Li Baoping led her steed along the path, seeking out an elder from her hometown, a chess companion of her grandfather. This man fancied himself the unrivaled master of chess in Fulu Street, while another was proclaimed the foremost expert of Peach Leaf Lane. Their matches were always solemn affairs, as if the honor of their respective neighborhoods was at stake. However, Li Baoping cared little for the game; whether the two elders were truly skilled was debatable, but their excuses for retracting moves were endlessly creative, unmatched even by the esteemed Mr. Qi.

Long ago, the old man’s ancestral home stood at the tail end of Peach Leaf Lane, not far from Fulu Street. Of course, to the young girl in her red padded jacket back then, no place in the town seemed distant. She would seek out crickets and katydids at the Immortal’s Grave, eagerly gathering shards on the Old Porcelain Mountain, catching fish, shrimp, and crabs in Dragon Tail Creek, admiring the high-hung mirrors at various households, and hopping down the steps of Riding Dragon Alley, where the aroma of peach blossom cakes filled the air, and the chirping of newly-hatched swallows echoed loudly from some house.

Each tomorrow of Li Baoping’s childhood felt brimming with endless fun, her days fully packed with activities, so much so that she ran at a dizzying pace. It was as if she outran her childhood, leaving those years behind. As she grew older, her childhood remained fixed in place, becoming ever more distant and indistinct whenever she looked back.

From the thatched cottage emerged a lean old man in high-crowned robes and wide sleeves, laughing heartily as he called out, “Ping-ni zi!” He quickly opened the wooden gate, his face filled with warm delight.

“It feels like just the blink of an eye, and little Baoping has grown up so much! Truly, a girl changes greatly in her teens, and she’s become so serene!”

Could this be the same vivacious girl who used to jump over walls and sprain her ankles, the one who brought crabs home, or perhaps was dragged home by the crabs themselves?

Even so, the old man sincerely cherished this junior. Some children were simply blessed with particularly good rapport with elders, like little Baoping from Fulu Street, and Zhao Yao, who once served as Mr. Qi’s book boy.

Li Baoping led her horse to the entrance, bowed respectfully, and straightening up, greeted him with a smile, “Grandpa Wei.”

The old man’s name was Wei Benyuan, the former patriarch of the Wei clan, one of the four great families and ten surnames of the town in the old days. Before the fall of the Luminous Pearl Grotto-Heaven, he had corresponded with the outside world, the messenger at the time being a clear-eyed, straw-sandaled youth. Wei Benyuan had only seen him once, but remembered him vividly. Sure enough, that youth from the humble alley, less than twenty years later, had built a vast enterprise and become Baoping’s junior martial uncle. The workings of fate were truly wondrous.

Wei Benyuan’s smile never faltered after seeing Li Baoping. “No need to tie the horse, just let it roam free.”

Li Baoping released the reins and gently patted the horse’s back. The divine steed wandered off toward the stream to drink.

“Where’s Sister Taoya?” Li Baoping asked.

Wei Benyuan replied, “Unfortunately, she went to the Fox Country some years ago to temper herself. She attained a small blessing and needs to cultivate her Dao heart. If she truly becomes a Sea Gazing cultivator, I’ll have her accompany you on your travels.”

Li Baoping offered no polite words. She wasn’t particularly keen on traveling with Sister Taoya; she cherished her friendship, but didn’t need to be around her constantly.

Being a good person meant not being a pushover, not agreeing to everything and never refusing, which made it difficult to care for oneself while also caring for others.

Besides, Li Baoping had never liked being constrained since she was little. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been the last to arrive and the first to leave the schoolhouse back then.

But that didn’t diminish her respect for Mr. Qi.

Together they walked into the courtyard, which had stone tables and benches capable of withstanding rain and sun, naturally made of immortal materials. The old man opened his storage treasure and began brewing tea. The tea set was mostly porcelain, brightly colored and pleasing to the eye even to the uninitiated. These were some “inferior goods” intercepted by the Wei family through their relationship with the kiln supervision office in the town back in the day. The so-called flaws were merely the word of a certain official. It wasn’t difficult to find small faults, and with a nod from the supervising official, he could grant a favor to the old family heads, a win-win situation.

Wei Benyuan, like Li Baoping’s Nascent Soul Grandpa, was one of the few cultivators in the early days of the town. However, Li Baoping’s Grandpa preferred the path of talismans, in which he was highly skilled. For reasons unknown, he declined the Song Dynasty Emperor’s invitation to become a court servant. Wei Benyuan excelled in alchemy and left his hometown early on. Apart from the ancestral home left vacant in the town, the Wei clan’s descendants had spread out all over the place. The Wei family had good fortune, with descendants of good character and talent, suitable for scholarship and cultivation.

Wei Benyuan himself had chosen this blessed place outside Qingfeng City, where the peach forest and stream were carefully chosen for their suitability for crafting alchemy furnaces. Wei Benyuan hoped to break through the Golden Core bottleneck. This paradise was acquired by Wei Benyuan in a land swap with the Xu family of Qingfeng City. Back then, the previous Dali Emperor had treated the major families of the town well, allowing them to purchase immortal mountains to the west at very low prices. However, Wei Benyuan found the environment there too noisy and cramped for cultivation, so he exchanged it with the Xu family for this ancestral blessed land treasured for thousands of years. However, Wei Benyuan did not agree to become a servant of the Xu family. The Xu family’s woman pestered him several times, and even the family head Xu Hun made a trip himself, but Wei Benyuan remained unmoved.

Wei Benyuan was a little worried; Li Baoping’s horse and the sword with a snow-white scabbard at her waist were too eye-catching.

The old man couldn’t help but ask, “Did you encounter any trouble on this solo journey?”

Before Li Baoping could answer, the old man huffed, “Did that old Li really dare to let you wander alone? That chess dunce is bad at chess and has only half a bucket of ink sloshing around in his belly, and now his brain is addled too!”

Li Baoping laughed, “Grandpa Wei, I’m not young anymore.”

Wei Benyuan said, “I don’t care how Li plans things, if anyone bullies you, tell Grandpa Wei. Grandpa Wei may not be high in cultivation, but I have a lot of messy favors owed to me, which should be used. Some of them my descendants won’t be able to use, and I can’t take them to my grave…”

Li Baoping shook her head. “Grandpa Wei, really, there’s no need. I didn’t make any enemies along the way.”

Wei Benyuan teased, “Were those lechers blind? Didn’t they see how beautiful our Ping-ni zi has become?”

Li Baoping said helplessly, “Grandpa Wei, please act with some elder dignity.”

Wei Benyuan laughed. “My grandson, you really don’t fancy him?”

Li Baoping shook her head.
Wei Benyuan suddenly burst into laughter, “My Pin’er girl wouldn’t take a fancy to that kid in a million years.”

The old man, in front of his own descendants, though never the stern, aloof patriarch, also wouldn’t laugh so heartily and frequently.

The old man paused, having heard Li Baoping’s thoughts. He nodded, replying mentally, indicating there were no Xu Clan spies from Qingfeng City here. This Peach Garden itself was a mountain-protecting array. Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators might not be able to visit undetected. Even if Xu Hun was no ordinary Nascent Soul, their clan head possessed a tyrannical physique, masterful in offensive arts, and wore the Warty Armor. He was renowned throughout the continent for his combat prowess. Thus, there was no need to worry about anyone using the “Palm Gazing Mountains and Rivers” divine ability near the thatched hut.

Li Baoping then took out two azure talismans, handing them to the old man and explaining, “These were sent by my brother from the Northern Entirety Continent. The letter didn’t say much, only the names of the two talismans: the Golden Core Talisman and the Mud Pill Talisman. Grandpa was originally supposed to deliver them, but since I was about to embark on a journey, he had me bring them along.”

Wei Benyuan accepted the talismans. Upon hearing their names, he placed them on the table, shaking his head. “Pin’er girl, although you are a cultivator, you might not fully understand the priceless value of these two talismans. I cannot accept them. Once I do, I’ll be forever indebted. Cultivation is all about higher realms, but I cannot forsake my principles. After carefully weighing the options, I choose to keep my heart true rather than pursue greater power.”

Wei Benyuan smiled gently. “It’s my own stubbornness. I appreciate your brother’s kind intentions. As expected of Xisheng, whom I taught Go since he was a child. I’m not being polite. You know what kind of person Grandpa Wei is, don’t you, Pin’er?”

On the table lay two Taoist talismans of azure material. The Golden Core Talisman had a talisman core like a tiny blessed land, brimming with golden light and radiant mists.

The Mud Pill Talisman was adorned with a lotus pattern, resembling a majestic platform of a dharma vein, surrounded by auras of purple qi, an incredibly grand sight.

Li Baoping seemed to have anticipated this outcome, and chuckled, “My brother said, if you don’t accept these two talismans, then I shouldn’t come visit Grandpa Wei anymore. I listen to my brother.”

Wei Benyuan waved his hand.

Cultivation of the Great Dao, especially when involving such fundamental aspects, was not child’s play. It wasn’t something to be taken so lightly.

Li Baoping persisted, “I really do listen to my brother.”

Wei Benyuan frowned, questioning, “Xisheng is venturing alone in another continent. It surely won’t be easy. Why would he give away such a fortunate boon so readily?”

Wei Benyuan couldn’t bear to scold Li Xisheng, far away in the Northern Entirety Continent, nor Li Baoping right before him. They were both his favorite juniors. He couldn’t bring himself to say a harsh word. So, the old man began to curse Li the Elder instead, “Old fool, truly an old fool! Mush for brains, no wonder his Go skills are so awful, his chess manners even worse!”

Li Baoping interjected, “Grandpa Wei, my brother knows what he’s doing.”

Wei Benyuan pondered for a moment. “I’ll accept them for now. Unless Xisheng explains it to me clearly in the future, I’ll treat it as if Grandpa Wei is temporarily safeguarding them for him.”

Li Baoping giggled. “That’s not my problem.”

Wei Benyuan cautioned, “Qingfeng City is a mixed bag of good and bad. If you’re still planning to travel to the Fox Kingdom, Grandpa Wei is truly worried. Smart people can be cunning, so you must be careful. But those who are both foolish and wicked cultivators are the most annoying. They’re greedy, lustful, and build their careers on reckless gambles. Everything is chaos and the world is a mess because of them.”

Li Baoping nodded. “Alright, I’ll have Grandpa Wei escort me for a while. Otherwise, I’m afraid that if I go to the Fox Kingdom to find Sister Tao Ya, I might cause trouble for myself.”

Wei Benyuan forced a bitter smile. “If you put it that way, Grandpa Wei seems to be scheming.”

Though Tao Ya was a Wei family maidservant, Wei Benyuan had always regarded her as his own junior. Li Baoping was even more like a granddaughter to him.

Li Baoping smiled, remaining silent.

Her grandfather had once said something strange: the reason why Old Brother Wei had been unable to break through the Golden Core bottleneck was not due to insufficient talent, but because he was too soft-hearted, too kind. For a cultivator, being overly ambitious and striving to be first on the Great Dao might not be appropriate. But having none of that was even more inappropriate.

Wei Benyuan asked, “Play a game of Go with me?”

Playing Go, fishing, and admiring reflections of the moon in water were known as the three great pleasures on the mountain. During moments of leisure from cultivation, they were the best ways to pass time.

Li Baoping politely declined. “Grandpa Wei, you know that I’ve never liked playing Go. Watching you play Go back then was already the limit of my patience.”

Wei Benyuan frowned, standing up and looking towards the peak of the green mountain. He coldly laughed. “Sneaking around, are you that afraid of showing yourself?!”

If Li Baoping hadn’t come, Wei Benyuan might have spoken to the uninvited guest with good temper.

On the mountain peak stood a cultivator whose figure was concealed by swirling mists.

That person overlooked the thatched hut in the mountain hollow, smiling faintly. “The alchemic stove has just been lit, and the immortal peaches are just falling from the blossoms. The alchemy skills aren’t that great, but you have an eye for choosing a good spot. The Xu Clan didn’t treat you poorly. It’s a shame you sought death yourself, unwilling to even be a nominal retainer. People…”

After intentionally being discovered by Wei Benyuan, he revealed himself openly, appearing leisurely and unhurried.

He wasn’t just relying on his cultivation realm to be so presumptuous.

Beyond the mountain hollow’s array, he had also meticulously set up a surrounding formation, intended to trap the entire valley.

To break Wei Benyuan’s landscape array required unraveling it bit by bit, finding weaknesses first, and then delivering a decisive blow. Using brute force to break the array meant abandoning any pretense of secrecy.

Wei Benyuan performed hand seals within his sleeve, gathering mountain winds and water mists into white clouds, attempting to obscure the other person’s vision.

Unexpectedly, the Qi Refining cultivator who spoke in the Elegant Speech of Treasure Bottle Continent seemed to possess extremely profound Taoist arts. The white clouds, connected to the mountain hollow array, scattered on their own wherever his gaze fell.

Wei Benyuan scanned his surroundings. This fellow was skilled. The stream water had already begun to glow with a faint green luminescence, clearly indicating hidden magical treasures.

The luminescence quickly spread onto the bank, like ants spreading out.

Alchemy emphasized the fusion of water and fire. The reason Wei Benyuan had chosen this location to build his stove was because this naturally shady stream was crucial. Without hesitation, Wei Benyuan chanted incantations, intending to use the “Turtle Flipping Back” technique to directly shatter the stream’s mountain root water vein. Even if it meant failing in alchemy, he would sever the enemy’s magical treasure’s penetration of the landscape array.
The man didn’t care about Wei Benyuan’s clumsy tricks. His own signature treasures and unique secret arts were not something a mere Golden Core cultivator, who wasn’t even a proper array master, could crack.

He only pondered briefly, worried that Wei Benyuan was trying to stir up some trouble to seek help from Clear Breeze City. So, he silently chanted an incantation, and the faint, glowing lights that had landed immediately burrowed into the earth. Wei Benyuan’s “Mountain-Turning” spell couldn’t shake the stream even a bit. The man laughed and said, “The spell is excellent, but you’re using it terribly. Once I capture you, I’ll be sure to imprison your soul and interrogate you thoroughly. Another unexpected delight! Fortune really does favor me, I can’t even stop it.”

The man shifted his gaze, looking at Li Baoping, and said, “Little girl, your possessions are shockingly rich! I didn’t dare to make a move earlier, so I just followed you all the way, and even helped you kill two groups of wild cultivators. How will you repay my life-saving grace? If you’re willing to offer yourself to me, becoming my personal maidservant in the future, that would be killing two birds with one stone, and I wouldn’t mind. That sword-nurturing gourd, that Auspicious Talisman Saber, and those two unexpectedly delightful talismans, I want them all, and I’ll spare your life.”

Li Baoping patted the small wine gourd at her waist, “Come and grab them, why so much nonsense?”

The man chuckled, “A useless Golden Core cultivator who’s bad at fighting, only knows how to burn pills and curry favor with others. When the time comes, you won’t be able to protect this little girl.”

Wei Benyuan was horrified.

Firstly, he had only thought that the slender blade at Baoping’s waist was a mountain treasure, and hadn’t seen through the silver wine gourd’s illusion. On the other hand, the mountain peak cultivator was very clear about it, and even knew the name of the blade. Having followed Li Baoping all the way, he was obviously very confident before showing himself. The opponent’s cultivation was at least at the bottleneck of the Golden Core realm, and if it was an Nascent Soul ancient immortal who had been lying dormant for countless years, it would be even more difficult to deal with.

Wei Benyuan was full of regret. If he had agreed to become a consecrated guest of the Xu family in Clear Breeze City, he would have had the means to send a message through the city’s array and call for Xu Hun’s help. Perhaps the opponent wouldn’t have dared to be so bold. He hadn’t expected that the landscape array that isolated this place from external prying eyes would instead become a prison.

Wei Benyuan took a deep breath, steadied his Dao heart, and tried to keep his voice calm as he spoke to Li Baoping in a mental voice, “Baoping, don’t be afraid. Grandpa Wei will definitely protect you to escape. If I break the pill furnace, the commotion will be huge, and Clear Breeze City will definitely notice. After you leave Peach Garden, don’t look back, just go to Clear Breeze City. Grandpa Wei isn’t very good at fighting, but with the favorable terrain, protecting my life won’t be difficult at all.”

The man shook his head and said, “I think it’s difficult. It’s so hard to break through the Golden Core bottleneck, living isn’t very meaningful.”

Wei Benyuan immediately felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. It must be an Nascent Soul Realm expert with profound cultivation.

The iron cavalry of the Great Li Dynasty had trampled over the mountains and rivers of a continent, leaving it in a state of fragmentation everywhere. This led to many hidden wild cultivators leaving their mountains and entering the world, trying to profit from the chaos. There were many such people.

Li Baoping said, “Grandpa Wei, I should have sent you the talismans earlier.”

Wei Benyuan angrily laughed, “What nonsense are you talking about!”

Li Baoping didn’t explain anything. The ripples in her mind lake could also be heard, so some things were better left unsaid.

The cultivator’s gaze was still mostly focused on the slender blade at Li Baoping’s waist.

Human beauty was as small as a mustard seed compared to the path of longevity, not worth mentioning.

He happened to recognize that slender blade, named Auspicious Talisman, was a charm object from the ancient Shu Kingdom’s Divine Water Kingdom. It was a national treasure worthy of the name, capable of suppressing and gathering martial fortune. This kind of treasure could already be classified as a “Mountain and River Treasure.” Although it was a treasure in terms of grade, it was actually a half-immortal weapon.

The sword-nurturing gourd seemed to be of extremely high grade, but it was difficult to say exactly how good it was for the time being.

In any case, after obtaining it, he would be cautious and simply travel to another continent. In any case, the current Treasure Bottle Continent didn’t seem like a suitable place for wild cultivators to live happily.

Li Baoping said softly, “Grandpa Wei, if a fight breaks out later, I can’t afford to compensate for this cultivation ground. It’s okay, I’ll have my brother pay you back later.”

Wei Benyuan smiled bitterly, “Is now the time to be talking about this?”

The cultivator on the mountain peak had already found a complete method to break the array, but he still carefully weighed it over and felt that all accidents had been calculated in.

Registered immortal masters liked to pay respects to the local power first when they came down the mountain to gain experience. Since this little girl’s backing and background were people like Wei Benyuan, who didn’t even have the qualifications to become a guest of Xu Hun in Clear Breeze City, he felt very secure.

A dignified Nascent Soul wild cultivator had to be careful and cautious.

No matter how high the realm of a wild cultivator was, they only had one life.

Those registered immortal masters who were enjoying blessings on the merit books in the ancestral hall were like having two lives, even if their realm was lower!

Then, he would decisively make a move.

The man’s figure suddenly became ethereal and unpredictable, as large as a mountain peak, transforming into a Dharma Idol resembling an ancient mountain deity. Not only that, but the golden Dharma Idol had azure dragons wrapped around its arms, holding a halberd. The surrounding landscape spiritual energy of the Dharma Idol was extremely chaotic. This giant “divine being” that combined mountain and water auras, descended from the mountain peak towards the thatched cottage by the stream, with the force of a mountain pressing down.

In mid-air, the golden Dharma Idol laughed loudly, “Little girl, what big words you have! Your brother? If you were to bring out your own ancestor to scare people, I might believe you a little! What, is your brother Ma Ku Xuan of the True Martial Mountain, or the Yellow River Great Sword Immortal of the Wind and Thunder Garden?”

Wei Benyuan was about to offer up his natal Golden Core and fight to the death with the Nascent Soul old thief.

Li Baoping stepped out, her thumb pushing the slender blade out of its scabbard by an inch. In her left sleeve, an object quietly appeared. This object had no aura ripples after it appeared, so it didn’t attract as much attention as the slender blade being drawn.

But at this moment.

The golden Dharma Idol stopped in mid-air for some unknown reason, neither going up nor down.

It wasn’t like a little girl jumping over a wall, but twisting an ankle before landing?

Li Baoping turned her head to look elsewhere.

On the peak of another green mountain, there was a young man wearing a pink Daoist robe, walking slowly in the air, extending two fingers and gently twisting them.

With each step, a white cloud platform floated over from the distant sea of clouds, landing just beneath the strange young man’s feet.

The giant Dharma Idol, as if it had been cast with a immobilization spell, began to be inverted, becoming like a puppet on a string in someone else’s hands.

Wei Benyuan’s heart was shaken.

What a supernaturally powerful mountain peak person!

Does Treasure Bottle Continent have such a beautiful immortal in the Upper Five Realms?
A lofty Daoist immortal? The Divine Edict Sect’s Sovereign Heavenly Lord, Qi Zhen? Absolutely impossible! That branch of the Daoist lineage adhered to strict rules. The Daoist coronets they wore, the robes they donned, could not have the slightest imperfection.

Moreover, how could a figure as exalted as Sovereign Qi deign to travel to a place like Qingfeng City?

The young man’s gaudy robe was exceptionally wide, fluttering in the wind like clouds and water in the sky.

Finally, the young “Daoist” leaped lightly, sitting cross-legged atop the golden statue’s head. He bent his fingers, tapping gently, as if an elder scolding a mischievous junior, “You like to play the big shot, do you? Pretend to have the airs of a god? Your ancestors are right here! You’re making a laughingstock of yourself.”

Wei Benyuan felt no relief; on the contrary, he was increasingly anxious. He feared this was a clash of titans. Should the latter harbor ill intentions, he could not protect Miss Ping.

Wei Benyuan murmured, “So casually isolating heaven and earth, enveloping such a golden statue within… what is to be done? What is to be done?”

The Nascent Soul cultivator, rendered mute the moment the other acted, was in unspeakable misery. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to flee, but he was utterly unable to move. The other’s casual feat of creating a天地隔絕heaven-and-earth isolation was too grand. Be it his golden core or his nascent soul, all his unorthodox secret arts were useless. How could he escape? To break this deadly impasse, he would need to be a Nascent Soul sword cultivator. But if he were such a swordsman, would he need to hide and scurry for hundreds of years to escape his enemies?

The young Daoist in a pink robe sat atop the burly statue’s head, smiling at Wei Benyuan, “Wei Benyuan, this poor Daoist owes your Wei family a roundabout favor from long ago. No need to delve into the reasons; old calendars, when flipped through, are just dust. Why bother turning them over?”

Liu Chicheng was, of course, speaking nonsense.

Helplessly, Gu Can wished to remain incognito, so Liu Chicheng had to find a clumsy excuse. However, those from the mountains genuinely believed such things.

For example, Wei Benyuan believed it five or six parts.

Li Baoping, however, believed none of it.

Liu Chicheng tilted his head, continuing to restrain the golden statue. It wouldn’t be hard for a mere Nascent Soul cultivator to break free from his lenient bindings, but he dared not act rashly.

This was the right choice.

This journey with Gu Can was too dull.

Thus, Liu Chicheng felt he lacked a follower to run errands and alleviate the boredom, and a wild cultivator from the mountains, at the Nascent Soul level, barely qualified for this honor.

If it were a lineage immortal master, whom Liu Chicheng loathed, he would already be dead.

Beat the small one, and the old one comes? How old? Then go to White Emperor City and wrestle? Even if you’re a Transcendent Realm cultivator, Liu Chicheng wouldn’t even need to move; the other wouldn’t dare attack.

Anyway, they were about to go to the Central Divine Continent. If he didn’t leave some mess behind, Liu Chicheng feared Gu Can wouldn’t cultivate properly.

A good seed like Gu Can could only grow quickly by being placed in desperate, deadly situations time and time again.

There was no fear of forcing growth.

This was the Great Dao seedling that the Senior Brother from White Emperor City liked the most.

Liu Chicheng suddenly narrowed his eyes.

It seemed Senior Brother liked immense troubles the most in this life?

This little girl before him?

Moreover, Senior Brother’s chess skills seemed to have reached a bottleneck, on the verge of breaking through. And now, as he was about to take Gu Can back to White Emperor City, they happened to meet her. Could it be…?

Liu Chicheng laughed heartily, turning his head to look in a direction, communicating with心聲言語 heart-voice words, “It’s not up to you. Just right, let’s go back together, all three of us.”

Gu Can no longer concealed himself, replying with心聲言語 heart-voice words as well, “Liu Chicheng, I advise you not to do this, or when I reach White Emperor City and achieve success in cultivation, the first person I kill will be you.”

No impatience, just four measured words, the kind that resonated.

She didn’t resent her Big Brother Li Xisheng; she merely felt some resentment that her Junior Uncle wasn’t by her side.

Li Baoping wrinkled her nose secretly.

Forget it, what else could she do? She would dislike Junior Uncle even more tomorrow.

Gu Can didn’t move.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to stop it, but it was pointless.

The difference in their realms was too vast.

Gu Can felt great hatred in his heart.

This unpredictable Liu Chicheng, he must die by his hand in the future.

Thus, Gu Can immediately communicated with Li Baoping心聲言語 heart-voice words, “Li Baoping, I am Gu Can from Mud Bottle Lane. Don’t be impulsive. Just survive first.”

Li Baoping shook her head. “I’m reluctant to die, but I’ll never live without dignity.”

Then, she smiled, “Can’t you allow others to make a mistake out of kindness? Besides, it doesn’t involve major matters of right and wrong. Gu Can, I must thank you. You must live well, and remember to tell my Junior Uncle that I miss him very much.”

Liu Chicheng glanced at the paper in her hand. The words on it were flowing!

Liu Chicheng actually frowned, his expression solemn.

If it involved the academy, it would be a bit troublesome.

After all, the entire Vast Expanse was a place of learning governed by scholars.

Over in the peach orchard, a man in scholarly robes had been holding back his laughter when he saw Li Baoping waving the peach talisman.

It was rare to see Little Baoping so childishly cute.

Now, he took a deep breath, took a step forward, came to Li Baoping’s side, and looked up at the golden statue and the pink-robed Daoist.

Li Baoping exclaimed with delight, “Brother?!”

Li Xisheng nodded, turning his head to smile, “Your brother is angry and doesn’t feel like talking much.”

Li Baoping laughed, “My brother gets angry too?”

Li Xisheng smiled and nodded.

Liu Chicheng’s intuition told him that something bad was about to happen.

But that young scholar, looking at his cultivation, wasn’t high. It didn’t seem like he was using an illusion either. An Immortal Realm was impossible. A Transcendent Realm… Liu Chicheng wasn’t crazy.

Since leaving White Emperor City, he had suffered two major setbacks in the past thousand years. Once, he was personally suppressed by the Great Celestial Master. Of course, he didn’t need to use his seal or draw his sword; it was just術法 arcane arts.

The reason the Great Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain took action personally was nothing more than to signal to White Emperor City, letting Liu Chicheng’s Senior Brother not interfere.

The second time was at that small, broken temple. He inexplicably took a sword strike. Just an ordinary wooden sword easily shattered Liu Chicheng’s protective spell formation.

In an instant.

It confirmed Liu Chicheng’s intuition.

The river of time had stopped flowing.

Outside his small world, there appeared an even greater world.

Li Baoping, Wei Benyuan, the golden statue, Gu Can on the mountaintop – even their thoughts were frozen.

Except for Liu Chicheng, whom the other had deliberately let go.

A single glance silences all movement, the heavens are high and the earth is vast for millions of miles.

Liu Chicheng was in unspeakable misery.

It seemed there was no way to fight.

Clearly, this was an unreasonable, tough opponent.
“As cultivators of the Dao, when venturing forth, one must still hold reverence for Heaven and Earth, and maintain a conscience.”

Li Xisheng walked slowly, saying, “Alright, those are words spoken from the perspective of a scholar.”

Liu Chicheng laughed, “Yes, yes, let us reason things out properly. I am most receptive to the logic of scholars.”

Li Xisheng said, “Next, I will speak to you as Big Brother of Little Treasure Bottle.”

Liu Chicheng was about to flee this place, maneuvering his small world to collide with the larger world, hoping to escape.

As for boundaries and faces of upper five realm cultivators, those could be discarded on the ground, whether to pick them up later was of no concern.

Suddenly, a dharma image of a middle-aged Daoist appeared between Heaven and Earth.

Liu Chicheng’s legs went weak, and he sat back down as soon as he tried to stand.

Still desperately suppressing the Dao Heart that almost shattered on the spot, he swayed as he stood up, gave a Daoist salute, and remained silent.

Li Xisheng asked, “If apologies sufficed, what need would there be for the rules of the Great Dao?!”

The middle-aged Daoist, as tall as a mountain, raised an arm and struck down with a palm.

With one slap, he smashed Liu Chicheng and the dharma image of the Nascent Soul cultivator into the earth.

There were no techniques or divine abilities, nor immortal treasures.

The dharma image of the Daoist simply struck down with a palm.

Lying in the large pit, Liu Chicheng had only one thought: could you scholars of Treasure Bottle Continent not be like this?

After Li Xisheng retracted the dharma image, he came to the bottom of the pit, looked down at the barely breathing powdered-robe Daoist, and after doing some calculations, coldly laughed, “Upon returning to White Emperor City, tell your senior brother that I will seek him out for a game of Go.”

Liu Chicheng was utterly despondent.

His senior brother had once joked in private that in the art of Go, the one who could stop White Emperor City from always hanging the banner “Generously Offering the First Move to All Under Heaven,” Cui Chan had a chance, but it was slim. That person was not in the Vast World, but in the Jade Capital of the Azure Abyss.

It was Dao the Second and Third Sect Leader Lu Chen’s eldest brother.

The foremost disciple of the Dao Ancestor, Lu Chen was initially accepted as a disciple on behalf of his master by this person.

Thus, one could imagine the level of this person’s Daoist cultivation.

Liu Chicheng struggled to rise again, still silent, but sincerely, respectfully, gave a proper Daoist salute.

When Li Treasure Bottle “came to her senses,” Big Brother Li Xisheng was still standing beside her, and the powdered-robe Daoist was still sitting atop the golden dharma image.

Everything was as before.

Liu Chicheng seemed to be smiling, but in reality, he was drenched in sweat.

The River of Time had reversed its flow!

The crucial thing was that Wei Benyuan was still located alone in a certain segment of the River of Time, still frozen in place.

“I just reasoned with that master, it’s all right now.”

Li Xisheng chuckled, “Don’t tell Grandpa Wei about my visit this time, otherwise, he’ll definitely drag me into a game of Go. Back in our hometown, there were only a few Go manuals, and Grandpa Wei would drone on and on about the principles, which was actually quite annoying.”

Li Treasure Bottle nodded vigorously.

Li Xisheng’s figure dissipated, returning to that small vassal state in a remote corner of the Northern Ju Continent.

Such intercontinental travel was still not easy with his current realm.

Therefore, he needed to come and go quickly.

Li Xisheng suddenly laughed, “Secretly growing up, without even saying hello to your big brother.”

Li Treasure Bottle grinned.

Li Xisheng shook his head with a smile and vanished in a flash.

Wei Benyuan also returned to normal.

Then Liu Chicheng immediately stood up, took his leave, saying that he was just joking with the little girl.

As for the Nascent Soul cultivator under his backside, he had also retracted his dharma image, and followed Liu Chicheng, leaving together riding the wind. Liu Chicheng used heart-to-heart communication to say to Gu Can, “I’ll wait for you in Qingfeng City. No rush, catch up first.”

Gu Can suppressed the doubts in his heart, landed by the thatched hut riding the wind, and said directly, “Li Treasure Bottle, I’m sorry for what happened today. In terms of intention and action, I was half right, half wrong.”

Li Treasure Bottle was somewhat surprised.

How could such a Gu Can have caused Little Uncle to be so heartbroken back then?

Or had Gu Can changed so much in such a short few years?

Li Treasure Bottle thought for a moment, and told Grandpa Wei that she was going for a walk by the stream with this fellow villager.

Wei Benyuan was confused, but still nodded and said, “Be careful.”

Li Treasure Bottle and Gu Can walked by the stream.

The two had only met as children and never talked.

One liked activity, one liked stillness. When they met in their hometown, they just brushed past each other.

At most, the little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket, always in a hurry, thought that the little boy’s two snotty noses were memorable.

The snotty-nosed kid thought that the red-clothed little girl, who was older than him, didn’t look like she came from a wealthy family at all, truly not knowing how to enjoy herself.

These two, almost the most mischievous children in the small town, were just different in origin. One was born on Fortune Street, one was in Mud Bottle Alley.

The little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket would dart through the streets, the big white geese couldn’t even catch up.

The snotty-nosed kid was a little different. He didn’t like to move. He would lie on the ridge of the field under the hot sun fishing for loach, or guard the old locust tree, using a slingshot to shoot orioles under the tree.

Gu Can’s family had a few plots of tea fields. The little snotty-nosed kid, carrying a small bamboo basket that was just the right size for him, picked tea leaves with both hands, actually faster than the person who was helping. But Gu Can was just naturally good at doing these things, but he didn’t like doing them. He would flatten the tea leaves to cover the bottom of his little basket as a token gesture, and then run off to a shady place to laze around.

After all, Liu Xianyang was his only friend, so what?

In the end, only the snotty-nosed kid from Mud Bottle Alley was his only family in this world.

The stream was shallow and crystal clear.

The two were silent for a long time.

Li Treasure Bottle said, “Think more about Little Uncle’s hardships.”

Gu Can said, “I have.”

Li Treasure Bottle smiled, “Don’t misunderstand, Little Uncle actually didn’t say much about you and the Book Scroll Lake. Little Uncle never likes to gossip behind people’s backs.”

Gu Can laughed.

Of course, he wouldn’t misunderstand.

Besides, what if he did? Gu Can had never liked hardships since he was a child, but he was good at being scolded and beaten.

Deep down, Gu Can still didn’t care about anyone else’s opinions.
Even Chen Ping’an didn’t know that Gu Can had visited Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley earlier than him. He had heard Liu Xianyang say that there were many rich people there, their purses overflowing, often dropping money on the ground. Gu Can went to pick up the money, but he never found a single coin. Even Gu Can’s patience wore thin. Enraged, the little snot-nosed brat secretly kicked every single peach tree in Peach Leaf Alley, leaving none unscathed. Whenever he encountered a pedestrian, he would immediately pretend to be squatting down, observing ants under the tree.

Gu Can now thinks back, he should have gathered up and hidden those fallen peach blossoms, leaves, and branches back then.

Li Baoping continued, “But Little Martial Uncle is so familiar with you, if you had even the slightest bit of promise, if you did anything well, Little Martial Uncle wouldn’t have hesitated to praise you. The first time we traveled far away with Little Martial Uncle, the topics about our hometown almost always revolved around you and Liu Xianyang. But after Little Martial Uncle returned from Shujian Lake, he rarely talked about you.”

Li Baoping raised her hand, pointing to her eyes, “These are the most honest things about a person. Little Martial Uncle didn’t say anything, but he said everything.”

Gu Can hummed in acknowledgement.

Li Baoping said, “Meeting adjourned.”

Gu Can didn’t dawdle, he bid farewell and left, but suddenly stopped, smiling, “Li Baoping, thank you.”

Li Baoping asked with a smile, “Only thinking about being polite now?”

Gu Can’s eyes were bright as he shook his head, “It’s not politeness, it’s because you were the first person to accompany him out of his hometown. If Li Baoping hadn’t been by his side back then, he might not have been able to reach Gu Can later.”

Li Baoping smiled.

Gu Can also smiled.

Thinking back to those years, in that small temple with the walls covered in names, Liu Xianyang stood on the ladder, Chen Ping’an held the ladder steady, and Gu Can threw pieces of charcoal at Liu Xianyang, writing their three names.

The position was extremely high.

Gu Can finally said, “Li Baoping, you should see Chen Ping’an sooner than I will. When you meet him, tell him that Gu Can is in White Emperor City, cultivating the Great Dao!”