Chapter 900: One Sword Crosses a Continent

Chapter 900: One Sword Crosses a Continent

At the ruins of the Great River Dragon Palace on Tongye Continent, a woman in white stood inside the hall, while a visitor in blue robes waited beyond the door.

Two neighbors encountered each other in a foreign land, yet there was no warmth of reunion between them.

Back at Luopo Mountain on Bottle Gourd Continent, in a bamboo pavilion atop the main peak of Jiling Peak, a longsword rested in its sheath against a wall on the first floor. The sword aura coiled like a dragon or serpent writhing upon the wall.

Suddenly a flash of sword light—the unsheathed sword left Luopo Mountain in an instant. The sword aura blazed like a rainbow as it streaked past the border of the Northern Great Li region in the blink of an eye.

Mountain Lord Wei Bo couldn't even help conceal the sword's radiance in time. Fortunately, the sword moved so swiftly through the air that any mortal cultivator who glimpsed it saw no more than a fleeting vision before it vanished without a trace.

Standing atop Piyun Mountain, Wei Bo couldn't help but worry. He made his way to Luopo Mountain and found Zhu Lian.

Zhu Lian merely smiled and gave a simple answer: "It's fine. It will pass."

Wei Bo felt slightly more at ease. Indeed, even in foreign lands, Chen Ping'an had both Cui Dongshan and Mr. Xiao Mo by his side.

Inside the main hall of the Great River Dragon Palace, Qiu Du had failed to discern the true cultivation realm of that blue-robed sword immortal when they last met at a tea booth by the Chilin River. The old woman had simply thought that any sword cultivator bold enough to confront a true dragon without yielding an inch in momentum must at least be an Immortal realm sword cultivator, or even at the Flying Ascension realm.

Otherwise, in this near-sea Dragon Palace ruins, even if it were Wei Ying, the great sword immortal of the Yujia Sect, facing this woman named Wang Zhu, victory and defeat would be beyond doubt as long as the battlefield remained unchanged.

Zhigui smiled with narrowed eyes. "Old auntie, if I and this sword immortal truly came to blows, which side would you help?"

The old woman answered without hesitation. "This old body would gladly accept orders from the true dragon, through fire and water without complaint."

If Cucu could follow this true dragon in cultivation, the path of the Great Way would be promising, and her prospects limitless.

That little girl of hers possessed excellent aptitude for the Dao. If she could cultivate the Water Method to its extreme, not only could she establish a sect in the future—even walking the mountain peaks of Haoran Heaven was not entirely impossible.

Just like Fire Dragon True Man of Padi Peak, whose Fire Method was acknowledged as the foremost in the world—he could suppress Dan Dan Madam, herself a Flying Ascension realm cultivator, completely, forcing her to hide like a turtle in Lushui Pit.

Chen Ping'an was speechless, then smiled wryly.

One truly dared to ask, and the other truly dared to answer.

Were they playing house here?

Still, the old woman lacked killing intent.

Having been confined by the Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain with talismans for too many years, this old hornless dragon now had neither the ambition to establish a sect nor the spirit to seek proof of eternal life. Everything she did was more for that little girl.

All beings with spirit have their own natures. Among them, the qualities of jiao dragons and their kind were especially pronounced.

Zhigui stood at the bottom of the steps and glanced at the old hornless dragon.

This old auntie reminded her of those gossiping woman who carried water in their hometown—outwardly fierce but inwardly weak, a weathervane that turned with the wind.

And so she felt even more familiar.

Zhigui suddenly turned her head toward a certain direction, her Dao heart trembling slightly.

She shifted her gaze, her eyes cold as ice, and stared at Chen Ping'an outside the hall.

If before her killing intent outweighed her killing heart, now her killing heart outweighed her killing intent.

Hatred spread like wild grass in her heart, beyond reason.

It was as if she were saying: You want to kill me too!?

Chen Ping'an outside the door simply ignored this.

Zhigui's face darkened. She sneered coldly, turned her back to the door, and slowly walked up the steps to the dragon throne. She turned around and pressed her hand on the armrest.

Because the Dragon Palace ruins were currently in a half-open state, even Qiu Du could sense that "immense aura" from outside the door. The old woman was suddenly terrified, utterly shaken.

In ancient times, when the jiao dragons of the world governed rain in all lands according to the laws, the old woman had served here as an instructress. The Great River Dragon Palace had once faced a storm when a group of sword immortals came together to challenge the Great River with their swords.

But that spectacular sword challenge, fortunately with the personal mediation of the East Sea Dragon Lord who exerted utmost effort, had ended with much noise but little substance—no casualties on either side.

A blue-robed man surnamed Chen.

Gentle in temperament, decisive in action.

In years past, there had been such an unknown sword immortal, clad in blue robes with a sword in hand. He had burst onto the scene in Haoran Heaven from nowhere—no one knew his origins. They only knew that before the Dragon-Slaying Campaign, this man, alone with his sword in the Cicada Shell Celestial Vault in ancient Shu territory, had led a sword challenge against a group of sword cultivators. After that, the sword path fortune of Bottle Gourd Continent had never recovered.

The old woman's face suddenly turned deathly pale. She trembled as she spoke: "You are the Dragon Slayer?!"

Chen Ping'an remained silent.

Zhigui clicked her tongue in admiration. "So like you. Always your style."

Always cautious, always careful, never seeking maximum profit, only striving not to make mistakes.

Ordinary people, if they struck it rich but didn't return home, would be like walking in brocade at night.

But this neighbor before her, who had suddenly become wealthy, didn't startle any neighbors at all.

In truth, she had seen through the trick before that sword aura even approached the Great River Dragon Palace.

This so-called Chen Ping'an before her was nothing more than a puppet talisman, layered with several long-lost ancient talismans.

Like a talisman formation with multiple layers of reinforcement.

His true body was outside the Dragon Palace.

No wonder there was no trace of life—using this to obscure the celestial mechanism, to hide the truth from heaven. Combined with his Dao affinity for water and the innate supernatural ability of his flying sword to isolate a small world, he had allowed this substitute to infiltrate this place without anyone knowing.

Sure enough, another blue-robed figure, sword in hand, drifted in.

Two Chen Ping'ans appeared at the same time.

The latter extended two fingers, and the former's form dissipated, transforming into a miniature flying sword, ethereal and intangible, like a spring breeze.

Chen Ping'an withdrew that Well Moon flying sword into his sleeve, and while the mustard seed's mind-soul returned to his true body, he simultaneously erased the overlapping talisman formations on the flying sword.

This talisman technique of Chen Ping'an's originated from a concept of his friend Liu Jinglong. As the youngest sect leader in the history of Taihui Sword Sect, Liu Jinglong was both a sword cultivator and an array master.

Zhigui's expression darkened. "Why did you dissolve the contract without permission?"

Chen Ping'an couldn't be bothered to answer such a question.

You formed the contract without asking me—why should I ask you to dissolve it?

Zhigui was quite angry, but soon her smile returned as she recalled many old memories.

This muddy-legged boy from Clay Vial Alley was indeed still the same—not unfamiliar at all.

Back then, Song Jixin had frequently been infuriated by Chen Ping'an until steam came out of his ears. The two peers, separated by a wall—Song Jixin would often, when bored, try to provoke and amuse himself at Chen Ping'an's expense. He would hurl a basketful of sharp, bitter words over the wall.

From the neighboring courtyard, there was almost never a response. That only made Song Jixin feel even more frustrated. Without any verbal confrontation, just a wall of silence made Song Jixin's "wild punches land on air."

At most, Chen Ping'an would give a look or an expression, or occasionally a single featherlight remark.

That was enough to make Song Jixin choke. Many times, he nearly flew into a rage and jumped over the wall to fight. His fists clenched, veins bulging, but utterly helpless. When it came to actual fighting, from childhood to adulthood, Song Jixin had never had the confidence to truly test his strength against Chen Ping'an.

For example, when Chen Ping'an got annoyed enough by Song Jixin's taunts, he might casually mention that as a kiln apprentice, his monthly wage was such-and-such, and that at New Year's he couldn't afford spring couplets.

A simple statement, but with many unspoken implications. It would naturally make the precocious Song Jixin's mind wander. The more he thought, the more it would stab him in the heart. Was Chen Ping'an saying: You, Song Jixin, have money and never worry about food, but I earn my own living with my own skills? And further: You're the illegitimate son of the kiln supervisor, so you don't need to sweep graves at Qingming—all your money fell from the sky...

In those days, Zhigui felt that this taciturn neighbor, if he ever chose to stop being such a good person and actually opened his mouth to argue with people, might give even that widow in Clay Vial Alley, or Grandma Ma in Apricot Blossom Alley, a run for their money.

Zhigui asked with a smirk: "You're not the type to care about face. Since you've fallen in realm, why force yourself to act tough?"

Chen Ping'an held the Night Touring sword as he strode across the threshold into the hall. He examined the dragon pillars up close and remarked casually: "Back in the Great Li capital, among the Earth Branch lineage cultivators, someone said something like, 'Since the National Teacher is gone, how about we...' I happened to overhear it. The outcome wasn't particularly pleasant."

Zhigui curled her lip. "Do you really think you're him?"

The one who could control her—that person was already gone.

Chen Ping'an seemed to completely disregard Zhigui's Flying Ascension realm. The distance between them grew shorter and shorter.

Zhigui suddenly sneered. "You even brought helpers?"

Chen Ping'an raised his longsword and gently wiped his left hand across the blade. The sword body was clear and pure, like an autumn pool, like a bright mirror.

He who held the sword locked eyes with it, like autumn waters rising over duckweed.

Zhigui looked at the hand that held the sword. She suddenly stretched lazily, yawned, and seemed to be in a much better mood all at once.

A woman's heart is as deep as the ocean floor.

Qiu Du found the behavior bizarre.

It felt like a pair of complicated lovers.

Could it be a case of infatuated men and bitter women, once entangled in love and hate that could never be sorted out?

Zhigui said through mind voice: "Now that I have this identity as the East Sea Water Lord, will those sneaky dragon-breeders still pester me endlessly?"

Chen Ping'an replied through mind voice: "Of course. They just need to wait for you to make a mistake."

Zhigui walked down the steps and asked with a smile: "Chat a bit?"

Chen Ping'an nodded, turned and walked toward the main gate first.

Zhigui pinched her robe and trotted to catch up.

Leaving behind an old woman dumbfounded.

After stepping out of the hall, Zhigui asked with a smile: "Did you come specifically looking for me?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Just a coincidence. I followed you here because I was worried that old auntie might not know the situation and you'd settle accounts with her later."

This time, Qiu Du was revisiting old grounds to select treasures from the Dragon Palace's old collection. Whatever her purpose, once Zhigui learned of it, she would definitely be in trouble.

Aside from knowing the promise between the Central Lands Confucian Temple and Zhigui, Chen Ping'an was also well aware of this former neighbor's temperament. Zhigui held grudges. In their hometown, for all manner of trivial matters where she wasn't in the right, Zhigui would be petty, remembering each and every grievance with deadly accuracy. Something like this, where she was completely in the right, would be handled without any sense of proportion. Additionally, the Mai River within the Daquan Dynasty had once been a major trunk of the old river course, and Chen Ping'an was also worried that the Biyou Palace and the Mai River Water God Lady would be caught up in the upheaval.

The only unexpected thing was that he hadn't anticipated meeting her here.

In those sixty years back home, Master Qi had been constrained by his identity and couldn't have too much contact with her.

But that Zhigui was able to regain her freedom, climbing out of that iron-locked well on a snowy night and stumbling all the way to Clay Vial Alley—how could that have been a "negligence" on Master Qi's part?

It was certainly deliberate.

For this very reason, Chen Ping'an had warned Zhigui to be careful in the temple of Qi Crossing.

Otherwise, no matter how much Chen Ping'an enjoyed teaching others, he wouldn't want to meddle in Zhigui's affairs. After they parted ways, it would be fine for each to go their own path.

Chen Ping'an asked through mind voice: "At Clay Vial Alley, the houses on the other side of our two properties seem to have been unoccupied for years, abandoned without owners since I can remember. I checked at the Kiln Supervisor's Archives and later at the Household Registry in Huaihuang County, but found nothing. Do you have any clues?"

Zhigui walked side by side with Chen Ping'an. She turned and smiled: "Is this you asking for my help?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "You could say that."

Neither related nor sworn enemies, they were fellow townsfolk and neighbors. Asking a few idle questions wouldn't break any bones.

Zhigui smiled but didn't seem inclined to speak.

She lifted her chin high and strolled leisurely through the Dragon Palace ruins.

Remembering the old days, that muddy-legged boy, when he met her carrying water back to Clay Vial Alley on the road, would help her with the buckets.

In winter, she would haul a big sack of charcoal on her back because she didn't want to make two trips. Back then, she was the most pitiable one suppressed by the town's Great Way. Always complaining the road was too far, which made the burden feel even heavier.

Men like Song Jixin and Liu Xianyang were so petty-minded, but on this matter, they never misunderstood anything.

Neither of them thought Chen Ping'an had any improper intentions.

The woman clasped her hands behind her back, fingers interlaced, gaze fixed ahead as she asked softly: "Do you think I'm useless except for my cultivation realm?"

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, not rushing to answer.

But it was precisely this unhurried attitude of the man beside her that made her angry enough to darken her face. She would have preferred he just blurted out a nod of agreement.

Chen Ping'an said slowly: "Not quite."

As if recalling some old acquaintances and stories from home, Chen Ping'an's expression softened a little.

It was the memory of that ignorant boy in straw sandals seeing Master Qi ask a favor for the first time.

Later, when Chen Ping'an re-examined that Time Galloping Picture scroll, he discovered that the girl had once cursed at the old locust tree in their hometown.

Which made Chen Ping'an feel... quite satisfied.

Chen Ping'an collected his thoughts and asked: "Those few—how did you get to know them?"

"Dragon-Breeders" and "Dragon-Supporters"—one word apart, but the difference in their Dao pursuits was like heaven and earth.

Zhigui grew somewhat impatient. "Met them along the way. Just each taking what we need. Anyway, in the future, my Water Mansion will need some people who can actually get things done."

Chen Ping'an didn't try to restrict Zhigui from doing anything she shouldn't. Instead, he said seemingly casually: "What we saw along the way—it's either good things or bad things."

Zhigui looked puzzled. "Good people and bad people?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "That's where the difficulty lies."

Zhigui laughed angrily. "Why don't you just become a teacher?"

Unexpectedly, the man beside her nodded. "Already chosen a school."

Deep within the Dragon Palace ruins was a former private estate of a Dragon Prince from years past, covering a vast area. There was a lake pond with dense lotus leaves. In the pond floated a grasshopper boat, and in the boat sat four people: an old man, a beautiful woman, a burly man, and a young man.

They were now retainers of the True Dragon Wang Zhu, having thrown in their lot with her as the newly appointed East Sea Water Lord.

The beautiful woman stood at one end of the small boat. She wore palace attire, her hair styled in a flowing cloud bun, with a golden step-sway ornament pinned diagonally. Lightly powdered, her slender waist was adorned with an ancient bronze mirror on one side and a crystal bi disc on the other. She turned to the old man at the stern and asked curiously: "Li Ba, do you think our master and that Hidden Official might get into a fight at the slightest disagreement?"

The old man named Li Ba, white-haired and gaunt but with a clear aura, shook his head gently. "No grudges, no grievances. They won't fight."

By the old man's feet sat a burly man cross-legged.

As for the young man, he was undoubtedly a mountain immortal with accomplished cultivation—skin like jade, features as beautiful as a city-toppling beauty. He lay in the boat, one hand pillowed behind his head, legs crossed, in a leisurely pose. He shook a wine flask, letting the amber liquid fall in a straight line into his mouth. After shaking the empty flask, he sat up and glanced toward the main hall. "Heavy sword aura. Truly one who became a sword cultivator at the Sword Qi Great Wall."

The beautiful woman's eyes sparkled as she looked at the sturdy man sitting like a boulder. "Xi Man, if you were allowed to fight only as martial artists, barehanded, could you beat him?"

According to the list of young talents across the worlds, this young Hidden Official was already a Ninth Realm martial artist when he alone defended the city wall. Later, when he returned to Haoran Heaven and was at the Merit Forest in the Central Lands Confucian Temple, he even exchanged blows with Cao Ci.

This man was clearly a martial arts grandmaster. He answered bluntly: "Even if he gave me one hand, I couldn't win."

Pure martial artists often saw the world only through the eyes of martial artists.

This man named Xi Man, a native of Haoran Heaven from the demon race, had carefully weighed the odds. Even against that mountain-moving old ape of Zhengyang Mountain, he had no chance of winning. That ape was also naturally tough-bodied. So how could he talk about exchanging fists with Chen Ping'an?

That wouldn't be a sparring match—it would be a pointless death.

The woman scolded with a smile: "He's only a few years old, and you're how old? Why don't you just die?"

The man chuckled disdainfully. "By that logic, besides Cao Ci and Chen Ping'an, no one else should practice martial arts or learn fist techniques."

Zhigui's four Water Mansion retainers consisted of one Immortal realm, two Jade Purity realm, and one Summit Realm martial artist.

Aside from human cultivators, there were also a ghost immortal and a demon clan member, but all had been registered and verified at the Confucian Temple.

After sitting up, the young man recalled something. "That Qingshen Mountain wine from the Sword Qi Great Wall tavern—I paid a huge price, called in favors, and barely managed to buy one flask. But it made me question my entire life."

Could the wine they served at the Qingshen Mountain banquet before have all been fake?

The burly man nodded. "Indeed terrible. Drinking bad wine is one thing, but fake wine is unbearable. If it were me, I'd only dare drink while standing at the pharmacy door."

As he spoke, the man habitually reached down and scratched his crotch.

The woman glared at him in reproach. "Disgusting or not? Can you change that nasty habit?"

The burly man grunted in a deep voice. "Can't change it."

He also had a favorite saying that infuriated Gong Yan: "Little brother, don't look up. You and I just don't have that kind of luck or fate."

The woman was named Gong Yan, also called A Wu. She was a native cultivator of Fuyao Continent and had once been a female founding ancestor of an old sect. But after a major war, she was now homeless.

Gong Yan was quite gloating about the fate of the Landscape Cave. Later, she had met a female sword cultivator with the compound surname Nalan there, an outsider of unclear realm—possibly Nascent Soul. The woman claimed to be from the Inverted Mountain Water Essence Palace.

They had done several big deals. That outsider sword immortal who managed the Landscape Cave affairs was a wastrel—probably had connections at the Central Lands Confucian Temple—since she dared to openly sell off assets at low prices. Gong Yan accepted everything, sweeping goods like going to market, and came away quite enriched.

The old man was named Li Ba, from Golden Armor Continent, with the Dao name "Cui Zhang" (Tempered Palm). He had been a close friend across generations to Wanyan Laojing of Golden Armor Continent, wholeheartedly pursuing the Dao. He had served as a National Teacher of a major mortal dynasty, assisting three successive emperors, all of whom proved useless. Especially the last—a brilliantly talented ruler who oversaw the dynasty's fall—and who, together with the Qingzhang Daoist Academy under National Teacher Li Ba's charge, submitted a memorial to confer upon himself the title of "Teaching Lord Daoist Emperor."

Once the water god convoy affair in Haoran Heaven was temporarily settled, their master Wang Zhu had promised that afterwards, each could choose their own perch according to their wishes. For instance, two of them were determined to cultivate long-term in the Water Mansion, while the other two planned to settle in the Great Li secondary capital on Bottle Gourd Continent, because they had a favorable view of the vassal king Song Mu.

A white figure, like a wisp of cloud, fell onto the lotus pond, landing on a green lotus leaf. It wobbled, barely steadying itself, craning its neck to look at the handsome man sitting in the middle of the grasshopper boat, shouting: "Ai-yo-wei, isn't this the once-famous one who loved to 'recline on white bones among pine clouds,' who called himself the 'Drunkard of Jiangdong,' who declared 'My ambition lies beyond the heavens,' who boasted of 'removing the heart-prison, guarding the heart-studio, making a heart-palace,' who was said to summon wind, rain, clouds, mist, and thunder with a single sigh, and who almost got beaten to death by Zhang Tiaoxia over a fishing spot—the Jade Daoist, Huang Man?!"

The white-robed boy stood with hands on his hips. "Let me catch my breath. I'm exhausted."

This uninvited guest stared bluntly at the four in the boat for a moment, then turned his head to look at a waterside pavilion on shore and asked with a grin: "In this tiny place, to have the fortune to see so many extraordinary recluses—Mr. Xiao Mo, what do you call this?"

In the waterside pavilion, a frail scholar in a yellow hat and green shoes had appeared at some unknown time, holding a green bamboo staff. Upon hearing this, he smiled and answered: "It could perhaps be counted as 'Without leaving the courtyard, wild scenery abounds; within the alley, one surely meets lofty men.'"

Huang Man, sitting over there, never expected someone to expose all his secrets in one breath. He smiled and asked: "And who might you be?"

He had used multiple layers of concealment techniques and had hidden his name for over a hundred years. Logically, no one should have seen through his identity at a glance.

The four extraordinary figures in the boat only heard the white-robed boy say with a serious expression: "I am Dongshan."

Cui Dongshan shifted his gaze to the old man, who looked bitter, with a face full of medicine-like suffering. He exclaimed in mock surprise: "Eh? Isn't this National Teacher Li Ba of Liuxia Continent? Ah yes, yes—must have been utterly heartbroken by the esteemed Wanyan Laojing and no longer willing to stay in that heartbreak hometown. If it were me, I'd also want to go somewhere else to clear my mind."

Cui Dongshan suddenly pulled something out from his white sleeve. Then, standing on one leg like a golden rooster, he raised a demon-revealing mirror high, aimed it at the woman, and shouted: "Hah! Demon, specter, where do you flee? Reveal your true form at once!"

No effect? The white-robed boy frowned slightly, tucked the ancient mirror into his sleeve, then pulled out a new one from his sleeve. With a hop, he changed position, shifting sideways onto an adjacent green lotus leaf. While airborne, he tossed the mirror up, caught it with the other hand, and shouted: "Freeze!"

Then he took out two more mirrors, displaying the four most famous types of demon-revealing mirrors in Haoran Heaven. Two had been refined by the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain and the sect of talisman master Yu Xuan. The other two were the "Mountain Mirror"—also called the Guiju Mirror—from Golden Armor Continent, and the Water Mirror from Great Dragon Pool. The latter two absorbed and refined essence of the sun and moon respectively, each with its own strengths. The Mountain Mirror had great killing power and was quick at breaking through barriers, while the Water Mirror was better at finding the tracks of demons and ghosts, leaving nowhere to hide.

The four on the grasshopper boat looked at each other in bewilderment.

Especially the woman being targeted—Gong Yan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Had they run into some mountain immortal with a mental illness?

After making a full circle back to his starting point, the white-robed boy dejectedly put away his demon-revealing mirrors. "Ha! A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I blame this sister for being too beautiful. As the old saying goes, when you meet someone in the mountains, it's either a seductive ghost or a fox spirit."

Xi Man looked to Li Ba. The old man nodded—he could make a move, but with proper restraint, to see if they could probe the depth of the other's cultivation.

The burly man exploded into motion. The water level around the small boat suddenly dropped, while the lake water farther away surged turbulently, the water rising in layers as it spread toward the shore. Only the waterside pavilion where the yellow-hatted youth stood remained unaffected.

Xi Man, a Ninth Realm martial artist, drove his elbow at the white-robed boy's forehead. The boy had no ability to resist, like an arrow tilting and embedding into the water. A moment later, Cui Dongshan emerged in the distance, wiped his face, and after swimming, grabbed a lotus stem swaying in the water. He pulled on a lotus leaf leaning toward him, flipped his body, and leaped onto the leaf's surface. He stamped his foot and roared: "Villain! You dare commit assault! This isn't over! You wait—I'm going to call someone! If you've got guts, don't run..."

Cui Dongshan suddenly stopped mid-sentence, full of self-reproach. Stamping his foot, he said: "I never thought I'd live to become the person I once hated most! Acting like this—I'm no different from a spoiled young master who harasses respectable women on the street, gets beaten down by a hero, gets up and only dares to run away while shouting threats!"

Xi Man used sound condensation to warn the other three: "Tough opponent."

The woman glanced at Huang Man and sneered: "Jade Daoist, you can tolerate this?"

Huang Man smiled. "Careful not to capsize in the gutter. I can tolerate a bit more."

Xiao Mo watched the farce from a distance without any intention of getting involved.

He was merely his master's death warrior. Besides, this Sect Leader Cui was his master's proud disciple—there was no need for Xiao Mo to worry about his safety.

Cui Dongshan looked at the voluptuous beautiful woman and pulled out another mirror from his sleeve, this one inscribed with the words "Up the Great Mountain." "Ah? This sister's waist pendant mirror looks so familiar. Fellow countryman meeting fellow countryman—two streams of tears?"

Gong Yan said helplessly: "This fellow is so annoying."

Xiao Mo leaned against a pavilion pillar and hefted his walking staff. "I'd advise you not to move rashly. Killing intent is easy to raise, but spilled water is hard to gather."

The white-robed boy seemed to have found a backer. He put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly: "Did you hear that? Did you hear that? I asked Mr. Xiao Mo to tell you to behave yourselves, to follow the rules, to control yourselves, and to speak to me more politely!"

Xiao Mo didn't deny it. This Sect Leader Cui, if he were just a newly acquainted passerby, his words and actions would indeed deserve a beating.

In the small boat, the highest-realm Jade Daoist seemed unable to tolerate the white-robed boy's absurd behavior any longer and intended to make a move himself.

In that instant, the yellow-hatted blue-shoed youth appeared on the grasshopper boat, standing on the gunwale. He gently pressed his walking staff against the Jade Daoist's forehead.

A green bamboo staff, like a cyan longsword. At the tip of the staff, blood seeped from the Jade Daoist's forehead.

"Daoist Huang Man, cultivation is not easy. Treasure your life well."

Xiao Mo smiled faintly. "When walking the world, if you often stand by the riverbank, how can your shoes not get wet? Only knowing how to fight and kill—that path won't take you far."

The white-robed boy started acting up again, applauding rapidly but without sound.

Xi Man was about to make a move when his entire body was sent flying backward, as if struck by hundreds of sword auras simultaneously. His feet stepped on the lotus pond surface, retreating again and again. Those invisible sword auras were extremely measured, as if merely intended to knock a Ninth Realm peak martial artist out of the small boat.

A man and a woman appeared on the lotus pond shore.

Xiao Mo then put away his walking staff, left the boat in a flash, and arrived beside his master.

Cui Dongshan, upon seeing his teacher, immediately transformed, following Xiao Mo to Chen Ping'an's side. Through mind voice, he introduced Huang Man and Li Ba.

After listening, Chen Ping'an cupped his fists from afar toward the four on the small boat, then told Cui Dongshan to call Qiu Du and leave this place together.

Zhigui suddenly spoke through mind voice: "Chen Ping'an, deliver a message to that old hornless dragon for me. Tell her I allow her to take one tenth of the Dragon Palace treasures. This Dragon Palace will close after one incense stick's time. If she dares to come here and steal, and dares not follow my orders again, she'll bear the consequences herself."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "As expected of the East Sea Water Lord—quite the official airs."

Zhigui rolled her eyes in return.

Chen Ping'an led Cui Dongshan and Xiao Mo to wait outside the Dragon Palace gate. After about half an incense stick, Qiu Du hurriedly rushed out of the gate.

Together, they flew back to Xiandu Mountain.

Cui Dongshan, adopting a swimming posture while flying, chuckled: "Teacher, Miss Zhigui now knows how to recruit troops and buy horses. She's made some progress."

In Haoran Heaven today, aside from the Central Lands' Five Sacred Peaks—Sui Mountain, Jiuyi Mountain, and Yanzhi Mountain among them—there were also the Five Lakes and Four Seas. Among these, the mountain and water spirits' divine position ranks were relatively highest, all listed as Senior First Rank on the gold-and-jade registers established by the Confucian Temple. Although the Five Lakes Water Lords were of the same rank as the Four Seas Water Lords, the difference in the waters they governed was like heaven and earth.

Among these, the largest continent in Haoran Heaven, the Central Lands Divine Continent, had its land waterway ruled by Dan Dan Madam of Lushui Pit.

According to the territorial division of the Four Seas Water Lords, the East Sea waters governed by Zhigui included the vast waters beyond East Bottle Gourd Continent and southeastern Tongye Continent.

So the reason Zhigui chose this Tongye Continent Dragon Palace ruins was that in the future, when she managed her Water Mansion, her focus would not only be on ensuring clear rivers and calm seas within her jurisdiction but also on fostering the growth and prosperity of powerful dynasties—the Daquan Yao Dynasty in central Tongye Continent, the Yu Dynasty in the north, and the old Dayuan Yuan Dynasty—in addition to the Great Li Dynasty on Bottle Gourd Continent. Their strength would help Zhigui increase and expand her own dragon qi.

As for the newly appointed South Sea Water Lord, he would govern Southern Po-suo Continent and southwestern Fuyao Continent.

So for Chen Ping'an to mend the mountains and rivers of three continents, the people he truly needed to deal with included not only his old neighbor Zhigui but also Li Yihou, previously the Moon Lake Water Lord, whom he had met once at the Merit Forest. Li Yihou had been one of the distinguished guests congratulating Chen Ping'an's teacher on regaining his Confucian Temple status.

With the Landscape and Sea Sect's mountain-and-water gazette, by now, all mountain-top cultivators likely knew that Chen Ping'an had received a share of the water transportation rights from the Yeluo River in the Barbarian Wasteland Heaven.

Perhaps the newly appointed South Sea Water Lord would soon secretly dispatch emissaries to visit of their own accord, or even Li Yihou might find time to personally visit Luopo Mountain.

Cui Dongshan grinned and asked the old woman: "Embarrassing, isn't it?"

The old woman's smile was strained.

Indeed, extremely embarrassing. She wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it.

If using a certain Tongye Continent mountain saying, this would be called "Jiang Shangzhen looks in the mirror—neither this side nor that side is human."

How could she have imagined that this unassuming Sword Immortal Chen was not only the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall but had also been this true dragon's next-door neighbor for so many years?

During that half-incense stick, Wang Zhu had accompanied her the whole way, even helping the old woman select several water method treasures. Not accept? How could Qiu Du dare not accept.

Chen Ping'an smiled comfortingly: "Old auntie, don't feel awkward. Some misunderstandings that are only human nature—once talked out, there's no need to hold a grudge."

Many things hard to let go of—today's obsessions would be nothing more than a laugh next year.

The old woman felt slightly more at ease. "Sword Immortal Chen is magnanimous. In the past, this old body was indeed short-sighted, measuring a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind. Now I've made a fool of myself—it's my own fault."

Qiu Du had already made up her mind to change her original intention in coming here. For Cucu's sake, she couldn't care about face anymore. Since she now knew the true identity of the sword immortal beside her, why hesitate? The old woman pressed her advantage: "Sword Immortal Chen, the reason I followed Mountain Lord Ye to visit Xiandu Mountain was for Cucu's future. Even if Sect Leader Cui hadn't invited me, I would have shamelessly insisted on accompanying Mountain Lord Ye. I dare not hope Cucu becomes your direct disciple—only that on the gold-and-jade register of Xiandu Mountain's ancestral hall, Cucu's name appears."

What use was being a guest elder? That was too small-minded.

As for that East Sea Water Lord, the only true dragon in the world, Wang Zhu, the old woman had begun to taste some aftertaste.

She and the blue-robed sword immortal beside her, who excelled in both bearing and discipline—they were old neighbors with quite a story between them!

Xiao Mo smiled and revealed heavenly secrets through mind voice to his master.

In Xiao Mo's view, cultivators below the Flying Ascension realm had best not think their thoughts aloud.

So Chen Ping'an said directly: "To be honest, even if you, old auntie, dared to send Cucu to cultivate at Xiandu Mountain, I wouldn't dare accept her."

Earlier at that betrothal shop by the riverbank, the girl had the audacity to rashly pair him with Huang Yiyun, fearing nothing. Her personality was far too erratic.

To put it bluntly, the little girl was the type who took care of her head but not her rear.

Qiu Du cautiously glanced at the blue-robed sword immortal.

She suddenly recalled something and felt a little guilty.

Cucu, that little girl, did indeed like randomly playing matchmaker.

Not only had she secretly tried to pair Chen Ping'an with Ye Yunyun before—in fact, just this year, she had encountered two outsiders, an old Confucian scholar and a taciturn man, touring the Chilin River. When they stopped at a tea booth, Cucu had almost caused a disaster.

Cui Dongshan said softly: "Teacher, I dare accept her."

His sect's upper sect was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—a gathering of talents, sword immortals as numerous as clouds, grandmasters like rain.

But his lower sect had just been established and was in desperate need of talent. That little girl, according to Xiao Mo, was of ancient Moon Household descent. Though her bloodline was thin, her cultivation aptitude was indeed good—"has hope for Jade Purity."

"Has hope for Jade Purity" meant she was a certain Nascent Soul Earth Immortal. One mustn't look down on Earth Immortals; in peaceful times, Earth Immortal cultivators were often a sect's signboard outside the mountains, and a golden signboard at that. Just like Huang Yiyun's Puyun Grass Hall at Puyun Mountain—did Ye Yunyun really manage things? Wasn't it law-keeping elder Tan Rong and disciple Xue Huai who ran about and busied themselves?

Besides, this old hornless dragon had one good trait—she was protective of her own!

And wasn't that perfectly aligned with their sect's traditions?

Chen Ping'an cast a sidelong glance.

Cui Dongshan immediately changed his tune: "Teacher is absolutely right!"

When the group returned to Mixue Peak on Xiandu Mountain, Ye Yunyun immediately found Chen Ping'an and said that she wanted the two sides—teacher and disciple—to each have a fist-fighting match.