The outline of that inverted mountain was already faintly visible.

Cao Qinglang, gazing into the distance, exclaimed in disbelief, “This is actually a Mountain-Character Seal?!”

Zhong Qiu sighed, “Foreign lands, magnificent landscapes, how plentiful they are.”

Pei Qian, perched on the railing beside Cui Dongshan, turned and whispered, “Those two tutors’ knowledge isn’t even as vast as mine. Look at me, would I find that inverted mountain strange? Not in the slightest. In the end, it’s the fault of only reading books and not walking the path. I’m different, constantly transcribing books, and I’ve followed my Shifu through countless mountains and rivers. Has Tutor Zhong even been to such a large Tongye Continent? Has he been to the Qingluan Kingdom of Baoping Continent? Besides, I transcribe books every day, and when it comes to transcribing books into mountains, apart from Sister Baoping, I dare call myself third, and no one would dare claim second!”

Cui Dongshan wore a puzzled expression, “Senior Apprentice Sister seemed to drool when she saw the inverted mountain just now, her mind set on moving it back to Luopo Mountain, so she can smack anyone who disagrees with her on the head with it in the future.”

Pei Qian was a little embarrassed, “Such a precious treasure, who wouldn’t be envious when they see it?”

“Regarding the matter of transcribing books, the old cook you look down upon for his lack of scholarship was actually quite formidable. In his early years, he was in charge of compiling history books for the imperial court. He gathered more than a dozen renowned scholars and over twenty energetic members of the Hanlin Academy, who wrote and transcribed day and night, ultimately producing millions of words. Zhu Lian’s small regular script was truly exquisite, beyond compare. Even the most prevalent calligraphy styles in the current vast world of Haoran are inferior to Zhu Lian’s early works. This compilation was arguably the most fascinating academic endeavor in the history of Lotus Root Paradise. Unfortunately, a certain Taoist priest found it unsightly, and with a flick of his little finger, a national disaster ignited, like lighting a ‘respect-words’ fire pit in some rural areas of the Haoran world, specifically for burning old papers and broken porcelain with writing on them. He burned seventy or eighty percent of it, and the scholars’ efforts, the learning on paper, were largely returned to heaven and earth.”

Cui Dongshan, utterly bored, casually recounted some simple old tales of small places, waving his sleeves up and down, “Seeing without remembering is like duckweed spinning, drifting with the waves. It’s better to see one and know one, see two and gain two, and upon seeing three, understand a thousand or a hundred. Proceeding step by step is the pillar in the torrent, stirring up ten thousand zhang of waves in the long river of time.”

Pei Qian glared, “White goose, which side are you on anyway? Why are you always siding with others? Do you want me to twist it for you? My martial arts are now greatly accomplished, probably possessing one-tenth of Shifu’s power. I don’t hold back, it could snap right off. Don’t go complaining to Shifu later.”

As for the old cook’s learning and calligraphy, forget about it.

Shifu only needs one hand and a few words to make the old cook admit defeat and focus on cooking in the kitchen.

Cui Dongshan reached out, “Lend me a yellow talisman to stick on my forehead, I need to calm my nerves. I’m terrified by Senior Apprentice Sister.”

Pei Qian frowned, “Don’t be silly. Shifu said, when out and about, don’t casually display your talismans and show off your wealth. Places crowded with cultivators easily arouse jealousy. Once they’re jealous, trouble follows. Even if you’re not at fault, attracting others’ mistakes, even if you’re innocent, fighting and arguing, you can’t ultimately claim ‘I’m blameless.’ As for places where mountain spirits and deities gather, it’s seen as a provocation. I’m not making this up. Back then, when Shifu and I were in the Tongye Continent, in the dark wilderness on a windy night, we encountered a mountain god’s wedding procession. I just glanced at it once, really just once, and all those spirits and demons glared at me. Guess what? When Shifu saw that I had suffered a great injustice, he immediately glared back. Those mountain and water spirits, who were originally arrogant, were struck as if by lightning, and then they all prostrated themselves, begging for mercy. Even the sedan chair carrying that beautiful bride, who was neither human nor ghost, was left untended, probably tossed about in a daze. After so many years, I still feel quite guilty about it.”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “Now that you’ve told the truth, tell a false version.”

Pei Qian said “Oh,” “A false one, huh? There is one. It’s that Shifu stood up and proactively apologized to an old woman leading the wedding procession, and also sincerely congratulated them. Afterwards, he lectured me, saying that things shouldn’t happen more than three times, and that since it had happened twice already, he wouldn’t be lenient with me if I made another mistake.”

Pei Qian rubbed her eyes, pretending to be sad, “Even if it’s a fake story, just thinking about it makes me sad and tearful.”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “Remember to keep the sleep in your eyes, don’t rub it away.”

Pei Qian threw a punch, stopping an inch from Cui Dongshan’s head. She retracted her fist, giggling, “Afraid?”

Cui Dongshan didn’t move at first, then rolled his eyes back, his whole body began to twitch, trembling incessantly, mumbling, “Such overbearing fist energy, I must have suffered severe internal injuries.”

Pei Qian pinched her fingers together and pointed, “Freeze!”

Cui Dongshan immediately stood motionless.

Pei Qian took a deep breath, he was just asking for a beating.

A moment later, Cui Dongshan said urgently, “Senior Apprentice Sister, quickly undo your magic!”

Pei Qian rested her chin in her hands, gazing into the distance, slowly and softly saying, “Don’t talk to me, you’re distracting me. I want to focus on thinking about Shifu.”

From then on, Cui Dongshan remained as steady as a rock, merely looking up at the inverted mountain, his heart’s desire not on Inverted Mountain, nor even in Haoran World or the even more distant Azure Abyss World, but in the outer heavens, those extraterrestrial demons whose origins no one except Ascension Realm cultivators could guess.

Not far away, Tutors Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang had grown accustomed to the antics of those two.

Occasionally, when Cao Qinglang encountered conundrums in his cultivation that Zhong Qiu couldn’t resolve, he would actively seek guidance from Cui Dongshan, his fellow disciple of the same generation. Each time, Cui Dongshan would simply address the issue at hand, and then dismiss him. Cao Qinglang would thank him and take his leave, every time the same.
Cao Qinglang was arguably among the earliest of promising cultivators to perceive the changes in the spiritual energy of the world, following Yu Zhenyi, who was wholeheartedly devoted to becoming an immortal in Lotus Blossom Blessed Land. Among this select group of jade-like cultivators, Cao Qinglang undoubtedly possessed talent, foundation, and opportunity in abundance. That’s why, during their second encounter, Cao Qinglang, already on the path of cultivation, confidently stated that even if Pei Qian had attacked him during their first reunion, she would not have succeeded. Later, at the dilapidated Mind Image Temple beside the alleyway, Cao Qinglang’s actions, repeatedly dissuading Pei Qian, were quite… ethereal.

Zhong Qiu took Cao Qinglang throughout the Lotus Blossom world. Apart from the ancestral hall portrait hanging and incense offering ceremony at Fallen Mountain, it was essentially their first time in Great Azure World. They had truly left that small world, where banished immortals often descended to experience mortality, and arrived in Great Azure World, the great world that was the hometown of many banished immortals. Indeed, it housed the Three Teachings and the Hundred Schools of Thought contended, with a vast ocean of sagely texts. Fortunately, Wei Bo, the Great Mountain Monarch of the Northern Peak, proactively lent Zhong Qiu a spatial artifact at Ox Horn Mountain Ferry. Otherwise, merely selecting and buying books in Old Dragon City would have been enough to leave Zhong Qiu in a state of overwhelmed embarrassment.

Back in the capital city of Southern Garden Kingdom, as Zhong Qiu prepared to depart from Lotus Blossom Blessed Land, he spoke earnestly to Cao Qinglang: “The higher the sky and the wider the earth, the more one should remember the four words: ‘always have a destination.'”

The reason he insisted on traveling throughout the blessed land before leaving their home was not only because Zhong Qiu, who had been confined to the capital city of Southern Garden Kingdom for most of his life, yearned to experience the customs and cultures of the four countries firsthand, but also because he and Cao Qinglang had jointly created hundreds of survey maps along the way. Zhong Qiu plainly stated to Cao Qinglang that this world would undergo unprecedented, earth-shattering changes. There would be endless numbers of cultivators entering the mountains to seek immortals and ascending to seek the truth. There would also be numerous mountain spirits, water deities, and temples erected, as well as many escaped monsters and ghosts wreaking havoc on the world.

“Your teacher, Chen Ping’an, cannot spend too much time and energy focusing on this territory. He needs someone to share his burdens, offer suggestions, and even more so, someone willing to speak a few words of unwelcome truth.” Then Zhong Qiu asked Cao Qinglang if he would be willing and daring to speak such words when that day came.

The youth smiled and nodded, “Willing, and daring.”

Zhong Qiu further inquired, “If you and your teacher disagree, each with your own reasons, what should be done?”

The youth replied again, “Do not argue for the sake of arguing. One should learn from each other’s words, taking the good and discarding the bad, improving each other. Perhaps then, in Lotus Blossom Blessed Land, a great path of freedom for all living beings can appear.”

Zhong Qiu finally asked, “But what if your respective great paths are destined to be mere arguments, without resolution, and one must be chosen and the other discarded, what then?”

Cao Qinglang finally answered, “Walk and see, think and act.”

Zhong Qiu was gratified and no longer questioned his heart.

Now, Master Zhong’s greater concerns were about how to study and teach after they left Lotus Blossom Blessed Land and Fallen Mountain, as for the matter of cultivation, Zhong Qiu would not interfere too much with Cao Qinglang. Cultivation, attaining enlightenment, and achieving longevity were not his strengths, so he would try not to make excessive comments.

In truth, Cao Qinglang was indeed a student worthy of trust, but Zhong Qiu himself had never experienced the scenery of that world, and coupled with his high expectations for Cao Qinglang, he inevitably had to say some serious words.

The landscapes of the two worlds, large and small, were different, but the principles were the same. All explorations and searches on the path of life, whether it be the immensely important matter of settling down and establishing oneself, or the slightly narrower strategy of academic pursuit, would have their own difficulties. Zhong Qiu did not believe that his own knowledge, especially his martial arts prowess, could protect or teach Cao Qinglang too much in Great Azure World. As a native of Lotus Blossom Blessed Land, apart from Ding Ying, he and his former close friend Yu Zhenyi were among the few who could steadily climb from the bottom of the well to the wellhead through their own paths, truly comprehending the vastness of the heavens and the earth, and imagining the height of the Dao.

When the ferry arrived at Upside Down Mountain, Cui Dongshan directly led the three of them to the inn at Spirit Mushroom Hall. He unwillingly selected the four most expensive rooms, asking if there were any more expensive or better ones, which left the female cultivator of Spirit Mushroom Hall both amused and exasperated. There were indeed many wealthy patrons in Upside Down Mountain who were not short of immortal money, but few were as blunt as this. So the female cultivator said there were none. She was probably unable to bear the white-clad youth’s nitpicking gaze. To be so full of idle chatter in Upside Down Mountain, did he really think he was someone important? The Golden Core female cultivator in charge of the inn’s daily affairs smiled and retorted that the only places better than their inn in Upside Down Mountain were the private residences of Ape Playground, Spring Pennant Lodge, Plum Blossom Garden, and Water Crystal Palace.

The youth clapped his palm and declared, “You should have said so sooner!” He directly left the Spirit Mushroom Hall inn with the other three. Pei Qian was completely bewildered, following the big white goose out of the inn’s gate. She had actually been quite satisfied with the inn, as everything she saw, from the hangings on the walls to the carpets on the floor, and even the woman’s attire, seemed to be valuable items. So she softly asked, “Do you know those four private residences?” Cui Dongshan smiled and said, “Not exactly fully acquainted, but I’ve dealt with Liu, the God of Wealth from Ape Playground, and the owner of Plum Blossom Garden in the past. We’ve shared drinks and laughter, promising eternal friendship, while secretly wishing for their early demise. I, Cui Dongshan, have many such good friends in Great Azure World.”

Pei Qian was even more puzzled, “Then how are we going to freeload?” In the end, Cui Dongshan led the three of them into a small alleyway and settled down at Stork Inn!

Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang naturally didn’t care about these things.

Pei Qian was initially a little sulky, but Cui Dongshan sat in her room, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, “Isn’t a student’s money a teacher’s money? And a teacher’s money is your master’s money, right? As a disciple, shouldn’t you save a little?”

Pei Qian’s eyes immediately lit up. The logic was flawlessly intertwined and made perfect sense!

She immediately shouted and brandished her Mountain Walking Staff, happily performing a set of Mad Demon Swordplay in the room.

Afterward, Cui Dongshan surreptitiously left Stork Inn.

Pei Qian was too lazy to care about him. If the big white goose was bullied outside, it would cry and complain to Senior Sister, which would be useless.

Because she was an emotionless assassin.
As the midnight hour approached, Cui Dongshan furtively returned to the inn. Standing in the corridor outside Pei Qian’s door, he noticed she was still practicing footwork within the room.

Pei Qian moved slowly, half-awake, half-asleep. The dust motes and moonlight, invisible to the naked eye, seemed to warp and distort under the pressure of her martial intent.

Suddenly, the window by the sill flung open, and a pale, spectral figure descended, a hanging ghost with lolling tongue and contorted face.

Still somewhat dazed, Pei Qian reacted instinctively, with the speed of lightning. She slapped a talisman onto her forehead, stepped forward, and seized the mountain-walking staff leaning against the table. Using the staff as a sword, she thrust it forward, striking the hanging ghost between the brows. With a resounding thud, the white-clad specter was repelled. Pei Qian tapped her toes, released the staff, and leaped out the window. Adopting a fighting stance, she prepared to unleash her fists, intending to clear a path with the “Iron Cavalry Charge” and decide the battle with the “Divine Drummer’s Beat”. Victory or defeat, life or death, depended on how long she could endure, not on her opponent. For as Grandpa Cui had said, when a martial artist throws a punch, there must be no one standing before him.

The entire sequence was executed flawlessly, with a fluid grace, perhaps even without conscious thought, making it all the more pure.

But then she saw the yawning white goose. Cui Dongshan looked around, “What are you doing, Senior Sister? Up in the middle of the night, admiring the scenery?”

Pei Qian huffed, “Playing tricks in the dead of night! Who would be to blame if I accidentally killed you with a punch?”

Cui Dongshan chuckled, “Is it truly good to strike so swiftly, faster than a martial artist’s thought? Who, then, is truly delivering the blow?”

Pei Qian paused, confused, “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes, “I’m going to tell the Old Master! I’ll say you hit me.”

Pei Qian retorted, “You’re the one who scared me first!”

Finally, they reconciled and sat together on the courtyard wall, gazing at the full moon of the Vast Expanse.

Cui Dongshan smiled. He’d heard that things were quite interesting at the Great Wall of Sword Qi these days. Some dared to say that the Confucian Temple’s lineage now boasted a Chen Ping’an besides Zuo You. The Confucian Temple’s lineage, Confucian or not, what of the even more pitiful literary tradition, was there even incense offering left?

Cui Dongshan chuckled and said to Pei Qian, “We’ll take a tour of Upside-Down Mountain tomorrow, and the day after, we’ll go to the Great Wall of Sword Qi. You’ll finally get to see Master.”

Pei Qian said, “What’s there to see at Upside-Down Mountain? Let’s go to the Great Wall of Sword Qi tomorrow.”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “Upside-Down Mountain has so many good things. Shouldn’t we buy some gifts?”

Pei Qian thought that made sense. She carefully took out the money pouch given by Aunt Gui of Old Dragon City from her sleeve and began to count her money.

Cui Dongshan clasped his hands behind his head and laughed, “I have money. You don’t need to take yours out.”

Pei Qian didn’t miss a single copper coin or fragment of silver, meticulously counting them all. After all, she didn’t have many immortal coins in her current savings, which was a pity. She didn’t have many companion coins. So every time she counted her money, she would gently touch them and whisper to them. Hearing Cui Dongshan’s words, she didn’t even look up, shaking her head and muttering, “It’s to buy gifts for Master! I don’t want your immortal coins.”

Cui Dongshan teased, “You’ve spent so much time with these little copper coins and silver scraps and immortal coins. Can you bear to let them leave your little pouch home? Once they separate, you might never see them again in this life. Aren’t you sad? Aren’t you heartbroken?”

Pei Qian picked up a snowflake coin that she had secretly named, raised it high, and gently shook it a few times, saying, “What can I do? If these little fellows want to leave, then let them go. Anyway, I’ll miss them. I have written down each of their names in my little ledger. Even if they leave, I can still find them students and disciples. My pouch is a tiny ancestral hall! You didn’t know that, did you? I only told Master about it before. I didn’t even tell Nuan Shu or Mi Li. Master praised me at the time, saying I was very thoughtful. You wouldn’t know. So, of course, Master is the most important. I can’t lose Master.”

Pei Qian put the snowflake coin away, returned the pouch to her sleeve, and swung her feet. “So I thank the Heavens for giving me a Master.”

Pei Qian thought for a moment, “But if the Heavens dare to take Master back…”

Saying this, Pei Qian imitated Mi Li, opening her mouth wide and roaring, “I’m very fierce!”