Chapter 1196: Ascending to See Yu Dou

Chapter 1196: Ascending to See Yu Dou

On the Grain in Ear day of the Jia Chen year, during the morning court session, an exquisitely ornate coiled-dragon caisson ceiling hung overhead. Seated on the dragon throne was the vigorous middle-aged Great Li Emperor, Song He. The hall was filled with officials of various ranks, distinguished by their mandarin square badges. The newly appointed National Preceptor stood in the same position that Cui Chan had once occupied, facing the most powerful individuals of Great Li, just as the emperor did.

Chen Ping'an stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, clutching a seal in his palm. The edges were carved with the true forms of the Five Sacred Mountains, along with Qi Crossing and rivers and lakes. Naturally, Book-Simple Lake and similar bodies of water were also included—one could say that the entire nation's mountains and rivers were "on the wall."

The base inscription read: "The Seal of Chen Ping'an, National Preceptor of Great Li."

The ceremony was complete once the emperor personally bestowed this newly minted official National Preceptor's seal.

This meant that the very lifeblood of the Great Li dynasty was now in his hands.

The old seal had not yet been stricken from the records, but the new seal had already been given.

Chen Ping'an remained silent, not participating in the discussion of any agenda item.

However, Song He clearly noticed that today, these civil and military officials who could truly be called the pillars of the nation were all tense. Those who spoke often deliberately raised their voices. Those who remained silent in the ranks were holding their breath. There were also many officials pretending not to be tense, stealing quick glances at the newly appointed National Preceptor in court attire, hoping to find more secrets in the subtle expressions on his face.

Chen Ping'an silently experienced the mysterious sensation of spiritual connection. As he himself described it, the Great Li dynasty was like a map of ascension and Dao union; the nation was the human body. The moment he legitimately possessed this seal, in an instant—from the Imperial Ancestral Temple within the capital, the Imperial Observatory, the City God Temple, the Great High Mysterious Hall for praying for rain, the Fire God Temple... to the capital region itself, the ancestral birthplace of the Great Li Song clan, the flowing waters of the Great River, the standing of the Five Sacred Mountains, the various cities, Song Yunjian with the Daoist name "Yingning," the manifest dragon fortune coiled above the Great Li capital, a replica Jade Capital built atop a sea of clouds—all the celestial and terrestrial qi flowing across the map of Great Li. Chen Ping'an could even clearly feel a series of pulse beats.

It seemed as if everything was congratulating him, rejoicing, and bowing its head.

He used the court as his ritual arena, much like a mysterious union with the Dao.

One grain of Chen Ping'an's spiritual consciousness suddenly leaped like a small fish jumping out of green duckweed, or like a great sun abruptly rising above the sea surface. In that instant, above Bottle Gourd Continent, it was as if the second... majestic Dharma image of a god appeared in history, like the Azure Sky opening a single eye, overlooking the mortal map of the Great Li dynasty.

In an instant, within Chen Ping'an's mind-heart landscape, the scene that had just transformed from chaos to the dawn of creation immediately divided into heaven and earth, clear and turbid. The primal separation occurred as the tornado-like whirlwind exploded apart, sending countless golden sparks splattering out. It was like a sword smith in his forge, raising a hammer high and striking down fiercely, pounding a red-hot sword blank, filling the room with sparks. There were tens of millions of golden characters, hundreds of magical treasures and spiritual tools that had been refined and recombined into celestial and terrestrial qi, and an even thicker, longer martial qi fortune, like seeds scattered across the human body's landscape, manifesting countless buildings, figures, mountains, rivers, and plants within his mind-heart landscape.

With both eyes wide open, one eye of his mind-heart looked inward at himself, while the other eye of the Bottle Gourd Continent cloud sea looked outward at heaven and earth. Between the Daoist's personal microcosm and the external macrocosm, a golden bridge of celestial-human resonance was thus erected.

Emperor Song He occasionally turned his head slightly to softly ask the National Preceptor for his opinion, or sought Chen Ping'an's view with a glance, but the latter only shook his head.

The court was about to merge prefectures and establish circuits. Minister of Personnel Zhangsun Mao's inspection results, re-establishing the official ranks of the six ministries in the auxiliary capital, transferring over two hundred thousand troops from various prefectures to reinforce the barbarian battlefield—none of these were trivial matters.

The overly silent and reticent new National Preceptor would have been mistaken for a puppet of the Great Li Song clan by anyone completely unaware, standing in court like a deaf-mute wooden figure.

The vast majority of officials felt that since Chen Ping'an was a new official, he would surely make some drastic moves and implement thunderous measures during his first public appearance at today's court session.

A minority, relatively familiar with Chen Ping'an's style of conduct—such as Cao Gengxin of the Ministry of Personnel, Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice, Dong Hu of the Ministry of Rites, or those Great Li heavyweights who had already seen the new owner of that chair in the small court session—although they did not think Chen Ping'an needed to take this opportunity to assert his authority, they felt that as the new National Preceptor, it was highly likely that he would say a word or two at the end of today's court session that would be memorable or even intimidating to the hundreds of officials.

Perhaps feeling slightly uncomfortable in his official robes for the first time, Chen Ping'an gently tugged at his collar and shrugged his shoulders.

Standing where he was, he had a clear view of the expressions and appearances of all the officials in the hall.

No matter how bold Vice Minister Cao was, he wouldn't dare bring his purple-skinned wine gourd to court.

Zhao Yao, who didn't even have a licentiate's degree but had been exceptionally promoted to a vice minister of a ministry and was a nephew of the literary vein, still seemed to carry himself with a certain maturity and steadiness.

If not for the upheaval back then, according to Cui Chan's predetermined arrangements, the Minister of Personnel of Great Li would have been Ma Zhan, who concurrently served as the headmaster of the Piyun Mountain Forest Deer Academy.

Appearing in the hall today was also a group of elders from the Great Li Song imperial clan. A few of them had been making small moves over the past few years, seeking real power in the court. They were probably completely disheartened by now. Under Cui Chan's control, the Song clan bloodline had been severely suppressed. Occasionally, a few talented and capable individuals had wasted their years on the fringes of officialdom or spent their time raising flowers and birds in princely estates, and now they were old. And now the new National Preceptor was again Cui Chan's junior brother—where could they go to reason?

The only ones who had managed to emerge were perhaps Song Changjing of the previous generation and Luo King Song Mu of this generation. As for the maternal relatives, Empress Dowager Nan Zan's family didn't even have a sixth-rank official. Empress Yu Mian was slightly better, only because the Yu clan was already a pillar state surname. Even so, just a few days ago, within the Yu clan, nominally a visit by the empress to her family with great glory, a secret clan hall meeting was actually held. A eunuch director of the Directorate of Ceremonial appeared quietly, holding an imperial edict. A large crowd knelt to receive the decree, during which an elder uncle and a younger cousin of Yu Mian, both officials, were taken away on the spot. Where they were taken—maybe to the imperial prison, or first to the Ministry of Justice dungeon—who knows.

Yu Mian remained expressionless throughout. She only remembered that terrifying conversation when the emperor personally told her: if it were just the two cases that Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice had uncovered, he could help a little. But within the National Preceptor's residence itself, there were actually members of the Yu surname who dared to collude with outsiders, trying to muddle through. The Empress Dowager had just asked about it. Finally, the emperor, with a gentle expression, asked her, "What do you think we should do?"

So the clan hall meeting lasted all night, shrouded in gloom. When she got up and walked out of the hall, it was already dawn. Empress Yu Mian knew that from this day on, the Yu clan, the pillar state deeply connected with the Great Li border army, would begin to "orderly" withdraw from the court within two or three years, forced to leave the border army and officialdom. It would take twenty years. Another twenty years of waiting. One of the several overt and covert promotion charts in the Great Li officialdom—this "official road" was now cut off. But at least the emperor, or more precisely, the National Preceptor's residence, had granted the Yu clan a measure of dignity.

The elder who was the head of the Yu clan stood beside Yu Mian at the time. The old man was somewhat emotional, lamenting the treacherous waves of officialdom. He said hoarsely, "I recall an old friend who always liked to oppose National Preceptor Cui. Later, he managed to get out relatively unscathed. He told me that walking certain roads concerning the trend of a nation's fate is like drinking wine. He drank half a cup, realized it was poisoned, and ended up half-dead, so he stopped drinking. But there are also those who taste the poison and then drink the rest."

Then the old man made a metaphor that made Yu Mian want to laugh and cry at the same time.

"The latter refuses to turn back, harder to pull away than a New Year's pig."

Finally, the old man looked at her and smiled. "Changing tables and cups to drink is something I won't live to see. You still can, and you still have a chance."

Zhao Yao was fully aware of these insider details. He looked at Chen Ping'an. He had indeed done what he said—investigated everything, with no upper limit.

Moreover, Zhao Yao now had another major case to handle. It turned out that the former book boy of Liu Qingfeng, the minister of the auxiliary capital, who was now a cultivator of Fallen Mountain, had secretly handed over a booklet to Chen Ping'an. It involved the excavation of the Great River in the central part of Bottle Gourd Continent years ago. These were Liu Qingfeng’s secret records from when he was the superintendent of the Great River excavation... involving over two hundred nobles and officials' offspring from dozens of large and small families. Among them were more than twenty third-rank officials from the capital, auxiliary capital, and local strongmen. Right now, eight of them were standing in the hall. They might know, or they might not. But Zhao Yao was absolutely certain that National Preceptor Cui Chan had been fully aware, and it was an unspoken understanding with Liu Qingfeng, who for some reason had chosen to deliberately conceal it for so long.

Dong Hu, who had been stuck in the position of Vice Minister of Rites for many years, was listening to the agenda while easily letting his mind wander—participating in court sessions had many tricks.

This grand ceremony, the court had not invited any observers, which also showed the self-confidence of the Great Li dynasty.

The Ministry of Rites was responsible for determining the calligraphy style of the National Preceptor's seal beforehand. The standard "hall and cabinet" style used across the continent was certainly not acceptable. Imitating the calligraphy of the previous National Preceptor Cui Chan, even though Chen Ping'an was Cui Chan's junior brother, the Ministry of Rites still couldn't help but grumble. After much deliberation, they finally figured out a more stable method: look for these characters from the "One Hundred Sword Immortals Seal Manual" and the "Two Hundred Sword Immortals Seal Manual"!

Even after determining the calligraphy style, the Ministry of Rites still had a problem. For example, the previous seal "The Seal of Cui Chan, National Preceptor of Great Li" had exactly eight characters in its base inscription, so it could be neatly aligned.

The "arrangement of troops" for the characters in the new seal's inscription gave Dong Hu and the others a headache. After repeated consideration, they finally had to work on the character "zhi" (之).

The hardships of this process, sweet and bitter, known only to themselves. Anyway, the ceremony had ended successfully. The officials of the Ministry of Rites, despite their fatigue, felt deeply honored.

Chen Ping'an looked up at the caisson again.

For some reason, he always felt there was a barrier. Between heaven and earth, there seemed to be an invisible door, and he was still missing a key.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Ping'an took out the old National Preceptor's seal from thin air, clenched it in his hand, and crushed it to powder.

Long ago, Cui Chan had similarly destroyed a seal at a mountaintop—the "Spring" character seal that his junior brother Qi Jingchun had given to his student Zhao Yao.

Outside the hall, beside the marble steps, the female sword immortal Zhu Su suddenly withdrew from her "seclusion" temporarily.

Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi were both surprised. Xie Gou also found it baffling. She absolutely would not keep her doubts to herself and asked through telepathy, "Sister Zhu Su, what's going on? You were just one step away from the door. Why withdraw your mind? This sword refining was just a bit off in intensity; a slight difference is a vast distance. Even though it won't ruin the effort, next time you go into seclusion to refine, it will be twice the work for half the result, wasting quite a few heavenly treasures."

Zhu Su smiled wryly and said, "I don't know why, but my intuition told me I had to leave the state of mental focus and stop refining the sword."

Only Ning Yao and Xiao Mo, both in the fourteenth realm, were the first to detect that anomaly which had nothing to do with celestial and terrestrial qi but was closely connected to the fate of Great Li and the luck of the continent.

Zhu Su's intuition was correct. She had no choice but to do so because she had to make way for a greater "Dao."

Insisting on not yielding would be... not even close to contending for the Dao; it was more like blocking the way with a mantis's arm. Zhu Su had to avoid its sharpness and submit to the greater trend.

At the third quarter of the Mao hour, the Great Li morning court ended. The officials returned to their respective offices. Those qualified to participate in the small court session gathered in twos and threes and headed toward the emperor's study room.

The sword immortals had already left the capital ahead of time, flying their swords toward Fallen Mountain. Above the Great Li capital, the sword qi was like a rainbow, and the clear blue sky echoed with the sound of thunder.

Almost all the officials outside the hall looked up at that immortal tableau of sword immortals riding the wind across the azure sky, unwilling to look away for a long time. They believed that when they returned home tonight, they would inevitably be grilled by the younger generations of their families.

After the travel time and a brief rest, at the beginning of the Chen hour, the small court session in the imperial study, attended by the nation's purple and yellow-robed dignitaries, began.

For some reason, the newly appointed National Preceptor Chen Ping'an did not accompany the emperor to walk out of the hall first, nor did he exchange a few parting words with the group of his own sword immortals. Instead, he remained alone in the hall.

In this exceptionally empty hall, Chen Ping'an paced alone, as if strolling leisurely within his own home. During his walk, he occasionally shook his head and jumped a few times.

---

At the Flower God Temple, Nian Xin got straight to the point: "There is no need to discuss the matter of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land apologizing to Aunt Feng. If we need to argue about this, then there is no need to talk."

Luo Fumeng nodded. "If you make a mistake, you naturally need to admit it. Qi Fang, the Flower Master, and I are both willing to leave the blessed land. The specific time and place will be decided by Aunt Feng."

Aunt Feng laughed and said, "Everything is difficult at the start, but now it’s suddenly clear."

Nian Xin turned to look at Aunt Feng, who governed the winds of the mortal world, and said, "However, after much thought, the Hidden Official intends to decline the position of Supreme Guest Elder of the blessed land. Since Flower God Luo is here, may I ask Aunt Feng to propose another condition? Let us speak openly and see where we stand?"

Aunt Feng frowned slightly, pressing a jade-white finger against her chin, lost in thought.

Luo Fumeng was also caught off guard. Chen Ping'an serving as the Supreme Guest Elder of the entire blessed land—that was something worth discussing. Why would he decline? It should have been a cause for universal joy.

But on second thought, Luo Fumeng's heart suddenly jolted. She had just learned from Water Lord Wang Zhu that Chen Ping'an had just been appointed National Preceptor of Great Li. This was somewhat troublesome.

Similar to Wang Zhu, the Taoyan Madame was also an outsider, but her mood was not light either.

Previously, the Taoyan Madame had accompanied the well-connected Shao Yunyan to travel through the Central Continent Divine Land, during which they visited the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land. She had already conveyed the good news: Chen Ping'an had personally agreed that the next time he visited the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, he would bring the "knot" temporarily entrusted to him by Aunt Feng. However, Chen Ping'an had also clearly stated that the matter of returning it would require a face-to-face discussion.

But even so, the flower gods of the blessed land were still stunned, their expressions incredulous. Some flower gods even jumped for joy and wept with happiness. In short, all the emotions were genuine.

After all, it had been thousands of years. This "heart knot," or rather "handle," had always been controlled by others. They had not even dared to seek out that "Aunt Feng." Even if they went and begged bitterly, if she refused to see them, what could they do?

Inside the brocade pouch that Aunt Feng had asked the Old Scholar to bring to Chen Ping'an, there was a colorful knot. It was refined from the life threads of each flower god of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land and a wisp of their essence.

At the time, Aunt Feng's two conditions were: first, the flower gods of the blessed land come to apologize to her, this "servant girl of the Feng family," and second, Chen Ping'an take the opportunity to become the blessed land's Supreme Guest Elder.

Aunt Feng also made it clear that if they refused to bow their heads and admit their mistake, then it would be Chen Ping'an's turn to act as the Dao protector, needing to protect the flower thieves of the mountains from being wiped out.

Aunt Feng said with a mischievous smile, "Flower God Luo, I am the thinnest-skinned person. I'm really not good at proactively offering terms. How about you let Qi Fang make an offer? If I think the price is right, we'll let it go and settle it today. We'll skip being friends in the future, and we'll keep well water and river water separate—just give each other a little face. If the price is not suitable, there are two situations: one, if the price is too low but we can continue to talk; the other, if the price is too low and it equals insulting me again, and to my face at that, then I will settle old and new scores together."

The Taoyan Madame felt uneasy inside. Including herself, all the flowers of the mortal world—who among them did not depend on the favor of this Aunt Feng?

Nian Xin said, "Flower God Luo, can we discuss it?"

Luo Fumeng was extremely conflicted. This time, she had "descended the altar" at the Flower God Temple in the Great Li capital. The Flower Master's original intention was to go with the flow and invite the young Hidden Official to be the blessed land's guest elder. But Chen Ping'an had just officially become the Great Li National Preceptor today, which was a huge surprise. Having such an official identity, no matter how prominent its power, was now an awkward chicken rib for the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land.

Luo Fumeng was one of the life-commanding flower gods, and she knew her own suffering. For so many years, the blessed land had not wanted to bypass Aunt Feng, nor did it want to confront her head-on, seeking a way to break the deadlock and unravel the knot—for example, by accumulating merit, asking for help from the Confucian Temple to intercede, and retrieve the knot. Or by inviting a great cultivator to serve as the Supreme Guest Elder of the entire Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, then accompanying them to the Great Li dynasty, both giving enough face to Aunt Feng and not escalating the enmity.

Hence, at the last Confucian Temple council, the Flower Master of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land had hosted a private banquet for Liu Qi Lang.

Her intention was simple: to invite Mr. Liu Qi, who had returned from the Dark Green Heaven to the Haoran world, to serve as the Supreme Guest Elder of the entire blessed land.

Unfortunately, Liu Qi declined.

Cultivation realm, talent in literature, appearance and demeanor, reputation and pure fame, flawless merit—all had to be present!

Bai Ye certainly met all the criteria, but it was impossible to move this most prideful man of the world.

In fact, Bai Ye serving as the supreme guest elder of the peony was also a "self-appointed" matter; Mr. Bai Ye simply didn't mind back then.

Liu Qi did not drink for nothing. Before leaving the feast slightly tipsy, he still smiled and said, "The one who tied the knot must untie it."

Therefore, the news brought by the Taoyan Madame made them so excited. At the very least, at least in this matter, it was Aunt Feng who had taken the initiative.

Luo Fumeng said cautiously, "Could you let me discuss it with the Flower Master?"

Aunt Feng nodded. "Of course. I am currently staying at the Fire God Temple. After you have discussed it and come to a definite conclusion, you can go there to find me and talk? Miss Nian Xin, would you trouble yourself to make an extra trip?"

Nian Xin smiled. "Of course."

After that, Aunt Feng took the lead in leaving the Flower God Temple along with Wang Zhu. Wang Zhu said she would wander around the capital a bit more. At the entrance of the temple, Aunt Feng stopped. The woman no longer had the cold demeanor she had inside the hall. Her eyes were full of affection as she reached out to cover the young woman's face and said softly, "Don't live this life too bitterly. If you encounter troubles in the future, come find me for some drinks and chat. I may not be able to help you with big matters, but at least I can curse people with you."

Wang Zhu grinned. "If it happens often, don't get annoyed."

The woman gently pinched Wang Zhu's cheek with her finger. "I'm more afraid that you won't bother Aunt Feng."

Wang Zhu gracefully performed a curtsey and took her leave. When she had gone far away and reached the corner of the street, she looked back to see Aunt Feng still standing there with a smile.

Wang Zhu waved her hand and made a funny face. The woman nodded and smiled back.

Aunt Feng took a path similar to that of the old coachman Su Kan, passing by the Great High Mysterious Hall where successive Great Li emperors and kings had prayed for rain. It seemed that now an important office of the Ministry of War, outside the Thousand-Step Corridor, was located here. Aunt Feng had witnessed the rise and fall of the Great Li Song clan's national power with her own eyes. Before Xiu Hu became National Preceptor, as one of the vassal states of the Lu dynasty, the country was plagued by internal and external troubles. Aunt Feng had watched an old woman who had ruled behind the curtain for years, holding a young emperor who was not yet six years old, kneeling together on the gloomy prayer mats inside the hall. The child, probably hungry, cold, and sleepy, was crying loudly... In the early days of the Calamus River, it was nowhere near as bustling as it is now. Aunt Feng had also heard with her own ears an official of the suzerain state Lu, while being entertained by two presiding officials of the Great Li Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonies here, who not only didn't appreciate it but pointed at their noses and cursed: "This is how you treat guests! You really don't know how to behave! This ghostly place—if I come again, I'll be a ghost!" This Lu dynasty official, barely of the fifth rank, cursed two third-rank officials of the vassal state just because he hadn't been called for a few Changchun Palace immortals to accompany him in drinking, and then he swaggered off.

One of the two officials stood by the river, red-faced, hands tucked into sleeves, shoulders trembling slightly.

The other, a young and robust official who had just punished himself by drinking three bowls as an apology at the banquet, crouched by the river vomiting continuously, his eyes red, cursing, "Fuck his mother."

Not only Aunt Feng knew, but everyone on Bottle Gourd Continent's mountains and all the Great Li heavyweights attending the small court session knew it well: the great dynasties south of the entire Great River, all the nations, were waiting and hoping for the Great Li dynasty to fall apart so that they could feast on it. As soon as there was an opportunity, they would tear apart that northern barbarian, who had usurped the throne and still occupied half the continent's mountains and rivers, the Great Li Song clan, like dismembering a corpse, nibbling away until nothing was left.

Previously, at the beginning of the Mao hour, on the northern bank of the Great River on the southern border of Great Li, those sword boats began to move south.

The huge fleet, with one or two Great Li sword boats as the nucleus and dozens of Great Li border army ferries as support, split into three routes and slowly passed over the Great River.

The sword boat with a standing grand banner led a group of military ferries, majestic, splitting through layers of clouds, following a straight-line route, flying over the Daoist temples of many immortal residences.

During the day when the sun was directly overhead, they would cast enormous shadows over the mountains, rivers, and cities of foreign lands, even over the capitals of other countries.

When night fell, the heaven and earth heavy and dark, further south in Bottle Gourd Continent, they still shone brightly, like stars within reach.

---

One of the Dukes of the Great River, Yang Hua, secretly made a trip to the imperial palace to meet with the Empress Dowager.

Nan Zan seemed to have become a different person. She pulled Yang Hua to drink some glutinous rice wine for the first time, chatting only about old interesting matters, without any official business. When parting, the Empress Dowager didn't beat around the bush with Yang Hua. She simply told her one thing: since the Great River Marquis's estate was very busy, there was no need for her to visit again in the future.

Yang Hua walked out of the palace, and for a moment, she felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Just like that, she had been cut off?

After the court session, Yan Yongfeng, the Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments and the current head of the Zizhao Yan clan, intentionally or unintentionally walked beside the Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, Bian Wenmao, and exchanged a few casual remarks. Yan Yongfeng needed to hurry to attend the imperial study council, so this seemingly insignificant action was quite telling to those in the know. The Court of Imperial Entertainments was one of the nine minor ministries, with six subordinate offices. It wasn't exactly a cold bench, but certainly not a hot stove either. However, being the Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments was the top position of this line. Below him was the Vice Minister, and the Vice Director was an assistant official. The Court of State Ceremonies had some overlapping authority with the Ministry of Rites. The Chief Minister was mostly transferred to be the Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, almost a fixed pattern, and rarely transferred to become a Vice Minister of a department. This court session had redefined the boundaries of authority for the nine major and nine minor ministries. Keen observers guessed that Yan Yongfeng would be promoted soon, and what was crucial was that it might be an exceptional promotion.

The reason was simple, even somewhat absurd: it was because the new National Preceptor seemed absent-minded, as if his spirit was wandering thousands of miles away. Only when it came to the Court of Imperial Entertainings did he, whether by chance or intentionally, indeed cast his gaze toward the crowd of officials and dignitaries.

Yan Yongfeng casually asked, "Bian Wenmao, how many offices have you served in?"

Bian Wenmao of the Court of Imperial Entertainings replied respectfully, "First, as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, then as an assistant instructor of law, a registrar, and a lecturer at the Imperial Academy. After that, I transferred to be a ritual attendant in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and then I came to the Court of Imperial Entertainings."

Bian Wenmao was participating in this morning court session as the Education Commissioner of Chuzhou, a pure and prestigious position, having been exceptionally granted attendance. His substantive post was still Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Entertainings.

Yan Yongfeng grunted in acknowledgment. "Adding the post of Education Commissioner of Chuzhou, you have gained experience in many offices. Your temperament is still steady."

Bian Wenmao suppressed his excitement and said in a slightly trembling voice, "I have already learned a lot at the Court of Imperial Entertainings, but I still need to be tempered."

Yan Yongfeng said calmly, "The Education Commissioners of each prefecture serve four-year terms. Remember to take this opportunity to do some practical work in the local areas. Being able to do the most pragmatic things in a nominal position is true ability."

Bian Wenmao nodded vigorously.

Yan Yongfeng said softly, "I remember National Preceptor Cui once joked with me privately: local officials can seek profit without caring about their reputation, but pure-stream officials and remonstrating officers must never seek profit, though they can gain fame."

Sweat beaded on Bian Wenmao's forehead. He quickly reviewed himself mentally and confirmed that he had done nothing inappropriate for his position. His term as Education Commissioner of Chuzhou could be described as extremely lean and honest.

Yan Yongfeng smiled and said, "Capital officials have their ways, and local officials have their corrupt practices. Bian Wenmao, don't ruin your own future. Keep your vision long-term. Without stability in being an official, you will always be led astray by wealth and lust. I'm not trying to scare you, but I've served in local areas before. The methods for dragging people into the mire are numerous and varied. You will be leaving the capital soon. I offer you these words of encouragement as a reminder."

Bian Wenmao said, "I will keep this in mind!"

Previously, the emperor and empress had personally attended Bian Wenmao's wedding banquet. Bian Wenmao and his wife Shi Jiachun, and their two families, had been overjoyed, feeling as if they were dreaming.

But how could they have imagined that the blue-robed man who had sat cross-legged on a chair was now the National Preceptor of Great Li?

---

Near the Fire God Temple, Wang Zhu's voice rang in Aunt Feng's ears. "Qi Fang has arrived, accompanied by a ghost immortal. They have met with Cui Minghuang of the Guanhu Academy."

Aunt Feng heard this and laughed. "That ghost is the founding emperor of the Great Yong dynasty. Back then, he raised a banner and nearly ended up completely withered. He desperately protected the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, preventing me from destroying it entirely in my rage. He is not a bad man, just romantic and sentimental by nature."

The Hundred Flowers Blessed Land had only one Flower Master, named Qi Fang. However, very few cultivators knew her maiden name, "Xiang Xiu."

A fugitive who once hid in the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, later the Executioner of Sword Qi Wall, Hao Su, had a brief and shallow romance with her.

When outsiders talked about the Bamboo Sea Cavern Heaven, they often focused solely on the Green God Mountain Lady and the matter of the Mountain God Banquet.

But there were many stories about the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land that were enchanting but not vulgar.

For example, Fu Jin, the chief disciple of Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, had a life-commanding flower god who was deeply in love with this "Little White Emperor," whose bearing, swordplay, and chess skills were all supreme. Unfortunately, fate did not allow them to become Dao companions. And in the Central Continent's Grand Dragon Pond, the one revered as the Dragon Beard Celestial Lord, Situ Mengjing, had another life-commanding flower god as his red-clear confidante. They had once traveled together through the mountains and rivers of the three northwestern continents.

The twelve months of the year had four life-commanding flower gods and twelve monthly flower gods. The dharma robes of the life-commanding flower gods could be embroidered with the flowers of their season. Only the Flower Master could embroider all the flowers.

Each monthly flower god could invite a male guest elder, who was then known as a male flower god. Above them, there could even be a fictitious Supreme Guest Elder. However, for someone to hold this title, it was not a decision to be made by a single monthly flower god; it required the approval of the entire Hundred Flowers Blessed Land. For example, the Supreme Guest Elder of the Peony was Mr. Bai Ye.

Of course, the most famous item of the blessed land was the complete set of Twelve Flower God Cups. These were the number one treasure in the hearts of all connoisseurs of fine wine in the world.

Each cup was fired by a different official kiln, so each cup had different poems and inscriptions, like imperial porcelain. If it also bore the private marks of the Flower Master or a life-commanding flower god, it was even more like an imperial creation.

According to the White-Haired Boy's private opinion, back when the Hidden Official Ancestor was under the grape trellis of Executioner Hao Su's Daoist estate, when he saw those Flower God Cups, his eyes gleamed with desire. It was a good thing he had read the sages' books and knew the old principle that a gentleman does not take away what others treasure, so he didn't forcibly snatch them.

During the last Confucian Temple council, a certain filler member had brazenly begged for them everywhere, collecting several complete sets of Flower God Cups. As soon as he left the Confucian Temple, he sold them off and immediately paid off several wine debts.

Within the Celestial Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain, there was also a very famous Hundred Flower Garden.

Seeing that Aunt Feng didn't take it seriously, Wang Zhu stopped speaking. By now, the streets were not so congested, but the entire capital was still immersed in an indescribably enthusiastic atmosphere.

Once upon a time, during the freezing winter, in the deep of night, in a crude alley covered with thick snow, someone was curled up outside the door, while someone else lit an oil lamp inside.

The latter, a light sleeper, heard the noise outside. The poor, thin orphan both worried that a neighbor had been robbed by a wall-climbing thief and feared that a drunkard had collapsed in the alley.

Wang Zhu still refused to admit that the most beautiful sound in the world was the word "who."

In a small and exquisite official garden in the outer city, Qi Fang had come to the Great Li capital. When she learned that Chen Ping'an was already the National Preceptor of Great Li, she hesitated instead.

If Chen Ping'an did not have this worldly identity but was instead at the Confucian Temple, pursuing the Three Immortalities—like becoming a Chancellor of an academy one day—how wonderful would that be?

There were rumors that the Confucian Temple would soon establish a Jixia Academy at a place called Yingqiu, and it was obvious whose scholarship would be promoted.

Then, who would be the Chancellor and the Director of Studies of the future Jixia Academy? The protective nature of the Wen Sheng lineage was recognized across several worlds, and Chen Ping'an was the closed-door disciple of Wen Sheng.

Commanding troops from the Summer Resort Palace, winning three more years for the Haoran world, then, as the last Hidden Official, guarding half of Sword Qi Wall alone—if this didn't count as meritorious service, what did?

A blue-robed figure beating a drum on a mountaintop to welcome spring for the world.

Later, single-handedly filling the geographical gap of Tongye Continent.

All of this was recorded as merits at the Central Confucian Temple.

So, does this mean that Chen Ping'an, the inheritor of the Wen Sheng lineage and the closed-door disciple of the Old Scholar, is only missing the matter of "establishing a doctrine"?

If he became the Chancellor of Jixia Academy, could he then establish a doctrine?

For example, Cui Jian, the Dao protector of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, once joked: "If I were the real manager of the Confucian Temple, I would make sure that Hidden Official Chen enters both the Civil Temple and the Martial Temple."

Beside Qi Fang sat a middle-aged man who was drinking. Although his clothes were elegant, he could not hide his naturally noble and graceful temperament. This man was from the Great Yong dynasty in the Central Continent Divine Land. The custom of wearing flowers in the hair all over the country originated from him, the founding emperor. His surname was Cui, and his given name was Jian.

He and their table companion Cui Minghuang both had the surname Cui, but the Great Yong Cui clan had no connection with the Bottle Gourd Continent Cui clan. Although every country's imperial examinations had a Tanhua (third-place scholar), no dynasty took the newly crowned Tanhua as seriously as the Great Yong dynasty. It had even become the ancestral law of the Cui family, with strict requirements on the age, appearance, and poetic talent of every Tanhua.

Cui Minghuang was now the pillar of the current Cui clan, the undisputed candidate for the next family head. He had long held the title of Junzi (virtuous man) and had just been promoted to Vice Headmaster of Guanhu Academy.

The Cui clan of Bottle Gourd Continent was a great and powerful family of generations of officials. But for some reason, only a handful of the pinnacle figures on Bottle Gourd Continent knew the relationship between Xiu Hu Cui Chan and the Cui clan. As for Cui Cheng, even the younger generation within the Cui clan today were no longer very clear about who this old man was. It seemed that this former family head, a hundred years ago, only had a lonely name in the clan genealogy.

At the previous grand Confucian Temple council, three elegant gatherings had been held. The hosts were the Liu clan of the White Snow Continent, Yu Panshui of the Xuanmi Dynasty, and Qi Fang, the Flower Master of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land.

Among them, Flower Master Qi Fang had invited distinguished guests such as Zheng Juzhong, Su Zi, Green Bell Lady of Lv Shui Pit, Huaiyin, Wei Ying, and Wu Shu.

Let alone Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City.

Just mentioning that Su Zi had already advanced to the fourteenth realm, and at the time, the Green Bell Lady had quickly risen to become the Lord of Terrestrial Water Transport. Not long ago, word spread that Wu Shu had reached the level of "Spirit Arrival" on the Barbarian Battlefield.

Cultivators, gods, warriors—each had great opportunities.

Truly a blessed land, the elegant gathering hosted by the Flower Master of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land!

If not for Aunt Feng's sudden change of mind, taking the initiative to "bring up old scores" and summoning Luo Fumeng and the others to the Flower God Temple, Chen Ping'an had indeed intended to visit the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land. Just talking about Zhu Lian—when he learned that the mountain lord would definitely visit the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land and might even return the colorful knot that looked like a spending coin, the old cook had asked the mountain lord to help verify something: whether certain claims in the strange books were true or false, such as whether the flower temple warden really could control the flowering season, and whether there were male immortal officials within the blessed land.

Pretending to be refined? Who was pretending, Zhu Lian or refinement, was still debatable.

In the empty hall, Chen Ping'an finally stood still.

Official roads, post stations, the Great River, and rivers were like the meridians of the human body; cities and lakes were where the various dragon veins within Great Li gathered and knotted.

Vigorous blood and qi, spirited energy, strong body leads to a healthy nation, united as one with the people's hearts. Those who observe the Dao can achieve Dao enlightenment through this, like a dragon ascending to the sky.

Since youth, he had most deeply understood the impermanence of life, so he rarely had moments of high spirits. What he acquired, he always feared losing; what he had not yet obtained, he dared not eagerly anticipate.

It seemed that every tomorrow of life was gray, rarely experiencing that feeling of "the sky brightening and clearing" as described in books.

But Chen Ping'an indeed had a few rare moments when his brows lifted and he spoke his heart directly: as a young wandering knight, fighting side by side with Song Yushao; on the battlefield of Sword Qi Wall, substituting for Ning Yao and fighting one-on-one with Li Zhen; in the prison, speaking arrogantly and challenging the visualized Jade Capital with both fist and sword; returning to the Haoran world, on the night boat, slaying the first ancestor of the military strategists, Jiang She.

In an instant, the entire capital trembled slightly, but soon returned to calm.

A vast ripple of fate flashed by, "submerging" the entire map of Great Li, and even had enough strength to surge southward into Bottle Gourd Continent, but it clearly paused at the Great River.

Inside a private residence not far from the Flower God Temple, Liu Laocheng sensed something was wrong. Gao Mian was only in the Golden Core realm now, so his perception of celestial phenomena was dull; he didn't feel a thing.

The old true man Liang Shuang let out a "yip," gritted his teeth, and made a calculation with his fingers. His fingertips soon sizzled and emitted green smoke. He shook his hand vigorously and exclaimed, "What boldness of spirit!"

A single person was about to ascend physically and had not yet truly achieved the Dao, yet he could already carry the fate of an entire country and half a continent? If everyone who became National Preceptor enjoyed such immense benefits, then this poor Daoist should hurry up and become the National Preceptor of several more dynasties!

At the National Preceptor's residence, under the peach tree, Song Yunjian looked up at the sky, clapped his hands, and laughed, "On this auspicious day, I ascend to the place of rising. My Dao is realized, and I see the azure sky."

Having refined both the old and new seals, Chen Ping'an collected his mind and called out the name of Liu Xiang directly.

Liu Xiang, the manifestation of the great Dao of the Haoran world, who lived in seclusion in the countryside, immediately gave his greatest response.

But it wasn't enough.

The old blind man who had already ascended to heaven, now in his true form as Zhixi, reached out and grabbed something in the distant human world, then sharply pulled upward.

As if forcibly dragging someone up.

At the same time, half of Sword Qi Wall began to rumble violently, like thunder rolling across flat ground. In an instant, half of the city wall was uprooted. In the blink of an eye, it collided with the River of Time, stirring up an unparalleled splendor. Half of the wall, like the world's greatest flying sword, underwent an observable process of washing and refining, shedding its mortal shell. The great sword continuously shattered into dust that scattered over the boundless sea, ultimately condensed into a true sword.

The sword arrived at Bottle Gourd Continent, at the Great Li capital, at the imperial palace hall. Chen Ping'an reached out and caught the sword.

Holding the sword in hand.

A sword cultivator's three-foot spirit through a thousand years of romance, ten thousand years of heroic and noble aura.

He left a true body in place while a ethereal dharma image surged upward, ascending to the azure sky in the Ascension realm.

He directly crossed two worlds and traveled to the Dark Green Heaven.

No matter how high your Jade Capital is, there is always the azure sky above.

The great Dao of the entire world trembled accordingly. At the highest place, the sky emitted a tearing sound like silk. A pair of giant hands seemed to forcibly pry open the azure sky.

Someone poked his head out. His eyes were pure gold, overlooking the entire Jade Capital. Countless Dao officials looked up to see the sky. This sword-bearing traveler looked down and met the gaze of Yu Dou, who was looking up.