Chen Ping’an guarded the second half of the night and returned to the ancient temple. Neither Xu Yuanxia nor Zhang Shanfeng asked him anything, and Chen Ping’an didn’t offer any explanation either.

The night passed, and dawn arrived. Chen Ping’an sat by the campfire, the flames illuminating his slightly pale face, lost in thought.

As the sky gradually brightened, the burly, bearded man was still sound asleep. Zhang Shanfeng, after tidying up his bedding, noticed that Chen Ping’an wasn’t in the ancient temple. Stepping outside, he discovered that Chen Ping’an, unusually, wasn’t practicing his fist stances. Instead, he stood motionless, holding his locust wood sword.

Hearing footsteps, Chen Ping’an turned and smiled, “Up already?”

Zhang Shanfeng nodded, stretching his arms and loosening his muscles. The morning mountain breeze was still a bit chilly. Zhang Shanfeng unsheathed the peach wood sword from his back and began practicing a set of unchanging swordsmanship, turning and moving, his body following the sword with agility.

Zhang Shanfeng’s arms were long like an ape’s, his sword techniques connecting smoothly and seamlessly. In the eyes of seasoned martial artists, he was a natural-born swordsman. Of course, from the perspective of mountain immortals, this might not hold true. They placed more emphasis on “nurturing Qi and refining Qi,” focusing on being able to climb mountains swiftly, so fast that one outstripped their peers and even left centuries-old figures in the dust.

After Zhang Shanfeng finished his sword practice, Chen Ping’an remained in his sword-holding posture, hesitant and unable to deliver a single strike.

During breakfast, the three discussed their plans, deciding to visit the Sword Water Manor founded by Song Yushao for a brief respite. After gathering information about the specific location of the ferry crossing for the Combing Water Kingdom’s immortals, they would then set off.

The manor was over seven hundred li away, mostly across majestic mountains and towering ridges. Fortunately, with the arrival of summer, the weather was fair and the sun shone brightly. The three traveled with all haste and soon arrived in the territory of Sword Water Manor. The manor was built at the foot of a beautiful mountain. Before reaching the manor, they passed through a bustling town with a constant flow of people. Chen Ping’an went alone to buy wine to fill his Sword Nurturing Gourd, Xu Yuanxia visited a bookshop, and Zhang Shanfeng was responsible for purchasing and replenishing dried provisions and jerky. Only when spending money did one realize its scarcity. The burly man had set his sights on an extremely expensive, rare edition from the previous dynasty of the Combing Water Kingdom, in excellent condition, but unfortunately, he was short on funds. He regretted being too reserved in Rouge County and should have accepted the five thousand taels of silver as readily as Chen Ping’an.

Stymied by the lack of even a single copper coin, the three continued their journey to Sword Water Manor. Zhang Shanfeng mentioned “Grain Rain Coins,” which were even more valuable than Minor Heat Coins. He said he had never seen one in his life, only heard of them. A single Minor Heat Coin was equivalent to a thousand Snowflake Coins, and a single Grain Rain Coin, made of rare materials, was worth a hundred Minor Heat Coins. Golden Core and Nascent Soul Stage earth immortals seemed to use these coins to trade for magical treasures. Most importantly, Grain Rain Coins themselves were a great tonic for cultivators, able to quickly replenish Qi and restore vitality.

Xu Yuanxia reminded them that if their gains from slaying demons in Rouge County weren’t beneficial to their current cultivation, they should find a mountain shop, even if they had to sell them at a discount, as long as they weren’t being ripped off, and purchase one or two spiritual artifacts that would aid their cultivation. It was best to secure them. Money was important, but a tangible improvement in cultivation was even more so.

Zhang Shanfeng had already decided what to do. He wanted to buy a few offensive talismans he had long desired, preferably lightning-based talismans. He also hoped to find a reasonably priced magic sword. Although his peach wood sword could subdue ghosts and evil spirits, it was limited by the inherent weakness of the peach wood material. If he encountered a powerful mountain demon, he would definitely be in trouble.

Chen Ping’an was a bit hesitant. Of course, he wished he could keep all the magical treasures he acquired, never letting them leave his pocket.

Moreover, he was different from Zhang Shanfeng. His foundation lay in his pure martial arts physique and fist techniques, which he could rely on. It was a form of defense in itself, and he also had two little ancestral figures in his Sword Nurturing Gourd, whose killing power was boundless. Therefore, he wasn’t thinking about selling his spoils or bartering with cultivators for the time being.

Arriving at the bustling Sword Water Manor, the three found themselves in a somewhat awkward situation. There was indeed an elderly Steward Chu in the manor, but the gatekeepers and outer manor stewards in charge of receiving guests, upon hearing that three unknown outsiders were asking to see Old Ancestor Chu, didn’t reveal anything on their faces. However, they had plenty of legitimate reasons to turn them away. Old Ancestor Chu was nearly a hundred years old, a meritorious veteran who had fought alongside the old Manor Lord. He no longer cared about worldly affairs. One might even say that after handing the manor over to his eldest grandson, the old Manor Lord had become elusive, often leaving for three to five years at a time without returning. The esteemed Steward Chu was the second Manor Lord of Sword Water Manor. Was he someone anyone could see whenever they wanted? Did they think Sword Water Manor was a roadside shop in a small town?

Thus, the three were given a polite but firm rejection. Zhang Shanfeng asked Xu Yuanxia if he could offer some money to persuade the steward.

Xu Yuanxia smiled wryly, “In the martial world, especially in a prominent place like Sword Water Manor, offering money is like slapping them in the face. It would only backfire.”

Zhang Shanfeng laughed, “If all else fails, Brother Xu, you can perform a set of saber techniques at the gate, and I guarantee we’ll immediately become honored guests.”

The martial world of Treasure Bottle Continent wasn’t very deep, not comparable to the Northern Ju Continent, which produced countless top swordsmen. Xu Yuanxia, a pure martial artist of the Fourth Realm, was already a master who could walk sideways in the martial world of small countries like Colorful Garb Kingdom and Combing Water Kingdom. With a handy divine weapon in hand, he was like a tiger with wings. Back in the dilapidated ancient temple, if he hadn’t been tricked and ambushed by the seemingly young “Granny,” and had instead fought a fair battle, Xu Yuanxia might not have lost to Granny, one of the Four Fiends of Combing Water Kingdom.

Xu Yuanxia rubbed his stubbled beard, thinking that if there was no other way, he would have to resort to that tactic.

Suddenly, Zhang Shanfeng tugged at their sleeves. Xu Yuanxia and Chen Ping’an turned to look and saw a huge, luxuriously decorated carriage slowly stopping, exuding an imposing aura. A young woman and a burly man stepped down. The young woman was a familiar face; it was the demonic mastermind who had plotted mischief in the ancient temple. She had told Sword Saint Song Yushao of the Combing Water Kingdom that she would personally visit Sword Water Manor, and she had come as good as her word, without the slightest hesitation.

The burly man was nine feet tall, empty-handed, and his aura was astonishing. Wherever he went, martial artists, sect experts, and renowned figures from all directions proactively made way for him.

Chen Ping’an and the others saw the young demonic woman, and she saw them too. After saying something to the burly man, she walked straight towards them, gracefully performing a curtsy, and then smiled, “Greetings, three heroic gentlemen. No discord, no concord. Since we are guests at Sword Water Manor, why don’t we forget our past grievances over a cup of wine?”
Xu Yuanxia exchanged a glance with Chen Ping’an and Zhang Shanfeng, then turned her head and smiled, “Alright, sounds good.”

Soon, a hunched old man from the manor came out to greet the young woman and the sturdy man, surnamed Chu. It turned out that the sturdy man had presented a visiting card before arriving, and the manor dared not neglect him.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xu Yuanxia conveyed Song Yushao’s words to the old man. The old man, who was actually the chief steward of the Sword Manor, immediately recognized the tone as that of the old manor lord. Compared to his cautiousness towards the young woman and the sturdy man, he became much more sincere and enthusiastic. Moreover, having more martial arts friends who had caught the old manor lord’s eye at this critical juncture would be beneficial. Perhaps the young manor lord could then sit firmly on the alliance leader’s seat!

Entering the manor, passing through corridors and around screen walls, the Sword Manor was built with a unique charm. Steward Chu personally arranged for the three of them to stay in a secluded courtyard with beautiful scenery, while the young woman and the sturdy man happened to be staying in a neighboring courtyard.

Chen Ping’an had heard the sound of water even before entering the courtyard. When he asked if there was a stream nearby, he learned that behind the courtyard, along a stone path, not too far away, was a large waterfall. It was a famous scenic spot of the Swordwater Manor, known throughout the Comb Water Kingdom. After the rain, when the sky cleared, a rainbow would hang in the air, creating a magnificent and soul-stirring sight.

Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng did not want to go out and wander for the time being, so Chen Ping’an went to see the waterfall alone.

Zhang Shanfeng practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard, while Xu Yuanxia sat on a stone bench, self-deprecatingly saying, “Well, even I, a fourth-realm martial artist, couldn’t hear the sound of the waterfall, but you, kid, have sharp ears.”

The old man, surnamed Chu, after walking for a while, stopped and turned to look towards the waterfall in the distance, muttering to himself, “Could this sword-carrying youth be a great grandmaster who has returned to his youth?”

Dragon Spring County welcomed a carriage procession, a truly rare sight.

The procession came from the Great Sui officialdom. Although it was small and discreet, it still caused a great storm in the central court of the Great Li Dynasty. As a result, the welcoming team from the Great Li side included two Upper Pillar States, surnamed Yuan and Cao respectively, as well as the Minister of Rites from the Cliff Academy, and several big shots from the capital. Without exception, they were all direct confidants of the Great Li Emperor. County Governor Wu Yuan, standing among them, was truly inconspicuous.

The main figure on the Great Sui side was an unremarkable old man, known only by the surname Gao, the same as the Great Sui Emperor. Judging by his appearance and demeanor, he looked more like a wandering storyteller, lacking the air of wealth and power. He was accompanied by a young female attendant. The other two carriages carried the Imperial Prince Gao Xuan and a eunuch in python robes, as well as a Ministry of Rites Vice-Minister of noble status but not very high rank.

The two groups met at a post station. After a simple meal of tea and coarse food, they quickly rushed to Mount Pīyún, newly enfeoffed as the Northern Mountain. The Northern Mountain Deity Wei Boge, originally a government official from the Yellow Court Kingdom, now suddenly became the Deputy Headmaster of the Linlu Academy, Cheng Shuidong. A deity and an old flood dragon patiently waited at the foot of the mountain for the large group.

The three parties gathered and ascended the mountain one after another.

The Great Li Song Clan and the Great Sui Gao Clan were about to form an alliance on Mount Pīyún!

This “Mountain Alliance” was meant to establish a century-long offensive and defensive alliance between the last two major dynasties in the northern part of the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent.

As the two sides formed an alliance according to Confucian rites, two young men of similar age stood face to face. Both were princes, one named Song Jixin, with his listless maidservant Zhi Gui standing behind him, and the other named Gao Xuan, with an old eunuch in python robes standing respectfully behind him.

Gao Xuan smiled, “We meet again.”

Song Jixin had a very bad impression of this noble from the Great Sui, whom he had first met in Mud Bottle Lane, so he did not speak.

Gao Xuan said with a worried look, “The wheel of fortune turns; now you are more powerful than me.”

Song Jixin sneered and remained silent.

Gao Xuan turned to look at the graceful young woman and smiled, “Chen Ping’an and I are very good friends now. When he was in the Great Sui, he would often mention you whenever he talked about his hometown.”

Zhi Gui rolled her eyes rudely.

Gao Xuan seemed to remember something and asked Song Jixin, “If I remember correctly, you asked for ten thousand taels of gold when I wanted to buy this maidservant from you. Is that still the price?”

Only then did Song Jixin speak, “Tell me the price of the entire Great Sui. Maybe I’ll buy it when I have money in the future.”

Gao Xuan clicked his tongue, “Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. Your tone is really scary now.”

Song Jixin sneered, “Did it scare you to death?”

Gao Xuan pouted, no longer arguing with this guy. He turned to look at the majestic Northern Mountain Deity Temple of the Great Li and said softly, “The Northern Mountain Temple is here. Where is the Southern Mountain?”

In the eastern mountains of the capital city of the Great Sui, where the Cliff Academy was located, there was also an even more hidden subsidiary mountain alliance. Although it seemed to be low-key and did not leak any information, the Great Sui capital city was extremely tense. From the Emperor to the Six Ministries, and both on and off the mountain, they were outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant, keeping a close watch on the Cliff Academy. Fortunately, Mao Xiaodong, the Deputy Headmaster of the academy, acted like a mother hen protecting her chicks, strongly demanding that the Great Sui court not delay the normal teaching of the academy because of this matter. This allowed the masters and students of the Academy to remain completely unaware of any anomalies.

The reason why the Great Sui was so alarmed was that the person responsible for signing the Eastern Mountain Alliance on behalf of the Great Li Dynasty was a figure of great importance.

The Great Li National Preceptor, Cui Chan.

In a quiet courtyard of the Cliff Academy, Xie Xie, the young woman who was now famous in the Great Sui capital, knelt at the door, not daring to breathe loudly.

Inside the room, two people sat opposite each other.

Or rather, it was actually one person.

Cui Chan, the young man in white robes, and Cui Chan, the old man in a scholar’s blue gown.

After the two met, there was no exchange of words. They simply played a game of chess. In the end, the young man, renamed Cui Dongshan, lost by one move. However, the young man was not in a bad mood. He playfully analyzed the game alone.

Old Cui Chan had a solemn expression. He took a cup of hot tea, which the young woman Xie Xie tremblingly handed over, and slowly drank it, not even looking at the chess game.

Cui Chan suddenly said, “Even if there is now a way to merge our souls, you still refuse to agree?”

Cui Dongshan kept bending down to put the pieces back into the chess box, annoyed, “Do you even need to ask? Cui Chan’s temperament is that of preferring to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. It was like that a hundred years ago, and it will be like that ten thousand years from now!”

Cui Chan sighed, “The world is unpredictable and absurd.”

Cui Dongshan asked with a smile, “Since my information is blocked now, has the Country of Colorful Garments in the central part of the Treasure Bottle Continent fallen into chaos?”
Cui Chan nodded, “Although there was a slight unexpected incident, it doesn’t hinder the overall situation. The chaotic state is set.”

Cui Dongshan spent a long time tidying up the chessboard, glancing askance at the old man sitting upright like a grand master, feeling somewhat resentful. He decided not to be a coolie and sprawled out on the intricately woven bamboo mat, muttering, “Your luck is much better than mine. That old scholar is a bully who fears the strong and oppresses the weak. He didn’t want to break ties with you, so he came to clean up an innocent and naive young lad like me. You have no idea how many scornful looks and grievances I suffered from the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven to this capital city of the Great Sui.”

Cui Chan remained silent.

Cui Dongshan lay on his back on the mat, touching his forehead, as if it still vaguely ached, a psychological trauma from being stamped on by that brat, Li Bao-ping!

Cui Dongshan, lying down, crossed his legs and sighed, “The Great Sui Emperor is also a man of great resolve, enduring humiliation and bearing this extraordinary shame. Signing this alliance with the Great Li, the Gao Clan of the Great Sui’s Yi-yang Commandery will have to shrink back for a century, living under the thumb of others, allowing all its attached countries, including the Yellow Court Kingdom, to be given away. They’ll have to watch helplessly as the Great Li’s iron cavalry bypass their doorstep and head south, establishing a grand unified structure for the Precious Bottle Continent, unprecedented in its history.”

Cui Chan said indifferently, “How will the situation on the Precious Bottle Continent be a century from now? Can you and I even see it? And even if we could see it, would it necessarily be right? The Gao Clan of the Great Sui’s forbearance today may very well be the first step for later generations to surpass them.”

Cui Dongshan shook his head, “If it were me, I couldn’t swallow that down.”

Cui Chan sneered, “So, my youthful days, whether in temperament or vision, were so utterly inadequate. No wonder I find myself in such a dismal state today.”

Cui Dongshan wasn’t annoyed. He swung one leg, using his hands as a pillow behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling, “I don’t know why, but you look down on the current me, and I don’t like the current you either. Looking in the mirror, we loathe what we see. Haha, there’s such an interesting thing in the world.”

Cui Chan hesitated, “Grandfather has arrived at Dragon Spring County and is living in a bamboo building on Fallen Phoenix Mountain. He’s much more lucid now. But…”

“I knew there would be a damned ‘but’!”

Cui Dongshan covered his ears, rolling around on the bamboo mat, imitating Li Huai’s wails, “I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you, you’re just a mumbling turtle.”

Cui Chan ignored him, continuing to speak to himself, “Before Lu Chen left the Great Bright World, he found him and fought him in the bamboo building. You should know that, with his obsession with boxing to the point of being possessed, his greatest wish in life is to know whether the path of a tenth-realm martial artist is superior or inferior to the path of a thirteenth or even fourteenth-realm Qi practitioner. And even if it’s inferior, by how much. So, even when facing the leader of the Daoist lineage…”

Cui Dongshan turned to look at the old man across the chessboard, “Lu Chen in the Great Bright World also has to abide by the rules established by the Literary Temple, right? At most, he’s at the thirteenth realm. Grandfather has returned to the tenth realm. If he can restore his peak condition, it’s not impossible for him to fight back. At the very least, it’s not a guaranteed death.”

Cui Chan shook his head, “Lu Chen played a little trick and brought him into a small grotto-heaven. In that case, the battlefield is no longer in the Great Bright World.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly sat up, his face full of murderous intent, but his tone was extremely restrained and steady, “Grandfather is dead?”

Cui Chan took a sip of tea, slowly saying, “No. He walked out of Fallen Phoenix Mountain afterward and, like an ordinary person in the small town, was busy purchasing writing materials. When I found him, he said that within that small grotto-heaven, Lu Chen, with profound Daoist techniques, summoned as many as ten tenth-realm martial artists to be used by him. Imagine, being surrounded by ten historical tenth-realm martial artists, each with two fists, knowing that death is inevitable, would you throw that punch?”

Cui Dongshan stood up, then sat down cross-legged again, reaching out to grab his hair, annoyed, “Of course, I wouldn’t, but he would. Didn’t Grandfather know that withdrawing that punch would be the same as giving up the legendary eleventh realm of martial arts? If that punch isn’t delivered, wouldn’t a lifetime of pursuit be abandoned?”

Cui Chan put down his teacup, “Then have you ever thought that even if he throws the punch, survives, and even rises to become an eleventh-realm martial artist, will you, me, and Chen Ping’an have peaceful days in the future? Those big shots who have been hiding behind the scenes for thousands of years may tolerate a tenth-realm martial artist from the Precious Bottle Continent, but they may not be able to accept a new eleventh-realm Martial God. So that punch, he made a deal with Sect Leader Lu Chen, or rather, with the Central Earth Divine Continent, using the eleventh realm of a pure martial artist to exchange for a chance to go to the market to buy sundries, to exchange for a peaceful life.”

Cui Dongshan collapsed backward with a thud, “Boring.”

Cui Chan’s heart twitched, and he suddenly looked towards the door.

Cui Dongshan did the same.

Cui Chan sneered, “Qi Jingchun! You’re a persistent ghost, only willing to completely stop at this moment. I want to see if you still have any tricks up your sleeve to play chess with me!”

Cui Dongshan said weakly, “Old Cui, if you want to mess around, go ahead. I’m not playing chess with Qi Jingchun anyway. Even more boring.”

Cui Chan snorted coldly, standing up and looking down at the young version of himself, mocking, “A piece of mud can’t be plastered on a wall!”

Cui Dongshan didn’t even blink, happily saying, “Lying in the mud and basking in the sun is actually quite comfortable. Don’t pull me up. I’ll get angry at anyone who tries to pull me up.”

Cui Chan held out a hand, “Give it to me!”

Cui Dongshan blinked, “What?”

Cui Chan’s face darkened, “That item of minuscule size!”

Cui Dongshan turned sideways, showing his backside to Cui Chan.

Cui Chan’s expression was uncertain, “Borrow it for twenty years. After that, even if you haven’t reached the upper five realms, I’ll still take it back.”

Cui Dongshan quickly turned around, holding out a palm, haggling, “At least fifty years!”

Cui Chan walked towards the door, his sleeves fluttering, “Thirty years. Dare to push your luck any further, and I’ll beat you to death right now.”

After Cui Chan left the courtyard, Cui Dongshan rolled all the way to the door on the bamboo mat.

The girl kneeling outside the threshold had remained motionless from beginning to end, like a wooden doll.

Cui Dongshan lazily sat up, glancing at the girl’s posture, and smiled, “Xie Xie, so your butt is quite big. No wonder you want to be my mistress.”

The girl sat in place honestly, in the same posture, as if she hadn’t heard anything.

Cui Dongshan jumped up, ran to the girl’s side, and kicked her hard on the butt, sending the girl sprawling into the courtyard.

The white-clothed boy put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly.

The girl silently got up, not even bothering to brush off the dust from her clothes.
Cui Dongshan sighed, gently tapping his chest. “Seeing you in such a pitiful state, my young master’s heart aches like a blade.”

Xie Xie forced a smile, barely managing to crack his face.

Cui Dongshan hastily covered his eyes with one hand, shaking the other wildly. “Turn your head away quickly! It’s like seeing a ghost in broad daylight. Your young master’s eyes are about to go blind!”

The girl turned her head, her gaze lifting to the clear blue sky.

When she was little, she never understood why “not a cloud in the sky” was the best weather. Wouldn’t colorful, radiant clouds be more beautiful? It wasn’t until she went up the mountain that she realized no clouds meant no wind or rain.

Li Baoping used a wooden “Alliance Master Token” to gather everyone, inspired by a recently read book about chivalrous heroes, where the revered Martial Alliance Master could command the entire martial world with just a token. She held the homemade wooden plaque high, swaggering around to knock on each door, saying nothing, just sternly raising the token before moving on to the next.

Finally, Lin Shouyi, Li Huai, Yu Lu, Xie Xie, and even the ever-mischievous Cui Dongshan gathered in Li Baoping’s schoolhouse, awaiting the Martial Alliance Master’s pronouncements.

Li Baoping coughed, the small wooden token hanging around her neck. A thick envelope rested on the table.

The red-padded jacket girl slowly opened the envelope, her expression solemn. “Little Martial Uncle wrote us all letters. As the Dragon Spring County sub-helm leader under the main Altar, I will now read the letters to you all. Remember not to make loud noises, be attentive, and don’t… Li Huai, sit properly! And Cui Dongshan, no crossing your legs! Yu Lu, stop eating melon seeds!”

The group could only obediently sit up straight, listening attentively.

The little girl first read the letter Little Martial Uncle had written to her, reciting it with dramatic inflection.

Then, she carefully folded the letter and placed it aside, taking the second letter from the envelope, which was for Li Huai. After that were letters for Lin Shouyi, and Yu Lu and Xie Xie shared a single letter.

The content of Chen Ping’an’s letters mostly revolved around trivial matters in their hometown during the New Year, or reminders not to quarrel, to stay united while away from home, to take care of each other, not to worry the family, not to overwork themselves with studies, and to occasionally descend the mountain to relax, perhaps exploring the Great Sui capital together. At most, he included accounts of unusual people and events encountered after leaving the Great Sui capital, and descriptions of the scenery from aboard the Kun vessel, overlooking the land. There was nothing eloquent about his writing, it was straightforward and unadorned, but the sincerity was palpable. Everyone could almost picture Chen Ping’an sitting as upright and serious as they were at that moment, his expression undoubtedly meticulous as he penned the letters.

Li Baoping finished reading all the letters, assuming a posture of concentrating qi in her dantian. “Finished!”

Li Huai asked, puzzled, “Li Baoping, since Chen Ping’an wrote almost everyone a letter, why didn’t you just hand them out?”

The red-padded jacket girl glared, and Li Huai shrunk back.

Cui Dongshan pointed at his own nose. “What about mine?”

Li Baoping crossed her arms, sitting cross-legged on the bench, shaking her head. “Little Martial Uncle didn’t write you a letter.”

Cui Dongshan looked up, feigning tears, murmuring, “The world actually holds such an unfeeling and heartless teacher.”

Li Baoping suddenly laughed heartily, pulling several silver notes from a reputable Great Li bank out of the envelope. “Little Martial Uncle mentioned it in my letter, I forgot to read it. Here, take it, Little Martial Uncle said it’s the two thousand taels of silver he owed you. Cui Dongshan, you can’t deny it later and say Little Martial Uncle didn’t pay you back. I’ll be a witness for Little Martial Uncle!”

Cui Dongshan accepted the light silver notes, his face still expressing utter heartbreak, but a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in his eyes. “Baoping, did your Little Martial Uncle mention the Spring Festival couplets? The ones I wrote, did the teacher put them up on New Year’s Eve? Check the letters again carefully, in case you missed something?”

Li Baoping declared resolutely, “No! I’ve read Little Martial Uncle’s letter nine times, I can recite it backwards!”

Cui Dongshan looked suspicious, getting up and bending over, reaching for the letters to flip through them himself.

Li Baoping slammed her hand on the carefully folded letters, glaring at her defeated opponent. “How dare you!”

One thing subdues another.

Cui Dongshan dejectedly withdrew his hand, plopping back down, sighing endlessly, feeling like life was meaningless.

Li Huai whispered, “Cui Dongshan, do you find the silver notes annoying? Give them to me then?”

Cui Dongshan put away the silver notes, glancing sideways. “The silver notes aren’t annoying, you’re annoying.”

Li Huai mimicked Li Baoping, crossing his arms triumphantly. “Be careful how you speak! Do you know that I am now the leader of the Wu Character School sub-branch of the Dongshan branch of the Dragon Spring Township main Altar?!”

Cui Dongshan got up, patted his behind, and scolded the little rascal with a smile. “Get lost!”

Li Baoping gathered all the letters, putting them back into the envelope. “I’ll keep the letters safe for you, in case you lose them. Meeting adjourned!”

Cui Dongshan left the schoolhouse, yawning.

Lin Shouyi and Li Huai left together.

Yu Lu and Xie Xie walked last.

Yu Lu chuckled softly, “Chen Ping’an’s letter to us has twenty-four more words than yours, you know.”

Xie Xie said with a dark expression, “Yu Lu, aren’t you being childish?”

Yu Lu’s smile was incredibly irritating.

In the depths of Sword Water Manor, a magnificent waterfall roared, like a white silk descending from the sky.

Beneath the waterfall was a deep, emerald-green pool, its depths unfathomable, with fleeting glimpses of red fish.

The sound of the waterfall was like thunder, and the surrounding air was filled with mist.

Chen Ping’an stood beside the deep pool in an exquisite waterside pavilion, pondering a question.

If he struck with his sword, could he split the waterfall curtain in two?

Chen Ping’an weighed the force of the waterfall and thought of his awkward situation, unable to even execute a proper sword strike, the answer was no.

Chen Ping’an tapped his toes, stepping onto the red-lacquered railing of the pavilion, intending to practice the stake-standing sword stance, but one hand had already involuntarily reached for the sword-nourishing gourd, taking a sip of wine, tilting his head back, looking towards the top of the waterfall, his gaze slowly descending.

Like a stream of sword qi descending to the mortal realm from an immortal’s sleeve.