The air hung thick with unspoken thoughts when Yang Zhi, sudden as a chimera’s whim, inquired with a voice that echoed only in the mind, “Might I parley with that wayfarer?”

Chen Ping’an, clad in dusty travel-worn attire, halted in his path, adjusting his bamboo hat, a silent consultation seeming to pass between him and the air itself.

Then, as if summoned by the earth, a chime of camel bells drifted on the wind. Across the ochre tapestry of the ancient road, a figure appeared, veiled by a *mieli* hat, draped in a gown the color of jade moss, leading a camel of purest white.

The sun, a forge in the sky, warped the very light. Within the confines of the dusty tavern, those who diced and drank paused, their eyes drawn by the apparition. Whispers rippled through the room, speculating on the age, the beauty hidden beneath the veil, and whether the woman might be kin to the tavern keeper.

But their musings were quickly eclipsed by another sight. From the distant heights, a procession of chariots, a celestial cortege, descended towards the tavern, passing over mountain peaks. More than a score of officials, handmaidens, and warrior-guards, a retinue fit for a royal decree. The spectacle resembled nothing so much as a high judge of ancient tales, descending with ceremonial pomp from the heavens.

Chen Ping’an nodded to the approaching figure, and his gaze rose to meet the golden eyes of a youth, framed by jade curtains, as the vehicle drew closer. His golden eyes swept across the scene, dismissing the two travelers with a glance. With a practiced eye, he divined them to be a fifth-realm martial artist and a lady of the inner realm – companions, perhaps, worthy of the local mountain god’s hospitality, but nothing more.

Within the tavern, the cacophony of gaming ceased as the motley company of spirits and sprites scrambled to clothe themselves. A farcical tableau unfolded: slender figures lost in voluminous robes, portly frames strained against tight seams. In their haste, there was no time to remedy the mismatched attire, a matter of dire consequence, for the local governor was known for his rigid adherence to decorum.

The Mountain God, Lord Gong Xin Zhou, and a youthful River Sprite departed the tavern to greet their celestial superior.

Their hasty exit caused them to brush against the veiled figures in the doorway as the entered, the man with his bamboo hat and the ‘woman’ with her veil.

The veiled figure walked confidently to the table where the others sat, lifting a corner of the veil just enough to speak to the old man that Chen Ping’an had spoken to earlier, “Yang Zhi, you can call me Qing Tong.”

The enchantment crafted by Yang Zhi was no match for Qing Tong’s perceptions. In this realm, Qing Tong had often glimpsed the elusive Yang Zhi, the former master of the Yee-Loke river and one of the fourteen demonic lords, now reduced to obscurity.

“Sit as you please,” Yang Zhi responded, gesturing to the bench with a fan woven from book pages. “As a prisoner, I have little to offer in the way of hospitality.”

Once Chen Ping’an resumed his seat, Yang Zhi spoke up, “Did someone perhaps forget to settle the debt for their drinks?”

Chen Ping’an grinned, “They have yet to depart. Let us settle all accounts, both old and new.”

Yang Zhi ignored the veiled meaning, turning to Qing Tong as he lightly shook his fan, “It is said at the Sword Qi Great Wall, that any transaction with the Hidden Official is sure to be lucrative. Qing Tong, you have an eye for opportunity.”

Qing Tong sighed, her voice heavy, “Necessity dictates my path. First, I engaged the Hidden Official in a contest of martial skill, then submitted to Little Mo’s challenge of swordsmanship. Had I not yielded, the Hidden Official would have transported half the Sword Qi Great Wall to the Tong Leaf Continent. What choice did I have?”

Yang Zhi chuckled, “A contest of swords? Little Mo?”

Qing Tong’s countenance darkened as she recalled the figure who had ascended to his peak within the Devil Suppressing Tower. “As you surmised, he serves the Hidden Official, a sworn protector of the mountain now. At the Wen Temple, he goes by the name Mo Sheng, his Daoist name ‘Joyous Candle.’ He prefers to be called Little Mo.”

Yang Zhi’s fan stilled as curiosity flared. “Compared to ten thousand years past, how has his swordsmanship improved?”

Qing Tong grimaced, “I cannot speak to his skill then, as I had no knowledge of it.”

Yang Zhi nodded. In all the human realm, save for a select few peak sword cultivators, she, Yang Zhi, was best placed to judge the prowess of Little Mo.

*If only the slumbering ancient demons had awakened sooner and claimed their places in the Hall of Heroes… If they had fought alongside the fourteen old lords…*

*The previous war would have been a swift and relentless march. Perhaps the South Po娑 Continent would have fallen more readily, and the scholar Chen Chun An would have been spared his ill fate. Perhaps the North could have been taken. Alas,* Yang Zhi thought, *I would not be confined to this tavern, selling wine and reading books to pass the time.*

Qing Tong surveyed their surroundings. “The Wen Temple has not erected any wards here?”

Yang Zhi affirmed, “I have a gentleman’s agreement with the Young Master. I may roam freely within a thousand *li*, free from all restraint, so long as I refrain from wanton bloodshed. Indeed, I need not even serve the Wen Temple in any capacity. Such leniency towards a prisoner is rare indeed.”

Qing Tong marveled, “The Young Master’s generosity is boundless.”

Both still referred to the Sage of Rites as the “Young Master.”

Yang Zhi laughed. “Our Lord Bai Ze may be a paragon of virtue, yet I believe the Young Master possesses something more.”

Qing Tong cautiously inquired, “Is it that Lord Bai Ze lacks the necessary ruthlessness?”

Yang Zhi pondered. “Difficult to say.”

The exchange resembled nothing so much as the gossip of housewives, trivial matters of daily life.

Chen Ping’an paid closer attention to their conversation, for they stirred familiar echoes within him. Yet the scope of their words was far grander than the mundane chatter he had overheard in the narrow lanes of his hometown.

Yang Zhi glanced at the young Hidden Official, arms folded in contemplation, and jested to Qing Tong, “Are you perhaps destined to forever clash with swordsmen?”

Qing Tong lamented, “Who can say? I shall simply endure.”

Yang Zhi quipped, “Better than I, at least.”

Had she not summoned Qing Tong to this place, her Daoist heart would have remained a stagnant pool. But with each word, a spark of resentment was kindled within her.

*The Sword Qi Great Wall was riddled with spies and sleeper agents. That much was known to the Jia Zi Battalion. Because of Ning Yao, they had taken an interest in a young outsider who was not even a swordsman. Had Lie Ji not failed, but succeeded in cleaving the Hidden Official in two, the fate of the two realms would have been altered.*

*Alas, the sword “Burning Flower” was first deflected by Mi Yu, then briefly imprisoned by Chen Ping’an’s sword-binding talisman. In the end, Lie Ji’s sacrifice had only grievously wounded Chen Ping’an. So close, yet so far.*

*But that fool Mi Yu deserves credit. His intervention bought the new Hidden Official precious time, allowing him to then bisect his former friend Lie Ji.*

*Few swordsmen in the Human Realm would have struck so decisively. They would have been hampered by sentimentality.*

Yang Zhi had witnessed the events on the city wall from within the Jia Zi Battalion, alongside the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuo Yue and Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi had remarked, “It is a pity that Mi Yu languished for so long. Had he ascended, the Sword Qi Great Wall might have gained another Dong San Geng.”

The Great Ancestor of Mount Tuo Yue had inquired whether Mi Yu could be recruited, but Shou Chen responded that only without his brother, Mi Hu, would Mi Yu betray Humanity and join the demons.

Yang Zhi noticed the amusement playing on Chen Ping’an’s lips, and a shiver ran down her spine. “You can read minds?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Where do you think you are? The whisperings of a Celestial Ascendant are like thunder to my ears. What would you have me do?”

Yang Zhi glared at Qing Tong. “You betrayed me!”

Qing Tong looked at Yang Zhi with a guilty look on her face, “Sister Yang Zhi, you are one of my friends but you must not forget who I’m actually working for here!”

Chen Ping’an grimaced at their display. “You may help yourselves to wine.”

Chen Ping’an rose and approached the sealed vats, drawing a ladleful for himself and Qing Tong. Resuming his seat, he asked, “What is the story with that procession? Why does it bear the insignia of a Mountain God’s court, yet flies the banner of a mere Mountain Shrine?”

Yang Zhi explained, “That is Mei He, once the Mountain God of a small kingdom. But his fortune turned, and the new emperor stripped him of his title, reducing him to a lowly village deity. The Wen Temple has not informed him of my presence here, nor of the true nature of this place. He believes these volcanic lands to be worthless, and mistakes me for a mere Dragon Gate cultivator seeking to cultivate here, and he wants me to pay him for it. He has hinted twice in the past to me, and it seems he’ll be making his ultimatum this time around.”

Yang Zhi scoffed at the man, “The man was also some kind of Scholar in the real world, and he talks with such a level of convolution and innuendo that I can barely hold a conversation with him.

Chen Ping’an agreed, “Half-baked scholars never speak plainly.”

Yang Zhi looked at Chen Ping’an with a dark expression. *Was he mocking her?*

The entourage slowed as it neared the Mountain Shrine and the River Sprite’s temple, seemingly to ensure that the local rabble had time to prepare their welcome.

Lord Gong Xin Zhou, a Mountain God of the seventh rank, and the River Sprite of the Chao Qiu River, named Gan Zhou, were the bottom rung of the heavenly ladder, lower even than a mere magistrate.

The River Sprite muttered, “What a showoff.”

The Mountain God chided, “One rank above is enough to crush you, let alone the difference between ours! Don’t give him such a stony face, or Mei Mountain God’s aides will be coming after us. You’ll be at the bottom of the list in next year’s evaluation.”

The River Sprite responded, “I don’t plan on getting a promotion anyway, I am simply a River Sprite after all. Even if he decided to replace me, who would want my job? I barely get paid anything, the County Gods wouldn’t even give me the time of day!

The Mountain God gave a long sigh, what was he to do with his friend? The gathered monster spirits scrambled behind the Mountain God and River Sprite, trying to dissipate the scent of alcohol on their clothes.

Yang Zhi glanced at the approaching Mei He, and said to Chen Ping’an, “His Jade pendant has the words ‘Cool breeze at the end of the world’ inscribed, what does that mean?”

Chen Ping’an responded, “It means that he has been exiled to a remote area and that his ambitions can never come to fruition. He is just a rich man with nothing else to do.”

Yang Zhi was impressed, “Those book readers know exactly how to talk about others.”

Chen Ping’an asked Yang Zhi, “Has he never suspected that you might be hiding your real strength?”

Yang Zhi retorted, “Would you think that the local wine merchant is a Heavenly Immortal if you came from his hometown?”

Chen Ping’an responded, “I would, of course.”

*What is a Heavenly Immortal to my hometown?*

Even Heavenly Immortals from ancient times in the Li Zhu grotto are still not enough.

Yang Zhi was stunned at the words of Chen Ping’an.

That was right, Chen Ping’an comes from the mysterious Li Zhu Grotto.

The opulent entourage stopped, and Gong Xin Zhou pulled the River Sprite forwards, saluting, “Little Mountain God Gong Xin Zhou and Chao Qiu River Sprite Gan Zhou, welcome Mei Lord!”

The monsters behind the pair followed suit, turning into a cacophany of sound.

“The rest of you may wait outside,” Mei He instructed, getting off of his chariot and waving his hand, “Enough with the formalities!”

The governor, despite the fact that the drinkers had not saluted him, was unperturbed. He knew these bumpkins knew no etiquette, and so held no grudge against them.

Mei He entered the tavern, covering his nose with his hand as he frowned. The Mountain God quickly cleaned the table as the River Sprite prepared to sit down, only to be stood on the foot by her counterpart.

Mei He looked to the spirits with disdain, “Let’s drink somewhere else.”

The spirits quickly vacated the area, escaping the scene.

Mei He spoke to Gong Xin Zhou and Gan Zhou before turning to the woman selling wine, “Jing Xing, have you ever considered finding a place with spiritual power to found your own school?”

The worlds spiritual places were already all taken up by the various schools, so it was incredibly difficult to find such a place for a lone wanderer.

In Mei He’s eyes, the woman before him was just a vagrant with ambitions.

The woman gave a smile but said nothing, and so Mei He took out a bottle with an aromatic smell and spoke, “Who are these two?”

Yang Zhi said, “These are my friends from the mountains, one is named Chen, and the other is Daoist Qing Tong. They aren’t local.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “We aren’t friends, I am here to collect a debt.”

Yang Zhi maintained a calm exterior but regretted deeply the failure to have squashed Chen Ping’an like a bug after he had killed Li Zhen on the battlefield.

By this point, Yang Zhi was already suppressing her emotions, so Chen Ping’an could no longer hear her internal thoughts.

“Jing Xing is rich, you could extract plenty of money from her if you just asked,” Chen Ping’an said to the Mountain God, “We can split the profits 50-50.”

The River Sprite’s jaw dropped.

*This person is too evil!*

*How can he be so open about all of this?*

The Mountain God was even more stunned, *Are they going to kill me after this?!*

Mei He glanced at the stranger and said, “Since you know my name, I will not lower myself to your level.”

Mei He then decided not to waste any more time, not giving her the chance to play dumb, “Jing Xing, if I remember correctly, to become a celestial you will need to make use of local land and water energy.”

Yang Zhi retorted, “A celestial with two golden cores?

Before Chen Ping’an immediately went to put him down, “They exist.”

Yang Zhi did not take offense, but was still curious.

“Who is it?

This was even more rare than having multiple lifebound swords.

Qing Tong was stopped from revealing any information, so simply said, “There is such a person.”

Mei He was getting angry, *This woman has no respect, I’ll make sure she learns her place when I get back to the Mountain God Shrine.*

But he wanted to save face, so spoke to Gong Xin Zhou, “Earlier I saw you reading a book in the tavern.”

The Lord was clearly implying something but didn’t make it clear.

Gong Xin Zhou quickly pulled out a brand new book and gave it to Mei He, “It is a new print book that I was looking through for fun.”

Mei He took the book and quickly scanned the preface before flipping through the pages, “This Book of Sword Immortals with over two hundred people, it is an assemblage of various junk. No reader would give it the time of day, and its sales would only be propped up by the Sword Qi Great Wall. Unless you are a fan of the creator, nobody would want to buy this.”

The River Sprite looked to the Mountain God, *Is that how you pronounce that word?*

She had no interest in the content of the book, as that was the realm of book readers, but she did find reading tiresome.

The Mountain God explained to her through telepathy, “It has multiple pronunciations, I was not wrong.”

Mei He continued flipping through the pages, “Take this seal for example, the ‘Mountain and River’ word should not be carved so broken. And this one, the ‘Hero’ word is too lacking and soft. Clearly, the Hidden Officer put all of his effort into his martial arts and swords, not much was put into his writing. Still, it can’t be helped, as he is a Sword Immortal.”

“The inscription on the preface praises him highly, but that must simply be flattery for his position.”

Mei He shook his head and put the book on the table as he smelled the scent of the bottle.

“He is simply an amateur when it comes to carving seals.”

“Heh, famous for nothing.”

Yang Zhi looked at the arrogant Lord before turning to the smiling Chen Ping’an, he would never have guessed that the person he was speaking about was right in front of him!

It was like a talisman maker critiquing the works of Yu Xuan.

“The twenty seals on this page are terrible, it shows the limited experience of the Hidden Officer.”

“What raven hair or snow-white teeth? What beautiful waist? All so shallow and common, what a pity for a Hidden Officer to have made these. His aptitude for learning must be terrible!”

Yang Zhi was reveling in this spectacle, she had never found this Mountain Lord so pleasing to listen to.

Chen Ping’an, holding the wine bowl, looked to the book, “The Book of Sword Immortals should not have seals of this kind.”

Gong Xin Zhou retorted, “How would you know?”

Chen Ping’an grinned, “At the very least the original didn’t, and there shouldn’t be any such thing as a ‘Rouge Volume’ or a ‘Drinking Volume.'”

Gong Xin Zhou snorted, “How rare is it? Have you seen it yourself? Don’t go around spouting nonsense.”

The Mountain God was being rude but was signaling to Chen Ping’an not to engage in that struggle.

*Why are you butting in on this? Don’t you see that the Lord’s face is already changing?*

Yang Zhi shook his fan, “Mei Lord, let us discuss the buying of the place at your shrine later, my guests are here today.”

She worried about this Lord getting killed if things went wrong.

Mei He, while confused by this sudden change of heart, still did not think too much about it. He then took his chariot back to his domain.

Gong Xin Zhou and the River Sprite accompanied the Lord on his departure, and when they got back to the tavern, they resumed their seats. They took the empty bowls and headed to the wine barrel when they saw the stranger was already at the barrel. The Mountain God sighed, *Why now? You should have done this earlier instead of being so argumentative!*

Chen Ping’an went back to his seat and said, “My seal spreads through the world, those made by others are but imitations.”

Yang Zhi then asked, “Do you hate Lie Ji?”

Thanks to Lie Ji’s attack, Chen Ping’an managed to leave the Hidden Official Seat at Summer Palace and make his way to the prison, eventually leading to him meeting the Tailor and becoming the embodiment of the demon race.

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “Why would I hate him? It has no reason.”

Back then, sword cultivators like Xiao Xun or Luo Shan also chose to betray, while others like Lie Ji chose death and still others like Zhang Lu chose inaction.

They had not been tempted by money or fame from the demons, they just wished to end the stale peace of humanity.

Those sword cultivators also respected Chen Qing Du for manning the city for so long but did not agree with his decisions, calling him a coward.

Lie Ji, on the other hand, was one of the first Upper Five sword cultivators to buy wine from his tavern.

He had received the gift of wine from Lie Ji back then.

Before receiving that wine, he would have never expected to receive the position as the Hidden Official!

Chen Ping’an lifted his bowl and toasted in a direction before drinking it all.

He had no qualms about the battles with people like Lie Ji, those were genuine swordsmen in his heart.

Yang Zhi remembered, “Mi Yu drew his sword at the Old Dragon Battlefield. I heard he left the Sword Qi Great Wall to join your mountain?”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

Yang Zhi asked, “He still hasn’t advanced?”

Chen Ping’an grinned, “He will soon.”

Yang Zhi did not buy it, “What use is becoming a Humanity Sword Celestial? I think Mi Yu should have joined Xiao Xun and left humanity. To stay is to be confined, akin to working in an office.

“No need to talk to me about you,” Chen Ping’an responded, “Since you aren’t a sword cultivator, don’t try to tell sword cultivators what to do.”

Chen Ping’an then turned to the River Sprite and asked, “You are just selling wine all day, why don’t you try to teach this girl some water techniques?”

The River Sprite, in particular, had a lifebound item named the Snake Coiling Mirror, which had a vast meaning behind it.

Though the item was only a spiritual tool, if they were to adhere to the normal rules, Yang Zhi would be linked to the girl by fate.

Yang Zhi looked at the River Sprite and grinned, “I haven’t thought about it before. I’ll think about it if the mood takes me.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Are you done chatting?”

Qing Tong nodded, “I will find you again if I ever get to the Central Continent.”

Yang Zhi grinned, “Qing Tong, do you have any books that you can give me?”

She only had so many books, so she was hoping that the Wen Palace could provide her with some but found that to be too embarrassing.

Qing Tong nodded, “Of course. What kind of books would you like? Records, histories, mythologies or anything?”

Yang Zhi did not stand on ceremony and said, “A little of everything is fine.”

Qing Tong turned to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an guessed her thoughts and grinned, “If you two can do something under the eyes of the Sage of Rites, then be my guest. What can I do to stop you?”

And so Qing Tong relaxed and transferred a few hundred books to Yang Zhi.

Yang Zhi thanked her.

Yang Zhi hesitated before speaking to Chen Ping’an, “Are you sure you aren’t interested in that deal earlier?”

Chen Ping’an grinned, “We can still talk about it, but you have to pay a deposit. If you agree, I can come by here and give you a definite answer.”

Yang Zhi responded, “A deposit? Go on.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Enchant your robe and give it to me as an imitation. You can remove a fourth of its most critical effects.”

Yang Zhi asked, “Second?”

Chen Ping’an grinned, “Return the water of the South Pond Lake.”

Yang Zhi was confused, “That’s it?”

Chen Ping’an responded, “Mei Lord should hear this, that’s what true wealth is.”

Yang Zhi spoke, “My dark robe is named Going With The Water, also known as The Fire Refiner.”

“The robe is able to guide multiple dragons and creatures of water, letting them ascend. The Blue Loach that got imprisoned at the Sword Qi Great Wall, for example, was able to advance thanks to this skill.”

“Two requirements, and both can be accepted.”

Chen Ping’an still seemed hesitant, and Yang Zhi laughed, he truly was someone who came from Summer Palace.

Yang Zhi asked, “Why were you so brave after you beat Li Zhen? ”

Chen Ping’an said, “You can see it as a clash of martial arts.”

Qing Tong explained, “It was an opportunity to temper one’s martial arts and gain some improvement.”

Though Yang Zhi was not a Martial Artist, she still understood the concept.

Chen Ping’an stood up and put on his hat, “Next time we settle the bill together.”

“I hope you don’t come!”

Yang Zhi waved his fan and looked to the wine bowl on Chen Ping’an’s side of the table.

Chen Ping’an looked to the bowl and noticed a layer of ‘water’ in the bowl, with a dark leaf floating in the water.

Putting the bowl away, Chen Ping’an saluted the Mountain God and River Sprite before leaving with Qing Tong.

Gong Xin Zhou and the River Sprite waved before going back to looking at the book, the pages did not seem so bad.

Suddenly, his shoulder dipped and the book fell to the ground. Trying to pick it up again, the Mountain God realised that he couldn’t lift the book anymore, and so channeling energy, managed to lift the book and looked to the River Sprite, “Did you do this?”

Yang Zhi took his fan and pointed to Chen Ping’an’s direction and lazily responded, “It was the stranger, treat it as a gift. Make sure you don’t tell Mei Lord about it or else he might try to steal it.”

The Mountain God flipped through the book and on the last page, there was a brand new seal.

“Mountains are not defined by their height but by their spirits.”

The River Sprite strained her neck to see, but did not take notice. It was then that she noticed the wine seller suddenly standing up, and that a rich scholar had just come in. Beside the scholar was a poor bookworm, but with one blink the bookworm seemed to cross space, and so it had been that the bookworm came up to the Mountain God and exclaimed, “Lord Mountain God, what do you think of the writing!?”

Yang Zhi spoke, “Why did the Rite Sage come?”

The Rite Sage answered, “That fellow was acting strangely, so to reassure the fellow, I had to come.”

Some people had a presence that would live on.

People like Bai Ye or Yu Xuan or even those like Zhou Shen Zhi.

Those people may respect and follow the lead of the Sage of Rites.

The River Sprite asked, “Rite Sage?”

The Rite Sage gave a nod.

The bookworm adjusted his clothes and gave a cough, the River Sprite did not know him but just knew that he must be someone in charge.

The bookworm decided to report his name, “I am the teacher of that swordsman earlier.”

Gong Xin Zhou stared at the Rite Sage, at a loss for words.

The bookworm then gave him a slap on the shoulder, “Good, Mountain God is full of righteousness. You are not even fazed by the Rite Sage himself.”

The bookworm helped the Rite Sage move the bench and even managed to help get drinks for everyone. To hear someone call him the Mountain Lord made him feel strange, and so trembling, Gong Xin Zhou asked, “Who are you?”

The bookworm sighed, “It doesn’t matter who I am, knowing who my disciple is is enough.”

The Rite Sage looked to the bookworm and smiled, “Let’s drink.”