The county of Suian nestled in Yan Prefecture, under a sky where the moon hung like a silver scythe, and geese wheeled southward on the autumn winds.

Clad in a scholar’s green robe, Chen Pingan strolled through the moonlit night, his footsteps echoing softly on the ancient stone of the bridge. Beside him walked his disciple, Zhao Shuxia, his tread solid and unwavering.

Zhao Shuxia stamped a foot upon the stone, finding it firm and unyielding. “Master,” he inquired, “this bridge bears a grand name. Is there a tale to tell?”

Beneath their feet arched the Wan Nian Bridge, spanning the rushing waters of the Wu Stream. The village, nestled at the foot of the mountains, called itself Yuan Tou, the Source, a name well-deserved.

Chen Pingan cracked sunflower seeds between his teeth, shaking his head. “I’ve sought, but alas, the local gazettes offer no clear account. Likely, it was built in ages past by a benevolent local worthy. As for why it bears the name ‘Ten Thousand Years,’ even the elders here cannot say. The village’s tombstones hint at origins in a noble family from the northernmost reaches of Bao Ping Continent, arriving some seven or eight centuries ago. This Wu Stream is but one source of the slender Mei River, a river akin to the Dragon Whisker of our homeland, also once known as the Wu. Fate weaves strange and wondrous threads.”

Suian County straddled the border between Yan and Yun Prefectures. The slender Mei River, rising in Yan Prefecture, was the grandest river in Yun, yet it had never received imperial sanction, nor even a humble shrine along its banks.

Zhao Shuxia focused his voice, a whispered secret carried on the air, “Master, did you hear tell that the Dali court unearthed the entrance to an ancient Shu dragon palace within the Mei, some stretches hence?”

Chen Pingan nodded, stepping off the bridge and onto the flagstones beside the stream, turning to gaze back at the archway above, where only shadows stirred in the water below. “A small inland palace, lacking in grandeur. Yet, untouched by the hand of cultivators, its treasures remain undisturbed. The Ministry of Revenue estimates riches equivalent to the tax revenues of several prosperous Dali provinces. More importantly, the palace could become a veritable coffer, yielding a constant flow of divine coins through the extraction of precious materials, the cultivation of enchanted herbs, and the establishment of dojos by water-bound cultivators paying tribute to the Dali court.”

Now, the slender Mei River was to receive its first officially appointed river deity. The Dali Minister of Rites and the Huang Ting Minister of Rites would jointly oversee the consecration.

The first Water God of the slender Mei, Gao Niang, had once been the River God of Iron Warrant River. A brand-new shrine rose from the earth in less than a month, its plaque penned by an esteemed grand tutor of Huang Ting, its couplets crafted by renowned literary figures.

Three villages nestled beside the Wu, no more than a few *li* apart. Each bore a single family name, and no man who married into the village was ever recorded in its family chronicles.

The largest, situated furthest downstream, comprised two hundred households and was called Wu Stream Village, a village of considerable size within Suian. It had once produced a *juren*, though that was a distinction from a previous dynasty. Under the current Dali, even a *juren* was a source of immense pride, worthy of a visit from the magistrate himself.

But in the village furthest upstream, a new private school had opened its doors. The inaugural day was marked by a deafening volley of firecrackers that echoed through the other two villages. This was a clear challenge, and the schoolmaster, a stranger named Chen Ji, had seemingly appeared from nowhere.

Chen Ji! Pah! The very name marked him as a bumpkin, certainly not a man of letters from a refined family.

Zhao Shuxia smiled, “Master, you are skilled in reading the currents of the earth and the heavens. Can you speak of the *feng shui* of these three villages?”

Chen Pingan finished his seeds, clapping his hands, and chuckled. “I’m hardly seeking to swindle coin as a roadside fortune teller. My knowledge is mere scratching at the surface. I’ve only glanced at a few local gazettes. I dare not speak with authority.”

As they passed through the middle village, however, Chen Pingan pointed to a mountain hollow. “Since we are alone, I’ll indulge in a bit of book learning. According to the form school, see those three small hills above the hollow? They resemble three upturned umbrellas. Were it not for that hollow draining its *qi*, like umbrellas without handles to support them, this small village would be destined to produce great officials. Of the three, this village possesses the most literary *qi*, making it more likely to nurture promising scholars.”

Chen Pingan gestured further into the village. “Yet, within the village itself, the conditions have shifted, and the literary *qi* now favors the left side. Unfortunately, the village children now attend the school in Wu Stream Village, failing to concentrate the *qi*. If those children are to flourish, they must either establish their own academy or seek knowledge in Yan Prefecture.”

Throughout Yan Prefecture, village schools such as the one in Wu Stream were funded by ancestral halls, which also cultivated a few acres as school farmland. This enabled even impoverished children to learn how to read. But once the children were old enough and strong enough, they would drop out to help their elders in the fields, their income being mainly from silkworms and tea. However, according to the new laws promulgated by Dali in recent years, the county education director would select the best talents and teach them personally, and the county government would subsidize the villages and families with money. The opportunity to earn money was now available by reading.

Reaching the entrance of Wu Stream Village, Chen Pingan turned back. Wu Stream Village had hired an old *tongsheng* from the county seat as its schoolmaster. He had failed the *yuan shi* a few times. Even that old and failed scholar was a boon to this remote academy.

A cool night breeze brushed past. Chen Pingan walked along the muddy path beside the river, murmuring to himself.

To his right, the Wu Stream flowed shallowly, the moonlight dancing on its surface. On the mountainside stood a bamboo grove, interspersed with cypress, pagoda trees, and tea fields. To his left, the fields were ablaze with golden mustard flowers.

Zhao Shuxia listened to his master’s soft voice, still unsure why his master seemed so invested in the opening of the school.

His master’s new village school at Yuan Tou had less than ten students. And his master would never quit. It meant that for at least two or three years, his master would use the time for Taoist cultivation on some obscure school.

Most of the introductory texts came from the “Three Hundred, Thousand” that permeated the nine continents of Haoran. The students shook their heads together with the teachers and memorized everything. The tutors would explain the meaning of each character one by one, and then teach “Four Books”. When the children had a rough understanding of literary meaning, they were taught “Five Classics” and some classic ancient texts selected by official schools of various countries. There was an order to the path. But for rural schools, the key and foundation was still the practice of calligraphy. Chen Pingan personally wrote more than a thousand regular characters, and more than a thousand copies of exegesis and annotation for the Shuowen Jiezi, accompanied by the square characters. In addition, Chen Pingan also adapted and excerpted several copies of Li Shilang’s *Duì Yùn*.

The ship that Chen Pingan had boarded was the Night Voyage. One of the cities was Tiaomu City, whose city lord was “Li Shilang”, the all-rounder hailed as a genius.

Chen Pingan had long admired Li Shilang. Unfortunately, they had not gotten along too well when they first met on the Night Voyage.

“Door to door, lane to street. Long days to long nights, native land to foreign shores. On earth, the Qing Shu Hall, in the heavens, the Guang Han Palace. Grasping the talisman of the Five Peaks, a waist-hung sword with seven stars…”

When Chen Pingan first traveled alone, he often recited this rhyme. Later, after he left Lotus Root Paradise, Little Blackie joined him. Chen Pingan worried that she would find copying books tedious and be lazy. So he recited it so that Pei Qian would have courage to travel. She recited it and quickly mastered it. At that time, Pei Qian might have been reciting it perfunctorily, but Chen Pingan found it very pleasing and peaceful.

“Shuxia, would it be better to omit what comes after ‘grasping the talisman’ and ‘hanging from the mountain’? After all, it’s elementary learning. It seems inappropriate to introduce these tales of spirits and immortals too early.”

Zhao Shuxia replied, “Master, I don’t think it’s a problem. I’ve heard tales of mountain sprites, water monkeys, and fox spirits since I was a child. They are no different from these talismans and elixir.”

Chen Pingan nodded. “I’ll consider it further.”

All this way, Zhao Shuxia had been practicing the six-step walking stance, combined with the Jian Lu standing stance. At bedtime, he would perform sleeping stance QSQ. There was something to be said about posture.

Earlier, while practicing in the second floor of the bamboo building, Zhao Shuxia realized that the Iron Cavalry and Cloud Ze were too difficult. The Master and Sister, who had performed all those martial moves, were masters. But Zhao Shuxia was way too slow.

Chen Pingan suddenly spoke, “When I wandered through the Northern Ju Lu Continent, I was fortunate to meet Gu You Gu, the elder craftsman who compiled the Mountain Shaking Fist manual. At that time, he did not disclose his identity. He wanted to test how much of the essence I had learned. As for the process and result, I barely passed it. After that, I accompanied Gu for a distance. The old man began to look at me with admiration because of one thing.”

Zhao Shuxia asked curiously, “Was it because Master was diligent in practicing boxing?”

Chen Pingan shook his head, “No, the word ‘diligent’ is too vague. Living fists require divinity, while dead fists are a waste of bone. There are countless martial artists who are willing to suffer in the world, but if they do not do it right, pure martial artists end up with sickness. I gave my opinion, saying whether it was possible to combine the six-step walking stance, the Jian Lu standing stance, and the heaven-and-earth stance. At that time, Gu was impressed.”

Zhao Shuxia wondered, “Master, what do you mean? Can I learn?”

Chen Pingan put on a straight face, nodded, “Of course you can learn. I’ve said it so clearly, and you still don’t understand the key? Shuxia, your aptitude and understanding are not good enough.”

Seeing that the other party was still confused, Chen Pingan had to reach out a palm and gently turn it over.

Zhao Shuxia thought carefully for a moment, then hesitated before nodding heavily. So that was it!

Zhao Shuxia did a walking punch, his head and feet turned upside down. It was a “bouncy” six-step walking stance.

Chen Pingan held back his laughter, “If you replace Jian Lu with one hand, the taste is wrong. You might as well try walking on your head instead of your left hand. It’s a bit difficult at first, but over time, you will know the infinite uses of it.”

Zhao Shuxia really tried to do what his master said.

When they passed through the middle village, there happened to be someone traveling at night. Chen Pingan quickly kicked Zhao Shuxia lightly and whispered with a smile, “Don’t implicate your master and be treated like a fool.”

Zhao Shuxia stood up, patted his head and body, and looked helpless.

Chen Pingan took out a handful of sunflower seeds from his sleeve and gave half to Zhao Shuxia. While eating the seeds, he laughed, “Back in the bamboo building, Cui was dismissive of the Shaking Mountain Fist manual.

What does such a manual do? Later, when I met Gu, he said that Cui was not skilled enough in teaching boxing. He said that if he were teaching, he would guarantee that I would reach the most optimal realm.”

Zhao Shuxia was fascinated by these invaluable “tales of the Jianghu”.

Zhao Shuxia had no reason to think of the opening of the preface to the manual, so he asked curiously, “Master, have you ever seen the Three Patriarchs?”

Chen Pingan nodded. “I’ve seen the Most Holy Teacher and the Taoist Patriarch. We even chatted.”

Zhao Shuxia stopped asking.

Chen Pingan laughed, “There’s nothing to be taboo about. The Most Holy Teacher was a burly scholar. My first impression was, ‘He looks like he has been around the Jianghu’. The Taoist Patriarch was a Taoist boy.”

Zhao Shuxia asked with a smile, “Master, you have seen many border martial artists, right?”

Chen Pingan thought for a moment, “If you ignore those brief encounters, there are not many. No more than a pair of hands.”

Chen Pingan raised his chin towards the bamboo forest across the stream, reminding, “Shuxia, go and see if there are any yellow clay arches in this wild bamboo forest. I’ll show you my cooking skills later. Your dishes are really bad.”

Zhao Shuxia saw that there was no one around, so he tapped his toes, skimmed over the stream, went to the bamboo forest to look for spring shoots, and quickly returned with a bunch of yellow clay arches.

Chen Pingan was not idle either. He went to the fields and picked a large bunch of wild amaranth, and a handful of wild green onions. Stir-fried chili sauce was a must-have for wine.

As they walked back to Yuan Tou Village, Chen Pingan laughed, “It’s strange, I find stinky mandarin fish delicious, but I can’t stand braised bamboo shoots.”

Zhao Shuxia said, “Master, braised bamboo shoots are delicious, but I don’t like eggs fried with toon.”

After burning the mountains, bracken would inevitably grow vigorously the following year, but it was not yet the time. We had to wait until around Qingming to go up the mountains to pick it.

Back at the school, Zhao Shuxia smiled, “Master, Feng and Han from Wu Stream Village will probably come looking for trouble soon.”

Chen Pingan shook his sleeves and smiled, “Let them come. I will not be afraid of them.”

This simple school consisted of a yellow mud house as a school building and two thatched huts. One hut was used as a teacher’s rest area, and the other was used as a kitchen and storage area.

Zhao Shuxia slept on the floor in the kitchen. Chen Pingan’s original intention was for the master and disciple to live in one room, but Zhao Shuxia refused.

The yellow mud house had been there for a long time, but had been uninhabited for a long time. It had been rented. The two small thatched huts were newly built. The school had temporarily taken in eight students, most of whom were still wearing crotch pants.

The school could be set up because the schoolmaster, Chen Ji, was in his thirties. He was not so young that he could not do things well. He was dressed very neatly and looked like a scholar with some ink in his stomach. Secondly, the school was not expensive. Less than half of the school at Wu Stream Village.

Moreover, the teacher also promised the village that if there was a busy farming season, the children could take a vacation, and he could even help in the fields.

He had lost all the good graces to get children.

The two masters that Zhao Shuxia mentioned, one was Feng Yuanting, an old student who was heavily hired by Wu Stream Village, and the other was Han Wo, a well-known teacher in Suian County. Han Wo, was highly regarded by people. Feng Yuanting often drank a little wine with Han Wo. He had flipped through a few “military books”. He thought that he should try to find out the truth before acting. In fact, the so-called military books were actually some novels about the history of famous generals in various dynasties. Han Wo advised him not to argue with a village school teacher. Since they were colleagues, they should be friendly to each other. Feng Yuanting agreed, but in fact, he was upset. He felt like he had been slapped in the face if a child ran away from his school.

If it were not for the fact that according to the Dali law, local private schools needed to be registered with the county government, and the county school director had to personally inspect the teachers, he would have accused the Chen of cheating.

Chen Pingan said, “Shuxia, when you break through, I will teach you a skill of luck, but it may not be suitable for you. Be prepared to fail.”

It was the Sword Qi Eighteen Stops.

Zhao Shuxia nodded, bid farewell to his master, went to the kitchen to sleep, and fell asleep very quickly.

After arriving here, Zhao Shuxia gradually discovered a strange thing. Several times, he called out to his master, but his master did not respond. Chen Pingan smiled and said, “Sorry, I didn’t hear you just now.” After that, Zhao Shuxia would walk up to his master and talk about things.

This time, Chen Pingan only brought Zhao Shuxia with him, and directly told Chen Lingjun not to wander around here.

Chen Lingjun begged and begged before he obtained the precious opportunity to visit the school once a month.

This was also thanks to the old chef’s help. “Anyway, our Old Ancestor Jingqing looks like a Qingyi child. It’s not like we are pretending to be a student. You should read a few more books of the sages.” Zhu Lian smiled and asked Chen Lingjun if he needed a pair of crotch pants. Chen Lingjun was too lazy to argue with the old chef. If his master had not agreed, Chen Lingjun would have really wanted to attend classes at the school for a few days.

Chen Pingan returned to his residence, lit an oil lamp on the table, grinded ink, and began to write a story about the Yaba Lake water monster.

It was much more meticulous than the inscription he wrote on the fan in the Sword Qi Great Wall.

The three villages were surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only a stream of water and a small road winding out.

It was eighty *li* away from Suian County. Many local villagers might only have been to the county once in their lives.

Azaleas bloomed all over the mountains.

Cuckoos chirped, peach blossoms were light red, apricot blossoms were white, elm leaves grew in clusters like blue coins, and willows grew.

Today, after school, a guest arrived. He walked along the muddy road, passed through Wu Stream Village, and walked all the way to Yuan Tou.

He was dressed as an old scholar. He was Gao Niang, the new river god of the slender Mei River. He did not have much confidence. He had to visit a sect lord who owned two sects.

Smoke was curling. Gao Niang saw a woman in the house carrying a child and making pancakes. After the child pooped, the woman reached out and made more pancakes.

He saw the chicken droppings on the Eight Immortals table in some people’s houses. The children were flying kites after school, squatting by the fields to fight grass.

After Gao Niang walked out of Wu Stream Village, he turned his head and looked at the small pool near the village. The stream was wide but the water was narrow, so it was a waterway that could retain wealth. The village that had moved here was very knowledgeable in *feng shui*.

In ancient times, education was for all.

Gao Niang gently patted his chest and felt relieved, because he was going to meet the young hermit official who was a student of Wensheng, so the old man brought several valuable rare books as gifts.

Gao Niang stroked his beard and smiled. Every ancient book that has been preserved is protected by gods. If we scholars don’t want to understand, it’s like eating without getting fat. It’s better not to read it.

Because the slender Mei River contained the ruins of an ancient land dragon palace, which was about to open, Dali cultivators were secretly stationed in Suian County, but they all used identities similar to merchants and did not disturb the Yan Prefecture government at all levels. However, the Lord of Prefecture was of course aware of this matter, but he had received a secret order from the court not to publicize it. Gao Niang, as the newly appointed mountain and water spirit, was not qualified to enter the dragon palace. After Gao Niang went to “report” twice, he simply stopped going.

Seeing Gao Niang, Chen Pingan took out two bamboo chairs, handed one to Gao Niang, and sat down under the eaves of the thatched cottage.

Gao Niang sat upright, his back straight. He carefully said, “Sect Lord Chen, are you here for the dragon palace?”

Gao Niang guessed that the Dali court had invited the hermit official to come in person to prevent any problems.

Chen Pingan smiled and shook his head, “The court’s excavation of the dragon palace has nothing to do with me. Dali doesn’t know that I’m here to open a school.”

Gao Niang nodded slightly.

Gao Niang took out those books from his arms, handed them to Chen Pingan with both hands, and said softly, “Sect Lord Chen, a small gift.”

“With books, one is truly rich and noble, and without an official position, one is free from cares. That is the only thing that Senior Gao does not have.”

Chen Pingan did not decline, accepted the books, thanked Gao Niang, patted the books, smiled and put them into his sleeves, and said, “Senior Gao is not an outsider, so come here more often when you have time.”

Gao Niang was pleasantly surprised and embarrassed, because it was not easy to find rare books with the same quality as those books. He was willing to borrow money and buy books.

Gao Niang looked around and said with emotion, “Sect Lord Chen’s choice to live in seclusion here is really unexpected. Most reclusive masters are friends with the wind and the moon. Sect Lord Chen is different. He acts in reverse. He is a god, he is a god, he is a god.”

Chen Pingan was already used to this kind of flattery and smiled, “It’s not strictly speaking cultivation. I’m just teaching. By the way, I’m going by the name of Chen Ji now, Senior Gao, just call me by my name, otherwise, it’s easy to reveal secrets.”

Gao Niang thought for a moment, patted his thigh heavily, and said in a deep voice, “Good, this pseudonym is good. Su Shi said, life is like a journey, and I am also a traveler. Sect Lord Chen took the word ‘Ji’, a walking character, which fits perfectly with the sentence ‘I am also a traveler’!”

Zhao Shuxia, who was busy in the kitchen, was stunned and almost thought that the River God had been possessed by the Taoist priest.

Chen Pingan called out to Zhao Shuxia, asked him to get some sweet potato and introduce Zhao Shuxia as his disciple.

Gao Niang stood up, took the sweet potato, and said a few polite words such as “a famous teacher produces a high apprentice.” Zhao Shuxia then felt that the River God seemed to be inferior to Taoist Jia.

Chen Pingan casually asked, “Who is the leader of the Dali cultivators who are guarding the gate of the dragon palace?”

Gao Niang replied, “The person in charge on the surface seems to be a woman named Yu Huiting from Feng Xue Temple. As for the court’s arrangements in secret, I’m not sure yet.”

Chen Pingan nodded, “According to the seniority of the sect, Wei Jin is her uncle.”

Mi Da had mentioned it. When he was protecting those women from Changchun Palace, he had encountered a woman with a slender waist, wearing a Dali saber. She wore narrow brocade clothes and dark gauze pants. Her shoes were the most peculiar. There were two “dragon eye” pearls on the tips of her shoes… In fact, Mi Yu said it in more detail, and the hermit official had only heard a word.

Gao Niang suddenly realized, “So that’s how it is.”

As expected of the world-famous hermit official, he could casually mention Wei Da, the sword immortal of Feng Xue Temple.

As Gao Niang was feeling very emotional, Chen Pingan suddenly stood up, with a grave expression, “Gao Niang, I can’t entertain you any longer. I have something to do. You should also use your magical powers to return to the water palace immediately!”

Gao Niang was confused, but he did not dare to hesitate and quickly used his water magic to return to the Mei River water palace and rushed into the golden statue.

Chen Pingan took a deep breath. It was finally here.

In an instant, Chen Pingan seemed to be forcibly dragged into a too-virtual realm outside the sky.

The first thing he saw was the towering Dharma form of the Holy Rite, as big as a star.

Then came Zheng Juzhong of Bai Di City, pure Yang Lu Yan, and even Li Xisheng, Xiao Mo, and even Xie Gou, or rather Bai Jing!

There was also a young cultivator whom Chen Pingan did not recognize, but he was standing behind the Holy Rite, in front of everyone.

As expected, the wild world was trying to break through the vast world!

It was like two Void-Walking ships colliding head-on!

The Barbarians were trying to cut off the path to the fifteenth realm.

Xiao Mo had already revealed her true form, her white clothes fluttering, and said with her heart, “Young Master, according to Lord Zheng, the preferred entry point for the wild world used to be Floating Yao Continent, followed by our Dali. Now it seems to have been changed to Yu Jin’s old nest at the bottom of the sea.”

Bai Jing smiled, “I was prudent and didn’t open that box.”

Zheng Juzhong said, “I ask Sect Lord Chen to collect all his thoughts and sacrifice two more flying swords.”

Chen Pingan nodded.

Li Xisheng smiled, “I will assist Sect Lord Chen.”