From ancient soils spring forth unique peoples, and across the boundless Nine Provinces, the turning of ages leaves behind tokens of good fortune, talismans rooted to the land. Such is the Wutong tree, aged ten thousand years, that stands sentinel over the verdant expanse of Tongye洲.

And so too it is for Treasure Bottle 洲, whose very shape upon the map resembles a celestial water flask, its blessings tied to its form.

Deep beneath the earth, in the shrouded heart of the land’s veins, lies a 太虛 realm, bound by layers of arcane wards. Within this boundless void, two opposing forces face one another. Suspended in the air above them hangs a square iron coffer, etched with runes from a forgotten era. Beneath it, a humble wooden platform offers support to the formidable iron box.

Xie Gou, perched cross-legged in this realm of ethereal emptiness, arms folded, gazes upon the scene with an air of seasoned approval. “To unravel two layers of the mountain-river seal, and shatter through three more with brute force and enchanted trinkets… you’ve earned yourselves quite the tale to tell. As the old verse goes, you’ve arrived with purpose, may you depart with satisfaction. Look, snow falls; a glorious flurry of goose-feathered flakes.”

As she spoke the word ‘snow’, so it began to fall.

With friend and foe yet indistinguishable, Song Xu sent words of caution to his five companions, urging them to patience. Confronting a great cultivator, who, masking their Qi, had followed them this far, demanded utmost vigilance. The five cultivators of the Earthly Branch array stood poised, hands clasped in formation. Yu Yu, bearing the “戌”牌 at her waist, conjured a radiant aura, her palms and backs adorned with ancient, swirling script. Upon her shoulder materialized the miniature figure of an ancient swordsman, clad in crimson robes, a hibiscus coronet upon his head, a jeweled sword at his side.

Han Zhoujin, the array master of “午”, needed no incantations or gestures to call forth a celestial palace, its earth crimson, the air shimmering with purple Qi, its inner sanctums echoing with hymns of such beauty they seemed heaven-sent.

The young monk, clad in simple linen robes, bearing the “辰”牌, formed a Mudra with practiced ease, one eye open, the other closed, invoking a thunderous pool within his closed eye and conjuring a lotus pond beneath his feet.

Xie Gou clicked her tongue, a sound of genuine amusement. “To wield the skills of a seamstress, and dare to usurp authority by commanding the spirit of an ancient swordsman! To refine a dominion once governed by ancient immortals, a place of mountain-river control! And you, little monk, your pure visualization, bridging yin and yang, even grasping the Five Thunders Correct 法 of the stinking bull-noses! Truly, each of you is remarkable, talents to be celebrated, the young elite deserving of all praise!”

Yu Yu, with silent intent, whispered to her comrades, “Hurry and cast a divination, discern their depths, divine their origins. If we cannot prevail, we retreat! We can always summon reinforcements later.”

It was impossible to determine the true age of the girl in the sable cap. Her cultivation was certainly at the Upper Five Realms, and yet, no record of her existed within the archives of the Dali刑部. How curious. Was she perhaps an outsider, only recently slipped into Treasure Bottle洲?

The young novice, hands pressed in prayer, chanted quietly. “May Buddha grant us a day without strife. Even amidst peril, may we emerge unscathed, that all may return home safely. Afterwards, I shall donate handsomely to the temple, not as a transaction, but as an act of devotion.”

The newcomer, with rouge painted upon her cheeks, seemed to hear their thoughts, and grinned. “Little Taoist, cease your divinations. You’ll only deplete your spirit for naught. For we are all family here. Bending and winding, we are related. There will be no battle.”

The small Shami once again pressed his hands together, murmuring, “Buddha preserve us.”

They had kicked upon iron anew, stumbled across a reclusive master.

Had they but consulted the Almanac before setting forth this day.

Yu Yu, forced a smile. “Family? Relations? What is this talk? Surely, Senior is jesting?”

Xie Gou grinned. “Believe as you will.”

Sensing the unease of the Taoist Ge Ling, Yu Yu inquired, “A divination, but it is, hardly cause for bloodied spittle! Why do you close your eyes so? Ah, now tears flow…”

Ge Ling blinked, his eyes now bloodshot. He lamented, “An unfathomable power, like staring directly into the sun’s heart. I cannot withstand it.”

Yu Yu sighed. “Then we are destined for ruin.”

Ge Ling nodded grimly.

This individual, in all likelihood, was an immortal.

Were Zhou Haijing, the martial artist of the mountain peak realm, here to fill the void left by their party’s reduced size, they might stand a chance. Alas, the six of the Yuanhua realm were confined to Longchun Palace, unable to accompany them.

Xie Gou sighed, “This is the price of disregarding good advice. Those who ignore the wisdom of the aged shall suffer before their very eyes. The old sayings never lie, do they?”

“Communication with Yuanhua Realm and the others is impossible for now, Mister Chen is absent, What do we do?”

The young woman stomped her foot. “Must I resort to drink?”

Before their departure from Gai Yan’s inn, Mister Chen had imparted to each of them, guiding them through their inner hurdles, lest they succumb to the heart demons that plagued the path of cultivation. But for Yu Yu alone, Chen Pingan had offered but three words: “Drink more wine.”

Within their band, Song Xu, the swordsman, was their leader, while the seemingly carefree Yu Yu served as strategist and tactician.

Xie Gou gestured towards the iron coffer, her tone relaxed. “I urge you, with all sincerity, do not open this coffer. A single misstep, and you, body and soul, will melt away like snow beneath the sun. Do not dismiss this as mere trickery. This obliteration is real, the utter reduction to ash. Even an ascended master, or one of those ancient, powerful beings who could search to the depths of Fengdu itself, would be powerless to save you. Should you fail to contain what lies within, it shall plummet to the earth, shattering that wooden tray, deprived as it is of the array’s support. Like iron upon parchment, it will rend a path through Treasure Bottle洲, plunging into the sea-bound mountain roots, unleashing a torrent of boiling water, transforming the land into a steaming cauldron. All life across the洲 will suffer. Your limited abilities are not enough to contain it.”

She was fortunate to have arrived when she did. Had these youngsters already claimed the coffer, the question of true ownership would become a convoluted and insurmountable mess.

Xie Gou knew they could never manage to claim the box. For her words were not mere threats. Within the box slumbered a nascent golden crow, an exceedingly rare primeval entity of pure fire. By its very nature, it was willful and untamed. Once freed from its bonds, should these cultivators prove incapable of controlling it, the golden crow would indeed pierce through the mountains roots of Treasure Bottle洲, leaving behind a great “earthly scar”, disappearing without a trace, vanishing into the ethereal void beyond the heavens. Its recapture would be an endeavor akin to ascending the skies.

Song Xu twisted his wrist, revealing a bottle-shaped treasure. “We are not without our preparations. I have this, capable of receiving the coffer’s contents.”

This item had been entrusted to Song Xu by the Qin Tian監 Yuan先生, an item excavated from a newly discovered blessed ground of the Dali Dynasty.

Discovering the blessed ground, claiming its treasures, coming to the veins of Yuzhou to receive the coffer’s “Golden Crow” – a chain of events linked by Yuan Tianfeng’s profound calculations and insight.

*Heaven above faces Earth below, the Earthly God turns the water flask, the well pulley cries, the water bottle rings, the fire tree yields low branches.*

Xie Gou squinted, surprised, finding in it a hint of Taoist power. Here was a treasure forged in direct opposition to the crow. It seemed they were backed by a figure of no small stature.

Had it been Bai Jing of old, she would have cared for nothing, recognizing a relic of the fallen Fire Palace, a piece of her own past. In her usual style, Bai Jing would have cleaved the coffer with a single stroke, capturing the nascent golden crow within her sleeve. Whether it unleashed a continent-shaking tremor was of no concern to her. But this time, in her departure from Luopo Mountain, Xiao Mo had placed his trust in her, unburdening her of his usual “supervision,” granting Xie Gou the patience she now possessed.

Xie Gou rubbed her chin, a rare sign of deliberation. To prove that this fallen sun had a true owner, she would need to cut open the coffer, and convince these meddlesome children that she did not need to do that.

These unknowing youngsters were determined to claim the golden crow. Had they been in the wild lands, the solution would be simple. To fell a few ants who weren’t even at the Upper Five Realms was a matter of three sword strikes.

Unwilling to cause trouble in Haoran Continent, and unwilling to betray Xiao Mo’s trust, Xie Gou, against her nature, settled on a compromise. “Let us make a trade. I will gift you a treasure of immortal-grade quality, so that your journey is not in vain, a means of satisfying those you serve.”

Song Xu shook his head. “Even if Senior offered all the immortal weapons in the world, we would not consent. It is not that we presume too much, nor that we seek to bargain, but that this artifact is of vital importance to our Dali Dynasty. It is indispensable.”

Xie Gou rose to her feet, grinning. “I believe you fail to grasp your situation. You are under the illusion of choice. Am I wrong?”

Yu Yu, whispering, said “Should we summon Mister Chen’s name to frighten her off?”

After the events in the capital of Dali, the cultivators of the Earthly Branch had reached a consensus:

If there’s a problem, call Chen Pingan.

The Dali Dynasty had unearthed a new blessed ground, the most peculiar aspect of which was its singular lack of sunlight, a flaw in its very Dao. Thus, it urgently required this ancient, fallen sun to fill its void.

“Did I not say that we are kin? What else could explain my wasted breath? If not for our connection, I assure you…”

Xie Gou shook her wrist. “My Taoist partner is Xiao Mo, who follows Chen Pingan. His Taoist title is *Happiness Candle* and his name is *Strangeness* He has been to the Dali Imperial Palace. You have undoubtedly studied his identity and background. He is far more handsome than Chen Pingan.”

Xie Gou, folding her arms, smiled. “As for me, I have recently chosen a new name: Meihua, *Plum Blossom*, My former name was Xie Gou, not so pleasing to the ear.”

For is there not a verse: *South of the city, Xiao Mo is again greeted by spring, and plum blossoms, not the man, are to be seen*?

Xie Gou declared one final time. “Invoking Chen Pingan will avail you naught. What is mine, is mine. Continue to bicker, and you will face my wrath.”

Xie Gou had no intention of delivering a fatal blow, for that would only bring trouble on Xiao Mo’s head.

Just as Xie Gou prepared to deliver her first sword strike, a scholar in Confucian robes materialized within the Taixu realm.

The many layers of wards seemed to vanish, and this man entered freely.

Though he bore the guise of a scholar, an overwhelming aura of Buddhist dharma emanated from him, so intense that Xie Gou felt as if it were crashing upon her.

Could this one have just returned from the Western Buddhist Kingdom?

Song Xu and his companions were shocked: This was Li Xisheng of Fulushou Street in the Lizhu Heaven!

They had already been surprised to learn of his invitation to the Tri-Teaching debate.

Among the younger generation of the Lizhu, Li Xisheng had been an unremarkable presence. The Dali Xingbu archives contained only a few brief entries about him: on one occasion, he had fought with the foreign swordsman Cao Jun in Niping Lane. Li Xisheng had also drawn talismans on the bamboo building on Luopo Mountain. But the outcome of that fight, and the effectiveness of his bamboo talismans, were not recorded.

“I am fortunate to have arrived in time.”

Li Xisheng, with measured steps, looked at those who had arrived before him, and smiled. “This thing is linked to my sister’s grand Dao. Whether Senior forces the coffer open with her swordsmanship, or you try to contain the sun within an ancient bottle crafted by Yuan-Sheng, I have to say it’s a bit precarious. I suggest we cut it up before hand.”

Xie Gou grinned. “So you believe yourself capable of a more ‘secure’ solution?”

Li Xisheng nodded. “I possess a few talisman techniques that may prove useful.”

Xie Gou laughed, adjusting her sable cap, now genuinely annoyed.

She could not bear being upstaged, to have her gift for cultivation surpassed.

Li Xisheng explained with a smile. “Senior, misunderstand me not. I am here to guarantee that I have no desire for this artifact. Once I have opened the coffer, and tamed the golden crow, ensuring that it does not rampage and trigger continent-wide upheaval, you are free to discuss its ownership at your leisure.”

Song Xu took the lead, extending the olive branch. “Song Xu greets Master Li.”

The maiden grinned, introducing herself. “Yu Yu, of the Horse-dung Yu Clan.”

“Ge Ling of Jurong, serving in the Jing Shi Daolu.”

“Lu Hui, of the Old Cliff Academy.”

“Han Zhoujin, of the Qingtan Blessed Ground.”

The small monk pressed his palms, embarrassed. “Houjue, of the Capital Sutra Translation Bureau, a novice without full ordination.”

Li Xisheng returned their greetings with a bow, smiling. “Li Xisheng, of Longquan County, is the elder brother of Li Baoping.”

Xie Gou probed, “How long have you been back from the Western Buddhist Kingdom? A month? A few days?”

Li Xisheng replied with silent thought. “I just came here from Huoxia Temple, at Sheshan.”

Had he not sensed the anomaly here, Li Xisheng would not have returned to Haoran so soon, and the first thing he would have done was go to Baidi City.

Xie Gou was skeptical.

Did this man think himself a Realm Fourteen?

—–

Lin Shouyi, having left Longchun Palace, followed Yuanhua and the other six to the capital. Although he wasn’t required to file his new rank of Jade Purity with the Xingbu, Lin Shouyi had always enjoyed a good relationship with the Dali Dynasty, and wouldn’t have accepted the post of Qidu Temple official back then, and Lin Shouyi’s adherence to the rules and flawless manner made him widely praised in the Dali Li and Xing部, and his “roll call” at the Xingbu was filled with congratulations.

Afterwards, Lin Shouyi 御風 went to Hongzhou’s logging yard.

Now that the logging yard had nothing to do, Lin Zhengcheng was sitting in the deserted office, no alcohol allowed during his tenure, the table was set with only a few dishes of salted peanuts and other snacks to go with alcohol, when he saw Lin Shouyi, the man did not say anything, just threw a peanut in his mouth and chewed it carefully.

Lin Shouyi took out a few jars of Longchun Palace Xianniang from his sleeve, placed them on the table, saying that they were sent by the Supreme Elder Song Yu, and that if his father wanted to drink this kind of wine in the future, he only needed to inform Longchun Palace and it would be delivered directly to the logging yard, and the money for the wine would be charged to Lin Shouyi’s account.

Lin Zhengcheng glanced at the rare Xianniang that was now hard to come by on Treasure Bottle洲’s mountains, and was not grateful, “You drink it yourself if you think it’s too expensive, and there’s no one to give it to, take it back.”

Lin Shouyi smiled, “I heard that Fu Hu, your superior at the Jingcheng Jiebao Office, is now the county magistrate of Pingnan County, you can give it to him.”

Lin Zhengcheng thought about it and did not refuse, of course, it was because he had greeted the two Langzhong of the Military and Personnel Selection and Personnel Department, so Fu Hu was able to go out as an official and serve as the head of the upper county, and he did not directly help to get an official position, but just helped Fu Hu say a few good words, and the Dali Dynasty understood the sound of the strings, and gave Fu Hu a practical position, which was the most important use of the transfer.

If we talk about the art of recognizing people, Lin Zhengcheng is of course very good at it, otherwise how could he be a 閽者 in Lizhu Heaven?

Lin Zhengcheng raised his chin towards the door, Lin Shouyi understood, his father was going to have a drink or two, so he waved his sleeve and closed the door.

Lin Zhengcheng frowned slightly, Lin Shouyi immediately looked embarrassed.

Lin Zhengcheng did not argue about the principles of being human, tapped the table lightly with one finger, and Lin Shouyi began to take out wine cups, taking the initiative to get up and pour the wine.

Lin Zhengcheng took a sip of the wine, tasted it for a moment, and said, “It’s the Jade Purity Realm, which is equivalent to crossing a big threshold, you’re over forty years old this year, not too young, if you were in the city down the mountain, you might have a granddaughter if you got married early, some things, it’s time to talk to you frankly.”

Lin Shouyi drank wine to embolden himself and said with a smile, “Father, don’t be ambiguous, forty years old, do you know my exact age?”

Lin Zhengcheng thought about it and asked, “How many years older are you than Chen Pingan?”

Lin Shouyi felt aggrieved, feeling that his father only remembered Chen Pingan’s age and could not remember his son’s age, and said with a wry smile, “Father, am I really your biological son?!”

Lin Zhengcheng said calmly, “You have to ask your mother about this kind of thing, I’m not sure.”

Lin Shouyi couldn’t help but feel frustrated, stretched out his arm to pick up a peanut and threw it into his mouth, and began to drink sullenly.

Lin Zhengcheng pushed the dish of dried bamboo shoots next to him a little towards Lin Shouyi and said, “Lu Chen came here to find me at the end of last year, and talked to me about some old things, he felt that it was I who made you lose a great opportunity, which led to many benefits that should have belonged to you being transferred to Chen Pingan invisibly, Lu Chen’s fart talk, you can’t believe everything, and you can’t not believe it, you can listen to half of it.”

Lin Shouyi asked, “Father, can you tell me more about it?”

Lin Zhengcheng took a gulp of wine and waved his hand, indicating that he would pour the wine himself, and then told Lin Shouyi about some old calendars and inside stories.

Lin Shouyi thought carefully, “Even if I had known that there was such a table for gambling with heaven and earth… I would definitely not be able to compete with Chen Pingan, because I don’t have enough tenacity, and I’m too lazy to do anything except read books and practice by myself, and I don’t have any ambition. Besides, if I had known these things earlier, unless I had guessed them myself, otherwise whoever leaked the secret to me would have directly lost the qualification and would have automatically left the gambling table, so father, you don’t need to think too much, and don’t have any knots in your heart because of this. I think the current life is the best.”

“Besides, the matter of life and opportunity, how complex and unpredictable, especially when we get involved in cultivation, a long river of time, going against the current, going back, and countless tributaries, yesterday is wrong, today is right, tomorrow is wrong and the day after tomorrow is wrong, there are many things like this.”

“In the final analysis, this fight that we were all kept in the dark about in our generation is a matter of each person’s ability, and we have to accept the victory or defeat.”

“It’s never right to seek anything outside of the heart.”

Looking at Lin Shouyi’s clear eyes and that calm demeanor, Lin Zhengcheng rarely had a few soft faces on his son’s side, but he quickly restrained himself and asked, “What did you say to Chen Pingan?”

Lin Shouyi said, “I asked him to come here to pay New Year’s greetings.”

Lord Chen, you are a treacherous man!

Lin Zhengcheng raised his head and frowned.

As soon as he saw his father’s sullen expression, Lin Shouyi subconsciously panicked, which shows that Lin Zhengcheng, as a father, had a deep sense of power, and Lin Shouyi thought about it and said with a stiff head, “I said in the letter to Chen Pingan that he could come here to pay New Year’s greetings. I think that with Chen Pingan’s extraordinary intelligence, this sentence is enough to explain the problem.”

Lin Zhengcheng said with a sneer, “Is it ‘can’ not ‘must’? You scholars, carefully scrutinizing the words, are very good at using words.”

So Lin Zhengcheng took the initiative to raise his wine glass, “I have to toast the seed of learning? If you go to take the imperial examination in the future and get a champion, I’ll personally set off firecrackers at the door.”

Lin Shouyi raised his wine glass, lowered it and lowered it again, and tapped it lightly, and before drinking the wine, he said aggrieved, “Father, can you not talk like that in the future.”

Lin Zhengcheng took a sip of wine, “Is this the father teaching his son how to be a person and how to speak?”

Lin Shouyi was speechless again, poured himself a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

Lin Zhengcheng said, “I’m not joking with you about taking the Dali imperial examination, a champion in his forties, not too old. Even if you don’t get the champion, as long as you get the top three in the first class, or the second class of Chuanlu will do.”

Lin Shouyi said strangely, “Father, you’re not the kind of person who’s addicted to officialdom, how come when it comes to me, you want to hang a plaque in the family ancestral hall that says you’ve passed the Jinshi examination?”

“There’s enough food in the family, even pigs can eat their fill. If there are many books in the household, the children and grandchildren will be virtuous, and learning is a blessing.”

Lin Zhengcheng said, “I only hope that my dull son will be free from disease and disaster until he becomes a minister, with great wealth and longevity.”

The weather is gradually getting warmer.

Magnolia flowers are blooming in the courtyard outside the door.

—–

In the southern part of Treasure Bottle洲, where countries are being restored and established in succession, on the divided map of the old Da Shuang Dynasty, a new Yunxiao Dynasty has risen, occupying nearly half of the old mountains and rivers, and has become one of the most powerful countries in the south of Treasure Bottle洲. The only drawback is that the Yunxiao Hong Clan has failed to win over the Lingfei Temple of Immortal Monarch Cao Rong.

The current 관주, whose Taoist name is “동정”, has opened up a battlefield site outside the Taoist temple on the border between the two countries as a 도장. It is rumored that this Taoist Zhenjun is good at祝詞 and cultivates the Six Jia Shang Dao, holding a Qingjing jade talisman in his hand, and can order the Yin soldiers to be strong men for him to drive.

On the northeastern border of the Yunxiao Dynasty, there is a continuous mountain range that is rarely visited, and no monks have ever opened up a cave here since ancient times. Hu Feng and Wu Tijin, two young swordsmen who are destined to meet, have officially opened a sect here.

The so-called ceremony was just setting off a few strings of firecrackers and setting up a table of wine and dishes.

But even such a piece of land with thin spiritual energy, such a mountain that can barely be opened as a 도장, was found by a group of Yunxiao Hong’s geomancers, who claimed that this place was one of the sources of a river that the imperial court had officially designated, and since they were opening a government here, they were required to take them to the capital together, where they had to file the names, hometowns, and lineages in the Ministry of Rites, and the imperial court had to verify their identities and qualifications before they could officially establish a sect, and they also had to pay “rent” to the imperial court every year… In short, they talked a lot of red tape, which made Wu Tijin almost draw his sword to kill someone.

As a result, as soon as the other party heard that Hu Feng was from Longquan County, Chuzhou Prefecture, Da Li Dynasty, the attitude of the Hong Clan court and local government immediately changed one hundred and eighty degrees.

Not only did they not continue to pester Hu Feng, but they took the initiative to ask the two foreign immortal masters whether they needed them to help the nearby prefectures and county governments to post notices and issue a mountain ban, so as to avoid the intrusion of common people such as mountain farmers and herbalists, and disturb the cultivation of the two immortal masters.

Afterwards, a Ministry of Rites official who had visited the old Longzhou area came to visit, and found Hu Feng to chat a few words, using careful words, but in fact, he was verifying Hu Feng’s Da Li identity. Seeing that Hu Feng mentioned his hometown’s customs without error, he did not dare to ask more questions, and soon returned home, enough to report to the court.

At the foot of the mountain, watching the other party leave, Wu Tijin asked, “Aren’t they afraid of trouble? It would be easy to ask Chuzhou in Da Li, whether there is a person named Hu Feng in Erlang Lane, a small matter that can be confirmed with a letter.”

Hu Feng shook his head and said, “They don’t dare to bother the Da Li Dynasty because of this small matter, and now the countries in the south of Treasure Bottle洲 are most afraid of the Da Li Xingbu’s sticky rodmen coming to their door.”

Wu Tijin smiled, “Looking at the situation, the Yunxiao Hong Clan can’t wait to enshrine you. Listening to the meaning in their words, if we nod our heads, we can be imperial offerings? Are your Da Li identities so valuable?”

Hu Feng said indifferently, “It’s only been like this for the past few decades. It wasn’t like this before. The mountain immortals and the mountain literati were very humble to the Lu Clan Dynasty and the Da Sui Gao Clan. Even after the Da Li iron cavalry annexed the Lu Clan Dynasty, there were still many literati who admired other countries and liked to lick their boots, but when they looked at the domestic situation, they would pick on it in every possible way. In Dong Shui Jing’s words, they were people kneeling and talking tough, and people who could stand up preferred to talk kneeling.”

“Cui Fan was the prime minister, didn’t he care about it? How annoying.”

Wu Tijin thought it was interesting, “Is it better now?”

“Prime Minister Cui has great learning and busy affairs, it is estimated that he can’t take care of these things, or he may just be too lazy to care, it is estimated that Prime Minister Cui never regarded them as scholars deep down.”

Hu Feng nodded, “These literati have now changed their tune, competing for intelligence and talent, how can we ordinary people compare to them who have read books.”

Re-climbing the mountain, the two swordsmen chatted as they walked. Hu Feng, who was dressed in a shabby outfit of burlap and straw shoes all year round, was strong and sturdy, but he was already in his forties, but he looked like a young man in his twenties, but the whole person seemed to have no aura, always with a wooden face and dull eyes.

But Wu Tijin, who was actually less than twenty years old, was handsome and had the demeanor of an immortal master, wearing a robe of light green and a purple jade crown, with a white jade belt around his waist.

Because Hu Feng was worried that he would reveal his whereabouts and attract unnecessary entanglements, he asked Wu Tijin to use a pseudonym, so as not to have Zhengyang Mountain follow the news all the way here.

One is in the Dragon Gate Realm, and the other is in the Golden Elixir Realm, and both sides have concealed their swordsman identities.

Although with their realms, there would be no problem for them to walk sideways in the Yunxiao Dynasty, where even the prime minister is only in the Nascent Soul Realm, but it is better to be careful.

There are many old sayings in small towns, such as if you walk too much at night, you will always meet ghosts, and if a person is unlucky, he may be able to pick up gold from a dung heap one day when he turns around.

Wu Tijin is an extremely confident person, almost conceited, while Hu Feng is a soft-tempered and soft-spoken person.

Anyway, there are only two people in the sect now, one as the sect master and the other as the sect law master.

While chatting, they talked about sect affairs. Today, Hu Feng was like a nagging old woman, talking about how Wu Tijin should have brought some fairy money when he left Zhengyang Mountain, and should not have been so destitute, as if he had left empty-handed, without even a money bag.

Wu Tijin was annoyed and raised his voice, “Hu Feng, are you annoying, why do you always mention this!”

Hu Feng ignored Wu Tijin, who suddenly became violent, and still said slowly, “It’s difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice, and a penny can stump a hero, what’s the situation of our sect now, do I need to say more.”

The sect master said to himself, “Anyway, in the future, if our sect has another cultivator like you who doesn’t want to stay, I will definitely give him a money bag, more or less a few Gu Yu coins.”

Wu Tijin hugged the back of his head, “There are treasures everywhere in the grotto, just pick a few and sell them, and we’ll have everything, why do we need to be like we are now, two poor people staring at each other?”

Hu Feng shook his head and said, “I have set a rule for myself, nothing from the chrysalis can be taken out.”

Hu Feng turned his head and said, “If you like it, I’ll give you the chrysalis, but you have to promise me that you’ll also abide by this rule before you reach the Upper Five Realms.”

Wu Tijin waved his hand, no need, getting a Dragon Slaying Stone from Hu Feng had already made the genius swordsman feel uneasy, and joked, “Hu Feng, aren’t you being generous?”

Hu Feng was definitely sincerely willing to give away a grotto, not the kind of temptation to test people’s hearts, but Wu Tijin would definitely not accept it, he didn’t like owing favors.

Hu Feng’s ancestral home is located in Erlang Lane. Now the entire Treasure Bottle洲 is amazed that Niping Lane is a hidden and crouching 金玉 도장, but in fact, Apricot Blossom Lane and Erlang Lane are not bad, but Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Lane seem to have only produced Zhao Yao, the Minister of the Xing部, and Xie Ling of the Longquan Sword Sect for the time being.

Hu Feng had been going through the streets with his grandfather, who opened a Xishi store, helping to mend pots and pans and sharpen kitchen knives since he was a child.

Later, the Lizhu Heaven fell to the ground and changed the sky. Hu Feng joined the small town’s people in rushing to the Dragon’s Beard River, and he picked up eight beautiful stones, sold them to two households in Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Lane, and got a lot of silver, and then bought some houses in the state city with a part of the money. Before leaving his hometown, he asked that guy Dong Shui Jing to help rent them out.

He then handed over a portion of the silver to Dong Shui Jing, as a joint venture to do business. If he lost money, he would treat it as throwing stones into the water. If he made money, it would be used as the principal for the next business. As for what Dong Shui Jing did to do business, Hu Feng didn’t care.

Both sides were very familiar with each other when they were very young, but they couldn’t be considered friends at first.

He and Dong Shui Jing were both from poor backgrounds in small towns. Just because they had elders to rely on, their lives were not too tight. At that time, they liked to go to the old porcelain mountain to rummage and pick things up, and they often met. Dong Shui Jing liked to pick broken porcelain pieces with words on them, and Hu Feng liked to pick those with pictures. In the early years, neither side spoke, but later Dong Shui Jing took the lead in speaking. The two children hit it off and had a tacit understanding. Every time before sunset, they went down the porcelain mountain and gathered together to exchange things for things. In this way, both sides gained significantly more.

Every time Hu Feng thinks about it now, he sincerely admires Dong Shui Jing’s business acumen. It seems that some abilities are really innate and don’t need to be taught.

Every year on the second day of the second month, his grandfather would take Hu Feng to the 神仙 grave to kowtow.

After leaving his hometown, on this day, Hu Feng would also face his hometown and respectfully offer three incense sticks.

This was something that his grandfather had told him to do, and Hu Feng did not dare to forget it.

Wu Tijin asked, “Have you thought about how to repay Li Huai?”

Hu Feng shook his head and said, “I haven’t thought about it yet.”

Wu Tijin suddenly said, “Do you want to contact Dong Shui Jing?”

Hu Feng asked in confusion, “Haven’t you always said that you don’t ask anyone for anything?”

If it weren’t for taking care of Wu Tijin’s self-esteem and feelings, Hu Feng had actually considered this. Both sides were from the same hometown, knew each other well, and had done business together since they were young, and they trusted each other.

Wu Tijin smiled and said, “I’m an unparalleled genius in sword practice, a genius among geniuses, but I don’t have the ability to turn stone into gold, and if I don’t have money in my pocket, I can’t speak loudly, and no one will listen no matter how loud I shout. I’m not a fool, how could I not understand this simple truth. Besides, it’s just a joint venture to do business, it doesn’t count as asking for help.”

Hu Feng smiled and didn’t expose him. In fact, Wu Tijin wanted to have a little bit of the sect’s appearance after becoming the master of the law, but he found out that not having money was really impossible.

A sect can’t just have a few thatched huts, right?

Hu Feng could take the materials from here and build a decent house with his own hands, but the problem is that they are both cultivators, wouldn’t it be more ridiculous to live in this than to live in a thatched hut?

Wu Tijin glanced at the bamboo flute pinned to Hu Feng’s waist, “Did your grandfather leave it to you?”

Hu Feng shook his head, “My grandfather asked for it for me in his early years.”

In the Da Li capital, the Minister of the Xing部, Zhao Yao, was entertaining a few “senior brothers” who had studied at the Old Cliff Academy in the iris river. Now it has been renamed the Chunshan Academy.

The Da Sui Cliff Academy held a meeting. In addition to the three principals and vice principals, there were also a few gentlemen and sages. Li Huai was able to join them, and he was a little uneasy.

On the banks of the Phosphorus River in Tongye洲, Yu Lu resumed his original name and joined forces with his classmate Xie Xie to establish a country and restore a country.

In the territory of Yunzhou’s Yan Prefecture, there is a country village school with a teacher who is a foreigner named Chen.

This year, the spring mountain flowers are as red as fire.