# Chapter 996: The Scent of Apricot Blossoms Amidst the Clouds
Not far outside the small town's east gate, there was a relay station, built around the same time as the Huailai County yamen. Its official name was Rugu Relay Station, but back then the townsfolk still habitually called it Cockcrow Station. Just like with the Crab Alley, the townspeople not only enjoyed giving people and things nicknames but were also quite skilled at it. Today, Zheng Dafeng had wandered his way to Cockcrow Station. The stationmaster was a local from the town, who in his early years had been a minor clerk at the Dragon Kiln Supervisory Office—just moving from one post to another, both being lowly ranks without official status. He had started from the bottom as a station soldier and slowly worked his way up to become the top man. In his youth, he had been Zheng Dafeng's good drinking and gambling buddy. Often, when Zheng Dafeng bet big, he would bet small, and they always managed to win money. Then the two would go drink at Huang Erniang's shop, with Zheng Dafeng again putting it on credit. The guy had saved up quite a bit of marriage money this way. Apparently recently he had even begun trying to secure a courier post for his worthless grandson. Seeing Zheng Dafeng, who had disappeared for years, he was full of solicitous greetings. But the stationmaster's position was small and his duties many; while they reminisced, station soldiers carrying document bags kept coming to stamp and verify papers. Zheng Dafeng didn't want to disturb his busy old brother, so they agreed to drink together when they had time. Just before leaving, Zheng Dafeng suddenly asked, "You're not my senior brother, are you?" The stationmaster was stunned for a long moment, asking what he meant. Zheng Dafeng quickly said, "Nothing, nothing," and strolled out of the station. Damn that Chen Ping'an, he grumbled to himself, causing even him to become suspicious of everything.
On this trip down the mountain, besides the relay station, Zheng Dafeng also went to the former Immortal Grave. Since today was the second day of the third month, he went to the Confucian Temple. But instead of entering the main hall to worship the sages who ate cold pork head offerings, he chose a side hall and stood before a certain statue, pressing his palms together and murmuring to himself. The burly man rarely looked so solemn.
Zheng Dafeng couldn't even be bothered to return to his own rammed-earth shack near the town's east gate—not even a female mosquito inside, which made him sad just thinking about it. He branched off from the post road, found a secluded spot, hung up his sword talisman, pinched out a concealment talisman, and rode the wind to Ox Horn Ferry. Flicking the talisman on his fingertip—which he had named "The Wall-Peeping Peace-Making Talisman," also known as "The Beam-Hanging Gentleman Talisman"—the man sighed with regret again, feeling that such a precious talisman in his hands was a gross waste of talent, a misuse of resources, truly a squandering of ability.
The itinerant merchants' stalls at Ox Horn Ferry were doing mediocre business. Zheng Dafeng, hands clasped behind his back, stepped into a desolate shop. The female cultivator from Pearl Hairpin Island behind the counter heard footsteps. When she looked up and saw who it was, she rolled her eyes and immediately lowered her head, continuing to flip through her book.
Zheng Dafeng leaned against the counter, grinning. "Sister Guan Qing, it's been a few years. You've grown up."
He put special emphasis on the last few words.
The woman named Guan Qing looked up, only to see the guy quickly avert his gaze. Flushed with anger, she snapped, "A dog's mouth can't spit out ivory!"
Zheng Dafeng sighed dramatically, putting on a mischievous grin. "Why not say 'a dog can't change its nature of eating shit'? See, Sister Guan Qing is still a proper lady. Can't even curse properly—light as a feather, just tickling."
Guan Qing glared. "Zheng, I'm warning you. Say what you have to say, then scram."
Back when she had been watching this shop, she had already had enough of this self-proclaimed Casanova, spouting the corniest, most cloying "sweet talk" that was so cheesy it made your skin crawl just thinking about it.
Mr. Chen was such a proper man—how did he end up with such an unreliable fellow as the gatekeeper of Desolate Mountain?
Zheng Dafeng lightly thumped his chest, coughed a few times, and asked, "Sister Liuxia and Sister Baique—aren't they with you? As soon as I came home, I immediately asked the mountain master if you all had gotten thinner or fatter and whether your cultivation was going smoothly. The mountain master said you're all idling on the Turtle's Back these days."
Guan Qing grabbed an abacus and hurled it at him. Zheng Dafeng ducked, turned, stretched out a leg, and with the tip of his toe lightly flicked the abacus, caught it in his hand, and gently placed it on the counter. Spreading his palm, he rolled the beads along his hand. "How about that move from Brother Dafeng? Slick, wasn't it? Still got it, or even better than before?"
Guan Qing took a deep breath. "Zheng Dafeng, if you keep this up, I'll go complain to Mountain Master Chen at Desolate Mountain! If Mountain Master Chen tries to muddle through and play peacemaker, then I'll just wash my hands of this shop! If you want to disgust me with another half sentence, you'll have to go to Turtle's Back and storm the mountain gate!"
Zheng Dafeng wiped his face. Without another word of nonsense, he limped away silently.
Just as Guan Qing was starting to feel a little guilty, wondering if she had been too harsh, the man suddenly leaned back, poking his head in. "Sister Guan Qing, are you really so heartless? Brother Dafeng specially shaved his beard for you today and put on clean clothes. Won't you even ask where Brother Dafeng has been all these years, if he got married and had kids abroad…"
Guan Qing remembered a trick that never failed. Imitating her junior sister Baique, she pinched her index and middle fingers together and swung them forcefully, intoning, "Vanish!"
Zheng Dafeng immediately reached out as if to catch something and tucked it into his bosom, then left contentedly.
He visited every shop temporarily staffed by a female cultivator from Pearl Hairpin Island, and with Sister Guan Qing, he flirted and teased just the same.
Feeling refreshed, the man arrived at a shop with the sign "Yongnian Studio" hanging above. He straightened his clothes. He absolutely could not retreat in defeat today.
At Ox Horn Mountain Ferry, only a few stalls were rented to outsiders. Eternal Spring Palace had two shops, with negligible rent.
The shopkeeper was a middle-aged woman cultivator, neither ugly nor beautiful. She had been flipping through a copy of the *Manual of Orchids*, a book she never tired of reading.
She was no stranger to Zheng Dafeng. Seeing the man who hadn't shown his face for years, she immediately leaned over the counter deliberately and said with a sweet smile, "Oh my, isn't this Brother Dafeng? Out walking your bird again? Come, come, quickly let that little sparrow out of its cage and let big sister have some fun. What are you waiting for? Since there are no outsiders in the shop, what's there to be shy about? Roaming around outside for all those years and still so thin-skinned. Look at you, such a disappointment…"
Zheng Dafeng couldn't handle it at all. He looked embarrassed. "Daoist Lianlong, is this any way to treat a customer? You'll scare them away!"
The woman with the Dao name Lianlong picked a tangerine from a fruit plate on the counter and hurled it viciously toward the man's crotch. "Showing off your prowess in the nearby shops?"
Zheng Dafeng quickly bent down to catch the missile. "It's not my fault I'm not that handsome. Since my looks don't give me an advantage, I have to work on my sweet talk."
Lianlong was watching the shop purely as a pastime. She was from the same generation and lineage as the current palace lord of Eternal Spring Palace. Though her seniority was high, she was young—the kind of youngest disciple who "promised much but delivered little." Unable to break through the Dragon Gate bottleneck, disheartened, she had volunteered to come watch the shop. Zheng Dafeng used to come chat with her often. Both were good conversationalists, and neither shied away from earthy topics. So after all these years without seeing him, Lianlong actually missed him a little—though it absolutely had nothing to do with romantic feelings.
Zheng Dafeng propped his elbow on the counter, leaning sideways, and ran his hand through his hair as he boasted about how familiar he was with Zhu Ou, the author of the *Manual of Orchids*, and how he would definitely introduce her to Sister Lianlong. He waxed poetic—how living reclusively in the mountains, being the master of forests and misty landscapes, made one day feel like two. If one lived to ninety, that would be a hundred and eighty years. Wasn't that a great gain? And in leisure, there were three joys to nourish one's years: eating spring bamboo shoots, wearing summer fig leaves, and reading forbidden books on snowy nights…
Lianlong actually liked this ugly man's cultured air. To be honest, if Zheng Dafeng's looks weren't so unfortunate, he really wouldn't have been a bachelor to this day.
Eternal Spring Palace and Desolate Mountain had formed a good karmic connection, thanks to the "Yu Mi" who had once disguised himself as a guest elder of Piyun Mountain and a Viewing Sea realm cultivator.
Under the pretense of providing protection, Yu Mi had traveled south with several female cultivators from the Song Yu Lin You lineage. Back then, a Grand Marshal of the Great Li needed ten-thousand-year pine branches for medicine and asked the Eternal Spring Palace cultivators to request them from the Wind Snow Temple. But that ancient pine named "Long Love" grew on Wind Snow Temple's Immortal Terrace, and the only person with the authority to break branches was the great sword immortal Wei Jin, the lone seedling of Immortal Terrace. So even though it was known that Eternal Spring Palace had a special status among Great Li's mountain forces, and that the elder of the Daniu Valley Qin clan and Eternal Spring Palace's Supreme Elder Song Yu were close, the group of female cultivators predictably hit a wall and returned empty-handed. Unexpectedly, when they returned to Ox Horn Ferry, Yu Mi secretly gave Han Biya a piece of ten-thousand-year pine. After Eternal Spring Palace verified it, it turned out to indeed come from the ancient pine "Long Love." The uneasy Dragon Gate realm old woman thus had something to report to her sect's ancestral hall, and Eternal Spring Palace was able to give a satisfactory account to the Grand Marshal.
Also, on Eternal Spring Palace's Li Spring ferry boat, because Zhu Fengxian, who had traveled from the capital with the grandmaster Yu Hong, was also on board, Chen Ping'an had appeared on the ferry with Xiao Mo. During that time, they met the ferry manager, whose Dao name was Wusong and given name Gan Yi.
In Bottle Gourd Continent, the Li Spring ferry boat was the only one that didn't need to pay a single coin at any dock it docked at. And back then, it was the only ferry that could come and go freely from all the ferries taken over by the Great Li military during the war.
Another customer came into the shop, a female cultivator Zheng Dafeng hadn't seen before. She might have heard Lianlong's introduction and took the initiative to say, "Greetings, Mr. Zheng. My name is Gan Yi, from Eternal Spring Palace."
Zheng Dafeng nodded immediately. "Hello, Aunt Gan Yi. Very good, very good. You can call me Dafeng, or Little Zheng."
Gan Yi caught the man's deliberate "misunderstanding" and had to explain with a smile, "Sweet 'Gan,' Joyful 'Yi.'"
Zheng Dafeng said indignantly, "What else would I think? Of course I know the famous Manager Gan of the Li Spring ferry."
A person's spiritual essence and spirit are all concentrated in their eyes. This Golden Core female cultivator truly deserved the praise of "bright eyes and keen sight." Especially when Sister Gan Yi smiled, she had two dimples.
Beautiful.
Gan Yi smiled it off. She had seen too many rogues, both on the mountain and in the mundane world. This one was nothing special.
Zheng Dafeng decided to take the hint and leave. After chatting with Sister Lianlong for so long, his mouth was dry. He planned to go drink with his brother at the Northern Mountain Lord's mansion.
Those unfamiliar with historical allusions—even current court historians—probably wouldn't know what the Li Spring ferry boat meant to the Great Li Song clan.
Back when the Great Li Song clan was still a vassal state under the Lu clan, whenever there was a drought, they had to borrow this dharma artifact ferry boat from Eternal Spring Palace to create rain clouds, and invite Eternal Spring Palace immortals to perform rain-praying ceremonies.
It could be said that during the most difficult years of the Great Li Song clan, the appearance of this ferry boat above the parched earth represented… hope.
Thus, in the past century, the annals of Eternal Spring Palace could truly be described as "filled with clouds and smoke, nobility and prosperity."
Not only had three generations of Great Li Song emperors frequently visited Eternal Spring Palace, but the current Great Li Empress Dowager Nan Zan had once built a thatched hut there for seclusion and recuperation. Most importantly, the state teacher Cui Chan himself had personally attended two peak-opening ceremonies for Eternal Spring Palace female cultivators advancing to Golden Core Earth Immortal. In today's world, this was unimaginable. Could that Embroidery Tiger be invited to a sect's ceremony? Even for newly established sects, let alone Divine Declaration Sect or the Yunlin Jiang clan, could they summon him?
At the Sunlit Mountain ceremony, the court had only sent Grand Marshal Cao Ping. When Dragon Spring Sword Sect was established and Liu Xianyang took over as sect leader, the Great Li Minister of Rites had attended.
Gan Yi again heard the thoughts of shopkeeper Lianlong. After hesitating, she spoke to Zheng Dafeng via heart-to-heart transmission: "Mr. Zheng, there is something I wish to discuss."
Zheng Dafeng immediately stopped and turned around, rubbing his hands together. "I am not yet married."
Gan Yi pretended not to hear and said, "I would like to sell Tiaoyu Mountain to Desolate Mountain. Could Mr. Zheng pass on the message and inform Mountain Master Chen?"
Zheng Dafeng nodded with a smile. "Of course, of course. I'll be sure to deliver the message."
Desolate Mountain's neighbors included, besides its own vassal mountain Huimeng Mountain to the north, three others: Tiandu Peak, Tiaoyu Mountain, and Fuyao Slope, each belonging to different owners.
However, unlike Yidai Peak, which was relatively low-key, these mountains' resident cultivators kept to themselves, rarely appearing in public. Especially Tiandu Peak, where the cultivators seemed under house arrest or in seclusion, almost never descending the mountain. As for the identities of the three mountain lords, although the Great Li dynasty had secret records, they never leaked them. And Desolate Mountain had no intention of investigating.
Whenever cultivators flew between Desolate Mountain and the small town, they would take a detour around these mountains.
Unexpectedly, Tiaoyu Mountain turned out to be Gan Yi's private property.
Lianlong was greatly surprised. And Zheng Dafeng had left the shop just like that.
Walking on the street, Zheng Dafeng frowned slightly, because Gan Yi carried a familiar, ancient aura.
With his soul restored, Zheng Dafeng hadn't recovered certain memories, but he had gained several divine abilities out of nowhere. Now, whenever he saw something—whether a person, an object, or a scene—it was like suddenly having a key to unlock a door. And the appearance of Gan Yi made him inexplicably recall a long-lost blessed land, one that had disappeared from the Haoran world long ago.
That fit.
Back when Mi Yu, entrusted by Wei Bo, had secretly protected a group of Eternal Spring Palace cultivators on their first journey, there was a young girl named Zhong Nan in the group. She was very young but held high seniority. The old woman leading the group was only at Dragon Gate realm. The other three girls were also top-notch cultivation materials for Eternal Spring Palace. And it was their first trip down the mountain. Logically, taking these four precious treasures on a random journey, even a Golden Core Earth Immortal might not be enough. Why would they only have a Dragon Gate cultivator as their backbone?
At the same time, the most important task of this Eternal Spring Palace cultivators' journey was to request a piece of ten-thousand-year pine from Wind Snow Temple, to satisfy a Great Li Grand Marshal. Even if the Supreme Elder Song Yu didn't go personally, they should at least have the palace lord show up to be proper.
So Zheng Dafeng immediately went to the library of the Northern Mountain Lord's mansion to consult the archives. Sure enough, he found a clue: for a certain period, all the Earth Immortal cultivators of Eternal Spring Palace had disappeared—either under the pretext of seclusion or officially declared to be traveling abroad.
As for why Zheng Dafeng was so interested, of course it was because the opponent was Eternal Spring Palace, which had more female cultivators than clouds! After the Haoran and Barren Wastelands worlds connected, strange phenomena abounded. Besides the Night Ferry Boat on the sea, Bottle Gourd Continent also had many broken secret realms from ancient blessed lands emerging from hiding. For example, there was that ethereal Autumn Wind Shrine, drifting to Bottle Gourd Continent like wind and water. It couldn't be breached by cultivation realm alone; only lower-five-realm Qi refiners could enter and obtain treasures by their own fortune. Although a few lucky ones had obtained some immortal opportunities, according to mountain definitions, this treasure land of unknown origin was still a masterless place awaiting a master.
Three sect quotas that the Great Li dynasty had long since internally decided: after Desolate Mountain and Sunlit Mountain, Bottle Gourd Continent had two more immortal mansions at the sect level—a large temple by the Yan Dang Mountain Longqiu bank, and the Daoist temple of Immortal Lord Cao Rong. Next would probably be the Huangshan Sword Sect, currently a subsidiary sect rather than a branch of Sunlit Mountain.
Of course, it wasn't that the Great Li court favored Sunlit Mountain, but Bottle Gourd Continent needed a new sword dao sect, and this new sect had to be located in the former Zhu Ying dynasty.
Actually, Sunlit Mountain itself had already given up hope, unaware that the matter of a branch sect was a case of "the road leads to a village amidst dark willows and bright flowers." The world is often like this: when you think you're closest, you're actually drifting away; when you think it's far beyond reach, it's within easy grasp.
Additionally, among Bottle Gourd Continent's sect candidates—Eternal Spring Palace, Old Dragon City, a sect of Divine Declaration Sect based in the Clear Pool Blessed Land, and Cloud Mist Mountain—all were on the Great Li dynasty's recommendation list.
Happy events come every year, but this year, they come especially often.
Today was the perfect example.
On the street, Zheng Dafeng saw a kindly old man with a young female cultivator who looked like a maidservant. The pair, appearing to be master and servant, were leisurely browsing the itinerant stalls at Ox Horn Ferry.
But Zheng Dafeng had to immediately go to Piyun Mountain to see Wei Bo in a hurry, so he didn't strike up a conversation. After all, what proper person would just approach a pretty woman they see on the street?
Zheng Dafeng suddenly stopped. Hey, this girl was actually a sword cultivator too? If a proper person doesn't do proper things, wouldn't that be like being romantic without being young? So Zheng Dafeng immediately followed her into his own shop, familiar with the place, and began introducing the various goods inside. Only upon chatting did he learn the old man's surname was Hong, from a Dragon Rest Mountain immortal ferry in central Bottle Gourd Continent, located at the border of Shushui Country and Songxi Country, where there was also a Green Cicada Workshop. And this Hong Yangbo worked as a trade broker on the second floor of that Green Cicada Workshop. As for the colorful-skirted maidservant beside the old man, she called herself Qing Cai.
When they heard that the man was an uncle of Desolate Mountain's Mountain Master Chen, they immediately looked at him with new respect.
Guan Qing wanted to speak several times but held back.
---
Yu Prefecture General Cao Mao took a leisure trip to Hong Prefecture's Yuzhang Commandery. As a prefecture general, he actually oversaw military affairs for two prefectures, so this could also be considered official business.
On this trip, the powerful and influential Cao Mao had not notified any officials of Hong Prefecture. He only brought a few trusted followers and accompanying military cultivators to visit the Timber Procurement Bureau.
But the chief official was not in the office and hadn't told his subordinates where he had gone. Cao Mao didn't intend to wait around. Leaving the bureau, he sent two accompanying military cultivators to gather information in the city. A young military officer beside him couldn't help asking, "General Cao, who is this Lin Zhengcheng exactly? How did he manage to silently resolve the illegal logging in Yuzhang Commandery?"
Cao Mao said, "If you could hold back from asking until you left Yuzhang Commandery, you'd be qualified to serve in the Ministry of War in the auxiliary capital."
The young officer made a bitter face. "General Cao, aren't you setting me up? You promised to recommend me to the court, and now you're going back on your word. It's not even a big position—just a vice director in the Ministry of War of the auxiliary capital. According to Great Li law, military officers with combat merit and military honor who leave the battlefield for local posts are typically demoted one or two grades. How many grades am I being demoted here? And it's just the auxiliary capital, not the capital's Ministry of War."
With this Yu Prefecture general, there wasn't much need for strict official formality; they could speak quite casually.
Cao Mao said calmly, "Do you think our Great Li's auxiliary capital six ministries are the same as other countries' auxiliary capital offices, which are just sinecures for retirees?"
A female accompanying military cultivator who had stayed behind laughed. "General Cao, I hear this newly appointed chief of the Timber Procurement Bureau is a stern, unsmiling sort. Would he count as one of those upright, iron-faced gentlemen?"
Cao Mao said, "Don't ask too many questions about Lin Zhengcheng. When we meet later, don't interrupt while I'm talking to him."
Because the Yu Prefecture General's mansion had previously received a secret imperial decree: His Majesty would secretly travel south to Hong Prefecture in the near future and take up residence at the Timber Procurement Bureau. He wouldn't bring many attendants, everything would be kept simple, and he might bypass the various prefectural governors. So Cao Mao had made this trip to Yuzhang Commandery to meet with Lin Zhengcheng first, then go inspect a few border passes and military towns in Hong Prefecture.
This Timber Procurement Bureau in Hong Prefecture was similar to the Textile Bureau that the Great Li court had set up in Yu Prefecture and Wu Prefecture. Both were "peripheral" government agencies with a nature similar to the former Dragon Kiln Supervisory Office. The officials had small titles, but their secret memorials could reach the emperor's ears directly. However, the Timber Procurement Bureau chief's rank was relatively the lowest. For instance, Li Baozhen of Yu Prefecture's Textile Bureau held the quite respectable rank of Deputy Fourth Grade. The Timber Procurement Bureau was somewhat special—it wasn't a permanent office but more like a transitional one. Once the work was done, the court would inevitably disband it. So the officials transferred here weren't very enthusiastic. First, there was no fat to be skimmed. Second, anyone who actually enforced the rules strictly risked getting into trouble, since the illegal logging of giant trees, repeatedly banned by the court and Hong Prefecture authorities, had backers. What power didn't have some court backing? Take the local Nan clan of Yuzhang Commandery—with their year-round lavish spending, weren't they involved in this business?
Why was there a humorous saying in the Great Li officialdom: "Big Yuzhang, Little Hong Prefecture"?
Wasn't it because the Nan clan of Yuzhang Commandery had produced such a noble—the former empress, now the Empress Dowager Nan Zan, the biological mother of the current emperor Song He and Luo Prince Song Mu?
If we're talking about a mother gaining status through her son, who in all of Bottle Gourd Continent could compare to her?
When the Timber Procurement Bureau was first established, all the Hong Prefecture officials were waiting to see the show, wanting to watch how this Lin Zhengcheng, who had come from the capital to wade in muddy waters, would be snubbed in Yuzhang Commandery.
But after taking office, Chief Lin neither visited any Yuzhang officials or imperial relatives, nor did he set the new official's three fires. He didn't even tour any of Yuzhang's great mountains. He could almost be said to have never left his doorstep.
Then overnight, everyone involved in illegal logging—from the frontmen to the backers—all disappeared. It wasn't a temporary retreat to avoid the storm, but an active withdrawal. All account books were destroyed. Those who couldn't leave were killed and their bodies disposed of. Just in Yuzhang Commandery, over a dozen shops closed down, leaving not a single person behind. And there might have been even more hidden "spikes" that cleaned themselves up.
Take the Nan clan, whose power was deeply entrenched throughout Hong Prefecture. Not long ago, in the first month, they held a closed-door meeting in the ancestral hall. Seven or eight direct and collateral descendants were directly expelled from the family tree without any reason given. Those who protested their innocence were beaten until their mouths were full of blood. Those who shouted and acted insolently were beaten to death right there in the ancestral hall.
A fine drizzly rain fell like butter. A poor girl carrying a basket walked along the street selling apricot blossoms.
Cao Mao finally found the gray-templed Lin Zhengcheng in a shop selling porcelain. He looked like an old pedant from some county—just not as decrepit and downcast.
The shopkeeper, also an old man, was teasing this Brother Lin, saying if he didn't have money in his pocket, he shouldn't be daydreaming. Forget about the genuine article in the shop.
Lin Zhengcheng glanced at Cao Mao and his party by the door, gently placed a porcelain vase back on the shelf, told the shopkeeper he'd come again next time. The shopkeeper waved dismissively, speaking bluntly: if Brother Lin still had no money, don't bother coming again.
Lin Zhengcheng walked out and asked, "Looking for me?"
The young military officer handed his oilpaper umbrella to Lin Zhengcheng, conveniently able to share an umbrella with the woman beside him—killing two birds with one stone.
Lin Zhengcheng accepted the umbrella without ceremony, thanking the young man whose hands were covered in scars. Then he opened the umbrella.
Cao Mao first produced his military talisman, introduced himself and his position as Yu Prefecture General, then explained quietly, "I have orders that require me to personally visit Yuzhang Commandery and the Timber Procurement Bureau. I believe Director Lin has already received word from above."
Lin Zhengcheng said calmly, "Feel free to look around. Surely the low threshold of the Timber Procurement Bureau can't stop General Cao from entering? If you're saying you came specifically to discuss business with me, no need. I only handle the matter of illegal logging. Military or administrative affairs, big or small, I don't interfere and can't interfere."
The attendants behind the Yu Prefecture general all thought that this Lin Zhengcheng, true to his capital official origins, had a title small but a tongue bigger than the sky. Not even a prefectural governor would dare speak with such sharpness to General Cao.
Cao Mao was still extremely patient. "I believe Director Lin understands the meaning of what I said. The matter is of great importance—no mistakes can be allowed. I still hope Director Lin can spare a little time to sit down and have a proper discussion."
Lin Zhengcheng laughed. "General Cao may have misunderstood. This Timber Procurement Bureau is different from the Chu Prefecture Kiln Affairs Supervisory Office and the nearby Textile Bureau. Its duties are very simple, just as the name suggests—responsible solely for apprehending those who illegally cut timber. If in the future the bureau is fortunate enough not to be disbanded, at most it will provide giant timber for the royal family and the court's Ministry of Works as per regulations. So today, General Cao came to discuss official business in vain. If you're here to discuss personal matters—say, needing some wood classified as second-rate by our bureau for a family ancestral hall or mansion—then within my authority, I can open a convenient door for you. The price is negotiable. Just remember not to make a big show of it afterward, or I'll have a hard time. They say rumors travel faster in officialdom than military dispatches. A minor local official like me can't withstand a few impeachments from the capital's six supervisory offices. General Cao must show some understanding."
Cao Mao was a bit exasperated. Dealing with someone who feigned ignorance was the hardest. Surface pleasantries, but inside, ice and charcoal.
I'm here to discuss His Majesty's incognito visit, and you're talking about such trivial personal matters? Would someone like Lin Zhengcheng really care about official friendship with a Yu Prefecture general?
Cao Mao followed along, changing the subject. "I hear the illegal logging has stopped now."
Lin Zhengcheng nodded. "Probably the bureau's name is intimidating enough."
The reason Cao Mao was so patient was that, as a trusted general of former Great Li Grand Marshal Su Gaoshan, he knew a bit more insider information than the attendants behind him.
But regarding this unassuming first chief of the Timber Procurement Bureau, Cao Mao only knew two more things—but they were enough to make him extremely cautious.
First, Lin Zhengcheng was not from the Great Li capital. He was originally from the Li Zhu Cave Heaven. He had moved to the capital later and served in the Ministry of War's Dispatch Office for many years.
Second, Lin Zhengcheng was the father of Lin Shouyi.
In the Great Li capital's Imperial Observatory, there was a lofty figure named Yuan Tianfeng, a white-robed commoner. He was best at monthly critiques and character assessments. Regarding Lin Shouyi, he once gave the prophecy "a Nascent Soul in a hundred years." And Lin Shouyi indeed entered the Nascent Soul realm in his forties.
Had he been wrong? Hadn't Lin Shouyi entered Nascent Soul within a hundred years?
When someone asked if Lin Shouyi could reach Jade Abyss in a hundred years, Yuan Tianfeng just smiled and said nothing.
Cao Mao now had a secret backer at court, surnamed Yan, a figure who could communicate with the heavens. If the Great Li dynasty was the sun at high noon, then this man was the dynasty's shadow.
From this great figure, Cao Mao learned that Emperor Song He greatly valued Lin Shouyi. He held high hopes for this bookish young cultivator and was even willing to carefully cultivate him as a future pillar of the state. That was why he had once intended to let Lin Shouyi succeed as the director of the Ministry of Rites' Sacrificial Office, a most powerful position among the ministry's directorships. After accumulating a few years' experience in the capital's officialdom, even without passing the imperial examinations, with his previous experience as a river god temple priest, being specially promoted to Vice Minister of Rites wouldn't face too much opposition at court. If in the future Lin Shouyi could also obtain the status of a Confucian academy gentleman, then smoothly taking charge of the Ministry of Rites would be a natural progression.
In the future Great Li court, the Ministry of Justice would have Zhao Yao, the Ministry of Rites would have Lin Shouyi, plus that group of capable officials still young now—civil and military officials would fill the hall.
A young Nascent Soul just over forty years old. If it weren't for Lin Shouyi coming from the extraordinarily diverse Li Zhu Cave Heaven, where the younger generation around the same age included Chen Ping'an, Liu Xianyang, Ma Kuxuan, Gu Can... plus Lin Shouyi's preference for quiet cultivation and devoted scholarship, he would have gained far more fame commensurate with his cultivation and learning.
Lin Zhengcheng didn't even invite them to the office for a cup of hot tea.
Cao Mao was already mentally prepared to return empty-handed. He thought, if worst came to worst, he could dig into his own pocket and privately purchase a batch of wood classified as second-rate by the bureau's officials.
They encountered another poor girl selling apricot blossoms on the street. Seeing Cao Mao and Lin Zhengcheng's group approaching, the flower seller immediately retreated to the base of the wall and stood there. There was some curiosity in her eyes, not just the fear of commoners seeing officials or the poor seeing the wealthy.
The young military officer holding an umbrella handed it to the female cultivator beside him, quickly stepped forward, asked the girl the price, took out his money pouch, fished out a few bits of silver, and simply bought the entire basket of apricot blossoms. The female accompanying military cultivator from the Yu Prefecture military headquarters handed back the umbrella, took the basket, and picked an apricot blossom to tuck in her hair. The young officer clumsily praised her—she was as beautiful as a flower, and his sweet talk was as earthy as mud.
Lin Zhengcheng suddenly spoke up. "General Cao, do you have any connection with Desolate Mountain in Chu Prefecture?"
Cao Mao's expression remained unchanged. "Back in my hometown, I met once with Mountain Master Chen when he was training at the Letter Bamboo Lake. But it doesn't count as a real connection. At best, we clashed once and didn't recognize each other. I haven't seen him since."
The attendants behind were hearing this for the first time, all greatly surprised. So General Cao was an old acquaintance of that young Hidden Official? And it sounded like they had "fought"?
Lin Zhengcheng didn't say anything more.
The officials of the Timber Procurement Bureau all knew that Director Lin seemed to be in a bad mood during the New Year's first month.
Maybe he felt the position of bureau chief was hard to handle? Or maybe he was waiting for something, and when it didn't come, he seemed somewhat gloomy.
At the end of last winter, before entering seclusion, Lin Shouyi had sent a secret letter to Jise Peak, reminding Chen Ping'an that in the first month, he could go visit the Timber Procurement Bureau in Yuzhang Commandery, Hong Prefecture to pay New Year's respects.
Lin Shouyi had also sent a family letter to the Timber Procurement Bureau, saying he had already informed Chen Ping'an.
The father and son, whose relationship had been extremely thin, rarely chatted a bit more. According to Lin Shouyi's estimate, the deficit for the immortal funds needed for this seclusion was about a hundred Grain Rain coins.
When Lin Zhengcheng heard this number, he immediately backed off. With such an unfilial son who seemed like a money-devouring beast, he could only maintain his usual posture of "father's love is like a mountain." When he heard Lin Shouyi say he had already borrowed money from Chen Ping'an to fill the gap, Lin Zhengcheng half-jokingly said that since he borrowed from him, he didn't need to pay it back. Lin Shouyi naturally didn't dare take that seriously.
But Lin Zhengcheng had actually prepared a meeting gift for that junior. According to mountain valuations, it was worth about one to two hundred Grain Rain coins.
It was one of his rewards for serving as the gatekeeper of the small town.
For the young mountain master whose family wealth was now so deep as to be unfathomable, such a gift might not mean much at all.
Another reward was that Cui Chan had guaranteed to Lin Zhengcheng that Lin Shouyi, regardless of his future cultivation achievements, could serve as a high official in the Great Li court—the kind of official who could bring glory to the family and leave a name in history.
Lin Zhengcheng, who considered himself half a scholar and had served in the Kiln Supervisory Office for years, valued this greatly.
Lin Shouyi, courtesy name Rixin.
"The sage embraces the One as a model for the world; knowing glory and maintaining humility is the valley of the world." Since the sun rises daily and renews, one should be cautious and careful.
Lin Shouyi's given name and courtesy name were both chosen by the state teacher Cui Chan.
When Lu Chen had shamelessly visited the Timber Procurement Bureau last time, he had mixed together nonsense words, foolish words, joke words, light and heavy words, open-hearted words, conclusive clear words—he said plenty. Hidden within was a phrase Lu Chen uttered as "the poor Daoist speaks an extra word." The gist was that because Lin Zhengcheng, as a father, was partial, Lin Shouyi had missed a certain opportunity. And once that opportunity was lost, it affected the whole, causing a chain of missed opportunities, resulting in everything being lost, a complete loss. And Lu Chen even added that back when he set up a stall for fortune-telling, he had given Lin Zhengcheng hints. The implication: you, Lin Zhengcheng, insisted on doing things your way, leading to this—that's your stubbornness. But the poor Daoist had given you and Lin Shouyi plenty of extra goodwill! You father and son can't be ungrateful. You need to have a bit of conscience. So what if the poor Daoist ate a few of your zongzi?
Actually, Lin Zhengcheng had taken it to heart at the time. But in this life, he had at most felt regret for certain people and events; there was truly no room for the word "repentance."
As for what Lin Shouyi thought after learning the truth... You, as a son, dare rebel against your father?
That was the logic. And Lin Zhengcheng had always been very authoritative with his son. But for Lin Zhengcheng to voluntarily bring up the matter was not easy.
---
As the prefectural governor of Chu Prefecture, Wu Yuan took the initiative to visit the prefectural city god temple of Gao Ping.
In a prefecture's officialdom, they were considered equals.
Wu Yuan had shed her official robes and was dressed in plain clothes, standing outside the main gate of the prefectural city god temple.
At the gate hung a pair of couplets on a black background with gold characters:
"If your thoughts are dark, there are ghosts even in daylight. How many times can I save you? Even your private whispers are heard by Heaven like thunder."
"If your conduct is bright, blue skies appear in dark rooms. Why come here to burn incense? If you dare to cheat your conscience, the gods' eyes are like lightning."
The city god Gao Ping, who never engaged in official socializing, naturally wouldn't appear to welcome Wu Yuan. Instead, a red-clad page boy hopped away from the incense burner, scurried out of the temple, climbed over the high threshold, then quickly ran down the steps, bowed respectfully to Wu Yuan, addressed her as "Governor," and said some polite words about her presence bringing honor to the humble temple. Then, keeping his head down and body sideways, extending one hand, he maintained this posture as he led Governor Wu into the city god temple.
Wu Yuan had come to chat idly with Gao Ping, not about official business, but just about interesting news from the landscape officialdom outside Chu Prefecture. For example, there were currently several key water god vacancies that the Great Li court had left unresolved. The Central Great River currently only had the Changchun Marquis and the Linli Earl. Would there be an additional "Duke" of the Great River? Everyone was curious. The Ji River in North Julu Continent had the Lingyuan Duke and the Dragon Pavilion Marquis. Also, who would fill the vacancies of the Tie Fu River Water God after Yang Hua's promotion, and the Qiantang Chief after Cao Yong's departure—none were trivial matters.
Additionally, the Bai Hu River Water God Xiao Luan, originally only a Sixth Grade water god in the Great Li court's landscape registry, had recently, after merging with the upper reaches of the Tiequan River, had her grade raised to Deputy Fifth Grade. And the former Tiequan River Water God Gao Niang had her temple relocated to Yun Prefecture, transferred to be the Xi Mei River Water God—a lateral transfer, keeping her godly rank unchanged. There are no walls without ears in this world, especially in the well-informed landscape officialdom. Everyone found this highly significant. Just as there were countless capital officials, when capital officials were posted out to govern a region, even if their rank remained unchanged, it was naturally a promotion. One of the source streams of the Xi Mei River, the Wu Stream, housed an ancient Shu Dragon Palace. Its scale wasn't large, belonging to the category of ancient inland dragon palaces. But a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse—it was still a genuine dragon palace. Huang Ting Kingdom naturally didn't have the ability; it was discovered by cultivators from the suzerain state of Great Li. So when the dragon palace was truly opened, the previously obscure Xi Mei River would naturally see its water fortune soar, and Gao Niang's status as river god would rise accordingly.
After Wu Yuan entered, Gao Ping stepped out of his statue. The red-clad page boy had already called for the temple priest to prepare some hearty dishes.
Walking and chatting, after they sat down in the vegetarian hall, Wu Yuan laughed. "The Han Shi River's landscape registry rank is still two grades below the Tie Fu River Water God. For him to fill that vacancy would be harder than climbing to heaven."
Gao Ping nodded. So the strongly recommended endorsement from Huang Ting Kingdom's emperor was meaningless; the Great Li court definitely wouldn't agree.
Wu Yuan asked with a smile, "What exactly is this Yu Ye River Water God thinking? Why would she hint to me that as long as she can be transferred elsewhere—even a lateral transfer—any river, no matter how water-poor within Great Li, would be fine? She's even willing to lower her grade by half?"
Gao Ping picked up a peanut and tossed it into his mouth. "Earlier, because of a matter that could have been big or small, she mishandled it, and it blew up. She ended up with a grudge against Desolate Mountain. She always feels that staying at the Yu Ye River, she can't sleep peacefully. Rather than worry every day about someone digging up old scores, it's better to hide far away."
Wu Yuan teased, "Gao Niang ended up getting a fat plum. In future Ministry of Rites landscape evaluations, it'll be hard for that Yun Prefecture Xi Mei River not to get top marks."
Gao Ping said, "Probably it was an instruction from Desolate Mountain. On the surface, it was Wei Bo's doing. After all, he's a Northern Mountain Lord. The court still has to sell him some face. When the Shangzhu Guo Yuan clan and two capital aristocratic clans inquired and found out it was Wei Bo's intention, they had to hold their noses and accept it. That Wei Bo fellow is petty-minded. With a mountain lord who likes hosting night banquets, who isn't afraid that the next time there's a night banquet, Wei Bo will deliberately give them small shoes? Wouldn't the immortal mansions they sponsor and the landscape gods they usually have good relations with have to sell off everything?"
Wu Yuan laughed. "It'll be hard for Piyun Mountain to host another night banquet, won't it?"
He was already a continent's mountain lord equivalent to the Immortal realm. To raise his divine rank again would require how many Golden Essence Copper Coins to eat?
Even if the Great Li court favored the Northern Piyun Mountain and the treasury had a surplus, they couldn't do that. Otherwise, the Central Mountain Lord Jin Qing would be the first to jump up and curse, running straight to the emperor's study to argue. And the other Bottle Gourd Continent mountain lords, especially the Southern Mountain Lord Fan Junmao, definitely wouldn't let that slide.
---
Almost no one could guess Lin Shouyi's seclusion location. It wasn't the Great Li capital, nor a cave dwelling on one of Bottle Gourd Continent's northern or central mountains, but Eternal Spring Palace—a place with a somewhat heavy feminine atmosphere yet an extraordinary status in Great Li.
Eternal Spring Palace truly lived up to its name: it seemed as if an immortal lord had asked spring to stay forever among the mountains and waters. Living in leisure is better than holding office; being in the wilds is better than being at court. These mountains and waters captured the best of leisure and rustic charm.
In a restricted area where even direct disciples of the ancestral hall were forbidden to set foot.
Surrounded by mountains like arms encircling a lake, mountains and waters nestled together, beautiful to the eye. The scenery was still as ancient times, the days long as a small year.
A pavilion with upturned eaves stretched out over the shore, roofed with green glazed tiles, its pillars rising above the water. Flocks of birds white as snowflakes landed gently on the water.
On the shore, green trees rustled, birds sang above and below. The water plants and duckweed were countable. Gentle breezes passed by the pavilion like refined scholars, lightly softly, peeling back the bamboo curtains. One who was drowsy with spring lethargy could wake or not.
Inside the pavilion was a sleeping couch. By the window sat a low table holding an incense burner, a few undoubtedly authentic ancient calligraphy tablets, a fly whisk for dusting, a stack of landscape and flower-and-bird album leaves, and various scholarly desk items.
A woman had been napping on the couch in the pavilion. She had just woken up, sat up, rubbed her eyes, stretched and yawned. After a sufficient nap, she lowered her head and glanced at her embroidered shoes. Tipping her toes, she lifted one shoe, thought for a moment, then, a bit irritated, casually kicked it off. Barefoot, she walked out of the pavilion. The side of the pavilion facing the lake had a "beauty rest" railing.
This languid beauty rested her arms on the railing, chin propped on her arms, gazing at the mirror-like lake with dreamy eyes.
No matter how beautiful the scenery, if you see it every day, it's like eating rich food every day—every meal, three meals a day without fail, and you'll get tired of it.
A plaque hung at her waist with the single character "Hai" (the Hai hour, traditionally considered by cultivators as "the time when people settle down").
The corridor of the pavilion was paved with a type of immortal jade bamboo from the mountains, cool in summer and warm in winter.
Someone with a "Yin" plaque was sitting on a meditation cushion on the corridor, using copper coins to tell fortunes. Beside them were piled several fortune-telling books like *The Golden and Jade Deep Sea* and *The Pattern of Official Seals and Resource Stems*.
A thin, taciturn youth sat cross-legged, a vivid green bamboo staff resting horizontally across his knees.
There was also a young man with a bitter expression, leaning against a corridor pillar with his eyes closed.
Additionally, a woman sat on the top of the pavilion, legs dangling, gently swinging.
A black-robed youth carrying a sword stood alone outside the pavilion, wearing a bamboo crown and jade pendant, elegant as a tree in the wind, exuding a pure Dao aura with an antique air. He was gazing at the mountain peak across the shore.
This group had indeed been staying here for quite some time.
Their only commonality was that each wore a plaque with a single character, all taken from the twelve earthly branches.
These six people were members of the Great Li Earthly Branches lineage.
Yuan Huajing (Zi), Gai Yan (Hai), Gou Cun (Shen), Sui Lin (Yin), Ku Shou (Si), Zhou Haijing (Chou).
Previously, the Great Li court had cultivated eleven Earthly Branches cultivators at great cost, who had split into two factions, with Prince Song Xu and the Shangzhu Guo clan sword cultivator Yuan Huajing as leaders.
Yuan Huajing and Song Xu were both sword cultivators—one from the most elite Great Li noble clan, bearing the Shangzhu Guo surname; the other was of imperial blood from the royal family. Their ages were practically two generations apart in the mundane world, and their realms differed by one level.
Song Xu had Han Zhoujin, Ge Ling, Yu Yu, Lu Hui, and Hou Jue by his side.
Yuan Huajing had the Yin-Yang cultivator Sui Lin, well-versed in the five elements; the gorgeously dressed female ghost Gai Yan, a legendary "painter and eyebrow-tracer"; the taciturn youth Gou Cun; and the young, perpetually bitter-faced Ku Shou, a "mirror seller" even rarer than Gai Yan's lineage, whose most important life-bonded item was a Water-Stopping Mirror capable of reversing virtual and actual realities.
As a Nascent Soul sword cultivator under a hundred years old, if not for his identity requiring him to stay behind the scenes, making Yuan Huajing's name little-known, he would certainly be among the top ten young cultivators of Bottle Gourd Continent, and with a very high ranking.
Not long ago, the Earthly Branches team gained one more member. If one considered fame rather than killing power, even all eleven together might not come close to this person.
This was none other than the woman grandmaster who had recently dueled Yu Hong in the Great Li capital—a mountain summit martial artist, Zhou Haijing.
After Zhou Haijing joined the Great Li Earthly Branches, as a Ninth Level pinnacle martial artist, her appearance successfully completed the Great Li dynasty's twelve Earthly Branches.
Though she had arrived late, good things aren't spoiled by waiting.
But because she lacked seniority and hadn't participated in the auxiliary capital battles together, she was unaffiliated with either faction and didn't feel the need to get close to anyone.
Since Yuan Huajing's side only had five members, Zhou Haijing joined their team.
Once Zhou Haijing arrived, Gai Yan had met her match.
This only female martial artist in the Earthly Branches dressed every day in a manner that could be described as "piling gold and stacking jade," glittering with jewels from head to toe, her ornaments so numerous and cumbersome as to be almost excessive. So when Yu Yu first saw Zhou Haijing, her impression was: Is this older sister a walking shop? If someone on the street was willing to pay and liked some accessory, could Zhou Haijing just take off any item and do business?
Apart from the prince Song Xu and the Daoist Ge Ling, who had first recruited her and with whom she could barely converse, Zhou Haijing had nothing to talk about with the others. Especially with Gai Yan, it was like natural enemies, spearpoint against needle tip. They felt that if they didn't have a few acerbic exchanges every day, both women would feel uncomfortable.
Zhou Haijing, sitting atop the green glazed tiles, looked down at Sui Lin repeatedly casting copper coins. This guy was a Qi refiner from the Yin-Yang Five Elements lineage, quite learned. It was a shame he didn't set up a stall as a fortune-teller to earn some extra cash.
Zhou Haijing said cheerfully, "Sui Lin, haven't you heard a sage's teaching? 'When actions align with righteousness, one is auspicious without divination. When actions oppose righteousness, divination still shows evil. Therefore, a person should divine within themselves; a gentleman need not ask the oracle.'"
Sui Lin ignored her. As an expert well-versed in the principles of destiny, he had nothing to discuss with an amateur like Zhou Haijing.
Zhou Haijing didn't really want to discuss profound divination with Sui Lin anyway. She was just chatting out of boredom. She had never imagined that her first real task after joining the Earthly Branches would be to come to Eternal Spring Palace to guard someone's seclusion.
But Song Xu's side, also six people, currently had an important mission. Following instructions from the Imperial Observatory, they were to seek an ancient treasure of extremely high grade and background.
Since the two groups were operating separately, Zhou Haijing couldn't learn the details. According to Earthly Branches tradition, they would later gather to thoroughly review the operation.
But reviewing was boring. Treasure hunting, of course, was only enjoyable if done personally. Even if all gains had to be turned over to the court's secret treasury, the process itself would have been fun. If she had known, she would have shamelessly joined Song Xu's faction.
Zhou Haijing was unbearably bored. She couldn't help complaining, "Is it really necessary to make such a big deal over just one Nascent Soul cultivator going into seclusion? Making the six of us sit here drinking the northwest wind every day?"
Last winter, the emperor himself had issued a secret decree, ordering the six of them to come here to guard the scholar Lin Shouyi's seclusion.
Nearly two months had been wasted like this. The problem was, His Majesty hadn't said when they could return to the capital. Judging by the situation, unless that guy came out of seclusion, they would have to stay here?
Gai Yan, leaning lazily against the "beauty rest" railing, was also full of complaints, but whatever Zhou Haijing said "no" to, she had to say "yes." She sneered, "First, don't underestimate a Jade Abyss as a god. Sixty years ago, Jade Abyss cultivators in our Bottle Gourd Continent could be counted on one hand. It's only recently that they've become less rare."
Besides Wei Jin of Wind Snow Temple, there was also Sunlit Mountain's mountain master Zhu Huang and the Full Moon Peak ancestral master—both had only become Jade Abyss sword immortals in recent years.
"Furthermore, Lin Shouyi is the first 'our own person' of Great Li in the strict sense. As long as he has hope of entering the Upper Five Realms, the court must be extremely cautious. Its significance is similar to when Mountain Lord Wei elevated his golden body to match the Upper Five Realm, becoming the first Upper Five Realm mountain lord in Bottle Gourd Continent's history. So it's not too much for us to be here, nor would it be excessive to have a few more immortals guarding together."
This scholar studying at the Dayan Mountain Cliff Academy was not only from Li Zhu Cave Heaven, but more importantly, he had served as the Great Li's Qi River temple priest. This set him apart from other children of destiny like his fellow townsman Ma Kuxuan. On the other hand, Chen Ping'an of Desolate Mountain, Liu Xianyang, the current sect leader of Dragon Spring Sword Sect, and Xie Ling, a Nascent Soul sword cultivator from Taoye Alley—all had their own sects and their relationship with the Great Li Song clan wasn't exactly good. Not to mention that young Hidden Official who had refused to become state teacher; even Liu Xianyang maintained a polite but distant relationship with the Great Li court.
Zhou Haijing didn't respond. She just continued teasing Sui Lin. "I heard from Yu Yu that you lent Chen Ping'an six sword-lock talismans made from gold talisman material? Can you get them back? Isn't that like a meat bun thrown at a dog?"
Sui Lin's expression was extremely awkward. He took a deep breath and pretended to be deaf and dumb.
Besides Zhou Haijing, who had joined the Earthly Branches last, the other eleven had all been carefully selected by State Teacher Cui Chan. They had fought side by side for a long time and had perfect coordination.
For example, Song Xu had two life-bonded flying swords: "Post Road" and "Nursery Rhyme." The latter was named by State Teacher Cui Chan; the former could ensure that when Sui Lin reversed the river of time, the Earthly Branches cultivators could stabilize their hearts. Combined with the other cultivators' various divine abilities, they could avoid being swept away by the river of time, remaining as stable as docks from beginning to end.
But the Earthly Branches' true killer move was still Yuan Huajing's second, deeply hidden flying sword, named "Reverse Flow"—besides his "Firefall."
It was said to be a replica, of which sword immortal's life-bonded flying sword, unknown.
After the Earthly Branches cultivators formed their formation, with Sui Lin at the center, holding the formation's core, he could even reverse a section of the river of time, making him the key figure who could help everyone "return from the dead." If it weren't for that final fight, the previous clash with that young Hidden Official wouldn't have been for nothing. Sui Lin received a piece of ancient divine golden body fragment from that guy. But it took him longer than expected—nearly two months—to fully refine it, which greatly benefited his own great path.
But if time could be reversed and that final fight could be avoided, Sui Lin would not only return that golden body fragment but willingly give that young Hidden Official another one. He would be a hundred times more willing.
It was too miserable. Not just Sui Lin—probably except for the most carefree Yu Yu, all ten other Earthly Branches colleagues had psychological shadows, and they still hadn't recovered.
Earlier, when Zhou Haijing directly called that young Hidden Official by name, Sui Lin was worried he might be implicated and overheard by someone.
For instance, Gai Yan's expression immediately turned awkward. For the first time, she didn't argue with Zhou Haijing. The young man named Ku Shou looked as bitter as if he had eaten coptis. They couldn't be blamed for being so timid. In that final "clash" in the Great Li capital, which they hadn't had their memories wiped of, they had to break convention by not reviewing it. All eleven had an unspoken agreement never to mention it, acting as if it never happened.
That merciless fellow had pressed his hand on Yu Yu's face and forcibly torn out all her souls. Like a Confucian sage holding the heavenly mandate, he only said the word "bloom," and with dozens of sharp swords, he nailed Lu Hui like a hedgehog. As for Gai Yan, with his self-created sword technique "Crescent Moon," countless sharp sword lights had torn her, her dharma robe, and her Golden Crow armor to shreds in an instant. Gou Cun's fate—probably because he was an old acquaintance of that person—had been merciful, slightly "better"; he only had his hands and feet severed. And Sui Lin, that elusive fellow had come behind him and punched straight through Sui Lin's back. Sui Lin could see the man's fist when he looked down. As for Lu Hui, the "One-Word Teacher," he was even more pitiful. First, those long swords imprisoned him, then the man used martial artist's pure energy to condense a spear that pierced Lu Hui's neck. Then, as if lifting an iron spear, the man hooked Lu Hui high into the air...
Zhou Haijing asked with a smile, "Are you all so afraid of Chen Ping'an? I think he's quite easy to get along with. Every time I've met him, he's been very polite."
She had always been puzzled. These children of destiny, each with hope of reaching the Upper Five Realms, whenever she mentioned that name, they looked like people who never drank alcohol had been forced to down a big bowl of strong liquor—snot and tears, utterly pathetic.
Hearing that name, Gai Yan's expression changed again, her body tensed, veins bulging on the back of her hands.
Zhou Haijing keenly noticed this "archenemy's" peculiarity and was about to add fuel to the fire by mentioning her friendship with Chen Ping'an and how he had personally invited her to come out of retirement...
Yuan Huajing spoke up. "Zhou Haijing, less gossip. Think more about how to reach the Pinnacle Realm as soon as possible."
Zhou Haijing didn't take Yuan Huajing too seriously. She continued, "It can't be that all eleven of you joined forces and were then taken down single-handedly by Chen Ping'an, can it?"
In an instant, it was as if a fire dragon surrounded Zhou Haijing and the top of the pavilion. The flames were as thick as a well's mouth, blazing and dazzling, so much so that the green glazed tiles showed signs of melting.
Zhou Haijing curled her lips. Her vast and powerful martial artist's pure energy, like a divine blessing, kept the fire dragon's heat at bay outside a one-zhang radius.
She patted her chest. "Oh my, it's a Nascent Soul sword cultivator's life-bonded flying sword. You've scared me witless, my heart is pounding..."
Over by the pavilion corridor, Ku Shou, who had been leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
Zhou Haijing thought if this continued, she really wouldn't be able to handle it. She had to raise her hands in surrender. She gently patted her cheek a few times. "I've lost, I've lost to you. It's enough to bully a newcomer like me. You're just arguing with me over a slip of the tongue. I'll take it back."
Yuan Huajing withdrew his life-bonded flying sword "Firefall" and said sternly, "Don't let it happen again."
Zhou Haijing touched the slightly hot glazed tiles beside her. The original green patterns had been distorted by the flames. She raised her arm and shook her numb fingers vigorously. So the true killing power of Yuan Huajing's flying sword lay in its ability to secretly draw on a person's spiritual energy and boil their soul? Its effect on pure martial artists was slightly weaker, but dealing with Qi refiners was indeed twice the result with half the effort. Deploying the flying sword was like building a bonfire—without needing to pierce the cultivator's body, it could remotely boil the spiritual energy within like boiling water?
Yuan Huajing walked to the side of the pavilion, his gaze still fixed on a mountain peak across the lake.
He wondered if Song Xu's group was having a smooth time secretly infiltrating that ancient battlefield site. It was said that the Imperial Observatory had found clues by observing celestial phenomena, but in reality, it was Yuan Tianfeng's divination results.
This ancient site, which hadn't fallen into any cultivator's hands for over ten thousand years, had one most unusual feature. According to the Imperial Observatory's speculations, it secretly housed an ancient shattered "Great Sun" that had fallen to earth, transforming into a Golden Crow that nurtured its spirit. This Golden Crow had fallen into a long slumber. Whether triggered or sensed by something, it had only recently gradually awakened. Yuan Tianfeng immediately found evidence, and Song Xu's six took some heavy treasure from the Great Li secret treasury to suppress it.
Yuan Tianfeng had spent years at the Imperial Observatory, consuming a large amount of the Great Li court's financial resources, and eventually developed a precision instrument capable of detecting earth vein vibrations.
Yuan Huajing and Song Xu were actually the two who got along worst. Even more so than the superficially hostile Zhou Haijing and Gai Yan.
But after encountering that previous upheaval, the two sides had an open and honest conversation, which instead untied their respective knots.
The content of their conversation was all forbidden. But while knots were untied, new ones formed.
Before leaving, Song Xu had tossed out the phrase "don't let it happen again." This prince, a realm lower than Yuan Huajing, was essentially acting as the leader of the Earthly Branches lineage.
But Yuan Huajing had thought he would be angry, only to find he wasn't. Probably as Song Xu had said, his spirit had fallen.
So Song Xu was certain that the one most likely to develop inner demons wasn't Sui Lin or Lu Hui, but the thoroughly defeated sword cultivator Yuan Huajing.
To the Earthly Branches cultivators, Chen Ping'an had given different reminders and suggestions.
For example, he told Sui Lin to spend more time at the capital's Chongxu Bureau and Translation Bureau, merging the "Shou Yi Method" advocated by both Buddhism and Daoism. With this protective charm, facing inner demons in the future would give him a better chance.
For Lu Hui, Chen Ping'an had made a very weighty promise: if he truly couldn't break through, he could teach him a "Breaking Word Edict" from Confucian Qi cultivation.
Yuan Huajing suspected that the appearance of this Golden Crow might be related to Lin Shouyi's seclusion.
He even suspected that Yuan Tianfeng's appearance in the Great Li capital was precisely for Lin Shouyi, or at least one of Yuan Tianfeng's main purposes.
Yuan Huajing had always been curious about one thing: it was said that Lin Shouyi's foundation for cultivation was merely a thunder method Daoist book called *The Book of Clear Recitation Amidst the Clouds*. It could almost be said that Lin Shouyi's cultivation path was like that of a self-taught wild cultivator.
Unfortunately, the Great Li court had no copy of this book.
---
Wei Bo appeared at the mountain gate of Piyun Mountain, naturally using a concealment technique.
Because Zheng Dafeng had come without any prior notice, Wei Bo felt that this guy never came to the temple without a reason. Today, he would have to be careful.
Zheng Dafeng, full of smiles, grabbed Mountain Lord Wei's arm. "Brother Wei, Brother Wei, there's something I need to discuss with you properly..."
Wei Bo sensed something was wrong and said without hesitation, "Don't even think about me introducing you to any of our mountain lord mansion's female officials!"
Zheng Dafeng's eyes were full of grievance. "If we balance the drought and flood, wouldn't it be perfect?"
Wei Bo laughed angrily. "No way!"
Zheng Dafeng said, "You and I are close friends, right?"
Wei Bo kept a straight face, not responding.
Zheng Dafeng continued, "And I'm like an elder to Chen Ping'an. After all, I watched him grow up. If it weren't for being down on my luck now, having to make a living at Desolate Mountain, and Chen Ping'an calling me Uncle Zheng out of courtesy, I wouldn't feel guilty about it, right?"
Wei Bo said helplessly, "Zheng Dafeng, stop beating around the bush. Damn it, you're making me nervous!"
Zheng Dafeng complained, "What's the hurry? Can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Come on, let's climb the mountain together, then go to the Music Office or the Ceremonial Office—any quiet place will do—and have a good meal with plenty of drink, won't stop until we're drunk."
Wei Bo stood still. "State your business first, or don't blame me for not caring about brotherhood."
Zheng Dafeng said resentfully, "Besides women, Brother Wei, you're the first man who can break my heart. Looks like I really can't be friends with you anymore."
Wei Bo pressed his hand against his forehead.
Zheng Dafeng sat down on the steps, and Wei Bo had to sit down too.
"Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao are Dao companions, right?"
"And Ning Yao is the number one in the Colorful World, isn't she?"
"Over at Flying Ascension City, I have considerable status and prestige. I'm also a half-elder to Chen Ping'an. And you and I are soul-sharing good brothers, best buddies."
Wei Bo listened, utterly confused. You've come full circle again!
"Ning Yao asked me to give this to you, as thanks for Mountain Lord Wei's care of that someone and Desolate Mountain all these years. Don't worry, this item doesn't belong to Flying Ascension City or the Summer Retreat Palace. It's one of her spoils of war from traveling the world alone with her sword."
Zheng Dafeng finally stopped being cryptic. He pulled a wooden box from his sleeve and slapped it heavily into Wei Bo's hand. "Congratulations, Mountain Lord Wei! Time to host another night banquet that everyone's looking forward to!"
Back at Desolate Mountain, Xiao Mo appeared at the bamboo tower and asked, "Sir, she snuck out of Desolate Mountain. That's no small matter. Are you sure you don't need me to follow her?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Since she deliberately let you know about it, your staying put is more effective than going."