Chapter 919: Only the Rosy Complexion Has Changed

Chapter 919: Only the Rosy Complexion Has Changed

In the central sky of the Five Colors World.

Two streaks of sword light rose from Ascension City, shooting straight into the clouds. Among the heavens and earth, the several seas of clouds, high and low, were stirred by the sword qi, giving birth to enormous whirlpools.

The resplendent sword lights, each tracing an arcing trajectory through the clouds and soil, arrived at roughly the same height as the heavenly curtain gate, though still separated by thousands of miles. The sword lights suddenly halted, and in an instant, two figures emerged: one with a jade hairpin, wearing a blue robe and long gown; the other in a yellow hat and blue shoes, holding a traveling staff.

Each of the two sword cultivators transformed into a dozen or more streaks of sword light, darting toward the gate. It was an identical escape technique, and their speed surpassed even the Flying Sunset Boat.

A thin-faced old man in a Confucian robe stroked his beard and smiled. "I have to admit, when it comes to traveling, those sword immortals are more dashing. A flash of sword light, wind and lightning, unrestrained by heaven and earth. It just looks crisp and efficient."

Another old man nodded. "If I had had the aptitude to become a sword cultivator back in the day, I might not have been willing to toil over scholarship."

These two saints of the Confucian Temple responsible for guarding the heavenly curtain of the Five Colors World were the first Grand Sacrificial Officer of the Rites Academy and the founder of the Riverside Academy.

Each old man brought along a Confucian scholar from their own literary lineage, both young gentlemen, who would stand guard here together for sixty years, meticulously recording the seasonal changes and the flow of mountain-and-river qi in this entire world over the span of a Gemini cycle. Initially, this was to prevent upper fifth-realm cultivators from infiltrating the new world, especially to keep watch on the north and south gates connected to Tongye Continent and Fuyao Continent, and to prevent rogue Yuanying cultivators and Golden Body martial artists from breaking the rules. In those few years, the two Confucian Temple saints had still caught quite a few cultivators and martial artists who tried their luck. Now, all of them were "studying the sages' books in bitter cold" within the small world in the old masters' sleeve universes.

When they saw the young Hidden Official returning after revisiting old grounds, both old men wore smiles. Earlier, when Chen Ping'an had passed through the Tongye Continent heavenly curtain gate and entered the Five Colors World, the last disciple of the Literary Sage lineage had been in a hurry, rushing on his way, so there had been no time for pleasantries.

As for the strange retainer beside the young Hidden Official, who had transformed into a snow-white spider perched on his blue robe—the Confucian Temple saint guarding the Tongye Continent gate had already communicated with them, so they turned a blind eye.

Chen Ping'an's senior brother, Mao Xiaodong, was now the Siye of the Rites Academy. The gentleman Wang Zai, now a vice-mountain chief of the Five Streams Academy in Tongye Continent, had once studied under the Grand Sacrificial Officer of the Rites Academy. Wang Zai had visited this heavenly curtain and spoken to the old man, openly expressing his recognition and admiration for the young Hidden Official. As for the Riverside Academy and the Mountain Foot Academy in South Poplar Continent, both were pillars of the Yascendant Sage lineage. The old man and Chen Chun'an were not only scholars of the same literary lineage but also close friends. In earlier years, Chen Ping'an had once led the great sword immortal Lu Zhi, joined by the pure Confucian Chen Chun'an, in a sea battle to encircle and destroy a deeply hidden Ascension-stage great demon. Chen Chun'an had privately found the old man and said he had unexpectedly fulfilled a significant wish.

With these layered connections, the two accompanying Confucian Temple saints, who had never dealt directly with Chen Ping'an, naturally felt a sense of closeness.

Near the gate, Xiao Mo once again transformed into a snow-white spider and perched on the young master's shoulder.

A man of letters needed his face.

Chen Ping'an bowed to the two old men, and the two Confucian Temple saints bowed in return.

One side acted as a disciple of the Literary Sage lineage; the other side paid respect to the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

They chatted a bit about the recent conditions of mountains and rivers in the Five Colors World, then Chen Ping'an prepared to take his leave and return to Tongye Continent through the gate.

A gentleman with the sword "Haoran Qi" (Righteous Qi) hanging at his waist arrived on the wind, smiling teasingly. "How come Sword Immortal Ning didn't travel with you? Did you two have a fight?"

Chen Ping'an replied helplessly, "Brother Qunyu is truly too idle."

Clearly, their relationship was good, the kind that could joke around with each other.

This upright gentleman was named Gu Kuang, style name Qunyu.

He was also a Confucian scholar of the Confucian Temple and had once been to the Sword Qi Great Wall. But he was different from Wang Zai, who had only served as a supervisor officer at the Summer Resort Palace. Gu Kuang was not only a Confucian disciple but also a sword cultivator, so he had been able to go into battle, becoming close with that small circle of Ning Yao and Chen Sanqiu. They had fought out of the city together many times, shoulder to shoulder. In the batch of Da Li imitation White Jade Pavilion longswords that Ah Liang had thrown to the Sword Qi Great Wall, a group of young sword cultivators had divided the spoils. Gu Kuang had earned the sword named "Haoran Qi" by his own skill.

Diezhang and Chen Sanqiu had chosen to travel together in the Haoran World, neither following Ascension City to the Five Colors World nor following the Inverted Mountain to the Qingming World with Yan Pangzi and Dong Huafu. Chen Xi hoped Chen Sanqiu could study peacefully in the Haoran World, and with Chen Sanqiu's flying sword's abilities, he might even cultivate a life-bound character. Diezhang had come for Gu Kuang, but since she hadn't anticipated that Gu Kuang would serve as the recording officer in the Five Colors World, the two had never met all these years.

Gu Kuang unstrapped the "Haoran Qi" from his waist and asked, "Could I trouble the Hidden Official to return this sword to Ascension City, or even to the Da Li Song clan? It's improper for me to keep it."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I won't run this errand for you. Keep it yourself. The debt of favor to Ascension City isn't so easily repaid. As for the imitation White Jade Pavilion of the Da Li court, I'm afraid they no longer need this 'Haoran Qi' longsword."

Gu Kuang had no choice but to re-hang the sword at his waist.

If nothing unexpected happened, after leaving this place, Gu Kuang would likely serve as vice-mountain chief of some academy.

In those years, the pure Confucian Chen Chun'an had personally led a group of Confucian disciples to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Among the Confucian disciples who had traveled with Liu Xianyang to the Sword Qi Great Wall were the virtuous man Chen Shi, a member of the Chen clan, and the gentleman Qin Zhengxiu of the Mountain Foot Academy in Poplar Continent.

Qin Zhengxiu and Gu Kuang were close friends. The former was now in Fuyao Continent, serving as vice-mountain chief of a Confucian academy, much like Wang Zai of Five Streams Academy and Wen Yu of Tianmu Academy. It showed that these promising young Confucian gentlemen, having shone brightly in the war, had all stepped out of their studies after the war ended, earning high positions through their merits and knowledge, becoming the true backbone of the Confucian Temple.

When opening the gate for Chen Ping'an, an old master surnamed Jiang shook his sleeve, and a dozen people tumbled out. After they steadied themselves, they all seemed dizzy and disoriented. They had been imprisoned in his sleeve universe for years, each in a small mountain-river retreat similar to a study, where there was nothing but books.

These were all people from Tongye Continent who had tried to take refuge in the new world years ago. Among them were three Yuanying cultivators, seven Golden Body martial artists, and two long-travel martial grandmasters.

The old master smiled and explained, "It's the order of the Ritual Sage. I trouble the Hidden Official to bring them back to their homeland."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "A small matter, no trouble at all."

His expression was kind to Chen Ping'an, but when the old master turned to the twelve transgressors, his face darkened. "Years of reading behind closed doors, flipping through many sage books, you count as half a scholar now. Our Confucian Temple just happens to be the place that manages scholars. After you return home, behave yourselves and atone for your mistakes."

"If you fall into my hands again, heh."

Chen Ping'an smiled and interjected, "Actually, it's not so bad for them to meet Master Jiang again. Since they failed to spend the crisis in the green mountains in their old age, let them study diligently to understand the classics. There have always been inspiring tales of laying down the brush to join the army or abandoning study for cultivation, but few precedents of abandoning cultivation for literature or abandoning martial arts for scholarship. If they manage it, it might even become a beautiful story."

Master Jiang laughed heartily. How nice it was when scholars spoke.

Only then did the Tongye Continent crowd notice a figure: a man in a blue robe with folded knives at his waist, hands tucked in his sleeves, looking young and of unknown identity.

These grandees from Tongye Continent were used to throwing their weight around behind closed doors. Even though the old master had used the words "Hidden Official," they were still confused.

But even if they were slow to understand, they had picked up on something. Among the cultivators of the Haoran World, there was someone who could make the Ritual Sage personally give orders? And if they hadn't misheard, Master Jiang had used the word "trouble"?

Could this be some ancient immortal with youthful looks and profound magic?

Master Jiang looked at the bewildered ducks and reminded them, "If the Hidden Official hadn't happened to pass by here, and if he weren't coincidentally heading to Tongye Continent, you'd probably have to read another seven or eight years of sage books. What are you gawking at? Don't you need to thank the Hidden Official?"

The group immediately tried to comply, but then all stared at each other in embarrassment. Whether they wanted to clasp their fists or bow, they found they could neither lower their heads nor bend their waists.

Chen Ping'an looked at these clever people who were best at reading the room and said with a grin, "Elder immortals and grandmasters need not be polite. I dare not accept your thanks. Afraid it might shorten my lifespan."

Another old master said, "Friend Xizhu, why not reveal yourself? These people need your protection on the way through the two gates."

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Only then did Xiao Mo revert to his true form and sweep the dozen people into his sleeve.

Afterwards, Chen Ping'an, with Xiao Mo, walked along the seven-colored glaze river of time and exited the gate at the heavenly curtain of Tongye Continent.

As the two sword cultivators stepped into the gate, Master Jiang sighed, "Half-dead parasol tree after the frost; a mess, just a mess."

The other accompanying Confucian Temple saint recalled something and communicated mentally, "Regarding Tongye Continent, Master Zou made a prophetic saying in the early years. How do you interpret it? Judging by the current situation, could Master Zou have miscalculated?"

Master Jiang shook his head. "It's too early to say Master Zou miscalculated."

The phoenix follows the heavenly wind, perching on the parasol branch. When peach and plum blossoms bloom in spring breezes, the phoenix dies in autumn when leaves fall. Simple and sincere, penetrating the quiet truth, thus one sees the ancient person.

At the heavenly curtain of Tongye Continent, Chen Ping'an had Xiao Mo take the dozen men in his sleeve elsewhere to avoid being an eyesore. As for how they would fly back home, or whether their homeland still existed, they probably didn't care much.

Chen Ping'an bowed again to the old master and asked, "Can you help me find the trail of that kyun boat?"

The old master nodded and quickly pointed out a location—it was the kyun boat heading to the Immortal Capital Mountain.

After Xiao Mo returned, the two transformed into sword light and headed toward the boat. They landed softly on the kyun boat. Xiao Mo looked a little puzzled and said softly, "Young master, Sword Immortal Mi seems to be in seclusion right now. Patriarch Liu is personally guarding him."

Liu Jinglong stepped out of his room onto the observation deck. Chen Ping'an came to his side and asked, "Has Mi Yu found a breakthrough to break through the Jade Purity bottleneck?"

This Great Sword Immortal Mi, as the pillar of the Summer Resort Palace, had a psychological shadow regarding seclusion for breakthroughs.

Liu Jinglong nodded. "Thick accumulation gives way to thin release; it was only a matter of time."

Chen Ping'an shook his head and smiled. "It was indeed a matter of time, but it's at least ten years earlier than Xiao Mo's 'earliest' expectation. Tell me the truth: did you help a lot?"

Liu Jinglong didn't prevaricate. He roughly explained the reason: using his life-bound flying sword to create a Taixu heaven-and-earth realm, first letting Mi Yu enter, then guiding Mi Yu's mind—it was equivalent to witnessing a Dao. He saw the various great Dao manifestations of heaven and earth, ultimately returning to one sword breaking all methods. As for the true mystery, it wasn't as simple as Liu Jinglong saying a few words to Mi Yu. Mi Yu might have seen his own life in that realm: why he delivered his sword cleanly in youth, why he later hesitated, why he remembered others' swords, and remembered the sword cultivators of his homeland who lived and died with passion, coming and going in silence...

Chen Ping'an laughed. "When I prepare to enter the Jade Purity realm, will you show me a trick too?"

Liu Jinglong shook his head. "It's only useful for Mi Yu. It wouldn't do you any good. Besides, it's not something I can casually achieve just by wanting to manifest the Dao."

Chen Ping'an slapped the railing hard. "I knew it!"

This act must have consumed many years of Liu Jinglong's cultivation.

Liu Jinglong said, "You don't need to take it too seriously. Actually, I gained quite a bit as well."

For the outside world, after the Decadent Mountain's inspection at the Orthodoxy Sun Mountain, the always cloud-shrouded Decadent Mountain finally revealed a corner. Although Mountain Lord Chen Ping'an was also a Jade Purity sword cultivator, it was likely that Sword Immortal Mi Yu from the Sword Qi Great Wall had the highest sword technique and the greatest killing power.

If Mi Yu successfully advanced to the Immortal realm, for the entire Vase Bottle Continent, whether on the mountains or off, it would by no means be a small matter.

After all, any new great sword immortal, except for the Central Earth Continent, would be a huge shock to the existing structure of any continent.

Liu Jinglong suddenly laughed. "Anyway, I've done a small favor for Decadent Mountain and Mountain Lord Chen. How about some wine? Whether as a thank you or an early celebration of Mi Yu's breakthrough, Mountain Lord Chen seems to have no reason to refuse, right?"

Chen Ping'an immediately sensed trouble. Liu Jinglong voluntarily drinking was definitely a setup. He said firmly, "No time. I still have things to do. I won't stay long on this boat. I have to leave immediately."

Liu Jinglong grabbed Chen Ping'an's arm. "Just a few jars of wine. With our tolerance, it won't delay anything important."

Chen Ping'an patted Liu Jinglong's arm, then shook his arm hard—it was no use. He had to say sincerely, "I really do have business!"

Xiao Mo had to help break the deadlock. "Patriarch Liu, the young master truly has a major matter to attend to. I can only follow and perhaps clear the way. Afterwards, I cannot protect him at all."

Liu Jinglong released his hand and asked, "Where are you going?"

Chen Ping'an said, "To take a look at that parasol tree."

Liu Jinglong frowned slightly. "Not waiting until you return to Jade Purity realm?"

Chen Ping'an took a deep breath. "Anyway, the difference in realm isn't that important here. I won't delay."

Liu Jinglong had to remind him, "Be careful."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "As long as I don't have to fight someone over a drinking table, it's fine."

Liu Jinglong had no mood for jokes. "Will you make it in time for the day after tomorrow's celebration?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "No problem. If we can't reach an agreement, it'll just be a wasted trip. Or if the other side doesn't even want to talk, I might get the door slammed in my face."

Liu Jinglong asked, "Leaving now?"

Chen Ping'an couldn't help laughing. "First, I need to see Little Rice Grain. Someone asked me to pass a message. Xiao Mo, wait a moment. If Patriarch Liu really wants to drink, hmm?"

Xiao Mo nodded. "Understood."

Liu Jinglong smiled. "On the day of the Beginning of Spring, Chen Ping'an, you just wait."

When Chen Ping'an left the Five Colors World, it was already deep night. When he returned to the Haoran World, it was noon.

A little girl in black clothes, carrying a golden carrying pole on her shoulder, was running circles around the bow and stern. When no one was around, the Right Protector brandished her green bamboo staff and performed a set of mad sword techniques.

Chen Ping'an vaulted over the railing and landed on the deck, smiling. "Good sword technique."

Little Rice Grain quickly threw her traveling staff to the ground, then immediately felt it was wrong, so she hurried to pick it up and trotted toward the good Mountain Lord. On the way, she gently patted the green bamboo staff as an apology.

Chen Ping'an said, "I went to the Five Colors World and saw Mr. Wu. He asked me to pass on his regards to you."

Little Rice Grain pursed her lips, nodded vigorously, then coughed a couple of times, put on a straight face, and said, "Mr. Wu is too polite."

It was as if Mr. Wu were right there, and the two veteran travelers were exchanging pleasantries.

Chen Ping'an bent down and patted Little Rice Grain's head.

Little Rice Grain smiled so hard her eyes became crescent moons. She held both the green bamboo staff and the golden carrying pole in her arms and took one of the good Mountain Lord's sleeves, strolling together. She said softly, "When I get back to Decadent Mountain, I'll prepare lots of melon seeds, pastries, and dried fish."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "That's a good idea. How thoughtful of you, Little Rice Grain."

Little Rice Grain asked, "Good Mountain Lord, have you forgotten?"

Chen Ping'an looked down and deliberately looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Little Rice Grain laughed. "Thoughtful, thoughtful—my surname is Zhou!"

Chen Ping'an pretended to realize. "Ah, I see. No wonder."

On their Decadent Mountain, there was no cultivator Chen Lingjun dared not provoke.

And naturally, there was no elder that Little Rice Grain couldn't win over.

At Ascension City, Ning Yao sat in a room, instructing a little girl named Feng Yuanxiao in cultivation.

Beside the table sat a delicate little girl, extremely mischievous, holding up a seal in her hand, looking at the inscription by lamplight.

She had "picked it up" from a desk in someone's courtyard room. Ning Yao hadn't stopped her, only said to remember to return it.

The seal wasn't large, but the inscription was long, carved with auspicious phrases: "Scholar's spirit, sword immortal's charm, divine couple, love enduring."

Before leaving Ascension City, Chen Ping'an had left several spring couplets and "fortune" characters for the Ning residence.

He hadn't forgotten to write a plaque and a few couplets for the new wine shop run by the couple Qiu Long and Liu E.

A white-clothed youth who had resumed his travels was flying alone in the night sky, bored, raising his arm high with two fingers together, tracing a string of brilliant colors in the air.

At the foot of Decadent Mountain, the current temporary gatekeeper, Immortal Wei—a fake Taoist but a true scholar—was really poor. Thanks to the never-met but deeply admired Big Wind Brother, who had left behind that mountain of books, he wasn't idle every day. He either watched the female martial artist named Cen Yuanji practicing her stance up and down the mountain path steps, or he eagerly flipped through Big Wind Ge's treasured books. In some pages, where there were paragraphs marked "omitted," there would be a piece of paper inserted—written by the astonishingly talented Big Wind Ge himself, filling in hundreds of words of brilliant content.

My Big Wind Ge is truly a divine being!

It makes one's heart burn with admiration.

A peerless master, a grandmaster of our generation!

Chen Lingjun arrived at the foot of the mountain. Seeing Immortal Wei wrapped up like a zongzi, huddled in a chair with a hand stove made by the old cook, yet looking very pleased with himself lately, as if he'd struck it rich every day.

Chen Lingjun sat on a bamboo chair beside him and laughed. "You're a cultivator, after all. How can you be so sensitive to the cold?"

Immortal Wei complained bitterly, "A lower fifth-realm cultivator—the bitter cold is even harder to endure. Brother Lingjun, you have no idea of the common people's suffering."

Chen Lingjun smiled but said nothing.

Back in the days at the Royal River Waters of Huangting Country, he had known a little about it.

The river god brothers of the Royal River, over those years, had used quite a bit of the water mansion's incense fire to spare their jurisdiction from several droughts and floods.

Immortal Wei asked curiously, "When is Big Wind Brother coming back?"

Chen Lingjun shook his head. "Hard to say. I'll ask the master when I get a chance."

He truly missed the days when Zheng Dafeng was the gatekeeper of Decadent Mountain.

Life had two helplessnesses: a man talented but without background; a woman beautiful but without backing.

That was what Zheng Dafeng said.

I want to open a path of love for all talented scholars and beautiful women in the world.

That was also from Big Wind Brother.

On Decadent Mountain, the steward Zhu Lian had received two guests today: Wu Yuan, the son-in-law of the Grand Pillar State Yuan, student of National Teacher Cui Chan, now the governor of the newly established Chuzhou Prefecture; and Jing Kuan, who had left the capital to serve as the governor of Baoxi Commandery.

Then the old cook went to the back mountain to instruct the two Cao brothers in some boxing techniques.

After that, Zhu Lian returned to the front mountain because someone from the Lotus Root Blessed Land was "knocking at the door"—it was Pei Xiang.

Since the law-keeping elder Longevity was not on the mountain, this matter was now handled by Zhu Lian.

Zhu Lian opened the door and asked with a smile, "Is there something?"

Pei Xiang's eyes were full of sorrow.

The eyes of this fox kingdom mistress seemed to ask, in your eyes, what counts as "something"? If nothing is wrong, I can't find you? Can't even speak to you?

Sorrow stacked like mountains, all gathered on the brows; feelings flowed like water, all flowing to the heart.

Zhu Lian smiled and handed her his hand stove. "It's good to come out and clear your mind."

They went to the mountaintop together. Pei Xiang talked about the current situation of the Lotus Root Blessed Land. Zhu Lian said little, just listened patiently.

When Pei Xiang had finished, Zhu Lian asked about the recent state of the Fox Kingdom.

Chatting as they walked, they reached the top, where white jade railings stood. Zhu Lian leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance, the mountain wind blowing. He pressed his palm to his temple hair.

Pei Xiang looked at his profile and suddenly recalled a line from a book.

Carved railings and jade steps should still be there—only the rosy complexion has changed.

---

A young man named Shi Yuyan finally took a break from his official duties and sat by a river, his lips chapped. He took out a wine flask and took a mouthful of strong spirits to refresh himself.

His hands were covered with winter chilblains, and though the New Year was approaching, they had not healed. He would definitely not be able to return to the capital for the New Year this year, so he had only sent a letter home.

The Great Chong Dynasty where he served had been restored most righteously.

The emperor, in the prime of his life, had been diligently governing. The Great Chong was not inferior in either its reputation on the mountains or its national foundation.

But compared to its northern neighbor, Vase Bottle Continent, the Great Chong's so-called "most righteous restoration" naturally only referred to comparisons within this continent—a case of picking the tallest among the short.

Shi Yuyan had recently taken on an elderly advisor as his accountant, surnamed Zhang, named Xie. The old man claimed to be from a subsidiary mountain sect under the Little Dragon Stream, serving as a low-level offering under a Huangshui King who held no official title from the local court. He had been an accountant in the Huangshui Water Mansion for many years. Because of a small mistake, the Huangshui King showed no mercy for old ties, gave him some travel money—a few snowflake coins—and kicked him out.

Shi Yuyan turned to the advisor beside him and asked, "Old Zhang, you're a mountain immortal. Though your realm isn't high, you're at least at the Viewing Sea realm. What are you hanging around me for?"

Earlier, after they had become familiar, Old Zhang had even taken the initiative to visit Shi Yuyan's father and talk to him. Otherwise, if an errant qi practitioner suddenly appeared beside him, his father wouldn't have been at ease.

Shi Yuyan's father, the Minister of Justice, had privately expended some effort and found a few familiar immortal masters to check "Zhang Xie's" background. The Little Dragon Stream, though not a first-rate immortal estate in the old Tongye Continent, was now a major mountain sect. Moreover, it had the Great Dragon Stream in Central Earth Continent as a superior sect. Among the Little Dragon Stream's subsidiary forces, there was indeed an inconspicuous Huangshui Water Mansion with an accountant named Zhang Xie. Everything matched.

And this mountain immortal was indeed experienced and had peculiar ideas. Shi Yuyan had a poor but brilliant friend who had been struggling with the imperial examinations, unable to make a name for himself. Old Zhang had taken charge and succeeded. Following Old Zhang's plan, Shi Yuyan found several renowned literary figures and famous scholars known for their pure talk in the capital, and at little expense, hosted a refined gathering of elegant guests and lively feasts in the imperial domain. He hired a few plants posing as merchants pretending to be cultured, and along the way, had banquets. Then he made his friend dress as a beggar, ragged, carrying a wooden staff and a broken bowl, reciting love poems and begging for wine along the road. Some merchants would challenge the beggar, posing questions about "green official," "blue ten," and "pounce and grasp," demanding poetic responses to drink. The beggar laughed and said, "Pine, bamboo, rabbit—who doesn't know that?" Then, step by step, he composed a poem each time, winning rounds of applause, advancing all the way. When he reached the pavilion where the literary giants were, he improvised a poem, stunning the audience. After drinking, he left triumphantly. When someone in the pavilion cried out his name, everyone realized who he was, regarding him as a "banished immortal." Overnight, his name resounded through court and countryside...

Afterward, Shi Yuyan asked Old Zhang how he came up with such a method. The old advisor said he was merely borrowing methods from ancient books, ancient people, and ancient matters. Old Zhang also sighed and said that the original person in the book truly had talent, not just clever tricks.

If this matter was still on the academic side, another practical matter truly made Shi Yuyan see Old Zhang in a new light. It turned out that some acquaintances of moderate closeness had gone into business with one of Shi Yuyan's good friends. After a few years, they had taken on many local construction projects, and the friend indeed seemed to have made a fortune. He had even tried to bring Shi Yuyan in on the deal in those days, but Shi Yuyan had never been interested in making money and declined, especially after becoming a Ministry of Works official. When Old Zhang heard about it, he immediately advised Shi Yuyan to warn his friend. Shi Yuyan, half-convinced, advised his friend twice, but the friend didn't listen. Now, that friend was indeed in deep trouble: all the off-book silver had been withdrawn within half a month, leaving him with a shell and a mess. He scrambled for loans from all sides, but it was still hopeless.

This "old man" named Zhang Xie was, naturally, the chief guest of Little Dragon Stream, Zhang Liuzhu.

But one was old and one young—neither looked like an old Yuanying immortal nor like a vice minister of the Ministry of Works.

From the capital to the provinces, the journey had been manageable. The meals at relay stations followed official protocols. But once they reached the new auxiliary capital, they were truly roughing it. The construction of the auxiliary capital was nominally led by the Minister of Works in the capital, but the actual manager was Vice Minister Shi Yuyan.

The reconstruction of towns, civil and military temples, city god temples, and the repair of mountain god shrines and official Taoist temples—if one wanted to work, it seemed endless. And unfortunately, the vice minister was genuinely intent on getting things done.

Some who had intended to line their pockets legitimately found this knowledgeable vice minister a headache. He was young but knew everything. As the young vice minister traveled south, many places had already revised their books: those asking for ten thousand taels of silver from the court now voluntarily reduced to seven or eight thousand; a mountain god temple was halved.

All this, of course, was thanks to the old advisor beside Shi Yuyan. Otherwise, how would Shi Yuyan know the quality and prices of mountain timber?

But some things that didn't cost money—like plaques and couplets—the young vice minister used his family's influence. This was also Old Zhang's hint: cutting off people's money paths was a major taboo; they had to be compensated. Official rules should be kept, but human feelings shouldn't be hindered. Moreover, in officialdom, giving face was often more effective than giving money. One plaque at a river god mansion, Shi Yuyan even privately asked his father to beg for a calligraphy piece from a gentleman of Dafu Academy. That river god mansion was the only one that didn't complain to the Ministry of Works or ask for extra money from the Ministry of Revenue. So now, that small river god, known for his bad temper and uprightness throughout the court and country, praised Vice Minister Shi as an honest official and a capable minister, saying that with such a vice minister, the Great Chong was sure to prosper.

After parting at the Lantern Riddle Pavilion in Luojing, Zhang Liuzhu and Dai Yuan, brothers in adversity, first went home each, then began their separate plans.

As the chief offering, Zhang Liuzhu first returned to Little Dragon Stream, made some arrangements, then traveled to the Great Chong Dynasty, eventually finding that young man named Shi Yuyan. Using a pseudonym and false identity, he cheerfully served as an advisor to the young, powerful vice minister.

The vice minister's name was good: "Bing Dao Yu De, Jiang Yi Li Yan" (possessing the Way, nurturing virtue; lecturing on arts, establishing words).

The Minister of Justice had had this only son late in life, naturally spoiling him to the skies. "Spare the rod, spoil the child" was out of the question.

Although Shi Yuyan was a bit dissolute, setting aside that one scandal, he was indeed first-rate among the children of officials—a true scholar-official who had passed the imperial examinations on his own merit.

Zhang Liuzhu answered with a smile, "Of course, I see that the vice minister has a vast and boundless future."

Shi Yuyan laughed. "When you say things like that, do you even believe it yourself?"

Zhang Liuzhu said firmly, "Of course I do!"

The young vice minister laughed angrily. "You're mocking me too much!"

Zhang Liuzhu shook his head. "Why belittle yourself, young master?"

Being an advisor to this young vice minister—the old Yuanying didn't feel the least bit aggrieved or condescending. For one thing, he coveted the still-vacant position of national teacher. For another, Dai Yuan truly found this young man, who had more value than gold for turning over a new leaf, congenial in temperament. After all, when Shi Yuyan had been a minor director in the Ministry of Revenue, he had dared to embezzle three million taels of silver to help the immortal beauty he admired climb higher on the rouge list. He had thrown it all at the Flower God Mountain of the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, nearly losing his head. He had dragged his father into cleaning up the mess—selling everything and borrowing everywhere but still unable to cover the deficit. If not for the emperor's regard for the old Minister of Justice's great merits—the old man being a trusted supporter of the throne and a capable administrator, not just a pure scholar who waved his sleeves and talked—the son would likely have dragged the father into prison.

The turning point came when Shi Yuyan couldn't stand his father's sighs. His father didn't scold or beat him—he seemed heartbroken, as if he had never had such a son.

His mother would often cry to his father, blaming herself for lax discipline, insisting that Yuyan wasn't bad and would reform, that he would mature one day and be responsible, and they could have two ministers in the family. After all, in the capital, so many official positions had been vacated, and mediocre people filled them through nepotism. How many of their colleagues' sons could pass the second-class metropolitan exam with real talent like their Yuyan? But when she saw her son privately, she changed her tone, telling him not to be afraid—his father was still the Minister of Justice and a trusted aide of the current emperor. The court could do without anyone, but not his father. In these days, only his father dared to speak loudly and firmly for the court and the emperor against those mountain immortal masters. Could Minister Liu of Rites or Minister Ma of Revenue do that? They wouldn't even dare to fart. But she told him to keep this between them—don't spread it, or it would make things difficult for his father...

At that time, Shi Yuyan couldn't stand the atmosphere. His father looked at him with disapproval, his mother always treated him like a child. In a fit of pique, he left home to travel. There was a vast world out there—if one place didn't want him, another would take him. He met a confidant surnamed Zhou, who claimed to be from Vase Bottle Continent and called himself Daoist "Collapsed True Lord." Zhou left a heartfelt letter for Shi Yuyan, making him feel he had never met such a loyal friend before. Zhou also left three immortal money—Guyu Coins, as Shi Yuyan later learned—which exactly filled the deficit in the Ministry of Revenue's treasury.

After that, Shi Yuyan returned to officialdom, but not to the Ministry of Revenue. To everyone's surprise, he went to the Ministry of Works, still as a director. Everyone in the capital thought he was going to find a crooked way to make money, but instead, he spent his days in the archives of the Ministry of Works, earnestly studying the dry subjects of civil engineering, repairs, and construction standards. After half a year, he volunteered for a tough assignment. The young director even paid out of his own pocket to hire friends to bring along some retired hydraulic engineers and craftsmen, leaving the capital. As Brother Zhou had said, there was no reason why someone who could be a well-connected playboy couldn't be the best easy official in the world when he put his mind to it.

The result? When he had been the leader of the capital's dandy set and an unfilial son, his father at most gave him earnest advice and taught him about officialdom's dos and don'ts. But after he started to truly work, losing over thirty jin and getting calloused hands and feet, he didn't earn his father's approval. Every time he returned to the capital to report, he was called a good-for-nothing and a degenerate.

But things were much better now.

Every time the young vice minister left the capital, the old minister would remind him to eat well and dress warmly—the same words over and over.

Shi Yuyan shook his head. "Don't think I'm stupid. I know some mountain rules. You immortal masters who ride clouds and mists—when you descend to the mortal world, what they call 'experience' is just what's written in the strange tales: wealth, companions, method, land. The first choice is to become a protector real person of a dynasty, like the Jade View Abbey of the Yu clan. Noble beyond words. The benefits, of course, are inexhaustible. The second choice is to become a secret offering to the court, like those in Vase Bottle Continent who get an 'unhindered tablet' from the Ministry of Justice of the Da Li Song clan."

"One step lower is to become a family guest of a regional official like a provincial governor or grain transport commissioner, far from the capital, with many perks."

"If you serve as a capital official, even one as high as my father's—a head of a ministry—it's under the emperor's nose. At best, you're a solid hanger-on. But at least you get some face. If something comes up, you might put in a good word. The lowest grade is to attach yourself to wealthy aristocratic families with their money channels. Coming to me—a vice minister of Works with little profit—Old Zhang, tell me, what's the deal?"

"Sure, I want promotion, but making money? Forget it. If you don't tell me the truth today, I dare not keep you by my side."

The old advisor sighed. "At this point, I won't hide it anymore."

"To tell you the truth, I am a mountain friend of that Collapsed True Lord. His name is Zhou Shou, chief offering of a small mountain in Vase Bottle Continent. And I am an unregistered guest elder there. As for how I, a registered outer disciple of Little Dragon Stream, became a guest of a Vase Bottle immortal estate—there's a twist. In my youth, I was a carefree wild cultivator who once traveled across Vase Bottle Continent—Old Dragon City, Divine Edict Sect, Cloud Gorge Mountain—all visited. That's how I met Brother Zhou. At that time, I was only at the Cave Mansion realm, but back then, cultivators from Tongye Continent were quite impressive in Vase Bottle Continent—could almost be treated as Dragon Gate realm. After parting with you, Brother Zhou traveled to the Cloud Cave Blessed Land. Returning north, he specifically came to the Huangshui Water Mansion to find me. He said people should move like trees—if they're not welcome, they should relocate. Rather than suffering in the water mansion, it was better to come to you. He said he knew a young man named Shi Yuyan in the Great Chong Dynasty with great ambition—becoming a minister would be child's play. So he told me to settle in the Great Chong capital and treat it as retirement."

Shi Yuyan was dumbfounded by the story. Truly twists and turns! "No coincidence, no story."

As for the Zhou Shou with the Dao title "Collapsed True Lord," Shi Yuyan had only mentioned him to his father.

His father only said that this person was definitely not a half-baked fifth-realm qi practitioner. Whether he was from Vase Bottle Continent was uncertain; he was likely a reclusive master—maybe even a Golden Core land immortal.

And his father had learned some rumor that in a certain mirror flower water moon venue in this continent, there was a mountain immortal called Collapsed True Lord, generous with money. Besides this famous Dao title, he also liked to call himself "Longzhou Jiang Shangzhen."

And there was indeed a Longzhou in northern Vase Bottle Continent.

Shi Yuyan wondered at the time: Father, you're a Minister of Justice—where do you get these messy mountain anecdotes? The old minister said that the ministry had an old immortal master as an offering, a long-time friend from Red Garment Mountain. This old Golden Core ancestor didn't manage affairs. Every time he got his salary, without fail, he would rush to the mirror flower water moon and spend lavishly, cursing Old Thief Jiang.

The old minister was terrified when he first heard this. For both public and private reasons, he had to earnestly advise his few mountain friends to be careful not to draw the attention of Old Ancestor Jiang. With your mere Golden Core cultivation, Red Garment Mountain would suffer. And you'd drag the court down with you.

But that old friend waved his hand and swore that Old Thief Jiang was a lecher who only crawled under women's skirts to see the scenery.

He also said that in their group, although his cultivation realm wasn't high, he was excellent at cursing Old Thief Jiang, ranking third—after only the alliance leader and the deep-pocketed Collapsed True Lord.

The Collapsed True Lord himself had said, with admiration, that his cursing was perfection. The Collapsed True Lord even said that if not for his dirty money, to be honest, the third-place should be the second-in-command.

Hearing this, the old immortal master felt comforted. What did it matter if he was second or third? They all cursed Jiang Shangzhen by skill...

Shi Yuyan had no interest in those mythical mountain grudges. But at Little Dragon Stream, where Old Zhang had been, there was a young immortal maiden named Linghu Jiaoyu. Shi Yuyan knew quite a bit about her—she competed with the immortal beauty he admired for ranking on the rouge list.

Now, he had little desire for flower houses and twittering beauties. Occasionally in the capital, when friends invited him, he would go to a pleasure party, but only to make an appearance.

Not yet thirty, the young vice minister, already occupying a high temple position, had only one feeling in the end: three words.

I was young once.

A fishing boat moored on the river. A boat girl straightened up and raised her hand to fix her hairpin.

Shi Yuyan couldn't see her face clearly, but that didn't matter—her graceful figure was pleasing to the eye.

They both looked away. The old immortal master and the young official exchanged a smile—birds of a feather.

Shi Yuyan suddenly sighed. "Following me this whole way, I can tell, Old Zhang: you can be elegant, you can be vulgar; you can endure hardship, you can enjoy comfort. If all mountain immortals were like you, I would truly envy you. Maybe one day, when officialdom doesn't suit me, I'll go into the mountains to cultivate. Don't look down on my poor aptitude."

Zhang Liuzhu smiled and shook his head. "The Dachaol Dynasty having an official named Shi Yuyan would be much better than having a cultivator named Shi Yuyan."

Shi Yuyan turned his head. "You have that much faith in me?"

Zhang Liuzhu nodded. "Of course. And I have faith in both my judgment and Brother Zhou's."

Damn it! Now Zhang Liuzhu was tasting the dregs. What Zhou Shou, what Zhou Fei—it was clearly Jiang Shangzhen, the one who had appeared with the blue-robed sword immortal at the gate of Taiping Mountain!

And that guy from Immortal Capital Mountain who called himself Cui Dongshan—he had deliberately thrown him to Shi Yuyan's side. Now he was probably hiding somewhere, waiting to laugh.

This was true mockery!

But Zhang Liuzhu's head was immediately slapped, and a mysterious figure in white, appearing out of nowhere, gripped the old Yuanying's neck tightly. "Confess! Were you bad-mouthing me in your heart?!"

Shi Yuyan turned his head, stunned. "And this is?"

The white-clothed youth laughed. "My surname is Cui. I'm a direct disciple of the Pu Mountain Cloud Grass Hall, down the mountain for training. Just wandering here, came to see an old friend. Of course, Chief Zhou and I are sworn brothers."

---

Central Earth Continent, Great Yong Dynasty, Nine True Immortal Hall.

A waterside pavilion. The pool was clear, with fish visible at the bottom.

This was a forbidden area of the sect, unreachable even for direct disciples of the ancestral hall.

Immortal Yun Miao, wearing a snow-white robe, was flipping through two old gazettes.

The direct disciple Li Qingzhu, who used to find any excuse to travel, after earning the nickname "Li Water Drifter" at Yuanyang Islet, probably wouldn't want to show his face in public for at least a Gemini cycle.

A young woman arrived unhurriedly. She appeared to be in her early twenties at most, with a face like a peach blossom, wearing a white silk top and a green skirt, radiant.

Her name was Wei Zi. She was Yun Miao's Dao companion, also an immortal.

Yun Miao put down the gazette and looked up. "How's the progress?"

Some things were a bit shady. To be safe, neither of them used flying sword messages.

Wei Zi smiled brightly. "Very smooth. If not for the Confucian Temple's rules, turning our sect master into a puppet would be easy. Just say the mountain is sealed—definitely unnoticed."

The Nine True Immortal Hall had been wealthy in the past. The lineage passed down was considerable: talisman sect, cauldron alchemy sect, green spells and jewel petitions, dragon vein grave opening, military cultivators, pure martial artists, even sword cultivators—each had its own lineage. Yun Miao's Dao companion had exceptional fortune, owning a fragmentary small cave heaven full of baleful qi—a geomantic treasure that ghost cultivators dreamed of. And indeed, using a few ancient techniques from that secret realm, she had advanced smoothly from a Golden Core female cultivator who had despaired of Yuanying, switching to the ghost path, breaking through barriers like splitting bamboo.

Yun Miao stared at her. "Absolutely not!"

She stretched. "Got it, got it."

"Got it" was her hometown dialect.

The entire foundation of Nan Guangzhao's sect relied mostly on the Ascension-stage ancestor himself—realm, heavenly treasures, immortal money—all of it.

Among the direct disciples, there were certainly those with good aptitude, but in the end, Nan Guangzhao only propped up a Jade Purity cultivator as a figurehead puppet sect master.

Despite that, Nan Guangzhao still died—and died extremely unexpectedly.

Besides Nan Guangzhao's severed head at the mountain gate, there was a line of fierce sword inscriptions: "The one who slew Nan Guangzhao: Ling Shuang Blessed Land, sword cultivator Hao Su."

Hao Su?

At the time, almost no one in the entire Haoran World knew who this person was, nor how he could kill an Ascension-stage great cultivator.

Where did an Ascension-stage sword cultivator suddenly appear? And why was he so unknown?

That battle had killed an old Ascension-stage cultivator, yet the sect hadn't even had time to intervene before the duel ended.

And with Nan Guangzhao's death, not only had his life ended—several dimension objects on him were also destroyed by the sword light. That meant the sect's wealth immediately lost at least half.

The sect's treasury, no matter how secure, couldn't compare to what an old Ascension-stage cultivator carried on him.

Nan Guangzhao had never been popular. The old Yuanying cultivators who had cultivation aptitude but stagnated in realm had long held grudges. After his death, the sect's morale disintegrated. The offerings and guest elders had already distanced themselves via flying sword letters. Even several direct disciples left one by one to find better places. In the past, Nan Guangzhao had money but wouldn't spend it on others. Now the sect was truly broke.

So when Immortal Yun Miao acted, nominally forming an alliance, the sect effectively became a subsidiary of the Nine True Immortal Hall.

Of course, the Jade Purity sect master wasn't unaware of the danger of inviting wolves into the house. It was a helpless choice between two evils. If they refused the Nine True Immortal Hall, the sect would completely collapse. Even if, worst case, the sect master had enough backbone to refuse Yun Miao's proposal—though a dying camel is bigger than a horse—the problem was that those furious old Yuanying senior brothers were already secretly plotting to usurp and divide the property!

She seemed to recall something funny, covered her mouth and laughed, her whole body shaking. Only after much effort did she stop, wiping the corner of her eye with her finger, then mimicked the Jade Purity sect master's solitary heartfelt words: "Damn it! From master to fellow disciples—every single one of them is a crooked beam above and a crooked beam below!"

Yun Miao just smiled it off.

Yun Miao's master, the previous owner of the Nine True Immortal Hall, had been Nan Guangzhao's mountain friend. Before both advanced to Ascension stage, they often traveled together, nearly inseparable. Because Yun Miao's master, in the same realm as Nan Guangzhao, had always been more of a hanger-on, there was a derisive saying on the Central Earth mountain peaks: "Nan Guangzhao's shadow."

Now, the tables had turned.

Yun Miao no longer carried the white jade lingzhi that had always been with him; he replaced it with a white horsetail whisk.

The Dao companion before him had been his master's unregistered disciple. When Yun Miao, as a Jade Purity cultivator, smoothly took over the hall master position and held it steady, she had secretly contributed greatly.

Because she had advanced to the Immortal realm in previous years, the Nine True Immortal Hall now had two immortals as a couple.

The Great Yong Cuo dynasty had a custom since ancient times of the whole country wearing flowers in hair, with a good relationship with the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land.

There was a rumor circulating only among the mountain peaks that the founding emperor of the Great Yong had once shielded the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land from a "storm."

The Nine True Immortal Hall held the top seat among the mountain immortal estates within the Great Yong, but unfortunately, within the Great Yong, there was the Zhuolu Song clan, even more powerful.

After Yun Miao's master passed away, the Nine True Immortal Hall gradually became a vassal of the Song clan.

Back in the day, when the Nine True Immortal Hall was at its peak, including the master, there was one Ascension, one Immortal, three Jade Purity, plus four offerings and guest elders—nine upper fifth-realm cultivators in one ancestral hall!

That was truly a top-tier sect even in Central Earth Continent.

Every ten years, the Zhuolu Song clan would send a batch of clan members and family servants to cultivate here. Back then, any direct disciple of the Nine True Immortal Hall who went to the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land was an honored guest.

Wei Zi asked, "What about the Meishan Sword Sect?"

Yun Miao shook his head. "Don't even think about it. Don't add unnecessary moves."

Xu Xinyuan of the Meishan Sword Sect was the sect master's granddaughter and a closed-door disciple of an old ancestor. She was also favored by Willow Continent of the Banned Immortal Mountain. Originally, Yun Miao had planned to have Li Qingzhu and Xu Xinyuan become Dao companions, uniting the two sects through marriage, and within a few centuries, absorb the Meishan Sword Sect. Now Yun Miao had completely abandoned that idea.

Wei Zi glanced at the table. "Still reading those two gazettes? Aren't you tired of them?"

They were two mountain and river gazettes from the Mountain and Sea Sect.

Yun Miao smiled. "Let outsiders not know. But why do you ask that?"

Wei Zi restrained her smile and asked cautiously, "If someone came to the Nine True Immortal Hall one day?"

For some reason, thinking of that person, Wei Zi felt an inexplicable lingering fear. As an immortal ghost cultivator, she believed that even facing the Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, she wouldn't be so unsettled. She had never told her Dao companion Yun Miao about this strange mood—it was like a minor knot, dispensable.

Yun Miao was silent.

At the battle of Yuanyang Islet, Immortal Yun Miao and that unidentified young sword cultivator had exchanged blows evenly. At first, everyone thought it was a joke. When they learned that the blue-robed sword immortal was actually the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, what had seemed a sure, huge joke became a modest feat for the Nine True Immortal Hall and Immortal Yun Miao. "Modest" because a Jade Purity sword cultivator and an Immortal fighting was less significant than the later Ascension-stage duel between the Tender Daoist and Nan Guangzhao at the mountain summit. "Not modest" because the blue-robed sword immortal was the Hidden Official.

But Yun Miao felt that the so-called "summit" match later was fundamentally different from his own. The danger in his own fight couldn't even be compared.

A feat?

Of course!

At Yuanyang Islet, I, Yun Miao, essentially had a Dao-seeking duel with Mr. Zheng of White Emperor City!

You onlookers know nothing.

Yun Miao glanced at the gazette on the table. It recorded the young Hidden Official's actions in the Barren Wild World.

Mr. Zheng of White Emperor City was indeed a 14th-realm cultivator.

A slight pity—even if the truth wasn't known to both worlds, quite a few discerning people probably already understood, like him.

Otherwise, could a mere Jade Purity sword cultivator, the young Hidden Official, have caused that series of shocking events in the Barren Wild World?

Some secrets are like a book—if you treasure it too much, you're unwilling to lend it out.

If that "young Hidden Official" actually visited the Nine True Immortal Hall, Yun Miao would certainly be willing to continue acting with Zheng Juzhong.

And did Mr. Zheng give him a choice?

Compared to that, Yun Miao sincerely felt the gap in realm and mind was too vast.

North Lukou Continent, Three-Lang Temple territory.

In North Lukou, Three-Lang Temple was as famous as Hatred Sword Mountain.

One was the largest weapons shop. The meditation cushions specially made by Three-Lang Temple—which immortal estate didn't have a few?

As for the unique spiritual armor—it wasn't as famous as military armor pills, but it was affordable with good quality.

And those military cultivators skilled in forging at Three-Lang Temple were famously disinclined to fight—and also famously formidable.

At an immortal ferry, a tall middle-aged man, having finished his business, walked alone on a bustling street. When he encountered qi practitioners who looked down on everyone, acting like they owned the world, he would step aside. Wearing a thick cotton jacket and an old sable hat, head down, he breathed steam into the air. Finally, he arrived at a small alley, a familiar little restaurant. Seeing no empty seats, he tucked his hands into his sleeves and, out of habit, hunched his back, waiting outside the alley.

Finally, a table emptied. But just then, a group of customers arrived. The tall man hesitated, opened his mouth, then lowered his hand. One of the group who crossed the threshold deliberately turned to look at the man at the door. The tall man just smiled, pressed his sable hat, and chose not to argue—or rather, seemed too afraid to.

He waited a little longer at the door, then spotted a boy at the alley entrance and waved. "Xiao Xuan, over here."

The boy complained, "Uncle Liu, it was hard to find you. Why pick a hole-in-the-wall that I didn't even know?"

The boy called Xiao Xuan wore a mud-gold dharma robe. He was accompanied by two attendants: a thin old man in a black robe, and a middle-aged woman with a bow and blade. The old man nodded and smiled at the tall man by the restaurant door—they were old acquaintances, both sword cultivators. The old man's ability to join Three-Lang Temple had originally owed much to the recommendation of the tall man's family.

The woman, around forty but looking younger, was a long-distance martial grandmaster—quite young for her rank.

The tall man hurried forward, clasped his fists and smiled. "Brother Liu, Miss Fan."

The old man nodded. "Brother Liu."

The woman named Fan immediately returned the clasp. "Greetings, Sword Immortal Liu."

The tall man looked pained. "Insulting me? Just call me Uncle Liu like Xiao Xuan does."

The woman smiled. Since he was being polite, she couldn't be rude.

Because this seemingly dull man was a well-known Yuanying sword cultivator who had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall but unfortunately hadn't broken through to Jade Purity there.

The boy exclaimed, "Uncle Liu, it's been so many years!"

The tall man smiled. "We're all cultivators. Less than twenty years isn't much."

This Uncle Liu had gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall early, when Yuan Xuan was still a child.

Why was he memorable? Because this elder from Luo Mahe didn't look like a sword cultivator at all.

He didn't look like a North Lukou cultivator either. And he definitely didn't look rich!

An empty table freed up in the small restaurant, so the tall man led them in. The white-haired old proprietor was a mortal who had never cultivated, so he certainly couldn't recognize a customer who had come by once more than twenty years ago.

Soon someone recognized the boy. The group that had taken the earlier seats realized the "loser" could sit with Yuan Xuan. They threw down their money and quickly left.

If you don't hit me, I won't apologize. Let's both pretend nothing happened, so we don't say too much and get beaten.

Yuan Xuan smiled. "Any grudges?"

The tall man shook his head. "Nothing."

Yuan Xuan grumbled, "When I left home, great-grandfather kept mentioning you, saying you didn't know courtesy. Why leave gifts and then run off like that?"

This Uncle Liu was Liu Xu of the Luo Mahe river. The Luo Mahe and Three-Lang Temple had been old friends for generations, always on good terms. The two old heads of families had been close friends in their youth.

The tall man asked Yuan Xuan and the three about their tastes and dietary restrictions. Seeing they were casual, he ordered a few signature dishes. He smiled, "Your place gets a lot of guests. When I meet people I'm not familiar with, I don't know what to say. Anyway, Grandpa Yuan knows my temper."

Yuan Xuan laughed. "Uncle Liu, the wine from Green God Mountain is so hard to get nowadays."

Liu Xu nodded.

The boy grinned. "I managed to use connections to find the retired emperor of Xuanmi Kingdom and bought two jars!"

The man laughed. "You're a good businessman. Put it on my tab. Take it out now—we'll drink it today."

Yuan Xuan was surprised. "Right here?"

Liu Xu shot back, "Why should drinking pick people? Or pick a place? What kind of logic is that?"

Yuan Xuan then took the two jars of Green God Mountain wine out of his dimension object. Liu Xu indeed unsealed them and asked for three more bowls, starting to pour.

The whole little restaurant filled with the aroma of wine.

The female martial artist smiled knowingly.

Seemed different from the public image.

Liu Xu had once, alone with his sword, blade light striding across an entire dynasty and several vassal states, dismantling seven or eight ancestral halls along the way.

It was rumored that Liu Xu had once held his sword flat and slapped the emperor's cheek several times, telling him not to bully honest people.

Liu Xu raised his bowl and toasted the three. Only before drinking did he remind Yuan Xuan to go easy.

Yuan Xuan wasn't much of a drinker and was casual with Uncle Liu, so he just took one sip. Then he blew a whistle. "Uncle Liu, you're a concealed master."

Liu Xu smiled bitterly. He knew what the boy meant.

That time, he had truly drunk too much. Though it wasn't a "one misstep leads to eternal regret," he had been mocked endlessly back home.

The one responsible for him getting drunk—he was normally a decent drinker—was the second owner's drunken confession. The second owner said he had once traveled North Lukou, encountering both good and bad things. But in terms of mountain atmosphere across the entire Haoran World... at that point, the second owner's eyes brightened. He gave Liu Xu a thumbs up and said "this."

That had Liu Xu on cloud nine. He ordered another jug, gently clinked it against the second owner's bowl, and downed it in one go.

Then the second owner put his arm around Liu Xu's shoulder and said, "Brother Liu, how about supporting a brother?"

Liu Xu said he couldn't do that. The second owner said there was a ready-made script—just copy it. At least he could write, being the young master of Luo Mahe.

Already tipsy, Liu Xu agreed. That's how that unhindered tablet came to be. The next morning, when he sobered up and went to the shop to see the content, he thought it was fine at the time.

Yuan Xuan held the bowl with both hands and smiled brightly. "Should I wish you a sure win for the family head position?"

"Can you not open a jar that's sealed?"

Liu Xu said with annoyance, "You drink yours. I'm not drinking this bowl."

The Luo Mahe had a cross-continent ferry boat, doing business with Ai'ai Continent. After it was requisitioned by the Confucian Temple, they bought another, then voluntarily handed that one over to the Confucian Temple.

It was said to be Liu Xu's idea. In the family ancestral hall, after heated arguments, an elder had said, "You, Liu Xu, are you the family head now?"

Actually, all sixteen branches of the Luo Mahe Liu clan knew one thing: Liu Xu had never been interested in the family head position. But who didn't want the most persuasive Liu Xu to become head?

Liu Xu, probably provoked, had said on the spot, "If I were the family head, could you stop me?"

The elder had immediately said, "Fine! It's settled. I can't stop you and won't!"

Good grief—the whole ancestral hall had been waiting for Liu Xu to say just that!

In the words of the old family head, swapping one ferry boat for a family head was quite a deal.

But Liu Xu had made a pact with his grandfather: only after he broke through to Jade Purity would he take up the family affairs.

Three-Lang Temple knew about this, of course—the old Liu family head had sent a flying sword letter to brag to his old friend.

Liu Xu suddenly asked, "I heard Miss Fan went to the southern battlefield?"

The female martial artist named Fan Yu looked slightly guilty. "I didn't contribute much. Just went through the motions. I'll fine myself a bowl."

Liu Xu raised his bowl. "I was the same on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Let's both have one."

Fan Yu had once gone alone to the battlefield at the auxiliary capital in central Vase Bottle Continent, where she advanced from Golden Body to long-distance martial artist. But she barely escaped back home after being surrounded by the Barren Wild's mountain apex martial artist. She was saved by a female grandmaster named Zheng Qian, who had grabbed her shoulder and thrown her out of the battlefield.

Later, she went to thank Zheng Qian. At first, the senior was polite, but just polite.

When Zheng Qian learned she was from Three-Lang Temple in North Lukou, especially when Fan Yu mentioned she was Yuan Xuan's attendant, Fan Yu clearly remembered the look: Zheng Qian's eyes widened with a strange expression.

But Fan Yu didn't dare ask. After all, Zheng Qian was not only her savior but also a grandmaster who had fought four boxing matches with Cao Ci.

Yuan Xuan put down his bowl and asked softly, "Uncle Liu, you're quite familiar with that Hidden Official, aren't you?"

Liu Xu thought for a moment. "Not bad. A little more than a passing acquaintance. Not what you'd call a close friend."

Liu Xu was neither short of money nor addicted to gambling. He didn't join the second owner's gambling parties. He was a taciturn man who, when drinking at the shop, never acted as a wine promoter. Forget buying a jar of Green God Mountain wine for a small Summer coin and being taken for a ride—he wouldn't learn from that Wind Snow Temple great sword immortal Wei Jin.

Besides, in his whole life, aside from practicing swords, Liu Xu had never been particular about food, clothing, or lodging.

But when Liu Xu said he was just slightly more than a passing acquaintance with Chen Ping'an, he was being modest. Every time Liu Xu went to the wine shop, if the second owner was there, he would invite Liu Xu to drink together, always eagerly asking if he wanted a jar of Green God Mountain wine, saying it was saved just for him—if he didn't drink it today, Sword Immortal Wei would buy it next month.

Yuan Xuan continued, "I heard he's called Chen Ping'an, from Vase Bottle Continent?"

"Yeah."

The old man and the female martial artist exchanged a glance.

"He traveled through our North Lukou too?"

"I heard the second owner mention it."

Yuan Xuan quickly took a sip of wine to calm himself.

Because back then, when he, Uncle Liu, and Sister Fan traveled to Ghost Valley, at the Green Copper Lake recorded in the "Collection of Ease," Yuan Xuan had been looking for a rare spiritual creature called a "luo fish" with golden scales, two wings, and a cry like a mandarin duck. Eating it could free a cultivator from nightmares. A family elder needed it. Yuan Xuan was obsessed with fishing, earning the nickname "Yuan One Chi" despite his young age—make one chumming, the water rises one chi.

At Three-Lang Temple, there was a female cultivator whom Yuan Xuan called "Grandaunt." She had achieved cultivation, looked young, and was beautiful. Along with Lu Sui of Water Sutra Mountain and Sun Qing of Caitlin Hall, she still admired the former Peak Master of Piao Ran Peak, Liu Jinglong. These three immortals were all among the top ten female immortals of North Lukou. This Three-Lang Temple one had been stuck at Yuanying for years, haunted by nightmares, unable to dare to go into seclusion for a breakthrough.

"What kind of person is Hidden Official Chen?"

"Xiao Xuan, why all the questions?"

"Just curious."

Hearing this, Liu Xu narrowed his eyes, placed his hand over the half-full bowl, and said sternly, "Yuan Xuan, either stop here, or watch your words from now on."

The old sword cultivator surnamed Liu and Fan Yu, a long-distance martial grandmaster, almost simultaneously felt a suffocating pressure.

The old man was also a Yuanying sword cultivator, with more years at that realm than Liu Xu. But only now did he have to admit he was far inferior to Liu Xu of Luo Mahe.

Fan Yu was about to explain for the boy, but Liu Xu glanced at her sideways, and she shut up.

Yuan Xuan, however, was completely unperturbed by the sudden tension. He laughed. "Uncle Liu, you owe me a toast. I got to know Chen Ping'an before you did!"

The boy had once encountered a young wanderer wearing a bamboo hat.

That young man was a pure martial artist, but he wore a dharma robe at the time. He also seemed to be a sword cultivator.

When they parted, the young man had smiled and said, "My name is Chen Ping'an, from Vase Bottle Continent."