Chapter 1099: As If Nothing Happened
The world was clear and bright, washed clean of old dust.
Chen Ping'an walked slowly toward the rented small house, an oilpaper umbrella tucked under his arm. Although he was badly injured, his heart was at ease.
He rounded the familiar Office God Shrine. Back when he had set up a fortune-telling stall as a Daoist, Chen Ping'an often climbed over the wall to watch the scheming and infighting among the petty officials, studying their rhetoric.
Using qi observation, he detected Gu Can's traces. He spoke a single thought to Gu Can, gave him an address, and arranged to meet there.
Of course, Earth Immortals and cultivators of the Upper Five Realms often had methods to conceal their auras. Gu Can had deliberately left his traces visible, worried that Chen Ping'an might not be able to find him.
Chen Ping'an entered a Sweet Water Alley with practiced ease. From a distance, three martial artists walked toward him. Among them was a sturdy man with arms reaching past his knees, carrying a wrapped bundle, speaking in a low voice to console a young man beside him—handsome but dejected. "Hong Tu, so what if you're no longer a virgin? Even if you can't reach the transcendent heights of ancient sword immortals and learn to send flying swords to sever heads like the founding patriarch, you can still aim to be unrivaled in the mortal world and famous in the jianghu. Don't belittle yourself and waste your time and talent being discouraged."
The young man nodded woodenly, impossible to tell if he had taken it to heart or let it go in one ear and out the other.
Spotting the blue-robed figure at the alley corner, the sturdy man gave him a quick glance but didn't pay much attention, lowering his voice even further. First, he gave a few more instructions to the young man named Hong Tu, then turned to look at a young woman who was hopping on one foot in a square pattern. She was clear-boned and spirited, her features moving. Noticing her uncle's gaze, she immediately straightened up. The man then turned back and continued, "This time, the sect leader has ordered you to accompany me down the mountain, travel a million miles through seven countries, and only then return to the sect. He hopes you'll understand that there are always greater mountains and people beyond. Know that countless extraordinary individuals are lost in the mundane world. Often, it's only because their fated connections haven't arrived; true masters don't reveal themselves. They might brush past you in a busy market or pass you without recognition."
As luck would have it, the young woman raised an eyebrow and couldn't help laughing. "Uncle, isn't there someone ahead walking with a sword on his back? Could he be the kind of 'true master' you mentioned?"
There were some things the sturdy man couldn't say aloud. This trip away from the sect and into the mortal world served several purposes: first, to let Hong Tu clear his mind, stop being so lifeless and despairing over not being able to cultivate immortal arts, and help him do some chivalrous deeds in the jianghu to lift his spirits. Second, to let the young woman behind him—whom the sect leader had secretly designated as his successor and personal disciple—see more of the world, mainly to visit a Daoist temple in the capital of the Yu Xuan Kingdom to seek an immortal opportunity for her. It turned out she had three natural red lines at the edge of her brow, a sign of heavy killing karma. So she needed to spend a few years grinding away her murderous aura in the mortal world, learning to hide her sharpness, before she could study their sect's immortal arts. In short, he needed to make her realize she was far from the best and let Hong Tu feel he was more than adequate compared to the worst. The sect leader's intentions were truly painstaking.
Seeing that the blue-robed guest was still a good distance away, the man used his sect's secret art of condensing sound into a line and instructed the two juniors, "Baoshu, Hong Tu, when we travel the jianghu and meet strangers for the first time, we need to gauge their level of cultivation and martial skill. What's easy for the skilled is hard for the unskilled. Remember to pay special attention to their breathing and footsteps. For example, this man does have some martial foundation, but his complexion is slightly pale, his breath slightly sluggish, clear and turbid uneven. Each step lands with uneven force. It's clear his foundation was once solid, but probably due to excessive indulgence in wine and women, his spirit is a bit weak."
Chen Ping'an had no choice but to pretend he hadn't heard this assessment.
The young woman named Baoshu in the group was indeed suited for Dao cultivation. Truly a rough jade, with the potential of an Earth Immortal.
They were probably all born at the right time. Such figures could be found in every world now. All the major sects were busy.
The Ministry of Justice's Sticky Pole Corps had long since secretly sent more personnel to Baoping Continent and even Tongye Continent to search for various cultivation seedlings.
The sixteen geniuses that the Great Li court had gifted to Fallen Mountain were already traveling on a military ferry and would soon arrive at Oxhorn Ferry.
The woman asked, "Senior Uncle Gao, I heard Senior Uncle He say there are immortal ferry ports, inns, and boats in the world. If someone finds the exact location, they'll see cultivators and qi-refining immortals everywhere?"
The man laughed. "Easier said than done. It's not that easy to encounter them. Your Senior Uncle He only happened upon a group of qi refiners by chance in a desolate mountain temple."
"I've heard the sect leader say that since ancient times, land immortals who show only the tip of the iceberg often have sect rules and master's orders when they first begin learning, requiring them to swear oaths not to reveal their powers casually in front of mortals, not to use immortal arts freely outside the mountains, not to seek fame and fortune in the mortal world, and not to covet worldly wealth, lest they mislead others into thinking that cultivating qi and seeking Dao is an easy shortcut."
"For instance, our sect's founding patriarch, though a genius, still had to endure countless hardships. When his merits were fulfilled, he finally refined a flying sword. Within a hundred yards, the blue light was dazzling, allowing him to sever the heads of bandits as easily as taking something from his pocket. That was the realm of ancient sword immortals."
That was history from over two hundred years ago. A mountain immortal estate once famous for many traces of immortals in local records had gradually degenerated into a jianghu sect that only taught fists and stances.
The few Daoist scriptures left by the founding patriarch were now unreadable by anyone except the current sect leader.
Whether it was a powerful family's background or a mountain master's inheritance, it was always at risk of becoming an old, faded elegance.
The woman's face was full of longing. "Senior Uncle Gao, I heard there's a Daoist named Wu in the capital who is proficient in fate calculation and very accurate. He has a reputation as 'Iron Mouth Broken Judgment.' His fortune-telling stall is nearby. Should we go take a look?"
The man laughed. "Those who show themselves in the marketplace are not true masters. Such people are unlikely to be immortals. After we visit Chongyang Temple, if you still have the leisure, you can try your luck at his stall yourself. If that Daoist is truly a wondrous being roaming the mortal world, that would be your fortune."
Inside the alley, they drew closer.
Not to mention legendary cultivators who had achieved immortality and no longer needed sleep—even martial artists who had achieved small success in the jianghu would have their spirit internalized and shouldn't be so weary and drowsy in broad daylight.
The man glanced at the other party, feeling a bit of regret, but he still took the opportunity to give further instructions to his sect juniors, condensing his voice into a line: "Our sect's patriarch once said: wine, women, wealth, and anger bind living people day and night, causing their spirit to wither. Immortal tranquility is the true path. The stench of lust and desire between men and women most hinders longevity. This man's footsteps are light and unsteady, and he is unusually drowsy. If the sect leader were here, he could recite a spell, spout a mouthful of talisman water, and spray it on his face, thereby relieving him of the entanglement of sleep demons and restoring his spirit. If he can learn moderation in the future, his martial path might not stop here."
They passed each other.
After taking a dozen steps, Baoshu whispered with a smile, "Master is famously kind-hearted. In his nature, he would definitely stop and have a few words with that man."
Apart from Senior Uncle Gao, the people of the same generation as the sect leader all said in private that her master was a goody-goody. He would get involved in any injustice outside the mountains, and help anyone unfortunate they encountered in the jianghu. This had cost the sect's development and his own cultivation a lot, but the sect leader always said that suffering loss was a blessing. She had only been on the mountain for a few years, but she had inadvertently heard some harsh words, saying that the sect leader was too soft-hearted, his Dao heart not firm, not like a cultivator, which was why he had learning but no Dao power. Deep down, she felt these opinions were correct.
A cultivator should look like an immortal being, not put a Dao heart that should be radiant and clear into a muddy pit, sullying its brilliance.
Hong Tu, whether by some ghostly impulse or a sudden epiphany, turned his head and happened to see the blue-robed, sword-carrying man looking back at him. Their eyes met.
He heard a stranger's voice in his ear: "Young hero, if you have the leisure, you could find Master Wu's stall and ask about your future. It's very accurate, fair prices, no cheating. Definitely worth the money."
Hong Tu was shaken. He saw the other point at his own ear, perhaps indicating that he had keen ears and happened to overhear their conversation about fortune-telling stalls.
Hong Tu turned around and hastily asked, "Please, senior, give me some advice: if someone starts martial arts late and is no longer a virgin, can he still become a martial grandmaster?"
But all he saw was that unassuming blue-robed guest display a technique that seemed like the Cloud Ladder, a kind of light-body art. His feet crossed and slapped in the air, and in an instant, his figure rose above the alley's eaves and vanished.
Baoshu heard the noise behind her, turned, and saw only a corner of blue robe. She wasn't particularly surprised. "Uncle, is he a master?"
The man didn't think he had misjudged. He smiled. "Makes a big noise, so he must be decent enough."
---
Chen Ping'an sat on a rooftop. After a moment's thought, he looked toward Zheyao Mountain, but didn't bother with Ma Kuxuan's few disciples who hadn't yet grown.
Repay kindness with kindness and repay enmity with enmity—that was the most natural thing in the world. It wasn't just his own business; it was the world's business.
As for that woman with excellent bone structure, suitable for entering the mountains to cultivate, whether she could become a true cultivator was hard to say.
Not to brag, but if Cen Yuanji hadn't met Zhu Lian, and Jiang Qu hadn't entered Fallen Mountain, they would most likely have faded into obscurity.
Forcing himself to stay alert, Chen Ping'an chose a secluded alley and floated down. It had been a long time since he felt this strong urge to sleep until fully rested.
---
Gu Can and his group wound through the streets of Yongjia County. The state preceptor Huang Lie knew nothing, so it was the maid Gu Lingyan who had to ask for directions before they found a secluded, out-of-the-way alley.
Outside the small courtyard gate, besides Chen Ping'an squatting on the steps with his hands tucked into his sleeves, stood a group of unfamiliar faces, apparently chatting idly.
Chen Ping'an's demeanor was hard to disguise—clearly heavily injured. This familiar sight darkened Gu Can's expression a bit.
Gu Can walked forward slowly, asking with his eyes.
Chen Ping'an spoke mentally: "It's acceptable. A price I can bear. The Night Travel Sword snapped, and one of my lifebound robes needs to be reforged and mended. The foundations of several dozen less important qi apertures were ruined and need repair. But there are also benefits. In the long run, I'm definitely not losing. This is a good chance to—"
Ning Yao was right. At the Jade Pool realm, one pursues truth and tends toward the intangible; at the Immortal realm, ascending to Ascension, except for the final step, before reaching the bottleneck of the Immortal realm, cultivators tend to be more pragmatic.
Moreover, Chen Ping'an's current path of cultivation, after passing the greatest mental barrier of returning from Nascent Soul to Jade Pool, became quite simple. It was just about refining swords. And refining swords was even simpler: just consume gold essence copper coins and Dragon-slaying Stones.
Chen Ping'an had already made arrangements for gold essence copper coins. He could negotiate with the Great Li Song clan, trade with the Beijulu Continent Luoma River Liu clan and Sanlang Temple, and so on. Many small streams make a great river. According to Zheng Juzhong's estimate in the void at the time, if Chen Ping'an could "just" consume another one thousand five hundred gold essence copper coins, the moon-in-the-well sword could be upgraded to the moon-at-the-well-mouth rank. The number of flying swords it could split into might then increase to eight hundred thousand. And if he were optimistic, Chen Ping'an could even think about a "million."
So the real difficulty was still Dragon-slaying Stones. Gold essence copper coins were "priceless but marketless," but Dragon-slaying Stones were typical: priceless and no market at all. Anyone who got their hands on one would hoard it, hide it, never sell it. So earlier at the summit of Jiling Peak, even Yu Xuan personally helping to broker connections couldn't guarantee finding a seller. The difficulty for Chen Ping'an to use them to refine the cage-bird sword, hone its edge, and raise its rank was clear.
Gu Can stared at him.
Had he completely eradicated the Ma clan?
Chen Ping'an changed the subject. "I made a quick trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall. I saw your master and we chatted a bit. White Emperor City will soon be sealed. He's invited a female sword immortal named Zheng Dan to be the gatekeeper. Though she's a ghost immortal, her swordsmanship is high and her background is significant. Her sword technique lineage, in the near-ancient era, stood shoulder to shoulder with Zhou Shenzhi's Qu City line."
Gu Can nodded.
A sword cultivator whom Zheng Juzhong personally invited to be a gatekeeper must be no weakling.
Gu Can spoke mentally: "You're badly hurt. Will you need to go into seclusion for a while when you return to Fallen Mountain?"
Chen Ping'an said, "It won't stop me from being Liu Xianyang's best man."
Gu Can said, "If it's really bad, let Liu Xianyang postpone the wedding."
Chen Ping'an stared straight at Gu Can.
Gu Can sighed helplessly. "Joking, teasing, kidding. Don't take it seriously."
I was just worried about you damaging your Dao. If there's any hindrance to your Dao heart, a few light words might help you relax.
Chen Ping'an slowly stood up and introduced them one by one. "I won't let you come all this way for nothing. Introduce them: Pseudonym Pu Liu, real name Xu Fu, Nascent Soul stage, little chance of breaking through. Guan Kui, ghost cultivator, Golden Core, breaking through won't be hard. Shen Ke, martial artist at the seventh-stage bottleneck, about to step into Far Traveling stage. I've already talked with them. If you're willing to recruit them, they can go to your side. Just feed them; pay is up to you."
These few that Chen Ping'an had brought out of the Ma manor, former "superior people"—once old immortals or grandmasters—had each suffered a beating. The old woman had endured fire punishment, the ghost Guan Kui had taken a thorough thunder strike, and Old Master Shen had had it worst. In short, they were all so miserable they didn't want to look back. Just thinking about it made their livers quiver. If Chen Ping'an hadn't ordered them to follow, saying there was an opportunity to give them, the old woman would have long since fled, not just from the Yu Xuan Kingdom but even to another continent. Guan Kui was thinking of returning to his home country, and Shen Ke just wanted to find a quiet place in the wilderness, not wanting to see another living person for at least a year.
Gu Can remained silent.
I came to help, and you're offering me these? I was just an observer, and you're talking about compensation?
If it were anyone else, Gu Can would have directly said, "I don't accept trash."
Chen Ping'an raised his hand and lightly patted Gu Can's shoulder.
You're a new sect leader from White Emperor City's registry. Should I introduce you to disciples from strict, famous orthodox sects, upright gentlemen? To spend every day with you in righteous openness?
Besides, these people had just suffered, so they were most honest. Your new sect can use them right away. Their realms are low, but they all have plenty of wits. They know how to deal with people and are willing to work.
Gu Can glanced at Chen Ping'an, said nothing, then turned to look at the others. His manner toward people now was perfectly polite and flawless. He clasped his hands and smiled. "Pleased to meet you. My family's foundation is still small. If I can get the help of three elders, it would be my good fortune."
Although they didn't know the identity of the young man in Confucian robes, anyone who was a friend of Sword Immortal Chen must be important. So all three looked flattered and returned the courtesy.
In fact, one Nascent Soul, one Golden Core, plus a seventh-stage martial artist about to enter Far Traveling—that wasn't bad at all. With these three, if they started a sect on any continent, as long as they didn't compare with old, established sects, their momentum wouldn't be small. A few decades ago, in Letter Lake, wasn't Liu Zhimao's Green Gorge Island about the same?
Gu Lingyan pursed her lips.
These three were lucky.
By joining her young master's sect, they would gain a talisman of protection when out in the world, because the sect's "authentic ancestral court" was White Emperor City, and behind that was Zheng Juzhong.
If you beat a dog, you have to consider its owner. Even if these three ran into a tough nut, if Gu Can's face wasn't enough, would Zheng Juzhong's face be enough?
And because they were "recommended" by Chen Ping'an himself, in the eyes of Sect Leader Gu, they had an extra lifesaving talisman.
Gu Can introduced Huang Lie, whom he had recently recruited. "Huang Lie, just stepped down as state preceptor."
Chen Ping'an clasped his hands and smiled. "Greetings, Senior Huang."
Huang Lie's expression was solemn as he returned the courtesy with great dignity. "A mere Golden Core, how can I deserve the title 'senior'? In cultivation and longevity, attainment comes first. Greetings, Mr. Chen."
Chen Ping'an was amused.
Gu Lingyan snickered. Oh my, so this is your unique interpretation of "Mr."? Old Huang, such a flatterer—no wonder he became a state preceptor.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Where is he?"
Since Gu Can had come, Liu Xianyang couldn't be far behind.
Gu Can smiled. "That guy went to Zhenwu Mountain to block the gate."
Chen Ping'an rubbed his brow.
Gu Can said, "Just to clarify, this time we all came to Yu Xuan Kingdom to meet up was his idea. I'm just an accessory."
Chen Ping'an said with exasperation, "You're quite the loyal friend."
Gu Can laughed. "I'm used to selling him out."
Chen Ping'an was used to it.
Gu Can said, "Pei Qian came too. She's at the City God Temple right now."
Before Chen Ping'an could say anything, Gu Can preempted him. "Still Liu Xianyang's idea."
Seeing Chen Ping'an was about to speak, Gu Can—who knew his temperament best—immediately used mental speech to ask a key question. "What exactly did those three suffer in the Ma manor? They're almost like walking corpses driven by a thread of soul. If I don't find some elixirs to stabilize their minds and souls quickly, the aftereffects will be severe."
Gu Can, as an observer, was clear, and his realm and master's teachings were solid. In contrast, Pu Liu and the others, who were inside the situation, didn't realize how dangerous their condition was.
Chen Ping'an gave a rough explanation. "Except for the ghost Guan Kui, who fared relatively better, the other two were no gentle souls. So I tailored a few small punishments for them: a thunder formation, fire punishment, and passing the martial heart threshold. A minor lesson."
"Ah, so you never let an opportunity pass. Since you encountered them, you gave them a little punishment to prevent major evil."
Gu Can couldn't help laughing, gloating. "Shen Ke surviving was one thing, since he's a martial artist, but what about Pu Liu and Guan Kui? Even if the old woman had no chance of reaching Jade Pool before, now even if she had a great opportunity, would she dare to go into seclusion, dare to break through, dare to face her inner demons?"
Chen Ping'an said, "If they ever have a chance to go into seclusion and break through in the future, you write me a letter, and I will come scrape away all their memories, just as if they never met me. And it won't damage their Dao foundation—just wipe the memories."
Gu Can was silent, his gaze complex.
Chen Ping'an laughed self-deprecatingly. "Compare me with Mr. Zheng? How can you? Are you really overestimating an Immortal realm cultivator like that? Are you really insulting a fourteenth-stage master who wants to establish a school and become a patriarch?"
Gu Can didn't react much to the words "establish a school and become a patriarch." He had expected it. When he heard it, his Dao heart remained calm. But those three words, "Immortal realm"?
Chen Ping'an reached out and pressed down on Gu Can's head. "I'm both an Immortal and a sect leader. Liu Xianyang at least is also a sect leader. You're nothing but a Jade Pool cultivator. What are you acting proud about?"
Gu Can was speechless.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Now *that's* a tease."
---
Inside the house, the old woman and the others looked around. The place was tiny, nothing to see. They were surprised: Was this Sword Immortal Chen's foothold in the capital? A bit too shabby? Then they thought again and soon felt relieved. A great sword immortal acts beyond common understanding.
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Diligence is a money tree, thrift is a treasure bowl."
The hall was simple, mainly just an octagonal table.
Chen Ping'an invited everyone to sit. "Rented place, poor hospitality. I'll use tea instead of wine."
Noticing Gu Can's glance, Gu Lingyan immediately went to boil water.
There were no outsiders in the room. Chen Ping'an asked, "Have you decided on a location?"
Gu Can said, "I'm thinking of settling in Fuyao Continent. There's a place I've inspected before—passable enough. But I plan to make another trip to Fuyao Continent to look around. Maybe there's a better spot. Can't say for sure yet."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Now that you've set your sights on Fuyao Continent, there's no need to rush. Take your time."
Gu Can said, "There might not be an inauguration ceremony."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Even if there is, I might not come."
Gu Can said, "I know you're busy. You can go to Green Apricot Nation, but not to Fuyao Continent."
Except for Gu Lingyan, who knew the inside story, the others were all sharp and immediately caught the undertone. Were they having a spat?
What kind of relationship did they have?
They grew even more curious about the young man in Confucian robes.
Who was he, to talk so casually with Sword Immortal Chen?
Chen Ping'an said, "By way of compensation, since you've chosen Fuyao Continent, I'll introduce someone to you later."
Gu Can said, "If it's someone from the Summer Resort Palace, forget it. We definitely won't get along."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "This man is known as the smartest emperor in Fuyao Continent's history. A crafty rabbit has three burrows. I always felt he had hidden resources somewhere in his homeland."
Gu Can had spent some time in Fuyao Continent and immediately guessed the identity. He asked tentatively, "The one who guarded against his son more than outsiders?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "That's him. Now he's spending his days by Zhong Kui's side. One day, he'll regain his freedom. You two will probably get along."
Gu Can laughed. "If it's him, I'd even make him chief offering."
Chen Ping'an said, "Wait until you meet. See if you mesh."
Gu Can chuckled. "He'd die before going to Fallen Mountain, but he'd die to follow me."
Chen Ping'an laughed dryly. "Are you proud of that? Showing off to me?"
Gu Can was delighted.
Chen Ping'an let out a long breath.
If there were a chair, he could have fallen asleep leaning on it.
Gu Can remembered something. "Do you know about a place called Chongyang Temple here?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "It used to be called Alchemy Temple. It's a Feng Shui treasure land where Daoist qi gathers without dispersing. I passed by a few times but never entered. From qi observation, I could tell there's a Daoist proficient in fire methods who built a furnace there to refine water elixirs. Probably a maverick who dares to refine both internal and external pills. I'd guess the temple master's realm isn't very high, but his external alchemy power is considerable. What, have you already met?"
Those people in Sweet Water Alley seemed to be going to Chongyang Temple seeking immortal fate.
Daoist lineages were numerous. Just the external and internal alchemy sects had a watershed at the Golden Core stage. Below Golden Core, external alchemy held sway. Daoists who believed in smelting gold and silver and taking elixirs to become immortals often broke through quickly. Above Golden Core, external alchemy wasn't useless, but it wasn't very important. However, there were exceptions. In the Qingming World, some external alchemy lineages could point directly to Ascension. In Tongye Continent, Lu Yong's Green Tiger Palace was a typical Daoist external alchemy line.
Gu Can said, "I just met him. We chatted a bit. The temple master seems to be a Golden Core Earth Immortal. Bold enough to claim the Dao name Huilu."
Chen Ping'an dismissed it with a smile.
Gu Lingyan said softly, "It's not the Qingming World, where Dao names are unique and can't be arbitrarily taken, as precious as a path of union. On the Hao Ran side, anyone outside the registered cultivators can take whatever Dao name they want."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Gu Can didn't pursue the matter. He changed the subject. "Want me to use a Three Mountain Talisman to go to Zhenwu Mountain and call Liu Xianyang back?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Go quickly and come back. I'll laze around here and wait for you."
Liu Xianyang had once overturned Lu Chen's fortune-telling stall and yelled that he would beat him every time he saw him. Back then, he didn't know the identity of that lotus-crown Daoist, so he wasn't afraid. Now that he knew it was Lu Chen, Liu Xianyang still wasn't intimidated.
After Gu Can left, Chen Ping'an took a talisman from his sleeve and turned it into a stream of color that quickly flew out of the house. When the talisman landed, it became a middle-aged Daoist named Wu Di, already standing outside the wall of Chongyang Temple.
He was mainly worried that Gu Can might have inadvertently entangled himself in some karma. Chen Ping'an needed to investigate and see for himself to be at ease.
Besides, he had encountered that group of "foothill" people in Sweet Water Alley. Chen Ping'an felt this matter could be big or small, and by habit, he wanted to see with his own eyes.
Gu Lingyan pretended not to notice.
Her homeland was wild and lacked rules, but it didn't lack passion. Because it lacked scheming, friendships that were life-and-death bonds might be even more plentiful than in Hao Ran.
But she had never seen a relationship like Gu Can and Chen Ping'an's.
The old woman and the other former Ma manor residents were still speculating about the identity of the young man in Confucian robes.
Although they had been assigned a place and would probably have to follow that young man for their meals from now on, as long as they didn't have to go to Fallen Mountain with Mr. Chen, they would take it!
Before Gu Can left, he glanced at Huang Lie.
When I'm here, you've already "tested" me with someone twice. If you dare to do so when I'm not, accepting you as an offering only to clean house the same day—others couldn't do it, but I, Gu Can, can do it very casually.
Huang Lie seemed guilty and quickly nodded in acknowledgment. Rest assured, I will never give Sect Leader Gu another reason to misunderstand!
---
Inside Chongyang Temple, the scenery was tranquil. In the sunset, the rosy clouds reflected on the water like writing paper, the ripples like talismanic scripts. The fish in the pond seemed to be inside a Daoist scripture, able to eat the words of immortals.
A lone bird skimmed across the water, a fleeting shadow.
A long-bearded old Daoist walked over. It was Cheng Fengxuan, the master of the place, who had sensed something unusual within the temple. He calculated on his fingers, but the cause and effect were unclear, a tangled mess. For now, he couldn't tell good from ill. So he interrupted his Daoist lessons, left his simple thatched hut, and stepped out with dignified, square-paced steps.
What he saw was a middle-aged Daoist standing by the water, admiring the view. Fellow practitioner, or kindred spirit?
The old Daoist wasn't sure of his intentions. The temple was closed to visitors all year, and in this capital city, he had no visiting friends, nor any pilgrims burning incense.
So this person either climbed over the wall uninvited, or… he was truly a Daoist with divine arts, able to shrink the earth's veins, making a thousand miles of mountains and rivers appear before him.
Cheng Fengxuan sized him up and ventured a guess with a smile. "Are you by any chance Master Wu, the 'Wu Divine Diviner' who has a stall in Child Lane, Yongjia County?"
Judging solely by attire, there was no way to tell which mountain Daoist lineage he belonged to.
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded, cutting to the chase. "I am the Daoist Wu Di, with no Dao name. I just heard a friend mention that your Dao name is Huilu. I've been making a living in this area for many days, passing by your temple several times. I didn't want to disturb you, so I never called. But today, after hearing my friend speak of you with such admiration, I feared I might miss meeting a senior practitioner, so I boldly came for a chat."
Cheng Fengxuan stroked his beard and smiled slyly. "A self-proclaimed Dao name can hardly be taken seriously. Are you frightened, Daoist Wu? Or do you take me for a villain and plan to report me to the county office for a reward?"
Chen Ping'an said, "You jest, Temple Master."
Cheng Fengxuan didn't feel like beating around the bush. His conscience was clear, and good time was limited. It shouldn't be wasted on such hypocritical pleasantries. So he said straight out, "Let's not play games. Allow me to ask plainly: have you come to explore the scenery, to discuss Dao teachings, or to weigh my worth?"
If fellow practitioners were natural rivals, he lived a reclusive life in this Chongyang Temple, devoted to alchemy, with two disciples, aloof from worldly affairs. He and this stall-keeping Daoist had no conflict. There was no reason for a clash.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "May I be so bold as to ask if your sect's ancestors were from the Louguan lineage?"
Cheng Fengxuan was silent for a moment. He let out a long sigh, showing some emotion. "I didn't expect you to know about such ancient matters. To be honest, I am indeed from a branch of the Louguan lineage, but not the orthodox line. Same source, different stream. The source has long dried up, and this branch of mine is as desolate as you see now."
In ancient times, there was a saying among the Daoist sects of Hao Ran: the Louguan sect was the highest, the Donghua sect the largest.
The Louguan lineage, besides being proficient in celestial astronomy and divination by wind and birds, was also extremely skilled in alchemy. Otherwise, it couldn't claim to be "highest."
After confirming that the man was telling the truth, Chen Ping'an felt a bit helpless. So this hidden thread, like a fish lurking at the bottom, wasn't attached to Gu Can, but to himself.
The old temple master of the Eastern Sea Observation Temple, Grotto Lord Bixiao, had secretly shown much care for the Golden Summit Temple of the Louguan lineage in Tongye Continent, even specifically asking that Fallen Mountain and Jiang Shangzhen not lay a hand on that Shao Yuanran. The old temple master had given Fallen Mountain a quarter of Lotus Flower Blessed Land back then—was he repaying a debt? Would interest need to be paid here in Chongyang Temple first? And those three people earlier—could any of them, traced back, be connected to some old master of the Louguan lineage?
Chen Ping'an deliberated for a moment, then began a perfectly serious string of nonsense. "Since Master Jing treats me with sincerity, I shouldn't play games. To reciprocate, I'll be honest. When I was young, I traveled widely. In my early years on Tongye Continent, by chance in the north, I encountered a lineage passed down from a certain patriarch of the Louguan sect. Our connection was deep. It was like planting—now it seems this flower should bloom here, this fruit should ripen."
Cheng Fengxuan gave a doubtful "Oh." He was obviously skeptical, not fully believing. Could such a windfall really fall from heaven?
Chen Ping'an continued, "I have finished my business here in the capital of Yu Xuan Kingdom and must soon travel elsewhere. On Bamboo Pole Lane in Yongjia County, there is a so-called 'haunted house'—a misnomer. A sprig of mugwort hangs at its door. If you go there and observe its qi, you'll see. The mistress of the house is named Xue Ruyi. Though she is a ghost, she earnestly seeks the Dao, her spirit clear and pure. I stayed there as a guest for several months; we are close friends and address each other as fellow Daoists. She has a private friendship with the Western Sacred Mountain's Lord Tong of the Great Banner. Thanks to her, I had the honor of meeting Lord Tong in that house. Master Jing, when you have time from your alchemy, you can go and talk with her. Just say Wu Di is an old Daoist friend."
Cheng Fengxuan pretended to be calm, but inwardly he was astonished. This fellow Daoist had deep karmic blessings to have even met Lord Tong?
Especially in the Western Sacred Mountain region, you couldn't just say something like that to put gold on your face—wasn't he afraid of being struck by lightning?
In truth, beyond astonishment, Cheng Fengxuan was even more shocked… because his most important furnace of elixir was originally scheduled to be lit at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival this year. The ancestral alchemy manual called it "Noon Fish." If the furnace succeeded, there would be exactly two pills, no fewer, no more. The two pills would divide yin and yang. But the old Daoist had no confidence in it, because he lacked one crucial ingredient. Even though he had racked his brains, chosen Chongyang Temple as the furnace site, and found a "Noon Couplet" as a suppressing item, he still lacked a vital alchemical substance. His furnace was lit but couldn't achieve the "water movement" described in the manual! If he could burn a sprig of immortal mugwort, like starting a fire in a steamer, fumigate and transport to the temple the water fortune accumulated over the years, wouldn't it be… heaven's blessing?! The only reason the old Daoist didn't show joy was that he didn't yet know the quality of that mugwort at the ghost house door, or how strong the fire would be when burned.
The old Daoist grew even more uncertain. Could this meeting with the Daoist Wu Di today truly be the Dao fate at work, the blooming and fruiting he spoke of?
As for Chen Ping'an, his intention was first to help this temple master and Xue Ruyi connect, so they could look out for each other and form a bond of incense friendship. If Chongyang Temple ever faced difficulties, he could, through Xue Ruyi or Tong Wenchang, weigh whether to help and how.
Chen Ping'an was equally surprised. He asked casually, "I once met a poor out-of-town boy named Bai Yun. He and his grandfather sold Spring Ox pictures. He passed my stall, and I gave him a divination. He's a youth with mountain karma. Have you seen this person, Master Jing?"
Cheng Fengxuan shook his head. "I never leave my temple, so I haven't seen this boy."
But he quickly added, "My two disciples occasionally go to the market to shop. Perhaps they have seen him."
Chen Ping'an's expression remained normal as he smiled. "I originally thought this immortal fate would fall on you and Chongyang Temple. Now it seems that may not be the case."
This was one advantage of high cultivation: other people's inner voices sounded like thunder.
That mugwort hanging at the door had originally been given to Xue Ruyi by Lu Chen, to prevent Chen Ping'an's fight with Ma Kuxuan from accidentally harming her ghostly soul.
And Lu Chen's main business in coming to Hao Ran this time was to find that "Noon Fish" that "even immortals find hard to catch," which later turned out to be the youth Ning Ji, now Chen Ping'an's personal disciple.
If the original thread had gone unnoticed by Lu Chen and Chen Ping'an, Ning Ji would have entered this Chongyang Temple, won Cheng Fengxuan's favor, become his disciple, and step by step set foot on the path of cultivation.
Chen Ping'an was amused. Was this him cutting in halfway, stealing the other party's prized disciple?
Had Lu Chen already calculated this layer, using that mugwort as compensation to indirectly help the old Daoist complete his alchemy, settling a karma?
It seemed when he next traveled to Central Continent, besides the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's residence, he should also visit the Central Continent Lu clan to borrow some books.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "I won't disturb you when your guest arrives."
The old Daoist looked puzzled. "What do you mean, fellow Daoist?"
Daoists most valued "collecting the spirit" and didn't easily spread their divine consciousness. It was said that only Daoist gods who had entered the realm of heaven-human resonance could communicate with the divine without moving their spirit, and perceive the slightest changes in the external world.
At that moment, a tall, gaunt-faced young Daoist boy ran quickly to the waterside, made a Daoist salute, and panted, "Master Jing, another guest has arrived."
Cheng Fengxuan laughed in admiration. "Daoist Wu truly has foresight."
Sensing this hermit-expert's teasing gaze, the old Daoist felt a bit ashamed. Their temple meals really lacked oil.
The old Daoist loved tranquility, and alchemy feared worldly disturbance. The temple was closed to visitors all year round. He couldn't steal, couldn't rob, and refused to cheat or trick. Without some offbeat income, where would the extra silver come from? Besides, cultivation itself was hard—not exactly a blessing. These two disciples, though mediocre talents and not geniuses, since he had accepted them as nominal disciples, not only to follow his own fate but also because he had high hopes for them. They weren't just fire-tending boys and sweepers. He hoped they could one day use their own Dao power to revive the sect. However, Daoists who refined external elixirs and practiced ingestion methods always passed down the secret oral tradition from master to disciple. So choosing disciples and passing on arts were extremely strict and secret. Some lineages even had ancestral teachings about single-line transmission. "Burn lead and mercury in the tripod, refine a priceless pearl." If you could refine a Golden Core, a mortal taking it could extend life, and an immortal master taking it could achieve longevity and remain in the world. So if that furnace of elixir really succeeded, with exactly two pills, then Song Juchuan and Zhong Shan would each get one. As for Cheng Fengxuan himself, he had already formed an internal Golden Core and didn't need external objects to increase his Dao.
Daoist Wu seemed to see the old man's embarrassment and Zhong Shan's shyness. He smiled calmly. "Live in poverty with integrity, treat people with kindness—that's why we Daoists call ourselves 'Poor Dao.'"
The old Daoist stroked his beard and smiled. Those were words of truth.
Zhong Shan's eyes opened wide. So even the "poverty" of Daoists had great principles behind it?
Daoist Wu looked at the tall, thin Daoist boy and smiled. "Worldly wealth is about gold and silver; our Dao lies in the heart. Entering the mountains is not easy; cultivation is even harder. Enduring hardship is nothing. When heaven is about to assign a great task to a person, it first exhausts his body, starves his skin, and depletes his essence. That is an inherent part of seeking the Dao. To attain the freedom of an immortal, you must first endure the suffering of the mundane. Little Daoist friend, now that you are cultivating in this temple, you have found an enlightened master. Do not enter the treasure mountain and return empty-handed. Remember to keep your heart free of distractions, be devout toward the Dao, do not complain against heaven or others, lest your body and mind stagnate. Trust that your opportunity awaits you ahead."
Zhong Shan, not as eloquent as Senior Brother Song, simply made a Daoist salute and sincerely thanked this unfamiliar Daoist for his advice and instruction.
Chen Ping'an reached out and lightly patted the boy's shoulder, smiling. "Cultivation is hard. Keep it up."
Cheng Fengxuan wanted to invite Daoist Wu to see his alchemy furnace, but the other immediately said, "The weight of the tripod should not be inquired about."
Hearing this, the old Daoist was momentarily speechless. It was somewhat similar to the blue-robed young man's earlier phrase, "The humility of the fisherman."
Chen Ping'an exchanged pleasantries with "Master Jing" one last time. "Pure, few desires, strife with nothing—that is the spirit of a true man."
Then he took his leave. The beaming old temple master didn't stop him, but inwardly decided to try his luck at that "haunted house" and see the quality of that mugwort.
On the way, Chen Ping'an happened to pass the same group again.
The Daoist Wu Di's square-paced steps were no less dignified than the old temple master's.
Seeing the immortal-boned old Daoist, the short sturdy man confirmed his identity, took out a secret letter written by his sect leader, lowered his head, and offered it with both hands. "Gao Zhu of Yao Family Mountain, by order of the sect leader, brings Baoshu and Hong Tu to pay respects to True Man Cheng."
Cheng Fengxuan took the letter, opened it on the spot, read the contents, then looked up at the young woman named Baoshu. The old Daoist nodded. "Indeed a cultivatable talent. She will stay here to cultivate with me. Three or five years is manageable."
Joy brought good spirits. The old Daoist was in high spirits. In truth, calling himself a branch of the Louguan lineage wasn't wrong—it was like some villager claiming that hundreds of years ago, his surname produced an emperor.
But he sensed in the dark that the key to this successful elixir refining truly lay on that sprig of mugwort the Daoist Wu had mentioned.
In his ignorant youth, he had boastfully spoken: "Who cares to be like Laozi—originally an immortal seed, unwilling to be an immortal."
Now, having achieved small success in cultivation and seeing hope for elixir success, he laughed: "Who is as mad as this poor Daoist—alchemy complete, yet unwilling to take the elixir."
Cheng Fengxuan had his more quick-witted disciple Song Juchuan lead Gao Zhu and the three to lodge in the temple.
Back then, when he traveled from Central Continent to Baoping Continent, he went from north to south, and during that journey, he stopped and had a pleasant chat with the current sect master of Yao Family Mountain. Yao Family Mountain's history included a founding patriarch who was a Golden Core sword immortal, but after establishing the sect, each generation declined. The current sect master, Yao Guozhen, was only a Cave Dwelling qi refiner, and not a sword cultivator. Now that he had finally found a fine jade, it seemed Yao Guozhen felt he couldn't pass on true teachings and worried about wasting the woman's cultivation future. So he thought of using a stone from another mountain to polish jade? Ha, I'm also happy to help fulfill that wish.
Consider it forging a good karmic bond with Yao Family Mountain on the path of cultivation.
Later, when Song Juchuan and Zhong Shan finished their training and went out to wander, they would have a place to stay.
In the capital of Yu Xuan Kingdom, this seemingly small but secretly unique temple was once called Alchemy Temple, then renamed Chongyang Temple.
This year's temple master, and the ancient founder of the temple—if they cultivated in the same temple, how could you tell who was host and who was guest?
Zhong Shan accompanied his master on a walk. Remembering something, he plucked up his courage and whispered, "Master Jing, I have a friend. He's poor, from out of town. He fled to the capital with his grandfather. He knows medicinal herbs, can draw Spring Ox pictures, and does some bricklaying. He works very hard. I was thinking, could I ask you to let him work odd jobs in our temple, maybe become a resident Daoist?"
The old Daoist asked casually, "What's your friend's name?"
Zhong Shan said, "Bai Yun."
The old Daoist thought for a moment, then said, "Zhong Shan, what do you think of our temple's meals?"
Zhong Shan answered honestly, "They're okay."
There wasn't much oil, but at least they got enough to eat every meal.
As for Senior Brother Song's complaints behind the scenes, he wouldn't mention them, lest his rather petty master hold a grudge. If the master scolded the senior brother, and the senior brother turned around and hit him, it was still him who lost.
The old Daoist stroked his beard and smiled. "If your friend Bai Yun is willing to work odd jobs here for free, I guarantee him three meals a day. If he agrees, he can come and help. Let him be a temporary worker first. I'll observe him for a few days. If he's truly of simple and honest nature, it won't be hard to make him a resident Daoist. But if he thinks he can't earn money and doesn't want to come, then forget it."
Zhong Shan silently noted this, a look of joy on his face. Probably because their old temple was in need of many repairs, the reason Senior Brother Song had come up with for him—that phrase "knows some bricklaying"—had worked and convinced the master.
---
Where the Thousand-Aura, Ten-Thousand-Appearance Disk returns, ancient immortals created this pavilion.
Outside the pavilion was a huge rock, its top cut flat as if by a sharp weapon.
Sitting cross-legged on the stone platform was a burly middle-aged Daoist with a full beard and skin glossy like mutton fat jade, apparently engaged in breath circulation. Two white strands hung from his nose like snakes clinging to a wall. Mist surrounded him. When the Daoist suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shone with dazzling light, quite terrifying.
The burly Daoist opened his palm and examined the lines, distinguishing mountains and rivers by the minute, and observing the four seas by the dipper. This was not only viewing the figures of mountains and rivers, but also performing qi observation.
In the mysterious fate, human affairs are new yet old. Long wondered about unreached places—one by one, they seem as if once experienced.
Inside the pavilion sat a young boy and a girl, both so stunningly beautiful that one forgot worldly concerns.
The handsome boy with a dragon-beard fringe had a face like jade, sword eyebrows and starry eyes. A long sword lay across his knees. He could have stepped into a book as a talented scholar or a young swordsman.
Beside him, the girl was enchanting and beautiful, her features leaving one speechless.
They weren't surprised by this sight. Their master, whom they had acknowledged less than a year ago, had once studied the nose-locking art with an unnamed ancient eccentric.
They had kowtowed and apprenticed, but still didn't know their master's name or sect. Was that a unique eccentricity of mountain immortals?
The master only said he was following sect orders to go to Hu Province in northwestern Great Li to retrieve a person with a natural immortal root and bring him back to the mountain, promising that the person would greatly glorify the sect.
As a disciple-gift, the Daoist had given each of them a sword—one long and one short. He unstrapped the sword hanging at his side and gave it to the boy disciple. It was about three feet four inches long. The scabbard was ancient, colorful, ornately decorated. The master didn't reveal the sword's name, only calling it an ancient famous sword, forged by a land true man from a great sacred mountain. It could cut a hair blown against the blade, slice iron like mud, and could bend and coil around the waist when not in use. It had been the master's personal weapon when he first started mountain cultivation.
The boy, even if he couldn't fully recognize its value, knew it was a treasure. Whenever he drew it two feet from the scabbard, it sparkled with dazzling light and exuded a chilling sword aura that made the wielder's hair stand on end, daring not to draw it fully. The middle-aged Daoist also gave the girl disciple a short sword but didn't explain its origin. He only told them to get close to their swords daily and nurture the sword aura with their own Dao qi. Naturally, they couldn't understand Dao qi and sword aura, but they guessed it was similar to the principle of people nurturing jade and jade nurturing people. So they handled the swords often. The girl slept with the short sword as a pillow every night.
After opening his eyes and spreading his palm, the Daoist glanced down and frowned slightly, but quickly returned to a calm, Dao-heart stillness, and closed his eyes again.
The girl whispered, "Senior Brother, Master spends day and night cultivating qi without rest. He can abstain from grains and doesn't eat. But here in this temple, why do we have to sneak in and out like thieves? Why don't we go straight to Hu Province to find the person?"
The boy's expression was cold as he shook his head. "How would I know what Master is thinking?"
It had been less than a year since they started learning martial arts and qi cultivation, yet their lightness skill was already proficient. They could jump between eaves and walls with agility like an ape, and move through forests faster than birds.
But they still hadn't practiced swordsmanship. The master never taught them, and they couldn't do anything about it.
As for the temple's masters and disciples, they didn't even know of their existence. That was truly strange.
A woman in a green skirt appeared out of nowhere, arriving leisurely.
She stepped into the pavilion and spoke cheerfully. "You must be the two disciples Senior Brother Liu just accepted. Which one is Fengcheng and which is Jingding?"
Ignoring their wary stance, she introduced herself. "My surname is Xiao. By seniority, I'm your aunt. I won't say my full name yet—our sect's rules are very strict."
They stood up and saluted this Aunt Xiao, who had come from somewhere.
"You are both immortal seedlings. Cherish yourselves."
The woman in green gestured for them to relax. "Cultivate well. The Great Dao awaits."
As she chatted with them, she used mental speech to speak to the burly Daoist. "Senior Brother Liu, why has it suddenly gotten so lively? Three groups of guests in one day?"
The Daoist replied mentally, "No fate, no gathering."
The woman in green said, "Gu Can of White Emperor City, his maid Gu Lingyan, and State Preceptor Huang Lie—how did they get mixed up together? I just got intelligence from headquarters. That pretended maidservant of Gu Can is actually a Barren Wild female cultivator with the Dao name Chunxiao. How she ended up with Gu Can from Barren Wild to Hao Ran—even headquarters doesn't know, and they said not to investigate further. Senior Brother, isn't that strange?"
The burly Daoist said, "The truly important information isn't Gu Can and Chunxiao, but the Daoist Wu Di who just left here."
The woman's eyes lit up. "Explain?"
Could he be more important than Gu Can?
The Daoist revealed the secret. "His true identity is one of Fallen Mountain's Chen Shan Master's talisman avatars."
The woman asked, "Is he here to take revenge on the Ma clan?"
The Daoist said, "Revenge is complete. The earlier celestial phenomenon was proof of Ma Kuxuan's death."
The woman was puzzled. "How did you recognize him?"
As for Ma Kuxuan's fall, she wasn't too surprised. She just hadn't believed he could really die. The news was too shocking.
Many outside thought Ma Kuxuan would reach Ascension within a century. She didn't care—not her business.
The Daoist said, "Gu Can leaves first, Wu Di arrives immediately after. Hard to guess?"
The woman's expression turned strange, and she grew worried. "Then why did I lose the aura of Gongsun girl? Could he have—"
A certain landscape travelogue that sold very well before being banned had misled many readers about "Cherishing Jade Chen." That Shan Master had been a flower-ruining hand since youth!
The Daoist said, "A disciple of such weak resolve—do you want to bring her back into the sect?"
The woman sighed softly, not wanting to dwell on that topic with her senior brother. Though they called each other brother and sister, they were from different lineages.
She recalled her main business. "Can Uncle Cheng still not open his wisdom and remember his past life? Headquarters asked. How should I reply?"
The middle-aged Daoist nodded. "Uncle Cheng's previous life was too smooth, his karmic fortune too deep. This life, it's become a burden. Opening wisdom is harder. You reply to headquarters: don't expect Uncle Cheng to return to the mountain for at least two hundred years."
She sighed and rubbed her brow.
In his past life, Uncle Cheng at this age was already at Ascension.
Now he was only a Golden Core Earth Immortal and so pleased with himself.
A high-level person had once used a vivid metaphor: Uncle Cheng was like a treasure bowl that, without seeking wealth, wealth came; without seeking fortune, fortune flowed.
Yu Xuan of Central Continent, Wei She of White-Water Continent, He Xiaoliang of Baoping Continent, and Huang Ting of Tongye Continent were all the same type.
She then said with some worry, "Could Gu Can see through Uncle Cheng's roots?"
She didn't want any entanglements with White Emperor City.
In fact, it wasn't just her—it was everyone.
The burly Daoist shook his head. "Gu Can's talent is good, but he doesn't yet have that insight."
She pressed. "Gu Can can't see it, but that man? And Uncle Cheng—why did he have to give himself the Dao name 'Huilu'? It's easy to make the observant suspicious."
The Daoist thought for a moment. "Uncle Cheng's karmic fortune is good, his Dao qi heavy. Even in his confused state, he can naturally isolate celestial secrets, like a martial grandmaster's fist intent protecting him. Shan Master Chen has just started in qi observation; he probably can't recognize him."
She breathed a sigh of relief, then tentatively said, "That girl Baoshu has excellent talent. Senior Brother, can't you let your little sister have her?"
Baoshu was the nickname of the girl from Hu Province. Her full name was Yuan Chaoxian. In headquarters' confidential records, she had a very high rating.
She was a "genius" that all three lineages wanted to contend for.
Seeing her senior brother unwilling to respond, she continued, "You've already accepted Fengcheng and Jingding as disciples. Let your little sister have some share of the glory. I've been busy in Beijulu Continent all these years—no merit but plenty of effort. I should accept a promising disciple."
"Giving credit to others is the work of a gentleman."
The burly Daoist said calmly, "But I am a swordsman and a Daoist."
The woman was momentarily speechless.
He suggested, "You can beg Uncle Cheng before he regains his past-life memory. Let him give you one of Song Juchuan or Zhong Shan as your disciple."
The woman laughed angrily. "Senior Brother Liu, when has our lineage ever accepted male disciples?"
Her lineage had always followed the ancestral teaching: pass only to females, not males. Otherwise, she wouldn't mind asking "Cheng Fengxuan" for a disciple.
It was known that in ancient times, Zhong Mountain had a god, Dao name Zhuyin, not under the Confucian Temple's jurisdiction. It was said his Dao field formed its own world. Opening his eyes was day, closing them night.
He was later killed by a friend, a sword immortal, and sought to escape by transformation, reincarnating as a human.
The one who delivered the sword to help him was Pei Min, one of the Three Wonders of Hao Ran.
She suddenly asked, "Why did Uncle Cheng come to Baoping Continent to refine elixirs?"
The Daoist seemingly evaded. "Heaven's will works in mysterious ways."
There was a moment of silence.
Her mood grew gloomy. "He's the only one I ever misjudged."
She was a bit dejected. She had thought she had rated him highly enough, but it turned out she had still underestimated him.
"If you hadn't misjudged him back then and made contact with him in Beijulu Continent, the world might not be what it is today."
The Daoist had a hint of a smile. "And your 'high rating' wasn't that high—just a Far Traveling martial artist? And you swore to others that he would only ever have the two flying swords, Chu Yi and Shi Wu?"
She sidestepped the main point, looking helpless. "An eighth-stage martial artist—is that cabbage?"
The Daoist asked, "Any other news from headquarters?"
She nodded. "Someone has returned from the Five-Colored World. Someone saw her sword light like a rainbow crossing the sea. She's heading toward Fuyao Continent."
Though only "someone" was said, the Daoist knew immediately.
He seemed to understand something and turned to look at her.
She nodded.
That Ning Yao had probably broken through again.
Even with the burly Daoist's firm Dao heart, when he heard this, his expression flickered for a moment, then he said softly, "Terrifying."
She nodded. "Such breakthroughs are simply unreasonable. How many years has it been since she left the Sword Qi Great Wall? From Nascent Soul to Jade Pool, slaying ancient gods, Immortal realm, a sword duel that left the Dao Ancestor's closed-door disciple helpless, Ascension, and now again…"
She sighed heavily. "I can't even continue. Comparing people drives you mad, leaving one disheartened."
Then she smiled. "She's become the number one under heaven, crossing worlds as she pleases, coming and going freely."
The burly Daoist suddenly stood up. As he rose, he seemed even taller, a head above the men of northern Baoping Continent. He said solemnly, "I failed to welcome you from afar."
The uninvited guest still wasn't visible, but a laughing voice came, clearly carrying a sarcastic tone. "You two are such high realms and important identities—do you really enjoy gossiping about my family affairs?"
The woman followed Senior Brother Liu's gaze to a certain spot. Ripples appeared, and the visitor finally materialized.
A man in blue robes with a sword on his back, slender build, the white hair at his temples already turning black again—probably due to reaching the Immortal realm.
But his demeanor was weary; presumably his fight with Ma Kuxuan hadn't been easy.
She couldn't help asking, "When did you arrive here, Shan Master Chen?"
Chen Ping'an smiled back. "I'm also curious—when did you two arrive in Baoping Continent?"
The woman frowned but said nothing.
Was he here to accuse them?
His current true realm? The price of borrowing Lu Chen's stage had dropped him from Jade Pool back to Nascent Soul.
The Daoist explained to her mentally: "'Daoist Wu Di' patted Zhong Shan's shoulder before leaving the temple and noticed the boy's unusual bone structure. Seemingly unintentional, but actually intentional. As for when he infiltrated this place, I'm not sure either."
She grew more puzzled. "You're an Immortal, and you don't know?"
Their line of work was either kill or be killed, most skilled in lurking and ambushing. How could Chen Ping'an detect them here?
The Daoist said, "Maybe your arrival gave away our presence."
She laughed bitterly.
The burly Daoist spoke. "My name is Liu Taozhi. I am the helmsman of the Western Mountain Sword Hermit lineage."
"On Tongye Continent, you have already met Qin Buyi. She is the former leader of the Cherry Blossom Blue lineage. The position has been vacant since she stepped down."
"This woman in the pavilion is Qin Buyi's junior sister, Xiao Pu. In our organization, we don't have Dao names. Within the same lineage, we address each other by seniority."
Xiao Pu's looks were merely average, her skin slightly yellow, but she carried an indomitable, solemn demeanor.
She wore a wooden hairpin, cotton clothes, and cloth shoes. She smiled. "If I could imitate the flying wild goose, I would be ashamed to be a sword-wielding immortal."
Chen Ping'an remained impassive.
The boy and girl in the pavilion couldn't hear the three's words, but they were intensely curious about the identity of the blue-robed swordsman.
The boy, Fengcheng, with a sword on his knee, watched the uninvited guest coldly.
The girl, Jingding, couldn't take her eyes off him, as if seeing something extraordinary, her face full of wonder.
Xiao Pu said, "I once had the honor, from afar in Beijulu Continent, of witnessing you fight against the Beiyan cavalry and the Gulu Mountain assassins."
Chen Ping'an said, "Recently, the Barren Wild cultivators outside Tuoyue Mountain also watched that battle from afar. I imagine they felt the same."
Xiao Pu seemed not to catch the sarcasm in the young sword immortal's words and continued, "Back then, your realm was not high, but your spiritual awareness was extraordinary."
At that time, when Chen Ping'an was traveling with Sui Jingcheng, on horseback, he did sense something off. There were no clues, just an instinct for danger.
Chen Ping'an remained silent.
Talking took effort.
Liu Taozhi felt that looking down on Chen Ping'an from his high rock wasn't suitable, so he floated down.
The Innocence Cleansers and the Obligation Collectors were both extremely mysterious. Compared to the latter, the Innocence Cleansers operated even more strangely, unknown to the world, like the assassin praised in Bai Ye's poems—truly achieving ten steps to kill one, a thousand miles leaving no trace. Even Liang Shuang, a surnamed great heavenly master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, and such peak cultivators had to ask Zhao Tianlai for some inside information. The three Innocence Cleanser lineages were: the Western Mountain Sword Hermits, the Cherry Blossom Blue (almost entirely female assassins), and the last lineage of military generals who held high positions in the courts of Hao Ran's eight continents. That lineage was collectively called "Bowl Menders," also known as "Stitchers."
Yu Qing was indeed not simple, as it turned out.
Before this, Chen Ping'an only knew that the Ma manor's "cook Yu Qing" had the surname Gongsun. She had once been an Innocence Cleanser, but from a different lineage. For violating rules, she was expelled and lost her identity, leading to her sixty-year agreement with Ma Kuxuan, which had trapped her in some place as unpaid labor, with the same cell-mate Xiao Xing occasionally harassing her.
So she was Xiao Pu's outstanding disciple.
Even earlier, Qin Buyi had approached Chen Ping'an and spoken honestly. The extremely secretive Western Mountain Sword Hermit lineage had once wanted to set its headquarters in Baoping Continent.
Later, according to Cui Dongshan's supplementary explanation, Liu Taozhi's lineage had outwardly had a non-fatal dispute with the Great Li Ministry of Justice's offerings.
Both sides had their arguments. The Great Li Ministry's side was simple: whether and when to kill should be decided by the Great Li court.
At root, it was a difference in governing philosophy between Liu Taozhi and Cui Chan.
In Tongye, Qin Buyi had actively invited Chen Ping'an to become the chief guest elder of the Western Mountain Sword Hermits, even willing to join with her senior brother Liu Taozhi to recommend Chen Ping'an as the supreme guest elder of the Innocence Cleanser "Headquarters."
And what Qin Buyi said carried the most weight: "There are also hidden agents in other worlds."
This meant that in the Barren Wild, Qingming, and Five-Colored worlds, there were certainly hidden chess pieces from the three Innocence Cleanser lineages, just with varying lengths of buried threads.
But even so, Chen Ping'an pretended not to hear the implications of Qin Buyi's words.
Qin Buyi was a straightforward person and, seeing this, didn't push.
Xiao Pu had nothing to say. Chen Ping'an didn't want to talk.
Liu Taozhi had a special identity and had to choose his words carefully.
So there was an awkward silence.
It was Chen Ping'an who spoke first. "Among the female sword attendants raised by Ma Yue'e of the Ma clan, there was one named Chun Wen. Was she the one you had your eye on, Senior Xiao?"
Xiao Pu's eyes lit up. No wonder the young Hidden Officer was good at seeing the subtle. She nodded. "Your guess is correct, Mr. Chen. She was one of the candidates."
Chen Ping'an continued. "The offering Yu Qing—was she once one of the Cherry Blossom Blue?"
Xiao Pu said, "Her real name was Gongsun Lingling. I had high hopes for her. But a trial went wrong—she mixed personal feelings with official duties, venting anger and killing indiscriminately, harming bystanders. She violated the rules and was expelled from the Bamboo Basket Hall."
The Innocence Cleansers had three lineages. Besides the three hall masters each in charge of their own, the headquarters had two leaders of equal rank: the Realm Holder and the Lantern Bearer.
The "Uncle Cheng" that Liu Taozhi and Xiao Pu had mentioned was the latter. Once. Before Fiery Dragon True Man rose to prominence, the number one fire cultivator in Hao Ran was this man.
Their assassinations were divided by day and night: one was killing openly in broad daylight, avenging the weak, making their grievances see the light. The other was moving in the darkness, killing silently, even under the cover of night—justice still prevailed.
Chen Ping'an looked at Liu Taozhi and smiled. "Not seeking fame or profit, turning and twisting in the mortal world, seeking people to guide, helping the troubled, acting for heaven—truly admirable."
Liu Taozhi smiled. "The road is long."
But Xiao Pu felt Chen Ping'an's words were double-edged, not necessarily complimentary.
On this matter, the young Hidden Officer had a well-known reputation.
Chen Ping'an asked, "I heard that the Western Mountain Sword Hermit lineage was once respectfully escorted out of the country by my senior brother?"
Speaking in sarcasm?
If I didn't truly approve of what you do, would I bother standing here talking to you so much?
Liu Taozhi didn't hide it. He openly admitted, "Cui Chan and I once had a debate about governance. Unfortunately, we shared the same aspirations but not the same path. In the end, Cui Chan, out of old acquaintance with me, didn't exterminate our Western Mountain Sword Hermit lineage. Facts have proven him right."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then said nothing.
There were not many people whom Senior Cui considered friends.
Liu Taozhi said, "I once met a scholar named Cui in Central Continent. I don't know why, but sometimes he was lucid, sometimes dazed. Yet we had compatible words and congenial personalities. We traveled together for a few months, drank plenty on the road. We never asked each other's identities or probed curiously. At parting, we only knew each other's surnames."
Speaking of this, Liu Taozhi showed some sadness. "I was only puzzled by one thing back then: Mr. Cui was a scholar, his learning vast, but his fist arts were even higher."
Thinking back to that time: snow covered the world, a lone sword roaming, chance meeting, instant friendship, wanting to share thoughts, going up a tavern together.
Chen Ping'an corrected him. "Senior Cui's fist arts were extremely high, but they never surpassed his learning."
Liu Taozhi nodded. "I mention this to Mr. Chen not to move you with emotion if reason fails."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "You worry too much, Senior."
Liu Taozhi then continued. "Though Junior Sister Qin couldn't persuade Mr. Chen, I am still unwilling to give up. Honestly, even if you hadn't come today, I would have visited Fallen Mountain soon."
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I appreciate your goodwill, but I'll pass on the 'official position.'"
Liu Taozhi seemed about to speak, then stopped.
Chen Ping'an said, "If we're just talking about old times and idle chats, I'd be happy to invite you to Fallen Mountain's bamboo building for a drink."
Liu Taozhi shook his head. "No room for negotiation at all?"
Chen Ping'an said, "If there were, we'd already be drinking. Haggling isn't my strength."
Xiao Pu raised a finger and brushed her brow.
Chen Ping'an turned to look at the girl.
Jingding put on a calm face and gave a timid smile.
Chen Ping'an just smiled back, not taking issue with her.
It seemed she, like Pei Qian, had the ability to see into others' heart-phantom scenes. Or perhaps it was a gift from her lifebound flying sword.
If top cultivators were all quietly racing, all using their own methods to "fetch water with buckets," then now, all the major sects in the world, openly or secretly, were fighting for people.
Fighting for those already famous, those already on the mountain, to immediately strengthen the sect. Of course, also for undeveloped cultivation seedlings, to deepen the foundation and aim for results over centuries.
For example, Qi Tingji's Dragon Elephant Sword Sect was competing with the young Hidden Officer for that group of hidden sword immortals in the Barren Wild world. Of course, it was a gentleman's competition, not coming to red-faced arguments.
And White Emperor City's Zheng Juzhong's first disciple, Fu Jin, competed for the "Sword Immortal Xu Jun," Xu Xie of Liuxia Continent, hoping he would serve as the sect's discipline master.
Fu Jin had even personally sought Wei Jin to walk the same path, but was refused. However, Wu Shu, a boundary-stop martial artist from Tongye Continent, had already accepted Fu Jin's offer to be chief guest elder.
Besides, Fallen Mountain had also grabbed a new "general offering," Old Deaf.
As for the Green Lotus Sword Sect, they had snatched two "private sword" from the Sword Qi Great Wall: Xing Yun and Liu Shui.
To be honest, Shan Master Chen and Fallen Mountain were sitting securely. If you were capable, try to grab Xiao Mo or Xie Gou from me.
And Chen Ping'an had his new prized disciple, Ning Ji, a person whose master learns and teaches, and the disciple learns and masters.
But Chen Ping'an never expected that people-grabbing would come to him.
If he remembered correctly, the last one to recruit him was Han Yushu, the Immortal realm head of Wan Yao Sect.
If he hadn't become Great Li's state preceptor, would Liu Taozhi and the others still have come to see him?
Chen Ping'an's mind was more on Ning Ji.
As Chen Ping'an had guessed, the "Bai Yun" was extremely likely to be brought into this temple by his friend Zhong Shan, and Temple Master Cheng Fengxuan would discern his talent, teach him everything, and the boy would climb the mountain, breaking through realms rapidly, far outstripping his peers.
Xiao Pu laughed dryly. "Shan Master Chen, since it's not just the chief guest elder position for the Western Mountain Sword Hermits or Cherry Blossom Blue, I need to explain clearly: the headquarters' supreme guest elder has more power than you might think. It's one of only three in our organization. You would know everyone's identities."
Chen Ping'an said,