Chapter 734: Encountering Snow, Staying at Furong Mountain
(The previous chapter's mention of "Chongguang" was a typo and will be corrected. Earlier text might also be revised.)
Inside Feisheng City, Nian Xin visited the Ning Residence for the first time.
The second-in-command of the Criminal Officers had come to meet the current Hidden Official of Feisheng City.
Ning Yao stood over by the Slaying Dragon Cliff ruins.
Besides Ning Yao, there was also a young girl on the training grounds, who wore an ancient inkstone at her waist and carried a bamboo backpack. Together with an innocent and lovely little girl in snow-white clothes, they were running around, beating gongs and drums.
One asked, "Is my master formidable? How formidable?" The other replied, "My father is formidable, invincible under heaven..."
One asked, "What if my mother comes to deal with you later?" The other replied, "I'm not afraid of kowtowing. With gong and drum in hand, I have the world in my grasp."
The originally harmonious and affectionate duo suddenly turned on each other. One said, "Your master is my father, so I'm closer to you." The other said, "I recognized my master first; you recognized your father later. First come, first served—your seniority is still lower." This so-called falling out meant each beat their own gong and drum, competing to see who made the louder noise.
Nian Xin thought it must be really hard on Ning Yao, having to deal with a character like Guo Zhujiu, and on top of that, a "daughter" who had fallen from the sky.
Ning Yao didn't seem to mind the noise much. She nodded in greeting to Nian Xin.
Nian Xin walked over to Ning Yao and said, "That Zhao Yao went drinking with Zheng Dafeng and has already left Feisheng City. Qi Shou personally escorted him out of the city. It seems Zhao Yao is headed to the westernmost region to consult with the monks of the Heart-Keeping Monastery about Buddhist teachings."
Ning Yao nodded. "He probably wants to cultivate in all three teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism."
Was he perhaps planning to follow the same path as Mr. Qi?
Nian Xin smiled without speaking.
Ning Yao asked, "What's wrong?"
Nian Xin said, "I'm curious. When you traveled alone across several continents back then, why did you take a liking to Chen Ping'an, who was just a poor alley boy at the time? Can you tell me about it?"
Logically speaking, Ning Yao had witnessed all kinds of sword immortals on the Sword Qi Great Wall since childhood. Then she traveled far across the Haoran World. She must have seen many young talents—scholarly types, heroic types, immortal types—she must have seen them all.
Ning Yao asked, "What did he say about it to you?"
Nian Xin shook her head. "Chen Ping'an never talks about it."
Ning Yao narrowed her eyes slightly, a trace of a smile on her face.
Nian Xin was exasperated. Should she call this couple a pair of immortals or a pair of dogs and bitches?! Even Nian Xin, a seamstress utterly indifferent to romantic love, felt she couldn't handle it.
So Nian Xin changed the subject. "I was just asking casually. You don't have to answer."
In fact, Ning Yao had no intention of saying anything anyway.
The two walked together. Ning Yao turned to Guo Zhujiu and reminded her, "You two can play, but you're not allowed to leave this area."
Guo Zhujiu nodded vigorously. "If anything goes wrong, I'll bring my head to see you, Master's Wife!"
The little girl threw her gong and drum to the ground, hands on her hips. "Whose head?"
Guo Zhujiu shot her a sidelong glance and said via mental voice, "We're on the same side. Why are you undermining me?"
Ning Yao ignored the children's horseplay. Nian Xin's rare visit to the Ning Residence couldn't just be for small talk.
But Ning Yao couldn't help glancing back at Guo Zhujiu.
Guo Zhujiu immediately straightened her back.
Ning Yao certainly knew why Guo Zhujiu wasn't keen on staying at her own home. Back in the day, Ning Yao herself had been even more extreme—she simply ran away from home.
Even when Guo Zhujiu went home, she mostly busied herself in the flower garden, meticulously tending to the exotic plants she brought back from her travels. She no longer swept a wide area with her staff or chopped down a pile of trees with her sword. It seemed that as people grew up, they grew reluctant.
Every time Chen Ping'an returned home from his travels, he would also add soil to those plants, without exception. It was the same principle.
Nian Xin said to Ning Yao via mental voice, "Back in the prison, Chen Ping'an made a deal with a Flying Ascension Realm entity who went by the alias 'Shuangjiang.' Shuangjiang earned a Grain Rain coin from him, buying half his freedom, and promised to help you once. So when you were traveling earlier, I nearly twisted open the lampwick to release that Outer Celestial Demon from the Qingming World."
Ning Yao asked, "Nearly?"
Nian Xin nodded. "Zheng Dafeng found me and told me not to rush into it. That man seems quite familiar with the inner workings of the divine path."
Ning Yao didn't want to say much about Zheng Dafeng's background. As the gatekeeper of Fallen Mountain, he counted as half a member of their family. So Ning Yao simply said, "Chen Ping'an's hometown, the Lizhu Cavern, is the deepest and most unfathomable place under heaven. If you ever deal with anyone else who came from there, you'll get used to it soon enough."
Nian Xin laughed. "Chen Ping'an, Zheng Dafeng, Zhao Yao—I've met three of them now, and they're all indeed strange."
Ning Yao said, "As for this immortal sword 'Tianzhen,' you don't need to worry about me. Before I break through to the Flying Ascension Realm, I'll make sure she behaves. Then I'll confront the 'One-Eyed' one with you. Apart from that Outer Celestial Demon who can act in secret, I'll also consult Zheng Dafeng about some divine path rules beforehand."
Nian Xin was somewhat surprised. "I thought you would refuse outside help."
Ning Yao shook her head. "I don't think of you as outsiders. Besides, the Great Dao is perilous. Seeking assistance as a precaution is nothing to be ashamed of."
People like Zhao Yao—they were the outsiders.
He knew full well her relationship with Chen Ping'an, yet he still came to meet her alone. If not for Mr. Qi's sake, Ning Yao wouldn't have minded sending Zhao Yao out of Feisheng City.
The fact that she hadn't seen that man off with a single sword stroke had a lot to do with her current good mood. Half of the Sword Qi Great Wall still stood. He was still there.
Nian Xin said, "Should I leave that lampwick in the Ning Residence?"
Ning Yao nodded. "Whatever."
Inside and outside Feisheng City, of course, no one dared to use the "Palm Viewing Mountains and Rivers" technique to spy on the Ning Residence. They didn't have the guts, and they certainly didn't have the realm.
Nian Xin took out the oil lamp. Twisting the wick, a white-haired child floated down to the ground. First he was dazed, then suddenly looked as if he were about to cry. He raised his arms and shouted repeatedly, "Hidden Official Ancestor, martial arts unmatched, spells penetra heaven, sword immortal elegance, heroic spirit, handsome and dashing, a promise worth a thousand gold, never miscalculated..."
Ning Yao shot a glance at the flustered little sycophant whose face was flushed, then said to Nian Xin, "Better take it back."
Nian Xin laughed. "There are already two of them anyway, so one more doesn't make a difference."
Shuangjiang sensed the danger and immediately became well-behaved. He brought his palms together, raised them high above his head, lowered his head, and said loudly, "This humble one is willing to serve as a dog or a horse for the Dao companion of the Ancestor!"
Ning Yao rubbed her forehead and turned to ask, "Was he like this in the prison?"
Nian Xin shook her head. "Even worse than this. Anyway, Chen Ping'an enjoyed it."
Ning Yao nodded. "Then leave him here."
She could ask Shuangjiang some questions to pass the time, rather than just reading those two travelogues of mountains and waters that yielded nothing new. On the two books, one was secretive, the other open and aboveboard, and both featured quite a few beautiful women.
On Zhaoping Peak, which stood opposite Shenjing City, a blue-robed swordsman named Chen Yin had bought out all the taverns and inns on the entire mountain.
He often drank alone there, enjoying the moon setting and the sun rising, the sun setting and the moon rising.
In a place called Taoye Ferry in the Daquan Dynasty, Zhou Mi took a small black-canopied boat. From his sleeve, he shook out a round-faced girl in a cotton jacket and had her boil tea with peach blossom water.
The ferry boats at Taoye Ferry were exquisitely crafted. The prows were carved with yi bird heads, because the Daquan Dynasty had once been an ancient marshland, and the people needed yi to suppress the dragons and water creatures that stirred up waves. In addition, the middle cabin had screen-like scenic windows on both sides. The cabin was quite spacious and could hold many books. The rear cabin even had a stove and sleeping berths. Enjoying the scenery and drinking wine, boiling tea and eating, playing chess and plucking zithers—all were possible. It was a case of "sparrow-small but with all the vital organs."
In this waterside ferry, the peach blossom water, mandarin fish, and peach blossom fans had all been beloved by Daquan's high-ranking officials and the registered female cultivators of the mountain.
While Changyue was boiling tea, Zhou Mi reached out with a hand seal, casually flipping through a stream of time as easily as turning the pages of a book.
When Fei Ran, under the alias Chen Yin, appeared at Taoye Ferry, Zhou Mi smiled slightly and immersed his mind. Standing on the small boat where Fei Ran was, the "Fei Ran of yesteryear" naturally remained oblivious.
The person Fei Ran had arranged to meet was Du Hanling, the temple master of Jinding Temple on Tongye Continent, an Infant Soul realm cultivator who knew how to read the room.
The ferry boat docked at the shore. Fei Ran stood up but did not step ashore. Zhou Mi stood at the stern, hands behind his back, using qi-watching technique to observe the group besides Du Hanling.
Fei Ran clearly hadn't expected Du Hanling to be so indiscreet as to bring outsiders here without permission. However, that Infant Soul cultivator immediately bowed in apology and proactively explained the situation to the envoy from the Guiyou Tent.
In the northern part of Tongye Continent, the Azure Tiger Palace at Tianque Peak and Jinding Temple were both major mountain peaks not far from being considered sect-level forces. However, the Azure Tiger Palace had relocated to Old Dragon City on Baoping Continent early on, while Jinding Temple had gone against the tide of refugees, moving downstream. Du Hanling first established contact with the Wuzi Tent stationed in the former Southern Qi capital through a demon race sword cultivator, and then through the Wuzi Tent's connection, he arranged to meet a Guiyou Tent cultivator named Chen Yin at Taoye Ferry. Du Hanling had a rough understanding of the sixty tents of the Barbaric World. The Jiazi Tent was foremost, and there were a few other noteworthy tents, like the Jiashen Tent, which was full of sword immortal seeds—young cultivators with extremely lofty backgrounds.
The Guihai Tent was responsible for paving roads at sea, while the Jiyou Tent handled moving mountains and clearing paths after landing. Each had a Throne great demon stationed with them: the water-specializing Crimson Concubine and the mountain-moving Yuan Shou.
There was also the Jiwei Tent, led by the sword immortal Shouchen, which had produced one of the top ten young cultivators, Changyue. As for the Guiyou Tent, it was relatively obscure.
Zhou Mi smiled knowingly. What a coincidence. It seemed that these people were all old acquaintances of the Hidden Official.
Not only did Du Hanling's Dao heart show a ripple, but the rest of the group also couldn't hide their expressions upon seeing Fei Ran's current face. They were not as restrained as Du Hanling, each showing slight changes in countenance. Du Hanling, as an old Infant Soul, was the fastest to regain his composure. Whether or not the person before him was the Chen Ping'an who had once stirred up the Daquan court didn't matter much. These figures now held high positions in the Daquan Dynasty: a prince surnamed Liu who was acting regent, a duke who was the last remaining of his kind in Daquan, and especially Gao Shizhen, whose face turned terrifyingly dark when he saw Fei Ran.
In addition, there was a master-disciple pair from Jinding Temple: Shao Yuanran and his master, the Preserved Truth Daoist Yin Miaofeng. The master was at the Dragon Gate realm, the disciple had formed a Golden Core.
Both master and disciple had been at the Dragon Gate realm back then, not yet earthly immortals, so they couldn't serve as "Capital Guardians" in Shenjing City. Instead, they had to go to the border to monitor the Yao family's cavalry for the Liu clan of Daquan, spending over a decade drinking the wind and sand of the frontier. Shao Yuanran looked young and fair-faced, but he was actually already fifty years old, in the prime of his life. As for his master Yin Miaofeng, he was over two hundred years old.
There was also a less conspicuous city god—the prefectural city god of Riding Crane City, a provincial capital.
A court prince, a duke, mountain and earthly immortal cultivators, and a local mountain-and-water spirit all gathered at Taoye Ferry. And then they saw a person they never expected to see: "Chen Ping'an."
After hearing Du Hanling's explanation, Fei Ran smiled and nodded. "Old friends reunite, turning enemies into friends. Life is indeed unpredictable."
Then Fei Ran stood at the prow while the others stood on the shore, and they began a secret discussion about a certain scheme.
Zhou Mi listened to every word.
As for Zhou Mi's true form, he remained sitting in the ferry, taking a cup of tea from Changyue and laughing. "Boiling tea just means boiling water with tea leaves."
The round-faced girl was remarkably carefree. First she was imprisoned in a sleeve, and now she was alone with Mr. Wenhai. Still, she was completely unfazed and didn't learn her lesson. She poured herself a full cup and casually said, "This is my skill. I guarantee it's drinkable. If Mr. Zhou isn't satisfied, you can call Fei Ran over. He seems to know everything about Haoran customs."
At the ferry, the conversation on the shore went smoothly.
Among them, the young Daoist probably didn't realize that the "Chen Yin" before him was much higher in realm than he imagined. He had the leisure to exchange mental voice conversations with his master, laughing softly. "Master once said, 'Deep mountains often have thousand-year-old trees, but in the human world, centenarians are rare.' At most twenty years, and she would be old and withered. It seems Master was wrong."
Yin Miaofeng stroked his beard and smiled. "Indeed, it's strange. Perhaps among the Daquan secret treasury, there is some heretical immortal secret manual that allows Yao Jinzhi to maintain her youthful appearance. If you say Yao Jinzhi hasn't secretly cultivated, I absolutely refuse to believe it. The Daquan treasury..."
Just from the two properties of the Golden Mount Divine Mansion and the Pine Needle Lake Water God Temple alone, they couldn't be underestimated. The Daquan Liu clan had founded the dynasty over two hundred years ago, accumulating countless treasures. Unfortunately, their emperor had moved them all to the Fifth World, and who knows how much was left now.
A streak of sword light transformed into a rainbow and landed on the prow of this ferry boat.
Zhou Mi laughed. "A timely arrival is better than an early one. Sit down and have some tea."
Fei Ran actually tore off that face mask, revealing his true appearance. He said in a deep voice, "Zhou Mi, what exactly do you want?!"
Zhou Mi countered, "Shouldn't you first ask me what I've actually done?"
Inside the Lotus Root Paradise, countless celestial phenomena emerged one after another, like bamboo shoots after rain. Simply the radiance caused by dozens of heavenly materials and earthly treasures appeared one after another in places of topographic power. Some ancient fallen long swords suddenly shot sword light into the sky; some thousand-year-old trees abruptly bore immortal fruits, emanating ethereal qi, rich in fortune and energy. It was no longer just abundant spiritual qi—it was the best site for a mountain-climbing Daoist to choose for an immortal mansion. Between mountains, marshes, lakes, and seas, unique vegetation spirits came into being as the times required. The key point was that they would give birth to a trace of natural divine light, becoming beings similar to mountain gods and water immortals, land gods and river earls, only lacking official canonization. Many temple statues that had enjoyed human incense and prayers for centuries were originally just mud and wood, some even being local licentious shrines. Now, several of them were forming golden bodies, beginning to open their eyes and look upon the human world.
Cui Dongshan displayed a great immortal technique called "Copying Mountains and Rivers, Spreading a Painting on the Ground," to help those of lower realms see more clearly.
The bookkeeper, Wei Wenlong, had sparkling eyes. His fingers flew as he calculated in his sleeves without pause.
Changming seemed to be in a good mood too, pursing her lips and squinting with a smile.
Cao Qinglang said questioningly, "Little Senior Brother?"
Cui Dongshan had nothing to do, so he paced in place, flicking his sleeves and grinning. "You guessed right. This Lotus Root Paradise hasn't just become a superior paradise, it's also about to hit a bottleneck. There aren't many paradises in history with this kind of fortune. If I'm not mistaken, only about six. Many peak-mountain sects planned for centuries to achieve this, like the Hundred Refinements Paradise of Fu Lu Yu Xuan's branch sect. Ordinary mountain peaks making small moves never dared to hope for such a thing."
It turned out that besides the series of maneuvers by the Fallen Mountain people themselves, the external gifts were too many and too large, causing a paradise that had just become a superior one to reach a bottleneck in less than half an hour.
Just the pile of Flood Pearls that Lady Qingzhong of Lushui Pit had taken out instantly increased the paradise's water fortune by a full fifty percent.
Furthermore, during the competition for the Top Ten under Heaven back then, State Teacher Zhong Qiu had obtained an immortal fortune—a True Form Map of the Five Sacred Mountains. At first, to guard against Yu Zhenyi, Zhong Qiu had even tried to destroy it. Later, on Lu Tai's instruction, he abandoned that idea. Over the years, it had been kept by Cao Qinglang. Cao Qinglang had consulted Master Zhong and his little senior brother. One was naturally willing to take it out; the other said using it would have no hidden dangers. So the Lotus Root Paradise now had the Five Great Sacred Mountains without needing enfeoffment by the four kingdoms' emperor lords. As for Yuan Lai's immortal opportunity—a hidden golden book and jade tablet at the root of a high mountain—it similarly gave the mountains a prototype of the Haoran World's mountains, but its rank was lower than the mountains manifested by the True Form Map.
A small pond behind the bamboo building on Fallen Mountain had turned into a huge lake. A purple-gold lotus swayed gracefully, emitting strands of purple-gold light that slowly overflowed into the lake, spreading Dao aura across the water's surface.
One of the eighteen lakes of the Duckweed Sword Lake, along with the peak of the Taihui Sword Sect, had both taken root and were gradually becoming one with the heaven and earth.
Additionally, there was a sea of clouds given by the patriarch of the Padi Peak White Cloud lineage, a peach grove from the Peach Mountain lineage, a burning cloud from the Grand Glow lineage, and a White Conch Cup from Yuan Lingdian of the Pointing Mystic Peak. The cup landed and became as large as an island—a natural small Daoist training ground.
Pei Qian frowned. "When water is full, it overflows. If it hits a bottleneck and can't break through, it will be bad."
Cui Dongshan immediately turned around and gave Pei Qian a thumbs-up. "Great Senior Sister has a sharp eye! Insightful!"
Zhou Mili finally had a role to play. She hugged her golden carrying pole and green bamboo staff, clapping her hands rapidly but silently.
The so-called bottleneck was that the paradise's territory had its limits, and the old Contemplation Dao Lotus Flower Paradise of yesteryear was one of the smaller among the seventy-two paradises.
Once the heaven-and-earth spiritual qi of the paradise's human world became too abundant, it would go beyond the limit. Besides affecting the physiques and lifelines of ordinary mortals, it would also trigger various natural and man-made disasters. For example, excessive water fortune could cause rivers and mountains to surge violently, leading to floods stretching thousands of miles. Or a scorching sun hanging in the sky without setting, its essence blazing brilliantly, shining for ten thousand li, baking the paradise for years on end, killing all things. Or moon essence falling profusely onto the human world, causing yin ghosts and spirits to proliferate, roaming in groups at night. Or mountain-and-marsh spirits that worshiped the moon and practiced cultivation would swarm and run rampant across the world.
When the moon waxes, it wanes—this is the ultimate principle of the Great Dao. The reason some people in paradises undergo "ascension" is rooted in this. These favored sons of heaven are the darlings of heaven and earth, blessed with fortune. In a sense, they have no choice but to leave. If they force themselves to stay in the paradise, they will either be crushed by the Heavenly Dao as traitors attempting to usurp the throne, their fortune returning to heaven and earth, or they must leave with the flow. Thus, historically, many paradises have seen their fortunes decline. Some even bring disaster upon themselves. For example, the last Criminal Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall broke through the restrictions of heaven and earth on his own, attracting the greed of cultivators from the Haoran World. Ultimately, he implicated the entire paradise and was beaten to pieces.
The Cloud Cavern Paradise controlled by the Jiang clan was famous for its vast territory and large population. Even though money was constantly poured in, several calamities caused by cultivation meant the Cloud Cavern Paradise had never reached a bottleneck. As for the Cold Crisp Paradise of the Ao'ao Continent Liu clan, it probably had the smallest population. Only a specific group of jade gatherers specially trained by the Liu clan worked there year-round. Some registered female immortals from other sects would voluntarily seek out the Ao'ao Continent Liu clan to become unregistered jade gatherers, not caring about wages, because so-called jade gathering meant dealing with Snowflower coins year-round, which greatly benefited cultivation. At the same time, the Liu clan also possessed the Green Shade Paradise, which had the largest population. It was a lower-grade paradise into which the Liu clan didn't invest a single immortal coin, with a population of ninety million. As soon as a cultivator there managed to break into the Cavern Dwelling realm by luck, they would immediately be brought out of the Green Shade Paradise. Outsiders only knew that it was a requirement of the two technique master patriarchs.
Cui Dongshan naturally had a backup plan. He would never let the paradise's bottleneck become a problem. To be precise, among those in the world who specialized in managing paradises, Jiang Shangzhen had long been prepared.
Cui Dongshan looked down at a place in the human world below where the mountains and waters were beautiful. There was a willow tree there with a scroll hanging from it. With a reach of his hand, Cui Dongshan grasped it, untied a golden thread binding the scroll, laid it horizontally before him, and let it hover in the air. With two fingers, he brushed across it. The scroll instantly unrolled, the image sweeping horizontally until it revealed a painting of mountains and rivers ten thousand li long, the painting paper itself measuring a hundred zhang.
This was a great gift Jiang Shangzhen had given to the paradise. He had purchased it from an old master in the White Paper Paradise. Originally, it was a painting tailored for the Cloud Cavern Paradise. Once it took root and as long as the paradise had enough empty territory, after being soaked in abundant spiritual qi for about a hundred years, it would become real mountains and waters. Additionally, among the refugees from Tongye Continent that Jiang Shangzhen had previously confined, most had left the paradise into Baoping Continent. Almost all the qi cultivators had departed, leaving behind over two hundred thousand ordinary folk. No one knew what method Jiang Shangzhen had used—probably a combination of threats and inducements—but these people ultimately chose to stay in the paradise, awaiting the disposal of the "Heavenly God."
These two deeds were genuine acts of sending charcoal in snowy weather. The painting of ten thousand li of mountains and rivers was one; the two hundred thousand ordinary mortals with complete souls were another. As long as they multiplied and flourished here, they could add some color to this "plain sketch" paradise.
Wei Bo praised sincerely, "Compared to Guardian Zhou, I feel truly inferior."
As the leader of the Jade Clasp Sect and head of the Jiang clan, Jiang Shangzhen had exerted himself to the utmost for Fallen Mountain.
When a guardian served to this extent, even Cui Dongshan felt like sending Brother Zhou a golden plaque inscribed with "High-minded and Righteous."
It seemed whenever Jiang Shangzhen put his heart into something, he excelled.
The only "taking public resources for private gain" was that Jiang Shangzhen had kept a small patch of land for himself—a willow branch that had taken root and provided shade, probably so he could later bring beauties here for an outing.
With the addition of ten thousand li of mountains and rivers out of nowhere, the spiritual qi in the paradise, which had been largely stagnating, began to circulate naturally again, surging toward those "blank" landscapes.
Zhu Lian laughed heartily. "Guardian Zhou is indeed a fascinating fellow, rare in this world."
Then Zhu Lian smiled and looked at Pei Qian, who seemed puzzled.
Zhu Lian explained, "Back then, Guardian Zhou and I became friends at first sight and sparred in a Dao art. We were evenly matched, but in the end, he lost to you, and he lost willingly."
Pei Qian thought for a moment and muttered, "What's all this about?"
Zhou Mili gently shook her little head, which served as a greeting to Pei Qian. Pei Qian reached out and pressed her head, saying softly, "Don't listen to the old cook's nonsense. It's not true. Our bamboo building lineage treats everyone with sincerity."
In Pei Qian's early little account book, she had divided many clear-cut factions. For example, she, Sister Nuan Shu, and Little Mili naturally belonged to the most orthodox bamboo building faction; the gatekeeper faction included Zheng Dafeng and Yuan Lai; the Riding Dragon Alley faction included Shi Rou and those who minded the shops; and there was also a strolling-around-sleepwalking faction...
Cui Dongshan said, "Next, the task of picking up money and settling accounts will require the efforts of Changming, the Lawkeeper, and Mr. Wei. Hongxia, when you go back, bring Yunzi along to help. It's no good to be blessed without knowing it, lying around and enjoying blessings without doing anything."
Hongxia said softly, "Hongxia accepts the command."
Chen Lingjun said, "Count me in."
Cui Dongshan smiled at this Chen Lingjun, who was a bit lightheaded from his successful river-tying endeavor. "Count you in? Should I bring along your sworn brother as well?"
On this journey to the Northern Juzhou Continent, Chen Lingjun had traversed the continent round trip. His river-tying had been done with great care, but the business of cutting roasted chicken heads and burning spirit paper to swear brotherhood had been done with extraordinary boldness, not the least bit ambiguous.
Chen Lingjun shrank his neck, took a big sideways step, then another big step to lean in, bringing his feet together. He ended up standing beside the silly girl Nuan Shu and said tentatively, "Then I'd better pass?"
Cui Dongshan no longer bothered with the backbone of Fallen Mountain's courage and boldness. First there was the old boatman who "never won fights but never lost arguments," then there was Liu Chicheng with "my senior brother is Zheng Juzhong" and "I am a close friend of Chen Ping'an," and now Chen Lingjun, who had cursed Ruan Qiong for losing face, patted Lu Shen on the shoulder twice, and even swore brotherhood with the Dragon Slayer. They were all talents, and the kind you couldn't find even if you searched far and wide.
Such heroic figures, rare across the entire Haoran World, and Fallen Mountain had gotten one of them. Even Cui Dongshan found it amusing.
Cui Dongshan turned to Cao Qinglang. "As for that dragon-boat ferry, you can bring it here for repairs. If you think Liu Zhongrun's place is suitable, you can allow her to bring some steady core disciples to choose two or three mountain peaks here for cultivation. But we should stipulate beforehand that within sixty years, aside from Island Master Liu being free to come and go, the core disciples should not move about casually."
Cui Dongshan raised his hands, flicked his sleeves, and pointed to two places. "For example, these two spots have abundant water fortune and can be given to Zhu Chai Island Liu Zhongrun."
One was a part of the Southern Fragrance Water Palace given by Ji Du Spiritual Source Duke Shen Lin; the other was a stream given by Dragon Pavilion Marquis Li Yuan.
That dragon-boat ferry called Fanmo, when it had returned to Ox Horn Mountain Dock, had been on the verge of collapse, shattered. Just the immortal coins needed for repairs had exceeded the boat's original value. Liu Zhongrun had wanted to buy the dragon boat, unable to serve as a mountain ferry, but could keep it as a souvenir and moor it inside the water palace. However, Fallen Mountain had declined, saying they wanted to restore it to its original state. Liu Zhongrun had been well-intentioned, wanting to save Fallen Mountain some financial loss. Since Fallen Mountain didn't mind, she didn't bother to insist.
But in Fallen Mountain's account meetings, regarding the Cloud City in another continent and the nearby Zhu Chai Island, even though both were small immortal families, Fallen Mountain held considerable goodwill toward them.
Cao Qinglang nodded without objection.
If Fallen Mountain wanted to stand firm in both the chaotic warring era and the peaceful era, wanted to have a foundation lasting a thousand autumns, it had to not only form alliances with major sects for mutual benefit but also help immortal families like Zhu Chai Island, Cloud City, and the Color Sparrow Prefecture, which hadn't yet risen to prominence, grow alongside Fallen Mountain. And it absolutely couldn't interact based solely on profit. Fallen Mountain needed to earn money, earn incense friendships, and most importantly, earn people's hearts!
Cui Dongshan said, "My meddling today is exceptional. Regarding this Lotus Root Paradise, from now on, you'll be the one making the major decisions. If you want to consult others, do so; if not, go ahead and act on your own. Since our master trusts you, I trust you too. So you don't need to worry about what I think. We're of the same generation, no need. Just don't disappoint the master."
Cao Qinglang bowed in gratitude to his little senior brother, but his mood was not light.
Cui Dongshan suddenly asked Zhu Lian with a smile, "I've been quite impressive today, old cook. You're not displeased, are you?"
Zhu Lian laughed. "The capable are burdened with more work. If one does more and makes more mistakes, yet people don't blame him, how much more the case for Young Mr. Cui, who does more and succeeds more."
Cui Dongshan withdrew his gaze and looked down at the human world. "After all the nonstop spending, now we can finally start earning. A turn of luck! Great omen! A great omen!"
Every superior paradise that had reached a bottleneck was truly a gold-spitting money tree. The "Heavenly God" sects or wealthy clans holding the paradise could simply plunder the heavenly materials and earthly treasures born according to the times and take them out of the paradise.
Some native cultivators of the paradise could also take advantage of the situation to break out of their cage and be brought out of the paradise, becoming registered immortals in the Hall of Patriarchs of "outer heaven" immortal mansions. This was what many paradise books called "attaining the Dao and ascending, being listed among the immortals."
This was the paradise holder exchanging heaven-and-earth spiritual qi—or rather, solid immortal coins—for genuine immortals one by one.
Moreover, this practice did not harm the Great Dao, did not damage the land's benefits, and did not harm human harmony.
Finally, Zhu Lian took the Mountain Lord Wei, who had nothing better to do and was happy to stay here for sightseeing, to continue guarding the Celestial Curtain, responsible for watching over that scroll. Changming and the bookkeeper Wei Wenlong began their long journey to pick up money.
Cui Dongshan, along with Pei Qian, Sword Immortal Mi, and a dispensable Hongxia, left the paradise together.
Cao Qinglang quietly went to the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom.
Licentiate, scholar, provincial graduate, and primary candidate—all were Cao Qinglang's scholarly titles.
In his younger days, Cao Qinglang participated in the imperial examinations of Nanyuan Kingdom, progressing like a bamboo shoot splitting bamboo. In the provincial examination, he came first; in the metropolitan examination, he came first; and in the palace examination, he became the top scholar. He was the first person in the Lotus Flower Paradise's history to achieve the "Three Firsts" in a row.
Even Master Zhong Qiu, the Confucian scholar, found it both amusing and exasperating. All these honors were earned by Cao Qinglang's own abilities.
Later, when Cao Qinglang left, it became a great unsolved mystery in the officialdom of Nanyuan Kingdom's capital.
Back in the Rites and Records Academy of the Central Earth Divine Continent, when Cao Qinglang met his master's master, the old scholar, the old fellow heard the story from Master Zhong Qiu and was overjoyed. He almost lit three incense sticks on the spot, saying, "Remarkable, remarkable! The disciple outshines the master! Our textual lineage is simply soaring! Those who study, who play chess, who drink, who practice swords, who write, who practice boxing, who speak properly—every one of them is invincible under heaven. And now, the one area that was somewhat lacking—scholarly honors—has also brought us glory!"
Cui Dongshan stayed on Fallen Mountain. Hongxia stood nearby, trembling with fear.
Pei Qian and Mi Yu set off on foot toward Ox Horn Mountain Dock, one going south and the other north. Pei Qian was to take a ferry to the battlefield on the Southern Sacred Mountain border, while Mi Yu would go to the Color Sparrow Prefecture on Northern Juzhou Continent.
At the increasingly prosperous Ox Horn Mountain Dock—which had once been a legitimate immortal mountain known as "Bundle of Baggage," with continuous stretches of buildings large and small, including towers and marketplaces—back then, Bundle of Baggage had misjudged the situation and didn't believe the Great Li iron cavalry would march south. So they had effectively sold the place to Cloaked Cloud Mountain and Fallen Mountain at half price. Later, Bundle of Baggage regretted it and wanted to buy it back at a high price. But Wei Bo had happened to entertain the Bundle of Baggage distinguished guests with a night banquet, and after that, there was no further discussion.
Mi Yu would have Mountain Lord Wei first send him to the Northern Sacred Mountain border. Then he would hide his aura and travel alone by sword across the continent northward, taking the opportunity to visit the sea-crossing long bridge that connected the two continents. As for Pei Qian, this time she was traveling far. She didn't carry her walking staff or bamboo backpack, nor did she bring her narrow saber "Xiangfu." Instead, she wore a Great Li Ministry of Justice jade token at her waist and had a pair of stacked short sabers on the other side. She would take a Great Li border army ferry southward, using the alias "Zheng Qian."
Pei Qian planned to suppress her realm to the Golden Body realm first, speaking with an Ao'ao Continent accent and using boxing techniques similar to the Thunder God Temple lineage of Ma Lake Prefecture.
Mi Yu said to Pei Qian, "Take care of yourself."
Pei Qian nodded. "Sword Immortal Mi, the same to you."
Mi Yu was exasperated.
Nowadays, whenever he heard the two words "sword immortal," he felt uncomfortable all over.
Back at the cliffside stone table, Cui Dongshan sat cross-legged with one leg over the other, casually performing a spell. On the stone table's scroll, the figures of the great senior sister and Sword Immortal Mi appeared. The white-robed youth leisurely cracked melon seeds, while Hongxia didn't even dare to sit down.
Cui Dongshan gave this Infant Soul flood dragon a sidelong glance. "Do I have to kneel on the ground and beg you to move before you'll go invite Master Yunzi here?"
Hongxia did a curtsy and quickly flew by wind toward Grey Mask Mountain.
Earlier, on the way back from leaving the paradise to return to Fallen Mountain, Hongxia had still dared not speak. In truth, she had her eye on a river located in a remote area within Pine Melody Kingdom. Compared to the site Peixiang had chosen in the Fox Kingdom when she settled there, Hongxia's choice was far inferior. The latter was in accordance with a dragon vein, though the dragon was hidden and not apparent.
Hongxia was an Infant Soul water flood dragon. If the Lotus Root Paradise had remained a medium-grade paradise or barely made it to a superior grade, Hongxia wouldn't have been suitable for cultivation there, as she would have absorbed too much local spiritual qi and the mountain-and-river fortune. But now it was fine. Cui Dongshan had seen through Hongxia's intentions with one glance and didn't give her a hard time. Nowadays, the paradise's water fortune was dense to an almost ridiculous degree. If it weren't restrained, and if there were no water spirits, flood dragon immortals, or aquatic monsters consuming spiritual qi in their own small personal heaven and earth, it would be even more problematic.
So Cui Dongshan had sent Hongxia to bring the Golden Core realm Yunzi along too, so he wouldn't have to roll around in the mud on Grey Mask Mountain's Green Mud Slope every day, causing a smoke and dust mess. If some other immortal master flew by and saw that scene, they'd mistake Fallen Mountain for a den of bandits.
The Lotus Flower Paradise had originally been divided into four parts by the old temple master. Besides Nanyuan Kingdom, which was like a colored painting, the rest of the buildings and landscapes were like plain sketches.
Cui Dongshan knew very well that this was a heavy gift from that stinking old Daoist, meant to allow the "Embroidery Tiger" to "supplement his Dao" through this. But Cui Dongshan had no intention of accepting the gift.
Cui Dongshan murmured, "It all depends on the old cook's puzzle-solving skills."
In the paradise, Changming, the cultivator, had sharp eyes. She found an interesting existence that had previously eluded even the immortal's mountain-and-river scroll. It was a graceful woman with a hazy figure, hard to detect, condensed from literary fortune and incense, born from the manifestation of the Great Dao. At that moment, the woman was in the library of a scholarly family in a city below, secretly browsing books. Though she wasn't yet a force to be reckoned with, with a little nurturing, she would be a one-in-ten-thousand profit for the paradise.
Wei Wenlong was overjoyed. He said to the Lawkeeper Changming via mental voice, "Such rare beings born from the times are worth more than a city. Only seventeen have been recorded among the seventy-two paradises."
Changming said, "The master won't agree."
In fact, she herself didn't agree either.
As the manifestation of the ancestral coin of the golden essence copper coin, Changming shared a similar Dao path with this woman of literary fortune, naturally drawn to each other.
Just like on Fallen Mountain, Changming never hid her partiality and closeness toward the girl Nuan Shu.
Wei Wenlong laughed. "The Lawkeeper Changming has misunderstood."
Changming smiled without saying a word.
In truth, she hadn't misunderstood. Otherwise, you, Bookkeeper Wei, better watch your step or you might trip over money and twist your ankle.
Chen Lingjun sat cross-legged in midair, flying by wind behind the two. Now that the big white goose wasn't around, he felt perfectly at ease. He said with an air of seniority, "Sister Lawkeeper, are there any Golden Core guests among the cultivators of this Lotus Root Paradise now? Even if there are, they're probably of a generation after me."
Changming said casually, "At most thirty years, and there will be five or six Golden Cores."
The cultivators climbing the mountain one after another, the mountain-and-water spirits shaping golden bodies, the heroic ghosts, the wilderness monsters—all would vie for the Great Dao, each with their own fortune.
However, even if someone became the first to break through to the Golden Core realm now, they wouldn't receive any additional Dao fortune gifts. Because the first truly consequential cultivator in the history of the Lotus Flower Paradise, Yu Zhenyi of the Lake Mountain Sect, had formed his Golden Core before the paradise was divided into four. For someone in a lower-grade paradise to break through realms and become a Golden Core earthly immortal was a genius among geniuses. So now, even if a new Golden Core appeared, they could secretly take pride in themselves, but bragging was out of the question.
According to the former Fallen Mountain Guardian "Zhou Fei," Yu Zhenyi was simply shameless—a man who went up the mountain to cultivate immortal arts and then came down to bully those who practiced martial arts and boxing. Was that any way to treat people?
Chen Lingjun suddenly slapped his head. "I have to go to the Fox Kingdom to scout the way for my good brother. Sister Changming, Bookkeeper Wei, farewell!"
Chen Lingjun left as soon as he said it. He really intended to visit the Fox Kingdom. He knew how to use concealment spells too. His Infant Soul realm wasn't just for show.
He'd see if he could find a wife for his newly sworn brother, Chen Zhuoliu.
The Cloud Mist Mountain, the Fox Kingdom, and the Spring Thunder Palace north of the Great Li capital were all known for their abundance of female cultivators.
Especially this Fox Kingdom, which had been heavily funded by the Xu clan of Clear Wind City for many years. It was a famous "hero's grave" and "warm bed."
But after Peixiang used her divine powers to move it from Clear Wind City to Fallen Mountain, it became isolated from heaven and earth, taking root in the paradise. Then Wei Bo, that mountain lord who could get lost in a pile of coins, reinforced the restrictions. This made the outsiders who traveled to the Fox Kingdom or cultivated there feel like headless flies bumping around. The Fox Kingdom had barely managed to calm things down. Those fox women were both seductive and infatuated, skilled in blowing soft words into your ears. What hero could resist them?
Chen Lingjun, as one of the earliest "old seniors" to introduce the young mountain lord to the illusory flowers and moon, actually knew the Fox Kingdom's various peaks like the back of his hand.
The Fox Kingdom had a mountain and a temple with strong literary fortune. Historically, many poor scholars who made detours to burn incense here had indeed succeeded in imperial examinations and had their names on the golden list. Chen Lingjun planned to bring Chen Zhuoliu here later to burn incense and change that unreliable name "Zhuoliu" (muddy stream) to "Qingliu" (pure stream)—much more auspicious. Now, the status of "pure stream" in the Great Li officialdom was very valuable. As for how to first help his brother secure a native scholar's status in Great Li, he could just go ask Mountain Lord Wei. It wasn't as if he'd never asked before. There was the Linlu Academy on Cloaked Cloud Mountain. Chen Lingjun had everything figured out. He would go to Cloaked Cloud Mountain under the cover of night, when the mountain was sparsely populated, and secretly pay his respects to Mountain Lord Wei.
This was probably Chen Lingjun's deeply held belief in "walking the world with righteousness as the first priority." Even after becoming an Infant Soul flood dragon, he still couldn't change his bad habit of cutting off his nose to spite his face in front of friends. It would be with him for life.
His good brother Chen Zhuoliu was good in every way except one: he had very little money but spent lavishly, living beyond his means, even more willing than Chen Lingjun to cut off his nose to spite his face. The only thing he couldn't let go of was that he'd never been an official. On ordinary days, he liked to put on refined airs and spout sour verses like: "Among the guests in the seat, three thousand fall drunk; declining into old age, books and swords stretch into the distance."
Hearing this, anyone could tell he was a destitute scholar still clinging to the idea of imperial examinations. How could Chen Lingjun refuse to help?
Zhu Lian, on a whim, left only Mountain Lord Wei to guard the Celestial Curtain. He and Peixiang went to the Fox Kingdom territory together, and Zhu Lian also called upon Chen Nuan Shu and Zhou Mili.
Peixiang cast a concealment spell for the group, landing in a private flower garden belonging to her, called "Yue Nu Sai" (Cheeks of Yue Women).
In the ancient Shu region, there were many flood dragons; in ancient Yue, women were the most passionate. And who in the world was more passionate than a fox spirit?
In a viewing pavilion, a mat of ivory-white bamboo was spread. Peixiang wore a form-fitting brocade robe, over which she had a bamboo-silk garment. She sat kneeling on the ground.
Zhou Mili tried to imitate her, but found it awkward, so she copied the old cook and sat cross-legged.
With Peixiang's permission, Chen Nuan Shu began boiling tea by their side, with all the tea utensils ready. The bamboo stove's water boiled, flames red; a faint fragrance wafted from the tea, brushing the sleeves of the small pink-skirted girl.
Zhou Mili glanced at the old cook. Holding her cup with one hand and supporting it with the other, she took a sip. Accidentally drinking too much, she quickly spat most of it back, then nodded, pretending to be a connoisseur. "Good tea."
Feeling that this was too concise to show off her learning, she quickly added with emphasis, "Extremely!"
Chen Nuan Shu smiled.
Zhu Lian reached out to touch the little girl's head. Little Mili tilted her head and complained, "What are you doing? All my height has been stroked short by you, old cook. I've been too easygoing before. From now on, except for the good mountain lord, anyone who dares to stunt my growth, I'll bite them!"
Zhu Lian burst out laughing.
Peixiang looked dispirited, ignoring the horseplay between the big steward and the right guardian of Fallen Mountain. The queen of the Fox Kingdom, who should have been overjoyed, felt somewhat downcast. She turned to look outside the pavilion, her expression dazed.
Zhu Lian just smiled and sipped his tea.
Peixiang withdrew her gaze and said softly, "Yan Fang."
Zhu Lian smiled. "Drinking wine requires a heroic spirit; drinking tea demands an ordinary heart."
Peixiang said indignantly, "Easy for you to say!"
Zhu Lian asked, "Then do you think Little Mili is easygoing?"
Zhou Mili quickly straightened her back. Though she had no idea what the old cook and Sister Peixiang were talking about, the little black-clothed girl had been about to frown; now she hurriedly relaxed her brow.
Peixiang sighed helplessly. "Little Mili can be single-minded. I am the queen of the Fox Kingdom, born as a fox spirit. How many years have I been steeped in the mundane world? How can you expect me to keep an ordinary heart? Yan Fang, don't make things too difficult."
Zhu Lian nodded with a smile. "Sword Immortal Zuo You, Fire Dragon Daoist of Northern Juzhou Continent, Lady Qingzhong of Lushui Pit, Liu Jinglong of Taihui Sword Sect, Li Cai of Duckweed Sword Lake, Shen Lin (Spiritual Source Duke of Ji River), Li Yuan (Marquis of Dragon Pavilion), Jiang Shangzhen (leader of the Jade Clasp Sect of Tongye Continent), even Pei Qian is a mountain peak realm martial artist, and Cui Dongshan is an Immortal realm. As for the old master of the Lotus Root Paradise, he is the old temple master of the Contemplation Dao Temple in the Eastern Sea, a Fourteen Realm grand cultivator... Peixiang, you haven't paled in fright from all this. That's already a fairly ordinary heart."
Peixiang's face was deathly pale, her breath unsteady. Her palm pressed lightly against the mat.
Zhou Mili was about to say something and shoot the old cook a look, but she saw Sister Nuan Shu gently shaking her head at her, so she quickly shut up and continued drinking her tea. Got it. The old cook was talking about big things with Peixiang.
Chen Nuan Shu handed a cup of tea to Peixiang.
Peixiang took the cup and asked Zhu Lian, "Did Fallen Mountain know all along why I chose that dragon vein?"
Originally, she thought Fallen Mountain wouldn't think much of it and would just assume she was picking a good piece of feng shui land for the Fox Kingdom, somewhere with mountains and water and strong fortune. But now, knowing the true depth of Fallen Mountain, Peixiang realized that her layer of scheming was like a child in primary school talking about the wisdom of great sages—utterly ridiculous.
Fallen Mountain was too deeply hidden, too unobtrusive. They had managed a low-grade paradise for just a few years, layer upon layer, ring upon ring, without a single flaw, and in an instant elevated a medium-grade paradise to the brink of becoming a superior paradise. Where did all those immortal coins come from? Where did all those connections at the peak of the mountain world come from? And those immortal fortunes, falling like rain into the paradise, as if they cost nothing?
Zhu Lian nodded. "The Fox Kingdom secretly collected quite a bit of literary fortune for the Xu clan of Clear Wind City. And the Xu clan married a legitimate daughter to a concubine-born son of the pillar-state Yuan clan. I suspect it's a pair of twins—the boy to help the dragon ascend, the girl to cling to the dragon. Xu Hun certainly doesn't have the guts to meddle with national destiny. Competing in schemes with the Embroidery Tiger would be pure suicide. But for such icing on the cake, even if the Great Li Song clan found out, they'd be happy to see it happen. Anyway, the literary fortune would still fall within the Great Li dynasty. If it could land on the Song clan, even better. You don't need to bear too much burden over this matter. In Fallen Mountain's account books, it really is just a minor matter."
Peixiang's mind went blank. She could only stare at this Zhu Lian. She had thought he was right in front of her, but it turned out Zhu Lian was still someone far, far away.
Zhou Mili heard all this, but she didn't bother to remember it. She'd probably forget soon. Hearing was the right guardian's duty; not remembering was because she was the big monster of Silent Mute Lake, with broad vision and a heart bigger than a table.
Zhu Lian dropped his smile and put down his teacup. "Peixiang, now that you've joined Fallen Mountain, you need to follow local customs and treat people sincerely."
Zhu Lian pointed to himself. "For example, I can understand your wariness, so I've been waiting for you to speak up about the inside story yourself. But you didn't."
He then pointed at Peixiang. "I've waited for you until now, and I've helped you speak up twice. There's also an unwritten rule in Fallen Mountain: 'the third time is the charm' no more."
Peixiang looked confused, frowning deeply. She shook her head, indicating she didn't understand.
Zhu Lian smiled. "Nuan Shu, Mi Li, leave for a moment."
The two girls immediately took their leave without hesitation.
Zhu Lian slowly stood up, his posture stooped, his boxing frame still loose. He said cheerfully, "Before leaving, Young Master Cui said the Fox Kingdom hides a little puzzle. He wants to test me, to see if I can solve it."
Peixiang lifted her head, and behind her appeared fox tail after fox tail. She was just seeking self-preservation. This was the Fox Kingdom's small heaven and earth, her territory—but don't forget who owned the great heaven and earth of this paradise.
Zhu Lian said, "Peixiang, I'll give you one last chance. Otherwise, the queen of the Fox Kingdom will have to change. Don't worry, Fallen Mountain will never burn the bridge after crossing the river. You won't die, and you can still cultivate your Dao. The Fox Kingdom's fortune will still thrive. But with some troubles you've brought upon yourself, don't blame me for heavy fists."
Peixiang's eyes were red, tears welling up. She bit her lip so hard that blood seeped out, but she seemed unaware. She spoke with great grievance, "Zhu Lian, what exactly do you want me to say to you? But what can I say?"
Zhu Lian hit the nail on the head. "The true puppeteer behind the Fox Kingdom and Clear Wind City! Does it have any connection with the Hall of Patriarchs of Zhengyang Mountain?!"
Peixiang collapsed to the ground.
But when she tried to move her mind, her thoughts stirred, her soul trembled, and she found herself utterly unable to speak, in obvious agony—nothing feigned.
She clutched her head, still straining to stabilize her Dao heart and soul. She looked up at Zhu Lian, her eyes complex: reluctance to part, guilt and regret, self-pity...
A white-robed youth suddenly appeared in the pavilion. He pressed two fingers together and gently tapped Peixiang's brow.
The youth stood with his back to Zhu Lian, grinning. "Old cook, can you really bear to ruin a beautiful flower? Learn from my master, why don't you?"
Peixiang felt as if she had been released from a heavy burden, like a pardon. An Infant Soul realm cultivator, yet she was drenched in sweat. She knelt back down on the mat, like a young child in school who had made a mistake, now facing the punishment of two teachers.
Cui Dongshan had performed a soul-fixing spell on Peixiang. But unlike the usual mountain-immortal fixing spells—which sealed the cultivator's qi apertures—this one specifically suppressed the thoughts of an Infant Soul fox spirit, preventing the puppeteer millions of miles away from deducing the truth along the karmic threads.
Cui Dongshan turned around and smiled. "Old cook, you were a hair's breadth away from alerting the grass and scaring the snake."
Zhu Lian laughed. "Half the puzzle solved?"
Cui Dongshan nodded. "No wonder the old cook can cook a table full of good food."
Luring the Fox Kingdom to Fallen Mountain and isolating it in the Lotus Root Paradise was both a clumsy move—the method was indeed too underhanded—and a divine stroke, as it cut off half of Clear Wind City's wealth. But if Zhu Lian was complacent, always kept in the dark and unable to detect the true danger, then in the long run, it would become the critical move. Fallen Mountain would seem to have gained a lot, but in reality, having painstakingly concealed its true strength for years, it would have voluntarily handed a foolish move to its opponent. It might win a small piece of land but ultimately lose the whole game. Not only could it lose a bottleneck superior-grade paradise, but it might also shake Fallen Mountain's very foundation. Cao Qinglang would feel guilty toward his hometown, disappointed in himself. Zhong Qiu, a martial sage and literary sage, would be disheartened. Pei Qian, who could never let go of the Heart-Facing Temple, would be furious. And Pei Qian's state of mind would affect Nuan Shu, Mi Li... Bit by bit, Fallen Mountain would collapse from within.
"Trying to run?"
Cui Dongshan turned his head to look at a certain spot. He reached out and grabbed something from the void on the border of the Fox Kingdom, condensing a soul-thought particle into a chess piece. He crushed it lightly between two fingers, then clenched his hand and slapped it heavily onto Peixiang's brow, returning it to its original place with some subtle changes. "Joking? Daring to use that thought spell right under my nose? Get back there, damn it!"
Finally, Cui Dongshan bent two fingers and gave Peixiang a light tap on the brow.
Zhu Lian remained silent.
No wonder people in the world envy immortals. Their spells are varied and their powers high.
The person who had used a secret technique to bind Peixiang's thoughts was an immortal among immortals. Cui Dongshan could retrieve that escaped thought particle, toy with it, and return it to Peixiang—this was indeed the means of an immortal.
Zhu Lian suddenly spoke in a focused voice, saying to Cui Dongshan, "Gu Can sent a secret letter to Cloaked Cloud Mountain, entrusting Wei Bo to pass it on to Fallen Mountain. He said that Chai Baifu beside him and the Clear Wind City Xu clan matriarch were fellow disciples of the same master. Chai Baifu also knew that his junior sister had another hidden master, but he didn't know who it was. So I suspect that the Xu clan matriarch and Peixiang are both pawns of the same person, but neither knows about the other. The puppeteer has let them fight and consume each other for years as a layer of obfuscation."
Cui Dongshan smiled without saying a word.
Zhu Lian laughed. "The human heart is like water. Thus, opening one's heart to someone is like wading through water—sometimes a small stream as clear as crystal, sometimes a surging river murky and muddy, sometimes an ancient well or abyss unfathomable. One misstep and you drown."
Cui Dongshan sighed. He raised his sleeve to wipe his cheek. "There are some things I know but cannot speak, cannot do either. Old cook, with your excellent culinary skills, please bear with me. Otherwise, a matter that was originally clear could become confused. Once the water is muddy, it's hard to see the fish in the deep."
From Zhu Lian to Zheng Dafeng to Wei Bo, these three had a very tacit agreement on one matter: they trusted Cui Dongshan's actions but were wary of his true intentions.
Cui Dongshan knew this well and saw nothing wrong with it.
In fact, Cui Dongshan had always believed that a mountain peak should be like this, ought to be like this.
If everyone were a good person, professing morality and sagehood, or if everyone were a petty, self-interested person with a scheming heart deeper than an immortal mansion—both were highly improper.
Cui Dongshan looked out at the landscape beyond the pavilion, murmuring, "Where does the wind rise? Where does the snow fall?"
Zhu Lian smiled casually. "In Furong Mountain?"
Within the Lotus Root Paradise, there was a Furong Mountain. Together with the Bird's-Eye Peak, the Spring Tide Palace, and the Lake Mountain Sect, it was known as one of the four great scenic places for viewing clouds and snow.
Cui Dongshan shook his head helplessly. "I watched that place for half a day, but there was no movement at all. Old cook, isn't that frustrating?"
In the Fifth World, within the secluded mountains and waters that bordered the territories of the Immortal Staff Sect and the Weapon Liberation Mountain, a wilderness cultivator without a Daoist rank in the Qingming World found another fellow traveler who was also not on any registry.
The latter was a young man in the garb of a Confucian scholar.
The former was named Yu Zhenyi, with the appearance of a child. He had quietly broken through to the Jade Abyss realm in this brand-new world, but he had come from the Haoran World, first going to the Qingming World, and now here.
The young scholar found Yu Zhenyi. Yu Zhenyi was sitting cross-legged atop a long sword, slowly inhaling and exhaling. From his nostrils and ears, four white snakes seemed to hang.
Yu Zhenyi opened his eyes. "Fellow Daoist, why have you entered these mountains?"
Both of them were now in Daoist territory, yet the man before him dared to wear Confucian robes and travel alone. It was already highly irregular. His aura seemed merely that of a Dragon Gate cultivator, yet he had been able to break through several mountain water restrictions to find Yu Zhenyi. That was even more unreasonable.
The man laughed. "Fellow Daoist? You can call me Zheng Huan. We're actually from the same hometown, so just call me by name, no need to stand on ceremony."
Yu Zhenyi said calmly, "Leave at once."
The man calling himself Zheng Huan smiled. "And if I don't? Would we fight and kill? Aren't you afraid of spilling blood and soiling this pure land?"
Yu Zhenyi remained silent, carefully sizing up this bold stranger.
Back in the paradises, due to the arrival of a certain young banished immortal, great upheavals occurred. Ding Ying had perished, while Yu Zhenyi had taken the opportunity to rise. Eventually, he became the undisputed foremost figure of the Lotus Flower Paradise. Then he stopped caring about any worldly affairs and simply continued climbing the mountain of cultivation. Looking across the world, the only one he considered a rival was Lu Tai, the new leader of the Demon Sect.
As for that martial artist Zhong Qiu, who had parted ways with him and gone further and further away, Yu Zhenyi simply hadn't had time to trouble Nanyuan Kingdom. After forming his Golden Core, he had entered seclusion three times, twice interrupted by Lu Tai. The last time, he succeeded in "ascending" from the Lotus Flower Paradise. But by then, the paradise had already undergone earth-shaking changes, its landscapes transformed. Yu Zhenyi had no interest in Nanyuan Kingdom. As for Tang Tieyi, Cheng Yuanshan, and the like, they weren't even worth his attention.
During Yu Zhenyi's last seclusion, a nameless young martial artist had quietly emerged in the world. He used a sword but was not a sword cultivator.
After several years of sword practice in the mountains, when Yu Zhenyi broke through to the Infant Soul realm, that young man carried his sword down the mountain.
The young man's first battle, ignorant of heaven and earth's limits, was to directly challenge the entire Lake Mountain Sect.
But these storms could be considered events after Yu Zhenyi's time. Yu Zhenyi cared nothing about the honor or disgrace of a Lake Mountain Sect.
Yu Zhenyi stood up, apparently intending to leave by sword. "Since the fellow Daoist has come, I shall go."
Zheng Huan spoke dramatically, "Go? Where can you go? I'm only here to take a look at one of the old temple master's moves. It's not aimed at you, Yu Zhenyi. The true purpose of my trip is to see a certain descendant. You know him—he's one of your paradise's banished immortals, Lu Tai, or Lu Tai as well. He hasn't achieved much, but he sure talks big. I'm worried that if I meet a degenerate descendant, we'll have nothing to talk about. So I'm bringing you along to reminisce with him, to help break the ice."
Yu Zhenyi had already floated down to the ground. He made a Daoist bow, dropping his head and bending low, not daring to rise for a long time, not even daring to speak a single word.
The scholar Zheng Huan.
One of the five dream manifestations of the Third Chief of the Jade Capital Temple.
It was completely different from a cultivator's yin spirit traveling far from the body or a yang spirit cultivating a separate body. It was far more mysterious and ineffable.
Now, this Zheng Huan could probably be considered a person without a realm.
Yu Zhenyi hated banished immortals the most, so his understanding of Tongye Continent and the Haoran World was not shallow.
But when he heard the other party call himself Zheng Huan, Yu Zhenyi simply never made that connection. After all, Yu Zhenyi never thought he deserved a personal visit from a Chief of the Jade Capital Temple.
"In a small paradise like this, you, the immortal master, are the one in ten thousand, so you don't need to think about 'what if.' But this habit has to change from now on. Otherwise, standing tall means dying fast."
Lu Chen, in one of his incarnations as Zheng Huan, smiled. He raised his hand, and a lotus crown appeared out of thin air. He casually placed it on his own head, then asked, "This crown doesn't suit me now. How about I lend it to you to wear?"
Yu Zhenyi bent even lower, saying softly, "I dare not."
Lu Chen laughed. "A Daoist bow is enough. The Daoist tradition passed down this ritual, not to soften the knees of later cultivators. Yu Zhenyi, Yu Zhenyi, the higher your realm, the more you fear death. No wonder the old temple master looked down on you. He let you go at just the Infant Soul realm to make room for others. Never mind. The old temple master doesn't think much of you, but I think you have potential as a cultivable talent. When the time comes, I'll give you an opportunity—neither too big nor too small—just enough for you to handle."
Yu Zhenyi remained silent, trying to keep his heart like still water. The method he used was simple: just firmly remember that the other party was Lu Chen, and forget everything else said.
Lu Chen saw that his coping strategy was decent, so he stopped giving him a hard time. He took Yu Zhenyi with him as they traveled down the mountain, heading toward a place near the center of heaven and earth.
Yu Zhenyi felt a myriad of emotions.
It was said that this man had five dreams: dreaming of the Confucian teacher Zheng Huan, dreaming of a skull in sleep, dreaming of a living oak tree, dreaming of a dead spirit turtle, and dreaming of a butterfly, not knowing who was who.
Later generations had offered tens of thousands of interpretations of these dreams.
Before Yu Zhenyi obtained a travel permit and left the Qingming World, the old temple master had only told him to cultivate quietly in the Fifth World, taking things as they came.
But on the way to that gate, Yu Zhenyi had flipped through many Daoist texts from various lineages. Among them were many analyses of the Great Dao of the Three Chiefs of the Jade Capital Temple. The only commonality was that they all revolved around Lu Chen's "void boat and free wandering." One Daoist book from the Grand Profound Observance Temple described Lu Chen even more strangely, saying that the person everyone saw was never the true Lu Chen. In Yu Zhenyi's view, this was somewhat similar to the Buddhist saying, "See Tathagata, then not Tathagata." Another typical, vague Daoist statement that left Yu Zhenyi quite exasperated. And then, following the scholar Zheng Huan—or rather, the Chief Lu Chen—as he shrunk the earth and traveled to the center of heaven and earth, made Yu Zhenyi even more exasperated.
Yu Zhenyi didn't even dare to ride his sword; he only dared to fly alongside Chief Lu Chen. He had to avoid any inadvertent disrespect. The Three Chiefs of the Jade Capital Temple: the Great Chief was said to be the most natural in Daoist methods, the Second Chief was truly invincible, and Lu Chen was said to have the most fickle heavenly heart. According to the Grand Profound Observance Temple, which never liked to give the Jade Capital Temple any face, no one knew what Lu Chen was thinking—not even Lu Chen himself.
This day, Lu Chen finally stopped. He drew a most ordinary barrier-breaking talisman with one finger, and a gate appeared before him. He turned and smiled. "We're about to return to our homeland. After all the hard wandering, we'll be reunited. Are you happy?"
Yu Zhenyi said, "I have no ties to my homeland."
Lu Chen shook his head, a look of pity in his eyes. "The farther you go, the less you know."
Yu Zhenyi said sincerely, "I am instructed."
"Without going out the door, know the world; without looking through the window, see the Heavenly Dao."
Lu Chen took Yu Zhenyi into this paradise, where no one had yet "ascended." Suddenly, Lu Chen swung his arm horizontally, the back of his hand slapping Yu Zhenyi across the face. In an instant, a dazzling talisman appeared on Yu Zhenyi's face and vanished in a flash, leaving a Jade Abyss realm cultivator gasping for breath, as if he had dropped directly to the Cavern Dwelling realm. Yu Zhenyi staggered, barely steadying himself. Several of his natal qi mansions had their doors tightly shut. Not only that, but when Yu Zhenyi cast his divine sense inward, he was horrified to find that the spiritual qi in many of his qi mansions within his small human heaven-and-earth had first congealed into water, then into gold and jade-like substances, all falling to the ground. This made Yu Zhenyi's steps heavy, like a weak child carrying a huge log, moving as if burdened and climbing a mountain.
The gate behind them had closed on its own. Lu Chen walked slowly forward, saying lazily, "The old temple master is still partial after all. He gave the paradise to my disciple's descendant, and it's only a medium-grade one. You, a Jade Abyss realm powerhouse, wading through shallow water, would trigger celestial phenomena at every move, stirring up stormy waves. There are only the two of us—who are you trying to scare? Quickly adjust to the Cavern Dwelling realm. If you're like ordinary mortals who find it hard to go from luxury to frugality, what kind of cultivator are you?"
Yu Zhenyi immediately began to stabilize his Dao heart, following behind Lu Chen.
Lu Chen asked, "Do you know why the sages favored water more than mountains?"
Yu Zhenyi shook his head. "I beseech the Chief to enlighten me."
Lu Chen said, "The Buddha sees a bowl of water as forty-eight thousand insects. The old master sighed by the water, 'It passes like this, never ceasing day or night.' My master also said, 'Water is close to the Dao; the Dao is everywhere.' Why? Look, when water is mentioned, the three teachings' founders are all very amiable, not arguing at all. But then look at things like 'Propriety is the beginning of chaos.' Aren't the debates among the three teachings terrifying? Do you know that before the three teachings' debates, on the Qingming World, the Western Buddhist Kingdoms had already been arguing their own doctrines and methods? The Jade Capital Temple and the seven major Daoist lineages—have you heard of their worst defeat?"
As soon as Yu Zhenyi left the Lotus Flower Paradise, he had read as many Daoist texts from the Qingming World as possible. He naturally knew the story. "Seventeen debates. The Qingming World lost all of them. Those seventeen true men all removed their crowns, shaved their heads, and became monks, eventually becoming the 'Seventeen Monks of Wuwu.'"
Lu Chen revealed the mystery for Yu Zhenyi: "In the early days of the heavens, there were five supreme beings. Among them, the lord of rivers and lakes, besides governing all the seas and all the great rivers, actually had true jurisdiction over the long river of time. Whenever a god died, their corpse turned into celestial stars beyond heaven, and their divinity merged into time, gathering into a river. And the souls of us humans were actually born from this water. That's why, among all beings, only human bodies are closest to the gods. Once they cultivate, they rise the fastest, making the demons, whose history is longer than humanity's, so envious that they only know how to eat, eat, eat, eating people whenever they see them. But no matter what they eat, isn't it still 'one'? Not increased, not decreased—what's the point? Even if they eat half of that 'one,' so what?"
Lu Chen only walked slowly through the forest, not flying with the wind. He continued, "When I first arrived in the Qingming World, I wasn't in a hurry to go to the Jade Capital Temple. I just had nothing to do, so I collected Buddhist gathas. They were literary masterpieces, both dazzlingly clear and beautiful. I personally visited all the remaining temples in the Qingming World, and I personally heard an old monk chant a gatha: 'Flowers fall, water flows, silent and empty of heaven and earth.' Then he cast down his whisk, closed his eyes, and passed away. Truly, birth and death are like day and night. There is being and non-being, presence and absence."
At this point, Lu Chen turned to look at the childlike Yu Zhenyi and sneered. "Now look at you. Can you compare? Is the difference between our Dao hearts merely a difference in realms?"
Yu Zhenyi accepted the lesson with humility, chewing over the meaning.
Looking at the scholar Zheng Huan before him, he felt that the man roaming the forest exuded an ancient Dao aura, like a clear moon and gentle breeze, ultimately scattered and free.
Lu Chen shook his sleeves vigorously, producing a crisp sound.
In the paradise at that moment, it was about the Light Snow season, but the cold had not yet become severe.
Yu Zhenyi said cautiously, "Chief Lu, are we going to Furong Mountain?"
Yu Zhenyi, who looked like a child, the old immortal, didn't dare to ride his sword, so he had to carry it on his back. Because he was short and the sword was long, he looked very comical.
If he had carried the sword diagonally, it might have been better. But the temporarily named "Zheng Huan," the Third Chief, insisted on helping him carry the sword straight on his back.
He said that if one couldn't carry a sword straight, how could one's heart be straight? If the heart wasn't straight, the Dao wasn't clear, so why practice swordsmanship? Why cultivate the Great Dao?
Earlier, Lu Chen had casually thrown the lotus crown to Yu Zhenyi, telling him to wear it. Lu Chen said he would use white clouds as his crown, which was more wild and unconventional.
This lotus crown was the token of a Chief of the Jade Capital Temple. Of course, Yu Zhenyi wasn't foolish enough to actually put it on his head; he simply held it in both hands.
Lu Chen said, "Or what do you think?"
Yu Zhenyi nodded. After starting his immortal cultivation, Yu Zhenyi had become solitary, flying around on his sword to all corners. So all the more famous feng shui treasures had appeared beneath his feet and under his sword.
He guessed that Chief Lu had a profound purpose.
Lu Chen asked, "Are we going the wrong way?"
Yu Zhenyi was taken aback, then nodded again.
Lu Chen spun around and smacked Yu Zhenyi on the head with his sleeve, scolding, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Lu Chen began to fly upward, telling Yu Zhenyi to lead the way to Furong Mountain, thousands of li away.
But Yu Zhenyi was not aware that this Third Chief of the Jade Capital Temple, since he was not the true Lu Chen, meant that the lotus crown Yu Zhenyi held in his hands was also not a real object.
Lu Chen had left the "Bookish Dream Zheng" in the Fifth World, and it had to follow the rules of the Sage Temple, suppressing his realm below the Jade Abyss realm, just like when he went to the Lizhu Cavern and had to suppress himself at the peak of the Flying Ascension realm.
Lu Chen felt nostalgic for that old man at the Yang Family Pharmacy and couldn't help murmuring, "The stream bends, the mountain blocks; flowers bloom and fall; clouds and seas obscure the sun and moon; always relying on the Lord of the East."
Lu Chen shook his head. "The lord rests in the Yellow Springs; let the lord not blame heaven."
Yu Zhenyi had long been used to this Third Chief of the Jade Capital Temple muttering to himself.
For instance, Lu Chen would say that some of a person's words were like planting rice seedlings, like planting trees, like scattering a handful of grass seeds on the plain.
Lu Chen suddenly asked, "He likes to hide his true name? He works as a collator in the Secretariat of Pine Melody Kingdom right under your nose? And runs a shop selling folding fans and seals?"
Yu Zhenyi replied, "Indeed. That man Lu Tai has a style high above the mundane, unparalleled in elegance. That's why he was hailed as the second banished immortal after Zhu Lian, a true noble son."
Lu Chen rubbed his brow. "Listening to this gives me a headache."
The Lotus Flower Paradise had been divided into four parts. The one under Fallen Mountain was renamed the Lotus Root Paradise, a low-grade paradise.
Yu Zhenyi's part was a superior-grade paradise. The old temple master had placed it in the Qingming World.
The paradise where Lu Tai was, as well as the paradise where the youth, the white monkeyling, and the young Daoist traveled together, were both medium-grade.
The paradise where Lu Chen and Yu Zhenyi were now visiting had been brought to the Fifth World in the first year of Chunjia by that little Daoist who carried a huge gourd for nurturing swords.
The two of them flew over green mountains and clear waters, higher than white clouds and yellow cranes, until they finally saw Furong Mountain, known as "Where Clouds and Waters Meet Heaven." The mountain range was like a lotus flower, the peaks like hibiscus flowers.
Lu Chen landed outside the territory of Furong Mountain and continued to trek through mountains and rivers on foot