Beneath the Azure Canopy, at the Xuan Du Temple.

Within a peach blossom forest, an aged Taoist priest walked shoulder to shoulder with a delicate-featured youth, wearing a tiger-head hat. Behind them trailed a portly figure, eyes darting about, searching the ground for fallen peach branches.

The contingent of wandering swordsmen from the Great Wall of Sword Qi had taken residence in the Azure Canopy’s White Jade Capital’s Divine Firmament City, the Sui Chu Palace, and the Xuan Du Temple.

The Xuan Du Temple only received this avaricious fatty. However, the young swordsman and the old abbot found each other remarkably congenial, or perhaps only *thought* they did.

In any case, Yan Zhuo had been secretly trading under the abbot’s banner for years, and his ventures were not small. The Xuan Du Temple was a behemoth. Its affiliated mountain peaks were too numerous to count on two hands, not to mention the dozens of dynasties and vassal states that depended upon it. Even considering the Xuan Du Temple’s direct lineage, there were nearly one hundred thousand Taoist officials under its jurisdiction.

The old abbot simply turned a blind eye. In any case, the money stayed within the family. If Yan, the fatty, could ever swindle money from White Jade Capital and deliver it to him, he’d gladly award him a gilded plaque. He might even have Lu, the Third, inscribe the characters.

After contemplating for a long while, the old abbot finally decided to be frank, “Bai Ye, would you be willing to serve as the abbot of the Xuan Du Temple in the future?”

Bai Ye didn’t seem surprised. He shook his head and said straightforwardly, “An impossibility.”

The old abbot nodded, “I knew that would be the answer, but I couldn’t resist asking, just in case.”

After a moment of silence, the old abbot asked again, “If you’re unwilling to be the abbot, with all its mundane affairs – the temple director would be even more troublesome than being abbot, so that’s out of the question. Then, how about becoming an Upper Seat?”

The abbot of a Taoist temple could be a mere figurehead or an active leader. If they wished to manage matters, they could oversee everything, down to the smallest details. If they were unwilling, it was merely a nominal position, and they could leave everything to the temple director. The Upper Seats, however, were revered as the pillars of Taoist monasteries, the models for Taoist disciples. Only Taoists of eminent virtue and mastery of the law could be qualified to fulfill the role. By this standard, they would exemplify the sangha and be the eyes of heaven and humanity.

It was somewhat similar to a mountain sect in the Vast Expanse, where one person served as both chief reverent and guest elder.

Bai Ye still shook his head, “I truly do not wish to be distracted.”

The old abbot sighed, “Even if you, Bai Ye, were willing to be a deacon, I wouldn’t have the face to allow it, lest I become a laughingstock to the Azure Canopy.”

In general, larger Taoist temples had eight great deacons, as well as three prefects, five principals, and eighteen leaders.

Sensing the somber atmosphere, Yan Zhuo volunteered, “Old Abbot, if you don’t mind, this junior would be willing to take on the role of abbot, Upper Seat, or anything else…”

The old abbot had already nodded and interjected, “I do mind.”

Yan Zhuo wasn’t insane enough to aspire to be the abbot or an Upper Seat of the Xuan Du Temple. He had only begun plotting some years ago, feeling that with his deep friendship with the old abbot, he should consider the position of master of the Ten Directions Cloud Water Hall, which was specifically responsible for settling itinerant Taoists from all walks of life. Although it didn’t involve much direct profit, Yan Zhuo had his own methods to broaden his financial path, certainly not through illicit means.

The old abbot suddenly said, “Yan, the fatty, when you ascend to the Jade Purity Realm one day, this old priest will find an opportunity to convene a meeting of the Ancestral Hall and casually mention it, recommending you as the steward-deacon. But let me state beforehand that I haven’t managed affairs for a long time, and my prestige within the temple is insufficient. I may not succeed, so don’t take it too seriously after hearing it today. It would be best if it works out, but don’t blame this old priest for being ineffective if it doesn’t.”

Yan Zhuo rubbed his hands and chuckled, “I understand, I understand. Easy to say, easy to say.”

The steward-deacon, one of the eight great deacons, was, given the immense scale and wealth of the Xuan Du Temple, roughly equivalent to the Minister of Revenue of a large earthly dynasty.

The old abbot turned to look in one direction, then took his leave. Bai Ye hesitated, but the old abbot smiled knowingly, “If there is an opportunity, replenish the peach blossoms.”

The old abbot traversed the mountains and rivers in a single step, arriving at another part of the peach forest, by a stream, where stood a female Taoist, with a face of a maiden, yet hair white as snow.

The old abbot made a respectful bow and said in a low voice, “Senior Sister.”

The maiden simply nodded in acknowledgment, gazing up at the sky.

The Xuan Du Temple had always claimed to the outside world that she was in secluded cultivation.

In reality, she was traveling and cultivating everywhere, and her merit was now fulfilled. Only then had she returned to the Xuan Du Temple.

She quietly awaited the opportune moment, waiting for the rain.

It was both a profound plan of preparedness and a rather helpless act of necessity.

Therefore, appearing this time, she would not put on any airs of a senior sister with little Sun.

The “maiden” withdrew her gaze and looked down at the stream, murmuring, “Peach blossoms float away aimlessly on the flowing water.”

This line came from Bai Ye’s “Reply to a Layman’s Questions in the Mountains.”

Her name was Wang Sun, her Taoist name “Empty Mountain”. She was once recognized as the most talented Taoist official in the history of the Xuan Du Temple. It could even be said that several of her junior brothers had been beaten by her since they were little, including the current abbot, Sun Huaizhong.

“Enlightened in childhood” was the world’s praise for her. “White hair, no accomplishment” was her evaluation of herself.

At the Sui Chu Palace, outside the Crane Tower, the river rolled eastward, with a pillar in the middle, one of the few Dragon-Resting Stones in the world, surrounded by buildings and numerous cliff carvings.

The old Nascent Soul swordsman, Cheng Quan, was standing on the cliffside, watching the water with an old friend. However, there was a significant difference in their heights. Beside the old swordsman stood a child with a delicate face, but he seemed prematurely aged.

It was none other than Nalan Shaowei, one of the Ten Peak Swordsmen of the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

His “appearance” was slightly later than Chen Xi of Flying Ascensions City, simply because the Sui Chu Palace had been too gracious, mobilizing their resources to find him a celestial shell of a great cultivator in the Ascension Realm, and even a rare shell left behind by a swordsman who had dispersed into immortality.

On the high tower by the river, a young Taoist official stood leaning against the railing, filled with scholarly air, gazing at the opposite bank, lost in thought. A river of water seemed like an impassable chasm.

One side was crowded like ants, the other side had few figures. Because in this person’s eyes, it was as if this river was a boundary line, with a Fourteenth Realm great cultivator on one side and sentient beings below the Fourteenth Realm on the other.

Nalan Shaowei glanced at the young Taoist official in the Crane Tower. He seemed like a scholar, and casually said, “The cultivators of Sui Chu Palace are either in secluded cultivation or preparing for it. Why do I often see this guy strolling on the tower?”
Cheng Quan said, “His name is Gao Ping, with two Daoist titles, ‘Taihang’ and ‘Zouge’. Sounds profound. Gao Ping is the Registrar Daoist Officer of the Suichu Palace, seemingly for many years, but he hasn’t been promoted. He’s always been responsible for the registration and petitioning of all palace Daoists’ records and degrees. However, besides his formal Registrar identity, Gao Ping seems to have a unique official position in the Suichu Palace, ‘Literary’. Anyway, it’s something I’ve never heard of before. If Hidden Official were here, he would definitely understand the twists and turns of it.”

Nalan Shaowei nodded, “It’s an ancient official position from Haoran Heaven, quite old. The official hat is small, but without some learning, you definitely can’t hold this position. It’s not really used much these days.”

Cheng Quan looked at Nalan Shaowei with a surprised expression.

Nalan Shaowei laughed and scolded, “What kind of look is that? What’s so strange about me knowing the origin of ‘Literary’? It’s as if you’ve discovered that Chen Pingan doesn’t know it.”

Cheng Quan said with a smile, “If we’re talking about swordsmanship, you’re temporarily a notch above Hidden Official, I admit that. But if we’re talking about comparing the ink in your belly, you really can’t compare. You just got lucky.”

Nalan Shaowei changed the subject, “Have you dealt with him?”

Cheng Quan nodded, “I’ve met him a few times in the building and by the river. He’s a quiet person, didn’t chat much. Regarding him, there are some rumors in the Suichu Palace that he only gets along with that year-guardian called Xiaobai. He seems to like playing chess. Palace Master Wu occasionally participates, but there’s a strange rule that both sides only play the first forty moves.”

Nalan Shaowei nodded, “I also used to play chess with Sun Juyuan and the others back then, winning more than losing.”

Cheng Quan asked, “Do you really know how many lines there are on a chessboard?”

Nalan Shaowei said angrily, “You’re just being a smart aleck.”

Cheng Quan smiled, “Want to spar?”

Nalan Shaowei ignored this expert, who was in the top three of the Sword Qi Great Wall’s trash-talking, and just looked at the young-looking Registrar Daoist Officer, hoping to have a few games of chess with him if he had the chance.

From the Crane Tower, Gao Ping said with a mental voice, “When Sword Immortal Nalan has time, he can come here as a guest. I would like to review the last battle of the Sword Qi Great Wall with Sword Immortal Nalan.”

Nalan Shaowei laughed, “I don’t understand those superficial things. You’ve found the wrong person. You need to chat with those young people in the Bishu Palace about this.”

Gao Ping smiled, “Sword Immortal Nalan is being modest. It’s just a theoretical discussion.”

Nalan Shaowei remained noncommittal.

After Gao Ping bowed and paid his respects, he turned and walked into the Crane Tower. After closing the door, the Registrar Daoist Officer’s eyes fell on a map of the Nine Provinces, which had subtle changes almost every year.

In the future, Wu Shuangjiang, the Palace Master of Suichu Palace’s White Jade City, may only account for half of the success.

The other half is precisely the Nine Provinces encompassed by this map.

The wind and snow were vast, the snowflakes as large as palms.

A barefoot purple-robed monk walked alone on the border between two states, leaving no trace in the snow. He came to a desolate and barren place where spiritual energy was thin and almost non-existent, and looked out at a cliff.

There was a master in the mountain.

A ninety-generation monk, sitting precariously in the deep valley. Eternal and everlasting, the noble spirit does not fall.

Jiang Xiu, who had parted ways with Ya Xiang Yao Qing and left the Qing God Dynasty, came here to hear the other party’s opinion.

After receiving that ambiguous answer, Jiang Xiu just smiled and continued his travels.

He quietly entered the territory of You Province.

In Zhulu County, which is said to be the site of an ancient battlefield, there is a Chan River Bridge in a place called Jiamaying.

A village woman walked out of a Bronze Camel Lane, carrying a pole across the bridge.

Two bamboo baskets were hanging on each end of the pole, with two children sitting inside the baskets.

Jiang Xiu smiled, “She’s carrying two ancestors.”

In a remote area of You Province, there is a small Daoist temple called Zhuxu Temple.

Outside the door, on the narrow street, there was a book stall set up at the street corner. There were both martial arts novels and picture books, comic books. They were only rented, not sold. It cost one copper coin to read a book.

Some children wearing open-crotch pants and a few idle young ruffians sat on the high and low benches, flipping through books and chatting about vulgar things.

The stall owner was a fair-skinned young Daoist with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a strong build. His name was Mao Zhui, and he had no Daoist title yet.

Zhuxu Temple was a small Daoist temple in a small county town, but it had all the necessary facilities. Mao Zhui was the steward of the small Daoist temple, that is, the one in charge of the food.

But he was still a Daoist official of the lower ranks. When walking on the road, people would address him with a “Lord” suffix.

And his master was the reception Daoist of the temple, second only to the abbot and supervisor in status, the third in command.

The young Daoist official couldn’t make much money setting up a book stall here. When he was young, he was a mountain runner, going into the mountains to collect herbs, catch centipedes, weave cricket cages, and doing anything to make money.

Logically speaking, he was a Daoist official, and his appearance wasn’t bad either, so he shouldn’t be single. But the problem was that the neighbors all said that this Lord Mao steward seemed to be a bit slow-witted. He often stared blankly, or suddenly had tears streaming down his face while eating, but without a sound. Over time, no one dared to propose marriage to him. Otherwise, which Daoist official with a degree wouldn’t be a hot commodity?

Mao Zhui had a packet of soy sauce meat wrapped in oiled paper in his hand, with seven or eight garlic cloves inside. He was chewing slowly and carefully.

A young Daoist came down the street, wearing a mixed yuan scarf with a hard brim, revealing his hair tied in a bun, held in place by a yellow poplar hairpin.

The Daoist from out of town stopped, looked up at the plaque of the small Daoist temple, and said with a smile, “A good ‘replenishing emptiness with abundance’, taking from the excess to make up for the deficiency.”

The way to maintain balance is to reduce excess, so as to avoid the regret of a dragon exceeding its limits and the transgression of heaven and earth.

The young Daoist turned and smiled at Mao Zhui.

A large state, a small country, a large county, a small county, a small Daoist temple, but a great cultivator.

Not “seems to be”, but “is”.

Because the people in the Daoist temple, and the Daoist temple itself, are all transformed from this Daoist.

Mao Zhui turned to look at the person, sighed, “Closing the stall.”

The children were immediately unhappy, and Mao Zhui had no choice but to say, “Next time, everyone can read three books, and it won’t cost any money.”

Anyway, there wouldn’t be a next time.

The children cheered and scattered.
As for those few robust young men, they didn’t make a fuss, just cursed a few times stubbornly and left. Mainly they felt that the out-of-town Daoist didn’t seem like a pushover.

The young Daoist smiled and said, “It took a great deal of effort to find this place. No wonder Sect Leader Lu couldn’t find you.”

Maozhui said, “It’s not that he can’t find me, it’s that he doesn’t need to find me for the time being.”

The young Daoist laughed, “Either way, this poor Daoist has arrived a step ahead.”

“The Azure God Dynasty cannot protect you. Yao Qing has too many concerns, and his cultivation is a bit lacking, so he consulted with this poor Daoist.”

“With the activation of the Grand Array of my Earth Lung Mountain, and you hiding in the Patriarch’s Cave of the Huayang Palace, protecting you for a hundred years shouldn’t be a problem. Anyway, all the expenses of opening the mountain gate array can be reimbursed by the Azure God Dynasty for this poor Daoist.”

Maozhui sneered, “Aren’t you worried that he’ll be right in front of you in the next moment?”

“Firstly, this poor Daoist’s attainments in array formations and methods of concealing heavenly secrets are not too shabby.”

The young Daoist walked over to the stall, picked out a long bench and sat down, smiling, “Furthermore, Xuandu Temple and the Suichu Palace are already ‘openly’ at odds with the White Jade Capital, adding another Earth Lung Mountain wouldn’t be much of a surprise. True invincibility, after all.”

In a great nation of You Province, whose national strength is no less than that of the Azure God Dynasty of Bing Province, the Hongnong Yang clan has been the backbone of the imperial court since ancient times. And the Yang clan has always been the biggest benefactor of the Huayang Palace. Not just incense money, but many Daoist officials of the Earth Lung Mountain come from the Hongnong Yang clan.

Anyone who falls into the hands of the White Jade Capital within a hundred years, those sins that could be punished or not will certainly be severely punished, and those who could be killed or not will definitely be killed.

These are actually nothing. Anyway, everyone knows that Yu Dou never deliberately targets anyone, he just deals with matters as they are.

The problem is that every time this Daoist Second Master interrogates those who violate the rules, he punishes them or executes them heavily, not only dealing with the matter at hand but also pursuing the “failure to teach is the teacher’s fault,” forcing the entire mountain peak to lower its head. This was fine. But once, a young man from Earth Lung Mountain, who had been stripped of his Daoist license and would never be allowed to be employed as a Daoist official, refused to accept it, not for himself, but for his master and the mountain peak, and insisted on demanding an explanation and justice from Daoist Second Master.

And this person was not only from the Hongnong Yang clan but also the youngest disciple of this “young Daoist.”

As a result, after a great uproar, this official from the Yang family not only had his sins compounded but also implicated his family with “the father’s fault for not teaching his son.” It didn’t cripple the Hongnong Yang clan, but at least…

Back then, a highly respected old Daoist, one of the ten in the Azure Darkness Heaven, stood on the border of the White Jade Capital that time, looking from afar at the Five Cities and Twelve Towers of that White Jade Capital.

And he was the old ancestor of the Earth Lung Mountain’s Huayang Palace, Gao Gu, with the Daoist name “Giant Mountain.” Universally acknowledged as the number one alchemist in several heavens.

Maozhui shook his head, “You still underestimate that person too much.”

Gao Gu smiled, “How about putting it another way, Gao Gu overestimated himself?”

Maozhui twitched the corner of his mouth, “That joke sounds pretty good.”

“Fellow Daoist Chunyang once said, ‘A golden elixir in my belly, only then do I know my fate is not up to heaven.'”

Gao Gu said, “We are fortunate to be born as humans, and also able to climb mountains and cultivate the Dao. The thing we seek, to put it plainly, at its root, is nothing more than to maintain our humanity. As for you, White Bone Real Person, after all, you are not a mere walking corpse, but seeking humanity, proving the Dao of the self. Fellow Daoist, do you agree?”

Maozhui was silent for a moment, then said, “Let me finish my braised pork and garlic cloves.”

In Hong Prefecture’s Yuzhang County, a new Lumberyard was established in Great Li.

And Yuzhou, which is connected to Hong Prefecture, had previously established a Weaving Bureau, nominally managing the supervision and weaving of textile products required for imperial and official use within the prefecture. The first director was a young official named Li Baozhen, who came from the battlefield and had military achievements. But even the Prefectural Governor was not qualified to consult and review this person’s files.

When Li Weaving took office, he only brought two personal guards, who served as assistant officials in the Weaving Bureau, both surnamed Zhu.

According to local chronicles in the territory of Yuzhou in Great Li, a huge sound often occurs inexplicably around noon, as loud as thunder, hence the name Yuzhou.

Late tonight, Weaving Official Li Baozhen brought two assistant officials from the Weaving Bureau to visit the Lumberyard of Yuzhang County.

The three people met Lin Zhengcheng, and Li Baozhen performed the ceremony of a junior, cupping his hands and said, “Uncle Lin, this nephew takes the liberty of visiting.”

Lin Zhengcheng, who was sitting by the fireplace in the study guarding the night, only nodded in acknowledgement.

Seeing that Li Baozhen seemed to intend to continue standing and speaking, Lin Zhengcheng used the fire tongs to poke the charcoal a few times, and pressed down a few times, indicating that the three visitors should not stand, “Anyway, we won’t talk about official business tonight, and we are all fellow villagers, so sit down and chat casually.”

In fact, given the status of both parties, it was impossible to talk about any official business. The newly established Weaving Bureau of Yuzhou and the Lumberyard of Hong Prefecture were similar to the earliest Dragon Spring County Kiln Supervisor, both belonging to a kind of “submerged” institution of the Great Li imperial court. The confidential memorials of the yamen directly reached the Emperor’s ears. If the two chief officials secretly contacted each other and conspired something, it would be a great taboo in the officialdom. But general personal exchanges

, there is no need to deliberately alienate too much. As for the scale of this period, it depends on the practice of each official, just like tonight’s meeting, both Lin Zhengcheng and Li Baozhen will actively record the file, and even if they intend to conceal it, there will definitely be some officials in the Weaving Bureau or the Lumberyard who will let His Majesty the Emperor know about it.

According to the newly compiled Code of Laws of the Great Li, the Weaving Bureau of Yuzhou is much higher in rank than the Lumberyard of Yuzhang County. Li Baozhen, as the chief official of the Weaving Bureau, has the official rank of the fourth rank, plus some hidden powers. It is no exaggeration to say that Li Weaving is half a regional official.

The four people sat around the fireplace, with an iron net clamped on the fire basin, roasting golden brown rice cakes and tofu cubes, which was probably a midnight snack.

The father and daughter surnamed Zhu had already left their low status and followed their young master Li Baozhen, venturing outside for more than 20 years. After the polishing of the officialdom practice and some different battlefield killings without swords and shadows, Zhu He and his daughter Zhu Lu are now a Golden Body Realm martial artist and a Sixth Realm martial artist, respectively, the latter having just broken through the realm at the beginning of this year.

The old martial artist is nearly sixty years old, with slight frost on his temples.

Lin Zhengcheng turned to look at the old man and smiled, “Zhu He, we haven’t seen each other for many years, have we?”

Zhu He smiled and nodded, “It must have been twenty years since the last time we met.”
In those years, Lin Zhengcheng was among the first locals to leave Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, relocating to the capital. While Zhu He was a retainer of the Li family on Fortune Street, a hereditary servant, Lin Zhengcheng, in his younger days in the town, had been a minor official in the Construction Office. He often accompanied the supervising official to inspect the kilns. Since the Li family owned their own dragon kiln, managed by Zhu He, the two frequently crossed paths and were quite familiar with each other.

Lin Zhengcheng turned and asked, “Zhu Lu, have you married?”

The woman appeared slightly reserved, gently shaking her head. “I have not yet married.”

Lin Zhengcheng nodded. “I knew you’ve always been ambitious.”

Zhu Lu blushed slightly.

Li Baozhen actually envied this father and daughter, being able to reminisce with Lin Zhengcheng. Unlike him, his visit to this lumberyard today was merely to pay respects to a local power.

Regarding Lin Zhengcheng, this seemingly unassuming former official of the Construction Office, Li Baozhen only needed one clue to gauge his depth.

Just as a dignified Governor of Yu Prefecture, a rank 3 official, couldn’t access the files of a weaving official, a rank 4 official, within his own jurisdiction – that was Li Baozhen’s confidence.

And Li Baozhen, as the former chief of intelligence for the entire southeastern region of Treasure Bottle Continent, had access to numerous confidential Dali intelligence files. From Lin Zhengcheng’s seemingly detailed and unremarkable resume, as well as his subsequent position in the Dali capital’s Bureau of Rapid Reports, Li Baozhen sensed an extremely subtle abnormality. He even formed a chilling hypothesis: this Uncle Lin, who he remembered as stern in his youth, might be a key pawn planted by the Imperial Advisor Cui Chan in Lizhu Grotto-Heaven. This seemingly insignificant pawn might even influence the entire trajectory of the Dali Dynasty. This was Li Baozhen’s political intuition.

Lin Zhengcheng glanced at the formally seated Weaving Official Li. Not young anymore, past forty, holding a rank 4 position. Putting aside his status as a confidant of the Emperor, the Weaving Bureau was, after all, a special institution of the Dali Dynasty, a “cold bench” department on the periphery of the officialdom. Therefore, he wasn’t as prominent as Cao Gengxin or Yuan Zhengding, disciples of the noble surname. However, some people seemed born for the officialdom. Moreover, within the entire deeply rooted Li family of Fortune Street, Li Baozhen was the only one involved in official affairs.

Lin Zhengcheng gently stirred the charcoal fire with tongs, its embers buried in ash. He said calmly, “When a person uses their intelligence, it’s like burning charcoal for warmth. You must learn to conceal your brilliance in order to burn for a long time.”

Li Baozhen nodded and smiled. “Besides being thrifty and saving charcoal, one must also increase wisdom. Logging and burning charcoal is one way, buying charcoal is another. Moreover, in the cold winter, when burning charcoal for warmth, besides controlling the fire yourself, you must also be mindful of those sitting around the brazier, trying to ensure that no one feels the temperature is too hot.”

Lin Zhengcheng nodded, impressed with his ability to draw inferences. He was an intelligent man, easy to converse with.

The three siblings of the younger generation of the Li family of Fortune Street truly seemed to fulfill that prophecy.

Lin Zhengcheng casually asked, “Having been an official for so many years, what are your insights?”

“Never underestimate anyone.”

Li Baozhen said, “Emperors and generals, peddlers and laborers, mountain immortals, ghosts and monsters, each has their own merits. One should especially pay attention to this: the lowest of the low may possess the highest wisdom.”

Zhu Lu hesitated, then said softly, “Uncle Lin, over the years, the Young Master has always liked to associate with people from all walks of life, but his interactions with Dali officials have been relatively few.”

Lin Zhengcheng smiled. “A dragon lurking in the depths.”

Li Baozhen’s expression remained unchanged.

Lin Zhengcheng said, “He’s still lacking something to earn the praise of ‘a dragon appearing in the field’. Of course, I’m just a worker in the lumberyard, merely meeting a younger member of my hometown and unable to resist saying a few words as an elder. I’m not a high-ranking official in the Dali Ministry of Rites. Weaving Official Li needn’t take it too seriously.”

Li Baozhen laughed. “It’s only after leaving home for many years that one realizes how precious the old words of the elders back home are.”

Unlike people from ordinary places, who feel their hometown grows smaller the further and longer they are away, these young people from Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, the more successful they become, the more they feel the “greatness” and unfathomable depth of their hometown.

After chatting casually for about half an hour, Lin Zhengcheng still spoke little, mostly Li Baozhen initiating conversation. Zhu He would also interject with anecdotes from the past. Lin Zhengcheng never showed any sign of impatience.

Li Baozhen took his leave, taking Zhu He and Zhu Lu away from the lumberyard. After leaving the prefecture city, Li Baozhen, to accommodate Zhu Lu, summoned a talisman boat, returning to Yu Prefecture, but not directly to the Weaving Bureau. Instead, they headed to a mountain peak.

The night was dark and heavy. Li Baozhen, with nothing to do, sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, picking up a ball of light formed from spiritual energy. The talisman boat sped through the night sky, leaving a trail like a fleeting firefly.

The father and daughter remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

Zhu He had been a Rank 7 martial artist for many years. With a few more years of tempering his body, he could hopefully achieve the Distant Journey Realm purely as a martial artist. According to the Second Young Master’s arrangement, once he reached the Distant Journey Realm, he would be transferred from the Weaving Bureau to a local military position. The official rank wouldn’t be too high, but with military merit and being a Distant Journey Realm martial artist, it wouldn’t be too low either. Then, establishing an ancestral hall, compiling a family genealogy, and enshrining ancestral tablets would no longer be a pipe dream. Zhu He, a martial artist of humble origins, would be bringing honor to his ancestors with such accomplishments.

Zhu He had never been a particularly ambitious person. If not to repay the Li family’s kindness, and for the long-term prospects of his only daughter Zhu Lu, he would have preferred to leave the officialdom and settle down in the Jianghu of some country in the southern region of Treasure Bottle Continent, far from the Dali Dynasty, either establishing a sect or opening a martial arts academy.

Zhu Lu’s feelings were complex.

Having been away from home for many years, Zhu Lu, no longer a young girl, occasionally wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn’t left that group of students back then.

Back then, the group had left the town, passed the Dragon Beard River and the Iron Talisman River, passed Chess Mound Mountain, and finally arrived at Red Candle Town. Then, there had been that incident, and they had parted ways.

If they hadn’t separated, would she have gone to the Great Sui Academy?

Li Baoping, she and her father. Lin Shouyi, Li Huai, and that person.

Zhu Lu felt that the two groups back then, although traveling together, were two completely different types of people.
During their journey, they encountered a man wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a saber, leading a donkey. He called himself A Liang, the “Liang” meaning good, and claimed to be a swordsman.

He further proclaimed his swordsmanship was unrivaled, peerless under the heavens. When serious, even he found himself frightening. His swordplay flowed like water, impenetrable, allowing not a single drop to wet his clothes. A dampened corner was considered a failure of his technique… Thus, whenever they passed a river, Li Huai would force A Liang to stand on the bank while he gathered stones to toss, just so A Liang could show off his so-called swordsmanship. Or he’d count the days until it rained, eager to witness the swordsman’s skill.

The constant commotion and banter eventually led even the honest Zhu He to suspect that this seemingly profound swordsman was nothing more than a boastful charlatan.

As it turned out, at the confluence of the three rivers, like the merging and separation of the waters, three vastly different paths in life diverged.

She and her father, crestfallen, left Red Candle Town to follow the Second Young Master of the Li family of Fortune Street.

Li Bao Ping and her companions continued towards the Grand Sui’s Cliff Academy.

As for that roguish lecher, he actually tore open the firmament on that very day, ascending to the Azure Vault realm. And he even managed to exchange blows, both fists and swords, with the Second Sect Leader of White Jade Capital. Furthermore, as a sword cultivator, he attained the Fourteenth Realm…

Lin Shouyi, once a temple priest of the Central Grand Dike, was already a Yuan Ying stage cultivator and reportedly entered seclusion recently.

Li Bao Ping had become a Gentleman of the academy. Even Li Huai had inexplicably become a Sage of the Grand Sui’s Cliff Academy.

As for that one individual, he was… forging ahead, a solitary rider on the “mountain road” of his future.

After hearing this, the study group at the border of Great Li gained three more members: the white-robed youth, Cui Dongshan, leading the two Lu clan remnants, Yu Lu and Xie Xie, on a journey to Great Sui.

Yu Lu, the crown prince of the fallen Lu kingdom, was already a Distant Travels realm martial artist, and reaching the Summit realm was practically assured. Xie Xie had also long become a Terrestrial Immortal.

Apart from Li Bao Ping, the young mistress of Fortune Street’s Li family, the rest of them were simply an incomprehensible group of… monsters.

Especially that Chen fellow, the dirt-stained peasant, straw sandals and a wood-chopping knife, who had once been a gaunt, charcoal-skinned youth.

Later, after learning that he had successively purchased numerous peaks, including the Declining Mountain, gradually imbuing it with the aura of a mountain immortal estate,

she began to harbor some concerns but believed that as long as she followed the Second Young Master, she would be safe from all troubles.

Later still, when Declining Mountain sought an audience with Orthodox Yang Mountain, Zhu Lu grew even more anxious. However, her father reassured her, saying that that person was of a simple and honest nature and would definitely not hold a grudge against them.

Then, a mountain-and-water dispatch from the Mountain and Sea Sect of the Central Earth Continent threw Zhu Lu into a complete panic.

Zhu He noticed the heavy thoughts weighing on his daughter and softly asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Zhu Lu smiled and shook her head. “Nothing.”

Within Yu Province, there was a scenic spot known as Sky Candle Peak.

A solitary peak that stood tall, its golden sea of clouds at sunrise and sunset created a magnificent view.

A middle-aged but unwedded military general of real power was spending the night in a mountain Taoist temple, preparing to watch the sunrise.

The man was from a vassal state of Great Li but had already risen to the high position of General of Yu Province. The civil official Liu Qingfeng and the military general Cao Mao were both famous officials from outside the original Great Li territories.

According to Great Li’s imperial regulations, the highest a military general could reach was the position of Circuit Overseer, holding the highest rank, First Grade. Once this step was reached, there were no higher official positions, only the distinctions of posthumous titles and honorary ranks. Next were the Twelve Generals of the Four Campaigns, Four Suppressions, and Four Pacifications, half of whom had followed Song Changjing to the Savage Lands. The remaining half were stationed along the long border of the Central Treasure Bottle Continent. Then there were the generals of each province, but not all provinces had them. Great Li only established them in strategically important places like Yu Province.

Late at night, Cao Mao dismissed his military escorts and a accompanying cultivator, leaving the imperially-ordained Taoist temple to ascend Sky Candle Peak. He found a flat spot, moved some stones to form a seat, and sat in silence.

Cao Mao suddenly narrowed his eyes. A talismanic boat swiftly approached, slightly altering its course, bypassing the Taoist temple, ascending higher, and landing gracefully near the peak.

Cao Mao saw the three people on the talismanic boat and remained unmoved, showing no intention of rising to greet them.

A Fourth-Rank textile official from Fortune Street in Carp Pearl Grotto Heaven – there was no private friendship to speak of. They had only met a few times, hardly acquaintances. In terms of official business, both were serving in Yu Province, and neither had authority over the other.

Li Baozhen cupped his fist and smiled, “Greetings, General Cao.”

Cao Mao merely nodded, without asking their purpose.

Li Baozhen moved forward, crouching down to the side. Zhu He and Zhu Lu, father and daughter, stood not far away.

Seeing that the Li textile official seemed to be acting mute, Cao Mao, unwilling to have his peace disturbed by an outsider, frowned slightly and had to ask, “What brings you here?”

Li Baozhen smiled, “I simply wanted to reminisce with a person who cherishes the past, otherwise, I would have gone directly to the General’s office to find General Cao.”

Yu Province General Cao Mao was under the command of Circuit Overseer Su Gaoshan. He had followed the Great Li cavalry southward all the way to Old Dragon City, at the southernmost tip of the province. Then, the Great Li Dynasty, with one kingdom equivalent to one province, had no choice but to use Old Dragon City as a stronghold, using the strength of one province to resist the demonic horde from the Savage Lands. The Great Li border army retreated gradually to the Great Dike in the Central Treasure Bottle Continent.

One southward advance, one northward retreat. In these two continuous wars, Cao Mao accumulated a series of military merits.

Although not a native of the Great Li Dynasty, he eventually stood out and became the most promising of all the former generals of Su Gaoshan.

Cao Mao would always take time in the first month of each year, formerly to visit the widow of the great general in the Great Li capital, and now to visit Su Gaoshan’s ancestral home.

There were whispers and rumors in the capital, saying that he was putting on a show for the Emperor, trying to rally the old generals of Su Circuit Overseer to build his own power base. There were also harsher words, saying that he was trying to reignite a dying flame. Cao Mao didn’t care. General Su had shown him great favor. When General Su was alive, the Su manor in Chier Street was crowded with people offering New Year’s greetings, and he wasn’t missed. Now things were different. General Su was gone. Of all those who came to offer New Year’s greetings, he was the one who couldn’t be missing.

Cao Mao said, “Li textile official, it doesn’t seem that we are familiar enough for that.”

Li Baozhen smiled and asked, “When will General Cao return home in glory?”
Cao Wu smiled faintly, “Why does Fabricator Li speak such words?”

The current Emperor Han Jingling of Shihao Kingdom, along with Great General Huang He and others, could not possibly stand on equal footing with Cao Wu, a mere general of a single prefecture in the Great Li Dynasty.

If Cao Wu were willing to restore his identity, even shedding his title as General of Yu Prefecture, and return to Shihao Kingdom alone, it would not be impossible for him to overthrow the dynasty.

Li Baozhen, having risen from the ranks of a Great Li spy chief, naturally knew the true identity of this General of Yu Prefecture. “Cao Wu” was originally named Xu Mao, hailing from the Shihao Kingdom, once a vassal state of the former Zhu Ying Dynasty. Before joining the Great Li Dynasty, he was a fourth-rank military officer, attached to a young prince. Xu Mao possessed an ancestral long spear and was recognized as the foremost equestrian warrior. Throughout the Shihao Kingdom’s court and countryside, he was known by the imperial bestowed title, “The Spear-Bearing Poet.”

Xu Mao was originally a confidant of Prince Han Jingxin, and the Xu family was a cornerstone of Shihao Kingdom’s border army. However, Xu Mao, as if struck by madness, carried two heads, even slaying his lord, and defected to the Great Li border cavalry. Starting as a scout captain under Su Gaoshan, he steadily rose through the ranks based on genuine military merit to become the current General of Yu Prefecture. Fortunately, Xu Mao was clever enough to conceal his identity, using the alias Cao Wu early on. Otherwise, with Xu Mao’s actions, he would never have been able to survive in the Great Li border army. After all, the Shihao Kingdom, in order to hinder the southward advance of the Great Li iron cavalry, spared no effort in exhausting all its border troops to defend the capital. Yet the Great Li iron cavalry, from generals to captains and soldiers, held the Shihao Kingdom’s soldiers, who dared to fight to the bitter end, in high regard.

Li Baozhen shook his head, “Why must Brother Xu Mao feign ignorance?”

Cao Wu narrowed his eyes, “Is this His Majesty’s intention?”

Li Baozhen chuckled, picked up a stone at his feet, and tossed it lightly off the cliff. “His Majesty has always had great trust in Brother Xu Mao. Moreover, in our Great Li border army, from the patrolling inspector down to the common soldiers, for the past century, background has been irrelevant, only military merit matters. Would His Majesty create unnecessary complications and lose a meritorious general and pillar of the border army simply because of Brother Xu Mao’s background?”

Cao Wu said, “I’m a man who leads troops into battle, while you manage textiles. Now that there’s no war to fight, we can’t see eye to eye.”

Li Baozhen smiled, “In the words of my hometown, we are ‘old brothers.'”

Cao Wu sneered, “We’re not from the same year or the same village, how can Fabricator Li say such a thing?”

Li Baozhen said, “Brother Xu Mao and I share the same zodiac sign. In my hometown, even if you’re both live-in sons-in-law, if you meet on the road, you still have to call each other ‘old brother.'”

Zhu He kept a straight face, while Zhu Lu suppressed a smile. The young master was talking nonsense again.

Cao Wu lost his patience, “If there’s nothing else, don’t stir up trouble.”

Li Baozhen picked up a few more stones and threw them off the cliff, “You and I have both encountered that person, and we have both suffered losses at his hands.”

Cao Wu remained silent, his thoughts drifting far away.

Years ago, near Lake Shujian in the Shihao Kingdom, two groups met on a narrow road in the wind and snow.

A young man in a blue cotton robe, accompanied by two attendants: the ghost cultivator teen Zeng Ye, and the female ghost Ma Duyi, draped in a fox fur talisman.

Prince Han Jingxin, not yet enfeoffed, was closely guarded by Hu Han, the foremost martial artist of the Shihao Kingdom, a Golden Body Realm warrior.

Also among the trusted attendants were the young military officer Xu Mao, famed as “The Spear-Bearing Poet,” and the family retainer, Mr. Zeng.

After that incident, Xu Mao personally killed all forty-odd cavalrymen of the prince’s elite guards.

Then, with his battle blade, he severed Prince Han Jingxin’s head and hung it at his waist. Choosing three warhorses, he planned to leave his homeland and seek a new path, striving for a better future.

However, Xu Mao did not leave in the raging wind and snow. Instead, he sat on horseback, waiting for the man in the cotton coat who had gone to pursue Hu Han to return.

The latter tossed Hu Han’s head to Xu Mao, who accepted it without hesitation. He hung the head on the other side of his saddle, another significant war merit to be used as a declaration of allegiance.

At that time, the Shihao Kingdom, as an important vassal state of the former Zhu Ying Dynasty, from the Emperor to the court officials and generals, was almost entirely in favor of war. Although their national strength was vastly inferior, the Shihao Kingdom failed to inflict significant casualties on the Great Li iron cavalry. But even if the northern border army was exhausted and the capital was besieged by Su Gaoshan’s army, they would never bow down to the Song Clan of Great Li, even if the kingdom was destroyed. For example, Prince Han Jingxin had personally led Xu Mao and others to ambush two Great Li border cavalry scout teams with accompanying cultivators. However, driven by the overwhelming tide, their fate could only be to strike a stone with an egg.

And Xu Mao, who failed to protect his lord, even if he managed to sneak into the capital alive, would, without doubt, be either directly ordered to commit suicide or thrown onto the battlefield under the pretense of redeeming his merits, both leading to death.

After all, the death of a prince who was expected to inherit the throne was no small matter.

So Xu Mao simply defected to the Great Li general Su Gaoshan.

Li Baozhen said in a low voice, “Besides that, I once met a knife-lending man, surnamed Zeng. He once promised me an official position. If I’m not mistaken, he also promised you an official position, the Great Li patrolling inspector?”

Xu Mao asked in return, “And you, the surname of the Pillar of State?”

The Xu family had a handed-down ancestral teaching, roughly meaning that the descendants of the Xu family would one day need to repay a “debt-collecting” benefactor. No matter what the other party asked for, no matter how many years had passed, the descendants of the Xu family who held the “Wind and Snow” long spear, upon seeing this person and confirming their identity, must unconditionally repay the other party’s kindness, even if it meant death, without any bargaining.

This long spear, passed down to Xu Mao, was already in its fifth generation. The Xu family of the Shihao Kingdom had generations of loyal and heroic individuals who shed their blood on the border, guarding the frontier for generations of Han emperors. By the time of Xu Mao’s father, simply because he was at odds with the powerful officials in the capital, he had no choice but to retire and return to his hometown, where he died in dejection.

And that Moist knife-lending man was the “Mr. Zeng” who had been concealing his identity. After that night of upheaval in the wind and snow, the two sides had an open and honest conversation. Xu Mao was ultimately allowed to keep the long spear, and Mr. Zeng wished Xu Mao could become the Great Li patrolling inspector one day.
Assessing the situation, if one cannot become a hero, then one must settle for being an opportune overlord, rising with the tide.

This enigmatic and secretive Master Zeng claims to merely drift through the Jianghu, seeking sustenance wherever it may be found.

Li Baozhen continued with a secret voice transmission, “I am not quite the same as you. Like my fellow townsman, Dong Shujing, I am also a ‘Knife-on-Credit’ merchant, yet our paths diverge, each pursuing our own trade, our wells not interfering with each other.”

Xu Mao inquired, “My patience is finite. I implore Fabricator Li to speak frankly.”

“I beseech Brother Xu Mao to join forces with me. Or, to put it more bluntly, I implore Brother Xu Mao to become a cormorant, working together with us, to capture a fish that has slipped through the net.”

Li Baozhen stated, “Upon success, I can guarantee Brother Xu Mao a life of unparalleled eminence and a death of utmost honor. Furthermore, I can pave a new path, such as becoming one of the esteemed Mountain Spirits of the Treasure Bottle Continent. Whether you wish to become a high-ranking Mountain God of the Great Li Dynasty, or a Lord of the Five Peaks in the Stone Millet Kingdom, the choice rests solely with Brother Xu Mao.”

Li Baozhen, having cast the stones from his hand, clapped, “The hero in his twilight years, his heart still burns with ambition? That is not enough. Not nearly enough.”

Xu Mao pointed to the night sky, his expression serene, and said, “The world belongs to the common folk on horseback, and the moonlight shines upon thousands of states.”

Li Baozhen sighed softly, “Then let us pretend I never came here tonight.”

Because this was Xu Mao’s answer.

Whether Xu Mao was the poetry-composing man of Stone Millet Kingdom, or Cao Wu, the General of Yu Province in the Great Li border army, he was but a martial man, his life, honor, and disgrace all found upon horseback, on the battlefield.

The Literary Temple of the Central Earth, a secret realm within the Forest of Merit.

A prisoner sat by the lake, using fermented corn mash as bait.

The man guarded a fish passage, repeatedly casting and retrieving an empty hook, all for the sake of dispersing the bait.

Today, that youth came again. Liu Cha never inquired about the other’s name, nor did he concern himself with how a Confucian disciple, barely above the lower realms, could even reach this place.

Liu Cha was too lazy to explain anything. It was clear the youth was an utter amateur.

The youth asked curiously, “I’ve heard that different rods are needed to catch different fish.”

Liu Cha chuckled, “A master uses one rod, a novice sets up a market stall.”

The youth nodded, “That sounds like something a master would say.”

The Desolate World, the Yiluo River.

Fei Fei began her secluded cultivation.

Then, a group of outland cultivators arrived.

It seemed they had arranged to arrive at the Yiluo River on the same day, to see Bai Ze.

It was like an unavoidable “audience.”

Among them was one particularly eye-catching figure, a youth with a slender frame, draped in a worn-out sable coat, with two dabs of rouge on their cheeks, giving off a lively and energetic air.

The youth’s voice was crisp and clear as they said generously, “Grandpa Bai, I want to discuss something with you.”

It turned out to be a girl who looked like a boy.

Bai Ze smiled, “Speak.”

She uncharacteristically revealed a hint of bashfulness, and said, “I plan to take a trip to the Serene World. I won’t actively cause trouble, but starting from the Sword Qi Great Wall, anyone who dares to obstruct me will be slain. Consider it a contribution to the Desolate World. If I can’t defeat them, or if I’m beaten, captured, or killed, then I’ll accept my lack of skill. But if I manage to reach a continent in the Serene World, like the Treasure Bottle Continent, I won’t cause chaos… Well, that’s roughly the gist of it. Grandpa Bai, you’re so intelligent, you surely understand what I mean.”

Bai Ze smiled gently, “To find him?”

She grinned, her smiling face as radiant as the sun.

Bai Ze said, “Then let’s make an agreement. When the day comes that I fight Li Sheng, you will find an opportunity to return to the Desolate World. Therefore, on this journey to the Serene World, you must secure a route of retreat for yourself. Even if you lose half your life, you must return to the Desolate World. Before then, I can speak to Li Sheng. You only need to promise not to become an enemy of the Desolate World in the future, and not to act wantonly or run amok in the Serene World. A border-crossing journey shouldn’t be much of a problem, I presume.”

She was clearly surprised, “Really?!”

She had only said it casually, intending to leave after informing Bai Ze. She didn’t expect Bai Ze to be so agreeable. It seemed that addressing him as Grandpa Bai was well worth it.

This very “girl” was the most outstanding of the ancient demon race’s sword cultivators, possessing a multitude of Daoist titles: Bai Jing, Morning Haze, Outer Scenery, Shining Spirit…

Bai Ze smiled warmly and said softly, “It seems you are truly fond of him.”

“I’m not sure if it’s love, it’s just that that fellow keeps dodging me, and I haven’t succeeded yet.”

Bai Jing was uncharacteristically embarrassed, “Oh, right, Grandpa Bai, I’m called Xie Gou now. What do you think of this new name? Not bad, right?”

Bai Ze gave a nod, “I am not skilled in naming things.”

While Bai Jing was alright, the other ancient demons who had awakened from their ten-thousand-year slumber…

One by one, their Dao hearts trembled. They were all shocked and their faces did not look good.

Someone who could make the sword cultivator Bai Jing respectfully address them as “Grandpa Bai,” even if it was just for show, had to possess the qualifications to make Bai Jing lower her head and submit.

Bai Ze smiled, “If I’m not mistaken, the few of you, including Bai Jing, had all discussed this beforehand, seeing if you could work together to establish an alliance with me, such as advising me not to interfere too much with you, and to ease up a little?”

Bai Jing laughed heartily, “Grandpa Bai, I’ve changed my mind. I’m on Grandpa Bai’s side. We both have the surname Bai, we’re family.”

One by one, they glared at Bai Jing, the traitor who had defected. This was the Desolate World.

“Without a Fourteenth Realm cultivator leading, relying solely on numbers doesn’t mean much on my end.”

Bai Ze narrowed his eyes and said, “It’s understandable, but let this be the last time.”

Bai Jing didn’t care about the lives of those “allies.” She just happily muttered, “Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo? This name is truly average.”

The Logging Academy, Lin Zhengcheng kept watch alone at night.

As the former gatekeeper of the small town, Lin Zhengcheng had seen many things with his own eyes, such as that girl, Zhu Lu, who always liked to lament and pity herself, and was still kept in the dark about her true origins.
She always felt that the achievements of that group of peers back then owed much to their origins and talents, luck and fortune. For instance, Yu Lu’s identity as a prince of a fallen kingdom, or Chen Pingan’s good fortune in knowing Ning Yao and the Land God of Chessboard Mountain, Wei Bo, which allowed him to become a closed-door disciple of the Literary Saint lineage, leading to a series of opportunities and experiences later on…

In the Azure Vault World, there’s a saying, not widely known, called “Zhu-Chen Harmony.” Furthermore, there’s an even more obscure phrase derived from it: “The Zhu and Chen families, never to turn their backs on each other.”

Because when it comes to background, Zhu Lu’s is quite remarkable. One could even say that among the younger generation in the town, setting aside the likes of Ruan Xiu, Li Liu, and Li Xisheng, she was undoubtedly one of the best, even better than Xie Ling from Peach Leaf Lane and Hu Feng from the Good News Shop, because Zhu Lu was a “foreigner” from half of the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven.

As for opportunities, they were given to her as well.

Previously, when Lu Chen came as a guest, he revealed more secrets to Lin Zhengcheng. It turns out that Zhu Lu’s former self, her past life, came from the ancient battlefield of the Azure Vault World, the Deer Chase County of You Province.

Therefore, she was neither someone with a heart higher than the sky and a fate thinner than paper, nor someone with a young lady’s body and a servant’s fate.

Even her name has a significant origin, somewhat similar to Li Baoping of Fortune and Prosperity Street in relation to Treasure Bottle Continent. The one who bestowed the name “Zhu Lu” was a female cultivator from the White Jade Capital, possessing extremely profound Taoist magic, whom even Yu Dou treated with great respect.

Because she was the White Jade Capital’s, or rather, Lu Chen’s arrangement for a protector of the Eldest Brother in the town.

Of course, it might just be “one of” them. After all, it was highly likely that there would be a hidden protector beside the Divine Edict Sect Daoist, Zhou Li. Lu Chen didn’t elaborate further on that.

But even if she was just one of three, Lu Chen’s respect for his Eldest Brother, the Sect Master, was enough to show the extraordinary background of Zhu Lu and her great talent in cultivation, to the extent that Lu Chen didn’t hesitate to deliberately obscure Zhu Lu’s heavenly secrets a few years before she entered the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven.

Lin Zhengcheng, listening to the Third Sect Leader’s mystical ramblings, was heartbroken and recited two lines, “The Zhu family respects the Chen family, especially in important matters.”

Lin Zhengcheng understood the implication of these words. Because Li Xisheng was originally supposed to be named “Chen,” Zhu Lu, as a key pawn sent by the White Jade Capital to the Great World at a considerable cost, and also as a protector on Li Xisheng’s path to ascension, treating Li Xisheng with respect was her duty.

There was also a saying, “Men meeting men as friends, men meeting women in marriage, forming the Zhu-Chen Harmony, never to betray.”

Lin Zhengcheng’s expression turned strange at that time. Lu Chen chuckled awkwardly, mocking himself, “Meddling in matchmaking, I was thinking of setting up a match for the future Junior Brother, the Fourth Sect Leader of the White Jade Capital.”

Because Li Xisheng occupied a portion of the Chen family’s fortune in the town, Zhu Lu’s appearance should have been both a repayment of debt and a karmic connection, similar to what the Buddhists call the “cause of the previous life, the result of this life, the cause of this life, the result of the next life.” To say “The Zhu family respects the Chen family, especially in important matters” also originally applied to Zhu Lu and Chen Pingan from Mud Bottle Lane. In addition, if Zhu Lu could protect Li Baoping all the way to the Great Sui, and study at Cliff Academy along the way, it would be a minor merit in Treasure Bottle Continent. When the founders of the Three Teachings dispersed, and she returned to her hometown in the Azure Vault World, she would surely have a “reward” descending from the heavens. In short, the White Jade Capital would never let her travel to a foreign world for nothing.

If Zhu Lu’s life could have followed this step-by-step path, it could have become a beautiful story in the mountains.

But if the opportunity at hand cannot be grasped, then it’s better to “not talk about it.” Lu Chen would pretend that none of this ever happened.

Just like the direct disciple of Pang Ding of Lingbao City, at the highest point of the White Jade Capital, the young Daoist official showed a kind of innate resilience in his Taoist heart, which made Yu Dou and Lu Chen look at him in a new light.

Sun Jiashu of Old Dragon City missed a fortune equivalent to “the entire Old Dragon City,” but Sun Jiashu didn’t become depressed because of it. Instead, he realized a valuable truth: “Creating fate lies in heaven, establishing fate lies in oneself.”

Lin Zhengcheng was too lazy to beat around the bush with Lu Chen and directly asked how he planned to deal with Zhu Lu.

Was he just going to abandon Zhu Lu, or was he planning to bring her back to the Azure Vault World one day?

Lu Chen answered indirectly, only saying a vague sentence.

“Life will have many results, but no ifs.”

Lin Zhengcheng asked, “Sect Leader Lu, don’t you plan to tell her the truth?”

Lu Chen shook his head. “Let’s talk about it later. Revealing the truth now won’t help. Once things are viewed from a long-term perspective, right and wrong, good and bad, will all become a mess.”

Lin Zhengcheng wondered, “Since Zhu Lu is so important, why are you letting her go, watching Zhu Lu head down a path that doesn’t align with your expectations?”

When that secret letter that Li Baozhen sent to Zhu Lu, was a crucial turning point.

Without taking precautions, Lu Chen had never had any interaction with Zhu Lu during those years of setting up a stall, as if deliberately not trying to understand Zhu Lu’s temperament, not trying to sculpt a pearl covered in dust. During the Red Candle Town incident, Lu Chen didn’t take any remedial actions.

With Lu Chen’s Daoist magic, he couldn’t possibly not have foreseen it. Just talking about Zhu Lu’s martial arts, if Lu Chen wanted to give her some guidance, Zhu Lu’s first three realms of martial arts would definitely not have been so bumpy.

Because according to the Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan’s speculation, among the ten great martial arts grandmasters of the Azure Vault World, one of Lu Chen’s clones must occupy a seat.

“It’s just that a path that doesn’t align with my original intention may be the right path for Zhu Lu in this life. How should this kind of thing, this kind of reasoning, be calculated?”

Lu Chen smiled, “Cultivators, walking in this world a few times, whether they gain enlightenment or not, ultimately, it is their own fault. They need to seek their own good fortune.”

It seems that looking back ten thousand years, everything is inevitable. It seems that looking forward ten thousand years, everything is accidental.

Reason can be New Year couplets and blessings that change every year, a spring breeze and drizzle that quietly comes and goes, winter snow that will always melt away, flowing water that never returns, an old house that is patched up for another year, a new house that seems to be rebuilt but always retains its foundation.
It could be the town’s alleyways within the Grotto-Heaven of Jade Pearls, a door you favor, so you knock and visit. A residence where arguments and squabbles occurred, you simply bypass if you dislike it. It is the grain store, the cloth shop, the tavern, the funeral parlor, the wedding boutique. It is the bluestone slabs of Fortune-Prosperity Street and Peach-Leaf Lane, or the yellow mud path of Apricot Blossom Alley. It could even be the chicken droppings on the table, the dog excrement at the foot of the wall by the gate. It could be a dust-laden wine cup, the year-after-year dripping stain in the alleyway, a pair of bamboo chopsticks too lazy to wash, casually wiped under the armpit before each meal…

But the truth will only be the scorching sun baking the backs of the poor in high summer, the burning gaze of all who look up at the sun. No matter how many reasons or justifications you have, whether you understand the principle or not, you must endure it.

There’s a local saying in the town, often repeated by the elderly: “Eyes too dim to see, ears too deaf to hear, already a Bodhisattva.”

On the surface, it’s a self-deprecating remark. A person nearing death, approaching their end, is almost like a clay or wooden Bodhisattva.

But if you delve deeper, it’s a profoundly meaningful statement. However, as the old saying has been passed down for too long, generation after generation, the young people no longer take it seriously, listening and forgetting. Even the elders who utter these words treat it as a slightly sentimental or completely resigned jest.

Perhaps the disappearance of a local dialect is the demise of a hometown, like the passing of an old man, returning to the earth for peace.

In the past, at a dragon kiln in the town, there was a master craftsman who always kept his clothes spotless after work, and a kiln apprentice who spent the whole year surrounded by charcoal, mud, and kiln fire.

Later, atop the Sword Qi Great Wall, a teacher and two students.

The teacher took the lead, drinking wine and speaking a verse, and his two prized students, Cui Dongshan and Cao Qinglang, echoed in turn.

“A pearl within the garment of the poor, inherently perfect and bright.”

“Not seeking it oneself, but counting the treasures of others. Counting others’ treasures is ultimately useless, please heed my words.”

“Dirt cannot stain it, its light is naturally bright, no dharma does not arise from the heart, uttering words like the roar of a lion.”