Chapter 254: Sincerity Moves People Yet Also Hurts

Chapter 254: Sincerity Moves People Yet Also Hurts

(Fifteen thousand words, making up for yesterday's leave)

Sure enough, before dark, Chen Ping'an received definite news about the Dust Pharmacy. Besides the inner city address, the pharmacy's owner was surnamed Zheng. The shop was ancestral property of the Fan clan, one of the five great surnames of Old Dragon City. Shopkeeper Zheng had a northern Great Li accent. On the surface, he was crude and boorish, fond of beautiful women, spending his days idling away in the small alley shop, waiting to die. In reality, this man had entered the Fan residence twice. The Fan family valued him greatly, and he was very likely the martial arts master of Fan Gaoshui, the Fan family's legitimate grandson. As for a portrait of this man, it wouldn't be available until tomorrow.

Chen Ping'an's expression was strange. He didn't need to guess at all; it was Zheng Dafeng, the gatekeeper of his hometown's small town. As for the Fan family treating Zheng Dafeng with such courtesy, Chen Ping'an wasn't surprised. A man who often handled bags of gold essence and copper coins, no matter how unserious he seemed, his true identity was definitely not simple. Otherwise, Old Man Yang wouldn't have let him help Chen Ping'an remove the True Qi Eight Liang Talisman.

Besides that, Sun Jiashu also had someone bring detailed files on two ferry boats, the Mountain Sea Turtle and the Osmanthus Island, saying it was so Chen Ping'an could understand more about the inside information on the routes they would take. Crossing continents for millions of miles, with unpredictable winds and clouds, was no small matter. Among the ferry boat materials was a hastily written personal letter from Sun Jiashu. The general meaning was: For this trip to Inverted Mountain, you, Chen Ping'an, will ride on my Sun family's ferry boat. But as for the advantages and disadvantages of the Osmanthus Island ferry compared to the Mountain Sea Turtle, I've made them clear to you.

This seemed like a very redundant thing to do, and it was easy to gild the lily. But after Chen Ping'an finished reading the letter and thought it over briefly, he couldn't help but admire Sun Jiashu's business acumen. Putting himself in the other's shoes, if he were a merchant needing to transship goods through Old Dragon City, he would also be willing to cooperate with a family like the Suns.

However, there was one thing Chen Ping'an got wrong: the Old Dragon City Sun family, which did business with a single-minded stubbornness, relied on the reputation accumulated by their ancestors over generations, not their family wealth. They had always been the ones to select others as family business partners; it wasn't that just anyone who wanted to do business with the Sun family could do so. Even if the other party had astonishing wealth and power, it still wouldn't work.

The Sun family's strange house rules were as numerous as the Fu family's eccentric geniuses.

Breaking through the fourth realm, finding the pharmacy, choosing the ferry boat. Having resolved three major and minor concerns one after another, Chen Ping'an had dinner. The noon's hard dish of seafood had been replaced by a stew of mountain delicacies and river delicacies. Chen Ping'an ate with great relish this time, his chopsticks flying. For once, he ate until he was very full. Then he went for a stroll along the riverbank. The setting sun was beautiful, the scenery pleasant. Chen Ping'an felt that this was a blessed place for him. If he had the chance again in the future, he would definitely come back.

Chen Ping'an suddenly felt like fishing. He ran back to the Sun family ancestral residence and asked an old butler if there was a fishing rod, what the fishing was like recently, whether there were any big fish in the river, and if chumming was needed. The old man, very familiar with these matters, smiled and explained everything one by one. Then he personally helped Chen Ping'an get everything ready. The two of them went together to the fishing spot by the river. When the old butler heard that Chen Ping'an wanted to fish until very late at night, he thought about helping this honored guest set up a tent by the water. Chen Ping'an, who never fussed when poor, never had any requirements for food, clothing, shelter, or transportation. Naturally, he didn't want to agree. The old man didn't insist and slowly left.

Chen Ping'an wasn't in a hurry to cast his line. He started practicing walking on stakes back and forth by the river. After an hour of walking on stakes, he stood on stakes by the river for another hour. Only then did he start night fishing. Chen Ping'an closed his eyes, casually cast his line, and the bait went ding-dong into the water.

A clear breeze blew through the rapeseed flowers, making the stamens tremble.

The river water slowly pushed forward, flowing into the distance. Ripples were visible on the surface; invisible water currents flowed beneath.

The fishing line, as fine as a strand of hair, was gently tugged, now taut, now slack.

All night, Chen Ping'an remained motionless, letting small fish nibble away at the bait. No big fish took the hook. He just sat there gloomily until dawn.

When Chen Ping'an felt a spiritual response, he turned his head to look into the distance toward the east. The moment he slowly opened his eyes, he saw the most splendid scene he had ever witnessed in his life.

The sages had a saying: The morning glow is the reddish-yellow aura just as the sun is about to rise.

To the mortal eye, the morning glow should only be a vivid red. But from within the splendid morning glow in the eastern sky, Chen Ping'an saw wisps of golden-yellow air currents. The air currents moved like swimming dragons, slowly cruising within the fiery red sea of clouds.

Chen Ping'an kept his head raised, gazing at the towering morning glow and golden-yellow aura. Facing the blinding light and golden currents, his eyes felt no discomfort whatsoever.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Chen Ping'an seemed to sense the clouds and glow rolling down. Then his mind was slightly shaken. In an instant, a dozen or more golden swimming dragons surged out violently, descending from the sky and charging straight at him. Their momentum was fierce, as if they wanted to crush this mortal who dared to meet their gaze.

Those flood dragons came extremely fast. Chen Ping'an let go of the fishing rod, abruptly stood up. A surge of fist intent erupted from him involuntarily, filling his external body and internal qi chambers. His mind moved with his will. Faced with provocation, Chen Ping'an felt as if he were facing the old man in the bamboo tower of Fallen Mountain. The world was vast, but only his fist art mattered most. He had to throw this punch!

The dozen or so golden flood dragons, without physical bodies, charged straight down at Chen Ping'an.

Without a word, Chen Ping'an assumed the starting fist posture of the Cloud Steam Great Marsh Style. He stomped the riverbank ground with both feet in succession. The force penetrated more than a zhang deep beneath the surface. Not only did the ground rumble continuously like spring thunder rolling across the earth, but the water near the shore also stirred up waves, splashing toward the opposite bank.

Chu Yi and Shi Wu both quietly slipped out of the Sword-Nurturing Gourd. But they lazily lay on the gourd's mouth, as if watching the show, not considering the golden flood dragons flying down from the morning clouds as enemies.

Chen Ping'an was completely immersed in his fist intent, unaware of the astonishing phenomenon he was creating. He simply felt that since he had entered the fourth realm, he should punch faster. But during the previous night fishing, he had been constantly adapting to the new world he saw with his eyes and stabilizing the gates of his qi chambers and the turbulent qi within him. He hadn't had a chance to test his punches. So how fast that would be, let's see now!

"Get back!" Chen Ping'an threw a punch at the leading flood dragon high in the sky. His fist energy surged, making his sleeves swell and snap loudly.

A loud bang.

The river water churned violently. A large patch of rapeseed flowers was bent over with a rustle.

That golden flood dragon, as thick as a well opening, was clearly ethereal and without a physical body. But it was hit on the head by the immense fist intent, dizzily knocked backward more than ten zhang.

Then came a series of dense, loud sounds.

All dozen or so golden flood dragons were punched back into the sky by Chen Ping'an using the Cloud Steam Great Marsh Style. They circled but did not leave, looking down at Chen Ping'an, who had changed to another ancient, awe-inspiring fist posture. Their eyes held both confusion and resentment. They shook their heads and tails, all returning to the morning glow sea of clouds. Chen Ping'an was stunned for a moment. When he looked again, there was no more movement of golden qi. The eastern morning glow seemed to have finally returned to normal.

Chen Ping'an put away his fist posture, a look of satisfaction on his face. He grinned.

These punches were truly fast and fierce. No wonder it was the martial arts fourth realm. Every punch felt like there was no longer any restraint from heaven and earth, no longer any feeling of being dragging and pulling. It was truly satisfying!

On the mouth of the Sword-Nurturing Gourd, Chu Yi and Shi Wu looked at each other. Shi Wu seemed too ashamed to be seen and slid back into the gourd.

Chu Yi, with a relatively hotter temper, was stunned for a moment before shooting up with a whoosh. Although he couldn't cause any substantial damage, he repeatedly and futilely pierced through Chen Ping'an's body, as if venting his anger.

For a lifebound flying sword and its swordmaster, in the acupoints it is empty; when it leaves the dwelling it is solid. This was a natural rule. Therefore, entering and exiting the acupoints of the swordmaster who nurtured the flying sword would never harm the swordmaster himself. Right now, the relationship between Chu Yi and Shi Wu, these two lifebound flying swords, and Chen Ping'an was not that of master and servant between swordmaster and flying swords; it wasn't a matter of life and death, nor of coexisting in life or death. It was more like a tenant and a landlord, or half-owners.

Chen Ping'an was completely baffled. Ignoring Chu Yi's antics, he scratched his head. "What? Is my fourth realm too weak, and you think I'm embarrassing you?"

Earlier, when the golden flood dragons appeared in the morning glow as a celestial phenomenon and then charged straight at the Sun family ancestral residence, three Core Formation cultivators and one Nascent Soul cultivator, a total of four Sun family honored guests, had to treat it with great seriousness. They quickly gathered in a small library in the ancestral residence. By now, the four of them had finally stopped arguing about whether the young man was a Qi refiner or a martial artist. But now a new disagreement had arisen.

Because this strange phenomenon only had two possibilities. One was that a Qi refiner had achieved the Core Formation realm, henceforth free and unfettered between heaven and earth, thus attracting a response from heaven and earth. In the alchemy chamber, a golden core of varying quality would form, depending entirely on the magnitude of the celestial phenomenon. The other was a pure martial artist breaking through from the third to the fourth realm, or from the sixth to the seventh realm. The former was rare, almost negligible; the latter was common sense. Once attracted, according to martial arts slang, this was called "using stones from other mountains to polish jade," even rarer than a clay Buddha crossing the river. Often, one could use this opportunity to temper one's physical body and soul. It was a great opportunity and blessing; one must cherish it.

Looking at the young man's completely exposed true fist intent, deep and unmatched, he was definitely not a Qi refiner. So he must be a pure martial artist. But whether he was at the fourth realm or the seventh realm, the four of them argued again. This time, three believed he was at the seventh realm. That was why family head Sun Jiashu was willing to invite him to the Sun family ancestral residence, to form a connection. Moreover, breaking from the third to the fourth realm could never attract such a majestic phenomenon as descending clouds and dragons. Only one person insisted that the young man had just entered the fourth realm.

Suddenly, the woodcutter among them smiled bitterly. "Let's stop arguing about which realm first. Shouldn't we be regretting the missed opportunity the young man so inexplicably lost?"

The other three suddenly realized and all sighed.

The young man's viewing of the scene had attracted a celestial phenomenon, a profound and mysterious communion between heaven and man.

A great opportunity that all pure martial artists in the world dreamed of had been punched back by the young man with a flurry of wild punches...

Then all four found it utterly incomprehensible. Such a stunning martial arts genius—couldn't his teacher have told him about this most basic matter? For example, when breaking from the third to the fourth or the sixth to the seventh, there would be a communion between heaven and man; one must grasp it well; it could help stabilize the realm...

No matter how hard they racked their brains, they would never guess that the old man in the bamboo tower who taught the young man his fist art had once walked to the peak of the tenth martial arts realm and simply didn't consider such things to be opportunities. They were external things that were basically equivalent to the fundamentals of fist art! Worse than chicken ribs that had no taste but were a pity to throw away. If the barefoot old man had seen this scene, he would have laughed heartily, thinking the young man had done well. This was exactly the kind of "stupid thing" that Chen Shiyi would do.

When Sun Jiashu returned to the ancestral residence at noon, before seeing Chen Ping'an, a Sun family ancestor privately joked to the current family head, "You've invited an immortal to be a guest."

Sun Jiashu asked curiously. The ancestor, who had been in seclusion here for over three hundred years, told him about the incident. Sun Jiashu slapped his forehead in exasperation. "A true immortal indeed."

During their meal together, Chen Ping'an found Sun Jiashu's look a bit strange, somewhat like the way Chen Ping'an himself had looked at Liu Baqiao earlier...

Chen Ping'an mistakenly thought that his morning punch at the swimming dragons had caused trouble for the Sun family ancestral residence. He asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Did my morning punch alert the Fu family in Old Dragon City? Did they find any clues?"

Sun Jiashu smiled and shook his head. "There are tens of thousands of Qi refiners and martial arts grandmasters in Old Dragon City. Strange things are common. If it involves the Sun family ancestral residence, strange things don't seem so strange. And others don't dare to spy rudely on this place. So your punch this time caused no problems..."

Having said this, Sun Jiashu felt he was being a bit insincere. He also felt a pang of pity for Chen Ping'an. He hesitated, uncertain whether to tell the young man the truth.

After struggling for a long time, Sun Jiashu finally decided to be honest. He told Chen Ping'an the truth, who had no idea what he had missed.

After hearing it, Chen Ping'an silently drank his wine, then tentatively asked, "If I go look at the morning glow again tomorrow, can I see those golden flood dragons again?"

Sun Jiashu laughed angrily. "What do you think?!"

Chen Ping'an sighed too, took a big gulp of wine, and lamented, "This is what happens when you don't read enough."

Sun Jiashu looked at Chen Ping'an and joked, "What, thinking of going fishing by the river again tonight and waiting for the sunrise tomorrow?"

Chen Ping'an asked in surprise, "Sun Jiashu, can you read minds?"

Sun Jiashu was amused and exasperated. He waved his hand. "I don't have that ability. But I've heard that our merchant family's ancestors really did."

After that, Chen Ping'an took his fishing rod back to the river. Sun Jiashu followed beside him, carrying the fish basket. On the way, he told Chen Ping'an about the Dust Pharmacy. Chen Ping'an also said that after breaking through the fourth realm, going to the pharmacy wasn't as important anymore, but he still wanted to see that acquaintance. Sun Jiashu naturally had no objection. He said they could set off tomorrow. They would need to make some preparations in advance. He himself couldn't accompany them, as it might do more harm than good. But he would have a Core Formation cultivator from the family escort him.

As the family head, Sun Jiashu had countless things to take care of. Naturally, he couldn't sit by the river with Chen Ping'an all night. The fish his Sun family wanted to catch were all very big.

Sun Jiashu soon returned to the ancestral residence to handle family affairs. Sitting behind his desk, he spread out stacks of account books. An antique abacus was placed before him. The abacus didn't look special. What was truly remarkable was that around the abacus sat several thumb-sized golden figures, somewhat akin to the legendary Silver Worms, which were born in treasuries. They had tiny golden wings and liked to roll around and play when they had nothing to do, signifying rolling in wealth.

When Sun Jiashu quickly calculated numbers in his mind, one of the golden figures would fly over to the abacus beads and push them swiftly.

The ancestral abacus and golden children were no ordinary objects. But everything outside the study was very simple and unadorned. Even the oil lamp on the table was like that, requiring Sun Jiashu to occasionally add sesame oil. The Sun family had an ancestral motto passed down to descendants: Save what should be saved; a single copper coin is the family's foundation. Spend what must be spent; throwing away a thousand pieces of gold requires no blink of an eye.

During the intervals when he got up to add oil, Sun Jiashu would go to the window to look at the river and take a short rest.

As a mid-fifth realm Qi refiner, after his last glance at the sky, he used his mind to communicate with the honored guests of the ancestral residence, excluding the family ancestor. "A small bet for amusement. Do the three of you dare to bet with me? If I lose, since it's just for fun, I'll put up a Guyu Coin. If the three of you lose, you'll watch over the Sun family ancestral residence for another hundred years? Of course, the annual salary the Sun family gives you will remain the same."

The woodcutter laughed. "Sun Jiashu, who would dare to bet? It's too unfair."

Sun Jiashu smiled. "I'm betting that this young man, if he keeps watch tonight, will still bring about a celestial phenomenon. Well, do you bet or not?"

"Bet!"

The three old immortals said in unison, their laughter hearty.

If they lost, it was just three Guyu Coins. If they won, the Sun family would have three more Core Formation cultivators for the next hundred years. With luck, one of the three might even become a ninth-realm Nascent Soul great cultivator.

Presumably, the three knew the key points, but none of them thought Sun Jiashu would win. And to them, a Guyu Coin was no longer a big deal. They just wanted to personally win against Old Dragon City's little God of Wealth.

Then Sun Jiashu smiled and took out three Guyu Coins from his sleeve, placing them in a row on the windowsill. He said self-deprecatingly, "I suddenly feel that you three can just take the Guyu Coins."

The three didn't stand on ceremony. Using their divine abilities and techniques, the three Guyu Coins vanished into thin air.

The old man with the highest cultivation, who took the Guyu Coin last, was precisely the Qi refiner most likely to reach the Nascent Soul realm.

Sun Jiashu smiled but said nothing, no longer returning to his seat. He stood at the window, quietly waiting for the moment when Chen Ping'an would open his eyes and look up from his stance. The priceless golden children were also waiting eagerly. The little fellows were a bit puzzled: why wasn't this master of theirs so keen on making money today?

In the eastern sky, it was first silver-grey, then fishbelly white. Finally, a morning glow spread for ten thousand miles, bright and dazzling red, illuminating all of Old Dragon City.

Then heaven and earth were peaceful. The sun rose slowly from the East Sea. Clouds gathered and dispersed. There was no difference whatsoever.

Sun Jiashu, having lost three Guyu Coins, just smiled, unconcerned.

The three old immortals were clearly in a good mood, all teasing Sun Jiashu.

The Sun family ancestor came to the study. As a Nascent Soul great cultivator, he waved his hand and temporarily isolated the study from the outside world. He smiled comfortingly. "Well? Convinced, aren't you? Your grandfather always said that the Sun family's windfall wealth had already been used up by your divine ability. You, my boy, just have to honestly earn your hard money."

Sun Jiashu sighed. Then, recalling something, he walked toward the door and said goodbye to his ancestor with a smile. "I'll go tell Old Song in the ancestral kitchen to make breakfast plainer. No more wasting those mountain and sea delicacies. Anyway, that kid Chen Ping'an can't tell good from bad. Maybe he even likes simple pickled vegetables and steamed buns more. I won't throw a flirtatious glance at a blind man. Save money, save money!"

The Sun family ancestor smiled and nodded. Looking at the golden figures on the old abacus, the old man felt a bit proud. The Fu family might be richer than the Sun family, but when it came to the highest-quality fortune-attracting children, the Fu family only had a pair of twin gilded children. At best, they could count as three. The Sun family, on the other hand, had four. As for the other four great surnames of Old Dragon City, at most, the Fan family had managed to buy one from a fallen emperor of a great dynasty.

At breakfast, watching Chen Ping'an wolf down the rice porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables, he indeed had a much better appetite than before. Sun Jiashu sat across the table, eating slowly. His own appetite was also a bit better than usual. When drinking, meeting a lover of wine; when eating, meeting a compatible palate—it was indeed easier to have one's fill.

Afterward, Chen Ping'an went back to the river to actually fish. He had a good catch: half a basket of river fish locally called "white stripes" in Old Dragon City, and the other half a mix of yellow spicy fish, ground-tiger fish, and other odds and ends.

After a fish feast at noon, Sun Jiashu had Chen Ping'an put on a disguise face mask, gave him some instructions, and then let him follow the Nascent Soul ancestor to a pond outside the ancestral residence. After the old man flicked his sleeve, the pond water became like a mirror, showing an image of a room. The old man gestured for Chen Ping'an to just walk onto the pond's surface. Chen Ping'an, having put away his Sword-Nurturing Gourd and only showing the sword case on his back, stepped out without hesitation. He didn't sink into the pond but stepped onto the mirror surface. However, ripples spread out beneath his feet. After taking a few steps, his figure suddenly disappeared, as if he had walked into the mirror.

The next moment, Chen Ping'an stepped out into the room. He looked around; everything matched the image he had seen through the water surface.

Back at the Sun family ancestral residence, the old man looked at the still-rippling water surface and said to Sun Jiashu in amazement, "This Great Li young man has a very stable soul and very heavy backbone. No wonder Liu Baqiao regards him as a friend."

Sun Jiashu smiled and shook his head in rebuttal. "Liu Baqiao doesn't regard Chen Ping'an as a friend because of that."

The old man then pointed directly at the heart and asked Sun Jiashu, "What about you?"

Sun Jiashu thought for a moment and said frankly, "In the end, we didn't meet during hardship. Not like Liu Baqiao and Chen Ping'an."

On the other side of the mirror, located in Old Dragon City's inner city, someone was already waiting outside the house—precisely that Sun family Core Formation old immortal. He led Chen Ping'an out of a vast courtyard, exiting from the side, and getting into a carriage that had been waiting for a long time. The Core Formation old immortal, his aura restrained and returned to simplicity, personally acted as the driver. The carriage finally stopped at the entrance of a street alley. At the alley entrance was a young locust tree. Under the tree sat a man cracking melon seeds and flipping through a book.

After Chen Ping'an got out of the carriage, the two looked at each other.

The man silently picked up his stool and walked into the alley first. The Sun family old man stopped the carriage by the roadside, didn't follow, and began to close his eyes in meditation.

At the pharmacy, Zheng Dafeng placed the stool at the door for Chen Ping'an to sit on. He went to get another one for himself. For a while, the doorstep was bustling with curious women who came to see the commotion. Unfortunately, Chen Ping'an was wearing an unremarkable face mask. They quickly lost interest and went back to their shops, idling away the day.

Zheng Dafeng asked with a grin, "Since you dispelled the True Qi Eight Liang Talisman yourself, why risk coming here? If I remember correctly, you and the young city lord Fu Nanhua have a deep grudge. Aren't you afraid of being discovered? The Sun family can wash their hands clean of it. Do you think I'll save you?"

Chen Ping'an asked three questions. "Back then, who told my father about the fate porcelain? Who killed my father? Does Old Man Yang have anything to do with this?"

Zheng Dafeng's expression was flat. He smiled and asked back, "If it does have something to do with the old man, do you think I would tell you?"

Chen Ping'an was silent.

Zheng Dafeng fanned himself with the book. "Whether you believe it or not, the old man wasn't involved in this matter. But I can tell you bluntly: the old man definitely saw it early on. He just probably thought it was meaningless, not worth it, so he didn't bother to get involved. If you want to resent the old man for not stopping it, that's your business, Chen Ping'an. I won't stop you either."

Chen Ping'an shook his head with a wry smile. "Why would I resent that? I know Old Man Yang's character very well. He never owes anyone, and he doesn't let anyone owe him. Everything he does is a fair trade."

Zheng Dafeng nodded. He turned to look at Chen Ping'an and grinned. "It's best that you can think that way. Saves me from having to punch a hole in your head after being beaten and cursed to death by the old man."

Chen Ping'an seemed unmoved, or perhaps he had already guessed the gatekeeper's temperament.

Zheng Dafeng fanned himself with the wind. "Among those children back then, leaving aside their respective inheritances and camps, I was most optimistic about Ma Kuxuan from Xinghua Alley, Zhao Yao from Fulu Street, and Song Jixin from Niping Alley. My senior brother Li Er, that is, Li Liu and Li Huai's father, was muddleheaded and liked you the most. Later, I generally learned about your experiences after leaving the Pearl of Li Zhu Cave Heaven. I realized that I was wrong about you, and I was also wrong about my senior brother. I used to think you two were both simpletons lacking in sense. Now I've found that it's me, Zheng Dafeng, who is blind."

Zheng Dafeng actually wanted to say that it was Li Er and Chen Ping'an who were the truly smart ones.

A lonely orphan boy from Niping Alley had walked step by step to this day, until he reached Old Dragon City at the southernmost tip of Treasure Bottle Continent, and only then began to ask those three questions.

Chen Ping'an asked, "I dare not ask Old Man Yang these things, and I know it would be useless even if I did. But I thought I could try asking you."

Zheng Dafeng smiled. "What, you think that with a Core Formation Qi refiner protecting you, you don't need to worry about your safety?"

Chen Ping'an pointed at the sky for no reason. "Old Man Yang can weigh the pros and cons. Maybe even if I hit the vital point, he would still slap me to death. But you, Zheng Dafeng, probably wouldn't dare. And if I'm wrong, I won't necessarily die for sure, and the price you pay won't be small."

Chen Ping'an actually wanted to say that Zheng Dafeng was also a businessman. But his intuition told him that this slovenly man's vision and status were far inferior to Old Man Yang's.

However, when Chen Ping'an actually opened his mouth to ask, these questions that had been bottled up in his heart for a full ten years still brought heavy unease. But after entering the fourth realm, he could already control his mood. Pretending to be calm and unruffled was not too difficult now. Moreover, after walking into this alley, when Zheng Dafeng went into the shop to get the stools, Chen Ping'an had already taken out the Sword-Nurturing Gourd from his bundle and started drinking.

If his own fourth realm wasn't enough, there were still Chu Yi and Shi Wu, and after that, the Sun family's Core Formation Qi refiner.

Furthermore, some old wounds also needed to be reopened and aired in the sun.

Looking at the solemn young man, Zheng Dafeng sighed, put away the book that he had almost talked his mouth dry to borrow again from the girl, rolled it into a tube, and gently tapped his knee. He said lazily, "You're getting more and more annoying, kid. Alright, stop worrying and secretly tensing your heartstrings. I'm tired just watching you. Don't worry, I won't kill you. The old man thinks quite highly of you now. Besides, I, Zheng Dafeng, wouldn't just kill someone for asking a few questions. My vision may be narrow, but it's not that narrow."

Zheng Dafeng then added, "But I won't answer those two questions. You can follow the clues yourself..."

Having said that, Zheng Dafeng smiled and asked, "Why didn't you go directly to Qi Jingchun?"

Chen Ping'an did indeed relax a lot. He leaned his back against the wall with his sword case, raised his head to take a sip of wine, and said something that made Zheng Dafeng even more puzzled. "I'm afraid Mr. Qi would be disappointed."

Zheng Dafeng turned his head and shouted, "Mei'er! Bring out two dishes of melon seeds and peanuts for the guest!"

A plump woman came out smiling, carrying the two dishes of snacks. When she bent down to hand the dishes to Zheng Dafeng, he pretended to be startled. "The mountain presses down on my head! What a fierce momentum."

The woman slammed the two dishes into Zheng Dafeng's hand, quickly straightened up, and stomped on the man's foot. She smiled charmingly and said, "What a temper!"

Zheng Dafeng handed one dish of peanuts to Chen Ping'an and started cracking the melon seeds himself.

Chen Ping'an didn't seem particularly disappointed by Zheng Dafeng's answer, as if he had expected it. He asked, "Do you have any good sword technique manuals? I can buy them."

Zheng Dafeng asked casually, "Immortal techniques for Qi refiners, or martial arts secrets for the pugilistic world?"

Chen Ping'an said bluntly, "You should be able to tell that my longevity bridge was broken long ago. If I want to practice swordsmanship, I can only learn martial arts sword manuals."

Zheng Dafeng also said directly, "Even the best martial arts techniques, I can help you find, and then sell them to you at a sky-high price. But it's not much use. I advise you not to bother with so-called peerless manuals in the pugilistic world. I, Zheng Dafeng, am myself a martial artist. I know the ins and outs of this. Since you're already good enough at fist arts, don't create unnecessary complications and waste time."

Chen Ping'an ate a peanut, thought for a moment, and said sincerely to the man, "Thanks. For these words, you don't need to repay the five copper coins you owe me."

Zheng Dafeng's mouth twitched.

Look, such a boring kid. How could he, Zheng Dafeng, ever find him agreeable?

But deep in the man's eyes, there was an unreadable expression.

Zheng Dafeng stretched comfortably, then said weakly, "Please take off that face mask. You're not handsome to begin with. Wearing that mask is getting more and more annoying to look at."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Don't you know my grudge with Fu Nanhua? How dare I take it off and swagger around Old Dragon City's inner city? Who knows if the Fu family has any techniques to monitor the city's activities, like some kind of immortal watching over the mountains and rivers with his hand? If they really do, wouldn't that be like me shouting at their doorstep, 'Come out and kill me'? Unless they're stupid, they'd definitely swarm out and beat me to death."

Zheng Dafeng was amused and laughed, revealing a secret. "Alright, the old man instructed me that as long as you broke the True Qi Talisman on your own, I needed to ensure you bounced around safely in Old Dragon City. Even if you were bent on dying and went to strut in front of the talisman city gate, I would still ensure you left this city safely."

Zheng Dafeng suddenly muttered, "I never noticed before, but now I find that this kid actually has a good name."

Chen Ping'an was skeptical. "Are you a mountain-peak realm martial grandmaster? Or an upper fifth realm Qi refiner?"

Zheng Dafeng laughed angrily. "Do you think ninth realm martial artists and Jade Abyss realm Qi refiners are roadside cabbages that you can see a bunch of just by walking a few steps? Even though Old Dragon City is a mixed bag of all sorts, eighth realm martial artists and tenth realm earthly immortals can already swagger around. The prerequisite is not to incur public wrath. If you only provoke one family or surname, even with half-immortal weapons, there's room to maneuver, even against the Fu family. Those Nascent Soul ancestors, just ninth realm Qi refiners, are already considered lofty old immortals here."

Zheng Dafeng rolled his eyes. "Do you think this is our Pearl of Li Zhu Cave Heaven? I, a dignified peak eighth realm martial grandmaster, can only be a gatekeeper collecting money? An eleventh realm Ruan Qiong, before succeeding as the sage, could just forge swords by the river? The Great Li National Master Cui Chan, when he entered the Pearl of Li Zhu Cave Heaven, couldn't he only act sneakily, showing his clone?"

Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Are you asking me to take off the face mask because you have some scheme?"

Zheng Dafeng was also a cheeky fellow and said in surprise, "You can see through that too?"

A yin spirit condensed from smoke appeared in the shaded corner of the wall opposite the two. It sneered, "Zheng Dafeng's mind is full of mush right now. He can't figure out what exactly 'protector' and 'propagator' are. So he had the Fan family spend a lot of money to get a divination for him. The hexagram was 'Getting chestnuts from a great fire'—extremely auspicious. So he's thinking of putting you in danger. Then, when he makes a big move, he'll have me escort you out of Old Dragon City. During this time, he might be able to figure out these two identities. And if he's lucky, he might even break through the bottleneck of the eighth martial realm, which just so happens to match the hexagram's meaning."

Chen Ping'an turned to look at Zheng Dafeng, who didn't blush or have a racing heart. "Five copper coins. Keep the debt. Even if you want to pay it back now, I won't accept it."

Zheng Dafeng said nonchalantly, "Five copper coins? What does that count for? Whatever you say."

Chen Ping'an sneered. "Zheng Dafeng, do you really think I don't know the old man's rules? I deliberately mentioned it earlier. Then you talked about martial arts and swordsmanship. Since what you said seemed genuine, I went along with it and settled the account! If I'm not wrong, the one who wanted me to deliver the letter back then was Old Man Yang. The one who made you owe the money was also Old Man Yang, right? Now you're regretting it, aren't you?"

Chen Ping'an put away his Sword-Nurturing Gourd, stood up, placed the empty dish on the stool, and cupped his fists to the yin spirit. "I don't know why you were willing to expose the truth. In the final analysis, it might still be the old man's idea, but I still want to thank you!"

The yin spirit nodded.

Chen Ping'an strode away.

As the young man had said, Zheng Dafeng was indeed regretting it with all his heart.

Zheng Dafeng looked coldly at the yin spirit that had likely ruined his great auspicious hexagram. "Was that your idea, or the old man's? You'd better make it clear!"

The yin spirit said calmly, "Guess?"

Zheng Dafeng laughed heartily and instantly became light and carefree. "You never act on your own. It's probably the old man's intention."

The yin spirit sneered. "A peak eighth realm pure martial artist, a disciple of the Divine Lord, going so far as to believe in some hexagram. Do you know that even if the Fan family didn't manipulate anything, for anyone in the world, it would be extremely auspicious. But for you, Zheng Dafeng, could it be the complete opposite, a truly ominous sign?"

Zheng Dafeng's expression became serious. He looked up at the yin spirit and nodded. "I've learned my lesson."

The yin spirit dismissed this. "Since the Divine Lord is willing to let you take charge on your own, don't try to be clever. Just do your job properly."

Zheng Dafeng waved his hand. "I've been set up by that kid and then lectured by you. I'm annoyed. I need to leave the alley to get some air."

The yin spirit vanished.

Zheng Dafeng suddenly asked, "Was the celestial phenomenon at the Sun family ancestral residence caused by Chen Ping'an breaking through his realm?"

The yin spirit's icy voice seeped from the shadow of the wall. "It should be."

Zheng Dafeng tucked the book under his arm, picked up his stool and melon seeds, and returned to the entrance of the alley. He sat under the locust tree again to enjoy the cool breeze and watch the beauties.

A tall, powerfully built man with an ordinary appearance but a commanding presence walked slowly over. Behind him was a graceful young woman, strolling leisurely.

The man walked up to Zheng Dafeng. The young woman stood behind the man, her eyes full of curiosity about the pharmacy owner sitting on the stool, fanning himself with a book.

The man smiled. "Old Dragon City Sun Jiashu's face is only worth a lowly disguise face mask. Shopkeeper Zheng, you see very accurately."

Zheng Dafeng turned his head to glance at the man. "Fu Qi, you're not even wearing the Old Dragon Robe. It seems you're not here to issue an eviction notice."

The man smiled and pointed behind him. "Whether I wear the Old Dragon Robe or not doesn't matter in Old Dragon City. Bringing her along is the true sign of sincerity."

It was both a show of force and a gesture of weakness.

The show of force meant that in Old Dragon City, Fu Qi didn't need to act personally to drive you away, Zheng Dafeng.

The gesture of weakness meant that Fu Qi, as the city lord of Old Dragon City, was willing to cater to Zheng Dafeng's tastes by bringing a young woman with very long legs to appear before his eyes.

Zheng Dafeng gave the woman's legs a few hard stares, then turned his head back to the flow of people on the street. "Fu Qi, you talk so big. Why don't you take a deep breath and suck the sea of clouds into your belly?"

Fu Qi's face turned ugly. He reached out and grasped a jade pendant hanging from his waist. Only then did his expression ease.

The woman was trembling with fear. This was the first time she had felt such obvious anger from her father.

Zheng Dafeng sneered. "Also a businessman? You dare compare yourself to me?"

Fu Qi smiled it off. "Since Shopkeeper Zheng is in a bad mood now, I'll bring up some matters later."

Zheng Dafeng's mood was not just bad; it was as bad as it could get.

Five copper coins! Just five copper coins that ordinary commoners often handled, but they seemed to weigh on his heart like five great mountains! He had racked his brains, carefully managed the situation, and finally managed to trick the young man into verbally agreeing not to collect this debt. Zheng Dafeng had already known deep down after the young man asked those three questions and made that seemingly casual remark, "Old Man Yang never owes anyone." There was no hope of the Niping Alley kid coming to ask for the most ordinary five copper coins. That little brat from Niping Alley was cunning as a ghost, not easy to fool!

Zheng Dafeng was so angry he fanned the book vigorously. "No wonder I didn't like this guy from the start. Such a young age, and so deep and scheming. Where does he look like a teenager?"

Zheng Dafeng suddenly stopped complaining, slumping in defeat. "If he were an ordinary teenager, he wouldn't have lived to see today."

The man sighed long and hard. He started flipping through the book absent-mindedly, the pages rustling. He didn't take in a single word. He muttered to himself, "Could that yin creature have hit the mark? Am I really being too clever by half?"

He reached a page titled "On Sincerity." It was just a hodgepodge of clichéd stories strung together. At the end, a few grand principles were tacked on in a pretentious manner. It was a complete mess. In the eyes of a man of true profound learning like Zheng Dafeng, if you broke the article apart, it was like one woman's delicate brows and beautiful eyes, another's rosy cheeks intoxicating, another's cherry lips—each scene was charming. But when randomly pieced together, it was instead not beautiful, the whole thing grotesque to the point of being unsightly.

Zheng Dafeng absent-mindedly turned a page. It was the very last part of "On Sincerity."

It was still some vast and boundless empty reasoning.

"According to legend, those with the heart of a newborn child in ancient times often had such sincerity that it could move metal and stone. Therefore, uprightness of mind and sincerity of intention are the foundation of a Confucian gentleman's conduct."

"Another Daoist sage said: Without refinement and sincerity, one cannot move people. Truth is the ultimate refinement and sincerity. This is the origin of the title 'Perfected Person' in Daoism across the land."

Zheng Dafeng quickly turned past. The next was "On Loyalty and Filial Piety." He flipped through it again quickly. From beginning to end, slap, he closed the book. He began using it as a fan again to stir up the breeze.

This man seemed to be letting the sages' teachings in the book go in one ear and out the other.

He finally resigned himself. "Since the Old Man said that in this life, I have no hope for the ninth realm, then why am I still forcing it? I've been seeking it for so many years. No wonder the Old Man said I'm too clever by half, scheming with all my mental energy. I've only got cleverness left. How many times have I fought with Li Er just by myself? Song Changjing broke through his realm after just one fight with my senior brother. I actually understood from the beginning that it couldn't be sought. I was just secretly holding onto a sliver of hope, wishful thinking. Haha, now in this Old Dragon City, I'll just watch beauties every day and wait for death in the eighth realm..."

Zheng Dafeng closed his eyes. In this moment, the man who had stopped leering at women's figures looked somewhat desolate.

A young woman of "heroic" stature, her face heavily powdered, dressed in gaudy clothes. Her big face alone could ward off evil spirits. When she stopped and saw the man like this, she felt a pang of pity. She thought to herself that he probably wanted to confess his feelings to her but was too shy. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so ladylike and reserved anymore. She would speak first, sparing her lover from embarrassment.

But just as she cleared her throat to moisten it,

The man's eyes snapped open. He grabbed his stool and ran back into the alley.

She sighed, touched her cheek, and began to wallow in self-pity. It was all because of her appearance, still so moving, capable of toppling cities and states.

She suddenly realized, "Oh no!" It turned out the powder on her face had been rubbed off by her fingers. She quickly smeared it back on.

——

Fu Qi didn't use his divine ability to take his daughter back to Talisman City. Instead, he strolled back leisurely. A carriage followed slowly behind.

The woman was named Fu Chunhua. She was Fu Qi's eldest daughter. Both she and Fu Qi's eldest son, Fu Donghai, were among the heirs most likely to inherit the family head position.

Since she was an heir to the family head, or rather the Old Dragon Robe, she was naturally a young person of exceptional talent. Fu Qi appeared to be middle-aged but was actually over four hundred years old, with a tenth realm cultivation. Although his fame wasn't as great as Wind Thunder Garden Li Tuanjing's titles like "Strongest Tenth Realm Cultivator in Treasure Bottle Continent" or "Top Figure Below the Upper Five Realms," when wearing the Old Dragon Robe and with the family possessing four and a half immortal weapons, Fu Qi was fully qualified to be regarded as a bona fide Jade Abyss realm cultivator.

Fu Chunhua was also nearly three hundred years old. Like her elder brother Fu Donghai, she was a long-established Core Formation cultivator, skilled in combat. Each of them had escorted ferry boats to Inverted Mountain for over a hundred years, gaining rich experience. They had encountered deep-sea great demons and life-or-death situations more than once or twice. The key point was that once a Fu family descendant reached the Core Formation realm, it meant they could wield a half-immortal weapon. Therefore, Treasure Bottle Continent had always circulated the saying that the true realm of Fu family Qi refiners needed to be increased by half a realm to be accurate.

Fu Chunhua hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Father, why did you bring me to see this man instead of Nanhua?"

Fu Qi smiled. "Haven't I already said it before? It's to show the Fu family's sincerity. This Shopkeeper Zheng has a fondness for women with long legs. The intelligence reports are very clear."

The woman clearly didn't believe this explanation.

Even though she was a candidate who might inherit the family head position, she, like her elder brother Fu Donghai and her younger brother Fu Nanhua, all knew one thing: the connections they painstakingly cultivated were far from sufficient to understand the true landscape at the summit of Treasure Bottle Continent. Moreover, being under the wing of their father Fu Qi was both a shelter and a constraint. They often dared not cross certain lines too much, so as not to incur Fu Qi's suspicion.

The Fu family of Old Dragon City seemed to have everyone free and easygoing. But those were just the family's wastes who had no hope of obtaining the Old Dragon Robe. They had long since given up and were excluded from the family's decision-making circle. In truth, the Fu family's rules were strict, not at all inferior to those of imperial families.

In the last hundred years, Fu Donghai had been responsible for managing relationships in Northern Juzhou Continent. She, Fu Chunhua, was responsible for the secret schemes on the southeastern continent. As for the formerly unknown and mediocre Fu Nanhua, he had only begun to rise rapidly after being unexpectedly selected to go to the Pearl of Li Zhu Cave Heaven. The family had poured a huge amount of human and material resources into her younger brother. Clearly, the family head Fu Qi was not satisfied with her and Fu Donghai's business over the past hundred years.

Fu Chunhua knew she wouldn't get any more answers, so she changed the subject. "Should I go warn Sun Jiashu?"

Fu Qi laughed. "Sun Jiashu? Even if his realm is inferior to yours, he's still the family head of the Sun family. What right do you have, a Core Formation Qi refiner, to lecture him? Their ancestral residence also has a Nascent Soul ancestor. There's also that Core Formation Qi refiner who might reach the Nascent Soul realm. Your brother has been painstakingly courting him for decades and has only just gotten a slight opening. If the Fu family were to lecture Sun Jiashu now, do you think that Core Formation cultivator would still have the face to leave the Sun family ancestral residence and come to our Fu family?"

Fu Chunhua's face turned pale. She was afraid her father might mistakenly think she was trying to harm her brother.

Fu Qi smiled. "Don't be nervous. I know your temperament. In fact, this time Sun Jiashu is going with the flow, betting on Chen Ping'an, and also trying to test our Fu family. I suspect he's worried that we won't act to suppress him. Once the Sun family succeeds, they'll go back to the ancestral residence and put on an act of being bullied by the Fu family. Believe me, Sun Jiashu won't even have to say anything. That Core Formation cultivator with a bright future, who originally owed a debt of gratitude to the Sun family, will, after this battle, be nailed down to staying at the Sun family ancestral residence."

Fu Chunhua asked, "Does Sun Jiashu not fear that the young man might die at our hands?"

Fu Qi looked up at the sky. "You think that way, and it's human nature. But when the day comes that you wear the Old Dragon Robe, you'll have the chance to know some truly important things overhead."

Fu Chunhua instinctively looked up at that sea of clouds.

Fu Qi smiled. "Higher still."

Fu Chunhua's mind trembled. She looked up, filled with longing.

"He who forms a golden core is one of us."

Before becoming a Core Formation cultivator, everyone thought this was the most exhilarating declaration. It was only after actually reaching the Core Formation realm that one would discover this was just the halfway point on the mountain for a Qi refiner. Nothing more.

Fu Qi suddenly said, "Compared to the Sun family and Sun Jiashu, my Fu family and I, Fu Qi, still have more courage. I need to leave Old Dragon City now to welcome several honored guests from the north. Go find Nanhua. Tell him that Chen Ping'an is at the Sun family ancestral residence. I want to know his choice. This will determine whether he can become the city lord of Old Dragon City, and of course, whether you will have the hope of wearing the Old Dragon Robe. I hope that when I return to Old Dragon City, he has already made the correct choice."

Fu Qi waved his hand. "Get in the carriage and return to the city."

Fu Chunhua obeyed. Her father had already soared into the air, gracefully disappearing into that sea of clouds formation, likely heading north.

Fu Chunhua didn't care what kind of honored guests were worth the city lord of Old Dragon City leaving the city to welcome. After sitting in the carriage, she began to carefully ponder this problem.

How should she choose next to maximize her gain? How would her younger brother Fu Nanhua choose?

Fu Chunhua found her thoughts in a tangled mess. No matter what she did, it seemed she could gain a little, but it was always far from her best expectations.

When she arrived at her younger brother Fu Nanhua's private residence, Fu Chunhua still had no clear direction. So she carefully worded her statement, cautiously repeating their father Fu Qi's words, with some omissions and additions.

Fu Nanhua naturally didn't believe everything. But he knew his sister wouldn't dare to misrepresent the general meaning of Fu Qi's words. Fu Nanhua listened carefully from beginning to end. He was about to stand up and pace as he usually did when thinking, but he suddenly sat back down in his chair. He said calmly, "I've already made my decision. Kill Chen Ping'an!"

Fu Chunhua smiled and began counting on her fingers. "Shopkeeper Zheng of the Dust Pharmacy, at least a peak seventh realm martial artist, possibly an eighth realm grandmaster. The Fan family of the inner city, who are friendly with him. Added to that is Sun Jiashu's Sun family, which has a Nascent Soul ancestor in the ancestral residence. Although the other three Core Formation cultivators don't need to act unless the ancestral residence is in danger, at a critical juncture, Sun Jiashu can probably persuade the three to act. Plus the Sun family's honored guests and retainers in the inner city. Nanhua, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"

Fu Nanhua's expression was cold. "I only want to think about how to kill that Great Li young man at the smallest cost."

Fu Chunhua laughed again. "Your wedding is coming up. Aren't you afraid of something going wrong? And since that young man is from the Pearl of Li Zhu Cave Heaven, he's a subject of Great Li. Aren't you afraid this matter will have far-reaching implications, damaging the Fu family of Old Dragon City's standing in the Great Li emperor's eyes?"

Fu Nanhua just fell into deep thought, saying nothing.

Fu Chunhua finally smiled charmingly. "Fu Nanhua, think one last time. Do you think I said all this in the hope that you would resolutely act, or that you wouldn't be stubborn?"

Fu Nanhua just pondered in silence.

The smile on Fu Chunhua's face gradually faded until it disappeared completely. She looked coldly at this brother who had seemingly come out of nowhere. A waste who had devoured the family's entire mountain of gold and silver and was still only at the sixth realm, yet he dared to covet the city lord's throne of Old Dragon City? Did he think he was worthy of competing with her and Fu Donghai, both Core Formation cultivators, for that robe?

Fu Nanhua withdrew his thoughts and slowly stood up. His movements were fluid, his demeanor graceful. He smiled slightly. "Fu Chunhua, the sordid affairs between you and Fu Donghai are not known only to your mother. But I'm curious, do you know about the sordid affair between Fu Donghai and your personal maidservant?"

Fu Chunhua grinned. "Good little brother. When I or Fu Donghai becomes the city lord, we'll definitely take good care of you."

Fu Nanhua seemed not to understand the threat at all. He said cheerfully, "Before that, we brother and sister still need to cooperate sincerely and plan how to kill Chen Ping'an, right? After all, you can't figure out Father's thoughts right now. You don't know if this choice of mine will lead me toward the family head position or away from it. Moreover, Father is testing you at the same time as testing me. Dear elder sister, you must be very careful!"

Fu Chunhua squinted, her expression dark.

Fu Nanhua stood up, turned his head toward the door, and silently said to himself, "Sun Jiashu, for the sake of a Nascent Soul cultivator, you're selling out Chen Ping'an, a man who almost killed me. Is this deal worth it? Or..."

Thinking of this, Fu Nanhua gently shook his head. Impossible. Sun Jiashu wasn't crazy.

But what if?

It was only at this moment that Fu Nanhua began to hesitate, growing more and more irritable inside.

And Fu Chunhua, looking at this brother she had watched grow up but who had suddenly become a stranger, finally felt a hint of wariness.

——

Fu Qi flew northward alone. A thousand li away, he stopped, eventually landing on a ferry boat from Great Li's Dragon Fountain Parasol Tree Mountain.

On board was a Mohist chivalrous hero, Xu Ruo, with a sword across his back, and an old flood dragon who was a vice-mountain chief of Linlu Academy.

With these two sitting on the ferry, even going to Inverted Mountain would be more than sufficient.

The two were escorting a pair of teenagers—or, to be precise, the Great Li prince Song Mu alone.

The young woman was named Zhigui. She walked quietly behind her master, "Song Jixin." From beginning to end, the young woman didn't glance at Fu Qi. Perhaps it was because Fu Qi wasn't wearing the Old Dragon Robe, and the city lord of Old Dragon City hadn't made a grand introduction, instead standing at the bow chatting with Sword Immortal Xu Ruo, so she hadn't recognized him?

This ferry boat directly passed through the sea of clouds above the city and landed within Talisman City.

After personally arranging lodging for this group of honored guests from Great Li, Fu Qi went to Fu Nanhua's private residence. He found his son, looking listless, leaning back against a pillar carved with entwining dragons.

Fu Qi asked, "Why is the Fu family so still and without activity?"

Fu Nanhua raised his head to look at his father. "I've thought about it a lot. No matter what I do, it seems wrong. The Fu family, Old Dragon City, Great Li, the Pearl of Li Zhu Cave Heaven, Sun Jiashu, Fu Donghai, Fu Chunhua..."

Fu Nanhua suddenly laughed.

"Then do you know that no matter what you do, you are the next city lord of Old Dragon City?"

Fu Nanhua's face went blank.

Fu Qi turned sideways and lowered his head, as if respectfully welcoming someone.

A young woman, greedily absorbing "dragon qi," walked into the hall as if slightly tipsy. She plopped down on a chair, raised her hands, and gently clapped.

A dragon robe materialized behind her, misty, as if she were washing clothes with water vapor.

Then she stood up. The dragon robe automatically clad itself on her. The nine cloud-sea golden dragons on it began to swim about vividly.

She kicked off her boots, sat cross-legged on the chair, draped in the overly loose dragon robe, looking somewhat comical. She wrinkled her face and said aggrievedly, "Without the restrictions of the Pearl of Li Zhu Cave Heaven, pretending to be an ant is so hard. But I can't help it. I'm still no match for some of them for now. That stinking Daoist, Ruan Qiong, Song Changjing, that unfathomable Mohist leader, Sword Immortal Xu Ruo, etc., etc.... Ah, never mind. Anyway, plenty of people. Let's not talk about them. This place is better. No wonder it was the first fengshui treasure land when we landed in Treasure Bottle Continent... After so many years of maintenance, there's still a fair amount of dragon qi left. Your Fu family has done not badly. You'll be rewarded later. Greatly rewarded!"

Fu Nanhua stared at the young woman's somewhat familiar childish face. Then he turned to look at his father's calm expression. Finally, he stared hard at the family heirloom Old Dragon Robe.

Fu Nanhua felt that he had almost gone crazy once before, but this time he really was going crazy.

The young woman looked around the room. "I suffered so many grievances to get here smoothly. But the most aggrieving part is that this so-called 'smoothness' was still bestowed upon me by that stinking Daoist..."

She suddenly pointed at Fu Nanhua and said fiercely, "You ant! I heard you don't even dare to kill a Chen Ping'an! You're not fit to be surnamed..."

The young woman turned to look at Fu Qi. "What's your surname again?"

Fu Qi replied respectfully, "Reporting to Miss, our surname is Fu."

The young woman looked a bit disgruntled, her arrogance completely gone. She languidly curled up in the chair, or rather, curled up within that dragon robe.

Fu Nanhua was only a hair's breadth away from collapsing.

The young woman looked down at the Old Dragon Robe. "The bones, qi, and blood of nine Treasure Bottle Continent emperors in history... Hmm, not bad."

She lowered her gaze and murmured, "The low-end cloud sea is a bit lacking."

Her eyes lit up, revealing a pair of eerie golden pupils.

Seeming to guess the young woman's thoughts, Fu Qi said with a wry smile, "Miss, the sea of clouds above Old Dragon City cannot be absorbed into the dragon robe anytime soon. Under the scrutiny of thousands, the disturbance would be too great. It would be easy for sharp-eyed people to notice something unusual."

The young woman sighed. "I know the stakes."

Finally, her eyes were blurry, as if drunk. "Once I'm here, I really don't want to move again."

She suddenly jumped off the chair, gave a slight shake, and the dragon robe, which had been as large as a blanket, instantly became perfectly fitted. Standing in the hall, she looked toward the door, seemingly hesitating about something.

——

At the Sun family ancestral residence, the ancestor listened to the current family head's plan and said with a wry smile, "Is it really worth it? Are you not afraid that after this battle, we'll be utterly defeated, and the Fu family, together with the other four families, will swallow us up?"

Sun Jiashu's expression was normal. "I only regret that the Sun family's foundation isn't large enough. I, Sun Jiashu, can only gamble this big."

The Sun family ancestor was silent for a long time, then asked, "What if the young man finds out the original intention of our Sun family?"

Sun Jiashu's eyes were resolute. "He won't find out. Even if, by a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he does learn the truth, my Sun family has paid such a heavy price for him. The returns in the future are guaranteed to be only more, not less."

The Sun family ancestor asked again, "Is it truly appropriate to be so impatient for quick success? Can't we just let it happen naturally, like the young man's breakthrough from the third to the fourth realm, and let it take its course?"

Sun Jiashu shook his head. "I, Sun Jiashu, can wait alone. But the situation of Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent and the world cannot wait!"

The Sun family's Nascent Soul ancestor could only sigh, no longer offering advice.

Afterward, the young man walked back from the room in the inner city high building to the Sun family ancestral residence's pond.

Then the days became calm and peaceful.

Sun Jiashu still returned to the ancestral residence every few days.

Every time he returned, he stayed one night. And he would bet once with the three Core Formation honored guests. The first time was one Guyu Coin, the second was two, the third was four, the fourth was eight.

In the end, Sun Jiashu bet four times and lost four times. After that, he stopped betting.

And Chen Ping'an still went to keep vigil by the river and fish every night, waiting for the moment when the sun rose and the morning glow spread for ten thousand li.

On the twentieth day of Chen Ping'an's stay at the Sun family ancestral residence, Sun Jiashu was still deep in sleep using a Daoist technique of sitting and forgetting. Then he heard Chen Ping'an shouting from a distance, "Sun Jiashu, look!"

Sun Jiashu abruptly got up, not even bothering with his boots. He pushed open the window and gazed at the sky.

In the eastern sea of clouds, more than a dozen golden flood dragons surged down again. Then they were punched back one by one by the sword-carrying young man using his ancient fist posture. Every punch was thoroughly satisfying, without hesitation.

At that moment, Sun Jiashu felt a loss.

His Dao heart was shaken, nearly collapsing.

Fortunately, the Sun family ancestor quickly came to his side, reached out, and pressed heavily on his shoulder. "Jiashu, there's no need for this. Jiashu can be evergreen through all seasons, but a person can never have everything go their way. Your name was given back then precisely for today."

Sun Jiashu's face was pale. He murmured, "Just one more time."

Although his mind gradually stabilized, he was still listless and unsettled.

It was as if he had lost an entire Old Dragon City.

——

Old Dragon City, inner city, at the entrance of the alley outside the Dust Pharmacy, Zheng Dafeng glanced at the eastern morning glow. In a moment of mental confusion, he quickly pulled out the book, flipped to a page, and silently read that essay "On Sincerity" repeatedly. When the celestial phenomenon ended, Zheng Dafeng crushed the book into pieces, leaving no trace. He walked back into the alley, his face full of despair. "Propagator... haha... it was me, Zheng Dafeng, who was the propagator..."