(Forgive the tardiness of this update.)

Chen Ping’an yet chose to carve that inscription, “Where there’s a will, nothing is impossible,” upon the seal’s base, and three thousand words along its edges. I favor many words; it is a grander challenge.

The Old Abbot seemed to have foreseen this choice, casually inquiring, “So the seclusion is true seclusion? To what byways did you send your three scattered spirits?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “With the aid of the Old Immortal’s six talismans, I dispatched them to Rain Dragon Sect, to the Jade Woods Sect of the Northern Continent, and to the Grand River of Central Willow Leaf Isle. Each sought a boon.”

The Old Abbot chuckled. “Having attained greater heights, you finally begin to settle old scores, demand a final reckoning? Or has your union with a Fourteenth Realm companion emboldened you, stiffened your spine? If so, no wonder you found such camaraderie with Pavilion Master Liu, walking the same path.”

Their paths, though different, led to the same end – one relying upon his elder brothers, the other upon his companion.

Nay, more precisely, one relies solely upon his brothers, their strength his own. The other relies both upon his companion and his brothers?

If you are so capable, why only a single companion? Why not as many as your brothers?

Were you so fortunate in love, it would be by your own merit. Why toil in cultivation? Choose a companion from each realm, and walk where you will with impunity.

Chen Ping’an found it peculiar. Since the Old Abbot and the Dao Ancestor visited the small town, each sojourn to Falling Star Mountain seemed particularly aimed at him.

There could be no reason. Little Rice Grain receives guests at the foot of the mountain, with skills honed to perfection by our Right Protector. Nothing escapes her notice.

And the last time the Old Abbot visited Cloud Cloak Mountain, Wei Shenyou’s experience in hospitality is unparalleled. The nightly banquets are no empty gesture.

Xiao Mo remains an old friend, and Xie Gou is considered as good as a sister-in-law. Thus, Mountain Lord Chen could not fathom where he had erred.

Could it be because Chen Lingjun had seen the Dao Ancestor?!

Because Chen Lingjun could not speak of matters relating to the Three Teachers, Chen Ping’an dismissed the possibility that the azure-clad boy had also met the Old Abbot.

He still recalled the lad’s first encounter with Master Ruan – truly, a sight most pitiful and best forgotten. (Note: Chapter 180, *As Gods Made Manifest*)

The Old Abbot glanced at the miniature treasures piled upon the table. The slight wards were no obstacle to his divine vision. Every gem and trinket lay bare before him.

The Old Abbot asked with a smile, “Such artifice! You become a veritable walking hoard! Chen Fellow Daoist, are you so skilled and audacious that you scorn My Continent, increasing your wager? Do you intend to contend with My Continent on this narrow bridge of artifice, seizing a place of prominence?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Artifice is but an aid. I have no desire to contest the Grand Dao with her. If she seeks to rob and kill, I can but defend myself.”

The Old Abbot held the brick in one hand and retrieved a fast-observance tablet from the miniature realm within. He glanced towards the towering form of the perfected idol, noting that within one of its energy centers, an elm burl had long been refined, slowly drawing in the spiritual energy of wood. Chen Ping’an had placed it within the Wooden Abode alongside his core Five Elements, a subordinate aid. Seeing this, the Old Abbot shook his head and smiled. “What fortune! Two items obtained at once, yet you chose the trinket of mere spiritual essence, ignoring the treasure of a Half-Immortal weapon! Do you cast aside pearls for pebbles? Or is your house so great, your coffers so full, that you play at such trifles?”

Chen Ping’an glanced at the fast-observance tablet in the old Daoist’s hand, then lowered his gaze to continue carving. His Daoist heart remained as still as an ancient well.

Good things come to those who wait. What is the hurry?

Once the venerable one has departed, I shall set about its forging.

Old Immortal Huan Yun helped discern its true nature long ago, recognizing the sinuous horned-cloud pattern of the fast-observance tablet, but was unable to see its true rank as readily as the Old Abbot.

The Old Abbot turned over the tablet, revealing a lone character for “heart” carved into the front. The back bore an anonymous verse of old: *By field-side ditch, a hazy gloom; through gate of sun and moon, spirits roam*.

The grade of a Half-Immortal weapon, yet bearing the intent of an Immortal one. It allows cultivators to see their shadows, to glimpse their true hearts.

Alas, it held a hidden flaw. To ordinary cultivators, it would be a priceless treasure, ripe for refinement. But for Chen Ping’an, who hoped to ascend, it would be ill-suited. Recalling the black-clad girl’s hospitality, the Old Abbot decided to spare Mountain Lord Chen from folly and offered, “This treasure is broken and incomplete, its Daoist intent flawed. It is fit only for moderate refinement. Great refinement as a core artifact would invite demonic intrusions, jeopardizing hard-won foundations.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, then asked, “Is this fast-observance tablet similar in substance to the azure brick atop that nameless Daoist shrine?”

The Old Abbot weighed the brick in his hand, and smiled. “Rather, different in grand measure, similar in small. The arcane secrets herein you may learn, should you encounter a suitable Mountain Senior.”

Chen Ping’an did not press, knowing when to be content. He would not attempt to fleece the Old Abbot.

As for this treasure, it was obtained from a warrior named Huang Shi, in what could be called an adversarial camaraderie, with half of the encounter ending in amicable separation. (Note: Chapter 545, *Why Dare Not Speak in Anger*)

Since their parting, no word of Huang Shi had reached him from the Northern Continent. He knew not if the man had gained his vengeance.

The Old Abbot clicked his tongue in wonder. “Why do you craft so many mirrors? Their number is disproportionate. For adornment, like hairpins or trinkets for a maid?”

Chen Ping’an replied honestly, “As the esteemed one said, different in the grand measure, similar in small. Traversing the realms, it pays to have many skills. Likewise, having chosen the path of artifice as an aid, I forge what I find, daring not to be choosy.”

The Old Abbot remarked without prompting, “That dragon-bearded whelp is a decent sort.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Dragon Beard Immortal Lord is indeed of ancient style.”

Situ Mengjing, whose Daoist name was Dragon Beard, was an Immortal Lord and the current Mountain Lord of the Small Dragon Pool of Willow Leaf Isle.

The Great Dragon Pool of the Central Continent, the Small Dragon Pool’s parent sect, could only be considered a second-rate sect for lack of an Ascended realm cultivator to guard its mountain peak.

In terms of wealth, however, the Great Dragon Pool could be considered first-rate.

For cultivators, whether listed or wild, there are certain necessities for travel: Seek-Mountain Maps, Demon-Sighting Mirrors, and Ward-Breaking Talismans.

These inexpensive tools can truly save lives in times of need. And regarding Demon-Sighting Mirrors, one cannot ignore the mirror-makers of the Great Dragon Pool.

There are six main branches of Demon-Sighting Mirrors in the world, two of which are nigh-extinct due to the high demands on materials and the skill of the mirror-maker. Of the remaining four, the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Manor and the Flying Immortal Palace each hold one, but they are given as gifts, never sold. The Great Dragon Pool monopolizes another branch, their nine “Water Mirrors” allowing a cultivator to quell water-borne demons and monsters. Add to that the “Mountain Driving” Regulator Mirrors shared by several Gold Armor Continent powers, dividing the mirrors into “Mountain” and “Water.” These treasures are favorites of those who cultivate by gazing at the sun and moon.

For cultivators who traverse mountains and visit immortals, how grand would it be to wield a Regulator Mirror in one hand, a Great Dragon Pool Water Mirror in the other, a Dragon Tiger Mountain Mirror hanging at the waist, and a Flying Immortal Palace Talisman Mirror hidden in the sleeves, with two more concealed within!

But is that what I *want* to do?

The question is whether my purse would agree?

Cui Dongshan, for example, liked to flaunt his wealth, his sleeves brimming with treasures unknown.

He had outfitted himself with a complete set of six Demon-Sighting Mirrors.

Chen Ping’an borrowed some treasures from Cui Dongshan, both a prized student and a lord of a subordinate sect.

Between teacher and student, or parent sect and subordinate, borrowing means never returning.

Chen Ping’an paused in his carving, hesitated, and asked, “Does the esteemed one know of the legend of the ‘Twenty Souls’?”

The Old Abbot chuckled. “I know of it, but speaking of it is forbidden. It is a page of forgotten history. Such riddles, like that of ‘Lu Zhengchun’ among the Three, are more enjoyable when solved by one’s own wits.”

Chen Ping’an remained expressionless, massaging his wrist.

Once, upon a Night Voyage Ship, the Executioner Hao Su, returning to Radiant Earth, met Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao with his disciples, Du Shanyin and Ji Qing.

Hao Su lingered long in Likeness City, while the young City Lord Shao Baojuan, after appearing in Stipulation City, seemed at odds with Chen Ping’an.

This Shao Baojuan, of course, was a pseudonym. Yet the man was indeed a cultivator blessed with great fortune. While Mountain Lord Chen found nothing in Hemp Cloak Sect’s Mural City, failing to win the favor of a single attending goddess, Shao Baojuan gained the favor of a brush-hanging goddess who offered her service. Later, atop Spectral Valley, Zenith Mountain, he took the “Thunder Pool” with ease.

Contrast this with a certain tireless Baggage Keeper who discovered these immortal opportunities first, recognizing the askew stele inscription of “Dipper Nexus Court Sword-Washing Pond.” Alas, Chen Ping’an, in all his might, could but dig up a few lengths of golden bamboo stalk, failing to move the ancient Thunder Pool. (Note: Chapter 495, *Good Man Brother*)

Before leaving the ship, Hao Su gave Ning Yao a crucial secret, mentioning “Twenty Souls.”

Though Hao Su said little, that thread of a plot was enough.

The Sword Qi Great Wall’s Executioner, the Likeness City Shao Baojuan of the Night Voyage Ship, these were not mere hints, but a clear indication to Chen Ping’an.

Later, the Immortal Han Yushu’s “invitation” further confirmed the truth.

This was why Chen Ping’an did not believe Nan Guangzhao to be a weak Ascension Realm cultivator. It was not that Nan Guangzhao’s Ascension Realm was flimsy, but that a sword cultivator in the same realm had hidden behind the scenes, making use of the information given by the remaining “Nineteen Souls.” Nan Guangzhao had been secretly studied and targeted for years by Hao Su, who created a series of assassination sword techniques specifically for Nan Guangzhao. Had he survived that, Nan Guangzhao would have been more than just a weak Ascension Realm cultivator, but a strong Ascension Realm worthy of being a Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master or Fire Dragon True Man, even a candidate for the Fourteenth Realm.

Han Yushu, an Immortal Lord of Willow Leaf Isle’s Three Mountains Blessed Land, Myriad Jade Sect.

The skin given to Jiang Shangzhen had returned to Chen Ping’an’s hands.

At the same time, Chen Ping’an wished to ask Jiang Shangzhen about an old matter.

However, Jiang Shangzhen smiled and shook his head, citing respect for superiors. He was, after all, a registered Jade Ruler Sect cultivator and should not speak out of turn.

Chen Ping’an did not press.

Earlier, in Allspice Mountain of Floating Canopy Isle, Chen Ping’an had also asked Situ Jiyu about certain matters.

The Old Abbot’s seemingly unrelated remark, “Situ Mengjing is a decent sort,” was precisely the answer.

It made a subtle “severance” between Situ Mengjing and the Great and Small Dragon Pools.

Chen Ping’an carved as he asked, “What boon does Zou Zi seek?”

The Old Abbot pondered a moment, seemingly deciding this a question worthy of both those involved and those observing. He replied slowly, “Local turbulence, overall balance. The latter permits the former; the former obeys the latter. If any part goes amiss, Zou Zi feels the need to examine and adjust.”

Chen Ping’an asked with a hint of resentment, “Is he obsessive-compulsive?”

The Old Abbot roared with laughter. “Somewhat.”

Looking at the many realms, is there truly a Fourteenth Realm “pure” sword cultivator?

Tian Wan of True Yang Mountain’s Cornel Peak, Zou Zi’s sister, arranges marriages, weaves threads of fate, and manipulates the sword-art fortunes of an entire continent.

Liu Xianyang, Li Tuanjing of Thunderwind Garden, Wei Jin of Snowwind Temple… all are “bridesmaids” for Bai Shang, the sword cultivator of the Northern Continent.

Xu Xuan of the Northern Continent also involves the Jade Woods Sect and Sect Master Lou Miao.

Liu Jinglong had reminded Chen Ping’an that Xu Xuan was likely the hidden leader of the Jade Woods Sect, making the prosperous Jade Woods Sect the purse of Bai Shang the Sword Immortal, with Xu Xuan managing that purse.

In the Northern Continent, wherever money could be made, the busy figures of Jade Woods Sect cultivators could be found.

The Sharpening Mountain, for example, was a recognized treasure basin, while the nearby Hundred Springs Mountain was a money tree, with countless residences and dojos, perfect for spectators.

Before fighters entered the arena, after signing a life-and-death contract, they would visit Sharpening Mountain, leaving their fate to the Heavens.

The Jade Woods Sect had many such treasure basins and money trees, both obvious and hidden.

In addition, by repeatedly divining with his assembled Core Porcelain, Chen Ping’an concluded that there should be four to six shards of Core Porcelain still out in the world.

Suspects included the Grand Li Empress Dowager, True Yang Mountain’s Tian Wan, Anemone Lane’s Ma family, the Central Continent Yin-Yang School’s Lu family, Zou Zi, and the Jade Woods Sect, which had long traded in Core Porcelain with the Grand Li Song family.

He had already visited the Grand Li capital palace with Xiao Mo. The shard held by Empress Dowager Nan Zan had been found and hidden in Song Jixin’s residence next door.

Tian Wan had been in the hands of Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen, so she had been “forced” to clear her name.

The Central Continent’s Lu family, which had indeed sought to plot against Chen Ping’an, could also be excluded.

When Chen Ping’an visited the Department of Celestial Observation, he had asked Lu Shen directly, and Lu Shen had stated that they did not possess the item.

Chen Ping’an was no fool. He pressed the matter, asking if the Lu family had never possessed it, to which Lu Shen replied, “No.”

The Ma family of Anemone Lane had become the Ma family of Black Gauze Street in Jade Proclamation Kingdom. Chen Ping’an could not find the Core Porcelain shard or ask them directly. The Ma couple claimed that they had no hidden shard, and Ma Kuxuan confirmed this.

Finding Zou Zi would be even harder than finding Pei Min the Sword-Art Prodigy. He could only wait for Liu Cai, the sword cultivator whose two Core Life Swords happened to suppress two of Chen Ping’an’s swords.

Thus, the only option left was the Jade Woods Sect of the Northern Continent, and he would try his luck.

Long ago, when Chen Ping’an had traveled the Northern Continent, he had set his sights on this supremely skilled money-making sect.

The Jade Woods Sect had been the largest secret buyer of Core Porcelain from the Liyu Paradise.

Chen Ping’an sent a spirit aboard the Night Voyage Ship talisman vessel, disembarking in the Northern Continent and heading straight for the territory of the Jade Woods Sect.

As with the Rain Dragon Sect, no verbal answer was needed. Tian Su, of the nascent soul realm, avoiding him was an answer in itself.

The night banquets of North Peak Cloud Cloak Mountain on Azure Bottle Isle. The deep fortune of the female Daoist Huang Ting on Peaceful Mountain of Willow Leaf Isle. The number of times the ancestral hall of the Jade Woods Sect had been challenged by swordsmen in the Northern Continent.

All were famous.

The wind and rain obscured the sky, making noon as dark as the deepest night.

Within a seemingly ordinary pavilion on the slopes of the Jade Woods Sect’s ancestral mountain sat a refined, white-haired old man with a string of common coins at his waist. A cane leaned against the pavilion pillar, a nine-jointed purple bamboo cane, over ten feet tall, with a jade cicada carved at its head.

Two children, recently accepted as direct disciples into the Ancestral Hall, took shelter from the rain within the pavilion. Upon seeing the old man, they greeted him as Ancestor, and the old man spoke their names, bid them sit and inquired about their recent cultivation progress. The promising cultivators responded fluently, showing no timidity. They were, after all, sons of noble families, not easily intimidated even by the sect leader. Moreover, Sect Master Lou, Ancestor Lou, was known for his easy-going nature.

There were few things that could make Jade Woods Sect cultivators proud, aside from money.

One thing that puzzled outsiders was that Huo Long, the incorruptible True Man of Flat Belly Peak, had once visited the money-printing Hundred Springs Mountain.

There were many rumors about this. In truth, the reason was simple. Along the road to Hundred Springs Mountain was a pavilion named Book-Airing.

Book-Airing Pavilion stood above Spring-Gushing Pavilion.

Huo Long had been passing by and wished to rest there.

At his age and level, what others thought was of little importance.

At the time, the Jade Woods Sect’s Ancestral Hall members had turned out in force, rushing to Book-Airing Pavilion, hoping to meet Huo Long and listen to him speak with Sect Master Lou about the origins of the pavilion.

But when they arrived, the old True Man was gone.

Should they erect a stele outside the pavilion, with the inscription, “Huo Long, True Man, visited this place on such-and-such day”?

They had the idea, but not the courage.

After that, however, the sect rule of visitors stopping at Book-Airing Pavilion was changed to stopping at Spring-Gushing Pavilion along White Serpent Path.

Ji Yue, the Sword Immortal of Ape Cry Mountain, had once shattered the Jade Woods Sect’s Ancestral Hall.

Last year, there had been another sword challenge, this one real.

As it had destroyed an actual Ancestral Hall and not an illusion, it had created a great disturbance. The Jade Woods Sect could not hide it.

Li Cai of Floating Duckweed Sword Lake was ruthless, acknowledging the act in the Mountain and Water Gazette. The Jade Woods Sect could do nothing, pretending it had not happened.

Li Cai had fallen to the nascent soul realm, but the Jade Woods Sect dared not provoke one who had been to Sword Qi Great Wall, lest they incur the wrath of all.

Sword cultivators were precious in Radiant Earth, few willing to be wild cultivators.

Sword cultivators with registered status were often even wilder.

One child asked, “Ancestor, was it truly Sword Immortal Li who did it?”

The old man smiled. “Let us say it was. In practicality, the truth or falsehood is but a name. Money is all that is true.”

To secretly pay others to challenge their ancestral hall was unique to the Jade Woods Sect.

Of course, the ancestral halls that those sword cultivators destroyed were illusions that even the Jade Woods Sect’s direct disciples mistook for real.

Lou Miao knew full well that the sword challengers were Liu Jinglong of the Supreme Emblem Sword Sect, Rong Chang, the chief disciple of Floating Duckweed Sword Lake’s Li Cai, and Liu Zhiqin of Golden Crow Palace.

But the old Sect Master feigned senility and never spoke of it to anyone.

Another child asked a naive question that many fellow disciples wished to know: “Ancestor, the rumors outside are so awful. Does it not upset you?”

The slender old man chuckled. “Being upset is of no use, so long as it doesn’t interfere with making money.”

The two children exchanged glances and admired the good-natured old Sect Master even more.

No wonder their families had said that the old man’s face was auspicious, foretelling good fortune in old age.

A child asked, “Does Jiang the Thief have some irreconcilable feud with Ancestor?”

The old man shook his head and smiled. “There is no personal feud. I have never even met him. I am merely unfortunate enough to be remembered by Elder Jiang of Jade Ruler Sect and Chief Zhou of Falling Star Mountain.”

Lou Miao, the sect master of Jade Woods Sect, was the only native cultivator in the Northern Continent who could rival Jiang Shangzhen in reputation.

The most conscientious, unprofitable, righteous, responsible Lou the Great Sect Master who would fight the whole continent with his sect and considered Sword Immortals to be floating clouds.

Jiang Shangzhen had contributed greatly to Lou Miao’s fame, lending his might to its rise.

Lou Miao’s Jade Purity Realm was genuine, requiring true skill to overwhelm Sword Immortals and be invincible within the same realm.

How else would Sect Master Lou be able to duel with Yuan Lingdian of the Pointing-Finger Peak and Yuan Yang of the Two-Lang Temple, who were both acknowledged as capable of beating Central Continent Immortals in the Jade Purity Realm?

In truth, none of the three on the list were pleased with the title.

Jiang the Thief’s intentions were “pure”: “My reputation is bad, so I must drag someone down with me. Sect Master Lou, it is you!”

If asked why, Jiang Shangzhen would likely reply, “Of course, it’s because you have the best foundation.”

Lou Miao was unconcerned with these “jocular sayings.” The only time the Jade Woods Sect mobilized the masses was when “Someone claiming to be a direct disciple of Qing Mi, a wild Ascension cultivator from Floating Canopy Isle,” had reached insane levels of flattery, elevating the Jade Woods Sect to a level comparable to White Emperor City and saying that Lou Miao was to the Jade Woods Sect as Zheng Juzhong was to White Emperor City, both being one-man sects. Not even Zhao Tianlai of Dragon Tiger Mountain, or Fire Dragon True Man of Flat Belly Peak, with all their power, were capable of such a feat.

Beyond bearing, Lou Miao finally issued a bounty, offering a large sum for the capture and death of Jiang the Thief!

Another child asked a naive question: “Ancestor, if you meet Jiang the Thief, will you fight?”

Lou Miao shook his head. “It will not happen.”

The child lamented, “Jiang the Thief’s reputation is not as bad as before. Some people are starting to say good things about him.”

This was due to two things. Jiang Shangzhen had taken over as Sect Master of Jade Ruler Sect from Xun Yuan, managing to kill demons and earn merit amid the ruins of a continent, constantly on the move even under the eyes of several Old Throne Great Demons.

Jiang the Thief learned how to run in the Northern Continent.

The other was that the chief supplicant of Falling Star Mountain, “Fat Zhou,” was Jiang the Thief, known for having a mother-in-law in every village. The people of the Northern Continent could not believe it at first.

Chen Ping’an, the last hidden official, once had a reputation so high in the Northern Continent that he was almost on par with Huo Long, the venerable True Man. While it was still good, having a “Chief Zhou” who never wiped his ass had marred the Falling Star Mountain.

Many immortals felt sorry for the young hidden official. He must have been truly poor when he first established his mountain in his hometown.

Otherwise, how could he have allowed Jiang Shangzhen to take advantage?

The old man smiled. “Good and bad, right and wrong, are not so clear. Especially through the eyes of the world, the balance in the heart is even less fair.”

The child could not help but ask, “Even a clay statue has a temper. Are you truly not angry at all, Ancestor?”

Lou Miao smiled. “How can I not be? If I could kill him, I would have done so long ago. I will kill him when the time comes.”

Because the old man’s expression was so affable and his tone so calm, even after saying “kill” several times, the two children did not feel any murderous intent.

They took their leave.

Lou Miao smiled and nodded, exhorting them to be diligent in their cultivation and not be discouraged by difficulties. As the children, with their umbrellas tucked under their arms, descended the mountain,

The old man suddenly stood up, gazing intently at the edge of the sect’s territory. The strange feeling was fleeting. After hesitating, the old man did not pursue the matter.

Instead, he turned to look towards Flat Belly Peak.

The true event was happening there.

The Northern Continent was full of sword cultivators. The only drawback was the lack of a Fourteenth Realm cultivator to guard its territory.

Lou Miao knew that Huo Long, whom some considered a leader of both the righteous and underworld paths, had twice failed to attain the Dao.

The first time was at Dragon Tiger Mountain, for decades, reading the scriptures and studying thunder magic, only to emerge from seclusion after a short time.

The other time was when he switched to studying water magic, attempting to fuse the paths of water and fire.

Therefore, Lou Miao was not optimistic about Huo Long’s return from the Desolate Land. As Huo Long had failed to attain the Dao during the Great Rain caused by the Three Teachers dispersing their Dao, he would be even less likely to succeed now that the rain had stopped.

But on that Flat Belly Peak, the old True Man had borrowed a prayer mat and a pot of wine.

Attaining the Dao seemed so simple.

Compared to other Ascension Realm cultivators who were cautious, meticulous, and sought to succeed in one attempt, Huo Long seemed to walk a different path in life, in accepting disciples, and in transmitting the Dao.

But the dangers were unknown to outsiders.

In taking the mat and sitting down, Huo Long had already “dispersed” his Dao once, and it was still not enough.

As an outsider Great Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the old True Man had cast aside his thunder magic, returning it to the Heavens and Earth.

Then, in rising to borrow a pot of wine, he had invisibly “dispersed” his Dao once more upon drinking the wine.

Time passed. The water magic he had painstakingly cultivated and proven was also cast aside, just like the wine pot he had tossed over the mountain.

Huo Long had abandoned both thunder magic and water magic, gambling everything!

Then, relying solely on fire magic, he had risen three realms, reaching the Fourteenth, attaining the Dao!

Lou Miao pondered for a moment, then leaned on his cane and returned to his dojo, isolating himself from the realms to attend a secret meeting. (Note: Chapter 692, *Water Has Not Fallen, Stone Has Not Emerged*)

The old man glanced at the jade cicada on top of his cane, his expression calm. The cicada carried two meanings, reminding him to not contend with the young ones like Bai Shang and Jiang Shangzhen.

*After escaping disaster, remain silent as cicadas in winter.*

*Long endure hibernation to cry out and ring true.*

—

A man and two women walked along the bustling Grand River.

The slender girl with vacant eyes and a sword at her waist, nicknamed Dodona, was both a warrior and a sword cultivator, among the top hundred swordsman of Tolleth Mountain.

Her Core Life Sword was named “Ghoul”.

The taciturn man seemed to be a servant to the beautiful woman beside him.

As they traveled the mountains in the dark, the beautiful woman remained clean, her embroidered shoes free of dirt. She said cautiously, “Qing Rang, a few more steps and we will cross the border into Yunyan Kingdom.”

Her Daoist name was Xianzao, from the Snow and Frost Department of Broad Cold City, one of the three sects of the Great Demon Scarlet Consort. By seniority, Xianzao could call Scarlet Consort Grand Ancestor, but she would never dare to.

The man said slowly, “As long as that Daoist nun is not in the Yunyan capital, we are safe anywhere.”

Otherwise, they would not want to be with this person.

The girl with the sword sneered. “Such arrogance.”

The man smiled. “Am I really arrogant? I have heard that true Daoists can exhale a Dao breath that can dissolve immortals and change the heavens and earth.”

Xianzao covered her mouth and laughed. “With our current realms, one nascent soul and two golden core, what are we talking about Fourteenth Realm Daoist power?”

The girl with the sword looked into the distance and frowned. “There are two living people over there. Do we really need to take a detour?”

Qing Rang pouted. “What is there to hide from? Just a couple of lovers, a pair of fleeting ducks.”

They came to a dilapidated temple where two people had already started a fire.

Several large pieces of venison were roasting, the golden fat dripping into the fire.

The sturdy man was eight feet tall, with bulging muscles, a paper-white face, sunken eyes, and no hint of blood, but his eyes shone with a fierce light.

One could tell at a glance that he was not a good man. The woman he had taken as a temporary wife was not particularly beautiful. The man had not been with a woman for too long, and the mountains were tightly controlled, so he seduced this woman who claimed to be a wild cultivator. When he removed her clothes, she had skin like mutton fat, and she was seductive. As they fought on the bed, the woman cried out softly.

Now, the man reached into the woman’s collar, pulling up her red bib. The woman, nestled in his arms, could not withstand such force and begged for mercy.

Hearing the footsteps outside, the white-faced man immediately turned to look, but he could not take his eyes off of the arriving woman.

Not the sword-wielding girl, who was too skinny.

The other woman was a beauty.

As for the man with her, he was just an annoyance.

But times had changed, and he would not kill without a thought.

The beautiful woman moved behind the skinny girl, poking out her head, and said, “Good sir, there are laws of the court, and there are rules of the Jianghu. Even the worst bandits have rules. For example, when robbing travelers, they will not kill if the victim does not resist or if there is no enmity. Raping women is especially forbidden. Is that not so?”

The man was not well-read and was stunned by the words.

The woman in his arms laughed, unconcerned about concealing her chest. It was just a bunch of fools in the wilderness.

The burly man tugged at the soft breast, causing the woman to cry out, and said, “Little brother, let’s make a deal. I’ll trade her for the two women next to you. How about a two-for-two exchange?”

Qing Rang asked with a smile, “How is that two-for-two? Did you not go to school as a child?”

The man pointed a finger at Qing Rang and sneered, “Does your life not count?”

Qing Rang smiled. “I’m not into that. If you can take them, enjoy them yourself.”

Crossing the threshold, Qing Rang shook his head and laughed. “I thought you were quite sturdy. I could fetch water and wash your ass for you.”

Without waiting for a response, Qing Rang picked up a leg of venison and tore into it. The man was ugly, but his cooking was good.

The burly man and the woman exchanged glances. Did bandits nowadays act like this?

Xianzao and the sword-wielding girl followed, Xianzao covering her mouth to giggle and said, “Qing Rang, so you have been hiding yourself. No wonder you were not interested in us.”

The sword-wielding girl asked, “Why are we here?”

Qing Rang hesitated, and replied, “Before entering the mountain, I sensed a divine sense scanning this temple. It was fast, so I thought it would be safer here.”

Xianzao nodded and clapped her hands. “That makes sense!”

The sword-wielding girl also nodded, sitting down by the fire and picking up a piece of venison.

But at that moment, a middle-aged scholar carrying a book box and a walking stick stood outside the temple door. “It is a dark and windy night for murder. Am I interrupting your pleasure?”