Chapter 974: Family Reunion
At the highest point of the White Jade Capital.
A young Daoist with a lotus crown atop his head leaned against the railing, squinting with a smile. Since he had nothing better to do anyway, he might as well sit quietly and watch the world go by. At least in the eyes of the sisters and maidens down in the Five Cities and Twelve Towers, this could still pass for a hint of immortal elegance.
Lu Chen looked toward a lofty city palace. Someone there had received a decree from the sect leader and had just set off, riding the wind to come to the Upper Purity Pavilion for an audience with Lu Chen. Already, some Immortal Lords had keenly sensed this person's "ascension" trajectory and envied his fortune. After all, being able to ascend the Upper Purity Pavilion and overlook the entire Five Cities and Twelve Towers was a rare honor, signifying that one had entered the eyes of the sect leader, and the Great Dao was within reach. Lu Chen waved at the azure-robed figure and laughed, "Little Celestial Master Yang, over here, over here!"
The young Daoist landed softly, stood upright in the corridor, and performed a Daoist fist-and-palm salute with utmost respect. "Yang Ningxing of the Spirit Treasure City pays respects to Sect Leader Lu."
Lu Chen grinned and waved his hand dismissively. "No need for formalities, no need for formalities. How many times have I told you? Just call me 'Uncle Master.' Since you and Chen Ping'an are sworn brothers and close friends, that makes you a dear friend of mine too. There's no one else around here, so who are you being polite for? Isn't that right, true?"
This Yang Ningxing hailed from the Cloud Xiao Palace of the Chongxuan Office in Beiju Luzhou. He had come to the Azure Essence World via the Five-Colored Heaven and, in a single leap, entered the White Jade Capital. Before he knew it, he had become a nominal disciple of Senior Brother Yu. Since the Spirit Treasure City was where Senior Brother Yu had attained the Dao, Yang Ningxing now cultivated there. Though young in age, his seniority was extraordinarily high.
Yang Ningxing still kept his head lowered. "I dare not."
Lu Chen put on a stern face and lectured, "Nephew, don't be like this. It's no fun. The black-robed scholar who schemed against Chen Ping'an time and again was much more lovable, wasn't he?"
Yang Ningxing raised his head and hesitated for a moment. "May I ask why Sect Leader Lu has summoned me today?"
Lu Chen laughed. "Nothing as serious as you think. I just wanted to take you along to enjoy the scenery and fulfill my duties as your uncle master."
Though Yang Ningxing was baffled, he didn't dare ask further.
Lu Chen held out two fingers together, then flicked them toward Yang Ningxing's brow. Instantly, Yang Ningxing's eyes turned golden. Dizziness washed over him, and despite desperately suppressing the ripples in his Dao heart and the tremors in his entire personal realm, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly. He touched his forehead with the back of his hand and pressed the other hand against the railing, barely steadying himself. Lu Chen smiled, "Don't be nervous. I've temporarily opened your heaven's-eye, allowing you to borrow a bit of insight from the White Jade Capital. Whatever I see, you'll see too."
Indeed, as Sect Leader Lu said, Yang Ningxing found that what he saw now was "Yang Ningxing" itself.
Lu Chen turned around and gazed at a tall building. In the White Jade Capital, it was renowned as "Azure peonies leaning on the clouds at the edge of heaven." A flock of cyan phoenixes soared through the mist, and Dao officials moved through the forest, their faces as green as jade.
For Lu Chen to view the sights of the world was actually quite simple. Relying on his own realm and the geographical advantage of presiding over the White Jade Capital, he could take in all figures and scenes of the world with perfect clarity, down to the finest detail, as if they were right before his eyes. But to pinpoint a specific person and track their movements—especially those adept at concealing the heavens' secrets—was no longer a matter of "searching for a needle in a haystack" or futile effort, but it was still extremely difficult and exhausting. Lu Chen was famously lazy, and besides, the White Jade Capital had the Yangguan Tower, which specialized in monitoring the movements of peak cultivators across the world. Even so, there were inevitably oversights. The world was filled with an endless variety of ever-changing, mysterious illusion techniques.
Lu Chen had first made a trip to the Pearl Lipper Cave Heaven, setting up a stall in the small town for over a decade. Not long ago, he had also visited the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Wild World. It was as if he had only taken a nap and blinked once, yet the Azure Essence World had become increasingly different from what it once was.
Afterward, Yang Ningxing "followed" Lu Chen's gaze, swift as an arrow, through layers of clouds, like a bird skimming across the earth. He saw the outline of a continent, then mountain ranges stretching like dragons and serpents, followed by a majestic city brimming with dragon aura, and finally a royal-commissioned temple named Green Wutong Temple...
"The world, Bing Province, Azure Spirit Dynasty, Green Wutong Temple. The world grows smaller as people grow larger."
Lu Chen's gaze shifted slightly. He smiled and said, "That group of Five Mounds youths is right over there in the Golden Jade Dao Arena's Seed Cave. When you go out to travel in the future, this is a place you must visit. The Rice Bandit King Yuan Lu and the martial artist Qi Gu both came from here. But the Elegant Minister Yao Qing is not in the capital right now; he's gone to protect the cultivation retreat of the Daoist couple Zhao Ge and Xu Jun. The Azure Spirit Dynasty is also one of the very few places that build temples. Hidden there is a purple-robed monk with remarkable swordsmanship—that would be the now-famous Jiang Xiu. Jiang Xiu's sword arts are so high that he could easily spar with your master. Jiang Xiu's appearance now, riding fate and seizing the moment, probably means he intends to seek an explanation from the human Buddhist dharma and our White Jade Capital."
"This is Ru Province, the Scarlet Gold Dynasty, Crow Mountain."
"This Scarlet Gold Dynasty, all because of a 'Teacher Lin' and Crow Mountain, enjoys unmatched martial prosperity that outshines all under heaven. Lin Jiangxian came as a guest to our Azure Essence World. I wonder what he hopes to gain."
Hearing this, Yang Ningxing asked curiously, "Sect Leader Lu, could this Teacher Lin be a Qi practitioner?"
After arriving in the Azure Essence World, even in the Spirit Treasure City, where Dao officials were quite proud, whenever Teacher Lin was mentioned, they spoke of him with great respect.
Lu Chen laughed. "Speaking only of this lifetime, Lin Jiangxian is not a Qi practitioner, nor is he a sword cultivator. But he is... a swordsman?"
"Sun Daochang of the Mysterious Metropolis Temple has that saying, 'Ashamed to stand before Teacher Lin.' It's not just mutual admiration or flattery. It's because Lin Jiangxian truly can fight—he can really fight! As for the other worlds, including the 'Martial God' Pei Bei of the Haoran World, the meaning of 'number one under heaven' is different for them compared to Lin Jiangxian's. For the Azure Essence World, Teacher Lin's number one is truly the sole number one. The gap between the world's second and Lin Jiangxian is as vast as the gap between the Flying Ascension Realm and the Fifteenth Realm. The gap between Zhang Tiaoxia and Pei Bei is far from being that exaggerated."
Yang Ningxing was puzzled. "Swordsman?"
Lu Chen nodded. "Because with or without a long sword in hand, he becomes two different Lin Jiangxians."
"It's just a pity that among the countless martial artists in the Azure Essence World, none have ever been qualified to make Lin Jiangxian use his sword."
"Now look at this You Province. Every time it snows here, it's especially heavy. This year is no exception. The snowflakes are almost as big as fists. See that ancient battlefield site over there? Look at how heavy the baleful aura is—it's surging into the sky. If not for the Earth Lung Mountain's Huayang Palace joining forces with the Hongnong Yang Clan, each with their own experts guarding their territory, willing to consume the cultivation of one Flying Ascension Realm cultivator every thousand years, there would have been a rebellion of a million ghost soldiers long ago. I've heard that in recent years, a stunning beauty of unparalleled elegance has emerged from the Yang Clan, a maiden in her prime at the age of sixteen. Look—she's combing her hair under the crystal curtain. That lazy sitting posture—beautiful, truly beautiful. And look at that full curve pressing against the spring stool... and how white that arm is, resting there. Hmm, why can't I get a clear view of her face? The Hongnong Yang Clan really is lacking in propriety—treating me like a thief!"
Yang Ningxing simply couldn't bring himself to engage in such activities. He had already closed his eyes, but he found it useless—whatever Lu Chen saw, he saw as well.
"Nephew Yang, let me give you some advice as someone who's been there before. Later, when your Dao arts are high, don't do such things too often. It's too taxing on the spirit and a major taboo in cultivation."
"Let's look at Yong Province. This is the smallest province in the Azure Essence World, similar to the Vase Gourd Continent in the Haoran World. Isn't that interesting? This was once the Dao arena of my ancient region, and now there's the Yu Fu Dynasty. The young empress Zhu Xuan is organizing a great universal altar. Atop a submerged mountain range, there stands an ancient Lotus Root Goddess Temple. Inside the temple, a national guardian divine artifact is enshrined. Outside the temple, there's an old camphor tree that can divine the fortunes of the four regions."
"This Zhu Xuan truly is a fickle woman. When she was young, she pinky-swore with me, saying she'd marry Brother Lu when she grew up. Now she's grown into a graceful young lady, but she's reneged on her promise. Ah, isn't it just like beautiful women to go back on their words?"
"Yong Province, the Bodhi Dissolution Mountain, has a supreme ancestor named Long Xinpu who loves spreading songs and prophecies. He's always been infatuated with that Wang Sun of the Mysterious Metropolis Temple. Such devotion doesn't seem fitting for a Qi practitioner seeking immortality. This Yong Province was once the birthplace of the Rice Bandit lineage. But back then, these ordained Dao officials were not looked down upon as 'rice bandits.' At their peak, the number of full Dao officials and those candidates destined to be ordained reached over a million. And that's just on the surface. Yang Ningxing, do you know what this number means?"
Zhu Province had many feather-robed guests.
Qi Province, the Mysterious Metropolis Temple. This was also the province Lu Chen visited most often—a single Daoist temple.
Yin Province: the Two Capital Mountains and the Great Tide Sect had formed a marriage alliance. That Zhao Ge, with the Dao name Fu Kan—she was truly a good match. She had given so much of herself, even sacrificing her own Dao cultivation, willingly letting her realm decline, all for the possibility that her ghost-cultivator Dao companion, Xu Jun, could gain a foothold among the Fourteenth Realm cultivators first.
At the entrance of a cave heavily guarded with restrictions belonging to the Great Tide Sect, Yao Qing suddenly looked up, smiled, and shook his head, as if reminding Sect Leader Lu not to spy on this place.
Lu Chen was startled, then flew into a rage, stomping and cursing, "There are so many extraordinary people in this world, and I'm the only one with nothing better to do, am I?!"
Within You Province, a purple-robed monk walked without leaving footprints in the snow, loudly chanting, "In the thatched hut, I discuss the profound mysteries; on the cattail mat, I speak of virtue and the Dao. Beyond this, there is nothing worth mentioning."
As if sensing something, the monk turned his head and smiled, looking into the distance toward the White Jade Capital. He casually drew a line in the air, and a shaft of sword light exploded across the heavens, severing the line of sight on the spot.
Lu Chen clicked his tongue in admiration. "Nephew, did you see that? Jiang Xiu's swordsmanship is quite something, isn't it? Not false at all, right? My judgment of people has always been spot-on! Would you believe that if Jiang Xiu went all out, a single beam of sword light could reach the White Jade Capital?"
Yang Ningxing was at a loss for words.
On a secluded mountaintop, snow weighed down the green bamboo. A handsome young man had left the Mist Cloud Cave of the Zhenyue Palace and chosen this spot to eat a pot of winter bamboo shoots stewed with cured meat. At the table sat two women. One had slightly dark skin, wore a wooden hairpin, hemp clothes, and straw sandals. The other was more in line with the typical immortal maiden's appearance, dressed in an emerald green Dharma robe, radiating Daoist vitality.
Lu Chen introduced the three to Yang Ningxing with a smile. "The young sect leader Zhang Fenghai, Lü Bixia—who could also be called the loose immortal Nie Bixia—and Shi Xingyuan."
Zhang Fenghai suddenly set down his chopsticks, wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb, and smiled. "Sect Leader Lu, it's been many years."
After a moment, Zhang Fenghai picked up his chopsticks again. Evidently, the line of sight had withdrawn.
The last scene Yang Ningxing saw was the Suichu Palace and the Stork Tower.
Lu Chen smiled faintly. "A fine 'literary man' Gao Ping, a scholar who theorizes about military affairs on paper, a defeated general who dare not speak of courage."
Lu Chen sighed, then casually brushed his hand, removing the borrowed divine ability from Yang Ningxing.
Breathing water light and drinking mountain streams, the aura of arms dissolved into the sunlight and moonlight.
In the human world, the Marriage Shop; under heaven, the Matchmaker Mountain. Cai Daohuang, later revered as the "Old Man Under the Moon who ties the red thread," once held a book of marriage fates.
Lu Chen personally confirmed one thing while in the Pearl Lipper Cave Heaven: that "marriage fate book," which was said to be "useless if used, extremely useful if left unused," had long since left the hands of the old man who ran the happy affairs shop in the small town. Barring any surprises, this was again the behind-the-scenes work of Old Man Yang from the medicine shop.
One half of the marriage fate book had already fallen into the hands of Liu Qi. The latter, traveling far with his good friend Cao Zu from Haoran to the Azure Essence World, was most likely pursuing the remaining half of the book. Could it be that Zhao Ge was involved? After all, this female Daoist's registered origin was the Heavenly Court Woman.
Liu Qi's actions, however, were not exactly a helpless move like Bai Ye Zai Qian's.
Liu Qi's greatest characteristic in his ci poetry was to lament for all the lovers under heaven who ultimately failed to become couples.
Thus, trying to use the "complete marriage fate book" to tie red threads for lovers under heaven indeed aligned with Liu Qi's Great Dao.
On the bamboo tower of the Fallen Mountain, the martial artist Cui Cheng of Vase Gourd Continent had always considered himself a scholar throughout his life. In the end, he took only two disciples, and even those were nominal. Yet, before he knew it, he had taught fist techniques that reached the Two Stopping Realms.
Lu Chen let out a long, deep sigh.
It wasn't that martial artists lacked freedom; Cui Cheng had already set the standard above.
The rising and setting of the sun and moon were all sword techniques.
Lin Jiangxian, formerly named Xie Xinen, was similarly a hidden alias.
His true name was probably written in the secret archives of the Sword Qi Great Wall's Summer Resort Palace.
The former Hidden Officer was Xiao Xun; the new Hidden Officer, Chen Ping'an. The former Punishment Officer was Hao Su; the new Punishment Officer, Qi Shou.
In the ten thousand years of the Sword Qi Great Wall, among the three sword cultivators with official titles, only the Sacrificial Officer, whose whereabouts and life or death remained unknown, had never been replaced by a new one.
Noticing that Sect Leader Lu was lost in thought, Yang Ningxing stepped back three paces, made a fist-and-palm salute, and said softly, "Sect Leader Lu, shall this junior take his leave now?"
Lu Chen snapped back to his senses and laughed. "Let's go together."
Holding onto the railing with one hand, he vaulted over and headed toward the Divine Thunder City.
The current city lord of the Divine Thunder City was none other than Jiang Yunsheng, who still looked like a little Daoist boy.
The previous city lord, Yao Kejiu, whose Dao name was "Ni Gu," had ultimately never returned home.
Beautiful flowers are like old friends; without drinking, the cup empties itself. It's a pity that old friends are not like flowers.
On the city wall of his hometown, there was a young sword cultivator named Fang Ai who had picked up the wooden handle of the fly-whisk that Yao Kejiu had left behind.
Only he and Dong Huafu chose to stay in the Divine Thunder City among the Five Cities and Twelve Towers. The other seven sword cultivators had dispersed to other towers and cities of the White Jade Capital, soon becoming official Dao officials, each with their own masters.
This wooden handle was Yao Kejiu's sole remaining possession.
Lu Chen, seeing this old object, felt as if he were seeing an old friend. Thus, he often came to the Divine Thunder City to drink with the young man.
At today's drinking table, Fang Ai poured the wine, insisting that Sect Leader Lu, whose face was already slightly flushed, should drink another bowl.
Sect Leader Lu held the bowl with both hands, turned his head, and kept saying, "Don't pour anymore, I can't drink any more. If I drink any more, I'll get drunk. No, no, no, that's enough, that's enough..."
Well, one thing led to another, and even with slow pouring, the bowl was filled to the brim.
Dong Huafu had come today to scrounge for some wine. Lu Chen's wine was worth a bit.
As for this back-and-forth between Fang Ai and Lu Chen—pouring wine and refusing wine—Dong Huafu was used to it. They often put on this act.
Probably, as Chen Ping'an used to say, if you don't urge people to drink when you're drinking, it's no fun, and there's no liveliness.
Of course, that was because the wine shop was jointly opened by Chen Ping'an and Diezhang. If they didn't urge people to drink, how could the wine sales be good?
Lu Chen looked down at the brimming bowl of wine, groaned, and looked up to complain, "Look, you've filled it again. Don't do this next time, or the time after that, I won't come anymore."
Fang Ai nodded and smiled. "No next time."
When he first arrived at the Divine Thunder City, Fang Ai was still a genuine young boy.
Lu Chen took a sip of wine, shivered, and quickly squinted with a smile. "Good wine, good wine."
Lounging with his legs crossed, leaning against the stone table, Lu Chen asked, "Fang Ai, in the future, would you like to sit in the first chair of the Divine Thunder City?"
Fang Ai replied, "Let me first become the deputy city lord."
His implication was, of course, that he wanted to be city lord.
If he became city lord, he probably wouldn't lack immortal cash anymore. Sword cultivators' sword forging was known to be a bottomless pit, consuming heavenly materials and earthly treasures that could pile up into mountains.
But Jiang Yunsheng had only been city lord of the Divine Thunder City for a few years. According to the old precedents of the White Jade Capital, this meant that the city lord wouldn't be replaced for at least several hundred years, possibly thousands. The deputy city lord position, however, held some promise. For one thing, it wasn't a fixed position like the city lord's—there was more leeway. Besides, as long as there were sufficient reasons to gain the approval of both sect leaders, a temporary addition could be made.
Lu Chen liked this about Fang Ai: he said what he thought without being pretentious. He laughed and asked, "I have a wonderful idea in a brocade bag. Want to hear it?"
Fang Ai quickly offered a toast, drinking first.
Lu Chen looked mysterious, gritted his teeth, and blurted out a single word: "Wait!"
Fang Ai twitched his mouth. Sect Leader Lu, isn't that nonsense?
If I could endure for three to five thousand years of Dao age, which city or tower in the White Jade Capital's five cities and twelve towers couldn't I become city lord or tower master of?
If you're sincere, let me be the deputy city lord of your Southern China City. If you dare to do that, look at me and see if I dare to accept.
Lu Chen asked, "Do you miss your hometown?"
Fang Ai answered truthfully, "Occasionally."
Lu Chen seemed slightly surprised and laughed. "Only occasionally?"
The young sword cultivator nodded. "Only occasionally."
Not often, but every time he did think of it, he missed it terribly.
Lu Chen patted the table lightly with his palm. "Right. This kind of longing is called homesickness."
Senior Brother Yu was like a Chen Ping'an who had gone to the Book and Bamboo Lake but never stayed there.
No muddy swamp of the human heart could hold Yu Dou. That was true in the past, and it would probably be true in the future.
Lu Chen had once, copying the Embroidery Tiger, set up a heart-questioning trial similar to the Book and Bamboo Lake for his junior brother, Shan Qing, whose Dao name was "Mountain Green."
Unfortunately, in Lu Chen's view, the answer Shan Qing provided was neither fish nor fowl—not like Senior Brother Yu, nor like Chen Ping'an.
This greatly disappointed Lu Chen, but since he had personally led Shan Qing through the gates of the White Jade Capital, it wouldn't do to simply abandon him. So, this junior brother Shan Qing was thrown into the Five-Colored World.
Lu Chen set down his wine bowl, laid one hand flat on the table, stretched out his legs, and lightly tapped his shoes together, looking utterly bored.
Dong Huafu asked, "Sect Leader Lu, they say in the city that the White Bone True Person, who is one of the candidates, is one of your avatars?"
Lu Chen immediately sat up straight, adjusted his robe, put on a solemn expression, and said in a deep voice, "Indeed, that's the case."
Dong Huafu asked, "Then can you beat Yu Dou?"
Lu Chen quickly took a sip of wine and waved his hand. "Can't beat him, can't beat him. Senior Brother Yu's 'truly invincible' is no empty title. We're all veterans in the jianghu. Among us, there are only mistaken names, never mistaken nicknames."
Dong Huafu asked, "Is Sect Leader Lu a sword cultivator?"
Lu Chen thought for a moment. Since they were almost family, he honestly replied, covering his mouth with his hand. "My swordsmanship isn't pure enough. I'm not a true sword cultivator."
Dong Huafu asked again, "Besides the White Bone True Person, are there any other avatars of Sect Leader Lu among the twenty-odd candidates?"
Lu Chen grinned slyly. "Guess."
Damn it, I really can't keep answering every question.
If I let this Black Charcoal Dong keep questioning me, I'll be completely exposed.
Just then, a palace-robed woman arrived gracefully, her words tinged with laughter but her eyes brimming with tears. She murmured, "Heartless man, faithless lover, are you well?"
Lu Chen glanced at the woman, jumped to his feet, put his hands on his hips, and began cursing her for being too unscrupulous, spittle flying everywhere. All the wine he'd drunk seemed to have been wasted.
But the curses Lu Chen uttered were in some ancient language that Dong Huafu and Fang Ai couldn't understand.
The woman stopped, reached out to Lu Chen, and said with a face full of sorrow, "My dear Lu, I ask for nothing else—just give me back my heart."
Lu Chen flicked his sleeve. "Stop messing around."
The woman then transformed her shape, appearing as an old Daoist.
Fang Ai was startled. Could that be... the Dao Ancestor?!
He'd seen the portrait hanging on the wall of the Divine Thunder City's ancestral hall.
Lu Chen rolled his eyes. "You don't know when to give up."
So the old Daoist transformed again, this time into a middle-aged Daoist.
Lu Chen sighed. "If you want to fight, I'll oblige."
But he quickly added, "I'll also bring Senior Brother Yu."
Finally, "this person" took on the appearance of a dull young boy and tried to grab some wine. But when he reached the boundary beyond the stone table, he seemed to hit an invisible wall. He tapped the barrier with a bent finger and nodded. "Lu Chen is indeed well-versed in Buddhist doctrines."
Lu Chen warned, "Don't push your luck."
The figure nodded. "Easily said."
For cultivators, maintaining one's original heart is like a ghost maintaining a sliver of true spiritual light.
Whether human, ghost, or immortal, it's all like a small boat sailing the sea—you need a ballast stone, a stabilizing needle for the Dao heart. In common terms, it's a kind of obsession, an act of "carving a mark on the boat to find the lost sword." And according to the mind-method passed down by the first "Daoist" in the human world, maintaining one's "original nature" had branched into several different veins with the same root.
This outer heavenly demon, in a certain sense, was the "shadow" of that Daoist—or rather, the collected shadow of all cultivators!
In ten thousand years of dark chambers, a single oil-saving lamp.
The figure laughed. "You all go on with your chat."
Lu Chen nodded. "Let's continue."
Fang Ai's heart was already tense. Dong Huafu, however, was more carefree and continued to ask, "Over at Inverted Suspension Mountain, there's a Capture-Release Pavilion. Inverted Suspension Mountain is Yu Dou's mountain-character seal—just a few steps away. Why hasn't he gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall?"
Hearing this question, Fang Ai also pricked up his ears, waiting for Lu Chen's answer.
Dong Huafu's implication was simple: since Yu Dou was "truly invincible," why not go to our Sword Qi Great Wall, have a fight with the Great Sword Immortal? If he won, who would dare not recognize his title?
Lu Chen hurriedly poured himself a bowl of wine to steady his nerves. This was a difficult question.
This Dong Black Charcoal always asked such tricky questions.
Lu Chen sipped his wine slowly, feeling like he could drink a single sip for an entire day.
Dong Huafu said, "Since you don't want to answer, just drink."
Lu Chen sighed. "It's a bit awkward that the Great Sword Immortal is venerably Dao-bound to the Sword Qi Great Wall."
Fang Ai interjected, "Does Sect Leader Yu think he'd be at a disadvantage there, lacking geographical advantage?"
Lu Chen shook his head. "It's not a matter of advantage or disadvantage. Senior Brother Yu can't win. He would definitely lose."
"But Senior Brother Yu doesn't avoid the Sword Qi Great Wall because he's afraid of losing. If you misunderstand that, you underestimate him."
"In his entire life, Senior Brother Yu has sought only a loss. A satisfying battle, a defeat he can gladly accept."
"It's just that if Senior Brother Yu were to cut loose and truly cross swords with the Great Sword Immortal, the consequences would be too great, the implications too far-reaching."
Dong Huafu asked, "Could Yu Dou cut open the wall with a single strike of his sword?"
Lu Chen shook his head. "Impossible."
The reason the Tolu Mountain Grand Ancestor could accomplish that feat was because Chen Qingdu had to deliver that sword strike to help the Ascension City leave for the Five-Colored World.
Just looking at how several sword immortals later jointly relocated a bright moon and its radiance shows how difficult such a cross-world endeavor was.
Chen Qingdu had done this right under the noses of the Wild Clan. The Sixty-Year Tally had certainly considered and deduced the situation. No matter how they calculated it, the result was the same: it couldn't be stopped.
Anyone who tried to stop it would die. Possibly only the Tolu Mountain Grand Ancestor and Wen Hai Zhou Mi were exceptions.
But those two each had their own long-term plans. They wouldn't act to directly clash with Chen Qingdu.
It's like how, among all the world's sword cultivators, the highest in sword technique and Dao can only reach Chen Qingdu's shoulder at best. How can they fight? How can they ask for a duel?
Dong Huafu hesitated. As if guessing what Dong Huafu was thinking, Lu Chen smiled. "As for that person, now that's a good question."
Among the Ten Heroes of the World ten thousand years ago, one was a sword cultivator.
In those days, this person's swordsmanship length, sword technique height, killing power, defensive strength, and the number and quality of his innate flying swords were all "the best"!
Lu Chen pointed with his lips toward the outer heavenly demon standing outside the barrier, indicating that this fellow had personally witnessed that person's swordplay.
During the Heaven-Climbing Campaign back then, there were three main routes, and this sword cultivator was the one leading one of them.
The figure smiled. "Still died in the end, didn't he?"
Lu Chen rolled his eyes. "Hey, hey, watch your mouth. Be respectful."
The figure asked, "Do you want to see that scroll painting?"
Lu Chen stood up. "Let's take a walk together."
The figure shook his head, his shape gradually dissolving. He sneered, "Lu Chen, a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river—you'd better mind your own business."
In a remote corner of You Province, inside a small county town, there was a Daoist temple called the Pouring Void Temple.
A gust of wind, and a young Daoist with a lotus crown appeared out of nowhere on the street. The nameless Daoist temple before him was, naturally, already empty—only a shell left as a decoration. Lu Chen looked up at the temple's plaque. "Pouring Void," drawing from abundance to supplement deficiency—taking the surplus to make up for the shortfall. Hmm, not bad, not bad. It showed a bit of learning. Obviously, it was his own handiwork. The way to hold abundance: to pour and diminish, so as to avoid the regret of the extreme dragon and the fault of heaven and earth. A good meaning, a good omen...
Lu Chen laughed at himself. "Just a step too slow."
Stamping his foot, shaking his sleeves, he raised his hand and started calculating on his fingers, then began to curse. "Old Gao, Old Gao, at your age, why stir up muddy water? Aren't you afraid of sullying your reputation in your final years? Just you wait. It's best if you hide inside Huayang Palace like a turtle withdrawing its head. Don't let me find you outside the mountain, or I'll spray you with a face full of spit... Eh, you're really outside the mountain? Old Gao, you're something else—you truly look down on me. Hah, one by one, you all bully me because I have a good temper. If you've got the guts, go fight Senior Brother Yu. Picking on the soft persimmons—what kind of heroes are you?!"
The Dao official of the Pouring Void Temple, Mao Zhui, had no Dao name yet. He had once served as the temple's guestmaster in charge of meals. In other words, a cook. Eh, the head chef.
In fact, the twenty-plus people in the temple, even the temple itself, were all manifestations of this White Bone True Person.
This was how they had managed to fool heaven and cross the sea, slipping through unnoticed.
Now, over at the county office, there was a big commotion. The prefectural city didn't dare hide anything and had already reported to the imperial court. It was believed that before long, a sealed "purple mud letter" would reach the White Jade Capital. Something this major happening within their jurisdiction, if not handled properly, would cause a disaster. An officially ordained Daoist just vanishes into thin air—how could such a strange thing happen?
Lu Chen glanced sideways. The bookstall on the street outside the temple hadn't even been packed up. The books had been cleared away, probably by the children.
It was as if they had deliberately left a letter, or rather, a letter sent to themselves? Home letters?
Anyway, it was full of some unfriendly sarcasm.
Sect Leader Lu was absolutely furious. He had gotten himself all worked up, and he couldn't even complain to outsiders.
During the heavy snow season, a small boat stopped in the middle of a slow river. At the bow sat a man wearing a bamboo hat and a straw rain cape—the picture of leisurely solitude, fishing alone on a lonely boat.
The angler was a handsome young Daoist, wearing a hard-rimmed round cap of the mixed-border style, with a boxwood hairpin piercing his topknot.
Someone descended from the sky, but at an extremely slow pace, drifting down like a snowflake, landing right beside the boat. He opened his palm, revealing a paper-wrapped packet of saucy meat with a few garlic cloves tucked inside.
This uninvited guest tossed a garlic clove into his mouth, moved slightly, and came up behind the fisherman. He raised his foot, aiming at the back of the fisherman's head, looking as if he was about to give him a kick.
But his leg swayed in the air for a long time, and he didn't dare actually kick. He took another piece of meat and tossed it into his mouth, then gently set his foot down, mumbling indistinctly, "Old Gao, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
The wood-haired Daoist, who had been staring fixedly at the fishing line, said in a calm tone, "What does Sect Leader Lu mean by that?"
Lu Chen said indignantly, "You know exactly what I mean. Playing dumb and being difficult with me, huh? First, kowtow and acknowledge me as your master!"
The young Daoist twitched his lips.
Lu Chen hated this expression of his the most. At once dignified and approachable—there really weren't many like him in the world.
Someone like Senior Brother Sun of the Mysterious Metropolis Temple was already extremely rare. This Old Gao in front of him was no good; he wore that sour face all year round, and everyone who saw him was afraid.
Lu Chen crouched down and adjusted his palm.
The other said, "Never mind that. Afraid you'll poison the bait."
Lu Chen snapped, "Why didn't you say it's laced with aphrodisiacs?!"
That fellow simply pretended to be deaf and mute.
Lu Chen asked, "Is that bastard hiding in your Huayang Palace's Ancestor Cave?"
"I don't understand what Sect Leader Lu is talking about."
"Doing such things behind the scenes is too unscrupulous."
"Fine, fine. Why is Sect Leader Lu cursing the Dao Ancestor?"
"What do you mean?"
"My Earth Lung Mountain's contributions in the merit register of the White Jade Capital are not insignificant. They ought to cover several pages at the very least. If I were unscrupulous, then in this Azure Essence World, how many would dare claim they aren't unscrupulous? From this, it's clear that the civilizing achievements of your White Jade Capital are questionable. So what has your master, Sect Leader Lu's teacher, managed in the over ten thousand years he's governed this world?"
"Can you argue like that? Old Gao, you really are lofty."
"Sect Leader Lu is the true eccentric, speaking such inexplicable words."
Conversation like this was exhausting. Lu Chen stuck out his rear, craned his neck, and glanced at the fish basket. The basket was submerged in the water. Lu Chen reached out to pull the rope, but the young Daoist warned, "It's hot to the touch," so he withdrew his hand.
"Old Gao, have you caught any fish?"
"Yeah, I've caught one."
"Besides this little fish as thin as a chopstick, are there any big fish?"
"Then no big fish."
"Wasting bait, maybe even snapping the rod, and injuring the angler's bones. If a big fish capsizes the whole boat, why suffer all that? What's the point?"
"The Daoist would be happy to try. See if the big fish is unmatched in strength or if this fishing line is tough enough. And while we're at it, see if the hook can scratch even a bit of the big fish's lip."
Lu Chen's expression turned sorrowful. He said softly, "Old Gao, take my advice. Don't do this. Really, trust me just this once."
The young Daoist also showed a rare flicker of a strange expression. After a moment of silence, he said, "Lu Chen, I consider you a friend. That's why I'm waiting for you here—just to chat a little, not to be lectured. In the next bit, can you say something that doesn't ruin the mood?"
Lu Chen dangled his legs over the side of the boat. Apart from eating meat with garlic, he was quiet for a long time. When he finished, he clapped his hands, wiped his greasy palms on the deck, and asked, "Gao Gu, what are you guys thinking? Aren't you afraid that Senior Brother Yu will go on a journey with his sword, find you, and send your heads rolling with one strike each?"
This Gao Gu was a perfected Flying Ascension Realm cultivator, widely recognized as the number one alchemist in several worlds and one of the Ten of the Azure Essence World.
He was also one of the most hopeful cultivators to reach the Fourteenth Realm.
After the incident back then, this "young" Dao official had stood at the boundary of the White Jade Capital, gazing at it from afar.
That look—if anyone dared meet his eyes even for a moment, they'd feel an eerie chill.
A ruthless person rarely speaks much. And after enduring for so many years, Gao Gu was certainly not the type to take grudges to the grave.
Sure enough, Gao Gu nodded and said calmly, "Earth Lung Mountain Huayang Palace. What I dream of. I'm waiting for that day. I've been waiting for a long, long time."
Lu Chen knew Gao Gu's true reliance wasn't just his high cultivation realm, his large mountain stronghold, or his disciples and descendants spread across an entire continent.
His greatest support lay in the human world being like a great net. All the grudges and affections were knots in the net. Some knots, over time, would rot away and vanish. But certain dead knots would only grow tighter and tougher, making it easier for the whole net to move when a single thread is pulled. The Lotus Root Goddess Temple was one. The "Youngster Cave" of the Suichu Palace was another. And Gao Gu was yet another.
Now it just depended on who would be the first to push against the wall. Gao Gu? Sun Huaizhong? Wu Shuangjiang?
The ordained Dao officials of the White Jade Capital were indeed countless. But deep in the mundane world, their Dao hearts were covered in dust. Especially once war spread across the world, slaughter rising on all sides, the Dao officials would act, losing yin virtue, wounded or dead, falling in countless numbers.
"What am I worth?"
Gao Gu smiled faintly. "I've let down my wild reputation for three thousand years."
Ruthless people never need a ferocious face to speak harsh words. They always say them so calmly.
Lu Chen sighed. "Old Gao, as a friend, I have to advise you: don't say such angry words."
In mountain cultivation, the longer you live, the more Dao age you accumulate, the fewer friends you have.
Gao Gu's youngest disciple came from the Hongnong Yang Clan. This disciple was also the one Gao Gu valued and doted on most—no exceptions.
The reason for this value was the disciple's cultivation talent, literary and martial prowess, which were naturally outstanding. But more importantly, in Gao Gu's eyes, this person's temperament was the most "similar to himself."
The old palace master, who had never had a Dao companion or children, practically treated this youngest disciple as his own son.
Lu Chen raised three fingers. "In a certain place in the White Jade Capital, a rough estimate says your side won't exceed thirty percent."
Gao Gu laughed. "That many? A pleasant surprise."
Lu Chen leaned back, lying down on the boat's prow, using his hands as a pillow, watching the falling snow.
Gao Gu said, "Lu Chen."
"Hmm?"
"The world must have Yu Dou; the human realm cannot do without Lu Chen."
"Thank you very much."
"Then how about kowtowing three times to the Daoist?"
Lu Chen closed his eyes and muttered to himself, "Thump, thump, thump."
Gao Gu reached out and gently patted Lu Chen's sleeve. "No need to be melancholy."
In a snowy sky, three people walked on foot.
The one at the head was a middle-aged female Daoist whose attire gave no indication of her lineage. Beside her followed a boy and a girl.
She was one of the candidates of the Azure Essence World: a Flying Ascension Realm sword cultivator, Bao Lin, a ghost immortal.
When ordained Dao officials of the Azure Essence World performed rituals or observed fasts, they had to wear strictly regulated robes. For ordinary travel, however, aside from some quirky personal preferences, they often dressed like Bao Lin—wearing a far-traveling crown and cloud-treading shoes, the most common Daoist attire. This was a rule set by the Dao Ancestor to encourage cultivators to cultivate virtue and uphold purity.
Bao Lin had recently accepted two direct disciples, both sword cultivators.
The boy and girl, like a perfect pair of jade, were named Lü Yi and Qiu Yuyi.
Lü Yi asked curiously, "Master, since we're going to challenge that Dao Second, shouldn't we be heading in a different direction?"
Bao Lin said, "We need to see a monk first."
The two disciples exchanged puzzled glances.
In this Azure Essence World, why would a Daoist seek out a monk?
But then they thought, what did it matter? Who was their master? She didn't even put that Dao Second or the White Jade Capital in her eyes.
Lü Yi asked, "Master, after we see the monk, the three of us will head to the White Jade Capital, right?"
Bao Lin neither confirmed nor denied; she just smiled without speaking.
Lü Yi grew even more flustered. Could it be that his master was going to convert to Buddhism?!
Bao Lin laughed. "Don't let your imagination run wild. Your master is just catching up with an old friend."
Qiu Yuyi cautiously asked, "Master, can we not challenge the White Jade Capital?"
The boy quickly coughed to remind his junior sister not to bring up what ought to be left alone.
Bao Lin wasn't angry. She said, "To outsiders, of course, I'm just asking for trouble. But to me, it's something I can't avoid."
The world is impermanent; people's paths cross and separate.
Some part on good terms and meet again. Others end in gloom.
The second sect leader of the White Jade Capital, Yu Dou, had once met three close friends in their obscurity. They cultivated together and climbed together.
Sharing hardships and joys, they attained immortality together. True like-minded words, friends for life and death.
Within a millennium, these four close friends protected each other's Dao paths and successively reached the Flying Ascension Realm.
Besides Yu Dou, there was a great talisman master and a Dao couple—a sword cultivator and a formation master—who were a perfect immortal pair.
Liu Changzhou, who once styled himself "the Daoist of Filth," was now Jiang Zhaomo of the Purple Qi Tower.
Xing Lou, a formation master with the Dao name Tian Chi.
Bao Lin, a sword cultivator.
Traveling together, they roamed the world. Four Flying Ascension Realm grandmasters—their high spirits and aspirations were unimaginable.
In the end, only Yu Dou entered the White Jade Capital.
At that time, the White Jade Capital didn't yet have the scale of five cities and twelve towers. It had only three cities and six towers.
Yu Dou's nickname "Truly Invincible" spread during those tumultuous years. This nickname, more famous than Yu Dou's Dao name, was certainly not self-proclaimed by Yu Dou. He simply never bothered to deny it.
From the Flying Ascension Realm, aspiring to climb higher to the Fourteenth Realm was both a difficulty and a heart barrier.
For a grandmaster to cross this chasm, it could not be forced; it could only be achieved through the Dao heart. Sometimes it was within easy reach; sometimes it was harder than ascending to heaven.
In the end, Liu Changzhou and Xing Lou both died by Yu Dou's sword.
So every time Bao Lin went into seclusion to forge her sword, and every time she emerged, she would head straight to the White Jade Capital, challenge Yu Dou, lose, and then go back into seclusion.
For thousands of years, she had challenged him many times.
The whole world knew she was bound to lose. Even she herself probably knew it. But it seemed she had nothing else to do.
Only to seek vengeance against Yu Dou.
She had an obsession: everyone in the world could kill Xing Lou, but Yu Dou could not.
Because her Dao companion, Xing Lou, was a fellow townsman of Yu Dou's. In fact, one could say Xing Lou was Yu Dou's first guide. On their subsequent cultivation path, for the sake of Yu Dou, Xing Lou fell from his realm twice, damaging the root of his Great Dao. This led to Xing Lou, when attempting to break through the bottleneck of the Flying Ascension Realm, being ensnared by heart demons and the outer heavens' demons. And the mountain treasure that had originally belonged to Xing Lou had long been given to Yu Dou to refine into a natal object. If not for this, even if he failed to break through, he would never have gone into demonic possession during seclusion... It could be said that without Xing Lou, Yu Dou would have died long ago, and there would have been no later second sect leader of the White Jade Capital, no current Truly Invincible.
Bao Lin walked slowly, reaching out to catch a snowflake that fell into her palm.
Mist shrouds the pavilion, the moon confuses the ferry. The past is empty, like a dream.
Her body remains, amid chaotic mountains. A withered tree can still see spring; an old tree can still bloom. And the old friend?
Wu Shuangjiang was right. She needed to do something truly meaningful.
It would require three Fourteenth Realm cultivators with immense killing power, each uncaring of life or death, prepared to never return, to jointly challenge the White Jade Capital and make Yu Dou truly suffer.
Back when Wu Shuangjiang had approached her, Bao Lin had only smiled bitterly.
Where in the world could she find three Fourteenth Realm cultivators?
"After I finish this seclusion in the Suichu Palace and come out, I'll be one."
"What about the other two?"
Setting aside that obsession, Bao Lin was not without self-awareness. Sword cultivators of the world could be considered one realm higher when facing other Qi practitioners; it was widely acknowledged that they were invincible within the same realm. Even if there were occasional exceptions, they were just exceptions.
But a sole Flying Ascension Realm sword cultivator could not be counted in such a way.
Wu Shuangjiang had smiled faintly. "That's not something you need to worry about."
"Bao Lin, don't rush to give me an answer."
"After all, having a pure sword cultivator join forces with outsiders to challenge the White Jade Capital seems like a conspiracy, ultimately going against the original heart. When you can truly come to terms with it, come find me at the Suichu Palace."
"For now, you and Yu Dou are enemies, yet still old friends. If you haven't thought this through clearly, don't agree to this."
Bao Lin had said firmly, "Agreed! We'll settle it then! After I finish this seclusion, I'll go to the Suichu Palace."
But Wu Shuangjiang shook his head. "Anyone can see you haven't thought it through. Go back and think it over slowly."
"I don't want an ally who might switch sides on the battlefield."
At the time, Wu Shuangjiang had a slightly mocking, teasing expression, as if to say: You can act on impulse, but don't treat me like a fool.
On the border of Yong Province.
At the bottom of a great river, on a mountain peak, stood the Lotus Root Goddess Temple. Outside the temple was an old camphor tree, where a black fox and a black ape had made their Dao arena.
"Exquisite temple!"
A young Daoist with a lotus crown praised inwardly, then bent low, sneaking along, trying to cross the Huilong Bridge stealthily.
But atop the old camphor tree, the black fox and the black ape stood on the branches, furiously spitting at the Daoist. Years ago, it was this bastard on the bridge who had incited them into a bet. Of course, it was a bet that seemed sure to win but ended up losing. Although it didn't hinder their cultivation progress, they still hadn't managed to transform and take human form. Because of this, they had become a joke across several neighboring provinces. Clearly both Jade Pu Realm cultivators, they still didn't dare leave the vicinity of the Lotus Root Goddess Temple for travel—not because they feared being beaten to death, but because they were afraid of being laughed to death.
Dodging left and right, the young Daoist laughed heartily. "Ah, missed me! Hey, dodged again! Annoyed, aren't you?"
Then he started cursing. "No jianghu ethics, no martial virtue at all—using concealed weapons to hurt people... You bastard, what a thick glob of phlegm!"
Straightening his back, the young Daoist shifted and leaped, bounding upward and throwing punches into the sky to scatter the saliva droplets flying like arrows.
A small country in Ru Province.
Yingchuan Commandery, Sui'an County, the Spirit View Temple.
It was the end of the year, and soon a new year would begin. A heavy, goose-feather snow had again fallen, blanketing the earth in silver.
The small Daoist temple still had a bit of New Year's flavor. There were red plaques, spring couplets, and painted Door Gods of the Spirit Officer. The old temple master had just stepped down, and the new one hadn't taken office yet. The temple warden, Liu Fang, had dared not show his face at the temple recently. It was Chang Geng, along with a few young, unordained resident Daoists, who were busy here. That day, Chang Geng climbed the drum tower to sound the evening drum on schedule, then returned to the room adjacent to the kitchen. He lit the oil lamp, pulled a small wooden chest from under the bed, took out a cloth bundle, set it on the table, and unwrapped it to reveal a pile of bamboo objects. Chen Cong knocked on the door. Chang Geng said it wasn't locked. The boy pushed the door open, then closed it, sat down beside the table, and asked curiously, "Uncle Chang, what are these?"
Chang Geng laughed. "Commonly called 'counting rods.'"
Chen Cong was puzzled. "What?"
Chang Geng explained, "The character is 'bamboo' over 'move'—it means 'calculate,' as in counting rods. Six inches long, used for calendar calculations. Six rods make a set. There are quite a few. If you have nothing to do, you can count how many there are."
But Chen Cong couldn't be bothered to determine the number. He just asked, "Is that the 'rod' in 'strategizing within a tent'?"
Chang Geng nodded with a smile.
Chen Cong folded his arms on the table and studied the bamboo rods under the yellow lamplight. "Uncle Chang, is there some meaning?"
Chang Geng grunted. "Are the sages of heaven and earth like iron mountains and stone pillars? The answer is: they are like counting rods—though emotionless, those who move them have emotion."
Chen Cong thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I still don't understand."
Chen Cong knew that Uncle Chang's belly was full of ink. He knew a bit about everything, and when he spoke, he couldn't help showing off a bit of literary flair. But his luck was bad, and his family had declined, leaving him in such a sorry state. It was probably what people meant by "a hundred uses, none of which is practical for a scholar."
But there were many things Chen Cong wanted to get to the bottom of with Uncle Chang. He didn't just want to know the surface; he wanted to know the reasons. For example, from which book did Uncle Chang learn this knowledge, and would he himself have the chance to buy it in a market bookshop? Occasionally, Uncle Chang would name some books, but most of the time he said he had read too many miscellaneous things, his memory failing with age, and couldn't recall.
Watching Uncle Chang fiddle with the bamboo rods—separating and gathering them—Chen Cong wasn't very interested and didn't bother to remember. He just said offhandedly, "Uncle Chang, Temple Master Hong is actually a good person. Although he usually doesn't have a good expression, he has treated us well. The next temple master probably won't be so easy to deal with, right? A new court, new officials. The new temple master might not honor the old accounts and might just find some excuse to kick us out of the temple."
After all, within a temple, the position of "resident Daoist," even without ordination, was a prize many coveted. One radish, one hole. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie.
In the early days, including Temple Master Hong Miao, there were only six "resident Daoists." Because the nominal temple warden, Liu Fang, didn't live on the mountain.
Chang Geng laughed. "Let's take it one step at a time. The boat will go straight when it reaches the bridge."
Chen Cong said helplessly, "That's like saying nothing."
Chang Geng added, "Then I'll add: don't ask about the harvest while you're tending the fields. When the time comes, don't stand by with folded sleeves."
The boy was tired of these clichéd proverbs and lay down on the table. Chang Geng chided, "No sitting posture, no standing posture."
Chen Cong was silent for a long time. Then he said, "Uncle Chang, I actually like it here."
Chang Geng said, "Small place, good scenery. There's a line in a book that fits perfectly: 'Around the green-robed and blue-capped trees, above and below, the immortal lord and divine officials amidst flowers.'"
Chen Cong grinned. "Uncle Chang, which book was that? Can't remember again, can you? Is that 'old age brings forgetfulness'?"
Chang Geng said, "No respect for elders."
The boy laughed. "Then I'll add one too: 'In old age, the body is strong and free from worries.'"
Chang Geng raised his eyelids slightly, looking at the boy with clear brows and a bright gaze. He smiled but didn't seem much changed.
Chen Cong asked, "Uncle Chang, have you been carving seals recently? If you have new ones, can you show me?"
Chang Geng shook his head. "A petty craft, not my proper work."
"Then what is proper work? Passing the imperial exams and becoming an official in the yamen? Or getting a Daoist ordination, cultivating immortal arts, and becoming a cloud-riding immortal master?"
"One needs to seek beyond the seal to achieve the seal; one should seek the Dao on the path. Immortal techniques are just tools to cultivate a side skill. Only cultivating virtue is the first priority."
Chen Cong held back a laugh and gave a thumbs-up. "Uncle Chang, when it comes to speaking principles and saying empty words, you're the best!"
Chang Geng shook his head and cursed the brat with a smile.
Chen Cong said seriously, "Uncle Chang, I'm not joking with you. When I get some money in the future, I'll gather your seals and compile a collection of seal impressions. It won't be difficult. But I can't guarantee how many copies I'll sell."
Chang Geng asked, "You really like seals that much?"
The boy thought for a moment, then nodded and lay back down on the table. "I do. The bottom inscription of a seal—the characters gather together, like a family reunited."