Lord Qi, master of a thousand faces, shifted his visage, lingering for a breath in the capital’s heart. Then, with a whispered incantation, he performed the shrinking earth, traversing leagues to the neighboring kingdom’s Immortal Cloud Sect. Veiling his sword’s aura, a master of stealth, he moved unseen through their blessed sanctuary of green hills and flowing streams, as if it were an empty stage.

The Immortal Cloud Sect’s ancestral lands were girded by a crudely wrought geomantic array of mountains and waters. Jagged peaks rose like serried ranks of halberds, each carved with individual grottoes, where flickers of ethereal light betrayed the presence of cultivators, their wind-borne forms tracing ephemeral trails of starlight across the sky.

One lone mountain stood apart, its summit a verdant crown, a slender jade bamboo reaching for the heavens. White streaks, like cascading waterfalls or draped silks, adorned its cliffs, a hundred fathoms of lambent beauty. At its foot, a humble village nestled, checkered with rice paddies. Here, Lord Qi, cloaked in his altered guise, walked as a wandering scholar, a staff of mountain ash hewn as a prop for the journey. His very presence, once regal, now radiated the quiet nobility of a hidden sage.

Within the soaring city of Feisheng, in the halls of the Ning manor, Feng Yuanxiao experienced an abrupt and glorious ascension, breaking through three realms in a breath – passing through the Dragon Gate, forging the Golden Core, and birthing the Nascent Soul.

Truly, this was a boon of paramount magnitude.

Firstly, it signified that their actions in the Ginzane Dynasty were in alignment with the Great Dao of the Fivefold World. In essence, the sword immortals, wielding their formidable power, were effecting a gentle yet necessary shift in customs, a change sanctioned by the very heart of Heaven.

Secondly, Chen Ping’an’s deepest fears had not materialized. Before venturing to the Ginzane Dynasty, he had harbored anxieties regarding Feng Yuanxiao, the disciple entrusted to Ning Yao’s care by the Yellow Court. He worried her path might veer too close to the wildness of the Barren Lands, or, worse, trend towards an even more extreme philosophy – that the Dao was synonymous with Chaos, or a pursuit of utter singularity. In such a reality, all forms of etiquette and governance would become enemies of the Dao, and Chen Ping’an and Lord Qi, far from accumulating karmic merit for their divinely-ordained deeds, might incur the wrath of Heaven itself.

For Feng Yuanxiao was the first child born into the Fivefold World, her lineage half-rooted in the now-shattered continent of Tongye. Chen Ping’an knew best the fractured state of that land’s spirit. Even if the Fivefold World was initially discovered by Confucian sages, and later shaped by the First Teacher and Bai, what recourse would the Temple of Literature have if Feng Yuanxiao’s Dao led her to deny their contributions?

Thirdly, Lord Qi harbored his own selfish desire to deduce and verify the will of Heaven. If their sojourn in the Ginzane Dynasty yielded divergent results, if the heavens issued an “echo of cause and effect,” it would influence Lord Qi’s choices as city lord and steer him down a different path toward union with the Dao. Hence, Chen Ping’an’s sigh of relief was genuine, and Lord Qi’s knowing smile conveyed a true awakening.

For now, at least, Ning Yao and Feng Yuanxiao, though engaged in a subtle rivalry, had not diverged or embraced antithetical Daos. Lord Qi felt a measure of certainty, a calculated plan forming in his mind. It seemed the decades he had spent wandering the lands were no mere whim of an aging swordsman.

Finally, he could not deny the awe-inspiring, unyielding, and inviolable nature of Heaven’s will.

In the capital city of the Celestial Fish Dynasty, Lord Qi had encountered a couplet emblazoned upon a long banner, prompting him to remark on the whimsical nature of providence. A fleeting thought, a stroke of uncanny coincidence – was it not, upon closer inspection, a subtle premonition of the Heavenly Dao itself? Seeing was believing.

Chen Ping’an, ever the keen strategist, interjected, “Lord Qi’s temper was frayed then, his words less refined.”

Xiao Mo laughed, “It is nothing.”

Xie Gou offered a sharp observation, “Xiao Mo, you are naive. It’s a sleight of hand. Seemingly offering clarification, but actually revealing flaws. Our lord, bound by so many restrictions, fears we might be lured away by the freewheeling Lord Qi, diminishing his forces after a single journey to the Fivefold World. Many kings and conquerors in the scrolls appear simple but are actually cunning.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled, amused by her insight.

Xiao Mo, struggling to contain herself, finally burst out, “What books have you been reading since you arrived at my lord’s side? Your knowledge is expanding!”

Xie Gou replied matter-of-factly, “I read whatever is at hand. All scrolls have merit. The National Preceptor’s residence is filled with books. Each day I use history as a mirror, and find myself more beautiful than ever.”

Hearing Xie Gou had replicated the Three Mountains Talisman, Ning Yao inquired if there were any to spare.

Xie Gou, honored that the Lady of the Mountain desired her talismans, beamed. She produced a stack from her sleeve, distributing them freely.

Normally, Ning Yao’s sword-flight was far faster than using such a talisman.

Chen Ping’an was surprised. “How did you create so many in so few days?”

Xie Gou was at a loss. In the National Preceptor’s residence, she was either writing or drawing talismans, constantly scribbling away.

Chen Ping’an examined a counterfeit talisman, studying it closely. Sword energy clashed with its core, instantly destroying the paper in a burst of pure white flame. He shook his wrist, revealing wisps of golden lines in the air, imbued with sword intent, resembling ancient bird-worm script. The methods were intricate; Xie Gou had employed almost overly complex layered formations. Certain compound symbols resembled accumulating soil forming a mountain’s framework; cloud patterns mimicked the veins of great rivers. Yet why did the talisman seem so needlessly complicated in key areas?

Chen Ping’an frowned and voiced his question. Xie Gou sighed, elaborating, “My Lady of the Mountain, I deliberately made this replicated Three Mountains Talisman more complex, withholding the simplest method, to prevent it from becoming commonplace. Thus, I added many traps. But if someone were to learn from it, clearing away the obscurities, simplifying and returning to its essence, then it would be their fate.”

Xiao Mo chuckled, “In ancient times, opportunity was rare and the path difficult. This was a common practice.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “What are the limitations of using this talisman?”

Xie Gou casually replied, “Good paper makes for easier use, bad paper makes it harder.”

Chen Ping’an was unsatisfied with the vagueness. “Specifically, what defines ‘good’ and ‘hard’?”

Xie Gou thought. “If the paper is precious, like the Lady of the Mountain’s golden paper, then even warriors and martial artists, perhaps starting at the Second Realm of Gold, could use it. Common yellow paper from the markets likely requires cultivators of Jade Purity or peak Mountain Realm martial artists. I cannot be certain. As for the length of the shrinking earth paths, the Lady of the Mountain must find ways to verify that later.”

There were already many shrinking earth talismans on the market. Her imitation Three Mountains Talisman was nothing special.

Ning Yao glanced at a talisman, channeling a wisp of sword energy into it. Instantly, it shattered the layers of restrictions, yet did not disturb the talisman’s core.

Even Xie Gou, loyal to her master, felt that the Lady of the Mountain was too good for him, eating the finest grain.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Can you create a shrinking earth talisman with an extremely low barrier to entry, or perhaps no barrier at all?”

Xie Gou shook her head. “Like people, each talisman has its own destiny. A genuine Three Mountains Talisman requires the expenditure of karmic virtue and the burning of three sticks of incense, as if you are informing the Three Mountains and Nine Lords. But the shrinking earth talisman has short distances, like a sparrow on a branch. It’s the limit of what the talisman core can do.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. It was logical. Speaking internally, he asked, “Similar to the Mountainous Ferryships of the Great Li Dynasty, if a massive Three Mountains Talisman could be inscribed onto the mountain’s hull, could it be used in the Barren Lands battlefield?”

Xie Gou pondered, gauging the possibilities. “It could be drawn, but such a talisman would be expensive. Even with the Great Li’s resources, it would be at most used for light cavalry strikes. It could not be a regular way to shrink paths, as if to make the Barren Lands smaller. It could only be used rarely, or the Great Li would be utterly depleted. The larger the talisman, the more spiritual energy it consumes exponentially.”

Xie Gou said “the larger the talisman” twice, with two different meanings.

The Three Mountains Talisman was undeniably a great talisman. But a “large talisman” in the literal sense, etched onto a Mountainous Ferryship, would consume an incalculable amount of spirit money.

Chen Ping’an decided to pass the problem onto the Central Earth Temple of Literature, only offering the idea.

Xie Gou coughed. The Lady of the Mountain was present; the master was lost in thought, contemplating distant lands. Was it not inappropriate?

Chen Ping’an returned to the present. Together, they ignited the Three Mountains Talisman, visualizing a towering mountain. If the three mountains shared a common vein, it would save a bit of energy. One by one, they materialized in a location where the mountain’s contours were feminine, the streams winding, with many layered waterfalls. Relatively close to the Ginzane Dynasty, a sanctuary had been carved by an Immortal’s abode, claiming the title of the highest sect. Daoists cultivated alchemy nearby, transplanting pine and cypress. Natural beauty, unattainable by human effort, flourished. White clouds swathed the mountain waist like a jade belt.

Xie Gou, ever eager to show off her learning, asked deliberately, “My Lord, I wager this is called Jade Belt Peak?” Chen Ping’an nodded. In any future gazetteer, it would likely be named as such.

Xiao Mo suddenly said, “Lord Qi’s killing intent is heavy.”

Chen Ping’an agreed. “Lord Qi has yearned for ascension for too long.”

Xie Gou felt a twinge of sympathy, glancing askance at her lord. Fortunately, they had an immortal realm cultivator to fall back on.

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Gouzi, are you comparing yourself to me?”

Xie Gou protested, “There are only four of us. I cannot compare myself to the Lady of the Mountain, can I?”

Holding the talisman, they shrunk the earth. Between the two mountains, lay a vast lake. Even on his second glimpse of the boundless waters, Chen Ping’an marveled at the works of the heavens.

Chen Ping’an sighed, “Neither the Azure Continent nor the Barren Lands has such a large lake. I wonder which has more water, this or the Small Four Continents of the Azure Vault?”

Xie Gou tentatively asked, “Since it is currently unclaimed, perhaps I might imitate the Lady of the Mountain, dragging a mountain range from the lake’s depths, erecting a stone stele inscribed in sword energy: ‘Xie Gou’s Ascension Site’?”

Xiao Mo was exasperated.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ping’an nodded. “Actually, you could find several places to erect stelae. ‘Xie Gou’s Golden Core Site,’ ‘Mountain Reaching the Upper Five Realms,’ ‘Immortal’s Abode,’ ‘Ascension Site.’ It would seem more real and possess a grandeur.

“But the inscription must be aged, imbued with the spirit of antiquity. The inscription at Jade Purity realm should be fainter due to a lower realm, but the killing intent should be heavier. Upon entering the Upper Five Realms, there should be a unique, scornful aura. As an Immortal, the aura is stronger, but the divine light is restrained. After ascending, express your innermost thoughts, releasing both a chest bursting with the desire to swallow mountains and rivers, and the lonely longing of not finding a like-minded companion for a thousand years. Should a celestial master happen upon the stele, they would surely be shaken, their spirit drawn to it. Although the inscription is brief, it would read like the most brilliant, short divine biography. In the future, the entire Fivefold World will wonder, ‘Who is Xie Gou?’ Who would dare to compete with such an ancient sword immortal for territory and sanctuary?”

Xie Gou exclaimed, “My Lord, honestly, other than cultivation, your thinking is so direct!”

This was with the Lady of the Mountain present; otherwise, Xie Gou would have had even more to say.

Xiao Mo had intended to reprimand her, but saw Ning Yao smiling, nodding.

Xie Gou wasted no time, immediately setting out to erect a stele and inscribe it.

Chen Ping’an said, “Better to change the name, or concoct a new Daoist title.”

The marten-hatted girl thought better of it. “Xie Gou” was good enough.

Xie Gou’s eyes suddenly lit up. She thought of a good compromise, pulling an errant and misguided temptress from her sleeve. She asked her name and used it for the stele’s inscription.

Xie Gou temporarily taught her a water-parting incantation and went to the lake’s depths to teach her a mountain-moving method.

Chen Ping’an allowed them to do as they pleased.

This was Xie Gou’s first time in Feisheng, a novel experience. Its bustling prosperity exceeded her expectations.

Xie Gou tentatively asked, “Lady of the Mountain, may I purchase a sword immortal’s private residence here?”

Ning Yao smiled. “If you are willing to pay for it yourself.”

She had no money; not even a single snowflake coin. But she had talismans in abundance. Xie Gou immediately produced two stacks of Three Mountains Talismans from her sleeve, waving them, and asked, “Are there any fools in Feisheng willing to buy these? I can offer a discount, 50% off!”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Even if the paper is common, it still requires mental effort and spiritual energy. Have you truly earned anything from drawing so many?”

Xie Gou wore a look of self-evidence. “My Lord, what you are saying is very un-Baofu Studio, very un-Old Daoist. Am I drawing talismans? They are money, silver notes!”

The Feisheng City Ancestral Hall convened an emergency council meeting. The Executioner Qi Shou, Second-in-Command Nian Xin, the Spring Protector Gao Yehou, and Chief Guardian Deng Liang had to be there. Some were already in the city, others in nearby tributary cities and peaks. They quickly arrived. The Retreating Heat Palace side was limited to Don’t Have, Luo Zhenyi, Chang Taixing, and Fan Dache. Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui were too far away.

Seeing Chen Ping’an, they were not surprised.

Chen Ping’an cut straight to the point. The Executioner branch would have no objections to Lord Qi secretly serving as city lord. Qi Shou had no reason to be unhappy.

Since Chen Ping’an proposed it, the Hidden Official faction went along with it. There were no objections.

Feisheng City’s sword cultivators would largely share the attitude of Zhang Gong. He was an old sword immortal, after all.

Gao Yehou, Feisheng City’s grand accountant, had no opinions. He did not care who the city lord was, so long as they did not ask him for money. If Lord Qi could add to the coffers, then that was even better.

Unfortunately, Gu Jianlong was not present. Otherwise, he might have said, “From now on, Feisheng City must not be surnamed Qi!”

Chen Ping’an carefully recounted the recent battles of the Azure Continent and Barren Lands, the Dao attainments of cultivators at the peaks of the Azure Continent, and the chaos in the Azure Vault.

From time to time, a few sword cultivators would take turns sneaking out for a drink, then return.

This was not intentional disrespect toward Chen Ping’an. Even Fan Dache, the acknowledged lackey of the Hidden Official faction, would sneak out for a few sips. In previous Ancestral Hall meetings, led by Ning Yao, no one had slipped away. At least, not the Hidden Official faction.

Having described the situation, Chen Ping’an spoke of the Celestial Fish Dynasty and Ginzane Dynasty. The former would soon ally with Feisheng City. He would only play the role of a bridge. Feisheng City would come to a consensus, and if they refused, they should transmit a flying sword letter to the True Guardian Yang Mumu. If they agreed, Emperor Ding Ding would personally visit Feisheng City. As for the latter, Emperor Zhang Fuzhi secretly wished to accept a batch of Feisheng City sword cultivators as guardians. In return, the Ginzane Dynasty would send all of its nascent sword cultivators to Feisheng City for cultivation.

Chen Ping’an recommended sending one person each from the Executioner, Hidden Official, and Spring Protector branches. They should quietly enter the Ginzane Dynasty without notifying Zhang Fuzhi or forewarning their own sword cultivators. He suggested the Hidden Official faction allow the young sword cultivator in charge of the archives, named Huai Congzhi, to venture out for experience.

Luo Zhenyi nodded. She had long decided the youth would be a good match.

Chen Ping’an mentioned two more things.

He was about to be appointed the National Preceptor of the Great Li.

He had agreed with Lord Qi that Lord Qi would take over the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. However, Lord Qi would bring eighteen direct disciples to the Fivefold World.

Qi Shou asked, “You can bring all of them?”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “I will find a way. For example, I might discuss with the Temple of Literature. The total number of people will stay the same. I will take eighteen away, and Lord Qi will take eighteen to compensate.”

An old Nascent Soul was shocked. “You can do that?”

Don’t Have laughed, “Let’s discuss it first. Always ask for the sky and haggle on the ground.”

The old Nascent Soul nodded. Chen Ping’an was a master of bartering. He was always willing to sacrifice face.

Qi Shou tentatively asked, “If the Temple of Literature truly agrees, whom do you intend to take?”

With Chen Ping’an’s temper, he would not touch the Spring Protector branch. Qi Shou feared he might attack the Executioner branch under the guise of strengthening the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. He feared Chen Ping’an might act on personal whim, directly taking a dozen sword cultivators from the Retreating Heat Palace’s Hidden Official faction to the Azure Continent and the Great Li Dynasty, or enter the Azure Sprout Sword Sect, under the pretense of gaining experience.

Chen Ping’an said, “Discuss it among yourselves. They need not be native sword cultivators of Feisheng City. The North Support Continent, the South Tongye Continent—you can select suitable candidates and see if they wish to return home. If a Daoist from the East wishes to go to the Azure Continent, that can be arranged. Consider it a backup plan. Whether the Temple of Literature agrees is another matter.”

Qi Shou sighed in relief.

Everyone present knew the next opening would be the last, and the Fivefold World would be permanently closed. Only a small number of Ascension Realm grand cultivators could enter and exit at will. That would be Feisheng City’s second great trial.

Especially after hearing the half of the Azure Vault had changed, they wondered how many Daoists and refugees would flood in when it opened next. It was unfathomable.

Nian Xin, who had been silent in the meeting, said, “Can I return to the Azure Continent?”

Lord Qi was about to become the city lord. There was no point in her continuing to hinder Qi Shou in the Executioner branch.

Chen Ping’an laughed. “What does the Executioner say?”

Qi Shou said, “Then let’s take one slot first.”

Ning Yao said that Xiao Mo had successfully united with the Dao, entering the Fourteenth Realm. The sword light had come from Xiao Mo.

She also introduced Xie Gou, or rather, the past deeds of the sword cultivator Bai Jing.

The marten-hatted girl sitting on the steps turned to smile at the room.

Xie Gou was in a good mood. She had sold many talismans, trading goods for money. If necessary, promissory notes were acceptable.

An old Nascent Soul sword cultivator was repeatedly studying a talisman, determining if he would be swindled. After all, she was brought out by Chen Hidden Official. Her business style was predictable.

Back in Sword Qi Great Wall, Zhao Pu did not drink at the wine shop or write any safety plaques, or buy seals and fans from the Yan shop, but he had been thoroughly scammed several times.

“I will chop off my hands if I bet again!” “I do not believe the banker can win every time!” “Do not pretend with me. You are the wine shop’s shill. Deny it if you like. By the way, are there any sure things? Winning a little is fine. I just cannot afford to keep losing. Really? Scram! You are even cheating your own brothers? I am quitting gambling! You swear first…”

The old man assumed the young girl serving as a Rogue Mountain Guardian was a genius sword cultivator from the Azure Continent, Jade Purity or the like.

Xie Gou said softly, “Old Zhao, I was being modest. I will give you the truth. I am Rogue Mountain’s second-in-command guardian.”

Zhao Pu gave her a thumbs-up, not knowing if it was for her second-in-command guardian title or for praising the former sword cultivator Bai Jing’s great deeds.

Xie Gou was surprised. These sword cultivators seemed to think very little of her demon race origins.

Xiao Mo was not as lively as Xie Gou, simply resting her walking stick on her lap, discussing sword refinement with Fan Dache.

Fan Dache started it off, and soon another sword cultivator asked for guidance, hoping to get lucky. Xiao Mo was sincere in her replies.

Qi Shou had sharp eyes and knew a good deal. The Executioner actually went to the wine shop and was making deals with the marten-hatted girl.

If he was not short on cash, Qi Shou would have bought all of her talismans, regardless of how mismatched the paper was with the rank.

Pu Yu and Ren Yi, the city lords of Feisheng City’s tributary city, Drifting Moon City, had snuck out together.

Both were Golden Core realm cultivators. Sitting on the steps, drinking, they had just heard about Yuan Zao Hua from the Retreating Heat Palace. They were still wondering how Chen Ping’an knew Yuan Zao Hua had entered the Sixth Realm with the strongest word, and was confident she was the strongest at that time in several continents. Feisheng City had already noticed something amiss. Yuan Zao Hua’s martial gifts far exceeded the previous two.

In terms of realm and talent, Jiang Yun was the most talented pure martial artist in Feisheng City. Yuan Zao Hua and Xu Gong were slightly inferior.

Yuan Zao Hua, formerly a tomboy, a child-king, was now a fair young woman.

The Executioner’s branch of young martial artists was partial to the Retreating Heat Palace. It was an open secret in Feisheng City.

Both Executioner Qi Shou, and Pu Yu Ren Yi acknowledged this, and there were no resentments.

Ren Yi softly asked, “Why do you not go to the Azure Continent as well?”

Pu Yu had injured his Dao foundations on the battlefield and would likely never break through the Golden Core bottleneck.

Pu Yu sipped his drink and laughed. “What, are you eager to remove the word ‘deputy’?”

Ren Yi was annoyed. “Be serious.”

Pu Yu shook his head. He had thought about it in Sword Qi Great Wall, but his heart had calmed.

After the council meeting, Chen Ping’an and the others went to the Ning manor.

Along the way, some children gathered, each with their own plans.

The green-robed man was easy to identify. Walking beside Ning Yao, who else could he be but the wine shop’s second shopkeeper?

Some children asked the second shopkeeper if he was still taking bets to earn dark money. They had money and were willing to be shills, conscience be damned. Others asked him to help find out if the Yan Shop had any new goods. Their elders were waiting for them; the fans made excellent keepsakes, costing little while remaining rare. Others asked the Hidden Official if he was accepting disciples, performing a set of tortoise fist as they asked. There were also those who asked Chen Ping’an for several seals, saying they would gift them to the teacher at the school so the beating with the board would be less painful.

The man would stop and chat with the children, smiling as he said things they would not understand, but their elders would. Or he would say the Yan Shop definitely had a batch of goods in stock, waiting to be sold at high prices. He said he would not accept the child as a disciple, but would accept his father as a master instead. The child would be annoyed and run off, then turn around to glance at Chen Ping’an before swaggering away. Chen Ping’an would kick the child’s butt. He also agreed to help the child engrave a seal tonight and wait for him in front of the Ning manor tomorrow morning, but remembered to bring all his pocket money, as the money and goods would change hands.

Xie Gou had entrusted all of her temptress to Nian Xin’s command. There were about a hundred beauties, grandly and quietly following behind Nian Xin.

Many drunk old bachelors watched, mesmerized. What was going on? Was the Executioner’s branch short on manpower? Even a handyman would do.

Xie Gou had obtained Qi Shou’s permission and unleashed an invisible sword light path to clear the way for them, to prevent them from being shattered by the city’s sword qi the moment they appeared. Now able to see the light of day, and with the strange sword celestial having given them Daoist incantations suitable for spirits, these poor women had a sense of liberation after being frightened. No longer were they haunted by the sadness and gloom of the Ginzane Dynasty capital’s grand hall. In their hearts, they were curious. Was this the legendary Sword Qi Great Wall?

Why did those men like to squat on the roadside and drink, even though the halls of the big and small wine shops were empty?

Were they all common teachers from Sword Qi Great Wall? Were there regulations preventing non-sword cultivators from entering wine shops to drink?

A bunch of sloppy men, huddled together, drinking, began to whistle. Scoundrels! Men all over the world were the same.

A young man, having somehow learned of her past, desperately introduced himself in broken Tongye elegance, asking the woman’s name and if she was married. What thick skin!

They whispered to one another, and the roadside was filled with uproarious laughter. They did not understand the “official language” of Feisheng, but they sensed that two words were mentioned the most: “Hidden Official” and “Second Shopkeeper”. They knew these must be important titles.

Nian Xin, walking at the front, did not explain anything.

Their temporary lodging belonged to the Executioner branch, a place filled with martial artists’ fist energies. It was better than being near sword cultivators’ intertwined sword qi. Moreover, the marten-hatted girl named Xie Gou had given them a talisman. When Nian Xin unleashed it, it became a palace. They entered in droves, seeking places to nurture their souls. Gradually, they appeared in pavilions and towers, leaning against railings, looking out at Feisheng City. However, the sword qi blocked most of their view, making everything hazy and unclear.

Gradually, some of the women understood. The men drinking and gambling on the sides of the streets, even if they said drunken, bawdy things they could not understand, did not scare them. Perhaps it was because they had become ghosts. There was a distance between the living and the dead. They felt a burning yet restrained vitality from them.

And although they did not speak the same language, and their appearances and expressions were different, their eyes were all the same: a person seeing another person.

It was good.

They arrived at the Ning manor.

Chen Ping’an slowed down at the gate out of habit. Entering the gate, he passed the training grounds and saw the young woman, already a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, practicing her fists on the wooden posts.

Ning Yao took Xie Gou and the others to select their lodging. Chen Ping’an stopped alone.

Summoning her courage, Feng Yuanxiao asked, “Hidden Official, are my teachers all well back home?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled. “All is well. Peace Summit has restored its Dao tradition. Your teacher has accepted mountain protectors and hired guest ministers. I also heard that your teacher recently left the sect to go to the site of an ancient Golden Immortal’s alchemy, hoping to get lucky. There are rumors that there is a bottle of elixir inside that can be taken to ascend. I do not know if it is true.”

Feng Yuanxiao nodded, her face brightening. The young woman yearned to see Tongye Continent in the future.

Chen Ping’an hesitated, deciding to not say more.

Feng Yuanxiao was embarrassed to show off her fist techniques in front of the young Hidden Official and found an excuse to return to her courtyard to meditate.

Chen Ping’an entered his own residence. The table in the room used as a study was covered with unengraved seal materials.

Ning Yao arrived unnoticed. She saw Chen Ping’an intently focused on engraving the base of a seal: Careless?

She picked up several seals with engraved bases: Old Man Reading Like a Fist? This debt must be paid?

Stunned, Ning Yao could not help but chuckle. “Do you really want them to be beaten with the board at the school tomorrow?”

Xie Gou, face pressed against the wall, was dragged away by Xiao Mo.

Chen Ping’an laughed, pointing to some seals beside her. Ning Yao picked them up and examined their bases, and it was better.

“Oh, Great Teacher!” “A life of learning.” “In the apricot blossom rain, the sound of study can be heard.” “Read ten thousand scrolls, taught a thousand men.” “Today’s teaching is reading tomorrow’s scrolls.”