Chapter 969: Snow and Wind Familiar of Old

Chapter 969: Snow and Wind Familiar of Old

(Sorry, sorry, the update is late.)

Snow like white robes, robes like snow; one might doubt that snow and person are one and the same.

Qin Buyi felt a vague familiarity with this person, but after carefully searching through the lake of her heart-mind memories, she simply couldn't match anyone to him.

Cui Dongshan squeezed out a brilliant, radiant smile at Qin Buyi, then lowered his voice, earnestly requesting that Senior Song move aside with him to watch from a slightly farther distance, so as not to restrict the two Stopping Realm martial artists in their mountain-top fist-meeting. Then he led Wang Manmeng and the others away from the city gate. Cui Dongshan intended to pick the rooftop of a tall, grand mansion as their viewing ground. However, in this snowy, windy night, with heavy snow and fierce wind, snowflakes flying chaotically, visibility was obstructed. Qian Monkey and the others were too low in realm, destined to be unable to see clearly the exchange of fists. Earlier, when the Master and Han Wanzhan had their conversation, Cui Dongshan had done some tricks. Wang Manmeng hadn't been able to hear it clearly. When they later learned the identities of the two parties in tonight's fist-meeting, they would regret it to death.

The two parties in the fist-meeting faced off from a distance on the main street, neither in a hurry to strike.

Han Guanghu stood still, merely lifting his boot. When he set his foot down again, the entire street, covered in over a foot of snow, seemed to be swept by a rush of boiling hot water. Mist rose. When the old martial artist slowed his breathing and steadied himself, it was as if an earth-dragon had been laid out. The road became abnormally dry. The falling snow melted before even hitting the ground. Only around Chen Ping'an's feet did snow remain.

Song Yushao followed Cui Dongshan as they withdrew from the street. At the corner, he looked back at that strange phenomenon. The old man smiled. Who says that we martial artists aren't immortals?

Cui Dongshan knew very well why the Master wanted to lead this fist-meeting. It certainly had something to do with that Han Wanzhan not acting properly, but besides that, there was also a selfish motive.

He wanted to set Senior Song's mind at ease.

How to set his mind at ease?

Very simple. The old man only needed to see with his own eyes the fist techniques of the youth who once carried a sword on his back. Then he could truly be at ease.

Song Yushao hesitated for a moment, then condensed his voice into a line and spoke to the white-robed youth beside him: "Sect Leader Cui, can your Master win?"

Earlier, while eating hotpot, he had heard Chen Ping'an mention several of his students and disciples. Cui Dongshan was already the first sect leader of the Green Ping Sword Sect.

When the old man was alone with Chen Ping'an, he never minded his words. What did calling him by his name matter? But in front of Cui Dongshan, Song Yushao changed his address.

A junior who had achieved success in his studies, could write a few couplets, recite a few sage's principles, or even pass the imperial examinations and bring glory to his family—the old man would certainly be gratified, but might not be completely at ease. The ups and downs of officialdom, the treacherous undercurrents of a bureaucratic career, the scheming in public service... similarly, walking the jianghu, the hearts of men are treacherous. Especially since high-level fist techniques have nothing to do with good or evil, and one must admit that the more a young person adheres to the code of the jianghu, the easier they are to take advantage of. Song Yushao was indeed an old hand in the jianghu, but he wasn't stubborn or rigid. So when he looked at the path of the jianghu beneath Chen Ping'an's feet, the old man found it even more difficult. He both hoped that Chen Ping'an would walk a straight path, climbing high and smoothly, and also hoped that this young man, on whom he had placed great hopes, would not be harmed because he believed in righteousness and followed the rules...

Perhaps only elders who have juniors can have this kind of contradictory psychology.

"Senior Song, just call me Dongshan."

Cui Dongshan, though cheeky and daring enough to spout nonsense in front of Han Wanzhan—not secretly annoying him but openly provoking him—would not dare to be flippant in front of Song Yushao.

"The Master won't lose. Even when he had a fist-meeting with Cao Ci, on the surface, it seemed like he lost four times in a row. But my Master has his own thoughts. It's just that he loses the fist externally but wins internally. However, this state of mind is not something outsiders can understand. Cao Ci understands. Of course, Senior Song, you must also have a clear idea."

Song Yushao said, "I'm worried that in this sudden sparring, your Master not only has to win openly and aboveboard, but also needs to master the measure and timing. It's extremely difficult, too much of a disadvantage."

Outsiders watch the excitement, insiders watch the craft. Song Yushao's martial arts realm wasn't high, but he had traveled the jianghu all his life, dealing with people from all walks of life, and was well-versed in worldly affairs. Therefore, he understood the essence of this.

Cui Dongshan lowered his head and rubbed his hands, smiling, "It's fine, Senior Song, you might not know yet. Earlier, on our Immortal Capital Mountain's Demoted Immortal Peak, the Master once taught fist techniques to Huang Yiyun of Tongye Prefecture. As they fought, she broke through the bottleneck of the tenth realm's Vigorous layer. Because the Master's punches were very measured, not only did it not harm their relationship, now Panshan Cloud and Grass Hall has officially formed an alliance with the Green Ping Sword Sect as a mountain ally. In another hundred or two years, when the disciples of the two clans interact frequently, it can probably be considered a 'hereditary friendship'."

Back then, in the Shushui Kingdom, Song Yushao had washed his hands of the matter and chosen to retire from the jianghu. Su Lang, the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal who had made a name for himself in the Songxi Kingdom, refused to let it go and broke the rules of the jianghu, insisting on a contest with Song Yushao. As soon as he had just broken into the Golden Body Realm, he impatiently visited the Sword Water Villa, planning to step on the shoulders of the Sword Saint of the Shushui Kingdom and secure his position as the number one swordsman in the central several countries of Baoping Prefecture. The result was that a genuine young "Sword Immortal" forced Su Lang back, sending him flying back into the town with a single move. Later, to retrieve the Bamboo Yellow Sword Scabbard, Chen Ping'an, during a deliberation at the Confucian Temple, found Ma Quxian and even fought fiercely, not hesitating to antagonize the lineage of the Female Martial God Pei Bei and the Great Duan Dynasty of the Central Earth. Unfortunately, the old man had never seen either of Chen Ping'an's two actions with his own eyes.

The old man trusted his own judgment of people. Back in his hometown, when he first met the sword-carrying youth, he had already been certain that Chen Ping'an's future martial arts path would not be slow, and it certainly wouldn't be bad.

But Song Yushao never imagined that this day would come so quickly, so early, so... preemptive.

On the street, Chen Ping'an looked around. An empty city, few spectators.

Back then on the Sword Qi Great Wall, whenever the Second Shopkeeper had a fist-meeting with someone, it was always quite lively.

Han Guanghu reminded, "I still mean that: when you strike, don't hold back. Otherwise, this fist-meeting, Master Chen, would be striking both the person and the face."

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Let's finish this fight quickly, and then I'll invite Senior for a drink."

Han Guanghu chuckled dryly. The young man was quite good at speaking politely.

Qin Buyi and her group all wind-rided to the city wall. Jian Ming pulled from under his arm the Great Spring Dynasty's national dharma blade "Ming Spring," brushed away the snow piled on the city wall beside him, and bared his teeth. "No grudges, no enmity, not even a narrow encounter. We just met, and now they're fighting?"

Were all pure martial artists who had reached higher realms martial arts fanatics who liked to fight on sight?

Jian Ming couldn't help but worry a bit. That old man Han wouldn't be in trouble, would he? In the jianghu, they say that fists fear the young and strong. A flurry of random fists can beat an old master to death. Besides, Old Han had dropped in realm, had an old ailment, coughed every day, and always carried those bottles of miraculous elixirs from the mountains, but they only treated symptoms, not the root cause. If not for Mr. Zeng reminding Jian Ming not to act recklessly, Jian Ming would have wanted to go to the Green Tiger Palace on Pure Scenery Mountain to steal a few "Feather Transformation Pills." On the other hand, that young Hidden Officer, in the prime of his life, had risen extremely fast, had seen big scenes, and was now in his heyday: vigor, aura, realm, physique—all at their peak. Old Man Han really knew how to pick an opponent. How was he supposed to fight?

Song Zhi said, "No need to worry. Neither side has heavy killing intent. They'll stop when it's appropriate. Meeting like this is a rare opportunity. The sparring of martial arts grandmasters is different from the duels of celestial masters. The latter is difficult to find and fill gaps. For martial artists in a fist-meeting, as long as they don't strike viciously or focus entirely on life and death, even if they get injured, the benefits in the long run are not small."

In the entire prefecture, how many Stopping Realm grandmasters were there? In the martial-fortune-thin Bai'ai Prefecture, there was only Pei Axiang of the Thunder God Temple at the tenth martial realm. If Pei Axiang wanted to spar fist techniques, he would have to travel across prefectures. He would definitely not go to North Julu Prefecture. There was Wang Fusu, a foul-mouthed old wretch there. Moreover, the number one martial artist of Liuxia Prefecture was a woman. Plus, Pei Axiang himself didn't like to travel far and preferred quiet. So after entering the Stopping Realm, he rarely threw punches, which was why he hadn't yet entered the Return to Truth layer.

Mr. Zeng smiled and said, "This is because both have no killing intention. As for the killing aura on them, it's caused by the excessive density of their respective fist force. In the eyes of laymen, it appears as killing intent."

Neither had any killing intention—this was beyond doubt. Whether it was Han Wanzhan of Gold Armor Prefecture or the young Hidden Officer of the Summer Resort Palace, broadly speaking, they could be considered comrades fighting side by side. Perhaps, deep down, they even had a certain mutual appreciation, but Old Man Han was thin-skinned and couldn't say it out loud. After all, if it weren't for the barbarian demon army being delayed for many years at the Sword Qi Great Wall, especially compared to the earliest divination results, the time the barbarian demons were kept outside the Sword Qi Great Wall was at least two to three years longer. This gave the Central Earth Confucian Temple and Gold Armor Prefecture's mountain and secular realms an extra two to three years of preparation. Otherwise, the casualties in Gold Armor Prefecture would have been even more severe, with tens of millions more deaths.

But a fist-meeting between two Stopping Realm fighters was no trivial matter. As long as one side intended to clearly determine victory or defeat, any accident could happen.

Moreover, Old Man Han's few trump card fist techniques were indeed substantial.

Qin Buyi patiently explained, "Jian Ming, the reason martial artists practice fists and temper their physiques, constantly engaging in fist-meetings, is because stones from other mountains can carve jade. The human body is a small heaven and earth. Sinews and bones are like mountain ranges and dragon veins; blood and qi are like great rivers. A good fist-meeting is like moving mountains and shifting waters, breaking and then establishing, opening a smooth path, allowing a stream of pure true qi to circulate more smoothly. In the history of the Haoran World, it is said that there were several grandmasters with extremely profound martial arts attainments. Besides their own fist techniques, teaching and feeding fists to others was also at the pinnacle. They could not only move mountains and overturn seas for juniors but even help people heal injuries. Of course, these are just rumors."

Mr. Zeng said, "I have been fortunate enough to meet two such experts that Fellow Daoist Qin mentioned."

Jian Ming asked curiously, "Which two?"

Mr. Zeng said slowly, "Zhang Tiaoxia of Central Earth. Cui Cheng of Baoping Prefecture."

Jian Ming said, "I've certainly heard of Zhang Tiaoxia. She was the number one martial artist in the world before Pei Bei. Who doesn't know that? But this Cui Cheng, what kind of divine sage is he? And he's a native Baoping martial artist? Why isn't he famous?"

Mr. Zeng said, "Secular martial artists, not mountain cultivators, have limited lifespans. The broken-off path is not a term deliberately used by cultivators to belittle martial artists. So often, after a hundred years pass, people and their deeds become old almanacs that can be called anecdotes. Moreover, this person always considered himself a scholar. Later, his family suffered a misfortune, and he was even removed from the family's ancestral hall records. It's not strange that you young people of Baoping Prefecture haven't heard of him."

Qin Buyi suddenly understood: "Senior Brother Zhang once met an itinerant scholar in a Confucian robe from a foreign land who was roaming the Central Earth Divine Continent. At the time, the old man seemed utterly dejected, only calling himself Cui, unwilling to reveal his true name. Sometimes he was lucid, sometimes delirious, as if he had signs of deviation. It was a chance encounter. Because they got along well, Senior Brother didn't want to pry into the other's identity. He just escorted him on a part of his journey. Whenever the man was lucid, his speech was refined, his knowledge profound. One phrase he said has stayed with Senior Brother to this day. He said that for a man of true stature in dealing with the world, his words must be true, his treatment of others sincere, his conduct upright, his scholarship rigorous, and his punches must have reason."

Mr. Zeng smiled and nodded. "What Cui Cheng sought his entire life was actually simple: to act with principle."

Qin Buyi glanced at the man in the blue cotton robe. Could it be that his unfortunate circumstances were also the work of you Debt Collectors?

The three lineages of the Blood-Washers had varying degrees of influence across the eight prefectures of Haoran. Only in Baoping Prefecture, it seemed, due to a setback encountered by the West Mountain Sword Hidden lineage, they had quickly withdrawn entirely. Qin Buyi's senior brother was said to have been able to leave Baoping Prefecture alive with his several direct disciples only because someone remembered old ties and made an exception to let them go.

Mr. Zeng laughed with his heart voice: "Even if I were bolder, I wouldn't dare to make a debt-knife deal with Cui Cheng. Otherwise, I would have been tired of living and would never have left Baoping Prefecture."

The two groups of spectators: Qin Buyi and her party on the city wall; Cui Dongshan's group had chosen a relatively open rooftop of a tall building.

The two men on the street were about to throw punches when Chen Ping'an suddenly looked up towards the city wall and waved.

Han Guanghu was baffled. He couldn't throw his punch, nor could he withdraw it properly. He also couldn't foolishly turn his head to look. If Chen Ping'an took this opportunity to suddenly strike, wouldn't he be knocked down in a few punches?

Chen Ping'an's reputation for fist-meeting had recently spread among a small group of Stopping Realm martial artists in the Haoran mountain top, and it wasn't good.

Cui Dongshan sighed faintly and immediately followed his Master's gaze. He saw a tall woman standing on the city wall, appearing silently, standing alone in the wind and snow, squinting and smiling.

As long as she didn't want to be known, even Cui Dongshan, who considered himself capable of easily defeating two Immortal realm immortals with one hand, was completely unaware.

Her attitude towards his Master was still as good as ever.

But how did she return to the human world from beyond the heavens?

Song Yushao also saw the woman's figure and asked doubtfully, "Who is this?"

Cui Dongshan cautiously said, "You could say... the Master's sword attendant?"

Song Yushao smiled and said, "As long as it's not that kind of relationship."

Cui Dongshan seemed to freeze like an quail, absolutely not daring to respond.

Qin Buyi instinctively pressed down on her sword handle, on high alert, turning to look at the uninvited guest. There was no grand entrance like the Great Sword Immortal Mi Yu earlier, but Qin Buyi felt that this female cultivator was... heaven and earth itself.

Song Zhi turned, intending to move forward and protect everyone, but was horrified to find himself mired in mud, unable to lift his feet.

In an instant, this Luoyang Wood Guest found his Dao heart frozen solid, his spiritual qi congealed. Song Zhi's eclectic magical techniques and divine powers seemed to have been temporarily returned to a Heaven Lord who had come to collect a debt.

Mr. Zeng maintained his original posture, gazing at the street, motionless. He didn't turn around, didn't move, and even forcibly stopped himself from forming any thoughts.

The woman in white didn't look at Qin Buyi and the others either. She just drifted down from the city wall onto the street, brushing past Han Guanghu. The latter was about to throw a punch.

It wasn't to test her depth, nor was it recklessly striking an inexplicable female cultivator. Rather, an unreasonable illusion rose in the old man's heart: if he didn't throw this punch, he would regret it for life. If he wanted to return to the Return to Truth layer later, it would be like talking in his sleep. Besides this, the aged martial artist felt a mysterious, inexplicable sense of Dao suppression. A destined mortal enemy, a born great enemy, stood before him. He must deliver this punch for all martial artists under heaven!

Chen Ping'an slightly shook his head in an almost imperceptible signal, then smiled and asked, "Why are you here?"

She smiled and said, "I was getting a bit bored waiting."

As soon as they started talking, it seemed the entire wind-and-snow heaven and earth returned to normal operation.

When she passed by Han Guanghu, she deliberately slowed down and turned her head to look at the old martial artist who wanted to throw a punch.

She didn't speak, but in Han Guanghu's heart-lake, monstrous waves had already surged. The old man could clearly hear her cold, clear voice, tinged with mockery.

"You've got some skill, little one, to be able to sense the shattered edict at the apex of the martial path at such a young age. But unfortunately, limited by your mediocre talent and destined lifespan, you're doomed never to reach the summit. Earthly mortals cannot see the true deity."

"You, are..."

"Say a complete sentence with all your strength, and I'll tell you the answer."

Han Guanghu found he couldn't utter another word.

Chen Ping'an smiled and introduced to Han Guanghu, "Senior Han, she is an elder of my family."

She turned around, walked backward, stopped beside Chen Ping'an, stared at the old martial artist, smiled warmly, and corrected, "Wrong, wrong. The one beside me is my master."

She smiled and said, "That Lu Chen, he's a bit hard to kill, that's true. But if I'm ruthless enough, it's not impossible to kill him."

In the past ten thousand years, in the vast river of time, there were actually a few little-known "watersheds." To her, they were ferry crossings.

The "Daoists" capable of appearing at these ancient ferry crossings across the multiple worlds could be counted on one hand. That was only counting cultivators who could appear at the crossings—less than ten. Those who could block her sword light would naturally be even fewer.

Of course, she wasn't willing to take this innate advantage, to bully younger cultivators like Lu Chen or Yu Dou. Besides, if she acted in such a way, the consequences would be too far-reaching. It could easily create one or two tributaries in the river of time out of thin air. Once branching paths appeared, the future would be unpredictable. There was no need for it. Back when Qi Jingchun was alive, he had twice traveled upstream, using two temporal ferry crossings. Once, as an observer, he witnessed the "Battle of the One Prefecture's Sinking" where the "world's Dao officials formed flocks of green cranes to jointly cut down extraterrestrial demons." Once, in the present of all people, but two hundred years before Dao Ancestor, in the Lotus Small Blessed Land's Daoist temple, Qi Jingchun and the Dao Ancestor had an unconventional Dialogue on the Dao.

Chen Ping'an shook his head.

She nodded.

Indeed, sixty years, or even three to five hundred years, meant nothing to her. She could safely ignore them.

Even if staying beyond the heavens was boring, she could just patiently wait.

As the Sword Holder, at her peak when the Heavenly Dao still existed, she once cut away three hundred years of time with a single sword, causing a segment of the entire river of time to become void.

Ten thousand years ago, of the five supreme beings of the ancient Heavenly Court, aside from that one, the other four deities each walked their own path. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been the war of fire and water that shattered heaven and earth.

She said with a grin, "Young man, next time you speak to my master, show some respect."

Han Guanghu was extremely uncomfortable. He didn't speak or nod.

He couldn't beat her, but he still had to maintain his integrity.

She stretched lazily. "I'm going back, I'm going back. Master, remember to come to the outer heavens early. The matter of forging the sword should be done sooner rather than later. It can't be delayed any longer."

Before Chen Ping'an could say anything, the next moment, the river of time within the city showed signs of flowing backward. Except for the two men on the street, who stood like pillars, undisturbed by the current, only Cui Dongshan on the rooftop and Mr. Zeng on the city wall were also exceptions. For everyone else, it was as if they had never seen the woman in white at all.

She had already returned beyond the heavens. Her coming and going were swift and traceless.

Chen Ping'an looked awkward and said, "Senior Han, should we continue?"

Han Guanghu flicked his sleeves and said irritably, "Screw the fight."

An old man like me being called 'young man' by a woman, and not even daring to talk back. Fight with you, her master? What's the point? Damn it, I've never been so humiliated in my life.

In a flash, Chen Ping'an saw Han Guanghu's face become dazed, then he gave Chen Ping'an a thumbs up and said something that baffled him: "I misunderstood you. When we both return to Return to Truth in the future, we'll have a proper fist-meeting. Today, let's drink first. Mountain Lord Chen is treating!"

Cui Dongshan stood up. Too bad he had prepared several golden phrases for Han Wanzhan, like "What a fine way to take a punch to the face" or "If you haven't struck yet, you've already won"... None of them could be used.

Song Yushao frowned and asked, "What happened?"

Cui Dongshan made up a shoddy reason that even he didn't believe: "Han Wanzhan and my Master, seemingly standing still, actually had a literary duel. Old Han conceded defeat."

Song Yushao naturally didn't believe it, but he just smiled and let it go, not pressing the matter.

Cui Dongshan led the way to Wang Manmeng's residence. He then ordered Qian Monkey and the others to bring two tables and prepare wine. He didn't forget to tell Qian Monkey to perform well by going to the kitchen to fry a few specialty dishes.

On the way, Jian Ming asked with his heart voice, "Old Han, why didn't you fight?"

The old man replied helplessly, "I happened to check the almanac on the spur of the moment. Today is not suitable for fist-meeting, only for drinking and eating."

Jian Ming asked, "What about tomorrow?"

The old man glared. "Check your own almanac!"

Jian Ming stopped joking. Not fighting was good. Old Han, with your old bones, why put on airs and fight? An old hand in the jianghu, if you lose a fight, you might lose a lifetime's worth of hard-earned reputation.

Qin Buyi was troubled. Song Zhi was completely baffled. Only Mr. Zeng kept his usual smile.

Cui Dongshan clapped his hands and laughed. "Outside in the heavy snow, the seats are filled with heroes. Good, good, good! No fight, no friendship. From now on, we're friends. Eat big chunks of meat, drink big bowls of wine!"

Han Guanghu kept a straight face and silently downed a bowl of wine.

Chen Ping'an held his bowl with both hands and toasted everyone before drinking first.

After putting down his wine bowl, Jian Ming couldn't help but ask, "Chen Ping'an, are there really as many Sword Immortals on the Sword Qi Great Wall as the rumors say?"

"Jian Ming, you must not address Mountain Lord Chen by his name directly."

Mr. Zeng reminded his disciple with a smile, then asked Chen Ping'an, "Mr. Chen, do you have a courtesy name, a self-chosen name, or a Daoist name?"

Chen Ping'an didn't mind and shook his head with a smile. "None. I only have a few pseudonyms used while traveling the jianghu. Not worth mentioning. It's fine, just call me by my name."

Back home, when he was young, it wasn't easy to even have someone call his name.

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, where he had stayed the longest and gradually considered it half his hometown, besides the Summer Resort Palace, at the wine shop, he was often called by his name directly.

The regular drinkers and the gambling addicts and wine promoters had always done so, either directly calling him Chen Ping'an or teasing him as Second Shopkeeper.

Cui Dongshan said seriously, "As for the number of Upper Five Realm sword cultivators on the Sword Qi Great Wall, it's not as exaggerated as the rumors outside. But if we follow the rules of the Haoran World, counting both the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms as 'Sword Immortals,' then there are quite a lot. However, if we consider the Sword Qi Great Wall as a single sword sect, standing for ten thousand years, if every Upper Five Realm sword cultivator had a portrait hung in the ancestral hall, that hall would have to be very large, an enormous house with high walls."

Chen Ping'an nodded lightly.

Cui Dongshan's statement wasn't exaggerated at all.

Jian Ming said, "I'll definitely go to the Flying Rise City in the Five-Colors World someday."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Cultivate well. There will be a chance."

Jian Ming couldn't help but say, "Chen Ping'an, if I remember correctly, we're about the same age. Your tone of voice sounds like my elder."

Chen Ping'an teased, "It seems this habit of 'liking to be a teacher' isn't good. I should change it."

Jian Ming grinned. "I heard you have a good relationship with the Great Spring Empress?"

Last time they infiltrated Mirage City, Zeng Ye stole the "Ming Spring" but didn't get to see that breathtakingly beautiful Empress. It was a pity.

Chen Ping'an replied helplessly, "Those rumors embellished with hearsay, just let them be after hearing them."

Cui Dongshan nodded vigorously like a chick pecking rice. "Anyone who takes that seriously is a fool."

Qin Buyi asked directly, "Mr. Chen, have you heard of the West Mountain Sword Hidden lineage among the three lineages of the Blood-Washers?"

Chen Ping'an smiled apologetically. "Embarrassingly, I just heard about it from my student. I hadn't heard of it before."

Qin Buyi looked at this gentle-mannered man in blue robes. It was hard to imagine that this was the same person who, using despicable fist and foot techniques, had beaten Cao Ci black and blue and made him leave the Confucian Temple.

Chen Ping'an of Baoping Prefecture had always been unknown. But the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall was famous throughout the world.

It wasn't just a case of blooming indoors but fragrant outside; it was blooming outside the wall.

So the relationship between the Fallen Mountain and Chen Ping'an and the Great Li Dynasty of Baoping Prefecture had always been puzzling to outsiders, like seeing flowers through fog.

Qin Buyi, still speaking quickly and without hiding her background, said directly, "My senior brother, Liu Taozhi, is an Immortal Realm sword cultivator. Like me and Song Zhi, he is also a ghost immortal. He hopes that Mr. Chen can become the chief guest elder of the West Mountain Sword Hidden lineage. If Mr. Chen is willing to become the supreme guest elder of the main hall, that would be even better. I will do my best to facilitate this with Senior Brother Liu."

"The three lineages of the Blood-Washers are respectively: itinerant cultivators, military generals, and swordsmen. Not many in number, they are spread across the nine prefectures of Haoran, and they also have death warriors in the other worlds."

Mr. Zeng turned his head to look at the heavy snow outside the house and said softly with a smile, "Wrongs are redressed."

Cui Dongshan had been holding back for a long time, waiting for this Debt Collector to interject, and finally had the chance to speak. "Fitting, fitting."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Senior, do you know who cut off the head of the former emperor of the Yu Clan Dynasty?"

Qin Buyi said calmly, "It was done by my junior sister."

Cui Dongshan raised his arm high, about to slam it heavily on the table. Are you people done or not? Han Wanzhan came to poach my Senior Sister's support, and Miss Qin, you're directly poaching my Master?! But sensing his Master's gaze, Cui Dongshan, having made full show of his momentum, just lightly wiped the table and said, "Celestial Master Qin, don't bother persuading. My Master won't agree. He has a mountain of things to do. Such purely external honorary titles are better left alone."

Qin Buyi smiled. "Mr. Chen can take his time to consider. There's no hurry. I and Senior Brother Zhang will wait for the news."

Cui Dongshan started to change the subject again, turning to the taciturn man. "Fellow Daoist Song Zhi, are you familiar with that guy whose real name is Zhang Zhi?"

Song Zhi shook his head. "Not familiar. Zhang Zhi left the mountain early. When I was in the mountain, we only crossed paths. I don't remember him well."

"How are the generational ranks in the ancestral hall calculated?"

"He calls me Senior Uncle."

Cui Dongshan nodded, suddenly understanding. "Same village, related by blood. Poor families have higher generations."

Song Zhi nodded. "Pretty much."

"Fellow Daoist Song Zhi, are you planning to leave the mountain?"

Song Zhi was also straightforward. He hmmed and actually laid out the Luoyang Wood Guest lineage's plans completely. "Before the Ancestral Master entered closed-door meditation, he changed his mind. He said it wasn't proper to always hide in the mountains. He told us to go down the mountain and find three footholds. Besides Central Earth Divine Continent, where a site has already been chosen, the other two prefectures are to be determined, needing on-site inspection. I'm responsible for finding suitable territory in Baoping and Tongye prefectures. Facing the big river in central Baoping Prefecture, the southernmost Old Dragon City—both are good choices. For Tongye Prefecture, the Peach Blossom Ferry outside Mirage City of Great Spring, the Qu Mountain Ferry in the south, and Pure Scenery Mountain in the north—these are my candidate sites. The other six prefectures of Haoran also have six groups of Luoyang Wood Guests traveling around. This is also an internal competition among us. Whoever wins can essentially establish a sect."

Cui Dongshan smiled and asked, "Who convinced your Ancestral Master? That traitor Zhang Zhi? He's gotten that bold? Is it because he's filthy rich now?"

Song Zhi shook his head. "Zhang Zhi didn't dare to return to the mountain. It was Mr. Fan's suggestion."

Cui Dongshan wasn't surprised.

This Merchant clan's Ancestral Master had a bright future.

The current cultivators of the world hadn't yet realized that, according to the intentions of Ritual Sage during the previous Confucian Temple deliberations, once the seal was opened, the patriarchs of the Hundred Schools of Thought would have no more concerns or taboos in climbing their respective Dao paths.

Cui Dongshan asked, "Brother Song Zhi, what do you think of our Azure Shirt Ferry?"

Song Zhi was still direct. "Not good."

He had taken a few distant glances at Immortal Capital Mountain earlier. The territory was too small, the foundation too thin. Mainly, the Green Ping Sword Sect didn't look like a sect willing to make things noisy and bustling. Sword sects of the world had always been like that. Moreover, sword cultivators were the top of the four troublesome types on the mountains. Who would want to get close? If a conflict arose, it was obvious they would lose. Financial dealings should be clean and simple. Doing business, the worst thing is to encounter unreasonable people.

Cui Dongshan quickly raised both palms, waving them. "Brother Song Zhi, take a longer view. Open your mind. That's the proper attitude for opening doors and welcoming guests to do business."

Song Zhi said directly, "Even if you talk until the sky falls, I won't choose Azure Shirt Ferry. We have a rule on our mountain: the other two sites, no matter which prefecture, must not be close to top-tier immortal mansions, especially sword sects."

Cui Dongshan tentatively said, "In this Tongye Prefecture, there is an immortal mansion with a long history, many talents, and simple folk customs, called Spirit Jasper Mountain. It's not a top-tier sect. Near its gate, there's a ferry for immortals called Wild Cloud Ferry. What a coincidence, isn't it? Isn't this fate? Mountain and wilderness. Mountain guests and wild folk—it's like a bean meets its eye between a turtle and a bean. Don't you think you'd hit it off at first sight?"

Song Zhi frowned. "Spirit Jasper Mountain, Wild Cloud Ferry? Where exactly is it located?"

Before Cui Dongshan could continue his trickery, Chen Ping'an had already spoken: "Fellow Daoist Song Zhi, don't choose this place. The limitations are too great. Even if you're willing to invest in expanding the ferry, it would be very difficult to berth one cross-prefecture ferry."

Song Zhi nodded and raised his wine bowl, downing it in one go. The site selection must allow at least three cross-prefecture ferries to berth simultaneously.

Cui Dongshan said, "How about the banks of the Phosphorus River?"

Song Zhi thought for a moment. "The banks of the Phosphorus River are barely acceptable. The land on both sides is vast, but still not as good as the Peach Leaf Ferry of the Great Spring Dynasty or the Qu Mountain Ferry in the south."

Cui Dongshan chuckled. "Then let's not rush. We'll wait and see."

Chen Ping'an raised his wine bowl and gently swirled it, then suddenly froze. He said with his heart voice, "I knew it."

The next moment, Chen Ping'an was sitting on the railing of a golden long bridge, still holding that bowl of wine in his hand.

The woman in white smiled. "I was bored."

Chen Ping'an looked around. "Is this real?"

She shook her head. "Scenes from ten thousand years ago. Just what I have in my mind. It's probably like what later human books say: wind and snow familiar of old. Knock on the door and turn the pages again. The bright moon often reunites. Old friends are hard to meet. By the way, do you want to go see the previous incarnations of Zheng Dafeng, Fan Junmao, and the others? You can even chat with them. True or false, it's hard to say."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. He thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "Are the two Flying Rise Platforms far from here?"

She smiled. "The concept of distance is something later generations gave. Where the heart desires, the sword light can reach."

Chen Ping'an finished his wine, lifted the white bowl in his hand, leaned forward, and asked, "If I were to drop this wine bowl, with no obstacles in its fall, about how many years later would it be when it touches the ground?"

She smiled. "Shall we try?"

Chen Ping'an gently tossed the wine bowl out over the bridge and said with a smile, "Shattered peace for ten thousand years. For ten thousand years, peace year after year."

She reached out and ruffled Chen Ping'an's hair. "I hope the Master remains forever young."

She withdrew her hand, supporting herself on the railing with both hands. "In the end, it is different."

Chen Ping'an clasped his hands behind his head, gently swinging his legs outside the bridge railing, and said with a soft laugh, "That's not easy."

After a moment of silence, Chen Ping'an asked his greatest doubt. "Why did you make the world's magical techniques rain down like a downpour back then?"

If not for this torrential rain of sword techniques and divine powers falling upon the earth, there might not have been the later rise of humanity.

She gazed into the distance. Once upon a time, there was one who alone watched over the ancient stars, year after year. She blinked at Chen Ping'an beside her and said, "Answering my own question."