Chapter 894: Known to All Under Heaven

Chapter 894: Known to All Under Heaven

The ferry port had yielded a rich harvest, for Pei Qian had actually discovered, among bundles of cheaply sold books, a batch of hidden secret archives of palace examination papers. They were genuine, unique copies of the examination essays collected from nearly a hundred top scholars who had achieved the number one rank in the imperial examinations of a single kingdom. Each top scholar's examination paper bore vivid, crimson characters, the imperial endorsement of "First Rank, First Place" by successive emperors. Besides the policy essays themselves, at the very end were the official titles and names of the reading officials. Although the dragon qi was faint and much had faded, the literary qi was strong; it was a genuine bargain.

Chen Ping'an flipped through a few of the oldest and most recent palace examination papers, casually memorizing a string of official titles and names.

At that time, beside the shop, a gaunt old man in a Confucian scholar's robe watched with wide eyes, seemingly stunned by Chen Ping'an's luck. After hesitating for a long while, he asked Chen Ping'an if he could resell those examination papers to him.

Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile. "Old sir, I'm afraid I can't oblige."

The old man laughed freely. "A gentleman does not take what another cherishes. I was being presumptuous."

Besides, he didn't have much money in his pocket anyway. Coming to this mountain ferry port was just for relaxation; how could he have the confidence to discuss business with these mountain immortals here? He had three spirit coins—one each of Snowflake, Lesser Heat, and Grain Rain—all gifts from the new emperor, which he intended to keep as family heirlooms.

Xiao Mo said via heart-mind voice, "Young Master, this old gentleman just now seemed quite concerned about the most recent examination papers. When he saw a few names on them, his heart-mind fluctuated greatly."

Chen Ping'an replied, "The old gentleman carries a heavy aura of both officialdom and the battlefield. Perhaps he saw the names of himself and his colleagues on those palace examination papers."

He spotted a pair of seals with intertwined dragon and tortoise knobs, bearing the inscriptions "Contentment" and "Discontentment." There were no border marks, which charmed Chen Ping'an at first sight.

The stone seal aura wasn't strong, nor were there any famous artists' signatures, so the price was surely low. However, they weren't sold separately; they were given as a bonus, provided the customer bought another expensive item.

Coincidentally, Chen Ping'an also took a liking to a purple-clay stone ladle pot, inscribed with the words "Azure birds in the clouds are hometown; dragons in the seabed are the world." He decided to buy it and give it away to someone later.

The shop's price was thirty Snowflake coins. In the current Tongye Continent, any mountain artifact that even slightly touched upon spiritual qi, especially when embellished with some concocted "story" about immortal residences, would fetch shockingly high prices, leading to a frenzy of bidding wars.

In truth, it was overpriced, but thinking that he was at his own ferry port, well then, just this once, let him act as a shill?

Just as Chen Ping'an reached for the purple-clay pot, someone bumped his shoulder, snatched the stone ladle pot, and turned to shout at the shopkeeper, "Name your price!"

Chen Ping'an didn't take offense. He let the man pay for the purple-clay pot and instead moved to pick up a three-color jadeite bracelet symbolizing good fortune, wealth, and longevity, priced at ten Snowflake coins.

But before he could, a companion of the burly man reached out again. Chen Ping'an lightly raised his elbow, parrying the other's wrist. "There's no way you buy things like this."

Chen Ping'an had already noticed subtle clues. Among this group was a half-baked practitioner of geomancy. With his hand hidden in his sleeve, he secretly used a crudely made treasure-compass needle to roughly determine the flow of fortune. Because the Longevity Mountain had a Chief Discipline Officer named Chang Ming, Chen Ping'an carried some fortune-attracting energy himself. Unbeknownst to him, the geomancy practitioner had mistaken the situation and, coupled with the earlier batch of secret examination papers, thought that whatever Chen Ping'an chose was a sure profit.

In fact, this was common practice in the antique trade down the mountain.

This bracelet, Chen Ping'an had no intention of letting go, for he had already thought of who to give it to.

The half-baked geomancy practitioner, holding the treasure compass, laughed and said, "Young friend, I advise you to graciously give in. Even if you are an immortal from the mountains, when you're out in the world, with high mountains, deep waters, and strong winds, you still need to be careful."

Standing beside this Cave Abode realm immortal was a robust, pure martial artist, wearing a saber and an official waist tablet of considerable age.

If he were suppressing his realm, he would be a Peak Mountain grandmaster.

Pei Qian used sound-condensed-into-thread to explain to her master, "These people are all retainers of the Great Xia dynasty in the south. But now the dynasty is fragmented, and there are three who claim the throne—one prince and two military generals—all fighting for the orthodox identity. These three factions have been sending people out for years to plunder money, using similar methods, all of the same ilk, none of them good. But these retainer tokens are all old palace artifacts, so I can't tell whose subordinates they are…"

Pei Qian suddenly acted! Someone had dared to reach out and try to put an arm around her waist. Pei Qian swung her elbow into his face, and the man flew straight out of the shop.

The geomancy practitioner roared angrily, "Careful! They are demons!"

The shopkeeper turned pale with fright. After all, the devastated Tongye Continent had been brutalized by the demons from the Barbarian Wilderness in recent years. He shouted out the door, "Quickly send word to Spirit Jasper Mountain!"

In past years, during the Qingming Festival, paper ash flew like white butterflies before the graves. Now, foxes and rabbits slept in the mounds at sunset, and few descendants came to the gravesides, leaving only countless new ghosts weeping for the old.

Having received a secret heart-mind message from the geomancy practitioner, the burly man who had snatched the stone ladle pot shouted, his clothes tearing open on the spot, revealing two tattoo designs on his upper body—one was a dragon over his shoulder, the other a tiger descending the mountain.

The old man still inside the shop said gravely, "This kind of joke is not to be made."

Pei Qian turned to look at her master. Chen Ping'an nodded. She could act as she pleased.

So, the group of retainer lords from the former Great Xia dynasty all went to lie down and enjoy themselves outside the door.

Chen Ping'an put the jadeite bracelet into his sleeve, picked up the pair of seals, then placed ten Snowflake coins on the counter. He turned and cupped his hands to the old man. "Thank you."

The old man smiled. "It was a mere trifle."

Then, with a hint of deeper meaning in his voice, he added, "Later, when the immortals from Spirit Jasper Mountain arrive, I can try my best to explain a bit on your behalf. But in the end, whether it can be clarified depends on the Spirit Jasper Mountain immortals themselves."

The old man's words carried an unspoken implication: if your mountain sect's reputation was great enough, perhaps the matter could be settled easily; otherwise, there would be trouble—extremely thorny trouble. Being identified as a demon cultivator by a royal retainer qi practitioner would be a serious burden not even Spirit Jasper Mountain could bear. And once battle was joined here in the shop today, it might even alarm Great Happiness Academy, prompting them to dispatch a Gentleman or Wise Man of the academy to verify your identity. Of course, if it was later proven that Spirit Jasper Mountain had deliberately made a false report, their crime would be considerable.

A young and strong attendant beside the old man seemed to want to speak but stopped, worried that his master might attract unnecessary trouble.

Over at the Spirit Jasper Mountain Ancestral Hall, upon receiving the news, they dared not take it lightly. The old mountain lord, along with one Golden Core and two Dragon Gate realm cultivators, hurriedly rode the wind to Wild Cloud Ferry, as if facing a great enemy. They stood at the entrance of the shop.

After the old man identified himself, Xiao Mo said via heart-mind voice with a chuckle, "Young Master, your foresight is flawless."

For this old Confucian scholar, who had rendered service that was like recreating a nation, was indeed one of the names on the palace examination papers. Moreover, his official title was rather long: Junior Guardian, Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent, Minister of Rites, Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Brilliance.

He was a civil official of the purest stream, with students scattered throughout the court and countryside. Yet the old man had not followed the former emperor in fleeing to that new world; instead, he had remained in his homeland, spending years on the battlefield and, in recent years, repelling border incursions from the former Great Xia dynasty and a few neighboring kingdoms. Now retired and returning to his hometown, he happened to be passing through. With nothing to do and a light heart, he intended to enjoy some mountain scenery. The only flaw was that his purse was light.

Spirit Jasper Mountain, on their part, clearly knew this old man's identity. But they still dared not let down their guard. If a group of demon cultivators had indeed slipped through, given the temperament of the new mountain lord of Great Happiness Academy, Spirit Jasper Mountain could be directly sealed off for a hundred years.

Chen Ping'an used heart-mind voice to get straight to the point. "We come from Immortal Capital Mountain."

The Golden Core old ancestor of Spirit Jasper Mountain asked cautiously, "A fellow disciple of that Immortal Master Cui?"

That lavishly spending white-clothed youth, the current behind-the-scenes master of Wild Cloud Ferry, had once visited Spirit Jasper Mountain, claiming to be from Green Calm Peak on Immortal capital Mountain, with the surname Cui.

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded.

They had nearly stirred up a huge misunderstanding. This was a bit awkward. The three old ancestors of Spirit Jasper Mountain were momentarily at a loss for words.

Without too much polite exchange with the three registered immortals, Chen Ping'an simply told them that if they were worried about any lingering trouble from today's farce, they could use a flying sword to send a letter to Great Happiness Academy.

Chen Ping'an then took out the large stack of palace examination papers again and handed them to the old man, chuckling, "Old sir, you are right—a gentleman does not take what another cherishes."

The old man was extremely forthright. He took the examination papers and laughed heartily. "May I ask, Immortal Master, what is the price?"

Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "A thousand gold cannot buy a few fair words."

The old man nodded with a smile. "Then I won't stand on ceremony with the Immortal Master."

After leaving the shop, walking along the ferry port shore, Chen Ping'an glanced at Cao Qinglang and asked with a smile, "Is there something you want to say?"

Cao Qinglang replied, "Student has already figured it out."

Before, with the Qing Mountain Prefect, the master had engaged in some probing, which the master considered his own matter. But with the Spirit Jasper Mountain immortals, the master deliberately revealed his identity early on. Had he not, the other party might have had an upright familial style, or they might have revealed an ugly face, or they might have pretended to cooperate while acting cautiously, or they might have preferred to kill falsely rather than let anything slip. In short, there were countless possibilities. However, the master did not act that way; instead, he followed the agreement and truly handed over all matters of the subordinate sect to the junior senior brother for handling.

The attendant beside the old man said, "Master, the other party has a huge background. They actually managed to make Spirit Jasper Mountain let them go without a second word."

The old man just smiled and said, "The flavor of the Hanlin Academy."

Having served as Minister of Rites for many years and presided over many imperial examinations, it was said throughout the court and countryside that he was like peach and plum trees that need not speak yet attract a path beneath them. In official circles, it was said his "peach and plums" were everywhere.

And now?

The old man was still here, but those "peach and plums," so many young men—full of ambition, vigorous, and talented—could now truly no longer speak.

In a scenic spot, they passed a mountain-foot temple outside a commandery city, and the group entered to burn incense.

Entering the temple, there was a plaque inscribed with "Do Not Seek Outwardly," and a large hall had a plaque inscribed with "Attain Great Freedom."

There were pilgrims entering the temple, and some monks going out.

Generally speaking, during a monastery's retreat period, monks would not travel alone; they would wait until the end of the summer retreat to go out for study. When a wandering monk arrived at a temple, he would go to the main hall to pay respects to the Buddha, and by looking at the statue of Skanda Bodhisattva, he could know whether the temple was a universal monastery or a hereditary one that only provided one night's lodging and two meals. In this meditation temple, Skanda Bodhisattva held a single palm upright in his left hand and held a pestle upright in his right hand against his chest, signifying that it was a semi-universal, semi-hereditary Buddhist monastery. Itinerant monks could lodge here for three days but were not suitable for permanent residence.

These conventional Buddhist rules did not need to be explained by the temple's host monk to visiting monks.

Passing through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, Chen Ping'an and Cao Qinglang each took three incense sticks outside the Great Hero Hall and placed them into the incense burner.

However, the student held the incense in his left hand, while the master held it in his right.

Only Pei Qian, after offering incense outside the main hall, went inside to kneel and bow.

Xiao Mo did not offer incense; he only gazed at the Buddha statue enshrined in the main hall.

Worldly people cannot see the Buddha, so they create statues to see him.

And this "young man" with his yellow hat, green shirt, and green bamboo staff had actually seen the true Buddha.

Afterwards, the group passed the Great Hero Hall and ascended to the left via stairs, passing by the Medicine Buddha Hall before finally reaching the sutra repository on the right side, from which they returned to the mountain gate.

Suddenly, rain began to fall. Chen Ping'an stood in the corridor, waiting for the rain to stop. The rain was heavy, but it didn't seem like it would last long.

For some reason, in the heavy rain, a woman with a child knelt outside the mountain gate.

And inside the temple's main hall, a middle-aged monk knelt on a cushion, bowing with his hands together, his face streaming with tears.

Cao Qinglang wanted to take an oil-paper umbrella from the "Small Cave Heaven" that Xiao Mo had gifted to him, to give to the woman and child so they could shield themselves from the rain.

Chen Ping'an shook his head.

After the woman stood up, Chen Ping'an said a word to Pei Qian. She then walked over, holding an umbrella.

The woman quickly wiped the corners of her eyes, smiled warmly, and pulled her child along to thank the kind-hearted girl.

After winter set in this year, the mountains and rivers of Tongye Continent were in turmoil, devastated. In the central regions, even before the Lesser Snow solar term, goose-feather snow began to fall in succession everywhere.

The weather was freezing cold, and on the mountain below, many ice factories sprang up, digging cellars to store ice, waiting to be taken out the following summer.

Within the territory of the former Great Xia dynasty, two cavalry forces were locked in fratricidal battle.

Behind the main army, a youth in splendid military armor was urging an old Viewing Sea realm immortal master to act quickly to turn the tide of battle. His general meaning was that against these battlefield warriors, the immortal master's celestial techniques could break through like splitting bamboo, defeating ten thousand with one man. If he could achieve another extraordinary feat, upon returning to the capital, the position of National Teacher for the entire kingdom would face no more opposition from the court…

The old immortal master tugged at his beard in silence. Finally, unable to refuse, he mounted a cloud and summoned two lifebound items, one offensive and one defensive. Radiant with colored light, their treasure glow illuminated half the battlefield. The old immortal manifested his celestial arts and quickly earned a considerable military merit. When his spells touched the ground, the old cultivator, thinking his spiritual qi was still ample, decided to unleash one last ultimate secret art before withdrawing from the battlefield. But then he was met with a concentrated volley from mountain-made ballistae from among the enemy forces. They shattered the protective mountains and rivers of his precious defense artifact. Just as the old cultivator was about to retreat early, a pure martial artist hidden in the formation, wielding a great bow and a series of arrows, shot him dead on the spot. The dozen or so talisman arrows, engraved with cloud-pattern inscriptions, arced through the air, following him like shadows. Unable to dodge, the old cultivator's entire chest was pierced by an arrow as thick as a copper coin.

On a mountain peak outside the battlefield.

After witnessing that scene, Pei Qian said, "It's not difficult for a cultivator to enter the battlefield and gain merit. But if he thought he could single-handedly decide the outcome of the battle by wantonly slaughtering ordinary soldiers in the armies, he could do it once, but not twice."

Cao Qinglang nodded.

Chen Ping'an was expressionless.

Xiao Mo seemed distracted.

During the snowfall, beside an ancient bridge, several old plum trees were covered in white; the plum blossoms and snow were both pure and unique.

At one end of the long bridge, there was a group resembling a Confucian academy's old tutor and a band of scholars traveling with their book bags, stopping to admire the scenery.

In reality, an ancient, seventy-year-old Cave Abode realm old cultivator was telling a group of his sect disciples about those ethereal immortal matters—about the necessities of cultivation: dharma companions, resources, locations, and wealth. He spoke of earthly immortals who could live a thousand years with the complexion of youth, moving swiftly and lightly, rising in physical form to ascend, immortal and never dying, moving freely between cave heavens and blessed lands, traversing the five lakes and four seas, and subduing the five sacred peaks and ten thousand mountains.

These words made the disciples, who had only been on the mountain for a few years, glow with excitement, their hearts yearning for such things.

The old cultivator reached out and lightly brushed the accumulated snow from the bridge railing, chuckling. "There are many lineages of Taoism on the mountain, and since ancient times, disciples can seek and learn a thousand arts and skills. But only the path of the sword immortal has ever been one where the master chooses the disciple, never where a disciple actively seeks a master and succeeds. The threshold for sword immortals to take disciples has always been higher than the sky. They would rather let their arts be lost than teach them lightly…"

A youth nodded. "No wonder there are so few sword immortals in the world."

A nearby girl glared at him. "Don't interrupt my master while he's speaking."

The old cultivator used the back of his hand to push the snow, letting it fall onto the ice beneath the bridge. "According to ancient legend, true sword immortals, bearing supreme sword arts and favored by the forces of heaven and earth, never deign to rely on divine weapons or sharp tools. As long as they refine a single sword core, they achieve the wonders of transformation like a divine dragon. Using a pure heart as a sheath, their empty white chambers are as brilliant as the sun and moon, and they can take a head from a thousand miles away…"

The group of disciples listened with rapt attention, except for the youth who liked to throw cold water. He couldn't help but interrupt again, "Uncle Master, last time we met that old friend of yours from the mountain, you begged for a long time, and he couldn't bear to give you that landscape gazette. Didn't he say there's a place in the world called Sword Qi Great Wall? The gazette said that place isn't big, but everyone there is a sword immortal. How do those old sword immortals go about taking on new sword immortals as disciples then?"

The old cultivator maintained his smile, but inwardly he was grumbling. How did his senior brother end up taking on such a disciple? Was this kid's family busy building a house? He was so fond of tearing things down.

In truth, the old man himself had only just learned of a place called Sword Qi Great Wall from his friend's landscape gazette.

On the other side of the riverbank, a group of people was walking through the snow towards the bridge, their footsteps crunching beneath them.

The old cultivator turned to look. Through the wind and snow, a figure in a green shirt walked at the front, holding a snowball in both hands. Three others followed him, all seemingly young.

The youth whispered, "Uncle Master, hurry up and use a spell, open a heavenly eye or something, and take a look for me. See if there are any sword immortals among that group looking for disciples."

The old cultivator laughed in exasperation. "Go ask them yourself!"

On an ancient bridge, the two groups passed by each other.

The old cultivator smiled and nodded proactively. The man in the green shirt with twin knives at his waist returned the smile and nod.

After the group had moved away, the youth said, "Uncle Master, I don't think there were any sword immortals. Their footsteps made noise. They didn't walk without leaving a trace in the snow."

The old cultivator ignored the youth and continued to speak of strange tales and immortal miracles from the mountain. In truth, they were all landscape stories he had heard secondhand.

In the Mirage City of the Great Spring Dynasty, after it snowed, it resembled a glazed fairyland, so beautiful and wondrous that it was impossible to tell if it was heaven or earth.

A group of travelers from afar was at the capital city gate, submitting their travel documents.

Cao Mo, Zheng Qian.

As for Cao Qinglang and Xiao Mo, they both used Da Li dynasty household registration identities.

Once the subordinate sect was established, Cao Qinglang would gain an additional Golden Jade registry identity as a Tongye Continent cultivator.

After exiting the gate tunnel, Xiao Mo said, "Young Master, in the Haoran world, isn't it uncommon for a woman to proclaim herself emperor?"

Empresses regent or ruling from behind a curtain were numerous.

The Great Spring Emperor was Yao Jinzhi.

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Very rare."

Recalling something, Chen Ping'an said to Cao Qinglang, "Currently, the chief retainer of the Great Spring Dynasty is Liu Zong, the knife grinder from your hometown blessed land. Last time Pei Qian and I met Liu Zong here, he was still at the bottleneck of the Golden Body realm. But this is because the old temple master deliberately made it so, making Liu Zong's realm-breaking much harder than that of ordinary martial artists."

Pei Qian pursed her lips.

Cao Qinglang glanced at her.

Because earlier, while she was watching the mountain gate with Little Rice Cake, he had heard from Little Rice Cake that when Pei Qian accompanied the Good Man Mountain Lord through the Great Spring Dynasty, a whole basketful of stories had happened.

Pei Qian immediately gave him a sidelong glare. Tattling again?

The group first found an immortal's inn in Mirage City called the Apricot Blossom Lodge. The location was excellent, a quiet place amidst the bustle.

Birds have their paths, and snakes have their ways. Mountain ferries and immortal ferry ports often had pamphlets that specifically introduced inns along the route, given out free to customers. Content that was detailed and full of praise often indicated a deep bond of incense-and-fire friendship between the two parties. Brief and perfunctory descriptions meant that the inn's relationship with the ferry port or ferry was not well established.

In truth, the most famous inn in the Great Spring Dynasty was still the Peach Leaf Villa at Peach Leaf Ferry.

It was said to be the top choice for female cultivators from the entire continent. Even if they had to pool their money, they would lodge there.

Upon entering the main gate of the inn, the first thing to catch the eye was a tall screen wall, ten meters high, with golden carp and lotus flowers that looked as vivid as living things.

Chen Ping'an stopped, looked up, and admired it for a moment. If that inn in the Da Li capital, which didn't even have a name, had put in this much effort, its business wouldn't have been so cold that you could count the customers on one hand.

He asked for four rooms. Chen Ping'an requested a stack of recent landscape gazettes from the inn. Xiao Mo and the others all stayed in the room, sitting around a table.

Only Cao Qinglang drank tea; the other three drank wine.

Regarding the Jade Gui Sect, the news was all trivial, yet it occupied a significant amount of space. This was the power of being the leading immortal sect of a continent.

In the past, there had been a standoff between north and south, with Tungye Sect firmly holding the upper hand over Jade Gui Sect. Now, however, Jade Gui Sect was indisputably dominant. In contrast, Tungye Sect had effectively sealed itself away, like a solitary boat on the map of the continent.

The Flower God Mountain Rouge Rankings personally overseen by Chief Zhou had different versions in almost every gazette. Regardless of whether one agreed with the rankings of the female immortals, they would invariably curse Jiang Shangzhen for good measure.

In addition, there was news about the elixirs of the Green Tiger Palace and the sword challenge at Little Dragon Hollow.

There were also many announcements from newly restored kingdoms on the mountain below, recruiting retainers through the gazettes, open to cultivators and martial artists alike. These documents from the various ministries of rites were akin to chivalrous invitations from the martial world.

There was quite a bit of miscellaneous news about Vase Bottle Continent, especially about the observation ceremony at their own Longevity Mountain. In any case, it was all written haphazardly.

Xiao Mo picked up a gazette and said, "This Tungye Sect seems to have become rather annoying. As a sect, how could it end up in such a miserable state?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "They go all out to praise you to the skies, and they spare no effort to beat you to death with a stick. In fact, they are neither as good as the praise makes them seem, nor as bad as the slander suggests. Anyway, it's easy to carry a burden that isn't your own; people just like to watch a lively show and aren't afraid of it being too big. But our Chief Zhou has a good saying…"

Xiao Mo nodded. "Although I have not yet met Chief Zhou, I already have a deep admiration for him."

Within Longevity Mountain, Chief Zhou's fame was universally acclaimed, from top to bottom, inside and out.

Chen Ping'an tried to hold it in, but ultimately couldn't help laughing out loud. He quickly took a sip of wine, then said something that baffled Xiao Mo. "Our Chief Zhou is definitely going to be worried when he returns to his hometown. Never mind, he loves spending money anyway. It'll keep him from slacking off just because he's become the chief retainer."

In truth, Chen Ping'an was still hoping to find more news about the Great Spring Dynasty in the gazettes. Among these was a rumor, told with great certainty and in a mysterious manner.

Yao Lingzhi had lost a knife.

The chief officials of the three highest judicial bodies—the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Grand Court—in the Great Spring court were at their wit's end. They met and were filled with worry. As for the lesser three judicial bodies—the directors of the Ministry of Justice, the censors of the Censorate, and the assessors of the Grand Court—they had held who knows how many meetings. The three offices themselves were already in an uproar, yet they dared not leak a single word to the outside.

This matter, if considered small, was just a theft case involving a dharma treasure-grade precious saber. If considered large, it was no small affair, because this saber was a heavy treasure of the previous dynasty, carrying extraordinary symbolic significance.

In officialdom, the most troublesome matters were exactly this kind—trying to fathom the imperial will. Yao Lingzhi's saber had great historical significance; it was a treasure of the Great Spring dynasty that had been secretly stored in the national treasury for over two hundred years, named "Famous Spring." The founding emperor of the Great Spring Liu clan had risen from humble beginnings, a military general who usurped the throne to establish the dynasty, thus bearing the suspicion of an illegitimate reign. Moreover, this founding emperor had personally used the saber to behead the last emperor of the previous dynasty.

Last time Chen Ping'an was in Mirage City, he had seen this "Famous Spring" with his own eyes. It was an imperial heavy treasure bestowed by the current emperor upon his younger sister Yao Lingzhi. It was indeed a dharma saber of excellent quality, with a wooden scabbard covered in green sharkskin and a hilt inlaid with treasures. It could truly be called "worth a city" and naturally suppressed ghosts and spirits.

According to the fragmentary words in the gazette, it seemed that the Prefect Yao Xianzhi had suddenly changed his nature. From a drunkard, he became diligent and conscientious. He personally discussed the matter with the Emperor, practically taking full responsibility for it, allowing the three assistant yamens to breathe a slight sigh of relief. Even if the sky collapsed, the Prefect would hold it up. Moreover, regarding the deployment of retainer cultivators and constables, the Prefect showed considerable method, maintaining a strained calm within and around the capital of Mirage City—neither disturbing the people nor lacking in orderly deployment. This reminded the capital's officialdom of one thing: this commandery prince with the first rank official hat of Prefect had once been a young man from the Yao family who joined the army, and his lost arm and lame leg were the results of old battle injuries.

Xiao Mo said, "Young Master, if you could paint a picture of 'Famous Spring,' Xiao Mo could try to help that Prefect Yao investigate the whereabouts of this precious saber. After finding it, we could secretly return it to the Prefect's yamen and leave a letter explaining its origin."

Pei Qian chuckled. "Like a chivalrous wanderer who does good deeds without leaving his name."

Cao Qinglang put down the gazette in his hand. "Elder Xi Zhu, this matter does not preclude one possibility: that the Great Spring emperor did it intentionally. If this had happened during the reign of that 'deposed Liu emperor,' it would naturally be of the utmost importance. But now that the Yao clan rules the state, and this saber, a national treasure belonging to the former dynasty, has gone missing, it might not be a bad thing. As the gazette says, in Mirage City, a folk song has even begun to circulate, about a night watchman who saw a blade of light transform into a malevolent dragon and flee the capital."

Unlike Pei Qian, who would directly call him Xiao Mo or Mr. Xiao Mo, Cao Qinglang persisted in respectfully addressing Xiao Mo as Elder Xi Zhu.

Xiao Mo smiled and nodded, raising his wine bowl and drinking it all in one gulp.

Cao Qinglang also raised his bowl and, using water as wine, drank deeply.

Chen Ping'an said, "I'll take Xiao Mo and leave for the Yao residence immediately. Pei Qian, Cao Qinglang, you two can wander around Mirage City as you please."

Last time at the Yao residence, Chen Ping'an and Cui Dongshan had each consumed their own merits to draw talismans, posted inside and outside the rooms, to ensure that Old General Yao could sleep soundly and preserve his vitality, awaiting Chen Ping'an's return from seeking a pill to extend his life. However, Cui Dongshan had also told the Yao family two things very clearly: even if a mountain elixir were obtained, Old General Yao's lifespan extension would be limited; and second, the Yao family would have to pay for the elixir. Not a single spirit coin less, not even a single copper coin. This was the rule, just as a pilgrim cannot borrow money from others for incense money at a temple.

This time, Chen Ping'an had also brought two elixirs.

They were life-prolonging elixirs, most suitable for mortals down the mountain to take, that his master had obtained from Talisman Yu Xuan and Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Zhao Tianlai.

The old scholar generally didn't stand on ceremony with the wealthy, but in this matter, he hadn't demanded an exorbitant price. It wasn't that the old scholar, now restored to his Wen Sheng identity, couldn't beg for more elixirs, nor that Old Man Yu or the Heavenly Master Mansion had no more in their storerooms. It was simply that mountain cultivators striving for immortality were already acting against nature. Borrowing elixirs to extend one's life came with some taboos, though not major ones. But for a mortal at the end of his tether, trying to "add oil" through external objects was fraught with prohibitions.

First, the retreat of a person's spiritual energy, qi, and divine essence is not like a cultivator accumulating the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. Once used up, it can be replenished. Especially for elderly people on the verge of death, their entire spirit and energy are like a mighty river surging into the sea, never to return.

Thus, many blessed individuals, especially the elderly, have some premonition of the boundary between life and death. Eminent monks of the Buddhist Dragon-Elephant level or accomplished Taoist adepts can even predict the exact hour.

It's like pausing briefly at the place where the sea and land meet—this is what is called the final radiance before death.

Second, for mountain dwellers to prolong the life of mountain dwellers is somewhat like borrowing against future harvests: it depletes the ancestral blessings and fortune of the person taking the elixir. Therefore, the true miraculous effect of these two elixirs is that, by using a portion of hidden virtue to refine the pill, it can increase Old General Yao's yang lifespan by just over a year. This is the equivalent of a long-lasting final radiance. And this is the absolute limit.

Xiao Mo suddenly spoke. "Young Master, if I'm not mistaken about his identity, that Prefect will come to call very soon."

Chen Ping'an still stood up. "We'll meet him and then go to the Yao residence."

At the doorway, they met Yao Xianzhi, who was no longer covered in stubble. Though this Capital Prefect looked somewhat tired, his eyes were bright, like those of a youth from years past.

Walking out of the alley together, Chen Ping'an mentioned the elixir to Yao Xianzhi. Yao Xianzhi, limping along, didn't even say a word of thanks. After all, why stand on ceremony with Mr. Chen?

Not being able to change the way he addressed him and call him brother-in-law was the only regret in his life.

Yao Xianzhi said softly, "Mr. Chen, I've checked. Over in the Northern Jin kingdom, there is no 'Thus-Come Temple' with the monk you mentioned staying there."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "A monk with true Buddhist dharma can only be met by chance."

Last time they met, Yao Xianzhi had resolved many of his inner knots. He had finally made up his mind not to return to the border to resume his old trade on horseback. He would continue as the Capital Prefect. However, Chen Ping'an needed to reserve a subordinate sect retainer position for him.

The young emperor of Northern Jin deeply revered Buddhism. It was said that one night, while lodging in a meditation temple, he dreamed of an extraordinary person who taught him a long-lost original text of the Water and Land Rites.

At the beginning of spring this year, the Emperor appeared at a Water and Land Dharma Assembly, had the Minister of Rites read out the text, and bestowed the imperial plaque "Unobstructed Water and Land Path" in his own hand. Thus, within the kingdom, Water and Land Buddhist events became extremely popular.

Yao Xianzhi asked casually, "When will you establish the subordinate sect? Is there a specific date? As a retainer, I must participate."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "It will be on the first day of next spring."

Yao Xianzhi's expression turned strange.

Why that day? On the first day of spring, the Son of Heaven leads all officials to the outskirts to perform the Spring Welcoming Ceremony. Even I, as the Capital Prefect, am responsible for the ceremonial beating of the spring ox.

So the Emperor would certainly be unable to attend that celebration.

Last time Mr. Chen visited Gold Emblem Prefecture, the Emperor had taken up temporary residence at Pine Needle Lake. Though they were only a few steps apart, the two parties had still missed each other.

Chen Ping'an and Yao Xianzhi sat in a carriage cabin. This inn was not far from the Yao residence.

Xiao Mo sat beside the carriage driver.

Yao Xianzhi asked tentatively, "Why not just stay at my place?"

Chen Ping'an explained, "After delivering the elixir and confirming that Old General Yao is fine after taking it, we will leave the capital immediately and head to Pu Mountain Cloud and Grass Hall."

Yao Xianzhi asked, "In such a hurry?"

Chen Ping'an chuckled. "The subordinate sect is to be established on the first day of next spring. Prefect, you tell me: is this upper sect master busy or not?"

Yao Xianzhi's expression was complex.

Even if he were busy, he could spare a couple of days, couldn't he?

Arriving at the Yao residence, they went to the room plastered with many talismans. After Yao Xianzhi helped Old General Yao take the two elixirs, Chen Ping'an sat on the edge of the bed, gently took the old man's wrist, carefully checked his pulse, and finally turned to Yao Xianzhi, saying softly, "Don't worry. There's nothing wrong. Old General Yao will wake up soon. When he does, no matter how busy you are, you must find time to take him for walks and sightseeing."

Yao Xianzhi first called out "Mr. Chen," then raised his arm, made a firm fist, and gently knocked it against his heart.

With gentle movements, Chen Ping'an placed the old man's arm back under the blanket, carefully tucked in the corners, then stood up and walked out the door with Yao Xianzhi.

Xiao Mo stood quietly by the door.

Chen Ping'an patted Yao Xianzhi on the shoulder. "Go on, get busy. Don't worry about me. I'll wait here for the old general to wake up."

Yao Xianzhi laughed. "Busy my ass. I haven't had a good night's sleep these past few days. I need to catch my breath."

In the end, Yao Xianzhi made Chen Ping'an stay for dinner. When the household steward reported that the old master had woken up, the three of them put down their chopsticks and hurried to the adjacent courtyard.

The old man was leaning against the headboard, looking well. He smiled at the man in the green shirt crossing the threshold with his grandson, and asked, "Xianzhi, have you informed the Emperor?"

Yao Xianzhi shook his head. "Not yet."

Then Yao Xianzhi asked tentatively, "Grandfather, should I go to the palace and send word now?"

Looking at that unflappable brat, who gently lifted the hem of his green shirt and slowly sat down on the chair by the bed, the old man waved at Yao Xianzhi and laughed. "No need. If something is fate, you can't force it. If someone is true, they won't be scared away."

After that, the old man only chatted with Chen Ping'an about old times, not mentioning a single word about the affairs of the state or the world.

They talked for a full half-hour before Old General Yao let Chen Ping'an go, but not before making him promise to come back for a home-cooked meal before leaving Mirage City. Chen Ping'an agreed.

Yao Xianzhi accompanied Chen Ping'an to the door. He had to return to the Prefect's yamen to continue handling a mountain of official business. The search for the saber was just one pressing matter among many. There were countless other messy things to deal with.

As the snow melted, the capital was blanketed again in falling blossoms.

A snowy night visit to a Taoist temple.

Chen Ping'an walked down a small alley. In the westernmost part of this Great Spring capital, there was a small Taoist temple called Yellow Flower Temple. It had just recently been reopened. The Emperor had withdrawn a group of hidden "guardian" royal retainer cultivators from the temple.

The temple master was Liu Mao, the former Third Prince, later a feudal prince of the Great Spring. After the nation's fortune continued unbroken but the royal family name changed, Liu Mao had voluntarily resigned his title and received a Taoist ordination certificate. He cultivated diligently in this small Taoist temple within the capital, closing his door to visitors. His dao name was Dragon Continent Daoist. He had only taken in two orphan children as disciples, teaching them some Taoist incantations and immortal breathing techniques. But the two children didn't know their priceless fortune; they were rather lazy and found it much more troublesome than sweeping the courtyard.

Liu Mao heard a knock at the door, wrapped his clothes around him, and went to open it. Seeing the visitor in green robes, who seemed to be an old friend, Liu Mao's head began to ache.

A troublesome guest was at the door, and judging by the look of things, he had come to his small temple to sponge off him again.

Chen Ping'an made a sound of surprise, sizing up Liu Mao with a look of unexpected delight. He cupped his hands and shook them, chuckling. "Congratulations, Temple Master. It's only been a few days since we last parted, and you've already successfully broken through to the Dragon Gate realm. This is so unexpected that I came empty-handed today. Please forgive me."

Liu Mao twitched the corner of his mouth. "Easily said."

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't dare to say the words "I'll be sure to make it up next time." He was afraid that tonight his little temple would be stripped bare.

Arriving empty-handed meant leaving with a full load, didn't it?

Xiao Mo had already helped close the temple gate. Chen Ping'an walked side-by-side with Liu Mao, starting to introduce the two students at his side.

"This is my disciple, Pei Qian, who has just become a martial artist at the Stagnation realm."

"This is my student, Cao Qinglang, the top graduate of the last Da Li imperial examination's metropolitan examination and the runner-up in the palace examination."

Upon hearing this, Liu Mao made a Taoist bow to the young man and woman, though doubt lingered in his mind. Could these two really be mentioned in the same breath?

No matter how high the prestige of the Da Li imperial examinations, the once-every-four-years metropolitan examination in the capital always produced the top three: the champion, runner-up, and third place.

But on the entire continent, how many Stagnation realm martial artists were there? In their own homeland, there were currently only two grandmasters: the Martial Sage Wu Shu and Huang Yi Yun.

Liu Mao intended to lead the group of visitors to the main hall for tea, but Chen Ping'an declined, saying there was no need for such trouble. They could just go to the temple master's study and chat; it was quite peaceful there.

As the Dragon Gate realm temple master of Yellow Flower Temple pushed open the study door, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

If his little temple had been burglarized and ransacked, it would be due to his own negligence. But what was happening now? The other party was openly robbing him, and he was even helping open the door?

A side chamber had been turned into a study by Liu Mao. The decoration was simple, much like it had been on Chen Ping'an's last visit: a desk, an old yellow bamboo brush holder from the palace holding several Great Spring chicken-feather brushes used for copying Taoist scriptures, a bookshelf against the wall, and a small stand in the corner with a pot of sweet flag.

The only difference

was probably that a few books were missing from the shelf and two new chairs had been added to the room.

Chen Ping'an glanced at the brush holder. The three scripture-copying brushes from last time were still there. If his memory served him right, two of them were inscribed with "Serene and Quiet" and "Clear and Bright."

The most prized one was the long-tipped brush inscribed with "A Hundred Tasks Assembled, Skill Supreme Under Heaven."

The Yellow Court Scripture on the table, with its long lineage and countless seals, was also still there. Good. It seemed Dragon Continent Daoist was a man of tradition and sentiment.

Cui Dongshan had already negotiated a deal with the Great Spring dynasty. The subordinate sect would purchase a large number of official chicken-feather brushes. The Phoenix Kite ferry could help sell them to the two continents north of Tongye.

Upon hearing about this, Chen Ping'an immediately helped his student and the subordinate sect find a flaw. He said that calling them "official" was not proper; they were all imperial workshop items, made for the palace.

At that time, on Immortal capital Mountain, everyone was speechless.

Even Old Immortal Jia did not speak.

Liu Mao lit an oil lamp on the desk. The light was dim and yellow, but luckily the windows were shut tight, so the flame didn't flicker.

The study was small, not suitable for hosting guests. Since there were only two chairs, Chen Ping'an told Xiao Mo and the others to wait outside.

Chen Ping'an clasped his hands behind his back, looking at a hanging scroll of calligraphy on the wall. He nodded in approval. "This work of the master's hand is like adding the finishing touch to a painting, making this humble room shine."

It was a page of scripture that Liu Mao had framed in sandalwood and hung on the wall. The content of the Yellow Court Scripture was written in two different handwritings.

The last sixteen characters were precisely what Chen Ping'an had helped to complete last time: "Disperse the body, dissolve the form, transform the spirit freely, rise to replenish the true man, and be born together with heaven and earth."

Liu Mao sat behind the desk. Chen Ping'an moved the only other chair to sit opposite him, crossed his legs, took out a bamboo pipe and a pouch of tobacco, tapped the desk with it, and asked with a smile, "Do you mind?"

Liu Mao smiled and shook his head. "Sword Immortal Chen, please make yourself at home."

He was inwardly surprised. Since when had he taken up this habit?

Chen Ping'an remembered something. He put down the pipe and tobacco pouch, turned and walked to the bookshelf, took a few books from his sleeve, and simply placed them on a nearby shelf after casually shaking them. These were the books he had borrowed last time: Sea Island Mathematical Classic, Detailed Notes on Algorithms, and others. After returning the books, Chen Ping'an laughed. "Now you see, I borrowed six books from you last time and said I would return them. How could I not do so?"

These six books were all about the art of calculation. Liu Mao was obsessed with this field; he could even be considered a master of mathematical calculation. After all, this former Third Prince of the Great Spring dynasty had once served as the behind-the-scenes editor-in-chief, compiling the 400-volume "Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Yuanzhen Twelfth Year" for the court.

According to Liu Mao's saying last time: Books? No lending. If you want to steal, then steal.

Collectors of books down the mountain all shared this quirk: borrowing a book was like borrowing someone's wife; giving one away was like giving away a concubine.

Liu Mao glanced at the bookshelf, struggled for a moment, then finally couldn't help himself. He stood up, walked around the desk, rushed to the bookshelf, intending to take out those books on mathematical calculation one by one and return them to their original positions. It had to be absolutely perfect, or Liu Mao would feel uneasy, no exaggeration to say he would be unable to eat or sleep.

As soon as he picked up the "Mathematical Treatise in Nine Chapters," Liu Mao knew something was wrong. He took a look, and indeed! He quickened his movements, pulling out the other five books one by one. As expected, the woodblock printing was crude. Without even opening them, he knew they were from private booksellers' folk editions. Compared to the six palace editions he had treasured, they were worlds apart. For a collector, it wasn't a matter of price. Liu Mao's face turned slightly green. Gritting his teeth, he remained silent, just handing the books back to Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an gently pushed Liu Mao's hand away and complained, "If you borrow something, you must return it. It's easy to borrow again. Besides, we've known each other for years as old friends. Why stand on ceremony? Take them, take them!"

Liu Mao was especially insistent. Damn Sword Immortal Chen. This matter was non-negotiable. If their cultivation levels weren't so vastly different, Liu Mao would have started a fight, or at least thrown him out on the spot.

Those beloved books were like beautiful, delicate women. Stealing them away was one thing. But sending back a few ugly-faced ones and then shamelessly claiming you were settled up?

Chen Ping'an then placed those books on the desk. He took a wooden handle from his sleeve and waved it. "I failed last time. I'm making up for it now."

The last time he was here, in order to find traces of Fei Ran, Chen Ping'an had crushed the wooden handle of an ordinary whisk that Liu Mao cherished.

This time, Liu Mao did not refuse.

Chen Ping'an shook out his long gown, crossed his legs, and began to puff away on his pipe while looking around. In this very study, Chen Ping'an had eventually found a deliberately obfuscated secret letter from Fei Ran. Besides thwarting Fei Ran and Liu Mao's schemes, an additional "reward" was receiving a private book seal of Wen Haizhou Mi. Chen Ping'an had passed it to Cui Dongshan, who had eventually taken it to the Confucian Temple in the Central Lands.

And as the price for reading that letter, a figure disguised as the old steward of the Duke of Shen's residence, the swordsman Pei Min, had fought a sword duel. At that time, a parasol handle had come, like a flying sword in a rainy night from the Temple of Heavenly Palace outside the capital to Yellow Flower Temple, piercing Chen Ping'an's abdomen.

One of the three marvels of the Haoran world was the swordsmanship of Pei Min.

He had been half of Bai Ye's sword-fighting teacher and was also one of Lu Tai's two inheritors.

Liu Mao watched the man smoking his pipe and asked, "When will Sword Immortal Chen come to Mirage City again?"

He didn't even ask what he wanted tonight.

Chen Ping'an was caught off guard by this question and began to cough convulsively. Well, well, this Yellow Flower Temple master was truly sincere!

In reality, Liu Mao's breakthrough to the Dragon Gate realm and his apparent trajectory toward forming a golden core was a statement to the Great Spring Yao clan: there was no longer a Liu Mao of the Great Spring Liu clan, only the Dragon Continent Daoist. He intended to cultivate in peace and be a temple master immortal.

Chen Ping'an asked, "That Duke of Shen?"

Liu Mao shook his head. "I haven't seen him for a long time. Believe it or not."

Chen Ping'an leaned forward, took a brush from the yellow bamboo brush holder.

Liu Mao took a deep breath.

Fortunately, after scrutinizing and rotating the brush, that fellow quickly put it back into the holder.

Chen Ping'an said there was no need to see him out, put away his pipe, waved his sleeve to dispel the smoke, and walked to the door. Suddenly, he took a book from his sleeve and tossed it to Liu Mao. "Returning this to you."

It was the "belated" "Atlas of the Celestial Constellations."

Unlike those mathematical calculation books, this "Atlas of the Celestial Constellations" was a forbidden book of the court. Even officials could not possess it privately; to do so was tantamount to treason, an offense heavier than a commoner privately owning armor or crossbows.

Liu Mao caught the book. An unexpected delight. It hadn't been switched by Sword Immortal Chen.

He placed it on the bookshelf, returning it to its original spot. On a whim, he took it out again and casually flipped through the pages. He discovered that on the title page, two parallel seals had been added—"Boundless Reflection," "Think One Step Back."

And on the final page, the same two parallel seals: "Contentment," "Discontentment."

Liu Mao took the book to the window, opened it, and looked back at the lamp on the desk.

Moonlight shone on a day's snow; the lamp flame was smaller than a firefly. Blowing out the lamp, the characters shone even brighter.

Returning to the Apricot Blossom Lodge, Pei Qian went back to her room to rest. Cao Qinglang, however, left the immortal inn alone to enjoy the snow.

Chen Ping'an took out Li Huai's two booklets, brought out ink and brush, and began to parse and annotate the difficulties he encountered in the booklets, one by one.

Xiao Mo was engrossed in a strange tale with a convoluted plot.

Chen Ping'an suddenly put away the booklets. "Xiao Mo, please guard my path for a moment."

Xiao Mo nodded silently, went out, gently closed the door, and stood in the corridor.

Chen Ping'an summoned the "Caged Sparrow," activated hisFive Elements lifebound objects, and simultaneously channeled the spiritual qi from his five qi mansions. He began to focus his mind and visualize a landscape.

It was the thousand-li mountain and river territory of that Tuo Yue Mountain.

During the confrontation with the chief culprit in the Tuo Yue Mountain territory, Chen Ping'an had actually engaged in a silent mind-wandering.

His aims were threefold: first, to try and understand more about the ruins of that Ascension Platform; second, to worry that Zhou Mi or Fei Ran might have hidden back-up plans; and third, to choose the location and target for his sword strike.

But the senior disciple of that Tuo Yue Mountain Grandmaster had quickly requested a duel, a sword challenge.

Now, within the "Caged Sparrow," Chen Ping'an drifted ethereally in the air, independent in a void of heaven and earth.

First came Tuo Yue Mountain, then the surrounding mountains and waters, flowers and trees, all emerging in sequence. Chen Ping'an was using his heartfelt form to manifest the Great Tao, recreating heaven and earth.

But just as he condensed a single grain of his mental focus, as if a traveler was pausing at a certain place to observe a flower in the midst of heaven and earth,

when he tried to let that flower spontaneously germinate and grow, in an instant, the entire visualized heaven and earth shattered, like a piece of porcelain smashed to pieces.

As a result, even the small "Caged Sparrow" realm suffered multiple breaches.

Xiao Mo gently reminded, "Young Master, would it be possible to shrink the scope of the territory while simultaneously reducing the number of objects?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

He re-imagined heaven and earth. No longer Tuo Yue Mountain, but the pond behind the bamboo building. Eventually, in a pool of clear water, a purple-gold lotus seed began to slowly grow. Stems emerged from the water, standing tall and graceful. Lotus leaves spread across the water. Buds appeared, about to bloom. Just as the first lotus flower was about to open… in an instant, Chen Ping'an withdrew his focus and actively dispersed this vision.

Putting away the "Caged Sparrow," Chen Ping'an walked to the window and opened it. Heavy snow was falling profusely.

From his sleeve, Chen Ping'an took out two bamboo slips, engraved with two sentences from the three thousand words of the Taoist Ancestor: "If I have no body, what troubles can I have?" This sentence was easy to understand. But on the other bamboo slip, concerning the body, the empire, entrusting the empire, and entrusting the world, not only had Chen Ping'an never been able to grasp the deep meaning, even within the Taoist sects of the Haoran world, different traditions and lineages had various annotations and disagreements. No one dared to claim their interpretation was definitely correct; it could only be considered a partial understanding.

However, when Chen Ping'an temporarily borrowed the Fourteen Realm from Lu Chen, especially during his last encounter with the "ox-riding boy," he had deliberately avoided this matter.

Silently putting away the two bamboo slips he had treasured for years, he turned his head and said, "Xiao Mo, you can come in now."

After Xiao Mo entered the room, he asked nothing. He simply continued flipping through the bizarre tale.

No wonder everyone wanted to be a scholar—they often got lost and would then inevitably encounter a large mansion. After that, they would either meet a goddess or female immortal, or encounter a beautiful mountain ghost. A grand feast would follow, with poetry recitals and exchanges…

Within the capital's imperial palace, a subtly made-up woman of extraordinary beauty slammed the memorial she was holding, rubbed her brow, and rested her closed eyes for a moment. Then she picked up the memorial from the Ministry of Revenue again.

After reading all the memorials, the night was deep. The Emperor raised her head, gazed into the distance, and stared blankly in a daze.

The Azure Lotus Palace of the Submerged River Water Mansion.

By the river, Water God Lady Liu Rou sat on a chair. Holding a fishing rod with one hand, she yawned. After sitting for half a day without a single fish biting, her fish basket remained empty.

To her surprise, a stupid fish swam to the shore, slowly moving about. In anger, the Water God Lady threw away her rod, bent down to pick up a stone from the bank, raised her arm high, pointed at the fish, and glared. "This is just too much!"

She stamped her foot, threw away the stone, and waved her hand. "Forget it. Two warring nations do not behead the messenger."

Liu Rou picked up her rod again, sat on the chair, then squatted on it, then stood on it. But no matter what she did, not a single fish would bite.

She finally gave up, threw the rod far into the river, and kicked the empty fish basket away. Alright, when she returned to the mansion, she would just say the fish were too big and snapped the rod, or that the catch was too plentiful and dragged the basket away.

The Water God Lady swaggered back toward Azure Lotus Palace. When she was not far from home, she suddenly looked up. Several figures had landed at her doorstep. Ah! Mr. Chen had come to visit.

Such a pity! Now when she entertained guests, she could no longer offer Water Splash Wine or eel noodles.

Recently, every time the Water Mansion held a meeting, the Water God Lady would start by sitting upright. Then she couldn't help but glance sideways at a certain spot, occasionally wiping her mouth secretly.

Without eel noodles, even black fish would do!

A water mansion official, who was originally a fish spirit, was living in constant fear, feeling that each day was like a year. Finally, he privately sought an audience with the Water God Lady and, swallowing his pride, spoke sternly. Roughly, the meaning was, "Water God Lady, if you keep this up, I will resign." As luck would have it, in subsequent meetings, the Water God Lady did not look at him even once.

Liu Rou asked curiously, "Mr. Chen, didn't you say you were going to bring your wife to Azure Lotus Palace?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I'll have to leave it for next time."

Arriving at the main hall, Liu Rou waved her hand and ordered someone to summon Chef Liu. He could start cooking.

Pei Qian immediately said, "No spice in my portion."

Chen Ping'an concurred.

Cao Qinglang said, "I can handle a little spice."

Xiao Mo smiled. "A guest will follow the host's arrangements."

Liu Rou shouted, "Bring a few more jars of 'Not Water Splash Wine'!"

She laughed heartily. "Those officials in Mirage City are more annoying than the next. They kept using connections, even going through my younger sister and brother-in-law, insisting on buying Water Splash Wine from me. Those hundred or so jars of newly brewed wine in the cellar—they've only been brewing for a few years, not nearly worthy of the name 'Water Splash Wine.' Selling them would neither make money nor would it be worth the damage to my reputation. Only a fool would do that. So I had a flash of inspiration and named those new brews 'Not Water Splash Wine.' I gave the wine away as gifts and gained some favors…"

Seeing that all was silent, with no one applauding her, the Water God Lady laughed again.

Pei Qian played along. "This is what they say in the books—a mountain dweller always has a clever plan."

Liu Rou slapped the table. "Right! Little Pei Qian knows how to talk. That's exactly it."

Bowl after "bowl" of noodles was served. Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian were already used to it.

Master and disciple exchanged a knowing smile.

Xiao Mo, who had said "whatever," had half a basin of noodles and half a basin of red chili peppers.

Cao Qinglang's condition was slightly better: a large half basin of noodles and a small half basin of facing-heaven peppers.

Chen Ping'an twirled a chopstickful of noodles, not forgetting to turn his head and remind the two, "Chili peppers with wine—the more you drink, the more you have. Xiao Mo, Cao Qinglang, if you can't get enough with one bowl, don't stand on ceremony with the Water God Lady."

Xiao Mo was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I won't stand on ceremony."

Cao Qinglang slowly turned his head to look at Pei Qian.

Someone's travelogue about this place had clearly stated that the eel noodles at the Azure Lotus Palace Water Mansion were an unparalleled delight. The taste was superb. At the end, there were even four words of commentary: "Pity there's no spiciness."

At this moment, Cao Qinglang didn't even need to pick up his chopsticks. The pungent aroma of chili peppers wafting towards him was choking.

Chen Ping'an sat there calmly, drinking wine and eating noodles.

Earlier, he had stayed an extra two days in Mirage City. During that time, he had even specially accompanied Old General Yao to Zhaoping Peak outside the city. They had climbed the mountain together, stayed overnight at the peak-top inn, and watched the sunrise together.

The first time they had met, they had parted ways at the foot of Zhaoping Peak. This time, it was the same. So there would be a next reunion.

Because he hadn't been able to meet the Emperor, Chen Ping'an had to ask Yao Xianzhi to relay the message about the chicken-feather brush deal.

Liu Rou had just heard that Longevity Mountain was going to establish a subordinate sect. She said she would definitely be there before the beginning of spring, meeting them on Immortal capital Mountain, and she would be sure to bring Chef Liu!

Chen Ping'an kept his promise and left the green-clad boys from his own water mansion here at Azure Lotus Palace. Liu Rou didn't stand on ceremony either; the little ones could enjoy good food and drink with her from now on.

After Chen Ping'an and his group left, Chef Liu said, "M… My Lady, why didn't you tell Little Master about… about the academy?"

Liu Rou, her water god lady, had already come to an agreement with the Emperor. They planned to establish a semi-official, semi-private academy on the shores of the Submerged River, teaching only the learning of that Sage, Wen Sheng. As for the money, it was considered a loan from Azure Lotus Palace to the court.

Liu Rou hugged her arms and laughed. "You only understand eel noodles. Wait until I attend the subordinate sect's founding ceremony and casually ask for a guest elder position or something. Once that's settled, I'll bring it up. Do you think Little Master Chen would have the face to refuse to come to the academy and give lectures then?"

After leaving Azure Lotus Palace, Chen Ping'an and his group headed straight for Pu Mountain Cloud and Grass Hall.

Within Mirage City of the Great Spring, the Emperor, draped in a snow-white fox fur cloak, had finished viewing the snow scene. She returned to the imperial study. A serving maid brought a landscape gazette from Mountain and Sea Sect in the Central Earth Divine Continent.

It was said to be the first gazette in the mountain world to specifically name a certain person by name.

The gazette's contents were utterly shocking.

In fact, there was no deliberate embellishment, just plain, straightforward text. But it was the series of things that person had done that were simply too incredible to believe.

An outsider at the Sword Qi Great Wall, after Xiao Xin defected, had succeeded to the position of Hidden Officer, responsible for overseeing the Summer Pavilion. He had also led more than a dozen sword immortals to take their seats at the Spring Banners Studio on Inverted Suspension Mountain…

Especially the self-questioning and self-answering at the end of the gazette, which made any reader's heart tremble.

The human world no longer had Chen Qingdu. Who could open Tuo Yue Mountain with a sword?

At the Sword Qi Great Wall, the latest engraver was Chen Ping'an, the final Hidden Officer.

The woman read the gazette twice. She quietly extended a finger and gently caressed the three characters on the paper.