(15,000 characters, supplementing yesterday’s leave)

As expected, before nightfall, Chen Pingan received definitive news from the Dust Medicine Shop. Besides the address in the inner city, he learned that the shopkeeper was named Zheng, and the shop was ancestral property of the Fan family, one of the five great surnames of Old Dragon City. Shopkeeper Zheng spoke with a Northern Great Li accent, and on the surface, he seemed coarse and uncouth, with a penchant for women. He seemingly spent his days guarding his small alleyway shop, just eating and waiting to die. In reality, he had entered the Fan residence twice, and the Fan family placed great importance on him. It was highly likely he was the martial arts master of Fan Gaoshui, the Fan family’s嫡 grandson. As for a portrait of his appearance, that would have to wait until tomorrow.

Chen Pingan looked strangely, no need to use any brain to guess, it was Zheng Dafeng, the doorkeeper from his hometown. As for the Fan family treating Zheng Dafeng with such courtesy, Chen Pingan wasn’t surprised. A man who frequently handled bags of gold essence copper coins, even if he seemed improper, his true identity was definitely not simple. Otherwise, Old Man Yang wouldn’t have asked him to help remove the True Qi Eight-Liang Talisman.

In addition, Sun Jiashu had also provided detailed files on the Mountain Sea Turtle and Osmanthus Island ferries, saying that he wanted Chen Pingan to better understand the intricacies of the routes. Crossing continents over millions of miles was no small matter, and the winds and clouds were unpredictable. Among the ferry information, there was a hastily written personal letter from Sun Jiashu. The general idea was: Chen Pingan, you are taking my Sun family’s ferry to Inverted Mountain, but I’ve clearly explained the strengths and weaknesses of the Osmanthus Island ferry compared to the Mountain Sea Turtle.

This seemed like a superfluous gesture, and easily could have been overdone. But after reading the letter, Chen Pingan thought for a moment and admired Sun Jiashu’s business acumen. Putting himself in the shoes of a merchant who needed goods to transit through Old Dragon City, he would also be willing to cooperate with the Sun family.

However, Chen Pingan was mistaken about one thing. The Old Dragon City Sun family, with their straightforward approach to business, relied on the reputation accumulated by generations, not their wealth. They always chose others to become their family business partners, rather than letting anyone who wanted to do business with the Sun family succeed, no matter how wealthy or powerful they were.

The Sun family’s strange family rules were as numerous as the Fu family’s oddballs and monsters.

Having taken care of three major and minor concerns—breaking through the fourth realm, finding a medicine shop, and choosing a ferry—Chen Pingan ate dinner. The seafood hard dish from noon had been replaced by a mountain delicacy and river fresh soup. Chen Pingan ate heartily this time, his chopsticks moving like lightning, and he indulged in a full meal for once. Chen Pingan then took a stroll along the riverbank. The sunset was beautiful, and Chen Pingan felt that this was a blessed place for him. If he had the chance in the future, he would definitely come again.

Chen Pingan suddenly had the urge to go fishing. He ran back to the Sun family’s ancestral residence and asked an old steward if there were any fishing rods and how the fishing had been recently. Were there any big fish in the river, and was it necessary to chum the water? The experienced old man smiled and explained everything in detail, then personally helped Chen Pingan prepare everything. They went to the fishing spot by the river together. The old steward heard that Chen Pingan was going to fish late into the night and wanted to help this honored guest set up a riverside tent. Chen Pingan, being frugal, was never particular about food, clothing, or shelter and naturally declined. The old man didn’t insist and slowly left.

Chen Pingan wasn’t in a hurry to cast his line. He began practicing walking the stakes back and forth along the riverbank. After walking the stakes for an hour, he stood in the standing stake position by the river for another hour. Only then did he begin night fishing. Chen Pingan closed his eyes and randomly cast his line, the bait entering the water with a soft splash.

A gentle breeze stirred the rapeseed flowers, causing the stamens to tremble slightly.

The river water slowly flowed onward, disappearing into the distance, ripples visible on the surface, and formless currents below.

The fishing line, thin as a hair, was gently tugged, sometimes taut, sometimes slack.

Chen Pingan remained motionless all night, allowing small fish to peck at the bait, but no large fish took the hook. He sat there, lost in thought, until dawn.

When Chen Pingan felt a presence, he turned his head to gaze east. At the moment his eyes slowly opened, he saw a magnificent scene he had never witnessed before in his life.

Sages have said, “The morning glow is the red and yellow qi that appears when the sun begins to rise.”

To mortal eyes, the morning glow should have been merely bright red, but Chen Pingan saw streams of golden qi in the splendid morning glow of the eastern sky, qi like swimming dragons, slowly winding and floating within the crimson sea of clouds.

Chen Pingan constantly looked up, gazing at the majestic morning glow and the golden qi. Facing the blinding light and golden streams, Chen Pingan felt no discomfort in his eyes.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Chen Pingan seemed to perceive the rolling clouds falling. Then, his mind trembled slightly. In an instant, a dozen more golden dragons surged out, descending from the sky, rushing straight towards him, aggressive as if they meant to crush the prying human who dared to meet their gaze.

The dragons moved extremely fast. Chen Pingan released his fishing rod and suddenly stood up. His entire body’s martial intent surged forth involuntarily, filling his external body and internal meridians. His mind moved with his will. Facing the provocation, Chen Pingan felt as if he were facing the old man in the bamboo building in Fallen Mountain. The heavens and earth were vast, but nothing was greater than boxing. He had to throw this punch!

A dozen golden dragons, with no tangible bodies, directly pressed towards Chen Pingan.

Without a word, Chen Pingan assumed the starting stance of the Yunzheng Daze style. His feet stomped the earth beside the river, the force penetrating more than ten feet below. Not only did the ground thud and rumble continuously like spring thunder rolling on the ground, but the water near the riverbank also stirred up waves that surged towards the opposite shore.

Chuyi and Shiwu quietly slipped out of the Sword Nurturing Gourd, but they each lay lazily at the mouth of the gourd, as if watching a show, not regarding the golden dragons flying down from the morning clouds as enemies.

Chen Pingan’s mind was immersed in his martial intent, unaware of the astonishing spectacle he had created. He simply felt that now that he had reached the fourth realm, his punches should be faster. But during the night fishing, he had been adapting to the new world he saw with his eyes and stabilizing the gates of his meridians and the restless Qi within his body. He hadn’t had a chance to verify his punches. So, just how fast could he be? The answer was now!

“Get back!” Chen Pingan threw a punch towards the leading dragon in the sky. His fist force surged, so much so that his sleeves were filled with martial intent, bulging and fluttering in the wind.

A loud bang.

The river water churned violently, and a large patch of rapeseed flowers swayed wildly.

The golden dragon, as thick as a well and ethereal, with no physical body, was struck in the head by the overwhelming fist force and sent staggering backwards dozens of feet.

Then came a series of loud crashes.
A dozen golden serpentine dragons, each a manifestation of celestial energy, were dispersed back into the sky by Chen Ping’an’s Cloud-Steaming Great Marsh technique. They lingered, circling, their gazes fixed on Chen Ping’an as he shifted into another archaic and formidable boxing stance. Their eyes held a mixture of bewilderment and resentment. With a collective shake of their heads and a flick of their tails, they retreated into the dawn clouds, returning them to normalcy.

Chen Ping’an, momentarily stunned, watched them go. He then lowered his stance, a contented smile spreading across his face.

These fists! How swift and potent they were! Truly befitting the Fourth Realm of Martial Arts. Each strike felt unbound by worldly constraints, possessing an unburdened, fluid grace. Utterly exhilarating!

Within the gourd of his Sword-Nurturing Gourd, First and Fifteenth exchanged bewildered glances. Fifteenth, seemingly ashamed, retreated deeper into the gourd.

First, however, with its more volatile temperament, after a moment of stupefied bewilderment, shot out like an arrow. Though unable to inflict any real harm, it repeatedly, and fruitlessly, pierced Chen Ping’an’s body, as if venting its frustration.

The relationship between a natal flying sword and its sword cultivator master was governed by immutable laws. In the internal realm, the sword was ephemeral; in the external world, it was substantial. Entering and exiting the sword cultivator’s acupoints, where it was nurtured, would never harm the cultivator. However, the connection between First, Fifteenth, and Chen Ping’an was not that of master and servant. It wasn’t a matter of intertwined destinies and shared life and death. It was more akin to a tenant and a landlord, with Chen Ping’an being at most a partial owner.

Chen Ping’an, thoroughly perplexed, disregarded First’s antics and scratched his head. “What’s wrong? Is my Fourth Realm too weak, making you feel humiliated?”

Earlier, the celestial phenomenon of golden dragons appearing in the dawn sky and then directly descending upon the Sun Clan ancestral manor had compelled the four Sun Clan retainers – three Golden Core cultivators and one Nascent Soul cultivator – to treat it with utmost seriousness. They quickly convened in a small library within the manor. Now, the four were no longer debating whether the youth was a Qi refiner or a martial artist, but rather entangled in new disagreements.

Such an extraordinary event could only signify two possibilities. One was a Qi refiner achieving the Golden Core Realm, becoming a free spirit, and thus triggering a celestial response. Within the cultivation chamber, a Golden Core of varying quality would form, its splendor directly correlated to the magnitude of the celestial display. The other was a pure martial artist breaking through to the Fourth or Seventh Realm from the Third or Sixth respectively. The former was highly improbable, virtually nonexistent, while the latter was more common. Once attracted, this phenomenon, according to martial arts lore, was an opportunity to “use the stones of other mountains to polish one’s jade.” Rarer than a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river, it allowed for the tempering of one’s physique and spirit. It was a momentous fortune, to be cherished above all else.

Judging by the youth’s unreserved and profound martial arts intent, he was undoubtedly a pure martial artist. But whether he was in the Fourth or Seventh Realm remained a point of contention. Three of the retainers were convinced it was the Seventh Realm, which was why Clan Lord Sun Jiasu had invited the youth to the Sun Clan ancestral manor, hoping to establish a connection. After all, a breakthrough from the Third Realm to the Fourth wouldn’t elicit such a grand spectacle of descending cloud dragons. Only one retainer remained steadfast in his belief that the youth had merely just entered the Fourth Realm.

Suddenly, the woodcutter sighed ruefully, “Let’s cease our debate about which Realm he’s in. Shouldn’t we lament the lost opportunity, the inexplicable blunder of that youth?”

The other three realized their folly and sighed in unison.

The youth’s viewing of the dawn triggered a celestial phenomenon, a mystical resonance between heaven and man.

This great opportunity, yearned for by pure martial artists throughout the world, was simply dispersed by the youth’s chaotic barrage of fists…

The four were bewildered. Had the martial arts prodigy’s mentor not taught him such rudimentary knowledge? For example, that a breakthrough from the Third to Fourth or Sixth to Seventh Realm would be accompanied by a celestial resonance that must be seized to stabilize one’s cultivation…

Little did they know that the old man in the bamboo hut who imparted the youth’s boxing techniques had once stood at the pinnacle of the Tenth Realm of Martial Arts. He did not consider such things opportunities. They were external, extraneous to the core of martial arts. Worse than useless chicken ribs. Chen Ping’an, learning his boxing, should not seek shortcuts. If the barefoot old man witnessed this scene, he would burst into laughter, believing the youth had done well. This was precisely the kind of “foolish thing” that “Chen Eleven” would do.

When Sun Jiasu returned to the ancestral manor at noon, before meeting Chen Ping’an, an elder of the Sun Clan privately joked with the current clan lord, “You’ve invited an immortal to be a guest.”

Curious, Sun Jiasu inquired, and the elder, who had lived in seclusion for over three centuries, recounted the affair. Sun Jiasu slapped his forehead, helplessly saying, “A true immortal indeed.”

During the meal, Chen Ping’an noticed a peculiar glint in Sun Jiasu’s eyes, somewhat similar to how he had looked at Liu Baqiao earlier…

Chen Ping’an mistakenly believed that his earlier boxing practice, dispersing the celestial phenomenon, had caused trouble for the Sun Clan ancestral manor. He asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Did my strikes this morning alarm the Fu Clan of Old Dragon City? Did they discover a clue?”

Sun Jiasu smiled and shook his head. “Old Dragon City has countless Qi refiners and martial arts grandmasters. Strange occurrences are commonplace. When it involves the Sun Clan ancestral manor, strange events seem less unusual. Besides, few dare to pry into this place without proper respect. So, your strikes didn’t cause any trouble…”

Speaking these words, Sun Jiasu felt a twinge of insincerity. He also felt pity for Chen Ping’an, hesitating whether to reveal the truth to the youth.

After much deliberation, Sun Jiasu decided to be frank and informed Chen Ping’an, who was completely unaware of what he had missed.

After listening, Chen Ping’an silently drank his wine, tentatively asking, “If I go look at the dawn tomorrow, will I see those golden dragons again?”

Sun Jiasu chuckled in exasperation. “What do you think?!”

Chen Ping’an sighed and took a large gulp of wine, lamenting, “Suffering the consequences of reading too few books.”

Sun Jiasu looked at Chen Ping’an and playfully said, “What, are you thinking of going fishing by the river tonight, and then waiting for the sunrise tomorrow?”

Chen Ping’an exclaimed in surprise, “Sun Jiasu, can you read minds?”

Sun Jiasu laughed and waved his hand. “I don’t have such an ability. But I’ve heard that our Sun Clan’s ancestor truly did possess it.”

Afterward, Chen Ping’an went to the river with his fishing rod again, and Sun Jiasu followed, carrying the fish basket beside him. On the way, Sun Jiasu mentioned the Dust Pill Shop. Chen Ping’an said that since he had broken through to the Fourth Realm, going to the Dust Pill Shop was no longer as important. However, he still wanted to see that acquaintance. Sun Jiasu had no objections, saying that they could depart tomorrow. He would only need to make some preparations. He himself could not accompany him, as it would be more likely to be well-intentioned but actually harmful. However, he would have a Golden Core cultivator of the family accompany him as an escort.
Across the mirror surface, within the inner city of Old Dragon City, someone had long been waiting outside. It was none other than the Golden Core Immortal of the Sun family. He led Chen Pingan out of a vast courtyard, exiting from the side and boarding a carriage that had been waiting for some time. The Golden Core elder, his aura restrained and returned to simplicity, personally acted as the coachman. The carriage eventually stopped at the entrance of a street alley, where a small locust tree stood. Beneath the tree sat a man, cracking melon seeds while reading a book.

After Chen Pingan alighted from the carriage, the two exchanged glances.

The man silently picked up a stool and walked into the alley ahead. The Sun family elder parked the carriage by the roadside, not following, and began to meditate with his eyes closed.

Arriving at the medicine shop, Zheng Dafeng placed the stool at the entrance, inviting Chen Pingan to sit. He then fetched another stool, and for a moment, the doorway bustled with women who had come to join the commotion. Unfortunately, Chen Pingan wore an unremarkable mask, and they quickly lost interest, returning to their shops to idly pass the day.

Zheng Dafeng asked with a grin, “Having scattered your own True Qi Eight-Ounce Talisman, why risk coming here? If I remember correctly, you have a deep-seated grudge against the young city lord Fu Nanhua. Aren’t you afraid of being exposed? The Sun family can easily wash their hands clean. Do you think I’ll step in to save you?”

Chen Pingan asked three questions, “Who told my father about the Natal Porcelain back then? Who caused my father’s death? Are these matters related to Old Man Yang?”

Zheng Dafeng’s expression remained calm as he smiled and retorted, “If it was related to the old man, do you think I would tell you?”

Chen Pingan remained silent.

Zheng Dafeng fanned himself with the book, creating a gentle breeze. “Whether you believe it or not, the old man wasn’t involved in this matter. But I can tell you plainly, the old man definitely saw it happening early on, but probably thought it was meaningless, not worth intervening. If you resent the old man for not stopping it back then, that’s your business, Chen Pingan. I won’t stop you either.”

Chen Pingan shook his head and said with a wry smile, “Why would I resent that? I know Old Man Yang’s personality very well. He never owes anyone, nor does he let anyone owe him. Everything is a fair trade.”

Zheng Dafeng nodded and turned to look at Chen Pingan, grinning. “It’s best if you think that way, or else I’d have to risk being beaten to death by the old man afterward, just to smash your head with a single punch.”

Chen Pingan appeared unfazed, or perhaps he had long anticipated the gatekeeper’s temperament.

Zheng Dafeng fanned himself. “Among those children back then, aside from their respective inheritances and factions, I was most optimistic about Ma Kuxuan from Apricot Blossom Lane, Zhao Yao from Fortune and Prosperity Street, and Song Jixin from Mud Bottle Lane. My senior brother Li Er, that is, Li Liu and Li Huai’s father, was blinded by pig lard and liked you the most. Later, I learned about your various experiences after leaving the Lihua Grotto-Heaven and realized that I had misjudged you and my senior brother. I used to think you two were fools lacking in common sense, but now I realize that I, Zheng Dafeng, was blind.”

Zheng Dafeng actually wanted to say, “Actually, he, Li Er, and you, Chen Pingan, were…” Zheng Dafeng smiled and asked, “Why don’t you just ask Qi Jingchun?”

Chen Pingan visibly relaxed, gently leaning his sword case against the wall behind him, and took a sip of wine, saying something that made Zheng Dafeng even more puzzled, “I’m afraid Mr. Qi will be disappointed.”

Zheng Dafeng turned and shouted, “Mei’er, bring out two plates of melon seeds and peanuts to entertain our guest!”

A plump woman smiled and brought out the two plates of snacks. As the woman bent down to hand him the plates, Zheng Dafeng feigned surprise and said, “The pressure from the mountain peak… I might not be able to figure out the so-called two identities, but if I can take the opportunity to break through the Eighth-Realm martial arts bottleneck, it would perfectly match the divination’s words.”

Chen Pingan turned to look at Zheng Dafeng, who wasn’t blushing or out of breath. “Five copper coins, I’ll keep it on tab first. Even if you want to pay it back now, I won’t accept it.”

Zheng Dafeng indifferently said, “Five copper coins, what’s that worth? Whatever you want.”

Chen Pingan sneered, “Zheng Dafeng, do you really think I don’t know Old Man Yang’s rules? I deliberately mentioned it earlier. After that, you talked about martial arts and swordsmanship. I saw that what you said was true, so I went along with it to clear the debt! If I’m not mistaken, the person who asked me to deliver the letter was Old Man Yang, and the person who asked you to owe the money was also Old Man Yang, right? Are you regretting it now?”

Securing his sword gourd, he stood up and placed the empty plate on the stool. Chen Pingan cupped his fist in salute to the Yin God, “Although I don’t know why you’re willing to reveal the truth, it might ultimately be Old Man Yang’s intention. But I still want to thank you!”

The Yin God nodded.

Chen Pingan strode away.

Zheng Dafeng, as the youth had said, truly regretted it.

Zheng Dafeng coldly looked at the Yin God, who had most likely ruined his auspicious divination. “Is this your intention, or the old man’s intention? You better make it clear!”

The Yin God said indifferently, “Guess?”

Zheng Dafeng laughed and instantly became calm and carefree. “You never act on your own initiative, so it’s probably the old man’s intention.”

The Yin God mocked, “An Eighth-Realm peak pure martial artist, a disciple of the Divine Monarch, actually believes in the so-called divination. Don’t you know that even if the Fan family didn’t tamper with it, what is supremely auspicious for anyone else in the world might be a complete reversal for you, Zheng Dafeng, a truly ominous omen?”

Zheng Dafeng’s expression became solemn as he looked up at the Yin God and nodded. “I am grateful for your guidance.”

The Yin God dismissed it. “Since the Divine Monarch is willing to let you manage a territory alone, then don’t be clever and just do your job honestly.”

Zheng Dafeng waved his hand and said, “I was set up by that youth and lectured by you. I’m very annoyed and need to leave the alley to get some air.”

The Yin God disappeared.

Zheng Dafeng suddenly asked, “Was the anomaly in the Sun family’s ancestral residence caused by Chen Pingan’s breakthrough?”

The Yin God’s cold voice seeped out from the shadows of the corner. “It should be.”

Zheng Dafeng tucked the book under his arm, picked up the stool and melon seeds, and went to the street alley again, sitting under the locust tree to enjoy the cool breeze and admire the beautiful women.

A tall, ordinary-looking man with a dignified air slowly walked over, followed by a graceful young woman.

The man walked up to Zheng Dafeng, and the young woman stood behind the man, filled with curiosity about the medicine shop owner sitting on the stool, fanning himself with a book.

The man smiled and said, “The face of Sun Jia Shu of Old Dragon City is only worth a concealing mask. Shopkeeper Zheng, your judgment is accurate.”
Zheng Dafeng glanced back at the man. “Fu Qi, you’re not even wearing the Old Dragon Robe. Seems you’re not here to kick me out.”

The man chuckled and pointed behind him. “Whether or not I wear the Old Dragon Robe doesn’t matter in Old Dragon City. Bringing her is the true sign of sincerity.”

It was both a show of force and a gesture of weakness.

The show of force implied that in Old Dragon City, Fu Qi didn’t need to lift a finger to drive Zheng Dafeng away.

The gesture of weakness suggested that Fu Qi, as the City Lord of Old Dragon City, was willing to cater to Zheng Dafeng’s tastes by bringing a woman with long legs.

Zheng Dafeng leered at the woman’s shapely legs before turning back to the bustling street. “Fu Qi, you talk such a big game. Why don’t you just swallow the Cloud Sea whole?”

Fu Qi’s expression darkened, but he then grasped the jade pendant hanging from his waist, his face smoothing out.

The woman trembled, sensing her father’s obvious anger for the first time.

Zheng Dafeng scoffed. “You’re just a merchant like me. What makes you think you can compare?”

Fu Qi dismissed it with a smile. “Since Shopkeeper Zheng is in a foul mood, perhaps I’ll bring up certain matters later.”

Zheng Dafeng’s mood was beyond foul; it was utterly abysmal.

Five copper coins!

Just five humble copper coins, frequently exchanged by common folk, felt like five colossal mountains pressing down on Zheng Dafeng’s heart! He had schemed and maneuvered carefully, finally tricking that youth into agreeing not to collect the debt. After the youth had posed those three questions, and made that seemingly innocent remark about “Old Man Yang never owing anyone,” Zheng Dafeng had known full well he couldn’t expect the Mud Bottle Lane brat to ask for the ordinary five coins. That little Mud Bottle Lane rascal was far too clever to be easily fooled!

Zheng Dafeng was furious. He fanned himself vigorously with a book. “No wonder I disliked that fellow from the start. So young, yet so cunning! He’s nothing like a boy!”

Zheng Dafeng suddenly stopped his rant, deflated and powerless. “If he were an ordinary boy, he wouldn’t have survived until today.”

The man sighed heavily, becoming increasingly agitated as he flipped through the books. The pages rustled, but he couldn’t focus on a single word. He muttered to himself, “Could that eerie creature have been right? Was I really being too clever for my own good?”

He turned to a page in a book titled “Of Sincerity,” a jumble of commonplace anecdotes cobbled together, topped off with a few moralizing platitudes. To Zheng Dafeng, a man of true and profound learning, breaking down the text was akin to appreciating a beautiful woman’s features individually: the grace of her eyebrows, the intoxication of her rosy cheeks, the captivating charm of her cherry lips. Each a delightful scene, but when clumsily combined, resulted in ugliness.

Zheng Dafeng listlessly flipped the page, reaching the end of “Of Sincerity.”

It was more lofty and boundless drivel.

“Legend says that those with the heart of a child often achieve the impossible through sheer sincerity, cleaving even stone and metal. Thus, righteous hearts and sincere intentions are the foundation of a Confucian gentleman.”

“Furthermore, a Taoist sage says that without sincerity, one cannot move others. Truth is the essence of sincerity. This is the origin of the title ‘True Person’ among all Taoist sects.”

The man treated the sage’s teachings as a passing breeze.

He finally resigned himself. “Since the old man says I’ll never reach the Ninth Realm, what am I even striving for? I’ve been trying for so many years. No wonder the old man said I’m too calculating, leaving me with nothing but cleverness. How many times have I fought with Li Er? Song Changjing only fought with his senior brother and then broke through. I knew all along it was unattainable, but I secretly clung to hope. Haha, now I’ll just stay in Old Dragon City, admiring beauties and waiting to die in the Eighth Realm…”

Zheng Dafeng closed his eyes. The man who had been eyeing women earlier now wore a look of melancholy.

A young woman of “robust” build, heavily made up and dressed in gaudy colors, stopped outside. Her broad face could ward off evil spirits. Seeing the man in such a state, she felt a pang of sympathy, thinking he probably wanted to confess his love but was too shy. Perhaps she should forgo her ladylike modesty and speak first, saving her beloved from embarrassment?

Just as she coughed to clear her throat,

The man suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed a stool, and fled back into the alley.

She sighed, touching her face. Blaming herself, she thought her beauty was simply too overwhelming, possessing an allure to topple kingdoms.

She suddenly realized, with a gasp, that she had smeared the makeup on her finger. She quickly smoothed it back on.

Fu Qi did not use his powers to transport his daughter back to Fu City but strolled leisurely along the street, followed by a slow-moving carriage.

The woman was named Fu Chunhua, Fu Qi’s eldest daughter, and along with Fu Qi’s eldest son, Fu Donghai, was one of the possible successors to the family leadership.

As a successor to the family headship or rather, to the Old Dragon Robe, they were of course extraordinarily talented youths. Fu Qi seemed middle-aged, but he was actually four hundred years old, with a cultivation of the Tenth Realm. Although he couldn’t match the reputation of Fenglei Garden’s Li Tuanjing, who was known as the “Strongest Tenth Realm cultivator in Treasure Bottle Continent” and “The foremost cultivator below the Upper Five Realms,” Fu Qi, wearing the Old Dragon Robe and backed by the family’s four and a half Immortal Armaments, was fully qualified to be considered a genuine Jade Purity Realm cultivator.

Fu Chunhua was nearly three hundred years old, and like her elder brother, Fu Donghai, was a long-established Golden Core Realm cultivator who excelled in combat. Each had escorted a ferry to the Inverted Mountain for over a century, experiencing many trials, facing the dangers of deep-sea monsters, and even being on the brink of death. Crucially, for a Fu family member to reach the Golden Core Realm meant they could wield a Semi-Immortal Weapon. This was why Treasure Bottle Continent had a saying that the true realm of a Fu family cultivator should be considered half a realm higher.

Fu Chunhua hesitated for a long time before finally asking, “Father, why did you bring me to see this man instead of Nanhua?”

Fu Qi smiled. “Didn’t I already say? It’s to show the Fu family’s sincerity. This Shopkeeper Zheng has a fondness for long-legged beauties. The intelligence reports are perfectly clear.”

The woman obviously didn’t believe that explanation.
Even if she was a candidate with a good chance of inheriting the position of Family Head, both she, her elder brother Fu Donghai, and her younger brother Fu Nanhua, all understood one thing: the connections they painstakingly cultivated were far from enough to fully grasp the meaning behind their father Fu Qi’s words regarding the situation in Baoping Continent. There were omissions, additions, and subtractions in the information they received.

Of course, Fu Nanhua wouldn’t believe everything, but Fu Chunhua wouldn’t dare to fabricate Fu Qi’s general meaning. Fu Nanhua carefully listened to his sister Fu Chunhua’s account from beginning to end. Just as he was about to rise and habitually pace around to ponder the problem, he abruptly sat back down, calmly saying, “I’ve already decided. Get rid of Chen Ping’an!”

Fu Chunhua began to laugh as she counted on her fingers. “Shopkeeper Zheng of Dust Medicine Store, at least a seventh-realm martial artist at his peak, perhaps even an eighth-realm grandmaster. Add to that the Fan family of the inner city, who are on good terms with him, plus the Sun family of Sun Jiashu, which includes an old ancestor of the Nascent Soul realm residing in their ancestral home. Although the other three Golden Core cultivators wouldn’t need to act unless the ancestral home was in danger, Sun Jiashu could likely persuade them to help in a desperate situation. Not to mention the Sun family’s enshrined retainers in the inner city. Nanhua, are you truly not going to reconsider?”

Fu Nanhua’s face remained impassive. “I only care about how to eliminate that Dali youth with the least amount of sacrifice.”

Fu Chunhua chuckled again. “Your wedding is imminent. Aren’t you afraid of unexpected complications? Furthermore, since that young man is from the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, even if he’s a Dali citizen, aren’t you afraid that this matter is far-reaching and might ruin the Lao Long City Fu family’s reputation in the eyes of the Dali Emperor?”

Fu Nanhua simply pondered in silence.

Fu Chunhua finally smiled charmingly. “Fu Nanhua, think carefully one last time. Does your sister say all this because she hopes you will resolutely act, or because she wants you to avoid reckless behavior?”

Fu Nanhua remained silent, lost in thought.

The smile on Fu Chunhua’s face gradually faded until it was completely gone. She coldly stared at this younger brother who had emerged out of nowhere. A good-for-nothing who could only reach the sixth realm even after consuming the family’s entire gold mine. Did he dare to covet the seat of the Lao Long City Lord? Was he worthy of competing with herself and Fu Donghai, both Golden Core cultivators, for that coveted robe?

Fu Nanhua snapped out of his thoughts, slowly stood up, his movements smooth and graceful, his demeanor composed. He smiled slightly, “Fu Chunhua, it’s not just Mother who knows about your little secret with Fu Donghai. However, I’m curious, do you know about Fu Donghai’s little dalliance with your personal maid?”

Fu Chunhua grinned. “Good brother, once either I or Fu Donghai become the City Lord, we’ll take good care of you.”

Fu Nanhua acted as if he hadn’t understood the threat at all. He laughed nonchalantly, “Until then, we siblings still need to cooperate sincerely and plan how to kill Chen Ping’an, right? After all, you currently can’t fathom Father’s thoughts at all, and you’re unsure if my decision will lead to the position of Family Head or away from it. Moreover, Father is testing you while testing me. Good sister, you must be careful!”

Fu Chunhua narrowed her eyes, her expression grim.

After standing up, Fu Nanhua turned to look towards the gate, silently thinking, “Sun Jiashu, you’d sell out a Chen Ping’an who almost killed me for a Nascent Soul cultivator? Is this deal worth it? Or perhaps…”

Thinking of this, Fu Nanhua gently shook his head. Impossible, Sun Jiashu wasn’t crazy.

But what if, just in case?

Only now did Fu Nanhua begin to hesitate, his heart growing increasingly agitated.

And Fu Chunhua looked at this younger brother whom she had watched grow up, yet suddenly seemed so unfamiliar, finally feeling a trace of apprehension.

Fu Qi rode the wind northward alone, stopping a thousand miles away, finally landing on a ferry from Dragon Spring Wutong Mountain of Dali.

Onboard were Mo family chivalrous warrior Xu Ruo, with his sword held behind his back, and Lin Lu Academy’s Vice-Dean, who was originally an old flood dragon.

With these two guarding the ferry, even going to Upside-down Mountain would be more than enough.

The people they were escorting were a young man and a young woman, or rather, the Dali Prince Song Mu.

The young woman, named Zhigui, followed obediently behind her young master “Song Jixin.” From beginning to end, the girl didn’t look at Fu Qi once. Perhaps Fu Qi wasn’t wearing his Old Dragon Robe, and the Old Dragon City Lord hadn’t announced his name, as he was busy exchanging pleasantries with the swordsman Xu Ruo at the bow of the ship, so she didn’t recognize him?

This ferry directly passed through the sea of clouds above the city wall and landed within Fu City.

After Fu Qi personally arranged accommodation for the Dali guests, he went to Fu Nanhua’s private residence, finding his son slumped against a dragon-entwined pillar, looking dejected.

Fu Qi asked, “Why is the Fu family so quiet?”

Fu Nanhua raised his head, looking at his father. “I’ve thought about many, many things, and it seems that everything I do is wrong. Fu family, Lao Long City, Dali, Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, Sun Jiashu, Fu Donghai, Fu Chunhua…”

Fu Nanhua suddenly smiled. “Do you know that no matter what you do, you will be the next Lao Long City Lord?”

Fu Nanhua’s face was blank.

Fu Qi turned to the side, lowering his head, as if respectfully welcoming someone.

A girl greedily absorbing “dragon aura” walked unsteadily into the hall as if slightly drunk, and then plopped down in a chair. She raised her hands and gently clapped.

A dragon robe appeared behind her, filled with mist, as if being cleaned with water vapor.

Then she stood up, and the dragon robe automatically donned her, the nine golden dragons of the sea of clouds above vividly flowing and moving.

She kicked off her boots, sat cross-legged in the chair, wearing the overly-loose dragon robe, appearing somewhat comical. She frowned and complained, “After losing the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven’s restrictions, having to pretend to be an ant is so tiring. I can’t help it, I can’t beat some of them just yet. Rotten Taoist, Ruan Qiong, Song Changjing, that unfathomable Mo family Giant, sword cultivator Xu Ruo, and so on… Sigh, there are so many, forget it, I won’t mention them. It’s still good here, it’s indeed the first blessed land of feng shui to land on Baoping Continent… After so many years of maintenance, there’s still quite a lot of dragon aura left. Your Fu family has done well, you will definitely be rewarded in the future, greatly rewarded!”

Fu Nanhua looked at the girl’s familiar, childish face, then turned to look at his father’s calm face, and finally stared intently at the ancestral Old Dragon Robe.

Fu Nanhua realized that after almost going crazy before, he was now truly going to lose his mind.
She glanced around, “To get here smoothly, I’ve endured so much grievance. But the most humiliating thing is that this so-called smoothness was still bestowed upon me by that stinky Taoist priest…”

She suddenly pointed at Fu Nanhua, her voice sharp, “You ant! I heard you didn’t even dare to kill a Chen Ping’an! You’re not worthy of the surname…”

The girl turned her head to look at Fu Qi, “What’s your surname again?”

Fu Qi replied respectfully, “Reporting to Miss, our surname is Fu.”

The girl was somewhat dejected, her arrogance completely gone. She leaned lazily into the chair, or rather, curled up within the dragon robe.

Fu Nanhua was one step away from collapsing.

The girl lowered her head, examining the old dragon robe. “The sinews, bones, vital energy, and blood of the nine emperors of the Treasure Bottle Continent… hmm, not bad.”

Her gaze shifted downwards, and she muttered, “The low-end Sea of Clouds is a bit lacking.”

Her eyes lit up, revealing a pair of eerie golden pupils.

As if anticipating the girl’s thoughts, Fu Qi said with a wry smile, “Miss, that Sea of Clouds above Old Dragon City cannot be absorbed into the dragon robe recently. Otherwise, under the scrutiny of the masses, the commotion would be too great, and those with ulterior motives would easily detect something.”

The girl sighed, “I know the importance of things.”

She finally spoke in a drunken haze, like a drunkard, “Now that I’m here, I really don’t want to move again.”

She suddenly jumped off the chair, gave a light shake, and the old dragon robe, originally as large as a blanket, immediately became perfectly fitted. Standing in the hall, she looked towards the door, seemingly hesitating about something.

In the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence, the old ancestor, after hearing the current family head’s plan, said with a wry smile, “Is it really worth it? Aren’t you afraid that after this battle, we’ll be unable to recover, and the Fu family, in alliance with the four houses, will swallow us whole?”

Sun Jiashu’s expression remained unchanged. “I only regret that the Sun family’s foundation isn’t large enough. Sun Jiashu can only gamble this much.”

The Sun Clan’s old ancestor remained silent for a long time, then asked, “What if that young man discovers the Sun family’s initial intentions?”

Sun Jiashu’s eyes were firm as he replied, “He won’t know. Even if, in the worst-case scenario, he learns the truth, the Sun family has paid such a high price for him, the future rewards will undoubtedly be far greater.”

The Sun Clan’s old ancestor asked again, “Is such a pursuit of immediate gain truly appropriate? Can’t we follow the natural course, like that young man breaking through from the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm?”

Sun Jiashu shook his head. “Of course, Sun Jiashu alone can wait, but the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent and the overall situation of the world cannot!”

The Sun family’s Nascent Soul old ancestor could only sigh, no longer trying to dissuade him.

After that, the young man walked from the inner city’s high-rise building back to the pond in the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence.

Afterwards, the weather was unexpectedly fair, and the world was at peace.

Sun Jiashu still returned to the ancestral residence every few days.

And every time he came back, he would stay for a night, and then gamble once with the three Golden Core Realm retainers. The first time, it was a single Gu Yu coin, the second time it was two, the third time it was four, and the fourth time it was eight.

In the end, Sun Jiashu gambled four times and lost four times. After that, Sun Jiashu no longer placed bets.

And that Chen Ping’an still went to guard the night and fish every day, then waited for the moment when the sun rose and the morning glow filled the sky.

On the twentieth day that Chen Ping’an was staying in the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence, Sun Jiashu was still deeply asleep, using the Daoist method of “Sitting in Forgetfulness,” when he heard Chen Ping’an shouting loudly from afar, “Sun Jiashu, look!”

Sun Jiashu suddenly got up, not even putting on his boots, pushed open the window, and looked towards the sky.

In the eastern Sea of Clouds, more than a dozen golden dragons were surging down, and then were beaten back one by one by the sword-bearing youth with ancient boxing stances. Every punch was hearty and unhesitating.

At that moment, Sun Jiashu felt a sense of loss.

His Daoist heart was lost and nearly collapsed.

Fortunately, the Sun Clan’s old ancestor quickly came to his side and pressed heavily on his shoulder. “Jiashu, there’s no need for this. Jiashu can be evergreen, but no one can have everything go their way. The reason I chose this name for you back then was precisely for today.”

Sun Jiashu’s face was pale, and he murmured, “Just one more time.”

Although his state of mind tended to stabilize, he was still lost and restless.

It was as if he had lost the entire Old Dragon City.

In the inner city of Old Dragon City, at the intersection of the street outside Zheng Dafeng’s dust-covered medicine shop, Zheng Dafeng glanced at the eastern morning glow. In a moment of distraction, he quickly took out that book, turned to a page, and continuously recited that “Sincerity Chapter,” silently. After the phenomenon of the world ended, Zheng Dafeng shattered the book, leaving no trace, and walked back into the alley, his face downcast, saying, “The propagator of the Dao, ha ha, is actually Zheng Dafeng’s propagator of the Dao…”