Chapter 921: Borrowing Mountains and Rivers from Everyone (Part 2)
Lawkeeper Changming pulled Xiaomili along to go wandering together.
Chen Ping'an and Jia Sheng strolled together, and he asked with a smile, "Are you getting used to this current role now?"
Jia Sheng immediately cupped his fists and said with great emotion, "I am deeply grateful for the Mountain Lord's trust. I have been fortunate enough to hold a key position, and I tread carefully, never daring to slack off, yet also afraid of gilding the lily. After much thought, I can only adhere to one principle: see more, listen more, smile more; speak less, do less, show off less. I have little cultivation base to begin with, only at the minor Dragon Gate realm—far from being able to provide timely help for the Kite Ferry or even add luster to brocade. I thought I would first avoid causing trouble, then take it step by step, doing my utmost to contribute a little to Desolate Mountain. I cannot bear to disappoint the Mountain Lord's high hopes."
The Lawkeeper Changming of Desolate Mountain and the God of Wealth Wei Wenlong were both temporarily helping on the Kite Ferry. Once the branch sect celebration was over, they would return to Desolate Mountain.
According to Cui Dongshan's arrangements, the eventual real managers of the ferry would be Jia Sheng, who handled social relations, and the account keeper Zhang Jiazhen.
The Kite Ferry spanned three continents and passed through a total of seventeen ferry crossings. Just on this Tongye Continent, there were as many as seven ferry crossings, including the Lingbi Mountain Wild Cloud Ferry and the Big Spring Peach Leaf Ferry.
Riding the Kite Ferry, one could take in the magnificent landscapes at a glance: standing high in the void to watch the backs of birds, roaming the vast sea to count the scales of dragons. It was like an imperial descendant riding the wind down from the lush green mountains, seeing countless green peaks bowing before a humble thatched cottage.
The three continents along the north-south line of the Haoran World, from the northernmost—the Chongxuan Office's Cloud Palace of the Dayuan Dynasty—to the southernmost Qu Mountain Ferry, Jia Sheng had seen every type of mountain immortal along this route. Wei Yusong, the God of Wealth of the Hemp Mourning Sect in Skeleton Beach, now called him Brother Jia. And several fairies from the Spring Palace in the capital region of Great Li addressed him as "Daoist Jia," making the old blind Taoist's heart feel warm. Not to mention that the entire Bottle Gourd Continent had only five grand mountain gods, among which the Northern Peak Mountain God Wei Bo was one of their own—it was well known that Piyun Mountain and Desolate Mountain had a bond as close as wearing the same pair of pants. No further words were needed. Additionally, there was the Central Peak Mountain God Jin Qing and the Southern Peak female mountain god Fan Junmao. Jia Sheng had now become acquainted with both of them.
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Know much in your heart, but say little with your mouth."
Old Immortal Jia was startled, then sighed, his expression shifting seamlessly with the sigh. "After all this rambling, I still can't match the Mountain Lord's profound insight. Jia Sheng is already struggling just to be a ferry manager, but the Mountain Lord is only limited by his easygoing nature and lack of contention, with only two mountains and two sects under his domain. Otherwise, in Jia Sheng's view, if the Mountain Lord were willing, he could even become the Fire Dragon True Lord of Bottle Gourd Continent or the Talisman Immortal Yu of Tongye Continent, and the people would accept it."
Chen Ping'an didn't take the bait and immediately changed the subject. "Where is Bai Xuan?"
Jia Sheng stroked his beard and smiled softly. "He's on the ship, probably in seclusion right now. Otherwise, he would have come to see the Mountain Lord as soon as he heard the news. Compared to his time at Desolate Mountain, our little Hidden Officer has been much more diligent in practicing the sword. He might be holding back a breath, unwilling to let Sun Chunwang of his peers get too far ahead. Mountain Lord, to be honest, I am very much looking forward to the future of Desolate Mountain and Xiandu Mountain a century from now. Every time I think about being counted among them, I feel honored. What are a little hardship and travel compared to that? Besides, on this journey south and north, I've been staying on the Kite Ferry the whole time, lying down and enjoying my leisure. Calling it 'hard work' would be an exaggeration on my part."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "You don't have many hands-on tasks, but you put in a lot of heart. It's still very hard work. I'm sure the Lawkeeper has noticed."
Jia Sheng was silent for a long time, then murmured, "What virtue and ability do I have to meet the Mountain Lord?"
This sentence from Old Immortal Jia was not flattery; it was a sincere statement from the bottom of his heart.
Having early wisdom in youth and late blessings in old age—these are two great fortunes in life.
One depends on merit accumulated in a previous life, the other on good deeds done in this life.
Chen Ping'an asked, "At Qu Mountain Ferry, there's Wang Ji, the worshipper of Yu Gui Sect, and Xu Xie, the guest official of the Liu Clan of Ai'ai Continent. What kind of people do you think they are?"
Jia Sheng carefully chose his words. "Wang Ji came from a Confucian scholar background. He has a strong personality and speaks frankly. As for that Great Sword Immortal Xu, he appears cold and aloof, hard to approach, but has a warm heart. I suspect people like Xu Xie don't easily make friends, but once they do, they can entrust their lives to each other."
Wang Ji was not a cultivator trained by Yu Gui Sect. He had once been the harshest critic of Jiang Shangzhen on Tongye Continent, but unexpectedly he ended up as a worshipper in the Founder Hall of Yu Gui Sect. It was said that the current sect master, Wei Ying, personally invited Wang Ji to Nine Chess Peak.
The sword cultivator Xu Xie, guarding Qu Mountain Ferry for the Liu Clan of Ai'ai Continent, was nicknamed "Lord Xu." He was a two-hundred-year-old Great Sword Immortal from Golden Armor Continent. On the northern battlefield of his homeland, the old Ascender Wanyan Laojing secretly sided with Wenhai Zhoumi. During a high-level meeting, Wanyan Laojing suddenly turned violent. If it hadn't been for Xu Xie drawing his sword first to block the attack, combined with a Martial Realm martial artist from Golden Armor Continent to stop Wanyan Laojing's betrayal, the casualties among those Earth Immortal cultivators would have at least doubled. The battle situation on Golden Armor Continent would only have become worse, and the flames of war might even have spread northward to Liuxia Continent.
Chen Ping'an said, "Later, I'll help introduce you to a senior Taoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain. This old senior also happens to be attending our sect celebration."
Jia Sheng first performed a Taoist greeting to the Mountain Lord to express his thanks, then asked curiously, "Could it be a certain yellow-purple noble of the Heavenly Master Mansion?"
Given the Mountain Lord's current status, knowing a yellow-purple noble was nothing. Perhaps he had even met and chatted with the current Grand Heavenly Master, addressing him as a fellow Daoist.
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "After Fire Dragon True Lord stepped down, this old senior will become the non-clan Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. His surname is Liang, given name Shuang. The old senior cultivates in seclusion in the mountains, preferring peace and disliking noise. So his name and Daoist title are not well known even in the Central Earth Divine Continent. Old True Person Liang once performed a feat on this Tongye Continent that is now only circulated among the highest circles. The old true person was an old friend of the previous Grand Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Mansion, so the current Heavenly Master must address him with a junior's courtesy."
Jia Sheng's Dao heart trembled. He quickly stopped walking, performed a Taoist greeting, and said solemnly, "Blessings and longevity, infinite Heavenly Venerable."
It should be known that Jia Sheng cultivated the Thunder Method. But compared to the Five Thunder True Method of Dragon Tiger Mountain, hailed as the orthodox of all methods, the ancestral Thunder Method of Jia Sheng's lineage could barely be considered a fringe practice. So being able to meet a non-clan Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain was extremely significant for this blind old Taoist. It was no longer just a matter of face.
Jia Sheng laughed. "Mountain Lord, once Sword Immortal Mi breaks through, our Desolate Mountain will give everyone another shock."
An Immortal Realm sword cultivator—calling it famous across the nine continents of Haoran was not an exaggeration. Wei Ying, the sect master of Yu Gui Sect on Tongye Continent, and Bai Chang, the number one Northern Sword Immortal of North Julu Continent, were both only at this sword realm.
Chen Ping'an teased, "Then it will be hard for us to keep teasing Sword Immortal Mi with that title."
Jia Sheng chuckled, feeling a slight regret.
After parting with Jia Sheng, Chen Ping'an changed his route temporarily and did not go to Zhang Jiazhen's account room first.
Jiang Qu was repeatedly flipping through a thin booklet. On the pages were both talisman diagrams and text. It was a compilation of talisman insights by the old true person Huan Yun, the chief worshipper of Cloud City. This thin book represented Huan Yun's lifelong effort. By the rules of the mountains, even a direct disciple might not receive such treatment.
Hearing the knock, Jiang Qu opened the door and was surprised to see Hidden Officer.
After being at Desolate Mountain for so many years, he had rarely had the chance to chat alone with Hidden Officer, who was often away.
Chen Ping'an sat down and asked the young Qi refiner from thatched hat alley on Sword Qi Great Wall about his progress in talisman cultivation.
As the only talisman cultivator at Desolate Mountain, Jiang Qu's official mountain dwelling was at Grey Mist Mountain. Last time, Chen Ping'an had gifted Jiang Qu a handwritten copy of the upper volume of "Authentic Writings of the Cinnabar Book."
Jiang Qu felt guilty and reluctantly admitted, "I've only learned the first three introductory talismans from the 'Authentic Writings,' and I'm not even proficient yet. I can barely form a rough talisman shape. I still have a long way to go to reach what True Person Huan Yun called 'small accomplishment' in his book."
When it came to matters of cultivation involving life and death, Jiang Qu dared not hide anything. Besides, with Hidden Officer, there was no need to worry about saving face.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Everything is hard in the beginning."
There was a stack of yellow paper talismans that Jiang Qu had drawn on the table. Chen Ping'an picked up the topmost one. It was the most familiar "Yang Qi Lamp-Lighting Talisman." He had used it countless times while traveling far from home, crossing mountains and rivers. It was one of his most frequently used talismans.
Chen Ping'an lightly flicked the talisman with two fingers, and the paper immediately dissolved, leaving only a suspended vermilion talisman diagram suspended in the air. He then twisted his wrist and pushed gently sideways. The talisman, originally palm-sized, suddenly expanded into a "great talisman" as tall as a person, standing like a deity in the room.
Chen Ping'an stood up and walked over to the talisman. Jiang Qu immediately followed, the two facing each other across the Yang Qi Lamp-Lighting Talisman.
Chen Ping'an pointed to a vermilion line. "Look here. It's clearly a bit crooked. Obviously, when you were drawing the talisman, you were too focused on completing it in one breath, which caused a problem with the distribution of spiritual energy. As a result, your spirit flagged midway, and the talisman's path went awry, leading to this subtle deviation. A thousand-mile dike can collapse due to an ant hole. A cultivator must not neglect this. In the art of drawing talismans, you should have an eye and mindset that sees Mount Sumeru as a mustard seed and a mustard seed as Mount Sumeru."
"Now look here, at the junction of the horizontal and vertical lines. There's another problem. Although it doesn't prevent the talisman from being completed, in talisman terminology, this is where 'mountain and water clash.' It diminishes the generation of spiritual energy in the talisman's core. Once activated, the talisman's power will inevitably be greatly reduced. If you were sparring with someone in Dao techniques, it would be easy for them to find a flaw. With just a slight collusion of magical techniques, the talisman wouldn't be able to hold up for long."
Chen Ping'an pointed out every flaw in the talisman for Jiang Qu—which parts needed immediate correction and which could be refined later. He explained in great detail, and Jiang Qu listened intently, memorizing everything.
Then Chen Ping'an pressed his two fingers together. Without paper or ink, he drew another identical Yang Qi Lamp-Lighting Talisman in midair. The moment the talisman was completed, a brilliant golden light burst forth, filling the room with a soft glow.
He then condensed it into a golden talisman about a foot tall and gently pushed it toward Jiang Qu. With a smile, he said, "When you draw talismans in the future, compare them with this. Later, when you reach the middle five realms, as a congratulatory gift, I'll help you ask an old immortal for a talisman that once lifted an entire mountain off the ground for centuries. Of course, it won't be the true talisman itself—just something like a rubbing of a stele inscription. It will be far from the original's divine intent."
Chen Ping'an continued slowly, "Heaven and man share the same measure, and the true law is bestowed. Heaven manifests signs, and men conduct their affairs. In ancient times, sages followed the Great Way, distinguished yin and yang, determined the flow of qi and stillness, and established the cosmic principles to govern heaven and earth. The art of talismans, in a sense, is like the historical records and calendars of mortal dynasties. It's not just for talisman cultivators. The entire path of mountain climbing cultivation is about using the human body as a small heaven and earth, connecting to the external great heaven and earth. That is why Old Immortal Yu, known as the great synthesizer of talismans under heaven, wrote in the preface to a widely circulated talisman book: 'The head is round, following the pattern of heaven; the feet are square, following the pattern of earth; the eyes follow the pattern of the sun and moon; the four limbs follow the pattern of the four seasons; the five organs follow the pattern of the five elements; the nine orifices follow the pattern of the nine continents. Hence, the ancient sages said that humans have many images, all of which follow the patterns of heaven.'"
On his cultivation path, Chen Ping'an had drawn a large number of talismans. Although it didn't compare to the number of times he had practiced his fists, he had probably drawn more talismans than many Earth Immortal talisman cultivators. He shared his insights without reservation, speaking eloquently to Jiang Qu. "The ancient saying goes: 'Mountains, rivers, and streams; the essence of mountains and rivers rises to become stars. Each responds to its continent and region, with boundaries forming countries.' All these become spirit talismans and evidence. Hence, heaven has four outer regions to rectify the spirit souls, and earth has waterways to produce charts and books. Therefore, mountains, rivers, and the stars in the sky are the best and greatest talisman diagrams in the eyes of talisman cultivators. This is the true 'Dao book and talisman,' waiting for those with affinity to take what they need, practice their own methods, and certify their own paths. Jiang Qu, think about it: the mountain ranges that stretch thousands of miles across the human world—are they not like the talisman lines drawn by an immortal? The Big Dipper in the sky, suspended for tens of thousands of years—is it not a complete talisman diagram?"
"If words seem like empty talk, then see with your own eyes."
Chen Ping'an suddenly said solemnly, "Jiang Qu, stand still. Focus your mind and hold your breath. Let your heart and form be still!"
Before Jiang Qu could fully collect his mind, Chen Ping'an shot out his hand and lightly tapped Jiang Qu's shoulder. Jiang Qu felt his entire body float backward, but he was horrified to see that besides the Hidden Officer's blue robe, there was also his own back, motionless. Separation of mind and body? Or the legendary escape of the yin spirit on a distant journey? Setting aside secret methods and special cases, according to common cultivation principles, if a cultivator could form a pure cinnabar core, he could send his yin spirit out to travel. Once he nurtured a nascent soul, body and spirit would unite and grow strong, giving rise to the embryonic form of a yang spirit external body. This was the origin of the saying, "A terrestrial immortal refines his form, dwells in the world, and attains eternal life without death."
But just as Jiang Qu stopped, Chen Ping'an lightly tapped his forehead again, and he slid back several more steps.
Then Chen Ping'an flicked his sleeve. The "Jiang Qu," who no longer knew who he was, seemed to tread on emptiness. Heaven and earth were distinct, and the Daoist stood in the middle.
It turned out that beneath Jiang Qu's feet was a topographical map of the nine continents of Haoran, while above his head was a starry river of ten thousand miles. The vast stars were as small as mustard seeds, seemingly within arm's reach.
Chen Ping'an pressed his two fingers together and lightly touched the center of "Jiang Qu's" forehead, as if opening a heavenly eye.
Then he reached out and lifted the hundreds of rivers on the earth as if pulling strings. With another wave of his hand, he captured the starry river and drew it close. Then, with a swing of his sleeve, the stars and rivers all rushed into the "Jiang Qu," whose form was neither solid nor empty. In an instant, they became the mountain ranges and energy palaces, the long rivers of meridians within the small heaven and earth of his human body.
After a moment, Chen Ping'an saw that Jiang Qu's Dao heart could no longer sustain this vision. But Jiang Qu himself remained unaware, still immersed in this celestial wonder. If it continued, it would damage the foundation of Jiang Qu's path. So Chen Ping'an gently pulled back on the mustard seed of Jiang Qu's mind, reuniting his mind, soul, and body into one.
When Jiang Qu came to, he realized he was drenched in sweat, and his body swayed as if about to fall. Chen Ping'an reached out and pressed his shoulder, and Jiang Qu, his face pale, managed to keep from stumbling.
Guiding one's own cultivators was something Chen Ping'an learned from Wu Shuangjiang's treatment of the disciples of Suichu Palace.
As for the specific method of teaching, it was obviously a trick he had learned from Liu Jinglong.
Chen Ping'an had Jiang Qu return to his seat, take a deep breath, and calm his mind. He smiled and said, "So-called traveling ten thousand miles, in my view, can be divided into two types. One is traveling externally. The other is what cultivators do—preserving the spirit and observing the small heaven and earth within the body. Through this practice, one cultivates both internally and externally, attending to both the great and the small. With a high-minded heart and feet on the ground, I believe that one day you can create a few unique talismans of your own."
Jiang Qu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said sheepishly, "I dare not think about that."
"You must think."
Chen Ping'an shook his head and smiled. "A talisman cultivator who doesn't even want to draw a few 'great talismans' of the mountains—what kind of achievement can he expect in the future?"
Jiang Qu grinned and nodded vigorously.
Chen Ping'an then reached into his sleeve and took out a long wooden box, placing it gently on the table. With a smile, he said, "Inside the box are ten strips of cinnabar ink. I'm giving them all to you. They are engraved with auspicious phrases like 'Heaven manifests star brightness.' They were made by Earth Immortal hands, so they're full of spiritual energy. But don't thank me. It's Xiao Mo's doing this time. We visited Ascension City in the Five Colors World, and there was an immortal market there. Xiao Mo came across a few talisman cultivators traveling to Summer Resort City, who had set up a shop together. When Xiao Mo was browsing, he specially bought this set of Yuanling cinnabar ink for you. It wasn't a bargain, just a fair price. The sellers mistook Xiao Mo for a sword cultivator from Ascension City and wanted to curry favor. Xiao Mo intended to give it to you in my name, but I thought that was inappropriate. Just accept it. You don't need to go out of your way to thank Xiao Mo later, otherwise the only reason he'll stop being a benefactor is that he can't stand the endless stream of visitors coming to thank him in person."
Even Jiang Qu felt a bit embarrassed. He said softly, "Senior Xiao Mo always gives such expensive gifts."
Chen Ping'an joked, "Who can blame him for being so high in cultivation and having a full purse? The only hobby he has when he goes out is probably thinking about who needs what. I've advised him several times, but it's useless anyway."
When drawing talismans, talisman paper and cinnabar were generally indispensable materials. They could be broadly divided into two categories: cinnabar and soot ink, gold powder and silver powder—all of which consumed a lot of money.
Cinnabar, in particular, was a material used for alchemy by immortals. Additionally, secular emperors and monarchs used it to approve memorials and make circle marks. In the eyes of cultivators, great red was the color of pure yang in heaven and earth, enough to ward off yin evil and retreat villainous spirits. Hence, immortal-crafted cinnabar ink was said to allow spirits to communicate and forms to solidify. And because the word "cinnabar" was homophonic to "execute," the higher the quality of cinnabar, the better it was for drawing talismans to exorcise ghosts and expel evil.
However, there were many sources of cinnabar in the world, with huge reserves. That's why scholars had the puzzled saying, "Cinnabar is as cheap as dirt, and who would trouble to burn it into elixir?" But cinnabar produced in Yuanling was recognized as the finest in the world. When made into ink sticks and finely ground, the words written with it were called "red letter true writings." In the Haoran World, they were often used by rulers and the Ministry of Rites to certify and ennoble mountain and river spirits.
Chen Ping'an stood up and laughed. "Come on, let's go mooch some food and drink from that Account Keeper Zhang."
On the ferry, besides Desolate Mountain's God of Wealth Wei Wenlong, there was also the account keeper Zhang Jiazhen, who could not cultivate.
Jiang Qu and Zhang Jiazhen were not only from the same hometown but also the same age. However, because one had already embarked on the path of cultivation and the other remained an ordinary mortal, they now appeared to differ in age by at least a dozen years.
When the two arrived at the account room, Zhang Jiazhen asked with a smile, "Hidden Officer, Jiang Qu, would you like some wine or tea?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "A bowl of hot tea will do. Wine easily leads to mistakes. Accounting is a meticulous task, not like the poetry and verse of literary men, where drinking can inspire talent."
Zhang Jiazhen nodded. "Wait a moment, I'll boil some water to make tea."
There was tea in the room, specially stir-fried by the Grand Steward Zhu Lian—rain tea—packed in tin cans.
In the corner was a stove and a sack of charcoal. Zhang Jiazhen took out a fire striker, deftly lit the straw and wood in the stove. It seemed he drank tea often.
There was also a large brazier under the table. Cold starts from the feet, so Zhang Jiazhen usually kept his feet on the edge of the brazier to warm himself and dispel the cold.
Jiang Qu watched this scene with a complex expression.
If he were to boil water to entertain guests on short notice, he would use the most common fire talisman from the mountains to start a fire, ignoring the negligible spiritual energy consumption.
He suddenly recalled that time when Zhu Lian had pulled him along to work as a carpenter. While snapping ink lines, the Grand Steward once said a casual remark.
"To know the inevitable and calmly face it as one's fate—that is the utmost virtue."
Those words were clearly said for Jiang Qu's benefit, but the content was not praise; it pointed elsewhere.
To be honest, if not for Zhu Lian's reminder—or rather, his reprimand—Jiang Qu would indeed have felt that he and his fellow townsman were no longer on the same path.
Zhu Lian had said, "Why can the Mountain Lord look at Zhang Jiazhen with an ordinary heart, but you can't?" That sentence had made Jiang Qu feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and the fear lingered to this day.
The principle was clear.
But only today, following Hidden Officer to this place, as Jiang Qu looked at this humble account room he had never set foot in, and at his ordinary yet contented fellow townsman of the same age, he seemed to understand something beyond the principles.
Xiao Mo had also brought a gift for Zhang Jiazhen. Chen Ping'an placed it on the table. Zhang Jiazhen tried to decline but couldn't, so he accepted.
Chen Ping'an drank tea and flipped through the account books. He also briefly told them about the current situation in Ascension City. Zhang Jiazhen and Jiang Qu didn't want to miss a single word about their hometown's recent circumstances.
Closing the account book, Chen Ping'an looked up and asked with a smile, "After listening to all this, do you regret coming to the Haoran World with me?"
Jiang Qu and Zhang Jiazhen exchanged a glance, then smiled at each other.
Afterward, Chen Ping'an left alone. Jiang Qu stayed in the room. Zhang Jiazhen picked up the kettle on the table and refilled Jiang Qu's bowl with hot tea. He said softly, "If you don't think it's awkward, when you need money for cultivation, just mention it to me. My salary is just sitting there anyway, at most earning a bit of interest in the account books. It's not much spirit money, certainly won't help you much, but it's just an intention."
Jiang Qu looked at Zhang Jiazhen's sincere eyes, nodded, and smiled. "I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Then Jiang Qu joked, "Is lending money to people more troublesome than borrowing it? Did you learn that from Hidden Officer?"
Zhang Jiazhen smiled and said nothing.
Jiang Qu hesitated, then couldn't help asking, "Zhang Jiazhen, don't you have any long-term plans?"
In Desolate Mountain, it seemed only this account keeper was neither a cultivator nor a pure martial artist.
Sensing Jiang Qu's implication, Zhang Jiazhen nodded and smiled. "I do. I've already talked with Mr. Zhu about it. I'm looking into whether there's a chance to become a mountain god in the future."
Hearing this, Jiang Qu was quite surprised. He thought it over carefully, then said slowly, "Zhang Jiazhen, do you realize how difficult it is for an ordinary mortal to become a mountain or river spirit? Even if you obtain the certification of the imperial court, it's easier for those who are already ghosts or heroic spirits. For a living person like you, the pain of your form withering and your soul being tormented is something even Qi refiners, let alone pure martial artists with strong bodies, might not be able to bear. If you fail, you'll end up with your soul scattered and gone, and it's said you won't even have a next life!"
Zhang Jiazhen poured himself a bowl of tea. "You forgot about that ointment from the Yang Pharmacy in the small town? Although it's now strictly controlled by the Great Li imperial court, given Hidden Officer's relationship and our Desolate Mountain's connection with them, asking for a portion wouldn't be difficult."
That ointment's greatest magical property was that it could not only numb pain but also preserve one's intelligence.
Zhang Jiazhen continued, "Mr. Zhu admitted that this is only the first step to becoming a mountain god. There are actually two more gates of hell to pass. But even if I can't pass all three and become a mountain god, there is still a path of retreat. At worst, I can settle for being a yin spirit or ghost entity and stay at Desolate Mountain. Still, asking the Great Li court for a certification decree would be much harder. That would be equivalent to building an unorthodox shrine for me, and even if I had a temple and a golden body, it wouldn't be a pure golden body. In the future, receiving incense from the mortal world would be subject to many restrictions. But that's just the worst-case scenario. Don't worry too much."
Jiang Qu remained silent.
In simple terms, for a mortal to achieve a golden body and ascend to become a spirit was like stepping into heaven in one go. The threshold was incredibly high, and the difficulty unimaginable.
Zhang Jiazhen smiled. "Hidden Officer must have known about this a long time ago, but he never talked to me about it. Jiang Qu, tell me, what do you think that implies?"
Jiang Qu was suddenly enlightened. Hidden Officer must have felt confident about it.
Jiang Qu instantly felt relieved. He clicked his tongue and said, "Well, Zhang Jiazhen, you've become quite shrewd."
Zhang Jiazhen pointed to the account books on the desk. "Could a fool be an account keeper?"
Chen Ping'an found Xiao Mo in Xiaomili's room. By chance, Chai Wu and Sun Chunwang were also there. Whenever Chai Wu had a break from cultivation, she would come here to drink some wine.
These days, in the Right Protector's room at Desolate Mountain, there was a cabinet made by Sword Immortal Mi himself, filled with jars of wine prepared for Chai Wu.
Xiao Mo was teaching the two young girls Dao techniques and swordsmanship.
Both were talented and quick to grasp concepts.
Chen Ping'an sat on a long bench with Xiaomili, cracking melon seeds.
Worried that his cultivation methods might conflict with current Daoist techniques in terms of wording or meaning, and to avoid misleading the young ones, Xiao Mo had been teaching the two girls an ancient language that had long been lost.
At the moment, Xiao Mo was teaching an ancient technique of preserving the spirit and observing oneself. It indeed differed significantly from current Daoist methods. For instance, Xiao Mo pointed to his own throat and called it the "Twelve-story Tower Above the Heartfield Crimson Palace." He explained that each of the five organs and six viscera had its own functions and cultivation methods, that the nine fluids interlinked and the hundred meridians circulated—none could be neglected. He made the two girls circulate a strand of spiritual energy, not in the way Qi refiners breathe, but more like a pure true qi from a martial artist, moving from top to bottom. In different areas of the small heaven and earth of the human body, they were to visualize different ancient spirits with their own duties, like descending from heaven to patrol the mortal world...
"The three lights shine above and below the earth, brilliant brightness illuminates the nine directions. From high to low, all are spirits; the sun and moon fly through the six directions."
"Embrace the yellow and return the purple into the elixir field; the dragon banner spans the sky, shaking the fiery bells. Thunder roars and lightning flashes, the spirit fades away; the long-living earth immortal escapes death and disaster."
This kind of ancient Dao cultivation could really only be taught by Xiao Mo.
What was remarkable was that whenever the two girls visualized the different spirits, a corresponding aura of extraordinary dignity rose within them.
Chen Ping'an knew that at their age, even after a month of repeated practice, he couldn't have achieved the same level of movement as Chai Wu and Sun Chunwang.
Xiaomili raised her hand to cover her mouth and whispered to her good Mountain Lord, "I can't understand a single word. What do we do?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "It's an ancient language. It's normal not to understand."
In fact, during this trip to Ascension City, Chen Ping'an had also taken a few handwritten copies of sword manuals from the Sword Inquiry Tower. Sun Chunwang was a local sword cultivator of Sword Qi Great Wall, and as an unregistered disciple of Ning Yao, this didn't violate any rules.
When the two girls reached a state akin to "moving cultivation and quiet stillness making a true man," Xiao Mo looked over at his master.
Chen Ping'an nodded. It was time to go.
Taking Xiaomili with him, Chen Ping'an walked to the bow of the ship and concentrated his mind.
A moment later, a rumbling sound of wind and thunder came from the distant sea of clouds. But just as the "uninvited guest" approached the Kite Ferry, it instantly fell silent. It was the sword "Night Roam" that Chen Ping'an had left at Xiandu Mountain.
Chen Ping'an touched Xiaomili's head and said with a smile, "I'll be back soon."
Xiaomili nodded obediently.
Chen Ping'an's form split into more than a dozen beams of sword light, speeding out of the Kite Ferry for several hundred miles. When he reassembled into a blue robe, he rode his sword southward, heading straight for a certain location in central Tongye Continent.
Xiao Mo followed behind.
Under the blazing sun, a certain immortal ferry was gliding above the mortal world. Several immortals were looking down at the earthly scene.
A curving sword light, carrying the sound of wind and thunder, roared past a few hundred zhang away.
This made that immortal ferry, like a boat in the water, suddenly encounter waves, rising and falling.
When they turned to look, they saw only a brilliant sword light and a flashing blue figure far away.
In the capital region of a certain lowland dynasty, heavy rain was falling, making the daytime as dark as night.
Suddenly, the thick clouds were torn apart by a sharp sword light, creating a slit in the sky, allowing sunlight to spill onto the earth.
A surging river flowing east-west was crossed by a flash of blue. For a moment, a chasm appeared on the river's surface, revealing the dry riverbed beneath.
At an immortal mansion on towering peaks, several sharp-eyed Qi refiners spotted a speck of light appearing in the far distance. In the blink of an eye, it grew blinding and shot straight toward the ancestral mountain.
The next moment, the sword light burst out and scattered, perfectly circling the entire mountain peak, then coalesced again into a single beam far away, leaving only the sound of thunder echoing between heaven and earth.
Finally, the sword light stopped at a certain point, and a figure appeared, with a sword slung across his back.
The Nine Grand Suppression Towers were used by the Confucian Temple to suppress the mountain and river fortunes of each continent.
On Tongye Continent, this tower was called the Demon Suppression Tower. Its true form was a parasol tree. Legend said that this tree had once been so close to heaven that when a certain bright moon rose, it could not surpass the height of the tree.
The last visitors here were Wenhai Zhoumi, Feiran, and Sheyue.
However, Feiran and Sheyue had been temporarily summoned to Zhoumi's side at the time.
Thus, they had the fortune to see "part of the truth" of the Demon Suppression Tower: a parasol tree of immense age. At that time, it did not reveal its true form but manifested as a majestic city covering a thousand square miles.
But when Zhoumi had probed it back then, he could break the mountain-river restrictions but chose not to enter.
Zhoumi had once told Sheyue some shocking secrets, such as that the Lotus Nunnery Master was bound to die, only earlier than Zhoumi had expected.
And Sheyue was exactly the "former incarnation of the bright moon." Therefore, in the Barren Wilderness World, she had a more legitimate claim to occupying and refining that bright moon than the Lotus Nunnery Master did. Yet Sheyue still wasn't the Bright Moon Lord, one of the twelve high positions of the ancient heavenly court. She only had the best chance to be one. That was why Xinzhuang, the direct disciple of the Tuoyue Mountain Ancestor, often went to the bright moon to chat with Sheyue—because Xinzhuang's true Dao body was once a goddess in a moon palace who watered the cassia tree.
In ancient times, there were many bright moons. To use an analogy: if the heavenly court were a board of six ministries, Sheyue was a high-ranking official. Once she restored her true form, she would be a vice minister. If not for being cast down to Bottle Gourd Continent, Zhoumi would have taken her to ascend with him, occupying a seat in the new heavenly court and elevating her divine rank—a promotion akin to jumping several levels in officialdom, directly ascending to become the new Bright Moon Lord.
Chen Ping'an took a deep breath and squinted. Ahead was a layer of colorful, glass-like ripples, flowing like water.
This was a natural suppression on him from this place. To be precise, it was a natural aversion and suppression toward the true names of those great demons he carried.
Chen Ping'an lowered his head and hunched over.
As expected, the other party didn't want to see him. If he couldn't open the door, he would be shut out.
But breaking in by force—that was hardly proper.
And so, Xiao Mo appeared beside him, wearing a yellow hat and green shoes. He flicked his sleeves, and two long swords materialized in his hands. Looking up with a smile, he said, "Is this how you entertain an old friend? Then don't blame me for disregarding old ties."