Chapter 358: Crossing the Bridge, Climbing the Mountain
Inside the dilapidated temple after the rain, the campfire brought a trace of warmth.
Sitting cross-legged on Chen Ping'an's lap was the small lotus figure, who quietly pointed at Pei Qian's eyes.
Understanding in his heart, Chen Ping'an told Pei Qian to go outside with him. The little figure sank into the ground, helping Chen Ping'an patrol the surroundings of the small temple.
Previously, Chen Ping'an had not personally witnessed Pei Qian's strange phenomenon inside the temple, but after the great battle ended, Pei Qian's sleeves were covered in blood, her body muddy, and she said her eyes had hurt so badly that she had rolled on the ground for a long time. The lotus figure had waved its arms and legs frantically, roughly explaining the process to Chen Ping'an.
The two, one big and one small, walked out of the temple. After walking a distance, Chen Ping'an turned around and stopped, crouching down to gaze into Pei Qian's eyes. "How did your eyes suddenly start bleeding?"
Pei Qian, still shaken, her face pale and tears welling up in her eyes from grievance, shook her head and choked out, "I don't know! Suddenly it hurt so much I felt like I was dying. It felt like something was about to explode, like those firecrackers rich families set off during New Year's. By the way, when we get to our hometown, can we set off firecrackers during New Year's? They're so festive! I've always wanted to try it myself."
Chen Ping'an didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What did that have to do with anything? He said softly, "When I left home back then, someone told me not to return to Dragon Spring County within five years. But setting off firecrackers during New Year's isn't difficult. Let's talk about the important matter—was it that old Daoist who threw us out of the Lotus Root Paradise who did something to your eyes? Did he say anything to you?"
Pei Qian thought for a moment. "At Old Wei's house, that was in the capital of the Southern Yan Kingdom, there was a well. I looked into the well for a while, then looked up at the big sun in the sky. I was annoyed, and then I saw a really tall old man there, wearing a Daoist robe. He said he wanted to put a little something in my eyes. Of course I refused, but the old Daoist said it was very valuable. I thought about it for a bit, then agreed..."
Pei Qian yelped and quickly tilted her head.
It turned out Chen Ping'an had grabbed her ear and scolded, "So obsessed with money you'd risk your life?"
Pei Qian shouted, "Ouch, ouch, ouch! My eyes hurt!" Chen Ping'an finally let go.
Chen Ping'an was deep in thought. Zhong Kui had always said Pei Qian's eyes were beautiful; he must have noticed something but hadn't said it outright.
Actually, Zhong Kui had privately uttered a prophecy: "The sun rises over the eastern sea, melting ten thousand miles of gold. When the moon sets over the western mountain, the chirping of night apes begins."
Chen Ping'an muttered to himself, "It can't really be that the sun and moon of the Lotus Root Paradise were put into Pei Qian's eyes, can it?"
At the very least, Pei Qian could see the little lotus figure underground, and she could see through the Taiping Mountain Patriarch's technique that sealed off heaven and earth.
After the incident where the "young Daoist of Taiping Mountain" had given him the Patriarch Hall jade token, Chen Ping'an was once bitten, twice shy. But as for that old Daoist from the East Sea's Observing Dao Temple who claimed to know the Confucian Sage, and was said to be the first person in the world to hear of the "order" theory, Chen Ping'an figured that even if the old Daoist truly intended to scheme against him, he currently had no way to counter it. He could only deal with situations as they arose, taking one step at a time. The reason it was a "scheme" rather than a malicious conspiracy like the Taiping Mountain Patriarch Hall jade token was not because Chen Ping'an admired the Observing Dao Temple's master, but because for cultivators at the level of that old Daoist or Sect Leader Lu Chen, they no longer stooped to underhanded tricks. They only used open and aboveboard strategies, always aiming to align with the profound and mysterious principles of heaven and earth.
Chen Ping'an stood up. "I'll buy you a new oilpaper umbrella later."
Pei Qian was surprised. "Why waste the money?"
Chen Ping'an didn't give an answer. He told her to go back to the temple first.
After Pei Qian ran all the way back inside, Chen Ping'an turned around and saw a man whose identity he recognized at a glance: the Duke of Shen Kingdom, Gao Shizhen. Gao Shuyi looked seventy to eighty percent like this duke. Behind Gao Shizhen stood an umbrella-holding old man who looked like a steward, probably a concealed qi warrior, and an old man in white clothes leaning on an old rattan cane, who smiled obsequiously at Chen Ping'an.
Gao Shizhen stared hard at Chen Ping'an, then suddenly sighed. "Much younger than I imagined."
Gao Shizhen asked, "If it hadn't been for that border town, where the Third Prince tried to take advantage of the situation, hoping to force the Yao family into a corner to add glory to his own record, thus causing that disaster—if instead you had met my son Gao Shuyi in Mirage City, like two strangers in the heavy rain tonight, each drinking fine wine in some old tavern—would you have become friends?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head.
Gao Shizhen's face twisted.
Chen Ping'an said slowly, "I told that Great Prince Liu Cong before that we all understand the principles. But sometimes, no matter how good or correct the principle, it's too light compared to what one wants to get their hands on. Someone like Gao Shuyi—I hope that in his next life, he won't run into me again. Otherwise, I'll kill him again."
Gao Shizhen's face darkened. "Are you trying to anger me, to provoke me into attacking you, so you can take the opportunity to eradicate the root of trouble and have the Shen Kingdom Duke's mansion wiped off the face of the Great Spring Kingdom?"
Chen Ping'an raised two fingers and casually wiped them in front of him. "This is how you and Gao Shuyi conduct yourselves. Everything you do or say has a traceable pattern."
This seemingly harmless gesture made the umbrella-holding old man's nerves tense. He almost wanted to shield Gao Shizhen. The old man leaning on the rattan cane nearly fled into the ground. Good heavens! Someone who could suppress and kill the Buried River water demon with thunderous methods, then force back the academy's gentleman with a single sword stroke—how could a mere local deity like him compete? A single sneeze from this person would likely scatter his soul. Those two unheard-of golden talismans were truly divine methods.
Gao Shizhen, on the other hand, was the calmest. "I came up the mountain this time to carry the bodies of the fallen border soldiers down. You won't stop me, will you?"
Chen Ping'an said, "That's why I'm still standing here talking to you."
Gao Shizhen's face was full of rage.
The Shen Kingdom Duke's mansion had stood for two hundred years in the Great Spring Dynasty, as old as the kingdom itself. When had they ever suffered such humiliation?!
The old steward said softly, "Master."
Gao Shizhen took a deep breath, then turned to look at the local deity, a clerk among the mountain and river gods. "Spit it out if you have something to say!"
The white-clothed old man bravely stepped forward, bowed to Chen Ping'an, and smiled. "Immortal Chen, I'll be helping the Duke carry the bodies. I might dispatch some mountain spirits and goblins. I'm worried these lowly creatures might make too much noise and disturb your rest in the temple, so I came to inform you in advance. I hope the Immortal will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Go ahead and carry them."
The old man timidly said, "I dare to ask one more thing: how does the Immortal intend to dispose of the great demon's corpse? Would you need me to order the mountain spirits to do the work for you, such as skinning it, extracting its tendons, or collecting the essence blood from its demon core into bottles and jars—things within my ability?"
Chen Ping'an, who had only taken the Buried River water demon's demon core, smiled. "Then I'll trouble the local deity. After it's done, I'll give you some compensation."
The old man was flattered and repeatedly said he wouldn't dare let the Immortal spend money, almost in tears.
Was there really such a gentle, respectful, and frugal immortal in this world?
Gao Shizhen snorted coldly and turned to go down the mountain.
Chen Ping'an walked alone toward the temple.
The Buried River eel demon was only one step away from forming a golden core. The final translucent green pill, the size of a jujube pit, had faint traces of lightning flickering within it—probably due to having been hit by a Dragon-Tiger Mountain's Five Thunders True Method talisman. But after tonight's battle with this Buried River water demon, it was a sure thing that he had taken a loss: he had paid three pieces of dragon-claw seal-pattern talisman paper, destroyed a set of Zhong Kui's personal "Iron Cavalry Surrounding the City" military talisman, and added a golden Five Dragons Holding Pearls talisman from his own personal stash. Even now, his heart still ached.
As he walked toward the temple, the white-robed Immortal Chen, with a jade hairpin in his bun and a vermilion wine gourd at his waist, kept muttering, "Losing money to avert disaster, losing money to avert disaster..."
As for the two Gold Essence Copper Coins consumed by Sui Youbian's two deaths in battle...
Chen Ping'an simply refused to think about it. Every time he did, his heart trembled.
Entering the temple, Wei Xian rarely spoke first. "Should we return to Mirage City and beat the drowning dog? The Great Spring Liu clan is already scared witless; they can't stir up trouble. That academy gentleman will probably have to sell his possessions to seek peace, begging us not to leak the news."
Chen Ping'an thought it over, then shook his head. "Let's hurry to the celestial ferry at Tianque Peak. I'll send a flying sword message to the Grand Fu Academy and Taiping Mountain about tonight's events. We don't need to meddle further. Wang Qi's actions, especially colluding with the demons, must be made known to Zhong Kui and the academy. Even Taiping Mountain is so unsettled now; the Tongye Continent is too chaotic. Let's take a ferry back to Old Dragon City in the Vase Bottle Continent as soon as possible."
The night watch was left to Lu Baixiang and Sui Youbian.
Zhu Lian, who was the most seriously injured, went to a distant stream to wash up, changed into clean clothes, sat cross-legged by the fire, and slept peacefully. Pei Qian was greatly impressed.
Wei Xian, who had removed his Sweet Dew Armor, didn't need to stand watch but went outside the temple. At the battlefield where the martial madman Zhu Lian had fought the accompanying army cultivator, he crouched down and stared blankly at the chaotic footprints.
Chen Ping'an sat in meditation against the wall, his expression calm.
Pei Qian, unable to sleep at all, knew that Chen Ping'an was in a bad mood. Was it because of the money lost? Because of those two talismans from the down-and-out scholar Zhong Kui? She really wanted to take her travel staff and beat up the little lotus figure—it was all its fault for being a money sink. Drowsy, the skinny little girl, the only one with a small leather tent, finally fell asleep.
At dawn, Wei Xian sat on the threshold. Outside the temple door, there was a white-clad old man who had been smiling for a full hour, leaning on his rattan cane. Further away stood some shallow-cultivation mountain spirits and goblins, looking quite comical—some carrying two big bags, others holding porcelain bottles and clay pots. The old man had arrived before dawn and stood in the open space outside without calling out, just having his minions stand there as door gods. Wei Xian admired how this old man could keep smiling at the temple for so long.
When Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, he got up and walked to the threshold. He saw the local deity, who had been waiting for a long time. He walked quickly and gave the old man a Small Summer Coin as compensation.
The old man, in charge of hundreds of miles of mountains and rivers, was so startled he looked as if he'd been offered a bowl of rice before being sent to the execution ground. He absolutely refused to accept it.
Chen Ping'an had no choice but to give up. He clasped his hands in thanks to the local deity again. The white-clad old man beamed, and after taking his leave, walked two or three li away before wiping the sweat from his forehead.
A rat-headed human-bodied mountain spirit quickly flattered, "Lord Deity, I didn't expect you to have such face that the Immortal would be so polite. If this heroic deed gets out, who would dare speak loudly to you within a thousand li?"
The white-clad old man coughed and walked slowly, feeling that his rattan cane had suddenly become lighter. He put on airs and said, "Conquering by virtue, conquering by virtue."
Chen Ping'an looked at the various bags and bundles piled at the entrance. He sighed. The Square-Inch Item that Zheng Dafeng had given him back in Old Dragon City could finally be put to use.
The flying sword Fifteen, as a Cubic Item, had always been handy, but it wasn't big enough. The wordless jade token, a Handspan Item that even earthly immortals would covet, was extremely rare. Chen Ping'an had only kept it hidden away because he was nostalgic, wasting its potential. Cubic Items and Handspan Items were known among mountain cultivators as "the smallest cave heavens," rarely encountered. Cui Dongshan, as a grand cultivator who had reached the peak of the twelfth realm, had only carried one Handspan Item.
Flying Sword Fifteen was a very special existence.
Ordinary Cubic Items and Handspan Items each had a key to open their "cave heaven"—the very circuits contained within the item itself. Once refined by a person, they were extremely difficult to crack, unless destroyed with great divine power. If that last resort was used, at least half of the contents would be destroyed, and it was possible that the entire "cave dwelling" would shatter. Zheng Dafeng wouldn't have given him a Handspan Item without also giving him the key; he had clearly explained the methods for cracking, controlling, and re-refining it.
The journey to Tianque Peak was uneventful.
The true foundation of the Great Spring Dynasty had already been severely damaged because of Chen Ping'an.
The palace eunuch Li Li, the Shen Kingdom Duke's mansion, Great Prince Liu Cong, the Grass Hut Xu Tong, the military Xu family, and the gentleman Wang Qi who had long presided over Mirage City.
Traveling north, Chen Ping'an carried his bamboo box, Pei Qian held her travel staff and had a bag slung across her shoulder. On her forehead was a Pagoda Suppressing Demon talisman that she never tired of looking at.
Lu Baixiang wore Snowstop at his waist, clenching a few chess pieces in his palm that creaked.
Sui Youbian carried the Infatuation sword, whose grade had skyrocketed. The dazed look in her eyes appeared more frequently now. Compared to the sword immortal with a pure and clear sword heart who had first stepped out of the painting, she now had more human qualities.
Zhu Lian liked to read while walking. Pei Qian wondered—how did the old geezer never trip and fall, not even looking at the ground?
Wei Xian, with nothing to do, actually used Chen Ping'an's Six-Step Posture Stance while walking. Chen Ping'an said nothing about this.
Tianque Peak was the highest peak of the Pure Realm Mountains in the north of Great Spring. The peaks of the Pure Realm Mountains stretched on, with lush and verdant forests far surpassing other places. It was renowned for its solitude among the landscapes of Great Spring.
Tianque Peak had three thousand Crimson Ladder steps, from the base to the summit. At the top was the Azure Tiger Palace. The cultivators there lived secluded, never mingling with the mortal world. They always refused entry to dignitaries seeking to visit immortals. Additionally, the Pure Realm Mountains were full of wild beasts, with no direct path to Tianque Peak. This made the Azure Tiger Palace's existence always shrouded in mystery. Woodcutters dared not approach Tianque Peak; the old folks said it was easy to get lost in ghostly mazes, and that the mountain's immortals didn't want to be tainted by worldly affairs.
The group walked along a small path in the Pure Realm Mountains.
Although the Grass Hut was nominally the foremost cultivation sect in Great Spring, any cultivation site with a cross-continent ferry could not be underestimated.
Even though Tianque Peak couldn't compare to Hanging Mountain or Old Dragon City, it was definitely not something the Grass Hut could match.
Chen Ping'an reminded Wei Xian and the others of this.
The four from the painting were all extremely intelligent people; they naturally understood the stakes.
The "Nine Continents Book of Immortals," purchased at Hanging Mountain, had a special mention of the Fairy's Dressing Table at Tianque Peak. Though only a few words, it was very evocative and piqued their curiosity.
Pei Qian, exhausted from walking, suddenly looked up and exclaimed, "Look, look! A boat in the sky!"
Chen Ping'an reached out to lower Pei Qian's finger. "Did you forget about the mountain god's wedding?"
Pei Qian quickly nodded and patted her chest, promising, "I won't do it again!"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Even if there is a next time, it's okay. You're still young. But even though I'm saying this, you can't let your guard down."
Pei Qian grinned brightly. "I'll be eleven next year! That's not young anymore."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Then you can carry my bamboo box?"
Pei Qian grimaced. "But I'm only ten this year."
Chen Ping'an gave her a flick on the forehead.
Pei Qian dodged nimbly, moved a few steps, and burst into laughter.
Zhu Lian watched the two with a smile.
Tianque Peak rose alone, with surrounding peaks seeming to bow their heads.
It was very eye-catching, but near the summit, clouds and mist obscured the view.
After roughly entering the territory of Tianque Peak, they crossed a stone arch bridge. Below, a clear mountain stream babbled, with fish swimming leisurely.
Chen Ping'an stopped as soon as he stepped onto the bridge, looking south.
After they climbed the mountain, he didn't know when he would next set foot on the soil of Tongye Continent.
Was the "Sky-Shouting Street" of the Planchette Sect, with its myriad strange wonders, gone forever after the great demon's rampage?
Would that young handyman from the outer sect who had uncovered a massive conspiracy become a different person, just as he, a muddy-legged boy, had?
At Eagle's Roost Fort, had Lu Tai's observations on the Observation Platform been fruitful? Why had he secretly placed the narrow-knife Snowstop, worth twenty Grain Rain Coins, into Chen Ping'an's bag? Back then, when Chen Ping'an saw Lu Tai accept Tao Xieyang and the two others as nominal disciples, he hadn't fully understood Lu Tai's words, "Without approaching evil, one cannot know good." Now, he somewhat grasped their meaning.
Would Zhong Kui still be the gentleman of Grand Fu Academy?
Would the Daoist nun Huang Ting, pursuing the sword-carrying white ape, encounter another stroke of fortune?
Zhou Fei of the Spring Tide Palace in Lotus Root Paradise, after returning to the Jade Gui Sect, had transformed into the master of the entire Cloud Grotto Paradise. Was his name now Jiang Shangzhen?
Had the incense offerings at the Azure Touring Manor and the Buried River Water God Temple become even more prosperous?
Had the Great Spring Mirage City finally seen its first winter snow this year?
Was Cao Qinglang, alone in that small house, doing well? Was the schoolteacher's knowledge great? Would he teach principles beyond books?
On the bridge, Lu Baixiang and the other three saw Chen Ping'an stop and stopped with him.
Chen Ping'an gazed into the distance. The charcoal-black little girl looked up at Chen Ping'an, who seemed different from usual.
Zhu Lian, whenever he had free time, started reading. Pei Qian, after looking at Chen Ping'an, stood on tiptoe, trying to see what the crazy old man was reading all the time—so sneaky and secretive.
Zhu Lian, as usual, pressed a hand against Pei Qian's head and gently pushed her away.
Pei Qian asked, "What's written in the book?"
Zhu Lian evaded the question. "Nothing much. Just some old-fashioned stories."
Pei Qian pressed further. "What do you mean by old-fashioned stories?"
Zhu Lian chuckled. "For a little kid your age, they're not old-fashioned. Everything seems fresh. But the joys and sorrows in stories—read on paper, they're ultimately shallow, faint, and light. After you read them, you'll soon forget. But real life—a growling stomach, blisters on your feet, a punch to the face that leaves you bruised—those are real."
Pei Qian frowned. "What are you trying to say? Can't you just speak plainly? Learn something from Old Wei, alright?"
Zhu Lian squinted at the little girl holding her travel staff, clicking his tongue. "Getting a lot bolder, aren't you?"
Pei Qian laughed and took two steps back, waving her hands. "Not bold, not bold. With a scrawny body like mine, I'm just skinny."
Zhu Lian closed the book and grumbled, "You've ruined it. The thrilling close-quarters combat in the book is now tasteless. I'm not reading anymore."
Pei Qian was baffled. "Was the killing in the book really that exciting? Was it as good as my dad and the immortal sister fighting outside the temple?"
Sui Youbian's face darkened as she barely restrained the urge to slice off that old lecher's head and then slap the blabbermouth little girl to death.
Zhu Lian put away the extremely risqué book, clasped his hands behind his back, and shook his head with a smile. "Not comparable, not comparable."
Pei Qian, feeling her flattery had been masterful, turned to look at the immortal sister Sui Youbian for approval.
Sui Youbian turned around and walked straight off the stone arch bridge, not wanting to see or hear it.
Pei Qian was a little puzzled, wondering what was wrong with that sour-faced woman today—had she taken the wrong medicine?
Lu Baixiang smiled calmly. The scenery here was pleasant. If he ever set up a thatched hut for cultivation, he'd look for a place as picturesque as this.
Chen Ping'an paid no attention to Pei Qian's antics.
Once he reached the southernmost Old Dragon City in the Vase Bottle Continent, he would see Fan Er again, and the gentle Lady Gui, and of course, Zheng Dafeng of the Dust Pharmacy.
Then heading north, he would go to the hometown of the mustachioed heroic swordsman Xu Yuanxia, find him and Zhang Shanfeng, and tell them that since their last parting, the number of fine wines he had drunk could be counted on one hand, or else he'd lose!
He also needed to go to Bookish Lake, to see how Gu Can, that little brat with the runny nose, was doing. When they met, would Gu Can, now a disciple of some immortal sect, no longer be the little tagalong behind him?
Then to the Great Sui Mountain Cliff Academy, where Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie were.
Of course, there was also his disciple, Cui Dongshan.
He estimated that by the time he finished this journey, the five-year deadline would be about up. Then he could return home, walk into Mud Vase Alley, and ascend Fallen Mountain.
Gold and silver homes are not as good as one's own thatched hut. And besides, his home now was far from a thatched hut.
Only by truly traveling through the outside world did he realize what a blessed paradise for cultivation the Dragon Spring County area had become. The mountains, whose landscape qi was forcibly retained in place by the Great Li Dynasty, were each like the Azure Touring Manor after being stamped with the Water Seal.
---
The Azure Ram Palace at Tianque Peak had six major halls, each dedicated to various Daoist immortals. The couplets on the main hall's pillars were said to be unmatched—nearly four hundred characters, earning the reputation of "Immortal's Seal-Character Golden Gate." To the right of the Azure Ram Palace was a huge stone wall, shrouded in clouds, naturally formed into a picture of a dragon bringing rain. The left wing, near the cliff, was the famous Fairy's Dressing Table. It originated from an ancient wisteria rooted at the cliff's edge, its branches spreading and hanging down for a hundred zhang, like a heavenly fairy washing her hundred-zhang-long black hair in a river of clouds.
Lu Yong, the master of Azure Ram Palace, was an old Nascent Soul cultivator focused purely on cultivation, ignoring worldly affairs. He was not very famous, and in his life, he cared only about alchemy. In the eyes of mountain qi refiners, he was the most extreme "literary cultivator," his combat strength not matching his Nascent Soul status. In central Tongye Continent, some Golden Core earthly immortals who excelled at fighting didn't think much of Azure Ram Palace. Because Tianque Peak's celestial ferry was considerable in scale, earthly immortals often passed through, so Azure Ram Palace's qi refiners often suffered slights.
Yesterday, Azure Ram Palace had received a guest of paramount importance. After he announced his name, the mountain gate disciples rushed to report. Lu Yong actually abandoned a furnace of alchemical pills, risking their destruction, left the furnace room, and personally accompanied that grand cultivator on a tour of Tianque Peak, trembling the whole time and sweating profusely. It was no wonder Lu Yong was so deferential—Azure Ram Palace had offended that cultivator's sect in the past. Azure Ram Palace was closer to Tongye Sect, which was the leading immortal sect in Tongye Continent. Disciples often passed through this ferry when descending the mountain for training. Once, an unwise Dragon Gate elder of Azure Ram Palace, in a conflict, sided with a direct disciple of Tongye Sect. Normally, that wouldn't have been a big deal—it's human nature. But who would have thought that the lower-five-realm young cultivator whom Azure Ram Palace had humiliated was actually a disciple of the Jade Gui Sect, and, crucially, his surname was Jiang!
People with the surname Jiang in the Jade Gui Sect were wealthy. Why? Because the Cloud Grotto Paradise belonged to the Jiang family. Of course they were wealthy!
That Jiang clan member back then didn't shout about killing or fighting. He just threw a lot of money at the problem, reserving all the ferry slots at Tianque Peak for an entire month. This stranded hundreds of Tongye Continent qi refiners in the Pure Realm Mountains, stuck near Azure Ram Palace for a month before they could depart. Everyone wished they could smash Azure Ram Palace to pieces.
As for complaining even half a sentence to that young Jiang man, no one had the guts. Lu Yong, a dignified Nascent Soul earthly immortal, simply hid and focused on alchemy. After refining a large batch of pills, he had Azure Ram Palace disciples send them out as apologies, thereby avoiding completely destroying the golden sign his ancestors had worked so hard to build.
If a mere Jiang clan member could be so domineering, what could Lu Yong do when the head of the Jiang family personally visited Azure Ram Palace?
At the top of the steps called the "Crimson Ladder" on Tianque Peak stood Jiang Shangzhen and Lu Yong, just the two of them.
Lu Yong asked tentatively, "Do you really not need me to send Azure Ram Palace disciples down the mountain to help you welcome those esteemed guests?"
Jiang Shangzhen, who had traveled thousands of li from the West Sea of Tongye Continent to the northern border of Great Spring, remained silent and inscrutable.
Lu Yong felt nothing but misery.
Could this turn into an earth-shattering immortal battle? The tiny Azure Ram Palace couldn't withstand a single stamp of the foot or a wave of the sleeve from an upper-five-realm immortal like Jiang Shangzhen.
Lu Yong could only pray for the patriarchs to manifest their blessings.
Dealing with an unpredictable upper-five-realm grand cultivator like this was truly unbearable. Lu Yong sighed deeply. After this immortal left the Pure Realm Mountains, he would have to go into seclusion and refine a furnace of spiritual pills. Otherwise, the frustration would be too much.
Lu Yong asked cautiously, "Should I personally go down to welcome them?"
Lu Yong felt that as a Nascent Soul, he had humbled himself enough. The Jiang clan head should at least remember this kindness.
Jiang Shangzhen said indifferently, "Are you worthy?"
Lu Yong's knees went weak.
My Azure Ram Palace is doomed!
Jiang Shangzhen suddenly burst into laughter and patted the old Nascent Soul on the shoulder. "Haha, just a joke. Don't be scared. As long as today goes smoothly, I'll not only forgive that old mess your Azure Ram Palace caused, but my Jiang clan will also buy a hundred furnaces of your most expensive pills."
Lu Yong swallowed his saliva and could only force a smile.
Jiang Shangzhen clicked his tongue. "Saying those three words certainly makes one feel refreshed."
---
On the bridge.
Zhu Lian and the other two had also crossed the stone arch bridge and stood with Sui Youbian.
So only Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian remained on the bridge.
After coming to his senses, Chen Ping'an leaned on the railing and peered down, as if looking for something.
Pei Qian hopped around, curious. "What are you looking for?"
Chen Ping'an said, "I wanted to see if there's a sword hanging under the bridge."
Pei Qian straightened her back and began her flattery skills again. "You can't see it from the bridge. I'll go under the bridge and look for you!"
Chen Ping'an smiled, stood up, and patted her head. "No need."
Pei Qian looked up, full of confusion.
Chen Ping'an looked down into her eyes.
Pei Qian cooperated by widening her eyes, trying to make them as round as possible. "See anything? Is there really money in my eyes?"
Chen Ping'an was stunned for a moment, then patted her head and pointed to the other end of the bridge. "Let's go. We'll cross the bridge and start climbing the mountain."
Pei Qian said "okay," adjusted her bag, swung her travel staff, and swaggered down the stone arch bridge.
Chen Ping'an closed his eyes. He remembered sitting on a bridge in his hometown as a teenager, and in a dream, he saw another bridge.
Golden, extremely long.
With vast clouds. To the left, the sun rose over the sea. Turning right, the moon set in the western sky.
Chen Ping'an, with his eyes still closed, strode from one end of this unremarkable stone arch bridge to the other.
His white robe fluttered in the mountain wind, his sleeves billowing.
Pei Qian had just hopped down the steps on that side of the bridge. She turned to look, her eyes lighting up. With an old-fashioned air, she said, "My dad is truly an immortal."