Chapter 884: The Word "Under Heaven"
Chen Ping'an and Xiao Mo stood by the railing of the ferry ship, the earth's mountains and rivers winding like silk threads beneath their eyes.
Raising their gaze, if the sky had no four walls, then human vision was like an invisible wall, within which everyone imprisoned themselves.
Xiao Mo asked, "Master, are you waiting for someone?"
"I'm waiting for the owner of this ferry ship."
Chen Ping'an turned his head to glance at the third floor of the ferry, then withdrew his gaze, leading Xiao Mo to continue strolling by the bow. In fact, the ferry ship beneath their feet, named Li Quan, was also a celestial treasure capable of summoning clouds and rain. Since the founding of the Great Li Song clan, until a hundred-plus years ago, when the Great Li Song clan had yet to shed its vassal status under the Lu dynasty, they faced both internal and external troubles, with a weak national strength. They often had to borrow this mountain ferry from the Evergreen Palace to alleviate droughts in various prefectures, inviting immortal masters to perform spells and bring rain. It was said that the Great Li court owed a mountain of debts for this, yet the Evergreen Palace never pressed the Song clan for repayment. Thus, when the Great Li dynasty rose to power, several Song emperors treated the cultivators of Evergreen Palace with exceptional favor. If it weren't for the fact that Evergreen Palace had never produced a Jade Purity realm cultivator, making it an undeniable candidate for sect status, the Great Li emperor would have surely broken precedent to personally attend the celebration ceremony.
Chen Ping'an explained, "When we boarded the ship earlier, it was without invitation. If we now leave without bidding farewell, it would be a breach of etiquette, something highly taboo in the mountain world."
"If we take the initiative to visit the ship's steward, the Evergreen Palace might overthink things."
"In the Northern Ju Lu continent, such matters are less of a concern. The customs in these two places are still somewhat different—one could say the local soil nurtures its people."
Xiao Mo smiled, "Staying by your side, Master, I can learn much worldly wisdom beyond books."
Chen Ping'an didn't take the bait, instead casually telling Xiao Mo about the past between Evergreen Palace and the Great Li Song clan.
Xiao Mo then regarded this native Great Li immortal mansion with higher esteem, saying, "Having shared hardships together, the Evergreen Palace has truly waited for the clouds to part and seen the bright moon."
Chen Ping'an nodded, "Sharing the same boat in times of trouble is indeed a good karmic bond."
"Xiao Mo, in the future, when you leave Luopo Mountain to travel the nine provinces of Haoran, other places are fine, but you must visit Northern Ju Lu."
"Understood. Xiao Mo will make sure to travel north there when the opportunity arises."
Chen Ping'an led Xiao Mo from the bow to the stern, looking northward.
If a sword immortal from Northern Ju Lu fell in a foreign land, then across that entire continent, any sword cultivator—friend or foe—would observe the custom of offering a sword sacrifice to the continent.
Just like in Ghost Valley of Bone Beach, where Gao Cheng of Jingguan City would voluntarily extend his fist, expending vast amounts of spiritual energy to break the heavens' restrictions, just to allow the sword cultivator Pu Rang to perform a sacrificial sword strike that soared higher.
It was as if in the matter of sword sacrifice, Ghost Valley could not afford to fall behind, and the sword light could not be lower than others.
And the nearby Splintered Sack Sect at Mount Mu Yi, sworn enemies of Jingguan City, would never take the opportunity to launch any attack against Jingguan City.
However, Chen Ping'an did not say much about this to Xiao Mo.
Though that scene was magnificent and soul-stirring, it was best never to see it again.
On the two foreign battlefields—the Sword Qi Great Wall and Bottle Gourd Continent—the sword immortals of Northern Ju Lu, who could have stayed out of it, had withered away far too many.
At the third floor of the ferry ship, a beautiful female cultivator with youthful features and a matronly bearing, ungilded and dignified, had inadvertently exchanged a glance with Chen Ping'an. She forced herself to remain calm, inwardly sighing. If it was a blessing, it wasn't a curse; if it was a curse, it couldn't be avoided. She would have to show herself. This woman was the current steward of the Li Quan ferry. If she could, she would have pretended not to see anything at all—let the man board unnoticed and let him disembark unhindered. But she couldn't resist her curiosity and had taken a few more glances at the bow.
She was simply too curious about that legendary sword immortal in blue.
She took a deep breath, smoothed the hair at her temples, and adjusted the lapels of her dharma robe.
Earlier, a disciple of Yu Hong had gotten into a dispute, leading to a martial contest. The mountain ferry's handling of such worldly affairs was always lax on the surface but tight within. But if immortals were to clash in magic, then sorry, they would be asked to disembark.
Then someone on the Li Quan ferry noticed that among the crowd of onlookers, there seemed to be two unregistered qi refiners, both unfamiliar faces. On closer inspection, they nearly scared their soul out of their body. One of them was none other than Chen Ping'an, the sect master of Luopo Mountain, who had caused a ruckus at Zhengyang Mountain—ostensibly to observe a ceremony, but ended up dismantling their ancestral hall and erecting a stele on the border.
The female cultivator responsible for inspecting anomalies on the ship immediately sought out the steward for a decision.
Kick him out? Charge him?
Of course, it was up to the steward to decide whether to invite the sword immortal for wine or tea.
The steward steadied her mind, then cast a spell of spatial displacement, appearing on the deck. She hurried toward the stern, where the blue-robed sword immortal stood with only one attendant.
It was no exaggeration to say that she was plucking up her courage and steeling herself.
Compared to ordinary mountain sects, Evergreen Palace was one of the most well-informed peaks on Bottle Gourd Continent.
She was a Golden Core earth immortal of Evergreen Palace, serving as a venerated elder, with a seat in the ancestral hall—a relatively prominent one. Thus, she knew more inner-circle secrets and had heard more horrifying truths than the lineage cultivators of Zhengyang Mountain, Old Dragon City, and Cloud Cloud Gorge.
When she saw the young mountain lord of Luopo Mountain, she performed a formal curtsy, "Greetings, Sect Master Chen. I am Gan Yi, dao name Wu Song, and currently serve as the steward of this ferry."
Fearing that her name might seem presumptuous, she quickly added, "It's the sweet 'Gan,' and the joyful 'Yi.'"
Chen Ping'an clasped his fists, "Greetings, Steward Gan."
Xiao Mo glanced at Gan Yi. Her entire spirit was concentrated in her eyes.
This golden core female cultivator had bright eyes and dimples on her cheeks. She had a kind face.
Chen Ping'an introduced, "This is our honored guest, Xiao Mo. The small 'Xiao' and the unfamiliar 'Mo.'"
Xiao Mo bowed with a warm smile, saying softly, "Honored to meet you, Immortal Gan."
Gan Yi quickly returned the bow, "Gan Yi greets Immortal Xiao Mo."
Who knew if this man was yet another sword immortal in disguise?
On this matter, Evergreen Palace had a cautionary tale, so Gan Yi had to be extra careful.
Gan Yi tested the waters, "Is Sect Master Chen planning to return to Luopo Mountain via this route?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "There are two old friends on the ship, acquaintances from the martial world. I came to see them, had some wine, and am about to head back to the capital. Earlier, Xiao Mo and I boarded without notice—I must apologize to Steward Gan for that."
She almost blurted out that she could waive the docking fee for this stop at Ox Horn Ferry. Fortunately, she held back.
Talking about that with Evergreen Palace, which was swimming in wealth, would be like trying to puff oneself up.
Gan Yi's mind raced, and she cautiously asked, "Would Sect Master Chen's friends happen to be the great martial artist Yu Hong?"
She actually didn't want to ask; it could lead to complications. But she dared not not ask.
When chatting with these lofty mountain cultivators, they often spoke with hidden meanings and subtext.
Everything seemed like nonsense, but nothing was truly nonsense.
She couldn't afford to take this young sword immortal, who came from poverty, as simple-minded or a mere stroke-of-luck cultivator.
If it was Yu Hong, then the fare for that group had already been collected. Return the money? That would be a lowly tactic.
But there were other ways to compensate, like her personally sending a few jars of Evergreen Palace's immortal brew.
Otherwise, a mere "Martial Grandmaster" of the martial arts rankings wouldn't be worth such effort from Evergreen Palace. He was just a Ninth-Tier martial artist with no hope of breaking through, not a Stopping Realm master.
Evergreen Palace might not be a sect, but it was the top native immortal clan of Great Li, second only to Dragon Spring Sword Sect, and its mountain was near the birthplace of the Great Li Song clan.
Of course, now there was also Luopo Mountain, with its sect designation.
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "Not Yu Hong. It's Chief Zhu and Elder Yu. Coincidentally, both gentlemen are now serving as elders of the Summer Hall."
Gan Yi immediately understood. At least three jars of wine would have to be sent out.
And Yu Hong couldn't be left out; otherwise, the "martial world seniors" of Sect Master Chen would be put in a difficult position.
Just as Chen Ping'an was about to take his leave, Gan Yi suddenly said, "Sect Master Chen, our Evergreen Palace was slow to realize. Regarding the matter of the Great Sword Immortal Mi guarding the way back then, Evergreen Palace is deeply grateful. If there were any shortcomings along that journey, we hope Great Sword Immortal Mi will forgive us."
Years ago, a group of female cultivators from Evergreen Palace's "Unicorn Sojourn" lineage had traveled south for training. Everything went smoothly, with no unexpected incidents. The only huge surprise was the companion traveling with them.
They had stopped by Pi Yun Mountain, where the Northern Peak Lord's mansion had a nominal guest named Yu Mi, who was traveling south to return home. They traveled together, and he incidentally served as a protector.
At the time, Pi Yun Mountain had said that Yu Mi's family ancestor was an old acquaintance of Peak Lord Wei; he had been a qi refiner for less than sixty years and was already at the Observing Sea realm, also a master of sword talismans, with considerable combat power.
All of that turned out to be nonsense...
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded, "Alright, it's a small matter. I can pass along the message. However, I've also heard Mi Yu speak of this, and it seems he has quite a favorable impression of Evergreen Palace. He said that your mountain elders were thorough in their protection and devoted, and the younger generation cultivated diligently, making for a very relaxed time together."
A smile appeared on Gan Yi's face, as if she had taken a calming pill.
A sword immortal from the Sword Qi Great Wall, with an unpredictable temperament, was not someone to take lightly. In the ancestral hall of Evergreen Palace, this matter had been discussed many times but remained unresolved.
The polite words of the Sect Master Chen before her couldn't be taken too seriously.
But if he hadn't even bothered with polite words, that would be extremely problematic.
She hadn't expected that this casual conversation, aimed only at avoiding mistakes, would bring an unexpected boon, helping her resolve a minor but lingering concern for her sect.
During the southern training journey, within the borders of Yellow Court Kingdom, Evergreen Palace had suppressed a mischievous painting demon from Cloud Temple, then freed an old soldier from captivity and guided a Great Li military hero's spirit back home. Finally, and most crucially, they had been tasked with purchasing a small piece of ten-thousand-year-old pine from Snow Wind Temple for General Su Gaoshan, who was still alive at the time.
The grand elder of Evergreen Palace and the ancestor of the Qins in Giant Salam Gully had a "story" between them, so Evergreen Palace had thought there was at least some chance. But when the other party heard they wanted to buy the pine, they turned hostile and said it was absolutely impossible. Because the pine, named "Everlasting Love," grew on the Immortal Terrace of Snow Wind Temple and nominally belonged to the great sword immortal Wei Jin.
Thus, the group of Evergreen Palace female cultivators returned empty-handed and disheartened, worried about how to report to their sect, and how the sect would explain to the Great Li military inspector.
But as it turned out, there was a silver lining. When "Yu Mi" disembarked at Ox Horn Mountain Ferry, he secretly gave a piece of the ten-thousand-year-old pine to Han Biya.
At the time, after confirming the pine's authenticity, Evergreen Palace was baffled. How had a mid-five-realm guest cultivator from Pi Yun Mountain managed to obtain such a thing?
Buy? Even if Peak Lord Wei himself opened his mouth, given Snow Wind Temple's temperament, they would never agree.
Steal? Who could bypass the mountain and water restrictions of Snow Wind Temple and dare to climb the ancient "Everlasting Love" pine?
Later, during the fierce battle at Old Dragon City, a nameless sword immortal emerged, extraordinarily powerful, graceful, with sword light like a rainbow, delighting in chopping up demon earth immortals or cutting them in half.
And it seemed this person was an old acquaintance of the female sword immortal Li Cai from Northern Ju Lu.
Once Evergreen Palace cross-referenced their intelligence with Great Li's spy network, they quickly identified that person—it was that "Observating Sea realm" Yu Mi.
By the time the conflict between Luopo Mountain and Zhengyang Mountain broke out, it was confirmed—he was the Jade Purity realm sword immortal from the Sword Qi Great Wall, Mi Yu, who loved to get drunk and lie on clouds!
His elder brother, Mi Hu, had once been on the verge of reaching the Flying Ascension realm.
There was a saying among the Great Li border troops: the more dead you've seen, the more living people look like corpses on the battlefield; when killing, your hand is steady and your heart is steadier.
If that was true on the mortal battlefield, it must be even more so on the Sword Qi Great Wall.
So the old female elder of Evergreen Palace, who had been in charge of protection during the journey, had often spoken coldly to that "Yu Mi." Now she often felt a chill at her neck, as if she had brushed past the gates of hell.
Chen Ping'an was somewhat puzzled. Given Evergreen Palace's transcendent status on Great Li's mountains—no feud with Luopo Mountain—why would Gan Yi be so restrained in his presence?
In fact, it was very much the case.
Because Chen Ping'an still didn't know one thing.
Outside of various sects, mountain cultivators formed numerous unofficial "small circles" without mountain boundaries. For example, the stewards of various ferry ships often developed personal friendships of varying depths. Some even had specialized mirror flower water moon chambers for communication, facilitating the exchange of profitable connections.
And as the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, thanks to the "Spring Banners Library Battle" at Inverted Mountain back then, his prestige among this loose "guild" of ferry stewards was unimaginably high.
Rumors spread like wildfire, making him legendary.
Now that the Confucian Temple had lifted restrictions on mountain gazettes, the stories became even more thrilling...
Gradually, among the ferry stewards of the nine provinces of Haoran, a bizarre competition emerged, from low to high.
A steward in charge of a cross-continent ferry looked down on those confined to a single continent. A steward who had been lucky enough to visit Inverted Mountain and "do their small part" for the Sword Qi Great Wall looked down on those who hadn't done business with the Great Wall. Those who had visited Inverted Mountain and walked through the doors of Spring Banners Library to negotiate looked down on the wretches who hadn't sat in its main hall.
And those who had entered Spring Banners Library and personally attended that "summit of peaks" meeting looked down on those who hadn't witnessed the "Hidden Official's presence."
Now, this small group of ferry stewards walked around with their noses in the air, treating all other stewards as if they were garbage.
After all, how could they know the undercurrents of that meeting—the deadly danger, the constant crises at Spring Banners Library?
The two sides had been locked in a standoff.
The Hidden Official, leading over a dozen sword immortals, had almost closed the doors and started killing.
As the steward of the Li Quan ferry, Gan Yi had naturally heard some of these veiled secrets.
So she was acutely aware of who she was facing.
Not just Sect Master Chen, nor the closed-door disciple of the Wen Sheng lineage, but the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Last time, during an ancestral hall meeting at Evergreen Palace, the sect master had said one profound sentence: "Our Great Li is not far from Northern Ju Lu at all."
Gan Yi said with sincerity, "Sect Master Chen, if you're not in a hurry to leave, you might sample some of our Evergreen Palace brew."
Chen Ping'an declined, "Not this time. Xiao Mo and I won't intrude further."
Back when Evergreen Palace was listed by the Great Li court as one of the candidates for sect status, they hadn't even tried to compete.
Previously, during the Central Plains Confucian Temple meeting, Song Changjing had specifically requested three additional sect slots from the temple. Evergreen Palace hadn't run around looking for connections like Zhengyang Mountain or Cloud Cloud Gorge, nor had they tried to secure a spot for themselves. Probably they feared causing trouble for the Great Li Song clan. This showed that Evergreen Palace's sense of propriety was exceptional.
Chen Ping'an already knew that the three slots were already arranged: the lower sect of Zhengyang Mountain, which the bamboo emperor named "Huangshan Sword Sect"; a large temple near Longqiu at Goose Dang Mountain; and Cao Rong's Daoist temple.
Thus, Evergreen Palace wouldn't be promoted to sect status out of turn. But the candidate status was no empty honor. If the Great Li cavalry achieved further merits in the Barren Wasteland Heaven, Evergreen Palace might still gain the Confucian Temple's approval to fill a vacancy, even without a Jade Purity realm. The lower sect of Divine Oath Sect and Cloud Cloud Gorge would have to wait their turn.
Seeing that Chen Ping'an was unwilling to stop for wine, Gan Yi was visibly disappointed.
She just didn't dare to joke casually with Chen Ping'an.
Otherwise, she had a sincere remark that wasn't a joke, which she really wanted to say to the Hidden Official: If Sect Master Chen was willing to be a guest at Evergreen Palace, even if just for a few cups of wine, the girls fighting to pour the wine would be a sight to behold. They wouldn't care about sect loyalty.
It was well known that Evergreen Palace's female cultivators were extremely open-minded about romance.
Some young female cultivators had even declared, "If Sword Immortal Chen comes in person, and I get to serve wine and show my face, I'll 'accidentally' twist my ankle. I don't dare hope to fall into his arms, but I bet he'll have to lend a hand!"
At the moment, Chen Ping'an had no idea about these shady secrets from other peaks.
If he found out, Evergreen Palace probably wouldn't see the Sect Master's face for at least a few centuries.
Chen Ping'an bid farewell.
With a flash of blue robes, his form turned into a dozen fine sword lights that flickered and vanished on the ferry.
Xiao Mo smiled, bowed, and took his leave from Gan Yi, then disappeared in place.
On the Li Quan ferry, not a single ripple of spiritual energy stirred. The ferry's array was as if nonexistent, but Gan Yi wasn't surprised.
At dusk, the clouds were like fire.
Since Chen Ping'an wasn't in a hurry to return to the Great Li capital, the sword light coalesced in the distance, then dissipated again, reforming a hundred li farther north.
No longer using this poorly mastered teleportation technique, Chen Ping'an strolled across a sea of fiery clouds, saying to Xiao Mo beside him, "There's a saying in my hometown: 'If the clouds burn big at dusk, you can travel a thousand miles tomorrow.' But actually, before settling in Pearl Bead Cave Heaven, very few people really traveled that far. They just wandered around, at most going into the mountains to chop wood and burn charcoal, then coming home. The round trip might have been just a hundred-plus li of mountain and water paths."
The kiln fires on the land of his hometown had witnessed countless morning and evening glows in the sky.
Because of Zhou Haijing first, then Zhu Fengxian and Yu Cangmang, Chen Ping'an realized something: Luopo Mountain not only needed its own mirror flower water moon chambers but also had to use them to gather news from the entire continent. So, besides establishing an intelligence network, just the cost of watching the mirror flower water moons of various immortal mansions would be a huge sum in immortal money. To watch other mansions' lotus flowers, they'd need to buy plenty of mountain spiritual artifacts. Fortunately, besides paying, Zhu Lian, Great Sword Immortal Mi, and Chen Lingjun were all suitable for this... dragons and phoenixes among men.
The grand mountain protection formation of Luopo Mountain was both offensive and defensive.
They already had the old abbot's Chart of the Five Sacred Mountains, plus a scroll painting of sword immortals hanging in the old mountain god's temple at the peak.
This journey deep into the Barren Wasteland had been fruitful. Just from the Jade Edition City of the Cloud Pattern Dynasty, Chen Ping'an had obtained twelve flying swords from the emperor Ye Pu, whose dao name was "Dubugai."
Adding the array map gifted by Peace Mountain earlier, the future offensive sword formation within the ancestral hall at Jise Peak of Luopo Mountain would be formidable. It could kill Jade Purity cultivators and deter immortals.
But thinking about all the money needed made one feel short of breath. Fortunately, Chen Ping'an remembered that he was still an unregistered guest elder of the Li clan of Silver Aiai Continent.
Registered guest elders had to show their faces and check in periodically. Unregistered elders had no such obligations—basically free money for little effort.
Beside him, Xiao Mo, nimble-fingered, was weaving a pair of step-on-cloud lotus shoes on the path above the clouds. They were snow-white, clearly of high quality.
On the sea of clouds, as if walking on flat ground, Chen Ping'an asked casually, "Xiao Mo, when do you think Wei Jin will reach the Flying Ascension realm?"
Xiao Mo thought for a moment, "Great Sword Immortal Wei Jin's talent is quite good. With the karmic opportunity he's obtained, if he doesn't fight, temper his dao heart in life-and-death situations, or challenge someone with higher sword technique to a duel, I estimate it'll take four to five hundred years of water-grinding cultivation before he sees the bottleneck of the earth immortal..."
Here Xiao Mo quickly corrected himself, "These days are different. I should call it the Immortal realm."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Were the earth immortals of antiquity really that powerful, each and every one of them?"
Xiao Mo smiled, "Not exactly extremely powerful, but certainly not weak. For an earth immortal to ascend to godhood, it was extremely difficult. The first barrier alone was equivalent to dueling a peak Immortal realm sword cultivator of today. There were two more barriers after that, one of which involved the cultivator's inner nature, making it rather illusory. So even with the existence of two Ascension Altars, the vast majority of earth immortals dared not step onto them—it was like walking to one's death. If they waited until their physical forms decayed and only tried for the sake of extending life, they were doomed. So there was a frustrating paradox, and in the end, the number of male and female earth immortals who successfully ascended was extremely limited."
"Back when I didn't practice swordsmanship and was bored, I would go sit near the Ascension Altar and watch others ascend. Many times, but I never saw anyone reach the highest Heavenly Gate. They all fell halfway. Their bodies and souls blossomed like flowers, and all their arduous cultivation amounted to nothing more than adding a rainstorm of abundant spiritual energy to the human world. I found it quite a pity."
"If Wei Jin had been born in that era, he probably could have reached the peak of the Ascension Altar."
Chen Ping'an chuckled, "With Great Sword Immortal Wei's boldness in buying wine, reaching the Flying Ascension realm shouldn't be hard."
Regarding that ancient pine named "Everlasting Love," Wei Jin, as the sole cultivator of the Immortal Terrace, was actually quite troubled.
If the tree weren't connected to the mountain's roots and extremely hard to transplant, Wei Jin would have had Giant Salam Gully, Green Water Pond, or Wenqing Peak move it away long ago.
Otherwise, Snow Wind Temple would be constantly overwhelmed by social obligations. Too many recorded immortals and high officials asked for branches or bark of this ancient pine. Ordinary women below the mountains, or female cultivators who hadn't severed their Red Dragon, all used it to brew an excellent elixir.
But when various forces came to purchase, Snow Wind Temple never once agreed, showing an unusual aloofness.
Although Wei Jin had told the sect master twice that when he wasn't cultivating in the mountain, the ancestral hall could dispose of the "Everlasting Love" as they saw fit.
In reality, the total number of days Wei Jin had spent cultivating at Snow Wind Temple, after his first descent from the mountain, was negligible. That was why, even during that Nascent Soul closed-door death seclusion, Wei Jin wasn't at his own mountain.
So much so that Wei Jin couldn't help but wonder: Did Snow Wind Temple simply not want to sell the ancient pine, using him as a convenient excuse?
Last time he returned to Snow Wind Temple, he had a thought: Should he take on a nominal disciple?
Even if he wasn't close to Snow Wind Temple, the Immortal Terrace lineage needed to continue its incense.
Thus, when they met again at the Sword Qi Great Wall, Wei Jin, as a guest elder of Luopo Mountain, asked the mountain lord to keep an eye out for suitable sword cultivator seedlings.
Wei Jin had only one requirement: the cultivation aptitude could be ordinary, but the child must be a native of Bottle Gourd Continent.
After all, it would be his first disciple. As for his future closed-door disciple, he would still choose that himself.
So besides asking Chen Ping'an to help select a disciple, he also discussed another matter: if Chen Ping'an had any designs on that ancient pine, he should go to Snow Wind Temple and negotiate the purchase himself. Wei Jin had already agreed to this, so as long as Snow Wind Temple had no objection and Luopo Mountain could afford the price, the pine could be moved to Luopo Mountain.
But Chen Ping'an had no such intention. Not that he wasn't tempted, but because Snow Wind Temple was likely waiting for the ancient pine to achieve spiritual transformation, possibly leapfrog to the Upper Five Realm, and then become the mountain's legitimate protector spirit.
Especially since the death of the mountain-moving old ape of Zhengyang Mountain left a vacancy for an Upper Five Realm spirit in Bottle Gourd Continent. Snow Wind Temple would be even less willing to sell a pine with such potential.
Moreover, since the pine was named "Everlasting Love," it probably had some unknown dao origin.
Chen Ping'an had no reason to go to Snow Wind Temple and ask for trouble.
At the Li Quan ferry, Gan Yi stood for a long time, unable to withdraw her gaze.
Nowadays, cultivators across the continent regretted one thing: that Great Sword Immortal Wei of Snow Wind Temple hadn't brought a sword immortal seedling or two back from the Sword Qi Great Wall for Bottle Gourd Continent.
No matter how the other seven provinces of Haoran viewed these children from foreign lands, at least on Bottle Gourd and Northern Ju Lu, they could do as they pleased.
The mountain cultivators of these two neighboring continents would be their protectors.
Gan Yi had actually wanted to ask a question: Did Luopo Mountain have any young sword cultivators from the Sword Qi Great Wall?
But she wasn't a sword cultivator herself, so it wasn't appropriate to ask.
Before moving, Gan Yi smiled radiantly, exuding charm.
Ha, the Hidden Official had ridden their ferry.
She could boast about it later.
Time to drink.
---
The Great Li capital, early morning. Xun Qu, the usher from the Court of State Ceremonies, once again came to the Echoing Cloud Pavilion to deliver some official gazettes from the six ministries to Mr. Chen.
Chen Ping'an had returned to the capital last night. He found Ning Yao still in closed-door cultivation at the inn, so he spent the night reading in the library. Xiao Mo, wearing the protective token and using an illusion, had strolled through the lantern-lit capital. After returning to the alley, he stayed in the courtyard and wove several blue dharma robes.
He was worried that when they arrived at Luopo Mountain, he wouldn't have enough meeting gifts ready.
Chen Ping'an, with Xiao Mo, exited the alley to meet Xun Qu.
Xun Qu noticed that Mr. Chen now had a young-looking attendant, who introduced himself as Xiao Mo, a venerated guest of Luopo Mountain.
He seemed like a very kind and easygoing mountain immortal.
Chen Ping'an tucked the gazettes into his sleeve and, as agreed, went with Xun Qu to visit a famous scenic spot in the capital.
They walked along the street that stretched over a mile on both sides. Rare books, calligraphy and paintings from various dynasties, brush, ink, paper, inkstones, curios, antiques—all were available.
This used to be an official kiln, specifically for firing glazed tiles and blue-gold bricks for the palace. Now, on this street, shops two to three hundred years old were everywhere. The advantage was that they valued repeat customers and wouldn't jeopardize their reputation. Even if some were a bit arrogant, counterfeit goods were rare. This renowned spot for refined travel in the capital was essentially for those with money. If your purse wasn't full, you'd just be staring—you'd come empty-handed and leave empty-handed.
Following Xun Qu's subtle glance, Chen Ping'an bought three books he liked. The paper was like white jade, considered fine editions. Ordinary scholars, like encountering a beautiful woman on the road, could only look—not touch.
Chen Ping'an ended up giving Xun Qu six books. Three were charged to the Court of State Ceremonies, costing about two hundred and eighty taels of silver.
The other three were paid out of Chen Ping'an's own pocket, a gift to this young official who had passed the imperial exams in the same year as Cao Qinglang.
On the way back to Echoing Cloud Pavilion, after much hesitation, Xun Qu finally transmitted his voice, "Mr. Chen, aren't you curious why I am a cultivator?"
Of course, with Mr. Chen's cultivation and insight, he must have long seen through it.
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Everyone has their own fortune; no need to pry."
A thirty-something Observing Sea realm was actually not a low realm.
In the old Bottle Gourd Continent, mid-Five Realm cultivators were immortals or great demons.
Chen Ping'an suppressed a grin, "Didn't you know that Cao Qinglang is also a fellow cultivator?"
Xun Qu was stunned, shaking his head, "I never figured that out."
Chen Ping'an said, "Then it's all the better. When you two meet again, you'll have a new topic to discuss—the affairs of cultivation."
Xun Qu couldn't help but mutter, "Damn it, he's been pretending to be poor!"
Seeing Mr. Chen's amused gaze, Xun Qu felt embarrassed, "Mr. Chen, unlike Cao Qinglang, I'm genuinely poor. I've never been able to hold onto money since I was a child."
Chen Ping'an teased, "In the end, you're still mostly an official. 'Literature dislikes good fortune'—it's good to be poor. In the future, you'll produce splendid writings, and if you become a high official, I'll have a backer in the capital when I come again."
Xun Qu was speechless.
Unlike his exam-year friend Cao Qinglang, Xun Qu was a second-class Jinshi but with a very low rank, so his official career started low. That's why he was assigned to the Court of State Ceremonies, a minor office outside the six ministries.
Xun Qu really didn't think he'd become any high official. And even if he wore a big official hat, would it matter to Mr. Chen?
After much hesitation, Xun Qu added, "My master said he has known you for a long time, Mr. Chen."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "May I ask who this master is?"
Xun Qu replied, "My master is the Director of the Sacrificial and Ritual Department of the Ministry of Rites."
Chen Ping'an instantly understood. So that's it.
Among the numerous directors in the Great Li bureaucracy, three positions were most powerful: the Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department, the Ministry of War's Military Selection Department, and the Ministry of Rites' Sacrificial and Ritual Department. Although they were only fifth-rank, their authority was enormous. Especially Xun Qu's mentor, this Director, who also oversaw the merit-and-demerit evaluations of all mountain and water spirits in Great Li, thus earning the mountain-world title "Little Heavenly Official."
This old director, who had been entrenched in that post for years, seemed to be an old friend of the Chongdan River God Li Jin.
His last public appearance was at Red Candle Town, where he went to find trouble with the jade-liquid river god who had caused a mess.
For such officials, similar to the overseer Cao Gengxin in his hometown, Luopo Mountain should not actively befriend them.
In Chen Ping'an's view, what it means for a person to "understand reason" is simply "knowing and stopping."
It's both about knowing what to do and about not doing.
Xun Qu accompanied Chen Ping'an to the entrance of an inn near an alley.
Along the way, Xun Qu had been recalling the words of the minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, who had asked the same question twice.
National Master Cui Chan had never seemed to care much about Minister Guan's Ministry of Personnel or the Ministry of Rites. As for a quiet office like the Court of State Ceremonies, he rarely showed up.
But the National Master had always paid close attention to the Ministry of War's Armory Department and the various bureaus of the Revenue and Works Ministries.
Thus, the director of the Armory Department was considered the post most likely to be lost—or even lose one's head.
It was even said that for minor officials like secretaries in the Revenue and Works Ministries, the National Master personally reviewed their résumés. If even such small fry were scrutinized, the promotion and external appointments of directors were even more closely watched.
Xun Qu now wasn't sure if, because of his master's relation, his official actions in the Court of State Ceremonies had already been noticed by the National Master.
Chen Ping'an returned the wooden box containing the message-flying sword to Xun Qu, smiling, "When I leave the capital, I'll leave the gazettes I borrowed from the Court with Liu Jia, the guard of the alley. You can just retrieve them from him later."
Xun Qu bowed in thanks.
He understood that Mr. Chen was helping him carve out an extra path in the capital, quietly.
A cultivator guarding the National Master's residence—whether or not Xun Qu knew him or was a familiar face didn't seem important, but it was actually very important.
Xun Qu left.
---
Today, Xiao Mo had bought the most books.
Last night, he had gone to the immortal inn recommended by his master. Like mountain ferries, it had a pawnshop-like place where qi refiners could exchange immortal money.
Xiao Mo exchanged the three Little Summer coins given by his master for Snowflake coins and a thick stack of silver notes, plus some gold leaves and silver ingots necessary for traveling.
In particular, he specifically asked the inn to give him a big pouch of gold melon seeds.
Because when he arrived at Luopo Mountain, this item would be heavily used.
At first, the female ghost cultivator who claimed to be the innkeeper was reluctant. Gold melon seeds were a flashy item, not common. They were usually given as gifts from wealthy elders to juniors. Not just mountain cultivators, even martial artists—who would use such things when traveling? But when the young man named Xiao Mo said he was the attendant of Sect Master Chen, Gai Yanyi didn't hesitate. She melted more than a dozen gold ingots, personally pinched a pouchful of gold melon seeds, and in the end insisted on not charging him.
Today, besides the classics of the various schools, Xiao Mo also bought many miscellaneous books: poetry collections of famous literati, literary notes, tales of anomalies, even some compiled and transcribed imperial examination essays, and some books on written composition techniques that were said to be "martial arts secrets" for the exams.
Chen Ping'an teased, "What, are you thinking of becoming an official through the imperial examinations? You've got your work cut out for you. County exams, prefectural exams, become a child scholar and then a Xiucai; then the triennial autumn provincial examination to become a Juren; then the spring metropolitan examination in the capital to become a Jinshi; and finally the palace examination—step by step, barriers upon barriers, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate."
"But if you really have such an idea, it's not a bad thing. You can ask Cao Qinglang to teach you. That's more reliable than buying these so-called secrets of essay writing."
"However, the Jinshi of the Great Li court is indeed the hardest to obtain. There's no 'one of the'; it's probably the most valuable Jinshi among all nine provinces of Haoran. First, there are too many people; scholars from vassal states all gather here. Second, the Ministry of Rites sets very diverse questions with no fixed pattern. In contrast, small states south of Bottle Gourd Continent have published officially compiled books—with annotations and case rules—which could be a shortcut if you memorize them. But this practice has been criticized by some learned Confucian scholars as 'where official compilations exist, classics die'."
"So if you really want to be a top scholar, Xiao Mo, you could go to a small country south of the secondary capital and stay for about ten years. There, relatives teach you basic literacy—just calligraphy. Then you go to village schools for elementary texts, learning to write and memorize. Wealthy families have private tutors; poor children go to village schools. As long as your family isn't too destitute, it's usually affordable. Eventually, you study the classics and practice guessing exam topics."
Xiao Mo listened attentively to his master's detailed explanation.
He noticed that his master's curious look seemed to wonder why Xiao Mo was so interested in this topic.
Chen Ping'an nodded and laughed, "You guessed it. I did once consider taking the imperial examinations. During my second long journey, when I wasn't practicing boxing, I flipped through many related books. I thought about starting from the child scholar level and making it to Juren, which would have satisfied me: 'Silver Jinshi, Gold Juren', you know."
Now, of course, it didn't matter. At least he had a student like Cao Qinglang.
Xiao Mo sighed deeply.
It wasn't that he really had any desire for official rank through exams, but he couldn't imagine that in today's world, books and learning were so cheap—practically worthless.
In the distant past, any book with written words was incredibly rare and valuable.
So Xiao Mo conceived an idea: when he got to Luopo Mountain, he would build a library, named Ten Thousand Scrolls Pavilion.
Better yet, he'd have his master choose a good name.
Xiao Mo was straightforward, so he transmitted his thoughts.
Chen Ping'an didn't even need to think, blurting out, "You could call it the Two Lost Tower."
Xiao Mo searched through the hundred-plus poetry collections in his mind and was immediately enlightened. "Perfect!"
Being a sword cultivator, he had a refined taste for book collecting.
An ancient poem said, "Carrying books and swords, both lost in the vastness."
Books and swords, both lost—yes, indeed. The Two Lost Tower!
Chen Ping'an casually added, "Of course, whether you use this name is up to you."
Xiao Mo's eyes sparkled, "Master, this library name is so wonderful, I almost don't want to share it with the world."
Whereupon his master put his hands in his sleeves and gave him a sidelong glance.
Xiao Mo quickly took the hint, "Then I'll use it. Happiness shared is happiness doubled."
In the night, the taverns on both sides of the Calamus River stretched out in a long line, high and low.
Lanterns and colorful decorations, lively noise, drinking games echoing like breaking windows, with melodious songs drifting out.
Legend has it that some wealthy drink lovers could start at dusk and finish at dawn, having four or five rounds of drinks just by moving a few steps along the Calamus River.
Today, a scion of the Yi Province Guan clan, who rarely came here to drink, had managed to set up a very private drinking party.
He dragged Jing Kuan, both a colleague and not exactly a friend, out of the yamen and they went straight to the Calamus River.
Guan Yiran and Jing Kuan had completely different backgrounds—one could say they were as far apart as clouds and mud—but now they held the same official rank.
Although Guan Yiran had enough military merit and excellent official credentials to be an undisputed candidate for vice minister, no matter what, Jing Kuan, coming from a humble family, had become a director of a certain department in the Ministry of Revenue in his early thirties, one of the eighteen directors. This showed how broad the path of promotion was in the Great Li bureaucracy.
Up ahead, someone rubbed his head and looked up to swear—someone had spit on him from above.
Jing Kuan said quietly, "Yiran, I'm a bit nervous. When we meet Sword Immortal Chen, what should we say to avoid an awkward silence?"
Guan Yiran had left the capital early to join the border army, so he was just as unfamiliar with this place as Jing Kuan. He had to ask for directions. Hearing Jing Kuan's question, he just smiled without speaking.
Jing Kuan continued, "What taboos should I be aware of? Tell me quickly. Don't play deaf and dumb."
Guan Yiran teased, "Taboos? Just one: if your tolerance is poor and our Sword Immortal Chen doesn't drink to his satisfaction, leaving disappointed after coming with high hopes, he'll definitely hold a grudge against you."
Jing Kuan was still uneasy, "He's a mountain immortal, and so young. Doesn't he have any temper? Is he waiting for me to make a fool of myself so you can have a laugh?"
Friends of friends weren't always easy to get along with.
Guan Yiran rolled his eyes, "Director, come on. Don't bring your official act here. If we spend the whole dinner speaking properly, never missing a beat, then what's the point of the dinner table? This drinking party is different from any official banquet you've attended. If you don't trust me, when you see Sword Immortal Chen, just say you never drink. Just watch."
Jing Kuan was good at everything except being too cautious and not letting loose. It was said that when he and a few roughly same-aged colleagues from the Ministry of Revenue went elsewhere to drink "light debauchery" with wine girls, Jing Kuan would sit straight and proper, as if facing a great enemy. If a woman leaned against him, he'd act as if he were in mortal danger.
Soon, they spotted a familiar figure: blue robes, long gown, cloth shoes.
He stood at the entrance of a tavern, apparently waiting for them.
Jing Kuan recognized him at once. He was the outsider who had been sitting and drinking tea with Guan Yiran in the Ministry of Revenue's building last time.
Not long ago, they had met in the official compound. Besides, this person seemed to be someone who could joke casually with Guan Yiran.
Jing Kuan remembered him vividly.
It seemed this man had been mistaken for a waiter beckoning customers. Some guests had even started asking him questions.
He wasn't annoyed; he smiled and gestured into the tavern, as if pointing the way.
Guan Yiran strode forward quickly, glanced at the tavern's signboard, and clicked his tongue, "Tsk, you sure know how to pick a place. Out of a hundred taverns, this one has the blandest wine!"
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Bland as it may be, the bill for a meal here isn't cheap."
Guan Yiran waved his hand, "Let's go next door! Our Director Jing here likes meat, not veg."
Chen Ping'an looked at the young and promising director of the Ministry of Revenue. According to Guan Yiran, this man also managed the fish-scale maps of the northern archives of the ministry.
In fact, last time they met, Chen Ping'an had already noticed that behind this young official hung as many as six red lanterns, suspended by various mountain and water spirits, each inscribed with the seal of a certain mansion or temple. These gave the director an aura of dense literary fortune in the eyes of qi observers. At the same time, when this man traveled alone through deep mountains and forests, evil beings would retreat, and spirits would be afraid, taking the initiative to avoid him.
Jing Kuan quickly said, "This place is fine."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Director, are you sure you don't want to change taverns? Let me be upfront: if you're just being polite with me, I'll take you at your word."
Seeing that neither of them moved, as if the blue-robed man was waiting for him to change his mind, Jing Kuan was forced to lower his voice and ask Guan Yiran suspiciously, "When will Sword Immortal Chen arrive?"
Guan Yiran suppressed a laugh and pointed at Chen Ping'an, "Accountant Chen, our Director Jing is asking when Sword Immortal Chen will arrive. Don't say I didn't warn you—don't keep our Director Jing waiting. He's the chief of one of the ten revenue departments, controlling the money bags of three prefectures. Even a regional governor, a frontier official, has to bow his head when he sees Director Jing at the Ministry of Revenue."
The Ministry of Revenue's departments had the most directors among the six ministries because they managed the court's money bag. They had the most nicknames: the Revenue Ministry was the "grandson yamen," the director's office was the "cursing hall," and the "spit bucket."
Chen Ping'an lifted his foot and Guan Yiran jumped aside, pointing at Chen Ping'an and laughing heartily, "Director Jing, he's right in front of you. This Accountant Chen is the one you're going to drink under the table tonight."
Jing Kuan was stunned. He wished he could dig a hole and crawl in. He had no choice but to bow to the sword immortal and apologize, "Sect Master Chen, I was very rude in the yamen earlier."
Earlier, inside that bastard Guan Yiran's room, this man had introduced himself as "a younger brother sworn to Brother Guan in the martial world," just arrived in the capital, and came to pay respects...
So this Sword Immortal Chen had a sense of humor.
And he himself had said, "I can't beat him, but can't I outdrink him?"
Wasn't he even more humorous?
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Rude or not, words are empty. Let's settle it on the table."
The three crossed the threshold and entered the tavern. Sword Immortal Chen took the lead, and as they climbed the stairs, Jing Kuan secretly elbowed Guan Yiran, gritting his teeth, "Guan Yiran, aren't you being a little too shameless?!"
Guan Yiran said seriously, "What are you saying? The sword immortal is in front of us."
They reached a private room on the top floor. Chen Ping'an brought his own liquor.
However, the taverns along the Calamus River had an unwritten rule: guests could bring their own liquor, but they still had to pay a fee, varying in amount.
It was a rule specifically for mountain immortals. After all, anyone hosting a banquet here wouldn't be short of silver, let alone immortal money.
Guan Yiran's earlier reference to "bland" meant that this tavern had no young women called "wine maidens" to warm and pour wine, nor female musicians to entertain.
Thus, the wine here was famously tasteless in the capital.
After sitting down, Guan Yiran grinned, "Accountant Chen, that inkstone you gave me earlier—was it said to be from Water Rail Pit?"
Chen Ping'an had visited Guan Yiran and given him a copy-hand inkstone. Chen Ping'an, taking advantage of his ignorance, had claimed it was from an old pit in the inkstone mountain of Cloud Cave Blessed Land and had casually named it "Water Rail Pit."
Trying to fool me? Chen Ping'an looked puzzled, "Wasn't it?"
Guan Yiran sneered, "Not only are there no Water Rail pits in that inkstone mountain's old pits, but even the new pits don't have any. Accountant Chen, you sure put a lot of thought into that gift."
"What, did you, Sword Immortal Chen, spend lavishly and buy a whole area of that inkstone mountain in Cloud Cave Blessed Land, name it Water Rail Pit, and plan to resell to our Bottle Gourd Continent at a markup?"
That inkstone had actually been regifted by Guan Yiran to his minister.
If not for the fact that the Minister Ma's two daughters looked too much like their father, he would have called him "father-in-law" by now.
But the granddaughter of Sun Changmao, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies—now she was pretty and delicate. So the young men of Yichi Lane and Horn Street, whenever they saw the good-tempered old minister on the road, would shamelessly call him "father-in-law."
Guan Yiran crossed his arms, "Sword Immortal Chen, you probably forgot that our Ministry of Revenue has a ridiculously lucrative Inkstone Affairs Office?"
Chen Ping'an chuckled, "I just said that offhand. You took it seriously. Come on, drink a cup as a penalty."
Guan Yiran clicked his tongue, "You like to turn things around, don't you?"
Dishes were brought to the table one by one. Guan Yiran poured the wine, and most of the talk was casual.
Jing Kuan didn't say much, but he didn't skimp on the wine.
Chen Ping'an suddenly spoke, "Actually, that's a good suggestion. I'll talk to the Jiang clan of Cloud Cave to see if I can buy a century's exclusive rights to that inkstone mountain. Doesn't your Revenue Ministry have an Inkstone Affairs Office?"
"Don't get into that business. The problem lies exactly there. There's a bastard in that office who's ruthless when making money."
Guan Yiran shook his head, "That Inkstone Affairs Office sounds like a sleepy department, but it's swimming in grease. Director Jing and I are both green with envy. If it weren't for that bastard in charge, I'd try to find a way to get a piece of it."
Jing Kuan smiled but said nothing.
Guan Yiran put one foot on the chair, and as the conversation flowed, he started cursing, "That kid, calling himself Dragon Foal—he's just a piglet! In charge of purchasing inkstones from outside, reaching long hands both on and off the mountain. He's bloated. And his tone is so arrogant, you'd think he's from a pillar-of-state surname. I wonder, his father, and the generations before him, were all famously cautious officials. How did this kid get so blinded by greed? He's notorious for being ruthless and merciless when making money."
Jing Kuan smiled faintly, "When he talks to you, he's still polite."
In the capital, no matter how clean a yamen's atmosphere, there were always a few flies in the ointment. People who did things dishonestly, lacked refinement.
In Guan Yiran's words, they had no shame.
In the Great Li capital, the young gentlemen of Yichi Lane and the military scions of Horn Street were ranked. The top tier, like Guan Yiran, Cao Gengxin, and Yuan Zhengding, were sent to the provinces by their families to serve as officials, relying on ancestral blessings for a start, but relying on their own true skills to stand firm and climb high.
Otherwise, young men like Liu Xunmei who joined the army early, crawling through sword forests and rain of blades, risking their necks, earned real military merit.
Guan Yiran, for instance, joined the border army, served many years as a military cultivator, then transferred to be a supervisor of major river works—an outlier among outliers. That's why many old officials were indignant that Guan Yiran's official hat was still so small.
The second tier could also become officials, but not high ones, and most were capital officials. Whether through examinations or family favor, they could hold their ground in the yamen.
The third tier frittered away their time, but at least were law-abiding, not causing trouble for the family. The lowest tier wallowed in every vice—wine, women, gambling—anything that could be called squandering. They loafed about, loved to pick fights, had no real ability, and put on airs bigger than heaven.
Guan Yiran spat, "That's just being polite to my surname. Look at how he treats you—does he even look at you?"
Jing Kuan said, "It's okay."
Guan Yiran smiled at Chen Ping'an, then pointed at Jing Kuan, "See, listen. He's watertight with his words. Now you know. Young but already a seasoned operator in officialdom. If this guy doesn't have a bright future, there's no justice."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Words don't matter much. As long as he doesn't leave wine in his cup, his drinking character is fine. If his drinking character is fine, his human character must be fine."
Guan Yiran agreed, "True."
So Jing Kuan had to drink again.
Guan Yiran suppressed a smile, letting Jing Kuan taste Accountant Chen's skill in urging drinks.
Damn, back at Bookish Lake, it was a cascade of traps, and the one trapped in the wine jar didn't even know it.
Guan Yiran suddenly said, "Jing Kuan might be sent out to a provincial post."
Jing Kuan immediately shook his head, "That's not even a done deal. Why mention it?"
Guan Yiran rolled his eyes, "Bullshit. Keep being coy, will you. It's nailed down, and you're still saying it's not done. In our yamen, if I say I don't know anyone in the Ministry of Personnel, who dares to say they do?"
Jing Kuan was helpless.
Guan Yiran was really getting drunk.
Otherwise, such words shouldn't be said.
Of course, the main thing was that Guan Yiran considered both himself and Chen Ping'an as insiders.
In the Great Li bureaucracy, who didn't know that "the Ministry of Personnel's surname is Guan"?
Since it was surnamed Guan, it was easy to imagine the number of Guan's protégés and former subordinates.
And the late emperor and the current emperor bore no grudge.
After all, the old Guan was one of the few officials in the early years who dared to talk back to National Master Cui.
When Guan Yiran finished his term as supervisor of the major river works and returned to the capital, he was unexpectedly assigned not to the Ministry of Personnel or War, but to the most disliked Ministry of Revenue. In officialdom, this wasn't promotion or even lateral transfer—it was a clear demotion.
Chen Ping'an nodded, raised his cup, and smiled, "May the Director's external post bring blessings to the people, becoming a true parent-official who regards his subjects as his children."
Jing Kuan had been worried that Guan Yiran would reveal more inside information, but it seemed he hadn't gotten truly drunk.
Not long ago, the Left Vice Minister of Revenue had called Jing Kuan for a talk, asking many questions. Though there was no clear intent, Jing Kuan knew he was likely to leave the capital for a provincial post.
And the Minister also seemed to value him.
But as to where he'd go, Jing Kuan had only a few guesses.
When Guan Yiran deliberately brought it up in front of Sect Master Chen, Jing Kuan began to be certain that the commandery where he would serve as governor was most likely Dragon Prefecture to the north, along the strip of land between Beiyue Mountain and Luopo Mountain.
Timing, geography, and human harmony—Jing Kuan had them all before even leaving the capital.
Serving as an official in Dragon Prefecture was universally acknowledged in the Great Li bureaucracy as both a huge risk and a tremendous opportunity. Those with bad outcomes, like Wu Yuan; those with good outcomes, like Fu Yu.
The three of them drank for a little over an hour. In the end, Chen Ping'an stopped urging, and it was Guan Yiran and Jing Kuan battling it out on the table.
When the two Revenue Ministry directors left the tavern, staggering and supporting each other, they walked along the Calamus River. Watching the steady blue-robed figure receding into the distance, Jing Kuan couldn't help but envy—a true sword immortal, with such capacity for wine.
A cool breeze blew, dissipating some of the alcohol.
Jing Kuan said softly, "Thanks."
Guan Yiran belched, "When you get to your post, do a few good deeds."
"Serving in the provinces isn't like serving in the capital. Here, there are many yamens, heavy rules, clear boundaries. Every official knows roughly what's what. In our South Fragrance Ward, a director is nothing. But out there, a lot of things rely on your conscience. Things you can do or not do, where you can be smart or muddled, nod or shake your head, know or not know—in the end, it's all up to you."
"Jing Kuan, my great-grandfather once told me that being an incorruptible official with a clear conscience is not easy. Being both an incorruptible and good official is even harder. What it means to be a good official is that you always feel ill at ease inside."
When they reached an arched bridge, Guan Yiran stumbled, quickly ran to the railing, and vomited into the Calamus River.
Jing Kuan, who had been patting his back, seemed to catch the contagion, and suddenly his stomach turned. He joined Guan Yiran, leaning over the railing.
Finally, both of them stopped, turned around, and sat on the ground, backs against the bridge railing. They exchanged a smile.
---
Chen Ping'an strolled along a glittering canal.
This evening, he hadn't brought Xiao Mo, letting him wander the Calamus River freely.
With nothing else to do, Xiao Mo bought a few lotus lanterns from a roadside stall, set them on the river, and then slowly followed them.
Just by walking a few steps here, Xiao Mo could almost distinguish locals from outsiders at a glance. The former had an unerasable air of toughness, more pronounced the younger they were. Outsiders, even in luxurious clothes, were somewhat restrained.
Standing by the Calamus River, Xiao Mo gazed at the water.
A bamboo basket drawing water, scooping up millennia of moon-chanting poems.
Horses' hooves shaking the earth, splashing out a century's frontier tunes.
Xiao Mo was lost in thought, involuntarily recalling an accidental encounter ten thousand years ago.
That entity, hands tucked in sleeves, looked down upon the human world. From the Ascension Altar, where only earth immortals ascended, he "defied the heavens" and came down alone.
The word "Under Heaven."
At that moment, it wasn't a noun—it was like a verb.
Perhaps seeing Xiao Mo sitting not far from the Ascension Altar, that entity had met Xiao Mo's eyes, then smiled and extended a hand from his sleeve...
Now, at this moment, Chen Ping'an walked along the river, waved at the nearby Xiao Mo.
Tonight's wine hadn't been wasted. Guan Yiran was an official who strictly observed rules, so his earlier mention of that troublemaker at the Inkstone Affairs Office wasn't an idle remark. He wasn't just rambling over wine. He was warning Chen Ping'an to pass a message to his fellow townsman, Dong Shuijing: be extra careful in business, because a small group of jealous young noblemen in the capital had set their sights on him.
Not that the Inkstone Affairs Office guy—who wasn't even from a pillar-of-state surname—could really hurt Dong Shuijing. In fact, he didn't even have the qualification to wrestle with Dong Half-City. But these young wastrels in the capital had their own little cliques, united like a fortress. Inside the capital, they might turtle up, but once outside, whether on or off the mountain, in officialdom or business, they were very arrogant. If they ganged up on Dong Shuijing, it would be a considerable nuisance.
Of course, this was also related to Dong Shuijing's habit of making money behind closed doors, keeping his Great Li official connections hidden, making him look like a soft target.
The world was complicated like that. Sometimes, a person followed the rules, but that didn't stop others from being unreasonable.
Like on this Calamus River, a person walking properly could be staggered into by a drunk, impossible to avoid even by giving way.
Xiao Mo suppressed the abrupt turmoil in his heart and transmitted his voice, "Master, a sneaky fellow sized you up twice."
"He's an Immortal, like Senior Lu, but more capable in a fight."
"I was going to wait for a third time to drag him out. But he was cautious, as if he sensed my intention. As you said, these fortune-tellers need to be judged with an extra realm."
Chen Ping'an was a bit surprised, a bit resigned. After dropping realms, it was hard to seize the initiative.
He thought: A Dao sect Immortal realm cultivator? It couldn't be Grand Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen of Divine Oath Sect. Xie Shi of Northern Ju Lu was even less likely. Some wandering eccentric passing through Bottle Gourd Continent? Or a direct disciple of that Lu Chen, who had cultivated for many years in the old White Frost Kingdom under the pseudonym Cao Rong? The Daoist temple he left behind produced many masters, and would become the next sect in Bottle Gourd Continent.
Cao Rong had shone brilliantly on the battlefield of Old Dragon City.
He had produced a landscape and bird-flower album of eight paintings, using them to form an array protecting the entire city.
The three patriarchs of the Jade Capital each had their own private seals, stamped on four of the landscape paintings: the Grand Patriarch's "Dao Sutra Master," the invincible Yu Dou's "Number One in Literature, Number Two in Martial Arts," and Master Lu Chen's "Stone Until Now."
Plus, the Da Xuan Du Abbey's Sun Daozhang's "Seeing Peach Blossoms Again."
The four seals on the subsequent four bird-flower paintings were also illustrious: Fu Lu Yu Xuan's "One Call Startles the World," Dragon Tiger Mountain Grand Heavenly Master Zhao Tianlai's "Young Phoenix," Fiery Dragon True Person's "Chirping Never Stops," and Great Li National Master Cui Chan's "White Eye."
A middle-aged Daoist appeared before Chen Ping'an and Xiao Mo—it was Cao Rong.
Cao Rong didn't use any illusion magic; he showed his true face with sincerity.
He made a Daoist salutation and asked with a smile, "May I ask the Hidden Official, is my master doing well? Has he returned to the Jade Capital?"
Chen Ping'an clasped his fists in return, "Greetings, Immortal Cao. If nothing unexpected happens, Patriarch Lu has not yet returned to the Green Coffin Heaven. He may need to visit Osmanthus Island and Cloud Cloud Gorge. You can wait for him there; the chances of meeting are greater."
Cao Rong smiled bitterly, "If my master doesn't want to see me, I won't be able to meet him."
Xiao Mo sized up Cao Rong.
It seemed that Lu Daoist's ability to take disciples wasn't so bad.
That Gu Qingkun, with the dao name Xian Cha, was highly respected by his master.
And this one's dao arts weren't too low either.
Cao Rong asked, "Hidden Official, this distinguished elder is?"
Xiao Mo gave him a Daoist salute, "My dao name is Xi Zhu. Immortal Cao, like Daoist Lu, may call me Xiao Mo."
Cao Rong's heart tightened. He performed a salute, "Greetings, Senior Xi Zhu."
This person's use of "Daoist Lu" must refer to his master.
Earlier, when he had used the magic of viewing the realm twice, the first time, he sensed nothing amiss. Chen Ping'an clearly didn't know he was being observed from afar.
The second time, in an instant, Cao Rong felt an inexplicable tension in his heartstrings, as if facing a great enemy. And it wasn't from Chen Ping'an, but from a subtle change triggered elsewhere along the Calamus River.
Cao Rong hurriedly broke his own rule and cast a divination hexagram. The result was astonishing.
This "young" cultivator before him, devoid of any signs of a high-level master, was, beyond any doubt, an unknown Flying Ascension realm from the peaks of Haoran.
Could he be a protector secretly dispatched by the Confucian Temple in the Central Plains for Chen Ping'an?
Cao Rong's purpose for appearing tonight was simply to inquire about his master Lu Chen's whereabouts—nothing deeper.
Thus, he came in haste and left in haste, bidding farewell to Chen Ping'an and "Senior Xi Zhu."
Xiao Mo suddenly spoke with a smile, "Immortal Cao, if I may be so bold: friendship is friendship, rules are rules. Let this be the last time."
Cao Rong nodded lightly.
After Cao Rong had gone far, Xiao Mo asked, "Master, were my words too harsh? And did they seem like I was throwing my age around?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head and smiled, "No, they were very worldly and immortal-like, full of the demeanor of a master."
Tonight's Immortal Cao Rong.
And previously, the sword technique of Pei Wei in Parasol Leaf Continent.
These extraordinary beings from the peaks were appearing more and more frequently.
Chen Ping'an dissipated the smell of alcohol and patted his sleeves.
Xiao Mo did the same and asked, "Another custom for drinking parties in the capital?"
Chen Ping'an nodded firmly, "Of course!"