Chapter 324: So That's How It Is

Chapter 324: So That's How It Is

The old Taoist held a small snow coin between two fingers, and it gradually dissipated at his fingertips.

He took a single step out of Nanyuan Kingdom's capital city and arrived at the site of Ox Mountain, utterly silent. Even Yu Zhenyi, who had built a simple hut here for cultivation, did not detect the slightest anomaly.

Outside the crude thatched hut, Yu Zhenyi stood with his hands behind his back under the moonlit night. The experts of Lake and Mountain Sect and several of his direct disciples had already been ordered by him to return to the sect and not show themselves in public for the time being.

This leader of the righteous path in the world, who looked like a child, now wore a silver lotus crown on his head. This was one of the terms of their alliance. After the matter succeeded, Ding Ying was to give him this Taoist crown. The crown was called "Gouchen" (Hook and Sink), and was the most profound magical treasure in the history of Lotus Flower Blessed Land, with no equal. Besides being able to autonomously protect the wearer's physical body and soul, it could also temper the physical form and calm the mind. More importantly, this crown could help locate hidden celestial exiles scattered across the land.

Yu Zhenyi had already roughly mastered the celestial ability of "Palm View of Mountains and Rivers." Previously, atop Ox Mountain, when he gazed down at Nanyuan's capital, Ding Ying, Chen Ping'an, Lu Fang, and the like appeared to him as the most dazzling "lamps." Now with this crown, like a tiger gaining wings, Yu Zhenyi was ninety percent certain that once he successfully escaped the encirclement, all celestial exiles in the world would find it extremely difficult to move freely in the future.

Beside Yu Zhenyi hovered that glazed flying sword.

Hidden in his sleeve was another heavy immortal artifact he had just obtained.

That little Taoist boy with a huge golden gourd slanted across his back had indeed kept his word. He said that anyone unwilling to ascend and choosing to step down from the city wall could take a magical treasure. Yu Zhenyi had found a jade slip book at the flattened site of Ox Mountain. This was an "Announcement to Heaven" text used by ancient emperors and kings for sacrifices and mountain ceremonies. However, the script was strange and not recorded in any of the four kingdoms. Yu Zhenyi knew the answer would likely be found in Reverence Pavilion or Mirror Heart Studio, the two places with the most knowledge about celestial exiles from beyond the heavens.

Yu Zhenyi felt nothing for Ding Ying's death, let alone grief. At most, he was annoyed that Ding Ying had failed at the last moment, forcing him and Lake and Mountain Sect to make significant changes to many of their plans.

"You fight against heaven; I govern the mortal world."

That was the understanding between Ding Ying and Yu Zhenyi—their paths complemented each other. Thus, the two leading figures of righteousness and evil, the two grandmasters most likely to fight to the death, had secretly chosen to ally and set up the Nanyuan scheme. Their difference lay in that Ding Ying wanted to kill everyone else on the ranking list, while Yu Zhenyi only targeted those celestial exiles: Zhou Fei, Tong Qingqing, Feng Qingbai, and, of course, the Chen Ping'an who had appeared last.

Yu Zhenyi began to stroll under the moonlight. Every breath in and out was a form of cultivation. This was the root cause of why Yu Zhenyi had once used great perseverance and boldness to abandon his peak martial arts cultivation.

The path of cultivation prioritized the nature of the mind. This was the scenery Yu Zhenyi yearned for. Martial arts had too low a realm; one spent a lifetime rolling in the mud, and those reckless warriors in the martial world remained completely unaware. People like Cheng Yuanshan were insatiably greedy, wishing that everything within sight became their possession. People like Tang Tieyi were obsessed with battlefield power, dreaming of one day owning the land and beautiful women, hoping even after death to leave a name in history, not knowing that without eternal life, all was vanity. People like Liu Zong only fixated on brute strength, not worth mentioning.

It was just a pity for Zhong Qiu.

This old friend, a sworn brother who had shared life and death, had drawn a circle around himself and confined himself within it.

Yu Zhenyi's walking direction was random, and his stride length irregular. When small, it was like an ordinary person; when large, he would drift ten or more zhang in one step. But he never went too far in any single direction. Sometimes he would follow an invisible, large arc, strolling leisurely.

This scene terrified those meritorious military generals of Nanyuan Kingdom who were stationed with troops in various directions. They feared that Yu Zhenyi might just happen to break through from their direction. The capital was so close—a turn of the head would reveal it. This meant the Emperor was fully aware of the movements here. Once Yu Zhenyi decided to break the formation tonight, who would dare to be cowardly and avoid battle?

No one thought it ridiculous that nearly ten thousand elite troops from the capital region were mobilizing in full force to encircle and suppress a "child."

Who could have imagined that a battle between two grandmasters could cause an entire Ox Mountain to vanish? These men were flesh and blood skilled only in battlefield combat techniques. They could die without regret in the chaos of war, but to die at the flick of a finger or a sweep of a sleeve from these immortal-like figures? Maybe they would die without even seeing their opponent's shadow, leaving behind piles and piles of corpses. What the hell kind of situation was that?!

Yu Zhenyi naturally did not care about the thoughts of those Nanyuan soldiers.

The only two beings he truly kept in mind now were the "Tong Qingqing" who had not yet made a move—on the city wall, when she drew the sword from the shattered mirror surface, Yu Zhenyi sensed a trace of danger—and, even more daunting to him than her, was naturally Chen Ping'an, who had killed Old Demon Ding head-on.

Yu Zhenyi was not afraid of the massive encirclement of troops, nor even of facing Tong Qingqing in single combat.

But Chen Ping'an—Yu Zhenyi dared not take him lightly.

As for why Chen Ping'an did not stop him from absorbing the spiritual energy here and allowed his realm to steadily rise, Yu Zhenyi was utterly perplexed.

Could it be that Chen Ping'an was too severely injured from his battle with Ding Ying and was now just a decorative pillow?

So, when Chen Ping'an had paused while entering the city, was he actually bluffing, fooling everyone on the city wall?

Yu Zhenyi stopped walking and looked toward the capital. Under the moonlight, the outline of the city was visible. In the end, he abandoned the idea of investigating. If Chen Ping'an were to join forces with Mirror Heart Studio and Zhong Qiu, that would be a real disaster. With the fence-sitting natures of Tang Tieyi and Cheng Yuanshan, they would definitely change their allegiance and completely side with Nanyuan Kingdom.

Yu Zhenyi returned to the hut, extended his hand, and gently ran his palm over the blade of the glazed flying sword.

He could now achieve the immortal bearing of traveling afar on a flying sword. But compared to the true carefree travel recorded in books, it was far inferior—he could not ascend too high or ride the wind too far. That was truly regrettable.

Yu Zhenyi raised his gaze and looked at the bright moon. One day, he would be able to ride his sword above the mortal world, looking down upon the mountains and rivers. Higher than me, only the sun, moon, and stars.

Yu Zhenyi suddenly lowered his gaze. On the still-unrepaired, broken city wall of the capital, the figures' features were unclear, but in Yu Zhenyi's eyes, a bright light appeared, extremely glaring.

Yu Zhenyi sneered, "So soon?"

On the city wall, a young female Taoist with a sword on her back sat cross-legged on a crenellation. In one hand, she held a steaming clay pot, its fragrance wafting everywhere; in the other, she wielded chopsticks like lightning, eating while muttering, "Oh my mother, this stuff is really delicious, but it's just too spicy. No no, next time I can't buy two bowls at once."

Below the city gate, several horsemen galloped out, delivering a military order personally issued by the Emperor.

The Imperial Guard and three capital region armies, except for the one responsible for guarding the South Gate, which was to hold its position, were all to withdraw from their posts and fall back twenty li.

It was like making room for someone.

Making room for Yu Zhenyi and the stunningly beautiful female Taoist on the city wall.

She buried herself in devouring the food. Occasionally, she glanced in the direction of Ox Mountain. If Yu Zhenyi decided to slip away now, she would have no way to catch him.

She set the clay pot aside and gently placed her chopsticks on top of it. The Taiping Mountain female Taoist, Huang Ting, stood up, patted her stomach, and said with regret, "This late-night snack was a bit too indulgent. I must have gained two pounds. Oh well, Fan Wanying, a rice bowl? You're more like a rice bucket..."

As the three elite Nanyuan units began to slowly relocate.

The female Taoist Huang Ting's eyes sharpened with killing intent. She fixed her gaze on Yu Zhenyi's direction, wiped her mouth, and whispered, "Guess after this fight, I'll be able to lose the weight."

---

Chen Ping'an, who had been sleeping soundly on the rooftop, was startled awake by the huge commotion outside the city. He lifted his gaze to the south, where two dazzling sword lights intertwined, reflecting off each other.

It was Yu Zhenyi's glazed flying sword and Huang Ting's Mirror Within Sword.

Chen Ping'an did not return to his lodging to retrieve Long Breath. Instead, he took out a sword and a blade from Flying Sword Fifteen and hung them on his left and right waist: the longsword Devoted Heart, which had belonged to Dou Zizhi, and the narrow blade Stop Snow, passed down through generations of Falcon Fort.

With a flicker, he vanished like a wisp of smoke.

Zhong Qiu was already standing on the city wall. Chen Ping'an arrived beside the Nanyuan national preceptor.

Chen Ping'an asked, "So it's already started?"

Zhong Qiu nodded. "Huang Ting is, after all, a cultivator from your homeland. Her perception of spiritual energy far surpasses ours."

Chen Ping'an said, "She thinks that if she lets Yu Zhenyi continue to devour spiritual energy like a whale, she won't be able to beat him?"

Zhong Qiu smiled wryly. "Not at all. If that were the case, Huang Ting would have struck much earlier. According to her, she deliberately waited until Yu Zhenyi had eaten his fill before making a move, so that he wouldn't have any excuse if he lost."

Chen Ping'an truly could not understand the thinking of that Taiping Mountain female Taoist. Life-and-death combat was such a meticulous matter, yet to her, it seemed so frivolous.

Looking at himself, in the great street battle, from Ma Xuan, the pipa woman, and Smiling Face, he had been probing the depths of this world while constantly hiding his strength, then scheming against Lu Fang of Bird Gaze Peak, and finally dealing with Zhong Qiu and Ding Ying. Every step had been carefully considered; every punch had been thrown steadily.

Though he didn't understand her reasoning, in his heart, Chen Ping'an still felt some admiration and envy for that Huang Ting. If one could wander the world without caring about life, death, or results, it seemed one ought to be... so unafraid of death.

Chen Ping'an mentioned to Zhong Qiu the matter of books on bridge construction. Zhong Qiu smiled and agreed.

Next, he brought up the matter of the pipa woman and the poor scholar surnamed Jiang.

For a nation's preceptor, finding a scholar who was staying in the capital to take the imperial exams was a small matter. But Zhong Qiu did not immediately agree; instead, he asked, "Are you sure you want to see that scholar?"

Chen Ping'an said, "We'll see when the time comes."

Only then did Zhong Qiu nod.

The two of them looked together toward Ox Mountain. Yu Zhenyi and Huang Ting, two grandmasters firmly in the world's top three, were creating an increasingly grand commotion with their battle.

Often, a single chilling sword light could stretch for over ten zhang, or even tens of zhang.

Probably feeling that the place where Chen Ping'an and Zhong Qiu stood side by side was the safest spot in the world.

Empress Zhou Shuzhen, Crown Prince Wei Yan, Princess Wei Zhen, and a white-haired old general, under the tight escort of Imperial Guard attendants, ascended the city wall and headed straight for the two of them.

Zhou Shuzhen, naturally, did not dare to put on airs in front of Zhong Qiu. They exchanged polite pleasantries. Wei Zhen, upon seeing the preceptor, was trembling with fear. No help for it—Zhong Qiu was one of her tutors. The first time in her life the princess had been struck with a ruler, it was by the preceptor's order. Back then, the little girl had cried, her face covered in tears and snot, and had run to the Emperor and Empress, who were playing a game of chess. One said "Well struck," and the other said "Too lightly." After that, Wei Zhen feared Preceptor Zhong like a wolf or a tiger.

The old general, able to accompany these three royal figures, must have been a first-rate, illustrious meritorious elder of Nanyuan Kingdom. Indeed, when Zhong Qiu saw him, he addressed him by name: "Lu Xiao, why have you come?"

The old general was fully armored, his voice full of vigor. He snorted coldly, "Most of the capital troops outside were trained by me—fine lads. So what if I've taken off my armor? I admit I can't charge into battle anymore, but my ability to deploy troops—that I haven't lost! If you won't let me out of the city, fine, but you're not going to stop me from seeing them off?!"

The old man slapped the city wall in anger. "You flying, darting martial grandmasters—can't you just settle down? One fight after another, making such a racket that most of the capital's residents can't sleep. Especially that white-robed so-called celestial exile, who's been hyped up as some kind of divine being. Saying Old Demon Ding was his defeated opponent, and that he's incredibly handsome. You've made my grandson and granddaughter crazy—one keeps asking if I know him, one wants to apprentice under Immortal Chen, and one wants to meet a true hero. Do I know him? Hell no! If I ever see that white-robed guy, I'll point at his nose and curse him to death! Not to mention, that name of his isn't even good..."

Zhong Qiu suppressed a smile.

The old general was so angry his brows were knotted. He was about to launch into another tirade when Zhong Qiu waved his hand and said, "Enough. The Empress, Crown Prince, and Princess are all here, Lu Xiao. Save some of that spit."

The old general grumpily fell silent.

Chen Ping'an said nothing, thinking that this old general had a straightforward nature, but his temper was a bit too fiery.

Lu Xiao caught sight of the young man's gaze. Still furious, the old general glared and said, "Kid, what are you looking at? You dare to laugh at me?"

Chen Ping'an didn't retort. Instead, he took off his wine gourd and took a sip.

The old general mistakenly assumed this person was a martial artist. Since he could stand with Zhong Qiu, he must be a young expert of no small skill, and his character probably wasn't bad. So, speaking earnestly, he said, "Kid, you look like you have some bookish air about you. I can tell you're a scholar at heart. Not that I'm bragging about my old age, but I, Lu Xiao, have an excellent eye for people. I sincerely advise you not to get involved in the martial world anymore. I don't expect you to build achievements on the battlefield or die wrapped in horsehide. Just learn a bit from our Preceptor Zhong—of course, only his scholarly side. That so-called martial grandmaster stuff—what's so good about it..."

Chen Ping'an was speechless. He forced a smile and nodded awkwardly, taking another sip of wine.

The old man had a fiery temper and spoke rather harshly, but his heart was actually quite good.

Princess Wei Zhen covered her mouth and giggled.

She knew the identity of this young man. She had seen him once before at the Zhuangyuan Alley restaurant.

But Old General Lu only knew that the young man who had killed Old Demon Ding wore a white robe, could fly on a sword, and use immortal arts. He had no idea that the person he was threatening to curse was right here before him, far away in heaven yet close at hand.

Even the old general, who rather detested the martial world, couldn't help stealing a private sigh as he watched the dazzling sword lights over Ox Mountain, piercing the clouds: "Truly immortals."

But the stubborn old general wouldn't miss any opportunity to lecture the young man who had strayed from the path. Turning to him, he advised, "See that? That's the bearing of a grandmaster. How many years would it take you to reach that level? Even if I gave you a hundred years, you couldn't do it, right? So, it's better to abandon martial arts and take up literature. If one day you see the light and are willing to throw down your pen and join the army, even better—as long as I'm not in my coffin by then, come find me. I'll personally recommend you. Any elite border army in Nanyuan Kingdom—you can choose whichever you like!"

The old general spoke, spraying spittle everywhere.

Chen Ping'an wiped his face and sighed. He had no choice but to state his name: "I'm Chen Ping'an."

The old man chuckled. "So what if you're Chen Ping'an? It's not like your surname is Zhong. I know all the high officials in Nanyuan..."

The old general suddenly stopped talking. He nodded solemnly, raised his thumb, and feigned ignorance. "A good name!"

Then, as if nothing had happened, the old man silently walked over to Zhong Qiu's side, then silently shuffled over until he was standing next to the Crown Prince on the far side.

The old general decided that for the near future, he would not speak a single word. He would practice the "mouth-sealing meditation."

Chen Ping'an watched the battle at Ox Mountain for a while longer, then said, "I'll be going now."

Naturally, no one stopped him.

After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Zhong Qiu, having discerned some clues about the great battle, smiled and sighed, "The odds were fifty-fifty before, but now he's far superior."

Zhou Shuzhen still couldn't see anything clearly, and Crown Prince Wei Yan was much the same.

As for Old General Lu Xiao and Princess Wei Zhen, they were even more confused.

Lu Xiao asked in puzzlement, "Preceptor, he just left like that?"

Zhong Qiu smiled and said, "As long as Chen Ping'an is willing to show himself on the city wall tonight, Yu Zhenyi won't dare to act too recklessly."

Having said this, Zhong Qiu turned his head and sighed inwardly. Hadn't they agreed that he would not meddle in anything?

---

By the time Chen Ping'an silently returned to the courtyard, the sky had not yet lightened.

In recent days, the little lotus figure had been curled up inside the Dharma robe Golden Nectar, sleeping more and more soundly. Chen Ping'an had not put the Golden Nectar back on.

Entering the house, he found the little creature's breathing becoming increasingly steady. It had changed its sleeping position. Chen Ping'an helped fold a corner of the Golden Nectar.

Chen Ping'an walked out of the house. The gaunt little girl was sitting on a small stool, leaning against the door, asleep. In her sleep, her brows were furrowed.

Chen Ping'an could vaguely tell from her sleeping posture that, though she was young, she was full of wariness toward this world.

Chen Ping'an clenched his fists and placed them gently on his knees, waiting quietly for dawn.

The old Taoist suddenly appeared, standing beside him. One stood, one sat.

The old Taoist cut straight to the chase: "Since you carried Chen Qingdu's Long Breath sword, I have made an exception and allowed you to enter this Lotus Flower Blessed Land with your body and soul intact. As for why you came, of course I can calculate it. But if you want me to help you rebuild the Bridge of Eternal Life, that's not difficult, but there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

The old Taoist pointed toward Cao Qinglang's house. "I overheard your conversation with that child earlier, about the principle of right and wrong and order. I knew then your connection to the Old Scholar. After all, I was the first person in the world to learn the Old Scholar's theory of sequence. A messy account, yet he dares to mislead his disciples!"

Having said this, the old Taoist sneered coldly. "So I decided to raise the threshold a little. That's why I set up that siege and had Ding Ying seal that dimensional storage item. If you lacked the skill and died here, then you would leave Long Breath sword behind. I wouldn't make things too difficult for you. At most, I'd keep you here for a few decades. However you came, that's how you'd return. Don't worry about your soul and body—the Old Scholar and I may not get along, but I wouldn't take it out on you. Still, rules must be observed."

Chen Ping'an smiled bitterly. "So that's how it is."

The old Taoist snorted. "Later, a certain master of the Yin-Yang school—a rather high-level one—made a move. It was ambiguous, just barely stepping over my bottom line, so I tolerated him and didn't bother with him. But his disciple, born with a Yin-Yang fish physique, didn't know his place. He twice possessed Fan Wanying, trying to warn you, to tell you how to leave Lotus Flower Blessed Land. So I destroyed the other two magical treasures on you."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Was it that paper-man town, and... the Northern Jin Kingdom?!"

The old Taoist laughed. "You're not quite stupid yet. Those two places were both his doing. Quite interesting. As for why he was willing to act—did you suffer at his hands before?"

Sweat beaded on Chen Ping'an's forehead.

It was a fear that came from the depths of his heart, rising up unbidden—a genuine terror.

This fear was smaller than life and death; matters of life and death often involved a swift cut.

Chen Ping'an's terror was like standing in a thick white fog, where one wrong step would send him plummeting off a cliff. And there was a man standing at the cliff's edge, coldly watching him.

That man.

Chen Ping'an only now truly remembered.

It was that honest-looking man who had brushed past him at Falcon Fort; the man had grinned at him then.

And he was the man who had sold candied hawthorn skewers when Chen Ping'an was a child—that smiling, good-hearted man!

Back at Falcon Fort, Chen Ping'an had felt a flicker of familiarity but had been unable to recall it no matter how hard he tried.

What Chen Ping'an remembered was not the man's face, but that smile of his.

From Bead Grotto Heaven to Tongye Continent.

Chen Ping'an raised his arm and wiped the sweat from his brow.

The old Taoist asked, "Finally remember who it is? Then have you figured it out?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I understand now. Why he kindly warned me—he didn't want me to enter this Lotus Flower Blessed Land that he couldn't control. But he was also wary of you, Senior, so he didn't dare act openly."

The old Taoist grunted. "A little better than being a complete blockhead. You're only half right. That man means you no harm now. Otherwise, with your luck, how could you have found that little lotus figure?"

The old Taoist asked again, "I can break this situation. Could no one else do the same? But you only realized the truth now—isn't that strange?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head without hesitation. "Not strange. If it had been before, it wouldn't have been strange either, but that would have been the kind of not-strange from ignorance. After this trip to Lotus Flower Blessed Land, connecting it to my two previous journeys far afield, and the people and events I encountered, I've figured out a lot. So it's even less strange now."

The old Taoist nodded. "Then now you have a bit of cleverness."

Chen Ping'an asked, "When can I leave Lotus Flower Blessed Land?"

The old Taoist smiled. "You should first ask when you can leave Nanyuan Kingdom."

This time, the old Taoist did not keep him in suspense. "When the matter in Nanyuan Kingdom's capital is settled, I'll take you to see this world."

Chen Ping'an took off his wine gourd, holding it in the air, but didn't drink. He couldn't help but ask, emboldened, "Why?"

The old Taoist chuckled. "This old senior's Dao arts are boundless, and he gets rather bored, you see."