Chapter 718: Startling the Entire Haoran World
Zhu Lian had been secretly wielding his little hoe in Qingfeng City for a few years, and in the end, he pried away an entire fox kingdom.
When Zhu Lian brought Pei Xiang back to Fallen Mountain, it happened to fall between Jun Qian's descent from the mountain and Zuo You's entry into the mountain.
Xu Hun, the city lord of Qingfeng City, had just left the Ascension Platform not long ago. Originally, together with the Wind Thunder Monastery sword cultivator Huang He, Xu Hun was acclaimed as "the one with the greatest killing power below the Upper Five Realms" in Bao Ping Continent. Now that he had entered the Upper Five Realms, even someone as steady as Xu Hun couldn't help but show a bit of pride and satisfaction. Instead of returning to Qingfeng City, he took a Great Li border army ferry from Oxhorn Mountain Ferry, as per the agreement at the Ascension Platform, and headed to the Old Dragon City battlefield.
Then Xu Hun received a flying sword message. On the ferry, an astonishing aura suddenly burst forth, dense with killing intent, spreading like a tide and enveloping the ship.
Because the Bao Ping Continent cultivators on this ferry had special identities, a Mohist wandering knight with a sword slung across his back quietly left the Great Li secondary capital. This time, he was specially escorting the ferry south. When Xu Hun couldn't suppress his Upper Five Realms aura, which poured out like a river overflowing, causing the entire ferry to tremble violently, it happened to pass through a sea of clouds. Wherever the ferry passed, white clouds scattered in all directions, churning endlessly.
Xu Ruo's expression was calm. With one hand behind his back, he used his unique "Sword Grasping Technique," which he had realized from observing an ancient Shu sword immortal painting, to gently push his sword out of its sheath by an inch. Xu Hun's aura was instantly suppressed.
The wandering knight Xu Ruo shook his head at a ferry manager who had been a Great Li military officer, indicating that there was no need to make a mountain out of a molehill. The City Lord of Qingfeng City's actions could be recorded in the ferry's log, but there was no need to go and confront him about it now.
After a moment, Xu Hun, who was always clad in a suit of wart armor, appeared at the bow of the ship. He took the initiative to apologize to the ferry manager and then thanked Xu Ruo.
Xu Ruo just smiled and said it was nothing, a trivial matter.
Xu Hun returned to his cabin quarters, his Dao heart seemingly no longer disturbed.
The border army military officer, originally a Great Li army accompanying cultivator, came from True Martial Mountain. True Martial Mountain and Wind Snow Temple, the two military ancestral grounds of Bao Ping Continent, had the best relationship with the Mohist school—similar paths and compatible spirits.
The armored officer used heart voice to ask softly, "Mr. Xu, what could cause an Upper Five Realms cultivator to lose his composure like this? Has something major happened in Qingfeng City?"
Xu Ruo nodded. "Most likely that fox kingdom. We don't need to worry about this; the spies will keep an eye on it."
The foundation of Qingfeng City was the fox kingdom, but more importantly, it was about making money. Although City Lord Xu Hun held a high position, he was actually as detached from romantic affairs and spending money as a moral saint. Of course, Xu Hun's wife was good at making money and also knew how to enjoy herself. In the official circles of the Great Li capital, opinions were mixed.
Xu Ruo sighed with some regret. He had just learned a huge secret matter from National Teacher Cui Chan, but unfortunately, he couldn't get away to meet that poet and sword immortal Bai Ye in person.
Earlier, after Zhu Lian returned to Fallen Mountain, that very night he immediately pulled together Wei Bo, Mi Yu, and Wei Wenlong to discuss several major matters.
The butler martial artist, the ally mountain lord, the offering sword immortal, and the Golden Core qi practitioner in charge of money and accounts. Different cultivation paths, from different hometowns, but they all finally met at Fallen Mountain.
Zhu Lian, the grand steward of Fallen Mountain, was meeting Mi Yu and Wei Wenlong for the first time, yet during this discussion, he treated them as insiders.
The group sat down at the stone table in Zhu Lian's courtyard. Wei Bo flicked his sleeve, and four jars of immortal wine from Changchun Palace appeared on the table, along with four "Li" character series imitation cups from the Twelve Flower God Cups. According to mortals, these were typical "official imitations of official ware." In simple terms, the four small cups on the table, which had come from Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, were worth much more than the four jars of spring blossom wine. The Night Travel Banquets were not held in vain; Mountain Lord Wei had collected quite a few immortal treasures and curiosities.
Zhu Lian said, "Tonight, we'll just have a small drink. No one should drink too much."
Wei Bo then raised his sleeve, as if to simply take the wine away. Zhu Lian quickly reached out and covered the wine jar in front of him. "A small drink to liven things up! We can't not drink either."
Wei Bo smiled slightly. "Let's talk serious business."
Wei Wenlong had been carefully examining the winecup, estimating its value in his mind. When he heard Mountain Lord Wei's words, he immediately focused.
Zhu Lian took a sip of wine and set down the cup, gently twisting the exquisite porcelain cup between two fingers.
The first matter: Zhu Lian asked when the mountain master would return to Haoran World, and... whether he could return home at all.
Zhu Lian had prepared for the worst, even ready to be scolded harshly by Wei Bo.
But Zhu Lian received very good news. It wasn't certain news, but Mi Yu said that Mr. Liu, the senior brother of the Hidden Official, was quite confident about this. He couldn't say for sure that the junior brother would definitely return, but there was hope for survival. There would definitely be a glimmer of hope. Heaven never seals off all exits. If there really was one, then those senior brothers, whether through schemes, sword strikes, or punches, through calculations or fists and swords, would strive to win that glimmer of hope for their junior brother.
Zhu Lian said, "Those three disturbances in the canopy above the North March territory earlier were truly astonishing to witness. Good boxing, truly good boxing."
But it wasn't that Zhu Lian disrespected this "Jun Qian"; rather, Zhu Lian's view of boxing and martial arts had always been somewhat peculiar. In Zhu Lian's opinion, compared to Cui Cheng's boxing intent, although Jun Qian also sent his fist to the heavens, his boxing intent still came from the heavens down. So Zhu Lian still held the martial artist Cui Cheng in higher regard. Like the younger Ding Ying, according to the young master and Zhong Qiu, even to his death, Ding Ying still had an old heavenly lord pressing down on his head and heart. Questioning the heavens with his fist was, of course, excellent and domineering. But Zhu Lian even felt that if the heavenly lord stood right before him, then you were the heavenly lord, exactly as Cui Cheng advocated: before a martial artist, there should be no unbeatable opponent.
Otherwise, even if Ding Ying had a next life elsewhere in Lotus Flower Blessed Land and improved his boxing, or even used immortal arts to nourish his boxing, no matter how high his boxing intent, he would still be a puppet on strings.
Zhu Lian put aside these thoughts and began to discuss the second matter.
This was about Fallen Mountain's choices if the mountain master still did not return in the next few years.
How should they deal with the Great Li Song clan, which was one country and one continent?
Regarding this matter, Wei Bo didn't say a word. No matter how close Clothed Cloud Mountain was to Fallen Mountain, it was not appropriate for him to speak. Unless the discussion among Zhu Lian and the others deviated so much that Wei Bo felt compelled to correct it. But Zhu Lian didn't make bad moves. In chess, that was how it was. Zhu Lian was a highly skilled player, on par with Wei Bo. Although they were both slightly inferior to Zheng Dafeng and far behind Cui Dongshan, Zhu Lian never deliberately pursued brilliant moves. Even Zheng Dafeng flattered him with a basketful of compliments about this.
Mi Yu, on the other hand, felt guilty. On Fallen Mountain, all he did was eat sunflower seeds with Little Mi Li. Now the great sword immortal Mi Yu showed a bit of timidity.
Fortunately, there was Wei Wenlong, who did not disappoint Mi Yu.
Wei Wenlong and Zhu Lian together came to a conclusion: they still had to split it in two. The way they dealt with the Great Li Song clan and the way they dealt with the Great Li dynasty should be slightly different.
Zhu Lian proposed a plan.
All ferries at Oxhorn Mountain Ferry would not be charged a single Snowflake Coin for docking fees. Fallen Mountain would bear the entire cost of the spiritual energy consumption at Oxhorn Ferry.
Wei Bo then said it should be a fifty-fifty split. Zhu Lian rubbed his hands together and smiled ingratiatingly at Mountain Lord Wei. Just as he was about to speak, Wei Bo said firmly that it was fifty-fifty; Clothed Cloud Mountain would not take even a tenth more.
High-minded and upright Mountain Lord Wei, uncorrupted and honest Clothed Cloud Mountain... joyous events endless at Great North March, a few small Night Travel Banquets held, selling off the family's pots and pans to come up the mountain, a few glasses of fine wine to go down the mountain...
Zhu Lian thought of some rumors that could be heard even in distant Qingfeng City, and he felt that Mountain Lord Wei actually had a tough time managing such a large estate. So he stopped bargaining.
The worst off were those who had finally managed to sneak away to the Central March territory to avoid the storm, only to run right into Mountain Lord Jin Qing holding another Night Travel Banquet.
After some thought, Zhu Lian put forward an idea: from all profits of Fallen Mountain after deducting all business costs and miscellaneous expenses, everything related to the Great Li army and battlefield supplies—even if sourced through Fallen Mountain and then to the border army—would be given up entirely. Not only that, but Fallen Mountain would also work with all allied peaks in the southeastern line of North Ju Lu Continent, including Linen Splitting Sect, Spring Dew Garden, Cloud City, and Color Sparrow Manor, to try and negotiate appropriate price reductions, ensuring no losses while minimizing profits, or even making no profit at all.
Wei Bo said, "On the mountain, owing favors and repaying favors is actually more troublesome than borrowing and repaying immortal money. I think it's best for Fallen Mountain to handle this account internally, without dragging the business allies into it. Either... Linen Splitting Sect, Spring Dew Garden, and these peaks can speak up themselves, and then we'll remember their favors. The reason I say this is because you haven't been on the mountain these years, so you don't know that Fallen Mountain now has some surplus money. Not to mention various income streams, just the trip to Tongye Continent with Lotus Flower Blessed Land under Jiang Shangzhen's management—we didn't lose money, we gained. Wei Wenlong, report the accounts to Zhu Lian."
Wei Wenlong calculated the accounts for Lotus Flower Blessed Land. Jiang Shangzhen truly had a knack for making money. Wei Wenlong now greatly admired and respected this registered offering of Fallen Mountain, feeling that if they met, they would surely have a lot to talk about.
Zhu Lian chuckled. "Can't blame me for that. Which mountain peak has offerings who not only don't take money but also desperately send money to the mountain?"
In terms of salary expenses for the Ancestral Hall members, Fallen Mountain was truly the kind that many immortal sects of the highest rank would gnash their teeth in jealousy over, because they all liked to subsidize the mountain.
Zhu Lian then asked with a smile, "Brother Wei, is Fallen Mountain afraid of owing favors? Does Fallen Mountain lack business partners? I don't think so. When Fallen Mountain does business with people, it's with the intention of building a friendship that lasts centuries or millennia. As I see it, who owes whom a favor is something that remains to be seen. So, this price reduction matter, let me be autocratic just this once? Those who are unwilling to reduce prices, apart from Linen Splitting Sect, will have to be decided by the mountain master himself in the future. As for others, like Spring Dew Garden, let's speak frankly among ourselves—even if the relationship drifts further apart, so what?"
Mi Yu finally nodded and spoke: "I'm quite familiar with the atmosphere in North Ju Lu Continent. Besides, we're not asking Spring Dew Garden and the others to lose money, just not to make a profit. If they're unwilling to do even that, heh."
Wei Bo thought for a moment and nodded. "Feasible."
Then Zhu Lian brought up another suggestion, which made even Mi Yu, who was usually broad-minded, click his tongue in surprise.
Zhu Lian proposed that their own Ink-Turning Dragon Boat ferry be immediately loaned to the Great Li border army for full use. From the outset, they would clearly state to the Great Li dynasty, even signing a black-and-white contract, that even if the ferry were destroyed on some battlefield one day, Fallen Mountain would act as if it had never owned that ferry, and the Great Li border army would not need to pay a single Snowflake Coin in compensation.
Although Wei Wenlong was pained by this, he still said, "Agreed!"
The third matter was the merger of Lotus Root Blessed Land and that Iron Lock Well, linking the blessed land and the cave heaven together.
Although that well wasn't a genuine small cave heaven—no matter how miraculous, it was still just one of the "broken lands and rivers" of the former Li Bead Cave Heaven, and Li Bead Cave Heaven itself was only one of the Thirty-Six Small Cave Heavens—this matter was raised by Wei Bo, with Wei Wenlong responsible for supplementing the details and figures.
Three golden rains had caused the spiritual energy in Lotus Root Blessed Land to be so abundant that the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees grew extraordinarily lush, surprising everyone in the Four Kingdoms of the South Courtyard. The mortal populace was simply amazed at how much rain there was that summer, while cultivators and mountain spirits were shocked by the excessive "heavenly sweet dew."
A Lotus Root Blessed Land that had just become a medium-grade blessed land a few years ago suddenly reached the bottleneck of medium-grade quality, thanks to the immortal money earned by Jiang Shangzhen plus the three rains. It seemed that if one more Rain Grain Coin were thrown into it, it would be promoted to a high-grade blessed land. Once it became a high-grade blessed land, all sorts of auspicious signs would appear in the heavens and earth, numerous heavenly materials and earthly treasures would be born, and many blessings for cultivation would emerge out of thin air. At that point, Lotus Root Blessed Land would usher in a huge income beyond imagination, turning Fallen Mountain from loss to profit.
This was also why Gold Essence Copper Coins were more valuable than the three types of immortal money: Rain Grain, Lesser Heat, and Lesser Snow.
It wasn't just because they were rarer and harder to mint; it was because Gold Essence Copper Coins themselves could transform into the purest and most refined heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, while also containing divine aura.
But when Wei Bo mentioned inviting a sword immortal to open up the mountains and rivers and clear the passes, Mi Yu's expression suddenly became awkward. Even when young sword cultivators on the Sword Qi Great Wall sarcastically called him "the Upper Five Realms who kills enemies with his face" or "the number one Jade Pu Sword Immortal," Mi Yu had never felt so embarrassed.
The coexistence of a blessed land and a cave heaven required a sword immortal to open a path and stabilize the heavens and earth with sword qi. That was why the Central Earth Confucian Temple had to invite Bai Ye to come out of retirement for the opening and stabilization of the Fifth Realm.
This was a test of an Upper Five Realms sword cultivator's depth of sword intent, skill with the sword, and amount of spiritual energy.
Although before Mi Yu entered the Jade Pu Realm, when he was still an Earth Immortal realm cultivator, he had been a ruthless killer on the same level as Nalan Caihuan and Qi Shou—even a senior to them, which was why Yin Chen had singled out Mi Yu for special regard—unfortunately, being seen as a kindred spirit by Yin Chen hadn't made Mi Yu at all happy. But after Mi Yu entered the Jade Pu Realm, he suddenly seemed mediocre on the Sword Qi Great Wall, even ranking at the bottom among Upper Five Realms sword cultivators. Mi Yu and the traitor sword immortal Lie Ji had been fellow unfortunates.
Mi Yu dared not say anything reckless about matters involving Fallen Mountain's millennium-long enterprise. He only regretted that when Bai Ye had visited Fallen Mountain, Zhu Lian wasn't on the mountain.
If Mi Yu couldn't do it, then even if the sage of Dragon Spring Sword Sect, Ruan Qiong, could be trusted, he would be even less capable.
So Wei Bo's idea was whether it was possible to invite the Mohist wandering knight Xu Ruo to help.
Mi Yu took a sip of "worry wine." Since arriving at Fallen Mountain, he still hadn't managed to accomplish a single real task. He said softly, "If only Left Sword Immortal were here."
Wei Bo said helplessly, "Mr. Zuo is currently in Tongye Continent, surrounded by strong enemies on all sides. He can't appear."
So this matter was temporarily put on hold.
In any case, they could first promote Lotus Root Blessed Land to a high-grade blessed land. Linking the blessed land with the little cave heaven of the ancient well wasn't an urgent priority.
Since it couldn't be rushed, there was no need to rush.
Zhu Lian took a drink of wine, smacked his lips, and said, "Good wine, good wine. I'll ask Mountain Lord Wei for a few dozen more jars later." Then he sincerely remarked, "Having Daoist Changming on the mountain is truly our Fallen Mountain's blessing."
Wei Wenlong's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "Indeed. Since Daoist Changming arrived at Fallen Mountain, our financial luck has been excellent. From being strapped for cash everywhere, we've suddenly become so well-off and surplus that... I almost don't know how to work an abacus anymore!"
Wei Bo said, "Next time we have a discussion, we can invite Daoist Changming."
Zhu Lian suddenly asked, "Are you sure we can trust her?"
Wei Bo replied, "Since the mountain master sent a secret letter, and Daoist Changming is cautious by nature, she first went to Tongye Sect and asked Mr. Zuo for a token of trust."
Zhu Lian shook his head with a smile. "It's my young master who was worried that we might not trust Daoist Changming, so he arranged all this."
Mi Yu felt that his own little world of understanding had finally dawned. He quickly drank a cup of wine and said spiritedly, "It must be so. The Hidden Official is always infallible in his calculations. Everyone at Summer Resort Palace and Spring Banners Study recognized that. The people he gathers are all old foxes, and in the end, each one is convinced. The Hidden Official's targets for calculation are not just a severed Ascension Realm great demon's head on the sea!"
Wei Wenlong lowered his head, drinking his wine. Sword Immortal Mi could finally speak his mind. It wasn't easy.
Zhu Lian raised his cup. "Let me drink two rounds with Sword Immortal Mi. One shall be a welcome drink, and the other shall be for my young master, for Sword Immortal Mi's Hidden Official."
Mi Yu immediately filled his cup and drank the first round. Then he poured another cup, but only half full, since during today's discussion, he had spoken little and drunk much.
Zhu Lian had already raised his cup but turned to complain, "Brother Wei, where's the wine? Letting Sword Immortal Mi drink only half a cup—is that proper?"
Wei Bo glanced at him. You old cook, was this calculated? So another four jars of immortal wine appeared on the table.
Zhu Lian said, "If Mountain Lord Wei has the face to collect money for wine, then I have the face not to pay!"
Wei Wenlong suddenly realized that this "old cook," once he arrived at Fallen Mountain, made the atmosphere feel familiar. It reminded him of the old days at Spring Banners Study, when only he, Yan Ming, and Nalan Caihuan were in the accounts room, and the atmosphere was inevitably dull. Even if Mi Yu were there, he would just sit on the threshold and daydream. It only changed when the young Hidden Official appeared. Actually, the Hidden Official never said anything deliberately; he just spoke naturally and did things as they came. Wei Wenlong didn't want to imitate the Hidden Official, because it couldn't be learned.
Zhu Lian said slowly, "I'll have a talk with Daoist Changming first, a casual chat, and then we'll see if she should join the next discussion."
The fourth matter: Wei Bo took three scrolls from his sleeve and returned them to Zhu Lian.
As for the details of this matter, Wei Bo wouldn't tell Wei Wenlong more.
Whoever possessed these three scrolls essentially held the Dao lives of Lu Baixiang, Wei Xian, and Sui Youbian, the three people depicted in the scrolls.
These three scrolls were what Zhu Lian had voluntarily given to Wei Bo before he set out to wander in Qingfeng City, asking Mountain Lord Wei to keep an eye on the phenomena of the scrolls, to avoid someone dying without timely return.
Chen Ping'an was willing to trust Zhu Lian, and Zhu Lian would ensure that his young master's trust was not misplaced.
Actually, Wei Bo still had a fourth scroll, which was equivalent to the "life-bound object" of the pure martial artist Zhu Lian, as well as his "life-lengthening lamp."
As for this scroll, Chen Ping'an had given it to Wei Bo even earlier, before his long journey, and stored it in Mountain Lord Manor on Clothed Cloud Mountain. Right from the start, he had explained this matter in front of both of them.
It wasn't that Chen Ping'an didn't trust Zhu Lian; rules were rules. That was one point. The other was that if he allowed an exception for Zhu Lian, he couldn't explain it to the other three. The three scrolls were in Zhu Lian's hands because, as the grand steward of Fallen Mountain, his status was different from the other three. Therefore, Zhu Lian's own scroll had to remain with the mountain master, Chen Ping'an. On Fallen Mountain, each person had their own Dao, and differences in closeness were inevitable, but they couldn't be too excessive. For instance, Chen Ping'an was naturally more partial to the three little girls, Pei Qian, Nuan Shu, and Xiao Mi Li, while he would be slightly more distant with Cen Yuanji and Yuan Bao Yuan Lai. However, all the mountain rules for the direct disciples were set in stone—matters like the granting of opportunities, distribution of heavenly treasures, and elders going down the mountain to protect the younger generation—all had to follow the mountain rules. Chen Ping'an was like this when he was on the mountain, and even more so when he was not.
The fifth matter finally came to the relocation of the Qingfeng City fox kingdom and where it should be settled.
Zhu Lian asked everyone to speak freely.
Mi Yu was essentially just there to listen and drink. He was too lazy to use his brain, and even when he tried to think, he couldn't outmaneuver old Mr. Zhu and the great Mountain Lord Wei. After some thought, he decided not to force it.
It wasn't his forte.
When the world was at peace and the order was no longer chaotic, and Fallen Mountain started its "Mirror Flower, Water Moon" events, *then* would be the time for Mi Yu to display his talents and make his mark!
Sharing joy alone is not as good as sharing it with others. When the time came, he would invite Mountain Lord Wei, the offering Zhou Fei, and the Hidden Official's student, Cui Dongshan!
As long as it didn't involve the enmity between Fallen Mountain and the Great Li Song clan, Wei Bo always spoke frankly. He gave his opinion: it wasn't about being afraid of Qingfeng City or that Jade Pu realm military cultivator Xu Hun, but that engaging in a conflict of pride with Qingfeng City was meaningless. Otherwise, wouldn't it be possible even to celebrate the fox kingdom's relocation with great fanfare and settle it in one of Fallen Mountain's vassal peaks, like Gray Dust Mountain or Yellow Lake Mountain? Were they really afraid that Xu Hun would come knocking? To beat the great City Lord Xu, who had just ascended to the Upper Five Realms a few days ago, until his nose was swollen and his face bruised—what would be the point? Now that the situation had become so chaotic, private schemes were one thing, but open infighting was inappropriate. Should they learn from Sunny Mountain, which challenged Wind Thunder Monastery to a sword contest?
Zhu Lian rubbed his hands and nodded, deeply agreeing, saying that Mountain Lord Wei was far-sighted, a true celebrity with a pure and bright character...
Mi Yu was a little disappointed, but he couldn't say much, so he just drank.
That old sword immortal from Sunny Mountain who had only cultivated to Jade Pu realm after a hundred years of seclusion had already given him a big shock. And now, here was a city lord with an extraordinarily high killing power in the Upper Five Realms?
Mi Yu subconsciously took out a handful of sunflower seeds, only to see Zhu Lian and Wei Bo both looking at him. Mi Yu started to put them back in his sleeve, but unexpectedly, Zhu Lian cursed with a laugh, and Wei Bo echoed him. Only then did Mi Yu share the sunflower seeds with the other three. Even Wei Wenlong couldn't be exempted this time. Actually, Wei Wenlong hadn't had this habit before, but he couldn't bear it every time Little Mi Li followed Nuan Shu to the accounts room for cleaning. Little Mi Li wouldn't cross the threshold without permission; she would only stand at the door and say one thing: "Manager Wei, are you tired or not? Care for some sunflower seeds?" Over time, as it happened more often, Wei Wenlong's heart softened, and before he knew it, he'd become addicted. From then on, whenever the night was deep and quiet, sunflower seeds with wine had a unique flavor.
Earlier, while listening to all the details about that fox kingdom—how many fox spirits of different realms there were, how many immortal caves of different grades—Wei Wenlong, who had been counting on his fingers and doing mental calculations, stopped moving his hands and suddenly said, "According to the Hidden Official's style, regarding this matter, he would most likely first ask Pei Xiang's opinion. If there's a disagreement, both sides would first clarify the reasoning, analyze the pros and cons, and then make a decision."
Zhu Lian and Wei Bo exchanged a smile.
They had both been waiting for this exact remark.
Wei Wenlong had not disappointed.
If a god of wealth who manages money only focuses on money matters, thinking that heaven and earth are biggest when making money, he might be most suitable elsewhere, but on Fallen Mountain, that wasn't enough.
Zhu Lian asked with a squint, "God of Wealth Wei, regarding the most profitable fox fur talisman business of the fox kingdom, how do you think we should handle it?"
Wei Wenlong looked troubled, hesitating.
Zhu Lian chuckled. "Just speak your mind. Good words, bad words, stupid words, wrong words—all are fine. What I fear is that people's hearts are separated by distance, and over time, we'll go our separate ways on divergent paths."
Wei Wenlong's forehead was actually beaded with sweat.
Mi Yu found it strange.
Wei Wenlong took a deep breath. "The Xu clan of Qingfeng City were rich but heartless—that is certainly not to be emulated. But if Fallen Mountain goes to the other extreme, is that necessarily the best choice? In my opinion, the source of materials for the fox fur talismans can be reduced, but it shouldn't be cut off immediately, just to win a reputation for benevolence in front of the fox kingdom's master, Pei Xiang, and all the fox spirits. If we do that, people's hearts... will become insatiable! They will like to use great principles to pressure our Fallen Mountain! Pei Xiang's position, after all, is the position of the fox kingdom. Eventually, amidst a sea of public opinion, Pei Xiang could very well change from one extreme of gratitude to another extreme of ingratitude! Her resentment towards Fallen Mountain could be so great that it's no less than her hatred for Qingfeng City!"
After saying all this, Wei Wenlong looked somewhat exhausted and whispered, "As Mr. Zhu said, these are my true feelings. They really are my true feelings. If you blame me for being too obsessed with money..."
Zhu Lian nodded.
On Fallen Mountain, they weren't afraid of people speaking the truth, nor of people having selfish motives. Besides, Wei Wenlong's words were neither selfish nor wrong—on the contrary, they were very good.
If a god of wealth who handled such a large flow of money had no understanding of people's hearts, then Zhu Lian would worry that someday, Wei Wenlong might go astray. Then he might forget that his glory and high status on the continent were fundamentally due to *where* he was and *what ground* he stood on. His talent certainly played a part, but it wasn't solely because he, Wei Wenlong, was so formidable. To be blunt, if I, Zhu Lian, managed the money, I might not be as brilliant as you, Wei Wenlong, but the difference wouldn't be enormous.
However, Fallen Mountain was most accommodating to a hundred flowers blooming. The young master genuinely hoped for it: if one became a towering tree in martial arts or the sword way, then within one's power, one should provide shade for people's hearts. Those who had not yet grown into flowers and grass should live carefree and grow slowly. When the weather warmed and flowers blossomed, that too was spring.
Wei Bo was even more gratified.
Mi Yu finally spoke up on his own initiative: "Didn't the Hidden Official fall into the money pit every day? Is that a bad thing? Wenlong, it seems your cultivation of the heart isn't enough."
Wei Wenlong looked up, skeptical.
Mi Yu rolled his eyes and, imitating the Hidden Official's occasional words at Summer Resort Palace, said, "Are you stu-pid?"
Mi Yu rarely looked so serious. "Your intentions are good for people, and at the same time I make money—these don't conflict. Those fox spirits in the fox kingdom, due to the atmosphere deliberately fostered by Qingfeng City over the years, have long been hostile among the major clans. Disputes are endless, and mutual killing is common. Every year, old foxes shed their fur. So what? Wenlong, an abacus-wielding accountant, are you going to run off and be a moral saint? Since you're not, why feel guilty and act awkwardly?"
Wei Wenlong, after all, was from Spring Banners Study, which was half of the Summer Resort Palace's own people. Mi Yu, regardless of whether his own reasoning was sound or not, had to say a few fair words for Wei Wenlong.
Even if it meant being targeted by the old cook Zhu Lian, whom he was meeting for the first time, Mi Yu would accept it.
Zhu Lian raised a cup of wine. "Wenlong, you underestimated our mountain master's ability to see people clearly. Drink one with me, then punish yourself with another."
It was a double entendre: Wei Wenlong had underestimated himself and also underestimated Fallen Mountain.
Wei Bo was about to raise his sleeve.
Wei Wenlong quickly said, "Mountain Lord Wei, I still have plenty in my wine jar."
Zhu Lian cursed with a laugh, "Damn you, Wei Wenlong! How did you become Fallen Mountain's god of wealth! Trying to save wine for a North March mountain lord? Are you looking down on Wei Bo's Clothed Cloud Mountain, or are you looking down on the North March's Night Travel Banquet?!"
Wei Bo smiled slightly. "Can we please just drop this matter? Yes or no, okay or not?"
Mi Yu, munching on sunflower seeds, said softly, "We, the family, might agree, but all those immortal masters and mountain river spirits in the North March territory, who are eagerly waiting for the next Night Travel Banquet, might not agree."
Wei Bo raised both hands and gently rubbed his temples.
Zhu Lian raised his cup again, and even stood up, laughing heartily. "Our Fallen Mountain will one day truly appear before the eyes of the world. Before that, let's the few of us work hard for a while, each contributing our strengths. I believe that in the near future, when those young ones at home have grown up one by one, Fallen Mountain will definitely not..."
At this point, Zhu Lian looked at Mi Yu.
Mi Yu stood up and laughed. "Definitely won't disappoint the Hidden Official!"
Wei Wenlong also stood up and raised his cup. "Fallen Mountain's fortunes will surely come rolling in."
Wei Bo stood up last and said helplessly, "We'll definitely try not to hold any more of those cheating Night Travel Banquets."
Together, they drained their cups.
Then they all sat down, except for Wei Bo, who was still standing, looking at Zhu Lian.
Zhu Lian said, "We're done talking, Brother Wei. Please go about your business. As a great mountain lord, you must be very busy. I won't be insincere and try to keep you longer."
Mi Yu still didn't understand the deeper meaning.
Wei Wenlong had sharp eyes and had already noticed that Zhu Lian had put the imitation Twelve Flower God Cups into his sleeve.
So Wei Wenlong reached out and covered his own cup, speaking on behalf of Fallen Mountain.
It was hard to learn the Hidden Official's way of dealing with people, but what was so hard about learning the Hidden Official's shamelessness?
Mi Yu, realizing belatedly, smiled and reached out to cover his cup. "Two jars per person is more than enough for tonight. I really can't drink any more. Let's just leave it for next time."
Wei Bo sighed, simply put down his cup on the table, and his form dissipated as he returned to Clothed Cloud Mountain.
The remaining three laughed heartily.
---
That Sui Youbian had earlier gone to the New Year's Shop on Riding Dragon Lane and had roughly told the acting shopkeeper Shi Rou about the situation at Letter Lake and True Realm Sect.
As for her own cultivation, she only said she was at the bottleneck of the Golden Core realm.
Meanwhile, Rong Chang, a sword cultivator from Floating Duckweed Sword Lake and the senior disciple of the female sword immortal Li Cai, had brought his junior sister Sui Jingcheng to visit Fallen Mountain as guests.
They had already visited once before, so they knew the way.
Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang, who were traveling from north to south, returned to Fallen Mountain at about the same time as Rong Chang and Sui Jingcheng, one after the other.
Cui Wei, who had gone to the Ascension Platform and become a Nascent Soul sword cultivator, had gone to the Old Dragon City battlefield.
Before leaving, he remembered to ask Mountain Lord Wei for a favor. Cui Wei used a status as an offering of Clothed Cloud Mountain's Reserve Mountain.
Cui Wei was a sword cultivator born and raised on the Sword Qi Great Wall, yet he had become a spy planted there by the Great Li National Teacher. His temperament, aptitude, and brains were all good.
Hong Xia had successfully accomplished her river-going and also entered the Nascent Soul realm. After finishing her recovery at a water cavern of Jade Liquid River, she made the return trip. She had to force herself, according to the secret letter from Grand Steward Zhu Lian, to visit and thank all the river gods and mountain gods along the way.
Hong Xia wasn't too troubled by this, since a Nascent Soul water dragon would be worshipped like a Bodhisattva at some other immortal peaks. But not at Fallen Mountain. If that happened, Hong Xia would be alarmed instead and suspect that Fallen Mountain might be planning to have her fight a life-or-death battle with a sworn enemy, like flooding the Qingfeng City fox kingdom or smashing into Sunny Mountain's ancestral mountain.
However, Hong Xia still received a not-insignificant shock.
When she first voluntarily went to Fallen Mountain and walked up the mountain path, she discovered that "Pei Xiang."
Both were of the same realm, and Pei Xiang, as the fox kingdom's master, had more immortal arts, magical powers, and offensive treasures than Hong Xia. But in terms of combat power, maybe one and a half Pei Xiangs wouldn't be enough to defeat Hong Xia. Especially in close-quarters combat near water, Pei Xiang would not only lose but would definitely die. So when Pei Xiang actually encountered that Hong Xia, she was even more shocked than Hong Xia had been at meeting her.
Because at that time, Pei Xiang was taking a walk on the steps and saw a big and a small figure climbing the mountain together—Hong Xia and the little water monster.
The little girl in black was walking with her usual exaggerated swagger, which she claimed she had learned from Pei Qian and then developed a little more herself—"Walk arrogantly, goblins tremble."
That wasn't anything special; Pei Xiang had long since gotten used to it. The truly strange thing was that the Nascent Soul water dragon, whose water fortune seemed almost as tangible as water, was walking *behind* the little girl. Moreover, she was deliberately following one step behind the "Mute Lake Big Water Monster." But because the little girl was short and Hong Xia was tall and slender, even when they spoke to each other, it didn't seem too odd.
The little girl was completely unaware of this. She just focused on climbing the mountain, showing Hong Xia, who was visiting home for the first time, the way. Occasionally, she would say to Sister Hong Xia, "That tree over there was planted by the good mountain master in that year with Pei Qian and the big white goose. The flowers and grass here were gifts from so-and-so from Spring Dew Garden, and Sister Nuan Shu takes care of them very well. There's one thing Sister Nuan Shu isn't so good at—she often stops me from asking Mountain Lord Wei for bamboo. Sigh, I'm not just giving away sunflower seeds for nothing. I can't not have even a single tree planted on the mountain, right, Sister Hong Xia? Adjudicate for me. If you can convince Sister Nuan Shu, I'll have Pei Qian remember you for a great deed..."
Pei Xiang could even directly sense the restraint in Hong Xia. It was a kind of awe upon entering another's small world.
Zhu Lian, with his hands behind his back and a slightly stooped posture, stood at a fork in the path halfway up the mountain, smiling as he greeted the guests.
Hong Xia gave a Wanfu salute.
Pei Xiang also came to stand beside Zhu Lian.
Zhu Lian nodded to the water dragon. "Miss Hong Xia, you and Pei Xiang should get to know each other better. You've probably guessed that she is the fox kingdom's master. Let's all have a chat first."
When they reached Zhu Lian's door, Xiao Mi Li, without the old cook having to say anything, stood at the entrance of the courtyard and acted as a gatekeeper.
Zhu Lian laughed. "Xiao Mi Li, come and join the discussion."
Zhou Mi Li frowned hard and didn't move. She shook her head. "You guys talk. I don't understand a hammer about this. I'll just stand here."
Zhu Lian solemnly called out, "Right Protector of Fallen Mountain."
Zhou Mi Li immediately perked up. "Orders received, orders received!"
Once inside the courtyard, Zhou Mi Li sat up straight, crossed her arms, and forced a serious expression. She didn't even swing her feet anymore.
Pei Xiang had thought that Zhu Lian really just meant some "casual chat," but she didn't expect that the topics he brought up were bigger and bigger.
First, he went over the several vassal peaks of Fallen Mountain that were designated for settling the fox kingdom, and the recent situation of Lotus Root Blessed Land. It meant that she was to choose the site herself.
Then Zhu Lian told Pei Xiang to think it over carefully, and he started discussing with Hong Xia the construction of a water mansion at Yellow Lake Mountain, and how much immortal money Fallen Mountain could provide to help her establish her mansion.
From beginning to end, although Xiao Mi Li didn't speak, she listened seriously to the old cook's words. She didn't pretend to understand when she didn't; if she was confused, she was confused.
After finishing his discussions with both, Zhu Lian asked with a smile, "Right Protector, do you have any thoughts you'd like to share?"
Zhou Mi Li, who had been completely motionless, reached up and scratched her cheek. "Is it okay if I don't?"
Zhu Lian smiled. "It's okay."
Zhou Mi Li grinned. "Then no."
Her mind was still buzzing at the moment.
Then the little girl suddenly looked troubled and asked softly, "Old Cook, with such a big matter, aren't you going to call Sister Nuan Shu? If Sister Nuan Shu finds out, won't she be sad?"
Zhu Lian smiled and explained, "Nuan Shu's responsibilities are even more important. She doesn't need to bother with these things. So, you can tell Nuan Shu anything we talked about here. Just remember not to hide things on purpose."
Zhou Mi Li picked up her golden shoulder pole and walking staff from the table. "Then I'll go on patrol now. Yu Mi is waiting for me."
Zhu Lian waved his hand, and then discussed some details about site selection and mansion building with Pei Xiang and Hong Xia.
Pei Xiang chose to settle the fox kingdom in Lotus Root Blessed Land. Hong Xia didn't want Fallen Mountain to spend money, saying she had some savings of her own, but she did need Fallen Mountain's help to make connections with mountain craftsmen to build her mansion.
Then Zhu Lian chuckled and said, "Not spending a single coin from the Ancestral Hall. Miss Hong Xia, does this mean you intend to establish your own peak? Build a water mansion and become a local hegemon, hearing orders but not complying?"
As soon as he said this, Hong Xia's face turned pale with fear.
Zhu Lian laughed again. "Don't be nervous. Just a joke. Miss Hong Xia is far better than that troublemaker Yun Zi, who still needs a bit of tempering."
Hong Xia didn't dare say a word.
Zhu Lian waved his hand. "When it comes to spending money where it's needed, Fallen Mountain won't be stingy. Hong Xia, you haven't been here much, so you don't know many of the rules. Let's start with just one rule for today: human feelings are only human feelings *within* the rules. To start talking about human feelings without even understanding the rules—isn't that illogical? Is it then that Fallen Mountain will have to repay your 'human feelings' someday, and if we don't, you'll resent us? That makes no sense, does it?"
Hong Xia stood up, gave a Wanfu salute, and said solemnly, "Hong Xia has been taught and accepts."
After Hong Xia left.
Pei Xiang said with a hint of grievance, "Yan Fang, are you trying to 'strike the mountain to frighten the tiger' in front of me?"
In Qingfeng City, Pei Xiang liked to secretly call him "Zhu Lian," but on Fallen Mountain, she had started to prefer calling him "Yan Fang."
Zhu Lian shook his head. "Don't overthink things. On Fallen Mountain, we treat people with sincerity and only speak of reason."
Zhu Lian thought for a moment and said, "I'll have a Jade Pu Realm sword immortal accompany you to Lotus Root Blessed Land first. After you've seen the blessed land for yourself, we'll make a final decision on the location."
Pei Xiang smiled bitterly. She had guessed half of it. She had always suspected that "Yu Mi" was a Nascent Soul sword immortal, but she never expected he was a genuine great sword immortal...
Fortunately, Mi Yu wasn't there; otherwise, he'd probably feel insulted again.
After Cao Qinglang returned to Fallen Mountain, he unceremoniously took over from Xiao Mi Li and became the newest gatekeeper.
Upon learning that Pei Qian had not only not returned to Fallen Mountain but had gone from North Ju Lu Continent to Bai Gai Continent, Cao Qinglang was at a loss for what to do.
Today, Cao Qinglang went on a short trip to a vassal peak that Fallen Mountain had leased to the Pearl Hairpin Island.
He was going to discuss the matter of the Ink-Turning Dragon Boat with Liu Zhongrun. It wasn't Zhu Lian going down the mountain in person, nor was it Mountain Lord Wei Bo. It was Cao Qinglang.
That was a matter of learning.
If Zhu Lian went to discuss things, it would be Fallen Mountain and Pearl Hairpin Island doing official business.
Even though the dragon boat already belonged to Fallen Mountain and had nothing to do with the island lord of Pearl Hairpin Island, or the former regent princess, not even a single copper coin's worth of relation,
To reason well with a woman, you first have to settle the emotional ties.
So Cao Qinglang was the most suitable.
Cao Qinglang was currently Fallen Mountain's one and only direct disciple of the mountain master Chen Ping'an—a relationship of teacher and student, a legacy of the scholarly tradition.
And Liu Zhongrun was, of course, perfectly clear that Chen Ping'an treated his students, Cao Qinglang and Pei Qian, like his own son and daughter!
For Liu Zhongrun, Cao Qinglang was again a junior and a younger generation.
So if Liu Zhongrun had been angry, she would be less angry, or even not angry at all.
It would be as if half of the mountain master Chen Ping'an himself was reasoningly discussing things with her. Even if he had only half the reason initially, in a woman's heart, it would probably become a full reason.
After Mi Yu finished patrolling the mountain with Zhou Mi Li, when Zhu Lian told Mi Yu about the trip to the blessed land, Mi Yu was quite interested in the misty Lotus Root Blessed Land and was happy to accompany Pei Xiang.
Zhu Lian explained the precautions for traveling in a blessed land as a "banished immortal." But for this trip to the blessed land, Zhu Lian would also invite that Daoist Changming along.
At that moment, sitting together on the steps, watching Cao Qinglang's retreating figure, Mi Yu extended his thumb to Zhu Lian, who was sitting beside him. "Elder Brother Zhu truly knows a woman's heart!"
Zhu Lian complained, "Brother Mi, are you scolding me? Which master of the martial world praises a fledgling like that? Isn't that just insulting people?"
Mi Yu laughed heartily. "No 'seniors' or 'juniors' here. Just kindred spirits, learning from each other, and forging ahead together!"
Since Mi Yu said so, Zhu Lian didn't play too coy. He also laughed loudly. "My path is not lonely!"
Wei Wenlong, who had finally stepped out of the accounts room for some air today, had no idea what those two were talking about.
Wei Wenlong was just worried about whether Cao Qinglang would be refused at Liu Zhongrun's door.
Xiao Mi Li crouched behind the old cook and Yu Mi, frowning hard. She couldn't understand much, so she decided to memorize it first, ask Sister Nuan Shu, and then ask Pei Qian later.
Zhu Lian was silent for a moment, his expression solemn. Then he suddenly said, "Slender and graceful, still and steady. The landscape ends abruptly here—turns out it's just a handful."
Mi Yu's talent was undiminished from his youth, and he blurted out, "Tender and delicate, swaying and dangling. Seen from the side, it's a ridge; from the front, it's a peak—turns out it's hard to get a grasp."
The couplet was quite neat.
Zhu Lian turned his head. Mi Yu turned his head at the same time. They clapped. Everything was understood without words.
Behind them, Xiao Mi Li sighed with lament. Fortunately, the good mountain master wasn't here; otherwise, he'd feel ashamed of his own inadequacy again.
Wei Wenlong simply couldn't bear to listen to any more of this and got up to leave.
Xiao Mi Li coughed. "What were you two talking about? I can recite poems too, and they also have the word 'still' in them. Do you want to hear?"
She had borrowed a poem from Liu Kexu, saying she would return it after showing off. She had initially wanted to save it to show Pei Qian, but now she felt she couldn't lose to the old cook and Yu Mi, so she intended to use it to take them down a peg.
Zhu Lian was stunned. He had forgotten about Xiao Mi Li's existence as a "reporting officer." So, immediately adopting the tactic of sacrificing a friend to save himself, he turned to Xiao Mi Li and laughed, "How could I recite poems? Both of those lines were from Brother Yu Mi. I just suddenly remembered them and recited them off the top of my head. Xiao Mi Li, remember? Yu Mi came up with them while eating sunflower seeds. It has nothing to do with me."
Mi Yu was baffled.
Zhu Lian had already walked away quickly, not looking back.
Xiao Mi Li gave Mi Yu a thumbs up and praised, "Excellent literary talent! From now on, we can have poetry duels!"
Mi Yu probably didn't realize yet that the Right Protector of Fallen Mountain could never keep a secret from Sister Nuan Shu and Pei Qian. And Pei Qian's account book was calculated in "volumes." Moreover, Xiao Mi Li often got confused and forgot things. She couldn't remember big things that others considered important, like when she had been severely bullied, but she remembered trivial matters that no one else paid any attention to with extreme clarity. She loved to share them with Pei Qian and Sister Nuan Shu, like how the white clouds passing by today were a bit chubby, or how the Thunder God's snoring yesterday was "boom boom boom boom boom," one more 'boom' than last time...
And back then, at the mountain home, Pei Qian had never shown the slightest impatience. That was probably one of the important reasons why Xiao Mi Li could always remain the same.
Fallen Mountain sent a flying sword message to the New Year's Shop on Riding Dragon Lane.
Daoist Changming soon arrived at Fallen Mountain without a sound.
After Daoist Changming, Mi Yu, and Pei Xiang entered Lotus Root Blessed Land.
Zhu Lian stood alone at the edge of the cliff, a little weary. It wasn't that the work was difficult, but the mountain master's long absence weighed on his heart.
Zhu Lian had taken on Cen Yuanji as a temporary nominal disciple, not yet a formal one. Cen Yuanji was currently stuck at the bottleneck of the Martial Dao's fourth realm. Outside of Fallen Mountain, she could indeed be considered a martial arts prodigy.
Sui Youbian, the sword cultivator from True Realm Sect, had not yet taken on any direct disciples, not even nominal ones.
Lu Baixiang had been recruited as an offering by a Reserve Mountain in the Central March, giving his faction a powerful backer and earning him a semi-official mountain and river position in the Great Li Ministry of Rites. His only direct disciples were still the sibling pair Yuan Bao and Yuan Lai. It was said that on that Reserve Mountain, Yuan Lai, as a martial artist, had encountered a fairy opportunity. But Lu Baixiang hadn't detailed this in his secret letter.
As for Wei Xian, the founding emperor of the South Courtyard Kingdom, he had started as an army-attached cultivator alongside Liu Xunmei and Cao Jun. Through real battlefield and mountain slaughter, he had become a proper military officer in the Great Li border army. The status of "pure officials" among the civil and military officials of Great Li was extremely hard to obtain, and Wei Xian had even acquired a low-rank "Peace & Safety Token" from the Great Li Ministry of Justice. Of course, it was Liu Xunmei, the chief supervisor of the Great River project, who had helped Wei Xian get it. Wei Xian's military merits were sufficient, but the Great Li Ministry of Justice could have either issued or not issued it. Then, with Liu Xunmei putting in a word, without violating the Great Li mountain and river laws, and also doing Liu Xunmei a favor, why wouldn't the Ministry of Justice issue it?
Cao Qinglang made a trip to Turtleback Island and brought back good news: Liu Zhongrun highly praised Fallen Mountain's measures. She was even willing to offer that Water Hall, asking Fallen Mountain to hand it over to the Great Li border army along with the dragon boat for disposal. However, Cao Qinglang had been given contingency plans for both the best and worst outcomes. According to Elder Zhu's strategy, he politely declined Liu Zhongrun's goodwill and convinced Island Lord Liu that such action was unnecessary.
After Cao Qinglang returned to the mountain this time, he naturally took on the role of gatekeeper. After discussing matters with Zhu Lian, he returned to the foot of the mountain.
Master Zhong would also walk the stake post and practice his boxing along the mountain path. Today, he deliberately waited at the top and bottom of the mountain, each for a while, to instruct Cen Yuanji on the subtle flaws in her boxing technique.
Cen Yuanji greatly respected Master Zhong, the national teacher from Lotus Flower Blessed Land, second only to her half-teacher, Elder Zhu Zhu.
She felt that such an elegant and approachable senior was the true scholar in her eyes.
Master Zhong returned to his residence, lit a lamp, and studied the sage's books late into the night. During this journey, he had traveled from Bao Ping Continent to the Sword Qi Great Wall, then from Inverted Suspension Mountain to South Bosuo Continent, Central Earth Divine Continent, Bai Gai Continent, North Ju Lu Continent, and back to Bao Ping Continent. He had traveled across half of the Haoran World. Zhong Qiu had gained a great deal. Besides delving into the scholarly principles of the Hundred Schools of Thought in Haoran World, he had also met many immortals and heroes from beyond the books. Some were compatible in temperament and knowledge; others he exchanged ideas with through reason or boxing. And of course, there were also perilous boxing matches where victory meant difference, or where boxing meant a life-or-death question.
When was Zhong Qiu ever a pedantic Confucian? As the national teacher of the South Courtyard Kingdom, he had never been that rigid.
Today, Cen Yuanji stopped her boxing practice at the foot of the mountain again. After hesitating for a moment, she took the initiative to walk towards the young Confucian scholar who was reading by the moonlight.
On Fallen Mountain, Cen Yuanji was the most diligent in practicing boxing.
Cen Yuanji knew that Cao Qinglang was not only a Confucian scholar but also a cultivator.
She had heard that Cao Qinglang had followed Master Zhong on a very long journey, which was why he had taken so many years to return to Fallen Mountain.
Cen Yuanji was a little envious.
Her home was not far from Fallen Mountain, within Dragon Prefecture city. Cen Yuanji had never truly traveled far.
Every time someone gatekept, from Zheng Dafeng to Yuan Lai, to Xiao Mi Li, and finally to Cao Qinglang, they would sit on a bench or bamboo chair, leaving two or three empty ones nearby for visitors.
Of course, there would also be sunflower seeds.
Cen Yuanji sat on a bamboo chair and was silent for a long time. "Cao Qinglang, I'm currently stuck at the bottleneck of the Martial Dao's fourth realm. Yuan Bao wrote to say she's already in the fifth realm. You've been to many places. At our age, are fourth and fifth realm martial artists common?"
Cao Qinglang answered truthfully, "Not very common. Especially not female ones. But during this journey with my master, I did see quite a few martial arts prodigies who had achieved great success in martial arts at a young age."
He quickly added with a smile, "But my master always firmly believes that on the path of martial arts, there will be differences in speed and order. The last thing you should fear is 'achieving low success after learning martial arts first.'"
Cen Yuanji asked doubtfully, "Why shouldn't I fear that? If it were me, I'd be worried to death."
Cao Qinglang said, "Actually, I don't fully understand either. But when my master said it, he was exceptionally serious. He only explained, 'The only thing to fear is that you fear yourself, and then your boxing dies.' I'm not a pure martial artist, so I didn't ask further. I just felt that this logic applied to books as well, so I remembered it quite clearly."
Cen Yuanji suddenly laughed. She tried to suppress it, her beautiful eyes narrowing into crescent moons. But she couldn't hold it in. She covered her mouth and finally let out a soft laugh. It seemed that after hearing Cao Qinglang's words and remembering something, her mood had improved a lot. Unfortunately, this was something she absolutely could not tell Cao Qinglang. She could tell the bookworm Yuan Lai, but not Cao Qinglang.
Cao Qinglang was baffled. But seeing that Cen Yuanji no longer seemed so downcast, he smiled slightly and continued reading.
Before she left, Cen Yuanji asked, "Cao Qinglang, could I ask one thing? What realm is your master in the Martial Dao?"
Cao Qinglang smiled and shook his head. "Miss Cen can certainly ask, but as his student, I cannot speak of this."
Cen Yuanji looked at the young Confucian's clear eyes. She was not angry; instead, she smiled and nodded, then bowed and left.
Cao Qinglang, for no reason, thought of his hometown. He thought of the narrow alley, the ancestral home, the school, the bustling and lively Number One Scholar Lane, the entire capital of the South Courtyard Kingdom, and that outsider, Mr. Lu Tai, who, like his master, was a "banished immortal" from Lotus Flower Blessed Land.
His master and Master Zhong were, of course, Cao Qinglang's great benefactors.
But Mr. Lu was someone Cao Qinglang also deeply cared about.
Later, during his journey to the Sword Qi Great Wall, he learned from his master that Mr. Lu was actually a leading figure in the School of Yin-Yang and a member of the prestigious Lu clan.
He had met his master on a Cinnamon Island ferry, and they became acquainted at Inverted Suspension Mountain. He was a friend for whom his master would "freely give a Rain Grain Coin," such was their great bond.
Finally, by chance, they both traveled together on another intercontinental ferry called the Swallowing Whale, journeying to Tongye Continent. They not only fought side by side but also shared life and death, becoming close friends with whom they could talk without needing to talk about money.
Zhang Shanfeng, Xu Yuanxia, Lu Tai, Zhong Kui, Liu Jinglong.
These were the people his master regarded as kindred spirits and peers. Among them, the wandering knight Xu Yuanxia could also be considered a half-elder.
As for his fellow townsman Liu Xianyang, he was slightly different. His master never denied that he considered Liu Xianyang his elder brother and the snot-nosed brat from Mud Vase Alley his younger brother. They were all family to his master.
Mr. Lu was actually the one who had taken care of Cao Qinglang the most, alongside Master Zhong, after his master left Lotus Flower Blessed Land.
Without their guidance, he might have gritted his teeth and gotten through the days one by one, but it would have been much harder.
But that elegant Mr. Lu had followed one of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land shards to the Qing Ming World.
Cao Qinglang didn't know if he would ever have the chance to meet Mr. Lu again in this lifetime.
When his master was with him at the Dragon-Slaying Cliff pavilion, drinking and joking, he said that looking back, it was clear that Lu Tai, with all his treasures and endless immortal techniques, had the style of a true descendant of the Lu clan. The only thing was his cultivation realm was too low. Many young talents from wealthy immortal families in the Central Earth raised their realms as easily as drinking plain water. For example, in North Ju Lu Continent, he had met a cultivation prodigy named Huai Qian. So, when he met Lu Tai in the future, he would have to tease him about it. What, just because of acrophobia, you're afraid of 'rising' in cultivation realm too?
His master rarely spoke of people behind their backs. But when he did mention them to his students or disciples, it was usually about friends, telling stories that made him smile and never made him drink "sorrow wine."
In the end, Cao Qinglang emotionally remarked that if he didn't know Mr. Lu was a heroic man, he would have mistakenly thought Mr. Lu was a woman disguised as a man traveling the world.
For some reason, his master had a strange expression at that point. He even reached out and patted Cao Qinglang's head, giving him a rare scolding: "At such a young age, you're thinking about these things. When we get back to Fallen Mountain, stay away from Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng. If I ever catch you sneaking a look at those fairy books, I'll go to Clothed Cloud Mountain, chop down some bamboo, and make a ruler to teach you a lesson..."
Cao Qinglang rarely had trouble reading. Tonight was an exception. He simply closed his book and began to meditate with his eyes closed.
For some reason, Cao Qinglang felt that his master was about to return home soon.
Mi Yu and the other two had already returned from Lotus Root Blessed Land. It went very smoothly. Pei Xiang chose a geomantically blessed spot on the border of Song Lai Kingdom. The landscape was secluded and it also contained a potential dragon vein. As a happy surprise, Pei Xiang promised that the fox kingdom would contribute an additional eight hundred Rain Grain Coins as the first "settling-in fee." But these Rain Grain Coins, after being recorded by Fallen Mountain's accounts, must be invested into Lotus Root Blessed Land, especially at her chosen site, which would receive at least half of the spiritual energy transformed from the immortal money.
Pei Xiang had now roughly figured out the customs and business practices of Fallen Mountain. It really was not about being pretentious or restrained; you truly had to "treat people with sincerity" and be straightforward and shameless.
So upon returning to Fallen Mountain, Wei Wenlong and Pei Xiang had a thorough accounting session in the accounts room.
Ask a high price and bargain back down—Pei Xiang was no stranger to this and actually felt reassured. In the end, both parties were happy. Pei Xiang raised the fox kingdom's contribution to one thousand Rain Grain Coins, and the spiritual energy at the chosen site would only receive a 30% share, otherwise it would greatly affect the landscape and fate of Lotus Flower Blessed Land. When mentioning this, Wei Wenlong, who had been negotiating matters amicably, suddenly spoke sternly: if a financial matter led to upheaval in the blessed land, causing the fortunes of the four kingdoms of the mortal realm to change unpredictably, the mountain master would not spare a single person. You, Pei Xiang, me, Wei Wenlong, even Zhu Lian—everyone would be held accountable. No one would escape!
Pei Xiang had actually already gotten the result she wanted, so she had no objections. In fact, she had even been prepared to spend one thousand Rain Grain Coins and only get 20% of the spiritual energy.
The reason she was willing to spend this extra thousand Rain Grain Coins, aside from the dual significance of "pledging allegiance" and "housewarming gift," was that Pei Xiang was smart enough to see that promoting a Lotus Root Blessed Land from medium to high grade was easy and inevitable. The fox kingdom would greatly benefit from taking root here, reaping rewards for centuries to come.
Daoist Changming privately visited Grand Steward Zhu Lian.
After an exchange of pleasantries, when they discussed the true value of the fox kingdom, they were both silent for a moment, then spoke in unison: "Literary fortune."
That day, Zhong Qiu came to find Zhu Lian for a drink. The old cook had prepared several plates of appetizers to go with the wine.
Neither needed to hide anything from the other. They were not only hometown fellows but also fellow travelers on the same path.
So before Master Zhong left, he stood up and made a deep bow of gratitude to Zhu Lian.
Zhu Lian accepted this great gesture calmly.
After all, the fox kingdom was something he had brought to Fallen Mountain through his own efforts. If the literary fortune of Lotus Root Blessed Land in the future increased by forty, fifty, seventy, or eighty percent, who would be happiest to see it? Master Zhong Qiu, of course, a national teacher who still cared for all living beings under heaven.
As Zhu Lian stood to see him off, he said only one thing: "We can't let Master Zhong regret coming to Fallen Mountain."
Zhong Qiu shook his head. "Even if I were to die, I would have no regrets. No regrets at all!"
Zhu Lian slapped Zhong Qiu on the back and laughed, "Don't say such unlucky words!"
Zhong Qiu laughed heartily as he left. The old master was immensely pleased.
Zhu Lian felt that this Zhong Qiu had the potential to become a true sage, right here in the Haoran World.
Mi Yu, whenever he wanted to relax, liked to sit at the very top of the steps, quietly by himself for a while. That way, his worries lessened.
As for sitting at the cliffside stone table with Xiao Mi Li every day, eating sunflower seeds, that was for happiness. Or when he met Little Nuan Shu, who always seemed to be busy, that also made Mi Yu happy.
The Hidden Official had once sworn in Summer Resort Palace that you, Mi Yu, and my Fallen Mountain were naturally well-suited in the Great Dao. You should visit more often when you have the chance.
Then the young Hidden Official would squint and smile, gently rubbing his thumb and forefinger together, hinting that the leader of Summer Resort Palace, Great Sword Immortal Mi, should not forget to bring a sincere "housewarming gift" every time he visited Fallen Mountain.
Mi Yu chuckled now. "Hidden Official, Hidden Official, could it be that back then, you didn't want me to become an offering of Fallen Mountain simply because you were greedy for that repeated 'housewarming gift'?"
Zhu Lian slowly walked over and sat down next to Mi Yu, handing him a jar of glutinous rice wine from the Dong Family Shop. Fallen Mountain received quite a lot of it for free every year.
Mi Yu opened the jar, took a sip. The taste was soft and lingering. He grinned. "No wonder Fallen Mountain has this atmosphere."
From Wei Wenlong's smooth sailing to his own adaptation, to tonight's witnessing and overhearing of the chat between Cao Qinglang and Cen Yuanji.
Zhu Lian finished a big gulp of wine, wiped his mouth, and nodded. "One mountain master, one school of atmosphere."
Even without mentioning Fallen Mountain, take the young sword immortal from North Ju Lu Continent that Mi Yu also knew, Qi Jinglong, the sect master of Taihui Sword Sect and his young master's close friend. It was rumored that the discipline master Huang Tong had stopped him from going to the Old Dragon City battlefield in Bao Ping Continent, with the reason being "The sect master of Taihui Sword Sect cannot die, but truly cannot die again." Meanwhile, Sword Immortal Huang Tong himself went to another continent's battlefield. Qi Jinglong didn't stay in the Ancestral Hall or on Fengran Peak to cultivate either. Instead, he led his own Earth Immortal sword cultivators, leaving the sect with swords. First, they joined forces with several sects that had been friendly with Taihui Sword Sect for generations, then with many like-minded cultivators, they went together to some rebellious areas in the mountains and mortal realms. When reasoning failed, they drew their swords; once they did, they showed no mercy.
They absolutely would not allow any hint of internal chaos in North Ju Lu Continent, preventing those stray and hidden goblin cultivators from fanning the flames and letting the chaos spread.
Like master, like friend. You could say this of your own mountain master Chen Ping'an, or you could say it of Liu Jinglong.
Mi Yu regained a bit of his romantic, invincible nature and whispered, "That Miss Sui Jingcheng?"
That Sui Jingcheng was so good to Nuan Shu and Xiao Mi Li, genuinely treating them like her own daughters. Not only did she give gifts in various ways, each one carefully chosen, but she was also willing to spend a lot of time on the two little girls, and she wasn't awkward about it at all. Sui Jingcheng's arrival had made Nuan Shu and Xiao Mi Li laugh a lot more these days. Even Xiao Mi Li had privately asked Yu Mi and the old cook for help, finding dozens of reasons why it was unsuitable for Miss Sui to go down the mountain tomorrow, to be used with her senior brother Rong Chang.
An unmarried young woman acting like this—what else could it be?
Zhu Lian smirked. "Why say it out loud?"
Zhu Lian finished his wine and said slowly, "A real man discusses right and wrong, not gain and loss. A true hero discusses what goes with the flow and what goes against it, not success or failure. A sage discusses ten thousand generations, not a single lifetime."
Mi Yu nodded, then shook his head.
The Hidden Official wasn't entirely like that.
Zhu Lian smiled. "The young master is, of course, unique."
---
Then one day, the sword immortal Zuo You arrived at Fallen Mountain.
Mi Yu had gotten lazy on Fallen Mountain, and only felt a bit guilty when talking about serious matters.
But when he saw Zuo You, this sword immortal, this senior brother of the Hidden Official, Sword Immortal Mi felt so guilty he wished he could dig a hole and hide. He directly fled outside the mountain to find his good buddy Liu Xianyang for a drink.
In the end, what happened on the square outside the Ancestral Hall of Ji-Se Peak was the scene.
The second-generation disciple of the Literary Sage lineage, Zuo You, first offered incense to his master, then sat on a chair outside the door.
Besides Chen Nuan Shu, who opened the door, and Zhou Mi Li, who helped move the chair, only Zhu Lian watched from a distance.
Cao Qinglang had just accompanied Zhong Qiu to the prefectural city and was hurrying back.
After Zuo You stood up, Zhou Mi Li ran all the way over to help Mr. Zuo carry the chair back into the Ancestral Hall. Zuo You said he could do it himself, but Zhou Mi Li wouldn't hear of it!
Zuo You had no choice but to let her.
If Mi Yu or Pei Xiang had been there, their eyes might have popped out.
After Zhou Mi Li returned and Chen Nuan Shu closed the door again.
Zuo You smiled. "You are Zhou Mi Li, the 'Mute Lake Big Water Monster' my junior brother always talks about?"
Zhou Mi Li couldn't help opening her mouth wide. Then she quickly handed her golden shoulder pole and walking staff to Sister Nuan Shu for safekeeping, covered her mouth, and finally put her hand in front of her mouth, laughing. "The good mountain master's senior brother, you are a sword immortal bigger than a table, and you know about me?"
Zuo You asked with a smile, "What does 'bigger than a table' mean?"
Zhou Mi Li explained, "It means you can put a lot of big white bowls on it. Small sunflower seeds, medium ones, bowl-sized ones, really big ones—whoa?! Table-sized, that's the biggest!"
Zuo You nodded. "I guess that works."
Zhou Mi Li was so happy she ran in place, spinning like a wheel. This was something she learned from Pei Qian, who had learned it from Sister Bao Ping. It was the martial arts heritage of the martial world.
Zuo You reached out and rubbed Nuan Shu's head, saying softly, "My junior brother used to talk about you often on the Sword Qi Great Wall. He was always worried that a guy named Chen Lingjun would bully you. If that happens, I, as your mountain master's senior brother, can remind Chen Lingjun."
Zhou Mi Li quickly said, "Chen Lingjun went to North Ju Lu Continent for his river journey. He hasn't bullied Sister Nuan Shu. Don't scold him, Table Sword Immortal."
Chen Nuan Shu made a bow. "Mr. Zuo, Chen Lingjun is very good. He won't bully anyone."
Zuo You hummed in acknowledgment. He looked at Zhu Lian, who was approaching with a cupped fist salute, and asked directly, "On Fallen Mountain now, are there any insurmountable difficulties? Anything I can help with?"
After putting down his fist, Zhu Lian said, "There is indeed one thing that needs Mr. Zuo's help."
Zuo You was a little surprised. "Oh? Which Bao Ping Continent immortal has no eyesight?"
Even the thoroughly diplomatic Zhu Lian was momentarily speechless.
This was the first time he had encountered someone who talked like this.
Zhu Lian then explained the matter of linking Lotus Root Blessed Land with the ancient well's shattered cave heaven to form a "connected cave heaven and blessed land."
In the Haoran World, only two such feats had been accomplished. One was Zhu Lian's hometown, where a blessed land was once connected with the Dao Ancestor's Lotus Cave Heaven.
After hearing this, Zuo You said, "Trivial matter."
Having finally made it to Fallen Mountain, it seemed that Sword Immortal Zuo was actually a bit disappointed that he was only needed for this.
On the way to the bamboo building on Fallen Mountain, Zuo You didn't walk fast. He carefully asked Zhu Lian about the heavenly and earthly terrain of Lotus Root Blessed Land. After getting a general idea, he said he could also ask Daoist Changming about some divine matters and ask Master Zhong Qiu about the condition of their hometown's landscape. If Mr. Zhu didn't find it troublesome, he could ask Pei Xiang, the guest of the blessed land, all at once. As for how to finally draw his sword, he didn't need to ask anyone.
Zhu Lian agreed one by one, saying it would take at most two hours.
Zuo You arrived at the bamboo building, called over Cao Qinglang, who had just returned to the mountain, and sat at the cliffside to ask him some scholarly questions face-to-face.
Zuo You said, "In scholarship, you should be more dedicated than your master. He is too clever; his attitude towards learning is actually not as good as yours."
Cao Qinglang didn't know whether to nod or shake his head, or even how to answer.
Zuo You asked, "Pei Qian is traveling far away and hasn't returned yet?"
Cao Qinglang nodded. "The last time she sent a letter to Fallen Mountain, it was from the Thunder God Temple in Bai Gai Continent, at the home of Pei Axiang, a tenth realm martial artist."
Zuo You frowned slightly. "Did Pei Qian send the letter herself?"
So young, traveling alone, how could she be so careless? Don't learn from your master.
Cao Qinglang shook his head. "It was sent with the help of the Bai Gai Continent sword immortal senior Xie Songhua. Pei Qian is actually quite cautious when she travels."
Zuo You nodded and smiled. "That's good."
Zuo You looked at his junior brother and found him displeasing no matter how he looked.
But when he looked at the students and disciples his junior brother had taken on, he found them pleasing no matter how he looked.
Zuo You said, "You are a Confucian scholar and a cultivator. Your senior uncle doesn't like to interfere in your cultivation of the heart or power. But there's one thing you can remember first: if you're in the right but encounter an unreasonable immortal in the mountains who bullies you with a higher realm, saying your master's name might not work now. Then say your senior uncle's name."
From now on, there was no need for the direct and indirect disciples of the Literary Sage lineage to hide in the Haoran World anymore.
Cao Qinglang nodded. "I'll remember that."
Zuo You suddenly asked, "Can you drink?"
Cao Qinglang blushed. "On this journey, I have drunk. But I'm not particularly fond of it."
Zuo You smiled. "Very good. Don't learn from your master and become a drunkard."
Learn from your senior uncle.
Cao Qinglang asked, "I still have some difficulties in my studies. Is Senior Uncle busy?"
Zuo You said, "Nothing in the world is busier than scholarship. Ask away."
In the end, Zuo You only stayed at Fallen Mountain for a short two days.
The cave heaven and blessed land were linked.
Zuo You then restrained his sword aura, took his sword, and went down the mountain to travel far away. In a flash, he was a thousand miles away.
While passing through the center of Bao Ping Continent, Zuo You heard a heart voice that succinctly explained a reasoning to him. This made Zuo You frown deeply.
"Among the Literary Sage's lineage, there are already second-generation disciples. So, shouldn't there be a senior uncle who can fight, and one who is known throughout the world? So that in the future, those old immortals won't dare to bully them casually?"
This was the reasoning that Cui Chan, holding the White Jade Capital, had expressed to Zuo You.
So Zuo You, in the end, still turned the tip of his sword. Instead of riding his sword south to Old Dragon City, he crossed the sea and traveled far away, his sword flying straight to Bosuo Continent.
That Xiao Xun was about to challenge Chen Chun'an, who shouldered the sun and moon, again, which was essentially challenging an entire continent.
Between heaven and earth.
A flash of sword light.
Xiao Xun was knocked out of the sky by a single sword strike, falling in a diagonal line. Her entire body instantly crashed into the bottom of the sea. The sword light then split the sea, piercing through Xiao Xun and the mountain range at the bottom of the sea at the same time.
Xiao Xun threw a punch at me, coming from behind.
Zuo You returns you a sword strike, bright and upright.
You must take it, whether you want to or not.
You're not in the Desolate Wild Realm anymore, and you might not even be able to take it.
---
Once the cave heaven and blessed land were formed, another burden was lifted from Zhu Lian's shoulders.
It seemed that all the tangled threads had been straightened out. Only the young master's return was still owed.
But just as Zhu Lian's mood was improving, a troublesome matter came up unexpectedly. Sure enough, one cannot be carried away by success.
A Miss Sui had only been gone for a few days, and then another Miss Sui arrived.
Zhu Lian noticed the anomaly on a scroll on his desk. He cursed, "Wasteful woman," and tossed a Rain Grain Coin into it.
Fortunately, she was the cheapest to revive, needing only one coin.
And it helped that she wasn't a pure martial artist.
Once you die and walk out of the scroll, it doesn't harm the foundation of the Great Dao.
Sui Youbian stepped out of the scroll. Her killing intent was extremely heavy.
Clearly, on the Old Dragon City battlefield, she had killed many goblins, to the point of dying. Sui Youbian's way of killing enemies wasn't like Zhu Lian's or Wei Xian's; it was more like Lu Baixiang's. So she definitely hadn't been seeking death. The battle must have been truly brutal, placing her in a situation where death was certain.
Zhu Lian still cursed, "Whom do you have to learn from, but you had to learn your teacher's style of fighting without caring for your life! Full of bluster, so great, huh? A scholar from Lotus Flower Blessed Land, and you think you're a Confucian saint of the Haoran World? And what was the result? Even I, an outsider, don't want to