Chapter 914: A Table
The Quanfu lineage.
Chen Ping'an led Xiao Mo through corridors and walkways, visiting Gao Yehou.
Gao Yehou stood at the door of his house to welcome him, joking, "How does it feel to stroll around your own territory? Not bad, eh?"
Nowadays in Ascend City, everyone knew which government office supported Hidden Official Chen Ping'an the most. It wasn't even the Summer Resort, where sword cultivators were few, but this Quanfu, where the sound of abacuses rang out like thunder.
There had once been a young sword cultivator who tried to steal a couplet but failed, and he directly put out a word.
"If I ever hear a single word of criticism against the Second Shopkeeper, then sorry, but if you ever come to Quanfu to handle affairs, just wait to be given tight shoes."
Chen Ping'an pulled up a chair and sat down, getting straight to the point, "Gao Wealth God, shouldn't you thank me first?"
Xiao Mo stood outside the door. He could tell that the young master was very popular here, it's just that local cultivators didn't seem to dare to take the initiative to greet him much.
Gao Yehou asked in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
Chen Ping'an clicked his tongue, "Playing dumb with me?"
Gao Yehou laughed, "Then please, Hidden Official, enlighten me."
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "Forget it, consider it casting pearls before swine."
Gao Yehou chuckled, "Why not put it another way, winking at a blind person? That's more accurate."
Insulting oneself first was once a unique secret of the Summer Resort lineage.
If I curse myself harshly first, what can you do to me?
Chen Ping'an looked around the room. The decor was simple to the point of being shabby; there wasn't even a single calligraphy plaque. Earlier, as he walked along, he had glanced into the rooms along the way. There were all sorts of plaques: "Heaven rewards diligence," "Conscientious and meticulous," "Only practice makes perfect," "A gentleman loves wealth"... These plaques looked odd placed within the Quanfu government office.
Actually, Gao Yehou had already figured it out by now. Chen Ping'an was talking about his own sister Gao Youqing, who had followed the female sword immortal Li Cai to Beiju Luzhou. The sword cultivator accompanying them was the young man nicknamed "Little Hidden Official," Chen Li.
Was this considered sending a "brother-in-law" to him?
If Chen Ping'an hadn't brought it up today, Gao Yehou would never have thought in that direction. First, Chen Li's flying sword "Hui Ming" was a relic of some sword immortal from Beiju Luzhou, so Chen Li going there to practice swordsmanship was a good arrangement by the Summer Resort. Secondly, back in his hometown, his sister had been very impressed with that Pang Yuanji, following him around like a tag-along for years, acting as if she wouldn't marry anyone but him. It made Gao Yehou worry.
Back on the Sword Qi Great Wall, Gao Yehou, who came from a humble alley background, had always had a good relationship with Pang Yuanji. But it was obvious to everyone that Pang Yuanji wasn't interested in romantic relationships, so his sister's unrequited love was mostly meaningless, and it would be hard for them to end up together.
So if things really could work out, and his sister Gao Youqing and that Chen Li could become Dao partners in that foreign land, it would mean someone looking out for her. Gao Yehou would certainly have to thank Chen Ping'an properly. Since Chen Li had the nickname "Little Hidden Official" and greatly admired Chen Ping'an, if Chen Li could truly follow Chen Ping'an's example in some matters, it probably wouldn't be bad.
Otherwise, the Haoran world was a dazzling place. Chen Li's talent for sword practice was excellent, and as a youth his appearance was extremely outstanding. If he wasn't careful, he could easily become a second Rice Sword Immortal.
Thinking of this, Gao Yehou started to worry a bit. He stopped calling him Hidden Official and directly addressed him by name: "Chen Ping'an, if Chen Li doesn't like Youqing, that's fine. Youqing's feelings are her own business, no one to blame. But if Chen Li does like Youqing and dares to be unfaithful and let her down, then I'll settle that score with you. Of course, Chen Li won't get off easy either."
Gao Yehou's doting on that sister was something everyone on the Sword Qi Great Wall knew about.
He had taken the initiative to challenge others to duels three times, all because someone had made rude remarks to Gao Youqing on the street. Two were peers, one was a drunkard bachelor, and none of them ended well.
In other words, if his sister and Chen Li were right in front of him, Gao Yehou would still want to put a sack over Chen Li's head and beat him up.
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Although it makes no sense to settle accounts with me, I have full confidence in Chen Li's character and Gao Youqing's judgment."
Gao Yehou felt a little better.
Not wanting to beat around the bush with Chen Ping'an, Gao Yehou asked directly, "Are you here to audit the account books?"
According to precedent, sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage did have this authority, responsible for overseeing the Summer Resort in Ascend City. Even Qi Shou and Gao Yehou could be investigated, let alone a few account books.
"That's not right," Chen Ping'an said with a smile. "It should be your Quanfu lineage that actively delivers the account books to the Summer Resort on schedule."
Gao Yehou shook his head, "There's no such rule."
Chen Ping'an leaned back in his chair, flicked his blue robe, and crossed his legs. "Precedents, traditions—aren't they all established by making a good start first?"
Gao Yehou still shook his head, "Don't even think about it. I won't agree to this. Unless the Hidden Official convenes a Patriarch Hall meeting and approves it, then Quanfu will act according to the rules."
He thought the conversation had hit a dead end. Gao Yehou had even prepared for the worst-case scenario, figuring that Chen Ping'an might cause a big scene in Quanfu. After all, it wasn't like Qi Shou hadn't been slashed by Ning Yao, who had "temporarily led" the Hidden Office. Having the real Hidden Office slash him, the head of Quanfu, didn't seem like much.
Unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an just hummed in agreement. "Brother Gao is becoming more steady."
That made Gao Yehou nervous instead. Having Chen Ping'an cause a scene face-to-face was better than being schemed against by this guy.
Gao Yehou's feelings were quite complicated at the moment. He suddenly missed the days when Ning Yao presided over Summer Resort affairs.
No worrying, no beating around the bush, just official business, clean and clear.
Gao Yehou asked curiously, "So you really don't have any serious business coming here today?"
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Actually, no. I just came to catch up with you, Brother Gao. What, do you think we don't have enough friendship, and I'm just trying to curry favor with a high official like you?"
Chen Ping'an reached into his sleeve and took out an object, tossing it gently to Gao Yehou. "Consider this a belated gift for the establishment of Quanfu."
Gao Yehou caught it. It was a small wooden piece, made of aged sandalwood. The style was elegant and somewhat odd; it was shaped like a carpenter's square. It had inscriptions and a signature carved on it. It looked like an old item, but Gao Yehou couldn't guess its purpose.
The "heading" had four characters: "Follow rules and regulations." Below was a line of slightly smaller text: "One who can be ruled and regulated is a statesman; what is reasonable and lawful is good law."
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Do you know what it's used for?"
Gao Yehou said grumpily, "Stop being mysterious. Just tell me."
Chen Ping'an said, "It's a seal ruler. By itself, it's not valuable. It probably wouldn't sell for half a Snowflakes Coin in the cultivation world. But I've treasured it for many years. I'm giving it to you. You can let it collect dust, but don't just give it away to anyone."
Gao Yehou gently placed the seal ruler on the table and nodded. "We hit it off at first sight. I'll cherish it."
Gao Yehou asked doubtfully, "You're leaving just like that?"
Chen Ping'an said, "I'll go take a look at Quanfu's main hall. That's not against the rules, is it?"
Gao Yehou shook his head with a smile. "Why would it be? If you want to get technical, the entire Quanfu government office was brought here by the Hidden Office. Except for the treasury and the account rooms, you can wander around as you please."
Back then, the four major private estates on Inverted Suspension Mountain were: Spring Streamer Studio, Plum Garden, Ape Trample Manor, and Crystal Palace.
Ape Trample Manor belonged to the Liu Clan of Baibai Continent. Liu Wealth God's legitimate son, Liu Youzhou, had voluntarily offered the entire estate to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Anything that could be moved from Ape Trample Manor had indeed been stripped bare by the Sword Qi Great Wall. So now, all the sword cultivators in Ascend City cherish that friendship.
Crystal Palace, belonging to Rain Dragon Sect, was the only private estate that hadn't established a relationship with the Sword Qi Great Wall.
As for Sword Immortal Shao Yunyan's Spring Streamer Studio and Zuiyan Madam's Plum Garden, because they both had forbidden formations—one could be shrunk into a palm-sized miniature estate, the other could be "uprooted whole"—they had both been brought into the city back then and ultimately followed Ascend City to the Five Colors World. Zuiyan Madam, using this "letter of allegiance," became Lu Zhi's "maid" and received protection. Now she is even a member of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect's Patriarch Hall offerings. If any Haoran cultivator wanted to cause her trouble, they'd have to carefully consider whether they might inexplicably be "sword-dissolved" or "sent on their way."
And all of this was orchestrated by the Hidden Office, Chen Ping'an, back then.
Spring Streamer Studio had been allocated to the Quanfu lineage, along with the clothing workshop and sword workshop.
Gao Yehou set aside his current affairs and personally led the way, guiding Chen Ping'an and Xiao Mo to the former main hall of Spring Streamer Studio.
Actually, Chen Ping'an's knowledge of Spring Streamer Studio's various hidden walls and secret chambers was probably not less than Gao Yehou's.
As they passed by account rooms filled with the scent of ink, many young cultivators curious about the young Hidden Official, many from the Yan and Nalan families, included one woman holding a fan, leaning against the door. When she saw that blue robe, she didn't greet him, as if seeing him once was enough. She sat down on an embroidered stool, gently smoothing her skirt to avoid wrinkles.
The woman suddenly turned her head and smiled sweetly towards the door. She was one generation lower than the former head, Nalan Caihuan. According to the family tree, she was Nalan Yudie's aunt.
Unfortunately, the blue-robed man outside was oblivious, looking straight ahead as he hurried past the door.
Chen Ping'an asked, "That Plum Garden, is Quanfu planning to give it to the next female Jade-Purity realm sword cultivator?"
Gao Yehou nodded. "That's the plan. Currently, it seems most likely to go to Luo Zhenyi of the Hidden Office lineage."
Between Ascend City and the eight mountain peaks, boundaries were already being marked for future construction of sword immortal private residences.
For example, the three junior brothers from She Prefecture had paid out of their own pockets for a piece of land, planning to rebuild a Dustpan Studio.
But similar places—Seed Elm Immortal Lodge, Cloud Stop Lodge, Ten Thousand Valley Residence, Armory Warehouse—these sword immortal private residences, each with their own mysteries, were difficult to rebuild.
If they were gone, they were simply gone.
Chen Ping'an arrived at the hall he knew so well. He paused for a moment, then stepped over the threshold.
Gao Yehou sat on the threshold, his back to the courtyard, facing the chairs. He took out a flask of wine from his sleeve and asked, "Want a drink?"
Chen Ping'an leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, looking at the two rows of chairs. He shook his head.
Mi Yu, Sun Juyuan, Gao Kui, Yan Ming, Nalan Caihuan.
Xie Songhua, Li Cai, Ku Xia, Yuan Qingshu, Xie Zhi, Song Pin, Pu He, Shao Yunyan.
Plus the last to arrive, the new Hidden Office.
At that time, heading to Inverted Suspension Mountain, there were a total of fourteen sword cultivators present.
Looking back now, most of them were actually outsider sword cultivators.
Chen Ping'an shifted his position and chose to sit on a chair near the door, which had been the seat of Spring Streamer Studio's master, Sword Immortal Shao. It was a bit like being responsible for closing the door and beating the dog.
Chen Ping'an smelled the rich wine aroma wafting from the entrance and couldn't help turning his head to ask, "What kind of wine? Smells pretty good."
Gao Yehou chuckled, "I hear it's authentic Green God Mountain wine. I had someone secretly buy a jar, then I bottled a few flasks myself. It was certainly expensive. I was worried I'd drink it all in one go. But when I bought it, I made an agreement with the tavern not to publicize it widely. I don't know if it's genuine or not, but after tasting it, I think it was worth the price."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "I can't judge whether the wine is genuine or not without tasting it, but as for the price, Brother Gao, you were probably taken for a ride, fleeced like a pig."
Gao Yehou dismissed it with a smile.
Looking at the chairs opposite, Chen Ping'an was silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Gao Yehou, you must always ensure Ascend City remains Ascend City."
Gao Yehou teased, "A guy from the Haoran world saying something like that—isn't it a bit strange?"
Chen Ping'an raised his right hand, gathering the world's spiritual energy into a sphere. Using a thread of pure true qi as a string, he held it high, then gently pushed the sphere with his left hand.
The sphere began to sway. Chen Ping'an watched the ball swing back and forth, then spoke as if to himself: "My senior brother, Cui Chan, was once the teacher of the current Great Li Emperor. I heard he showed Song He, who was then a prince, the beginning and end of two matters."
"In one place, a border province; in another, the capital region. In both cases, a rather large scandal occurred. The handling method for the former was extremely brutal. Popular resentment boiled over, but it was forcibly suppressed. In the end, it became a matter where officials didn't investigate and the people didn't report, as if nothing had happened. The officials in the capital region handled it very... skillfully. Indeed, there was no concealment. Secret memorials, official documents, government gazettes—as soon as it happened, it was handled immediately, watertight. On the surface, nothing was hidden, nothing was suppressed. From start to finish, it seemed everything was made public, everything was clear."
"But actually, the local government had reached a tacit understanding with someone, settling matters under the table. Even if the Great Li court's Ministry of Justice investigated, there seemed to be no fault to settle later. No one had taken bribes, no one had been derelict in duty, and as far as the people of that prefecture were concerned, public sentiment was very good. They felt the officials had handled it properly, decisively, and to everyone's satisfaction. But paper can't wrap fire in this world. Once the truth comes out, it will only escalate. To prevent the situation from getting out of hand, an even bigger hand is needed to suppress it, to cover it up even better."
Gao Yehou asked, "Are you worried that in the future, the conduct of the many sword cultivators in Ascend City will go from one extreme to another, gradually becoming like those officials in the Great Li capital region—skilled, watertight, refined in sword practice, conduct, and official business... more and more ingenious and slippery?"
"I don't need to worry," Chen Ping'an said expressionlessly. "Because it's bound to happen."
Gao Yehou was momentarily speechless.
Chen Ping'an dispersed the sphere and said slowly, "Sword cultivators in the Lower Five Realms see those in the Middle Five Realms; those in the Middle Five Realms see those in the Upper Five Realms; Jade-Purity and Immortal realm sword cultivators see those in the Flying Ascension realm. And, of course, those who aren't sword cultivators see those who are."
"When the three government offices, including the Summer Resort, all have their sword cultivators holding official positions, and the hierarchy becomes increasingly distinct, will they still dare to walk the streets and call you Gao Yehou or Qi Shou by name, like they used to call Dong San'geng and Chen Xi?"
"A cultivator's greatest enemy is themselves—forming the Golden Core, nurturing the Nascent Soul, facing inner demons, and after reaching the Upper Five Realms, having to 'return to the basics.' It's a difficult path all the way."
"Ascend City's enemy is the same."
"But this kind of thing doesn't need too much worry. Since it can't be avoided, prepare early. Ascend City's current situation is actually very good. Back then, Sword Immortal Qiu Miao and I had a rough simulation privately. I was relatively pessimistic at the time; Sword Immortal Qiu Miao was more optimistic. Setting me aside, Ascend City's rapid development over the years, and its orderly state, has far exceeded Sword Immortal Qiu Miao's expectations. From this, you can see how well Qi Shou and Gao Yehou have done."
Chen Ping'an stood up and smiled. "Great potential lies ahead, but the road is long and arduous."
Gao Yehou didn't get up. He remained sitting on the threshold and said, "A Confucian academy is about to be established within Ascend City. What's your take on it? Anything special to pay attention to? Currently, the Punishment Official lineage is handling it and doesn't want outsiders to interfere. So if you have any ideas, once I've heard them, I can first communicate with the Summer Resort. Next time in the Patriarch Hall meeting, I'll make suggestions or reject proposals as needed. You won't even have to show up as the bad guy."
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Actually, I don't have any particular ideas. Qi Shou is not a man of petty selfishness; he has vision and breadth of mind."
Once a person has long-term vision, they are less likely to be eager for quick success.
Ambition and lofty aspirations are practically synonyms.
Gao Yehou seemed determined not to let Chen Ping'an off easily. He asked, "What about the academy's name, and those plaques and couplets? Who should write them?"
Chen Ping'an had no choice but to sit back down. "There are plenty of well-read literary giants and learned Confucians among the refugees from Fuyao Continent in the north. The little bit of knowledge I have was all used up on two seal-print manuals."
Gao Yehou came from the lowest rungs of society. Since childhood, he and his sister had depended on each other. He had worked many odd jobs, earning money however he could. The first time he went to Taixiang Street was after becoming a sword cultivator and going to the battlefield. He caught the eye of old Sword Immortal Nalan Shaowei and was recruited as a family sword master by the Nalan clan. A few years later, Gao Yehou conveniently became the Nalan family's prized son-in-law, marrying a virtuous woman of the same age who was also a sword cultivator. However, her appearance and sword talent were both mediocre. Initially, Nalan Shaowei had intended for Gao Yehou to marry someone else, but Gao Yehou refused.
Ascend City and the four surrounding vassal cities had all established schools, and were currently preparing to build an academy.
For the children's literacy, aside from the "Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters" that the Summer Resort had strongly recommended, most of the textual sources came from the stone steles scattered throughout the streets and alleys of Ascend City, not the elementary texts common in the nine continents of the Haoran world.
Those ancient stone steles, which no one had ever cared about, were now all being collected and relocated to several schools, creating small forests of steles.
The inscriptions on the steles recorded events, and most of the characters were eroded, barely discernible. They were in running or standard script, with strong, sinewy strokes, quite different in style from the later "official script."
A few scattered stones, ancient characters full of dark moss. Unless meeting a leisure guest, who would bother to read them?
Apart from learning characters from their teachers, schoolchildren also studied two subjects: mathematics and geography. The latter was compiled jointly by the Summer Resort and the Punishment Official lineage, introducing the mountains, rivers, and local products of the Five Colors World.
As for that "Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters," its author was Master Xu, known in the Haoran world as the "Saint of Characters from Shaoling."
Regarding the Three Teachings' scriptures, the Summer Resort was extremely cautious in its selection. For Confucian books, they only selected one: the "Book of Rites."
And a separately extracted chapter, "Exhortation to Learning." They did not widely promote the scriptures and knowledge of the Literary Sage's lineage just because Old Scholar was the Hidden Office's master.
For Daoism, they chose the "Yellow Court Classic"; for Buddhism, the "Shurangama Sutra."
Ultimately, the sole purpose of all the schools was to ensure that the children of Ascend City could all read and write.
They didn't need to know everything, but they couldn't know nothing.
Chen Ping'an casually asked, "Are there many truants at the schools?"
Gao Yehou found it a headache. "Many. Of course there are. The schools have to specifically assign several teachers to block certain streets and alleys, catch them one by one like catching chicks. They run, we catch. It's a daily battle of wits. It's better now. At the very beginning, the schools were practically empty every day. No amount of persuasion worked. They just didn't want to study. From the children to their parents, everyone seemed to think it was a disgraceful thing. The Patriarch Hall even held a special meeting on it. I almost couldn't hold back and proposed that we should pay them to attend school—give each kid a few coins a day. Quanfu could certainly afford it, but Qi Shou refused and advised me not to even bring it up."
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Qi Shou was right. You can't open that door."
Gao Yehou, now that he was on this topic, became quite talkative. He stopped drinking, his face full of smiles as he spoke at length: "After two or three years, the number of children willing to come to school increased a little. But then a new problem arose. The kids from Taixiang Street, Yuhu Street, and those places, and their classmates from the poorer alleys, would get into fights at the drop of a hat. They liked to band together, and fights would involve a whole crowd. They already found studying too dull, so fighting was much more exciting. Often, the teacher would be in the middle of 'the... wherefores and therefores,' and the classroom would be in chaos. For the first few years, the teachers who went to the schools were constantly complaining. Their daily mantra was 'I can't teach, I can't teach!' Besides the ruckus in the school, where they were somewhat restrained, they'd arrange to fight before school was even out every day. The teachers didn't know how to handle it, and it was hard to manage. The next day in class, they'd all be black and blue, which made the teachers both exasperated and amused."
"Speaking of which, we really have to thank Guo Zhujiu. She took the lead in establishing a few 'code of conduct' for the kids, something like a three-point agreement. If two groups wanted to settle a grudge, first, both sides had to fight with bare hands. Second, anyone who had learned martial arts or practiced boxing at home couldn't join the brawl; they could only serve as generals or commanders, responsible for deploying troops. Third, before the fight, they had to put away their book bags and leave them with one or two guards. No one was allowed to use their book bag as a weapon. If anyone dared to damage the books inside, they'd have to answer to the supervisors she personally appointed, who were strict and impartial. Finally, grudges were settled ‘jianghu-style.' No fighting in the school; otherwise, it wasn't proper and you weren't a true jianghu veteran."
Chen Ping'an suppressed a smile. "Zhujiu never told me about this when she got to Despair Hill."
Gao Yehou suddenly asked, "Don't you have a disciple named Pei Qian?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "What about her?"
Gao Yehou smiled. "Our 'child king' Guo Zhujiu didn't become the martial arts alliance leader. She said she has a senior sister named Pei Qian, who is very tall and incredibly strong-fisted. So she herself is just a dog-headed military advisor."
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh.
It wasn't without reason that Pei Qian was completely helpless against Guo Zhujiu.
Gao Yehou exclaimed in wonder, "Can you imagine? Later on, over a hundred school kids would march in force to the agreed battlefield, split into two groups. The main group would charge in, and there would even be various flanking maneuvers, dividing troops to take roundabout routes and launch sneak attacks—they were using military strategy! Especially when winter came and it snowed, it was a real spectacle. The schools from the four vassal cities would all converge on Ascend City. Hundreds of kids would crowd together on Taixiang Street, including some still in split-pants, having snowball fights. Sometimes they'd 'open the city gates' wide, and a hidden ambush would charge out from some residence."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Were there any little bastards who secretly wrapped stones in snow?"
Gao Yehou was speechless. There were indeed.
Gao Yehou looked askance. "Some little rascals, before fighting, would like to slowly roll up their sleeves and pant legs, imitating someone. They even had some style."
Chen Ping'an burst out laughing.
A former Hidden Office of the Summer Resort, and a Wealth God of the Quanfu lineage.
Just chatting about kids fighting could make their brows dance and laughter ring out.
Chen Ping'an left Quanfu and arrived at Taixiang Street as the sun was setting. He looked into the distance, sending off the flying birds.
Ascend City was a city without walls.
Because it didn't need any.
He led Xiao Mo to the gate of a mansion.
The Chen Mansion on Taixiang Street.
Here, a rising sun would soon dawn, and it would quickly make the entire Five Colors World take notice.
Because the true master of this mansion was still the former Chen Xi.
Back on the Sword Qi Great Wall, there had been constant debate about the combat prowess of that small handful of peak sword immortals, especially regarding the specific rankings of the four: Dong San'geng, Xiao Xun, Chen Xi, and Qi Tingji. Opinions varied widely.
Chen Ping'an was naturally very curious too. Once, the Great Old Sword Immortal visited the Summer Resort, and Chen Ping'an asked him about it. The Great Old Sword Immortal usually didn't meddle in these pointless rankings. Probably thinking the new Hidden Office, even if not meritorious, had worked hard, he made an exception and gave an answer that wasn't really an answer: in killing power, Dong San'geng was the greatest; in innate flying swords, Xiao Xun had the most and the best; in swordsmanship, Qi Tingji was the highest; in the way of the sword, Chen Xi was number one. Dong San'geng lost out due to severe injuries from his youth; Xiao Xun lost out due to an unsettled heart; Qi Tingji lost out due to a lack of purity; Chen Xi lost out due to a relatively weak physique and too high aspirations.
Now, the boy Chen Ji, who looked like a youth.
Before Chen Ping'an could bow, Chen Ji already waved his hand. "Skip it, save us both the awkwardness."
The female attendant clasped her hands and said, "Chen Hui, pays respects to Hidden Office."
Chen Ping'an smiled and returned the greeting. "Congratulations, Miss Chen, on reaching the Jade-Purity realm."
If not for the fact that Chen Hui's current identity and realm shouldn't be revealed, that Plum Garden outside Ascend City would already be her sword immortal private residence.
Inside the house, there were two sitting and two standing.
Chen Ping'an smiled and introduced, "Stranger, Dao name Xi Zhu. Just call him Xiao Mo. He is a Flying Ascension realm sword cultivator from the Barren Wilderness world. He slept for many years under the bright moon and bright stars. He once dueled with Yuan Xiang, and also fought Yang Zhi and Zhu Yan."
The implication was clear: Stranger was simply a pure sword cultivator with no grudges against the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Even with a steadfast Dao heart, Chen Hui found it hard to hide her shock.
If it weren't the young Hidden Office speaking, she would have taken it as a joke.
A sword cultivator from ancient times, over ten thousand years old? A contemporary of Dragon Lord, Guan Zhao, Yuan Xiang?
Xiao Mo made a deep bow. "Xiao Mo greets Old Sword Immortal Chen."
Chen Ji was also quite surprised. He stood up and clasped his hands. "Sword Qi Great Wall, sword cultivator Chen Xi, honored to meet you."
Chen Ping'an stood up along with Chen Ji and then sat back down.
Chen Ji asked, "Do you want me to help think of a way for you to attend the Patriarch Hall meeting?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Not this time."
Chen Ji didn't insist. He laughed, "No banquet?"
Chen Ping'an looked a bit embarrassed. "Too rushed. Next time I'm back, I'll definitely hold a banquet."
Chen Ji disagreed. "Rushed? Rushed for what? You can't expect Ning Yao to bring it up, can you? She's a woman after all. I just wonder, you're not exactly timid, kid, so why are you so hesitant about this one thing? And besides, even if you don't hold a banquet, wouldn't cooking the rice work?"
Chen Ping'an listened with an awkward expression, but since the other was an elder, he couldn't say much.
Chen Ji shook his head, but didn't say more. Talk that reeks of old age is easy to find annoying. He just asked Chen Ping'an about Chen Sanqiu's recent situation. After hearing about Chen Sanqiu's general travels, Chen Ji was clearly unsatisfied, giving the evaluation of "watermelon-skin walking." He then asked about the cultivation progress of the younger generation who had left home—Dong Huafu, Yan Zhuo, Chen Li, Gao Youqing—which made Chen Ji quite satisfied.
Chen Ji asked, "How is Qi Tingji's Dragon Elephant Sword Sect doing?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "He's taken on a dozen or so young sword cultivators as disciples. Sect Master Qi is currently stationed at a ferry crossing in the Barren Wilderness world."
"That's hard on him." Chen Ji chuckled sarcastically. "People really do change."
Chen Ji suddenly asked, "What do you think? Is Qi Shou suitable as city lord?"
Chen Ping'an said, "We can watch for a few more years. At least wait until Qi Shou reaches the Immortal realm. Actually, suitability is up to Qi Shou himself to prove."
Chen Ji nodded, acknowledging the young Hidden Office's point.
Perhaps the sword cultivators of Ascend City weren't fully aware yet, but the two people most hoping Qi Shou would become city lord and do a good job were the two in this room.
Chen Ping'an hoped Qi Shou would firmly occupy that temporarily vacant seat. As long as Qi Shou could truly command respect, then Ning Yao wouldn't have to be distracted.
Chen Ji himself wasn't keen on being city lord. His mind was more on seeing if he could surpass his cultivation realm from his previous life, taking a step further from the pinnacle.
But Chen Ji being the first city lord was an arrangement personally made by the Great Old Sword Immortal. Besides Chen Ji himself, only the young Hidden Office knew about it.
Chen Ji was really afraid that Chen Ping'an might be unprincipled, and to make things easier for Ning Yao, one day at the Patriarch Hall, he might publicly bring out "this decree."
Chen Ji asked again, "In the future, should the number of Ascend City's offerings and guest elders be limited?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "Personally, I suggest the number shouldn't exceed thirty percent of the Patriarch Hall."
Chen Ji asked, "When Deng Liang later leaves Ascend City to found the Nine Capitals Mountain sub-sect, should we reciprocate by arranging a chief offeringship for Ascend City?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No need to keep an eye on it. The intention would be too obvious, and it would become a potential vein filled with hidden dangers. Once it branches out, it will be the root of a split between Ascend City and Deng Liang's sub-sect."
Chen Ji smiled. "I think making the intention a bit clearer is better. It saves the trouble of dealing with insatiable desires. Ascend City doesn't have the leisure to appease people's hearts. Some problems are created by lack of discipline, by being spoiled."
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "Anyway, it's not an urgent matter. Shall we discuss it later?"
Chen Ji nodded. "Agreed."
After Chen Ping'an and Xiao Mo left, Chen Ji continued reading. Chen Hui stood silently nearby. She had grown up in the Chen Mansion, being both a death warrior and an assassin.
Chen Ji asked, "What do you think?"
Chen Hui replied respectfully, "If this servant were to face him in battle, there would be no chance of victory."
Chen Ji laughed, "What about a surprise attack on the battlefield, or a carefully prepared assassination?"
Chen Hui shook her head. "This servant would most likely just be throwing her life away."
Chen Ji laughed. "Do you know what true genius is? There are two types. One is like Ning Yao, effortlessly surpassing Qi Shou and Gao Yehou by two realms. The other is like Chen Ping'an, Feiran, and Shouchen. As long as they fight someone of the same realm, they are invincible."
Chen Hui rarely took the initiative to ask. She said cautiously, "Master, how many Fourteen Realm great cultivators can the Five Colors World accommodate?"
Chen Ji turned the pages of his book gently and smiled. "There can be many Fourteen Realms, or there can be just one. It depends on the attitude of the number one under heaven."
In the night, a humble alley, a small house with dim lamplight. Nian Xin, the second-in-command of the Punishment Officials, had lived here for years. Her identity was still a mystery, but no one dared to pry. After all, as the head of the martial artists in the Cold Avoidance Palace, overseeing a prison, her status and position were already above that of the old Deaf Elder.
Today, a rare visitor came. Nian Xin opened the gate and led Chen Ping'an and a young cultivator in a yellow hat and green shoes into the main room.
Chen Ping'an took out his old tobacco pipe and soon began to puff clouds.
Nian Xin frowned and asked, "What happened?"
She had assumed the man before her would at least be a Jade-Purity realm sword cultivator, plus a Return to Truth first-layer Martial Artist of the Peak Realm.
Chen Ping'an explained, "I went to the Barren Wilderness world. The cost was considerable. I've dropped quite a few realms."
Nian Xin nodded and didn't ask further.
A knock came at the door. Xiao Mo went to open it. He saw a man with a stooped figure, holding a wine flask in one hand and a greasy paper-wrapped package of sauce meat in the other. Xiao Mo immediately showed a smile, recognizing the other party. He bowed and said, "Despair Hill offering, Stranger, greets Mr. Zheng. Please call me Xiao Mo."
The man said awkwardly, "I feel like I've been caught in the act."
Nian Xin turned her head towards the yard. Her face darkened as she growled, "Zheng Dafeng! Watch your mouth!"
Zheng Dafeng grinned brightly and nodded to Xiao Mo. Since they were family, there was no need for polite formalities. He strode into the yard and said in a mock-serious tone, "Mountain Lord, I really need to explain. I don't come here often. I'm not familiar with Miss Nian Xin at all."
After sitting down, Zheng Dafeng looked at the mountain lord smoking his dry pipe and asked with a smile, "When did you pick up this habit?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "After going to the Yang Family Medicine Shop."
Zheng Dafeng put down the wine flask and the oil paper package, raised his palm and shook it, shaking his head. "Cultivation is far off."
He turned to Xiao Mo, his face full of sincerity, and asked, "Xiao Mo, it's been years since we two brothers last met. How about we have a drink?"
Chen Ping'an thought of teasing him a bit, but on second thought, his expression turned peculiar. He held back the words that came to his lips.
Xiao Mo immediately stood up, took the wine flask, and poured a bowl for Zheng Dafeng and himself. He said with a smile, "Indeed, it has been many years."
Because the moment Xiao Mo saw him at the gate, he instantly recognized Zheng Dafeng's dual identity. Besides being the gatekeeper of Despair Hill, a long time ago, he was also the gatekeeper of a certain place.
But the "Zheng Dafeng" back then was handsome, spirited, and wore a "Great Frost Armor."
Zheng Dafeng rested one foot on the bench and asked, "Have you been to the Cold Avoidance Palace?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Not bad."
Zheng Dafeng hummed. "Not bad, but just not bad. It's a real bother. These kids have been suppressed by the Sword Qi Great Wall for so long that their fist intent hasn't truly risen. Even the most talented, like Jiang Yun, feel inferior to sword cultivators. As long as this mindset isn't dispelled, it will remain an invisible bottleneck. The most troublesome part is that with this bottleneck, it doesn't even hinder their breakthrough in realms. It's hard to reason with. As a fist-teaching master, I can't exactly grab them by the heads and make them have a life-or-death fist duel with those arrogant young sword cultivators."
Actually, if Chen Ping'an were a native martial artist of the Sword Qi Great Wall, without encountering Cheng Cheng, without the bamboo building fist practice, he too would have found it hard to cross that chasm.
But during the day at the Cold Avoidance Palace, Chen Ping'an was indeed very satisfied with those young martial artists, a heartfelt recognition. To a great extent, from Jiang Yun and Yuan Zaohua and the others, Chen Ping'an seemed to see his former self.
It was like a senior of sufficiently high realm seeing a junior of mediocre talent. The latter didn't make grand statements, but his eyes seemed to repeatedly murmur one sentence.
I can definitely become a great sword immortal, right?
Chen Ping'an felt such "words" were extraordinarily beautiful and moving.
Zheng Dafeng took a sip of wine, immediately shivered, sighed, and said slowly, "If it were in the Haoran world, except for Jiang Yun, who might be lucky enough to receive some martial fortune, no one else would stand a chance."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Anyway, it's not in the Haoran world. When Jiang Yun and the others have all reached the Golden Body realm, if you put in more effort, their foundation will still be very solid."
Zheng Dafeng said, "Why not find a group of sword cultivators to stage a play, an internal conflict between sword cultivators and pure martial artists? Both sides act as gatekeepers for each other, have a real fight. Regardless of winning or losing, it would be good for Jiang Yun and the others. I'm just a fist-teaching master who receives a monthly salary. I don't even count as a minor official. I don't have the ability to get the managers of the Hidden Office or the Punishment Office to control the heat, selecting sword cultivators not only of the right realm but also with the right temperament. Otherwise, with this kind of thing, one side uses fists, the other uses swords—those precious darlings of Ascend City, if they get furious and act recklessly, and end up in a life-or-death struggle with Jiang Yun and the others, it would hurt feelings. Worse, if someone gets hurt, especially damaging their Dao foundation, it could trigger a chain reaction and break the delicate balance of Ascend City's three mountain peaks."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "You are indeed not suitable for facilitating this."
Zheng Dafeng laughed heartily. "This is what they call 'Jiang Shangzhen looking in the mirror.'"
"By the time we open the door next time, our Chief Zhou's reputation will surely have spread to the Qingming world."
Chen Ping'an joined in the laughter, thinking it over. "I'll handle the matter of finding people for sparring. But you need to be ready to break up fights."
Zheng Dafeng nodded. "Miss Nian Xin, it's not like you're busy. Won't you have a couple of drinks with Big Brother Dafeng?"
Nian Xin narrowed her eyes with a cold sneer.
Zheng Dafeng took a sip of wine and said with a feigned look of grievance, "If you won't drink, you won't drink. Don't be so fierce with Big Brother Dafeng."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then still asked, "The Half and Half True Qi Talisman, can it be drawn? Can it be used on those children at the Cold Avoidance Palace?"
Zheng Dafeng nodded. "It can be drawn and used."
Chen Ping'an was a bit puzzled. He had thought there were taboos involved, such as master-to-disciple restrictions.
Zheng Dafeng laughed. "According to my master, why would we give out benefits for nothing without reason?"
"Besides, back then, my senior brother got a scolding in the medicine shop's backyard, a rare time the master chewed him out thoroughly. At the time, Li Er just wanted to be a good person, right?"
"If it weren't for Gao Xuan buying that golden carp and the dragon king's basket first, and Li Er getting the master's reminder at the time, would there have been a Despair Hill later? Or the Second Shopkeeper and the last Hidden Office of the Sword Qi Great Wall? I doubt it."
"Buddhism calls it 'dual cultivation of blessings and wisdom.' It's both the easiest and the hardest thing."
Zheng Dafeng put down his wine bowl, clasped his hands behind his head, belched, and smiled. "But since you asked, I'll use those two talismans."
He was actually a Mountain Summit Realm martial artist now.
But at the Cold Avoidance Palace, he had always "bragged" about being a Land Traveling Nascent Cultivator Grandmaster.
Being looked down upon by the kids—Zheng Dafeng brought that on himself.
After becoming a Mountain Summit Realm martial artist, Zheng Dafeng had deliberately slacked off on his fist practice. He was indeed lazy.
And it was a kind of mental laziness.
Because once he became the first Pillar Stance Realm martial artist of the Five Colors World, Zheng Dafeng wouldn't be able to slack off anymore.
I may stay away from the storm, but the storm may not stay away from me.
Zheng Dafeng thought that a peaceful life like now was pretty good.
He never cleaned the table of wine and dishes. The only thing he was diligent about had been wiping stools, when he was a substitute manager.
Was Big Brother Dafeng the kind of guy who lacked women?
No, it's that Big Brother Dafeng's many future wives are still searching and haven't found their husband yet.
Zheng Dafeng asked, "Over at Despair Hill, who's keeping the gate now?"
"Little Rice Cake kept the gate the longest. After finishing her mountain patrol every day, she'd go sit at the entrance. But now there's a Daoist named Nian Jing who's keeping the gate temporarily. He just arrived in the small town a few days ago."
"Real Daoist or fake Daoist?"
"It's hard to say. By current standards, he's definitely a fake Daoist without a certificate. But if we go by the old calendar, he counts as a real Daoist."
Zheng Dafeng nodded.
I won't think too much about it.
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Haven't you thought about finding a wife here?"
Zheng Dafeng chuckled. "I'm not like those young hotheads who shout every day, 'If I can't get into the Summer Resort, I'll marry a female sword cultivator from the Hidden Office lineage.'"
"I've been away from my hometown for many years. I don't miss much about the small town, just a little bit of Madam Mao's meat buns. Tsk tsk, they were big. And of course, Madam Huang #2's wine. The wine bowls weren't small either. Hmm, and then the Grandfather Hu Feng's happiness shop."
"By the way, do you know about Madam Huang #2's precious child?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Not much. I only heard he's a young scholar, a student of script, who later went to the school run by the Longweixi Chen clan to continue his studies."
"That's all?"
"Isn't it enough?"
"Madam Huang #2's dead husband was surnamed Bai. Her son's name is Bai Shang."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Is that the 'Bai Shang' that is one of the alternative names for autumn?"
Zheng Dafeng laughed. "What else?"
"And that Hu Feng, if I remember correctly, is your peer, right? The one who often went to Old Porcelain Mountain with Dong Shuijing to pick up porcelain shards. You two must have crossed paths."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I saw him many times, but Hu Feng and I never spoke."
Zheng Dafeng again revealed a heavenly secret. "Hu Feng's surname is Hu. His grandfather's surname is Chai. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
Chen Ping'an said angrily, "How would I know Hu Feng's grandfather is surnamed Chai and not Hu?"
When he was a child, Chen Ping'an didn't even dare to approach that happiness shop, and the old man who went from street to street doing mending work never walked down Niping Alley either.
Zheng Dafeng rolled his eyes, shook his head, and asked, "Besides Old Porcelain Mountain, what else?"
Chen Ping'an was silent.
There was that Spirit Tomb.
The places the small town children often frequented were just a few spots.
Cooling off, playing, and listening to stories under the old locust tree. Fishing and swimming at the stone arch bridge and the Green Ox's Back.
Going to Old Porcelain Mountain to pick up porcelain shards according to preference. Flying kites and playing house at the Spirit Tomb.
Chen Ping'an's heartstrings suddenly tensed.
Playing house?!
Zheng Dafeng swirled his wine bowl. "Zou Zi once went to the Lizhu Cave Heaven. If I remember correctly, he set up a stall in Apricot Flower Alley. Later, there was a woman with lofty ambitions but a thin fate, Zou Zi's junior sister. She also went to the Lizhu Cave Heaven back then. Since half of the marriage record book was taken by Liu Qi to the Shiyu Blessed Land in the Qingming world, where did the red threads in her hands come from? This kind of thing—can it just be refined by anyone? Even if it were the Marquis Sanshan Jiuhou himself, his Dao arts are surely heaven-reaching, yet he couldn't refine them. So many red threads—where did they come from? She begged for them from Old Man Chai."
"They all say the Second Shopkeeper is unbeatable at sitting in the banker's seat, the young Hidden Office is infallible. If you ask me, it's not really that impressive."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "You're older, so you're the boss."
Regarding that scroll painting of the river of time in the small town.
Chen Ping'an knew his senior brother Cui Chan had definitely tampered with it, deliberately deleting many details.
But he never imagined that so many truths would be erased.
Zheng Dafeng dipped his finger in the wine and wrote five characters on the table, forming a circle. He said slowly, "It was Zou Zi who first established the theory of the Five Elements. Metal, wood, water, fire, earth. There is both generation and overcoming. Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal. Metal overcomes wood, wood overcomes earth, earth overcomes water, water overcomes fire, fire overcomes metal. Gao Xuan's gold carp, Zhao Yao's wooden carving paperweight, the little loach you gave to Gu Can, show-show girl's fire dragon bracelet, the four-legged snake next door to your house. There's a lot of learning in this. Think about it more. Think hard."
Zheng Dafeng added, "I think that Luo Zhenyi is a bit strange."
Chen Ping'an snapped out of his thoughts, confused. "What?"
Luo Zhenyi—there should be absolutely no problem.
Zheng Dafeng smiled a faint, meaningful smile.
Chen Ping'an's mind was still on his hometown small town and the Spirit Tomb. He asked, "Are there more 'origins'?"
Zheng Dafeng said, "That's about it. Count on your fingers, Mountain Lord. Can you count them on one hand? Isn't that already enough?"
Nian Xin had roughly grasped the situation and tentatively said, "Raising gu?"
Zheng Dafeng sprayed out a mouthful of wine. He wanted to glare at Miss Nian Xin but couldn't bear to, so he just waved his hand. "Don't talk nonsense."
Xiao Mo said softly, "It's a kind of intangible Dao cycle. Everyone has the opportunity to gain everything."
Zheng Dafeng laughed. "Don't make it so mysterious. Put it more vividly: someone is the banker. Everyone is at the gambling table. People keep losing their chips and leaving the table. They earn money elsewhere, maybe borrow money, maybe find money. As long as they have money, they can come back to the table. But generally speaking, the people at this table are fewer and fewer, and the chips on the table naturally pile up more and more. When there's only one person left at the table, that's when it ends."
Only at that moment would the person running the bank leave.
That was the old man in the backyard of the Yang Family Medicine Shop, Zheng Dafeng's master.
Zheng Dafeng raised his wine bowl and drained it.
Chen Ping'an seemed to want to speak but stopped.
Zheng Dafeng glanced at the tobacco pipe in Chen Ping'an's hand and smiled. "It's nothing. Actually, before I left back then, I had some inkling."
Words that couldn't be said at the time often remain "that moment" for a lifetime.
They left Nian Xin's house together, walking in the alley. Zheng Dafeng laughed. "How about going to the tavern for a bit? Even if it's closed, we can just open it up again."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
At the tavern, after helping Zheng Dafeng reopen the door, Chen Ping'an noticed a new item on the counter—a green bamboo tube filled with carved bamboo drinking tally sticks.
Chen Ping'an drew one at random. Written on it was: "Heaven does not speak, yet the four seasons proceed. Everyone present should drink a full round."
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Drawing this stick means everyone has to drink a bowl?"
Zheng Dafeng nodded. "To keep business going at this tavern of yours, I've racked my brains. The regular drinkers made a fuss at first, but after half a month, they all felt that drinking and playing finger-guessing games was more comfortable. But other taverns in Ascend City are still very popular. The flowers on this side of the wall are fragrant on the other side. Nothing to be done."
The texts on the drinking tally sticks were a motley collection.
For example, one said: "The old and new five perfections, share the glory equally. Each drinks a half-share." This meant the drawer arbitrarily chose ten people. If there weren't enough people, everyone present had to drink half a bowl.
Also, there were roles like the Wine Overseer, similar to the banker, and the Drinking Supervisor, to prevent those penalized from "raising fish" at the bottom of their bowls.
Chen Ping'an drew another tally stick and his face darkened.
"Afraid of wife: two bowls. Admit it: one bowl. Deny it: three bowls."
Zheng Dafeng craned his neck and glanced at it. "Your luck, seriously. Xiao Mo, why don't you help our Mountain Lord pour three bowls of wine?"
Xiao Mo smiled faintly but didn't move to get the wine.
Zheng Dafeng waved his hand. "Since we're not drinking, it's best to head back. Otherwise, you'll end up sleeping at the doorstep again."
Chen Ping'an leaned against the counter, looking at the wall.
Zheng Dafeng tossed the keys on the table. "I can't take it anymore. You close up later. No need to come and open early tomorrow. Liu E has the keys."
He grabbed a flask of wine from the tavern and headed back to his lodging alone. It wasn't far. As he walked down an alley, he slowed his steps. Luckily, he heard some sounds again. He stopped and coughed. "Still not asleep?"
From inside the dark house came the curses of a woman and a man's angry shouts.
Zheng Dafeng tiptoed and peered over the wall, offering "mediation" with good intentions: "Arguing in the middle of the night is one thing, but fighting? Do you want Big Brother Dafeng to be your mediator?"
The sound of a man getting up, putting on shoes, and grabbing a tool came from the house. Zheng Dafeng immediately beat a hasty retreat.
Back at the tavern, Xiao Mo laughed. "Mr. Zheng is still as vibrant as ever."
Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile, left the keys on the counter, closed the shop door, and led Xiao Mo back to the Ning Mansion.
On the training ground, he practiced the "six-step walking on posts" for about half an hour before returning to the residence. He lit a lamp in the side room and looked at the several plain seals made of the same material on the table, muttering, "Could it be?"
Those seals were all carved from fragments of Frostfall Jade.
Chen Ping'an really wanted to ask Dong Bude how she had obtained her piece of Frostfall Jade back then.
On Inverted Suspension Mountain, in a narrow, dead-end alley, there had been a little-known Crane Inn.
The first time Chen Ping'an took the Osmanthus Island up to Inverted Suspension Mountain, he stayed at that little inn. The proprietor was a young man, with a few shop assistants who didn't seem too concerned about business.
It was much later that Chen Ping'an learned that not a single person in that Crane Inn, from the proprietor to the shop assistants, was an ordinary person. They were all from the Bell-Exit Palace of the Qingming world.
They were after that extra-worldly demon, the Heart Demon Dao partner of Palace Lord Wu Shuangjiang, "Natural," the white-haired boy in the old Sword Qi Great Wall prison.
He didn't know whether that piece of Frostfall Jade, or some of the Frostfall Jade that flowed into the Sword Qi Great Wall, had been tampered with by the Crane Inn.
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then summoned Xiao Mo with his voice.
Xiao Mo took those Frostfall Jade plain seals one by one in his palm. After a moment, he shook his head. "No abnormality."
The implication was that Wu Shuangjiang hadn't hidden a sliver of his mind inside.
At least, not within these seals on the table.
Chen Ping'an remembered something. His master had said that during his long journey, he had happened to be in the Great Xuan Capital Temple when Wu Shuangjiang, who had just reached the Fourteenth Realm, was visiting the temple. At the time, Palace Lord Wu seemed slightly unstable, a bit of a blemish in perfection.
Logically speaking, it's not just about breaking through to the Fourteenth Realm; all Qi refiners need to stabilize their realm at the beginning of each breakthrough.
But could Wu Shuangjiang be judged by common sense?
Assuming Wu Shuangjiang really had done this, then his sliver of mind must definitely be somewhere in the Five Colors World. It could be in Ascend City, or it could have gone to the mountain peak the Bell-Exit Palace had established in the Five Colors World.
Such an action wasn't just risky. Not having a complete mind during closed-door cultivation is the number one taboo in cultivation, especially when trying to break through the Flying Ascension realm bottleneck to reach the Fourteenth Realm!
Moreover, this sliver of mental projection, unlike a great cultivator's Yang Spirit avatar or Yin Spirit out-of-body travel, is destined to have a low realm once separated from the true body. If it falls into the hands of other cultivators, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Only a complete madman would do something like this.
But for Wu Shuangjiang, it seemed nothing special.
Chen Ping'an tentatively called out, "Palace Lord Wu?"
He called again. No response.
He simply called Wu Shuangjiang by name.
Still no response.
Chen Ping'an glanced at Xiao Mo. Xiao Mo's face was expressionless.
In a school in Summer Resort City, a teacher who looked quite young was taking a walk under the moonlight, hands clasped behind his back. He looked at a couplet he had personally written with his own hand.
"The upper beam meets the Purple Star; the vertical pillar encounters the Yellow Way Day."
This inconspicuous teacher was a native of the Sword Qi Great Wall. He was a Qi refiner but not a sword cultivator. In his early years, he had worked in the residence of Jade-Purity realm sword cultivator Sun Juyuan. In recent years, he had lived at the school. Last year, he had just taken on a book boy, who was actually a pitifully born "pestilence god." The boy had come here traveling with a wandering cultivator from Fuyao Continent. The boy himself didn't know this. Only then could he act without anyone knowing. As for that wandering cultivator, he was naturally a puppet who knew nothing and could only be led.
It wasn't that he couldn't follow the thread to make some Dao deductions, but the teacher didn't want to reveal his identity yet, so he chose to cut it off directly.
Besides, deduction was less accurate than simple guesswork for him.
Hearing the two calls of "Palace Lord Wu" and one of "Wu Shuangjiang," the teacher clicked his tongue and said, "Couldn't be an idiot, could he?"
The next morning, Chen Ping'an went to the tavern. It had just opened. There was little business. Qiu Long, Liu E, Feng Kangle, and Tao Ban were all there, sitting around a table, chatting idly.
The former young girl, now a married woman, Liu E exclaimed with surprise, "Second Shopkeeper!"
Qiu Long also had a full smile, though a bit more reserved than his wife.
Chen Ping'an laughed. "I probably won't be able to attend the opening of your new tavern in Summer Resort City to offer congratulations in person. But the plaque, couplets, and everything for the new tavern—I'll take care of it all."
Liu E quickly thanked him profusely. Qiu Hu stood nearby, smiling the whole time.
The former little kid Feng Kangle, who used to be so energetic, was now a grown young man.
Tao Ban went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of noodles for the Second Shopkeeper. He kept a straight face and didn't speak. Feng Kangle complained, "Second Shopkeeper, why are you just arriving now?"
Chen Ping'an took the bowl of scallion noodles and a pair of chopsticks, and said softly with a smile, "It can't be helped. Many things don't go the way you want."
Feng Kangle nodded. "True. I've been wanting to make big money, but after all these years, I haven't made much."
One was lying on the table, the other resting their chin on their hand, both staring at the Second Shopkeeper, whom they hadn't seen for a long time.
They weren't cultivators. They went from children to youths, from youths to young adults, all so fast, as if in the blink of an eye. It probably wouldn't be long before they became middle-aged.
Chen Ping'an twirled the noodles around his chopsticks and laughed. "Staring at me eat won't fill your stomach!"
Tao Ban grinned.
Feng Kangle asked, "When you've been away for so long, do you miss the tavern?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Yes, I do."
Zheng Dafeng yawned as he walked into the tavern.
The tavern's first customer of the day greatly surprised Chen Ping'an.
He was a dashing young man, looking like a destitute scholar, dressed all in black. When he saw Chen Ping'an, he used a title no one in Ascend City had ever heard before, calling out cheerfully, "Brother Good Man!"
Chen Ping'an put down his chopsticks. "Oh! It's Brother Mu Mao!"
"Brother Good Man, haven't seen you in years. Your presence is even more impressive than before. Meeting an old friend in a foreign land—even without drinking, my heart feels warm."
"Well said, well said. Brother Mu Mao is no slouch either. Honestly, if Brother Mu Mao hadn't come to find me, I would have had to visit you myself. I should have offered the hospitality of a host."
"To be honest, I used the pseudonym Chen Wen before. To be sincere with Brother Good Man, so you could find me easily, I've changed back to my real name, Mu Mao."
"What a coincidence! I previously used the pseudonym Dou Yi, and now I've also changed back to my real name."
"I imagine Brother Good Man isn't afraid of blood anymore?"
"That's hard to say. It depends on the person."
Zheng Dafeng sat to the side, a bit stunned. Were you two long-lost brothers?
Chen Ping'an explained, "In the Ghost Moth Valley of Beiju Luzhou, I happened to meet this Brother Mu Mao. We had a few clashes before becoming friends."
The black-clad scholar laughed. "Not at all, not at all. It was like we were old friends at first sight. It was heaven's will to give me the opportunity to fight alongside Brother Good Man, to share a common hatred, to make a fortune together. With brothers united, even metal can be broken."
He raised his clasped hands high towards Zheng Dafeng and shook them vigorously. "This must be the famous substitute manager who calls himself a drunkard with no dregs in his heart, and is known as a libertine with considerable flair in his writing!"
Zheng Dafeng returned the clasped hands. "Empty fame, all empty fame."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "If you had come to the Sword Qi Great Wall earlier, with Brother Mu Mao's intelligence and temperament, you definitely would have gotten into the Summer Resort."
The black-clad scholar waved his hand. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Did everyone come?"
The black-clad scholar smiled slyly. "Nope. Just me."
Chen Ping'an suppressed his doubts and didn't press further.
This guy in front of him, although his real name was Yang Ningxing, wasn't the complete Yang Ningxing.
The cave lord of Tianyu Cave Heaven in Liuxia Continent, Shu Nanyuan, and his only son Shu Zhongshu, had come to the Five Colors World some time ago. They quickly selected a prime land and built a Transcendent Platform.
He quickly became good friends with this "Chen Wen," who willingly took on the role of advisor and hanger-on.
As for that guy who used the alias Yang Hengxing, his real name was Yang Ningzhen. He came from the Chongxuan Department of the Dayuan Dynasty in Beiju Luzhou, and he was this Brother Mu Mao's elder brother. A real brother, of course.
Yang Ningzhen had broken through from the Golden Core realm to the Nascent Soul realm in the Five Colors World, and from the Golden Body realm to the Land Traveling realm.
He was skilled in talismans, with none of the restraint of a traveler trying not to show his wealth. He was practically a mobile treasure trove, which attracted the covetousness of various forces. Yang Ningzhen was always ruthless, and it snowballed until nearly a hundred Qi refiners besieged, chased, and were killed by him.
As for Yang Ningxing, he was known as the "Little Heavenly Lord" in Beiju Luzhou, with a better chance than his brother of inheriting the Xiaoyao Palace, and then naturally becoming the Guardian National Master of the Dayuan Dynasty.
After Yang Ningxing refined the Three Mountains and Nine Ages Mirror of Ghost Moth Valley's Treasure Mirror Mountain, he arrived here. Without any difficulty, he smoothly broke through to the Jade-Purity realm.
But the two brothers had had a poor relationship since childhood. They didn't enter the Five Colors World together, and they hadn't seen each other even once in all these years. They each kept to themselves.
Shu Zhongshu was a true favored son of heaven. His father had a distinguished status and a wealthy family. His mother was also the junior sister of the female Celestial Spirit Lady Cong Qian.
He had brought five female sword attendants with him when he entered this new world.
Their names were Xiao Ping, Jiang Se, Cai Yi, Da Xian, Hua Ying. All were middle-five realm sword cultivators.
Now, two were Golden Core, three were Dragon Gate.
From this, one could see how much the Dao couple of Tianyu Cave Heaven doted on their only son, and how profound the foundations of Tianyu Cave Heaven were.
They were essentially just attending to Shu Zhongshu's daily needs, since he was one of the ten young candidates across several worlds.
Chen Ping'an asked, "That young man from the Fuji Sect?"
The black-clad scholar shook his head. "I've seen him from a distance. No interaction."
The fundamental techniques of the Fuji Sect were somewhat similar to those of the Nine Capitals Mountain, both involving the composition of green lyrics. But besides summoning spirits and bringing down immortals, the Fuji Sect could also invite ghost immortals.
Back then, Sect Master Ji Hai had summoned a Hades General named "Zhuai Liu" and a ghost immortal named "Hua Ya." Both were at the Nascent Soul realm at the time. They followed the young man into the Five Colors World as his protectors.
The black-clad scholar asked, "Can you check on something for my Brother Shu? About Tianyu Cave Heaven?"
Chen Ping'an said, "There was an internal rebellion, but the problem wasn't big."
Actually, it wasn't just the Tianyu Cave Heaven of Liuxia Continent. The sect of Chao Pu in Jinjia Continent, the Baihua Blessed Land, and even the cruise ship of Lord Wealth Liu in Baibai Continent had all faced dangerous schemes.
The black-clad scholar nodded. "That's the best news. When Shu Cave Lord hears this, he can finally be completely at ease. Just for this news, we can ask our Shu Cave Lord for one or two maidservants."
For cultivators, the worst thing was a "what if."
But once that "what if" came and went, it was a stroke of great luck. After all, the probability of "what if upon what if" could almost be ignored.
The black-clad scholar sat cross-legged on the bench, always feeling it was a bit uncomfortable on his butt.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Why haven't you gone back to Transcendent Platform to enjoy the good life?"
"No matter how beautiful the scenery, it's still just a small place. Few people, just a few familiar faces. It gets boring. The key is that every tomorrow is the same as today."
The black-clad scholar curled his lip. "It's not like here. People come and go every day, bustling in the streets and alleys, full of vitality. Every tomorrow makes you look forward to the next."
Then he was suddenly grabbed tightly around the neck by a white-clothed youth. "How dare you! The Left Guardian of Riding Dragon Alley has lent you courage, has it, to call my Master brother?!"