Cui Dongshan, his spirit flagging, slumped back onto the small wooden stool. He stretched out his hands, one reaching over his head, the other resting on his knee. “Qi Jingchun used this to safeguard him, so what? Master is still in a low place, and the path between high and low is fraught with unforeseen dangers. Du Mao is a prime example.”

Speaking of this, Cui Dongshan, recalling a certain existence, curled his lip. “Alright, forget Du Mao. Qi Jingchun at least had some countermeasures. But what about further down the line? The upper five realms below the Ascension stage, the Jade Pure, Immortals, or nascent soul sword cultivators – how will Master fight them head-on?”

Chen Ping’an turned around, smiling. “What nonsense are you spouting? Every cultivator in the world, on their path to the summit, has to deal with countless contingencies and accidents. A truth taken to the extreme is no longer the truth. Don’t you understand that? You have to change this stubborn, sore-loser temper of yours.”

Cui Dongshan said, “It’s alright to accept defeat in my heart, but not on my lips?”

Chen Ping’an just smiled, without answering.

Cui Dongshan became serious, saying, “Knowing this so early is not good.”

Chen Ping’an replied, “I know.”

Cui Dongshan scratched his head, looking troubled. “The best laid plans of men often go awry – that saying is enough to terrify those at the peak. Only by scheming without a purpose can one achieve victory. Master, don’t you realize that your past victory over Lu Chen had a large element of luck? If Lu Chen were to target you again, even dedicating a fraction of his attention and abandoning all pretense of honor, he could set up an elaborate trap, and you would surely lose.”

Cui Dongshan paused, emphasizing his words. “Surely lose!”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Perhaps.”

Cui Dongshan sighed, his expression complex.

Every clear understanding creates another enemy.

It was practically turning the world against oneself.

The weeds on the ground, however, were far more resilient to the fierce winds than the tall trees.

Chen Ping’an sat back down on the stool, smiling gently. “Don’t worry about these things. One can’t be frightened to death by their own thoughts. I survived all those years in Mud Bottle Lane. There’s no reason to become more timid as I go further. My fists can’t be for naught, my life can’t be lived in vain.”

Cui Dongshan nodded. “It’s good that Master thinks this way.”

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “Let’s take it one step at a time, plan as we go. That’s all we can do. You could give me a handicap of twelve pieces on the ferry, ensuring your victory. What about ten years from now? Or if I live for a hundred years?”

Cui Dongshan whispered, “If the chessboard remains the same nineteen lines, your student wouldn’t dare to guarantee that I could give you a handicap of twelve pieces even a few decades from now. But if the chessboard were just a bit bigger…”

Chen Ping’an gazed ahead, smiling. “Silence!”

Cui Dongshan laughed. “Master is most charming when you’re being unreasonable.”

His student was waiting, full of anticipation.

Chen Ping’an said he was going out, ignoring Cui Dongshan’s presence.

Cui Dongshan remained at the ancestral home, squatting on the ground, staring at the two circles, big and small. He wasn’t studying their profound meaning; he was simply bored.

Of the myriad fields of knowledge in the world, few could inspire Cui Dongshan to think on a deeper, more subtle level anymore.

Chen Ping’an went to his parents’ graves, burned a lot of paper money, some of which he had bought from the Dragon Palace Grotto, and then squatted there, adding soil to the mounds.

Cui Dongshan tiptoed, peering over the wall, admiring the feng shui of the neighboring courtyard. It was truly excellent.

Song Jixin had become a vassal king of Dali, and Zhi Gui was even more impressive – the entire Old Dragon City was practically her backyard, with the Fu family acting as her bodyguards.

Cui Dongshan climbed onto the wall, jumped down a couple of times, shaking off the dust.

Sword Immortal Cao Xi had already returned to the Southern Subcontinent from the Northern Assembly Continent, as someone needed to oversee the Majestic Garrison Tower. Only Cao Jun, who had encountered some minor obstacles on his cultivation path, remained in Dali, working his way up through the ranks of the military.

Regarding the matter of the wronged female ghost in a wedding gown, Master did have a present solution.

However, Cui Dongshan had deliberately made it more complicated, in order to ascertain something: which branch of knowledge Master currently favored.

In the end, he had shot himself in the foot, and Cui Dongshan was now regretting it.

Cui Dongshan stretched out his hands, spreading his fingers and shaking his wrists.

If this hadn’t happened, Cui Dongshan would have liked to discuss another “minor matter” with Master – a field of knowledge woven from countless delicate threads.

Cui Dongshan wouldn’t impart everything; he would only select certain “passages” beneficial to cultivation.

Sculpting porcelain figures.

How to piece together a pile of broken porcelain shards into a real person, how the three souls and six spirits, the seven emotions and six desires, were formed.

The root of the knowledge lay in weaving a net.

The biggest problem now was the high cost, the profound knowledge, and the high barrier to entry. Even Cui Dongshan couldn’t think of any way to overcome it.

Once successful, the greatest external threat to the Great Landscape World – the massive invasion of the demon race, and the mortal enemy of the Azure Billow World which had to build the Jade Capital to resist them – would inevitably be wiped out.

In a sense, the emergence of humans was the earliest form of “porcelain figures,” only with different materials.

Cui Dongshan also hoped that one day, he could have someone he genuinely respected tell him, as he was about to achieve great success, whether his choice was right or wrong. Not only that, but they would also explain exactly where he was right and wrong. Then Cui Dongshan could act generously, regardless of life or death.

Not like the old scholar back then, who only stated the results without explaining why.

A Dali military ferry slowly docked at Niujiao Mountain Wharf, accompanied by a huge dragon boat that had been camouflaged by the mountain spirits of both Northern Peak Wei Bo and Central Peak Jin Qing.

Liu Chongrun, Lu Baixiang, and Wei Xian disembarked from the dragon boat.

Military General Liu Xunmei and Sword Cultivator Cao Jun did not disembark. Their mission was to escort the dragon boat to this location, and they had completed it successfully. Liu Xunmei still needed to report to the patrolling envoy Cao Ping.

Liu Xunmei softly asked, “That young man in the blue shirt, is he the Mountain Lord Chen Ping’an of Fallen Star Mountain? Like your ancestor, he also came from that Mud Bottle Lane?”

Cao Jun sat on the railing, nodding. “He’s a very interesting young man, more interesting in my eyes than Ma Kuxuan.”

Liu Xunmei laughed. “Chen Ping’an is also a friend of my good friend Guan Yiran. Last year, at the end of the year, we chatted about this Mountain Lord of Fallen Star Mountain in Chi’er Street. Guan Yiran has always been calm and steady, he didn’t say much, but I could tell that Guan Yiran thought highly of him.”

This was the first time Cao Jun had heard of this, but he wasn’t surprised at all.
Liu Xunmei reminisced, “That Fu Yu from Yichi Lane, I think he’s the Prefect of Baoxi Prefecture now, quite successful. But I wasn’t very close to Fu Yu. I just remember when we were kids, he liked to follow us around all the time. Back then, us kids from Chier Street didn’t really like hanging out with the kids from Yichi Lane. We didn’t really get along. Every year we’d have a fight, a big snowball fight, and we’d always win despite being outnumbered. Fu Yu was in an awkward position, not really belonging to either side, so whenever it snowed, he simply wouldn’t go out. That’s all I remember about this vaguely remembered Prefect. But actually, both Yichi Lane and Chier Street had their own big and small gangs, it was lively. After we grew up, it wasn’t as fun anymore. We’d smile at each other when we met.”

Cao Jun laughed, “A hundred or two years from now, if I think of General Liu again, it’ll probably be about the same.”

Liu Xunmei said helplessly, “You’re really bad at conversation.”

Cao Jun said, “If I was good at conversation, I would have been promoted and gotten rich already.”

Liu Xunmei shook his head, “Without real military merit, why would I bother with you, with your poor conversation skills?”

Cao Jun laughed heartily, “And you’re good at conversation?”

Liu Xunmei leaned on the railing, “Whether I die in battle or of old age in bed, remember to visit my grave if you ever pass by Baoping Continent.”

Cao Jun looked into the distance, “Who says cultivators necessarily live long lives? It’s hard to say who will be pouring wine at whose grave.”

Liu Xunmei said with a wry smile, “Can you say something more pleasing?”

Cao Jun thought for a moment, “May General Liu be promoted to Inspector soon?”

Liu Xunmei nodded, “That’s good!”

Liu Xunmei laughed, “Then I wish Sword Immortal Cao will reach the Upper Fifth Realm soon?”

Cao Jun rubbed his face vigorously, “That’s difficult.”

Chen Ping’an only brought Pei Qian and Zhou Mili to “welcome” them, and he saw Cao Jun, with his eye-catching black robe and long and short swords, clearly, but pretended not to notice him.

Wei Xian nodded to Chen Ping’an as a greeting, and Chen Ping’an returned the greeting with a smile.

Only when he saw Pei Qian did Wei Xian show a rare smile.

This little darkie is growing up so fast.

Pei Qian hopped over to Wei Xian and circled him, “Oh ho, even darker.”

Wei Xian said sternly, “Impudent.”

Pei Qian snapped, “What are you doing! Putting on airs with me again? You’re lying, you don’t have a golden crowbar in your house.”

Wei Xian said, “Now I’m a Wu Xuan Official of Great Li, and I’m a big official now.”

Wei Xian, the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom, came from a humble village and made his name on the battlefield.

Pei Qian held up her thumb and pointed at Zhou Mili, who was carrying two trekking poles, “How old? Is she older than her?”

Wei Xian didn’t know what Pei Qian was up to, “What’s the meaning of this?”

Pei Qian shouted, “Zhou Mili!”

The little girl in black stamped her foot and stood up straight, “Here!”

Pei Qian snorted, “Say, what’s your name!”

Zhou Mili frowned tightly, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in Pei Qian’s ear, “You just called my name, shouldn’t I call myself the Great Water Monster of Dumb Lake, or the Right Protector of Fallen Phoenix Mountain?”

Pei Qian sighed, this little gourd is just a bit slow, everything else is good.

Wei Xian smiled and reached out to pat the little darkie’s head, but Pei Qian ducked and dodged nimbly. Pei Qian clicked her tongue, “Old Wei, you’re old. You have stubble on your face, how are you going to find a wife? You’re still single, right? It’s okay, don’t be sad. We have the most people like you who can’t find wives on Fallen Phoenix Mountain now. Neighbor Wei Bo, Old Chef Zhu, Zheng Dafeng at the foot of the mountain, Little Bai who left home, Old Song on the top of the mountain, Yuan Lai, each one is miserable.”

Wei Xian laughed, “Don’t you not have a master’s wife either?”

Pei Qian twitched her lips and said “Heh, heh, heh.”

Zhou Mili followed with “Heh, heh, heh.”

Chen Ping’an, who had just finished exchanging pleasantries with Lu Baixiang and Liu Chongrun, flicked each of their little heads with a chestnut.

Pei Qian was used to it. Zhou Mili, who had once stood in a large bamboo basket and had Chen Ping’an feed her chestnuts, was about to open her mouth to bite Chen Ping’an, but Chen Ping’an held her head down. Zhou Mili was about to show her power, when she heard Pei Qian cough heavily, and immediately stopped moving.

Liu Chongrun had a sword talisman forged by the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, and left directly riding the wind.

That heavy treasure water palace, refined by an Immortal, was temporarily hidden on the dragon boat. Later, Lu Baixiang would ask Mountain Lord Wei Bo to directly use his divine powers to send it to Turtleback Ridge. Otherwise, the water palace was the size of a carriage, and she had no legendary treasure to carry it. It was not that she could not use magic to move the water palace, but it was too obvious. There were too many people at the ferry, and Liu Chongrun did not want to cause any trouble.

As for that dragon boat called “Turning Ink,” it was of course now the property of Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Moreover, the entire Ox Horn Mountain was shared by Chen Ping’an and Wei Bo, so it was only right to dock here. Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but stomp his feet lightly again and again, his face full of unconcealed joy.

Just now, when Pei Qian and Zhou Mili heard that from today onwards, such a large immortal ferry boat belonged to Fallen Phoenix Mountain, their eyes widened. Pei Qian pinched Zhou Mili’s cheeks and twisted them hard. The little girl cried out in pain, and Pei Qian nodded, so it wasn’t a dream. Zhou Mili nodded vigorously, saying no, no. Pei Qian patted Zhou Mili’s head and said, “Mili, you’re such a lucky star, does it hurt?” Zhou Mili grinned and said, “It doesn’t hurt at all.” Pei Qian covered her mouth and whispered, “How did you forget again? When you’re out, don’t let people know that you’re a big water monster, it’ll scare people, and it’ll be our fault.” The little girl in black was both worried and happy.

Lu Baixiang led the way, leading Chen Ping’an onto the colossal dragon boat, which was three stories high, which was not surprising, but it was extremely large, half the size of the Crossing-Continent ship of the Hemp Robe Sect, capable of carrying more than a thousand people. Of course, it was another matter if it was fully loaded with goods. Fallen Phoenix Mountain had obtained such a large and exceptionally sturdy ancient ferry boat, and there were many things that could be done. Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but stomp his feet lightly again and again, his face full of unconcealed joy.

After wandering through the ship layer by layer, sometimes
The wooden door, steeped in the scent of sandalwood after centuries of slumber, creaked open. The decorative items from the ferry had long been emptied, requisitioned by the national treasury for wartime needs. Thus, the rooms, regardless of size, shared a similar layout, presenting a monotonous scene. Yet, Chen Ping’an felt not a trace of boredom. He finally reached the top floor, standing within the largest room. As expected, this would be the “Ink Splash” ferry’s most luxurious suite. Suddenly, Chen Ping’an’s expression turned solemn as he walked onto the spacious viewing platform.

The incident of the Dazao Mountain ferry crashing in the Vermilion Dynasty had far-reaching consequences.

Everyone on the ferry was a chess piece, some surviving, others perishing. As for the Sword-Holding Gentleman who destroyed the ferry, the reasons behind his actions – the grudges and affections that drove him to such a decisive act – seemed almost inconsequential.

Chen Ping’an pondered a question: With his current cultivation being low and his resources meager, reopening the matter would be akin to striking a stone with an egg, so he could endure it for now.

But if the Fallen Phoenix Mountain were already a sect-level power, and he were a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal or even a Jade Pure Realm cultivator, capable of speaking out for the grievances in his heart and for the plight of Spring Water and Autumn Harvest, he would inevitably pay a tremendous price. For example, completely severing ties with the Great Li Dynasty, incurring the wrath of Heavenly Sovereign Xie Shi, watching the four figures in the painting die one by one, and witnessing the Fallen Phoenix Mountain teeter on the brink of collapse. Everyone on the mountain would become pariahs in Treasure Bottle Continent. Chen Lingjun’s journey to the Northern Ju Continent would be a death sentence; Chen Ruchu would never be able to return to Dragon Spring County. The Great Li spies in the shop on Riding Dragon Lane would transform from protectors into assassins, and the lives of everyone on Fallen Phoenix Mountain would hang in the balance, death striking at any moment. If Fallen Phoenix Mountain lost another soul, who would bear the responsibility?

What choice should Chen Ping’an make?

If Chen Ping’an were already a true Sword Immortal, he could avoid much trouble.

He could bear it all on his shoulders, and vanquish it all with his sword.

But becoming a Sword Immortal was so difficult, so distant, and so full of uncertainty.

Beyond life and death, countless tribulations still lay ahead.

Chen Ping’an also enjoyed reading those martial arts novels like Little Treasure Bottle, Pei Qian, and Li Huai, admiring the heroes and chivalrous figures who charged forward without hesitation, sacrificing their lives for righteousness without a second thought.

This world needed such stories, and it also needed many such people outside of the stories, whose actions, whether great or small, were clearly defined by good and evil.

However, compared to Pei Qian, who reveled in the exciting episodes of heroes avenging wrongs, repeatedly reading them, meeting martial arts masters, befriending interesting figures in the martial world, and slaying great demons… Pei Qian liked to skip over the arduous and difficult chapters. Chen Ping’an, on the other hand, often stalled after reading the beginning. Those destined to have various encounters and opportunities often started with their families destroyed, living in loneliness, burdened with deep-seated grudges. Then, in the books, they would suddenly grow up.

Chen Ping’an would feel a sense of unease.

Those colorful martial arts stories might be captivating, making Li Huai and Pei Qian beam with excitement, but Chen Ping’an found it difficult to empathize.

Perhaps it was because real life was not as clear and straightforward as the black and white words on paper.

Pei Qian asked from inside the room, “Master, what’s wrong?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “It’s nothing, just thinking about some old memories.”

Lu Baixiang approached Chen Ping’an and smiled, “Congratulations.”

Chen Ping’an said, “You need to hurry up too.”

Lu Baixiang looked somewhat melancholic. “I’m hesitating whether to find a chance to fight with Zhu Lian.”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “I think you should, it doesn’t cost anything anyway.”

Lu Baixiang looked at Chen Ping’an. “You took quite a beating in the Northern Ju Continent?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Two Tenth Realm martial artists took turns helping me refine my body with their fists, beating me half to death. Aren’t you envious?”

Lu Baixiang smiled slightly. “Hearing you say that makes me feel much better.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Don’t forget, this narrow blade ‘Lingering Snow’ is borrowed from you.”

Lu Baixiang joked, “Didn’t I help Fallen Phoenix Mountain find two good seedlings? Isn’t that worth a blade?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t take the bait, but said, “Yuanbao and Yuanlai, good names.”

Lu Baixiang asked, “You’ve met them?”

Chen Ping’an hummed. “As soon as I met them, I praised their names, but that little girl looked at me the same way Cen Yuanji used to look at thieves. I just don’t understand. After wandering the martial world for so many years, I only get misunderstood on my own Fallen Phoenix Mountain.”

Lu Baixiang laughed heartily. “I’m in a great mood!”

Pei Qian was circling around Wei Xian, constantly casting immobilizing spells with two fingers held together. Wei Xian leaned against the door frame, ignoring her.

Chen Ping’an turned to look and asked, “You said in your letter that Cen Yuanji fell while practicing martial arts, what happened?”

Pei Qian seemed to have been hit by an immobilizing spell, her body stiff in place, sweat beading on her forehead. She could only signal Zhou Mili with her eyes.

Lying to Master was absolutely out of the question, but telling Master the truth wasn’t an option either.

Zhou Mili, as expected of the confidante she had promoted, immediately understood and said loudly, “It was pitch black at night, you couldn’t even see a ghost, so Sister Cen accidentally fell.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Oh.”

Pei Qian put her hands behind her back and gave Zhou Mili two thumbs up.

Chen Ping’an sighed. “With this dragon boat, doing business with the Hemp Robe Sect and the Spring Dew Garden, Fallen Phoenix Mountain will have more confidence. Not only that, but Fallen Phoenix Mountain will also have more room to maneuver.”

Lu Baixiang said, “The dragon boat’s decorations can be simple. After all, according to you, the dragon boat is mainly for transporting goods. But what about the people who will support the ferry’s normal operation?”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Let Zhu Lian worry about that when he returns to Fallen Phoenix Mountain. If that doesn’t work, Cui Dongshan has wide connections, so let him help Fallen Phoenix Mountain spend money to hire people to work on the boat.”

This time, Lu Baixiang didn’t kick him while he was down, but said, “I’ll also try to find some people to recommend, but the most important thing is to choose a ferry manager with enough influence, otherwise things could easily go wrong.”

Chen Ping’an said, “I actually have some ideas about this matter, but whether they’ll work or not will depend on when the Ancestral Hall is built.”

The location of the Fallen Phoenix Mountain Ancestral Hall had already been decided. With Wei Bo present, it was a simple matter.
After Chen Ping An sent a flying sword message from Wooden Clothes Mountain back to the Fallen Phoenix Mountain, Wei Bo began to prepare. Since the Ancestral Hall of Fallen Phoenix Mountain did not pursue grand scale, it didn’t require much manpower or resources. Furthermore, the large-scale construction in the western mountains of Dragon Spring County in recent years, coupled with the continuous ground-breaking of several county towns, had accumulated a great deal of experience. Most importantly, Chen Ping An proposed that the Ancestral Hall didn’t need to be specially set up with an array. In his words, if even the mountain-protecting array of Fallen Phoenix Mountain could be broken, and someone successfully climbed the mountain to dismantle the Ancestral Hall, then whether the Ancestral Hall had an array or not would be meaningless.

Chen Ping An said, “I’m taking up a lot of your time.”

Lu Baixiang laughed and said, “Just consider it sharpening the axe doesn’t delay the woodcutting. My sect is just a vassal of Fallen Phoenix Mountain. If it succeeds, great; if it fails, it won’t hurt Fallen Phoenix Mountain too much. I will grasp the proper measure. But let me say the ugly truth upfront, many of my methods are not clean. I can only guarantee they won’t be excessive.”

Chen Ping An said, “Try not to give me a chance to complain.”

Lu Baixiang smiled.

As the Mountain Lord, Chen Ping An personally burned incense to worship Heaven and Earth and the four directions. Then, the construction of the Fallen Phoenix Mountain Ancestral Hall began.

The Ancestral Hall was located on Azure Peak, the secondary peak of Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Because the main peak, with the bamboo building, was in a somewhat awkward position, as there was a Mountain God Shrine formally conferred by the Great Li Dynasty on the summit of this Spirit Gathering Peak.

Moreover, Chen Ping An actually had a special fondness for Azure Peak.

One day, in Zhu Lian’s courtyard, Zheng Dafeng was playing chess with Wei Bo, while Cui Dongshan watched from the side.

Chen Lingjun was giving pointers, telling Zheng Dafeng and Wei Bo how to place their pieces.

These past few days, Chen Lingjun had been particularly confident, because he had wandered around the western mountains for many years and knew many cultivators who had established their residences there. One of them was a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator from Yellow Lake Mountain. They hadn’t been very familiar before, and even disliked each other, because Yellow Lake Mountain had a lake with a giant python in it, and both Chen Lingjun and that black serpent coveted it. Unexpectedly, this summer and autumn, the other party took the initiative to show goodwill. After a while, they drank wine together. Not long ago, that old Dragon Gate Realm cultivator suddenly said he planned to sell Yellow Lake Mountain and asked at the table whether Brother Chen, with his wide network and many acquaintances, and being a guest at the Night Banquet of the Great Mountain God Wei, could help him find a suitable buyer.

Chen Lingjun, drinking a large bowl of wine, patted his chest and agreed. However, after leaving Yellow Lake Mountain, he felt somewhat heavy-hearted, worried that this was a trap aimed at Fallen Phoenix Mountain. So he went to Chen Ping An, told him about it, and then Cui Dongshan said to buy it. Why not take a bargain that’s offered? We have such a high Cloud-Wearing Mountain as our backing, what are we afraid of? Chen Ping An then asked Chen Lingjun to negotiate the details, divine money, gold essence coins, the price could be discussed. If the negotiations didn’t go well, they would bring in their Great Mountain God Wei to chat.

Chen Lingjun felt uneasy and went to Yellow Lake Mountain to drink, after all, he was used to discussing things over drinks. In the end, he even managed to cut the price down to only ten Grain Rain Coins.

At that time, Chen Lingjun was a bit dazed. *I just randomly quoted a number to raise the price and bargain with you, but the other party seemed to be stupid, standing there motionless and taking the hit. What’s going on?*

Chen Lingjun went up the mountain confused and came down even more confused.

Chen Ping An didn’t say much either. So Fallen Phoenix Mountain and Yellow Lake Mountain exchanged land deeds and divine money, and had them inspected and recorded at the Dragon Province Governor’s Office, the Great Li Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Revenue. The deal was finalized with extreme speed.

Chen Ping An privately asked Cui Dongshan. Cui Dongshan smiled and said that the old bastard was rarely in a generous mood, so there was no need to worry about a trap. Chen Lingjun had finally done something proper for Fallen Phoenix Mountain. After the Ancestral Hall was completed, on the Merit and Demerit Record of the Ancestral Hall’s Genealogy, this little water snake could be credited with a merit.

So at this moment, Chen Lingjun was walking with his nostrils pointing to the sky.

In addition, Pei Qian, Chen Ruchu, and Zhou Mili, the three little girls, all looked at him with new respect. Especially Pei Qian, who, along with Zhou Mili, shamelessly flattered him. If Cui Dongshan hadn’t pressed down on Chen Lingjun’s head, saying that Grandpa Chen had been floating a bit recently, he would have restrained himself a little. Otherwise, Chen Lingjun could have been even more arrogant.

These days, Chen Ping An had been inventorying his possessions. Most of them needed to be included in the Ancestral Hall’s treasury and had to be recorded one by one. Some were prepared as gifts from the Mountain Lord to others at the completion ceremony.

Chen Ping An had only helped Pei Qian with boxing once and then stopped.

Even though he said he was using the Fourth Realm against the Fourth Realm, he was in fact facing Pei Qian with the Fifth Realm. In the end, he still underestimated Pei Qian’s strength, and Pei Qian punched him right in the face. Although a Golden Body Realm martial artist wouldn’t be injured or bleed, Chen Ping An’s face as a teacher was completely lost. Before Chen Ping An could secretly raise his realm to the Sixth Realm to feed her punches, Pei Qian refused to spar with her master. She hung her head, looking listless, and said that she had committed a heinous crime of disrespect and that her master could just beat her to death. She would definitely not fight back. If she dared to fight back, she would expel herself from the sect.

How could he teach boxing like this?

The two, one big and one small, walked barefoot to the corridor on the second floor, leaned on the railing, and looked at the scenery together.

Behind the master and disciple, at the door of the bamboo building, were two pairs of neatly placed boots.

In the courtyard, Wei Bo, who was pinching a chess piece between his fingers, suddenly put the piece back into the chess jar and laughed, “I’m not playing anymore, I’m not playing anymore. Zhu Lian’s ferry has already entered the territory of the Yellow Court Kingdom.”

When Zheng Dafeng played chess, Pei Qian and the others basically stayed far away from him. No one wanted to be close to someone who took off his shoes to pick his feet and cracked melon seeds at the same time.

Zheng Dafeng didn’t mind Wei Bo’s reneging. A game of chess was only worth a Snowflake Coin. Small bets were good for enjoyment.

Cui Dongshan stood aside, with his hands outstretched, letting Pei Qian and Zhou Mili hang on them and swing.

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, “Mountain Lord Wei can go and pick them up. I’ll continue the game. What do you say, Brother Dafeng?”

Zheng Dafeng glanced at the chessboard. Wei Bo was in a terrible situation. But since Cui Dongshan had said so, Zheng Dafeng wasn’t in a hurry to agree or disagree. He looked at it a few more times, then laughed, “What’s the stake?”

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, “What stake do we need? I’m not short of money.”

Zheng Dafeng clicked his tongue and said, “Alright then, let’s continue playing.”

Only then did Pei Qian and Zhou Mili let go and put their feet on the ground.

Cui Dongshan sat in Wei Bo’s seat, picked up a chess piece, and gently placed it on the board.
Zheng Dafeng glanced at Wei Bo behind Cui Dongshan. The latter smiled, “Keep watching, Zhu Lian is on the ferry, spouting saliva, busy trying to swindle people for Luopo Mountain, wouldn’t want to spoil his good deeds.”

Cui Dongshan placed his stones rapidly.

Zheng Dafeng truly refused to believe it. Could he really turn the tables? He placed his stones just as swiftly.

Even if this fellow was the one who had crafted the *Rainbow Cloud Score*, Zheng Dafeng truly didn’t think he would lose.

In the end, of course, Zheng Dafeng mimicked Wei Bo, placing his chess piece back into the jar, and said with a chuckle, “I’m not playing anymore. I’m going with Wei Bo to meet Brother Zhu. A day apart feels like three autumns, and it’s been so many days, I miss him terribly.”

Cui Dongshan didn’t care at all, and called to Chen Ruchu, who was quietly sitting to the side, munching on melon seeds, “Come, let’s continue. I’ll help Brother Dafeng play, you take white, otherwise there’s no suspense.”

Chen Ruchu nodded with a smile.

She enjoyed playing chess.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have watched Wei Bo and the others play so intently whenever she had the chance.

Cui Dongshan didn’t get up, he simply switched the positions of the chess jars.

Cui Dongshan and Chen Ruchu continued the game.

Wei Bo and Zheng Dafeng walked out of the courtyard side by side.

Wei Bo laughed, “A bit embarrassing.”

Zheng Dafeng nodded, “It is a bit. Luckily Brother Zhu isn’t here, otherwise if he joined, we’d probably still lose.”

Before they could walk too far,

Chen Lingjun exclaimed, “What’s going on? How did the silly girl win?”

Chen Ruchu blushed, “It was Mister Cui who deliberately let me win.”

Cui Dongshan wore an innocent expression, “How could that be?”

Pei Qian stood behind Chen Ruchu, pressing heavily on her shoulders with both hands, and said in a deep voice, “Warm Tree! From today onwards, you are the number one Go master of our Luopo Mountain! In the future, Old Cook, Zheng Dafeng, Wei Bo, and the others will have to bow to you before they play, to show their respect!”

Lu Baixiang also had his own residence on Luopo Mountain.

The name of the residence, the plaque, the couplets, and other decorations were yet to be decided by Luopo Mountain, leaving it to the master himself to decide and arrange.

Chen Ruchu initially thought that Zhu Lian’s idea was very humane and agreed with it.

But Zhu Lian himself said that Luopo Mountain was short of funds, letting these heartless fellows pay for it themselves.

Wei Xian sat idly in Lu Baixiang’s residence, drinking small cups of wine. On the table were some snacks for enjoying with the wine, all prepared early by Chen Ruchu, the little housekeeper. Different masters, different tastes, so each residence had different wines and snacks.

Lu Baixiang’s two direct disciples, the Yuanbao and Yuanlai sisters, sat to the side.

Yuanbao had a good impression of the stern Wei Xian, much better than her impression of Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng.

At the mountain gate,

Zhu Lian, who had been dragged by Wei Bo directly from the ferry to the foot of Luopo Mountain, carrying a hunched back parcel, sighed, “These old bones of mine, travel-worn, wind-battered and sun-scorched, are really about to fall apart.”

“Don’t complain to us here, it’s no use.”

Zheng Dafeng laughed, “I’ve already had my ankle twisted by someone, Miss Cen has been helping to watch the mountain gate these past few days. As for our Mountain God Wei, at least he’s a Jade Pure Realm cultivator, but he was still scolded bloody. Now, we’re just missing you.”

Zhu Lian glanced at Wei Bo, then at Zheng Dafeng, and laughed, “If you weren’t trying to scare people, I might believe you. The moment you open your mouths, you ruin it. Let’s go up the mountain, up the mountain, carefree and without worries.”

Wei Bo reached out his hand, “I won, a snowflake coin.”

Zheng Dafeng slapped Wei Bo’s hand away, “You lost at chess earlier, we’re even.”

Zhu Lian laughed heartily, “Indeed, I knew it as soon as I tried to trick you.”

Wei Bo smiled, “Don’t believe him, this fellow knew from the start. Otherwise, we would have lost another round.”

Zheng Dafeng squinted, “Did I need you to say that?”

Zhu Lian wiped his mouth, “This trip was full of experiences. When we get back, have Wei Bo bring a few jars of good wine, and I’ll tell you all about it slowly.”

Zheng Dafeng perked up immediately, remembering something, he asked in a low voice, “How did it go?”

Zhu Lian patted the parcel.

Zheng Dafeng nodded, “We brothers are truly first-class scholars, learning until we grow old.”

Wei Bo rubbed his forehead.

Chen Pingan stood alone on the second floor of the bamboo building, knowing that Zhu Lian had arrived, but there was no need to deliberately greet him.

Piyun Mountain had previously received two letters from the Taihui Sword Sect, one from Qi Jinglong and one from Bai Shou. Qi Jinglong said in his letter that all one hundred Grain Rain coins were spent, buying an imitation sword from Hanjian Mountain, and two sets of precious armor carefully forged by the Sanlang Temple. The prices were not cheap, but these three items were definitely not bad, and were too valuable, so he would have the Pima Sect’s intercontinental ferry deliver them to Niujiao Mountain. The letter was concise, still Qi Jinglong’s consistent style. At the end of the letter, he threatened that if Chen Pingan succeeded in his three duels, and Xu Xingjiu from Cloud Ascent City came to visit with a bamboo box on his back, Chen Pingan would have to consider what to do.

Bai Shou’s letter was full of schadenfreude, saying that the surnamed Liu had been an eye-opener, and despite the imminent sword duel, he had still run to Hanjian Mountain and Sanlang Temple, causing several elders in the ancestral hall of the Taihui Sword Sect to almost tear off their beards in worry. At Hanjian Mountain, he had met the Fairy Lu from Shuijing Mountain, and no one knew what they had talked about. He wondered if the surnamed Liu was hypocritical and had been touchy-feely with the young lady, anyway, he had angered Fairy Lu so much that her eyes were red, shocking a large group of people. At Sanlang Temple, another red-faced confidante had popped up, seemingly a woman with quite a bit of influence in Sanlang Temple. She had followed them both from beginning to end, her eyes seemingly able to eat people. The surnamed Liu had picked two valuable treasures, negotiated the price, and then run away.

Chen Pingan walked back and forth along the corridor, slowly, repeating the motion.

Unexpectedly, before Zhu Lian arrived, Wei Bo came first.

He brought a secret letter sent by flying sword, recently received from Piyun Mountain, written by Zhou Fei, a Luopo Mountain devotee.

After Chen Pingan read the letter, he sighed. Was it really such a coincidence?

He walked to the first floor, took out a painting scroll, and dropped in a golden copper coin.

Sui Youbian walked out of the painting.

Chen Pingan asked, “What happened?”

Sui Youbian said calmly, “Failed to kill, and was killed instead, that’s all. From now on, I will continue to cultivate in the True Realm Sect of the Book Brief Lake.”

Even after being resurrected from death in the painting scroll, Sui Youbian still carried a strong murderous aura.

From this, it could be seen that she had quite a grudge with someone in the Yugui Sect of Tongye Continent. It was just unknown whether it was a fellow disciple on the mountain or an enemy made during a descent to gain experience.
Chen Ping’an didn’t pry and chuckled, “It so happens that the Ancestral Hall of Fallen Phoenix Mountain is about to have its ridge raising ceremony, followed by the formal hanging of portraits and offering of incense. Zhu Lian, Lu Baixiang, and Wei Xian are all on the mountain now.”

Sui Youbian nodded, looking around. “This is Fallen Phoenix Mountain?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Feel free to wander around on your own.”

Sui Youbian remained silent, walking out of the house and standing on the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance.

Chen Ping’an didn’t follow, simply sitting on the small bamboo chair.

Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng, who had been standing on the path, then came over to sit beside him.

Zheng Dafeng sighed, “I’m only now realizing how beautiful the scenery is here.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “You’ve worked hard.”

Zhu Lian shook his head. “Far less hard than you, young master.”

Zheng Dafeng muttered, “None of you are working hard, only *I’m* working hard.”

After the ridge raising ceremony of the Ancestral Hall on Jise Peak, guests began to arrive in Longquan County in succession.

On an auspicious day, Mountain Lord Chen Ping’an led the way in hanging portraits and offering incense.

This formal establishment of Fallen Phoenix Mountain as a sect was not ostentatious, and many who could have been invited were not. For example, the Fan and Sun families of Old Dragon City.

There were also those with keen senses who very much wanted to come but dared not disturb the mountain without invitation, such as the two Water Gods of the Yellow Court Kingdom.

And many friends who were not suited to appear in the public eye could only keep their regrets to themselves.

Therefore, those who came to observe and congratulate were all close at hand, such as Mountain Lord Wei Bo of the Northern Mountain, and the Deputy Mountain Lord of Linlu Academy on Piyi Mountain.

Sect Master Ruan Qiong of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, and his two direct disciples, the Golden Core cultivator Dong Gu, and the Dragon Gate realm swordsman Xu Xiaoqiao.

Liu Chongrun of the Ao Fish Back Pearl Hairpin Island.

These were the guests.

In addition, there were the people of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, this emerging mountain sect.

In the Ancestral Hall, three portraits were hung.

An old scholar, placed in the center position.

Qi Jingchun.

Cui Cheng.

On the incense tablets of the three portraits, only the names were written, without any other words.

Mountain Lord Chen Ping’an.

Eldest Disciple Pei Qian.

Student Cui Dongshan.

Student Cao Qinglang.

Zhu Lian, Lu Baixiang, Sui Youbian, Wei Xian.

Chen Lingjun, Chen Ruchu, Shi Rou.

Cen Yuanji, Yuanbao, Yuanlai.

Guardian Offering of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, Zhou Mili.

Formal Offering, Zheng Dafeng.

Zhong Qiu.

“Jade Purity Realm Wild Cultivator” Zhou Fei.

Registered Offerings, the blind Daoist Jia Sheng, Zhao Denggao, Tian Jiuer.

Du Wensi, Nascent Soul cultivator from the Pima Sect of the Northern Ju Lu Continent, direct disciple of the Ancestral Hall, Pang Lanxi.

The young Mountain Lord, standing alone at the very front, closest to the three portraits.

He was no longer the skinny boy with straw sandals and a charcoal-stained face.

Wearing a blue robe, with a jade hairpin in his hair, tall and slender, holding incense in both hands, his back facing the crowd.