Two lithe young women, serving as doorkeepers at the esteemed National Preceptor’s residence, were a striking pair. One was clad in opulent brocade, the other in verdant silk, like a peony and a sprig of jade bamboo.

They stood guard at the entrances to two covered walkways, connecting the second and third courtyards. Both had the regulation broadsword of the Great Li border guard and a short sword slung at their waists.

Inside, a trembling voice echoed. It was Han E, the young prince. “Is this some illusion conjured by the immortals? Liu Wenjin is not truly dead, is he?!”

For it was said that the mountain cultivators held universes in their sleeves, could shrink mountains and rivers, weave illusions so potent they could fool the very senses.

Chen Ping’an lightly tapped his knee with a rolled-up book. “Liu Wenjin, forty-three years of age, current Minister of Rites for the Qiu Kingdom. He’s been using that identity for nineteen years. His true name is Zheng Lan, hailing from the Blossom Scent Prefecture of the old White Frost Dynasty. A prominent family, generation upon generation serving in high office, though alas, he was born on the wrong side of the blanket. Blossom Scent Prefecture… a rather curious coincidence.”

Han E remained silent, standing beside a chair, the prince’s mind a tempest of emotions. He could not die, not yet! So many ambitions remained unfulfilled. He would lead the Qiu Kingdom as its new sovereign, freeing it from tributary status, severing its ties to overlord states, and finally erasing the shame of his ancestors.

Chen Ping’an continued, “Initially, I also suspected Liu Wenjin might be a spy with two faces. I had the Ministry of Justice and even the Ministry of War meticulously scour his files, searching for any omissions. But there were none.”

Han E’s eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched tight. Fear of the blue-robed man had birthed a strange courage within the youth. He spat out through gritted teeth, “The Qiu Kingdom is burdened with exorbitant taxes, far exceeding the average levied in other Great Li provinces. Liu Wenjin claimed this was a deliberate attempt by the Great Li Song family to suppress Qiu, inciting unrest and rebellion among the populace. He said the Great Li court intended to orchestrate Qiu’s downfall within thirty years, then use the resulting chaos as an excuse to invade, extinguishing the Han family’s dynasty and stripping them of their very vassal status.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “And how did Lord Liu explain and embellish the matter of the Han family’s secret wartime alliance with the demon tribes?”

Han E roared, “Lies! My father merely refused to comply with Great Li’s military decree, unwilling to send Qiu’s boys under the age of fourteen to the battlefield. After countless fruitless negotiations with the War Ministry in the co-capital, my father risked his own life, journeying to the capital to plead with that dog, Prince Luo, Song Mu!

My father even promised to send every able-bodied member of the Qiu royal clan, even children who could barely lift a sword, to fight the demons, if only Great Li would rescind that decree. It rained torrents that day, yet the sovereign of a kingdom knelt upon the ground. Song Mu wouldn’t even grant him an audience, let alone agree!”

“It’s a pity Lord Liu didn’t become a storyteller at the Heavenly Bridge,” Chen Ping’an remarked dryly.

He chuckled. “Turning someone away and savoring the sound of their begging? Song Jixin is certainly capable of such cruelty.”

Han E sneered. “Prince Luo, Song Mu, colluded with the Inspector-General, Su Gaoshan. One was ruthless, the other merciless. Together, they sought to make an example of Qiu, cowing the other vassal states. Su Gaoshan then led his troops into the palace, murdering my father! He, Su Gaoshan, was consumed by ambition, wanting to make the office of Inspector-General, which he’d already seized, hereditary. ‘Literary Ministers and Martial Inspectors,’ indeed, so his family, grown rich through murder and conquest, could be opulent and powerful for generations to come!”

Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Liu Wenjin truly was a loathsome creature. Death should be a swift and clean affair? Had I known, I wouldn’t have granted him such an easy end.”

The young prince, caught up in his fervent delivery, had cast aside his fear. “Liu Wenjin also said that when the Great Li Dynasty forcibly relocated coastal communities, those who refused to abandon their ancestral lands were summarily executed. The Great Li border troops, acting as grim reapers, failed to provide enough vessels, leading to a gruesome exodus of corpses strewn across the land, of children traded for food. The wronged souls of those who died by the sword, by drowning, by starvation, still wander the shores, unable to find peace.

Your Great Li Dynasty’s present civilization and military strength are built upon a foundation of countless innocent lives, the soldiers and commoners of other lands slain by the Great Li border troops, surpassing even those killed by…”

Chen Ping’an had listened patiently until then. He simply uttered a quiet, “Hm?”

There were no mystical arts involved, truly. Han E was simply choked by an inexplicable… aura.

Han E resembled a goatskin raft crossing a river, punctured and deflated with the lightest prick of a blade. The young man was once again submerged in fear.

A woman’s voice softly announced, “National Preceptor, Yuan Huajing of the Earthly Branch lineage, along with Song Xu and Yu Yu, have arrived.”

Chen Ping’an declared, “I will not see Yu Yu. Have her return from whence she came.”

And so she barred the way to the young maiden of the Ma Fen Yu clan, whose family held considerable status, allowing the other two to pass into the back courtyard.

It was she, earlier, who had lopped off Liu Wenjin’s head with a single sword stroke, and presented it to the youth.

Yu Yu hesitated, wanting to speak, but Song Xu, a Great Li prince, silenced her with a look, urging her to yield and return.

Chen Ping’an spoke to the young man. “Han E, I can tolerate your foolishness, which is why I’ve taken the time to speak with you. But a corrupt heart, rotten to the core… I won’t be angered by it. I won’t hold a grudge against a dead man, it’s beneath me. But I will regret allowing you to cross this threshold, to give me not a single surprise. Since you have caused me regret, I shall ensure, within the bounds of Great Li’s established policies and border troop regulations, that the Qiu nobility suffer more deeply, that the rotten flesh and bone are dug out further.”

Han E was shaking again, this time genuinely. His books had taught him how to be an emperor, how to govern, but nothing of this.

Outside, the nascent soul sword cultivator, Yuan, scion of the Shangzhu kingdom, and the Great Li prince Song Xu stood respectfully, addressing the man as National Preceptor.

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Find yourselves chairs and let’s talk. The reason I called you two here is to have you make a journey to Han Zhou, outside Qiu, and assist Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice. Keep a close watch on some of our own. Zhao Yao and Cao Gengxin are waiting in the left wing of the second courtyard. Discuss the specifics among yourselves behind closed doors. Furthermore, Song Xu, remind Yu Yu not to let her cleverness be her undoing.”

Song Xu and Yuan Huajing pulled up chairs, nodding their assent.

Yuan Huajing had spent a period at the Sword Forging Terrace, benefiting immensely from the experience, his swordsmanship greatly enhanced. He had met both Old Deaf and Xie Gou, the former finding him a promising talent, diligent and with a bit of luck, he stood a chance of becoming an immortal. Thus he shared some insights on sword refinement.

The latter deemed “Yuan Material” to be a master of addition, but difficult to communicate with. However, the girl with the sable hat, seeing his lack of aptitude, simply asked,

“As vitality fades, so does the Dao. Understand, young man?”

Having prepared thoroughly, Yuan Huajing had sought enlightenment in seclusion at the Sword Forging Terrace, but had failed to break through. Upon leaving, he remained a nascent soul cultivator. Yuan Huajing was well aware of his own limitations; conversation only seemed to make his bottleneck taller and more insurmountable.

All because Xie Gou’s words had left him in a state of vague understanding, his Dao heart inexplicably diminished, his swordsmanship abruptly emptied.

And so, though he failed to break through, Yuan Huajing knew within his heart that there was a profound gain. A feeling he could not share with others.

Chen Ping’an inquired, “Is the young Empress Dowager of Qiu truly not a Great Li spy, harboring a death wish?”

Han E, who had been standing like a scolded child, was struck by lightning, his mind a mess. He staggered, reaching for the back of a chair for support, his knuckles turning white.

Yuan Huajing replied, “What if she is? What if she isn’t?”

The implication was simple: The National Preceptor might be adept at military strategy, but he might not be so knowledgable of the inner workings and secrets of spies and double agents. Though he was the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall, he might not have a deep understanding or appreciation.

Chen Ping’an was unconcerned.

Song Xu shook his head. “I can assure the National Preceptor, she is not a suicide agent planted in Qiu by Great Li.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “That simplifies matters.

With the additions from the Ministries of Justice and War, the second list contains a total of three hundred and twenty names.

Besides, there are another fifty or so spies from other nations, though half of them have double or even triple identities. We need to sift through them again.”

Chen Ping’an cast a sidelong glance.

Han E couldn’t help but weep, tears streaming down his face.

Whether she was or wasn’t, whatever the answer, the young prince was heartbroken, feeling a sense of utter despair.

Outside, by the covered walkway, the girl with the sable hat was attempting to ingratiate herself with the beautiful, yet cold-faced, woman in brocade. “Wow, you’re so beautiful, and your swordsmanship, when you’re chopping people, is so graceful.”

The young woman smiled. “Please don’t jest, Vice-Minister Xie.”

Xie Gou was puzzled. “You can talk?”

The woman warrior was equally puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I be able to speak?”

Xie Gou said, “Earlier, in the corridors of the small court, there was an old man in python robes, and he was very sparing with his words.”

The woman explained, “The rules of the Imperial court are different from those of the National Preceptor’s residence.”

Xie Gou recalled something, asking quietly, “Sister, you seem to be accustomed to officialdom. My Lord made a strange remark. Could you help me interpret it? He said, ‘Scholars of learning should not dabble in courtly calculations; they will shatter into pieces as soon as they do.’ What does he mean?”

The woman laughed. “Perhaps he means that even the most brilliant scholar cannot outsmart a learned official, especially one in high office. If that’s the case, it’s best to stay in the study and focus on learning, where you can still produce lasting works and leave your mark. But this is just my guess. Who am I to know the National Preceptor’s true thoughts?”

Xie Gou gave a thumbs-up, reaching into her sleeve. “You’re quite well-read! Sister Rongyu, I’ve written a travelogue. Would you care to take a look?”

She waved her hand. “Fu Qing enjoys literature. Vice-Minister Xie can give it to her. I’ll pass.”

Xie Gou put away the booklet, shaking her head. “Then I’ll pass too. I’m a palm reader, and I don’t get along with Sister Fu Qing.”

Her waist is too thin, her hips too wide, her chest too prominent, and she intentionally tries to hide it.

Rongyu was curious, but did not ask the reason, assuming it was some esoteric mountain knowledge of the enlightened.

A middle-aged secretary, holding a stack of files, arrived at the “entrance.”

Rongyu gripped her sword hilt, saying calmly, “Halt. The National Preceptor is still in conference.”

The handsome secretary remained silent, standing outside the door.

Xie Gou said with a secret voice transmission, “Sister Rongyu, he wants to bed you.”

Rongyu’s expression was cold. “Then he’s courting death.”

Xie Gou chuckled. “I’m not trying to sow discord. By the way, may I ask, how many years has he been ‘walking’ through here, gaining experience?”

Rongyu frowned. “It will be exactly six years in nineteen days… Then he’s truly courting death!”

Xie Gou tsked; she was quite smart.

Rongyu spoke directly to Fu Qing, the other doorkeeper, “I’m going to the Yi room to have everyone stop what they’re doing and leave their desks, waiting outside. Take the files from this man, go back to the room, immediately review them, and then check the archived files from the past two years. See if you can find any evidence of the Yi room trying to deceive the National Preceptor by ‘overstepping their authority,’ or subtly omitting important matters for their own gain.”

Fu Qing walked directly to the head secretary of the Yi room, took all the files that needed to be reviewed and decided on by the National Preceptor, and returned to a room in the second courtyard. Without closing the door, she began reviewing the files on the spot.

Rongyu grabbed the shoulder of the promising handsome man, dragging him all the way to the entrance of the Yi room, telling him to stay put. She entered the room, and soon the secretaries of the Yi room were bewildered, filing out one after another, looking at each other in the hallway.

Rongyu then went to a quiet side room in the front courtyard, and soon an elderly man with white hair was arranging for the Ministry of Justice to extract secret files to be copied and sent here, as well as to the two Ministry of Works offices in Great Li’s capital and co-capital. Naturally, there would be quite a stir.

Chen Ping’an ignored Rongyu and Fu Qing’s series of actions, simply returning to his desk. The secretaries of the various rooms had brought some important official documents. Before Han E had arrived, Chen Ping’an had briefly reviewed them. Then he had them bring some more files.

The Great Li border troops, with the combined efforts of the Ministry of Works, the Mo family, and the talisman masters, used no less than five types of mountain armor, the highest-ranking being the Mountain and Five Peaks Armor. Back then, the Great Li court had mobilized thousands of mountain-moving monsters, as well as a larger number of mechanical puppets and talisman warriors, just to move and transport the five-colored soil from the mountains. And so, the last time, in the Happy Mountain, Chen Ping’an learned that those small countries south of the Grand Stream, whose borders were stable and did not need to fight, had been openly and secretly trading in such talisman armor and various mountain weapons. It was a lucrative business, almost a risk-free venture. Therefore, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue in the co-capital had long suggested buying back these armors and weapons at a low price. But there were disagreements in the capital as to whether to use the Great Li official identity or buy them privately. As for the “low price,” there were still debates on how low it should be.

Not to mention, the Director of the Court of State Ceremonial, Yan Yongfeng, who seemed to be mute in the small court, had been sending requests and complaints on paper. Before the Great Li border troops marched south, officials and scholars throughout the country loved to talk about the borderlands. Not discussing it was considered out of touch. When the Great Li Song family unified the Treasure Bottle Continent, borderland studies became a “prominent field” again, until the war ended, and the Great Li Dynasty returned half of the Treasure Bottle Continent, at which point it slowly declined. The Court of State Ceremonial became a punching bag office for the officials of the Six Ministries.

The Court of State Ceremonial had made too many jokes in recent years. For example, the delegation from a certain tributary state kept increasing every year. Good heavens, this year they came with a grand entourage of three thousand people, and they even heard that two children were born on the way… There were also those who replaced many of the tribute items with inferior goods, receiving a large amount of rewards from the Great Li court, making a fortune upon their return! Some even smuggled goods along the way. It was less of a tribute route and more of a trade channel…

In short, the various post stations along the tribute route, as well as the residences in the capital, were filled with minor and major troubles. There were also those who came and refused to return. When they came, there were three to four hundred people, but when they returned, there were only about one hundred. They had to be captured one by one… There were even those who caused trouble by drinking in the capital, fighting and even engaging in brawls between delegations. There were even those who impersonated others, forged seals, and rushed to the Great Li capital to receive rewards!

As Chen Ping’an quickly flipped through the large stack of files Rongyu had brought, he saw that the mastermind behind the forgery of the seals was actually a group of teenagers, all under the age of sixteen, who had simply read some unofficial histories and heard some operas. After being interrogated by the Ministry of Justice, they didn’t have any grand plans. They just wanted to make a lot of money, and if they were going to swindle, they would swindle the richest person, who else could it be but the Song Emperor of the Great Li Dynasty!

The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial and the local officials along the way were definitely going to be punished, but even the Ministry of Justice couldn’t help but add a few notes to the record, suggesting that the teenagers, who were imaginative and audacious, and the amateur troupe, whose acting skills became increasingly sophisticated along the way, could be given a reduced sentence.

And so, Chen Ping’an picked up his pen again and wrote the words “May Reduce” in red ink on the Ministry of Justice’s official document.

He added a few more sentences, stating that if the teenagers were willing to settle in the capital or attend the Spring Mountain Academy after serving their sentences, the Great Li Ministry of Revenue would pay for their expenses.

In half an hour, he had finished the annotations on more than sixty official documents.

There were also some suggestions issued by the official residence and copied to the various departments. For example, borrowing Fan Junmao of the Southern Mountain and a sword boat from Old Dragon City, as well as whether it was possible to open a mountain and water passage similar to Gui Xu between the East Sea and the Southern Mountain, for the Ministry of Works to consider the feasibility of this matter.

Chen Ping’an looked up, smiling, and asked, “How’s the food here?”

Song Xu replied, “It’s said that the three meals plus the midnight snack are famously delicious and filling.”

Yuan Huajing glanced at Han E and asked, “What should we do with him?”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment, but answered a different question, “The co-capital’s current review should be under the purview of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Go inform Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice and say hello to the co-capital. Make sure the process goes as usual, but ask them two questions. Don’t make the evaluation too obvious, use some mountain tactics if necessary. If the Ministry of Rites or anyone else in the co-capital objects, tell them to come to the capital to find me.”

“Also, with the two answers, don’t include them in the co-capital’s review. It shouldn’t affect their official positions for the time being. Just let the capital know.”

Yuan Huajing asked with confusion, “What questions?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Deal with it appropriately. I just want two answers from the depths of those officials’ hearts. Should the barbarians die? Is the Great Li Dynasty good or not?”

Yuan Huajing thought for a moment and said, “Besides having the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice secretly contribute to this review, and making it seem like a meaningless formality on the surface, can we extend it for a month or two to ensure the authenticity of the final result?”

Chen Ping’an thought about it. “That’s possible.”

Song Xu said, “The fewer people who know about this, the better. Furthermore, to truly make it seem like a formality, to fool those cultivators in the officialdom, all of whom have become cunning, we need to immediately select a new Director of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which has been vacant in our capital.”

“Soon.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and then asked, “Is the secretary who’s in charge of the classified documents from the surname of one of the pillars of the country?”

Song Xu hesitated for a moment and said, “His surname is Yu. He graduated as a second-class scholar and is highly regarded by his family.”

Yuan Huajing breathed a sigh of relief; it wasn’t the same surname as him.

In the hallway of the second courtyard, it was already summer, but everyone felt like they were falling into an ice cave.

Chen Ping’an led Yuan Huajing and Song Xu out of the back courtyard. The two Earthly Branch cultivators soon left the official residence, each busy with their own matters.

The young prince, who looked like he had lost his parents, found Rongyu, who had returned. He said timidly, “The National Preceptor told me to borrow buckets and rags from you to clean the blood stains on the ground in the backyard. After cleaning the ground, I’m to leave this place and follow him to a sword boat.”

Rongyu said nothing, leading the young man to retrieve the items.

Chen Ping’an stood with his hands in his sleeves, looking at the central officials and potential high-ranking officials who were walking on thin ice. He smiled, “Our first meeting with everyone, this kind of opening, isn’t too good.”

Chen Ping’an looked at the ambitious and bolder scion of a prominent family, saying gently, “This uncouth fool who’s been lucky, besides killing on the battlefield, I actually know a little about court affairs. I’m not an expert, but I’m not a complete layman either. But you’re too impatient and unwilling to wait a few more days.”

Shifting his gaze, no longer looking at the young official who had collapsed on the ground, Chen Ping’an said three sentences without any expression.

“Clerks need generations of hard work to truly control an office and reach an understanding with the official in charge.”

“Did National Preceptor Cui tell you that there are selection grounds in temples that clarify the mind and see the nature of the Buddha?”

“Here, this is a place that will make your butts burn even when you’re sitting down, and that half of the Treasure Bottle Continent will envy, but it’s also a place to seek death.”

In the hot summer, the young men in the hallway, who were temporarily low-ranking but already powerful, were sweating profusely.

As for the promising young talent who was about to be “transferred to the capital as an official,” who was also related to Prince Song Xu, Rongyu grabbed him by the hair, dragging him out like a dead dog.

————

At dusk, Chen Ping’an asked Wei Bo to help him return to the Falling Sparrow Mountain. During this time, Wei Youye joked, “Will you be checking in every day from now on?”

The girl with the sable hat, however, with the third-class sacrificial tablet hanging on her waist, as well as a brand new jade pendant from the National Preceptor’s residence, restrained her sword intent, leapt out of the sky above the capital, and with ten thousand miles of cloudless sky, the sword light swept across, heading to Falling Sparrow Mountain.

In the Private Taoist Temple of Fuyu Slope, amidst the lush bamboo forest, there was a three-room study, the surface of the small lake shimmering with light.

Chen Ping’an did not walk directly to the closed-door study used for reading and cultivating, but walked into the lake. The moment his cloth shoes touched the surface of the water, the surface of the water was as flat as a mirror, as if frozen into a single piece of colored glass.

The surface of the water then began to flow with light, and a talisman-filled formation ban appeared. Chen Ping’an simply walked slowly, and the formation patterns under his feet rotated rapidly. When he stopped, the first ban was also broken, his blue-robed figure standing still. The entire mirror surface suddenly flipped, and at the same time, a brilliant star map appeared in the air, within reach. Chen Ping’an began to reach out and pick the stars, moving them to other constellations. His vision suddenly opened up, returning to a normal view, but between the lake under his feet and the study on the shore, a hazy “mountain gate” appeared, like a giant compass used by feng shui masters for surveying. Chen Ping’an’s mind moved slightly, and circles of various colors of text began to rotate. When the compass stopped, Chen Ping’an went ashore, opened the door, and saw Taoist Ding sitting inside.

It is said that a sixty-year cycle in the mountains is equal to a thousand years in the world.

In Taoist Ding’s human world, it was far more than that.

Xie Gou was sitting by the door, saying, “He was badly harmed by Huang Zhen.”

Chen Ping’an nodded; protection was still in place, but the way to gain enlightenment was ruined.

Xie Gou said, “What a big loss! Isn’t the Lord going to ask Jiang Sha for compensation?”

Chen Ping’an was silent.

If his divinity was still pure, it could be stripped away, and the records of Taoist Ding’s enlightenment experiences and his mental journey could be kept.

That would be a complete path to the heavens, a complete Dao lineage with Dao, heart, art, and magic.

Now, there was nothing to see.

They could only wait patiently for Taoist Ding to wake up.

A human body with one thousand five hundred apertures also had the ambition to refine all things.

Chen Ping’an sat by the door, and Xie Gou casually asked, “The Lord doesn’t seem to hate Huang Zhen too much?”

Chen Ping’an said absentmindedly, “It’s okay.”

Xie Gou was puzzled, “Why?”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment. “In the small town, I’ve been called all sorts of names, but no one has ever called me a thief.”

Xie Gou was enlightened, lying in the bamboo corridor, raising her legs, and shaking a cloth shoe. “Human nature, human hearts.”

Chen Ping’an said, “I may need to send a flying sword letter to the Green Tiger Palace, telling Zhao Zhu to bring his disciple here immediately.”

Before, in the Green Tiger Palace of Tongye Continent, he had used a talisman on the mind of the young Taoist, containing the meaning of the three Daos of mountains, waters, and thunder. It was a relatively gentle “cure”, but it only treated the symptoms and not the root cause. What’s more, after fighting Jiang Sha, there were countless sequelae, and Lu Chen was in such a situation, so the talisman must have been greatly affected. Chen Ping’an had just come up with a relatively safe way to solve it.

Xie Gou immediately sat up and said, “I’ll go, I’ll do it! I’ve been working hard on calligraphy lately, and my attainments aren’t low!”

Chen Ping’an changed his mind and said, “Forget it, sending a flying sword letter will delay things. I’ll use the Three Mountain Talisman and go to the Green Tiger Palace.”

Xie Gou said, “Let’s go together.”

Chen Ping’an said, “No need. I’ll go and come back quickly. Don’t waste the Three Mountain Talisman. You guys have a limited number of uses.”

Xie Gou hesitated, rubbing her sable hat, and tentatively said, “Lord, I can make a fake Three Mountain Talisman. The shortening distance is shorter, but I can just throw a few more. It doesn’t consume much merit, but it consumes a lot of spiritual energy, and the talisman paper is a bit expensive.”

Chen Ping’an said in shock, “Are you sure?!”

Are you really sure that you have imitated the Three Mountain Talisman that doesn’t consume merit and only costs money?!

Xie Gou was puzzled, “Is drawing the Three Mountain Talisman against the rules of heaven?”

Why didn’t I know that Mr. Three Mountains and Nine Marquises had this requirement? I didn’t attract this ancient Taoist friend’s attention when I tried to imitate it a few times before, and he obviously didn’t care about this kind of trivial matter. Although she wasn’t familiar with Mr. Three Mountains and Nine Marquises, she knew one thing very well: he was not stingy in passing down the Dao in ancient times. Before the battle to ascend to the heavens, connecting… notifying Taoists everywhere mainly depended on him and his disciples who traveled across mountains and rivers, working hard.

Chen Ping’an stabilized his Dao heart and said, “When did you learn how to draw talismans?”

Xie Gou blinked. Asking such a boring question, is the Lord asking for it?

Chen Ping’an patted his forehead; that’s right, he only showed her the Dao secrets engraved on the corner scraps of the seal. She could learn the “deduction” Dao that he hadn’t even touched with one look.

Before offering the Three Mountain Talisman, Chen Ping’an moved a wooden box outside. The box was filled with talismans, mostly large talismans.

They were all talismans that he had drawn during the period when he temporarily borrowed Dao from Lu Chen to become a fourteenth-level cultivator.

Xie Gou guessed what the Lord was thinking and said a few words, risking his life, “Don’t burn them. It’s good to keep them and have something to remember. If you see someone you like, you can use them to trap him, destroy his Dao…”

The stacks of talismans neatly placed in the box, just in terms of appearance, were extremely good. If someone mistakenly thought they had found a bargain and bought them, or if they fought with the Lord and finally “snatched” them to use for fighting, hey, whoever used them would know.

Chen Ping’an shook his head, used a fire technique, put his hands in his sleeves, and squatted next to the box.

He just told Xie Gou to watch the wooden box, because so many talismans were lit at the same time… he was afraid of blowing up this Daoist temple.

He originally thought about using them for his own use when traveling abroad, or giving them as gifts, or selling them at a high price.

The firelight reflected a face full of shadows.

Xie Gou also squatted next to the box, saying blankly, “It’s all money. In the end, it’s like burning paper money. It’s better to throw it into the water to hear a splash.”

Chen Ping’an glared and scolded, “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Xie Gou rubbed her sable hat, clapped her hands together with a pop, closed her eyes, and chanted, “Forgive me, forgive me, children’s words are not taboo. Xie Gou is here, with sincere sincerity, asking that Headmaster Lu live for ten thousand years.”

Chen Ping’an smiled dumbly.

When Xie Gou finished her work, Chen Ping’an slapped her on the sable hat and joked, “You’re good at stealing skills.”

Xie Gou rolled her eyes. Annoying. In the past, she felt that her Lord didn’t treat her as a beautiful woman. Now, she was about to not treat herself as a woman. Worried. In the future, don’t one day be treated by the Lord as a sister from another mother.

Before going to Tongye Continent, Chen Ping’an asked Wei Bo and Liu Xianyang to come to Fuyu Slope.

The girl with the sable hat lay back on the floor, not expecting the Lord to return to the Taoist temple so soon. Xie Gou said in shock, “The Lord is invincible.”

Chen Ping’an said with some embarrassment, “When I got there, I learned that Zhao Zhu had already brought Gan Xing on his way to Treasure Bottle Continent. Old Taoist Lu said there was nothing wrong for the time being, and told me to rest assured.”

Xie Gou laughed so hard, and Chen Ping’an let her gloat.

Reminded by Wei Youye, Liu Xianyang came here immediately. Help shrink the veins? No need. Liu’s sword speed was the best.

Chen Ping’an opened the layers of restrictions, and Liu Xianyang exclaimed, “Good place, nice scenery. The place is small, but a good Taoist temple has been made in the snail shell.”

Entering the room, seeing the Taoist sitting in a corpse on the futon, Liu Xianyang squatted on the ground, and asked suspiciously, “What is this Taoist friend doing?”

Chen Ping’an explained it roughly, and Liu Xianyang listened, rubbing his chin, and said, “Since he is the master of the house, and there is a world’s avenue circulating endlessly in his body, then this Taoist Ding, how can he just sleep? He has to eat, drink, shit, fart, burp.”

Chen Ping’an and Xie Gou looked at each other at the same time. Possible! Absolutely!

Xie Gou was radiant, giving a thumbs up with both hands, “Big Brother Liu, you’re awesome!”

Liu Xianyang laughed, “Anyway, I’m not the one who cleans up the poop. It just so happens that your Lord is good at doing this.”

Xie Gou slowly shifted her gaze, Lord, why are you looking at me? Men and women shouldn’t touch hands, I’m a virgin, and I’m going to make trouble in the wedding room with Xiao Mo.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Do you need the sword sharpening stone from Dragon Ridge Mountain?”

Liu Xianyang rolled his eyes, “What do you think, Lord Chen?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “We’ll split it in half in Jia Liushan. Just consider it my share.”

Liu Xianyang waved his hand, “I’ve been waiting for you to say that. That’s all I needed. Keep the things for yourself.”

Whether you, Chen Ping’an, send it or not, and whether I, Liu Xianyang, receive it or not, it’s all about having the heart.

Liu Xianyang asked, “You’ve never been willing to talk about that fight. What’s wrong, you have three flying swords, so you can’t see the light?”

Without waiting for Chen Ping’an to say anything, “It’s so annoying when people are better than you. You actually have three flying swords!” “I’m so afraid that my brother will suffer too much, and I’m also afraid that my brother will enjoy too much fortune.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Actually, it’s four.”

Liu Xianyang’s face was normal, and he said lightly, “Oh.”

Xie Gou began to count silently.

Before she could count to three, Liu Xianyang grabbed Chen Ping’an’s neck, angry and furious, and roared, “How much?!”

For a sword cultivator, the number of natal flying swords has no “absolute” relationship with the level of the realm or the size of the killing power. But who would dislike having more?

Whenever he thought of Pei Min, who had a sword question in the rain curtain of Tian Gong Temple in Tongye Continent, he often pondered his swordsmanship, and whenever he thought of the number of flying swords of the other party, Chen Ping’an would immediately think of the idiom “shocking the world.”

Unexpectedly, he now possessed four flying swords.

Caged Bird, Moon in Well, Beidou, Qing Ping.

Sitting together against the wall, Liu Xianyang crossed his arms and remained silent for a long time, asking, “Skinny bamboo pole, what are your thoughts?”

They had all come from their youth. Of course, many people seemed to not have a childhood.

Xie Gou said seriously, “At this time and in this scene, looking back on the past, remembering the bitterness and thinking about the sweetness, do we need to write a poem?”

Chen Ping’an thought about it carefully and smiled, “I want to go and get a midnight snack, have the old cook make a hot pot, it must be heavy oil and heavy spicy, and there must be wine.”