(Ten Thousand Character Chapter)

A diminutive woman, adorned in the resplendent robes of imperial decree, materialized from thin air upon the banks of the Buried River, and began to walk slowly.

With the rapid ascent of her cultivation realm, the Buried River Water Goddess’s control over the waterways on both sides grew increasingly adept. It was akin to a general expanding his territory; wherever his steed trod, there lay his dominion.

The Buried River was, after all, a grand river that nearly bisected the Great Spring Dynasty from east to west. Previously, she had barely managed to maintain the river’s authority with a single refined magical artifact. She had already found it quite taxing to deal with a river demon who had not yet reached the Golden Core stage. If she were to rashly upgrade her Azure Ripple Prefecture to an Azure Ripple Palace, and the Great Spring Dynasty was unwilling to allocate a portion of its national fortune for the Bureau of Astronomy’s cultivators to place within the Water Goddess Temple…

This was one of the reasons the Water Goddess was unwilling to agree. Once the plaque of the prefecture was changed to the Azure Ripple Palace, envy and covetousness would pour in from all directions. Who knew when someone might take a liking to the plaques of both the palace and prefecture and burn them for firewood?

It was true that she was innately forthright and temperamental, but having secured her position at the Buried River for centuries and firmly grasped every opportunity that came her way, she was certainly no fool.

She crouched down and scooped up a handful of water from the Buried River. Under the moonlight, the ripples in the river water on her palm shimmered slightly, imbued with far more spiritual energy than before.

Before arriving at the posthouse, a large amount of incense essence that the Water Goddess Temples could not bear had flowed backward and poured into the shrines. The originally silvery-white incense essence had surprisingly turned into a pale gold, drifting in strands towards the clay sculpture of the golden body in the main hall. The “golden body” was not the gilded handiwork of some craftsman, but the very foundation of a mountain and water god’s divine path, a manifestation of the Great Dao. That rich, pale-gold incense slowly permeated the golden statue on the divine platform, a phenomenon known in the divine path as “gilding.” Only two situations would cause such a spectacle: one was when a Bureau of Astronomy cultivator, carrying an imperial decree, acted on imperial orders, dipping an imperial brush in gold to paint a god’s golden body, which was mostly just a “few touches;” the other was when a Confucian sage “pointed out the rivers and mountains” to a golden body, and these Confucian sages had to be at least the mountain masters of the Seventy-Two Academies.

In addition to the Buried River Water Goddess Temple inexplicably gaining this great fortune, the Azure Ripple Prefecture’s waterways were surging, and auspicious clouds gathered like a canopy.

It could almost be considered a blessed land for cultivation.

This was regarded as official recognition!

Truly acknowledged by the orthodox Heaven and Earth!

No matter how broad-minded the River Goddess was, she knew that this unexpected favor was no less than the first time Master Chen taught and enlightened her.

Her joking offer to repay him with her body at the posthouse was because she really didn’t know how else to repay him.

The jade slip itself was already her so-called treasure of the Azure Ripple Prefecture.

In ancient times, the Buried River had been the main tributary of one of the three great rivers flowing into the sea on the Tongye Continent. Later, due to changes in the landscape, river course alterations, siltation, and blockages, the scale of that great river diminished, and eventually only a section remained, which was the Buried River. The predecessor of the Azure Ripple Prefecture was the ruins of a “River Dragon Palace,” and that jade slip was the treasure she found in the dilapidated dragon palace. It had remained unchanged for ten thousand years, being the embodiment of the river’s water essence, and a tangible representation of a region’s water luck. Refined into a jade slip by the old Dragon King, it must have been a cherished item that the Dragon King couldn’t bear to part with during the distant years when the Dragon Palace still existed.

Her instruction for Chen Ping’an to immediately destroy the jade slip after memorizing the immortal Daoist incantation was just a bit of teasing.

Unless Chen Ping’an was an immortal of the upper five realms, he would not have the ability to destroy the jade slip.

However, if he refined it into his natal object, and since he possessed that “ascension in one step” incantation, she believed that as long as Chen Ping’an put his heart into it, the chance was not small.

She stepped into the Buried River, walking on the water’s surface like a goddess from a collection of strange tales.

The only flaw was that the river demon had certainly colluded with a nearby mountain god, landing and hiding in the mountain’s fortune somewhere, disappearing without a trace.

The Water Goddess suddenly leaned back and fell straight down, lying on the surface of the Buried River, drifting downstream with the current.

Drowned water ghosts in the river followed this Water Goddess in a mighty procession at the bottom of the river, drifting towards the Water Goddess Shrine.

She suddenly covered her face, looking shy and embarrassed, “How could a maiden say such shameful words.”

Fortunately, she quickly regained her fighting spirit and sat up, cheering, “Quickly send someone to Mirage City to invite craftsmen to reshape the statue! People rely on clothes, and gods rely on golden attire! The curves on the chest of the statue can be a bit exaggerated, and the legs can be a bit longer!”

Some of the river-wandering water ghosts who had gained intelligence truly gained some insight. There was such an… interesting Water Goddess.

The Yao family’s journey north encountered many laughable incidents.

A Jianghu hero, somewhat well-known, carrying a fine iron Eight Treasures Exquisite Spear, came to admire the Yao family’s spear technique that shook the border.

This person called upon his friends, and a dozen riders roared to a halt on the official road. He sat high on horseback, shaking out a fancy spear flourish. It couldn’t be said that his skill was completely amateurish. As a second or third-rate martial artist, he had put in over a decade of effort. However, this kind of martial arts exchange was naturally not in the same realm as the Yao family’s iron spear, which could decide life and death in an instant.

Yao Zhen, who was reading military books in the carriage at the time, only found it amusing. He didn’t bother to lower himself to the level of these Jianghu heroes who were eager for fame. With an order from Yao Jinzhi, the Yao family cavalry silently took off their light crossbows, scaring the group into immediately fleeing off the official road. After the Yao family’s team went away, they were grumbling and complaining that the Yao family iron cavalry was all show and no substance, lacking the confidence to compete in spear techniques.

As a result, the group was arrested by the state city government that same day. These unfortunate brothers ate a hearty prison meal.

Later, there was also a wild cultivator of the lower five realms, young, in his early twenties, trying to become the Yao family’s accompanying retainer. However, he didn’t dare to act rashly. He clearly stated his approximate background and appropriately praised his own magical abilities, squatting outside the inn, munching on dry cakes with inferior wine, waiting for instructions. Yao Zhen sent him a hundred taels of silver. The wild cultivator blushed, but still accepted the silver before leaving.

As they got closer and closer to Mirage City, the news of Yao Zhen’s imminent appointment as Minister of War spread like wildfire, throughout the court and the countryside.

Then there was another frustrated military cultivator, in his prime, burly, blocking the road, claiming that if anyone in the Yao family could defeat him, he would immediately scram. Then Shao Yuanran showed his hand, and he scrambled.
The Yao family’s party was truly intrigued by two strange occurrences: the mountain deity wading through water and the water deity ascending the mountain.

However, these two deities were of far lower rank than the River God of the Buried River, belonging to the lowest tier of local spirits. The mountain deity governed a territory of a hundred li in radius, while the water deity, a river master, oversaw a two-hundred-li stretch of river. Though their domains bordered each other, their relationship was less than cordial, with frequent skirmishes. In the past, these were merely minor squabbles, involving verbal abuse across the boundary. Recently, however, a prominent benefactor switched their incense offerings from the mountain deity’s temple to the water deity’s shrine. This involved a significant sum – nearly ten thousand taels of silver annually – directly impacting their respective coffers. The lesser mountain deity dispatched a local earth spirit to secretly persuade the benefactor to reconsider. The river master caught wind of this, leaving the earth spirit battered and bruised. Enraged, the mountain deity crossed the river, wielding two massive axes, stirring up torrential waves for miles, alarming the local populace. The river master, unwilling to lose face, summoned the river’s waters, causing them to flow backward up the mountain, directly attacking the mountain deity’s temple.

The Yao family’s caravan happened to be traveling near the riverbank at the time. Two retainers and the Yao family’s accompanying cultivators escorted Yao Zhen and the three Yaos to witness the spectacle.

Chen Ping An followed among them, with only Pei Qian and Zhu Lian at his side.

They thus witnessed the river master causing havoc at the mountain deity’s temple.

The two engaged in a fierce battle, the mountain deity leveraging the terrain to drive the river master back into the water, only for the river master to return, fueled by the turbid river’s currents, fighting with renewed vigor.

Back and forth they went, each displaying their powers. A beautiful mountain peak was inundated, countless towering trees snapped and fell.

Beyond the battlefield, the mountain’s earth spirits and forest sprites, along with the river’s shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and water ghouls, waved banners and cheered themselves hoarse, appearing more exhausted than those engaged in combat. Competing fiercely, they erected a large red drum by the river to boost their river master’s morale, its thunderous beats echoing through the area. The mountain side countered by raising a massive banner, several zhang tall, waving it vigorously with a deafening roar.

Shao Yuanran, standing beside Yao Jinzhi, explained the intricacies of the mountain and water deities to her, his tone witty and amusing. The young Yao Lingzhi listened with keen interest, but the thoughts of her veiled sister, Yao Jinzhi, remained a mystery.

Pei Qian busied herself collecting the leaping river fish along the shore, finding it much easier than fishing herself.

This farce was interrupted by a stern-faced city god of the state capital, who descended on the wind, hovering in the air, and berating the two deities mercilessly.

This city god wore official robes specially made by the Great Spring Ministry of Rites, with insignia identical to those worn by officials in the mortal realm, denoting their specific rank. However, city gods’ robes were uniformly black, signifying their role as emissaries of the human sovereign in the underworld, tasked with controlling the myriad ghosts and spirits that prowled the night. Unlike the countless, often illicit shrines scattered throughout the land, the city god needed imperial sanction. “Incorrectly named” deities were rare, and any ruling dynasty found city gods, rooted as they were in cities, easy to control and naturally loyal to the court.

Chen Ping An observed this local disturbance with a serene mind.

Compared to his experiences in Dragon Spring Town and his travels, these events were but minor disturbances. While not entirely laughable, he found it difficult to recapture the feeling of ascending Mount Píyún in his hometown or the awe he felt when first beholding the vast rivers.

Zhu Lian stood quietly beside Chen Ping An. Among the four escorts, the Yao family had a deep impression of him. Compared to the others, the hunched old man appeared much more like a mere servant. They had also heard of the four’s performance during the inn battle, vaguely aware that the stunning woman with the sword was a swordswoman, the imposing Mr. Lu was a master of the saber, and the taciturn Wei Xian had held the line, repelling the imperial cultivators’ attacks. Yet, the kindly old man had been the most brutal, with the ground around him littered with severed limbs after the battle.

Zhu Lian did not look at Chen Ping An.

Often, the human heart does not require sight to be understood.

Zhu Lian’s curiosity regarding Dragon Spring County and its predecessor, the Lízhu Grotto-Heaven, grew. How could such a place, so deeply hidden, have nurtured a young man like Chen Ping An, who seemed to have witnessed the grand storms of the world and remained unfazed?

So young, yet so calm.

It bordered on being perceived as jaded and cunning.

However, Zhu Lian thought otherwise. Chen Ping An’s ubiquitous goodwill gave him a vague impression, like a monstrous dragon swimming deep within the ancient well of his heart, indistinct and shadowed.

This unknown dragon was likely bound tightly by rituals, morality, and the like, trapped at the bottom, unable even to rise to the surface or peek its head out.

Zhu Lian dared not speculate further, only certain of one thing: Chen Ping An harbored one or two immense obsessions.

This journey of hundreds of miles on the wind to mediate this conflict exhausted the city god, leaving him in a foul mood, wishing he could crush the river master’s shrine and the mountain deity’s temple under his feet.

Deities trespassing into another’s territory was an extremely sensitive matter. If it were reported to the Ministry of Rites in the capital, he, the city god sitting at home facing disaster falling from the sky, would suffer a fate no better than the two ignorant fools.

After sending the two trembling deities back to their abodes, the city god caught sight of the Yao family’s group on the riverbank. Using the art of observing qi, he felt a piercing glare, and was shocked. He immediately wanted to descend to investigate further, but those people were too arrogant and unruly. Two cultivators directly drew their swords and warned him not to approach, or they would consider it an assassination attempt. The city god was so angry he nearly summoned his two subordinates back to punish them, but luckily, he had cultivated himself for hundreds of years and managed to restrain himself. In the end, he simply etched those unfamiliar faces into his memory and returned to the state capital with a grim expression.

On the way back to the main group, Yao Zhen approached Yao Jinzhi and quietly asked, “Why were you so unfriendly?”

Yao Jinzhi helplessly replied, “The officialdom’s social engagements along the way, with all the toasts and exchanges, are unavoidable. But if it involves city gods and deities, things become unclear. Grandfather wouldn’t want to be impeached by censor officials with secret memorials before we even enter Mirage City, would he? Even if His Majesty dismisses it as a joke, it would undoubtedly stir up a tempest in the capital, from the court to the streets. And who doesn’t love watching a spectacle? Aren’t we here to watch a spectacle ourselves? Would we care about the rights and wrongs of those two mountain and river deities?”

Yao Zhen understood immediately and agreed with her completely.
The old general sighed in his heart. If only Yao Jinzhi were a man, it would be reassuring to leave her at the border.

Pei Qian gathered a large pile of river fish, but Chen Pingan refused to accept them. She had no choice but to hold the fish by their tails and fling them back into the river one by one, exhausting herself until she was drenched in sweat.

Arriving at Riding Crane City, which was both a state capital and a prefecture city, meant being only a stone’s throw away from the Grand Spring Capital.

This ancient city had a long history. Its name originated from the legend that a Taoist master ascended to immortality on a crane here, bringing great fame to the place. Within the prefecture was a small mountain, unremarkable in scenery, but because it was the site of the immortal’s crane ascension, countless literati and poets visited it every year. Around the small mountain, all were mansions purchased and built by powerful figures from the capital, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

The previous City God should be in this city, but Yao Zhen didn’t need to fear a mere state capital’s City God.

The Minister of Rites, who controlled the promotion and demotion of City Gods across the nation, had a similar rank and salary to him. Moreover, Grand Spring valued martial prowess, and the Minister of War was not just a ceremonial position, otherwise, it wouldn’t be the top choice for all military generals to retire.

They still lodged at the official post-house, as required by the imperial court. The post-house within the city covered a vast area, not inferior to the residences of princes and dukes. To welcome Yao Zhen, the confidants from both the governor and prefect’s residences made several trips to the post-house, practically emptying the entire place.

Since things had come to this, Yao Zhen could only accept their kindness and pretend to know nothing. Clear water has no fish, and the officialdom was even more so.

Generally speaking, the imperial court could tolerate loyal ministers, treacherous officials, capable officials, incompetent officials, and many fence-sitters, but it could not tolerate someone who resembled a moral saint.

That would be like a demon-revealing mirror hung high in the court, exposing all the flaws of the pillars of the nation.

The old general was filled with emotion. These principles of dealing with the world were what his granddaughter, Yao Jinzhi, had said when she was fourteen or fifteen years old.

Sometimes, Yao Zhen would mock himself, had all the life experience he had accumulated over the years been fed to the warhorses as fodder?

Fortunately, there was Chen Pingan in the team.

Yao Zhen enjoyed chatting with this young man during this northward journey.

Chen Pingan had previously sparred with Yao Xianzhi as agreed, offering some guidance. Yao Xianzhi regarded Chen Pingan’s words as precious advice. When he went back to talk with his grandfather, he was very sad, saying that his entire life of martial arts training had been wasted on a dog. Yao Zhen asked him, “How many decades is this so-called ‘entire life’ of yours?” Yao Xianzhi was speechless, making Yao Jinzhi, who was brewing tea nearby, laugh. Although Yao Jinzhi had never won against Lu Baixiang in chess, she was a master of tea art.

How could the Yao family, whose men and women were all valiant warriors in the harsh and sandy borderlands, raise such a talented and beautiful woman?

Yao Xianzhi blurted out for no reason, “Sister Jinzhi, I don’t like that Shao Yuanran. I like Chen Pingan.”

Yao Jinzhi smiled and said, “Whether you like him or not, what does it have to do with me?”

Yao Xianzhi was about to speak, but Yao Jinzhi glared at him, scaring him into swallowing the words that had reached his lips.

Yao Zhen laughed in a way that lacked the dignity of a family head.

Yao Jinzhi casually said, “Grandfather, if nothing unexpected happens, the imperial court will soon send a secret envoy to Riding Crane City. Then Grandfather can laugh if he wants.”

Yao Zhen couldn’t laugh anymore.

Playing those tricks and schemes with those guys who had been immersed in the dyeing vat of officialdom for decades, each of them practicing in the public service and becoming cunning old foxes, really gave the old man a headache.

Chen Pingan was practicing the six-step stance in his room, holding a sword in a virtual grip, closing his eyes and visualizing the different styles of swordsmanship of various sword cultivators.

On the table was a section of bamboo tube. The bamboo was ordinary green bamboo, randomly chopped from a bamboo forest on a green mountain along the way.

Chen Pingan wanted to carve a pen holder as a farewell gift for old General Yao.

Pei Qian ran over and said she wanted to go outside and take a look. Chen Pingan told her to ask Lu Baixiang if he was willing to take her out. If not, she should stay in her room and study honestly. Previously, Chen Pingan had given her a second Confucian classic, which Pei Qian had recited fluently. Once, she came to Chen Pingan’s room with a delighted expression, saying that she could really recite it backward. Chen Pingan picked up the book and asked her to try it. She actually recited more than a thousand words without missing a single word. Then Chen Pingan grabbed her ear and told her to go back to her room and reflect, saying only one sentence, “Study should be done with your heart. Have you taken my words as the wind in your ears?”

That time, Pei Qian returned to her room with a pout. Standing on a chair, she looked down at the worn book on the table, pinched her chin, and frowned. With her heart? What did that mean? Wasn’t she already putting her heart into it? It had taken her an incense stick’s worth of time to be able to recite a book backward. She squatted down and looked at the name of the sage who wrote this damn book, memorized it, and decided that when she had mastered swordsmanship and boxing, she would beat this old bastard until he cried for his parents.

She stood up again, pondering for a long time, but couldn’t figure out the answer. She jumped off the chair, picked up the mountain-walking staff that she had depended on for so long, and practiced a round of Mad Demon Staff Technique.

After finishing her practice and throwing away the mountain-walking staff, she immediately felt that she was closer to becoming the number one master in the world. Only then did she feel better, flop onto the bed, and fall into a deep sleep.

Today, after receiving Chen Pingan’s promise, she happily went to find Lu Baixiang, whom she had nicknamed “Little White” in private. But Lu Baixiang was actually playing chess with Sui Youbian, saying that he would be done in half an hour. Pei Qian turned her head and looked at Wei Xian, who was sitting there listlessly, unable to understand chess and only waiting for the outcome. She was about to speak when Wei Xian, staring intently at the chess game, suddenly said a word “go”, then stood up. Pei Qian suddenly understood, and the two left the post-house together to go shopping.

Pei Qian asked with a smile, “Old Wei, do you have any money on you?”

Among the four, Pei Qian was least afraid of Wei Xian, calling him Old Wei all the time. Wei Xian never showed a stern face, in fact, he didn’t care at all.

Wei Xian remained silent.

Pei Qian complained, “Then what’s the point of going to the streets? We can’t afford to buy anything beautiful or delicious.”

Wei Xian suddenly said, “I have some silver.”

Pei Qian frowned and said, “Where did it come from? Stealing? Robbing? You give me half, and I won’t tell Chen Pingan.”

Wei Xian said, “I taught the little cripple at the inn a set of boxing techniques and got a few coins. Recently, I taught Yao Xianzhi the boxing stance and got more than a dozen taels.”

Pei Qian looked envious and said, “Old Wei, you’re really something. You can earn big money wherever you go. I admire you for that.”
Pei Qian, hands clasped behind her back, puffed out her chest as she walked. Soon, she tutted and said, “Old Wei, you’re not being very righteous, swindling money from that little cripple. It’d be better to con that Ninth Mistress; she’s the one with real money. What a pity, Old Wei, you’re not pleasing to the eye at all, not nearly as handsome as my dad when he was young. Old Wei, being born with such a homely mug, do you resent your parents when you grow up?”

To be spoken to like this by a little girl, to a dignified founding emperor, Wei Xian managed to remain unmoved.

The short, sturdy man said in a monotonous tone, “When the court painters painted my portrait back then, they all praised my heroic appearance. I believe they were sincere.”

Pei Qian was shocked and said, “Old Wei, are you blind with pig’s blood, or do they have eyeballs growing on their buttocks?”

Wei Xian continued to cultivate his silent meditation.

Riding-Crane City had no curfew, and the city was full of wealthy people who were willing to spend lavishly.

Leaving the inn and turning onto a street, a large and a small figure walked in the bustling crowd. Pei Qian didn’t have a penny to her name, but her aura was that of someone with vast wealth.

This was not surprising. She could trick a large group of her peers in the unfamiliar Fox Town into believing she was a princess fallen among the commoners. In the end, she could even deceive a group of shrewd and slippery constables, who respectfully escorted her back to the inn.

Pei Qian suddenly asked, “Old Wei, I always feel like that woman who doesn’t dare to show her face looks at my dad with a strange expression.”

Wei Xian said indifferently, “The Emperor’s art of manipulation.”

Pei Qian was confused. “What are you talking about?”

Wei Xian said no more.

Pei Qian stopped prying and swallowed, feeling a little greedy. She smiled and said, “Old Wei, can you buy me a sugar figurine?”

Wei Xian shook his head.

Pei Qian was indignant. “Old Wei, why are you such a miser?”

Wei Xian showed a rare smile. “I don’t have Chen Ping An’s ability and patience. I can’t raise you to be close to me.”

Pei Qian was bewildered and pitifully said, “Then, can I borrow money from you to buy a sugar figurine?”

Wei Xian nodded. “Calculated at a three-percent interest rate.”

Pei Qian frowned. “Although I know what a three-percent interest rate is, I think I’ll pass. I can live without it. No one ever starved from not having a sugar treat.”

Having said that, she ran like the wind to a sugar-blowing stall, her feet rooted to the ground, unwilling to move.

Wei Xian couldn’t leave Pei Qian alone here.

If he lost Pei Qian, Chen Ping An would definitely punch him.

At the stall, the sugar-blowing craftsman was skilled, and children were clustered around, their eyes wide and drooling. Those with elders by their sides happily received their uniquely shaped sugar figurines.

The rectangular cabinet with a frame had a wooden cage underneath, containing a small charcoal stove. The craftsman used a large ladle to pour down viscous golden sugar syrup, which could instantly transform into various sugar figurines.

Wei Xian took out money and bought two skewers, staring expectantly at Wei Xian, who held one skewer in each hand.

Wei Xian handed it to Pei Qian, “A reward for you.”

His tone was like an emperor bestowing a large fiefdom.

Pei Qian grinned. “When I get back, I’ll say good things about you to my dad every day. I’m half a scholar now, and my word is my bond!”

A large and a small figure, gnawing on sugar figurines, were inconspicuous in the crowd.

Inside the inn, the game of Go had already been decided, and Sui Youbian had lost again.

Sui Youbian had no desire to win in the matter of hand talk.

Lu Baixiang was replaying the game alone in the room, staring at the chessboard. His fingers were holding an idle chess piece, pressing it on the table, and gently sliding it.

In the room not far away, Chen Ping An was carving the bamboo tube. He wanted to try to engrave a whole article of sage’s writing on the outside of the brush holder.

Fortunately, he had been engraving characters on bamboo slips for years. Through familiarity and the foundation of firing pottery during his youth, the characters he engraved dared not be said to have a flowing charm. Yet, between the lines, they contained a sense of uprightness. There was no aggressive or penetrating vigor, but it was like a long stream of water, after all, having some meaning.

Some people say that cultivators in the Lower Five Realms cultivate longevity, cultivators in the Middle Five Realms seek immortality, and cultivators in the Upper Five Realms walk the path alone in higher and farther avenues, almost without a moment to stop.

Chen Ping An felt that there was nothing wrong with this. Being busy and fulfilled, not wasting time, but occasionally needing to stop or slow down, calm down, and appreciate the scenery on the road of cultivation.

Engraving beautiful words on bamboo slips was like that. Making a worthless brush holder by hand, only with heart, was also like that.

Nothing happened overnight.

Chen Ping An stayed up late to carve most of the brush holder.

He slept for two hours and got up to continue practicing fist stances while holding an imaginary sword.

Winter was approaching.

He wondered if he had the luck to encounter the first heavy snow of the year at the ferry outside Mirage City.

Mirage City in heavy snow was said to be like a fairyland.

When eating breakfast, Chen Ping An learned that the Yao family’s team would rest in Riding-Crane City for two days, but he did not care.

Yao Xianzhi came to Chen Ping An and said that everyone had agreed to visit the small mountain where the immortal rode a crane to ascend, and the governor’s mansion had notified the inn early that whether General Yao went there or not, the vicinity of the small mountain would be under martial law today, and no one would be allowed to climb the mountain.

After meeting up, Chen Ping An found that there were quite a few people: the three Yao siblings of the same generation, the Daoist Shao Yuanran in a green shirt, and even Sui Youbian, who rarely showed up.

Wei Xian and Lu Baixiang chose to stay at the inn, but the old general, who had been traveling and enjoying the scenery all the way, did not show up this time, which was a bit unusual.

When going out today, Chen Ping An had already put on the robe Jin Li, which had been upgraded in rank, so he appeared in white. If one was attentive, they would notice a white jade hairpin pinned on his hair.

The young men in the northernmost Great Li Dynasty of the Treasure Bottle Continent were tall and sturdy, at least half a head taller than those in the southern Old Dragon City. Moreover, it was common for men of fifteen or sixteen to marry and start a family in the towns and villages of the Treasure Bottle Continent. Only wealthy families and scholarly families would pay attention to crowning at the age of twenty.

After practicing boxing, Chen Ping An had been growing taller, and without realizing it, he had become a proper young man.

Following behind him was the dark, lean Pei Qian.

As long as she was by Chen Ping An’s side, she was not so afraid of Zhu Lian.

The group went to the small mountain in the center of the city, passing the martial temple outside the state city, where they saw a strange man and something strange happened.

It was a tall, strong teenager covered in blood who broke into the martial temple, but was quickly dragged out of the gate by the temple keeper.
The Literary and Martial Temples in a state capital were not places where just anyone could cause trouble.

After being tossed out, the youth kowtowed vigorously toward the Martial Temple, the sounds echoing, earnestly pleading with the temple deities.

The temple custodian, a gaunt old man, stood atop the steps, sternly rebuking the youth, “The blade held by the Martial Sage is not to be touched by mere mortals! Considering your youth and ignorance in trespassing, I will not hold it against you. Depart swiftly, and cease this foolish delusion!”

It turned out to be a young man who had barged into the Martial Temple, seeking to borrow the sage’s blade.

The boy’s forehead was red and swollen from kowtowing, streaks of blood visible. He looked up, his face streaked with tears of despair, and rasped, “My master, for the sake of the people of this county, has been single-mindedly slaying demons and eliminating evil. Now he is trapped within a mountain forest’s bewilderment, his life hanging by a thread! After sending me out of the mountain mists and miasma, my master said that only by borrowing the long blade from the Martial Temple’s lord could he have a chance to slay that fierce, monstrous fiend that plagues the region! Temple Custodian, I beg you, this is an act of accumulating merit and virtue, the Martial Sage will not be angered…”

The dignified old man scoffed, “Whether the Martial Sage is angered is for you to decide?! To privately wield a weapon of a Martial Temple’s sage, do you know the penalty under the Great Quan laws?! The local official, the magistrate, would be dismissed on the spot! The prefect would be demoted by one rank, and the governor would have his salary docked for three years!”

The youth was heartbroken, murmuring, “When there are harmful demons and monsters in the region, it is already bad enough that the officials do nothing, but now, even the Martial Sage is unwilling to care?”

The old man appeared stern and his eyes were cold, but in truth, he sighed inwardly.

*Ah, young man, things in this world are not so simple.*

Zhu Lian raised his eyelids slightly, glancing at Chen Ping’an, who stood before him.

Just as Chen Ping’an was about to step forward, Shao Yuanran strode out. Chen Ping’an quietly retracted his movement.

Shao Yuanran came to the youth’s side, knelt down, and asked, “Where is your master trapped? Do you know the approximate level of cultivation of the demon?”

The youth explained everything in detail.

Shao Yuanran reached out, helped the youth to his feet, grabbed his shoulder, and smiled, “I will go rescue your master and help him eliminate the demon.”

Shao Yuanran turned his head, looked at Yao Jinzhi, who wore a veiled hat, and said apologetically, “Miss Yao, I’m afraid I cannot go to Little Mountain.”

Yao Jinzhi nodded gently, her face obscured.

Shao Yuanran grabbed the youth, and with a whoosh, he soared away, leaping onto a distant rooftop, barely touching down before disappearing from sight.

The saber-wielding girl, Yao Xianzhi, felt admiration and her impression of Shao Yuanran, this Great Quan young court enchanter, improved even more.

Pei Qian had been squinting at the one surnamed Shao the entire time. She tilted her head, speechless.

With this disturbance, there was not much interest left for the subsequent mountain climbing trip, and besides, Little Mountain was indeed too small, lacking anything outstanding.

Only the sword-bearing Sui Youbian stood at the summit, looking up at the sky, her eyes burning with fervor.

Chen Ping’an, aside from a slight disappointment at the unremarkable scenery, did not reveal much emotion.

Whether it was the Great Quan mountain god wading through water, the water god climbing mountains, or the youth from Riding Crane City seeking to borrow a blade from the Martial Temple, they were merely insignificant ripples.

The Great Fu Academy going to join forces with the Taiping Mountain Sect Leader to intercept the twelfth-realm grand demon from escaping into the sea was the major event.

And the gentleman Zhong Kui heading to the Taiping Mountain gate was no small matter either.

Besides the other two gentlemen and three sages from the Great Fu Academy, as well as more than twenty academy disciples, the Literary Garden Academy further south had even more scholars arriving at Taiping Mountain, over fifty in total. Unfortunately, only one elderly gentleman led the group, and the cultivation levels of the remaining academy disciples were far inferior to those of the Great Fu Academy.

This was the predicament of the Literary Garden Academy. Its reputation was unremarkable, being the least talented among the four great academies of Tongye Continent. There were constant rumors on the mountain that the Literary Garden Academy might be stripped of its title as one of the seventy-two academies. This was because the academy had not produced a new gentleman in nearly a century, and the academy’s three leaders, the principal and the deputies, did not have many impressive works of sage literature to their name. People who visited the Literary Garden Academy did not come for the sages, but rather for the Literary Garden Pavilion, which housed countless books.

Upon arriving at the Taiping Mountain gate, Zhong Kui indeed followed the teacher’s instructions, telling all the Great Fu Academy disciples to obey the arrangements of the Taiping Mountain Daoists and not to act without authorization.

Although disasters were occurring in all directions, the Taiping Mountain Daoists, regardless of their seniority, did not panic. Their decisions were made in an orderly manner, and batches of Qi cultivators went down the mountain to encircle and annihilate demons and monsters. There were losses and casualties, and those who died in battle were mostly Taiping Mountain Daoists. This earned the respect of the two academies and many Qi cultivators from immortal abodes, and they cooperated even more sincerely. During the intervals between battles, the person most frequently mentioned by the people from various places who shared a common hatred was undoubtedly the foreign menial boy from the Fuzhi Sect who had risen to fame in one fell swoop. It was said that he had already been accepted as a close disciple by the Fuzhi Sect Master, who had bestowed upon him a half-immortal weapon that had been refined for centuries by the sect master’s Daoist partner.

If it had not been for this youth stumbling upon the twelfth-realm grand demon’s conspiracy, forcing it to launch its attack prematurely, the consequences would have been unimaginable. The demon-suppressing well prison of Taiping Mountain would likely not have just had most of its demons escape, but all of them would have resurfaced. Especially the few demons at the bottom, their Daoism was profound, with the lowest being Nascent Soul stage.

In the past ten days, demons and monsters lurking in various places had continuously surfaced, wreaking havoc in all directions. Moreover, these demons were mostly at the Dragon Gate and Golden Core stages, making them extremely difficult to encircle and annihilate.

Taiping Mountain did not dare to be careless. Whether it was their own Daoists or comrades from other sects who had come to support Taiping Mountain, almost everyone was mobilized.

Only the gentleman Zhong Kui chose to stay at Taiping Mountain.

No one objected. Zhong Kui had killed the most enemies in this journey to eliminate demons and monsters in all directions. Moreover, he did not protect his own academy disciples exclusively. Several times during dangerous battles down the mountain, he had actively joined the ranks of Qi cultivators from other sects. Therefore, the Nascent Soul Earth Immortal who had been responsible for overseeing the overall situation at Taiping Mountain smiled at Zhong Kui before personally going down the mountain, saying that the mountain gate would be entrusted to Master Zhong for the time being.

That Nascent Soul Earth Immortal privately revealed to Zhong Kui that their ancestor from Taiping Mountain would be returning soon, and might even bring back that female Daoist Huang Ting from Lotus Root Blessed Land.

Zhong Kui then laughed and said that they should return quickly, so he wouldn’t have to keep an eye on that well prison every day.

After that, Zhong Kui would inspect the bottom layer of the well prison alone every day.

Late this night, just as he was walking out of the well prison, he saw a… grand demon whom he had heard of but never met.

In fact, not only was Zhong Kui an outsider, but even many highly-ranked Daoists of Taiping Mountain had never seen this grand demon who was cultivating on Taiping Mountain.
It was a white ape, bearing a sword on its back, clad in dark raiment.

Its stature was equivalent to that of a grown man, yet this white ape, possessing an exceedingly high cultivation realm, had not adopted a human form, perpetually maintaining its original ape appearance.

Although the old ape was a renowned great demon of the Tongye Continent, it also served as a guardian spirit for Mount Taiping. Disregarding the old ape’s prior years of cultivation, the mere act of guarding the mountain gate for Mount Taiping had spanned three millennia.

This old ape’s age even exceeded that of the sole remaining Patriarch of Mount Taiping, who had descended the mountain to wander the world. The creation of the Well Prison was a heaven-defying feat by the founding ancestor of Mount Taiping, but in the long years that followed, the duty of overseeing the Well Prison had been entrusted to this sword-bearing ape who rarely appeared in the world. On the rare occasions in history when great demon overlords had escaped, without exception, the white ape had personally resolved the matter, handling it with utmost cleanliness, to the extent that even many terrestrial immortals of Mount Taiping had never heard of it.

This time, the great upheaval coincided with the seclusion of the Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator, the old ape, who was attempting to break through the bottleneck of the Immortal Realm.

Unexpectedly, after only three to five years of seclusion, the old ape emerged from its closed-door meditation. Could it be that it had sensed the disturbances outside and was compelled to appear ahead of schedule?

The autumn wind was bleak, and the mountain forest was silent.

Even just standing there, the old ape was like a majestic mountain.

Zhong Kui, still wearing the azure robes of the traveler from the Spring Border Inn, inquired, “It was you, wasn’t it?”

The sword-bearing white ape remained silent.

It only responded with the sword Qi that rose from its back like a rainbow.