# Chapter 1173: Accompanied by Wine
Two young women serving as the "gatekeepers" of the State Preceptor's official residence were neatly dressed, one in brocade and one in verdant green, like peonies and secluded bamboo. They each guarded the two covered corridors connecting the second and third courtyards, both carrying a Great Li border army standard saber and a short sword at their waists.
Inside the room, the standing Han E said in a trembling voice: "It's an illusion realm created by immortals, right? Liu Wenjin isn't actually dead, is he?!"
It was said that those who cultivated the Dao in the mountains could hide heaven and earth in their sleeves, shrink distances, transform myriad things—enough to make falsehoods seem real.
Chen Ping'an tapped his knee lightly with a rolled-up book and said: "Liu Wenjin, forty-three years old, currently serving as the Minister of Rites of Qiu Nation. He has been using a false identity for nineteen years. His real name is Zheng Lan, originally from the former White Frost Dynasty, Floral Fragrance Prefecture. His family was a prominent regional clan, officials generation after generation—unfortunately, he was born to a concubine. Floral Fragrance Prefecture—quite a coincidence."
Han E stood silent beside that chair. The young prince's heart was a turbulent sea. He couldn't die, he couldn't die yet! There were too many ambitions yet unfulfilled. He still needed to realize his aspirations as Qiu Nation's new sovereign, to help the Han clan of Qiu break free from vassalage, no longer paying tribute to any suzerain state. He absolutely couldn't continue to bring shame to his ancestors.
Chen Ping'an said: "At first, I was also worried that Liu Wenjin might be a spy with dual identities, so I had the Ministry of Punishments, and even the Ministry of War, thoroughly re-examine all of Liu Wenjin's relevant files to see if anything had been missed. The result was—nothing."
Han E's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched tightly. He was terrified of the green-robed man to the point of extremes, yet the youth instead summoned some daring and said through gritted teeth: "The heavy taxation in Qiu Nation, Han Prefecture, far exceeds the average for all the Great Li prefectures. Liu Wenjin said this was the Great Li Song clan deliberately suppressing Qiu Nation, making the people's lives unbearable, causing complaints to fill the streets. One day, they would rise in rebellion. The Great Li court intended to let Qiu Nation disintegrate on its own within thirty years, then use the opportunity to send troops to suppress the rebellion, cutting off the Han clan's rule over Qiu Nation completely, not even preserving their vassal status."
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile: "How did Minister Liu explain and embellish the Han clan secretly colluding with the demon army command during the war?"
Han E shouted angrily: "You're lying! My father only refused to follow the Great Li military orders back then. He wouldn't send men under fourteen from Qiu Nation to the battlefield. After several failed negotiations with the subsidiary capital's Ministry of War, my father took the risk himself and went to the subsidiary capital to meet that wretch Song Mu, the King of Luo.
My father even promised that all able-bodied members of the Qiu royal clan, even children who could lift a sword, would go to the battlefield to kill demons—if only the Great Li would retract that military order. That day, the rain was pouring heavily. A sovereign of a nation knelt on the ground, but Song Mu refused to nod, wouldn't even meet him!"
"It's a pity Minister Liu doesn't go to the Heavenly Bridge to tell stories."
Chen Ping'an smiled and said: "As for making people eat closed doors and listening to the sound of kneeling, Song Jixin really would do something like that."
Han E sneered coldly: "The King of Luo, Song Mu, colluded with the Inspector Su Gaoshan—one ruthless, the other merciless—they wanted to work together to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, intimidating all nations. Su Gaoshan led troops into the palace and harmed my father! That Su Gaoshan, wildly ambitious, wanted to make the position of Inspector he had already seized hereditary and perpetual. The Civil Pillar of State and the Military Inspector—so that his military merit family, which rose through killing, could have generations of wealth and splendor!"
Chen Ping'an narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Liu Wenjin really is a piece of trash. Killing is nothing more than a blade to the head? If I had known this earlier, I shouldn't have given him such a clean death."
The young prince spoke passionately, spittle flying, completely lost in his own words, showing no fear at all. "Liu Wenjin also said that back then, when the Great Li dynasty forcibly moved people from the coast, anyone who refused to leave their homeland within the deadline—fishermen, islanders—were all summarily executed. The Great Li border army's military tally was like a death warrant, yet they didn't provide enough boats, resulting in corpses lining the roads of relocation, people exchanging children for food—it was a miserable sight. The souls of those who died under the blade, drowned, or starved still wander the coast even now."
"Your Great Li dynasty's current civil and military achievements are all built upon the countless white bones of the wrongfully dead. The soldiers and commoners of various nations who died at the hands of the Great Li border army outnumber those who died at..."
Chen Ping'an had been listening patiently until this point, then gave a soft "Hmm?"
There was actually no immortal technique involved, but Han E felt as if someone had grabbed him by the throat. It was purely the indescribable... aura that frightened him.
Han E's entire being was like a sheepskin raft crossing a river—pierced by a knife, the air rushed out, and he deflated. The youth was once again drowned in fear.
A woman said softly: "State Preceptor, Yuan Huajing of the Earth Branch lineage, along with Song Xu and Yu Yu, have arrived."
Chen Ping'an said: "Don't see Yu Yu. Have her return the way she came."
So she stopped that young woman, who was from the Horse Dung Yu clan with no low standing in the family, and let the other two pass through to the inner courtyard.
Earlier, it was also she who had sliced off Liu Wenjin's head with one sword stroke and carried it to show the youth.
Yu Yu wanted to speak but was stopped by Song Xu—who had the status of a Great Li prince—using his eyes to signal: Don't be stubborn, go back quickly.
Chen Ping'an said to the youth: "Han E, I can accept your stupidity. That's why I took the time to talk with you until now. But if your nature is bad, rotten at the root, I wouldn't get angry at you—there's no point getting angry at a dead person. However, I would regret letting you cross this threshold, that you didn't give me even a single surprise. Since you've made me regret it, then within the bounds of Great Li's established state policies and border army regulations, I'll make the nobles of Qiu Nation suffer a bit more, dig out those rotten flesh and decayed bones a bit deeper."
Han E began trembling again like a sieve, and it truly wasn't an act. The books only taught how to be an emperor or an official—they didn't teach this.
The Nascent Soul Sword Immortal from the Yuan clan of the Supreme Pillar of State, along with the Great Li prince Song Xu, stood respectfully outside the door and addressed him as State Preceptor.
Chen Ping'an smiled and said: "Pick your own chairs and sit down to talk. I called you both over because I want you to make a trip to Han Prefecture outside Qiu Nation, to cooperate with Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Punishments and keep an eye on certain people of our own. Zhao Yao and Cao Gengxin are waiting in the left side room of the second courtyard. Discuss the specific matters among yourselves behind closed doors. Also, Song Xu, go remind Yu Yu not to let her cleverness get the better of her."
Song Xu and Yuan Huajing both moved chairs and sat down, nodding.
Yuan Huajing had previously spent some time at the Sword Worship Platform, gaining great benefits, with many advantages for his Sword Dao. He had met both the Old Deaf Man and Xie Gou. The former felt he was a diligent piece of workable material, and with a bit more luck, might have a chance to ascend to Immortal realm in this life, so he shared quite a bit of sword-refining insights with Yuan Huajing.
As for the latter, she felt this "Yuan Jucai" was an expert at doing addition, making communication extremely difficult. But the sable-hatted girl, seeing that his aptitude was poor, still asked him a question.
"Breath like a hanging thread, diminishing for the Dao day by day—can you understand this?"
Yuan Huajing, who had made thorough preparations beforehand, chose to go into seclusion at the Sword Worship Platform, but failed to break through his realm. Even after leaving the Sword Worship Platform, he still hadn't become a Jade Pellet Realm Sword Immortal. Yuan Huajing knew his own bitterness well. Not talking was fine, but after talking with them, he felt his Nascent Soul realm bottleneck had become even larger and higher.
All because of that one sentence from Xie Gou, which made Yuan Huajing feel as if he had an awakening beneath the words, his Dao heart suddenly reduced, his Sword Dao abruptly emptied.
So although failing to break through was a small regret, Yuan Huajing had his own satisfaction in the unseen realm. This heart was not something to share with outsiders.
Chen Ping'an asked: "That young empress dowager of Qiu Nation—she really isn't a Great Li spy harboring thoughts of death?"
Han E, standing nearby like a punished child, felt as if struck by lightning. His mind was a mess of porridge, and he collapsed on the spot. The youth staggered, reaching out to grab the armrest of the chair, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
Yuan Huajing said: "Whether she is or isn't, what difference does it make?"
The implication was simple: the State Preceptor might not be unfamiliar with troop deployment, but as for the inner secrets and industry rules of dead agents and spies—the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall might not have a deep understanding or feeling for them.
Chen Ping'an didn't mind.
Song Xu shook his head and said: "I can confirm to the State Preceptor that she is not a dead agent the Great Li planted in Qiu Nation."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Then it's simple."
After supplementary investigations by both the Ministry of Punishments and the Ministry of War, the second list totaled 320 people.
In addition, there were over fifty spies from other nations, but half of them had dual or even triple identities. They would need to be screened again.
Chen Ping'an cast a sidelong glance.
Han E couldn't help it—his face was covered in tears.
If? If not? No matter what the answer, the young prince was heartbroken, feeling the same despair either way.
The sable-hatted girl on the covered corridor was flattering the brocade-clad woman with beautiful features but a cold temperament: "Wow, big sister is really pretty, and her sword technique is also beautifully executed."
The young woman smiled and said: "Vice-Chief Xie, please don't joke."
Xie Gou asked in confusion: "You can speak?"
That female martial artist was also confused: "Why wouldn't I be able to speak?"
Xie Gou said: "Earlier in the corridor near the small court assembly, there was an old gentleman in python robes who was very sparing with his words."
The woman explained: "The inner court rules of the imperial household are different from the rules of the State Preceptor's official residence."
Xie Gou remembered something and quietly asked: "Big sister, you're used to being an official. Our mountain lord said something strange—can you help annotate it? He said, 'Scholars who do learning should not touch court hall strategies. Once they touch it, it shatters to pieces.' What does that mean?"
The woman smiled and said: "Probably meaning that no matter how intelligent a scholarly researcher is, they can't be more intelligent than those who have become officials, especially high-ranking officials. Since that's the case, it's better to establish one's words in the study, honestly do one's research, and produce works that can be passed down through generations, leaving some trace behind. This is just my casual guess—how could I possibly know the State Preceptor's true thoughts?"
Xie Gou gave a thumbs up and began reaching into her sleeve: "Also a well-read scholar! Sister Rongyu, I've compiled a travelogue—please take a look."
Rong Yu waved her hand. "Fu Qing has a fondness for literature. Vice-Chief Xie can show it to her. I'll pass."
Xie Gou put away the booklet and shook her head. "Then I'll pass too. I can read faces. Sister Fu Qing and I don't get along."
Her waist was too thin, her hips too plump, her chest too prominent, and the key thing was that she deliberately concealed and hid them.
Although Rong Yu was curious, she didn't ask the reason, simply taking it as mountain learning from Dao attainment.
A literary secretary of thirty, carrying a stack of files, arrived at the "gate."
Rong Yu pressed her saber sheath and said calmly: "Stop. The State Preceptor is still in discussion."
That handsome literary secretary said nothing, standing outside the door.
Xie Gou transmitted with her mind: "Sister Rongyu, he wants to sleep with you."
Rong Yu's expression was cold as she formed a thread of sound to reply secretly: "Then he's seeking death."
Xie Gou chuckled. "I'm not trying to sow discord. By the way, let me ask you one more thing—how many years has he been 'walking' and training here?"
Rong Yu suddenly frowned. "Nineteen days short of six full years... Then he really is seeking death!"
Xie Gou clicked her tongue. Truly sharp-witted.
Rong Yu directly said to the other gatekeeper Fu Qing: "I'll go to the Yi-Character Room first and have everyone stop writing immediately, leave their desks, and wait outside the building. You take this person's files, go back to your room and review them immediately, then also retrieve the accumulated archives from the past two years to see if we can find any pattern of 'power usurpation' in their Yi-Character Room attempting to deceive the State Preceptor, or traces of them trying to gloss over important matters to benefit themselves."
Fu Qing walked directly to the lead literary secretary of the Yi-Character Room, took all the files that needed the State Preceptor's comments and decisions, and returned to a room in the second courtyard. She didn't even close the door, beginning to review the documents on the spot.
Rong Yu grabbed the shoulder of that promising handsome man, dragged him all the way to the entrance of the Yi-Character Room, told him to stay put, and entered the building. Soon, those literary secretaries emerged one after another, completely bewildered, looking at each other as they stood in the corridor.
Rong Yu then went to a secluded side room in the front courtyard. Soon, a white-haired old man had the Ministry of Punishments extract classified records and copy them here. There would also be some commotion from the two Ministry of Works in the Great Li capital and subsidiary capital, comparing them with the Yi-Character Room.
Chen Ping'an didn't concern himself with Rong Yu and Fu Qing's series of actions. He simply stood up and returned to the table. The literary secretaries from the various offices had already brought some important official documents. Before Han E arrived, Chen Ping'an had roughly browsed through them, then had them bring more files.
For the Great Li border army, the Ministry of Works alone, in collaboration with Mohists and talisman masters, had created five types of mountain armor, with the highest rank being the Mountain Pattern Five Peaks Armor. Back then, just to transport the Five-Colored Earth from various mountains, the Great Li court mobilized thousands of mountain-moving spirit creatures, along with even more mechanical puppets and talisman laborers. So last time at the Hehuan Mountain region, when Chen Ping'an learned that those small nations south of the great river with stable borders and no wars had their courts and powerful aristocratic clans, both openly and covertly, trading in such talisman armor and various mountain weapons—a business yielding ten thousand percent profit, or more accurately, a business with no capital cost at all—the subsidiary capital's Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue had long suggested buying back these armors and weapons in large quantities at low prices. But the capital side had objections about whether to use the Great Li official identity or private names for the purchases. As for "low prices," how low they should be was still under debate.
Take the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, Yan Yongfeng—although in the small court assembly he was a mute gourd who said nothing, on paper he frequently sent inquiries to this office, pouring out his grievances. Before the Great Li border army marched south, throughout the court and countryside, officials and literati from all departments loved to discuss border affairs. Not discussing this was considered out of touch. After the Great Li Song clan unified Bottle Gourd Continent, border studies once again became a momentary "prominent school." It wasn't until after the war ended, when the Great Li dynasty returned half of Bottle Gourd Continent, that interest began to gradually decline. But it was pitiful that the Court of State Ceremonial became a punching bag in the eyes of the Six Ministries—anyone could say something about it.
It was really because the Court of State Ceremonial had caused too many jokes over the years. For example, a certain vassal small nation's delegation for court audience grew year after year. Good heavens, this year they came with a massive three thousand people. Word had it that two children had been born on the road... There were also those who substituted inferior tribute goods for quality ones, and according to regulations, received a large reward from the Great Li court in return, making a huge profit after returning! There were those who smuggled goods along the way, conducting illicit trade throughout their journey. It was less a tribute road and more a trade route...
In short, at every post station along the tribute route and during their stay in the capital, there were endless troubles both big and small. Some refused to return—when they came with three or four hundred people, only a hundred or so went back, and they had to be caught one by one... Some got drunk and caused trouble in the capital, had fights or even armed conflicts between delegations. Some even impersonated others, forged official seals, and came early to the Great Li capital to claim rewards!
As Chen Ping'an quickly flipped through the large pile of files Rong Yu and others had brought, he came across one where the masterminds behind the forged official seals turned out to be several youths less than sixteen years old who had merely read some unofficial histories and heard some opera. After the Ministry of Punishments interrogated them, they indeed had no real agenda—they just wanted to make a big sum of money. If they were going to swindle someone, why not go after the richest person they could think of? Who else but that Song Dynasty emperor of the Great Li!
The Court of State Ceremonial officials and the local prefectural governments along the way would certainly take the blame, but even the Ministry of Punishments couldn't help adding a few comments in the records, roughly saying that those highly imaginative and daring youths, along with the ragtag troupe whose acting grew increasingly sophisticated along the way, could have their sentences reduced as appropriate.
So Chen Ping'an again picked up his brush and wrote two vermilion characters—"May Reduce"—on the Ministry of Punishments document.
Then he added a few more lines. Roughly: if after serving their sentences, the youths should be sent back to their hometowns. If they were willing to settle in the capital or wanted to study at Spring Mountain Academy, the Great Li Ministry of Revenue would cover the expenses.
In half an hour, he had commented on over sixty official documents.
There were also some suggestions issued by the official residence and copied to the heads of various departments, such as respectively loaning a sword boat to Southern Mountain Lord Fan Junmao and the Old Dragon City area, and whether a landscape passage similar to the Return to Ruins could be opened between the Eastern Sea and the Southern Mountain region, with the Ministry of Works tasked to review the feasibility.
Chen Ping'an raised his head and asked with a smile: "How's the food in this office?"
Song Xu said: "Word has it that the three meals plus supper are famous for being delicious and filling."
Yuan Huajing glanced at Han E and asked: "How should he be handled?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment but answered a different question: "For this term's inspection evaluation in the subsidiary capital, the Ministry of Personnel should take the lead. Go inform Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Punishments and tell the subsidiary capital that the surface procedures should all proceed as usual. But they should ask them two questions—don't make the evaluation traces too obvious. Using some mountain techniques is fine. If the subsidiary capital's Ministry of Rites or anyone objects, tell them to come find me in the capital.
Also, once we have the two answers, they don't need to be included in the subsidiary capital's inspection evaluation and shouldn't temporarily affect promotions or demotions. The capital just needs to know."
Yuan Huajing asked in confusion: "What questions?"
Chen Ping'an said: "Handle the specifics appropriately. I just want two answers from deep in the hearts of those officials: Should the wild demons die? And is the Great Li dynasty any good?"
Yuan Huajing thought for a moment and said: "This inspection evaluation not conducted in the open—aside from having the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of Punishments work behind the scenes, and on the surface making it seem like a boring formality—could we extend it by a month or so to better guarantee the authenticity of the final results?"
Chen Ping'an thought it over. "Feasible."
Song Xu said: "The fewer people who know about this, the better. Moreover, to truly make it seem like a formality and fool those officials who've all become experts at bureaucratic games, we need to immediately select a new Minister of Personnel—a position that's been vacant in our capital."
"Soon."
Chen Ping'an nodded, then asked: "That literary secretary outside, the one in charge of a room's confidential documents—is he from a Supreme Pillar of State clan?"
Song Xu hesitated for a moment, then said: "His surname is Yu. He passed the top-level imperial examination. The family has high hopes for him."
Yuan Huajing breathed a sigh of relief. Good, not someone with the same surname as him.
On the corridor of the second courtyard, summer had already arrived, but they all felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
Chen Ping'an led Yuan Huajing and Song Xu out of the back courtyard veranda. The two Earth Branch cultivators quickly left the official residence, each going about their business.
That youth prince, looking as mournful as if he had lost his parents, found Rong Yu who had returned to this area and said timidly: "The State Preceptor told me to come borrow a bucket and cloth from you to clean the bloodstains on the ground in the back courtyard. After I clean the floor, I'm supposed to follow the State Preceptor's orders and leave here, following Yuan Huajing and Song Xu to the sword boat..."
Rong Yu said nothing, leading the youth to get the items.
Chen Ping'an stood with his hands in his sleeves, looking at those central officials and reserve regional governors who were currently walking on thin ice, and said with a smile: "Meeting all of you for the first time—this kind of opening isn't too good."
Chen Ping'an looked at that aristocratic son with ambitions as high as the sky and even more daring, and said amiably: "I'm a rough man who stepped in dog shit—besides killing my way back and forth on the battlefield, I actually know a little about court affairs. Not an expert, but not a complete layman either. But your patience is too poor. You couldn't wait a few more days."
His gaze shifted away from the young official who had collapsed limply on the ground. Chen Ping'an's expression became blank as he said three sentences.
"For clerks and petty officials, it takes several generations of painstaking management to truly control a government office and reach an understanding with the chief official."
"Has Grand Preceptor Cui ever told you that in temples, there is a 'Selection Buddha Ground' for illuminating the mind and seeing one's nature?"
"Here, it's a promotion ground that will make your butt burn just sitting down, and make half of Bottle Gourd Continent envious—but it's also a place to seek death."
In the sweltering summer heat, those young people in the corridor, temporarily low in rank but already wielding significant power, were all drenched in sweat.
As for that promising young talent who was about to be "externally appointed as a capital official"—a relative of the imperial family by marriage who was practically a half-relative of Prince Song Xu—Rong Yu grabbed him by his hair bun and dragged him out like a dead dog.
---
At dusk, Chen Ping'an had Wei Bo help him return to Fallen Mountain territory. During this time, Wei Night Traveler teased him, asking if he would have to report for duty every day from now on.
The sable-hatted girl, however, now wore a third-class attendant token and a brand new jade token from the State Preceptor's official residence at her waist. She restrained her sword intent, and her figure shot up above the capital. The sky was cloudless, but there was a booming sound as sword light streaked across, heading towards Fallen Mountain.
At the Fuyao Foothill private Dao ground, amidst a verdant bamboo grove, a three-bay study sat beside a small lake with shimmering ripples.
Chen Ping'an didn't walk directly towards the secluded study used for reading and nurturing Qi. Instead, he walked into the lake water. The moment his cloth shoes touched the water's surface, it became as flat as a mirror, frozen like a single piece of glass.
The water surface then began to flow with color and light, revealing a talisman-covered formation restriction. Chen Ping'an walked slowly, the formation pattern beneath his feet spinning rapidly. When he stopped, he had also unlocked the first restriction. His green-clad figure remained motionless as the entire mirror surface suddenly flipped. At the same time, a brilliant star chart appeared in the air, within arm's reach. Chen Ping'an began reaching out to pick stars, moving them one by one to different constellations. His field of view suddenly opened up, returning to normal imagery. But between the lake water beneath his feet and the study on the shore, a hazy "mountain gate" had appeared, standing like a huge compass used by feng shui masters for geomancy. Chen Ping'an moved his mind slightly, and circles of various-colored characters began to spin. When the compass stopped, Chen Ping'an finally stepped ashore and opened the door. Inside sat that Daoist Ding.
It was said that in the mountains, sixty years passed while a thousand years went by in the world.
Within Daoist Ding's personal heaven and earth, it was far more than that.
Xie Gou sat by the doorway. "That Huang Zhen really did a number on us."
Chen Ping'an nodded. The matter of guarding the Dao and using observation to verify the Dao was basically a loss.
Xie Gou said: "What a huge loss. Mountain lord really won't demand compensation from Jiang She?"
Chen Ping'an was silent.
If the divine nature had remained pure and could be extracted out, it could continue to record Daoist Ding's path-seeking experience and his mental journey.
That would have been an entire complete path to the heavens—a complete Dao lineage encompassing the Dao, the mind, technique, and method.
Now, what was there to see?
He could only patiently wait for Daoist Ding to wake up.
Within a person, there were 1,500 caves, and there had once been the ambition to refine the myriad things.
Chen Ping'an sat at the doorway. Xie Gou casually asked: "Mountain lord doesn't seem to have much hatred for Huang Zhen?"
Chen Ping'an, distracted, answered casually: "It's okay."
Xie Gou was puzzled. "Why?"
Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment. "Back in the small town, people called me all sorts of things, but no one ever called me a thief."
Xie Gou understood, lying down on the bamboo corridor, crossing her legs and shaking one cloth shoe. "Human nature, ah. The human heart, ah."
Chen Ping'an said: "I might need to send a flying sword message to Green Tiger Palace, have Zhao Zhe immediately bring his disciple here."
Previously, at Green Tiger Palace in Parasol Leaf Continent, he had applied a summoning talisman on the little Dao boy's mind, containing three Dao meanings of landscape and thunder techniques, "tailored to the illness," relatively mild. But this was treating symptoms, not the root cause. Moreover, the fight with Jiang She had countless aftereffects, and Lu Chen's situation was like that—this talisman must have been affected. Chen Ping'an had just thought of a relatively safe method to break it.
Xie Gou immediately sat up and said: "I'll go, I'll handle it! I've been working hard on calligraphy recently, and my skill is not low!"
Chen Ping'an changed his tune: "Never mind. Flying sword messages take too long. I'll use a Three Mountains Talisman to go to Green Tiger Palace."
Xie Gou said: "Let's go together."
Chen Ping'an said: "No need. I'll go quickly and return quickly. Don't waste your Three Mountains Talisman. You have limited uses."
Xie Gou hesitated for a moment, rubbed her sable hat, and said tentatively: "Mountain lord, I can refine a counterfeit Three Mountains Talisman myself. The distance it can shrink is shorter, but I can just throw more. It doesn't consume much merit either. The spiritual Qi consumption is considerable, though, and the talisman paper for drawing it is a bit expensive."
Chen Ping'an was shocked. "Are you sure?!"
Are you certain you've replicated a Three Mountains Talisman that doesn't consume merit, just costs money?!
Xie Gou asked in confusion: "Drawing Three Mountains Talismans—does that violate heavenly law?"
How would I know that the Three Mountains Nine Marquis had such rules? Earlier, when I tried several times to make counterfeits, I didn't attract this ancient friend's attention. He clearly doesn't care about such trivial matters. Although she wasn't familiar with the Three Mountains Nine Marquis, she knew one thing clearly: when it came to transmitting the Dao in ancient times, he was truly generous. Before the Heaven Ascension battle, connecting... notifying the various Daoists across the land mainly relied on him and that group of personal disciples, traveling across mountains and rivers, busy and toiling.
Chen Ping'an steadied his Dao heart. "When did you learn to draw talismans?"
Xie Gou blinked. Asking such boring questions—was the mountain lord looking to be stabbed?
Chen Ping'an slapped his forehead. Right, she had only looked at that corner of the seal's edge with the engraved Dao formula. He hadn't even touched the threshold of "divination," but she could do it after one glance.
Before Chen Ping'an activated the Three Mountains Talisman, he moved a wooden box outside. Inside were talismans, many of them major ones.
All drawn during the period when he had borrowed Dao techniques from Lu Chen and become a Fourteen Realm cultivator.
Xie Gou guessed the mountain lord's thoughts and, risking death, offered advice: "Don't burn them! Keep them to look at, to have something to remember by. If you find someone you like, you can use them to trap them, ruin their Dao practice..."
The talismans in the box, stacked neatly, had excellent craftsmanship. If someone mistakenly thought they had found a bargain and bought them, or schemed with the mountain lord and finally "snatched" them, then used them in combat—well, they'd find out soon enough.
Chen Ping'an shook his head and executed a fire technique. He squatted beside the box with his hands in his sleeves.
He had Xie Gou watch the box. So many talismans burning at once... he was afraid they'd blow up this Dao ground.
Originally, he had thought of using them for personal travel, as gifts, or selling them at high prices as a backpack merchant.
Firelight reflected on a face filled with gloom.
Xie Gou squatted beside the box, staring blankly. "All of this is money. And now it's like burning paper money. You might as well throw them into the water to hear a splash."
Chen Ping'an glared and scolded: "Don't talk nonsense!"
Xie Gou rubbed her sable hat. With a slap, she pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and muttered: "Forgive, forgive. Childish words have no offense. Xie Gou is here, utterly sincere, praying that Grand Master Lu can live for ten thousand years."
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh.
When Xie Gou finished, Chen Ping'an slapped her sable hat and teased: "You're quite good at stealing techniques."
Xie Gou rolled her eyes. Annoying. Before, she felt that her mountain lord didn't see her as a pretty woman; now, he hardly saw her as a woman at all. Worrying. In the future, he might end up treating her like a little sister.
Before going to Parasol Leaf Continent, Chen Ping'an had Wei Bo summon Liu Xianyang to the Fuyao Foothill Dao ground.
The sable-hatted girl lay back down on the floor. Unexpectedly, the mountain lord returned to the Dao ground quickly. Xie Gou was shocked: "Mountain lord has peerless divine powers!"
Chen Ping'an said with slight embarrassment: "When I got there, I found out that Zhao Zhe had already brought Gan Xing and was on the way to Bottle Gourd Continent. Old Master Lu said there's no major problem for now, that I should just rest assured."
Xie Gou burst out laughing, and Chen Ping'an let her gloat.
With a reminder from Wei Night Traveler, Liu Xianyang immediately rushed over. Shrinking earth veins? No need. Liu the Sword Immortal's flying speed was top-notch!
Chen Ping'an opened layers of restrictions, and Liu Xianyang couldn't stop praising: "Great place. Nice scenery. Small territory, but a good Dao ground built inside a snail shell."
Entering the room and seeing the Daoist sitting in corpse meditation on the meditation cushion, Liu Xianyang crouched down, puzzled: "This friend here is..."
Chen Ping'an roughly explained. After listening, Liu Xianyang rubbed his chin and said: "Since he's a little Heavenly Lord in charge of his own domain with a cycle of heavenly Dao within his body, this Daoist Ding can't just have a rigid sleep. He needs to eat, drink, defecate, urinate, burp, and fart."
Chen Ping'an and Xie Gou looked at each other involuntarily. Feasible! It had to be this!
Xie Gou was radiant, giving both thumbs up: "Big Brother Liu, you're amazing!"
Liu Xianyang grinned: "Anyway, it's not me cleaning up the mess. And coincidentally, your mountain lord is good at this."
Xie Gou slowly shifted her gaze. Mountain lord, why are you looking at me like that? Men and women should keep their distance. I'm a virgin maiden and I still have to have a wedding night battle with Xiao Mo.
Chen Ping'an asked: "Do you need that sword-sharpening stone from Dragon Ridge Mountain?"
Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes: "What do you think, Mountain Lord Chen?"
Chen Ping'an smiled: "At Armor Six Mountain, let's split it half and half. Consider it my share of the stake."
Liu Xianyang waved his hand: "I've been waiting for you to say that. Having you say it is enough. Keep the things for yourself."
Whether Chen Ping'an wanted to give and whether Liu Xianyang wanted to accept—both were matters of having the intention arrive at the door.
Liu Xianyang asked: "You've never been willing to go into detail about that fight. What, with three flying swords, you can't show them to anyone?"
Before Chen Ping'an could say anything—"Comparing people is infuriating. You actually have three flying swords!" "I'm both afraid of my brother suffering and afraid of my brother enjoying great fortune."
Chen Ping'an said: "Actually, it's four."
Liu Xianyang's expression remained normal, calm and composed. "Oh."
Xie Gou began silently counting.
Before she could count to three, Liu Xianyang grabbed Chen Ping'an's neck, furious, his anger blazing, and roared: "How many?!"
For a Sword Immortal, the number of natal flying swords doesn't have an "absolute" relationship with realm height or killing power. But who would complain about having more?
Every time he thought of Pei Min, who had once crossed swords with him in the rain curtain of Heavenly Palace Monastery in Parasol Leaf Continent, and pondered his sword techniques, Chen Ping'an would always immediately think of the idiom "shocking the world" when he thought of the opponent's number of flying swords.
He never expected that now he himself would also have four flying swords.
Caged Sparrow, Wellhead Moon, Big Dipper, and Green Duckweed.
They sat together against the wall. Liu Xianyang crossed his arms in front of his chest and was silent for a long time before asking: "Skinny pole, what do you think?"
They had both come this far from their youth. Of course, many people seemed not to have had a childhood.
Xie Gou said seriously: "At this time, in this scene, looking back on the past and recalling the bitter to savor the sweet—a doggerel poem must be composed!"
Chen Ping'an thought carefully for a moment, then smiled: "I want to go have a midnight snack. Have the old cook make a hotpot. It has to be heavy on oil and spice, and there has to be wine!"