Yellowcai, the Mountain Lord of Lion Peak, stood beside the founding ancestor Li Liu, chuckling softly, “With Mr. Chen’s punch, Lion Peak is sure to become famous overnight.”

Li Liu, rarely seen with a smile for Yellowcai, said, “Yellowcai, you don’t need to call him Mr. Chen so deliberately. It sounds awkward for you, and it probably makes Mr. Chen uncomfortable too.”

Yellowcai, knowing his master’s temperament, nodded in agreement.

Once upon a time, Li Liu casually picked up a child by the roadside. After the child kowtowed three times, Li Liu accepted him as his only direct disciple. Later, the master and disciple established the Lion Peak Sect. After Li Liu’s *bingjie* (spiritual dissolution) and departure, Yellowcai, who had just become a young Golden Core Earth Immortal, shouldered the responsibility. Lion Peak stood firm amidst the sword cultivators of the Northern Entirety Continent. The once skinny child with a disproportionately large head had eventually become a renowned and powerful Nascent Soul cultivator in the Northern Entirety Continent.

Li Er suddenly remarked, “Of the four Dharma robes he’s wearing, only the innermost one is decent. The other three are unable to withstand the force of his fist and are quite damaged.”

Fortunately, before returning to the ferry, Chen Ping’an remembered to take off those cumbersome Dharma robes, especially the outermost one from the Rainbow Sparrow Mansion. Otherwise, such a blatant display of strength would quickly spread throughout the Northern Entirety Continent, and Lion Peak would be known for a pure martial artist who liked to wear women’s clothes.

As for the far-reaching impact of Chen Ping’an’s punch shattering the golden sea of clouds and leaving a dense martial aura in the Northern Entirety Continent, Li Er had not deliberately discussed too many details with Chen Ping’an after learning of his decision. There was no need; saying too much might backfire and introduce impurities into Chen Ping’an’s fist intent. He only mentioned that the handful of ninth and tenth realm martial artists at the pinnacle of the Northern Entirety Continent’s martial arts would feel a sense of elation. Regardless of their character or martial virtue, they would all develop a certain respect for the young man on Lion Peak today. The martial temples across the continent would feel gratitude towards him. Not to mention others, even the Confucian sage Zhou Mi, who was acquainted with Yellowcai of Lion Peak, would think highly of Chen Ping’an and find his temperament agreeable.

Li Liu, recalling Chen Ping’an’s flamboyant attire earlier, suppressed a smile and said gently, “I will help Mr. Chen repair his Dharma robes.”

Li Er chuckled.

Li Liu said helplessly, “Father, what are you thinking about?”

Li Er replied, “I’m not thinking about anything. I’m just happy that there will be wine to drink when we go down the mountain.”

Chen Ping’an swayed back and forth, stepping on the flying swords First and Fifteenth, before finally landing gracefully.

Li Er said, “Stay on the mountain to heal for half a month. After you stabilize your Golden Body Realm, I will help you stretch your muscles and temper your soul. With each breakthrough, a human body’s inner world undergoes unimaginable changes. It’s best to strike while the iron is hot and consolidate the foundation.”

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly, “Uncle Li, we’ll talk about it later. I’m feeling dizzy right now, and the thought of practicing boxing makes me sleepy. Let me rest for a bit, please.”

Li Er waved his hand with a smile.

Chen Ping’an clasped his fist towards Mountain Lord Yellowcai, apologizing, “I haven’t had a chance to thank Mountain Lord Yellowcai.”

Yellowcai shook his head, “Mr. Chen, you’re too polite. It’s Lion Peak that has benefited and gained sudden fame. Mr. Chen, just focus on healing.”

Chen Ping’an’s expression was strange, and he took his leave.

Li Er also hurried down the mountain.

Li Liu stood in place and said, “Gained sudden fame? Isn’t that a derogatory term? Yellowcai, I told you to read more books back then, but you only focused on cultivation? I heard you have a good relationship with Zhou Mi, the Mountain Lord of Fish Duck Academy. You can chat with him?”

Yellowcai was somewhat helpless, “Master, I’ve never liked turning the pages of a book since I was a child. Besides, when I interact with Mountain Lord Zhou, I never talk about essays and poems.”

Li Liu shook his head, “What a waste of that big head you had as a child.”

Yellowcai was stunned, touching his head. Only then did he remember that he had been like that as a child, emaciated and malnourished, begging along the way during a heavy snowfall. Then he encountered his master, walking slowly in the snow.

Yellowcai would always remember that scene clearly. However, in the years that followed, he couldn’t quite recall many other things.

Li Liu turned his head, looking at the old man who had painstakingly guarded the Lion Peak estate. Lion Peak was merely one of her abandoned abodes, even less important than the Southern Fragrance Water Palace in the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven. The reason why the family of three had settled here was simply because Li Liu had taken a liking to the peaceful town at the foot of the mountain. If her mother opened a shop in the marketplace, it wouldn’t feel too unfamiliar. In reality, it had almost nothing to do with Lion Peak and Yellowcai.

But for some reason, looking at the skinny, monkey-like child with the large head, who had suddenly become an old man with white hair in his twilight years, Li Liu felt a rare pang of delicate and fragmented sadness. Yellowcai’s aptitude was not particularly good, his temper was too stubborn, and he had engaged in too much fighting on his cultivation path. Taking care of an ancestral hall in the Northern Entirety Continent was not an easy task. Yellowcai, who had originally hoped to reach the Jade Purity Realm, had repeatedly faced sword cultivator challenges and attacks, stubbornly protecting the Lion Peak ancestral hall from destruction, refusing to bow his head. He had accumulated many lingering problems, and patching up his *qifu* (energy vessel) after battles proved ineffective. He was destined to remain in the Nascent Soul Realm for the rest of his life.

In fact, when Li Liu first returned to this mountain, she had disapproved of this disciple. What did an insignificant Lion Peak ancestral hall matter? Even if it collapsed and became ruins, what if Yellowcai didn’t rebuild it? Instead of spending so much effort cultivating a direct disciple and expending energy and resources to expand Lion Peak, she should have focused on her own cultivation, wholeheartedly striving for breakthroughs and reaching the Upper Five Realms. Perhaps she would have received a valuable reward from Li Liu.

Li Liu was not unaware of Yellowcai’s intentions and purpose. In fact, she knew everything clearly, but she simply hadn’t cared before.

But at this moment, Li Liu felt a sense of sadness.

Looking at his master, who had never had such an expression before, the master he remembered, who had once been in a different body, always aloof and taciturn, seemingly thinking about great matters that Yellowcai could never understand.

Yellowcai did not dare to look directly at his master, gazing into the distance as if talking to himself, his voice trembling, “I am truly happy to be reunited with Master in this lifetime.”

Li Liu hummed in agreement, “Master is not as happy as you, but it’s alright.”

Master and disciple remained silent for a long time.
Li Liu slowly said, “From now on, you don’t need to worry about the mountain and water restrictions of that grotto-heaven. You are now the Lord of Lion Peak, and that grotto is no longer my place of cultivation. There’s no need to be so cautious. If Lion Peak has some good seedlings, after Mister Chen leaves the mountain, let them enter and build thatched huts for cultivation. The three Daoist books I gifted you in the early years, you should impart them according to the aptitude and temperament of the disciples. No need to rigidly adhere to the rules. Besides, I never forbade you from teaching those three ancient water-based divine abilities. If you weren’t so inflexible and pedantic, Lion Peak would have already produced a second Nascent Soul cultivator.”

Huang Cai patted his head, “As Master said, I really wasted this big head.”

Li Liu smiled.

Huang Cai no longer spoke, his heart at peace, his expression serene, as he accompanied his long-separated master, gazing upon the rivers and mountains of the mortal realm.

Half a month later, Li Er ascended the mountain again. This time, he wanted to spar with Chen Ping’an, but only using the pure physical power of a Golden Body Realm martial artist, without using any martial stances or techniques, not even a trace of them. If Li Er detected even a hint of anything, he would receive a punch from a Ninth Realm peak expert. He demanded that Chen Ping’an only focus on speed, or else he would be disrespecting the hard-earned Golden Body Realm and would receive more punches. In the end, Li Er dragged Chen Ping’an to the small boat. This time, Li Er poled the boat back to the ferry, saying that Chen Ping’an still lacked a bit of refinement and needed another half-month of training. Chen Ping’an rarely declined this good intention, saying that he really needed to set off. Now that Qi Jinglong had broken through and was about to face his first Sword Inquiry, he had to hurry to the Taihui Sword Sect to take a look, then visit Fire Dragon True Man at Crouching Peak, to see another good friend. He also needed to take a trip to the Immortal Cave Street in the state capital of Qinghao Kingdom, to see Li Xisheng, and then head south back to the Bone Burial Beach.

Li Er did not make things difficult for Chen Ping’an.

At dawn, the two of them quickly descended the mountain together. Li Er asked curiously, “Since you’re so eager to go to the Upside-Down Mountain for your appointment, why not just go directly from the Northern Ju Continent? Why bother with the Treasure Bottle Continent? Fallen Peak isn’t going anywhere, and you have Zhu Lian and Wei Bo looking after it. There’s really nothing for you to worry about. Missing the Bone Burial Beach, and going to the Treasure Bottle Continent, the intercontinental ferries are only at Old Dragon City, which is another long journey. Isn’t that troublesome?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I can’t feel at ease unless I go home for a look.”

Li Er said no more.

These days, helping Chen Ping’an with his punch training had involved too much talking, more tiring than throwing punches.

When they arrived at the cloth shop at the foot of the mountain, Li Liu was helping out. Business was slow. Chen Ping’an hesitated, but finally couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Li, do you know why your cloth shop isn’t doing very well?”

Li Liu nodded.

The town’s common women and young girls were unwilling to see her. Even if she was willing to force herself to praise her shop’s fabrics to the heavens, those ordinary women would inevitably feel uncomfortable as long as she stood in the shop. Even if they bought the cloth and added a bit of beauty to themselves, they would lose heart as soon as they saw Li Liu.

Li Liu preferred to stay at the shop, mostly because she wanted to spend more time with her mother.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “You can have one or two of the less beautiful immortals from Lion Peak pick a lively time on the street and buy some silk here twice. The first time, buy a little, the second time, buy a lot. Remember to wear clothes made from the silk bought from the shop when you come. That way, Miss Li won’t need to worry about the shop’s business and can spend more time chatting with Aunt Liu in the backyard.”

Li Liu smiled, “I can try the brilliant plan that Mister Chen has taught me.”

Earlier, the woman had noticed Chen Ping’an’s complexion. When she brought tea to the table, the first thing she said was, “Are you sick?”

Chen Ping’an quickly smiled and shook his head, saying no, no, just a bit of a cold. Aunt Liu shouldn’t worry.

The woman then told him some folk remedies from their hometown for taking care of his health, telling Chen Ping’an not to neglect it.

At dinner that day, there were four people sitting at the table.

Aunt Liu was a little disappointed when she heard that Chen Ping’an had eaten and was leaving the town today.

At this moment, the woman was overjoyed to hear that Chen Ping’an was willing to write a letter on her behalf to the Great Sui Academy.

Li Liu turned to look at Li Er, who just smiled and took a sip of wine, savoring the taste.

In Li Huai’s room, Chen Ping’an took out his brush, ink, and paper. The woman sat beside him, Li Er and the woman sat on a long bench, and Li Liu sat across the table from Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Aunt Liu, you speak, and I’ll write. Let’s write more about the trivial matters of daily life. Li Huai will feel more at ease when he sees it.”

The woman looked at the young man in the azure robe, clean and tidy, with a gentle smile. For some inexplicable reason, she felt a little sad in her heart and said softly, “Ping’an, if your parents were still alive, that would be wonderful. Aunt Liu doesn’t have much experience, just a gossiping old woman, but I’m still a mother, and I dare say that any parents in the world would be happy to have a son like you.”

Chen Ping’an lowered his gaze, his expression calm, then raised his head slightly and smiled softly, “Aunt Liu, I also wish my parents were still here, but I was too young back then to do much. Actually, I’ve been feeling quite sad all these years.”

The woman felt very guilty, having brought up such a painful memory. She quickly said, “Ping’an, I’m just saying whatever comes to mind. Write what you can, and skip what can’t be written on paper.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “There’s plenty of paper. Aunt, please say more. A longer letter is a good omen.”

The woman sighed deeply and then turned to glare at Li Liu, “Did you hear that?! In the past, when I asked you to write letters, it was only a light one or two sheets of paper. Do you even have your younger brother in your heart? Do you even have me, your mother? I raised such a heartless daughter for nothing!”

Chen Ping’an gave Li Liu an apologetic smile across the table.

Li Liu quietly nodded in acknowledgment, then clasped her hands in front of her chest and begged the woman for forgiveness, “Mother, I know I was wrong.”

After that, the only sounds in the small house were the woman’s rambling and Chen Ping’an’s meticulous writing.

The young man in the azure robe, who had traveled thousands of miles and read thousands of books, sat upright, his back straight, his expression earnest.

Chen Ping’an, carrying his bamboo box and holding his walking stick, left the shop. The woman and the man stood at the door, watching Chen Ping’an leave.

The woman insisted that Li Liu see him off for a while.
Li Liu carried a package in her arms, filled with items prepared by her mother, mostly local specialties from the town. Among them were three sets of Daoist robes she had personally repaired.

The woman murmured softly, “Li Er, will our daughter ever find someone as good as him?”

Li Er thought for a moment, “Difficult.”

The woman stomped on Li Er’s foot and poked his forehead repeatedly with her finger, “So you’re not going to put in any effort?! Just stand there gawking, letting Ping’an leave? You never miss a drink, but you can’t handle anything important. I’m stuck with a man like you, Li Liu and Li Huai are stuck with a father like you. Did the heavens lose their sight, or did we three not accumulate enough merit in our past lives?!”

Li Er remained silent, not daring to dodge.

The woman sighed, reluctantly withdrawing her hand. She couldn’t poke him anymore; her man was already a stubborn blockhead. If she accidentally damaged his brain, wouldn’t she be the one suffering?

On the town’s main street, the two walked side by side.

Li Liu said softly, “Mister Chen, Huang Cai will take you to the ferry, which goes directly to Huanyou Wharf near the Taihui Sword Sect. Once you disembark, the Taihui Sword Sect is just a short distance away. The first to visit the Taihui Sword Sect for a sword challenge is Li Cai of Floating Duckweed Sword Lake. This is the custom in Northern Ju Continent, so Mister Chen need not dwell on it.”

Here, Li Liu smiled, “I forgot that Mister Chen values customs the most.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “But my understanding of reasonable customs is still too shallow. I am far from understanding what true propriety is.”

Li Liu did not comment on this.

Mainly because she did not want to interfere.

Li Liu asked, “Doesn’t Mister Chen yearn for pure, absolute freedom?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Actually, I also envy that kind of unrestrained freedom, but I have always felt that absolute freedom without enough cognition as support is both unstable and disastrous.”

The two walked past a street corner. Not far ahead, stood the old Nascent Soul Mountain Lord of Lion Peak, who had cast an illusion spell.

Li Liu took off the package she was carrying, and Chen Ping’an also took off the bamboo box.

Li Liu originally thought to let him stand there while she opened the bamboo box. Now, Li Liu handed over the package, smiling, “Mister Chen is afraid of being misunderstood? Actually, the neighbors have already misunderstood.”

Chen Ping’an put the package into the bamboo box, put it back, and smiled without saying a word.

Finally, Li Liu conveyed in a voice transmission, “In the Azure Billow World, there is a Mysterious Capital Temple, the ancestral home of the Daoist Sword Immortal lineage. The temple master is Sun Huaizhong, a straightforward man with a chivalrous spirit.”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Thank you, Miss Li, for giving me a sense of assurance.”

Accompanied by Huang Cai himself, Chen Ping’an chatted with the Mountain Lord of Lion Peak along the way, then bid farewell. Finally, he boarded a fairy ferry with carved beams and painted rafters like a pavilion, heading towards Huanyou Wharf. There were many people, many of whom were going to the Taihui Sword Sect. They were discussing it on the ferry. It was normal. Since that Northern Ju Continent land-dragon had emerged from closed-door cultivation and broken through, there would be three shocking sword challenges: the female sword immortal Li Cai, Dong Zhu, and the number one sword immortal of the Northern Lands, Bai Chang!

In addition, they would also talk about the golden sea of clouds and martial fortune nectar at Lion Peak.

Everyone was guessing whether Lion Peak had deliberately hidden a pure martial artist or whether it was a passerby.

Chen Ping’an went to the room, opened the bamboo box, and prepared to take out the three Daoist robes to store in his miniature dimension. However, when he opened the package, he found that besides the various foods and specialties prepared by Aunt Liu, there was also an exquisite jade pendant, emerald green, which Li Liu had applied a landscape restriction on, so the spiritual energy was not obvious, and Chen Ping’an had not noticed it beforehand. Chen Ping’an sighed. Not only did he freeload on food, drink, and punches, but he also got such a precious return gift. What kind of guest was he?

The inscription on the jade pendant was “Old Dragon Calming the Waves.”

He put away the jade pendant and the Daoist robes. Chen Ping’an continued to refine the spiritual energy in the three key acupoints.

The journey was uneventful.

Arriving at Huanyou Wharf, which was only three hundred miles away from the Taihui Sword Sect.

Chen Ping’an found it overcrowded, as expected, with cultivators coming to join in the fun.

After the ferry entered the territory of the Taihui Sword Sect, Chen Ping’an sent a flying sword message to Qi Jinglong.

He didn’t see Qi Jinglong at the ferry. Chen Ping’an only saw the young man from the Cutting Deer Mountain, White Head.

White Head rushed over, weaving through the crowd like a fish. When he saw Chen Ping’an, he grinned and gave a thumbs up.

Chen Ping’an asked in confusion, “What’s made you so happy?”

White Head laughed, “Hey, Chen, do you know a guy from Cloud Top City named Xu Xingjiu?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I know him.”

White Head burst into laughter, “Good heavens, Liu is in the limelight now, he’s got to entertain guests climbing the mountain all day long. When he first heard that Xu Xingjiu had submitted a mountain-visiting letter, claiming to know ‘Mister Chen’, Liu pushed back a lot of appointments and went down the mountain to meet him. I went with him too. Guess what? That guy also learned from you and carried a big bamboo box. After the pleasantries, he said, ‘Junior heard that Mister Liu likes to drink, so I took the liberty of bringing some wine brewed in Cloud Top City.'”

White Head was in tears at this point, “You have no idea what kind of expression Liu had on his face at that time, like going to the outhouse without toilet paper!”

Chen Ping’an sighed, “This Xu Xingjiu, he hears the wind and thinks it’s rain, he must have misunderstood me, misunderstood me.”

White Head raised both hands high, clenched his fists tightly, and shook them vigorously, “Chen, I admire you!”

Chen Ping’an asked softly, “Is your master very busy right now? So busy that he couldn’t come here to greet me, so he sent you, a little peon, to make up the numbers?”

White Head grimaced, “Chen, you’re the little peon! I’m praised as a prodigy in the Taihui Sword Sect now. Liu secretly burns incense every day to celebrate that he took me as a good disciple.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and rubbed the young man’s head.

White Head didn’t dodge, and he angrily said, “Don’t be disrespectful! Chen, I am giving you a big favor, otherwise you and I can call each other brothers, you are too presumptuous, then go to Taihui Sword Sect yourself, I don’t care about being a guide for you.”

At the mountain gate of the Taihui Sword Sect, Qi Jinglong stood there with a straight face.

Chen Ping’an jogged over with the bamboo box, smiling, “Not bad, you broke through so quickly.”
Qi Jinglong twitched the corner of his mouth, “Not at all, not at all, far inferior to the Great Sword Immortal Chen, who broke through two bottlenecks in the martial artist’s and Daoist’s cultivation with a single breath.”

Chen Pingan waved his hand, “I dare not, I dare not.”

Baisou said unhappily, “Are you two ever going to stop? Flattering each other the moment you meet, is there any point?”

The boy chuckled mischievously, “Why not fetch a couple of jars of wine and chat while drinking? Liu, you need to take it easy this time, drink slowly.”

The boy admired that Xu Xingjiu. Dammit, when he arrived at the thatched hut on the mountain, that fellow sat down and immediately started chugging wine like crazy. He drank two pots in a row. If Liu hadn’t stopped him, it looked like he would have drunk three pots to his heart’s content. Although the wine pots were a bit small, cultivators deliberately suppress their spiritual energy. To drink like that was truly extraordinary.

The three of them slowly ascended the mountain together. Along the way, Qi Jinglong frequently greeted people but didn’t deliberately stop to exchange pleasantries.

Chen Pingan asked, “Did Xu Xingjiu return?”

Qi Jinglong said helplessly, “After drinking a round, he was drunk for a day. After sobering up, I finally explained things clearly to him. As a result, he started drinking penalty wine on his own. I couldn’t stop him, so I had to join him for a bit.”

Chen Pingan laughed heartily.

Qi Jinglong snorted, “Not again.”

Chen Pingan secretly rejoiced and lightly tapped palms with Baisou.

Baisou thought that this Chen fellow was interesting. He could come to the Taihui Sword Sect often.

If he didn’t come himself, he could ask others to bring wine up the mountain to find Liu. That wouldn’t be bad either.

The Taihui Sword Sect occupied a vast area, with towering peaks, picturesque scenery, and abundant spiritual energy. Chen Pingan, unable to travel far by riding the wind, took out the talisman boat, and they went together to Qi Jinglong’s cultivation place.

At the thatched hut, Baisou moved three bamboo chairs, and they each took a seat.

Qi Jinglong suddenly said, “Lend me a ‘Grain Rain Coin’?”

Chen Pingan tossed him a ‘Grain Rain Coin,’ curiously asking, “Are you this poor on your own mountain?”

Qi Jinglong caught the ‘Grain Rain Coin,’ pinched it between two fingers, and drew a talisman in the air with his other hand. Then he threw the ‘Grain Rain Coin’ into it. The talisman light dissipated, and the coin disappeared. He then said unhappily, “Disciples of the Ancestral Hall of the sect receive money and items according to regulations every ten years. If you urgently need immortal money, you can, of course, borrow it, but I don’t have that habit. I don’t even bother to repay money I borrow from you, Chen Pingan.”

Chen Pingan turned to look at Baisou, “Listen to this, is this what a master should say in front of his disciple?”

Baisou was about to kick him while he was down, but he noticed that Liu was smiling slightly, looking at him. Baisou swallowed his words. Dammit, you, Chen, will leave with a pat on your ass when the time comes, but I still have to stay on this mountain, staring at Liu every day. I definitely can’t act impulsively or be quick with my tongue. Because Liu Jinglong had said earlier that when he came out of seclusion, he would carefully explain the rules of the Taihui Sword Sect.

Chen Pingan smiled at Baisou, “Go cool off somewhere else. I have something to discuss with your master.”

Baisou refused to move, scoffing, “What, are you two women having a private conversation that I can’t hear?”

Chen Pingan interlaced his fingers, making a cracking sound, and smiled, “Baisou, I suddenly realized that you’re a martial arts prodigy. It’s a pity not to practice martial arts. Should I help you spar?”

Baisou spat, “I wouldn’t even want to be a proper sword immortal, let alone go practice martial arts and boxing?”

However, he still got up and wandered off elsewhere.

This mountain, named Pianran Peak, was a Feng Shui treasure that Qi cultivators dreamed of. It was located behind the main peak and secondary peaks of the Taihui Sword Sect. Every spring and autumn, there would be two extraordinary phenomena where spiritual energy surged towards Pianran Peak like a tide, especially containing strands of pure sword intent. Cultivators could lie down and enjoy the benefits while staying on the mountain. After the second sect master of the Taihui Sword Sect passed away, this peak had not been allowed for cultivators to reside on. Historically, a Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator had offered to serve as a patron of the Taihui Sword Sect as long as Pianran Peak was given to him for cultivation, but the sect still did not agree.

That Liu fellow didn’t know what was good for him and was reluctant to leave the ancestral mountain of the Taihui Sword Sect and move to Pianran Peak, saying that he was used to the old house over there. Only after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm and being urged by the Ancestral Hall every now and then did he come over to open the peak. As a result, he built a dilapidated thatched hut, which was considered opening a residence. At the beginning of spring this year, Liu was still in seclusion. Originally, all the disciples of the Taihui Sword Sect could come here every year to share the spiritual energy, but this year, they dared not come. Baisou took a trip to the Ancestral Hall and told an amiable old ancestor the words that Liu had instructed. Therefore, in the end, this spring, Pianran Peak still had many young cultivators coming to the mountain, but compared to the liveliness of the past, everyone cultivated quietly, without speaking, and tempered their sword intent.

At that time, the boy who was half the master of Pianran Peak did not make any noise, sitting on a small stool in the thatched hut with his arms crossed, sitting there blankly for a day and a night.

Therefore, the young cultivators of the Taihui Sword Sect increasingly felt that this Uncle-Master or Granduncle-Master Liu of Pianran Peak had taken in a strangely strange disciple.

After Baisou left, Chen Pingan told Qi Jinglong about his general travels,

Including many people and events, without any concealment, only with varying degrees of detail.

After Qi Jinglong listened patiently, he helped to identify omissions and correct errors, as if the two were reviewing a game of Go.

When mentioning He Xiaoliang and the Qingliang Sect, as well as the grudges between Bai Chang and the Xu Xuan master and apprentice duo,

Qi Jinglong said, “Currently, ordinary mountain and water gazettes have not yet reported the news. In fact, Heavenly Sovereign Xie Shi has already returned to the sect. The disciple who had some grudges with the Qingliang Sect not only received a reprimand from the Heavenly Sovereign but also immediately went down the mountain to apologize to the Qingliang Sect. After returning to the sect, he began to seclude himself. After that, the Chongxuan Department of the Dayuan Dynasty, the Water Dragon Sect, and the Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, the three parties that were originally entangled in interests, each had someone visit the Qingliang Sect. The Cloud Firmament Palace was the Small Heavenly Sovereign Yang Ningxing, the Water Dragon Sect was Shao Jingzhi of the Southern Sect, and the Floating Duckweed Sword Lake was even visited by the sect master Li Cai herself. As a result, not to mention what Xu Xuan thinks, the Qionglin Sect will not have a good time.”

Chen Pingan frowned and asked, “So the rumor that Bai Chang is going to personally test the Taihui Sword Sect with his sword is actually a good thing for you?”
Qi Jinglong nodded with a smile, “Firstly, Bai Chang has always been proud and aloof, and would never rely on his cultivation level and seniority to bully a newly-ascended Jade Purity Realm like myself. Even without this matter, the fact that he’s willing to draw his sword isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Secondly, as you guessed, Bai Chang is indeed feeling some pressure at the moment. He has to take the initiative to forge a connection with my Taiwei Sword Sect, to help avoid that ‘what if’ scenario. After all, there are some sword immortal seniors in the Northern Ju Luzhou who don’t look upon me too favorably. With Bai Chang’s final sword strike, plus the previous efforts of Seniors Li Cai and Dong Zhu, these three sword challenges will ensure that I, Qi Jinglong, can rest easy, and will only benefit, with no danger to my life.”

Chen Pingan asked with a smile, “Such a joyous occasion, shouldn’t we have a little drink to celebrate?”

Qi Jinglong, unusually, nodded and extended his hand.

Chen Pingan took out two jars of glutinous rice wine, and asked with puzzlement, “Having become an Upper Five Realm cultivator, has your temperament changed so drastically?”

Qi Jinglong accepted the wine jar, and smiled, “It’s not to celebrate our individual breakthroughs, but that we can meet again.”

Chen Pingan’s journey of dredging the meridians was not easy, and neither was a nascent soul sword cultivator’s breakthrough.

That both of them could survive, and then meet again unharmed, was more worthy of a drink than breaking through.

Qi Jinglong was willing to drink such wine.

The two held up their wine jars, gently clinked them together, exchanged knowing smiles, and each drank to the adventures of the martial world.

Chen Pingan suddenly said softly, “The martial world isn’t that great.”

Qi Jinglong laughed, “Only the wine is alright.”

Bai Shou seemed to have wandered off, but hadn’t gone far, and was listening intently to the “pillow talk” over there.

The youth shuddered, hugged his shoulders, and complained, “How can these two old geezers be so sickeningly sweet? Disgusting, disgusting…”

However, he felt that the man named Chen was quite something. To think that he was only at such a cultivation level now, yet had already experienced so much and possessed such abilities. He spoke of tenth-realm martial artists’ fists as if they were drinks, and was even addicted to it? Was there a hole in his head, or two?

Unreachable, unreachable. In the future, he would speak more politely to him, and be more sincere when addressing him as a brother. When Chen Pingan became a Golden Core Earth Immortal, and also a ninth or tenth-realm martial arts grandmaster, he would also be honored.

Suddenly, Qi Jinglong’s voice rang in the youth’s ears, “After eavesdropping for so long, what do you think? Want to drink?”

Bai Shou said solemnly, “Drink what wine? At such a young age, don’t delay your cultivation!”

Chen Pingan tutted, “Worthy of being Qi Jinglong’s disciple, your ability to read the wind isn’t much worse than my eldest disciple.”

Bai Shou was a little unconvinced by this. He could endure being called opportunistic, but to say that his ability to read the wind was not as good as someone else’s was intolerable. He turned his head and shouted loudly, “Chen, what’s your disciple’s name? Help me send him a message. Tell him that Bai Shou of Pianran Peak will meet him one day if he has time! Literary or martial contest, Taoist spells, fists, or swordsmanship, he can choose!”

Chen Pingan laughed, “A literary contest would be fine, but a martial one is out of the question. My eldest disciple is still studying in the school.”

Bai Shou shook his head, “Consider him lucky!”

The youth strode away.

Now, the youth did not know that these few unintentional words would lead to so many beatings in the future, to the point that the catchphrase of Bai Shou, the Sword Immortal of Pianran Peak, would be “Disaster comes from the mouth.”

Chen Pingan finished his wine, got up, and said, “I won’t delay you from greeting your guests. Besides, there are still three fights to be fought, I’ll continue on my way.”

Qi Jinglong did not try to keep him, and seemed to have been prepared for this. He took out a booklet from his sleeve and said, “Some of my own insights on the cultivation methods of sword cultivators. You can read it in your spare time.”

Chen Pingan took it into his sleeve and asked, “In your Taiwei Sword Sect, will I have trouble flying around in my talisman boat?”

Qi Jinglong smiled, “You still know you’re in the Taiwei Sword Sect?”

Chen Pingan feigned surprise and said, “Having become an Upper Five Realm Sword Immortal, you speak with such confidence. If it were at my Falling Mountain, I wouldn’t dare say such a thing.”

Chen Pingan drove his talisman boat, returning to the Huan You Ferry, to go to the Padi Peak to see Zhang Shanfeng.

Before taking off, he shouted to Bai Shou who was walking on Pianran Peak, “Your master owes me a Grain Rain Coin, remind him about it from time to time.”

Bai Shou had just been thinking about establishing some rules with the man named Chen, but now he couldn’t help but raise a middle finger.

Over at the thatched cottage, Qi Jinglong nodded, he seemed to have a bit of a disciple’s bearing.

On the many peaks of the Taiwei Sword Sect, groups of female cultivators gathered in twos and threes, whispering excitedly.

Compared to the male cultivators who were curious about the young man’s cultivation, realm, and background,

The women discussed completely different things.

They were all talking about the honored guest who could cause Uncle Liu and Granduncle-Master to personally go out to greet him. After hearing that he was a man in a green robe, carrying a walking stick and a large bamboo box, they couldn’t help but ask what he looked like and what his demeanor was. A woman who had seen the two of them climbing the mountain from afar held back for a long time, then said he was passable. Other women immediately grieved, all feeling that their little uncle-master or granduncle-master had been greatly wronged.

Over at Pianran Peak, Qi Jinglong would never have imagined that the younger generation in the sect would have these messy thoughts. Even if he heard about it, he certainly wouldn’t understand.

He would probably still ask Chen Pingan for advice in order to break through the confusion and gain enlightenment.

Bai Shou returned to the thatched cottage. “He’s leaving already? Liu, doesn’t he consider you a friend at all?”

Qi Jinglong smiled, “When you have friends in the future, you’ll naturally know the answer.”

Bai Shou said, “I’m friends with the one named Chen. No discord, no concord. Meeting late, drinking merrily, calling each other brothers…”

Qi Jinglong waved his hand, “Let’s go to the Ancestral Hall.”

Bai Shou immediately became listless, “Tomorrow, can we go tomorrow?”

Qi Jinglong didn’t say anything.

Bai Shou complained inwardly, but could only obediently follow Qi Jinglong to the main peak’s Ancestral Hall on the wind.

Generally speaking, once the man named Liu had said something, he might be very long-winded in the process, but then he wouldn’t say another word, and it would be Bai Shou’s turn to do things.

Chen Pingan did not expect that Zhang Shanfeng had already gone down the mountain to travel with his senior brother Yuan Lingdian.

The person who received him was the peak master of the White Cloud lineage, a venerable old immortal, who came to the mountain gate in person to apologize to Chen Pingan.
Chen Pingan, learning that the True Man Fire Dragon was still in slumber, said he would forgo ascending the mountain this time and would visit again later, asking the venerable True Man to forgive his failure to call. He promised to give advance notice before his next visit to Beiju Luzhou.

The old immortal didn’t say much, his expression amiable, only remarking that Chen Pingan’s saying of “leaving some leeway” was quite interesting.

Chen Pingan felt a bit abashed, explaining that it was a common saying from his hometown.

The old immortal personally escorted Chen Pingan all the way to the ferry before bidding him farewell and returning to the mountain.

Chen Pingan boarded a ferry bound for the Spring Dew Garden, leaning against the railing, lost in thought.

From the Spring Dew Garden, one could directly reach the Bone Beach at the southernmost tip of Beiju Luzhou.

However, Chen Pingan needed to disembark midway and make a trip to the Qinghao Kingdom, a small country without a celestial ferry, requiring a journey of over a thousand li.

Li Xisheng was currently residing in a state city, on a street called Cave Immortal Street.

Unbeknownst to Chen Pingan, not long after he left the Taihui Sword Sect,

A white-robed youth with a mole between his eyebrows, wielding a green bamboo mountain staff, boarded a return ferry of the Hemp Robe Sect bound for Bone Beach.

The teacher journeyed south, the student north.

The first thing the youth did upon arriving at Bone Beach was to tear open a section of the Ghost Domain Valley’s small world’s celestial canopy, raining down an incredibly dazzling storm of magical treasures upon the Jingguan City’s head. After finishing, he gathered his treasures and fled.

For some unknown reason, the Jingguan City’s heroic spirit, Gao Cheng, did not pursue the white-robed youth.

Sitting upon his bone throne, Gao Cheng frowned deeply, wondering why the uneasy feeling he had been experiencing on and off had become even clearer upon seeing this person.

Gao Cheng, instead of recklessly breaking through the celestial canopy with his Dharma Image again, felt a strange sense of restraint for the first time.

At the Mural City at the foot of Mount Muyi, the youth, in a shop, wanted to buy a painting of the Langtian Goddess. He pitifully bargained with a young girl, saying he was young, his travels arduous, and his purse empty. He confessed that he was so captivated by these Goddess paintings that he was willing to go hungry to buy them.

The girl, seeing his sincere words and genuine gaze, thought he might burst into tears if he continued to lament. Helpless, she made an exception and offered a low price. But after agreeing on the price, the youth showed gratitude, waved his sleeve, and declared, “I’ll take all the Goddess paintings in the shop at this fair price!”

The girl was dumbfounded.

The shameless white-robed youth turned his head.

Zhu Quan, the Sect Leader of the Hemp Robe Sect, wearing a saber at his waist, stood not far away, smiling. “This little brother has quite the grand manner.”

Cui Dongshan blinked, hugging his green bamboo staff. “Of course, I am my teacher’s most beloved disciple. May I ask who this elder sister is?”

Zhu Quan looked at the mountain staff, her expression somewhat strange. “Your teacher, wouldn’t happen to be surnamed Chen, would he?”

Cui Dongshan smiled brightly and said, “Elder sister is truly a celestial, foreseeing the future.”

Zhu Quan teased, “I’ve never heard him mention you.”

The next moment, Zhu Quan became even more puzzled.

How strange, this fellow was gleefully raining down magical treasures on Gao Cheng’s head in Jingguan City just now.

But now, the handsome youth before her was frowning, tears streaming down his face.