Chapter 875: Realm Decline
(There will be another ten-thousand-character chapter before 1 AM.)
Lu Chen swept his sleeve wide, waving his hand to create a heaven-and-earth prohibition, helping Chen Ping'an conceal the bleak aura of his realm decline. In a voice of the heart, he reminded, "Since you already have a plan, things beyond the horizon—since there's no way to manage them anyway—let's set them aside for now. Best to handle the matters right in front of us. Head back to the city wall immediately."
Half of the Sword Qi Great Wall was where his Dao was fused. That could help Chen Ping'an stabilize his Dao heart and realm.
Within the small heaven and earth of the human body, the mountains and rivers, a single Dao heart like a small leaf boat adrift amidst raging waves, the half of the Sword Qi Great Wall where his Dao was fused became the best ballast stone under heaven.
Chen Ping'an nodded, speaking hoarsely, "Wait a moment."
Lu Chen asked, "Why not let your realm decline on the city wall? At least you wouldn't have to endure so much pain."
Chen Ping'an gave an answer that left Lu Chen speechless. "When a cultivator's realm declines, mountains and rivers shatter, but it benefits martial arts. Using the method Uncle Li taught me, I can get a clearer picture of the 'mountain and river' meridians formed by flesh, blood, and bones. It's also a way to temper and forge a martial artist's physique foundation."
Lu Chen understood instantly. The martial realm of Qi Sheng—flourishing energy—was a deep and profound study.
Having traveled through the Barren Wilderness World, it wasn't wasted suffering for Chen Ping'an, who had fallen severely in realm.
At the moment, there was a baggage they had to drag along. It remained silent, cautiously observing these two human cultivators.
A young human sword cultivator, and a self-proclaimed hanger-on and lackey.
One fell in realm, the other rose in realm.
This greatly astonished it. Borrowing from someone to achieve the Fourteen Realm?
This shocked it even more than seeing a Fourteen Realm cultivator.
After ten thousand years, the human world was truly full of wonders.
Through the time-scroll and a few books like Records of Mountains and Seas gifted to it by that existence, it learned that the man before it was a Daoist priest.
In the ancient era, all qi refiners under heaven, whether human or demon, were collectively called Daoists.
Now, they were divided into monks and Daoists, with the Daoists apparently monopolizing the word "Dao."
The lotus crown on the young Daoist's head was one of the symbols of identity for Daoists of the three lineages of the Jade Capital.
Lu Chen was also observing that ancient great demon, a Flying Ascension sword cultivator.
Just a few steps away, he feared the other might strike him with a sword without asking any questions.
At this moment, the great demon had taken on a youthful face, appearing to be around twenty years old, wearing a yellow hat and green shoes, dressed in linen clothes.
It didn't seem malevolent at all, rather like a wandering scholar from Haoran, but from a poor family.
The problem was, what did its appearance matter? It was truly a great ancient demon whose combat power could rival that of the old thrones of the Barren Wilderness.
Lu Chen spoke with his heart, "Is it coming up to the city wall with us? This one's innate divine ability seems to be able to manipulate heartstrings. We both need to be careful."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Just let it follow."
Chen Ping'an certainly didn't trust it, but he trusted her.
On the path of cultivation, at every moment, he was used to complicating simple problems, pondering over and over, thinking more and more, seemingly thankless labor. But it was precisely so that one day, facing all kinds of tangled and complex situations, he could simplify the complex problems. This was another form of fruit and flower simultaneous.
Lu Chen reached out and grabbed Chen Ping'an's arm, shrinking the mountains and rivers, and together they returned to the city wall.
Once on the wall, Chen Ping'an staggered and sat down, crossing his legs. He placed his hands on his knees and let out a heavy breath of turbid qi. Though his form and spirit were bleak, the robust blood qi of a martial artist still made the great demon look at him with new respect. His physique's resilience wasn't inferior to that of demons. Seeing the young man turn his palms upward, breathing lightly to circulate the five elements as his life-bound objects, mist like white snakes emerged from the seven apertures of his face, and between his sleeves, azure dragons coiled and lingered.
It nodded in approval. "Fine weather."
Somehow, during the journey here, it had already learned the elegant speech of the Central Continent and the official language of Great Li in Bottle Gourd Continent.
Lu Chen reminded, "It's best to take out all the external objects that haven't been greatly refined."
Chen Ping'an took a deep breath, unstrapping the Night Roamer sword at his back, and a sword-nurturing gourd that had served as a wine flask for many years.
He then took out two narrow blades, "Execution" and "Investigation," which had a lord-vassal relationship.
A horsetail whisk, a set of sword formations, a coral brush rest—three treasures of immortal soldier rank.
Seeing this made the Flying Ascension demon sword cultivator's eyelids twitch.
Either ancient divine weapons or later-forged immortal soldiers.
Lu Chen, like a nagging housekeeper, continued, "How do we handle this inexplicable fellow?"
Chen Ping'an could safely wash his hands of the matter, but Lu Chen couldn't rest easy with a Flying Ascension peak sword cultivator standing nearby. If he were alone, even if they were arguing face to face, it wouldn't matter. But if he had to protect Chen Ping'an as a Dao protector, Lu Chen was truly worried.
Chen Ping'an clearly had no intention of just dropping the matter. Not in a hurry to sink his mind into meditation, he turned his head and asked, "Have you chosen a pseudonym for yourself?"
The great demon immediately crouched down and said softly, "No."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then suggested, "How about the Dao name Xi Zhu? Xi for joy, Zhu for candle. What do you think, fellow Daoist?"
The great demon nodded. "Good name."
Feeling this might not be sincere enough, it added, "Greatly honored."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "But in my homeland, whether cultivator or mortal, if one wants to put down roots, there's the matter of household registration. You can also choose a personal name for yourself."
The true form of this great demon was a spider.
The spider was also called qinke or xizi—"dear guest" or "joy-bringer."
So in Chen Ping'an's hometown town, there was an old saying passed down through generations: "A spider gathering means a hundred joys." The elderly regarded spider webs as omens of joy. If they saw a web in the house, whether or not the spider was on it, the homeowner would not sweep it away. Only at the end of the year would the elderly take a broom to gently roll it up, then have the child of the house take the broom and send it out the door. On the way, the child holding the broom would say something like, "Farewell to old joys, seek new joys," meaning to ring out the old and ring in the new.
When Chen Ping'an left his hometown to travel far, he also discovered the custom of the Seventh Eve in Haoran World. Women would wear new clothes, set out melons and fruits and pastries in the courtyard, as if a happy spider had spun a web, along with handmade colorful embroidery and paper cuts. They would burn incense and light candles, then holding colored threads, face the lamp's shadow, and thread the needle, thus begging for skill from heaven.
If the great sword immortal Zhang Lu's true form, Tian Lu, was a kind of auspicious beast, then a spider was a happy insect that heralded good fortune. Chen Ping'an had also seen paintings in some temples and on literati's calligraphy and paintings that depicted threads of spider silk hanging down with a spider suspended, beautifully called "happiness descends from heaven."
Chen Ping'an was a person who wouldn't move from the threshold of the Qingfu Workshop's shop until he heard "Congratulations on getting rich!"
It smiled. "Allow me to think."
It began to flip through books in its heart lake, intending to find a more elegant pseudonym.
Lu Chen rubbed his eyes. This fellow Daoist even seemed a bit shy.
When they first met by the bright moonlight, it wasn't so gentle-tempered.
It glanced at the vast land south of the city wall, recalling the earlier conversation.
"If the Master drives you out, you shall return all your swordsmanship to me."
Master?
One of the Supremes, with a light sentence, made it feel like it had been thrown into the bright moon to smash a "nest," just like in the old days when Bai Ze grabbed its head and smashed it into the earth, creating hundreds of craters.
Its swordsmanship had been painstakingly begged from the Sword Holder in the early years.
As for ten thousand years later, Bai Ze woke it when he wanted it awakened—of course, after it began mountain cultivation, Bai Ze had taught it a harsh lesson.
Upon hearing that address, it immediately understood. It dared not say another word.
Fearful of causing trouble, it voluntarily used an ancient "sealing the mountain" secret technique to block all thoughts related to the word "Master."
It left itself only a single, weighty heart-mind reminder: not to defy this person, a human cultivator named Chen Ping'an.
Thus, when Lu Chen said it was adept at manipulating heartstrings, he spoke the truth and hit the mark.
Chen Ping'an said, "Let us make a pact with three articles. When you return with me to Haoran World, you must abide by them."
It said solemnly, "Young master, please speak."
In the gaps while choosing a name, it had also learned many Haoran forms of address.
"First, after you return home with me, you are forbidden to attack qi refiners below the Jade Pool realm, no matter the reason."
It nodded. For qi refiners below the fifth realm, all spells, divine powers, and even a sword cultivator's flying swords—they were like a tickling itch. Why bother?
"Second, for those below Flying Ascension, in the Jade Pool and Immortal realms, if conflict arises, you may detain and seal them, but you may not kill them arbitrarily based on personal preference."
It still had no objection.
The Dao is perilous; caution is paramount.
Awakening this time, first it encountered a large group of sword cultivators, then there was a bright moon in the sky—no, two bright moons—that vanished without a trace. Looking down, it saw that the Moon Supporting Mountain was gone from the world.
The current Haoran World was truly terrifying.
The young master's reminder seemed restrictive, but it was actually out of kindness. It couldn't be ungrateful.
"Finally, when you reach my homeland, just think of it as 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Speak little, observe much, cultivate carefully, and be a good person."
"Beyond these three matters, my Fallen Mountain has few rules, no taboos about landscapes. Besides needing to conceal your realm, you don't have to hide your identity as a demon."
It nodded. "I have noted the young master's reminders."
Chen Ping'an glanced at Lu Chen.
Actually, Chen Ping'an was also puzzled. This "young" cultivator before him seemed completely different from that Flying Ascension peak great demon sword cultivator he first met by the bright moon and on the spider silk.
The difference was like heaven and earth—it was as easy to talk to as a child listening to a teacher's lecture.
Lu Chen said via heart voice, "It might have used some secret sword technique to split its personality, suppressing all its fierce nature. This isn't unfamiliar to you."
Chen Ping'an said, "In the future, in Haoran World, if you encounter a great cultivator who won't listen to reason, I'll help you reason with them. This 'when in Rome' is something you need to adapt to quickly."
It smiled but said nothing.
After all, it was a Flying Ascension sword cultivator. In the Barren Wilderness World, where the strong are honored, status still depended on realm.
Chen Ping'an didn't mind. He smiled and said, "After reasoning, then you draw your sword."
It finally hummed in agreement. That was more like it.
Seeing that Chen Ping'an intended to heal his injuries, it said, "Young master, I've picked a pseudonym for myself: 'Mo Sheng.' Is it acceptable? If you think it's fine, you can call me Xiao Mo from now on."
Lu Chen smiled awkwardly. Eavesdropping on heart voices—that was really underhanded.
At the same time, Lu Chen secretly raised his estimation of Senior Xi Zhu's swordsmanship level.
Chen Ping'an wasn't much better. "Young master" this, "young master" that. He'd just barely managed to cultivate a "wind in the ears" divine ability from Old Chef Zhu, and now another one?
Chen Ping'an smiled. "What's not acceptable? But in the future, just call me by my name."
It nodded. "Yes, young master."
"Xiao Mo, this is a welcome gift."
Chen Ping'an opened his palm. Inside, like a miniature bright moon, it rose slowly in the heaven and earth of his palm. It was the moonlight that had shattered and then re-formed when the long sword broke.
Lu Chen suppressed a laugh.
"This is my gift in return to the young master."
It pinched the bright moon with two fingers, gently placed it into its sleeve, then turned its palm over. An ancient ruin appeared—jade towers and jade buildings, moonlight pure white. Upon closer inspection, there were over a hundred buildings in ancient styles, row upon row.
Lu Chen gave Chen Ping'an a meaningful look: don't be polite and refuse.
This was a genuine old site of the Moon Palace, of the same rank as the Dragon Palaces of the ancient Four Seas!
Chen Ping'an thanked it and unhesitatingly put it into his sleeve.
Now he had a wedding gift for Liu Xianyang and She Yue.
Lu Chen sighed. He roughly guessed Chen Ping'an's thoughts. A wealth-giving lad, still a wealth-giving lad.
Chen Ping'an began to stabilize his realm, like the old heavens of a person's body, having to suppress rebellions everywhere and restore the broken mountains and rivers.
He had fallen from the martial realm of Guizhen to the level of Qi Sheng.
His cultivator realm had fallen all the way from Jade Pool to Golden Core.
Lu Chen sat farther away with Fellow Daoist Xi Zhu and started chatting.
He took out two jugs of special peach pulp immortal brew from Shenxiao City of the Jade Capital, then laid out a talisman paper as big as a square tablecloth and set out a few dishes of appetizers: hand-smashed cucumber, cold-mixed pig ear, and a dish of pine nuts and almonds, all full.
Glancing at the slightly restrained Fellow Daoist Xi Zhu, Lu Chen marveled even more. Controlling the mood, changing the disposition—this was clearly using the methods of ancient gods. These old seniors, employing so many lost techniques, really opened one's eyes.
Lu Chen asked with a smile, "Senior Xi Zhu, what are your feelings upon returning to the human world this time?"
Xiao Mo said with melancholy, "Things and people are both different. Old friends are scattered. My heart feels like it's being twisted and cut. It's hard to control my emotions."
Pausing a moment, Xiao Mo raised his wine cup and made a more concise summary of his feelings: "Bitter."
Lu Chen also raised his cup and gently clinked it. "Hearing this, I, little Daoist, must stop you."
Xiao Mo said, "Please speak freely."
Lu Chen smiled. "In life, it's rare for bitterness to end and sweetness to come. Besides, if someone shares your hardships, the bitterness isn't so bitter."
Xiao Mo agreed deeply, smiling. "Senior Brother Lu, you have a high opinion."
Lu Chen asked, "Senior, you seem… less famous in later ages?"
He meant: with such a high realm, why hadn't you left a series of grand deeds in the Barren Wilderness World to be sung for ten thousand years?
Xiao Mo nodded. "I liked to focus on practicing the sword. I didn't much like fighting with anyone. Showing off authority is indeed not my forte."
Lu Chen sighed. "A hero without fame—it's the world that's wrong. I must drink one with you."
After each finished a cup, Xiao Mo thought for a moment and said, "I once pursued Yang Zhi, but my swordsmanship was not refined at the time. After more than a month, I still couldn't kill Yang Zhi. Zhu Yan blocked and rescued her. I fought one against two, but couldn't win, so I ran."
Lu Chen's hand trembled, and the wine almost spilled. He quickly used a spell to make the wine flow back into the cup, then downed it in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and hurriedly apologized, "Hearing such a feat is like a thunderclap on a clear day. I lost my composure."
Xiao Mo found it strange—why would a Fourteen Realm great cultivator be so shocked by such a thing?
But since the other was so… supportive, Xiao Mo also smiled a bit more.
It couldn't be helped. The memories of this sleeping ancient great demon were more of the brutal battles ten thousand years ago, where gods fell like rain and great demons died and their corpses piled up like mountains. The majestic mountain ranges now regarded as "ancestor mountains" and "main peaks" in the Barren Wilderness World were almost all transformed from the "broken walls and ruined courtyards" of great demons' true form corpses.
Naturally, it never thought any one-on-one fight deserved the word "peak."
Lu Chen then told Xiao Mo about the old united lord of the Yelu River and the Moving Mountain Ancestor.
Zhu Yan was still carefree, while Yang Zhi was imprisoned by the Confucian Temple at the ruins of an abandoned alchemy furnace from the Dao Ancestor.
Xiao Mo listened intently, clearly a good listener. After Lu Chen finished his rambling, he took a sip of wine. "So Zhu Yan and Yang Zhi never became Dao companions."
Looking around, Xiao Mo sighed again. "Dao heart unsettled; the three realms are not safe. It's like living in a burning house, full of suffering, the flame of karma unceasing, truly terrifying."
Lu Chen nodded. "The three realms are a burning house. Cloud water is cool. To save others to save oneself is all the more valuable."
Lu Chen picked up a bite of food with his chopsticks, chewed slowly, and asked curiously, "Senior, have you also studied Buddhist dharma deeply?"
Xiao Mo smiled shyly. "I was fortunate enough to once hear a monk's sermon under a Bodhi tree. It transcended the barrier of words, accommodating all cloud-water guests from ten directions. Truly unparalleled and wonderful."
Lu Chen couldn't continue. He always felt a bit uneasy dealing with the Buddha.
Xiao Mo asked, "The young master seems to have a great lingering trouble in his homeland?"
Lu Chen nodded, then shook his head. "He has, and now he doesn't."
Zhou Mi of the Literary Sea and the young Hidden Officer were two completely different types of people.
Zhou Mi pursued maximum benefit.
Chen Ping'an always sought to make no mistakes, to prevent the worst outcome.
As Chen Ping'an's back-up move, White Emperor City's Zheng Juzhong was not originally ranked high among the mountain peaks of Central Continent.
Otherwise, Pei Bei would not have brought her disciple Cao Ci from the Sword Qi Great Wall back to Central Continent via Hanging Mountain to challenge White Emperor City.
But that deep and unfathomable Zheng Juzhong—Lu Chen always felt one could never overestimate him.
There was no sense in preventing theft every day, but no principle in guarding against a thief for a thousand days.
At the moment when Zhou Mi thought Chen Ping'an was most complacent, and with Ritual Saint not guarding Haoran World, the opportunity was indeed rare and fleeting.
Then Zheng Juzhong, having already reached the Fourteen Realm, was indeed the most suitable chess opponent to counter Zhou Mi's "unreasonable move."
The question was, had Chen Ping'an asked Zheng Juzhong for help? Or had he secretly made some deal?
Either way, Lu Chen felt Chen Ping'an would pay a considerable price.
Xiao Mo said, "When I return to my homeland with the young master, I suppose there will always be opportunities to contribute my meager strength."
Lu Chen smiled. "You can, but not too much."
Xiao Mo nodded in agreement, then looked into the distance and laughed. "I learn swords quickly, but I draw my sword even faster."
Only when mentioning swordsmanship did he reveal the aura of a Flying Ascension peak great demon.
After that, Lu Chen chatted with Xiao Mo about the customs of the Azure Underworld World.
The Azure Underworld World also had no shortage of extraordinary people.
The Azure Underworld World's territory was roughly divided into nineteen states, while Haoran had only nine, showing the disparity in mountain and water luck between the two worlds.
Even in a world full of Dao officials, there were still some Buddhist temples. The depth and wondrousness of the Buddhist Dharma among those dragon-elephants were beyond imagination. Lu Chen had once traveled the world, visiting all the great temples. An unknown old monk in a small temple had nearly reached the Heaven Heart realm. His room, only a square zhang in size, could accommodate thousands of lion seats.
Xuan Du Temple's Elder Sun, Wu Shuangjiang—needless to say.
The New Year's Eve Palace's Shou Sui Ren, the one nicknamed Little White—seemed overestimated, but was actually always underestimated.
A loose immortal swordsman named Nie Bixia from Yan Province, with three thousand years of cloud-water travels, wandering unpredictably, playing in the human world.
The great cultivator Yuan Huanxian, Dao name Nanyang Fish, alias Chizi Ciren—Red Child Poet. He carried an iron flute at his waist, claiming "Heaven knows my sincerity," but was actually "heaven uses a hundred evils to nurture a poet."
A mountain recluse from Shanyin, Dao name Taiyi, who liked to raise geese.
Lu Chen listed a dozen names in one breath. Any Dao official's life story could be written into a volume of strange tales.
As for the martial path, the number one martial artist in the world was Lin Jiangxian.
And Run Yue Peak's Xin Ku—"suffering."
But his martial arts training was anything but suffering. Even when he turned to cultivation, it wasn't suffering.
If naming was this effective, Lu Chen would have renamed himself "Lu Wudi"—No Enemy—with the Dao name "Lou Yi"—Ant.
The Jade Capital in the Azure Underworld World was similar to the Central Continent of Haoran, not the Confucian Temple of Central Continent.
It governed the entire world, with such a vast jurisdiction that it was like a sect's private territory. In contrast, the Confucian Temple's true territory was only the three Great Schools and seventy-two Academies.
These matters were topics for Lu Chen and Fellow Daoist Xiao Mo to chat over wine, as if they were old friends at first sight.
But if the young Hidden Officer happened to overhear, how could that be considered Jade Capital's Lu Jiaozhu committing treason? That would be a wrongful accusation.
If anyone dared to wrong Daoist Lu, he would have to bring out Senior Brother Yu.
Chen Ping'an was like an old monk in meditation, but he could still hear the conversation between Lu Chen and Xiao Mo.
Ning Yao had previously ascended from the Multicolor World with her sword to Haoran. If not for a sudden impulse, she could have brought a report on the Azure Underworld World for Chen Ping'an, compiled from the research of flying sword cultivators from Ascension City, roughly recording major events in the Azure Underworld World over the past millennium.
Lu Jiaozhu's "intelligence" was certainly very helpful for filling gaps, and compared to rumors, closer to the truth.
"Senior Brother Lu's second home is full of outstanding people. The Jade Capital that rules over the entire world must be even more unattainable."
Xiao Mo sighed deeply. "I won't travel there in the future."
Lu Chen smiled without speaking. That was said too early.
Xiao Mo asked, "What is the young master's homeland like?"
After all, he would be settling there.
Lu Chen puffed up with pride, holding a cup in one hand, gently shaking it, and chopsticks in the other, eating quickly and mumbling unclearly: "Fellow Daoist, you've asked the right person. I had a fortune-telling stall there for many years. My reputation was excellent, well-known and well-received. Old and young, men and women—when they saw me, their eyes and expressions were full of heartfelt warmth. As an example, the way your young master is treated on this Sword Qi Great Wall—that's exactly how I was welcomed in the old Li Zhu Cave Heaven."
Xiao Mo leaned forward, holding one hand to steady his sleeve, and with the other hand picked up an almond from the dish. Listening to Lu Daoyou's words, he first put the dry-fried almond into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed, then said clearly, "That Brother Lu has good relationships is not surprising."
Lu Chen raised the hand holding his chopsticks to cover his mouth and lowered his voice. "But Brother Xiao Mo, there's something to note: when you get there, listen to your young master's advice. You really need to be careful how you conduct yourself. As for why, allow me to explain slowly."
Xiao Mo listened to Brother Lu's introduction, filled with caution about that Li Zhu Cave Heaven. He frowned, feeling troubled. Sure enough, he was truly a suicide soldier.
But the most dangerous thing was actually already over.
Because he didn't have to return his swordsmanship for now.
Once this young Hidden Officer, Chen Ping'an, carved the characters on the city wall—either "Ping," "An," or "Qing," "Du"—
Then that supreme existence who taught him swordsmanship would bring him back to the wall, and he would stand still while Chen Ping'an cut down his realm, until the latter got his military merit for carving a character.
Combined with the previously existing "Chen" character,
it might make two names: either Chen Ping'an,
or Chen Qingdu.
Chen Qingdu—Xiao Mo was very familiar with him.
He was a sword cultivator who wasn't the most talented early on, but climbed the steadiest. After reaching the peak, among the human sword cultivators, Chen Qingdu was the most troublesome, the most vicious with his sword, and full of strange sayings.
Lu Chen raised his cup. "With Brother Xiao Mo as my Dao protector, I can rest easy."
Xiao Mo shook his head. "I'm not a Dao protector. I'm just a suicide soldier."
He didn't have so many convoluted thoughts.
Like when he encountered that supreme existence earlier. After a long separation, even after ten thousand years, he was still moved to tears, still in awe, not diminished at all.
He would absolutely never fight back. It had nothing to do with their swordsmanship or realm.
Otherwise, even if he faced Bai Ze, if they had a conflict, a true Dao contest involving life and death, even if he couldn't win, would he not even dare to risk his life?
When had sword cultivators only ever drawn swords against those of lower realms? There was no such principle.
Besides Bai Ze, he had fought from the human world into the bright moon's "Hao Cai," later occupying the Moon Supporting Mountain's Great Ancestor, the great demon Chu Sheng who opened the Hall of Heroes.
And even the first cultivator in heaven and earth.
And two sword cultivators of the same generation as Chen Qingdu—one named Yuan Xiang, one named Dragon Lord.
Hadn't he fought them all?
Of course, he lost every time.
"Brother Xiao Mo, what do you think is the most important thing for a person?"
"To live long."
For example, ten thousand years ago, he spun his web to catch all "flying birds" in the sky—phoenixes, cranes, etc.—as food.
And there was another who soared freely in heaven and earth, liked to arbitrarily drive away the flood dragons in the sea, gather them, and then swallow them in one gulp.
"Brother Lu doesn't seem to agree?"
"One must have a conscience. If others treat me as a state scholar, I shall repay them as a state scholar."
Xiao Mo quickly searched the books in his heart lake for the meaning of the word "state scholar."
"Before you return home, can you go see Xian Cha?"
Chen Ping'an suddenly spoke. "Of course, I'm not asking you to recognize him as your first disciple. That's your own Dao lineage's family matter. I won't interfere."
Xian Cha, also called Gu Qinggong, was a peculiar person famous in Haoran not for his realm.
He had once helped Lu Chen row a boat across the sea to visit immortals, so he was regarded by Cao Rong and He Xiaoliang as Lu Chen's unregistered senior disciple.
At the Confucian Temple, Gu Qinggong had once promised to look after all the disciples of Fallen Mountain that Chen Ping'an met on his cultivation path.
Lu Chen laughed angrily. "You just don't care about falling in realm, do you?!"
Chen Ping'an said, "I'm used to it. Practice makes perfect."
You don't know how many times I've shattered my Golden Core and fallen in realm here.
Xiao Mo sincerely exclaimed, "The young master is truly a sword immortal."
Lu Chen said, "No problem, I promise you. Just a meeting with that fool."
Chen Ping'an actually still had the energy to toss something to Lu Chen.
Lu Chen caught it. It was the coral brush rest. "Giving it to me?!"
The young Hidden Officer glanced sideways at Lu Jiaozhu.
Lu Chen said grudgingly, "I can try my best to get half the Dragon Palace's profits from Wang Dongzhi. But how do we split it?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Lu Jiaozhu, do as you see fit. Follow your conscience."
Xiao Mo smiled and nodded. It seemed the young master truly considered him one of his own. Earlier, he was very polite. But with Brother Lu, it was a bit different.
Chen Ping'an said, "We'll split it 70-30, but on the condition that you come up with a solution for Cloud Gown Mountain in Bottle Gourd Continent. If that works, we'll split it 60-40."
Back then, Cloud Gown Mountain's Cai Jinjian had helped him with a flying sword message. Chen Ping'an had to repay this debt of kindness.
Besides, he had just met Plow Cloud Peak's Earth Immortal, Peak Master Huang Zhonghou, who was quite interesting and could be considered half a drinking buddy.
Cloud Gown Mountain, in the last hundred years, couldn't stop the trend of qi luck dissipation. Its skin was empty inside. Even if Cloud Gown Mountain rose to become a sect, within three hundred years, the nineteen peaks of Cloud Gown, including Green Cypress and Plow Cloud, along with those beautiful mountains and waters not yet opened by Earth Immortals, would become fleeting clouds, transforming into places of thin qi unsuitable for cultivation. And this decline in qi luck was quite strange. Even when Chen Ping'an was at the Fourteen Realm, he thought it couldn't be solved by just two mountain talismans and two water talismans.
"Wonderful indeed. I, poor Daoist, just happen to have a treasure that has quite a fate with Cloud Gown Mountain. The secret recipe of azure mist and secluded intention for immortality—by coincidence, it's the right medicine."
Lu Chen laughed heartily, pulling a jade gui tablet from his sleeve with cloud pattern reliefs. This object had a great peculiarity: its color changed with the seasons, revealing different auspicious patterns and ancient seal script corresponding to the four seasons.
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Then I'll trouble Lu Jiaozhu to meet Senior Gu on the sea first, then go ashore to personally visit Cloud Gown Mountain."
Lu Chen asked doubtfully, "Aren't you sending it yourself?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "I'll learn from Du Yu."
Otherwise, when he later had free time to find Huang Zhonghou on Plow Cloud Peak for a drink, it would lose some flavor.
Lu Chen asked, "Du Yu? Which god?"
But Chen Ping'an didn't answer, sinking into his meditation again.
Lu Chen had no choice but to continue drinking with Xiao Mo, saying nothing more.
Xiao Mo looked at the young Daoist with the lotus crown.
In life, one inevitably feels lonely.
Who knows if seeking the Dao doesn't mean seeking the fish? Only now does one recognize one's free self.
"Zheng Juzhong really lives up to his name!"
Lu Chen suddenly showed joy. "He blocked it completely, not missing a bit, and even cleaned up some hidden dangers in passing."
Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and stretched out his hand. "Bring a jug of wine."
Lu Chen tossed him a jug of the peach pulp immortal brew from Shenxiao City.
Chen Ping'an uncorked it, took a big gulp, and said softly, "Damn it. One day I'm going to kill that bastard."
Xiao Mo still praised sincerely, "The young master is truly a sword immortal."
Lu Chen wiped his face. This Fellow Daoist Xiao Mo would surely thrive on Fallen Mountain.
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In the territory of Fallen Mountain, it was another ordinary day, sunny and calm.
Today, Zhu Lian was at Grey Brook Mountain, which was undergoing major construction. He had personally gone with Jiang Qu to oversee. The old chef was tamping earth with a pestle, and the young cultivator was helping the mountain artisans snap chalk lines with an ink marker.
Little Warm Tree was still busy on Fallen Mountain, cleaning early in the morning. She first went to the master's room on the first floor of the bamboo building. The books on the table were crooked again.
The accountant Wei Wenlong was checking accounts with his half-disciple Zhang Jiazhen, while the disciplinary officer Chang Ming sat beside him, silently drinking tea.
Mi Yu was sitting on a stone stool by the cliff, cracking melon seeds, staring at a small incense fire being who served as the city god of a prefecture, who had come to check in at the mountain.
Without Chen Lingjun to act as a go-between, the big and little ones didn't really know what to talk about. If the little boy in blue were there, it would be lively. He always had some words that confused even Mi Yu. For example, when talking about "taking from someone makes your hands weak," Chen Lingjun and the incense fire being would exchange a glance, then one would burst out laughing and the other would laugh uproariously, rolling on the table holding their bellies. Even Mi Yu had to turn his brain a few times before he knew what the two lechers were talking about.
Mi Yu was baffled. Was this all the skill learned from the gatekeeper, Zheng Dafeng?
The old chef, Wei Shanjun, and Chen Lingjun—all of them liked to pass the credit to Zheng Dafeng. So in Mi Yujian's heart, Zheng Dafeng had a very majestic image: capable in both literature and martial arts, and said to be handsome.
His skill at chess was extraordinary. Even Zhu Lian and Wei Bo couldn't beat him. He could even discuss the knowledge of the imperial examination system with the young scholarly seeds Cao Qinglang and Yuan Lai.
He was said to patiently teach Cen Yuanji fist techniques while watching the mountain gate every day.
His words were humorous, able to be both spicy and mild, vulgar and elegant. "An old man wearing flowers on his white hair to look young—when a man is charming, women have no say and must step aside."
At the mountain gate, Fallen Mountain's Right Protector was dozing in his bamboo chair, holding the golden carrying pole and green bamboo staff, nodding like a chick pecking at rice.
The little girl in black rubbed her eyes. She looked forward to the good mountain master taking her to play at Red Candle Town. Traveling the world didn't need to be far.
Daytime had its goodness, nighttime its own. Fireflies flew, crickets and frogs quarreled, the water in the ridges and between fields visited each other. Wild grass dozed in the breeze, and the stars in the sky winked at the world.
Little Mi Li jumped up, holding the golden pole in one hand and the mountain-walking staff in the other, performing a set of "crazy demon sword techniques" learned from Pei Qian.
Chen Lingjun, at the mountain path pavilion, dragged his good brother Bai Xuan to watch a mirror flower water moon show.
Before leaving, Bai Xuan brewed himself a pot of goji berry tea. Chen Lingjun said that drinking this kind of tea made one look like an old-school wanderer.
Bai Xuan was annoyed these days. Compared to learning the sword, the fist was truly hard to learn. He could understand at a glance, but as soon as he used it, it failed.
Fortunately, as long as he didn't step into a fighting ring, he was still invincible.
Chen Lingjun often mentioned the sore spot: last time you fought Pei Qian, it was really something. You were about to fall, but her punches actually knocked you back upright.
If they weren't sworn brothers, Bai Xuan would have rolled up his sleeves and started a fight.
"A penny can defeat a hero." In recent years, Chen Lingjun had been short on cash on Fallen Mountain. He didn't even have the money to cheer for a show. He really couldn't hold onto money.
In the years when Fallen Mountain was most strapped, Chen Lingjun was very prideful. Actually, he secretly took from his own pockets to give money to the mountain in various ways.
Besides that untouchable "wife fund," he really didn't have a single spare coin left.
Later, most of his mountain gate salary was spent in one trip to North Crow Continent. He made a few friends there, and he was used to spending money like water.
So every time he watched a mirror flower water moon show, Chen Lingjun had to think a long time about what to say when throwing spirit coins to speak, just so he didn't waste money.
Fortunately, he met Chief Zhou, who was rich and a hundred times more generous than Wei Shanjun!
Chief Zhou left two pouches of spirit coins—one of Guyu coins, one of Xiaoshu coins—both given to Chen Lingjun, asking him to help cheer for the show so that Fairy Liu's mirror flower water moon from Yidai Peak wouldn't be too lonely.
There had been a drinking party in Qilong Lane before. Chen Lingjun, Chief Zhou, and the host Old Immortal Jia all drank to their hearts' content.
Chen Lingjun's face was red, and he stood on a long bench, patting his chest vigorously, swearing to Jiang Shangzhen: "Brothers till the end, no need for words. It's all in the wine. We'll see each other in deeds!"
The Yidai Peak female cultivator Liu Runyun, along with that fairy from Nantang Lake, had secretly started a mirror flower water moon. The audience wasn't large, but the spiritual qi income for Yidai Peak was considerable.
The show was carried by two people: one called "Bang Zhen Jun"—the True Lord of Collapse—and the other called "Lang Li Xiao Bai Tiao"—White Strip in the Waves. They were both extremely generous.
At Qilong Lane, the white-haired boy who worked at the New Year Shop first infuriated the mute girl, then dragged the girl from the next shop, Huasheng, to bask in the sun at the door. They ate pastries bought on credit. He was thinking of tricking some silver from Cui Huasheng to pay off the debt.
Old Immortal Jia, from his herbal shop next door, came over to chat with Brother Shi at the counter.
Shi Rou was annoyed by this old man who loved to show off, but she had to admit that Old Immortal Jia wasn't just freeloading. For example, every second day of the second month, the blind old Daoist would have his disciple Tian Jiuer do the "Lead the Silver Dragon" ritual: he would fill a water kettle, put a few copper coins in it, draw water from the well, and on the way back, sprinkle the water in a thin line. Finally, he would pour the remaining water and coins into the backyard water vat. Also, during Qingming Festival, he burned paper money at the street corner. There were many such rules.
On Fallen Mountain, the ones who were most particular and mindful of these old customs were, besides the steward Zhu Lian, was this Old Immortal Jia, who had traveled the world for most of his life.
He also helped with neighbors' red and white ceremonies. He would just eat a meal, not take money, not only in the town but also in the prefectures and counties of Dragon Prefecture, where he was increasingly invited by wealthy families. Of course, he would receive a red envelope; the amount depended on their means. If a family was not well-off, the old Daoist would take nothing, just eat a meal and drink a pot of local rice wine—enough.
Among the people of Fallen Mountain, the one who truly liked to drink, or rather treated drinking as eating, was only Jia Sheng. Even Mi Yu and Chen Lingjun didn't love drinking as much as the old Daoist.
Today, the old Daoist leaned against the counter, chatting with Shi Rou about their mountain master. Old Immortal Jia stroked his beard and smiled. "Our mountain master's caution in words and deeds—don't underestimate that. It's a form of 'holding precepts.'"
Throughout the entire Dragon Prefecture of Great Li, except for a very few cultivators, no one on the mountains or below knew what had happened.
In fact, almost all qi refiners in Bottle Gourd Continent were equally ignorant. Because that phenomenon was too fast.
The sky opened a hole, a white light flashed and vanished.
In Fallen Mountain, only Cui Dongshan, lying in the corridor on the second floor of the bamboo building, sensed something wrong.
At Qilong Lane, the Outlander Heavenly Demon felt an almost suffocating terrifying aura.
Like a great heavenly tribulation when a Flying Ascension cultivator breaks through.
Wei Bo, the mountain lord, felt a premonition. For an instant, Wei Bo even thought the entire northern mountain territory would be destroyed. But when he left his mansion and came to Cloud Cloak Mountain's peak, he found nothing unusual.
An illusion?
Of course not.
It was a stroke personally sent down from heaven by Zhou Mi.
It was Zhou Mi's first truly meaningful attack after his ascension.
But a calamity that would have made the entire old Li Zhu Cave Heaven disappear was instantly dissipated by someone's intervention.
A strange man, as if a visitor, tall and slender, clad in a snow-white robe, stood by a table at Fallen Mountain's gate. He smiled gently, turned to a little girl in black, and asked softly, "May I sit?"