From across the courtyard wall, in Zhi Gui’s eyes, Chen Pingan sat on a small stool, swaying back and forth, as if dozing off.

However, in the perception of the swordsman Cao Jun, Chen Pingan’s divine soul was violently shaken, like a surging river, a lone sampan in danger of capsizing at any moment.

The fiery red fox, perched on Cao Jun’s shoulder, teased, “Although the origin of that sword embryo is unknown, it’s definitely of extremely high quality. Even I’m envious. You just suffered a small loss, and you’re giving up? That’s not like the Cao Jun I know.”

Cao Jun tossed a melon seed shell towards the neighboring courtyard and shook his head, “I won’t snatch it. Old Cao is right, it’s best to remain still and not make any moves. If a person dies, everything resets. If your life is gone, everything is for naught.”

The fiery red fox enticed, “Third time’s the charm. There’s still one more chance. Take a gamble. A horse isn’t fat without wild grass, and a man isn’t rich without unexpected wealth. Since you, Cao Jun, took a big fall early in life, and someone stirred up your heart lake into a muddy swamp, hindering your cultivation, how can you achieve great things without taking a risky path now?”

Cao Jun remained silent, only cracking melon seeds, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

From the moment he was born, Cao Jun enjoyed a great reputation. He was originally a once-in-a-century sword immortal prodigy of the Southern Pōṭala Continent. Within his heart lake, strands of pure sword Qi were innately formed, standing tall and graceful, like a lake full of lotuses, just waiting for the day to bloom. But later, he encountered an incident where a peak powerhouse forcibly shattered his heart lake, causing the sword Qi to wither away, turning into withered lotuses.

From then on, Cao Jun became the laughingstock of the entire Southern Pōṭala Continent. The sword dao geniuses of his generation, whom he had once left far behind, had now surpassed him one by one.

The fiery red fox sighed and patted Cao Jun’s head with its paw, “Poor kid. The foundation of your sword dao crumbled, your future ruined. After so many years, you don’t even have the ambition to arm-wrestle with the heavens anymore.”

Cao Jun was slightly surprised and turned to look at the ancestral home of the boy, “This guy has a good disposition. I couldn’t see it at all before. He actually found his own convenient method.”

Many things in the world, for the well-informed immortals on the mountains, are not frightening, but they are still interesting.

The fiery red fox was also slightly astonished. It leaped and jumped onto Cao Jun’s head, stretching its neck to look, carefully observing the boy’s battle with the sword embryo within his body. It whispered, “Hmm, similar to the Buddhist pillar for tethering horses, helping the boy’s divine soul boat, acting as an anchor. This boy’s body is broken and patched up. It’s not easy for him to get to this point. But it’s not enough to subdue that sword embryo. Cao Jun, before you were framed, you were too smooth-sailing, and after that, you were too bumpy. Perhaps the boy’s experience today will become a bit of inspiration on your path of cultivation…”

Cao Jun no longer smiled at people, but restrained all his smiles, his face becoming solemn.

Cultivation, the size of talent, is like the bowl that the Patriarch bestows. Even if some people’s bowls are very large, if there is too little rice in them, they will still be hungry and miserable, and their achievements will naturally be limited.

On this long journey, from the magnificent Southern Pōṭala Continent to the barbaric Eastern Bāṇapura Continent, Cao Jun has actually gained a lot along the way, bit by bit, all of which are beneficial.

In the process of wrestling with the sword embryo, although the boy’s mind is firm and tenacious, and he has an anchor to help him calm down, so that his divine soul will not drift with the current, the essence, energy, and spirit of the sword embryo are too strong. It is aggressive and ramming, a brute force approach that relies on overwhelming strength.

The fiery red fox clapped its paws together, gloating, “He’s going to lose, how awful, how awful. He might have to lie in bed for ten days or half a month. The sword embryo is obviously just born with spirituality, and doesn’t know how to use its inherent talents and divine powers, otherwise the boy wouldn’t be able to hold on until now.”

Although Cao Jun’s cultivation is not as good as the fox demon on his head, every profession has its own secrets. As a former sword cultivator who was expected to reach the summit, he has his own unique insights, “Not necessarily.”

The fiery red fox exclaimed in surprise, “Oh? In that boy’s body, there are three very deep fortresses. Could he be a good sword cultivator in the making? No, no, it should be excavated later, but it’s naturally formed. What a great feat. No wonder I was deceived.”

“Deep fortresses” are mostly secular sayings, describing someone as having profound plans and far-sightedness, with a slightly derogatory connotation.

But in the mountains, it is a great compliment. Apertures are like city mansions, naturally the higher, the bigger, the more magnificent, the better.

The fiery red fox sighed softly, “Even such an inconspicuous boy has strange things that should not be underestimated. Cao Jun, you should obediently listen to the old bastard and don’t make trouble recently. Although this broken Lízhū Grotto Heaven is a dojo built in a snail’s shell, it is a place where dragons and tigers hide. It is indeed not appropriate to be too arrogant.”

Cao Jun nodded, “I have to keep a low profile.”

The fiery red fox was annoyed and stepped on Cao Jun’s head, “A little bastard who can’t be raised. I kindly reminded you, why are you scolding people!”

The boy’s breath gradually stabilized, and the sword embryo that occupied the upper hand did not know why, suddenly sounded the gong to retreat and quietly roamed within a towering Qi mansion.

Cao Jun stopped peeking at the scene over there and smiled narrowly, “I heard that you have a younger sister named Qingying, who is one of your fox clan’s ancestors, and has the hope of growing a ninth tail. Old Cao has been coveting her beauty for many years. Is she really that beautiful?”

The fiery red fox picked up its tail and gently fanned the breeze as if it were a fan, baring its teeth, “Beautiful my ass. She has the face of a dead person, and she doesn’t like to smile since she was a child. She is also arrogant and thinks too highly of herself. You can tell at a glance that she is unlucky. With Old Bastard’s kind of vision, even if it is a sow, as long as her butt is big, he will think she is as beautiful as a celestial being.”

Cao Jun hesitated for a moment and asked softly, “I heard that she has been wandering near that Majestic Town Tower for a hundred years. Could it be that she hopes to become that guy’s concubine?”

The fiery red fox released its tail and laughed heartily, as if it had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world, “Will Lord Bai take a fancy to her? As one of the oldest surviving demon kings in the world, Lord Bai has traveled to every corner of the two worlds. What kind of females hasn’t he seen? Would he take a fancy to such an ordinary little fox?”

The Zhenhai Tower stands on the coast of the South Sea of the Pōṭala Continent, and the Cao family happens to be one of the gatekeepers, so Cao Jun knows many inside stories.

The fiery red fox’s voice was low, “The three holy sages, they were unfair to our Lord Bai! It was clearly Lord Bai who helped…”

Inside the house, Cao Xi shouted violently, “Damn woman, are you courting death? Shut up!”
The fiery crimson fox, jolted back to reality, realized its indiscretion. It abruptly raised its head to the heavens, clasped its paws together, and bowed deeply, offering a sincere apology. Without evading, it allowed Cao Xi’s flick of a finger to unleash a strand of sword qi, shattering its form and pelt.

“Twenty characters! Accept your punishment obediently!”

Cao Xi consecutively unleashed twenty strands of fierce sword qi. Not once did the crimson fox attempt to dodge. Finally, Cao Jun embraced the nearly lifeless creature, returning to the house.

Cao Xi’s fury remained unappeased. He pointed at the fox in Cao Jun’s arms and erupted in a tirade, “If you’re so eager to die, leap into Ruan Qiong’s sword furnace! At least Ruan Qiong would think well of you! Don’t prattle on here, dragging my Cao clan down with you! The heavens are vast, and the three Grandmasters might overlook it, but what about their disciples and followers? Let’s not even mention the master of Upside-down Mountain; do you not know his temper?! You spendthrift!”

The crimson fox’s head lolled to the side, and it fainted.

Cao Jun whispered, “Enough is enough. Without it, there would be no Cao Xi of today. One can play the villain, the scoundrel, but one must retain a shred of conscience.”

Cao Xi abruptly ceased, his gaze darkening as he fixed his eyes on his descendant, whose smile had vanished.

Cao Xi, his face filled with disgust and aversion, waved his sleeve dismissively. “Go tell that brat named Cao Mao to not squabble with the Yuans. He has the vision of a grain of rice, fixated solely on the gains and losses of a single Great Li temple. A bunch of good-for-nothings! Why don’t they just die! And they dare to come see the Ancestor? Tell him to scram!”

Cao Jun, cradling the fox, turned and departed with a stoic expression.

Cao Xi remained alone in the ancestral home, commencing a slow, contemplative walk around the courtyard.

Once upon a time, there lived a sickly old man here, confined to a dimly lit room year-round. There was also an unfilial drunkard of a son, constantly fretting over the expenses of his own funeral. And a timid, indecisive woman, toiling from dawn till dusk, burdened by household chores and field work, looking older at thirty than the women of Mud Bottle Alley at forty.

But in those days, there was a mischievous, impoverished young lad, fearless and carefree, always grinning and joking. He neither read books nor did chores, instead indulging in daydreams, convinced that one day he would buy the grandest mansion on Fortune Street. As for whether his grandfather and parents would still be alive to see his success, the young man, preoccupied with idleness and foolish dreams, never gave it a thought.

The old man, long past his youth, drew out an ancient copper coin, its surface marred by rust. He held it high above his head, peering through the square hole in its center, then through the square opening in the roof.

He vaguely recalled a conversation from long ago.

“Mother, when I achieve wealth and status, I’ll let you sleep in a mountain of gold and silver.”

“Alas!”

“Mother, I’m being serious!”

“Quickly put away that coin, or your father will see it and take it away.”

Cao Xi snapped out of his reverie, surveying his surroundings, and muttered with self-deprecating humor, “Having become an immortal, I’ve lost touch with humanity.”

Chen Ping’an locked the door, leaving Mud Bottle Alley and arriving at the Lucky Coin Shop in Dragon Riding Lane. The boy in blue sat on the threshold, lost in thought. Upon seeing Chen Ping’an, he weakly greeted him as “Master.” Chen Ping’an stepped over the threshold and found the girl in pink standing on a bench, her expression solemn and focused. She was behind the counter, meticulously working on the shop’s accounts with an abacus. Her fingers moved like butterflies dancing among flowers, a blur of dazzling speed and precision. Several women and girls from the town surrounded her, filled with astonishment and admiration.

The simple and honest women and girls, upon seeing Chen Ping’an, greeted him with smiles as “Shopkeeper Chen.”

The girl in pink looked up and said, “Master, I’m helping the shop with its accounts. I’ll be done soon.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, walking behind the counter. He asked for paper and ink, and began to write out a gift list. Before leaving town, he had asked Ruan Xiu to help him deliver gifts to many of the neighbors. Before going to the Dragon Kiln to fire porcelain, Chen Ping’an had essentially been raised on the kindness of the community, often eating meals at Gu Can’s house and receiving old clothes that other boys had outgrown. To Chen Ping’an, each meal and each piece of clothing had been a life-saving kindness. He had told Ruan Xiu that as long as he lived, he would deliver gifts to each household every year. The gifts wouldn’t be extravagant, but for the modest families near Mud Bottle Alley, items ranging from seven or eight taels to twenty taels of silver were definitely not a small amount.

Ruan Xiu had asked why he didn’t simply give more silver at once, which would be cleaner and make those people more grateful.

Chen Ping’an had explained that it wouldn’t work that way. He had grown up in the lowest rungs of society and, while he may not have been able to articulate the principles in books, he understood the hearts of people and the ways of the world. For example, a bushel of rice can breed resentment where a handful once brought gratitude, and seemingly insignificant, trivial matters can erode filial piety and kindness. So, he carefully explained his simple reasoning to Ruan Xiu. In the town, each family’s circumstances were similar to a field of crops, with good years and bad years. Some had accomplished descendants who prospered and lacked for nothing. Others suffered sudden misfortunes, and families that were once well-off could collapse overnight. Therefore, the items that Chen Ping’an prepared, whether edible or wearable, could even be converted into silver if the family urgently needed money. Giving them to well-off families would make them happy, and giving them to struggling families would make them even more grateful.

Whether it was adding flowers to brocade or delivering charcoal in the snow, both were good deeds.

It was only after Chen Ping’an learned to read and write that he understood why he had done the right thing.

Ruan Xiu, upon hearing this, smiled with particular joy, saying that things were different on the mountain and below.

This year’s gift list had fewer names than the last. Kindness and gratitude had varying degrees of importance. Some relationships inherited from the older generation were merely nodding acquaintances and didn’t truly represent acts of kindness. Chen Ping’an wasn’t generous enough to send gifts year after year. However, some elderly neighbors, even if Chen Ping’an wasn’t close to them, were still included on the list.

No one’s money fell from the sky. This had nothing to do with how much money a person had in their pockets.

Chen Ping’an thought that if he had the opportunity in the future, he should build bridges and repair roads.
Having finished auditing the accounts, the girl in the pink dress started inquiring about the shop’s operations. Chen Ping’an didn’t interfere, and after a moment’s thought, handed her the gift list, telling her not to rush with purchasing the items. The girl in the pink dress solemnly accepted the list, guaranteeing she would handle everything properly for the Old Master. Chen Ping’an patted her little head and sat down beside the boy in blue, who was looking worried, sighing repeatedly, and continuously repeating the words “the pugilistic world is treacherous.”

A handsome youth named Cui Ci, carrying a travel bag, found the shop, saying that his Master couldn’t leave home and had entrusted him to deliver something, urging Chen Ping’an not to take it lightly and to carefully store it after receiving it. The boy in blue didn’t like this youth at all, squinting at the pretentious Cui Ci, and was instantly incensed, abruptly standing up, “Your Master is on equal footing with my Old Master! You’re just a little servant boy; show some respect. It’s not like my Old Master is receiving some great blessing; what are you being so arrogant about?”

Cui Ci’s face flushed red.

Chen Ping’an smoothed things over, saying, “Cui Ci, tell your Master that I’ve received the item and will practice drawing talismans diligently.”

Cui Ci nodded stiffly, coldly snorted at the boy in blue, turned around, and strode away.

The boy in blue, facing the youth’s back, performed a series of wild punches and kicks from afar, finally feeling slightly relieved, then sat back down on the threshold, his face full of worry, “Old Master, how did you survive in such a vicious and perilous den of dragons and tigers like this little town until today? If it were me and Silly Girl, we probably would have been skinned and deboned long ago.”

Chen Ping’an sighed, “I don’t know either.”

The girl in the pink dress came to the threshold, still feeling apprehensive, “Old Master, who is that elder sister carrying water buckets? She’s so scary; I don’t think she’s any less intimidating than your student.”

The boy in blue vigorously shook his head, saying, “I wouldn’t go to Mud Bottle Lane even if you beat me to death! It’s like a sheep entering a tiger’s mouth!”

Chen Ping’an changed the subject, “What do you think of the names I’ve chosen for the locust wood sword and the other sword that Master Ruan is forging: ‘Subduing Demons and Vanquishing Monsters’?”

He lowered his voice, “For that sword blank, I think ‘First Day’ or ‘Morning’ would be more suitable.”

The two little fellows exchanged confused glances.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Am I at least decent at naming things?”

The corner of the boy in blue’s mouth twitched, then he forced a smile, giving a thumbs up, “Old Master’s skill in naming things is profound, unfathomable, returning to simplicity, achieving elegance through commonness, more knowledgeable than scholars!”

The girl in the pink dress hesitated, touching her chest, and after thinking for a moment, decided to go against her conscience and remain silent. It wasn’t right to spoil the Old Master’s mood during the first month of the year.

Chen Ping’an glanced at the girl in the pink dress, puzzled, “Is it not particularly good? Then, is it at least passable?”

The girl in the pink dress tightly shut her mouth. Remaining silent was already against her conscience; if she opened her mouth and said it was good, she wouldn’t be able to get over that hurdle.

The boy in blue indignantly said, “Old Master, what’s wrong? Don’t you trust my judgment? That just means your judgment is really bad!”

Chen Ping’an tentatively asked, “The naming is not good?”

The boy in blue exclaimed, finally unable to hold back his righteous indignation, standing up, hands on his hips, and passionately declared, “Old Master! Subduing demons, vanquishing monsters – which charlatan Daoist doesn’t chant those words? ‘Morning’? I might as well say noon or night! First Day? What about the tenth or fifteenth? Old Master, all three are cliché names! Not only do they lack imposingness, but they’re also not novel at all! Look at other people’s sword names; your student’s ‘Golden Spike’ is both fitting and unworldly. And then there’s Cao Jun’s ‘White Fish’ and ‘Ink Dragon’. Then look at yours, Subduing Demons Vanquishing Monsters First Day Morning! If I were an enlightened sword spirit, I’d spit out a mouthful of old blood.”

“Opinion acknowledged.”

Chen Ping’an pondered carefully for a long time, “The names will not be changed!”

The boy in blue slapped his forehead, earnestly saying, “On the southern side of our Precious Bottle Continent, there’s a well-known immortal abode that was given the name Invincible Divine Fist Gang by its founding patriarch, and they’ve been laughed at for years! Old Master, your naming sense is similar. But fortunately, you don’t seem like a genius sword cultivator, so the name of your sword probably won’t be heard by many people in the future. So, Old Master, just be happy.”

Chen Ping’an was about to speak when his heartstrings trembled. Without revealing anything, he stood up, “You two stay in Riding Dragon Lane. I’m going to wander around elsewhere.”

Chen Ping’an went to the backyard of the Yang family shop.

After Chen Ping’an sat down, Old Man Yang slowly said, “Let’s talk about some small matters first. Those two little serpent pythons following behind you, tell them to leave the little town and go to Fallen Phoenix Mountain as soon as possible. Next, Ruan Qiong will be firing up his furnace to forge swords, and the commotion will be great. All the demons, ghosts, and monsters in the Dragon Spring Prefecture will probably suffer. At worst, the sounds of the blacksmithing will scatter the centuries of cultivation they’ve painstakingly accumulated, or even force them back to their original forms, or simply cause their souls to dissipate. Next, the Dragon Spring Prefecture government and the Huaihuang County government will notify all registered demons to either temporarily leave or go to the Literary and Martial Temples or the mountains to seek refuge, because these places are sheltered from the wind and gather water, and their abundant spiritual energy can help block the aftereffects of Ruan Qiong’s sword forging. Your two little things shouldn’t rely on having a Peace Talisman and really think they can be safe and sound.”

Chen Ping’an’s expression became grave, “Okay, I’ll notify them both when I get back.”

Old Man Yang puffed on his pipe, seemingly gathering his thoughts.

Chen Ping’an sat upright, feeling uneasy.

Old Man Yang finally spoke, “Qi Jingchun secretly hid a miniature incense figure, something I’ve been desperately seeking. Hmm, it’s the little fellow who used to live in your locust wood sword. Now it belongs to me. As compensation, I need to protect you once, and this is it. The situation in the little town is changing rapidly now, and it’s definitely not safe for you to show your face, so it’s not wise to stay here long. I also had someone help me calculate a divination for you. Once Ruan Qiong successfully forges the sword, you should travel far south. As for where to go, it’s up to you – whether you want to travel the mountains and rivers, wander the pugilistic world, or temper your martial path on the battlefield, it’s all up to you, Chen Ping’an. In short, don’t come back within five years.”

Chen Ping’an slightly opened his mouth in surprise.

Old Man Yang continued, “You don’t have to worry about the ancestral home in Mud Bottle Lane, the five mountain peaks including Fallen Phoenix Mountain, the shop in Riding Dragon Lane, etc. They will only be managed better than if you were handling them yourself.”

Chen Ping’an’s lips twitched slightly.
Old Yang chuckled, “Among your friends, isn’t there a little girl named Ning Yao? Let me tell you, she comes from Upside-Down Mountain, or more precisely, the Sword Qi Great Wall. In her hometown, they lack a handy sword the most. If you have the guts, take a trip there and deliver a sword for her.”

Chen Ping An took a deep breath and asked, “When do you want me to leave?”

Old Yang pondered for a moment, “Pack your things, and as soon as Ruan Qiong produces that sword and you get your hands on it, leave immediately.”

Chen Ping An asked, “What will happen if I don’t leave?”

The old man sneered, “What will happen? What else? You’ll kick the bucket. All the savings you painstakingly accumulated will benefit others. A group of people will sit down, you’ll divide the mountains, I’ll take the sword embryo, and he’ll raise snakes and pythons. Everyone will be happy, and you? They’ll probably have a hard time even finding someone to collect your corpse. And that’s not even the worst outcome. It’s not a good thing for me to tell you the even worse possibilities right now.”

Chen Ping An raised his hands and rubbed his face hard, suddenly asking a seemingly unrelated question, “Sir, you said before that the town is bigger than I can imagine. I’d like to ask, just how big is this town?”

Old Yang exhaled smoke rings, forcing a smile, “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve already seen that heavenly bridge, haven’t you?”

Chen Ping An was immediately horrified, ripples spreading through his heart-lake.

Old Yang said calmly, “For the sake of that golden incense figurine, I can reveal some secrets to you. For example, most of the town children who, by some stroke of fate, wrote their names in that small temple back then have now perished. But those who survived are, without exception, heroes and overlords who dominate their respective regions. Such as Xie Shi, the Heavenly Sovereign of Ju Lu Continent, and Cao Xi, the Sword Immortal of Poso Continent. As for me, I’m just a rent collector, year after year, just keeping an eye on the harvest in the fields.”

“And that place you people commonly call the Crab Archway is actually like a contract. After the Dragon Slaying campaign, everyone sat down in turn to reward merits. The earliest alliance was signed here, a total of four sages from the Three Teachings and One Family. Ma Ku Xuan is related to one of them. Besides, the true function of the Archway Tower has long been unknown. It should be called the Sword-Suppressing Tower, one of the nine majestic Sword-Suppressing Towers in the world. As for what sword it suppresses, you and I know in our hearts. However, to mislead others, Gold Armor Continent also has a Sword-Suppressing Tower. Although that tower is an almost perfect imitation, and the sword it suppresses is also extraordinary, it is ultimately a fake. But you can treat these secrets as just stories. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t heard them, and it’s useless even if you have.”

Old Yang squinted his eyes and looked at the sky, “It’s called the Sword-Suppressing Tower, but in the earliest days, this place was a Ascension Platform. But that’s ancient history, it’s useless to say more.”

Old Yang withdrew his gaze and said frankly, “Because of your existence, you have unknowingly played a role in connecting threads. I have made many deals and earned a lot of money these past few years. The breathing technique I taught you back then was also because of the profits I made from a certain deal, so you don’t need to feel grateful for it. There’s no need. Business is business. Maybe one day, your enemy will sit here and offer enough chips, and I will still do business with him and sell you out.”

Chen Ping An remained silent.

Feeling somewhat saddened.

After all, he was still a youth. No matter how much hardship he had endured or how far he had traveled, a youth was still a youth, only fifteen years old after the New Year.

Old Yang pointed to the hairpin on Chen Ping An’s head, “Although it’s just an ordinary hairpin, I like the words on it, so I’m going to make a small deal with you. You use this hairpin to exchange for a spatial treasure, one that even a Second Realm martial artist can wield. That alone makes it rarer than the vast majority of spatial and miniature treasures in the world. Your journey south this time is different from the last time. You are truly alone and without any support. Without something truly to rely on, you won’t get far.”

Chen Ping An was dumbfounded.

Old Yang waited quietly for an answer.

Chen Ping An softly asked, “If one day I want to redeem the hairpin, can I?”

Old Yang smiled, “Most people probably can’t, but you, Chen Ping An, have helped me earn so many times, so I can make a small exception once. But let me say it up front, it won’t be just a spatial treasure that you can redeem by then.”

Chen Ping An took off the jade hairpin and handed it to the old man.

The old man took the ordinary white jade hairpin, didn’t even look at it, and put it in his sleeve.

The next moment, before Chen Ping An could retract his hand, a jade short sword, no longer than an inch, appeared in his palm. Old Yang smiled, “I think the name you gave to the sword embryo is good, ‘First Day’. A good omen. It’s just that those two little fellows didn’t appreciate it. Coincidentally, this miniature flying sword can be nurtured into a natal flying sword of not low grade, and can also be used as a spatial treasure, named ‘Fifteenth’.”

Chen Ping An asked in a low voice, “Is it very precious?”

“Just accept it.”

Old Yang twitched the corner of his mouth, “Doesn’t everyone eat dumplings during the New Year?”