The vast snow covers the heavens and earth, and I have a sword for bidding farewell to my homeland.

Guarding this boundary monument is a leisurely assignment. In the Five Colors World today, who dares to provoke Ascending City? They would rather flee.

Among them are a few youths whose dao ages match their appearances. They have all come here to gain experience, or more accurately, to break through various bottlenecks.

If they can reach a higher level, they will find spirited vitality.

There’s a saying in Sword Qi City: ‘Those with hair not yet fully grown have big guts.’ This refers to these ‘little brats born in Sword Qi City and raised in Ascending City.’ More and more young sword cultivators are flocking here for excitement. A dozen or so figures, squatting or standing by the edge of the platform where the monument stands, are chatting and whispering, having long recognized Chen Ping’an and Qi Tingji. They begin to tease the Hermit Official, who has many nicknames and sayings.

“Second Shopkeeper, when are we drinking your wedding wine with Ning Yao? I’ll definitely rush to the wine shop to show my support, but I’ll have to owe you the gift money.”

“Hermit Official, have you gotten your revenge on Cao Ci? I have a brilliant plan: if you can’t win with punches, use your flying sword to stab him secretly. Win first, face doesn’t matter. I heard there’s a gambling den in the Hao Ran world, can we still bet? I still have some spare money. Hermit Official, bet on Cao Ci not losing for me.”

“Second Shopkeeper, I need to complain to you in person. The dogs in Ascending City are wild now. We can’t hit or scold them. Our masters and elders stop us, telling us to be careful not to accidentally injure A Liang or the Second Shopkeeper.”

“My master said he was a free shill for the wine shop back then, and he sat dealer with you many times. You still owe him several Small Heat Money dividends, defaulting for years, still not paying? Is it true or false?”

“With the Hermit Official’s talent, you must have reached the Ascending Realm, right? When will you join the Dao? The owner of that sword light before, could it be? Is it or is it not?”

“Hermit Official, my uncle said you have extraordinary talent, are handsome and eloquent. That’s how you got to eat fine grain.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and beckoned with his hand, inviting them to chat closer if they dared. Just by the looks of these little brats, he knew whose offspring they were. A few glances at the circulation of their sword qi told him which scoundrel with terrible drinking habits they were disciples or direct descendants of.

Currently, the number of Upper Five Realm sword cultivators in Ascending City is still not many.

Besides Chen Hui, who serves as a deathsworn soldier by Chen Ji’s side, and the Judge Qi Shou, a busy man whose reputation is getting better and better. Gao Yehou of the Spring Mansion keeps a low profile, calculating accounts every day. It is said his face is getting smellier. The Chief Enshriner Deng Liang often visits the Summer Palace on official business for personal gain. These few, once familiar, can also joke, but they are not as well-known as the Second Shopkeeper. Just standing there, if you don’t tease and jest a bit, others would think you drank fake wine and lost money.

Five new Nascent Soul Realm cultivators have recently appeared, two of whom are native sword cultivators. There are three visiting officials who are permanently stationed in Ascending City, all of whom were former Hao Ran Golden Core guests who broke through in the Five Colors World.

Chen Ji and Qi Tingji are quite familiar with Chen Ping’an’s wine shop and dealing, but they didn’t expect it to be so… popular after so many years, especially with him still being implicitly recognized as the Hermit Official. In fact, half of the young sword cultivators have never been to that small wine shop back then. Perhaps this is called inheritance? A household tradition taught by word of mouth?

Chen Ji and Qi Tingji have changed identities now. As they met again and were about to part, they chatted more about things they would never have discussed when they met back in their hometown. Before, in Sword Qi City, the two of them, along with Dong Sangeng, were the three living inscribed sword cultivators. Besides reverence for the Great Sword Immortal, they each had their own grievances. Wasn’t Chen Xi also a member of the Chen clan, yet he was quite dissatisfied with Chen Qingdou, his ancestor? Just to say one thing: other sword cultivators, if they killed enough monsters outside the city and accumulated enough military merit, could go to the Upside Down Mountain and leave Sword Qi City, just like being removed from the lineage records of a Hao Ran sect, gaining personal freedom. Why was it that anyone named Chen, anyone from the Tai Xiang Street Chen clan, was absolutely forbidden to do so?

Human affairs are like the wind gathering and dispersing, and the dust on the road has drifted for a long time.

Chen Ji asked with his heart’s voice: “Have you told Chen Ping’an about those few hidden sword lineages in Hao Ran that originated from Sword Qi City?”

Since some sword cultivators quietly left Upside Down Mountain for the Hao Ran world, and this group of sword cultivators was bound to have considerable killing power, upon reaching the various continents of Hao Ran, by agreement, they were not allowed to establish sects in the Hao Ran world, nor were they allowed to reveal their identities as sword cultivators from Sword Qi City. Other than that, they were free to do as they pleased. After changing their names, they could establish mountains and sects, become founding patriarchs, recruit disciples, and pass down a sword dao tradition, thus branching out.

In a sense, this small group of sword cultivators was another kind of “private sword.”

However, the identities and backgrounds of these sword cultivators, according to precedent, were not recorded in the Summer Palace. They were all removed and销档, leaving no written records.

Only old sword immortals with sufficient dao age like Chen Xi and Qi Tingji could remember them by memory and know the inside story through various inconspicuous rumors and the compilation of clues from various official reports. However, as the years passed, those traditions that could be traced back to Sword Qi City either changed their appearance after being passed down for several generations and were no longer pure sword dao schools, or with the disintegration and reincarnation of the founding patriarchs, that secret which was never told to their Dao companions or direct disciples was taken with them from the human world. Did the sword cultivators feel guilty at the end of their lives, did they regret it, would they miss the battlefield under the three moons, the city wall above the sea of clouds… it was nothing more than an empty wine table where people had already left.

Under longevity, what grass doesn’t turn yellow?

Qi Tingji smiled and said, “Not yet.”

Chen Ji looked displeased and said, “Are you so selfish?”

Qi Tingji retorted, “Are you not selfish? Then why doesn’t Chen Ji become the City Lord?”

Chen Ji was speechless.

Chen Ping’an intentionally let them chat for a while longer, then went to the young sword cultivators to squat and chat idly.

A slightly older sword cultivator nudged the Second Shopkeeper with his elbow and asked with his heart’s voice: “Why is Qi Tingji here? What kind of trickery is he up to? Don’t invite the wolf into the house…”

Chen Ping’an immediately cut him off and said with his heart’s voice: “Old Sword Immortal Qi will soon be the City Lord of Ascending City. Zhang Gong, speak politely and mind your mouth.”

The young sword cultivator is one of the负责人 of the sword cultivators at this northern boundary monument, considered the second-in-command. He just entered the Golden Core Realm. Unable to enter the Summer Palace back then, he joined the Judge’s lineage, publicly declaring that he would continue to be a shill for the Second Shopkeeper, a loyal deathsworn soldier.

Zhang Gong asked doubtfully, “Aren’t you becoming the City Lord?”

Chen Ping’an cursed, “Get out of here.”

Zhang Gong was greatly regretful. In fact, he didn’t care who became the City Lord. Qi Tingji was also acceptable, at least he was a long-standing Ascending Realm expert.

The sword cultivator habitually rubbed his crotch and said, “Second Shopkeeper, do you have any suitable pretty girls over there? Help me introduce one, say a few good words, be a matchmaker. When the door opens next time, I’ll marry her. Forget it, she doesn’t have to be too pretty. I’m afraid of getting a green hat. As long as she’s good-looking and well-built, whether she’s a sword cultivator or not doesn’t matter. Her aptitude doesn’t need to be too good either, lest she enter the Cave Mansion Realm at a young age. If she maintains a youthful appearance for decades, wouldn’t I be accused of an old cow eating tender grass? It’s not worth it. It’s best if she’s a little older, with the appearance and figure of a thirty-year-old woman. Back in the wine shop, didn’t you say…”

Chen Ping’an glared and said, “This is clearly Situ Jiyu’s saying, what does it have to do with me?!”

Zhang Gong said sulkily, “Why are you in a hurry? My mouth is famously tight, I won’t spread it.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled and said, “That’s really tight. After joining the Judge’s lineage, you’re just short of having the words ‘Hermit Official’s lineage sword cultivator’ engraved on your forehead.”

Zhang Gong laughed and said, “This is called unpredictable military tactics, both virtual and real, true and false. Nine out of ten people drinking are shills. Second Shopkeeper, weren’t these always your personal teachings?”

Chen Ping’an put his hands in his sleeves and said gloatingly, “Coming here to sit on the cold bench, is it because Qi Shou doesn’t like you and is wearing small shoes?”

Zhang Gong shook his head, “Qi Shou isn’t that petty. Coming here was my own request. I want to personally experience what ‘vastness of heaven and earth’ in the books truly means.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Indeed, in the former Sword Qi City, there were too many sword cultivators, the city walls were too high, and the area was too small.”

Zhang Gong was silent for a moment and said, “There’s another reason. Ascending City now has many rules and many seats and titles. In the past, for example, when talking about the Summer Palace, it was nothing more than the Hermit Official being Chen Ping’an, and the rest were sword cultivators of the Hermit Official’s lineage. There was no distinction between high and low status, no three-six-nine grades. It’s different now, with levels, salaries, positions, territories, responsibilities, a bewildering array of complicated formalities.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment and said, “This is unavoidable. You really can’t blame Qi Shou, the Judge.”

Zhang Gong hummed and nodded, “Since even you, Second Shopkeeper, say there’s no alternative, it’s truly unavoidable.”

Qi Tingji and Chen Ji had finished their chat. Chen Ping’an stood up and bid farewell to the potential wine shills, saying that he would definitely visit their elders and masters for old times’ sake when he got to Ascending City. How could the young sword cultivators have expected the Second Shopkeeper to turn hostile so quickly, faster than flipping a book. One young man who was already hooking shoulders with the Second Shopkeeper and telling dirty jokes froze on the spot.

Walking down the mountain together, at the time of parting, Chen Ji smiled and said, “After I finish my travels, Chen Hui wants to establish a sect in the Hao Ran world. At that time, I’ll trouble the Hermit Official to help choose the location.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in agreement.

Chen Ji smiled faintly and said, “Old Sword Immortal Qi is good at concealing his clumsiness and likes to keep things private. The Hermit Official must not fall for his tricks and be fooled.”

Chen Ping’an glanced at Qi Tingji. Old Sword Immortal Qi smiled and said, “It’s about the traditions and sects established by the three private swords in Middle-earth Divine Continent and Flowing Mist Continent. I never intended to hide them. I was planning to give you a pleasant surprise at the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect Ancestral Hall. Chen Ji is being meddlesome and trying to stir up trouble with a clumsy excuse, unable to bear seeing our good relationship now that we’ve become allies. He probably wasn’t happy about not becoming the City Lord.”

Chen Ji twitched the corner of his mouth.

Chen Ping’an said, “For now, let’s consider them all as Upper Sects. When there are more Lower Sects in the future, Ruo Po Mountain will be the Ancestral Mountain, Ancestral Court, and Ancestor. Qing Ping Sword Sect is the Upper Sect, and Dragon Elephant Sword Sect is the Orthodox Sect.”

Upon learning that the old deaf man was driven to Ruo Po Mountain by the 之祠 to become an Enshriner, Chen Ji smiled and said, “Gantang, who isn’t good at mediating disputes, is still worrying about those two natal flying swords?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Bai Jing taught sword techniques to the old deaf man, but it’s ultimately a temporary solution.”

Chen Ji stopped discussing this matter. Being free of office and affairs, he planned to travel north first, then detour east, and then south, all on foot, strolling leisurely.

The young man held a mountain staff, wore straw sandals, and carried a book box. He began to travel and study the world, accompanied only by his sword attendant Chen Hui.

Qi Tingji teased, “He’s imitating Mountain Lord Chen, indeed.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “That’s what I call truly stirring up trouble.”

They then rode the wind together to Ascending City in the center of the world. The originally snow-white land and rivers in the north gradually turned green and yellow.

Over in the Hao Ran world, after Mangzhong, it was May 5th, and Liu Xianyang was hosting his wedding banquet on this day.

Chen Ping’an and Gu Can were naturally going to be the groomsmen. And Ning Yao and Xie Gou were also going to be the bridesmaids for Yu Qianyue.

The last time at the Floating Cradle private dojo, Liu Xianyang said that if Xiao Mo could make it, he shouldn’t be idle and should also be a groomsman. He was a Fourteenth Realm expert, wasn’t that more impressive than you and Gu Can, two minor sect masters combined? Xie Gou naturally applauded. Chen Ping’an then asked her when she and Xiao Mo were getting married. How about the Mid-Autumn Festival this year? At that time, the mink hat girl pretended to be shy, lowered her head, and muttered that it was a little too fast. In reality, her eyes were sparkling, and she secretly wiped her mouth. Xiao Mo, haha, where are you going to run?!

Perhaps it was Mountain Lord Chen’s conscience kicking in, but he still let Xie Gou discuss it with Xiao Mo and choose an auspicious date.

Approaching a vassal city in the northern part of Ascending City, Xiao Mo and Xie Gou rushed to meet them. When Chen Ping’an saw the two sword lights, he stopped on a quiet mountain ridge.

Since they couldn’t use the Three Mountains Talisman, the dusty mink hat girl shook out a large pile of heads from her sleeve, which fell to the ground. There were those of the Emperor of the Jade Purity Realm who founded the country, and a large pile of heads of celestial lords.

Xie Gou grinned and said, “Mountain Lord, two hundred and twenty heads, guaranteed not a single one died unjustly. Many of them didn’t die enough even after two or three deaths.”

Xiao Mo nodded, “Either they personally killed people for pleasure, or they indulged their direct descendants in wanton behavior. There was also a group of Qi Refiners who practiced ghost arts and deliberately refined living people to serve as Yin soldiers, using extremely sinister methods. In addition, there were many other methods, unheard of. As a result, the entire dynasty was in chaos. If we had come a few more years later, the Yin and resentment there would probably have condensed into a monstrous entity.”

Xiao Mo was reluctant to talk about those methods in front of his young master and Qi Tingji. They were all ways of degrading and torturing mortals, such as cultivators who liked to cut off feet and collect the embroidered shoes on women’s feet as well. Or cultivators who led troops, trapped a mansion within the city, cut off the water source, robbed the food, and then extorted various sums of money from the hundred or so people inside. If the people in the mansion wanted to leave unharmed, they had to pay a sum of money for their eyes, ears, limbs, and even the women’s chests. If they couldn’t pay the money or couldn’t bear the pain, they had to stay inside honestly. Whether they committed suicide or cannibalism, the cultivators and soldiers built a high platform outside the mansion, all of them excited, just watching the show.

When he and Xie Gou were on their way, they were silent for a long time. Finally, Xie Gou was the first to speak, saying that it wasn’t like this ten thousand years ago. This made Xiao Mo even more depressed.

Xie Gou also didn’t want to write down those experiences in her travelogue.

Before, Xie Gou took Xiao Mo to that dynasty, meticulously checked the hearts of the cultivators one by one, collected intelligence, and verified it. As for drawing their swords, that was the simplest thing. With a flash of sword light, a line of light was drawn across various parts of the dynasty, and more than two hundred heads fell to the ground. It took her some time to choose those heads from the imperial palace, mansions, and dojos.

Chen Ping’an asked, “If you killed them, you killed them. Why did you bring so many heads?”

Xie Gou exclaimed in surprise, “Doesn’t it say in the books that military generals often kill innocent people for merit and rewards for indiscriminate killing?”

Qi Tingji asked, “What about the other eighty-odd cultivators? Why didn’t you send them on their way too?”

“I don’t believe in anyone who is truly kind will help a tyrant. I don’t expect them to rise up and demand justice for anyone. But they can’t stand it, and they won’t even leave?”

“What’s the point of keeping them?”

Hearing this, Xie Gou rubbed her mink hat and roughly explained, “Half of these living people are already secretly plotting rebellion. The other half have only fought on the battlefield and are indeed cowardly, not daring to fart. They are reluctant to do evil in those small countries and cities, fearing too much entanglement in the mundane world and too much killing karma, which would hinder their Dao heart and cultivation advancement. Some cultivators, as Old Sword Immortal Qi said earlier, wanted to leave, but they were all intercepted and killed on the road by the old emperor’s people. It’s clear that it’s easy to get on a pirate ship, but if you want to get off, you have to pay with your life.”

Here, Xie Gou kicked the head that was still wearing a crown with her toe and pointed, “It’s this guy. He has some skill. On the surface, he’s a genuine Daoist practitioner of lightning methods, but behind the scenes, he’s a master of ghost arts and has military magical powers. He relies on killing people to increase his Dao power. The battlefield is his dojo, truly effortless and convenient. The more people die, the more Yin soldiers he has under his command. So, after only a little over ten years in the Five Colors World, this guy is already showing signs of entering the Immortal Realm. In the future, when that resentment manifests as a Dao, and they become each other’s protectors, isn’t he just striving for ascension?”

Qi Tingji sneered, “Good planning. So, it seems he’s not some rash and impetuous person who seeks quick success?”

Xie Gou tentatively said, “Surname Qi, how about we take Xiao Mo and go wander around there again?”

Qi Tingji thought for a moment, considering it a change of scenery, “Alright.”

They might as well screen the area thoroughly again.

Since you are lawless, then I, Qi Tingji, will set the rules for you and teach you what is a heavenly rule and what is a thunder pool.

Let’s give them a fresh start for the new year.

Xiao Mo was clearly willing to go along, but he asked, “Young Master?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “I’ll wait for you in Ascending City. We’ll try to return to the Hao Ran world before Mangzhong.”

Qi Tingji asked with a smile, “Doesn’t Mountain Lord Chen have any extra instructions?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “One Fourteenth Realm, two Ascending Realm, traveling together. What, do you want me to remind you to be careful and watch out for assassins along the way?”

Xie Gou burst into laughter. Old Sword Immortal Qi’s attempt at being sarcastic was indeed weak.

She was about to turn those heads into ashes with a flick of her sleeve.

Qi Tingji said, “They still have some use. Take them back.”

Xie Gou complied.

Separating temporarily again, the sword light was like a rainbow, and thunder roared.

Xie Gou gave out two stacks of counterfeit Three Mountains Talismans and began to teach Old Sword Immortal Qi how to use them.

Otherwise, crossing half the world by sword would be exhausting.

A moment later, a sharp sword light suddenly sliced open a sea of clouds beside them, arcing towards them and joining them in flying by sword.

Qi Tingji asked with a smile, “What is this for?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Count me in, lend a hand.”

Xie Gou asked curiously, “Mountain Lord, aren’t you afraid we’ll kill indiscriminately regardless?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I’m afraid you’ll kill too quickly and too little, and your methods are too monotonous. You’ll leave behind too many fish that slipped through the net, unable to penetrate a human heart’s ghost domain and give a clear and bright universe.”

Qi Tingji said, “Chen Ping’an?”

Chen Ping’an asked, “What?”

Qi Tingji smiled and said, “Let those who seek death die on the path of life, and let those who want to live be able to live. Is this your true intention?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Those who have attained the Dao of longevity should rotate the celestial and terrestrial axes with their Dao heart.”

Xiao Mo asked with his heart’s voice, “Doggy, what does that mean?”

Xie Gou said solemnly, “Mountain Lord is teaching Old Sword Immortal Qi the method of joining the Dao.”

Qi Tingji glanced at Chen Ping’an. Chen Ping’an looked back. Anyone who believed that was a fool.

After using up the stack of Three Mountains Talismans, in the capital city of that dynasty where evil energy was coiled like a huge black蟒 spitting its tongue, it was pouring rain. Qi Tingji stood high in the sea of clouds and casually unleashed a sword, scattering it with a roar. The thick sea of clouds opened like a heavenly gate, and a dazzling golden light beam shone on the capital city. The polluted evil energy scattered like millions of poisonous snakes fleeing in all directions, giving way to a pale white qi serpent with a weak aura of destiny. Xiao Mo spread out her sword light and completely obliterated the rolling black smoke and evil energy. On the main hall, those sitting on the dragon throne, serving as the national protectors, the newly appointed royal enshrines, and the generals, ministers, and civil and military officials, were mostly new faces.

The sky became bright, and the rain stopped, revealing clear weather.

They saw four figures appearing outside the hall door. The oldest one was a young swordsman in a green shirt with a jade hairpin in his hair. The only woman was a mink hat girl with two blush cheeks. The other two young men had handsome appearances and excellent complexions. They also saw one of them stepping over the threshold of the main hall first. He introduced himself as Qi Tingji of Ascending City and was just passing by.

The seemingly naive girl shook her sleeve and threw many heads into the main hall, “We understand courtesy the best, a见面礼.”

Qi Tingji stepped over the threshold, kicked away the heads blocking the way, and waved to the new emperor sitting on the dragon throne, “Don’t sit so high, come down and chat for a bit. I’m not used to looking up at anyone when I talk.”

Outside the door, the sunlight was infinitely bright.