# Chapter 630: Assassinating the Hidden Official
Chen Pingan first found Yan Ming, and the two of them went for a walk together, with Mi Yu following at a distance.
One was asking for the Yan family's account books, the other was carefully inquiring about the rules of cross-continental ferry trade between the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Inverted Mountain.
The real issue was the Yan family's financial foundation—if they had to advance Immortal money first, roughly how long could they sustain losses in a series of transactions, and how the Sword Qi Great Wall side should compensate the Yan family for their losses.
One was a bundle merchant, the other a wealthy magnate. The two of them talked for nearly an hour, each calculating their own interests.
On the way here, Chen Pingan had spoken very openly with Mi Yu. Mi Yu felt that Nalan Shaowei would be difficult to deal with, but Yan Ming should not be much of a problem. Firstly, Chen Pingan was already the Hidden Official, having taken up the post at a critical moment, wielding great authority. Secondly, Chen Pingan had an excellent relationship with the eldest son of the Yan family. Yan Ming, both for public and private reasons, should be willing to sell everything to support Chen Pingan. Thirdly, and most importantly, Chen Pingan's words carried weight with the Old Sword Immortal.
Chen Pingan took his leave of Yan Ming and went to find Nalan Shaowei. In foreign trade, the Yan family and the Nalan family were the two golden signs of the Sword Qi Great Wall. The top families—Dong, Chen, and Qi—controlled the clothing workshops, sword workshops, and pill workshops, but they did not handle money themselves. So Yan Ming and Nalan Shaowei were the real gods of wealth.
Mi Yu asked, "Going smoothly?"
Chen Pingan laughed self-deprecatingly, "The general direction is fine, but there are many hitches in the details. I originally thought I'd deal with the two seniors, starting with the easier one and moving to the harder one. It seems it's actually harder and harder."
Mi Yu teased, "So all those 'Uncle Yan' calls from the Hidden Official were wasted, weren't they?"
Then this Jade Lake realm Sword Immortal, who loved to drink wine under the moon and lie drunk in the sunset clouds, grew somewhat angry, "Is this Yan Ming so ungrateful? Won't he give even a shred of face to the Hidden Official lineage? Even I understand the principle of mutual prosperity and mutual loss. What is Yan Ming hemming and hawing about? Is it because he lost both arms early on and didn't want to ascend the wall, killed few demons, and is now even more afraid that the Hidden Official will take away his financial power?"
Mi Yu was not at all afraid of Yan Ming, who had dropped to the Nascent Soul realm.
Having plenty of Immortal money but being unable to use it on one's natal flying sword—such pitiful creatures were even more contemptible than those sword cultivators who labored to kill demons and desperately nourish their swords.
Chen Pingan shook his head, "It's not that simple. Yan Ming is extremely precise in his calculations. Since the general direction is settled, refining the details isn't a bad thing. I'll just go find him a few more times. To be honest, the fact that Yan Ming acts this way—not thinking the Hidden Official is worth more than Immortal money—is precisely what is truly responsible for the Sword Qi Great Wall."
Mi Yu asked softly, "Hidden Official, do you really have no complaints?"
Chen Pingan said, "I'm more enjoying some comfortable things. For someone like Sword Immortal Mi, who is like an immortal among men, it's hard to make fierce progress in cultivation. Difficult things, once endured, every bit becomes a benefit."
Mi Yu was left speechless.
There were still some grievances. It was just that he had no way to deal with Yan Ming, so he pitied himself.
But Mi Yu could tolerate these face-to-face remarks. What he could not tolerate were the smiling faces of certain Sword Immortals who greeted him politely but only greeted him—like Li Tuimi once did—or those who wouldn't even give him a glance, like the great Sword Immortal Yue Qing, who was close friends with Mi Yu's elder brother Mi Hu. Yue Qing never said harsh words to Mi Yu, because he didn't speak to him at all. Those blunt knives wrapped in silk were the most damaging to the sword heart.
Chen Pingan smiled, "Behind closed doors, we speak harsh words of our own. Don't take it to heart, Sword Immortal Mi."
When they reached Nalan Shaowei's place, the old Sword Immortal said only one sentence to Chen Pingan: "I've never managed money matters. Go find Nalan Caihuan to discuss it."
So Chen Pingan went to find Nalan Caihuan, a female sword cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm. Her cultivation level was not high, but she was adept at managing the household and skilled at generating wealth.
This time Mi Yu was truly furious, "This old man Nalan is putting on such airs?!"
Chen Pingan remained silent.
And Mi Yu dared only to complain afterward.
Earlier, when he saw Nalan Shaowei, he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
The two found Nalan Caihuan, a beautiful woman with exquisite makeup and a graceful figure. Her hair bun was adorned with a white jade hairpin, the end of which was delicately carved into a lifelike little dragonfly. She had dark eyebrows long and fine, wore a thin gauze robe stitched with gold thread, and red brocade shoes—she was a recognized great beauty on the Sword Qi Great Wall.
She looked like a pampered noblewoman, but once on the city wall, her sword strikes were fierce and ruthless, following the same style as Qi Shou.
Mi Yu's thoughts were complex, and he deliberately wore a cold expression.
Nalan Caihuan and Mi Yu were of the same generation. Although Mi Yu was considered a useless upper-fifth realm cultivator in the eyes of Sword Immortals, there were actually many women who liked Mi Yu. And those women who sought him in vain cursed him even more fiercely than men. Nalan Caihuan was one of them. Before Mi Yu became a Jade Lake realm Sword Immortal, his life had been so smooth that it was almost unreal. Hence his catchphrase, "Deep feelings never linger." In truth, it wasn't that he couldn't keep anyone, but that one after another, deep-feeling women from the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Haoran World couldn't keep him.
Mi Yu watched people.
What Chen Pingan saw was the mountains of gold and silver belonging to Nalan Caihuan and her family.
Chen Pingan's opening line almost made Mi Yu lose his composure.
"Madam Nalan, your clan leader has already reached an agreement with me. The old Sword Immortal is deeply righteous, willing to sacrifice the family's interests to help the Sword Qi Great Wall through this crisis. However, the old Sword Immortal also reminded me that the Nalan family is under your leadership, so I should inform you of this."
After that, Nalan Caihuan composed herself and began discussing the follow-up and details with the Hidden Official, who had received the "ancestor's decree."
The two returned to the walkway of the Hidden Official lineage.
Mi Yu couldn't help but laugh bitterly, asking softly, "When Nalan Caihuan talks to Nalan Shaowei later, won't the Hidden Official's lie be exposed?"
Chen Pingan said, "Name your price, haggle on the spot—each uses their own skill. If Nalan Shaowei doesn't want to hear what I say, let Nalan Caihuan tell him."
Finally, Chen Pingan joked, "If Madam Nalan comes to accuse me, I suppose Sword Immortal Mi alone will be enough to stop her. But if Nalan Shaowei personally comes with his sword to chop me, Brother Mi must protect me!"
Mi Yu grimaced, "Isn't there Lu Zhi? It won't be my turn to wrestle with old man Nalan."
Both Nalan Shaowei and Lu Zhi were among the top ten Sword Immortals of the Sword Qi Great Wall. When Mi Yu usually saw them, even if he didn't need to take a detour, deep down he still felt inferior and held them in awe and reverence.
The friends Mi Yu could talk to were mostly middle-fifth realm sword cultivators, and many of them were playboys. Upper-fifth realm Sword Immortals were few and far between.
On the way with Chen Pingan, only one Jade Lake realm Sword Immortal greeted Mi Yu. His name was Lie Ji. In terms of cultivation, he and Mi Yu were brothers in misfortune—both were Jade Lake realms who had shown great promise as children but failed to fulfill it later. In the Haoran World, this might have been a great regret unique to Sword Immortals, but on the Sword Qi Great Wall, it was an open joke.
It was said that Lie Ji couldn't stand sitting in meditation, loved to talk and laugh, and had once earned the nickname "Magpie." But the young people of the Sword Qi Great Wall couldn't understand how such a ridiculous nickname could belong to Sword Immortal Lie Ji.
Lie Ji often sought out Mi Yu to drink and vent his frustrations.
Now, seeing Chen Pingan, Lie Ji smiled and called out, "Hidden Official."
Chen Pingan, who had been walking with his hands in his sleeves, smiled and nodded, then took his hands out to return the gesture with cupped fists.
After they walked farther away, Chen Pingan teased, "Sword Immortal Mi has a wide circle of friends. I'm benefiting from it."
Mi Yu glanced at the southern wall, thinking like Pang Yuanji—he actually wanted to draw his sword and kill demons more.
In the following days, besides overseeing the Hidden Official lineage, Chen Pingan often called on Mi Yu to go discuss matters with people.
All were important figures.
For example, the Confucian and Buddhist sages at the two ends of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Chen Pingan wanted to clarify the inner workings of the "Struggle for Heavenly Timing."
During this period, Mi Yu noticed that Ning Yao was wearing the Immortal-grade dharma robe Golden Nectar, and she had also crafted a new sword case holding two long swords. One of them was the "Sword Immortal" that Chen Pingan had used to kill Li Zhen—truly a good name. No wonder the young Hidden Official occasionally chatted with Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui at his desk, saying that he had a natural talent for naming things. If naming were the only Dao path in the world, he would have already reached the Immortal realm.
Pang Yuanji mentioned that the Hidden Official lineage had collected thousands of years of archives and secret records, already categorized in the Summer Resort and Winter Refuge. There were so many that they couldn't all be moved to the walkway. It would be much more convenient to search and read them there, especially the Summer Resort, which was the most important. Instead of being caught unprepared and having people run back and forth to fetch needed files, it would be better for everyone to simply move to the Summer Resort. The Hidden Official's transmission flying swords were very fast, and the two scrolls could be moved to one of the residences. Otherwise, with all the Hidden Official sword cultivators gathered on the walkway, they would certainly be targeted by great demons. Staying on the city wall itself meant losing the killing power of the great Sword Immortal Lu Zhi.
Almost all the Hidden Official sword cultivators agreed with Pang Yuanji's suggestion.
Only Chen Pingan did not agree, saying there was no hurry, and that he had his own plan about when to move to the Summer Resort.
On this matter, Pang Yuanji did not argue further. But Dong Bude and Deng Liang both objected to the Hidden Official's decision and raised their concerns in person.
Dong Bude's focus was that the Hidden Official lineage was too important; staying on the walkway risked being wiped out in one fell swoop.
Deng Liang regretted even more that the great Sword Immortal Lu Zhi had to stay in place, which went against the Hidden Official's principle of haggling over every detail and contending for every bit.
Guo Jiujiu, for the first time, said nothing. She kept her head down, almost glaring two big holes through her books and desk, deeply troubled.
And the girl's silence itself was a statement.
For Guo Jiujiu, who held her master as the greatest in heaven and earth, this was also an unprecedented move.
But Chen Pingan still did not agree. He gave more reasons, but they couldn't truly convince everyone. So in the past two days, the overall atmosphere among the Hidden Official sword cultivators had been somewhat tense.
After that, the great Sword Immortal Yue Qing found time to visit. He stopped at the edge of the sword qi barrier marked by Mi Yu, paused for a moment, and then continued forward.
Chen Pingan immediately stood up and took the initiative to meet Yue Qing.
The two did not approach the other Hidden Official sword cultivators.
Yue Qing smiled, "Chen Pingan, don't worry about my face. Besides apologizing to the closed-door disciple of the Wen Sheng lineage, I also want to thank Chen Pingan, who is not the Hidden Official."
Chen Pingan nodded, "I'm not being polite. I accept both."
Yue Qing said, "Back then, I didn't hide my criticism of your Wen Sheng lineage. Now, apologizing and thanking you, naturally I shouldn't be awkward either. To be honest, if it weren't for you, if anyone else became the Hidden Official, I wouldn't have been so polite if they dared to interfere with how I use my sword."
Chen Pingan said, "A candidate for the top ten great Sword Immortals should have such heroic spirit."
Yue Qing rubbed his chin, "You're straightforward enough in your actions—I admit that. But your way of speaking... it's hard to like."
Chen Pingan handed over a jug of wine.
Yue Qing laughed heartily, took the jug, and flew off on his sword.
Chen Pingan looked up, watching for a long time without looking away.
A great Sword Immortal should be like this—holding the line, loving and hating clearly.
He returned to his seat. As soon as he sat down, Gu Jianlong laughed, "Hidden Official, don't play favorites. You gave a jug to Great Sword Immortal Yue, but us family members shouldn't be neglected, right?"
Cao Gun smiled, "Newly brewed wine in the jar, truly stirs the secluded heart."
Xuan Shen joined in, "I've never tasted the immortal brew from the wine shop—a regret in life. I hope it can be remedied."
Guo Jiujiu slapped the table, "Pay up first!"
Chen Pingan smiled, "There is wine, but later. After we kill a few Earth Immortal sword demons from the Barbaric Wilderness, I'll bring out a few jugs to celebrate."
Hisses erupted.
Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui were the most enthusiastic.
Dong Bude didn't look up, just muttered, "Bold, aren't you?"
Gu Jianlong immediately said to Wang Xinshui, "Xinshui, what's wrong with you?"
Wang Xinshui innocently replied, "I'm learning from you."
With this banter, the earlier oppressive atmosphere eased slightly.
Today, Chen Pingan got up again and walked to another part of the city wall.
Mi Yu had already resigned himself. Now, he had two more jokes—becoming the highest-realm sword cultivator among the current Hidden Official lineage, and then turning into the young Hidden Official's lackey.
Often while walking, half-familiar Sword Immortals would tease Mi Yu, "With Brother Mi around, why would the Hidden Official lineage need Great Sword Immortal Lu to guard them?"
And even more irritating words that also mocked the Hidden Official, "Sword Immortal Mi, so free, admiring the scenery?"
Mi Yu looked at Chen Pingan, who always wore a smile. Was this what they called letting spittle dry on one's face?
That little bastard Gu Jianlong's fair words were indeed to the point.
They passed by Lie Ji's area again.
During a break from sword practice, Lie Ji, who was drinking, stood up and saw the two passing near the wall. He took out two jugs of wine from his storage item and tossed them to Mi Yu and Chen Pingan respectively. "It's from the Second Shopkeeper's place."
Mi Yu caught the jug—it was a Snow Flower Coin's Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine. This Lie Ji really was reluctant to spend big on flattery.
Chen Pingan also reached out to catch the jug of Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine.
In that instant.
A strange phenomenon erupted.
A blood-red sword light suddenly shot out, its sword qi so dense that the color of the light was almost dripping with vividness.
It was Lie Ji's natal flying sword, "Burning Flower," aimed straight at the heart of the new Hidden Official, Chen Pingan.
Mi Yu's heart almost split. He immediately crushed the wine jug and summoned his natal flying sword "Full Sunset Sky" to desperately block Lie Ji's flying sword.
Even if he couldn't stop it completely, he had to win Chen Pingan a chance to react. No matter how severe the injury, it was better than letting Lie Ji's sword pierce straight through his chest. A Sword Immortal's flying sword not only wounded but left sword qi lingering in the enemy's acupoints, which was an even greater trouble. Lie Ji, like Mi Yu, might be looked down upon by other Sword Immortals, but this was a full-strength strike from point-blank range, and Chen Pingan was completely unprepared, reaching out to catch that potentially fatal wine. Mi Yu could only hope for Chen Pingan's survival!
Mi Yu's natal sword "Full Sunset Sky" was a moment late in its strike, but it still managed to tap the tail of "Burning Flower," causing its tip to veer off a few inches from the heart.
At the same time, Mi Yu stepped forward, drawing his sword to cut down Lie Ji, who was already lunging forward after releasing his flying sword.
Mi Yu's personal sword was of very high quality, thanks to his brother Mi Hu's gift. Lie Ji, having neither a Dao partner nor a master, used only an ordinary sword from the workshop.
After Lie Ji's Burning Flower was deflected slightly by Mi Yu's sword...
Chen Pingan formed a hand seal. Without the protection of the Golden Nectar dharma robe, he now wore Ning Mansion's blue shirt dharma robe and the workshop's standard dharma robe. The innermost robe, in particular, shimmered with precious light, its ripples vibrating until they coalesced into an illusory golden talisman—a Sword Locking Talisman.
But the distance between them was too close. Lie Ji had unleashed his natal sword with no reservation, charging forward without hesitation. When the two swords clashed, the sword light exploded, creating a dazzling burst of radiance in front of Chen Pingan. Even the scattered sparks and sunset glow instantly shredded the outer workshop dharma robe. The flying sword Burning Flower plunged into the golden Sword Locking Talisman, causing cracks like ash to spread across the talisman, intersecting messily. The flying sword was clearly trying to break through the talisman in one go.
With the Sword Locking Talisman helping to slow the flying sword's momentum slightly, Chen Pingan activated a Ground Shrinking Talisman and retreated over ten zhang.
All Chen Pingan could do was use one more talisman to escape.
Two Jade Lake realm Sword Immortals' natal flying swords almost simultaneously followed him—"Full Sunset Sky" to save, "Burning Flower" to kill.
Burning Flower, in pursuit of ultimate speed, pierced through one inch below Chen Pingan's heart.
This was a Sword Immortal's close-range flying sword strike.
An even crueler move: Lie Ji, instead of recalling his flying sword, deliberately shattered it—his own Dao foundation, his natal sword—into pieces.
Mi Yu's sword landed on Lie Ji's shoulder and slashed down, splitting the Jade Lake realm Sword Immortal's tough physique in half.
Lie Ji's yin spirit departed his body, abandoning his true form. With the workshop sword in hand, he aimed to chop off the new Hidden Official's head.
As his natal flying sword exploded inside the young Hidden Official's body, Lie Ji's yin spirit was also affected by his own method. His relatively weak wandering yin spirit seemed to bathe in the radiance of Lie Ji's final sword strike—man and sword, Dao and life, vanishing together in smoke.
Mi Yu withdrew his natal sword, his longsword not sheathing for a long time.
Because Mi Yu knew he had been utterly ruined by this insane Lie Ji.
From this moment on, whether he would be thrown into the old deaf man's prison depended on whether his brother Mi Hu's Immortal realm was impressive enough.
Lu Zhi hurriedly flew over on her sword, her face ashen. She didn't even glance at the dazed Mi Yu, grinding her teeth, "You're such a waste!"
Lu Zhi immediately formed a sword seal, trying to gather the young Hidden Official's remaining soul, seeking any chance for Chen Pingan to survive.
But it was meaningless.
Lie Ji's sword strike had been too decisive.
Lu Zhi turned her head toward the distant thatched hut, using heart-mind communication to ask the Old Sword Immortal.
Chen Qingdu said, "Let Chou Miao choose three sword cultivators and enter the Hidden Official lineage with them."
Lu Zhi fumed, "That's it?!"
Chen Qingdu replied, "You, Lu Zhi, have the nerve to ask me?"
Lu Zhi raged, "Am I supposed to follow Chen Pingan everywhere he goes? What about the safety of the other Hidden Official sword cultivators? What do we do with Mi Yu? Kill him?!"
Chen Qingdu said, "We'll talk later."
Lu Zhi suppressed the killing intent in her heart and returned to the Hidden Official gathering area on the walkway with Mi Yu.
Seeing the young juniors, Lu Zhi hesitated for a rare moment, then said, "The Hidden Official was killed by the traitor Lie Ji. Lie Ji is also dead. Mi Yu is under suspicion and is temporarily detained. Chou Miao will bring three people into the Hidden Official lineage. You all leave the city wall immediately and move to the Summer Resort."
Guo Jiujiu laughed, "Great Sword Immortal Lu, you sure tell good jokes!"
Lin Junbi and the others didn't quite believe it either, exchanging glances.
Lu Zhi sighed, "That's it. Get off the wall. Take care of yourselves."
Lu Zhi left.
Guo Jiujiu giggled, "Sword Immortal Mi, since Lu Zhi is gone, don't keep telling jokes, okay? Because I might get angry..."
Though the girl was all smiles, tears were already welling up in her eyes. As she spoke, her face crumpled, and she couldn't say another word.
Lin Junbi's mood was extremely complicated.
This Hidden Official position was really not easy.
The Jade Lake realm Sword Immortal Lie Ji was ranked near the back of the first supplementary volume, only a few pages away from Mi Yu.
But that was precisely why Lie Ji could be the unexpected variable.
As for why Lie Ji acted this way—who knew?
The Sword Qi Great Wall had too many old grudges and entanglements, and almost no Sword Immortal's story had a happy ending.
Dong Bude's face was slightly pale. She clearly couldn't accept this inexplicable outcome either.
Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui clenched their fists, utterly unable to accept it.
Xuan Shen and the other sword cultivators were also silent in their dismay.
Soon, a Sword Immortal with a youthful appearance arrived. He was a little over a hundred years old, at the Jade Lake realm, and was hailed as the most stable Jade Lake realm in three thousand years on the Sword Qi Great Wall.
This man's cultivation path was solid at every step.
Chou Miao.
He had once followed A Liang deep into the heart of the Barbaric Wilderness.
Beside Chou Miao was a female sword cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm, naturally seductive, named Luo Zhenyi. She was about the same age as Chou Miao, extremely beautiful, and was a common beloved of many bachelor Sword Immortals on the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Additionally, there was a Golden Core realm sword cultivator, a young man named Xu Ning, who had two natal flying swords, "White Practice" and "Mountain Colors," which complemented each other.
And a Dragon Gate realm young sword cultivator, Chang Taiqing.
Compared to flashy minor peaks like Qi Shou and Gao Yehou, the sword cultivators led by Chou Miao—known as the "money-pickers"—had long cultivated inside the large characters on the southern city wall, their sword hearts withered like old Buddhist monks or high Daoist adepts.
Chou Miao said, "Mi Yu will stay by my side. The rest of you, move to the Summer Resort together. Zhenyi, Xu Ning, Taiqing, help them out."
Mi Yu smiled bitterly.
Chou Miao's meaning was simple: staying by Chou Miao's side, Mi Yu couldn't do anything even if he wanted to.
Lin Junbi and the first group of Hidden Official sword cultivators began their relocation in silence. They didn't feel hostility toward Chou Miao, Luo Zhenyi, and the other two newcomers, but they certainly had no goodwill either.
It was just that they had unconsciously grown used to having Chen Pingan around.
Only Guo Jiujiu stayed put, sitting there dazed, "I'm not leaving. I'm waiting for my master."
Chou Miao said, "That's fine. When you can't wait any longer, go to the Summer Resort and do your work."
Led by Chou Miao, the group left the city wall on their swords, heading to the heavily guarded area in the western part of the city.
Only Guo Jiujiu remained alone behind her desk.
All the sword cultivators landed on the square outside the main hall of the Summer Resort.
Chou Miao froze.
No wonder he hadn't been immediately appointed the new Hidden Official.
Chou Miao didn't care. In fact, whether he became a Hidden Official sword cultivator or stayed on the wall to kill enemies, it was all cultivation to him.
Luo Zhenyi and the other two sword cultivators were quite surprised.
As for Mi Yu, he almost wept with joy.
Lin Junbi breathed a sigh of relief.
Good.
Now they were all in the same boat, sharing honor and disgrace.
Compared to the unknown Chou Miao, Lin Junbi was still more willing to work with the person before him.
Because at the entrance of the hall stood a young man in a blue shirt with his hands in his sleeves, smiling as he looked at them.
His face was pale, but his eyes were bright.
Chen Pingan beckoned to Mi Yu, "Come walk with me."
Then Chen Pingan looked at Chou Miao, "In the future, when I'm away, please listen to Lin Junbi's opinion, all four of you."
Chou Miao nodded, "No problem."
Chen Pingan looked at Gu Jianlong.
Gu Jianlong immediately understood and praised Chou Miao, the famously solitary young Sword Immortal, "Sword Immortal Chou, your grandeur is as vast as the sun and moon!"
Luo Zhenyi frowned slightly.
Chen Pingan had already led Mi Yu into a covered corridor, walking to another place.
The others entered the hall and soon discovered that all the secret records from the Winter Refuge had already been moved here. The hall, besides the entrance, now had three walls full of books, neatly organized. Many volumes had sticky notes attached for easy retrieval and browsing. Clearly, it was the Hidden Official's handiwork—written in small, neat regular script.
Chen Pingan remained silent.
Mi Yu, overwhelmed with mixed emotions, also said nothing.
Chen Pingan took down his Sword-Nourishing Gourd and brought out a jug of Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine, handing it to Mi Yu.
Mi Yu said bitterly, "I'm afraid of this wine now."
Chen Pingan smiled, "There are thousands of kinds of drinkers, but only wine is never wrong. Drink without worry. If you have questions, ask them."
Mi Yu asked, "What happened? Who was the Hidden Official on the city wall?"
Chen Pingan said, "It was a high-grade substitution talisman combined with a puppet technique—a genuine Martial Body at the Golden Body realm. Plus, the Old Sword Immortal helped cover it up a bit, so it was relatively hidden. But if it were only that, it definitely wouldn't fool you, Mi Yu, which means it might not fool Lie Ji either. So I attached part of my soul to the talisman puppet. On the city wall, 'I' had to carefully control every step's weight, every breath's rhythm from here in the Summer Resort. That's why I'm not faking being injured right now. But paying this small price to uncover an unexpected traitor—a Sword Immortal, no less—is worth it. Actually, the person I wanted to fish for wasn't originally Lie Ji. It was someone else. Who it was—you were following me all along, so there are clues, but I imagine you've forgotten."
Mi Yu probed, "When you talked about using yourself as bait to lure big fish like Yang Zhi and Huang Luan, you were actually preparing for this ambush?"
Chen Pingan smiled, "Our sword cultivators can secretly send messages to the Barbaric Wilderness, and they can secretly send messages to the Sword Qi Great Wall. As for why Lie Ji turned traitor—whether he hated the Haoran World more, hated the Old Sword Immortal more, or hated the entire Sword Qi Great Wall—there must be a reason. Otherwise, he wouldn't have struck so decisively. But I'm not interested in the twists and turns. Lie Ji is a dead man now."
Chen Pingan emphasized, "The sooner such people die, the better. Otherwise, they might drag one or two great Sword Immortals into death with them at a critical moment."
Mi Yu stopped walking, his face terrible, "Was I brought into the Hidden Official lineage just for this day, this matter?!"
Chen Pingan also stopped, smiling, nodding without concealment, "Not just bringing you in. Inviting Lu Zhi was the same. True and false, real and illusory—without this, how could we deceive a Sword Immortal with ulterior motives? A Sword Immortal who has betrayed will have an exceptionally sharp mind. With Lu Zhi guarding all of us in the Hidden Official lineage, unless an Immortal realm Sword Immortal came within arm's reach for a close-quarters strike, no one could succeed. With that premise, leaving Lu Zhi's side created the illusion of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Here, Chen Pingan leaned against a corridor pillar, shaking his Sword-Nourishing Gourd, grinning, "A perfect opportunity—too bad to miss. Might as well give it a try."
"Lu Zhi's protection and tight security were a false appearance for others to see—the Hidden Official was perfectly safe, no danger to his life. Leaving Lu Zhi's side, with or without the Jade Lake realm Mi Yu beside me, was a necessary hint. Otherwise, the assassin would worry I was emboldened by something and suspect a trap. Not carrying an Immortal-grade Sword Immortal's sword, not wearing the Immortal-grade dharma robe Golden Nectar—these were reasonable moves. Then, without the dharma robe, and setting aside the ornamental Sword Immortal Mi Yu, the Hidden Official's true reliance was only being inside the Sword Qi Great Wall and his own Golden Body realm martial body."
Mi Yu took a deep gulp of wine, still silent.
Chen Pingan said, "When the Hidden Official dies, morale naturally falters. Our sword formation suffers from the ripple effect—that's human nature. So then we can fish better. That's the result I really wanted, more than killing a Sword Immortal."
Mi Yu stared blankly at this young man.
Chen Pingan smiled, "Actually, I thought of a lot, but most of it was just thinking, completely useless."
Mi Yu was never good at thinking about big, difficult matters. Even his cultivation stagnation—his brother Mi Hu had worried for years, but Mi Yu himself took it more lightly. So Mi Yu only asked the question he most wanted the answer to: "If you hold a grudge against someone on the Sword Qi Great Wall, will they die without even knowing how?"
Chen Pingan was taken aback, then thought seriously, nodded, "I could probably do it, but I've never thought about it. For me, the loss outweighs the gain. A single dao heart is hard-won. I've been poor since childhood and cherish rare things."
Mi Yu's eyes suddenly sharpened, "For example, the Qi family, who troubled the Ning Mansion in the early years?! Do you hate them? Do you really have no selfishness? That Thirteenth Conflict—after you became the Hidden Official and now have access to all the archives and secret records, you'll definitely find traces. Which Sword Immortal said what key words at what time—you know even more dirty secrets!"
Chen Pingan smiled, "Brother Mi, guess."
Chen Pingan handed over his Sword-Nourishing Gourd. Mi Yu didn't move his wine jug. Chen Pingan looked helpless, "Anyway, I'm not the kind to hold grudges. Heaven and earth as my witness."
Mi Yu, as if more dispirited than Chen Pingan with his damaged soul, asked casually, "That girl Guo Jiujiu is still on the city wall. When should we notify her to come back?"
Chen Pingan said, "Let's wait a bit longer."
Mi Yu shook his head, "Scheming, scheming, still scheming. You don't even spare a little girl. She's your disciple! Even if your intentions are good, I still find it strange, Chen Pingan. Don't you feel tired? Aren't you at all guilty?"
Chen Pingan countered, "Is it enough to only seek a clear conscience for yourself? Do you think Lie Ji didn't have a clear conscience? For a Sword Immortal to throw away his life—how great must his resentment be, how great his clear conscience?"
Mi Yu had no reply.
Chen Pingan looked up at the southern city wall and laughed, "Burning Flower, Burning Flower—truly 'the mountain green, the flowers about to burn.' Sword Immortals are experts at naming their natal flying swords."
The two returned to the main hall of the Summer Resort.
Mi Yu sat in his own seat.
Chen Pingan didn't sit; he just sat on the steps outside the door.
Chen Pingan said only one sentence, "Except for the Hidden Official's transmission flying swords, no one is allowed to leave the Summer Resort for the time being. No private meetings with outsiders. Anyone caught will be executed immediately for treason. As for our Hidden Official's transmission flying swords, the four of you—Chou Miao—and the twelve of you—Lin Junbi—must be informed of each other's content, item by item, word by word, recorded by Sword Immortal Mi Yu."
Xu Ning looked up at the back outside the door, asking, "Since you don't trust us, why did you bring us into the Hidden Official lineage?"
Chen Pingan held his Sword-Nourishing Gourd in one hand and a folding fan in the other, "Before you speak to me, first address me as Hidden Official."
Xu Ning actually repeated the question with "Hidden Official" added.
Chen Pingan then smiled and said a very candid thing, "I don't even trust myself, so why would I trust you?"
Xu Ning fell silent. Luo Zhenyi and Chang Taiqing suddenly raised their heads, both showing anger.
Xuan Shen and Cao Gun, who sincerely admired the Hidden Official and were outsiders, were more direct than Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui, confronting the three sword cultivators openly without hiding their allegiance.
Chou Miao said, "Speak little among the crowd. Finish your work early and return early. Since we have become sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, we will follow the rules."
Chen Pingan turned his head and smiled, "If I die, Sword Immortal Chou Miao, you and Junbi would indeed be the best candidates for Hidden Official."
Lin Junbi pretended to be deaf.
Chou Miao ignored it completely.
In the night, a transmission flying sword went to the city wall, and soon a heartbroken little girl slowly flew over on her sword, crying all the way, constantly wiping her tears.
She landed a bit unsteadily.
Then she saw her master, who had already stood up, and immediately broke into a smile.
Chen Pingan said softly, "A bit over the top."
Guo Jiujiu put away her sword and stood before Chen Pingan, brimming with excitement, stamping her feet, arms swinging, eyes dancing, "Master, let me tell you, earlier I was the only one who believed you definitely wouldn't die. I just never expected you to be so miraculous—not only alive and well, but you even fooled me. I would never have dreamed in a million years that you were already at the Summer Resort. Extraordinary, beyond words..."
"As long as your master is here, you don't need to think about life and death. The same goes for the future. Believe in your master."
Chen Pingan took a small bamboo box out of his storage item, "A reward. If you don't find it too heavy, carry it on your back. But don't show off to others."
Guo Jiujiu shouldered the small bamboo box and asked softly, "Master, how did this little bamboo box become a spirit and run to you? When Senior Sister gave it to me, it wasn't a spirit yet. On the way back, you can make another ordinary book box without legs for Senior Sister. This grown-up one is mine."
Chen Pingan smiled and shook his head, "You settle that with Pei Qian yourself. Your master won't play favorites."
Chen Pingan ruffled Guo Jiujiu's hair, "Go do your work. Don't neglect important matters."
Guo Jiujiu hopped up the steps, then twisted around, jumped backward, and stood still in the hall, facing the group. After a pause, she turned and walked to her seat.
Chen Pingan didn't follow her in. Instead, he continued walking around the Summer Resort.
Everywhere he walked was a small world.
Chen Pingan produced a talisman made of green material and gently shook it, saying, "Old Sword Immortal, you didn't deliver that small bamboo box for nothing. Lately, if any Sword Immortal tries to spy on the Summer Resort, just kill them directly. Those willing to take such risks without enough patience have no more use for the Sword Qi Great Wall."
After a pause, Chen Pingan added, "If such a merit really comes knocking, just credit it to our Hidden Official lineage's top Sword Immortal, Mi Yu."
Even though Chen Pingan was speaking within his own small world, to Chen Qingdu it was like paper.
The Old Sword Immortal didn't agree or refuse, but his meaning was clear: since you've been chosen as the Hidden Official, do as you please.
He changed the subject, "I'll ask you one more time as an exception. Have you really thought it through? If it's truly you, won't you regret it? Don't you discuss it with Ning Yao in advance?"
Chen Pingan didn't give an answer either, instead changing the subject, "How is my senior brother?"
Chen Qingdu said, "So-so."
Chen Pingan put away the talisman into his sleeve, took out another one, gently rubbed it, recited a spell, and instantly appeared in the other Winter Refuge.
At the Summer Resort, there was a towering ancient tree, its green leaves bringing cool autumn to people.
The suppressing object in this residence was a deer-antler poetry-themed ruyi, shaped like a fishtail and a mushroom.
Chen Pingan walked through the huge mansion, which was empty except for him.
Both residences were extremely plain inside, almost devoid of any decorative items.
Chen Pingan planned to familiarize himself with this environment.
Before leaving this deadly silent mansion and returning to the Summer Resort, Chen Pingan muttered to himself, "I've thought it through. I'll come."