Chapter 633: The Young Man Who Sat in the Host's Seat
A group of over ten people, from the scorching summer of the Sword Qi Great Wall, crossed the gate and arrived at the Inverted Mountain, where winter snow fluttered.
They all employed concealment techniques, choosing a late night hour on the Inverted Mountain, and went directly to the Spring Pennant Studio, one of the four private estates.
Among the group were Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan, the two gods of wealth from the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Apart from the solitary peak at the center, where the Grand Heavenly Lord sat in command, no one detected the sudden appearance of this group of "river-crossing dragons."
The Grand Heavenly Lord looked down toward the gate, and beside him was the old true man holding a golden horsetail whisk. The latter asked softly, "Master, won't this cause trouble?"
The Grand Heavenly Lord sneered, "Who would cause trouble? Those merchants who are blind to everything but money? Do they dare?"
The old true man reached out and stroked the golden strands, which had been painstakingly refined from dragon whiskers, "If it's just about overwhelming them with power, it may not succeed."
The Grand Heavenly Lord looked at one man among the group and nodded.
The latter glanced at the Daoist Grand Heavenly Lord on the peak of the solitary mountain and nodded as well.
It seemed the Grand Heavenly Lord had only come to see this one man. After greeting him, he turned and left, saying, "After I go into seclusion, you handle things. Very simple: don't handle anything at all."
The old true man, who was the Grand Heavenly Lord's senior disciple, was stunned for a moment, then switched the whisk to his other hand, made a Daoist salute, and said softly, "I receive the master's decree."
The old true man couldn't help asking, "Master, what about Uncle-Master Jiang?"
Once the master went into seclusion, no one on the Inverted Mountain could control that "little Daoist boy" from the first lineage of the Jade Capital. As for this true man, whether by seniority or cultivation, he wouldn't dare to intervene. The more different the Dao lineages, the harder it is to reason.
The Grand Heavenly Lord turned his head to look toward the old gate, where a little Daoist boy sat on a meditation cushion, flipping through a book, chatting with the sword immortal Zhang Lu, who was drinking wine, about trivial matters in the book. The Grand Heavenly Lord hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let him be. In the few hundred years he's been guarding the gate at the Inverted Mountain, Jiang Yunsheng has been relatively well-behaved. If he were back in his homeland, even a few Inverted Mountains wouldn't be enough for him to stir up trouble. My little master uncle dotes on her the most. Whenever he goes to cause trouble at the Great Xuan Capital Temple, he always brings Jiang Yunsheng. If it weren't for Sun Daoist’s murderous intent toward Jiang Yunsheng, and my little master uncle's foresight, Jiang Yunsheng wouldn't have needed to come to the Haoran World to avoid misfortune and seek blessings."
The Great Xuan Capital Temple, the sword immortal lineage of the Dao sect, Sun Daoist, one of the ten on the Qingming World.
The old true man sighed emotionally, "Uncle-Master Jiang survived a great calamity; he will surely have good fortune thereafter."
Misfortune and fortune depend on each other. By changing worlds, fortune reversed. Perhaps in those early years, when the master uncle's master took Jiang Yunsheng to the Great Xuan Capital Temple, "wreaking havoc" and provoking Sun Daoist's murderous intent, it had all been intentional. At Sun Daoist's level, once murderous intent is aroused, as long as one is far from the Jade Capital, especially near his own temple, he can fully manifest the Dao and change heaven's fate. The third teaching master uncle's action was probably a masterstroke of the immortals. Of course, the prerequisite was being able to escort Jiang Yunsheng alive out of the Qingming World.
The Grand Heavenly Lord had already gone into seclusion. The old true man remained at the railing, overlooking the entire Inverted Mountain. Mortals only knew the Inverted Mountain as the largest mountain-shaped seal; few knew of the eight scenic spots, including the Capture Release Pavilion and the Elk Cliff, plus this solitary peak beneath his feet. These formed an ancient formation inherited from the Three Mountains and Nine Marquises lineage, ultimately creating something akin to an ancient Ascension Platform.
The old true man was a disciple the Grand Heavenly Lord had taken in the Haoran World, with his hometown here. But like the old boatman who had once punted a boat for the third teaching master, Lu Chen, back in the day, the old true man felt that for a cultivator, where one is born before ascending the mountain is the first hometown, but where one cultivates after ascending is the true hometown where the heart finds peace. So whether it was the old true lord stationed at the Inverted Mountain or the old boatman drifting on the sea year after year, both desperately wished to go to the Qingming World to cultivate the Great Dao. But the Dao is high, the road is long. Without a guide or sufficient cultivation level, how could one ascend to another world?
The old true man watched those cultivators sneaking into the Inverted Mountain and found it meaningless. Since the master had decreed to handle nothing, the old true man used his divine powers to appear directly at the Capture Release Pavilion, where it was late, quiet, and devoid of tourists. In an instant, this true man, who had captured and killed countless dragons to refine his life-bound whisk, appeared above the vast sea. With nothing to do, he decided to take a distant look at the Dragon Trench.
Within the Dragon Trench, all true dragon descendants would have long been exterminated, if not for Jiang Yunsheng having said a word to this true man. The true man only needed to wait by the tree, intercepting and killing the old dragons that were conjuring rain. That whisk should long ago have been of immortal weapon grade. To accumulate a mountain artifact bit by bit and successfully refine it to immortal weapon grade—that was the skill of this old true man.
Thinking of that ancient secret, the old true man stood on the vast, misty sea and sighed deeply.
Back then, the only person who could persuade that sword immortal to sheathe his sword was Lu Chen.
Going beyond the six directions, wandering in the land of nothingness, roaming the boundless wilds.
Communing alone with the spirit of heaven and earth—that third teaching master was truly a "supreme being" worthy of the title.
No wonder, in this master uncle's eyes, all the immortal sects of the Haoran World were nothing more than wren nests.
The immortal arts of moving mountains and overturning seas were merely mole rats drinking water.
As for that third teaching master, the old true man found that the deeper he pondered his scholarship, the more insignificant he felt. For a moment, he was somewhat dazed.
The little Daoist boy let out a slight "eh," turned his head to look at the high tower's railing on the solitary peak, and counted on his fingers. It was ineffably wonderful.
The sword immortal Zhang Lu asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
The little Daoist boy said, "Something akin to the Buddhist gradual enlightenment reaching sudden enlightenment. Similar, but still lacking a single shout."
Zhang Lu laughed, "You've accumulated goodwill and friendship for a few hundred years. Won't you conveniently lend a hand?"
The little Daoist boy shook his head, "Not everyone can shout others into enlightenment. I certainly don't have that skill. One shout slightly off, and those with shallow gradual enlightenment will just end up with bumps on their heads."
Zhang Lu smiled, "Read the book. Keep reading the book. Generally, whenever the little heavenly lord in the book stays overnight by a lake or a deep pool, a beauty should be taking off her clothes to bathe."
The little Daoist boy didn't flip the page immediately but suddenly said, "Take it easy. That one didn't go through this gate twice."
Zhang Lu grinned, "Still as nostalgic as ever. This kid will probably never sincerely advocate for your Daoist studies in his lifetime."
The little Daoist boy shook his head, "It's about the matter, not the person. That's not how it's put. To be of utmost emotion and nature, utmost truth and sincerity—these are all good seeds for cultivation. In fact, our Daoist school's scholarship is broader and deeper, higher and farther than you imagine. You can't dismiss our Daoist teachings just because my Dao is lacking."
Zhang Lu yawned, "If you don't flip the page soon and help me stay alert, I won't make it through the night."
The little Daoist boy began to turn the pages.
Not long before this, the ferry Washing Basin of the Mountain Water Grotto in Blessing Shaking Continent had just sailed over a thousand li from the Inverted Mountain when it suddenly received a flying sword message from a private estate of the Inverted Mountain sect. The old Nascent Soul cultivator pondered for a long time. Sure enough, the ferry's sword room also received many flying swords from fellow Daoists. Ultimately, after weighing the pros and cons, the old Nascent Soul cultivator chose to quietly leave the ferry and return to the Inverted Mountain.
It wasn't just the Mountain Water Grotto. In fact, several ferry representatives from the Ganoderma Lucidum Studio Inn, who had been discussing secret matters, had also just left the Inverted Mountain not long ago. They too received flying sword messages from their respective channels, requiring them to temporarily return to the Inverted Mountain.
In truth, almost all ferries that were either recently at the Inverted Mountain or not too far away had been invited to "visit" the Spring Pennant Studio of Shao Yunyan.
The inviter was neither Yan Ming nor Nalan Caihuan, but the "Sword Qi Great Wall."
This was an unprecedented oddity in the history of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
This was no small matter that allowed outsiders to put on airs or make excuses. Of course, many of the great merchants were curious about who would be the representative for this massive mobilization by the Sword Qi Great Wall. Who had the qualifications? Could it be the old sword immortal Nalan Shaowei, who had once been schemed against by the still-unknown ancestor of the Mountain Water Grotto and ended up disgraced? If it were him, things would be simpler.
Thus, all cross-continent ferries that received the news—mostly from the Central Earth Continent and the Snowy Snow Continent—each secretly sent people back. Most agreed to meet halfway, needing to discuss with acquaintances and speculate about the Sword Qi Great Wall's intentions. There was certainly no mortal danger; the Sword Qi Great Wall wouldn't lose its mind to that extent. What they feared was that the Sword Qi Great Wall might make a bad move, causing complications and delaying their stable profits. But if they could put an end to it decisively and dampen the Sword Qi Great Wall's momentum, that would be a great blessing, solving the problem once and for all.
Shao Yunyan, the master of the Spring Pennant Studio, personally greeted guests at the door. With his few remaining trusted old subordinates, he led the arriving guests one by one to various residences in the estate. Shao Yunyan had a pleasant expression. Many ferry stewards were somewhat flattered. Sword immortal Shao Yunyan, because of that string of precious gourd vine, had karmic debts owed to him not only by major sects of the Haoran World but also by sword immortals renowned across entire continents. Thus, the Spring Pennant Studio was absolutely incomparable to the Plum Garden or the Water Crystal Palace of the Rain Dragon Sect. At the Inverted Mountain, those who could stay at the Ape Trample Estate were truly wealthy, but those who could enter the Spring Pennant Studio were often those with great Dao achievements and bright futures.
The Spring Pennant Studio had roughly arranged over a dozen secluded courtyards, with the representatives of each continent's ferries gathered together.
Before each person entered their courtyard, the sword immortal Shao Yunyan would say with a smile, "Gentlemen, please have some tea first. Then we'll discuss matters in the Spring Pennant Studio's main hall."
Bai Xi, a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Mountain Water Grotto in Blessing Shaking Continent, had no idea what Sword Immortal Shao had up his sleeve. But when he entered the courtyard, as soon as he stepped through the door, he saw a person sitting in the main room, looking up at him.
Bai Xi's heart tightened. He complained bitterly.
That person was none other than the Blessing Shaking Continent sword immortal Xie Zhi!
This man was a legitimate wild cultivator. Even after becoming a sword immortal from a wild foundation, he had no intention of founding a sect. He enjoyed wandering the world and eventually came to the Sword Qi Great Wall. He had no dealings with any immortal mountain that was from Blessing Shaking Continent. In particular, Xie Zhi had never hidden his poor impression of the Mountain Water Grotto. When meeting the ancestor of the Mountain Water Grotto, he wouldn't even nod in greeting.
Inside the main room were also a few ferry stewards who felt similar to Bai Xi, all sitting solemnly.
In another residence, a ferry steward from the Golden Armor Continent entered and similarly saw, in the host seat of the main room, a woman with her eyes closed, a sword on her back.
Her ordinary appearance didn't matter; what mattered was the long sword behind her, named "Blessing Shaker," which was famous across both the Golden Armor and Blessing Shaking Continents. This involved a very fascinating story of old acquaintances. A long sword named after a continent, whose owner wasn't even a sword cultivator from that continent—how could it be without legendary tales?
The woman sword immortal was Song Pin.
A great poet from Blessing Shaking Continent once saw Song Pin from afar and could never forget her for the rest of his life. He pined for Song Pin for years, with a devoted heart. He never married in his life and wrote so many nostalgic poems about her that they could be compiled into a collection. Among them, the line "I have seen you and dreamed of you, your eyes clear and bright as a candle" was the most famous. Not only that, he even deliberately wrote several "responsive poems" in Song Pin's voice, which were quite touching and moving, evoking both pity and a bitter smile.
Inside the room, several old cultivators from cross-continent ferries wore worried expressions. When they saw the new arrival, another soul in misery, their faces didn't improve.
They had none of that poet's leisure and sentimental feelings. They only felt that gathering again at the Inverted Mountain today, the Spring Pennant Studio's gate was easy to enter but hard to leave.
Song Pin opened her eyes, extended two fingers, picked up the wine glass beside her, and drank it all in one go. "All here? Then I'll take the liberty of asking everyone to drink first before talking business."
The sword immortal personally invited people to drink, offering a toast first.
Pu He, a sword immortal from the Flowing Sunset Continent in the northwest, was a gaunt, withered-looking old man. He didn't sit inside the room but stood at the door watching the snow. A few old ferry cultivators had no choice but to stand in the corridor with him, watching the heavy snowfall.
Pu He was once the most eccentric sword immortal in Flowing Sunset Continent, killing based solely on mood. It was said that after losing a sword duel at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he stayed there to cultivate in seclusion.
After everyone arrived, Pu He said, "You all are businessmen. You like buying and selling. So, since we're from the same homeland, do me a favor. How about it? Will you?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
One of the men mustered his courage, gently cupped his fists, and asked, "May I ask, Sword Immortal Pu, are you speaking to us juniors as a sword cultivator of the Sword Qi Great Wall, or as a sword immortal of Flowing Sunset Continent, reminiscing with us about old times?"
Pu He glanced sideways at this man who "wouldn't give face," a Nascent Soul cultivator, and said, "Get out. Send word to your ancestor Li Xun: when I return to Flowing Sunset Continent in the future, I'll bring two or three friends and come bearing swords to visit your ancestral hall."
Before the Nascent Soul cultivator could make amends, Pu He sacrificed his life-bound flying sword, its tip pointing directly at the ferry steward's brow, as if imprisoning him on the spot, rendering him unable to move at all. Then Pu He reached out, grabbed the man by the neck, and casually tossed him out to the street outside the Spring Pennant Studio, speaking to him through his heart lake: "That ferry of yours is called 'Dense Inlay,' isn't it? Doesn't seem sturdy enough. How about I help you swap it? Can a hidden Jade Pool realm sword immortal named Ling Ran really protect it?"
The Nascent Soul cultivator, who had been about to leave in hatred, stood frozen on the spot.
This cross-continent ferry was the lifeblood of the sect, renowned for being large and sturdy, and named "Dense Inlay" precisely because it had many accumulated treasures. Because of this, the sect had secretly hired a Jade Pool realm sword immortal, Ling Ran, at great expense to guard it. But regarding this matter, no one from the ferry should have known, since the few times that sword immortal had acted were extremely concealed.
The Nascent Soul cultivator braced himself and returned to the Spring Pennant Studio, intending to apologize to Pu He.
He wasn't afraid of any measures the Sword Qi Great Wall might take; at worst, no one would die, and it wouldn't be specifically targeting him. But he feared Pu He's relentless pursuit, which would implicate him and his entire sect, making life worse than death.
Among the four most troublesome types on the mountains, sword cultivators were the worst.
So, what if a sword immortal decided to be shameless, especially one from the same continent? Once such a grudge was formed, how troublesome it would be was obvious.
Would he sell that face?
Several ferrymen from the Southern Wish Continent were in a courtyard, happily drinking with their own sword immortal, Yuan Qingshu, who had many friends.
Yuan Qingshu was a completely different type from Pu He, Xie Zhi, and Song Pin. Not only did he bring wine and drink cheerfully with people, but he also kept up a stream of jokes. He said that the most famous wine in the Sword Qi Great Wall nowadays was the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven. Finally, he mentioned one thing: that his six personal disciples could serve as guest elders at the immortal caves of the gentlemen present. As for the main matter of today's meeting, there was no rush. They would drink first, then go to the main hall to chat.
On the Snowy Snow Continent, there were quite a few people, second only to the ferry merchants from the Central Earth Continent.
The woman sword immortal Xie Songhua.
Xie Songhua was a very peculiar sword immortal. She grew up in the Snowy Snow Continent but rose to prominence in the Central Earth Continent. She never wanted to be called a sword cultivator of the Snowy Snow Continent, saying that a continent that couldn't even hold on to the word "north" was unworthy of her claiming to be a native of Snowy Snow. Generally speaking, with such a bad temper, even a sword immortal would find it hard to get by in the commercially prosperous and peerless Snowy Snow Continent, since the immortal forces there were least afraid of lone experts. But Xie Songhua had a few good sisters in Snowy Snow who shared her tastes—for instance, one was a female pure martial artist who liked hunting demons in the bitter cold north, and she happened to be on very good terms with the Liu Clan of Snowy Snow.
Additionally, Xie Songhua had always despised the sword cultivators of Snowy Snow the most. But this time at the Sword Qi Great Wall, she surprisingly showed some smiles toward Deng Liang and that younger generation.
Today, after seven or eight people had taken their seats, Xie Songhua's opening words were extremely intimidating: "At the Sword Qi Great Wall, I have drawn my sword twice and accumulated the battle merit of killing an Immortal realm great demon. I can be considered to have completed my service."
It didn't cause an uproar throughout the hall.
But everyone's heart was already trembling.
Nowadays, the Sword Qi Great Wall was heavily guarded, and information flow was extremely limited. Who dared to inquire casually? But one thing was already known to all passersby at the Inverted Mountain.
It was that Xie Songhua had drawn her sword, destroying the Dao foundation of a Jade Pool realm sword cultivator from the Barren Wilderness World. According to the rules of the Sword Qi Great Wall, this battle merit was equivalent to half an Immortal realm great demon.
It was also the first personal merit in this entire offensive-defensive battle at the Sword Qi Great Wall.
To be honest, the merchants from the Snowy Snow Continent, aside from a vague sense of shared pride, saw more and thought more about the business opportunities here.
If anyone could recruit Xie Songhua as a mountain gate guest elder, that would be a hugely profitable deal!
But no one dared to bring it up. Everyone knew the temperament of the woman sword immortal Xie Songhua. To say such a thing would be to invite trouble.
Why was everyone uneasy?
It was because Xie Songhua, a carefree sword immortal who ignored worldly affairs and had no fixed abode, had for the first time ever taken the initiative to show up and "discuss business." What good could come of that?
Sure enough.
"I owe someone a favor, so this time, when I return north to the Snowy Snow Continent, I'll travel with you."
What Xie Songhua said next made everyone present feel as if their livers were splitting and their hearts were being squeezed: "He said, merchants all want to make money to death. That's reasonable and without any fault. He didn't mind; he could even sympathize with everyone. If a mutually agreeable and profitable deal can't be made under heaven, it's not your fault, but his. So not only can you relax, but there will also be unexpected rewards. After we finish discussing things at the main hall later, among you, whoever has the least money, whoever is the most impoverished, whoever desperately needs to risk everything to earn money from the Sword Qi Great Wall—I'll understand. Since it's on the way, and I can repay that favor, after leaving the Inverted Mountain, I'll personally escort this cross-continent ferry back to the Snowy Snow Continent."
Xie Songhua, carrying a bamboo sword case on her back, looked at the crowd with a cold smile: "If the escort fails, it's because my abilities are insufficient."
The ferry stewards from the Snowy Snow Continent, when everyone had gathered, saw Li Cai, the sect master of the Floating Lotus Sword Lake, step across the threshold.
Everyone stood up solemnly, cupping their fists in greeting.
It wasn't just because she was a Jade Pool realm sword immortal and a sect master that she deserved this heartfelt courtesy. It was because Li Cai dared to come to the Sword Qi Great Wall. That was enough.
Li Cai didn't sit down. After returning the greeting, she picked up a jug of wine that had been prepared in advance, and her first words were, "Han Huaizi won't be going back. I probably won't either. That's all. Everyone, drink."
Wei Jin, the sword immortal of Wind and Snow Temple, met with the stewards of two ferries from Old Dragon City. He didn't discuss serious matters, just asked about the recent situation in Vase Torrent Continent. Then he concluded with a final remark: "After I break through to the Immortal realm, if I don't die at the Sword Qi Great Wall, I'll make a trip to Northern Juque Continent in the future and challenge Heavenly Lord Xie Shi to a sword duel again."
The two old cultivators, who were already somewhat constrained, became even more uneasy.
East Vase Torrent was a secluded continent with the smallest territory, and Wei Jin of the Immortal Terrace was widely recognized as an extremely rare great sword immortal talent in the history of Vase Torrent.
Who would dare to take him lightly?
As soon as Wei Jin broke through to the Immortal realm, the Divine Oath Sect's Qi Zhen, who had once led the continent's immortal cultivators, and the True Realm Sect, which had transformed from a river-crossing dragon into a local power, would have to reconsider their positions, wouldn't they?
In fact, some time ago, the ferries from Old Dragon City, which had the most sluggish and obstructed information among the nine continents, had received some small but detailed tidbits: the Jade Pool realm sword cultivator Wei Jin had reached a bottleneck.
Tonight, Wei Jin had personally pierced through that layer of paper, making the two Old Dragon City stewards, who depended on each other like life itself, even more terrified.
Great Sword Immortal Wei had no family, no friends, and no grudges. Why would you tell us two lowly stewards something like that? What are you trying to do?
Wei Jin drank alone, still the most expensive wine from that cheating shop—one Lesser Heat coin per jug.
All the words spoken tonight by everyone had a purpose. If they wanted to reminisce with their fellow countrymen, that was fine, but they had to finish reciting the content on the prepared paper first.
Otherwise, how could Wei Jin inexplicably talk about his breakthrough to two unrelated merchants? However, his sincere desire to challenge Heavenly Lord Xie Shi to a sword duel was absolutely true.
The largest courtyard in the Spring Pennant Studio housed the heads of the cross-continent ferries from the Central Earth Continent.
Compared to the somber and eerie atmosphere of the courtyards from other continents, the merchant cultivators here were all calm and composed. Two elderly Jade Pool realm cultivators, Wu Qiu and Tang Feiqian, personally oversaw the cross-continent ferries for their sects, though they didn't hold the title of steward, as that would be beneath them. Wu Qiu was a sword cultivator accustomed to storms and waves. The two old immortals sat next to each other, chatting and laughing loudly.
Besides their Central Earth Continent status, they also felt that the host from the Sword Qi Great Wall simply couldn't overpower them.
Just a Jade Pool realm sword immortal, Mi Yu, was two realms lower than the originally expected old sword immortal Nalan Shaowei.
Plus there was the half-insider sword immortal Ku Xia from the Shao Yuan Dynasty. Whose side he would take was still uncertain. How could the Sword Qi Great Wall have sent only these two to host the guests? This showed that tonight at the Spring Pennant Studio, there would likely be no major disturbances.
Wu Qiu and Tang Feiqian, the two old cultivators above the fifth realm, felt a bit more relaxed. Even their gazes were playful as they appraised the sword immortal Mi Yu and a female Nascent Soul cultivator. She had excellent talent but insisted on being a ferry steward—a job that involved hardships and was thankless. Why? It was because she was trapped by love, which was a lesser pursuit. A devoted person had fallen for a player. What a tragedy. For what? The Central Earth Continent had talents like clouds; why waste her obsessive thoughts on a Mi Yu? If Mi Yu could leave the Sword Qi Great Wall and be willing to become her Dao partner, she could be considered to have married up. But although Mi Yu spread his affections everywhere, he was still a sword immortal of the Sword Qi Great Wall. How could he go to the Central Earth Continent?
The sword immortal Ku Xia was not good with words.
According to that person's prior instructions, Ku Xia didn't need to say much. Sitting there, he was truly only a guest.
Wu Qiu turned to Ku Xia and asked with a smile, "Why haven't Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan shown up? Are they waiting in the main hall for us to finish our tea?"
Ku Xia shook his head, "I don't know."
Wu Qiu nodded, "No rush."
He was also a Jade Pool realm sword immortal, but Ku Xia had an extra identity that others couldn't envy—he was the nephew of Zhou Shenzhi, one of the ten from the Central Earth Continent.
No matter how Zhou, the old gentleman, looked down on this "dull and dull-witted" nephew, that was no reason for outsiders to disrespect Ku Xia.
The more Ku Xia was this kind of good-natured person, the less one should provoke enmity.
So it seemed that the Sword Qi Great Wall letting Ku Xia host them tonight was a fairly decent move.
However, when it came to financial dealings later, Ku Xia's face wouldn't carry as much weight. After all, Ku Xia was no Zhou Shenzhi.
Ku Xia sighed inwardly.
Wait until you see that young man. Then your heads will start to ache.
Ku Xia, with complicated feelings, even thought that if, back then, instead of the old sword immortal Nalan Shaowei, it had been that young man—who should now be in the Spring Pennant Studio's main hall—who represented the Sword Qi Great Wall against the future ancestor of the Mountain Water Grotto of Blessing Shaking Continent, things would have gone differently. Because Ku Xia simply couldn't imagine Lin Junbi ever being subordinate to anyone.
The female Nascent Soul cultivator spoke to Mi Yu through the heart lake: "Mi Yu, you'll pay the price. Even if I get punished by the sect afterward, I'll make you lose face. And I might not even incur any punishment. But you'll definitely be in deep trouble."
At this point, there was a hint of mockery and delight in her voice: "What goes around comes around, and now it's your turn. Mi Yu, did you ever think you'd see this day?!"
Mi Yu looked at the woman, his voice filled with regret and heartache, as he spoke to her heart with deep emotion—but with the murmuring style unique to Mi Yu: "I never imagined that the gentle girl of those years would become so unlovable. I suppose I am to blame, and you resent me."
The woman was speechless. Her face grew more resentful, and her heart was sorrowful. Thousands of words on the tip of her tongue seemed to be ground to pieces by her clenched teeth, unable to utter even half a sentence.
If the one you love is the one who loves more, and your love is not returned, it seems there is no victory in this life.
Mi Yu said no more. His expression dimmed. He glanced at her, then shifted his gaze slightly, as if only looking at her from the corner of his eye—he could look at her, yet he dared not.
In the main hall of the Spring Pennant Studio.
A young man was leaning against the door, with an ancient jade token hanging at his waist.
Inside the room, Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan had already taken their seats, but neither sat in the host's seat by the four-immortal table. Not only that, but the positions of the two Nascent Soul sword cultivators were rather far back.
Nalan Caihuan felt a bit uncomfortable, while Yan Ming didn't mind.
Earlier, that guy who talked nonsense had tricked her once. Afterward, Nalan Caihuan had reported the details to Nalan Shaowei. Her family's old ancestor had looked at her like she was a fool for a long time. In a huff, Nalan Caihuan wanted to completely renege on the prior agreement, but unexpectedly, the ancestor told her to forget it, and to just follow what was discussed and do it.
The master of the Spring Pennant Studio, sword immortal Shao Yunyan, stood beside the young man at the door.
He didn't mind at all that his nest had been usurped.
The two, meeting for the first time, were chatting casually about Liu Jinglong of Northern Juque Continent and the water through mountain's immortal Lu Sui, and they were getting along very well.
Shao Yunyan said that Liu Jinglong had a promising Dao path and might become the first flying ascension realm sword immortal of Northern Juque Continent in the future.
The young man said that the immortal Lu was gentle and charming, perceptive and considerate, a perfect match for Liu Jinglong, a divine immortals' beauty. He also took the opportunity to praise Lu Sui's teaching master.
Shao Yunyan didn't care whether the speaker was sincere. In his hundreds of years here, even polite words were good to hear.
The heavy snow on the Inverted Mountain wasn't melting at all.
Beauty and heavy snow have always been a perfect match since ancient times.
After also chatting about the gourd vine and the fine wine of the Yellow Millet Blessing Land, Shao Yunyan asked, "Should we call them over now?"
The young man smiled, "No rush. We can't let the sword immortals make a wasted trip to the Inverted Mountain. Let those who are used to handling immortal money feel a bit more of the sword immortals' style, just like me."
Shao Yunyan nodded, "It's about time."
The young man, who had been quite talkative earlier, remained silent on this matter. He just put his hands in his sleeves, gently tapped his fingers together inside, and looked at the heavy snow.
If only the snowflakes were spirit money coins.
Shao Yunyan also looked up, a rare moment of inner peace.
Last year's old dream: I dreamed you were by my side; suddenly I felt I was in a foreign land.
This year's new dream: I suddenly arrived at an old mountain from the water through path, saw her still smiling like a flower.
The young man suddenly said, "Sword Immortal Shao, after tonight's matter, we can negotiate a change regarding that thing you promised the Sword Qi Great Wall years ago. The matter remains the same, but the outcome can be different. None of the three parties will be put in a difficult position."
Shao Yunyan frowned and asked, "Do you have the final say?"
The young man smiled, "If I don't have the final say, who does?"
Shao Yunyan felt an immense weight lift off him.
This sword immortal, who had long since resolved to die at the Inverted Mountain, stepped back and cupped his fists in thanks to the young man.
The young man accepted it calmly, then extended his hand from his sleeve and returned the gesture with cupped fists.
As long as life and death weren't involved, everything felt light. Shao Yunyan, now unburdened, sought to repay the favor: "Regarding the business, you can count on the Spring Pennant Studio's share."
The young man immediately reached out and grasped Shao Yunyan's arm, "Loyalty! Truly the style of a sword immortal. This snow was worth watching. I've been waiting a long time for your words, Sword Immortal Shao."
Shao Yunyan was caught off guard.
He estimated that those merchants were doomed to suffer tonight.
Because, besides the host, two more sword immortals who had returned from admiring the snow together had arrived: Sun Juyuan and Gao Kui.
In addition.
Sword immortal Mi Yu from the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Ku Xia from the Shao Yuan Dynasty, Central Earth Continent.
Yuan Qingshu from Southern Wish Continent, Pu He from Flowing Sunset Continent in the northwest, Song Pin from Golden Armor Continent in the west, Xie Zhi from Blessing Shaking Continent in the southwest, woman sword immortal Xie Songhua from Snowy Snow Continent, Li Cai from Floating Lotus Sword Lake in Northern Juque Continent.
Wei Jin from Vase Torrent.
A large group of sword immortals—natives of the Sword Qi Great Wall and outsiders—had suddenly left the Sword Qi Great Wall and gathered at the Inverted Mountain.
This was unprecedented in the history of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Shao Yunyan said his goodbyes and entered the room first, taking his seat on his own chair, which was only a few steps away, being closest to the main hall's entrance.
Among the sword immortals visiting the Inverted Mountain tonight, there were none from Parasol Leaf Continent.
Because Parasol Leaf was the only major continent without any cross-continent ferries, and coincidentally, there were no sword immortals practicing swordsmanship at the Sword Qi Great Wall either.
So it worked out well.
But that man who had nodded in greeting to the Grand Heavenly Lord now had his sword aura extremely restrained. Together with a middle-five-realm sword cultivator from Parasol Leaf Continent who had been traveling alone at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he quietly left the Inverted Mountain, heading toward the now most downtrodden Parasol Leaf Sect. This time, it wasn't for a sword duel, but to lend a hand with his sword—to help both the Parasol Leaf Continent and the Haoran World. Otherwise, why would he be willing to leave the Sword Qi Great Wall, leaving his little junior brother to stay alone?
Scholars are the most afraid of great righteousness.
Zuo You had always considered himself a scholar from the mortal world, not a sword immortal on the mountain.
More importantly, after arriving at Parasol Leaf Continent, he could draw his sword more often, and perhaps fight alone, with no other sword immortals by his side.
The little junior brother had used a trick, wanting him, the senior brother, to go to Southern Wish Continent, saying the situation there would be most precarious in the future. But Zuo You had listened to some little bastard's words and decided to go to Parasol Leaf Continent instead.
The little junior brother was kicking himself.
Chen Qingdu was quite amused at the time.
The road ahead was long.
Along the way, he would pass the Dragon Trench and the Rain Dragon Sect but make no stops.
He would only make a brief stop at the Reed Flower Island to determine whether that Creation Grotto held a legendary Daoist high immortal or a hidden great demon as Cui Dongshan claimed.
If it was a high immortal, they would discuss the Dao; if a great demon, he would cut it down with one sword.
Zuo You rarely had cause for difficulty.
Traveling with Zuo You this time was a young Golden Core sword cultivator from Parasol Leaf Continent. He was young, though in fact about the same age as Zuo You, so not exactly young.
The young Golden Core was named Wang Shizi, a mountain and marsh wild cultivator. Among wild cultivators, reaching the Golden Core stage at this age and being a sword cultivator made him something of a genius sword embryo.
Unfortunately, at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he found few fellow countrymen. The Sword Qi Great Wall was full of sword immortals walking the streets, and his status was low, so his situation was awkward. The only neighbor he could count was Vase Torrent Continent, but aside from Wei Jin of the Wind and Snow Temple, there were no other sword cultivators. Wang Shizi naturally didn't dare to go greet Wei Jin. If they met, what could they talk about? In the end, during his decade-plus at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he had been alone, focusing on cultivation. He had gone to the city wall a few times to kill demons, but his gains were small, just enough to support his stay at the Sword Qi Great Wall.
However, in the last two years, things had improved a bit. He often went to a certain small wine shop. With no friends, unless there were few customers, it was hard to get a seat at the table. He would just squat by the road, drink a jug of wine, and eat a bowl of plain noodles. Compared to his previous lonely and miserable existence, it was quite pleasant.
Returning to his hometown now was a huge surprise. He never imagined he could travel with the great sword immortal Zuo You.
But Wang Shizi knew his place and remained silent throughout the journey.
Near the Dragon Trench, Zuo You said, "Don't be too constrained. If you have any doubts about cultivation, just ask."
Wang Shizi said softly, "Junior's realm is low; my questions are not major. I can ask them after reaching Parasol Leaf Continent."
Zuo You didn't press the cultivator of similar age.
Zuo You looked back toward the Inverted Mountain.
The night was heavy, between heaven and earth, full of flying jade flakes. The snow's radiance far surpassed the silver of water.
Wang Shizi asked curiously, "Junior chose to leave the Sword Qi Great Wall at this time. Why is the senior willing to teach me swordsmanship?"
Zuo You withdrew his gaze and smiled, "Parasol Leaf Continent's mountain marsh wild cultivator, Golden Core Wang Shizi. Alone, in fourteen years, you climbed the city wall three times and were forced to retreat three times. I, Zuo You, am of the same path. So discussing swordsmanship with you is not instruction; it's mutual learning."
Wang Shizi was speechless. He wanted to speak but hesitated several times.
Zuo You said, "Speak frankly."
Wang Shizi smiled, "I thought I was talking to Second Shopkeeper."
Zuo You laughed heartily, "Chen Ping'an and I are fellow disciples of the same master. It's not strange that you find our behavior similar."
Wang Shizi said, "Senior, I believe that Second Shopkeeper will definitely become famous throughout the Haoran World in the future!"
Zuo You shook his head, "Wait and see. The Haoran World will only complain that he did too little. All past things that weren't acknowledged will become reasons for attacks. 'The closed-door disciple of the Wen Sheng lineage, Zuo You's little junior brother, the young man that Chen Qingdu also looks up to, the new Hidden Official far from the battlefield'—all will be excellent reasons to deny my little junior brother in the future. If he dies, it's only right, so they won't mention it. But as long as he doesn't die at the Sword Qi Great Wall, it will be all his faults."
Wang Shizi felt heavy-hearted.
Zuo You said, "It's not strange. Just get used to it."
Zuo You and Wang Shizi continued flying east on their swords, without another word.
The Inverted Mountain, Spring Pennant Studio.
The arrangement of the Spring Pennant Studio's main hall followed the etiquette and rules of scholarly families in the Haoran World.
A painting of immortal mountains and waters hung in the center, depicting an unknown mountain in Northern Juque Continent. On either side were couplets about Confucian self-cultivation and family management. Above was a plaque reading "Bequeath the North Hall."
In front of the back panel was a long narrow table, before which stood a four-immortal table with a chair on each side.
Between the door and the back panel, facing east and west, rows of chairs were arranged in an orderly manner.
Each person entering and sitting felt as if they were in a small world of their own.
The ferry stewards and representatives from various continents entered the hall one after another.
Bai Xi from the Mountain Water Grotto sat down and exchanged glances with a few old friends. None dared to communicate through heart words, but from each other's eyes, they saw some worry.
The seating arrangement in the hall was highly deliberate.
It seemed that the sect's foundation, the size of the ferry and its business, and the personal reputation of the ferry steward had all been calculated.
For example, Bai Xi noticed that the steward of the "South Winnowing" ferry from the Snowy Snow Continent was a Golden Core cultivator with no reputation, who had been stuck at a bottleneck for a long time, doing medium-scale business. In ordinary social interactions among ferry stewards, he was someone who didn't have much say even at the dinner table. But today, his seat was extremely honored. Bai Xi knew only because the ancestor of the Mountain Water Grotto had once leaked some heavenly secrets: that this man was actually a Jade Pool realm talisman master hidden in plain sight. His reason for doing cross-continent business at the Inverted Mountain was not the wine but the opportunity to secretly visit the Dragon Trench each time for a truly hidden transaction. He used immortal money in exchange for the chance to absorb dragon qi using his unique secret technique. Returning to the Snowy Snow Continent, he would then sell several rare talismans imbued with pure dragon qi to the Liu Clan of Snowy Snow at exorbitant prices.
The ancestor had told Bai Xi to watch his attitude carefully; he didn't need to actively befriend this man, just observe his eyes and words when they met.
Bai Xi dared to assert that this "old Golden Core cultivator," though appearing calm, was definitely not feeling well inside.
Finally, everyone was seated.
The more than ten sword immortals who had left the Sword Qi Great Wall sat on the chairs to the right. Their seating was more spread out compared to the cramped arrangement on the left. Exactly one sword immortal from each continent faced the ferry steward from that continent.
Thus, until this moment, the dozens of ferry stewards began to re-evaluate that young man.
Every guest in the room was a sly old fox who had made business their life's work. Earlier, more or less, they had all noticed this person. The main hall of the Spring Pennant Studio was very spacious, with many pillars and many couplets hanging from them. The young man had been looking up, admiring the inscriptions on the couplets.
Like Wu Qiu and Tang Feiqian, the two old immortals above the fifth realm from the Central Earth Continent, they had scrutinized this slightly out-of-place young man. After roughly gauging his depth, they were baffled. They didn't truly believe he was just a cultivator below the fifth realm. After some deliberation, they both tacitly assumed he was a sword immortal with a youthful appearance who was skilled at concealing his aura.
Under the plaque, the chairs on either side of the four-immortal table remained empty.
A jade token lay on the table, positioned closer to the ferry stewards from the Haoran World.
Not just Wu Qiu, but almost everyone had their guesses. One of the two seats might be for Han Huaizi, the sword immortal from the Grand Harmony Sword Sect. The other would be for a final, grand sword immortal, like Nalan Shaowei? Or even one of the heads of the three clans—Dong, Chen, or Qi—who were even higher ranked? Otherwise, why would so many sword immortals appear to hold the line?
Unfortunately, obtaining information from the Sword Qi Great Wall now was extremely difficult.
And no one dared to act rashly.
Even Sun Juyuan, a sword immortal who was easy to deal with, had long since closed his doors to guests. He had later gone directly to the city wall, and all the servants in his residence either followed him to the city wall or were confined indoors. Someone had once thought it unnecessary to be so strict, went out in secret, and died shortly after.
Thus, the only news circulating on the Inverted Mountain now was what the Sword Qi Great Wall itself deemed not worth hiding.
When everyone had taken their seats, the sword immortals opposite had also been seated for a while.
Different sword immortals, different temperaments, different postures, different auras.
Even Wu Qiu felt a suffocating pressure.
Invisibly, each of them was face-to-face with the dozen or so sword immortals lined up!
The key was that it was obvious that some of these sword immortals came from the Haoran World, but tonight, every one of them identified as sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Except for those from Central Earth Continent and Northern Juque Continent, the ferry stewards from the other six continents had already found it extremely difficult being hosted by their own continent's sword immortals. Now, they found it even more agonizing here.
After all, the dozens of ferry stewards, though veterans of many storms, how many had ever experienced such a situation?
Every single sword immortal had fallen silent.
This kind of situation typically occurred only before a sword immortal was about to fight to the death.
Flying swords take heads themselves; why speak to the soon-to-be-dead?
In the hall.
The Spring Pennant Studio's master, sword immortal Shao Yunyan, sat near the entrance. He said nothing. In fact, his position determined that he would not be the first to speak tonight.
Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan also showed no signs of speaking.
All the sword immortals remained silent.
Mi Yu, Wei Jin, Sun Juyuan, Gao Kui, Yuan Qingshu, Xie Songhua, Pu He, Song Pin, Xie Zhi, Li Cai, Shao Yunyan.
Plus two Nascent Soul sword cultivators, Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan.
Some of the older and timider stewards began to sweat on their foreheads.
Were they about to be wiped out in one fell swoop?
A steward cautiously glanced at the two still-empty host seats.
Another steward glanced at the young man standing beside a distant pillar.
As fate would have it, the young man met his gaze and smiled slightly at the steward.
The old steward's smile was strained, and his expression was somewhat stiff.
The young man didn't speak unless necessary, but when he did, it was like a mountain smashing into a lake, causing a powerful surge.
He walked unhurriedly toward the host seat, saying with a laugh, "Since everyone is here, let's start discussing business."
As soon as these words were spoken, some of the more lackadaisical sword immortals also straightened up.
When he reached the host seat on the right side of the four-immortal table, Mi Yu was the first to stand up.
Eleven sword immortals and two Nascent Soul sword cultivators all stood up almost simultaneously.
The dozens of people across from them were startled and quickly scrambled to their feet. Those who were a bit slower wanted to slap themselves twice.
None understood what was happening; they were all still in the fog, but they couldn't resist the terrifying momentum of the sword immortals opposite.
After the young man sat down, all the sword immortals then took their seats.
The young man extended a finger and lightly tapped the table. The jade token flipped over and fell, revealing the ancient seal script characters "Hidden Official."
In the hall, a pin drop could be heard.
All the businessmen who had come to the Inverted Mountain seeking profit quickly glanced at the jade token, then held their breath and steeled themselves as if facing a great enemy.
The young man, whose identity had finally been revealed, smiled and said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Chen Ping'an, and I am the new Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall."