Chapter 783: Invitation
Around the Confucian Temple, there were four immortal ferry crossings where cultivators could stop, namely Panshui County, Yuanyang Islet, Aotou Mountain, and Yingwu Islet.
An old man with long eyebrows who had just arrived from the Southern Sea Returned Ruins was already fishing at Yuanyang Islet.
Two immortal ferry boats almost simultaneously docked at the immortal ferry near Aotou Mountain, one from the Xuanmi Dynasty and the other from the Shaoyuan Dynasty.
Both the Xuanmi Dynasty and the Shaoyuan Dynasty were among the ten great dynasties of the Central Earth Divine Continent.
From one of the boats disembarked a black-clothed youth. The dynasty was favored by the virtue of water, so both court and commoners revered black clothing.
A plump, pudgy old man held a jade handle piece and rubbed it against his face.
One was the new emperor of the Xuanmi Dynasty, now only sixteen years old. The other was the ever-flowing emperor and ironclad supreme elder, Yu Panshui, head of the Yu clan.
The old man was accompanied by Yu Juanfu and Yu Qingqing.
On the Shaoyuan Dynasty side, there were more people. Besides the vigorous emperor in his prime, there was also the national preceptor Chao Pu, who wore a high crown and broad sash, with a scholarly appearance, holding a white fly-whisk. His proud disciple was Lin Junbi. There was also Mr. Xilu, Jiang Longxiang, who had written the "Kuaiziting Chess Manual."
Yan, the old ancestor of the Shaoyuan Dynasty, was accompanied by a plump Fuli maidservant, whose brows and eyes were naturally enchanting, with a beauty mole at the corner of her mouth.
Including Lin Junbi, Jin Mengzhen, Zhu Mei, Yan Lü, and Jiang Guancheng—these five sword immortal seeds had all traveled with the sword immortal Ku Xia to the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Jiang Guancheng was the direct disciple of Sword Immortal Ku Xia. Two of his elders had been gentlemen of the academy, both descended from the lineage of the Second Sage.
The reason they said "had been" was that both had died on the battlefield of Southern Poplar Continent.
And Sword Immortal Ku Xia's senior uncle was one of the former Top Ten of the Central Earth, the old sword immortal Zhou Shenzhi.
Ku Xia and Zhou Shenzhi—both sword cultivators—had both died in battle: one at the Sword Qi Great Wall, the other at Fuyao Continent, both dying in foreign lands.
Yan Lü was the great-great-grandson of the clan's old ancestor, Yan Ge.
Zhu Mei was no longer the young girl in appearance and figure; she had grown into a graceful and elegant woman. One of her grand-uncles was the mountain master of an academy in Liuxia Continent, and it was rumored that when Zhu Mei was young, she had dream-traveled to Yanzhi Mountain and signed a secret pact with the highly esteemed female mountain lord there. This was said to be a deep fortune.
Soon, at Aotou Mountain, two chess games were set up—one Go, one Chinese chess—as challenge matches. The two defending champions were young people pushed into the role by their elders: Lin Junbi of the Shaoyuan Dynasty and Xu Bai, one of the young alternate top ten.
Jiang Longxiang and Lin Junbi played a game first, with many onlookers, including Yu Juanfu and Yu Qingqing.
It was said that this Mr. Xilu had accompanied National Preceptor Chao Pu on this distant journey specifically to pay a visit to Zheng Juzhong of Baidi City.
However, everyone was certain that Jiang Longxiang absolutely did not have the qualifications to meet that great demonic overlord, and it was very possible that even Fu Jin could not arrange such a meeting.
Rumor had it that "Little Baidi" Fu Jin had received seven or eight tenths of his master's true transmission in chess.
He had personally carved a seal that read "Fourth Under Heaven."
Without surprise, first was Zheng Juzhong, second was the Embroidery Tiger Cui Chan, who had created the "Colored Cloud Manual" at Baidi City, fourth was Fu Jin. So who was third? This had become a not-so-small mystery among the mountain cultivators.
At Xu Bai's side, the crowd was also bustling. His opponent was a master of the School of Vertical and Horizontal Alliances. Among the spectators was Pure Azure from the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven.
She had once traveled with this Immortal Xu to Vase Bottle Continent.
In fact, the mere sight of Xu Bai and Pure Azure, like a divine couple, was already a beautiful scene in itself.
Besides these four places, there were several relatively secret lodgings. They housed the followers of Buddhism, Daoism, and the Military School, along with various other schools of thought and their founding masters, as well as the highest-ranking mountain and river spirits of the Haoran World. Among them were the Northern Julu Continent Heavenly Lord Xie Shi, and the Vase Bottle Continent Divine Admonition Sect Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen, who gathered together with several other Heavenly Lords from the same Three Teachings of the White Jade Capital. Also present were the female sect leader of the Clear and Cool Sect, He Xiaoliang, her senior brother Cao Rong, and their nominal senior brother, the Immortal Raft, whose alias was more famous: Gu Qingsong.
The Divine Admonition Sect of Vase Bottle Continent was actually a subordinate sect of the Azure Mystic Sect of the Central Earth Divine Continent. The Azure Mystic Sect's Descending Truth Flying Luan was unmatched in the Haoran World.
He Xiaoliang had come here this time to pay respects to Zhou Li, the former little master uncle of the Divine Admonition Sect, now the book-keeper of the Azure Mystic Sect.
But this former little master uncle was currently missing.
He Xiaoliang only met Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen and a former fellow disciple, Gao Jianfu. In earlier years, she and this man were recognized as a golden boy and jade girl of Vase Bottle Continent, a match made in heaven.
Unexpectedly, after many years, when they met again, things had changed.
One was still a sect legitimate heir at the Nascent Soul stage, while the other was already a sect leader at the Immortal stage.
Qi Zhen bore no grudges against He Xiaoliang for leaving the Divine Admonition Sect and was even gratified that she had established a sect in Northern Julu Continent.
So during this meeting, Qi Zhen even teased He Xiaoliang, asking if she had seen that Xu Xuan this time.
At the waterside of Yingwu Islet, Daoist Zhou Li of the Azure Mystic Sect walked side by side with the Confucian scholar Li Xisheng. Behind Li Xisheng followed the young porcelain doll, Cui Ci.
Li Xisheng said with a smile, "Both have made it into the young top ten."
Zhou Li chuckled. "Go to Panshui County and play a game of chess with Zheng Juzhong?"
Li Xisheng shook his head. "No rush."
An old Daoist in purple robes, who had not hurried to the ferry, was in the marketplace of a city at the foot of a mountain. He said to a child, "Little one, your talent is not ordinary. You have fine bones for cultivation. Starting with lower corpse liberation, you have hope for upper corpse liberation. If your luck is even better, your future prospects are immeasurable. In the future, if you become an earthly true man, you can simply rise into the clouds, float in the blue sky, travel through rivers and seas, with no restraints from heaven and earth."
The child had a baked pancake in each hand, taking a bite from the left and a bite from the right.
The old Daoist said, "After you finish the pancakes, why not come with me up the mountain to cultivate? You can surely prolong your years, live long in the world, with cold and heat not harming your Dao foundation, and ghosts, gods, and all kinds of spirits not daring to harm you. No weapons or poison can approach your body. Where are your parents? I'll go and talk to them."
The child just gnawed on the pancake and said nothing.
The old Daoist smiled and said no more.
The child raised his hand, as if offering half a pancake to the old man.
The old man reached out to take it, but the child immediately withdrew his hand, turned his head, and suddenly shouted, "Mom! There's an old swindler here!"
Beyond the heavens.
Zuo You and Xiao Xun exchanged a sword strike.
Zuo You eventually fell onto the Sword Qi Great Wall, but Xiao Xun did not return to the Barren Wastes World. Instead, Zuo You's sword sent her tumbling into the Azure Underworld.
Zuo You crouched on half of the city wall, one hand resting on his sword, covered in wounds.
As for the little girl with the goat-horn braids, she was cursing and yelling. Zuo You had actually chopped off her lower leg. She hovered in the air, reattaching her legs.
Zuo You looked up.
He saw a sturdy man flying over on the wind, accompanied by a timid little spirit creature.
The man laughed. "Senior Brother Zuo."
Zuo You stood up, silent.
The man said helplessly, "Big Senior Brother."
Zuo You nodded then.
Not far away on the city wall was a simple-looking man wearing straw sandals. This was the current Ju Zi of the Mohist school. He had originally planned to go to the Central Earth Confucian Temple with Liu Shiliu.
Zuo You did not greet the Mohist Ju Zi. After listening to Jun Qian's introduction, he smiled at the little spirit creature. "Hello, my name is Zuo You. You can call me Senior Uncle Zuo."
The little spirit creature stammered, "Greetings, Senior Uncle Zuo!"
Inside, it was a little cheered. Senior Uncle Zuo's temper wasn't bad at all. Very good indeed. It seemed that outside rumors were not to be trusted.
Zuo You asked, "Where is the little junior brother?"
Jun Qian shook his head. "I don't know."
Zuo You had his sword hanging at his waist. Hearing this, he raised his gaze slightly and frowned.
Jun Qian said helplessly, "We should be able to meet him at this Confucian Temple meeting."
Zuo You said angrily, "How can you call yourself a senior brother?"
Jun Qian had no choice but to change the subject. "The teacher must be waiting for us. Let's hurry."
The little spirit creature widened its eyes. Senior Uncle Zuo was a bit fierce towards its master.
In Panshui County, near Wenjin Ferry, the common people lived in peace and were also used to seeing various immortals. They did not take the bustle at the ferry too seriously. Instead, some mountain masters who were near the water had flocked here. But according to the rules of the Confucian Temple, they had to stop at Panshui County and could not continue northward. Otherwise, they would have to detour to the other three places. No one dared to act rashly or break the rules. Everyone knew in their hearts that even if it were a Flying Ascension cultivator, or even a Fourteen Realm cultivator, they had to follow the rules here.
However, within the rules, there were not too many taboos. In fact, it could be said that compared to any other place in the Haoran World, it was much more relaxed.
For a time, the streets were full of "mirror flowers and water moon" broadcasts, mostly from various mountain peaks' celestial maidens. All the open spaces—restaurants, inns, the libraries of scholarly families in the county—were all bought up by out-of-town masters.
For these celestial maidens, the four men they most yearned for were:
Liu Qi.
Qi Tingji of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect.
"Little Baidi" Fu Jin.
Cao Ci of the Great Duan Dynasty.
Why?
Because these few were the most handsome.
"Amidst red sleeves and green brows, a guest among flowers; a white-robed minister, Liu the Seventh."
Fu Jin, who liked to walk the world in a white robe, was the great disciple of Zheng Juzhong of Baidi City. Fu Jin possessed a sword-nurturing gourd left by his ancestor. This gourd had a very strange name, just one word: "Three." The flying swords it nurtured were the most resilient. Of course, the most important thing was that Fu Jin was handsome. As for what his innate flying sword was or what the gourd was like, those were just icing on the cake.
Qi Tingji, from the Sword Qi Great Wall, was said to be extremely handsome. Women who had seen him all said that Sword Immortal Qi did not age at all. As for his sword technique, there was no need to say more.
And Cao Ci, the youngest among them, was already so powerful in boxing that he seemed divine.
The Liu Clan of White-Ai Continent had set up a special gambling game for Cao Ci, called the "No-Loss Game."
Within five hundred years, if Cao Ci lost a boxing match to any pure martial artist, the Liu Clan would pay ten times the wager.
At any of the Liu Clan's ferries or shops, which were spread across the Haoran World, anyone could place a bet, with no upper limit on immortal money.
There were scattered bets here and there, just for fun. Mostly snowflake coins or minor summer coins. It was like throwing money away.
But a few very large bets of immortal money were quite noticeable. Yu Panshui had thrown in three hundred grain rain coins.
Rumor had it that the Fire Dragon True Man of Padi Peak had taken out five hundred grain rain coins in one go.
A fellow named "Zhou Kaoshan" from Indus Leaf Continent didn't treat money like money, seemingly out of his mind, betting a thousand grain rain coins.
Some male cultivators had hired master painters at great expense to travel with them, so that when they saw the legendary celestial beauties, they could have a painting made.
These included the Lady of Green Spirit Mountain, the Flower Master of Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, the four Deity Flower Spirits, the ten-tailed celestial fox from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Mansion, the Washing Gauze Lady, and the Tipsy Face Lady, a guest elder of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect...
In Panshui County, there were many bookshops.
A gentle and refined young man in a blue shirt walked into a bookshop to browse.
The shop was small, but there were many books. The shelves couldn't hold them all, and piles of books formed a small mountain in the corner.
The shopkeeper, an old man, smiled and asked, "Young man, did you come with your teacher?"
The old man was just a mortal scholar, but he showed no fear facing these mountain masters whose appearances often didn't match their ages.
Upon hearing this, the young man looked up and smiled, nodding.
The old man hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Could it be that you are attending the Confucian Temple meeting?"
The old man laughed to himself. "If that's the case, just pick your books. You can take them for free, even fill a sack. But remember to leave a piece of your calligraphy, how about that?"
The young scholar shook his head. "I am not qualified to attend the meeting."
The old man was a bit disappointed. He was talkative, so he asked, "At Wenjin Ferry, aren't there more immortal treasures? They might be a bit expensive, but should be nothing for masters like you."
The young man said, "In fact, the immortal ferries rarely sell books."
The old man laughed. "True. No matter how expensive a book is, even if it's a rare edition, there is a limit. You really can't make big money from them."
The old shopkeeper asked, "Are you from the Chen Clan of Pure Confucianism in Southern Poplar Continent?"
The ferries from Southern Poplar Continent, Fuyao Continent, and Indus Leaf Continent mostly docked at Wenjin Ferry.
The young man smiled and shook his head.
After buying some books and paying, he left without using any technique to shrink the earth and return directly to his residence. Instead, he walked on foot, wanting to see more streets and alleys.
At a street corner near his dwelling, walking through the alleyway, the young scholar saw a young girl from a distance. She had a satchel slung diagonally over her shoulder, wearing a Xiang Jun Dragon Girl dress that didn't quite fit, and had a string of "Pearls in the Palm" made from transformed horn pearls on her wrist.
She would often touch the bead bracelet, as if afraid of losing it. Standing on tiptoe, she looked eagerly into the distance, clutching a bronze mirror. Gu Can glanced at it—it was a style of mountain transparent mirror, with a ring of inscription: "Divinely refined and immortally transmitted, seeing the sun's light, meeting the moon's splendor, all under heaven share brilliance."
But the dress, bracelet, and mirror were all imitations.
This was like the "official imitation of official" in porcelain: not as valuable, but still valuable.
If this were elsewhere, his first thought would be "assassin."
Here, there was no need for that. But caution never hurts. Gu Can suppressed his aura and slowly approached the girl.
In Panshui County, there were more than a dozen residences, and who lived in each was clear.
Because those who came to the Confucian Temple meeting, after appearing at Wenjin Ferry, rarely used illusion spells.
Firstly, there was no need; secondly, it might be a distant act of respect for the Sage of Rites.
The celestial maidens were almost all heading for Fu Jin.
The men were heading for the Flower Spirit Ladies of Hundred Flowers Blessed Land.
Gu Can, carrying a stack of books, walked through the alley, stopped, and smiled. "Miss, are you looking for that Fu Jin of Baidi City?"
The girl shook her head vigorously, unwilling to admit it.
Gu Can then walked out of the alley towards the main street. He turned to look—the girl was dabbing sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She seemed nervous when talking to people.
He smiled wryly. A celestial maiden like her would have a hard time making money from mirror flowers and water moon broadcasts. And why should making money be embarrassing?
Gu Can suddenly stopped.
Inside the residence.
Liu Chicheng was pulling Chai Bofu out. "Brother Dragon Bo, do you know that Zhang Tiaoxia?"
Chai Bofu shook his head.
In the past, the mountain and river gazettes of Vase Bottle Continent rarely mentioned extraordinary people from other continents. For example, they once mentioned the Sword Master Room of Inverted Suspense Mountain, but only because there was a bounty on Song Changjing's head. That was a point of pride for Vase Bottle Continent cultivators, so various gazettes made a big deal of it. As for the reason for the bounty in the Sword Master Room, they didn't mention a word. They just said that Song Changjing had caught the eye of a master from another continent. Nowadays, Vase Bottle Continent would certainly not do such things anymore.
In the past, Vase Bottle Continent cultivators would feel inferior to Indus Leaf Continent, and at least two heads shorter than the sword-cultivator-filled Northern Julu Continent. As for the Central Earth Divine Continent, they wouldn't even dare to think about it. Maybe if they jumped and spat, they could only reach the knees of Central Earth.
Liu Chicheng, in a righteous tone, said, "He has a Dao dispute with you. I must help you. Right now, he's probably fishing at Yuanyang Islet. The two of us together, let's ambush him!"
Chai Bofu's heart froze.
Seeing Liu Chicheng striding briskly, Chai Bofu followed cautiously and, mustering his courage, asked, "Why would there be a Dao dispute?"
Liu Chicheng said, "His nickname is Dragon Bo. Can you tolerate that?"
Chai Bofu said urgently, "I can tolerate it! Why can't I tolerate it..."
If it were somewhere else, it might be okay, but here, how could he?
Liu Chicheng sneered. "You're a Golden Core Earth Immortal now. What are you afraid of?"
Chai Bofu asked cautiously, "What realm is that Zhang Tiaoxia?"
Liu Chicheng shook his head. "Not even a Middle Five Realms Qi Refiner."
Chai Bofu's heart tightened. "Jade Pool? Immortal? Flying Ascension?!"
He almost asked if Zhang Tiaoxia was a Fourteen Realm cultivator.
Liu Chicheng shook his head again. "None of those."
Chai Bofu was confused.
Liu Chicheng "oh"ed. "Just a Tenth Realm martial artist. Before Pei Bei burst onto the scene, he was the top pure martial artist in the Haoran World. But he was delayed by fishing, and after reaching the Stopping Realm, he almost never fought anyone again, so he never became very famous."
Chai Bofu stood still.
Liu Chicheng reached out and took Brother Dragon Bo's arm.
Chai Bofu gritted his teeth and actually used spiritual energy to knock himself unconscious. He collapsed on the spot, bleeding from all seven orifices, completely passed out.
Liu Chicheng was a bit regretful. Finding Zhang Tiaoxia was real, but not to pick a fight. Their relationship was actually quite good. Liu Chicheng was just going to chat with an old acquaintance.
Let Brother Dragon Bo lie there, then. Won't disturb his sleep.
Liu Chicheng planned to go out for a stroll.
Suddenly, from outside the gate, someone shouted, "Fu, you idiot! Get the hell out here!"
Liu Chicheng was startled. The voice sounded familiar, but he had been imprisoned in Vase Bottle Continent for over a thousand years, so it was a bit hard to place. Then he thought about it. Damn, it was that Gu Qingsong! This old boatman, who seemed to charge at the gates of hell every day, still hadn't been killed? Liu Chicheng had never seen anyone so reckless and yet still alive.
Liu Chicheng asked, "Little Fu, do you need your master uncle's help?"
Fu Jin just sat quietly in his room, focusing on nurturing his sword intent.
He ignored Gu Qingsong and also ignored his master uncle Liu Chicheng.
The nearby celestial maidens were all excited. They inwardly cursed the old man for daring to call their Fu Lang "Fu the Idiot," but also felt a bit grateful. If Fu Lang appeared because of this, they would thank the old man for casting a brick to attract jade.
Gu Qingsong sneered, "Fu, you little brat, wearing white clothes all year. Are you attending a funeral?"
Liu Chicheng rubbed his chin. Well, well, he even insulted his own senior brother? Gu Qingsong's style hadn't diminished at all.
Han Qiaose was originally lying on a bamboo mat in her room, counting her belongings—various bottles and jars of mountain cosmetics. That woman from the Liu Clan of White-Ai Continent had good taste.
She stood up and stepped out of the house, arriving at the gate. But before she could speak, Gu Qingsong waved his hand and said, "Men are fighting. Woman, step aside!"
Liu Chicheng quickly appeared beside his senior sister. But Gu Qingsong spat and said with disgust, "Wearing a pink Daoist robe in broad daylight. Are you pretending to be a female ghost to disgust people? Why don't you wear embroidered shoes?"
With just a few words, he had provoked Zheng Juzhong, Fu Jin, Han Qiaose, and Liu Chicheng.
This was probably what they called "flowing like clouds and water, one smooth motion."
It was Gu Qingsong's innate divine ability at work.
Han Qiaose, who was about to strike at the old boatman, glanced at Liu Chicheng. She suddenly laughed and was no longer angry. He cursed pretty well.
Maybe that was another of Gu Qingsong's innate divine abilities.
Gu Can turned to the girl and smiled. "This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity, miss. Why aren't you using your mirror flowers and water moon?"
Those celestial maidens across the street had already made a good profit. Just from Gu Qingsong's words, they had earned quite a bit of immortal money from viewers everywhere.
The girl fumbled in a panic and quickly raised the mirror in her hand.
Gu Can had already retreated to the corner, holding his books.
The girl held the mirror in one hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the other.
She hadn't earned a single snowflake coin.
Her mountain was too small.
Gu Can asked, "Miss, if I want to watch your mirror flowers and water moon broadcasts in the future, what kind of mountain items do I need to buy? Are they expensive?"
The girl's eyes lit up. She patted her satchel. "Just buy a mirror made by our family. It's not expensive—ten snowflake coins."
Gu Can smiled. "Ten snowflake coins isn't cheap."
The girl's pretty face flushed slightly. "I'll sell it to you for six snowflake coins. It's really the cost price."
Gu Can asked, "Will you sell it for five? For good luck, since this is our first transaction."
The girl hesitated, then nodded. She undid the satchel, took out a dressing mirror. The inscription was quite elegant: "Clouds think of clothes, flowers think of countenance; a precious mirror reflects the spring breeze."
Gu Can took out five snowflake coins from his sleeve and handed them to the girl.
One hand gave the money, the other took the goods.
The girl lowered her eyes.
Ha, made a small profit of one snowflake coin!
She must not laugh. She absolutely must not laugh.
Gu Can put away the dressing mirror, leaned against the wall, and looked towards the main street.
Gu Qingsong, real name Xian Qu, was a Jade Pool realm cultivator, the nominal great disciple of Lu Chen, the Third Leader of the White Jade Capital. He was also a guest elder of the Yin-Yang Family Lu Clan. He had lived incognito, serving as a family guest elder of the Fan Clan of Old Dragon City, and was said to be deeply in love with Lady Gui. He had a close, irreconcilable relationship with the Law-Keeping Ancestor of the Azure Mystic Sect in the Central Earth Divine Continent. He was famous in the Haoran World: never won a fight, but never lost an argument.
Gu Can thought for a moment, stepped forward, and directly returned to his residence. Inside the house, he sat quietly and started reading.
As for the dressing mirror, it had already broken in his sleeve earlier.
To be honest, Gu Can didn't really care about Gu Qingsong, nor about his own master uncle Liu Chicheng, his senior brother Fu Jin, or even his master aunt Han Qiaose's life or death.
The only person Gu Can cared about hadn't arrived yet.
Now, Gu Can wasn't even sure that if he came, he would come to see him.
He suddenly put down the book, walked out of the house, came to the pond, and looked down. In the water, there was also a Gu Can.
—
On a treacherous mountain path, a narrow winding road, three riders moved slowly. One was a man wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a bamboo knife at his waist. Another rider rode alongside him—a young Confucian scholar with a bamboo backpack, holding a green bamboo staff.
Following behind was an old man who, paradoxically, had the most immortal aura. He wore yellow robes, held the horse's reins with one hand, and in the other carried a cloud-shaped ruyi scepter made of red-lacquered wood, with the inscription "Lion's Roar."
The old man murmured softly, "What is there in the mountains? Many white clouds on the ridges." This old immortal seemed quite pleased with himself as he rode through the mountains.
The young Confucian scholar asked, "A Liang, is it really okay for us to wander around like this? Don't you need to attend the meeting?"
The mountain path was full of forks. The man seemed to be in pain from the horse's jolting. He lifted his hips, scratched his crotch, and laughed, "There are still six days until the meeting, and it's only four or five hundred miles. Even if we were riding a dog, we'd make it on time."
The three tall horses looked incredibly spirited, but they were actually all "bamboo horse talismans" of the mountains.
The young man complained, "How do you talk? Old Senior is at least a Flying Ascension realm, at the same realm as you. Show some respect."
This was A Liang and Li Huai, along with that Flying Ascension realm tender Daoist. They were following the decree to escort their young master Li Huai all the way. The tender Daoist was enjoying this, with no complaints. Following Boss Li, there was food and drink. As long as he didn't have to worry about being inexplicably struck by lightning or a flash of sword light, it was already a divine life of burning incense. In the past, it wouldn't have dared to hang around A Liang. It would have become a skinny Daoist by now.
A Liang turned his head and looked at that ancestor of all mountain-hounding dogs in the world. In the history of the Barren Wastes World, there had been hundreds of mountain gods who had been harassed into homelessness by this creature. When it revealed its true form, mountains were like snowballs in its hands. Any mountain and river formations or mountain lord divine abilities were like paper to it. Moreover, this Flying Ascension creature's skill in one-on-one combat was quite impressive. It ranked in the Barren Wastes World. Back when Old Man Dong traveled alone through the Barren Wastes World and returned alive to the Sword Qi Great Wall, this thing had chased and gnawed at him the whole way. If it hadn't been imprisoned by the Blind Old Man in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, given the current situation in the Barren Wastes World, if it were allowed to run wild, it might have piled up a mountain taller than Tuoyue Mountain.
When the tender Daoist saw A Liang's kindly gaze, like a father looking at a son, he immediately bowed his head and scraped his foot, almost falling off his horse. He flattered, "What kind of Flying Ascension am I? In front of A Liang, who has experienced the grand scenery of the Fourteen Realm, my realm should be at least halved."
A Liang sighed. "It's a pity that the Confucian Temple hasn't lifted the ban on mountain and river gazettes. Otherwise, as we head towards Wenjin Ferry, you'd be hard-pressed to find a latrine. At night, your white butt would be like a lantern."
Li Huai asked, "A Liang, why aren't you wearing that Confucian robe?"
A Liang rolled his eyes. "Do you see Old Yu going out covered in talismans?"
Li Huai was puzzled. "What's the logic?"
A Liang took off his wine gourd and took a deep drink. "The logic is that too much is as bad as too little. So I need to restrain my heroic bearing. It's the same principle as your Senior Uncle Zuo needing to restrain his sword aura. The only difference is that Zuo You finds it easy to restrain his sword aura, while I have to work hard to hide."
Li Huai sneered. "Bragging again? A dog can't change its eating habits."
He suddenly felt a bit guilty and turned his head. The tender Daoist immediately put on a serious expression and said, "Being able to eat the same things as A Liang is a great honor!"
A Liang was too lazy to talk. He raised a fist without using any force. The yellow-robed old man flew backward off his horse. The ruyi scepter slipped from his hand and was caught by A Liang, who skillfully tucked it into his sleeve.
The tender Daoist rolled to his feet, gently shook his shoulders, and dusted off the dirt from his clothes.
Profitable. Very profitable.
If he could insult A Liang by giving away a ruyi scepter, the tender Daoist would give A Liang a whole basket.
Li Huai asked, "Why do we have to take this mountain path? Isn't the official road below better? The riding wouldn't be so bumpy."
A Liang laughed. "There's a master living in seclusion here. I'll take you to visit so you can see how popular I am in the Central Earth Divine Continent."
Li Huai was indignant. "You dragged me on this long detour just to show off your network?!"
A Liang laughed. "Later, when you benefit from my connections, drink good wine, and see pretty ladies, you can thank me then."
Li Huai was skeptical.
High mountains must have immortals, deep ridges must have spirits, deep waters must have dragons and turtles. But this mountain seemed ordinary.
About half an hour later, they were already riding downhill.
Li Huai sneered.
A Liang, trying to appear calm, could only shout via mind voice, "Friend, give me face. Open the door and give me a cup of tea. I'll drink and leave."
The mountain immortal's reply was succinct: "I'm not here."
A Liang got anxious. "Don't be like that! It doesn't matter if Lord Ye is here or not. As long as Sister Juanjuan is here, it's fine."
The man seemed to have lost patience. "Get lost!"
A Liang had no choice but to use his trump card. "If you keep this up, don't blame me for letting my dog scratch your door! This guy next to me doesn't know his own strength. Don't blame me if I can't control him."
The man remained silent.
A Liang threatened, "I care a lot about face. In this world, I respect those who respect me. If you embarrass me today, when I get to Panshui County at Wenjin Ferry, don't blame me for making your name known."
Within a heavily restricted immortal secret realm, mountains and waters were intertwined. A winding Dragon Neck Stream flowed into a lake as green as a mirror, like a dragon entering the water.
Not far away was the famous Standing Mirror Peak, as if cut by a sword. On both sides were steep cliffs, with a thin mountain ridge. There was only a narrow path, and at the widest part of the peak, there was only enough space for a small house. Whenever sunlight and moonlight passed through the peak, the golden rays, like a long sword, pierced into the lake.
The Haoran World had five great lakes. The water lords of these five lakes were of equal rank to the mountain gods of major peaks like Sui Mountain, Jiuyi Mountain, Juxu Mountain, Yanzhi Mountain, and the water gods of several great rivers.
This place was the hidden water mansion of Li Ye, the Water Lord of Jiaoyue Lake.
Unlike those great mountain gods, the identity of the Jiaoyue Lake Water Lord had changed several times. Moreover, compared to the other four lakes, the temple of the Jiaoyue Lake Water Lord had the least incense, so the Water Lord of Shenze Lake had always wanted to replace him, but had never succeeded.
A man with an elegant air lay reclining in a green bamboo corridor of a waterside pavilion. He wore a white robe with wide sleeves and a mask, leaning against a white porcelain pillow. He held a yellowed old palm-leaf fan, gently stirring a cool breeze.
The white porcelain pillow was an immortal treasure, the "Wandering Immortal Pillow." When you slept on it, all the five lakes and four seas appeared in your dreams.
In front of the man was an ancient zither and a stack of ancient books.
On the left were the zither, on the right the books.
Inside the zither, there were many seal inscriptions, along with red-filled small seals and nine-fold seal scripts, densely packed. This showed the zither had a clear lineage.
On the dragon pond, the seal script read "Yu Lun Pao," and next to it, clerical script read "Green Silk Terrace." There were also inscriptions like "Echoing Through the Ages," "Number One Under Heaven," "Setting Clouds and Green Pines, Waning Moon and Golden Pivot," "Unknown from Where Water Comes, Leaping Waves and Plunging Ravines Like Thunder."
On a high mountain without immortals, there are spirits; in a deep pool without dragons, there are water immortals.
A short, stocky man was walking on the lake surface as if on flat ground, slowly practicing his boxing stance.
In the center of the lake, there was a water pavilion built as a stage.
A woman in colorful clothes was dancing gracefully on the stage, her posture enchanting.
Under the eaves of the corridor, a row of ancient wooden bell racks held a set of nine bronze chimes. A green-clad child and a red-clad child struck the bells rhythmically, creating a beautiful sound like heavenly music.
Behind the man, the water pavilion had a plaque that read "Book Granary."
A couplet read: "The racks hold thirty thousand scrolls of ivory labels; the boxes collect two thousand springs of bamboo slips."
On the mountain path, Li Huai had to remind A Liang, "If we keep riding like this, we'll reach the foot of the mountain. Is your mountain immortal friend taking a nap, or did he coincidentally go out traveling?"
A Liang adjusted his bamboo hat and smiled, ignoring him.
He reached out and pressed the hilt of the bamboo knife at his waist.
Damn it. This Li Ye was refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit. Don't blame him for being unkind.
On the road ahead, ripples appeared, like water patterns spreading. It was as if an invisible mirror had suddenly erected itself on the road. A Liang laughed loudly, spurred his horse, and rode straight into the immortal residence's secret realm.
Li Huai and the tender Daoist followed on their horses. In an instant, Li Huai found himself on a lakeside path, only a few steps away from the water pavilion.
They each put away their walking horse talismans. Li Huai felt a bit restrained as he walked next to the striding A Liang. The tender Daoist busily looked around, seeing if any opportunity to take advantage presented itself, while also preparing to slander A Liang.
How did he get his fortune? It didn't just fall from the sky. He had dug it up with hard work.
Before entering the water pavilion corridor, A Liang sat down on the steps, kicked off his boots, frowned, and quickly put them back on.
Li Huai didn't know what the custom was, so he just imitated: took off his boots, then put them back on.
A Liang took off his bamboo hat, tucked it under his arm, leaned against a corridor pillar, and balanced on one foot. He looked at the graceful woman on the lake stage, a wistful expression in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "Whenever the wind rises in the bamboo courtyard, and the moon shines on the banana window, facing the scene and thinking of someone, my soul is tossed and turned."
He began to count down with a smile: "Three, two, one!"
Li Huai was completely confused.
When A Liang reached "one," the woman in colorful clothes on the lake stage suddenly stopped dancing and turned to look at the lakeside pavilion. "Villain, prepare to die!"
A Liang laughed. "Li Huai, how was that?"
Li Huai asked, "What do you mean?"
A Liang said with a "tsk tsk," "Parting makes the heart grow fonder. A beating is affection, a scolding is love. Don't you understand that?"
A flash of color, and the woman arrived in an instant. A sword materialized in her hand, the tip aimed straight at A Liang's head.
A Liang actually closed his eyes, adopting a "waiting for death" pose.
She stopped outside the railing. Surprised that A Liang hadn't dodged, she hesitated, but still thrust the sword forward.
The sword tip barely touched the forehead of that scoundrel, just scratching a little, when she pulled the sword back.
But A Liang fell backward with a thud, hitting the ground. Then he started to roll on the corridor floor, holding his head with both hands, shouting as if to encourage himself: "A good man sheds blood, not tears. A Liang, be strong. You must not lose face in front of Sister Juanjuan..."
Li Huai was astounded.
The tender Daoist was deeply impressed.
Lake Lord Li Ye had already stood up, removed his mask, and tucked it into his sleeve. He revealed a middle-aged man's face, not old, but with deep eyes full of the vicissitudes of life. This reclusive lake lord in white was extraordinary in bearing, a bit melancholic but not dispirited.
Li Huai glanced at this immortal master, then at A Liang, who had rolled all the way to the white porcelain pillow and taken it for himself. Leaning on the pillow, crossing his legs, spreading out, he shouted, "So comfortable!"
Li Ye didn't even bother to look at A Liang directly. Instead, he nodded to Li Huai and the tender Daoist.
Li Huai quickly bowed. "Cliff Academy, Confucian student Li Huai."
The yellow-robed old man smiled and introduced himself, "The Tender Daoist, servant of Young Master Li."
Li Ye was a bit surprised.
A young Confucian scholar from Cliff Academy in Vase Bottle Continent, and he had a Flying Ascension realm... great demon servant following him?
The woman in colorful clothes landed on the corridor, sword in hand, and shouted, "A Liang, make way for my master!"
The short, stout man who had been practicing boxing on the lake also came to the pavilion, but he didn't have harsh words for A Liang.
A Liang turned sideways, his back to the pavilion railing, striking a pose he thought was "a jade mountain reclining." It seemed he was sulking with the woman. His voice was plaintive: "No."
The woman in colorful clothes, the number one water spirit of Jiaoyue Lake, was named Huang Juan in the Golden Jade Registry of the Water Lord's Mansion. She was fond of eating bookworms.
As for that water ghost hero spirit, his name was Sha Qing. He had been a Tenth Realm martial artist in life, and now his status was equivalent to the chief guest elder of Jiaoyue Lake.
Huang Juan strode forward and swung her sword.
A Liang nimbly did a one-handed cartwheel, performing a handstand. He dodged the sword strike, then bent his elbow, gently exerted force to flip his body, and sat cross-legged. He snapped his fingers.
Nothing happened.
A Liang snapped his fingers again.
Still nothing.
A Liang turned to look at Li Ye, who was leaning against the railing. He laughed. "Brother Ye, you're half the host. Take a look at the scenery near the four ferries."
Li Ye waved his sleeve. A landscape painting appeared on the lake. Mountains rose and fell, with spots of light, some as big as lanterns, some as small as mustard seeds. This was the "hope-qi" technique of mountain and river spirits. Each spot of light was a Qi refiner.
A Liang leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. "Not many people from Northern Julu Continent."
Li Ye was silent. This was all arranged by the Central Earth Confucian Temple. He, a mere lake lord, was not in a position to comment.
A Liang asked, "Has Old Pei arrived?"
Li Ye held the yellowed palm-leaf fan and fanned gently. "The Confucian Temple didn't invite him, and Pei Min hasn't shown up on his own."
A Liang asked again, "What about Monk Liaoran from Xuankong Temple?"
Li Ye said, "He has come. The figures from Buddhism and Daoism, as well as the founding masters of various schools, and mountain and river spirits including Sui Mountain, are not settling near the four ferries, regardless of whether they attend the meeting. The Confucian Temple has other arrangements, and they are not forbidden from visiting friends at the four places. But few are willing to take the trouble to visit."
A Liang rubbed his chin, clicking his tongue in wonder. "He's called everyone here, but most might not even be able to attend the meeting, let alone be observers. They're bound to make a wasted trip. Doesn't this seem a bit aggressive of the Confucian Temple?"
A Liang asked, "What about Wei Jin of the Storm Snow Temple?"
Vase Bottle Continent's only native Immortal realm sword cultivator, also a military strategist cultivator from the Storm Snow Temple. He had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall and had distinguished himself in the Battle of the Great Li Subsidiary Capital. Logically, he should be qualified to participate.
Li Ye shook his head. "He didn't come. The Confucian Temple's quota for the military strategists was limited, so Wei Jin voluntarily gave his spot to a young man named Xu Bai."
A Liang laughed. "That kid with the nickname 'Young Jiang Taigong'? Immortal Xu?"
Li Ye nodded slightly.
A Liang rubbed his hands together. "Excellent! I'll play a few chess games with him. I'll win the nickname 'Old Jiang Taigong'! That game against him will be like the 'Small Colored Cloud Game,' destined to go down in history!"
Li Ye leaned back against the railing, gently waving his fan, looking at the eager man. The Central Earth Divine Continent wouldn't be peaceful from now on.
Some mountain and river gazettes of certain immortal sects in the Central Earth Divine Continent had absolutely no backbone. The titles "Cultivator with the Best Record in the Haoran World," "Top Ten Young Talents of the Central Earth," "Cultivator with the Greatest Luck with Women in the Haoran World"—all of them, without exception, included this A Liang. Fortunately, these gazettes often sold poorly. They probably had a knife to their throats and had no choice but to grit their teeth and deal with this damn guy.
A Liang looked at the little man named Sha Qing. The latter had no choice but to toss over a gourd of their Jiaoyue wine.
A Liang feigned anger. "Sha Qing, I taught you a few sets of peerless boxing techniques, and you only give me one gourd? Did the Tender Daoist eat your conscience?"
If there hadn't been an outsider, Li Huai would have choked A Liang to shut him up.
Back then, when they traveled afar for study, Li Huai was the youngest. He often rode on A Liang's neck, shouting "giddy-up," swinging his straw sandals, telling A Liang to run faster.
That Tenth Realm martial artist, who had appeared in the form of a ghost, had to throw two more gourds of wine. "Black Tiger Steals Heart," "Fish at the Bottom of the Moon," "Monkey Steals Peach." Ha, such good boxing techniques indeed.
A Liang shuffled his buttocks, sat down in front of the ancient zither, took a deep breath, slowly raised his hands, then suddenly grabbed a wine gourd and took a sip. He shuddered, as if possessed by a ghost. He began to play the zither, his head bobbing and weaving. A Liang was lost in his own intoxication.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the pavilion was awkward. The little spirit creatures who had been striking the bells all covered their ears.
Li Huai couldn't stand it anymore. The key was that the colorful-clad fairy looked livid, her sword trembling slightly. She might strike at any moment. Li Huai quickly coughed. A Liang pressed the strings with both hands and turned his head, puzzled. "What?"
Li Huai raised a hand and wiped his neck, signaling that he had had enough. If he didn't leave soon, he wouldn't show any brotherly feelings.
A Liang sighed. They were all vulgar people, unable to appreciate the subtlety of the music.
A Liang lifted the wine gourd, sniffed it, and asked, "What about the Indus Leaf Continent side?"
Li Ye said, "Wei Ying, the new sect leader of the Jade Gui Sect, and Wu Shu, the Martial Saint. Just those two. Wu Shu came to Wenjin Ferry with the Chen Clan of Pure Confucianism from Southern Poplar Continent."
A Liang frowned.
Huang Juan gritted her teeth. "Liu Qi came this time too!"
A Liang was a bit guilty and said, "I know him, but he doesn't know me."
That Liu Qi was a bit older, and had gone to the Azure Underworld, staying in a Poetry Surplus Blessed Land without moving.
She said angrily, "Then how did you have the nerve to call yourself Liu Qi's close friend back then?!"
A Liang forced a laugh. "At that time, it was fine wine, beautiful women, a bright moon, and the night. The wine, the person, the moonlight all intoxicated me. How could I handle it? I was drunk and said nonsense. I didn't really mean it."
She sneered. "I'm looking forward to this meeting. When you meet Liu Qi and Su Ci, will you have the face to voluntarily greet those two seniors?!"
Huang Juan, the water official of Jiaoyue Lake, admired Liu Qi the most.
So when this A Liang first visited the secret water mansion, he swore that he was Liu Qi's close friend, and she believed him.
How could she imagine that a mountain immortal who came to visit and drank with the master could be so shameless? And she heard that this man was a descendant of a sage, a scholar among scholars!
A Liang quickly found a way to make amends. He said seriously, "Sister Huang Juan, don't be angry. I know a young man. His character, appearance, and learning are not inferior to Liu Qi's. He even has the reputation of 'From a distance, he looks vaguely like A Liang'!"
Li Huai kicked A Liang.
A Liang asked, puzzled, "What? Brother-in-law, do you want me to introduce you to Sister Huang Juan?"
She looked confused, not knowing who A Liang was talking about.
Li Ye smiled and explained, "If I'm not mistaken, that young man is the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall."
Her expression immediately turned serious.
She was too lazy to bother with A Liang's nonsense.
Bai Ye had traveled to Fuyao Continent with his sword as the opening. Zheng Juzhong of Baidi City had gone to Fuyao Continent to finish the game on that continent. Chen Chun'an of the Chen Clan of Pure Confucianism in Southern Poplar Continent had blocked Liu Cha. The center of Vase Bottle Continent had been a battlefield. And even earlier, the Sword Qi Great Wall had seen years of fierce fighting.
Now, almost all the top cultivators of the Haoran World had replayed and analyzed these events. No matter which starting point they chose, they could not avoid the Sword Qi Great Wall and Vase Bottle Continent. They had their own opinions about the various heroes who had emerged. For example, Huang Juan greatly admired a young man from elsewhere. He had not only gained a foothold on the Sword Qi Great Wall but had also served as the Hidden Officer. He had held off the armies of the Barren Wastes World for several extra years. The key was that the longer the war lasted, the more people survived. Eventually, he helped Flying Ascension City preserve more sword Dao seeds.
Just this matter alone made her admire the young Hidden Officer, whom she had never met, from the bottom of her heart.
Because an extra ten or twenty thousand people in the Haoran World was a completely different concept from an extra ten or twenty thousand people in the Flying Ascension City of the Fifth World.
The short, stocky man asked curiously, "Back when they were selecting the young top ten of several worlds, the young Hidden Officer was already a mountain peak realm martial artist?"
"There's no helping it. I taught that kid some boxing techniques. A famous master produces outstanding disciples."
A Liang brought his two fingers together and pointed at his own eyes. "This is called having a keen eye!"
Li Huai coughed.
A Liang immediately took the hint and asked, "Has Chen Ping'an not arrived yet?"
Li Ye shook his head. "According to the Confucian Temple, while Chen Ping'an was traveling through Northern Julu Continent, he accidentally boarded the Night Boat. Ning Yao ascended to the Haoran World with her sword, and through the guidance of the immortal swords, she found that boat. But after that, there has been no news from either of them."
A Liang used his thumb to wipe the corner of his mouth, his smile fading, his eyes deep. "This is a bit troublesome. It's easy to miss the meeting like this."
Li Huai was worried. Could it be that after all this hard work, he still wouldn't be able to see Chen Ping'an?
Li Huai asked softly, "A Liang, isn't there a way?"
A Liang shook his head. "It's too hard to find. That's all."
That boat was the best at hiding its tracks, extremely difficult to find.
Old Master Fu had boarded the Night Boat twice. His opinions of the boat were mixed. The old master had also made a very vivid analogy: compared to the Haoran World, the boat's drifting on the sea was like a mosquito in an ordinary person's house. As long as it didn't buzz around, it was hard to spot.
Someone asked curiously, "Can't even the First Sage and the Sage of Rites find the boat's location?"
The old master laughed heartily and said, "I was just talking about their views on that boat. For ordinary people, they board by chance and leave by virtue of their knowledge."
Some people were lucky enough to board and disembark. Afterwards, they would sigh with emotion, "Only when using books do you regret knowing too little. If I had known about this boat, I would have worn out all the books of the various schools."
On the boat, what mattered was the exchange of opportunities. Every item was a bridge, a ferry. The customs clearance document was the traveler's knowledge, which was like having toll money in hand. So a Night Boat was like a manifestation of the world's knowledge. And the place where the world's knowledge was most valuable was this boat.
Huang Juan smiled and listed the women one by one: "The Lady of Green Spirit Mountain, the female immortal Cong Qian, a Flower Deity of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land..."
A Liang pretended not to hear. If the love is everlasting, it doesn't matter if they are together day and night.
Li Huai was surprised. "A Liang, you've pursued so many women? Are you fishing? Casting a wide net?"
A Liang raised his hands and smoothed his sparse hair from front to back. "It's still debatable who pursued whom."
Li Ye smiled and said, "Except for the eastern ferry, which has too few people, the other three places—Panshui County, Yuanyang Islet, and Aotou Mountain—are about to hold three elegant gatherings. The organizers are the Liu Clan of White-Ai Continent, Yu Panshui, and the Flower Master of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land. Yu Panshui mainly brought in the Lady of Green Spirit Mountain, as well as Liu Qi and Cao Zu who are traveling with her. So the event is quite prestigious."
Li Ye roughly described where the invitations for the three parties had gone. Liu Jubao's Yuanyang Islet gathering had invited the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect delegation, as well as the Fire Dragon True Man of Northern Julu Continent, Sword Immortal Bai Shang, the Great Source Dynasty Emperor, and National Preceptor Yang Qingkong. From Fuyao Continent, there was Liu Tui; from Liuxia Continent, there were Cong Qian and Qin Zao.
Yu Panshui, because of the Lady of Green Spirit Mountain, had invited Fu Lu Yu Xuan, a large group of Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Mansion gold and purple nobles led by Great Heavenly Master Zhao Tianlai, a celestial fox, and the Washing Gauze Lady under the alias Jiu Niang. Also, Pei Bei and Cao Ci of the Great Duan Dynasty, and the Yunlin Jiang Clan of Vase Bottle Continent.
The gathering hosted by the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, besides the Green Bell Lady of Lushui Pit, had also invited Su Ci, the City Lord Zheng Juzhong of Baidi City, Huai Yin, Wei Ying of the Jade Gui Sect of Indus Leaf Continent, and Martial Saint Wu Shu.
Naturally, there would be no lack of fine wine at the banquets, but everyone was certain that no one was attending for the sake of immortal brew, even if there would definitely be Green Spirit Mountain wine, Hundred Flowers Brew, and Cold Su wine.
But one person, whom A Liang respectfully called "Big Leg Yan," would probably be an exception.
"So many drinking parties?! Are they all to welcome me?"
A Liang's spirits immediately lifted. His eyes sparkled. "Very good, very good. I'm touched, I'm touched. I didn't think that after being away from home for a few years, my fellow countrymen and sisters would value me so much! What a pity there's only one A Liang. I hope they won't fight over me. The three parties should be staggered. Brother Ye, quickly tell them that I'll be there right away..."
Li Ye didn't even acknowledge this and just said, "Many people now think that south of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the great dragon is in hibernation, and the deer is fat."
A Liang stood up, bypassed the zither and books, held the wine gourd in one hand, and slapped the railing with the other. He looked at the calm, waveless lake water. "Each and every one of them, riding the waves, trying to climb the rainbow to heaven. It's not that simple."
A Liang finished the wine in the gourd and handed it to the Lake Lord. Li Ye took it. A Liang then took the fan from his hand and fanned vigorously. "Alright, everyone is avoiding the heat and running around like mad. Let them be busy. As for me, I don't stir up wind and waves. My heart has no ice or charcoal. I'm free from worries, supremely cool."
A Liang slapped the railing again. "Time to go!"
Huang Juan saw that this guy, who seemed to have no concept of shame, was, as expected, not at all surprising. He reached behind his back, tucked the fan against his back, and then kept moving, always facing her master, hiding the fan. He circled half a turn, then said his farewell and ran off down the path.
She was about to chase after him with her sword, but Li Ye waved his hand. "Why bother arguing with a half-bald man."
The short, stocky man was puzzled. "Why has he lost his hair? But he seems a bit taller this time?"
Li Ye reminded him, "The boots."
Sha Qing suddenly understood and secretly glanced down at his own boots.
The woman in colorful clothes was shocked. "Does this guy have any sense of shame?!"
The short man immediately raised his head and nodded seriously. "He has no shame."
On the path, A Liang was about to take out the walking horse talisman when Li Huai reached out and grabbed him by the neck.
A Liang patted Li Huai's arm and complained, "Brother Li Huai, what are you doing?!"
Li Huai increased the pressure and chuckled. "I've gained face today. I've really gained face today. When we get to Panshui County, let's go our own ways. Don't you dare say you know me."
A Liang had no choice but to stand on tiptoe, stretch his neck, and swear, "No problem. I'll tell everyone that I don't know Li Huai."
Li Huai laughed in exasperation, leaning back. A Liang almost lifted his feet off the ground.
If Yu Panshui saw this, he would probably be weeping tears of joy.
The da—tender Daoist's admiration for Li Huai grew spontaneously. His young master was extraordinary, a dragon among men!
First, he kicked the Blind Old Man, and now he was grabbing A Liang by the neck. The key was that neither of them fought back!
Li Huai let go and asked a question, "Are that many people attending the meeting?"
A Liang hesitated, then said via mind voice, "Actually, there are two meetings. One has many people, the other has few, very few."
—
Two days remained until the Confucian Temple meeting.
At the Merit Grove.
The old scholar sat on a stone stool, muttering to himself. The Confucian Temple people were a bunch of good-for-nothings who couldn't even find a Night Boat.
He counted on his fingers. Zuo You and Jun Qian should be arriving soon.
Bored and idle, the old scholar started playing chess against himself.
Suddenly, the restrictions opened, and the old scholar turned to look. Two very familiar figures appeared.
Liu Shiliu's first disciple, that little spirit creature, had been temporarily placed elsewhere, after all, the Merit Grove was not an ordinary place.
Zuo You and Jun Qian bowed simultaneously. "Greetings, teacher."
The old scholar didn't see the last disciple he most wanted to see. So he turned his head, stared at the chess game, and pretended not to see or hear.
After a moment, the two disciples remained bowed. The old scholar suddenly smiled and waved enthusiastically. "What are you standing there for? Come, come, play a game of chess with the teacher."
Jun Qian was about to walk behind the teacher, but Zuo You called him "junior brother," so he had to sit on the stone stool opposite the teacher.
Unexpectedly, the old scholar stood up and gave his seat to Zuo You. He said, "You brothers don't see each other often. You two play a game."
The old scholar gave random advice on the game as he slowly walked around the table, patting Zuo You on the shoulder, and also patting Jun Qian on the head.
The old man didn't say much.
After a game, the old scholar looked at the board, clasped his hands behind his back, very satisfied. Under his guidance, his two disciples had played a wonderfully exquisite game.
At the Confucian Temple, several restrictions were extremely rarely opened all at once. Then a rainbow figure appeared, heading straight for the Merit Grove.
The old scholar suddenly looked up.
A figure in a blue shirt, with a jade hairpin, a sword on his back, had traveled here from afar.
The blue-shirted sword immortal, Chen Ping'an, bowed. "Disciple Chen Ping'an, pays respects to teacher."
The old scholar strode forward and grasped the arms of his last disciple.
Zuo You and Jun Qian had already stood up.
The old man said softly, "Very good, very good."
At this Confucian Temple meeting, the Sage of Rites had personally invited only two people.
One had lived for a long time, cultivating for over twenty thousand years. The other was now only forty-two years old.
Bai Ze.
The lineage of the Literary Sage, the Hidden Officer Chen Ping'an.