Chapter 835: Fourteen

Chapter 835: Fourteen

At the entrance of the alley, an inconspicuous carriage was parked, its curtains old and its horses ordinary. A short, palace-robed matron was chatting idly with the old cultivator Liu Jia. The cheerful young man of the Tianshui Zhao Clan was, for once, uncharacteristically restrained.

The coachman was an acquaintance, still standing beside the carriage with his eyes closed, resting.

Chen Ping'an walked unhurriedly, not pausing his steps, and cheerfully extended three fingers. The old coachman let out a cold snort.

The palace-robed matron stopped her desultory chat with the old cultivator, turned her head, and looked at the figure in blue robes. A jade hairpin was nestled in his hair, his stature was tall, and he wore cloth shoes, giving him a relaxed and leisurely air. He didn't seem like an outsider—more like someone strolling at ease on his own turf.

A blue-robed sword immortal, striding boldly through the capital, young and spirited—nothing more than that.

But the young man wasn't carrying the long sword on his back at the moment. It was said to be a piece of the Immortal Sword Taibai's tip, refined into a sword. Yet during the campaign against Zhengyang Mountain, this sword hadn't appeared much; he had relied more on his swordsmanship to suppress the entire mountain. He had probably left the long sword stored in his residence. Zhao Yao, the Vice Minister of Justice in the Song Dynasty court, was also blessed with significant immortal fortune, having obtained a piece of the Taibai Immortal Sword.

As the blue-robed man drew closer, she furrowed her brow slightly, a hint of doubt stirring in her heart. That mud-legged boy from years past had grown so tall now? If they were to chat later, wouldn't she be at a disadvantage?

Earlier, at the Changchun Place, through the landscape painting conjured by the Observatory and the shattered fate porcelain, she only remembered the figure in the painting: ethereal and immortal, clad in a green gauze Daoist robe and a lotus crown, holding a lingzhi in his hands and wearing cloud-treading shoes. She had truly overlooked the young man's current height.

Liu Jia took his leave of the Grand Dowager of Great Li and, together with his disciple Zhao Duanming, retreated into the White Jade Daoist Arena, actively sealing off heaven and earth, leaving the alley for the two of them.

The palace-robed matron waved at the old coachman, who drove the carriage away.

This Grand Dowager of Great Li had mastered the art of preserving her youthful appearance, her skin as smooth as congealed fat. Due to her short stature, even among the women of the southern lands of this continent, she was considered relatively short, making her seem particularly petite and exquisite. Yet she possessed the aura of a golden branch and jade leaves, a Daoist adept, her appearance no older than a woman in her thirties.

Her surname was Nan, given name Zan, a native of Yuzhang Commandery, Tingzhou, within the territory of Great Li. Her family was merely a local prominent clan, and after she entered the palace and gained power, they did not rise with her like chickens and dogs ascending to heaven; instead, they fell into obscurity.

Her attire was plain and elegant, without excessive ornamentation, merely products of the Dyeing and Weaving Institute under the Capital's Minor Steward Office. They wove the unique cloud patterns of the Dyeing and Weaving Institute, which were merely cleverly crafted. The weaving craftsmanship and silk materials were ultimately not celestial objects, possessing no trace of the miraculous. But she wore a string of bracelets, twelve snow-white beads, bright and lovely.

With no one around, and naturally no one daring to spy on this place, Nan Zan, the most powerful woman in the Bottle Gourd Continent, actually performed a curtsey, bowing sideways with graceful poise and a hint of allure. She smiled radiantly and said, "I have seen Mr. Chen."

Chen Ping'an stopped and clasped his fists with a smile, "I have seen the Grand Dowager."

He took an extra glance at the woman's bracelet, which was truly worth a fortune. Each bead was a "Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl," recorded in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," capable of awakening one's mind and spirit, allowing one to recall past lives. If one forgot something in this life, merely rubbing this pearl would spark a spiritual connection. The patriarchal-level immortal sects of the Grand All-under-Heaven world would painstakingly seek these pearls to welcome back their reincarnated old patriarchs, presenting them with the pearls to help them awaken and remember their past lives and cultivation.

Nan Zan glanced at where the blue-robed man had stopped. It was neither too close nor too far, so she didn't need to look up to meet his gaze and converse.

On the surface, it seemed she was giving him great face. Nan Zan, noble as the Grand Dowager, still deigned to address him respectfully as "Mr.," and he, in return, returned the favor with understanding, not taking advantage of her short stature.

Nan Zan smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, how about we go into the residence for a slow chat?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "The Grand Dowager is the host, so naturally the guest follows the host's wishes."

The two walked together in the alley, each close to the wall, looking straight ahead. Nan Zan sighed emotionally, "Lucky is the Grand All-under-Heaven, to have jointly turned back the tide. Mr. Chen traveled far to the Sword Qi Great Wall and accomplished many feats. First, he slew the hidden Ascension-stage great demon on the border sea, then slew the Throne Lord Dragon Lord on the city wall. As an outsider, he served as the final Hidden Official. Such feats, across multiple worlds, have not been seen in ten thousand years, and I believe they will never be seen again. Great Li is truly fortunate to have Mr. Chen."

Chen Ping'an, hands tucked into his sleeves, said slowly, "The winds and waves are fierce, the weeds stand tall. That is all."

Nan Zan was silent for a moment. As they neared the residence gate, she suddenly asked, "Dare I ask, is the Old Master of Literary Sages currently cultivating quietly in the residence? Would it disturb him if he is reading?"

Chen Ping'an pushed open the courtyard gate and shook his head. "The Master is not here."

Nan Zan then asked, "Is it appropriate for Sword Immortal Ning to stay at that common inn in the marketplace? Do you need me to arrange accommodations?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I appreciate the Grand Dowager's kindness, but it's unnecessary."

They settled in a courtyard. Nan Zan smiled and asked, "Mr. Chen, would you like wine or tea?"

Chen Ping'an, hands still tucked in his sleeves, leaned against the stone table and turned his head with a smile. "How about we discuss business first?"

Nan Zan asked with a beaming smile, "I wonder what matter Mr. Chen has summoned me here to discuss?"

Chen Ping'an extended one hand out of his sleeve. "Hand it over."

Nan Zan looked bewildered. "What does Mr. Chen intend to ask for?"

Chen Ping'an maintained his posture and smiled. "Returning the original to its rightful owner is a matter of course. Otherwise, one wouldn't be asking the Grand Dowager for a life—that would be too arrogant and rebellious."

Nan Zan looked around, puzzled. "Returning the original to its rightful owner? Dare I ask, Mr. Chen, on half of the territory of Bottle Gourd Continent, what thing does not belong to my Great Li?"

Chen Ping'an withdrew his hand and smiled. "If you won't give it, then forget it."

Nan Zan seemed somewhat surprised by his easy acquiescence. She slapped her forehead. "Ah, I remember! Mr. Chen isn't referring to the fragments of the fate porcelain, is he?"

Chen Ping'an said, "The Grand Dowager didn't wear that bracelet for nothing on this trip."

Nan Zan raised one hand, revealing a snow-white wrist like lotus root. "How about I give the bracelet to Mr. Chen? Maybe it will come in handy and help with the urgent matter."

Chen Ping'an squinted his eyes, silent.

Somewhere within the residence, the faint sound of a dragon's roar echoed on the walls, stirring the soul.

Senior Brother Zuo You was right. If reasoning were useful, why practice the sword?

The woman seemed completely unaware. She lowered her arm and lightly placed it on the table. The beads touched the stone, rolling slightly with a creaking sound. She stared at the blue-robed man's profile and laughed, "Mr. Chen's Jade Perfection Realm is truly extraordinary. The world doesn't know that Mr. Chen's 'Realm of Ultimate Vigor' is unprecedented, surpassing even Cao Ci. They also don't know that the Hidden Official's 'Jade Perfection and Two Flying Swords' are equally astonishing. Others think Mr. Chen's cultivation, with swordsmanship and boxing at the pinnacle, is too incredible to believe, but I think Mr. Chen's art of hiding his true abilities is his real skill for living."

Seeing that Chen Ping'an was unwilling to speak, she continued on her own, "That piece of porcelain will certainly be returned, just as Mr. Chen said—returning the original to its rightful owner is reasonable and fair. Why wouldn't I give it? I must give it. But when to give it, I think we shouldn't be too hasty. That porcelain fragment has been with me for many years, and I've kept it safe and sound for Mr. Chen. So, Mr. Chen, why rush?"

Nan Zan reached out and lightly brushed the tabletop. "I can guarantee to you, on behalf of His Majesty, that we are willing to exhaust the foundations of the Song Clan and the national power of Great Li to help Mr. Chen break through to the Immortal Realm as quickly as possible, then the Ascension Realm, until the bottleneck of the Ascension Realm. By then, Mr. Chen will have become the immortal leader of a continent's mountain sects, like Chen Chun'an of Southern Bodhisattva Continent, Fire Dragon True Monarch of Northern Julu, and Liu Jubao of White Jade Continent. At that time, I will present that porcelain fragment with both hands as a small congratulatory gift to wish Mr. Chen further success. During this period, the Great Li court will ask nothing of Mr. Chen or Fallen Mountain."

Chen Ping'an turned his head and asked with a smile, "Is there such a good thing in the world? Not needing to give anything, just lying back and enjoying blessings every day. I almost mistakenly think my surname is Song."

Nan Zan's eyes sparkled as she stared intently at him. "Mr. Chen is joking. I said earlier, Great Li is fortunate to have Mr. Chen. If I don't cherish that, I, Nan Zan, as a daughter-in-law of the Song Clan, would be ashamed to face the ancestors of the Song clan in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "What if the Grand Dowager had the face to burn incense and offer sacrifices, but the various worthies and accompanying sacrifices in the Song clan's Imperial Ancestral Temple couldn't bear to look? That would be rather awkward."

Nan Zan covered her mouth with a delicate laugh. "Mr. Chen has indeed changed a lot. Compared to his taciturn youth, he is now very witty."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "The dead Dragon Lord, the half-dead Liu Bai, the departed Li Zhen—they accompanied me for many years, old and young, male and female, and they all thought so."

Nan Zan patted her chest, still feeling the lingering fear. "Mr. Chen, don't scare me. I'm just a woman—not only long-haired and short-sighted, but also timid."

Chen Ping'an extended a hand toward the gate. "Then I won't see you off, lest I scare the Grand Dowager to death and not be able to afford it."

Nan Zan stood up, bit her lip, and said with a pitiful look, "Then I'll really go?"

Chen Ping'an stood up with a smile. "Then I'll still see the Grand Dowager off, to fulfill my duties as host."

But Nan Zan plopped back down to her original seat. Before sitting, she bent her knees slightly, leaned forward, let her hands hang down, and lightly smoothed the curve of her robe, the silk flowing like water. Once seated, she lifted her chin high and said with a bewitching smile, "I was joking with Mr. Chen. You can't be the only one allowed to be witty, can you? I can't even say a petulant word?"

Then she suddenly said, "Mr. Chen's craftsmanship is very good. The bamboo staff, the book chest, the chair—they were all very well made. I saw them at the shop by the river back then."

But before Nan Zan could finish, she felt a slight chill at her neck. In her field of vision, the blue robe had disappeared, and a sword sheath was pressing against her neck. Chen Ping'an's voice asked with a laugh, "Let's calculate. After a horizontal slice, how tall do you think the Grand Dowager will be?"

The palace-robed woman shook her head. "I'm just a mere Core Formation cultivator. With Mr. Chen's swordsmanship, if he really wanted to kill someone, there would be no need for idle talk. Don't bother with bluffing..."

Sure enough, Chen Ping'an twisted his wrist, and the long sword flew back to the wall of a side room.

Chen Ping'an sat back down.

The woman smiled slightly. Southern Pillar and Northern Hidden Official—nothing much.

But suddenly, a flash of sword light.

Nan Zan's head flew high into the air. She abruptly stood up, grabbed her head with both hands, and quickly placed it back on her neck, hurriedly wiping the wound with her palm. But as she slightly turned her head, the pain hit her, and she couldn't help but snap angrily, "Chen Ping'an! Do you really dare to kill me?!"

Chen Ping'an took out a flask of wine from his sleeve and produced a Flower God Cup he had casually snatched during a Literary Council meeting. He poured himself a cup of wine and drank leisurely. "You say I don't dare, so I don't dare."

Nan Zan stood there, sneering, "I'll bet you don't dare to kill me. I'll say it here today: either you wait patiently until you reach the bottleneck of the Ascension Realm, and then I'll return the porcelain fragment, or kill me today and commit rebellion! Tomorrow, a unit of Great Li's iron cavalry will besiege Fallen Mountain. Patrol Envoy Cao Ping will personally lead the army to attack Fallen Mountain, and Minister of Rites Dong Hu will be responsible for mobilizing various mountain and river spirits. You can bet: will the Three Rivers Water God, the various mountain gods, and the Mountain Lord Wei Bo stand by and watch, or what?"

Nan Zan rubbed her neck, her soul trembling. She had never suffered such a humiliation in her life, and she hated this rebellious mud-bottle alley bastard to the core. Then she gave a scornful laugh, "The Literary Sage, plus you and a Flying Ascension-stage sword cultivator Dao partner Ning Yao, don't forget that in Grand All-under-Heaven, it's the rules of the Central Earth Literary Temple that govern the world. Not to mention the Literary Sage, who has just been restored to his divine position, even the Ritual Sage must respect the ritual rules he himself established..."

Unexpectedly, the blue-robed man waved his hand in a pressing-down motion, smiling. "Don't get agitated! What's the rush? Just a harmless joke. Can't you, Daoist Nan Zan, not control your mouth, and I accidentally not control my flying sword?"

Nan Zan took a deep breath.

It's fine, as long as His Majesty witnessed that shocking scene, then this suffering wasn't in vain.

Chen Ping'an teased, "Besides, you, Nan Zan, aren't familiar with the Literary Temple or the Ritual Sage, but I am."

Then Chen Ping'an casually waved his sleeve, shattering a rather hidden Mirror Flower Water Moon. "His Majesty in the palace is probably seeing flowers in the fog right now, not understanding why the Grand Dowager acted like this. That Observatory fellow will probably be even more embarrassed, not knowing how to interact with the Grand Dowager from now on."

Chen Ping'an snapped his fingers, and ripples spread across the courtyard like cloud and water patterns. He pinched his fingers as if holding a chess piece, like pulling silk from a cocoon, and using the mysterious immortal technique, he pinched out a landscape painting. In the painting, the palace-robed woman was kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and admitting her fault, each bow solid, tears blurring her eyes, her forehead red. Beside her, a blue-robed guest was squatting, looking as if he wanted to help but was wary of the impropriety of male-female contact, so he could only look shocked and mutter, "You mustn't, you mustn't..."

Chen Ping'an waved his sleeve to scatter the "forged painting" and said with a smile, "Earlier, when you broke the rules and remotely viewed the Cloud Tower in the Changchun Palace, it was already a warning to you. Yet you still didn't learn your lesson. Daoist Nan Zan, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, wanting to spar Dao arts with me—not appropriate."

Chen Ping'an picked up the cup on the table and gently rotated it. "Whether or not there is a toast to welcome a guest is the Grand Dowager's intention. Whether I drink the penalty wine or not is not for you to decide."

Nan Zan had brought many schemes on this trip.

First, she lowered her posture, acting meek and submissive, tempting him with benefits. If that failed, she would start to act shameless and reckless, relying on her dual identity as a woman and the Grand Dowager of Great Li, thinking he wouldn't dare to be harsh.

If that still failed, she would employ bitter tactics, letting Emperor Song He witness the tragic scene.

In the end, her greatest reliance wasn't the Great Li iron cavalry or the Song clan's national power, but her firm belief that Chen Ping'an, in this residence, was not the Sect Leader of Fallen Mountain, nor the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, but the junior brother of Cui Chan and Qi Jingchun. He would surely be unwilling to let the great situation forged by his two senior brothers—the stability of a continent's mountains and rivers—be destroyed by him, their junior brother.

Was she thinking too simplistically?

The palace-robed woman smiled charmingly, instantly tidying up the tumultuous emotions in her heart. She glanced at the not-so-distant Cloud That Follows the Crowd Tower and said softly, "Although I only see Mr. Chen alone today, I almost feel like I've reunited with two old friends at the same time."

Chen Ping'an twitched the corner of his mouth. "Far from it. If Daoist Nan Zan dared to come to this alley today, I wouldn't be surnamed Chen."

She sighed, lowered her head, and murmured, "Mr. Chen, that porcelain fragment truly cannot be given to you. It concerns the eternal enterprise of my Great Li court. I am in the wrong. If you want to kill or beat me, I will accept your humiliation."

Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "What, are you trying the same trick again? That a gentleman can be taken advantage of by his integrity?"

Nan Zan looked up. "If I weren't concerned about my identity, there are many ways to disgust you, but I think it's unnecessary. After all, you and I are both from Great Li. Once the family's shame is exposed, it would only let the other eight continents of Grand All-under-Heaven laugh at us."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "For example, when the Grand Dowager walks out of the alley today, disheveled and crying all the way back to the palace."

Nan Zan twisted a corner of her garment with two fingers and said to herself, "I refuse to give it even if I die, and Mr. Chen seems determined to have it. It seems like a dead knot. So how should we continue the conversation?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Actually, we don't need to talk anymore. Keep that porcelain fragment. Let's make a bet: I bet that within at most half a month, the Grand Dowager will come to my door herself and return it."

Nan Zan's eyes lit up, but she still shook her head. "No bet. When it comes to gambling luck, who in the world can surpass the Hidden Official?"

Chen Ping'an put away the wine flask and the Flower God Cup, then began to roll up his left sleeve. "Senior Brother Cui doesn't care which Song clan member becomes emperor. Song Changjing doesn't care who is harmonious with whom. As for me, I care even less about the length of your Song clan's reign. Your real heart knot and dead knot is the resurrection in your heart of that Song Jixin from Mud Vase Alley. So that time in Changchun Palace, when you reunited with him after a long separation, every time you looked at him, your heart ached. A legitimate eldest son you had barely convinced yourself was dead had returned alive before your eyes. All the guilt you had already compensated to your second son, Song Mu, how could you spare even a little bit more for Song He? The emperor you hated most is now beyond hatred; the national teacher you feared most is no longer in this world."

Nan Zan's face turned pale, her lips trembling as if she wanted to scold fiercely, but she was powerless. She grabbed the stone table with one hand, veins bulging, every detail visible.

Chen Ping'an suddenly realized, "Ah, it's not a dead knot after all. I was mistaken. Even if Song Jixin became emperor, wouldn't it still be your own son on the dragon throne? This Dao heart of yours, Daoist Nan Zan, has truly opened my eyes. It seems you are more than capable of being the sect leader of a mountain sect."

Nan Zan was slightly stunned. Although she didn't know exactly where the leak was for him to see through her so easily, she stopped pretending and her expression turned gloomy.

Chen Ping'an began to roll up his right sleeve. "I warn you: within half a month, don't get clever or cause trouble. When the Grand Dowager comes to visit, you must bring a gift. You cannot return empty-handed."

Chen Ping'an lightly tapped the table with his finger. One of the woman's bracelet beads, a Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl, flashed with light, reigniting the Mirror Flower Water Moon. Inside the Great Li palace, the Emperor and the Observatory Qi practitioner finally saw the scene again and breathed a sigh of relief. Earlier, both ruler and minister had been slow to realize, eventually guessing the truth of the scene—definitely Chen Ping'an's trick. Regardless, some movement, even if it was Chen Ping'an's illusion, was better than the dead silence from the residence, eventually sending news that the Great Li court, or rather Emperor Song He, could not bear.

In the courtyard, in an instant, Chen Ping'an appeared behind the woman without her knowing and grabbed the Grand Dowager of Great Li by the neck, slamming her hard onto the stone table with a loud bang.

She kowtowed like pounding garlic.

The Emperor was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly. "Chen Ping'an always pulls this kind of stunt, setting up false suspicions. What's the point, once or twice?"

The old Observatory cultivator thought for a moment and shook his head. "Who knows? Maybe he's intentionally trying not to seem like a gentleman in front of Your Majesty?"

The old cultivator suddenly looked up, squinted, and lost control of his Dao heart. He had to press his hand to his forehead. Through his qi-watching divine ability, he vaguely saw a golden dragon coiled over the capital of Great Li, formed by the Song clan's dragon aura and the qi of mountains and rivers. A claw reached out from the clouds, black as ink, pressing down on the dragon's head... But the scene flashed and disappeared. The old cultivator could confirm it was not his hallucination. He worried deeply, muttering, "Such a heavy intent to kill. Could such celestial phenomena manifested by the Dao be faked? Chen Ping'an is only in the Jade Perfection Realm, and the capital has a protective formation. It shouldn't be possible."

The palace-robed woman was about to step over the threshold of the courtyard gate when she stopped, raised the back of her hand, wiped her forehead, and dispelled the redness and swelling. Then she stepped into the alley, instantly becoming the dignified Grand Dowager of Great Li again.

Just as Nan Zan's foot touched the alley ground, the courtyard gate behind her slammed shut.

Far away in the courtyard, Chen Ping'an smoothed his sleeves. Ning Yao's concerned voice sounded in his mind, "Pretending?"

Chen Ping'an replied, "Not pretending. I almost couldn't hold back. Because I can almost confirm now that in the matter of my fate porcelain shattering back then, she and that hidden and elusive Dragon-Propping lineage patriarch are definitely not innocent. They might have started laying plans very early. It's different from others who placed their bets later. Later, Song Jixin moved next door in Mud Vase Alley; Zhigui escaped from the Dragon-Locking Well and formed a contract with me. She then chose to become Song Jixin's maidservant, stealing the dragon aura of 'Song He,' forging a latent dragon vein for herself, using snake gallstones as food to nourish herself. Supervisor Song Yuzhang built the covered bridge with the plaque 'Wind Rises and Water Surges,' which effectively rebuilt a Longevity Bridge suitable for her cultivation. And so on—this was all a continuation of that vein. So I only stopped because I thought killing her was useless. I still can't determine where Nan Zan's life-sustaining lamp is hidden. That is her true lifeline. Maybe this woman came here today expecting to be killed by me. As for acting, she's quite skilled."

Ning Yao asked curiously, "Don't you have some methods to seize souls? Back at the Book Brief Lake, you showed that technique. Given the capabilities of Great Li's intelligence network and the relationship between True Realm Sect and the Great Li court, they couldn't be unaware of this. Shouldn't she be worried?"

Chen Ping'an frowned slightly, then quickly gave an answer: "Maybe even she doesn't know where the life-sustaining lamp is hidden, so she feels fearless. As for how that was done, perhaps she used some mountain secret technique early on to deliberately shatter that memory completely. Even if someone later searched her soul, there would be no trace. For instance, she set a future moment when, using the Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl bracelet, she could recall a clue about the life-sustaining lamp. But that would still leave some flaws. More likely..."

Chen Ping'an suddenly smiled. "I understand!"

Ning Yao asked, "Understand what?"

Chen Ping'an replied with "Wait a moment," then stepped out of the courtyard in one stride. At the inn's lobby, he leaned on the counter and said with a smile, "Shopkeeper, how much for that vase?"

He didn't ask if it was for sale, but directly asked how much.

The old shopkeeper waved his hand. "Not for sale."

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Four hundred taels of silver, one hand for the money, the other for the goods. How about that?"

The old shopkeeper shook his head with a smile. "No need. Just from your persistent pestering, I know that large piece is definitely worth more than four hundred taels. Maybe you're a mountain cultivator, and you've been after this thing all along."

Chen Ping'an laughed in exasperation. "Shopkeeper, you need to have a conscience. If I were trying to get a bargain, I'd offer twenty taels to buy it, and you'd think you've made a profit."

The old shopkeeper clicked his tongue, squinting but saying nothing. Just because you didn't fancy my daughter, I'm not pleased with you.

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then walked out of the inn. He needed to confirm something first. He went to the alley and found Liu Jia. Speaking with his mind, he asked with a smile, "Did my senior brother leave any instructions for you, Old Cultivator, to wait for me to ask? If I didn't ask, it would be as if it never happened?"

The old cultivator exclaimed, "You can guess that?"

Liu Jia nodded. "The National Teacher said, 'Guessing this is useless. You have to guess the content as well.'"

Speaking of that, the old cultivator felt powerless. If Chen Ping'an could even guess the content, why did the National Teacher need to relay the message in the first place?

Could it be that smart people's thoughts were this unreasonable?

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "For example, 'How many times must I be blind to the obvious?'"

Liu Jia sighed. The young people these days were something else. Could it be that he was already playing a game of go across the distance with the Embroidery Tiger?

Indeed, they were fellow disciples.

Liu Jia nodded. "That's exactly what the National Teacher said before he left."

Chen Ping'an then walked back to the inn and said to the shopkeeper with a smile, "If I can guess how many taels you spent on that vase back then, will you sell it to me for four hundred taels?"

The old shopkeeper nodded, holding up a hand and waving it. "Sure. But if you guess right, it'll be five hundred taels. If you guess wrong, stop coveting this vase, and also make sure you don't hang around my daughter."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Fourteen taels."

The old shopkeeper waved his hand. "Wrong, wrong. Get lost."

Chen Ping'an clicked his tongue. "No sense of martial ethics, huh? Then I'm going to find Miss Liu and tell her that the martial arts sect in my family has clouds of experts, and masters like Yu Hong and Zhou Haijing are nothing special."

The old shopkeeper hesitated. Compared to whether the vase sold high or low, he cared more about his daughter not being led astray to roam the martial world.

The old man said, "Fine, five hundred taels. Money and goods exchanged."

Chen Ping'an smiled and casually pointed at the porcelain on the shelf behind the shopkeeper. "I only spend fourteen taels on the vase. The rest of the five hundred taels I'll use to buy this. If you're worried I'm still trying to get a bargain, just give me any piece."

The old man asked, "Do you really have that much silver on you?"

Chen Ping'an pulled a stack of silver notes from his sleeve. "These are banknotes from our Great Li Yu Ji Money House. Can't be fake."

The old man picked up the banknotes, confirmed they were genuine, hesitated, then tucked them into his sleeve. He turned, picked out the best-looking piece of porcelain from the shelf—it certainly wasn't valuable, just money he had wasted in the past—and handed a colorful, ornate bird feeder to Chen Ping'an. Then he asked quietly, "Tell me the bottom line. How much is that vase really worth? Don't worry, it's yours now. I'm just curious. You've been throwing all these wild punches, confusing even an old trader like me. I want to see how much skill you actually have. Tell me, the market price, how much is it worth?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "To be honest, based on the market price, seven or eight hundred taels of silver at least."

The old man nodded. He could accept that. He had bought the vase for fourteen taels years ago, and it had gathered dust for many years. Selling it now for five hundred taels—he wouldn't bother arguing about the two or three hundred taels difference. Silver, after all, had to be safely in the pocket. With his family's foundation, it couldn't compare to Elegance Lane or Pipe Village Lane, but compared to ordinary families, it was considered well-off. He would surely have enough for his daughter's dowry when she married, ensuring her in-laws wouldn't look down on her.

Then the old man asked curiously, "Chen Ping'an, how are you going to handle such a large vase? Do you need the shop to store it for you, and when you leave the capital, hire a carriage?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile. "I'll handle it myself."

The old man came out from behind the counter. "Then follow me. Once I knew it was valuable, I didn't dare keep it at the counter."

Following the old shopkeeper, Chen Ping'an went to a secluded backyard. At the door of the eastern wing room, he saw a young girl holding a closed umbrella, presumably pretending it was a sword hanging at her waist. At that moment, she was holding her breath, one hand on the "sword sheath," staring straight ahead... Because she was facing away from her father and the guest, she was still striking a pose. The old shopkeeper coughed. The girl's face flushed, and she swung the oil-paper umbrella behind her. The old shopkeeper sighed and went to the western wing room on the other side of the courtyard. Before opening the door, he pointed at his own eyes at Chen Ping'an, signaling for the young man to keep his eyes to himself. No crime, but he might be thrown out of the inn.

Chen Ping'an kept his hands in his sleeves, not looking at the girl. When the old shopkeeper handed him the large vase, he lifted it onto his shoulder and left the backyard, heading toward Ning Yao.

The girl glanced at the blue-robed man's back as he carried the large vase.

Ha, silly. Pretending to be a swordsman wandering the world. Who's she kidding?

When he reached Ning Yao's room, Chen Ping'an placed the vase on the ground. Without a word, he first offered a Cage Finches, then reached out, pressed the vase's mouth, and smashed it with one palm. Within the vase's bottom was indeed hidden the eight-character auspicious inscription. After the vase shattered, eight colored characters remained on the ground: "Green and deep, distant; its summer alone profound." Then Chen Ping'an skillfully refined the characters. Finally, aside from the first and last characters, "green" and "profound," the strokes of the remaining six characters disassembled and coalesced into a life-sustaining lamp, hovering between truth and illusion. The "lampwick" burned brightly, slowly. However, the name engraved on the life-sustaining lamp, the text of the lampwick, was not Nan Zan but another name: surname Lu, given name Jiang. This meant that the Grand Dowager of Great Li was not actually from the Nan clan of Yuzhang Commandery, but a disciple of the Central Earth Yin-Yang School's Lu clan?

Chen Ping'an put the lamp fire into his sleeve, staring blankly at the two characters "green" and "profound" that remained.

Ning Yao asked, "What's going on now?"

Chen Ping'an smiled bitterly. "The characters 'green' and 'profound' are at the beginning and end. If the first piece of fate porcelain is in the hands of this Lu Jiang, close at hand, then the last piece of fate porcelain, without a doubt, is far away in the sky. It's probably been sent by Senior Brother to the Azure Profound World. Perhaps he wants me to rely on my own abilities to ascend to that world with a sword, and under the eyes of the White Jade Capital, achieve unity with the Fourteenth Realm."

Ning Yao said, "In fact, as long as you become a Flying Ascension-stage sword cultivator, you are qualified to swing a sword at the White Jade Capital. You just might not be able to cut through much."

"I've seen Daoist Yu Dou, the Second Old Master. He is indeed almost invincible."

Chen Ping'an put the two characters into his sleeve and sat down. He took out a flask of wine and two Flower God Cups. Ning Yao took a cup from the table. "Too fancy."

Chen Ping'an also took a cup from the table and nodded. "I've always thought so. I just haven't found a sucker to buy them yet."

Before drinking, Ning Yao asked softly, "Cui Chan protects your path like this, which is certainly unique. But don't you find it annoying?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile. "No, I don't."

Ning Yao took a sip of wine, silent. She found it quite annoying.

Chen Ping'an raised his hand and pointed vaguely. "I think freedom is being able to become the person you want to become. Maybe in a very distant place. No matter how many detours I take, as long as I am moving toward that place, that is freedom."

He withdrew his hand and lightly tapped his chest. He looked at Ning Yao, but she continued to lower her head and drink.

Chen Ping'an suddenly slapped the table. Although the sound was not loud, it startled Ning Yao. She immediately looked up and glared at him. Chen Ping'an, have you gone mad? !

Chen Ping'an smiled, raised his hand, bent his thumb, and pointed at himself. "Actually, there were two engagement documents. The one the Master brought was later. The earlier one—do you know what it said? It said that I, Chen Ping'an, would definitely be the most powerful sword immortal in the entire world. The most powerful, a great sword immortal. No matter who it is, before my one sword strike, they must make way."

Ning Yao shrugged slightly and let out a series of "tsk tsk tsk." "A Jade Perfection-stage sword immortal, truly extraordinary. Such great ambition."

Chen Ping'an laughed. "Don't eavesdrop from now on. You know me, don't you?"

Ning Yao snorted with a smile, stood up, and went to the door. She suddenly opened the door wide and twisted the ear of a girl who had been pressing her ear to the door. "Little miss, what are you doing?"

The girl tilted her head and laughed. "You're the Female Chu Heroine Ning, right?"

Chen Ping'an felt helpless. Clearly, Ning Yao had isolated the heavenly and earthly qi in the corridor outside the door, so even he didn't know the girl had come here to wander the martial world.

Ning Yao asked, "What are you sneaking around for?"

The girl asked, "Female Chu Heroine Ning, let's make a deal. Can you take me as your apprentice? I'm sincere. I know the rules of the martial world; I have to pay..."

Ning Yao released the ear before the girl could finish and shook her head. "No."

The girl rubbed her ear and said, "I think it's okay. Think about it, Master Ning. From now on, when you come to the capital, you can stay at the inn for free. It would be best if we opened a martial arts school in the capital. What a huge expense that would save, right? If you really don't want to take me as a disciple, just teach me a few of your sect's sword techniques. Think about it: later, when I walk the martial world and make a name for myself, I'll tell everyone that Ning Yao is my master. You would have gained a huge advantage without spending a single copper coin. What a face-saver."

Ning Yao tapped the girl's forehead and gently pushed her away. "If you really want a master, find the one in the room. He's the one who likes to nag. Anyway, he has more patience than I do. Whether it's sword techniques or boxing methods, as long as you want to learn, he'll definitely be willing to teach you."

In fact, the entire Flying Ascension City was looking forward to one thing: when would Ning Yao finally take on her first disciple? Especially a certain tavern that always made people feel uncomfortable whether they won or lost money—they had been sharpening their knives, ready to set up a betting pool. They would bet on how many realms Ning Yao's first disciple would break through in a few years. To be honest, the second manager had stopped running betting pools for many years. Although he could still make money from gambling, it wasn't the same. It lacked flavor.

But it seemed Ning Yao had never had that intention.

Ning Yao truly believed she didn't know how to teach swordsmanship.

Chen Ping'an had long imagined that scene: the master and apprentice staring at each other with big eyes. The master seemed to say, "You can't even learn this? Haven't I taught it once or twice?" The apprentice could only look pitiful, as if saying, "Master, you taught me, but those are realms and sword techniques that even Upper Five Realm sword cultivators might not understand." Then one would be puzzled, the other aggrieved. The two of them would spend more time staring at each other than actually teaching and learning swordsmanship...

It would be very interesting.

The girl tilted her head and looked at the guy in the room. She shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no, Master Ning. I've made up my mind. I'm dead set on finding you to take me as your disciple."

If it weren't for that weirdo Chen Ping'an following Ning Yao, she would have come to visit long ago.

In this world, perhaps only this girl would be picky about who to take as her master between Ning Yao and Chen Ping'an.

Ning Yao laughed helplessly and reminded, "Read more books in the future. Don't talk nonsense."

The girl wanted to say more, but Ning Yao raised an eyebrow slightly, and the girl immediately shut up wisely.

Chen Ping'an looked at the girl outside the door, whose brows and eyes vaguely resembled someone from the past.

Maybe when she was young, still on Yellow Bamboo Mountain, she had been like this.

Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "Miss Liu, actually, the martial world isn't that great. Don't go in the future."

In this life, having parents who love you from the bottom of their hearts, living a stable life safely—that's better than anything.

And maybe one day, a wild cultivator of mountains and marshes named Zeng Ye would roam here by chance, see Miss Liu, and then maybe cry his heart out, or maybe stand silent and speechless.

The girl crossed her arms and chuckled. "Who are you? Do you make the rules?"

Chen Ping'an smiled and said nothing more.

The girl finally left, somewhat disappointed. Master Ning's swordsmanship level was hard to say for now, but her eyes were definitely not good. She refused a disciple who came to her door. No wonder she liked that guy.

Ning Yao closed the door, waited a moment, then instantly opened it again. She grabbed the ear of the girl who had tiptoed back and pressed her ear against the door again. The girl's excuse was that she was worried Master Ning might be molested. Ning Yao twisted her ear all the way to the counter before letting go. The old shopkeeper saw this and grew angry, picking up a feather duster and pretending to hit her. Scared of that? The girl bounced out of the inn to go buy books. A certain travelogue that had sold very well in a few bookstores some years ago—she had lacked the nerve, begrudging her New Year's money, delayed too long, and missed her chance. Now she wanted it, but it was gone. That Chen Ping'an in the book? Wow, he was really blessed with romantic luck, liking every woman he met—very improper... But she wondered if that boy who cultivated ghostly Dao arts ever found his beloved Miss Su?

Unfortunately, that travelogue never had a sequel, so no one knew the ending. How frustrating.

Ning Yao returned to the room and thought of something. "Why were you so sure it was fourteen taels earlier?"

Chen Ping'an said, "I was fourteen years old when I first left home for distant travels."

Probably from that year onward, he was no longer a caged bird, and he began to control his own destiny.

Beyond that, it was like the old National Teacher of Great Li had played a joke on either Nan Zan or Lu Jiang that would make her utterly unable to laugh.

In my, Cui Chan's, eyes, the Daoist life of a future Grand Dowager of Great Li was worth only fourteen taels of silver.