Chapter 1072: Refusing a Toast Only to Drink a Penalty

Chapter 1072: Refusing a Toast Only to Drink a Penalty

Among those who cultivate the Dao, there are those who prefer tranquility and seclusion, and there are those who love a lively crowd.
Liu Daochun of White Emperor City belonged to the latter.
Moreover, Liu Daochun himself was a lively character.
After all, there were not many Qi refiners in the Haoran World who could be mentioned in the same breath as Gu Qingsong.
He had once been personally suppressed by the Great Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain when he descended the mountain, and after a thousand years of quietude, Liu Daochun, upon "emerging from seclusion," changed his name to Liu Chicheng. He seemed to have improved considerably—seemed being the operative word.

This time, Liu Chicheng first took a cross-continent ferry to the northernmost tip of Bottle Gourd Continent, then transferred to a Changchun Palace ferry heading south. He would disembark at Oxhorn Ferry and make his way to Fallen Mountain.
Today, Liu Chicheng left his cabin, came to the bow, and leaned against the railing, pretending not to hear the whispers around him. The ferry had taverns and restaurants, and Liu Chicheng often showed his face, so he was used to it.

As the owner of the Glazed Tile Pavilion and the junior junior brother of the White Emperor City’s city lord, Liu Chicheng had previously followed his senior brother’s decree, diligently assisting his nephew Fu Jin in selecting a site to establish a subsidiary sect. Since the entire White Emperor City had been "split in two" by his senior brother, and the assets given to the youngest disciple, Gu Can, were significantly less than those given to the eldest, Fu Jin, Liu Chicheng was naturally pleased with this arrangement. He didn’t mind that his own "upper sect" was stronger and wealthier. Gu Can’s sect could only be considered the "lower sect" of the ancestral "orthodox" White Emperor City. So, both face and substance lay with him and his nephew Fu Jin’s upper sect.

This time, taking a break from his busy schedule, Liu Chicheng returned to Bottle Gourd Continent to revisit old haunts, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
Once, in an abandoned temple, he had endured a sword strike from someone.
Later, in the fox kingdom of Qingfeng City’s Xu clan, he had a minor conflict with a scholar surnamed Li, who came from Pear Blossom Cave Heaven.
No matter—those conflicts had led to friendships forged through battle.

His senior brother still looked after him well, choosing to let Senior Sister Han Qiaose assist Gu Can. If he had been assigned to stay by Gu Can’s side, Liu Chicheng would have feigned death.
Senior brother, you can empty the entire White Emperor City, expelling all registered cultivators and idle people, but as long as the Glazed Tile Pavilion remains in White Emperor City, I, your junior brother, will stay put. I’ll honestly continue accompanying you in cultivation.

Now wearing a pink Daoist robe, Liu Chicheng practically paraded through the streets, completely unbothered by being recognized.
Because not long ago, Senior Sister Han Qiaose had leaked a huge piece of insider information to him. A secret letter with just three words:
"Senior brother, three."

At the time, Liu Chicheng trembled as he held the letter, tears welling in his eyes. He was even happier than if he had broken through to the Ascension realm himself.
Feeling that his current realm wasn’t up to par, he now felt that he could do it—he was capable again.
The heaven and earth were vast—where couldn’t he go? Not just the nine continents of Haoran, but the Western Buddhist Kingdoms and the fourteen prefectures of the Azure Underworld were all within reach!
A tiny Bottle Gourd Continent—what could it do to him?

He had casually taken on two disciples here back in the day, but Liu Chicheng had nearly forgotten about them over the years.
On this trip through Bottle Gourd Continent, his main purpose was to catch up with his old brother Chen Ping'an.
Last time on Parrot Continent, when Zhang Zhi opened his Baofuzhai, Chen Ping'an had been short on cash and borrowed some immortal money from him and the lady of flushed cheeks. It wasn’t much, but even brothers settle accounts clearly. So, if you think I’m coming to collect a debt, Chen Ping'an, you can go ahead and think that.

On the previous cross-continent ferry, Liu Chicheng had made several new friends on the road. They agreed to switch ships together and travel south to visit the old site of Pear Blossom Cave Heaven.
The reason Liu Chicheng had left his cabin was that, according to the registry, there was a sea of clouds ahead that never dispersed. When a mountain ferry entered it, it was considered a good omen, aptly called "hitting the jackpot."

A group of male and female cultivators gradually gathered around Pavilion Master Liu, like stars surrounding the moon, willingly playing supporting roles. Among them was a Jade Pure realm cultivator and several Earth Immortals. They were all well-known Qi refiners from their respective hometowns on the Central Plains Divine Continent, exuding pride and engaging in lively conversation.
In the crowd, of course, Liu Chicheng in his pink robe was the most eye-catching.

The topics of conversation, aside from the Confucian Temple’s enfeoffment of the Five Sacred Mountain Lords, inevitably revolved around the young Hidden Officer and Fallen Mountain.
Whenever Liu Chicheng mentioned Chen Ping'an, his demeanor was always casual, as if discussing everyday matters. He would say things like, "Chen and I have been close friends for a long time."
"I remember when we first met, Mountain Lord Chen had just left his hometown. Though he carried a sword, he hadn’t started practicing swordsmanship yet, and his fist techniques were still at a beginner level. I gave him some pointers on fist stances..."
"Chen Ping'an wasn’t good with words back then, quite reserved. But I, Liu, had already seen that he would achieve great things in the future. I often invited him for drinks..."
"Back then, Chen Ping'an, still a straw-sandaled youth, would drink my mountain-brewed wine while listening to my tales of the mountain, completely absorbed."

The Central Plains cultivators listened as if hearing a fairy tale.
They simply couldn’t imagine that the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall and the closed-door disciple of the Wen Sheng lineage had once lived such a bleak life, tagging along and freeloading drinks.

On this very ferry, there was a middle-aged man in a cotton-padded jacket and an old, worn marten-skin hat. He was tall and burly, with a dull expression. He might have gone unnoticed in the mundane world, but here, he was as conspicuous as Liu Chicheng.
But compared to the chaotic immortal ferries, a mountain ferry was like a sieve, filtering out many charlatans hoping to "hit the jackpot" among the immortals. After all, boarding a ferry required paying real immortal coins. For example, Immortal Wei, the current gatekeeper of Fallen Mountain, had been filtered out—he could only watch the ferries come and go from the dock, broadening his horizons. So, on this Changchun Palace ferry, even though the man was poorly dressed, no one dared to provoke him.

He was Liu Xu, the current head of the Luo Ma River clan, a Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator.
Last time, he had drunk with Chen Ping'an in the capital. Yuan Xuan and the others had already returned to Northern Juzhou, but Liu Xu planned to visit the Fu family of Old Dragon City, so he continued south alone.
Originally, he hadn’t intended to make a special trip to Fallen Mountain, but on his way back, Yuan Xuan had sent him a secret letter saying that his clan had just confirmed a huge piece of happy news!
Yuan Yizhi, without any warning, had—without doing anything—been freed from the tormenting nightmares overnight!
The nightmares that had plagued her for a hundred years had vanished in an instant.
There was no need for the Yuan clan to invite an expert to verify it, because after a deeply satisfying, dreamless sleep, Yuan Yizhi’s Nascent Soul bottleneck had loosened, and she had begun her official seclusion.
In the letter, Yuan Xuan asked Liu Xu to convey to Mountain Lord Chen that, regardless of whether Yuan Yizhi’s seclusion succeeded, the Sanlang Temple would soon offer a substantial reward!

So Liu Xu planned to visit Fallen Mountain to deliver the message.
As for that flamboyant peacock in the pink Daoist robe, Liu Xu recognized him at a glance. Seeing the group of sycophants surrounding him, speaking without restraint, Liu Xu felt they weren’t his kind of people. Moreover, he couldn’t be sure whether Liu Chicheng’s claims were true or false, so he decided to ask Chen Ping'an when he saw him. Honestly, Liu Xu felt that if Chen Ping'an really had such a friend, and a good one at that, it would be pretty embarrassing.

The ferry sailed into the white clouds.
These so-called immortal wonders were just something a drunkard would take a couple of sips and move on from.

Later, in the ferry tavern, Liu Chicheng and his group saw the man in the cotton jacket again. He was still drinking alone, indifferent to someone sharing his table. A flirtatious female cultivator, with sharp eyes, thought he might be a big catch, so she sat down with her wine pot and tried to strike up a conversation. Liu Xu drank a bowl of wine, took out two snowflake coins from his sleeve, and told her the name of the wooden plaque hanging outside his cabin on the ferry, saying that this was all the spare money he had. The female cultivator was stunned, then enraged. She threw her wine bowl at him, but Liu Xu simply ducked to avoid it. She got up and left.
Honestly, if you wanted to blame someone, it wasn’t that Liu Xu was being rude to the lady; it was that the room he was staying in was the cheapest type on the ferry, and he shared it with several others.

Liu Chicheng found it amusing and raised his wine bowl in a distant toast.
Liu Xu didn’t even glance at him, just continued drinking on his own.
Liu Chicheng didn’t mind—he had that much tolerance.

At noon that day, the ferry finally neared Piyun Mountain.
Last time, when he had followed Gu Can to Huaihuang County, Liu Chicheng had found the waters deep and hadn’t dared to wander much.
Now, looking at the mist-shrouded outline of the small town, it didn’t seem too big—just a palm-sized piece of land.
The ferry docked slowly at Oxhorn Ferry, settling with a slight bump.

Liu Chicheng walked to the deck of the large ship and stretched.
In the crowd, Liu Xu rubbed his old marten-skin hat, hands tucked into his sleeves, leaning slightly sideways against the railing as he walked to make room for others.

Just then, everyone at Oxhorn Ferry—those disembarking and those about to board—turned to look in the same direction.
A behemoth of a cross-continent ferry arrived at lightning speed. From the size of a mustard seed, it suddenly became the size of a bowl, and in an instant, it was close to the sky above the old Pear Blossom Cave Heaven. In the blink of an eye, everyone had to look up at this ferry, named "Wind Kite." The entire Oxhorn Ferry was thrown into turmoil by the massive vessel, clouds churning, mountain winds howling, and the heaven and earth spiritual energy surging violently.

At the railing of the Wind Kite stood a white-robed young man with a mole between his eyebrows, his hands clasped behind his head, white sleeves hanging naturally.
Liu Xu squinted, but he was looking higher than the Wind Kite.
The young man flicked his sleeves and snapped his fingers.

The next moment, the entire dock, which had been bathed in sunlight, was plunged into darkness. A "ferry" even larger than the Wind Kite shed its camouflage, appearing above Oxhorn Ferry like a mountain pressing down.
This "ferry" flew a large banner: on the front, "Green Lotus Sword Sect," and on the back, "Bing Ding." The wind whipped it, making it crackle.
A sword boat!
It was a legendary Great Li sword boat!

The Great Li dynasty had once collaborated with the Mohist school to create two types of battlefield treasures that could be called national treasures. One was the mountain ferry capable of transporting tens of thousands of Great Li cavalry. The other was the Great Li sword boat, of which a total of sixty were planned, but only forty-six were ever seen by the time the war ended. Each sword boat was named after one of the sixty heavenly stems and earthly branches.
After the battle at Old Dragon City, in the north, up to the Great Li auxiliary capital and the Great River battlefield, outsiders roughly estimated that more than thirty sword boats had been lost. But the most terrifying thing about the Great Li dynasty was that, in the final large-scale battle in the auxiliary capital, more than fifty sword boats were deployed simultaneously!
As for the exorbitant cost of each ferry, outsiders couldn’t even estimate it. To give just one example: every single military armor pellet in the world was an expensive mountain treasure, and each sword boat, like a Qi refiner, was draped in a Dharma robe generated by military armor pellets.

As for where the money came from, it all came from Bottle Gourd Continent.
From the Great Li dynasty’s imperial study back then, from the treasury to all the pillar states, from the civil and military officials to the mountain sects, to the noble clans below the mountains, to the entire continent’s landscape.
Complaints? Resentment? There were none. At least on the surface, there weren’t any in the Great Li dynasty, which was the whole continent at the time. That was because the national advisor was Cui Chan.
Those who fled or migrated to other continents—the immortal mansions and wealthy clans—were not stopped by the Great Li dynasty. It was like a fat man losing weight, spewing out a lot.
After the dust settled, some of these people quietly returned to Bottle Gourd Continent, only to lose a bit more weight in secret. Speaking of the chaos south of the Great River, among those who didn’t want to spend money, many had stirred things up.

At the dock, Liu Chicheng saw a red-clad woman with a narrow saber at her waist and a silver gourd—Li Baoping. She had a brother named Li Xisheng, a scholar who, it was said, wanted to play chess with another senior brother...
On the dock, there was also the burly Jun Qian and a young man in a marten-skin hat with delicate features. Liu Chicheng had heard an interesting anecdote about him from Senior Sister Han Qiaose. He had found it funny at the time, but now he couldn’t quite laugh, because this young man was Bai Ye...
And standing beside Jun Qian was Chen Ping'an's first disciple, the Stopping Realm martial artist Pei Qian. Next to Pei Qian was a short old man in a purple Daoist robe—Fu Lu Yu Xuan...
Liu Chicheng also recognized Li Huai. He was the disciple whom the old blind man from the Hundred Thousand Mountains had begged to take on...
And the fox spirit beside the Confucian-robed youth—Liu Chicheng remembered her from back then, on the Dragon Rest Platform in the middle of the sea. He remembered she had been following a delicate woman, who had addressed his senior brother by name.

Liu Chicheng swallowed, tugged at the collar of his pink Daoist robe, and laughed to himself. Ha, luckily I’m a close friend of Hidden Officer Chen, united in spirit.
Just then, a ruddy-faced Earth Immortal cultivator asked, "Pavilion Master Liu, when are we going to Fallen Mountain to drink with Mountain Lord Chen? Can we really get some Azure Spirit Mountain wine?"

The white-robed young man grinned, looking at Liu Chicheng. Over by Jun Qian and Bai Ye, they also began to look toward Liu Chicheng. Especially that Pei Qian, who started eyeing Pavilion Master Liu sideways.

---

By the shore of Autumn Qi Lake, Chen Ping'an had borrowed a fishing rod and some wine-soaked corn from Yuan Huang.
Zhong Qian, who had arrived late, caught a glimpse of the blue-robed figure by the lake. He dashed over and crouched down, puzzled. "Mountain Lord Chen, why aren’t you at the Great Wood Temple? Instead, you’re here fishing?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I’ll go later. No need to be a nuisance there."
Zhong Qian nodded. "Makes sense."
Zhong Qian didn’t bother with the martial technique of condensing sound into a thread.
This Golden Body realm martial artist was universally recognized as the greatest martial artist under heaven. But because he was young and not a Qi refiner, his fame wasn’t as great as that of Gao Jun of Lake Mountain Sect.
But don’t let Wu Que, in that jade hairpin island drinking party, call him a sissy to his face. Let that old man try saying it in front of Zhong Qian?
Zhong Qian had a good temper, but there was one thing about which you’d better keep your mouth shut. Before he reached the seventh realm, almost every fight he got into was because someone’s mouth was filthy.

Zhong Qian asked, "Old Mr. Zhu didn’t come along?"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "You’re quite something, Zhong Zongshi. Do you think I’m traveling with a cook?"
Zhong Qian grinned. "After eating Mr. Zhu’s cooking, my palate has been spoiled. Now nothing else tastes right."

Yuan Huang couldn’t help but glance at Zhong Qian.
The mountain god of Beggar Flower Field saw through something. Did she need to buy those two talismans?

Zhong Qian looked at the young man sitting on the ground, holding a saber, and asked, "And you are?"
"He is Wu Jiang, a blade artist," Chen Ping'an answered briefly.
Zhong Qian nodded. "Young and promising. I’ve heard of you. Keep practicing your blade, and aim for first place."
Wu Jiang kept a straight face. "Sure."

Don’t act like a veteran in front of me. Out of respect for Chen the Sword Immortal, I won’t argue.
It seemed that when a martial artist reached the Golden Body realm, if they held their breath and concentrated, they could see the living things under heaven differently, faintly perceiving the flow of certain energies.

Yuan Huang spoke up. "Are you Zhong Qian?"
Zhong Qian answered indirectly, giving a thumbs-up. "I know you. You’re Yuan Huang. Chivalrous and righteous, quick to avenge wrongs—just like the characters in ancient books."
Yuan Huang smiled. "I don’t deserve that praise."
Chen Ping'an introduced her. "And this next to me is the mountain god of Beggar Flower Field on Folded Leaf Mountain."
She smiled. "My real name is Yuan Jiacao, and my courtesy name is Lü Yao."
Zhong Qian said seriously, "I’ve never heard of you before, but from now on, if I pass by, I’ll definitely go to your mountain temple to offer incense."
The mountain god smiled gently and nodded. "Sure thing."

Zhong Qian was indeed Zhong Qing—reputation preceded him. The title of the greatest martial artist under heaven wasn’t a joke.
The "tourists" around Autumn Qi Lake were a mixed bag. Many came over to chat, while others bowed and announced themselves from a distance.
Soon, a crowd surrounded Zhong Qian—both martial artists and Qi refiners, all notable figures in the mountains and the martial world.
He couldn’t just shoo them away. Zhong Qian glanced cautiously at Chen Ping'an, who smiled and nodded, indicating it was fine. Chat away, and I’ll listen to some interesting news.

The conversation grew lively. Once or twice, the blue-robed fisherman interjected a few words, but no one paid him any attention, continuing their own discussions. Zhong Qian grew a bit uneasy. He wasn’t afraid Chen Ping'an would be angry—after all, Mountain Lord Chen’s magnanimity was well known. But if such a thing got back to Little Mi Li, then at the Fallen Mountain dinner table, he’d be the subject of jokes for a month, served up as a side dish and drinking snack. Could Chen Lingjun let it go? And that white-haired boy who seemed to be a registrar—the one who might as well have had "I am Hidden Officer’s top henchman" tattooed on his forehead—would he spare him?

Chen Ping'an turned his head and laughed. "Isn’t this the Sword Immortal Liu? What brings you here?"
A man in a cotton jacket had come to the riverbank. Silent as a ghost, he’d approached.
Liu Xu crouched nearby, his face dark. "Yuan Yizhi has solved that problem. Yuan Xuan asked me to thank you. Sanlang Temple promises to repay you."
Chen Ping'an was puzzled. "What do you mean? I didn’t do anything."
Liu Xu said calmly, "I don’t know the details. But Yuan Yizhi has started her seclusion, and it looks promising."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and roughly guessed it was Lu Chen’s doing. But knowing Lu Chen, he was definitely up to some mischief, though when and where it would manifest was anyone’s guess.

Liu Xu asked, "Are you familiar with Liu Chicheng?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "We met a long time ago. Yes, we’re quite familiar."
Liu Xu shook his head.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Is he on the mountain now?"
Liu Xu nodded. "We were on the same ferry. On the way here, he was so full of himself he almost told people he was your childhood boxing and sword master. Then he got scared silly at Oxhorn Ferry."
Chen Ping'an said, "That sounds like him."

Because neither had used sound condensation or mental communication, some eavesdroppers overheard the conversation but dismissed it. They’d never heard of Sanlang Temple, Yuan Yizhi, or Liu Chicheng. And the "Sword Immortal Liu"—was that a title?
Liu Xu asked mentally, "I heard that the highest realm in this blessed land is only Golden Core?"
A Stopping Realm martial artist could fight a Golden Core cultivator with one hand and still worry about controlling their strength.
Chen Ping'an nodded. "For now, her realm isn’t high. But her future achievements in the Dao shouldn’t be underestimated."
Liu Xu hesitated, then said, "Don’t be too soft-hearted."
Chen Ping'an suppressed a laugh and nodded vigorously.
Liu Xu snorted. "Damn it. Even if I didn’t get into the Summer Retreat Palace, friend’s advice is friend’s advice. Take it or leave it."
Chen Ping'an cupped his hands and shook them. "I’ll take it. How could I not? I have to!"

Liu Xu said, "After I finish my business in Bottle Gourd Continent, I might detour to Fuyao Continent first. Need me to pass on any messages?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Tell Xuan Shen and the others they can withdraw. And thank them for me. But remind them that next time they come to Fallen Mountain, they don’t need to bring gifts."
Liu Xu was silent for a moment, then stood up. "Your mountain is too lively for me. I’m not used to it. I’ll be going."
Chen Ping'an didn’t stop him. "When you get to Old Dragon City, you can find Fan Er for a drink."
Liu Xu looked at Chen Ping'an, his face full of distrust.
Chen Ping'an laughed angrily. "Do you think the friends I personally introduce to Sword Immortal Liu would be as frivolous as Liu the Peacock?"
Liu Xu nodded. "That’s all right. Cheating Liu Jinglong once is enough. Next time you come to my place, remember to find me for a drink."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Sure, sure. Definitely, definitely. Best if it’s a wedding feast."
Last time he heard from Yuan Xuan, countless clans and immortal mansions in Northern Juzhou were eager to marry off their daughters or disciples to the Luo Ma River Sword Immortal Liu.
Liu Xu chuckled and kicked a large stone into the lake. Then he left.
Chen Ping'an shouted after him, "Sword Immortal Liu, how can you be so thankless! To speak lightly is to not know what’s good for you; to speak heavily, this is outright ingratitude. Without me, who would know your literary brilliance..."
Liu Xu, his back to the sarcastic vice-sect master, raised a finger in the air.

Zhong Qian used sound condensation to ask, "Mountain Lord Chen, who was that?"
Chen Ping'an replied mentally, "An old customer from the wine shop on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Surname Liu, a sword cultivator from Northern Juzhou. He’s actually very rich, but he’s very frugal with his spending."
Zhong Qian turned to look at Liu Xu’s retreating figure and nodded. "I can see that."
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "Do you see that he’s rich, or that he’s stingy?"
Zhong Qian said, "Rich."
Chen Ping'an was puzzled. "How can you tell?" Back in the wine shop, at first glance, he couldn’t tell that Liu Xu was the young head of Luo Ma River. If not for a customer revealing his identity, he would have kept thinking Liu Xu was a poor wretch who wouldn’t even be trusted to slaughter a pig.
Zhong Qian said, "There’s an old saying: Poverty is the scholar’s smooth path; frugality is the farmer’s bountiful year. This Sword Immortal Liu wears an old marten-skin hat that’s frayed and worn, yet he’s unwilling to throw it away. That shows both poverty and frugality. If that’s not wealth, what is?"

Chen Ping'an was impressed. "Huh, Zhong Zongshi, you’re something. I never noticed you were so articulate. Why don’t you talk more on the mountain?" No wonder he enjoyed staying on Fallen Mountain so much.
Zhong Qian said, "On our mountain, I don’t often go out. Every time I sit down at the table, I’m too busy eating, picking up food, and drinking to chat."
Chen Ping'an laughed in exasperation. "Shameless! What ‘our mountain’? You’re just a guest for now."
Zhong Qian cried out, "Ah, Mountain Lord, we’re familiar enough, and I respect you deeply, but I really don’t like hearing that! How am I an outsider? I’ve already made several jars of winter pickled vegetables, fermented bean curd, and stinky mandarin fish in the house that belongs to me."
Chen Ping'an suddenly cursed him as a sissy.
Zhong Qian grinned. "I’m not angry."
Chen Ping'an cursed again.
Zhong Qian still looked unconcerned.
Chen Ping'an then smiled slightly. "From now on, don’t care about that bastard epithet. You can care about it with your fists—don’t hold back when hitting people—but don’t take it to heart."
Zhong Qian hummed in acknowledgment.
After a moment of silence, Zhong Qian said softly, "Mountain Lord Chen, if I were a woman..."
"Stop!" Chen Ping'an broke out in goosebumps. He was so startled he almost dropped his fishing rod and ran.
Zhong Qian laughed heartily. "Mountain Lord Chen, that reasoning of yours makes no sense at all."
Chen Ping'an rubbed his chin, as if pondering a question.
Now it was Zhong Qian’s turn to panic. He quickly clarified, "Mountain Lord Chen, it was just a joke. Don’t take it seriously. I *have* visited brothels and drunk flower wine. I have more than one or two romantic interests in the martial world. If not for that big scandal back then that forced me to flee, I’d have gotten married already. If you don’t believe me, I can take you to see them. Without exaggeration, they are all first-rate figures—white-skinned, beautiful, big breasts and round bottoms..."
Chen Ping'an snapped out of it and smiled. "No worries. I was just distracted. That kind of joke back in the wine shop was nothing."

A dignified man approached the shore, smiling as he cupped his hands. "Greetings, Mr. Chen."
Wei Liang, the retired emperor of Southern Garden Kingdom, a Dragon Gate bottleneck Qi refiner.
Beside him was a dragon-robed young woman who had settled on Snail Powder Island.
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "Long time no see."
Wei Liang spoke mentally, "The ghost Jiang Shenzi has been wanting to avenge himself against you for years."
Chen Ping'an said, "Is that the scholar from Champion Alley who went to the capital for the imperial exams back in Southern Garden Kingdom?"
Wei Liang nodded. "It seems my concern was unnecessary."

The dragon-robed young woman’s eyes sparkled. "Are you that Sword Immortal Chen who made a scene in the capital of Southern Garden Kingdom and killed Ding Ying on the city wall?"
Didn’t they say that accomplished Daoists could maintain their youth? Yu Zhenyi of Lake Mountain Sect could even return to youth. But this former young Sword Immortal—how come his temples were already graying? Though his face didn’t look old.
Chen Ping'an ignored her.
She blinked. "Hey, I’m talking to you. Why are you playing deaf and dumb?"
Wei Liang scolded sternly, "Mind your manners!"
She pouted.
What’s the big deal? You, Wei Liang, are a retired emperor of Southern Garden Kingdom. This blue-robed man is just the supreme ruler of this world.

Zhong Qian looked at Wei Liang, who seemed to have a dragon coiled around his shoulders, and the dragon-robed young woman beside him. She was said to be either a four-legged snake from the mountains, a moon-worshipping eel from the fields, or a green snake from the lake—no one was sure. Zhong Qian could now confirm that her true form was a successfully transformed green snake. In fact, this insight of Zhong Qian’s had little to do with reaching the Golden Body realm; it was related to his innate talent for "Qi observation."

The dragon-robed young woman feigned surprise. "Wow! Zhong Qian, Grandmaster Zhong! The best in the world! I’ve heard so much about you! Your name thunders in my ears!"
Zhong Qian smiled. "You’re too kind. Just call me a sissy, little girl."
She clutched her chest and laughed. "What a heavy killing intent."
Wu Jiang struggled to keep a straight face. If he hadn’t heard that this young lady was a proficient aquatic demon with a realm not much lower than Gao Jun of Lake Mountain Sect, he would have spoken up long ago.

Chen Ping'an held his rod steadily, facing the lake, and said with a faint smile, "Wei Liang, she’s someone you brought. Can’t you control her?"
Wei Liang cupped his hands in apology. "She’s naturally unruly. I’ve been remiss in my discipline."
Chen Ping'an made an ambiguous sound.
Wei Liang explained, "She’s used to speaking carelessly. I’ll strictly restrain her after we return."
His implication was that, in full view of the public, Mr. Chen should at least give him some face.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "She clearly knows who I am, yet she still looks down on everyone. I can imagine how unbridled she is in private. You’ve managed her for so many years and still she’s like this. Wei Liang, it’s hard for people to believe your words."
Wei Liang’s face immediately turned ugly.

The dragon-robed young woman narrowed her slit-like eyes. Was this "Heavenly Lord" Chen going to kill her just because she said a few words?
Chen Ping'an suddenly lifted his rod. The fishing line made a tearing sound as it shot out, instantly wrapping around the young woman’s neck. With another flick, he "baited" her into the lake.
The dragon-robed young woman crashed heavily onto the frozen lake surface and immediately lost consciousness.
Chen Ping'an said with a faint smile, "You couldn’t beat Gao Jun to form your golden core first. It’s one thing to complain in private, but you have the nerve to blame me? Wei Liang, did Fallen Mountain give you too much face?"

Wei Liang broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately lowered his head, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Wei Liang wouldn’t dare! I beg Mountain Lord to calm his anger..."
"Don’t attend the Great Wood Temple meeting, Wei Liang. Go back to your Southern Garden Kingdom imperial mausoleum temple right now."
Chen Ping'an put his fishing rod aside and stood up. The camouflage spell on him vanished.
He wore a long gown with a blue gauze Dharma robe over it, and carried the Night Traveler sword on his back.
Wei Liang didn’t dare raise his head. Trembling, he said, "I obey the Mountain Lord’s decree."

Zhong Qian remained calm. On our Fallen Mountain, I’ve seen the world.
Wu Jiang nodded inwardly. This was indeed Sword Immortal Chen, no counterfeit!
Yuan Huang found it a headache; the talisman in her painting case seemed to be burning her hands.
The Beggar Flower Field mountain god stared wide-eyed. A true person doesn’t reveal themselves; one who reveals themselves isn’t true?

As for the group that had been chatting loudly with Zhong Qian, they all exchanged glances, at a loss. Was it too late to mend their ways?
The earth trembled as if thunder rose from the ground. A fierce gale blew, and everyone on the shore staggered backward.
A streak of sword light, like a hanging green rainbow, flew from the Autumn Qi Lake shore to the Great Wood Temple in the center of the lake.

---

In the fox kingdom.
In a secret chamber, candles as thick as arms burned, tears of wax flowing.
A woman’s heart-wrenching screams, sobbing, and cursing alternated, gradually growing quieter.
The main members of the fox kingdom’s Law Enforcement lineage were gathered here. Starting early this morning, they had been interrogating a traitor who had colluded with outsiders. The matter was significant; they couldn’t afford not to take it seriously.
The poor woman, covered in injuries and barely breathing, had her hands and feet nailed to the wall.
Her pair of crescent-white embroidered shoes were soaked, filled with blood.
She was a Cave Dwelling realm fox spirit. A few years ago, as per regulations, she had left the fox kingdom to temper her Dao heart in the mortal world. But during that time, she had dared to secretly seduce a Lake Mountain Sect Qi refiner behind her guardian senior’s back, repeatedly passing fox kingdom intelligence to the outside.

In the spacious chamber, besides the prisoner being tortured on the wall and a young man holding a branding iron inserted into a charcoal brazier, two tables were set up. The rest of the Law Enforcement cultivators sat.
The fox kingdom’s Law Enforcer was an old woman with a straight back, holding an iron-handled horsetail whisk. She habitually clutched the tuft of silk threads, making a faint rustling sound.
The old woman had to personally oversee this interrogation. Her face was ashen and extremely ugly. The kingdom’s ruler had just left, and this scandal had erupted. It was utterly disgraceful!
She stared fixedly at the woman, who deserved to be sliced to death. How dare she leak such a critical secret as "a blue-robed guest visited the ruler’s villa last night" to outsiders? Didn’t she know how to spell death?
If Fallen Mountain found out about this, not only would she, the Golden Core Law Enforcer, be in trouble, even the kingdom’s ruler, Pei Xiang, wouldn’t be able to clear herself, and the entire fox kingdom would suffer!

At the old woman’s table, a female fox cultivator was keeping notes, but the paper had few words written on it. Beside her sat an old man responsible for executions. He was an elderly male fox with a low realm—not even mid-five realms—but he had many tricks up his sleeve, which earned him the old woman’s favor. He never went outside because within the fox kingdom, he had too many enemies accumulated over time.
Of course, he always handled cases impartially, but those who died by his hand—or were skinned alive—never saw it that way.
He had no talent for cultivation or breaking through realms, and he didn’t pursue it. But he had a singular obsession: every time he gained insight, he would meticulously record it in a book.
Here, he was in his element. Why go outside? All kinds of faces, figures, and charms—even the most beautiful women—he had seen them all here.
The Law Enforcing Ancestor had promised him that when his lifespan ended and he became a ghost, she would gather his soul and give him a new fox skin, so he could stay here.

At the other table sat two beautiful women who seemed out of place in the secret chamber.
Even in the fox kingdom, which lacked no beauties, the two of them stood out.
They were the kingdom ruler Pei Xiang’s two proud disciples: Luo Fumei and her junior sister, Qiu Qing.
Qiu Qing was at the Cave Dwelling realm with no Dao name yet; Pei Xiang affectionately called her "Little Armpit."
Senior sister Luo Fumei had the Dao name "Yu Tiao" and the childhood name "Chou Nu'er." Luo Fumei was not yet thirty but had already reached the Dragon Gate realm, holding a seat on the fox kingdom’s Ancestral Hall.
For one thing, Earth Immortals were rare. For another, Luo Fumei had a hidden identity: she was the Law Enforcing Ancestor’s deputy, in charge of intelligence. Occasionally, she would also personally interrogate law-breaking cultivators.

Back in the day, the Qingfeng City Xu clan’s fox-pelt talisman beauties were sold across the continent. The fox pelts used as talisman material didn’t just come from fox cultivators "shedding their skins." Many were freshly peeled, dripping with blood.
In the early years, the fox kingdom had many competing factions with different inheritance lineages. Relationships were bad, and casualties from secret duels were nothing. Wars involving hundreds of fox cultivators were common. Back then, the kingdom ruler Pei Xiang couldn’t control all the forces; she only needed to guard her own territory. The other factions’ true backers were either some old fogey from Qingfeng City’s Xu clan or the malicious mistress of Qingfeng City.
So the Qingfeng City Xu clan never interfered in the fox kingdom’s internal killings. Killing each other, living or dying—it just meant more fox pelts, more immortal coins.
As long as the doors of this "heroes’ grave and gentle haven" remained open, the fox clan could keep multiplying. Outsiders who came to travel—scholars, mountain Qi refiners—were as numerous as carp in a river. They indulged in carnal pleasures and were reluctant to leave. Young fox spirits appeared every year, batch after batch. Adult male foxes’ lives were especially cheap; whenever there was conflict, they died first. Twice in history, the fox kingdom had become "overcrowded." That wasn’t a problem. Qingfeng City simply instigated two internal wars, making them slaughter each other until rivers of blood flowed.

The young girl Qiu Qing was also a Law Enforcement lineage cultivator. She sat upright, eyes straight ahead, staring at the woman being tortured. She recognized her. Usually, when they met, Qiu Qing would call her "Sister Song" and chat for a bit.
In Qiu Qing’s eyes, Sister Song was a cheerful, gentle woman. She didn’t deserve to be nailed to the wall with her tendons and ligaments severed, her body branded with hot iron in many places—a horrific, shocking sight that filled the entire chamber with the smell of burnt flesh.
Unlike her senior sister Luo Fumei, Qiu Qing was here today out of duty, compelled to come.
As for the torture methods being applied to Sister Song, she didn’t fear them. The young girl quietly watched the whole process, not finding it horrifying. She just didn’t like it inside.
The first time she had seen such scenes, she hadn’t felt nauseous or disgusted, which surprised her senior sister, who had been waiting to see her squirm. Luo Fumei said she was a "warm face, cold heart" talent worth cultivating.

Luo Fumei rested her chin on one hand, looking distracted. She lowered her head and gently rubbed her fingernails with her thumb. She had just dyed them with vermilion nail polish before coming to the prison.
It was a secret concoction of the fox kingdom, made from a hundred flowers. Applied as nail polish for women, it could arouse passion, more effective than any aphrodisiac. It was an excellent supplement for practicing the art of the bedchamber. So both on and off the mountain, people were willing to spend a lot of money to buy it. A small box, which used to sell for over a dozen snowflake coins in Qingfeng City, was in high demand—scarce as hen’s teeth.

On the surface, the Lake Mountain Sect of the Songlai Kingdom, including Gao Jun, had a total of sixteen Qi refiners. Within the blessed land, they were unmatched in prestige and wealth.
In this upper-grade blessed land, other sects, mountain gods, emperors, and generals might have to look up to Lake Mountain Sect.
But the fox kingdom didn’t need to.
With only a single Golden Core cultivator guarding the sect, Lake Mountain Sect was nothing.
If the fox kingdom’s Ancestral Hall sent half its cultivators to pay a visit, without even letting Pei Xiang follow, they could probably turn Lake Mountain Sect into history.

The old woman asked grimly, "Song Jiashu, still not talking? You’re going to die anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to die comfortably?"
The female fox spirit on the wall could no longer speak, but she still forced her eyelids up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

As the host of this dungeon, the old man stood up, rubbing his hands, eager to try. "Law Enforcer Hu, how about letting me handle it?"
The student had poor skills. As the master, he needed to show off a few tricks to save face.
Especially since that slut Luo Fumei was here today. That made him even more excited. This was more thrilling than any bed-sport. The subtle pleasures here were beyond words.
Of course, he didn’t dare let Luo Fumei know about his fetish. Or maybe she already knew and liked it too? Hey, to hell with it. That plump vixen knowing but not exposing him was for the best—it could be a flirtation between kindred spirits.

The old woman turned to the other table. "Luo Fumei, what do you think? Want to take over?"
Luo Fumei looked surprised, “Ah,” glancing up. "I thought it was already done."
In fact, aside from the first secret letter, whose contents were unclear, the second letter Song Jiashu had sent was intercepted by the fox kingdom. The subsequent letters she mailed out were actually ghostwritten by Luo Fumei.
The letter Luo Fumei had received contained random characters that couldn’t be strung into a sentence. Obviously, between the adulteress and her lover, there was a "source text" that required a third party to decode.
But that didn’t stump Luo Fumei, who loved reading miscellaneous books best.
As her master said, my Chou Nu'er was born for this job.

Song Jiashu’s boudoir had few books—just over twenty of them. While she was out, Law Enforcement cultivators had secretly entered and recorded the titles. For rare, unique copies, they had transcribed the entire contents into booklets, all handed to Luo Fumei. Additionally, Song Jiashu’s lineage had several Daoist scriptures and secret manuals. Luo Fumei hadn’t wasted her efforts; she got her hands on them. For instance, that lineage’s several secret techniques, Luo Fumei had sworn to the fox immortal in charge of the kingdom’s finances that she wouldn’t learn them. Of course, the immortal didn’t believe her, and Luo Fumei didn’t believe herself either. But she did keep her promise not to leak the secret techniques.
She had originally planned to spend more time and effort to personally go to Lake Mountain Sect to find clues. But Song Jiashu had been too stupid—or too lovesick—or perhaps the other party was too greedy? He wanted both her body and a secret fox technique? Buy one, get one free? Good tactics: getting both the person and the goods.
But that made it too easy.
Luo Fumei couldn’t be happy at all; instead, she felt disappointed. Solving the case so simply was no fun.
Even if there were no clues, she could have skinned the traitor, worn the “new clothes,” and made a trip to Songlai Kingdom. She didn’t believe she couldn’t lure out the big fish from Lake Mountain Sect.
Though Song Jiashu and that man had a consensual relationship, trying to steal another sect’s secrets, scriptures, and techniques was a major taboo in the Haoran world. With solid evidence, one could launch a punitive expedition. Even a full-blown fight would be justified.

When Luo Fumei stood up, the old man immediately sat down. The Law Enforcer old woman visibly relaxed, and the male fox with the branding iron put it back into the brazier.
Luo Fumei walked over and crouched beside the brazier, as if warming her hands. She looked up at the woman nailed to the wall, gently rubbing her hands together, and said softly, "My good sister, oh my. You were born a beauty, yet you must be a thief and refuse to love yourself. You worked so hard to cultivate to the Cave Dwelling realm, but you don’t cherish it. You had to betray your master and ancestors, dragging a whole nest down with you. Your master, your senior and junior sisters, the one who protected you last time—none of them will escape. Especially your master. She always talks behind my back, saying nasty things. She says I don’t know the art of the bedchamber. I haven’t eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run. I watch carefully and listen, learning with all my heart."

The woman’s voice was hoarse, producing some indistinct sounds. It was impossible to make out, but the content was easy to guess: she was begging Luo Fumei not to implicate others.
Luo Fumei stood up, walked to Song Jiashu, and lifted one foot to gently tap the red embroidered shoe soaked in blood. Raising one hand, she wiggled her fingers, then switched to the other hand, pinching the poor woman’s eyelids between two fingers. Standing on tiptoe, she said softly, "Open your eyes and look. The color of my nails is exactly the same as the color of your shoes. Wait. Your lover will see them too. I’ll bring these embroidered shoes. After he looks at them, I’ll peel off his skin bit by bit, starting from the center of his brow, tearing it downward, turning him over, going around to his back until I reach his white buttocks, then splitting the path. With my hands, I’ll pull—whoosh—and stop, and ask him if it hurts..."
"I’m just curious. The man who tricked you, under the moonlight, on the bed—how did he make his vows to you? I guess he used a loving gaze and a resolute tone to promise you could defect from the fox kingdom alive, hide in Lake Mountain Sect, become Dao companions, grow old together in harmony, and cultivate hand in hand?"
"By the way, you are our fox kingdom’s most expert enchantress in the art of dragon-supporting. That secret manual is what you leaked. You were born to roll in the dragon’s bed, weren’t you? He was going to help you change your appearance, send you to the Songlai Kingdom imperial palace as a consort, spending day and night making love to the young emperor, your body coiling like a dragon? Get pregnant with a dragon seed? Become empress? Just by sleeping with a man, your realm would keep rising. Sometimes, when you’re tired, you let him lie on top of you, move a little, whip and spur you. You moan, you speak hesitantly, you sob and whisper—are you saying ‘Don’t pity me, my lord,’ or are you begging for mercy?"

As she spoke, Luo Fumei’s hands weren’t idle. With gentle movements, she used her nails to tear small cuts in many places on Song Jiashu’s body.
The bloodstained woman’s lips moved, but Luo Fumei reached out and covered her mouth. "Too late. Whether you speak or not, does it matter? That man has to die anyway. Before he dies, I need to get a secret technique from Lake Mountain Sect to break even."
The woman with the Dao name Yu Tiao’s eyes blazed. "If I can add two Daoist books to the fox kingdom, that’s a profit."

The old woman hesitated, then said, "If Song Jiashu is willing to open her mouth, we might get more information."
Luo Fumei turned, her face full of anger, and snapped, "You useless old thing, dare to teach me how to do my job..."
But in an instant, Luo Fumei stopped mid-sentence. Her face turned deathly pale, and she inexplicably began to tremble all over.
Outside the prison bars, which were mostly for show, stood a man with his hands tucked into his sleeves, smiling at her.
Following Luo Fumei’s gaze, everyone saw the uninvited guest. The young girl Qiu Qing turned equally pale.
He wore a pure white robe, with a golden hairpin in his hair.
The man withdrew his hand from his sleeve and extended his palm toward Luo Fumei. With a gentle voice, he smiled and said, "I’m just watching the fun, seeing how the fox kingdom executes its family law. Continue."

Without a word, Luo Fumei stiffly turned to face the man and knelt on the spot, while mentally warning her junior sister, "Qiu Qing! Kneel if you don’t want to die!"
Qiu Qing quickly followed her senior sister’s example and knelt.
This "Chen Ping'an," who had changed from blue to white robes, ignored Luo Fumei and Qiu Qing. He looked at the woman on the wall and asked, "Do you want to live?"
The woman shook her head slightly.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Do you want to die? In exchange for not implicating others?"
The woman nodded slightly.
Chen Ping'an said, "Then I’ll help you?"
The woman nodded again. She couldn’t speak, but her eyes, streaming tears of blood, stared at the strange man she didn’t know at all.
In this Chen Ping'an’s eyes, the dying woman had little life force left, her spirit scattered and dim. But at this moment, only he could see her: radiant, like a deity.

Chen Ping'an nodded and smiled. "So it’s you. I thought it was Qiu Qing. Qiu Qing, Qing Qiu, after all. Even if it’s not you, it’s you now. From now on, change your Dao name to Cui Bai. If the real Cui Bai doesn’t appear in the fox kingdom because of this, then she wasn’t worthy of that Dao name anyway."
He extended two fingers and pinched a golden thread, gently pulling it. Sure enough, at the other end of the thread hung the name Gao Jun.
Song Jiashu had never had a lover. Back then, she had only met Gao Jun once during her training. They might have exchanged a few words. Gao Jun gave her some pointers, and she became infatuated with the Lake Mountain Sect leader, willingly leaking fox kingdom secrets to Lake Mountain Sect.
But could that be called a "lover"?

Chen Ping'an walked over to Luo Fumei. "Get up, both of you. Qiu Qing, don’t just stand there."
Luo Fumei only kowtowed heavily on the ground, her voice deep. "This servant dares not rise."
Chen Ping'an said, "It’s all about doing one’s duty and seeking peace of mind. Luo Fumei, don’t be nervous. In the future, you’ll most likely be the Law Enforcing Ancestor of the fox kingdom. I’ll put in a word with Pei Xiang. So you need to break through to Golden Core soon."
Only then did Luo Fumei tremble as she stood up, her body tense, making a stiff curtsy.
Following her lead, Qiu Qing copied the gesture.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Let me ask you: who taught you these skills?"
Luo Fumei’s voice trembled. "No one taught me these crooked ways. This servant learned them by herself."
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "Then you are naturally gifted?"
Luo Fumei didn’t know how to answer for a moment.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Just now, you only saved your junior sister, not the other Law Enforcement lineage members. ‘Die friends, not die Dao.’ Who taught you that bad habit?"
Luo Fumei said cautiously, "The fox kingdom used to have this rotten atmosphere. Besides, this servant... also wanted to seek fortune in danger and become Law Enforcer sooner."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Seek fortune in danger, lose it in danger. These old sayings are most troublesome because they only transmit half the content, passed down by word of mouth, misleading disciples."
Luo Fumei nodded. "The Mountain Lord’s instruction, this servant will remember and keep in mind."

She learned quickly.
Hearing Luo Fumei say "Mountain Lord," all the fox cultivators in the secret chamber, led by the old woman, kneeled to make up for their lack of courtesy, not daring to breathe loudly.
Last night in Pei Xiang’s villa courtyard, even Luo Fumei, who wasn’t particularly timid, wanted to avoid meeting the Mountain Lord if possible. Yet she was the disciple of the kingdom ruler Pei Xiang, who was a member of Fallen Mountain’s Ancestral Hall.
So the fox cultivators in the chamber, who had heard plenty about Hidden Officer Chen’s deeds, finally saw the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall. How bold could they be?
The female fox cultivator who had been taking notes was so scared that her face was covered in tears, but she didn’t dare cry. Her forehead touched the ground, and her body was drenched in fragrant sweat.

But unfortunately, the Mountain Lord’s figure had already vanished.
Luo Fumei deliberately lingered, continuing to chat as if with "Mountain Lord Chen." She hadn’t forgotten the important matter—she turned and took the traitor down from the wall.
When her junior sister Qiu Qing signaled her with her eyes, Luo Fumei rolled her eyes and helped support "Cui Bai." She chatted a bit more, then coughed. "Everyone, get up. The Mountain Lord has left."
A false alarm, a scare but no harm.
For some, it could even be called a small fortune. As for those who had just gone through the motions, hadn’t they also gained a topic that would make the speaker elated and the listener envious?

Luo Fumei helped Song Jiashu to a seat by the table. The woman, whose hands and feet were still full of nails, could only slump against the wall.
"Song Jiashu, from now on, I’ll call you ‘Cui Bai’ Daoist. You’ve turned misfortune into blessing, the luckiest of all. To be honest, I envy you so much that I want to peel off your skin right now and wear it myself."
"I’ll lay it on the line: if you ever dare to disappoint the Mountain Lord’s high expectations, I will do everything in my power, at any cost, to kill you."
"Don’t be mute. At least make a sound or nod."

Song Jiashu just stared fixedly at this ruthless Luo Fumei.
Luo Fumei pinched her chin and tugged. "Good. I’ll take that as agreement."
Song Jiashu could only move her fingers slightly, still unable to lift her hand.
Luo Fumei curled her lips in a sneer, leaned forward, and whispered a few words in her ear, which had something to do with Song Jiashu’s Dao instructor and Gao Jun.
Song Jiashu remained silent.
Luo Fumei leaned back, smiled, stretched out a finger, and lightly tapped one of the iron nails on her arm. Song Jiashu winced in pain. Luo Fumei smiled. "Ding."

First, she took Song Jiashu out of the prison and back to her own quarters to recover. Junior sister Qiu Qing bustled about, feeding her a few pills, carefully removing the nails, then preparing a bucket of medicinal water and several precious bottles of secret fox ointment. Luo Fumei knelt on a brocade stool, opened a notebook, hummed a tune, and began to write down the day’s observations, recording every word and every detail of the young Hidden Officer’s appearance.

---

In Pei Xiang’s empty villa.
Chen Ping'an walked slowly through it.
In fact, this Lotus Root Blessed Land was full of hidden secrets; it could be seen as "two separate worlds."
But even Pei Xiang didn’t know that yet. Gao Jun, even after breaking through to Golden Core and flying across the world on the wind, still hadn’t discovered the truth.
Because back then, Cui Dongshan had Sui Youbian hand a parasol tree to Jiang Shangzhen. The latter was in Tongye Continent, sheltering over a million refugees, plus six thousand Earth Immortal Qi refiners with their families, Dharma heirs, and disciples.
That year, Jiang Shangzhen chose two remote areas in the blessed land. He had two formation masters from the Jade Gui Sect and the Yunku Jiang clan mark off two large, distant territories, setting up mountain and river restrictions to accommodate so many refugees. Each was allowed to live and multiply in a thousand-mile area, isolated from the rest of the world. Within the blessed land, only Wei Liang, the retired emperor of Southern Garden Kingdom, knew about this. Because when these Tongye Continent people were "escorted" into the blessed land for refuge, besides a large number of Yunlin Jiang clan disciples, Sui Youbian, Crow, sword cultivator Cao Jun, and Wei Xian, the founding emperor of Southern Garden Kingdom, came personally with ten thousand elite cavalry to "clear the way."

Although the Lotus Root Blessed Land was now tightly connected to Fallen Mountain, and taking away the parasol umbrella would cause significant damage, costing a large sum of immortal coins, Chen Ping'an still planned to have Cui Dongshan and Xiao Mo take the parasol umbrella to Tongye Continent in the upcoming Ancestral Hall meeting. Anyone willing to return to their homeland could leave the blessed land and go back to Tongye Continent. Naturally, those who chose to stay were even better—Fallen Mountain would soon dismantle the restrictions and open the gates, letting the people who chose to remain integrate into the blessed land’s four kingdoms.
As for that batch of Tongye Continent Qi refiners, every single one of them would owe a debt to the Green Lotus Sword Sect. So, roughly, it would break even.

A fox kingdom certainly needed a cultivator like Luo Fumei.
What about Fallen Mountain? What about the Green Lotus Sword Sect, which had already built its sect framework?
"Chen Ping'an" smiled, and his figure flickered away. After a casual stroll, he returned to his cage.

---

Zhu Lian recognized Xie Tao. Xie Tao recognized Zhu Lian.
One man, one ghost. At that dilapidated former site of the Under-Cloud Villa, from the deep night until the sky turned pale with dawn. The stooped old man in cloth shoes added dead wood to the fire several times. The mountain god guarding this "family estate" talked with bright eyes, no trace of weariness. At most, she would glance at "Zhu Lian" from time to time, her mood peculiar.
The usually dignified mountain god was like a lively young girl, opening her floodgates and telling this faithless man, whom she had once vowed to kill upon meeting again, about the martial world of the last hundred years.
Even though he had stated outright that his coming here first had nothing to do with her, Xie Tao didn’t mind at all. A single word "first" was enough.

Xie Tao said that his family’s "One-End-It-All Tower" library had been destroyed in the war. The study named "Autumn Eyes" had also ceased to exist.
Hearing this, Zhu Lian was unmoved, as if listening to someone else’s story.
But the Yu Yu Garden—though its famous flowers had all been burned clean by a great fire—the rockery made of countless famous stones and ancient inkstones had been scattered to the four winds. In recent years, however, several anonymous, deep-pocketed collectors had been buying up these stones and inkstones at high prices, gathering them. She had spent great effort to collect about a fifth of the rockery’s original splendor.
At this, Zhu Lian finally spoke up with a laugh. "Why gather these things? It’s just a waste of manpower and money. Even if someone manages to reassemble the rockery exactly as it was, what for? To pick up some women’s embroidered shoes? Do you think that stuff really smells that good? Basket after basket—the stench was nothing to write home about. In those days, the gardeners had to hold their noses while carrying them. If they couldn’t resell them for some silver, they’d consider it hard labor. As for me, I always kept my distance."

As for the Land Coral Hall, where Zhu Lian had stored the world’s famous swords, it had survived because it was as hidden as the Under-Cloud Villa. But by the time Xie Tao got there, someone had beaten her to it. And she, being skilled in construction, could see that it had been emptied methodically. They had dismantled it piece by piece, marked everything, and tried to reassemble it in the same way, just as she would have.
Zhu Lian only commented with a smile, "A refined thief, it seems."

Xie Tao asked curiously, "Where have you been all these years?"
Zhu Lian slowly said, "I inexplicably died and came back to life. It was like..."
Xie Tao waited for him to continue.
Zhu Lian smiled. "Like waking up early in the morning from a good dream."
Xie Tao’s face showed a trace of sadness. She bit her lip and asked, "So what next? Where will you go? What will you do?"
What she really wanted to ask was, who will you see? Will you come back here?

Dead branches in the fire crackled occasionally.
Zhu Lian thought for a moment, looked up at the sky, and said, "Come on, let’s go to the kitchen at the shrine. I’ll make you breakfast. See if my cooking has improved."
Xie Tao was both pleased and angry, biting her lip and murmuring, "Back in the Under-Cloud Villa, you only ever wrote a cookbook. You never actually cooked."
She recalled those days: the young nobleman, chin in hand, lazily sitting by his desk, writing the preface to the cookbook. The brush rustled on the peach blossom paper he had made himself. He turned his head to the woman rolling up the bamboo screen at the door and smiled. "Governing a great nation is like cooking a small delicacy."
Golden sunlight streamed through the window, falling freely across the man’s face.

Zhu Lian smiled. "Then I must have remembered wrong."
Xie Tao turned her head away.
Zhu Lian suddenly asked a riddle. "Customer, you’ve been staying for a long time. When will you check out and settle the bill?"
Xie Tao was baffled. She turned her head and stared at Zhu Lian.
"Silly girl, still silly. I guess it’s my fault for giving you the nickname Crybaby back then."
Zhu Lian smiled and shook his head, hands behind his back, his figure stooped. He took the lead and shuffled toward the mountain god shrine.
Xie Tao silently followed. As she walked, her eyes suddenly lit up. She stopped, gazed at that back, then quickened her pace to catch up. She reached out and took his arm.
Zhu Lian gently tugged his arm, complaining, "Men and women should keep their distance." Xie Tao spat and refused to let go.

The answer to the riddle was... two words: "Missing You!"
Whether the customer stayed or left, to lodge in my heart is to be missed.