Chapter 846: Shoulder to Shoulder
Originally, the seasons of the Haoran World and the Barbarian World had been precisely opposite: day here, night there; summer here, winter there. But now, with the two worlds extensively connected, the celestial phenomena had accumulated some degree of deviation on both sides.
Chen Ping'an pulled out a jug of wine from his own tavern. He keenly perceived subtle shifts in the heavenly and earthly vital energy; it seemed snow was about to fall. Turning his head, he looked far off at the city wall to his right—the place of his dao integration. It was utterly empty.
If he stayed here a few more days, it would be one person and half a city, meeting again in the season of falling snow.
Drinking the wine, he suddenly recalled a joke Cui Dongshan had once made: in some people's eyes, the human world is an empty city.
Chen Ping'an once again gazed into the distance. Even knowing it was inevitably futile, he couldn't help stealing a few more glances.
He wondered how A'Liang's sword was faring, and whether his senior brother Zuo You had already reached the battlefield.
In a certain hinterland of the Barbarian World.
In truth, tens of thousands of miles of mountains and rivers had already become a battlefield.
A perilous encirclement and kill involving two great cultivators at the fourteenth realm, yet it was the one being encircled who had taken the upper hand at every turn.
A fire dragon formed from sword intent hung high in the sky, spiraling round and round like a coiled serpent. Its fiery light illuminated a thousand miles around, plunging the region into a furnace.
In this Barbarian World, it was the true image of a great wild dragon and serpent.
On the ground, there was a golden mirror surface flowing with radiance, rippling ceaselessly. Millions of characters floated within it; each character seemed like a ferry crossing.
One person's sword dao manifested, vital energy dripping profusely—fire suspended above, water spread below.
Xinzhuang loathed this ruthless A'Liang to the bone. She directly offered up a treasure from Tuoyue Mountain. It was an ancient Dharma scroll sword scripture named "Green Snake in the Box," unfortunately a celestial weapon that would be discarded after a single use.
With one hand forming a hand seal and the other holding a painting scroll, she unfurled the scroll and spread it out. In an instant, three thousand azure-robed sword cultivators, riding flying swords, leaped out of the scroll en masse. The sword formation surged like a flood, charging towards A'Liang.
In this imposing and majestic stretch of heaven and earth, a man of unremarkable stature gripped two swords, his figure swift as a thunderbolt. He stepped repeatedly on the ferry-crossing characters. Each leap was equivalent to a flying immortal realm cultivator's signature art—shrinking the earth and mountains. As he weaved and dodged, the twin swords dragged countless trails of two-colored sword-light fireflies through the air. His targets were those sword cultivator puppets springing up like bamboo shoots after rain.
Within the sword formation, all the sword cultivator puppets had their necks and waists slashed by a green and a purple sword-light thread, as if the sword-wielding A'Liang was careening wildly everywhere. Heads rolled; bodies were cut in two.
One could see A'Liang running head-down, and whenever the mood struck, he would twist his body and deliver a horizontal sweep, shredding dozens of nearby sword cultivators into brilliant sword light.
His sword strikes were casual, seemingly without any method, yet they carried the flowing, effortless dao intent of drifting clouds and flowing water.
The final result of the battle was simply an overwhelming massacre.
Three thousand talisman puppets, each equivalent to a Middle Five Realm sword cultivator.
Not enough for one man to slaughter.
The young girls of the Sword Qi Great Wall mostly couldn't understand why the elder women would like such a slovenly fellow—short in stature, glib-tongued, of terrible character, and not the slightest bit handsome. So why like that A'Liang?
Most of the women who had long married would smile without a word. Only those with a little more patience would say something similar, in unison: "Once you're on the battlefield, you'll know the answer."
At the same time, Rouyi had already removed the lotus crown from her head. This Daoist crown was a grand creation of the old throne Huang Luan, imitating the lotus crown worn by Lu Chen, the Third Teachings Master of the White Jade Capital. Holding the crown, Rouyi gently tossed it into the air.
Petals of lotus separated and fell. When they hit the ground, each petal transformed into a realized Daoist master from the White Jade Capital, eight in total. Each took a position, precisely stepping onto a trigram.
But after all, it was an imitation. These high Daoist immortals could sustain themselves for at most the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
Yet one incense stick was enough to change the course of battle. Those sword cultivator puppets that A'Liang had been slaughtering indiscriminately with his twin swords now dove into the death gate of the Eight Trigrams, then re-emerged from the life gate, reforming their sword formation.
The profundity of the Great Dao: entering death, emerging into life.
Taking advantage of that damn man being momentarily occupied, Zhu Yan revealed his true form once more. In one hand, he gripped a long staff. Each time he lifted a mountain or moved a stone, it was as fast as a massive flying sword, all hurled towards that single figure.
This mountain-moving old patriarch simultaneously raised his other hand and unleashed his innate divine ability. His arms were like whips, lashing at the mountains; his five fingers were like ropes, binding and shifting thousands of stones. It was like a thousand trebuchets joining forces to attack a city.
Zhu Yan laughed heartily, "A'Liang, grandpa here is putting on such a show for you! How will you thank me after you die?"
Furthermore, there was Guan Xiang, a great demon of the Barbarian World renowned for his eclectic magical arts. Wherever he pointed, yin soldiers passed by, mountains split, and cliffs cracked. With his exhales and inhales, clouds gathered and dispersed. Black smoke billowed, rich with extreme yin and killing aura.
Guan Xiang wasn't as fond of shouting and yelling as the mountain-moving patriarch. Instead, he looked somewhat solemn. He glanced at a swirling phenomenon in the sky—like an invisible sword suspended and yet to fall. In the unseen, that life-bound flying sword of A'Liang's was more like a... god wandering far beyond the heavens.
Xinzhuang, no longer needing to control the scroll in her hand, let it hover before her. She looked at the sky and the earth. "What's the point of A'Liang stirring up this celestial and earthly phenomenon?"
Shouchen gave the answer: "To make the fight look better. In his words, fighting is too lonely if no one is watching and cheering."
During his chaotic slaughter, A'Liang glanced at the two swords in his hands. They couldn't hold up anymore. He lightly clashed the two swords together, like countless times in years past on the Sword Qi Great Wall when he clinked bowls with others at the drinking table.
The twin swords broke into four pieces, flying off to the four directions of heaven and earth.
As for those azure-robed sword cultivator puppets, those mountains and thousands of stones flying like swords—before his dual swords, they were all more insubstantial than paper.
It wasn't that the great demons of the Barbarian World were weak in combat, or that their techniques and divine abilities were like paper, or that their celestial treasures and weapons were shoddy. On the contrary, in terms of individual killing power, generally speaking, the flying immortals of the Haoran World were inferior in combat strength to those of the Barbarian World. It was simply that the man being surrounded today was too exceptional.
Of course, no matter which world it was, once someone reached the peak of the flying immortal realm, especially those with hopes of integrating the dao at the fourteenth realm—without exception—they were all extremely troublesome peak-strength experts. For example, the old throne of the Barbarian World, the Lotus Hermitage Master who died under Dong Sangang's hand—both his physique and dao arts were extremely formidable. In fact, none of the old thrones were easy to deal with. Yet their opponents included not just the Sword Qi Great Wall, but also Bai Ye, and even Zhou Mi, a man who belonged to their own ranks.
And in the Haoran World, besides Yu Xuan of the Talismans of the Central Earth Divine Continent and the Great Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the great cultivators across the eight continents worthy of the word "peak" could be counted on one hand. They were all worthy leaders of their continents: there was Chen Chun'an of the Southern Bodhisattva Continent, who shouldered the sun and moon; True Man Fire Dragon of the Northern Julu Continent, unparalleled in both water and fire methods. And given that True Man Fire Dragon had been a non-kin Great Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain for many years, his thunder method cultivation was predictable. There was also Liu Jubao of the Aiai Continent, the most reserved of men, who had fought only a few times in his life and only threw treasures at people to beat them.
A'Liang used the broken swords to pull four rivers of sword dao through the sky—a heavenly well opened, four waters returning to the hall.
A'Liang then pulled two more swords from his waist.
Good thing I borrowed quite a few swords from people when I returned to Haoran this time.
The eight Daoist immortals born from the lotus crown suddenly looked up. Before their eyes appeared a water wall a thousand zhang high, surging towards them with ferocity. It was all the sword intent of that man transformed.
A streak of sharp sword light pierced through this wall of sword intent. It was the great sword immortal Zhang Lu, riding his flying sword.
The reflections of his two life-bound flying swords were shattered.
By superimposing two of his innate divine abilities, Zhang Lu could make his out-of-body yin spirit become the opponent—growing stronger when encountering a strong opponent, possessing comparable killing power to the formidable enemy in a short time.
Back in the day, during the thirteen-match bet between the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Barbarian World, Zhang Lu's opponent, according to calculations, was supposed to be the flying immortal great demon Chongguang. So Zhang Lu had been aiming for a mutual destruction from the start. He was completely indifferent to it. At that time during the city-wall council, he only asked one thing: could the rules be changed? If he killed a flying immortal great demon and died, could a friend help carve words on the city wall for him?
That friend was none other than A'Liang.
Actually, this sort of flying-sword divine ability of Zhang Lu's was the root of why Lu Zhi was able to pursue Liu Cha. She simply didn't care about her own dao life, willing to trade life for injury to slow Liu Cha down. That slowing down was both Liu Cha's pace towards Fuyang Continent and a sword cultivator's steps towards the peak of the sword dao.
And Liu Cha, after beheading Bai Ye with his sword, still intended to go to the Central Earth Confucian Temple and deliver a sword light.
A'Liang, gripping his two swords, didn't hesitate. He charged straight at his old friend Zhang Lu and unleashed a flurry of chaotic, close-range slashes.
Swords clashed, sword light burst, sparks scattered in countless numbers.
Zhang Lu asked, "Life and death?"
A'Liang laughed loudly, "That's for you to decide!"
Suddenly, Zhang Lu was knocked out of the battlefield by a young girl with two goat-horn braids.
Xiao Xun, a fourteenth-realm sword cultivator.
Xiao Xun waved her hand. "Zhang Lu, don't rush to die yet."
Xiao Xun looked at the man who had also stopped his sword. She said, "A'Liang, I'm a whole realm above you now, and we're in the Barbarian World. What counts as fair play?"
A'Liang was silent, just looking at this former hidden officer who seemed never to grow up.
Xiao Xun looked at this somewhat unfamiliar man. She felt a rare pang of sadness.
In the past, A'Liang would have definitely grinned and said, "Standing still and letting me chop you—that would be fair play."
Not anymore.
Now there was only a narrow encounter with no more drinking.
The Barbarian World patriarch Chu Sheng, leaning on his staff, was still silently operating a great divine ability: shifting stars and exchanging constellations.
Its target, naturally, was A'Liang's life-bound flying sword.
Fei Ran teased, "Seems we still can't get the better of A'Liang. Our coordination isn't as good as the Ten Celestial Stems."
Chu Sheng chuckled, "A blank sheet of paper is easiest to write on; even a child can scribble on it. A painting covered with countless inscriptions and seals, like a patch of psoriasis—how can anyone add another stroke? Both have their pros and cons."
The old man looked calm and composed, gazing at the battle from afar, as if delivering a final verdict. He said casually, "Actually, it's fine. Since this A'Liang has fallen in realm, he's only nearly invincible. So what? He's not truly invincible."
Fei Ran sighed.
No matter where they were—the Ritual Sage in the Haoran World, Master Bai Ze who had returned to the Barbarian World, the Dao Second in the Azure Underworld, the old blind man in the Hundred Thousand Mountains...
Of course, it wasn't about infinite killing power, but an invincibility of self-preservation, like standing on undefeatable ground.
Fei Ran crouched down, rubbing his cheeks with his hands. "It seems that even after Great Patriarch scattered his dao, it's still hard for us to produce new fourteenth-realm cultivators."
The old man let out a long, emotional sigh. "Because we've already had Bai Ze for a long time. Even if that stinky Daoist from the East Sea Observation Hall isn't physically in the Barbarian World, he still has a huge influence on us."
Speaking of this, the old man raised an eyebrow and said angrily, "Occupying the latrine but not shitting!"
His heart said, "Plus, with Zhou Mi only taking in and not letting out, and Lu Fayan, Yao Jia, Huang Luan—that bunch of old thrones—all essentially still here. And Xiao Xun, Liu Shiliu of the Literary Sage lineage, the true dragon of Bottle Gourd Continent, the Confucian Temple having appointed that fat auntie from Lushui Pit as the master of land waterways—plus you and Shouchen at the flying immortal realm, and Zhou Qinggao's sudden leap to immortality—Fei Ran, count for yourself: how can one or two more fourteenth-realm cultivators appear?"
Fei Ran said, "Even so, compared to expectations, the Barbarian World's momentum is still a bit weaker."
The old man sneered, "It's mostly because of that White Emperor City City Lord's doing."
Fei Ran understood immediately and said in surprise, "Could it be that he's reached the fourteenth realm in the Barbarian World?"
Chu Sheng nodded. "Something like that. That kind of person is the trickiest. We just don't know the opportunity for his dao integration."
Fei Ran smiled. "True. It can't be that only Liu Cha is allowed to reach the fourteenth realm in the Haoran World, while others aren't allowed to do the same here."
The old man lamented, "What a pity that the flying-immortal ghostly thing was tracked down by Ning Yao ahead of time. Otherwise, losing one Guixu passage would have prevented the Haoran World from advancing so brazenly."
Fei Ran turned his head, surprised. "Zuo You heading south—that fast?"
Chu Sheng said, "It's to be expected. Unless..."
The old man didn't finish his sentence. But Fei Ran knew exactly what he meant: unless Zuo You temporarily broke through mid-battle and, as a true and unadulterated sword cultivator, entered the fourteenth realm!
Liu Bai asked, "What exactly is the innate divine ability of A'Liang's flying sword?"
The old man shook his head. "I don't know."
Fei Ran smiled. "Then it's truly a huge problem. Fortunately, it's still within our general expectations."
The old man glanced at Liu Bai. "Young lady, what you should really be asking is what A'Liang's life-bound character is."
Liu Bai was stunned.
The old man said, "Young lady, you can go and join the nine members of the Ten Celestial Stems. Without you, even if you can trap that flying immortal, you won't be able to kill him."
Liu Bai turned to look at Fei Ran, who smiled and nodded.
But Fei Ran added a reminder: "Remember to pay attention to your northward route. Don't let yourself be killed by Zuo You on a whim."
Liu Bai nodded, then left alone on the wind, exiting this peak-level battlefield she could not possibly intervene in.
Fei Ran said with emotion, "Zuo You's southward speed is even faster. If it were me, just traveling here would have already drained my combat power."
The old man smiled. "Then we'll temporarily avoid his edge. Let Shouchen and Xinzhuang handle the battlefield."
Xiao Xun suddenly turned her head to look north. After a moment's consideration, she vanished in a flash.
At the northern edge of the battlefield, the mountain-moving patriarch made a hasty turn.
A streak of sword light pierced through Zhu Yan's true form's shoulder in an instant.
Apparently not even bothering to tangle with Zhu Yan, that sword light didn't pause at all, heading straight for A'Liang.
A figure in a Confucian scholar's robe suddenly hovered to a stop right beside A'Liang.
The two stood shoulder to shoulder, one facing north, the other facing south.
No more opponents.
Zuo You said calmly, "How is it?"
A'Liang gripped his two swords, rotated his wrists, and flicked out sword blossoms. He nodded. "Satisfying."
Zuo You glanced at the distant yin-yang fish formation diagram and frowned slightly.
A'Liang smiled. "What do you think? Came here to cause trouble, didn't you? This great formation at Tuoyue Mountain is clearly aimed at the two of us joining forces. One eats sword intent, the other eats sword energy, then they cancel each other out in the formation. Who knows, it might even help the Barbarian World nurture a new fourteenth-realm sword cultivator."
Xinzhuang actually smiled sweetly and performed a bow towards Zuo You.
She and Shouchen had truly activated the formation beneath their feet. Zuo You's sword energy from his southward journey, along with A'Liang's sword intent across ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, were both being wildly swept up and swallowed into it.
Zuo You said expressionlessly, "Easy to solve."
Xinzhuang's body immediately tensed up.
A'Liang laughed angrily. "Damn it, this is the thing I hate most about you. I seriously explain something, and everyone thinks I'm bragging, but you—whatever you say, people believe."
For instance, back in the day, that mud-legged kid had looked at him with an utterly sincere expression and asked if he could beat Zhu He.
How was I supposed to answer that? If I said yes, would I save face?
Saying one thing, doing another.
As for how to do it, it was simple: A'Liang and Zuo You stood shoulder to shoulder.
The one with the highest sword dao in the world let his sword intent flow without restraint.
The one with the highest sword technique in the world completely unleashed his sword energy.
And so, that yin-yang diagram was stretched to bursting, shattering on the spot.
A'Liang didn't think he had done anything particularly impressive. He just looked up at the sky—at his own flying sword.
That flying sword, which had wandered beyond the heavens for many years, was called "The Drinker."
Since all the ancient sages and worthies have died off, how could one not be lonely?
Leaving behind only the people of today, drinking up all the fine wine.
When he had returned to the Sword Qi Great Wall for the second time, what brought him the most comfort was not just that Chen Ping'an had become the hidden officer and had made some progress with that Ning girl, but also that Chen Ping'an was more like a scholar than himself. On the Sword Qi Great Wall, it was universally acknowledged—drunkards, bachelors, women, and children all truly regarded Chen Ping'an as a scholar. And that kid hadn't, because of that life-and-death tribulation at Old Dragon City back then, completely demonized the Confucian Temple's accompanying sages of the Yasheng lineage.
Let the Haoran World's sword cultivators return home early.
Whether the sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall had this thought in their hearts was like the difference between heaven and earth; whether they said it aloud was an even greater chasm.
The cultivators of the Haoran World would never know just how heavy the weight of that sentence on the tavern's "No-Problem Tablet" truly was.
A'Liang took a deep breath.
Then let's have a good, thorough battle—to our hearts' content, leaving no regrets!
Flying sword, The Drinker.
Innate divine ability, just three words: all have died.
Sword cultivator and sword, sword cultivator and enemy.
Zuo You looked around. He pressed his thumb against the sword handle, slowly pushing the sword out of its sheath. "Tell me, who should we kill first?"
----
That group of registered righteous immortals who had suffered at Chen Ping'an's hands earlier, before leaving the Sword Qi Great Wall ruins, actually chose to make a trip to the city wall first. And it seemed they had come specifically to find the hidden officer.
Cao Jun clicked his tongue in wonder. "Chen Ping'an, you hit people, and then the ones you hit come running over to apologize before they dare to go home. Your hidden officer act is quite impressive. If I had come here earlier, I'd have made sure to get an official post."
Chen Ping'an didn't take Cao Jun's odd remarks to heart.
Jia Xuan, the second-ranked guest elder of Wandering Immortal Pavilion, and Zhu Yuan, the female ancestral patriarch of Sishui Red Apricot Mountain, had both already regained consciousness. They each led their sect's juniors to come find Chen Ping'an. And judging by their demeanor, they didn't seem to be here to call him to account; they really did seem to be here to apologize and admit fault.
Wei Jin undermined him, "You wouldn't make the cut. You can't get into the Summer Retreat Palace."
The Summer Retreat Palace's lineage of sword cultivators consisted of a few outsiders, all young sword cultivators with very sharp minds.
Lin Junbi had already become the national preceptor of the Shaoyuan Dynasty. Deng Liang had traveled through the Multicolored World and become the chief offering of the Feisheng City. Additionally, Song Gaoyuan of Deer Horn Palace, Cao Gun of Liuxia Continent, and Xuan Shen of Golden Armor Continent were all extremely intelligent young sword cultivators.
As Cao Jun had predicted, Jia Xuan and Zhu Yuan both took the lead in bowing and apologizing. Everyone kept their eyes downcast. In particular, the young man and woman whose faces were still quite injured had received instruction from their elders before coming. Now, with heads bowed, they had none of their former arrogance.
Chen Ping'an turned to look at them. He didn't say a word, only glanced a little longer at a certain youth. Then he turned back, took a sip of wine, and faced the vast mountains and rivers to the south. It was as if a boundless, desolate aura was charging straight into his chest, making it hard to swallow the wine.
That youth suddenly stepped forward. "I have something I must say to the hidden officer."
Jia Xuan's expression changed slightly. He grabbed the youth's sleeve and pulled him back gently, saying sternly, "Jin Suan, do not be rude!"
Zhu Yuan also warned him through telepathy: "Jin Suan, do not act recklessly here. Be careful not to bring trouble upon Wandering Immortal Pavilion."
If, because of a child's wild words, their sect incurred the hidden officer's wrath, this little Sishui Red Apricot Mountain could hardly withstand a few sword strikes.
But unexpectedly, the figure in the azure robe, with his back to them, spoke. "Go ahead. Try to say what you want to say in one sentence."
The young Wandering Immortal Pavilion cultivator named Jin Suan shook off Jia Xuan's hand. First, he bowed respectfully, then straightened up and raised his head, showing no fear. He said in a clear voice, "The sage said, 'Punishing without teaching leads to many punishments but evil is not overcome.' Does the hidden officer agree?"
Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly and nodded. "Very good. You may say a few more sentences."
This youth's words actually came from his master's "National Prosperity Chapter." It couldn't have been more appropriate for this youth to use the sage's principles of the Literary Sage to reason with the Literary Sage lineage's youngest disciple.
It was similar to how Chen Ping'an, at the Yuanyang Islet of the Confucian Temple, had taught the Fabaohua Fairy of the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land a brilliant plan, telling her to go and debate with that Suzi disciple. Same wonderful effect.
Jin Suan took another step forward and continued, "Therefore, to punish without teaching is not the way of a Confucian scholar!"
Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile. "Reasonable. But how can you prove that this principle truly applies to today's matter?"
Jin Suan said gravely, "None of us knew beforehand that you were the hidden officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall. Your two attempts to stop us—honestly speaking—if it had been someone else, they wouldn't have taken it seriously. If this doesn't count as punishing without teaching, then what does?"
Having patiently listened to the youth's complete argument, Chen Ping'an said, "You need to add a word: 'very.' 'Wouldn't have taken it very seriously' is more precise. Otherwise, if we keep talking like this, a reasoned discussion will easily turn into an argument."
The youth was taken aback. He had imagined countless scenarios—perhaps getting beaten up by that man, or even being slapped off the city wall. But he had never expected that the hidden officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall, instead of minding his offense, would instead quibble over his wording and a missing word.
Jin Suan asked doubtfully, "So the hidden officer agrees with this reasoning of mine?"
Chen Ping'an turned around, sat cross-legged again, and shook his head. "I don't agree. But I let you finish your reasoning first. I'm willing to hear you out."
Jia Xuan warned the youth via telepathy: "Jin Suan, that's enough! If you say one more word, when I return to Wandering Immortal Pavilion, I will report this matter to the pavilion master and the ancestral patriarch. Be careful—your status as a direct disciple may not be secure!"
But Jin Suan ignored the threat from the second-ranked guest elder. He just stared intently at that azure-robed back.
"Let me give you a few examples. A brick from the forbidden ground of an imperial mausoleum in the mortal world, a withered branch from a celestial mountain's cave dwelling, soil from near a commoner's grave in the mortal world—these things have value."
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "Even if no one is watching, can we just pick them up at will?"
The successive sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall had no graves.
So what was a sword cultivator's grave? Perhaps it was the battlefield itself, this very Sword Qi Great Wall beneath everyone's feet.
Ascending the city wall was like visiting a grave. Every time one drew a sword, it was like burning incense, offering sacrifices to the ancestors.
Jin Suan was stunned into silence.
Chen Ping'an said, "Cat got your tongue?"
Jin Suan steeled himself and said, "That's somewhat reasonable."
Chen Ping'an continued, "If we're being honest, what you should really argue with me about isn't whether I should have struck, but whether I should have struck so hard. Am I right?"
If Jia Xuan and Zhu Yuan hadn't been at a low enough realm, things wouldn't have been so cheap for them earlier on the plank road with the carved characters. They absolutely wouldn't have regained consciousness so quickly. Both earth immortals would have simply been carried back to the ferry by their juniors.
Jin Suan immediately nodded. "The hidden officer's strike was far too heavy! Moreover, the hidden officer could have announced his identity before striking."
Chen Ping'an shook his head and said to the youth, "The sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall don't have such good tempers. On this Sword Qi Great Wall, what counts as the greatest principle? Haven't your sect elders taught you? If I weren't a Confucian scholar of the Literary Sage lineage, but only a pure sword cultivator—even if I weren't some hidden officer—you would have lost at least an arm today."
Just like Liu Jinglong: if he were merely a sword cultivator of the Taihui Sword Sect, he would have challenged Suoyun Sect alone long ago. But as the sect master of the Taihui Sword Sect, he could endure—he even had to endure—Suoyun Sect's wild talk.
Cao Jun grinned. "Sword Immortal Wei, did the hidden officer strike too hard?"
Wei Jin smiled. "For registered immortal masters of the mountain sects, being so beaten that they can't show their faces is a lot heavier than losing a sum of immortal money."
Chen Ping'an warned, "Cao Jun, this isn't the time for casual jokes. Don't fan the flames."
Cao Jun continued drinking. He silently noted the names of the two sects—Wandering Immortal Pavilion and Sishui Red Apricot Mountain. He'd make sure to visit them when he traveled through the Central Earth.
Asking the last hidden officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall to announce his own name? Did they think they were throne great demons of the Barbarian World?
Chen Ping'an shook his wine flask, his back still to the group of registered immortal masters, each harboring their own thoughts. "The rituals of the Haoran World, the principles of the Sword Qi Great Wall—you may not take them to heart. So let me talk to you about your immediate interests."
"Wei Jin and Cao Jun are two outsiders, both with easygoing temperaments and indifferent to trouble. But what about Qi Tingji, Lu Zhi, or the eighteen sword sons of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect? If you guys had run into them? What then? Do you really think all us sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall are dead in the Haoran World? If, by some mischance, you got your head lopped off—or, if by luck you didn't—who would you go to for justice? Would you go complain to your Wandering Immortal Pavilion and Sishui ancestors, or would you go pour out your grievances to Old Master He? When you're out in the world, don't you know that 'a cautious ship sails for ten thousand years'? Or is it because in the mortal realm of your Central Earth Divine Continent, any registered immortal master can just swagger around?"
Taking advantage of Ning Yao's absence, Cao Jun said cautiously via telepathy, "Wei Jin, do you think he's got it in for us?"
Wei Jin said, "Obviously."
Cao Jun's head felt as big as a winnowing basket. "One of us is an upper-sect guest elder of Fallen Mountain, the other a lower-sect offering. Do you think Chen Ping'an will make things difficult for us?"
Wei Jin smiled. "I often act the fool and pay for wine, so I think I'll be fine. As for you—hard to say."
Chen Ping'an sneered. "When you're away from home, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'—such a simple principle. Immortal Master Jia and Immortal Master Zhu, don't you teach this? Or do you let principles blow away on the wind, never applying them to actual matters? Oh, I forgot—you're guardians of the dao, not transmitters of the dao. Have I been wrong about you?"
Jia Xuan and Zhu Yuan's expressions turned extremely ugly. But their hearts held even more apprehension. Sure enough, they had been right to stop Jin Suan from speaking earlier. Now their respective sects were almost certainly on this hidden officer's bad side. As for principles, of course whoever had the higher sword technique and higher dao arts said what went. Being called out for failing in their duty as guardians of the dao—yet they hadn't neglected their own cultivation, had they? They had still cultivated to the earth immortal realm! As for you, Chen Ping'an, becoming the last hidden officer with your current fortune—who knows what opportunities you've grabbed for yourself? A sword immortal in his forties, making it into the top ten young cultivators across several worlds—naturally, he had ability. But if anyone believed he wasn't just absurdly lucky, who would buy it?
Chen Ping'an turned around and looked at that pure martial artist. "Senior, you took that fragment of stone, didn't you?"
"Please, don't call me 'senior'—I don't deserve it."
The man cupped his fists nervously. "I did take the fragment."
Chen Ping'an raised his hands and returned the salute, smiling. "Years make the elder respected. Besides, senior is extremely measured in his actions and kind-hearted—a true veteran of the world."
Chen Ping'an shifted his gaze to the youth. "Today, you put yourself in danger to come and speak with me—now that you know who I am. Is it to seek fame and profit by taking risks? To earn a reputation for defying the powerful, to gain benefits back home? Or pure pursuit of reason, to demand justice?"
Jin Suan hesitated.
He had his calculations. He knew perfectly well the temperaments and preferences of the several founding patriarchs of his Wandering Immortal Pavilion, their views on the Sword Qi Great Wall, and their evaluation of the Literary Sage lineage. So in his heart, he held Jia Xuan—this so-called second-ranked guest elder—and that old Zhu Yuan of Red Apricot Mountain, with her long hair and short knowledge, in utter contempt.
But at this moment, the youth actually didn't dare meet the gaze of the azure-robed sword immortal.
"If it's only the former, aren't you underestimating the intelligence of others? And overestimating my magnanimity?"
Jin Suan's forehead began to bead with fine sweat.
"If it's both, then what's the order? And how large are the respective intentions?"
"Even if there's selfish intent first—or even selfish intent alone—can't the principle still be spoken?"
Chen Ping'an finally asked and answered himself: "I think not necessarily."
Cao Jun asked, "Can principles be reasoned like that?"
Seeming step by step, yet going in circles. Both reasoning and examining the conscience.
Wei Jin gazed into the distance, the wind blowing at his temples. He placed a hand on his sword sheath and smiled. "If you don't reason like this, how else would you reason?"
Chen Ping'an let his thoughts flow freely, speaking them unhurriedly.
"The sage's principles in books aren't meant for last-minute clutching or emergency rescue. Nor are they easy to use as a desperate measure when all else fails. They may even often make you feel unfree."
"So what's the point of learning to read and write? To have less anger in your dealings with people, more patience, and gradually broaden the path beneath your feet—to walk steadily and calmly in the world."
"Mountain cultivators, who cultivate the dao seeking eternal life—day after day, sitting in meditation and breathing exercises for hours on end, not daring a single mistake. They endure all that, yet they can't endure a few polite words in social interactions? Can't endure being calm and composed while reasoning with others? What principle is this? Can any of you explain it to me? If you can convince me, from now on, not only can you take fragments of stone home at will, I guarantee the Sword Qi Great Wall won't interfere. The Confucian Temple won't either. You can even let me know, and I'll personally hand them to you with both hands."
"So-called principles aren't a skill to rely on. They may not show immediate results everywhere, but the longer the time, the more you see the effort of learning."
"The Buddhists call this world the Sahā World. The word Sahā means 'enduring.' It's not people grinding ink, but ink grinding people. Those who can endure heaven's trials are true heroes."
"This dusty world—a world full of troubles like dust. The mind is a mirror-stand; don't let it gather dust. Whether it's the Buddha's teachings on liberation, or the heroic spirit of indomitability—both can serve as mutual encouragement."
"Non-retrogression. Positional non-retrogression. The hero's feet stand firm. I know who I am. Conduct non-retrogression. Even if there are thousands of people, I will go. I know what I must do. Heart non-retrogression. When the great sea is in turmoil, jade and stone burn together, rites and music crumble, and no one is at peace. Among ten thousand mountains, the main peak must stand out. Amidst overwhelming desires, a pillar must emerge. Where my person is, my mind is here. Where my mind is, my person is there."
The group of registered immortal masters stared at each other in bewilderment. Was this young hidden officer going mad? Or was he so full that he had nothing better to do than preach and instruct them?
And that azure-robed, sword-carrying hidden officer, when he fell silent, seemed to have entered a meditative trance. Like an old monk in dhyana concentration, or an immortal true man in the technique of the fasting of the mind.
Cao Jun hesitated, then asked, "What's wrong with Chen Ping'an? Something's off?"
Wei Jin was silent for a moment. He sighed and replied, "Something like a form of self-verification. He is slaying and killing various other people's natures to strengthen his own. So Chen Ping'an, from the very start, aside from being a little interested in that youth, didn't think the rest were worth an extra word. What he said to the outsiders was just his soliloquy—a self-verification of what was in his heart and mind."
Old Master He suddenly interjected, "Saying 'slaying and killing' is a bit off. It's more accurate to say 'the negation of negation is affirmation.'"
Cao Jun, ignoring how this accompanying sage had heard his inner voice, took the opportunity to ask He Shou with curiosity, "Thinking wildly, wandering a million miles, talking to himself—what exactly is Chen Ping'an seeking? Isn't he just a sword cultivator and a pure martial artist? He's not trying to get a cold pig's head at the Confucian Temple, is he?"
Old Master He said, "Probably trying to find a great road for himself."
Cao Jun asked, "So Chen Ping'an is making preparations to reach the immortal realm?"
Old Master He laughed once. Wei Jin said, "Cao Jun, you really can't get into the Summer Retreat Palace."
Earlier, to the south, two streaks of sword light had, as if by appointment, lit up almost simultaneously from the Bingzhu and Zouma ferries, and rushed towards the city wall of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
After them, several more streaks of sword light followed, but much slower than the two sword immortals.
The first to appear were the old sword immortal Qi Tingji—looked young and was extremely handsome—and the tall but plain-looking Lu Zhi.
Chen Ping'an opened his eyes.
Qi Tingji glanced at those guilty-looking cultivators and asked with a smile, "What's going on?"
Chen Ping'an laughed. "They wanted to take some fragments of the city wall. I stopped them and gave them a lesson."
Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi almost simultaneously glanced at Wei Jin and Cao Jun. As for the tense group of registered immortal masters, they didn't even bother to look.
Wei Jin was completely oblivious and unconcerned.
But for a mere Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator like Cao Jun, he didn't have that kind of courage.
Qi Tingji, as the patriarch of the Qi clan of the Sword Qi Great Wall—his sword technique was right there on the city wall carvings.
As for Lu Zhi, she was a woman who had dared to intercept and pursue Liu Cha alone to Fuyang Continent.
Qi Tingji stood beside Chen Ping'an, glanced at the backs of those people, and smiled. "Young people, it's easy to make mistakes. They can be more careful in their next life."
Lu Zhi was even less talkative. She simply looked up at the Confucian sage He Shou, who was sitting in the sky. If Qi Tingji made a move to kill, she would be responsible for blocking He Shou.
Jia Xuan and Zhu Yuan, who hadn't yet gone far, suddenly felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave. They couldn't move a single step.
They felt that if they took one more step, they would be challenging those two sword immortals to a duel.
Chen Ping'an tucked his hands into his sleeves and shook his head. "I've already said my piece."
Qi Tingji smiled. "Then the hidden officer's word is law."
Lu Zhi, who had considerable resentment towards the hidden officer, sneered. "You're too soft-spoken. If you had just chopped them down, they wouldn't be able to argue anymore."
Chen Ping'an simply tossed her a jar of Hundred Flower Brew.
Lu Zhi caught the jar, crouched on the city wall, and took a long drink.
Cao Jun felt his scalp tingle.
Sword immortals like Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi weren't the type to deliberately utter harsh threats or alarmist statements.
Probably, before they chopped someone up, giving a warning beforehand was already considered generous.
Chen Ping'an said to the group still frozen in place, via telepathy, "Don't just stand there like idiots. Get lost."
They all felt as if pardoned and flew off the city wall.
Chen Ping'an raised his arm and handed a jar of wine to Qi Tingji, asking casually, "At the Guixu Sun-Drop area, how many soldiers have the Great Li border troops sent?"
Qi Tingji bent down and took the wine jar, thought for a moment, then simply sat cross-legged. "For now, three hundred and sixty thousand. Of those, twenty thousand are heavy cavalry, two hundred thousand light cavalry, and not many infantry. As for the number of accompanying cultivators, the Great Li side hasn't made it public."
Chen Ping'an was surprised. "That many already?"
On the battlefield of the Barbarian World, it was hard to sustain the army through supplies from the land itself. Once the front line stretched out, the consumption of military supplies would be incalculable. Fortunately, the Confucian Temple and various major dynasties would "borrow" large numbers of cultivators' dimensional and pocket objects. But the exact numbers were unknown.
Qi Tingji said, "I've heard more will continue to arrive. Right now, the Great Li border troops are second only to the Chenguan Dynasty of the Central Earth. That's because Great Li moved first. Their sword boats, mountain-crossing ferry boats, and cross-continental ferries are all running very smoothly. Among the Haoran World's top ten dynasties, a few, though they've complained bitterly, have had to follow suit and increase their troops. As for whether there's any padding of numbers—transferring so-called 'elites' from their vassal states—only the Confucian Temple knows the exact truth."
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "Where is Cao Ci now?"
Qi Tingji smiled. "He arrived at Qing Ji together with Liu Jubao's precious son. But I heard they soon went off on a distant journey with friends—Cao Ci, Fu Jin, Yuan Pang, Chun Qing, Yu Juanfu, Gu Can. All young people. Liu Youzhou didn't go with them. He and Huai Qian stayed behind. Probably played the role of good-giving child again."
Among the mountain sects, there was a funny saying: people wished they could meet Liu Youzhou, claim to be his long-lost brother, then together visit Liu Jubao and call him "Father."
As for female cultivators, they could become Liu Youzhou's dao partners and call Liu Jubao "Father" that way too.
Qi Tingji lifted his wine jar and lightly clinked it against Chen Ping'an's flask. "Also, as for those young people's secret protectors—as far as I know, there's Han Qiaose of White Emperor City and a guest elder of Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven. Their origins are unknown; I can't tell their depth."
Then Qi Tingji gave the young hidden officer an explanation: "Zuo You reminded us before heading south: don't come and create trouble."
Telling Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi not to come and create trouble.
There really weren't many people in the world who could speak to a sword immortal with carvings on the Sword Qi Great Wall like that.
Cao Jun watched with envy.
Chen Ping'an had really made a name for himself on the Sword Qi Great Wall. He had only had a vague idea of what a "hidden officer" meant before. But now, seeing firsthand how Chen Ping'an interacted with Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi, he truly understood the weight of the words "hidden officer."
On this Sword Qi Great Wall, not only did Wei Jin naturally become a different person, but even the likes of Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi had to regard Chen Ping'an as an equal.
----
Feng Xuetao, whose Daoist name was Qingmi, was a flying immortal who had started as a wandering cultivator. Instead of fleeing the battlefield in a straight line, he chose to take a detour back to the Sword Qi Great Wall. On his way here, Feng Xuetao had paid careful attention to the mountain and river geography of every place he passed, even meticulously drawing out a series of topographical maps.
A'Liang had watched him with an expression full of paternal affection, saying, "Brother Qingmi, you'll definitely get along with that friend of mine who's a hidden officer. When we get back to Haoran, you must come and visit Fallen Mountain. Just mention my name—A'Liang. Whether it's Chen Ping'an or that Northern Marchmount Lord Wei of the mountain—they'll treat you to good wine."
Feng Xuetao planned to take a detour on his northward journey to the nearest Guixu location, Qing Ji, and hand over these maps to that great demon king of White Emperor City.
He suddenly stopped.
A group of nine demon cultivators appeared out of nowhere. They all looked young, and their realms weren't particularly high, but Feng Xuetao felt as if he was facing a great enemy. This was a long-lost sense of crisis—not the suffocating pressure he felt facing A'Liang and the like, but a fine, uncomfortable feeling.
Feng Xuetao only recognized one of them: Zhu Qie, who carried a sword rack on his back and was a Jade Pu realm sword cultivator. Apparently, he was Liu Cha's senior disciple.
A young man held a mask, smiling broadly. His two large sleeves hung straight down, revealing no hands.
He wore a snow-white Dharma robe, with cloud patterns flowing like water. At his waist hung a narrow saber in a slender, extremely long scabbard.
A young woman wore a single golden earring, which gave off a soft, gentle light, dividing her face into light and shadow, yin and yang.
There was a burly man with a pair of battle-axes at his waist, holding a lantern.
A pair of young demon cultivators who looked like brother and sister stood shoulder to shoulder. The man carried a bamboo pole with a gourd hanging from it.
The woman spun a dagger in one hand, a massive bow on her back.
A childlike figure had an unremarkable cloth pouch tied around his waist.
A woman with a graceful, curvy figure had already donned a faceless mask. A guqin case hung diagonally on her back. Perhaps because she had already put on the mask, strange phenomena appeared behind her—countless hanged corpses dangling in the air.
The handsome youth with the narrow saber was the first to speak, in a fluent Haoran Central Earth elegant language. "Hey, do you know the Hidden Officer Chen?"
Taking advantage of that woman Liu Bai not being around, he'd better ask a few more questions about the young hidden officer.
Otherwise, that lady had a bad temper. As soon as she heard this person's name, she'd bristle—not the kind of open irritation, but secretly keeping a mental tally.
The childlike figure patted the pouch at his waist and asked with a grin, "That Aiai Continent's Lord of Wealth, the Liu family—just how rich are they? Is it true that every servant's rice bowl and chamber pot in the family is made out of snowflake coins?"
Feng Xuetao could roughly make out the realms of this group of demon cultivators; the highest was at the Jade Pu realm. They wanted to encircle and kill a flying immortal?
But for some reason, Feng Xuetao's intuition told him that with one careless move, he might well leave his life here.
Just then, a sudden telepathic voice sounded in his mind: "Daoist friend Qingmi, don't be afraid. With me, Collapsed True Lord, here, I guarantee your life is safe."
----
At the peak of Sui Mountain.
The old scholar closed his book and smiled. "Time does not dwell; the years flow like a river. The ten-thousand-year term has suddenly arrived. Suzi said it well: the body is like a traveler's inn; where is my hometown?"
In the Azure Underworld.
Lu Chen was lying on the white jade railing. "We two junior brothers are inferior to the senior brother in every way—the one closest to our master."
The Dao Second said with displeasure, "When exactly are you going to the outer heavens?!"
Lu Chen sighed and complained, "Let the great figures solve the great problems."
A young boy, looking like a Daoist acolyte, appeared out of nowhere at the highest point of the White Jade Capital. He called out two names: "Yu Dou, Lu Chen."
Yu Dou made a Daoist salute. "Master."
Lu Chen jumped down from the railing and imitated his senior brother like a copycat. He rarely made such a proper Daoist salute.
The young Daoist, who rarely left the Lotus Cave Heaven, didn't say anything else. He just looked up at the outer heavens.
Somewhere in the outer heavens, a woman in white held a bright red sphere between two fingers.
If one observed this scene from far away, they would notice it was an ancient star.
The young Daoist said, "I need to take the ox on a journey to the outer heavens. Lu Chen, you don't need to come."
Lu Chen nodded. "Disciple obeys the master's decree."
At the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Chen Ping'an had gone alone to that city wall where he had integrated his dao. As soon as he sat down, a head popped up, smiling brightly. "Haha! Surprised?"
Chen Ping'an immediately raised his palm. Five thunders converged, smashing into the face of that lotus-crowned Daoist, sending him flying off the city wall.
Finally, Chen Ping'an sat on the city wall with his hands in his sleeves. That Daoist swam like a frog through the air and drifted down beside him, wiping his face with his Daoist robe sleeve.
Chen Ping'an asked, "What are you doing here?"
Lu Chen grinned. "Just enjoying the excitement."
Not far off on the city wall, a middle-aged monk suddenly intoned a Buddhist chant.
Lu Chen immediately stood up and skedaddled.
Chen Ping'an turned his head, his face full of shock. He slowly rose, pressed his palms together, and bowed his head.
The middle-aged monk returned the bow, said nothing, and soon left quietly.
In the Great Li capital, the old immortal master Liu Jia stood at the entrance of an alleyway, blocking the path of yet another old scholar.