After Ning Yao took her seat, Liu E hurriedly brought over a pot of the finest Azure Peak Divine Brew. The young girl placed the wine pot and bowl down before leaving, not forgetting to add a wine bowl for the somewhat temperamental young man. The girl didn’t dare linger. As for whether the wine was paid for or not, whether the shop would lose money, neither Liu E nor Tao Ban, who was usually meticulous about the shop’s business, dared to speak. The young man, the girl, and Tao Ban hid together inside the shop. Earlier, the second shopkeeper’s conversation with the outsider was in a foreign accent that no one understood, but everyone could tell that the second shopkeeper was acting strangely today.

Then, when Ning Yao sat down, the three of them could no longer hear their conversation.

Ning Yao poured a bowl of wine and said directly, “The Old Sword Immortal did say that no one is indispensable, but he also didn’t say that anyone must die. Even I don’t think I necessarily have to die here to be worthy of the Ning family and the Great Wall of Sword Qi, so it’s definitely not your turn, Chen Ping’an. Chen Ping’an, I like you, not some future Grand Sword Immortal Chen Ping’an. It’s best if you can become a sword cultivator, but if you can’t, it doesn’t matter at all. Then just be a pure martial artist. And that ambition, if you want to be a scholar, then be a scholar.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Understood.”

Liu Xianyang shook his head, lowering his voice as if talking to himself, “He doesn’t understand at all.”

Ning Yao frowned and glanced towards the Great Wall of Sword Qi, “It’s just that the Old Sword Immortal didn’t allow me to say much before, saying he would keep an eye on you and intentionally make you think more, otherwise this journey would be wasted. Finding life in death and living by your own means is the best way to temper your Dao heart and nurture a sword embryo. Otherwise, if others give to you, help you, even just a hand or a few words of guidance, it would be less meaningful.”

Liu Xianyang still shook his head, “Unsatisfactory, not satisfactory at all. I knew it would be like this. Everyone seems to have no demands, but it’s precisely these people around you who like to demand the most from my little Ping’an.”

Ning Yao ignored Liu Xianyang and continued, “Don’t think you’re an exception to have this treatment, and don’t feel burdened. The Old Sword Immortal has looked after countless young sword cultivators over the past ten thousand years. Some speak of it, but most don’t mention it, and the sword cultivators themselves are unaware. Actually, at first I didn’t think there was any point in this and didn’t agree with the Old Sword Immortal, but the Old Sword Immortal persuaded me again, saying he wanted to see your heart again, whether it was worth him returning that locust wood sword box.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I thought the Old Sword Immortal had forgotten about this, just like a marriage proposal.”

Liu Xianyang stretched out a finger and gently spun the white bowl on the table, muttering, “Anyway, his swordsmanship is so high, if he’s going to give something to a junior, he should give more. It should at least match his status and swordsmanship.”

Under the table, Chen Ping’an stomped hard on Liu Xianyang’s foot.

Liu Xianyang stretched out two fingers, joined together as if forming a sword gesture, and held them in front of him, “Doesn’t hurt, doesn’t hurt, turtle hiding in its shell!”

Ning Yao didn’t really like talking about these things. Many thoughts flashed through her mind and were gone, just like washing and refining a sword. The unnecessary things didn’t exist, and the necessary things had naturally connected to the next thought, eventually becoming something that needed to be done, and ultimately manifesting in her swordsmanship, sword intent, and sword dao. That was all, and she didn’t really need to verbalize it.

But today was an exception.

Ning Yao thought for a moment and said, “The Old Sword Immortal doesn’t have many worries now, how could he forget these things? The Old Sword Immortal once told me personally that he fears nothing, only owing debts.”

Ning Yao added, “With fewer worries, his thoughts can be grander. This is the state of mind a sword cultivator should have. A sword cultivator’s strike should be a direct path, the sword light bright. But I’m also worried that I’ve always thought too little, while you think too much, but you rarely make mistakes. I’m worried that what I say won’t be suitable for you, so I’ve been holding back. Today Liu Xianyang has made things clear to you, fair words, selfish words, words of conscience, all have been said, so I feel that I can tell you these things. I won’t worry about the Old Sword Immortal’s instructions.”

Ning Yao finally said, “Anyway, that’s my point of view. Regardless of whether the Great Wall of Sword Qi can be defended, we must all live together, none of us can die! In the future, whether you use a sword or a fist, there will only be more, because neither of us is the kind of person who forgets easily. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone, not even to the Old Sword Immortal and Zuo You, I just need to know. So what are you feeling guilty about? In the future, if anyone dares to bring this up, you like to reason, but I’ve never liked to. If I hear it, I’ll challenge them to a sword duel.”

Chen Ping’an smiled brightly and said, “I really understand this time!”

Liu Xianyang slapped the table, “Sister-in-law, that’s a great speech! As expected of Ning Yao, who can say ‘The Great Dao moves on its own, the sword light shines brightly’! I knew you’d be my sister-in-law the moment I saw you!”

“Liu Xianyang, this bowl of wine is to you! It’s a little late, but better than never.”

Ning Yao drank the wine in her bowl in one gulp, put away the wine pot and bowl in her miniature world, stood up, and said to Chen Ping’an, “You stay here with Liu Xianyang to continue drinking, heal your injuries, and then go to the city wall to kill demons.”

Liu Xianyang and Chen Ping’an stood up together, smiling and saying, “I feel much more at ease now that my sister-in-law has said that. It’s all my fault for leaving my hometown too early, otherwise it would be hard to say who should call who sister-in-law or sister.”

Chen Ping’an elbowed Liu Xianyang in the chest.

Ning Yao asked with a smile, “How is that woman in Mud Bottle Lane who likes to squint and say strange things?”

Liu Xianyang grimaced and rubbed his chest, his face bitter, “Don’t expose people’s shortcomings, don’t scratch people’s faces, that’s the first principle of our hometown’s marketplace.”

Ning Yao departed on her sword, her sword qi like a rainbow.

Liu Xianyang clicked his tongue in wonder and said, “That hesitant Chen Ping’an found such a decisive wife, what a strange thing.”

Chen Ping’an withdrew his gaze, sat down, didn’t drink, and clasped his hands in his sleeves, asking, “What is the learning style of the Pure Scholar Chen clan?”

Regarding the Pure Scholar Chen clan, besides the old almanac of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven and Chen Chun’an, who was famous throughout the Southern Suo Po Continent, the only Chen clan descendants he had truly come into contact with were the young woman named Chen Dui. Back then, Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao had gone into the mountains with Chen Dui, Chen Songfeng (the direct grandson of the Dragon Tail Creek Chen clan), and Liu Baqiao (a sword cultivator from Wind and Thunder Garden) to find the *kailu* tree at the tomb, which was of great significance to scholarly families.
Chen Ping’an’s impression of that out-of-town girl back then wasn’t particularly good or bad.

Liu Xianyang didn’t care for wine, so he ordered a bowl of plain noodles and a small dish of pickles. He mixed them together, placed one foot on the long bench, and finished the noodles in a few bites. Then he stared blankly at the empty bowl. After a moment, he turned his head and asked, “Do these plain noodles cost money?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “We don’t charge for anything except alcohol.”

Liu Xianyang nodded, “I thought so. If you did business like this, you’d have been killed long ago.”

Liu Xianyang recalled Chen Ping’an’s earlier question and said, “Studying over there is very peaceful. As soon as I arrived, I received several generous gifts, like the ‘Turning Book Wind’ and ‘Inkfish’ items; I sent them all back to you and Little Snivel. There were no tribulations to speak of at the Refined Confucian Chen Clan. I just listened to the masters and teachers impart their knowledge and resolve doubts every day. Occasionally, I would go on scholarly excursions, and everything went smoothly. I often went to a large stone cliff by the river to enjoy the scenery. There was nothing like our hometown there. Only that stone cliff by the water was a bit like Oxback Ridge, where the three of us used to play. Even if I wanted to complain to you and act pathetic, I didn’t have the chance. Compared to you, it seems my luck is better. Hopefully, it’ll stay that way.”

Chen Ping’an sighed in relief.

Liu Xianyang laughed, “Even if I had some minor grievances like a young wife, would I need you to stand up for me? Be honest with yourself, who’s been taking care of whom since we became friends?”

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl and laughed, “You were almost beaten to death by that old beast from the Zhengyang Mountain. Didn’t I get a little revenge for you later?”

Talking to Liu Xianyang, there was no need to worry about face. When it came to shamelessness, Chen Ping’an felt he only had half of Liu Xianyang’s skill.

Liu Xianyang still had one foot on the long bench, tapping the table with his chopsticks, pretending to be profound. “You don’t understand, that was all calculated by me. If not for that self-inflicted hardship, would a little mud-legged kid from Mud Bottle Lane, who wasn’t even half as handsome as me and was just a skinny bamboo pole and a charcoal stick, have had the chance to get close to Ning Yao? Tell me yourself, who’s the biggest matchmaker for you two?”

Chen Ping’an chuckled.

Liu Xianyang was somewhat melancholic, “I never thought the first time I truly drank, besides our hometown’s glutinous rice wine, wouldn’t be a wedding toast with my future wife. I’m being a loyal enough brother. I wonder if my wife has even been born yet, and if she’s getting impatient waiting for me.”

Chen Ping’an drank his wine, knowing that Liu Xianyang hadn’t drunk any wine since leaving home, so it was probably true.

“Within the Refined Confucian Chen Clan, most people are good, but the petty flaws that young people have are unavoidable.”

Liu Xianyang smiled, “I’ve also made some friends there. For example, one of them, Chen Shi, the younger brother of Chen Dui’s wife, is here at the Great Wall of Sword Qi this time. He’s a good person, now a Confucian sage, so he’s naturally full of scholarly airs, and since he’s a member of the Chen Clan, he naturally has some young master airs. Moreover, he possesses the aura of an immortal. Sometimes he displays one of these temperaments, sometimes two, and rarely, all three flare up together, and there’s no stopping him.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “What’s your current cultivation level?”

He couldn’t discern the depth, but he knew Liu Xianyang should be a middle-fifth realm Qi cultivator.

Liu Xianyang waved his hand, “Don’t ask. Otherwise, you’ll be so ashamed you’ll cry.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “Whatever news about me that reached Chunfan Studio certainly wasn’t about running a shop. You’ve heard about the fights, haven’t you?”

Liu Xianyang asked, “Are you a sword cultivator now?”

Chen Ping’an had to shake his head.

Liu Xianyang asked again, “What realm are you in Qi cultivation?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t want to speak.

Liu Xianyang pointed to the ground, “Then hurry up and kneel down to talk to Master Liu!”

Chen Ping’an said unhappily, “I’m at least a seventh-realm martial artist.”

Liu Xianyang looked astonished, “You have the nerve to say that after hitting a girl?”

Chen Ping’an asked curiously, “Are you a middle-fifth realm sword cultivator?”

Liu Xianyang stretched out his hands, tugged at his collar, shook his sleeves, and coughed a few times.

Chen Ping’an had already changed the subject, “Besides your friend, who else from the Refined Confucian Chen Clan came this time?”

Liu Xianyang laughed, “Why do you care about that?”

Chen Ping’an also shook his sleeves and joked, “I’m a direct disciple of the Literary Saint, and the head of the Yingyin Chen Clan is a direct descendant of the Second Sage’s lineage. You’re studying at the Refined Confucian Chen Clan. According to the literary lineage and orthodoxy of the Vast World, how should we calculate our seniority?”

Liu Xianyang laughed, “What a coincidence, the Chen Clan head is also here at the Great Wall of Sword Qi this time. I happen to know him and often ask the elder for guidance on matters of scholarship. As for how our seniority should be calculated, I’ll ask this senior first before I say anything.”
Chen Pingan suppressed his smile, feigning an awkward expression. As he lowered his head to drink, he used sound transmission to quietly tell Liu Xianyang, “Don’t rush back to Baoping Continent. Stay in Nanposuo Continent if you have to, just don’t go to Baoping Continent, especially not Tongye Continent or Fuyao Continent. The old scores with Zhengyang Mountain and Qingfeng City can wait a few years, until you become a Sword Immortal. Not an Upper Five Realms Sword Immortal, how can you break through Zhengyang Mountain’s protective mountain formation? I’ve calculated that even if you and I possess the battle strength of Jade Pure Realm sword cultivators, without some strategy and tactics, it will be difficult to gain an advantage at Zhengyang Mountain. Their sword formation is not to be underestimated. Now, there’s also a deeply hidden Nascent Soul sword cultivator who has been in seclusion for nine years. All indications suggest that the chances of him successfully breaking through are high. Otherwise, if fortunes were to alternate, with the death of Li Tuanjing, the former Master of Fenglei Garden, Zhengyang Mountain would have finally had the chance to raise their heads. Given the temperament of most of the ancestors in Zhengyang Mountain’s ancestral hall, they would have already retaliated against Fenglei Garden and would never have tolerated Huang He’s seclusion and Liu Baqiao’s breakthrough growth. Fenglei Garden is not Zhengyang Mountain. The latter has close ties with the Dali Dynasty. In terms of connections down the mountain, Huang He and Liu Baqiao inherited their master Li Tuanjing’s way of conducting himself in the world, only traversing the pugilistic world and never meddling in the affairs of the imperial court. Therefore, when it comes to their affinity with the Dali Song clan, Fenglei Garden is far inferior to Zhengyang Mountain. Although Master Ruan is the chief court enchanter of Dali, Dali will respect and win him over both publicly and privately. That’s why they later allocated a large tract of land in the old mountain and river area to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect. However, with the temperament of an emperor, how could the young emperor tolerate the Dragon Spring Sword Sect gradually growing stronger, ultimately becoming dominant? He would, at most, use Guanhubookstore as the boundary, creating a confrontational situation between the Dragon Spring Sword Sect in the south and Zhengyang Mountain in the north. Therefore, as long as Zhengyang Mountain has the opportunity to produce an Upper Five Realms sword cultivator, Dali will spare no effort to help them, along with the strange and extraordinary individuals of Dali, in order to suppress the fortune of the Zhuying Dynasty and, in turn, restrain the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.”

“Even though Zhengyang Mountain is the kind of sect that has a feud with you and me, it cannot be denied that whether they are people or mountain immortals, Zhengyang Mountain cultivators are extremely skilled. Putting aside the grudges and entanglements within, just looking at the result, they were ultimately able to trap Li Tuanjing with affection, causing him to fail to reach the Upper Five Realms in his lifetime. In this, the Zhengyang Mountain Ancestral Hall must have said many harsh words to that woman. What could wound Li Tuanjing’s sword heart and Dao heart was definitely not simply that the woman’s character was flawed, betraying deep affection. Li Tuanjing’s vision and breadth of mind would never have allowed him to become so dejected because of that. So, it is very likely that Zhengyang Mountain made Li Tuanjing discover a truth: that the woman was deeply infatuated with Li Tuanjing, without any pretense; that she was extremely devoted, and then that woman ultimately chose her sect, or did something that Li Tuanjing could not accept and could not forgive. Only then would Li Tuanjing, even after her death, still be unable to quell his resentment for hundreds of years. The family style of a family, the sect style of a sect, can be seen by looking at the choices made by important figures in several major events, then looking at the temperament of the juniors they teach and guide, and finally looking at the interest choices habits of the people at the bottom. If you look at the high, middle, and low levels, it’s hard to go wrong. Back then, that woman from the Xu clan in Qingfeng City, and the Zhengyang Mountain moving-mountain ape were both allies, but they also had mutual calculations. What is their relationship now? Aren’t they still stable allies? In the end, it’s still because they share the same inclinations and temperament. Selfish people often have more superficial friends. As long as your sword doesn’t harm their essence and foundation, Zhengyang Mountain’s superficial friends will still be their friends, and even make many cultivators who originally had a general impression of Zhengyang Mountain become their friends, even willing to speak up for them.”

“Furthermore, consider the little girl surnamed Tao and the son of the Xu clan head in Qingfeng City. What are their temperaments now? If you’re willing to listen, I can tell you a dozen small things right now. It’s the influence of family style, not surprising at all. The current Zhengyang Mountain is no longer the Zhengyang Mountain when Li Tuanjing was alive, nor is it merely the Zhengyang Mountain that was no longer suppressed by anyone after Li Tuanjing disintegrated. Now, it’s an even bigger situation where one continent is like one country. You and I need to consider how to sever the Dali Song clan’s affinity with Zhengyang Mountain, how to cut off Zhengyang Mountain from its many allies, and how, before questioning the sword, we should straighten out the interest entanglements of the three major factions within Zhengyang Mountain, see clearly the nature and character of all the ancestors in the ancestral hall, and deduce the ultimate means of Zhengyang Mountain when a great enemy approaches. Think about all of this first, and then when you draw your sword, you can strike with the same sword, but make the enemy suffer a hundred times more. After drawing your sword, it’s not just hurting their physique, but also hurting their hearts. The difference between the two is worlds apart. Cultivators heal, secluding themselves only. This might even cause Zhengyang Mountain to share a common hatred and help them gather people’s hearts and morale. But if the sword strikes accurately, in addition to hurting one or several people, it can also affect a large group of people’s hearts. At that time, even if you and I have already drawn our swords happily and sheathed them with satisfaction, Zhengyang Mountain will naturally continue to worry about it for ten or a hundred years. There will be ten or a hundred people who will continue to draw their swords for you and me, with every sword wounding people’s hearts.”

Liu Xianyang smiled, looking at Chen Pingan, who had unknowingly transformed from a near-mute to a near-rambler. Liu Xianyang suddenly said some inexplicable words, “As long as you yourself are willing to live, and no longer feel that death is not a big deal, like when I first met you, then your coming out of the Lishublessed Abode is the best thing. Because you are actually more suited than anyone to living in a chaotic world. In that case, I can really rest assured.”

Chen Pingan became somewhat anxious and angrily said, “Did you actually listen to me or not?!”

Liu Xianyang smiled and nodded, “I listened, I’m not deaf.”

Chen Pingan took a mouthful of wine in silence.

Liu Xianyang jokingly asked, “Have you been pondering this all these years?”

Chen Pingan said grumpily, “I haven’t been idle in practicing boxing and cultivation. Then, whenever I’m free, I ponder this.”

Liu Xianyang pointed at the wine bowl, “You’ve said so much, you must be thirsty.”

Chen Pingan just folded his hands in his sleeves. Unknowingly, he lost the desire to drink.

Liu Xianyang smiled and said, “Do you really understand why Zhengyang Mountain and Qingfeng City are like this?”

Chen Pingan asked in confusion, “What do you mean?”

Liu Xianyang asked back, “Why harm others for oneself? Or disadvantage others? Or is temporary, local altruism just a clever disguise for long-term self-interest?”

Liu Xianyang also asked, “And why are some people both self-interested and altruistic, willing to benefit others?”
Liu Xianyang, in a manner of self-questioning and answering, mused, “Because they are two fundamentally different kinds of people. One rejects the world, while the other embraces it. The former pursues fame and fortune, seeking tangible benefits, utterly pragmatic. Even if these pursuits seem lofty to commoners, they are still rooted in earthly desires, a kind of innate human inclination. Yet, because it’s grounded, it is sturdy and reliable. The latter is willing to benefit others while benefiting oneself, embracing the intangible, yet with aspirations that soar high. Towards the world, they possess a heart of affinity cultivated after birth, willing to sacrifice material possessions and gains, accepting losses in the physical realm to achieve inner peace, and a deeper sense of belonging. Precisely because it’s lofty and intangible, it is most prone to disillusionment. When the real and the unreal clash, it’s often the former that suffers most. Ultimately, it’s because the former firmly believes the world is not good, and cannot prosper otherwise, while the latter believes the world can be better. So the answer is simple: the Qi Refinement cultivators of Zheng Yang Mountain and Qingfeng City, while seemingly pursuing the Dao, are not seeking the Great Dao, but merely gains, tangible things elevated slightly above those sought by emperors, generals, merchants, and peddlers. Each layer of advancement in the Qi Refinement realm, each piece of heavenly treasure, can be materialized into how many immortal coins, and each person around them has a price tag in their hearts.”

Finally, Liu Xianyang stated, “I dare say, after you left the Hidden Brook Grotto-Heaven, you must have felt considerable confusion and self-doubt about the scholars and cultivators outside, ultimately developing a degree of aversion towards both the labels of ‘scholar’ and ‘cultivator’.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Indeed.”

Liu Xianyang’s words were immensely beneficial to Chen Ping’an.

Truly befitting a scholar who has studied for many years at the side of the esteemed Confucian Chen Clan.

Liu Xianyang raised his bowl, took a sip of wine, and set it down, unable to help complaining, “No, no, I can’t keep it up anymore!”

Chen Ping’an was bewildered.

Liu Xianyang continued, speaking in his heart, “These words, someone asked me to relay to you. Where would I have thought of these things myself? That person said that after you heard them, your mind would be lighter, you would have more hope for the world, and you would understand both kinds of people better. As for who that person is, Old Master Chen didn’t say, nor did he allow me to tell you about this. He told me to treat it as my own scholarly insight and tell it to you. I reckon that the one who thinks so highly of you and can have Old Master Chen help relay messages is probably only the Sage of Culture. This old gentleman is also a fascinating character. Once, while traveling to the Confucian Chen Clan, he secretly met me, pretending to be a stranger visiting the Chen Clan ancestral hall, and then dragged me to chat on the rocky cliffs by the river for over an hour. Calling it a chat, it was actually just him rambling on and on. Besides some trivial pleasantries, he sat there scolding Old Master Chen’s scholarship as insufficiently high and the teachings of the Sub-Sage lineage as insufficiently profound for the better part of an hour, spitting everywhere, with tremendous enthusiasm. He even advised me to switch my allegiance and seek learning from the Rite Sage lineage, almost provoking me to punch him!”

Speaking of this, Liu Xianyang raised one hand and then gently pressed it down with the other, laughing, “That time, I had a very congenial conversation with the Sage of Culture! Seeing me raise my hand, the old gentleman smiled and pressed down my hand, saying, ‘Don’t do that, let’s talk nicely, we’re all scholars, give me some face.'”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his forehead.

His teacher would certainly do something like that.

Presumably, back then when the sword cultivators from the Northern Entirely Continent crossed continents to challenge the sword on the Aihai Continent, his teacher also used reason to convince people.

Fortunately, within the Culture Sage lineage, the eldest brother, Zuo You, Qi Xian, and even the Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan, were not like this.

Chen Ping’an naturally thought of his student, Cui Dongshan.

This time, Chen Chunan personally came to the Great Wall of Sword Qi for his study tour at the Confucian Chen Clan.

Chen Ping’an believed that Cui Dongshan must have done something.

However, there was no need to say much about this to Liu Xianyang.

Just being able to meet Liu Xianyang in a foreign land was already the happiest thing.

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl, “Shall we have one?”

Liu Xianyang shook his head, “I’m not drinking anymore.”

He looked up at the sky, “We scholars are all staying at the residence of Sword Immortal Sun Juyuan. I have to hurry back. I rushed to the Ning Residence to find you after putting down my things. I only saw a kind-faced old nanny, who said you were probably drinking here. Ning Yao must have been found by that old nanny.”

Liu Xianyang stood up and laughed, “But I should go to the Ning Residence often in the future, and drag you here for drinks, because including Chen Shi, none of my friends believe I know you. They say I’m bragging without drafting, which makes me angry. I just don’t understand, how has knowing Chen Ping’an become such a remarkable thing? Isn’t it Chen Ping’an knowing Liu Xianyang that is the luckiest thing in the world?”

Chen Ping’an stood up and laughed, “When the time comes, as long as you help my liquor store with business, I’ll squat down and drink with you, no problem.”

One was going to Sword Immortal Sun’s residence, and the other was going to the Ning Residence, so they were going in the same direction. The two left the liquor store together. Before leaving, Liu Xianyang didn’t forget to pick up the shards of the wine bowls on the ground, muttering, “Peace in pieces.”

Then, walking on that deserted street, Liu Xianyang reached out and wrapped his arm around Chen Ping’an’s neck, tightening it hard, and laughed, “Next time you arrive at the foot of Zheng Yang Mountain, you kid better open your eyes wide, then you’ll know how awesome Liu Da’s swordsmanship is.”

The children’s Taoban and the young men and women looked over there.

It seemed that today’s second shopkeeper was being bullied without any ability to fight back, but he was quite happy.

Inverted Peak.

Sword Immortal Shao Yunyan, who came from the Northern Entirely Continent, stood in a garden, and the gourd vine was actually no longer there.
Because Lu Sui of Shui Jing Mountain and Liu Jinglong of the Taiwei Sword Sect came to bid farewell after returning from the Great Wall of Swords, Shao Yunyan gifted this treasure of heaven and earth to Lu Sui. She even specifically called upon the young Sword Immortal Liu Jinglong to have Lu Sui transport the gourd vine, laden with soon-to-be-ripe gourds, each a nascent Sword Nurturing Gourd, beyond Shui Jing Mountain. Shao Yunyan also instructed Lu Sui on the intended recipients of each Sword Nurturing Gourd and requested Liu Jinglong’s assistance in escorting her.

Naturally, Lu Sui refused. Even though Shao Yunyan and her Dao-teaching master were not immortal partners, their bond was as strong. Yet, they belonged to different sects, and Lu Sui was merely a junior. How could she dare accept such a treasure? However, Shao Yunyan insisted, brooking no refusal. Lu Sui had no choice but to agree, albeit with trepidation. Had Liu Jinglong not been present, Lu Sui doubted she would have returned alive to the Northern Ju Continent. Such celestial treasures were deeply entwined with destiny and fate, profoundly mysterious. Even as one of the ten most promising young cultivators of the Northern Ju Continent, Lu Sui felt she could not “bear” such a karmic burden.

In the end, Shao Yunyan smiled at Lu Sui and said, “Help me convey a message to your master: I have thought of her constantly these past years.”

Today, Shao Yunyan, breaking with habit, left her abode and strolled through the various scenic spots of Upside-Down Mountain.

Several of her direct disciples had already stealthily departed Upside-Down Mountain, carrying with them the remaining treasures and family fortunes of Chunfan Abode.

One of them, perhaps feeling like a bird freed from its cage, even attempted to collude with outsiders to hunt down Lu Sui and Liu Jinglong.

Shao Yunyan paid it no heed, allowing the insatiable disciple’s murderous intent to run rampant. Whether she believed in “fortune and misfortune have no door, only men invite them” or “life and death are preordained, wealth lies in the heavens,” it mattered not.

Meihua Garden, another of the four great private residences of Upside-Down Mountain, like Chunfan Abode.

Bian Jing did not travel to the Pōsa Continent with the young sword cultivators Yan Lu and Jiang Guancheng, but remained here alone.

A woman with a plum blossom marking between her eyebrows, with fair skin and crimson lips, adorned in exquisitely woven and almost excessively elaborate garments, possessed an indescribable beauty.

She was the true mistress of Meihua Garden, but she lived in seclusion, rarely showing her face.

Bian Jing addressed her as Madame Tuoyan. Tuoyan, a beautiful name, perfectly matched her beautiful features, a true union of loveliness.

Although Bian Jing had no interest in matters of love, he acknowledged that a single glance at Madame Tuoyan was a feast for the eyes.

Madame Qingshen of Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven, Madame Tuoyan of Meihua Garden. In the entire Great Hao Heaven, there were ten such ladies, enough to make the immortals in the mountains dream and sway, to be utterly captivated.

And these ladies shared a peculiar trait: they were all born from mountain and water spirits, goblins and ghosts.

Madame Tuoyan and Bian Jing sat opposite each other in a waterside pavilion. In her hand, she played with a replica of a Bamboo Brush Holder, recently presented to her by Meihua Garden. It was skillfully crafted with thin bamboo culms, densely and sparsely arranged, a marvel of ingenuity. The bamboo veneer was entirely sourced from Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven, making it worth a fortune.

Madame Tuoyan smiled and asked, “So afraid of death?”

Bian Jing nodded, “I’m actually alright. I really wanted to go to the city wall with Lin Junbi to take a look, but that other one, all mystical and secretive, insisted that I hide, saying that he had divined a hexagram and that, if I wasn’t careful, I would fail miserably and end up in a terrible situation.”

Bian Jing asked, “Who was the first to propose opening that new gate? And what is the Great Heavenly Sovereign of Upside-Down Mountain thinking?”

Madame Tuoyan said, “You don’t need to worry about any of that. Old gate, new gate, even if the entire Upside-Down Mountain disappears, they will still be there.”

Bian Jing asked in confusion, “So there really are sword immortals acting as internal spies, willing to help us guard the gate?”

Madame Tuoyan glanced at the young man, “Is that so strange? If it were you, on one side, uselessly dying for ten thousand years, on the other, enjoying a peaceful world, even mocking those who died, would you feel happy in your heart? One day, two days, one year, two years might be bearable, but what about decades, centuries? Would someone with a good temper be able to become a sword immortal?”

Bian Jing nodded, “If it were me, I would return it tenfold.”

The young shopkeeper of the Guanque Inn, who had lived here for generations, was squatting on the inn’s threshold, teasing a stray dog.

The sunlight was warm, making the lazy even lazier. It was yet another boringly peaceful world, a time of tranquility.

Outside Upside-Down Mountain.

The Jiaolong Gulch, of course, was not truly just a place for small fish and shrimp. Even for Earth Immortal cultivators, it remained an impassable forbidden zone, forcing them to take long detours.

Further away, the sect with the opposing statues of the Rain Master and the Divine General was called the Rain Dragon Sect, and the Water Crystal Palace above Upside-Down Mountain was its private residence.

In addition to the colossal Rain Dragon Sect, the vast ocean was dotted with large and small mountain immortal families, occupying islands, each with its own rise and fall.

On the route of the Osmanthus Island transcontinental ferry, the fourth scenic spot was the narrow passage beneath the feet of the two golden statues of the Rain Dragon Sect, towering over a hundred zhang.

Legend has it that the golden statue of the Divine General, wielding a sword with both hands, was once an ancient deity guarding the South Gate of Heaven. The other statue, with a blurred face and colorful ribbons, was the first true god among the many Rain Masters of Heaven, nominally in charge of the clouds and rain of all true dragons in the world. After the Rain Dragon Sect’s founding ancestor reshaped its form, it seemed to continue to oversee a portion of the water transport in the south.

This Rain Dragon Sect, with its two opposing deities, has a long-standing ancient tradition: female cultivators choose immortal partners entirely based on the sect’s secret embroidered ball. Even Upper Five Realm cultivators could forcibly seize it, but Earth Immortal cultivators could never snatch it through supernatural powers. However, once an Upper Five Realm cultivator took action, it would be a provocation to the entire Rain Dragon Sect.

More than ten years ago, a young Qi Refining cultivator with deep fortune was passing through the passage on the Osmanthus Island ferry when a Rain Dragon Sect fairy threw her embroidered ball. Coincidentally, he caught it and was dragged by the ball and ribbons, as if ascending to heaven, soaring to the heights of the Rain Dragon Sect. Not only that, but this man received even greater cultivation fortune and actually formed a mountain Daoist partnership with a fairy. Such a great opportunity, such a great blessing, was heard even in the Old Dragon City of the Treasure Bottle Continent.
This young man named Fu Ke truly lived up to his destined connection with the Rain Dragon Sect. Originally, he was just an insignificant, unknown cultivator, but who would have thought that after practicing the ancestral immortal techniques of the Rain Dragon Sect, he would ascend step by step. Not only did he win the heart of a beautiful woman, but he also smoothly entered the Golden Core realm, becoming the fastest Earth Immortal in the history of the Rain Dragon Sect to break through. Having toiled at the foot of the mountain in his youth, this young man, after rising to prominence, conducted himself and interacted with others in a manner quite different from cultivators born and raised within the Rain Dragon Sect, thus earning even greater favor.

Today, Fu Ke stood at the foot of a divine statue, gazing far into the distance, his brows radiating vitality. In just over a decade, he had transformed a penniless young man into an immortal being.

When cultivator friends who had once shared hardships with him came seeking him out, and since the Rain Dragon Sect did not permit outsiders to set foot on the island, Fu Ke would proactively go to meet them, settling them in the tributary powers of the Rain Dragon Sect. If they wished to return home, he would gift them a generous sum of travel money. If they were unwilling to leave, Fu Ke would help them find a position or title in other island sects.

When Rain Dragon Sect senior brothers wanted to travel to the Great Wall of Sword Qi but were stopped by their masters, Fu Ke would accompany them as they drank away their sorrows, saying little, simply drinking alongside them.

Over these years, amidst his boundless success and glory, Fu Ke would occasionally experience a sense of detachment, as if from another world. He would often reflect on his dismal situation in the past, recalling the fellow passengers on the Guì Huā Island ferry back then, realizing that he alone had emerged victorious, ascending to the heavens in a single bound.

However, a small thorn remained in Fu Ke’s heart. He had heard long ago that on that Guì Huā Island, after he left the ferry, a young man, also from Treasure Bottle Continent, had actually been able to display supernatural powers in the Jiao Dragon Trench and ultimately survived, earning a considerable reputation. What’s more, that young man surnamed Chen was even luckier than he, Fu Ke. Now, not only the Great Wall of Sword Qi, but even the Hanging Mountain Jade Crystal Palace had sent many accounts of this person’s deeds to the Rain Dragon Sect. This caused Fu Ke, while maintaining a composed demeanor, even speaking a few good words for the lineage of the Literary Sage and for that young man, to develop a small idea in his heart: that Chen Ping An should simply die at the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Naturally, Fu Ke had no enmity or resentment towards that person.

If that person died, wouldn’t the world still go on as it should? What else would change?

Fu Ke smiled slightly, his mood greatly improved. He turned and left, continuing his cultivation. As long as he took another step forward from his already high position, becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator, the seat of the Rain Dragon Sect’s Sect Master would be one step closer to him. Perhaps in the future, he, Fu Ke, would even have the opportunity to acquire a female sword immortal from the Great Wall of Sword Qi as his new consort.

Little did he know.

The Great Dao unfolds.

Where aquatic plants flourish, teeming with countless fish, even dragons can be nurtured.

When the seasons turn, and the water dries up, everything will be exposed to the scorching sun, destined to die.