Chapter 7: Leaving the Mountains
As soon as the midnight hour passed, a new day began.
It seemed as if Chen Ping'an was keeping vigil not only for himself but for the entire human world.
When Liu Rao coldly said, "Withdraw from court if there is no business," the civil and military officials who had attended the "night court" receded like a tide. Under the illumination of lanterns and candles in the hall and square, they resembled a school of fish swimming from the temple toward the mansions of the nobility.
During this time, no upright minister slammed into a pillar to die and thus declare his resolve. Not even any officials uttered harsh words or grand declarations. It seemed as if every single one had accepted their fate.
But Liu Rao, who knew the Great Shou court better than anyone, understood that among this muddy swamp there were still some outstanding talents and fine jade. However, this was precisely the situation Liu Rao wanted—chaos.
Many young and middle-aged officials who had chosen to remain silent for the time being had already regarded the "suzerain state," Great Li of the Song Clan, as their mortal enemy. The gazes they cast at Liu Rao carried a bone-deep hatred and resentment.
As the most powerful state preceptor since the founding of Great Shou, Liu Rao was destined to have his reputation dragged through the mud.
If it weren't for the rules of the Central Earth Confucian Temple—that Qi refiners could not serve as monarchs—it was estimated that by early tomorrow morning, rumors would spread throughout both court and countryside that State Preceptor Liu Rao planned to usurp the throne and declare himself emperor.
Yin Ni, who had not immediately gone to the Jade Firmament Palace at the mountaintop, sighed softly. "Why go through all this trouble?"
Liu Rao smiled. "What's the point of keeping a broken jar? Just smash it completely, so you can fire a truly exquisite piece of porcelain."
Yin Ni asked, "What will you do next?"
Liu Rao said, "Force Yin Mi to depose the empress and immediately install a new one."
Yin Ni frowned but said nothing. The current empress was a nobleman's daughter whom the former emperor, Yin Ji, had forced upon the crown prince Yin Mi. Their relationship as husband and wife was one of mutual respect in name only. Moreover, that woman was arrogant, fierce, and jealous. It was only natural that Yin Mi did not like her, but he was far from hating her enough to depose her. Besides, if he were to install a new empress the very day after his ascension, wouldn't Yin Mi's role as emperor be all too... flavorful?
Liu Rao said bluntly, "The new empress will be my personally taught disciple, Jin Li. A few years ago, I deliberately arranged for them to meet at the Jade Firmament Palace temple fair. Jin Li's background is unusual. I imagine Yin Shanjun also noticed some clues..."
Yin Ni shook her head. "I didn't see anything."
Liu Rao was momentarily at a loss for words.
Yin Ni asked curiously, "In what way is she extraordinary?"
Liu Rao hesitated, as if wanting to say something but holding back.
A white-robed youth who had been playing the role of a "gentleman on the beam" slid down a vermilion pillar adorned with gold powder and cloud dragons. Jiang Shangzhen emerged from behind the throne.
Cui Dongshan walked toward the dazzlingly ornate lacquered wood dragon throne, smiling as he explained on Liu Rao's behalf: "After the battle of slaying the dragon, there were some ripples. A golden carp from the Eastern Sea once raised a rebellion, claiming to command a million soldiers under her banner and vowing to seek justice for all aquatic clans. But as soon as she set foot on land, she was driven back by Han Jiaozhu. She was once a good sister to Madame Tantan of the Lushui Pit, but unfortunately, the latter was too timid to join her in raising an army back then. However, as time passed, this feat was not taken very seriously by the land immortals, and they did not realize how dangerous it truly was."
Yin Ni was about to instinctively scold Liu Rao—why hadn't he revealed Jin Li's true roots earlier?—but she suddenly remembered the year when Yin Mi's grandfather, the Great Shou emperor of that era, had burned incense at the Jade Firmament Palace and asked her opinion on whether Liu Rao could be kept "an appropriate distance from the dragon throne." Yin Ni's response at the time had been that she didn't care.
After that, Liu Rao began to deliberately reduce his participation in court meetings. Over time, the Great Shou state preceptor gradually became a mere ornament.
Liu Rao looked at the empty hall and said self-deprecatingly, "Are you all wondering how a dynasty as rotten as Great Shou could still rank fourth among the Righteous Dynasties?"
The old man missed the spirited young man from back then. At that time, Liu Rao had just broken through to a new realm and was also a young immortal with lofty aspirations.
Despite their vast age difference and the gap between immortal and mortal, they had met in a tavern on the verge of closing during a heavy snowstorm. The wind and snow pounded against the cotton curtain hanging at the doorway. Inside, they discussed current affairs over wine, their hearts burning with passion. They believed that Great Shou's tomorrow would surely be bright and sunny, that the winter in the capital would never again see beggars frozen to death.
Jiang Shangzhen nodded. "I'd even want to complain on behalf of the third and fifth—one feels disgusted, the other feels deeply ashamed."
Cui Dongshan extended a hand and folded his fingers one by one, laughing. "First, the ancestors were indeed wealthy and left a decent family fortune. Even if a prodigal son or two appeared in between, they could still afford to squander it. Second, the claim to the throne is illegitimate, right? They fear most being cursed in the annals of history. That's easy to handle: secretly pass down a few ancestral teachings to later generations. So the Yin clan has always treated scholars very generously, nourishing them with generous support for centuries. This gives them an advantage—it's easy to gain a good reputation and trick wandering scholars from all directions into joining them. Third, there's that fourteenth-realm ghost creature 'Xian' roaming the territory. Who dares to reach out casually? Fourth, before this, Great Shou's ancestral tomb emitted blue smoke—they produced a pair of dazzling 'civil and military twin jades,' similar to the Zhongxing ministers Yuan and Cao of the Great Li Song Clan. The civil one refers to the young wastrel who suddenly turned over a new leaf, tied his hair to a beam and pricked his thigh to stay awake while studying, and passed the imperial examinations with top honors four times in a row—that's State Preceptor Liu Rao. The other, in his lifetime, had such martial prowess and talent for leading troops that he was first-rate in the world. His extraordinary abilities were similar to Liu Qingfeng of our Great Li's secondary capital. This kind of 'official' cannot be sought; you can only rely on luck. Fifth, don't look down on Yin Ji just because he was a villain dripping with malice. In fact, he had some skill as an emperor—he was by no means an ordinary hand. With someone like that sitting on the dragon throne, powerful ministers and famous generals all had to step aside. Sixth, if all else fails, isn't there still an ancestor, Yin Ni, secretly looking after the Yin clan's descendants?"
Liu Rao nodded. "The young man has insight."
Cui Dongshan cupped his hands and shook them exaggeratedly, grinning mischievously. "Old Immortal Lord, such broad-mindedness."
Chen Ping'an merely looked up at the ornate caisson ceiling, where a dragon head descended and held a pearl in its mouth, casting a colorful light.
Jiang Shangzhen followed his mountain master's gaze and thought to himself, This thing isn't easy to dismantle or move, is it?
Yin Ni watched the seemingly mad youth who appeared to be hesitating about whether to sit on the dragon throne and said angrily, "Put it back!"
Cui Dongshan feigned ignorance. "Huh?"
Yin Ni said in a deep voice, "Return the suppressed object to its original place!"
Cui Dongshan sighed, pulled a small box from his sleeve, and casually threw it back to its original spot.
Chen Ping'an said, "Return it exactly as it was."
Cui Dongshan had no choice but to pull out more treasures from his sleeve and use secret techniques to put them back into the treasure box.
Seeing this, Yin Ni—a female mountain lord with a naturally cold temperament—was so angry she laughed, saying "Fine, fine" several times. "Is this the conduct of a sect leader? Is this the proud student of State Preceptor Chen?!"
Cui Dongshan chuckled, plopped himself down on the dragon chair, wiggled his bottom, and propped his feet up on the armrest. "How infuriating!"
Yin Ni was about to use a mountain-moving divine ability to suppress this scoundrel, but Chen Ping'an said calmly, "His original name was Cui Chan."
Yin Ni immediately withdrew her ability, utterly shocked. The Embroidery Tiger?!
Liu Rao was even more emotionally complicated. Was it really the Embroidery Tiger? The founder of the practical studies that he had diligently studied for over twenty years?!
Cui Dongshan made a funny face, scratched his cheek, and swung his feet. "Cowards don't talk about their cowardice back then. Besides, if we're being precise, I'm only the dregs of Cui Chan's Great Way. He kept all the good stuff for himself and gave me all the bad."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled. On this matter, both the mountain master and Brother Cui could finally speak openly with outsiders.
Even a lofty figure like Yin Ni had to admit one thing: to put it bluntly, the Great Shou Yin clan wasn't even worthy of being verbally humiliated by the Embroidery Tiger Cui Chan.
Liu Rao, for some reason, seemed to have his Dao heart shattered. He murmured, "How is this possible, how is this possible..."
About a hundred years ago, Liu Rao had once heard a lecture by Cui Chan, the senior disciple of the Literary Sage lineage. His arguments were sweeping and bold, his momentum overwhelming. Others had no chance to speak and dared not raise any doubts.
Liu Rao was a peak cultivator who had studied practical statecraft for over twenty years, and as a state preceptor himself, he could better appreciate Cui Chan's... sinister nature.
That Embroidery Tiger was like a shadow in broad daylight.
The former state preceptor of the Shao Yuan dynasty, Lin Junbi's teacher, had also tried to find loopholes and flaws in Great Li's practical statecraft. He frequently corresponded with Liu Rao, and the more they wrote, the more pessimistic they became. Both believed that the Embroidery Tiger was unbeatable. They had even made a most terrifying hypothesis: if Cui Chan harbored resentment toward the Central Earth Confucian Temple and the Confucian orthodoxy, what would he do?
All those without self-awareness need only ask themselves what they truly amount to at every step of their life's journey.
The strength of one's power depends on who one's opponent is.
The height of one's spirit can be seen by who one takes as a hypothetical enemy.
With both Chen Yin'guan and Cui Embroidery Tiger present, Great Shou was destined never to cross the river and burn the bridge. Yin Ni felt somewhat despondent. She was not optimistic about Liu Rao's desperate gamble.
The truth was that Liu Rao's plan could not afford a single mistake. Liu Rao had made up his mind. He was certainly not afraid of being remembered in history or in the hearts of the people as a traitor who sold out his country for personal gain. But Yin Ni found it hard to imagine how Liu Rao would cope if, one day, he finally realized that he had failed to achieve his goal and could only leave an even more rotten mess for the younger generation of Great Shou to clean up.
In Liu Rao's eyes, the young man who had gradually risen to become Great Shou's foremost military commander, with merits too great to be rewarded, was still a youth.
And in Yin Ni's eyes, was Liu Rao—who had been hailed as a child prodigy but was tricked into becoming an immortal by a few supernatural novels—ever not a youth?
Yin Ni took her leave and returned to the Mountain Lord's mansion.
Liu Rao suddenly suggested, "How about I accompany State Preceptor Chen to visit Great Shou's two secret treasuries? The first is a decoy—its treasures are of mediocre rank, with only a single half-immortal weapon used as a facade to avoid suspicion. The second does contain some good things. There are only two ways to open it: either the Great Shou emperor inspects the treasures, or I and Yin Shanjun together hold the tiger tally and enter the treasury together. In name, it's mutual supervision, but in reality, it was the former emperor who feared I might embezzle public property... It seems I underestimated Yin Ji back then."
Hah, guarding the treasury and stealing from it? Now Liu Rao was practically stealing the entire state.
Previously, Liu Rao had only grumbled to himself, somewhat puzzled. Yin Ji should have known his character, so why was he so petty?
Now he learned a terrifying truth: Yin Ji had also harbored the ambition to achieve ascension through the Dao. Every treasure in Great Shou's secret treasury was meant to be resources for his future path!
The new emperor, Yin Miao, who had become a puppet as soon as he ascended the throne, belonged to the Grand Ancestor lineage of the Great Shou Yin clan. It was rumored that inside the Jade Firmament Palace at the mountaintop, a jade axe was secretly enshrined.
Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen exchanged glances. Brother Liu, you're quite savvy.
Chen Ping'an smiled wryly and shook his head.
He hadn't come here to extort anything.
But Liu Rao insisted, "I can't let State Preceptor Chen and the various sword immortals who have come from afar leave empty-handed. Otherwise, in the eyes of outsiders, it will seem like much ado about nothing."
Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "Great Li has already become the suzerain state, with a dynasty ranked fourth among the Righteous Dynasties as a vassal. Is that really much ado about nothing?"
Cui Dongshan put his hand to his mouth and said quietly, "Since my master hasn't taken on the position of state preceptor for both dynasties, Liu Rao is still uneasy. If he doesn't hand over something, he'll feel like he can't sleep at night."
Jiang Shangzhen nodded in understanding. "Makes sense."
Chen Ping'an said, "Next time."
Liu Rao said, "Public and private matters should be kept separate. One share for Great Li's Song clan, one share for Fallen Mountain."
Jiang Shangzhen admired Brother Liu's transparency even more. No wonder he could be a state preceptor.
Liu Rao actually left the hall first, saying he wanted to take a look at the old, abandoned mansion of the state preceptor's residence. He casually left a few outsiders behind. The key point was that the "youth" waved and laughed, "State Preceptor Liu, aren't you afraid that by tomorrow's court meeting, the caisson and the dragon throne will be gone?" Liu Rao hurried away without responding.
Cui Dongshan jumped down from the dragon throne and whispered, "Master?"
Chen Ping'an nodded and used sound condensation into a thread to reply in secret, "Zheng Dafeng alerted me with a code. It's indeed very suspicious. But with the situation unclear, it's better to stay still than to act. Don't force her into a desperate corner."
It was similar to hiding, keeping oneself intact. Plus, Liu Rao's disciple Jin Li and the Eastern Sea golden carp that Cui Dongshan had mentioned.
Cui Dongshan said, "I suspect the entire capital has been set up by Yin Ni with an immortal birdcage, specifically designed to capture the thoughts of cultivators and refine them into pure incense of sound and melody. Ingenious idea, something to chew on."
He planned to stay here for a few more days.
Jiang Shangzhen was completely lost. Cui Dongshan briefly explained, "Her background is very unusual. Even Liu Rao might have been deceived. I haven't been able to discern her exact origins yet, but this city beneath her skirt, and that great mountain, both exude a certain mystique."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Reminds me of Joyous Mountain."
That naturally brought Lu Chen to mind.
No sooner had Liu Rao left than a group of genuinely learned men arrived, stepping over the threshold of the hall together.
Cui Dongshan urged Vice Mountain Lord Jiang to slip out through a side door and go see other sights.
Somewhat pleasantly surprised, Chen Ping'an walked quickly forward and asked with a smile, "Brother Qunyu, did you come with Han Fuzi?"
The gentleman Gu Kuang, courtesy name Qunyu, was also a sword cultivator. He had once been to the Sword Qi Wall and was part of a small group with Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, and the others, with whom he had a close bond.
In earlier years, among those Great Li imitation White Jade Capital longswords that A Liang had thrown into the Sword Qi Wall, one called "Righteous Qi" had been "borrowed temporarily" by Gu Kuang.
Besides that, Gu Kuang was also the man Diezhang admired.
Gu Kuang silently made a deep bow, performing a grand ritual befitting a scholar.
Chen Ping'an felt helpless. He'd have to return the gesture.
But Gu Kuang quickly straightened up, not giving Chen Ping'an a chance to reciprocate, and said with a smile, "Let me introduce everyone."
Beside Gu Kuang were Qin Zhengxiu and Chen Shi, who had also gone to the Sword Qi Wall with Liu Xianyang back then.
Additionally, there were two women, both daughters of eminent scholarly families from the highest echelons under HeavenRight.
Chen Dui, Chen Shi's elder sister. Wen Shujun, a renowned female tutor in the Southern Bodhi Continent. Her husband was a distinguished immortal from the Great Rang River, who was obsessed with fishing.
Gu Kuang hailed from the River Above Academy, Qin Zhengxiu from the Foothill Academy of the Southern Bodhi Continent, and Chen Shi from the Pure Confucian Chen clan. All three were Confucian gentlemen who had been to the Sword Qi Wall.
Qin Zhengxiu said regretfully, "Why did Mr. Chen refuse the invitation from Ritual Sage to serve as the Confucian Temple's supervising officer on the desolate battlefield? Wang Zai and the others and I all thought that if you were willing, we would 'take leave' from the academy for a few years and accompany Mr. Chen to the desolate lands. Last time was far too frustrating."
Gu Kuang lightly coughed a few times to remind his friend not to bring up the wrong topic. Mr. Chen was now the Great Li state preceptor and had just knocked Zhou Mi down from the New Heavenly Court. Even a donkey needs to catch its breath after turning the millstone.
But Chen Ping'an said, "I'll go."
Qin Zhengxiu pressed, "When?"
Remembering that he still owed a debt to the academy of Fuyang Continent, Chen Ping'an teased, "You upright gentlemen, do you all speak from the same mold?"
Among the younger generation of Confucian gentlemen in the Confucian Temple, Chen Ping'an was very popular.
Besides Gu Kuang and Qin Zhengxiu of the Southern Bodhi Continent's Foothill Academy, there were also Wang Zai of the Five Streams Academy, Wen Yu of the Tianmu Academy, and others.
After studying in the study and then earning merit on the battlefield, most of them had already become vice mountain lords of their academies.
Qin Zhengxiu felt he had been too impatient. He laughed and said, "Let us know before Mr. Chen sets out."
Chen Ping'an nodded, hesitated, and then asked, "Brother Qunyu, may I ask about a personal matter?"
The last time they met, Gu Kuang had wanted to return his sword—either to Ascension City or the Great Li Song clan—but Chen Ping'an hadn't agreed, brushing it off with vague words.
Now that Ascension City had firmly established itself as the number one Dao field in the Five Colors World, it didn't lack a good sword. As for the Great Li dynasty, the accounts weren't fully settled yet. Chen Ping'an wasn't about to show goodwill so proactively. Given Empress Dowager Nan Zan's character, if Chen Ping'an did that, it would only make her more insufferable.
Moreover, deep down, Chen Ping'an hoped that Ascension City and the Confucian Temple could maintain a bit more karmic goodwill.
Gu Kuang guessed what Chen Ping'an wanted to ask and said freely, "Of course I like Miss Diezhang, but back then the situation was complicated. I couldn't afford to be entangled in romantic feelings. If I didn't like her, why would I have asked to follow my teacher to the newly opened Five Colors World to serve as a recording officer? I thought she would move with Ascension City to the new world, and then I could go to the tavern for a drink, pretend to be drunk, and with the courage from wine, confess my feelings to Miss Diezhang. After that came rebuilding the academy, inspecting the Central Earth kingdoms, preparing for the desolate war, and so on—it's truly been too busy to get away... But that's just an excuse. The truth is, I was still a coward. I was afraid that the one Miss Diezhang truly liked was either you, the second shopkeeper, or Chen Sanqiu, the traveling companion."
Back then, when the Five Colors World first opened, two Confucian sages had been stationed at the heavenly canopy in the center of the world. These two accompanying sages of the Confucian Temple came from the Ritual Study Palace of the Ritual Sage lineage and the River Above Academy of the Second Sage lineage respectively. Gu Kuang was one of the two recording officers with the title of "Gentleman."
Chen Ping'an was relieved. "I was afraid you two were fated to meet but not to be together."
Chen Ping'an clasped his hands to Chen Dui alone and said, "Long time no see."
Chen Dui smiled and returned the salute with cupped fists. "Chen Ping'an, long time no see."
He had too many identities and too many respectful titles. Chen Dui had always held a simple thought: rather than wondering which form of address was more appropriate, it was easier to just call him by name.
She remembered that when they first met, the young man in blue robes who had achieved so much was still a dark, thin straw-sandal boy who had once guided them into the mountains.
Traveling with them were Ning Yao, Liu Baqiao, and a refined scholar from the Dragon Tail Creek Chen clan.
At Old Oriole Lake, back when Chen Ping'an was walking with Song Jixin on the willow-shaded path by the lake, Song Jixin had happened to mention an old story. He said that back in the town, that woman Chen Dui had been quite arrogant. She foolishly took a punch from Song Changjing, but she was tough—she pulled herself out of the wall without a word. Afterward, Song Changjing had a rather high opinion of her in private.
Wen Shujun was naturally extremely curious about Chen Ping'an.
He wasn't very old, yet he already seemed like a figure living in books or depicted in paintings.
If he were merely the last Yin'guan of the Sword Qi Wall or the new state preceptor of Great Li, she might have been a bit nervous facing him, afraid her speech or demeanor might be improper.
But after "yesterday," she felt there was nothing to fear, nothing to be nervous about. What magnificent scenery, what supernatural beings had he not seen?
In fact, as soon as Gu Kuang introduced Wen Shujun's name and identity, Chen Ping'an knew who her husband was. They had crossed paths earlier when he was flying his sword over the sea from Fuyang Continent.
Gu Kuang asked with a smile, "This fellow Qin Zhengxiu is about to move to a new official post. Yin'guan Chen, guess where he'll be going?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Could it be the vice mountain lord of Guanhu Academy?"
Gu Kuang laughed. "Actually, Qin Zhengxiu wanted to go to the Spring Mountain Academy, which hasn't yet made it into the seventy-two, but the Confucian Temple rejected him, saying his understanding of the Literary Sage lineage's teachings was insufficient."
Chen Ping'an said, "That must be Senior Brother Mao's opinion, right?"
Gu Kuang laughed heartily.
Qin Zhengxiu said helplessly, "Director Mao even scolded me for being a superficial scholar and a sycophant. I've been too embarrassed to mention it to Qunyu and the others. Director Mao is too harsh."
Chen Ping'an suppressed a smile. "I'll put in a few good words for you with Senior Brother Mao later. For example, whether your scholarship is profound or not, I'm not sure, but you're certainly not a sycophant."
Chen Shi said softly, "Sword Immortal Chen, last time at the Sword Qi Wall, I didn't get a chance to talk much with you. When I was studying in my early years, Liu Xianyang and I were close friends. He once boasted to me in private that you would one day become the best kiln worker in the world for firing porcelain."
Chen Ping'an had once joined forces with Lu Zhi and Chen Chun'an to set up a trap at sea and eliminate a great demon at the Flying Ascension realm that had been hiding in Righteousness World for many years.
So Chen Chun'an had told his friends that he had fulfilled a wish.
Chen Ping'an laughed heartily. "Liu Xianyang always blows his whistle without even drafting a draft."
The Pure Confucian Chen clan was hailed as the pinnacle of archways and honors in the world. For Liu Xianyang, who was so concerned with face, to go to an unfamiliar continent's academy, Chen Shi's appearance and their friendship must have made it easier and more relaxed for him to adapt to the local customs.
Chen Ping'an seemed to want to say something but held back.
Chen Shi said, "Liu Xianyang already sent me an invitation to his wedding, but he just told me to send my monetary gift over. That bastard hinted repeatedly in his letter that I shouldn't come in person. Roughly, it was that the wedding would be very simple, that his family was poor and couldn't borrow tables and dishes."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "He really treats you like a close friend."
Chen Shi said sourly, "Liu Xianyang is a good friend of mine, but with you, he's a sworn brother. That clearly shows a difference in closeness."
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "Whether we're close or not depends on how many times we borrow money."
Chen Shi immediately chuckled heartily. "In the early days of my study at the academy, I hid my clan identity and pretended to be poor. Liu Xianyang was the one who supported me."
Wen Shujun finally found an opportunity to speak. "Chen Shi, clothes make the man, but poverty is hard to fake. Sect Leader Liu must have seen through you long ago."
Chen Ping'an nodded in agreement.
Chen Shi said, "No wonder I always wondered why Liu Xianyang was so troubled back then. He was worried that when he returned to his hometown, you might feel you had nothing to say to him."
Chen Ping'an was silent for a moment, then recalled something and asked, "Where is Vice Leader Han?"
Gu Kuang said, "At the Jade Firmament Palace on the mountaintop. He said he wanted to catch up with an old acquaintance."
Outside the so-called Golden Throne Hall of the emperor, as depicted in folk tales and operas, at the foot of the red marble steps, sat an old man and a young boy whom they had just met today. They were about to become master and disciple.
Earlier, the old deaf man had been wandering through the unending city's markets and alleyways. He had actually found a young man with decent aptitude for cultivation—a pampered noble youth from a prestigious family, with a sycophantic companion at his side.
The youth had just come out of a brothel, with traces of rouge still on his face that he hadn't wiped off, when an old man in cloth shoes with a hunched back stopped him on the street.
After much earnest persuasion from the old deaf man, the youth finally refrained from reporting him to the authorities.
By "decent aptitude," the old deaf man meant that he had a chance to form a golden core. The old man already considered that quite good. Before the two great rains, in a single continent, how many Flying Ascension cultivators were there? A continent was like a gate, and after centuries or millennia of accumulated resources, the number of upper fifth-realm cultivators beyond Flying Ascension was countable. Even if a peak Dao power went traveling with the intention of guiding others, how many could they attract to the mountain path in a journey that took years across the nine continents?
The old deaf man felt that just by making one circuit of the capital, he had found a youth with a chance at a golden core. That was truly not easy.
Of course, the old deaf man only introduced himself as a terrestrial immortal who had opened a cave dwelling and Dao field in Vase Bottle Continent. The youth directly asked him, "Have you attended the Night Tour Banquet at Piyun Mountain?"
The old deaf man didn't know how to answer.
The pampered noble youth, named Zhang Ying, wasn't so easily fooled.
The old deaf man didn't waste words with him. He said he could take him on a trip to the imperial palace to attend the lively court session, and then he would know that the terrestrial immortal from Vase Bottle Continent wasn't lying.
They stood beside a eunuch who cracked a whip, but all the officials attending the court session completely ignored them. The youth was greatly shocked. If he learned this immortal art, he could go anywhere unhindered. Many beloved sisters' boudoirs, the beds of graceful women—he could secretly sneak in and watch them apply makeup by the mirror, bathe and change clothes... He didn't dare think of anything more. He was a refined man who had read the sages' books—a gentleman uses his eyes but not his hands.
The youth muttered quietly, "Xu Rao has gone mad."
Carrying a sword to court, being granted the Nine Bestowments, the emperor admitting he was unworthy of the virtue, performing a voluntary abdication for the sake of the people and the state... But did Xu Rao have any descendants?
The old deaf man laughed. "You've got some nerve, calling him by his name directly."
Zhang Ying turned his head and looked up at the high white jade steps. Inside the hall was the legendary dragon throne. This central axis of the capital extended all the way to the ancestral mountain of Great Shou's central peak, atop which stood the Jade Firmament Palace.
That female mountain lord truly resembled a woman who had been ruling behind the curtain for generations.
Zhang Ying sighed and vigorously rubbed his face. "What's so good about being an immortal?"
The old deaf man said, "It gives you the confidence to say 'no' to many people and many things."
Zhang Ying was about to speak when his vision blurred, and a white-robed, ethereal... goddess appeared before him?
The woman smiled. "Daoist friend, you seem suited to be the teaching Daoist in charge of daily lessons."
The old deaf man waved his hand. "Flattery."
What he hated most in life—and what he was extremely unskilled at—was exchanging pleasantries, false courtesies, and empty words. That was called moral decay and bad atmosphere.
Those of us who study the Dao, whether practicing swords or cultivating the Way, should not drift with the current without any principles. In dealing with the world, one must have stability.
This female sword immortal was a ghostly being. She was the gatekeeper of White Emperor City, Zheng Dan, of the Yue Woman Sword Art lineage.
She looked around and said, "Mr. Zheng has instructed that Yin Ni has multiple identities and formidable skills. Don't act against her casually, or this Great Shou capital could turn into a dead city in an instant."
The old deaf man frowned. "Is it a remnant move of Zhou Mi's against our mountain master?"
Zheng Dan shook her head. "It's just an old debt that Righteousness World must repay. State Preceptor Chen happened to pass through here. As long as they don't interfere with each other, there's no need to get involved."
The old deaf man asked, "Are you here just to warn us?"
Zheng Dan smiled. "That's one reason. Also, Mr. Zheng asked me to act as a mediator, to persuade 'Yin Ni' to secretly go to the southeastern border of the desolate lands and meet with Mr. Zheng."
The state preceptor's mansion, long neglected, had only been occasionally swept by palace maids sent by the court.
Liu Rao sat alone on the steps, his mind heavy with worries. Everything he had done could be summed up in one sentence: The country is about to perish. Wake up, everyone! Are you still dozing?!
Suddenly, billowing black smoke, without any murderous aura, rose from the haunted mansion in the capital and instantly swept over to the state preceptor's residence. From the black smoke emerged a burly, armored figure with a saber, looking like a door god. It was a pure ghostly being. With a complex expression, he stared at Liu Rao, who had returned to the state preceptor's mansion, and said exactly what Yin Ni had said: "Why go through all this trouble?"
Back then, the place was in an uproar. A Taoist priest had been summoned to perform rituals and catch demons, but the priest's skills were lacking. Instead, he was toyed with by the powerful "malevolent ghost," which left him disgraced. He was tossed out of the mansion. The priest braced himself and went back inside, telling the family that he needed to return to the mountains and invite a few senior brothers along. In truth, the old Taoist's implication was that they should not take back the deposit.
But it wasn't this ghost who had toyed with the Taoist, but a mischievous fox spirit he had subdued a few years earlier.
Liu Rao laughed. "General Chai, finally willing to show your face?"
The ghost said sourly, "Old Liu, now that you see Lady Yin, your tongue doesn't get tied when you speak?"
Liu Rao nodded. "Not only do I speak fluently, but now I look her straight in the eye with utter confidence, my gaze like a torch. Instead, she finds it embarrassing."
The ghost was skeptical. "After court, did you secretly down two pounds of horse piss?"
Liu Rao sneered. "If you don't believe me, ask Yin'guan Chen directly. He can vouch for me."
In his lifetime, he was incorruptible, achieved unparalleled merits, and after retiring from office and removing his armor, his gate was deserted. After death, he had no hangers-on, no concubines in his chambers, no stored wealth—pure and clean.
The ghost snorted coldly. "A man afraid of his wife always tends to side with his kind. If I believe him, doesn't that mean I believe your ghostly words?"
Liu Rao said, "Being afraid of one's wife is still better than the two of us having been bachelors all our lives."
At the summit, inside the Jade Firmament Palace.
Han Fuzi stood with his hands behind his back inside the hall, heavy with curtains. Looking at the painted deity statue, he said, "It really is you."
A golden body stepped out of the statue. Yin Ni frowned. "Vice Leader Han, what do you mean by that?"
Han Fuzi said calmly, "Come out and speak."
Yin Ni was both ashamed and annoyed. One after another—a vice leader of the Confucian Temple, a Great Li state preceptor, a sword immortal from the Sword Qi Wall, a righteous gentleman from the academy, and that fellow named Zheng, especially that mentally ill white-robed youth... Enough! Is there no end to this?!
Just then, Yin Ni reached up and covered her forehead. The next moment, something seemed to drive her hands, tearing open the skin on her forehead from the front and ripping off a layer of gilded dharma body. A bloodied, skinless woman "walked out," her feet landing on the ground. She then reshaped her features and grew fair skin. She was a woman even more beautiful than Yin Ni. The only flaw was that her face seemed to have layers of fine golden scales, instantly transforming her from beautiful to otherworldly—inhuman.
As Zheng Dafeng had said, if any mountain or river spirit had seen Chen Ping'an last night, they would have felt strong emotions of love or hate. But Yin Ni had shown absolutely no reaction.
Now, she glanced at the imperial palace at the foot of the mountain and sneered, "If it weren't for the many aquatic tribe auras on him, I would have made him pay dearly! The millions of lives in this capital are closely tied to my Great Way. I live, they live; I die, they die. If you anger me, not only Chen Ping'an will face disaster upon disaster—you, the vice leader of the Confucian Temple, will also suffer the consequences, turning a dynasty's capital into a ghost realm. The two of you, scholars, will be the root of all evil..."
While glaring at Han Fuzi, she also spoke to Zheng Dan, who stood at the foot of the palace's red steps: "Please decline Mr. Zheng's kind invitation on my behalf. Tell him I have no intention of going to the desolate lands. Even if the Central Earth Confucian Temple sees through me, let's see what they can do to me..."
As she spoke, a bearded man with a sword slung over his shoulder stepped over the threshold of the hall.
She looked closely and blurted out his name directly, "Liu Cha!"
The burly man in hemp clothes and straw sandals frowned. "Han Fuzi, killing her is easy enough. But before killing her, what about this capital?"
The entire mountain trembled.
A ripple of martial energy from a figure in blue robes using earth-shrinking technique arrived at the mountaintop. Chen Ping'an said, "Let's first talk things over properly. Once we determine there's no room for negotiation, then we'll decide whether to break ties."
She said fiercely, "What if I refuse to negotiate with any of you at all?! What then?"
Chen Ping'an lifted his foot but didn't step over the threshold. Instead, he stood on it. At that moment, her dharma body froze, feeling an immense weight.
She exclaimed in shock, "How do you know this long-lost technique of 'beheading the green mountain'?!"
Just then, another uninvited guest descended upon the place. He also lifted one foot and said with a smile, "Really no room for negotiation? Be careful, I might kick your head off."
She had been manageable enough when facing Chen Ping'an—it was just bluster, and she didn't truly want to form an irreconcilable enmity with him. But when she saw this person, her murderous intent surged, and she flew into a rage.
In an instant, her face streamed with tears. She stared dazedly at a slender figure outside the hall. "Princess, is it really you?"
Back when she raised the rebellion, wasn't it to avenge the princess who had once shown her kindness?
It turned out to be Wang Zhu, who had come to the Jade Firmament Palace with Chen Qingliu. She glared at her. "It's been three thousand years. Why are you still so reckless? Stop this nonsense. Return the skin to its original owner and immediately return to the water mansion with me!"
The woman broke into a smile through her tears. "Alright!"
She stepped up to Wang Zhu's side and gently embraced her, murmuring, "Princess, you've been wronged."
Wang Zhu's body stiffened. After a moment's hesitation, she raised her hand and patted her shoulder.
Han Fuzi smiled and said to Liu Cha, "A gentleman's word is his bond."
Liu Cha said stiffly, "Well said."
Han Fuzi arrived at the city wall of the capital and stood beside the handsome youth in white robes, who was swinging his two snow-white sleeves.
The white-robed youth seemed to be talking to himself: "In years past, a few fellow disciples of the Literary Sage lineage gathered to comment on the sages' writings, each with their own preferences."
"The youth who yearned for the jianghu said that Han Fuzi's writing was full of vigor, sharp-edged, and unmatched in heroism. Like tearing open thunder and splitting lightning, it was as if a martial arts master delivering a punch on the literary stage, a fierce general charging through the scholarly world—naturally breaking through like splitting bamboo, invincible, like child's play."
"The stingy accountant said, if I were to let Han Fuzi speak for himself, it would probably be something like: 'Writing, after all, is a minor Dao.' Those who read history and turn pages in later generations should not let the marvelous and strange blind them to the profound intentions."
"The big simpleton said, he has the merit of inheriting and organizing the Confucian orthodoxy. Serving as a vice leader of the Confucian Temple is more than enough. But his views on Buddhism are somewhat biased. It's a pity we couldn't see the dragon-elephant in action."
"The senior brother said, 'I have long sought the Great Way from my heart. The Way lies in direct speech, in selecting the right materials, not in dazzling chapters. It lies in governance, in martial achievements, not in cultivating one's own virtue alone. It lies in sincerity, in the present age, and across a thousand years.'"
"Years later, the youngest disciple said to his proud student, 'Orphaned at three, I believe the path of studying and learning will be very hard.'"
Hearing this, Han Fuzi clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Well fucking said!"
At the mountaintop, outside the Jade Firmament Palace, Yin Ni, now freed, watched them descend the mountain. Beside her stood Chen Qingliu, with a leisurely expression.
On the mountain path, Liu Cha directly asked, "How did you make it through?"
Chen Ping'an said without concealment, "Apart from Chen Qingliu's sword questioning ceremony, Ritual Sage and Liu Xiang also joined forces, activating the nine Great Standing Towers of Righteousness World."
Liu Cha nodded. "You deserve it."
Chen Ping'an didn't ask why Liu Cha could leave the Confucian Temple or whether he had some gentleman's agreement with Han Fuzi. He simply said, "I know a few good fishing spots."
Liu Cha was about to nod, but then he heard the other party add a very superfluous remark, "Guaranteed to catch fish even for the worst angler."
The bright moonlight was like water. Descending the mountain was like wading through water. Wang Zhu awkwardly comforted her with a few words, but the woman just laughed and cried, talking to herself. Wang Zhu grew annoyed with her, yet she clung to Wang Zhu, asking this and that. Annoyed, Wang Zhu told her to go back to the Jade Firmament Palace. But she proposed that they all have a drink together—her treat. Wang Zhu glanced at the man with his hands tucked into his sleeves, who instead asked Liu Cha what he thought. Liu Cha said any roadside tavern would do. Wang Zhu then told her to lead the way as the host, asking if she had any money. The woman said that treating and paying were two different things. At worst, they could just put it on Yin Ni's tab. Liu Cha actually nodded, saying that such wine would have more flavor. Chen Ping'an said he had a pseudonym, Cao Mo, and wasn't afraid of losing face. Wang Zhu rolled her eyes and said that she would pay the bill. The woman said the princess was still as good as ever, which made Wang Zhu quickly tell her to go somewhere cool...
The human world has ten thousand green mountains, the wilderness grass grows thick, a hundred rivers surge into the sea. One bowl of wine is not enough to tell ten thousand years of stories. Let the wine bowl remain on the table, waiting for new people.