Liu Xu stepped out of the Lotus Root Blessed Land, ripples gently spreading, and arrived at a courtyard. An umbrella, blooming like a flower, hung in the air, slowly rotating. Liu Xu appeared within its “cool shade.”

At the “entrance” stood a ramrod straight little girl in black, her head slowly turning, twisting to the far left before moving her gaze to the right, a repetitive cycle she grandly called patrol.

Beside her was a white-haired boy, responsible for recording the precise times of outsiders entering and leaving the Blessed Land. This once compiler of Falling Mountain records, now served as a doorkeeper alongside the little girl in the cotton cloth bag.

Liu Xu learned upon arriving at Falling Mountain that this place was called Gathering Spirit Peak, but the Jise Peak, where the Falling Mountain Ancestral Hall was located, was merely a secondary peak, not the ancestral mountain.

Because the Mountain Lord, the Grand Steward Zhu Lian, and the Law Enforcement Ancestor Chang Ming were currently not on the mountain, the “opening key” to the Blessed Land had been entrusted to Nuan Shu, who guarded a specially built house on the mountain for storing the Parasol Tree Umbrella. In reality, apart from a layer of misdirection, the house had no other mountain and water restrictions.

After being registered at the mountain gate, the contemporary family head of the Mule and Horse River said he wanted to chat with Mountain Lord Chen about some matters. Hearing that Chen Ping’an had gone to the Blessed Land, Liu Xu originally planned to wait. The pink-skirted girl asked if it was urgent, and Liu Xu said it wasn’t particularly so, he could wait. The pink-skirted girl then ran to find Wei Wenlong, the highest-ranking official on the mountain at the time, the Spring Residence Accountant, and with Wei Wenlong’s approval, Nuan Shu opened the Parasol Tree Umbrella, resulting in Liu Xu’s trip to Autumn Qi Lake. Before leaving, Liu Xu took out a bag of Grain Rain Coins, saying it was following protocol. When cultivators entered and exited the Blessed Land, spiritual energy would leak out, and they might even inadvertently carry away some of the fortune. It was like dew clinging to mountain climbing clothes, so this money was to be used as travel expenses. Nuan Shu simply shook her head, saying it wasn’t necessary. Sword Immortal Liu was a good friend of their Mountain Lord, no need to be so particular, if the Mountain Lord found out later, he would surely blame her for not treating the guest well… At the time, the white-haired boy simply grinned, the Hidden Official would never blame Nuan Shu. However, Liu Xu insisted on paying, saying otherwise he would wait outside for Chen Ping’an to return to the mountain. Nuan Shu couldn’t refuse the serious-looking Sword Immortal Liu from Mule and Horse River, and could only temporarily accept the bag of immortal coins, which felt very heavy in her hand.

It definitely wasn’t Snow Flower Coins or Lesser Heat Coins.

Liu Xu returned to Gathering Spirit Peak and quickly bid farewell, politely declining the black-clothed girl’s offer to escort him down the mountain, and returned to Ox Horn Ferry alone, boarding the Long Spring Palace ferry to continue his southern tour.

However, before parting, Liu Xu invited the “fellow townsman” Xiao Mili to visit the Liu Clan in Mule and Horse River when she had time, saying that his family all thought the Dumb Lake liquor was delicious and greatly admired Protector Zhou, who was able to serve as a mountain guardian for Falling Mountain, feeling honored by association.

This made Xiao Mili very happy, and she stuffed all the dried fish in her cotton cloth bag to Sword Immortal Liu, saying to take it on the road as a snack with wine. Liu Xu didn’t stand on ceremony, saying that in the past, the second shopkeeper often said that the dried fish from his mountain made excellent wine accompaniments, unique and unmatched in flavor.

When Nuan Shu handed the money bag to Accountant Wei, Wei Wenlong opened it and discovered that while the top layer was indeed Grain Rain Coins, the bottom was full of invaluable Golden Essence Copper Coins.

After carefully counting, there were thirty-six antique Golden Essence Copper Coins, which were slightly different from the Welcoming Spring Coins, Offering Coins, and Amulet Coins of the town in the past.

The white-haired boy啧啧 amazed, constantly praising the Liu Clan of Mule and Horse River for being truly rich, and Sword Immortal Liu for being so generous. The Hidden Official Ancestor’s skill in making friends was unparalleled!

It seemed to be a complete set of “Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits of the Northern Dipper Constellation” Golden Essence Copper Coins, one side inscribed with a star name and an auspicious phrase, with the outline of a city carved at the bottom, and the other side carved with a celestial star chart and a radiant seated divine general… Wei Wenlong, who read widely, didn’t even know the origin and reason for the casting of these Golden Essence Copper Coins. He figured he could ask Cui Dongshan, who was currently entertaining guests at another mansion, but it was obvious that these antique Golden Essence Copper Coins, in excellent condition and considered “mint condition,” were far more valuable than ordinary Golden Essence Copper Coins.

Earlier, at the mountain gate, Liu Xu saw an elusive middle-aged man in green robes, who clasped his fist and smiled at Liu Xu: “Zhou Fei, the chief protector of Falling Mountain, greets Family Head Liu.”

Originally, as soon as Jiang Shangzhen heard that someone from the Mule and Horse River of Northern Ju Continent had come to Falling Mountain, he began hiding in the house at the foot of the mountain of the Big Wind brothers, refusing to see anyone. After flipping through a certain ledger and carefully calculating, he thought, no, I never provoked any Liu woman from Mule and Horse River in the past. The Liu Clan only had a good relationship with the neighboring Yuan Clan of the Three Lang Temple. I am an upright person, there is no reason to hide and not dare to see anyone. So he stood guard here, waiting for Liu Xu to appear.

Liu Xu stopped and returned the fist salute, “Liu Xu of Mule and Horse River, greets Senior Sect Leader Jiang.”

If it wasn’t for Jiang Shangzhen’s actions in the Tongye Continent campaign, being worthy of the title “Sword Immortal,” which greatly changed the Northern Ju Continent mountain’s impression of him, Liu Xu really wouldn’t be happy to stop and say hello. Otherwise, according to the local dialect of his hometown, if you have money, you have money, if your realm is higher than mine, I just won’t get too close to you. Besides, even if Liu Xu didn’t think public opinion was something to fear, more trouble was still worse than less, and he really didn’t want to get his pants muddy. After all, if Northern Ju Continent knew that he had drank with Jiang Shangzhen at the same table, the reputation of the Liu Clan of Mule and Horse River would be finished.

So when Jiang Shangzhen said he wanted to escort Liu Xu to Ox Horn Ferry, Liu Xu decisively refused his kindness.

He only said that now in Northern Ju Continent, whenever the young Hidden Official was mentioned, there was always a slight regret, a sense of imperfection, how could he let Jiang the Thief become a nominal protector.

But he quickly helped the young Hidden Official find an excuse, presumably Falling Mountain was really short of money back then, so the wealthy Jiang the Thief took advantage of the opportunity to squat and do nothing in Falling Mountain. From this, it could be seen how difficult it was for Mountain Lord Chen when he first founded his sect in his hometown, he must have been so poor that he couldn’t afford to eat. It’s just that Jiang the Thief’s face is too thick, he can roll away once he’s made money with interest, why hang around on the mountain, harming Chen Hidden Official and the good reputation of Falling Mountain?

Now, whenever visitors come to Falling Mountain and are able to sit and drink tea at the mountain gate, or come up the mountain to drink wine, Falling Mountain will give them a sword talisman cast by the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect in the past.

Liu Xu said in his heart: “Please trouble Senior Sect Leader Jiang to pass a message to Mountain Lord Chen, that bag of immortal coins is my personal congratulatory gift, the business between Falling Mountain and the Liu Clan later, will be calculated separately.”

That bag of Golden Essence Copper Coins was sent to Liu Xu by the Liu Clan of Mule and Horse River after receiving Liu Xu’s flying sword inquiry, with a swift flying sword reply.

Jiang Shangzhen nodded, “A small matter, I am happy to help.”
Zheng Dafeng sat on a bamboo chair next to Immortal Master Xianwei, closed his book, and chuckled, “He definitely looks like an old man with a story.”

Jiang Shangzhen nodded, “The Liu Clan of Luoma River is worthy of writing more than a dozen tales of Jianghu legends.”

Zheng Dafeng exclaimed in surprise, “This fellow is actually the current patriarch of the Liu Clan of Luoma River in Beiju Luzhou?”

He slapped his forehead and marveled, “Truly, you can’t judge a book by its cover! Who would have thought that the swordsman who crafted such a flawless token, such a gifted talent, would be dressed like this when going out?”

Jiang Shangzhen smiled, “That’s why he gets along so well with our Mountain Lord.”

Back then, at that banquet table in the capital of Great Li, Chen Ping’an had placed three gold essence copper coins on the table.

“Liu Xu, do you have these gold essence copper coins? Would the Liu Clan of Luoma River be willing to sell them?”

“I don’t have them on hand, but if the Liu Clan of Luoma River has them in their vaults, they would definitely be willing to sell.”

“No reluctance?”

“If anyone else asked this question, the Liu Clan of Luoma River would refuse to entertain them. You finish your drink, and consider it a fine.”

Business is business, swordsman to swordsman.

In the private residence of the Great White Goose, Cui Dongshan was entertaining Fu Lu Yu Xuan, accompanied by Eldest Sister Pei Qian.

Jun Qian and Bai Ye seemed to be seconding the host, which flattered the old master. This trip to Fallen Mountain in Treasure Bottle Continent was proving to be a great gain.

In the history of the vast world, there were very few immortal abodes that possessed both a genuine ancestral court and upper and lower branches.

Yu Xuan’s Peach Talisman Mountain was one of them.

The old master was nominally there to see Pei Qian. Back in Golden Armor Continent, he was quite impressed by the little girl who diligently cleaned up the battlefield, considering her an upright person who acquired wealth fairly.

There were also two other reasons. He wanted to meet the tiger-headed hat youth, who was also a guest at Fallen Mountain. Over the long years, Yu Xuan had never had a proper chat with this most favored individual in the mortal realm, and it was time to make up for it. Furthermore, the old master wanted to meet the Jing Qing Daoist, who styled himself as the “Little Dragon King of Fallen Mountain.” Earlier in the Extraterrestrial Star River, the Old Scholar had mentioned some of the blue-robed child’s remarkable achievements, which greatly intrigued Yu Xuan. How bold must one be to address Zheng Juzhong as a nephew to his face?

Chen Lingjun was initially reluctant to join the Great White Goose in hosting Fu Lu Yu Xuan, after all, this highly respected old master from Central Earth Continent was featured in the first few pages of the “Collection of Passersby.”

But then the old master specifically requested Jing Qing Daoist to join him for a few drinks. This stunned the blue-robed child, who sat down stiffly, with perfect posture. Whenever Yu Xuan initiated a conversation, Chen Lingjun’s eyes would dart around, avoiding eye contact with the old master, and he would use only two words if possible, never three.

This made the old master wonder if he had a bad reputation at Fallen Mountain.

That couldn’t be, he remembered that when Pei Qian left the battlefield, she had sincerely said that her master had once told her, “Fu Lu Yu is unparalleled, a killer of immortals, filled with immortal Qi and profoundness.” Surely that was a high praise, wasn’t it?

To the extent that his own three sect’s mountain and water gazettes had been frequently borrowing and copying that saying, and it was said that the outside world also widely accepted it, considering it to be extraordinary and a perfect fit for the old master.

Yu Xuan asked curiously, “Sect Leader Cui, that sword vessel?”

Cui Dongshan hiccuped and grinned, “It’s a congratulatory gift that some old bastard reserved for my teacher. Haha, it was intercepted by me, his student. Now I’m racking my brains on how to explain it to him without getting a beating.”

Indeed, it was a sect congratulatory gift that Embroidered Tiger had sent to Junior Brother Chen Ping’an, and he had secretly removed the “Bing Ding” sword vessel from the Great Li military ranks long ago.

What belongs to the teacher belongs to the student. Fallen Mountain, being an upper sect, wasn’t a sword dao sect, so it was simply poached by Sect Leader Cui.

The sword vessel was different from the imitation White Jade Capital above the accompanying capital’s Great Dugu River. The latter specialized in killing great cultivators, while the former was the nightmare of the barbaric military accounts’ demon race on the battlefield in the past. As long as the sword vessel pre-determined the battlefield’s location and coordinates, a huge sword vessel suspended outside the battlefield could precisely clear an area thousands of miles away with just one round of aerial volley. The dense flying swords would fall like a rainstorm on the earth, sweeping away a large swath of the battlefield within dozens of miles.

When thirty Great Li sword vessels were simultaneously suspended outside the battlefield, a torrential rain of hundreds of thousands of flying swords could almost cover a thousand miles.

Cui Dongshan asked, “Old Immortal Yu, is your visit to our home this time about lending at exorbitant rates and then coming to collect the debt?”

Yu Xuan looked embarrassed and waved his hand, “Nothing of the sort.”

Pei Qian looked puzzled. Lending at what exorbitant rates? Was the old master doing that to her teacher?

Chen Lingjun, who had been sitting upright and silent, admired his foresight. Look, weren’t these prominent figures and seniors in the front of “Collection of Passersby” fierce?

They had even come to the door in person to demand money! A rare and unprecedented event!

It was fortunate that he hadn’t become complacent and cocky just because he had managed to associate with the Azure Palace Taibao Jing Hao, Senior Immortal Jing of the Flowing Glow Continent.

He would add a few sentences to the book later, circling all five sects in Central Earth Continent, including Peach Talisman Mountain, and adding a note: “Avoid at all costs.”

Cui Dongshan glanced furtively at the tiger-headed hat youth.

Bai Ye said indifferently, “Paying debts is a matter of course.”

Clearly, he didn’t want to be taken advantage of by Cui Dongshan. Since Mountain Lord Chen dared to borrow at exorbitant rates from Yu Xuan and Peach Talisman Mountain, he should definitely pay back the money.

Jun Qian nodded, “Even money squeezed from the fingernails is still money. Bai Ye’s fair words are still reasonable.”

Yu Xuan became even more embarrassed.

So you two are playing good cop, bad cop.

Zheng Juzhong, who had claimed to have “just happened to have three hundred gold essence copper coins on hand” in the Extraterrestrial Star River, lent them to Chen Ping’an to temporarily strengthen his natal flying sword Well-in-the-Moon. However, the debt could be repaid with three thousand Grain Rain Coins at a ratio of one to ten, with an annual interest rate of three percent.

However, Chen Ping’an needed five hundred gold essence copper coins at the time, so Yu Xuan also took out three hundred coins, agreeing to barter with goods and not convert them into Grain Rain Coins, with the same annual interest rate of three percent. So Cui Dongshan was not wrong to say that he was lending at exorbitant rates.
According to Chen Ping’an’s plan, the Mountain Spring Residence should have a reserve of three hundred Golden Essence Copper Coins. Just to be free from debt, he had to quickly repay this “favor.” However, he was truly uneasy about sending such a large sum via flying sword, as some unrestrained rogue cultivators on the mountainside were fond of intercepting them. Therefore, Chen Ping’an decided to have Xie Gou carry this considerable fortune herself and personally make a trip to the Central Earth Peach Talisman Mountain’s Filling Gold Peak. As for the three thousand Valley Rain Coins he owed White Emperor City, it wasn’t an immediate crisis. He believed that the profits from Han Qiaose’s initiative to buy books from him would soon make up for the deficit.

Based on Zheng Juzhong’s estimation at the time, for Chen Ping’an’s Natal Sword to take another significant leap and upgrade the grade of the flying sword Well-in-the-Moon, it would require approximately one thousand five hundred Golden Essence Copper Coins.

If calculated using Zheng Juzhong’s conversion method, Chen Ping’an would need fifteen thousand Valley Rain Coins to upgrade the grade of his Natal Sword.

It was evident that the consumption of resources for sword cultivators to refine their swords was truly like devouring mountains of gold and silver. No wonder it was said that there were no wealthy sword cultivators under the heavens. They were either in debt or on the road to accumulating debt.

Lu Zhi, who consumed several White Jade Capital Sword Cleansing Talismans at once, was like this, as was Xing Guan Haosu, who once even considered becoming the City Lord of Green Emerald City.

Old Perfected One Yu Xuan was the founder of the Central Earth Peach Talisman Mountain, with his Daoist sanctum located on the Filling Gold Peak.

The mountain, renowned throughout the realm for its one mountain with five sects, one ancestral temple, one upper sect, and three lower sects, was a unique establishment not only in the Great Bright World but across several realms.

Peach Talisman Mountain possessed both a superior Blessed Land and a Cloud Dream Minor Grotto-heaven. Additionally, it held two medium Blessed Lands, Old Pit and Hundred Refinements, both of which were lucrative sources of wealth.

Apart from the Meridian Observation, presided over by Yu Xuan’s disciple “Pine Snow Daoist” Zhao Wenmin, which was slightly poorer, the other four sect-level Immortal Mansions were all wealthy and had deep foundations.

Therefore, Jun Qian’s remark that the money was just a small amount that Yu Xuan squeezed from between his fingernails was indeed a fair assessment of the Old Perfected One, “whose cultivation had always been smooth and who had never worried about money.”

Damn it, the disciples of the Literary Sage lineage all spoke as if they were cast from the same mold.

Back in the Extra-Celestial Realm, Yu Xuan’s “senior demeanor” was slightly lacking, only because the Old Perfected One also needed a large sum of Golden Essence Copper Coins, the more the better. This was due to Yu Xuan’s recent development of two carefully crafted, yet never unveiled, grand talismans, both related to the “River of Time.” In the art of talismans, besides competing on the types of grand talismans, they also competed on the quantity of grand talismans.

The reason Yu Xuan was able to exclusively occupy the title of “Talismans” in the Great Bright World was not only because he could draw many exquisite cloud seal cinnabar scripts but also because he adhered to a simple, crude, and extremely effective four-character learning.

Victory through Quantity!

However, later, the Old Scholar took a trip to the Extra-Celestial Star River and not only proactively gifted Yu Xuan a bag of ten catties of Sui Mountain soil, but the Old Scholar also seemed to take over as the host, presiding over the Star River, and “discussed the Dao” with Yu Xuan, the host, helping to stabilize his realm.

Therefore, Yu Xuan’s reason for coming to Fallen Phoenix Mountain this time was to personally greet Chen Ping’an and inform him that the three hundred Golden Essence Copper Coins previously owed to them did not need to be returned. He would also openly state that, upon closer examination, it was actually Yu Xuan who owed the Literary Sage a favor. Since the Old Scholar was his teacher and refused to accept it, then it would be considered to be under the name of Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Yu Xuan had already decided that, in addition to not requiring the return of the previous three hundred Golden Essence Copper Coins, Filling Gold Peak of Peach Talisman Mountain was willing to give Fallen Phoenix Mountain one thousand Golden Essence Copper Coins, half as a gift and half as a loan. As for the five hundred that were temporarily borrowed, they would not charge interest, and Chen Ping’an could repay them whenever he had spare funds.

Ha, didn’t Zheng Juzhong bring it up back in the Extra-Celestial Realm?

Now it was White Emperor City’s turn. Filling Gold Peak had already taken out one thousand Golden Essence Copper Coins. Mr. Zheng, won’t you follow suit and make up the remaining five hundred?

Ordinary sects were unaware of the inside story, but Yu Xuan knew very well that, at least a thousand years ago, White Emperor City had secretly and extensively collected Golden Essence Copper Coins.

White Emperor City’s registered and unregistered retainers and guest elders, from the Upper Five Realms to Earth Immortals, were required to offer varying amounts of Golden Essence Copper Coins to White Emperor City every certain period. In addition to the mountain and swamp rogue cultivators who proactively contacted White Emperor City from the Great Bright Nine Provinces, these cultivators, who were of considerable status and realm, seemed to need to use Golden Essence Copper Coins to exchange for the purchase or loan of certain rare and secret texts and Daoist scriptures. For a full thousand years, fragments of the Golden Bodies of mountain and river deities from the Nine Provinces, Golden Essence Copper Coins that had been minted, flowed in a continuous stream into White Emperor City, one by one, bag after bag.

In terms of the accumulated quantity of Golden Essence Copper Coins alone, White Emperor City might be able to contend with the Liu family of Snowy Continent. If Zheng Juzhong’s own share were added, especially his hidden gains in the Savage Desolate World, it was estimated to be only more than the Liu family!

Over at Ox Horn Ferry, Liu Chicheng, at a loss for words, had a stroke of inspiration and found a not-so-clumsy legitimate reason, saying that he had come to discuss matters with his nephew Gu Can, and that he would take care of business first before disturbing Mountain Lord Chen at Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

Autumn Qi Lake, Great Wood Temple.

It was about a quarter of an hour before the scheduled meeting time.

Wearing a green robe and carrying the Night Wanderer Sword, Chen Ping’an arrived at the mountain gate of Great Wood Temple. Several golden boys and jade maidens-like Daoist officials were startled and quickly inquired about the visitor’s identity.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Chen Ping’an from Fallen Phoenix Mountain.”

Everyone looked at each other, as if there was no such person on the invitation list.

At this moment, Palace Flower, the temple’s abbess who also served as the Lake Lord, slowly walked out of Great Wood Temple, wearing a famous sword, Horizontal Autumn, at her waist. The female coronet, who had become a deity as a heroic spirit, stood at the top of the steps and gave the green-robed man at the foot of the mountain a salute, respectfully saying, “Palace Flower, Lake Lord of Autumn Qi Lake, ‘Green Verse,’ respectfully welcomes Sword Immortal Chen’s arrival.”

Chen Ping’an looked up at the female coronet and returned the greeting with clasped hands. As he stepped onto the steps, Palace Flower had already quickly walked down the steps, then stopped and stepped aside, proactively giving way to this legendary Lord of Blessed Land. As the two brushed past each other, Palace Flower turned around and followed, but the green-robed man intentionally slowed his pace. The female coronet, who had originally intended to fall behind to show respect, ended up standing side by side with Chen Ping’an. She hesitated for a moment and then stopped being coy, walking with him towards the gate of the Daoist temple. Palace Flower didn’t know how to offer polite greetings for a moment. The other party had shown his hand by the lake, entangling the Dragon Robe Girl’s neck with a fishing line and easily knocking her unconscious on the lake surface, which had greatly shocked her. Although she had learned from Gao Jun’s divulging of secrets during last night’s Fallen Flower Courtyard meeting and had a general estimation of this Sword Immortal Chen, it seemed that she had still underestimated the other party’s realm?
Chen Ping’an casually inquired, “May I ask, which dynasty does Palace Master Gong belong to?”

Gong Hua chuckled, “Why must Sword Immortal Chen feign ignorance? I am from the same era as Zhu Lian. However, I cannot compare to that noble young master from a family of officials. My previous life was just a rough warrior from the Jianghu, and my past deeds are not worth mentioning.”

If it weren’t for her status, she wouldn’t have wasted her breath after that “feign ignorance.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and brushed it aside. He had to admit it was his own fault for not paying enough attention, or rather, for Pei Xiang’s booklet, where Old Cook had placed Gong Hua in the “Human Beauties” section rather than the “Landscape Spirits” section.

Upon entering the Great Wood Temple, in the white jade plaza outside the Ancestral Hall, the Taoist temple had removed the incense burners, clearing a large, refreshing space. Two rows of simple Huanghuali official hat chairs were placed there, seemingly typical Songlai Kingdom craftsmanship. Tracing back further, perhaps they were even the handiwork of Zhu Lian, the carpenter of the former dynasty? It was evident that each chair was crafted with care. While the form was the same, the chair backs had different carved patterns: scrolling grass, cloud patterns, lingzhi mushrooms, or flowers and birds. The lines were smooth and full of life, clearly the work of a master. If one paid close attention to the patterns, there seemed to be a hint of sword intent, perhaps even the handiwork of Gong Hua.

However, two chairs in the plaza were special, standing alone, one in the south and one in the north, facing each other.

Clearly, one was arranged for Mountain Master Chen, and the other belonged to Gao Jun, the current head of the Lake Mountain Sect, as the initiator of this meeting. The question was, where would Zhong Qian sit?

Since it was still early before the start of the meeting, only a few people were seated, gazing in confusion at the green-robed man standing beside Gong Hua at the entrance of the Taoist temple.

Chen Ping’an smiled self-deprecatingly, “Palace Master Wu is right, ‘If the ruler does not cultivate virtue, all those in the same boat will become enemies.'”

Gong Hua pretended not to understand the meaning of the sentence. She pointed to the “south-facing” chair with its back to the main hall of the Taoist temple and smiled, “There is still some time before the meeting begins. Sword Immortal Chen can either sit here or go to Falling Flower Courtyard for tea. Of course, I would be more than happy to accompany Sword Immortal Chen on a stroll around Great Wood Temple. It would be a great honor.”

However, Chen Ping’an walked towards the chair facing the main hall, reached out to hold the armrest, and smiled, “I am a guest, so I will sit here.”

This action was clearly unexpected by Gong Hua, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.

Last night, those qualified to sit and drink tea in Falling Flower Courtyard, including Gong Hua, the Abbot of Great Wood Temple, totaled seven.

Afterward, there was actually a second meeting, but with only four additional people, all of whom were honored guests staying directly at Great Wood Temple: Tang Tieyi, who usurped the throne of the Northern Jin Kingdom; Wei Yan, the Emperor of the Southern Yuan Kingdom who inherited the throne through a transfer of power; Huang Mian, the young ruler of the Songlai Kingdom who had only recently ascended the throne; and Tuoba Daze, the current ruler of the Golden Horde Tuoba clan of the Northern Grasslands.

What they were most interested in about Fallen Mountain and Chen Ping’an were three things: the foundation of Fallen Mountain, the realm of Chen Ping’an, and his temperament.

In fact, Wei Yan had interacted with Chen Ping’an long ago when he was still a prince. However, during the meeting, the Emperor of Southern Yuan remained silent, never mentioning his past with the young Sword Immortal. Because Wei Yan lacked the aptitude for cultivating Immortal arts, he occasionally saw the Emperor Emeritus Wei Liang, who seemed to grow younger with each passing year, Wei Yan’s mood would become extremely complicated. Even as a sixth-realm martial artist and the ruler of a kingdom, he grew more and more fearful of his unfathomable father. Strangers who saw the father and son would probably mistake them for brothers.

Zhong Qian stepped on the surface of the lake, skimming like a dragonfly, and hurried all the way to the Great Wood Temple on the heart island.

Wei Liang had already picked up the unconscious dragon-robed girl, and it seemed he truly obeyed the decree to leave Autumn Qi Lake, thus withdrawing from the meeting.

Chen Ping’an remembered something and said, “The two positions vacated by Wei Liang, please trouble Palace Master Gong to discuss with Headmaster Gao to find two replacements.”

Gong Hua nodded. “That would be best.”

Although she didn’t know what exactly happened on the shore that led to Chen Ping’an and Wei Liang having an inexplicable conflict, Gong Hua didn’t think it was necessarily a bad thing. After all, everyone knew that the Wei family of Southern Yuan had a special relationship with Chen Ping’an. Because of this relationship, during the second meeting in Falling Flower Courtyard last night, with the four emperors present, Wei Yan remained silent from beginning to end. In reality, apart from Wei Yan, the others either focused their voices into a line or communicated through telepathy, discussing matters amongst themselves. They were essentially distancing themselves from Southern Yuan, and Wei Yan was indeed calm enough, not showing any trace of abnormality on his face during the nearly one-hour meeting.

Otherwise, Chen Ping’an would have quite a few allies on paper here today: Emperor Wei Yan, Emperor Emeritus Wei Liang, the dragon-robed girl with the title “Liberated Horns,” Zhou Shuzhen, the old master of Jingyang Pavilion, Pei Xiang, the Lord of Fox Country, and Zhong Qian!

That’s six already.

If you add a martial arts grandmaster within the borders of Southern Yuan, a Jiang River God, and two Qi cultivators who have established sects and Daoist temples there?

Keep in mind that the total number of people at the meeting today is only thirty-two.

Gong Hua did not hesitate, made a Taoist salute, and excused herself to go to Falling Flower Courtyard to discuss the matter with Gao Jun. Since Chen Ping’an was willing to actively weaken his own strength, regardless of whether he was relying on something or being arrogant, this kind of give-and-take was definitely not a bad thing.

Zhong Qian entered the Taoist temple and walked straight to Chen Ping’an’s side. Zhong Qian looked around, not bothering to care about the outside world’s opinions. He spoke frankly, without even using the martial artist’s focused voice technique, and asked with a puzzled expression, “Has Headmaster Gao lost his mind? To arrange the seating like this? Isn’t it obvious that this is going to be a fight, and whoever stands last gets to speak and decide?”

Hearing this, Gong Hua turned her head to look. Although Gao Jun had reminded them that Zhong Qian, known as the number one martial artist in the world, was very likely to have joined Fallen Mountain, she couldn’t help but feel a sinking feeling in her heart when she saw this scene with her own eyes.

Chen Ping’an had already walked behind the chair, folded his hands, and leaned lazily on it. He raised his chin towards the chair to the north and explained with a smile, “I was originally supposed to sit there, but I took the liberty of choosing to sit here.”

Zhong Qian nodded. “That makes sense. You scared me.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “When the meeting starts later, don’t say anything, just sit there and space out.”
Zhong Qian nodded, “I’m not stupid, I’ll definitely pretend to be neutral, so I don’t end up pleasing nobody. I’ll still be visiting here often in the future. Nobody wants to be a rat crossing the street, hated by everyone. Unless…”

Speaking of this, Zhong Qian grinned foolishly.

Chen Ping’an picked up, “Unless you master unparalleled martial arts, so that the gap between the number one and number two in the world is huge. At least then, people won’t dare to criticize you to your face. Even gossiping behind your back, they’ll have to consider the consequences of saying too much.”

Zhong Qian asked, “Does our mountain have such secret martial arts manuals?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, narrowing his eyes. “You can ask my eldest disciple. When she was little, she had the same idea as you, asking everyone if they had a kind-hearted person who could pass on sixty years, a hundred years of inner power to her, or if there was a Jianghu secret manual that could make her invincible overnight.”

Zhong Qian scoffed. Learning martial arts is hard work. How could there be such a cheap deal in the world? After staying on Luopo Mountain for a long time, she also knew that in the Vast World and her homeland, Blessed Land, not to mention the shortcuts available in immortal cultivation, martial arts were no different, requiring painstaking physical training. The only difference between the two places might be the presence or absence of a skilled master to guide and spar with you. As for manuals and stances, they had their merits, but as Old Chef said, if the heart wasn’t there, the intent of the fist would never be pure. In other words, he was scolding Zhong Qian for being a lazy bum. But she didn’t care. As long as Old Chef cooked well, she would be a bum for him to see.

One by one, members of the council arrived.

Among them was an old woman who looked like an immoral shrine deity from the border of Northern Jin Kingdom, ancient and frail, habitually shuffling. When she saw Zhong Qian and the swordsman in the green robe, the old woman looked reserved, her smile obsequious. She proactively greeted Zhong Qian, but Zhong Qian frowned slightly, without any response, only using sound transmission to explain some legends surrounding the old woman’s mountain to her Mountain Lord Chen. Although she looked like a kind-faced old woman, in reality, she was very imposing on her own territory, her mountain shrine’s rituals exceeding all propriety. Just the height of her gilded statue alone was the tallest in the world today, even more towering than the Mountain Lords of the Five Peaks and the River Gods of various countries. Because she occupied a previously undiscovered gold mine, she was a veritable “golden body,” consuming countless amounts of gold. The old woman’s control over her subordinates was extremely strict, raising a large group of fierce ghosts to serve as officials in her shrine. Even Tang Tieyi had to show her some respect. Legend had it that a city god from a nearby state, along with a large group of city god officials, including the Night Watchmen, went to her mountain shrine to question her, but soon a new city god filled the vacancy, obviously a one-way trip. If the old woman’s reputation on the mountain wasn’t so bad, causing considerable dissent within the Northern Jin court, Tang Tieyi would have already officially appointed her as one of the Five Peaks Mountain Lords of the country.

The old woman was walking towards the outside of the Taoist temple. After leaving the gate, she rode the wind to Jade Hairpin Island and Spiral Island, respectively summoning an orthodox Mountain God of Songlai Kingdom and a familiar ghost cultivator. The latter was known by the Daoist name “Potter,” and had previously attended the bamboo mat wine party for the dragon-robed girl’s “dehorning” with the old woman. And that Songlai Kingdom Mountain God was the one who, after Gao Jun returned to the Lake Mountain Sect, advised the young emperor to choose a Crown Prince Mountain for each of the Five Peaks Mountain Lords of the country. He had then taken the opportunity to become the first Crown Prince Mountain God in the history of the Blessed Land, promoted inexplicably to a higher position in the mountain and water bureaucracy. This Autumn Qi Lake council, because the Little Five Peaks Mountain Lords of various countries were excluded, none of the Mountain Lords came to Autumn Qi Lake to make a fool of themselves. Instead, he had picked up a lucky break and was able to attend the council.

However, besides the two replacement members summoned by the old woman, another female cultivator also arrived at the Great Wood Temple, Sun Wan’yan, whose Daoist name was “Spirit Talisman,” whom Chen Ping’an had only glanced at once in *The Beauty of Humanity*. She wore a monochrome silk dress, with long guards on her little fingers. She glanced at the square and went directly to a chair carved with flower and bird patterns. She didn’t rush to sit down, but bowed her head, revealing the curves of her already graceful figure. Several men opposite couldn’t help but glance at her back. The silky dress was as good as nothing, making her even more voluptuous.

She was completely unaware, maintaining that alluring posture, raising her fingers and gently tracing the flower and bird patterns with her guards. It was like the so-called “painting the eyes of the dragon” stroke from a *Tales of the Strange* book. In an instant, a small bird flew out of the wooden board, chirping cheerfully. She turned around, sat on the chair, and the bird landed on her chest. She reached out and gently stroked its feathers.

Chen Ping’an was still leaning on the top of the chair back, just smiling and reminding Zhong Qian, who was staring intently, “It’s lucky you’re not a Qi Refiner, or just that look would have taken away some of your mind. That’s a great taboo in cultivation.”

Zhong Qian was skeptical, “So strange? What kind of technique is it?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “It’s the opposite of the ‘Mountain Climbing and Maintaining Oneness’ method.”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the swordsman in the green robe, “Fellow Daoist is knowledgeable. May I ask your sect and Daoist name?”

The Sword Immortal lineage of Lake Mountain Sect? It seemed that other than that, there were no other Qi Refiners in the world who dared to call themselves Land Immortals of Sword.”

Chen Ping’an ignored her.

This Sun Wan’yan might become the first talisman Qi Refiner of the Blessed Land, but she was currently lacking a “True Immortal Scripture.”

Chen Ping’an was just carefully observing a middle-aged scholar whose seat was closer to him. He possessed the essence of a Golden Body, but his divine position was not high. The reason Chen Ping’an paid so much attention was because the other party had a hidden identity that should not be underestimated.

Regarding the first Golden Body deity in this area of humanity who had not been officially recognized by the imperial court but had opened their heavenly eyes on their own, there had been endless disputes in Lotus Root Blessed Land. In any case, the various countries all claimed that their own mountain and water deities or city gods of a certain state and county were the first to appear. But even Gao Jun couldn’t be sure which immoral shrine deity was the first to be manifested through incense offerings and the infusion of a Golden Body.

In fact, according to records from Luopo Mountain, the first Golden Body deity outside the imperial court’s orthodoxy was the Qijiang Water God of Songlai Kingdom, Song Jian.

Inside Falling Flower Courtyard, Gong Hua tentatively asked in a voice transmission, “Sect Leader Gao, why don’t we start the meeting a quarter of an hour early?”

Gao Jun shook his head. “The time remains the same. Let Mountain Lord Chen, who arrived early, wait.”
Gao Jun wore an apricot-yellow Daoist robe, a snow-white lotus crown, personally crafted by his Shifu, atop his head.

Gong Hua smiled charmingly, “I see now, a seduction scheme simply won’t work.”

Gao Jun didn’t respond.

If it truly came down to a “seduction scheme,” Fallen Mountain only needed to send forth that Zhu “old cook”.

Perhaps seeing that the old crone had gone to the two islands to rally support, several “pure martial artists,” veteran pugilists of the Jianghu from Jade Hairpin Island, arrived at the Great Wood Temple together.

Cheng Yuanshan, the “Arm Saint” who had gone to the Lakeside Sect as a secret protector. Zhou Shuzhen, the eternally youthful Empress Dowager of the Southern Garden Kingdom and former Mistress of the Reverence Pavilion. Wu Que, the Grandmaster of the Saber.

And two other renowned figures of the Jianghu, nearing their twilight years, of the same generation as Cheng Yuanshan and Wu Que, now both sixth-realm martial artists.

One of them, an old man brimming with vitality and with long, even breaths, named Cao Ni, clad in black and also carrying a sword, enjoyed the reputation of a “Sword Immortal” in the lower realms. Therefore, the old man cast a few more glances at the green-robed swordsman standing next to Zhong Qian.

Cao Ni was also one of the Jianghu’s Four Grandmasters, as rated by the Reverence Pavilion. He was a late bloomer, a talent that had matured later in life. Twenty years ago, he was still an unknown in the Jianghu, but he was now the undisputed number one swordsman in the world, his swordsmanship said to have reached divine heights, his Stellar Qi extending more than ten feet from his blade, allowing him to, like a Qi Refiner, exorcise ghosts and slay evil spirits with merely his three-foot-long sword.

When Cheng Yuanshan saw the green-robed swordsman with the jade hairpin in his hair, his expression subtly changed, but he didn’t speak. He had seen him twice: once in the Southern Garden Kingdom’s capital in his youth, and once recently within the Lakeside Sect.

Zhou Shuzhen gave Chen Pingan a curtsy, her face beaming, “Greetings, Sword Immortal Chen.”

Chen Pingan clasped his hands in return, “Greetings, Pavilion Master Zhou.”

Zhou Shuzhen covered her mouth and chuckled, “That’s all ancient history. Now I’m just the doorkeeper of that library.”

Unlike the Earth Immortal Gao Jun and the host Gong Hua, they had only barely reached the middle five realms, so they were temporarily unaware of the events unfolding on the shore.

Chen Pingan smiled and nodded, “Being free of official duties allows one to focus on cultivation. It’s a good thing.”

Zhou Shuzhen kept her smile unchanged, but a sigh echoed in her heart. If it weren’t for their respective identities and allegiances, she truly wouldn’t want to become enemies with this Sword Immortal Chen.

Wu Que, with his white hair and beard, wore a celestial treasure, a magical saber, at his waist. Though he was a genuine pure martial artist, it didn’t stop him from spending a fortune to acquire a handy weapon.

The burly Wu Que reached out and grasped the hilt of his saber, squinting at the “Sword Immortal Chen,” who had gained great fame in the Southern Garden Kingdom’s capital years ago. After so many years, he finally saw him in person.

The old crone named Zhang Ji, acting as if she were a reception officer of the Great Wood Temple, was exceptionally solicitous, actively helping the transcendent masters and fellow cultivators of the mountains and rivers to take their seats.

Anyone who didn’t know the old crone well might truly mistake her for a rustic old woman who had never seen the world, easily impressed by trivial things.

Wei Yan of the Southern Garden Kingdom was the first emperor to appear. Upon arriving at the plaza, he neither spoke with Zhou Shuzhen, as the Southern Garden Kingdom’s Empress Dowager had already “passed away due to illness,” and the number of people who knew Zhou Shuzhen’s identity as Mistress of the Reverence Pavilion could be counted on one’s fingers. Wei Yan also didn’t reminisce with Chen Pingan, but quietly took his seat, appearing somewhat lonely and isolated.

Subsequently, Emperor Tang Tieyi of the Northern Jin Kingdom appeared alongside Tuoba Daze. In fact, the two countries shared a border, and they had been fiercely fighting each other. However, when the times changed and gods and monsters appeared in the mortal world, the two countries tacitly ceased hostilities, each focusing on domestic affairs, performing the Fengshan ritual at the Five Peaks, legitimizing various Mountain and Water deities, and vying for the spiritual energies of Heaven and Earth, while vigorously cultivating, recruiting, and supporting Qi Refiners. In a way, this was also a type of military preparedness under Heaven.

The “Refiner” saber that Tang Tieyi wore at his waist was the very same saber he had used to “take the first city” in the Southern Garden Kingdom’s capital.

The wandering immortal Feng Qingbai, once ranked tenth in the world, had died at the hands of Tang Tieyi, who had called him brother. He was ambushed by the latter, who cleaved him in two with a single saber strike, instantly killing him.

However, Ding Ying, the number one expert in the world, ultimately died at the hands of an immortal.

Tang Tieyi had once been punched by Chen Pingan.

But now, meeting again, Tang Tieyi set aside past grudges, his face full of smiles, and he clasped his hands from afar, saying loudly, “Sword Immortal Chen’s demeanor is even more impressive than before.”

Chen Pingan still stood behind the chair, leaning on it, merely smiling and nodding in acknowledgement.

Sitting in his seat, Cheng Yuanshan couldn’t help but glance at Tang Tieyi’s saber, his eyelids twitching slightly. The old man could be said to be gnawing his intestines out in regret. In fact, the “Refiner” saber, which was regarded as an evil blade, had originally chosen as its master someone who had died at the hands of Cheng Yuanshan. However, because the saber was too mysterious and had a fierce reputation, Cheng Yuanshan, cautious by nature, didn’t dare to touch it, and intentionally allowed it to fall into Tang Tieyi’s hands through various channels. He had originally intended to trap his long-time enemy Tang Tieyi, but he never expected that Tang Tieyi wouldn’t die like those previous masters, but instead gained this divine weapon, his killing power increasing accordingly. Later, this magical saber became a celestial treasure, ranking alongside the silver lotus crown worn by Ding Ying, the azure dress in the Southern Garden Kingdom’s capital, and the Arhat’s golden body of the White River Temple. At that time, other than Yu Zhenyi ascending the mountain to cultivate immortality, there were no Qi Refiners or gods and demons. When the anomalies of Heaven and Earth began to appear, Cheng Yuanshan regretted it so much that he wanted to slap himself several times.

The martial artists who had successfully climbed the city walls back then had each obtained a magical treasure or celestial opportunity, with those who had “ascended” receiving even greater rewards.

For example, Yu Zhenyi obtained a golden jade scripture, Zhong Qiu obtained that map of the True Forms of the Five Peaks, and the monk Yun Ni obtained a section of white jade lotus root.

However, even during Zhong Qiu’s tenure as the National Preceptor of the Southern Garden Kingdom, Southern Garden Kingdom’s spies were unable to gather any information about what Tang Tieyi had obtained.

An old man holding a horsetail whisk, exuding a Daoist aura, stepped lightly into the plaza.

Following him was a “child” wearing grass sandals and a flower in his hair, then a handsome young man, each taking their seats.

With their arrival, the plaza, which had been filled with whispers, instantly became silent, so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

Two Mountain Lords also used the magical power of earth shrinking, appearing directly at their respective seats, slowly sitting down.

The Mountain Lords of the Five Great Peaks of this world: Zheng Fengzhou of Central Peak, Zhao Juran of Eastern Peak, Jade Edict Elder of Northern Peak, Song Huaibao of Western Peak, and Huai Fu of Southern Peak, had all arrived.

Gao Jun also appeared, accompanied by Temple Master Gong Hua and Huang Mian, the young emperor of the Pine Roar Kingdom.

In this way, the monarchs of the four kingdoms had also taken their seats.
The master of the Fox Kingdom, Pei Xiang, arrived last, making her seat easy to find.

Including Chen Ping’an of the impoverished Fallen Mountain, the only outsider, a total of thirty-three individuals were participating in today’s Autumn Qi Lake Assembly.

Gao Jun stood near the northernmost chair and gave a Daoist salute to the blue-robed man on the south side. “Gao Jun of the Lakeside Mountain Sect, taking the liberty of accepting the honor, dares to sit here.”

Chen Ping’an stood up, skirted the chair, lifted his long gown, gently sat down, and smiled, “It’s nothing.”

Two rows of seats, the left side honored the monarchs of the four kingdoms, and the right side honored the mountain gods of the Five Peaks.

Then, on either side, were martial artist Zhong Qian, Zhou Shuzhen of the Reverence Pavilion, Cheng Yuanshan, Cao Ni, Wu Que…and Gong Hua of the Great Wood Temple, Pei Xiang, the master of the Fox Kingdom, Sun Wanyan, a Dragon Gate Realm Qi Refiner from the Lakeside Mountain Sect with the Daoist name “Spirit Talisman” and captivating beauty, Zhang Ji, the wizened old woman-like mountain god of Northern Jin, the potter, the water god Song Jian…

Just then, at the gate of the Daoist temple, a young immortal attendant stood there in a fluster, at a loss, hesitant to speak.

Gong Hua frowned slightly and looked towards Gao Jun, who was also hesitant. Zhou Shuzhen lowered her eyes, holding her breath.

Chen Ping’an turned to look at the gate of the Daoist temple. Before he saw anyone, he heard a deep voice say, “Jiang Quan, a failed scholar from the Southern Garden Kingdom, seeks to settle a life-and-death matter with Sword Immortal Chen.”

The solemn atmosphere of the plaza immediately erupted in an uproar.

At the gate, a slender figure wearing a mask appeared, a knife at his waist, carrying a qin case on his back.

Wasn’t this Jiang Shenzi, the rising star of the knife arts? How had he become a scholar from the Southern Garden Kingdom?

Jiang Quan took off his mask and threw it on the ground. Everyone saw him gently take down the qin case behind him and place it against the wall. Jiang Quan then took out an old coin pouch and two silver notes from his sleeve and placed them on the qin case.

Jiang Quan changed his address, “Mr. Chen, do you remember me?”

The blue-robed man before him, who seemed untouched by the passage of time even in mountain cultivation, had once pretended to be a member of the Gu family to meet him and had given him travel expenses to prepare for the next spring exam in the capital.

Chen Ping’an stood up and nodded, “Of course I remember.”

Jiang Quan was silent for a moment, “Then you must still remember Gu Ling.”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

Jiang Quan said calmly, “An old grudge, a private matter, won’t delay you all for too long.”

Pei Xiang was completely baffled. What was going on?

Could it be that Mountain Lord Chen’s earlier remark about playing the villain wasn’t a joke?

Zhong Qian rubbed his chin, lost in thought. He vaguely remembered the ambush in the capital of the Southern Garden Kingdom, and it seemed that a female qin player skilled in assassination had initiated the attack?

Back in Lotus Blossom Paradise, Chen Ping’an had considered three options regarding Gu Ling, and finally chose the third, which was to have Zhong Qiu tell Jiang Quan the whole truth three years later.

But when Zhong Qiu left the paradise and came to Fallen Mountain, Chen Ping’an asked and learned that the Old Abbot had clearly intervened, because Zhong Qiu had completely forgotten about the matter.

Jiang Quan took a deep breath and reached for the hilt of his knife, “Sword Immortal Chen, I understand the principle. Jianghu grudges, blades flashing, are simply a matter of bearing one’s own life and death, nothing more.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “That’s the way it is.”

Zhou Shuzhen slowly said, “After Jiang Quan dies, Zhou Shuzhen of the Reverence Pavilion, everyone present can testify, even if a life-and-death agreement is made, dares to ask Mountain Lord Chen about the Dao.”

Cao Ni’s eyes gleamed with excitement, “Martial artist Cao Ni is willing to inquire with Sword Immortal Chen through the sword, without personal grudge or public anger, not afraid of death, just wanting to see what a so-called Sword Immortal truly is!”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Don’t rush, let’s wait for Jiang Quan to draw his blade first. After this contest, anyone here who is willing to rise can come together for discussion, Dao debate, spellcasting, or sword questioning.”