Chapter 359: Speaking of Chen Ping'an
(This is the last chapter of this volume, twelve thousand words. Everyone can guess the title of the sixth volume.)
Chen Ping'an walked the stone bridge with his eyes closed, his body swaying slightly. Beneath the bridge, water flowed; his sleeves moved like clouds, full of immortal aura.
Wei Xian deeply agreed with Pei Qian's assessment, praising aloud, "Dragon-like stride and tiger-like step, mountain-like steadiness and abyss-like depth..."
Before he could finish his grand commentary, Wei Xian shut his mouth.
Lu Baixiang smiled and said, "There are unexpected storms in the sky. A small accident doesn't harm the elegance."
It turned out the stone arch bridge had steps. For some reason, Chen Ping'an had forgotten this, and he stepped into empty air, tumbling to the ground along with his bamboo chest.
Pei Qian slapped her forehead. Dear dad, why can't you handle a little praise?
Sui Youbian turned her head away, a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
Chen Ping'an bounced up, opened his eyes, and brushed off his sleeves. Acting as if no one was there, he strode forward.
A flash of golden light flickered across the Golden Sweet Wine Dharma Robe. The pearl held in the mouth of the golden coiled dragon on the robe seemed to have its contained spiritual energy coalescing even more densely.
If not for this remnant life-bound artifact of an overseas immortal accompanying him, Chen Ping'an would not have gotten off with just a fall. First, his physique was like a "switch welcoming the enemy," allowing the world's spiritual energy to pour into his acupoints like seawater, which would bring great suffering. Second, it was highly likely that he would absorb the spiritual energy of Clear Realm Mountain in a whale-swallowing manner, which would inevitably cause strange phenomena, invite trouble, and possibly spark another upheaval.
The Golden Sweet Wine Dharma Robe was like a lake, serving the function of storing water.
However, this was ultimately a temporary fix for a root cause. Refining the five elements and truly building a complete Longevity Bridge, opening five such lakes within his own spiritual mansions, had become an urgent priority.
The Longevity Bridge before him now was both achieved and unachieved, wonderfully indescribable.
Chen Ping'an inexplicably felt that only at this moment had he truly been accepted by this world? Strange.
The four people from the scroll had sharp eyes. Initially, they found it somewhat amusing, since in their impression, Chen Ping'an was always proper and disciplined at all times. It was rare to see him in such an embarrassing state. But after a brief observation, each noticed some subtle clues, though no one pointed them out.
At the top of Azure Tiger Palace's three thousand Dan steps, although shrouded in clouds and mist, Jiang Shangzhen and Lu Yong, who stood side by side, were both great cultivators. Compared to the four pure martial artists from the scroll, they naturally saw more.
Lu Yong exclaimed in admiration, "What a fine dragon robe Dharma robe! Truly unfathomable. It might even be of the legendary 'Minor Blessed Land' quality. Wearing this robe, the young immortal master is likely more resistant to magic weapons and flying swords than even the highest-grade military armor pellet."
Lu Yong mistakenly thought Chen Ping'an was a military cultivator.
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and said, "Lord Lu has good eyes."
Lu Yong said nervously, "You flatter me, senior."
Jiang Shangzhen turned his head, "If I remember correctly, you are older than me. Why do you call me senior?"
Lu Yong was speechless.
This head of the Jiang family, acting as the emperor of the entire Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, truly had a ruler's temperament, impossible to fathom. Serving him was like accompanying a tiger.
Jiang Shangzhen laughed again, "At this moment, if you said that on the path of cultivation, the one who reaches further is the teacher, that would be quite clever."
Lu Yong had no idea what Jiang Shangzhen was up to, so he could only smile bitterly and say, "Senior's wise insight. Lu Yong is dull-witted; otherwise, in this life, I would not have ended up only mingling with cinnabar and herbs."
Jiang Shangzhen asked, "In the past two hundred years, I've been busy managing the Blessed Land's affairs personally, so busy my head was spinning, and I rarely went out—more ignorant than someone who is blind. Lord Lu has been stationed at this Heavenly Gate Peak immortal ferry, greeting and seeing off guests. Have you heard of any famous young sword immortals outside Tongye Continent, especially in the last hundred years?"
Lu Yong thought for a moment and said tentatively, "The one from the Sword Qi Great Wall?"
Jiang Shangzhen laughed angrily, "Lu Yong, do you really think I'm stupid? Wouldn't I have heard of him?!"
Lu Yong was anxious and quickly tried to make amends. He began counting on his fingers the famous sword immortals from other continents, reeling off a long list of renowned fifth-realm sword cultivators from the past hundred years, all famous sword immortals at their peak, and all relatively young. There were eight in total: four from the Central Continent, three from North Julu Continent, and one from the small Vase Bottle Continent—Wei Jin, who had just broken through to the Jade Purity Realm a few years ago. Compared to the previous seven, Wei Jin of the Wind and Snow Temple's Immortal Platform was still at a lower realm for now, but his future achievements were very clear. Thus, even in Tongye Continent, people had heard of him. It was through Wei Jin that someone like Lu Yong, an old Nascent Soul cultivator of Azure Tiger Palace, had first heard of the Wind and Snow Temple, one of the Vase Bottle Continent's military ancestral grounds.
As each name and general story reached his ears, Jiang Shangzhen kept shaking his head, saying, "Not even close. Far from it."
Lu Yong was at his wit's end.
Among Qi cultivators, sword cultivators were rare, and sword immortals even rarer. Those who could ignore the gap of a major threshold at the Nascent Soul realm and kill a Jade Purity realm cultivator—only sword cultivators could do that in the world.
Regarding the "young" sword immortals who had shown their sharpness in the last century, Lu Yong, who devoted himself to alchemy, really only knew that much.
Jiang Shangzhen stopped pressing Lu Yong. He himself felt quite frustrated. Sixty years had been spent in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. In the previous two cycles of sixty years, one had been spent in the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, quelling a chaos unprecedented in a millennium, and he had been seriously injured. After that, he spent the next sixty years in seclusion recovering. He simply had no time to pay attention to the world's general situation. For nearly two hundred years, how many mortal commoners in the mortal world had died? But for cultivators like Jiang Shangzhen, who still hoped to take another step forward on the mountain peak, the passage of time did not leave a deep impression. One step over, one step solidly planted, and one could gain several hundred or even a thousand years of life.
The rights and wrongs in the mortal world were hardly worth mentioning. Beneath longevity, the Dao is not the Dao.
Jiang Shangzhen lowered his gaze slightly. Behind him, this Azure Tiger Palace claimed to enshrine all Daoist immortals. The stairway to heaven stretching before his feet had three thousand steps, symbolizing the "three thousand paths."
It sounded like there were many paths, but how many could actually reach the true highest point?
The Great Dao—it wasn't about how wide the road was. The higher you go, the narrower the path becomes. It might even become a single-plank bridge.
However, Jiang Shangzhen was self-aware. The Dao he cultivated and the path he walked would never become a single-plank bridge, so he would not need to fight to the death with those ahead of him at the Ascension realm, nor would any successors need to push him aside to continue forward.
Regarding that sword cultivator from the sea, he would likely have to return to the Jade Gui Sect and consult with the old sect master. That old man might not have many other talents, but when it came to gossip, no one was more well-informed. The old sect master had a habit of wanting to know even the color of the undergarments of newly entered female disciples and would eavesdrop at the walls on the shrewish quarrels between mountain peak attendants. That was... really excellent. How many cultivators at the Immortal realm on the mountain peaks would hide in their mansions every day, watching the colorful ladies of minor sects display their so-called "talents" through their sect's mirror-water-moon techniques, showing off their charms and flaunting their skills? Then an old man would anonymously send large sums of Minor Summer coins to those sects, or even sneak out of the sect to personally deliver opportunities and magical treasures to them?
Every year, the Jade Gui Sect grew obscenely wealthy from the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land's share. Old man, as the sect master, how dare you still shamelessly tell me, Jiang Shangzhen, that you have no money in your pocket and feel panicked?
And with a face full of boldness, you said you found a kindred spirit, the old sect leader of a sect called the Invincible Divine Fist Gang in Vase Bottle Continent? And you wanted to find an opportunity to visit him? And you lamented the untimely death of that fairy Su Jia from True Martial Mountain?
Sometimes Jiang Shangzhen truly couldn't understand how the old sect master had managed to cultivate to the Immortal realm.
The old sect master, who almost never discussed the Great Dao with Jiang Shangzhen, after he shed his identity as the banished immortal Zhou Fat and returned to the sect, actually pulled him aside and earnestly talked for a long time. He said that the world's women should not be treated like that, and the women of Spring Tide Palace in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land were pitiful. After being lectured for half a day, the old fellow sent him to the West Sea to intercept and kill a great demon, without even giving him a token sect heavy treasure. He was probably truly angry.
On the other hand, that crow Ya'er, whom Jiang Shangzhen had brought out of the Blessed Land, was immediately rewarded with a magical treasure personally hoarded by the old man, of course under Jiang Shangzhen's name.
The group of six walked up the three thousand steps of Azure Tiger Palace. Chen Ping'an felt it strange that they encountered no one along the way.
Looking up, clouds and mist obscured his vision, and he couldn't see the Azure Tiger Palace.
Pei Qian tugged at Chen Ping'an's sleeve and whispered, "There are two people standing up there, seems like they're waiting for us."
Chen Ping'an's heart sank. Could it be that someone from the Great Spring Dynasty still refused to give up?
Just then, as if realizing they had been discovered, the two people walked down the steps, slowly emerging from the sea of clouds.
One was a young man as elegant as jade, the other an old immortal with a transcendent air. But the old man was clearly half a step behind, like a retainer.
Chen Ping'an's pace remained unhurried. Between his fingers, even the sword-suppressing talisman made of green material was pinched, ready.
Looking from afar, the two above seemed to move slowly, but in reality, they were extremely fast. In an instant, they stood on the steps seven or eight above Chen Ping'an's group.
Pei Qian felt that the young man looked familiar and hid behind Chen Ping'an.
Jiang Shangzhen got straight to the point, "Chen Ping'an, after parting ways at the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, we meet again. It seems our affinity is not shallow."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Zhou Fat of Spring Tide Palace? Jiang Shangzhen of Jade Gui Sect?"
Jiang Shangzhen grinned, "That's right."
This great cultivator standing at the peak of Tongye Continent turned to Lu Yong and smiled, "Now this is what you call truly good eyesight."
Lu Yong was speechless.
Chen Ping'an laughed, "I didn't expect you to find me so quickly."
Jiang Shangzhen's smile faded, and his expression turned serious. "Chen Ping'an, your grievances with Zhou Shi and Ya'er, I'll no longer interfere. Whether you believe it or not, I considered on the city wall of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land whether, after leaving, I should find you and invite you to be a guest elder of my Jiang clan. In the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, many opportunities would be yours for the taking, as long as you had the ability—I would welcome it. But later, when you insisted on killing Lu Fang and Zhou Shi, I did indeed feel the urge to kill, thinking that after returning to Tongye Continent, I would do something. But I hired a Yin Yang cultivator to help find you, yet I couldn't locate you no matter what. Later, there was another matter I had to attend to, so I delayed it."
Chen Ping'an sighed, "But you still found me in the end."
Jiang Shangzhen was slightly surprised inwardly.
How long had it been since they left the Lotus Flower Blessed Land? Why did it feel like he was dealing with a different Chen Ping'an?
Not in cultivation, but in state of mind.
Don't underestimate the martial artist who reached the peak in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land as the number one person.
His martial arts realm was indeed not high, but that was because the "Great Dao" of a certain Daoist had been pressing down on his shoulders.
Everything Ding Ying had done was simply another form of "throwing down the load."
"Zhou Fat" and Lu Fang hadn't managed to become number one in the world either. The determination was not in forging martial arts but in breaking through the demon of the heart—that was one reason. But wasn't it also a case of "cannot obtain despite bitter seeking"?
As for the four people behind Chen Ping'an, they should be the historical figures from the legends of the Blessed Land. The woman carrying a sword should be the female sword immortal Sui Youbian that Lu Fang often mentioned. The other three, he could roughly guess their identities, but he couldn't match them to names yet. The tall man with a blade—was that the legendary martial madman Zhu Lian, who was said to be incomparably handsome in his youth? The wiry, short man was Lu Baixiang, the founding patriarch of the Demon Sect? The stooped old man with a smile was Wei Xian, the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom?
Having these four as retainers made Jiang Shangzhen somewhat impressed and envious, but not overly jealous.
Pure martial artists needed time to forge their realms the most—step by step, dripping water wears through stone. They weren't as particular about talent and fortune as Qi cultivators.
Lu Yong was inwardly complaining bitterly.
Judging by Jiang Shangzhen's tone, this young immortal master really was a mortal enemy. But his cultivation seemed low, so he must have an extremely strong background, such that even the Jiang family head, upon appearing, dared not kill him outright? Could he be a direct descendant of that old freak from Tongye Sect?
Jiang Shangzhen said with a cheerful laugh, "Chen Ping'an, since you didn't immediately put on a face of wanting to fight me to the death the moment we met, I can rest easy. How about we chat as we climb the mountain?"
Chen Ping'an said succinctly, "Alright."
In the end, Chen Ping'an and Jiang Shangzhen walked side by side.
Lu Yong followed behind. Pei Qian quietly walked on the same step as this Nascent Soul earthly immortal, but she kept a distance of several steps, secretly observing this old immortal on the mountain.
Whenever Lu Yong showed signs of turning his head, the charcoal-black little girl would immediately turn away to look at the distant scenery, her walking stick tapping "duo duo duo" on the steps.
Lu Yong was greatly surprised. The more he looked at this little girl, the more spiritual she seemed.
Although this Azure Tiger Palace lord's combat skills were poor, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he could still tell a good cultivation seedling and roughly what height it might reach.
Jiang Shangzhen first asked about the identities of the four retainers. Chen Ping'an did not hide it. After Jiang Shangzhen learned the truth, he realized he hadn't guessed a single one correctly. He slapped his forehead and laughed at himself, "My eyesight is on par with Lu Yong's."
The atmosphere didn't seem tense, like enemies meeting with blazing eyes. It was more like friends reuniting, or perhaps they were laughing away old grudges?
But how things really stood, only Jiang Shangzhen and Chen Ping'an knew in their hearts.
Jiang Shangzhen asked, "How was your journey north? Smooth?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Bumpy. I got into some conflicts with two princes of the Great Spring Dynasty."
"Oh?" Jiang Shangzhen turned and asked, "Lord Lu, what is the Great Spring emperor's name?"
Lu Yong quickly replied, "Liu Zhen."
Jiang Shangzhen looked at Chen Ping'an. "I can drag their father here and have him apologize to you. It's very quick to go to Mirage City. It might not take long—maybe by the time you finish a vegetarian meal at Azure Tiger Palace, Liu Zhen will be standing before you. But the Great Spring Dynasty is under the jurisdiction of the Great Fu Academy. The academy's mountain master has an impressive background, from a sage's mansion in the Central Continent, with an elder brother who is a grand libationer at the learning palace. Just don't kill Liu Zhen when it comes to it, or I'll have trouble cleaning up the mess. Of course, giving the old emperor a beating is no problem."
Chen Ping'an said, "You really don't need to do that. Can you give me the bottom line? Why did you come to find me this time? To stop me at the Heavenly Gate Peak ferry and then take me to the Jade Gui Sect?"
Jiang Shangzhen laughed heartily, wiped his mouth, and chuckled to himself, "On the way here, I did think about doing that. I worked hard to find you. It would be lying to say I don't have any resentment. Actually, there were Jade Gui Sect disciples cultivating in Mirage City, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to wait for you at the Azure Goat Palace like a hare in a burrow. I'll be straight with you: after spending a day in Mirage City and learning about your actions in detail, I also went to see that new Minister of Rites named Yao. I only took a distant look, then told the sect disciple in Mirage City to help look after the Yao clan in the future. Then I headed straight to Azure Tiger Palace, just to see you."
Chen Ping'an stopped walking.
Jiang Shangzhen continued climbing the steps, saying calmly, "When we get to the top, I'll explain everything to you."
Chen Ping'an followed Jiang Shangzhen, and together they stepped into the sea of clouds surrounding Heavenly Gate Peak. This stretch of the journey was thick with white mist, but then it suddenly opened up, revealing a majestic palace-temple. They had reached the summit of Heavenly Gate Peak.
Just before they entered the sea of clouds, Lu Yong had intended to take a good look at that little girl. But every time he turned his head, Pei Qian turned away to avoid him.
Lu Yong became even more astounded.
This layer of sea of clouds circling the peak was no ordinary thing. It was the mountain-protecting grand formation of Azure Tiger Palace. Ordinary mortals trapped within would truly be lost in a fog, seeing nothing in their field of vision.
Chen Ping'an stood still, adjusted his collar, and straightened the white jade hairpin on his head.
Jiang Shangzhen continued walking forward with ease. He took a few steps, then realized Chen Ping'an was still standing there. He turned and saw that this young man, who had killed Ding Ying, had a very strange expression on his face.
By the time Lu Yong, Pei Qian, and the four others reached the summit, Chen Ping'an was still standing there, completely motionless.
Pei Qian followed Chen Ping'an's gaze and saw that over by the palace-temple, there was a crowd of people. They all seemed curious about who this divine being was that warranted the personal welcome of the palace lord and that important figure from the Jade Gui Sect.
Most of those watching from Azure Tiger Palace were young Qi practitioners, many of them boys and girls, and quite a few children about Pei Qian's age.
Pei Qian asked softly, "What's the matter?"
Snapping back to reality, Chen Ping'an gently placed a hand on Pei Qian's head and said with a smile, "A long time ago, I was exactly like them, standing at the entrance, watching others."
Chen Ping'an continued forward and followed Jiang Shangzhen directly to the immortal ferry in the direction of the Flood Dragon Rain-spreading Cliff.
Lu Yong glanced at the disciples of Azure Tiger Palace, who were making a ridiculous spectacle. He waved his sleeve and said sternly, "All of you, go back and cultivate! What kind of behavior is this? Unacceptable!"
After passing that ever-changing cliff face, where a flood dragon appeared and disappeared amid clouds and mist, they walked another three or four li and reached the Heavenly Gate Peak ferry.
It was a huge mult-deck ship suspended at the edge of the cliff. Beneath the ship, countless blue birds were spinning around, as if they were lifting the massive floating vessel with their wings.
Lu Yong's feelings were complex.
This ferry was supposed to have departed yesterday for Old Dragon City in the Vase Bottle Continent, but the Jiang family head had stopped it by a very simple means: spending money.
Not only had Azure Tiger Palace dared not collect any money from Jiang Shangzhen, but all the passengers on the ferry had also received an additional sum of Minor Summer coins equivalent to the fare. Lu Yong had sent an elder to act as the benefactor.
There were some who didn't see reason, cursing and refusing the money, demanding an explanation from Azure Tiger Palace. But since Azure Tiger Palace couldn't afford to provoke Jiang Shangzhen, the latter went onto the ferry and slapped a Golden Core cultivator from northern Tongye Continent right out of the sky and into a low mountain peak on Clear Realm Mountain. When Azure Tiger Palace pulled the barely-alive Golden Core earthly immortal out of the mountain wall, the scene was appalling. But after learning Jiang Shangzhen's identity, the Golden Core cultivator dragged his broken body, gritted his teeth, and climbed the mountain again to apologize to the Jiang family head for his offense, even though the latter had appeared, said not a word, and struck him.
Lu Yong had witnessed the whole thing from beginning to end.
Seeing the immortal ferry surrounded by circling birds, Pei Qian was extremely excited. She wished she could immediately unleash her Demonic Sword Technique, then she would strike every single one of those birds without missing.
Wei Xian and the other three were also seeing such a wondrous sight for the first time. Though their faces showed no reaction, they were deeply moved inside.
This was the Heaven's Reach world.
Standing by the ferry, Jiang Shangzhen said with a smile, "I'll see you this far."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Jiang Shangzhen hesitated for a moment, then said, "May I ask one question? Who is your master?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and said nothing.
Jiang Shangzhen still wouldn't give up. "I mean no harm."
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I'm not deliberately hiding it from you, but I don't have a master in the strict sense."
The one who taught him porcelain-making was Old Yao, who wouldn't take him as a disciple. The one who taught him Eighteen Halts of Sword Qi was A Liang. The one who taught him fist techniques was the old man Cui, a Tenth-Realm martial artist. The ones who taught him knowledge were Teacher Qi and the old Scholar of the Sage of Culture.
The ones who taught him to be kind to others were his parents.
Jiang Shangzhen said helplessly, "Alright, if you don't want to say it, then don't. The reason I sought you out this time was because someone entrusted me to give you something. I've carefully placed it in a bottle. After you take it, it's best to put it into your sizespace item. Don't take it out again until you're certain you're in a safe place."
Having traveled twice, Chen Ping'an had seen quite a bit. For instance, outside Flying Eagle Fort, he had seen people sending their heads from a thousand li away.
But a person like Jiang Shangzhen, who was his enemy, traveling so far just to give him something—Chen Ping'an would sooner die than believe that.
Seeing Chen Ping'an's undisguised wary gaze, Jiang Shangzhen stomped his foot and used a divine ability to isolate a small pocket dimension. He said wryly, "You've heard of the chaos at the Planchette Sect, right?"
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Jiang Shangzhen pointed at himself. "That great demon was injured, but relying on its thick skin and flesh, it still managed to escape into the West Sea. I was one of the three who went to hunt it down. The other two were Song Mao, the sect master of Peace Mountain, and an old bastard from Tongye Sect who manages the genealogies. The demon was heavily wounded and doomed to die. But the other one from Tongye Sect and I were unwilling to strike the fatal blow, for fear of provoking the demon into mutual destruction and damaging our own cultivation. So we planned to follow it slowly until it died, enjoying the scenery and chatting along the way."
Chen Ping'an knew that the pursuit was definitely not as easy and pleasant as Jiang Shangzhen made it sound.
Jiang Shangzhen turned his gaze to the west and sighed, "Then the three of us encountered a sword cultivator. Truly, his sword qi shot up to the Dipper and Ox stars. He was born with a chivalrous heart and had a good temper. Not only did he kill the demon with a single sword strike, but he also liked to reason with us. Nor did he covet the demon's corpse..."
At this point, Jiang Shangzhen slapped his forehead. "I really can't make up any more of this..."
His eyes suddenly turned sharp as he stared at Chen Ping'an. "That sword cultivator asked who among us knew Chen Ping'an. I told the truth. He didn't say much else. He came back and only said one sentence: the demon core would be mine. And with just that single sentence, Peace Mountain and Tongye Sect had no objections. They let me cut open and take away the most precious demon core of a twelfth-realm great demon. I understood what that sword cultivator meant, so I came to find you, to hand the demon core over to you."
Chen Ping'an's expression remained unchanged. "That sword cultivator, I know him. His name is Zuo You."
Know him?
Just like that?
Zuo You?
What a strange, unfamiliar name.
Had he really been a young sword immortal who had only emerged in the last two hundred years?
Jiang Shangzhen almost wanted to jump up and curse. He stared into Chen Ping'an's eyes, holding in his hand a delicate porcelain bottle half an arm's length tall. "Do you know the value of this demon core? Do you know what kind of sword cultivator it takes to kill a great demon that has revealed its true form in a single strike?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, then nodded. "I don't know the value of the demon core, but I know Zuo You's swordsmanship. Zuo You told me himself: his sword intent is lower than A Liang's, but his swordsmanship... is higher than A Liang's. I believe him."
Jiang Shangzhen's face stiffened. He tilted his head and rubbed his face with his hand.
Chen Ping'an, Chen Ping'an, can you not use that casual tone to talk about a friend who claims his swordsmanship is "higher than A Liang's"?!
Chen Ping'an noticed the change and laughed. "Don't worry, the grudges between me and Zhou Shi, the Garland Weaver, and the Demon Sect crow Ya'er don't have much to do with you. Besides, even if I went to beg Zuo You, he wouldn't agree to unsheathe his sword against you for my sake."
This so-called "senior brother" Zuo You had only recognized him as "junior brother" through gritted teeth.
"Don't worry"? Bullshit!
Jiang Shangzhen didn't doubt Chen Ping'an's words, but that sword immortal named Zuo You—did he need a reason to unsheathe his sword? He might just do it if he was in a bad mood, and split the Jade Gui Sect's mountain peaks! Go ask that old bastard from Tongye Sect how he felt after receiving one strike from Zuo You! He didn't want a second strike, so he threw away all his old face!
Jiang Shangzhen made up his mind to stay far away from Chen Ping'an in the future.
He handed over the bottle containing the demon core. Without another word, Chen Ping'an quickly put it into his sizespace item.
Jiang Shangzhen said softly, "This bottle itself is a decent magical treasure. Consider it compensation from my Jiang clan. As for whether you and Zhou Shi will meet in the future and what will happen if you do, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Pei Qian glanced at Chen Ping'an and that guy, then looked away.
The mountain god's marriage was the first time; pointing at the ferry above was the second. The third time would be once too many.
Pei Qian could see both of them but refrained from looking too much. Lu Yong and the four others couldn't see them at all, so they didn't try to look.
After a moment, the two figures reappeared beside the group.
Chen Ping'an walked toward the ferry first, Pei Qian following immediately, and the other four behind.
After boarding the ferry, Chen Ping'an turned around and cupped his hands to Jiang Shangzhen. "One matter at a time. Thank you."
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and nodded. How many years had it been since he felt this sense of relief?
A steward from Azure Tiger Palace had been waiting at the bow. He carefully led Chen Ping'an and his group to the top deck of the ferry.
Jiang Shangzhen continued to gaze at the ferry, silent for a long time.
Lu Yong had no choice but to stay by the Jiang family head's side and join him in his daze.
The ferry had only been waiting for Chen Ping'an and his party. Soon it slowly rose and headed north.
Jiang Shangzhen withdrew his gaze and said softly, "With such an honored guest, isn't your Azure Tiger Palace planning to give this Immortal Master Chen some parting gifts?"
Lu Yong's heart tightened. He said astutely, "Naturally, we must give something. But I humbly ask for your guidance, senior: what gift would be appropriate?"
Jiang Shangzhen let out a cold laugh. "Give whatever is most valuable! With your Nascent Soul cultivation, do I still need to teach you how to give gifts?"
Lu Yong gritted his teeth and asked cautiously, "If Immortal Master Chen declines, what should Azure Tiger Palace do?"
Jiang Shangzhen turned his head, his eyes cold. "Cry, get angry, threaten to hang yourself—will he still refuse? In this world, it's hard to trick people out of their money, but it's easy to give money away? If Azure Tiger Palace can't manage such a trivial matter, then, Lord Lu, why don't you go die?"
Lu Yong broke out in a cold sweat. "You are right, senior. I have it figured out."
Jiang Shangzhen snorted. "No matter what you give out, report the price to me later, and I'll repay Azure Tiger Palace double."
Lu Yong had just been making some plans.
But then Jiang Shangzhen squinted and said darkly, "Don't try any clever tricks with me over this kind of crappy matter. It costs what it costs. You and your Azure Tiger Palace aren't qualified to make me, Jiang Shangzhen, owe you a favor."
Lu Yong nodded quickly like a chick pecking rice.
Jiang Shangzhen suddenly laughed at himself. He patted Lu Yong on the shoulder and said amiably, "I just figured something out, so I plan to stay at Azure Tiger Palace for an extra day. Pick a few disciples you like, and I will personally give them a lecture on cultivation. If there are truly excellent cultivation seeds among them, I will give your Azure Tiger Palace one slot to go to the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land. Oh, and don't forget: if they are ugly or malformed in any way, no matter how good their talent, don't waste my time. When teaching and clarifying doubts, one must pay attention to visual appeal."
Lu Yong was overjoyed in his heart. For the first time, he made a sincere bow and thanked him. "Senior's great kindness, Lu Yong will never forget!"
On the path of cultivation, fortune and calamity always go hand in hand.
Can calamity be endured? Can fortune be received?
It all comes down to one's own cultivation.
For instance, even a peak immortal like Jiang Shangzhen—if he were in the identity of the banished immortal Zhou Fat and encountered Ding Ying, who had made up his mind to kill, he would still die in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.
---
After boarding the top deck of the ferry, the group of six each had a first-class cabin. Chen Ping'an's room was, of course, extravagantly large.
Holding their jade tokens and keys, the four of them tacitly followed Chen Ping'an.
After Pei Qian closed the door, she threw aside her walking stick, ran through several rooms, and finally went to the viewing platform to look at the sea of clouds. Her dark face was full of happiness as she stared into the distance in a daze.
Wei Xian also went to the viewing platform.
The other three sat down, along with Chen Ping'an.
Lu Baixiang asked with a smile, "Master, who was that young immortal earlier?"
Zhu Lian had already gotten up again, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Chen Ping'an. After taking the teacup, Chen Ping'an said, "He is the head of the Jiang clan of the Jade Gui Sect, Jiang Shangzhen. He seems to be a Jade Purity realm cultivator. Moreover, he controls a blessed land of the Cloud Cavern variety with a very high quality. The blessed land's territory is vast and abundant in heavenly materials and earthly treasures."
Zhu Lian exclaimed in admiration, "Young master's acquaintances are not limited to commoners; it's clear that his friends are all mountain immortals."
Sui Youbian glanced at the calm-faced Chen Ping'an and poured herself a cup of tea.
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Not a friend."
Lu Baixiang sighed with feeling. "Jade Purity realm—so he has already ascended to the upper five realms."
Chen Ping'an had already roughly explained to them the division of realms for pure martial artists and Qi cultivators.
For martial artists: the Seventh Realm was the Golden Body Realm, the Eighth Realm the Far Traveling Realm, and the Ninth Realm the Mountain Summit Realm. In the mortal world, these were considered the ultimate end of martial arts. But Chen Ping'an had told them that the Tenth Realm was still not the end.
For Qi cultivators: the middle five realms were the Cavern Dwelling Realm, the Sea-viewing Realm, the Dragon Gate Realm, the Golden Core Realm, and the Nascent Soul Realm.
For the upper five realms, they only knew of the Jade Purity Realm, the Immortal Realm, and the Ascension Realm. The other two realms had been lost for a long time.
---
On the viewing platform, Pei Qian, having seen the magnificent scenery of rolling clouds, began to feel bored again. She sighed, "Old Wei, let me share something from the bottom of my heart?"
Wei Xian grunted in acknowledgment, leaning on the railing. The ferry sailed above the sea of clouds. It was likely protected by some immortal formation that kept the viewing platform free from the violent winds of the sky, leaving only a comfortable breeze on the face.
Pei Qian stood on tiptoe, her face full of worry. "My dad still refuses to teach me his peerless sword techniques."
Wei Xian said calmly, "You have to eat your meals one bite at a time."
Pei Qian crouched down, her back against the railing. "It's worrying."
Wei Xian glanced down at the thin little girl. "Don't worry. Tomorrow, you'll still be in the same damn state. You'll get used to it."
Pei Qian looked up, her eyes full of resentment. "Old Wei, a man like you—can you find a wife?"
Wei Xian thought for a moment. "I can find one. Other people always found them for me. But the one I liked best, I couldn't marry."
Pei Qian asked, "Why? Because she thought you were ugly? Well, I can't blame the girl for that."
These two, big and small, had about the same knack for comforting people.
Wei Xian leaned on the railing. "None of them rejected me for the way I looked. And she wasn't much to look at either. It's just that back then, my family was poor. I thought that once I earned a fortune, I would marry her. Then came the chaos of the world. She died. I didn't."
Pei Qian stood up and patted Wei Xian's arm. "Alright, that's all in the past. Think about it: so many years have passed, and you still think about her. Doesn't that mean she's still alive, in a way? That's not bad. Maybe if you had married her back then, you'd have gotten tired of her soon enough. And you'd probably never have become emperor."
Wei Xian nodded. "That's true. Back then, no one around me could explain things so clearly. So many officials—they read all those books only to have it go to waste."
Pei Qian grinned. "Old Wei, how big an official do you think I can become?"
Wei Xian said, "Women can't be officials. The way you look, you'll probably grow up to be an ugly girl. Even if you enter the palace, you'll never see the emperor in your lifetime."
Pei Qian kicked Wei Xian in the leg, furious. "Old Wei, are you an old pervert?!"
Wei Xian laughed dryly.
This man who could fight ten thousand in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land had recently been nursing a small grudge. Now, it was gone.
Actually, it wasn't Chen Ping'an's fault for being disgusting. It was Wei Xian's own loose tongue. He had to go and ask Chen Ping'an about the later history of the Southern Garden Kingdom, especially what the history books said about him.
Back then, after Chen Ping'an sensed something was wrong with the Southern Garden Kingdom, he had looked through many orthodox history books and unofficial histories. About the founding emperor Wei Xian, he found quite a bit, including all sorts of auspicious signs and legends at Wei Xian's birth. For example, when Wei Xian's father went to work in the fields, he saw his wife lying on the road, and a white dragon coiled on top of her. Then she became pregnant with Wei Xian...
After that casual chat, Wei Xian hadn't spoken to Chen Ping'an again.
Pei Qian, who loved chaos, had laughed so hard at the time that she rolled on the ground holding her stomach.
For a while, she kept using that to disgust him. For instance, when they were walking on a mountain path, she would deliberately puff out her belly and circle around Wei Xian, going "aiyo, aiyo" all the while.
In the end, Chen Ping'an yanked her ear so hard it hurt, and gave her a solid scolding. Only then did Pei Qian stop. She even went to apologize to Wei Xian. But with her back to Chen Ping'an, she was making faces.
Wei Xian wouldn't hold a grudge against the girl, but he still couldn't be happy about it.
Pei Qian looked up at Wei Xian's profile and suddenly said, "Old Wei, I'm sorry. I won't make fun of you anymore."
Wei Xian grinned. "It's nothing. That's not even that bad. There are plenty of other things the Southern Garden Kingdom's historians didn't dare write about..."
Pei Qian whispered, "Like what? Tell me some, but keep your voice down."
Wei Xian said quietly, "Lots of things. For example, back then in my hometown, my nickname was 'Mouse the Eighth.' We were poor, so I stole chickens and dogs. Later, I even did some dirty work like highway robbery and smuggling salt. As for my mother, she never had any white dragon lying on her. But I did see her with a lover. I didn't say anything. That man was a decent person—he had more humanity than my father. Later, to save me, he blocked a gang of bandits in an alley. They hacked his whole back to pieces, but he still shouted for me to run. What could I do? I ran. In the end, I never found the man who killed him."
Pei Qian sighed as she turned and walked toward Chen Ping'an. Then she suddenly started running, laughing loudly, "Wei Xian's mother was..."
Chen Ping'an turned to look at Pei Qian, who was overjoyed and about to expose an old wound. He shouted angrily, "Shut up! Go apologize!"
Terrified, Pei Qian's face fell. Her eyes reddened, and she immediately ran back to the viewing platform. Just as she was about to open her mouth to apologize, Wei Xian laughed and patted her on the head. "Alright, what are you crying about? It's no big deal. Next time, you can buy me a sugar figure."
Pei Qian quickly agreed, but she was still trembling and timid. She stole a glance at the room and saw Chen Ping'an. She was done for—he was truly angry.
She quickly hugged Wei Xian's thigh and sobbed, "Dad's going to throw me off the ship later. You have to grab me."
Wei Xian was speechless. He turned to look into the room and said with a laugh, "It's really nothing."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then nodded.
He stood up and said to Pei Qian, "Come here."
He took Pei Qian to the adjacent study. Pei Qian quickly closed the door, then lowered her head, assuming a pitiful posture of admitting her mistakes without talking back and taking her punishment without fighting back.
Chen Ping'an said sternly, "Is Old Wei your friend or not?!"
Pei Qian thought for a moment, not daring to lie, and answered honestly, "Half."
She quickly added, "Half is already a lot. Xiao Bai doesn't even have half. Only Old Wei does."
Chen Ping'an asked, "What do the two books say about friends?"
Pei Qian answered without thinking, "Friends should be upright, trustworthy, and knowledgeable—that is beneficial. We should advise them for their own good but stop if they don't listen, lest we humiliate ourselves. We should examine ourselves three times a day: have we been faithful with friends? A gentleman treats others with sincerity..."
Pei Qian rattled off a long string of sayings.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Then which one did you live up to?"
Pei Qian lowered her head and muttered, "Those are from books, not from you."
Chen Ping'an was so angry he almost choked.
Pei Qian said softly, "I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have made fun of Old Wei. And since Old Wei treated me sincerely, I should treat him sincerely too."
Only then did Chen Ping'an's face soften slightly. He said darkly, "Go get the book and read it aloud on the viewing platform."
Pei Qian asked, "I've memorized it. Can I not bring the book?"
Seeing that Chen Ping'an was about to get angry again, Pei Qian immediately turned and ran, saying she'd get the book. Otherwise, her sincerity wouldn't be enough, and she would be letting down the sages who wrote the books.
Chen Ping'an sighed.
He thought back to Gu Can, that little snot-nosed kid in Clay Vial Alley.
Neither of them...
---
On the viewing platform, Pei Qian held the book high with both hands. She didn't need to flip the pages; she began reciting loudly. While pretending to turn a page, she turned with a triumphant smile and whispered to Wei Xian, "Old Wei, my dad thinks the words I said this time for admitting my mistake were right."
Wei Xian gave her a thumbs-up in praise.
Pei Qian swayed her head.
Then a sharp rap landed on her head.
Pei Qian didn't dare turn her head. She cried out, "I won't do it again! I was wrong! I really won't do it again..."
Zhu Lian hummed, put his hands behind his back, and turned away. "Good, the child is teachable. Still salvageable."
Pei Qian whirled around, ready to fight the old turtle to the death. But then she saw Chen Ping'an walk out of the study, so she swallowed her anger and obediently turned back to continue reciting.
In the end, Pei Qian stayed on the viewing platform to recite. Sui Youbian had already left. Wei Xian and Zhu Lian also departed separately.
Only Lu Baixiang remained seated at the table across from Chen Ping'an.
Lu Baixiang asked with a smile, "Master, won't you ask me about the content of that sentence?"
Chen Ping'an took off the Sword-nourishing Gourd, poured two cups of wine, and handed one to him. "Say it if you want to. If you don't, what can I do?"
Zhu Lian had once thought that Chen Ping'an had a high regard for Lu Baixiang because the latter had been the first to speak that sentence, making him the first "defector."
On the contrary, Lu Baixiang had not spoken it until today. He was the last of the four in the scroll.
Lu Baixiang's expression was strange. After taking a sip of wine, he said, "Actually, compared to the other three, my sentence is probably the least meaningful: 'Spending money like water—doesn't that feel good?'"
Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "That does sound like something that person would say."
Lu Baixiang asked, "Can I not call you 'Master' in the future?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No way. It sounds pretty cool."
Lu Baixiang had never expected that answer. He had thought Chen Ping'an would most likely agree.
Chen Ping'an laughed heartily. "You don't have to call me that. I was just joking."
Lu Baixiang slowly stood up, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Chen Ping'an treats me as a state scholar; I, Lu Baixiang, will repay him as a state scholar."
Chen Ping'an had to stand up as well. "If it were Zhu Lian saying that, I'd be used to it. But when you say it, I find it a bit hard to adjust to."
Lu Baixiang smiled and took his leave.
Chen Ping'an sat alone at the table. After a long while, with the sound of recitation still coming from outside, he said, "Go to your room."
Pei Qian had been waiting for that. She closed the book, ran back into the room happily, plopped down on a stool, and poured herself a cup of tea. Her voice was hoarse. "I'm so thirsty I could die."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Do you really not hold a grudge against me?"
"Ah?" Pei Qian looked baffled, and her expression didn't seem fake. "Why would I?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and said nothing.
Pei Qian said pitifully, "Do I have to copy books today? I'm so tired from climbing all those stairs."
Chen Ping'an slapped a talisman onto her forehead. "Here, this Pagoda Demon-suppressing Talisman is yours."
Just as Pei Qian was about to cheer, Chen Ping'an said, "Go back to your room and copy books."
Pei Qian thought about it. She had made a killing. She re-shouldered her pack, picked up her walking stick, and skipped off to copy books.
Chen Ping'an walked to the viewing platform.
How many times had this been? Riding on an immortal ferry?
---
Sui Youbian sat in her room with her eyes closed, resting. On the table lay the increasingly sharp Heart of Devotion sword. After nourishing the sword for so long, she could clearly feel a sword intent roaming inside the scabbard.
Sword intent, not sword qi.
After the great battle that night, she had followed Chen Ping'an away from the ruined temple.
They had a conversation.
Some of Chen Ping'an's words had been very blunt.
"Now, the two gold essence copper coins—you don't have to repay them. But from now on, if Wei Xian, Zhu Lian, and Lu Baixiang spend my gold essence copper coins, it's still to be decided whether they'll have to pay me back. However, you must. Don't worry about when; I just want to make it clear upfront. It's better to lay out the ugly words first than to have you turn against me later."
Some of his words were highly suspect.
"Don't think I'm not qualified to talk to you about cultivation and the sword. I have seen two sword cultivators in this world with almost the strongest swordsmanship and sword intent. Although I haven't been practicing the sword for long, I already know where the highest point of sword intent and swordsmanship lies in this world. I just need to walk there step by step."
And some were quite mysterious.
"When it comes to cultivation, the most important thing is to knock on the gateway of the heart. The four of you were all number one in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. Each of you has your own path to walk, and you will walk it with great determination. For example, you, Sui Youbian, dedicate your entire heart to the divine art of the sword. The higher your aspiration, the more desperate you feel now. But believe me, Heaven never seals off all exits!"
Finally, Sui Youbian asked Chen Ping'an why only she had to repay the gold essence copper coins.
At the time, the guy had looked serious and answered, "I have a girl I like. When I go see her next time, she will audit my assets. If the books don't balance, especially because of other women, how would I explain that to her?"
---
At the Sword Qi Great Wall, the great battle had come to a halt for the moment.
In this world, under the night sky, twin moons hung in the air.
On the walking horse path, near the two huts—one old, one new—Ning Yao sat on the city wall directly facing the huts. On her knees lay the stacked skirt-weight knife and the locust wood sword. She stared into space.
That great sword immortal named Chen Qingdu came to her side and sat down cross-legged. "Since we have a moment of leisure, I can tell you something now."
Ning Yao turned her head in confusion.
The old man smiled. "That Long Breath Sword, I had originally intended to give it to you someday."
He raised a hand to cut off Ning Yao's interruption. "But this attack by the demon race was extremely strange. I was afraid that giving it to you might bring disaster. Just then, Chen Ping'an needed to rebuild his Longevity Bridge, so I let him carry the Long Breath Sword to Tongye Continent to find that Observing the Dao Temple. Before lending him the sword, I privately spoke to him plainly. Carrying the Long Breath Sword would bring many benefits, but the disadvantages were even greater. He would have to bear a great karma—the cause and effect between you, Ning Yao, and the demon race."
Chen Qingdu smiled gently. "That child... For the first time, he showed a very different look and expression. Even when he fought Cao Ci and we watched him lose three matches in a row, Chen Ping'an's eyes had never been so bright. It was truly unforgettable."
He turned his head. "Ning girl, aren't you angry? Don't you blame me for meddling and making him take the risk?"
Ning Yao curled the corners of her mouth. "Angry? I'm not angry. I am Ning Yao! He is Chen Ping'an!"
She was full of spirit and confidence.
It was as if she was saying: The guy I, Ning Yao, like—he willingly does this. I'm not surprised at all!
Chen Qingdu jumped down from the city wall and walked toward the huts, clicking his tongue. "Late at night, and I still have to take a sword strike like this. I'm really asking for trouble."
Ning Yao rested her cheeks in her hands and began to miss him.
Her face was full of proud smiles.
Ha, how good are my eyes?
Then she frowned, recalling a conversation in the Clay Vial Alley residence. "Ah? In the end, it's me who is the one with the blind spot?!"
She stood up, put away the skirt-weight knife she had once lent to him and the locust wood sword she had borrowed from him, then began to walk and punch like that idiot, muttering to herself, "This Ning Yao, with one hand, can beat five hundred great sword immortals Chen Ping'an!"
She stopped, turned to look at that wild wasteland world, crossed her arms over her chest, and said with a radiant expression, "So tell me, aren't you afraid?!"
---
The great sword immortal Chen Qingdu was speechless. Well, if that day ever came, who in the world wouldn't be afraid?
---
Back at the Heavenly Gate Peak ferry.
Jiang Shangzhen had asked Chen Ping'an one small question at the end.
"Why do you care what the disciples of Azure Tiger Palace think? And you were... trying to leave a good impression on them? What for? Worth it?"
Of course, Jiang Shangzhen could see through the simple disguise and knew the extraordinary nature of the Golden Sweet Wine Dharma Robe and the Sword-nourishing Gourd.
But the thing that truly struck him as strange was the white jade hairpin tucked into Chen Ping'an's hair bun. It was made of ordinary material.
With a little more attention, he noticed that there were eight small seal-script characters carved on the jade hairpin.
Thinking of the gentleman, warm as jade.