Chapter 676: Finally the Far Traveling Realm
Of the sixty-one Middle Five Realm demons imprisoned in the jail, only a few remained.
Today Nianxin's sewing was particularly crucial—it was the final stage at the spine.
Old Deafman stood with his hands behind his back, having made a special trip to observe the sewing.
As a demon, watching others suffer was always more comfortable than watching them enjoy themselves.
The White-Haired Boy called out "grandson" beside him.
Old Deafman acknowledged it once and then played deaf.
Chen Ping'an had long since sat in meditation, his mind deeply immersed. His three souls and seven spirits were all pierced by sewing needles, firmly locked in place by Nianxin. This was to prevent Chen Ping'an from being unable to bear the pain, losing control, and ruining the interlocking sewing work that could not afford the slightest mistake.
For this sewing, Nianxin was putting her utmost into "making bridal clothes" for the young Hidden Officer.
The logic was simple—she would never have such an opportunity to practice again in her lifetime.
Moreover, if successful, at least the qi refiners of two worlds, especially those sanctimonious sect-registered immortal masters, would know that she, Nianxin, a seamstress despised like a rat crossing the street, had accomplished a feat unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.
Just as in the mortal world, whenever chess was mentioned, White Emperor City was inevitably referenced, and when it came to Dao techniques, the Celestial Master was unavoidable.
So Nianxin desired success even more than Chen Ping'an.
To the point that this seamstress, a Jade Pith Realm cultivator, often found her eyes dry and sore after prolonged cutting and needling. She would pick up the sword-nurturing gourd beside her, pour out a green bead rich in water essence, tilt her head back, and drip them into her eyes.
Besides borrowing the sword-nurturing gourd from the young Hidden Officer, Nianxin had taken out two precious immortal treasures she had kept hidden away after the two sewing sessions—the Golden Record and the Jade Tablets.
Old Deafman looked down at the Golden Record and Jade Tablets and nodded. "Good stuff."
The White-Haired Boy said regretfully, "What a pity. They'll be useless after use. Otherwise, my Hidden Officer Grandpa would definitely get stars in his eyes."
Both items were part of Nianxin's Dao destiny.
Nianxin had once frankly told Chen Ping'an that her opportunities in cultivation, besides the numerous secret techniques and divine powers of a seamstress, came from the Golden Record and Jade Tablets. They were extremely orthodox immortal treasures that complemented her sewing methods. Otherwise, she definitely wouldn't have survived to this day.
Ordinary cultivators, even if they were also Jade Pith Realm like Nianxin, could not see the contents of the Golden Record and Jade Tablets clearly, as if a natural mountain-water formation existed.
But Old Deafman and the White-Haired Boy were far from ordinary.
The Jade Tablets were meditation site jade tablets from an ancient dynasty in the Central Continent Divine Land. The tablets were divided into twenty-four slips, connected by gold threads between them. Each jade tablet had been cut, trimmed, and polished using secret arts.
The Golden Record was a "True Scroll of Register Records," also known as a Register Bestowal Diagram. The entire scroll was divided into three parts. The first part had a total of sixteen large characters. The first eight characters, "Three Caverns Golden Patterns, True Immortal's Simplified Record," were all in cloud seal script, swirling with mist, slowly revolving. The latter eight characters, "Dao Methods Last as Long as Heaven," were blessings, personally written by a great Celestial Master from Dragon-Tiger Mountain. The second part was portraits of sixty-one immortals. The third part was the main text of the entire "True Scroll of Register Records," telling of an empress who wished to become a Daoist supreme immortal, a Dark Lord. It was said that after the dynasty fell, the woman devoted herself to cultivation and eventually ascended to heaven in broad daylight.
The Jade Tablets were fine—when spread out, they were only a foot long.
But that True Scroll, when fully unrolled, was over ten feet long.
The reason she had taken out these two treasures was that Nianxin would use unique seamstress techniques—either plucking characters, stripping talismans, or copying cloud patterns—and then use the method of imperial edicts and yellow seals to place them one by one on the young Hidden Officer's skin and bones.
Thus, for this sewing, Nianxin was willing to go bankrupt without hesitation.
As for how much calamity and pain the young man would suffer, Nianxin didn't care at all. Since he dared to come here and dared to do this, he would just have to endure it.
At that moment, looking at the Golden Record and Jade Tablets on the ground, Old Deafman remembered a small matter. Previously, he had agreed to a deal with the young Hidden Officer, in exchange for his three disciples leaving the jail intact.
They had settled it—Old Deafman needed to provide a Dao method suitable for demon cultivation, as well as two mountain objects of magic treasure rank, and they had to be rare among magic treasures, with low thresholds for refining and use.
Giving away two magic treasures was a trivial matter, but that Dao method was a bit troublesome.
A Dao method with a proper lineage transmission would inevitably have many restrictions, just like dimension storage objects, inch-space objects, and certain rare talismans all had methods of opening and closing.
For example, a certain ancestral talisman from the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Residence had been layered by successive generations of Celestial Masters. Apart from Celestial Master descendants, even an Immortal Realm cultivator couldn't lift it, let alone refine it.
Profound immortal techniques, when compiled into books with formulas, often conformed to the Great Dao. Once compiled into volumes, they naturally contained divine properties. For one thing, the material bearing the Dao formula text was certainly not simple. For another, even if a great cultivator removed various restrictions, low-realm qi refiners still couldn't read them. Thus, sect-head immortal clans often treasured Dao books, preferring oral transmission and heart-to-heart teaching—that was what "personal transmission" meant.
Old Deafman thought it over. That Dao book was useless to him anyway—he had never intended to establish a sect. He might as well remove all restrictions and give it to the young Hidden Officer. But after that, how Chen Ping'an taught it to others was none of his concern. Handing toilet paper to someone squatting in the latrine was already quite considerate; he couldn't be expected to wipe their bottoms too.
The White-Haired Boy asked with a smile, "If it were You You and Du Shanyin, would they be rolling around on the ground after one cut?"
Old Deafman shook his head. "They could barely endure two cuts, maybe. Anyway, those two brats don't rely on suffering to cultivate. A good destiny is more useful than anything else. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here enjoying themselves."
Nianxin put away her knife and rested for a moment. Earlier, her cutting had been a bit sluggish, and she seemed in a bad mood. Hearing the chatter of Old Deafman and the Outer-World Heavenly Demon, her face darkened even more. She snapped, "Get lost!"
Old Deafman, known for his good temper on Sword Qi Great Wall, indeed moved away, walking up the steps. Not only was that young woman ugly, but her temper was also terrible—no wonder she never married.
The White-Haired Boy drifted beside Old Deafman. "Does You You's Dao heart need Grandpa's help to polish it a bit? Such a small favor, you don't even need to thank Grandpa."
Old Deafman chuckled. "I advise you not to. The Great Old Sword Immortal is watching this side. If I, as a servant, fail to protect my master, before I get slapped to death, I'll definitely settle accounts with you first—new and old together."
After those two left, Nianxin exhaled a turbid breath, calmed her mind, and slowly continued cutting.
What ordinary people would find unbearable to look at was a beautiful sight in her eyes.
With the carving method, raised characters prized clarity and lightness. After Nianxin carved the inscriptions, clouds rose, giving birth to five-colored mushrooms. Recessed characters prized heaviness and turbidity, like the dragon vein chains of a great mountain range. Clarity and lightness symbolized heaven; heaviness and turbidity symbolized earth.
For example, there were four raised cloud-script characters that did not write the true names of great demons but the seal-script characters of the "Dao Scripture Master Treasure" dharma seal. Once the seal script was formed, auspicious signs appeared, lingering like a sea of clouds surrounding a mountain.
There were also the eight ancient small-seal characters "Taiyi Adorns Treasures, Immortals Are Seal Script," stacked character upon character at extremely fine points, carefully folded into one character, greatly draining Nianxin's mental energy.
There were knife techniques where talisman patterns twisted and filled every possible space. There were places where the knife ended, the brushstroke like a hanging dewdrop, low but not falling, water essence condensed like morning dew.
There were also cutting techniques like a carpenter's plane shavings. Nianxin lowered her head and gently blew away useless fragments—all naturally from the young Hidden Officer's spine.
After finishing work that day, Nianxin dragged the young man toward that small door again and complained, "Chen Ping'an, if you can't even hold up to this, it's at most thirty more cuts. If I hadn't withdrawn the knife in time, your entire spine would be ruined. Do you want to break your Longevity Bridge again?"
The barely alive young man could no longer speak. He only moved his lips slightly, probably cursing.
The bloodstains on the ground—Nianxin wasted none. The blood would spontaneously connect into lines and eventually all be collected into the embroidered pouch at her waist.
Old Deafman stood by the small door and unlocked it. Nianxin casually tossed the young Hidden Officer into the "furnace" inside the room, where golden lava rolled.
Old Deafman closed the door.
Just as Nianxin was about to leave, Old Deafman said, "The Great Old Sword Immortal never explained how Lord Hidden Officer would kill the Upper Five Realm. How do you plan to solve it?"
Nianxin shook her head. "He didn't say."
Old Deafman smiled. "Went smoothly today?"
Nianxin's brow was clouded. "Chen Ping'an's delay in reaching the Far Traveling Realm is ultimately not a long-term solution. Actually, of the current pain, three-tenths is self-inflicted. If it were me, I'd let the Great Old Sword Immortal use some unorthodox methods to break through first. Since he's in a hurry to leave, why isn't he in a frantic hurry?"
Old Deafman hummed in acknowledgment. These troubles had nothing to do with him. He said, "Miss Nianxin, we've been neighbors for so many years. How about I treat you to some loach stewed with tofu today? My master boy's cooking is really not bad. Better than your five viscera and six organs eating each other, you eating yourself."
Nianxin didn't appreciate it and drifted away.
Old Deafman went to the great demon Qingqiu's cage. Without needing Old Deafman to say anything, the great demon obediently handed over three qian of lifeblood essence and a large piece of flesh, then asked in a trembling voice, "Can you please pass a message to the Hidden Officer?"
At this rate, he really couldn't hold on.
Old Deafman ate the green loach flesh—chewy, but much less tasty than cooked food. He smiled. "Didn't Lord Hidden Officer come to see you once more? What, still no agreement last time?"
The great demon Qingqiu's smile was bitter.
Indeed, he had met the young man again earlier, but at that time he had wished he could drag that fellow into the cage, so he had "politely declined" the other's proposal.
The young man had said, "I heard that loaches like shade and turbidity and fear sunlight the most." Then he tossed a yellow paper talisman covered in ghost-writing into the cage. The great demon Qingqiu grabbed it and ate the talisman, mocking the young man's talisman techniques thoroughly.
After that, the young man stopped coming. Instead, Old Deafman came every now and then.
Old Deafman wiped his mouth clean, hands behind his back. "Why didn't you think of that earlier?"
Perhaps this day was the great demon Qingqiu's lucky day. Chen Ping'an made a round of the Upper Five Realm great demons' cages.
As the young man passed by, the great demon Qingqiu immediately appeared near the sword-light bars and asked, "How can I keep Chengshan from causing me trouble?"
Chen Ping'an was startled. Chengshan was Old Deafman's alias in the Barren Wilderness World? The archives about Old Deafman in the Summer Resort had only two pages, and the previous Hidden Officer Xiao Xun had smeared every character into ink blots—one blot per character. She didn't tear out the pages or smear large areas randomly; she seemed to be doing something very amusing.
Chen Ping'an stopped and met the great demon Qingqiu's gaze. "Very simple. Tell me the inside story of the Yiluo River great demon Yangzhi, as detailed as possible."
The great demon Qingqiu was silent for a moment, then smiled mockingly and directly retreated into the mist.
Chen Ping'an didn't press. He went to the first cage holding Yun Qing. Chen Ping'an often came here to chat with this great demon—just chatting, about the customs and landscapes of their respective worlds.
Today they sat facing each other, separated only by the bars.
Chen Ping'an didn't expect Yun Qing to be so erudite, no less than a Confucian scholar. For instance, regarding the "Monthly Ordinances" that said "in late autumn, kill dragons and take softshell turtles, making clear dragons can be killed but true dragons cannot be touched," Yun Qing had unique insights.
Only after asking did Chen Ping'an learn that Yun Qing had studied under Zhou Mi for several years, though without a formal master-disciple relationship.
Moreover, Yun Qing enjoyed traveling the world and had even compiled a poetry collection that was widely circulated in several dynasties of the Barren Wilderness World.
At the end of today's chat, the great demon Yun Qing smiled and removed the bamboo flute inscribed with "Banished Immortal" from his waist, holding it in his hand. "A semi-immortal weapon, useless to me now. I gift it to the Hidden Officer."
This bamboo flute, besides the three characters "Banished Immortal," also had a line of small characters: "Once approved for dew and wind coupons."
The great demon Yun Qing had previously explained its origin—it was a love token from a Flying Ascension Realm great demon. If not for severe damage that couldn't be repaired, it would be immortal weapon rank.
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I dare not accept it."
Yun Qing asked in confusion, "Why?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Though we meet congenially, we are ultimately on different sides. That wouldn't prevent Senior Yun Qing from killing me against your will."
Yun Qing nodded with a smile. "Likewise, likewise. Hence the congeniality."
---
Inside the suspended building, Chen Ping'an walked in circles, but his figure involuntarily hunched, one arm dangling limply.
Nianxin sat on a distant step and said, "If you don't break through to the Far Traveling Realm soon, the aftereffects will be severe. Even if you ultimately succeed, the effectiveness will be greatly diminished."
Chen Ping'an nodded lightly. "I know."
Nianxin was also helpless.
The White-Haired Boy appeared beside Nianxin, transformed into the scholar appearance of the great demon Yun Qing, and said with a smile, "Miss Nianxin, to be honest, I've had feelings for you for a long time. Truly, 'wind-tousled hair and mist-bound locks, unbound; not the rich adornments of the mortal world.'"
Nianxin ignored him.
The Outer-World Heavenly Demon changed again, speaking hoarsely: "Nianxin, you won't despise me for being deaf, blind, and old, will you?"
Nianxin still ignored him.
The Outer-World Heavenly Demon changed once more: "Senior Nianxin, appearances can be deceiving. In my eyes and heart, you are a beautiful woman. There are thousands of beautiful women, but only one Miss Nianxin."
Chen Ping'an continued his walking stance without stopping. "That's enough."
It turned out the Outer-World Heavenly Demon had transformed into the green-robed Chen Ping'an.
Nianxin only pondered the subsequent steps of the sewing.
The Outer-World Heavenly Demon resumed his most favored appearance, sitting on the steps. "A lone man and a lone woman, with not a shred of romantic feeling—how improper! What's wrong with you two? Such a mood killer."
After his walking stance, Chen Ping'an began standing stance with the sword furnace. After half an hour of standing stance, he started breathing exercises, calmly nurturing his life-bound flying swords.
Nianxin left.
That Outer-World Heavenly Demon with the cyan snake earrings was unwilling to leave, staring at the sword-nurturing gourd beside Chen Ping'an.
His short sword "Long Qiu" was inside it. The one Chen Ping'an had returned earlier was tucked at his waist, named "Jiang Du."
Both had significant origins, just right for feeding the two little things hanging from his ears.
In fact, anything that could exist for long in this realm was not of low quality.
But for an Outer-World Heavenly Demon, it didn't really matter—only visual appeal counted.
He suddenly said, "What about that immortal's abandoned corpse? Why not let me give you the dharma robe as well, and let her put on robes and draw her sword?"
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "Death is the greatest."
After standing up, he leaned back, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, closed his eyes, and formed a sword talisman with one hand.
The White-Haired Boy, keeping his promise not to set foot inside that building, only wandered around outside, constantly transforming into various demons who had died under Chen Ping'an's fists and swords, asking only one question: "Death is the greatest? And the living?"
Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, pressed his two fingers together against the ground, lifting his feet slightly.
The Outer-World Heavenly Demon, back in his original form, met his gaze and smiled. "Your mouth says one thing, but you constantly reproach yourself, the strong, and heaven and earth."
Chen Ping'an closed his eyes again and said, "The dharma has no fixed dharma."
The Outer-World Heavenly Demon suddenly transformed into a woman and smiled sweetly.
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then opened his eyes to look. It was a face convincing enough to be real.
What the heart thinks, the eye sees.
That was the terror of an Outer-World Heavenly Demon.
Chen Ping'an closed his eyes and said, "You'll bear the consequences."
The White-Haired Boy immediately shouted, "Hidden Officer Grandpa, what if your future heart demon turns out to be this very woman? Then what?"
A hint of a smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face. He said slowly, "I wish it were so."
The White-Haired Boy raised both hands, flicking the cyan snakes at his ears with two fingers. The motion was slight, but the sound was like a bell tolling, echoing through heaven and earth. "How about a practice round?"
Chen Ping'an said in a deep voice, "Get the hell away from me!"
The White-Haired Boy grumbled, "Wasted, lowering my generation for nothing. This deal of Hidden Officer Grandpa's was a loss."
Then, in the next moment, the Outer-World Heavenly Demon fell silent in terror, shrinking his neck.
It turned out Chen Qingdu had already grabbed his head and lifted him up.
The old man simply suppressed him with sword intent. The Outer-World Heavenly Demon's face twisted, his whole body melting like a candle, unrecognizable. He immediately wailed and begged for mercy.
Chen Ping'an flipped his body and floated to a stand.
Chen Qingdu threw the Outer-World Heavenly Demon far away, then looked at Chen Ping'an with a frown. "You haven't managed to carve out the true names of several key great demons?"
Nianxin reappeared on the steps. "Don't blame me. I could carve them, but it would have to be on a dead body."
Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "The bottleneck for a martial artist is truly hard to break. Even confronting and exchanging blows with an Outer-World Heavenly Demon is useless. What I lack right now is that bit of mysterious divine intent. If it were just tempering the physique, just enduring Senior Nianxin's sewing would be enough to push me into the Far Traveling Realm."
Chen Qingdu said, "Where am I supposed to find a Perfectly Spirited Tenth Realm Martial Artist for Lord Hidden Officer?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Don't ask me."
Chen Qingdu was somewhat amused despite himself.
Nianxin was greatly enlightened.
Old Deafman, who had rushed over following the commotion, was full of admiration.
The Outer-World Heavenly Demon, curled up on the steps, felt that every "Hidden Officer Grandpa" he'd called hadn't been wasted.
The consequence was that Lord Hidden Officer, suppressed by sword intent, first bent over, then knelt, and finally lay flat, unable to move, nearly becoming a puddle of mud.
Fortunately, the Great Old Sword Immortal was somewhat loyal and directly tossed Chen Ping'an into that lava furnace.
After Chen Ping'an disappeared.
Chen Qingdu waved his hand, and Nianxin and the others all left at once.
The old man stood inside the pavilion, looking around, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four pavilion pillars.
---
Chen Ping'an rarely left the jail, taking the chance to go out for some fresh air.
The White-Haired Boy quickly appeared, urging the young Hidden Officer to take a look at the Punishment Officer's cultivation grounds, saying there were many treasures there, ownerless, free for the taking.
Take a look, then—no harm in picking some up.
Under the Outer-World Heavenly Demon's guidance, Chen Ping'an came to that stream and felt somewhat dazed, as if he were back home, about to pick snake gallstones. But there was no large basket.
The White-Haired Boy was like a gossip god, idly reporting in detail on the two pairs of master and servant. He said You You was a little fool, learning everything slowly, nowhere near Old Deafman's three disciples. He said Du Shanyin had decent talent for sword practice and even better luck, but was a big lecher. Such goods could become masters to Old Deafman and the Punishment Officer—the White-Haired Boy said he was truly heartbroken for Hidden Officer Grandpa.
Chen Ping'an suddenly stopped. Not far away, by the stream, there was a woman washing clothes and a young girl rinsing yarn.
Chen Ping'an focused his gaze and found it incredible. He had traveled the jianghu and seen incense-fire little people who lived in plaques and incense burners, even Cui Dongshan's bug-silver, but he had never seen two women like these.
The White-Haired Boy exclaimed in admiration, "Hidden Officer Grandpa has such sharp eyesight! You saw their true identities at once—they are the ancestral money incarnations of Gold Essence Coins and Grain Rain Coins respectively. That Du Shanyin could never manage that—he only saw their pretty faces, big breasts, and small waists. You You was even more pitiful—he didn't even dare look more than once. Only Hidden Officer Grandpa is a true hero."
The woman washing clothes looked up, smoothed a strand of hair by her temple, and smiled at Chen Ping'an.
The young girl rinsing yarn, seeing the young Hidden Officer, pressed a finger to her cheek.
Chen Ping'an cupped his hands in return.
The White-Haired Boy stamped his foot. "Oh, Hidden Officer Grandpa, they are unworthy of your great bow—it would overpower them!"
Chen Ping'an paid no attention, walking toward the thatched cottage while pondering matters of money.
Gold Essence Coins—the Great Li had three kinds: Spring Greeting Coins, Offering Coins, and Suppression Coins. They had once been the toll for entering the Pear Blossom Cave Heaven. Chen Ping'an was no stranger to them, since his first mountain stronghold had been bought with several sacks of Gold Essence Coins. The three kinds of Gold Essence Coins the Great Li dynasty sold to various immortal sects were said to have been first made as three types of mother coins by the Mohists for the Song clan, of the finest quality—the topmost extremely fine grade—before large-scale minting began.
Even the master coins used by mortal dynasties to mint ordinary copper coins were beloved by many mountain immortal masters, great treasures that coin collectors spared no expense to acquire.
Along with Gold Essence Coins, when the court issued new coins, including the three kinds of immortal coins—Snowflake Coins, Lesser Heat Coins, and Grain Rain Coins—above the master coins there was also an ancestral coin.
The ancestral coin of the Snowflake Coin was naturally treasured by the Liu clan of the White Snow Continent, but the whereabouts of the ancestral coins of the Lesser Heat Coin and Grain Rain Coin had never been confirmed. Unexpectedly, the ancestral coin of the Grain Rain Coin had fallen into the possession of the Punishment Officer and undergone such fortune to manifest as a human.
Sentient beings of the world, once they took human form, regardless of their root origin, having awakened spiritual wisdom, all counted as Great Dao creations and could be considered mountain-cultivating adepts. Treating them with courtesy was certainly not wrong.
The young Du Shanyin, with nothing to do today, stood under the grape trellis, looking into the distance at the two guests.
The White-Haired Boy was still standing up for his "Hidden Officer Grandpa," walking shoulder to shoulder with Chen Ping'an but moving backward, pointing at those two women who spent all their time washing clothes and rinsing yarn. "How insolent, how insolent! Show yourselves, show yourselves!"
The clothes-washing woman and the yarn-rinsing girl, originally indistinguishable from country beauties, after the Outer-World Heavenly Demon's words "show yourselves," produced extraordinary phenomena—their skin took on golden and dark green hues respectively, with faint characters emerging. Especially the yarn-rinsing girl's forehead seemed to open a small skylight, probably because when she was born, the character strokes were like cuts, with knife marks still visible.
But they seemed completely unaware, continuing with their washing and rinsing.
The White-Haired Boy said softly, "Ancestral coins and sample coins in the world often come in pairs. If both become spirits and then become lovers, tsk tsk tsk, that would be a blessing rarely seen in a thousand years—money begetting money. Hidden Officer Grandpa, if you just agree to take me to the Hao Ran World, I'll help you get them from the Punishment Officer Sword Immortal. Once we get to the Hao Ran World, without stopping, I'll keep my eyes wide open and find their Dao partners for you, old sir! How about it?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Not happening."
The Punishment Officer Sword Immortal was inside the thatched cottage. Even though the Hidden Officer had come calling, he showed no intention of opening the door to receive him.
Chen Ping'an had come to relax anyway, so he didn't care about the Punishment Officer's attitude, as long as he didn't get hit by a sword light.
Du Shanyin bowed. "Greetings, Lord Hidden Officer."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "At ease."
Du Shanyin remembered something, slapped his forehead, fetched two pouches of gold powder, and first handed one over. "I humbly beg Lord Hidden Officer to accept this."
Chen Ping'an accepted it without ceremony.
Du Shanyin handed over another pouch of gold powder. "I humbly beg Lord Hidden Officer to tell a landscape story."
The White-Haired Boy's smile was meaningful.
Chen Ping'an reached out and pressed the tall youth's head, smiling slightly. "Even if you become the rightful master of the Punishment Officer in the future, don't do this kind of thing anymore."
Du Shanyin looked up, his expression unchanged. "May I ask why?"
Chen Ping'an said nothing more. He brushed past the youth and moved to admire the multicolored Flower God porcelain cups suspended in the air.
The White-Haired Boy jumped up, patted the youth's shoulder, and said, "A promising talent, keep it up! My Hidden Officer Grandpa here is just jealous of your profound blessings. 'Beside oneself with joy' is originally a complimentary term for cultivators."
Du Shanyin grinned. "You flatter me."
The White-Haired Boy asked in confusion, "How are you not afraid of me at all?"
Du Shanyin's mind stirred slightly. A flash of sword light suddenly stopped on the youth's shoulder, like a bird perching on a branch.
Du Shanyin said, "The Punishment Officer gave me this."
The White-Haired Boy immediately said, "With this, I'll call you 'Dad' from now on!"
Du Shanyin had just started to smile when his face stiffened.
Chen Ping'an was looking up at the bottom mark of a Flower God porcelain cup and said with a laugh, "You just keep on stirring the pot."
The White-Haired Boy burst into laughter.
Chen Ping'an turned his head and looked at the tall youth's back. "Within your own rules, why didn't you dare draw your sword?"
Du Shanyin turned his head and smiled. "In my eyes, you are all accomplished Daoists, playing in the human world—that's not excessive at all."
Chen Ping'an dismissed it with a smile and continued examining the porcelain cup. The seasonal poem on it was excellent, so he helped himself to it.
The White-Haired Boy asked, "Du Shanyin, did the Punishment Officer ever instruct you that when you've learned sword techniques and have the chance to travel the Hao Ran World, you must kill all mountain flower thieves? Did he gift you a whole pile of immortal treasures you wouldn't even dare think of? For instance, that book specifically about the two characters 'immortal and divine'? But in your heart, you regret that those two women, big and small, weren't given to you as well, so it's a bit imperfect?"
"Don't worry—my Hidden Officer Grandpa has no interest in them. I'll help you beg from the Punishment Officer. No need to thank me! Ah, forget it. Now that I've said this, your longing for them has faded. You always feel they are already things Lord Hidden Officer has cast aside like worn-out sandals. In your heart, they no longer have that immortal elegance; otherwise they'd be beneath Lord Hidden Officer's stature. Am I right? Don't worry, it's only human nature, no need to be ashamed. In pursuing the Great Dao and reaching the summit, you should be like this: see it, take it; dislike it, discard it; hate it, shatter it; love it, seize it..."
A chill ran through Du Shanyin's heart, his face growing increasingly ugly. He could only remain silent.
Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing.
Giving too many opportunities without considering whether they could be received—neither the giver nor the receiver thought about it.
But then Chen Ping'an reconsidered: perhaps this very state of mind was the foundation of Du Shanyin's Great Dao. Who said that the height of achievement only lies in the depth of thought?
Besides, A Liang was right—why care about anything? Is it your business to care about? Can you even care about it?
The White-Haired Boy was in high spirits. He had babbled so much, and the Punishment Officer inside the thatched cottage hadn't said a word. A good omen. Truly a Punishment Officer who cared about nothing, a completely different type of person from Hidden Officer Grandpa.
He walked over to Chen Ping'an and pointed at a white jade table outside the grape trellis. "Treasures, but unfortunately that Book of Immortals on the table is already Du Shanyin's. Inside the book, a bunch of little ones have already been raised—far superior to ordinary bookworms, every single one worth a lot."
Chen Ping'an walked out from under the grape trellis, went directly to the stone table, and casually flipped open a page. The book was filled with the two characters "immortal and divine" in various scripts—running, cursive, standard, and seal.
The White-Haired Boy whispered, "You didn't even greet Du Shanyin before reading the book. That's not like your usual style, Hidden Officer Grandpa."
Chen Ping'an paid no attention, just flipping through the book, searching for traces of bookworms.
Bookworms—Li Huai seemed to have some. Chen Ping'an wondered if they had become spirits by now.
The White-Haired Boy muttered, "Lord Hidden Officer surely wouldn't stoop to a little idiot's level. So why? Could his state of mind have changed again? Or is he deliberately bluffing me to trick me out of my short sword?"
Chen Ping'an finished flipping through the book without seeing any so-called "little ones," so he had to give up.
Ancient records spoke of a tale about a bookworm that ate the character "immortal" three times.
When a bookworm entered a scripture case or Daoist book and ate the "immortal" character for a long time, its body would become five-colored. If a person swallowed it, they could become an immortal—at the very least, literary inspiration would flow, and their writing would blossom.
One was a literati's idle talk; the other was oral tradition among mountain qi refiners.
But the so-called "immortal character," even mountain cultivators didn't fully understand its deep meaning. It was only known that the bookworm's previous form was a kind of wall fish, born only in scholarly families, hiding in brush pots, inkstones, or lamp shadows. Mortal literati insisted that if one wrote the two characters "immortal and divine" on expensive stationery, cut it into pieces, and threw it into a bottle, wall fish would naturally enter, eat the paper scraps, and have hope of growing into a bookworm.
The White-Haired Boy slapped the white jade table. "You don't appreciate favors? Do you believe I'll write the character 'wine' in this book and get you little bastards dead drunk?!"
Chen Ping'an looked closely. Between two lines of the "immortal and divine" characters on a certain page, little ones the size of fingernails kept appearing, "climbing over the wall" from different pages. From high to low, they squatted dejectedly between the pages, looking pitifully at him and the White-Haired Boy.
Chen Ping'an said with a smile, "Sorry for disturbing you," and gently closed the book.
The White-Haired Boy knelt on the stone bench, reached out to cover the book, and explained, "After bookworms become immortals, they're the most fun. Whatever you write in the book, they can eat. They have all kinds of transformations. For example, write a poem about wine, and they'll really get dizzy and sway. Write first about a beautiful young woman, then about boudoir resentment and erotic verses, and their forms in the book will truly become boudoir maidens full of resentment—but it won't last long; they'll quickly revert."
The White-Haired Boy casually flipped through the book. Probably because he had more face, every time he turned a page, the little people would come running over.
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and asked, "What if I write about shit and piss?"
The little people all stood there speechless, feeling that life was not worth living—how could there be such a depraved person in the world?
The White-Haired Boy stuck out his thumb and said loudly, "Hidden Officer Grandpa's wondrous ideas are rare in the world! If you ever meet the ancestor of the Jia family in the future, you'll definitely be able to talk arm in arm and regret meeting too late! After following Hidden Officer Grandpa to the Central Continent Divine Land, I must visit that White Paper Blessed Land!"
Chen Ping'an sat on the stone bench.
The White-Haired Boy stopped paying attention to the book and pointed at the stream, which was actually a waterless stream. "This is an extremely rare fire in water—water in form, fire in essence. Hidden Officer Grandpa could refine it into his last of the Five Elements lifebound objects. Chen Qingdu isn't stingy, and the Punishment Officer is even more generous. I can help move it to the pavilion."
Chen Ping'an was unmoved. He stood up. "To come uninvited is already a troublesome guest."
Since Chen Ping'an was leaving, the White-Haired Boy had to follow.
Hanging around with Du Shanyin was boring. Following Chen Ping'an, there were constant surprises.
Like today's visit—when facing that thatched cottage, the young Hidden Officer didn't bow on arrival and didn't take leave on departure.
The White-Haired Boy bounced along beside Chen Ping'an. "Hidden Officer Grandpa, you're different today. Your heart's gate opens and closes as it truly pleases—relaxed and in control. Congratulations, congratulations."
They walked on foot.
Clearly, the young Hidden Officer was in no hurry to return to the jail.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "You want to use that stream to achieve your wish? Why beat around the bush? Just say it directly."
The White-Haired Boy asked, "If I say it directly, will it work?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Of course not."
He valued propriety and upheld rules.
Whether as a dragon kiln apprentice or as the youth from Mud Vase Alley on a long journey, as long as he was crossing mountains and rivers, he had to do what a person wearing straw sandals and carrying a woodcutter's knife should do.
The Hidden Officer in charge, the second shopkeeper selling wine, the pure martial artist exchanging blows, the sword cultivator nurturing his swords—different identities did different things and said different things.
At the root of it all, it was still the same person.
The White-Haired Boy whined, "Oh, my Hidden Officer Grandpa, you're really bullying me."
Then the child-like Outer-World Heavenly Demon sighed. "Forget it, I'm not human either."
Chen Ping'an said, "Whether one is human or not, beyond the outer shell, it's still more about whether one has a human heart."
The White-Haired Boy snorted dismissively. "A person with a devilish heart is still a person."
Chen Ping'an said, "A person with a bodhisattva's heart is also still a person."
They arrived at the remains of an ancient great demon, lying across like a mountain.
"Take that!"
Chen Ping'an took a heavy step forward and suddenly threw a punch. The decayed and corrupted corpse was no longer tough, so a single punch casually carved out a "valley" path.
The White-Haired Boy clapped in applause.
Chen Ping'an glanced sideways at this seemingly mischievous Outer-World Heavenly Demon and said slowly, "That fox-sprite's sorrowful tale really has no novelty. If you wrote books to sell, you'd have a hard time making money."
Having traveled far and wide, he had seen the fox immortal striking the bell, the female ghost scratching at the door—one disturbing people, the other scaring them.
He had also seen a sparrow on a branch listening to the Dharma, an old ghost in a straw raincoat riding a fox, singing "Pan Shan Er."
The White-Haired Boy said, "Oh, no matter. I'll revise it."
Then he pretended to realize. "Forgot about her fate—also nothing novel."
Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "I've guessed your origins."
He looked up, seeming to be looking at the White Jade Capital in another world.
The White-Haired Boy sighed. "Counting the suppression objects of the Western Buddhist Kingdom, does that count as another form of 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones'?"
But Chen Ping'an changed the subject and laughed to himself. "A down-and-out scholar has only three options: be an advisor, teach, or sell writings."
When the last Hidden Officer in the history of Sword Qi Great Wall told landscape stories in the streets and alleys, sold seals and fans—all three options covered—unfortunately, none of them made money.
The White-Haired Boy was listless.
Chen Ping'an leaped up, his green robe shooting straight into the clouds. Then he rode the wind, wandering through the sea of clouds, his sleeves flapping loudly.
In fact, besides sword flight, he could barely manage wind-riding now, but only by relying on a mouthful of pure true qi, which was consumed very quickly.
He summoned respectively First, Fifteen, Pine Needle, and Cough Thunder—four flying swords—and suspended them in various places.
Above the sea of clouds, he leaped, each time landing precisely on a flying sword, drifting around like that.
The White-Haired Boy watched, yawning.
Chen Ping'an recalled the four flying swords, leaned back, and plummeted straight toward the ground.
Still leisurely, he glanced at the slender stream in the distance.
Is the water in heaven? Or is heaven in the water?
Chen Ping'an crashed headfirst into the ground, completely straight.
Above the sea of clouds, the White-Haired Boy's mind stirred slightly. Somewhat surprised, he suddenly looked up and felt heaven and earth change color.
A moment later, this Outer-World Heavenly Demon stood up, his aura completely transformed. Having received Chen Qingdu's "dharma decree," he finally revealed the bearing befitting a Flying Ascension Realm Outer-World Heavenly Demon.
He cupped a handful of water from the sea of clouds, flicked his sleeve to gather clouds into his sleeve, then dashed it toward the sky, creating a bright moon hanging in the void. Thus, above his palm, he held the moon in his hand.
One palm strike shattered the moon in the water.
Heaven and earth changed again.
The White-Haired Boy's figure had already vanished.
In an instant, the sea of clouds churned, then seemed to be casually stirred into a huge hole. Vaguely visible was a cloud-dwelling immortal, his form blurred, looking down at the earth and laughing. "Little Confucian scholar, overestimating yourself. Shall I play with you?"
Then a golden giant slowly extended a fist and sneered. "Dare you take this punch?"
Chen Ping'an had long since stood on the ground, looking up.
He spat forcefully, rolled up his sleeves with both hands, then smoothed them flat again.
A young man in white, having traveled far in spirit form, stood shoulder to shoulder with the young man in green. He sighed. "Long trapped in a cage, truly uncomfortable."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Speak human language."
The white yin spirit's wide sleeves drifted, extremely carefree. His eyes burned with passion, and he laughed loudly. "Fuck them! Make them bow down to me!"
Very good.
That was right.
This was the real me, Chen Ping'an!
The earth trembled violently.
A green robe shot straight toward the sea of clouds.
A martial artist punches heaven with his fists.
Then the white yin spirit soared straight up. All of earth was his domain. Countless flying swords all went toward the sea of clouds together.
A swordsman asks his sword of the cloud-dwelling immortal.
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North of Sword Qi Great Wall, south of Sword Qi Great Wall.
Martial energy surged wildly in all directions, blotting out the sky and covering the earth, as if searching for that pugilist in heaven, now lost without a trace.