Chapter 946: In Chess, High Skill Cannot Lose
Pei Qian had Zheng Youqian and Tan Yingzhou, the two children, sit together with her on the steps of the mountain path on Mishi Peak.
Mi Yu had just succeeded in his secluded cultivation aboard the Fengyuan Ferry, finally becoming a true Great Sword Immortal worthy of the name.
The title "Sword Immortal Mi" had already been an insult; an even more excessive "Great Sword Immortal Mi" naturally felt like a slap in the face.
Fortunately, times were different now.
The chief guest elder of the Qingping Sword Sect at Xian Du Mountain was indeed a well-deserved Great Sword Immortal.
Pei Qian deliberately had the girl from Tieshu Mountain in the Central Earth sit in the middle.
Tan Yingzhou said softly, "Sister Pei, Zheng Youqian said in private that he's very afraid of you."
Zheng Youqian's face turned red, and he quickly waved his hands. "It's not like that... well, it is, but..."
He was incoherent, scratching his head in panic. Tan Yingzhou, why do you always imitate my little master and make trouble with your tattling? But Zheng Youqian had always been puzzled—how exactly did his little master make trouble? He didn't, right?
Afraid he might be, but when he and Tan Yingzhou had chatted privately about this Senior Sister Pei before, it had been full of good words. Tan Yingzhou couldn't just pick and choose what to say.
Senior Sister Pei, as his little master's first disciple, was a female Grandmaster with the two nicknames "Zheng Sans Money" and "Zheng Clear and Bright." She specialized in killing members of the Fiend Race. It was said that on the battlefields of Golden Armor Continent and the Secondary Capital, with one earth-shattering punch, heaven and earth became clear and bright. On a battlefield originally surrounded by enemies, in the end, only Senior Sister Pei was still standing—everyone else was lying down.
Pei Qian leaned forward slightly, bypassing Tan Yingzhou, and squinted at Zheng Youqian with a smile. "Youqian, why be afraid of me? Master likes you very much. Besides, you're the senior disciple of my master's senior brother, so you and I are of the same generation."
Zheng Youqian's smile was awkward. As long as the little master didn't smile, he wasn't afraid of the little master.
This Senior Sister Pei in front of him truly lived up to being his little master's first disciple. When she smiled, she had at least half of the little master's skill.
Zheng Youqian plucked up his courage and asked, "Senior Sister Pei, why did you start practicing fist techniques?"
His master had said that if one only sought to strengthen the body and build a robust physique through martial arts, it wasn't too difficult. But if one wanted to achieve something, they had to endure hardships.
Pei Qian laughed. "I stumbled into martial arts, muddled through fist practice—just fooling around."
Zheng Youqian didn't dare to ask further. Senior Sister Pei, who are you trying to fool with that?
Pei Qian asked instead, "And you? Why did you follow Uncle-Master Liu to cultivate?"
Zheng Youqian said shyly, "If I follow my master to study immortal techniques, I can live longer. Living longer means I can read more books. Once I succeed in forming my true body, I'll be able to go buy books myself."
Tan Yingzhou reminded him, "Before that, you didn't even dare to enter bookstores at those immortal ferry ports. I was the one who bought books for you. Once you become a human, you can't forget your roots."
Zheng Youqian nodded vigorously. "I've clearly noted down how many books were bought, where they were bought, and how much they cost."
Tan Yingzhou said angrily, "Remembering so clearly—are you not treating me as a friend?"
Zheng Youqian wasn't flustered and explained, "How could that be? The reason I keep accounts is that I planned to ask my little master for a collector's seal. The seal inscription would read 'Gifted by Friend Yingzhou,' and I'd write the year, month, and day of purchase, along with the location."
The girl crossed her arms, squinted, and nodded. That's more like it—you have some conscience. "As for the money, forget it. You don't need to pay me back. It wasn't much anyway."
Zheng Youqian hummed in agreement. "I always knew you wouldn't haggle with me over such a small amount."
The girl raised her head high, full of spirit. "Of course! We're brothers and sisters of the martial world—what is money?"
Pei Qian clicked her tongue in admiration. This Junior Brother Zheng was quite perceptive. Was he self-taught?
Liu Jinglong, his disciple Bai Xuan, the old grandmaster Liang Shuang, his disciple Ma Xuanhui, Yuan Lingdian of Zhixuan Peak, and Zhang Shanfeng were all sitting together at the viewing platform, drinking tea.
The old grandmaster asked curiously, "This seclusion only took a few days? Wasn't it said that Mi Yu took a long time to break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck, which made him a joke over at the Sword Qi Great Wall?"
Liu Jinglong explained with a smile, "Sword Immortal Mi had a heart knot back then. If circumstances hadn't forced him to close himself off and break through, delaying further would have backfired. If he didn't slay the inner demon, he would have gone mad. Otherwise, as long as it didn't hinder his Nascent Soul combat power, he would never have voluntarily advanced to the Jade Pure realm."
The old grandmaster didn't press further, just nodded. "Every family has its own troubles."
Bai Shou grinned. "Over at the Sword Qi Great Wall, besides Sword Immortal Mi's famous line 'Deep feelings never last,' there's also a widely circulated and amusing saying about his trouble breaking through the Jade Pure bottleneck..."
Liu Jinglong glared. "Drink your tea!"
Bai Shou said aggrievedly, "At the drinking tables over there, nobody holds back on taboos."
Liu Jinglong said, "Forgot the motto you carved yourself at Pianran Peak?"
Bai Shou was momentarily stunned. After holding back for a long time, he muttered quietly, "Some people have a bad temper and hold grudges, but our Sword Immortal Mi is easygoing. It's not the same."
The old grandmaster laughed heartily. "Sect Leader Qi, don't stop him. Let Bai Shou speak—what exactly is this saying? Behind closed doors, we're all family. Once we step out, none of us will gossip."
Bai Shou glanced at that Liu fellow, but Liu Jinglong pretended not to notice.
Bai Shou had no choice but to wave his hand. "Brother Liang, forget it. My master has strict rules here."
The old grandmaster smiled. "Since Brother Bai is in a difficult spot, let it be."
In reality, the old man and the young one had already been communicating through heart-to-heart speech, getting along quite well.
Liu Jinglong saw through it but didn't call them out. Where was his first disciple lacking?
The Daoist named "Dragon Gate" immortal Guo Ran had hit it off with the female Taoist Huang Ting on sight. At that moment, they were standing side by side on a higher part of the mountain path.
Of course, it had nothing to do with romantic love between men and women; it was purely a matter of compatible temperaments.
One must know that back when Guo Ran was a "youth" after successfully forming his true body, he had once performed the feat of striking the water for ten thousand li to touch the dragon gate in the White Emperor City region. One could imagine his temperament.
In recent years, Guo Ran had rarely descended the mountain to travel, having cultivated his spirit and nature on Tieshu Mountain. Otherwise, Guo Outing wouldn't have been at ease letting this proud disciple go out alone.
As Guo Outing's final disciple, Guo Ran had cultivated on Tieshu Mountain for many years. To look at him, he still appeared a delicate young man, with a wooden hairpin in his hair and wearing an ink-colored dharma robe.
Guo Ran asked with a smile, "After all, I was born of the Fiend Race. Becoming a nominal guest elder of Taiping Mountain—won't that cause taboos?"
It could easily attract unnecessary gossip, which wasn't wise for Taiping Mountain, a sect about to rebuild itself among ruins.
Besides, he was only a nominal guest elder, and far away in the Central Earth Divine Continent. The help he could truly give Taiping Mountain was ultimately very limited; it would be hard for him to attend the Ancestral Hall discussions in the future.
"Friend Fushan has already agreed to become Taiping Mountain's mountain-guarding guest elder. As long as Friend Dragon Gate doesn't feel slighted at not being the chief guest elder, I have no problem here."
Huang Ting crossed her arms, squinted her eyes, and her expression was stern. She shook her head. "Taiping Mountain only seeks the true way. We don't have those messy, dog-shit taboos. In my many years on the martial road, I've seen too many creatures more vile than ghosts."
Her greatest regret remained her failure to personally kill the back-sword-wielding old ape who had betrayed Taiping Mountain.
Guo Ran nodded. "Then it's settled. My master and Tieshu Mountain will have no issues either."
Huang Ting laughed. "Emperors love the eldest son, commoners love the youngest."
But there was a fine, fragmented sadness hidden in the woman's autumn-water-like long eyes, like moonlight flowing on a river.
Guo Ran asked curiously, "Why does Mr. Chen feel such closeness to your Taiping Mountain?"
Huang Ting said, "Chen Ping'an mentioned two reasons. One was that after meeting the old Heavenly Lord, he realized that mountain immortals also had chivalry. The other..."
Here, Huang Ting seemed to find it amusing and laughed. "It was that from the old Heavenly Lord's eyes, he felt that he would definitely accomplish great feats in the future."
In the Peach Leaf Alliance of Tongye Continent, the Daquan Dynasty and Panshan Cloud Grass Hall were both founding members.
Old General Yao Zhen today had his grandson Yao Xianzhi invite three people to discuss a matter.
The mountain master of Panshan, Ye Yunyun; her disciple Xue Huai; and the disciplinary elder Tan Rong all came.
Daquan Capital's prefect Yao Xianzhi was only responsible for serving tea and water.
The old man's desk was piled high with maps of the terrain, which had been retrieved from the Daquan Capital's Astronomical Bureau and the Ministries of Rites and Works.
Yao Zhen said, "I've troubled Mountain Master Ye."
Ye Yunyun smiled and nodded, using a mountain-contracting technique to "refine" those drawings into illusions, linking them one by one until it formed a complete topographic map of central Tongye Continent.
"If we truly want to follow Bottle Gourd Continent's example and carve out a new great river, the Mirage City side has designed three preliminary routes for the great river. Each has its pros and cons—just for reference."
Yao Zhen took a green bamboo staff from Yao Xianzhi and traced three routes on the map. Ye Yunyun used her arts to permanently retain the riverbed routes of those three "great rivers."
Tan Rong looked at the three routes on the map, noting many overlapping sections, and asked, "This project is colossal—it's not even a matter of immortal money anymore. Back in the Peach Leaf Alliance, proposing to dig a great river was just a gimmick to win people's hearts. Can it really succeed? Once construction formally begins, it's like shooting an arrow—there's no turning back. It's an even bigger bottomless pit than building an immortal ferry port. If we're not careful, not only will our Panshan suffer a severe loss of vitality and deplete our treasury, but Old General's Daquan Dynasty might not even hold its rank among the top ten powerful nations, right?"
Ye Yunyun laughed. "So we must drag in an even wealthier foolish spender."
Yao Xianzhi's expression was awkward; he felt he had let Mr. Chen down somewhat.
"Can't say it that way. If it were just robbing the rich to help the poor, I wouldn't bring it up."
Yao Zhen shook his head with a smile. "Now, our Tongye Continent is a scene of devastation—the people's livelihood is in utter ruin. Having such a project can support many commoners along the way. Mirage City did a rough estimate: at least eight million people could make a living from this, and even earn money. Of course, that's provided we operate properly, so we avoid both exhausting the people and wasting resources, and turn it into a good deed that solves the immediate crisis and benefits future generations."
Xue Huai said worriedly, "Back then, the Song Clan of Great Li mobilized the strength of the entire nation—or rather half a continent—to build that great river crossing Bottle Gourd Continent. First, the overseer was Great Li's National Teacher Cui Chan. Second, with war imminent, the hearts of the people in Bottle Gourd Continent were united, and the Great Li Iron Cavalry could suppress any dissent. Third, Great Li erected a stele at the continent's mountain peaks; no force dared to hinder or secretly undermine them. In contrast, our Tongye Continent is busy restoring countries and livelihoods. Just rebuilding capitals has many emperors and rulers at their wits' end, borrowing debts everywhere. Additionally, the mountain and river spirits along the central part of our continent are nearly wiped out—less than one in ten remain. Moving mountains and redirecting water, carving riverbeds—if it relies solely on mountain Qi refiners, it's extremely difficult. We seem to lack favorable timing, advantageous terrain, and popular support. It doesn't look optimistic..."
At the doorway, a white-clad youth appeared out of nowhere, leaning against the doorframe, and said with a smile, "As long as my master is willing to nod and take on this matter, then everything is no problem. Just concerning the moving of mountains and redirecting of waters, my master will have suitable people."
The old general asked with a smile, "Sect Leader Cui, the question is: is your master willing to nod?"
Cui Dongshan grinned. "Suppose, just suppose my master is willing to nod. Would you be willing to sell everything you have and help wholeheartedly? Would you dare to be the thankless villains, suffering criticism while doing good?"
The old general laughed. "Our emperor and Mirage City have no problem at all."
Ye Yunyun said, "Our Panshan side has no problem either!"
Xue Huai and Tan Rong exchanged glances. Was it settled just like that?
Cui Dongshan took a deep breath, shook his sleeves with a loud crack, and said with great righteousness, "Enough, enough. Since things have come to this, the arrow is on the string and must fly. If my master scolds someone, step aside—let me handle it!"
Ye Yunyun glanced at the white-clad youth, then at the white-haired old general. She said bluntly, "Sect Leader Cui, Old General Yao, you two aren't performing a double act, are you?"
Cui Dongshan stomped his foot. "Wronging me! It's killing me!"
The old man repeatedly waved his hand. "We really didn't agree beforehand."
Ye Yunyun suddenly said, "No, I'll take back that sentence for now. I need to ask Chen Ping'an myself."
The white-clad youth looked up at the ceiling, wiped his face hard with his hand, his eyes full of grievance, and lamented, "Now I'm really going to get scolded. Useless thing that spoils everything—how can I still be my master's proud student?"
Xue Huai suddenly asked, "If we decide to dig a great river, should we bypass the Gui Gu Sect?"
Cui Dongshan rubbed his chin. "That is a question of moderate size, but it can be big or small. Hey, no problem. The answer has come to Xian Du Mountain by itself. Farewell, farewell. This group of people isn't high in realm—the highest is only a Great Sword Immortal—so there's no need for our Right Protector to show up. I'll receive the guests myself."
Before leaving, Cui Dongshan clasped his fists and smiled. "Before I come back, I'd appreciate Mountain Master Ye keeping an eye on Jingxing Peak at Choumu Mountain."
Ye Yunyun nodded. "A small matter."
Chen Ping'an's student Cao Qinglang was currently in secluded cultivation there, forming his golden core.
A cross-continent ferry from the Gui Gu Sect slowed its pace, leisurely entering the border of Xian Du Mountain.
It was like greeting the host from afar: a guest had arrived.
At the bow, Jiang Heng had mixed feelings. She said to a child beside her, "Qiu Zhi, we're almost at that ferry."
A child with a tender face stood on tiptoe, looking north toward the peaks of Xian Du Mountain, and said with emotion, "So this is the lower sect of the Hidden Official Chen."
Their own Gui Gu Sect had encountered so many twists and turns in establishing a lower sect, always stumbling. Teacher Wang had said it was because they and the Tongye Sect to the north had tripped each other up, and in the end, neither succeeded.
Jiang Heng quickly gathered her chaotic emotions and said with a smile, "There are not a few mountains in the Haoran World that have lower sects, but to first establish the upper sect and then quickly set up a lower sect—that seems unprecedented in Haoran's history."
Qiu Zhi asked curiously, "I heard that our old Sect Leader Jiang is also the chief guest elder of their upper sect, Luopo Mountain?"
Jiang Heng's expression was extremely awkward; she only nodded.
In the distance, an old man in a blue scholar's robe laughed loudly. "Peak Master Qiu, you're really poking at a sore spot."
This child named Qiu Zhi was only nine years old, a Dragon Gate Realm sword cultivator with three innate flying swords. Though he hadn't yet formed his golden core, he had been exceptionally appointed as the peak master of the Nine Chess Peak of the Gui Gu Sect.
According to Gui Gu Sect rules, the peak master of Nine Chess Peak would eventually succeed as sect leader. The only exception was Jiang Shangzhen—that is, Jiang Heng's father and the head of the Jiang clan in the Cloud Grotto Blessed Land.
Jiang Shangzhen hadn't entered Nine Chess Peak in his early years but had still served as sect leader.
Jiang Heng snorted coldly.
That old scholar-robed cultivator, named Wang Ji, was famously at odds with Jiang Shangzhen. Before joining the Gui Gu Sect, he had cursed Jiang Shangzhen to death, as if wanting him dead.
As Jiang Shangzhen's eldest son, Jiang Heng was naturally implicated.
Because they were to attend the establishment ceremony of Luopo Mountain's lower sect, and the group included the precious Qiu Zhi of the Gui Gu Sect, the Ancestral Hall had specially arranged for Wang Ji, an Ancestral Hall guest elder stationed at Qushan Ferry, to accompany the ferry north to Tongye Continent. They even roped in a guest elder from the Liu clan of Aiai Continent, the Great Sword Immortal of Golden Armor Continent nicknamed "Lord Xu," whose real name was Xu Xie, to protect this group of young sword cultivators.
Xu Xie agreed to this, of course, not to curry favor with the Gui Gu Sect, but to meet that female martial artist, "Zheng Qian."
The two had met before on Xu Xie's home continent, Golden Armor Continent. In Xu Xie's impression, she was a very courteous young girl.
A young woman from outside the region, risking life and death on Golden Armor Continent, following the army from the center all the way northward with Cao Ci and Yu Juanfu, managing both killing enemies and saving people. Given Xu Xie's focus on cultivation and sword forging, he naturally had some goodwill toward that Zheng Qian.
Wang Ji glanced at Xu Xie and sighed inwardly.
Although he himself had only joined the Gui Gu Sect's register after the war, the old cultivator couldn't help but feel a bit sad. The current Gui Gu Sect was far from its heyday decades ago.
No more Flying Ascension Realm cultivators sat in the sect; the Ancestral Hall's seats were mostly empty.
Otherwise, why would they need to call in the Sword Immortal Xu Xie, an outsider, to help protect the way?
To see the Gui Gu Sect's foundation, one only needed to watch the Ancestral Hall discussions—how loud the voices were in cursing Jiang Shangzhen, and how many people.
Of course, compared to the Tongye Sect to the north, they were still more than adequate—inferior compared with some, but far superior compared with others.
Apart from the lower sect Zhenjing Sect, the Gui Gu Sect currently had three immortal ferry ports capable of accommodating more than two cross-continent ferries: Bicheng Ferry, Nilu Ferry, and Yuanshan Ferry.
In the entire southern region of Tongye Continent, the vassal peaks and immortal residences under their control, both overt and covert, numbered over a hundred. It could almost be said that the Gui Gu Sect had secured them all.
If not for some hint from the Confucian Temple, the northern Daquan Dynasty—only the once-arrogant but now isolated Tongye Sect remained—given the temper of a certain old sect leader of the Gui Gu Sect, they might have used various methods of coaxing or propping up, surrounding the Tongye Sect with a string of vassal peaks. They could take turns drinking and feasting at those peaks and residences, and after a full round, the Tongye Sect would be completely encircled.
Such schemes—no one else could even imagine them, but that Jiang fellow could certainly pull them off.
A white rainbow suddenly halted beside the ferry, announcing its name.
That handsome white-clad youth, calling himself Cui Dongshan of Xian Du Mountain, was pure white, with a red birthmark between his eyebrows that made him look even more ethereal.
The youth emphasized that he was the proud student of Mountain Lord Chen.
Wang Ji clasped his fists and smiled. "Greetings, Immortal Master Cui. Truly a master and a worthy apprentice."
The Gui Gu Sect's northward trip to attend the ceremony was uninvited, so they didn't yet know the identity of the first sect leader of Luopo Mountain's lower sect.
This showed how highly the Gui Gu Sect regarded that young Hidden Official.
In fact, whether to actively attend this ceremony had been disputed at the Divine Talisman Peak's Ancestral Hall. Some felt there was no need to be so polite—attending congratulations was traditionally only done after receiving an invitation. And the Gui Gu Sect wasn't a vassal peak; who would want to curry favor only to be rebuffed?
But Sect Leader Wei Ying had been firm in his letter, so Wang Ji and the group had no choice but to take the ferry north to Xian Du Mountain.
Cui Dongshan landed at the bow, exchanged pleasantries with Wang Ji and Xu Xie, then turned to a young cultivator who looked quite similar to their own Chief Zhou. He laughed heartily, "Little Heng, calling me Sect Leader Cui is too formal. I'm a close friend of your father's—we call each other brothers. You can call me Uncle Cui."
Our Chief Zhou talks nonsense. Why would he suspect Jiang Heng wasn't his biological son? They were clearly cut from the same mold—look how alike they were!
But such intimate words would have to wait until he was better acquainted with his nephew Xiao Heng, and since there were outsiders on the boat, he wouldn't say them now.
Jiang Heng's face turned ashen. He said coldly, "Immortal Master Cui, is this the door custom of your Xian Du Mountain? Or is it that the upper beam is crooked and the lower beam is twisted—is Luopo Mountain like this?"
Cui Dongshan winced inwardly. Damn, no wonder he's Chief Zhou's own flesh and blood—he's quite skilled at framing others. He had to put on a stern face and clasped his fists in apology. "A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue. Little Immortal Master Jiang, don't take offense."
Listen to the master, listen to the master. If you're going to be a sect leader, you must behave like one.
Cui Dongshan then clasped his fists to the child and smiled. "Peak Master Qiu, I've heard a lot about you."
The child was young and blushed slightly, a bit awkward, but returned the salute. "Qiu Zhi of Nine Chess Peak, greetings to Senior Cui."
Cui Dongshan put his hands behind his back, quickly adopting the airs of a senior. He nodded. "Young and promising, formidable offspring. Very good, very good. The successive peak masters of Gui Gu Sect's Nine Chess Peak have all been men of strong backbone, like lotus leaves standing tall in the wind. Seeing little Qiu's fresh vigor today, I am very gratified."
Qiu Zhi was young with no experience in the world of martial arts; he was completely ignorant of social graces. Running into this Immortal Master Cui, who liked to take advantage of any opening, all his words sounded like praise but seemed to carry hidden meaning. The child was stumped and had to turn to his most trusted Teacher Wang for help—what should he say?
Wang Ji communicated through heart-to-heart speech with a smile: "Just play dumb."
Cui Dongshan used heart-to-heart speech as well: "Guest Elder Wang, Qiu Zhi shouldn't have shown himself so early. He ought to have waited until the Jade Pure realm to appear in Tongye Continent. Or does Wei Ying trust my master and Xian Du Mountain that much?"
Because Cui Dongshan had already noticed something unusual about this child. He was in a natural state of spiritual separation—within the heart-mansion of sword cultivator Qiu Zhi, it was like a country with two sovereigns. One was always worrying, the other ruled by non-action, but in a critical moment, they could swap identities. If he hadn't been brought up the mountain to cultivate and had stayed in the mundane world, he would have been a waste, perhaps even mistaken for a madman. His intelligence and talent would have been gradually eroded. Fortunately, the Gui Gu Sect had found Qiu Zhi quickly and brought him to cultivate—that must have been some ancestral blessing from that old man Xun.
Qiu Zhi seemed naturally to possess an extra yin spirit compared to ordinary people, complementing his true body perfectly. On the path of cultivation, he would naturally achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Wang Ji was startled by this Cui Dongshan. Just by looking, he could determine Qiu Zhi's peculiarity?
Wang Ji hesitated for a moment. "Sect Leader Wei stated in his letter that the person attending the ceremony must include Nine Chess Peak's Qiu Zhi."
It was obvious that Wei Ying already regarded Luopo Mountain's lower sect at Xian Du Mountain as a peak that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Gui Gu Sect.
At the same time, in a certain sense, Wei Ying was also hinting that if he, Wei Ying, met with an accident on the barbarian battlefield, then Qiu Zhi, barring any mishap, would again "break precedent" and directly become the next sect leader of the Gui Gu Sect. If, in the future, this person traveled to northern Tongye Continent and encountered problems, he hoped Xian Du Mountain would look after him.
It was certainly a gesture of goodwill, perhaps even an admission of weakness.
But it also spoke volumes about Sect Leader Wei Ying's pragmatism and the magnanimity of sword cultivator Wei Ying.
At the bow stood a young man and woman, side by side, enjoying the scenery, like a perfect match made in heaven.
When they saw the white-clad youth, they couldn't help but take a few extra glances. The young man in particular seemed to have a trace of worry in his brows.
They were both direct disciples of the current Sect Leader Wei Ying. Both had once gone with Sui Youbian to Dragon Prefecture of Great Li and ascended the Flying Ascension Platform.
The young male sword cultivator's common name was Nian Jiu, homophonous with "nian jiu" (cherishing old times). His innate flying sword was "Fish Dragon."
The woman was named Sui Yu, and her innate flying sword was "Wine Pot."
In the Ancestral Hall registers of Zhenjing Sect, their names were Wei Gusu and Wei Xianyou. But their nicknames and innate flying swords were both given by their master, and each liked them very much.
After Jiang Shangzhen stepped down, their master Wei Ying succeeded as sect leader, and they returned with him to the Gui Gu Sect on Tongye Continent. Their golden jade registers changed again, from the earliest Nine Chess Peak, to Bottle Gourd Continent's Zhenjing Sect, and then back to Tongye Continent's Divine Talisman Peak.
Back then, many local immortal cultivators from Bottle Gourd Continent had secretly gone to Long Prefecture's Huaihuang County, each seizing opportunities to ascend the Flying Ascension Platform to quickly break through realms and improve their cultivation.
Their relationship with Sui Youbian was somewhat like fellow candidates in the civil service exams, and of course, fellow townsmen.
Before Wei Ying became sect leader, the entire Gui Gu Sect knew that Wei Ying had a high regard for Sui Youbian, who had been brought up the mountain by the old sect leader Xun Yuan. Under normal circumstances, they might even have become Daoist partners. Sui Youbian, however, appeared particularly aloof and proud, but no one thought she was ungrateful. On the contrary, quite a few Ancestral Hall members respected her more for it.
Cui Dongshan grinned as he looked at that pair of senior and junior siblings, saying nothing.
Chief Guest Elder Mi, Great Sword Immortal Mi, your admirer is here.
He was looking forward to seeing what would happen when this woman saw Mi Yu—would she be disappointed, or would love take hold without reason?
And this man, whose true name was "Wei Gusu," if he met that self-proclaimed "Gusu" fatty, Yu Jin, what scene would unfold?
Wang Ji pulled Cui Dongshan into the cabin for tea. Besides Wang Ji, the Gui Gu Sect also had a hidden guardian, a dead warrior specially arranged by Wei Ying for Qiu Zhi, following an old tradition passed down through generations. This person was also one of the few remaining founding ancestors of the Gui Gu Sect.
The Great Sword Immortal Xu Xie was an outsider and stayed at the bow.
He had only used heart-to-heart speech to ask Cui Dongshan if Pei Qian was currently at Xian Du Mountain. After receiving a positive answer, Xu Xie felt the trip was worthwhile.
Unlike the young but special Qiu Zhi, Nian Jiu and Sui Yu had lower seniority within the Gui Gu Sect, so they didn't follow to discuss matters.
During their ascent of the Flying Ascension Platform back then, both young sword cultivators had withdrawn earlier than Sui Youbian, losing their Dao hearts and falling off the platform.
Sui Yu was a lively young woman who had always clamored to go to the Sword Qi Great Wall. If her master hadn't stopped her, saying that with her temperament, she wouldn't come back, and had her senior brother Nian Jiu watch her all day long, she would have sneaked off to Daoshu Mountain and then to the Sword Qi Great Wall long ago. She also had a selfish motive—she never hid it—she wanted to see with her own eyes if that Sword Immortal Mi was truly as handsome and noble as her master.
Because once, a female immortal from another continent toured the Gui Gu Sect, a clan elder related to Sui Yu. She had talked about that Sword Immortal Mi, leaving a deep impression on the young Sui Yu.
When asked why she couldn't let it go, the female cultivator's answer left Sui Yu even more stunned.
"He's good-looking. Mi Yu is very good-looking."
For a woman from the mundane world to fall in love at first sight with a man was one thing, but hearing such words from a Jade Pure realm female immortal made Sui Yu endlessly curious.
But that female cultivator also said that she had met Mi Yu when he was a Nascent Soul sword cultivator. If she had met him later, after he had entered the Jade Pure realm, she wouldn't have liked him anymore.
Nian Jiu was very troubled. Whether for public or private reasons, he had to stop his junior sister. As a pair of senior and junior siblings, they trained swords together almost all year round.
Nian Jiu sighed. "I heard that Senior Sister Sui is already a Nascent Soul sword cultivator."
Sui Yu laughed. "Feeling even more inferior, aren't you? Don't you think you're even less worthy of Senior Sister Sui now?"
Nian Jiu was frustrated.
Oh, so you're allowed to like a Sword Immortal Mi you've never met, but I'm not allowed to speak a few good words about my fellow senior sister?
You're just taking advantage of the fact that I like you, lovesick fool.
Whenever he thought of such romantic entanglements, Nian Jiu couldn't help but think of their old Sect Leader Jiang.
In fact, Jiang Shangzhen had a pretty good reputation among the younger generations of the Gui Gu Sect back then—no airs, easygoing, except for the female cultivators.
From old to young, from women to girls—everyone had cursed the clan head Jiang. So much so that Jiang Shangzhen, with a sour heart, once threw out a question at the Ancestral Hall: "Could it be that if you don't curse me, you're not virtuous and lovely good women? Sisters, your unreasonable curses and questioning are like fists pounding on my heart—decades or centuries of cultivation in each punch—aren't you afraid this Jiang might have a heartbreak?"
After that question, for those years, no one knew who started it, but whenever they saw Jiang Shangzhen, they couldn't even be bothered to speak—they just spat.
In the end, it was Jiang Shangzhen who had to admit fault first, and only then barely managed to get a few curses again.
"Nian Jiu, what do you think of the name your master gave you?"
"Nian Jiu, 'nian jiu'—it's very good."
"'Nian jiu,' cherishing the old, yes, it's not bad. But on the path of romantic love, cherishing old things—tsk, think about it yourself."
"Clan Head Jiang, why are you cursing me?"
"Call me Brother Jiang. 'Clan Head Jiang' is too formal—it chills my heart."
"Better not. If my master finds out, he'll make me pay."
When sword cultivator Wei Ying was still peak master of Nine Chess Peak, he sincerely respected Jiang Shangzhen, who had unexpectedly failed to fill the vacancy at Nine Chess Peak. And also feared him.
"Nian Jiu, Brother Jiang gives you a golden saying for free: We cultivators live in seclusion in the mountains, single-minded. As long as you ride the wind or fly your sword fast enough, the only sound in your ears will be the wind of heaven, and you won't hear a single word of idle gossip."
"That's not bad advice," the young sword cultivator had thought at the time. Could this lackadaisical Clan Head Jiang actually say something... human?
But he soon realized he was wrong, terribly wrong.
"For example, your Brother Jiang here, every time I pass by a peak and leave, my ears are filled with charming shouts and calls to stay. But they can't keep me. What's that called? That's a wanderer. A wanderer rarely turns back, and when he does, it's to rub his face among the peach, plum, and apricot blossoms in a hundred flowers garden."
"...!?"
"Nian Jiu, do you know what the most taboo thing in mountain cultivation is? Didn't that fellow Wei Ying remind you?"
"What?"
"That's when a senior brother likes his junior sister. Never, ever do that—it's easy to break your heart and lungs. The more a senior brother cherishes his junior sister, the more she'll fall for some savage man who appears halfway down the mountain. Infuriating, isn't it?"
"...!?"
"But there's a solution. Look, Brother Jiang has been around. See this packet? It's knockout powder. A small Summer Coin's worth. After the rice is cooked, you two have no choice but to marry and become Daoist partners. When I come to your wedding, I'll use that small Summer Coin as a gift—money going from my right hand to my left. Think about it: you've done nothing and still get a beautiful wife. Aren't you making a huge profit?"
"Th-that's not good, is it?"
"Sui Yu! Sui Yu! That guy Nian Jiu wants to use knockout powder on you! Scumbag! Vile! Degenerate! Look, this packet in my hand has powerful effects—it's essential for flower thieves on the road... Fortunately, Brother Jiang caught wind of it and caught the thief with the evidence. I just gave him a righteous tongue-lashing!"
Nian Jiu nearly went weak in the knees and knelt on the spot to the dog thief Jiang, and also to apologize to his junior sister: I shouldn't have chatted with that dog thief.
But his junior sister was too clever; she gave the dog thief Jiang a genuine dressing-down.
Jiang Shangzhen, looking embarrassed, turned and left, making faces at Nian Jiu.
Nian Jiu had no idea what that meant. He only saw his junior sister raise an eyebrow at him, as if to say, "Senior brother, stay away from that lecher Jiang in the future, or I'll get angry..."
Hey, the way his junior sister pretended to be angry was really beautiful.
Tao Ran, a Golden Core sword cultivator who had come from Lin River, vaguely sensed a mysterious ripple of sword intent. But it was fleeting, and by the time he tried to confirm it, it was gone.
So Tao Ran left his residence and went for a walk. He had nothing to do anyway—just a half-baked sword cultivator with a shattered golden core and a lousy sword heart. There was no hope in sword training.
He practiced every day, but realm, realm—it was what it was.
Earth Immortal? Sword Immortal? What insults. Those registry cultivators at Xian Du Mountain couldn't talk properly.
But that was fine. If it were a mountain sect full of schemers who spoke nicely to your face and gossiped behind your back, Tao Ran would find it even more boring.
On the main mountain path, Tao Ran saw a group climbing the mountain.
That black-clad woman with her hair in a bun, revealing a high forehead, looked very neat and capable—clearly a martial artist of considerable skill.
They had met once before. She was a very polite woman who had greeted him first. She didn't seem like a spoiled child raised in the mountains but more like a martial arts daughter from a scholarly family.
So Tao Ran had a good impression of this young woman and that Confucian scholar with a bookish air.
Especially the little girl in black. Tao Ran was already very familiar with her; he often saw her running up and down the mountain, carrying a cloth bundle slung diagonally.
And that strange golden carrying pole and green bamboo staff were always with her day and night.
As for the one in white, he had a good appearance, but he looked like a womanizer. Good-looking, so what?
Outside the shop by Lin River, there was a green-robed blade bearer with two blades at his waist, and a servant in a yellow hat and green shoes.
And this Yu Mi, who wore a white robe all year round—they all liked to call him "Sword Immortal Tao" in every other sentence. Irritating.
Damn it! Are you all Nascent Soul sword cultivators or Jade Pure Sword Immortals?
Pei Qian looked at Mi Yu.
So he'd reached the Immortal realm?
Mi Yu nodded slightly and communicated via heart-to-heart speech with a smile. "Finally, I didn't disappoint the Hidden Official."
Whether at Luopo Mountain or Xian Du Mountain, realm didn't matter. But having a realm or not was still different.
Mi Yu raised his hand and greeted Tao Ran. "Sword Immortal Tao, out for a walk?"
Tao Ran twitched his mouth, smiling but not smiling. "Why not call me Great Sword Immortal Tao?"
He only knew this lazy fellow was called Yu Mi.
Little Mi Li frowned with her pale yellow brows. Sword Immortal Tao was actually Great Sword Immortal Tao? So deeply hidden? Then hadn't she been reporting false intelligence?
Mi Yu smiled. "Sword Immortal Tao is still a little short of Great Sword Immortal Tao."
Tao Ran bared his teeth in a grin. "I wonder how short Immortal Master Yu is?"
Mi Yu smiled. "That's easy to say."
Faced with this Sword Immortal Tao, he had to avoid his sharp edges.
This Sword Immortal Tao, without anyone noticing, had become the most domineering person at Xian Du Mountain.
He had heard that when Tao Ran met the Hidden Official, he had directly said, "Can you shut up?"
And to Xiao Mo, he had given two words: "Scram off."
Little Mi Li had told him all these tidbits.
Of course, she had also spoken many good words about Sword Immortal Tao, recounting some of his deeds from when he was a rogue cultivator, apparently all heard from the big white goose.
Tao Ran continued down the mountain alone.
That fellow Cui had said he had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall and knew a few sword cultivators there. He would help make an introduction in the future. Tao Ran didn't know if it was true.
Finally, he said that as long as Tao Ran became a nominal guest elder of Xian Du Mountain, he could curse Jiang Shangzhen to his face anytime, and Jiang wouldn't talk back—he'd just force a smile.
Little Mi Li softly called out, "Sword Immortal Tao."
Tao Ran stopped and turned around. He saw the little black-clad girl take out a handful of melon seeds, raise her hand, and offer them toward him.
Tao Ran smiled, shook his head, and said softly, "No need."
There were so many people on the road; it didn't seem right for him to share melon seeds with a little girl.
The girl wasn't disappointed. She just said tentatively, "Then I'll keep them for you for next time?"
Tao Ran nodded, suppressed his awkwardness, forced a smile, and tried to speak gently. "Alright, another time."
Out of the corner of his eye, Tao Ran saw Yu Mi give him a thumbs-up. Not understanding why, he continued his leisurely walk down the mountain.
Great Sword Immortal Tao had descended the mountain gracefully. The other group began to climb.
Little Mi Li had gotten a satisfactory answer from Sword Immortal Tao. She quickly put away her melon seeds and ran happily to Pei Qian, lowering her voice. "Pei Qian, Pei Qian, earlier the big white goose inexplicably said I had made a contribution. Is that a trap, like in those books about the dangers of the martial world? Should I refuse?"
Pei Qian asked doubtfully, "How is it inexplicable? Think carefully."
Little Mi Li wrinkled her brow hard, then suddenly her eyes lit up, but she quickly shook her head. Impossible. Such a tiny, grain-of-rice-sized matter? She'd think of something else more plausible, like a bowl-sized matter.
Pei Qian smiled. "What did you think of just now?"
Little Mi Li grinned, organized her thoughts carefully, then said while gesturing, "Earlier, I was wandering around the ferry port... I mean, seriously patrolling the mountain! I saw a Daoist. He held a whisk, carried a sword on his back, held a purple bamboo staff, and had a gourd ladle hanging from his waist. He was tall, looked kind and had an immortal aura. Haha, but who am I? Seeing an unfamiliar face, how could I just approach him directly? That would be too inexperienced. So I immediately moved a few steps. You know, when we spar in the mountains, we always circle around first before attacking, right? Sure enough, that middle-aged Daoist was instantly intimidated by me—he didn't move at all."
"After I took my stance, I stopped and asked him, 'May I ask where the Daoist comes from, who he's looking for, and if he needs a guide?' The Daoist had no airs at all; he answered everything. He said he came from central Tongye Continent, wasn't looking for anyone, was just passing by, and wouldn't go up the mountain before leaving. That kind-faced Daoist also claimed his Daoist name was 'Chunyang.' When I heard that, I thought it sounded domineering. But since he was clearly a mountain immortal master, I changed my tune and said it was an immortal name. The Daoist seemed quite pleased and nodded, saying it was decent."
"Then I asked him if he wanted to crack some melon seeds. The Daoist seemed shy and said no. How could I let that go? I couldn't let him come all this way for nothing, right? So I quickly pulled out a handful of melon seeds..."
Here, Little Mi Li scratched her cheek and tugged lightly at the strap of her cloth bundle, looking a bit guilty.
Pei Qian asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Little Mi Li said quietly, "Actually, inside this cloth bundle, I also had a pack of dried fish hidden. But I was saving that for Yu Mi, so I didn't take it out to treat the guest."
Pei Qian laughed. "You have a whole bag of dried stream fish in the mountain. It wouldn't have hurt to offer some to the guest."
Little Mi Li murmured, "But I was afraid that if I gave them away, I'd run out right when I saw Yu Mi. The Daoist was an outsider, but Yu Mi isn't."
Pei Qian hesitated but decided not to tell Little Mi Li the truth. Let her think she had just met a passing stranger Daoist.
Because her little master had once mentioned that Daoist with the Daoist name "Chunyang," saying he was a highly accomplished true Daoist who, if he wished, could "travel in the Haoran world by day and the Qing Ming world by night," visiting both worlds in a single day.
The Demon Suppression Tower.
"Cui Chan's scheme was a series of interlocking stratagems, mixed with many plots, all coalescing into an open and upright overt scheme. Lu Chen thought more—at worst, he wouldn't die. At worst. But if Lu Chen thought even a little less, even a hair's breadth, he would utterly perish, body and Dao, without any suspense. In that case, Yu Dou, the Five Cities and Twelve Towers of the White Jade Capital, and the entire fourteen prefectures of the Qing Ming world would be thrown into turmoil."
The Supreme Sage said, "Zheng Juzhong's endgame moves haven't truly revealed themselves yet. In the future, you'll feel it more deeply. To be honest, if not for the fact that the Ritual Sage had once sought out Zheng Juzhong and they had a frank discussion about the Dao, confirming that this demonic overlord's ultimate pursuit diverged from Zhou Mi's great path, I would have personally visited White Emperor City before I scattered the Dao."
Chen Ping'an said, "Senior Brother Cui had no selfish motives."
Lü Yan shook his head. "It's just that his private desires and conscience happened to align. It's not that Cui Chan was entirely without selfishness—his personal desires simply didn't obstruct the Heavenly Mind."
Chen Ping'an nodded and was silent for a moment. "It's difficult."
The Supreme Sage turned to look at Qing Tong. "Hear that? That's called saying what's on your mind. That's communication. What does it mean for words to land on solid ground? It means they land on another's heart. This is the third bridge between heaven and earth. The first is in the sky, connecting countless stars. The second is between heaven and earth—the Flying Ascension Platform. The third is in the human world, everywhere, in the hearts of all cultivators."
"It is said that cultivation is against the Heavenly Dao. At least in the view of Daoist Chunyang, that's not entirely true. If one wishes that Earth Immortals not be humiliated by Celestial Immortals, then the human heart must not be lower than the Heavenly Heart."
"These are occasional insights I gained after setting one foot on the threshold. Before that, I had cultivated for several millennia, merely striving for 'opening the Heavenly Gate.'"
Lü Yan stroked his beard and smiled. "It's ridiculous to say, but I already 'understood' this principle back when I formed my golden core. Yet I didn't realize that after three thousand years of cultivation, I still hadn't grasped it thoroughly."
The Supreme Sage said with a smile, "This is the same as when Master Su claimed, 'The eight winds cannot move me; I sit upright on the purple golden throne.' He understood a principle long ago, even spoke it himself, but didn't truly act on it. Does that mean the principle isn't a principle? By the way, Daoist Chunyang, I heard from the Second Sage that in the Qing Ming world, there was once a wandering Daoist with a purple bamboo staff who composed a 'Heart Medicine Dao Formula' ballad that became widely circulated. There are even annotations by several Celestial Immortals of the White Jade Capital, used as a teaching text?"
Lü Yan said self-deprecatingly, "Young and impetuous, showing off—a laughingstock."
"Daoist Chunyang, you're too thin-skinned. In that case, let me do the honors."
The Supreme Sage said slowly, "Heaven gave birth to all things, but only humans are the most spiritual. It's not that humans are innately spiritual; it's that the heart is spiritual. The ruler of the hundred bones, the master of incense and fire. Often visit the Three Treasures Hall to use the heart to govern the heart, tame the heart-ape and bridle the will-horse—this body becomes immortal. A child selling his father's land feels no heartache. If the heart follows desire, the Dao is blocked and the spirit is sullied—this body also tilts. A gentleman does not cheat in a dark room. Aid others with convenience, use hidden virtue to reach heaven. If one loves himself, ghosts and gods respect him; if one helps himself, the Heavenly Dao helps him... The four births and six paths—all feel it. The three realms and five elements—none pray in vain. When the human heart is governed, heaven and earth are clear and peaceful... Heavenly gods and earthly spirits, the person in the middle—cultivate truth and obtain the Dao. Those who know others are gods; those who know themselves are immortals. Once this thought arises, it is cultivation. Already having this heart, you are a Daoist friend. Even if you don't see me, you still see me."
The Supreme Sage quickly returned to the previous topic. "In dealing with heart cultivation, it's not that the threshold isn't high—it's that it's not high enough. This is where Cui Chan's 'Achievements and Results' doctrine is powerful, and also where its flaw lies."
"The extreme of the Achievements and Results doctrine is that 'there is no object, no person, no matter that cannot be used for my benefit.' If, as you said, carrying a sharp blade gives rise to the intention to kill, who can guarantee they won't use public office for private gain in everything?"
"Hence, whether it was the self-inflicted suffering at Shujian Lake or giving up the siege on Lu Chen at the Sword Qi Great Wall, Cui Chan was actually telling us old fellows one thing: that Chen Ping'an, the final disciple of the Literary Sage lineage, is not the same kind of person as me, Cui Chan. If you still can't rest easy, then I'll make you truly uneasy."
Since his youth, Cui Chan had been a deeply introspective scholar. It seemed he had never spoken any grandiloquent words in his life.
When he went to White Emperor City, which 'claims to be the first in the world,' he only played chess with Zheng Juzhong in the Pavilion of Rosy Clouds—the black-clad youth took white stones and silently placed his moves.
When he traveled with his master, who was no longer the impoverished scholar in the alley, he did say some words that sounded harsh to others, but to Cui Chan, they were probably just ordinary words you could take or leave.
The only words that could be considered grandiloquent that Cui Chan ever uttered were probably when, as the National Teacher of Great Li, he said in a room: 'Let those who wish to prop up the tilting sky, stand up.'
The Supreme Sage joked, "Chen Ping'an, look—if I hadn't reminded you, this opportunity would have expired."
Earlier, if Chen Ping'an hadn't impulsively decided to go to the Multicolor World to see Ning Yao, he only found out at the heavenly curtain that the Ritual Sage had already informed the accompanying sages that this trip wouldn't consume any Confucian Temple merits.
Seeing Chen Ping'an looking as if he wanted to speak but hesitated, the Supreme Sage said, "Don't be pretentious. You're a junior. Why stand on ceremony with the Ritual Sage? Learn from your master more. Should be my merits, I won't take a bit more. But if you dare owe me a hair's breadth, I'll stand in the Confucian Temple with my hands on my hips and curse."
"A scholar shouldn't be too concerned with face. Didn't you tell Friend Qing Tong that a person shouldn't be led by his face?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Actually, that principle was first said by Li Huai; I just borrowed it."
The Supreme Sage nodded. "He's a child who reads to death but doesn't read dead books."
Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly. The Supreme Sage's evaluation of Li Huai was very high. "Reads to death" meant Li Huai studied diligently; "doesn't read dead books" meant he had gained something from reading and hadn't read the sages' works in vain.
Chen Ping'an rubbed his brow, recalling Li Huai's unintentional words on Luopo Mountain back then.
It was about how Li Huai and Pei Qian had each brought out their household items for a "scholarly competition," comparing who had more "underlings."
In that matter, they had always tacitly competed on quantity, never caring about quality.
The Supreme Sage suddenly laughed. "No wonder Old Blind Man took a liking to Li Huai at first sight. Back then, that fellow had such good aptitude for cultivation. Among all the miscellaneous techniques under heaven, whatever he learned, he became. But he was completely hopeless when it came to reading—he read many books, and at that time, there weren't many books anyway—he had read them all. Yet he couldn't read out a single 'life-defining character' and couldn't become one of us 'scholars.' That nearly drove him to death back then. Too proud to show it, he simply went off to compile books himself."
Inside the Demon Suppression Tower, a suffocating, strange aura suddenly appeared, ancient and boundless, covering the sky and the sun.
The Supreme Sage waved his sleeve and said with a chuckle, "I'm just chatting a bit of small talk with my junior. And you say you're not 'too proud to show it'?"
Chen Ping'an could faintly see a young man of extremely handsome features, standing on the bright moon hanging from that parasol tree, with his hands behind his back. His eye sockets were empty, but it seemed he was staring intently at the Supreme Sage, a displeased expression on his face.
Lü Yan was quite surprised. The Supreme Sage hadn't even called that senior's true name—just "Old Blind Man"—yet he had sensed it and come across the world?
"Here, if I beat a dog, I don't need to check its owner. Don't think too much—it's literal."
The "young man" looked at Chen Ping'an and said with a curl of his lip, "My disciple has good taste in friends. You're welcome to visit the Hundred Thousand Mountains sometime."
Listen to that—he couldn't be bothered to say a single good word about the young Hidden Official, only praising his disciple's judgment.
Chen Ping'an clasped his fists in return.
The figure flickered and withdrew back to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Chen Ping'an was a little surprised. So this senior, now withered and gaunt, had been so handsome in his youth?
The Supreme Sage explained with a smile, "That fellow transferred a portion of his Dao resonance and divine will onto the two characters 'Li Huai.'"
In other words, in the Haoran world and the barbarian world, if anyone inadvertently thought of Li Huai's name in their heart—especially cultivators with higher Dao arts and realms—he would instantly know.
If anyone harbored murderous intent toward Li Huai, well, the consequences were predictable.
Offending that Bixiao Cave Lord of Luobao Beach meant being careful about changes in "Heavenly Timing."
Offending this Old Blind Man meant being very, very careful about changes in "Earthly Advantage."
These were just part of the foundational Dao of these two old 14th realm cultivators, merely one of their innate divine abilities.
The Supreme Sage smiled. "Wasn't that a false alarm?"
After all, at the Yellow Millet Sect's Loushan, Chen Ping'an and the Tender Daoist's conversation at the door must have been heard by Old Blind Man long ago.
Chen Ping'an shook his head and smiled. "If the Tender Daoist knew about this, he'd probably be scared out of his wits."
The Supreme Sage said, "So your warning at Loushan, though still a threat, actually saved Pei Taoiting's life indirectly. Li Huai was absolutely right at the time—Old Blind Man's remaining half of the 'Refining Mountain Art' wasn't so easy for the Tender Daoist to obtain. Fortunately, the Tender Daoist truly took your words to heart—the good, the bad, and the ugly."
"In fact, Old Blind Man had another phrase on the tip of his tongue just now. He probably wanted to say, 'You kid barely deserve that girl Ning.' But Old Blind Man isn't used to praising people, so he swallowed it back."
The Supreme Sage smiled. "There aren't many cultivators that stubborn fellow has actively invited to visit—very few in ten thousand years. Back then when Dao Ancestor rode an ox through the pass, he wasn't invited by Old Blind Man."
Chen Ping'an held back for a moment, but ultimately couldn't help grinning. "Such a compliment really should be spoken out loud!"
The next time he saw Ning Yao, he could use it as a talking point. Of course, he'd make a slight alteration—like, that senior from the Hundred Thousand Mountains thought they were a perfect match, a celestial couple?
Lü Yan watched the young Hidden Official, whose mood seemed to subtly change the moment he thought of his beloved.
It seemed only at that moment the young man was naturally relaxed, at ease, joyful, and carefree.
Arriving outside the highest pavilion of the Demon Suppression Tower, before entering, the Supreme Sage turned and asked with a smile, "Do you happen to have good wine on you right now?"
Qing Tong looked embarrassed.
Supreme Sage, isn't this...?
Weren't you just advising Chen Ping'an to drink in moderation?
Chen Ping'an showed a rare expression of embarrassment. "Does our family's self-brewed 'Bamboo Sea Cave' wine count?"
The Supreme Sage nodded. "Of course it counts as good wine. I'll have someone notify the Bamboo Sea Cave side to allow you to open a winery there. Rent will be waived."
A scholar always selling fake wine wasn't a good thing.
The Supreme Sage said, "We'll drink first, then ascend the tower."
The Supreme Sage in his Confucian robe.
The young Hidden Official in a green long gown, Xiao Mo in a yellow hat and green shoes.
The Daoist Chunyang holding a whisk, carrying a sword, and holding a purple bamboo staff, and Qing Tong in a green dharma robe.
The group sat down on the ground outside the tower. Chen Ping'an took out five flasks of wine and five white bowls.
The Supreme Sage poured himself a bowl of wine and said, "No one plays the drinking game—drink as you please."
Lü Yan took a sip of the famous Bamboo Sea Cave wine and laughed heartily, giving the young Hidden Official a thumbs up. "You really dared to name it."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Cultivation isn't easy, and making money is hard."
The Supreme Sage said, "Don't think that because I've told you so much here, it's all because we didn't meet in that small town, and I had to find you in person to verify something."
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I won't."
The Supreme Sage nodded. "Ten thousand years ago, I actually talked with him quite a bit. Later, he was exiled to Bottle Gourd Continent and had to look up at the sky from the bottom of a well for ten thousand years. No wonder he regarded us three as 'pi xiu' (mythical devourers)."
The old man in the backyard of the Yang Family Pharmacy, compared to other seemingly better options, had endured and done nothing for ten thousand years. Only at the final moment did he seem forced to choose a Chen Ping'an with no background at all.
Including Chen Ping'an, all the young generation within sixty years of the small town served as a smoke screen for each other.
That Cyan Boy Heavenly Lord, the former male Earth Immortal Ancestor, was using a mindless act to overcome celestial calculation.
Add to that the many influential local powers and the transient dragon-like figures, whether Flying Ascension or 14th realm, who muddied the already unclear celestial patterns.
Because even the old man himself didn't know and couldn't imagine that the ultimate victor would be the alley youth he himself hadn't favored.
A Li Zhu Small Heaven, a Huaihuang County.
With the Sword Holder, one of the Five Supremes.
One of the four candidates for the Ten Greats of the ancient world, Sir San Shan Jiu Hou. Old Yao, the dragon kiln master and Medicine Buddha, the Lord of the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli World.
Also two of the Five Supremes: Ruan Xiu and Li Liu. Plus Aunt Feng, the old coachman in charge of the Thunder Department's Investigation Office, and Chai Daohuang, who once managed the world's wedding shop...
Zou Zi, who monopolized half of the Yin-Yang School, and Lu Wei, the Central Earth Yin-Yang practitioner.
And Cui Chan, Qi Jingchun—that pair of senior and junior brothers. Li Xisheng and Lu Chen—another pair.
The Supreme Sage glanced at Lü Yan, who had a smile on his face. "Daoist Chunyang, where are you now?"
"I am currently at my former mountain dojo in the Yellow Millet Kingdom. Visiting old places. I plan to quietly visit Loushan and see that Li Huai."
"I went to Xian Du Mountain's ferry port earlier. I didn't ascend the mountain, just chatted with a little black-clad girl. We had a pleasant talk. I cheekily scrounged a handful of melon seeds."
"Afterward, I went to the foot of Luopo Mountain. While drinking tea, I listened to that Immortal Official Daoist expounding his Dao arts... how they soared into the clouds. He even asked me if I was afraid. I had no choice but to nod. The Immortal Official said he was just bragging—would Daoist Chunyang actually believe that? Seemed like an honest fellow. But unfortunately, Luopo Mountain wasn't accepting disciples or guest elders anymore, otherwise, he would have put in a good word for me. The Immortal Official also claimed to be a close friend of the mountain lord's—if he spoke up, I could become a guest elder with just a word. But becoming a nominal guest elder might require a little more effort."
At first, Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly. But upon hearing this, he could only lightly clench his fist and rub his brow with his thumb joint—headache.
The Supreme Sage shook his head and communicated via heart-to-heart speech with Chen Ping'an: "Thinking back to the old days, he was such a serious man, full of Daoist spirit—simple and unsophisticated, with a presence like a mountain and arts like water."
After all, he was the world's first Daoist.
The Supreme Sage looked at the young mountain lord of Luopo Mountain with a smile.
Chen Ping'an was momentarily stunned, but quickly understood the Supreme Sage's amused gaze. He said helplessly, "He was already like this before he met me."
It couldn't be blamed on me.
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "At Xian Du Mountain, from beginning to end, no one detected the trace of Patriarch Lü?"
If Patriarch Lü was considered a 14th realm cultivator, that meant the mountain and water restrictions at Xian Du Mountain weren't strong enough; a 14th realm cultivator could enter as if through an empty door, coming and going without a trace.
Lü Yan laughed. "I wasn't being a thief, just a guest. I didn't deliberately conceal my form. A white-clad youth on Mishi Peak had already sensed me, but he didn't show himself. Perhaps he trusted that little girl's hospitality?"
After bidding farewell to that little black-clad girl, Lü Yan indeed didn't ascend the mountain to visit. He continued north, heading straight for Luopo Mountain on Bottle Gourd Continent. The little girl shouldering the small carrying pole stood there watching him leave. She was also admiring: "So this Daoist Chunyang can't travel by wind? He's been walking all the way to our Xian Du Mountain, crossing mountains and rivers—such a long journey. Truly hardworking." That made Lü Yan give up his plan to span two continents in one step and simply take a few more strolls.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Our Right Protector is very popular with elders."
He'd won over all the high-level cultivators starting from the Flying Ascension realm.
Not a single failure so far...
From his two senior brothers to Wu Shuangjiang, the old abbot with the Daoist name "Bixiao Cave Lord," and now the Daoist name "Chunyang" Patriarch Lü.
In addition, Chen Ping'an had heard that the white-haired child at Qilong Lane, every time he left the shop and Huaihuang County to go to Luopo Mountain, just followed Little Mi Li around, messing around and patrolling the mountain together.
It was said that the child wanted to team up with Luopo Mountain's Right Protector, calling themselves the "Black and White Shuangsha." But Little Mi Li refused, saying he was too short, lacked martial world experience, and his speech was unreliable.
The Supreme Sage asked, "When you gave up on the siege of Lu Chen, was it also because you were worried Lu Chen would... act recklessly?"
Lü Yan noticed that the Supreme Sage seemed to have been about to say something like "jumping over the wall when desperate."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Although these are just guesses, I couldn't afford to make a single mistake. As for Little Mi Li, it's already settled. Earlier on the night boat, Palace Master Wu and an old friend of Lu Chen's essentially settled the matter. But for Zhu Lian, I still find it hard to relax."
Lü Yan smiled. "Then you're underestimating Lu Chen's Dao heart."
Chen Ping'an said, "When gambling, high skill can lose; in chess, high skill must win. What if."
The Supreme Sage teased, "Cui Chan deliberately made things hard for you. It would have been just one word from him, but he refused to say half a word more."
Lü Yan asked, "Lu Chen chose to leave the White Jade Capital and willingly lent you, friend Chen, a set of 14th realm Dao arts. Would you call that using the most foolish method to break the deadlock?"
The Supreme Sage smiled. "It can be seen as turning the tables on his own game. Back then, how did Chen Ping'an leave Li Zhu Cave Heaven and get to the Sword Qi Great Wall? That's how Lu Chen got to the Sword Qi Great Wall and then returned safely to the White Jade Capital of the Qing Ming world. So, broadly speaking, it's a game where Cui Chan, Chen Ping'an, and Lu Chen all neither win nor lose. Well, not exactly—in the end, Cui Chan won. I guess Lu Chen is now both wanting to visit Xuan Du Abbey and get serious for once, but also hesitating because he fears inadvertently starting a second game. Then the opponent might become Zheng Juzhong."
In the past, there were the Ten Games of Rosy Clouds at White Emperor City.
Now, like an invisible eleventh game, the board was laid and the first moves arranged by Cui Chan, with Zheng Juzhong responsible for the middle game and endgame.
The Supreme Sage raised his wine bowl, looked around, swirled the bowl, and slowly drank the last mouthful of wine.
People gather and scatter like stars in the sky; the wine bowls are empty from talking. Confucian robes, green gowns, white jade hairpins; yellow hats, purple staffs, green parasol trees.