Chapter 940: Leaning on the Sky for Ten Thousand Miles, Need a Long Sword

Chapter 940: Leaning on the Sky for Ten Thousand Miles, Need a Long Sword

At the Loushan Ancestral Hall, they received a message via paper kite, and immediately a flying sword was sent to the pavilion here.

A flash of sword light. Gao Zhen frowned slightly, bringing his two fingers together to catch that messenger flying sword. After reading the secret letter, he was startled, then stunned, then delighted, followed by a face full of irrepressible smiles.

Huang Cong did not ask about anything.

This time, it was Gao Zhen's turn to hesitate for a moment. He smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please wait a short while. If no news comes, you have lost nothing. But if it does come, consider it a return gift from our Yellow Millet Sect."

Gao Zhen walked out of the pavilion and directly flew away on his sword.

In the end, Gao Zhen only called two old cultivators from the Yellow Millet Sect. Together, they landed near the mountain gate, quickly walked down more than thirty steps of the stone stairs, swiftly passed through the mountain gate archway, and the three of them stood side by side. Gao Zhen was the first to clasp his hands and bow his head, speaking in a deep voice, "Yellow Millet Sect's Gao Zhen pays respects to Mountain Lord Chen."

Chen Ping'an returned the fist salute and said, "Luofu Mountain's Chen Ping'an greets Sect Leader Gao."

After some polite exchanges, the host and guest groups together ascended Loushan.

Gao Zhen naturally would not neglect the other three distinguished guests brought by Mountain Lord Chen. Gao Zhen knew, even without thinking, that any cultivator who could travel with this young Hidden Official to visit mountains must have extraordinary status and profound Dao arts.

Afterward, Gao Zhen and Chen Ping'an walked side by side, while the other two old cultivators from the Yellow Millet Sect were responsible for accompanying the three who walked behind. For registered cultivators in a major sect, such socializing was a minor matter honed through practice; they would never let the conversation fall flat.

However, it seemed that the young Daoist from the Qiuhao Temple was the one constantly looking around, asking questions endlessly, never letting his mouth rest. It would have been strange if the conversation did fall flat.

But those questions were indeed quite obscure and uncommon.

For instance, the Daoist from the Shengzhao Sect, wearing a fish-tail crown, asked about the ratio of female mountain immortals to male qi cultivators, hoping it wasn't too heavily skewed towards the masculine.

Chen Ping'an explained, "Sect Leader Gao, this visit to the mountain was not part of my originally planned itinerary; it is rather a matter of chance. I can only stay for a short while before I must descend the mountain and continue my journey."

Gao Zhen smiled and said, "It is already a great fortune that Mountain Lord Chen can come and sit for a while."

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Is Old Master Liu on the mountain now?"

Gao Zhen shook his head. "Uncle-Master Liu and Aunt-Master Song won't arrive for a few more days."

Back at Yidai Peak, when Liu Hongwen had "separated" from the Yellow Millet Sect back then, aside from taking a group of direct disciples, only one junior martial brother surnamed Song was willing to accompany Liu Hongwen. Even Liu Hongwen's own children, that is, Liu Runyun's parents, did not move to Yidai Peak and chose to stay and cultivate on Loushan. One could imagine Liu Hongwen's popularity within the Yellow Millet Sect in the early years. It wasn't that Uncle-Master Liu was a bad person; it was just that his stubborn temper was truly hard to bear. Whenever there was a meeting in the Ancestral Hall, Uncle-Master Liu would inevitably bring up old stories and harp on the same strings, talking about how they should look at Yunxia Mountain and then at their own Loushan. Those dozen-odd mountain peaks that had once held peak-opening ceremonies—he wondered what the ancestors' spirits above the portraits would think.

Chen Ping'an said softly with a smile, "Old Master Liu has always had an ancient air. In certain matters, some of his outspoken words might inevitably be hard for your sect to accept. The more something cannot be judged as right or wrong, the harder it is to argue about. Of course, I am just an outsider, offering a personal opinion that may seem easy for me to say. However, I believe that in the future, the cultivators of the Yellow Millet Sect, especially the younger generation, will look back on those disputes and harsh words of the past as a precious experience."

Gao Zhen nodded, also speaking from the heart, "If one is willing to look back, if the old are not taboo and the young do not reject, if they can tolerate many 'different' people saying different things, then it proves that our Yellow Millet Sect is truly different from before."

Chen Ping'an said, "That is the principle."

Gao Zhen said, "Hard-won, naturally to be cherished."

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded.

Qingtong felt a bit awkward. How could you two actually start discussing principles?

Lu Chen held the back of his head with both hands and spoke through mind voice, laughing, "Daoist Brother Qingtong, you don't understand, do you? This is called: with true men, speak no falsehoods. With heroes, no need for politeness."

Both were Golden Core guests, but whether one was a sword cultivator or not made a difference in their perception of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Gao Zhen, with a slightly guilty expression, spoke through mind voice, using a different form of address, "I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the Hidden Official. Even setting aside my position as sect leader, if I were to go to the Sword Qi Great Wall to wield my sword against demons, at most I would just think about it in my heart. I would never dare to descend the mountain for a distant journey, pass through Inverted Mountain, travel past those sword immortal private residences, and then step onto the city wall. That really is just something I can only think about while hiding in the mountains."

"So this time, the Yellow Millet Sect and I, Gao Zhen, were previously thick-skinned enough to boldly invite the Hidden Official to attend the ceremony. It was truly an offensive act. As a sword cultivator, I am even more ashamed and guilty."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Scholars establish themselves to emulate the sages and worthies; Buddhists set their minds to become Buddhas and patriarchs. Aiming high, you only achieve the middle. There must first be a first-class intention before there can be second-class people and third-class deeds. None of us are exceptions. Sect Leader Gao need not be too guilt-ridden."

Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled. "Where in life is not the Sword Qi Great Wall? Where there is a pure sword cultivator drawing his sword for an injustice, that is the Sword Qi Great Wall to me. What do you think, Gao Zhen?"

Gao Zhen nodded. "I deeply agree!"

Although he was addressed directly by name, Gao Zhen felt no discomfort at all. Because he had heard that in that place with a sea of sword cultivators, the ancient custom had always been like this: when addressing others, they rarely used a surname combined with 'sword immortal'; they mostly just called them by name directly.

"Hidden Official, among the guests on the mountain is also the Emperor of our Mengliang Kingdom. His Majesty has long admired Mountain Lord Chen. If Mountain Lord Chen feels it is inappropriate to meet him, I will simply not inform him."

Chen Ping'an said, "I want to see Huang Cong. Even if today's coincidence didn't happen, I would have visited His Majesty later."

Gao Zhen was greatly surprised. Because the young Hidden Official had directly called out the name—clearly, he had already heard of this young Emperor of the Mengliang Kingdom.

Qingtong had a strange feeling in his heart. Following Chen Ping'an to meet so many mountain and water deities, plus this Yellow Millet Sect, and carefully examining all of Chen Ping'an's words, expressions, eyes, and actions in his interactions with people—if one were to summarize them, they would be... a straight line.

Occasionally there were fluctuations, such as when he mentioned his disciple Pei Qian to the River Earl of the Yaoye River, when he talked about his teacher with Zhou You of Suishan, or when he discussed the Sword Qi Great Wall and pure sword cultivators with Gao Zhen.

At the mountain gate, the man secretly tore off a page of paper and carefully tucked it into his bosom. The female cultivator who had grown up with him pretended not to see.

But the real gatekeeper old cultivator of the Yellow Millet Sect hurriedly flew over from a peak on the wind. He flipped through a ledger, then reached out his hand and said, grinning, "Hand it over, quickly."

The male cultivator said pitifully, "Uncle Dou! It's just a page of paper with a few words written on it. Why bother about it with me?"

The old cultivator took the ledger in hand and glared. "This page of paper is an important item that needs to be carefully stored in the secret archive record room. How dare you, brat, secretly keep it? Do you believe that later when Law Enforcement Elder Fan investigates and finds this page missing, he'll write you up for a major demerit right in the Ancestral Hall?! You're grown up now, and still you have no sense of proportion, so utterly clueless!"

The young man had no choice but to take the paper out from his bosom again. The old cultivator snatched it away with lightning speed and tucked it into his sleeve. Then he warned the two juniors not to leak the news that Mountain Lord Chen had graced Loushan. After giving a few instructions, the old cultivator hurriedly flew off on the wind to discuss something with Law Enforcement Elder Fan. A few sheets of paper—if Elder Fan was willing to turn a blind eye, I'll cover the costs for the next sixty years of drinks!

Gao Zhen led Chen Ping'an to the entrance of a courtyard on Loushan, told the young Hidden Official where Huang Cong was staying, and then took leave with the other two Yellow Millet Sect ancestors.

Gao Zhen did not plan to notify the young Emperor in advance; let it be a surprise. Besides, he hadn't done anything to earn the favor, so he wouldn't take credit for this gift that seemed handed to him on a silver platter.

Inside the courtyard, Li Huai was repeatedly explaining to Guo Zhujiu how his previous few "invocations" of Chen Ping'an had all been by sheer luck. He had no innate ability—Pei Qian had exaggerated. Just then, a group of people appeared at the entrance. Guo Zhujiu's face lit up with surprise, and she gave Li Huai a thumbs-up. "Now you don't even need to draw talismans on the ground anymore! Your skill has improved!"

Guo Zhujiu rushed over to the blue-robed figure, beaming brightly. "Master!"

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "Just passing by, came to see you all. I'll have to return to Tongye Continent soon."

Guo Zhujiu pressed, "How soon?!"

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "At most two quarters of an hour on Loushan. It's not that your master doesn't want to stay longer, but there are important matters waiting in Tongye Continent."

Guo Zhujiu punched her palm with a fist. "No problem!"

Chen Ping'an then introduced the three people with him to Guo Zhujiu and the others: Ni Fuzi from the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land in Tongye Continent. As for Qingtong, who had fabricated an identity as a "guest official of Xiandu Mountain" at the mountain gate—as the master of the upper sect, I haven't approved that.

Li Huai wasn't quite sure and tested, "Daoist Lu?"

If he wasn't mistaken, this was the same Daoist who had set up a fortune-telling stall in his hometown, and he was quite accurate.

Chen Lingjun swallowed a mouthful of saliva, inching backward, silently reciting "Can't see me, can't see me..." until he hid behind Guo Zhujiu.

Lu Chen looked at this young man in Confucian robes and was utterly speechless. Back then, this kid had been running around in open-crotch pants, full of vigor. That yellow bird Lu Chen used to measure literary fortune had almost—really, just barely—been grabbed right out of the air by this little brat with a casual jump.

The problem was that Li Huai was, indeed, always just a mortal with ordinary eyes.

Li Huai laughed. "Daoist Lu, after all these years, you still look very young. I guessed you must be a cultivator."

Lu Chen smiled stiffly. "It's nothing, it's nothing."

Li Huai still didn't know anything, and it seemed he didn't need to know anything. There was no helping it—that Old Man Yang really treated this kid like his own grandson, the kind especially doted on by grandparents through separation.

The Tender Daoist had already seen some depth. This guy whom Chen Ping'an had called a Daoist from the Shengzhao Sect's Qiuhao Temple was no simpleton. The aura of a Golden Core cultivator was definitely a disguise.

Lu Chen walked over to Chen Lingjun and said with a squint-eyed smile, "Most water descendants go into rivers to transform into flood dragons. You, on the other hand, traveled along a great waterway. Was it hard?"

Chen Lingjun turned to run, but Lu Chen clamped a hand on his shoulder. Chen Lingjun yelled at the top of his lungs, "Master, save me!"

Chen Ping'an said softly with a smile, "It's fine. I'm here."

Only then did Chen Lingjun stand still. He twitched his nose, looking dejected and dispirited, remaining silent.

The Tender Daoist glanced at the fish-tail crown on the other's head and asked through mind voice with a smile, "Daoist Lu, are you from the Shengzhao Sect?"

Lu Chen smiled. "You can certainly count it that way."

The Tender Daoist smiled faintly. "Then if I ever want to visit the Shengzhao Sect someday, could Daoist Lu help introduce me to Heavenly Lord Qi and put in a good word?"

The Shengzhao Sect? A small hill. Its sect leader, Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen, was just a junior in the mountain world who had only reached the Immortal realm a few years ago. So this Daoist from the Qiuhao Temple was at most a Jade Core realm. The only thing worth mentioning was that Qi Zhen's Dao lineage, tracing its seniority upward, reached Daoist Number Two of the Jade Capital.

As for that female cultivator from Tongye Continent with the Dao name Qingtong, her realm was not low. She was either an Immortal skilled at concealing her aura, or she was at the Ascension Realm.

Lu Chen laughed heartily. "A small matter! Although the incense offerings at my Qiuhao Temple are average, I get to see Heavenly Lord Qi at every ordination ceremony."

The Tender Daoist squinted and smiled. "That's good, that's good."

Tsk, this little Daoist is playing tricks on me, putting on an act, isn't he? Just because he's wearing a fish-tail crown, does he think he's Daoist Number Two? Ha, truly invincible? If there's a chance, I'd like to test his skills. Of course, that would have to wait until I've broken through to the Fourteen Realm.

Chen Lingjun's shoulder tilted, trying to slip away, but Lu Chen's hand followed, moving slightly downward. No matter what, he wasn't getting away.

Lu Chen turned his head and smiled. "Daoist Brother Jingqing, it's been a few days. Why are you so distant with me? You don't even have a smile for me."

Chen Lingjun, his body tense, looked up at the leader of the Jade Capital Lu, and forcibly squeezed out a smile.

A man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. It's only two quarters of an hour, and besides, his master is right here. Sect Leader Lu, don't you try to bully me. Go ahead, press harder—try it! I, Elder Chen, will just lie on the ground and roll around, howling for you to hear.

Lu Chen smiled meaningfully. "Daoist Brother Jingqing, have you forgotten that you and I are connected by heart? Your thoughts, when they reach my ears, are like thunder."

Chen Lingjun tremblingly raised his hand, wiped the sweat from his face haphazardly, and tried to raise his voice, blustering but inwardly weak. "Sect Leader Lu, there's a limit to bullying! You keep scaring me for no reason. I have a temper too…"

He thought his voice was thunderous, but it was just a mosquito's buzz. Lu Chen put on a frightened expression. "How strong is your temper? Show it to me!"

Lu Chen slowly raised that hand. In the palm of the three leaders of the Jade Capital, there was indeed a sign of shaking mountains and rivers. He had bent and twisted calculations around, performed a divination, and now felt a bit of admiration for this young boy in blue.

Not to mention Chen Lingjun's series of bold declarations and immortal deeds in front of the Three Teachings' Ancestors—only that on Old Temple Master's side, he hadn't been casually slapped into meat paste by Bixiao Cave Master, who was renowned for ten thousand years as "never letting anyone off when they could be forgiven." That was a... tremendous miracle.

In a blurry picture of the river of time, the young boy in blue stood on tiptoe and patted a horn, saying there was enough grass on the mountain to eat. If it had been a Ascension Realm cultivator like Qingtong, they would probably have been reincarnated by now.

Later, when the green ox turned its head, the young boy in blue looked at it with a gratified expression, then said, "As soon as you hear about eating, your comprehension comes. That's a good thing—maybe you'll really be able to practice immortal arts in the future."

If it had been a Ascension Realm cultivator like the Tender Daoist, they could have followed Qingtong to the Yellow Springs together, making good company on the road.

Among the Fourteen Realm great cultivators, Bai Ye's killing power and the defense of the monk Shenqing—that Chicken Soup Monk—were both acknowledged as the best. But the Old Blind Man of the Hundred Thousand Mountains and the Old Temple Master of the Xuandu Temple in the Eastern Sea were only less prominent in offense and defense when compared to Bai Ye and Shenqing. In the eyes of Sun Huaizhong of the Xuandu Temple, the Three Teachings' Ancestors, along with Little Master, Daoist Number Two, Bai Ze, and these four, could make up the second batch of "Ten Heroes of the World" over the past ten thousand years.

Guo Zhujiu smiled without speaking.

Chen Ping'an asked, "What's wrong?"

Guo Zhujiu chuckled. "Master, I don't know why, but the more I think, the less I talk. It's strange."

Chen Ping'an put on a stern face and nodded. "Very good. Just like your master."

Qingtong had never seen the young Hidden Official with such gentle eyes.

Li Huai suddenly said, "Chen Ping'an, I need to talk to you about something."

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded, following Li Huai into the house.

The Tender Daoist, who had been standing at the door like a gate god, was even more nervous than Li Huai. After standing for a while, he decided sitting would be more comfortable.

It was like being an upright and stern minister, but encountering a fatuous ruler who couldn't be reasoned with, unable to fulfill one's ambitions. Fortunately, the fatuous ruler appointed him as a regent minister, sending him to the palace of the crown prince to carefully assist His Highness. Then one day, the old emperor posed as if entrusting his orphan, saying he would hand over all the national treasury to the crown prince to manage, like opening the skylight and speaking frankly—from now on, you are responsible for 'regent affairs.' And this crown prince, at that critical moment, just chickened out.

Something like that. A few discrepancies, negligible.

How could the Tender Daoist, sitting on the doorstep, not be nervous?

The greatest principle in the world is nothing more than 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.' Those good things that others beg for but can't get—young master, Elder Li Huai, Little Ancestor Li Huai, please, first get them safely in hand!

So many golden-armored warriors who were indifferent to life and death, plus those poor souls who had fallen to ghost immortals and were imprisoned in the 'belly cages' of the golden-armored warriors—once they all acknowledged Li Huai as their master... In that severely weakened Tongye Continent, as long as there was no Fourteen Realm cultivator blocking the way, he could sweep across the entire continent!

Li Huai never had any reservations with Chen Ping'an. After all, Chen Ping'an knew exactly what kind of person he was. Previously, the Old Blind Man, deep in the Barbaric Expanse, had forcibly pulled Li Huai and the Tender Daoist into a dream, returning to the Hundred Thousand Mountains. At the mountain peak, there appeared a giant divine being they had never seen before. Even kneeling on one knee, its head was level with the peak. It nearly scared Li Huai into leaving the dream. It was the Old Blind Man who helped steady his Dao heart, keeping Li Huai from exiting the dream.

The Tender Daoist naturally recognized Li Huai's worth: timid but kind-hearted, not a scholarly seed, but able to have flashes of insight and blurt out very good principles. As for the Old Blind Man's view of Li Huai, everything was good, everything agreeable. It must be known that to the Old Blind Man, Li Huai was both his "first disciple" and his "final disciple."

Chen Ping'an listened patiently to Li Huai's words and said softly, "You have two concerns, don't you?"

Li Huai chuckled and scratched his head. "You know me best."

The Tender Daoist was quite curious. He had thought Li Huai was just afraid of taking responsibility, hence using a delaying tactic with the Old Blind Man.

Chen Ping'an pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I think it's perfectly fine for you to temporarily not accept that gift."

Li Huai's worries were of two kinds: first, he was afraid of being "unworthy of the position"—a mere title of Confucian worthy already made him uneasy. Second—and this was what truly made Li Huai afraid to confront—he was scared that the Old Blind Man, who was more than half a master to him, would be like some old man back home, leaving everything behind and then one day just going without even saying goodbye.

Li Huai said softly, "But I am at least a Confucian disciple, still a student of Mr. Qi. I could actually do something, but I keep hiding because I'm a coward. Does that make sense?"

Chen Ping'an smiled without speaking.

Li Huai asked, "Chen Ping'an, this 'temporarily' you mentioned—how long is it?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Until the day when you yourself no longer feel afraid and are determined. Then you can."

Li Huai asked, "And if even the war in the Barbaric Expanse is over, and I still can't find peace of mind?"

Chen Ping'an didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked with a smile, "Then I have two ways of saying it—one nice, one unpleasant. Do you want to hear them?"

Li Huai's eyes lit up. "Let's hear the unpleasant one first."

Chen Ping'an said, "From the first day you entered the school to study, Mr. Qi only hoped you would study well. The content in the books could be memorized, forgotten, and re-memorized, but as long as you never lost the word 'effort,' grew up to be a knowledgeable and courteous scholar, someone who could recognize characters and read books, write Spring Festival couplets and keep accounts, and make your parents proud—that was enough. Mr. Qi never expected you, Li Huai, to become a so-called great figure. And since the first day I met you, I've known what kind of person you are. To be honest, even now, I don't think you can compare with Xiao Baoping, Lin Shouyi, and the others in terms of scholarship."

Chen Ping'an had another thing he didn't say: the old man in the backyard of the Yang Family Pharmacy only wanted Li Huai's life to be stable and peaceful. And that entrustment from Old Man Yang of the pharmacy didn't need to be spoken—Mr. Qi understood, and Chen Ping'an knew it too.

Moreover, in that great war between the two worlds, how clouded and turbulent it was, with countless mountain-peak schemes intertwining. If Li Huai once threw himself into the battlefield and became embroiled in it, people with mindsets and methods like Feiran, Jia Shenzhang's clogs, and others would naturally use a piece equivalent to "Li Huai" to... trade pawns. Li Huai had a simple heart and a gentle nature. With one misstep, his state of mind could collapse. Even if his person was safe—the Old Blind Man would never let Li Huai die young on the battlefield—what about his heart? And the difficulty of mending a person's heart, Chen Ping'an understood deeply.

Just one small example: on some battlefield, the golden-armored warriors marching out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains would form an army. Even if the Barbaric Expanse collapsed on that battlefield, the Barbaric tent could use a small trick to have the golden-armored warriors "accidentally" injure dozens of Bright World cultivators, or hundreds or thousands of Bright World elite soldiers. Then perhaps Li Huai would feel guilt and anxiety for the rest of his life, and might even wake up from nightmares countless times for a lifetime.

If a war ended and he couldn't get through it, the golden-armored warriors under Li Huai's command would become like those books on the shelf in the house today—mere decorations. But the entire Bright World would place high hopes on Li Huai: you are a worthy of the Cliff Academy, a student of Qi Jingchun, a second-generation disciple of the Literary Sage lineage, and you hold such a crucial and terrifying combat power—why would you not want to join the battlefield?

Even if Li Huai managed to pass that difficult mental hurdle, began forcing himself to accept certain truths of the battlefield, had to do things that deviated from the books of the sages, constantly telling himself that weapons have no eyes on the battlefield, that a woman's heart should not command troops, and finally continued to lead the golden-armored army southward—then Li Huai's future life would diverge onto another path. He might become mature, even better, perhaps become a true Academy gentleman. But more likely, he would be haunted for a long, long time, unable to let go, living in guilt for a lifetime. He might know all the principles, but... he wouldn't let himself off.

But these words, this reasoning, Chen Ping'an also "temporarily" did not want to break down and explain openly to Li Huai. Sometimes on the path of life, accepting a very weighty principle—even if the principle is good—is like adding a large stone to the backpack of a mountaineer. It makes one stagger under the burden and suffer unspeakably.

Li Huai asked in confusion, "This is already the unpleasant one?"

Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "The nice one is this: you, Li Huai, are a disciple of our Literary Sage lineage. That makes it very simple. From your master's master, the Literary Sage, to your teacher Mr. Qi, to your senior apprentice brother Cui Chan, second senior apprentice brother Zuo You, third senior apprentice brother Liu Shiliu, down to your junior master uncle Chen Ping'an—in that great war that swept through both worlds, none of us spared our efforts. In terms of military merits, if each of us shares a little with you, it won't be little."

Li Huai was dumbfounded, then said sullenly, "That's even worse than the unpleasant one."

The Tender Daoist at the door immediately became displeased. This Chen fellow, how come he's so malicious? Acting as if I, the Tender Daoist, don't exist, daring to bully my young master so openly? Let's you and I draw our lines—if you dare set aside your backing, drop those empty titles, and agree that nobody will hold a grudge afterward, let's have a spar and exchange Dao techniques!

Chen Ping'an continued, "Li Huai, you must trust yourself. Outside the battlefield, you can do many things in the future—scholarly research in the study, and things beyond that. Maybe some things, most things, others can do too. But there will always be some things that only Li Huai can do. Whether as a Confucian disciple or in your own conduct of life, you need to have that confidence."

Li Huai looked up. "I don't have much faith in myself, but I have faith in you."

Chen Ping'an smiled and clapped. "There you go."

Li Huai remembered something and picked up the book on the table, asking casually, "Chen Ping'an, do you know the author of this book, Lü Yan?"

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded. "Not only do I know him, but I've also met this Patriarch Lü. His Dao name is Chunyang. He is a very learned and virtuous Daoist. Patriarch Lü, like Mr. Qi, has walked very high and far on the path of integrating the three teachings."

Chen Ping'an glanced at the bookshelf, confirmed the original position of this book, and couldn't help but feel emotional—how did Li Huai manage to pull this out? Since the founding of the Yellow Millet Kingdom, someone had added this book to the shelf one day. Presumably, many passersby had come through this house, but few had actually opened this book. After all, miscellaneous books outside the Daoist scriptures were more decorations in mountain mansions.

The Tender Daoist began to worry. Because from the moment Chen Ping'an entered the house, he started praying to the gods that his young master wouldn't mention this book and Lü Yan to the shrewd Chen Ping'an. If Chen Ping'an's group hadn't come up the mountain, even if Li Huai didn't take the book, the Tender Daoist would have sneaked it away.

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and said, "I'll talk to Sect Leader Gao later and ask the Yellow Millet Sect to give you this book?"

Li Huai laughed loudly. "No, no. I can't understand it. I read half of it before and got a headache. Better leave it here."

Outside in the courtyard, Lu Chen spoke to Chen Ping'an through mind voice, laughing. "I've finally figured it out. Patriarch Chunyang left no Daoist traces in the grotto. The Daoist book and sword technique that Daoist Qingtong mentioned is, in a sense, exactly this book in Li Huai's hands. But it requires the reader to be sincere, to truly recognize the content written in the book, in order to achieve the effect of 'ultimate sincerity moves the spirits, resonance between heaven and earth.' Inside and outside the book correspond, a meeting of hearts—that is the unspoken secret, the supreme mental method. Even in the Five Cities and Twelve Towers of the Jade Capital, this is a rather mystical oral tradition. It's remarkable that Patriarch Chunyang, who was just a newly formed Golden Core Earth Immortal back then, already possessed such Daoist skill. If I'm not mistaken, if Li Huai is willing to read this book aloud several times, or silently memorize it repeatedly in his heart, at a certain juncture, an extraordinary phenomenon will occur. The text in the book will become like a 'military inspection on the autumn battlefield,' rearranging itself into a true sword technique Daoist method, pointing directly to the Golden Core Great Path."

Chen Ping'an took the book and flipped through a few pages. The paper was ordinary folk marketplace edition stock. This meant that even if the book could carry the true Daoist intent of the sword technique left by Lü Yan, the book itself would easily be destroyed in the natural and man-made disasters of various dynasties. He asked Lu Chen, "Is it only this book in the house?"

Lu Chen shook his head. "Not necessarily. Patriarch Chunyang likely made other arrangements. Otherwise, even the 'Wind and Thunder Palace' plaque bestowed by the emperor for the Patriarch Lü Shrine is gone. If this book were the only one, and the Fenhe River God's Temple library caught fire once or suffered a few military conflicts, this inheritance would be completely severed. Given Patriarch Chunyang's methods, I doubt he would be so... all-or-nothing. But regardless, this Daoist opportunity now lies in Li Huai's hands... no, now it's in your hands, Chen Ping'an."

Lu Chen clicked his tongue in wonder. "With just two Grain Rain coins, you bought a Dao book pointing directly to the Golden Core. This is a massive gain. If the top sects in the Central Lands knew about it, they wouldn't just offer two—they'd be willing to pay two thousand Grain Rain coins. And they'd be afraid you'd back out, so four thousand would be negotiable, eight thousand not out of the question. If it were an ownerless item, there would be a mad scramble. In the Azure Expanse, it would cause a great upheaval; countless Upper Five Realm cultivators would scheme against each other, many Earth Immortals would fight fiercely, brains splattering, dying for the thousand-year incense of their sects."

"Patriarch Chunyang's sword technique is tailor-made for your Xiandu Mountain. In all the countless Dao books and secret methods in the world, which one dares claim to 'point directly to the Golden Core'? And a sword technique at that."

Chen Ping'an said to Li Huai with a smile, "This book is of great significance because it involves the sword technique inheritance of Patriarch Chunyang. It is worth a fortune. If you don't want it, I'll take it."

In the mortal world, the Daoist sword immortal lineage—the Xuandu Temple in the Azure Expanse is the undisputed ancestral home. But at Lü Yan's point, it opened up new horizons, establishing another peak.

Li Huai looked completely unconcerned. "A small bowl holds only so much rice; know your own weight and use only that much strength—that's always been my motto."

Now it was Lu Chen's turn to stand dumbfounded. Chen Ping'an actually took it? He wasn't going to play the role of the money-dispensing boy anymore?

The Tender Daoist was even more frantic, urgently speaking through mind voice. "Young master, you can't give it away! An opportunity like this, when it comes knocking, you can't push it out the door with both hands. No, no, no! Even in the Barbaric Expanse, they'd break heads to grab it, and even in this Bright World that likes to talk about etiquette and rules, isn't there the saying, 'Heaven gives it, but if you don't take it, you'll suffer the consequences'? Young master, even if you want to give it to Chen Ping'an... at least let us keep the original book. You can let Chen Ping'an copy it however he likes—everyone gets what they want. Wouldn't that make everyone happy?"

Li Huai shook his head. "Why think so much?"

The Tender Daoist felt a storm inside him, but after holding it in for a long time, he just smiled bitterly and shook his head, no longer persuading Li Huai. Oh, my good young master, how did I end up with a master like you who doesn't see an opportunity as an opportunity?

Chen Ping'an took five booklets from his sleeve and handed them to Li Huai, smiling. "Mission accomplished."

These were some of Li Huai's earlier study questions. He had given two booklets to Chen Ping'an at the Confucian Temple. After the temple meeting ended, Chen Ping'an had been quite attentive, often taking them out to carefully answer. Whenever he had a new insight, he would add supplementary notes in the margins. For example, at the Wangxinghua Hall in the Daquan Dynasty of Tongye Continent, he had taken out his brush. Later, inside the Everlasting Spring Daoist Heaven, which was temporarily his training ground on Xiandu Mountain, he hadn't been idle either. Asking questions wasn't easy; answering them was even harder. So Li Huai had given him two booklets, and when Chen Ping'an returned them today, there were five in total. On Chen Ping'an's three booklets, the handwriting was fine and small, and at the end of the last booklet, he had carefully listed a long string of book titles cited.

Li Huai took the booklets. "I'll read them carefully. I'll take a look now."

Chen Ping'an walked out of the house alone. After crossing the threshold, he found that Lu Chen, having nothing better to do, had already gone out for a stroll. He had heard that the Yellow Millet Sect had quite a few female cultivators, especially on Loushan, almost to the point of being dominated by women.

The Tender Daoist, who had been sitting on the doorstep, stood up and stood with Chen Ping'an in the corridor outside.

Chen Ping'an said through mind voice, "This book written by Patriarch Lü, I will return it to Li Huai before I leave the mountain, asking him to read it and reflect on it in his spare time. When you want to borrow it, just ask Li Huai."

The Tender Daoist smiled faintly. "Certainly, certainly."

So it turned around like this, and it wasn't a complete loss of this opportunity?

Chen Ping'an continued, "As the old saying goes, 'Carrying a sharp blade, the desire to kill arises.' One must be very cautious about this principle."

The Tender Daoist was in a good mood at the moment, so he was willing to entertain this young Hidden Official with a few words. Otherwise, lecturing me with these empty platitudes? You've got the wrong person, kid. I, Tao Ting, am not a Confucian scholar, nor some Bright World cultivator. He said casually, "The Hidden Official is right, worthy of being a sage disciple who has read ten thousand books."

Chen Ping'an took no offense, acting as if he hadn't noticed the hint of mockery in the Tender Daoist's words, and continued on his own, "The Old Blind Man placed you by Li Huai's side only to be his protector. Don't do the superfluous 'teaching' work."

"If it weren't for the fact that in the matter of accepting the golden-armored warriors, you were still decent—only eager in your heart but not actually urging Li Huai to agree—"

"Then I would make you understand the consequences of daring to damage the pure heart of a disciple of our Literary Sage lineage, of daring to disturb Li Huai's ordinary mind."

"Whether you believe it or not, if I ever feel that you have done wrong in this matter, and have led Li Huai astray based on your personal likes and dislikes, then don't blame me for not warning you. Unless you, Tao Ting, can escape all the way to the Hundred Thousand Mountains before I make my move, otherwise, not even the Old Blind Man can protect you."

The Tender Daoist's expression flickered between shadow and light, and he said nothing. He wanted to throw out a harsh word, but several times the words reached his lips and he held back. In the end, feeling extremely aggrieved, he could only squeeze out a weak and sneering remark, not daring to confront this young man head-on in words: "It's been only a few days since we last met, and the Hidden Official's authority has grown heavier."

But the young Hidden Official, whose tone was calm yet whose edge was sharp today, continued to talk to himself: "Even if you say you escape to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Old Blind Man could protect you for a time, but still not for a lifetime."

The Tender Daoist glanced at him from the corner of his eye: blue robe, long tunic, cloth shoes, hands folded in sleeves, back against the wall.

He remembered one thing: according to the Confucian Temple's lineage seniority, this guy really was Li Huai's junior master uncle, wasn't he?

Forget it, forget it. The protective nature of the Literary Sage lineage was something the Tender Daoist knew; everyone in several worlds was aware of it. The Tender Daoist had absolutely no desire to go and test the truth of this matter himself.

Besides, Chen Ping'an was Li Huai's junior master uncle, and I, Tao Ting, am Li Huai's protector—so we're half-family. Just a few harsh words behind closed doors; I'll endure it.

But the Tender Daoist felt that this guy beside him had changed drastically in just a few days. Was it because he had traveled through the Barbaric hinterlands and supported Crescent Moon Mountain? No—it seemed that on this current journey, this young Hidden Official had gained something on a certain path.

In an instant, the Tender Daoist saw the young Hidden Official suddenly squint and smile. "Are you scared by a few big words from a junior? People brag without drafting a script. They've seen people beheaded, but have they ever seen a mouth be chopped off, right?"

The young Hidden Official stepped forward, patted the Tender Daoist's shoulder with a smile, and said, "Besides, senior, when you are upright, you need not fear a crooked shadow."

The Tender Daoist let out a dry laugh.

He felt even more humiliated.

Had he been fed a date and then hit with a club by the young Hidden Official?

Chen Ping'an said finally, "Better to say the unpleasant things upfront than to have resentment later, with both blaming each other. Even if you both fight to the death, each thinks he is in the right."

The Tender Daoist nodded. This principle was simple and crude, and it was practical.

After Chen Ping'an and the Tender Daoist finished their exchange, without the leader of the Jade Capital Lu present, Chen Lingjun remained cowering in the courtyard, looking constrained and hesitant to speak. Having lost face in front of so many people, he couldn't even pick it up from the ground.

Chen Ping'an walked down the steps and came to Chen Lingjun's side, as if he knew it in advance. He smiled and said, "What, have you already met the Emperor of the Mengliang Kingdom? Go on, tell me what boasts you made to Huang Cong at the wine table. Did you promise that I would definitely become the head protector of the Mengliang Kingdom, a registered guest elder?"

Chen Lingjun smiled awkwardly. "That would be too ignorant of human relationships and worldly affairs. I couldn't do that, absolutely not."

He quickly shot a glance at Guo Zhujiu—you're my master's youngest disciple, your words carry more weight than mine.

Guo Zhujiu, true to her word, helped him out and roughly recounted the conversation between Chen Lingjun and the young emperor during that drinking session.

Chen Ping'an reached out and pressed down on the top of Chen Lingjun's head.

Chen Lingjun shrank his neck.

Chen Ping'an smiled. "You can serve as a royal protector for the Mengliang Kingdom, and you can be registered. But as for the title of head protector, forget it. Once a flood dragon lineage gets too deeply entangled with a state's fortune, it creates trouble later. Also, discuss the matter with Mi Yu yourself. If Mi Yu is willing to take on the role of protector or guest elder, I won't stop him. Also, for registered cultivators taking on the role of protector or guest elder elsewhere, according to precedent, it needs to be recorded in the ancestral hall at Jise Peak. If Law Enforcement Elder Changming asks about it, just push it all onto me."

Chen Lingjun's head shot up, his face full of surprise. "Master has agreed to this?!"

Chen Ping'an nodded and said, "How pathetic!"

Chen Lingjun hugged his master's arm, his voice full of gratitude. "Master, when will you come home? I'll prepare the ingredients and have the old cook make a big table of delicious food!"

If he had known it would be this easy, when he saw that lonely Sect Leader Lu earlier, why was he afraid? I, Elder Chen, would have jumped up and spat all over Lu Chen!

Chen Ping'an pried the head away with a stern look. "Don't you ever again incite Bai Xuan to participate in any night travel banquets to steal the spotlight from Mountain Lord Wei. How could you come up with such an idea!"

Chen Lingjun said "Oh."

Chen Ping'an said, "When attending the Piyun Mountain Night Travel Banquet, you think gifts don't cost money?"

Huh?

Chen Lingjun's face lit up as he realized, and he beamed. "Master is always omniscient!"

Chen Ping'an was going to visit the Mengliang Emperor Huang Cong. He asked Guo Zhujiu if she wanted to come along. Guo Zhujiu shook her head, saying it seemed boring. Chen Lingjun puffed out his chest and began to volunteer, but his master turned him down.

After Chen Ping'an left, Lu Chen was still not around, so the young boy in blue shook his sleeves and began to get curious about that Daoist with the conical hat, Qingtong.

Chen Lingjun cautiously started to make conversation. "Daoist Brother Qingtong, if I'm not mistaken, you're at least at the Ascension Realm."

Qingtong took off his conical hat, slightly surprised. This Nascent Soul water flood dragon had such good eyesight? Setting aside the depth and killing power of the Ascension Realm, Qingtong was quite proud of his ability to conceal his aura. He hadn't expected this young boy in blue to see through him at a glance.

Seeing that Daoist Qingtong neither confirmed nor denied, Chen Lingjun was sure, and he felt a little smug. Look, that's what it means to be tight-lipped. Guessing a stranger's realm is just like guessing a number—once you have enough experience, it's simple.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with this Daoist Qingtong, who claimed to be from Tongye Continent, it seemed Chen Lingjun remembered something, and he ran out of the courtyard to find someone.

Outside a house on Loushan, there were two ancient pines in front of the door, their branches entwined with climbing vines. The mountain wind was gentle and soft, and the flowers were as large as bowls. When they fell from the branches, they didn't separate, drifting down slowly.

Lu Chen was crouching under the tree, watching one flower fall to the ground, still unwilling to stand up, as if waiting for another to fall.

A group of passing female cultivators saw this scene. Seeing that the young Daoist had a handsome and spirited appearance, they found it interesting. They raised their eyebrows slightly, cast sidelong glances, and giggled.

Lu Chen stood up and made a Daoist fist salute to those sisters. He was just about to announce his name when they said they still had matters to attend to. They returned the salute briefly and then slowly departed.

After that, Lu Chen continued to wander around, like those idlers in the marketplace and alleys.

When the young boy in blue finally caught sight of the leader of the Jade Capital Lu from afar, he saw the young Daoist squatting by the roadside, pointing at a stone on the ground and cursing, "People eat hot food, and dogs even get to eat hot shit. But you? You're lazy and gluttonous, like to stir up trouble and be a stumbling block, are you? If I get angry, I won't hit you—I'll hit the dog!"

Chen Lingjun mustered his courage, walked toward Lu Chen, and squatted down beside him, saying nothing.

Lu Chen turned his head and smiled. "What's up?"

Chen Lingjun took a deep breath, his eyes resolute. "Sect Leader Lu, whatever there is between us, don't drag my master and Luofu Mountain into it. Deal?"

Lu Chen smiled. "How odd—what's between us?"

It seemed that saying those words had already used up Chen Lingjun's courage. Let me take a moment to catch my breath, recite Master's name a few more times in my heart, and then I'll reason with you.

Lu Chen laughed. "So you're not going to spray me with spittle this time?"

Chen Lingjun's eyes darted frantically. He needed to find a way to make up for it quickly.

Lu Chen clicked his tongue. "I heard that Daoist Brother Jingqing, on Luofu Mountain, recently recognized a new 'nephew' surnamed Zheng."

Chen Lingjun said awkwardly, "That's not true!"

Earlier, at our mountain gate, a man surnamed Zheng had come. He looked like a well-to-do scholar. At first, he claimed to be the disciple of my brother Chen Zhuoliu, so Chen Lingjun didn't take him too seriously. But later, when he saw that the Literary Sage and the Great White Goose were both very polite to that surnamed Zheng scholar—and even the Great White Goose had a rare moment of being stumped by an outsider—Chen Lingjun realized something was off.

After thinking it over, he felt that as long as that man surnamed Zheng wasn't the great demon ruler of the White Emperor City, everything could be negotiated.

"The Tender Daoist doesn't know about your string of heroic deeds. Otherwise, he'd have to bow to you."

Lu Chen stood up with a smile and kicked the stone away. It shot out like an arrow, passed through the branches of an old pine, and flew off the cliff, startling a flock of geese in the sky. He nodded and said, "Between the wood and the wild goose, the transformation of dragon and snake."

Chen Lingjun stood up too and said softly, "Just now, I said that thing. Consider it settled, Sect Leader Lu?"

Lu Chen walked slowly with his hands behind his back. "It's not a bad thing. What are you afraid of? Traveling along the river to transform into a flood dragon, only reaching the Nascent Soul realm and not the Jade Core. What will you do next time? Cross the Qi River to enter the sea? Even if you reach the Jade Core realm, what then? The Immortal realm? The Ascension realm? Nowadays, in the Bright World, there is already a true dragon, and the one who slew that dragon has merged with the Dao. So one can be accommodated, but perhaps not two. However, if you go to the Azure Expanse, it's a different world, a different scene. I could give you a protective talisman from the Jade Capital..."

Chen Lingjun shook his head. "I don't want to leave home so far away."

Then Chen Lingjun asked the question that had troubled him for many years. "Sect Leader Lu, with your Dao techniques so high and your status so noble, why do you bother to argue with me over such a small matter?"

Actually, Chen Lingjun had privately asked his master. But Chen Ping'an's answer was a relatively "mountain-style" one: the truth would eventually come to light when the water was clear. He also told Chen Lingjun not to think too much about it; it would all work out naturally. Since his master said so, Chen Lingjun had stopped worrying about it. If he hadn't run into Lu Chen today, Chen Lingjun would have just pretended it never happened. Why waste the brain on such mysterious things?

"Argue with you? Not really. It's just an old, old score that hasn't been settled yet. It doesn't hinder my cultivation, but it's something I always think about. I need to smooth it over."

Lu Chen brought his two fingers together and rapped the young boy in blue on the head. He laughed. "Can't you learn something good from your master? Look at Chen Ping'an—traveling all year round, his cultivation and breakthrough rate shooting sky-high. Who doesn't envy that?"

Chen Lingjun rubbed his head, not looking up, accompanying Lu Chen for a stroll. He said in a muffled voice, "But my master doesn't want to be away from home all year round either. It's because he's always thinking about our Mountain Lord's wife, and he also wants to help that Mr. Qi see the world. Do you think my master doesn't want a peaceful life?"

Lu Chen looked shocked. "Daoist Brother Jingqing, I was blind. You're not an idiot after all?"

Chen Lingjun heard this and remembered the words Guo Zhujiu had relayed from his master. Immediately, his back stiffened. He began to swagger, though he didn't dare to swing his sleeves too wildly.

Lu Chen suddenly kicked Chen Lingjun in the butt. "Get lost! When someday you decide to travel to the Azure Expanse, you can come find me at the Jade Capital."

Chen Lingjun stumbled, rubbed his backside, and ran off without looking back. The sky is vast, the earth is wide... Go find you at the Jade Capital? Go find your grandpa!

Lu Chen smiled meaningfully. "Hmm?!"

This memory—the Tender Daoist must have eaten it.

The young boy in blue knew he was in trouble, but he didn't dare stop. He ran even faster and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Qingtong was feeling stifled, so he went out for a walk.

For some reason, earlier he had felt a little creeped out by that girl named Guo Zhujiu. The girl didn't say anything; she just went through the motions of practicing her stances and boxing, but she glanced at Qingtong from time to time.

As soon as Qingtong left, he saw the young boy in blue, drenched in sweat, brushing past him and crashing into the door.

But Qingtong found that in a pavilion with upturned eaves on a cliff, amidst a flock of female cultivators, Sect Leader Lu was reading palms for them.

The young Daoist held one woman's hand in his, while with the other hand he gently pointed at the lines on her palm, explaining the correspondences between the lines and the shapes of mountains and waters. He interjected a few sighs, saying that since ancient times, women with such good looks as this elder sister's rarely met worthy scholars. This was called 'the gold buyer always misses the gold seller.' In the end, they had to pray to the God of Marriage to open his eyes and show some pity. When they did find love, they feared meeting the wrong person and ending up as a national beauty wasted, making others sad just to look at. Luckily, from what I, Little Daoist, see in this palm reading, your luck is not bad. Your fortune is a little thin, but as far as love goes, it's definitely smooth sailing...

After that, this young Daoist, who was especially skilled in palmistry and face reading, switched to another woman and continued reading palms, making the Loushan female cultivators all laugh like flowers.

A young female cultivator with a maiden's appearance retracted her hand and asked curiously, "Daoist Lu, I once went to the Shengzhao Sect with my master, but I never heard of your Qiuhao Temple?"

The young Daoist said sheepishly, "It's a small temple, really a small temple. That Sister Lin has never heard of it is perfectly normal. Whenever there's a celebration on the various peaks, or a sect ordination, I get to attend. But my seat is always in the back, inconspicuous. So I must have missed meeting Sister Lin."

The girl nodded. That was probably it. She had heard that the Shengzhao Sect had dozens of large and small temples, with a complex lineage. A big mountain sect—its registry would be thick.

The young Daoist was anxious inside.

Why didn't you ask who I came up the mountain with today?

But they kept reading palms, and they still didn't ask about that.

Oh well, since it's come to this, I won't hide it anymore.

I have to reveal my identity to you.

But before that, I need to have a word with a certain senior.

Back in the courtyard, the Tender Daoist had been using his palm-viewing mountains and rivers technique, observing in his mind the movements of Daoist Lu, the Qiuhao Temple Daoist. When he saw this young Daoist squatting by the roadside, pointing at a stone and cursing the tree while pointing at the mulberry, the Tender Daoist became furious.

I can't handle a young Hidden Official, but am I afraid of a registered Daoist from the Qiuhao Temple of the Shengzhao Sect?

But the Tender Daoist, being old and experienced, kept quiet. For one thing, staying by his young master's side had tempered his nature a lot. For another, he felt a bit on guard: Could it be that this little Daoist, whose founding master was far away in the Jade Capital as Daoist Number Two, had already sensed his spying? If so, he must be at least an Immortal realm. But this person was definitely not Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen. Could he be some old master from the Shengzhao Sect's mountains who never showed his face? In this Bright World, everything was fine except for the trouble—nothing was straightforward. You had to talk about backing, Dao lineage, founding patriarchs...

Lu Chen was reading a palm for an elder sister and spoke through mind voice with a smile. "Senior, how long are you going to watch?"

The Tender Daoist laughed heartily. "Daoist Lu, your spiritual perception is quite remarkable."

Lu Chen let out a sigh of sorrow, as if worried the other wouldn't notice his feelings, so he spoke his own mind aloud, stomping his foot. "I, Little Daoist, am so angry!"

Every one of them bullies me, a good-natured Daoist, don't they? Chen Ping'an is one thing—after all, I was personally the matchmaker who tied the red thread for him! But even a Tender Daoist dares to be so blatant? That's just not fair!

In an instant, the Tender Daoist's nerves tensed.

The next moment, he found his forehead beaded with sweat.

He found himself in a vast expanse of white mist. Looking up, he saw in the far distance a towering... Jade Capital!

A young Daoist wearing a lotus crown leaped down from the highest point of the Jade Capital. His tiny figure suddenly swelled to the size of Mount Sumeru. As he landed on the ground, he was almost as tall as the entire Jade Capital. He looked down from on high, overlooking the Tender Daoist on the earth.

The Tender Daoist gritted his teeth and was about to reveal his true form, to contend with this third leader of the Jade Capital, Lu Chen, to fight a good battle. Even if he was certain to die, he wouldn't just offer his head on a platter.

But the Daoist's divine form disappeared from heaven and earth, and the Jade Capital was gone. The Tender Daoist remained motionless, for at some point, Lu Chen had shrunk back to the size of a mustard seed and was now standing on the Tender Daoist's shoulder, as if gazing into the distance at someone or something.

To lean on the sky for ten thousand miles, a long sword is needed.

What a "Daoist, Daoist."