Chapter 1107: Fellow Daoist Chen Closes the Door to Receive Guests
Chen Ping'an let Little Rice Grain knock on the door. A young female Daoist in a purple robe hurried over to open it from inside. She seemed to be a disciple of one of Xue Tianjun's re-descendant disciples, which meant she was the one with the lowest seniority among the five Daoist sects visiting Fallen Mountain.
It appeared that the rules of the Flying Immortal Palace Daoist lineage were not light.
Seeing the big and small figures outside the door, Zhu Zishou was stunned, then stunned again.
First stunned because she had finally laid eyes on the widely renowned Mountain Lord Chen. Second stunned because there was a black-clad little girl riding on Mountain Lord Chen's neck.
Over in the main hall of the residence, several Daoists frowned slightly upon seeing the sight outside the door, but they quickly concealed their expressions.
Since they were visiting Fallen Mountain as guests, if the host was casual and didn't stand on ceremony, they, as guests, had no right to criticize.
Zhu Zishou hurriedly performed a Daoist bow, not even bothering to see if Mountain Lord Chen returned the greeting. She stepped aside and lowered her head, yielding the path.
Chen Ping'an stepped over the threshold. Little Rice Grain's face had long since turned red, and she gently patted the good Mountain Lord's head. Chen Ping'an smiled and said not to rush.
Chen Ping'an intentionally slowed his pace slightly, and seeing no sign of Zhu Zishou following, he continued forward. After taking over a dozen steps, the young female Daoist behind him finally moved.
When they reached the outside of the main hall, Chen Ping'an put Little Rice Grain down. Zhu Zishou hesitated for a moment, then waited outside. Unexpectedly, the green-robed man turned around, extended his hand, and gestured for the fellow Daoist to go first. Only then did Zhu Zishou, blushing and flustered, quickly step over the threshold and return to her seat nearest the door, where she stood.
Chen Ping'an clasped his hands and smiled, "I am Chen Ping'an of Fallen Mountain. Greetings to all the eminent Daoist cultivators here."
When Zhu Zishou opened the door, about half of the Daoists had already risen from their chairs. By the time Chen Ping'an crossed the threshold and passed by Zhu Zishou, more Daoists stood up one after another. When Chen Ping'an reached the entrance of the main hall, only one young Daoist remained seated. It wasn't until Chen Ping'an announced his name that this person slowly rose, still a beat behind everyone else, and returned a perfunctory bow.
The main hall was spacious enough to accommodate over a dozen chairs with plenty of room to spare. Two chairs remained empty, naturally reserved for the true masters of this mountain.
Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "There's no need to stand on ceremony. Let's sit down and talk."
He lifted the hem of his green robe slightly, revealing the cloth shoes on his feet, and slowly took a seat, facing Xue Zhisui. Little Rice Grain sat opposite the young Daoist.
Chen Ping'an reached out and gently patted Little Rice Grain's shoulder, smiling as he introduced her, "She is the mountain guardian of Fallen Mountain, Zhou Mili. She has no Dao name for now. So the next time I go to the Central Plains Confucian Temple, I'll ask the Classicist Xiping to help her pick a good one."
Little Rice Grain held her cotton satchel with one hand and scratched her face with the other. So embarrassing, truly embarrassing. She was as awkward as a table.
Xue Zhisui nodded to the mountain guardian and said a few polite words, "I wish Guardian Zhou a fine Dao name in advance."
Then Xue Tianjun began introducing the Daoists on his side.
Many Daoists suddenly realized and thought, no wonder Mi Yu and Jiang Shangzhen doted so much on that little girl. So she was a mountain guardian who kept a low profile.
The more prominent the sect or immortal mansion, the more transcendent and illustrious the mountain guardian's status. For instance, in the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Mansion, wasn't there a ten-tailed celestial fox with the Dao name Lianzhen?
As for the orthodox Peach Talisman Mountain, a total of four Daoists came this time. One was a prodigy from Crane Back Peak, a young boy with a Daoist countenance named Xiangtong. His master was Yang Xuanbao, who had an extremely special identity—she was once Yu Xuan's first disciple, who had gone through Taoist dissolution and reincarnation, then was personally retrieved by Yu Xuan and taken back into the sect as a direct disciple. Thus, Yang Xuanbao was the master of Crane Back Peak in both lives. Since the reclusive Yang Xuanbao had devoted herself to Dao cultivation for two thousand years and only ever accepted Xiangtong as her sole direct disciple, the boy had often followed his master to the special privilege of cultivating in the Cloud Dream Grotto-Heaven. Yang Xuanbao even invited her master to grace Crane Back Peak multiple times to personally teach Xiangtong talisman and thunder methods.
Therefore, within Peach Talisman Mountain, Xiangtong was famously high in seniority, talent, and vision.
Additionally, the three most renowned adjacent peaks of Peach Talisman Mountain—First Hibernation Peak, Second Hibernation Peak, and Third Hibernation Peak—had names that seemed casually chosen but carried significant meaning. Each peak sent one person: Liang Chaoguan, Wen Xia, and Xie Shan—one Daoist priest and two female Daoists, all relatively young in Dao age but already candidates for peak master.
The upper sect, Plume Incarnation Mountain, also known as "Gui Mountain," sent only a single young Daoist whose name was simply "Daoist Ding," who hailed from Taigeng Blessed Land. He had broad knowledge and was recognized as an all-rounder on the mountain—able to learn anything instantly and master it just as quickly.
The lower sect, Flying Immortal Palace, was headed by Palace Master Xue Zhisui, with the Dao name "Zhiye." This Daoist heavenly lord was one of Yu Xuan's six direct disciples. For this trip, Xue Zhisui brought two others: his re-descendant disciple Lu Biyu, and Lu Biyu's junior disciple from another master, Zhu Zishou.
From the Douran Sect came Disciplinary Daoist Wang Tingzhi, along with two direct disciples of Sect Leader Mei Zhen: Tian Gong and Bai Feng.
The Jingwei Observatory sent only one Daoist, Li Muzhou, a high disciple of Gou Daoren, who was a fellow disciple with the previous Observatory Master Zhao Wenmin.
Xue Zhisui introduced their lineage traditions, identities, and cultivation levels one by one. Some rose, some nodded, some smiled, and some simply closed their eyes in contemplation.
Actually, there were two other young Daoists, but they weren't on the mountain at the moment—Kong You and Wang Gua had gone into town together early in the morning.
Xue Zhisui had used a talisman to inform them that Mountain Lord Chen had personally come to call, but those two Daoists simply ignored it.
Xue Zhisui didn't force them to rush back to Gathering Spirit Peak. Kong You and Wang Gua came from vassal sects of Plume Incarnation Mountain and the Douran Sect.
And there were about twenty such vassal observatories, immortal mansions, and sects, each hiding dragons and crouching tigers, with countless land immortals among them. This shows what a behemoth the talisman lineage of Yu Xuan was and how deeply its branches extended.
Chen Ping'an had actually already perused the book compiled by a certain record-keeper long ago, but he patiently listened to Xue Tianjun's introduction.
When Xue Zhisui finished, he smiled and looked at the opposing Mountain Lord Chen.
This was the standard way of interaction between orthodox sects and registered cultivators on the Bright Continent.
Chen Ping'an immediately followed up with words, smiling as he spoke, "Your sect is a great Daoist lineage known across several worlds. Our Fallen Mountain is just a small sect that has only recently started to show some promise. For Senior Yu to send you all here on this journey, you honor our humble mountain. As a junior, I am both flattered and apprehensive—afraid of being remiss in hosting such eminent Daoist cultivators, yet equally afraid that overdoing the formalities might seem unseemly. If I hadn't just emerged from secluded cultivation, I would have gone to Oxhorn Ferry in person to escort you up the mountain, and laid out a feast to welcome you."
Xue Zhisui smiled and said, "How could we ever deserve such a grand reception from Mountain Lord Chen? We Daoists live in seclusion in the mountains, devoted to cultivation—nothing is more important than seclusion. For Mountain Lord Chen to spare time to see us today is already a delightful surprise."
What followed was a back-and-forth: you say, "Have you ever been to such-and-such mountain?" and I say, "Yes, the scenery was quite nice, especially this unique feature, rarely seen elsewhere." You say, "That ancient stele at such-and-such observatory of Flying Immortal Palace is a valuable relic," and I say, "You flatter me. Please do visit to make rubbings when you have time—the usual ban on outsiders making rubbings can be waived." In short, it was a mutual exchange of courtesies and favors, pleasant for both sides. With Mountain Lord Chen and Palace Master Xue chatting in such a harmonious atmosphere, if they were drinking wine, they'd have to keep refilling their cups, and if they were sipping tea, they'd need several pots of boiling water to avoid getting thirsty.
Daoist Ding, who seemed drowsy and struggling to stay alert, barely lifted his eyelids when Chen Ping'an sat down and began speaking. As he listened, he seemed to grow even sleepier, shrinking his neck, adjusting slightly, and finding a more comfortable sitting posture—or perhaps sleeping posture.
This young Daoist from Taigeng Blessed Land wasn't that young in terms of real age, having a two-hundred-year Dao age. But considering he had just recently reached the Immortal realm, he was still far too young. Before Chen Ping'an entered, he was arguably one of the most courteous Daoists. But as soon as Chen Ping'an opened his mouth, he found it boring.
The Fallen Mountain he had yearned for turned out to be nothing special. The young Concealed Official he had admired was just another mundane person.
A wasted trip.
Xiangtong sat sideways in his chair, propping his cheek with one hand and yawning, at least managing to keep it silent.
Bai Feng, bored, lifted her feet and lightly tapped them together. She wondered if Wang Gua would bring back some good food when she returned from the mountain. If only she had known, she would have gone with her to that Locust Yellow County.
Wang Tingzhi, Liang Chaoguan, and Xie Shan were all fine with it—they had seen such scenes too many times.
Perhaps in a different setting, Disciplinary Daoist Wang Tingzhi of the Douran Sect and Liang Chaoguan of Peach Talisman Mountain's First Hibernation Peak would have been the first to engage in pleasantries.
Wen Xia, from the Second Hibernation Peak lineage, was radiant. From the moment Mountain Lord Chen appeared, her gaze had not left the green-robed man.
On Peach Talisman Mountain, along with the other four sects and their vassal branches, there were talisman-bestowed Daoists, immortal descendants, servants, and resident Daoists from subsidiary observatories and temples—easily fifty to sixty thousand people. Some good-for-nothing busybodies had compiled a list of the most elegant and graceful female Daoists. Wen Xia had two close friends—a senior sister from Plume Incarnation Mountain and a junior sister from the Jingwei Observatory—who were on that list and renowned beauties. When they heard they were going to Fallen Mountain on Vial Bottle Continent and might meet Chen Ping'an, those two female Daoists, who usually never smiled at anyone, went crazy. They both found Wen Xia, their eyes shining, eagerly talking nonstop. One senior sister secretly handed Wen Xia a round fan and asked her to secretly activate a mirror-water-moon spell once at Fallen Mountain. If she 'happened' to encounter Chen Ping'an on the road, she should try to strike up a conversation, even if it was forced. She would be eternally grateful and heavily reward her...
Were they lovesick? But seriously, why?
Before coming, Wen Xia wasn't sure. Now, having seen Chen Ping'an's behavior and demeanor up close, she really wanted to tell those two lovesick fools that he wasn't worth it.
Take that opening line of Chen Ping'an's—was he trying to give them a show of force? Saying he would go to the Confucian Temple to find Classicist Xiping to pick a Dao name for his mountain guardian...
Wen Xia almost burst out laughing on the spot. She had to hold it in with great effort to avoid giving herself away.
Besides finding it ridiculous, she couldn't help but feel deeply disappointed. Was this any different from those cultivators who visited some peak at Peach Talisman Mountain and then went around bragging about their delightful conversation with so-and-so?
She remembered when she was young, traveling with her master and uncle, they once passed through an ancient, long-established sect. The youthful-looking sect leader chatted away and said something like, "Last time I drank with Fellow Daoist Yu, and so on and so forth."
Her master took it in stride, smiling and listening. After all, it wasn't a lie—it had happened.
But Uncle Ye got up and left the table on the spot, not giving that immortal any face at all.
The problem was that even Wen Xia's Uncle Ye Dan, who was always serious and strict in teaching—ranked second only to Yang Xuanbao of Crane Back Peak—even she was acting strangely.
"So lofty is the hermit Ye, pure and white as refined silk." That was said about this Uncle Ye of hers, who still had no Dao partner and had even refused several upper-five-realm men. Ye Dan had refined a supreme treasure talisman personally bestowed by the grand master, said to be an ancient relic. Even the grand master Yu Xuan himself could only refine it to a higher level. Legend had it that once activated, the talisman flew out like a dragon, giving rise to the saying 'green silk ribbons three thousand feet long.'
Uncle Ye had instructed her, once she arrived at Fallen Mountain, to observe what kind of person Chen Ping'an was.
When she returned to Second Hibernation Peak, she was to report back.
On Second Hibernation Peak, if Ye Dan was willing to speak, her words carried more weight than even the peak master's. Wen Xia naturally dared not take this lightly, so on this mountain-climbing trip, she was more eager than anyone to meet Chen Ping'an.
In the dense bamboo grove behind Second Hibernation Peak, facing the green mountains as if facing a wall, a beautiful woman leaned alone against the secluded bamboos.
The female Daoist lived in seclusion, with yellow scrolls and a green lamp, shadows flickering in the window, the wind through the bamboo sounding like a mountain ghost whispering. It was clearly a scenic Daoist site, but because the owner's temperament was too cold, always closing the door to visitors, it felt like a gloomy haunted house.
When Uncle Ye was at the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul realm, she had once gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Wen Xia knew that. She also knew that Uncle Ye had gone to the battlefield, was ambushed by the Wild Clan, and had been severely injured.
But that was an old event from several hundred years ago. Logically, there should be no connection at all with Chen Ping'an, who had lucked into the position of the last Concealed Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Since they had never met, why was she so interested?
Wen Xia sighed inwardly. Perhaps it was precisely because she had never met him that the aloof Uncle Ye was curious about Chen Ping'an.
Wen Xia guessed that what Uncle Ye truly cared about might not be Chen Ping'an himself, but the name 'Sword Qi Great Wall' or the title 'Concealed Official.' If so, she could somewhat understand Uncle Ye's unusual behavior.
Tian Gong sat with his hands tucked into his sleeves, seemingly staring straight ahead, quietly listening to the nonsense between Mountain Lord Chen and Heavenly Lord Xue. But in reality, the Daoist's mind had already wandered countless leagues away. With his hands hidden in his sleeves, he continuously formed hand seals, quietly performing his Daoist lessons.
If the upper sect, Plume Incarnation Mountain, took 'summarizing all talismans under heaven, striving for quantity without any flaws' as its cultivation principle,
Then one of the lower sects, the Douran Sect, focused solely on the concept of 'offense.' None of the secret talismans in their ancestral hall were exceptions—all followed the path of attack.
As a direct disciple of the Douran Sect's Sect Leader Mei Zhen, Tian Gong's cultivation path was completely different from his junior sister Bai Feng's. Bai Feng was a natural prodigy who could 'eat' talismans to increase her Dao base—a talent no one else could envy. Thus, she was the most idle person in the entire Douran Sect, bar none. Tian Gong, on the other hand, was obsessed with drawing talismans. He treated seclusion like eating and drinking, to the point where his master Mei Zhen had to assign a dedicated guardian to his disciple. That guardian's only task was to occasionally remind Tian Gong that he could come out of seclusion and rest for a while, that cultivation didn't require such intense concentration, and that he could afford to slack off a bit. Since he had already visited most of the scenic mountains and rivers in the Central Plains Divine Continent, he might as well travel to other continents for sightseeing. For example, the Lingbao Sect in Southern Bodhi Continent—their talismans weren't bad either. Grand Master Yu often said that the talisman techniques of the Lingbao Sect lineage were underestimated by everyone. Their methods were inherited from ancient times, and their Dao had profound origins. Any Daoist who drew talismans should not miss the opportunity to visit.
But Tian Gong disagreed. He hadn't finished learning the major talismans of his own sect yet; why go to Southern Bodhi Continent to visit the Lingbao Sect?
Such a detour would only take him further from the Great Dao. Going around the 'Dao' would waste time and surely bring more loss than gain.
His sect leader master was helpless about it, but deep down, he probably agreed with his proud disciple.
Sure that the good Mountain Lord wasn't busy at the moment, Little Rice Grain quickly probed with a mental voice, "Good Mountain Lord, about that Central Plains Confucian Temple, that Dao name... you weren't serious, were you?"
She didn't want any Dao name. She only wanted outsiders to think of her as the Big Water Monster of the Mute Lake, nothing more. If she got a Dao name, it would probably clash with her nickname.
Chen Ping'an smiled and mentally answered, "I was just bluffing them, showing off that I'm close to Classicist Xiping and have backing from the Confucian Temple."
Little Rice Grain immediately felt relieved and secretly rejoiced: haha, wonderful. That's what I thought—how could such a major thing happen without her being consulted first?
Li Muzhou was the only Daoist who, upon arriving at Fallen Mountain's Gathering Spirit Peak, enjoyed wandering around alone. He even walked down to the mountain base and chatted with the gatekeeper, Xian Wei, for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
He was also the most attentive listener in the hall today. This Daoist from the Jingwei Observatory sat upright, completely focused, taking in every single word from beginning to end.
One must know that his master, Gou Daoren, was no different from Yang Xuanbao of Crane Back Peak—they were both direct disciples of Yu Xuan. Thus, Li Muzhou's seniority was quite high.
Moreover, aside from Heavenly Lord Xue, none of the Daoists present knew that after Li Muzhou's senior brother, Zhao Wenmin, stepped down as Observatory Master, the successor was none other than Li Muzhou himself.
But Li Muzhou was only at the Nascent Soul realm. So when he heard that Senior Brother Zhao intended to make him the Observatory Master, he was completely caught off guard. He shook his head repeatedly, unable to dare accept such a responsibility.
How could it be reasonable for a Nascent Soul cultivator to preside over the Jingwei Observatory? It didn't matter what the other four sects thought of him, Li Muzhou; what mattered immensely to him was how they would view the Jingwei Observatory.
But Senior Brother Zhao even invoked the Grand Master at that point, saying that during a previous visit to the Central Plains Confucian Temple, the Grand Master had nodded and approved the matter. If Li Muzhou refused, he could go to Peach Talisman Mountain and challenge the Grand Master's decision to his face. Li Muzhou actually considered it, but then realized that the Grand Master was no longer on Fill Gold Peak—he was already among the celestial rivers in the sky. How could he "face him" to argue?
Senior Brother Zhao laughed heartily and gave his junior disciple a firm pat on the shoulder. "The burden is heavy. If one day you really can't handle it, don't be thin-skinned. Send me a letter, and we'll discuss a new candidate for Observatory Master."
Li Muzhou had no choice but to reluctantly accept.
Chen Ping'an looked at the Jingwei Observatory Daoist, who was sitting upright and proper, and said mentally, "Little Rice Grain, find some excuse to leave now—say you need to patrol the mountain or something. I'm going to talk about boring things with them. No help for it: if you take someone's money, you're in their hands. A thousand Gold Essence Copper Coins is no small sum, so I have to take this seriously. I can't let Fellow Daoist Yu think that Fellow Daoist Chen's hospitality is lacking."
Little Rice Grain, who had been stretching her toes just barely touching the ground, felt as if she had been granted amnesty at this news. Finally, she wouldn't have to worry about where to put her hands.
She quickly said mentally, "Good Mountain Lord, hold on a moment, let me think of the right words. I'm not good at polite speeches. I promise it'll be better next time, but that promise isn't guaranteed, heh."
Chen Ping'an smiled and rubbed her little head. "Then I'll help you come up with an excuse this time. Next time can wait until next time—no need to promise."
Little Rice Grain's eyes lit up, and she nodded like a chick pecking rice. If there weren't so many strangers around, she would have given the good Mountain Lord a thumbs up.
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Do you find today's situation annoying? Are you scared?"
Little Rice Grain thought seriously for a moment. "Not annoying, not annoying at all. If both sides were our own people, I wouldn't be scared a bit. Today, I'm a tiny bit scared—a grain-of-rice-sized bit of scared, ha."
Chen Ping'an hummed in acknowledgment and said softly, "Next time, I'll call Chief Law Keeper Longevity or Chief Zhou to sit with us. You can just sit between us without having to say anything, and just daydream seriously."
Little Rice Grain grinned secretly and replied happily, "This time isn't even over yet, and I'm already looking forward to next time."
Chen Ping'an spoke aloud, "Guardian Zhou has matters to attend to and needs to leave us first."
Little Rice Grain slid off her chair, stood firmly on both feet, and performed a proper Daoist bow, apologizing before slowly walking out of the room. When she crossed the threshold and reached the gate of the residence, the black-clad little girl turned and made another bow. Then she turned and left. Once outside the house, she brushed aside a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, let out a long breath, and was about to sprint toward the bamboo building. But she found Chief Zhou and Yu Mi standing not far away. They had brought back her golden staff and green bamboo rod from the kitchen of the good Mountain Lord's private residence. Chief Zhou waved at her, and Yu Mi gave her a thumbs up.
Little Rice Grain wiped her face, puffed out her chest, and swaggered over to them, taking the green bamboo rod and golden staff.
Mi Yu said mentally with a smile, "Little Rice Grain, you're something, huh. You can even sit in on the Concealed Official's reception of guests. In such a big scene, not nervous?"
Little Rice Grain said softly, "Nervous? Of course I'm nervous. I was so nervous my teeth almost chattered. I was putting on a brave face, and I didn't even remember a lot of things clearly."
Mi Yu smiled knowingly. Although Little Rice Grain was sweating profusely now, the truth was that every time she patrolled the mountain and encountered a Daoist, she would remember every detail of their appearance, their stance outside their Daoist robes, the order in which they walked, the distance between them, and so on. Otherwise, how do you think she earned the nickname of Fallen Mountain's top news reporter?
The old cook had once asked Little Rice Grain how she developed such a good habit of careful observation.
Little Rice Grain answered without hesitation: "Before, on Mute Lake, they didn't know who I was, so I had to remember them."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and said, "I remember the first time I was qualified to attend the Ancestral Hall meeting of the Jade Gui Sect. I was so nervous that as soon as I sat down, I wanted to run to the latrine. I was holding it in painfully."
Mi Yu laughed. "The first time I went out of the city wall, my hands were shaking so much my sword strikes were unstable."
The result was that he ended up gutting an alien beast. Actually, Mi Yu had intended to cleave it in half from head to toe.
He felt too embarrassed, so after thinking it over, he decided to change from vertical cleaves to horizontal slashes. After a few sweeping strikes, he quickly got used to it.
Jiang Shangzhen suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question: "Little Rice Grain, do you remember how Mountain Lord Chen addressed Old True Man Yu inside?"
Little Rice Grain frowned, quickly calculated, and said, "'Senior Yu' five times, 'Old Senior Yu' six times, and 'Talisman Yu Xuan' twice. That's it."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and said, "Our mountain lord is still too polite."
He had also been a peak master and sect leader, and had managed a Cloud Cavern Blessed Land for many years as its patriarch.
Why did Yu Xuan make such a big production of this, causing such a stir? The onlooker sees more of the game. Jiang Shangzhen knew full well.
Mi Yu asked, "Is there something behind this?"
Little Rice Grain pricked up her ears.
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and said a strange remark: "Disciplined disciple is 'Senior Yu,' undisciplined disciple is 'Fellow Daoist Yu.'"
Sword Immortal Mi suddenly understood. Little Rice Grain pretended to understand. Chief Zhou also pretended to understand along with Little Rice Grain.
From the direction of the residence came the subtle sound of a door closing. Jiang Shangzhen and Mi Yu were both high enough in realm to hear it. Mi Yu didn't pay it any mind, but Jiang Shangzhen held back and finally couldn't help but smile. "Getting paid for someone else... well, 'eliminating a disaster' isn't quite right. Those blessed cultivation prodigies, each one is incredibly lucky. But today, with the mountain lord closing the door like this—transmitting the Dao to Daoists, Daoists observing the Dao—probably not too far in the future, those who are feeling aggrieved and stifled today will secretly rejoice tomorrow? In general terms, could this be considered a beautiful tale in the cultivation world? Our mountain lord is still a righteous man—always fair in business, cheating neither old nor young. If nothing unexpected happens, Old True Man Yu will probably feel that giving a thousand Gold Essence Copper Coins wasn't a loss—maybe even a profit?"
Otherwise, given the mountain lord's cautious nature and style of doing things, after taking the money, what difficulty would there be in being an impeccable host?
It seemed he couldn't be bothered to waste time with piecemeal efforts, so he decided to make a one-off deal.
This showed that the mountain lord was indeed very busy, and the seclusion was a fact.
This made Chief Zhou feel even more guilty. He wasn't able to help the mountain lord with anything.
Little Rice Grain suddenly understood. "No wonder the good Mountain Lord specifically told me, when I reached the gate, I didn't have to close the door."
Mi Yu was puzzled. "Chief Zhou, what does that mean?"
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and explained, "As for the specifics, you'll have to ask the Concealed Official yourself later. All I know is that originally, it could have been a casual acquaintance—'you be polite, I be polite, we meet and then part ways.' But because the mountain lord took that money and felt a pang of conscience, he had to expend effort, grit his teeth, go against his nature, and say a few 'arrogant' words to those outsiders."
Mi Yu was extremely curious and wanted to ask more, but Chief Zhou waved his hand. "Come on, let's go drink."
Back in the main hall of the residence, Chen Ping'an lifted the hem of his green robe, crossed his legs, leaned comfortably against the back of the chair, and twisted his wrist to produce a tobacco pipe. He began to puff away contentedly.
This series of strange movements baffled even Heavenly Lord Xue, let alone the other Daoists who looked at each other in bewilderment. Even Daoist Ding opened his eyes and stared at the green-robed man.
Chen Ping'an squinted his eyes and smiled. "Now that the door is closed, we're all family. I'll help Fellow Daoist Yu by saying a few heartfelt words to all you Dao cultivation learners."
---
At the mountain gate, taking advantage of the time Master Cen was teaching boxing, Zheng Dafeng hurriedly ran down to the foot of Gathering Spirit Peak again.
He was really worried that those girls, like Cao Yang at the back mountain, would foolishly set their hearts on Brother Dafeng.
Why else would he deliberately take off his cloth shoes and pick his toes to stink them up? If he didn't debase himself like this, who knows how many romantic debts he would incur.
The ones he truly liked were still women like Zheng Qingjia of Golden Brocade City or Lady Xiao in the green skirt.
When he reached the foot of the mountain, Chen Lingjun was sitting at a table, legs crossed, cracking melon seeds. He needed to say a few words of thanks to Daoist Xian Wei, but not too many—more words would seem distant.
Zheng Dafeng picked up the water jug from the table, poured himself a bowl of water, and teased, "The Qingjian Water Mansion really knows how to do things—bring your own appetizers when you come visiting."
Chen Lingjun was slow on the uptake but finally understood the meaning, and glared at Brother Dafeng for the poor analogy. How could he tease his friend like that? But soon the green-clad little boy was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach. Ouch, bellyache.
Senior Bai Jing had finally deigned to return to Jump Fish Mountain to help teach, which gave the old deaf man, who could finally return to the Sword Worshipping Platform, a moment of peace.
On Fallen Mountain, this old deaf man had to teach sword techniques to his disciple You Yu at the Sword Worshipping Platform, listen to Bai Xuan spouting a basketful of strange remarks every day, answer difficult questions from Yuan Huajing and others from time to time, and previously had to go to Jump Fish Mountain to be the so-called transmitter of the Dao to a bunch of kids. They all looked so respectful, barely daring to breathe, treating him like a Buddha statue in a temple and offering incense. The old deaf man didn't feel comfortable at all; it was extremely awkward.
It was nothing like the Sword Qi Great Wall. Back then, every time he went out to attend meetings on the city wall, he was very popular with the children. The atmosphere was lively, with spittle flying everywhere.
He had only been on Fallen Mountain for a few days and was already being bossed around like this. The Concealed Officer really didn't treat him as an outsider.
Thanks to Bai Xuan, Yuan Huajing already knew that this Gantang Guardian was qualified to attend meetings on the city wall—the only old sword immortal of demon clan origin who had ascended to the top ten sword immortals. So Sword Immortal Yuan asked questions without hesitation, and his planned seclusion kept getting postponed. He wasn't in a hurry at all.
Under the eaves was a row of small bamboo chairs and stools.
Yao Xiaoyan curiously asked the old deaf man: when he had come to the city wall as a wild cultivator, challenging the great old sword immortal to a duel, what happened? Did he actually get to fight the great old sword immortal? Before the old deaf man could deflect the question, Bai Xuan had already answered, "Silly girl asking silly questions. The old deaf man's cultivation talent is no good; he's garbage. With his skill level, even if he jumped, he couldn't reach the great old sword immortal's knees. Fight? Ask about swords? Nothing to fight about."
"The great old sword immortal only had to stand still, lift his toe, press down, and crush the old deaf man."
"As soon as the great old sword immortal's sole touched the ground, with a splat, a blood flower would bloom on the city wall, and the old deaf man would be done for. But since the old deaf man is now hopping around lively on Master Cao's Fallen Mountain, it means the great old sword immortal showed mercy back then."
The old deaf man just chuckled and said nothing.
Nalan Yudie also had a question she couldn't figure out. "According to that, the old deaf man couldn't have just gone without a fight and asked to stay on the Sword Qi Great Wall, right?"
The old deaf man squinted and smiled, unwilling to reveal the truth. Whether one considered it cherishing his own things or self-amusement, he hadn't even told his apprentice.
This good wine was too precious to drink.
At the door of a thatched cottage stood Yuan Huajing, whom Bai Xuan kept calling Sword Immortal Yuan or Yuan Jucai.
No matter how much Yuan Huajing minded his own business, no matter how reclusive and proud his nature, he couldn't help but eavesdrop whenever he encountered this group of one old man and a few kids 'chatting.'
But Yuan Huajing still couldn't understand: a Flying Ascension realm old sword cultivator, being ridiculed by a few children like this—why wasn't he the least bit angry? Was it because the senior's realm was high enough to broaden his mind?
That Bai Xuan, his talent was indeed good—he was already an Ocean Viewing realm sword cultivator. But his tongue was truly venomous.
The Gantang senior with the Dao name Long Sheng was a Flying Ascension realm, and a sword cultivator at that!
In any world, wouldn't he be flattered wherever he went?
A voice rang in the old deaf man's heart: "General Guardian, go to Jump Fish Mountain immediately to take my place teaching those children for a bit. The second guardian wants to watch the fun on Gathering Spirit Peak."
The old deaf man put on a pained expression, but his mental voice was cheerful: "Right away, Senior Bai Jing. I'll go. Don't worry, I won't mess up."
When the old deaf man shrank the ground to an inch and arrived at Jump Fish Mountain, Yuan Huajing hesitated for a moment, then went over and sat down under the eaves.
Bai Xuan habitually carried a purple clay teapot with a loop handle, filled with goji berry tea.
Bai Xuan looked up and took a gulp of tea, burped, and said with an air of authority, "Sword Immortal Yuan, have a question? No problem. Our relationship isn't bad; Bai has an answer for everything."
Earlier, Pei Qian had come to the Sword Worshipping Platform, and Bai Xuan was instantly dumbstruck. But he had quick wits, so he claimed he wasn't practicing boxing anymore.
Pei Qian looked surprised and regretful, patted his head and asked with a smile, "With such good boxing talent, isn't it a shame to give it up halfway?"
Bai Xuan shrank his neck and said he had to focus on practicing the sword recently, otherwise Chai Wu would be too far ahead in realm. He would pick up boxing skills again later.
Whenever he remembered this embarrassing incident, Bai Xuan felt his heroic spirit dwindle.
But he heard from Chen Lingjun that there was a boxer who had lost to Pei Qian, someone named Wen, whose martial realm was passable. This guy came here determined, and had directly come to challenge.
Bai Xuan got excited hearing that. What a magnificent hero! Not great in boxing skill but full of courage! Bai Xuan wanted to sneak over and meet him, have him sign his name, and join the grand cause.
But strange—Pei Qian, who had no martial virtue and was always lying about suppressing realms, was very easy-going with Guo Zhujiu, who was supposedly only her junior sister.
Yuan Huajing smiled and asked, "Bai Xuan, I have a question I've been wondering about. Since Senior Gantang is at the Flying Ascension realm, why was he relatively unknown on the Sword Qi Great Wall, not highly ranked?"
On the Sword Qi Great Wall, the top ten sword immortals ranking had the old deaf man indeed near the bottom—his rank seemed to be neighbor to Nalan Shaowei and Lu Zhi. Bai Xuan shook his head. "Sword Immortal Yuan, I usually think you're pretty sharp, but now it seems you're just pretending. That question doesn't make sense. The old deaf man is an outsider. If we expected too much of him, wouldn't that make us Sword Qi Great Wall people look incompetent? The Sword Qi Great Wall doesn't need the old deaf man's one or two realms of slack to make up numbers."
Nalan Yudie nodded. "That calculation is correct."
Yao Xiaoyan asked quietly, "Bai Xuan, you're at the bottleneck of Ocean Viewing realm now?"
Bai Xuan said impatiently, "Yan, you're young and don't understand things properly. I'm only at Ocean Viewing realm, not Jade Pu realm. Is it worth making a fuss over? Are you scolding me without using dirty words? Who did you learn that from?"
Guo Zhujiu, who had slept in, stood at the door of a thatched cottage and glanced at Bai Xuan, who was playing the big shot over there.
Bai Xuan quickly changed his tune. "Xiaoyan, now that you have a good master, you need to practice the sword well. Don't slack off, but don't rush either. Just take it steady and solid. Master Cao has high expectations for you, and you'll definitely surpass me in the future."
It's not that he was afraid of her Guo Zhujiu—he respected her.
Yuan Huajing smiled. "Yao Xiaoyan must have good talent, otherwise she wouldn't have three flying swords simultaneously. But why do you think she will definitely achieve more than you?"
He actually thought Bai Xuan's future sword path realm was the most promising among Fallen Mountain's hopes. Bai Xuan said in a very offhand tone, "My flying sword rank is too low. On the Sword Qi Great Wall, I definitely wouldn't have lived past twenty. Coming here, I can think about tomorrow. As for the day after tomorrow, forget it—no point in thinking too far ahead. If I hadn't followed the Concealed Officer here but had gone to Ascension City instead, I'd have to go out for training and take risks often. Then I wouldn't even think about 'tomorrow.' Today's affairs end today."
Guo Zhujiu hesitated, then said mentally, "My master actually wanted to keep you by his side and teach you swordsmanship personally. But you didn't want to take a master then. My master regretted it, but he respected you even more for it. He said himself that if you can't reach Jade Pu in the future, it's because he didn't put in enough effort, not your fault. So when you reach a certain realm in the future, Fallen Mountain will have already arranged for someone to secretly protect your path. My master has long had it in mind. So don't be disheartened. Tomorrow, the day after, the year after, a century, a millennium—Bai Xuan, sword cultivator of Fallen Mountain, you can think about it all. You need to think about it carefully. My master didn't tell me to say this. I'm just saying it because I see your mindset isn't right. You're not acting like a pure sword cultivator. I'm reminding you."
Bai Xuan jumped up and asked, "You're not lying to me?!"
Guo Zhujiu retorted, "Is it fun to lie to a little fool?"
Bai Xuan was momentarily speechless. He endured it.
After all, Guo Zhujiu had entered the Summer Retreat Palace. She was a proper sword cultivator of the Concealed Officer lineage. She wasn't stupid. Guo Zhujiu said, "Go back to your room and practice the sword. Break through the realm soon. At your age, Ocean Viewing realm isn't exactly rare—there are quite a few. It's nothing special. Another day, before your next seclusion, with that bottleneck of yours at Ocean Viewing realm, think carefully about why Chief Zhou lured you out of Dense Snow Peak and took you on a journey across the sea. Remember to recall in detail what magnificent sights you saw above the ocean. Especially don't forget whether, when you climbed high to look far at Old Dragon City and looked back at the sea at that moment, what was your state of mind? What were your feelings?"
Bai Xuan stared wide-eyed. "Did Brother Jiang tell you all this in private?"
Guo Zhujiu said impatiently, "Do you have a pig's brain? It's obvious. I guessed it."
Bai Xuan held the loop-handled teapot in one hand, and with the other hand, he opened his fingers wide and then clenched them into a fist. His eyes sparkled. "Dragon Gate realm—easy to get!"
Guo Zhujiu snickered. "Why don't you spit in your palm first?"
Bai Xuan said sheepishly, "If I really spit stupidly in my own hand, then I won't have that invincible momentum anymore."
Guo Zhujiu glanced at Yuan Huajing but said nothing.
She thought to herself, even if he had gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall, he wouldn't have been allowed into the Summer Retreat Palace either.
---
When that Mountain Lord Chen shamelessly addressed Yu Xuan directly as "Fellow Daoist Yu," the expressions of the Daoists in the room varied.
Chen Ping'an seemed completely unaware of their unease. He shifted his gaze slightly toward Li Muzhou. "I recall there was a Gou Daoren in the Jingwei Observatory, one of Fellow Daoist Yu's few direct disciples. He died on the Southern Bodhi Continent battlefield, didn't he? I've looked through the Confucian Temple archives. This Jade Pu realm observatory master seemed to have fought to the death, and yet didn't accumulate much military merit?"
One Daoist angrily slapped the armrest of his chair and glared at Chen Ping'an.
Heavenly Lord Xue, however, looked at Chen Ping'an while gently pressing his hand downward toward the enraged Daoist, signaling for him to be calm. There was no need to trade insults with the host. The host's intention might become clear if they listened a little longer.
Chen Ping'an just looked at Li Muzhou. "You are the direct disciple of that lame Daoist. What are your innermost thoughts?"
Li Muzhou, on the contrary, was the calmest among the dozen or so Daoists, at least on the surface.
He replied, "It is a fact."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Not angry at all? What, is there a clay statue of you in the Jingwei Observatory sharing the incense?"
Li Muzhou clenched his fists on his knees and said slowly, "Since Mountain Lord Chen is stating a fact, no matter how angry I am, there's nothing to refute. And even if I wanted to refute, my realm is insufficient. But that doesn't stop me from today onward, the Jingwei Observatory lineage will keep its distance from Fallen Mountain and Mountain Lord Chen."
Chen Ping'an said as if suddenly understanding, "So you're pretending on the surface but actually very angry inside. You're just good at cultivating your mind and enduring it? Or perhaps Li Muzhou still remembers some teachings from his master aside from the transmission and instruction, teachings about conduct and the foundation of one's being? That's why you don't want to act like a market-town youth who blows up at the slightest provocation and then rolls up his sleeves for a fight?"
Li Muzhou stood up, slowly bowed, then turned and strode toward the gate.
No one stopped him.
Chen Ping'an didn't stop him. Heavenly Lord Xue didn't call him back. The hall behind him was silent as a pin drop.
Li Muzhou, a Daoist from the Jingwei Observatory, had a hand with bulging veins. He gently opened the door and then closed it... only to see the green-robed man, smiling, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, standing outside?
Chen Ping'an cupped his hands and smiled. "Please forgive my rudeness. I had no choice but to do that. Of course, that applies only to you. The other Daoists inside may not deserve such an apology."
Li Muzhou looked dazed. Chen Ping'an pulled a yellowed page from his sleeve, as if torn from somewhere, and handed it to Li Muzhou.
Li Muzhou hesitated, took it, and looked at it closely. After a moment, he carefully tucked it into his sleeve and looked up. "May I ask, Concealed Officer Chen, why didn't you give this to my grand master when he came to visit?"
On the sheet of paper was a detailed file of Gou Daoren of the Central Plains Divine Continent on the Sword Qi Great Wall, recording every single battle merit.
The content wasn't much, and the handwriting was like a child's, but to Li Muzhou, this piece of paper was heavier than any mountain.
His master never spoke of his experiences on the Sword Qi Great Wall. In fact, the Daoists of the Jingwei Observatory had only heard rumors that he had been there. Li Muzhou and his senior brother Zhao Wenmin only knew that his master had fallen in realm there. Although he returned to the Bright Continent and recuperated for many years before finally returning to Jade Pu realm, his master's lifelong Dao achievements ended at Jade Pu. Grand Master Yu Xuan had wanted to send him to the Cloud Dream Grotto-Heaven several times, but his master refused, saying that spots were limited and the opportunity was rare; they should be given to true immortal seedlings and the young.
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "A disciple passed through the Inverted Suspension Mountain to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Fellow Daoist Yu, the master, never went himself. So I think it's more appropriate to give this to you, the disciple of Gou Daoren. Let me say an easy remark without having to bear the burden: if I were Fellow Daoist Yu, I would have knocked out Gou Daoren and stuffed him into a sack, and thrown him into the Cloud Dream Grotto-Heaven first, then talk about everything else. Didn't want to cultivate? Didn't want to waste the grotto's Dao charm and spiritual energy? Then just sit there."
Li Muzhou's mood was complicated, his expression strange. At this moment, he finally began to overlap the image of the mountain lord who had indeed spoken "heartfelt words" with that of the last Concealed Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Don't worry about what's inside. You can go down to the foot of the mountain and chat about Dao techniques with that Daoist Xian Wei for a while."
Li Muzhou nodded. After walking a dozen paces, he remembered to thank the young Concealed Officer. He turned his head abruptly, only to find that Chen Ping'an was still standing outside the door!
Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled. "You registered cultivators... just now, when Tian Gong slapped the chair, he didn't even break that ordinary chair. Didn't you find it strange?"
"Daoist Li, allow this junior to say something unpleasant: I sincerely admire your master Gou Daoren's conduct, but his battlefield skills, his wits in struggling with wild cultivators... to put it bluntly, it's beyond words. It's not unreasonable that he didn't accumulate much battle merit on the Sword Qi Great Wall. However, to be fair, if I had been in charge of the Summer Retreat Palace back then, instead of the old Concealed Officer Xiao Xun, your master's battle merits would have at least doubled."
Li Muzhou deliberately ignored the other "heartfelt" remarks and couldn't help asking, "Even Heavenly Lord Xue didn't notice?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "He is an immortal after all, a high disciple of Fellow Daoist Yu, and not a paper-thin realm. Heavenly Lord Xue was indeed the first to sense something was wrong. But now he can't move, can't speak."
Seeing the green-robed man wave his hand, Li Muzhou had no choice but to steady his Dao heart and head down the mountain to find that young Daoist with the wooden hairpin.
Up in the sky, two old men huddled together.
The Old Scholar was panicking. He had to give Old Brother Yu a shoulder rub. "Could I have said it too harshly? Do I need to remind him a bit?"
Yu Xuan looked serious and shook his head. "Not too harsh, not at all. It was well said. Very good. I think Fellow Daoist Chen was still too gentle."
The Old Scholar complained, "This last disciple of mine is good in everything except one thing—he's too honest. He lacks a bit of cunning, and his conduct is too upright."
Yu Xuan said helplessly, "Old Scholar, you treat my disciples and grand-disciples like fools, and you treat me like a fool too?"
The Old Scholar gave his trademark sigh. "Can't say that. Hurts feelings, hurts feelings. Old Brother Yu, we're brothers, but you're talking like outsiders. Not very auspicious."
He used his elbow to rub Yu Xuan's shoulder. "Old Brother Yu, how's the pressure?"
Yu Xuan remained unresponsive, just focusing on the goings-on in that building down below. To put it bluntly, he was on tenterhooks. That whole room full of young people—they were all good seedlings.
The Old Scholar hesitated for a moment, then gave Yu Xuan a slap on the head.
Yu Xuan turned his head.
The Old Scholar said, "Too light? I'll press harder. Old Brother Yu, why be so polite with me? Don't be so fussy."
Yu Xuan said nothing and continued to watch the room.
But in an instant, he could see nothing.
Yu Xuan knew it was the Old Scholar's doing. He sighed. "Good. At least I won't worry."
The Old Scholar patted Yu Xuan's shoulder and rubbed his hands. "Worried? Stop counting your chickens before they're hatched. You old fellow make the best deals."
Yu Xuan also let out an "ai" like the Old Scholar, and asked with a smile, "Which shoulder is sore? Let your old brother massage your bones. I guarantee you'll feel refreshed and look decades younger!"
Outside the building, one true body of Chen Ping'an stood. Inside the building, that Chen Ping'an held a tobacco pipe in one hand, gently patted his knee with the other, and continued his bombastic speech, disturbing the hearts of Daoists.
"Learners of the Dao are as numerous as weeds and grass; hearers of the Dao are as precious as rice and grain; attainers of the Dao are as rare as ganoderma and orchid; those who attest to the Dao outside the Dao are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."
"Yu Xuan has his own reason for attesting to the Dao. Unfortunately, you are not Yu Xuan. Peach Talisman Mountain and the four other sects don't have a second Yu Xuan. So 'can't do' means 'can't do.'"
"I'm a mundane person?"
"Unfortunately, all of you present—you cultivation gentlemen who have been enjoying the fruits of your ancestors' labor for years—may not even have the qualifications to talk about purity versus turbidity, elegance versus vulgarity."
"If you want to blame someone, blame your respective masters, grand masters, or great grand masters. Yu Xuan's entire life of cultivation has been too smooth. He has never known the difficulty of 'money' in his whole life. He doesn't understand it himself, so naturally, you disciples and grand-disciples are even more in the dark."
"Showing off?"
"When I, Chen Ping'an, truly show off, it's because you have poor eyesight and haven't had the chance to see it."
Outside the city, who faced off against the direct disciple of the Tuo Yue Mountain grand patriarch, fighting to the death based on individual skill—first killing Li Zhen, then standing alone in formation with his sword pointing at the Fourteen Thrones?
Who led the Summer Retreat Palace, and at the Spring Flag Studio of the Inverted Suspension Mountain—do you know what 'silence as quiet as crows' means? I made anyone I told to stand, not dare to sit, and anyone I told to sit, not dare to stand and fart.
At the Central Plains Confucian Temple, facing off against the Tuo Yue Mountain of the Wild Continent; at the bank of the River of Time, attending meetings of all fourteen-realm cultivators; up in the sky, sitting at the center of the grand formation, cooperating with people like Mr. San Shan Jiu Hou, Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City...
Out there, he acted like that. Back on his own turf, when he met you Daoists who weren't even relatives or friends, couldn't he be allowed to show off a little and speak a few harsh but honest words?
Yu Xuan had deliberately arranged this, and Chen Ping'an had already figured it out, seeing through it like a mirror. Sure enough, the most troublesome money in the world was the kind that seemed to be given for free.
If it were just about giving away those Gold Essence Copper Coins, a single Immortal realm Heavenly Lord Xue would have been enough. There was no need to put on such a huge show, with over a dozen people in such a grand procession.
At the root of it all, Old True Man Yu, who never lacked money, was using the 'stone from another mountain to polish his jade.' He used money to 'buy' Dao hearts—however many he could buy. The old true man had good intentions. He wanted to throw these spoiled darlings onto Fallen Mountain to grind off some of their sharp edges and pride, so they wouldn't look down on everyone, thinking that if they were in so-and-so's position, they could do better.
Family rules were strict, and traditions were good. One might be able to raise and confine a surface-level decorum, but one couldn't necessarily lift a 'principle,' let alone grasp a 'Dao.'
What Yu Xuan sought was that the Daoists of his lineage and branch should see the green sky and the Great Dao, not always stare at their own few acres of land, too concerned with the speed of a few realms.
Before Yu Xuan had become a Dao, even though he had already monopolized the two characters 'talisman and seal' in the Bright Continent, he still hadn't opened a huge gap between himself and Zhao of Dragon Tiger Mountain or the Fire Dragon True Man of North Ju Li Continent.
So the registered cultivators of his several lines of Dao weren't too arrogant. It was only after Yu Xuan went alone to Blessing Float Continent to aid Bai Ye, and then went beyond the sky to fit his Dao with the stars...
The fourteen-realm Talisman Yu Xuan naturally went beyond the sky.
But in a sense, a certain 'Yu Xuan' remained on Fill Gold Peak of Peach Talisman Mountain. In fact, this Yu Xuan even went to Plume Incarnation Mountain, Flying Immortal Palace, the Douran Sect, the Jingwei Observatory, and all the vassal sects.
Kong You, a burly man, and Wang Gua, a girl with an oval face and maidenly features, weren't wearing Daoist robes. They had both changed into the garb of common martial artists. They had wandered through the town's Crab Workshop and the Iron Lock Well, passed by the Qilong Lane, and then hesitated about whether to go look at the Nipin Alley. They looked at each other, each waiting for the other to propose it first. Neither dared to speak up. One glared at the other with his eyes: "Where's your courage? Where's the spirit of a long-travel martial artist?" The other looked helpless: "I'm not curious about that young Concealed Officer at all. You were the one who said that since we couldn't see him on the mountain, we might as well come here." Wang Gua thought it over, then suggested they stand at the entrance of Nipin Alley for a while. Kong You had to nod. They weren't going to climb over the wall like thieves, so why be nervous?
But when the girl whose real surname was Situ reached the entrance of Nipin Alley, she sneaked forward a few steps, then back a few steps, enjoying herself. Kong You leaned against the corner wall and rubbed his forehead. Wasn't it just that one of her elders, a sword immortal who had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall, praised the young Concealed Officer highly upon returning? Even if your family is called a 'beauty nest,' it has nothing to do with you, 'Wang Gua.' It's not like Situ Jiyu could be a matchmaker and tie a red thread between you and the young Concealed Officer. Besides, haven't people been saying that Chen Ping'an was famously 'henpecked' on the Sword Qi Great Wall? Every time he had a drink at his own tavern, he had to sleep outside the door...
The girl muttered to herself, "Cultivation gentlemen accumulate external merits and refine internal spirit. One should hide purity within turbidity, be obscure yet bright. Kong You, is this kind of vague, general Daoist talk interesting?"
Kong You said lazily, "I don't have much talent for cultivation. When I was young, they discovered I had the aptitude for drawing talismans, which is like falling into a pit. If I had focused on practicing boxing, I'd definitely be at the ultimate realm by now."
Someone walked slowly down Nipin Alley toward the two out-of-towners, smiling and saying, "It's not that easy to reach the ultimate realm. Peak mountain realm is still a possibility."
Kong You laughed. "Who died and made you the boss?"
The man said, "Even if I'm not the boss, does that mean you can reach the ultimate realm?"
Wang Gua covered her mouth and giggled. Then, suppressing her smile, she realized who the other party was and quickly performed a Daoist bow. "Wang Gua of a minor sect greets Mr. Chen."
Kong You, who had thought it couldn't possibly be that any random person walking down the alley was Chen Ping'an, quickly stood up straight and clasped his hands. "Junior Kong You!"
Chen Ping'an returned the greeting with a smile. "It seems Fellow Daoist Yu thinks highly of you both. Obviously, you didn't have to come here, but he still sent you."
The two exchanged glances, both baffled.
Chen Ping'an said, "Want me to show you around a bit?"
Kong You dared not nod.
Although he was a talisman-bestowed Daoist, he considered himself more of a pure martial artist. Now he was meeting a 'senior' who could make Cao Ci's face swollen and bruised. He needed to be humble.
If he ran into Cao Ci, Kong You could boldly ask for guidance. But this man in front of him—he truly didn't dare.
Wang Gua, on the other hand, was fearless. She generously nodded and said, "Sure, thank you, Mr. Chen."
Afterwards, Kong You became even more bewildered. This Mr. Chen, who had so many identities, actually started taking them on a stroll through the town. He even invited them to sit in two shops on Qilong Lane. He said that after buying pastries at the New Year Shop, they could go next door, and if they saw anything they liked, they could get a twenty percent discount.
Kong You glanced sideways at Wang Gua and saw that sweat was actually beading on the girl's forehead—clearly, she wasn't as calm as she appeared.
Kong You's heart started to pound. It couldn't be that this was some bold impostor pretending to be Chen Ping'an, planning to rob them of money and maybe even beauty?
In the midst of thick white fog, someone looked around in shock. They only heard a voice but saw no one: "Tian Gong, breaking a chair requires compensation."
In the blue sky and sea of clouds, a stern-faced boy who didn't know how he ended up there looked up. A huge golden hand descended like a mountain, crashing toward his head. The surrounding wind roared fiercely. "Those who are fated to ride on the back of a crane should know that the wind in the sky is bone-piercing cold. You, child, are called Tong Xiang, or is it Xiang Tong? It doesn't matter. In any case, you don't understand this principle."
Inside the room, different Daoists faced different scenes.
On Peach Talisman Mountain, at the peaks of First Hibernation, Second Hibernation, and Third Hibernation, the three young Daoists visiting Fallen Mountain each found themselves on neighboring peaks, respectively seeing Yu Xuan, Heavenly Lord Xue, and Daoist Ding. And Wen Xia felt that day they had parted ways with Chen Ping'an in displeasure. They soon took a dragon-snake ferry back to the Central Plains Divine Continent. She returned to the Douran Sect, went to the back mountain, and saw a familiar, graceful back figure in the bamboo grove. She called out "Uncle Ye." When that "Ye Dan" turned around... Wen Xia's Dao heart immediately faltered, and she began to dry heave.
On the mountain known as Zou Gui, reputed to be the realm of the Grand Supreme, there was a famous scenic spot: the Pavilion of Stopping the Cup. It was so named because that most proud man in the world had once drunk wine there.
Also on this mountain, Lu Biyu saw over a dozen of the old throne-level great demons of the Wild Continent in different postures on the peak, all looking at him with the same gaze as if they were looking at an ant.
And Zhu Zishou, who was taking a solitary walk, saw in a pavilion that graceful and unparalleled man, the most proud in the world. He put down his wine glass, smiled at her, and nodded in greeting. He said she was a promising talent and should just keep climbing higher.
Then there was Daoist Ding, who stared blankly at the floor littered with corpses. There was a Daoist whose head was pierced by a flying sword, slumped limply against a chair. Another Daoist whose entire head had been sliced off, who raised a hand as if to hold it in place, only to let it fall limp. Yet another Daoist, cut in half together with the chair, stared fixedly at Daoist Ding, seeming to resent and hate him for not coming to her rescue...
"Heavenly Lord Xue, do you know who, among all of you, is considered by my Fellow Daoist Yu to be the most arrogant? You guessed right: it's you, Xue Zhisui."
This was only the beginning.
The real show was yet to come.
The girl in the sable hat sat on the roof drinking wine. Their mountain lord was truly a busy man.
Inside the house, there was more than just two flowers blooming, each on its own branch.
It was like a surging river that had unknowably split into a dozen tributaries.
Mountain Lord Chen deployed talisman against talisman. Grandmaster Chen used boxing techniques against Dao techniques.
Concealed Officer Chen used sword techniques against talismans. Daoist Chen used thunder magic against Dao magic.
Like Mr. Chen in the village school, in short, he used reason to explain reason.
Xie Gou felt that if Chen Ping'an ever reached Flying Ascension realm one day, and she still hadn't reached fourteen-realm, she really couldn't say for sure she could beat him.
As for Chen Ping'an's true body, he simply took a stroll to the bamboo building, sat by the cliff, with a little lotus figure sitting on top of his head, together leisurely watching the clouds come and go.