Chapter 1112: What Should We Sword Cultivators Do

Chapter 1112: What Should We Sword Cultivators Do

A Lai River meandered into the sea, surging onward, while thousands of spring mountains unfurled like a painted screen, and perilous peaks rose easily along the water's edge.

Chen Ping'an sent word to Cao Gun and the others that they could return to this feng shui cave dwelling.

The outside world was still happily speculating about which two Ascension cultivators were locked in battle. Since they had been expelled from the scene by that overbearing old sword immortal, fated to get not even a share of the spoils, they had to find some amusement in guessing. Their speculation was that the one tangling with this Ascension realm sword cultivator was most likely the Verdant Palace Grand Guardian Jing Hao, Old Immortal Jing, from Flowing Xia Continent.

While waiting for the others, Ning Yao asked, "Did the Yin-Yang School's Lu clan of the Central Plains help divine the fortunes of the mineral vein?"

Chen Ping'an laughed. "Made it up on the spot." He had indeed visited the Lu clan as a guest with Xiao Mo and Xie Gou back then, but Lu Shen was an old fox. How could he, at such a critical moment when the three religious patriarchs were about to disperse their Dao, willingly harm his own merit and cultivation to make a wedding gown for someone else? As for whether Lu Shen had now merged with the Dao, it was hard to say. The Yin-Yang and Five Elements path was extremely broad, surpassing even the path of literature and poetry in both height and width. "Zouzi discoursed on Heaven, the Lu clan discoursed on Earth." Zouzi was already at the fourteenth realm, and it wouldn't be too strange for Lu Shen to follow close behind. When Chen Ping'an had returned to Haoran from beyond the heavens that time, his first stop was the Lu clan's Observatory Terrace. The clan head, Lu Shen, who emerged from the Zhilan Office, had been restrained in every way. Even though his own secondary offering, Xie Gou, was so... lively, it hadn't truly angered Lu Shen.

More than twenty sword cultivators arrived together. Chen Ping'an briefly explained to them the inside story of how Wang Jia had been schemed against by Shou Chen and Guan Xiang.

Since he was standing with Ning Yao, Chen Ping'an could speak without restraint, even addressing Zhou Mi directly by name.

Cao Gun and the others had spent about half a year at Quanjiao Mountain, and this matter was now concluded. Chen Ping'an cupped his fists and smiled in thanks to the seven "outsider" Earth Immortal sword cultivators, but his words were far from standard immortal sect discourse: "Since we're all sword cultivators, I won't speak empty pleasantries that have nothing to do with swords. I thank you all here. If you ever travel through Precious Bottle Continent, our Fallen Mountain will have all the immortal wine you can drink."

An old Nascent Soul sword cultivator straightened his back, his face flushed red, but he still couldn't help being polite: "We didn't really do much serious work. We don't deserve such thanks from the Hidden Official."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Doing work that amounts to tying your head to your belt in a gamble for your life—can't it bear a few light words of thanks from me, Chen? If you said something like that on the Sword Qi Great Wall, you'd be asking for a drink."

Xie Songhua said to Song Pin via heart voice: "Earlier, your 'Fuyao' was about to leave its sheath, but Chen Ping'an casually pressed it back down. Lucky for you he's a proper person, otherwise, with your looks, meeting the protagonist of some landscape travelogue in the wilderness—what would you do?"

Song Pin said calmly, "I'd teach him a few tricks of the bedchamber in return."

Xie Songhua realized belatedly, "Ning Yao can't hear our heart voices, can she?"

Song Pin said, "If you weren't mentioning names, probably not. Now, it's hard to say."

Xie Songhua raised an eyebrow at Ning Yao, then tilted her chin toward Chen Ping'an. You two? When? Won't you let us experience the Hidden Official's sword techniques?

The spiritual union of Dao partners through their primordial spirits was far different from the bedchamber affairs of mortal men and women. Knowing and not knowing were worlds apart.

Ning Yao had no choice but to pretend not to see.

Chen Ping'an told them to go sit inside the house, saying he still had someone to wait for.

A scholar with a youthful appearance arrived, a Confucian junzi by status, with a jade pendant at his waist of the Confucian Temple's standard design, inscribed with a sage's saying: "Without embellishment of flaws or virtues, revealing all as it is—such a one may be called an upright man."

He was probably a figure from the Central Plains Confucian Temple secretly dispatched to fully handle the Quanjiao Mountain matter.

Chen Ping'an saw the inscription on the jade pendant and a smile appeared on his face.

This must be a true "upright man" of righteous character.

If he were in charge of the Confucian Temple, he would at least have this man govern a Confucian academy.

The Confucian junzi made a bow. "Laiyuan Academy's Gao Xuandu. I pay my respects to Mr. Chen."

Chen Ping'an returned the bow with a smile. "Fallen Mountain's Chen Ping'an. I pay my respects to Headmaster Gao."

Gao Xuandu, the Great Junzi of Laiyuan Academy on Fuyao Continent, along with scholars like Wen Yu of Tianmu Academy, were among the younger generation of Confucians who had risen during that war.

Gao Xuandu only exchanged a brief pleasantry before, duty-bound, getting straight to the point and asking Chen Ping'an about the cause of the strange phenomena at Quanjiao Mountain.

Chen Ping'an took two items from his sleeve and suspended them in the air before him. They were two relics left by Wang Jia, of no mean rank: a golden crown and a scroll.

Gao Xuandu asked in confusion, "These are?"

Chen Ping'an said, "The founder of Rudou City, 'Empty Throne' Wang Jia, was ambushed and killed in his early years by the barbarian sword cultivator Shou Chen and the great demon Guan Xiang. Wang Jia survived with difficulty through an ancient secret method, holding onto a sliver of true spirit. Finally, in the form of a ghost immortal, he saw the light of day again, took over the affairs of Rudou City, and kept the ancestral hall's incense burning unbroken. Now that he has accumulated enough external merit, he begged Song Pin and Xie Songhua to deliver a sword strike to help him achieve liberation and escape his tribulation."

Gao Xuandu only glanced at Chen Ping'an before smiling and saying, "Alright, I understand. I'll immediately write two letters to report truthfully to Laiyuan Academy and the Central Plains Confucian Temple. I'll also personally visit Rudou City to explain this matter to them."

He was truly resolute and efficient, never dragging things out.

It was a waste to have him only as a vice-headmaster.

Chen Ping'an pushed the golden crown and scroll to Gao Xuandu. "Since you're going that way, I'll trouble Headmaster Gao to deliver these to Rudou City's ancestral hall."

Gao Xuandu tucked the two items into his sleeve, hesitated a moment, then smiled and invited, "Among the seventy-two academies, our Laiyuan Academy has always placed great emphasis on military strategy. Could I invite Mr. Chen to give a lecture? As for the topic, Mr. Chen can decide for himself."

Chen Ping'an nodded and smiled. "If I have the opportunity, I will definitely come."

Gao Xuandu, without hesitation, said bluntly, "If I may be so bold as to ask, is Mr. Chen's 'opportunity' in the next few days, or within half a year? If Mr. Chen is currently too busy with affairs and cannot spare the time, a later date is also fine—next year or the year after will do. But I earnestly ask Mr. Chen to give an approximate range, preferably within a six-month margin of error, so that Laiyuan Academy can make corresponding detailed arrangements. With Mr. Chen's profound learning, such matters can certainly be handled with ease; even an impromptu lecture would suffice, perhaps without even the need for a draft. But our Laiyuan Academy places great value on this precious opportunity—things like the number of attending scholars, whether a selection mechanism is needed, the screening and control of questions they ask, and so on—we will adjust the details according to Mr. Chen's lecture date."

Chen Ping'an rather liked this kind of "bluntness." After considering for a moment and going over his schedule, he said, "Let's tentatively set it for the end of next year. If there's any change, earlier or later, I'll inform Laiyuan Academy in advance."

Cao Gun said via heart voice, "A man's reputation is like a tree's shadow—just as the rumors say, Gao Xuandu really is meticulous. The Hidden Official takes a liking to this sort of thing. A match made in heaven?"

Xuan Shen said calmly, "Not much of a rival for us. By Guo Zhujiu's method of ranking, Headmaster Gao is at most on the level of Song Gaoyuan or Deng Liang."

Song Gaoyuan rubbed his forehead. We all entered the Summer Resort together—just because I'm not as sycophantic as you two, spewing flattery, I get treated like this?

Chen Ping'an asked a key question, "Has the Confucian Temple or the academy come to a decision on who this mineral vein belongs to?"

Gao Xuandu shook his head and only gave his own guess, "Either it goes to someone virtuous enough to command respect without causing turmoil, so as not to further destabilize the already shaky Fuyao Continent's mountains and rivers—believing the Confucian Temple would be willing to stand by and let it happen. But if no such figure appears to command obedience, this mineral vein might be used to mend the broken land of the continent. Of course, the Golden Pu Dynasty would receive some compensation."

Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "Is there an estimate of the overall value of the jade reserves?"

Gao Xuandu said, "Currently, there's only a rough estimate. If converted into immortal currency, the specific amount is a top-level secret of the academy and shouldn't be disclosed. I can only say this much from my on-site inspection at Quanjiao Mountain: it's enough to support the expenses of a thousand people for a thousand years in an ordinary sect, assuming no income. To be precise, imagine that a fifth-realm or lower Qi refiner, by some stroke of luck, takes over Quanjiao Mountain, from establishing his sect to founding a full-fledged clan—after that, there would still be a thousand years of comfortable surplus."

Chen Ping'an pressed further, "What do you mean by 'ordinary'?"

Gao Xuandu replied, "By 'ordinary,' I mean having a founding patriarch with hope of attaining Ascension, two to three Jade Purity realm cultivators, a hundred or so middle-five-realm Qi refiners, of which about twenty are peak-level. And roughly nine hundred registered disciples below the fifth realm."

Since neither of them used heart voice, Xie Songhua was stunned and couldn't help asking, "That counts as ordinary?"

Gao Xuandu said, "Nowadays, that would certainly be a first-rate sect, just a hair's breadth from top-tier."

But a thousand years from now, maybe not.

After all, the vacancy left by a fifteenth realm wasn't something that could be filled just by a few new fourteenth realms.

Gao Xuandu suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen?"

Chen Ping'an smiled wryly. He had guessed the other's thoughts. Since the Confucian Temple had temporarily declared this jade vein ownerless, why not take it? Instead of letting those scheming behind the scenes have it, why not let Mountain Lord Chen openly and honorably "take it by the Dao"? At least here in Laiyuan Academy on Fuyao Continent, I, Gao Xuandu, am willing to speak a few fair words. If Fallen Mountain builds a good relationship with the Golden Pu Dynasty, then only the Central Plains Confucian Temple remains as an obstacle?

Were the scholars of these academies being a bit too... generous these days? Wen Yu was like that too, overstepping rules to go directly to Fengdu to arrest the culprits.

Ning Yao turned to look in one direction and warned, "Either show yourself or stay far away."

Chen Ping'an followed Ning Yao's gaze, thought for a moment, and realized the other's appearance was indeed reasonable, not too surprising.

The longer one cultivates, the higher one climbs, the more acquaintances one has.

A white-dressed, masked woman carrying a sword on her back, ethereal and immortal-like. She was the future gatekeeper of White Emperor City, willing to follow Zheng Juzhong—a female ghost sword immortal named Zheng Dan.

Her sword arts were passed down from the Yue Nu lineage, which, along with the Qu City lineage of the old sword immortal Zhou Shenzhi—once one of the Ten of the Central Plains Divine Continent—were both undisputed "great schools" of sword Dao, prominent teachings of human sword arts in ancient times.

But compared to Zhou Shenzhi's lineage, the Yue Nu lineage of sword traditions accepted only women, not men, and though it wasn't strictly a single inheritance, it certainly couldn't match the Qu City lineage in numbers.

Pu He thought hard and felt this woman looked somewhat familiar.

But he'd seen too many painted faces; he couldn't recall at once.

After racking his brain, he remembered that on the wall of his own sect's founding patriarch's Dao hall, there was a vividly colored mural that seemed to depict this very sword-carrying woman?

Xue Zhou exclaimed via heart voice, "Wow, this female ghost sister is really beautiful—she's on par with Sword Immortal Song!"

After Zheng Dan appeared, standing in the void, she said in a cool voice, "I just received a flying sword message from Mr. Zheng. This mineral vein, he has already exchanged merit with the Central Plains Confucian Temple to make it his own. He ordered me to cut it into three parts with my sword. One part is given unconditionally to Laiyuan Academy to mend the land's fortune of Fuyao Continent."

"One part serves as the foundation for Gu Can's chosen sect site at Quanjiao Mountain."

"The last part is left for native Qi refiners of Fuyao Continent to take as they will. Whether they use registered means, scheming and showing their skills, small fish driving away shrimp, then being driven away by big fish, or rogue cultivator methods, tearing all pretense and fighting tooth and nail, killing or being killed—Sect Leader Gu Can and I will neither interfere nor bear responsibility. Having generously scattered a pile of money on the ground, there's no reason to quibble over whether those picking it up are orderly or disorderly. Either way, it all ends up in Fuyao Continent's money pouch. If Laiyuan Academy and Headmaster Gao have any objection to this, they can come to the city gates of White Emperor City to argue with me. Of course, the part after 'whether' is not Mr. Zheng's words, but my own decision."

Gao Xuandu was not swayed by the involvement of White Emperor City and Zheng Juzhong; he still spoke methodically, "I will verify this matter with the Central Plains Confucian Temple and Laiyuan Academy. Once confirmed, if Gu Can establishes a sect in the Quanjiao Mountain region and you split this jade vein into three, I believe there will be no problem."

Zheng Dan said, "Mr. Zheng is righteous. In his letter, he instructed that if Laiyuan Academy cannot cut and refine the jade vein to mend the continent's land, I can do it on your behalf. If you find it suitable, I will linger here for a month or so to coordinate with Laiyuan Academy."

Gao Xuandu nodded. "Then we'll trouble the sword immortal."

Zheng Dan couldn't help glancing at the Confucian scholar. Had scholars these days grown thicker-skinned?

Gao Xuandu turned to look at the figure in blue. Chen Ping'an smiled. "I'm not the master of this feng shui cave. Driving everyone out earlier was a necessity. In fact, I'm as much a guest as Senior Zheng. If Senior Zheng wants to settle somewhere, you can discuss it with Laiyuan Academy. I have no right to interfere."

Zheng Dan looked at Ning Yao—who was both a junior in Dao age and a senior in sword Dao—and graced her with a rare smile, saying softly, "At the end of Mr. Zheng's letter, the tone shifted. He didn't name anyone, only saying that if someone was willing to accept this gift as a congratulatory present for the establishment of Ascension City, then all previous decisions could be voided. That person could move the entire vein to the Five-Colored Heaven, and I would be asked to open a gate with my sword and guard it for a while, offering what little help I could."

Ning Yao said, "Senior, please convey my thanks to Mr. Zheng."

She hesitated for a moment. "I will take a small piece of jade myself, as acceptance of Mr. Zheng's gift. The next time Ascension City's ancestral hall meets, I will report this and have it recorded."

Zheng Dan smiled even more warmly upon hearing this. Some goodwill arises for no reason—perhaps seeing someone similar to herself was why Zheng Dan felt such a closeness.

Yu Yue and Situ Jiyu exchanged a glance. Ning Yao wasn't as unapproachable or stubborn as the rumors said.

Xuan Shen smiled. "If the Hidden Official had made the move, he'd have cut off a huge chunk of jade and fashioned a chair, proudly placing it in Ascension City's ancestral hall... but that would be a bit overdone. More likely, he'd put it in the Summer Resort. That way, Mr. Zheng would become an unofficial guest elder of the Hidden Official lineage. Next time he passed through the Five-Colored Heaven, he'd have to visit."

After that, Zheng Dan took her leave and found a quiet cave dwelling by the feng shui cave's riverside to settle in, waiting for further news from Laiyuan Academy.

The person she was bound in contract with, the Jade Purity sword cultivator Gao Yi, had already dissolved the contract with her. Still, he had accompanied her on this cross-continent journey, and Zheng Dan had some loose ends to tie up. Earlier, Gao Yi had chased all the way to the Sword Qi Great Wall to cause trouble for Wei Yudian of the Shangsi Sword Sect. That was just a surface reason. The deeper reason was that Zheng Dan had promised him that if he could gain recognition from one or two sword veins on the Sword Qi Great Wall and inherit the legacy of a native sword immortal there, she would help him fight for his "Great Dao." Her implication—and Gao Yi wasn't stupid, being a Jade Purity sword immortal of barely two cycles of sixty years, one of the youngest sect leaders in Flowing Xia Continent's history, with a sharp enough mind—he knew she intended to elevate him to the top of Flowing Xia Continent's mountains, replacing Jing Hao of Verdant Palace Mountain!

But at the Sword Qi Great Wall, everything went wrong. First, he didn't even see Wei Yudian's face, meeting a strange girl in a sable hat on the road instead.

Then a string of events left Sword Immortal Gao reeling. He had arrived full of ambition and left crestfallen, never even setting foot on the wall to try his luck for opportunities.

Returning to his homeland in such gloom, Gao Yi was naturally unwilling to accept it.

Zheng Dan had given her reason: Here, if the last Hidden Official doesn't recognize you, it means the entire Sword Qi Great Wall doesn't recognize you. Don't entertain foolish hopes and make a spectacle of yourself.

If you insist on going up to the wall, you'll only drag her, your guardian, down into disgrace with you.

Gao Yi sat inside a waterside pavilion, with bamboo blinds hanging on three sides, facing her across a table, leaving one side open to a forest of ten thousand plum trees.

Once inside the pavilion, one found a world unto itself, a landscape utterly different from the underground cavern's feng shui cave.

Zheng Dan had changed into what seemed like a housewife's attire, her sword hanging from a pillar of the pavilion.

An unidentified maidservant with twin buns was heating wine. On the low table, the wine had a brilliant green hue, and the cup shimmered with purple electric light.

Zheng Dan occasionally left Gao Yi's mind, always fastidious about food—fine flour and finely minced meat. All the wine-heating vessels were antique heirlooms from ancient noble houses. Zheng Dan was indeed an exceedingly elegant woman.

Outside the pavilion, the mountain colors were a verdant jade, and a vast sea of plum blossoms blazed like an ocean. Zheng Dan held a round silk fan, pure as frost and snow, with a clear breeze filling her sleeves.

Gao Yi glanced at the ugly maidservant tending the wine and felt she didn't belong in this place.

He remembered Zheng Dan calling her "Huansha Nu" (the Washerwoman).

The maidservant was like a wooden puppet, devoid of any emotions or consciousness.

Gao Yi sighed and asked cautiously, "You're only invited to be the gatekeeper of White Emperor City, without any registered status. Won't you really record your name in my sect's ancestral hall and hang your portrait alongside the founding patriarch's?"

Throughout Haoran's history, which founding patriarch of any major immortal sect didn't have a few exciting and mysterious tales, never encountering a few high-ranking recluses of obscure origins?

Jing Hao's Verdant Palace Mountain had them, and the Shangsi Sword Sect had them too.

Zheng Dan said coldly, "All feasts must end. When fate brings us together, we gather; when it ends, we part. That is the principle of heaven. You, Gao Yi, are at least a Jade Purity realm sect founder—don't put on a womanish act.

"Although we temporarily dissolved the contract before your daytime sect ascension, I haven't shortchanged you any of the benefits you deserve. You've essentially cashed in your future gains early, with no hidden dangers. Don't be ungrateful.

"As for that ancient cave heaven relic that appeared at the opportune moment on Flowing Xia Continent, both Jing Hao and Shu Nanying, who were determined to have it, have wisely withdrawn. Especially Jing Hao, who invested heavily—all his careful plans have gone down the drain. You, a mere Jade Purity realm, managed to seize it from two Ascension cultivators. What more could you want? If it were a blessed land, there's the risk of mismanagement making it a chicken rib, but a cave heaven like this can be used immediately. During this trip, I deliberately showed myself multiple times and delivered sword strikes twice, to deter any treacherous hearted villains from easily attacking you. But you must know this in your heart: after this matter is settled, once I go to White Emperor City to serve as Mr. Zheng's gatekeeper, you and I are even. If you ever face an insurmountable obstacle in the future, you're welcome to come kowtow at White Emperor City's gates and see if I'll spare you a single word."

Shu Nanying, the cave heaven master of Tianyu Cave Heaven, had recently broken into the Ascension realm. That made two Ascension realm cultivators guarding Flowing Xia Continent's mountains and rivers.

What truly made Jing Hao and Shu Nanying give up and voluntarily abandon a cave heaven relic wasn't Zheng Dan sharing the Ascension realm with them, nor her swordsmanship and teachings. It was Zheng Dan deliberately revealing that she was about to take up the post of gatekeeper at White Emperor City, which had already sealed its mountains.

Otherwise, if Ascension realm cultivators tore their faces, their open and hidden methods were endless. Outside of swordsmanship, Zheng Dan admitted she couldn't match the two deeply entrenched local powers in Flowing Xia Continent.

What they truly feared was just Zheng Juzhong.

Gao Yi said helplessly, "I understand. Once we part, we'll be strangers."

After all, they had been bound together for many years, depending on each other. Zheng Dan had watched Gao Yi grow from a youth to his present state. She was still willing to offer a few more words of advice. "I've already introduced you to Ding Fayi and explained your past-life connection with Wei Yudian. Ding Fayi himself admitted that you are the reincarnation of that sword immortal, and Wei Yudian's natal flying sword 'Xiaopin' does indeed belong to your former existence. Many of the seemingly inexplicable entanglements and conflicts between you and Wei Yudian in your youth now have an explanation. From now on, you don't need to keep tangling with the Shangsi Sword Sect and the Wei clan of Fenzhou. As for Wei Yudian herself and her flying sword, since you've made a junzi's pact with Ding Fayi, a man should keep his promises."

Gao Yi nodded. By the agreement, Wei Yudian owed him a sword duel, and she would set the time and place. He wouldn't bully her for being just a Nascent Soul now.

Gao Yi was depressed. He just couldn't understand why that surnamed Chen had to meddle like this. Wasn't he being too overbearing? It left Sect Leader Gao feeling stifled.

Zheng Dan said, "Ding Fayi of Fankeshan was generous enough. With his sword 'Jiangzhen,' his flying sword 'Jieshen,' and his lineage as a descendant of the ancient shamans, if he really wanted to target you, you, Gao Yi, would never have had the chance to grow. You'd have died young. He wanted to mediate, to help you both turn past-life enmity into present-life goodwill."

Gao Yi said, "With you here, if Ding Fayi had dared to curse me, who would have died is debatable."

Zheng Dan said earnestly, "Gao Yi, take my advice. Without me secretly guarding your path, if you remain so petty and narrow-minded, no matter how many external opportunities you seize, you'll never achieve great things. One wrong step, and you'll fall into endless ruin."

The maidservant leaned forward, holding her sleeve back, and poured another cup for Gao Yi. He drank gloomily, not forgetting to thank her. She smiled.

But Zheng Dan scolded, "Huansha Nu, still trying to seduce!"

The maidservant smiled. "A woman who truly forgets her homeland and regards another's country as home—why take it out on others?"

Zheng Dan's face was stern, about to scold the maidservant further, when the maidservant seemed to speak for her, "Slap your mouth ten times as a warning."

Zheng Dan was about to speak again, and the maidservant added, "A vixen who ruins a nation and brings calamity to its people—even death is too good for her."

The maidservant leisurely refilled Zheng Dan's cup and said with a smile, "I'll shut up now."

Zheng Dan sneered, "What, you lowly maid, still clinging to that Fan gentleman of the Merchant family? Do you think he's bound to reach the fourteenth realm soon? Or are you so sure I don't dare kill you?"

The ugly maidservant ignored her, instead looking at Gao Yi and smiling. "Sect Leader Gao, what you don't know is that the founding patriarch of the Shangsi Sword Sect, that Hua Furong—Wei Yudian's master—was a frequent guest at the Ning residence on the Sword Qi Great Wall. She and the two sword immortals, Ning and Yao, were close friends. Because of this deep bond of incense fire between the older generation, Sect Leader Ding allowed Wei Yudian to take refuge on the Sword Qi Great Wall.

"So, Sect Leader Gao, when you went looking for Wei Yudian's trouble on the Sword Qi Great Wall, you chose a bad place. It seemed like you accidentally ran into the young Hidden Official, but it was all within Sect Leader Ding's calculations.

"Lucky for you, you met Hidden Official Chen, not his Dao partner. Honestly, you can't consider yourself anything less than extraordinarily fortunate."

Gao Yi was speechless, a lingering fear in his heart.

Zheng Dan didn't interrupt the maidservant this time. After she poured another full cup for Gao Yi, Zheng Dan sneered, "Being a good sect leader is more than twice as hard as becoming a Jade Purity realm cultivator by luck. If Sword Immortal Gao dares to underestimate any upper-five-realm cultivator again, Flowing Xia Continent will soon gain a short-lived sect."

Gao Yi raised his cup with both hands, nodding to the two seniors, humbly accepting the lesson, and drank it all.

The maidservant stood up, lifted a corner of the blind, and murmured, "In times of division, chaos, and governance, in peaceful eras, men and women on the road are all going out to see the flowers."

Zheng Dan laughed heartily. "We are both ghostly beings, yet neither of us could go further. Xu Junkui beat us to it. Truly worth three full cups."

The maidservant sighed softly. "The transformation between wood and wild geese, between dragon and snake—how easy do you think that is?"

At the highest point of the feng shui cave, which had been carved into a private residence, Chen Ping'an saw Gao Xuandu off. He returned to the main hall with Ning Yao, glanced at the seating arrangement that seemed like a confrontation, waved his sleeve, and had the chairs form a circle.

Chen Ping'an picked a chair near the door at random. Cao Gun took off his boots and sat cross-legged. Xuan Shen slumped entirely into his chair. Song Gaoyuan still habitually sat upright. Back in the Summer Resort, besides a small desk piled high with files, there were only futons, bamboo chairs, and little stools—each according to preference. Dong Bude often dozed off in rare leisure moments, his legs propped on the desk. Guo Zhujiu, despite her low cultivation, was full of energy; her way of resting was to wipe her small bamboo box with her sleeve, breathe on it, and rub it repeatedly. Gu Jianlong liked to lie on the floor with his head under the desk. Lin Junbi preferred to play through move patterns alone. Pang Yuanji habitually stared blankly with a bitter face. Luo Zhenyi always deliberately looked at no one. Wang Xinshui frequently asked if the Hidden Official's shoulders were sore, telling him not to overwork, while praising Grand Sword Immortal Mi's brilliant achievements.

Chen Ping'an took out several kinds of immortal wines and more than a dozen jugs from his storage artifact, pushing them all to the center of the hall for everyone to help themselves.

Pu He and others who weren't short on funds followed suit, and in an instant, dozens of jugs of wine were on the floor.

Ning Yao thought for a moment, then got up and left.

Xie Songhua and Song Pin followed her out.

Once Ning Yao left, Xuan Shen shot over to Chen Ping'an's side with lightning speed. Cao Gun, no less skilled, sat on Chen Ping'an's other side.

Chen Ping'an, holding a wine jug, sat on the floor. He raised his jug high toward Song Gaoyuan across from him, and they both took a big gulp. He grumbled about Song Gaoyuan's lack of manners—as a half-host whose sect was on Fuyao Continent, he couldn't even propose three toasts. Then Chen Ping'an grabbed the arms of the two beside him, squeezing a little harder, and said with a smile, "I've missed you all!"

Ning Yao and the others strolled outside. Xie Songhua laughed. "We all know each other inside out. You don't need to give the Hidden Official that face on purpose. As for those seven who never went to the Sword Qi Great Wall, they've long admired Chen Ping'an. After today, they're even more impressed. They don't need that bit of face."

Ning Yao said helplessly, "If I'm there, he can't really drink freely."

Song Pin smiled and said, "I hear that Sword Immortal Situ's family is recognized as a nest of beauties."

Ning Yao said, "Not long ago, a girl who went by the alias 'Wang Gua' visited Fallen Mountain with her sect. Chen Ping'an met her and gave her a few pointers. He told me about these things himself."

Xie Songhua clicked her tongue. "The Hidden Official's technique of confessing without being asked has truly reached the pinnacle of perfection."

Song Pin said, "Are you sure it's not 'protesting too much'?"

Liu Xu arrived a bit late. As he entered the wine-scented hall, Pu He immediately shouted for everyone to make room—the great talent Liu Xu had arrived.

Though Liu Xu was usually a silent gourd, when he did open his mouth, he let loose a torrent of Northern Julu Continent's "elegant speech" at Pu He, cursing him thoroughly.

Yu Yue quickly pretended to mediate, feeling deeply satisfied. Pu He looked down on Yu Yue and Situ Jiyu, but he had great admiration for Liu Xu—the young master of the Mule Horse River, who didn't have to pretend to be poor but whom everyone thought was poor. The old sword immortal thought that if he had a Dao partner and a son, he'd be just like Liu Xu.

If he hadn't heard that honest remark, it would be one thing, but now...

During this reunion, they hardly talked about the Sword Qi Great Wall, mostly about the general trends of Haoran, the customs, anecdotes, and tales of various continents.

Of course, because of the young ones, they also talked about the rising young sword prodigies of Haoran.

That inevitably led back to Chen Li. Chen Ping'an had just learned that Chen Li was at the bottleneck of the Golden Core realm and about to go into seclusion. It might not be for a breakthrough, but there were signs of the bottleneck loosening.

Chen Ping'an had no intention of using Chen Li as a hint to Ju Xing and the others not to slack off in their sword practice. Instead, he hoped they would interact more, travel across continents together.

Chen Li, disciple of Li Cai of the Floating Sword Lake, had earned the reputation of "Little Hidden Official."

And before Chen Li was taken from her hometown by Li Cai, she had made a special trip to the Second Shopkeeper's tavern and written a wish plaque.

"Chen Li, sword Hui Ming, flying sword Wu Mei. A hundred years of age, a sword immortal, easily within reach."

One must know that on the Sword Qi Great Wall, a "sword immortal" wasn't just a Jade Purity realm. That meant for Chen Li to achieve this feat—this young sword cultivator who had secretly formed a first-grade Golden Core in Haoran—she first had to reach the Jade Purity realm within sixty years of age, then spend the remaining thirty or forty years tempering her foundation at the Jade Purity level to break into the Immortal realm in one go. If others were being pedantic, since Chen Li herself said "easily within reach," wouldn't she have to become an Immortal realm sword cultivator by seventy or eighty to not be accused of blowing smoke without straw?

Chen Li was also the shared imaginary rival of Xue Zhou, Yedu, and other contemporaries from the same hometown. Even Bai Xuan, who was the type to say "I'm not afraid even if the Heavenly King comes, because I am the Heavenly King"—according to Zheng Dafeng, this kid had a natural talent for the iron head technique, and one day of practice equaled a year of hard work for others. But when Bai Xuan occasionally mentioned Chen Li, there was a hint of evasive humility; he had to add that Chen Li was a few years older.

Of course, for Cao Gun, Xuan Shen, and the others, having a little Hidden Official like Chen Li only made them sigh, "Our Dao is not in decline; the younger generation is formidable."

As for Ju Xing and the other youths, they couldn't hold their wine and were already drunk, while Xue Zhou and the girls found that wine was nothing much.

Liu Xu grouped with a few Earth Immortal sword cultivators to play finger-guessing games. Pu He somehow ended up shoulder to shoulder with Yu Yue, throwing an arm around his neck and pounding his head, calling him a waste, asking how he ended up with such a friend... and admitting he was even worse, having lost to Mi Xiuhua back then.

Chen Ping'an had started searching for more wine.

He said there was a secret reading technique called "midnight burglary, alleyway murder."

The young Hidden Official—maybe not so young anymore—was truly drunk.

He said he was very happy to meet everyone here, now, in this place, at this moment.

He said that we sword cultivators should have such a heart, dare to think such thoughts—let us all strive together! The old sword Dao of the mortal world ends with me; the new sword Dao of the mortal world begins with me!

He finally said he wasn't drunk, that they had no skill at drinking, not even at toasting. With a burp, he grandly pushed aside an arm, turned his bleary eyes—and saw her. He sobered up instantly.

At this sight, the hall erupted in laughter.

Ning Yao was helpless—the opportunity was rare. So she joined Xie Songhua and Song Pin in "sitting down" for a drink, continuing the second round of the drinking party.

Chen Ping'an sat alone on the steps outside, hands in his sleeves, staring blankly.

At some point, He Xiangting and Yu Qingzhang came outside. These two sword cultivators, who had left their hometown to join Fallen Mountain but then chose to leave, sat beside the earliest Hidden Official, then Master Cao, and finally Mountain Lord Chen.

Chen Ping'an came to his senses, smiled, reached out and pressed their heads gently, rubbing them slightly. Then he rested his hands on his knees, his gaze gentle. He said nothing.