Chapter 998: Replacing Wine Cups with Bigger Bowls

Chapter 998: Replacing Wine Cups with Bigger Bowls

Chen Ping'an sat up, turning his head. Wei Bo had rushed over from Piyun Mountain, dressed in a snow-white long robe, with a single gold earring dangling from his ear.

No wonder among the Five Sacred Mountains of Bottle Gourd Continent, Piyun Mountain had the highest number of female officials.

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Is Zheng Dafeng's tolerance for alcohol really that poor these days, Mountain Lord Wei? You haven't had your fill yet? You came looking for me for a second round?"

Zheng Dafeng was probably too drunk to return to his residence on Luopo Mountain and had simply found a place to sleep at the Mountain Lord's estate.

Wei Bo rubbed his brow. Mixing different types of alcohol made it go to one's head easily. "Two matters, one public and one private. If it weren't a public matter, I wouldn't come disturbing the Mountain Lord's cultivation in the dead of night."

Chen Ping'an looked puzzled. "Is there still public business between you and me?"

Wei Bo was exasperated. "Yu Prefecture General Cao Wu has something to discuss with you. According to Great Li military law, he can communicate with me directly using a specially made military talisman. He's currently a guest at the Ritual Department of the Mountain Lord's Estate. After he finishes his tea, he'll probably come to Luopo Mountain to find you."

Chen Ping'an found it strange. "Yu Prefecture isn't far from our Chu Prefecture. By regulations, a prefectural general can be equipped with a private ferry boat. Why bother disturbing the Mountain Lord's Estate? Besides, if Cao Wu truly has urgent military affairs, your Northern Sacred Mountain's heir-apparent mountain is near the general's estate. He could have that heir-apparent mountain god send him directly to the foot of Luopo Mountain. What's this, deliberately taking a long detour? Is General Cao trying to use Mountain Lord Wei's prestige to pressure me?"

Wei Bo chuckled. "I'm just passing along the message tonight. Cao Wu was worried you'd find some excuse to refuse, so he mentioned he'd just been to the Lumber and Quarry Bureau of Yuzhang Commandery in Hong Prefecture and had seen Lin Zhengcheng, who just took office."

Cao Wu's true identity, as recorded by the Northern Sacred Mountain Lord's Estate, was Xu Mao—the very same "horizontal spear, chanting poetry" scholar from the old Shihao Kingdom back in the day. Back then, when the Great Li iron cavalry swept south and was about to launch a massive attack on the old Zhu Ying Dynasty, Shihao Kingdom, as one of the latter's primary vassal states, took an extremely firm stance. To delay the Great Li cavalry's advance, the two kingdoms went to war, and the fighting was brutal. Because Cao Wu failed in his duty to protect his prince, leading to Prince Han Jingxin's sudden death, he was forced to defect to Great Li Imperial Inspector Su Gaoshan. He started as a lowly scout squad leader and, through years of military merit, gradually became the Great Li Yu Prefecture General. In his early years, he also married a legitimate daughter of the Supreme Pillar of State Yuan clan, earning him a good reputation in both the frontier army and official circles.

Chen Ping'an frowned slightly. "Then I'll go with you to the Ritual Department and take the initiative to meet this honored Yu Prefecture General."

Wei Bo grinned. "Giving him that much face?"

Chen Ping'an said with mock seriousness, "How many prefectural generals does the entire Great Li court have nowadays? He's practically a local parent official!"

Cao Wu hadn't gone to the Barren Wasteland Continent. That meant only two possibilities: either he was sidelined, his path to promotion in the Great Li officialdom having reached its end, or Cao Wu was already in the emperor's mind, regarded by Emperor Song He as a future candidate to lead the Ministry of War, gradually being detached from the Great Li frontier army system. This allowed Cao Wu to simply accumulate experience and connections locally, positioning him to become the one the Supreme Pillar of State Yuan clan would push into the central court.

Subsequently, Chen Ping'an followed Wei Bo to Piyun Mountain. In a quiet, elegant courtyard, he met the Yu Prefecture General, who was drinking tea, with a female official seated beside him burning incense and brewing the tea.

Chen Ping'an clasped his fists and smiled. "General Cao, it's been nearly twenty years since we parted ways in that blizzard, hasn't it?"

Cao Wu had already risen to greet him, returning the clasped fist salute with a hearty laugh. "Yu Prefecture General Cao Wu, Xu Mao of the old Shihao Kingdom, pays respects to Mountain Lord Chen. Long time no see, Mountain Lord Chen..."

Wei Bo, as the host, smiled and told the Ritual Department head who was responsible for brewing tea and hosting guests that she needn't bother—he would personally entertain the two distinguished guests. The female official, a former legitimate river deity of the Great Li old Northern Sacred Mountain domain, looked slightly disappointed. After curtsying to the young Concealed Officer, whom she was meeting in person for the first time, she departed reluctantly. Piyun and Luopo Mountains were so close, and the Mountain Lord had a universally recognized close friendship with Concealed Officer Chen, yet for some reason, Concealed Officer Chen rarely visited Piyun Mountain. Many officials within her Ritual Department deeply regretted this. She had even repeatedly "petitioned" the Mountain Lord to invite the young Concealed Officer to the Ritual Department for a visit, but Wei Bo always changed the subject.

After taking a seat, Chen Ping'an accepted a teacup from Wei Bo and asked, "I wonder what business Brother Xu has with me tonight?"

Xu Mao said, "His Majesty the Emperor is about to make a secret southern inspection tour, during which he will stay at the Lumber and Quarry Bureau in Yuzhang Commandery. As the Yu Prefecture General concurrently handling Hong Prefecture's military affairs, I must ensure His Majesty's safety on this journey. However, the current group of accompanying military monks in the General's Estate are mostly young. The experienced ones have all been transferred to the Barren Wasteland Continent battlefield. So I'm worried that if certain unexpected situations arise, I might not handle them properly. That's why I've taken the liberty of asking Mountain Lord Chen to make a trip to Yuzhang Commandery in Hong Prefecture."

Chen Ping'an didn't directly answer the question. "Regarding this matter, what does Academy Master Lin say? Does he have any suggestions?"

Xu Mao replied, "Academy Master Lin also feels that his Lumber and Quarry Bureau, limited by its own duties and personnel composition, finds it difficult to cover all aspects. He needs the Yu Prefecture General's Estate to contribute more effort."

Typical bureaucratic language—vague wording, seemingly saying nothing yet implying everything.

Chen Ping'an smiled slightly and nodded. "Understood. I'll trouble Brother Xu to give me a specific date later. Even if I can't go to Yuzhang Commandery myself, I'll have sword cultivators from the mountain provide covert protection. Regarding this matter, since it involves court secrets, and I only have a low-grade Peaceful Times Token issued by the Great Li Ministry of War, as per regulations, without an order from the Ministry of Justice, I and Luopo Mountain cannot participate in this. So Brother Xu can jointly inform the Ministry of Justice and the Ritual Department's Sacrificial Affairs Office with the Mountain Lord's Estate to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Once we have a definitive response from the court, I can arrange the personnel and itinerary well in advance."

The Yu Prefecture General immediately looked relieved. Raising his teacup with both hands, he said, "Xu Mao uses tea in place of wine, toasting Mountain Lord Chen in gratitude!"

Chen Ping'an finished his cup of tea as well. After chatting a bit more with Xu Mao about the recent situation in Shihao Kingdom, Xu Mao soon took his leave.

After seeing the Yu Prefecture General to the gate, Wei Bo used the Mountain Lord's divine abilities to allow Xu Mao to shrink the earth, sending him directly back to the General's Estate's secret chamber.

Wei Bo laughed. "Obviously, General Cao intends to use you as a favor. After all, there aren't many people on Bottle Gourd Continent who can still get the Concealed Officer to move. Whether or not you personally go to Yuzhang Commandery in Hong Prefecture, the mere appearance of one or two registered members of Luopo Mountain there will likely make the Emperor view Cao Wu with new respect. What I'm more curious about now is how Cao Wu talked with Lin Zhengcheng. Do you want me to help you sound things out? To make sure Cao Wu isn't taking advantage."

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Forget it. I was already hesitating about whether to go to Yuzhang Commandery anyway."

Without Chen Ping'an having to ask, Wei Bo brought up the so-called private matter. "Zheng Dafeng says he now has three choices. Stay at Luopo Mountain, but not as a gatekeeper. Find a vassal mountain peak and teach boxing to people later. Or go to Paulownia Leaf Continent and bum around with Cui Dongshan. The third option is for him to go to Qi Ford, but to make that happen, he needs a joint recommendation from you and me. So he's somewhat troubled."

Chen Ping'an was furious. "Has this guy got water in his brain?!"

You, Zheng Dafeng—a Pure Martial Artist—want to go to the Great River and become a Duke of the Great River?!

Indeed, the central Great River of Bottle Gourd Continent already had the Spring Long Marquis Yang Hua and the Drizzly Earl Cao Yong, but it still lacked a Water Lord with the title of "Duke."

To facilitate this, regardless of who filled the vacancy, the Great Li court naturally had the right of recommendation. Although the Confucian Temple's approval was still needed, that was merely a formality. This was completely different from Bottle Gourd Continent wanting to establish another Sect-level Immortal Mansion. Because this Great River was dug by the Great Li dynasty itself, the Confucian Temple wouldn't interfere with the Great Li Song clan in this matter. As for this high-ranking yet long-vacant River God position, it was no exaggeration to say that various factions would fight to the death for it. So if Zheng Dafeng truly planned to go to Qi Ford to "luck into" the position, besides needing Wei Bo to help make connections, the one who could really seal the deal was Chen Ping'an, who had refused to become the Great Li Grand Preceptor.

Wei Bo leaned against the doorframe, looking helpless. "I scolded him the same way back then. But he said it was his master's intention. What more could I say? You know how much Zheng Dafeng respects his master."

Chen Ping'an took a deep breath.

Wei Bo glanced at the gloomy-faced Chen Ping'an and smiled. "Why are you so upset? You cultivators pursue longevity and everlasting life; we attain divine positions through civil and martial merits. Isn't that just different paths to the same destination?"

Earlier, while drinking at the Music Bureau, Zheng Dafeng, with bleary eyes wiping his mouth, had laughed and said that if he really could get such a big official post, and Piyun Mountain followed suit, wouldn't that be blossoms blooming on both mountains? True brothers indeed share hardships and wealth—both would have a chance to possess divine titles.

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Zheng Dafeng is different from you."

If it were simply a good thing, needing only to spend some favors, Chen Ping'an naturally wouldn't hesitate. Even if it required Luopo Mountain to make some interest exchanges with the Great Li Song clan, for Zheng Dafeng's sake, it would be a small matter. The problem lay in Zheng Dafeng taking this path of the gods. The reasons were extremely complex and had far-reaching implications. He couldn't even say whether it was "repeating the same mistake" or not. The key point was that Chen Ping'an still didn't know if Zheng Dafeng had recalled "things from back then." All in all, in Chen Ping'an's view, this matter could wait and see. After all, a brand new Great River would also appear on Paulownia Leaf Continent. If Zheng Dafeng truly wanted to seek a divine position, he surely wouldn't end up with that pitiful sentiment of "no place for him in the mortal world."

Chen Ping'an asked, "What does Zheng Dafeng himself think? When you were drinking, did he show any inclination?"

Wei Bo chuckled. "Blame me for not explaining clearly. It's nowhere near as worrisome as you thought. Our Brother Dafeng, at the wine table earlier, had already started planning his Water Mansion's twenty departments, calculating which female mountain and river deities who hadn't yet filled their positions he wanted to invite. He asked me to list them for him, insisting that they absolutely couldn't be inferior to Piyun Mountain's."

Chen Ping'an felt stifled and couldn't help but curse.

Whether he was cursing Zheng Dafeng for being carefree or Wei Bo for "misreporting the situation," who knew?

"Drink today's wine today; worry about tomorrow's worries tomorrow."

Wei Bo smiled. "Mountain Lord Chen is busy with affairs and rarely gets to visit our Piyun Mountain. Since you're here, you must take this opportunity to have a few drinks tonight."

Chen Ping'an said, "With a relationship like ours, what need is there for alcohol? A gentleman's friendship is as bland as water!"

In contrast, earlier when Zheng Dafeng climbed the mountain, he kept hinting to Mountain Lord Wei that tonight's drinks should be accompanied by some meat dishes, not just plain soup and vegetables.

However, Wei Bo pretended not to understand Zheng Dafeng's hints. In the end, Zheng Dafeng had a sober meal and didn't complain.

Wei Bo grabbed Mountain Lord Chen's arm, pulled him back into the house to sit down, then snapped his fingers. Soon, palace-dressed female officials with jangling pendants entered the room, bringing wine and dishes. There were at least three female officials just to carry the food boxes. It wasn't a matter of just two or three bites finishing a plate. For just two people drinking, such an elaborate setup was hardly necessary. Moreover, as they arranged the wine vessels and placed the dishes, their movements were especially gentle, their gazes lingering and eyes full of promise.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said telepathically, "Mountain Lord Wei, isn't this repaying kindness with enmity?"

Wei Bo laughed. "If you're determined to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext."

Presumably, for at least the next six months, his own Ritual Department wouldn't complain half a sentence about being busy with paperwork.

Next time Mountain Lord Chen visited the Mountain Lord's Estate, the drinking venue could be moved to the Surveillance Department.

When they had all withdrawn from the room, Wei Bo didn't bother urging Chen Ping'an to drink. He picked up a piece of spring bamboo shoot from the pickled and braised dish, chewing slowly and asking, "Bottle Gourd Continent's Five Sacred Mountains having the opportunity to 'confer divine titles'—was that your idea?"

Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine. "What are you thinking? I'm not even a worthied scholar of an academy. How could I have such vast abilities?"

Wei Bo said, "But according to news from the Central Continent, it seems your master was the one who put forward this suggestion. The Rites Record Academy also strongly insists on it. Chancellor Mao even submitted a very detailed plan elaborating on the pros and cons. Among the three chief and deputy patriarchs of the Confucian Temple, one is in favor, one is opposed, and one hasn't expressed a stance yet. So the Confucian Temple still needs to hold a formal discussion where all seventy-two academy mountain chiefs must attend before finalizing this matter. On the whole, the probability of passage is still relatively high."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Since the Five Sacred Mountains of the Central Continent, including Ear of Grain Mountain, already have divine titles, this matter is at least procedurally proper. After it's settled, your divine positions on the Confucian Temple's mountain and river registry will likely remain unchanged. After all, none of the other seven continents currently have a Continent-level Great Sacred Mountain Lord. In recent years, the Confucian Temple has revived the Great River consecration ceremonies, added the position of Master of Land Water Transport, established the Four Seas Water Lords, and had water gods escort convoys to help them accumulate merit. I imagine the mountain gods of the world must have some complaints. If it were me, I'd grumble a bit too. If Bottle Gourd Continent is given five Mountain Lord 'divine titles,' it's a matter of benefit without cost for the Confucian Temple. They can help Bottle Gourd Continent stabilize its mountains and rivers' fortune, appease the world's mountain god lineage, and prevent the Confucian Temple from being too biased toward water gods. This way, mountain gods from other continents will also have something to look forward to, effectively creating a new path for promotion. One move with three gains—why not do it?"

Wei Bo teased, "Mountain Lord Mao's transfer to the position of Chancellor at the Rites Record Academy is truly a divine stroke."

Chen Ping'an scolded, "Bullshit! This is called openness and fairness, acting impartially. Stop getting a bargain while pretending to be glib."

Wei Bo said, "That thanks gift—next time you go to the Colorful Continent, remember to convey my thanks to Ning Yao."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'll make sure to deliver it."

Wei Bo tested the waters. "From the way Zheng Dafeng talked, it seems you're also in urgent need of gold essence coins these days. Piyun Mountain still has a treasury of seventy or eighty gold essence coins. I was originally planning to slowly build up our assets, relying on Great Li's official salary, moving like ants, accumulating over several hundred to a thousand years, maybe things would start taking shape. But now it's not needed. How about you take them?"

Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "I don't give a damn about your bits of bronze and scrap iron."

Wei Bo immediately raised his cup with both hands. "The Mountain Lord is generous. I must toast you."

Good heavens, so you were just waiting for me to say that. Chen Ping'an waved his hand again. "Don't dawdle. First, three consecutive toasts to show sincerity."

Wei Bo did indeed drink three cups of wine in a row, let out a burp, and teased, "According to the current customs here in Chu Prefecture, for happy occasions, the wine table needs to be set twice. One at Ascension City, and if Luopo Mountain doesn't have enough space, our Mountain Lord's Estate can help make room."

Chen Ping'an gave Wei Bo a thumbs up, took off his cloth shoes, and rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to compete with Mountain Lord Wei at the wine table. With a slurp, he downed a cup of wine.

Wei Bo suddenly said, "Lin Shouyi has been in seclusion for a while now at the Eternal Spring Palace. According to recent signs from the Northern Sacred Mountain's earth veins, he and Xie Ling of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect are very likely to break through to the Jade Pure realm around the same time. Yuan Huajing and the other four are currently helping Lin Shouyi guard his seclusion."

Chen Ping'an said, "Since I've agreed to go to Yuzhang Commandery with Xu Mao, how about you and I go to the Eternal Spring Palace first?"

Wei Bo grumbled, "What does it have to do with me? If you go to the Eternal Spring Palace, they'd welcome you with open arms. Whether I'm there or not doesn't matter at all."

Chen Ping'an reached out his hand. "Give it back."

Ning Yao enjoyed reading Chen Ping'an's travel journals about mountains and rivers. She said this was a good habit worth keeping.

On his own mountain, Little Rice Cake was an informant. Besides, the White-Haired Youth was now responsible for compiling the annals. There was no hiding anything.

Thinking about having to visit the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land during future travels to the Central Continent gave Chen Ping'an a headache.

Just like now—hadn't Chen Ping'an never visited the Fox Kingdom within his own blessed land?

Wei Bo laughed heartily. "Well then, I'll reluctantly accompany you to the Eternal Spring Palace."

Beyond the willows, a dappled horse; by the water's edge, red sleeves; wind-blown blouse, jade pendants; colorful skirts and fluttering ribbons—everywhere, orioles and swallows.

Just like the female officials in the various departments of his own Mountain Lord's Estate—be they former mountain and river spirits or mountain ghosts and essences—almost all of them were filled with curiosity about this mysterious young Concealed Officer.

Wei Bo said with a sly smile, "I find it strange. Ning Yao is such a magnanimous woman, yet you're so particular about this kind of thing. Isn't that suspicious? Like 'three hundred taels of silver not buried here,' 'neighbor Wang didn't steal'?"

Chen Ping'an smirked coldly. "Is this a little mountain god showing off the art of shrinking the earth to the Great Sacred Mountain Lord?"

When it came to the written principles and external knowledge of romantic love between men and women, I couldn't outdo bastards like Zhu Lian, Chief Zhou, and Sword Immortal Mi. But dealing with you, Xiao Mo, Xian Wei, and the like—I have more than enough. Even if you all joined forces, one hand from me would be plenty.

Wei Bo was speechless, filled with helplessness. He shouldn't have set up this drinking party for the Ritual Department.

Drink, drink.

Temporarily relying on the wine cup to enliven the spirit.

Chen Ping'an finished the wine in his cup with a wave of his hand. "Drinking like this has no kick. It's just smacking lips. Hurry up, replace the wine cups with big bowls!"

---

Outside this waterside pavilion of the Eternal Spring Palace, on a path lined with flowers and birds, arrived a woman far less beautiful than Zhou Haijing and Gai Yan, accompanied by a female cultivator of youthful appearance, the latter carrying a fruit platter.

The woman was named Song Yu, the Supreme Elder of the Eternal Spring Palace. The girl was her direct disciple, named Zhongnan.

Throughout Bottle Gourd Continent, many did not understand why the Great Li Song dynasty valued its chief offering elder Ruan Qiong so highly and treated the Eternal Spring Palace, which was still only a candidate sect, with such favor. They felt it was a bit of an overreaction. For instance, no matter how nostalgic the Song clan was, given the Great Li dynasty's current national strength and foundation, they should have replaced him with at least an Immortal—or even an Ascension—cultivator as their chief offering elder, to serve as the face of the kingdom.

Song Yu's Daoist title was "Lin You." She was the cultivator of the highest realm and seniority within the Eternal Spring Palace and was the closing disciple of the Eternal Spring Palace's founding patriarch.

Even the current Palace Master was merely this female cultivator's junior disciple-brother.

Song Yu was a Nascent Soul cultivator with an extremely long Daoist age. She was skilled at preserving her appearance—she had the features of a middle-aged woman, but her looks were merely average.

Because the Great Li Song clan treated the Eternal Spring Palace with excessive generosity and courtesy, the outside world had always speculated that the Great Li Song clan, which had risen from a small vassal state of the former Lu dynasty amidst internal and external troubles, eventually swallowing its suzerain state to become the northern hegemon of Bottle Gourd Continent, had the help of Song Yu, who shared the same surname as the kingdom, and the Eternal Spring Palace she founded as a behind-the-scenes driving force. It was thanks to her mediation, responsible for speaking well of them to successive emperors of the Lu dynasty, that the Great Li Song clan managed to survive in the cracks, waiting for the emergence of Yuan and Cao, the two ministers who brought about restoration. Then, a hundred years ago, they finally welcomed that Embroidered Tiger to serve as Great Li's Grand Preceptor. Later, they invited the Military Sage Ruan Qiong to be their chief offering elder...

Song Yu had come in person, so Yuan Huajing walked to the bottom of the steps on the north side of the waterside pavilion, clasping his fists in salute.

Presumably, Eternal Spring Palace cultivators had noticed the commotion here earlier and, fearing an accident, had no choice but to trouble this Supreme Elder to come investigate in person.

Song Yu had actually already noticed the anomaly in the glazed tiles of the pavilion roof. After receiving the report yesterday, she had deliberately delayed coming. Minor disturbances and a bit of financial loss weren't worth worrying about. Rushing over at the slightest stir would make the Eternal Spring Palace seem too petty. She said calmly with a smile, "Thank you all for your hard work."

Gai Yan took the fruit platter, smiling sweetly. "Not at all hard. It's all part of our duty. The scenery here is beautiful—good for the eyes and the spirit."

As the manager of that immortal inn in the capital, she was determined to turn over a new leaf and make the inn's business thrive. This waterside pavilion, coincidentally named the "Yesterday Is Wrong Studio," seemed tailor-made for her. Zhou Haijing, that woman, might speak harshly, but occasionally she said a few human words.

The girl, following her master's instructions, took out six more jugs of Eternal Spring Palace's wine from a spatial artifact her master had bestowed upon her.

Gai Yan rejoiced inwardly. She had gotten her hands on five more jugs. As for the one belonging to Zhou Haijing, that was out of the question. That woman was a miser who was obsessed with money, utterly shameless, and fixated on swindling those few jugs of wine from Yuan Huajing and the others.

Zhou Haijing just leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, smiling. "We have our duties, after all. Drinking can easily lead to mistakes in our work. Besides, the paintings and calligraphy inside the pavilion are excellent. They say that when life's disappointments strike, one only needs to borrow the refreshing writings of the ancients to read—that is enough to uplift the spirit and relax the mind without needing wine to drown one's sorrows. So we appreciate the kind intention. Next time, Immortal Master Song really needn't send wine anymore."

Gai Yan said telepathically angrily, "Zhou Haijing! Are you not lacking in virtue?! Aren't you a money-grubber? Why use such a damaging tactic that hurts yourself a thousand to wound the enemy eight hundred?!"

Zhou Haijing giggled. "One jug versus five—you make a fortune while I make pocket change. That makes me unhappy. So if you can't make a single coin, I consider that making a fortune."

Song Yu was clearly somewhat surprised to hear Zhou Haijing speaking so principled, but being a worldly-wise old Nascent Soul cultivator, she smiled and said, "Master Zhou speaks reasonably. However, proper hospitality must still be observed. From now on, we'll continue sending wine. If you're worried it might affect your duty guarding the seclusion, just set it aside. Drink it or not, handle it as you see fit. Even if you save it up and take it away after finishing the business, it will still count as a token of our Eternal Spring Palace's regard."

Gai Yan had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Zhou Haijing's voice condensing into a thread. "Hear that? Learn from that, Big Manager Gai, with your waist bulging with cash. If you had even one-tenth of Song Yu's skill in dealing with people—no need for more, just one-tenth—your immortal inn's business wouldn't be so terrible that you could shoot sparrows at the door."

Song Yu only walked and chatted idly with Yuan Huajing along the lakeside path. She had an excellent relationship with the Supreme Pillar of State Yuan clan, with a deep connection that could be traced back to their distant ancestor Yuan Xie.

So Yuan Huajing treated Song Yu with great respect.

The disciples of the Supreme Pillar of State Yuan clan only learned after the opening of the Pearl of the Li Cave Heaven that there was a true Yuan ancestral home in Erlang Lane of that small town. This added another volume to the Yuan clan's verifiable genealogy. This was a common trouble for many ancient noble clans—it wasn't easy to determine the founding lord or the surname progenitor. The powerful families of the various continents mostly took the one who received the king's "heavenly favor" as their founding ancestor. After all, a family with as orderly a succession as the Yunlin Jiang clan was rare throughout the entire Haoran World.

Song Yu sighed softly. "My master failed to break through the bottleneck to reach Jade Pure and died via military release. She left behind a will and dharma decree, roughly meaning that we should follow the rules, have pure thoughts, cultivate with simplicity, and 'guard our clumsiness.'"

Actually, Song Yu had deliberately omitted two words. After "guard your clumsiness," there was also "as one."

Yuan Huajing said, "The Eternal Spring Palace's achievements today are entirely due to later cultivators being willing to strictly follow the founding patriarch's teachings."

In fact, the Yuan clan also had similar family mottoes. Supreme Pillar of State clans like the Tianshui Zhao clan were roughly the same in this regard.

For a family, establishing merit and achievements was difficult; extending blessings and prosperity was even harder. To escape the fate of "a gentleman's legacy declines after three generations and is cut off after five," transforming from a scholar clan into a hereditary noble clan and maintaining long-term vitality, whether one looked through history books or surveyed the official circles, it seemed there needed to be a set of rules and decorum quietly influencing future generations. Seemingly formless, yet indispensable, over time it became a family tradition.

The female cultivator named "Zhongnan," because she was not good with words, was left alone by her master at the waterside pavilion. She appeared very nervous, wanting to fulfill her duties as a host but not knowing how to start, creating an awkward silence.

Her features could only be described as delicate, not exactly a beauty.

Her original name was Yishan, and she was often nicknamed "Yishan," but because she came from a lowly boatwoman's family in Red Candle Town, she had not yet obtained a pardon from the Great Li dynasty. After going up the mountain to cultivate, she was forced to abandon her surname and eventually changed her name to "Zhongnan" on the Eternal Spring Palace's registry. It was rumored that the Great Li Empress Dowager, when she was still the Empress, during her recuperation at the Eternal Spring Palace, had taken a great liking to this girl. She planned to bestow a surname and change her name once the girl reached the Golden Core realm, removing the "Zhong," and ultimately naming her "Song Nan"—the national surname Song, with "Nan" from the Empress Dowager's name "Nanzan."

However, it was also said that she might be bestowed the surname Nan and the given name Song. That would mean the Empress Dowager Nanzan of Hong Prefecture's Yuzhang Commandery would be accepting the girl into her clan register as a member of the same clan.

Regardless of which choice was made, for a girl from a humble background, it was an immense honor.

Fortunately, Gai Yan helped warm up the atmosphere, asking her about various things and inviting her to stay at her inn if she ever passed through the capital, promising discounts and special offers.

Zhou Haijing couldn't resist undermining her. "Discounts? What kind of discount? A one hundred and ten percent discount?"

The youth Gouqie, who had his walking staff lying across his knees, grinned.

This Zhou Haijing, though annoying, occasionally blurted out words that felt familiar and close to the youth because they sounded a bit like Chen Ping'an's way of speaking.

Sui Lin was a Five Elements expert proficient in Yin-Yang destiny principles and astronomy and geography, so his perspective on the Eternal Spring Palace was the most "professional."

According to legend, the founding patriarch of the Eternal Spring Palace came from a line of fishermen in Yu Prefecture. She had no clear teacher or lineage; she was a wild cultivator from the mountains and marshes who started from scratch and founded the Eternal Spring Palace.

Thus, the Eternal Spring Palace's core skills were superficially several lineages of water techniques, but internally, they were an extremely advanced True Five Thunder Technique, said to have no connection with the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage of thunder techniques.

According to the character interpretations of that sage from Zhaoling, Master Xu, the dragon is the chief of scaled creatures, encompassing both the hidden and the manifest. At the spring equinox, it ascends to the heavens to enact wind and rain; at the autumn equinox, it dives into the abyss to nourish its true spirit.

Earlier, when Cui Dongshan brought Jiang Shangzhen and his long-lost "biological sister" Cui Huasheng on a trip to the Egret Ferry at Zhengyang Mountain, the white-robed youth had squatted by the bank and recited an immortal journey poem with considerable mountain origins. However, it wasn't widely circulated and was somewhat obscure. When later generations occasionally heard it, they could only speculate that it was related to a Daoist master who had traveled Bottle Gourd Continent, the founding emperor of the Lu dynasty, and the founding patriarch of the Eternal Spring Palace. The immortal journey poem's content resembled prophecies, mostly esoteric words: "The emperor's residence is in Zhen, the dragon's virtue governs spring," "The immortal wanders the Eternal Spring Palace, riding not a cloud chariot but a white dragon," "The southern sea swells green, brewing the wine of immortality."

Sui Lin had naturally heard of this ballad-like immortal journey poem, so during this seclusion protection for Lin Shouyi, he took the opportunity to carefully examine the Eternal Spring Palace's earth vein formations.

Zhou Haijing's voice condensed into a thread for secret communication. "They say Song Yu and the Qin clan ancestor of the Wind Snow Temple's Giant Salamander Gully lineage were old acquaintances when they were young, with quite a story between them. On Bottle Gourd Continent, you all have the best intelligence. Is this true or false?"

Gai Yan said irritably, "False! A martial artist practicing boxing, with nothing better to do, cares about these messy mountain rumors all day. No wonder you lost to Yu Hong."

Zhou Haijing laughed so hard she couldn't close her mouth. She wouldn't stoop to argue with this Golden Core female ghost. A martial arts grandmaster like Yu Hong beating a lone Gai Yan would be as easy as playing.

Zhongnan wasn't good at interacting with people. She just stood in the corridor, gazing at that mountain peak.

The girl's first meeting with Lin Shouyi had been like a chance encounter on water.

She only felt that the young man in a blue shirt on the shore was cleanly dressed and elegantly refined. When he was amidst the dazzling lights, wine, and nightly revelries of Red Candle Town, he was like a spring leaf drifting across murky water.

Zhongnan had a checkpoint sword talisman forged by the Dragon Spring Sword Sect hanging at her waist. Since it was a gift from her master and she liked its appearance, she always carried it as an ornament.

Moreover, she had once secretly traveled to the old Northern Sacred Mountain without it counting as a formal down-the-mountain training expedition. It was more like a leisure trip, sightseeing among the mountains and waters.

Anyway, she was close to her sect and within the capital region. On a mountain path, she had chanced upon a little girl holding an umbrella, covered in mud, and a young woman in blue with a ponytail.

They had walked together for a stretch. The ponytailed woman, who never revealed her name, taught Zhongnan an obscure fire technique Daoist formula. However, Zhongnan never dared to practice it lightly, since the Eternal Spring Palace was an immortal sect based on water techniques and thunder techniques. She also didn't dare hide this from her master. After hearing the formula, Song Yu didn't say much, only told her disciple to study this rootless fire technique formula after reaching the Dragon Gate realm.

Above the mountain peak across the lake, the clear blue sky faintly rumbled with thunder.

It was undoubtedly the sign of Lin Shouyi's imminent emergence from seclusion and his attainment of the Dao.

No heavenly tribulation descended, and there was no... it all seemed rather... boring.

A moment later, a man in Confucian robes walked out of the cave dwelling. With each breath Lin Shouyi took, fine threads of golden lightning hung from the seven orifices of his face like dragons and snakes clinging to the mountain wall.

Song Yu, her disciple Zhongnan, and the five including Yuan Huajing immediately flew through the wind to the opposite shore.

Song Yu formed a hand seal in salute and smiled. "Daoist Lin, congratulations and celebrations."

Lin Shouyi returned the bow with a clasped fist to this Supreme Elder of the Eternal Spring Palace.

Lin Shouyi and Song Yu had first met many years ago at Red Candle Town—one on a painted pleasure boat, the other on the shore. Although Song Yu was older and held a high position in the mountain world, she was witty in speech and not rigid. She had seen at a glance that Lin Shouyi was an excellent cultivation seedling. She had half-jokingly presented herself as a genuine mountain immortal, during which she mentioned the "True Five Thunder Techniques." In short, with words that were "not bland enough," she had quite shown off her immortal master style.

Back then, at the Chess Mound Mountain, Lin Shouyi had obtained a copy of the Clouds Above Book, which was his first foray into thunder techniques. The content of this Daoist book was written in obscure language. At that time, the youth who hadn't traveled far from home didn't yet understand the true weight of the four characters "True Five Thunder Techniques."

At the waterside pavilion, the place had been taken over by two unexpected outsiders.

Chen Ping'an leaned against a pillar, hands tucked into his sleeves with one foot's toe touching the ground. He grinned. "Speaking of which, we have to credit the secret manual you gave away?"

Wei Bo, looking lazy, sat on the railing seat with both hands on the guardrail, crossing his legs. He smiled. "I wouldn't dare take credit for that."

Back then, at Chess Mound Mountain, a swordsman who claimed his sword technique was so tight even water couldn't splash through had taken those youths to "divide the spoils on the spot."

As the little girl in the red cotton jacket had described the scene, even Lin Shouyi had run extremely fast, yet he was the first to choose his treasure. The quiet youth with the fewest words and the heaviest heart had immediately taken a liking to that Clouds Above Book tied with golden silk threads. And during his studies at the academy, Lin Shouyi had once followed a Confucian academy master of the Great Sui dynasty specifically to the Great Sui Northern Sacred Mountain domain to observe thunderclouds. He had cultivated for several months in an immortal cave dwelling called Divine Thunder Peak. That master had also given him a thunder drumming belly bottle specially used for collecting lightning.

On an early trip home, Chen Ping'an had climbed the mountain with the ponytailed girl. Remembering that Lin Shouyi was the first among them to cultivate and that he cultivated thunder techniques, Chen Ping'an had consulted Ruan Xiu about matters concerning thunder technique cultivation. She had told him some things she had "heard by the way." Afterwards, Chen Ping'an had recorded everything in a booklet and given it to Lin Shouyi. Chen Ping'an's original intention wasn't even to hope for filling gaps; he just wanted Lin Shouyi to gain more inspiration.

Later, Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City secretly visited Locust Yellow County, found the soul of that Dragon-Slayer dwelling within the mind of a blind Daoist priest, and accepted Gu Can as his disciple.

During that time, Zheng Juzhong used a complete version of the Clouds Above Book, which he had personally supplemented, to exchange with Lin Shouyi for an item—that "heirloom" Mountain Search Map that Chen Ping'an had obtained from the blind Daoist priest Jia Sheng and then given to Lin Shouyi.

It turned out that this Clouds Above Book originated from the Central Continent's White Emperor City. Zheng Juzhong had once sought the Dao at Dragon Tiger Mountain, and whenever Zheng Juzhong sparred in Dao techniques with someone, the other party generally shouldn't think about keeping secrets. Sure enough, Zheng Juzhong quickly authored this Clouds Above Book himself. The key was that after the Dragon Tiger Mountain side "borrowed and read" this book from White Emperor City, the various Purple and Yellow nobles of the Heavenly Master Mansion were all looking at each other in speechless astonishment. They knew Zheng Juzhong was referencing and stealing their own True Five Thunder Techniques, yet no matter how they examined the Clouds Above Book, they only had one strange, uncomfortable feeling—a Daoist book where every word and between the lines felt wrong, yet everywhere had countless connections with the Heavenly Master Mansion's secret thunder techniques. If they were really to nitpick, there was also a lot of Zheng Juzhong's own reasoning to it. Could the Heavenly Master Mansion even learn from it in reverse?

However, the copy Lin Shouyi had was a fragment, like an upper volume only suitable for cultivators of the lower five realms. Zheng Juzhong had helped complete the middle and lower volumes for the middle five realms and upper five realms. Finally, Cui Dongshan had filled the complete three-volume thunder technique Daoist book with his own annotations and insights, which allowed Lin Shouyi's cultivation to be not only swift and forceful but also almost entirely without barriers or bottlenecks.

Chen Ping'an asked, "The Daoist background of that old Confucian master from the Cliff Academy?"

Wei Bo nodded with a smile. "Just as you guessed—it's a manifestation of that old coachman from the Great Li capital, that senior from the Path of Gods who almost sparred with you. He had clearly taken a liking to Lin Shouyi's cultivation aptitude long ago."

Among the younger generation of the Pearl of the Li Cave Heaven, Lin Shouyi, Ma Kuxuan, and Xie Ling were different from Chen Ping'an, Liu Xianyang, and Gu Can. They all had an abnormally smooth journey—from stepping onto the cultivation path until breaking into the upper five realms, they had almost encountered no obstacles, let alone any dangerous magical battles. In two words, they had good fortune.

Chen Ping'an asked again, "Have you heard of the Supreme Supreme Profound Profound Collection? It's also a high-grade thunder technique secret manual."

Wei Bo quickly searched his memory and shook his head. "Never heard of it."

The end of an immortal journey poem contained the line, "I only wish, sir, you would glance at me once more, seeking the profound beyond the profound."

And the Clouds Above Book left behind on Bottle Gourd Continent had fallen into Lin Shouyi's hands through various twists and turns.

Actually, in Northern Uttermost Continent, there was still a Supreme Supreme Profound Profound Collection that ultimately belonged to Sui Jingcheng of the Duckweed Sword Lake.

Last time, when Lin Shouyi and Dong Shuijing attended the Luopo Mountain ceremony together, Chen Ping'an had told Lin Shouyi a secret matter, reminding him that if he had the chance, he should travel to Northern Uttermost Continent and visit the Prostrate Peak of the Soaring Heaven Sect and the Duckweed Sword Lake. Because Sui Jingcheng also happened to have three volumes of a Daoist book, also on thunder techniques, called the Supreme Supreme Profound Profound Collection. If there was truly a mountain karmic connection, Lin Shouyi and Sui Jingcheng could exchange Daoist books. This was not uncommon in the mountain world. Some sects with good relations would even give each other or exchange copies of their precious Daoist books to enrich their collections. Bartering, trading books for books—all were common practices. The larger the sect or major school, the more frequent such exchanges.

As if to complement the Supreme Supreme Profound Profound Collection, Sui Jingcheng also had three seemingly "identical" gold hairpins.

Whenever the gold hairpins struck each other, they would stir up ripples of light, containing extremely subtle true intent of thunder techniques.

The three gold hairpins were each engraved with four-character inscriptions: "Ling Su Qing Wei," "Wen Qing Shen Xiao," "Tai Xia Yi Gui."

This thunder technique Daoist book was also divided into three volumes. The only difference from the Clouds Above Book was that the first volume merely expounded on the general purpose of the Dao. For cultivators, having only this secret manual was almost useless. To use an analogy, it was like the Five Thousand Words passed down by the Dao Ancestor—known to everyone across several worlds, readable by all. Yet for ten thousand years, how many worldly commoners had become cultivators by reading just that Daoist book? But Sui Jingcheng had stubbornly relied on repeatedly reading the first volume, purely through her own fumbling, and had read herself into a cultivator at the second realm bottleneck. No wonder Rong Chang, the senior disciple of the Duckweed Sword Lake, felt that his junior sister Sui Jingcheng, who had returned to the sect after many years, was simply a genius beyond his reach.

The True Five Thunder Techniques being hailed as the foremost of all techniques—there was a reason for it.

Back then, Chen Ping'an had always felt that this Daoist book of Sui Jingcheng's seemed as if it had been waiting for Lin Shouyi.

So when Zheng Dafeng returned to Luopo Mountain this time and revealed the answer to that riddle, the answer was both unexpected yet reasonable.

Cultivators: firm Dao heart, pure simplicity, guarding the One.

Those who attain the Dao: form their own heaven and earth, inner scene clear and pure.

Chen Ping'an said, "Let's go."

Wei Bo asked in confusion, "Not going to see Lin Shouyi?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "If Mountain Lord Wei had prepared two congratulatory gifts well in advance, I would go see him."

Wei Bo immediately stood up, glanced at the figure across the lake, nodded with a smile, and quietly left the Eternal Spring Palace together with Chen Ping'an.

As Wei Bo had expected, almost simultaneously with Lin Shouyi, at the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, Xie Ling successfully refined that exquisite pagoda, becoming the latest Jade Pure realm sword cultivator on Bottle Gourd Continent.

And deep within the earth veins of Yu Prefecture, when the five Earth Branch lineage cultivators, including Song Xu, were about to get their hands on that secret treasure, they encountered a sable-hatted girl with flushed cheeks. She spoke crazily, saying that this thing was an old item she had hidden here. Who dared compete with her for it? She was just a delicate, weak girl, perfectly ladylike. But she could summon reinforcements, find her husband to help her seek justice. He was famously doting on his wife and afraid of her—he would beat all of them to death without negotiation.

Seeing that the other party was clearly intimidated, the sable-hatted girl nodded with satisfaction. Then, looking at the floating heavy treasure surrounded by layers of ancient prohibitions, she lifted her chin. "Good thing I arrived in time. Otherwise, if you idiots had broken the prohibitions, the consequences would have been disastrous. Roughly half of Bottle Gourd Continent would have collapsed. Don't believe me? Hah! The Milky Way is high, the great fire is blazing, dragons and snakes stir the land, the Dao rides the wind-steed, the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers add grandeur, heaven and earth are gathered into a bottle gourd. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? Scholarly, right? I just made it up. That's roughly what it means anyway. Back in the day, that earth-shattering battle between water and fire—you little ones aren't even Earth Immortals yet. How could you get involved? You don't know your place!"

As she rambled nonsense, she called out, "Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo! Is Xiao Mo here?"

Xie Gou looked around. It seemed Xiao Mo really hadn't followed. Her heart instantly felt warm.