The snow and moon shared a celestial accord, yet a youth shone even brighter amidst the stark beauty.

Joined by this self-proclaimed Cui Dongshan, the group of six ventured towards a grand estate, its high walls guarding a library boasting six thousand scrolls.

A wiry man, resembling a starved monkey, led the way, his feet brushing aside the snow, ensuring the embroidered shoes of the lady behind him remained untouched by the clinging ice.

This woman, named Wang Manmeng, declared herself of the Viewing Sea Realm, yet disliked the title of ‘immortal,’ a fact the skinny man had learned after a poorly timed compliment earned him a stinging slap.

Along their path, she engaged in light chatter with the handsome youth who called himself Cui Dongshan. Beneath her flowery smiles lay the subtle calculations of one born outside the hallowed halls of established sects. Her heart was much like the road beneath the snow: seemingly pristine, but a treacherous mire to those who delved too deep.

Wang Manmeng noticed the youth’s unsteady gait, betraying no martial training. His boots were already caked with snow, causing him to shiver. He brushed at the falling flakes clinging to his head and shoulders, repeatedly asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”

The rift stemmed from a disagreement with her paramour, Hong Chou. Wang Manmeng refused to be beholden to another, despising the cold gaze of superiors and the machinations of the imperial court. She had no desire to carve out her own mountain and establish a sect; mountain life meant rules, and rules brought conflict. Hong Chou, a man of the wilds, knew nothing of the subtle ways one could be slain without the stain of blood. He did not understand the perils of clashing with those who possessed influence and powerful backers. Should they truly establish a domain, escape would become impossible. To humble themselves, to placate their enemies? What then? Would Hong Chou, with his brutish face, prostitute himself? Or would they engage in forced “harmonious unions,” pushing her forward as bait? Hong Chou may not care for the cuckold’s horns, but she refused to feign coy pleasure in the bedding of undesirables.

Thus, the two factions now resided within neighboring mansions, maintaining a semblance of peaceful distance.

The woman and the white-clad youth walked side-by-side into the estate, entering a great hall stripped bare of all valuables, leaving only a grand nanmu plaque casually leaning against a table by the wall. As the youth crossed the threshold, his gaze swept over the barren space before he knelt beside the table, his rear in the air, and wiped the dust from the plaque. “Heaven Endures, Longevity Extends.”

Cui Dongshan lifted the plaque, placing it on the table, intending to carry it back to his study at Misty Snow Peak.

Two braziers burned within the hall, fueled by charcoal they had forged themselves. The skinny man, ever industrious, added more fuel to the flames, carefully covering the red-hot embers with ash, a trick to prolong their burning. He was a man accustomed to frugality.

The two groups separated, settling around the braziers. Outside, the snow continued to fall.

Perhaps the presence of a stranger chilled the air, and few words were spoken.

This newcomer’s origins were unknown. How could a mere youth dare enter a ghost city alone? Such a feat was reserved for those who possessed hidden strength, regardless of their apparent age.

Only the charcoal-tender, emboldened by desperation, sat close to the beautiful woman, facing the pallid youth.

Wang Manmeng was Hong Chou’s lover, and few dared to trifle with her. The scholar Gu Qiu had only been suspected of desiring her, but had suffered greatly at Hong Chou’s hands for his temerity. This skinny man, however, was an exception. Perhaps Hong Chou believed his paramour would never stoop so low.

Within the brazier, the charcoal cracked, echoing like firecrackers. Embers occasionally popped and danced, some landing near the skinny man’s trouser legs. He patted them away as if fearing they would burn a hole, a testament to his thrifty nature.

Cui Dongshan picked up a shard of charcoal near the brazier’s edge and lightly crushed it. “White charcoal,” he said, smiling. “Much more valuable than black charcoal. Manmeng-jie, you certainly live well.”

Wang Manmeng tilted her chin, glancing at the skinny man across from Cui Dongshan. A seductive smile played on her lips. “I know nothing of white or black charcoal. That’s Qian Hou’er’s domain. He has no real skills, but as a cook, woodcutter, charcoal burner, plowman, and cartwright, he’s unmatched.”

The reed-thin man, Qian Hou’er, had been leaning forward, warming his hands, his eyes covertly admiring the woman’s embroidered slippers. His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard. Her skin was so white, seemingly bursting with moisture, and her feet, encased in those silken slippers, never saw the sun. Gu Qiu, who had once emptied her bathwater, had been fortunate indeed. He looked up, rubbing his hands together, and said, “Cui-xiong has a sharp eye. It is indeed white charcoal, incomparable to black. It burns longer, cleaner, and doesn’t choke you. Of course, such quality comes at a price. Common folk can’t afford it.”

Cui Dongshan removed his snow-soaked boots, apologized, and held them to the fire, asking, “In your homeland, what does a hundred catties of charcoal fetch in silver?”

Qian Hou’er grinned. “My homeland is blessed with mountains, rich with hardwoods perfect for white charcoal. We are quite famous; it’s even recorded in the prefecture gazette. The kilns are known as ‘Green Carp Kilns.’ The name comes from a temple to the Carp Maiden at the foot of the mountain. I later learned it was considered an immoral shrine, and I never understood why the court and scholars didn’t change the name. Before I left, the temple was still a popular place of worship. I visited often as a boy. In weather like today, with the bitter cold, the gods reward us with higher prices: two liang and four or five qian. If you have connections with the stewards of wealthy families, you can double that. Cui-xiong, you look like a wealthy man from a grand lineage, a celestial cultivator. How do you know the market price for charcoal?”

Wang Manmeng tried to interrupt several times, but, seeing the youth’s genuine interest, she waited for Qian Hou’er to finish his lengthy explanation. Finally, she chided, “Cui-lang only asked for the price. Why babble on so? Too much horse piss makes a glib tongue?”

The skinny man’s face fell. Usually, this江湖 (Jiang Hu; lit. “rivers and lakes;” often refers to the world of martial arts) denizen, Qian Hou’er, was not one for idle chatter, but he was a mere third-realm martial artist, his voice was not suited for grandstanding. But, speaking of charcoal, his craft, and his homeland, he could not contain himself.

Cui Dongshan smiled. “My teacher once burned charcoal. He is the true expert; I only overheard a few things. If he were here, he would talk for hours.”

Cui Dongshan casually asked, “How long have you been here? How much silver have you earned?”

Wang Manmeng cooed, “Cui-lang, we arrived last summer. Half a year has flown by. As for our earnings, we don’t flaunt our wealth. Let’s just say we haven’t wasted our time. It’s certainly better than serving as cannon fodder for various nations. We had a rare, good year. Cui-lang, are you interested in joining us? Hong Chou has a sworn brother who’s connected to a military general. He passed on word that the Great Yuan Dynasty won’t be able to spare resources for these drained ghost cities for the next two or three years. The Emperor is too busy.”

Before encountering Zhong Kui and Gusu last winter, they had earned almost precisely one Gu Yu coin, according to Gu Qiu’s estimation. Divided evenly, that was about ten Snowflake coins per person. However, according to the unwritten rules of the road, that was not how it was calculated. The real lionshare went to Hong Chou, claiming to be a fifth-realm martial artist but in reality a sixth, and Wang Manmeng, claiming to be of the Viewing Sea Realm but in truth only of the Cave Mansion Realm. These ‘marsh ducks’ took nearly forty percent, but they had cobbled together the team, and no one dared protest. Hong Chou’s blade could slay even wandering specters; killing a few living souls was nothing. Not resorting to betrayal was considered 江湖 (Jiang Hu) righteousness in and of itself. Afterward, fortune had smiled on them, bringing another seven or eight Small Heat coins. Now, they awaited Wang Manmeng and Hong Chou’s negotiations on how to proceed.

Cui Dongshan asked with a smile, “No one died earning money in this place?”

Wang Manmeng grinned. “No. We’ve had exceptional luck. I made sure to visit the City God Temple to burn incense and make vows as soon as we arrived. Qian Hou’er’s skill helped us burn two large baskets of spirit money.”

Qian Hou’er, basking in praise, seemed to grow lighter by the pound, smiling like a fool.

It was indeed rare. Twelve entered the city, braving danger, earning a good sum, and returning whole, with no one missing a limb. Other groups were not so fortunate. In the many ghost cities of the former Great Yuan Dynasty, the court had held grand water and land retreats (Buddhist ceremonies for the salvation of souls), but these had proven useless. Ferocious ghosts still roamed unchecked, only calming down near the year’s end. Most groups consisted of wild cultivators who knew some mountain arts, leading bands of martial artists to scavenge for scraps the imperial soldiers had missed. During the past autumn and winter, news spread of sudden deaths within the cities and counties, of possessions and frenzied bloodshed. Legend held that one ghost city, scarred by terrible battles, had spawned a ghost Earth Immortal, commanding thousands of spectral soldiers. Hong Chou had worried, considering abandoning the city, fearing the golden core ghost Immortal would march south with its army. But for reasons unknown, near the year’s end, the ghost cities seemed to establish clear borders, with no more hordes of roaming spirits marshalled by spectral generals. On New Year’s Eve, after a night of great commotion, Gu Qiu had dared to violate imperial law and wear the robes of the City God, taking his place in the temple. After that, the ghosts seemed to vanish. Qian Hou’er swore it was a sign from Heaven, gathering the wandering souls and giving them a final resting place, paving a road to the underworld where they could cross the Bridge of Helplessness, drink Meng Po’s soup, and be reborn.

Wang Manmeng, a true Qi cultivator, knew and saw more than Qian Hou’er could glean from folk tales, but she, too, was baffled. Sensing anomalies in the heavens and earth, she had flown to the city walls, feeling a strange “presence” permeating the world. It was not the spiritual energy sought by cultivators. She had once journeyed to behold a mountain celebrated as a holy site; near the “Mount of Great Peace” and the sect it housed, she had witnessed similar phenomena, yet nothing compared to the grandeur of that night. Standing on the wall in the dead of night, she had watched points of light gather into a mighty host and leave the ghost city, led by robed scholars and armored soldiers. Even in death, they maintained order on that final journey. Among them were children with pale faces but joyful expressions, led by their elders, bowing to the woman on the wall, the one who had gathered the bones and built the burial ground. The woman on the wall was stunned, and wiped her face, reminded of words she had never taken seriously: “The spirit of Heaven and Earth endures forever.”

But the thought faded as she descended the wall, and was gone by dawn. The woman returned to considering her future.

Wang Manmeng watched the white-clad youth, who had placed his boots near the brazier and was now toasting his white socks, and asked, “Cui-lang, what do you do? You seem like a scion of some new sect, wandering for experience. Are you alone? Doesn’t your family send someone to protect you?”

He seemed unlike the court-appointed cultivators, lacking any pretense. Simply put, the way he looked at people was like he was actually seeing them.

This much, Wang Manmeng, a vagrant cultivator cast out from her sect and adrift for half a century, knew well.

The white-clad youth held his nose and waved his silken socks. “I am a sect leader.”

Wang Manmeng covered her mouth and giggled, lightly tapping the youth’s arm. “Cui-lang, you jest.”

A stout swordsman by the brazier laughed. “Sect leader? Why not call yourself a pope?”

Downmountain sects do not call themselves “sects,” and mountain仙府 (Xian Fu; lit. “immortal abodes” and often translated as “immortal palaces”) don’t call themselves “教” (jiao, which could refer to a religion), such is the rule. Relatively speaking, though, the restrictions for the former are less rigid, and if a 江湖 (Jiang Hu) sect wants to call themselves something-sect, as long as the local court doesn’t step in, that’s not too big of a deal.

If this Cui person was not joking, and was really a “sect leader,” then he obviously wasn’t from a仙府 (Xian Fu). Just how many宗 (zong, often translated as “sect” but implying more lineage and permanence than other words) were there in Willow Leaf Continent these days, anyway?

The others all thought to themselves: *it seems like this prettyboy isn’t a mountain仙师 (Xian Shi; immortal teacher) after all. He’s just another江(Jiang Hu)ster.*

Everyone there was a veteran of 江湖 (Jiang Hu), so the atmosphere immediately heated up after they learned that the youth was not an immortal teacher, and they no longer acted so rigidly. As for whether this youth was playing a deceptive act, or whether a qi cultivator was pretending to be someone from 江湖 (Jiang Hu), that was no big deal. If the sky fell, Wang Manmeng and her lover would hold it up, and if that didn’t work, there was still Gu Qiu, a city god candidate, to clean up the mess. At least here in this prefecture-city, they were extremely confident.

Cui Dongshan smiled. “I almost became a vice-pope.”

Qian Hou’er, who had finally found someone even more ridiculous than himself, didn’t have the heart to make fun of the other.

Cui Dongshan continued, “My mountain is temporarily short-handed. I only have less than ten thousand recorded cultivators.”

Wang Manmeng held her belly laughing, *what a shame that Cui-lang didn’t go to a tavern to become a storyteller!*

Qian Hou’er was laughing while also stretching his neck to look at the scenery packed within the woman’s chest.

“Cui-lang, how would you like this big sister to go to your place, to become an ancestral offering? In charge of the laws, or maybe in charge of money? This big sister is really good at living life, and knows how to calculate.”

Cui Dongshan massaged his chin and said with a serious expression, “Well, this big sister would have to first ask a celestial realm swordsman, a nascent soul realm swordsman, and a ninth realm martial artist, and see if they would let her have their positions.”

Everyone looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

If he really were a mountain cultivator, then so be it, but this guy was also very humorous, which wasn’t too bad.

The premise was that he wasn’t one of the moody types who were narrow-minded and liked to joke, but who would absolutely not let other people joke about them, those who would go from laughing to being a stranger at any time.

Cui Dongshan suddenly asked, “Big sister, do you want to confirm whether I am a registered cultivator so much? What, do you hate mountain immortals? Or is it like that type where one of you has to drop to the ground when you see each other?”

Wang Manmeng laughed so hard that she couldn’t close her mouth, and she covered her breasts in a panic. Because she liked to wear night clothes, her chest was clearly visible, with its peaks standing tall. She massaged her chest and said, “Cui-lang’s guesses are so unreasonable. You are so suspicious, you must be a wilderness cultivator.”

Cui Dongshan smiled. “Don’t be nervous, it was just a random question. I must have misunderstood big sister. I just felt some killing intent.”

The shapely woman bit her lips. “How could I dare to kill someone? I’m all alone, so I can only be bullied.”

Cui Dongshan just laughed and put his socks and shoes back on. *Damn it, if teacher weren’t here eating hotpot, just see how I would treat all of you as guests.*

Someone told them about the situation, and soon someone hurried over to this mansion.

He was a burly man wearing armor, a knife at his waist, and with scars all over his face. In Fatty Gusu’s words, he looked like he warded off evil spirits, and could scare ghosts when walking down the road at night.

It was Hong Chou, a deeply concealed sixth-realm martial artist. In the current Willow Leaf Continent, with this realm, it wouldn’t be hard at all to find a military general position with actual authority in one of the nations, or to act as a family retainer that protected the peace of a frightened minister or duke.

Hong Chou reached for the knife handle, walked with large strides, and the sound of his steps on the snow was very clear in the wind and snow.

He looked at the inside of the house, and Hong Chou’s expression darkened. Gu Qiu, who had already severed his relationship with them, had left, and now there was a white-clothed youth of unknown origin.

This made Hong Chou extremely depressed. *You old woman, you just don’t know when to die! How could a Cave Heaven Realm wilderness cultivator recklessly provoke a mountain cultivator?*

Qian Hou’er quickly got up and squeezed to the side, near the brazier.

Hong Chou sat on a chair, took off the knife at his waist, leaned on the knife with both hands, narrowed his eyes, and asked, “Little brother, where do you come from?”

Cui Dongshan shook his sleeves, rubbed his palms together, breathed on them, and said with a smile, “From a mountain not far from here called Celestial Capital Mountain. Right now, there aren’t many people on the mountain, so I have to think about recruiting troops and buying horses. You’ve already met my teacher.”

Hong Chou frowned. “Which one?”

Cui Dongshan smiled. “My teacher is currently at the Xiaofang Girl’s house, drinking and eating hotpot with a martial arts senior.”

Wang Manmeng suddenly understood and said with a smile, “That clean and fresh young master in the blue gown and cloth shoes? He looks like a scholar, and it’s clear that he’s not in the same business as us.”

The woman pointed at the ceiling. “It was like he came from the sky back then, and you told me afterwards that that person just looked young, and was probably a land immortal skilled in rejuvenation. We can’t provoke him. If he wasn’t a golden core, then he would have to be a golden body realm martial artist. In any case, he must have one of those goldens.”

Hong Chou’s arrogance instantly vanished. Back then, the other had appeared out of nowhere, and Hong Chou didn’t even dare draw his knife.

Hong Chou frowned and asked, “Your teacher, is he purely a martial artist?”

Cui Dongshan chuckled. “My teacher is definitely a pure martial artist, but he always acts like a swordsman.”

Hong Chou cautiously asked, “Which realm? Golden Body Realm?”

He didn’t even think that the other would give him an answer.

Seeing the white-clothed youth reach out, Hong Chou said strangely, “What do you mean by this?”

Cui Dongshan smiled. “If you guess my teacher’s realm, how about you give me some Small Heat coins as a reward?”

Hong Chou laughed in exasperation, *was this guy out of his mind?*

It seemed like the heavens were still very fair, giving someone a good face, but also a brain that couldn’t understand things.

Cui Dongshan smiled. “Then let’s change the betting method. You can guess my teacher’s realm three times. The first time, it’s a Snowflake coin, the second time, it’s a Small Heat coin, and the third time, it’s a Grain Rain coin. If you guess right, then I’ll double it for you. As long as you agree, I will immediately smash all my pots and pans to pull out six immortal coins, and give them to Wang Manmeng to hold.”

Hong Chou scoffed. “Did you learn that betting technique from Qian Hou’er?”

Cui Dongshan said, “I can write the answer on a piece of paper beforehand, and I can also give it to Wang Manmeng to hold. Hong-xiong, this is a business where you’re guaranteed to make money, so will you bet or not? Dare to earn a bundle?”

Hong Chou said, “If you just write a realm 1 or a realm 2, then how would I know?”

Cui Dongshan shook his head. “After Wang Manmeng looks at the answer on the paper, I will allow her to give you two eye signals. One is to remind you whether you want to bet, and the other is to hint whether my answer is reliable.”

“Of course, we have to make sure beforehand that you two aren’t allowed to use mental speech or gather sound into a line. Hmm, let’s change it into a betting method that’s even more beneficial for Hong-xiong. For all three bets, you can decide the order for what immortal coins you want to use. The only requirement is that once we’re on the betting table, we have to finish all three bets. Never mind never mind, if you feel like betting a Grain Rain coin doesn’t fit the bill, then we can only bet two times.”

Qian Hou’er felt that they could bet.

Golden Body Realm, Distant Travel Realm, Mountain Peak Realm, they could guess one coin at a time, and they should be able to guess right at least once.

As for the martial realms of the world, besides the sixth-realm Little Grandmaster, the so-called divine refinement realms of the Grandmaster were just these many.

But Hong Chou was a little troubled, because he knew that above the Mountain Peak Realm, there was still the legendary Limit Realm.

The young man in the blue shirt was definitely not a sixth-realm martial artist. Hong Chou was incredibly sure about that matter. Since the other was able to “fall from the sky,” then he either had to be a Golden Body Realm martial artist, having leapt over from the distance outside the city, or he was a Feather Ascension Realm cultivator who could cover land for a far journey. Then three immortal coins would have to cover four possibilities. If there was no Limit Realm, then this would indeed be a risk-free bet.

For example, Hong Chou could first spend a Snowflake coin to bet that the young man’s teacher was at the Mountain Peak Realm. Then, he could use a Small Heat coin to bet on the Golden Body Realm.

If he won, he could treat it as an enjoyable little bet. It wouldn’t hurt to earn a free Snowflake coin.

That’s because, deep in Hong Chou’s heart, he felt that there was a certain chance that the blue-shirted guest who looked to be not that old was a Distant Travel Realm Grandmaster.

Hong Chou said with a smile, “I’ll bet!”

Cui Dongshan pulled a piece of paper out from his sleeves and started shaking it hard. “Qian Hou’er, quickly get the pen and ink ready! If I earn money, I’ll split a Snowflake coin with you!”

Qian Hou’er got up and went to the house where he was staying to get the pen and ink, saying in his mouth that there was no need.

The white-clothed youth said in surprise, “Ah, no need? Then never mind. Oh right, remember to help soak the ink.”

Qian Hou’er’s expression stiffened, and he hated that he hadn’t slapped himself a few times.

Cui Dongshan pulled out six immortal coins from his sleeves, and held them tightly. “Big sister, this is all of my family’s wealth, so be careful!”

Hong Chou narrowed his eyes. *This guy really has two Grain Rain coins!*

Wang Manmeng reached out her white hand. “Don’t worry, big sister knows how to manage money.”

The white-clothed youth then let go of the money.

Wang Manmeng accepted the immortal coins and cursed in her heart, *damn cultivator, he really is rich!*

Being alone outside, and he could pull out two Grain Rain coins at any time. These were Grain Rain coins, and one was worth fully a thousand Snowflake coins!

Qian Hou’er brought over a bamboo tube writing brush full of ink, with an inscription. This was the most worthless thing in the city, scattered everywhere, and he had been gathering them all together for the past half a year, and had hundreds of them.

The white-clothed youth turned around, curled up, wrote a few words, and then crumbled the white paper into a ball. When he handed it to Wang Manmeng, he reminded her, “When big sister unfolds the paper, remember to turn around like I did, and don’t let Hong-ge see.”

Afterwards, Wang Manmeng followed their agreement and turned her back. She carefully unfolded the paper, and after seeing what was on it, she was stunned, and took a deep breath. Then, she re-crumpled the paper, and turned to face Hong Chou. She had a strange expression, gave an eye signal, and nodded.

She was signaling that they could bet, and that the youth didn’t write something random.

The white-clothed youth suddenly drank lightly and said with mournful eyes, “My good big sister, it will hurt my heart if you keep helping outsiders.”

Wang Manmeng’s expression was awkward, and she could only restrain the small action that she thought was imperceptible.

It would be troubling if Hong Chou wouldn’t admit the bet if they lost.

If Hong Chou had other thoughts after seeing the money, Gu Qiu, who was almost a City God, and the ghost Xiaofang definitely wouldn’t watch idly. Hong Chou was just a sixth-realm martial artist, and he definitely wouldn’t dare to violently kill the Cui Dongshan and steal all six of his immortal coins. And even if they didn’t consider Cui Dongshan’s teacher, just the old man who called himself from the Treasure Bottle Continent was not simple. So even if Hong Chou made a big commotion, he would at most take back three of the immortal coins.

To be honest, after all of those City God temple night trials, Wang Manmeng’s gang of outlaws really didn’t dare to be so reckless anymore.

The white-clothed youth suddenly looked towards Qian Hou’er’s group of four and smiled. “Everyone can bet. Two times, three times, it’s all with Snowflake coins, so what do you think?”

Qian Hou’er didn’t have much interest, and just smiled without speaking, but the others were eager to try. But, after Hong Chou turned and coldly looked at them, they all calmed down.

Then Hong Chou pulled out a Snowflake coin and threw it to Cui Dongshan.

The white-clothed youth held the Snowflake coin with both hands, lifted it over his head, and started muttering, probably praying for the gods to protect him.

Hong Chou said with a low voice, “Golden Body Realm.”

Cui Dongshan looked terrified.

Hong Chou was stunned. *Did I just guess it, and win?*

Wang Manmeng subconsciously wanted to show something, but found that the white-clothed youth was staring at her, so she could only shake her head with a straight face. “Not Golden Body Realm.”

Hong Chou took out a Small Heat coin that he had been carefully saving for many years, and rather than generously throwing it over, he handed it over.

Cui Dongshan rubbed the Small Heat coin in his hands and laughed loudly. “I’ve earned it I’ve earned it.”

Then he twirled that Small Heat coin, lifted it high up, and shook it back and forth. “Tsk tsk, this is the first time that I’ve seen a Small Heat coin, so happy, so happy.”

Qian Hou’er’s group were all speechless. *There’s no need to lie like that, is there?*

Hong Chou’s forehead was covered in dense sweat and said, “Feather Ascension Realm.”

Cui Dongshan raised a white sleeve and put the Small Heat coin inside, saying with a grin, “Received it, and it’s mine.”

Wang Manmeng sighed and said, “Not Distant Travel Realm.”

Hong Chou glared at her, his face vaguely angry. *Could it be that this old woman is working with an outsider to cheat him?*

Wang Manmeng snorted.

Cui Dongshan crossed his arms and chuckled. “Hong-xiong, do you want to bet a third time? If you bet big, you’ll earn big. Those of us who are gamblers, if we don’t have the heart to earn money, we’re nothing. If you risk it all, then it could change from a few acres to an entire mountain!”

Hong Chou said, “I don’t have a Grain Rain coin on me.”

Cui Dongshan smiled. “There’s no need to give it immediately, you can owe it first. I’ll go check the account tomorrow morning. Hong-xiong can borrow money from big sister and the others, and put it all together. It’s just a Grain Rain coin, just a trivial matter.”

Hong Chou was instantly in a dilemma. If he lost, then he would have spent the past half a year working for nothing. But what if he won?

The white-clothed youth crossed his legs, put his shoe on the edge of the brazier, lifted it, and then dropped it. “Big sister, pick out those two Grain Rain coins. They’ll be entering Hong-ge’s pocket immediately.”

Hong Chou suddenly stood up, coldly snorted, and strode away.

Qian Hou’er’s group were all stunned. There was only Mountain Peak Realm left, and he didn’t even dare to bet? Did Hong Chou get his brain smashed on the way here?

Everyone found that the white-clothed youth was instantly dripping with sweat as soon as Hong Chou stepped over the threshold, and he raised his sleeves to wipe at the sweat, explaining, “Hot, the weather’s a little hot.”

Hong Chou paused for a moment, hesitated, and strode away from the mansion.

After taking back the paper ball and six immortal coins from Wang Manmeng, the white-clothed youth said earnestly, “Everyone, listen to little brother, both big bets and small bets, the money that you earn and lose is all from illegitimate sources. You can’t hold onto it, so it’s fine to play around. Of course, if the money comes into the home, and you’re willing to send it out through the front door, that’s also a good thing. What’s called good money is hard to let go of, and those who are willing to let good money leave the door are accumulating blessings for the entire family.”

Wang Manmeng couldn’t bear to hear these cheap and worthless principles, and found it very annoying, but her expression was still alluring, and she said, “Cui-lang has good betting skills.”

Cui Dongshan praised, “Hong Chou still has a little bit of strength.”

Wang Manmeng asked with a smile, “Money moves people’s hearts. Aren’t you afraid of Hong Chou?”

Cui Dongshan said, “I’m not afraid of ghosts. Why would I be afraid of people?”

Wang Manmeng smiled.

Qian Hou’er ran outside, squatted on the steps, flicked his wrist, and lightly threw the writing brush a few times. He created a few marks on the snow, and rubbed them back and forth on the snow, and used two fingers to pinch the tip of the pen and squeeze out the ink, like “washing a pen.”

Qian Hou’er returned to his own room, took out a fire starter, and lit the oil lamp on the table. He lightly suspended the clean brush on a pen rack.

He suddenly found that the white-clothed youth was like a ghost at the door, silently arriving here. He leaned against the door and looked towards him with a smile.

Qian Hou’er’s heart tightened. *Could he be picking on someone weaker than himself, and is robbing him?*

Cui Dongshan reached out from his sleeves and lightly flicked a Snowflake coin to Qian Hou’er, and said with a smile, “It’s not hot, so take it. It’s enough for you to buy a pile of brush washers.”

Qian Hou’er couldn’t figure things out for a moment. He held the Snowflake coin, which was actually very hot, and didn’t know what to do. If he accepted it, he could easily be remembered by Hong Chou, but if he didn’t accept it, it seemed like it would be hard to get through this stage.

Cui Dongshan walked into the room and found a booklet on the table. After picking it up and looking, he laughed.

It turned out that Qian Hou’er had used charcoal pencils to draw the styles of tables, chairs, flower stands, beams, and corbel brackets, with more than a hundred styles.

It seemed that he had opened his eyes here in this ghost city and grown his knowledge. Qian Hou’er had been tinkering with this “book” in his free time.

Cui Dongshan flipped through a few pages and said with a smile, “With this skill, you won’t starve to death. Why did you think of coming here? If you hadn’t been lucky, and hadn’t run into vicious ghosts, then with your little bit of Jiang Hu skill…”

Qian Hou’er quoted some prose. “Horses don’t get fat without nighttime grass, and the books say that you can only find wealth and danger. If I relied on my skill to live, how much money could I earn in a year? It’s too slow to get money, so I can’t make it to the top.”

Cui Dongshan flipped through the pages and said, “They’re just earning money, but only you are making a living.”

Qian Hou’er was confused. What was the difference? If you didn’t have money in your pockets, then how could you live?

Cui Dongshan raised his head and smiled. “Qian Hou’er, would you like to go mix with my mountain? I can’t say that you’ll get rich, but it’s better than wandering around these ghost cities every day, carrying your head on your belt to earn your life’s money, one day at a time. It’s too hard. And who knows who you’re saving money for.”

Qian Hou’er didn’t think about it too much, and after running those words through his head, he smiled and said without hesitating, “I’ll have to pass. I’ve gotten used to wandering outside in this life. It’s dangerous, but I’m also more free. It won’t do for me to live a life of enjoyment in one place.”

Some ways of living were so good that he didn’t even dare to think about them.

This time, regardless of whether Hong Chou and Wang Manmeng would part ways, or whether everyone would just split up here, as long as they sat down to divide the money, he would probably get ten Snowflake coins, a full ten thousand taels of silver. If they were cut into fragments and put into baskets, and he sat on the roof and threw it out, then it could snow, right? And according to Wang Manmeng, the various nations were in urgent need of immortal coins right now, and if they were converted into gold and silver, then they would have quite the premium.

Cui Dongshan moved an old official hat chair to sit on, crossed his legs, and this made Qian Hou’er even more nervous. *What’s going on?*

Cui Dongshan smiled. “Right now, my mountain is very short on people. If you go, you’ll be able to use your skills. The monthly salary will be a Snowflake coin, so what do you think? The one from earlier can be considered a deposit.”

Taking the opportunity while the teacher hasn’t returned to Falling Mountain, he’d better quickly grab some strong guys to go back, and first get to know the teacher’s face, so that when the teacher goes into closed cultivation, travels, and returns to his hometown, and comes back to Azure Ripple Sword Sect, the “new people” right