xuetang. Wind came, seas rose, clouds embraced, mountains moved.
At dawn, a Liu Mao in Daoist robes and a Confucian-robed man stood shoulder to shoulder on the western shore of Parasol Leaf Continent, facing the faintly fishy sea breeze. The latter made a strange gesture: he extended one hand, palm up, and raised the other hand, palm down. Previously, in a red county near the Cloudrock capital, Cui Dongshan had found a scholar formed from the accumulated literary fortune of Parasol Leaf. This man had given himself a name, whether an alias or a Dao title: "Bai Guan." Now he was a guest of Snow Hidden Peak on Immortal Capital Mountain, but in a peculiar way—not a registered guest elder of the Green Lotus Sword Sect, more like a private advisor to a family. Cui Dongshan had promised him that later they could go together to the Confucian Temple in Central Continent and ask the scholar Xiping for guidance. Liu Mao took out a "Chart of the Constellations" published with permission from the Confucian Temple. Not far behind them was the Sea Dragon Mountain. In a Daoist temple on the mountain, Cui Dongshan, as the biggest donor and benefactor, had secretly built two structures—one for observing stars at night, one for measuring the water transport of the East Sea. Liu Mao had already formed his golden core. Once his duties at the Great Spring Ministry of Works were over, he would come here to cultivate, helping Cui Dongshan secretly build an armillary sphere and a seismograph. The blueprints were naturally drawn by Cui Dongshan; Liu Mao, skilled in mathematics, was at most in charge of...odd jobs and later maintenance of the two instruments. Bai Guan asked, "Dragon Continent Daoist, when will you return those printing blocks?" Liu Mao was deeply aggrieved. How could he say that Sect Leader Cui was falsely accusing him? Bai Guan conceded, "I can pay to buy them back." Since Liu Mao couldn't explain anything, he just gave up and said, "No deal." Bai Guan frowned. "Did you really steal them?!" Feeling like he had manure all over his crotch, Liu Mao took a deep breath. "Say what you will." Bai Guan crouched down and cupped water in his hand. Only a great river that connects to the sea can be called a "great river," but that's just one necessary condition. For instance, the Great Spring's Buried River, the Pei River near Pushan that flows into the sea, and the "East Sea Woman" Kou Xuanqu—none had become the true gods of their rivers. Even the ten-thousand-li Lin River only had a few river earls, with the highest rank in the jade gold registry never exceeding the seventh rank. Yet in the Haoran world, there were two rivers of only three to four thousand li that still received the title of "great river." Bai Guan returned the seawater to the sea and said, "I heard that the Great Spring Dynasty, where Observatory Master Liu serves, has a large-scale mountain shipyard? And another one under construction?" Liu Mao nodded. "His Majesty is a man of great vision." Such shipyards for building immortal ferries—especially cross-continental ferries—were extremely taxing on the nation's resources. It could take five to ten years to build just the hull, and much longer before it was truly "launched." Producing cross-continental ferries on one's own was a groundbreaking move for Parasol Leaf, a first in history. Bai Guan said, "Still a considerable gap compared to the Great Li Dynasty of Vase Continent." Liu Mao said, "That's not a meaningful comparison." Not to mention the Great Spring, even the old top ten dynasties of the Haoran world—who could match the Great Li Song clan's continuous construction of sword boats and mountain ferries, turning them out like... flying kites or dropping dumplings?
Liu Mao remembered something. Earlier, on their way to Cloudrock Kingdom, Cui Dongshan had asked him: Parasol Leaf was once a great continent. Its native cultivators were extremely arrogant, looking down on everyone. Yet this place had no cross-continental ferries and never thought to build a great river. This closed-door policy—was it really just about internal fighting? Du Mao of Parasol Leaf Sect and Xun Yuan of Jade Gui Sect—they weren't fools, were they? If you think of the entire Parasol Leaf landmass as a mountain, what does this behavior suggest? At that time, Liu Mao blurted out two words without thinking: "Sealed mountain." Cui Dongshan nodded. "Who says rotten wood can't be carved? Clearly it can." The sects of Parasol Leaf deliberately avoided going to the Sword Great Wall, failing to transport sword qi fortune back to nourish the continent. Over time, sword cultivators dwindled and amounted to nothing. Three thousand years ago, before the Dragon-Slaying Battle, the northern Vase Continent, especially the ancient Shu region, was full of sword immortals and sword lights. "Do you really think the cultivators of Parasol Leaf weren't envious or jealous?" After that, Vase Continent's fortune waned. Three thousand years east, three thousand years west—fortunes change. Parasol Leaf began to look down on Vase Continent. During this three-thousand-year period, there were indeed some schemes. Because someone wanted to use an ancient method of sealing the mountain to lock in the continent's landscape fortune, in order to nurture a fourteen-realm cultivator who could harmonize with the land. It was a crude method, but it was steady. If not for the barbarian invasion of the Haoran world, which hit Parasol Leaf and turned it into a sieve, this place might have had a chance. It could have been Du Mao, or Jiang Shangzhen chosen by Xun Yuan, or Wei Ying—someone would have had a chance to contend for it.
Before leaving the capital, Liu Mao, who was overseeing the production of chicken-feather writing brushes, met with the Emperor one more time. Yao Jinzhi looked up at the sky and asked Liu Mao with a smile, "Have you ever seen black clouds? The kind that press down on the city?" Liu Mao was stumped by this out-of-context question. Fortunately, the Emperor didn't keep him guessing. She continued: reportedly, when the Great Li Dynasty's floating sword boats are numerous enough, this is the scene. Liu Mao remembered something his child had said about the Great Spring's Mirage City. Yao Jinzhi had once, in the imperial study, used a yellowed bamboo painting rod to heavily tap the map of the Great Spring Dynasty and several neighboring countries—borders, heartlands, the capital. She had thundered at her court ministers: "The foundation of a strong country is territory, territory, and territory!"
In the northern part of Parasol Leaf Continent, at Tianmu Academy. Vice Mountain Master Wen Yu had taken a trip, visiting the northern dynasties and many small countries. Except for a few courts, Wen Yu had not revealed his identity. It was like an unnanounced grand evaluation. When word reached the academy that Wen Shanchang had returned, the previously relaxed scholarly atmosphere immediately became solemn. Wen Yu at the academy was mainly responsible for teaching military strategy and mathematics. He wasn't a stiff-necked moralist in lectures. On the contrary, his teaching was lively and interesting. But everyone in the academy, from noblemen to worthies to students, held the deepest respect and fear for him. Wen Yu disembarked and did not return to his study but walked toward the academy's rear mountain. When he arrived at a secluded courtyard, both the mountain head Fan Jiandan and vice mountain head Kang Kai, two old scholars, were already waiting at the gate. Wen Yu greeted them with a bow. They chatted briefly at the door. Fan Shanchang had already communicated the details to Wen Yu via letter. The woman whose real name was "Dragon Palace," Lu Bicang, was ostensibly the abbot of Accumulated Green Temple and the national guardian of the Yu Dynasty. Her more hidden identity was a direct disciple of the Wan Yao Sect's Patriarch Hall. She had left her sect early on, coming alone to Parasol Leaf, intending to reach the Upper Five Realm and establish a sect for Wan Yao. To that end, the sect head Han Yushu had privately taught her two extremely superior ancient Dao methods, enabling her to reach the Nascent Soul realm. He also promised her that once successful, she could expand her lineage autonomously, and Wan Yao would regularly send batches of cultivation prodigies to her, guaranteeing her Dao lineage at least two seats in the Wan Yao Patriarch Hall. When the demon race overran most of Parasol Leaf in a devastating campaign, Wan Yao's instruction was for her to preserve the Yu Dynasty's core strengths and take refuge in the Azure Seal Sect's landscape secret realm. After the demons withdrew from the Haoran world, Wan Yao issued another decree: secretly absorb the Azure Seal Sect, which had only two golden core cultivators, and build a new sect on that foundation. Then, when she eventually broke through to the Jade Pure realm, the Azure Seal Sect could be smoothly upgraded to Azure Seal Sect. Before going into "seclusion to break through," she was to first join Wan Yao as a registered disciple, allowing Wan Yao to upgrade to a "legitimate sect" with both upper and lower sects. The academy had already "interrogated" Dragon Palace once. The "Lv Bicang of Accumulated Green Temple," who had staked everything, had said everything that should and shouldn't be said. But Tianmu Academy had yet to finalize a judgment. Dragon Palace knew they were waiting for Vice Mountain Head Wen Yu. Back at Accumulated Green Temple, the white-clad youth, whose true identity was still unknown, had used Wen Yu's identity to intimidate her, and it had worked well.
The three mountain heads, each wearing a jade tablet symbolizing their status, ignored the courtyard's landscape restrictions and entered. Dragon Palace, detained here, had been notified in advance and was already standing outside the main house, greeting the three mountain heads with a curtsy. When she saw the real Wen Yu, for some reason, at first glance, this young Confucian filled her with terror. She felt as if she had plunged into an ice cave, an involuntary chill running down her spine. She had also feared the white-clad youth, but more in a absurd sense than reverence. So when Wen Yu glanced at her, she instinctively lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze. The two old scholars exchanged a look, both amused. Sure enough, they needed Vice Mountain Head Wen to step in! Although Dragon Palace was a prisoner, at the academy—besides being unable to leave the courtyard—she had none of the treatment a prisoner should endure. There were many books in the yard. On Parasol Leaf, both in the mountains and below, there was now an unspoken consensus: if you've done something wrong, don't fall into the hands of Tianmu Academy's Wen Yu. For mortal offenses, Tianmu might be lenient or strict, but for mountain cultivators who broke the rules, the academy always dealt with them severely. After the three academies were gradually rebuilt, especially when Wen Yu became vice mountain head of Tianmu, the people on Parasol Leaf soon figured it out. So those mountain cultivators and local demons in northern Parasol Leaf who felt guilty and knew the truth would come out eventually would voluntarily go to the Great River Academy in the center or the Five Creek Academy in the south, preferring to take a detour and risk exposure rather than go to Tianmu with Wen Yu. That wasn't surrendering; it was walking into a trap. Even if they survived, they'd lose half their lives. Because all convictions and punishments were announced by the three academies immediately. Without question, Tianmu Academy's punishment of qi practitioners was far heavier than that of the Great River and Five Creek Academies.
Crossing the threshold of the main house, the three mountain heads sat in a row. Dragon Palace stood alone opposite them. After Fan Jiandan and Kang Kai sat down, Wen Yu followed, then gestured twice for the Nascent Soul female cultivator opposite to sit down. "Since no verdict has been passed, there's no need to be so formal. Sit and talk." Dragon Palace's heart instantly tightened. It would have been better if Wen Yu hadn't said that. She sat down as if sitting on a carpet of needles. Wen Yu began, "Either Wan Yao secretly colluded with the barbarian demon clan long ago, or they deliberately withheld intelligence. In my opinion, the former is far more likely." His first words today essentially gave a conclusion before the interrogation had even begun. This was aimed not only at Dragon Palace but even more at Wan Yao and Sect Head Han Yushu. Mountain head Fan Jiandan said nothing. Wen Yu continued, "The gap between Dragon Palace leaving Wan Yao and the barbarian demon clan's major attack on the Sword Great Wall was far too long. Wan Yao sent her to Parasol Leaf under the alias Lv Bicang, to enter the Accumulated Green Temple in Luo Capital and serve as the Yu Dynasty's national guardian, then led a large group to hide in the Azure Seal Sect. This series of actions was interlocking—Wan Yao and Han Yushu were clearly prepared." Vice mountain head Kang Kai couldn't help interjecting, "Sect Head Han is an experienced immortal, and the Three Mountains Blessed Land is an ancient secret realm with a long history. Could it be that Han Yushu used secret arts or divination to predict a change in the heavens and planned ahead? Although Three Mountains is suspected of seeking only its own safety, it's still human nature. Han Yushu is not a Confucian disciple, and Wan Yao has never been in contact with the Confucian Temple. Isn't Vice Mountain Head Wen's assertion somewhat inappropriate?" After all, the true nature of Three Mountains Blessed Land was unknown to outsiders, but the Confucian Temple and the academy had some clues. It was one of the ancient Dao fields of Master Three Mountains Nine Marquises, so it might possess some unique magical techniques and transmissions inaccessible to other cultivators. Assuming Han Yushu had indeed predicted the later war—whether the result of divination or calculation, clear or vague—requiring him to rush to the Confucian Temple to warn them early would be asking too much. Do you think the Yin-Yang family Lu of Central Continent are useless? That only a remote place like Wan Yao could calculate heavenly secrets and read the stars correctly? Moreover, not to mention the entire Haoran world, but Central Continent alone has countless strange beings and experts. Besides the Lu family, there are many who excel in astronomy and divination. Mountain head Fan Jianden was a direct disciple of the Second Sage lineage. Vice mountain head Kang Kai was from the Spring and Autumn Academy lineage, belonging to the Gongyang school, which alternated between exoteric and esoteric studies. So Wen Yu's second sentence was very "Wen Yu-like": "I have already gathered materials through various channels and studied Wan Yao in depth. My conclusion is that the suspicion of collusion with the demon clan is not small." Assuming guilt or assuming innocence in judgment—these are two completely different approaches. Wen Yu's method was simple: it was not for the academy to find evidence and convict Han Yushu. It was for Han Yushu to find evidence himself and come to the academy to prove his innocence. Dragon Palace's face turned pale instantly. Wen Yu asked calmly, "How did Han Yushu ensure you had no second thoughts and wouldn't defect to the Parasol Leaf Sect or Jade Gui Sect and establish your own faction?" Dragon Palace replied, "What Wan Yao can give me, the sects of Parasol Leaf cannot." She explained in