Chapter 18: Setting Out

Chapter 18: Setting Out

The tavern by the yellow mud road had a sickly flag hanging from its pole. When the wind blew, it fluttered a few times.

The woman by the stove, with wrists pale as frost and snow, her face filled with grief and sorrow, asked, "Mr. Zheng, can you give me a straightforward answer? What exactly is your intention?"

The wooden young man with a pale face stood behind the counter, lightly fiddling with the oil-stained abacus, and sneered, "What's so hard to guess? Even Shouchen has become his dog. It's nothing more than recruiting soldiers and buying horses, quietly building up strength to contend for supremacy. In my view, Zheng Juzhong is clearly preparing to refine a desolate world into the White Emperor City. Practicing demonic ways in the Haoran World—how evil can it get? The Sage of Rites isn't dead yet. In our Wilderness World, as long as he's strong enough and his realm is high enough, who cares if he's a Confucian scholar, a Taoist, or a bald monk?"

Shouchen was easy to recognize. This Ascension-stage sword cultivator had very distinctive features.

He wore a green dharma robe called "Bundle Banana Refinement."

On his back was a sword case containing six long swords, either immortal blades or half-immortal blades.

Shouchen picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and smiled. "Qiu Yun, given your few defensive techniques, you'd better watch your words."

Xiao Xun threw her head back and downed a bowl of wine. Drinking made her feel good, and when she felt good, her murderous intent lightened. What was wrong with cursing Shouchen? It was fine.

The beautiful woman naturally didn't dare to serve these guests diluted wine. She brought out two jars of aged wine from the corner and was about to use her sleeve universe technique to take out some wine cups modeled after the Wine Spring cups, but Zheng Juzhong smiled and said there was no need, plain white bowls would do.

The woman's smile turned awkward, but she had to comply. In her heart, though, she was worried. This demon lord who treated the Wilderness World like his own garden, visiting Mount Tuoyue, Gold King City, appearing and disappearing mysteriously—where couldn't he go? She was afraid he might suddenly turn hostile, smash the bowl, and take her life.

Wasn't being a demon lord in the Confucian-ruled Haoran World as difficult as being a moral sage in the Wilderness World?

Even the Wilderness Literary Sea, originally a Confucian scholar, followed local customs when he went to the Wilderness World. All those foreshadowings and preparations—didn't he act even more barbaric than the barbarians?

When Shouchen called him "Qiu Yun," the sharp-tongued boy, having been exposed, no longer bothered to hide. He shook his shoulders, causing golden light to ripple like water. His old clothes and old skin all rustled down, literally washing his heart and changing his face. He reverted to his true appearance: a youth in clothes as white as snow, wearing a snow-white mask that was a relic of an ancient great shaman.

His two extremely long sleeves almost touched the ground. At his waist hung a narrow saber named "Emperor Princess." This item had a great origin, belonging to the same category as Chen Yin's "Execution and Investigation," both divine weapons forged by the ancient celestial court.

Among the twelve highest-ranking ancient gods was the Executor, under whom four officials handled punishments: the Summer Officer Jin Yun was in charge of the Dragon Execution Platform, and the Autumn Officer Bai Yun was in charge of the Thunder Pool, responsible for demoting gods to the mortal world. The boy using the alias "Qiu Yun" was the reincarnation of this god.

Qiu Yun reached out and pressed the hilt of his saber. Although his face was not visible, others could still clearly feel the liveliness of his features and the heat of his gaze. He emitted a wild, restless Dao aura.

He tapped his temple with a finger, and the mask dissipated, revealing a truly handsome young face. He grinned savagely. "You had a good throne, but you chose to fawn and grovel, to drag out an ignoble existence as someone's lackey? Shouchen, Shouchen, you've thoroughly disgraced all sword cultivators, Zhou Mi's lineage, and the great demons of the Wilderness World."

Zhou Mi's first disciple, one of the new throne great demons of the Wilderness World—and he was already subdued by an outsider cultivator?

So what if he was Zheng Juzhong? Weren't you also Shouchen?

Besides Shouchen, there were Liubai and Zhou Qinggao from the Jiashen Account. Oh, Qiu Yun almost mistook Zheng Juzhong for Zhou Mi's human incarnation.

He wouldn't bother with Xiao Xun—she couldn't think straight.

Zhou Qinggao was seriously pondering something.

Zheng Juzhong smiled and shook his head. "The Ten Heavenly Stems—he's special. He can't be replaced for now."

Qiu Yun sneered. "He?! I'm a demon race!"

Zhou Qinggao laughed. "Why tear down the bridge after crossing the river?"

Qiu Yun turned his head and spat a thick gob of phlegm on the ground.

Zhou Qinggao ignored it and said, "Brother Shouchen, don't always think about killing to settle things. You can't kill everyone. Those who cannot kill themselves cannot kill others."

Shouchen smiled. "You like reasoning so much, why not found an academy in the future?"

Zhou Qinggao said, "I'll be fine as a vice mountain chief."

The implication was that he already had a candidate for mountain chief in mind.

Xiao Xun raised her wine bowl and asked for another from the woman. She drank it all in one gulp, smacked her lips, and said, "I'm curious—did Chen Ping'an put a curse on you? Or did a drunken matchmaker tie the red thread, making you admire him so much? Let me ask you: if Chen Ping'an personally invited you to Bottle Gourd Continent to be an official, would you accept or not?"

Zhou Qinggao thought seriously for a moment. "I would be extremely conflicted, but in the end, I would decline."

Xiao Xun shook her head. This kid's brain was definitely sick.

She turned to look at the plump, voluptuous woman, who was serving wine. Now she was careful to wrap herself tightly.

Because they were close, Xiao Xun had to turn her neck to see the woman's face from the side. This disgusted Xiao Xun, so she slapped hard at the woman's heaving chest, destroying the illusory projection...

Unexpectedly, the woman's face showed intense pain, her chest already a bloody mess. Yet she still managed to toss the wine jug onto the table and turn around. Hanging by a red string from her ear was a golden bead. The flesh on her chest grew back rapidly. She then pressed her fingers together as if pinching something, gave it a light shake, and draped it over herself. A dharma robe appeared on her body, covering the heavy smell of blood.

Xiao Xun looked awkward and said sheepishly, "Sorry, I didn't control my strength. It's just that I was feeling hot and tried to fan myself with my hand."

If she had really wanted to teach her a lesson and make her suffer, Xiao Xun wouldn't have been so restrained or acted with contempt. She would have just blown her head off. Whether on the Sword Qi Great Wall in the past or later on the battlefields of the two continents in Haoran, she had killed countless Wilderness demons and Haoran cultivators. But one thing she never did was "torture."

Since it was an accident, Xiao Xun was willing to apologize to the "woman."

Jin Dan's face was slightly pale, but she forced a smile and said, "Just a little flesh wound, nothing serious. The Hidden Officer need not mind."

Xiao Xun shook her wine bowl. "I haven't been the Hidden Officer for a long time. Chen Ping'an did a much better job than I did."

She continued, "Jin Dan, you have good relationships with Yuan Ying and Yao Tiao, right? Can you convince them to join us? To hang out with us?"

Jin Dan's face showed difficulty. She answered honestly, "We do have good relationships normally, but on matters like this, I can't even convince Qiu Yun, let alone Yuan Ying and Yao Tiao."

Xiao Xun sighed. "Then there's no choice. We'll have to trick them first, then kill them all. Later, I'll have Qiu Yun burn some paper money for you all."

Jin Dan's Dao heart shook violently. Qiu Yun spoke to her with his mind: "Don't worry. I won't live alone."

But Jin Dan replied with her mind, "You need to live well."

Qiu Yun shook his head. "We are Dao companions. We agreed to be born and die in the same year, same month, same day."

Jin Dan's face turned sorrowful. She was actually a bit reluctant to die now.

Zhou Qinggao turned his wrist, and a wine cup and several plates of cold dishes appeared. During his trip to Parasol Leaf Continent in Haoran, he had picked up some bad, pretentious habits—like needing appetizers to go with wine, and becoming particular about the cleanliness of vessels. He smiled. "Jin Dan, Qiu Yun, don't underestimate the weight of the Wilderness Heavenly Stems, but don't overestimate yourselves either."

"Nobody needs to scare anyone. It's unnecessary. Qiu Yun, Jin Dan."

Zheng Juzhong waved at the youth and the woman. "Come, sit down and talk."

Qiu Yun and Jin Dan sat on the same bench, face to face with the infamous Demon Lord Zheng.

A young sword cultivator emerged from the cliff-carved mountain and soon arrived at the tavern.

The sword cultivator Zhu Qie, the sole direct disciple of Liu Cha, still carried his sword rack on his back, spreading out like a peacock's tail—even easier to recognize than Shouchen.

In the early days of the Jiashen Account, Zhu Qie had a good relationship with a certain wooden clog wearer who didn't have a surname back then.

Zhu Qie asked, "Mr. Zheng, as Zhou Qinggao said, can I really see my master?"

Zheng Juzhong said, "Within thirty years, I advise you to avoid seeing him if possible. After that, you'll have plenty of opportunities."

Zhu Qie nodded. That answer was enough.

He sat next to Zhou Qinggao, facing the senior-junior pair Shouchen and Liubai.

Xiao Xun sat alone at a table, rummaging behind the counter for the few remaining jars of undiluted old wine, shaking her head. She really loved drinking.

Jin Dan asked directly, "Mr. Zheng, if we follow you, what's the benefit?"

Zheng Juzhong smiled. "No drawbacks."

Jin Dan understood and smiled radiantly. Beside her, Qiu Yun still refused to lower his head and show weakness. Having to act subservient like Shouchen made him deeply unhappy.

Zheng Juzhong got straight to the point. "You batch of Wilderness Heavenly Stems are like a place that strategists must fight over. Everyone wants to recruit you. But they—whether it's the fourteenth-realm Li Gou and Wang Youwu, or the few newly appointed throne great demons—don't know how to actually use you. I'm recruiting you not to make you slaves or servants, but to make you fellow travelers on the Dao."

At this point, Zheng Juzhong smiled. "Master? An excellent start."

Shouchen smiled. "Deliberate. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to see the true hearts of Jin Dan and Qiu Yun, this Dao couple, until now."

Zheng Juzhong smiled. "Was it necessary?"

Shouchen admitted his mistake. "I overreached."

Zheng Juzhong said something that no one present understood: "The beauty lies in the serpent's legs."

Zheng Juzhong continued, "For people like Jin Dan and Qiu Yun, it's best if they don't want to set out with me. If they don't, that's fine. After we've drunk, we'll continue our journey. After this parting, whether you stay here or choose a secluded mountain-and-water Dao field, feel free to cultivate peacefully. The changes in the world's situation will have nothing to do with you. The prerequisite is that you hide well and aren't easily found."

"In the future, if you encounter difficulties on the path of cultivation, you can also seek answers from me or Shouchen and the others."

"If you run into trouble—whether it's a vendetta, a calamity, or something else—don't come to us for refuge. We won't accept it. We'll just sell you off at a discount."

"To gain temporary freedom, one must always pay a price. How many matters in the world, great and small, have failed because of just one breath short? I, Zheng Juzhong, have given you an opportunity. If you don't accept it, I respect your choice. But don't push your luck or misunderstand anything."

"Furthermore, you must guarantee me one thing: if the old and new throne great demons find and co-opt you, by whatever means, and I learn that you agreed, I will settle accounts with you personally."

"Rest assured, the Wilderness is still the demons' Wilderness. I, Zheng Juzhong, am merely using it to practice the Dao."

"Listen carefully. Every word I say today is the key point."

Zheng Juzhong smiled. "I've never liked so-called 'words have meaning but not all meaning is exhausted.' It's too vague. Language and writing have created too many divergent paths. That sentence is a digression."

Everyone present was smart enough—and could be even smarter—so Zheng Juzhong was in the mood for conversation.

At the next table, Xiao Xun turned her head and grinned. "You wouldn't have guessed: in the Wilderness, establishing a sect and claiming lineage—Zheng Juzhong is responsible for establishing the sect, but the one claiming lineage is me!"

Qiu Yun said sourly, "I was almost convinced by Zheng Juzhong, but hearing you say that has really killed my appetite."

Xiao Xun laughed heartily, pointed at Qiu Yun's head, and said, "You've been crawling under your Dao companion's skirts too often, haven't you? Your words sound so pleasant."

Qiu Yun's face darkened. Jin Dan looked awkward. Even Zhou Qinggao found it hard to listen, and Liubai was uncomfortable.

Xiao Xun asked curiously, "By the way, Mr. Zheng, what's the name of our sect?"

Zheng Juzhong smiled. "That's a huge question. No rush—let me think a bit more."

Gathering all of the Wilderness's "Heavenly Stems" cultivators was just one of many steps to help Xiao Xun establish a sect and claim lineage in the Wilderness.

Besides that, Bai Ze absolutely had to step into the fifteenth realm. It was precisely because Bai Ze's heart was soft enough that he was suitable.

In Zheng Juzhong's view, the reason was simple: the Wilderness must not be too strong, nor too weak. If it were strong, the Haoran forces would suffer heavy losses, and the wheel of fortune might turn, allowing the Wilderness, having had its ferocity stirred, to fight back into Haoran. If it were weak, it would be easily occupied. The Haoran cultivators, with their temperament, methods, and worldly experience, would act more 'demonic' than the demons themselves. Wouldn't that mean the Wilderness becomes Haoran, and Haoran becomes the Wilderness?

Naturally, the vast majority of new throne great demons were busy claiming territories while enhancing their own Dao power.

If they could seize the chance to merge with the Dao, that was best. If not, they would find reliable allies, occupy large cities and towns, and convert immortal money and heavenly treasures into battlefield strength.

The Bottle Gourd Continent campaign taught the Wilderness a bloody and extremely pragmatic lesson: relying on two or three top-tier combatants to roam together, act tyrannically, and tear apart the human world's mountains and rivers was easy, but conquering and holding territory was out of the question. When Haoran launched a massive counteroffensive against the Wilderness, these great demons who had slaughtered across Haoran's continents would, as Haoran's armies pushed south, one by one face retribution. The new and old throne great demons feared that.

Zheng Juzhong asked, "Why do you think Zhou Mi designated Fei Ran as the common lord of the Wilderness?"

Jin Dan ventured, "Fei Ran's talent is good enough? He's young enough?"

Qiu Yun shook his head. "It's only because Zhou Mi believes he will definitely return to the human world and needs Fei Ran to manage things for a while. Fei Ran doing nothing wrong is enough."

Liubai nodded.

Qiu Yun smiled slyly at Liubai. Liubai immediately frowned. That bastard Qiu Yun really had a foul mouth.

Zhu Qie knew the reason why Liubai and Qiu Yun couldn't stand each other. Qiu Yun especially liked to jab at Liubai's heart.

For example, Qiu Yun had once made an extremely malicious claim, saying that Liubai was the Hidden Officer's unregistered Dao companion.

This white-robed youth, who along with Liubai and Ziwu Meng was one of the Wilderness Heavenly Stems cultivators, stared at the always-silent Liubai and said with apparent delight, "Sister Liubai, how the road twists and turns! This time, you're not as late as usual. You usually love to make a grand entrance at the end, don't you?"

Last time they surrounded and killed Qing Bi, Liubai was the last to arrive.

Liubai ignored him. Among the other nine Heavenly Stems, Liubai hated this man the most. Always grinning, glib-tongued, but ruthless in action—utterly devoid of any Dao heart. Truly detestable.

The sword cultivator Liubai was not only one of Zhou Mi's direct disciples, but also Zhou Mi's deliberately placed "blank space" in the human world.

The dharma robe Liubai wore, "Fish Tail Cave Heaven," was a genuine supreme treasure, hailed as "a place for golden immortals to ascend." It was said that if an Nascent Soul cultivator wore it, they could ignore heart demons, avoid heavenly tribulations, and smoothly reach the upper five realms. Who wouldn't covet it? Who wouldn't be jealous?

So a new throne great demon had already declared, "I want the robe, and I want her person too!"

Qiu Yun laughed. "It's fortunate you followed Zheng Juzhong. Otherwise, relying on your senior and junior brothers, two Ascension-stage cultivators, no matter how strong they are in a fight, they can't protect you forever."

Liubai remained silent.

Jin Dan asked a key question. "Lian Yan is the hub of the formation for our Wilderness Heavenly Stems. Can we say that whoever finds her can find all of us? Whoever wants to control the entire Wilderness Heavenly Stems must go through Lian Yan?"

Zhou Qinggao nodded. "That's why coming to talk to you all was just a detour. The crucial person we need to see next is Lian Yan."

Qiu Yun frowned. "At the root of it, if you still want to seize control of the Wilderness Heavenly Stems, only Lian Yan and I are indispensable. In the short term, there's no substitute. If you successfully win over Lian Yan, where does that leave me? Why did Zheng Juzhong earlier say he'd let me and Jin Dan go? Was that just pretty words to deceive people?!"

Shouchen said, "If we kill Lian Yan, then you become useless too. Then we can forge a brand new set of Wilderness Heavenly Stems."

Zhou Qinggao smiled. "In short, if Qiu Yun chooses freedom, Lian Yan has no choice left. She will definitely die."

Jin Dan's face turned pale. Qiu Yun was also deeply conflicted, because Jin Dan and Lian Yan were extremely close girlfriends. They had traveled through the Wilderness together, sharing hardships and life-and-death bonds. They had planned to hold a simple wedding for their Dao-companion ceremony and invite only Lian Yan. Motherfucker! So this was Zheng Juzhong's so-called "price of temporary freedom" and "every word is the key point"? Damn it! Didn't he say he didn't agree with "words have meaning but not exhausted"?

"If Jin Dan hadn't mentioned this, and Qiu Yun hadn't pressed the matter, you wouldn't have been put in such a difficult position."

Zhou Qinggao smiled and quoted an ancient phrase: "Someone asked, 'In the silent empty mountains, how can one bear to live long?' The reply: 'Always the affectionate flowers and birds refuse to let one leave.' We can't ruin the scenery, drink several pots of fine wine for nothing, and then wake a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water from their love meditation."

There had once been a secret, unreported confrontation. To this day, neither side of the two worlds had publicized it widely. The opposing parties, besides the wild cultivator Qing Bi and some guy who called himself a collapsed true lord, consisted of nineteen people—the most outstanding young generation of both worlds. Liubai and the others' earliest mission, under orders from the new common lord Fei Ran, was to intercept and kill an Ascension-stage cultivator who had followed A Liang deep into the Wilderness: the wilderness cultivator Feng Xuesong from the Ai Ai Continent.

If not for the "peers" like Cao Ci interfering, that Ascension-stage wild cultivator's head would have stayed in the Wilderness. Now, Feng Xuesong had a "good reputation" among the mountain forces of Parasol Leaf Continent. He abandoned his wild cultivator identity, became a guest elder of Jade Pendant Sect, and under Cui Dongshan's few words of provocation, developed the ambition to merge with the Dao... none of that would have happened.

"Wild cultivator? You want to know what the most badass wild cultivator is? It's someone who successfully merges with the Dao and becomes a fourteenth-realm mountain-and-lake wild cultivator!"

Which wild cultivator wouldn't be tempted by such sweet talk?

Wasn't Liu Laocheng tempted by Liu Tui's promise of "proving the Dao and ascending," only to be tricked into the White Porcelain Cave Heaven on Flowing Haze Continent?

Moreover, Feng Xuesong was an Ascension-stage wild cultivator who had stagnated for many years. After following A Liang through the Wilderness, he was surrounded by a horde of great demons. A Liang told him to retreat first, the reason being that he was afraid of accidentally injuring him...

First, on the Central Earth Confucian Temple, he was cut down by Zuo You's sword, unable to fight back. Then, following A Liang, he saw different scenery in the Wilderness. Finally, Cao Ci and the other young people rushed to his rescue without hesitation, risking their lives to save him.

So Cui Dongshan's sweet talk actually helped Feng Xuesong find a reason to convince himself: "I must merge with the Dao!"

Of course, it was also important that Feng Xuesong believed Cui Dongshan could greatly help him. Otherwise, bumbling around like a headless fly, Feng Xuesong, who had already lost his spirit, would have found it very hard to muster the courage. The tougher one's Dao heart, the more walls one hits, the more one understands the difficulty of seeking the Dao and breaking through bottlenecks. The same went for Xu Xiaoqiao of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.

In this "paired duel" that seemed to test the depth of both worlds' younger generations, the Wilderness side consisted of Zhou Mi's crafted Wilderness Heavenly Stems: Zhu Qie, Liubai, Qiu Yun, Yu Su, Yao Tiao, Ziwu Meng, Jin Dan, Yuan Ying, Yu Pu, and Lian Yan.

On the Haoran side, there was the Great Duan Dynasty's Cao Ci, Zheng Juzhong's first disciple Fu Jin and his younger disciple Gu Can, the Second Sage lineage's Yuan Pang, the Xuan Mi Dynasty's female martial artist Yu Juanfu, the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven's Chun Qing, the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Mansion's Zhao Yaoguang, the monk Sumeru, and the Confucian scholar Xu Bai.

This inconspicuous roadside tavern had now gathered four of the Wilderness Heavenly Stems: Liubai, Jin Dan, Qiu Yun, and Zhu Qie.

Almost half.

Zheng Juzhong reached out and took a pair of green bamboo chopsticks from Zhou Qinggao, dipped them in the wine bowl, and tapped them on the table.

"Zhou Mi didn't touch the roots of your Wilderness—that was correct. He wanted a quick victory to occupy three continents of Haoran, then break Bottle Gourd, swallow Flowing Haze, force the Ai Ai Continent, which values wealth over righteousness, to surrender voluntarily. He deliberately used South Bodhi Continent as bait and treated North Julu Continent as a training ground for repeated military drills, ultimately surrounding the Central Earth Divine Continent—that was also correct."

"During this time, destroying Supporting Shake Continent took about two months longer than expected, so Zhou Mi set up an elaborate ambush to kill Bai Ye. As for Parasol Leaf Continent, it fell about three months faster than anticipated. That speed caused a big problem. The Bottle Gourd Continent, which looked down on even Parasol Leaf's native cultivators, became even more complacent. This kind of unwarranted attitude isn't something that a few words from various camp commanders or a few meetings can fix."

Qiu Yun nodded. "The Old Dragon City, which was the temporary princely seat of Great Li—the entire city exploded, affecting several thousand miles of land. Several military camps that had just barely landed suffered severe losses, not just in manpower but also in morale. The fighting on Supporting Shake Continent was also brutal, but how could it compare to Bottle Gourd's... abnormality? Then, after the great battle at the foot of the Southern Sacred Mountain Zitong, where a general surnamed Su died, we took two consecutive major defeats. That was fatal."

Zhou Qinggao said, "Great Li's patrol envoy, Su Gaoshan."

He drank from his bowl, lightly tapping the table with one hand. "Parting at the Willow-Breaking Office, sorrowful drinking is fitting with iron clappers and pipa songs to invigorate the spirit. Drunken heroes in the bright moon high tower should have added banners to enhance their intensity."

The Wilderness homeland must have had similar talented heroes and romantic gestures, but it never had such Haoran writings.

The Wilderness demon race had seen that magnificent river of sword light at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

On the vast plains outside Zitong Mountain, the million-strong frontier army of Great Li formed battle formations, gleaming white under the sunlight.

That was a military appearance built with countless immortal coins: every cavalryman and horse was equipped with mountain talisman armor, countless Mohist war machines, and thousands of accompanying army cultivators interspersed among them, either holding the line or charging. Behind them stood the majestic Southern Sacred Mountain, built entirely by human labor. One side of the mountain facing south was covered with dense, glittering lights.

The battlefield, a thousand miles in circumference, had already been refined by the Great Li dynasty into a military Dao field. Hidden underground, arrays upon arrays were stacked like layers of earth.

The Wilderness demon race truly couldn't believe or imagine that a mortal army could engage in offensive battles with them!

Some busybodies roughly calculated that in this battle, the Great Li side had used over two thousand types of magical techniques and divine abilities, such as Taoist bean-sprouting soldiers, yellow turban soldiers, god-summoning and possession, Buddha's dragon-elephant golden body, and so on.

Qiu Yun asked curiously, "Did Zhou Mi and the old ancestor of Mount Tuoyue really have that 'Three Strategies' agreement?"

Zhou Qinggao nodded. "It did happen."

Back then, when Zhou Mi climbed Mount Tuoyue to discuss the world situation, he proposed three strategies. The best strategy for the Wilderness World was actually the worst strategy for the Literary Sea Zhou Mi.

After conquering the land, there had to be someone to rule it. Besides dividing the spoils according to the pre-agreed benefits with the old thrones, Zhou Mi had two candidates to manage the various continents of Haoran. One was Fei Ran, who greatly admired the Sage of Rites' scholarship. The other was his first disciple, Shouchen.

One civil, one military—they would redefine the rules of Haoran.

Jin Dan, forced to reveal her true appearance, had her beautiful face illuminated by the soft glow of the golden bead, making the light and shadow on her face even more distinct.

If you looked closely, the features on each side of her face differed. Looking at half her face, she was either a wanton, seductive woman or a virtuous, dignified lady. This was the classic "one face, two faces" recorded in physiognomy texts.

Jin Dan gazed toward the cliff face carved with calligraphy and Daoist texts, her eyes full of nostalgia.

After all, the Wilderness Heavenly Stems were personally created by Zhou Mi, so all ten cultivators had received a gift of divine Dao from him.

Regarding Zhou Mi's failed endeavor and his death in the human world, Qiu Yun and the others felt great loss. They had to admit that from the first time they met Zhou Mi, he had been their greatest teacher and protector.

For example, even though Ziwu Meng was bold enough to steal the Wuding River, one of the most important tributaries of the Yeluo River, there were no consequences.

Similarly, the guy with the alias "Yu Pu"—when he descended the mountain, he even stole the treasure bag embroidered with ancient seal script "Fu Shan Lu Hai" from the offering table of the Jade Talisman Palace ancestral hall. This item was the founding patriarch's reliance when he roamed the Wilderness, the very emblem of each generation's palace master. Yu Pu stole it just like that, and the Jade Talisman Palace didn't pursue the matter afterward.

It was by refining this item that Yu Pu rejuvenated, turning from a decrepit, decaying elderly form into a child of young ages.

They all had more or less contact with Zhou Mi and received cultivation guidance from this old fox-like heavenly figure.

So this is how you explain principles, so this is how you cultivate the Dao. Being with the Wilderness Literary Sea, he was so refined, gentle, and unhurried.

Zhou Mi indeed possessed an unparalleled personal charm.

Jin Dan murmured, "On the Haoran side, there's a verse from a poem... how does it go?"

Zhou Qinggao understood the hint, but for some reason, he didn't recite it.

"Endless rivers and mountains, easy to leave but hard to see again. Flowers fall, waters flow, spring is gone—heaven above, man below."

Zheng Juzhong, however, thought of some figures from Haoran, such as Bai Chang of North Julu Continent, Liu Zhou of the Rain Dragon Sect, Shu Nan Yuan of Flowing Haze Continent, Zhao Fuyang of the Joy Union in Bottle Gourd Continent, Du Han Ling of the Golden Summit Temple in Parasol Leaf Continent, and a few others whose intelligence and means were comparable but whose identity and reputation were still obscure among Haoran cultivators. They all had great potential but shared one common flaw: they were always one breath short.

Just as Zheng Juzhong had commented on Shouchen: "It's a pity you always miss by one move."

The outside world might not know that Shouchen's status as first disciple was something he himself had actively sought from Zhou Mi. It wasn't like Liubai and the other junior disciples, who were handpicked by the Literary Sea Zhou Mi. Shouchen had long understood the principle that "human power has its limits." Without learning to borrow momentum from heaven and earth and strength from others, the path of cultivation would only narrow. To walk the single-plank bridge, it wasn't just about merging with the Dao.

Even so, Zheng Juzhong still didn't hold him in high regard.

Shouchen asked what "missing by one move" meant. Zheng Juzhong said, "People like you 'only exert force, unwilling to use heart.'"

Shouchen then asked, "How to use the heart?" Zheng Juzhong replied, "A sword cultivator can cut down both self and others without error. A Taoist can merge with the Dao and scatter the Dao within one realm."

At the time, Liubai was confused, but Shouchen seemed to gain some insight. He had been pondering the true meaning of "using the heart" all along the way.

Zheng Juzhong said, "I'm not afraid of all of you becoming stronger. On the path of cultivation, everyone has their own opportunities, advancing bravely and swiftly to the peak."

Zhou Qinggao said, "Mr. Zheng is only afraid that when he looks around, there will be no rival left in the human world."

Zheng Juzhong laughed it off.

Shouchen suddenly laughed. "Are they telepathic or something? One by one, they come uninvited, saving us a lot of travel."

On the road, as if by appointment, several familiar figures appeared.

At the lead was a sturdy man wearing a strange Daoist crown in a melon-ribbed style with a white glaze texture.

The man's face had a golden hue, and at his waist were a pair of small bronze axes and a yellow jade battle-ax.

His name was Yuan Ying. He walked alone at the front with an imposing aura of "one man can hold a thousand at bay."

Behind him were two female cultivators, a pair of siblings.

The one carrying a bamboo pole with a gourd hanging from its end was Yu Su. Zhou Mi's teaching always emphasized teaching according to aptitude. Yu Su's learning was eclectic, following the style of Haoran's Liu Qi.

Beside her, a slender woman named Yao Tiao carried an exaggeratedly large bow on her back, expert in long-range sneak attacks. However, her real killer move was the dagger hidden in her sleeve. She and Qiu Yun shared the same approach—both cultivators and martial artists.

A young child with a pouch at his waist was named Yu Pu.

As a direct descendant of the Jade Talisman Palace and a talisman master, he felt a natural affinity with sword cultivators. The reason was simple: they were all poor, desperately poor.

Unfortunately, the founding patriarch not only disliked his temperament but also worried about his too-great talent. So it was no wonder he stole the treasure and left the mountain.

He kept staring at the back of the woman in front. Whenever Yao Tiao's sleeve moved slightly, he would wisely shift his gaze from her waist or buttocks.

Walking at the very back of the group was the main pillar of the Wilderness Heavenly Stems, the female cultivator Lian Yan.

She was over ten feet tall, with a gorgeous palace dress that trailed on the ground. If she had a few attendants beside her, she would truly have the bearing of a motherly ruler.

Back then, when they were ordered to hunt down Qing Bi and take his head, even though Jiang Shangzhen and that group of Haoran youngsters disrupted their plans, the battle was still dangerous. In the end, it was Cao Ci who narrowly won, although Gu Can's locust-leaf blade also played a crucial role.

This demonstrated the considerable overall strength of the Wilderness Heavenly Stems.

Even with the martial artist Zhou Haijing filling the gap, the Great Li's Earthly Branches lineage currently had a killing power only between strong Ascension and weak Ascension.

That was the difference between Cui Chan's inventory of one continent and Zhou Mi's recruitment across the world. Comparatively, there was indeed some helplessness, like a clever woman can't cook without rice.

Qiu Yun laughed. "Even Sister Lian Yan has arrived, so only Daoist Chunxiao is missing?"

That Ziwu Meng's natal flying sword was a guqin-shaped item named "Skull Pyramid."

Even among the Wilderness Heavenly Stems, she was an extremely ferocious existence.

Qiu Yun's earliest choice for a Dao companion was actually this Ziwu Meng, whose Dao name was Chunxiao. But this choice had nothing to do with love.

Glancing casually in that direction, Zhou Qinggao was not surprised. He picked up a piece of his own pickled potherb mustard, chewed it slowly, and said, "Most likely, Lian Yan, who is skilled in divination, sensed the killing intent early. She had to take this self-rescue measure. Rather than let us find her and kill her, it's better to walk into the trap willingly and seek a sliver of hope."

Jin Dan smiled. "Sister Lian Yan has always admired Mr. Zheng, genuinely considering him a 'once in three thousand years' hero on par with the Literary Sea Zhou Mi. But as the saying goes, men fear entering the wrong profession, women fear marrying the wrong man. She didn't dare to go to Haoran to join White Emperor City on her own. The eyes watching her are more than those on all nine of us combined. Every move she makes must be reported to Fei Ran and monitored by the sundial."

When Lian Yan reached the tavern, she performed a curtsy. "Greetings, Mr. Zheng."

Zheng Juzhong said, "Name your terms."

Lian Yan said without hesitation, "I want to replace two. Let Jin Dan withdraw from the Heavenly Stems, and kill the most useless one, Yu Pu. Please, Mr. Zheng, install two replacements."

Jin Dan was greatly surprised.

Yu Pu was dumbfounded on the spot. He quickly explained, "I'm just good at hiding my talents! I'm not useless! In terms of real combat power, I'm definitely in the top five!"

Lian Yan said calmly, "If that's not useless, what is?"

Shouchen and Zhou Qinggao exchanged smiles.

Liubai sighed softly. As expected, everything was within Mr. Zheng's prediction.

Jin Dan, radiant, smiled. "I don't need to withdraw either. Sister Lian Yan, I'm willing to fight alongside you and Qiu Yun, to reach the peak of the Wilderness together."

Liubai lowered her head and took a sip of wine. Called it again.

Yu Pu had no choice but to say to Zheng Juzhong, "City Lord Zheng, my style of conduct is also genuine demonic path, you know."

Zheng Juzhong raised his wine bowl toward him and smiled. "That's easy to say."

Zhou Qinggao laughed. "Yu Pu, you can't even get the righteous path straight, so what are you talking about being on the demonic path? If you have any unique insights, I can put in a good word for you with Mr. Zheng."

Yu Pu, still unwilling to give up, made as if to argue a few points. But it was a feint. In an instant, his figure vanished. This time, he truly didn't dare to hold back. He used the earth-shrinking technique, cupping the flowing time like water, turning it into a misty ferry to ride upstream... At the same time, he unleashed a cascade of magical abilities. Slapping the talisman pouch at his waist, thousands of birds in blue and yellow took flight, blotting out the sky and covering the sun. They joined the blue sky and yellow earth to form their own world, masking his aura as he tried to escape into a secluded Peach Blossom Spring Dao field.

But no matter how many means he employed, a sharp sword light, winding like a dragon's vein, slashed him in two, killing him on the spot.

Lian Yan's lips moved slightly—words carried the power of law—and she had already expunged him.

Shouchen returned his sword to its sheath, then reached into the time vortex to retrieve the talisman pouch. He tossed it to Zhou Qinggao, who was to fill the vacancy.

Zhou Qinggao pointed and said, "Lian Yan, remove Ziwu Meng from the roster as well. For now, our friend Longbo here will fill that spot."

Only then did everyone notice that near Xiao Xun's table, a cultivator had been holding a wine bowl but refusing to sit at the table to drink. He was now crouching on the ground—was his Dao name Longbo?

Zhou Qinggao explained, "Brother Longbo may only be at the Golden Core realm now, but his Dao power is not weak. He has visible boundless potential. Rest assured, he won't drag us down."

That guy, his back to everyone, cradling his wine bowl, shrank his neck and really wanted to say, "I'm not worthy. I can't live up to it."

Xiao Xun sneered, "Brother Longbo, you're so timid and your realm is so low. How do you have the face to stick by Mr. Zheng's side?"

Chai Bofu's Dao heart had long been tempered like rock. He muttered quietly, "By having thick skin, I guess."

Otherwise, he couldn't very well say he was lucky.

Zhou Qinggao didn't deliberately mock this Brother Longbo. At present, Chai Bofu's Golden Core realm was very solid, with profound foundations.

They split into three tables, resting briefly and drinking separately. Of course, there was still Chai Bofu, who refused to sit at the table to drink.

Qiu Yun stretched lazily and laughed. "If you ask me, the Hidden Officer is still too selfish, not sufficiently focused on practical achievements. Having that mountain-peak realm lady fill the Earthly Branches gap—how could that compare to letting his first disciple fill the gap? That would have been much more immediate."

Yao Tiao also couldn't stand Qiu Yun always bringing up Chen Ping'an. She borrowed a line from a dead man, unchanged: "If you have the guts, say that to the Hidden Officer's face."

Qiu Yun looked troubled. "I didn't dare to act rashly before, and now I dare even less. Oh, if the Hidden Officer appeared here, I would immediately bow down and take him as my master, bringing my skills to study under him!"

It wasn't that he had nothing better to do than antagonize the Hidden Officer. After all, his senior brother was that Hou Kui Men, who died in battle on the Sword Qi Great Wall at the hands of the young Hidden Officer.

Well, it was fine. He didn't have to continue scheming against his senior brother, and without any effort, he had obtained a complete set of ancient heavy treasures called "Sword Cage": a bright red chainmail with two hundred top-grade Dao formulas inscribed on its inner walls, a purple-gold crown, and two long pheasant tail feathers, all refined from ancient great demon relics or their true-form shells.

Lian Yan, however, gazed at the empty road with a different thought.

Dare not meet Zheng on the road.

Also fear encountering Zouzi by the wayside.

Just where was Zouzi now?

Chai Bofu, the most idle of them, drank wine and looked up at the flag.

What were they drinking? Toasting or toasting wine? Fake or real? Mellow or poisoned?

Xiao Xun sat cross-legged on the bench, feeling this drinking session wasn't wasted. She had already come up with several very domineering good names.

Zheng Juzhong's expression was tranquil as he said, "Humans or demons, aiming for eternal life or for the common people, they are all Dao cultivators. Once on the mountain, there is a difference between immortals and mortals. With that vast gap like clouds and mud, one should harbor the ambition that 'one day, I will make the world revolve around me.'"

"Everyone here, on the path to the peak, no matter who you encounter in a struggle for the Dao, if you face a rival like Zheng Juzhong again, can you firm your Dao heart and smile at them, saying, 'Who the hell do you think you are, Zheng Juzhong?' Everyone, you didn't dare yesterday. Will you dare tomorrow?"

Shouchen heard this and laughed. "I can't say about tomorrow or the day after, but today, right now, I don't dare."

Lian Yan and the others were silent for a moment, then burst into laughter. Each of them drank a full bowl of wine.

The wind picked up, and the flag in the wind fluttered loudly.

On the wilderness of the Wilderness World, countless wildflowers bloomed.

Zheng Juzhong put down his wine bowl, turned it upside down on the table, stood up, and smiled. "Setting out."