Chapter 1191: The Sun and Wild Grass

Chapter 1191: The Sun and Wild Grass

In the heavens, the handle of the Dipper points to Bing, marking Grain in Ear.
On earth, in the marshlands where grass grows, it is time to sow the grain.
The sun leaped forth from the sea, like an immortal golden elixir that would never decay.
When they walked together, it was like a Daoist sanctuary named "Sword Immortal."

On the route leading to the Thousand-Step Corridor of the imperial palace, there were people everywhere—in the nearby streets and alleys, on walls, atop tall buildings, on rooftops, even in trees—every suitable elevated vantage point was packed with crowds of heads. Many also stood on chairs and stools brought outside their doors, on tables, with children perched on their elders' shoulders... They all wanted to see who exactly could take the State Teacher's seal from Cui Chan and sit on that chair in the imperial study's small court assembly. They were curious, hopeful, and worried: would this person, whether young and impetuous or mature and steady, bring even greater prosperity to the Great Li dynasty? Could he make the hoofbeats of the Great Li border army resound across the barbaric wildlands? If he became State Teacher, would he completely overturn the established national policies of Cui Chan's era? Would he dare to personally face the battlefield and confront those fierce and brutal barbarian demons? Would his name be utterly unfamiliar to the barbarian wildlands?

Logically, the tops of the city walls around the capital were the best places to "enjoy the view," offering a bird's-eye panorama. Trying to use connections or pull strings to secure a spot on those open city walls, to get an advantageous position, was out of the question—no room for negotiation. Those allowed on the city walls today were chosen not by official rank or family background, but solely by military merit. The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War had jointly drawn up a list, which the Emperor had personally reviewed and approved. Almost all of them were old men, veteran soldiers of the Great Li border army who had weathered countless battles.

Furthermore, the armored elite patrolling the city walls today had been uniformly replaced by various enshrined cultivators and army-accompanying itinerant cultivators. To prepare for today's ceremony, the capital's various ministries and bureaus—all the great and small government offices—had been busy for several months. Before today, officials had not been without complaints in private; after all, with no fixed date for the ceremony, they had to keep their nerves taut, ensuring no mistakes occurred within their jurisdictions. First, because the annual evaluations were imminent; second, everyone in officialdom knew well that any minor matter related to this great event could potentially reach the Emperor's ears, even prompting a specific imperial edict. And indeed, this was the case. Previously, in a county town within the capital's environs—not even within the capital itself—a gang fight between two martial arts sects had supposedly prompted a handwritten decree from the imperial study to be delivered to the county magistrate's office that very night.

But unexpectedly, a group of people not on the list appeared atop the imperial city walls. The court did not block them, only because they were the new State Teacher's own people.

From one's own Bottle Gourd Continent, the Lotus Firmament, the Law-Bearing Longevity of Fallen Mountain, who went by the Daoist name Ling Chun. She was tall and well-proportioned, with a unique charm. Standing on the city wall, she was like a statue of a goddess emerging from a temple.

From Parasol Leaf Continent, the first sect leader of the Green Ping Sword Sect, Cui Dongshan, a handsome youth with a mole between his brows, robed in white like clouds.

From Southern Whisk Continent, Drunken Yan of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, wearing a pearl hairpin and brocade robes, a seductive beauty.

Also from Fu Yao Continent's Tian Yao Township, Liu Tui, an outsider—an old ascendant to the flying ascending realm with a youthful face, his brows and eyes sinister, his aura sharp.

Cui Dongshan smiled and asked, "Why did Qi Tingji change his mind at the last moment?"

Qi Tingji had already resigned as sect leader of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. Given this old sword immortal's usual temperament, he indeed wouldn't be likely to do such a thing as playing a supporting role. In truth, Qi Tingji and Liu Tui were quite similar in character, both insisting that the sky could not have two suns.

Liu Tui said casually, "Fellow Daoist Qi still retains a guest elder status, doesn't he? His appearance in the procession is hardly cause for alarm."

During the northward journey, Qi Tingji had reminded him of one thing: after allying with Fallen Mountain, he must be careful with Cui Dongshan, to watch out. Liu Tui had thought Cui Dongshan would appear at the ceremony, but instead the white-robed youth stayed here with them to watch the excitement.

Cui Dongshan chuckled, "Objective things are like mountains and earth; subjective views are like floating clouds and flowing water—heaven and earth apart."

Liu Tui knew he couldn't fool Cui Dongshan. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Qi Tingji has always considered Qi Shou being unworthy of Ning Yao as one of the great regrets of his life. But seeing Ning Yao and Chen Ping'an become Dao companions, Qi Tingji felt it was only right."

Drunken Yan exclaimed in admiration. To put it that way, so well said—wasn't that about as good as it gets? Qi Tingji belittled his own descendant, praised Ning Yao, elevated Chen Ping'an... Who was Liu Tui really flattering? Wasn't it still Old Sword Immortal Qi's judgment and magnanimity?

Cui Dongshan nodded. "It seems Old Sword Immortal Qi has found a true confidant."

Liu Tui smiled knowingly.

In this casual chat today, Cui Dongshan's opening line, directly calling him by name "Qi Tingji," was setting the tone.

Cui Dongshan said, "If possible, Fellow Daoist Liu, please keep an eye out. There might be some who plan to cause trouble today. Even if they can't accomplish much, they might still manage to disgust the Great Li dynasty."

Liu Tui raised an eyebrow. "There are still people who don't know their place? Do they really think the Great Li is a vegetarian? Aren't they afraid of annihilation, of having their spirit tablets smashed, their mountains broken and temples destroyed?"

Cui Dongshan laughed. "When hot blood surges and one acts on impulse, life and death cease to matter. If they truly considered the consequences, it wouldn't be acting on impulse, would it?"

Liu Tui's style of conduct immediately showed. "Give me a pass for convenient passage. I want to wander around."

Once you become friends with me, Liu Tui, the benefits I give and the face I show will always exceed your expectations—more, not less.

Drunken Yan was taken aback. This Liu Tui was truly ruthless. At least he was a sect leader, an old ascendant, a peak figure of a continent's Dao governance, and he willingly descended to doing odd jobs? Drunken Yan admitted she couldn't learn from that. The old saying goes: a bold man, willing to risk everything, dares to drag the emperor off his horse. Was Liu Tui willing to sacrifice face, to prop up the fallen words and help them rise?

Cui Dongshan took an old, worn unengraved wooden token from his sleeve. Liu Tui took it. Before leaving the city wall, he asked curiously, "Since you're also a sword cultivator, why aren't you in the procession?"

Cui Dongshan blinked. "They don't need me. Those in the midst and those watching from the sidelines share in the glory. Sages and heroes write the history; I just provide annotations."

The Law-Bearing Longevity teased, "Our Sect Leader Cui is one of those people in the 'et cetera' that often appears in books."

Cui Dongshan flicked his white sleeves, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily. "Excellent! That's enough."

In the sea of people on the street, a young man, flushed with excitement, said eagerly, "It's him!"

He elbowed his companion. "See? I told you. Who else could it be? Brother Yun Qi, you had to argue with me, you were so stubborn—why aren't you stubborn now?"

His friend said helplessly, "A bet's a bet. I'll treat you to a good meal."

The flushed man laughed. "No, I'm treating you."

The scholarly youth was puzzled. "Why?"

"In this year's provincial and palace examinations, I'll definitely pass in quick succession. Brother Yun Qi, you're less certain. From now on, I'll be a court official alongside Chen Ping'an. Ha. This drink is on me—it has to be me!"

Throughout the Great Li court and commonalty, it was widely guessed that Chen Ping'an was the most likely candidate to fill the vacant State Teacher position. But people still had their doubts: he was already a sword immortal pursuing the Dao on the mountain peaks, chasing eternal life—would he truly be willing to come down from retirement? Moreover, he had already established a branch sect on Parasol Leaf Continent—wasn't his gaze fixed solely on the Confucian Temple in the Central Continent? Perhaps he was aiming for a vice-leader position there one day? And rumour had it that he had been neighbours since childhood with Prince Song Mu, who now governed the secondary capital Luo Jing—they were not only from the same hometown and same year, but also uncle and nephew in the same literary lineage. Wouldn't that make his relationship with the Emperor extremely delicate?

Nearby, a gaggle of women whispered among themselves, their limpid eyes darting. They too were from official families—the men talked about fame and achievement, while they admired bearing and spirit.

"Sword Immortal Chen is indeed very young."

"Have you noticed? Fallen Mountain has many female sword immortals."

"They seem no less impressive than Sword Immortal Mi."

These clearly knew Mi Yu well.

"He's so handsome. No wonder he could have so many female confidantes when he roamed the jianghu as a youth. Truly, a man cannot be romantic without being young."

These had clearly read that travelogue of mountains and rivers.

The men were helpless. In the bright daylight, they could see clearly—but the women's praise of his appearance... how could they bring themselves to say it?

The capital had a long-standing Flower Goddess Temple, with the custom of seeing off the flower goddesses at Grain in Ear. Spring ended and summer came, as if to bid farewell to the flower goddesses who had brought all that riotous colour to the mortal world. The Great Li dynasty's folk custom valued martial arts and had never been overly strict about segregation of the sexes. Women from official families and common girls alike would wear flowers in their hair, wrap coloured threads, dress up carefully, and go in groups to the temple fair. Even some old pedants who had spent their whole lives reciting classical texts made exceptions and allowed them out to see.

The Flower Goddess Temple happened to be on a street intersecting with the north-south imperial avenue. The crowds packed there were lucky enough to catch glimpses of those sword immortals' figures and faces.

The Great Li capital was a place where news travelled extremely fast. Not only the high officials, but even the common folk had become familiar with Chen Ping'an and Fallen Mountain in recent years. Chuzhou was itself an old native prefecture of the Great Li dynasty, not one of the new prefectures annexed during the Great Li iron cavalry's southern campaign. Moreover, Chuzhou was the site where the former Clam Pearl Cave Heaven had shattered and fallen to earth. Thus, the young mountain lord of Fallen Mountain was a native of Great Li. His rise was filled with unbelievable legend: just speaking of it, how had an apprentice kiln worker from a poor family, in straw sandals from a humble alley, climbed to the peak where immortals gathered, crossed the Hanging Sword Mountain, reached the Sword Qi Great Wall, and become master of the Summer Pavilion? Just that one question left people groping in the fog, unable to figure it out even if they racked their brains.

It didn't matter, whatever the reason.

Only our Great Li possessed both the Iron Cavalry, the Embroidery Tiger, and the Hidden Official!

Those familiar with Fallen Mountain and Chen Ping'an would naturally become curious about the Sword Qi Great Wall and want to explore it. Those familiar with the Sword Qi Great Wall would know its customs and practices—for example, the Jade Pu realm sword cultivators there were never called and never called themselves sword immortals. Rumor had it that the higher the realm of a sword cultivator there, the less they liked to drink at a table; they preferred to squat by the roadside with a bowl and drink. Strange indeed.

"It's said that it was that Mr. Qi, the founder of Cliff Academy, who accepted disciples on behalf of his teacher. That's how Chen Ping'an became the last disciple of Old Master Wen Sheng."

Like the Great Li dynasty itself—the nation and the man, both from humble beginnings.

The young man in yellow hat and black shoes had a gentle demeanour, a modest gentleman.

Behind him, the girl in a sable hat, with flushed cheeks, was not tall, with flying brows and a short sword at her waist.

Pei Qian, once known under the alias "Zheng Qian," had earned a reputation on the battlefield of the secondary capital. She was one of the four great martial arts Grandmasters of Bottle Gourd Continent.

Sword Immortal Mi Yu had shone brilliantly at the battle of Old Dragon City. He came from the Hidden Office lineage of the Summer Pavilion sword cultivators, nicknamed "Mi the Waist."

Jiang Shangzhen, alias Zhou Fei, was Fallen Mountain's chief enshrined. For Bottle Gourd Continent cultivators, it was like finding a gold nugget in a pile of shit from Parasol Leaf Continent. What the cultivators of Parasol Leaf Continent and North Juli Continent thought of Jiang Shangzhen, and what reputation he had, the Great Li dynasty didn't care about.

Young men and boys who yearned for the jianghu and knew the stories of the mountains finally had their chance to shine. For their female relatives or the girls they fancied, who were ignorant of court affairs and immortal sect secrets, they introduced the identities and resumes of these sword immortals. They talked endlessly, like counting family treasures. Just for Chen Ping'an, there was a long string of titles and names: the last disciple of Wen Sheng, the junior disciple of Cui Chan and Qi Jingchun, the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Dao companion of Ning Yao, the owner of the Hundred Sword Immortals and Two Hundred Sword Immortals Seal Imprints, the great sword immortal who, together with Liu Xianyang of Dragon Spring Sword Sect, challenged Zhengyang Mountain, a martial artist at the Transcending Realm of the same age as Cao Ci and equally famous, the master of Grandmaster Pei Qian...

"What about the one walking side by side with Ning Yao, at the front, looking even younger than Sword Immortal Chen? He's first—his realm must be high, right? How old is he? And the woman behind him, what's her name? What realm?"

They were stumped too, all confused. Yes, who was he, and she? The sword cultivators behind her were all unfamiliar faces.

Among the sword immortal procession, the young girl Chai Wu was particularly noticeable. The reason was simple: she looked far too young.

Although accomplished Daoists on the mountains often had the power to rejuvenate—like the old grandmaster of Fengxue Temple or Yu Zhenyi of Lotus Flower Blessed Land—

The girl was asked about many things.

"Who is that little girl?"

"Maybe it's Zhou Mili, the mountain-protecting enshrined of Fallen Mountain. I hear she rarely shows herself, almost never leaves the mountain. She only appeared once during the challenge to Zhengyang Mountain. Becoming a sect's enshrined is already not easy; a mountain-protecting enshrined is even more critical. When the sect leader is away, the mountain-protecting enshrined must take on the responsibility of watching over the Daoist grounds. But that she's a sword cultivator? First I've heard of it."

Regarding the true identities of those sword immortals, opinions were divided, with all sorts of guesses.

Fortunately, the Great Li court also gave the entire capital a pleasant surprise.

This was an unprecedented roll call.

Generally, only names and realms were announced. For example: "Unknown, Fourteenth Realm." "White Scene, Flying Ascending Realm."

But there were three exceptions: Qi Tingji, Pei Qian, and Chai Wu.

They were announced as: "Qi Tingji, Flying Ascending Realm, one who carved the character 'Qi' on the Sword Qi Great Wall." "Pei Qian, sword cultivator, Tenth Realm martial artist."

When it came to Chai Wu, a Jade Pu realm sword cultivator, her actual age was specially added.

Insiders saw the tricks; the knowledgable understood clearly: Chai Wu, who had reached the upper five realms in one step, was certain to reach the Flying Ascending realm and realize the Dao.

Earlier, when "Ning Yao's" name was announced first, cheers like a tsunami instantly submerged the entire Great Li capital.

Ning Yao blushed slightly.

Chen Ping'an could only explain telepathically, "It wasn't my idea. The court didn't even consult me."

When the roll call reached "Pei Qian," the young woman with her hair in a bun heard her name shouted again and again, as if it could lift the roof. Pei Qian felt as if in a trance. She suddenly recalled the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom, where she had wandered like a lonely ghost—the little charcoal. In her eyes back then, anyone walking the streets in broad daylight was a ghost. She had followed her master out of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, gone to Fallen Mountain, and had travelled alone over countless mountains and rivers. The world of the dead seemed to have come back to life.

When Mi Yu's name was announced, the women's voices were clearly not soft; they seemed to rival the men's volume.

Mi Yu appeared calm. But when "White Scene" turned to glance at him, the great sword immortal still managed to keep a straight face. When even the Hidden Office casually turned his head to glance, and Jiang Shangzhen gave a light cough, Mi Yu finally couldn't hold out. He curled his finger and rubbed his brow.

As a private sword of the Sword Qi Great Wall, he was not fond of false fame. Of course, they were in no position to seek reputation while life and death were their neighbours. But good-wine-loving Huang Ling felt as if he were drinking a pot of mellow wine. The man gently touched the hilt of his ceremonial sword, Three Caves. He remembered many old friends who loved to drink, now far away.

Especially those sword cultivators like Mei Dangui, who came from the barbaric wildlands—their hearts surged. How could they have dared to imagine, how could they believe, that their names could be shouted by the multitudes in this manner? Could it be that we are indeed heroes?

"The Fourteenth Realm—why isn't there a special name for it?"

"Are there many Fourteenth Realm cultivators in the Haoran world? Roughly how many?"

"If the Fourteenth Realm is only one realm above the Flying Ascending Realm, can it definitely win in a fight?"

In the bustling inner city, a young female Daoist wearing a lotus crown was surrounded by beautiful immortal maidens.

It was the founding patriarch of Qingliang Sect of North Juli Continent, He Xiaoliang, travelling south with her group of direct disciples.

Coincidence.

Her grudge with Bai Shang was considered settled.

When her senior brother Cao Rong had achieved Flying Ascending realm on the sea, it had been a rather significant reminder.

And Bai Shang had sent his only direct disciple Xu Xuan south to Parasol Leaf Continent, voluntarily leaving North Juli Continent—a measured response.

The years-long joint blockade of Qingliang Sect by various northern forces had thus quietly been lifted.

That first meeting by the creek, the parting like a floating cloud, later reunion by the sea.

He Xiaoliang did not walk towards the imperial city. Instead, she went in the opposite direction of the crowd, heading towards the outer city.

The mortal world sends off the flower goddesses; thus we bid farewell to the spring breeze. Each strives on their own path; if fate allows, we shall meet again.

Wealthy households and merchants in the capital had already opened their ice cellars. Recently, vendors had been selling all kinds of iced drinks, in a dazzling variety, so beautiful that people were reluctant to drink them. Sell? Use the chance to sell at a high price? Give them away! I'm happy today, I want to!

As a result, one side insisted on giving them for free, the other insisted on overpaying—they nearly got into a shouting match. Strange indeed.

Outside the Flower Goddess Temple, a beautiful woman accompanied by an old servant strolled leisurely through the bustling temple fair.

One was Lady Feng, who made all the flower goddesses of the mortal world worry—she came to this temple fair almost every year.

The old carriage driver had assumed the alias Su Kan; he had once been the chief god of the Chastisement Office in the ancient Heavenly Court's Jade Pivot Institute.

Lady Feng, with her dignified air, wandered through the fair, teasing, "Are you thinking, 'When there are no heroes, the petty become famous'?"

The old man shook his head. "Not quite."

She gave an "Eh?" sound. "The sun rose from the west?"

Su Kan crossed his arms. "Since I have some grudges with him, we don't get along, and I've suffered some losses—if he were just a useless straw dummy, wouldn't that make me even more pathetic? So instead of cursing him harmlessly, I might as well praise him as a warlord."

Lady Feng pretended to be enlightened. "A warlord? That's a fresh term I've never heard before."

The old man gave a contemptuous laugh. "If he lacked depth and character, how could that boy have reached today, gotten this far? Think carefully: now everyone on the peaks thinks his greatest luck is that certain existence. Wrong! Completely wrong! Ma Kuxuan is a reincarnated god, but unfortunately, he's only superficially like a god. Chen Ping'an, that muddy-legged bastard, is the one truly most like us. He has been more like a god than we are now from a very early stage."

Lady Feng pondered. "Some truth in that."

She crouched down at a stall in the corridor inside the temple and bought a complete set of twelve flower goddess polychrome cups, bearing the imitation mark of the "Yanqing Hall." Too bad the bargaining went so easily that it made her a bit listless.

In the past, at such gatherings, many lechers would not only fail to control their eyes but would even try to touch. But today, in various parts of the Great Li capital, no one had that courage.

The current level of martial law in the capital was beyond imagination. The Great Li court would absolutely not allow any mistakes.

Not only was the entire Bottle Gourd Continent watching this ceremony, but to say nothing of exaggeration, the entire Haoran world had its eyes on this capital.

To ensure absolute safety, the Great Li court had, in addition to the official offices responsible for public security in the capital and the general of a prefecture who had brought troops into the city, secretly transferred over a thousand army-accompanying cultivators from various prefectures. They had clear divisions of labor and jointly watched every corner of the city. Just speaking of the two large counties within the capital, the two county offices had begun preparations long ago to cooperate with this ceremony. From officials to clerks, each had their nerves tight, working day and night. The key was that no one above ever said what it was for. For instance, the court had specially replaced a meticulous young county magistrate and temporarily created several transitional posts. In private, the county office said that not a single stray dog was allowed to appear on the streets that day.

The capital had long since registered all the martial arts schools, escort firms, and various jianghu martial artists settled in the counties. Not just today, but also their schedules for the day before and after were carefully recorded. In fact, without any harsh words from the officials, just seeing the indescribable exhaustion on their faces was enough to know they weren't joking, not just trying to scare people. "A county magistrate is not as good as the immediate superior" or "move them with emotion and reason"—their usually close parents-officials and people's officials could at most hint a few words: maybe this is the only such grand event in a lifetime; in the end, whether we have official status or not, we are all subjects of Great Li, so let's all be accommodating.

Those not involved in officialdom just thought it was lively. Those who had some experience in government offices could clearly see how unusual it was.

Thus, the martial arts gangs and major and minor dojos in the capital had better behave. Don't court death. If you crossed the line, it wouldn't be as simple as eating prison food. Plus, idlers, loafers looking for cheap thrills, petty thieves looking for quick cash—they all got word through various channels. County constables even visited door-to-door, checking anyone with a record. The key was that outside the door often stood a tough-looking military man clearly eating the army's grain.

Su Kan leaned against a pillar. "In my view, this is what they call 'The nation's misfortune is the poet's fortune.' If it were a peaceful era, Chen Ping'an would at most be a Golden Core earth immortal. With worse luck, he might still be spinning clay and firing porcelain at some kiln in that town."

Lady Feng stood up and nodded. "A poet? Chen Ping'an's skill in poetry and lyrics is quite famous."

The old man almost spat but restrained himself. He looked up at the sky and couldn't help sighing, "This grand old heaven."

During the time State Teacher Cui Chan was missing, many felt the Great Li dynasty would decline from its peak. Unexpectedly, the dynasty was about to rise again.

At the Thousand-Step Corridor on both sides of the imperial avenue, officials attending today's court assembly had to rise even earlier than the common folk. Even Cao Gengxin was waiting here early. Many officials who lived far away had simply bedded down in their offices last night. With today's street congestion, whether by carriage or on foot, how could they make it to the morning court on time? No one would make way for them.

All the officials waited together for the morning court. Old Minister Shen Chen, sleepy-eyed, leaned on his cane. "Vice Minister Wu, do you read military treatises?"

Wu Wangcheng gave a silent laugh. What kind of question was that? Xu Tong of the Ministry of War also found it amusing—the head of the Ministry of War asking a military career vice minister if he read military treatises?

Shen Chen continued, "And history books?"

Wu Wangcheng said, "Not many."

The implication was that actually, he read quite a few.

Shen Chen smiled. "Then try to find me one—how many famous meritorious generals in history had complete blessings of fortune, rank, and longevity?"

Wu Wangcheng thought for a moment. "Not many."

Shen Chen glanced at Left Vice Minister Xu Tong and asked with a grin, "Do you want to be one of them?"

Wu Wangcheng murmured, "I wouldn't even dare to dream of it."

Xu Tong said nothing.

In the Ministry of War, old Minister Shen Chen made the decisions; the two vice ministers handled specific affairs. Because Xu Tong managed matters concerning the barbaric wildlands for the Great Li border army, he had earned the nickname "Floor-Sleeping Vice Minister" in the capital's official circles. Wu Wangcheng had recently been sleeping on the floor with him—a rare sight in officialdom. The two vice ministers, with very different backgrounds, resumes, and characters, had indeed become closer through it.

Xu Tong whispered, "Old Minister, has our Great Li ever had such a grand ceremony before?"

The man over eighty, who had served three reigns, thought for a moment. "No, it hasn't."

I recall that when Cui Chan first became State Teacher, no one seemed to take it seriously. There were even many censors and "pure critics" who advised the then-emperor not to accept such a notorious figure, as it would easily draw the attention of the Confucian Temple in the Central Continent—a loss-making venture. The old minister remembered a capital anecdote and couldn't help laughing. It was said that at the time, people called Cui Chan a "land immortal" from the mountains. Then a young censor, in the name of fairness, demanded that this Cui publicly demonstrate a few immortal arts to prove whether he was a genuine earth immortal.

This censor, who later rose smoothly in officialdom to become a high regional official, was not only a fellow townsman of Shen Chen but also his teacher.

Shen Chen smiled and asked, "The saying 'Censors ruin the country' was prevalent in the early Great Li court. But guess who hated censors the most?"

He answered himself: "The ones who hated censors the most were not the powerful ministers in court, but those officials who had once been censors themselves and were later sent out to become regional officials."

"For example, my teacher."

The two young vice ministers looked at each other and smiled. Unexpected, yet reasonable.

Nowadays, the youth of the Great Li dynasty could hardly imagine that barely thirty years ago, the Lu dynasty was Great Li's suzerain, and Great Li was just a vassal state living under someone else's roof. Today's youth naturally believed that our Great Li was the most powerful dynasty in the Haoran world, without even a "one of."

Back then, there had also been national celebration for a grand victory ceremony, but for some reason, State Teacher Cui Chan never appeared.

Xu Tong suddenly complained, "Your snoring shakes the heavens. I suffered terribly."

Wu Wangcheng laughed. "And yours was soft?"

The old man said with a grin, "Easy fix: if it bothers you, just slap him."

Shen Chen looked at his two very young subordinates. They seemed to share similar interests but actually had different aspirations. In any case, both wanted to walk different paths, both seeking a place in history.

It was good to be young.

Unlike old men like him, who at most thought about their posthumous reputation. The posthumous titles bestowed by the court or the Emperor—whether they were good titles, whether they ranked high—couldn't be behind some old bastard he despised. And in the biographical columns of the official histories, would there be a few good words?

In contrast, Xu Tong and Wu Wangcheng were like a book far from finished, with many blank pages waiting for ink and brush.

Of course, the new State Teacher Chen Ping'an was also young.

At the edge of the crowd, near the wall, having received permission to come here secretly from the State Teacher's residence, Gongsun Lingling stood nervously, extremely tense.

Because she was meeting Xiao Pu of the Bamboo Basket Hall of the Blood-Cleansers lineage. The latter, besides being the junior sister of the former Cherry Blossom Robe lineage leader Qin Buyi, was also the initiator who had led Gongsun Lingling "up the mountain"—the current spokesperson of the Bamboo Basket Hall. For Gongsun Lingling's great mistake years ago that got her expelled from the sect, Xiao Pu was naturally the one who most grieved for her misfortune and was angered by her lack of striving. Gongsun Lingling, reunited with her benefactor, was naturally even more uneasy and guilty.

Xiao Pu used no concealment technique. Her features were ordinary, with a wooden hairpin, sallow skin, and plain clothes.

Besides Xiao Pu, there was also a junior sister from the Bamboo Basket Hall, a girl whose official Great Li file name was "Jian Zhu," with a face matching her age.

She was a spy placed by the Great Li court in the vassal state of Qiu, once a maid in a prominent official's household. During that capital turmoil, apart from Wei Xianrou, who had nearly been promoted to first-rank enshrined, Jian Zhu had also performed excellently, killing six people in less than half an hour—among them Qiu's high ministers, immortal sect cultivators, and foreign assassins. But Wei Xianrou's beheading of three in the palace hall had been so shocking that the young assassin was completely overshadowed.

At that moment, Jian Zhu was "chatting" with a spy from some southern country. "Don't be nervous. One of the purposes of this ceremony is precisely for you to see. But remember, before you send back your intelligence report, it must first pass my review, lest your literary talent be insufficient and you fail to make it grand enough."

The spy stood still, beads of sweat on his forehead, silent.

The girl continued, "We're on the same side now, right?"

The spy's mind raced, but he had no words.

The girl asked, "No?"

The spy took a deep breath, his gaze firm, and shook his head.

Jian Zhu asked, "No room for negotiation?"

The spy said something. The girl nodded. Moments later, by the inconspicuous wall corner, someone sat down, face flushed like a drunkard. The girl complained, "Even if you're happy, you shouldn't drink too much." At the same time, she nodded in a distant direction, indicating they should clean up.

When Jian Zhu finished, Xiao Pu communicated telepathically with them: "The central hall has passed a resolution: our Blood-Cleansers' three lineages will voluntarily submit a complete list to the Great Li court. Besides Jian Zhu, your senior sister He Lian Baozhu—anyone within Bottle Gourd Continent will no longer be able to hide their identity. If the Great Li court has a poor impression of us and continues to regard us as a nuisance, and when State Teacher Chen Ping'an issues an order to deport you all, the central hall will have to accept it. We dare not presume to hope. There will be no tricks."

"But if Great Li is willing to negotiate and proposes conditions—you can stay, but you must sever ties with the Blood-Cleansers—then what? Jian Zhu, Gongsun Lingling, how would you choose?"

Gongsun Lingling said, "I will follow the Bamboo Basket Hall in withdrawing from Bottle Gourd Continent."

Jian Zhu hesitated.

Xiao Pu smiled. "Just say what's in your heart."

The girl said, "I will stay."

Xiao Pu wasn't surprised by their different choices, gave an "mm" sound, then changed the subject. "As the folk saying goes: 'If you don't sow at Grain in Ear, it's useless to sow later.' The Great Li dynasty really knows how to pick a day, and the Song clan of Great Li really knows how to pick a State Teacher."

First there was Embroidery Tiger Cui Chan; then came Chen Ping'an.

Perhaps many mountain cultivators still didn't understand one thing: he was already one of the most powerful figures in the Haoran world.

And for a cultivator in search of the Dao, he was still very young—far too young.

In a well-placed private room of a tavern, several people gathered but didn't drink. They were: Liu Taozhi, the leader of the West Mountain Sword Recluse lineage; Qi Zhen, a Daoist Heavenly Lord from the Divine Accolade Sect; Zhang Zhi, the grand master of the Baggage Studio which traded all over the world; and Pang Chao, a retainer of Luoyang, whose Daoist name was Song Zhi.

On the mountains, each had their own hidden connections, their own circuitous incense bonds.

This was the first time Zhang Zhi had met Pang Chao, whom by seniority he should call "uncle," since being expelled from the clan registry years ago.

The Luoyang woodsfolk were a group of reclusive, unknown wild people who valued barter and refused to touch money. So in the eyes of Zhang Zhi, who was born to love business, those elders were old-fashioned sticklers adhering to ancestral rules—stubborn to the point of ridiculousness, but also respectable. Zhang Zhi knew that his uncle's emergence from seclusion, unlike his own angry departure, was due to Merchant Fan convincing their soon-to-be-secluded founder that the Luoyang woodsfolk should start making arrangements to choose locations in the Haoran world.

As for Zhang Zhi's relationship with the Luoyang woodsfolk, it could be described as "a gentleman's parting without harsh words."

In his youth, proud and arrogant, he had never understood: "Money is the cleanest thing in the world. Why can't hands touch it?"

Pang Chao asked, "Why did you use that alias, 'Zhang Gong Zhi Shi'—'Draw the bow straight the arrow'?"

Zhang Zhi nodded. "Uncle hit the mark."

Pang Chao's next words were: "How could you have the face to use that alias?"

Zhang Zhi was silent.

Liu Taozhi burst into laughter, rare to see Zhang Zhi so deflated.

Pang Chao asked, "Have you met the white-robed youth named Cui?"

Zhang Zhi nodded. "Yes."

Pang Chao said, "I met him once too. He asked about our seniority and said we two were like people from the same village—the poorer, the higher the generation."

Zhang Zhi asked, "Where is Uncle planning to choose?"

Pang Chao said, "After much deliberation, I settled on by the Lin River on Parasol Leaf Continent."

Zhang Zhi said, "A good place."

Zhang Zhi, who did enormous business, had the appearance of a young scholar, always carrying a bamboo box on his back. He looked more like a poor student going to the capital for the exams. If one met him and made small talk, one would always want to ask him: on that journey through the wilds, did you ever meet a beautiful fox immortal?

Pang Chao asked, "In all these years, have you never regretted it?"

Zhang Zhi didn't give a definite answer. "Just after I came down from the mountain, I drank a lot of wine where I had no part in the conversation."

"I attended many banquets where I had to introduce myself, saying who I was."

"So even now, I still think wine doesn't taste good. Today is an exception; I wanted to drink."

Pang Chao patted Zhang Zhi's shoulder. "Since you've tempered your skin like that, I won't hold the 'uncle' thing against you."

Only then did they start drinking.

Pang Chao suddenly poured cold water. "I think he will be even harder to deal with than Embroidery Tiger."

Whether Blood-Cleansers or Baggage Studio, if they wanted a foothold in Bottle Gourd Continent, they could not bypass the Great Li dynasty, especially the new State Teacher.

Qi Zhen was clearly surprised. "Why is that?"

Heavenly Lord Qi had always felt that dealing with intelligent people was effortless. What he feared was handling muddle-headed fools.

Zhang Zhi nodded. "I met Mr. Chen at Blue Shirt Ferry. He's easy to talk to, truly easy to talk to, but also hard to talk to, truly hard to talk to."

Not only Chen Ping'an, but Liu Taozhi had also dealt with Cui Chan. Whether they could reach an agreement or not, Cui Chan never showed anger. Later, when Liu Taozhi returned to the central hall and carefully reviewed the conversation, he tried to parse the implications of each word Cui Chan had said. In the end, Liu Taozhi settled on two opinions. One was the answer everyone in the central hall agreed on: Cui Chan was more mercenary than the shrewdest merchant under heaven.

The other was Liu Taozhi's personal feeling, which he had never mentioned to anyone.

For some reason, he always felt that at that meeting which had ended unhappily, Cui Chan had been looking at him all along as if he were a fool.

Liu Taozhi and the others stood by the window, all gazing at the young man who usually appeared as a blue-robed swordsman but today wore the court robes of Great Li.

Once an orphan like nameless wild grass.

Yet he could live so brilliantly, like the sun at its zenith.