Chapter 1051: Fellow Daoist, Please Keep Quiet

Chapter 1051: Fellow Daoist, Please Keep Quiet

In the corridor under the eaves on the first floor of the bamboo building, Nuan Shu was busy with needlework, while Xiao Mi Li chattered incessantly about the new official positions that had cropped up at the Green Lotus Sword Sect side of the Great White Goose.

"Read the classics on odd days and history on even days; write bamboo when angry, paint orchids when happy; read the works of the various philosophers best in the spring breeze."

Chen Ping'an was flipping through a military strategy book. The first batch of books to be sent to White Emperor City had already been prepared at Jise Peak. Five hundred Grain Rain coins would be coming their way soon.

The sword room on the mountain had just received a secret letter from the parasol shade ferry. On the basis of the original six offices and eight bureaus, Patriarch Cui had added several branch offices under the Operations Office and the Merits and Demerits Office. There weren't many people yet—in fact, not many more than on Fallen Mountain—but brand new "government offices" had sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Judging by the momentum, they were aiming to rival the twenty-four offices of the five marchmount mountain lords and the great river dukes and marquises. The final number would likely only be more, never less.

Ha, sure enough, it was still Fallen Mountain that was more upright and pure.

Today, the scarlet-robed boy who had come to Fallen Mountain to check in and sign documents was the self-proclaimed second-in-command of the Chuzhou City God Temple. He had given himself a name and a Daoist title combined into one: "Sincerity." This was mainly because he had spent a long time around Chief Commander Pei and Deputy Chief Commander Zhou. Having been immersed in their company, he felt that "treating others with sincerity" was an excellent principle. Not long ago, with the personal approval of Mountain Lord Chen, he had been promoted to the position of Chief Protector of Qilong Lane. As for his mount, the white-patterned snake, who had worked hard if not achieved great merit, she had now struck it rich. Ha, in officialdom, as long as you follow the right person, you get twice the result with half the effort.

Her name, "White Rainbow," had actually been casually given by the scarlet-robed boy. At the time, Mountain Lord Chen had spouted a long string of sage principles from books, which she didn't quite understand, but the gist was that he praised the name as quite good. At the time, the white-patterned snake, who had not yet succeeded in forming her human shape and could not speak, was so grateful she wept. "White Rainbow" became her true name as a demon. Afterwards, Chen Ping'an wished her success in forming her human shape. A middle-aged Daoist with an immortal air beside him, who called himself "Chunyang Lü Yan," also added some auspicious words.

As a result, the white-patterned snake returned to Qidun Mountain that very day and immediately went into seclusion. When she reappeared, she was already in the graceful form of a young woman. That snow-white snake-shed skin had been refined into a dharma robe. The key point was that at the center of her brow, there was a mark like the innate divine "Dao trace" that mortal infants bring from the womb... The mountain god Song Yuzhang, who had been transferred from Jise Peak to Qidun Mountain, noticed the unusual phenomena in the landscape. This mountain lord, who on the northern marchmount territory almost never engaged in social niceties, walked out of his temple in his golden body and personally came to congratulate her, addressing her as "Fellow Daoist White Rainbow."

The scarlet-robed boy sat on Deputy Chief Commander Zhou's golden carrying pole and said in a low voice, "Mountain Lord, White Rainbow is thin-skinned. She said she must save up a gift as soon as possible before she can have the face to come back here and properly kowtow to you in gratitude."

Now, this little incense-fire attendant of the Chuzhou City God Temple had switched to riding a green snake when crossing mountains and ridges to come and register.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "When you see Fellow Daoist White Rainbow, tell her there's no need to go to such trouble. If she has time, she can come here with you often as a guest. If she ever encounters a cultivation bottleneck, she can ask anyone here on Fallen Mountain. Just let her ask freely. If after hearing the answer she still doesn't understand, she should ask a few more people. Seeking the Dao through cultivation is a major matter; being too thin-skinned won't do."

The scarlet-robed boy tentatively asked, "Mountain Lord, how about I take White Rainbow's place and kowtow to you a few times first?"

Chen Ping'an waved his hand helplessly.

The scarlet-robed boy said cautiously, "Mountain Lord, when do you have time to make a trip to the prefectural city? I know the way well. Just give me a nod, and I can lead the way."

Don't judge by how he called the city god Gao Ping "Gao Shithead" to his face; in his heart, he was always loyal to his own lord. So he thought it would be wonderful if he could invite Mountain Lord Chen to visit the City God Temple. It would truly be an honor. Besides, that guy Gao Ping really didn't know how to be an official—he had no understanding of human relationships at all. Every time the boy painstakingly explained the etiquette and nuances of the landscape officialdom to him, Gao Ping not only didn't appreciate it but would rather die for face than admit any fault. He would even throw out a line like "The emperor isn't anxious, but the eunuch is," which was a taboo thing for a city god to say!

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "As for the specific date, I can't say for sure right now. But rest assured, if I do go to the prefectural city, I will definitely go to the city god temple to burn incense. I hear your wealth temple is very efficacious, second to none in the entire northern marchmount territory. I must visit."

The scarlet-robed boy’s face lit up with joy, but soon dimmed, a faint melancholy in his brow. He was afraid that if he took the initiative and Mountain Lord Chen actually went to the city god temple, Gao Ping would put on a sour face for him. He wasn't worried about ending up in a lose-lose situation himself, but he was concerned that the stubborn Gao Ping would ruin his relationship with Fallen Mountain, and he also feared that the well-meaning Mountain Lord Chen would end up unhappy.

Chen Ping'an gently turned a page of his book and said seemingly casually, "Next time you see City God Gao, just don't mention that I went on your invitation."

The little one let out a soft "mm." He should have felt happy, but for no reason, he felt a bit aggrieved, a sourness in his heart, like drinking overnight tea or poorly brewed cheap wine.

Mountain Lord Chen can be so understanding, but why are you, Gao Ping, so hard-hearted? I owe you... Well, I was born from the incense burner of the Mantou Mountain Earth God Temple, so I do owe you.

Chen Ping'an closed the book and smiled. "Your actions, City God Gao sees them all. Your thoughts, City God Gao actually keeps them in his heart. It's just that some people don't like to speak certain things out loud. Of course, when you never hear what you want to hear for a long time, you'll naturally feel disappointed. But don't doubt the answer that was already in your heart. What do you think?"

The scarlet-robed boy let out another "mm," but this time the little fellow no longer looked downcast and dejected; instead, his spirit soared, and his brows lifted.

Chen Ping'an stood up, tucked the military book into his sleeve, and said he was going to take a walk to the mountain gate.

Fallen Mountain had publicly announced a thirty-year closure, during which time it would not receive guests or accept disciples.

However, because Chen Ping'an had privately given permission for Fallen Mountain members to take on some suitable direct disciples unofficially, but in the short term, there would be no initiation ceremony with written records at the Jiling Peak Ancestral Hall. They could do it together when the time was right. So, Immortal Wei took advantage of this loophole and took on a disciple who was temporarily unregistered.

Daoist Wei was a fake priest without formal ordination, but his disciple was a genuine Daoist.

This person had rented an old house in Erlang Lane in the small town and often went to seek advice from Immortal Wei on Daoist arts and knowledge.

Chen Ping'an walked alone to the foot of the mountain. By the mountain gate, there was a table where a Daoist was sitting and drinking tea. He had the appearance of a middle-aged man, had been stuck at the Cavern Dwelling realm for many years, and was actually over sixty years old.

At the moment, Daoist Wei was accompanying this disciple, drinking tea and chatting. Whether he was actually teaching the Dao and pointing out the path was hard to say.

According to Wei Bo, this wandering Daoist, named Lin Feijing, seemed to possess past-life wisdom.

Simply put, it was highly likely that this person had been a cultivator in a previous life.

Many people who had undergone a Daoist dissolution in their previous life could, in this life, if the opportunity arose, regain their spiritual awareness and resume cultivation. They would ascend the mountain quickly, their path smooth, as if protected by spirits. Lin Feijing was originally from the old Qianzhou region of the southern White Frost Dynasty, from a prominent local family. He had been a lecturer at a small Daoist temple. Wei Bo had checked the Great Li Ministry of Rites archives, and his background and character were flawless. This person had a firm Dao heart, but his cultivation aptitude was mediocre. Over sixty years old, he was still just a Qi practitioner at the Cavern Dwelling realm, delayed by the war. He had no Daoist title yet. Lin Feijing had traveled north from the southern part of the continent, enduring much hardship, to seek instruction on the Dao from Mountain Lord Chen. When he arrived, he found that Fallen Mountain was not receiving guests. Unable to see Chen Ping'an, he could only stop at the mountain gate. Unwilling to return home just like that, he often sat drinking tea by the gate, thinking that if he couldn't force his way up the mountain, Mountain Lord Chen would surely come down eventually. As a result, he was... intercepted by the gatekeeper, Immortal Wei.

After chatting about this and that, Immortal Wei advised, "Feijing, if there's nothing else, why not head back? As for finding you a job in Huaihuang County, I already spoke to Fellow Daoist Jingqing not long ago. He assured me it would be arranged soon. Just relax."

Lin Feijing nodded. "Master, you can tell Immortal Jingqing plainly that I don't care about the salary. I just feel that having a place to settle down and earn a little money, instead of just spending every day, would ease my mind."

He had heard that Immortal Jingqing of Fallen Mountain had mastered the art of preserving youth and was an old god at the Nascent Soul realm who had returned to simplicity.

Immortal Wei complained, "What kind of talk is that? What kind of relationship do I have with Fellow Daoist Jingqing? How could the monthly salary be low?"

Chen Lingjun had indeed been very attentive to this matter. But on Qilong Lane, Shi Rou, the current manager of the New Year's Gift Shop, only sold pastries. If Lin Feijing, a Qi practitioner, worked there as a shop assistant, would he only earn a few taels of silver a month? And if he were sent to the herbal shop next door, first of all, he hadn't met Old Jia yet, and second, the shop's business was mediocre. With Zhao Denggao and Tian Jiu'er already there, Chen Lingjun was indeed in a bind. At first, he thought about quietly subsidizing it himself, asking Wei Wenlong and Zhang Jiazhen from the accounting office to help out. Every month, they could pay Lin Feijing's salary in the name of Fallen Mountain. It would only be a few Snowflake Coins a month. Chen Lingjun could afford that—small money!

Down the mountain, people used gold ingots, silver ingots, and copper coins. Up the mountain, there were three types of immortal money. Could they compare?

This was called: the sky is big, the earth is big, but brotherly loyalty and face are the biggest.

Just recently, the Kite Ferry had docked at Niujiao Ferry, and Chen Lingjun had discussed this matter with Old Jia. Old Jia was generous and kept saying it was no problem. Adding an extra pair of chopsticks to the shop was a trivial matter. He even told Brother Jingqing not to bother making an extra trip to the accounting office. He said he, Jia Sheng, would cover the monthly salary of a few Snowflake Coins. Now that he was enjoying the leisure life on the Kite Ferry with the title of deputy manager, he wasn't making less money. In fact, spending money had become a difficult task. He simply suggested that Lin Feijing go directly to the herbal shop. There was no need for him to be a mere assistant—that would be beneath him. At the very least, he should be given the title of second manager, which would sound better. Brother Jingqing, could you also pass a few words to Jiu'er and Denggao, telling them that they must treat Daoist Lin with the respect due an elder? Otherwise, as their master, he would have to invoke the family rules...

And so, it was settled. However, Chen Lingjun hadn't had the chance to share the good news with Immortal Wei yet.

Lin Feijing stood up and bid farewell to his master with a Daoist salute.

Immortal Wei slowly rose, shook the sleeves of his Daoist robe, and reminded him, "When seeking immortals and cultivating the Dao, refining Qi and breathing, the most important thing is sincerity. The Qi must be calm and clear. Therefore, you must guard against arrogance and impatience. As for the matter of realms, haste makes waste."

Lin Feijing bowed and said, "Master speaks the truth. How can we cultivators of the Dao place too much importance on realms and neglect the fundamentals? Indeed, this disciple has been impetuous. Thank you, Master, for the guidance."

In terms of eloquence and quick wit, Immortal Wei had almost managed to deceive even Chen Ping'an in the Great Li capital.

This disciple wasn't bad at all! With just a few random remarks, the disciple could come up with principles that even the master hadn't thought of.

Immortal Wei patted Lin Feijing's shoulder. "The Dao follows nature. Use a non-assertive heart to perform assertive actions. Use assertive actions to temper the non-assertive heart. As long as your mind is calm and you cultivate steadily, Heaven rewards diligence. Naturally, you will clear the clouds and see the moon."

Lin Feijing seemed to have some insight and again saluted his master, thanking him for these golden words worthy of repeated contemplation.

Immortal Wei kept a straight face, maintaining his master's dignity, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally managed to send this old fellow Lin Feijing packing.

Having taken on a disciple, Immortal Wei felt guilty and never dared to bring it up to the mountain lord on his own. He even repeatedly instructed Xiao Mi Li not to mention it to Mountain Lord Chen until the time was right, when he would report it himself.

But the guilt that Daoist Immortal Wei felt wasn't about the rule of not receiving guests during the mountain closure or taking disciples carefully. It was about his impulsive action. He was afraid that Mountain Lord Chen would think he was leading people astray. What if taking on a disciple cost him his iron rice bowl as gatekeeper, forcing him to return to his old trade and the two of them to wander the world making a living together?

Luckily, it was just an unregistered disciple, usually addressed as "fellow Daoist." Otherwise, Immortal Wei would have seriously advised Lin Feijing to go home.

Nominally, Immortal Wei had seen Lin Feijing's eagerness for the Dao and reluctantly accepted him as a disciple. As for the truth, in Immortal Wei's view, Lin Feijing came from a prominent family and was at least a mid-five-realm Qi practitioner with some savings and a decent family background.

Immortal Wei was an old hand at worldly affairs. With just a few words, he had figured out Lin Feijing's background. For instance, while seemingly making small talk, he asked which immortal ferry ports the fellow Daoist had visited, how many immortal ferries he had taken. If it weren't for the fact that he no longer needed to swindle people, Immortal Wei could have had Lin Feijing travel north with money and return south penniless.

Just like Chen Ping'an's assessment, which hit the nail on the head.

It wasn't that he was an innocent person who would be swindled by Immortal Wei.

Lin Feijing suddenly stopped and asked, "Daoist Immortal Wei, who is this?"

A man in a blue long gown came down the mountain path, a jade hairpin in his bun, with a gentle demeanor.

Immortal Wei turned his head and instantly felt his head swell to the size of a winnowing basket. Why had the mountain lord come down the mountain?!

Fortunately, Lin Feijing was quick-witted and didn't call him "Master."

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "My name is Chen Ping'an. Is this fellow Daoist a friend of Immortal Wei?"

Lin Feijing glanced at Immortal Wei.

Immortal Wei stamped his foot. Forget it. Whether he stretched his head or shrunk it, it was the same knife cut. He might as well admit it openly. So he confessed to Chen Ping'an that Lin Feijing was his unregistered disciple.

"A good thing."

Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile. "Since you have a master-disciple relationship, Fellow Daoist Lin can stay here. Whether you settle at the foot of the mountain or choose a residence on the mountain is up to Immortal Wei's arrangement."

Immortal Wei sighed quietly to himself. He was just a gatekeeper of Fallen Mountain. Why did it feel like he was an honored immortal master with a seat in the Jise Peak Ancestral Hall?

Lin Feijing hesitated for a moment. He first made a Daoist salute to the renowned Mountain Lord Chen, then stood up and said, "Mountain Lord Chen, I have rented a house in the small town and paid a half-year deposit. My master has also found someone to help me get a job in the county. I was thinking I would stay there for the near future. In half a year, I will come to trouble you again."

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Among family, there's no need for polite words. In short, do whatever is most convenient."

Daoist Lin Feijing saluted Mountain Lord Chen, who matched the image he had in his mind.

Proper and serious.

In order to get back to Fallen Mountain sooner, Chief Zhou had used the Three Mountains Talisman and had already taught it to Feng Xuetiao. Ever since leaving the Barren Wastes, Feng Xuetiao had spent a lot of time studying this large talisman.

Probably feeling a kind of nervousness at approaching home, Jiang Shangzhen didn't head straight for Fallen Mountain's Jise Peak. Instead, he took Feng Xuetiao to Huaihuang County first and strolled through every street and alley. Even for a wild cultivator at the Flying Ascension realm like Feng Xuetiao, as he listened to Jiang Shangzhen's casual introductions, the more he heard, the more horrified he became. Not to mention Fulu Street and Taoye Alley, even an inconspicuous narrow, dirty alley or a dilapidated house might have once been the birthplace of some notable figure who had walked on chicken droppings and dog feces daily before eventually leaving home and becoming someone important.

Finally, they had a drink at the tavern, which was the tallest building in the town. Standing by the window on the third floor, they could see the Crab Workshop.

Feng Xuetiao asked casually, "This tavern, being the tallest building—is it also occupied by some high-ranking expert?"

Feng Xuetiao found Jiang Shangzhen staring at the ceiling.

Jiang Shangzhen withdrew his gaze and laughed. "There's a fourth floor above us. The owner's embroidered shoes are higher than our heads. Do you think that's high?"

It was a double entendre. But Feng Xuetiao misunderstood and didn't take it seriously, because everything Jiang Shangzhen had "revealed" today was superficial. The deeper truths he hadn't disclosed to Feng Xuetiao, afraid that this Fellow Daoist Qingmi would hardly dare to breathe while walking in the small town.

In a place the size of a palm, having one Flying Ascension cultivator was already extremely rare.

What if there were two? Unimaginable. After all, in a limited corner of the landscape, having two Flying Ascension cultivators crowded together was almost like two households facing each other in a market.

What if there were more? Mind-numbing.

So in this bizarre place called Lizhu Cave Heaven, the lower one's realm, the bolder one was walking at night.

Out-of-town cultivators, the higher their realm, the more they had to be careful.

For instance, Feng Xuetiao only knew a little more about the grand cultivators here through some peak-level secret information. For example, there might have once been a Flying Ascension Platform hidden here, and Qi Jingchun, the teacher at the town's school, was the second-to-last saint of the three teachings and one school who was in charge of guarding this place—a very young fourteenth-realm scholar. The only true Dragon King, Wang Zhu, had his Dao roots here. As for Chen Ping'an of Fallen Mountain, Liu Xianyang of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, Ma Kuxuan of Xinghua Lane, Gu Can of Niping Lane, and other "younger generation" who had walked out of the small town, there were now many stories circulating outside.

Feng Xuetiao asked, "Do I need to prepare a gift for this visit to Fallen Mountain?"

If it were purely based on his identity as a Flying Ascension wild cultivator, Feng Xuetiao might have just bypassed Fallen Mountain and Piyun Mountain even if he was passing through the Great Li Dynasty. Since your old Lizhu Cave Heaven territory, under Ruan Qiong, had established a rule that Qi practitioners must wear sword talismans when flying within the jurisdiction, if I can't afford to provoke you, can I at least avoid you?

But since he was following "Chief Zhou" this time, visiting Fallen Mountain for the first time, he had to observe the mountain's etiquette. The problem was that Feng Xuetiao didn't know the temperament of that young hidden official. The rank and price of a meeting gift was a fine art. Feng Xuetiao, as a wild cultivator with a high Daoist age, had a decent family fortune. For example, he had a semi-immortal heavy treasure that was like a chicken rib—neither here nor there. Feng Xuetiao wasn't foolish, so of course he was reluctant to give that away. He planned to leave it for his closed-door disciple in the future. As for the pile of dharma treasures that couldn't be refined into lifebound objects or weren't worth medium-grade refining, which one should he give? Dharma treasures of the same rank could vary wildly in price.

Jiang Shangzhen sat down again, picked up a piece of salt-cured pork stewed with bamboo shoots, specifically choosing the spring shoots known locally as "muddy yellow" or "yellow mud tip," slow-cooked in a clay pot with ham that had been air-dried for two or three years. Jiang Shangzhen chewed carefully and laughed. "I've already prepared the gifts. Brother Feng doesn't need to bother with these trivial matters."

Feng Xuetiao shook his head. "No need. I still have some savings."

Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "Don't argue with me about this. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to make this trip to Fallen Mountain. According to local custom, whether it's New Year's greetings or visiting on ordinary business, you have to bring gifts in pairs, never singles. So either bring no wine at all, or bring two bottles. I've prepared two rather pleasing dharma treasures for you."

Besides, in that fierce battle deep in the Barren Wastes, Feng Xuetiao had lost quite a bit of capital. Could a wild cultivator's earnings compare to those of a registered cultivator? Even if you were Flying Ascension Feng Xuetiao, I was still Jiang Shangzhen.

Between good friends, that's how reasoning should work.

Feng Xuetiao still wanted to insist, but Jiang Shangzhen had already raised his glass and drained it. "Less bullshit, more drinking. The more we walk together, the deeper our bond. If you really feel sorry, drink your cup dry and then toast me two more. Consider it settled."

Feng Xuetiao had no choice but to drink three cups in a row. He wiped the corner of his mouth. Jiang Shangzhen had drunk plenty of wine and eaten even more dishes. He smiled. "My drinking capacity and manners have always been linked to the quality and quantity of the snacks."

Inviting Feng Xuetiao to be a guest elder of the Jade Gui Sect was, besides their compatible personalities and mutual understanding, naturally Jiang Shangzhen's own selfish motive.

For example, if he ever had to argue with people in the Divine Seal Peak Ancestral Hall again, he would have a helper. Jiang Shangzhen would no longer have to fight alone against a roomful of people.

He had already found a bunch of people, using a few landscape gazettes controlled by the Jiang family, and had Jiang Shangzhen himself, spending immortal money, launching dozens of different sects' mirror-flower-water-moon spectacles to spread the word. He had greatly publicized Feng Xuetiao, whose Daoist title was Qingmi, all over the southern part of Tongye Continent, making his reputation far-reaching!

This "Collapsed True Lord," who was most famous in the mirror-flower-water-moon of the continent for cursing Jiang Shangzhen the hardest and most viciously, spent money ceaselessly, loudly cursing that Jiang thief's dogshit luck for getting acquainted with that old wild Daoist from the Ai'ai Continent, Feng Xuetiao, with the Daoist title Qingmi. No one knew how they had hooked up. This old Flying Ascension, a peak-level rogue immortal from a non-orthodox background, had a paranoid personality. He liked to strike from the shadows, ambush people, and was vindictive. Killing was as common as eating and drinking for him. Whenever he struck, he always pulled out the roots, leaving no future trouble. If a great immortal mansion caught this Flying Ascension wild cultivator's attention, not even a single male or female cultivator would be spared, not even a hen that laid eggs. The key was that even the Confucian Temple couldn't find evidence...

This time, Feng Xuetiao had broken his own rule and agreed to be a nominal elder of a sect. What exactly was he after? Rhetorical question. What else could it be but the Flower God Mountain of the Jiang family blessed land? So, the immortal maidens on the Rouge List had better be careful. Don't go out traveling anytime soon, or you might fall victim. They said this wild cultivator, who had no public Dao partner, had illegitimate children in seven or eight continents of the Righteousness Continent. Perhaps Jiang Shangzhen was one of them. Don't you think so?

Poor Feng Xuetiao, before he had even shown his face in the Jade Gui Sect, had no idea his reputation was already ruined.

Basically, the consensus was that the wild father of that Jiang thief had come to the Jade Gui Sect in Tongye Continent to find his son and acknowledge kinship.

Before coming to BaoPing Continent, Jiang Shangzhen had, behind Feng Xuetiao's back, made a trip to the Jade Gui Sect and convened an emergency ancestral hall meeting.

Regarding whether to invite Feng Xuetiao to be the sect's elder, there had been dissenting voices in the Divine Seal Peak Ancestral Hall at the time.

They might not have all thought that having Feng Xuetiao as an elder was a bad thing. It was probably simply that they were used to going against Jiang Shangzhen.

If they didn't take the opportunity to curse Jiang Shangzhen a few times, it wouldn't count as a proper Divine Seal Peak meeting.

Since Feng Xuetiao's reputation was so bad, why should the Jade Gui Sect take on such a hot potato? After all, inviting a god is easy, but sending one away is hard.

Jiang Shangzhen had only one thing to say: "I almost begged him on my knees to come to Divine Seal Peak. He's high-realm, a Flying Ascension that's harder to find than a lantern in broad daylight. Don't let personal grudges harm public affairs!"

If Feng Xuetiao really agreed to be an elder, how should his salary as a Flying Ascension be set? If it was too high and far exceeded the other "non-surname" elders and nominal guests of the Jade Gui Sect, how would they feel? If it was too low, wouldn't Feng Xuetiao take offense, thinking they were disrespecting him? What if they fell out and made an extra enemy in the mountain?

Feng Xuetiao was a Flying Ascension.

Feng Xuetiao was, after all, a wild cultivator. What could he do at the Jade Gui Sect? Keep him as a living ancestor just for show?

Feng Xuetiao was a Flying Ascension.

Surnamed Jiang, if anything happens in the future—say, Feng Xuetiao can't stay idle and goes down the mountain to travel, gets into a dispute with someone on their own Tongye Continent, and accidentally kills someone—would you, Jiang Shangzhen, be responsible for handing him toilet paper and cleaning up the mess? If a Flying Ascension grand cultivator causes trouble, can you, an Immortal realm cultivator, really take responsibility?

"Feng Xuetiao is a Flying Ascension. Feng Xuetiao is a Flying Ascension. Feng Xuetiao is a Flying Ascension. Important things must be said three times!"

After Jiang Shangzhen's shamelessness, someone in the ancestral hall almost threw a chair.

Jiang Shangzhen turned to look at the portraits in the ancestral hall, his face full of grief and indignation, and began to complain: "Ancestors, especially you, Old Xun, open your eyes and see what these people are doing. Patriarch Wei, you listen too, listen to how these bastards are settling personal scores in the name of public service..."

When arguing, there were no taboos in cursing, and being cursed at meant not taking it seriously. With a generous heart, one could remain invincible.

After eating and drinking their fill, Jiang Shangzhen leaned back in his chair and asked, "It seems that in the history of your Ai'ai Continent, there has never been a fourteen-realm cultivator?"

Feng Xuetiao laughed. "The Ai'ai Continent doesn't have one either."

Not to mention their neighbor, the Liuxia Continent, since the Ai'ai Continent and the Julu Continent had the worst relationship, always competing with each other over the years.

You have the Fire Dragon True Man of Crouching Earth Peak, we have Wei She, the "Master of Seventy-Two Peaks." You have sword cultivators like clouds, we have the God of Wealth, Liu Jubao.

As for Jiang Shangzhen's Tongye Continent, in the past, its Qi practitioners all looked down on everyone, looking down on the other seven continents of the Righteousness Continent. To some extent, this was related to their own possession of the old temple master of the Eastern Sea Viewing Dao Temple.

At that moment, three people came up from the stairway. The leading man, in a blue long gown and cloth shoes, looked young, with slightly graying temples not particularly noticeable. Beside him was a youth in a yellow hat and green shoes, and a girl with red cheeks and a sable hat.

Jiang Shangzhen quickly stood up, flattered and said, "Mountain Lord, why did you personally come down the mountain to welcome us..."

Chen Ping'an cut him off. "I went to check the accounts at the two shops on Qilong Lane. Xiao Mo said you were drinking here. Just passing by."

Jiang Shangzhen, who had been flattering himself, was momentarily speechless.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Let me introduce you. These two beside me: Xiao Mo, alias Mosheng, Daoist title Xizhu. Xie Gou, now renamed Plum Blossom. She has quite a few Daoist titles, so I won't list them all."

Xie Gou pouted. Mountain Lord, you don't take me seriously, do you? I only have seven or eight, or at most a dozen Daoist titles. Couldn't you pick a few to mention?

Xiao Mo bowed and said, "Xiao Mo greets Chief Zhou."

One was a nominal elder who had ascended the mountain later, the other was a chief elder with outstanding merit.

Jiang Shangzhen quickly walked towards Xiao Mo, grabbed his hand, and shook it vigorously. "Fellow Daoist Xizhu, I've long heard of your name."

Xiao Mo found it strange. It seemed that Chief Zhou had just returned from the Barren Wastes. How could he have heard of his name for so long?

Feng Xuetiao had already stood up. Chen Ping'an was the first to clasp his fists in greeting. Feng Xuetiao returned the gesture with a cupped fist. If not for their mutual friend Jiang Shangzhen, the two really had nothing to talk about.

Jiang Shangzhen turned to look at the messy table of leftover food and asked, "Shall I have a new table of food and wine brought up?"

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "No need. I ate before coming down the mountain and had a few pieces of pastry at the New Year's Gift Shop."

They traveled together by wind to Fallen Mountain. Earlier, in the small town, Jiang Shangzhen had given Feng Xuetiao a sword talisman and reminded him to hang it at his waist.

Feng Xuetiao noticed that ever since Chen Ping'an appeared, Jiang Shangzhen had become a different person.

Earlier at the table, Jiang Shangzhen had been sighing and muttering about how new clothes are better than old ones, the world being what it is, what can I do?

On the way, Jiang Shangzhen used heart-to-heart communication to tell Feng Xuetiao some "interesting stories" about his trip to the Barren Wastes. For example, how someone had forcibly dragged him southward, and finally, that someone had found a Flying Ascension wild cultivator troublesome, so he sent Feng Xuetiao, who was described as a burden, back north ahead of time to avoid getting in the way of his sword strikes and accidentally being killed by random sword slashes...

After that came the general process of the battle. Gu Can hadn't said much to Chen Ping'an, but Jiang Shangzhen recounted it with great gusto, spittle flying, saying that Cao Ci and that group of youngsters were all pretty good. The young Heavenly Stem cultivators from the Barren Wastes were no slouches either in terms of techniques or Dao heart. If it hadn't been for that divine move by Cao Ci and Gu Can, that fight would have been a long one.

Xie Gou sneered through heart-to-heart communication, "From what you say, it seems only that Cao Ci is somewhat interesting. The rest are still young."

Jiang Shangzhen let out a surprised "Eh?" "Miss Xie, can you hear my heart-to-heart communication with the Mountain Lord?"

Xie Gou lied through her teeth, "Xiao Mo just told me."

Xiao Mo said helplessly, "Don't talk nonsense."

Chen Ping'an laughed. "Xie Gou's real name is Bai Jing. She's an ancient sword cultivator of the same generation as Xiao Mo. Her swordsmanship is... slightly better than Xiao Mo's?"

Xie Gou chuckled, "No, no. My swordsmanship is the same as Xiao Mo's."

On Fallen Mountain, Xie Gou had learned quite a few catchphrases.

Jiang Shangzhen, who had been long immersed in a sea of flowers, wasn't blind. How could he not see Xie Gou's feelings for Xiao Mo? It was like the blooming of azaleas, burning like fire, and when the wind passed, they nodded to say "I like you."

I lost.

Jiang's heart was tired. The position of Chief Elder of Fallen Mountain? I won't fight for it anymore. If I can't keep it, I can't keep it.

Only Feng Xuetiao, an outsider, couldn't hear their heart-to-heart communications.

When they reached the mountain gate, Jiang Shangzhen's eyes brightened, and he immediately became full of fighting spirit.

It turned out that when Chen Ping'an had gone to the small town to find Chief Zhou at the tavern, he had already notified Zhu Lian of Fallen Mountain.

An old cook with a stooped figure wearing cloth shoes, a boy in blue, a girl in a pink dress, a little girl in black, and Cen Yuanji, who had stopped her pole-walking practice at the foot of the mountain.

Plus the two former gatekeepers of Fallen Mountain, Big Wind brothers, Daoist Wei, and a white-haired boy who served as the chronicler.

Everyone gathered noisily to welcome Chief Zhou home.

Jiang Shangzhen's heart instantly warmed. Besides the Mountain Lord, who else could have arranged this treatment?

This was the meaning of a man working hard outside to earn money: spending money on people worth spending it on, in places worth spending it in.

"Finally back." "I'm back!"

Jiang Shangzhen and the old cook laughed, clapped hands, and then clasped them tightly together.

Chen Lingjun asked Chief Zhou to sit down at the table quickly so he could massage his shoulders and arms.

Nuan Shu went to boil water for tea, and Xiao Mi Li, also quick and nimble, placed dried fish and melon seeds on the table.

When visiting a mountain, there were rules. One had to register with the gatekeeper, Daoist Wei. The white-haired boy had already taken out paper and pen from his sleeve.

"Feng Xuetiao of Ai'ai Continent, a rogue immortal, Daoist title Qingmi, Flying Ascension realm, on such-and-such a year, month, and day, accompanied by Chief Elder Zhou Fei, visited Fallen Mountain. Presented gifts: two dharma treasures..."

The white-haired boy, responsible for compiling the chronicles, was smiling on the surface but complaining inwardly. Finally, a mid-five-realm Qi practitioner had come—what a rare thing.

Next, shouldn't a low-five-realm cultivator come so that I, the chronicler, can have some fun? But no, here came another Flying Ascension. Not interesting at all.

Everyone took their seats, and it was lively.

Chen Lingjun complained that Chief Zhou had come too late; Old Jia had already left with the Kite Ferry for Tongye Continent.

Jiang Shangzhen laughed and said that when Old Immortal Jia gave lectures at the Jade Sea Academy, he must be in the front row to show support!

Chen Lingjun felt the atmosphere was good and plucked up the courage to mention to his master that Old Jia had been too embarrassed to speak up before. As a lecturer at the academy, he was under a lot of pressure, so he thought about having a drink before class to bolster his courage... Chen Ping'an smiled and said there was no problem. Not only could he drink before class, but even if Old Immortal Jia had a little drink during class, it would be fine. Just make sure it was in moderation. The Jade Sea Academy was a private academy anyway, so they could make an exception for Jia Sheng. He would personally discuss it with Patriarch Cui and Scholar Chong.

Feng Xuetiao sat beside Jiang Shangzhen and noticed that the sable-hatted girl with the strange name kept glancing at him sideways.

Judging by her aura, she was probably a Jade Purity realm sword immortal?

Xie Gou, in the guise of a young girl, was wondering if she couldn't see through his realm level, so she was curious about his identity?

In reality, Xie Gou was communicating with Xiao Mo through heart-to-heart: "Xiao Mo, can he withstand two or three more sword strikes than that Jing Hao?"

Xiao Mo hesitated for a moment. "It depends on his escape technique."

In the past, Xiao Mo never discussed such topics. But now that Xie Gou was behaving better on Fallen Mountain, he could be a bit more casual with her.

This was also a suggestion from Old Master Zhu in private: "Xiao Mo, the more you treat Xie Gou as Bai Jing, the more Xie Gou will be Bai Jing."

In simpler terms, the more you, Xiao Mo, liked Miss Xie, the more Miss Xie would like Fallen Mountain.

Jiang Shangzhen teased, "What's up with that new superintendent? He's so clueless? Compared to his predecessor, the drunkard Cao Gengxin, his skill in officialdom is a hundred thousand miles worse."

The Dragon Spring County Kiln Affairs Supervisory Office, on the surface, was in charge of supervising the firing techniques of the kilns that retained official kiln status in Dragon Spring. But of course, it also had a more important secret duty: overseeing every breeze and blade of grass in the former Lizhu Cave Heaven territory. In fact, after the Dragon Spring Sword Sect moved away, the only "largest landowner" the supervisory office's spies needed to watch was Fallen Mountain. But Cao Gengxin, a descendant of the Shangzhuguo Cao family, was smart. The greatest responsibility of the supervisory office was precisely what Cao Gengxin didn't bother with. As a result, he served two terms as the head of the supervisory office and received good evaluations in the Ministry of Personnel's assessments. When he was recalled to the capital, he was promoted to a vice minister of a ministry. He was truly a guy who had dared to secretly sell pornographic picture books in Yichi Lane and Chi'er Street when he was just over ten years old.

In contrast, the new superintendent was a bit too rigid. For instance, when Jiang Shangzhen appeared in the small town this time, if Cao Gengxin had been in charge, he would have turned a blind eye. But today, the spies from the supervisory office had followed them all the way, trying to verify and confirm the identity of Feng Xuetiao, who was with "Chief Zhou." Officials from the office had also sent flying sword messages to several nearby immortal ferry ports to inquire whether this person had any records of passing through... It was all because the two of them had used the Three Mountains Talisman. Only in the middle of BaoPing Continent had Jiang Shangzhen, as per regulations, informed the Imitation Jade Capital. So now, the supervisory office was in a frenzy. If not for the fact that Vice Minister of Justice Zhao Yao had recently returned to his hometown and visited the supervisory office, the new superintendent, following his style of operation, would have already reported the matter to Piyun Mountain. The official document format would naturally be to ask the Mountain Lord's office about the matter. But in the winding, potholed landscape officialdom, that wasn't just an inquiry—it was an indictment.

Chen Ping'an smiled. "The current superintendent is named Jian Feng. He likes to stick to principles and is very meticulous in his work."

When Feng Xuetiao heard this evaluation, he felt a bit sorry for the kiln superintendent who was a neighbor of Fallen Mountain.

In officialdom speech, it was either saying the opposite or speaking indirectly. The meaning was always between the lines. Whether one understood or not depended on their talent and experience in civil service.

Jiang Shangzhen smiled and didn't explain anything to Feng Xuetiao. Being personally evaluated by his own mountain lord as "sticking to principles" and "meticulous in work" was entirely equivalent to a superior assessment.

After drinking tea, it was considered a welcome banquet for Chief Zhou. They went up the mountain together.

Jiang Shangzhen communicated with his heart and laughed, "With Brother Feng added, there are now four Flying Ascension cultivators on Fallen Mountain."

Feng Xuetiao was shocked. "What?! Fallen Mountain currently has three Flying Ascensions?!"

Jiang Shangzhen only hinted, "Two of them are sword cultivators. One is at the peak, the other at perfection. It's hard to say how far they are from the fourteenth-realm pure sword cultivator. It could be far, or it could be near."

Upon hearing this, Feng Xuetiao's Dao heart immediately tensed like a leaf boat tossed in stormy waves. It took him a while to calm the ripples and return to stability.

Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "These two are right beside you, just three steps away."

Feng Xuetiao's body stiffened, and his breathing paused for a moment. But as a wild cultivator accustomed to great storms, he quickly regained his composure and said through heart-to-heart, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Jiang Shangzhen said something that Feng Xuetiao couldn't fully grasp at the moment: "It makes no difference whether I said it earlier or later. Here, high realm doesn't mean much. It's not particularly valued."

At the Jiuhua Ferry, he parted with his senior disciple. Watching Pei Qian board an immortal ferry that would dock at Niujiao Ferry, Chen Ping'an, in the guise of a sword-carrying youth with the alias Chen Ren, went alone to the capital of the Qingxing Kingdom. The ruling philosophy of the Qingxing Kingdom's Liu clan was better seen than heard.

His other incarnation, Chen Jiu, an outer sect guest official of the Caiyu Mountain Sect, was still in the Qingling Kingdom.

"Qingling," "Qingxing"—a difference of one character. In the Nine Continents of Righteousness, choosing a kingdom's name was actually harder than naming a mountain sect. So, there were often prefixes like east, south, west, north. It was simply unavoidable. All single-character names were almost always dynasties with long histories and deep foundations, somewhat like the title of a "one-character co-king" among feudal princes, which was certainly the most honorable.

In the neighboring Yuxuan Kingdom, which housed the western marchmount's heir mountain, within the capital, the itinerant Daoist Wu Di still set up his fortune-telling stall every day, regardless of weather or obstacles.

Within the Great Li's Yanzhou Prefecture, after school let out that day, Chen Ping'an took his student Ning Ji and had the latter practice piloting a talisman boat. It wobbled and pitched like a leaf in a storm, heading north all the way towards the timberyard in Yuzhang Commandery, Hongzhou.

Chen Ping'an had arranged with Lin Shouyi to visit the timberyard today.

He had actually informed Lin Shouyi beforehand. But well, with a high realm and a big attitude, this young upper-five-realm immortal said he was busy and couldn't get away. Why hadn't Chen Ping'an said so earlier?

In the reply letter, Lin the Great Immortal said that if Chen Ping'an was really in a hurry, he could just go to the timberyard himself. It didn't matter whether he, Lin, was there or not.

Chen Ping'an had no choice but to schedule another date with "Lin Yupu." This was truly a sign of the times—people's hearts were no longer as they used to be. The one who owed money was the one who called the shots.

Late at night, the talisman boat landed in a secluded landscape outside the county where the timberyard was located. They walked the rest of the way. Chen Ping'an and Ning Ji each presented their travel permits and entered the county.

Lin Shouyi came to the county gate. Chen Ping'an clasped his hands vigorously. "Lin Yupu, long time no see. I'm terribly sorry for delaying your cultivation."

Lin Shouyi felt helpless. "I really was busy. These were all commitments made long ago."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I'm Nascent Soul, you're Jade Purity. Whether it was really busy or not, the higher realm decides."

Lin Shouyi laughed angrily. "Are you going to keep on with this?"

Chen Ping'an laughed freely and introduced the student beside him.

Ning Ji, without thinking, said, "Master Lin."

Chen Ping'an suppressed a smile. "Ning Ji, you got it wrong. According to our lineage's seniority, Lin Yupu is a disciple of your master's master's second-generation disciple. His realm is high, but he's a generation lower than me. So you should call him Brother Lin."

Lin Shouyi couldn't be bothered to argue with Chen Ping'an. He nodded to the dark, thin youth and said with a smile, "My name is Lin Shouyi. I'm from the same hometown as your teacher. Just call me Brother Lin. Remember, don't learn your teacher's habit of saying weird things."

Ning Ji grinned. His teacher never said weird things; he always spoke with substance.

Lin Shouyi communicated with his heart and laughed, "What are you nervous about?"

Chen Ping'an sighed. "If you hadn't passed on the wrong message, I would have come to pay New Year's respects to Uncle Lin much earlier."

Lin Shouyi laughed. "So you're showing up empty-handed?"

Chen Ping'an said, "How could that be?"

Lin Shouyi said, "The county isn't big. It's just a few steps away. My father is already waiting."

In fact, his father had already specially prepared a meal in the kitchen. He kept asking Lin Shouyi why he hadn't arrived yet, or telling him to go outside and check if he had come.

Chen Ping'an asked, "I hope I'm not disturbing Uncle Lin's rest?"

Lin Shouyi laughed. "Then go back. Come another time, pick a daytime."

Chen Ping'an scowled. "Wait till I see Uncle Lin. I'll find a topic and have a good talk about Dong Shuijing."

Lin Shouyi immediately shut up.

At the entrance of the timberyard, Chen Ping'an straightened his collar and took a deep breath.

Lin Shouyi found it amusing. Rare, rare. It seemed Chen Ping'an was really nervous.

The timberyard had the same layout of offices in front and residences in back. Lin Shouyi led Chen Ping'an and Ning Ji to the living quarters in the rear.

Chen Ping'an carried gifts in both hands, all local specialties. They certainly weren't expensive, just tokens of appreciation.

Lin Shouyi called out, "Dad," and Lin Zhengcheng walked out of the main house.

Lin Shouyi took the gifts from Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an bowed and said with a face full of apology, "Your junior, Chen Ping'an, pays a belated New Year's visit to Uncle Lin."

Lin Zhengcheng nodded, his face stern but with a hint of laughter in his eyes. "It's fine. It's not too late."

Lin Shouyi felt a bit sour. Before, Dad, you didn't say that. You kept saying it was so late, why bother with New Year's greetings? Were you going to pay an early New Year's visit ten months in advance?

Chen Ping'an introduced the student beside him. Lin Zhengcheng smiled at Ning Ji. "Looks a bit like your teacher when he was young."

They entered the main hall together. An octagonal table, the other furnishings were no different from back home.

Lin Zhengcheng asked, "Can you drink?"

Chen Ping'an said stiffly, "A little."

Lin Shouyi laughed. "Chen Ping'an has drunk a lot before. I've heard he's almost never been drunk."

Lin Zhengcheng glanced at his son.

Lin Shouyi stopped talking.

There was no help for it. Chen Ping'an was the typical "other people's child."

Since his last heart-to-heart talk with his father, Lin Shouyi had been doing much better around him. He was no longer so intimidated that a single look would make him tremble in fear. Nor would a random remark from his father pierce his heart, leaving him unable to recover for days, months, or even years.

Lin Zhengcheng had someone bring the dishes to the table. He took off the clay seal from the wine jar, stood up, and helped pour wine for Chen Ping'an and Lin Shouyi. He smiled and asked Ning Ji if he could drink. The boy looked at his teacher. Chen Ping'an said with a smile, "Just a little." So Lin Zhengcheng filled the boy's bowl to the brim and said with a smile, "Filling the bowl to the brim is a custom from our hometown. As for finishing it, that's fine. If you can't finish, you can leave it."

All the wine on the table was filled to the brim.

Lin Zhengcheng didn't pick up his chopsticks. So no one else did either.

Lin Zhengcheng picked up his wine bowl and drained it in one go. He tapped it lightly on the table. Except for Ning Ji, who only took a sip, Chen Ping'an and Lin Shouyi both emptied their bowls in one gulp.

Lin Zhengcheng was silent for a moment. Then he looked at Chen Ping'an and smiled. "Chen Quan and Chen Shu had a good son."

That couple from Niping Lane in the small town, both surnamed Chen, were both recognized as good people by their neighbors.

And their child, as the years passed and he grew to adolescence, finally met a girl from another place who was the same age.

At the time, the straw-sandaled boy introduced himself like this: "Hello, my father's surname is Chen, my mother's surname is also Chen, so... my name is Chen Ping'an!"

Lin Shouyi didn't look at Chen Ping'an. He just picked up some food for the boy with his chopsticks and said with a smile, "Ning Ji, have a taste."

Within the Qingling Kingdom, the wild stream that originated from the Caiyu Mountain was lined with apricot trees on both banks, their blossoms like snow. This wild stream flowed into the Qingling Kingdom's largest river, which was busy with water transport, with countless official boats coming and going. The river flowed with real gold and silver. The Bamboo Branch Sect was the foremost immortal mansion in the Qingling Kingdom, with a stable relationship with the imperial court.

Previously, he had shared a table with Xia Houzan, the Sword Immortal of Water Dragon Peak, over drinks. As the outer guest official of the Bamboo Branch Sect, Chen Jiu's monthly salary had doubled from six Snowflake Coins.

After all, even a sesame-sized official is still an official. There were dividends at the end of each year, but it depended on the Bamboo Branch Sect's operating performance.

Chen Jiu liked night fishing. He was generous with his bait. The Caiyu Mountain people liked to tease him, saying, "When our Guest Official Chen casts bait, the entire wild stream rises by an inch."

That night, Bo Bai found Chen Jiu. The old man watched the guest official skillfully play a fish for a while, then throw a bluefish weighing over thirty catties into the large fish basket. It was hard to tell whether the man was playing the fish or the fish was playing the man.

After watching the fun, the old man cut to the chase: "Chen Jiu, I won't beat around the bush with you. I suggest you find another place. This is a unilateral decision by Caiyu Mountain to break the contract. So the Bamboo Branch Sect's accounting office will give you a sum of immortal money. Go pick it up tomorrow morning. As for me, there's no need to say goodbye."

Chen Jiu, squatting by the stream, was stunned. He stared at the old man for a long time. After confirming it wasn't a joke, he became agitated. He threw his fishing rod aside and stood up. "Bo Bai, this isn't right. Is it just because of an extra six Snowflake Coins a month that you're kicking me out? Is Caiyu Mountain that short of money? Can't make ends meet? It's fine. I'll take a loss. Keep the salary at the original twelve Snowflake Coins a month in the accounts, so as not to embarrass Sword Immortal Xia Hou. I'll privately return the extra six Snowflake Coins to Caiyu Mountain."

The old man smiled bitterly and shook his head. "It's not about that. You don't need to know the reason. Leave early. It's for your own good."

"Bo Bai, if you keep being so unkind, I'll really have to say, 'I don't need this place; there are plenty of others.'"

Chen Jiu said, "To be honest, without a young, promising, and hardworking outer guest official like me, it's your Bamboo Branch Sect's loss!"

Bai Ni laughed. "That's best. If you regret it later, you can say it then. If that day ever comes, I'll shamelessly beg you to return to Caiyu Mountain."

If the Bamboo Branch Sect could get through this difficulty, Bai Ni would indeed be very willing to let this outer guest official return to Caiyu Mountain. But the world is unpredictable. What will tomorrow's weather be? How can today say?

"Did something happen? Is there some enemy that the Bamboo Branch Sect failed to eradicate back then, who now has a formidable identity and has come knocking, threatening to exterminate the sect?"

Chen Jiu said in a low voice, "Bo Bai, to be honest, if it's something like that, I can step in and mediate. My fighting skills are average, but I'm good at reasoning."

Bai Ni laughed angrily. "Nonsense!"

Did you think our Bamboo Branch Sect was the Zhengyang Mountain?

To be honest, the old man really didn't want to drive Chen Jiu away.

Not only Bai Ni, but all the old craftsmen on Caiyu Mountain liked this young man who could brag, could drink, and was meticulous in his work.

Whenever he caught fish during his night fishing, the young man often put on an apron and cooked, inviting the old men to have a drink and listen to the stonemasons and jade workers tell their old, worn-out stories.

Chen Jiu said firmly, "Bo Bai, I'll lay it on the line today. If you can't give me a proper reason that convinces me, I'm not leaving. Why have I been working so hard? Isn't it so that you, Bo Bai, would recommend me and I could get a registered identity in the Bamboo Branch Sect?"

Bai Ni laughed. "What, was it true? You're poor but proud. Do you have designs on our Sect Leader Guo, who has no Dao partner?"

Chen Jiu became genuinely angry this time. "Bullshit! Those guys gossip like old women. I'll make them spit out all the food and drink they've had from me. They want to eat fish and drink wine? Let them eat shit and drink piss..."

Looking at the cursing young man, the old man patted Chen Jiu's shoulder. "Take my advice. Go."

Chen Jiu fell silent. He squatted back down, picked up the fishing rod, baited the hook, and cast the line into the water.

The old man sat beside him. Reluctant to say harsh words to the young man, he laughed. "It can't be that you're so clueless as to think you have a chance to become Sect Leader Guo's Dao partner, can it?"

Chen Jiu said helplessly, "Even if Sect Leader Guo liked me, I wouldn't like her."

The old man laughed. "Oh? Got a girl you like?"

Chen Jiu grinned. "Yeah, and I'm about to marry her."

The old man nodded. "Good thing. Remember to send me an invitation when the time comes. I'll definitely come for the wedding feast. Can I sit at the main table?"

Provided he was still alive to attend, he would definitely go.

Chen Jiu laughed. "As long as you dare to sit at the main table, I have no objection."

The old man smiled. "Chen Jiu, can you fix that bad habit of yours of boasting without any basis?"

Chen Jiu stared at the fishing line on the water and asked in a low voice, "Bo Bai, level with me. Tell me the truth. Is the Bamboo Branch Sect in big trouble? Is it from Zhengyang Mountain?"

Bai Ni hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I shouldn't be telling you this. But we've run into an insurmountable obstacle. As for whether it has anything to do with Zhengyang Mountain, you don't need to know. Just be aware. Anyway, leave early and stay out of it. I won't harm you."

He sat quietly for a while, then the old man got up and left.

Chen Ping'an turned his head to look at the old man's retreating figure, then looked back and continued fishing.

Two hundred years ago, Guo Huifeng had personally signed a landscape contract with the Qingling Kingdom court, renewing the lease for Caiyu Mountain for two hundred years. That contract was about to expire precisely this year.

As the Bamboo Branch Sect's largest and only treasure trove, Caiyu Mountain naturally wanted to renew the lease.

Earlier, when Xia Houzan came to collect debts and rents, it seemed like a routine matter. But in reality, as Guo Huifeng had guessed, whether the Zhengyang Mountain Water Dragon Peak's Sword Immortal Yan had secretly instructed him, or Xia Houzan himself wanted to make amends for his mistakes, the ones to suffer would be the small-time Bamboo Branch Sect. The Bamboo Branch Sect did have so-called priority for renewal, but this clause, though written in black and white in the contract, was ultimately meaningless.

Caiyu Mountain, behind Chen Ping'an, had been mined continuously for several hundred years. According to the latest survey by the Qingling Kingdom's geomancers, all the jade reserves were valued at one hundred and twenty Grain Rain coins.

This was without accounting for mining costs, including the salaries that the Bamboo Branch Sect had to pay its own Qi practitioners and craftsmen, as well as the extra expenses for greasing the palms of Qingling Kingdom's high officials and nobles.

Moreover, as one of Zhengyang Mountain's vassal sects, the Bamboo Branch Sect had to share its profits with Zhengyang Mountain each year. After deducting these various immortal money expenses, even if the Bamboo Branch Sect mined Caiyu Mountain to exhaustion within the next hundred years, they would at most be worth thirty or fifty Grain Rain coins. So, when Guo Huifeng initially planned to have Bai Ni's master, the Bamboo Branch Sect's finance cultivator, offer the Qingling Kingdom court thirty Grain Rain coins, it was quite sincere.

The Bamboo Branch Sect was divided into two branches: Caiyu Mountain and Jizu Mountain. Guo Huifeng was from the Caiyu Mountain branch, while the Law Enforcement Ancestor Ling Xie was from the Jizu Mountain branch, with the Daoist title "Yuqi." His disciple, Liang Yuping, was the peak master of Jizu Mountain and a high disciple of this female law enforcement ancestor.

The next morning, Bai Ni first went to a house at the foot of the mountain. The young man who had been the outer guest official was gone. The old man breathed a sigh of relief. Then he went to the nearby Caiyu Mountain accounting office, only to find that Chen Jiu hadn't collected the immortal money that counted as severance pay. The old man laughed and cursed softly, "Stupid kid. Quite the temper."

If he had run into Chen Jiu, the old man would have felt like scolding him: "You're not exactly an immortal lord with a lot of money. You're about to get married. Why are you arguing with money?"

By the wild stream, a storm blew the apricot blossoms like flying snow.

Bai Ni, holding an umbrella, walked along the water's edge, wanting to take a few more looks at the apricot blossoms before they might be gone forever. As the old man walked, he realized that looking at old scenery with a focused heart was like seeing new scenery.

The landscape of his hometown, which he had once faced day and night, now seemed like a stranger he had never met. The wind blew, and petals fell, making it look even more like a frowning, gaunt beauty.

The old man walked all the way to the confluence of the stream and the Qi River. He noticed a small black dot by the water, solitary, with a desolate back, looking quite pitiful.

He walked closer and saw a fisherman wearing a bamboo hat, a straw rain cape, and straw sandals. He looked young and was dressed like a Daoist.

The other party claimed to be a wanderer of the rivers and lakes, a hero brought low by a single coin, with bad luck and a rough fate. He was indeed a bit down on his luck. Happening to pass by this place, he was fishing in the rain to fill his stomach.

Bai Ni casually asked with a smile how the Daoist's fishing was. The Daoist looked embarrassed and said it was okay. After the rain cleared, he would make a fire and finally have a full meal today.

Having probably guessed that the old man was a registered cultivator from Caiyu Mountain, and seeing that the old man showed no sign of leaving anytime soon, the itinerant Daoist, who was fishing at someone else's mountain gate and had some shame, felt a bit uncomfortable.

Bai Ni didn't mind outsiders fishing here. Not to mention the Qi River, even the wild stream—did the fish in the water have someone's name carved on them?

The old man wasn't originally interested in fishing. But since the guest official Chen Jiu was so skilled at it, over time, the old man had come to appreciate some of the subtleties and fun. Besides, as Chen Jiu said, watching others fish was like hearing the sound of reading in a dream—both had a different kind of charm. Especially watching someone catch fish after fish was like drinking wine you didn't have to pay for, a way to drown your sorrows. The young Daoist was quite skilled. Without any obvious re-baiting, he caught several plump crucian carp in a row. The Daoist remained silent, but then caught a few more. Seeing that the bamboo fish basket was almost full, the Daoist had to force an explanation: he couldn't cook them all in one pot; the leftovers could be sold at the fish market to make some travel money.

Bai Ni nodded and turned to leave.

The old man, holding his umbrella, hadn't gone more than a few steps when he heard the sound of a fishing line suddenly tightening, followed by the noise of a big fish pulling the line.

From the sound, Bai Ni knew a big fish had been hooked. He was happy for the Daoist but didn't stop to watch him play the fish. A moment later, the Daoist called out loudly, "Hey, old uncle, wait! Do you want to buy a fish?! This fish looks very strange, extraordinary! Look, it has words on its forehead!"

At this point, the Daoist had thrown down his fishing rod and was sitting cross-legged, holding a large golden-scaled, red-tailed carp half a man's length in his arms, pressing its forehead with his hand. His face was red as he shouted, "The price can be negotiated!"

Bai Ni turned back and asked with a smile, "Tell me, what words?"

The Daoist was overjoyed, patting the fish's forehead. "Mud-gold characters. Only one corner of a character remains, which I can barely recognize. The rest of the traces are like faint bird-seal script. Too much time has passed, like the blurred inscriptions on ancient steles. It's just that there's a 'corner' character on the carp's forehead. What a sign this is! Could it be that it's become a spirit? What a pity to stew it. Besides, I'm afraid of heavenly punishment and lightning strikes. Old uncle, you and I are fated to meet. Since it's a big carp caught at your doorstep, why not buy it and keep it at home? Such an auspicious thing—what are a few immortal coins compared to that? Don't you think so, old uncle..."

The old man with the umbrella felt helpless. Did Bai Ni look like a three-year-old child? You, an itinerant Daoist, just fish. Don't try to swindle me.

However, the old man patiently listened to the Daoist's nonsense, not exposing him. He thought that if Chen Jiu were still here, the two of them would probably have a lot to talk about.

In the world, swindlers faked antiques. It was all talk, all storytelling. Either it was handed down from ancestors, or it had just been dug up from the ground.

The old man remembered Chen Jiu once mentioning a side business for making money. Near certain immortal ferries, swindlers would prepare a fish with characters carved on its forehead in advance, preferably a good-looking carp, red or even better, gold. They would spin a tale about how the fish had come from a great river into the sea and returned to the land waters after many years. Something like what was recorded in books: a certain monarch had inscribed it with his vermilion brush. Could this be that very fish? Gentlemen immortals, please take a look... Add a few accomplices to bid up the price, specifically targeting those mountain immortals who had read some books but not many.

In fact, the old man had always suspected that Chen Jiu himself had done this kind of thing, or else he had been an accomplice and split the spoils afterwards.

Bai Ni sighed. These rootless wild cultivators, like duckweed, really had a hard time making a living. He waved his hand, indicating that the Daoist should stop wasting his breath and go cheat somewhere else.

A buzzing sound, indistinct. The two golden barbels on the carp's mouth trembled precariously, hanging in the air like swaying waterweed.

The Daoist increased his efforts, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Old uncle, did you hear that? This fish really spoke! It's terrifying! I can't understand what it said. It's probably a refined language from another continent."

That golden carp, which was only half a step away from successfully forming its human shape, had indeed come from the sea into the great river and swam all the way here to the Qi River to relax. Near the White Emperor City in the central lands, it had failed at the last step, unable to leap over the dragon gate, and its realm had plummeted. However, with the residual Daoist energy and dragon aura intertwined, all the water god temples and shrines along the way dared not obstruct it. It had been leisurely going about its business. Out of nowhere, this bastard Daoist, who seemed to be waiting for it, had used the most despicable method of snagging to hook it out of the water. It was still in pain. It couldn't help but curse, "Stinking Daoist, let me go! Be a proper human!"

The Daoist's face was full of grievance. He let out an "aiya" and quickly reached out to cover the mouth of the fish, which was an old relic from the Taiye Pond. "We're discussing business here, fellow Daoist. Please keep quiet first."