Chapter Five Hundred and Ninety-Eight: One Punch and the Deputy Manager Falls

Chapter Five Hundred and Ninety-Eight: One Punch and the Deputy Manager Falls

Qi Jinglong stood up, smiled, and said, "Liu Jinglong of the Taihui Sword Sect, greetings to Miss Ning."

Ning Yao smiled and said, "Very pleased to meet you, Mr. Liu."

Bai Shou reached out and brushed aside Chen Ping'an's hand that rested on top of his head like Mount Five Fingers. He was completely baffled; the forms of address had some interesting nuances.

Chen Ping'an tucked his hands into his sleeves and smiled along with him.

As for the jug of wine on the bench, he had already, before tucking his hands away, stealthily extended a finger and pushed it over to Bai Shou's side. This pair of master and apprentice, both big and little drunkards, weren't doing so well; they needed some persuasion.

Ning Yao sat down beside Chen Ping'an.

Bai Shou moved over to sit by Qi Jinglong, not forgetting to grab the wine jug as he stood up.

Ning Yao took the initiative to speak, "In my younger days, I traveled through Beiju Luzhou, but I never visited the Taihui Sword Sect. I mostly walked among the mortal mountains."

Qi Jinglong nodded, "In the future, you can return to Beiju Luzhou with Chen Ping'an. The scenery on Profound Flutter Peak is quite pleasant."

Ning Yao shook her head, "It's hard in the near future."

Qi Jinglong said, "Indeed."

Ning Yao was silent for a moment, then turned her gaze to the young man Bai Shou.

Bai Shou immediately sat up straight, instinctively.

Ning Yao said, "Since you are Mr. Liu's only disciple, why not practice your swordsmanship properly?"

Although her words contained "why," it was not phrased as a question.

Bai Shou, like a village schoolboy caught by a strict teacher checking his homework, stammered out, "Sister Ning, I will be more diligent!"

Ning Yao replied, "For a sword cultivator to practice the sword, one must question the heart. Questioning the sword means when you are utterly perplexed, you ask the silent heaven and earth with your sword, compelling the great Dao of heaven and earth to answer, even if it doesn't want to."

The young man felt so wronged he didn't even dare show it on his face; he could only nod vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice.

But Sister Ning's words truly had a heroic spirit. Having heard her teachings now, he felt like drinking. After drinking, he would definitely practice his sword well.

Qi Jinglong didn't find Ning Yao's words inappropriate at all.

If someone else had said them, perhaps it would have been out of place, but on the Sword Qi Great Wall, Ning Yao instructing others in swordsmanship was equivalent to a sword immortal teaching. Moreover, the reason Ning Yao was willing to say this wasn't to confirm any rumors, but simply because the person sitting opposite her was Chen Ping'an's friend and his disciple, and also because both parties were sword cultivators.

Ning Yao stood up to take her leave, "I'll go back into seclusion now."

Qi Jinglong rose as well, "I'm sorry for disturbing your seclusion, Miss Ning."

Ning Yao said to Chen Ping'an, "There are still some fine wines stored at home. Just ask Grandpa Nalan for whatever you need."

Qi Jinglong was taken aback and explained, "Miss Ning, I don't drink."

Ning Yao laughed, "Mr. Liu, no need to be polite. Even if the Ning residence's wine isn't enough, on the Sword Qi Great Wall, aside from sword cultivators, the next most abundant thing is wine."

Chen Ping'an nodded in deep agreement, "Yes, yes."

He secretly gave Ning Yao a thumbs-up.

In fact, in the travelogue of mountains and rivers personally written by Chen Ping'an, it was clearly recorded whether Qi Jinglong liked to drink or not. Ning Yao was naturally fully aware.

As soon as Ning Yao left.

Bai Shou breathed a sigh of relief, slumping against the railing, his eyes full of grievance. "Chen Ping'an, aren't you afraid of Sister Ning? I'm terrified of her. Even when I saw the Sect Leader before, I wasn't this nervous."

Chen Ping'an chuckled, "Afraid? What's there to be afraid of? Being afraid of one's own wife doesn't make a man."

Qi Jinglong suddenly turned his head to look at the junction where the corridor met the Dragon-Slaying Cliff.

Chen Ping'an's heart tightened immediately. He craned his neck to look but didn't see Ning Yao's figure. He then cursed with a laugh, "Qi Jinglong, you bastard! You've become an Upper Five Realm sword immortal, but instead of gaining more wisdom, you've just filled yourself with more mischief!"

Qi Jinglong smiled slightly. "Tell me honestly, here on the Sword Qi Great Wall, how many people think I'm a drunkard now? Take your time, think carefully, and speak clearly."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Look, how long have I been on the Sword Qi Great Wall? I'm busy every day, diligently practicing my fists, right? I often have to run to the city wall to spar with Senior Brother. Sometimes, if I'm not careful, I end up bedridden for ten days or half a month. I also have to spend a full ten hours a day refining my Qi. Now that I've broken through to the fifth realm as a Qi refiner, do you think I have the face to wander around a city full of sword immortals? Ask yourself honestly, how many people could I possibly have gotten to know in this past year?"

Qi Jinglong said, "Is such a lengthy explanation necessary?"

Chen Ping'an was speechless. He had indeed overdone it.

Qi Jinglong stood up and smiled, "I've long heard of the Ning residence's Dragon-Slaying Platform and Mustard Seed Minor World. I've already seen the Dragon-Slaying Platform. Let's go down and take a look at the training ground."

Bai Shou asked doubtfully, "When did you see the Dragon-Slaying Platform? Where?"

Chen Ping'an laughed, "You've grown a little dog's head for nothing. Where are your dog eyes?"

Bai Shou said angrily, "For Sister Ning's sake, I won't argue with you!"

Chen Ping'an stomped his foot. "Lower your dog's head and open your dog eyes wide."

Bai Shou stood dumbfounded. "The entire small hill under the pavilion is the Dragon-Slaying Platform?!"

Chen Ping'an had already accompanied Qi Jinglong down the Dragon-Slaying Cliff, heading towards the Mustard Seed Minor World.

Bai Shou didn't follow to join the fun. What Mustard Seed Minor World? The Dragon-Slaying Platform was far more interesting to the young man. Earlier at the Armory, he had only heard that there was a huge Dragon-Slaying Platform here, but at that time, the limits of the young man's imagination were probably about the size of a table. He never expected it to be the size of a house! Now Bai Shou lay on the ground, sticking his butt in the air, stroking the surface with his hand. Then he turned his head, curled his fingers, and lightly tapped, listening to the sound. There was no response. Bai Shou wiped the ground with his wrist and sighed in admiration, "Gosh, Sister Ning's family is really rich!"

Walking together with Chen Ping'an in the Mustard Seed Minor World, Qi Jinglong said, "Over at the Armory, I heard quite a few stories about you. The title 'Deputy Manager' is known not just on the Sword Qi Great Wall, but I even heard it over at the Spring Pennant Studio."

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Good deeds don't leave a name, bad news spreads a thousand miles."

Qi Jinglong asked, "Is it safe to talk here?"

Chen Ping'an said, "For ordinary conversation, there's no need to worry."

With Nalan Yexing keeping an eye out, and them being inside the Mustard Seed Minor World, even if a sword immortal tried to spy, they would have to consider the combined killing power of the three factions gathered here.

Besides Nalan Yexing, a former Nascent Soul realm Ning family sword immortal who had fallen a realm, Qi Jinglong himself was a Jade Perfection realm sword immortal, backed by the Sect Leader Han Huaizi and the female sword immortal Li Cai, effectively representing the entire Beiju Luzhou. As for Chen Ping'an, having his Senior Brother Zuo You stationed on the city wall was more than enough.

Only then did Qi Jinglong speak, "You did very well with those three things. In this world, knowledge that costs nothing, left on the ground for anyone to pick up, is often ignored. Even if picked up, it isn't cherished."

Chen Ping'an looked serious. "Continue. Having an outsider like you, who's not involved in the Sword Qi Great Wall, helping me review things will be better."

Qi Jinglong said slowly, "Opening the tavern, selling immortal brews. The focus was on the couplets and the horizontal inscription, and also the blank wooden tablets on the walls inside the tavern, which no one really looks at while drinking. Everyone wrote their names and innermost thoughts on them."

"At the silk shop, from the 'One Hundred Sword Immortal Seal Inscriptions' to the 'Two Hundred Sword Immortal Seal Inscriptions', and then to the folding fans."

"The storytellers at the street corners, and the kids who get some sunflower seeds and snacks."

After explaining the three things, Qi Jinglong began to summarize, "In this world, the Qi refiners with the deepest pockets but also the poorest hands are the sword cultivators. To nurture their swords, to fill that bottomless pit, they sell everything they own, often going bankrupt. If they have any spare cash on the Sword Qi Great Wall, men usually spend it on drinking and gambling. Female sword cultivators, relatively speaking, have even less to do. They just buy things they like according to their fancy. But this kind of spending isn't usually something a woman would think is worth mentioning. Cheap wines, like those from the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven or the Green God Mountain wine, can generally get people to come once or twice, but might not keep them coming back. They can't compete with the big and small taverns for repeat customers. But regardless of the initial intention, once someone hangs a blank tablet on the wall, a small, seemingly dispensable concern takes root in their heart. It seems extremely light, but in reality, it's not. Especially those sword immortals with different temperaments. When they use their sword Qi as a brush, how could their inscriptions be light? Those words on the tablets are not careless talk. Some sword immortals and sword cultivators are clearly leaving their last words to this heaven and earth."

"If I were Qi Jinglong, and I went to that tavern to drink, even if the tables and stools were rickety, the wine coarse, and I was eating free plain noodles and pickled vegetables, or even squatting by the roadside to drink, my true neighbors would be the aspirations of over a hundred sword immortals and sword cultivators. That is the condensed sword intent of their lives, the truth spoken after wine. More than that, I would hope that one day in the future, descendants would flip through those blank tablets and learn that there were once sages who came to this heaven and earth, and who once drew their swords."

"Of course, with the tavern, as long as business is decent, you, as the Deputy Manager, can use it as the most natural and seamless way to hear the most stories of the Sword Qi Great Wall, allowing you to understand this complex chessboard of the Sword Qi Great Wall at an extremely fast pace."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Besides that, I helped a friend of Ning Yao's, who is now also my friend, Miss Diezhang, drum up business. That was the earliest intention. The later ideas came gradually. The initial intention and schemes were actually separated by a very fine line. Almost as soon as one thought appeared, another followed."

Qi Jinglong laughed, "Being able to admit this so frankly, if you become a sword cultivator in the future and walk the path of a clear and bright sword heart, it would be more than enough for you to hold an honorary position in my Taihui Sword Sect."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Didn't you try to persuade Sect Leader Han?"

Qi Jinglong smiled wryly, "I tried. I just got scolded, what else could I do? Actually, I didn't want to persuade him myself. It was Ancestor Huang Tong who asked me to try persuading the Sect Leader. I can't refuse a request from an elder."

Earlier, Qi Jinglong had forgotten the wine jug on the bench, so Chen Ping'an picked it up for him. Now it came in handy. He handed it over. "According to the saying around here, 'Sword immortal who won't drink, an infant soul will make you think.' Drink up quickly. Who knows, you might even break through a realm stealthily, reaching the Immortal realm yourself. Then, relying on your young age, you could ask Sect Leader Han to suppress his realm and spar with you. Beating him until he runs back to Beiju Luzhou, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Qi Jinglong took the wine jug but didn't drink. He didn't want to touch that topic at all. He continued with the previous subject. "Seals are originally elegant items for a literatus's desk, most suitable for matching one's own knowledge and heart. In the Haoran world, scholars at most commission others, paying heavily to hire masters to engrave the seal text and inscriptions on the sides. They rarely leave both the seal and its text to be handled in their entirety by another. So for those two hundred seals of yours, you just went ahead. First the 'One Hundred Sword Immortal Seal Inscriptions', then the 'Two Hundred Sword Immortal Seal Inscriptions'. Look or don't look, buy or don't buy. It truly tests affinity. So you were very thoughtful. But without the tavern's many tales and little news items to pave the way for you, allowing you a target to focus on, to carefully speculate on the thoughts of so many sword immortals and Earth Immortal sword cultivators, and especially their life paths, you would never have achieved this result, where people eagerly wait for your next seal. Even if the seal text doesn't resonate with their hearts, they would still be cleaned out. Because everyone understands that the seals from that silk shop aren't expensive. Buy ten seals, and if you sell just one on the side, you make a profit. So when you were binding the first 'Two Hundred Sword Immortal Seal Inscriptions' into a volume, you were actually worried. You feared that seals might just be a small business on the Sword Qi Great Wall, and that if a third batch of seals appeared, causing them to become common, it might even tarnish all the effort you put into the previous volume. Hence, you didn't walk that path to the end. Instead of exhausting your mind to carve the next hundred seals, you took a different tack and switched to selling folding fans. The text on the fans is even more free and easy. This is similar to 'second-grade originals'. It not only attracts female buyers but also allows collectors of your seals to make a slight comparison, making them feel that the seals they bought earlier were worth collecting."

Chen Ping'an said, "Your analysis is correct. There's another point. The reason I switched to making fans was also to mask my intentions as much as possible, to avoid being casually seen through by a sword immortal, who might think me too deep and dislike me. But if, even after all this, I'm still seen through, then it doesn't really matter anyway. There's no need to seek perfection in everything. Eventually, some sword immortals who catch on will have the chance to laugh and call me a cunning brat. Why can I not mind? Because I hoped, from the very beginning, that the recipients of all my seals and fans were not specifically aimed at that small group of sword immortal seniors with the most transparent minds and the richest life experiences. Of course, among these people, if there are those who see the truth but don't expose it, and are even willing to accept a seal that pleases their eye, I would hold them in even higher regard. If given the chance, I would face them and say, 'Using a low-price method to peddle knowledge is rude of this junior.'"

Qi Jinglong nodded. "Thoughtful and well-considered, appropriately handled."

Chen Ping'an heavily slapped Qi Jinglong's shoulder. "Good thing you visited my Fallen Mountain! It wasn't a wasted trip! That little brat Bai Shou is hopeless; his comprehension is too poor. He only learned the surface, and his earlier words were so awkward and forced, it was practically counterproductive."

Qi Jinglong broke his rule and took a sip of wine, looking towards the direction of the tavern. Over there, besides sword cultivators and wine, there were also shabby alleys like Beauty and Luster Lane, and Mystic Resonance Lane, and many children who had spent their whole lives bored with the sight of sword immortals, yet knew nothing of the customs of the vast Haoran world. Qi Jinglong wiped his mouth and said in a deep voice, "Without decades, or even centuries of effort, what you're doing won't have much meaning."

Chen Ping'an was silent for a long time, then finally said, "If I don't do something, my heart feels unsettled. It's as simple as that, I didn't overthink it."

Qi Jinglong raised the wine jug, as if wanting to clink it like a wine bowl with Chen Ping'an and drink heroically.

But Chen Ping'an laughed in exasperation, "I used every trick in the book at the tavern, wasted a huge amount of effort, and barely scraped together two jugs of wine. I gave one to you, and Bai Shou swiped the other. Do you really think I'm some kind of immortal, capable of conjuring three jugs of wine out of thin air?!"

Qi Jinglong said "Oh," and stopped drinking.

Qi Jinglong asked, "Earlier, you mentioned sending a letter to ask Pei Qian to rush to the Sword Qi Great Wall. What about Chen Nuanshu and Zhou Mili? If you aren't letting the two little girls come, did you explain it properly in the letter? You should be clear, given the nature of your Senior Disciple, she will treat that family letter like an imperial edict. At the same time, she won't forget to show off to her two friends."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Of course. This isn't a small matter."

Qi Jinglong nodded. "That's good."

Chen Ping'an led Qi Jinglong out of the Mustard Seed Minor World. "Let me show you something."

Bai Shou had already gone down the Dragon-Slaying Cliff and was circling the small hill several times. He felt that with such a large Dragon-Slaying Platform, he had to ask someone to paint a picture for him. One at the foot of the hill, another sitting in the pavilion. When he returned to the Taihui Sword Sect and Profound Flutter Peak, he would unroll the scroll. All those heads would be gasping and staring wide-eyed. That would be a huge boost to Bai Shou's reputation within the sect. Relying on that surname Liu wasn't very effective. He needed to rely on himself, or more reliably, on his brother Chen Ping'an.

Seeing the two men in blue shirts walking out of the training ground, Bai Shou followed them to Chen Ping'an's residence.

Seeing the pitiful, shabby little house, Bai Shou felt a surge of sorrow and comforted Chen Ping'an, "Good brother, you've suffered."

Chen Ping'an lifted his leg.

Bai Shou ran far away instantly.

Feeling a little embarrassed, the young man leisurely walked into the house, chose a chair that was originally placed under the eaves in the courtyard, and sat down, pretending to be a big shot.

Thinking that the dark-skinned, troublesome girl might jump out any day now, Bai Shou treasured his current leisurely time.

The one surnamed Liu was clearly discussing serious business with his brother, not just idle chit-chat. The young man had enough insight to know that, so he didn't interfere.

Chen Ping'an led Qi Jinglong into the side room with two tables. On one table were unfinished jade-bamboo fan ribs, many blank fan faces without text, and quite a few unengraved blank seals. Several sheets of paper were covered in dense regular script, all drafts for seal texts and fan inscriptions.

On the adjacent table was a large topographic map of all the dragon kilns in Dragon Spring County, Great Li.

Nowadays, many places in Dragon Spring County, such as Old Porcelain Mountain, Immortal Grave, and the dragon kilns themselves, were still shrouded in heavy clouds and mist. Even taking an immortal ferry overhead, one couldn't see the full picture.

Qi Jinglong stood by the table, placing the wine jug down gently, and looked down. All the dragon kilns weren't arranged haphazardly but formed a curved, long line. A little distance away from this line was a small circle. Qi Jinglong pointed at this place and asked, "Is this the iron-locked well in the town?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Qi Jinglong stared for a moment, then said, "The Dragon Gasping the Pearl and Ascending Chart."

Chen Ping'an exclaimed, "Good eye!"

Qi Jinglong said indifferently, "I know a bit about talisman scripts and formation arrays. Having a slightly better eye than you isn't worth mentioning."

Chen Ping'an clicked his tongue. "Using the most understated tone to talk about how remarkable you are. I've learned something."

Qi Jinglong's expression turned grave. He lightly brushed his hand over the map, squinting. "Even just looking at this map, I can feel an overwhelming aura of malice and killing intent. It seems that when the last true dragon perished, it must have wished for the heavens to fall and the earth to overturn, for mountains and rivers to reverse."

Chen Ping'an, hands tucked in his sleeves, bent over the table.

Qi Jinglong read the names of the dragon kilns one by one. With one hand behind his back, he lightly brushed his other hand over each kiln. "Indeed, these kilns were built upon the corpse of that true dragon, using key spinal acupoints. Therefore, each foundational life-connecting porcelain fired in a unique kiln is inherently endowed with a different foundational divine ability. 'A dragon begets nine sons, each different.' Many of the common sayings passed down contain great wisdom. I've strolled through the Little Dragon Town before, visited the arched bridge, and also the sword forge built by the sage Ruan Qiong by Dragon Beard River. Those seven inconspicuous wells, aside from their inherent seven-yuan path to understanding, bearing some Buddhist karmic consequences, are actually distantly echoing this true dragon corpse, in a posture of contending for the pearl. Of course, the original intention wasn't truly to snatch the 'Dragon Pearl'. The purpose was more about suppression. And it wasn't that simple. Originally, it was a heavenly pattern, a tit-for-tat arrangement. But when the Dragon Pearl Cave Heaven fell to the mortal world and bordered the Great Li territory, it cleverly reversed, instantly becoming an earthly configuration. Moreover, with the few large mountains to the west chosen by the Dragon Spring Sword Sect as formation eyes, it legitimately channeled Qi into the seven wells, ultimately forming a pattern of Heavenly Leaders, Heavenly Maces, Left Assistants, and Right Guides. A large amount of mountain and river Qi refluxed into the Divine Elegance Mountain, where the Ancestral Hall is located. Take the arrangement of these dragon kilns, for instance. It's practically opposing current geographical geomancy, 'dragon-seeking and point-acupuncturing.' But it was able to overcome earthly patterns with heavenly principles. Truly a world-shaking masterstroke. For example, this Wenchang Kiln and the adjacent Wulong Kiln. According to the warp-weft principles currently extolled by the Yin-Yang School of the Haoran world, on this map you've drawn, the Wenchang Kiln would need to shift down half an inch, or the Wulong Kiln move an inch to the right, to achieve the current world's ideal of balanced civil and military aspects. But doing so would lose a lot of meaning. No, 'one move affects the whole board.' It must be that the other kilns are interlocking with these two. Is it this Chongxiao Kiln? That's not right either. It should be this Gongbi Kiln that's the key. Unfortunately, when I traveled there, my view was still unclear, not precise enough. I should have flown to the high clouds and looked down from above, taking a more careful look..."

Chen Ping'an understood every word Qi Jinglong said, but of course, he didn't grasp the full meaning. He just smiled. You say your piece, Qi Jinglong, and I'll listen. If I say one more word, I lose.

Qi Jinglong suddenly turned his head. "Your exact birth date and eight characters? Otherwise, this game is still too difficult for me. The board is too big, the principles too deep. Using you as an entry point is the only chance I have to crack it."

Chen Ping'an put a handful of sunflower seeds on the table, still scrounged from somewhere. He shook his head.

Qi Jinglong frowned. "You're already planning to break the game, so why won't you let me help? If I were still an Infant Soul sword cultivator, fine, but having entered the Upper Five Realm, unexpected variables have become much smaller."

Chen Ping'an, cracking sunflower seeds, laughed, "Can't control it. Aren't you pissed off?"

Qi Jinglong wasn't angry. He sat down in a chair, continuing to stare at the magnificent miniature Ascending Dragon Chart. Occasionally, he would make hand seals and start flipping through the two books on the table.

While reading, Qi Jinglong casually asked, "About sending the letter?"

Chen Ping'an said, "It's secure."

Qi Jinglong didn't ask further.

Chen Ping'an was just busy cracking sunflower seeds. He was truly idle.

Later, he went to the other table, picked up a brush, and began writing on a fan face. He wrote a line: "The eight winds may blow, but I remain unmoved; the banner moves not, the heart moves not."

After a moment's thought, he added a smaller line of regular script, like a side note or commentary: "All matters pass through the heart, then return to heaven and earth; all things enter the eye, all become mine."

Holding the fan face, he lightly blew on the ink. Chen Ping'an nodded. Good calligraphy. The distance to the legendary realm of the Sage of Calligraphy had shrunk from about ten thousand steps to over nine thousand nine hundred steps.

Qi Jinglong turned around. "Do you know Miss Lu from the Water Classic Mountain?"

Chen Ping'an looked puzzled. "The famous Immortal Lu of Water Classic Mountain? Of course, I know of her, but she doesn't know me. Why do you ask? What, did she come to Inverted Suspension Mountain with you? Not bad! 'Sincerity can break stone.' I think you might as well just agree to her. You're over a hundred years old. Staying a bachelor forever isn't a good thing. On this Sword Qi Great Wall, they look down on bachelors, even more than drunkards and gamblers."

Qi Jinglong explained, "She didn't come with me. We happened to meet at Inverted Suspension Mountain, and then she came to the Sword Qi Great Wall with me."

Chen Ping'an, brush in hand, picked up a new fan face, planning to dig into the bit of ink in his belly. To be honest, with the seals and fans, Chen Ping'an's half-bucket of ink was running low. He raised a hand, too lazy to talk nonsense with Qi Jinglong. "Think things through clearly first, then come talk to me about this."

Qi Jinglong seemed to have a sudden epiphany and nodded. "So what should I do now?"

Chen Ping'an didn't even turn his head, just focusing on writing the fan face. He said casually, "What can you do? Just follow the rules of the heart but stop at propriety. If the lady wants to see you, then see her. Don't scowl. She likes you; it's not like she owes you money. After meeting a few times, even if you don't want to actively seek her out, to avoid misunderstandings, that's fine. But when it's finally time to part, no matter who leaves the Sword Qi Great Wall first, you should take the initiative to find her once and say goodbye. Since you don't have a lady in your heart right now, you can be more carefree. If you're overly restrained, she'll be more prone to overthinking."

Qi Jinglong was suddenly enlightened.

What Chen Ping'an was writing now wasn't as serious as the previous fan face. He intentionally added a bit of feminine charm. After all, it was an item for the silk shop. Being too aloof wouldn't make it sell. He wrote: "The person I long for, the elegant gentleman, is the world's foremost summer breeze."

Qi Jinglong glanced at the inscription on the fan face and was left speechless.

He really wished he could take back most of the good things he'd said earlier. This fellow, who had walked all the way through Beiju Luzhou acting as a wandering peddler, had clearly been thinking a lot about making money!

In this world, many thoughts and ideas are connected by a single thread, born one after another. Inspiration flowed, and Chen Ping'an quickly wrote another fan inscription: "This place has never known summer's heat; it seems the Sword Qi has already cooled it."

Satisfied with this sentence, Chen Ping'an picked up a finished seal, opened the inkpad box, and gently stamped it below the poem. The seal inscription read: "Golden Wind and Jade Dew, Spring Grass and Green Hills, Each Suits the Other Perfectly."

This way, whether a woman or a man bought the fan, it would be suitable.

Qi Jinglong laughed. "Working hard on your cultivation, and incidentally becoming a penny-pinching peddler. You never do a losing deal."

Chen Ping'an chuckled. "Stop talking sarcastically here. Be careful of karma. I'll bet you that Immortal Lu will give you a seal or fan I've written. How about it?"

Qi Jinglong stood up. "I must go now. I need to go to the city wall to teach swordsmanship to the Taihui Sword Sect disciples."

Chen Ping'an didn't try to stop him. They crossed the threshold together. Bai Shou was still sitting in the chair. Seeing Chen Ping'an, he raised the wine jug in his hand. Chen Ping'an laughed. "If Pei Qian comes early and you run into her, I'll put in a good word for you."

Bai Shou sneered. "It's not like I can't actually beat her now. But she's young, started boxing late, and is a little girl. How could I possibly go all out? Even if I won, how would it look? I'd be the loser either way. That's why I'm not interested in a second sparring match."

Chen Ping'an scoffed. "Speak properly."

Bai Shou immediately stood up, scurried over to Chen Ping'an, and presented the wine jug with both hands. "Good brother, please persuade Pei Qian not to spar anymore. It hurts the harmony."

Chen Ping'an took the wine jug and smacked the young man on the head. "Whether at the Armory or on the city wall, practice your sword more and talk less. That mouth of yours is liable to attract a sword immortal's flying sword."

Bai Shou said angrily, "Chen Ping'an, show some respect! Don't forget your place! Where are the generational boundaries?!"

Chen Ping'an grinned. "When Pei Qian comes, if you dare to call me 'brother' in front of her, I'll accept you as my brother. How about it?"

Bai Shou weighed the pros and cons. "Brother or not, let's wait until Pei Qian leaves before we decide."

Chen Ping'an mocked him. "Look at you, such a coward."

Bai Shou put his hands together, forming a sword gesture, and looked up at the sky. "A true man stands tall between heaven and earth. I won't engage in a battle of egos with a little girl."

Chen Ping'an smiled and ruffled the young man's hair.

Having him by Qi Jinglong's side was not bad. Otherwise, both master and disciple would be taciturn, which wasn't very good.

Chen Ping'an saw Qi Jinglong off to the entrance of the Ning residence. Bai Shou quickly descended the steps, shaking his shoulders, and crowed with schadenfreude, "Time for a fistfight! A punch from you, a punch from me!"

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Don't you control your disciple?"

So Qi Jinglong said to Bai Shou, "These kinds of blunt truths can be kept to yourself."

Qi Jinglong turned and bowed to Nalan Yexing.

Seeing this, Bai Shou stopped at a distance and also bowed with cupped fists, following suit.

The master and apprentice left the city and headed towards the Armory.

Chen Ping'an walked side by side with Nalan Yexing. The old man smiled. "Before entering seclusion, the Eldest Miss asked me to give you a message. Just two words: 'Don't lose.'"

Chen Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief and said quietly, "Then I know how hard to hit."

He had a good idea of his own and Yu Juanfu's respective heights at the sixth realm bottleneck. Before going to Lion Peak to be fed punches by Uncle Li Er, Yu Juanfu was indeed higher. But when he broke through the bottleneck and entered the Golden Body realm, he had already surpassed Yu Juanfu's level in the sixth realm of martial arts.

Setting aside Cao Ci, the person he was silently chasing, when it came to pure martial artists in the same realm, Chen Ping'an didn't want to lose, and couldn't afford to lose.

As for Cao Ci, even if he lost another three times, or even thirty times in the future, as long as Cao Ci was still willing to throw a punch, Chen Ping'an would keep throwing punches without his spirit sinking in the slightest.

The place my heart yearns for is Mr. Qi's knowledge, Cui Cheng's fist intent, and the great freedom of the strong that A Liang once spoke of. Therefore, on the path of the Dao, I have no enemies in my heart; only Chen Ping'an is an enemy to Chen Ping'an.

Nalan Yexing was slightly startled and turned to look.

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded, his spirit high and his fist intent soaring.

Consequently, Chen Ping'an lay in bed for a full half a month.

Then, on the city wall, the woman with her hair in a bun was eating a pancake. She had already sent word to the city, clearly stating her wish to have three spars with Chen Ping'an. But through some grapevine, she heard that the Deputy Manager of the Ning residence had been feigning illness and hadn't shown his face for half a month. She was a bit shocked. Could there really be such a shameless pure martial artist in the world?

Had Cao Ci misspoken, or misjudged? Otherwise, why would Cao Ci have said that among the world's martial artists of roughly the same age, he, Cao Ci, walked alone, followed closely by Chen Ping'an, and then you, Yu Juanfu, along with everyone else—only three were worth mentioning?

The point was, whenever Cao Ci was willing to speak, he was always utterly serious. He wouldn't say a single word of praise more than deserved, nor a single word of criticism less. At most, fearing that her competitive spirit might be damaged, Cao Ci had reluctantly added an extra sentence, as a warning to her, Yu Juanfu.

"Chen Ping'an's resilience is particularly strong, and his martial path will be exceptionally solid and steady. If you lose to him once today, it's highly likely you will lose every time thereafter. I might be no exception. So, on the path of martial arts, I will never give Chen Ping'an the chance to walk beside me."

Yu Juanfu abruptly stood up. Someone like Chen Ping'an was worthy of such high regard from Cao Ci?!

A fellow martial artist of the same generation had openly challenged him, yet he refused to throw a punch. Was he saving his fists to eat?!

Was he just intimidated by her family background?! Because of that, a pure martial artist was supposed to hold back?

Yu Juanfu finished her pancake, put away her water flask into her bundle, didn't sling it over her shoulder, and asked the sword immortal Ku Xia to keep an eye on it. She ran alone towards the north side of the city wall, leaped up, and finally took a step off the edge of the city wall, landing with her feet on the wall and running towards the ground. When she was dozens of zhang above the ground, she stomped heavily against the wall, shot out like an arrow, landed gracefully, and sped towards the city, her momentum like a rainbow.

Some sword immortal leaked the news first, and before the female martial artist had even entered the city, the betting parlors in different streets and lanes within the city were already bustling. Everyone was more hyped than blood. Compared to the sparring bets at the Mirage, which were just for making money to support one's flying sword, even though the stakes here were smaller, they made people even more excited, like it was New Year's. "Bets placed, hands off!" "Bet big, win big!" "Win enough for a little wife!" Various bets rose and fell, a lively clamor. Some unscrupulous bookmakers were even taking bets on whether, after the Deputy Manager won the fistfight, he and that Yu woman would hit it off, exchange flirtatious glances, admire each other, and then, failing to hide his masculine thoughts, get beaten up by Ning Yao.

As for the background of Yu Juanfu, it had already been thoroughly investigated by the busybody gamblers, big and small, of the Sword Qi Great Wall. In short, she wasn't an easy opponent. Especially that black-hearted and cunning Deputy Manager, who was forced to fight purely with fists, losing many of his dirty tricks. So the vast majority still bet on Chen Ping'an winning the first match steadily, but whether he won after dozens of punches was the key to winning or losing big. However, some veteran gamblers were muttering in their hearts, wondering if this Deputy Manager might bet on himself losing. If that happened, wouldn't he be sweeping the entire Sword Qi Great Wall single-handedly? Did that need to be doubted? Now, ask any kid on the street, and they'd think it was a ten out of ten certainty that the Deputy Manager would do it.

Yu Juanfu entered the city. The closer she got to Ning Mansion Avenue, the slower and steadier her steps became.

When she reached the avenue, she found both sides of the road crowded with people squatting, all staring at her.

Yu Juanfu was a bit puzzled. Was a sparring match between two pure martial artists worth so many sword cultivators watching?

The sword immortal Ku Xia had told her many things, mostly reviewing Chen Ping'an's earlier four battles on this avenue, along with some rumors.

Sword immortal Ku Xia wasn't a talkative person by nature. Every time he spoke to Yu Juanfu, he aimed to be informative. So some murky little rumors, Yu Juanfu had actually heard from a young female sword cultivator named Zhu Mei.

Yu Juanfu walked forward. She stopped at the entrance of the Ning residence, about to speak, when suddenly, a roar of laughter erupted.

Yu Juanfu frowned.

She looked around and found that almost everyone was staring at a spot on a wall she had just passed. Squatting there were a fat man, a wiry young man, a one-armed woman, a handsome young master, and a young man in blue who was whispering with someone.

That young man slowly stood up and laughed. "I am Chen Ping'an, the one you seek for a fistfight."

A surge of anger welled up in Yu Juanfu's heart.

Was he toying with me?!

And why was every sword cultivator cooperating with this man? Earlier, they all deliberately avoided looking at this Chen Ping'an?!

Chen Ping'an walked alone into the middle of the street, only about twenty paces from Yu Juanfu. With one hand behind his back, he extended the other, palm open, gently reaching out. Then he smiled at Yu Juanfu and pressed his palm down twice.

In an instant, Yu Juanfu's mind focused into a mustard seed, free of stray thoughts. Fist intent surged through her entire body, spreading like a river circulating. She nodded to the young martial artist in blue, who looked like a scholar with his white jade hairpin.

This guy had at least a bit of a martial artist's bearing.

Chen Ping'an asked, "How many fistfights should we have? Or not many?"

Yu Juanfu said in a low voice, "For this first match, shall we each go all out and exchange one punch?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "You throw a punch first. If I can take it, I'll return one. If I can't, I lose. Then we repeat. Whoever falls down first and can't get up loses."

Yu Juanfu replied curtly, "Agreed! Half a month from now, the second match. Provided your injuries are healed."

He asked for that punch.

As soon as he said this, whistles erupted everywhere.

Clearly, that Miss Yu was a bit unhappy about waiting for the Deputy Manager for a full half a month.

That wasn't all. A little girl was even running along the tops of walls between residences, sprinting and banging a gong that shook the heavens. "Future Master, I snuck out to cheer you on! This gong is really loud! My dad will probably come to catch me any minute. I'll bang it as long as I can!"

Yan the Fat Man tilted his head back and hit the wall with it. This Lvdian girl, could she stop banging the gong while talking? Many of the Lower Five Realm sword cultivators who were just watching the fun really couldn't hear what she was saying.

Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled at Guo Zhujiu, nodding.

In that instant.

Yu Juanfu's fist intent exploded.

There was a sword immortal who was sure to win a lot of money this time. Drinking Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine, sitting on the wall, he watched the two facing off in the street. He lowered his head as the girl shouting, "Let me through, Great Sword Immortal Tao Wen!" took a light step and leaped over his head.

One punch later.

In fact, even many Earth Immortal sword cultivators who had underestimated Yu Juanfu were frowning.

This little girl had some serious punches.

Chen Ping'an, who had been standing still, was hit squarely in the chest, sent flying back, and landed straight at the end of the street.

The street was filled with the sound of wind and thunder. Except for the unmoving Nascent Soul sword cultivators, even the Golden Core sword cultivators had to use their own sword Qi to block the scattered fist intent.

Chen Ping'an lay on the ground for a moment, then sat up, wiped the blood from his mouth with his thumb, swayed unsteadily, but still stood up.

Many sword cultivators shouted that it was over, the Deputy Manager was too arrogant, he had definitely lost.

This group was clearly those who had bet on the Deputy Manager beating Yu Juanfu to a pulp in a few punches, who also frequented the tavern for free drinks, and had immense trust in the Deputy Manager's character.

But no one, including Chen Ping'an, expected Yu Juanfu to turn around and leave, announcing loudly, "First match, I concede. Half a month from now, the second fistfight. No rules, we can throw any punch."

The Deputy Manager, who had never lost money in business, immediately forgot about hiding his intentions and shouted, "How about the second match, right now?"

Yu Juanfu stopped walking and turned her head. "Is this how you envision a martial artist's fistfight?"

Chen Ping'an turned aside and spat out a mouthful of blood, nodded, and said in a deep voice, "Then let's go to the city wall right now."

Since Yu Juanfu could say that, she deserved some respect.

How should a pure martial artist respect an opponent? Only by throwing punches.

Yu Juanfu looked at the expression in Chen Ping'an's eyes, his contained fist frame and fist intent, and that certain fleeting pure aura. She had once thrown thousands or even tens of thousands of punches at Cao Ci in an ancient battlefield site in Golden Armor Continent. So it was both familiar and unfamiliar. The two were indeed very similar, yet vastly different!

"Chen Ping'an, believe it or not, I hold no personal grudge against you. It's just a fistfight. But you and I both know that it's not about life or death, just about victory or defeat. That kind of insubstantial, touch-and-go sparring is meaningless for our martial arts."

Yu Juanfu asked, "So, can we ignore the Sword Qi Great Wall's rules for sparring? Between us, apart from not fighting to the death, even if we shatter each other's martial prospects, we'll have no regrets?!"

Chen Ping'an slowly rolled up his sleeves, squinting. "When we get to the city wall, you can ask Sword Immortal Ku Xia first if he dares to agree to that on behalf of your ancestor Yu and Zhou Shenzhi. Yu Juanfu, as pure martial artists, we don't just bury our heads and throw punches, ignoring heaven, earth, and others. Even if such a punch exists, it's definitely not one the Yu Juanfu of today can deliver. To speak harsh words, you need great fist intent."

Yu Juanfu was silent.

Chen Ping'an shook his arms, letting his sleeves fall back into place, and smiled. "There's only one match left. I'll be ready anytime, anywhere."

On a wall, Guo Zhujiu had forgotten to bang her gong. She wiped the sweat from her brow with her elbow, then shook the mallet in her hand heavily, sighing in admiration. "Too strong, my master is too strong. He didn't even need a single move to defeat the enemy with words, to disrupt her heart. This is the true pinnacle of martial arts, the peak of the Dao! Incredible, I have found an incredible master..."

Then the little girl was pulled home by the ear by Sword Immortal Guo Jia.

Chen Ping'an sighed inwardly.

Just as expected, Yu Juanfu, who had been about to leave, said, "The second match hasn't been fought yet, so there's no rush for the third."

Chen Ping'an was about to speak.

Those gamblers and bookmakers, who had almost all been stunned, immediately helped the Deputy Manager agree. Why miss out on a match and the potential profit?

Inside the Dragon-Slaying Cliff Pavilion, Ning Yao frowned. "Mama Bai, why should my man be required to act as a sparring partner for her fists? Agreeing to one match is already gracious enough, don't you think?"

The old woman took her lady's hand, gently patted it, and said softly with a smile, "What does it matter? In your man's eyes, there is only his Miss Ning, after all."

Ning Yao's lips curled up, but then she said in mock anger, "Mama Bai, did that guy arrange this with you in advance?"

The old woman imitated the way her lady and the young master spoke, and smiled. "How could that be possible."

Ning Yao stood up and went back into seclusion.

Her entering and leaving seclusion seemed very casual.

But the old woman knew very well that was the truth.

Her lady's current seclusion was actually pursuing something extremely significant.

Because she was the one and only Ning Yao of the Sword Qi Great Wall for ten thousand years.

Today, Chen Sanqiu and the others tactfully didn't follow them into the Ning residence.

After the gate closed, Chen Ping'an covered his mouth with his hand, and when he opened his palm, he frowned.

It seemed that for the second fistfight on the city wall, aside from successfully starting with the "Divine Man Beats the War Drum," style, he had to ensure it ended within a hundred punches. The longer it dragged on, the lower his chances of winning.

Nalan Yexing said, "This little girl's fist technique has already achieved its method. She shouldn't be underestimated."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "But she will still lose. Even though she is definitely a very fast pure martial artist, and I won't be able to use the Shortening Distance Talisman this time."

After entering the Golden Core realm, especially after being tempered by successive bouts on the Sword Qi Great Wall, Chen Ping'an had never actually exerted himself fully in a sprint. So even Chen Ping'an himself was curious about how fast he could "walk."

Then Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "But after today, even if I win the next two matches, the Sword Qi Great Wall will still have the saying 'Chen Ping'an goes down with one punch.'"

Nalan Yexing shook his head.

Chen Ping'an looked puzzled. "No?"

Nalan Yexing smiled. "It'll be 'Chen Ping'an standing still, the Deputy Manager falls with one punch.'"

Chen Ping'an stopped walking, turned around, and ran towards the gate. He turned his head and laughed. "Grandpa Nalan, if Ning Yao asks, just say I was dragged off for a drink."

He had to go to the tavern right away and nip this evil trend in the bud.

Back on the city wall, Yu Juanfu sat cross-legged, deep in thought.

Sword Immortal Ku Xia asked, "You'll lose the second match too?"

Yu Juanfu nodded. "If I get hit with the same punch he used against Qi Shou, the match is over. I'm trying to figure out a counter, but it seems very difficult. My current punching speed and body movement are still not fast enough."

Sword Immortal Ku Xia didn't speak further.

Yu Juanfu said, "Did you hear what that person said earlier, senior?"

Sword Immortal Ku Xia nodded. Of course. In fact, instead of using his divine ability to manage the mountains and rivers to watch the battlefield from afar, he had personally gone to the city. He just didn't show his face.

Yu Juanfu said, "In reality, I've already lost the second match."

Ku Xia asked in confusion, "How so?"

Yu Juanfu gazed into the distance at the city. "Even on the Sword Qi Great Wall, with Senior Brother Zuo You not far away, he can still be responsible for his own words without needing Zuo You's permission to speak. I dare say Zuo You probably won't even watch the fight. But I can't do that. For instance, you, senior, would be worried about me and secretly leave the city wall to make sure nothing happens to me. If something did happen to me, my ancestor and Elder Zhou Shenzhi wouldn't care about my initial promise. They would eventually take action to retaliate, or at the very least, hold a grudge in their hearts. Even if they don't act immediately, the path of the Dao is long, and life's journey is far. Given the opportunity later on, they would still kick me when I'm down, or even strike directly. Because in their eyes, I am still a junior. But that Chen Ping'an, even in the eyes of a great sword immortal like Zuo You and everyone else around him, should already be considered someone whose 'harsh words' carry weight."

Sword Immortal Ku Xia was even more confused. "Although the logic is sound, shouldn't a pure martial artist be judged solely by their fist technique?"

Yu Juanfu shook her head. "It's not that simple. Cao Ci said that as long as one can reach the tenth realm, the foundation laid during the first level of Qi Sheng often determines whether a martial artist can ever step into the legendary eleventh realm. Entering that 'Return to Truth' realm too early is definitely not a good thing. Cao Ci has been pondering this Qi Sheng stage for years, thinking about how to lay the foundation. So he chose the most interesting option."

Even a sword immortal like Ku Xia, who was unwilling to bother with worldly affairs, was a little curious. "So, what was Cao Ci's choice, and how was it interesting?"

Yu Juanfu's fists rested on her knees. "Nowadays, Cao Ci is studying all the hundred schools of thought from the three teachings. That's why he went to that ancient battlefield site, to ponder the true essence of the statues and then integrate them into his own fist technique."

Sword Immortal Ku Xia shook his head. "A madman."

Yu Juanfu raised an arm and pointed at the city. "That Chen Ping'an is also very strange. It might be my illusion. Although he didn't throw a single punch on the street today, I still feel that he and Cao Ci seem to be on the same path, but are actually moving in completely opposite directions, each heading towards an extreme end."

Sword Immortal Ku Xia smiled. "Maybe you're overthinking it."

Yu Juanfu's expression was complex. "I hope so! But I also hope not!"

Back in the city.

Chen Ping'an walked to the tavern and found Qi Jinglong and Bai Shou sitting with two women at the same table. Only Qi Jinglong was eating plain noodles, looking somewhat displeased.

Qi Jinglong looked up. "Thanks to you, Deputy Manager, for making my name known far and wide."

Chen Ping'an chuckled, then turned his gaze towards the Water Classic Mountain Immortal Lu.

Qi Jinglong hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's nothing."