After a long absence, the Sage Ruan Qiong finally returned, first stopping by the shop on the Dragon Whiskers River to see his disciple Xu Xiaoqiao. Before heading to the main peak of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, Divine Splendor Mountain, he casually banished two unruly demon spirits, vassals of a celestial estate in the western mountains, from this realm. Only then did Ruan Qiong return to his own mountain peak. He summoned the twelve disciples he had taken after Dong Gu and Xu Xiaoqiao, instructing Senior Brother Dong Gu to gather them. He watched them perform their swordsmanship one by one, remaining expressionless throughout, offering no specific guidance. After observing, he rose and went to forge swords, leaving the once high-spirited disciples filled with unease.

The Eldest Senior Sister, who favored green robes, never showed her face from beginning to end.

Fourth Senior Brother Xie Ling was present, sighed, and returned to his residence to continue cultivating.

Ruan Qiong’s reappearance immediately drew many aspirants to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, hoping to be noticed by this prestigious immortal clan.

There were young disciples escorted by influential Da Li families, solitary young men and women, and numerous wild cultivators from mountains and marshes seeking to become guest elders.

A motley crew, indeed.

This irritated Dong Gu, Ruan Qiong’s nominal eldest disciple.

Dong Gu had to act as a half-master, imparting knowledge and skills to the twelve junior disciples not yet recorded in the ancestral hall’s register. He also had to manage the sect’s affairs, both great and small. Furthermore, after the twelve had cultivated at the Dragon Spring Sword Sect for some time, they had a general understanding of each other’s talents and abilities. Human nature gradually revealed itself. Some, recognizing their inferior swordsmanship, focused on cultivating relationships; others toiled diligently but ineffectively, making slow progress in their swordsmanship; some were respectful on the mountain but boasted of being disciples of the Sword Sect once they descended; and then there was the innate sword genius, whose realm advanced by leaps and bounds, far surpassing his peers, and who had secretly requested Dong Gu to learn an advanced sword art from the Wind and Snow Temple.

As for the immortal sects who built estates in the western mountains, many visited Divine Splendor Mountain, requiring Dong Gu to handle the relationships, a task that consumed much energy and time. Eldest Senior Sister Ruan Xiu would certainly ignore them. Junior Sister Xu Xiaoqiao was cold and naturally disliked socializing. Xie Ling was even less inclined to offer smiles and kind words.

If the Dragon Spring Sword Sect did not have to worry about finances, Dong Gu would have regretted it and asked his master Ruan Qiong to open a peak, so he could legitimately cultivate in seclusion. He had set a rule for himself: to reach the Nascent Soul realm within a century. After all, unlike Xu Xiaoqiao, who was already a Wind and Snow Temple sword cultivator, Dong Gu, though the eldest disciple on the Dragon Spring Sword Sect’s register, was not a sword cultivator. This was actually quite irregular.

Ruan Qiong didn’t mind, but Dong Gu felt extremely guilty. So, Dong Gu thought of a simple solution: if he wasn’t a sword cultivator, he would compensate with his cultivation realm.

As for Junior Brother Xie Ling, he had already nurtured a natal flying sword and was currently refining it. Not only that, but Xie Ling’s ancestor, the Heavenly Sovereign Xie Shi of the Northern Majestic Continent who had displayed the power to suppress an entire continent, had gifted his Peach Leaf Lane descendant two treasures of the mountain. One was a Northern Majestic Continent Sword Immortal’s relic, named “Peach Leaf,” which Xie Ling would refine into a natal object. It was a natal flying sword left behind after the Sword Immortal’s self-disintegration. Although it wasn’t Xie Ling’s natal flying sword, its power after being refined into a natal object was imaginable.

There was also a gourd for nurturing swords called “Full Moon,” of extremely high quality.

Dong Gu knew that in Junior Brother Xie Ling’s eyes, he didn’t exist as a senior brother. It wasn’t that Xie Ling relied on his family background to be arrogant. On the contrary, Xie Ling showed no disrespect towards Dong Gu and no contempt for Dong Gu’s true identity. Xie Ling helped whenever he could, and during Dong Gu’s critical periods of cultivation after reaching the Golden Core realm, Xie Ling would proactively impart sword arts. This long-browed member of the Xie family was flawless.

It was just that Xie Ling’s talent and opportunities were too good. On the mountain, he only saw Ruan Xiu. Below the mountain, he only focused on a select few young people, including Ma Ku Xuan.

At Dong Gu and Xie Ling’s level, their diet was no longer ordinary grains. They mostly followed carefully compiled recipes from the medical branch of the Hundred Schools of Thought to prepare their daily meals, which cost a lot of immortal coins.

However, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect had a large estate and few disciples. Ruan Qiong was also the top-ranked offering to the Da Li Dynasty, receiving a large sum of immortal master’s salary from the court every year. As for Dong Gu, being in the Golden Core realm, he had gone to the Book Brief Lake early on and earned a considerable merit without much effort. Afterwards, he received a Peace Amulet issued by the Ministry of Justice and was still registered with the Da Li Sticking Pole, so he also received a considerable official salary.

One day, Ruan Qiong left the sword forge and personally prepared a table of food, inviting only Dong Gu.

As soon as Dong Gu saw the dishes from the common households, he knew that Eldest Senior Sister would definitely come.

Sure enough, Ruan Xiu soon entered the house, served herself food, and sat beside Ruan Qiong. Dong Gu, of course, sat facing his master Ruan Qiong, with his back to the door.

“Eat slowly, no one’s going to snatch it from you.”

Ruan Qiong naturally put a piece of braised pork into his daughter’s bowl, then said to Dong Gu, “I heard that the former Prefect Wu Yuan has been transferred out of Xin Prefecture?”

Dong Gu immediately put down his chopsticks and respectfully said, “After Dragon Spring Prefecture was promoted to Dragon Prefecture, the National Preceptor’s disciple did not naturally become the Governor of Dragon Prefecture. Instead, he was transferred to the original Zhu Ying Dynasty territory south of Guanhai Academy, near the foot of Da Li’s new Central Mountain, continuing to serve as a prefect.”

It was speculated that Wu Yuan had been expected by the National Preceptor to pioneer and open up territory here, but he was ostracized by the local four major families and ten major clans, suffering many setbacks. Although he was later promoted from Magistrate to Prefect, the National Preceptor was dissatisfied. So, this time, although Wu Yuan had no merit but hardship in the prefecture’s promotion to a state, he was seemingly transferred to another country, but in reality, he was demoted.

Dragon Spring Prefecture, when promoted to Dragon Prefecture, covered a vast area, governing the four prefectures of Qingci, Baoxi, Sanjiang, and Xianghuo.

The small town still belonged to Huaihuang County.

Magistrate Yuan has now been promoted to the Governor of Qingci Prefecture.
Dragon Kiln Overseer Cao remained in his original position, though the Ministry of Rites had subtly elevated his official rank to be on par with a regional governor. Thus, the two young talents from families bearing the surname of an Upper Pillar Kingdom actually received promotions, one openly, the other discreetly.

The Dragon Province Governor was an outsider in the Great Li’s officialdom, coming from the tributary kingdom of Huang Ting. His name was Wei Li, of humble origins, whose official rank in Huang Ting was merely a minor prefect of the fourth rank. Yet, upon arriving in Great Li, he became a true regional overlord, a development that greatly surprised the Great Li court. Afterward, rumors circulated in the capital that the Minister of Personnel had personally nominated him, quelling any opposition. Such an unprecedented promotion of a tributary official to a high-ranking position in Great Li might seem to defy protocol, but since His Majesty the Emperor remained silent, and the Ministry of Rites made no fuss, who dared to protest? Did they think Minister Guan was a pushover? There were few Great Li officials who could reason with State Preceptor Cui and win the argument.

Besides the changes in officialdom, the City Gods of the province, prefecture, and county were also decided. The prefecture and county City Gods were both recommended by the two neighboring provinces, being local heroic spirits. Although they had long been recorded in the Great Li’s Ministry of Rites as candidates for local Confucian temples, City Gods, and mountain and river deities, they were generally not expected to receive favorable positions. This time, their appointment to City Gods within Dragon Province’s jurisdiction was seen as a coveted and enviable sinecure.

As for the first Province City God of Dragon Province, the highest-ranking deity, the revelation of his identity caused quite a stir in the Great Li officialdom, with many important officials in the central government watching the Yuan and Cao families’ Upper Pillar Kingdoms with amusement.

Because the Province City God was not the candidate recommended by the two great families, but a small land deity from a small shrine on Mantou Hill at the confluence of the Embroidery and Chongdan Rivers.

Ruan Qiong said slowly, “Wu Yuan’s departure from Great Li’s homeland may not be a bad thing.”

Dong Gu was not well-versed in the inner workings of the Great Li court and dared not comment rashly.

However, Dong Gu felt some regret over Wu Yuan’s departure, as the young Prefect was very adept at dealing with people, and Dong Gu admired the way he interacted with the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.

Fortunately, the new Prefect of Baoxi Prefecture, named Fu Yu, was the aide who had entered the town government office with Wu Yuan from the very beginning, a secretary by profession. It was not until he stepped out from behind the scenes that many colleagues who had worked with him for years were surprised to discover that Prefect Fu was actually from the direct line of the Great Li’s prominent Fu family, a powerful clan outside the Upper Pillar Kingdoms.

After Fu Yu was promoted to Prefect of Baoxi Prefecture, he quickly visited the Dragon Spring Sword Sect. Dong Gu enjoyed his conversation with him, which could be considered a minor blessing.

Ruan Qiong said, “In the future, you should not be involved in welcoming and seeing off guests on the mountain. If you don’t refuse such matters, you’ll be busy with them for the rest of your life. How will you cultivate then? The foundation of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect is not how to be good at socializing.”

Ruan Qiong glanced at Dong Gu, who was a little apprehensive, probably mistaking his master’s words as dissatisfaction with him, his most senior disciple.

Ruan Qiong rarely smiled, “I accepted you as my disciple, not to have you do chores. Cultivation is divided into on and off the mountain. You are now half a ‘sticky pole man.’ Every time you encounter a minor bottleneck on the mountain, don’t waste time here. Take this opportunity to go out and gain experience. Usually, take the initiative to correspond with the Ministry of Justice. Now that the world of Treasure Bottle Continent is in turmoil, you may be able to bring a few disciples back after going down the mountain. Next time, you should make arrangements with the Ministry of Justice to first take a trip to the mountain area of Ganzhou. No matter what, you still need to cultivate a good relationship with the Wind and Snow Temple.”

Dong Gu was relieved and nodded.

He was filled with gratitude for his master.

His master’s few words not only eased his burden but also conveyed profound teachings. More importantly, it was equivalent to indirectly gaining the approval of the Wind and Snow Temple cultivators.

Ruan Qiong suddenly picked up his chopsticks and slapped away his daughter’s chopsticks, which were reaching for the last piece of braised pork. “Leave some for Dong Gu.”

Ruan Xiu had already filled her bowl who knows how many times.

Dong Gu dared not laugh.

Ruan Qiong said to Dong Gu, “What do you think of those twelve registered disciples?”

Dong Gu then described the talents, temperaments, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the twelve.

Ruan Qiong looked at his daughter.

Ruan Xiu had just picked up a large chopstick of vegetables, gently shook it, and took a little less.

Ruan Qiong glanced at the nearly empty plate of vegetables and simply pushed it in front of her.

Ruan Xiu smiled and asked, “Father, why aren’t you drinking today?”

Ruan Qiong shook his head and suddenly said, “In the future, go to Dragon Ridge Mountain to build a thatched hut for cultivation. Remember not to clash with the True Martial Mountain cultivators. Also, no matter what strange things you encounter, don’t be surprised. I know what’s going on.”

Ruan Xiu nodded.

Ruan Qiong then asked about recent events in Great Li.

The Dragon Spring Sword Sect possessed the most detailed gazetteer of mountains and rivers in Treasure Bottle Continent, compiled personally by the Great Li Dynasty and sent regularly to Mount Piyun and Mount Shenxiu in Dragon Spring Prefecture.

Ruan Qiong said for no reason, “Actually, the disciple I wanted to accept the most back then was Liu Xianyang.”

Dong Gu had heard of this person.

He was Chen Ping’an’s best friend from Mud Bottle Lane.

He almost died at the hands of the Mountain Moving Old Ape of Mount Zhengyang.

Because of this, Liu Xianyang and Chen Ping’an had formed a deadly feud with Mount Zhengyang and the Xu family of Qingfeng City.

The Xu family initially sold the immortal mansion that had already been built to the Great Li Dynasty at a low price, not without fearing Chen Ping’an. Later, the Xu family of Qingfeng City changed course, taking remedial measures by marrying a direct daughter to a concubine’s son of the Upper Pillar Kingdom’s Yuan family, and contributed money and effort to help the Yuan family’s descendants control a border cavalry.

After all, no one could have imagined that the Mud Bottle Lane boy could step by step reach where he is today.

Ruan Qiong and Dong Gu only symbolically ate a few bites of food.

Then, the master and disciple began to take a walk.

Dong Gu said softly, “Mountain God Wei held another night tour banquet. The shop left behind by Bao Fu Zhai at the Niujiaoshan Ferry has reopened, selling items that are mountain and river deities and local cultivators’ gifts for visiting.”

Ruan Qiong smiled, “It seems that Fallen Phoenix Mountain is short of money.”

Compared to Dong Gu, who was in the Golden Core Realm, Ruan Qiong was not only in the Jade Purity Realm but also a Holy Throne Realm cultivator, so he could see things more clearly. Wei Bo’s breakthrough this time was without any bottlenecks. To be precise, the bottleneck for Wei Bo to reach the Upper Five Realms had long been broken by someone, and in a very ingenious and subtle way. Ruan Qiong only came to this conclusion after long observation. What Wei Bo was pursuing was the easily accessible Jade Purity Realm, which was more flawless, not whether he could break through.
So, that bamboo sword strike at Chess Peak, it was truly precise.

Ruan Qiong felt a deep melancholy in his heart.

Generally speaking, for great sword immortals, the level of their swordsmanship, the amount of their sword intent, even an upper five realms sword cultivator who is slightly inferior, can barely see the general disparity.

But some people’s sword strikes, one truly needs many years to discern the power behind them.

The strength is immense, yet it doesn’t manifest.

Ultimately, perhaps the sword must land on the heart of man, to truly reveal its skill.

Ruan Qiong hoped that one day in the future, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect could produce such a sword cultivator, even if it were a little later.

Dong Gu soon took his leave.

Ruan Qiong gazed into the distance.

The Northern Mountain region, the land where the Great Li dynasty rose, Wei Bo, the Mountain God of the Northern Mountain, the only Mountain and Water deity in the Treasure Bottle Continent who could contend with him, was not in the Central Mountain, but in the Southern Mountain, a female Mountain God.

Now, the Great Li’s Central Mountain, which was the former Central Mountain of the Zhu Ying Dynasty, still has its mountain deity, which can be considered a blessing in disguise, becoming the Central Mountain of a continent in the Treasure Bottle Continent.

The Mohist chivalrous swordsman, Xu Ruo, is still sitting on the mountain, living next to that Central Mountain deity.

Ruan Qiong was staring at the new Western Mountain, Gan Prefecture Mountain. Because it wasn’t far from the Wind and Snow Temple, and Gan Prefecture Mountain had never belonged to the Five Mountains of any dynasty, Ruan Qiong’s trip was the easiest. So, this number one swordsmith of the Treasure Bottle Continent also took the opportunity to visit the Wind and Snow Temple to catch up with his senior brothers and elders. This was actually a meritorious deed that the new emperor of Great Li deliberately sent to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect for aiding his ascension.

Compared to the undercurrents and lurking dangers on Xu Ruo’s side, Ruan Qiong had an easy time. On the other hand, the new Eastern Mountain of Great Li, Qi Mountain, was a scene of fierce fighting. Most of the top-tier retainers of Great Li were all Golden Core, Nascent Soul, or Earth Immortals. During the Great Li’s ceremony of bestowing titles to the mountains, there was an extremely tragic battle. Cultivators from various countries swarmed from all directions, trying to ascend the mountain and kill the Great Li envoys. In the end, even the imperial edict, the “Golden Mud Silver Rope, Seal of Conferment,” was almost shattered by an enemy Nascent Soul cultivator. After repelling those cultivators, the Great Li’s retainers also suffered heavy casualties.

Afterward, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites of Great Li, acting on behalf of the heavens, patrolled the land. It was an obvious trap, a siege. Still, a group of cultivators from various destroyed kingdoms entered the fray, willing to die generously. This caused the spiritual energy in the vicinity of the new Eastern Mountain, Qi Mountain, to become extremely chaotic for a thousand miles. Afterward, there were sporadic cultivator disturbances. However, Qi Mountain finally became the new Eastern Mountain of Great Li through all the hardships, and the deity sitting there was one of the old Five Mountains of Great Li.

An even bigger event than this conferring of the Five Mountains was that Great Li had already begun to select a site in the southern part of the Treasure Bottle Continent to build a secondary capital.

Song Jixin was enfeoffed as a king in Old Dragon City. When the secondary capital was built, Song Muxin, who was named Song Mu in the Clan Affairs Office, would remotely control the secondary capital.

One of the sites under consideration was the old capital of the Zhu Ying Dynasty. The advantage was that it wouldn’t consume too much national strength. The apparent disadvantage was that it was too close to the Lakeside Academy. As for the more hidden court taboos, naturally, some people didn’t want the new Prince Song Mu to leverage the coordination of the secondary capital and Old Dragon City to encompass half of the Treasure Bottle Continent.

However, the Great Li court has not yet decided on the final location.

As the chief retainer of Great Li, Ruan Qiong could offer suggestions, and the new emperor of the Great Li, Song, would certainly listen to his opinion. However, Ruan Qiong would only remain silent.

Ruan Xiu appeared beside Ruan Qiong.

Ruan Qiong, who had come out of the mountain this time and visited the Wind and Snow Temple, said softly, “When Dad was young, the masters of the Wind and Snow Temple felt that the world wouldn’t change too much, and we just needed to cultivate well. So, we, the younger generation, had similar ideas. Now, all the old people are sighing, saying that they can’t see at all what the Treasure Bottle Continent will look like in a few decades. Xiu Xiu, do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?”

Ruan Xiu thought for a while and answered irrelevantly, “The Dragon Spring Sword Sect lacks a blessed land of its own.”

Ruan Qiong’s expression became solemn, and he isolated a small world with the divine power of a sage. “There are two things. First, the Dragon Spine Mountain’s Dragon Slaying Platform cliff was divided into three parts, belonging to our Dragon Spring Sword Sect, the Wind and Snow Temple, and the True Martial Mountain, respectively. But you may not be aware that the Dragon Slaying Platform, which the Wind and Snow Temple is responsible for guarding and exploiting, is actually almost an empty shell. Dad has been pretending not to see it, so this time when I visited the old patriarch of the Wind and Snow Temple and mentioned this matter, the patriarch only told me not to worry about it, which is equivalent to tacitly acknowledging the disappearance of the Dragon Slaying Platform. So, when you go there to build a thatched hut for cultivation, you don’t need to pay attention to this matter either.”

“The second thing is the blessed land you mentioned. Actually, you can trade with Yang’s Shop. There are ready-made ones, but the price may be difficult to accept. Actually, the price is okay. At worst, we can just owe them.”

Speaking of this, Ruan Qiong looked at his daughter, worried. “Dad still doesn’t want to make things complicated.”

In the end, he still didn’t want Ruan Xiu to enter the game too early.

Everything Ruan Qiong has done, from leaving the Wind and Snow Temple, serving as a sage stationed in the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven at the cost of depleting his cultivation, and then establishing his own mountain, being invited by the Great Li’s Song family to serve as a retainer, etc., everything is for his daughter.

Ruan Xiu said, “Dad, it’s okay. Do you understand what kind of temperament Old Yang has?”

Ruan Qiong smiled and said, “Dad really doesn’t know.”

Besides Qi Jingchun, among the many sages from all walks of life who have been stationed in the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven throughout history, I’m afraid no one dares to say that they understand the old man’s thoughts.

Of course, Ruan Qiong is no exception.

Ruan Xiu looked towards the small town, took out an embroidered handkerchief, picked up a piece of pastry, and said vaguely, “It’s very simple. Whoever is purer, whoever has the hope of going higher, Old Yang will bet heavily on that person. I don’t think I’m that bad, so Dad can try it out. As for how to bid, why not say to that old senior that we want the ready-made blessed land, no matter how big it is, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect will take it. As for what Ruan Xiu needs to do in the future, it depends on Ruan Xiu’s mood.”

Ruan Qiong asked in doubt, “Is that okay?”

Ruan Xiu narrowed her eyes and smiled. Perhaps because the pastry tasted good, she was in a good mood. She clapped her hands and said, “Let’s try it.”

Ruan Qiong hesitated. “Are you really going to chat like that?”

Ruan Xiu nodded.

She was about to reach out.

Ruan Qiong had already used the divine power of a sage and appeared silently in the backyard of Yang’s Shop.

Ruan Xiu sighed. She still wanted her dad to bring back some pastries.
Before half an incense stick had burned, Ruan Qiong returned to Divine Show Mountain with a peculiar expression. He looked at his daughter, shook his head, and sighed, “Could it be that there really is such a thing as free lunch falling from the sky?”

When doing business with Old Man Yang, one thing could be guaranteed, even more so than any mountain or water oath in the world: whatever this old senior said, he would do, without any doubt.

Ruan Xiu glanced at the sky, thinking it would be nice if some pastries fell down.

In Old Dragon City, located at the southernmost tip of Treasure Bottle Continent, after the two major events of Fu Nanhua marrying the Yunlin Jiang Clan’s direct descendant and the city lord battling a ninth-realm martial artist, the Qi refiners had barely caught their breath when an even bigger event arrived.

Song Mu, of the Great Li Dynasty, the current emperor’s full-blooded younger brother, had now become the Song Clan’s most powerful and influential prince, precisely enfeoffed in Old Dragon City. Other sons of the late emperor had also received titles of nobility, but all were three-character titles, sent away from Great Li to various vanquished nations, granted land and titles. They were far from matching Song Mu, the one-character peerless prince, in such dazzling splendor.

This should have been bad news for the Old Dragon City, used to its freedom, but the Fu family and several other major clans seemed to have already communicated with the Great Li court. Not only was there no resistance, but they were making a thriving business in the vast territory north of Old Dragon City and south of the Zhu Ying Dynasty. Moreover, compared to their previous independent operations, with clear boundaries, the Old Dragon City clans were now cooperating with each other. For example, the Fan family had a close relationship with the Sun family. Regardless of who was scheming with whom to make money, the one common point was that the Great Li Dynasty helped pave the way for the Old Dragon City clans’ trade routes. As long as they held the “Peace and Prosperity” plaque, they could seek assistance from all Great Li iron cavalry and Song vassal states along the way.

So when the Fu family gave up half of Old Dragon City’s inner city as Song Mu’s princely residence, no one found it strange.

However, as a crucial hub on the continent, Old Dragon City’s business was initially affected to some extent. Many Qi refiners who regarded Old Dragon City as a paradise and a den of wealth quietly left to wait and see. But as the Tong Ye Sect and Jade Rule Sect in the southern continent successively expressed their stance, Old Dragon City’s business quickly returned to its peak, flourishing even more than before. Especially after Song Mu took up residence in Old Dragon City, without changing anything, many cultivators returned to the city to continue enjoying themselves.

One day, a young man who had taken off his princely python robe left his residence with a maid to visit a humble medicine shop in the outer city.

He had no entourage, because he didn’t need one.

A four-legged serpent with horns coiled in the young man’s sleeve.

Moreover, the Fu family head of Old Dragon City was essentially his personal retainer.

The medicine shop, which had been closed for several years, had just reopened. The shopkeeper was an old man, and there was a white-robed young man with a mole between his eyebrows, so handsome it was unreal. Beside him was a seemingly foolish child, who was also born with rosy lips and white teeth, but his eyes were unfocused, and he couldn’t speak, a pity.

Song Jixin entered the alley. The autumn air was crisp, and the maid, Zhi Gui, became even more beautiful.

As the master and servant crossed the threshold of the medicine shop, the old shopkeeper, being new to the area, didn’t recognize the young master’s identity and asked with a smile, “Are you here to buy medicine? Please choose anything you like, the prices are all marked.”

Song Jixin frowned, glanced at the old man, and began to select medicinal herbs.

Zhi Gui herself moved a stool from the medicine shop and sat down at the entrance.

The old man smiled. These two youngsters were really making themselves at home.

He was now fearless, daring to strut anywhere in Treasure Bottle Continent, of course, on the premise of being by the side of that white-robed young man.

This old shopkeeper was none other than the Glass Immortal, Chen Xiaoyong, who had failed to scheme in Rouge County of Colorful Garment Country. Not only did he fail to obtain the City God Celestial Master Seal hidden by Golden City God Shen Wen, but he almost died, barely managing to save his Glass Lamp. Fortunately, the National Preceptor and Green Wave Pavilion didn’t dwell on his negligence, which was normal. Grand Preceptor Cui was a summit figure aiming to annex a continent, so he wouldn’t care about the gains and losses of a single place or object. But after the white-robed young man found his hiding place, the Glass Immortal was still utterly ruined. He was so miserably calculated that not a single drop of his malicious schemes remained. Now he only knew that this “young man” surnamed Cui was the person in charge of all spies and death warriors in the south of Great Li.

Song Jixin’s heart stirred. After hearing that sentence, he began to walk towards the back courtyard of the medicine shop.

Just as he lifted the bamboo curtain, the Glass Immortal quickly said, “Customer, you can’t go back there.”

Song Jixin smiled and said, “My name is Song Mu.”

The Glass Immortal thought for a moment and said with an awkward smile, “Please, make yourself at home, esteemed guest.”

Song Jixin turned to look at the entrance, “Aren’t you coming along?”

Zhi Gui turned her head and smiled, “I’ll pass.”

She only feared three people in her life. One was already dead, one wasn’t in this world, and half of the last one was in the back courtyard.

Song Jixin went to the back courtyard alone, walking towards the main room with the door open, his steps slow and measured. Before entering, he straightened his clothes.

The fact that he, Song Jixin, was able to live to this day was a decision made by the person inside the room and his uncle, Song Changjing, together.

As for his mother and the “brother” emperor, they probably didn’t mind him being re-recorded and then erased from the Zongrenfu’s genealogy.

He crossed the threshold.

The white-robed youth seemed to be using the main room as a study. A painting, “Snowy Night Post Road,” was spread out on the Eight Immortals table, the meticulous brushwork yet with a freehand spirit, truly a divine work.

He had also opened a crude Jianghu romance novel printed by a private bookstore, using a small bronze beast paperweight to hold the pages down, with many annotations in red ink.

Song Jixin bowed and said, “Song Mu pays respects to the National Preceptor.”

Cui Dongshan lay sprawled on the table, his legs twisted together in a relaxed posture. He turned his head to look at Song Jixin, and smiled, “It’s been many years since that little town. Finally, we meet again.”

Song Jixin respectfully said, “If it weren’t for the National Preceptor’s grace, Song Jixin would not have had the opportunity to become a member of the Great Li imperial family, let alone be enfeoffed as a prince in Old Dragon City.”

Cui Dongshan dropped a bombshell, “Back then, both you and Zhao Yao, Qi Jingchun had…
“The gifts… Zhao Yao, in order to survive, struck a deal with me, relinquishing that Spring Seal. The gains and losses from that are still yet to be seen. As for you, it’s those books Qi Jingchun left you. It’s just a pity you don’t put your heart into it, too lazy to flip through them. In truth, Qi Jingchun left his insights on both Confucianism and Legalism within those books. As long as you’re sincere, you can naturally see them. Qi Jingchun wasn’t the type to be inflexible; he held high expectations for you. Outwardly Confucian, inwardly Legalist… who masterminded that scheme? If you obtain that knowledge, your uncle and I might just have an additional claw added to your robes.”

Song Jixin remained expressionless.

Cui Dongshan nodded, “Your temperament is indeed better than Zhao Yao’s. No wonder Zhao Yao always admired you back then, and he was never your match in chess.”

Cui Dongshan pointed to the bench.

Song Jixin sat upright on the long bench.

Cui Dongshan remained slumped on the table, as if casually chatting with a friend, and said with a smile, “Song Yuzhang died such a pointless death. The means the late Emperor initially used to build the Covered Bridge were unsavory; after all, so many of the Great Li Song Clan’s dragon sons and grandsons died. Song Yuzhang, the supervisor of the project, not only didn’t know when to quit and quickly sever ties with you, but he actually treated you, this prince, as his illegitimate son. If that isn’t courting death, then what is?”

Song Jixin’s cheek twitched slightly, likely a subtle clenching of his teeth.

Cui Dongshan laughed heartily, “Tsk, tsk, Song Jixin, you have a broad mind, seeing far beyond sitting on the dragon throne. But your heart is also small; you still haven’t been able to let go of a small, down-on-his-luck Falling Mountain mountain deity, Song Yuzhang.”

Song Jixin clenched his fists, remaining silent.

Cui Dongshan asked with a smile, “Ma Kuxuan’s relentless pursuit of your maid… does it sting a little?”

Song Jixin nodded, “I know Zhigui has no feelings for him, but it’s still a disgusting affair. So, when the situation allows me to kill Ma Kuxuan, I will personally butcher this bastard from Apricot Blossom Lane.”

Cui Dongshan waved his hand, smiling gently, “Bastard? Don’t speak such ignorant nonsense. You, the descendants of the Great Li Song Clan, the so-called celestial nobility, are the bastards in Ma Kuxuan’s eyes. Furthermore, True Martial Mountain will certainly protect Ma Kuxuan to the death. Besides, Ma Kuxuan’s cultivation speed is plain for all Qi Practitioners to see across the continent. So, your so-called ‘situation’ might be diminishing the longer you wait.”

Song Jixin shook his head, “Excessive sharpness leads to decay. Since I am a worldly prince, an unchangeable identity, I don’t need to fight him head-on anyway. There are many ways to kill in this world, beyond just fists.”

Ma Kuxuan, in the Vermilion Dawn Dynasty, killed two Golden Core sword cultivators. One was a carefully planned scheme, toying with his opponent. The other was a near-death struggle, choosing to use his hidden trump cards to forcefully confront his foe.

The cultivation talent Ma Kuxuan displayed in these two battles has vaguely made him the undisputed number one genius cultivator on Treasure Bottle Continent.

Before Ma Kuxuan, there were only two acknowledged prodigies on this mountain within the last several hundred years: Li Tuanjing of Wind and Thunder Garden, and Wei Jin of Wind and Snow Temple.

If Li Tuanjing hadn’t been troubled by matters of the heart, there was a persistent rumor that once he reached the Jade Peak Realm, he would have had the chance to ascend to the Immortal Realm, or even the Ascension Realm! At that point, even Divine Edict Sect couldn’t suppress Wind and Thunder Garden, let alone a True Yang Mountain. So, the grudges and love affairs of Li Tuanjing back then were actually filled with secrets, definitely involving more than just True Yang Mountain. However, these truths, with Li Tuanjing’s self-destruction, have all become fleeting clouds. The winds of fortune have turned. True Yang Mountain, which had been suppressed for so long by Li Tuanjing alone and his sword, finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to steadily suppress Wind and Thunder Garden. If not for the new Garden Master, Huang He, entering seclusion, forcing all forces to await his emergence, Wind and Thunder Garden, barely sustained by Liu Baqiao, would have long been constantly challenged by those old sword cultivators from True Yang Mountain who had been harboring resentment.

Cui Dongshan gently tapped the table with his finger, falling into deep thought.

Song Jixin showed no impatience.

He never felt that becoming a Great Li prince gave him the right to stand tall in front of this person. In fact, even if he changed his clothes and sat on the dragon throne, it would be the same.

Cui Dongshan looked out the window, saying without prelude, “A bird born in a cage will think that flapping its wings to fly is a sickness.”

“A chicken pecks at the ground for food, and the shadow of a hawk flashing across the sky will cause it to worry about its grains being snatched away.”

Song Jixin carefully pondered the deeper meaning of these words.

Cui Dongshan sighed, “Let’s not talk about these irrelevant matters. I came here this time not just for a change of scenery, but also to discuss a serious matter with you. You, this prince, can’t stay holed up in Old Dragon City forever. Next, our Great Li’s second major battle is about to truly begin. You will go to the Vermilion Dawn Dynasty and personally oversee the construction of the secondary capital, and at the same time, cultivate a good relationship with the Mohists. A war sustained by war that only stops at plunder is meaningless.”

Song Jixin softly asked, “May I ask, National Preceptor, what is the second battle?”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “Destruction without the ability to repair and rebuild is self-destruction, not a long-term solution.”

Song Jixin was intelligent and somewhat understood the National Preceptor’s implication.

Cui Dongshan continued, “The Great Li cavalry’s southward advance shattered all old rules and dynastic traditions. That was just the battlefield on horseback. Next, how the Great Li warriors who dismount from their horses will promulgate our Great Li laws is of utmost importance. Laws are dead, simply placed there, so the key lies in the people. The goodness or evil of the law lies half in the document and half in the people. How well the north does, how well the south does, is a test between you, this prince, and His Majesty the Emperor. Don’t think the Great Li Guan Lord and those pillars of state are fools; they are all watching you two with wide eyes.”

Song Jixin said in a deep voice, “Thank you for the National Preceptor’s guidance.”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “Do you know why the late Emperor clearly intended for you to become Emperor, yet before his death, he had your uncle oversee the country? Why did he have to put on this charade of passing the throne from brother to brother?”

Song Jixin’s expression changed slightly.

Cui Dongshan twitched the corner of his mouth, pointing his finger at Song Jixin, “Before, it was the late Emperor and Prince Song Changjing. Now, it is the new Emperor Song He, Prince Song Mu.”

Song Jixin’s lips moved slightly, his face turning pale.

Cui Dongshan said, “Your father already did a good enough job being Emperor. As for being a father… I think…
”
Not bad, at least for you, the late Emperor truly put in painstaking effort. You harbor some resentment deep down for that Empress Dowager, doesn’t the new Emperor also have reasons to resent the late Emperor? So, this matter of Song Yuzhang, your emotional knot, is somewhat laughable. The laughable part isn’t your emotions, humans aren’t plants, how can they be without feelings? It’s a very normal emotion. What’s laughable is that you simply don’t understand the rules. Do you really think that the one who killed Song Yuzhang was that Lu Clan remnant who made the move, or your mother who sent the head in a wooden box to the capital? Or the late Emperor? It’s clearly yes and no, isn’t it? Can’t even figure that out? And you dare to spout nonsense here, relying on the situation to kill a seemingly heaven-ordained Ma Kuixuan?”

Song Jixin stood up and bowed again, “National Preceptor’s teachings, Song Jixin accepts them!”

Cui Dongshan glanced at him sideways and said, “The books Qi Jingchun left you, the knowledge he imparted, seemingly taught you external Confucianism and internal Legalism, but in fact, it’s the opposite, it’s just that you haven’t had the chance to figure it out.”

Song Jixin sat down again, without saying a word.

Cui Dongshan waved his hand.

Song Jixin stood up and took his leave.

He walked out of the alley with the maid Zhigui.

Cui Dongshan came to the threshold and sat down, yawning.

The old shopkeeper, whom he casually dragged along on his stroll, ran to the courtyard and asked obsequiously, “Immortal Master Cui, is that person really Song Mu, the Prince of the Great Li?”

Cui Dongshan said, “That kid was lying to you, teasing you.”

The Azure Glazed Immortal was embarrassed, to believe or not to believe? That was the question.

Cui Dongshan waved his hand, “Continue being your shopkeeper.”

The Azure Glazed Immortal quickly left the courtyard.

Cui Dongshan changed his posture and lay on the threshold, using his hands as a pillow.

The events in Rouge Prefecture of Colorful Garment Kingdom back then were just a small link in many plans.

Using the demonized Golden City God as a thread to stir up the Colorful Garment Kingdom was one of the minor plans on the surface. What he and the old bastard truly sought was even more hidden. He wanted to use a subtle method that conformed to the rules and the Great Dao to release that poor fellow who had been suppressed by Heavenly Master talismans for thousands of years in White Emperor City. He should be called Liu Chicheng now, temporarily forced to rely on the soul of a scholar. This favor, the other party would have to repay, even if he didn’t want to. As for when he would repay this kindness, it would depend on when Cui Dongshan sought him out, Liu Chicheng.

On the chessboard of Treasure Bottle Continent, there were many such ingenious moves that were unknown to others.

But for the two of them, they weren’t really ingenious moves, just normal chess moves.

For example, in the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, the old thing had taken a fancy to Liu Qingfeng, Li Baozhen, and that Wei Liang. What the three of them were doing in one country was of far-reaching significance, and even the future impact might extend beyond Treasure Bottle Continent. It was just that the three of them didn’t quite understand it yet, and in the end, the one who understood the meaning first might still be Liu Qingfeng, who wasn’t even a cultivator.

Living in a remote corner, doing so many trivial things for over a hundred years.

Sometimes Cui Dongshan would ask himself, what was the meaning of it all? If he let things take their course, with mountains collapsing, earth shattering, and the heavens and earth changing, wouldn’t the Vast World also have learned its lesson, and wouldn’t the final result be better?

Cui Dongshan opened his eyes wide, looking at the scenery within a foot above his head.

Drifting with the current was the majority of the world.

Those who were a little smarter liked to take shortcuts in life, seeking convenient methods that saved effort, wanting everything to be fast, the faster they achieved their goals, the better. There was nothing wrong with this, in fact, being able to do this was already very difficult.

It was just as the sages said, life is like an inn, and I am also a traveler. Therefore, another sage said that the strange, magnificent, and extraordinary sights of the world often lie in dangerous and remote places, rarely visited by people, and only those with ambition can slowly travel there and witness the grandeur.

Cui Dongshan sighed.

Everything in the world, when examined thoroughly, seems to end with the words “no fun.”

Ma Kuixuan, who was taken off the chessboard by Lu Chen and put back on again.

The tenth-realm martial artist Song Changjing.

The Sword Immortal of Wind and Snow Temple, Wei Jin.

The young sword cultivator of the Zhu Ying Dynasty who had gained fortune from misfortune and carried the remaining national fortune of the literary and martial arts.

Liu Xianyang, who broke through and rebuilt, practicing swordsmanship in his dreams.

Gu Can, who hadn’t changed his nature but had become smarter and understood the rules of operation better in Book Brief Lake, definitely had a chance to become a true rogue cultivator even more experienced than Liu Laocheng.

Li Liu, the Jianghu overlord who was born with knowledge.

Ruan Xiu.

Huang He of Wind and Thunder Garden.

That hidden chess piece carefully nurtured by the Divine Edict Sect and personally cultivated by Qi Zhen.

Xie Ling, who was blessed with good fortune.

And some young people who had not yet emerged or were unknown might be the mainstays of the surging trend of Treasure Bottle Continent in the future.

Cui Dongshan sat up, spaced out for a while, and continued to lie on the Eight Immortals table.

The camera shifted, and the martial arts novel spread out on the table was brought out from the Cliff Academy of the Great Sui Dynasty. Cui Dongshan would flip through a few pages and annotate a few sentences when he had nothing to do.

On the current open page, the writer wrote, “He lifted his sword, adjusted his clothes, leaped onto the roof, the tiles were silent, the moon was bright, and he left like a flying bird.” There was a commentary in red ink from the book turner, “Truly the demeanor of a sword immortal.”

Cui Dongshan moved the paperweight, spat on his fingertip, picked up the page and turned it over lightly, then turned it back again, glanced at the commentary, and didn’t forget to praise himself, “Good handwriting, as expected of the teacher’s disciple.”

Cui Dongshan raised his head, and a naive and ignorant child was standing in the next room.

Cui Dongshan smiled and went around the Eight Immortals table, bent down, touched the little guy’s head, and said with a kind expression, “Little Gao Cheng, you must grow up quickly.”