Chapter 607: Senior Master Uncle Draws His Sword, Little Senior Brother Plays Chess

Chapter 607: Senior Master Uncle Draws His Sword, Little Senior Brother Plays Chess

In the following two decades, Pei Qian wasn't too happy, because Cui Dongshan had forcibly dragged her away from the Ning residence to wander around everywhere, and they were also accompanied by that Cao Qinglang.

The three of them strolled through the city's streets and alleys, went to take a distant look at the mirage, and then headed south. The big white goose also liked to take detours, passing by mansions where sword immortals had once lived before finally arriving at the city wall. They were walking on foot. If Master were there, never mind walking—even crawling would be fine—but since Master wasn't there, Pei Qian hinted several times for him to summon the talisman boat ferry to see things more clearly from the sky. But Cui Dongshan didn't agree, and Cao Qinglang, standing to the side, didn't say anything either, just kept quiet. This made Pei Qian feel somewhat isolated.

Cao Qinglang had originally planned to cultivate peacefully at the Ning residence, just like how Mr. Zhong now walked slowly around the training ground every day, often for several hours at a time.

But when Cui Dongshan knocked on his door and called him out, Cao Qinglang wanted to refuse. After all, the Master had specially chosen this place for him to cultivate; he couldn't let the Master's kindness go to waste.

However, Cui Dongshan shook his head, his meaning clear. Cao Qinglang thought for a moment and then agreed. Cui Dongshan told him to remember to bring the walking staff the Master had given him. Cao Qinglang then brought along this walking staff, which had accompanied the Master through thousands of mountains and rivers, through half of the Northern Juzhou Continent. Cui Dongshan had one too, just an ordinary green bamboo, but it was also extraordinary. Pei Qian's walking staff, relatively speaking, had the best material and was the most valuable. It wasn't until the big white goose revealed the secret that Pei Qian gave up the idea of carrying her small bamboo box on her back.

On the city wall, Pei Qian walked along the southern section. Along the way, she saw many interesting sword immortals. There was a colorful-robed sword immortal strolling, with a sword that wasn't worn at the waist. The sword had no scabbard, and the sword tassel was extremely long. One end of the tassel was tied to the waist, and the long sword dragged on the ground. The sword tip and blade scraped against the ground of the city wall, with sword energy flowing clearly visible. Pei Qian wanted to look more but didn't dare to look too much.

Their group of three walked on a higher section. Cao Qinglang looked toward Cui Dongshan, who said with a smile, "On this Sword Qi Great Wall, whether you are high or low depends only on the sword."

Only then did Cao Qinglang give up the idea of jumping down from the city wall to the horse path.

Cui Dongshan said to Pei Qian with a smile, "It's fine to look more. The bearing of sword immortals is a sight rarely seen in the Haoran World. The sword immortal lords won't blame you."

Only then did Pei Qian dare to look a few more times.

That colorful-robed sword immortal was just lost in thought, and indeed didn't mind a little girl staring at him, let alone the three of them walking on a higher level.

Cui Dongshan naturally knew this person's background. He was a bottlenecked Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator named Wu Chengpei, whose natal flying sword was called "Sweet Dew." His swordsmanship was most suitable for finishing battles, for a simple reason: on the earth, there was a lot of blood.

Wu Chengpei was eccentric in temperament, looking young in appearance but actually very old in age. His dao partner had been crushed in the head by a great demon's hand, and with a wide-open mouth, the demon swallowed the woman's soul.

That great demon later suffered severe injuries on the battlefield and hid in a cave deep within the Barren Wilderness World to recuperate, never appearing on the battlefield again. Wu Chengpei had once been in a battle between heaven and man, torn between spending his entire life living alone or dying meaninglessly. Later, that great demon was killed by someone, who carried its head by the hand and dropped it at Wu Chengpei's feet, saying with a smile, "It was on the way. Buy me a drink."

The three also encountered a sword immortal who seemed to be dueling with sword techniques. He was sitting cross-legged, drinking wine, with one hand forming a sword gesture. The old man faced north with his back to the south. Between the northern and southern city walls lay something that could be called either lightning or sword light, as thick as the mouth of an iron-chain well in Longquan County. The sword light was dazzling, sparks flying everywhere, and lightning bolts continuously struck the horse path on the city wall, like thousands of spiritual snakes slithering away, eventually disappearing into the grass.

Pei Qian was too afraid to move forward. The old man laughed and said, "Do you know the rule here? If you have wine, you can pass; otherwise, you must either defeat me with swordsmanship or fly your sword out of the city wall and obediently take a detour."

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, "My Master is the second manager."

"With such a crooked upper beam, the lower beam isn't crooked either? Strange, strange."

The old man then said angrily, "Then it'll cost you two jugs of wine!"

Cui Dongshan smiled and tossed two jugs of wine to the old sword immortal.

The old man was named Zhao Geyi. Sitting on the northern city wall opposite Zhao Geyi was a Nascent Soul sword cultivator named Cheng Quan, who had fallen from the Jade Purity Realm. The two were mortal enemies.

Apart from situations like today, where Zhao Geyi suppressed the realm and both sides clashed with sword energy, these two old men, born in the same humble alley, would also curse at each other across the horse path. It was said that in private, after drinking, they would even spit at each other.

After receiving the wine, the sword immortal Zhao Geyi slightly raised his hand in the sword gesture, like an immortal lifting a river, raising the obstructing sword energy. Zhao Geyi said grumpily, "For the sake of the wine..."

Cui Dongshan and the other two jumped down from the city wall and walked slowly forward. Cao Qinglang looked up at the river of sword energy, thick as water, flowing above their heads. The youth's face was illuminated by the light, shining brightly.

Pei Qian hid beside Cui Dongshan and tugged at the big white goose's sleeve, saying, "Hurry up and go."

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, "Senior Sister, don't embarrass your Master."

Pei Qian gripped her walking staff tightly, trembling with fear, putting on a swaggering posture that even demons would be afraid of, but her movements were a bit stiff.

After passing under that river above their heads and walking a distance away, Pei Qian, scared half to death, kicked the big white goose on the shin.

Although the force wasn't strong, the big white goose was sent flying by the kick, fell to the ground, curled up, and rolled around hugging his leg.

Pei Qian had a long history with the big white goose, so she wasn't worried at all. Almost instantly, she turned to look at Cao Qinglang.

Cao Qinglang looked straight ahead and said, "I didn't see anything."

Pei Qian breathed a sigh of relief, then grinned and asked, "Then did you see the fish in that little stream just now? Not big, one golden, one bluish?"

Cao Qinglang shook his head.

Pei Qian clicked her tongue and said, "Hmph, still a cultivator."

Cao Qinglang didn't mind.

He knew his own aptitude very well. Back then, why had the demon Ding Ying lived in that mansion near Scholar's Lane, and why had he eventually chosen to settle in Cao Qinglang's home? Mr. Zhong had already explained the detailed reasons to him. Ding Ying had initially speculated that within the Nanyuan Kingdom's capital, there were several "seeds for cultivation," and that the Zhaoyang Fastness's female grandmaster was hiding there. Cao Qinglang was one of them.

At that time, in their homeland, spiritual energy was scarce. The only person who could truly be called a cultivator was the flying-sword immortal Yu Zhenyi, who had returned to youth under Ding Ying. But since he was considered a seed for cultivation, Cao Qinglang wouldn't belittle himself, nor would he become arrogant. In fact, later on, when the Lotus Flower Blessed Land was divided into four, and sweet dew fell from heaven like rain, many cultivation seeds that had been floating uncertainly in the river of time began to take root, sprout, and bloom in suitable soil.

But as Mr. Lu, who had secretly taught him immortal arts, had said, having natural talent and innate aptitude given by heaven, earth, and parents is only the first step. Obtaining the opportunity to stand at the foot of the mountain is the second step. After that, there are still millions of steps to climb the mountain. As long as you walk steadily enough, you have hope of finding Chen Ping'an, and only then will you have the chance to thank him and ask if, in the centuries to come, Cao Qinglang can walk the Great Path alongside him.

Cui Dongshan looked at Pei Qian, this nominal senior sister.

Pei Qian could read people's hearts through talent; Cui Dongshan could do even more than that. Not only could he read people's hearts, but he also knew the depths of their hearts that they themselves didn't know.

Pei Qian's memory, her martial arts training, the Eighteen Stops of Sword Energy, her later copying of texts without realizing the great principles, and then learning chess from him on the cross-continent ferry.

Facts proved that as long as Pei Qian was willing to do something, she could do it better than anyone else. As long as she wanted to learn something, truly wanted to explore it, she would do it extremely quickly.

But this wasn't Pei Qian's greatest ability.

Pei Qian's strongest point was her ability to cut off thoughts and set up barriers on her mental path. She didn't dwell on things. "If I don't want to think about it, the thought won't come." The most direct manifestation was that after Pei Qian acknowledged the Master as her disciple, especially after arriving at the Fallen Mountain, she stopped growing, both in height and in temperament, as if she had "frozen" there.

She was always short, always a little black charcoal.

So Pei Qian's carefree nature was genuinely carefree.

But as long as there were no barriers on the path, Pei Qian's thoughts could travel like a startlingly free realm, traversing thousands of miles in an instant.

A restless heart and a wild mind that couldn't be restrained or bound? Cultivators would be as fearful as frail scholars, stumbling along a treacherous path full of dangers and hidden bandits. But for Pei Qian, there was no such concern at all.

Until she started practicing boxing, then a dramatic change occurred. She began to grow taller, began to mature, moving forward without hesitation.

This was clearly another extreme.

This was good, but it also hid considerable trouble and hidden dangers. Because the "adult Pei Qian" in her mind was merely the "disciple Pei Qian" in her Master's mind.

Thus, to some extent, Pei Qian's stillness was not true stillness, and Pei Qian's heart was not a true heart.

She had walked too fast, as if riding clouds and mist. On her heart-lake, there was only an airborne pavilion that hadn't yet touched the ground.

If not for her Master, intentionally or unintentionally, always leading her on foot across mountains and rivers, each holding a walking staff and carrying a bamboo box, carefully placing the simplest truths and most basic rules into her "little mental bookbox," Pei Qian would be like a firecracker ready to explode at any moment. The more boxing she learned, the further her martial path went, the bigger the firecracker's power would be. One day, Pei Qian would likely stir up a hornet's nest of epic proportions, harming both herself and others.

Now that Pei Qian had changed a lot, the Master was no longer afraid of her actively making mistakes. Even if she traveled the jianghu alone, the Master wasn't too worried about her actively hurting others. Instead, he was afraid that others would make mistakes, and obvious ones at that. Then Pei Qian, unable to restrain herself, would crush their small mistakes with her own big mistake. That would be the most heartbreaking outcome.

Was it simple for the Master to teach his disciples?

The Haoran World was extremely complex, with countless life-and-death situations. It wasn't like the marketplace or countryside with its cocks crowing and dogs barking. There were cataclysms, overturning rivers and seas, and all sorts of unexpected events that even Chen Ping'an found hard to judge as good or evil. If Pei Qian encountered them, how could Chen Ping'an truly be at ease?

For the sake of this first disciple, the Master had indeed done a lot of soul-searching.

They soon passed by a group of sword cultivators practicing swordsmanship as if hammering with hammers while sitting on the ground. Then Pei Qian, sharp-eyed, spotted that woman from the Central Earth Divine Continent's powerful clan named Yu Juanfu, sitting on the road ahead on the city wall. She wasn't practicing swordsmanship, just sitting there chewing on a baked pancake.

Cui Dongshan, with both hands behind his head, chest puffed out, walked with an arrogant posture that seemed to see no one but the sky, not inferior at all to the senior sister's iconic stance.

Pei Qian didn't know what the big white goose was thinking about. Probably, encountering so many sword immortals in one go had made his heart tremble, but he pretended not to be scared.

Pei Qian actually had a good impression of Yu Juanfu. That woman was quite magnanimous.

For a simple reason: back then, when Yu Juanfu lost in the boxing duel and the Master pressed her head against the wall, she didn't get angry.

If only Cen Yuanji and Bai Shou could have such a broad mind.

The city wall was wide enough. Yu Juanfu didn't even lift her head, just gazed southward at the vast world.

Pei Qian and her party, each holding a walking staff, walked past in turn.

Not far from Yu Juanfu, there was also a young man reading a book.

Pei Qian frowned.

The Dragon Gate Realm sword cultivator Yan Lü, who was sitting on a cushion and listening to the Bitter Summer Sword Immortal teach swordsmanship, glanced at the three on the city wall and then looked no more.

Supposedly, they were on Chen Ping'an's side, and it certainly seemed like it.

Cui Dongshan glanced at the book in the young man's hand and smiled approvingly. Good, he could be considered half of his own disciple lineage.

A bit interesting.

Lin Junbi closed the book and smiled at the three.

Cui Dongshan returned the smile. Pei Qian pretended not to see. Cao Qinglang nodded in greeting.

Cao Qinglang naturally recognized this person. At the mansion, the Master had casually mentioned the two defensive battles while carving inscriptions, not commenting on good or evil, but just explaining to his three students the minds of both attackers and defenders and the speed of their moves.

The three walked away.

Lin Junbi continued reading the "Colorful Cloud Manual."

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, he didn't want to break through realms continuously in one go, so his current realm was not high. However, under the instructions of the Bitter Summer Sword Immortal, he still served as a half-teacher to his companions. Moreover, among those training swordsmanship here, he was the only one who had captured a wisp of the pure essence of ancient sword intent and managed to keep it in a crucial energy aperture. Half of the innate sword embryos, including Yan Lü, Jiang Guancheng, and Zhu Mei, had captured fleeting sword intent, and Yan Lü had even captured it multiple times. Unfortunately, none could retain it. Lin Junbi hadn't revealed the secret; the Bitter Summer Sword Immortal knew but also didn't disclose it.

Lin Junbi planned to wait until he had collected three wisps of the ancient sword immortals' leftover sword intent. If no one else succeeded, he would reveal his own gain, using it to encourage them, so they wouldn't lose their drive for swordsmanship.

Whenever the three reached a secluded spot, Cui Dongshan would speed up. Pei Qian could keep up easily, breathing smoothly, utterly relaxed.

But Cao Qinglang was always suffering.

Walking on the Sword Qi Great Wall and having to "fly" along with Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian was naturally more tormenting than breathing slowly in the Ning residence.

Occasionally, Cui Dongshan would stop and let Cao Qinglang sit quietly for about an hour.

Pei Qian, bored out of her mind, would lie on the city wall, propping up her chin to look south, hoping to catch a glimpse of one or two so-called great demons. Of course, just one glance would be enough. No need to greet them. No connections, no enmity, no grudges. After she returned to the Haoran World and then back to the Fallen Mountain, she could tell Nuan Shu and Mi Li'er all about it. She'd tell them about those great demons, just standing outside that city wall, so close to her, staring eye to eye. She wasn't scared at all; she even had to crane her neck to see the demon's head. And finally, holding her walking staff, she'd perform a set of mad demon sword techniques to scare it away.

Unfortunately, after walking for days, she hadn't seen any great demons from the Barren Wilderness World.

Pei Qian lay on the city wall and asked Cui Dongshan why the great demons were so timid.

Cui Dongshan replied with a smile, "It's not that there are no great demons. Some old sword immortals and great sword immortals can strike with their flying swords farther than your eyes can see."

Pei Qian turned her head and asked, "The senior master uncle must be one of them, right?"

Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes and made a funny face, sat cross-legged, and shook his body back and forth.

Pei Qian whispered, "Did the senior master uncle really hit you? I'll talk to him about it later. Don't hold a grudge. Being able to enter the same door and become a family is already a blessing. We should be grateful."

Because Cui Dongshan didn't like to bow to Bodhisattvas. Even if he accompanied her to big and small temples, he never pressed his palms together to pay respects, let alone knelt down and kowtowed.

Pei Qian would secretly help him pay respects, quietly telling the Bodhisattvas not to blame him.

Actually, the city wall was already in the heavens.

The strong wind up there blew Cui Dongshan's white robes and the hair at his temples.

Unconsciously, he suddenly missed that study tour back then.

More people, and everyone carrying bamboo boxes.

He remembered how Cui Dongshan had deliberately said to Little Bao Ping and the others, telling the stories of hermits who were famous in history and those who were not.

At the time, Li Huai hadn't understood, just remembered. That was what children were like. At most, they'd think, "So that's how the world is."

Xie Xie, however, sneered. That was the usual mentality of teenagers. They thought the world was just like that. In fact, even adults, no matter how old, still thought the same.

But Lin Shouyi said that true hermits naturally wouldn't be known to the world, let alone appear in books. So why should all "hermits" be belittled because of that?

As for that little girl in the red cotton jacket, she thought even further ahead. She said they needed to know the respective numbers of hermits in books and unknown hermits before they could draw a definite conclusion.

Then the straw-sandaled youth, who wasn't yet their Master, just sat by the campfire, listening silently, and quietly remembered everyone's opinions, occasionally adding a dry branch to the fire.

Cui Dongshan pressed his hands on the walking staff and said with a smile, "Senior Sister, take good care of the little wooden bead my Master gave you."

Pei Qian rolled her eyes. "Less talk, you're so annoying."

Then Pei Qian suddenly smiled, turned around, and faced away from the south. Carefully, she took out her money pouch, pulled out a small, not-quite-round wooden bead.

It was from that day when she had made a great contribution and helped the Master come up with a new way to earn money. The Master rewarded her, telling her to keep it safe. He had treasured it for many years. If she lost it, she wouldn't get to eat chestnuts anymore.

The Master's earnest teachings—she had to listen carefully.

Cui Dongshan asked, "Do you know the origin of this bead?"

Pei Qian shook her head, opened her palm, and held up the slightly roughly carved wooden bead. There were many crooked markings. It seemed that the person who made the bead wasn't very skilled with the knife and had poor eyesight.

But since the Master gave it to her, it was worth ten thousand gold, and she wouldn't sell it for a billion.

Ah, if only the craftsmanship were a bit better. In her mind, in her little ancestral hall, this bead would rank as high as the walking staff and the small bamboo box.

Cui Dongshan said softly, "This little thing has been treasured by your Master for much, much longer than the engraving knife he gave to Cao Qinglang."

Pei Qian asked curiously, "Does the little bead have a big story?"

Cui Dongshan shook his head. "No big story. A little bead has a little story."

Pei Qian said, "Saying half of it doesn't make you a hero. Finish quickly!"

Cui Dongshan gently stroked the green bamboo walking staff on his knee and said, "When your Master was a child, he chopped a piece of wood during a break from gathering herbs, carried it down the mountain on his back, and made it into a string of prayer beads for the Bodhisattva at home. Then, on his last visit to the Immortal's Grave to worship the Bodhisattva, he hung the beads on the Bodhisattva's hand. Much later, when he went again, after years of wind, sun, rain, and snow, the beads were gone from the Bodhisattva's hand. Your Master only found this one bead on the ground. So after all these years, only this one remains by your Master's side. He kept it hidden in a small clay pot and never dared to bring it when traveling, afraid of losing it again. That's why the Master told you to take good care of it. You really must take good care of it."

Pei Qian clenched her fist and lowered her head.

That scroll of the river of time, this little story and little painting, was something Cui Dongshan had deliberately intercepted and hidden from her back then.

Cui Dongshan continued, "When the Master was young, did Bodhisattva show miracles? Probably not. The Master was so small then. Had he studied? Could he read? But in his life, did the Master ever complain about heaven or blame others because of his own gains, losses, or sufferings? Did the Master, traveling thousands of miles, ever have the slightest intention to harm others? I'm not asking you to imitate the Master's way of handling things. That's unnecessary. The Master is the Master, and Pei Qian is Pei Qian. I just want you to know that there are beautiful things in this world that we might never see or know, no matter how wide we open our eyes. So we can't just see the ugly things."

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, "Ordinary people worship Bodhisattvas and pray to them. Let me ask you, when Bodhisattva holds prayer beads, to whom is she praying?"

Cui Dongshan answered himself, "Only to herself."

Cao Qinglang suddenly spoke up, "At the Grand Academy Archway in the Master's hometown town, there is a plaque that says 'Do Not Seek Outside.'"

Cui Dongshan nodded. "Many principles are fundamentally connected. In our Confucian teachings, there is also a process of self-seeking, of seeking deeply. There is a problem, too. In the past, reading and studying had high thresholds. Those who could read and study often came from well-off families. They didn't need to deal with trivialities like daily necessities or struggle with the most basic gains and losses. But over time, as more people learned to read, the old teachings became insufficient. The sages' principles only teach you to aim high. They don't teach you how to earn money to support a family, how to contend with bad people as if fighting. A phrase like 'Befriend gentlemen and distance petty people' is just six characters. Is that enough for us? I think the principle is truly good, but it's not very practical."

"Almost every generation of scholars feels that their current era is too bad. They curse heaven and earth, blame others and themselves. Could it be because they've read too much, grown older, walked a longer path, seen more ugliness, and gained a deeper understanding of suffering, that they have such pessimistic perceptions? Or perhaps the world hasn't become much better, but it hasn't become much worse either? Shouldn't we consider these possibilities? In fact, many sufferings are not mentioned, not written in books. Even if they are written, the words are few."

"Beautiful things and people, compared to many poignant pains, seem since ancient times to never be a match for the latter, and the latter always overcomes the former with fewer numbers."

Pei Qian remained silent.

Cao Qinglang stopped cultivating and began to cultivate his heart.

Cui Dongshan, for the first time, showed a hint of exhaustion. "It's not that the principles are bad or wrong. It's precisely because they are too good and too right that they're hard to achieve. Those who can't achieve them, instead of blaming the unreasonable people and things around them, often blame the principles and the sages. Why? The principles in books don't talk back, and even if the sages heard, what could they do? So what happens? Many compromised sayings and countless 'as the saying goes' appear. For example, 'Better to offend a gentleman than a petty person.' Is there truth to it? It seems something is off when you think deeply. But is there no truth? Impossible. Almost everyone in the world has to live their lives. Everything they have, their wealth and their lineage, is built coin by coin. So thinking about it, that saying is golden advice."

Cui Dongshan leaned back and fell flat on his back. "I hate those clever but not clever enough people the most. Since they've broken the rules and gained advantages, they should shut up and enjoy the benefits in their pockets. But no, they have to come out and show off their little cleverness. If I ever meet them... Pei Qian, Cao Qinglang, do you know what the Little Senior Brother, in the other extreme of his state of mind, used to think, back in the earliest days?"

Pei Qian shook her head.

Cao Qinglang said, "I dare not think about it."

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, "It was to drag all the beings in heaven and earth to sleep with me."

Pei Qian grabbed the prayer bead with one hand and tugged at the big white goose's sleeve. Her face was full of fear, but her eyes were serious. "You can't do that!"

Cao Qinglang comforted, "Senior Sister, remember what Little Senior Brother said: 'In the earliest days.' Having had those thoughts and then correcting them is the true way to eliminate the 'what-if.'"

"Great pleasure in my heart's morality, regardless of how messy the world is."

Cui Dongshan said self-deprecatingly, "In this life, I've seen too much of the evil in people's hearts, the hidden darkness. Not to mention looking at it; even standing far away and not smelling it, the stench still overwhelms me. And the problem is, I actually enjoy looking and smelling. But my patience is not very good, so I can never be a true teacher or master. Forget being a Master. Even Zhong Qiu, I can't compare to."

Looking back, it turned out that the old scholar had hit the nail on the head. For deep scholarship and high learning, perhaps there was Cui Can. For those who could govern the world and benefit the people, perhaps there was also Cui Can. But for those who could teach and educate in a school and do it well, only Xiao Qi and Mao Xiaodong remained.

Cui Dongshan stood up. "Let's continue to enjoy the scenery. There is great beauty between heaven and earth, waiting for us for ten thousand years. We must not disappoint."

Cao Qinglang knew the reason and immediately stood up.

Pei Qian carefully put away the prayer bead, dawdling as she stood up. She really wanted to go back to Master and Mistress's house.

Probably at this moment, she was the only one still kept in the dark.

This was also why Zhong Qiu walked "back and forth" day and night in the Ning residence training ground.

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, at a location extremely far from here, a lone monk sat with his hands clasped, silently reciting the Buddha's name.

The only person who could know about this matter was probably the old sword immortal Chen Qingdu.

Along the way, Pei Qian, stopping and starting, also saw the Taihui Sword Sect's sword cultivators practicing on the city wall. Mr. Liu was there, but Bai Shou was not.

Pei Qian felt relieved.

When there was no one nearby, she happily performed a set of mad demon sword techniques.

Cao Qinglang stayed a bit far away, afraid of being accidentally hit.

Cui Dongshan took several hits.

After that, Pei Qian and the other two encountered a rather strange female sword immortal.

She was swinging on a swing on the city wall.

Pei Qian found it eye-opening. This swing was very fun. It had only two ropes that soared into the clouds and a wooden board the female sword immortal sat on. The swing had no frame, but it seemed it could keep swinging like this forever.

Cui Dongshan trotted over and asked with a smile, "This sister, do you need me to push the swing for you?"

The female sword immortal's name was Zhou Cheng. She seemed immersed in her own mind, ignoring them.

According to the rumors in the northern city of the Sword Qi Great Wall, this female sword immortal had long lost her mind. Every time there was an offensive or defensive battle, she never took the initiative to leave the city to kill enemies. She just guarded this swing, not allowing any demonic creatures to approach within a hundred zhang of it. If they came close, they died. As for the people of the Sword Qi Great Wall, whether sword immortals, sword cultivators, or children playing, as long as they didn't disturb her, Zhou Cheng never bothered.

Cui Dongshan still wouldn't give up. "Sister Zhou, it's me, Dongshan."

This sword immortal sister, so fair and round, truly beautiful.

Every extra word of conversation was a blessing.

Zhou Cheng swayed on the swing, turned her head—not to look at the white-clothed youth, but at the slightly dark-skinned little girl. She smiled and said, "Want to sit for a while?"

Pei Qian shook her head, timidly saying, "Sister Zhou, let's forget it. I won't disturb you."

Zhou Cheng smiled and said, "I can accept disciples on behalf of my master. You can be my junior sister. If you already have a master, it's fine. It's just a nominal title. I'll teach you a sword technique that's not inferior to yours. Both paths share the same origin. I just lack the talent to reach the peak, but you have great hope."

Even Cui Dongshan was taken aback.

This sword immortal sister was impressive.

Sure enough, she didn't disappoint him. In line with expectations, but still surprising.

But Pei Qian was nearly scared to tears.

Could this senior sword immortal be so divine that she had heard the jokes Pei Qian had made on the ferry beyond the Inverted Mountain? She was really just bragging to the big white goose.

Zhou Cheng suddenly covered her mouth and laughed. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Come often in the future."

Pei Qian also started to laugh, but it looked uglier than crying.

Zhou Cheng thought for a moment, reached out and pulled one of the long ropes, then flipped her wrist, producing a ball of golden silk. She gently tossed it to the little girl, who had caught her eye. "Take it. Don't give it back to me, don't throw it away. If you don't want to learn, just keep it. It doesn't matter."

This was how sword immortals on the Sword Qi Great Wall acted—so inexplicably.

Cui Dongshan looked at the flustered, tearful Pei Qian and said with a smile, "Why not thank Sister Zhou?"

Pei Qian didn't dare to clasp her fists in salute, so she bowed instead in thanks.

They walked far away from the female sword immortal and the strange swing. Only then did Pei Qian dare to wipe the sweat off her forehead and ask, "Is it really fine?"

Cui Dongshan said with a smile, "If the Master asks, just say you picked it up off the ground. If the Master doesn't believe me, I'll convince him."

Pei Qian was skeptical.

Cao Qinglang suppressed a smile.

Later, one night, Pei Qian suddenly looked up. Cao Qinglang followed her gaze and vaguely saw, at a high point on the city wall, a sea of clouds formed by brilliant sunset glow.

It was said that a certain sword immortal slept there year-round, as if on a bed of colorful brocade.

Cui Dongshan glanced at it and then looked away. Flashy. His name was Mi Yu, just a Jade Purity Realm built with immortal's money. Because he had a good elder brother, the flying sword immortal Mi Hu, whose swordsmanship was not weak. If Mi Hu hadn't sacrificed many of his own opportunities and foundations to cultivate this younger brother, Mi Hu should have reached the Immortal Realm. However, gains and losses like these, how outsiders perceive them is meaningless. Ultimately, it was Mi Hu's own choice. Mi Hu loved to kill enemies, and every battle was brutal. It was said that his most pitiful state was when his physical body and soul were nearly "cracked like mountains and rivers." But instead of falling in realm, he always firmly maintained his realm and still had hope of breaking through the bottleneck to climb higher.

As for this sword immortal Mi Yu, the most pretentious on the Sword Qi Great Wall, he was quite popular among women. Not only that, but he also had many tangled relationships with women from other regions.

Cui Dongshan didn't plan to stop. His goal was another outspoken great sword immortal, Yue Qing.

His natal flying sword was called "Hundred Zhang Spring," and his second one was called "Skylark in the Sky." Whether in duels or on the battlefield, his killing power was formidable.

Of course, Cui Dongshan himself couldn't beat this famous "top ten alternate" now, but he had the Master, and the Master had the senior master uncle.

It was just that Cui Dongshan rarely caused trouble for others, but trouble came to him on its own.

It made Cui Dongshan extremely happy.

That sword immortal Mi Yu, sleeping on the clouds, sat up, reached out to push aside the mysterious clouds like brocade, and laughed, "So you are Chen Ping'an's disciples and students?"

Cui Dongshan reached out to block Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang, then scratched his head with that hand. "Any advice?"

Mi Yu laughed. "Not really advice. I'm not your teacher. I just feel gratified. The Wen Sheng lineage's incense has dwindled, but now so many have sprung up all at once. Chen Ping'an is quite capable. He's worthy of being the Wen Sheng old gentleman's closed-door disciple. Congratulations, congratulations. With such flourishing incense, no wonder he can thrive on our Sword Qi Great Wall."

Cui Dongshan said quietly, "Senior, if you keep speaking with such innuendo, then I'll have to speak with innuendo too."

Mi Yu seemed to hear a huge joke, laughing heartily. He shook his sleeves, and colorful clouds surged around him. "Go ahead and say it. I won't fuss over you little kids."

Cui Dongshan asked timidly, "Is Yue Qing your bastard father?"

Mi Yu leaned forward slightly and said with a smile, "What do you mean by that?"

The white-clothed youth said aggrievedly, "Do you need a reason to speak with innuendo? You should have said so earlier. I wouldn't have spoken."

Pei Qian was sweating profusely and planned to shout for the senior master uncle at any moment. She didn't care if the senior master uncle could hear her; it was always good to scare people.

Cao Qinglang, however, smiled and echoed, "Little Senior Brother is right."

This was the first time Pei Qian thought that Cao Qinglang, that wooden block, had some backbone.

She hadn't thought he was brave before. She always thought he was even more timid than Mi Li'er.

Mi Yu raised one hand and tapped in the air, as if hesitating about how to "reason."

The white-clothed youth said, "Alright, alright, I was wrong. Yue Qing is not your bastard father. I've sincerely admitted my mistake. Senior's swordsmanship is transcendent, and since you said so yourself, you won't go back on your word and hold a grudge against a junior, right?"

Mi Yu smiled without saying a word.

With him, Mi Yu, his elder brother Mi Hu, and the great sword immortal Yue Qing, who had extraordinary killing power—wasn't that enough? Besides, his elder brother and Yue Qing had quite a few friends.

And the opponent only had one Zuo You.

As for Chen Ping'an and those little bastards of the Wen Sheng lineage with even lower seniority, what were they?

Mi Yu stood up. He planned to find a decent excuse to teach these little ants under his feet a lesson. When a sword immortal speaks, whether it sounds nice or not, they should listen and shut up obediently.

Pei Qian stepped forward, condensing her voice into a thread, and said to Cui Dongshan, "Big white goose, go find the senior master uncle quickly! Cao Qinglang and I are low in realm; he won't kill us!"

Then she whispered to Cao Qinglang, "No matter what happens next, don't make a move, and don't say anything! Don't give him a chance to hit you!"

Cui Dongshan scratched his head.

Senior Sister.

You truly don't know what kind of person your senior master uncle is.

Back then, that guy had beaten him and Qi Jingchun badly, and they were family. So when Zuo You deals with others and draws his sword, would he hold back?

In an instant, thunder rolled continuously over the Sword Qi Great Wall, heading straight for them.

Mi Yu squinted, his mind shaken. He summoned his flying sword but didn't dare to assume an offensive posture, only defensive.

The sword energy arrived in an instant, casually breaking through Sword Immortal Mi Yu's sword formation. Someone stood on the half-destroyed clouds, the long sword at his waist still not unsheathed.

Mi Yu remained motionless, afraid to move.

Until this moment, the Jade Purity Realm Mi Yu realized that observing this person from afar as he penetrated deep into enemy territory, using one sword to fight two great demons, was completely different from actually facing him in battle.

The person, who had retracted all his sword energy, stood beside Mi Yu but didn't look at him. He just gazed ahead and said calmly, "The Wen Sheng lineage has too much reasoning. Your broken sword can't handle it. A waste like you, are you worthy?"

Cao Qinglang bowed in salute. "Cao Qinglang of the Fallen Mountain, pays respects to the Senior Master Uncle."

Pei Qian quickly followed suit, bowing as well. "Pei Qian of the Fallen Mountain, welcomes the greatest Senior Master Uncle!"

After straightening up, Pei Qian felt it wasn't enough. So she clenched her fists, stood on tiptoe, craned her neck, and waved vigorously at the figure on high. "Senior Brother, be careful! This guy has a black heart!"

Zuo You turned his head and looked over. Suddenly having two junior disciples made him feel a little awkward. After Cui Dongshan finally had the sense to move farther away, Zuo You nodded at the blue-clothed youth and the little girl, probably meaning "Senior Master Uncle acknowledges you."

Zuo You said, "Mi Yu, will you call Yue Qing and Mi Hu over, or should I greet them for you?"

Mi Yu's face turned pale.

Because he was trapped in a small world. Not only that, but with the slightest movement, there was extremely pure sword intent like thousands of flying swords, each tip pointing at him.

Cui Dongshan covered his mouth with both hands but lowered his voice, uttering one word at a time slowly, "Se-ni-or Mas-ter Un-cle, must win."

Then Cui Dongshan hid behind Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang.

He was really afraid that this senior master uncle would give him another sword.

When had Zuo You ever fully exerted himself in killing demons?

Except for a handful of beings, before the Sword Qi Great Wall, even sword immortals didn't know. Now they understood.

Cui Dongshan revealed a benevolent smile. Indeed, Zuo You, a bastard with some minor swordsmanship, didn't hit his own people but hit outsiders, which was still quite satisfying.

Pei Qian clamped her walking staff under her arm, put her hands in front of her, and gently applauded.

Cui Dongshan said with a smirk, "After today, 'The Wen Sheng lineage doesn't reason' will spread throughout the Sword Qi Great Wall."

Pei Qian asked, "Why?"

Cao Qinglang sneered, "Others will think that many truths lie in the hands of the weak after the strong become weak, because there is no empathy."

Cui Dongshan chuckled, "Don't imitate that."

Cao Qinglang shook his head. "I just know these things, but I only learn from the Master."

Zuo You ignored Cui Dongshan. After withdrawing his gaze, he looked into the distance with a detached expression and continued, "Mi Yu, Yue Qing. Come out of the city and fight me. If it's just a contest, admit defeat. If you want to decide life and death, then die."

Sword Immortal Mi Hu said through heart voice, "I admit defeat and apologize."

Yue Qing gave no verbal answer.

So Zuo You vanished in a flash, going to find Yue Qing.

Only now, Yue Qing, did you know to keep quiet?

Before this, had Zuo You used his sword to force you to say those nonsense words?

Cui Dongshan summoned the talisman boat ferry and said with a smile, "What's there to see? Nothing interesting. Let's go home, go home. Your senior master uncle fights with the least style and the most gracelessness."

Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian sat on either side of the ferry, each holding their walking sticks as if punting a boat. Cui Dongshan earnestly told the senior sister that this way, the ferry would fly faster on the way back.

Cao Qinglang felt a bit helpless, watching Pei Qian, who was paddling vigorously and laughing heartily. He wondered if she genuinely believed it or just found it fun.

At this moment, Cui Dongshan was quite refreshed. He simply lay on the ferry, pouting his buttocks as if holding a pole, paddling hard.

He had taken that sword strike from earlier, and besides telling the senior master uncle the important matters, he had also mentioned the great sword immortal Yue Qing's glorious deeds. This deal was definitely not a loss.

Late at night, they returned to the Ning residence.

Pei Qian was a little disappointed not to see her mistress, who was in seclusion.

Chen Ping'an and Cui Dongshan went to the Dragon-Slaying Cliff pavilion to discuss matters.

Cao Qinglang went to his own place to cultivate.

The battle between the two great sword immortals on the city wall spread rapidly throughout the entire Sword Qi Great Wall.

It was said that the great sword immortal Yue Qing was forcibly knocked off the city wall by Zuo You and fell south.

This meant Yue Qing had no choice but to decide life or death.

In the end, it was said that several sword immortals intervened to stop it.

Late that night, the sword light in the south was as bright as a sun rising, illuminating the city like daylight for a long time.

Ultimately, there was no matter of life or death.

The Sword Qi Great Wall was used to grand spectacles. The only difference was that more people were drinking.

The business at Diezhang's shop was especially good.

Nalan Yexing had recently felt that the old woman Bai Lianshuang's gaze when looking at him was somewhat eerie.

Counting the days, he realized that her calling him "Nalan old dog" had decreased in frequency, and her momentum had weakened considerably.

This made Nalan Yexing feel a bit creeped out.

Then he saw the white-clothed youth with a bright smile calling him "Nalan Grandpa." Walking side by side with him, Nalan Yexing asked, "Dongshan, have you been talking to Madam Bai about something recently?"

Cui Dongshan nodded. "Right. Madam Bai is an elder of the Ning residence. As a junior, of course I had to pay my respects."

Nalan Yexing smiled and asked, "Apart from greeting her, did you say anything else?"

Cui Dongshan stamped his foot in chagrin. "I think I did say something, but somehow I forgot. I don't hold grudges, and I have a bad memory for things. It's really unfortunate."

Nalan Yexing stopped, watching the white-clothed youth, whose large sleeves swayed as he bounced along. He felt a bit nostalgic for the time when the two of them had been like brothers.

Early the next morning, Pei Qian called Cui Dongshan to escort her. Then, holding her walking staff and carrying her small bamboo box, she swaggered along the quiet street outside the Guo residence's high walls.

Too arrogant, too rude. The senior sister had arrived, but no one came out to greet her. Could this person still be considered half a disciple of her Master? Absolutely not.

Forget it. Since that was the case, she and this senior sister had no affinity. There would be no place for her on the Fallen Mountain in the future. Don't blame the senior sister for not giving her a chance. If she couldn't take it, that was her own misfortune.

Unexpectedly, a head popped up over the wall. The person pressed her hands on the wall, legs dangling in the air, and asked, "Hey, shorty on the road, who are you? Your walking staff and small bamboo box are really pretty, but they make you look even darker."

Pei Qian stopped and turned her head.

Guo Zhujiu widened her eyes, looked at Pei Qian, and asked tentatively, "You couldn't be the senior sister in my mind—beautiful as a flower, toppling cities and countries, invincible in boxing, eight feet tall?"

Pei Qian withdrew her gaze and looked pitifully at the big white goose.

The big white goose was disloyal, pretending to be deaf and mute.

So when she arrived at the Ning residence, Pei Qian slumped listlessly on her Master's desk.

Chen Ping'an put down the seal he was carving and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Did you meet that little girl Lv Duan and weren't too happy?"

Pei Qian hummed in agreement. "Master, I'm not tattling behind her back. I just don't like her."

Chen Ping'an said with a smile, "Our Fallen Mountain ancestral hall doesn't stipulate that everyone must like each other. As long as each person follows their own rules, that's enough."

Pei Qian immediately sat up straight and nodded. "That's fine! Otherwise, forcing me to pretend to like her would be too hard!"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "You don't have to force it, but remember not to look at people with prejudice. Whether you become friends also depends on fate."

Pei Qian beamed.

What Guo Zhujiu? Even if she became a disciple of Fallen Mountain, she would still have to call her Senior Sister.

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then sat up straight. "Next, I'm going to tell you something involving right and wrong. Even if I ask you, you don't have to say anything. But after you've been sad and thought about it, you can come and tell me. At the same time, remember: since I'm willing to speak harshly with you, it means I think you can handle it. It means I recognize you as my first disciple. Also, it's not that I don't know who Pei Qian used to be, but I still accepted you as my disciple, which means I didn't only see the good in you, the changes in you, right?"

Pei Qian's face turned pale. She also sat up straight, clenching her fists, but her eyes were firm. She nodded gently.

Chen Ping'an continued, "Today, I'm telling you about the past. It's not to bring up old scores, but it can also be said to be bringing up old scores, because I have always believed that right and wrong exist. This is one of the most fundamental principles in my heart. I don't want you to think that the good of today can cover up the mistakes of yesterday. At the same time, I sincerely believe that your good today was hard-won. I won't deny any of your current good or future good, big or small, because of your past mistakes. I treasure them and care about them."

Pei Qian's eyes reddened. She raised her arm to wipe her eyes, then immediately lowered it. "Master, please speak. Pei Qian is listening."

Chen Ping'an's expression was resolute. He didn't deliberately lower his voice, but tried to speak calmly. He said slowly, "I privately asked Cao Qinglang if he had ever actively sought a fight with you in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. Cao Qinglang said yes. I asked him if Pei Qian had ever said in front of him that she had seen what the people beside Ding Ying were carrying on the street. Do you know what Cao Qinglang said? Cao Qinglang said without hesitation that you hadn't. I told him to tell the truth, or the Master would be angry. Cao Qinglang still said no."

Pei Qian's face contorted, her lips trembling. Suddenly, tears streamed down her face. "Yes, Master, I did. I said it. That day, Cao Qinglang was heartbroken and went crazy. He came to fight me right there, and I hit him with a stool."

Chen Ping'an sat there and said, "Pei Qian, what to do next, you have to think and act on your own. But I will tell you that in our lives, not just you, but I myself, have experienced that not all mistakes can be made up for even if we know we were wrong. Many mistakes, when we want to correct them, have no chance. I also want you to understand that Cao Qinglang doesn't hold a grudge, not because he thinks this is insignificant, but because he chooses to forgive you. But others' forgiveness and the mistakes we have made are two different things. The world is this complicated. Even if we become good people and do good deeds, many mistakes still exist, always there. Even if everyone forgets, we ourselves will still remember. And just because you have many reasons, even countless reasons, for doing wrong, doesn't make it not wrong."

Pei Qian sat there, wailing loudly.

Chen Ping'an stood up and sat beside her on the bench. "Your Master today made you sad. If you make mistakes again in the future, it will be the same. What then?"

Pei Qian cautiously reached out a hand, timidly tugging at her Master's sleeve, sobbing, "Master, are you going to abandon me?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Of course not. It was hard work turning the Pei Qian of yesterday into the Pei Qian of today. I can't bear to throw her away."

He turned around, gently rubbed Pei Qian's head, and said with a hoarse voice and a smile, "Because your Master's own life, sometimes, is also very hard."

Pei Qian cried her heart out again.

She thought of her parents on the refugee road, of the little beggar in the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom counting stars on top of the stone lion on those hot summer days, of Grandpa Cui who left without saying goodbye. Suddenly, she thought of everything.

Everything she didn't want to remember, everything she wanted to remember but dared not, surged into her heart.

Outside the room, in the corridor, within a small, silently formed world,

Cao Qinglang had gone from standing to sitting on the ground, his back against the wall.

Little Senior Brother Cui Dongshan sat beside him.

And this Little Senior Brother maintained that small world, silently leading Cao Qinglang away from the mansion.

Cao Qinglang said, "I feel much better. Thank you, Little Senior Brother."

Cui Dongshan said, "It's not something to take for granted that we met our Master. Let's encourage each other."

Cao Qinglang stepped back and made a long bow, not rising.

Cui Dongshan suddenly shouted, "No, no. Coming here, either I get knocked off the city wall by the senior master uncle's sword or bullied by Grandpa Nalan. I have to show some Little Senior Brother style. I'll go find someone to play chess with! Just you wait. Soon you'll hear about Little Senior Brother's glorious deeds! Winning is nothing; winning even three or five games in a row is nothing. Only when I win so much that he wants to keep losing will it show that your Little Senior Brother's chess skills are passable."

A wisp of white cloud drifted leisurely toward the city wall of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

He went to find that Lin Junbi, the young master Lin.

On his way, Cui Dongshan had already thought of his opening line.

"Master Lin, what a coincidence. Reading the 'Colorful Cloud Manual' again? To be honest, I can also play chess. Your chess skills are so high; letting me have three handicap stones isn't too much, right? Who am I? I'm Dongshan."