Chen Ping’an stepped out of Jingzhe Manor, a verdant walking staff, perfectly complementing the bamboo forest, in his hand. Alone, he walked to the edge of the grove.

After a moment’s hesitation, he summoned the talisman-powered skiff and rode the wind towards Jade Glory Cliff. During his stay at Spring Dew Garden, apart from borrowing the skiff, the manor’s maids jokingly mentioned that Jingzhe Manor had already prepared a pouch of spirit coins to cover all expenses related to the skiff’s travels between the manor and Old槐 Street. However, Chen Ping’an had never opened it. While “doing as the Romans do” and following rules was one thing, he had his own code of conduct. As long as the two didn’t clash, he could leisurely exist between them, then the cage of rules became a skiff that helped one to survey the magnificent landscape.

When Chen Ping’an, piloting a Daoist talisman skiff crafted by the Taizhen Palace, arrived at Jade Glory Cliff, he saw that Liu Zhiqing had removed his boots, rolled up his sleeves and trouser legs, and was standing in the stream below the clear pool, bending over to pick up pebbles. Spotting one that pleased him, he would toss it accurately into the clear pool on the cliff’s edge without even looking up. Even after Chen Ping’an landed and stored the skiff as a talisman in his sleeve, Liu Zhiqing still didn’t raise his head, continuing to walk barefoot downstream, his tone unfriendly: “Shut up, I don’t want to hear you talk.”

Most likely, this Little Grandmaster of the Golden Crow Palace didn’t believe that money-grubber would return those hundreds of pebbles to the clear pool. However, the larger reason was that Liu Zhiqing was rather demanding when it came to his initial intentions, striving for absolute perfection. He should have already returned to the Golden Crow Palace on his sword, but halfway there, he felt a sense of emptiness in the clear pool, which troubled him. He simply returned to Jade Glory Cliff. Having already bid farewell to that Chen fellow at the Old槐 Street shop, he couldn’t force the money-grubber to return the pebbles quickly. Liu Zhiqing had no choice but to do it himself, hoping to retrieve at least one more pebble.

Chen Ping’an also took off his boots and stepped into the stream. He picked up a translucent and adorable pebble, intending to help toss it into the clear pool.

Unexpectedly, Liu Zhiqing said: “That one won’t do, the color is too gaudy.”

Chen Ping’an still threw it towards the clear pool below the cliff, but Liu Zhiqing swept it away with a sleeve, knocking the pebble into the stream. Liu Zhiqing angrily said: “Chen, you!”

“Alright, alright, kindness wasted on a dog. From now on, we’ll each mind our own business.”

Chen Ping’an reached out, retrieved the pebble, rubbed it dry, breathed on it, and stored it in his personal dimension with a grin. “It’s all real money. Feels heavy, truly heavy.”

The clear pool beneath Jade Glory Cliff was fed by the convergence of mountain roots and water veins, naturally blessed with abundant spiritual energy. The pebbles at the bottom of the pool were of the finest quality, having been nourished by the spiritual spring for countless millennia. The pebbles in the stream were slightly inferior, but they were still excellent for carving seals or hand-held pieces similar to mutton-fat jade. With some embellishment and casual handling, they would make first-rate scholarly accouterments for the wealthy and powerful. Having such an object in one’s study could ward off evil and was pleasing to the eye. It might not extend one’s life, but it was enough to bring joy to the heart.

Liu Zhiqing meticulously picked and chose, discarding dozens of stream pebbles into the clear pool.

It felt like he was being more meticulous than when selecting a wife or Daoist companion.

Chen Ping’an followed behind Liu Zhiqing, gleaning the leftovers, mostly those that Liu Zhiqing had picked up, examined for a moment, and then put down. Thus, another forty or fifty pebbles were added to Chen Ping’an’s tally. Chen Ping’an had already decided to find one or two apprentices at an established Old槐 Street shop specializing in scholarly items. He couldn’t afford the master craftsman, nor did the latter necessarily think highly of these pebbles. Chen Ping’an only needed to find one or two shop assistants or apprentices, even if they only had half the skill of the old master, they would be more than capable of handling these pebbles. He would have them carve them into simple seals, hand-held pieces, or small inkstones. When the time came, he would put them in his Ant Shop, claiming they were produced from the old mine of Jade Glory Cliff, and then casually tell a tall tale about Liu, the Sword Immortal of the Golden Crow Palace, comprehending the sword while observing stones. The price would naturally skyrocket.

As for those pebbles retrieved from the bottom of the clear pool, he would honestly return them all. If one wanted to do business for the long term, “shrewdness” should always come after “honesty.” After all, having obtained a shop in Spring Dew Garden, he was no longer a true peddler. As for why the Spring Dew Garden’s Ancestral Hall would gift him a shop, it was simple. The old woman who looked like a ward against evil on the Iron Boat Mansion had already revealed the secret: the “Spring Dew and Winter Sunshine” booklet would indeed have a few lines about “Sword Immortal Chen.” However, when Song Lanqiao mentioned this matter, he explicitly stated that the Spring Dew Garden’s writer would, before Chen Ping’an left the Spring Dew Garden, first give him the content about him in the new edition of “Spring Dew and Winter Sunshine” to review. Which parts could be written and which could not. In fact, the Spring Dew Garden had long been confident. Having been in the mountainside business for so many years, they were well aware of the taboos of immortal cultivators.

Chen Ping’an was delighted with these money-making business strategies and didn’t find them annoying in the slightest. He chatted enthusiastically with Song Lanqiao at the time, after all, he could use these techniques for Fallen Mountain in the future.

Liu Zhiqing went ashore, heading towards Jade Glory Cliff. Seeing that the fellow hadn’t come ashore yet, it seemed he intended to scour the stream once more, lest anything be missed.

Liu Zhiqing scoffed and said: “Good fellow, have you fallen into a pit of money?”

Chen Ping’an bent down and picked up a pebble with a texture as fine as black jade, gently turning it over to see if it had any pleasing natural patterns. He laughed: “I was scared of being poor when I was young, there’s no other way.”

The reason why Liu Zhiqing hadn’t left Spring Dew Garden on his sword was naturally to see with his own eyes that the fellow had returned the dozens of clear pool pebbles to their original locations before he could rest assured.

But now Liu Zhiqing suspected that this fellow might immediately collect them again after he left. He felt that the Chen fellow was truly capable of doing such a outrageous thing.

Chen Ping’an stored the jade-like pebble into his personal dimension, his gaze darting around. Picking up money from the ground was much easier than earning money from other people’s pockets and putting it into his own. If he didn’t bend down and reach out, Chen Ping’an was afraid of being struck by lightning.

Because of Chen Ping’an’s meddling, Liu Zhiqing spent a full half an hour walking back to Jade Glory Cliff.

The two arrived at the thatched pavilion. Chen Ping’an stood still, and Liu Zhiqing simply stared at him.
Chen Ping’an slapped his forehead, exclaiming, “Look at my memory!” With a wave of his sleeve, hundreds of pebbles rained down into the clear pool. Liu Zhiqing focused intently, counting the stones. The number was roughly correct, and more importantly, the dozen or so pebbles he cherished most were all accounted for. Only then did Liu Zhiqing’s expression improve. If even one were missing, he felt he would never come here for tea again. Being greedy for money was Chen’s own business, and earning money from him was his skill. But if he lacked integrity, it would be a completely different matter. If Yu Ying Cliff fell into the hands of such a person, Liu Zhiqing would consider it already ruined and would hold no lingering attachment.

Chen Ping’an brushed off his sleeves and said, “Have you ever considered that picking stones in the stream can also be a form of cultivating the mind? I roughly understand your temperament. You like to pursue perfection and flawlessness. This mindset and disposition might be good for refining swords, but when it comes to cultivating the mind, especially with the Golden Crow Palace’s method of ‘heart-washing with swords,’ you’ll likely suffer greatly. So now, I’m actually regretting telling you about those meridian matters.”

Liu Zhiqing shook his head and said, “The more troublesome it is, the more it indicates that once the sword-washing is successful, the rewards will be greater than I imagine.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “It’s just a random excuse to give you a reminder.”

Liu Zhiqing hesitated for a moment, then sat down and began to draw symbols with his fingers. This time, however, his movements were slow, and he didn’t deliberately conceal the ripples of his spiritual energy. Soon, two more scarlet fire dragons coiled and hovered, and he raised his head and asked, “Have you learned it?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “I’ve memorized the technique, and I can roughly see the trajectory of the spiritual energy, but I can’t do it yet.”

Liu Zhiqing frowned and said, “If you were willing to devote half the effort you put into doing business to cultivation, would you be in such a miserable state?”

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly and said, “Liu Zhiqing, don’t just sit there and talk without knowing the pain. I’m someone whose bridge of longevity was severed. To be where I am today is already not so miserable.”

Chen Ping’an knew what kind of person Liu Zhiqing was after their three previous sparring sessions.

They had initially agreed that Liu Zhiqing, this Golden Core realm sword cultivator stuck at a bottleneck, would only exert five-tenths of his strength. He, on the other hand, would only use his fists.

Chen Ping’an drew a circle ten zhang in diameter and used his cultivation level from Old Dragon City to deal with Liu Zhiqing’s flying swords.

Liu Zhiqing controlled his flying sword for the first time. Because he underestimated the toughness of Chen Ping’an’s physique and wasn’t used to the other’s method of exchanging injuries, one punch to knock down without delivering a second, his natal sword, which he had named “Waterfall,” although it was as fast as a waterfall cascading down from the heavens, only pierced an inch above Chen Ping’an’s heart, since they had agreed to only decide the victor without taking lives. As a result, Chen Ping’an allowed the flying sword to pierce through his shoulder, and instantly arrived in front of Liu Zhiqing. The extremely fast flying sword spun back again and struck Chen Ping’an’s ankle. Before Liu Zhiqing could move more than a few zhang away, Chen Ping’an was right behind him, landing a punch that sent him flying out of the circle. Fortunately, Chen Ping’an had deliberately held back before the punch landed, but Liu Zhiqing still fell to the ground, sliding out several zhang, covered in dust.

Liu Zhiqing was only a little disheveled. After gracefully rising, he looked at the guy whose shoulder and ankle were indeed pierced by the flying sword and asked, “Doesn’t it hurt?”

The trouble with sword cultivator’s flying swords, aside from their speed, is that once they pierce through the opponent’s body and qi repository, they are extremely difficult to heal quickly. Moreover, they possess a terrifying effect similar to “Grand Dao conflict.” Other offensive magical treasures in the world can also inflict lasting damage, even with endless repercussions, but none are as troublesome as the lingering sword qi. It is urgent yet fierce, like a flood bursting its banks, like an over-the-river dragon entering a human body’s small world, overturning rivers and seas, greatly affecting the operation of the qi repository’s spiritual energy. And in the life-and-death battles of cultivators, often even a slight disturbance in spiritual energy can be fatal. Moreover, the physical tempering of ordinary Qi Refiners is ultimately not as good as that of military cultivators and pure martial artists. A sudden pain will inevitably affect the state of mind.

One sword is already like this, what if a cultivator suffers several sword attacks?

At that time, Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “It doesn’t hinder me from punching.”

Later, in the second sparring session, Liu Zhiqing began to be careful about the distance between them.

It should be known that sword cultivators, especially Earth Immortal sword cultivators, are good at both ranged and close combat.

Chen Ping’an began to fight with the cultivation level he had when he first arrived at Skull Beach, in order to dodge Liu Zhiqing’s elusive natal flying sword.

After that round, the two sat cross-legged outside the circle, Chen Ping’an covered in countless tiny wounds, and Liu Zhiqing also covered in dust.

At that time, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but ask, “I once experienced the flying swords of a Golden Core old sword cultivator. Why is yours so fast even when you’re only exerting seven-tenths of your strength?”

Liu Zhiqing was in a bad mood at the time, “It’s just seven-tenths, believe it or not.”

On the third day, Liu Zhiqing looked at the guy who seemed to be completely fine, “Not pretending? Today, I’ll unleash nine-tenths of my sword. Although we agreed not to fight to the death, but…”

Before Liu Zhiqing could finish, Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Just unleash your sword.”

Chen Ping’an used the cultivation level he had after withstanding the Cloud Sea Heavenly Tribulation, just without using some of his trump card fist techniques, and once again faced the enemy.

In the end, Liu Zhiqing stood outside the circle, having to rub his swollen cheek with his hand, slowly dispersing the bruise with spiritual energy.

Chen Ping’an stood on the line of the circle, smiling brightly, with a few bloody holes on his body, but that was all. Anyway, they weren’t fatal wounds, and only needed a period of recuperation.

Liu Zhiqing had to ask the same question again, “It really doesn’t hurt?”

Chen Ping’an blinked at that time. “Guess?”

After three sparring sessions.

They became friends.

Chen Ping’an and Liu Zhiqing both knew it well, but neither was willing to put it into words.

Otherwise, with Liu Zhiqing’s aloofness, how could he be willing to support Chen Ping’an’s Ant Shop on Old槐 Street, and even have to brace himself and reluctantly drag a skeleton down the street?

At this moment, the underwater shimmering scene reappeared under Yu Ying Cliff. What was lost and found was especially moving, and Liu Zhiqing was in a good mood.

As for Chen Ping’an’s bridge of longevity being broken.

Although Liu Zhiqing was shocked in his heart, and did not know how the bridge of longevity was rebuilt, he would not ask more questions.

Liu Zhiqing dispelled the two slender fire dragons formed from symbols on the table and asked, “How is your injury?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “It’s nothing. During this time, I’ve been both recuperating and earning money in Old 槐 Street.”

Liu Zhiqing asked again, “You said earlier that the fist manual that is the foundation of your fist techniques comes from the southeastern area of our Northern Ju Continent, and the clues are related to ants moving stones into the water. Have you gained anything?”
Chen Pingan shook his head, “Before, in order to make money easily, I declared that the shop would never offer discounts, which led to fewer opportunities for me to chat with people. It’s a bit of a pity.”

Liu Zhiqing nodded, “Serves you right.”

Chen Pingan smiled wryly.

Besides the origin of that Mountain-Shaking Fist manual, there was actually another matter.

It was the tragic incident of the intercontinental ferry from Dazhao Mountain being wrecked in the central part of Baoping Continent. However, there was no need for Chen Pingan to inquire about it too much, because he wouldn’t be able to find out anything anyway, as that immortal sect had been sealed off for many years. Among the mountain and water gazettes bought by the little water monster on the ferry back then, there were also a few news items about Dazhao Mountain, mostly insignificant and scattered rumors. Moreover, Chen Pingan was an outsider, and abruptly inquiring about the inner workings of Dazhao Mountain might lead to unexpected consequences, so Chen Pingan was naturally cautious.

Therefore, Chen Pingan had already planned to go to the central part of Beiju Luzhou, to walk along that great river that ran east to west across the continent and flowed into the sea.

What he needed to be careful to avoid, of course, was the Chongxuan Department’s Cloud Canopy Palace of the Dayuan Dynasty.

That Yang Ningxing, setting aside the “scholar” who was an incarnation of mustard-seed evil thoughts, was actually a very promising cultivator.

However, the reputation of the Dayuan Dynasty’s Chongxuan Department in Beiju Luzhou was mixed, and its actions were extremely resolute and overbearing, which was a huge problem.

Therefore, for that long journey along the great river, surveying the mountains and waters, the shrines of deities, and the forces of immortal sects of various countries, Chen Pingan needed to be extra careful.

In any case, setting aside Lu Chen’s machinations, since it was where his own green-clad little servant would have the opportunity to attain enlightenment in the future, and Chen Pingan had repeatedly deduced the matter with both Cui Dongshan and Wei Bo, they all believed that since things had come to this point, it was worth doing. So Chen Pingan would naturally do his best to handle it.

Chen Pingan remembered something and patted his sword-nurturing gourd, and the First and Fifteenth flew out.

Liu Zhiqing glanced at them and said grumpily, “A waste of heavenly treasures.”

He had already seen that the vermillion wine pot was a sword-nurturing gourd, partly by observing its aura and partly by guessing.

As for these two flying swords, whose quality was impossible to determine, being in Chen Pingan’s hands, the saying that they were a waste of heavenly treasures was not at all unfair to this “Good Fellow”.

Liu Zhiqing slowly said, “The speed of these two flying swords, if a sword cultivator truly refined them, would be very fast. Unfortunately, you are not a natural sword embryo, and they are not your natal objects. I don’t know how lethal the swordplay of that Golden Core old sword cultivator you mentioned is, but putting aside the strange talent of his natal flying sword, at least his flying sword speed is really slow. If you think that the sword cultivators of Beiju Luzhou are all like that, that I, Liu Zhiqing, am just an exception, and that their flying swords are all so slow, then you are definitely in for a lot of trouble. When an Earth Immortal-level sword cultivator is fighting to the death, they don’t just exert ten parts of their strength. After using some supernatural arts that don’t hesitate to consume their source essence, they might even exert twelve parts.”

Chen Pingan stretched out his palm, and two miniature flying swords, one snow-white and one emerald-green, gently hovered in his palm. He looked at the First, whose original name was Little Fengdu, “In the beginning, I wanted to refine this one as a natal object outside the Five Elements. I was lucky enough to succeed. I wouldn’t dare say it would be as good as a sword cultivator’s natal flying sword, but it would naturally be stronger than things are now. Because of the person who gifted it, I have no doubts. It’s just that this flying sword is not very willing. It only wants to stay with me in the sword-nurturing gourd. I can’t force it, and besides, I wouldn’t be able to force it even if I tried.”

Chen Pingan shifted his gaze and looked at the flying sword Fifteenth, “This one, I like very much. I also trust the person I bought it from, and in principle, I shouldn’t have any doubts. But I’m just afraid, afraid of accidents. So I’ve always felt very sorry for it.”

Liu Zhiqing said in a deep voice, “The higher the rank of these leftover flying swords from sword immortals, the greater the risk of refining them. I’ll just say one thing: do you have the key acupoints suitable for them to inhabit, nourish, and grow in? If that doesn’t work, nothing works. It has nothing to do with how much immortal money you’ve earned or how many natural treasures you possess. There’s a reason why sword cultivators are the most valuable in the world.”

Chen Pingan smiled and nodded, “I do, three of them.”

Liu Zhiqing suddenly said, “Hey Chen, teach me a few curse words!”

Chen Pingan waved his hand, “I’m a person who’s only somewhat skilled with my fists. I’m not good at insulting or scolding people.”

Liu Zhiqing stood up, “Nothing to talk about. I’m leaving.”

Chen Pingan also stood up, his smile fading, and asked, “Liu Zhiqing, before you return to the Golden Crow Palace to cleanse your sword, I have one last question to ask you.”

Liu Zhiqing asked, “Feel free to ask.”

Chen Pingan slowly said, “What makes you think that the Golden Crow Palace should do everything according to your wishes?”

Liu Zhiqing was silent.

Chen Pingan said, “It’s better to think it over carefully before you cleanse your sword.”

Liu Zhiqing smiled, “Simple. As long as I successfully cleanse my sword, the Golden Crow Palace will have one more Nascent Soul sword cultivator. Those who suffered from my sword cleansing before will be blessed by a Nascent Soul in the coming year.”

Chen Pingan curled his lip, “Sword cultivators really act straightforwardly.”

Liu Zhiqing smiled slightly, “Otherwise, should I learn from you, basking in the sun in front of the shop or picking up stones in the stream?”

Chen Pingan waved his hand, “Get lost, get lost. I get annoyed just looking at you, and even more annoyed when I think that you might become a Nascent Soul sword cultivator. How will I ever make you, Sword Immortal Liu, eat dirt in future sparring sessions?”

Liu Zhiqing scoffed, “You’re annoyed? Those goose pebbles from the Jade Radiance Cliff stream, originally worth several hundred taels of silver, you can’t sell even one for the price of snowflakes? I reckon you’ve already figured it out, right? That you shouldn’t rush to sell those forty-nine goose pebbles, but hold them back, wait for a price, preferably until I’ve reached the Nascent Soul realm, and then sell them?”

Chen Pingan laughed heartily, “What a pity that you don’t learn to do business from me. You’re a promising talent, a promising talent.”

Liu Zhiqing was about to fly away on his sword when Chen Pingan suddenly said, “I’ll give you a free piece of advice. When you get to the Golden Crow Palace, don’t rush to cleanse your sword. You can first act as… an accountant, make a copy of the ancestral hall register and keep it on hand. Then, silently observe the Golden Crow Palace for a year and a half from your own mountain, observing the words and deeds of all the cultivators. Record who said what and did what, and compare it with their earliest origins and current realms. Think deeply about why they said those words and did those things. The longer and more you observe, the clearer you’ll be about the veins of people’s hearts, like a divine being holding a mountain range in the palm of their hand. In the future, when you take action to cleanse your sword, you should be more adept.”

Liu Zhiqing nodded, “Feasible.”

Chen Pingan waved goodbye, “I wish Sword Immortal Liu a good sword cleansing.”

Liu Zhiqing asked, “What will happen to the shop in Old Scholar Lane after you leave?”
Chen Ping’an smiled, “You can entrust it to a disciple of Song Lanqiao or a cultivator from Zhaoye Cottage. We’ll split the profits nine to one. I’ve left a few magical treasures in the shop, including a pair of large and small golden crowns, and a dragon throne from a certain Lake Lord of Cangyun Lake. Anyway, the prices are fixed. When I return to the shop and take stock, I’ll know how much immortal money I should have earned. If I’m not in the shop and something is lost or stolen, I’m sure Chunlu Garden will compensate at the original price. So I’m not worried, I’m guaranteed a stable income.”

As for the Purple Cloud Dharma Robe and other such items, Chen Ping’an would not sell them.

These kinds of immortal objects are rather special, extremely rare, similar to the armor pills used by strategists. They often sell at a high premium, and are still hard to find even with the money to buy them. After the mountains, including Luopo Mountain, have more people, they will only feel that there aren’t enough.

Liu Zhiqing suddenly looked hesitant.

Chen Ping’an said, “Have you taken a fancy to something? Friends are friends, business is business. At most, I’ll make an exception and give you a… twenty percent discount. I can’t go any lower.”

Liu Zhiqing laughed, “So many sets of Shennu (Goddess) paintings of the Skeleton Beach Wall City that have been hardened, you sell them for two Xiaoshu coins in the shop, and it seems there’s still a lot of backlog. How about you give me a set? Talking about money hurts feelings, what twenty percent discount or not, I won’t buy it, just give it to me.”

Chen Ping’an glanced in the direction of Lao Huai Street, “It’s a long way.”

Liu Zhiqing scoffed, “I can go to the Ant Shop and get it myself. Just remember to change the lock later.”

Chen Ping’an sighed and took out a set of the Lang Tian version of the Shennu paintings that he had left in his Close at Hand Storage, and threw it to Liu Zhiqing along with the wooden box.

Liu Zhiqing put it in his sleeve, satisfied.

Beautiful women, beautiful scenery, good wine, and good tea, these are the things Liu Zhiqing enjoyed. The several maids in his Golden Crow Palace on the Molten Peak were all exceptionally beautiful, but they were only there for eye candy. Besides, if the Molten Peak didn’t take them in, with their looks and mediocre talent, if they fell into the hands of that palace master’s wife, it would only be a few ripples of lightning on a certain day.

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “Actually, I have two of Pang Shanling’s most outstanding works, which are far superior to these already exquisite Lang Tian versions.”

Liu Zhiqing shook his head and said, “Keep them for yourself. A gentleman doesn’t take what others cherish.”

Chen Ping’an stretched out two fingers and gently pinched them.

Liu Zhiqing said angrily, “No money!”

Chen Ping’an retracted his hand and laughed, “Those two sets of Shennu paintings, I can’t give them to you. But later, when I return to Pima Sect, I can chat with Old Man Pang and see if I can ask him to paint again. If it works out, I’ll send it to the Molten Peak in the Golden Crow Palace. If it doesn’t, just pretend this never happened.”

Liu Zhiqing flew away from Jade Ying Cliff on his sword.

Chen Ping’an also summoned a talisman small boat and returned to the bamboo sea.

One night, those who practiced stances practiced stances, those who cultivated cultivated, this was true multitasking, without neglecting either.

Late at night, Chen Ping’an took the Sword Nurturing Gourd off the table and placed it on the table. He took out the Sword Immortal from the bamboo box, and then took out an object from the Flying Sword Fifteen. With lightning speed, he drew his sword and slashed down, splitting a long sharpening stone in half. Chu Yi and Shi Wu hovered to the side, eager to try. Chen Ping’an’s entire arm holding the sword began to tingle and temporarily lost feeling. Still, he quickly picked up the Sword Immortal, widened his eyes, and carefully stared at the blade. There were no fine flaws or nicks, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged and began to refine the two pieces of Dragon Slaying Terrace, intending to store them in the two acupoints, so that Chu Yi and Shi Wu could leave the Sword Nurturing Gourd and use them to hone their blades, bit by bit eating away at the two separated Dragon Slaying Terraces.

This Dragon Slaying Terrace was the largest of the three sharpening stones that Sword Spirit Sister gave him after appearing in Old Dragon City.

He had always been reluctant to let Chu Yi and Shi Wu eat it.

Now that he had truly embarked on the path of cultivation, especially after resolving to refine Chu Yi and Shi Wu into natal objects that shared his life and death, there was no need for any hesitation.

Through sparring with Liu Zhiqing, a sword cultivator at the bottleneck of the Golden Core stage, Chen Ping’an felt that his trump cards were still a little lacking, insufficient, far from enough.

It’s always good to have more skills.

Even talisman techniques can be used as a layer of deception.

Wearing a dharma robe, hiding a large stack of ordinary talismans in his sleeves, pretending to be a talisman cultivator who wins by quantity.

Once up close, he’s a pure martial artist.

During the fight, he would assess the situation and find a chance to transform into a sword cultivator. Two natal swords with greatly increased speed would make it so that the opponent could dodge Chu Yi, but couldn’t dodge Shi Wu.

Finally, there’s the Sword Immortal.

In the early morning, Chen Ping’an went to Lao Huai Street, but did not open the shop for business. Instead, he went to the old shop that specialized in selling stationery and scholarly supplies, found a chance to get close to an apprentice, and roughly agreed on a business intention. The young apprentice felt that there was no big problem, but he insisted on one thing: the forty-five cobblestones from Jade Ying Cliff would be carved by him into various elegant objects, which was fine, ten snowflake coins within three days, but they could not be sold in the Ant Shop. Chen Ping’an agreed, and then the two agreed to chat in detail at the Ant Shop after the shop closed.

Chen Ping’an then went to Zhaoye Cottage, which was a bit of a distance away, and met Tang the Immortal Master, one of the two main financial backers of Chunlu Garden. This person was also a legendary cultivator of Chunlu Garden. In his early years, his talent was not outstanding, and he did not enter the direct line of the three veins of the Ancestral Hall. In the end, he became good at doing business, and relied on the rich dividends to break through his realm time and time again, eventually reaching the Golden Core realm. And no one looked down on him, after all, the cultivators of Chunlu Garden had always valued commerce.

Tang Qingqing was naturally present.

However, Wei Bai of the Ironclad Mansion and the old nanny had already returned to the Grand View Dynasty.

Tang Qingqing personally brewed tea. During the casual chat, the Immortal Master Tang learned that the young Sword Immortal intended to be a hands-off owner, and took the initiative to request that a clever cultivator be sent to help at the Ant Shop.
Chen Ping’an proposed a nine-one split of the profits, but Immortal Master Tang smiled and said that such a thing was unheard of. A ten percent cut was far too much; it was just a simple task of squatting in a shop and collecting money every day. He suggested a fixed fee instead, saying that thirty snowflake coins a year would be enough for the cultivator sent by the Zhaoye Herb Hall to the shop. However, Chen Ping’an felt that a nine-one split was more reasonable, and Immortal Master Tang agreed. He then meticulously inquired about how to calculate any premium earned by selling above the listed price through eloquence and skill, without harming repeat customers or the shop’s reputation in Lao Huai Street. Chen Ping’an said that the premium would be split fifty-fifty. Immortal Master Tang nodded with a smile, then tentatively asked the young sword immortal if he would allow the Zhaoye Herb Hall’s staff to raise the existing prices by ten or twenty percent after they took over the shop, so that customers could haggle. However, the bottom line after haggling would, of course, not be lower than the young sword immortal’s current prices. Chen Ping’an smiled and said that that would be ideal, as he was still too short-sighted when it came to business. Entrusting it to the Zhaoye Herb Hall was indeed the best choice.

After drinking tea and discussing business matters, they exchanged polite words of mutual admiration. Chen Ping’an then took his leave.

Tang Qingqing and her father stood outside the gate. She asked, puzzled, “Father, I told you everything about what happened on the ferry. Now, our Chunlu Orchard values him so much. He’s even a prominent figure who could make Sword Immortal Liu leave Jade Canopy Cliff and personally run to Jingzhe Prefecture to invite him for tea. Today, he came to our door and drank our tea. That’s a great honor! Why are you being so calculating? If we really want to befriend him, we have plenty of immortal money. Why not just buy all the shop’s stock? He’d make a lot of money, and we’d only lose a little. Wouldn’t that be better?”

The man shook his head. “That’s not how business is done. If this young sword immortal had come to our door openly asking for money, I would have given it to him, and a lot of it, without batting an eye, just to avoid trouble. But since he’s here to do business with our Zhaoye Herb Hall, we need to follow the rules. Only then can it be truly long-lasting and not turn something good into something bad.”

Seeing that his daughter still didn’t fully understand, he smiled and said, “Aside from those who suddenly become rich, all long-term businesses, all kinds of merchants, all kinds of ways to make money, have one thing in common.”

The man took out a common copper coin from the mountain kingdom from his sleeve, which he had treasured for many years. He placed it in the palm of his hand. “For this object, you must have respect.”

Chen Ping’an then went to visit an old woman, who was the golden core boat owner Song Lanqiao’s mentor. The old woman was also a golden core cultivator, but she had a seat in the Chunlu Orchard’s Hall of Patriarchs, which Song Lanqiao did not. Simply put, when the Chunlu Orchard’s Hall of Patriarchs held meetings, the old woman and Lao Zu Tanling, among the eight of them, had chairs to sit on. Tang Qingqing’s father also had a chair, but it was located at the very back, while Song Lanqiao could only stand.

The old woman was overjoyed to see the young sword immortal, and she engaged in polite conversation with Chen Ping’an for a good half hour. Chen Ping’an remained calm and patient until the old woman herself said that she wouldn’t delay Sword Immortal Chen’s cultivation any longer, at which point Chen Ping’an rose to take his leave.

The gift he brought for the old woman was a spiritual artifact that hadn’t been placed in the Bifu shop. It wasn’t ostentatious, but it wasn’t too valuable either, and it was quite pleasing.

The old woman wanted to give a gift in return, but Chen Ping’an politely declined, saying that if she did, he wouldn’t dare to come empty-handed next time. The old woman laughed heartily and agreed.

When Chen Ping’an returned to Lao Huai Street, it was just past noon. He opened the shop door and sat on the small bamboo chair, basking in the sun as usual.

Business was a bit slow.

Despite the bustling activity, he only made one sale in an hour, earning six snowflake coins. A young female cultivator bought a boudoir item from the Moon Palace variety. After throwing the immortal money on the counter, she hurried out the door.

Chen Ping’an was too embarrassed to say, “Come again next time.”

Chen Ping’an regretted not pulling Liu Zhiqing in to be a shop assistant again.

Sword Immortal Liu was happy to take a set of the “Gallery-Filling Divine Maiden Pictures” for free, so why couldn’t he help the shop attract customers?

This was helping you, Liu Zhiqing, cultivate your mind, wasn’t it?

As dusk approached, the apprentice from the old shop hurried over. Chen Ping’an hung up the “Closed” sign and took out the forty-nine pebbles from a package, piling them on the counter.

The young man swallowed, asking cautiously, “Are these really from Jade Canopy Cliff?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Don’t worry, they’re not too hot to handle. As for where they came from, don’t worry about it. All you need to know is that I have a fixed shop in Lao Huai Street with so many valuable items inside. Do you think I would risk seeing how fast Sword Immortal Liu’s flying sword is for this little bit of immortal money?”

The young man sighed in relief.

He picked up a pebble, weighed it in his hand, and then examined it carefully. He said with a smile, “As expected of stones from the spiritual spring of Jade Canopy Cliff, the stone quality is exceptionally clear and moist, without the fiery energy that mountain jade often retains. These are indeed good things. In the eyes of craftsmen down the mountain, they would probably say, ‘Beautiful stone, no carving needed.’ Shopkeeper, I’ll take this deal. After so many years, I’ve finally mastered my skills under my master, but good materials from the mountain are hard to find. Our shop has high standards and my master doesn’t want to ruin good things, so he likes to do it himself, only letting us observe. We apprentices are helpless. I can just practice on these…”

At this point, the young man felt a little embarrassed.

Chen Ping’an smiled. “It’s okay, the truth is still the truth, no matter how harsh it may sound. I just hope you put more effort into your practice, because there are only so many old pit stones from Jade Canopy Cliff. Every one you ruin is one less.”

The young man put his fingers together, twisted his wrist, and patted his chest with a confident look, guaranteeing to the young shopkeeper, “These are my first few cuts since my debut, I won’t be careless.”

Chen Ping’an leaned on the counter and said with a smile, “Then I’ll give you the first pebble as a congratulatory gift for Little Master Xu’s first cut.”

The young man was a little shy, “That’s not very good.”

Chen Ping’an pointed to the pair of pebbles and said, “Pick whichever one you want, but you must promise me that after the first pebble is carved, it’s yours. The rest, when you start carving them, you must also put your heart into it.”
The young man’s face flushed red, “Shopkeeper, rest assured! Every carving will be infused with my full strength, my utmost skill! Perhaps even a stroke or two of divine inspiration. In short, I will not let your Ant Shop down.”

Chen Ping’an nodded with a smile.

Carving stone is akin to shaping porcelain on a potter’s wheel.

Both require diligent practice, and the beginning is always the hardest.

Once the young man pours his heart into the first cobblestone, the subsequent cuts will flow naturally. Even if he gets slightly distracted, compared to simply treating it as a transaction, the overall quality of all the stones will be better. The Ant Shop can then sell them for a higher price, easily compensating for the loss of a Jade Cliff cobblestone. If all goes well, the Ant Shop will only earn more.

Nothing in this world is ever simple, it just depends on whether you’re willing to ponder it.

As for whether taking on side jobs at the Ant Shop would ruin the young apprentice’s prospects with his master…

There are plenty of clever people who know how to calculate at Chunlu Garden.

Chen Ping’an allowed the young apprentice to take the cobblestones and the package with him. Once each cobblestone was carved into a scholar’s object for the desk, he could either bring it to the Ant Shop himself or have a friend deliver it. He just had to say that he was a friend of the old shopkeeper, and the new shopkeeper wouldn’t give him any trouble. Alternatively, he could carve one piece and take one away. After weighing the pros and cons, the young man felt that the latter was more secure, so he assured the easy-going young shopkeeper that if he lost any cobblestone, he would pay for a Snowflake Coin to compensate.

Unexpectedly, the young shopkeeper said, “If you truly lose one, you won’t be able to afford it. It’s fine. As long as you have the skill, the Ant Shop is willing to negotiate.”

The young man smiled and left.

Chen Ping’an stood at the shop entrance, watching him depart.

He vaguely saw the shadow of a straw-shoe boy delivering letters with integrity.

The next day, the Ant Shop, which had been closed for two full days, opened its doors with a new shopkeeper. Those with keen eyes knew that this person came from Tang Celestial’s Illumination Grass Hall. With an eager smile and attentive service, he was impeccable in welcoming guests and handling affairs. Moreover, the goods in the shop were finally negotiable.

On this day, Chen Ping’an, still dressed in plain green robes, carried his bamboo case, donned his bamboo hat, and held his mountain walking stick. He told the two servant girls at the residence that he would be leaving Chunlu Garden today.

The young female cultivator, a direct disciple of a Golden Core cultivator, said that Elder Tan had already sent word to the residence that the talisman flying boat had been gifted to Chen Sword Immortal, so there was no need to stand on ceremony.

After thanking her, Chen Ping’an genuinely didn’t stand on ceremony.

He summoned the talisman flying boat and went to Old Locust Street. At the end of the street stood the old locust tree, whose shade covered several acres of land.

The young man in green robes stood beneath the locust tree, looking up for a long time.

Many past events and people were thinkable, memorable, but unattainable.