Chapter 269: I Have Small Matters as Big as a Dipper
(A ten-thousand-character chapter: The title of this chapter borrows from a reader.)
Standing at the ferry crossing at the foot of Osmanthus Island, Chen Ping'an lightly stepped forward and set foot on Inverted Suspension Mountain.
Aunt Gui had previously told Chen Ping'an that the moment the ferry docked at Osmanthus Island was the busiest time for the ship. The unloading of goods from Precious Bottle Continent, Julu Continent, and Parasol Leaf Continent could not afford the slightest mistake, otherwise the golden signboard of the Fan family of Old Dragon City would be tarnished. So she, the old boatman, and Ma Zhi needed to personally oversee every transaction. They couldn't take him to the inn on Inverted Suspension Mountain. Originally, Aunt Gui wanted Golden Millet to lead Chen Ping'an to the inn that had been on good terms with Osmanthus Island for generations, but Chen Ping'an politely declined. This made Golden Millet inwardly sulk a little. This Inverted Suspension Mountain was full of wonders, and no matter how many times one traveled here, it always felt fresh.
The result was that the sulking Osmanthus girl saw the sword-carrying youth grin at her, as if he had seen through her little thoughts. Golden Millet glared at him fiercely. The youth waved goodbye to Aunt Gui, the old boatman, and Ma Zhi, the three old immortals, seeming afraid to hold Golden Millet's gaze, and turned to jog quickly toward the ferry. Watching the youth's fleeing figure, Golden Millet couldn't help but laugh.
Chen Ping'an walked amidst the bustling crowd, taking a deep breath.
Finally arrived.
Going through Inverted Suspension Mountain to Sword Qi Great Wall was not something one could do anytime. Apart from the green wood pass token to enter Inverted Suspension Mountain, the hundred-plus people from Osmanthus Island who needed to pass the next checkpoint each received an additional jade token. They were also informed that they would pass through at midnight three days later. After one incense stick's time, the next group would take their turn; no waiting for latecomers.
Chen Ping'an disembarked, the white jade token engraved with a single character "Cliff" hanging at his waist. Aunt Gui had told him that Inverted Suspension Mountain had diverse scenery and shops everywhere. During these three days, he could take a good look around. If he found a treasured artifact he fancied but lacked sufficient funds, he could borrow from the innkeeper. Up to ten Grain Rain Coins, the innkeeper would agree, and by old custom, it would be charged to Osmanthus Island's account.
This ferry crossing by the cliff was called Capture-Release Ferry, named after an ancient pavilion nearby with a hanging plaque reading "Capture-Release Pavilion," written by a former leader of a certain lineage of Daoism.
On Inverted Suspension Mountain, there were nine main structures belonging to the Daoist sect of this realm. The remaining buildings, courtyards, shops, and such had long been sold to visitors from all directions. Among them, eight — Capture-Release Pavilion, Sword Reverence Pavilion, Incense Offering Tower, Thunder Marsh Terrace, Spirit Mushroom Studio, Dharma Seal Hall, Master Saber Chamber, and Elk Cliff — stood in the eight directions of Inverted Suspension Mountain, plus the central Lone Peak, making a total of nine territories.
Compared to the hundred-mile radius of Inverted Suspension Mountain, the lineage of the Second Disciple of the Dao Ancestor was not particularly exaggerated in terms of territory size or number of disciples and descendants.
"Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen."
Someone shouted anxiously behind Chen Ping'an. He turned around and saw the green-clad youth who called himself Liu Youzhou. The latter trotted up to Chen Ping'an and, like bamboo tubes pouring beans, asked a string of questions, "Mr. Chen, where are you staying on Inverted Suspension Mountain? Do you have a place arranged? If not, how about coming to my place? My family has a mansion here, near a place called Sword Reverence Pavilion. They say the mansion is quite big. I've always wanted to thank you; won't you give me a chance?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile, "No need. Osmanthus Island has arranged everything for me. I'll be staying at the Crane Inn."
The youth from northern White Sand Continent looked disappointed, still unwilling to give up, "Is that so? Then can I come find you later and play? This is my first time on Inverted Suspension Mountain, I want to look around well. How about we go together?"
Chen Ping'an was taken aback.
The old woman sighed helplessly, "Young master, you've only just met by chance. It's unreasonable to be so warm and friendly. Even if Mr. Chen dared to agree, I wouldn't nod."
Chen Ping'an smiled without speaking.
The youth's face fell, "Fine, Mr. Chen, I'm staying at Ape Stomp Manor. If you have nothing to do, you can come find me. Just say you're looking for Liu Youzhou, my friend."
Chen Ping'an nodded, "That's no problem."
Chen Ping'an, Liu Youzhou, and the old woman all turned their heads at the same time. A stunningly beautiful "woman" stood near them, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
The old woman's wrinkled face broke into a smile, like withered wood meeting spring. She kindly asked, "Little immortal master, is there some difficulty?"
But the person ignored the old woman completely, staring at Chen Ping'an, "Hey, can you lend me a Grain Rain Coin? I'll pay you back three or five later."
Chen Ping'an handed over a Grain Rain Coin. The person took it, smiled, and walked away.
Young Liu Youzhou murmured, "Mr. Chen, a friend of yours?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "Don't know him."
Liu Youzhou exclaimed in surprise, "Then you still lent him money? Don't you know that the prettiest girls in the world are the best at deceiving people? Mr. Chen, let me be blunt — even if a single Grain Rain Coin is not much, you can't wander the jianghu like this."
Chen Ping'an grinned wryly, then took his leave.
A single Grain Rain Coin not much? Pretty girls?
The old woman couldn't help but laugh, "Young master, didn't you realize that beautiful 'young lady' was actually a man?"
Liu Youzhou stood dumbfounded, then said quietly, "I was too busy sneaking glances at her face and figure, didn't dare look too closely."
The old woman corrected, "Young master, that's not a 'her.'"
Liu Youzhou flicked his sleeve and strode forward, "If she looks that good, I'll just think of her as a girl."
Chen Ping'an didn't rush to the Crane Inn. Instead, he followed a crowd to the nearby Capture-Release Pavilion.
When Chen Ping'an approached the small, crowded pavilion, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. It seemed to be overrated. The pavilion was extremely small, not even bigger than the landscape pavilion at Song Laojian's house in Colorful Clothes Kingdom. More than a hundred people were already standing inside and outside. Chen Ping'an stood on tiptoe, took a look at the pavilion where it was hard to even squeeze in, and decided to head to the Crane Inn.
Just as Chen Ping'an was about to leave, a familiar voice, as feminine as the speaker's appearance, sounded behind him, "Not going to stay a while in the pavilion?"
He stood shoulder to shoulder with Chen Ping'an. Chen Ping'an turned and smiled, "It's too crowded. I'm afraid to go in, afraid I won't be able to get out."
He pointed at three women not far ahead who also seemed hesitant about entering the Capture-Release Pavilion. He smiled and said, "Just follow me. Consider it the interest on that Grain Rain Coin I owe you."
Chen Ping'an was baffled.
He pointed to his own Adam's apple with a strange smile. Chen Ping'an tentatively asked, "An illusion technique?"
"Lend me your wine gourd for a moment. Don't worry, I wouldn't give a second thought to a little broken gourd like that. My Sword Nurturing Gourd is pretty much your ancestor. I just didn't dare to take it out." He nodded to Chen Ping'an, took the Ginger Gourd from Chen Ping'an's waist without another word, and walked quickly toward the three young women of superior beauty. He tilted his head back and drank, so that the woman's stunning beauty and the man's bold, uninhibited spirit manifested simultaneously on him.
Then, after a moment, standing among a gathering of beauties, he waved to Chen Ping'an. Chen Ping'an had no choice but to walk over. The man introduced them in a language Chen Ping'an didn't understand, then repeated it in the refined speech of Precious Bottle Continent. It turned out the three women were from a sect on Bodhi Continent, traveling overseas together. They needed to slay a Dragon Gate Realm sea giant demon to complete their training. Their final destination was Inverted Suspension Mountain, after which they would return to their sect on Southern Bodhi Continent.
Then, without giving Chen Ping'an a chance to refuse, he grabbed Chen Ping'an's arm and, along with the three Bodhi Continent immortal maidens, charged toward the Capture-Release Pavilion.
Capture-Release Pavilion: It was said that the second disciple of the Dao Ancestor from the Qingming Heaven Daoist orthodoxy, one of the three sect leaders known as "Truly Invincible," had personally come here after dropping the largest mountain-character seal. A peak twelfth-realm great demon had somehow silently bypassed numerous restrictions of Sword Qi Great Wall and arrived at Inverted Suspension Mountain. The first person it encountered happened to be that sect leader. At that time, the area around Inverted Suspension Mountain was a desolate barbarian land. The great demon thought it could fly high and wide from then on. Seeing the Daoist, it naturally spoke rudely and tried to eat him in one gulp. As for the outcome, there was no suspense. The Daoist sect leader slapped it half to death with one palm. In the end, no one knew the inside story, but the old Daoist, hailed as the best fighter across the four worlds, threw the great demon back south of Sword Qi Great Wall.
Later generations of Inverted Suspension Mountain Daoists built this pavilion to commemorate the sect leader's transcendent divine power.
This trip to the Capture-Release Pavilion left Chen Ping'an drenched in sweat. The three immortal maidens, plus that fellow whose beauty surpassed theirs, were all packed shoulder to shoulder and heel to heel inside and outside the small pavilion. Some collisions were accidental, some intentional groping. Chen Ping'an had to do his best to protect them while also ensuring he didn't take advantage himself. Naturally, it was mentally and physically exhausting, full of subtle scheming at every turn. Fortunately, the first rule of Inverted Suspension Mountain was that those who injured others would die. So Chen Ping'an, a martial artist in the fourth realm, managed to handle it fairly successfully.
After successfully emerging from the Capture-Release Pavilion, Chen Ping'an and the other parted ways with the three immortal maidens, who were heading to the nearest scenic spot, Elk Cliff.
Chen Ping'an retrieved his Sword Nurturing Gourd and hung it at his waist, saying helplessly, "Don't do that again in the future."
The other rolled his eyes at Chen Ping'an, "Boring. I'm going to have fun with the fairy sisters."
Chen Ping'an sighed with relief and took his leave.
The person glanced at Chen Ping'an's receding figure and muttered, "Too proper. And it's not even an act. Was he raised by some old Confucian schoolmaster?"
A handsome man nearby struck up a conversation, "Miss, enjoying the view alone?"
The other smiled cheerfully, "Enjoying your granddad's view. I've been to brothels with your mother."
The dignified man quickly waved his hand to signal his attendants not to act rashly. Finally, he smiled brightly and gave a thumbs-up, "Miss, I like this temperament."
The other left Capture-Release Pavilion directly, hesitating on the way whether to go first to Sword Reverence Pavilion or Incense Offering Tower.
The man gazed at the great beauty with a sash at her waist and sighed emotionally, "Only in the mountains can one find such transparent and exquisite women. Cultivation is wonderful indeed. Down in the mortal world, no matter how beautiful the appearance, it's only a touching time of ten or twenty years."
A close attendant, using the great refined speech of Central Earth Divine Continent, whispered, "Your Majesty, it's time to head to Thunder Marsh Terrace. Don't let the National Preceptor wait too long."
The man grunted in acknowledgment and smiled, "Let's go quickly."
Neither the man addressed as Your Majesty nor the attendant seemed to think it inappropriate for a sovereign to keep a National Preceptor waiting.
The group hurried toward Thunder Marsh Terrace.
Thunder Marsh Terrace was a ninety-nine-step high platform shaped like a huge sweet dew bowl, inside which lightning was as thick as a liquid slurry.
Legend had it that the Second Daoist had used his supreme divine power to "scoop up a handful of water" from the ancient Thunder Marsh, which existed only in written records and had long since disappeared, and placed it on Inverted Suspension Mountain. One of his direct disciples, the Great Heavenly Lord, whenever he killed unruly gods, immortals, and monsters, would always imprison their souls here.
Today, Thunder Marsh Terrace was sealed off, with no one allowed near.
At this moment, only one person was present. His tall figure was half-kneeling beside the highest point of the Thunder Marsh, elbows on knees, chin resting on his arms. A sheathed sword was suspended in the Thunder Marsh, with a small section exposed. After the sword entered the marsh, the entire small Thunder Marsh boiled and churned.
This person was likely tempering his sword.
An old Daoist holding a whisk stood at the bottom of the high platform, his smile warm and his face full of pride.
As the third in command of Inverted Suspension Mountain, this old Daoist was considered a natural enemy by all dragon-kind in the South Sea. Over a thousand years, he had slain countless dragons and forged a half-immortal whisk. In the last five hundred years, the old Daoist had fought with two Confucian sages from the Chen clan of Bodhi Continent in the South Sea, making his fame spread far and wide.
But today, even facing an outsider, as if he were a gatekeeper, the old Daoist showed no sense of debasement; instead, he looked quite smug.
---
Chen Ping'an encountered an awkward situation. It turned out that on Inverted Suspension Mountain, not one person in ten could understand the refined speech of East Precious Bottle Continent. And Chen Ping'an couldn't speak the great refined speech of Central Earth Divine Continent. So when Chen Ping'an asked for directions, he and the kind-hearted people he asked were talking past each other. In the end, Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and tirelessly asked over thirty people before finally finding a passerby who roughly understood Precious Bottle Continent language. But that person didn't know where the Crane Inn was either.
Chen Ping'an stood on the bustling street, looking around in confusion. He took off his Sword Nurturing Gourd and stood there, drowning his sorrows in wine.
If all else failed, he would have to go back to Capture-Release Ferry and ask Aunt Gui to give him Golden Millet, so that the Osmanthus girl could guide him. As for whether Golden Millet, having gotten her "revenge," would mock him, Chen Ping'an didn't mind. Face or no face — among acquaintances it was one thing, but with someone like Golden Millet, whom he had only briefly met, how many times would they see each other again in this life? So being a little thick-skinned didn't matter.
Just when things seemed hopeless, another opportunity arose.
Chen Ping'an caught another passerby who knew the refined speech of Precious Bottle Continent. Although this person still didn't know the inn's location, he did know Sword Reverence Pavilion and Ape Stomp Manor. And when he mentioned these two places, Chen Ping'an had asked, "Sir, do you know where Sword Reverence Pavilion is?" The man's reply was, "Oh, you mean the Sword Reverence Pavilion next to Ape Stomp Manor? Easy to get to. Not too far from here."
The youth from White Sand Continent, Liu Youzhou, was no simpleton.
So Chen Ping'an immediately turned around and headed back to Capture-Release Ferry. That passerby watched the youth's back, full of regret. If only he could have used this opportunity to establish even the slightest connection with Ape Stomp Manor, even just to become a familiar face.
In the end, Golden Millet cheerfully descended from Osmanthus Island, leading the "crestfallen" Chen Ping'an to the Crane Inn. Before she came down, Aunt Gui had given her three Small Heat Coins and told her to spend them frugally. After stepping off the ferry, Golden Millet asked Chen Ping'an if he wanted to go to Capture-Release Pavilion. Chen Ping'an said he had already been. Golden Millet nodded, saying that Capture-Release Pavilion had the least to offer, far less interesting than other spots like Spirit Mushroom Studio and Elk Cliff, especially Sword Reverence Pavilion, which was a must-visit to make the trip worthwhile.
The two walked for about half an hour. Along the way, Golden Millet gave Chen Ping'an a rough overview of some major scenic spots on Inverted Suspension Mountain, including Spirit Mushroom Studio. For example, at Sword Reverence Pavilion, for every sword cultivator on Sword Qi Great Wall who had killed an upper-five-realm demon, Inverted Suspension Mountain would forge a replica of their sword and enshrine it in the pavilion for later generations to admire.
Once on Inverted Suspension Mountain, Golden Millet was noticeably less cold than she had been on Osmanthus Island. Her temperament changed greatly. Although she wasn't exactly talkative, she was no different from an ordinary young woman. She said that Spirit Mushroom Studio housed a spirit mushroom ruyi left by the Dao Ancestor in the Righteous World. It was brimming with spiritual energy, soaking the entire studio like a cave heaven blessed land. Cultivating there would yield twice the results with half the effort. So Spirit Mushroom Studio was the most expensive inn on Inverted Suspension Mountain. Yet for immortal sect disciples on training trips, and millennium-old aristocratic families visiting for sightseeing, even with money it was hard to get into Spirit Mushroom Studio. One had to reserve rooms months in advance.
As they neared the Crane Inn, Golden Millet lowered her voice, "There are also rumors that from the gourd vine planted personally by the Dao Ancestor, seven highest-grade Sword Nurturing Gourds were forged. Spirit Mushroom Studio's secret chamber hides seven such gourds, and one of them is the first ripened gourd seed. Right now, it secretly nurtures the flying swords of over a dozen great sword immortals from the Righteous World."
These bits of gossip, often told with great enthusiasm and vivid detail as if the teller had seen the Sword Nurturing Gourds with their own eyes. Golden Millet, who had heard them secondhand, was no exception.
In truth, the Daoists of the Second Daoist's lineage, who held the "golden rules and jade laws" of Inverted Suspension Mountain, never leaked any secrets about the Sword Nurturing Gourds or the matter of nurturing swords for the world's sword immortals. They only said that Spirit Mushroom Studio had no such wonders, and people should not think too much or spread falsehoods.
Chen Ping'an thought of the silver Sword Nurturing Gourd that A Liang had given to Little Baoping, and of course the purple-gold Sword Nurturing Gourd that immortal Su Jia of Zhengyang Mountain had once worn, and the "Sword Nurturing Gourd ancestor" that fellow had claimed to be earlier.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Miss Golden Millet, is Ape Stomp Manor very famous on Inverted Suspension Mountain?"
Golden Millet nodded, "Of course. Ape Stomp Manor, under the name of the Liu family of White Sand Continent, is one of the four great private residences on Inverted Suspension Mountain. It covers a large area and has an even greater reputation. The Liu family is the number one surname on White Sand Continent, and their reputation is excellent. Almost all the monarchs, emperors, and earthly immortal cultivators of White Sand Continent have to maintain good relations with the Liu family. Moreover, the Snowflake Coins most commonly used by us qi refiners are minted from the coin molds crafted by the Liu family. And of that jade ore vein, the Liu family alone owns one-tenth. Don't think one-tenth sounds insignificant; it really can't be any more!"
Chen Ping'an was somewhat shocked.
No wonder a single Grain Rain Coin was called "not much money." It really wasn't Liu Youzhou boasting.
Golden Millet's eyes grew a bit distant, "Children of the Liu family are truly lucky fellows born sitting on a mountain of gold and silver. Whatever they want, they just throw money at it. There's no treasure in the world that the Liu family can't afford."
These words had been personally told to her by Sun Jiashu of Old Dragon City. At the time, Golden Millet had seen a glimmer of longing in the eyes of the young Little Fortune God, Sun Jiashu. That impression had stayed deeply with her.
Chen Ping'an became even more determined not to deliberately get close to Liu Youzhou.
That youth was like an Osmanthus Island ferry boat; any wave he stirred was more than Chen Ping'an, in his current state, could handle.
Thinking this, Chen Ping'an felt a little downcast, as if a blizzard were beating against his heart.
How many landscape seals could he afford to squander?
Now he only had one water seal left.
No matter how many reasons he had to do what he had done, no matter if he would step forward again in the same situation,
losing that mountain seal still stung him to this day, unable to let go even a little.
But such negative emotions, Chen Ping'an could now completely "put away." Never again would he be like after that parting in the broken temple in the wilderness, when he had walked hundreds of miles of mountain roads in silence, so that the burly man and the young Daoist had noticed his strangeness and worried about him the whole way.
The Crane Inn was at the end of a small alley. The innkeeper was a stern young man who didn't even smile when facing Golden Millet, whom he had met several times. He arranged two adjacent rooms for them and then ignored them. Golden Millet explained quietly, "The innkeeper inherited the business from his father. In the past, the Crane Inn was quite large, covering half the alley. It had some fame around Capture-Release Ferry. Then an accident happened. At that time, even our Osmanthus Island seemed to help a bit, but the innkeeper's father still passed away. The family fortune declined, and now only this small layout remains."
Chen Ping'an silently noted this in his heart.
Compared to the owner of the Dust Dust Pharmacy, Zheng Dafeng, all the innkeepers in the world could be considered good ones.
The rooms in the inns on Inverted Suspension Mountain were no different from the town inns Chen Ping'an had stayed in during his travels, simply clean and tidy.
Golden Millet knocked and entered, sat down, and began to plan the itinerary for the next two days. She had already figured it out. Tomorrow, they would first go to Dharma Seal Hall, Sword Reverence Pavilion, Spirit Mushroom Studio, and Master Saber Chamber — four places. The day after, they would go to Incense Offering Tower, Elk Cliff, and Thunder Marsh Terrace — three places. The central Lone Peak was a forbidden area. They might pass by it, but could only look from afar.
Chen Ping'an asked if there were shops here that traded rare treasures. Golden Millet said Spirit Mushroom Studio was one, and there was also a Bundle Studio across the street that competed for business. These two places were cash cows, dealing only with goods, not people, and were very stable. So even the most vicious mountain and swamp rogue cultivators, if they had acquired something, liked to come to Inverted Suspension Mountain to avoid pursuit from all sides while openly selling their treasures for money and pleasure.
On several islands near Inverted Suspension Mountain, many righteous cultivators were permanently stationed, keeping a close watch on the mountain's movements. They were on the lookout for certain bandits and villains hiding on Inverted Suspension Mountain. These people, who used the mountain's rules to seek refuge, were invariably evil heretics stained with countless blood, having earned fearsome reputations across the continents.
Chen Ping'an asked for the exact location of the passage from Inverted Suspension Mountain to Sword Qi Great Wall. Although Golden Millet was curious why he would ask since he would be leaving in three days, she still told him. It was beside the central Lone Peak, a gate modeled after the ancient Ascension Platform. If he wore the "Cliff" jade token, he could go and have a look around.
Nowadays, the thirteenth realm, the Ascension Realm, was like the tenth realm for pure martial artists — the ultimate realm for humans. Beyond that were the lost two realms, not found in records. In the ancient era when moral sages walked the world and spread their blessings far and wide, there seemed to be Ascension Platforms scattered around the world. Qi refiners could easily ascend by day, on rosy clouds, on dragons, or on cranes. In the sky, celestial maidens scattered flowers, colorful clouds were splendid, and rainbows flowed, all to celebrate the enlightened ones.
It was a fascinating thought.
Chen Ping'an agreed on a time to meet Golden Millet the next morning, then left the inn alone to head to the foot of the Lone Peak, where the Great Heavenly Lord had once built a thatched hut and cultivated.
On the way, Chen Ping'an pondered the nine places: Capture-Release Pavilion, Sword Reverence Pavilion, Incense Offering Tower, Thunder Marsh Terrace, Spirit Mushroom Studio, Dharma Seal Hall, Master Saber Chamber, Elk Cliff, and the Lone Peak.
The number matched that of the Magnificent Suppression Tower — both were nine.
Perhaps this was also a sage's array to suppress fate.
At the foot of the Lone Peak, there was a divine path wide enough for three carriages to travel side by side. Nearby, there was a square built of white jade. Outside the square was only a chain railing, no more than two feet high, which anyone could step over.
In the center stood two huge white jade pillars, each over ten zhang tall. Between the pillars, the surface was as calm as a mirror, occasionally ripples spreading. There were not many people in the square at the moment, just a sparse twenty or thirty. Regardless of age or gender, all had a "Cliff" jade token at their waists. Some mischievous children ran straight through the space between the pillars, chasing and playing.
There were no Daoists guarding the square. Chen Ping'an hesitated, then cautiously stepped over the railing. Nothing happened, so he relaxed slightly and slowly walked toward the two pillars.
Chen Ping'an found that with every step he took, ripples of flowing colors appeared under his feet. Looking up, he saw a small Daoist boy in a wide Daoist robe sitting on a cushion beside one of the pillars, reading a book. When children of similar age approached, the small Daoist boy, who wore a fish-tail crown, would casually flick his sleeve, and the children would float away as if riding clouds and mist. The children never tired of this game, and the small Daoist boy never seemed to mind, flicking his sleeve continuously.
Chen Ping'an didn't dare to imitate the children and barge into the "mirror surface." Instead, he walked around the pillar to the back. There, beside the big pillar, was a smaller pillar like a hitching post. A middle-aged sword cultivator in ragged clothes sat cross-legged on it, holding a sword in his arms, sleeping soundly with his eyes closed.
He looked like... a transcendent expert!
Chen Ping'an didn't dare disturb the man's sleep. He instinctively lightened his footsteps and was about to turn back to the other side.
The sleeping sword cultivator's head jerked, and he suddenly woke up. His eyes were a little dull. He looked left, right, then up, and finally his gaze fell on the back of the sword-carrying youth. He murmured to himself, as if saying three words, then went back to sleep.
Chen Ping'an stood near the mirror surface on the other side, staring for a long time.
He couldn't imagine that behind the mirror surface was Sword Qi Great Wall? Another world?
High above, piercing the clouds, stood the tallest tower on Inverted Suspension Mountain. For most of the year, it was shrouded in a sea of clouds. Under the eaves at the top hung three bells. It was said that they would only ring melodiously when the three Daoist sect leaders personally visited Inverted Suspension Mountain.
A Daoist Great Heavenly Lord stood at the top of the tower, his gaze piercing through the sea of clouds, looking down at the square.
The sword-carrying youth was as small as a mustard seed.
---
Chen Ping'an returned to the Crane Inn and continued practicing the six-step fist stance and the sword furnace standing stance. Late at night, he took off his clothes and lay down, a smile on his face.
The next day, before dawn, Golden Millet knocked on his door a quarter of an hour early. Chen Ping'an stopped his silent walking stance, opened the door, and left the inn with Golden Millet. They headed first to Dharma Seal Hall, also known as the Hall of One Missing. It was said to have collected all kinds of dharma seals from the world, but was missing one: the mountain-character seal, adhering to an unwritten rule of "Mountain Does Not See Mountain," since Inverted Suspension Mountain itself was a mountain-character seal.
Chen Ping'an sighed and followed the eager Golden Millet into Dharma Seal Hall. It was three stories high, each floor very spacious, divided into different-sized rooms. Each floor housed thousands of dharma seals, suspended in rows of glass cabinets. Some seals had already nurtured abundant spirituality, constantly bumping and crashing against the glass cabinets with a banging sound. There were even inch-sized spirits born from the condensed spiritual energy of the seals that would boldly stare at people through the transparent glass.
Chen Ping'an lingered for a long time in a water-character seal room on the second floor, unwilling to leave. Golden Millet went off to explore other areas on her own, agreeing to meet at the entrance of Dharma Seal Hall in an hour.
The water seal that Chen Ping'an was staring at had spiritual energy as light as mist, forming a small stream that wound around the seal. The bottom of the seal was engraved with the four characters "Silver River Cascades." Because Chen Ping'an had a copy of "True Trace of the Elixir Scripture," annotated in detail by Li Xisheng, he could already recognize quite a few ancient seal scripts.
He had heard from Golden Millet that the seals in Dharma Seal Hall were only collected, never sold to anyone.
The only time it almost set a precedent was years ago, when the current head of the Liu family of White Sand Continent declared he would buy an entire floor of seals at once. The hallmaster had no choice but to report to the Great Heavenly Lord on Lone Peak. The reply was simple: a rainbow of sword energy crashed down from the Lone Peak tower, destroying the rear garden of Ape Stomp Manor. At that time, the young man who was still the Liu family's heir and not yet the family head stood with his hands on his hips, looking up and cursing at the old immortal on Lone Peak. The gist was: "I've got money, old man; if you've got the guts, do it again."
So the Great Heavenly Lord scattered a rain of sword energy, heavily damaging the vast Ape Stomp Manor, which had been built and nurtured over generations.
It directly obliterated the manor's grand array, which was said to be able to block a hundred sword immortal attacks.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
After that, there was a much-told exchange of questions and answers.
The young man, expression unchanged, turned to ask his old steward, "Is it within the rules for that Heavenly Lord to act so arrogantly?"
The old steward replied with a smile, "On Inverted Suspension Mountain, the Heavenly Lord is the rule."
After this battle, the formidable martial power of the Inverted Suspension Mountain Heavenly Lord and the wealth of the Liu family of White Sand Continent became known throughout the world.
Chen Ping'an did not go up to the third floor. He went downstairs directly and waited outside Dharma Seal Hall for Golden Millet.
Golden Millet arrived a quarter of an hour late. Seeing the sword-carrying youth sitting on the steps in a daze, she apologized, "Sorry I'm late. The third floor had a seal that just gave birth to a very wondrous spirit that can transform into the image of whoever gazes at it. It's really fun. A lot of people were lining up. Chen Ping'an, I'm sorry."
Chen Ping'an stood up, patted his pants, and smiled, "We're not in a hurry."
Almost at the same time, when Golden Millet called Chen Ping'an by his name for the first time on Inverted Suspension Mountain, the two gatekeepers at the foot of Lone Peak — the book-reading little Daoist boy and the sword-holding middle-aged man — opened their eyes simultaneously.
Then one stood up from his cushion and walked out of the square toward the Incense Offering Tower.
The sword-holding man turned around, curled a finger, and lightly flicked it toward the mirror surface. But then the man smiled suddenly and sharply twisted his wrist as if grabbing something, retracting the finger-pulse message he had been about to send.
He went back to napping.
There were no spell restrictions on Inverted Suspension Mountain. The little Daoist boy took one step, covering several li, and finally arrived before a tower from which purple smoke curled and dissipated. He strode right in. Many Daoists wearing fish-tail crowns saw the delicate little boy and bent at the waist, addressing him as Grandmaster Uncle or even Grandmaster Great Uncle.
The little boy's face was cold, ignoring everyone. He crossed the threshold, flicked his sleeve, and sent several Daoists in different crowns and robes flying, instantly pushed to the walls on both sides. These mid-five-realm Daoists were so frightened they nearly lost their composure. The little boy strode forward, taking the incense-burning spot all for himself. He picked a stick of incense from the bamboo tube on the side table. On the incense table were enshrined four scrolls. The highest was the Dao Ancestor, placed so high that inattentive worshippers might overlook him.
Below, the painted scrolls of three Daoist figures hung side by side.
The middle Daoist wore a peach-wood talisman; the left one held a dharma sword and wore a feathered robe; the right one wore a lotus crown.
On the huge incense table, there was only a large incense burner for worshippers to insert their incense sticks.
This Incense Offering Tower, it was said, allowed sincere Daoists and male and female devotees to offer incense here, giving them a chance to let the Dao Ancestor and the Three Pure Ones of the other world know. Almost all Daoists, upon entering Inverted Suspension Mountain, would first come to the Incense Offering Tower to light three sticks of incense. Of course, Daoists from the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Mansion would never set foot in this tower.
The little Daoist boy wearing a fish-tail crown bowed three times to the lotus-crown sect leader, placed the stick of incense in the burner, closed his eyes, and muttered something.
Finally, the little boy was startled. After opening his eyes, he found it a bit boring. He turned his head and saw a figure who looked like a beautiful woman. He frowned and asked, "As a member of the Lu family of Central Earth, why did you go to Sword Reverence Pavilion first instead of coming here to burn incense?!"
The young "woman" remained unabashed, smiling, "You and I are both devoted to this exalted sect leader as our ancestor, but the ancestor has never acknowledged us as his descendants. Thousands of years have passed, and how much incense has the Lu family burned? Has he ever given a single word in reply? Would one more stick of incense from me make a difference?"
The little Daoist boy's childish face showed anger, "How dare you be so insolent here?!"
The incense-burner, grinning, said, "Heavenly Lord, you are not a Daoist of my Lu family's ancestral lineage. Why are you so hung up on this outsider's etiquette?"
The little Daoist boy snorted coldly, "Ungrateful thing, get out!"
With a flick of his sleeve, the young man, more beautiful than a beauty, was sent flying backward, landing on the street outside the Incense Offering Tower. He coughed up blood, struggled to sit up, raised his head, and looked at the figure in the right-side scroll, who had remained unmoved for thousands of years. He burst into laughter.
Today was as merciless as ever.
Time and again, the Lu family had faced desperate situations, peril upon peril, but the figure in the scroll had never responded.
The little Daoist boy stepped over the threshold, glanced at the disheveled young man, and vanished in a flash.
Chen Ping'an, led by Golden Millet, arrived at Spirit Mushroom Studio around noon. He saw the legendary spirit mushroom ruyi.
After looking at the sky-high prices of the treasures and magical artifacts in Spirit Mushroom Studio, Chen Ping'an neither bought anything nor sold any of the things in his storage item. They went to the last scenic spot of the day, Master Saber Chamber.
What made Master Saber Chamber fascinating was not the scenery, but a list on one wall that recorded various bounties. The targets were all kinds of strange things: a goblin great demon on a South Sea island, a monarch of a continent, an immortal sect elder who was a terrestrial immortal, certain evil demons and heretics causing chaos everywhere, and even a Confucian sage from the Chen family of Southern Bodhi Continent was on the list.
The Master Saber Chamber on Inverted Suspension Mountain had an inherited rule: anyone could post a bounty, but the poster must deposit the bounty amount with the Master Saber Chamber. Otherwise, if someone posted a bounty without money, they would have to taste the power of the Master Saber Chamber's dharma blades.
Master Saber Chamber belonged to a branch of the Second Daoist's lineage, where all magic artifacts were blades. This branch of Daoists had made a huge name for themselves in Central Earth Divine Continent, on par with the Mohist Debt-Remitting Knife practitioners — one was formidable, the other mysterious.
In the Righteous World, the only thing more troublesome than getting into trouble with sword cultivators was having a dispute with this group of Daoists who wore dharma blades. Because "Master Saber" Daoists were always decisive, even ruthless in their actions. They were efficient in slaying demons and eliminating evils, and they showed no mercy when fighting qi refiners. How bad was the temper of Master Saber Daoists? There was once a story: a high-ranking Daoist of the Master Saber sect and a noble from the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Mansion both wanted to slay a highly skilled evil demon. Normally, they might either fight together or each on his own, or one would yield. But the Master Saber Daoist, without a word of disagreement, drew his blade and fought the Zhang Heavenly Master, causing chaos. After heavily injuring the Heavenly Master, he went alone to subdue the demon.
This incident caused a huge stir in Golden Armor Continent at the time. The Heavenly Master Mansion even sent a surnamed grandmaster, who traveled thousands of miles from Central Earth Divine Continent to Inverted Suspension Mountain to demand an explanation. In the end, there was another peak-level battle. The Great Heavenly Lord stationed on Lone Peak personally intervened and fought the highly senior Zhang Heavenly Master thousands of miles outside Inverted Suspension Mountain. But the outcome of that battle was unknown to outsiders.
---
At the Dust Dust Pharmacy, the beautiful woman and the young girl who had been working as shop assistants today were missing one — the little girl to whom the owner Zheng Dafeng still owed the money for a book.
Zheng Dafeng was a bit annoyed and slammed the table, saying the little brat was rebelling. He said that just because she was pretty and cute didn't mean she could defy the rules. The owner made harsh threats, saying that since she hadn't asked for leave or even said a word, and hadn't come to work, she was clearly not putting him, the handsome and elegant owner, in her eyes. He threatened to deduct thirty or forty coppers for her book. The man grumbled angrily, but unfortunately, none of the women and girls in the shop took him seriously. They went on cracking melon seeds and chatting about family matters, none believing that the owner would actually deduct wages.
Then a trembling Fan family ancestor personally came to the pharmacy door, his face full of fearful apology.
Zheng Dafeng's expression changed slightly. He immediately stopped his complaining, which was even more nagging than a woman's. He walked around the counter to the door and said softly, "Just say it here."
The old man, who was the real decision-maker in the Fan family ancestral hall, felt helpless himself. Today, for a street girl who had no connection to the family, and with the family having done nothing wrong, he had to come here to apologize. And the entire family, up and down, was uneasy, afraid of being implicated.
The old man sighed, "Mr. Zheng, the little girl who didn't come to the pharmacy today... she's dead."
Zheng Dafeng said, "Oh," his face expressionless.
The old man mistakenly thought that this tenth-realm martial grandmaster didn't care much and breathed a sigh of relief.
Zheng Dafeng waved his hand, indicating the old man could leave.
The man sat down on the threshold and said nothing more.
The women in the pharmacy, sharp in their intuition, sensed the strange atmosphere at the door and none dared to make noise, nor to joke with the owner.
The man internally laughed, "Haha, this time I really don't have to pay back the money."
But there was no smile on his face.
He looked toward a shadow in the alley, "I don't trust the Fan family. I don't trust their character or their ability. Old Zhao, you go investigate in person. I'll wait for your news."
Zheng Dafeng stood up and waited patiently.
In Old Dragon City, a storm was brewing from the tips of duckweed.
---
Under the night sky of Inverted Suspension Mountain.
In the square, besides the little Daoist boy who continued reading his book and the sword-holding man who had stopped napping at night, there was no one else.
Suddenly, a spirited young girl emerged from within the mirror surface behind the two pillars. She wore a sword at her waist.
Her eyebrows were like distant mountains.