Chapter 362: Hoping for Someone Else's Shoulders

Chapter 362: Hoping for Someone Else's Shoulders

(Ten-Thousand-Word Chapter)

Zheng Dafeng was stunned for a long time, probably unable to reconcile the young man before him with the memory of the charcoal-black kid who had once squatted beside him on a tree stump. Finally, he wiped his face and blurted out, "Talk if you want to talk, but do you have to spray spit all over my face like that?"

But in the end, Zheng Dafeng still accepted that bottle of Meditation-Forgetting Pills. If Chen Ping'an wasn't just blowing smoke, two pills would be enough to suppress his injuries. As for eradicating the root cause of his ailment, that was still extremely difficult—it was no longer a matter of taking a few more miraculous pills.

Pei Qian had been poking her head around the threshold for a while. Raising her mountain-walking staff, she fumed, "Hey, you! Can't you tell a good deed from a bad one? Keep talking like that, and I'll get angry for real..."

Zheng Dafeng put away the porcelain bottle, turned around, and grinned. "Oh, I'm so scared. This peerless young heroine—where might you hail from, miss?"

Pei Qian cleared her throat, stood up straight, and struck the ground heavily with her staff. "Listen up! My name is Pei Qian. I'm a princess in hiding among the common folk, and Chen Ping'an is my... master! I'm the founding disciple of our sect!"

Calling him her father would have gotten her a beating, so she never said that in front of Chen Ping'an.

Zheng Dafeng swallowed hard, turned to look at Chen Ping'an, and seemed to be wondering where on earth a clueless blockhead like Chen Ping'an had found such a little girl.

Chen Ping'an said, "Let's go inside and talk business."

Zheng Dafeng was puzzled. "Aren't we done talking?"

Chen Ping'an laughed in exasperation. "I'm willing to get involved, but I'm not looking to throw my life away. I need to know the factions on the opposing side—how many Golden Core and Nascent Soul Earth Immortals they have? Which factions are sitting back and watching the tigers fight, which Earth Immortals will actually enter the fray, and whether there are any Upper Five Realm cultivators lurking behind them ready to strike. Don't I need to understand the feng shui layout of Old Dragon City and the route near Ascending Dragon Terrace? Don't I need to hear about your three battles with the Fu, Fang, and Ding families?"

Zheng Dafeng's head ached. He pulled out the porcelain bottle. "Take it back, take it back. We're really not on the same path. We can't even piss in the same pot!"

Chen Ping'an ignored Zheng Dafeng and stepped straight over the threshold.

The Zhao-surnamed Yin Spirit had already appeared inside the shop, smiling. "I can explain everything in detail to you."

Zheng Dafeng sighed, habitually scratched his crotch, grabbed a stool, and returned to the herbal medicine shop. He followed Chen Ping'an to the back courtyard. Inside Zheng Dafeng's main room, Chen Ping'an and the Zhao Yin Spirit sat facing each other. Pei Qian didn't dare take the host's seat facing south; she sat on a long bench with her back to the door, leaving the main seat for Zheng Dafeng. Chen Ping'an also had Wei Xian, Lu Baixiang, and the other two bring chairs and stools and sit inside the main room to listen.

Before sitting down, Zheng Dafeng at least showed some hostly demeanor. He grabbed a big handful of sunflower seeds and put them in a small dish, placing it in front of Pei Qian. She glanced at Chen Ping'an and reluctantly thanked Zheng Dafeng.

Then Zheng Dafeng took two large plates for himself—one of salted peanuts, one of dried beef jerky.

Pei Qian looked at her small dish of seeds, then at Zheng Dafeng's plates across from her. Even the dishes were bigger than hers! Wasn't that a bit too much?

Pei Qian gave him a thumbs up. "Your hospitality? I bow to you!"

Zheng Dafeng made a downward pressing motion with his hand. "Keep it in your heart, don't put it on your lips."

Pei Qian sat cross-legged on the bench and cracked seeds vigorously.

Chen Ping'an took off his Nourishing Sword Gourd and set it on the table. "Mind if I have a little drink?"

Zheng Dafeng shelled a salted peanut and shook his head. "Not a drop of alcohol. Can't drink lately."

The Zhao Yin Spirit spoke slowly, "In six days, on the solar term of Major Cold, there will be a life-or-death battle between Zheng Dafeng and Fu Qi on that Ascending Dragon Terrace of the Fu family. In other words, only one of them will walk down alive. If Zheng Dafeng dies, it'll be simple—we just go up to collect his corpse. No real danger. The Fu family will have gained enough face by killing a Ninth Realm martial artist; they'll be magnanimous and won't bother with a Dust Shop like ours."

Seeing Chen Ping'an look at him, the Yin Spirit smiled bitterly. "Naturally, I can't just watch Zheng Dafeng die on Ascending Dragon Terrace. If he dies, I won't even be able to remain as a Yin Spirit, let alone protect my descendants. So even if the terrace is covered in magical restrictions, I still have a way to break in. But if I do that, all it does is let Zheng Dafeng live a little longer. And if you, Chen Ping'an, choose to forcefully intervene, it'll turn into a major chaotic battle. Never mind Golden Cores and Nascent Souls—even any Mid Five Realm cultivator, except the Fan family, all five surnames of Old Dragon City will come to step on us."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "That's the worst-case scenario. I understand. Now tell me the best-case scenario."

The Yin Spirit was slightly surprised. This trip to Inverted Mountain seemed to have changed Chen Ping'an quite a bit. But the Yin Spirit's form was naturally ethereal and his features blurry. He continued, "After Zheng Dafeng knocked down Old Dragon City's number one Golden Core cultivator, Chu Yang, with three punches, he fought a great battle against the Fu family's Nascent Soul ancestor, who wielded a demi-immortal weapon. The Fu family has run Old Dragon City for so long that their mansion has been turned into a kind of minor cave heaven blessed land, similar to an academy or temple. So that fight wasn't easy."

Zheng Dafeng sneered, "I was showing weakness to deceive the enemy. The one I wanted to take down from the start was Old Dragon City's lord, Fu Qi. If I hadn't deliberately suppressed my realm, that old coot waving his broken iron spear around would have long been knocked flat, and I'd be spitting on his face."

Chen Ping'an wasn't entirely convinced by Zheng Dafeng's words. The Yin Spirit smiled and nodded, "What Zheng Dafeng said isn't too far-fetched. At the time, he really didn't want to reveal his true realm too early."

Chen Ping'an understood. That fit Zheng Dafeng's personality.

If it were Li Huai's father, Li Er, he probably wouldn't have been so reserved.

In fact, back in the Lizhu Cave Heaven days, aside from Mr. Qi, Old Man Yang, and Li Baoping's brother Li Xisheng, that old bachelor gatekeeper might have been the one with the greatest learning. The more you know, the higher your aspirations. His pure martial intent wasn't as pure as Li Er's, because too many desires narrow the mind. That was why Zheng Dafeng's breakthrough had been so difficult. He had even needed Chen Ping'an and that "Book of Sincerity" to serve as his path-illuminator.

Chen Ping'an asked, "So it was that son-in-law of the Ding family, the direct disciple of Tongye Sect who brought his wife back to her maiden home, who injured Zheng Dafeng so badly? Why did the negotiation break down and turn into a massive fight?"

Zheng Dafeng's face darkened. He just tore off a piece of beef jerky and threw it into his mouth.

The Zhao Yin Spirit laughed. "Good heavens, the guy had quite the background. As soon as he arrived at the Dust Shop, he came straight to the point and said two things. First, his name was Du Yan, the direct grandson of that rejuvenating ancestor of the Tongye Sect. Second, back when Du Yan was wandering around Old Dragon City in disguise, that young man from the Fang family's grandfather had been his little follower. By this generation, the young man was the only male heir, so he hoped Zheng Dafeng would do him a favor and not let the family line end. If Zheng Dafeng agreed, he promised that the Tongye Sect would stand on the Dust Shop's side."

The Yin Spirit glanced at Zheng Dafeng, who had been sneaking peeks at the Nourishing Soul Gourd. He sneered, "A Ninth Realm martial artist thinks he's invincible under heaven. He knew a Jade Pu Realm cultivator was standing next to Du Yan, but he didn't take it seriously. He even dared to mock an Upper Five Realm cultivator for being willing to bark like a dog for someone else. Now you see, Zheng Dafeng? Feel like a drink? Go ahead and drink—after all, you're invincible. An eleventh realm Nascent Soul pinnacle with at least one immortal weapon, plus the home-field advantage of Ascending Dragon Terrace—Fu Qi is still just a one-punch knockdown for our Lord Zheng, right?"

Zheng Dafeng rolled his eyes, put one foot on the bench, and hunched his shoulders, completely unconcerned. The only thing that bothered him was not being able to drink. But Chen Ping'an was being inconsiderate. He himself said he wouldn't drink a drop, yet Chen Ping'an wasn't drinking either. So why didn't he just put the gourd away? Why did he have to uncork it and wave it around?

Chen Ping'an nodded and asked curiously, "Fan Er only told me that Zheng Dafeng went to the Fang family and said something to that young man. What was it?"

Zheng Dafeng threw the peanut shell on the ground, his eyes cold. "I told him he'd wish he were dead. Old Zhao knows some forbidden techniques from evil paths. That kid's going to have plenty of 'fun' later."

Until this moment, Chen Ping'an turned to Wei Xian and the other three and smiled, "I forgot to introduce you. This guy is Zheng Dafeng, a fellow townsman of mine. Ninth Realm martial artist. Used to be a gatekeeper. Back then, I did a bit of business with him—a few coppers' worth. I still remember his kindness."

Zheng Dafeng cupped his hands to the four and said, "Just Ninth Realm. Don't laugh, don't laugh."

Chen Ping'an continued, "That flying sword of mine, Fifteen, originally belonged to his master. In these decades, his master seems to have taken on only two disciples. Zheng Dafeng is Ninth Realm, and his senior brother smoothly advanced all the way to Tenth Realm, like eating and drinking for us."

Pei Qian's eyes lit up. That path suited her! Eating and drinking to reach that so-called Tenth Realm of martial arts—and she had to read and copy books every day. If she secretly drank a little alcohol, it'd be outrageous!

Zheng Dafeng covered his face, grumbling, "Damn it..."

The four from the painting had different thoughts in their hearts.

After needling Zheng Dafeng a bit, the Zhao Yin Spirit continued, "The best-case scenario is that Zheng Dafeng defeats Fu Qi, who has every advantage of time and place. Then it depends on how we can bring Zheng Dafeng back alive from the Ascending Dragon Terrace outside the city to this Dust Shop inside the inner city. It's risky—we have to rely on heaven's will. But looking back, the existence of Yunlin Jiang family is both the greatest danger and, because of the accumulated prestige of their ancestors who served as 'Great Invocators,' our slim chance of survival. On the surface, if Zheng Dafeng manages to walk down alive, no one would dare to make an unnecessary move for the Yunlin Jiang or Fu families. Even the Fu family wouldn't dare break the agreement openly. As for what happens in private—on the road from Ascending Dragon Terrace to this shop..."

At this point, the Zhao Yin Spirit inexplicably asked, "That person really isn't willing to help?"

After all, that person was the main reason he and Zheng Dafeng had left Lizhu Cave Heaven and settled in Old Dragon City.

Zheng Dafeng curled his lip. "That Fan family woman made it clear before I made my move. At most, she'd make sure the Fan family doesn't screw me over, and that the Fu family can't control the cloud sea above Old Dragon City. As for the rest, if I, Zheng Dafeng, want to go die, she'll just watch me die."

Zheng Dafeng had altered the words a bit. The young woman in green robes who had been drinking in the shop and suddenly broke into the Nascent Soul realm—Fan Junmao, that woman from the Fan family who threw a sword into the cloud sea and directly destroyed an Upper Grade dharma robe of a jade pendant sect Jiang family Nascent Soul offering—her exact words to Zheng Dafeng had been: "No matter how many years pass, you're still that same worthless mud that can't make anything of yourself. Then I'll just watch you get nailed down again."

Of course, Zheng Dafeng wouldn't repeat that verbatim to Chen Ping'an. Too unlucky, too shameful.

In fact, the Zhao Yin Spirit hadn't even been able to hear those words back then. The speed of Fan Junmao's realm advancement, up to her current Nascent Soul realm, was extremely strange.

In all of Old Dragon City, probably no one except the city lord Fu Qi could figure out why the Fan family had gone against the current and why they hadn't simply submitted to the Fu family.

In the Fan family, someone spoke more effectively than Fan Er's father, even louder than all the Fan family ancestors' voices combined. It wasn't some hidden Nascent Soul ancestor—Nascent Soul yes, but ancestor no. She was Fan Er's half-sister, that relatively unknown young lady Fan Junmao. But she hadn't sided with Zheng Dafeng. She said she would only watch this time, wouldn't wade into the muddy water, and would let Zheng Dafeng go to his death generously.

Zheng Dafeng knew she wasn't joking.

The Zhao Yin Spirit then introduced in detail the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Earth Immortals of the five major surnames of Old Dragon City besides the Fan family, as well as their general abilities and treasures.

Compared to what Fan Er had said on the carriage, there were only three more people, and no Nascent Soul had popped out of a crack in a stone. That was a fairly good piece of news.

The Yin Spirit smiled, "I can get the feng shui maps of Old Dragon City and Ascending Dragon Terrace tonight."

Chen Ping'an naturally wouldn't refuse.

The Yin Spirit glanced at Zheng Dafeng and for the first time cursed, "Motherfucker! It would be better if I were protecting Chen Ping'an! Even if there were a big battle, I wouldn't have to clean up after every mess. A desperate fight would be fought with a comfortable heart, not this constant mending and worrying!"

Zheng Dafeng squinted, "Oh? So you've forgotten the good times basking in the sun with me every day?"

The Yin Spirit snorted coldly.

Chen Ping'an asked again, "Are there any Jade Pu Realm great cultivators hiding behind the scenes? If so, how many?"

Zheng Dafeng laughed, "On our Treasure Bottle Continent, are Jade Pu Realms that common? Let me count on my fingers?"

Zheng Dafeng started raising his fingers one by one. "In our Lizhu Cave Heaven, Ruan Qiong counts as one. The Great Li Song family is impressive, right? Now they've swallowed nearly half of Treasure Bottle Continent, and they still worship that blacksmith like a bodhisattva, right? The Great Sui Gao family ancestor likes to be a storyteller—he counts as one. When facing my senior brother Li Er, he didn't even dare to exchange a punch. Snow Wind Temple has Wei Jin, a once-in-a-thousand-year sword cultivator genius. True Martial Mountain definitely has one, but they never show their face. The Shengao Sect master just broke into the Immortal Realm and got the title of Celestial Lord. The Guanhu Academy head might not be Upper Five Realm. Count—how many Jade Pu Realms are there on one continent? Of course, Northern Juzhou's Celestial Lord Xie Shi and Southern Bosa Continent's Sword Immortal Cao Xi, as well as the Mohist wanderer Xu Ruo, don't count. In the end, they're not Treasure Bottle Continent cultivators."

Chen Ping'an laughed, "How can Celestial Lord Xie Shi and Sword Immortal Cao Xi not count? Both of them walked out of our Lizhu Cave Heaven! They just bloomed fragrantly outside the wall. Their cultivation and fame were achieved on other continents, but their roots are still our fellow townsmen. Especially Cao Xi—his ancestral home is in the same alley as mine. Last time I met that old sword immortal on Mud Vase Alley, Cao Xi wasn't very ethical. He tampered with my door god, but Li Baoping's brother noticed something off and casually broke it."

Zheng Dafeng had no rebuttal, so he just tore at his beef jerky and chewed hard.

The four from the painting had been trying to keep their expressions calm from start to finish, but they were about to crack.

Was Chen Ping'an's "hometown" too outrageous?

A gatekeeper was a Ninth Realm martial artist? And he had a Tenth Realm senior brother? A Sword Immortal named Cao Xi lived on Mud Vase Alley? A bit further away was the "dragon's rising place" of a Taoist Celestial Lord?

Zheng Dafeng wanted to regain face. "But how many Tenth Realm martial artists are there on Treasure Bottle Continent? Just two—Li Er and Song Changjing. Next up would be me, right? The one who taught you boxing—he's not Tenth Realm too, is he?"

Chen Ping'an hesitated, then honestly said, "The one staying at my house should also be Tenth Realm."

Zheng Dafeng rubbed his face. "I almost jumped straight from Eighth Realm pinnacle to Tenth Realm, you know!"

Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "So why don't you just run a few steps and show me a Tenth Realm right now? Then everything would be fine. I wouldn't even have to go to Ascending Dragon Terrace. I could just stay at the Dust Shop and cook you a big celebration feast. How about that?"

Zheng Dafeng was speechless.

If breaking into Tenth Realm were easy, why would Li Er have left Lizhu Cave Heaven?

The difference between Ninth and Tenth Realm for pure martial artists is somewhat similar to the difference between Twelfth and Thirteenth Realm for sword cultivators.

As for the legendary Eleventh Realm of martial arts and the Fourteenth Realm of sword cultivators—just think about them.

These thresholds are even more unimaginable than the chasms between Fifth and Sixth, Tenth and Eleventh for ordinary qi refiners.

Even Zheng Dafeng, who considered his ambition sky-high, didn't dare to dream of the illusory Martial God Realm.

A dead-end road—what did "dead end" mean?

Having followed Old Man Yang, this "Divine Lord" whom all successive sages of Lizhu Cave Heaven had to pay respects to, for so many years, Zheng Dafeng knew some inside information.

The Zhao Yin Spirit was in an excellent mood. Sure enough, it took Chen Ping'an, the path-illuminator, to make Zheng Dafeng uncomfortable.

Chen Ping'an looked at the Yin Spirit across from him and asked, "According to you, senior, this Dust Shop has secrets?"

The Yin Spirit smiled. "Of course. The Divine Lord asked me to choose this place as our foothold. It wasn't just some ordinary spot Zheng Dafeng randomly begged from the Fan family. Once the formation is activated, I can exert the power of a Jade Pu Realm here."

Zheng Dafeng sighed. "But that comes at the cost of depleting my virtuous merit to raise my realm. A cheap trick. It won't last long."

The Yin Spirit's expression remained unchanged. "Do you really think I came with you to Old Dragon City just to sunbathe and watch the moon with you every day, waiting for some fairy to fly over your head? If we can last a month, the situation might change."

"I understand."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Now let's start counting our side's strength."

Zheng Dafeng ate his salted peanuts. "What is there to count? Isn't it all in this room?"

Pei Qian pointed at herself, laughing happily. "I count? But I'm still a 'tomorrow' away from mastering peerless sword techniques."

The little charcoal-like girl was a bit embarrassed for once.

Zheng Dafeng said seriously, "Miss Pei, you're actually our pillar, our backbone. Don't sell yourself short!"

Pei Qian accepted the compliment, pushed her empty dish forward, and said, "More seeds, please."

Zheng Dafeng actually got up, went to the side room, grabbed a big handful of seeds, and dropped them into Pei Qian's dish. Since the dish was small, the handful looked generous, full of sincerity.

Pei Qian began to think a little better of this guy.

Finally, Chen Ping'an took his first sip of wine. After putting down the Nourishing Sword Gourd, flying sword Fifteen darted out. Then Chen Ping'an took out the jade token of the Inch Space Artifact that Zheng Dafeng had given him. He smiled, "Doesn't Old Dragon City have a lot of people who think money can do anything? I don't have much money left, but I've managed to save some things. The dharma robe I'm wearing is called Golden Nectar, a relic of ancient immortals. Zheng Dafeng, can you wear it? And there's a Demon Binding Rope made from the whiskers of an old flood dragon from Flood Dragon Trench—can you use it?"

Zheng Dafeng shook his head. "Once you reach the Three Realms of Martial Spirit Refinement, you'll understand that these so-called immortal external objects only tie you down. You can wear them to save your life. If I wear them, they'll only send me to my death faster."

Chen Ping'an nodded and took out a thick stack of already-drawn talismans. "Yang Qi Lamp Lighting Talisman probably won't be needed. Since Ascending Dragon Terrace is similar to a cave heaven blessed land created by the Fu family, a Barrier-Breaking Talisman might still have a chance. There's a Pagoda Suppressing Demon Talisman... a Lock-Breaking Talisman, specifically for subduing dragon-like beings. And this Sword-Suppressing Talisman, personally written by a friend of mine, has extremely high quality. It can suppress even the life-bound flying sword of a Nascent Soul sword cultivator for a moment..."

Just by Chen Ping'an taking out that stack of talismans, the Zhao Yin Spirit across from him could already feel a slight pressure. Especially that green-paper Sword-Suppressing Talisman—even though it was specifically aimed at Earth Immortal sword cultivators, it still made the Yin Spirit feel like needles were pricking its back.

Zheng Dafeng was shocked. "Chen Ping'an, did you spend your entire trip to Inverted Mountain robbing and looting?"

Chen Ping'an ignored Zheng Dafeng and continued taking out items one by one. Three porcelain bottles: "An immature golden core of a river demon from Tongye Continent, the Nascent Soul golden core of that old flood dragon from Flood Dragon Trench, and... the golden core of a Twelfth Realm great demon!"

Zheng Dafeng turned to the Zhao Yin Spirit and pointed at the last big porcelain bottle, half an arm's length high. "Do you believe that?"

The Zhao Yin Spirit shook his head, then nodded. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't believe it. But since Chen Ping'an said it, I'll believe... half."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Is any of this stuff useful in an emergency?"

Zheng Dafeng said, "Let me take a moment," and fell into deep thought.

The Zhao Yin Spirit asked, "If I'd known you had so many possessions, I wouldn't have let you into this room. Why bother?"

The Yin Spirit repeated, "Why bother?!"

Chen Ping'an said calmly, "You can think of it as me making a big deal with that Divine Lord Yang of the herbal shop. Either I lose everything, or I win big enough to get stuffed to death."

The Yin Spirit just shook his head silently, clearly not believing that reasoning.

Chen Ping'an turned around and said apologetically, "What do you all say?"

Wei Xian said flatly, "No other choice. What else can we do?"

Sui Youbian rested his sword across his knees, his eyes gleaming. "Besides the Blue Tiger Temple Meditation-Forgetting Pill, I also want an extra pair of Fire Dragon Pills and Rainmaking Pills."

Zhu Lian laughed heartily. "Killing those mountain immortals—joyful indeed!"

"If my word counted, I'd want us to leave Old Dragon City immediately. But since we've decided to stay—"

Lu Baixiang was the most pragmatic. "Then I also want two Fire Dragon Pills and Rainmaking Pills. Once I get the Old Dragon City layout map, I can help plan the specific route."

Chen Ping'an cupped his hands to the four. "Thank you!"

He turned to Zheng Dafeng. "What do you think? Besides taking pills, can these four improve their martial realms in the short term?"

Zheng Dafeng nodded. "One is Seventh Realm Golden Body, and the other three are Sixth Realm pinnacle. They're all true pure martial artists. I don't know where you found these guys. Stabilizing the Golden Body Realm isn't hard. As for the other three breaking through in just a few days, that's still difficult. But with some grinding, they can definitely raise the peak of their Sixth Realm by a notch. If they survive this time, it'll be of great benefit to their future martial cultivation. After all, 'pinnacle' is just 'flawless'—they're still far from being able to contend for the title of 'strongest.' In the next couple of days, I can feed them my fists. How much of my Ninth Realm martial intent they can digest depends on their own talent."

The four from the painting remained expressionless.

Zheng Dafeng raised an eyebrow. These four attendants of Chen Ping'an really had quite the airs.

But each of their auras was truly extraordinary.

Pure martial artists each have their own path to purity.

Wei Xian was a battlefield killer, able to slaughter ten thousand enemies. Deep in enemy lines, surrounded by iron armor on all sides, he only knew how to break through formations.

Lu Baixiang was brilliantly talented. Besides martial arts, he wanted to be number one in everything—zither, chess, calligraphy, painting—in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

Sui Youbian pursued the pinnacle of sword arts, dreaming of the unprecedented feat of ascending as a sword immortal.

Beneath Zhu Lian's genial face hid a complete madman. Let all the martial artists under heaven combine; none could match Zhu Lian's two fists alone.

Zheng Dafeng looked forward to feeding them his fists.

Chen Ping'an's expression turned serious. "I want to refine a life-bound object. Can someone find the materials in the Dust Shop? And it must be guaranteed that the heavenly treasures haven't been tampered with. If I succeed, it'll be like having an extra life."

The Zhao Yin Spirit turned to Zheng Dafeng.

Zheng Dafeng thought for a moment. "I have to ask someone. If she agrees, then yes."

Zheng Dafeng suddenly smiled and asked, "I trust her. Do you trust me?"

Chen Ping'an replied, "I trust your master."

Zheng Dafeng was speechless again.

The Yin Spirit stood up and smiled. "I'll go look for a few more maps."

Chen Ping'an turned to Pei Qian. "You share a room with Sui Youbian. Wei Xian and the other three can squeeze together. I can sleep on the floor in the front shop. But if the materials can be gathered..."

Before Chen Ping'an could finish, Pei Qian said with great righteousness, "Then I'll sleep on the floor with the immortal sister!"

The four had no objections.

These trivialities, on the eve of a great battle, were ultimately minor matters.

Night fell. Chen Ping'an carried a long bench into the yard. Sui Youbian, Wei Xian, and the other three came out of their rooms after taking their pills.

Zheng Dafeng stood with one hand behind his back and the other on his abdomen, smiling. "Against opponents of the same realm, within ten paces, a pure martial artist only needs one punch. The four of you—I don't know your origins, but I can temporarily treat you as at least Fourth Realm qi refiners. Just come at me all together. Let's save time."

Not one of them stepped forward.

Zheng Dafeng said helplessly, "What, you don't think a Ninth Realm martial artist is worth your trouble? You think four against one is beneath you?"

Pei Qian dragged a small stool over and sat by Chen Ping'an's feet.

Zheng Dafeng turned to Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an extended a hand, signaling Zheng Dafeng to throw his punches freely.

"Since you're so polite, I won't be."

Zheng Dafeng twisted his toe and vanished.

A muffled thud.

But four fists shot out almost simultaneously.

Standing on the steps under the eaves on both sides, Sui Youbian, Wei Xian, Lu Baixiang, and Zhu Lian each stepped back—from one to three steps, varying distances.

Zheng Dafeng clicked his tongue. "Good foundation. Chen Ping'an, where the hell did you find these attendants and maid? I want a few too. Especially one that looks like this lady..."

Sui Youbian drew his sword first.

Zhu Lian hunched his back and leaped forward.

Wei Xian and Lu Baixiang almost simultaneously moved to the sides, spreading out, ready to support Sui Youbian and Zhu Lian in the yard.

No words were needed. They understood each other's hearts.

That was the realm expected of the four number ones of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

Chen Ping'an said softly, "If you're interested, watch carefully."

Pei Qian raised her hand, full of sunflower seeds. Chen Ping'an shook his head, so she withdrew her hand, cracked a seed, and shook her head. "Not interested. Far worse than you, Master."

In private, she called him Dad. In front of Chen Ping'an, she called him Master. Pei Qian felt that studying had really sharpened her wits. A teacher for a day is a father for life.

Chen Ping'an said, "You're wrong. If we only compare martial realm levels, I'm actually not as good as the four of them right now. I'm only Fifth Realm. But after several desperate, bitter battles, my Fifth Realm foundation is... very solid. So I can break through the Sixth Realm bottleneck at any time."

For Chen Ping'an to think he had done something well—that probably meant it was no less impressive than when that old man named Cui had said Chen Ping'an's foundation for a certain martial realm was "not bad."

Pei Qian lifted her head, her face brightening. "Master, you're the best anyway."

In the yard, the four were having a rough time under Zheng Dafeng's hands.

This was with Zheng Dafeng deliberately suppressing his realm to Eighth Realm, Far Traveling Realm.

Otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to fight.

Feeding fists would just be bullying.

Martial cultivation realms are not like qi refiner realms. A single realm difference is like heaven and earth. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, the old man named Cui who taught Chen Ping'an boxing—the only Tenth Realm pinnacle pure martial artist on Treasure Bottle Continent. Back at the bamboo pavilion, he had easily killed a Sixth Realm martial artist who wanted to apprentice with his Fifth Realm boxing.

But such exceptions are practically unique.

Chen Ping'an thought of the white-clothed boy on the Sword Qi Great Wall, Cao Ci, who walked the training posts on the wall, his martial intent forcibly overpowering the close-quarters sword intent atop the wall.

Chen Ping'an wondered now, if both were still Fifth Realm, would he still lose three bouts to Cao Ci without any suspense?

Chen Ping'an lightly shook off the distracting thoughts, his eyes fixed on the battle in the yard. But he said to Pei Qian, "Before we entered the Clear Mirror Mountain territory last time, when we passed through that prefectural city, I actually forgot to say sorry to you."

Pei Qian cracked a seed, looked up, and asked in confusion, "Is that about the flatbread? Why do you need to say sorry?"

At the time, Pei Qian had dragged Old Wei, her half-friend, to buy food, while Chen Ping'an, Lu Baixiang, and the other two were browsing a bookshop. When Chen Ping'an found Pei Qian, he saw the little girl wolfing down a flatbread. A richly dressed woman was pointing at her and cursing loudly. Beside the woman was a child with tears and snot. The woman's curses weren't too vulgar—probably from a scholarly family—but she kept saying that Pei Qian, this wild girl, had no manners, was so unreasonably rude, and where were her parents to control her.

Chen Ping'an's first impression was that Pei Qian had caused trouble again, so he walked over with a stern face.

He was very afraid that spending time with him, along with Zhu Lian and the other three, Pei Qian wouldn't learn the principles from books but would instead pick up an overbearing attitude.

So when he reached Pei Qian's side, his first words were heavy. Although he didn't scold her directly, he was leaning a bit toward the woman and child.

Pei Qian really was terrified of Chen Ping'an. Without hesitation, she handed the remaining half of the flatbread to the woman, saying she didn't want it anymore and could give it to the child.

The woman flew into a rage, even angrier, feeling insulted. She treated Chen Ping'an as Pei Qian's elder and gave him a piece of her mind too. But seeing that Chen Ping'an was dressed like a wealthy young man from a well-off family, the woman restrained herself a little and softened her curses.

Only after Wei Xian explained a few sentences did Chen Ping'an understand the truth. It turned out Pei Qian had bought the last flatbread in the shop. A child had come over, was too greedy, and wanted Pei Qian to give him the flatbread.

Pei Qian refused, of course. She started shaking her head and eating noisily, deliberately exclaiming "Oh, so delicious!" The child immediately started crying, and the woman began cursing. Pei Qian didn't care at all—she just happily ate her flatbread. The more the woman cursed, the happier Pei Qian got. Wei Xian stood by and watched, not interfering as long as the woman didn't get physical.

After learning the truth, Chen Ping'an took Pei Qian's hand and demanded that the woman apologize to Pei Qian.

The woman went crazy, threatening that Chen Ping'an would never leave the prefectural city alive.

Chen Ping'an told her to try.

After throwing down her threat, the woman said, "We'll see about that," and left angrily with the child.

But nothing came of it. After waiting a while and seeing no follow-up, Chen Ping'an led the group out of the city.

Chen Ping'an touched Pei Qian's head. "I should have said sorry to you."

Pei Qian was baffled. She stopped cracking seeds, moved from her stool to the bench beside Chen Ping'an, and asked nervously, "Old Wei said that the best-tasting meal in the world is the last meal before execution. Dad, you're not going to abandon me again, are you? That's why you're saying these things to fool me?"

In her panic, she blurted out "Dad." She became even more flustered, dropped the seeds, and grabbed Chen Ping'an's sleeve tightly.

Chen Ping'an flicked her forehead. Pei Qian immediately grinned through her tears.

All right, no problem.

Pei Qian let go, put her hands on the bench, and swung her feet. "Such a small thing, Master, and you're apologizing. You scared me to death. As Old Wei says in his hometown dialect, 'A tiny little matter is like a drizzle—not even enough to wash your hair.'"

Chen Ping'an also put his hands on the bench and smiled. "Remember the last time we climbed to the top of Tianque Peak? Did you think I was acting strange?"

Pei Qian nodded vigorously. "I remember very clearly. You did something weird. You stood up straight and straight, and adjusted your jade hairpin. That's exactly what it says in the books—'straighten your attire.' Those Blue Tiger Temple people—you didn't know them, and they weren't any big shots. Why did you do that? I thought about it for a long time and couldn't figure it out. Later, I stopped thinking about it."

Chen Ping'an's eyes grew distant. He looked into the distance and said softly, "A long time ago, at the main gate of my hometown town, I met immortals from outside for the first time. Big and small, old and young. At the time, I was standing beside Zheng Dafeng, on the other side of a wooden fence gate. I've had good eyesight since I was a child, and a decent memory. So I remember clearly even now—the way those people looked at me, their expressions..."

Chen Ping'an paused for a long time, then said with a light laugh, "So after I started practicing boxing, I always thought: If I ever become a mountain person myself, I must never become like those people. I must never look at others with that kind of eyes. Never look down on this world of ours as if they were ants."

This might have been the first time Chen Ping'an had spoken so seriously to this little charcoal girl about principles beyond books—principles that belonged to Chen Ping'an himself.

Chen Ping'an crouched down, picked up the fallen sunflower seeds, put them in his palm, sat up straight again, grabbed one seed, and held out his hand toward Pei Qian. He said casually, "The way each of us sits, speaks, acts, the principles we believe in... it's like telling the world how many books you've read, how many truths you know, how much suffering you've endured, how much of your parents' silent teachings you've remembered. So I don't want people to look at me and think that Chen Ping'an's parents and the people he truly admired from the bottom of his heart only taught him to become such a person."

Chen Ping'an smiled at Pei Qian. "It's okay if you don't understand now. You're young. When I was your age..."

Chen Ping'an fell silent. He couldn't go on.

He laughed, placed all the seeds into Pei Qian's hand, and said to himself, "Mr. Qi's teacher was right. Young people should have vitality. I can't do it—I'm past that age. So I hope you can. Little Baoping of the Cliff Academy, Cao Qinglang of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land—they can all do it. One carries willows and catkins on their shoulders, one carries the fragrance of grass and the flight of orioles, one carries... How wonderful. Whenever I think of that clear breeze and bright moon, I feel very happy."

Pei Qian let out a "wow," grinned, and said, "Dad, a good person like you—if I ever have to go out alone, where will I find another one?"

Then the little girl began to worry. "Not long ago, on the ferry, I was stuck with nothing to do and couldn't go play at the dock. I secretly had an idea. I thought that when I grew up and mastered peerless sword techniques, I'd say to you, 'Dad, give me a horse. I'm going to roam the jianghu!' But then I thought again—horses are probably expensive. You might not be willing to give me one. So a donkey would do, or a mule! The jianghu outside is waiting for me! Howling for me!"

The little girl sighed. "But now I don't feel like going to the jianghu anymore. It's boring. All bad people, or not-so-good people."

Chen Ping'an also swung his feet, laughing. "But isn't it in the jianghu that you met me? Right?"

The big and the little together swung their feet. Pei Qian thought for a long time, then said softly, "But I don't want to meet anyone else anymore."