The three Daoists from before, even without wearing their lotus or fish-tail coronets, exuded an aura that clearly marked them as “divine scions”.

These three, however, resembled affluent young masters on a scenic tour, visiting mountain immortals. The doorkeeper cultivator was about to stop them and inquire about their origins and family background.

The sable-hatted young woman flipped over the third-rank Bureau of Punishments tablet, revealing the characters.

The two characters “Da Li” were dazzling, while the “Third Rank” seemed somewhat better.

The doorkeeper cultivator was discerning and swallowed the words he was about to utter. These were indeed immortal masters from the upper realm, high-ranking individuals from the Da Li Bureau of Punishments.

Fortunately, it was only “Third Rank,” which wasn’t too terrifying. If a Second Rank Enshrined had personally visited the Jade Raft Sect during this tumultuous period, marked by Da Li’s national decree “naming names,” the doorkeeper cultivator would have feared the sect’s annihilation.

Their recently secluded Nascent Soul Grandmaster might not even be able to handle the situation.

It was said that with this tablet, one could walk unhindered across the Bottle, Northern Gulu, and Tongye Continents.

Especially in the Tongye Continent, which was like a docile grandson to their Bottle Continent, some audacious mountain and marsh rogue cultivators had previously learned fluent Da Li official language and forged similar “No Incident Tablets,” swaggering about and living a life of ease through deception. It seemed that only after their Fallen Mountain’s subsidiary sect, the Azure Cattail Sword Sect, was established there, and a newly appointed Deputy Head of Tianmu Academy took charge of resolving the issue, personally apprehending over a hundred individuals and sending them to the academy for rigorous study of the classics, did these “feats” gradually disappear.

Truth be told, every time he perused those mountain and river gazettes, those rogue cultivators from Tongye Continent not only swindled money from various countries but also even deceived the bodies of official register immortal maidens. He found it quite tempting himself.

Before passing through the mountain gate, the green-robed scholar walking in the middle did not forget to cup his hands in greeting.

The doorkeeper’s mood brightened a few shades. He returned the greeting, thinking that these individuals with Da Li official positions were more courteous than those Daoists from the Shenhao Sect.

They ascended the stairs, flanked by ancient trees reaching for the sky, their leaves casting lush green shade. Most were ancient specimens hundreds of years old. The serene stone steps pushed back the summer heat.

Xie Gou tentatively asked, “Mountain Master, even with those three lectures by Gao Gu, are you still certain you cannot remold your Yin and Yang Souls?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “Absolutely impossible.”

He wished that both his teacher and the Sage of Rites were mistaken, but was that possible?

Gao Gu’s most important lecture in his final discourse at the Hua Yang Palace of the Earth Core Mountain, the third lecture, was about how to build a Bridge of Longevity.

How clear and precise a path to ascension did this indicate for how many mundane Dao officials and mountain and marsh spirits in the Azure Nether?

While it was true that the vast majority who saw this Dao method would still be unable to successfully build the bridge and thus embark on the cultivation path, Gao Gu’s brilliant insight alone earned him the title of “immeasurable merit”!

It made Xie Gou directly feel the spirit of certain Daoists from ancient times.

Furthermore, there was the final lecture on “Sword Arts.” Just speaking for Xie Gou, if he had the chance to travel to the Earth Core Mountain in the Azure Nether in the future, he would pay his respects at the mountain gate. Or if he encountered a Dao official from the Hua Yang Palace lineage somewhere in the future, Xie Gou would be willing to be more patient.

Xie Gou continued to ask, “Does the Mountain Master still have a chance to forge a 본명자 (Destined Character) of a Confucian Sage?”

So fond of rubbing salt in the wound, are you? Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Deputy Xie, why don’t you go to the Azure Cattail Sword Sect to serve with Chief Zhou?”

Xie Gou scratched his sable hat and said, “Then I don’t understand.”

If the Mountain Master still had an ethereal Yin Soul and a Yang Soul avatar, it would be better, and Xie Gou wouldn’t worry so much. Becoming the Da Li National Preceptor would be just that, like having the Yin Soul travel far away and check in at the National Preceptor’s mansion in the Da Li capital every day.

Stepping back, if the Mountain Master were truly a legitimate Confucian disciple and had secretly found the雏形 (embryonic form) of a 본명자, that would also work. Becoming the Da Li National Preceptor would be a tailor-made “Dao practice ground.” For example, if it were related to “文” (culture) or “祀” (sacrifice), he could focus on the affairs of the Da Li Ministry of Rites. If it were related to “武” (military), “戈” (spear), or “戎” (military affairs), then he could have followed the Sage of Rites’ invitation to begin with and focused on the Da Li Ministry of War.

The problem was that neither of these paths was feasible.

Xie Gou whispered, “Dare I speak blasphemy, but it seems the Mountain Master has put the cart before the horse.”

If he had already attained the Dao and ascended, and was beginning to explore and verify the path of 合道 (harmonizing with the Dao) step by step, then so be it. But currently, Chen Ping’an was still at the Immortal realm, far from the stage where a realized individual, having reached stillness, actively entered the mundane world. Could it be that the path of Grand Alchemy of All Things was blocked by that fellow Jiang She, and the possibility of verifying the “Ascension Method” through observing the Daoist Ding who was observing the Dao also fell through, causing the Mountain Master to become disheartened and dispirited? Did he want to alleviate his depression by busying himself with mundane affairs and court matters?

Xiao Mo suggested, “Young Master, why not look for several secret Daoist texts? Of course, the best would be those with complete Daoist lineages that can help the Young Master cultivate the art of Fú Lóng (assisting the dragon, i.e., aiding a ruler)?”

Xie Gou vigorously nodded and said, “Good idea!”

It was a solution, even if it wasn’t the best one.

Having become the Da Li National Preceptor, he couldn’t possibly be expected to take a short-term job and still have to invest in it himself, could he?

Xie Gou quickly said, “The lineage of Fú Lóng in the Haoran Continent is quite mixed. Isn’t there suspicion of having many techniques but low Dao? Since we’re taking this path, let’s not be careless.”

Xiao Mo smiled and nodded, “Of course, we have to choose carefully.”

Xie Gou began to ponder where they could “borrow” legal systems and Daoist texts. Heh, two enshrined cultivators, a pair of Dao companions, truly worried themselves sick over their Mountain Master’s path of cultivation.

Generally speaking, talking about Fú Lóng inevitably involved Daoism. Chen Ping’an, as the Da Li National Preceptor, could spend twenty to thirty years, or at most a hundred years, achieving success and establishing a legacy, helping the Da Li Dynasty, which had already entered the ranks of the top ten dynasties in the Haoran Continent, to flourish and eventually secure the top position. Then, he could withdraw from the court and return to the mountains, perfectly embodying the saying, “Success achieved, body withdrawn, the way of Heaven.”

However, Xiao Mo was thinking of the Dao officials in the Azure Nether, who were most proficient in this art. He could ask Daoist Companion Bixiao for a few books. As for the origin of the Daoist texts and lineage, that was something Daoist Companion Bixiao needed to consider.

Or perhaps another trip to the Palace of Removing Years? Ask Wu Shuangjiang for them? With his strategic mind, he certainly wouldn’t lack such things. Perhaps he was just waiting for his Young Master to ask?

The narrow sense of Fú Lóng had two types: below the mountains, such as assisting someone to ascend the throne and become the founding emperor in a chaotic era; above the mountains, assisting those like True Dragon King Zhu.

Or more broadly, emerging from the mountains to preside over court affairs, manage the world and benefit the people, assisting the ruler in becoming a restorer of prosperity, prolonging the state’s lifespan, and bringing peace to the world. Or helping the last ruler, with the君臣相合 (harmony between ruler and minister), to turn the tide and avert the signs of chaos, transforming it into a peaceful nation.

The most formidable, of course, was like that Embroidered Tiger, turning the tide of heaven, gathering the strength of an entire nation to save a continent’s shattered mountains and rivers.

Near the mountainside, they saw large stones piled high, abruptly rising, with the inscription “Flying Immortal Platform” carved on the cliff. Steps were chiseled into the stone, the climbing stairs like a sliver of the sky, with iron chains on both sides serving as handrails for ascending from below. A pavilion with a pyramidal roof crowned it, with moss and vines hanging down like hair on the four sides, a delicate green misting, enchanting and lovely.

Chen Ping’an looked up at the “Flying Immortal Platform” but had no intention of entering the pavilion. He said, “It’s not that it’s useless. In the short term, for thirty to fifty years, governing the Da Li dynasty with Fú Lóng techniques biased towards Daoism will indeed have benefits for cultivation. However, using calculation against the will of Heaven will ultimately fall far short. If Senior Brother Cui were observing the Dao beside me, he would probably be smiling at me as if to say, ‘Is that all?'”

Xie Gou furrowed her brow. Listening to the implied meaning of the Mountain Master, had he already thought of more? Putting herself in his shoes, Xie Gou would be annoyed. Was there truly no end to Heaven’s path?

A stream flew overhead, crossed by a suspended bridge. Looking back at the mountain path they had taken, it was hidden in the clouds, suggesting the peaks they had previously climbed were now below them.

According to the mountain gazette, the two streams named Red Stream and Green Stream converged here, one murky red like blood, the other the color of jade.

The ancestral mountain of the Jade Raft Sect did not lead directly to the Ancestral Hall in a straight line. Instead, a mountain ridge road, carved like a fish’s back by a knife or sword, branched off, leading to a higher mountain. Chen Ping’an casually picked up a vine, rubbed it lightly in his palm, and it turned into a simple mountain staff. Walking on the peak of the mountain ridge, which was no more than a few zhang wide, the small path was paved with large green flagstones. The sea of clouds on both sides of the ridge surged against the cliffs, stirred by the sunlight, creating waves of golden light. Occasionally, a flock of birds would fly out of the sea of clouds.

On the stone path, the crisp sound of the mountain staff tapping the ground echoed. Chen Ping’an was silent for a long time before explaining, “According to the planned route, my foundation at the Immortal realm is not bad. Protecting and observing the Dao for Daoist Ding gave me a certain confidence to attain the Dao and ascend to the Ascension realm. Being insatiable, I would refine all things and never feel satisfied.”

“Steadily advancing to the first layer of Martial Dao’s Spirit to God, of course, it would be best to reach the eleventh realm and achieve the ambition of physical deification before the age of one hundred. Secluding myself in a Dao practice ground, also drawing talismans, the more the better, millions upon millions, to build a ladder. So even without this fight with Jiang She, I would have only the Five Elements 本命物 (Destined Objects) remaining, turning everything within my human body and heaven into a chaotic void.”

“What I seek is the Fourteenth Realm Sword Cultivator of pureness.”

“The path of 合道 (harmonizing with the Dao) is ascending to heaven.”

“Therefore, the first thing to do to become a Fourteenth Realm pure Sword Cultivator is to challenge Zhou Mi.”

Xie Gou thought for a moment and finally reached a conclusion: in matters of cultivation, the Mountain Master was not foolish. Jiang She truly deserved a beating!

Chen Ping’an’s expression was calm, without any signs of sadness or even indignation on his face.

Facing each other were two cliffs, and they walked on a sunny plank road between them. The sounds of monkeys and birds in the mountain suddenly erupted.

The plank road on the opposite cliff was dim, requiring travelers to carry lanterns. The solitary lights flickered like the phosphorescent fires over a graveyard at night.

Xiao Mo glanced at the other side. Those were likely the servant disciples of the Jade Raft Sect.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “When I was young, life was harder. I had to grit my teeth and keep living, and live with dignity. Deep down, I naturally hoped the neighbors would remember the goodness of my parents for a long time. No matter what, they passed away early but still raised a well-mannered child. Becoming the Da Li National Preceptor is the same principle.”

“Senior Brother Cui doesn’t care about his reputation, good or bad, after his death, but I care about how the world views and evaluates Cui Chan. I care very much.”

“I admit I have an obsession.”

“I want to correct the major and minor mistakes that Senior Brother Cui deliberately left behind, and mend the omissions. I want to make what was originally good and correct even better, tending towards a purer ‘goodness.’ This is an exam paper left on Senior Brother’s ‘desk’ by the examiner who has already left. Whether the Da Li Dynasty in the next hundred years is good or bad, whether I have made the Da Li Dynasty, on which Senior Brother Cui and Master Qi placed their hopes, better, is a test paper that only I know the answer to in my heart.”

“But if I stop here, then I am just a benevolent Confucian with a good conscience? As the junior brother whom Cui Chan personally protected the Dao for, and having served as the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, who else but I should strive for achievement? Whose mantle of Cui Chan’s achievements and scholarship can I take if not mine?”

“Emperor Song He truly doesn’t want to completely shake off the shadow of the Embroidered Tiger? To lead the Da Li Dynasty into a new era alone? But I appeared, and he had no choice.”

This kind of thinking was truly human nature, perfectly normal. Originally, when elders like Shen Chen, Changsun Mao, and Wei Li gradually withdrew from the court, whether Wei Liang, one of Cui Chan’s confidants, would stay or leave depended on whether Wei Liang was sensible. Afterwards, whether it was Zhao Yao, Cao Gengxin, or Wu Wangcheng, this new generation of rising core officials of Da Li would revolve around Emperor Song He’s will. Over time, the ruler and minister would reach a tacit understanding, and the latter would begin to operate on their own.

During the last discussion at the Confucian Temple, one matter was confirmed: the ministers of the Ministry of Rites in the various countries of the Haoran Nine Continents must all be from Confucian academies. However, the Confucian Temple also granted a buffer period of twenty years. It was quite interesting to think that Li Huai, who was already a worthy individual at the Cliff Academy, might serve as the Minister of Rites in a small country in the south in the future. There was no helping it; during their journey in those years, Li Huai was the youngest among them and required someone to “protect the Dao” even when taking a late-night restroom break.

Approaching the summit, Xie Gou asked via telepathy, “Has the Mountain Master found a new path?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “I have to try. But I’m not like Vice Minister Cao; I draft my boasts before speaking them.”

Xie Gou grinned and gave a thumbs-up, genuinely praising, “Mountain Master, if your Dao age were similar to ours, you’d be incredible.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t accept the compliment, laughing and saying, “Earlier at the Fuyao Foot Dao practice ground, which Enshrined was it who stayed close to the ground and watched the show while swimming?”

Xiao Mo glanced at the sable-hatted young woman with a bewildered expression and said irritably, “Keep acting, keep acting.”

Xie Gou cautiously asked, “Was it the Mountain Master’s eldest senior brother, the Embroidered Tiger, who already paved the way?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “He disdained to do so. As long as I’m not blind to the obvious, I can figure it out myself.”

Xie Gou asked doubtfully, “Is the key in the National Preceptor’s mansion? Surely I’m not mistaken about that? But I’ve even toured the main hall and Cui Chan’s study; how could I not have grasped it?”

Chen Ping’an said, “The same mountains and rivers, but different people with different states of mind will see different keys.”

Xiao Mo hesitated for a moment and asked, “Is the Mountain Master planning to 合道 (harmonize with the Dao) with the land in the future?”

Chen Ping’an chuckled and said, “Then how can I go to the Five Colors Continent, how can I go to the Azure Nether? Carry the entire Bottle Continent on my back?”

Xie Gou exclaimed, “That would truly be an unprecedented and unparalleled leaving of one’s homeland!”

Chen Ping’an held out two fingers and flicked Xie Gou’s forehead.

Remembering something, Chen Ping’an asked Xiao Mo telepathically, “Xiao Mo, now that you’ve entered the Fourteenth Realm, what does the world look like to you?”

Regarding the vision of the “world” seen by Fourteenth Realm cultivators, the Fire Dragon True Person had described it to Xie Gou at Fish Scale Ferry.

Earlier, when Chen Ping’an temporarily borrowed Dao methods from Lu Chen to travel to various places in the Bottle Continent, he also had some unique “insights.”

Xiao Mo said, “Roughly, it can be divided into three types of scenes. One is being able to see the thousands of ‘Xie Gous’ in the ten-odd li of mountain path on the road we’ve traveled, like a series of frozen paintings connected together. There are also fewer ‘Xie Gous’ on the road where ‘Xie Gou’ is about to walk now, only a hundred steps, dozens of people, and their figures will become increasingly faint.”

“The second type is seeing green mountains like swords, and seeing flowing water like rivers and streams also like swords. With just a slight movement of thought, one can freely control mountains and water as long swords.”

“The third type, perhaps due to one of the 본명飞剑 (Destined Flying Swords), is seeing a thread hanging like sword light from the heavens above the mundane world.”

Chen Ping’an was full of praise, nodding and saying, “Truly magnificent.”

Xie Gou rubbed her cheek, looking dejected. Before, she was chasing Xiao Mo to become Dao companions, and now… it still seemed like she was chasing Xiao Mo?

Xiao Mo said, “Young Master, don’t look at her pretending here. According to Daoist Companion Bixiao, Bai Jing ten thousand years ago could see or hear at least five or six similar scenes. Daoist Companion Bixiao said her observations were ‘大道雏形’ (embryonic forms of the Great Dao). But precisely because of this, Bai Jing was burdened, as if subjected to ‘天厌’ (Heaven’s aversion). For her to enter the Fourteenth Realm, it will be more difficult than for many natural talents.”

Xie Gou hugged her sable hat with both hands and shook her head. “Heh.”

Chen Ping’an was too lazy to speak.

He always felt as if he had been stabbed a few more times.

Xiao Mo turned to look at Xie Gou and said seriously, “Daoist Companion Bixiao told you not to keep squandering your talent. As long as you can’t attain the Dao, what’s the use of having more 大道雏形 reserved for you between heaven and earth?”

Xie Gou scoffed, “He can control me? Being a level higher in cultivation is so great…”

Xiao Mo immediately became annoyed, reaching out to press down on the sable hat. Xie Gou immediately changed her tone, “It must be great!”

As they were near the Ancestral Hall, a cultivator from the Jade Raft Sect appeared here on the wind. She said with a stiff upper lip, “Our sect is holding a meeting in the Ancestral Hall. Please, distinguished guests, stop here.”

Her attention was focused on the young woman walking in the middle who was climbing the mountain, afraid that she would lose her temper on the spot. At that point, should she stop them or not?

Therefore, she deliberately pretended not to see the Da Li Bureau of Punishments Enshrined tablet on the sable-hatted young woman’s waist.

Xie Gou deliberately picked up the tablet and shook it, giving her a look, as if to say, Do you recognize this?

Xiao Mo smiled and said, “We’re not going to your Ancestral Hall. Just looking at the nearby stone tablet is fine.”

The female cultivator still looked troubled. This was the logical reasoning, but the problem was, after you leave, what would happen if the Ancestral Hall settled accounts with me later?

Chen Ping’an, who had slightly altered his appearance, took out a Second Rank No Incident Tablet from his sleeve.

It turned out that on the sword boat earlier, Zhao Yao hadn’t been polite with his young uncle-master either. Hearing that he was going to visit the Jade Raft Sect, he asked him to help deliver this No Incident Tablet. This time, over four hundred people in Qiu State were dealt with in one go. There were still only sixteen spies and dead soldiers who received Enshrined tablets or had their tablet rank changed. The rest were still only recorded in the archives, adding a merit to their Bureau of Punishments records.

The female cultivator glanced at it and silently made way. It was her first time seeing a Second Rank Enshrined tablet issued by the Da Li Bureau of Punishments. She had broadened her horizons.

Some busybodies had estimated that among the three types of No Incident Tablets issued by the Da Li Bureau of Punishments, the First Rank Enshrined tablets were literally few and far between.

As for the Second Rank, the number was roughly one per each state of Da Li. One could gauge the weight of such a tablet for themselves.

The female cultivator then speculated that this upright middle-aged scholar was likely the biggest spy in their Han State? Truly, people are not to be judged by their appearance. It was indeed as rumored: the most formidable spies were those who blended into the crowd, making people only look at them once and not a second time.

Xiao Mo felt utterly helpless. Xie Gou struggled to hold back her laughter. Chen Ping’an’s expression was normal, his steps unhurried.

At the summit of the Jade Raft Sect’s ancestral mountain, according to tradition, a stone tablet was erected.

The inscription on the stone tablet was personally composed by the National Preceptor, the Embroidered Tiger, written by Zhao Duanjin of the Ministry of Rites, and carved by the Ministry of Works. The Da Li Border Army erected these tablets in the mountains of various countries.

In those years, among the immortal sects of the Bottle Continent, the more timid and obsequious ones would directly erect the tablet at the entrance of their Ancestral Hall. The bolder ones would place the stone tablet in an inconspicuous spot on the cliff face, trying to look at it as little as possible. The Jade Raft Sect belonged to the latter, but they also cleverly built a pavilion to shelter the stone tablet from the wind and rain.

At the stone tablet, within the pavilion, there were already two groups of people.

One group consisted of Daoists from the Shenhao Sect: Fu Ji, the accompanying military cultivator from Han State; a brother and sister, Qi Mei and Qi An; and a young Daoist boy, Yan Dao.

Han Zhoujin, a female formation master and one of the cultivators from the Earth Branch lineage of Da Li, was from the Qingtan Blessed Land of the Shenhao Sect and was not unfamiliar with Fu Ji.

The other group were all Da Li spies. Hong Ni, the direct disciple of the former sect master “Ling Pei” True Person, was physically imposing. Just now, this person had tearfully stated in the Ancestral Hall that his master had ascended on a crane and returned to the Dao mountain. In reality, he had personally sent his master onto the crane’s back.

Then there was the servant disciple who had previously claimed to be at the Cave Heaven realm and said his “Nascent Soul Grandmaster” Pang Yun could kill him as he pleased. His alias at the Jade Raft Sect was Liu Wang, and his real name was Huang Qu. He was actually the head of all intelligence affairs in the tributary state of Qiu. He only had a Third Rank Enshrined tablet for the time being. His superior, the head of all spies in Han State, was also his teacher who passed down the Dao and his guide in the Bureau of Punishments. The elder was the Second Rank Enshrined.

Huang Qu had just been promoted to Pang Yun’s direct disciple. At least in terms of status at the Jade Raft Sect, there had been a drastic change. Just now in the Ancestral Hall, Pang Yun had hardened his heart and asked him one thing via telepathy: if he were designated as the next sect master of the Jade Raft Sect, could Pang Yun get a Da Li No Incident Tablet? Huang Qu said this matter needed to be reported to the Bureau of Punishments and he couldn’t make the decision himself. Pang Yun then asked him to communicate with the Bureau of Punishments recently.

Pang Yun was not on either list. On one hand, the old cultivator was not deeply involved in the court affairs of Qiu State and had no interest in those power struggles. On the other hand, he had indeed been to the secondary capital battlefield in his early years and stayed there for over two years. As for what Nascent Soul realm, fighting back and forth with a barbarian great demon of the Jade Purity realm… his Jade Raft Sect and the officials in Qiu State could just listen.

The truth was that Pang Yun at that Grand Ditch battlefield was just cooperating, throwing out spells and divine abilities from afar, or cleaning up the battlefield.

In the affairs of the Jade Raft Sect, the genuine Cave Heaven realm cultivator Huang Qu was in the open, and the accompanying military cultivator and sword cultivator Fu Ji from Han State was in the shadows.

The official business of the Bureau of Punishments had concluded, and each had their own gains. The two sides gathered here to chat and relax. The fellowship on the mountain always developed this way.

Deep down, Huang Qu and Hong Ni naturally envied the origins and Dao lineages of these sect Daoists, but they weren’t overly jealous.

Fu Ji and the others respected the two Da Li spies who were said to be from the military. They didn’t truly want to climb the official ranks like them. Cultivators, after several experiences in the mundane world, would ultimately return to the mountains.

Fu Ji had personally witnessed the battlefield north of Old Dragon City, where millions of barbarian demon armies surged forward like a tide.

Under the sunlight, the Da Li border army, strictly arrayed, their talismans and iron armor gleaming… Fu Ji did not want to see such a magnificent scene again.

The appearance of Chen Ping’an and the two others in their line of sight made them stop their casual conversation in the pavilion.

Ji always felt that the middle-aged scholar holding the vine staff seemed to be paying attention to him. How strange. Wasn’t Qi Mei prettier?

Chen Ping’an stopped outside the pavilion, took out the Second Rank Enshrined tablet, looked at Huang Qu, and said with a smile, “Vice Minister Zhao from the Bureau of Punishments asked me to give this to you.”

Huang Qu and Hong Ni quickly walked out of the pavilion together. The former received the No Incident Tablet with both hands and took a deep breath. He didn’t ask any further questions but simply nodded in greeting to the man. Then he took out his original Enshrined tablet and handed it over. The man smiled and put it in his sleeve.

Hong Ni punched Huang Qu on the shoulder. “Good fellow, you’ve been promoted! Remember to look out for me from now on!”

Huang Qu grinned, foolishly happy.

The Daoists in the pavilion also congratulated Huang Qu a few times. Afterward, they bowed their heads and left on their swords and winds.

Noticing the abnormality of the young Daoist boy beside her, Qi An asked doubtfully, “Shorty, what’s wrong?”

Yan Dao’s intuition had always been very accurate. Could the No Incident Tablet the man handed over be fake? Had Yan Dao sensed something was wrong?

Yan Dao shook his head vigorously and asked doubtfully, “I always feel that person looks familiar, but I can’t remember.”

Fu Ji said, “Why do I feel like he’s interested in me?”

Yan Dao and Qi An immediately exchanged glances. Their Uncle-Master Fu was truly fond of joking.

Qi Mei’s expression was complicated, but he didn’t say anything. He seemed to be the grass-shoed boy who had impersonated a sword immortal beside the bearded rogue swordsman and the young Daoist with a peach wood sword in that extremely sinister haunted house outside Yan Zhi County City back then.

The six Da Li sword boats did not return to the shipyard immediately but began to sequentially patrol the airspace above the states where the tributary states were located.

Changsun Mao, the Commissioner of Communications, nearly eighty years old, had been granted the title of Grand Scholar of the Wenhua Pavilion just a few days before being transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel.

In fact, the elder, who had become a “Heavenly Official” of Da Li, was also quite surprised. It was that clever boy Ma Yuan who had the foresight to “warm up the cold stove” in advance, running to the Commissioner of Communications’ office and talking nonsense. Changsun Mao hadn’t even caught on at the time. It was something he dared not even think about. He just repeated the old refrain, telling Minister Ma not to let his conscience be eaten by dogs and to take care of Guan Yi Ran. If that little bastard couldn’t get used to the Ministry of Revenue, then Ma Yuan should help talk to His Majesty and let him come to his Commissioner of Communications’ office.

The Da Li Dynasty had over a hundred states, and scattered throughout the capital were state guild halls of various sizes, providing lodging for local officials who came to the capital for discussions and reports. However, not just any state could build its guild hall near the Thousand Step Corridor. Those that could be slightly closer to the imperial city were considered wealthy and influential, having connections at court. For example, only a very few guild halls, like those of Chuzhou and Hongzhou, could be near Nanxun Fang. Furthermore, the guild halls of some large states were at most near the inner city boundary of the imperial city.

In Qianbu Lang Nanxun Fang, Cao Gengxin instigated Zhou Haijing and Gai Yan to use Chen Ping’an’s name to make him the grand manager, without requiring him to contribute money or labor, only needing to take annual dividends. Zhou Haijing had always had a wild way of making money, and Gai Yan, who had opened an immortal’s inn in the capital, was completely obsessed with money. When they heard about this, they both felt it was completely feasible. Anyway, the few of them kept it from Chen Ping’an and jointly opened a teahouse.

The teahouse was opened within the Weizhou Guild Hall. As for whether they had to pay rent, it was unclear.

So when the flying sword delivered the news to Jise Peak of Fallen Mountain and they received the first dividend of a few dozen taels of silver, even Chen Ping’an was a bit confused.

If the matter in Qiu State was Chen Ping’an, the new National Preceptor, being put on the spot, it was at least discussed in the small court meeting and decided at the National Preceptor’s mansion. Cao Gengxin, you guys are something! You dare to think, dare to do, and dare to take responsibility, huh?

In the twilight, a carriage slowly stopped at the entrance of the Weizhou Guild Hall. The driver was a handsome young man in a yellow hat and green shoes. Chen Ping’an, who had used an illusion technique, lifted the curtain and jumped off the carriage.

Xie Gou was not interested in drinking tea. She was busy writing diligently at the National Preceptor’s mansion. She had borrowed the study from Sister Rong Yu and was engrossed in writing her mountain and river travelogue, occasionally asking Rong Yu to help take a look.

Cao Gengxin was entertaining a guest, personally brewing tea. Opposite him sat the Prefect of Weizhou, Lou Mian, who had just arrived in the capital on business.

Weizhou was one of the few large states in Da Li. Prefect Lou Mian was efficient in his work and had always had a good reputation in the Da Li court, particularly emphasizing education and water conservancy within his jurisdiction, with outstanding political achievements. This was likely related to Lou Mian’s own background. A native of Yuzhou, his ancestors were farmers who toiled under the sun. He rose through the imperial examination system and was close to the Cao family, the pillar of the state. He was over fifty years old, and if nothing unexpected happened, he could still rise higher.

Lou Mian had not met the Pillar of the State Cao Qiao during this trip to the capital, but Cao Gengxin’s willingness to grant this favor had already surprised Lou Mian.

Lou Mian smiled and asked, “Yuan Mei, tell me, who do you want to introduce me to?”

Yuan Mei was Cao Gengxin’s courtesy name.

Cao Gengxin smiled and said, “He is the behind-the-scenes grand manager of this teahouse. I’m just helping out.”

Lou Mian burst into laughter.

Lou Mian was a Prefect of a state, and his residence was specially arranged by the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. He would not be staying here.

Originally, he had some questions he wanted to ask Cao Gengxin privately, such as the matter of Changsun Mao’s promotion to Minister of Personnel, why the Da Li sword boats suddenly ascended to patrol the territories of the tributary states, especially the rumor that the court intended to establish a Dao-level administration above the states? However, upon arriving here, as soon as Lou Mian started a topic, Cao Gengxin casually interrupted him with a remark. Lou Mian, understanding the implication, simply drank tea and chatted idly. Regardless, the one brewing the tea was a younger Vice Minister of Personnel than him. Cao Gengxin still calling him Uncle Lou and him calling him Yuan Mei was a tacit understanding.

There was a gentle knock on the door. Cao Gengxin raised himself slightly. Lou Mian had already stood up and opened the door first. Besides a guild hall maid, there was a genial young man in a green robe. Lou Mian was stunned on the spot. The man smiled and held out a hand forward. Lou Mian instantly suppressed the surging waves in his heart, immediately moved and slowly walked back to his seat. Before the latter gently closed the door, he thanked the maid.

Cao Gengxin grinned cheekily, cupped his hands and said with a smile, “Sword Immortal Chen is truly difficult to invite. What an honor to have you here. Let me introduce you, Lou Mian from Weizhou. I call him Uncle Lou. Uncle Lou watched me grow up.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, sat on a chair, and took the teacup handed to him by Cao Gengxin. Only then did Lou Mian sit down.

Zhou Haijing and Gai Yan were eavesdropping in the adjacent room. Their relationship was much better now, after all, they were business partners.

In fact, not much was discussed during this tea session, just the local customs of Weizhou and some interesting anecdotes from the capital’s officialdom. It was mainly Cao Gengxin acting as a go-between, rambling here and there.

After finishing the tea, Chen Ping’an and Lou Mian walked in front. The corridor and stairs were only so wide, so Cao Gengxin followed behind them with a smile.

Going down the stairs, Lou Mian, who was not tall to begin with, was slightly turned sideways, his head slightly lowered, continuing to chat with that “Mr. Chen.” Chen Ping’an could only keep his hands in his sleeves, smiling and joining the conversation.

Cao Gengxin, behind them on the stairs, saw someone at the teahouse entrance who was clearly an official, with his hands behind his back, surrounded by a crowd, like stars surrounding the moon. The official was looking up, examining the various tea sets and tea cakes displayed high up in the glass counter, commenting a few times, and the people around him burst into laughter. After going down the stairs, Cao Gengxin saw that official, strutting proudly into the teahouse. With lightning speed, he lowered his head and bent his back, leaving behind the local assistants from Weizhou who were making money in the capital. They had originally recommended this place for him to broaden his horizons, saying the owner of the teahouse had a significant background. At this moment, seeing Lou Mian approaching, the official quickly moved forward, having already swallowed and cleared his throat. He suddenly stood two steps away from the Prefect and quietly introduced himself to Lou Mian.

As a Prefect of a state, a high-ranking official in charge of sixteen prefectures and over a hundred counties, even if the Prefect didn’t recognize him, how could he not recognize Prefect Lou?!

Lou Mian was expressionless and nodded. “These are the two owners of the teahouse, Mr. Chen and Young Master Cao.”

The official was puzzled and bewildered but didn’t ask anything further. He simply bowed his head and accompanied Prefect Lou out of the teahouse, seeing him off to a humble carriage that seemed tucked away in a corner. Before Lou Mian got into the carriage, he glanced at this awe-inspiring county magistrate of his state but didn’t say anything. He got into the carriage, which slowly left the Weizhou Guild Hall.

Sitting in the carriage, Lou Mian closed his eyes and rested. It seemed that the court merging several states to establish a Dao was inevitable. Good news!

Before today, Lou Mian had no idea that Mr. Chen was in the capital. After drinking tea, many questions had become clear.

Every political decree issued by the National Preceptor’s mansion from now on would be a strong pulse of the Da Li Dynasty.

A nation is like a human body!

Just thinking about that county magistrate, whom he had only cursorily understood by reviewing the documents before, he now remembered his name completely.

Lou Mian opened his eyes, his lips moving slightly, speaking in his local dialect.

Xiao Mo drove the carriage to the inner city area.

Lin Shouyi had a small house in the Da Li capital. In fact, he had bought two houses early on, one of which he had previously rented out.

The person who rented the house was Wu Wangcheng, the current Vice Minister of War.

His Majesty had already bestowed upon him a mansion, and Wu Wangcheng had moved in, but the rented house had not yet been vacated.

Someone like Wu Wangcheng, who could survive the battlefield, was by no means a simple brute or a reckless hothead acting on impulse.

Chen Ping’an clasped his hands together, his index fingers gently tapping each other.

He had originally envisioned two paths for 合道 (harmonizing with the Dao). For example, if the ascension method he had comprehended at the Immortal realm truly allowed him to successfully attain the Dao and ascend, then afterwards, if he couldn’t ascend to heaven and 합도, there was still an alternative path. Now that the steps had been disrupted, it didn’t matter. It was just a matter of changing the order.

Xiao Mo said, “Young Master, we’ve arrived.”

Chen Ping’an got out of the carriage and knocked on the door knocker, deliberately asking loudly, “Is Lin Yu Pu at home?”

Lin Shouyi had just arrived in the capital today. He opened the door and asked doubtfully, “Since you’re not here to collect debts, why did you ask me to come here?”

But to Xiao Mo, he had a different face, smiling and saying, “Greetings, Mr. Xiao Mo.”

Xiao Mo smiled and said, “Greetings, Young Master Lin.”

Chen Ping’an led Xiao Mo into the courtyard and said with a smile, “Do you want to participate in the imperial examination?”

Lin Shouyi thought he had misheard. “What?!”

Chen Ping’an said, “If I remember correctly, Uncle Lin has always hoped you could become an official?”

Lin Shouyi’s face was a picture of struggle, unable to speak.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “My student Cao Qinglang was among the top three of the first rank. I think you are questionable. Getting into the second rank Jinshi (successful candidate) would be a pleasant surprise.”

Lin Shouyi frowned and asked, “What exactly is going on?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t hide anything and told him about the matter of the “future Minister of Personnel” designated by His Majesty the Emperor.

Lin Shouyi felt it was incredible and said with a wry smile, “What is all this?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Getting a third rank Tong Jinshi (same successful candidate) origin is also fine.”

Lin Shouyi asked, “Have you already become the new National Preceptor?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled, “So I want you to go there and study. When there are special tutoring sessions, you’ll have a friend to eat with and chat about whatever comes to mind.”

Lin Shouyi thought for a moment and said, “Moving to your place to study is out of the question; it’s too uncomfortable. As for whether I can pass the imperial examination, I’ll try based on my ability. If I don’t succeed the first time, the second time will do. If I don’t succeed after two attempts, I’ll honestly continue being a cultivator.”

Chen Ping’an was relieved and said, “I was waiting for you to say that.”

Lin Shouyi said, “Don’t help me cheat! You know my temper. Be careful, or we might not even be friends anymore.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Of course.”

Lin Shouyi smiled and said, “Getting a second rank Jinshi should not be difficult.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said nothing.

Lin Shouyi suddenly said, “Actually, the official position I want most is the Head of Cliff Academy or the Head of Chunshan Academy.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “You can definitely do it. I can guarantee you this matter. We can be selfish about it.”

Lin Shouyi stopped speaking.

Chen Ping’an said, “Come over and sit down when you have time.”

Lin Shouyi asked, “Are you in such a hurry to go back?”

Chen Ping’an sighed, “You are a free person, I am a busy person, can it be the same?”

Lin Shouyi didn’t detain him. He saw Chen Ping’an off to the alley outside the door. Seeing Lin Shouyi looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated, Chen Ping’an found it amusing, just like when he was a boy, being sentimental.

Chen Ping’an waved his hand and got into the carriage. Just as he lifted the curtain, he heard Lin Shouyi laughingly call out a name. Chen Ping’an stopped, paused, and responded with a hum before entering the carriage.

Lin Shouyi’s address was “Young Uncle-Master.”

The main hall of the third courtyard in the National Preceptor’s mansion was originally where Cui Chan received guests and discussed matters.

During the previous small court meeting, Emperor Song He had said that the “mountain methods” of the National Preceptor’s mansion would only be more numerous than those of the Imperial Study. At the time, Chen Ping’an had joked that he wasn’t afraid of overstepping his authority. When Chen Ping’an received a secret jade tablet similar to a “pass” from Rong Yu, and he truly crossed the threshold of that grand hall, dispelling the layers of illusion with the jade tablet, he realized the meaning of “having its own unique world.” Not to mention overstepping, it could even be considered rebellion.

Besides the rear palace in the imperial city and the alley outside the Ren Yun Yi Yun Building, Cui Chan could go to any place in the entire capital through this location.

Chen Ping’an chose the side room opposite Cui Chan’s study as his “small yamen” for handling official business. But before allowing the young Han E to enter the backyard, Chen Ping’an personally rearranged the layout of this hall. Rong Yu and Fu Qing were responsible for helping to “move” geographical maps and documents from various government offices, including the official archives of the New Da Li and the library and secret records of the old countries north of the Grand Ditch in Bottle Continent. Soon, the hall was piled high like a mountain.

A mountain of books rustled as if a gentle breeze was turning the pages.

Chen Ping’an dispersed his divine sense, glanced at the books, maps, and texts, and corresponding lines appeared on the “wall.”

He had seen, and then had Rong Yu and Fu Qing return the items to their owners, putting them back in their original places in the various capital government offices.

Therefore, they moved books into the mountain quickly, and the books came out of the mountain even faster.

Xie Gou felt a surge of literary inspiration. She shook a page, gently blew on the ink, and the more she looked, the more satisfied she became. It was truly a masterpiece!

Rong Yu smiled without speaking. Was the National Preceptor busy again?

Xie Gou stretched lazily and asked Sister Rong Yu to lead the way to the main hall in the backyard.

Rong Yu led her across the threshold.

A “wall of books” nearly ninety feet high had a giant map hanging on it, colorful and vibrant, the most intuitive manifestation of the Da Li Dynasty’s national strength and foundation.

On that map, golden circles marked the garrisons in various states, such as Wooden Fish Ditch in Han State, and military shipyards like Yellow Heaven Marsh.

The main and branch streams of the Grand Ditch and rivers within Da Li were depicted in green. The mountains, the old Five Peaks of various countries, and their veins and branches were in earthy yellow, as were the household registers filed by the Ministries of Revenue and Communication, as well as the states and counties, in both the capital and the secondary capital. The pale blue represented the official schools and academies of various sizes in the states and counties, the official roads and tens of thousands of relay stations, and hundreds of immortal sects, as well as the locations of temples of the mountain and water deities sealed by the Da Li court, civil and military temples, and various levels of city god temples.

A map, like the meridians, muscles, and bones of a human body, with the circulation of qi and blood.

To be precise, it was over ten maps, layered on top of each other with slight gaps.

The bottom layer was a black-and-white survey map of the Da Li territory on a white background. The second layer was a map of the northern part of the old Bottle Continent. The third layer was a golden map of the distribution of Da Li’s military forces. The fourth layer was a map of Da Li’s “silver flow” and trade routes. The fifth and sixth layers were maps of old and new rivers…

Rong Yu and Fu Qing easily became dizzy from looking at it for a long time.

It seemed the better their eyesight, the harder it was to withdraw their attention.

Chen Ping’an quickly walked into the room with Xiao Mo.

Chen Ping’an closed his eyes for a moment, searching his memories, and extended his fingers. Countless threads spread out, blossoming like flowers on the wall.

In an instant, half of the survey map of the southern Bottle Continent was filled in.

Chen Ping’an then suddenly twisted his wrist, suspending the giant map upside down.

Bai Jing narrowed her eyes for a moment, then suddenly understood. No wonder Chen Ping’an wanted to be the Da Li National Preceptor, to sit in that empty chair, to replace Senior Brothers Cui Chan and Qi Jingchun and continue their profound influence on the Da Li Dynasty and Bottle Continent. No wonder he would say it was a self-answered test and answer sheet, because he wanted to brand the mountains and rivers of the Da Li Dynasty! It was a unique manifestation of the Great Dao!

Xiao Mo exclaimed, “This is the true ‘锦上添花’ (adding flowers to embroidery).”

Chen Ping’an’s eyebrows lifted. He had painted a picture of ascending and 합도 (harmonizing with the Dao) for himself!