Hearing the heartfelt words of the boy in green robes, the middle-aged monk was the first to speak, “Then let’s observe further. It’s a matter of predestined affinity.”

The Old Master laughed, “I think this is excellent. After waiting for over ten thousand years, why rush?”

The Daoist Ancestor nodded, smiling at the green ox, “Since there’s nothing pressing for now, wander as you please, but remember not to cross any boundaries. Also, be more magnanimous. Don’t hold a grudge about what happened today. Being overly cautious is good for cultivation, but not for interacting with others.”

With the suppression of the Great Dao lifted, the green ox instantly transformed into a human form, a tall, thin old Daoist with a dignified and imposing presence.

It was none other than the old Abbot of the Daoist temple in Lotus Root Paradise, the undisputed master of that blessed land. Because Lotus Root Paradise was connected to the Lotus Cave Heaven, he would often spar with the Daoist Ancestor, competing in the subtleties of Daoist magic.

The old Abbot was also the mastermind behind the creation of the four figures in the paintings, including Zhu Lian and Sui Youbian, and was recognized as one of the most powerful Fourteenth Realm great cultivators in the world.

He was among the oldest and most senior beings in all creation, of the same generation as the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue, Bai Ze, and Chu Sheng.

Leaving aside age and speaking only of the “Dao age” of cultivation years, Liu Sixteen of the Literary Sage lineage and Zhang Lu, who concealed his identity in the Sword Qi Great Wall, were both considered juniors.

Each time the old Abbot went on a long journey, he himself was like a wandering immortal poem.

Moreover, back in the ancient times, beside Falling Treasure Beach at Azure Cloud Cave, he had been unmatched since leaving his cave, always able to spare others when he could.

It wasn’t until he met a young-looking human cultivator that he became a mount. Later, the world came to know of that “stinky-nosed Daoist old fool.”

Chen Lingjun slightly raised his head, glancing askance. Compared to Brother Jia from Riding Dragon Lane, this one certainly seemed more like an immortal of the bones.

If the old Daoist had appeared with this countenance from the start, Chen Lingjun would probably have mistaken the Ox-riding Daoist Ancestor as a fire-tending boy beside this old immortal, doing chores like tending the alchemic furnace and fanning with a palm-leaf fan.

The old Abbot looked at the boy in green robes still sitting on the ground, a little worm with boundless audacity.

Chen Lingjun immediately lowered his head, shuffling his rear end and turning to look elsewhere. “If I can’t see you, you can’t see me.”

The old Abbot smiled, “Fellow Daoist Jingqing, your master has retrieved the face he lost in Lotus Root Paradise, all thanks to you.”

Chen Lingjun didn’t raise his head, drooping his head and muttering, “Ignorance is bliss. If the old immortal is going to hold such a small matter against me, he wouldn’t seem so immortal of the bones.”

That’s what he said, but if the three ancestral teachers of the Three Teachings weren’t present, Chen Lingjun would probably be busy shining the old immortal’s shoes and massaging his legs right now. As for rubbing his shoulders and back, he’d have to pass. His strength was inadequate, and the height difference was too vast; he simply couldn’t reach. To jump up and pat the guy’s shoulder would be ridiculous. He never did such things.

The old Abbot chuckled, then his figure vanished, indeed going elsewhere to wander as the Daoist Ancestor had said. Even Mount Piyun and Wei Bo couldn’t detect the slightest ripple.

The town’s underlying threads and connections were numerous and fragmented, some completely severed, others still clinging like lingering threads of lotus root, intricately intertwined. The old Abbot was actually quite delighted by this. Grasping the key to the puzzle was his path of the Great Dao. If he could observe the Dao through this, he would undoubtedly benefit immensely.

The Daoist Ancestor came from the east, riding an ox through the door as if passing a checkpoint, giving the old Li Zhu Cave Heaven an aura of purple qi coming from the east. It was just temporarily concealed, and would slowly come to light in the future.

Without needing to act deliberately, wherever the Daoist Ancestor went, that place was where the Great Dao resided.

And this was still in the vast world. If it were in the Azure Void Heaven, such auspicious signs and strange phenomena would be even more exaggerated.

The Dao followed nature. The Daoist Ancestor originally didn’t intentionally conceal such phenomena, but as a guest in the vast world, he restrained himself somewhat out of respect for the rules set by the Sage of Rites.

The Daoist Ancestor walked toward the Yang family’s shop, intending to sit on the long bench under the eaves in the backyard.

The middle-aged monk went to the Dragon Kiln, the one where Old Yao was serving as the master craftsman.

Only the Supreme Sage remained beside Chen Lingjun. The Old Master jested, “Is it because sitting and talking doesn’t hurt your back, so you’re unwilling to get up?”

Chen Lingjun had just stood up, but his limbs were weak, and he plopped back down on the ground, embarrassed. “Replying to the Supreme Sage, I can’t stand up.”

The Old Master laughed, “Has your courage become so small? Before I appeared, you were quite brazen.”

Chen Lingjun was embarrassed. “Just fooling around, not to be taken seriously. I was blind and ignorant, please don’t blame me.”

The Old Master laughed, “For a cultivator, all their spirit resides in their eyes. Ascending the mountain to prove the Dao, whether one is human or not, depends solely on the aperture of the heart.”

Chen Lingjun was filled with admiration. “The Supreme Sage’s knowledge is truly vast, speaking in such profound terms.”

The Old Master asked, “Jingqing, can you take me to Mud Bottle Lane?”

Upon hearing about Mud Bottle Lane, Chen Lingjun immediately jumped up, “No problem!”

The Old Master was puzzled, “Oh? Where did you get the energy now?”

Chen Lingjun scratched his head, embarrassed. “I don’t know what’s going on, but as soon as I hear about my master, I fear nothing under the heavens.”

The Old Master hummed in acknowledgment, saying, “Perhaps everyone has their own backbone, helping us to stand against the entire world as we walk the complex path of life. If we lose, it is suffering. If we win, it is peace.”

Taking advantage of the fact that the other two had walked away, Chen Lingjun tentatively asked, “How about I kowtow to the Supreme Sage a few more times?”

The Old Master waved his hand, laughing, “No need. I get annoyed hearing too many kowtows.”

Chen Lingjun cautiously asked, “Supreme Sage, why doesn’t Mountain Lord Wei know that you’ve arrived in town?”

The boy in green robes quickly added, “Mountain Lord Wei is very mindful of etiquette. If there wasn’t a real reason, Wei Bo would definitely come to pay his respects.”

Personal grievances and the rules of the Jianghu are two separate things.

How Wei Bo treats him, and how Wei Bo treats Fallen Mountain, must be calculated separately. Besides, Wei Bo actually treats him quite well.

The Old Master laughed, “Because the matter of touring the town isn’t within the thread the Daoist Ancestor wants people to know. Since the Daoist Ancestor intends it so, Wei Bo naturally won’t see the three of us.”

Chen Lingjun was full of praise, “The Daoist Ancestor’s Dao magic is truly high.”

The Old Master laughed, “It’s not just that his Dao magic is high. If we had really fought earlier, I would have been scared.”

Chen Lingjun, in a moment of genuine emotion, lost all restraint and laughed heartily, “Lose the battle, not the spirit! I understand the principle…”
But the more he spoke, the softer his voice became, and his usual habit of letting his mouth run away with him resurfaced. Chen Lingjun finally muttered, “What do I know? The Most Sage Master is magnanimous. Just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

The old master didn’t seem to mind.

During this time, the two passed by the Dragon-Riding Lane shops. Chen Lingjun didn’t even glance at them, not daring to casually introduce the Most Sage Master to Old Man Jia. The old master turned his head to look at the Lucky Money Shop and the Herb Shop, “Looks like business is not bad.”

Chen Lingjun nodded, “Small business, fair prices, a steady flow. Actually, it doesn’t make much money, but my master, who handles so much divine money, is particularly concerned about the profit and loss of this little bit of silver and copper coins. He often comes down the mountain to personally check the accounts. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Shopkeeper Shi and Old Man Jia, it just seems that looking at the surplus on the books makes him very happy.”

The old master nodded, “This is a good habit. Earn small money, keep big money, may you have abundance every year, more and more savings, and a family’s foundation will become more solid, and each year will be better than the last.”

Chen Lingjun sighed with emotion, looked up at the old master, and said sincerely, “The Most Sage Master speaks so plainly that even I can understand.”

The old master seemed to be thinking about something, and said with a smile, “Since the Fifth and Sixth Patriarchs of Chan Buddhism, the Dharma Gate has been greatly opened, not choosing roots. In fact, Buddhist teachings began to be spoken very plainly, and emphasized that the mind itself is the Buddha, don’t seek outside. Unfortunately, afterwards it gradually became high and obscure again, with countless Buddhist verses and sudden insights, and the common people couldn’t understand it again. During the period, the Buddhist sect had a ‘breaking language’ that was even more advanced than not establishing writing. Many eminent monks directly said that they were unwilling to talk about Buddhism and discuss the Dharma. If we don’t talk about scholarship, but only talk about the propagation of the Dharma lineage, it is a bit similar to our Confucian ‘extinguishing human desires’.”

Chen Lingjun was confused, and dared not say anything more. Fortunately, the old master didn’t seem to want to talk about it any further.

The two walked up the Dragon-Riding Lane together, and the old master asked, “Does this alley have a name?”

Chen Lingjun nodded vigorously, “Yes, it’s called Dragon-Riding Lane. Further up, at the top of the alley, the locals usually call it Fire Furnace Peak.”

The old master nodded, “Indeed, there are hidden secrets everywhere.”

Before leaving his hometown, Lu Chen once roamed freely in the vast world, and once summoned dragons to plow the clouds and plant immortal herbs, with wind and rain following the Cloud Master.

The old master walked to the top of the steps, turned his head to look at the steps, and asked, “Jingqing, where is your place of enlightenment?”

Chen Lingjun was shocked, puzzled and asked, “The Most Sage Master has so much knowledge, are there things you don’t know?”

The old master smiled, “It’s not that I can’t know, nor that I don’t want to know. It’s just that a few of us need to restrain ourselves, otherwise the people, things, and everything in our respective worlds will be quickly transformed by our Dao.”

“That’s why Dao Ancestor often stays in the Lotus Small Grotto Heaven, and even the White Jade City, he is not willing to move around much. It is because he is worried that once that ‘one’ exceeds half, everything will begin to return to one, involuntarily and irreversibly, first the mortals at the foot of the mountain, then the cultivators on the mountain, and finally the Upper Five Realms. In the end, the entire Azure Underworld will only be left with a group of Fourteenth Realm great cultivators. Thousands of miles of rivers and mountains in the human world are all dojos, with no place for mortals to stand.”

“This was a ten-thousand-year agreement that was made during the riverside meeting. Dao Ancestor is responsible for finding a solution, and he was the most worried about this matter from the beginning.”

“Dao Ancestor’s Dao is of course very high, those who are able should work harder, it is justified.”

Chen Lingjun listened with a bitter face, panicking, and muttered, “Most Sage Master, why are you telling me this?”

The old master smiled and said, “I just heard people say it, just don’t say it yourself, and besides, it’s difficult for you to say these things now. Jingqing, why don’t we make a bet, to see if you can say the words ‘Dao Ancestor’ now? If you can tell others about the things you encountered today, then you win. Oh right, let me give you a reminder, the only solution is not to establish writing, only to be understood but not spoken.”

Chen Lingjun had a thought in his heart, but as soon as he was about to say something, like thinking about how to brag to Old Man Jia, he began to feel dizzy. He tried a few times and it was the same. Chen Lingjun shook his head, simply didn’t think about it, and said honestly, “My place of cultivation is Yujiang in the Yellow Court Kingdom.”

The old master said, “Oh, the Yellow Court Scripture, that is a great scripture of Taoism. It is said that reciting this scripture can refine one’s mind and nature, and enlightened people, over time, will have ten thousand gods with them. There are thousands of spells, and upon closer inspection, they are actually similar paths. For example, the meditation method of Taoists is to plant rice in the heart field, and the Qi refiners refine Qi, which is cultivation. Each breakthrough is a spring planting and autumn harvest in a year. The first level of the Ten Realms of pure martial artists, the wonder of Qi flourishing, is also a similar path, swallowing mountains and rivers, transforming them into one’s own use, seeing is believing, and then returning to nothingness, gathering one’s body, and turning it into one’s own territory.”

“Therefore, Taoism advocates emptying oneself, Confucianism says that a gentleman is not a vessel, and Buddhism says emptiness, all phenomena are not phenomena.”

Listening to these brain-aching words, the green-clothed boy’s forehead hair, because of the sweat, became strands, very funny, it was really more and more afraid.

Chen Lingjun spread out his hands, full of sweat, and said with a wrinkled face pitifully, “Most Sage Master, I’m very nervous right now, I can’t remember what you said. Can you wait until my master comes home and tell him? My master has a good memory, likes to learn things, and learns everything quickly. If you tell him, he will definitely understand everything and be able to infer three things from one.”

The old master was noncommittal, smiled, and changed the topic, “Your master’s teacher, the Literary Sage Old Scholar, did he ever say anything about the word ‘御’ (yù, to control)?”

Chen Lingjun looked blank.

The Literary Sage Old Master is my master’s teacher, not my Grandfather Jingqing’s teacher. Most Sage Master, your unpredictable examination is a bit unreasonable, it really doesn’t fit the rules of the Jianghu.

Forget it, the Most Sage Master is not in the Jianghu.

Alas, if the teacher was here, he could handle whatever the Most Sage Master said. Could it be that I really have to read more books in the future? There are a lot of books on the mountain, Old Cook’s place, hehe…

Hehe my ass, the Most Sage Master is standing right next to him, looking for death. Chen Lingjun directly slapped himself, damn it, he hit too hard, he sank his Qi into his dantian, and held back his face.

The old master smiled, “No need to be so restrained, eating and lust are human nature.”
The myriad desires of a person are inherent to their nature, inevitably leading to many errors. However, each instance of recognizing, admitting, and correcting those errors adds bricks to the path of this world and tiles to the roof of the inn of life. In truth, it is a fortunate thing. As the Dao Ancestor said, even he is but a passerby in this mortal realm, a profound truth indeed. Yet, everyone can do their part to make the road smoother for those who come after, benefiting both themselves and others. What could be more joyful? Of course, if someone seeks only the pure freedom within their heart, that too is an inviolable liberty.

The Old Master chuckled, providing an answer: “It’s mentioned in the ‘Grand Outline’ that the Son of Heaven holds a jade tablet, the feudal lords hold a thorn tablet, and the high officials hold an ivory tablet. An even earlier saying interprets ‘hold’ as ‘sacrifice.’ And before that, there’s an old almanac that speaks of the sages exiling the four evil beasts, scattering them across the heavens and earth, to control the chimerical demons.”

The Sage Teacher patted the head of the young boy in azure robes, smiling, “The green serpent is in its box.”

Reaching Mud Bottle Alley, Chen Lingjun once again led the way, first introducing the renovated Cao family ancestral home, then leading towards the adjacent residences of Chen Ping’an and Song Jixin. The Old Master walked slowly, taking a slight detour, stopping to look at a spot beneath his feet, where the kiln worker had buried the rouge case long ago.

The Water God kindles the fire.

The Azure Boy Celestial Lord is indeed making things difficult for people.

This Rain Master, in the ancient Heavenly Court, held the second highest position in the Water Department, second only to the Water God Li Liu.

The apothecary Old Yang erased all traces of the “dispersion of Dao,” and this dispersion was incredibly measured. It wasn’t a wholesale dump onto Chen Ping’an, but more like planting a seed in the young boy’s heart, gradually allowing it to bloom.

The ancient deities of the old Heavenly Court had no distinction between male and female in the way later generations perceived it. If one had to give a relatively accurate definition, it would be the distinction of Yin and Yang manifested from the Great Dao proposed by the Dao Ancestor.

In the heavy rain, the emaciated youth blocked a richly dressed peer in this alley, seizing the other’s neck.

The straw-sandaled boy once caught a small loach and casually gifted it to the snot-nosed kid, who raised it in a water tank.

Of course, there was also the kiln worker’s buried rouge case here.

Song Jixin squatted on the wall, watching the commotion. Chen Ping’an spoke up, saving Liu Xianyang.

During their journey together to the Great Sui Academy, after living together day and night, Li Huai, deep in his heart, was closest and most trusting of Chen Ping’an.

Countless similar “small matters” concealed extremely subtle and profound shifts in the hearts of men, transformations of divinity.

It wasn’t just Chen Ping’an’s silent gain, but also the loss of Chen Ping’an’s own divinity. This was the brilliance of Old Yang’s handiwork.

Each time he affirmed others, Chen Ping’an lost a portion of his divinity. However, each time he affirmed something after self-denial, he could quietly consume a portion of the accumulated divinity within him.

Moreover, Li Baoping’s innocent heart, all her whimsical thoughts and ideas, were, in a sense, a form of “returning to one.” Ma Kuxuan’s unbridled recklessness, was it not a form of purity? Li Huai’s boundless good fortune, Lin Shouyi’s almost innate familiarity with the “guarding one” method, Liu Xianyang’s extraordinary talent, learning everything quickly, possessing a level of mastery far surpassing ordinary people, Song Jixin’s use of dragon qi as the beginning of his cultivation, Zhi Gui’s potential for a complete transformation, taking a further step after restoring his true dragon form, Xie Ling of Peach Leaf Lane’s “accept, devour, digest” lineage of Dao arts as a path to ascension, the Fire God Ruan Xiu and Water God Li Liu’s overlooking of the mortal realm from the perspective of supreme divinity, constantly gathering fragmented humanity…

All the young generation of the small town, each served as a camouflage for the others.

In this silent and invisible contest for the Heavenly Dao, everyone originally had the hope of becoming that “one.”

The Old Master raised his arm, making a grasping motion above his head.

Three feet above one’s head, there are deities.

Ancient deities created the human race, using a handful of water as the foundation. The water they scooped came from the River of Time, and only then did they mold the earth into form, giving humanity its most rudimentary form and spirit.

Earlier, the Dao Ancestor casually mentioned the interdependence of mountains and rivers while chatting with Chen Lingjun. In the end, it all boiled down to the fundamental nature of humanity’s Great Dao. The vastness of the Hao Ran land was so, and so was man.

That is why Cui Dongshan once said that the three founders of the three religions, only on the matter of the Great Dao’s affinity for water, were in harmony, never arguing.

Fire refines into technique, and what is refined is precisely a portion of the pure divinity gifted to the human race by the deities. This is the Dao of fire refining gold.

Therefore, humans, who are born with divinity yet lack complete divinity, possess both the innate and the deficient, and thus have the seven emotions and six desires, with all their complex natures.

The so-called shaping of “golden branches and jade leaves” by cultivators is to use the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as branches and leaves, which is wood.

This is the earliest of the Five Elements.

And where does the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, suitable for all spiritual beings to cultivate and attain the Dao, ultimately come from? It is the remnants of the Heavenly Dao that did not completely merge into the River of Time after the corpses of many deities dissipated.

This determines why the human race is the most favored of all beings in the world, and why the demon race must abandon their innate advantage of physical resilience and refine a human form in order to cultivate and ascend.

In the beginning, the three founders of the three religions had an agreement with Old Yang: as long as the latter kept his oath, the eyes of the three founders would not gaze upon this place.

However, the three religions, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, were as one, and successive sages were responsible for watching over the Ascension Platform and the Sword Suppression Tower. After watching for so many years, in the end, they were still tricked.

Moreover, Old Yang never actually violated his oath in the end.

The Old Master smiled, thinking, indeed, one can only be a thief for a thousand days, but one cannot guard against a thief for a thousand days. However, the most fundamental reason was that the Azure Boy Celestial Lord’s final choice was too clever, and there were too many smokescreens. The most crucial thing was that Old Yang didn’t choose Chen Ping’an from the beginning, but constantly placed bets, adding chips little by little. This kind of behavior was too inconspicuous in Old Yang’s ten-thousand-year career of being confined to one place. Among the younger generation of the small town, which children, like Song Jixin, Zhao Yao, and Gu Can, didn’t receive a share, or even several shares, of roundabout gifts in their youth? On Chen Ping’an, Old Yang’s bets were actually very “stingy,” as if he only added fuel at several imperceptible key nodes, so that a lamp flame would remain flickering in the wind and rain, but never extinguish.

For example, forcing a five-year-old child to go up the mountain to gather herbs in order to exchange them for money at the apothecary, and then buy medicine to take home to cook.

“Equal exchange, as immovable as thunder,” this principle, how many adults, how many cultivators on the mountains, might live their whole lives without understanding it.
For instance, when Chen Pingan was a boy crossing that river, someone needed to lend a hand so he wouldn’t plunge into the raging flood. That’s when Old Yang appeared.

The Old Master glanced at the end of the alley, squinting his eyes. Sure enough, back then, the boy lingered in the alley, waiting from dusk till nightfall. Finally, someone opened their door, a result of the woman’s own kindness, but also Old Yang’s deliberate guidance… No, not the Azure Child Heavenly Lord! The Old Master took a step forward, leaning against the wall, one hand behind his back, the other with two fingers pinched together, gently plucking at that intangible thread.

Is it Old Yao, a reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha?

“Humanity is a cage bestowed upon mankind by the gods.”

“Freedom is a form of punishment.”

Buddhism speaks of inherent nature, emphasizing that the mind itself is Buddha. It hopes that people, with great perseverance, enlightenment, and compassion, can slightly alter their path at the summit that originally led to complete and pure divinity, forging a new road.

The Old Master turned his head, like a starving child standing in the alley, thin and malnourished. First, he heard the sound of a door opening. The child seemed hesitant to believe it, taking a few steps forward, then stopping, and seeing the dim light suddenly spilling out of the doorway into the alley. He blinked, finally gazing blankly at the woman who opened the door.

Hope in despair often arrives like this: not with joy at first, but with disbelief.

The light gradually radiating from the child’s eyes at that moment was so bright, like a pair of eyes possessing the sun and moon.

A lonely, destitute child in a poor alley, at that moment, bloomed with an unparalleled brilliance of humanity.

It was hope.

And this humanity and hope would sustain the child’s growth.

The Old Master turned his head, looking through the wall, gazing remotely at the future Book Scroll Lake, seeing that haggard-faced, spiritually withered accountant.

The Old Master retracted his gaze, sighing. That Cui Chan, who took the unorthodox path, wasn’t afraid that Chen Pingan would punch Gu Can to death, or simply walk away?

Once Chen Pingan’s lifeline of humanity was severed here, the aftereffects would be unimaginable. Later, Chen Pingan’s various travels and trials, especially the tempering of his heart as the Hidden Official, would make his ability to conceal mistakes infinitely close to Cui Chan’s self-deception, becoming imperceptible.

Damn you, Embroidered Tiger! With one slip, Chen Pingan might already be the one who “restores the old as the old, rather than creating something new.”

The Old Master muttered softly, cursing under his breath.

Chen Lingjun stood by his master’s door, feeling more at ease here.

The Old Master turned his head and smiled, “Jingqing, wait here for a moment. I’m going somewhere and will be back soon.”

Chen Lingjun immediately straightened his back and replied loudly, “Understood! I’ll stick here and won’t budge an inch!”

At a water god temple in Azure Luan Country, a River God temple occupying more than ten acres of land, luckily spared from the ravages of war, has been preserved, and its incense is becoming increasingly prosperous.

In the fourth courtyard’s veranda, the Old Master stood under that wall. The inscriptions on the wall included Pei Qian’s “Heaven and Earth Unite Qi” and “Pei Qian and Master Visited Here,” as well as Zhu Lian’s cursive script, mostly dry strokes and light ink, over a hundred characters, completed in one breath. However, the Old Master paid more attention to the two phrases in regular script above.

The Old Master looked up at the words, stroking his beard and smiling.

“The moon in the sky, the moon on earth, the moon on one’s shoulder while studying, the moon in one’s eyes while ascending to a high pavilion, a bamboo basket drawing water, shattered and round again.”

“The wind in the mountains, the wind by the water, the wind beneath one’s feet while traveling far on a sword, the wind turning pages in a sage’s study, the wind blowing duckweed, bringing encounters.”

What boundless scenery of wind and moon, shattered circles yet meet again.

Lu Chen, over at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, said the moon in the sky is gathering snow, and the snow on earth is shattered moon, ultimately speaking of the going and returning of the One.

And Zhu Lian’s inscription in cursive script on the wall, over a hundred characters, all belong to unintentional words. In fact, beyond the words, apart from the content, what is truly expressed is the meaning of “gathering like mountains, scattering like wind and rain,” the “gathering and scattering” of things. The Zhu Lian of the past, and the Lu Chen of the present, are a kind of mysterious and distant echo.

The Dao Ancestor landed with such a direct disciple who only liked to watch dramas and remain inactive, how could his words be forceful?

The Li Zhu Grotto Heaven ultimately caused such a big commotion. Lu Chen, who had set up a stall here for many years, contributed to the wave, he cannot escape responsibility.

This time, temporarily lending a body of Fourteenth Realm Dao techniques to Chen Pingan, and traveling with several sword cultivators to the depths of the Wilderness, is considered making amends for his mistakes.

The reason why the Dao Ancestor was willing to take another look earlier, the choice that Chen Pingan made as the young Hidden Official, was crucial.

Returning to Mud Bottle Alley.

The Old Master walked to Chen Lingjun’s side, looking at the yellow mud wall in the courtyard. One could imagine that when the owner of the house was young, carrying a basket of wild vegetables on his back, returning home from the river, he often held dogtail grass, stringing small fish, drying them into fish jerky, unwilling to waste anything. Crunchy, he would swallow the whole fish jerky, still not full, but able to survive.

The people regard food as heaven.

Grain and cloth are the foundation of the people’s livelihood and the country.

Every household, well-clothed and well-fed.

Travelers on the road, warmly dressed.

The Old Master stood outside the door, looking inside, silent for a long time.

Chen Lingjun leaned on the yellow mud wall, his feet dangling in the air, murmuring, “Venerable Sage Master, although my master is a sword immortal, a martial arts grandmaster, the master of Falling Mountain, the Hidden Official of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, I know that what my master yearns for most is to be a scholar with a clear conscience. It hasn’t been easy along the way. No matter how eloquently you explain the truth, the meal that one least wants to eat in the world is the meal made of charity from others, isn’t it? Because one has no home, one has no choice but to eat charity. And my master is nostalgic and most grateful. How did he get his affinity with elders? It didn’t fall from the sky. It’s because my master chatted with the elderly since he was a child. So, these years have actually been very hard. Every time he returns to his hometown, he comes here to sit, reminding himself not to forget his roots. You, old man, are the ancestral master of scholars, you can’t let others bully him.”

The Old Master smiled, “What if forgetting his roots would make your master’s life easier?”

Chen Lingjun said without hesitation, “May good people have a safe life, a safe life for good people!”

The Old Master smiled, “This is indeed a very beautiful thing, worth giving hope to.”
Chen Lingjun grinned, lying prone on the wall, finally able to do something for his Old Master.

The old scholar seemed to be in a good mood, patting the young boy in green on the shoulder with a smile, “Let’s go.”

Chen Lingjun released his grip and landed on the ground, puzzled. “Sage Confucius, where are we going next? To the Temple of Literature and Martial Arts?”

The old scholar smiled amiably, “You’ve already patted the shoulder of the Dao Ancestor, what’s one more? In the future, when discussing heroes over wine, who will be your match?”

Chen Lingjun was covered in sweat, waving his hands vigorously, speechless.

Sage Confucius, you’re setting me up!

The old scholar reached out and grabbed the young boy’s arm. “What are you afraid of? Don’t be so timid!”

Chen Lingjun stood his ground, leaning backward, almost bursting into tears on the spot, crying out, “I’m not going, really! My Old Master believes in Buddhism, and I follow suit, very sincerely! The number one principle of our Fallen Mountain is to treat people with sincerity…”

If Old Master found out, Chen Lingjun would be beaten to death.

At the entrance of Fallen Mountain, a table was placed on one side, and on the other, a young girl in black, carrying a golden carrying pole on her shoulder, a green bamboo cane across her lap, and a small cloth satchel slung over her shoulder, sat on a small bamboo chair.

She saw an old Daoist standing by the table. Rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things, the young girl leaned her walking stick and golden carrying pole against the bamboo chair, stood up immediately, and trotted to the tall old Daoist’s side, stopping and looking up to ask, “Old Daoist, are you thirsty? We have tea here for guests.”

The young girl added, “Free of charge!”

Seeing that the old Daoist didn’t speak, Xiaomi Li said again, “Haha, it’s just that our tea isn’t famous. The tea leaves come from the old tea trees on our mountain, roasted by the old cook himself, it’s this year’s new tea.”

The old Daoist nodded and sat on the long bench.

He was less angry than he had been in the small town.

Otherwise, this debt would have to be settled with Chen Ping’an. Dealing with that little reptile would be beneath his dignity.

In barren lands, great things do not grow; in shallow waters, great fish do not swim.

Before Xiaomi Li went to boil water and brew tea, she opened her cloth satchel and took out a large handful of melon seeds, placing them on the table. Actually, she had melon seeds in both sleeves; the young girl was showing off to outsiders.

Xiaomi Li asked, “Old Daoist, is that enough? I have more if you need it.”

The old Daoist thought of that “Daoist Jingqing” again, similar words but worlds apart. The old Daoist managed a rare smile, saying, “It’s enough.”

The young girl in black told the old Daoist to wait a moment, then busied herself.

Soon, she brought a tin of tea leaves and a pot of boiling water, poured a bowl of tea for the old Daoist, and then took her leave.

The old Daoist asked with a smile, “Little girl, won’t you sit for a while?”

The young girl shook her head vigorously. “No, Sister Nuan Shu doesn’t allow it, saying it makes guests uncomfortable drinking tea.”

Xiaomi Li finally reminded, “Right, the tea’s just boiled, Old Daoist, be careful it’s hot.”

The old Daoist smiled, the sincere words reminded him of that mud-legged fellow who barged into the Lotus Flower Paradise carrying a “Long Qi”.

Human affairs are as numerous as hairs, my little matters are as big as buckets.

The old Daoist raised the teacup and asked with a smile, “You are the Right Protector of Fallen Mountain, aren’t you?”

Zhou Xiaomi Li, who was about to turn around, nodded vigorously immediately.

The young girl smiled, her small face, large eyes, and two sparse yellow eyebrows, all radiated joy.

If the old Daoist had been so forthcoming earlier, she would have sat down without hesitation.

Xiaomi Li sat on the long bench, cracking melon seeds without disturbing the old Daoist’s tea.

Suddenly, she noticed that the old cook had somehow arrived at the mountain gate. Xiaomi Li clapped her hands, asking curiously, “Old Cook, why did you come down the mountain today? Have you finished reading the book?”

Zhu Lian smiled, “Not yet, I have to read it slowly.”

Xiaomi Li turned to look at the old Daoist, covering her mouth with her hand. “Old Daoist, Old Cook is our Fallen Mountain’s chief steward, his cooking is superb! If you two hit it off, you’ll be in for a treat.”

The old Daoist nodded. “Even if an unwelcome guest arrives, being treated like this by the little girl, one must seek harmony and wealth. Fellow travelers of the world, we might hit it off.”

Zhu Lian smiled, “Xiaomi Li, can you let me have a few words with this old Daoist alone?”

Xiaomi Li nodded obediently, then opened her cloth satchel again, pouring some melon seeds on the table for both the old cook and the old Daoist, sat on the long bench, turned her butt, landed firmly on the ground, then turned around, cupped her fist and bid farewell, leaving.

Zhu Lian and the old Daoist cupped their fists, then sat down again, facing each other, pouring himself a bowl of tea.

The old Daoist smiled amiably, “Why hide it? What a waste of a good face that can please heaven and earth.”

Zhu Lian dismissed it with a smile.

Meeting at the peak of cultivation, one still sees the guardian of the past.

The old Daoist asked, “When will you wake up from your dream?”

The most promising to be ranked among the Fifteen Realm great cultivators, after the Three Teachings founders, you are one of them.

Zhu Lian answered irrelevantly, “Life is like a book, all the people and events we encounter are foreshadowing in the book.”

The old Daoist nodded. “So there is no coincidence in books. Some coincidences are wonderfully indescribable, such as being far away and yet so close, Chen Shi Yi. Chen is One. One is Chen.”