(11000-character chapter.)

After paying the entrance fee at the west gate of Old Dragon City and passing through the almost interminable city tunnel, Sun Jiashu led Chen Ping’an onto a spacious carriage. At first glance, apart from the larger size of the carriage and the more docile horses, there was nothing to suggest the extravagance of the wealthy. The coachman was a stern-faced old man. Only after Chen Ping’an entered the carriage did he discover the hidden wonders within. There were four simple white futons. Facing the wall with the curtains was a row to his own good nature and countered Sun Jiashu’s words.

They chatted amiably along the way. Sun Jiashu recounted many amusing and embarrassing anecdotes from his travels. Chen Ping’an was always a good listener. Moreover, Sun Jiashu’s initially vague image gradually became clearer—a very “peaceful”…wealthy man!

Sun Jiashu being so wealthy was not something he flaunted, nor did he deliberately belittle himself. He treated his friends as equals, both inwardly and outwardly.

Chen Ping’an felt that this was how a truly wealthy man should be.

The carriage arrived at a rural area, the horses’ hooves trodding on a dirt road, causing the vehicle to bump and sway. Noticing Chen Ping’an’s curiosity, Sun Jiashu smiled and lifted the curtain. Outside the carriage window was a dense expanse of reeds, lush and green. As the carriage moved forward, golden rapeseed flowers appeared, pleasing to the eye. Logically, the rapeseed flowers should have bloomed long ago. Chen Ping’an assumed that the soil and climate of Old Dragon City were different from his hometown.

Sun Jiashu explained, “This is the ancestral land where the Sun family’s ancestors prospered. Later generations have tried to maintain its original appearance, fearing it would spoil the feng shui and ancestral blessings, and also to commemorate our predecessors. When the Sun family entertains distinguished guests, mountain immortals, emperors, and generals, they are all received at the Sun Mansion in the inner city, a very ornate place, not inferior to the Fu Family’s Old Dragon Mansion. But when entertaining true friends, I prefer to bring them here. About ten miles further ahead is the Sun family’s ancestral home. It’s not a large estate, just a three-courtyard residence. The house faces a river where you can fish. I hope you’ll like it.”

Chen Ping’an smiled brightly, “I like it. How could I not like it?”

Sun Jiashu asked with a smile, “How about we get out and walk?”

Chen Ping’an naturally agreed. So, the two got out of the carriage and walked towards the Sun family’s ancestral home. Sun Jiashu then gave an overview of the ancestral land, casually mentioning, “The surrounding hundred miles all belong to the Sun family. There are six villages, about two thousand households, raising silkworms and growing tea. The Sun family buys all the produce at slightly above market prices, so the villagers have a decent income and can live and work in peace.” This truly made Chen Ping’an understand the size of Old Dragon City and the wealth of the Sun family.

When they could already see the outline of the Sun family’s ancestral home, Chen Ping’an asked, “Does Old Dragon City have cross-continent ferries to Upside-Down Mountain?”

Sun Jiashu nodded, “Yes, Old Dragon City is actually the largest commercial hub in Treasure Bottle Continent. It goes wherever money can be made. However, not everyone has the ability to make money by going to Sword Qi Great Wall through Upside-Down Mountain. Even the five major surnames in Old Dragon City, including the Fu and Sun families, have to be cautious in this business and take care of all aspects.”

Speaking of this, Sun Jiashu sighed with emotion and slowly said, “Over the millennia, not to mention the City Lord’s Fu family, the five major surnames of Old Dragon City have all changed several times. Most of them have fallen in Upside-Down Mountain. The Sun family has almost suffered crippling blows several times, all related to Sword Qi Great Wall. Now Old Dragon City only has six ferries that can go to Upside-Down Mountain. The Fu family occupies two of them. All six ferries are very large, each capable of carrying at least two thousand people. The Fu family’s ferry is a treasure-swallowing whale and a floating mountain built by the Mo family, known as ‘Little Upside-Down.’ It has pavilions, towers, and jade buildings, with beautiful scenery. It is the preferred ferry for mountain immortals, and almost every trip has many Golden Core and Nascent Soul stage cultivator bigwigs. Our Sun family’s ferry is a sea turtle captured and tamed by our ancestors. The turtle’s shell is as large as a mountain, capable of accommodating 2,400 guests, and of course, even more goods. The real profit from a trip to Upside-Down Mountain is not the small fee paid by the passengers, but the various resources and specialties of Treasure Bottle Continent and Club Reed Continent. As long as they can be delivered to Upside-Down Mountain, it’s a tenfold profit. However, the journey is long, and there are many accidents. It is also possible for the ferry to suffer heavy casualties and lose everything. Therefore, cultivators choose suitable ferries based on the year, season, and divination. This is already a major learning.”

In the end, Sun Jiashu smiled with a hint of self-deprecation, “I forgot to tell you that the Fu family and the five major surnames of Old Dragon City are all disciples of the merchants among the Hundred Schools of Thought. The ancestral tablets enshrined in the main houses of each family are different from the Confucian sages in the Confucian Temple. However, the merchants, even now, are still considered a second-rate field of study. I heard that in the earliest days, a Confucian scholar who was eventually enshrined in the Confucian Temple and held a very high position, said, ‘Dog meat is not fit for the table,’ which was actually referring to us merchants. This kind of evaluation is considered polite. What about ‘merchants are lowly,’ ‘the last of the Hundred Schools,’ ‘reeking of copper,’ ‘merchants have no benevolence,’ ‘the decline of morality is largely due to merchants’? These are even harsher insults. Therefore, in the nine continents of the vast world, there are many merchants, but they will never be promoted as the mainstream by any dynasty.”

Chen Ping’an could only listen to these insider details involving the tenets of the Hundred Schools of Thought and dared not make wild evaluations or rash conclusions.

Arriving at the small Sun family ancestral home, there were no beautiful maids or pretty servant girls, only a dozen old men and women looking after the house. Sun Jiashu treated Chen Ping’an to a meal that was neither extravagant nor frugal, consisting of seasonal vegetables, fish, shrimp, chicken, and duck from the vicinity of the house. It was very appetizing. The only substantial dish was a soup made with various seafood ingredients. Chen Ping’an, accustomed to freshwater delicacies, was not used to it. Sun Jiashu didn’t urge him to eat more, allowing Chen Ping’an to pick and choose according to his preferences.

After the meal, the two strolled along the riverbank outside the house. Chen Ping’an asked, “Young Master Sun, do you know of a place called Dust Medicine Shop in Old Dragon City?”

Sun Jiashu thought for a moment, “I haven’t heard of it before, but I can help you find it quickly.”

Chen Ping’an expressed his thanks.

Sun Jiashu waved his hand with a smile, indicating that Chen Ping’an didn’t need to be so polite. He bent down, picked up a flat stone, and threw it sideways, skipping it across the water towards the opposite bank.
Across the river stretched fields of rapeseed flowers, an endless expanse of golden yellow.

Chen Ping’an had already placed his package in the house where he was staying, once again securing the gourd of nurtured swords at his waist, and still carrying the sword case on his back. He took a swig from “Jiang’s Gourd,” the river flowing gently, like a tranquil and peaceful elder.

Sun Jiashu stopped, saying, “I’ve roughly calculated. There are only three ferries to Upside-down Mountain in the near future, the other three haven’t returned yet. One is my Sun family’s Mountain-Sea Turtle, then there’s the Fu family’s Treasure-Swallowing Whale, and the Fan family’s Osmanthus Island. From a stability perspective, I suggest you take the Treasure-Swallowing Whale. The intercontinental route to Upside-down Mountain has been treacherous in the past decade. The Mountain-Sea Turtle is not as good as the Treasure-Swallowing Whale, and even less so than the Osmanthus Island built from an island. After all, no matter how good-tempered the Mountain-Sea Turtle is, it’s still a living creature with flesh and blood. The shipwreck of the Kun vessel from Bao Ping Continent’s central Da Jiao Mountain is an example. The Treasure-Swallowing Whale can travel far in the deep sea and is the most stable. Moreover, the Fu family has been navigating that route for many years and knows how to avoid those aquatic demons like the back of their hand. If you’re thinking about saving money and comfort, then definitely my family’s Mountain-Sea Turtle. You can stay on it without worrying about food and clothing… you don’t have to worry about anything…”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a long while before blurting out, “Either the Mountain-Sea Turtle or Osmanthus Island, I definitely won’t ride the Treasure-Swallowing Whale.”

Sun Jiashu was surprised, asking, “Why?”

Chen Ping’an was a little embarrassed. “Back in my hometown of Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, I almost killed Fu Nanhua, the young city lord of Old Dragon City. How dare I take his family’s ferry?”

Sun Jiashu couldn’t help but put his hand on Chen Ping’an’s shoulder and give it a heavy pat. “Chen Ping’an! I’ve seen many heroes and champions, but few as bold as you!”

Chen Ping’an sighed, because from Sun Jiashu’s tone, he knew that Fu Nanhua was not to be trifled with.

Sun Jiashu held back for a long time, but still couldn’t help but laugh. “Old Dragon City has more than one young city lord. There are several other Fu family branch disciples who hope to inherit that ancestral old dragon robe. But everyone knows that Fu Nanhua is most valued by City Lord Fu Qi. One of the Fu family’s old ancestors, who holds a Demi-Immortal weapon, is Fu Nanhua’s mentor. However, he has been in seclusion for the past few years, rumored to be striving to reach the upper five realms. So Fu Nanhua is most likely to become the next city lord. Chen Ping’an, you’re something else! If this were to spread, I guarantee you’d be famous throughout half the continent within a month.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “I’d rather not have that kind of fame.”

Sun Jiashu laughed even harder. “Although I’ve dealt with Fu Nanhua quite a bit, and we’re even more than just fair-weather friends… of course, Fu Nanhua is still far from being like Liu Baqiao. Hearing this truth today, I just want to laugh. I guess I’m being too unkind. So Chen Ping’an, you should also be careful. When being friends with someone like me, don’t be too sincere at first. We need to spend more time together.”

As a result, Chen Ping’an blurted out, “Actually, I’m not very familiar with Liu Baqiao. I’ve only met him twice.”

Sun Jiashu was a little stifled. “Then why did Liu Baqiao say in his letter that you and he had been through life and death a hundred times? He praised you to the skies in the letter, and even threatened to break off our friendship and spread my nickname throughout Bao Ping Continent if I didn’t personally give you a warm welcome.”

Chen Ping’an tentatively asked, “Is the nickname ‘Grandson’?”

Sun Jiashu reached out to support his forehead, laughing bitterly. “You could guess that too?”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Although I’ve only met him twice, I know Liu Baqiao’s temperament. He’s the most irregular.”

Sun Jiashu sighed. “My relationship with Fu Nanhua is nothing more than a case of old friends becoming strangers. You and Liu Baqiao seem to have hit it off at first sight.”

The coachman appeared in the distance. Sun Jiashu looked back and said to Chen Ping’an, “I have to go to the inner city’s Sun Manor to meet a guest. It was arranged. Someone will tell you about the Dust Removal Pharmacy by the latest before nightfall. Since you have a death feud with Fu Nanhua, you must have someone notify me before you go out. I will arrange your itinerary. That way, the Fu family’s Treasure-Swallowing Whale can be ruled out. You might as well take my family’s Mountain-Sea Turtle to Upside-down Mountain, departing on time twenty days from now. You can stay at my ancestral home during this time. If you want anything, as long as Old Dragon City has it, I can send it over. Don’t feel bad about it. Before you ask, you can keep telling yourself, ‘That grandson is rich, very rich. Being friends means sharing good fortune and bearing hardship together. Let’s enjoy the good fortune first, and then fight side by side and suffer hardship together later. That way, we won’t lose out.'”

“Okay, I won’t stand on ceremony with you.”

Chen Ping’an nodded with a smile, blinking. “Did Liu Baqiao say that?”

Sun Jiashu gave a thumbs up. “No wonder Liu Baqiao desperately wanted to be friends with you. You understand him!”

Sun Jiashu said goodbye and left, following the old coachman, whose depth Chen Ping’an couldn’t discern, getting further and further away, riding in a carriage towards Old Dragon City’s inner city.

Thus, Chen Ping’an, alone, began to practice the Six Steps Walking Stance along the river.

The calm river, the boundless fields of rapeseed flowers, the ordinary dirt road… If it weren’t for the lack of a stone arch bridge and a Ruan family sword shop, Chen Ping’an would almost have thought he was in his hometown.

Chen Ping’an practiced his fist techniques for more than ten miles, then ahead was a small village built along the river, with the crowing of chickens, the barking of dogs, and wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys. Chen Ping’an stopped practicing, looked around. Beside him was a small wooden bridge spanning the river. At that moment, he felt inexplicably like he was in another world.

Chen Ping’an was about to turn around and walk back to the Sun family’s ancestral home when he noticed a group of simply dressed children walking out of the rapeseed fields on the opposite bank. Most of them were young students from a private school, and some were even younger, with snot hanging from their noses, lagging behind. Two older boys, holding wooden and bamboo swords that their elders had probably whittled, rudimentary in style, just crude embryos of swords, seemed to be competing in swordsmanship, walking one after the other on the ridges between the fields, chopping at the rapeseed flowers with a flurry of swings, and shouting wildly, full of momentum.
The poor, pitiful rapeseed flowers in the fields were being hacked to pieces by the two children, their wooden swords whistling through the air. Soon, a younger child behind them suddenly burst into tears. He had been enjoying the game at first, but then realized the field of flowers belonged to his family. If his parents found out, he’d surely get a spanking when he got home!

But he didn’t dare stop the two older “swordsmen.” He could only cry his heart out. Luckily, one of the “swordsmen” quickly realized something was amiss. He pulled out a piece of homemade frozen rice candy and said a few comforting words to the child. The little boy, his face covered in tears and snot, immediately smiled. He followed the two “swordsmen,” watching them swing their swords with dazzling speed and skill. He thought to himself that when he was older and stronger, he would ask his carpenter father for a sword, and then he’d chop down all the rapeseed flowers! How impressive would that be? That snobby little girl, Cuihua, from the next village, who only liked to play with the young scholar, would surely be clinging to him then!

Chen Pingan watched the scene, amused.

Wasn’t this exactly what his childhood was like? Liu Xianyang was always up to these kinds of mischief. He not only chopped rapeseed flowers with wooden swords, but he also liked to knock down the high and low ridges of the fields and throw stones at the ducks in the river. He was constantly being scolded by the women and chased around for a beating. Later, when he and Chen Pingan became kiln workers, Liu Xianyang did it less, finding it boring. He preferred to wander into the mountains, catching snakes and wild chickens. But after Gu Can came into Chen Pingan’s life, he carried on Liu Xianyang’s “legacy,” amplifying his destructive tendencies. However, unlike Liu Xianyang, who was always carefree in his misdeeds, the young, snot-nosed Gu Can was far more cunning. He almost never got caught, possessing both a perseverance that even Chen Pingan admired and a premature shrewdness that belied his age.

Under the scorching sun, Gu Can could squat on his heels for half a day, just to catch a loach.

In Mud Bottle Alley, every mealtime was heralded by Gu Can’s mother shouting his name at the top of her lungs.

Chen Pingan squatted by the riverbank, tossing stones into the water.

A long line of children was coming towards him from the narrow wooden bridge, one head after another, like a string of candied haws.

Seeing Chen Pingan’s unfamiliar face, the children weren’t afraid. They just glanced at him before heading towards the village. But one child, carrying a bamboo sword, kept turning back, his eyes glued to the sword case on Chen Pingan’s back. Finally, he couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer and ran to Chen Pingan, asking in perfect Bao Ping Continent Mandarin, “Are you perhaps a swordsman?”

Chen Pingan stood up, dusted off his hands, and smiled, “Are you?”

The child rolled his eyes, finding the question incredibly naive. He retorted, “I’m just missing a peerless secret manual.”

Chen Pingan suppressed a smile and nodded. “Me too.”

The child looked down at his bamboo sword, then back up at the sword hilt sticking out of the wooden case on the stranger’s back. “Can I take a look at your sword?”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “No.”

The older child sneered, glancing at the crimson gourd hanging from Chen Pingan’s waist. “You’re so stingy. You don’t seem like a swordsman who roams the land at all. I bet your gourd isn’t filled with wine, but water, just pretending to fool people.”

Chen Pingan asked, “Have you ever seen a real swordsman?”

The child nodded vigorously.

Behind him, a rosy-cheeked little girl timidly said, “We’ve only ever been to the market a few dozen *li* away. We wouldn’t see swordsmen there.”

Soon, another honest child chimed in, “The teacher at the school told us some poems about swordsmen. The market sells expensive storybooks with pictures of great heroes, and the swordsmen are the most powerful. All the bad guys can’t beat them.”

The child who claimed to have seen a real swordsman turned and glared. The two children immediately shut their mouths.

The other slightly older child, with a robust build and a wooden sword in hand, asked Chen Pingan, “How skilled is your swordsmanship?”

This question really stumped Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan could only say, “I’ve seen very skilled swordsmen, not the ones in your storybooks.”

The bamboo sword child scoffed.

The honest child with the wooden sword, however, believed him about seventy or eighty percent. He pressed, “Did you learn swordsmanship from those great heroes? If you can show off some swordsmanship, I’ll believe you’re a real swordsman. If possible, would you accept me as your disciple? I want to learn swordsmanship from you, not the kind for chopping rapeseed flowers. Like, if you could cut our village’s bridge in half with one strike, I’d become your apprentice right now!”

Chen Pingan couldn’t help but smile.

With his swordsmanship, someone wants to become his apprentice?

Chen Pingan wasn’t aware that the area within a hundred *li* of the Sun family’s ancestral home was a renowned haven of peace and tranquility near Old Dragon City. Although the people who had lived here for generations were mostly simple and honest villagers, there were several hidden masters secretly guarding the ancestral home’s *feng shui*, preventing it from being damaged by outsiders. However, what seemed like a world apart between the mountains and the foot of the mountains actually had some intertwined destinies, of which mortals remained blissfully ignorant. Besides the two elders of the Sun family’s ancestral home, there was also a woodcutter who lived in seclusion in a thatched hut on the mountain, and an old man who had settled here, flourishing with descendants. These were all true great cultivators – three Golden Core and one Nascent Soul realm – including an ancestor from a branch family of Sun clan, a reclusive expert avoiding trouble, and someone hired by the Sun family with great wealth. Wealth moved men’s hearts, even divine ones. After all, every year when they collect money, they were collecting Valley Rain money.
The four Grand Qi Cultivators were gathered before the woodcutter’s thatched hut. As it was one of the nodes of the formation, the woodcutter, seemingly a man in his prime, casually waved his hand. Mountain winds and mist coalesced, forming a scroll-like image. All eyes followed the sword-carrying youth practicing his fist techniques along the riverbank. The four began to wager on the youth’s realm.

One claimed that since he was a friend of Sun Jiashu, he must be a remarkably gifted sword cultivator. His fist techniques were merely a disguise, and he was undoubtedly a nascent Cave Realm swordsman. Another countered, saying that he might not have even reached the Middle Five Realms. The remaining two debated whether the youth was at the Fourth or Fifth Realm of a martial artist. One of them argued that the youth possessed a foundation built to perfection, a Fourth Realm unlike any other. He was certain that the youth, aside from his exceptional talent, must have had the assistance of an expert since childhood, practically raised in a medicinal bath.

A lone figure in a small boat was navigating the river. Another small boat approached head-on. The figure called out a warning three times, yet a collision occurred nonetheless. He erupted in furious curses, only to discover that the oncoming boat was completely empty. He then burst into hearty laughter.

In the end, as always, a Sage’s golden words were passed down to posterity: “To walk alone, to come alone, is to be truly unique. The unique one is the most noble.”

The Sage also said: “Only the most perfect being can exist in the world as if wandering through the void, able to avoid others without effort.”

The burly man didn’t think this was nonsense. In fact, he could comprehend the profound truth within. However, even understanding such grand and ethereal principles offered him no benefit whatsoever.

Because he and that Daoist Sage were not on the same path.

Even the scholar’s academy, he had secretly audited countless times. He understood all the principles, even grasping the deeper meanings of some obscure passages, yet it was all useless for his own cultivation.

But what he couldn’t comprehend was his fellow disciple, who cultivated in the same small town. That fellow, who engaged in crude, rustic activities all day long, had his realm steadily ascend. After a trip to the Great Sui Imperial Palace, he had even become a Tenth Realm martial artist! He would curse their master all year round and often say that the senior brother had a natural gift for understanding.

The burly man didn’t resent his master or senior brother because of this. He simply couldn’t understand it. That’s why he had lived such a frustrating life for so many years, without even the drive to prove himself to his master. He became increasingly stifled.

Until his master drove him from that small town in the north to this Old Dragon City.

He harbored no resentment.

He was only worried about the old man being left alone in the small town. With Li Er gone, there was no one to praise. With him gone, there was no one to scold. How boring would it be for the old man who smoked his dry tobacco all day long?

He, a pure martial artist who had reached the Eighth Realm peak long ago, spent his days guarding a small apothecary, spouting lewd jokes while teasing the long-legged women.

His master, who rarely spoke a word to him, finally said a little more, but it was an ominous epitaph, “Zheng Dafeng, don’t even dream of the Ninth Realm of Martial Arts in this lifetime.”

The burly man closed the book, using it as a fan to vigorously wave it near his ear.

Then, his face darkened, and he expertly grabbed a stool, scurrying back to the apothecary in the alley.

That woman who dared to covet his beauty was stubbornly persistent. She had gone home to change into a flashy dress and was now strolling back and forth in the street.

Returning to the apothecary in trepidation, the burly man slumped into the shopkeeper’s chair. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He lifted his backside and wiped the seat. “Wow, a beauty secretly sat here! The chair is still warm! Can’t waste this!” He quickly rubbed it.

A maiden with a resentful gaze reluctantly pulled out a few copper coins, slamming them into a woman’s palm. Then, she glared fiercely at the shopkeeper.

The burly man understood. He chuckled, “The women, young and old, are betting on me! Seeing if I can keenly sense that little bit of warmth from a beauty. How playful!”

Someone came to visit, a handsome young man. Based on his attire, it was clear that he came from a wealthy family. But how wealthy, the apothecary women, being from humble backgrounds, couldn’t discern. But what was wrong with a man liking beautiful women, and women liking handsome men?

The women in the shop were all lively and energetic. The burly man immediately became dispirited, saying weakly, “Fan kid, what do you want now?”

Faced with the slovenly burly man, the young man was a bit uneasy. Then, enduring his discomfort, he pinched a small stool with two fingers, sat down next to the burly man, and said softly, “Mr. Zheng, my father asked me to inquire, when can you formally teach me fist techniques?”

The burly man said perfunctorily, “Fan kid, breaking through from the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm can’t be rushed.”

The young man wore a bitter face, but dared not urge this Mr. Zheng.

The burly man thought about how he had only taught the young man a smattering of skills from beginning to end, not really worth much money, not even as valuable as this inner-city apothecary. Even a Fifth or Sixth Realm martial artist could teach him.

The burly man then felt a little uneasy. Lowering his voice, he said seriously, “A pure martial artist is different from a Qi cultivator. The latter likes to progress a thousand miles in a day. If they have terrifying talent, they can break through a realm every day. But martial artists can’t do that. No matter how good their aptitude, they must be down-to-earth, climbing the mountain step by step. Sometimes, even when they can break through, they must forcefully suppress it, to gradually extract the impurities from their bodies and mend the flaws in their souls, bit by bit. What you’re doing now, the medicinal paste that I had your father concoct for you, and the hot spring that was built, are all cultivation. And it is the cultivation that you need most right now, not rushing to break through to the Qi Refining Realm.”

The burly man finally smiled, “Alright, stop saying it’s your father who wants you to come. It’s just you, kid, who’s impatient.”

The young man, who was living a life of luxury in Old Dragon City, was ashamed and embarrassed.

It was truly too difficult for a martial artist to break through from the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm.

That’s why it was called “a clay bodhisattva crossing the river”, almost entirely dependent on one’s own talent. Even a Seventh Realm Martial Arts Grandmaster couldn’t provide guidance. An Eighth Realm Distant Excursion Grandmaster might be able to impart a shortcut, but generally speaking, it was easier to find an Eighth Realm Qi cultivator. How many Eighth Realm martial artists were there in the vast Treasure Bottle Continent? They could be counted on one’s fingers! Moreover, almost all of them were nobles who were diligently wooed and revered by the great dynasties. It was said that this even involved the ethereal martial fortune of a nation. How could that fall on Old Dragon City? Even if there were, the Fu family and the Sun family were richer than his family, so it definitely wouldn’t be the Fan family’s turn.

The burly man patted his chest and guaranteed, “Fan kid, just wait a little longer. As long as you polish yourself to the real Third Realm bottleneck, I will personally take action. I won’t let your Fan family’s money go down the drain. By then, it will be difficult for you not to break through.”
The youth, burdened with worries, entered the shop, but departed from the alley with a refreshed spirit.

All along the way, a Golden Core Realm elder secretly followed, providing protection.

It should be known that a Cinnamon Flower Island ferry, on the very day of the youth’s birth, was already registered under his name, only awaiting the day of his capping ceremony, when he could then access that astonishing fortune which grew year by year.

As soon as the youth left, the women began to chatter again, inquiring about the youth’s family background. The burly man extended a palm, making a grasping motion, his gaze sweeping across their chests, lewdly saying, “The old rule of the apothecary shop, whoever is willing to invest, this shopkeeper will reveal the youth’s identity, name, and where he lives, whether he prefers a voluptuous figure or a petite and delicate one…”

Not a single woman took the bait.

The burly man lamented, “Unwilling to part with the bait to catch a young lover, I truly feel aggrieved for you all.”

The women had already dispersed, whispering in twos and threes, sharing secrets related to the youth.

The burly man comfortably slumped back in his chair, muttering to himself, “My, Zheng Dafeng’s, affinity with women is comparable to that boy Chen’s early good fortune, brothers in hardship, brothers in hardship…”

This apothecary shopkeeper named Zheng Dafeng, came from the Luminous Pearl Grotto-Heaven, where he was once responsible for guarding the gate, collecting a bag of gold essence coins from people.

Not long ago, his master sent someone to deliver a letter, instructing him to prepare to help Chen Ping’an disperse those four “Eight Ounces of True Qi Talismans”.

However, at the end of the secret letter, it was also said that if Chen Ping’an could break through on his own, then Zheng Dafeng must ensure the youth’s smooth sailing in Old Dragon City.

Zheng Dafeng turned to look at the alley outside the shop, murmuring, “That Fan family kid, such a martial arts prodigy in the eyes of the world, would at most apply a few ‘Half a Pound of True Qi Talismans’, otherwise his physique wouldn’t be able to handle it. That blockhead named Chen, it’s only been a few days since I last saw him, and he’s already this fierce? Even if we count his fist training from when Chen Ping’an learned that breathing technique, how many years has it been?”

The burly man mocked himself, “Master, you really didn’t wrong anyone, as expected, senior brother has more understanding. I really didn’t think highly of Chen Ping’an back then.”

Suddenly, a young girl, her face full of anger, shouted at the burly man, “Shopkeeper Zheng! My book, give it back to me!”

Zheng Dafeng coughed and took it out from his chest, placing it on the counter.

The young girl’s face was flushed, “And the other thing!”

Zheng Dafeng reluctantly took out a piece of intimate women’s clothing from his chest, wrapped it into a ball in his hand, gently placed it next to the book, and guiltily explained, “Your package was placed so openly, and it revealed a corner of the book, so I was a little curious. After taking the book, I noticed the undergarment was a little dirty, so I kindly thought of helping you wash it…”

The young girl, her cheeks pink, quickly put away the undergarment, then grabbed the book and smacked it on the burly man’s face, angrily saying, “You pervert! You scoundrel!”

The burly man held the book, and said seriously, “You misunderstood me, I am not a gentleman. Even if I suffer this humiliation, because you are beautiful, I can forgive you. But you must not disappoint my kindness in helping you wash the dirty undergarment.”

The apothecary shop erupted in laughter, mixed with the scolding and condemning of the women, and the complaining of the young girls.

Zheng Dafeng held the back of his head with both hands, squinting and smiling.

Outside Old Dragon City, in the secluded haven protected by the Sun family, near the wooden bridge of the village.

The four mountain immortals had already withdrawn the mountain and water formation, after all, watching an out-of-town youth argue with a group of village children was not interesting.

As for whether the sword-carrying youth was a sword cultivator with excellent disguise, or a pure martial artist of the Body Tempering Realm, the four still couldn’t come to a convincing conclusion. However, the four were indeed well-informed great cultivators. Old Dragon City was the most mixed and chaotic area of the Treasure Bottle Continent. Many capable people and strange士 from the three eastern continents would pass through this place, most of them willing to give face and become guests of the Fu family and the five great clans, accepting a small amount of favor. Therefore, the four Qi refiners with high cultivation levels didn’t find the youth particularly amazing.

But without exception, they all believed that this guest brought by Sun Jiashu himself to the ancestral residence, whether a Qi refiner or a pure martial artist, must be a very extraordinary young genius. Perhaps the next time they came here, the youth might have become a middle-aged man, forming a Golden Core guest, the likes of their peers. Or he may have reached the seventh realm, hoping to use the physique of a martial artist to contend against the Heavenly Dao, thereby traveling far away on the wind. At that time, he would be a distinguished guest whom the four of them would need to greet, and not just a friend of Sun Jiashu.

By the river, the children, led by the two little sword practitioners, began to encourage Chen Ping’an to display his swordsmanship, in order to prove that he was a swordsman traveling the world, and not a con man who pretended to be a hero by carrying a wine gourd.

At first, Chen Ping’an only missed his childhood, joking and playing with these children.

Later, he found that although the children were young, innocent, and had never seen the real Old Dragon City, let alone what the world and swordsmen were.

But some of their feelings were real, for example, the bamboo sword child, although full of sarcasm, still had a trace of hope in the depths of his eyes when looking at Chen Ping’an, hoping that he would be the martial arts master depicted in the storybooks, able to defeat evildoers with his swordsmanship.

The wooden sword child was extremely eager to have a master. He had even thought about kowtowing and burning incense, just waiting for the “adult” carrying a sword in his eyes to draw his sword.

The rest of the children also widened their eyes, waiting for Chen Ping’an to show off his skills, so they could brag to their parents when they went home for dinner.

Chen Ping’an scratched his head, “Then I’ll show off a little?”

All the children nodded eagerly, like little chickens pecking rice. The wooden sword youth did not forget to use reverse psychology to complain, “You’re so wishy-washy, not straightforward at all, I can tell at a glance that you’re a liar, afraid of being exposed, right?”

Chen Ping’an laughed loudly, and was about to subconsciously reach out to take off the sword nourishing gourd, but after thinking about it, he withdrew his hand, not drinking alcohol.

He turned to look at the opposite bank, the river surface was four zhang wide.

Chen Ping’an turned around, facing the river bank, “Watch carefully.”

The children stared intently, wondering what this guy was going to do.

Chen Ping’an jumped twice in place, shaking his legs.

Breaking through from the third realm to the fourth realm was said to be like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river.

Chen Ping’an had completely forgotten about this at the moment.
Chen Ping’an slowly raised his arm, reminding them once more, “Keep your eyes peeled!”

The children nodded in unison.

Chen Ping’an reached behind his shoulder, grasping the locust wood sword within the wooden box.

Instantly, he drew the blade and flung it towards the opposite bank of the river, employing a martial artist’s deft technique. The locust wood sword spun once in the air before its tip pointed directly at the far shore, flying straight but not swiftly.

“Off we go!”

Chen Ping’an laughed heartily. With a tap of his toes, his figure darted forth, landing with one foot in front of the other upon the wooden sword.

At first, it wobbled precariously. But once he found his balance, the youth seemed to tread upon a flying sword, riding the wind across the river.

“Wow!”

“He really is a divine swordsman, not a charlatan!”

The children were all dumbfounded, their faces filled with envy and adoration.

Finally, Chen Ping’an, who had crossed the river by stepping on the sword, shifted his feet and landed on a small ridge of farmland on the opposite bank, ahead of the locust wood sword. Then he caught the descending blade.

He stood amidst the golden rapeseed flowers, wisps of formless true qi shattering and dissipating near his hands and feet.

Chen Ping’an was inwardly shaken, initially no less astonished than the children. Then, turning back towards them, he gave a thumbs-up, pointed at himself, and laughed, “My name is Chen Ping’an, and I am a swordsman!”

Chen Ping’an cast the locust wood sword in the direction of the Sun family’s ancestral home. This time, he threw it with great force and weight, causing the wooden sword to streak rapidly through the air. Chen Ping’an once again rose and gave chase, and this time, his mastery of riding the wind upon the sword was incomparably refined.

At last, he possessed a hint of the bearing of a young sword immortal.

One man, one sword, crossed the river once more.

Chen Ping’an stood upon the sword, arms crossed, eyes closed, head held high, silently sensing the mystical flow of the world around him.

With a refreshing breeze blowing in his face, Chen Ping’an, now feeling utterly relaxed, had finally crossed the river like a clay Bodhisattva – signifying that he had now reached the fourth realm.