Chapter 916: This Matter Is Settled
Chen Ping'an stood up and strolled along the ridgeline of the paddy fields by himself, because an old friend had arrived, Qi Shou, who had rushed over from Wukui City. He was now the leader of the Executioner lineage.
Qi Shou came straight to the point: "If you hadn't come to the Spring Treasury to find me, I would have been left hanging, so I'd rather just deliver myself to your doorstep and take a few scoldings."
Who didn't know that the young Hidden Officer of the Summer Retreat Palace was full of strange talk, as if he had a whole basketful of lifebound flying swords, each one stabbing at the heart.
Chen Ping'an laughed. "You and I are close friends, and now that you've been promoted, I'd be busy flattering you if anything. How would I dare to point fingers at a newly appointed Executioner?"
The two walked side by side along the ridge. Qi Shou said, "I heard the previous Executioner was named Hao Su? When Ning Yao returned to Ascension City last time, during your trip to the Barren Wastes, she didn't go into detail. So up to now, I only know his name."
For the sword cultivators of the Executioner lineage today, there had always been a minor but nagging concern—the "family tree" was broken, because the previous Executioner had never shown himself until the end of the war.
In contrast, the Hidden Officer lineage had a clear succession of generations. Regardless of the reputations of past Hidden Officers, their realms, or their military merits, at least they could be traced and the lineage was clear.
As for the previous Hidden Officer Xiao Xun's defection from the Sword Qi Great Wall, in truth, not only the current sword cultivators of the Summer Retreat Palace but the entire Ascension City had few grievances against her. Hence, when discussing Xiao Xun now, there was no taboo whatsoever. Instead of deliberately avoiding the topic, they spoke of it with considerable regret. The three sword cultivators who defected with Xiao Xun—the gatekeeper Zhang Lu, Luo Shan, and Zhu An—were likewise not cursed out loud. The occasional curses were directed at Zhang Lu, calling him a useless waste, since he had already chosen betrayal, he might as well have been straightforward and followed Xiao Xun on a trip to the Haoran Heaven.
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Hao Su came from a blessed land in the Fuyang Continent that had long been shattered. In the early years at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he always stayed in Old Deaf Man's prison, so his name was not well known. His swordsmanship was actually very high—a Flying Ascension realm. Back then, he returned to the Haoran Heaven and directly found the mastermind behind the destruction of his home blessed land. It was an old Flying Ascension realm from the Central Earth Divine Continent named Nan Guangzhao. Hao Su chopped off his head and carelessly threw it at the mountain gate. Last time, when Hao Su accompanied us on a trip to the Barren Wastes Heaven, he killed the Flying Ascension great demon Xuan Pu from Immortal Hairpin City. That counted as settling accounts with the Confucian Temple, making up for his past faults. So now he has gone to the Azure Void Heaven. Hao Su will offer some protection for that group of wandering sword cultivators led by Dong Hua Fu."
Qi Shou took out a seal he had bought from the Yan family's silk shop. "Pity I never managed to get the best plum blossom edition of Mr. Kangjie's 'Ji Rang Ji'."
Chen Ping'an glanced at the seal and recognized it as a book-collecting seal with the bottom inscription "But I alone have not reached the four directions." It was quite fitting for Qi Shou's situation and state of mind.
He had never been to the Haoran Heaven, nor had he truly been to the Barren Wastes Heaven. How vast the world was, yet he could only dwell in one corner. In the end, Qi Shou was proud-hearted.
Qi Shou clenched the seal in his palm, like a hand-held trinket. "What about that old ancestor of mine?"
Chen Ping'an teased, "Old Sword Immortal Qi has no need for your worry. He has already made a name for himself far and wide in the Haoran Heaven. The Dragon Elephant Sword Sect has Lu Zhi, one sect with two Flying Ascension realms, both sword cultivators at that. Who wouldn't be afraid? Add Shao Yunyan and the tipsy-faced lady—both Upper Five Realm enshriners—helping with administrative affairs, and the dozen or so nominal disciples Old Sword Immortal Qi has taken in there are all of excellent aptitude. They are hailed as the 'Eighteen Sword Sons,' all top-tier sword immortal seedlings. Within a hundred years, the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect need only recruit a few more guest elders and expand its second-generation disciples to leap into being the most prominent great sect in the Haoran Heaven."
Qi Shou hesitated, as if there were some words hard to utter. He stopped and crouched down, tucking the seal into his sleeve, then reached out to grab a golden ear of heavy-think rice from a rice plant by the field. Chen Ping'an promptly scolded him, "You just can't keep your hands to yourself, can you?"
Chen Ping'an sat down nearby, picked up a pebble, and with his cloth shoe scraped the mud off it casually. "Fei Ran is now universally recognized as the Lord of the Barren Wastes. But you, Brother Qi, haven't even become the city lord of Ascension City yet. You're only called half a city lord. I almost want to stand up for you."
Since you're too embarrassed to speak, I'll build you a stepping stone.
Qi Shou said slowly, "Chen Ping'an, am I fated never to be that city lord in this lifetime?"
Chen Ping'an asked, "Why do you ask that?"
Qi Shou replied, "Intuition."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "You're not a woman. Women's intuition is accurate."
Qi Shou fired off a series of questions: "What exactly is the deal with those two empty chairs in the Ancestral Hall? Was it your arrangement? Or is there some significance—like an instruction from the old Great Sword Immortal in the early days? Ning Yao didn't explain either. Outsiders have been guessing for years without a definite answer."
The relatively most plausible opinion was that those two empty chairs were reserved: one for the future city lord, and one for the number one person under heaven in the Five Colors Heaven. If so, that would be quite in line with the old Great Sword Immortal's style.
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I don't know either. Maybe it really was the old Great Sword Immortal who told Ning Yao to arrange it that way. I'll ask about it when I get back."
In truth, what Chen Ping'an really needed to ask was Chen Ji—or rather, the old sword immortal Chen Xi of earlier times.
Qi Shou pressed, "If you had to guess, what would you say?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and said softly, "The past has already passed, the future has yet to come. Those two chairs will remain empty forever—or rather, they aren't empty. It's just like two sword cultivators sitting side by side, but they aren't any specific individuals. Not Qi Shou, who is still agonizing over whether he can become city lord. Not even Ning Yao, who has already firmly claimed the number one position under heaven. They simply represent all sword cultivators of the past who have not been forgotten, and all sword cultivators of the future who will become the future."
Qi Shou pondered this and found that Chen Ping'an's off-the-cuff answer was quite reasonable and very interesting. He couldn't help but sigh, "You really are a scholar!"
Chen Ping'an said indignantly, "I finally managed to have a heart-to-heart talk with you, and you have to be so ungrateful? Asking for a scolding, are you?"
Qi Shou crossed his arms and looked at the golden rice paddies. It reminded him of that seal he had taken a fancy to, with the side inscription about families being well-off, seasons harmonious, and limbs healthy...
Otherwise, given his level of friendship with Chen Ping'an, he wouldn't have bothered to patronize the Yan family shop. He would only have held his nose and twisted his nature to have someone buy that seal he had fallen for at first sight.
Qi Shou was silent for a moment, then said, "Though it's the least likely possibility, my intuition tells me that the sword cultivator who recently carved a new inscription on the city wall is not my old ancestor, not Ning Yao, not the Executioner Hao Su or Lu Zhi, but you."
Chen Ping'an shrugged it off with a laugh, spreading one palm to rest lightly on the ridge. "There's only one thing that makes me feel the most... proud. Well, having accomplished this thing, I feel truly at ease and pleased."
Qi Shou turned his head to look at Chen Ping'an's profile. His brows and eyes were lifted, his expression indeed carrying a rare exhilaration—an unabashed display of sharpness.
Chen Ping'an raised one hand, two fingers together, and sliced downward, then made a horizontal swipe. Then he spread his fingers. "That Barren Wastes sword cultivator with the lifebound flying sword 'Cosmetics,' Hui Ting of the Red Leaf Sword Sect—I split him in two with one sword stroke, then cut him in half at the waist. Using the Daoist Thunder Bureau, I refined and annihilated his soul completely, then stripped away this bastard's true demon name. Torturing him to death like that was very satisfying. If I hadn't been busy dueling with someone else at the time, I actually had many more tricks waiting for Hui Ting to enjoy properly."
Qi Shou, together with Nalan Caihuan and Mi Yu, were all sword cultivators known for their ruthlessness on the battlefield. Yet even they felt their scalps prickle at Chen Ping'an's words.
But simply hearing that Hui Ting had finally died put Qi Shou in a very good mood. He turned sideways and clasped his fists. "That was beautifully done!"
Chen Ping'an said, "But Hui Ting was trying to save a friend at the time—he sought death himself. I suppose in the eyes of Barren Wastes cultivators, he counts as a hero?"
Qi Shou sneered, "That bastard just never fell into my hands."
Chen Ping'an clicked his tongue. "What could you have done if he had fallen into your hands? Could you have done away with Hui Ting right under the noses of Tuoyue Mountain and the prime culprit? You should know, this senior disciple of the Barren Wastes Great Ancestor was also a Flying Ascension sword cultivator who kept himself well hidden."
Qi Shou asked curiously, "So how did you make Hui Ting walk right into your trap, and how did you ensure the prime culprit couldn't save him in time?"
Chen Ping'an did not provide an answer.
There was always a small handful of Barren Wastes cultivators that the Sword Qi Great Wall resented most yet could not kill. For instance, the senior disciple of Wen Hai and Zhou Mi, the sword immortal Shou Chen, and this Hui Ting, who acted insidiously and specialized in assassinating female sword cultivators. Hui Ting was especially detestable. Shou Chen could be hateful too, adept at hiding his identity on the battlefield and liking to pick off easy targets, but historically, Shou Chen had also engaged in many straightforward sword duels. Moreover, Shou Chen's swordsmanship was precise and not deliberately targeted at anyone. But Hui Ting only chose female sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall to enhance the rank of his flying sword "Cosmetics," regardless of their realm or age. Every time he succeeded, he immediately withdrew from the battlefield. The women killed by that flying sword suffered a tragic fate—their souls were captured and refined by the sword, burning slowly like a wick.
Qi Shou asked, "Has the academy site been chosen? Aren't you going to take a look?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Next time. I'm about to return to the Haoran Heaven."
Qi Shou curled his lip. "The Hidden Officer's shadow is everywhere. It's been so many years, but you still can't shake it off. Must be annoying."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Brother Qi, that flattery was a bit skillful. In my Fallen Mountain, you'd at least qualify as an outer sect handyman."
Qi Shou was about to take his leave when Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "Since we're about to part, let me, as the former Hidden Officer, speak some words from the heart to the new Executioner?"
Qi Shou nodded. "I'm all ears."
Chen Ping'an patted the field ridge beside him. "Don't try to erase the traces. Cover them up. Over time, the achievements will all be yours."
Qi Shou was greatly surprised. Could Chen Ping'an really be so magnanimous now?
But thinking a bit further, he immediately sensed something off. "You're not planning to return to Ascension City? Not even coming next time the gate opens?"
Chen Ping'an said, "How could that be? I'll definitely come here often."
Qi Shou laughed and cursed, "Then why are you spouting empty platitudes at me?!"
Chen Ping'an sighed. "Truly, we should look at a man with new eyes after three days' separation. Brother Qi is not so easy to fool anymore."
Qi Shou stood up to leave. Chen Ping'an suddenly tossed him a seal. "For you."
Qi Shou caught it. The seal had no side inscription, only four characters in the seal impression. Qi Shou smiled knowingly and tucked it into his sleeve, thanking Chen Ping'an.
"The Dao is herein."
In fact, during the years Chen Ping'an had been away from Ascension City, some who fancied themselves refined tried to imitate the second shopkeeper by selling seals in bulk to make money. They figured it was an easy, low-cost business—just copy books for the inscriptions. But not only did they fail to sell a single seal, each of them got thoroughly cursed out. The second shopkeeper might have thrown his face on the ground, but these guys buried theirs underground!
Before Qi Shou left, soaring back to Ascension City on the wind, he said, "Mutual encouragement."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Mutual encouragement."
Xiao Mo crouched beside the white-robed youth and comforted him, "Sect Leader Cui, a gentleman does some things and refrains from doing others. Some matters must be fought over in the here and now, others don't require immediate urgency. Let us both relax. Let's look ahead a hundred or a thousand years. Perhaps today's loss is precisely what the Great Dao requires."
Cui Dongshan squeezed out a smile. "I understand the reasoning, but I just can't help feeling sorry for Master."
Xiao Mo smiled slightly. "Thinking that way will only add another burden to your master. Master would only worry about his student in return."
"But I feel that with this seemingly self-inflicted circling around, both you, Master, and Sect Leader Cui—two of the cleverest people under heaven—don't seem so clever anymore. Maybe that's how a true master and student should be?"
"I suppose that was all nonsense."
When it came to his own sword practice or dueling, Xiao Mo felt he was passable.
But comforting others was indeed not his forte. It was much harder than wielding a sword.
Cui Dongshan, who had been quietly listening to Xiao Mo's words, shook his head vigorously. "It wasn't nonsense!"
After Chen Ping'an had caught up with Qi Shou, he returned along the same ridge to find that Cui Dongshan seemed to be getting along well with Xiao Mo, and had a smile on his face.
They returned to their own wine shop in Ascension City. As soon as word got out that the second shopkeeper was back and personally opening the shop to serve customers, the regulars swarmed in. Many had come on flying swords from the four vassal cities on short notice. They were either drunkards or bachelors, and of course some who were both. Soon the shop was packed to overflowing. But unlike before, they didn't fight over tables; they preferred to squat by the doorstep and the roadside. The second shopkeeper had always liked squatting by the roadside to drink, listening to his old friends' loud talk. Everyone spoke in loud voices, reeking of alcohol—just like the old days. The second shopkeeper listened more and talked less. At this drinking session, many deep-cover alcohol informants exposed themselves, such as the old Golden Core cultivator Song Youwei.
As dusk deepened and the wine shop was about to close, Chen Ping'an, who had already drunk quite a bit during the day, had Taoban bring out a few jars of Mute Lake wine, then asked Feng Kangle to tell his father to cook up a table of home-style dishes to go with the wine.
Zheng Dafeng asked curiously, "What's this about? What do you gain by getting me drunk? Besides, you've already thrown up three times—can you really take it?"
Chen Ping'an said boldly, "No more nonsense. We keep going until one of us is down."
Zheng Dafeng laughed. "Then let's agree in advance: no urging each other to drink. Only drink as you please."
Chen Ping'an agreed without hesitation.
Xiao Mo and Cui Dongshan sat at the next table.
But before Chen Ping'an and Zheng Dafeng had even finished two bowls of wine, a young man in a blue robe approached slowly. Zheng Dafeng glanced at him and recognized him—he was a teacher surnamed Wu from the city's school. Over the years, he had come to the wine shop a few times, but he wasn't a regular. On average, once or twice a year. But every time he came, he would go inside the shop to browse the unattended tablets.
Previously, when Mr. Wu came to the shop, he would order a bowl of Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine, which cost one snowflake coin. But last time he came, he switched to a bowl of Mute Lake wine and even took a jar home.
The reason Zheng Dafeng remembered so clearly was that the man's scholarly aura was quite rare on the Sword Qi Great Wall—similar to himself, both exuding the refinement of poetry and books, though not as outstanding as his own.
Xiao Mo sized up the newcomer and immediately changed tables. He said through sound transmission, "Master, this person is not simple. His demeanor is rather unusual. It seems he knows I'm not easy to deal with, yet he deliberately lets me know he's not simple."
Xiao Mo hesitated, then gave his guess: "Could it really be that Palace Lord Wu?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "It must be."
Then Chen Ping'an glanced at Xiao Mo—still not laughing?
Xiao Mo felt a bit wronged. I wasn't laughing at you back then, Master.
Chen Ping'an rose and made a bow.
Wu Shuangjiang simply returned the gesture with a clasped fist.
After Wu Shuangjiang sat down, he said, "At the school, I used the alias Wu Yu. The Summer Retreat Palace has records; you can look it up if you're interested."
Hearing that alias, Chen Ping'an was at a loss for words.
Zheng Dafeng was puzzled again. "Another old friend, like that Mu Mao fellow?"
Chen Ping'an introduced him, "This is Palace Lord Wu of the Year-End Palace."
Zheng Dafeng said in realization, "No wonder."
Wu Shuangjiang smiled and clasped his fists. "Over the years, I've listened to Mr. Zheng's witty remarks without spending a single copper coin. They made excellent accompaniment to my wine."
Zheng Dafeng, still with one foot resting on the bench, put down his wine bowl and returned the salute. "Mr. Wu flatters me."
Chen Ping'an was silent for a long time, then asked, "That almanac?"
Wu Shuangjiang nodded. "It was my work. But I've already repaid that debt to Ascension City."
He had helped Ascension City eliminate three minor threats; otherwise, Ascension City's expansion would have been delayed by at least thirty to fifty years.
It wasn't a scheme from the Jade Capital. Dao Number Two disdained such actions. And that youngest disciple of the Dao Ancestor, a young Daoist styled "Shan Qing," had excellent cultivation aptitude but lacked the brains or the boldness.
Never underestimate the long-term vision and meticulous methods of certain strategists.
There are always people who may only have a few coins in their pockets but dare to dream of having wealth that covers the world.
If an ordinary person dared to think like that, it would be fanciful. But there are always a few who, if they can conceive it, can achieve it.
However, Wu Shuangjiang had neither the mood nor the obligation to explain this to Chen Ping'an.
For now, only Ascension City was using this new almanac. But if in the future the entire Five Colors Heaven adopted it and it spread throughout the world, then Wu Shuangjiang would have his own means to repay a second favor.
Xiao Mo went to fetch a pair of chopsticks and a bowl and handed them to Wu Shuangjiang.
Wu Shuangjiang smiled and nodded in thanks. "You're welcome to visit the Year-End Palace in the Azure Void Heaven someday."
Xiao Mo smiled slightly. "That depends on Master's wishes."
Cui Dongshan carried his wine bowl over to this table and sat on the bench next to Xiao Mo, directly across from Wu Shuangjiang. He said with a grin, "No matter where I go, I always run into Palace Lord Wu."
Wu Shuangjiang said calmly, "It's fate."
Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue in wonder. "Palace Lord Wu is truly Palace Lord Wu. Your spirit merges with the Great Void, your Dao comprehends beyond heaven and earth. You now have a thorough understanding of all heavens."
Wu Shuangjiang said, "Some things are not only for Zhou Mi and the Embroidery Tiger to do. Others can do them too."
Cui Dongshan smiled. "I imagine in the Western Buddhist Kingdom, Palace Lord Wu also has an incarnation waiting to awaken one day, right?"
Wu Shuangjiang's true body should still be roaming the Barren Wastes Heaven.
In the neighboring Haoran Heaven and Barren Wastes Heaven, wherever Wu Shuangjiang traveled and his gaze reached, everything seen was also seen by the external heavenly demon at the straw shop on Qilong Lane—now an outer sect handyman at Fallen Mountain named "Konghou." She saw all as if with her own eyes.
Seeing that Wu Shuangjiang was playing deaf and dumb, Cui Dongshan was irritated. "Well said: 'Come from the Huayan Dharma Realm, go to be a heavenly being of the Great Luo.' Palace Lord Wu certainly has grand schemes and fine methods."
Chen Ping'an felt a chill upon hearing this.
When his master mentioned Wu Shuangjiang emerging from seclusion, he had appeared at the Greater Profound Capital Temple to see Daoist Sun and Bai Ye. The aura Wu Shuangjiang had when he first broke into the 14th realm—his master had appraised it as "beautiful but imperfect."
Previously, at the Ning Manor, when Chen Ping'an saw those seals made of shuangyu material, he mistakenly thought Wu Shuangjiang had merely split off a mustard seed of divine thought and hidden it in the Sword Qi Great Wall via the Stork Inn and Inverted Mountain. It turned out that in addition to that, Wu Shuangjiang had also peeled off another seed of divine thought and sent it to the Western Buddhist Kingdom.
Was he treating breaking into the 14th realm so lightly?
How high must a cultivator's Dao arts be, how excellent their cultivation aptitude, how outrageous their arrogance, to dare take such risks?
Could it be?!
Chen Ping'an's face instantly paled. He quickly lowered his head and drank.
Wu Shuangjiang took a sip of wine and laughed. "It's not only the Great Archmage and Qi Jingchun who could do it. Why can't I, Wu Shuangjiang? Isn't it just the simplest thing—following someone else's example? Starting a new path is hard, but once predecessors have blazed a trail, climbing the mountain is much easier. Just follow behind."
Cui Dongshan said in a low voice, "No, you started earlier. You went earlier."
Qi Jingchun only began this in Lizhu Cave Heaven, attempting to fuse the foundations of the Three Teachings into one.
As for the Great Archmage of the Jade Capital, he was old, with a long Dao age. He probably had thought of this unprecedented great road long before. But Li Xisheng and the other "three" only put it into practice much later.
Wu Shuangjiang shook his head. "There's a problem here. Of course I knew that was a very lofty road, but I had no confidence to pave it myself. So I always stayed at the foot of the mountain, waiting for others to go first and open the way. It's just like our Hidden Officer's gift of that seal ruler to Gao Yehou—nothing more than following the rules, which makes things much easier. As for covering up traces on the ridge, as the Hidden Officer said to Qi Shou, I wouldn't dare to hope for that. In the end, I'm just... picking up leftovers. At most, I build a wall. Predecessors have already stacked a solid, sturdy foundation. Later generations can add waste bricks and thatch on top, it doesn't matter—it'll still keep out the wind and rain. I don't have the confidence or the strength to use this to verify the Great Dao. Besides, my ambition does not lie there. I don't need to exhaust myself on this path."
Cui Dongshan sneered. "Just like refining those four counterfeit immortal swords—all picking up what others have discarded!"
Wu Shuangjiang smiled. "Then you try it too?"
Cui Dongshan raised his sleeve and pointed at Wu Shuangjiang. "Don't provoke me. I'm young, hot-tempered, and right in the prime of my youth. I do things without thinking of the consequences. I can't stand provocation."
Back on that night boat, Master had been ambushed by this Wu Shuangjiang. At that time, four of them had joined hands. Coincidentally, now there were also four, though Chief Zhou had been replaced by the enshrinement Xiao Mo.
We could fight!
Besides, we were still inside Ascension City. If the master's wife chose to throw her full weight behind a sword strike... tsk.
Wu Shuangjiang glanced at the white-robed youth, who was itching for a fight. "This 'me' is only at Jade Pu realm. There's no need to make such a big fuss. One Cui Dongshan would be more than enough."
Chen Ping'an glared at Cui Dongshan. "Show some respect to Palace Lord Wu."
Zheng Dafeng urged, "Brother Cui, hurry up and drink a toast."
Cui Dongshan had no choice but to drain his bowl.
Wu Shuangjiang gently swirled his wine bowl and said to Chen Ping'an, "I came to find you this time because I don't want her half-protector—who seems to be advancing boldly on the path of cultivation—to inexplicably take a major fall within a hundred years. Failing to protect her would instead cause her to act on impulse. She has the softest heart. If that day ever comes, she will absolutely not stand idly by. If I then turn against you, what would be the point? A pointless thing. So you must understand one thing: it's time to pay attention to those 14th realm cultivators and those Flying Ascension cultivators who have hope of breaking into that realm."
"This is not some distant matter; it is a present concern. If you're not careful, it will be someone right in front of you."
"For example, me."
Chen Ping'an nodded. Although he had already had similar concerns and had recognized the many changes after the "change of heaven"—that it would never allow first Pei Min's sword art, then the night boat's Wu Shuangjiang, and then some other person later—the same thing could happen once, twice, but never a third time!
But Chen Ping'an had to admit that if Wu Shuangjiang hadn't shown up today, his degree of attention would have been far insufficient—at least, in Wu Shuangjiang's eyes, it was absolutely insufficient.
Wu Shuangjiang asked with a smile, "Chen Ping'an, you don't think that aside from me, those Flying Ascension peak cultivators who have stagnated for a thousand or several thousand years have been idling every day, do you?"
Cui Dongshan slapped the table. "Our Xiao Mo was sleeping!"
Xiao Mo smiled and nodded, playing along. "A beautiful dream that lasted ten thousand years. Slept enough."
Wu Shuangjiang ignored them. "Over the past ten thousand years, the height and depth of Dao techniques have not seen a leap of several major steps. Even scholarship has not truly broken out of the early rut of the Hundred Schools of Thought. As for that larger barrier of writing, there is even less to say. However, with the continuous integration of Dao mind and human nature, the breadth and scope of Dao techniques have become incomparable to ten thousand years ago."
Xiao Mo nodded. "Having followed Master, I have seen a fair amount and thought about some things, but I cannot present it as concisely and clearly as Palace Lord Wu."
Cui Dongshan said in anguish, "Xiao Mo, have you gone over to the enemy already?"
Xiao Mo gave an embarrassed smile. He was just speaking based on facts. Still, he felt a bit apologetic, so he drank a bowl of wine to himself.
Chen Ping'an asked humbly, "Besides those grand cultivators who attended the riverside meeting, I've met them all. Which other Flying Ascension cultivators now have hope of crossing that threshold?"
Wu Shuangjiang then began to "point out the realm" for Chen Ping'an.
14th realm cultivators.
Not to mention the sub-sages and the Literary Sage—those grand cultivators who had combined with the earth's ley lines.
The Great Archmage of the Jade Capital, the Dao Ancestor's senior disciple—whereabouts unknown.
Apart from the Confucian scholar Li Xisheng of Fulu Street in Lizhu Cave Heaven, and the Daoist Zhou Li, who had gone from the Shengao Sect to the Azure Mystery Sect to oversee the Daoist scriptures, the last one was still shrouded in clouds and mist.
Bai Ye reincarnated. A Liang fell in realm. Liu Cha fell in realm.
The sword cultivator Fei Ran's and the old Throne great demon Qie Yun's Dao teacher, an old cultivator disguised as Lu Fayen, had long become a meal for Wen Hai Zhou Mi—and Zhou Mi had defeated and consumed him single-handedly.
Therefore, apart from Wu Shuangjiang of the Year-End Palace, who refined his heart demon into a Dao companion, there was also Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City. One person, two 14th realms.
This was a demonic overlord painstakingly seeking to verify "how to prove whether I am the Dao Ancestor."
Dao Number Two, Yu Dou. He possessed a feather robe personally passed down by the Dao Ancestor and wielded one of the four immortal swords, "Dao Canon."
It was rumored that the Great Archmage had actually already entrusted the entire Jade Capital to this junior brother. No wonder Yu Dou was considered the first cultivator apart from the Three Teachings Patriarchs.
Third Archmage Lu Chen: five dreams, seven heart-phases. For others, breaking into the 14th realm was a kind of merging with the Dao. For Lu Chen, it seemed more like a "scattering of the Dao."
In the Barren Wastes Heaven, the one who established the Hall of Heroes: Chu Sheng.
As Zheng Juzhong's transmitter of the Dao, the Dragon-Slayer Chen Qingliu. When there were no more true dragons in the world, he fell to the Flying Ascension realm. If a true dragon appeared in the world, he would rise to the 14th realm. His method of merging with the Dao was akin to making a Buddhist grand vow.
Master Sanshan Jiuhou: the founding patriarch of the talisman tradition. Of the so-called 72 talisman methods today, if one traced their origins, at least half would have to acknowledge this man as their ancestor.
Zou Zi: He alone occupied half of the Yin-Yang school. Amidst the myriad Dao lineages and orthodoxies, he created a new path and established his own sect, "merging with the Five Elements."
The chicken soup old monk, the monk Shen Qing: He was said to have "the killing power of half a 14th realm cultivator and the defense of one and a half 14th realm cultivators." Rumor had it that even against a Flying Ascension sword cultivator, if the old monk stood still, the sword cultivator could hack away for three days and three nights.
The old blind man of the Ten Thousand Mountains in the Barren Wastes Heaven: his method of merging with the Dao remained a mystery.
The old abbot of the Observation Dao Temple: He merged with a certain "time."
Wu Shuangjiang said, "You should pay special attention to one person: the female Daoist Wu Zhou of the Azure Void Heaven. Her Dao title is 'Taiyin' (Great Yin). You saw her at the riverside meeting."
"Her method of merging with the Dao can roughly be called 'refining objects.'"
"In the entire Azure Void Heaven, over ten thousand years, she has managed to collect eighteen ancient divine weapon relics. The ownership, circulation, and inheritance of each heavy artifact are recorded in the Jade Capital's ledgers. Besides possessing one of those divine weapons of extremely high rank, which granted her the 'Refiner' divine ability of the twelve high-ranking deities, all her Five Elements lifebound objects are 'unrated, unlisted, unrecorded' ancient relics. Even if their ranks are not high, quantity makes up for it. Piled together, their aura is also quite impressive. Moreover, she is hailed as the number one Refiner in the mortal world, capable of forging half-immortal weapons or even immortal weapons. As a 14th realm cultivator, she has been in seclusion for many years. No one knows how many immortal weapons Wu Zhou currently possesses."
"Wu Zhou's Dao heart is extremely resilient. If she relied solely on the path of refining objects, she should not have been able to break into the 14th realm—it would have become a burden to cross that heavenly moat. So she took a shortcut: she refined her own Dao heart, physical body, hair, bones, flesh, and blood all into the state of the Great Void. Ultimately, with her own 'nothingness,' she bears the 'existence' of many lifebound objects. Lu Chen called this 'fragmentation,' which is quite an apt metaphor. However, few people know about this matter. Lu Chen leaked the heavenly secret at the Year-End Palace."
Hearing this, Zheng Dafeng couldn't help interjecting, "This woman—isn't she too ferocious? Who would dare marry her?"
Wu Shuangjiang laughed. "Whether anyone dares to marry her is uncertain. Wu Zhou has never had a Dao companion. Her pride is very high, but of course, she has the right to be."
Chen Ping'an recalled that Lu Chen had mentioned a group of martial arts grandmasters from the Azure Void Heaven, and he had spoken of Wu Zhou quite a bit—only slightly less than that "Xin Ku."
Wu Shuangjiang picked up a mouthful of vegetables and sipped his wine. "If Wu Zhou hadn't feared the Jade Capital and Yao Qing, Bai Ou, who possesses a broken mountain halberd, would have died long ago. If not for Yao Qing's covert protection and an agreement he reached with Wu Zhou, Bai Ou would never have become the female national preceptor of the Qing Shen Dynasty, and she would never have broken into the Stopping Realm."
"If I'm not mistaken, Wu Zhou has already set her sights on you."
"So you need to be careful. You possess the two narrow knives 'Execution' and 'Kankan.' A child holding gold passing through a busy market—it's only human for people to have crooked intentions."
"Once those three are no longer around, and before you break into the 14th realm, if you so much as meet Wu Zhou's gaze, heh."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'll be careful."
When he traveled secretly to the Azure Void Heaven in the future, besides avoiding the Jade Capital, he must also steer clear of Wu Zhou. He absolutely could not let her find his trail.
Chen Ping'an had no desire to end up like Li Zhen or Huai Qian.
Being targeted by a 14th realm grand cultivator who was determined to kill and rob, and then having no precautions or countermeasures when they found him—the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yu Xuan, with his talismans—merged with the starry river. The First Sage Himself had personally "opened the way" for him, so Yu Xuan's breakthrough to the 14th realm was almost a foregone conclusion.
Senior Brother Zuo You.
The great celestial master of the Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Zhao Tianlai. Immortal Sword "Ten Thousand Laws."
The God of Wealth of the Aiai Continent, Liu Jubao.
Pei Min, of the former Three Wonders of Haoran—sword art.
The abbot of the Profound Capital Temple, Sun Huaizhong. The unshakable number five under heaven in the Azure Void Heaven.
Qing Shen Dynasty, "Elegant Chancellor" Yao Qing. He cut off his three corpses and then refined them. Once he retrieves the three corpses, it is very likely he will break into the 14th realm.
Zhao Ge, Dao title Fukan, Flying Ascension peak. She is now Xu Jun's Dao companion.
In her early years, she once ranked among the top ten in the Azure Void Heaven. But because she went into seclusion for a very long time, she gradually faded from memory, to the point that several successive sect leaders, from their cultivation to their deaths, never met this female founding ancestor.
The night watchman of the Year-End Palace, nicknamed Xiao Bai.
"My Xiao Bai, to a certain extent, has a certain Dao conflict with Yao Qing. Yao Qing's Dao title is 'Shouling' (Guardian of the Mausoleum). Xiao Bai's so-called night watch, to be precise, is a kind of 'Shouling' (Guardian of the Spirit). In the early years, I sent him to Inverted Mountain to set up the Stork Inn. What do you think the reason was? Was it really just to help me find her? Since one mustard seed of my divine thought was already on the Sword Qi Great Wall, why would I need to do that?"
"Su Zi and Liu Qi now both have hope. We'll see who can fill the position left by Bai Ye sooner. This Dao struggle is a gentleman's contest among scholars. Neither side needs to come to blows."
Wu Shuangjiang emptied his wine bowl. "It's a pity about Chen Chun'an and Liang Shuang."
The pure Confucian of Southern Brasmia Continent, Chen Chun'an, who shouldered sun and moon.
He had not hesitated to die in order to prevent the 14th realm pure sword cultivator Liu Cha from returning to the Barren Wastes Heaven.
A pity that the pure Confucian was not domineering, and his essays failed to reach the heavenly road.
The outer-surname great celestial master Liang Shuang, who had originally relied on steady effort and continued advancing on a certain path, had a very high chance of breaking realms. But his assassination of Zhou Mi failed, leading to a lifetime without hope of reaching the 14th realm.
The rise of the military school was unstoppable. The ghost immortals of the dark path, the circulation of immortal money, flying sword messages, mirror flowers and water moons—among the various schools beyond the Three Teachings and the one family, someone would surely take advantage of the situation.
If not for the Rites Sage's rules, none of the founding patriarchs of the Hundred Schools would have failed to reach the Flying Ascension realm.
And once they reached Flying Ascension, their path to merging with the Dao would be very clear, requiring no other attempts.
Wu Shuangjiang suddenly asked, "Have you had any contact with Wei She?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I've only heard of him, never met him."
Originally, he planned to visit this old immortal on his next trip to the Aiai Continent, along with the Liu family of Aiai Continent and Nine Capital Mountain—all must-visit places.
Suddenly, Chen Ping'an's expression turned odd. Wu Shuangjiang smiled. "Before I left the Haoran Heaven, I did fight Wei She. Looking back, I somewhat regret adding insult to injury."
Wei She of the Aiai Continent had taken many aliases and sobriquets—the more famous among them being "Master of the Thirty-Seven Peaks." He was a very renowned old Flying Ascension cultivator.
But his situation was awkward, similar to Su Zi in relation to Bai Ye, as if his great Dao had been severed, reaching a dead end. Now, Wei She seemed to have completely given up on breaking into the 14th realm.
Wei She had started as a wild cultivator from the mountains. When he burst onto the scene, his fame was such that for a time, no one could rival him.
In his youth, among the younger generation of cultivators across the nine continents of Haoran, he was hailed as having no equal in the same realm for five hundred years.
From the Middle Five realms—Golden Core and Nascent Soul Earth Immortal realms—to the Upper Five realms—Jade Pu and Immortal realms—he swept through everything. Whether in sparring Dao techniques or personal combat, he never lost.
In mountain duels or battles, Wei She won ninety-six consecutive matches.
This record was only broken by some bastard in an extremely dishonorable, heavily inflated way.
Rumor had it that even the Fire Dragon True Lord had suffered a loss at Wei She's hands.
Among the top ten of the Central Earth, the old sword immortal Zhou Shenzhi and Huai Yin had also lost to Wei She.
But after Wei She broke through to Flying Ascension, he stagnated, constantly being surpassed by those who had once been his defeated opponents.
Perhaps because expectations were too high, disappointments were too great. Not only his home continent Aiai, but even the Central Earth Divine Continent felt regret and sorrow, unable to understand why a Wei She, whose great Dao had seemed so promising, had "lost his integrity in his later years." According to reason, Wei She should have been the most likely candidate to become a newly emergent 14th realm cultivator.
In the past thousand years, Wei She was often teased by the Fire Dragon True Lord: "The ancients did not deceive me: 'If he is bright as a child, he may not be great as a man.' How heartbreaking."
As for the identity of the person who defeated Wei She in that ninety-seventh duel, it had always been a mystery.
Wu Shuangjiang revealed shocking inside information: "Wei She was not, as the outside world rumored, lacking in stamina in his cultivation, nor did he fail to find a suitable path for the Dao. Rather, after breaking through to Flying Ascension, only a hundred years later, he attempted to merge with the Dao in seclusion once, but failed. Because of this, Master Sanshan Jiuhou made a special trip to the Aiai Continent, essentially 'stepping aside to give half a road and a door' for the highly anticipated Wei She. But Wei She himself failed to seize the opportunity. He was still too impatient, too eager to attain that seemingly within-reach 14th realm. In the end, he drew nothing but water from an empty basket."
"Flying Ascension peak cultivators who tend toward a perfect realm will fail once or twice, forced to change their path. If their foundation is good, they can afford two mistakes. If their foundation is poor, one mistake ends everything. Wei She, who acted too hastily, belonged to the latter."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Fire Dragon True Lord?"
Wu Shuangjiang said, "He has already missed twice. Once, he failed to lift his thunder method to a higher level. Another time, he attempted to cultivate both water and fire methods but still failed to merge with the Dao. So breaking into the 14th realm is very difficult. Very difficult."
The Crimson Consort of the Barren Wastes Heaven—Chen Ping'an had dragged the Yeluo River and stolen nearly 40% of its water fortune.
The Mountain-Moving Ancestor Zhu Yan—he had privately negotiated with the Barren Wastes Lord Fei Ran for ownership of Tuoyue Mountain, but that also fell through.
Regarding the latter, Wu Shuangjiang, after finding Zheng Juzhong in the Barren Wastes Heaven, had deduced it together with him.
Given the temperament of the sword cultivator Fei Ran, he would have been absolutely willing to do this deal—using one Tuoyue Mountain to exchange for a new 14th realm cultivator for the Barren Wastes Heaven.
Having said this, Wu Shuangjiang smiled. "These two accounts will take some settling. Cutting off someone's financial path is already hateful enough, but you directly obstructed their chance at merging with the Dao. That is indeed an irreconcilable enmity. If by chance they manage to break into the 14th realm, I'd advise against casually wandering into the Barren Wastes Heaven. Moreover, there is also the Barren Wastes Lord Fei Ran and Zhou Mi's personal disciple Zhou Qinggao—both count as your old acquaintances. I'm sure they will offer you a warm welcome, the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall."
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "That martial arts grandmaster named Xin Ku—is his cultivation aptitude really that good?"
Wu Shuangjiang nodded. "He is only even better than you imagine. Wei She, when pitted against this man, falls short by half a measure. So as long as Xin Ku is willing to turn to cultivation, he can definitely become a 14th realm."
"Chen Ping'an, guess what this Xin Ku, who has spent years alone on Leap Month Peak, wants to do?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and ventured, "See if he can throw a punch from the mortal world that shatters the bright moon in the sky?"
Wu Shuangjiang laughed. "Only a pure martial artist understands another pure martial artist."
"You have to worry about both the cultivator Wu Zhou and the already formidable martial artist Bai Ou. In a foreign land with distant mountains and rivers, take a thousand cares."
"Fortunately, the Profound Capital Temple is a place where you can rest. Sun Huaizhong always speaks very fondly of a certain 'Little Daoist Friend Chen.' After Bai Ye, you seem to be the only one in the Haoran Heaven to receive such treatment."
Chen Ping'an said resignedly, "I am grateful for Daoist Sun's high regard."
Wu Shuangjiang suddenly asked Xiao Mo, "Among you cultivators awakened by Bai Ze, I wonder where your killing ability ranks, fellow Daoist Mosheng?"
Xiao Mo answered frankly, "Killing power, defense, escape methods—none of these are the absolute best for me. But each rank is fairly high. So if I were to duel anyone, against any opponent, I could hold my own. If there were two or three, unless others interfered, I could kill them all."
Wu Shuangjiang understood immediately. "Is Fellow Daoist Xiao Mo the one who once brewed wine with Bixiao Cave Lord and crossed swords with Yuan Xiang?"
Xiao Mo gave an embarrassed smile. "Past matters are not worth mentioning."
Zheng Dafeng quickly raised his wine bowl. "Xiao Mo shares that trait with me. No wonder we hit it off."
They were the same type—a good man doesn't boast of past bravery, nor does he extol former glory in humble times.
Xiao Mo faced Zheng Dafeng, raised his bowl with both hands, and downed it in one gulp.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Does the Year-End Palace have any surplus Golden Essence Copper Coins?"
Wu Shuangjiang nodded. "Some."
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "I wonder how many 'some' is in Palace Lord Wu's view?"
Wu Shuangjiang said, "Whether many or few, it makes no difference. I won't give you any anyway. Besides, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. Your flying sword 'Caged Sparrow'—if you want to forge a prototype of a River of Time, you come to the Year-End Palace to ask for Golden Essence Copper Coins? What, do you want me to smash my head through the Five Colors Heaven?"
Chen Ping'an still refused to give up. "Can't we negotiate?"
As for how Wu Shuangjiang seemed to know everything so thoroughly—including his chats with Gao Yehou in the Spring Treasury and his catching up with Qi Shou—Chen Ping'an didn't bother guessing. He wouldn't be able to anyway.
And even if he successfully forged that River of Time, it would not be static. In the future, it would need a continuous supply of "living water" to raise the water level and even broaden the riverbed. Simply put, in the future, the sword 'Wellhead Moon' could evolve into a million flying swords, and 'Caged Sparrow' could shape a bottomless River of Time. With the various divine abilities of his two lifebound flying swords mutually assisting each other, and once Chen Ping'an became a Flying Ascension sword cultivator, when facing Wu Zhou or Bai Ou in the Azure Void Heaven, he wouldn't have to turn and flee without a word. He would at least have the strength to put up a fight.
Wu Shuangjiang said flatly, "Anything can be discussed, but this is out of the question."
Chen Ping'an pressed, "Does the Year-End Palace have great use for them itself?"
Wu Shuangjiang shook his head and gave a very perfunctory answer. "Much like that Dragon-Slaying Cliff—no real use. Just looks nice. Things that are easy to sell but hard to buy—who would complain about having too many?"
Chen Ping'an felt a bit disheartened.
"That's why you'll never become Cui Chan. If it were him, he would have long since done business with the Confucian Temple. Where in the world are there the most fragments of golden bodies? Naturally, the Barren Wastes Heaven. Once the great war started, where could the mountain-and-water gods, which lack legs, run to? Besides, 'treating others as they treat you'—what psychological burden is there?"
"Not accepting Song He as the new national preceptor of Great Li also shows you have some self-awareness."
Zheng Dafeng was immensely amused.
Wu Shuangjiang said dismissively, "This is the mortal world. What about beyond the heavens? With so many scruples, what is this talk of a pure sword cultivator acting as he pleases?"
Zheng Dafeng began to fan the flames. "Chen Ping'an has things he can't do that Cui Chan or Wu Shuangjiang can. And Wu Shuangjiang has things he can't do that Chen Ping'an can."
Wu Shuangjiang smiled. "I only said Chen Ping'an can't be the Embroidery Tiger. I didn't say I can be the Embroidery Tiger or the Hidden Officer. That's two different things. No contradiction. Mr. Zheng, there's no need to refute a truth with another truth."
Zheng Dafeng quickly took a drink to calm himself. This guy was hard to handle. He nodded at Cui Dongshan, signaling him to take over.
Cui Dongshan said weakly, "Already fought. Can't win."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Palace Lord Wu, are you planning to leave Ascension City?"
Wu Shuangjiang nodded. "Going back over there to see. There are a few young people with decent aptitude who need my personal guidance in cultivation. And I promised Sun Huaizhong that I would provide some protection to that young female Daoist of the Profound Capital Temple—she is the future pillar of the temple. By agreement, I have to stay and protect her."
Go back?
Chen Ping'an drank his wine in silence.
As one of the Daoist powers of the Azure Void Heaven, the Year-End Palace's three thousand Daoists had traveled together to the Five Colors Heaven and delineated a territory in the east. This happened to align with the Profound Capital Temple's subsidiary mountain sect in the Five Colors Heaven, located on the north and south sides of the Jade Capital's sphere of influence.
It wasn't like—no, it was clearly a deliberate move by the two sects to spite the Jade Capital.
They absolutely would not let the Jade Capital "follow the old path" and monopolize power as it had in the Azure Void Heaven.
Throughout the entire Azure Void Heaven, only Wu Shuangjiang and Daoist Sun dared to directly lock horns with the Jade Capital.
The Year-End Palace cultivators were famously unafraid of death.
The Daoist sword immortal lineage of the Profound Capital Temple was renowned for loving to fight—more accurately, for loving to gang up on opponents.
Wu Shuangjiang stood up to leave.
Chen Ping'an rose and clasped his fists. "May Mr. Zheng have a smooth journey."
Business is business, friendship is friendship.
Wu Shuangjiang looked at this young Hidden Officer, who seemed to keep getting the short end of the stick. Hah, he was sly. By now, he had definitely already figured out how to curry favor with Wei She.
This was one of Chen Ping'an's very subtle strengths: if there was a bridge, he crossed the bridge; if there was a road, he followed the road; if there was no road underfoot, he forded the stream or crossed the ridge.
But that wasn't why Wu Shuangjiang had chosen to reveal himself today instead of leaving quietly.
One rode his sword to ascend to the Haoran Heaven.
The other did not hesitate to exchange merits with the Confucian Temple to rush to the Five Colors Heaven.
Such a divine couple—just looking at them made everything seem beautiful.
A match made in heaven, a perfect couple.
Wu Shuangjiang was in a good mood.
So he changed his mind, took out a grain of crushed silver, and placed it lightly on the table. "What is this?"
"Money."
Chen Ping'an answered without hesitation. "A path to wealth. Besides words, this is what flows most unceasingly through the world."
Wu Shuangjiang asked, "The Tongye and Fuyang continents—hundreds of countries, large and small. What was the total tax revenue in the early years? Have you looked over the ledgers from the Confucian Temple's Merit Forest?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I copied a copy."
Wu Shuangjiang nodded. Clever people needed only a hint. It hadn't been a waste of his time today to stir up some things and reveal a bit more heavenly secrets and truths. "Instead of running around everywhere, picking and choosing, exhausting your goodwill, and begging people to agree to sell you Golden Essence Copper Coins, it's better to find one or two key points. Then the problems will solve themselves. Whether you do business with the Baggage Monk or negotiate with Liu Jubao of Aiai Continent, your expenses and the price you pay will inevitably be high."
"Snowflake, Lesser Heat, and Grain Rain—three kinds of immortal money on the mountains. Gold, silver, and copper in the mortal world. Plus the banknotes from various silver houses. Bustling and bustling, all for profit. Ultimately, it all comes down to one word: money."
"God of Wealth Liu of Aiai Continent and Merchant Fan of the merchant school are the two richest men in the Haoran Heaven. Before the troops move, provisions go first; when the war drum sounds, gold flows by the thousand. Why didn't Merchant Fan compete with Liu Jubao for the title of richest man? Because Merchant Fan simply didn't care. Liu Jubao only earned money. Merchant Fan's Dao path was broader than Liu Jubao's. How everyone in the world earns and spends money is all part of the merchant school's Great Dao. Compared to Liu Jubao, the number one money-earner under heaven, who is higher and who is lower? If it were you, would you care about that empty reputation?"
"So the person you really need to find is this Merchant Patriarch. Because in a certain matter, he has the same interests as you. The southeastern Tongye Continent, Southern Brasmia Continent, and southwestern Fuyang Continent—three continents, mountains and rivers, above and below the mountains—all need a stable order so that all paths to wealth can extend in all directions. If the financial routes of the three continents can be even better than before, if I were Merchant Fan, I would be willing to offer Golden Essence Copper Coins with both hands. Even if it remained at the pre-war level, this Merchant Fan would still need this to break into the 14th realm in one fell swoop. Don't you think, when you both sit down to negotiate, that you're asking him for a favor, or he's asking you? Even if we don't talk about who's asking whom, at least you can be equals."
Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine.
Wu Shuangjiang glanced at the white-robed youth, as if asking: why didn't you remind your master?
Cui Dongshan felt extremely helpless. That old bastard had set up countless checkpoints of all sizes, and the most ruthless part was that he could make Cui overlook the key words along certain threads. So now his brain really wasn't enough.
Wu Shuangjiang laughed and sincerely praised, "The Embroidery Tiger is formidable."
Deliberately making things difficult for Cui Dongshan was the wisest move—to ensure that both master and student could avoid the old path and each realize their own Dao.
Wu Shuangjiang remembered something. "Zheng Juzhong asked me to pass along a message: one of the three overseers of the Sword Qi Great Wall might have gone to Lizhu Cave Heaven. Whether this person left the town is hard to say. If nothing unexpected, he might have even served as a gatekeeper. When Ning Yao ran away from home and traveled around Haoran alone, it's no coincidence that she chose Lizhu Cave Heaven as her destination. A blacksmith and swordsmith like Ruan Qiong alone wouldn't be reason enough."
Even though Chen Ping'an had no intention of asking, Zheng Dafeng spoke up anyway, looking helpless. "I really don't know about this. Master never told me."
In fact, back in the day, when Old Man Yang occasionally spoke to his disciple Zheng Dafeng, he never said more than ten words at a time!
Wu Shuangjiang finally said with a smile, "Don't be so intimidated just because you run into a 14th realm cultivator. Not all 14th realm cultivators are like me. Some people are just lucky. If we talk about intelligence and skill outside of their realm, they actually can't hold a candle. They just got a bowl of rice from the old man in heaven. They ate their fill, got some strength, and thought they were invincible. Just wait until..."
Until the Three Teachings Patriarchs scatter their Dao.
"Some 14th realm cultivators with insufficient mind cultivation will first taste sweetness, but soon they'll have a big bitter pill to swallow."
The white goose was lying on the table, absolutely furious. This guy was playing the lofty immortal again.
But considering that this man was doing everything in his power to take down that Dao Number Two, she could only accept it.
Back on that night boat, even though Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen had already learned about Wu Shuangjiang's method of merging with the Dao—which could be described as... ingenious—the two of them, when whispering to each other in private, still didn't think Wu Shuangjiang could genuinely fight Yu Dou to the death. But after learning more truths today, Cui Dongshan thought maybe there was a chance.
Wu Shuangjiang saw that there was still a bit of wine left in his bowl. He picked it up, raised it high—as if for a silent toast—then stood up and drank it dry.
Cui Dongshan straightened up and drained his bowl. Zheng Dafeng and Xiao Mo did the same.
Before drinking, Zheng Dafeng laughed. "Old friends and new acquaintances, a few good bowls of wine to celebrate our meeting."
Xiao Mo didn't say anything, but in his small ledger, he added a new name: the Daoist nun Wu Zhou.
He really needed to train his sword skills more. After over ten thousand years, he couldn't keep being blocked by this threshold.
Cui Dongshan took a deep breath. This old man really needed to cultivate seriously!
First, he had been angered to internal injury by Zheng Juzhong, and now Wu Shuangjiang had been playing the lofty immortal all the way.
Cui Dongshan poured himself another bowl of wine, raised it high, and downed it in one gulp.
Raise the wine to toast the east wind; listen to the sword qi roaring like dragons in the vast wilderness; watch the sword light blooming like flowers under heaven; be at ease with the times!
Chen Ping'an picked up an unopened jar of Mute Lake wine from the table and handed it to Wu Shuangjiang.
Wu Shuangjiang actually did not refuse. He accepted it with a smile. "I brought you a message. You, in turn, say hello to Little Mi Li for me."
Because he really, really wished he had such a daughter—simple and silly, but adorable.
The little girl would blink her eyes and tilt her head, as if saying, "My little brain is actually very clever."
Who wouldn't like that?
Zheng Dafeng laughed heartily. Our Fallen Mountain's Right Protector really has some big-name connections.
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "No problem."
Wu Shuangjiang, holding the wine jar, took two steps, then turned back. He smiled at Chen Ping'an and the others. "This matter is settled. See you in the martial world."