Chapter 535: Kites in the Sky Have Their Differences

Chapter 535: Kites in the Sky Have Their Differences

On Gongliu Island, the late autumn season still found the willow trees tender and green.

This island was the ancestral mountain of the True Realm Sect, the peak where their Patriarch Hall was built.

Including Gongliu Island, the entire Briefs Scroll Lake had been undergoing massive construction for the past year, with dust flying everywhere, blotting out the sun. The extravagantly wealthy True Realm Sect had hired numerous Mohist mechanical masters and Yin-Yang geomancers to survey the terrain, determine the mountain roots and water veins. Additionally, agricultural experts and various other immortal masters along with a large number of mountain artisans were toiling there. As Sect Leader Jiang Shangzhen put it, "Don't skimp on the spirit coins for me. Every brick, every window lattice, every flower bed here must be the finest that Vase Bottle Continent can offer." Those cultivators particularly skilled in building immortal estates numbered in the hundreds, most coming from Parasol Leaf Continent. Just hiring them to travel by cross-continent ferry and the True Realm Sect's all-inclusive arrangements—having them lodge in immortal guesthouses on the Central Continent—meant that the spirit coins spent by the True Realm Sect on this matter alone could empty the coffers of many old island sects in the Briefs Scroll Lake overnight.

Thus, every mountain immortal clan on Vase Bottle Continent learned the second thing: the True Realm Sect was obscenely wealthy.

The first thing, of course, was that the True Realm Sect had three and a half Upper Five Realm offerings.

A female sword immortal from North Ju Lu Continent named Li Cai, the old man of the Jade Gui Sect who had once been expected to become sect leader—Liu Laocheng of the Jade Pendant Realm—and plus that half Jade Pendant Realm from Green Gorge Island, Liu Laocheng.

Now Liu Zhimao had gone into seclusion to break through his realm.

Thus, the islands surrounding Gongliu Island had all been sealed off recently.

Two people strolled slowly along the willow bank: Sect Leader Jiang Shangzhen and Chief Offering Liu Laocheng.

Jiang Shangzhen broke off willow twigs, wove them into a circlet, and placed it on his head, smiling. "Long ago, I set forth. Right, Brother Liu?"

Liu Laocheng said nothing.

Jiang Shangzhen was a very peculiar kind of hero. He had bloody methods and was skilled at hiding a knife behind a smile, but he placed great emphasis on rules. This feeling didn't come from anything Jiang Shangzhen said, but from everything the True Realm Sect's branch sect had done since settling in Briefs Scroll Lake—his actions all demonstrated this principle to the sect's cultivators. Of course, the rules Jiang Shangzhen established were often cold and unreasonable. For this, the Great Li Iron Cavalry garrison commander Guan Yiran had negotiated with the True Realm Sect many times. The Nascent Soul Offering Li Fuqu often had to go to the general's mansion to argue. The two sides would argue endlessly, turning red-faced each time, pounding tables and glaring. But at least they argued without coming to blows. Not because Li Fuqu had a good temper, but because Jiang Shangzhen had warned this female offering—who seemed to be the True Realm Sect's public face—"Your Li Fuqu's life isn't worth much. The True Realm Sect's face... isn't worth much either. The only truly valuable thing in this world is money."

Jiang Shangzhen's earlier heartfelt remark, "Long ago, I set forth," actually meant something simple: Since I'm willing to speak this matter plainly in front of you, it means that although I, Jiang Shangzhen, know about your Liu Laocheng's romantic entanglements from back then, you can rest assured—I won't do any underhanded tricks to disgust you.

Liu Laocheng, not being polite, indeed felt reassured.

If Liu Zhimao succeeded in breaking through his realm, the True Realm Sect's Upper Five Realm offerings would become three.

Because that old man of the Jade Gui Sect, who had publicly announced his seclusion, was already dead beyond dead.

At the time, they had put on the appearance of a four-man encirclement and kill, but only two actually struck.

Liu Laocheng and Liu Zhimao only served as backup, or rather, watched the show.

Killing the chicken to warn the monkeys.

Right there on Gongliu Island.

Li Cai drew her sword, Jiang Shangzhen sacrificed a willow leaf. When that meritorious old man of the Jade Gui Sect saw Li Cai, he didn't even have the thought of burning the boats with a madman like Jiang Shangzhen. Unfortunately, he tried to flee but couldn't, and so he died.

The fight wasn't the least bit stirring or magnificent. Even many cultivators on Gongliu Island only sensed a momentary anomaly in the atmosphere, then heaven and earth fell silent, the clouds light and the wind gentle under the bright moon.

Jiang Shangzhen suddenly said, "From now on, if we encounter Daoists from the Divine Proclamation Sect, let our True Realm Sect disciples show them respect. Keep your tail between your legs. Regardless of right or wrong, if you fight and get killed, the True Realm Sect will act as if nothing happened. If you accidentally kill the other party, the True Realm Sect's Patriarch Hall will cut off the 'hero's' head and have Li Fuqu take it to the Divine Proclamation Sect to apologize."

Liu Laocheng nodded. "Understood."

Jiang Shangzhen smiled. "Don't quite understand?"

Liu Laocheng shook his head.

It wasn't hard to understand.

A tall tree catches the wind; a target of all arrows.

The True Realm Sect had no goodwill ties whatsoever on Vase Bottle Continent. It appeared boundless in glory, but in reality, it had enemies everywhere—for instance, the Great Li Song Clan's Iron Cavalry.

But understanding was one thing. That this young sect leader Jiang Shangzhen was willing to bow his head to this extent earned some admiration from Liu Laocheng.

This recorded immortal master, who held a Cloud Cavern blessed land in his hand, was wilder in his methods than even a mountain wilderness rogue cultivator.

Jiang Shangzhen sighed. "My situation now is actually the same as yours and Liu Zhimao's. We have to strengthen ourselves, build up power, while also making our opponents feel that we're controllable. I just don't know who the Great Li Song Clan will eventually push forward to restrain our True Realm Sect. Vase Bottle Continent is good in many ways, but this one thing is bad: the Song Clan rules a continent, a secular dynasty, and might actually hope to completely control both the mountains and the lowlands. In our Parasol Leaf Continent, heaven is high and the emperor is distant—us mountain cultivators are truly free and unfettered."

Liu Laocheng smiled. "The Briefs Scroll Lake of the past was actually like that too. The kings, dukes, and ministers of the surrounding countries all felt in constant danger."

Jiang Shangzhen shook his head. "Not the same. This lawless place like Briefs Scroll Lake is somewhat like the ancient barbarian lands. In that era, all kinds of demons ran rampant without restraint. The gods in heaven fed on the incense of the human world, and the demons on the earth fed on humans. That's why the sages of merit had to separate heaven and earth. Those who don't recognize their own blessings aren't necessarily stupid; in fact, almost all of us are like that, without exception."

Jiang Shangzhen walked slowly. "Now in our Bright Sun World, when common folk in the markets talk about mountain and river deities, flower spirits and tree goblins, monster transformations, and ghostly yin spirits—what are they? They are far away in the high heavens or the underworld, in remote mountains and lakes seldom visited. Even those that exist close to humans, living alongside us, are still bound by incredibly detailed rules. So people say with conviction: 'Where demons cause trouble is where the Heavenly Master draws his sword.' In every marketplace and alley, there are peachwood talismans and door gods, ancestral temples with curling incense smoke. People can go to temples and Taoist abbeys to pray for blessings and ward off disasters. They go into the mountains seeking immortals and various opportunities."

Jiang Shangzhen stopped walking, looked around, took off his willow circlet, and casually tossed it into the lake. "So what if one day—whether we're ordinary mortals or cultivators—we have to swap positions with them? What would that situation be like? Are you afraid? I, Jiang Shangzhen, certainly am."

Liu Laocheng said, "I don't think about such things."

Jiang Shangzhen nodded. "That's fine. Because someone else will think about them. So you and Liu Zhimao can keep your minds clear and cultivate your own Dao. Because even if heaven and earth were overturned in the future, you could still take refuge and survive. If your realms are high enough, you'll always have a way out and a way to live."

Liu Laocheng frowned.

Jiang Shangzhen smiled and asked, "But what if all cultivators at the mountain peaks thought like you, Liu Laocheng?"

Liu Laocheng shook his head. "They won't."

Jiang Shangzhen scratched his head and sighed emotionally. "So that's the most interesting part. All the good things—we take them for granted, so why bother saying or thinking much about them? But the bad things—we gnash our teeth and remember them for a long time."

Liu Laocheng was somewhat puzzled, not knowing what the sect leader aimed to achieve by telling him all this.

Jiang Shangzhen had already changed the subject, his demeanor relaxed, no trace of that earlier peculiar emotion. He walked lightly. "In martial arts stories, a hero's friends all do good deeds, and even if they die, it's a worthy death. In tales of immortals and monsters, the human heart rises and falls, demons run rampant, but in the end, good and evil each get their reward. Liu Laocheng, do you read such miscellaneous books?"

Liu Laocheng shook his head. "Never."

Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "See? That's why you need to read more."

Liu Laocheng knew the sect leader was joking, so he naturally didn't take it seriously.

This sect leader was terribly bored every day. Besides his cultivation, he would use illusion magic to wander among the four major cities by the Briefs Scroll Lake. Each time he returned, he would buy some toys for the child in Sword Immortal Li Cai's arms, coaxing the child, teaching it to walk. Jiang Shangzhen could spend ages on that. Sometimes Liu Laocheng felt frustrated—was it Jiang Shangzhen's unfathomable temperament that had led him step by step to his current high position, or had his original heart and temperament changed after reaching the heights, giving rise to today's True Realm Sect sect leader?

Jiang Shangzhen walked to a ferry dock. "Before Liu Zhimao went into seclusion, he asked me for the old territories, including Green Gorge Island and Su Scale Island, intending to give them to his disciple Gu Can. He didn't know that I had already specifically allocated the area near Cloud Tower City to Gu Can. But that youth Gu Can—upon hearing this, at such a young age, he actually dared to accept it. Truly, 'starving to death the timid, bursting the bold.'"

Liu Laocheng said, "This kid—keeping him in the Briefs Scroll Lake might become a hidden danger for the True Realm Sect."

Jiang Shangzhen turned his head, a playful smile on his face.

Liu Laocheng smiled frankly. "Naturally, it's not just because of the enmity between him, me, and Green Gorge Island. I, Liu Laocheng, and the True Realm Sect probably don't want to see Gu Can rise quietly. Raising a tiger to invite disaster is a great taboo."

'Not just.'

Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "What do you think is Gu Can's greatest reliance?"

Liu Laocheng said, "Of course, it's Chen Ping'an, who is no longer in the Briefs Scroll Lake, and the rules Chen Ping'an taught him. Guan Yiran, who has a good relationship with Chen Ping'an, or perhaps others I don't know about, will certainly be secretly watching Gu Can's every move. That means Guan Yiran will naturally keep an eye on me, Liu Zhimao, and the True Realm Sect as well. Gu Can should have already thought of this."

Regarding the so-called 'raising a tiger to invite disaster,'

Jiang Shangzhen gave no opinion.

Although Liu Zhimao had a lower realm than Liu Laocheng, he had more dealings with the Great Li court. In his early years, he had been more ambitious than Liu Laocheng in wanting to be a proper lord of the Briefs Scroll Lake. So in certain matters, he could see farther than Liu Laocheng. Ultimately, it involved Liu Zhimao's own interests, so his mind worked harder. Liu Laocheng, as a rogue cultivator, had a promising Dao path, so his mind was purer, his thoughts less cluttered.

Actually, before going into seclusion, Liu Zhimao found Gu Can in a shabby house in a back alley of Pond Water City.

Jiang Shangzhen could guess what that was about.

Giving books and transmitting the Dao.

Asking for Green Gorge Island to be returned was a kind of long-term protection for Gu Can.

Because Liu Zhimao had also guessed one of Jiang Shangzhen's long-term schemes.

Rather than letting the Great Li Song Clan foster an unknown force to target the True Realm Sect, it was better for the True Realm Sect to proactively send a suitable candidate.

For both sides, this was the wisest choice to minimize 'internal friction.'

Jiang Shangzhen had swaggered to Dragon Spring Commandery twice. Anyone with eyes could see it, as long as they weren't blind. This was precisely what Jiang Shangzhen wanted people to ponder.

Luopo Mountain's Chen Ping'an.

True Realm Sect's Jiang Shangzhen.

The bridge between them was Green Gorge Island and Gu Can.

Thus, the True Realm Sect's true difficulty was never Gu Can, the Briefs Scroll Lake, or even the Divine Proclamation Sect.

It lay after two major trends: first, the Great Li Iron Cavalry swallowing an entire continent, and then having to block another, even greater trend.

That would be the critical moment when the True Realm Sect would need to move from 'choice' to 'decision.'

But these things—let alone Liu Laocheng, even Liu Zhimao was completely in the dark. Such a behemoth as the True Realm Sect was placed right before the eyes of these two rogue cultivators. Would they think deeply about matters that seemed unrelated to themselves?

Mountain wilderness rogue cultivators—besides having some weight in personal cultivation and a slightly bigger fist—what else did they know?

They had spent their whole lives enduring the scorn and oppression of recorded immortal masters, yet in the end, they foolishly believed that realm was all that mattered.

They never stopped to think: Why did the Jade Gui Sect have a sect leader about to reach the Ascension Realm? How did he, Jiang Shangzhen, end up with today's fortune? The order of events cannot be mistaken. In the early days of the now-strict Three Teachings and Hundred Schools, who wasn't a mud-stained wretch struggling to survive on the earthly ground? Who wasn't a puppet on strings held by the high and mighty gods?

It wasn't that Jiang Shangzhen looked down on the world's mountain wilderness rogue cultivators. In fact, when he traveled in North Ju Lu Continent back then, he had been a rogue cultivator for many years and had been quite a good one.

Jiang Shangzhen looked out at the green rippling waters of the Briefs Scroll Lake and said softly, "The masters' rulers are not too many, but too few. Their strikes are too light. Disciples and students always have short memories; they don't remember being hit. But no one ever thinks: do the masters have their own daily worries about food and firewood? Will there come a day when they simply become disappointed? All those in the world who like to reason calmly—when they become disappointed, that's true despair."

Liu Laocheng still felt little emotion in his heart.

Jiang Shangzhen suddenly turned and asked, "If a Jade Pendant Realm sect leader bares his heart to you, you might not bother to listen. But what about an Immortal Realm sect leader?"

Liu Laocheng was suddenly shocked.

Jiang Shangzhen said with a grin, "Ignorance is excusable, for the sage said, 'To punish without first teaching is cruelty.'"

Jiang Shangzhen rubbed his chin. "I wasn't supposed to tell you the truth this early. The real life-or-death barrier for you and Liu Zhimao is the sect's mountain-guarding treasure hidden in my maidservant Crow Girl. But I've changed my mind now. Because I suddenly figured something out: when reasoning with you mountain wilderness rogue cultivators, a fist is enough. Spending extra thought on it is just delaying my money-spending, Jiang Shangzhen style."

It wasn't about delaying earning money, but delaying his spending of money.

Liu Laocheng's face was expressionless; he didn't say another word.

An unfamiliar predicament and danger, an unfamiliar sense of deadly peril all around.

Jiang Shangzhen sighed. "I used to think that everyone—good or bad, on the mountains or off—would become a bit smarter after reaching a higher level. But after so many years of observation, I'm quite disappointed. Liu Laocheng, if you don't get your act together, truly settle your mind, and cultivate your heart, changing the fundamental threads of your thoughts and ideas, then not only will you fail to catch up to me, but even Liu Zhimao will leave you behind. And of course, Gu Can—it's only a matter of time. By then, you'll find that you, the so-called chief offering, are nothing but a huge joke. Gu Can, who was like an ant to you for such a long time, will be someone you can never kill for the rest of your life. Liu Zhimao will already be on equal footing with you, and you'll have to look up even more to me, Jiang Shangzhen."

Jiang Shangzhen raised his hand, flicked his sleeve, spun it once, and rubbed his hands together, forming a green water bead of concentrated aquatic essence. He then gently crushed it with two fingers. "You think that accountant who came to the island back then was looking up to you? He wasn't. The respect and awe he had was for the rules that had gathered around you at that time. But one day—maybe not too long, a few decades? Sixty years?—it will become that even if you, Liu Laocheng, stand at the peak of Gongliu Island, and that man stands here at this ferry dock, you'll feel inferior."

Liu Laocheng said, "I've been taught."

Jiang Shangzhen laughed. "Indeed, when an Immortal Realm speaks, it's more pleasant to the ears. So you need to study hard, and I need to cultivate well."

Liu Laocheng sighed.

Jiang Shangzhen said inexplicably, "Perhaps one day, I might return to Parasol Leaf Continent to take charge of the Jade Gui Sect. Then you might become the next sect leader of the True Realm Sect. As for Liu Zhimao, you can easily keep him stuck at the bottleneck of the Jade Pendant Realm, so that he doesn't even dare to break through to the Immortal Realm. If you're in a good mood by then and feel he's no longer a threat, you can be generous and let him enter the Immortal Realm, and let him go create another branch of the True Realm Sect on Vase Bottle Continent."

Jiang Shangzhen put his hands in his sleeves. "This isn't me painting a pie for you, Liu Laocheng. I, Jiang Shangzhen, wouldn't stoop so low."

Liu Laocheng seemed to understand something.

Now the True Realm Sect had people specifically collecting all landscape gazettes from Parasol Leaf Continent. Among them were rumors that the Jade Gui Sect, which held the top spot among Parasol Leaf Continent's immortal clans, might have its sect leader in seclusion.

Pursuing the mysterious Ascension Realm.

And the old sect leader Xun Yuan—Liu Laocheng wasn't entirely unfamiliar with him, having traveled a long way together through Vase Bottle Continent's landscapes.

In fact, Liu Laocheng had originally been the offering appointed by Xun Yuan for the True Realm Sect.

But with Jiang Shangzhen, that bit of goodwill was worth less than half a copper coin.

Liu Laocheng took a deep breath, feeling that heaven and earth were vast, and a rare surge of ambition arose in him. He nodded solemnly. "Then from now on, I, Liu Laocheng, will sincerely go through fire and water for my own True Realm Sect!"

Jiang Shangzhen turned, gently patted Liu Laocheng on the shoulder. "We're family, no need for two sets of words. Some of what I said earlier was harsh—don't take it to heart, Brother Liu."

Liu Laocheng hesitated for a moment.

Jiang Shangzhen said, "We're family, so you can certainly say some harsh words too. Take no offense—I, this person, worry about nothing except having too much money."

Liu Laocheng said with a stern face, "Sect Leader Jiang, why are you so asking for a beating?"

Jiang Shangzhen rubbed his cheek, thought for a moment, then suddenly realized. "Probably because you're not a woman."

---

Over in Green Phoenix Nation, there was a handsome white-robed youth, accompanied by an old man and a child, who had traveled through half the country's scenic spots.

Before this, this youth, at Bee Tail Ferry—the hometown of Liu Laocheng, Vase Bottle Continent's only Upper Five Realm rogue cultivator—had made a 'lucky find' of a national seal of the fallen Wenjing Kingdom from a man whose family fortune had declined.

But this Wenjing Kingdom hadn't been destroyed under the hooves of the Great Li Iron Cavalry; it was from an even older chapter of history.

The crown prince of that fallen Wenjing Kingdom seemed to have no intention of restoring the kingdom either. After all these years, he had never come down from the mountain, still cultivating there.

Thus, even if some residual luck remained with the Wenjing Kingdom, it was effectively severed from its national destiny.

Because any cultivator of the Middle Five Realms cannot become an emperor or monarch—that's an iron law of the human world.

Besides this cheaply acquired seal, the youth also went to see an old apricot tree—the "Emperor Tree," "Chancellor Tree," and "General Apricot"—one tree with three royal titles. The white-robed youth stopped there. The tree was hollow at the base, and the youth crouched by the tree hollow, muttering to himself for a long time.

Later on the journey, having obtained that seal, the youth, using the excuse of "completing the collection," went to a certain mountain peak. There, he gambled with an old cultivator who followed the path of supporting dragons. He bet one against one and won, then bet two against and barely won again, so he bet all four, then eight, and finally gambled the sixteen treasures he had won against the old man's last two seals, winning again. Thus, using pure dumb luck, the white-robed youth inexplicably obtained the remaining sixteen treasures of the Wenjing Kingdom. He swaggered down the mountain, stuffing those priceless national seals carelessly into a cotton cloth bundle for the frail child to carry. The bundle clanked all the way down.

The old servant Liu Li—the Glass Immortal—walked down the mountain feeling a chill down his spine, expecting the mountain's protective formation to activate at any moment, trapping them and beating the dog. Of course, who would be beating whom was debatable. But the old cultivator worried that magic treasures had no eyes, and if Grandmaster Cui couldn't protect him in time, he might be killed by mistake. He was well aware that the only person Master Cui cared about was that dim-witted little fool.

Fortunately, that mountain's gambling luck finally held—they didn't start a fight.

This entire journey, the three of them had done a lot of walking.

They had watched the so-called Iron Cavalry maneuvers of the Cloud Soaring Kingdom's capital, admired the Mid-Autumn lantern festival in Celebration Mountain Kingdom's capital. Unfortunately, the old cultivator didn't get to see the Celebration Mountain King's peculiar hobby—the "Five Plump Charms"—which was a pity; it would have been good to broaden his horizons. But Master Cui purchased a popular book called the "Herbal of Money," not a rare imperial edition, just an ordinary book from a common bookshop. Often, on wild mountain paths, he would read it while walking, saying it had some chewiness.

After crossing the border of Green Phoenix Nation, Master Cui walked even more slowly. He would often take out one of the seals and rub it against the face of the child he fondly called "Brother Gao."

The Glass Immortal, like a wealthy scholar's servant-porters, carried a box of odds and ends.

But he felt he was actually quite fortunate compared to that child who was often ridden like a horse, so he frequently reminded himself to cherish his blessings.

As for Master Cui's many capricious actions, the old cultivator had long ceased to be surprised.

For example, once they ran into a group of three mountain wilderness rogue cultivators, one named Lü Yangzhen. They traveled together for a stretch. The Glass Immortal couldn't understand why such ant-like rogue cultivators deserved to have a pleasant conversation with Grandmaster Cui, let alone obtaining a deliberately left opportunity from him—a cave for sheltering from rain, where they 'accidentally' triggered a mechanism, and one of them, a formation master, was blessed with a huge stack of talisman paper called Yellow Seals. If converted to spirit coins, it was a colossal windfall. The other two, including Lü Yangzhen, also gained significant rewards. The three of them must have felt like stepping in dog shit, then lifting their foot to see—oh, ready to curse—they found gold hidden under the shit.

The Glass Immortal watched those three ecstatic rogue cultivators. After some discussion, they were somewhat honorable, reluctantly offering to share some spirit coins with Grandmaster Cui. Grandmaster Cui actually accepted with a face of 'pleasant surprise' and 'overwhelmed gratitude.' The Glass Immortal, standing by, felt like he was choking.

But what could he do? Don't think about it, then. The Glass Immortal, a demonic heretic cultivator, was very clear-headed about certain things.

As for the Rouge Studio in Cloud Soaring Kingdom, where female cultivators gathered, the white-robed youth stood at the mountain gate with his hands on his hips, loudly hawking his own immortal erotic paintings. Naturally, the deal fell through, and there was no goodwill either. He could only flee under the furious pursuit of a large group of female cultivators charging down the mountain.

Such things were nothing.

The Glass Immortal felt that on this journey, he had achieved great cultivation of the heart!

Besides these antics, occasionally when Grandmaster Cui became a bit serious, the old cultivator was simply in awe.

At the Golden Laurel Temple, Master Cui sat and debated the Dao with the temple master.

As they talked, the old temple master entered a state of sitting-forgetfulness.

That temple master, named Zhang Guo, was at the Dragon Gate Realm and seemed to suddenly show signs of entering the Golden Core Realm.

The Glass Immortal watched with intense envy.

At White Water Temple, where springs gurgled forth from the ground, Master Cui sat on a well that was inexplicably sealed with a stone lid. He began to expound the sutras to a young monk who gave far more sermons outside the temple than inside.

Both wore white robes.

One was a Confucian, the other a monk.

They began by debating the phrase: "One word deviating from the scriptures is devilish talk."

The Glass Immortal, for his part, found it utterly incomprehensible and had zero interest.

The child "Brother Gao" crouched by the bamboo gate, listening to the two expounding their respective doctrines. The child made some vague sounds, still unable to speak properly.

Finally, the white-robed Master Cui sat cross-legged on the stone-sealed well and, laughing, spoke several Zen phrases in succession: "Sitting across all directions, cutting off a thousand eyes? How about sitting across and cutting off all tongues under heaven? Or perhaps wouldn't it be better to kick over the lotus throne and smash the Buddha's head?"

Then he slapped down, shattering the stone sealing the well.

The white-robed youth hovered above the well opening, laughing loudly again: "The old monk also has a cat's desire, but dares not meow before others?"

The white-robed monk bowed his head, pressed his palms together, and softly chanted.

Master Cui finally laughed again: "The sutras are a bit heavy—only when you can lift them can you put them down. The two gates of the Western Paradise—if you can't see through them, you can't open them."

The young monk raised his head, smiled knowingly, and slowly said: "One as skilled in chess as you is rare under heaven; one as dull as I am is not to be found in the human world."

Then the Glass Immortal saw his Grandmaster Cui, having apparently exhausted his words, jump down from the well, laughing heartily, and pat the child's head. As the three left White Water Temple,

the white-robed youth, sleeves flapping, walked with a swaggering step, exclaiming, "If this stubborn stone refuses to nod, buried in wild grass and weeds, never to encounter the right moment—wouldn't that be a great pity?!"

The Glass Immortal, understanding nothing, nodded with feigned comprehension: "Master, besides your vast learning, who would have thought your Dao magic is so profound, your Buddha Dharma so deep? You could definitely participate in the Three Teachings debate without issue."

The white-robed youth cursed with a laugh: "Bullshit!"

The Glass Immortal smiled awkwardly but still nodded: "Master is always right."

The white-robed youth turned his head: "You have quite a bit of spiritual affinity. Want to stay here and become a monk?"

The Glass Immortal made a miserable face: "No please! I really have no spiritual affinity for studying the Buddha Dharma! None at all!"

Subsequently, Cui Dongshan took the old and the young to the capital of Green Phoenix Nation.

He visited the master of a small Daoist temple.

The temple was called White Cloud Temple, a tiny, quiet place tucked away, adjacent to market alleys. Roosters crowed, dogs barked, children played, vendors called out—it was noisy and bustling.

Cui Dongshan stayed there for a few days, donating quite a bit of incense money, and naturally borrowed many books to read. This temple master didn't have much else, but he had a great many books. Moreover, this obscure middle-aged Daoist had nearly a million characters of reading notes alone. Cui Dongshan read those even more. The temple master wasn't secretive about them and was happy for others to browse. Crucially, this traveling scholar from afar was a generous donor, ensuring that his White Cloud Temple wouldn't go broke.

On the morning Cui Dongshan said goodbye, a young acolyte who had enjoyed a few days of heavenly life was genuinely reluctant to see him go. He was crying with tears and snot, which made even the acolyte's master a bit sad—was he really that unqualified as a teacher?

Cui Dongshan had been gone less than half a day.

The young acolyte was still lamenting, listlessly sweeping fallen leaves in the temple courtyard.

Then seven or eight oxcarts arrived in force outside the White Cloud Temple, saying they were delivering books.

The oxcarts were loaded with all kinds of books from the Hundred Schools. Box after box was carried into the small temple.

The thin middle-aged temple master was utterly dumbfounded.

But when a plaque was taken off the last oxcart, the master called over the delighted young acolyte, and together they carefully carried it to the study.

The plaque bore two characters: "Purify Heart."

After leaving the capital of Green Phoenix Nation, the Glass Immortal served as the driver of a carriage. Cui Dongshan sat beside him, while the child napped inside the carriage.

The old cultivator asked softly, "Master, that White Cloud Temple master wasn't even a cultivator. Why did you hold him in such high regard?"

Cui Dongshan waved both his snow-white sleeves, one up, one down, left and right. "He is the same kind of person as my two previous masters. In times of peace, they don't stand out. But once chaos comes, they become..."

The old cultivator waited for the continuation, but there was none for a long time.

Just when the Glass Immortal had given up expecting an answer, Cui Dongshan laughed. "The best kind of teacher."

Cui Dongshan stopped his hands and said slowly, "Ordinary teachers can make good students' knowledge even better. Slightly better teachers teach both good students and bad, willing to persuade people to correct their mistakes and turn to good. As for the best teachers under heaven, they are willing to extend the greatest patience and kindness to the greatest evils that are taught nothing in this world. Such people—no matter where they walk, the school and the sound of reading are right there. Some find it noisy—it doesn't matter. Others can hear it and that's good."

Cui Dongshan smiled slightly. "So they are not repairmen of a turbulent world, but the source of the clear spring in people's hearts. The water flows downward, passing by everyone's feet, so it is not high. Anyone can bend down, cup their hands, and drink."

Cui Dongshan suddenly stood up, raising his arm high as if holding a wine cup. At that moment, the white-robed youth shook his sleeves and stood, his spirit soaring. "The world is full of rich and greasy things that everyone yearns for. That's natural, that's how it should be. But when you're thirsty, you have water to drink—take it as you please. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that fortunate?!"

The Glass Immortal drove the carriage carefully.

Sigh.

Grandmaster Cui always said such incomprehensible things.

Then the old cultivator felt a kick to the back of his head. The man behind him cursed, "Damn it, not a single flattering word, not a bit of applause?!"

The old cultivator was startled and quickly began to mentally compose something.

But such flattering words weren't something that came easily. And with Grandmaster Cui's scare, the Glass Immortal racked his brains without coming up with a single suitable compliment.

Fortunately, the man behind him had already said, "Forget it. You're not fated to ever go to Luopo Mountain anyway."

Then the Glass Immortal relaxed a bit.

Because all around the carriage, folded paper green birds, as if alive, fluttered and circled.

They weren't the Yellow Seal talisman paper that Middle Five Realm cultivators usually bought at great expense.

Rather, they were "Clear White Talismans," the color and texture of a sky clearing after rain. They were said to be talisman papers exclusively used for Daoist sect sacred declarations, extremely rare and expensive.

The old cultivator was half an expert in the talisman lineage.

So he also knew that the most mysterious talisman paper under heaven was a green paper imbued with the true intent of sages, without a definite name.

But these sacred declaration Clear White Talismans were casually taken to fold into paper birds.

Grandmaster Cui—was this really appropriate?

Wouldn't it be nice if you, sir, gave me a few as family heirlooms?

The old cultivator lamented inwardly.

On this bumpy journey, he had actually received no real benefit. He could only hope that one day Grandmaster Cui would think that at least he had rendered some menial service, even if no merit.

But thinking of being a beast of burden, the old cultivator felt a bit better.

That little imbecile in the carriage—that was truly being a beast of burden.

Cui Dongshan suddenly said, "Detour. We're not going to the Liu family's Lion Garden. We're going to see a pitiful person."

Then, following the route Cui Dongshan gave, the old cultivator drove steadily southward.

In Green Phoenix Nation, there had been many rumors about the Liu family's Lion Garden.

The head of the Liu family, a leader of the scholar-official class, had lost his integrity in his later years, his reputation ruined. From a pure and noble figure who was the literary conscience of the nation, he had become a filthy thing like a literary demon. His poems and essays were dismissed as worthless—not to mention the endless dirty water poured on him. One of the four great private gardens in Green Phoenix Nation, a scholarly family, had become a cesspool of filth. In the city markets, bookshops large and small sold crude erotic pamphlets that circulated throughout the court and the commoners.

Thus, when the second son, Liu Qingshan, returned from his travels and held his wedding feast at Lion Garden, marrying an obscure woman from elsewhere, Old Minister Liu didn't see a single family friend.

As for the eldest son, Liu Qingfeng, who had "cut off his own father for righteousness," he had long been erased from the Liu family genealogy. Now he held a minor official post, supposedly an assistant in charge of canal transportation. Compared to his previous position as county magistrate, it was a promotion, but no one thought such a man could rise high in Green Phoenix Nation, which valued reputation and honor above all. Perhaps one day he would even lose that official skin. And certainly no one would even bother to mention him as a joke to chat about over tea—too boring.

Moreover, Green Phoenix Nation was now thriving, its national destiny prosperous.

The court, the mountains, the martial world, the scholar-official class—all saw a blossoming of talents, springing up like bamboo shoots after rain. A grand and magnificent scene.

For instance, there was a child only six years old. Within just one year, the name of this child prodigy had spread throughout the court and the commoners. At this year's Mid-Autumn lantern festival in the capital, the prodigy was summoned to the capital by imperial decree. The emperor and empress received him, and they ascended the tower. The child was immediately endeared to the empress, who held him affectionately on her lap. The emperor himself tested the prodigy's poetry, commanding the child to compose a poem on the spot according to a given theme. Held in the empress's arms, the child thought briefly and then recited a poem. The emperor was overjoyed and, breaking precedent, bestowed upon the child the official title "Great Zhou Upright"—a reserve official position. Though not a full-time post, it was a genuine official status. This meant this child was likely the youngest civil official not just in Green Phoenix Nation, but possibly in the entire history of Vase Bottle Continent!

Now winter was approaching.

By the side of a canal that had not yet been fully dredged, on a quiet path, a bumpy carriage rolled along. On top of the carriage sat the white-robed youth cross-legged, while the child held a kite unique to Green Phoenix Nation, called a wooden hawk.

As long as the string wasn't broken, any kite in the world was destined to fly high but never go far.

Cui Dongshan leaned back and lay down, gazing blankly at the kite in the sky.

My master—how is he now?

---

The matter of reopening canal transportation was extremely complex, involving every aspect of Green Phoenix Nation. So the court hadn't rushed it, and progress appeared slow.

The officials in charge were not of high rank, three of them: two departed court gentlemen from the Ministry of Revenue and Public Works, and one provincial governor from the prefecture where a major section of the canal's main channel was located. Since the court hadn't made a big show of it, the matter hadn't attracted much attention from the court and commoners. It seemed the two capital officials were handling the more abstract aspects while the provincial governor handled practical matters. But in fact, the opposite was true. The governor, who had thought he was just going through the motions, arrived at the temporary yamen by the canal and found that the two noble court gentlemen, though of lower rank, already seemed to have everything figured out. Their plans were detailed, article by article, nearly to the point of tediousness. Even he, a seasoned regional official, found it hard to interject. All he had to do was follow the procedures.

Besides the two fifth-rank court gentlemen from the Ministry of Revenue and Public Works, there was also a fifth-rank assistant official named Liu Qingfeng.

Governor Hong thoroughly despised this Liu fellow, a newcomer to officialdom. In the martial world, betraying friends for personal gain was already universally scorned; in officialdom, selling out one's father for advancement was something else entirely. Governor Hong felt that every day he had to discuss matters with this kind of scum, he had to change his official robe the next day—even drinking tea made him uncomfortable.

For the better part of the year, Governor Hong had been cold-shouldering Liu Qingfeng. The two capital officials seemed to understand Governor Hong's feelings and deliberately turned a blind eye. As for Liu Qingfeng himself, probably due to his low rank and guilty conscience, he always pretended to be respectful toward Governor Hong. At the table during discussions of canal dredging details, Liu Qingfeng almost never spoke unless the two capital officials asked him specific questions.

One day, in a village by a section of the canal, there was a lively performance of the bamboo horse dance.

A scholar who had already walked the entire length of the old canal twice sat on a low mud wall with a young bookboy named Liu Suo. From a distance, they watched the clamor of gongs and drums. The bamboo horses were woven from bamboo strips, wrapped in five-colored cloth, divided into front and back sections, tied around the dancers' waists. According to local custom, those in formal clothes rode red horses, those in green rode yellow, women rode green, scholars rode white, and warriors rode black, each with its own symbolism.

The scholar no longer looked like an official scholar at all. His skin was tanned dark and shiny, and he wore coarse linen clothes. The only thing that didn't belong in a village was the sturdy but old deerskin boots on his feet.

The bamboo horse dance didn't pass through every village—it depended on which village paid, and how much they paid. The dance would be performed according to the price.

This village had clearly paid a lot, so the bamboo horse dance was particularly splendid.

Near the wall, there were many idlers and tall youths from other villages who had come to watch the excitement.

They pointed at the girls from the richer village, making unrestrained comments—whose daughter would have big breasts later, whose family's girl would surely bear sons. Laughter rose and fell around the wall. Some even argued over which girl was the prettiest, who was the most charming for miles around. Everyone had their own favorite.

The scholar also looked at the women they pointed at, without hiding his gaze. The bookboy sitting beside him looked a bit helpless—sir, why are you being so improper too?

The scholar smiled and said, "Among women, the hardest thing to achieve is whiteness. Being plump or thin doesn't really matter."

The bookboy sighed helplessly. "If you say so, sir."

The scholar laughed. "You're still young. Later you'll understand—a woman's face isn't the most important thing. It's her figure that's truly wonderful."

The bookboy rolled his eyes. "Sir, why would I need to know such things? I haven't even read many books yet. I want to pass the imperial exams and become an official like you."

The scholar nodded. "You are a seed for learning. You'll definitely become an official in the future."

The bookboy immediately perked up.

Whatever the master said was always accurate!

In the distance, near the bamboo horse dancers, cheers and applause rang out.

Near their wall, there were also many onlookers. They had plenty of criticism and disdain, mostly snorts of contempt, sparse applause.

The bookboy asked softly, "Sir, you're so learned—you know all about the origins of the bamboo horse dance. Tell me, was it really not well performed? I thought it was good."

Liu Qingfeng said quietly, "Of course it was good. But since we didn't pay, why should we say it's good? All the good things in the world require payment."

The bookboy was confused. "What kind of reasoning is that?"

Liu Qingfeng smiled faintly and said no more. He patted the boy's head. "Don't think too much about this. Now is the prime time for you to study."

The bookboy nodded and, remembering something, asked curiously, "Why has sir only been looking at the Ministry of Revenue's tax records lately?"

The bookboy didn't yet know that his master's current official rank didn't allow him to access those records, and that someone had been secretly delivering them to his desk.

Liu Qingfeng said softly, "When reading history, the accounts written by later emperors about previous dynasties tend to be distorted. But financial records—money coming in and going out—are the least deceiving. So when we read history, if we have the chance, we should always look at the biographies of those who managed the treasury in each dynasty, and the process of minting and circulating various currencies. Take one person as a point, one dynasty's treasury surplus or deficit as a line, and then spread out—it becomes easier to see the gains and losses of national policies."

The bookboy scratched his head.

Liu Qingfeng looked into the distance at the lively scene and laughed. "Don't worry. As long as you want to read books in the future, I'll have them."

The bookboy was happy that his master was in a talkative mood today.

Those two full-length surveys of the canal had been exhausting, and his master hadn't talked much then—just looked at the endless mountains and rivers, silently taking notes.

Taking advantage of his master's willingness to talk today, he asked more. "Sir, why do you always stop to chat with the teachers in the city and village schools wherever you go?"

Liu Qingfeng said, "Where do scholar-seeds come from? After their parents at home, it's the teachers. How can that not be a vital concern for us scholars? Do you think learned scholars who cultivate themselves and bring order to their families will fall from the sky?"

The bookboy hummed in agreement. "Sir is still reasonable."

Liu Qingfeng smiled slightly. "This is something you can start thinking about now."

The bookboy nodded. "Got it!"

Suddenly, a group of robust young men and tall youths came running. Seeing the prime spot on the wall occupied by Liu Qingfeng and his bookboy, one jumped onto the wall. "Get lost."

The boy bookboy's face showed anger.

But his master had already stood up, said nothing, and silently jumped down from the low wall. The boy had no choice but to follow suit. They went elsewhere to watch the bamboo horse dance, but now they couldn't see clearly.

The boy was furious.

But his master stood somewhere else, stretching his neck and standing on tiptoe to continue watching the bamboo horse dance on the village threshing ground.

The boy was glum.

His master was good at everything, but his temper was too mild—that was the one flaw.

"Don't talk about right and wrong with people who cause it, and in the end, you'll become the right and wrong yourself."

Liu Qingfeng smiled. "Don't compete for reputation with hypocrites, don't compete for profit with petty villains, don't compete for reason with stubborn people, don't compete in courage with common men, don't compete in talent with sour scholars. Don't do favors for fools."

This was 'not contending.'

There was also the art of contending.

But Liu Qingfeng felt it would be better to tell the boy about that later.

A young scholar who doesn't focus on studying but only thinks about big principles—that's not a good thing.

It's enough to avoid making major mistakes.

The boy Liu Suo mustered his courage and for the first time contradicted his all-knowing master. "If we don't contend for anything, won't we end up with nothing? That's too much of a loss. There's no principle that says you have to give way at every step. I think that's bad!"

Liu Qingfeng smiled slightly. "Think again, carefully."

Liu Suo shook his head. "I just can't figure it out."

Liu Qingfeng withdrew his gaze, turned to the boy, and teased, "So stupid—how can you be my bookboy?"

Liu Suo grinned.

Liu Qingfeng suddenly said, "Let's go."

Liu Suo followed his master away.

Liu Qingfeng walked slowly, thinking about some matters that were neither small nor large.

Liu Suo still had questions, but seeing his master in this state, he knew he shouldn't disturb him.

Whatever Li Baozhen was doing now, Liu Qingfeng would only stand by and watch.

Li Baozhen's ambition—or one could say his aspiration—was not small.

This Great Li southern Green Wave Pavilion spy chief was attempting an experiment. Starting from the grassroots, he planned meticulously. Students of literature, martial heroes, scholarly leaders, court officials—ever since Li Baozhen entered Green Phoenix Nation, everyone had become a manipulated piece on his chessboard. And now, they were mostly ignorant children, like that "Great Zhou Upright" child prodigy.

On the surface, it seemed highly improper, full of conspiracy, dark and murderous. But in fact, it wasn't entirely so.

Li Baozhen was like building a house. His first goal wasn't to become the behind-the-scenes emperor of Green Phoenix Nation, but to one day make even the fate of mountain immortal clans controllable by the secular dynasty. The logic was simple: even the cultivation seeds were sent up the mountains by Li Baozhen and the Great Li court. Year after year, as these seeds became founding patriarchs of mountain gates or pillars of various sects—over time, it would become easy to talk about rules down below.

During this time, the Green Phoenix Nation Grand Commander Wei Liang watched coldly from the sidelines, occasionally establishing rules that even Li Baozhen himself had to follow.

As for Li Baozhen's schemes—from intent to method—Liu Qingfeng saw them clearly. To put it bluntly, either these were leftovers of Liu Qingfeng's own discarded methods, or they were tricks Liu Qingfeng deliberately left for Li Baozhen.

For instance, since the beginning of the year, several more literary celebrities in Green Phoenix Nation had seen their reputations ruined.

How was it done? Still the same three-step trick Liu Qingfeng had taught Li Baozhen back then. First, praise them exaggeratedly, claiming their poems and essays could rival those of the sages enshrined as deities. Exalt their characters to the altar of moral saints.

Then someone would speak up with moderate opinions. Gradually, they would build momentum, guiding literary public opinion, inducing neutral people to genuinely dislike those who themselves felt confused about being called moral saints.

Finally, it was even simpler. Since you claim to be morally flawless saints, fabricate stories about them, accuse them of private moral failings, and attack them. At this point, the martial world and the marketplace would take over. Wandering storytellers and private bookshop owners would take turns on stage. And of course, Li Baozhen's own secretly cultivated "official" literary men would begin to express their grief and righteous indignation. In the end, one after another would be ruined. Did the common folk who subtly fanned the flames really care about the truth? Some might, but certainly not many. The vast majority just wanted to watch the show. Like Liu Qingfeng today—watching from a distance.

Why would one expect the crowd, which sought only excitement, to think deeply?

Liu Qingfeng wouldn't.

After all, no excitement under heaven lasts forever.

After the clamor comes silence.

It had always been so.

Liu Qingfeng smiled and murmured to himself, "I set a good precedent."

Moreover, Li Baozhen was clever and could easily draw inferences.

Liu Qingfeng suddenly stopped walking and said to the boy beside him, "Liu Suo, remember: if one day—no matter who tries to persuade you to harm me, whether as a long-term hidden piece or a hasty assassination—you just nod and agree. Not only agree, but use every means at your disposal, do your utmost. Don't hesitate, don't show mercy."

The boy bookboy turned pale.

His mind went blank.

He simply couldn't understand why his master would say such terrifying things.

Liu Qingfeng's expression was normal. He said softly, "Because you certainly won't succeed. Keeping you by my side is actually harming you once, so I must save you once. So that you don't die in vain for some so-called righteousness. During this time, how much you can learn from me, how many connections you build, and how high you eventually climb—that's all your own ability. As to why I still keep you by my side despite knowing this—it's because I want to see if you can become a second Li Baozhen, but smarter than him, smart enough to truly benefit the world in the end."

The boy was in tears, terrified by this unfamiliar master of his.

Liu Qingfeng asked softly, "Did you remember?"

The boy wiped his tears and nodded.

Liu Qingfeng smiled slightly. "Good. Then from now on, you must try to forget this. Otherwise, you won't be able to fool Li Baozhen."

A moment later, Liu Qingfeng was rarely surprised.

A white-robed youth approached him, but the personal bodyguard assigned to him by Great Li had not appeared at all.

The youth held a kite in his hand, grinning brightly. "Liu Qingfeng, I'm carrying a small hoe to dig up my own wall. Hanging around with that old bastard won't get you anywhere. From now on, come work with me, Cui Dongshan. Besides, what's mine is mine, and what's his is also mine—why stand on ceremony with him? I'm the biggest in the entire south of Vase Bottle Continent. The old patriarch can't control me either."

Liu Qingfeng smiled. "That's a bit difficult."

Regarding the other party's hidden identity—Liu Qingfeng now had access to all of Green Wave Pavilion's secret intelligence, so he could roughly guess. Even just from the surface identity, the other party was more than capable of saying such treasonous words.

Cui Dongshan tossed the kite to Liu Qingfeng. Liu Qingfeng caught it, looked down, and saw there was no string. He smiled.

Liu Qingfeng looked up and shook his head. "You should know that I, Liu Qingfeng, have no ambitions in that direction. Self-preservation and freedom have never been what we scholars pursue."

Cui Dongshan strode forward, tilted his head, and extended his hand. "Then give it back."

Liu Qingfeng laughed. "Of course, if someone gives it to me for free, that's even better. I'll accept it and not return it."

Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue. "Liu Qingfeng, if you keep being so to my taste, I'm going to have my master accept you as a disciple on his behalf!"

Liu Qingfeng asked with a smile, "May I ask who Mr. Cui's master is?"

Cui Dongshan stood still, shrugging his shoulders playfully. "You've already met him."

Liu Qingfeng thought for a moment. "I can't guess."

Cui Dongshan burst out laughing. "To show my sincerity, I won't keep you in suspense. My master is the one who caused your oxcart to fall into the water all those years ago."

Liu Qingfeng was stunned for a long time, then asked tentatively, "Chen Ping'an?"

Cui Dongshan was also stunned for a moment. Then, in an instant, he was in front of Liu Qingfeng. He leaped up lightly and slapped Liu Qingfeng heavily on the head, sending him stumbling and nearly falling. The man cursed, "Damn brat—you dare to directly call my master's name by its taboo?!"