Chapter 1193: Preface and Postscript by Senior and Junior Brothers

Chapter 1193: Preface and Postscript by Senior and Junior Brothers

Central Plains Confucian Temple.

On the steps, Old Master Li took a break from his busy schedule, smoking a long-stemmed pipe.

The weather was somewhat muggy; the summer sunlight spilled over the mortal world like warm wine.

A thin, small old man scurried over from the corridor like a gust of wind. Whenever the gentlemen and worthies on the path saw him, they all addressed him as Literary Sage. The old man nodded vigorously each time without slowing his steps. Sitting down on the steps, he gave Old Master Li a thumbs-up and grinned, "Righteous! Thanks."

Old Master Li waved away the smoke. "In a Confucian Temple teeming with sages and worthies, I merely spoke a few fair words, and yet I receive thanks. What sort of reasoning is that?"

The old scholar chuckled. "You're known as a tight-lipped fellow, hard to deal with. I was just making conversation. Why take it so seriously?"

Old Master Li asked, puzzled, "Such a splendid occasion—why didn't you go over to join in the excitement?"

The old scholar let out an "ah" and said nothing about the reason.

Old Master Li fell silent for a moment, then tapped his pipe against the steps. "It's high summer, Literary Sage. Would you care to hear a few winter words?"

The old scholar immediately raised a hand. "Stop! Don't say it!"

Old Master Li continued as if he hadn't heard, "Having no one to rely on, empty-handed, yet forcibly cleaving open a brand-new realm, a world apart—that's no easy feat."

The old scholar quickly tried to dissuade him. "That's enough, that's enough. Keep the second half for later. On such a fine day, Old Man Li, don't you dare spout any inauspicious words to spoil my mood. If you spoil my mood, I'll go ruin your private stash of tobacco. We scholars keep our word—a spit is a nail!"

Old Master Li pressed on, "The higher you climb, the steadier you must stand."

"With two empty fists grasping past and present, holding life and death, passing forth sword light—when you get what you want, you must still be willing to let go."

"A single bamboo staff carries wind and moon, bearing fame and profit, shouldering the times—when it rests on your shoulder, you must also know when to set it down."

So that was it. The old scholar smiled leisurely. "This order is good, very good. I've always said that Old Man Li holds my learning in high esteem, but he's thin-skinned and hides it deep. Those young people never believed me."

After all, if the order were different, the meaning would be entirely different.

The old scholar slapped his knees. Yes, to act is to have the confidence to not care later; to not care is because one once acted with a clear conscience.

Old Master Li said, "Whether I hold your lineage of learning in high esteem or not—justice lies in people's hearts. I know very well that several of your students have a fairly high regard for my learning."

The old scholar was about to retort with colorful language when Old Master Li continued, "Titles like gentleman or worthy, or even being a nominal vice-head of an academy, or even a director of studies in a scholarly palace—even if the Confucian Temple were to offer them, you should advise your final disciple not to accept them. They would hold no meaning and only add unnecessary burdens."

The old scholar let out an "ah" and found himself momentarily at a loss for words. Gentleman, worthy, vice-head—those really didn't mean much. But a director of studies in a scholarly palace? That still warranted some consideration, didn't it?

Unexpectedly, Old Master Li blew out a smoke ring, holding his pipe, and his next words made the old scholar, who had weathered great storms, stare in disbelief.

"As I see it, the Confucian Temple is still too petty. Even the Ritual Sage is wrong. If they truly want to give him a Confucian identity, why be so coy? Be generous—just make him the Vice-Leader of the Confucian Temple."

The old scholar froze, then quickly reached out and slapped his hand over Old Master Li's mouth, stammering in panic, "Don't say that! This is not something to be said!"

A few Confucian scholars from the temple who had wanted to consult Old Master Li were startled by the scene. Even if the conversation hadn't gone well, why was the Literary Sage resorting to physical measures?

---

In the imperial capital, the highest-ranked "One Gate with Five Passageways"—once past this gate, one entered the palace city. The tallest and widest central arch was, by precedent, reserved for the emperor alone. But today, Emperor Song He and Chen Ping'an walked together through this very passage. Even taking the slightly shorter side arches was not easy—either one had to be born into the right circumstances, as a member of the imperial family from birth, or one's official career had to be sufficiently glorious, reaching the ranks of civil pillar or military patrol, truly attaining the pinnacle of ministerial power.

Behind them, on both sides of the imperial avenue, the onlookers speculated that the two groups of sword immortals would walk through these gates. The court had shown no impropriety. But then the Great Li Song clan broke precedent again: the two groups of sword immortals did not change their route but followed the emperor and the new state teacher directly through this passage.

The Son of Heaven cherishes heroes and talents.

After a brief silence, the entire capital erupted in even more fervent shouts: "Great Li! Great Li!"

Inside the passage, the light was slightly dimmer and noticeably cooler than outside. Guo Du turned to his Dao companion and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Ling Xun smiled sheepishly. "Seeing so many people for the first time—I really was nervous. But it's fine. I just focus on your back and silently recite a few Dao formulas."

This was because Ling Xun had a peculiar habit: whenever there were too many people, she grew anxious. And once she reached a certain threshold, she would transform into a person of extreme temperament, wielding her sword with terrifying ferocity, her killing power surging close to the Immortal realm.

On the Barren Wastes side, there were also powerful kingdoms and great cities where many transformed demon cultivators roamed, but Ling Xun never set foot in them. She remembered the first time Guo Du saw her—it was at a ruined immortal sect, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Over a hundred cultivators of the immortal mansion lay in pieces, and there she was, a female sword cultivator covered in killing intent like a goddess of slaughter, her face streaked with tears, filled with regret, holding her sword to her own throat... Already back to her senses, she still urged Guo Du to stay away. At that time, Guo Du's thoughts were simple: on the Barren Wastes, killing anyone was killing—what was the harm?

Whether it was leaving the Barren Wastes for the Haoran world, entering the Southern Balsa Continent to become a registered disciple of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, or inexplicably joining Fallen Mountain and participating in this celebration, Ling Xun followed her husband without any objection. Ling Xun had never been to a battlefield. Both she and Guo Du were obscure on the Barren Wastes, always finding joy in exploring ruins and secret realms beyond sword cultivation as their "Dao surplus" pleasure.

But for some reason, the meticulously drawn map that had taken centuries to complete—Guo Du still hadn't handed it over to Qi Tingji. Guo Du didn't say why, and Ling Xun didn't ask.

Guo Du communicated with his mind voice: "I don't trust Qi Tingji, who doesn't seek empty fame but only cares about substance. So I want to enter the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect and see for myself how Qi Tingji conducts himself before making a decision. I'm afraid that Qi Tingji might play the hero under pressure now, only to become a villain who overturns heaven and earth later."

In the last battle at the Sword Qi Great Wall, among the three old sword immortals with illustrious combat achievements who had inscriptions, only Qi Tingji escaped unscathed. Dong San'geng died in battle, and Chen Xi dispersed his soul to reincarnate. Moreover, Nalan Shaowei relied on a long-life lamp to extend her life, and even the old deaf man had fallen a realm.

Ling Xun, unfamiliar with worldly affairs, asked curiously, "Then are Zhu Su, Jin Gao, and the others harboring the same thoughts as you, my husband?"

Guo Du explained helplessly, "It's different. They genuinely intend to join Qi Tingji. Just the identity of being a disciple of the Literary Sage's final student scared off Gao Shuang, Huang Ling, and others. Who would want to be too deeply involved with the Confucian Temple? The identity of the Hidden Officer made Mei Kan wary. Add to that the relationship between Zhu Su and Zhu An, and the grudges between Xiao Xun and Zuo You—Chen Ping'an is both the Hidden Officer and Zuo You's junior brother. Put yourself in my shoes; if I were Zhu Su, I'd also be uneasy."

In Guo Du's view, generally speaking, cultivators from the Barren Wastes valued sect lineage more than those in Haoran. They had almost no concept of nation or family. If even the concept of family and nation was so faint, how could they speak of "the world"? The Haoran world still emphasized that "everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world." If Xun Yuan and Wanyan Lao Jing had completely different reputations after death—still following the rule of "the winner is king, the loser is bandit"—then the harsh criticism of the pure Confucian Chen Chun'an was quite thought-provoking.

As for the native sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall, their view was simple: neither side was good, so why should they care? If the Barren Wastes army could bypass the Sword Qi Great Wall and directly invade the nine states of Haoran, would Guo Du and the others intervene? Xiao Xun, Zhang Lu, and the sword cultivator who allegedly assassinated the new Hidden Officer Chen Ping'an on the city wall—Guo Du wouldn't necessarily regard them as enemies. In fact, a considerable number of private swordsmen who managed to leave the Barren Wastes alive or were still hiding there owed their lives to Xiao Xun, the previous Hidden Officer, who deliberately turned a blind eye and reported nothing.

When Qi Tingji sensed that Zhu Su's Dao heart had stabilized, he smiled and asked her with his mind voice, "How's the effect?"

Zhu Su steadied her mind, her eyes sparkling. "Excellent. Even better than grinding down a large piece of Dragon-Slaying Platform."

It turned out that one of Zhu Su's natal flying swords was named "Three Sounds." The tempering of the flying sword was related to all sounds in heaven and earth. Thanks to Lu Chen's earlier proposal of the three sounds—heaven, earth, and man—Zhu Su had, in her early days on the Sword Qi Great Wall, first delved deeply into the study of music to raise the quality of this natal flying sword. But the benefits were limited and couldn't help her break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck. So she turned to the battlefield and eventually volunteered to serve as a private swordswoman, infiltrating the Barren Wastes. This served both public and private ends. For a Jade Pure realm sword cultivator wandering the human world, heavenly sounds were easy to seek, earthly sounds common, but human sounds alone became difficult. It was known that Zhu Su once, in a fit of desperation, decided to abandon her physical body and almost became a spirit, but she was dissuaded.

Just now, the entire capital had resounded with thundering "name-chanting." Gao Shuang and the others had their own thoughts, gaining deeper understanding and feelings about Haoran, Great Li, and Chen Ping'an. But Zhu Su alone enjoyed the opportunity, possessing the advantages of time, place, and people, truly entering seclusion to cultivate her sword. The key was that the path of the Great Dao was smooth and secure, like a guaranteed harvest in both drought and flood. Sword cultivator Zhu Su reaped the rewards! Nearly a million people, almost all with pure hearts, simultaneously shouting Zhu Su's true name—if that wasn't a human sound, what was?

Moreover, at Qi Tingji's suggestion—and he deliberately chose to speak after Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao—he helped explain a few things. He proposed that each sword cultivator allocate a wisp of their mind to attach their name to Zhu Su's flying sword. This was akin to writing on paper, inscribing on a stele, like a monk settling down to preach, or a Daoist borrowing a temple to rest—all "yielding their names" to the owner. Then Zhu Su, who possessed this natal flying sword, was like a mountain or river spirit in a shrine, alone absorbing the most refined incense offerings.

Zhu Su was uncontrollably excited, her voice trembling. "There's hope for breaking through the realm."

For the native sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the obsession with the Immortal realm exceeded outsiders' imagination.

Qi Tingji reminded her, "The proposal came from me, but this 'shrine'—which is more of a Dao field than a Dao field—was created by Chen Ping'an. Of course, the first to agree without hesitation was Mr. Xiao Mo."

If Xiao Mo had remained silent and pretended not to hear during the name-chanting, then Xie Gou would have followed suit, pretending nothing happened. After that, the choices of Mi Yu, Jiang Shangzhen, and other old members of Fallen Mountain would have been obvious. Even if Qi Tingji had been the first to place his name on the Three Sounds, Lu Zhi, with her usual personality, might not have followed suit. Even if Gao Shuang and the others cherished old ties, and including Mei Dandang, the effect would still have been greatly diminished. Zhu Su would have been lucky to achieve even thirty percent of the current optimal result.

Zhu Su nodded. "I know what I'm doing!"

Xie Gou exclaimed telepathically, "Wow, before long, I won't be able to call her Sister Zhu Su anymore—I'll have to call her Sword Immortal Zhu!"

Mi Yu laughed. "Good things come in pairs. I'll also benefit. From now on, when I'm called 'Sword Immortal Mi,' it won't sound like an insult."

Qi Tingji smiled slightly. "Golden Core in their hometown, Nascent Soul on the battlefield, Jade Pure on the Barren Wastes, Immortal in Haoran?"

Zhu Su said, "I hope so."

Lu Zhi said, "And then ascend to the Five Colors?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Ascending in Ascension City would be more fitting and appropriate."

Ning Yao smiled. "I look forward to it."

Xie Gou said, "If that happens, Sword Immortal Zhu's life story would be a true legend. Sister Zhu Su, are you interested in publishing it? I can take up the pen and write your biography."

Xiao Mo nodded. "Indeed, it's worth recording."

Zhu Su blushed.

Mei Kan and her disciple walked at the very back. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak to Chen Ping'an with her mind voice, "Hidden Officer, I have to admit that among the group today, I am the most selfish person, bar none. Lu Zhi and the others have a rather poor impression of me—I know that, and I understand. I don't blame them. I never speak flowery words. I'll only guarantee one thing to you, Hidden Officer: as long as it doesn't harm Mei Dandang's Great Dao and allows him to steadily prove the Dao, during that time, if there are tasks that require someone to bear infamy or handle dirty, unseen work, I or my disciple Mei Dandang will have no complaints. You only need to give the orders privately. If we fail, it's our fault; if we succeed, it's only our duty!"

Mortals have different aspirations. When one becomes an immortal, due to temperament and opportunities, they often go their separate ways and must be careful not to conflict over the Great Dao.

Mei Kan had a gut feeling that if she spoke any later, it would become stale.

Chen Ping'an listened patiently to Mei Kan's heartfelt words and smiled. "The protective heart of a teacher for a disciple—I, who am both someone's student and someone's teacher, can very well understand and accept it. To have a disciple like Mei Dandang—anyone would cherish him extra. I am neither a righteous gentleman nor a petty villain, so let's speak plainly. In the future, our sect will grow larger and larger, and conflicts between mountains are inevitable. There will certainly be times when we need the covert assistance of a senior or a Zhenze sword immortal. So let's make a verbal agreement—three times? If you think three is too many, we can negotiate."

Mei Kan smiled without hesitation. "Then it's settled—three times! The Hidden Officer is neither a sanctimonious gentleman who treasures his reputation nor a fickle villain without scruples. Good, this is good! Now I'm completely at ease. Earlier, I was afraid that Mountain Lord Chen of Fallen Mountain would be constrained by sage books and great principles everywhere, and also afraid that the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall would harbor deep hatred for all demons, preferring to kill a hundred by mistake rather than let one go. If I brought Mei Dandang to Fallen Mountain, wouldn't that be walking into a trap?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Mei Kan said cautiously, "Could Mei Dandang acknowledge Mr. Xiao Mo as a second master? If that's too difficult, even an unregistered disciple would do?"

Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "I urge you, senior, to know when to stop."

Mei Kan said, "Then I won't mention it again, not even think about it. Please rest assured, Hidden Officer—I will keep my word."

"That's best."

Chen Ping'an nodded and reminded her, "Fallen Mountain is not a one-man show. I understand you, but that doesn't mean you can ignore the feelings of the majority. Since you've become registered disciples, you must learn to adapt to local customs. I won't ask you to imitate Mi Yu, but you can observe the old deaf man, along with Xiao Mo and Xie Gou. I believe you can find the most suitable path up the mountain for yourselves."

Mei Kan nodded. "That makes sense!"

Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "As a teacher, you can have a hundred reasons to convince yourself that Mei Dandang is nothing but a pure sword cultivator devoted to the sword path, and that being a Barren Wastes demon is merely an innate identity. But on my side, if I find even one reason, he will die."

Mei Kan was stunned into silence.

Chen Ping'an's words were not only meant for Mei Kan but also not hidden from Mei Dandang.

Thus, Mei Dandang replied upon hearing this, "Find an opportunity—time and place at the Hidden Officer's discretion. I can open the lake of my Dao heart and let the Hidden Officer, along with Mr. Xiao Mo or Bai Jing, explore it thoroughly to determine the truth."

Chen Ping'an squinted. "Are you sure?"

Mei Dandang said, "Absolutely certain!"

Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "Xiao Mo and Xie Gou have already investigated long ago."

Mei Dandang's tension peaked instantly.

Mei Kan, relieved, couldn't help but complain, "Hidden Officer, you just said you're neither a gentleman nor a villain, but isn't this being both a hypocrite and a true villain?"

Chen Ping'an sighed and chuckled, "Well, I have a generous heart, so I can listen to others' true words."

Mei Dandang couldn't help but smile. He had imagined a hundred different images of the young Hidden Officer, but he never expected him to be this kind of person.

At the same time, Chen Ping'an asked Mei Dandang privately with his mind voice, "Have you decided yet? When will you abandon your master-disciple relationship and instead become Xiao Mo's disciple?"

Mei Dandang felt a bit guilty and answered in a hesitant tone, "I'll think about it after I reach the Flying Ascension realm."

Chen Ping'an said, "Then hurry up."

Mei Dandang, also a bit cheeky, replied, "If I rely solely on my own sword cultivation to comprehend the Dao, it'll take forever. I'm afraid I'll still need Mr. Xiao Mo and Senior Bai Jing's frequent guidance."

Chen Ping'an clicked his tongue and teased, "It's not because you're upset about lacking a 'please forgive my offense' and will hold a grudge from now on, is it, Sword Immortal Mei?"

Mei Dandang was stumped by the abrupt question. He just shook his head and, after thinking it over, decided to be honest. "I'm not a scholar from the Haoran world; I don't go for that sort of thing."

Qi Tingji was about to make a trip to the Barren Wastes. That would probably be the real "seeing someone off"—many offenses, indeed?

Xie Gou laughed telepathically, "Mei Kan is also a ruthless one. What she was just thinking—if we had confirmed Mei Dandang's identity as a suicide agent, she would have killed him herself, unwilling to let anyone else do it."

Xiao Mo agreed. "Truly impressive."

Lu Zhi said, "That shows she doesn't lose her sword cultivator's nature after all."

Xuan Yang spoke tentatively, "Ning Yao, Huang Ling and I can pay out of our own pockets. Could we rebuild the two private residences, Diamond Slope and White Hair Nunnery, in Ascension City? It's a shame we don't have the original construction plans. No matter, as long as the three characters on the plaques are correct and not misspelled."

Saying this, Xuan Yang chuckled to himself.

Huang Ling smiled. "As long as it's built, anyone can live there."

Ning Yao said, "That's no problem. The Summer Palace has an archive. Chen Ping'an already filed these documents under the 'Construction' category long ago, well preserved. In the previous Ascension City council, a resolution was passed: all private swordsmen who died in battle or have not returned from abroad, provided they have a lineage to pass down, can choose a location themselves to rebuild their private residences. Besides hanging plaques, they can also erect steles to record events. However, the current money overseer, Gao Yehou of the Spring Treasury, said that since you've joined Old Sword Immortal Qi and been registered in the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, you're only half of Ascension City's own people. Rebuilding the residences is fine, but you'll have to pay for it yourselves."

Xuan Yang laughed. "As expected of the Spring Treasury—they sure know how to calculate."

Ning Yao smiled and let it go.

The style of the Spring Treasury lineage—once you go there, you'll be even more amazed. It's said that each "accounting room" has its own hall plaque, all of them very straightforward.

It's said that the young people there worship a certain person as their founding patriarch.

Huang Ling asked, "Ning Yao, I heard that back then, to accumulate battle merits, the Hidden Officer secretly left the Summer Palace to kill demons outside the city, hiding his identity, even wearing a veil and dressing like a woman?"

Ning Yao said irritably, "Nonsense!"

Xuan Yang was more tactful and asked Mi Yu instead. At that, Sword Immortal Mi immediately became agitated. "What kind of baseless rumors are those?! Don't believe them! Whoever said that, let him come out and face me!"

Huang Ling and Xuan Yang exchanged glances, understanding perfectly—it must be true.

Lu Zhi glanced at Sword Immortal Mi. Mi Yu was taken aback. What, was Lu Zhi also angry?

Gao Shuang suddenly spoke up. "Hey, you drunkard! Can you really resist not taking a few swigs?"

Huang Ling sighed. "It's been torture. I've been holding back from taking out my wine flask for a drink."

His eyes lit up, and Huang Ling secretly asked with his mind voice, "Chai Wu, do you want a drink?"

Chai Wu said, "I do, but I dare not."

She'd heard that the emperor's territory had many rules. Her former teacher, now her adoptive father, Wei Xian, said he had once been an official in the palace, and if the emperor got unhappy, he'd have someone dragged out and beheaded.

Huang Ling said, "I'll drink first; you follow?"

Chai Wu thought for a moment. "Better not. So many people are watching. I don't want to be mistaken for a drunkard."

When she was young, at the bottom of a well, with only a bamboo basket for company, she kept staring at the mouth of the well, hoping to see her parents again, or at least a living passerby.

But gradually she learned that her parents wouldn't come back, and no one in the mortal world would ever know about her.

Later, she inexplicably learned to breathe and survived. Then, at that funeral goods shop, she earned a little money. After that, she met her teacher, who loved to drink and claimed to have an immense capacity.

Her teacher said her parents were good people, but the world was too chaotic, not allowing them to do more. He also said that her parents were willing to leave all their food for her; some parents aren't like that—they're selfish, loving only themselves their whole lives. For example, when fleeing to a relief porridge station, they wouldn't think of their children first. They might even get a bun, hide it, and eat it in secret.

Heaven and earth were contained in a single well.

The little girl's eyes stung. She sniffled.

A hand landed on her head—no need to guess, it was Chief Zhou, walking at the very back of the procession.

Chai Wu whispered, "I'm fine."

Jiang Shangzhen smiled. "If you want to drink, drink. If the Mountain Lord asks, say I gave you the wine."

Chai Wu, loyal as she was, mustered the courage and asked timidly, "Mr. Chen, can I sneak a little drink?"

Chen Ping'an turned around with a gentle smile. "Drink as much as you like. If the emperor gets angry, I'll take responsibility."

Emperor Song He also turned his head with a smile. "Chai Wu, go ahead and drink. Within the borders of Great Li, you'll never have to pay for wine from now on. You can put it on my tab."

Chai Wu looked bewildered. "Huh? Really? That works?"

As they were about to step onto the steps outside the main hall, Chen Ping'an seemed to slow his pace deliberately.

Emperor Song He stopped as well, took a deep breath, turned around, and cupped his hands. "Honored sword immortals! Those who wish to drink, please do so freely. The Great Li court shares in your honor!"

---

In the northeast corner of the palace, the Dowager's residence. Deep in the courtyard, lush with shade, Nan Zan was about to personally receive a distinguished guest from Immortal Capital Peak in Chu Prefecture.

Lu Shen's visit to the capital to pay respects to the Dowager had been reported to the Great Li court. The director of the Directorate of Ceremonial personally led Lu Shen through layer after layer of gates, stopping outside the palace, where a maidservant of the Dowager then guided Lu Shen across the threshold.

Meeting this founding patriarch again, Nan Zan's feelings were undeniably complex. Thanks to her bracelet, she had recovered memories from her previous life, like flipping through a book.

The most vivid memory: a very tall and spacious hall, paved with spotless, extremely hard white floor tiles. Standing at the front as the chief officiant was the head of the Lu clan, Lu Shen, like a deity with his back to the mortal world. At that moment, time seemed frozen.

Nan Zan's mind raced. Suddenly, she fell to her knees. "Lu Jiang pays respects to the founding patriarch."

Nan Zan wept uncontrollably, prostrate on the ground, not daring to lift her head. Choking with sobs, she said, "Lu Jiang has failed the entrusted mission and is a sinner of the clan. I beg the patriarch to punish me."

Facing Lu Jiang's kneeling bow, Lu Shen accepted it calmly. After listening to her words, he waited a moment and said softly, "You may rise."

Nan Zan hesitated for a long time before obediently standing up, turning sideways to wipe her tears.

Lu Shen suddenly made a Daoist salute. "Lu Shen of the Central Plains Lu Clan, greetings to the Dowager of Great Li."

Nan Zan was stunned, then relieved, and then filled with joy. Finally, finally, they had completely severed ties with the Central Plains Lu Clan!

Lu Shen smiled. "I've long heard that the Dowager's ancestral home is in Yuzhang Commandery, Hong Prefecture—a place of exquisite beauty with towering trees. If the opportunity arises, I should go see it."

Upon hearing this, Nan Zan felt as if she had swallowed a huge pill of reassurance. She believed that from now on, there would be no more "Lu Jiang" on the Lu clan's ancestral registry—only the Dowager of Great Li, Nan Zan!

But Lu Shen, well-versed in the nature of people like Nan Zan, smiled and said, "I should inform the Dowager: not long ago, I took the initiative to visit Fallen Mountain and had a face-to-face talk with State Teacher Chen, clearing up the misunderstanding. Now I live in seclusion at Immortal Capital Peak, a close neighbor of Fallen Mountain. I may not go to tour Yuzhang Commandery, and the Dowager need not visit Immortal Capital Peak for sightseeing. Let us both follow fate."

The words were extremely polite, but Lu Shen's demeanor and gaze were undeniably cold and distant.

On a stone stool beside the table, covered with a bright yellow cushion, the two seemed to sit as equals... Hearing this, Nan Zan was terrified. She quickly restrained her emotions and said meekly, "I understand."

Lu Shen said nothing more, just smiled faintly. Nan Zan felt as if she were sitting on a bed of needles. Only when Lu Shen took his leave and departed did she remain distracted, her mind unsettled for a long time.

---

In the State Teacher's residence, Lin Shouyi's study was one of six rooms in the eastern wing of the third courtyard. His desk was by the window, with a set of elegant stationery—green porcelain fired in his hometown. Outside the window, several purple bamboos stood, elegantly swaying in the wind. The bamboo shadows flickered on the desk as the wind rustled the leaves. Lin Shouyi was copying texts, the brush scratching against the paper. Occasionally he looked up; sunlight streamed down, the azure sky clear as if washed, bamboo shadows dancing, making it feel like a world of coolness. The scholar preparing for the exams seemed like a person inside a green gauze canopy.

At the door of this room stood a Daoist with slender, long eyes, handsome features, and an androgynous appearance. He often loitered under a peach tree.

His name was Song Yunjian, his Dao name Yingning. He claimed to be just like Lin Shouyi—a guest lodging in this residence.

Song Yunjian smiled. "Young Master Lin, I've heard that passing the imperial examinations depends mainly on one's skill in the eight-legged essay and the tastes of the chief examiner and the reviewers. But whether one can make the top three depends on fate—how much literary fortune one has, whether there is ancestral blessing."

Lin Shouyi stopped writing, placed his brush on the blue-and-white intertwined ganoderma tripod brush rest, and turned his head with a smile. "I'm not too clear. When I was young, my teacher taught me that in the pursuit of learning, one should aspire to knowledge with sincerity and rectitude."

Song Yunjian suddenly understood. "I see. Then I was being vulgar."

Lin Shouyi smiled. "If I were truly aloof, why would I bother with the imperial examinations?"

Song Yunjian asked curiously, "Young Master Lin, forgive my ignorance. Cultivators often possess excellent memories. If one knows the Great Dao is hopeless and turns to seek fame, reading for just a few years—setting aside our Great Li dynasty—participating in the exams of a small country, achieving a place on the gold list would be like taking something out of one's pocket, wouldn't it? Yet there seem to be few cultivators willing to take the exams?"

Lin Shouyi explained, "In the early customs of the Bottle Gourd Continent, broadly speaking, the first rank was cultivating immortality, the second was scholarly research in study, the third was official rank, and the lowest was martial arts. The reason our Great Li dynasty is cursed as 'northern barbarians' is due to our fierce folk customs and reverence for martial virtue—either seeking merit on horseback or practicing martial arts. So registered cultivators who pass the exams have a rather poor reputation among the mountain sects. It's easily seen as self-degradation. Moreover, even if they pass and become officials, with such meager salaries, are they trying to fill their official purses? If they pass but don't take office, the Guanhu Academy—one of the seventy-two Confucian academies—is not a decoration; it will hold them accountable. Even if they become high officials in some small country and engage in rampant corruption, enriching themselves at the expense of the state, they still have to face the Guanhu Academy. Naturally, it's simpler to become a Guardian True Person or a royal offering."

In the past, when the Great Li dynasty was still confined to one corner of the Bottle Gourd Continent, the Guanhu Academy could meddle in almost everything. Especially gentlemen and worthies—they dealt with demonic disturbances, immortal sects breaking the law, bandits committing crimes, and martial artists violating prohibitions... If they got their hands on them, they would reprimand immortal mansions and monarchs, ban licentious shrines, and destroy mountains and temples. No wonder cultivators compared academy worthies to the rulers of small states and gentlemen to the emperors of powerful kingdoms. After all, didn't one of the Four Evils of the Comb Water Kingdom run into Academy Worthy Zhou Ju?

But this restraint by the academy was, after all, merely "human power." Like a stone thrown into a lake—whether ripples or waves—the hearts of the people and local customs would always eventually settle back.

Song Yunjian nodded, deeply agreeing.

Lin Shouyi asked, "Mr. Song, are you trying to bring up the topic of the Scroll Slender Lake?"

Song Yunjian nodded. "I'm curious about what kind of place it is that the State Teacher finds so hard to sever ties with."

Lin Shouyi smiled. "I need to get back to my studies."

Since he had been given his walking papers, Song Yunjian took his leave.

After Nian Xin arrived here, she couldn't stay idle. She conveniently filled the vacancy left by Fu Qing. This seamstress now had a role similar to Rong Yu's—patrolling the State Teacher's residence and inspecting various archives.

Yu Shiwu, Xiao Xing, and a few others, like "caged birds" released for a walk, had temporarily settled in a room in the western wing of the second courtyard. They were allowed to peruse the archives of a certain department on their own, each with their own assignments. But Chen Ping'an hadn't given any specific instructions.

Today, Xiao Xing was fuming over Gongsun Lingling's trip outside when she saw "Xu Jiaoqie" standing beside Nian Xin.

Xu Jiaoqie had just arrived from Tongye Continent at the Great Li capital. Her master instructed her to enter the Great Li Ministry of Justice in the future. For now, she had no official position, starting from the lowest tier of dusty clerks.

Seeing that shoddy counterfeit actually dare to appear before her eyes, Xiao Xing erupted in fury. "Wench!"

Xu Jiaoqie was no pushover either. She immediately "remembered" that this Xiao Xing was one of the Three Corpses that her master had cut away with his great divine power. She sneered, "Dregs of the Dao."

Nian Xin had no interest in watching two women pulling each other's hair and scratching faces. She saw Song Yunjian, whose Dao name Yingning was derived from Lu Chen's inner chapter "Great Master," standing under a tree. He plucked a peach petal and tucked it into the pages of a book.

"I believe that within the next hundred years, the Great Li dynasty will surely become the strongest state in the Haoran world in both civil and military achievements."

Song Yunjian held up a book with one hand and gently patted its cover with the other, smiling. "As long as the emperor dares to think, and the state teacher dares to act."

The senior brother writes the preface, the junior brother writes the postscript. The paper is named Great Li, the pen is named Practical Affairs.